Czech Business & Trade 3/2018

CZECH BUSINESS AND TRADE
• NETME CENTRE
NETME Centre is a technological integrator,
the aim of which is the innovation of engineering
in the Czech Republic. It assists in
the development of expert knowledge, the
aim of which is to ensure future growth and
long-term sustainability of the engineering
sectors. It employs more than 500 researchers.
The Centre, linking up with long-term
successful research activities of the Faculty
of Mechanical Engineering of the Technical
University in Brno, also cooperates with other
leading universities in the Czech Republic
and other countries. Nearly 40 % of its contracted
research is with foreign institutions.,
INDUSTRY 4.0
Since about 2010, the development of automation
in industry, accelerated by the
tremendous information technology potential
and high-speed computers, has been
termed as the Fourth Industrial Revolution,
or simply “Industry 4.0”. Where is research
in the NETME centre and at the Faculty of
Mechanical Engineering (FME) heading in
this dynamic sector? FSI has been working
on manufacturing machines with electronic
control and production lines created with
them since the 1970s, gradually integrating
advanced technologies and quality management
instruments into their development.
The following are the main elements on
which it concentrates its scientific and
research activities:
COLLECTION OF DATA FROM REAL
PRODUCTION ON THE PART
OF INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS
Intelligent production cannot do without
the development of knowledge systems focused
on the description of real interactions
between the machine, the operator, and the
environment, to find how they influence the
productivity of the machine and the quality
of production. This entails the long-term
collection of data and their evaluation, the
development of applications for data processing
and their storage on cloud or the
firm´s internal server.
DEVELOPMENT AND
CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES
FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Using the knowledge obtained from the
collection of real production data, it is
possible to adjust the construction of the
newly developed machines, integrate
built-in sensors in them, reduce the weight
or increase the rigidity of the construction
elements. With the help of the modular
concept of the machines and the open
standards, it is possible to rapidly re-configure
and integrate them more easily into
the digitalised enterprise.
CYBER PHYSICAL SYSTEMS
The development of cyber physical systems
(CPS) means connecting the computing
model of the machine and its physical
realisation to form one interactive whole,
which is controlled or monitored by computer
algorithms, its parts communicating
with each other and which can be visualised
in the virtual reality environment. This
makes it possible to simulate and visualise
in advance different conditions of production
on it and, on the basis of the results
obtained, raise the adaptability, efficiency,
functionality, reliability, safety, and usability
of such a machine.
VIRTUAL AND ENLARGED REALITY
The Centre´s focus is on the development
of applications for the visualisation of all
the relevant data of the manufacturing machine
that can support the decision-making
processes of the workers during the
whole life cycle of the product and on the
assistant visualisation applications connected
to the knowledge database, which
supply the workers with comprehensive
information and instructions concerning
their tasks in the production process.
MACHINE CONDITION
MONITORING, DIAGNOSTICS,
AND MAINTENANCE
The reliability and safety of the production
facilities depend on their maintenance.
The cyber physical system integration
in the course of its maintenance
makes it possible to continuously monitor
the condition of the machine and
use advanced techniques for the predictive
and pro-active maintenance of the
machine. The essentials are the built-in
sensors, analysis of the data from the
sensors, development of predictive algorithms
and advanced methods of
visualisation in the environment of enlarged
or virtual reality.
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
Another objective of NETME´s activities is
the research and development of advanced
metal materials, ceramics and composite
materials, usable in the construction of sophisticated
engineering applications in the
power industry and the manufacturing, automobile
and aviation industries.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
Challenges linked with the EU low carbon
economy vision projected into the year
2050 and the current pressure to reduce
greenhouse gas emission lead to the development
of technologies that will ensure
greater efficiency of the machine time and
materials used combined with total energy
consumption reduction needed for the
manufacture of one piece. Additive manufacturing
will also allow to better meet the
individual requirements of customers.
MODELLING, SIMULATION AND
OPTIMISATION OF PRODUCTS AND
THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS
In this area, the Integrator focuses on the
development of computing machine
models and the application of neuron
networks for the prediction of the manufacturing
machine and production line behaviour.
On the basis of data collected from
the production process, the use of applied
mathematical disciplines (e.g. the front or
the game theories) and the analysis of the
manufacturing equipment, it is possible to
optimise the production plan, analyse the
influence of unexpected breakdowns and
plan maintenance stoppages.
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