Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU have made it their mission to develop "Industrie 4.0" in the field of mechanical engineering. One of their focus areas is the press plant of the future. By combining the various streams of data in the Linked Factory, a data and service platform developed at the Institute, new production relevant information can be generated. On the basis of this data, researchers are able to isolate the cause of a failure more quickly and make targeted suggestions to staff to rectify it as quickly as possible. Together with partners from industry and science, Fraunhofer IWU is working on reducing failure-related downtimes by around 50 percent. However, "Presswerk 4.0" is set to not only tap potential related to downtimes. The aim is also to help operators react more quickly and flexibly to market needs and customer preferences, even when plans change at short notice.