Abstract
The current manufacturing transformation is represented by using different terms like; Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoTs), and the Model-Based enterprise. This transformation involves integrated and collaborative manufacturing systems. These manufacturing systems should meet the demands changing in real-time in the smart factory environment. Here, this manufacturing transformation is represented by the term ‘Smart Manufacturing’. Smart manufacturing can optimize the manufacturing process using different technologies like IoT, Analytics, Manufacturing Intelligence, Cloud, Supplier Platforms, and Manufacturing Execution System (MES). In the cell-based manufacturing environment of the smart industry, the best way to transfer the goods between cells is through automation (mobile robots). That is why automation is the core of the smart industry i.e. industry 4.0. In a smart industrial environment, mobile-robots can safely operate with repeatability; also can take decisions based on detailed production sequences defined by Manufacturing Execution System (MES). This work focuses on the development of a middleware application using LabVIEW for mobile-robots, in a cell-based manufacturing environment. This application works as middleware to connect mobile robots with the MES system.
Highlights
The drive of automation was to upturn productivity and to decrease the cost associated with human operators
Direct communication between Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and the mobile-robots is not possible that’s why we introduced the middleware LabVIEW application and presented this idea in [17], which summary is given below
This approach is ideal when each robot is assigned a dedicated zone in a manufacturing environment (b) Running ROS_Master using LabVIEW application and control all robots in the field – The issue with this centralized approach is that there will be no communication with robots in the field in case if the system running LabVIEW stops working
Summary
The drive of automation was to upturn productivity and to decrease the cost associated with human operators. The current ideology of manufacturing depends on the linear production line This ideology works in case of high volume demand of identical goods. Intelligent mobile-robot that knows the environment in which it operates, and that can calculate the optimized route between different cells are the best to use in the above mentioned cell-based manufacturing system. This work is about the development of a middleware application using LabVIEW software to control/manage the mobile-robot. The LabVIEW software is used by keeping in mind the future advancement of this application, which needs communication of fleets of robots with MES and this can be achieve using LabVIEW as middleware.
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