Made Smarter Innovation - Research Centre for Connected Factories
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Nottingham
Department Name: Faculty of Engineering
Abstract
The future prosperity of the UK will increasingly depend on building and maintaining a resilient and sustainable manufacturing sector that can respond to changing supply and demand by adapting, repurposing, relocating and reusing available production capabilities. The pandemic which emerged in 2020 has influenced our perspective of future manufacturing operations and, in particular, has brought into focus the capacity challenges of delivering critical products and maintaining production in the face of major disruptions. It also accelerated the emerging trend for more localised, greener and cost-competitive indigenous manufacturing infrastructure with the ability to produce a wider set of complex products faster, better and cheaper. To meet the long-term structural and post-pandemic challenges, we need transformative new methods of building and utilising future factories by embracing complexity, uncertainty and data intensity in a dynamic and rapidly changing world.
The "Morphing Factory" Made Smarter Centre aims to deliver a platform for next generation resilient connected manufacturing services. It will allow future manufacturing operations to be delivered by ubiquitous production units that can be easily repurposed, relocated and redeployed in response to changing market demand. This vision will be delivered through 3 closely related strands:
(1) An underpinning fundamental research programme to define the principles, methods and models for future morphing factories in terms of architecture, topology, configuration methods, IoT digital awareness, in-process monitoring and AI based autonomous control. (50%).
(2) A dynamic challenge-driven applied research programme to address emerging industrial needs and validate and demonstrate the results through a set of application studies including smart machining, production integrated 3D printing and autonomous assembly integrated into a common hyperconnected morphing factory cloud (45%).
(3) A programme of networking and engagement activities with other ISCF Made Smarter research and innovation centres, industry and the general public to maximise the impact of the research, encourage accelerated technology uptake and increase the public awareness (5%).
The "Morphing Factory" Made Smarter Centre aims to deliver a platform for next generation resilient connected manufacturing services. It will allow future manufacturing operations to be delivered by ubiquitous production units that can be easily repurposed, relocated and redeployed in response to changing market demand. This vision will be delivered through 3 closely related strands:
(1) An underpinning fundamental research programme to define the principles, methods and models for future morphing factories in terms of architecture, topology, configuration methods, IoT digital awareness, in-process monitoring and AI based autonomous control. (50%).
(2) A dynamic challenge-driven applied research programme to address emerging industrial needs and validate and demonstrate the results through a set of application studies including smart machining, production integrated 3D printing and autonomous assembly integrated into a common hyperconnected morphing factory cloud (45%).
(3) A programme of networking and engagement activities with other ISCF Made Smarter research and innovation centres, industry and the general public to maximise the impact of the research, encourage accelerated technology uptake and increase the public awareness (5%).
Organisations
- University of Nottingham (Lead Research Organisation)
- BAE Systems (United Kingdom) (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- BMW Group (Project Partner)
- Fanuc Robotics (U K) Ltd (Project Partner)
- GKN (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Target3D Ltd (Project Partner)
- Omron Electronics Ltd (Project Partner)
- National Physical Laboratory (Project Partner)
- Siemens plc (UK) (Project Partner)
- MakeUK (Project Partner)
- Loop Technology Limited (Project Partner)
- Real-Time Innovations (United States) (Project Partner)
- Spirit AeroSystems (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Airbus (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Beckhoff Automation Ltd (Project Partner)
- PA Consulting Group (Project Partner)
- Starrag (Project Partner)
- Nestlé (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Manufacturing Technology Centre (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Cosworth Technology Ltd (Project Partner)
- Robert Bosch (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
Publications
Auledas-Noguera M
(2022)
Mobile Robots for In-Process Monitoring of Aircraft Systems Assemblies.
in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
Brion D
(2022)
Quantitative and Real-Time Control of 3D Printing Material Flow Through Deep Learning
in Advanced Intelligent Systems
Brion D
(2022)
Automated recognition and correction of warp deformation in extrusion additive manufacturing
in Additive Manufacturing
Brion DAJ
(2022)
Generalisable 3D printing error detection and correction via multi-head neural networks.
