MAINGAP European Project kick-off meeting

Reunión lanzamiento primeras actividades del Proyecto Europeo MAINGAP The MAINGAP project, “Innovative Manufacturing in the Galicia-North Portugal Euroregion”, is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg V-A Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020 Programme. The main objective of this project is to accelerate the implementation of cutting-edge technological solutions that respond to the great challenges of moving towards Industry 4.0 in the Euroregion, taking as a starting point the Automotive and the Aeronautical sectors, but with a multi-sector approach.

CTAG coordinates this project of transfer and valorisation of 4.0 technologies to innovative SMEs of the Euroregion, in collaboration with the Agencia Gallega de Innovación – CIS Tecnoloxía de Deseño (Galician Innovation Agency – Centre for Innovation and Services of Technology and Design), the Centro de Engenharia e Desenvolvimento, CEIIA (Centre of Engineering and Development) and the University of Minho.

During the meeting held today at CTAG, the partners involved announced the progress of the developments of the nine technological solutions that will be carried out in the project, which by applying the principles of Factory 4.0 aim to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of companies. The solutions will be validated through demonstrators with innovative companies in the Euroregion and cover key technologies such as augmented and virtual reality, additive manufacturing, digital manufacturing, flexible production systems, exoskeletons and collaborative robotics.

In order to inform the companies in the Euroregion and other interested agents about the project, an open event will be held in the coming months, in which the technological developments will be presented and the way the companies will participate will be explained.

Interreg España - Portugar - Feder

CTAG will evaluate the current technology of industrial exoskeletons within the framework of the EUROBENCH project

TestEd, operación con exoesqueletos en el Process Lab 4.0 de CTAGThe EUROBENCH European project will finance TestEd – Benchmark for Benchmarking Industrial Exoskeleton Technology: Testbed and Software routine development for a scenario “Moving in Narrow Space”. This project, led by CTAG’s Processes and FoF Department, proposes the development of a reconfigurable testbed and methodology based on the local and global performance metrics of industrial exoskeletons. We aim to link these metrics with the main stakeholder goals and objectives in order to facilitate seamless and cost-effective implementation of industrial exoskeleton technology.

In short, TestEd aims to reduce the testing time by 30% from the selection phase to the implementation phase of an industrial exoskeleton by designing a testbed and software routines for “Moving in Narrow Spaces”.

Unión Europea“This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, via an Open Call issued and executed under Project EUROBENCH (grant agreement No 779963)”

For more information on the project, visit http://eurobench2020.eu/

 

National and international experts will present in Vigo the latest advances in composite materials

  • This is the XIII National Congress of Composite Materials (MATCOMP 2019), to be held in Vigo from July 3 to 5
  • The Congress, promoted by AEMAC and organised by CTAG and the University of Vigo, is the most important in the field of composite and high-performance materials in Spain
  • In this edition, there will be more than 200 presentations and posters and more abstracts were received than in the whole history of MATCOMP
  • Less than a month away, there are very few places left
  • The president of CSIC, Rosa María Menéndez López, Gilles Ausias, from the University of Southern Brittany, Juan José Vilatela, from the IMDEA Materials Institute and Luis Miguel Requejo Morcillo, governmental expert from the European Defense Agency, will be some of the experts that will participate in the event
  • CTAG and the University of Vigo, as co-organisers, will focus the theme of this edition on the impact of composites on Industry 4.0 and the Circular Economy
MATCOMP 2019, organizado por AEMAC, CTAG y Universidade de Vigo

From July 3 to 5 Vigo will host the event of reference at academic, scientific and business levels in the field of composite materials. The Spanish Association of Composite Materials, AEMAC, will hold the XIII Edition of the National Congress of Composite Materials, MATCOMP 2019 in which the latest advances in composites will be shared with national and international experts.

CTAG, Automotive Technology Centre of Galicia and the University of Vigo (UVigo) promoted the selection of Vigo as the venue for the event, so MATCOMP will be held for the first time in its history in Galicia. In this edition, there will be more than 200 presentations and posters and more abstracts were received than in the whole history of MATCOMP.

