DIGIMON

OPEN CALL 1 | INNOVATION SUPPORT

Name: DIGital twIn for MetalwOrkiNg supply chain

Supply chain management

Abstract: The main goal of the DIGIMON project is the development of a digital representation of part of the production process of the partner Bordoni Bonfiglio, an Italian manufacturing company active in the metal cutting business. More specifically, the digitalisation will cover the information related to the production efficiency in terms of energy consumption, warehouse stocking and amount of waste material resulting from the cutting jobs.

The digital representation is obtained by collecting data from the production chain, from the receipt of raw material through the different processing steps, measuring and calculating several key parameters which can help the management improve the overall efficiency and sustainability. Due to the recent increase of the cost of energy, special attention will be given to the optimization of that portion of the overall production cost, supporting strategic decisions of the company’s management.

The proposed solution is based on iChain, a cloud-based, configurable platform developed by the partner Wiseside, designed and implemented to provide transparency for any measurable process or supply chain. Data will be captured from several sources that have been identified in the first stages of the project: information about raw material usage and waste will come from the existing ERP, while energy consumption will be automatically measured from three target cutting machines using selected IoT devices. The partner Lupasafe will carry out cybersecurity assessment and penetration tests for all the components of the architecture, from SW elements in the cloud down to individual IoT devices installed at the target SME’s premises.

All the information collected from the field will be converted in the internal format of events, the elementary piece of data which makes the digital reconstruction of the target processes possible.

The project generated a working, live portion of the digital twin of the production process, with features limited to those required to evaluate the sustainability aspects selected for this sub-project (energy consumption monitoring and raw material usage for warehouse optimization), resulting in a TRL between 7 and 8 (system demonstration in operational environment).

Part of DIGIMON is giving executives and IT continuous insight in the cyber security of the supply chain, in this case Wiseside and Bordoni. This is quite innovative in the industry. Despite the fact that cybersecurity has become increasingly crucial for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), many SMEs believe that they are not at risk or not worth targeting. The reality is different:1 in 51 become a victim each year. The average downtime for the business is estimated in 3 weeks. Many SMEs dismiss the need for robust cybersecurity measures due to a lack of knowledge and awareness, rather than a true assessment of the risks involved. However, cybercriminals often target SMEs precisely because they have weaker security defenses and limited resources to invest in cybersecurity. It is essential for SMEs to understand the reasons behind cyber threats and take appropriate measures to protect their digital assets. In DIGIMON Lupasafe provided real time insights to IT and concise monthly cyber risk reports to executives. The goal is to provide both firms with actionable insights to secure their digital assets.

The implementation of the EU NIS2 directive in 2024 will further emphasize the importance of cybersecurity for companies in critical industries and their suppliers to demonstrate they are in control.

Board members become personally liable and face the risk of significant fines under NIS2.

The DIGIMON project proposes two main innovative aspects: the first is technological, and includes the continuous collection of data from the production process used to feed the digital twin representation; the second refers to the organisation and planning: the dashboards and synthetic information provided by the digital twin enabled the management to check the optimal scheduling of the cutting jobs and the overall efficiency of the production line, also providing hints which supported decisions about future investments in the machines (upgrade or replacement in case they turn out to be inefficient and costly from the energy consumption viewpoint).

One of the most noticeable features of iChain is the possibility to personalise the information for different users: all the summary information comes from the processing of the same set of raw data. All users, from plant managers to machine operators, up to the company management obtain indicators and dashboards tailored to their specific role.

Lupasafe will be tasked with monitoring risks on the IoT devices that collect the data and to provide IT with advice on how to secure them Manufacturing firms deploying IoT devices face specific risks, including unauthorized access and manipulation. Cybercriminals can exploit vulnerabilities in IoT firmware or weak authentication to gain unauthorized access and manipulate critical production processes, causing financial losses, delays, and reputational damage. Another risk is data breach and intellectual property theft, where cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities or intercept data transmissions to access valuable operational data, proprietary manufacturing techniques, product designs, or customer information. This can result in loss of competitive advantage, compromised customer trust, and legal consequences.

Main applicant