Virtual Engineering and Commissioning to Support the Lifecycle of a Manufacturing Assembly System
Abstract
:1. Introduction
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- More efficient programmable logical controllers (PLC) programmes;
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- Accelerated production ramp-ups;
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- Increased maturity of the software and hardware by the beginning of production;
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- Operator training before starting production;
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- A better availability of the manufacturing system when the production is running;
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- An efficient integration of the processes.
2. Literature Review
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- The recent trend is to accompany VC with DT along with different lifecycle phases;
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- The creation of a DT suitable for VC was not given enough attention, and model creation, in general, should be systematised, as it needs time and effort;
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- The mechanism of digital twin reconfigurability and VC in the field of assembly needs further investigation;
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- The accomplishment of VC sometimes involves the use of multiple tools, i.e., for CAD and behaviour, and sometimes it is limited to one tool;
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- There is no approach aiming at facilitating the VC application for the end user.
3. Digital Factory Engineering Requirements
3.1. Manufacturing System Lifecycle Support
3.2. Virtual Engineering and Virtual Commissioning
3.3. Reconfigurability and DT in DF
3.4. VC Classification
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- Manual virtual commissioning: low modelling effort;
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- Model-based virtual commissioning;
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- Virtual twin virtual commissioning (VTVC).
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- Manual or generic simulations using a controller emulator (e.g., Siemens SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM);
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- 3D simulation and emulation using high-level tools;
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- Combinations of the mechatronic systems and 3D simulations;
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- Finite element analysis and precise physics simulations/emulations.
3.5. VC Procedure
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- Prior to the assembly of a newly planned machine;
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- Before configuring a physical machine;
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- After reconfiguring a virtual system;
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- After physical system reconfiguration.
4. Methodology
4.1. The Objectives and Area of Focus
4.2. Digital Twin Capabilities
- Document management: this includes the drawings and instructions throughout the lifecycle;
- Model: a suitable digital representation that mirrors the properties and behaviour;
- Simulation: a representation of the physical device in a simulation environment;
- Data Model: a standardised data model for connectivity, analytics, and/or visualisation;
- Visualisation: a graphical representation of the object;
- Model synchronisation: the alignment of the model with real-world parameters;
- Connected analytics: the algorithms and computational outcomes.
4.3. Apparatus
4.4. Requirements and Activities for Virtual Commissioning
- Documentation preparation and validation: e.g., machine timing calculations, electrical drawings, wiring diagrams and the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) procedure;
- Virtual software readiness validation: in terms of the proper behaviour of the system components, PLC IO mapping, the proper safety and the communication architecture;
- Commissioning of the virtual model: during this procedure, the virtual model is to represent all the required production processes, capacities, with the all necessary parts. Different scenarios are to be emulated, including potential errors, faults, safety cases;
- Final validation documentation and necessary model changes.
5. Case Study: VE and VC of Vertical Assembly Station
5.1. Description
- To test the assembly station at early stages of the project when the design, process and layout of the station are not clear and verify them at virtual build events;
- To verify if the cell works properly with all machines and to make sure that lift assist and operator ergonomics and safety are as in the real-world environment by using VC;
- To test if the level of details is satisfactory for the end user’s requirements;
- To compare the virtual and physical system, analyse the difference (in timing, layout, auto/semi-/manual processes). Then, to identify the cause of difference and apply necessary changes in the virtual model or the physical station. Finally, to calibrate the virtual model or physical machine accordingly;
- To use the virtual model for the further lifecycle stages: digital shadow/digital twin during the operation and termination/reconfiguration phases (such as monitoring, maintenance and change).
5.2. Virtual Engineering of the HVEMS Station Using vueOne
- The operator loads the hub and first lamination ring from the trolley to the machine;
- The machine presses the lamination ring onto the hub;
- The operator loads the second ring to be pressed;
- After pressing both lamination rings, an automatic peening operation starts to fix laminations and the hub.
