News Release

The smart factory

University and packaging company to collaborate on boosting efficiency through digital technology

Grant and Award Announcement

Swansea University

The Smart Factory -- Using Data and Digital to Boost Production Line Efficiency

image: Swansea University experts are to work with a packaging firm on a three-year study. view more 

Credit: Swansea University

The next generation of "smart" factories, which use advanced digital technology to improve efficiency, are the focus of a new collaboration between a leading packaging manufacturer, Crown Holdings, Inc., and Swansea University.

Dr Cinzia Giannetti, from the College of Engineering at Swansea University, working with Crown's R&D centre in the U.K., will be using new data analytics techniques and digital technologies to improve production efficiency.

One example of Industrial Digital Technologies is Cyber Manufacturing, which links together data from different machines, creating smart production lines that can adapt to change and recover from failure more quickly.

Crown is a leading packaging manufacturer with worldwide operations. Its portfolio includes cans and ends for soft drinks, beer and other beverages, food cans and ends and other metal and glass packaging for consumer products. It operates in highly competitive markets where manufacturing excellence is key to success.

Drawing on Crown's expertise in the high-speed manufacture of metal packaging, the three-year study will focus on improving machines' rapid decision-making capabilities to optimise production processes. With unique access to Crown's plant data, the project will develop robust computational models that can be used in the company's smart factories to make predictions about machine failures and optimise operational efficiencies, with the ultimate aim of decreasing waste and reducing downtime.

Dr Giannetti is a researcher into smart manufacturing with a background in software engineering. She was one of three successful applicants from the College of Engineering for EPSRC-UKRI Innovation Fellowship funding, embodying Swansea University's intention to carry out research that can have a real impact in industry.

The fellowship for Dr Giannetti is part of the IMPACT (Innovative Materials, Processing and Advanced Numerical Technologies) operation - a £35 million semi-autonomous research institute that will provide future proof highly specialised laboratories with a dynamic environment for collaboration between industry and academia.

Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government and Swansea University, this unique operation aims to attract world-leading expertise and significant research funding, with the new building due to open in summer 2019.

Dr Cinzia Giannetti of Swansea University said:

"A key benefit from the research is the potential to increase the efficiency, accuracy and productivity of manufacturing processes.

The current productivity levels of UK manufacturers and suppliers are lagging behind global competitors, preventing the UK from successfully competing with other countries in the manufacturing domain, which is vital to keep businesses and jobs in the UK rather than relocate production abroad.

A key means of boosting the manufacturing sector is the widespread adoption of Industrial Digital Technologies, including the application of Cyber Manufacturing Systems.

Using highly digitalised production systems and real world data from Crown's plant, combined with their vast engineering knowledge, I aim to develop and deploy robust data driven computational models to predict occurrences of failures, so that timely adjustments to the process can be made to reduce downtime and increase process operational efficiency.

An important outcome of the project will ultimately be to improve our understanding of the benefits of adoption of Industrial Digital Technologies, and their value, and inspire confidence for manufacturers and suppliers to invest in this area, contributing to the UK to become a leader in digital manufacturing."

Crown's Vice President for Digital Technologies, Nigel Wakely, adds:

"We are delighted to have this opportunity to collaborate with Swansea University and support Dr Giannetti in her research.

Developing automated systems to optimise our high-speed, high volume production processes will be challenging, but is a goal that we think is highly valuable. The potential to apply her learnings to other industries makes this project even more worthwhile."

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Notes to Editor:

The IMPACT (Innovative Materials, Processing and Numerical Technologies) operation has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government and Swansea University.

The £35 million semi-autonomous research institute forms part of the College of Engineering located on Swansea University Bay Campus. It will provide future proof highly specialised laboratories with a dynamic environment for collaboration of industry and academia. This unique operation aims to attract world leading expertise and significant research funding.

Designed to BREEAM* excellent standards, the building is set to open in summer 2019 and will provide opportunities for local supply chain businesses and employment throughout the construction phase. This state-of-the-art institute is anticipated to generate over £2.2 billion of direct and indirect benefit to the region over its operational lifespan.

*BREEAM is the world's leading sustainability assessment method for master planning projects, infrastructure and buildings. It recognises and reflects the value in higher performing assets across the built environment lifecycle, from new construction to in-use and refurbishment.

Dr Cinzia Giannetti is a Senior Lecturer at College of Engineering Swansea University. Her expertise includes smart manufacturing and sensors technologies, with emphasis on knowledge and information management, data analytics and machine learning techniques to support decision making, through the use of sensors and large-scale databases.

She has significant experience in delivering and supporting applied industrial R&D projects gained both in industry and academia. Before moving to academia, she has worked for a decade in industry in senior technical roles delivering, planning and coordinating software development projects for existing systems and new products. Her research interests include the development of autonomous, collaborative and intelligent production systems by using knowledge-intensive advanced ICT technologies and sensors.

Crown Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products to consumer marketing companies, as well as transit and protective packaging products, equipment and services to a broad range of end markets. World headquarters are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit http://www.crowncork.com.

For more information, contact: Dr. Cormac Neeson, Director of External Affairs; Email: cormac.neeson@eur.crowncork.com">cormac.neeson@eur.crowncork.com

Swansea University is a world-class, research-led, dual campus university. The University was established in 1920 and was the first campus university in the UK. It currently offers around 350 undergraduate courses and 350 postgraduate courses to circa 20,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The University's 46-acre Singleton Park Campus is located in beautiful parkland with views across Swansea Bay. The University's 65-acre science and innovation Bay Campus, which opened in September 2015, is located a few miles away on the eastern approach to the city. It has the distinction of having direct access to a beach and its own seafront promenade. Both campuses are close to the Gower Peninsula, the UK's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Swansea was named 'Welsh University of the Year' in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017. The University is in the top 300 best universities in the world, ranked in the 251-300 group in The Times Higher Education World University rankings 2018.

The results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 showed the University has achieved its ambition to be a top 30 research University, soaring up the league table to 26th in the UK, with the 'biggest leap among research-intensive institutions' (Times Higher Education, December 2014) in the UK.

The University has ambitious expansion plans as it moves towards its centenary in 2020, as it continues to extend its global reach and realising its domestic and international ambitions.

Swansea University is a registered charity. No.1138342. Visit http://www.swansea.ac.uk

Media contacts:

Kevin Sullivan, Swansea University Public Relations Office
01792 513 245
k.g.sullivan@swansea.ac.uk">k.g.sullivan@swansea.ac.uk


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