Automated Manufacturing Technologies Research Articles

Influence of different additives on the rheology and microstructural development of MgO–SiO2 mixes

Development of alternative binder systems to be used in additive and automated manufacturing technologies is crucial for increasing the sustainability and productivity of the construction process . Advancements in this area facilitate shorter construction durations, enhanced resource efficiency and reduced construction waste; enabling complex, high-quality and functional designs that would not be possible with traditional methods. The novelty of this work involves the demonstration of the properties of a promising alternative binder, reactive MgO–SiO 2 (RMS) binder, that can highlight its feasibility to be used in large-scale applications and the identification of the effects of different phosphate additives during this process. RMS mixes containing three different phosphate additives (sodium hexametaphosphate, trimetaphosphate and orthophosphate (OP)) were analyzed for their pH, reaction kinetics, workability, mechanical performance and rheological properties to reveal the influence of these additives on the properties of RMS mixes. These findings were supported by FTIR, 29 Si MAS NMR and XRD measurements. The inclusion of OP in RMS binder systems increased the pH of solution, thereby improving the dissolution of silica and its reaction with Mg-phases and resulting in enhanced magnesium-silicate-hydrate (M-S-H) formation. These improvements in hydration mechanisms translated into better mechanical performance and rheological properties, which can correlate to desirable properties for 3D printing applications.

Project Selection through a Simulation Model of the Painting Robots

At present, the manufacturing sector,there is an increase in competition, emerging markets, the rise of competitors in the region and competing countries with the availability of wages creating an impact on the contractors in terms of cost, quality and production capability which makes the production model in use today. There is a need to adjust to enhance competitiveness with regional and global competitors. And automated production lines are normally used in industrial production systems. Rather, it is often a large-scale entrepreneur or from a relocation or automated manufacturing technology that comes with the start-up. Robotic automation has long been used to replace human workers for tasks having a high degree of risk, such as areas with high heat, hazardous chemical area.The use of robots particularly in industrial painting not only protect human health but also improve the productivity. The robot can work continuously without being tired is an advantage compared to human workers.The investment in the robotics project for manufacturingis quite high in the initial period. Often the inventor will need to ensure that their investment is worth for which the robotics system to be used at full capacity.Decisions on an investment involve many intangibles that need to be traded off. In this study, the painting robot production process was simulated and analyzed to how to improve the capacity of the painting robots. FlexSim isused toanalyzed and simulated to optimize the painting robots.In summary, the simulation shows the productivity of a proposed production is more than current production 2.47times. While the capacity increasing 2.97 times.

Optimization of thermal model and prediction of crystallinity during the laser-assisted tape winding process

Laser-assisted tape placement and tape winding represent the most advanced automated manufacturing technologies for thermoplastic composites. It is important to accurately predict the complete thermal history of the manufacturing process, on which many properties of the product are strongly dependent, such as interlaminar bonding strength and crystallization. In this article, a nonlinear two-dimensional transient heat transfer model was established in ANSYS APDL, and a new temperature closed-loop controlled near-infrared laser heat source was described. Most importantly, the thermal contact pairs were introduced following the activation of elements, and the value of interlaminar thermal contact resistance was obtained by fitting an independent experiment and finite element analysis, which greatly optimized the heat transfer process in the direction of thickness. The thermal model was verified by infrared cameras and an online temperature measuring system based on thermocouples. The results of thermal history are in good agreement with the experiment, which were input into the crystallization kinetics model to predict the evolution and distribution of crystallinity in the laser-assisted tape winding process. The calculated results are coincident with the differential scanning calorimeter test very well, and the crystallinity was about 17% higher than that before manufacturing.