5.3. Station Architecture for Virtual Commissioning
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- HMI—executes the machine programmes;
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- Press control unit (PCU)—controls the pressing process parameters;
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- PLC—general machine logic;
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- Servo drive—physical execution of the pressing process operated by the servo controller;
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- Pneumatic system—general machine functionality (safety door, support units, peening plate movement, etc.)
5.4. Servo Signal Mapping and Changes in PLC Code
5.5. Components Behaviour, Link Points Shift and IOs Description
5.6. Virtual Commissioning Execution
5.7. Results
- Document management: all the documents, drawings, CAD models, components, MODAPTS tables, etc. are stored in the cloud database and can be accessed by the vueOne application during each stage of the DT development. For example, at the validation stage, the MODAPTS documents can be generated to compare the virtual model to the physical and find the cause of the differences. The maintenance documents and recordings can be accessed online by the fault tracker option.
- Model: the virtual model of the machine can mimic the physical machine, its behaviour, features, and functionalities.
- 3D representation: the properties of the physical machine are represented and mapped to the 3D digital representations.
- Simulation: the behaviour of the devices of the physical machines is represented in a simulation environment, where the necessary studies were made such as: kinematics behaviour and properties, physics (where necessary, e.g., gravity conveyor), manual, semi-automatic and automatic processes.
- Data model: the data model is standardised according to IEC, IEEE, and OPC standards. The connection is executed via OPC UA, TCP IP and PROFINET.
- Visualisation: there is a dynamic graphical representation of the physical machine with the connection to a PLC real-time.
- Model synchronisation: The model is connected online to the physical machine’s PLC, where it has access to all the parameters, data and input-outputs of the actuators and sensors. The virtual twin of the machine can mimic the physical machine online via the OPC UA interface connected to the machine’s PLC and behave according to the physical machine’s signals.
- Connected analytics: the physical machine properties are measured, recorded and analysed by applications, such as the fault tracker application, key performance indicators (KPIs) analytics, etc. This is done for future predictive maintenance, operation planning and control.
5.8. Limitations
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Process | Avg. Diff. 1 (%) | Avg. Diff. 2 (%) |
---|---|---|
Loading | 27.59 | 19.10 |
1st Lam Press | 13.75 | 4.17 |
2nd Lam Press | 10.64 | 2.91 |
Peening | 14.59 | 5.21 |
Unloading | 23.55 | 17.45 |
Total cycle time | 17.04 | 8.72 |
Digital Twin Features | Achieved | Ready | Achievable |
---|---|---|---|
1. Document management | - | 🗸 | - |
2. Model | 🗸 | - | - |
3. 3D representation | 🗸 | - | - |
4. Simulation | 🗸 | - | - |
5. Data model | - | 🗸 | - |
6. Visualisation | 🗸 | - | - |
7. Model synchronisation | 🗸 | - | - |
8. Connected analytics | - | - | 🗸 |
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Konstantinov, S.; Assad, F.; Ahmad, B.; Vera, D.A.; Harrison, R. Virtual Engineering and Commissioning to Support the Lifecycle of a Manufacturing Assembly System. Machines 2022, 10, 939. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines10100939
Konstantinov S, Assad F, Ahmad B, Vera DA, Harrison R. Virtual Engineering and Commissioning to Support the Lifecycle of a Manufacturing Assembly System. Machines. 2022; 10(10):939. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines10100939
Chicago/Turabian StyleKonstantinov, Sergey, Fadi Assad, Bilal Ahmad, Daniel A. Vera, and Robert Harrison. 2022. "Virtual Engineering and Commissioning to Support the Lifecycle of a Manufacturing Assembly System" Machines 10, no. 10: 939. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines10100939
APA StyleKonstantinov, S., Assad, F., Ahmad, B., Vera, D. A., & Harrison, R. (2022). Virtual Engineering and Commissioning to Support the Lifecycle of a Manufacturing Assembly System. Machines, 10(10), 939. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines10100939