ArticlePDF Available

A Web-Based Integration Procedure for the Development of Reconfigurable Robotic Work-Cells

SAGE Publications Inc
International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems
Authors:
P. A. Fernandes Ferreira at Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal
P. A. Fernandes Ferreira
Victoria Ferreira at Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal
Victoria Ferreira
João Mestre at Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal
João Mestre
Download full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation

Abstract and Figures

Concepts related to the development of reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) and methodologies to provide the best practices in the processing industry and factory automation, such as system integration and web-based technology, are major issues in designing next-generation manufacturing systems (NGMS). Adaptable and integrable devices are crucial for the success of NGMS. In robotic cells the integration of manufacturing components is essential to accelerate system adaptability. Sensors, control architectures and communication technologies have contributed to achieving further agility in reconfigurable factories. In this work a web-based robotic cell integration procedure is proposed to aid the identification of reconfigurable issues and requirements. This methodology is applied to an industrial robot manipulator to enhance system flexibility towards the development of a reconfigurable robotic platform.
Figures - available from: International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems
This content is subject to copyright.
Access to this full-text is provided by SAGE Publications Inc.
Learn more
Content available from International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems 
This content is subject to copyright.
International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems
A Web-Based Integration Procedure
for the Development of Reconfigurable
Robotic Work-Cells
Regular Paper
Paulo Ferreira1,*, Victoria Reyes1 and João Mestre2
1 Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Campus do Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Setúbal, Portugal
2 Halla Climate Control, USA
* Corresponding author E-mail: paulo.ferreira@estsetubal.ips.pt
Received 4 Jun 2012; Accepted 2 Jan 2013
DOI: 10.5772/DOI
© 2013 AUTOR et al.; licensee InTech. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
AbstractConceptsrelatedtothedevelopmentof
reconfigurablemanufacturingsystems(RMS)and
methodologiestoprovidethebestpracticesinthe
processingindustryandfactoryautomation,suchas
systemintegrationandweb‐basedtechnology,aremajor
issuesindesigningnext‐generationmanufacturing
systems(NGMS).Adaptableandintegrabledevicesare
crucialforthesuccessofNGMS.Inroboticcellsthe
integrationofmanufacturingcomponentsisessentialto
acceleratesystemadaptability.Sensors,control
architecturesandcommunicationtechnologieshave
contributedtoachievingfurtheragilityinreconfigurable
factories.Inthisworkaweb‐basedroboticcellintegration
procedureisproposedtoaidtheidentificationof
reconfigurableissuesandrequirements.This
methodologyisappliedtoanindustrialrobot
manipulatortoenhancesystemflexibilitytowardsthe
developmentofareconfigurableroboticplatform.
KeywordsRoboticCells,ReconfigurableSystems,Control
Architecture,SystemIntegration,WebBasedRemote
Control
1.Introduction
Automatedworkcellsplayamajorroleinmodern
industry,increasingflexibility,productivityandquality,
minimizingenergyconsumption,wasteandoperation
timetoensuresustainability[1].Mattersconnectedtothe
developmentofnext‐generationmanufacturingsystems
(NGMS)areidentifiedin[2]andthedevelopmentof
methodologiestoprovidethebestpracticesinindustry,
suchasenterpriseintegrationandthedevelopmentof
web‐basedsystemstosupportcomputer‐based
cooperativeworkaremajorissuesforthedesignand
developmentofNGMS.Adaptable,integrableequipment
andreconfigurablesystemshavebeenrecognizedasvital
forthesuccessofNGMS[2].Theintegrationof
manufacturingcomponentsinroboticcellperformanceis
crucialtoacceleratetheadaptabilityoftheroboticcellto
environmentalchangesaswellasfornewproductsthat
canrefiguretheroboticcellaccordingtotherequirements
ofaspecifictask.Areconfigurablemanufacturedsystem
(RMS)hastheabilitytoreconfigurehardwareandcontrol
resourcesatthefunctionalandorganizationallevelsin
ordertoquicklyadjustitscapabilitiesinresponseto
1
Paulo Ferreira, Victoria Reyes and João Mestre: A Web-Based Integration
Procedure for the Development of Reconfigurable Robotic Work-Cells
www.intechopen.com
ARTICLE
www.intechopen.com Int. j. adv. robot. syst., 2013, Vol. 10, 295:2013
suddenchangesinrequirements[3].Forsmalland
mediumenterprises(SME)thischaracteristicensuresa
moreflexiblemanufacturingprocessabletovary
productionvolumeandparttypesandadapttothe
introductionofnewproducts[4].Machinevision
applicationsandsensortechnologieshavecontributedto
achievingfurtheragilityinreconfigurablefactoriesor
processplantsabletorapidlyadjustproductioncapacity
andfunctionality[5].
Aroboticcellistheresultofcustomizedplanning,
integration,programming,andconfiguration,requiringa
significantamountofengineering[6].Thewiderangeof
devices,theiruncertaintiesandmodellingmeanitis
difficulttocreatestandardizedintegrationprocedures
andevaluateandidentifyissuesrelevanttoindustry
practice.Communicationtechnologies,inparticular
wirelesstechnology,havealsobeenrecognizedas
facilitatingflexibilityandfactoryagility[7].The
requirementsassociatedwiththedesignofanopen
architecturenecessitateasystemizedprocedureforthe
integrationofaroboticcell.Aweb‐basedsupervisory
systembenefitshigh‐levelreconfigurability[8],which
enhancesdiagnosability.Thisworkdescribesa
methodologyforthedesignandimplementationofweb‐
basedsupervisoryroboticcellintegration.Requirements,
functionalitiesandspecificationsareidentifiedtofurther
enhancesystemflexibilityandreconfigurability.The
methodologyisappliedtoanindustrialrobot
manipulatorinanautomotivecompressormanufacturing
cell.
Theworkisorganizedasfollows.Section2describesthe
configurationofaroboticcell.Section3introducessome
architectureissues.Communicationandsensor
technologyregardingRMSisreviewedinsection4.The
developedsystemintegrationprocedurewithan
industrialapplicationisdescribedinsection5.Finally,in
section6conclusionsandissuesforfutureresearchare
presented.
2.AutomatedRoboticCell
Automatedroboticcellsare iscomposedbyseveral
devices,suchasbeltconveyors,fixturesystems,robot
manipulators,loadingandunloadingperipherals,
controllersandsensors[9,10]whereprogrammable
automationisusedtocontrolunitdevices.PC‐based
controlactionsareconcernedwiththesynchronizingand
coordinatingofallactivitiesinvolvedinatasksequence.
