- The de:karb research project, backed by TRUMPF, thyssenkrupp Materials Services, and Fraunhofer IPA, is set to create an open platform to determine the carbon footprint of specific components in the sheet metal processing industry.
- Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has committed 8.3 million euros to the project, which aims to reduce carbon emissions by optimizing the entire supply chain and enhancing transparency in material flows and energy usage.
- Utilizing AI and machine learning technologies, the project seeks to enhance the sustainability of the industry, increasing the efficiency of material utilization and factoring in ecological considerations during the production process.
In an endeavor to mitigate the carbon footprint of the sheet metal processing industry, a research project titled “de:karb” has been launched by a consortium led by TRUMPF. Other partners include thyssenkrupp Materials Services and Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. The project, funded with 8.3 million euros from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, aims to create an open platform that will enable companies to accurately determine the carbon footprint of any component.
“Digitalization is the key to mitigating the climate impact of industry,” remarked Jens Ottnad, the TRUMPF project lead. He expressed confidence that the combined efforts of the project partners will significantly contribute to making the sheet metal processing industry more sustainable.
The platform will offer insights into which measures, implemented at various stages of production, could lead to the most significant reduction in carbon emissions. By connecting their own IT systems to the platform, TRUMPF and thyssenkrupp Materials Services will help facilitate greater transparency, assisting businesses in comprehending their carbon footprint, thus simplifying compliance with regulations and laying the groundwork for a circular economy.
“One specific feature of de:karb is that it aims to cut carbon emissions by making optimizations along the entire value chain. For this, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will play a central role.”
Marco Huber, project lead at Fraunhofer IPA.
The project focuses on enhancing material utilization in production by utilizing AI and machine learning technologies. For example, TRUMPF is developing new nesting technologies to increase the number of parts that can be cut from each sheet of metal. Concurrently, Fraunhofer IPA is studying how AI can be used to incorporate ecological considerations into the production process.
“The ecological footprint is becoming an increasingly important competitive factor in manufacturing,” Ottnad concluded. The ability to demonstrate environmentally-friendly value chains could give companies a competitive edge, responding to the increasing customer focus on carbon emissions in Western markets.
