We are finalizing our POET4POEM project that was focused around circular manufacturing. Within the project, we built a system supporting manufacturers in reduction of electric energy consumption and materials usage, increase in reuse of scrap generated in the production processes and prolongation of machines life-cycles due to electric energy consumption anomalies detection.
The project is realized within the KYKLOS4.0 initiative and that is why we were entitled to make use of the KYKLOS4.0 components, including KYKLOS Back-end, KYKLOS LCA Simulations Engine. We also validated KYKLOS Decision Support System and implemented KYKLOS single sign-on for our service.
KYKLOS Back-end is a cloud-based back-end infrastructure, storing and delivering the KYKLOS4.0 consortium generated data to other components regarding their different functionalities, mainly by means of the interoperability layer and its REST API. In our system, we implemented this for aggregating energy consumption data collecting from particular elements of the factory equipment through sensors built by us.
Figure 1. KYKLOS Back-End usage in POET4POEM
KYKLOS LCA Simulations Engine (available here) is an easy to use web tool for modeling a full product life cycle (production - use - end of life). It provides a calculator which shows the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle in multiple methodologies and indicators, based on dynamic (e.g. electric energy usage during production process) or static data (e.g. materials usage). It contains wide libraries of data, that enables calculations of Life Cycle Impact. Thanks to the tool, it was possible to implement further Ecoindicators calculation in our solution, such as Ecoefficiency for particular products.
Figure 2. KYKLOS LCA Simulation Engine usage for Ecoefficiency indicator calculation in POET4POEM
KYKLOS Decision Support System identifies business patterns, trends, and cause-effect relationships, and provide stakeholders with appropriate suggestions (courses of action) based on real-time information available. This component may be very useful both in short term for asset tracking, reusing, and recycling of past production materials and resources and in the long run to formulate a long-term strategy of cyclical manufacturing practices such as efficient reusing and recycling methodologies, waste monetization, and to suggest courses of action with regards to high level strategic business needs.
Our integrated POET4POEM solution was validated in two pilots of different industries: plastic moulding and metal processing. This was a huge challenge, as the specifics of their manufacturing processes differs a lot, especially in types of scrap their report and track as well as technologies definition issues. However, we did manage to adopt our solution to their use cases. The validation results were very positive. We measured them with use of 3 KPIs, which were:
As a result of deployment of our solution, in both pilots we observed reduction of the Feedstock Intensity by about 7-8%, increase in Circular inflow by about 7-16% and decrease of electric energy consumption by about 8-11%.
The POET4POEM project had a significant impact on both pilots involved and strengthen them in their way towards circular manufacturing. Such positive results encourage us to keep working on the integrated solution to make it available on the market in nearest future. Increased awareness of both organizations in the area of circularity and ways of its improving in the production process, were however in our opinion the most important achievement of the executed experiment.
The POET4POEM has indirectly received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation action programme, via the KYKLOS 4.0 Open Call #2 issued and executed under the KYKLOS 4.0 project (Grant Agreement no. 872570).