Big Role for UT In Development of Smart Factories

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Smart factories are fuelling the renewed interest in the manufacturing industry in Western Europe. A multitude of sensors continuously monitors the production process in these factories, but it’s not the raw data that makes them smart. In his recent inaugural lecture, Professor Ton van den Boogaard said that a truly smart factory can only really get off the ground once experts have analysed and evaluated the data. He holds the chair in Nonlinear Solid Mechanics. This group has developed models for the mechanical behaviour of materials. In his lecture, Prof. Van den Boogaard explained the unique combination of expertise at the University of Twente, and how it is helping to drive the smart factory concept.

“All that factory-generated data is meaningless if you don’t know how to use it effectively,” states Van den Boogaard. “Our simulation models play a crucial role in processing all that data, and the unique combinations of academic disciplines in Twente really help to galvanize their success.”

One of a kind in the Netherlands

Van den Boogaard’s interests go far beyond his own field of mechanics. “Control engineers and model makers have to work closely together on model-based control systems in smart factories. So I maintain solid links with the other chairs in Twente such as Mechanical Automation, Production Engineering and Tribology. Our joint motto is ‘Manufacturing the Future’. This focus on the manufacturing industry makes us unique in the Netherlands. We have lots of other key ingredients for the smart factory concept right here in Twente, too. The department of Design Engineering focuses on the relationship between design and manufacturing. Research groups in other faculties are studying and developing sensors, data processing technology and embedded systems. And finally, this university of technology also has a Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences, whose researchers are studying the socio-technical aspects of smart factories, which involves embedding new technologies in society and their social acceptance. These activities, together with our new Science Based Engineering programme, make UT ideally equipped to play a major role in the development of smart factories, in keeping with our High-Tech, Human Touch theme.

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