CLOUDS - Intelligent algorithms to support Circular soLutions fOr sUstainable proDuction System

CLOUDS develop an AI based sustainable production system which is capable of handling the process planning, virtual commissioning, optimizing the production schedule, addressing the bottleneck issues in mixed model assembly and balancing the production line with human workload.

The project Intelligent algorithms to support Circular soLutions fOr sUstainable proDuction Systems (CLOUDS) focus on AI-based tools for flexible production systems enabling sustainable manufacturing of electrified vehicles and remanufacturing of products. Expected results hope to endorse industries to become more resource-efficient, sustainable, and address circularity. The project constellation consists of University West (project management), Chalmers, GKN, and AB Volvo. The three-year project is financed by Vinnova under the call "Increased resource efficiency for a sustainable industry 2022” and received financing of 2 900 000 SEK.

Purpose and goal
CLOUDS will deliver AI-based tools for flexible production systems enabling sustainable manufacturing of electrified vehicles and remanufacturing of products.
Goal 1: An online AI-based robust scheduling tool for optimizing the production flow, including the aspect of human workload, and eliminating bottlenecks.
Goal 2: An efficient and sustainable method to continuously keep digital models of the production up to date to be used for optimization and frequent virtual commissioning.
Goal 3: An optimization algorithm for resource- and energy-efficient AGV material handling.

Expected effects and results
CLOUDS results promote industries to become resource-efficient, sustainable, and address circularity.
(1) An AI-based tool that tunes line balance, adjusts production demand, and balances human workload in the production line.
(2) For resource efficiency, a sustainable automated smart digitalized tool will be developed.
(3) Robust and resilient scheduling tool for efficient resource management and optimal energy use of AGVs.
(4) Demonstrate the digital model functionality, optimization strategy, and virtual commissioning method in an industrial testbed.

Planned structure and implementation
Partner companies will provide data to develop the tools, leading to research results that improve the virtual preparation and commissioning processes, as well as minimizing the environmental footprint of new production systems. The other academic partner will be involved in developing the algorithms and conducting experiments. A state of the art industrial testbed is available at the Production Technology Center (PTC) at UW in Trollhättan, where different scenarios of real industry setups can be created and the results can be validated before bringing them to the industry.

Research Area

Teknik
Produktionsteknik

Research environment / Institution

Produktionsteknik
Primus (KK-miljö)

Institutionen för ingenjörsvetenskap

Project leader

Sudha Ramasamy

Participants University West

Research Partner

Chalmers tekniska högskola
GKN Aerospace
AB Volvo

Research funding

Vinnova

Project time

2022 - 2025

Publications

CLOUDS: Intelligent algorithms to support circular solutions for sustainable production systems (Reference number: 2022-01345)

Scientific Publications:

1. Savvidis, G., Ramasamy, S., Bengtsson, K. and Zhang, X., 2024, September. A Smart Tool for Optimal Energy use of AGVs in the Manufacturing Industry. In 2024 IEEE 29th International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA) (pp. 1-8). IEEE.

2. Ramasamy, S., Puppala, N.K., Rudqvist, A., Appelgren, A., Danielsson, F. and Vallhagen, J., 2024, September. Robust online update of digital twin for flexible automation cell. In 2024 IEEE 29th International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA) (pp. 1-7). IEEE.

3. Eriksson, Kristina M., Johan Vallhagen, and Andreas Rudqvist. "Virtual commissioning during the manufacturing equipment procurement process: from an industrial expert point of view." (2024): 407-418.

4. Roselli, S.F., Fabian, M. and Åkesson, K., 2024. Conflict-free electric vehicle routing problem: an improved compositional algorithm. Discrete Event Dynamic Systems, 34(1), pp.21-51.

5. Popolizio, F., Vinetti, M., Combrink, A., Roselli, S.F., Fanti, M.P. and Fabian, M., 2024, August. Online Conflict-Free Scheduling of Fleets of Autonomous Mobile Robots. In 2024 IEEE 20th International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE) (pp. 3063-3068). IEEE.

6. Roselli, S.F., Dahl, M., Subramaniyan, M., Bekar, E.T. and Skoogh, A., 2024, September. Integrating Machine and Quality Data for Predictive Maintenance in Manufacturing System. In IFIP International Conference on Advances in Production Management Systems (pp. 95-107). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

7. Ramasamy et al. “Enhancing Automated Manufacturing - The Role of Virtual Commissioning and Digital Twin Technology” 2nd International Conference on New Frontiers in Communication, Automation, Management And Security., (IEEE - ICCAMS) July, 2025 , Presidency University , Bangalore.

8. Roselli, S.F., Fabian, M. and Åkesson, K., 2024. Conflict-free electric vehicle routing problem: an improved compositional algorithm. Discrete Event Dynamic Systems, 34(1), pp.21-51. Roselli Sabino et at. “Experiments with Optimal Model Trees”. Submitted to Machine Learning Journal.

9. Alvin Combrink et al. “Optimal Multi-agent Path Finding in Continuous Time”, submitted to Artificial Intelligence (Elsevier).

10. Kristina Ericsson et al., “Virtual commissioning in automated manufacturing: Digital twin validation and industrial perspectives”, to be communicated to a scientific journal.

Licentiate thesis:

1. Alvin Combrink, “Advances in Multi-agent Path Finding”, Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, Lic. Thesis.

Master student’s thesis:

1. A smart tool for optimal energy use of AGVs in the manufacturing industry: Modelling and optimizing the energy use of SimplexMotion SH100 motor. https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hv:diva-20839

2. Updating digital twin of an automation cell. https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hv:diva-20792

3. Evaluating concepts for automated tool handling - http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12380/307178

4. Development of Solution for Simulation of Flexible and Reconfigurable Production Systems – http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12380/307100.

5. An approach to Virtual Commissioning in Automated Manufacturing Systems: Evaluation through Use Case Implementation - https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hv:diva-22274

6. Virtual Confidence from Virtual Commissioning: Building Digital Twins to assist Virtual Commissioning - https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hv:diva-22275

7. Simulation and optimisation of an automated handling and transport system for tool management - https://odr.chalmers.se/items/0d26eeb1-829d-4682-bb6b-b45710c972df