MaaS4EU

The main objective of the MaaS4EU project proposal is to implement and demonstrate the advantages of highly modular Energy and Life Cycle conscious manufacturing systems in real world serial production scenarios, built under the ETNA Vision explained below, in order to increase the competitiveness of manufacturing companies in Europe while drastically influencing resource sustainability in a holistic view that compounds energy waste balanced with real time LCA and Cost information, while leveraging these with minimum manufacturing carbon footprint.

Physical Processes, through the comparison of their real performance with a Digital Master that triggers action, input Resource data, such as energy, water, air and other physical resources, Environmental Emissions and equipment Life Cycle data and Cost Analysis (LCCA) results are fed to a Decision Support System (DSS). DSS ultimately takes Decisions that are brought back to Production Planning and Control (PPC) systems, supported by the results of a Simulation Model that will near real-time predict the performance of the operation in regard to Energy, Environmental Emissions and LCCA, and is constantly updated with new configurations that stem from changes in PPC. Such dynamic and complex changes require a transparent Decision Support System (DSS) to predict the implications of different scenarios in the face of change, by the use of a cause-effect relationships with the capability to recalculate forecasts and reschedule the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) alongside the remaining components of PPC, from Resource Planning through to bill of materials and equipment allocation. Such a simulation model can calculate the advantages and disadvantages of different solutions and elaborate recommendations that accommodate not only the production targets, the energy savings but optimize the entire company goals based on lifecycle costs. Resource Usage, Emissions and Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) Awareness are therefore inherently built into the Decision Support System conferring it the capability to perform continuous improvements. This simple concept represents a major methodological breakthrough in Manufacturing Systems that has the potential to explore resources, OEE and environmental emissions far beyond the contemporary systems.