The PAT WRAP Phase 1 project allows the applicant to:
a. identify market trends and requirements considering Industry 4.0 to define a reliable IoT platform to be integrated on PIERI wrapping machine;
b. identify potential key stakeholders and technical partners to be involved for the implementation activities;
c. define all the technical functionalities to be implemented for the realization of PIERI IoT platform for the wrapping machine, considering market trends, PIERI competences and business plan;
d. define a regulatory framework requirements, with the identification of risks and opportunities;
e. define and develop a “go-to-market” strategies, mainly considering export possibilities and competitors’ market;
f. develop a sound and strategic business plan mainly considering the after-sale service of the innovative Industry 4.0 platform to be integrated on wrapping machines.
Industry 4.0 is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies, including cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things and cloud computing and creating a Smart Factory. The performed market analysis highlighted that the main problem of the packaging market is the lack of an efficient monitoring system for the non-conformities and control of the process, production’s remote control, alert, predictive maintenance and images/data storage. These limits provide several limitations in the production efficiency, the safety degree of the used machines (in this case, wrappers), the damage of the surrounding environment, and the large amount of raw material waste (in this case, wrapping film). Currently the market does not fully respond to these issues and the realization and industrialization of the first European IoT platform for wrapping machines will be a breakthrough innovation.
The IoT platform for wrapping machine will improve: i) the productivity with great consequences in the firmness of machines, efficiency and quality of the wrapping process; ii) the security of the entire process and also for operators, thanks to the real statement of the machine and components functioning; iii) the maintenance activity both considering preventive and predictive maintenances, reducing maintenance costs for the company and iv) the data monitoring and storage considering historical events. In addition, the optimization of the wrapping process will allow reducing energy production and waste production improving the whole environmental sustainability of up to 25%.