Intheplantcontrolstructure,thelow‐level
synchronizationcontrolisusuallyatasksequence
executedbyPLCcontrollers.APC‐basedcontrol
approachoffersgreaterflexibilityintermsofdifferent
programminglanguagesthatcanbeusedforthe
implementationofthereal‐timecontrolsoftware;suchan
approachalsoenablesnetworkconnectivityandreal‐time
monitoring.AmajorproblemwithPC‐‐basedcontrol,
however,istheincompatibilityofthesoftware
programminglanguagesandthehardware’sproprietary
languages[11].Object‐orientedarchitecturessuchas
OpenModularArchitectureController(OMAC)and
OpenSystemArchitectureforControlinAutomation
(OSACA)constitutereferencemodelsforthe
developmentofunifiedmodellinglanguagesandthe
designofI/Oplatformsandcommunicationprotocolsfor
PC‐basedcontrol.
Advancedsensorandcontroltechniquesconstitutekey
elements[12]ofthedevelopmentofnewtechniques
enablingrobotstooperatein3Dnon‐structured
environments.Model‐basedcontroltechniqueshave
improvedroboticsystemsperformingindustrialtasks
andhaveincreasedmaximumspeedandreductionof
patherrors[13].Theuseofproprietarylanguagesisa
conventionalmethodinindustrialmanipulators,
allowingfastlearning.However,theselanguages
togetherwithmanufacturedprocessprogramming
languageshavehamperedtheintegrationoftherobot
manipulator,controllersandfielddevicesinthe
productioncell[14],andprocedurescarriedoutto
performrepetitivetaskshavenotyieldedoptimal
accuracylevels.Duetotherequiredhighspeedand
accuratemovementperformance,theautomotive
industryhasstimulatedthedevelopmentofindustrial
robotcontroltechniquesinthefieldofcontinuousevents
[15].Advancedsoftwareapplicationstogetherwiththe
robotunitandperipheralshaveenabledcellmodelling,
avoidingcollisionsandoptimizingtasks.Inmodel‐based
methods,amodelthatpredictstheresponseto
perturbationssuchasanticipatedworkloadvariationsis
requiredtoguaranteerobotposeaccuracyandprecise
predictionofgeneratedforcesduringthemanufacturing
process.Therobotpositioningiscorrectedaccordingto
thekinematicsanddynamicsstatevariablespredictedby
themodel.Inthisapproach,therobotspecificationsfrom
themanufactureaswellastheuncertaintyofdynamic
parameterareconsidered.Developedcontrolsystems
techniques,visualservoingandnewmechanical
structureshavebeenusedinordertoachievehigh
productivityperformance.Sensor‐basedcontrolstrategy
hasbecomehighlyimportantinthesearchforrobot
controlperformanceandperceptionimprovements[12].
Inthistechnique,deviationsbetweenmeasuredand
desiredpositionarecorrected.Withhigh‐speedrobot
movements,timeresponsesensorsarecrucialtoperform
thecontrolloop.Reconfigurableapproachescombining
bothmodel‐ andsensor‐basedmethodshavebeen
proposedassolutions[5].
2.SystemIntegrationArchitectures
InRMS,architectures,modellingandcontrol,sensorsand
communicationsystemsarekeyissuesincontrollingand
2Int. j. adv. robot. syst., 2013, Vol. 10, 295:2013 www.intechopen.com
monitoringofroboticsystems[3].Theseissuesinclude
architectureconfigurationandcontroldesign.Inarobotic
cell,thearchitecturecharacterizesthesystemstructure
anddefinestheinformationandsignalsflowbetween
subsystemsinordertoenabletheintegrationoftherobot
controltaskexecutionandthesynchronizingofsupply
andunloadingperipheralsofthemanufacturingprocess.
InanRMS,andinparticularinaroboticcell,atthe
systemdesignstagethearchitectureassumesthateach
deviceisamodule[16].Eachmoduleshouldincorporate
aninterfacetoprovidephysicalinformationenabling
controlandmonitoringoperations.Accordingtoa
specifictask,atthesystemapplicationstagethe
configurationdesigncorrespondstothemoduleselection
foranassemblyoptionduringacertainperiodoftime[5].
Atthelow‐leveloperationstage,controlsystemdesign
definesthemanufacturedandprocessvariablestorealize
controlactions.Forthispurposesensorsandactuators
shouldbeabletobeactivatedonline.
Anopenarchitectureassuresadaptabilityand
interoperabilitytosupporttheinformationexchange
betweenelectronicdevices.Thismethodologyisbasedon
modellingtechniquesandinternationalstandards.The
IEC61499[17]definesfunctionblocksforindustrial
processmeasurementsandcontrolsystems.This
standardassumesamoduleasafunctionblock(FB)
representingafunctionalsoftwareassociatedtoa
controllerdevicehardware.Asaresponsetoevent
inputs,theexecutioncontrolchartinvokestheexecution
ofanalgorithmcomputinginternalandoutputdata.
Referencemodelsforthedesignofautomationsystem
architecturearebasedonobject‐orientedmodelling
conceptswherecomplexautomationsystemsare
simplifiedintosmallerandmoremanageablemodules.
Hierarchicalarchitecturesallowthedecompositionof
planningandcontrolfunctions.
Inheterarchicalarchitectureonlyhorizontalflowof
distributedcontrolsignalsisallowed,assuringgreater
flexibilitybutdisablingglobalcontrol.Inthisapplication
anevolution‐basedcontrolarchitecturecombiningthe
flexibilityofheterarchicalarchitectureandtheglobal
controlofahierarchicalarchitectureaspresentedinFig.
1.isproposed.Inthisarchitecturethehardwareand
softwarereconfigurabilityrequirementsfollowthe
illustratedevolution.Inaroboticcell,fixturesystems[11],
materialhandleconveyorsystems,robotmanipulatorand
controllersshouldmeetreconfigurabilityrequirements[3,
18].Theseelements,togetherwithsensors,actuatorsand
communicationtooldevicesshouldmeetmodularized
propertiesregardingconnectivitytoRMS.This
modularizedframeworkallowstheimplementationof
conventionalandweb‐basedsupervisorysystemsaswell
asswitchingbetweenmanufacturedandprocessdevices,
combiningprocessandcontrol.Eachmoduleis
encapsulatedwithitsowninternalintelligenceinorderto
interactwiththeothermodularizedsystemcomponents
[11].Thisarchitectureshouldcomprisecontrolactions
andallowtheonlineactivationofthedataprocessing
programaccordingtosensorsdetectingeventssuchas
variationsinparttypesinthesupplysystemoratypical
behaviourrequiringerrorcompensationorrecovering
functionality.
Thebenefitsofthisarchitectureareconnectedwith
factorymanagement,collaborationwithpartnersat
differentlocalplaces,datasharingandprovision[19].
