SmartIC: Helping Estonia’s transition to high-tech manufacturing

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Smart Industry Centre (SmartIC) has been supporting Estonian and European industries in the transition to high-skilled and high-tech manufacturing by increasing their productivity and global competitiveness. SmartIC has been recognised both in research and in society for 3D metal printing novel solutions, self-driving robot platforms development, and advancement in robot control through virtual reality environment and digital twins.Tauno Otto, Professor at the department of mechanical and industrial engineering at the Tallinn University of Technology and SmartIC project managerAs part of efforts to digitise European industry, the Smart Industry Centre (SmartIC) is advancing research in smart production by combining R&D efforts from Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) and the University of Life Sciences (ULS) in Tartu, Estonia. With new, innovative labs at both universities, the project has enhanced the country’s stake in smart manufacturing research and increased its global competitiveness.Strengthening Estonian research excellenceWith European funding, TalTech constructed a new prototyping lab dedicated entirely to 3D metal and composite printing. The university acquired a selective laser melting machine with a patented multi-beam technology. ULS installed a new computed tomography lab with a high-resolution 3D scanner with a dual tube system that ensures improved accuracy and advanced technological capabilities.The project has virtually connected these and other laboratories to boost research and development in the fields of smart production and manufacturing, such as industrial robotics, manufacturing and quality control of prototypes, industrial virtual and augmented reality, self-driving vehicles and autonomous systems, predictive maintenance and optimisation, and safe and sustainable energy solutions for smart industry.Combining 3D printing with computed tomographyThe two new laboratories combine the capability of metal and composite 3D printing with a dedicated quality control centre based on computed tomography – something of great interest for the manufacturing industry. Computed tomography is used to produce a cross-sectional image of a scanned object by using many X-ray measurements taken from different angles, which are then combined with the help of a computer.Both distributed infrastructures have been equipped with smart workplace technologies, connecting them through virtual and augmented reality, which allows for remote operation, design and testing of products.For instance, a recent memorial project for victims of communism in Estonia involved scanning a bumblebee from the Estonian Museum of Natural History. The bumblebee was scanned in the computed tomography lab at ULS and digitally modified to produce clusters of different sizes. The digital scans were optimised to make them light and damage resistant. After this, 20 000 steel bees were printed at TalTech’s lab using stainless powder material.SmartIC was set up in 2017 to better coordinate research and improve the cross-use of existing and new infrastructures that focus on Industry 4.0 research. In 2018, the centre completed over 100 R&D projects in its laboratories. At present, the centre involves two universities, 25 research laboratories and approximately 70 researchers. Because it is digitally connected, the project does not require offices or facilities to manage or coordinate it.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the project “SmartIC – Smart Industry Centre” is EUR 1 679 129, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 1 595 173 through the “Cohesion Policy Funding” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Digital Single Market”.