A Smart and Flexible Automation System for High Value Cake Manufacturing

用于高价值蛋糕制造的智能灵活的自动化系统

• 批准号: 101543
• 金额: $ 42.74万
• 依托单位: LIGHTBODY OF HAMILTON LIMITED
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2014 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=101543
• 关键词: Smart; Flexible; Automation; System; Value

The aim of the project is to investigate, research, and develop a new smart and flexible material handling automation system for cakes, their components and decorations. This system will comprise various sensors, software algorithms, and mechatronic hardware in order to create a more efficient and consistent autonomous production method. A major challenge within the project will be the creation of a novel handling and manipulation system that will be able to cope with the difficult attributes of the cake icing and decorative materials. These can be soft, sticky, brittle, and floppy, all of these characteristics are very difficult for automated manipulator systems to handle.The initial benefits of this project will be to (a) the cake manufacturing company in that the project will increase its efficiency, reduce its costs, and increase its profitability, (b) the University in that it will expand its knowledge and expertise in this field, be able to provide knowledge exchange, and provide employment and experience for two researchers, and (c) provide the other UK industrial partner with an opportunity to enhance its experience and knowledge while contributing its existing expertise to the success of the task.Further benefits to UK industry in general will result from the knowledge gained from the design of the system to manipulate the difficult to handle materials. This knowledge should have general applicability not only in the food industry but also in areas such as clothing manufacture. The developed system will be modular such that elements of the design, e.g. hardware, software, and sensing, will be useable by a range of companies.

该项目的目的是调查，研究和开发一种新的智能和灵活的蛋糕，其组件和装饰材料处理自动化系统。该系统将包括各种传感器，软件算法和机电硬件，以创建更高效和一致的自主生产方法。该项目中的一个主要挑战将是创建一个新的处理和操纵系统，该系统将能够科普蛋糕糖衣和装饰材料的困难属性。这些可以是软的、粘的、脆的和松软的，所有这些特性对于自动化机械手系统来说都是非常难以处理的。这个项目的最初好处将是（a）蛋糕制造公司，因为这个项目将提高其效率，降低其成本，并增加其盈利能力，（B）大学，因为它将扩大其在这个领域的知识和专业知识，能够提供知识交流，并为两名研究人员提供就业和经验，以及（c）为其他英国工业合作伙伴提供增强其经验和知识的机会，同时为任务的成功贡献其现有的专业知识。从系统设计中获得的知识将为英国工业带来进一步的好处，以操纵困难的来处理材料。这些知识不仅应在食品工业中具有普遍适用性，而且应在服装制造等领域具有普遍适用性。开发的系统将是模块化的，因此设计的元素，例如硬件，软件和传感，将可供一系列公司使用。