Eachcontroldevicehasitsownreal‐timecontroller.The
integrationofcontrolfunctionsintotheshop‐floor‐level
programmablecontrollerlineratherthanusingdedicated
programmingisachallenge,butallowsthedirectcontrol
oftherobotinaCartesianworkspace,avoiding
instabilityproblemsandincreasingaccuracy.InFigure1,
thecontrollermoduleaggregatesdynamicmodeland
motioncontrolsub‐modules.
Figure1.ArchitectureDesignforaSupervisoryRoboticCell
architecture
Robotcontrollerleveliscomprisedoftwosub‐modules:
motionplanning,resultingfromtheaggregation,
trajectoryplanning,trajectorycontrollerandkinematic
modelsub‐modules.Axiscontrollerresultsfromthe
aggregationofdynamicsmodelandmotioncontrolsub‐
modules.
2.1Web‐BasedArchitecture
Duetothecomplexityofweb‐basedcontrolintegration
problems,astandardizedmethodologyisrequired.A
systematicprocedureunderlyingthearchitecture
selectionresultingfromtherequirementsspecificationis
RECONFIGURABLEHARDWARE
RECONFIGURABLESOFTWARE
WORK CELL
SUPERVISION AND COMMUNICATION INTERFACE
LOGIC OR INDUSTRIAL
PC CONTROLLER
ROBOT
CONTROLLER
FIELD DEVICES: SENSORS AND ACTUATORS
ROBOT
CONVEYOR
PERIPHERALS
TOOL
PLANT
3
Paulo Ferreira, Victoria Reyes and João Mestre: A Web-Based Integration
Procedure for the Development of Reconfigurable Robotic Work-Cells
www.intechopen.com
presentedin[19].Here,a web‐basedcontrolhierarchical
structurefortheroboticcellisproposed,showninFig.2.
Real‐timemonitoringandcontroltaskapplication
performance,securityandinformationmanagementand
somecriteriaforthetopologyselectionarebasedona
“fourRs”principlewherebyResolution,ResponseTime,
ReliabilityandReparabilityareevaluated.InFig.2,
choosingpath(1)or(2)willresultinaconventionalrigid
structure.Byselectingconnection(3)theresulting
architectureisaflexibleclient/servertopologywhere
controllersareequippedwithawebservercontainingthe
programandtheuserinterface.Inthesequenceofthe
integrationprocedurepresentedin[20],asafirst
approach,thearchitectureresultingfromconnection(2)
wasselectedandimplemented.Inthisarchitecture,the
numberofendusersislimited.Acomparativestudy
shouldbeperformedonarchitectures(2)and(3).The
timelatencyproblemin(3)mustbeinvestigatedbasedon
compensationtechniquesandpredictivecontrol.
Figure2.WebConnectionsfortheHierarchicalControl
Architecture(basedon[23])
Fromarchitecture(3),presentationplatformssuchas
controlpanelsandPCsarefittedwithstandardbrowsers
thatcanbeuploadedfromthecontroller.This
architectureoffersexcellentadaptabilitysothatany
modificationappliedtothecontrollerisupdatedinthe
controlunits.Thecostsofthisapplicationarelow
comparedtothearchitectureobtainedfromconnection
(2).Controlpanelsdisplayhardwarewithabrowser
functionandareeasilynetworkedviaEthernetports.
Traditionalweb‐basedtechnologiesuseHMTLpagesand
JavaScriptinstructionstodesignHMIs.Another
approachcalledweb‐basedserviceorientedarchitecture
(SOA)hasdemonstrateditsabilitymeetreconfigurability
requirements[21];deviceconnectivityusesthestandard
DPWSprotocol(DeviceProfileWebService).SOAis
basedonprograms(services)thatperformspecific
functionsbeingavailableforremotesoftwareapplication.
Thisinterfaceshoulddeliversecuritysupportand
addressstandardself‐describingtechnologysuchas
XML,allowingeaseofimplementation.Inweb‐based
automation,input/outputsignalsfromPLCdevicesor
sensoroutputssignalsaremappedtothewebservice’s
logicalprogrammingandpresentedthroughDPWS
interfacesondevices.Device‐to‐deviceanddevice‐to‐
controlcommunicationarethenenabledandfunction‐
basedmodularizedembeddedcontrolprogramsprovide
adaptability,enablingrapidchangeoverinthesoftware
module.
3.SensorandNetworkCommunication
TechnologyinNGMS
Aflexibleroboticcellshouldbeabletoquicklyreactto
variationsinparttypesorsizesortooldevices,avoid
collisionsandchangetechnologicalparametersduring
themanufacturingprocess,Visualservoing
configurationshavebeenarticulatedwiththe
developmentofadvancedcontrolalgorithmstoraisethe
levelofadaptabilityofthecell.Otherapproaches
integratevisionresourcesdirectlyintothecontroller,
avoidingproblemsofprogrammingcamerasseparately.
Laserinterferometershavebeenusedinhigh‐precision
motioncontrolwithhighaccuracyanddirectlyatthe
load,reducingerrorstypicallygeneratedbylinear
encoder[22].Theseopticalsensorsalsoallowthe
detectionofthepresenceorvariationofdifferentpart
types.Inthisresearchtheuseofakineticmotionsensor,
includingacameraandadepthsensor,isinvestigated
withthegoalofachieving3Drecognition.Intermsofthe
controllerspeedproblem,amagneticenergyencoder
usinghigherenergymagnetsinsmallersizesprovides
betterperformance.MicroElectroMechanicalSystems
(MEMS)havereleasedinductivecoiltechnologyencoders
withexcellentpositionaccuracy.Piezoelectricmotor
applicationsinreconfigurableroboticcellshave
demonstratedlowerresponsetimesandincreased
stability[5].
3.1IndustrialNetworkCommunication
CommunicationprotocolssuchasTCP(Transport
ControlProtocol)andIP(InternetProtocol)areusedas
standardsinbuildingindustrialapplications.TheTCP/IP
protocolisthebasisofthecommunicationhierarchyofa
web‐basedapplication.Ethernet/IPprotocolbuiltintothe
standardTCP/IPtoremotelyconfigureandaccessdevice
controllersintheplantconstitutesanindustriallayer
applicationprotocol.
Theadoptionofwirelesscommunicationnetworksisan
economicalsolutionsincethisavoidstheproblemof
havingnumeroussensorsandtheassociatedcomplexity
andcostsofcabling;suchanetworkhasbeenadoptedin
theapplicationdescribedinsection5.Thistechnology
allowsanincreaseddataacquisitionrate,enablingbetter
levelsofmeasurementuncertaintyandmodelsfor
processcontrol.Beyondthesefactors,wirelessnetworks
3
2
SUPERVISIONSYSTEM
Intranet/Intern
1
MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION
FACTORYAUTOMATIONAND
INSTRUMENTATIONSYSTEMS
WORKCELL
4Int. j. adv. robot. syst., 2013, Vol. 10, 295:2013 www.intechopen.com
allowtheintegrationofmeasuringdevicesorcollectionof
datafromsensorsinplacesthataredifficulttoaccess.
