About the project

What we will do?

Launched in June 2020, the CHARM project will develop condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, automation, real-time manufacturing control and optimisation and virtual prototyping system demonstrators and test them in industrial settings. The ECS (Electronics, Components and Systems) technologies must be designed to withstand combinations of severe thermal, mechanical and chemical stress present during the manufacturing processes used in the industry.

Our solutions

Solutions will be demonstrated for six use cases that cover condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and real-time quality assurance. The CHARM use case leaders come from six different manufacturing sectors covering mining (Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy, FI), paper mills (Valmet Technologies Oy, FI), machining (Tornos SA, CH), solar panel manufacturing (Applied Materials Italia SRL, IT), nuclear power plant maintenance and decommissioning (ÚJV Řež a.s., CZ) and professional digital printing (Canon Production Printing Netherlands B.V.).

Our goals

The project will develop sensors for e.g. gas detection, high temperature and pressure, as well as advanced vision systems for real-time quality control and autonomous equipment for industrial applications. Electronics component packaging technologies beyond state-of-the-art will be used to ensure that the sensors are able to withstand the harsh conditions. The IoT systems will also include new solutions for wireless power transfer, connectivity and cybersecurity.

Our Use Cases

The CHARM use case leaders come from six different manufacturing sectors covering mining, paper mills, machining,  solar panel manufacturing, nuclear power plant maintenance and decommissioning and professional digital printing. 

IoT for digital mining solutions

1a: Air quality monitoring in mine environment
1b: Technologies enabling smartness and autonomism in mining vehicles

Description: Within the project, new intelligent IoT compatible demonstrator equipment concept is being planned and created, relevant new IoT technologies are being integrated and merged them as one functional on-board system and new IoT technologies & functionalities as major value contributors to new intelligent mining process via new technology equipment concept are being proven.

Use case lead: Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy (FIN)
Partners:  AT&S (AT), Beneq (FI), Besi AT (AT), Besi NL (NL), E+E (AT), IMEC (NL), InnoSent (DE), ITE (PL), IUNET (IT), LGE (IT), LUAS (FI), MCL (AT), PacTech (DE), Qplox (BE), Quantavis (IT), RTU (LV), SAF Tehnika (LV), SSH (FI), Tampere University (FI), TU Chemnitz (DE).  

Condition monitoring of paper mill equipment

Description: Within the project, digitalisation and monitoring capabilities of paper machine equipment are being built. A full system includes a set of condition monitoring sensors, signal condition electronics and modular data management from local level to cloud.

Use case lead: Valmet Technologies Inc. (FI)
Partners: AixACCT,  (DE), Beneq (FI), Besi AT (AT), CSEM (CH), E+E (AT), FhG ENAS (DE), IUNET (IT), LGE (IT), LUAS (FI), MCL (DE), Nome (FI), PacTech (DE),  Quantavis (IT), RTU (LV), SSH (FI), Tampere University (FI), TU Chemnitz (DE), TU Delft (NL), UWB (CZ), WE (DE).

Real-time machining workpiece control system

Description: Within the project, an IoT is developed to precisely measure workpieces in the machining area of automatic lathes. It will enable 100% controlled production, cancellation of dimensional drifts and automation of set-up process.

Use case lead: Tornos SA (CH)
Partners:   CSEM (CH), Nome (FI), Sylvac (CH).

Real-time monitoring of solar cell manufacturing line

Description: Within the project, two different approaches for the solar cell metallization line monitoring will be demonstrated: a non-contact temperature measurement based on thermoreflectance and a wafer-based approach with combined temperature and strain gauge measurements.

Use case lead: Applied Materials (IT)
Partners: aixACCT (DE), AMAT (IT), IUNET (IT), PacTech (DE),  Quantavis (IT), TU Chemnitz (DE), TU Delft (NL).

Nuclear plant maintenance and decommissioning

Description: Within the project, an optimised multiredundant modular robot will be demonstrated as applicable for selected mechanised in-service inspections (ISI) on nuclear power plant primary circuit inspection areas using non-destructive testing advanced techniques. The selected mechanised ISI as a part of nuclear plant maintenance will be focused mainly on phased array ultrasonic testing of dissimilar metal welds. 

Use case lead: ÚJV Řež (CZ)
Partners:  Besi AT (AT),  SmartMotion (CZ),  Tampere University (FI), TU Delft (NL), UWB (CZ).

Virtual prototyping professional digital printers

Description: Within the project, virtual sensors to evaluate different print quality aspects and an approach to perform smart automated design-space exploration of alternative parameter settings for the print process will be developed.

Use case lead: Canon Production Printing Netherlands B.V. (NL)
Partners: Reden (NL) and  TIPb (IT).