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Intense global competition, shorter product life cycles and an increasing number of variants require flexible and adaptable, but at the same time economical production and logistics systems. This requires constant replanning of factories and logistics systems. Value-adding processes are being outsourced to contract logistics providers. Contract logistics planners must respond to tenders as quickly as possible and develop a proposal with an initial planning concept and a cost estimation. Despite standardization efforts in planning, the knowledge is often only implicit at the planners. This article describes the need for support by an AI-based assistance system during the planning process and how a digital platform for such an assistance system should look like.

There is hardly any day without publishing news on digitization and industry 4.0 and their respective necessity. Risks and shortcomings of IT-security are as well current topics. The striking question on management level is, where is my company regarding IT-security? How can we get a guiding light into the complexity of all related terms? This article is an outcome of research activities at the University of Applied Sciences Middlehesse. It is meant to support management to identify the actual status of IT-security and identify possible shortfalls. Based on a maturity grade model IT-security is described by six aspects with five levels each. This will help to point out room for improvements

The “IT’S DIGITIVE” research project developed the prerequisites for collaborative and platform-supported processing of additive manufacturing-based services and thus important building blocks for an additive manufacturing-based service network. The focus was on intellectual property protection and the development of secure and trustworthy order fulfillment processes. Based on the identified inherent risks and threats in this distributed order processing, appropriate security countermeasures were developed using two use cases as examples and implemented as demonstrators.

Plant construction and engineering companies have to go to great lengths to present their highly complex products that weigh tons. Because sales staff cannot take them to the customer. Exhibiting them at trade fairs has proven its worth. But with the Corona pandemic, this sales channel has disappeared. That’s why digital alternatives are needed, such as a virtual showroom that supports salespeople in presenting and selling equipment. An API management platform ensures the smooth flow of data between various source systems and the virtual showroom app.

Einer der Erfolgsfaktoren für die Realisierung von Cloud-Manufacturing-Plattformen ist die Geschwindigkeit, mit der Angebote generiert werden können. Um aus dem Kundenauftrag möglichst automatisiert die Planungsprozesse der Plattform zu unterstützen extrahieren wir Bearbeitungsprozesse aus technischen Zeichnungen mittels eines künstlichen neuronalen Netzes. Dabei werden die Probleme der Multi-Label-Bildklassifikation und eines unsymmetrischen Datensatzes behandelt. Abschließend wird die Leistungsfähigkeit des Datensatzes an den Testdaten demonstriert und ein rekursives Verfahren zur Verbesserung des Systems im laufenden Betrieb beschrieben.

IoT-Platforms are a key element for interconnecting physical objects and providing data for digital twins which represent such objects. The market for IoT platforms has grown massively in recent years. With now more than 600 providers, selecting the “right” platform for a company is no longer an easy task. This article supports companies in the selection process by providing an overview on common functionalities of IoT platforms and criteria for evaluating IoT platforms.

Right now, there’s virtually no single issue impacting the mechanical and plant engineering sector as profoundly as that of the “smart factory.” In fact, according to an industry survey conducted in 2019 [1], as many as 68 percent of the respondents reported that they had already launched initial smart factory initiatives. According to the Capgemini study “Smart Factories @ Scale” [2], by the end of 2019, a third of the factories had already been transformed into intelligent factories. This article presents insight into how leveraging the advantages of a cloud-based solution can ensure that the flow of information within a network of smart factories can be managed effectively.

Interior such as armrests consist of different materials. The materials and manufacturing processes are limited regarding custom-made cushioning and geometry. Air conditioning and illumination through the layers is difficult. With 3D printing a shell can be combined with a flexible supporting structure providing comfort and conduits for air or wires. This article discusses a printed removable armrest with integrated air conditioning and illumination.

The challenges facing production in the 21st century are multifaceted and complex. In particular, the consequences of global warming have fundamentally changed the conditions for modern production. In dealing with these challenges, the circular economy is seen as having great potential. This article develops a strategy for the successful implementation and realization of the circular economy for a climate-friendly production. For this purpose, a holistic circular product lifecycle is developed, along which circular strategies are systematically identified. The concept is illustrated by a practical example of a smartphone manufacturer.

China’s economic and demographic change forces the country to take action in its health care system. AI, Big Data and Robotics play a vital role in bringing the quality of health care to a new level and the country to the politically desired world leadership in key technologies. The abundance of data, limited privacy laws, vast amounts of venture capital and strategic partnerships between AI-industry and the government have fueled the fast AI-development in China to which Germany and Europe have yet to find an answer.