Anotherbenefitistheabilitytocontrolandmonitor
regardlessofdistance,placeorobstacles.Wireless
communicationisapowerfulresourceforagilefactories;
however,thereisstilltheneedtostimulateitsadoption.
Standardizationisamajorconcerntosimplify
implementationof:interfaceexchangedata,
radiofrequencyspectrumallocationinindustrial
automationapplications,safetystandardprocedures,
mobileterminalsforindustrialapplications,comparative
performanceofdifferentwirelesstechnologies,and
variousdevices,webservicesandcontrolarchitectures
[7].Noisespectrumfeaturesandsensitivityofdevicesto
wirelesssignalsareessentialmattersofresearch.The
industrialapplicationdescribedinsection5useswireless
connectivitybetweenhigh‐levelandlow‐levelcontrol.
4.RoboticWorkCellIntegration
TheintegrationprocedureresultinginaPC‐based
supervisoryroboticworkcellwaspresentedin[20].A
web‐basedarchitectureincludesanotherstructurelevel.
Withtheaimofachievingreconfigurablefeaturesthis
procedureiscomposedofthefollowingmainactivities:
1. Definitionofthesystemtobeintegrated:
specificationofeachparticipatingdevice,their
operationsandthedesiredsynchronismbetween
them.Atthisstageitisimportanttodefinethe
expectedautomatedbehaviourfromthehigh‐level
controldesignaswellasthecontrolledand
monitoredvariablesinordertofacilitatetherequired
supervisoryandcontrolactivitiesatthecontrol
designstage.
2. Referencearchitecturedefinition:fortheweb‐based
integratedroboticcellanarchitectureresultingfrom
thecombinationofthearchitecturesshownin
Figures1and2shouldbeadopted.Thisprocedure
willgiverisetoanevolution‐basedarchitecture
allowingdevice‐todeviceanddevice‐to‐control
communicationaswellastheirconnectivitytothe
web.Thewholewebcontrolandmonitoringofthe
integratedcellwillbeenabled.
3. Reconfigurableactivitiesdefinition:thisstep
comprisestheconfigurationdesign,correspondingto
themoduleselectionforanassemblyoptionduringa
certainperiodoftime.
4. Controldesignforlow‐leveloperations:
manufacturedandprocessvariablesaswellassensor
andactuatorspecificationsandprogrammingforthe
controlactionactivities.
5. Definitionofhardwareprogrammingandobject‐
oriented/service‐orientedsoftwarerequirementsfor
theremotemanipulationofsensors,actuatorsand
controllerdevicesforapre‐definedtaskor
unpredictedevents.
6. Definitionofpracticalissues:safety;development
andimplementationofinterfacesbetweendevices,
suchasthecell‐manipulator‐conveyorshownin
Figure3;calibrationandprogrammingofrobot
manipulator.
7. Functionalitiesimplementationformanipulationand
reconfigurablerequirementssuchastool
implementationandsensorsenablingtheprocess
accelerationandtheimprovingofsystem
adaptability.
8. Productioncellcontrolandprogramming,design
andimplementationofloadstations,supplyand
unloadsystemprogramming.
9. Tasksequencedefinitionfortheautomaticcell
performanceandonlinedeviceactivationforremote
controlandmonitoring.
10. Thewholeintegratedsystemperformanceistested
andreported.
Beforereal‐timeimplementation,eachactivityandthe
resultingsystemshouldbetestedthroughavirtual
prototype.Toachievecooperativeworkandfactory
agilityaunifiedtechnologyshouldbeadopted.Theuse
ofSOAtogetherwiththeconceptofmodularized
architectureprovidesanopensolutionfortheintegration
ofalltheenterprisecontrollevels.Othermechanismsfor
thestructure’sdevices,suchasaddressing,description,
discovery,dataexchange,controlandeventdriving,are
illustratedinFig.4.Forthereconfigurabilityand
flexibility,modulesshouldformafunctionblockmodel
incorporatingcontrolapplication,network
communicationdevice,hardwareconfiguration,
electronicinterfaceandphysicalinputsandoutputs.
Adatabaseserverallowsaconnectiontotheprocessand
dataeventcollecting.Functionalitiestoaddress
diagnosability,suchastheincorporationofcooperating
sensors[24]anderrorrecoveringtoreporterrorstateto
therespectiveclient,mustbeadded.Inordertomeetthe
flexibleandreconfigurablerequirementsattherobot
level,andusingthecapabilitiesoftheoriginalrobot
control,anevolution‐basedarchitectureforthe
distributedclient/serverapproachshouldbeadopted
withthedevelopmentofthesoftwaretoprovide
communicationbetweenthecontrollerandtherobot
throughanEthernetconnection.Acontrollerdevicefor
eachrobotjointshouldbedesigned.
Theaccelerationofcontrollerperformancewillbecarried
outusingvisionsensorsfor3Drecognitionanderror
compensationtechniqueswillbeenhancedthroughthe
useofmagneticencoders.
4.1Integrationprocedureimplementation
ApartfromanABBIRB4400robotmanipulatorwithsix
degreesoffreedom,themainelementsoftheroboticcell
5
Paulo Ferreira, Victoria Reyes and João Mestre: A Web-Based Integration
Procedure for the Development of Reconfigurable Robotic Work-Cells
www.intechopen.com
arethemanufacturingprocess,theconveyors,peripherals
andtoolsasillustratedinFig.3.Alltheactivitiesare
coordinatedbyaweb‐basedsupervisorysystem,
accordingtoanevolution‐basedarchitectureresulting
fromthecombinationofarchitecturesproposedinFigs.1
and2.Theimplementedarchitectureisillustratedin
Figure5.Forhigh‐levelandlow‐levelcontrol
communication,aswellasforfielddeviceconnectivity,
anRS232communicationchartisimplementedinthePC
controlrack.SincetheRS232chartoperatesbyvoltage
levels,aproblememergesregardinglessimmunityto
noisefordistanceshigherthan10metres. Cableslimit
usersinexecutingsomespecialtasks.Thedistance
betweenthesupervisionstationandthecellcontrolleris
around15metres.Anotherlimitationisthelimited
numberofdeviceconnections.Toovercomethis
drawback,awirelessnetworkcommunicationarangeof
100metresbasedontheBLUETOOTHprotocolwas
implemented.Anopenstandardradiofrequency,
IndustrialScientificMedical(ISM),operatingintherange
of2.45GHz,wasadopted.Inordertoavoidinterference
thisprotocolusestheFrequencyHoping–CodeDivision
MultipleAccessscheme,whichdividesthefrequency
intomultiplechannels,decreasingthebandwidth.
