To develop and implement an agile, digitalized onboarding process for new employees in complex manufacturing systems, using Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) and Conversational AI technologies. The objective is to significantly reduce the training time, improve skill acquisition, and enhance overall productivity in manufacturing environments.      The experiment centers on changing the onboarding process for new employees in complex manufacturing systems by integrating advanced digital technologies, specifically Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) and Conversational AI. This approach aims to modernize and streamline the training process, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in manufacturing environments.

Technology:

• Human-Machine Interaction (HMI): The experiment will utilize HMI technologies to create a digital training platform that simulates real-world manufacturing tasks. This will include interactive interfaces and virtual simulations that allow new employees to practice and learn in a controlled environment.
• Conversational AI: Conversational AI will be integrated into the training platform to provide real-time guidance, feedback, and support. AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants will help trainees navigate through tasks, answer questions, and adapt the training content based on individual progress.
• Digital Training Tools: The platform will feature visual presentations, video tutorials, and gamified simulations designed to enhance learning and engagement. These tools will support the training of complex tasks such as plastic injection molding, wire harness assembly, and other manufacturing processes.

Development of an AI-based model for an injection molding machine using RGBT and sensor network data to run on the edge. RGBT features and sensory data are sent to a local on-premises server using IIoT StreamPipes protocols and a monitoring dashboard is populated for further inspection/integration purposes.

Development of an AI-based model for an injection molding machine using RGBT and sensor network data to run on the edge. RGBT features and sensory data are sent to a local on-premises server using IIoT StreamPipes protocols and a monitoring dashboard is populated for further inspection/integration purposes.

We will start with a dataset auditing phase. In this phase, the purchased camera will be installed in Elvez and it will monitor the injection moulding operation. We believe few cycles of operation in each state (normal function, malfunction, overheat, …) will create sufficient size dataset for our models. In fact, our goal is to train models with the least amount of available data to be more attractive in the market. This is achieved by using preprocessing using standard image processing techniques.

We will start with testing different standard image processing algorithms: motion detection, background substraction, etc. We will estimate the accuracies that we can get as well as the problems that will arise. Then we will decide how to complete the pipeline using more advanced algorithms including AI and computer vision. This project is a pathfinder experiment, thus we need to really experiment with the best algorithm to use. We will use the motion detection and background substraction algorithms available in OpenCV in C++ and Python.

New technologies can be used for the creation of innovative circular economy business models to contribute to a more sustainable future. However, how can such a transformation be carried out? The project Circular 4.0 improved the Alpine eco-system of innovation and contributed to the transition to a circular economy in the Alpine area by focusing on SMEs and economic operators. An eco-system of innovation (policy makers, stakeholders, academia and research institutions, entrepreneurs and citizens) was identified for better cooperation and tools were developed and tested to attain the ultimate goal: to strengthen digitalisation processes by SMEs to foster innovation processes and accelerate the transition to the circular economy in Alpine Space.

The main idea for the project is to construct the physical machine that can be used to test the functionalities of ROPCA on patients in hospitals. The ROPCA system can by using ultrasound of both hands and wrists, detect signs of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) andmonitor disease activity in patients with established RA. Further, the system can diagnose and monitor the more prevalent disease hand osteoarthritis, thereby also giving and explanation for the hand pain in patients with no signs of RA. Currently, these tasks are solved by doctors specialized in rheumatology Health care is under pressure, more and more are being referred to hospitals. The target group is hospitals that will be able to provide rapid RA diagnostics and monitoring, more patients through the department, reduce waiting lists and reduce expenses. At the same time deliver high quality monitoring of the RA patient, who can choose the time of check themself and does not have to take time off work.

This DIH-HERO proposal is a collaboration between a Danish robotics company, one of the world’s leading universities in healt care robotics SDU and Slovenian companies of software development NORIK and production of parts ELVEZ.

Every day, millions of screws and bolts are mounted in the European manufacturing industry by employees with handheld screwdrivers in everything from windows to cars & electronic products. It is an expensive, time consuming and inefficient assembly process. As example a car is put together with more the 3000 screws.

The repetitive work from manual screwdriving can cause physical disabilities and strain. Industries like electronics and automotive industry, all have many screwdriving tasks. Today, many of these tasks are completely manual. Especially in small and medium sized enterprises & mid-cap. In these companies we typically have many manual assembly lines with 2-3 electrical screwdrivers at each workstation.

Approximately 40-50% of the full assembly time in these companies, are used on screwdriving. This show the huge potential of automating this operation.

Three main technical factors make it difficult to create agile production setups for screwdriving applications in high/mix-low/volume productions, 1) robot task programming, 2) handling of position uncertainties and 3) digital process and quality control. In addition, the price of screwdriving tools makes it hard to realize these robotics solutions in small companies. It is simply too expensive. The new end-of-arm tool from Spin Robotics will change the price dramatically.

During this TRINITY demonstration project, the consortium will demonstrate an agile production setup for screwdriving applications with collaborative robots (cobots). We present a robotics system with industry 4.0 integration to enable fast changeover between task.

