D. Orive

A Tool Integration Framework for Industrial Distributed Control Systems

This paper presents a tool integration approach for supporting the development cycle of industrial distributed control applications. The core of the approach is a formal model of the application that expresses separately the functionality of the control system from the implementation issues. The modeling language selected is XML (eXtensible Markup Language) and the framework proposed makes use of XML technologies for achieving the integration of the tools involved within the development cycle. Following this approach, a set of tools from different domain of expertise (control engineering, software engineering, configuration, maintenance...) have been integrated into a framework. The toolset has been used for designing and validating the distributed control system of a heat treatment line.

A Methodology for Multidisciplinary Modeling of Industrial Control Systems using UML

Industrial process measurement and control systems (IPMCS) are used in most of the industrial sectors to achieve production improvement, process optimization and time and cost reduction. Integration, reuse, flexibility and optimization are demanded to adapt to a rapidly changing and competitive market. Thus, a consolidation of modeling methodologies for achieving this goal is needed. In this paper, a multidisciplinary modelling of distributed IPMCS, as well as a modelling methodology are proposed. The model of the application consists of three related views that separate the functional aspects from the implementation issues (hardware and software). The complete model is constituted by the three different views as well as the relationship among them. The modelling methodology makes use of the unified modelling language (UML) and it guides a non-expert UML user through the steps needed to model the control application. To achieve this, a set of UML profiles, that characterize the different elements of each domain view, have been defined. A limited subset of UML diagrams are used to define the three domains as well as its relationships. To illustrate its use, the methodology is applied to an industrial application: the distributed control system of a heat treatment line.

Building complex remote learning laboratories

The interaction with real plants is a key issue in control engineering education in order to consolidate the concepts learned in the classroom. Unfortunately, for several reasons, real laboratories are not always available. On the other hand, Internet technologies have proved to be mature and reliable, becoming a common alternative in the creation of remote laboratories. However, the use of these technologies in complex remote laboratories is not a trivial task as several requisites must be satisfied simultaneously. This article proposes a methodology that eases the creation of remote laboratories establishing the steps to build up a remote access system. This methodology proposes a set of key components that can be used to define the access to a remote plant from a functional point of view. Some of these components are generic being reusable in most applications whereas others are application specific. In summary, the methodology allows designers to concentrate more on the functionality of the applications than on the technical aspects of the underlying technology. The use of this methodology is illustrated with a relatively complex example: A laboratory manufacturing cell.

Design of a Virtual-Instrumentation System for a Machining Process

This paper presents a virtual-instrumentation system (VIS) that aims at measuring the evolution of key magnitudes in a nonconventional machining process called wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM). The VIS consists of two well-different parts: the acquisition system that measures process signals (voltage and current) and the virtual measurement of relevant magnitudes (such as energy, peak-current distribution, and ignition delay time). The data-acquisition system provides flexibility and ease of storing tests under different machining conditions without extra hardware construction or adaptation. It is based on a commercial data-acquisition board that works at very high frequencies (up to 10 MSamples/s). The virtual measurement is carried out by modeling and processing the acquired signals. The VIS has been employed to monitor and detect low-quality cutting regimes in WEDM.

A CPPS Architecture approach for Industry 4.0

New demands, coming from the industry 4.0 concept of the near future production systems have to be fulfilled in the coming years. Seamless integration of current technologies with new ones is mandatory. The concept of Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS) is the core of the new control and automation distributed systems. However, it is necessary to provide the global production system with integrated architectures that make it possible. This work analyses the requirements and proposes a model-based architecture and technologies to make the concept a reality.

Object-oriented modeling for remote monitoring of manufacturing processes

Deals with the use of object oriented technologies in the modeling of industrial plants that have to be remotely monitored and/or controlled. The main goal is to propose a design methodology for obtaining the model of the so-called Virtual Plant, that a remote and certified user will use to access the real plant for performing command actions and/or monitoring. The type of applications and systems targeted must have autonomous behavior and be interconnected and accessible. Reliability, maintainability and flexibility are also required goals, as well as a high rate of reusability of the applications. The methodology has been applied to the remote process monitoring and control of manufacturing processes. The Virtual Plant Model is, in fact, the part of the plant that can be accessed by a certified remote client and thus it can be constituted by a set of sub-models, as many as different types of clients. The Virtual Plant resides inside the Application Server who is responsible of communicating with the cell controller and sends the image of the actual plant state (the Virtual Plant) as required by the remote client (monitoring) or sends the client commands to the cell controller.

Access to process data with OPC-DA using IEC61499 Service Interface Function Blocks

The need for flexibility in manufacturing systems is continuously growing. This need deals with the establishment of design methodologies for implementing distributed applications. The IEC61499 define a generic architecture for designing distributed applications, based on Functions Block (FB) networks. The interface between the control software and the hardware is achieved by means of the so called Service Interface FB. But guidelines to implement this type of FBs are provided neither by the standard nor by the available tools. On the other hand, one of the most widely used industrial communication standard is OPC that enables the exchange of data between multi-vendor devices and control applications without any proprietary restrictions. Thus, an easy integration of this communication standard within IEC61499 applications may contribute to consolidate such standard. This paper presents the guidelines to use OPC in industrial applications through the definition an implementation of SIFBs to access process data using OPC-DA (OPC Data Access) specification.

Model driven design in industrial automation

Current industrial applications demand the design of more and more complex, safe and trustworthy control systems which exhibit a high degree of flexibility and reutilization. To achieve this, the engineering process has to be improved through the integration of the tools involved in the development process. To achieve this goal the definition of Markup Languages for factory automation has been proposed at different layers of the engineering process. They allow defining the application from different points of view. Each point of view uses a particular syntax and semantics. Applications are defined by means of a set of view models as well as their relationships. This paper proposes a further step as the mechanisms needed for exchanging information among models are analyzed. They are used in the design of a model collaboration prototype for distributed industrial control systems.

Graphical Modeling of PLC-based Industrial Control Applications

Industrial process measurement and control systems (IPMCS) are used in most of the industrial sectors to achieve production improvement, process optimization and time and cost reduction. Integration, reuse, flexibility and optimization are demanded to adapt to a rapidly changing and competitive market. In fact, standardization is a key goal to achieve integration in this type of applications. The international standardization efforts have lead to the definition of the IEC 1131 standard. Part 3 of this standard defines a software model for defining automation projects as well as 5 programming languages, emphasizing software reuse. The Technical Committee 6 for XML belonging to the international organization PLCopen, has defined an XML based interface for importing/exporting automation projects. This work presents a graphical modeling tool that guides the user through the definition of the IEC1131-3 automation project, as a PLC programming tool does. But, internally, it stores the information about the automation project as a XML file. From it, it is possible to extract information, export the automation project to different programming tools or to translate it to PLCopen XML format, using different XML technologies.

Using object oriented technologies in factory automation

This paper discusses the use of OO technologies, in particular the use of Unified Modelling Language (UML) in factory automation. The authors have proposed an architecture to access remotely industrial plants. This papers focuses in the so-called virtual plant model, that contains the information of the plant that is remotely accessible. In order to show the use of UML class diagrams, the virtual plant model of simple manufacturing cell is developed. The remote actions are grouped in user profiles and from them the class diagrams that form the virtual plant are designed. The virtual plant model is contained in the application server that acts as a middleware between the plant and the remote users. Although these classes have been identified for a very simple case study, they may be extended and enriched according to the needs of new applications.