4.2Tasksequencedefinition
Practicalissuestobeconsidered,suchastasksequence
definition,safetyandadaptabilityfunctionalities,have
beenpresentedin[20].Theflowdiagramoftasksequences
implementedinthisapplicationisshowninFig.5.
Figure3.RoboticCellDevices.
Figure4.Object‐Oriented/Web‐Service‐Baseddevicestructure
Figure5.Web‐basedsupervisoryintegratedroboticcell
Allunitdevicesinvolvedinaspecifictaskaredriven
throughaninterlocking‐basedcontrolframework
ensuringthecompleteactionofadevicebeforethenext
devicestarts.Differentprogramscanberunaccordingto
theworkcellconfiguration.Thetasksequenceperformed
isshowninFig.6.Notethatthesynchronismimprecision
betweentheend‐effector(magnetictool)activationand
itspositioncangiverisetopart‐typerejections.Theend‐
effectormanipulatesfourpartsatonetime;inthe
previoussystemthisdevicemanipulatedjustone.Forthe
RS232
WirelessCommunicationNetwork Web
Based
Control
USB
EmitterReceptor
LogicCell
Controller
Robot
Controller
SensorsandActuatorsField
Devices
Ethernet
IntranetHCC
Internet
SoftwareapplicationOO/WSB
Network– TCP/IP/Ethernet/Wireless
ControlA
pp
lication
Real‐TimeApplicationSystem
Dataserver(input/output/events)
Dataexchangeinterface
Hangar
Fixation
Unload
conve
y
or
Load
conveyor
6Int. j. adv. robot. syst., 2013, Vol. 10, 295:2013 www.intechopen.com
synchronismproblem,astructuredprogrammingis
developedwithsubroutinesforthedifferentsystem
slavescorrespondingtothecellmanufacturingunits.In
thisspecificapplication,inacycletimeof2minutesand
40seconds,correspondingtothehangarstep,therobot
shouldbeabletopickandplace24pulleysfrom
(painted)/into(tobepainted)thehangar.Forthispurpose
thereisaloadconveyorwithfourpulleyswithafixed
stopposition.Theconveyorshouldsupplythefour
pulleysindependentlyattimeintervalsof3to6seconds.
Theunloadconveyorreceivesfourpulleysinasinglerow
anddisplacesthepulleystoanotherzone.
Figure6.Flowdiagramoftasksequence[20]
AsshowninFigure7,thesensorsdetectparttypesand
measuretheirsizes,andthesystemthatretainsthemis
activateduntiltheorderisgiventodeliver.The
manipulatorcanthenperformatask.Themainmodel
differencesmayberelatedtothehangarandconveyor
positionsduetothepart‐typesize.Inthereconfigurable
approachtheredefinitionofhardwarecontroland
softwarefunctionsinordertoperformataskshouldbe
easytoexecutefromthewebsupervisorystationusingan
object‐orientedmodularizedformulationand/oraweb‐
service‐basedformulation.
Figure7.Opticalsensordetectingparttypes
4.3IntegratedRoboticCell
Aweb‐basedarchitectureasdescribedinsection3.1(2)is
adopted.DatatransmissionisenabledbytheEthernet/IP
protocol.Usingthisframework,theremotecontrolofthe
robottask,thesynchronismbetweenthehandlerobot
manipulatorandtheconveyormotion,peripherals,and
thecontrolandmonitoringofprocessvariablesinvolved
inthemanufacturingprocessareperformed.
Synchronismproblemsgivingrisetodelays,highercycle
times,conflictssuchastaskfaultsandpartsrejectionare
thusovercome.Productionstoppagesarealsoreduced.
Theimplementedsystemenablesagreatercooperation
betweenthemanufacturingcellandmanagementand
informationsystems,allowingdailyexchange
informationonthemanufacturingprocess.
Theintegratedsystemincreasesproductivity,asshownin
Fig.8.Thiseffectisfurtherenhancingbythe
implementationofopticalsensorstoimproveprecisionin
end‐effectormanipulationtasks;thesealsocontributeto
improvingthesystem’scapacitytorespondto
unpredictableevents.Qualityandsafetyarealso
improved,sincethissystemavoidspart‐typedamage,to
pulleysinthiscase,throughimproperhuman
manipulation.Thesupervisionstationincreasescontrol
capabilityandthereactionspeedtoeventchanges,
improvingsystemadaptability.Dataarestoredenabling
futureanalysis.Theweb‐basedsupervisorysystem
improvesdiagnosabilityissues,enablingremote
surveillanceandmaintenance.
Figure8.Levelsofproductivityaftertheroboticcellintegration
in2010
6000
6500
7000
7500
8000
7
Paulo Ferreira, Victoria Reyes and João Mestre: A Web-Based Integration
Procedure for the Development of Reconfigurable Robotic Work-Cells
www.intechopen.com
5.Conclusions
Thispaperhaspresentedareal‐timeimplementationofa
roboticwork‐cellintegrationallowingtheidentificationof
themainissuesinvolvedindevelopingtherequired
technologytoachievereconfigurableroboticcells.The
designofanopen,modularized,evolution‐based
architecturewiththecapacityforwebconnectivity,
softwareapplication,controlandevent‐drivenapplication,
aswellasadataexchangeelectronicinterface,areessential
forthedevelopmentoftherequiredtechnologytoaddress
themainissuesinreconfigurablesystems.Theadoptionof
SOAforthedevelopmentofaweb‐basedunified
technologywiththecapacityforremotehardware
configurationenablingcooperativeworkisanother
importantstep.Theintegrationofcontrolfunctions,either
fordiscreteorcontinuousevents,atshop‐floorlevelallows
directcontroloftherobot.Thedesignandimplementation
ofsensor‐basedandmodel‐basedcontrolapproaches
incorporatingvisionsensors,aswellastheadoptionofa
newgenerationofactuatorsasasolutiontothetime‐delay
controllerproblem,areissuestobeinvestigated.The
adoptionofpredictivecontrolandcompensation
techniquestoovercometheproblemoftimelatency
networkcommunicationinweb‐basedcontrolisamajor
topicofresearch.Theadoptionofwirelesscommunication
hasbroughtflexibilitytoplantconfigurationandhas
contributedtoovercominglayoutandcostproblems;
however,therearestillsomematterstoberesearchedin
thefieldofindustrialautomationintermsofthe
developmentofreconfigurableplatforms.
6.References
[1]D.Chen,F.Cheng,IntegrationofProductandProcess
DevelopmentUsingRapidPrototypingandWorkcell
SimulationTechnology.JournalofIndustrial
Technology,16(1),pp.2‐5,2000.