Automated screwdriving is a process which requires that each screw is mounted correctly with the right torque. This is ensured by industry 4.0 technology to collect, log and analyse torque data in the cloud from the individual cobots. In addition, we present a new method for setting up the screwdriving task which reduce the changeover time from hours to minutes.

In this project, we aim to investigate the scientific principles of plasma technologies for synthesizing composite magnets with exceptional magnetic, mechanical, and chemical properties. Our approach involves preparing composite materials from magnetic and polymeric powders through extrusion. Before mixing and extrusion, the magnetic powder will undergo a plasma treatment to alter its surface properties and ensure optimal wetting with the liquid polymer.

We will first conduct the plasma treatment in a small experimental reactor to understand how plasma radicals influence the surface energy of the magnetic powder. By testing a wide range of plasma parameters, we will identify the best conditions for producing prototype composite magnets. These prototypes will then be evaluated for their magnetic, mechanical, and chemical properties to pinpoint the most promising solutions.

Subsequently, we will explore the potential for scaling up the technology by conducting further studies in a larger reactor specifically prepared for this project. This will involve investigating the impact of magnetic powder on plasma and the parameters of electrification. The innovative reactor will enable us to process powders in quantities suitable for small-scale production.

The composite magnets produced from powders pre-treated in the larger reactor will be used to create batches for assessing the feasibility and practicality of the innovative technique in mass production. Additionally, we will apply an extremely thin film of hydrophobic material to the composite materials to prevent corrosion, a common issue with this type of magnet. We will also explore the influence of process parameters on plasma polymerization of thin films for applying protective coatings.

Miniature sensors capable of detecting radicals in non-equilibrium gaseous plasma will be constructed. The sensors will measure the temperature of a short segment of an optical fiber by making the segment a miniature Fabry-Perot interferometer. The segment will be coated with a material of high coefficient for heterogeneous surface recombination of radicals to stable molecules. A plurality of miniature interferometers will be assembled within a sensor, and each interferometer will be coated with different material. Each material will have a specific sensitivity for different radicals. By simultaneous measurements of the temperature of the interferometers coated with different catalysts and development of a smart control unit, the sensor will be able to distinguish between various plasma radicals. The absolute accuracy of the sensors will be about 15%, what is suitable for most industrial applications. The sensors will be first probed in out laboratories. The sensors of best configuration will be probed at three renowned EU plasma laboratories, and finally in industrial environment. A project partner will perform systematic measurements in an industrial reactor useful for the technology of discharge cleaning of various materials, plasma activation of glass products and plasma functionalization of polymeric products. We shall elaborate on the long-term stability and the sensor will reach the TRL6 upon accomplishing the project.

A new hypothesis on deactivation of virus in water has been launched and will be verified within this project. A complementary team will be established with scientists highly skilled in biotechnology, plasma science, metallization and vacuum science. An innovative reactor suitable for treatment of polluted water with powerful short-wave radiation will be constructed and thoroughly verified by the group of vacuum scientists from the research group of company Vacutech Ltd. The source of useful radiation will be gaseous plasma sustained in a volume of about 100 litres and powered with a generator of adjustable power up to several 10 kW. The efficiency of this reactor in terms of useful radiation will be almost 10%. The ractor will be protected by an innovative shield (task for the research unit of company Elvez Ltd.) providing protection against electromagnetic interference and increased reflection of UV and VUV light by a special aluminium metallization coating. Contaminated water will flow through the reactor and will be constricted to a radiation-transparent and vacuum-tight tube. The destruction of virus upon treatment with the radiation arising from the said plasma reactor will be monitored using various biological techniques by the experts from the National Institute of Biology. The research group at the Department of Surface Engineering and Optoelectronics at Jozef Stefan Institute will provide the expertise in plasma physics, characterisation of the plasma source of useful radiation as well as detection of any irreversible modification of first-wall material upon exposure to powerful plasma. A patent application will be submitted to an EU office as soon as the first results confirm our hypothesis, while scientific aspects will be published in topical journals of high impact.

Printability of electronic components is usually inadequate so it should be optimized for optimal performances. The activation of polymer surface is nowadays usually performed by plasma treatment which is gradually replacing traditional chemical methods such as application of primers which are ecologically inadequate and often even carcinogenic. While the method is widely used in industry for large-scale activation of two-dimensional objects such as textiles and foils, the activation of three-dimensional components of complex shape is feasible only using low-pressure discharges. Namely, atmospheric-pressure discharges are famous for large gradients of reactive species. In practice it means that a segment of a three-dimensional object is insufficiently treated and other segments are over-treated. For ink-jet printing on the components produced by industrial partner, only a small surface of dimension just above a cm2 has to be activated, but the activation should be accomplished in a fraction of a second to meet the pace of the production line. Such treatment represents not only a technological, but also a scientific challenge. Since it is not feasible to assure for appropriate fluence of oxidative radicals, the synergy between said radicals and VUV radiation will be employed to obtain the appropriate surface finish. The influences of VUV radiation and oxidative radicals on the surface finish will be first elaborated separately to obtain the appropriate fluences. In the next step, the synergistic effects will be studied thoroughly to find the optimal combination of VUV and radical’s fluences. Finally, an atmospheric plasma jet that assures for appropriate VUV radiation and density of oxidative radicals will be tested. Scientific aspects will be published in topical journals, and a patent application will be submitted to EU office as soon as the concept is proved.

