KupferDigital: Ontology-Based Digital Representation for the Copper Life Cycle

The copper life cycle comprises numerous stages from the alloy production to the manufacturing and usage of engineered parts until recycling. At each step, valuable data are generated and stored; some are transferred to the subsequent stations. A thorough understanding of the materials' behavior during manufacturing processes or throughout their product lifetime is highly dependent on a reliable data transfer. If, for example, a failure occurs during the service life, information about the manufacturing route can be of decisive importance for detecting the root cause of the failure. Additionally, the life cycle assessment hinges on the availability of data. Recording and storing interoperable structured data is, therefore, a thriving research field with huge implications for the economic strength of the manufacturing industry. In the KupferDigital project, it is demonstrated how an ontology-based data space can be utilized not only as an innovative method for storing and providing interoperable life cycle data but also as a means to enable automated data analysis and evaluation, leading to new insights and the creation of new knowledge using semantic data and technologies. This work illustrates how data recorded at different research facilities can be integrated into one single data space, allowing queries across heterogeneous sources.