[2]M.Naumann,K.Wegener,R.D.,Schraft,L.Lacello.
RobotCellintegrationbyMeansofApplication‐
P’N’P.In,InProceedingsoftheJointConferencein
Robotics,ROBOTIK2006.
[3]Z.Bi,Z.Bi,Y.T.Lang,S.,W.ChenandL.Wang,
ReconfigurableManufacturingSystems,thestateof
theart.InternationalJournalofProductionResearch,Vol
.46,2008,pp.967‐992.
[4]Z.Bi,Y.T.Lang,M.VernerandP.Orban,
DevelopmentofReconfigurableMachines.IntJAdv
ManufTechnol,39,2008.
[5]S.H.Minhas,C.Lehmann,J.P.Städter,U.Berger,
ReconfigurableStrategiesforManufacturingSetups
toConfrontMassCustomizationChallenges.21st
InternationalConferenceonProductionResearch,
2011,http://www.cometproject.eu/publications/icpr_
Minhas_013.pdf
[6]M.Hägele,K.Nilsson,N.Pires.IndustrialRobotics.
HandbookofRobotics,PartF,42,pp.963‐986,2008.
[7]PerspectivesontheAgile,WirelessManufacturing
Plant:Co‐operatingObjectsforInformationand
Control,ConsultationWorkshopReport,2007.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/
[8]S.Y.Liang,R.L.Hecker,R.G.Landers,Machining
ProcessMonitoringandControl:TheState‐of‐the‐
Art.JournalofManufacturingScienceandEngineering,
Vol.126(2),pp.297‐310,2004.
[9]M.Chen,RapidResponseManufacturingThrougha
RapidlyReconfigurableRoboticWorkcell.Robotics
andComputerIntegratedManufacturing,Vol.17(3),pp.
299‐310,2001.
[10]G.Veiga,J.N.Pires,K.Nilsson,OntheUseofService
OrientedSoftwarePlatformsforIndustrialRobotic
Cells.IFACInternationalWorkshopforIntelligent
IndustrialRoboticCells,2007.
[11]M.Buccoreli,Reconfigurablecontrolofrobotized
manufacturingcell.RoboticsandComputer‐Integrated
Manufacturing,Vol.23(1),pp.94‐106,2007.
[12]K.Ono,T.Hayashi,M.Fujii,N.Shibasaki,M.
Sonehara,DevelopmentsforIndustrialRobot
Applications.IHIEngineeringReview,42(2),pp.103‐
107,2009.
[13]T.Brogardh,RobotControlOverview:AnIndustrial
Perspective.Modelling,IdentificationandControl,30(3),
pp.167‐180,2009.
[14]http://www.robot.lth.se/about/index.shtml
[15]L.Sciavicco,B.Sicilianno,ModellingandControlof
RobotManipulators.Springer‐Verlag,London,2005.
[16]E.Carpanzano,F.Jovani,AdvanceAutomation
SolutionsforFutureAdaptiveFactories.Annalsofthe
CIRP,56(1),pp.435‐438,2007.
[17]TC65,I.E.C.,WG6,IEC61499‐FunctionBlocksfor
IndustrialProcessMeasurementandControl
Systems,Geneva,InternationalElectrotechnica
Comission(IEC),2004.
[18]A.Ferrolho,M.Crisóstomo,IntelligentControland
IntegrationSoftwareforFlexibleManufacturing
Systems.TransactionsonIndustrialInformatics,Vol.3
(1),pp.3‐11,2007.
[19]S.H.Yang,L.Yang,GuidanceonDesignofInternet‐
BasedProcessControlSystem.ACTAAUTOMATICA
SINICA,31(1),pp.56‐63,2005.
[20]P.Ferreira,V.Reyes,J.Mestre,ControlArchitecture
foraSupervisedIndustrialRoboticWorkcell
Integration.InProc.ofthe16thIEEEInternational
ConferenceonEmergingTechnologiesandFactory
Automation(ETFA),pp.1‐4,2011.
[21]P.Phaithoonbuathong,R.Monfared,T.Kirkham,R.
Harrison,A.West,Webservices‐basedautomation
forthecontrolandmonitoringofproduction
systems.InternationalJournalofComputerIntegrated
Manufacturing,Vol.23(2),pp.126‐145,2010.
[22]Y.Kwon,R.Chiou,B.Tseng,T.Wu,Network‐based
VisionGuidanceofRobotsforRemoteQuality
Control.RobotVision,pp.479‐500,InTech2010.
8Int. j. adv. robot. syst., 2013, Vol. 10, 295:2013 www.intechopen.com
[23]R.Johansson,A.Robertsson,K.Nilsson,T.Brogardh,
P.Cederberg,M.Olsson,T.Olsson,G.Bolsmjo,Sensor
IntegrationinTaskLevelProgrammingandIndustrial
RoboticTaskExecutionControl.IndustrialRobot:An
InternationalJournal,31,(3),pp.284‐296,2004.
[24]http://www.acsmotioncontrol.com/our‐company/
news‐a‐events/71‐centralized‐automation‐control‐
increases‐performance‐and‐reduces‐costs.
9
Paulo Ferreira, Victoria Reyes and João Mestre: A Web-Based Integration
Procedure for the Development of Reconfigurable Robotic Work-Cells
www.intechopen.com
Available via license: CC BY 3.0
Content may be subject to copyright.
... Abdi [39] explores the criteria that may influence the choice of the layout configuration for each configuration stage and defines an AHP model to structure the proposed criteria (reconfigurability, quality, cost and reliability) for the selection of the most appropriate layout. Guan et al. [82] and Azevedo et al. [129] face the layout design problem defining single and multi- [93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106] objective optimisation models. In particular, Guan et al. [82] define a revised electromagnetism-like mechanism (REM) for the layout design of RMSs using automated guided vehicles (AGVs) as transportation systems and considering, as single-objective function, the minimisation of the material handling costs. ...
... Such factories adapt themselves to the dynamic environment and they use RMSs because they are rapidly reconfigurable [117]. In such an environment, a small number of Authors starts to explore the idea of integrating reconfigurability together with the other Industry 4.0 technologies in the design and management of advanced production systems [87,94,117,118,125]. Manufacturing systems are equipped with sensors, actuators and control architectures for achieving agility and elasticity [74,94] and for enabling the integration of real time data sources into service oriented architectures [118]. ...