An innovative sensor for real-time monitoring of the deposition rates for thin dielectric films in Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) systems will be constructed and validated. An interdisciplinary team consisting experts in optoelectronics, plasma science, plasma technology and sensor technology will be established. The team will consist of partners from a university, a public research institute, a private research centre and an industrial partner. The team will construct a sensor suitable for data acquisition in a time scale of about 100 ms with the sensitivity of about 1 nm. The sensor will be first tested in a small experimental system for reactive sputter deposition available at the University. Prototypes will be then validated in a system for PECVD deposition of thin films using hexamethyl di-siloxane precursor at the Institute, and further validated in a 5 cubic meters large system for PECVD deposition of thin silicon dioxide layers on polymeric components of complex shape and rather large size. This system is used routinely for depositing protective layers on head lamps for automotive industry. The experts from the private research centre will construct an appropriate power supply including electronics for automatic data acquisition. The deliverable of this applied research project will be therefore an industrial prototype of a sensor ready for use in PECVD reactors worldwide. The original solution will be protected with a patent application, while the scientific aspect will be disseminated by papers submitted to prominent topical journals as well as through presentations at plasma conferences. The co-funding organization and beneficiary of this project will be able to commercialize the sensor soon after accomplishing this project. The sensor will be flexible enough for application in plasma reactors of various sizes using different discharges for sustaining non-equilibrium gaseous plasma. It will be small and will represent a price-effective alternative to standard methods for in-situ measuring thicknesses of thin films upon deposition in plasma reactors.

Initial stages of polymer functionalization with different functional groups will be determined experimentally. Results will represent a breakthrough in understanding the complex mechanism involved at interaction of reactive gaseous species with polymer surfaces. For the first time, the polymer surfaces will be exposed to variable fluences or reactive plasma radicals and the evolution of various functional groups with increasing fluences will be determined without breaking vacuum conditions using our high-resolution XPS instrument. The fluences will be measured precisely using specially adopted laser-driven catalytic probes. The evolution of functional groups versus fluences will be determined separately for oxygen and fluorine atoms as well as NHx radicals. The sources of these species will be microwave-driven discharges at variable powers. Three sources will be mounted onto the treatment chamber employing oxygen, ammonia and tetrafluoromethane as working gases. Gases will be introduced into the discharge chambers through flow controllers and will dissociate to radicals upon plasma conditions. The radicals will then enter the processing chamber which will be pumped continuously to assure for a rapid transfer of radicals from the plasma region to the samples with reasonable loss due to recombination or association to parent molecules. The entire experimental setup will be UHV compatible so the concentration of gaseous impurities will be marginal. The project will employ experts in polymer and plasma science as well as experts in construction of custom-designed plasma systems, high-frequency plasma sources and surface characterization. The results will be published in reputable topical journals and we shall also write a monography on initial stages of polymer functionalization. Such a monography is currently not available since no group worldwide has performed experiments foreseen within this project. The dissemination will be through scientific meetings and media.

The range of plasma parameters suitable for nanostructuring, functionalization and optimal wettability of polyethylene therephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylsulfide (PPS), polypropylene (PP) and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) in a reasonable treatment time will be evaluated. The flux of positively charged oxygen ions will be varied between about 1E17 m-2s-1 to about 1E20 m-2s-1 by adjusting discharge parameters, and the flux of neutral oxygen atoms onto the polymer surface from about 1E19 m-2s-1 to almost 1E24 m-2s-1. The flux of neutral atoms will be varied independently from discharge parameters (and thus the ion flux) using a movable recombinator. The corresponding fluences will be achieved by variation of treatment time. Plasma parameters will be measured by electrical and catalytic probes, optical spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, while surface finish by atomic force and scanning electron microscopies, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. The polymers for which superhydrophilic surface finish will not be achievable by treatment in oxygen plasma for about 10 s (this is the requirement of our industrial partner and co-funding organization) will be treated using an innovative two-step process. The optimal range of plasma parameters will be determined in a small reactor of volume 1 litre. Upscaling will be realized in two steps, first with a medium-size reactor of volume 100 litres and finally in a large-size industrial reactor of volume 5000 litres. The coupling of discharges suitable for achieving the optimal range of plasma parameters as determined in the small reactor will be studied for large reactors first theoretically and then experimentally using alternative electrode configurations. Once optimal plasma parameters are achieved in the medium size reactor it will be proposed for pilot production of components for automotive industry in semi-continuous mode. Irrespective of company decision, an alternative coupling of discharge as well as a different RF generator will be tested also in the large reactor. The results of the research activity will enable our industrial partner to optimize the production of components for automotive industry. Innovative solutions will be protected by a couple of patent applications, one on the two-step process and another on innovative coupling between RF generator and gaseous plasma in large reactors. The scientific results will be published in topical journals in the field of plasma processing of polymer materials as well as applied surface science and a monograph on influence of reactive gaseous species on evolution of surface morphology and functional properties will be prepared.