Lortek + ZYLK

Data, an enabler to optimize additive manufacturing

LORTEK is a non-profit research center and a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA).  Its primary focus is on the digitalization of manufacturing processes, which it provides to the industrial sector to improve competitiveness and sustainability. LORTEK has partnered with ZYLK, an IT consultancy expert in designing strategic digital transformation projects for mission-critical environments, based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data and Digital Experience Platforms, under open source technologies. Together, LORTEK and ZYLK have created the Industrial Data Research Open Laboratory (INDAR Open Lab), which offers an advanced testing environment for Industry 4.0 technologies, enabling the optimization and digital transformation of industrial processes.

Creating an Industry 4.0 testing environment powered by data

Additive manufacturing is a concept that covers many technologies. As processes become increasingly digitized, it is essential that manufacturers are able to utilize data sources from both inside and outside of the organization. However, due to the high volume and velocity of data coming from IoT sensors, machinery, and robots, many manufacturers are unable to use this information to its best advantage. 

The INDAR Open Lab combines digital and industrial technologies to optimize manufacturing processes. By learning and predicting from data obtained directly from the factory, companies can meet the challenges of Industry 4.0 in real time. Using Cloudera, manufacturers are able to take full control of the data by replicating use cases and developing digital twins.

In this lab environment, interested companies have access to a no-commitment testing platform where they can carry out time-series processing and see first-hand benefits of integrated data management. In addition, by developing a digital twin, companies can reduce costs and improve time to value compared to in-plant testing. 

Cloudera: A hybrid data platform for Industry 4.0

This is achieved with a hybrid approach, consisting of a nearby on-premises cluster (Cloudera Base on private cloud) where data is stored for the lowest possible latency, and cloud environments (Cloudera on Azure) that leverage analytics capabilities with Cloudera Machine Learning and data modeling. The INDAR Open Lab also uses Cloudera Streaming Analytics for real-time data processing, to calculate deviations in manufacturing data that require rapid alerts.

By deploying Cloudera, INDAR Open Lab has streamlined data processes and sped up the process to meet additive industry needs. Data is now stored with an API REST that allows the end user – usually an operator or a data analyst – to consult information about the manufacturing process. At the same time, the lab teams can make use of this same API to train predictive models and generate reports on finished products, taking advantage of the computing power of the cloud. 

As Ester Sola Badía, R&D Project Manager, from ZYLK explains, “Leveraging Cloudera's ecosystem has given us the ability to offer an innovative solution for Lortek and to be at the forefront of the digital transformation of an industry such as the additive sector, in which it is crucial to anticipate any bugs or unplanned demands that may affect production costs. Our goal is to continue innovating with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools offered by Cloudera.” 

Reducing fabrication defects

The deployment of Cloudera has opened up a range of possibilities for standardizing and optimizing manufacturing processes at a lower cost. 

The testing environment and alarm-based data monitoring system, has supported the development of the "zero defect" concept, enabling companies in some cases to reduce defects arising from material deviations to zero. In other use cases, Cloudera's technology will help predict material demand or the amount of time a machine has to spend on a certain process, as well as the associated cost and predictive maintenance of all the items that exist in a factory.

Overall, Cloudera’s support of hybrid environments provides a secure and reliable foundation that allows for the direct analysis of data, as well as the ability to analyze historical data and deploy AI models. Cloudera technology helped the industry field to make the most of their data and LORTEK now has the flexibility and scalability it needs to meet the data requirements of its customers.