An Automated Smart EPQ-Based Inventory Model for Technology-Dependent Products under Stochastic Failure and Repair Rate

With the ever-growing technology development, high-tech products such as mobile phones, computers, electromagnetic devices and smart devices are facing high design and production modification requirements with relatively shorter life cycles. For instance, every forthcoming smart phone goes out of production in a shorter period after its launch, followed by its next generation. The design of high-tech products requires high investments in smart and automated manufacturing technology to ensure higher production efficiency. For high-tech products with short life spans, the manufacturing performance-quality variable is an important design parameter that affects system reliability, production efficiency and manufacturing costs. Major performance-quality factors of a manufacturing system which affect productivity and reliability of the manufacturing process are discussed in this research. The study investigates an integrated smart production maintenance model under stochastic manufacturing reliability for technology dependent demand and variable production rate. The smart unit production cost is a function of manufacturing reliability and controllable production rate, as a manufacturing system can be operated at different production rates within designed limits μ ϵ [ μ m i n , μ m a x ] . Manufacturing reliability is increased through investment in smart manufacturing technology and resources. The integrated smart production maintenance model is formulated under general failure and repair time distributions and the optimal production maintenance policy is investigated under specific failure and repair time distributions. A mathematical model is developed to optimize the manufacturing quality-performance parameter, variable production rate, per unit technology investment and production lot size. The total cost function is optimized through the Khun–Tucker method. The mathematical model is also validated with numerical analysis, comparative study, and sensitivity analysis for model key parameters.

Automated manufacturing for timber-based panelised wall systems

Abstract The rise of fully prefabricated panelised systems has led to manufacturing lines consisting of many sequential processes. Traditionally, these processes have been completed through conventional means, however, an increasing number of these processes are being automated. As a result, fully prefabricated timber-based panelised wall systems has been defined and explored in this review, in terms of the general set of processes required for their fabrication with the latest advanced automated manufacturing technologies available grouped for each process. An integrative literature review was conducted based on a modified framework to that presented by Templier and Pare. Information has been sourced from leading automation companies, manufactures, prefabricators and literature to fully outline processes and automation technologies available for each respective process. The methodology used has facilitated a broader and deeper level of understanding which heavily focused upon presenting the latest automation enabled technologies available for the fabrication of such systems for each respective process. In this way, several comprehensive conclusions were drawn on the current state of automation within and across processes used for the full prefabrication of timber-based panelised wall systems.

Improvements in Turbine-Blade Manufacture

A completely automated manufacturing technology for turbine blades is proposed. The system includes automatic loading and unloading of the workpiece; its automated orientation in the coordinate system of a multifunctional grinding center; and automated geometric monitoring of the components by means of a coordinate-measurement center. A robot system implementing this technology is described.

Technology Development for Direct Weaving of Complex 3D Nodal Structures

Lightweight structures constitute an eminently important solution to the conservation of limited resources of energy in aeronautics and vehicle engineering. The increasing necessity to implement lightweight construction concepts for framework structures due to their vast application makes requirement-adapted node structures attractive for fiber-reinforced plastic composites (FRPC) components. Although the use of FRPC for framework structures is well-established by now, the node structures are still mostly made from aluminum or titanium, which results in additional costs and limits the achievable mass reduction. Hence solutions for FRPC node structures have to be developed. The aim of this work is the development and implementation of a productive, automated manufacturing technology based on the weaving process for complex node structures based on carbon fiber for automotive and aeronautics applications. The development of the woven concept for the realization of node structures is based on the fragmentation of the individual sub-elements. The sub-elements are virtually unwound into the layer and positioned one above the other. The warp threads are floated in the areas where the individual levels do not touch. The node structures are produced on the conventional weaving loom by flattening and weaving them as multi-surface woven fabrics in one piece. The tube profiles are produced seamlessly, and the connection points between the tubes are jointless. By pulling the warp yarns in one branch through the structure, the gap is closed and the 3D geometry is formed. The defined pulling of the warp yarns is the main component of this publication. This new technology allows for the weaving of complex, integrated node structures with multi-directional spatial branching without subsequent assembly requirements. These newly developed node structures show great potential for lightweight construction applications. They can be manufactured with good reproducibility and a high degree of automation. The results of this work indicate an enormous potential of the weaving technique for the cost effective manufacture of integrally designed, woven 3D semi-finished products for FRPC. Typical applications for node structures include stringers and floor frames in airplanes, machine components, car frame parts, such as A-, B-, or C-pillars.

