An integrated and interoperable AutomationML-based platform for the robotic process of metal additive manufacturing

Abstract

Increasingly, industry is looking to better integrate their industrial processes and related data. Interoperability is key since the organizations need to share data between them, between departments and the different stages of a given technological process. The problem is that many times there are no standard data formats for data exchange between heterogeneous engineering tools. In this paper we present an integrated and interoperable AutomationML-based platform for the robotic process of metal additive manufacturing (MAM). Data such as the MAM robot targets and process parameters are shared and edited along the different sub-stages of the process, from Computer-Aided Design (CAD), to path planning, to multi-physics simulation, to robot simulation and production. The AutomationML neutral data format allows the implementation of optimization loops connecting different sub-stages, for example the multi-physics simulation and the path planning. A practical use case using the Direct Energy Deposition (DED) process is presented and discussed. Results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed AutomationML-based solution.