Periodic Reporting for period 1 - 5G-TIMBER (Secure 5G-Enabled Twin Transition for Europe's TIMBER Industry Sector)
Período documentado: 2022-06-01 hasta 2023-11-30
5G-TIMBER’s long-term strategic objectives are to contribute to the decarbonization of Europe by 2050 by improving the efficiency (materials, manufacturing, and logistics) of small/custom production by SMEs in EU by 15% across different industries2 by means of data-driven collection and feedback of information. The focus, as an example of the above, is to significantly reduce material waste as part of the circular economy (90% material collection; 70% recycling rate, 100% lifecycle material traceability) and increasingly replace CO2-intensive raw materials and fossil energy with forest-based alternatives. On the long term, the project will also contribute to meeting the growing demand for raw materials and satisfying the demand for climate-friendly wood and wood-based products.
5G-TIMBER’s impact
· Manufacturing continues to be the backbone of the European economy, employing nearly 30 million people in 2.1 million enterprises and generating EUR 1710 BLN of value-added (20% of the value-added of the EU-28’s non-financial economy).
· Wood: 5G TIMBER UCs are focusing on WVC manufacturing. WVC market size is estimated at EUR 139 billion (2021), with the global wooden prefabricated housing market reaching EUR 73 BLN in 2021, with a rapid 6.7% projected annual growth for 2022 and onwards. The EU wooden renovation market is projected to reach EUR 32 BLN in 2026, supporting a pledge by Housing Europe members to renovate 4 MLN houses by 2030.
· Machinery: companies interviewed in the survey by Ecorys stated that their focus for product or service digitalization in the coming years will be on training (82%), product design and prototyping (48%), and remote meeting and manufacturing processes (46%), the directions addressed by 5G TIMBER.
· Engagement of 5G domain SMEs: intentional engagement of small European cellular technology providers to 5G TIMBER will broaden the 5G market competition and available choices for the industrial end users.
5G-TIMBER’s impact
· Manufacturing continues to be the backbone of the European economy, employing nearly 30 million people in 2.1 million enterprises and generating EUR 1710 BLN of value-added (20% of the value-added of the EU-28’s non-financial economy).
· Wood: 5G TIMBER UCs are focusing on WVC manufacturing. WVC market size is estimated at EUR 139 billion (2021), with the global wooden prefabricated housing market reaching EUR 73 BLN in 2021, with a rapid 6.7% projected annual growth for 2022 and onwards. The EU wooden renovation market is projected to reach EUR 32 BLN in 2026, supporting a pledge by Housing Europe members to renovate 4 MLN houses by 2030.
· Machinery: companies interviewed in the survey by Ecorys stated that their focus for product or service digitalization in the coming years will be on training (82%), product design and prototyping (48%), and remote meeting and manufacturing processes (46%), the directions addressed by 5G TIMBER.
· Engagement of 5G domain SMEs: intentional engagement of small European cellular technology providers to 5G TIMBER will broaden the 5G market competition and available choices for the industrial end users.
The project has successfully been running for 18 months. During this period, 5G-TIMBER has been focusing on developing the use-cases for three categories (i.e
Data-driven sawmill and Woodworking Machine Setup; Modular wood house factory; Construction and renovation with wooden elements, valorisation of composite waste), project data-sharing architecture, key-enabling technologies, 5G non-public network (NPN), and other infrastructure for the field trials preparation. From a technological perspective, the developments of the use cases and associated technologies as well as their integration is ongoing.
So far, these developments have led to the identification of a number of project innovations. A series of workshops and consortium meetings have taken place to facilitate deeper discussions and decisions regarding the developed solutions.
The following results have been achieved:
• Requirements analysis, the definition of the use cases, the key-performance indicators and the data-sharing enterprise architecture framework as well as 5G NPN infrastructure have been completed.
• Developments of key-enabling technologies, necessary for the innovation of use cases are under development. For example: i) digital material (wood) models selected timber components for selected, ii) Digital Twins of the machines and manufacturing processes iii) precise indoor localisation for worker safety, and iv) predicted maintenance and structural health monitoring.
