Engineering method for adaptive manufacturing systems design

Abstract

Adaptive manufacturing systems achieve intelligence and adaptation capabilities through the close interaction between mechanics, electronics, control and software engineering. Mechatronic design of intelligent manufacturing behaviours is of paramount importance for the final performances of complex systems and requires deep integration between mechanical and control engineering. Virtual Commissioning environments offer engineers new opportunities for the design of complex intelligent behaviours and for the enhancement of the performance of adaptive manufacturing systems. This paper discloses a systematic design method focused on interdisciplinary behavioural simulations: Virtual Commissioning tools are used to virtually explore new solution spaces for an effective mechatronic optimization. The results, achieved by applying the method in reengineering a module of an automotive sensor manufacturing line, are finally presented.

Hybrid Reconfigurable System design and optimization through virtual prototyping and digital manufacturing tools

“…Moreover, mechanics, electronics, information technologies and human factors have to be deeply integrated in common framework while the industrial practice generally still follows a traditional sequential process, hiding the synergies between the different technologies involved [27] and causing a high "cost of experience", that is the loss of productivity and time connected with the introduction of unproven solutions to known problems [25].…”

“…Tailored engineering methods deeply based on virtual prototyping and digital manufacturing tools offer the possibility to enhance the production process and push H-RSs to their limit towards the design of effective intelligent system [25,27].…”

An online machine learning framework for early detection of product failures in an Industry 4.0 context

“…Expensive hardwired automation cannot adapt quickly enough to the market trends (e.g., in case of mass customization, where almost unlimited variations of a product can be produced (Calantone and Di Benedetto 2000;Cheeseman et al 2005;Leitão and Restivo 2006;Nassehi, Newman, and Allen 2006;Pellicciari et al 2009)). To succeed in this versatile industrial environment, the technologies must be highly scalable, adaptable, configurable, and in many cases self-managed and self-configured (Vyatkin et al 2007;Fogliatto, Da Silveira, and Borenstein 2012).…”

The use of process simulation models in virtual commissioning of process automation software in drinking water treatment plants

“…VC has a saving potential of 10-30% in the areas of test and commissioning of PA-software, in addition to the positive effects of VC on reductions of commissioning times and increase of quality of engineering solutions (Drath et al, 2008). In the automotive industry time savings in software development are estimated of more than 20% for commissioning using VC (Pellicciari et al, 2009;Wildemann, 2005). Within the software development process VC leads to overall economic savings of 20-50% (Reinhart & Wünsch, 2007).…”