With CTAG and the University of Vigo as co-organisers, this edition will give a greater presence to the automotive sector, due to the challenges and barriers that new materials must overcome to access such a competitive environment in terms of costs and times. In this way, during the Congress, a thematic session will be held with international experts on the use of composites in automobiles and their role in the transformation of the automotive industry.

On the other hand, the congress will also try to reinforce the impact of composites on Industry 4.0 and on the Circular Economy, betting on the automation of processes, as well as on technologies that promote recycling and sustainability of composite materials, so that processes and products will be more efficient from the environmental point of view.

This congress is open to the participation of all those companies, researchers, entrepreneurs, professionals and students interested in sending their scientific contributions, presenting their products or attending the congress.

You may download the full press release.

If you are interested in attending the congress, you can register through https://matcomp19.com/inscripciones/

Solidarity event in favour of the Asociación Bicos de Papel

Evento ToolMaker, Asociación Bicos de Papel

CTAG participates today in a solidarity event in favour of the Asociación Bicos de Papel, whose objective is the construction of a park in the pediatric oncology area of the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital in Vigo. The event will be held in Pazo Los Escudos from 4:00 p.m.

The event, organized by ToolMaker magazine, consists of two parts, a technical conference and a solidarity dinner. It is focused on Industry 4.0 and brings together speakers and experts from the sector. There is an exhibition area in which prominent local companies will show their innovations and technologies in fields such as automation or industrial robotics. CTAG will be represented by the experts in exoskeletons of the Processes and Materials Division, who will show the attendees their latest advances in this field.

You can check the complete programme at https://unparqueparabicosdepapel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Programa_Jornada_Bicos_30-mayo.pdf

 

CTAG present at the European Robotics Forum (ERF2019)

European Robotics Forum 2019

CTAG present at the European Robotics Forum (ERF2019)

Representatives of CTAG visit Bucharest these days to participate in the European Robotics Forum. This is the most influential meeting of the robotic community in Europe, which brings together researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs and other professionals in the sector to discuss current issues in European robotics. Specialists from more than 40 countries attend this year’s edition, with a special focus on innovation strategies and on the future impact of robotics in the world.

The industrial exoskeleton is one of the research areas in the Factory of the Future and Industry 4.0 at CTAG, where tests with diverse prototypes are carried out with the objective of improving the conditions of the worker in industrial plants.

The process can be divided into four phases: solution identification, laboratory validation, pilot testing and in-line testing. CTAG has implemented this test process in assembly plants for four exoskeletons, with different applications for the back, shoulder and hand. One of these projects has recently been awarded, together with Groupe PSA, recognising the work of both organisations in the development and implementation of a methodology that allows the validation of exoskeletons as support systems for industrial production line workers.

The event is held on March 20, 21 and 22 in Bucharest (Romania).

For more information about ERF2019 please visit https://www.eu-robotics.net/robotics_forum/

Proxecto cofinanciado polo IGAPE, Xunta de Galicia e o Fondo Europeo de Desenvolvemento Rexional do programa operativo 2014-2020.

 

CTAG returns to Israel to delve into its Start-ups ecosystem

CTAG visits Tel Aviv again, one of the most powerful innovation centers in the world, with the aim of identifying new opportunities for the Galician automotive industry around the mobility of the future and Industry 4.0.

The visit has highlighted the interest in activities focused on autonomous driving, driving assistance and improving productivity in industrial plants, allowing to see first-hand how the start-up methodology is applied in these fields.

In addition, it has allowed to search for new technologies and products and to get in contact with companies set up in Israel in order to establish possible collaborations, for which common areas of interest, such as product and process design or electronic integration have been identified. The objective is to lay the foundations for possible collaborations in CTAG’s activities and to study, together with possible partners, the execution of European projects.

This trip is also useful to consolidate the commercial and institutional relations in Israel, since the visit gives continuity to previous expeditions in which CTAG participated together with Galician organisations and companies from different sectors.

 

CTAG awarded together with PSA in the IV Edition of Innovation and Health Awards

Operario 4.0 realizando una operación con un exoesqueleto en las instalaciones Process Lab 4.0 de CTAG

This award recognises the work of both organisations in the development and implementation of a methodology that allows the validation of exoskeletons as support systems for industrial production line workers.

