INESC TEC coordinates European project within the Factories of the Future scope

INESC TEC is the coordinator of the ScalABLE 4.0, a European H2020 project within the Factories of the Future scope, which intends to develop scalable production systems. The project assumes a transversal approach that includes the use of integrated collaborative robotics with production management and simulation systems, in order to dynamically adapt the automation levels to the production needs.

The project began in January and it will last for 42 months, ending with demonstrations regarding the two use cases at the factories of Simoldes Plásticos and PSA group.

In addition to INESC TEC, Simoldes and PSA, companies such as Critical Manufacturing and Sarkkis Robotics, Fraunhoer IPA and the University of Aalborg are also part of the consortium.

ScalABLE 4.0 seeks to integrate robots and factory floor equipment with high-level management, creating highly flexible factories.  INESC TEC is represented by two of its centres – the Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CRIIS) and the Centre for Enterprise Systems Engineering (CESE), responsible for the simulation and vertical integration.

The partners were present in February at the kick-off meeting that happened at INESC TEC and visited the Simoldes group, in Oliveira de Azeméis. Last April, they went to the facilities of PSA, in France, to define the important aspects of this use case.

ScalABLE 4.0 is one of the 241 projects funded until now under the supervision of the Factories of the Future partnership and it is part of a big European network that intends to increase the competitiveness of manufacturing on a European level.