Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering
Autonomous quality and zero defect production in industry 4.0
QU4LITY is the largest European project dedicated to autonomous quality (AQ) and zero defect production in industry 4.0. Increasing global competition and the demand for personalized products and services are prompting companies to find efficient means of production and to reduce costs. A radical shift from established methods for ensuring quality in production to disruptive concepts of autonomous quality (AQ) is being realized by QU4LITY in this context. AQ allows manufacturers and solution providers (including SMEs) to use innovative, data-driven production solutions.
The challenge
In most production sectors, 50 percent of the produced goods end up as scrap. We want to change this situation with the QU4LITY project by supporting the sovereign exchange of data and data quality between various processes in production. For example, manufacturing defects are frequently viewed as a production problem and quality control as a cost factor. Quality control happens at the end of the production process, with no ability to respond as soon as a quality defect is discovered. An integrated approach for zero defect production and digital platforms that can support corresponding quality control, required in order to improve the situation, are lacking.
Our contribution
Fraunhofer ISST is responsible for the realization of autonomous data management and for ensuring data sovereignty in the inter-organizational and intra-organizational exchange of data within the QU4LITY project. Both are key elements of the AQ paradigm and help manufacturers prevent the propagation of data errors along the value chain. We use the International Data Spaces (IDS) technology in order to realize this objective, complemented by suitable solutions for data profiling, automated analysis, and improving data quality. The solution implemented by Fraunhofer ISST is provided via open interfaces (APIs) and being evaluated by several pilot companies in the project consortium.
Results
The QU4LITY project is creating a reference architecture that supports companies on the way to fully digitized production and establishes lasting competitive advantages. To speed up innovation cycles on the way to zero defect production, QU4LITY will establish a Europe-wide innovation ecosystem to promote the development, validation, and broad acceptance of such solutions based on the AQ paradigm.
Partners
- Atos Spain SA
- Mondragon Corporation Cooperativa Scoop
- Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
- Technische Universität Dortmund
- International Data Spaces Association
- … …and around 40 other partners (listed here).
Funding
- Subsidized by: Co-funded by Horizon 2020, European Union
- Project number: 825030
- Term: 01/2019-3/2022
