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FLEXA – Advanced Flexible Automation Cell A research project within the European Seventh Framework
Programme (FP7) Five
major aero engine and component manufacturers, together with six universities
and four SME’s have joined their expertise and resources to reach beyond the
current state-of-the-art in development of flexible automation cells for the
European aero engine industry. |
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Overview |
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European
industry is constantly under pressure to meet requirements on cost efficiency
in competitiveness with the global manufacturing industry. The requirements
on development in production is also introduced from demands on new product
introduction, new materials used, new regulations on environment effects
depending on production. At the same time, it is a fact that the products
produced in the aeronautical industry are products produced with relatively
low volume and will be in operation for 30 years, and some times even longer,
before they go out of service. This puts strong requirements on the equipment
specification when doing new investment in the production units. The main
task in this project is to create a balanced production unit that is able to
deliver a multi generation, multi size and multi product flow of components
in the same production facility using and prioritising between the same
physical machines. In the
automotive sector automation technology has been developed for a long time.
It is the intention of this project to utilise the state of the art
technology developed in the automotive area and to improve the aspect of
flexibility, low volume, multi product and quality assurance aspects. To meet
the requirements of flexibility, cost effectiveness and quality assurance the
concept of the project will be to; ·
Validate methods and
technologies for virtual manufacturing supporting definition, preparation and
operation of flexible automation cells. ·
Define and verify requirements
on quality assurance systems that will allow flexible automation cells to
conform to aerospace industry regulations. ·
Integrate data flow inside the
cell as well as in and out of the cell by introducing a Web-based data flow
system that supports a truly virtual and distributed working environment. ·
Deliver tools that support
knowledge engineering demands in shop floor activities with experience
feedback to product innovation activity. ·
Validate capability of defined
cell concept by building a physical validation platform. ·
Deliver education and safety
instructions for personnel that will operate next generation flexible
automation cells. The
consortium consists of 15 partners with different
responsibilities and competences identified as necessary to develop the
required methods and technology to be able to validate a next generation
flexible automation cell for machining, fabrication and assembly of aerospace
components. The project started 1st of June 2008 and will end 31st
of May 2012. |
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Project co-funded by the European Commission within the Seventh Framework Programme
(FP7) |
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