Intelligent systems in manufacturing: current developments and future prospects

Global competition and rapidly changing customer requirements are demanding increasing changes in manufacturing environments. Enterprises are required to constantly redesign their products and continuously reconfigure their manufacturing systems. Traditional approaches to manufacturing systems do not fully satisfy this new situation. Many authors have proposed that artificial intelligence will bring the flexibility and efficiency needed by manufacturing systems. This paper is a review of artificial intelligence techniques used in manufacturing systems. The paper first defines the components of a simplified intelligent manufacturing systems (IMS), the different Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to be considered and then shows how these AI techniques are used for the components of IMS

THE BEES’ ALGORITHM FOR DESIGN OPTIMIZATION OF A GRIPPER MECHANISM

In this paper, a gripper mechanism is optimized by using bees’ algorithm (BA) to compare with Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm version II (NSGA-II). The procedure of BA is proposed. The superiority of BA is illustrated by using results in figures and tables. A sensitivity analysis using correlation test is executed. The effectiveness coefficients of design variable for the objectives are provided. Consequently, the effectual design variables and the genuine searching method of BA are clearly evaluated and discussed. The BA provides dispersed and the least crowded Pareto Front population for solution in the shortest duration. Therefore, the best solutions are selected based on curve fitting. The closest solutions to the fitted curve are selected as the best in the region

The Threat of Plant Toxins and Bioterrorism: A Review

The intentional use of highly pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses or their toxins, to spread mass-scale diseases that destabilize populations (with motivations of religious or ideological belief, monetary implications, or political decisions) is defined as bioterrorism. Although the success of a bioterrorism attack is not very realistic due to technical constraints, it is not unlikely and the threat of such an attack is higher than ever before. It is now a fact that the capability to create panic has allured terrorists for the use of biological agents (BAs) to cause terror attacks. In the era of biotechnology and nanotechnology, accessibility in terms of price and availability has spread fast, with new sophisticated BAs often being produced and used. Moreover, there are some BAs that are becoming increasingly important, such as toxins produced by bacteria (e.g., Botulinum toxin, BTX), or Enterotoxyn type B, also known as Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB)) and extractions from plants. The most increasing records are with regards to the extraction / production of ricin, abrin, modeccin, viscumin and volkensin, which are the most lethal plant toxins known to humans, even in low amounts. Moreover, ricin was also developed as an aerosol biological warfare agent (BWA) by the US and its allies during World War II, but was never used. Nowadays, there are increasing records that show how easy it can be to extract plant toxins and transform them into biological weapon agents (BWAs), regardless of the scale of the group of individuals

Mechanism and Behaviour Co-optimisation of High Performance Mobile Robots

Mobile robots do not display the level of physical performance one would expect, given the specifications of their hardware. This research is based on the idea that their poor performance is at least partly due to their design, and proposes an optimisation approach for the design of high-performance mobile robots. The aim is to facilitate the design process, and produce versatile and robust robots that can exploit the maximum potential of today's technology. This can be achieved by a systematic optimisation study that is based on careful modelling of the robot's dynamics and its limitations, and takes into consideration the performance requirements that the robot is designed to meet. The approach is divided into two parts: (1) an optimisation framework, and (2) an optimisation methodology. In the framework, designs that can perform a large set of tasks are sought, by simultaneously optimising the design and the behaviours to perform them. The optimisation methodology consists of several stages, where various techniques are used for determining the design's most important parameters, and for maximising the chances of finding the best possible design based on the designer's evaluation criteria. The effectiveness of the optimisation approach is proved via a specific case-study of a high-performance balancing and hopping monopedal robot. The outcome is a robot design and a set of optimal behaviours that can meet several performance requirements of conflicting nature, by pushing the hardware to its limits in a safe way. The findings of this research demonstrate the importance of using realistic models, and taking into consideration the tasks that the robot is meant to perform in the design process

Parallel manipulators: practical applications and kinematic design criteria. Towards the modular reconfigurable robots

Post-PrintModern robotic manipulators play an essential role in industry, developing several tasks in an easy way, enhancing the accuracy of the final product and reducing the executing time. Also they can be found in other fields as aerospace industry, several medical applications, gaming industry, and so on. In particular, the parallel manipulators have acquired a great relevance in the last years. Indeed, many research activities and projects deal with the study and develop-ment of this type of robots. Nevertheless, usually, a bilateral communication between industry and research does not exist, even among the different existing research areas. This causes a lack of knowledge regarding works that have been carried out, the ones that are under devel-opment and the possible future investigations. Hence, once a specific field of knowledge has acquired a certain level of maturity, it is convenient to reflect its current state of the art. In this sense, the authors of this paper present a review of the different fields in which parallel ma-nipulators have a significant participation, and also the most active research topics in the anal-ysis and design of these robots. Besides, several contributions of the authors to this field are cited.The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support received from the Spanish Government through the "Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad" (Project DPI2015-67626-P (MINECO/FEDER, UE)), the financial support from the Uni-versity of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) under the program UFI 11/29 and the support to the research group, through the project with ref. IT949-16, given by the "Departamento de Educación, Política Lingüística y Cultura" of the Regional Government of the Basque Country

