I4S+ content for subscribers only

The question of how horizontal collaboration can be achieved in the Physical Internet is so far unanswered. The advantages of collaboration do not seem to outweigh the concerns about trust and data security, which is why only a few companies focus on joint logistics activities. Instead, logistics processes are increasingly in-sourced. However, even such internalization raises questions regarding free market structures. This paper provides an overview of horizontal collaboration in logistics and to what extent in-sourcing of logistics processes might be the easier solution to implement the Physical Internet.

The manufacturing share of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) increases in industrial application, but still many process steps are manually operated. Additionally, it is not possible to achieve tight dimensional tolerances or low surface roughness. Hence, a process chain has to be set up to combine additive manufacturing (AM) with further machining technologies. To achieve a continuous workpiece flow as basis for further industrialization of L-PBF, the article presents a novel substrate system and its application on L-PBF machines and post-processing. The substrate system consists of a zero-point clamping system and a matrix-like interface of contact pins to be substantially connected to the workpiece within the L-PBF process.

Additive manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing, have reached a stage of performance for industrial application such as small series and spare parts. The adoption of additive manufacturing has so far mostly been investigated from the perspective of individual manufacturing firms. This paper focuses on the identification of overarching influence factors. In a category system, influence factors are analyzed from the perspectives of the supply and demand side, the supply chain actors and flows as well as sustainability, thus contributing to the adoption from a supply chain perspective.

The digital twin is well on the way to becoming an elementary part of the corporate world. Corporate leaders hope that these intelligent images of an increasingly dynamic corporate reality will significantly reduce complexity. Ideally, model-based analyses and (partially) automated decisions using methods of simulation technology and artificial intelligence based on optimized IoT data management can make their contribution to corporate agility. In addition to the definition of terms/concepts, the paper will discuss current challenges and present various examples of their application. Based on these ideas, a process model for the introduction of digital twins in terms of technology migration will be presented.

As the Ernst & Young (EY) Global Printing Report 2019 shows, the use of additive manufacturing has skyrocketed from 24 % in 2016 to 65 % in 2019 within the past three years. Furthermore, around every second company wants to produce end products generatively in the next three years. In order to achieve this, more and more companies are considering how they can use additive manufacturing processes not only for prototypes, but also for contract manufacturing through to mass production of series parts.

Additive Manufacturing (AM), also commonly called 3D-Printing, is very recent technology. Numerous innovations have improved their capabilities in the last few years. These improvements combined with ambitious promises made by 3D-Printing companies have led to some disregard of the physical and economical limitations of these technologies. As impressive as the opportunities especially in light weight construction may be, the technical, physical and economical restrictions have to be considered. This article focuses on the premises and restraints as well as the opportunities of AM-technology.

By integrating specific material properties through the manufacturing process Selective Laser Melting (SLM) into a topology optimization, the product engineer can be supported by simulation in the design process. For this purpose, a topology optimization method is being developed which takes the process-specific material properties of the SLM into account during the optimization process. This method is part of a project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). In this article, the influence of these specific material properties on the design is presented.

In this paper, the creation of strength and stiffness-adapted structural nodes using the numerical simulation method of topology optimization is presented. The resulting node is transferred into a robot path planning by means of CAD/CAM software and manufactured with wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) with the GMAW process using the welding filler material G4Si1.

The past few years have shown that Digitization is not just a fad of the millennium, but rather the next inevitable step in technological evolution. It was and is a development that affects everything and everyone, both socially and industrially. But digital transformation requires more than just the conversion of individual processes in the company or the introduction of new technologies. Above all, it requires sustained agility in development and production, as well as ongoing employee training in order to be able to meet this demand for agility as a company.

In manual assembly, assistance systems are applied for the informational and physical support of employees. So far, assistance mainly focuses on some process-related aspects of assembly processes, while system acceptance, motivational perspectives are not considered. This article presents the gamification approach as a possibility to support the motivation of the workers. To facilitate a successful implementation of gamification, this paper presents a structured and method-based selection approach for game design elements.