Within the Interreg project Factory 4.0, the partners from Northern France, Wallonia and West-Flanders supported companies in accelerating their transformation into a factory of the future. In this way, the project aims to contribute to the economic mutation of the border area, even after its termination.
In recent years Sirris has been working within the Interreg programme France-Wallonia-Flanders with various partners to support companies in the Belgium-France border region with their transformation to ‘factories of the future’.
Method
In cooperation with the various partners, a cross-border methodology was developed to guide companies step-by-step through their transformation process. The first step in this process is an exploratory scan that allows us to take a critical look at the current situation and, above all, to identify which issues/opportunities are best tackled first. Then, together with the expert, an action plan can be worked out. Among other things, V&V Engineering went through such a process.
Smart assembly line
In addition to working out the methodology for drawing up a transformation plan, during the Factory 4.0 project a lot of effort was put into building inspiring demonstrators in the Sirris application lab in Kortrijk. The showpiece was a smart assembly line that shows how different Industry 4.0 technologies can be meaningfully deployed to support operators in the performance of their tasks. Among other things, collaborative robots and digital work instructions were integrated in the line. During the project, new technologies were regularly integrated in this line.
Various workshops and events were organised to introduce these technologies to the widest possible audience and, above all, allow this audience to get to work with them themselves. Just before the summer period the closing event was organised. More than 140 companies participated in this online event.
The project may be closed down at the end of September 2020, but the project partners would like to further support the companies. Do you have questions about Industry 4.0 and do you want to transform as a company? Please contact us!
