Developing smart and flexible production: Norwegian university sets up new manufacturing lab packed with robots
Published on 10 February 2021 in Industry 4.0
Laboratory for research and manufacturing
The new “ManuLab” has primarily been developed for research, but its facilities can be used by researchers and manufacturing companies throughout Norway. Some of the key research areas that the lab is used for include metal forming; high-energy laser welding; additive industry and industry 4.0 with wireless communication; sensor networks; learning factories; digital twins; augmented reality and virtual reality; machine learning; and advanced cognitive automation. In terms of manufacturing, the ManuLab can be used for testing out potential automation applications – for instance, on the production line.
Leap towards Industry 4.0
The concept of the lab came from the university’s desire to help Norwegian manufacturers to take a big leap forward in production by migrating their processes to Industry 4.0 in the move towards the connected factory. However, the existing lab was old-fashioned and its systems weren’t connected. This meant that the university would need a new lab that could provide ‘proof of concept’ for manufacturers and that could also be used to train students.
Testing smart and flexible production concepts
Torbjørn continues: “This is now a fantastic lab, in which real production can be carried out. It provides great opportunities for research and for manufacturers in Norway to test out their ideas and concepts. They can try out prototypes and test how they work and find out how best to implement robotics in their production lines. It’s therefore a great showroom for smart and flexible manufacturing, and fits in perfectly with our strategy of providing integrated, intelligent and interactive solutions.”