DENiM

Unlocking the Energy Saving Potential in Manufacturing Systems.

THE PROJECT

DENiM is a 4-year partnership bringing together leading academics and industry with expertise in energy and ICT as well as representatives from various industrial sectors from across Europe. It is an EU-funded project that aims to develop an integrated toolchain for the provision of advanced digital services, including secure-edge connectivity, leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, digital twin, energy modelling and automation. It is based on three fundamental strategies:

  • Systems need to collaborate across technologies, industries, and responsibilities to uncover energy flows and unlock energy efficiencies.
  • Continuous performance auditing is essential to ensure precise predictions and efficient energy target management.
  • Manufacturing systems must evolve and adapt to changing operation conditions, requirements & system configurations to support & promote sustainability.

CONTEXT

The industry sector was responsible for 37% of the total global energy use in 2017, representing a 1% annual increase in energy consumption from 2010, with growth of 1.7% in 2017 following much slower growth of 0.1% the previous year. The increase in energy consumption is driven by escalating production in energy-intensive industry subsectors.

The primary characteristic of Industry 4.0 is the digitalization of manufacturing processes, which offers opportunities for energy saving through the optimization of or replacement of technologies, the application of new software tools for energy efficiency management or adaptation in the business processes. Energy efficiency remains one of the most effective short to medium term targets to reduce industry carbon footprint and needs to be considered at all stages of the manufacturing process.

OBJECTIVES

DENiM will develop a digital intelligence platform that constitutes a suite of enabling tools and advanced digital services used to optimize existing workflows and product manufacturing, driven by energy efficiency targets and sustainability goals. The overarching goal is to define and promote the use of best practices across industry sectors within the EU to support the realization of energy efficient manufacturing systems. In essence, DENiM facilitates the integration of energy efficiency into existing business processes through digitalization.

CONSORTIUM