The Smart Demonstration Factory Siegen (SDFS) undoubtedly set a high point in the still young success story of the Buschhütten Campus with the 1st Impulse Forum. Participants from industry and science met at a small industrial fair on the Buschhütten Campus, which has been building bridges between theory and practice in production technology since it was founded five years ago. Companies in the South Westphalia region and the University of Siegen work together successfully in the interests of knowledge and technology transfer.
In her welcoming speech, Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reese, Rector of the University of Siegen, emphasized how important the Buschhütten campus is as an interface for finding solutions to the challenges of our time. “How do we manage the digital transformation? How can we produce in a resource-saving manner in the spirit of sustainability? What role does AI play in this, and how can we involve and train new employees in these processes?”
The Buschhütten campus is making a practical contribution to solving these questions, explained the Rector. The project has a lot of appeal. “Because the transfer of science into practice is implemented here.” Here you can experience the attractiveness of engineering. “There is a tangible spirit of innovation,” said Reese. She praised not only the work of Prof. Dr. Peter Burggräf (Chair of International Production, Engineering and Management/IPEM) as co-initiator of the Buschhütten campus, as well as that of Prof. Dr. Axel von Hehl (Chair of Materials Science and Testing/LMW), but also the tireless commitment of the Barten family, at whose company location (Achenbach) the campus is based. In addition to the University of Siegen, the network also includes RWTH Aachen University and almost 80 companies from production and IT.
Exciting projects were presented at the impulse forum. There were also lectures and discussions with high-profile guests, including BDI President Prof. Dr. Siegfried Russwurm. In addition, two new systems were presented that are part of the research project “Cyber Production Management Lab” (CPML). The CPML project is funded by the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy (MWIKE).
On the one hand, this is a laser metal deposition system (LMD) for additive manufacturing for metal, including the coating and repair of highly stressed metal components. It is a high-end system that is used to research the innovative topic of 3D metal printing. Not least due to critical global supply chains and the associated shortage of raw materials, the topic of circular economy is becoming increasingly important: products and machines and systems should be used for as long as possible, reconditioned if necessary (re-manufacturing) and only returned to the cycle as a raw material as a last resort (recycling). A new process that is still largely unused in practice, “Laser Metal Deposition Technology” (LMD), for example, enables a metal powder to be melted highly efficiently and flexibly using a laser. This process is used both for the production of three-dimensional components and for their innovative coating.
Despite the short project duration, numerous industrial companies in South Westphalia are already very interested in LMD technology. The aim is to develop the Buschhütten campus into a regional contact point for 3D printing, including the innovative coating and repair of highly stressed metal components, to provide advice, to test the suitability of the technology for company-specific applications and to provide plant capacity for the production of prototypes.
Another special visual highlight is the Industry 4.0 reference brewing plant consisting of a ten hectoliter brewhouse with four fermentation and storage tanks. The project initially involves transferring the knowledge gained on process optimization from mechanical and plant engineering to the brewing industry. The most modern technologies and processes are also used. The aim of the small research brewery is to become a pioneer in the industry. The “DrinkTank” was presented by the project manager and doctoral student at the IPEM chair Phillip Nettesheim.
The members of the corresponding project working group also include the Weihenstephan Research Institute with its chair for brewing and beverage technology and the Krombacher brewery. Combined expertise and state-of-the-art technologies are brought together in order not only to improve the efficiency of the entire brewing process, but also to keep a close eye on the requirement for increased ecological sustainability. In the region, it strengthens the tradition of the brewing industry. Visitors to the Buschhütten campus have the opportunity to taste the naturally cloudy country beer, which is produced in the newly founded Buschhütter brewery workshop on the Industry 4.0 reference brewing plant, on site.
From left: Prof. Dr. Peter Burggräf, Peter Haub, University Rector Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reese, Dr. Gabriele Barten and Dr. Fabian Steinberg.
