ScalABLE4.0 · Project

Software Platform That Lets Factories Reconfigure Production Lines On the Fly

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Imagine your factory floor works like LEGO — you can rearrange machines, robots, and workstations whenever you need to make a different product or change your output volume. Right now, changing a production line takes months of planning and millions in engineering costs. ScalABLE4.0 built software that connects robots, planning systems, and factory simulations so manufacturers can scale up, scale down, or switch products much faster. It was tested in a real car engine plant and a plastics factory, where it showed potential savings of around €10 million on a single line changeover.

By the numbers

~€10M

Estimated savings for ramp-up of a single production line at PSA pilot

Consortium partners

Countries involved (DE, DK, FR, PT, SE)

Total project deliverables

€3,999,050

EU contribution to the project

Industrial end-user demonstration sites (PSA and Simoldes Plasticos)

The business problem

What needed solving

Manufacturers lose millions every time they need to ramp up a new product line or adjust production volume. Reconfiguring robots, updating planning systems, and retraining workers is slow, expensive, and error-prone — especially in automotive and plastics where product variants change frequently. A single engine line ramp-up can cost upwards of €10 million in downtime and engineering.

The solution

What was built

The project built a complete set of interoperable software modules: a robot sensing system and final robot prototype, simulation software with multi-objective optimization, a factory visualization platform for real-time monitoring, process planning and execution software, smart object integration with web interfaces, and a human-robot skill mapping prototype. All were demonstrated at two industrial sites.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers managing multi-variant production linesPlastics and injection molding companies serving multiple clientsFactory automation integrators looking for reconfigurable production platformsIndustrial robotics companies wanting plug-and-produce capabilitiesManufacturing operations directors at plants with frequent product changeovers

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Car manufacturers or Tier 1 suppliers running multi-model engine or assembly lines

If you are an automotive manufacturer dealing with costly and slow production line ramp-ups every time you launch a new engine variant — this project developed an open production system platform with robot sensing, simulation, and plug-and-produce technology that was demonstrated at PSA's engine plant. The pilot showed potential savings of approximately €10 million for the ramp-up of a single line.

Plastics and injection molding

mid-size

Target: Mid-size plastics manufacturers producing parts for multiple OEMs

If you are a plastics manufacturer constantly retooling injection molding lines for different clients and part geometries — this project built smart object integration and process planning software tested at Simoldes Plasticos. The system maps human and robot skills to let you reassign tasks dynamically, reducing downtime when switching between product runs.

Industrial automation and system integration

any

Target: System integrators and automation vendors selling to discrete manufacturers

If you are an automation integrator looking for a scalable platform to offer your manufacturing clients — this project created open APIs for vertical and horizontal integration, a factory visualization tool for real-time data analysis, and simulation software with multi-objective optimization. These are ready-to-integrate modules demonstrated across 2 industrial sites in 5 countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this in my factory?

The project itself received EUR 3,999,050 in EU funding across 8 partners over 3.5 years. Licensing or implementation costs for individual modules are not published. Contact the consortium to discuss pricing for specific components like the simulation software or robot sensing system.

Has this been tested at industrial scale or just in a lab?

Yes, it was tested at industrial scale. Two manufacturing end-users — PSA (automotive engine plant) and Simoldes Plasticos (plastics manufacturer) — verified and demonstrated the system on-site under real industrial conditions. The PSA pilot estimated approximately €10 million in savings for the ramp-up of a single production line.

Who owns the IP and can I license the technology?

The consortium of 8 partners across 5 countries (DE, DK, FR, PT, SE) jointly developed the technology under an EU RIA grant. IP ownership and licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the coordinator INESC TEC or specific module developers. Open APIs are part of the design philosophy.

What exactly was built — is it one product or multiple tools?

The project delivered 28 outputs including a robot sensing system and robot prototype, simulation software with optimization algorithms, a factory visualization platform for real-time data, process planning software, smart object integration modules, and a human-robot skill mapping prototype. These are separate but interoperable modules.

How long does it take to deploy in an existing factory?

The project ran from January 2017 to June 2020 (3.5 years) including R&D and two full industrial demonstrations. Based on available project data, deployment timelines for individual modules in a production environment are not specified, but the plug-and-produce design suggests faster integration than traditional automation overhauls.

Does it work with my existing factory systems and robots?

The platform was designed around open APIs and service-oriented interfaces specifically for integration with existing enterprise information systems and automation equipment. Horizontal and vertical integration were both demonstrated as separate deliverables, confirming interoperability was a core design goal.

Is there regulatory compliance or certification?

Based on available project data, no specific regulatory certifications are mentioned. The system was demonstrated under industrial conditions at PSA and Simoldes Plasticos, suggesting it meets practical operational requirements, but formal CE marking or safety certification status is not documented in the deliverables.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium of 8 partners from 5 countries (Germany, Denmark, France, Portugal, Sweden) is well-balanced for industrial adoption: 4 industry partners and 2 SMEs give it a 50% industry ratio, meaning half the team builds things for a living, not just researches them. The coordinator INESC TEC is a major Portuguese research and technology institute. Two real manufacturers — PSA (now Stellantis, automotive) and Simoldes Plasticos (injection molding) — served as end-users who tested the technology in their own plants. The geographic spread across major European manufacturing economies and the mix of 2 universities, 2 research organizations, and 4 industrial players suggest the results are designed for real-world deployment, not just academic papers.

INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIACoordinator · PT
SIMOLDES PLASTICOS SAparticipant · PT
LUNDS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
STELLANTIS AUTO SASparticipant · FR
CRITICAL MANUFACTURING SAparticipant · PT
AALBORG UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK

How to reach the team

INESC TEC - Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Tecnologia e Ciência (Portugal). Use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to find the right contact person.

Order a report on this consortium See INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how ScalABLE4.0's production line reconfiguration technology could cut your ramp-up costs? SciTransfer connects manufacturers with the research teams behind EU-funded solutions. Contact us for a tailored one-page brief and introduction.

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