Industrial production facilities generate enormous amounts of data these days. The challenge is to use this data in a meaningful way – for greater transparency, higher efficiency, and more reliable production. This is precisely where the collaboration between the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies, and Image Exploitation IOSB and the machine and plant manufacturer Dieffenbacher comes in.

Fraunhofer IOSB has been developing technologies in the field of industrial artificial intelligence for many years. The aim is to automatically evaluate complex data from industrial processes, recognize patterns, and derive recommendations for action. Together with Dieffenbacher, these AI technologies have been translated into concrete industrial software solutions.

The core of the collaboration is the integration of Fraunhofer IOSB's AI methods into Dieffenbacher's digital platform EVORIS. The software supports operators in the production of wood-based panels as well as composite and metal components in monitoring their processes on a data-based basis, detecting anomalies at an early stage, and optimizing processes in a targeted manner.

“Our aim is not only to research industrial AI, but also to work with industry partners to bring it into real-world, long-term applications,” explains Constanze Hasterok from Fraunhofer IOSB. “By collaborating with Dieffenbacher, we are able to introduce our AI solutions into real production environments in a targeted manner, thereby enabling innovative approaches to process monitoring and optimization to take effect immediately.”

For Dieffenbacher, collaboration with research partners is an important component in the further development of EVORIS applications in order to benefit from the latest research results. The software connects machine, process, and sensor data and provides functions and user interfaces optimized for the needs of machine operators. This gives operators greater insight into production processes and enables them to control them in an optimized manner.

“The AI solutions from Fraunhofer IOSB add crucial functions to our EVORIS platform,” says Joshua Locher, EVORIS Product Manager at Dieffenbacher[HC1] [CL2]. “Our customers benefit from raw material savings, early fault detection, and a better basis for decision-making during ongoing operations.”

The cooperation is a prime example of how applied research and industry can work together to put technological innovations into practice. Instead of isolated research projects, there is close integration between scientific development and industrial implementation.

At the HANNOVER MESSE trade fair, Fraunhofer IOSB will present how industrial AI solutions are developed in collaboration with partners such as Dieffenbacher and how they can contribute to more efficient, transparent, and sustainable production.