Featuring in Part 12 of OPTIMAI: Behind The Scenes is the CEO of EVT Eye Vision Technology GmbH (EVT), Michael Beising. In his answers, Michael tells us what he enjoys most about his role and what makes his organisation ideal for participating in Horizon Europe projects.
Hi Michael, thanks for speaking to us today. Could you start by introducing yourself and telling us where you are based?
EVT is based in Karlsruhe, Germany. We have two locations: one close to the Karlsruhe Institue of Technology and the other one in the city centre, where we have our headquarters, and sales and support team.
What does your typical working day in the OPTIMAI project involve?
Our typical OPTIMAI day is, first of all, searching for new protocols which might be interesting for OPTIMAI. We are currently a member of different standardization organizations like the OPC Unified Architecture (UA) and GenICam/GenTL, so we have to check what steps are needed for the OPTIMAI project to rise to the next standards. We also liaise with all major communication protocol stakeholders about how we can fulfil OPTIMAI’s needs in these communication structures. Finally, we implement the protocols and test if they are suitable for sensor and system communication, as is needed in the OPTIMAI project.
What is your main task in the OPTIMAI project?
Our main task is to take care of the communication needs of the OPTIMAI tasks, from simple sensors to complex systems, to which protocols can be used and how they can be adjusted to make it easier for horizontal and vertical integration of systems all the way from the shop floor to the company Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.
What do you like most about your role?
The variability of the tasks and the opportunity to work with so many different groups and development teams. I like having communication with people who are highly engaged in their specific field and convincing them to add the needs of OPTIMAI into their design processes.
Has working remotely affected your work on OPTIMAI in any way?
There was no major difference; due to the coronavirus, we had transitioned to working remotely from home offices anyway and the work on OPTIMAI was consequent of that.
How do your professional interests match the objectives of OPTIMAI?
It aligns fully; we work in the sensor and system communication arena to create online inspection software and hardware, which includes specialized sensors for optical industrial inspection. So, the OPTIMAI project is a consequent extension of our standard work constraints.
What is unique about OPTIMAI in your opinion?
The aim to have a complete solution, starting with a single sensor on the machine and the shop floor, to the main company controlling software used to track the quality requirements for the next generation of industry and production.
What makes your organisation ideal for participating in the research/activities of OPTIMAI?
EVT is one of the leading developers of standard software and hardware for inline and offline inspection systems. We develop all the components, as well as the standard protocols, and are a member of different standardization organizations in this field.
Has anything surprised you in the first 10 months of the project?
The professional and consistent work of all partners to reach the project’s milestones and maintain progress.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for OPTIMAI?
To keep the fast and consistent work running throughout the project’s lifetime.
What does OPTIMAI have in common with other EU-funded research projects?
The opportunity to work in close cooperation with companies and research institutes throughout Europe.
What is one key thing you have learned from working on OPTIMAI so far?
It’s difficult to find a date where all the partners are available, due to different things such as public holidays.
Could you describe the overall expected impact of the OPTIMAI project in three words?
Full Shopfloor Integration.
What would be your advice to anyone interested in getting involved with a Horizon Europe project?
Take your time to read all the details so that you can create a fitting description of the contributions you can make to such a project.
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Michael! We look forward to more updates from the team at EVT
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