Flexible automation
Industrial automation involves the use of technology and machinery to automate tasks and processes in manufacturing and other industrial settings. Typically industrial goals are to improve efficiency, quality, and the work environment while reducing costs and enhancing overall productivity.
Industrial automation research plays a crucial role in advancing the capabilities of industries, making them more competitive, sustainable, and adaptable to changing market demands.
A notable challenge lies in the advancement of intelligent, circular, and human-centric industrial automation - the focus area of the research group at University West. We see flexibility as an enabler to address these challenges and have worked on control concepts for highly flexible automation systems where new products and resources can be seamlessly incorporated into an existing system without significant downtime or complex setup.
The goal is competitive automated one-off manufacturing. “One-off" refers to the production of a single item or a small batch of items, typically customized or made-to-order, as opposed to mass production where large quantities of identical items are produced.
Researchers at University West work in this field on both fundamental scientific principles and practical applications to drive innovation and research in industrial automation. The size and importance of this field will likely continue to grow as automation becomes increasingly integral to modern manufacturing.
Thematic leader - Flexible automation
