The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism published a few days ago the provisional resolution of the second call for aid in 2022 in support of the Innovative Business Groups, where he Packaging Cluster has managed to get all the projects presented (five in total) approved. A few months ago, in the first call of the year, other 4 initiatives for the generation of innovation in small and medium-sized industrial companies: Duomo 1.0, Enotech 4.0, ATEX&Qplant and Traceable Pack.
Through the Next Generation Funds that the European Commission has made available to administrations for economic recovery after the pandemic, 261 new projects have been subsidized at the national level with an allocation of nearly 50 million euros. In this sense, Catalonia is positioned as one of the great powers in the management of AEI projects, with 30% of the total subsidy distributed. The Catalan clusters have launched 89 projects with aid of €14.930.268 for digital and sustainable transformation projects in SMEs.
Among the 5 approved initiatives, four have been led by the Packaging Cluster and one by the Clúster de Materials Avançats de Catalunya. In total, 27 agents from various sectors that cut across those of packaging have been involved, with 11 associated companies: TAI Smart Factory, Dribia, Gerosa Group, IFLEX, Molmasa, Bertia, Triana Plastic Industries, KUKA, Tepsis, VM Systems and Rotimpres.
The projects
DDM (Data Driven Maintenance) is the second part of the ATEX&QPlant project, which will end in December this year, in which the digitization of the Gerosa group in its different stages. On the one hand, they are digitizing data from the Rieusset production plant (Gerosa Group company) using different technologies of software, hardware and new printed sensors that will help in the correct management of productive performance and better control of ink treatment, safely. This initiative will scale this digitization to another group company, Cellografica Gerosa, and will study the implementation of the data processing algorithms Artificial Intelligence - created by Dribia and validated by the TAI Smart Factory integrated pilot – to understand, predict and optimize business processes and thus make decisions based on data (historical and real-time)
layertech is an intercluster strategic project, promoted by the AEI Packaging Cluster and AEI Food+I, and interterritorial, where companies from Aragon, Catalonia and the Ebro Valley collaborate with the idea of carrying out industrial research to improve the recovery of multilayer packaging. This project has two main objectives: on the one hand, to investigate a solution that allows the separation of the different layers of a multilayer material effectively, thus allowing its recycling, and, a second objective that consists of investigating the monitoring of the application of this lacquer, controlling that they are applied with a constant thickness on the film, thus guaranteeing the barrier property, applying the necessary amount and without excesses. This solution will be able to improve the recyclability of the most widely used type of container in the food sector while research is being carried out on the technology of applying lacquer, one of the most complicated parts to separate in a multi-material.
With PETInject there will be a industrial research to develop a novel integrated process for the production of high-performance recyclable PET containers, through research and development of new advanced molding, digitization and automation technologies. This project seeks to investigate a new industrial technology that allows the manufacture of wide-mouth PET containers/jars, much lighter in weight than plastic material, with better recyclability and the possibility of a transparent presentation that allows the product content to be seen. Parallel, KUKA Iberia and VM Systems They will be in charge of digitizing the robotic handling process of PET containers, connecting the virtual environment with the physical one, through the simulation of robotic processes. This technological solution will favor the industrial sector in its transition towards a more circular and sustainable economy, and at the same time, improve the energy efficiency, digitization, flexibility and quality of current systems.
In the project Bowser A total of three SMEs and two AEIs participate and collaborate, with the willingness to minimize the use of raw material, maximize quality and globally optimize the products and services of the three participating SMEs. The project will use artificial intelligence to be able to acquire new knowledge that is capable of defining an optimal configuration of the production parameters, in this case, of plastic. This industrial research project aims to predict what the gauge of the finished product will be, analyze which process parameters affect them and, finally, determine which is the best manufacturing configuration.
Smart Battery Case commitment develop new digitized battery boxes, technologically advanced and more efficient with the use of new materials for electric and hybrid vehicles, specifically for ship transport. The research will focus on: the development of a battery enclosure with composite materials, lightweight, resistant to the marine environment and with radiotransparency properties to facilitate wireless communication; the development of a system of electronic devices and sensors integrated in the battery box with additive technology to guarantee real-time management and control of the system from other devices, and the thermal study of the battery box for the correct management of heat with in order to increase battery performance, reduce consumption, extend useful life, charge cycles and reduce possible breakdowns. The ultimate goal of the project is to promote the digital and energy transition to the electromobility through research into advanced materials with industrial applicability, their manufacturing processes and associated technologies.
