Cross-Company Materials Data and Materials Simulation in Production

Project description

The goal of PMD-X-MAPRO is to increase the efficiency of supply chains in steel production and processing through the use of digital twins and semantically structured materials data. Building upon the work of the MaterialDigital Platform (PMD), the project aims to identify which materials data are required in a digital twin to realize different application scenarios, and how these data can be provided can be provided in an AAS-compliant manner based on the PMD ontology and the domain ontology developed in the StahlDigital project.The cross-company exchange of digital twins will be enabled through a Catena-X-compliant data space, which ensures controlled data sharing and usage in alignment with the principles of Manufacturing-X.

The project focuses on two use cases from steel processing:

• Adaptation and Optimization of Manufacturing Processes: By means of digitally transmitted materials data, companies can determine and optimize ideal manufacturing parameters (process parameters) even before the physical materials arrive. This enables improved production workflows and enhanced product quality. Within this use case, the project will investigate which materials data are required for this purpose and under what conditions highly sensitive, competition-relevant data for process parameterization can be shared within a data space. Furthermore, the potential for new business models—such as the provision of material cards for process simulation—will be explored.
• Bidirectional Exchange of Materials Data: Feedback loops between steel producers and processors enable targeted improvements in both the quality of materials and manufacturing processes. This use case therefore examines the bidirectional exchange of materials data along the supply chain using digital twins.

The project addresses the previously analog, error-prone transfer of data—for example, in the form of PDFs—and replaces it with machine-readable, interoperable digital twins. This approach unlocks the full economic potential of existing materials data.

Fraunhofer IWM subproject:

Fraunhofer IWM is taking on key tasks in the PMD-X-MAPRO project to enable the transfer of materials knowledge to the digital Industry 4.0:

• Requirements Analysis and Use Case Specification: Fraunhofer IWM leads the collection and documentation of industrial, data-related, and technical requirements of the project partners. This is achieved through workshops, on-site visits, and structured interviews.
• Ontology Extension: Existing PMD ontologies are systematically extended by Fraunhofer IWM to include relevant materials information (e.g., chemical composition, processing state, heat treatment condition) and process-critical materials parameters (e.g., flow curves, transformation kinetics, uncertainty specifications). These extensions are complemented by a PMD-compliant materials data instance from which digital twins can be configured.
• Mapping to the Asset Administration Shell (AAS): The newly developed ontology elements are integrated by Fraunhofer IWM into the AAS metamodel in order to implement the “Process-Ready Material Twin” submodel. Fraunhofer IWM is responsible for laboratory and simulation data within this task area.
• Standardization and Dissemination: Together with Fraunhofer IESE, Fraunhofer IWM introduces the new submodel type “Material Digital Twin” into the working groups of the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA), aiming to establish it as an official IDTA standard. In addition, a use case blueprint will be developed, describing all relevant process steps—registration, approval, data usage, and feedback, as well as the integration of PMD technologies and data space infrastructure.