The Innovation and Health Awards, granted by Mutua Universal, are intended to reward the work of those companies that are highly committed to health promotion and that have carried out innovative projects or actions that represent an improvement in the quality of life and in the health of workers, beyond the compliance with labour risk prevention regulations.

In its fourth edition, one of the Institutional Awards of the Innovation and Health Awards has been given to the collaboration between Groupe PSA and the Automotive Technology Centre of Galicia (CTAG). This recognition highlights the work carried out by these organisations in the development and implementation of the methodology that allows the validation of exoskeletons as support systems for industrial production line workers, which contribute to the preservation of their health and wellbeing by making the company a better and safer space.

Groupe PSA has contributed its experience in the online manufacturing process and ergonomic improvements. For their part, the experts in exoskeletons of CTAG’s Processes and Materials Division have analyzed the adequacy and efficiency in the processes, developing an exoskeleton evaluation methodology that allows to determine which complementary physical assistance device adapts to a specific workplace, establishing if such device helps effectively in the task so that, based on the results, its use is recommended or not in a definitive way.

 

MATCOMP’19 opens ABSTRACT submission period

The XIII National Congress of Composite Materials – MATCOMP’19 has opened the ABSTRACT submission period, which will remain open until December 20, 2018. Please visit the following link to find the instructions for authors and submit your ABSTRACT online.

https://matcomp19.com/instrucciones-para-autores/

MATCOMP'19 : 3 días, 3 conferencias plenarias, más de 200 ponentes y más de 350 asistentes

MATCOMP is the most important event for the scientific, academic and business community in the field of composite and high-performance materials in Spain. It is a biennial congress promoted by AEMAC to encourage research and use of composite materials.

This edition, organized jointly by AEMAC, CTAG and the University of Vigo, will be the first to be held in Galicia, and will focus on strengthening the impact of composites on Industry 4.0 and on the Circular Economy for strategic sectors such as the automotive industry, the naval industry, aeronautics, renewable energy and the construction sector, among others.

 

Organised by

AEMAC, CTAG Y Universidade de Vigo

 

CTAG presents its capabilities for Industry 4.0 at Salon Industries du Futur

Representatives of CTAG visit these days Mulhouse, France to participate in Salon Industries du Futur. It is an event aimed at European experts in Industry 4.0, which serves as a meeting point for exhibitions, conferences and meetings.

CTAG has a stand (0-14) where you can learn about its sustainable and efficient production lines for the Factory of the Future 4.0, connectivity for predictive and proactive processes, flexible logistics and assistance to operators using exoskeletons and wearables. You will also be able to learn about the lines of research in new materials developed at CTAG and see some of the prototypes manufactured in this department.

Proxecto cofinanciado polo Igape, Xunta de Galicia e o Fondo Europeo d eDesenvolvemento Rexional do programa operativo 2014-2020

CTAG visits Israel’s start-up ecosystem

Visita a la cápsula TAU de la Universidad de Tel Aviv

Representatives of CTAG visit Israel these days to deepen their knowledge of the Israeli innovation ecosystem, which has led this country to be known as the “Start-Up Nation”.

Several meetings are planned, including the one that will take place with Technion (Israel Institute of Technology), a global centre of reference for new technologies. CTAG will also visit the Smart City Transportation Lab, in which Mobileye (leading provider of software for advanced driver assistance systems) and MIT REAP (business acceleration programme linked to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) are represented, and will meet the Israeli agency for H2020 projects (EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation).

CTAG travels to Israel accompanied by IGAPE, which supports this trip through the Galicia Exporta Organismos Intermedios aid. The Spanish Embassy in Israel will also collaborate hosting some of the meetings.

This visit is the continuation of another expedition promoted by the Xunta de Galicia in February 2018 in which CTAG took part together with different Galician organisations and companies from various sectors.

The objective of this mission is to establish new commercial and institutional relationships in one of the most powerful innovation centres in the world, which will allow us to identify new opportunities for the Galician automotive industry linked to the mobility of the future, autonomous driving and Industry 4.0.

Proxecto cofinanciado polo Igape, Xunta de Galicia e o Fondo Europeo d eDesenvolvemento Rexional do programa operativo 2014-2020