EDGILE Project

Company name

Cosberg

project title

Agile management of production asset by a reconfigurable intelligence in a edge system

dimension and location

Large entrerprise - Terno d'Isola (BG)

technologies

Artificial Intelligence
IoT smart connected product
Lean Manufacturing 4.0

Cosberg, a company based in Bergamo with 70 employees, has an average three-year revenue of 13 million euros. Its core business is the design and construction of customized systems for automating the assembly processes of products belonging to various manufacturing sectors: from automotive accessories to furniture, electromechanical devices, pneumatic systems, electronics, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

The systems consist of mechatronic modules “Made in Cosberg,” integrating 4.0 technologies such as an IIoT monitoring system and some prototype models of AI.

The problem

Throughout their lifecycle, production systems—especially assembly systems—require frequent setups to produce different product variants. This necessitates changing processing cycles and setting new process parameters, directly in the PLC programming environment. There are two main challenges to address, which are also related: on one hand, optimizing downtime caused by configuration activities, and on the other, the inevitable reliance on strong technical expertise from the equipment manufacturer.

The solution

The EDGILE project proposes an innovative solution —currently absent in the state of the art — for configuring assembly systems: a platform independent of the PLC environment through which an operator—not necessarily an expert in programming—can easily set up new processing cycles and their corresponding process parameters, thereby creating new recipes for the system setup.

The solution includes various technologies that ensure the implementation of different configuration functionalities for the system.

  • Edge Technologies: This ensures remote management of the system, with all the associated benefits, while also maintaining communication latency compatible with the cycle times involved.
  • HMI Technology: The user interface is based on programmed dashboards for intuitive navigation and configuration.
  • IIoT Technology for Traceability: The project integrates a traceability system for the processing operations, tracking both the bill of materials and the executed operations, measuring and ensuring characteristic quality indices.
  • AI Technologies: The project also incorporates an adaptive approach to the process, meaning the ability to calculate—using AI models and in real time—the processing parameters based on the physical and chemical characteristics of the components to be assembled.

Desired Impacts

EDGILE will ensure a solution capable of making Cosberg’s assembly systems more easily configurable and adaptable to production needs. In particular:

  • Configuration times for the system will be saved (by about 20-30%) for new production campaigns, allowing the operator—even those not experienced in programming—to be fully autonomous in performing setup activities during downtimes.
  • The configurations of the systems will be carried out remotely, from anywhere in the world, without necessarily having to consult the equipment manufacturer.
  • The production processes will be fully tracked to ensure the quality of materials and operations, which is a crucial strategic aspect, especially in the context of certain industrial supply chains.
  • Intelligent adaptive processes will ensure a reduction in waste (by up to 10%).

Benefits for the company

  • Through the EDGILE project, Cosberg will be able to consolidate its position as an innovator in the assembly systems market, considering that the proposed solution is entirely new in the current reference landscape.
  • The Edge configuration will provide Cosberg with a significant competitive advantage, especially in an international context and highly flexible production, which are strategic targets for future business growth.
  • Adaptability and process traceability, along with the existing system for monitoring anomalies and consumption, will make Cosberg’s systems distinctly advanced and, at the same time, sustainable, steering them towards an extreme production model of lot size one and zero defects.

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