Project description
Innovative solution for efficient data acquisition
Interoperability issues impede manufacturing industries from connecting their machines with data analysis and management software systems. Consequently, more than half of European manufacturing companies – especially SMEs – cannot exploit the opportunity of Industry 4.0 to maximise productivity and efficiency. The EU-funding STARGATE project proposes a solution consisting of a hardware platform and software that allows data acquisition from the factory machines in a simple and efficient way. It works as a single gateway acting as a bridge between the machines and the numerous software systems used at the factory to control production. The project will automatise the process of software installation and test and validate the tool data collection module.
Objective
Manufacturing industries are currently facing difficulties when comes to connecting their machines with the data analysis and management software systems, due to interoperability issues. Much of the data are not structured, have the same format or are even compatible; manufacturing big data sets are highly heterogeneous and unstructured in nature, being hard to analyse and distribute across various sectors and different stakeholders involved in the product and factory life cycles. As a result, more than half of European manufacturing companies (particularly SMEs) are missing on the opportunity of Industry 4.0 to maximize productivity and efficiency. STARGATE consists of a HW platform and SW that enables data acquisition from the factory machines simply and efficiently. It works as a single gateway that acts as a bridge between the machines and the numerous software systems used at the factory to control production. At this point, we have already developed a prototype capable of connecting all machines within a shop floor with a unique gateway. It has been tested at the facilities of a well-known company in the jewellery industry and a leading supplier of tool data management software solutions. Next, we need to (1) automatize the process of SW installation, (2) test and validate the tool data collection module. STARGATE will be firstly focused to CNC tool machines within metal-cutting industries with a total volume of 24.4 bn euro in 2017. Commercialization will follow a three-step strategy: DACH countries, rest of Europe and USA. By 2023, we expect to increase our revenue to almost 6M€ with a global profit of 2.65M€, tripling the figures that the company makes today. We are ECI Manufacturing, an Austrian company dedicated to the manufacture of complex engine and machine components. With STARGATE, we aim at entering a new industry: Mechatronics. For that, we count with qualified engineers experienced in data exchange, SW development and manufacturing processes.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineering
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata sciencebig data
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssystem software
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmechatronics
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata sciencedata exchange
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
6130 SCHWAZ
Austria
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.