Open Access Articles

In this article, the potential risks in wire arc additive manufacturing are analyzed using failure mode and effects analysis. To achieve this, 186 possible causes of risk were analyzed and the five most critical risks were discussed in detail. Four significant risk factors were identified in the construction process. The fifth risk relates to the shielding gas flow. This is only one influencing factor among the welding parameters, which have strong interactions with each other. Therefore, their relationships should be analyzed on the basis of numerous tests.

For the transition to a sustainable economy to succeed in its entirety, logistics must be considered in addition to raw materials and manufactu­ring. Artificial intelligence will play a central role in improving the exchan­ge of data between the individual links in the supply chain and in regula­ting processes and costs at the various stages of production. The meat industry, with its hygienic and increasing ethical requirements for animal welfare, is set to greatly benefit from the digital revolution.

Companies with traditional working and manufacturing structures face the challenge of progressive digitalization and internationalization. In order to adapt, many companies aim to develop digital and agile working skills and competences. This paper describes the conception of a digital platform to promote agility in innovation of small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) in structurally weak regions and to contribute to their innovativeness and future viability.

The topic of Openness is of growing importance for industry, especially in Europe. However, the term Openness is used very differently. Openness includes several concepts, including Open Source Hardware, Open Source Software, Open Data, Open Standards, Open Innovation, Open Science and Open Education. The concepts address different dimensions of Openness, all based on some kind of participation and with the goal to create more transparency and accessibility. This article defines the concepts and provides a basic understanding of their importance for industry and for greater sustainability.

Production simulations involve considerable effort, among other things, due to the knowledge transfer between the domain expert and the simulation specialist. For small and medium-sized companies, this often represents an economic hurdle in the use of simulation. In this article, a method for a software- supported cooperation between the production expert and the simulation specialist is presented, which leads to a considerable reduction in effort. This means that the advantages of simulation can be used economically even with low optimization potentials.

Auf Basis von 36 aktuellen Literaturquellen wurden zehn Erfolgskriterien für Innovationen ermittelt. Die am häufigsten genannten Erfolgsfaktoren sind dabei zum einen das Verständnis gelebter Innovation als fester Teil der Unternehmenskultur und deren feste Verankerung auf der strategischen, taktischen und operativen, sowie die gezielte Förderung von Kundenorientierung in allen Abteilungen. Mitarbeiter von sechs ausgewählten Unternehmen wurden in persönlichen Interviews befragt, inwieweit diese Kriterien erfüllt worden sind. Aus diesen Erkenntnissen werden Best-Practice-Ideen zur Entwicklung einer optimalen Innovationskultur im Unternehmen abgeleitet.

Makerspaces foster creativity, collaborative work and craftsmanship. Anyone interested can use tools, machines and technologies to realize their own projects and develop their technical skills in the process. They also provide an inspiring environment where people with different backgrounds and expertise come together to learn, experiment and support each other. The following article discusses the importance, features and equipment of makerspaces, in particular the Innovation Laboratory Digitalization, which promotes interdisciplinary work at the Trier University of Applied Sciences and serves as an interface to the specialized labs. In addition, the process of prototyping is described using several application examples.

In order to realize future improvements in circular product properties such as lifespan extension, continued use or high-quality recycling, industrial product development and design processes must take the entire ecological and economic life cycle of products into account. This article uses a company example to explain how such processes can be captured and analyzed using the Makigami method to support a comprehensive “Design for Circularity” concept. The chosen approach facilitates the identification of the application points of circular design decisions and the implementation of validated circular economy principles.

Digital transformation is a crucial factor for the competitiveness of companies. This article explores obstacles and their interrelationships in establishing digital business models in medium-sized family businesses as well as initial approaches to overcoming these obstacles.

Changes in the economic environment always generate new challenges for companies. In order to consider these challenges, it is necessary to have a comprehensive knowledge of the processes and a high level of transparency of the company's process organization. The process, represented in a documentation based on models, takes on a significant role as a reflection of the activities.