The Research & Development department is dealing with the issues of tomorrow Developments such as virtual 3D simulations, cyber security, Industry 4.0 and MES solutions are followed very closely and researched and applied by our R&D engineers.

Smart Factory: the factory of the future

One of the items developed by the R&D department is the factory of the future. In such a Smart Factory, disruptions, breakdowns, waste and waiting times are things of a long bygone age!  Plant managers and information managers track the data streams and production streams of every machine and process. A simulation factory has been constructed, where customers can see all the functionalities of the controls. The ‘Smart Industry’ is applied to practice via wireless communication and intelligent sensors, its components linked to a network with the help of decentralised intelligence.

Virtual Reality meets Industrial Automation

Technical simulations have been helping us to reduce commissioning times and minimise risks for years. We are currently employing technology which originates in the world of games with an increasing number of projects.

With offshore projects for example, we combine industrial automation with a complete WinMod simulation, a physical model and virtual reality. This allows for full testing of systems in a virtual environment where dynamics and hydraulics are modelled, too.

3D simulations can be supplied in different designs during the development of the software, as simple wireframe models for training purposes and a realistic model, potentially with Dome or Oculus Rift .