On 21 May 2026, representatives from the Department of Management Process at the Krakow University of Economics participated in an international study visit to the LAKUM - GALMA a.s. production facility in Humpolec, Czechia. The study visit was organised and conducted as part of the international research and development project titled "Quality 4.0 Benchmarking Platform".
LAKUM-GALMA specialises in advanced metal forming and surface treatment processes, including electrophoretic coating (KTL) and galvanisation for the automotive industry. The company serves as an outstanding European example of an SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) successfully implementing the Quality 4.0 paradigm on a major operational scale.
The primary objective of this academic visit was to conduct comprehensive technological benchmarking and to identify best practices in the digitalisation and automation of quality control systems. During the site tour and technical workshops, the research team focused extensively on three core areas:
- Predictive Quality Control: The application of industrial IoT (IIoT) sensor networks to monitor the physicochemical parameters of chemical baths in real time, enabling the prevention of structural coating defects prior to final assembly.
- Automation and Computer Vision: The integration of advanced deep learning vision systems with industrial robotics, ensuring flawless automated inspection during mass production, which handles over 49 million components annually.
- Digital Traceability: The operational deployment of cloud-based architectures for continuous process data aggregation, allowing for the complete retro-construction of the manufacturing pedigree of every single component.
The empirical data, questionnaire insights, and detailed case studies gathered during the visit will serve as crucial inputs for the development of a universal benchmarking platform. This digital tool, currently being developed by our project team, aims to support other SMEs in navigating their digital transformation and optimising their quality management systems.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Management Board and the Engineering Team at LAKUM-GALMA a.s. for their warm hospitality, stimulating discussions, and professional willingness to share invaluable engineering and managerial expertise.
