Annual advancements 2024 in Vigo, Spain

BENTELER Automotive Vigo, EXLA Packaging Solutions, and the Galician Automotive Technology Center (CTAG) are participating in the "Smart SCM – Intelligent Supply Chain Management" project, part of the "Smart and Sustainable Factory 2023" call, promoted by the Xunta de Galicia (Galician Regional Government) and co-financed by the European Union through structural funds. This initiative aims to promote industrial research, experimental development, and technological innovation in the field of digital transformation and sustainability, aligning with European priorities in digitalization and green industry.

During 2024, the project has made significant progress in the implementation of innovative technologies for the optimization of industrial and logistics processes. The main milestones achieved are summarized below:

1. Development of the digital twin

• The key requirements for the development of a digital twin that integrates traceability, logistics, and value stream analysis (VSM) data have been defined.
• Research has focused on interoperability between systems and optimization of the control and communications system using technologies such as IoT, Big Data, and process digitalization.
• Technological architectures have been selected and validated to enable real-time data integration for improved monitoring and decision-making.

2. Implementation of Location Technologies

• A detailed analysis of location technologies such as UWB, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), RFID, and IoT sensors has been carried out to improve the geolocation and traceability of equipment and containers.
• Laboratory tests (PoC) have been conducted to evaluate the accuracy and durability of these technologies in industrial environments.

3. Optimization of Internal and External Logistics

• Work has been done on automating internal logistics, integrating AGV and AMR systems to improve the flow of materials in the plant.
• New logistics layouts and storage systems compatible with autonomous mobility technologies have been designed and tested.
• The integration of these solutions into key processes such as laser cutting, stamping, and welding has begun.

4. Integration with Manufacturing Management Systems

• Communication interfaces have been developed to integrate data from manufacturing management systems (MES) and location systems into the digital twin.
• Progress has been made in creating a web portal that will allow viewing real-time, historical, and simulation data.

These advances mark a fundamental step in the modernization of industrial processes, aligning with Industry 4.0 trends and digital transformation. In the coming years, the implementation of these technologies will continue in a real-life production environment.