ProKI-Aachen – Transfer Center with Focus on Cutting and Coating and Coordination of the ProKI Network

Artificial intelligence, a technology of the future, has already been the subject of extensive scientific projects for several years and can now solve everyday challenges. In manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), however, these potentials are often too rarely not used due to a lack of digitization approaches or technical competencies for implementation. This is where the research projects of the ProKI network come in. The aim is to develop concepts for transferring modern, interdisciplinary approaches from research into the practice of manufacturing companies in Germany. Demonstration and transfer centers are being established at eight locations in Germany, focusing on the various manufacturing processes of cutting, joining, forming, and coating. The centers are coordinated here at the Aachen location.

Within the ProKI-Aachen center, example applications for the use of AI in cutting and coating are presented in various demonstration environments. Experts from the center conduct qualification measures as well as individual consultation hours to sensitize company employees to AI and train them in its use. Consultations and support for company-specific projects represent the final accompanying step to a successful transfer. Close cooperation between IT, production engineering, and occupational science ensures that, in addition to the technical implementation, the employees affected are also involved in the introduction process.