it’s OWL meets: CLAAS presents the factory of the future
Data and artificial intelligence (AI) are fundamentally changing production and opening up new opportunities for efficiency and flexibility in industry. At the ‘it’s OWL meets CLAAS’ event, representatives from leading companies experienced how the technologies of the future are already being used productively today. Organized by it’s OWL in collaboration with CLAAS, Schmitz Cargobull and the ProduktionNRW cluster, the event offered around 70 participants an exclusive insight into production at CLAAS – and inspiration for their own digitalization.
The focus was on the it’s OWL project Datenfabrik.NRW, which has been driving the digital transformation in production since 2021. In the project, global market leaders CLAAS and Schmitz Cargobull are working together with NTT DATA Business Solutions, Duvenbeck Kraftverkehr and MotionMiners as well as the Fraunhofer Institutes IEM, IML, IOSB-INA and IAIS to develop a model for a data-driven factory of the future. The companies are implementing new methods and technologies directly in their production. A total of 50 use cases are to be implemented. This will result in state-of-the-art production sites that demonstrate the added value of data-driven and AI-supported production to other companies. The project is thus making an important contribution to securing production in Germany. At ‘it’s OWL meets CLAAS’, experts presented several AI-supported applications in specialist presentations and an exclusive factory tour. https://youtube.com/shorts/vr07FBouuTA
With VR to the perfect production hall
CLAAS uses digital planning tools to efficiently design the next update of its production halls. VR applications enable immersive planning that reveals potential errors at an early stage. This not only reduces the planning risk, but also saves considerable costs. The approach shows how digital technologies can support more precise and safer factory planning.
Digital co-pilot for factory work
A worker assistance system developed entirely within the project and designed by NTT Data offers employees digital information that is provided according to their individual preferences. This personalized and user-friendly solution enjoys a high level of acceptance and is currently being scaled up. The next step is to integrate generative AI models to further expand the system’s functionality. The adoption of the system is currently being examined in several international plants.
Checking weld seams with a tablet
A particular highlight of the factory tour at CLAAS was the presentation of AI-supported applications for digital quality assurance, which are already in active use at the Harsewinkel plant. The 3D weld seam inspection offers employees an innovative solution in which weld seams are visualized and checked for defects using a digital AR application. This technology enables precise and user-friendly inspection, which significantly reduces the error rate in quality assurance.
This approach is supplemented by AI-supported component acceptance, in which a trained AI model checks components such as processed bolts for completeness. This computer vision approach minimizes expensive rework costs in downstream production steps and ensures consistently high product quality. Both systems are successfully in operation and are currently being extended to additional component groups in order to broaden quality assurance even further.
What is ‘it’s OWL meets’?
it’s OWL trifft’ is an exclusive series of events for members of the competence network. In presentations and guided tours of production, development or showrooms, companies provide an insight into current developments and trends. There will be room for discussion and exchange over a snack at the end of the event. The target group includes management and developers from companies, universities, research institutes, networks and business-related organizations.
Impressions of it’s OWL meets CLAAS
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