Hybrid biomaterials with tuneable mechanical property gradients

Sol-gel hybrid materials are made up of covalently bonded and interpenetrating networks of organic and inorganic components and produce a synergy of the properties of those components above the nanoscale. By altering the ratio of inorganic to organic content, the mechanical properties can be tuned. Here, a silica-poly(tetrahydrofuran) hybrid system was developed with the aim to form a graded stiffness structure that could imitate the radial variation in stiffness of the intervertebral disc and address the unmet clinical need of intervertebral disc replacement. Hybrids were formed with a range of silica contents between 4 and 45 wt.%, varying from an elastomeric to a glassy material, with compressive stiffness between 2 and 200 MPa. High compressive strains are recoverable and mechanical properties were maintained on soaking up to 1.5 years and to 10000 cycles in compression. The hybrid surface was shown to support cell attachment and extract solutions containing the hybrid were non-cytotoxic. A novel synthesis method was developed to join hybrid sols during their gelation, forming a single specimen with a variation in silica content along its length, producing a corresponding variation in stiffness. Samples joined in this way were at least as strong as single phase samples in tension and compression. This exploits the gradual gelation process of the hybrid sol, which can also be used to create a successful ink for 3D extrusion printing: porous scaffolds were formed in this way with 27.7 wt.% SiO2. Meniscus and intervertebral disc replacement prototypes were formed and tested under cyclic loading at rates for comparison with human disc data.Open Acces

Concept design of a fast sail assisted feeder container ship

A fast sail assisted feeder container ship concept has been developed for the 2020 container market in the South East Asian and Caribbean regions.The design presented has met the requirements of an initial economic study, with a cargo capacity of 1270 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers, meeting the predictions of container throughput derived from historical data. In determining suitable vessel dimensions, account has also been taken for port and berthing restrictions, and considering hydrodynamic performance. The vessel has been designed for a maximum speed of 25 knots, allowing it to meet the demand for trade whilst reducing the number of ships operating on the routes considered.The design development of the fast feeder concept has involved rigorous analyses in a number of areas to improve the robustness of the final design. Model testing has been key to the development of the concept, by increasing confidence in the final result. This is due to the fact that other analysis techniques are not always appropriate or accurate. Two hull forms have been developed to meet requirements whilst utilising different propulsor combinations. This has enabled evaluation of efficiency gains resulting from different hydrodynamic phenomena for each design. This includes an evaluation of the hydrodynamic performance when utilising the sail system. This has been done using a combination of model test results and data from regression analysis. The final propulsor chosen is a contra-rotating podded drive arrangement. Wind tunnel testing has been used to maximise the performance of a Multi-wing sail system by investigating the effects of wing spacing, stagger and sail-container interactions. This has led to an increase in lift coefficient of 32% from initial predictions. The savings in power requirement due to the sail system are lower than initially predicted. However, another benefit of their installation, motion damping, has been identified. Whilst this has not been fully investigated, additional fuel savings are possible as well as improved seakeeping performance.The design is shown to be environmentally sustainable when compared to existing vessels operating on the proposed routes. This is largely due to the use of low-carbon and zero-sulphur fuel (liquefied natural gas) and improvements in efficiency regarding operation. This especially relates to cargo handling and scheduling. Green house gas emissions have been predicted to fall by 42% and 40% in the two regions should the design be adopted. These savings are also due to the use of the Multi-wing sail system, which contributes to reductions in power requirement of up to 6% when the vessel operates at its lower speed of 15 knots. It is demonstrated that the fast feeder is also economically feasible, with predicted daily cost savings of 27% and 33% in the South East Asian and Caribbean regions respectively. Thus the fast feeder container ship concept is a viable solution for the future of container transhipment. <br/

Mechanical Design of the HGCal Wedges with Thermal Gradient

After the discovery of the Higgs Boson, the purpose of the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), seemed to have been achieved. Despite the fact that the Standard Model apparently complies with most experimental data up to this day, the majority of particle physicists feel that it is not a complete framework [1]. Therefore, there are still many unresolved problems in the physics of elementary particles. That is the reason why, in 2013, the European Strategy for Particle Physics announced its update. The High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) project aims to increase luminosity by a factor of 10 beyond the LHC’s design. The higher the luminosity, the more data the experiments can gather to allow scientists to observe rare processes. Its development depends on several technological innovations, like the High-Granularity Calorimeter (HGCal), a major upgrade of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector. [2] This project analyses the design and optimisation processes of the supports (wedges) which join the calorimeter (HGCal) to the related parts of the CMS detector. Specifically, the study focuses on the intermediate wedges. The main challenge is to create an optimal configuration for both the operational (vertical) and the assembly (horizontal) position. For this reason, a series of mechanical, magnetic and thermal considerations must be taken into account. This includes withstanding a mass of 200 tons and 50 °� of thermal difference. In order to achieve this goal, it is first necessary to analyse the functionality of the detector. This in-depth research allows a precise problem definition. Later, the preliminary design of the intermediate wedges is studied. By analysing the finite element results, the optimisation steps are established. At the end, the final version, the results of its analyses and some suggestions for the building process are presented. In the final result analyses, a hybrid configuration of fixed and hinged intermediate wedges was presented. In the operational position, stresses and vertical load values were lowered. In addition, a thermal analysis concluded that the heat transfer was sufficient for meeting the given requirements. In the assembly analysis, it was verified that the supports are not buckling or permanently deforming