Eleven European partners coordinated by IK4-TEKNIKER technology centre will design a new concept for machine tool and machining process simulation. The project – called Twin-Control – will last for 36 months, has a total budget of 5.6 million euros and it is funded by the Public Private Partnership (PPP) for Factories Of the Future (FOF) within the European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020 (grant agreement nº 680725).
Twin-Control is a new concept of machine tool simulation because it unifies the different concepts that affect the machining process, combining advanced simulation models and including vital aspects in today’s industry, such as maintenance and energy efficiency. In addition, it will allow for the integration of the actual machine state in the models, increasing productivity through model-based control and even assisting with predictive maintenance actions.
In short, machine tool users will be able to use the technology resulting from the Twin-Control project to better control and optimize their processes, thus improving productivity. The results will be validated by two key industries in Europe, the automotive and aerospace sectors, and additional demonstrations will be conducted in three leading pilot lines.
Two universities, together with companies and research centres located in Spain, France, Germany, UK and Belgium, make up the project consortium.