At the VDMA's "Digitalization in Mechanical Engineering: Research and Industry in Dialogue" research day in Frankfurt, universities and industry discussed the opportunities presented by digital technologies. 24 projects were nominated for the "Digitalization in Mechanical Engineering" young talent award. The jury recognized practice-oriented results in production and quality assurance. "In addition to practice-oriented AI applications, the solutions for increasing product and process quality were particularly impressive this year," said Guido Reimann, Deputy Managing Director of VDMA Software and Digitalization.

According to the VDMA, the theses from the fields of engineering and computer science show that young talent is indispensable for progress and competitiveness in mechanical engineering. The theses combine theory and practice and provide forward-looking impetus for the further digitalization of the industry. "Close cooperation between universities and industrial companies is an important building block for the development of new practical solutions and the strengthening of innovation in companies," emphasized Reimann.

The award winners

Tanaro Schädler (University of Ulm) was awarded 1st prize in the Master's category. In collaboration with Uhlmann Pac-Systeme and under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Friedhelm Schwenker from the Institute of Neuroinformatics, he developed an AI framework that prioritizes test cases for machine control systems and predicts error types. This reduces the number of meaningless test runs, speeds up error detection and increases product quality while using fewer resources.

The 2nd prize in the 'Master's thesis' category went to Alessa Seeger (Center for Advanced Studies DHBW). In cooperation with Harro Höfliger Verpackungsmaschinen from Allmersbach im Tal and under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Holger Hofmann, she developed a modular software system that detects good and bad parts in pharmaceutical production. AI analysis and an OPC UA connection make it possible to detect deviations at an early stage and avoid downtime. At the same time, it shows ways in which missing data can be systematically supplemented

Jonas Grajetzki (TH Mittelhessen) won first prize in the 'Bachelor thesis' category for an LED-supported measuring system for the non-destructive inline analysis of solar wafers. His solution, which he developed together with Lucas instruments from Jena and Leibnitz IPHT (Jena) as part of a research project funded by the "Central Innovation Program for SMEs" (ZIM) and under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Uwe Probst, combines UI and EQE measurements and enables rapid quality assessment.

The 2nd prize in this category went to Neele Kuhlmann (PHWT Vechta/Diepholz). In her analysis of composite projects at Broetje-Automation in Rastede, she identified typical weaknesses in planning and control. Her evaluation tool systematically classifies composite projects and recommends suitable management methods; the thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr.-Ing.