Function allocation theory for creative design

Function structure influences on systems architecture (or product architecture). This paper discusses a design method for creative design solutions that focuses on the allocation of functions. It first proposes a theory called “Function Allocation Theory” to allocate a function to an appropriate subsystem or component during the systems decomposition phase. By doing so, the complexity of design solutions can be reduced. The theory is applied to some examples including collaborative robots and robotics maintenance. Finally, the paper illustrates a case study of designing a reaction-free fastening system using this theory

Capturing, classification and concept generation for automated maintenance tasks

Maintenance is an efficient and cost effective way to keep the function of the product available during the product lifecycle. Automating maintenance may drive down costs and improve performance time; however capturing the necessary information required to perform certain maintenance tasks and later building automated platforms to undertake them is very difficult. This paper looks at the creation of a novel methodology tasked with firstly the capture and classification of maintenance tasks and finally conceptual design of platforms for automating maintenance

Productisation business model in non-OEM aero-engine MRO service providers

The combination of product and service to provide customer’s satisfaction has been known since 1990s in the aerospace industry, particularly within MRO (Maintenance-Repair-Overhaul) service providers. Initially, the OEMs offered servitisation solutions by bundling the product with services. However, to remain competitive, the non-OEM MRO service providers also initiated bundling its service with products as offerings. This productisation business model is a reverse approach of a servitisation business model. This paper identifies and proposes five types of the productisation business model and each of these types will be shown with a descriptive analysis and illustrations to highlight the understanding of the evolution towards providing offers by bundling services with products. Through this study, non-OEM aero-engine MRO service providers will be able to assess the most suitable business model, based on the MRO service provider’s strengths and challenges

Towards an integrated decision making framework for aero engine MRO contract management in the productisation context

One of the most critical elements in the ‘productisation’ of service adopted by today's aero-engine Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) companies is the match between customer demands and the operational capabilities of the MRO shop. Currently, the service contract is offered based upon experience and intuition rather than on scientific approach. This paper presents an integrated decision making framework to design contracts that considers demand and operational parameters. In addition to literature survey, the approach adopted in building the framework is a case study research, which obtains data from semi-structured interviews, observations and the company archives. Two main perspectives, dynamic operational parameters and shop floor operational parameters, were identified as essential and pertinent to the design and management of the service contract in the productisation context. The framework will incorporate both perspectives to support productisation

Resilient architecture for cyber-physical production systems

Production systems are a typical example of cyber-physical systems (CPS) in which a variety of machines, actuators, sensors and control systems are interwoven to produce products as efficiently as possible. Even though sophisticated condition monitoring systems are deployed, stoppage, breaks, and other types of failures still happen. To avoid catastrophic operational disruptions, desirably the production system itself resiliently and autonomously responses to failures. This paper reports a design method for a resilient architecture of a cyber-physical production system that can deal with disturbances and failures in a discrete-event process. A physical demonstrator was built to demonstrate its reconfiguration capabilities

Systems and conceptual design of a train cab front cleaning robot

This paper presents and briefly describes the methodology used to get the systems and conceptual design of a train cab front cleaning robot. While the sides of the trains are cleaned by a mechanised washer, the cab fronts are cleaned manually which imply a number of health and safety issues. The aim of this project is first to carry out an analysis of the current procedures in order to detect the possible gaps in the process, generating a list of requirements that will make possible the conceptual design of a cleaning system that fulfil those requirements. The proposed solution includes the division of the system in various subsystems where different solutions for each subsystem will be considered, analysed and selected as a final option to develop a prototype. This paper focuses in the main structure of the robot that holds the end-effector; different conceptual designs are shown that comply with the requirements set in the systems design

Automation of train cab front cleaning with a robot manipulator

In this letter we present a control and trajectory tracking approach for wiping the train cab front panels, using a velocity controlled robotic manipulator and a force/torque sensor attached to its end effector, without using any surface model or vision-based surface detection. The control strategy consists in a simultaneous position and force controller, adapted from the operational space formulation, that aligns the cleaning tool with the surface normal, maintaining a set-point normal force, while simultaneously moving along the surface. The trajectory tracking strategy consists in specifying and tracking a two dimensional path that, when projected onto the train surface, corresponds to the desired pattern of motion. We first validated our approach using the Baxter robot to wipe a highly curved surface with both a spiral and a raster scan motion patterns. Finally, we implemented the same approach in a scaled robot prototype, specifically designed by ourselves to wipe a 1/8 scaled version of a train cab front, using a raster scan pattern

Challenges of digital twin in high value manufacturing

Digital Twin (DT) is a dynamic digital representation of a real-world asset, process or system. Industry 4.0 has recognised DT as the game changer for manufacturing industries in their digital transformation journey. DT will play a significant role in improving consistency, seamless process development and the possibility of reuse in subsequent stages across the complete lifecycle of the product. As the concept of DT is novel, there are several challenges that exist related to its phase of development and implementation, especially in high value manufacturing sector. The paper presents a thematic analysis of current academic literature and industrial knowledge. Based on this, eleven key challenges of DT were identified and further discussed. This work is intended to provide an understanding of the current state of knowledge around DT and formulate the future research directions

Design, modelling, simulation and integration of cyber physical systems: Methods and applications

The main drivers for the development and evolution of Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) are the reduction of development costs and time along with the enhancement of the designed products. The aim of this survey paper is to provide an overview of different types of system and the associated transition process from mechatronics to CPS and cloud-based (IoT) systems. It will further consider the requirement that methodologies for CPS-design should be part of a multi-disciplinary development process within which designers should focus not only on the separate physical and computational components, but also on their integration and interaction. Challenges related to CPS-design are therefore considered in the paper from the perspectives of the physical processes, computation and integration respectively. Illustrative case studies are selected from different system levels starting with the description of the overlaying concept of Cyber Physical Production Systems (CPPSs). The analysis and evaluation of the specific properties of a sub-system using a condition monitoring system, important for the maintenance purposes, is then given for a wind turbine