... In such an environment, a small number of Authors starts to explore the idea of integrating reconfigurability together with the other Industry 4.0 technologies in the design and management of advanced production systems [87,94,117,118,125]. Manufacturing systems are equipped with sensors, actuators and control architectures for achieving agility and elasticity [74,94] and for enabling the integration of real time data sources into service oriented architectures [118]. Pellicciari et al. [87] and Andrisano et al. [77] state that reconfigurability and hybridisation are the main drivers for changeability and introduce the concept of Hybrid Reconfigurable Systems (H-RSs) as systems characterised by both industrial robots and skilled human workers, able to perform complex tasks within a common reconfigurable production environment. ...
Reconfigurable manufacturing systems: Literature review and research trend
Article
  • Oct 2018
  • J MANUF SYST
The current manufacturing environment aims at getting an increasing variety of customised, high-quality products in flexible batches. The dynamic market demand, the short product lifecycle and the flexibility need mark the transition from the traditional manufacturing systems to the so-called Next Generation Manufacturing Systems (NGMSs). Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMSs) are within NGMSs and seem to match to these current market trends. RMSs allow rapid change in structure, hardware and software configuration to adjust, promptly, their production capacity and functionality. This paper presents a structured and updated systematic review of the literature about RMSs, highlighting the application areas as well as the key methodologies and tools. The review further provides a schematic of RMS research, identifying five emerging and promising research streams ranging from conceptual models to empirical applications. Compared to previous reviews, focusing on specific aspects of the RMS design and management, this study covers multiple areas and topics and it links reconfigurable manufacturing to the upcoming Industry 4.0 fourth industrial revolution. Finally, important issues and new trends in the literature are outlined to stimulate researchers and practitioners in developing studies in this field strongly linked to the Industry 4.0 environment .
View
... They tried to enhance the changeability of a reconfigurable system with the digital twin. Ferreira et al. [20] suggested a webbased integration procedure for reconfigurable robotic cells through software structures and management logic with web-based control. Shin et al. [21] proposed a dynamic reconfiguration algorithm based on the cyber-physical system (CPS) environment. ...
... Equation (19) means that the type of reconfigured machine should be an available type. Equation (20) represents the constraint that it is necessary to check whether a type of machine is changed through reconfiguration. Equation (21) represents the positive condition of the decision variable related to time. ...
Reconfiguration Decision-Making of IoT based Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2020
With the recent diversification of demands, manufacturing systems that can respond to multiple types of goods have become more important. In this circumstance, reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs) that can provide flexible manufacturing with limited machine tools through reconfiguration have gained a lot of attention. As an RMS supports flexibility through layout reconfiguration, reconfiguration decision-making is very important and difficult. The development of IoT technology has made it possible to collect hidden information inside systems. This study focused on the reconfiguration decision-making system with the data acquisition system based on IoT technology. The decision-making system detected a reconfiguration situation and built a reconfiguration plan using the data collected by IoT sensors. The performance of the algorithm proposed in this study was verified in a simulation experiment. It was found that the algorithm had a stable performance under various reconfigurable situations. It is expected that the proposed system will help to improve the performance of RMS.
View
... The industrial application of RMS addresses practical concerns such as the design of transport systems, the selection of product families, and the development of modular machines that can be reconfigured as needed [14,15]. The integration of RMS with digital technologies such as sensors, actuators, and real-time data processing is essential for this vision, highlighting the move towards more autonomous, flexible, and efficient manufacturing processes [16,17]. Lastly, the performance analysis of RMS from strategic and operational perspectives aims to guide investments in manufacturing systems that are not only profitable but also sustainable [18,19]. ...
View
... The benefits gained from connecting a plant to a supervisory control center are no longer questioned by process control engineers. Next generation applications must conform to the industrial needs to support enterprise integration, remote supervisory control and even web-based systems able to support cooperative work [1] [2]. This trend comes to fulfill the needs of the process engineers for increased efficiency, productivity, flexibility and reliability. ...
Remote execution function blocks for distributed systems
Article
  • Jan 2016
Remote execution allows a distributed controller to have access to higher computational power and knowledge than provided by its own resources. Using the benefits gained by the standardization of distributed applications based on the IEC61499 reference model, the paper presents a function block remote execution system that can be used for a large variety of applications like process optimization, image processing, plant risk analysis etc. The system was designed as a web application using open technologies like PHP, Java and IEC 61499.
View
... However, due to the increasing complexity of robot components, it is no longer sufficient to carry out the design of a robot system solely based on simulation results. The demand for design methodologies and concepts to provide the best practices of reconfigurable robotic systems is becoming increasingly important in the industrial automation field [6]. The design process is often a poorly defined, complex and iterative procedure, where the needs and specifications of the required artifact are not refined until the design is almost completed [7]. ...
System architecture and conception of a standardized robot configurator based on microservices
Conference Paper
Full-text available
  • Jan 2018
The design and integration of robotic-based automation solutions is a common problem for robotic component providers and especially for their consumers. In this work, a standardized robot configurator is introduced, based on a modular system architecture and best practice solutions. Due to this modular structure, as a backbone of an intuitive web-based configurator, customized robot applications can easily be planned, visualized, simulated and finally realized. The system architecture of the presented robotic configurator is based on microservices, which is a modern, scalable and complexity-reducing solution for the overall system. This paper demonstrates an exemplary configuration process to get an impression about the prospective use of pre-configured ro-botic solutions.
View
... This design approach started with the followers of IBCS (Internet-Based Control Systems) that extended the local SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) network to a supervisory level able to implement advanced control functions and strategies [1] [2]. IBCS systems addressed aspects regarding data format, reliability, network security, latency and real-time communication. ...
Modeling Complex Industrial Systems Using Cloud Services
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2015
The large computational and storage capabilities of a cloud platform offer challenging opportunities to address advanced process control techniques and algorithms. This paper presents a cloud framework for a library of advanced control sequences and algorithms. This library can be used for online or offline model identification. The work presents the basic concepts of cloud computing and how they can be applied in the industrial process modeling using a modular structure based on open technologies. Details on how to apply the proposed architecture for plant model identification are also provided.
View
System architecture and conception of a standardized robot configurator based on microservices
Chapter
  • Apr 2018
The design and integration of robotic-based automation solutions is a common problem for robotic component providers and especially for their consumers. In this work, a standardized robot configurator is introduced, based on a modular system architecture and best-practice solutions. Starting with a minimum viable prototype providing an intuitive web-based configurator, customized robot applications can easily be planned, visualized, simulated and finally realized. The presented robotic configurator is based on microservice architecture, which is a modern, scalable and complexity-reducing solution for the overall system. This paper demonstrates how an exemplary configuration process could be handled to get an impression about the prospective use of pre-configured robotic solutions.
View
View
View
Execution of an IEC61499 Application on a Remote Server
Chapter
  • May 2016
This paper presents a solution for designing and executing IEC 61499 applications in a distributed web-based environment. This approach enables the separation of the input and output function blocks from the ones implementing the desired functionality that may require increased processing power. In this manner the functionality can be encapsulated in a generic, application independent structure and can be executed remotely using a web-based application described in this work. Standard communication interfaces are used for the information exchange of system modules and local devices. The system architecture, message format and details regarding the implementation are presented, as well as the results from evaluating the system functionality.
