Realising the open virtual commissioning of modular automation systems

To address the challenges in the automotive industry posed by the need to rapidly manufacture more product variants, and the resultant need for more adaptable production systems, radical changes are now required in the way in which such systems are developed and implemented. In this context, two enabling approaches for achieving more agile manufacturing, namely modular automation systems and virtual commissioning, are briefly reviewed in this contribution. Ongoing research conducted at Loughborough University which aims to provide a modular approach to automation systems design coupled with a virtual engineering toolset for the (re)configuration of such manufacturing automation systems is reported. The problems faced in the virtual commissioning of modular automation systems are outlined. AutomationML - an emerging neutral data format which has potential to address integration problems is discussed. The paper proposes and illustrates a collaborative framework in which AutomationML is adopted for the data exchange and data representation of related models to enable efficient open virtual prototype construction and virtual commissioning of modular automation systems. A case study is provided to show how to create the data model based on AutomationML for describing a modular automation system

Towards Developing Sustainable Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems

This paper aims to examine the sustainable manufacturing performance of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMSs) using existing sustainable manufacturing metrics. RMS has six key characteristics including modularity, integrability, customization, scalability, convertibility, and diagnosability. In this paper, ‘convertibility’ is quantified by considering configuration convertibility, machine convertibility, and material handling device convertibility from the RMS perspective. In addition, the performance of RMSs with different convertibility levels is also evaluated by using sustainable manufacturing metrics. A numerical example is used to demonstrate the computational approach. Results of the analysis are used to show how sustainable manufacturing performance of RMS changes as system convertibility varies. The findings show that RMS sustainable manufacturing performance can be improved by selecting a suitable level of convertibility

Sustainable product development strategies: Business planning and performance implications

Copyright © 2012 by Institution of Mechanical Engineers. This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below.Manufacturing firms are under many financial and competitive pressures which focus attention on the performance of their manufacturing processes. In this paper the opportunities for improving the environmental impact of products within the constraints of existing manufacturing infrastructure are examined. Approaches which support sustainability in two aspects are proposed, firstly, the provision of products to the users in ways which extend the product life and secondly, manufacturing approaches which reduce resource usage. This paper outlines three different sustainable development strategies for different product types and describes the cost implications for manufacturers across the life-cycle. The performance measures affected by these strategies are examined drawing on product development case studies from a number of high technology sectors to highlight the different approaches taken. The results are intended to aid manufacturers during the earliest stages of business planning to consider alternative product development approaches which are more sustainable

Sustainable Living Factories for Next Generation Manufacturing

To be profitable and to generate sustainable value for all stakeholders, next generation manufacturers must develop capabilities to rapidly and economically respond to changing market needs while at the same time minimizing adverse impacts on the environment and benefiting society. 6R-based (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Redesign and Remanufacturing) sustainable manufacturing practices enable closed-loop and multi-life cycle material flow; they facilitate producing more sustainable products using manufacturing processes and systems that are more sustainable. Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMS) and its characteristics of scalability, convertibility, diagnosability, customization, modularity and integrability have emerged as a basis for living factories for next generation manufacturing that can significantly enhance the system sustainability by quickly adjusting system configuration and production processes to meet the market needs, and maintain the system values for generations of products. This paper examines the significance of developing such next generation manufacturing systems as the basis for futuristic sustainable living factories by adapting, integrating and implementing the RMS characteristics with the principles of sustainable manufacturing to achieve value creation for all stakeholders

Feasibility analysis of using special purpose machines for drilling-related operations

This work focuses on special purpose machine tools (SPMs), providing a modular platform for performing drilling-related operations. One of the main challenges in using SPMs is selecting the most appropriate machine tool among many alternatives. This thesis introduces a feasibility analysis procedure developed to support decision-making through the assessment of the strengths and limitations of SPMs. To achieve this, technical and economic feasibility analyses, a sensitivity analysis, and an optimisation model were developed and a case study was provided for each analysis. The results indicated that although technical feasibility analysis leads decision-makers to select a feasible machine tool, complementary analyses are required for making an informed decision and improving profitability. Accordingly, a mathematical cost model was developed to perform economic and sensitivity analyses and investigate the profitability of any selected SPM configuration. In addition, an optimisation procedure was applied to the cost model in order to investigate the effect of process parameters and the SPM configuration on the decision-making. Finally, the developed analyses were then integrated into a model in a proper sequence that can evaluate whether the SPM is appropriate for producing the given part and achieving higher productivity. To validate this integrated model three different case studies were presented and results were discussed. The results showed that the developed model is a very useful tool in assisting manufacturers to evaluate the performance of SPMs in comparison with other alternatives considered from different perspectives

DeSyRe: on-Demand System Reliability

The DeSyRe project builds on-demand adaptive and reliable Systems-on-Chips (SoCs). As fabrication technology scales down, chips are becoming less reliable, thereby incurring increased power and performance costs for fault tolerance. To make matters worse, power density is becoming a significant limiting factor in SoC design, in general. In the face of such changes in the technological landscape, current solutions for fault tolerance are expected to introduce excessive overheads in future systems. Moreover, attempting to design and manufacture a totally defect and fault-free system, would impact heavily, even prohibitively, the design, manufacturing, and testing costs, as well as the system performance and power consumption. In this context, DeSyRe delivers a new generation of systems that are reliable by design at well-balanced power, performance, and design costs. In our attempt to reduce the overheads of fault-tolerance, only a small fraction of the chip is built to be fault-free. This fault-free part is then employed to manage the remaining fault-prone resources of the SoC. The DeSyRe framework is applied to two medical systems with high safety requirements (measured using the IEC 61508 functional safety standard) and tight power and performance constraints

An integrated model to use drilling modular machine tools

Modular machine tools provide a platform for drilling-related operations within automotive companies. The use of these machine tools is widespread; however, manufacturers wishing to use this technology frequently face the challenge of selecting the most appropriate manufacturing system. Accordingly, a comprehensive feasibility analysis procedure is required to assist decision-makers before any investment is made on the preparation of detailed machine design or purchase one. This paper presents a model, which collects the previous works of the authors. To do this, an integrated framework for decision-making of using machine tools is developed. The aim of this model is to enable users to make a logical decision by assessing the strengths and limitations of machine tools. To do this, the parameters which have a key influence on the decision-making process and relevant procedures are identified and integrated into a model. A case study is presented to illustrate the application of proposed model, and results are discussed. The results show that the proposed model is useful in assisting manufacturers in evaluating the performance of a modular machine tool in comparison with other alternatives