• System-level integration and operational readiness of the use cases pilots is ongoing. Namely, i) the cross-enterprise data-exchange framework is developed, ii) 5G NPN network configuration and installation, iii) use cases developments for the three respective categories are ongoing.
• Preparation of the field trial set-ups ongoing, 5G NPN is deployed in a wooden house manufactory, and the IT infrastructure has been prepared and ready for the field trials.
• Market assessment report is submitted, and initial business model development for commercialisation plans is completed. A comprehensive IPR protection strategy has been designed to support development with identified partners. 5G-Timber Helix as a Commercial Ecosystem Cluster is created.
• The dissemination and communication plan at a partner level, the project goals, desired results and achievements have been defined. Website and social media channels established, and dissemination materials are available for event attendance. 5G-TIMBER has been participating in different events, e.g. EFFRA Manufacturing Day event, A number of scientific papers have been published.
Data-driven sawmill and Woodworking Machine Setup; Modular wood house factory; Construction and renovation with wooden elements, valorisation of composite waste), project data-sharing architecture, key-enabling technologies, 5G non-public network (NPN), and other infrastructure for the field trials preparation. From a technological perspective, the developments of the use cases and associated technologies as well as their integration is ongoing.
So far, these developments have led to the identification of a number of project innovations. A series of workshops and consortium meetings have taken place to facilitate deeper discussions and decisions regarding the developed solutions.
The following results have been achieved:
• Requirements analysis, the definition of the use cases, the key-performance indicators and the data-sharing enterprise architecture framework as well as 5G NPN infrastructure have been completed.
• Developments of key-enabling technologies, necessary for the innovation of use cases are under development. For example: i) digital material (wood) models selected timber components for selected, ii) Digital Twins of the machines and manufacturing processes iii) precise indoor localisation for worker safety, and iv) predicted maintenance and structural health monitoring.
• System-level integration and operational readiness of the use cases pilots is ongoing. Namely, i) the cross-enterprise data-exchange framework is developed, ii) 5G NPN network configuration and installation, iii) use cases developments for the three respective categories are ongoing.
• Preparation of the field trial set-ups ongoing, 5G NPN is deployed in a wooden house manufactory, and the IT infrastructure has been prepared and ready for the field trials.
• Market assessment report is submitted, and initial business model development for commercialisation plans is completed. A comprehensive IPR protection strategy has been designed to support development with identified partners. 5G-Timber Helix as a Commercial Ecosystem Cluster is created.
• The dissemination and communication plan at a partner level, the project goals, desired results and achievements have been defined. Website and social media channels established, and dissemination materials are available for event attendance. 5G-TIMBER has been participating in different events, e.g. EFFRA Manufacturing Day event, A number of scientific papers have been published.
A number of results for key technologies, use cases development have been obtained until month 18. As an example “5G-Timber Use Case 3.2: Long term Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of wooden constructions”. We can imagine having the ability to keep a constant watch on the health of wooden buildings, much like a doctor monitoring a patient's vital signs. This is precisely what Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) can do for wooden structures, ensuring their long-term durability and safety. We are developing cellular IoT sensor prototypes for long-term SHM of the environmental conditions, material moisture, and mechanical impacts around modular houses during manufacturing, transportation, and for 25+ years of operation. To achieve this, cutting-edge technology is employed via smart sensors embedded within the wooden structure, powered by low-power and energy-efficient cellular IoT. These sensors can monitor crucial parameters like temperature, humidity, load, and alignment. Alongside these sensors, cellular IoT radio modems are set up to ensure a seamless flow of information. We currently have sensors installed at two modular test houses in Finland. Both structures are of the same type. Our innovative approach also includes sophisticated software tools, employing hygro-thermo-mechanical models to detect anomalies or potential damages. This allows for preventive actions to maintain the structural integrity of the wood. In the near future, we can expect live updates on the health of wooden buildings, with data streamed in a low-power and energy-efficient way over cellular IoT integrated under the umbrella of 5G.