DiManD aims to develop a high-quality multidisciplinary, multi-professional and cross-sectorial research and training framework for Europe with the purpose of improving Europe’s industrial competitiveness by designing and implementing an integrated programme in the area of intelligent informatics driven manufacturing that will form the benchmark for training future Industrie 4.0 practitioners. The aim is supported by the following objectives: 1. To provide a comprehensive and appropriate set of training and development activities for ESRs comprising network-wide modules, courses and events, both technical and non-technical, and specific development activities, including the Integrated Training and Demonstration Platform as a legacy on which future developments can be built, to elevate the status of ESRs to become Digital Manufacturing Ambassadors. 2. To create the system framework to standardised architectures and methodologies that facilitate the development of cyberphysical production resources and the necessary ICT infrastructure that enables the seamless integration of these into cyber-physical systems. 3. To design and develop a control concept and underpinning data models for autonomous behaviour adaptation of distributed manufacturing systems based on context-aware autonomous systems. 4. To analyse and apply new ICT trends, such as Big Data, Cyber Physical Systems and Data Mining, in manufacturing systems to enable more efficient processing of data for control and configuration and advanced diagnostics and monitoring purposes that at the same time provide security and privacy by design without compromising the need to share data between different organisations in the manufacturing chain. 5. To ensure that the results of the DiManD programme are effectively communicated to European industry, associations, stakeholders (including universities, research and technology organisations), and the public domain.

SHARK will unlock the potential for laser texturing for the generation of functional surfaces by boosting the productivity, efficiency and flexibility of the process. This will provide the European industry with a highly robust, cost effective and environmentally friendly system that is capable of producing a broad range of functional surfaces at industrial scale throughputs, and place Europe in an unassailable lead in this key area of manufacturing. SHARK will advance laser surface texturing from the current ‘trial and error’, lab-scale concept into a highly predictable, data driven industrial approach by developing a digitally enabled knowledge management platform with a comprehensive database of process parameters and functionalities. SHARK system will be configured as an Open-platform independent of the laser source manufacturers, which for long, has been one of the main limitations for the process. SHARK’s system will be underpinned by a number of technology advances. Two laser surface texturing technologies will be developed, both based upon nanosecond fibre lasers. Pseudo Random laser texturing and Direct Laser Interference Patterning will be employed, offering complementary techniques to yield a highly flexible tool capable of delivering wide range of functional surfaces with exceptional productivity and excellent process efficiency. The project will develop surface texture predictive modelling to rapidly define key process variables required for specific surface functionalities. This will be combined with inline surface characterisation to enable rapid feedback and inbuilt quality assurance. The project will deliver the following benefits: • The capability to deliver surface functionalities into real products for less than 10% of the cost of the conventional part • Greater than 20% improvement in product performance based on the surface functionalities deployed. • Accelerated product development • Strengthened global position of European manufacturing

PROMETHEUS will deliver the next generation in high power ultra-short pulse laser surface processing. The project will develop key enabling component technologies including; ultra-short pulse laser architectures with pulse duration in the range 700 ps – 10ns, average power >1kW and pulse repetition rates >500Hz. These innovative laser solutions will be combined with laser optics (diffractive optic element beam splitting and M2 transformations), optical fibre delivery and in-process inspection and control to enable high throughput, high spatial resolution Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) surface processing. The PROMETHEUS integrated system will be demonstrated to deliver unprecedented surface texturing speeds of up to 5 m2/ min, enabling high resolution features down to 1 µm to be produced with minimal heat impact on work pieces. PROMETHEUS will specifically take the current technology development from TRL 4 to TRL 6 within a 3-year programme and will deliver an integrated laser processing demonstrator as an objective of the project. This demonstrator system will be capable of delivering a broad range of surface functionalities onto metals, polymers and ceramics. PROMETHEUS is an ambitious project representing a pan-European EU consortium of world leading industrial and research partners with 4 multinational end-user representatives, Maier, Johnson and Johnson, Fiat Chrysler Automobile group and Arcelik will critically assess the projects outputs against current industrial processes. These major end-users represent the automotive, white goods and fast-moving consumer goods markets and will test both the process and the resultant surfaces again current production for a range of applications, including: non-stick, low wear/friction, oleophobic and hydrophobic properties. By demonstrating high-speed processing and commercial application of the technology, PROMETHEUS will overcome the main limitations currently preventing large scale commercialisation.

The I-MECH target is to provide augmented intelligence for wide range of cyber-physical systems having actively controlled moving elements, hence support development of smarter mechatronic systems. They face increasing demands on size, motion speed, precision, adaptability, self-diagnostic, connectivity, new cognitive features, etc. Fulfillment of these requirements is essential for building smart, safe and reliable production complexes. This implies completely new demands also on bottom layers of employed motion control system which cannot be routinely handled by available commercial products. On the ground of this, the main mission of this project is to bring novel intelligence into Instrumentation and Control Layers mainly by bridging the gap between latest research results and industrial practice in related model based engineering fields. Next, I-MECH will deliver new interfaces and diagnostic data quality for System Behavior Layer. It strives to provide a cutting edge reference motion control platform for non-standard applications where the control speed, precision, optimal performance, easy reconfigurability and traceability are crucial. The high added value of I-MECH reference platform will be directly verified in high-speed/big CNC machining, additive manufacturing, semicon, high-speed packaging and healthcare robotics. In these sectors, the main project pilots will be validated. However, the platform will be applicable in many other generic motion control fields. The project outputs will impact on the entire value chain of the production automation market and, through envisioned I-MECH center, create sustainable proposition for future smart industry.