in Nature communications
Chen Y
(2023)
The Effect of Robot Adoption on Profit Margins
in IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management
Ji Z
(2023)
Facile method for 3D printing conformally onto uneven surfaces and its application to face masks
in Scientific Reports
Tadeja S
(2023)
Exploring the repair process of a 3D printer using augmented reality-based guidance
in Computers & Graphics
Wang L
(2023)
Uncertainty-propagated Cartesian coordinated human-robot collaboration on Riemannian manifold with hidden state-space model
in Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence
Zhang Z
(2022)
Deep Transfer Learning With Self-Attention for Industry Sensor Fusion Tasks
in IEEE Sensors Journal
| Title | Data set for "Generalisable 3D printing error detection and correction via multi-head neural networks" |
| Description | The dataset contains 1,272,273 labelled images of the the extrusion 3D printing process. A camera mounted next to the nozzle of the printer was used to capture images of material deposition for 192 different printed parts covering a range of geometries, material colours, and lighting conditions. Each image is labelled with: flow rate, lateral speed, Z offset, hotend temperature, hotend target temperature, bed temperature, timestamp, and nozzle tip x and y coordinates. To collect the data an automated pipeline was created to acquire and automatically label images from a fleet of 8 extrusion printers and to sample different combinations of printing parameters. The dataset provides a CSV of 948,396 pre-filtered images where complete failures, parameter outliers, dark images, and images just after parameter changes are removed. A raw CSV is also included labelling all images in the dataset. This dataset can be used for numerous applications such as real-time error detection, closed-loop control, and parameter prediction. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | One of the largest data sets of its type publicly available. Has supported the development of a spin out company from the initial research. |
| URL | https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/339869 |
| Description | Strategic Partnership with BAE SYSTEMS |
| Organisation | BAE Systems |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Knowledge |
| Collaborator Contribution | Knowledge and setting of industrial challenges |
| Impact | No outputs or outcomes to date. This formal partnership is still new. We are now identifying areas of common interest within both MSI Connected Factories and Elastic Manufacturing Systems projects to which BAE Systems can contribute. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | 2x School Visits (Bluecoats Aspley) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Visit from Bluecoats Aspley School, Year 8, circa 60 children. Interactive session on engineering, aerospace, manufacturing and technology, with a tour round the omnifactory facility. Children enjoyed the interactive session and seeing the robots in the facility, reporting that it made them more interested in engineering. Arranged via the widening participation team, with reports that the school would like to come back. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Artificial Intelligence Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A workshop to present and identify different areas of AI across the university with the aim of fostering collaboration. The team presented the Omnifactory vision and machine learning and AI developments needed in such environment to support flexibility and reconfigurability. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Cambridge Demonstrator Working Group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A formal working group has been set up for Application Study 2 with interested business partners. The group meet regularly to agree use cases and direction of the research as well as discuss and present the research outcomes. The impact of the group is to ensure that the demonstrator continues to deliver on current industrial problems and that new technologies can be adopted quicker into industry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| Description | Digital Manufacturing Week 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | We hosted a stand in Innovation Alley at the Smart Factory Expo as part of Digital Manufacturing week with the wider Made Smarter Team. The PI for the project, Svetan Ratchev, also gave a talk at in the Made Smarter Theatre to introduce the research so far. The expo was an opportunity to engage with business and the other Made Smarter Reserach Centres with a view to widening participation at all levels of the project engagement strategy; disseminating findings so far and promoting the benefits of the research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://digital-manufacturing-week.com/ |
| Description | EPSRC Circular Economy Theme |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Gave a presentation to the EPSRC Manufacturing & Circular Economy Theme to provide more information about a particular use case and follow up after the Industrial Advisory Board. Widened knowledge of the project within the EPSRC Delegation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Farnborough Airshow 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | We participated in both the University of Nottingham Institute for Aerospace Technology and BAE Systems stands, promoting a selected sample of our research activities. Opportunity to present key research findings and capabilities developed to businesses and other research organisations within an Aerospace context, with a view to developing future partnerships. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.farnboroughairshow.com/ |
