VALENCIA, 21 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
ITI, a private technology center specialized in ICT, is collaborating with 25 partners from more than 10 different countries in the European i4Q project, which seeks to reduce defects in production, increase productivity and reduce costs and delivery times. .
Supported by the European Commission, this project focuses on a complete IoT (Internet of Things)-based solution that provides reliable industrial data services (RIDS).
“Through various low-cost, small-sized and intelligent interconnected factory devices, a wide amount of industrial data can be efficiently managed to help optimize manufacturing, monitoring and online control of production,” he highlighted, in a statement, Santiago Gálvez-Settier, project manager at ITI.
In this context, ITI has developed two fundamental components: the i4QDR (Data Repository) and the i4QTN (Trusted Networks). On the one hand, the i4QDR is a distributed storage system designed to manage the reception, storage and distribution of data in highly digitalized environments, where most manufacturing devices function as sensors or actuators.
In relation to the i4QDR, a guide called “i4Q Guidelines for building Data Repositories for Industry 4.0” has been created, which details the motivation, challenges and recommendations for the development of a data repository in the context of Industry 4.0. “This document also offers information on the requirements and design decisions that guided the development of the tool,” stressed Diego Silveira, technician in the ITI R&D department.
On the other hand, the i4QTN consists of a software-defined industrial interface for data communication that is characterized by its predictability, determinism, reliability and low consumption. Likewise, as José Vera, ITI’s Advanced Communications line technician, pointed out, “this component also reduces infrastructure costs and guarantees the collection of high-quality data.”
Importantly, i4Q advances are being tested in six use cases that span diverse manufacturing perspectives, including manufacturers of industrial equipment, parts and components, as well as end products, and industrial sectors such as metal, plastic, wood and ceramics. . All of them with a common goal: to achieve defect-free production.
Specifically, one of the pilots is Factor Ingeniería y Decoletaje, a Valencian company specialized in metal machining and precision turning that offers a comprehensive solution for the subcontracting of metal-mechanical components to clients in industrial sectors such as aeronautics, agriculture, automotive, electronics or energy, among others.
In this sense, “the results of the project aim to improve the quality assurance system of manufacturing lines to meet the increasingly rigorous data quality management requirements, so they can be the boost that companies need to achieve its most ambitious objectives,” said the project manager at ITI, Santiago Gálvez-Settier.
To achieve this, i4Q will carry out efficient collection of raw industrial data, using low-cost tools and next-generation communication protocols. “Thus, we will guarantee the precision and accuracy of the data, as well as its reliable traceability and integrity, supported by distributed accounting technology,” explained the technician of ITI’s R&D department, Diego Silveira.
In this line, i4Q will offer simulation and optimization tools for continuous evaluation of the manufacturing process, quality diagnosis, reconfiguration and certification, thus achieving optimal efficiency and defect-free manufacturing quality.
Likewise, “the project guarantees data reliability through five capabilities around the data cycle: detection, communication, IT infrastructure, storage, analysis and optimization. All of this will be based on an architecture oriented to microservices for end users,” indicated José Vera, technician of ITI’s Advanced Communications line.
However, the i4Q project also provides support for the supervision and control of manufacturing lines through software, methodologies and consulting services. It is important to note that this project has the participation of other Spanish entities such as Aimplas, Universitat Politècnica de València, Cooperativa Ikerlan, Factor Ingeniería y Decoletaje and EXOS Soluciones. Large companies in the sector such as IBM are also participating and another pilot is being developed at Whirlpool.
Ultimately, the i4Q project is funded by the European Commission, with file number 958205.