Handling a product to perform entire quality controls at the end of production processes has been a human prerogative. Complete integrity is paramount for hollow glass containers, used as packaging for food&beverages, perfumery and pharmaceutics, to ensure shelf-life properties and safety of products for costumers. Following the market needs for customization, non-standard containers are increasing and posing new challenges for quality controls. Current technologies are limited to examine standard shapes and specialized per type of defects causing false positives phenomena, increasing production costs and slowing-down times. Video Systems aims to develop an innovative inspection system for the cold-end and the reselection phase, APICUS, with no comparable solution. It is a collaborative robot, empowered by artificial intelligence and artificial vision, able to handle a glass article in a human-like way and detect all potential defects, cutting down false positives to 0.1% and speeding up processes. APICUS is expected to revolutionize quality controls contributing to the paradigm of Zero-Defect Manufacturing. First market applications are projected to be hollow glass and white goods sectors, with GISAL, Nordfish, Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro, Vetri Speciali already interested in the solution. With an initial market share of 30% corresponding to non-standard shapes of hollow glass at present controlled manually, it has other potential market applications like tile, automotive and aerospace industries. Our team will capitalize on years of researches in data mining, artificial intelligence, hyperspectral vision and software development. APICUS will boost our growth with an expected turnover of €8 million by year 5 from the commercialization and 14 more jobs created. During Phase 1 we aim to finalize technological and economic viability assessments, whereas during Phase 2 to reach a market readiness level to launch APICUS in European and international markets.

ambliFibre will develop and validate the first intelligent model-based controlled laser-assisted tape winding system for fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (FRP) components. This system will include optical non-contact monitoring and innovative Human-Machine-Interfaces, which are easily manageable for the worker. Based on thermal and optical models embedded into integral process simulation tools combined with novel machine and laser technologies, for the first time a tape winding system will be realised which is able not only to drastically reduce the occurring waste, but also predict potentially arising failure in order to reduce machine downtimes. Statistical reliability and maintenance models for detection of critical elements and definition of their reliability will also prevent sudden machine breakdowns and allow defining the most cost-efficient maintenance schedule. Thus ambliFibre will be a major breakthrough for the continuous and discontinuous production of neuralgic tape-winded tubular composite components, such as gas tanks for automotive application, pressure vessel housings for the desalination of sea water or composite ultra-deep-water risers which are all affected by rapidly changing product requirements concerning both, material and design. With respect to changing and challenging environmental influences, quick adaptability, failure-free quality and safe operation over the complete life-cycle are mandatory. The successful application of the ambliFibre results will dramatically accelerate the replacement of metal components in these domains, reducing the carbon footprint thanks to the low weight and long life cycle of FRP components and provide new opportunities for European manufacturers in global, high-value multi-billion € markets. ambliFibre is conceived as a small collaborative project lasting 36 months and will be submitted to the call FoF 14 – 2015: Integrated design and management of production machinery and processes.

Recent events such as the COVID pandemic and the Ukraine war have increased global uncertainty and prompted European companies to rethink their global supply chain and production methods. Given the unpredictable nature of potential shocks, it is crucial for European industry to maintain a high degree of flexibility and adaptability in order to swiftly respond to sudden changes, whenever they may occur. The LaserWay project aims to revolutionize the manufacturing industry by replacing conventional, inefficient, and environmentally harmful methods with highly flexible production lines based on high-speed laser technology. Laser blanking, laser micro-drilling, and extreme high-speed laser material deposition (EHLA) are the three laser manufacturing technologies selected for their potential to create more sustainable manufacturing processes and products. The project focuses on developing WayFASTER machines to improve the performance of the laser technologies through lightweight designs, vibration control techniques, and program optimizations tailored for high-speed laser applications. WayFASTER Photonics aims to ensure precise delivery of the laser beam at extreme speeds, targeting three laser technologies with unique demands. The WaySTRONGER integration concept aims to enhance the sustainability, resilience, and flexibility of current manufacturing processes by integrating new technologies mechanically and digitally. The project's success will provide a competitive edge for industries, such as automotive and aerospace, by reducing processing times, improving material usage, and enhancing end-product quality. The advancements made through the LaserWay project will drive innovation in high-speed laser processing, solidifying Europe's position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing technologies.

InterQ project proposes a new generation of digital solutions based on intelligent systems, hybrid digital twins and AI-driven optimization tools to assure the quality in smart factories in a holistic manner, including process, product and data (PPD quality). The broad vision of InterQ project will allow controlling the quality of a smart manufacturing environment in an end-to-end approach by means of a PPD quality hallmark stored in a distributed ledger. The concepts of InterQ will be applied in three high-added value industrial applications. The main objective of InterQ project is to measure, predict and control the quality of the manufactured products, manufacturing processes and gathered data to assure Zero-Defect-Manufacturing by means of AI-driven tools powered with meaningful and reliable data. The project develops five modules: 1) Thanks to the InterQ PPD quality hallmark, the quality of the process, product and data are interlinked, integrated and time stamped. A hallmark will be created after each stage, and the quality will be traced across the supply chain. A trusted framework will be implemented using distributed ledger (InterQ-TrustedFramework module) to exchange quality information. 2) The InterQ-Process module of the project will obtain more meaningful process data for quality optimization. This data will be obtained using new sensors close to the tool and by AI-driven virtual sensors. 3) The project presents new solutions (InterQ-Product module) to predict the final quality of the processes using digital twins fed by experimental data and new digital sensors to measure the product quality. 4) The reliability of data will be checked in two layers: in real time and based on historical and statistical analysis of the data streams (InterQ-Data module). 5) Finally, InterQ-ZeroDefect module will use the reliable information about the process and product quality to improve the production for Zero-Defect-Manufacturing by means of AI-driven applications.

ZDZW excels in offering a catalogue of IoT based non-destructive inspection technologies, providing an accurate inline evaluation of key product parameters that have an effect in quality requirements within different technical areas, such as: Part Integrity, Visual Requirements and Thermal Process efficiency. The ZDZW Inspection Solutions follow the concept of Inspection as a service, guaranteeing its cost effectiveness and improved return of investment, offering different types of subscription and pay-per-use models depending on the offered functionalities. To pursue the main goal of reducing defects and the waste generated in manufacturing processes, ZDZW addresses defects and waste reduction in three key areas that cover the entire manufacturing process and product lifecycle: (i) Monitoring and control improvement for process quality assurance, where first-time-right manufacturing rate can be increased, including improved durability properties and reduced waste generation; (ii) digitally enhanced Rework & Repair procedures for necessary part recovery and scrap reduction; and (iii) Continuous Sustainability evaluation to ensure the efficient use of materials and components across the full production line. ZDZW is strongly supported by collaboration with relevant EU initiatives such as ZDMP and i4Q, providing components and services that enhance key ICT aspects such as interoperability, interlinking, security, data reliability and digital platforms. ZDZW will demonstrate its ZD and ZW approach in 6 Pilots involving production processes with an important waste reduction potential, such as injection moulding, thermoforming, welding and coating, induction hardening, lithography and packaging, involving key industrial sectors as automotive, home appliances, renewable energy, e-health, and food and beverages.