Branche: Manufacturing

Artificial intelligence is transforming knowledge work. Diagnosis, decision-making, and optimization are increasingly shaped by the interaction between humans and AI. As a result, AI proficiency is becoming a competitive factor, although technical expertise—the foundation of industrial performance—must not be lost. This issue explores the potential of AI in manufacturing as well as the skill requirements for AI-based knowledge management.

Immersive technologies are fundamentally transforming manufacturing. VR, AR, MR, and XR merge physical and digital worlds into interactive work environments. In Industry 4.0, they enable more intuitive access to planning, production, maintenance, and training. This issue of Industry 4.0 Science shows how immersive technologies are becoming a central building block of resilient, flexible, and innovative production systems.

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.

In the manufacturing industry, the integration of digital human models into the product development and manufacturing process is becoming increasingly important. Particularly in assembly, which is characterized by a high proportion of manual tasks, motion simulations enable a realistic representation of human work and thus make a significant contribution to the evaluation of motion economy, process validation, and efficiency improvement. However, widespread application in production planning faces various challenges, such as the high initial effort required to create human simulations as well as volatile planning conditions. This article presents a practice-oriented solution from the automotive assembly sector that enables the creation of simulations with reduced effort as well as their early and consistent use in the planning process.

Due to its dynamic environment, space planning in intralogistics is not a one-time task but a recurring decision-making process subject to numerous constraints imposed by existing infrastructure. Decisions are often based on incomplete data, resulting in a high risk of poor planning decisions and inefficient use of space. This paper presents a practice-oriented process model for space evaluation in brownfield projects. The proposed approach improves the standardization and consistency of space evaluation and promotes best practices among all stakeholders. By supporting systematic decision-making, the process model contributes to optimized planning and resource allocation, thereby reducing risks and avoiding costly implementation errors.The process model is demonstrated through a case study conducted at a commercial vehicle manufacturer.

Industrial production is undergoing rapid transformation through digitalization, automation and cyber-physical systems, creating new competence requirements for employees. Learning factories provide experiential environments for developing these competences. This article presents the Industrial Transformation Lab (InTraLab) as a hybrid learning factory combining physical demonstrators and digital simulations.