Digitisation and automation allow production systems to become ‘smart’. This enables the regional production of complex products at an acceptable cost level. With the help of sensors, the usage and ‘health’ of a product can be monitored from ‘cradle-to-grave’. This makes it possible to predict the required maintenance of a product, and also gives manufacturers the opportunity to extend the lifetime of a product and make it more sustainable. 

The research group Smart Sustainable Manufacturing focuses on the development of automated, flexible and shared production facilities for prototypes and small series, that can be used to experiment, exchange experiences and share knowledge. Secondly, the group aims to contribute to the development of value chains for sustainable ‘Product-Services’ (a type of service that offers product usage instead of product ownership, like for instance a ‘Swap bike’). 

Learn more: https://www.thuas.com/research/research-groups/smart-sustainable-manufacturing