Periodic Reporting for period 3 - PENELOPE (Closed-loop digital pipeline for a flexible and modular manufacturing of large components)
Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2025-03-31
PENELOPE Project (Closed-loop digital pipeline for a flexible and modular manufacturing of large components) is a European H2020 flagship project, involving 31 partners from 9 countries with a budget allocation of almost 21 million €. PENELOPE aims to develop a novel methodology linking product-centric data management and production planning and scheduling in a closed-loop digital pipeline. PENELOPE is applied for the manufacturing of large components in real manufacturing conditions in four different pilot lines, by increasing accuracy, quality and manufacturability from the initial product design.
Also, advances beyond the state of the art in i) Product-centric data management; ii) Digital Thread for aggregating the digital replica status of the component being processed; iii) Digital Twins supported by Artificial Intelligence; iv) Zero-defect manufacturing strategies; v) flexible and worker-centric solutions are being promoted.
Manufacturing of large-scale components is facing important challenges because current manufacturing methodologies rely on complex, highly manual, time-consuming and inaccurate processes characterised by i) increasing complexity in design and manufacturing setup; ii) Limited production efficiency and product quality; iii) Recurrent reconfiguration and rework with subsequent longer operations; iv) Raw materials scarcity; v) Preservation of the industry-specific knowledge and skills. As a result, the production of large-scale parts has achieved a relatively low level of automation, usually linked with issues in the quality of the component and repeatability on the manufacturing process involved. In this regard, one of fundamental goals of the PENELOPE project is to boost digital technologies applied for the manufacturing of large components, being validated in 4 key European strategic sectors (4 end-user companies) in the Oil&Gas, Shipbuilding, Aeronautics and Bus&Coach through the implementation of industrial-driven pilot lines. Moreover, a network of Didactic Factories, as well as the implementation of multisectoral showrooms, will boost the adoption of digital technologies by European industry.
Also, advances beyond the state of the art in i) Product-centric data management; ii) Digital Thread for aggregating the digital replica status of the component being processed; iii) Digital Twins supported by Artificial Intelligence; iv) Zero-defect manufacturing strategies; v) flexible and worker-centric solutions are being promoted.
Manufacturing of large-scale components is facing important challenges because current manufacturing methodologies rely on complex, highly manual, time-consuming and inaccurate processes characterised by i) increasing complexity in design and manufacturing setup; ii) Limited production efficiency and product quality; iii) Recurrent reconfiguration and rework with subsequent longer operations; iv) Raw materials scarcity; v) Preservation of the industry-specific knowledge and skills. As a result, the production of large-scale parts has achieved a relatively low level of automation, usually linked with issues in the quality of the component and repeatability on the manufacturing process involved. In this regard, one of fundamental goals of the PENELOPE project is to boost digital technologies applied for the manufacturing of large components, being validated in 4 key European strategic sectors (4 end-user companies) in the Oil&Gas, Shipbuilding, Aeronautics and Bus&Coach through the implementation of industrial-driven pilot lines. Moreover, a network of Didactic Factories, as well as the implementation of multisectoral showrooms, will boost the adoption of digital technologies by European industry.
In the last period of the project PENELOPE was focused on the validation of the developed portfolio of technologies, brochures of all technologies are available in the project website, https://penelope-project.eu/penelope-booklets/(opens in new window)
- Seamless dataflow along the product lifecycle.
- Product and process design simulation and process.
- Worker-centric tools assisting in the execution of labor-intensive-tasks.
- Zero-Defect manufacturing and Cognitive Factory.
- Didactic Factories to raise awareness and interest of potential companies external to the consortium on the technologies addressed in PENELOPE. Trainings targeting the professionals empowering, 12 session available online, https://penelope-project.eu/penelope-trainings/(opens in new window).
- Seamless dataflow along the product lifecycle.
- Product and process design simulation and process.
- Worker-centric tools assisting in the execution of labor-intensive-tasks.
- Zero-Defect manufacturing and Cognitive Factory.
- Didactic Factories to raise awareness and interest of potential companies external to the consortium on the technologies addressed in PENELOPE. Trainings targeting the professionals empowering, 12 session available online, https://penelope-project.eu/penelope-trainings/(opens in new window).
Potential expected impacts. In general, for society:
• Innovation. The tools, knowledge, and expertise developed throughout the PENELOPE project are expected to significantly strengthen innovation capabilities by enabling a comprehensive reassessment and breakthrough in the manufacturing of large components with greater accuracy and quality. Additionally, technology transfer and outreach initiatives will facilitate the dissemination and application of project outcomes to benefit EU industry and academia.
