Tyre Asia – May-June 2018

120 Tyre Asia April/May 2018

MY VISIon

The vision of Dr. Ir. Dirk Torfs, CEO of Lommel (Belgium)-based

industry research powerhouse Flanders Make, is to develop

innovative industrial products and processes that will make

manufacturing industry competitive. His institution’s reputation is

based on its strategic research thrust through industry-academia

collaboration. It focuses on development of machines and factories

of the future under Industry 4.0. Its research thrust involves

innovations in vehicle industry, mechanical engineering and

production environments. The knowledge it creates is shared in a

dynamic, collaborative ecosystem that strengthens competencies

all around. Excerpts from the interview with Dr. Ir. Torfs

TA News Bureau

Future

Perfect

Flanders Make is certainly

one of the world’s foremost

centres for strategic research

in manufacturing innovation,

particularly vehicles. In this

context please elaborate your

work in the tyre and rubber

industry.

Flanders Make supports manufacturing

companies with pre-competitive,

excellent research. our research focuses

on innovation of vehicle (sub) systems

in order to improve their performance.

For example, the drivetrain or energy

efficiency. We possess and continuously

develop competencies, technology and

infrastructure to support innovation.

Specific for the tyre and rubber industry,

it consists of: • Testing infrastructure

for vehicles to ensure a minimum

of defects and a maximum life time.

our tests are focused on nVh (noise,

vibration and harshness), durability,

reliability and squeak and rattle testing;

both on component level as well as on

(sub) system level. •Multi-material

joining infrastructure. We test the

feasibility, durability, consistency and

manufacturability of joining techniques,

both mechanical joining (e.g. riveting)

and multi-component gluing. •Endurance

testing of components through high

frequency vibration. •We have access to

the Ford Lommel Proving Ground to test

vehicle dynamics on different road types

for dynamic performance and ageing.

•Hardware-in-the-loop systems allow us

to test components separately, whilst

taking the entire vehicle dynamics into

account.

our research in vehicle industry

technology and competencies is broad

based: for example electric vehicles,

power- and drivetrains, lightweight

materials, exhaust systems, functional

safety and methodologies to consistently

develop products and product families

better and faster.

our research can be categorized into

three main competence domains:

(1) Sensing, monitoring, control and

decision-making (including modelling and

virtualization), (2) Product and/or flexible

assembly (co) design and optimization

(including modelling and virtualization),

and (3) Specification, architecture and

validation of motion products (including

modelling and virtualization).

We always consider the broader context,

as in the end we want to create value

for companies and society. For example,

our research on battery management

systems is related to mobility in urbanized

settings. As such, we have developed

technology for utility vehicles that are

used for ‘last mile delivery’. our research

on autonomous driving focuses on buses,

coaches and off-highway vehicles, as we

have an ecosystem of oeMs that need to

build competencies and technology for

their positioning on a global market.

We believe technology is part of the

solution but not the goal as such.

You have put into practice

a system that encourages

industry-academia

collaboration with 10

research facilities at Flemish

universities. What is the

pragmatic vision that you

have to further strengthen

innovation through excellent