This paper deals with a comparative analysis of different pick & place strategies. The purpose is to give some rules to obtain a good sizing in terms of components (number of robots, conveyor speed) and control laws (individual scheduling rules of each robot, collaborative strategy of all the robots) of a multi-robot cell. This approach is validated by the use of a new simulation tool combining a behavioral simulation of multiple robots and the product flows. This simulation tool takes into account not only the end effector, but also the robots collaborative aspect to ensure the desired overall performance for a given task.

During last decade, Internet and related web technologies development enabled the arising of e-learning services and made distant learning a reality. As traditional face to face classroom became virtual classroom through Internet, traditional laboratories found their equivalent in e-Laboratories. These e-Labs enable learners to train on remote real or virtual systems. They represent essential components in e-learning environments, especially in scientific and technical disciplines. In this context, AIP-Primeca RAO is a pool of resources and competencies for industrial topics for many universities in Rhone. Due to the constraints of using heavy and shared resources, AIP is setting up new laboratories related to automation as both local and distant resources. After recalling the global context of e-laboratories, this paper describes this platform. It evokes first returns of use and it depicts evolutions to come.

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The mechatronic systems design requires a collaborative and coordinated work of multidisciplinary teams. These teams need business tools but also centralized and consistent information between all stakeholders. PLM systems are theoretically capable of proposing a system able to manage all data from different field. However, the current integration of a mechatronic system is made in an empirical and partial way. In fact, the integration does not take into account either the implicit links between businesses, or the whole product life cycle. The object of this paper is to present a global approach of mechatronic systems integration in a PLM using a specific modeling. This modeling is based on the definition of a meta-model to characterize the links and life cycles. These elements are modeled in an engineering system approach with SysML to allow their integration in a PLM system.

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