• Competitiveness. project results will strengthen the competitiveness of the industrial partners. PENELOPE developments, focused on a digital, flexible, efficient and worker-centric factory approach, enable new market opportunities for the EU technology developers/providers as well as targeted end-users (and their overall production value-chain, SMEs, mainly) within European manufacturing industry in very diverse applications (energy, transport, construction...). The cost-, time- and resource-efficiency, high productivity, reliability and flexibility attained in PENELOPE allows manufacturing companies in Europe to compete globally through breakthrough technologies in manufacturing while still benefiting from its highly experienced and skilled workforce.
• Growth and “more and better” jobs: Highly repetitive tasks, non-ergonomic postures and handling of heavy materials and tools lead to fatigue, work-related disorders and illnesses, beyond the impact on the lack of quality and productivity. PENELOPE worker-centric approach guarantees to preserve workers ́ skills and knowledge while improving workers physical and cognitive stress, performance and ensure quality through the implementation of safe robot-based solutions sharing workspace and User Experience and ergonomics optimization solutions.
• Environmental: PENELOPE greatly improves resources efficiency (energy and materials) and emissions reduction. PENELOPE enables the introduction of digital, advanced and modular manufacturing processes into key resources-demanding EU sectors, resulting in significant energy and material savings due to the higher precision and the adoption of the zero-defect manufacturing techniques.
• Contribution to EU Policies and Initiatives. PENELOPE aims an intelligent, sustainable, and inclusive growth and will became a leveraging effect on other sources of funding. A published White paper on Novel AI-Based Machinery certification methodology is publicly available, https://zenodo.org/records/15270158(opens in new window).
PENELOPE will enhance the quality of life of European citizens: changing how buses, ships, planes, or capital goods, are built. Or even the tools with which all these things are made, triggering a paradigm shift in the society.
More explicitly, in figures below, is the impact expected for the industry:
• To decrease the production costs by 15%.
• To improve the production time by 20%.
• To reduce the scrap by 20%.
• The reduce the environmental impact and the safety hazards.
• To increase the precision and quality of the components being manufactured.
SMEs can also benefit from PENELOPE contemplates thanks to the Didactic Factories network which will offer onsite training services, for re-shaping the EU manufacturing workforce, and deploying showrooms for spreading new technology across the EU industry.
• Innovation. The tools, knowledge, and expertise developed throughout the PENELOPE project are expected to significantly strengthen innovation capabilities by enabling a comprehensive reassessment and breakthrough in the manufacturing of large components with greater accuracy and quality. Additionally, technology transfer and outreach initiatives will facilitate the dissemination and application of project outcomes to benefit EU industry and academia.
• Competitiveness. project results will strengthen the competitiveness of the industrial partners. PENELOPE developments, focused on a digital, flexible, efficient and worker-centric factory approach, enable new market opportunities for the EU technology developers/providers as well as targeted end-users (and their overall production value-chain, SMEs, mainly) within European manufacturing industry in very diverse applications (energy, transport, construction...). The cost-, time- and resource-efficiency, high productivity, reliability and flexibility attained in PENELOPE allows manufacturing companies in Europe to compete globally through breakthrough technologies in manufacturing while still benefiting from its highly experienced and skilled workforce.
• Growth and “more and better” jobs: Highly repetitive tasks, non-ergonomic postures and handling of heavy materials and tools lead to fatigue, work-related disorders and illnesses, beyond the impact on the lack of quality and productivity. PENELOPE worker-centric approach guarantees to preserve workers ́ skills and knowledge while improving workers physical and cognitive stress, performance and ensure quality through the implementation of safe robot-based solutions sharing workspace and User Experience and ergonomics optimization solutions.
• Environmental: PENELOPE greatly improves resources efficiency (energy and materials) and emissions reduction. PENELOPE enables the introduction of digital, advanced and modular manufacturing processes into key resources-demanding EU sectors, resulting in significant energy and material savings due to the higher precision and the adoption of the zero-defect manufacturing techniques.
• Contribution to EU Policies and Initiatives. PENELOPE aims an intelligent, sustainable, and inclusive growth and will became a leveraging effect on other sources of funding. A published White paper on Novel AI-Based Machinery certification methodology is publicly available, https://zenodo.org/records/15270158(opens in new window).
PENELOPE will enhance the quality of life of European citizens: changing how buses, ships, planes, or capital goods, are built. Or even the tools with which all these things are made, triggering a paradigm shift in the society.
More explicitly, in figures below, is the impact expected for the industry:
• To decrease the production costs by 15%.
• To improve the production time by 20%.
• To reduce the scrap by 20%.
• The reduce the environmental impact and the safety hazards.
• To increase the precision and quality of the components being manufactured.
SMEs can also benefit from PENELOPE contemplates thanks to the Didactic Factories network which will offer onsite training services, for re-shaping the EU manufacturing workforce, and deploying showrooms for spreading new technology across the EU industry.