Gabriella M. Acaccia

A modular robotic system for industrial applications

Purpose – The aim of this paper is the development of a modular robotic system for generic industrial applications, including assembly.Design/methodology/approach – A library of robotic modules has been designed; they are divided into two categories: link modules, not actuated, and joint modules, actuated; the library is characterized by a relatively low number of elements, but allows the assembly of a wide variety of medium‐size serial robots.Findings – The prototypes of two joint modules (a revolute joint module and a wrist module) and of some link modules have been realized. The behaviour of several serial robots composed of the designed modules has been assessed by multibody simulation. The results confirm the goodness of the proposed approach.Research limitations/implications – The two prototype modules are under test in combination with simplified modules. The further steps of the research programme will be the completion of the prototype library, and an experimental campaign on different serial cha...

Integrated management of concurrent shopfloor operations

Abstract The problem of combining efficiency with flexibility is the basic challenge faced by the factories of the future. In this paper, the solution is investigated through expert governors that can manage the concurrency of manufacturing processes enabling efficient decentralized control for standard running conditions. Flexible adaptive control is possible when recovery intervention is requested as a result of unsteady occurrences. The presentation is carried out by programming facilities developed by the Industrial Robot Design Research Group of the University of Genova, Italy.

Development of CAD codes for the job integration of industrial robots

Abstract The work of the Industrial Robot Design Research Group working at the University of Genoa, Italy, is summarized. The reasons for developing special-purpose CAD codes are noted, together with a discussion of the approach that has been utilized. An example procedure concerning the selection of the controlling strategies is presented, with typical output results. The integration of the robotic devices into manufacturing lines is discussed with an indication of the computational codes presently under development.

The govern-for-flexibility of manufacturing facilities: an explanatory example

Abstract Flexibility in manufacturing is a challenge: it potentially improves the exploitation of resources available, and expands the product mix; it is also puzzling for production engineers, since efficiency and performance depend heavily on the on-process availability of directed decision processes. Computer-integrated facilities are the reference technology, and the build-up of appropriate CAD/CAM instruments, based on broad expertise and extended experimentation of the govern-for-flexibility options, deserves particular interest. This paper discusses the problem, referring to an example plant and considering a simulated environment the XIM-SIFIP code, that fully describes the dynamic behaviour of multiprocess manufacturing, giving a powerful aid for collecting and comparing the capabilities added by adaptive scheduling.

A distributed interconnected control for computer-integrated manufacturing

Abstract An innovative control system architecture is considered which preserves the parallelism of the manufacturing operation with the goal of improving productivity through maximal use of resources with varying product mixes. To combine flexibility with efficiency, the expert integrated management (XIM) architecture technology is developed which governs a multiprocess environment with distributed intelligent interfaces and which controls the communication and synchronization tasks for each manufacturing situation. The performance of this distributed interconnected control system is demonstrated with the special purpose expert simulator (XIM-SIFIP), which combines the previously developed simulational facilities (XS-SIFIP, for flexible manufacturing sections and XT-SIFIP, for tool-supplying service) by means of a new information processing device that enables parallel control of the multiagent framework.

The Fabric Feeding Management for Automatic Clothing Manufacture

The exploitation of “intelligent” factory set-ups enhances the competitiveness of the EU textile and clothes industries, by enabling collaborative design-andmanufacture options, while achieving economies of scope with effective exploitation of (strategic/tactical/execution) flexibility. Simulation turns to be reference aid for developing and acknowledging the appropriate set-ups and the adaptive schedules. The paper, besides reference concepts, summarises a case example related to the management of the fabric warehouse, in order to grant adaptive sorting and dispatching of bolts, by on-process optimisation of the actually used cloth, with account of fabric quality-data and of time-varying schedules. The combined-mode schedules show the benefits for qick response, leaving open middle/long horizons issues; checks on alternatives are provided by virtual reality tests.

XIM-SIFIP: An Expert-simulation Environment for Factory Automation

Abstract Factory automation moves toward knowledge-intensive shop organisations; computer-intelligence instruments, with combined (causal/judgmental) processing capabilities, are considered for coupling flexibility with efficiency, in order to fully exploit the versatility of the robotised plants. The development of pertinent expert-programming environments requires appropriate reference functional models of the multiagent manufacturing framework, in order to preserve the structural contexts of the industrial production surroundings. In the paper the considerations are referred to an example implementation; the architecture of the XIM-SIFIP code is related to the principal features of an expert-integrated-manager, that superintends to a robotised plant, timely enabling the efficient programmed-mode or the flexible adaptive-mode operations.

Rule-based dispatching govern for flexible manufacturing: Example implementation of a shop-floor part-transportation system

Special purpose simulators, including the appropriate Artificial Intelligence tools to acquire transparency and flexibility, are needed for the balanced development and the efficient use of the robotized manufacturing plants. The principal characteristics of the XS-SIFIP program are presented, which is specifically established for investigating the governing attributes of the transport systems in the flexible manufacturing shops. Its modular structure is particularly suitable for expanding the dimensionality of the giustification reference knowledge, embedding the critical developments of the robotized factories in the area of the dynamical scheduling.

Automotive Systems: End-of-Life Vehicles Dismantling Facilities

The paper discusses characterising features of the end-of-life vehicles EU regulation, with account of the process transparency and knowledge build-up, to tailor economic instruments with reverse logistics profitability. In the short future, these issues will affect the automotive market, and the recovery (reuse/recycle) targets will become competition prerequisites for the carmakers survival. For explanatory purposes, the investigation is especially limited to consider the dismantling facility, with, in foreground, facts and technicalities arising at local and regional scales, and, in background, the whole forward and backward supply chain and related logistics problems. The basic technicalities, leading to the build-up of the reference knowledge for the most effective setting of car-dismantling facilities, are explored by means of simulation results. These lead to consider to develop automotive systems with recovery in mind, according to the carmakers responsibility for the free-take-back of the end-of-life vehicles.Copyright

Artefact Integration by Concurrent Enterprises and Productive Break-Up

The investigation is based on the activity performed along the past years by the Industrial Robot Design Research Group at the University of Genova; it discusses results carried on at the shop-floor level and example implementations are shown, comparing typical lay-outs for the automatic assembly of varying products mixes. Basically, the modular assembly lines, whose versatility is fixed at the strategic level by modifying the configuration, are distinguished from the robotised assembly cells, having on-line versatility due to their functional adaptivity. The situations are referred to example cases faced by small to medium size companies. The results are acknowledged exploring the plant effectiveness by means of expert simulation, used, during the development stages, for setting the facilities lay-out and, during the running stages, for fitting the facility govern.