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Finger fractures are usually still casted with plaster bandages. However, to avoid acampsia of the finger joints, flexibility exercises are necessary. Further disadvantages of the rigid plaster bandages are insufficient breathability and water resistance, weightiness and the necessity to apply wet and pliable plaster bandages to the injured patient. This article describes how individually designed hand orthoses without these disadvantages are attainable. With scans, modern software like STL editors (STL: Standard Tessellation Language) or CAD systems (CAD: Computer Aided Design) and additive manufacturing, complex, light weight and breathable structures are possible. Contrary to the solely mechanical art of casting with plaster, the new approach requires expertise in data processing and additive manufacturing seldom found in medical facilities. But this opens opportunities for service providers.

Implicit experiential knowledge will be lost through the retirement of the babyboomer generation. This know-how is difficult to capture and transfer. The KI_eeper project aims to develop an efficient AI-based system that automatically identifies and stores knowledge in the work process. The resulting knowledge base will provide assistance to all employees. The system will be designed in cooperation with employees according to their needs to gain high user acceptance.

SME often encounter risks and obstacles when implementing IIoT solutions, but these challenges can be mitigated with the use of an IIoT platform. To select the appropriate platform, a decision- making approach has been developed. By choosing the right use cases, companies can directly benefit from IIoT implementation and gain a competitive edge in the market. Our research indicates that at least three applications have a favorable balance between benefits and effort. Once successfully implemented, these applications can be expanded and scaled as the company becomes more digitally proficient.

In order to withstand disruptions manufacturing companies need to improve their robustness. In the past only infrastructures and resources were considered in the context of robustness, neglecting the interconnectedness of processes. However, a consideration of processes in the context of robustness is highly relevant. Process modeling is used for the design and analysis of processes. This paper describes the requirements for modeling methodology and evaluates existing approaches. (Only in German)

The Enterprise-Control System Integration of the operational applications is described in IEC-62264 and also referred to as the automation pyramid. This integration model is built on the MRP-II model developed in the 1980s. This model was groundbreaking for its time and still forms the basis of operational IT systems today. According to this concept, operational applications are run through hierarchically-sequentially (waterfall principle), which results in disadvantages such as: many interfaces, time delays, data loss, inconsistencies, etc. This sequential model neither meets the current requirements nor the informational and technical possibilities of Industry 4.0. It can be replaced by the concept of the digital control twin, which has corresponding effects on the automation pyramid.

The introduction of Lean Management System and their continuous improvement regularly poses challenges for companies. In the face of advancing digitalisation, new opportunities for analysis are opening up that also support the continuous improvement process. The article shows how process orientation, digitalisation and operational activities can be systematically applied for the development and integration of a data-based continuous improvement process in manufacturing companies. (Only in German)

The logistics industry offers numerous opportunities for data-driven solutions, such as improving the part feeding problem in assembly line industries. A data-based approach for will lead to an improvement of cost-effectiveness through optimized processes, resource utilization, and consistent supply to the assembly line. The generated approach is a mixed integer programming model which considers limited storage space, uses constraints, and various cost factors related to transport, replenishment, and picking.

Routing flexibility enables a robust, resilient design of production. However, in highly available, decentralized controlled production systems with cyclic material flow, it can reduce efficiency due to undesired deterministic-chaotic behavior. An automated method for measuring such behavior is presented. It is tested with a double conveyor belt laboratory system. An embedded system simplifies data acquisition. Results indicate that the method is usable for manual and automatic production systems. It has the potential to recognize modeling deficiencies in Industry 4.0 control with IEC 61499. (Only in German)

This paper examines various forecasting models used to predict business crises in the automotive and electronic manufacturing industries, with a focus on German companies. By comparing the performance of these models, we aim to identify the best approach for each industry. We also discuss real-world business case scenarios to demonstrate the practical implications of our findings, including the role of risk management in supply chain and procurement departments. Our results show that the most effective model for forecasting crises in the automotive industry is the VAR model, while the EWS model is best suited for the electronic manufacturing industry. Furthermore, we identify key risk factors that supply chain and procurement departments must consider enhancing their resilience in the face of crises.

The supply of production processes and buildings with thermal energy represents a significant share of the total energy demand of an industrial site. The use of industrial waste heat offers a way to reduce the external purchase of final energy. Due to the lack of transparency and the complexity of such measures, their potential often remains untapped. In the research project ETA im Bestand a user-oriented software solution was prototypically implemented. The software solution enables the development and evaluation of industrial energy concepts. Approaches from the research area of operations research and dynamic simulation are applied.