People and manufacturing

Industry 4.0 is leaving a lasting impact on production: machines, plants, products, warehouses and tools now communicate with one another – and thanks to mobile devices, with employees, too. We pin down the impact, challenges and opportunities presented by industry 4.0 and develop tailored solutions for our customers.

Fraunhofer IAO works closely with companies to develop flexible personnel deployment tools that provide a competitive advantage in the face of market volatility and market crises. We work to provide our customers with tailored and flexible concepts that work to the advantage of everyone involved – employers and employees.

More and more, customers want small batches and large numbers of variants with short delivery times. To ensure that companies can continue to operate economically, flexibly and in a customer-oriented manner well into the future, we develop individualized concepts and solutions – with a particular emphasis on the assembly process.

Digital transformation of intelligent networked manufacturing is the ambitious trend in industry. Companies that want to remain competitive cannot avoid this challenge. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO supports you in digitally transforming your manufacturing processes – from initial guidance and clarifying individual questions to the specific development of smart products, processes or holistic and comprehensive factories.

Urban production cuts the distances involved for companies and makes employers more attractive in the eyes of skilled specialists. At the same time, companies need to take care that their production and logistics processes are compatible. We take a holistic view in evaluating the company-specific benefits of urban production, and whether relocating to a city environment makes sense.

Can a company optimize its product and manufacturing-related processes by systematically introducing IT? Can it uphold quality and still save time, reduce costs and make manufacturing more flexible? Our quick check offers our customers specific recommendations to help them more effectively tap the potential of production digitization.

We give companies the chance to bring their products and the production process to life before they actually exist – and we do it along the entire process chain, from the original idea through product design to manufacturing. It’s our way of helping companies to cut the time and costs, and to optimize the product development process.

How do you design a user interface that facilitates simple and intuitive operation of plants and machines? Fraunhofer IAO helps companies develop innovative control systems and works up tailored HMI concepts that assure safe and effective operation but are fun and motivational, too.

• Lighting concepts for working environments
• Mobility innovations
• Resources management
• Service technician training
• Virtual Human Simulation