OEM & Lieferant - Ausgabe 1/2021

79 tings of the individual equipment and com- ponents so as to achieve the desired results. This means that there is no specific set of ma- chine parameters you have to use to be able to produce the desired products. Sometimes it depends on the conditions that prevail in the environment whether a process by which a specific product is manufactured works or does not work. Let me illustrate this by an example, for instance, a large manufacturer of plastic film. This film is made by blown film extrusion machines. In this process, the film is blown upwards like a big hose so it can cool down and be wound up afterwards. To this end, certain parameters have to be set so the film has the strength required by the customer, but also a specific elasticity. Sometimes, special weather conditions do not allow this film to be produced on a cer- tain day, because it simply does not work. But nobody knows why this is actually the case. There are experienced machine oper- ators saying: ‘Today we do not even have to start working on that product at all. It won’t work.’ But why this is the case remains within the minds or the intuition of the operators. Now our idea is to try to make use of this ex- isting knowledge that experienced machine operators have and to model it. In addition, we also start to collect data from the pro- cesses right from the beginning. We do this by means of over-instrumentation by add- ing comprehensive sensor technology to the plant. In doing so, we collect data and use it to make models and learn about the process parameters. On this basis, we identify the parameters that need to be changed in order to maintain the same high quality at the end of the day. We can only manage to do so by bundling the aforementioned competences and this is what we mean when we say that we industrialize immature processes. Is it wrong or absurd to compare this phe- nomenon of immature processes with the profane activity of making a cake? Some- times it turns out nicely and sometimes it doesn’t, even though we think that we did it the same way in both cases? Sauer: Indeed, sometimes the dough rises and sometimes it doesn’ t although you did it in exactly the same way in both cases. And still you do not get the end product you in- tended to have. Our working assumption is: By means of over-instrumentation, i. e. the excessive installation of all kinds of sensor technology at various points within the pro- cess, we want to get evidence, on the basis of data-driven modelling, what parameters are actually responsible for certain product properties. As soon as the process is running in a stable, reliable way and we have learned what process parameters are responsible for what measuring results, we can remove the surplus instrumentation again. After all, the process has to be economic, too, as sensor technology, data generation and processing are rather costly. For this reason, we only want to have exactly the sensor technology needed to control or regulate the process in a targeted way at the end of the day. Company Profile ETAS GmbH Borsigstraße 24 70469 Stuttgart Germany Phone +49 711 3423-0 info@etas.com www.etas.com ETAS We excel in providing innovative solutions that drive the develop- ment of embedded systems for the automotive industry and related sectors. As a systems provider, we offer a comprehensive portfolio of integrated tools and tool solutions as well as engineering services, consulting, training, and support. International presence ETAS now has nearly 1,500 associates working in 12 countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Our customers Our customers represent a cross- section of the global automotive industry and related sectors. They include automakers, automotive component suppliers, ECU suppliers, and engineering service providers. Market challenges – ETAS solutions The automotive industry is under- going fundamental change. New, energy-efficient vehicle powertrains, (partially) autonomous driving, digitalization, connectivity, and cyber security – the list of innovations has never been so long. At the same time, new systems must be brought to market faster. Key technologies are electronics and software, which is exactly where ETAS’ strengths lie. With our expert knowledge and the right tools, we enable the develop- ment of safety-relevant software. The increasing connectivity of vehicle electronics requires protection against unauthorized access. The ETAS subsidiary ESCRYPT consequently offers holistic solutions for embed- ded security, operational technology security, and enterprise IT security. 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