Innovative, high-quality, durable products are the hallmark of German machine and plant manufacturing. But technological leadership alone is not enough; the products must prove economically viable over their entire life cycle. Major international corporations are increasingly demanding comparative Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analyses from the manufacturers of their machines and plants in order to reduce costs throughout the operative phase of their capital goods.

Measurably reducing costs during the operative phase of capital goods
The individual life cycle phases of a machine or plant should be designed in such a way that development, production, start-up, operation, maintenance and re-use are holistically optimised. Defining and mapping the information and communication structures required for this purpose is the main focus of the LICMA project. In the development phase, scientific forecasting methods are used to determine technical availability. The most economic machine configuration and an appropriate service strategy can then be derived from these availability calculations. The use of lifecycle-appropriate monitoring and diagnostic systems results in a significant increase in machine availability in the following operating phases.

Implementation in the course of IT system development
Within the LICMA project, a reference model for the exchange of life cycle data is currently being developed and implemented into a technical platform on the basis of an organisational and information technological feedback circuit between operators, machine manufacturers and their suppliers covering bid preparation, contract management, controlling and service management. The main focus is on IT system development using and combining existing information technologies.

The LICMA innovation project is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology as part of next generation media. The project is managed by DLR. In addition to Infoman, leading businesses in machine and plant manufacturing are also involved in the LICMA innovation project.