Making machines smarter and more sustainable

Nikola Bursac is a new professor at the TU Hamburg

13.12.2022

Machines equipped with smart sensors can provide an infinite amount of data. "It's not so much about collecting data, but finding and evaluating those that provide answers to relevant questions," says Nikola Bursac, explaining the idea using the example of a machine tool that picks up, cuts, punches and deposits metal sheets. "For us, it is important in this process to know how many times the sheet metal has been turned, because this information can be important for the following production steps. "The goal," explains the head of ISEM - Institute for Smart Development and Machine Elements, "is to develop socially relevant, sustainable and smart technical solutions with the help of virtual tools, so-called digital twins, which are a true-to-life image of machines. Customer data from thousands of machines worldwide can be evaluated in this way."

Circular economy
The machine manufacturer goes one step further: "In the future, we will have to pay much more attention to the reuse and recycling of technical components, such as entire gearboxes or couplings. They can be used beyond the recycling of the material and remain in use for much longer in the sense of a circular economy." Bursac is already addressing a central research topic of further developing existing products - in a practical way - in his first lecture at the TU Hamburg: He is producing a new generation of a gas-powered metal grill with the students. What makes it special is that the grill browns the meat from above via a ceramic surface to a particularly crispy finish. So it goes without saying that the subsequent tasting is also part of the course.

Developing products virtually
Before joining the TU, Bursac worked for several years at the machine tool manufacturer Trumpf, where he was responsible for "Model Based Design". Before that, he earned his doctorate at the Karlsruhe KIT, where he worked as a department head for development methodology and management as well as on computer-aided engineering and optimization. In addition to his professional activities, the native Swabian is involved with the Association of German Engineers (VDI). "The location of Hamburg as well as the unique opportunity to establish a new institute made the decision for the TU Hamburg easy for my family and me." With his wife and three daughters, Nikola Bursac has moved to the edge of the Lüneburg Heath, where they all feel very much at home and where he can pursue his hobbies, playing and coaching handball, visiting the musicals in the Hanseatic city, and where he is also not too far from sailing.

For more information www.tuhh.de/isem/

TUHH - Public Relations Office
Elke Schulze
E-Mail: elke.schulze@tuhh.de