Enhancing Industrial Machinery Monitoring with Data & AI: ISE Contribution to evocation

ISE è orgogliosa di contribuire al progetto EVOCATION all’interno del consorzio BI-REX, fornendo i suoi servizi di manutenzione e manutenzione predittiva. Grazie alla sua vasta esperienza nello sviluppo e nell’implementazione di sistemi di acquisizione personalizzati, ISE svolge un ruolo cruciale nel progetto, consentendo la raccolta di dati da sensori intelligenti e rendendoli accessibili a tutti i partner.

Ogni sensore intelligente implementato dai nostri partner presenta requisiti unici, rendendo la connettività un compito complesso e impegnativo. Le nostre soluzioni Twise® adattabili sono specificamente progettate per affrontare queste sfide, fornendo la flessibilità necessaria per garantire un’integrazione senza soluzione di continuità con ogni caso d’uso unico. La soluzione di ISE garantisce che i dati critici vengano acquisiti in modo accurato ed efficiente, consentendo a tutti i partner di accedere a informazioni preziose nei loro processi di produzione.

Oltre alla raccolta dati, ISE fornisce un supporto essenziale per l’analisi iniziale dei dati grezzi. Questa assistenza consente ai nostri partner accademici di concentrarsi sull’interpretazione dei dati e sullo sviluppo di metodi di analisi avanzati basati sull’intelligenza artificiale. Insieme, stiamo facendo progredire il campo della manutenzione predittiva e della produzione intelligente.

La missione del progetto è quella di espandere le attuali capacità di monitoraggio per i macchinari industriali, sbloccando nuovi scenari su come le aziende manifatturiere affrontano la manutenzione e la qualità.

Il progetto EVOCATION è finanziato dall’Unione Europea – Next Generation EU.

The EVOCATION Project

EVOCATION, a joint initiative promoted by BI-REX Consortium, focuses on leveraging cutting-edge technology to provide smarter and more detailed machinery monitoring. By integrating new smart sensors and advanced computational capabilities powered by AI, we aim to predict and prevent even rare failures.

Innovative Sensors and Collaborative Excellence

EVOCATION aims to introduce a cost-effective way to monitor diagnostic parameters and load conditions of machinery, by leveraging smart sensors and advanced data analytics.

In collaboration with four manufacturing industries and five more technical service providers we’re creating a synergy of hardware and software excellence to step up remote monitoring and smart maintenance for industrial machinery and plants.

Overcoming Complexities

Monitoring specialized machinery presents unique challenges. Some critical physical quantities are notoriously difficult to measure while machines are operating. Deformations, loading, and lubricant conditions serve as close predictors of failures, but obtaining precise near real-time data might require costly sensors, and in some cases no sensors are currently available at all.

Additionally, specific failure incidents occur rarely, making data scarce. Reproducing these incidents in controlled environments involves expensive processes. Furthermore, real-life systems defy complete top-down mathematical descriptions. Unpredictability is inherent, necessitating adaptive approaches for maintenance planning and repairs.

The Synergy of Hardware and Software

EVOCATION’s solution lies in the synergy of hardware and software. Advanced AI-driven real-time calculations complement direct measurements from innovative smart sensors.

Implementing our vision involves addressing several critical challenges. Smart sensors require a digital interface and embedded computational capabilities. Data needs to be collected stored and managed on an adequate software architecture. Data analytics, customized for specific indicators, must be meticulously constructed and optimized for each use case.

Artificial Intelligence is used to fill gaps where traditional top-down models fall short, providing fine-grained data predictions in a digital twin kind of approach. Hybrid methods, including Physics Informed Machine Learning, enhance AI’s capabilities. By combining black-box AI with the interpretability of mathematical modeling, we aim to create a comprehensive set of measurements. These measurements empower accurate predictions related to maintenance planning and machinery life expectancy.

A Vision for the Future

In the scenario envisioned by EVOCATION, the entire plant can be monitored with renewed detail, and decisions can be simulated using what-if scenarios, enabling proactive adjustments and informed choices.

Partners

EVOCATION’s greatest strength lies in the specialized competencies, domain knowledge, and extensive experience of our partner members.

Manufacturing partners, global leaders in their respective fields, provide tangible examples for solution development and real-life testing:

• Bonfiglioli: A leading producer of gear motors, drive systems, planetary gearboxes, inverters, and electric motors across Industrial, Automation, Mobile Machinery, and Wind Energy sectors.
• Poggipolini: Innovators in weight reduction, critical components, and structural fastening systems for Aerospace, Automotive, and Motorsports sectors.
• SACMI: Manufacturers of machinery and plants for Ceramics, Plastics, Food & Beverage, Metals, Packaging, and Advanced Materials sectors.
• Velan ABV: Experts in industrial steel valves for applications such as Power Generation, Chemicals, and Cryogenics services.

Technical partners, driven by innovation, contribute to designing advanced components and interactions for our envisioned solutions:

• E.S.T.E.: Specializing in hardware, firmware, and software design, including complex signal management. E.S.T.E. will contribute to the development of a smart sensor.
• Sanchip: Focused on predictive maintenance through advanced IoT devices for plants and machinery. Sanchip will contribute to the development of a smart sensor.
• Sens-In: A Poggipolini spin-off, specializing in smart fastening elements. Sens-In will provide hardware, setup, and data interpretation support.
• BitBang: A Data & AI consultancy with a tailored approach, specializing in Big Data, Data Analytics, and Data Science. BitBang will take care of the software architecture and data management.
• Selcom Group: Experts in customized electronic and electromechanical equipment and systems. Selcom Group will contribute to the development of a smart sensor.
• ISE: Providing maintenance and predictive maintenance services. ISE will contribute to the development of smart sensors, and to the acquisition and first analysis of raw data.

Academic partners contribute essential research, forming the bedrock of our project’s decisions:

• CIRI ICT: The University of Bologna’s Interdepartmental Industrial Research Center, focused digion ICT technologies. CIRI ICT will focus on developing AI-based and hybrid data analytics methods.

MechLav Laboratory: The Industrial Research Laboratory of Ferrara’s Technopole. MechLav Laboratory will focus on optimizing data extraction and interpretation from sensors.