hPdc foundry competitiveness based on smart control and cognitive system in al-alloy products

IntroductIon: Factory oF Future and Industry 4.0 The so called Industry 4.0 is the industrial revolution based on Cyber-Physical-Systems (CPS). In the context of Factory of Future (FoF), the smart manufacturing, or Factory 4.0, is part of Internet of Thinks (IoT), of Services and People. The well-known digital transformation of the industrial value chain is relevant for smart grids in the field of energy supply, advanced materials, sustainable mobility strategies (smart mobility, smart logistics) and smart health in the realm of healthcare. The new and radically changed processes in manufacturing companies are applied for new technologies such as Sensors, 3D printing and nextgeneration robots or globalization of supply chain. The digital innovation is not an exclusivity of new and advanced technology and production processes. The traditional production processes and plants are evolving following this digitalization combining the long experience and the new fast methods to improve the production efficiency and to accelerate the fine-tuning and realtime adjustment of the process parameters oriented to the zero defect quality. Evolution instead of Revolution. The FP7MUSIC project (funded in the frame of the Call FoF-ICT-2011.7.1 Smart Factories: Energy-aware, agile manufacturing and Customization) is giving a new age to the traditional multi-stages production processes such as High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) and Plastic Injection Moulding (PIM). The use of Sensors, the totally integrated systems, as well as the data mining and cognitive model are the key ingredient of the MUSIC project to be a reference in the Industry 4.0 context. Having this general context clear in mind, it becomes evident that all project objectives are focused on trans-sectorial production technologies, larger European market, capability of manufacturing site to be flexible, fast and reactive, manufacturing customization and environmental friendliness, management of manufacturing information, ICT application to improve the manufacturing process, new metrology methods and international standardization.