Open-Architecture Integration for Agile Manufacturing

9622588 Cheng本奖项资助面向敏捷制造的开放式体系结构横向和纵向系统集成研究。将为敏捷制造开发一种实时开放架构“即插即用”集成环境。将开发一套用于执行器、力传感器、视觉传感器、模拟和数字输入输出等机电元件的设备驱动程序。一套系统相关模块的机器人操作，数控机床，和自动装配系统也将开发。两个商用工业机器人操作机和一个数控铣床的控制器和传感器将使用设备驱动程序和系统相关模块进行开放式架构改造。在新的集成范式下，机器人操作手和机器将集成在一起，形成一个开放式的自动化制造工作单元。该制造车间将通过网络与计算机辅助设计和万维网等其他信息系统相连接。该制造工作单元将具有适应性，因此它可以通过与其他信息系统的通信自动调整以适应不断变化的工作负载、条件和需求。这种经过实验测试的“即插即用”制造系统和集成环境将通过工业合作伙伴转移到各种工业应用中。如果成功，该项目将提供对实时开放体系结构系统集成基础问题的更好理解。新的集成环境将独立于供应商、独立于计算机平台、独立于机电组件和独立于制造系统，并将实现跨不同供应商产品线的制造系统的横向集成。该系统应使制造数据，如正在进行的工作状态和实时机器性能，在整个组织中随时可用。这种通过垂直集成实现的企业内部和企业之间的及时信息流对于制造企业的敏捷性至关重要。它可以显著降低制造成本和周期时间，并实现大批量和小批量以及定制产品的成本效益生产。

9622588 Cheng This award funds research on open architecture horizontal and vertical system integration for agile manufacturing. A real-time open architecture "plug and play" integration environment for agile manufacturing will be developed. A set of device drivers for mechatronic components such as actuators, force sensors, vision sensors, analog and digital input and output will be developed. A set of system dependent modules for robot manipulators, numerically controlled machines, and automatic assembly systems will also be developed. Controllers and sensors of two commercial industrial robot manipulators and one numerically controlled milling machine will be retrofitted with open architecture using the device drivers and system dependent modules. The robot manipulators and machine will be integrated under the new integration paradigm to form an open architecture automatic manufacturing workcell. This manufacturing workcell will be linked with other information systems such as computer-aided design and the World Wide Web through the network. This manufacturing workcell will be made adaptive so that it can automatically adjust to changing work loads, conditions, and requirements by communication with other information systems. This experimentally tested "plug and play" manufacturing system and integration environment will be transferred for various applications in industries through industrial partners. If successful, this project will provide an improved understanding of fundamental problems underlying real-time open architecture system integration. The new integration environment will be vendor independent, computer platform independent, mechatronic component independent, and manufacturing system independent, and will enable horizontal integration of manufacturing systems across different vendor's product lines. The system should make manufacturing data, such as the status of work in progress and real-time machine performance, readily available throughout organizations. This timely flow of information within and between enterprises through vertical integration is critical to the agility of the manufacturing enterprise. It could significantly reduce manufacturing costs and cycle time, and enable cost-effective production of both large and small lot sizes and customized products.