View
On the use of service oriented software platforms for industrial robotic cells
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2007
The integration of different technologies reusing available production solutions, within an industrial robotic cell is a subject that requires further research and development. Technologies demanding high processing power, like machine vision or voice recognition systems, are normally easy to program but require proprietary languages and platforms, which constitutes an important problem during the integration phase, mainly related with communications and setup. This paper addresses these problems implementing a service-oriented architecture that uses Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) technologies. The architecture is tested using a real robotic manufacturing cell. Furthermore, the paper also presents and discusses a software application designed to program manufacturing cells whose building blocks are represented by UPnP devices. Finally, a tool for automatic generation of UPnP devices based on the information contained in speech recognition XML grammars is presented and discussed. Copyright © 2007 IFAC
View
Sensor integration in task-level programming and industrial robotic task execution control
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2004
  • IND ROBOT
Presents an approach to improved performance and flexibility in industrial robotics by means of sensor integration and feedback control in task-level programming and task execution. Also presents feasibility studies in support of the ideas. Discusses some solutions to the problem using six degrees of freedom force control together with the ABB S4CPlus system as an illustrative example. Consider various problems in the design of an open sensor interface for industrial robotics and discusses possible solutions. Finally, presents experimental results from industrial force controlled grinding.
View
Guidance on design of Internet-based process control systems
Article
  • Jan 2005
Internet-based process control is becoming new generations of control systems, in which the Internet is used as a platform for global remote monitoring and control. The obvious benefit is to enable global collaboration between operators from geographically dispersed locations, data sharing and data provision for remote monitoring and control. However, connection to an open network and the use of universal technology present new problems that did not exist with the conventional design and construction of control systems, such as time delay and data loss in Internet transmission and security. This paper reviews the latest research results and presents design guidance of Internet based monitoring and control systems.
View
On the use of service oriented software platforms for industrial robotic cells
Conference Paper
  • May 2007
The integration of different robot automation technologies, with the aim for reusing available production solutions, is a major obstacle for deployment of low-cost components into productive (high-performance) systems. Technologies demanding high processing power, like machine vision or voice recognition systems, are normally easy to program but require proprietary languages and platforms, which constitutes an important problem during communications and setup. Instead of the current need for trained specialist, in particular flexible manufacturing in SMEs call for solutions that are easy easy to use and (re)configure. One attempt in that direction is the service-oriented architecture (SOA) approach, which here is accomplished by the use of Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) technologies and confronted with real robot application demand represented by an experimental manufacturing cell. Contributions include the way of building software applications to program manufacturing cells whose building blocks are represented by UPnP devices. Such devices encapsulate both manufacturing equipment and interaction methods. The latter is exemplified by a speech recognition system, for which a tool for automatic generation of UPnP devices based on the information contained in speech recognition XML grammars is presented. Experiences form experiments confirms the desired efficiency and simplicity when setting up advanced manufacturing equipment.
View
Machining Process Monitoring and Control: The State–of–the–Art
Conference Paper
  • Jan 2002
Automation at the process level for machining operations and machine tools has been a focus of research attention in both academia and industry alike for several decades. Research in this area has carried strong expectations in the context of increased productivity, improved part quality, reduced costs, and relaxed part design constraints. The basis for these expectations is two-fold. First, machining process automation, if exercised strategically and advantageously, can perform consistently for large batch production or flexibly for small batch jobs. Secondly, process automation can be set up to autonomously tune the machine parameters (feed, speed, depth of cut, etc.) in pursuit of desirable performance (tolerance, finish, cycle time, etc.), thereby bridging the gap between product design and process planning while reaching beyond the human operators’ capability. The success of manufacturing process automation hinges primarily on the effectiveness of process monitoring and control systems. This paper reviews the evolution and the state of the art of machining process monitoring and control technologies. Key issues to be presented include sensor techniques, control techniques, hardware availability, and implementation examples. Also to be reviewed are the benefits of the systems and the reasons for their delayed realization in many of today’s industrial application domains.
View
Integration of Product and Process Development Using Rapid Prototyping and Workcell Simulation Technologies
Article
Introduction In the last decade, many companies have increased their investment in computer-related technologies to reduce the time-to-market in the hope of gaining greater market share (Rehg, 1994). They have invested substantially in computer-aided design (CAD) for product design and robotic workcells for process design. Companies today experience immense pressure to provide a greater variety of complex products in shorter product development cycles. This need, coupled with a desire to further reduce costs and improve quality, has forced manufacturers to turn their focus toward the integration of product and process design activities. One possible way to achieve this goal is through the use of two current technolo-gies, rapid prototyping and workcell simulation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the crucial roles of rapid prototyping and workcell simula-tion technologies in achieving the integration of product and process development. The emphasis was placed on the following two areas: (1) to establish the methodology of integra-tion, and (2) to develop a procedure to carry out this integration.
View
View
Control architecture for a supervised industrial robotic workcell integration
Article
  • Sep 2011
An integration procedure is essential for the development of modern industry allowing the improvement of manufacturing process. This paper describes the implementation of a workcell integration procedure for a recovered robot manipulator with the development of multiple tasks programming. The adopted methodology is based on the definition of a control architecture incorporating a supervision system. The interoperability between this system and the controller devices is guaranteed by using wireless communication network. This methodology was applied to the manufactured of automotive compressors and has lead to improved manufacturing parameters.
View
View
Machining Process Monitoring and Control: The State-of-the-Art
Article
  • May 2004
Research in automating the process level of machining operations has been conducted, in both academia and industry, over the past few decades. This work is motivated by a strong belief that research in this area will provide increased productivity, improved part quality, reduced costs, and relaxed machine design constraints. The basis for this belief is twofold. First, machining process automation can be applied to both large batch production environments and small batch jobs. Second, process automation can autonomously tune machine parameters (feed, speed, depth of cut, etc.) on-line and off-line to substantially increase the machine tool's performance in, terms of part tolerances and surface finish, operation cycle time, etc. Process automation holds the promise of bridging the gap between product design and process planning, while reaching beyond the capability of a human operator. The success of manufacturing process automation hinges primarily on the effectiveness of the process monitoring and control systems. This paper discusses the evolution of machining process monitoring and control technologies and conducts an in-depth review of the state-of-the-art of these technologies over the past decade. The research in each area is highlighted with experimental and simulation examples. Open architecture software platforms that provide the means to implement process monitoring and control systems are also reviewed. The impact, industrial realization, and future trends of machining process monitoring and control technologies are also discussed.
View