COPA-DATA teams up with top technical university in Europe The chair of food packaging technology becomes a partner of industrial automation specialist

COPA-DATA has been working with the chair of food packaging technology of the TUM since 2008. The partnership will now have a defined, official foundation, on the basis of the existing cooperation. For COPA-DATA, this cooperation forms the framework for joint projects and regular exchange on developments and trends in science and industry.

“Partnerships with educational institutions and research facilities are an important instrument for our innovation strategy. Networking with universities provides an impulse for industry breakthroughs, allows us access to scientific findings and guarantees the training of highly-qualified graduates of further education institutes. At the same time, we can be present as a promoter and adviser in universities,” explains George Yamanoglu, New Markets and Partner Consultant at COPA-DATA in Germany.

Guarantee knowledge transfer, strengthen the power to innovate

As part of the cooperation, COPA-DATA is providing insights into practice, technical support and zenon, the family of software products for HMI/SCADA and dynamic production reporting. Furthermore, COPA-DATA is involved with lectures in relation to the issues of HMI/SCADA, Industry 4.0, security, predictive analytics, augmented reality and bachelor and master dissertations.

“We are pleased to be able to benefit from COPA-DATA's practical know-how and the company’s many years of proven expertise in the industry. A lively exchange of knowledge is indispensable for our chair of food packaging technology. The cooperation promotes not just research, but also the transfer of knowledge in the industry,” explains Stefan Flad, postgraduate and lecturer at the technical university’s chair of food packaging technology in Freising, Germany.

Weihenstephan Standards – creating future-proof standards

The joint work and regular exchange between science and the economy have already borne fruit. COPA-DATA has, since 2008, become involved in the Weihenstephan Standards (WS) working group, under the general direction of the chair of food packaging technology at the TUM.

The Weihenstephan Standards allow a manufacturer-independent connection between HMI/SCADA or Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and machines in the filling and packaging industry, as well as the foodstuffs industry. For users, this means the integration of machines into assembly lines becomes significantly easier.

The Weihenstephan Standards allow a standardised and uniform evaluation of operating data, such as the calculation of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), complete traceability of batches and a detailed analysis of disruptions. Numerous machine and equipment manufacturers have already implemented this interface. Many domestic and international companies now use the Weihenstephan Standards in their filling and packaging equipment.

“Transparent production and business processes, as well as consistent digital networking decide a company's success and competitiveness nowadays. A systematic basis of data and comprehensive processing and provision of information form the basis of this success. The Weihenstephan Standards guarantee data recording throughout the process in the foodstuffs and beverages industry, supporting quality assurance in manufacturing companies and allowing considerable increases in efficiency,” concluded George Yamanoglu.