Branche: Design

Generative AI in Organizational Knowledge Management

Generative AI in Organizational Knowledge Management

AI literacy as a prerequisite for augmentation
Uta Wilkens ORCID Icon, Valentin Langholf ORCID Icon, Niklas Obermann ORCID Icon
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) offers new opportunities for organizational knowledge management, particularly when it comes to learning processes at the interface between explicit, firm-specific, and tacit knowledge. Its use is therefore of particular interest for application areas such as industrial maintenance. Based on a mechanical engineering case study, this article demonstrates that augmenting both processes and employees with GenAI requires AI literacy combined with professional skills.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 5 | Pages 118-126 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.26.5.14
Systematically Planning Vertical Factories

Systematically Planning Vertical Factories

Developing factory types as a foundation for intelligent planning support
Nikolaus Kremslehner ORCID Icon, Sebastian Schlund ORCID Icon, Wilfried Sihn
Vertical factories reduce land use and harness the advantages of urban production. However, their multi-story structure significantly increases planning complexity. To counter such effects, this paper presents a typology that combines proven solutions for recurring challenges in the planning and operation of vertical factories. Relevant characteristics were examined using real-world case studies and structured within a morphological framework. This framework was consolidated into factory types that provide guidance for conceptual planning and serve as the foundation for intelligent planning support.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 5 | Pages 68-76 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.26.5.6
AI-Powered Lubrication Strategies for Thread Forming

AI-Powered Lubrication Strategies for Thread Forming

Adaptive spray jet control to increase process reliability and tool life
Reinhard Schmied, Marco Susic, Christian Donhauser ORCID Icon
Thread forming requires precise lubricant application because high contact pressures and process temperatures strongly influence tool loading, friction, and process stability. Although minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) systems are widely used, current spray-based approaches can still suffer from spray losses, insufficient wetting of the thread grooves, and unstable droplet transport. This article presents a concept for adaptive precision lubrication in thread forming based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-supported flow analysis, experimental validation, and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted optimization. The focus is on droplet size, spray jet geometry, nozzle position, ambient flow conditions, and their influence on wetting intensity. Preliminary simulation-based investigations indicate that data-driven optimization can help identify wetting deficiencies and support the development of future control strategies for resource-efficient lubricant application.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2027 | Edition 3 | Pages 76-83