Cost analysis of alternative automated technologies for composite parts production

Composite material usage in aircraft has been rising since the 1990s, with significant increases in manufacturing productivity and repeatability due to automation in the production of aeronautic parts made of composite materials, becoming a strong driver for widespread adoption of composites in this industry. Automated Tape Layup (ATL) and Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) are two of the most important automated manufacturing technologies within aeronautics composites, although their cost implications and economic comparison have not been widely studied. This paper presents an economic evaluation of ATL and AFP technologies. Using process-based cost models, the manufacturing process of a horizontal stabiliser is modelled, determining for each technology the associated consumption and use of resources and their implications towards the part final cost. Results show that ATL is less expensive than AFP, due to lower material costs, although with less material efficiency and slower cycle time.

Modelling of the Factors Influencing the Implementation of Advance Manufacturing Technologies in MSME

Indian MSMEs constitute ninety percent of total number of industrial enterprises and thus fostering the employability in India. The major advantage of this sector is it’s contribution in industrial production and export. However in spite of their positive outlook towards industrial growth, these enterprises are facing technological obsolescence. The imminent need of these enterprises is technological innovations to make them competitive and survive in the global market. The solution for technological innovation aspects is use of latest automated manufacturing technologies that efficiently utilizes the resources and hence the entire chain of production. The decision of opting Advance Manufacturing Technologies (AMTs) in enterprises with limited capital resources is rather difficult as it is the question of not only the nation’s economy but employability expectations of people. The objective of this paper is to assist the mangers on a systematic framework that will answer how to perform the decision making process of adopting the AMTs in their enterprises. The key factors that one should considers while making this crucial decision are: Strategic aspects, organization structure, hands on training, implementation practices etc. A total 14 factors are considered in this study and these are modelled based on their level of priorities using Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM). The model derived in this research will be helpful for manufacturing practitioners for making decisions on adopting AMTs.

Variety and volume dynamic management for value creation in changeable manufacturing systems

In today’s uncertain market and continuously evolving technology, managing manufacturing systems are more complex than ever. This paper studies the dynamics of managing variety and volume to enhance value creation in manufacturers implementing system-level advanced and automated manufacturing technology (AAMT). The demand is composed of heterogeneous customers who make purchasing decisions depending on the variety levels and lead times of the firm’s product offerings. The cost structure adopted calculates profit as the difference between customer value creation rate (VCR) and costs associated with the process of creating this value. Reported results contribute to the variety and volume management literature by offering analytical clarity of factors affecting product platforms and capacity scalability management for systems with AAMT. In addition, insightful answers to the trade-offs between profit maximising market coverage and investments, smoothing demand policies and system stability for this type of environment are presented. Furthermore, the value of market information in deciding the industrial technology investment and also the impact of product life cycle on the same investment is captured.

Multi-Response Ergonomic Analysis of Middle Age Group CNC Machine Operators

This work is aimed on exploiting the performance in a human-CNC machine interface (HCMI) environment. Here load cell based developed system is capable of measuring cognitive and motor action responses simultaneously. Performance measurement system designed may be replicated for other fields where systems are operated through control panels and also where responses of mentally retarded human-beings (or human beings with symptoms of Alzheimer disease) are to be observed and evaluated. Following main conclusions are drawn: (1) Optimum multi-performance characteristics for middle age operators are A1B3C3 (i.e. CNC machine panel height of 90 cm, panel angle of 90 degrees and working distance of 30 cm), (2) Percentage contributions of working distance, CNC machine panel angle and panel height are 55.93, 8.13 and 5.93, respectively and (3) An improvement of 41.12% in the multi-performance characteristics was achieved. This work has achieved a reasonable degree of validity through performing confirmation test. Practitioner Summary: The findings of this work are directly applicable to the practical field to improve the design of a CNC-machines system. This work suggests that those responsible for the functioning and operation of CNC machine workstations would have to redesign the system to reduce musculoskeletal injuries and other related problems of middle age male operators. Results presented in this paper can be quite useful for future system designers. It is emphasized that applying ergonomic principles to the design of CNC machines and interfaces can not only help to enhance machine performance and productivity, but can also enable the human operator to feel comfortable and secure. As most companies have acquired Automated Manufacturing Technology in recent years to be competitive, ergonomic and safety considerations are of the utmost importance in the design phase.

