August 2014: ERMA Project Close-Out
In January 2011 the foundation „ Rheinland-Pfalz für Innovation“ approved the application to carrying out the project “ERMA” – energy and resource efficient mobile machines of the research group product engineering at the Center for Commercial Vehicle Technology (ZNT) at the RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau. The joint project of the four researching facilities started on the 1st of February 2011 and had a lifetime of 3 years. To the 31st of August 2014 now the final report was sent to the foundation „ Rheinland-Pfalz für Innovation“. ERMA was a successful project!
Transfer of knowledge and synergies
as an essential contribution to safe the sustainability
and sustainable development of our federal state Rhineland-Palatinate
Goal of the joint project was development of innovative concepts and technologies for future mobile machines. Thereby mattered though not only the big idea of one single but practically orientated, fastidious working on scientific methods on a range of details, like in areas engine, energy management, friction and holistic view through a life cycle management. Besides optimizing mechanical-hydraulic concepts new highly efficient mechatronical concepts were developed. Thereby all-up energy efficiency of recent developments was examined as part of a prospective analysis. For example this means that not only conservation of energy and resources starting with raw material production over to production right up to disposal were analyzed but rather fuel-intensive work in specific commission scenario, as well as choice of energy source. Evaluation shows results on basis of an intellectual product thus the digital model in early stage of development. It won’t be wasted any resources but technical circuits of future solution provident evaluated. On the end of the project are now on the plan practical concepts and methods which are judged on their performance and which could find use on optimization of a sustainable product. To reach the goals an ample working program and different development know-how were necessary which couldn’t be provided by only one chair.
„Consolidation of the involved chairs bunches competencies and makes synergies“, reports Professor Dr. Christian Schindler, project head and associate announcer at ZNT. The support by an experienced industry partner was also the ideal condition and made a solid base for the effort of such a complex project.
„The project is representative for research and development purposes in clusters and networks especially because the transfer of research results occurs in teaching and development”, says Dr. Jörg.
Acknowledgment: At this place the project team thanks for the great cooperation and active support in project consortium. Execution of the project wouldn’t be possible without the authentic engagement of all in the project involved persons. Many thanks to the foundation “Stiftung Rheinland-Pfalz für Innovation” for advancement and maintenance. Cordial thanks to all partners at ZNT, Ms. Dr. Barbara Jörg and her team at the Commercial Cluster Südwest as well as Mr. Timo Zenner, Dr. Peter Bach and the whole team of Volvo CE.
ERMA was a very good project! The way is the right and will be forward researched starting from summer 2014 till end of 2016 in the of the Center for Commercial Vehicle Technology (ZNT) sponsored joint project “Eco-efficient mobile machines”.