BitBang is proud to contribute its Data & AI competencies to the pioneering EVOCATION project within the BI-REX Consortium. The project’s mission is to expand the current monitoring capabilities for industrial machinery, unlocking new scenarios for how manufacturing companies approach maintenance and quality.
The EVOCATION project is financed by the European Union – Next Generation EU.
The Evocation Project
EVOCATION, a joint initiative promoted by the BI-REX Consortium, focuses on leveraging cutting-edge technology to provide smarter and more detailed machinery monitoring. By integrating new smart sensors and advanced AI-powered computational capabilities, the project aims to predict and prevent even rare failures.
Innovative Sensors and Collaborative Excellence
EVOCATION aims to introduce a cost-effective method for monitoring diagnostic parameters and machinery load conditions by leveraging smart sensors and advanced data analytics.
Together with four manufacturing industries and five technical service providers, BitBang is creating a synergy of hardware and software excellence to enhance remote monitoring and smart maintenance for industrial machinery and plants.
Overcoming Complexities
Monitoring specialized machinery presents unique challenges. Some critical physical quantities are notoriously difficult to measure while machines are operating. Deformations, loading, and lubricant conditions are as close predictors of failures, but obtaining precise, near real-time data often requires costly sensors, and in some cases, no suitable sensors are available.
Additionally, specific failure incidents occur rarely, making data scarce. Reproducing these incidents in controlled environments involves expensive processes. Furthermore, real-life systems defy complete top-down mathematical descriptions. Unpredictability is inherent, necessitating adaptive approaches for maintenance planning and repairs.
The Synergy of Hardware and Software
EVOCATION’s solution lies in the synergy of hardware and software. Advanced AI-driven real-time calculations complement direct measurements from innovative smart sensors.
Implementing our vision involves addressing several critical challenges. Smart sensors require a digital interface and embedded computational capabilities. Data needs to be collected, stored, and managed on an adequate software architecture. Data analytics, customized for specific indicators, must be meticulously constructed and optimized for each use case.
Artificial Intelligence is used to fill gaps where traditional top-down models fall short, providing fine-grained data predictions with a digital twin approach. Hybrid methods, including Physics Informed Machine Learning, enhance AI’s capabilities. By combining black-box AI with the interpretability of mathematical modeling, the project aims to create a comprehensive set of measurements. These measurements empower accurate predictions related to maintenance planning and machinery life expectancy.
A Vision for the Future
In the scenario envisioned by EVOCATION, the entire plant can be monitored with renewed detail, and decisions can be simulated using what-if scenarios, enabling proactive adjustments and informed choices.
Our Partners
EVOCATION’s greatest strength lies in the specialized competencies, domain knowledge, and extensive experience of our partners.
Our manufacturing partners are global leaders in their respective fields and provide tangible examples for solution development and real-life testing:
- Bonfiglioli: A leading producer of gear motors, drive systems, planetary gearboxes, inverters, and electric motors across Industrial, Automation, Mobile Machinery, and Wind Energy sectors.
- Poggipolini: Innovators in weight reduction, critical components, and structural fastening systems for Aerospace, Automotive, and Motorsports sectors.
- SACMI: Manufacturers of machinery and plants for Ceramics, Plastics, Food & Beverage, Metals, Packaging, and Advanced Materials sectors.
- Velan ABV: Experts in industrial steel valves for applications such as Power Generation, Chemicals, and Cryogenics services.
Our technical partners are driven by innovation and contribute to designing advanced components and interactions for our envisioned solutions:
- E.S.T.E.: Specializing in hardware, firmware, and software design, including complex signal management. E.S.T.E. will contribute to the development of a smart sensor.
- Sanchip: Focused on predictive maintenance through advanced IoT devices for plants and machinery. Sanchip will contribute to the development of a smart sensor.
- Sens-In: A Poggipolini spin-off, specializing in smart fastening elements. Sens-In will provide hardware, setup, and data interpretation support.
- Selcom Group: Experts in customized electronic and electromechanical equipment and systems. Selcom Group will contribute to the development of a smart sensor.
- ISE: Providing maintenance and predictive maintenance services. ISE will contribute to the development of smart sensors, and to the acquisition and first analysis of raw data.
Our academic partners contribute essential research that provides the foundation for our project’s decisions:
- CIRI ICT: The University of Bologna’s Interdepartmental Industrial Research Center, focused digion ICT technologies. CIRI ICT will focus on developing AI-based and hybrid data analytics methods.
- IN4 Hub: Ferrara’s Technopole Hub for Innovation in engineering and Integration within Industry will focus on optimizing data extraction and interpretation from sensors.