| Description | IfAM Breakfast Event (Digitalisation) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Hosted a workshop for local Manufacturing business leaders about the benefits of digitalisation. Presented current capabilities and projects and how these could apply in (mostly) SME settings including quick wins and implementation as well as long term vision for companies on their digitalisation journey. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Industrial Advisory Board Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Industrial advisory board meeting and workshop with industrial partners from advisory board to discuss use cases and ensure industrial relevance of the application studies and research direction. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022,2023 |
| Description | MACH 22 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Attended as part of Made Smarter Research Organisations, MACH 22 in April 22, an exhibition for engineering manufacturing. Spoke to businesses and other research organisations about the research project and discussed ways to get involved and shape future research. 4 researchers attended over 4 days. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.machexhibition.com/ |
| Description | Made Smarter Innovation Webinar Series: September - November 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The seminar focussed on describing the industrial application studies ranging from factory level digital design and integration to advanced control techniques for individual processes such as adaptive accurate machining and 3D printing. In it we described the problems that such technologies and techniques are trying to solve; how they could be applied across multiple sectors, products and processes and how businesses can get involved throughout the programme. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/news/made-smarter-innovation-webinar-series-september-november-2022/ |
| Description | Manufacturing & Engineering Week Expo 22 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | We had a stand at Manufacturing and Engineering week, June22. During the event we were able to engage with business about our projects with the aim of demonstrating our capabilities, disseminating our research to wider number of businesses, discuss how businesses to engage with us on current and future programmes. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.mandeweek.co.uk/ |
| Description | Manufacturing Technical Masterclass |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Hosted a series of events over the year to engage industry in some technical aspects of automation and digitalisation. The aims of the series was to explore a specific topic and demonstrate the capabilities developed within the projects. Participants reported feeling that they had learnt about topics previously they hadn't known that much about and would be more confident in implementing some of the techniques in their own businesses. • 27th April 2022 - Manufacturing Technical Masterclass - A quality improvement focus on digital solutions implementation - 9 attendees • 11th May 2022 - Measurement assisted determinate assembly of an aircraft wingbox - 8 attendees • 18th May 2022 - Affordable, auto-reconfigurable, multi-product manufacturing cells - 25 attendees • 25th May 2022 - Designing products & reconfigurable facilities for variable rate production - 10 attendees • 1st June 2022 - Cost estimation framework using MATLAB/Simulink - 28 attendees • 8th June 2022 - Automatic Assembly Work Instructions - 20 attendees. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | National Manufacturing Day 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Approx 150 school children visited the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, touring various research labs. The purpose was to promote STEM. Many of the teachers specifically asked for future invites if we repeat the activity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | OMNIFACTORY Launch Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The event was the official launch of the OMNIFACTORY, a 2 day event which showcased the new facility, the current projects which were using the new facility, and previous projects which have informed the development of the facility. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/world-first-multi-million-manufacturing-facility-opens-at-the-univ... |
| Description | School Visit (Alderman White) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Alderman White School brought 64 Year 9 pupils to visit the Advanced Manufacturing building. They had a tour of the Omnifactory and were introduced to ideas from the Connected Factories and Elastic Manufacturing Systems projects. The objective was to inspire them to get them interested in Engineering, and also give them a little bit of guidance that if they wanted a career in Engineering. For example we presented which GCSC subjects would help them achieve that. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | School Visit (Huntingdon Academy) for School Science Week |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Visit from Huntingdon Academy Year 5 (circa 30 children), interactive session on engineering, aerospace, manufacturing and technology with a tour around the Omnifactory facility. There were questions during the day and children were more interested in STEM subjects. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |