7,505 research outputs found
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
Organizational alternatives for flexible manufacturing systems
There is an increasing importance of different productive architectures related to worker involvement in the decision making, where is given due attention to the intuitive capabilities and the human knowledge in the optimization and flexibilization of manufacturing processes. Thus having reference point architecture of a flexible manufacturing and assembling system existent at UNINOVA-CRI, we will present some exploratory hypothesis about applicability of the concept of hybridization and its repercussions on the definition of jobs, in those organizations and in the formation of working teams.flexibility; robotics; work organization; manufacturing industry
Automating Virtualization of Machinery for enabling efficient Virtual Engineering Methods
Virtual engineering as a new working method in product development should make it much easier to validate the development progress and facilitate team communication. Work steps are brought forward and start with the virtual components instead of real ones. To validate mechanical and electrical CAD as well as programming, automated virtualization systems should create the virtual twin of the machine at the push of a button. For this purpose, generic intelligence is added to enable complex interactive virtual models that can be used for training, monitoring and many other applications. Advanced applications are for example training and support applications, especially in combination with augmented reality and remote collaboration. We propose a system that combines virtual reality, virtual engineering and artificial intelligence methods for the product development process. Geometry analysis algorithms are used to process mechanical CAD data and thus, for example, to automatically parameterize kinematic simulations. In combination with electrical CAD data and the simulations of electric circuits as well as the original machine program allow simulating the behavior of the machine and the user interaction with it. This article will describe the virtualization method in detail and present various use-cases in special machine construction. It will also propose a novel method to use causal discovery in complex machine simulations
An approach to open virtual commissioning for component-based automation
Increasing market demands for highly customised products with shorter time-to-market and
at lower prices are forcing manufacturing systems to be built and operated in a more efficient
ways. In order to overcome some of the limitations in traditional methods of automation
system engineering, this thesis focuses on the creation of a new approach to Virtual
Commissioning (VC).
In current VC approaches, virtual models are driven by pre-programmed PLC control
software. These approaches are still time-consuming and heavily control expertise-reliant as
the required programming and debugging activities are mainly performed by control
engineers. Another current limitation is that virtual models validated during VC are difficult
to reuse due to a lack of tool-independent data models. Therefore, in order to maximise the
potential of VC, there is a need for new VC approaches and tools to address these limitations.
The main contributions of this research are: (1) to develop a new approach and the related
engineering tool functionality for directly deploying PLC control software based on
component-based VC models and reusable components; and (2) to build tool-independent
common data models for describing component-based virtual automation systems in order to
enable data reusability. [Continues.
Standardized Classification and Interfaces of Complex Behaviour Models in Virtual Commissioning
AbstractToday's increasing use of Virtual Commissioning during the development process of automated manufacturing plants paired with the increasing request towards better control quality leads to the need of improved virtual plants with more effortless set ups. The common techniques of simulating the plant within Virtual Commissioning do no longer fulfil these needs, new approaches have to be developed. This paper examines ways to standardize Functional Mock-Up Unit based behaviour models of mechatronic components of such automated manufacturing plants. It is argued how such components can be classified to reach a distinction between different types to be able to develop standardized interfaces for every type. Therefore a standardized framework of how these interfaces can look like is proposed. Based on this framework as well as the classification of the components two examples, a pneumatic valve cylinder combination and an industrial robot are exemplarily implemented. Besides the standard interfaces to the control program and the visualisation of the simulation a special effort to implement energetically considerations were made. Therefore the presented work shows a way of how to standardize the interfaces of behaviour models of different classes of mechatronic components while increasing the quality of these behaviour models for more complex and accurate behaviour simulation of production plants for Virtual Commissioning as well as related applications
Knowledge Discovery in the SCADA Databases Used for the Municipal Power Supply System
This scientific paper delves into the problems related to the develop-ment of
intellectual data analysis system that could support decision making to manage
municipal power supply services. The management problems of mu-nicipal power
supply system have been specified taking into consideration modern tendencies
shown by new technologies that allow for an increase in the energy efficiency.
The analysis findings of the system problems related to the integrated
computer-aided control of the power supply for the city have been given. The
consideration was given to the hierarchy-level management decom-position model.
The objective task targeted at an increase in the energy effi-ciency to
minimize expenditures and energy losses during the generation and
transportation of energy carriers to the Consumer, the optimization of power
consumption at the prescribed level of the reliability of pipelines and
networks and the satisfaction of Consumers has been defined. To optimize the
support of the decision making a new approach to the monitoring of engineering
systems and technological processes related to the energy consumption and
transporta-tion using the technologies of geospatial analysis and Knowledge
Discovery in databases (KDD) has been proposed. The data acquisition for
analytical prob-lems is realized in the wireless heterogeneous medium, which
includes soft-touch VPN segments of ZigBee technology realizing the 6LoWPAN
standard over the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and also the segments of the networks
of cellu-lar communications. JBoss Application Server is used as a server-based
plat-form for the operation of the tools used for the retrieval of data
collected from sensor nodes, PLC and energy consumption record devices. The KDD
tools are developed using Java Enterprise Edition platform and Spring and ORM
Hiber-nate technologies
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