Open-Architecture Integration for Agile Manufacturing

9622588程该奖项资助敏捷制造的开放体系结构水平和垂直系统集成的研究。开发一个面向敏捷制造的实时开放架构的“即插即用”集成环境。将为执行器、力传感器、视觉传感器、模拟和数字输入和输出等机电组件开发一套设备驱动程序。还将开发一套用于机器人操作器、数字控制机器和自动装配系统的系统相关模块。两台商用工业机器人机械手和一台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采用开放式架构进行改造。机器人机械手和机器将在新的集成范例下集成在一起，形成一个开放式的自动化制造机床。该制造机床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。通过与其他信息系统的通信，该制造机床将进行自适应，从而能够自动调整以适应不断变化的工作量、条件和要求。这个经过实验测试的即插即用制造系统和集成环境将通过行业合作伙伴转移到行业的各种应用中。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、独立于机电部件和独立于制造系统，并将实现不同供应商产品线上的制造系统的水平集成。该系统应使生产数据，如进行中的工作状态和实时机器性能，在整个组织中随时可用。这种通过垂直集成在企业内部和企业之间及时流动的信息流对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，并使大小批量和定制产品的生产具有成本效益。

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.