Multi-response ergonomic design of human–CNC machine interface

This work is aimed at enriching a research theme, focused on exploiting the performance in a human–computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine interface (HCMI) environment. A salient contribution of this research effort is focused on adopting the concept of load cell for the system of human-performance measurement. The developed novel system is capable of measuring cognitive and motor action responses simultaneously. The performance measurement system designed for this work may be replicated for other fields where systems are operated through control panels and also where responses of mentally retarded human-beings (or the human beings with the symptoms of Alzheimer disease) are to be observed and evaluated. As regard to the evaluation and trustworthiness of the designed research, search time, motor action time and applied force were selected as response variables to evaluate the CNC machine operator’s performance. Based on Taguchi’s experimental design, a full factorial design consisting of 27 $$(3^{3})$$ experiments was used to collect the data for human performances. The collected data were analyzed using grey relational analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) and F-test. ANOVA was carried out using Design-Expert software. The designed research has achieved a reasonable degree of validity through performing confirmation test. This study has presented an effective approach for the optimization of the HCMI environment with multi-performance characteristics based on the combined Taguchi method and Grey relational analysis. Relevance to industry: The findings of this work are directly applicable to the practical field to improve the design of a CNC-machines system. This work suggests that those responsible for the functioning and operation of CNC-machines workstations would have to redesign the system to reduce musculoskeletal injuries and other related problems. The present results can be quite useful for future system designers. It is emphasized that applying ergonomic principles to the design of CNC machines and interfaces can not only help to enhance machine performance and productivity but can also enable the human operator to feel comfortable and secure. As most companies have acquired automated manufacturing technology in recent years to be competitive, ergonomic and safety considerations are of the utmost importance.

Design for Manufacturing – One-Piece, Fibre-Placed Composite Helicopter Tailboom

Recurring cost has become a critical driver in the design of helicopter airframes, and although composite materials have become widely used in aircraft structures, the hand lay-up manufacturing process in many cases prevents these applications from being cost-effective. Automated manufacturing technologies promise not only reduced production costs but also higher quality, repeatable parts. The introduction of existing automated manufacturing techniques and technologies from industries such as the automotive sector into aerospace can be challenging due to the unique product characteristics as well as the stringent certification and quality control requirements of the industry. The aerospace industry is a low-volume, high value production environment where "hand-made" products are produced by highly experienced and qualified trades-people. Both metallic and composite components are subjected to precise manufacturing control and documentation requirements. The introduction of automated manufacturing technologies must be done in such a way as to respect these often demanding constraints. The introduction of automation to industrialized processes impacts not only the way parts are produced, but also the way they are designed. Successful composite design and manufacturing automation in the aerospace industry requires the engineering designer and analyst to become increasingly involved in the manufacturing of the product, as machine limitations and producibility become increasingly important drivers for design. This paper presents an overview of a development project intended to evaluate the effectiveness and benefits of the automated fibre placement technology through the design, prototype build and testing of a composite tailboom. The discussion centres on the "design for manufacturing" concept and provides a perspective on the project objectives, material and process selection and trade-offs, geometric and structural considerations, and component assembly and fastening.

High Volume Fabrication of Ready-to-Stack Components For Planar SOFC concepts

Plansee has been active in the development of powder-metallurgical (P/M) interconnects for planar SOFCs since the 1990s. After the proof of feasibility of our dedicated chromium materials technology, we have lately focused on the development of cost-effective and industrially capable routes for the series production of inter¬connects. Net shape P/M fabrication has been introduced as a viable technology for the production of planar interconnects for high temperature SOFC systems. In this context different P/M processing approaches were compared and assessed with respect to their suitability for various SOFC concepts. Customers' needs for high volume production led to the development of a continuous and fully automated manufacturing technology which follows the process scheme of ferrous P/M products for the automotive industry.

The effects of machining on material properties in hybrid welding/milling based rapid prototyping

Rapid Prototyping (RP) or Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) is one of the fastest developing automated manufacturing technologies in which CAD models can be directly used to make finished products. A welding based RP process shows good promise to produce dense, and structurally strong metallic parts and tools. In this paper a comparison of the material properties is made between weld based prototype parts, produced both with and without intermediate machining after each deposited layer. Material properties were investigated both on a macro and microscopic level. It has been found that there exists a sequential fluctuating behaviour in the microstructure of the deposit without machining. This behaviour, however, is only confined to the top layer of the Deposition with Intermediate Machining (DWIM). The hardness test results also reveal a similar behaviour. Tensile testing results on the contrary show little difference in the strength of the two types of buildups.

