Implementation and Validation of a Simple Direct Identification Method for an Experimental Multi-Span Web Transport System

none2The industrial processes that require the use of the web require a control system which allows for preserving the properties of the web unaltered, avoiding the risk of wrinkling, tearing, breakage and other defects. This control generally takes place by detecting the tension and the speed in certain points of the system since these variables determine the stress state on the web, which, if altered beyond certain ranges, can lead to the defects mentioned above. The problem of tension and web speed control is very demanding because the system’s dynamic is a function of many process variables that often vary over a wide range. In this study, an experimental system consisting of 12 rollers, four motorised, was analysed. This system was divided into four subsystems according to the logic of decentralised control. The tension of the initial and final subsystems and the speeds of the two central subsystems were monitored. This study proposes estimating continuous-time transfer functions using experimental time-domain data. A nonlinear least-squares search-based method minimises a weighted prediction error norm for directly identifying the mathematical model used to describe the web transport system. To test the performance of the proposed strategy, experimental data were collected in an open-loop configuration with constant voltage given to the four servo motors. The collected data were subsequently processed to define an extremely simple system model composed of a very limited number of parameters representing the system through transfer functions. The model was further validated by comparing the results obtained through simulations with the experimental data obtained with different inputs, and was also validated with some closed-loop tests.openGiannoccaro N.I.; Sakamoto T.Giannoccaro, N. I.; Sakamoto, T

Analysis of the surrounding environment using an innovative algorithm based on lidar data on a modular mobile robot

none2siopenN.I. Giannoccaro, T. Nishida,Giannoccaro, N. I.; Nishida, T

Online Identification for the Automated Threaded Fastening Using GUI Format

Advanced Robotics Systems Scientific Book 200

New Methods for Robotic Perception by Using in-Air Sonar Data:

In recent years, the authors studied the possibility of using low frequency in-air ultrasonic sensors in several applications of robotic interest related to the perception and the reconstruction of the external environment. They introduced several methods based on innovative mathematical tools for solving problems, such as the position detection and orientation of a mobile robot with respect to a corridor wall, the correct reconstruction of two orthogonal panels in spite of the effect of multiple reflections affecting the data in the corner zone, and the reconstruction of the boundary walls of a room environment. All the proposed innovative strategies were tested on a designed mechatronic scanning system consisting of ultrasonic sensors rotated by a servo modular actuator and also with the data from a scanning validated model. In this review, the main steps and achievements will be presented so as to summarize the research work of recent years as well as reflect on the importance of appropriate and innovative techniques regarding ultrasonic data processing. The originality of the present work concerns the possibility of disposing all the developed approaches as a whole in order to use in-air ultrasonic sensors for robotic perception in several environmental situations

Detecting damage through the processing of dynamic shapes measured by a PSD-triangular laser sensor

AbstractThere exist several studies in the literature which have shown the potentiality offered by certain vibration-based techniques aimed at detecting damage in structural systems. In all these existing techniques noise (distributed and/or outliers) plays a significant role and can make the difference between a successful or an unsuccessful application. In spite of such a mentioned remarkable influence, the studies aimed at investigating the influence of noise on the success of the techniques are not as rich in experimental details as they are in numerical simulations. In this work an extensive set of experiments aimed at evaluating the feasibility of certain diagnosing techniques is provided. This work should also be considered as the experimental validation of certain analytical and numerical simulations carried out in the past [Gentile, A., Messina, A., 2003. On the continuous wavelet transforms applied to discrete vibrational data for detecting open cracks in damaged beams. International Journal of Solids and Structures 40, 295–315; Messina, A., 2004. Detecting damage in beams through digital differentiator filters and continuous wavelet transforms. Journal of Sound and Vibration 272, 385–412] within the frame of real measurements based on a particular laser technology; in addition, the mentioned validating experiments illustrate certain peculiarities not shown in the past, and, finally, valuable benchmarks are provided for testing future diagnosing techniques in numerical simulations. The experimental set-up consists of both commercial and electronic circuits appropriately designed and realized, whose significance, in the measuring system is accurately described in order to increase the signal/noise ratio of the dynamical measurements

