BT/MT: »Strategic production optimization in the food industry«

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (www.fraunhofer.com) currently operates 76 institutes and research institutions throughout Germany and is the world’s leading applied research organization. Around 30,000 employees work with an annual research budget of 2.9 billion euros.

At the Fraunhofer IPT in Aachen, we work with more than 530 employees every day to make the production of the future more digital, more flexible and more sustainable. In the production quality department, we deal with technologies, processes and methods for optimizing production processes as well as quality assurance in manufacturing. In the AgileHand research project funded by the European Union, solutions are to be developed for the effective and efficient sorting, handling and packaging of deformable products from the food industry, as these work processes present companies with particular challenges. Part of the project is to improve production planning and the configuration processes of individual production lines. The aim is to provide targeted support for employees in strategic decision-making processes, thereby reducing food waste in production and increasing company productivity.

In the context of this thesis, an optimization model is to be developed which supports strategic decisions in production planning by providing employees with the best possible planning processes, taking into account various parameters. For this purpose, the requirements of the user companies will be recorded and the input parameters identified. Based on this, a concept will be developed that meets the individually defined goals of the companies and supports the employees in production by providing recommendations for action. To test and implement the concept, various mathematical models and algorithms will be selected, tested and evaluated within the company environments.

What you will do

• Selection and preparation of provided data
• Selection and evaluation of suitable algorithms for the optimization of production planning processes
• Development of a concept for the optimization of production planning processes using mathematical models and algorithms that have been previously selected and evaluated
• Implementation of mathematical models, algorithms and pipelines
• Validation and documentation of the results

What you bring to the table

• You are studying computer science, mechanical engineering or a comparable subject
• Extensive knowledge in at least one programming language
• First experiences in the field of mathematical optimization models, ML, DL are advantageous
• An independent way of working and enjoyment of interdisciplinary teamwork
• Good language skills in German and English

What you can expect

• Ideal conditions for practical experience alongside your studies
• Professional supervision and collaboration in a dedicated team
• A state-of-the-art machine park equipped with edge cloud systems and 5G infrastructure
• Flexible working to combine study and job in the best possible way

Questions according to this position will be answered by:
Jan Hendrik Hellmich M.Sc.
Research assistant »production quality«
Phone: +49 241 8904-399