Future Fab

This paper presents the software suite dubbed automated manufacturing technology (AMT) that monitors and controls the hundreds of steps wafers must pass through on their way to becoming Pentium, Itanium, and Core 2 Duo processors, as well as other high-end Intel microprocessors. The AMT suite has four major components: the manufacturing execution system, the process control automation framework, the engineering analysis framework, and the material handling and tool control. Each is composed of several programs, and each of those programs controls a different part of the chip-making process. The paper also presents how the grid improves the manufacturing flow and the R&D process by looking at a 25-piece lot of experimental wafers called Lot X500

Advanced technologies and humans in manufacturing workplaces: an interdependent relationship

Industrially developed countries have historically relied on manufacturing of goods to achieve and maintain their economic status. In recent years, these developed societies have increased their reliance on technology, particularly automation, to enhance manufacturing productivity. Excessive reliance on automation technology may be undesirable if the overall goal is to enhance productivity of manufacturing enterprises. A human-centered approach to modern manufacturing may be more effective based on actual productivity gains, economics, technical feasibility and equipment capability and reliability, and problems created by automated manufacturing technologies. In this paper, we examine several technological issues pertaining to advanced manufacturing technology systems. We conclude that human presence in such systems is essential to compensate for technological limitations, and that a human-centered approach to designing manufacturing systems can provide most benefit for productivity, reliability, economy and flexibility. We also focus on limitations of the human component in a human-centered manufacturing system. Specifically, we discuss stress management, worker training, human error, human information processing limits, and human–machine interface design issues, all of which limit effectiveness of humans in manufacturing. Relevance to industry Recognizing the interdependence of advanced technology and humans in an advanced manufacturing technology system will enable industries to manage and design such systems for improved system performance.

Technological coupling, job characteristics and operators' well-being as moderated by desirability of control

This study proposes that the nature of Automated Manufacturing Technology (AMT)-as reflected in the degree of 'technological coupling' and as perceived by shop floor operators in terms of new job control characteristics (timing and method control, monitoring and problem solving demand, production responsibility)-affects operators' psychological well-being (satisfaction and mental health). The study sample consisted of 216 operators of AMT equipment. Findings indicate that technological coupling is negatively related to the job characteristics of timing and method control, and to psychological well-being variables. Operators' satisfaction is positively related to problem solving, production responsibility and timing and method control. Mental health is negatively related to production responsibility. Implications for job redesign and employees selection to AMT work units are discussed. Yet, results indicate that operators' response to technological coupling is contingent upon their desirability of control ...

Technological coupling, job characteristics and operators' well-being as moderated by desirability of control

This study proposes that the nature of Automated Manufacturing Technology (AMT)-as reflected in the degree of 'technological coupling' and as perceived by shop floor operators in terms of new job control characteristics (timing and method control, monitoring and problem solving demand, production responsibility)-affects operators' psychological well-being (satisfaction and mental health). The study sample consisted of 216 operators of AMT equipment. Findings indicate that technological coupling is negatively related to the job characteristics of timing and method control, and to psychological well-being variables. Operators' satisfaction is positively related to problem solving, production responsibility and timing and method control. Mental health is negatively related to production responsibility. Implications for job redesign and employees selection to AMT work units are discussed. Yet, results indicate that operators' response to technological coupling is contingent upon their desirability of control (DC). For operators with low DC (as opposed to high DC) coupling conditions did not make any difference in psychological well-being.

Towards intelligent setting of process parameters for layered manufacturing

The performance of a layered manufacturing (LM) process is determined by the appropriate setting of process parameters. The study of the relationship between performance and process parameters is therefore an important area of LM process planning research. The trend in modern industry is to move from conventional automation to intelligent automation. LM technology is essentially an automated manufacturing technology that is evolving towards an intelligent automation technology. Slicing solid manufacturing (SSM) is a LM technique using paper as the working material and a CO2 laser as the cutting tool. In this manuscript, a back propagation (BP) learning algorithm of an artificial neural network (ANN) is used to determine appropriate process parameters for the SSM method. Key process parameters affecting accuracy are investigated. Quantitative relationships between the input parameters and output accuracy are established by developing the BP neural network.