The second Matchmaking Event focused on “Elasticity of production processes”, was held from 4 to 6 February 2020 in Mulhouse.

The event was organized by PVF (Pôle Véhicule du Futur), with the participation of more than 15 representatives coming both from the consortium partners (ACB, AC Serbia, CEAGA, CIAC, PVF and SA&AM), and regional companies interested in the topic.

The main objective was to identify synergies among the project concepts previously presented by SMEs, in order to promote the development of potential joint collaborative projects.

Some technology suppliers were also invited to attend this meeting with the aim of helping the companies to know and analyse possible solutions available in the market as well as to understand better all the technical aspects behind them.

The matchmaking event was complemented with visits to companies which implemented successful solutions in the area of elasticity. A good example of that was Flex N Gate, specialized in the manufacture of front and rear bumpers as well as other plastic components. During this tour plant, they shared with us an improvement practical case in the production of DPE crossmembers, based on the integration of two robots to carry out the assembly of small components synchronized with an injection machine. Moreover, they showed us their production scheduling system: a user-friendly digital control board which monitors their whole injection process, showing variables such as the batch size, the stock level, the changes required, etc. 

In addition to this, the agenda of the event also included the organization of a Demolab at the Delfingen’s facilities in Anteuil (France), where we could know the so inspiring history of this company, from its start-up as a small family business to its current situation as a global automotive supplier, leader in its market. The company, involved in the production of wiring harness protection and fluid transfer tubing, is an example of reference in the region, promoting innovative initiatives in the fields of training (Academy), intrapreneurship (The ANNEX), new technologies testing (Delfingen lab), etc. They are also an important pillar at fostering the collaboration among different organizations, especially with the creation of the WuDo platform, an integrated digital solution to accelerate projects and the transformation of businesses. In fact, Delfingen was awarded by the L'Alliance Industrie du Futur with the label “Vitrine Industrie du Futur” in recognition to their innovative HR strategy, their collaboration with the ecosystem and an original IT approach.

During this 3-days B2B meeting, the participating companies could exchange information in a very open manner, share needs and experience, identifying actions of common interest which could be the base for the development of joint collaborative projects. As a result of that, three potential collaboration opportunities have been identified.  

At the beginning of March, another Matchmaking Event and Demolab will be organized in Serbia, this time focused on process virtualisation.