Decentralized Control Performances of an Experimental Web Handling System

Robust and good tracking control of the speed and the tension in web handling systems in spite of changes of set point is surely one of the important challenges in the web transport systems future development. In this paper, the authors experimentally demonstrate the real applicability of a decentralized robust control to a multi-span web transport system, which is composed of twelve guide rollers, four main sections mutually interconnected with each other. The overlapping methodology has been applied for the system decomposition. The experimental results carried out using the robust decentralized control show an excellent velocity and tension tracking in each controlled section of the system

A Gain Scheduling of PI Controllers of a Multi Span Web Transport System

Abstract This research aims to address the issue of controlling a multi-span web transport system by an automatic tuning of the PI controllers parameters. The use of multi-span web transport systems often requires dedicating a particular effort for defining a control system able to protect the integrity of the web. The possibility of using PI controllers for each section is attractive considering that an overlapping system decomposition may permit to take into account the mutual interaction of the neighbor sections. In this case, the choice of correct values of the PI parameters becomes crucial for the control performance. Existing fixed gain PI tension control schemes currently used in industrial practice require extensive tuning and do not provide the desired performance for changing operating conditions. This paper describes a simple strategy for automatically selecting the PI parameters of a multi span transport system by using an nonlinear interpolation of the trend of a preliminary calibration. The algorithm is simple and efficient providing fast real-time implementation, since it does not require any data processing. The proposed technique features robustness and simplicity. The implications of this method reside in its applicability in an industrial platform

Editorial for Special Issue on “Electronic Systems and Energy Harvesting Methods for Automation, Mechatronics and Automotive”

none3noElectronic apparatus have become essential components of civil and industrial systems, including the automotive, home and building automation, Industrial IoT (Internet of Things) and control applications, and playing an essential role in improving security, efficiency, manageability, and rapid feedback [1–3]. Indeed, the increasing demands of electronic systems have led to innovations and findings in electronic networks for automotive and automation plants, replacing efficiently and securely mechanical and hydraulic sections [4]. Also, the researchers have focused their attention on meeting the increasing power demand of vehicles equipment, developing 42-V automotive systems. Moreover, smart buildings and homes represent a very actual research topic in the scientific community, aimed to improve energy conservation and the liveability of everyday life environments, thanks to IoT solutions [5]. In fact, smart homes and buildings comprise innovative solutions enabling communication between users and the infrastructure, as well as performing advanced monitoring tasks, like surveillance, light and water management, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system management, smart energy monitoring and elderly care. IoT technology employs sensors to detect the environmental temperature for the HVAC system, water and energy consumption, and health monitoring and decision-making systems to assist elderly people and detect fires [6,7]. The scientific community is concentrating their efforts to design innovative infrastructures, management models as well as operating scenarios to make production activities simpler and more efficient [8]. In this field, IoT is one of the key elements triggering this revolution, enabling communications between machines (M2M), thus creating a manufacturing environment human-free. The combination of M2M, IoT and CPS (cyber physical systems) makes the manufacturing systems more robust, reliable and efficient. Besides, cloud computing constitutes a powerful tool, promising to solve several difficult issues with previous productive architectures. For instance, in [9], a novel architecture integrating cloud computing, IoT, and smart devices, was presented. The model uses modern manufacturing technologies, allowing highly configurable, flexible manufacturing processes involving human and robotic participants. This Special Issue aimed to cover a wide range of disciplines and application fields, collecting innovative studies on advanced sensing and energy harvesting technologies and applications in automotive, automation and mechatronics fields. The introduced innovations could mitigate the impact of human activities on the environment and revolutionize the production process by employing eco-sustainable production models, preventing climate change and natural resources waste. A total of 5 papers have been published in this special issue; the paper covers a wide range of topics but is deemed relevant to the topics covered by the special issues. The authors are from geographically distributed countries such as Italy, Mexico, Spain, and China. This reflects the great impact of the proposed topic and the effective organization of the guest editorial team of this special issue.openPaolo Visconti, Nicola Ivan Giannoccaro, Roberto de FazioVisconti, Paolo; Giannoccaro, NICOLA IVAN; DE FAZIO, Robert