The New Digital Era in Industrial Robotics, Mechatronics and Factory Automation

A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702). This special issue belongs to the section "Robotics, Mechatronics and Intelligent Machines".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 1005

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Production Devices and Systems, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Interests: virtual commissioning; robotics; simulation; digital twin; pneumatics; hydraulics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Applied Informatics, Automation and Mechatronics, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, 91724 Trnava, Slovakia
Interests: Internet of Things (IoT); neural networks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Automation and Mechatronics, Department of Production Systems and Robotics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Košice, 04200 Kosice, Slovakia
Interests: robotics; mechatronics; automation; control systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Robotics, automation, and mechatronic technologies have been widely leveraged in diverse industrial domains, bringing significant societal impacts and benefits. As these technologies play a central role in leading the fourth industrial revolution, it is crucial to thoroughly investigate new trends to enable their sustained development.

In industrial robotics, we seek contributions on:

  • Design and simulation of robotic systems;
  • Industrial robot programming;
  • Digital twins;
  • Virtual reality applications;
  • Integration of vision systems;
  • Case studies in industrial robotics applications.

In factory automation, topics of interest include:

  • Industrial cybersecurity;
  • IoT and edge computing in automated systems;
  • OT (Operational Technology) and IT (Information Technology) integration;
  • Smart sensors, actuators, and PLC;
  • Enhancing efficiency and sustainable manufacturing practices.

In industrial mechatronics, we invite research on:

  • Advanced control systems;
  • Implementation of single-board computers and PLC-based and other industrial computer systems;
  • Industrial bus systems, interfacing, operating systems, and communication protocols;
  • OPC-UA;
  • Digital twins (DT) for simulation and optimization;
  • Smart machines and systems.

The rapid advancements in digital technologies such as simulations, digital twins, IoT systems, and cybersecurity offer vast potential for further innovation. This Special Issue provides a forum for researchers and practitioners to exchange their latest theoretical and engineering achievements. We aim to compile cutting-edge research and development advances in these areas.

Dr. Roman Ružarovský
Dr. Tibor Horak
Dr. Ivan Virgala
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Machines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • industrial robotics
  • factory automation
  • industrial mechatronics

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

30 pages, 5534 KiB  
Article
Integrating Energy and Time Efficiency in Robotic Manufacturing Cell Design: A Methodology for Optimizing Workplace Layout
by Roman Ruzarovsky, Tibor Horak, Robert Bocak, Martin Csekei and Roman Zelník
Machines 2025, 13(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines13010038 - 8 Jan 2025
Viewed by 469
Abstract
The efficient and sustainable design of robotic manufacturing cells is a critical aspect of modern industrial processes, for which energy and time efficiency play significant roles in achieving sustainability goals. In industrial practice, robotic cell design often involves methods such as predefined layout [...] Read more.
The efficient and sustainable design of robotic manufacturing cells is a critical aspect of modern industrial processes, for which energy and time efficiency play significant roles in achieving sustainability goals. In industrial practice, robotic cell design often involves methods such as predefined layout templates, empirical rules for positioning, and simulation-based validation. While these approaches provide a practical starting point, they may not fully account for the complex interdependencies between robot configuration, energy consumption, and operational efficiency. Consequently, opportunities for optimizing resource usage are frequently overlooked. This paper presents a novel methodology for optimizing the deployment of industrial robots and their peripherals, focusing on minimizing energy and time costs to enhance the sustainability of industrial processes. The proposed approach, grounded in experimental measurements and simulations, was validated through an experimental model of a welding robot station. The methodology integrates the analysis of the relationship between the robot base position, trajectory, and energy consumption. The results indicate that adjusting the relative positions of robots and work points can achieve energy savings of approximately six percent. Specifically, optimization reduced energy consumption by 1.6731 Wh per work cycle, translating to an annual savings of 0.8794 MWh for a 60 s clock cycle. These findings highlight the practical applicability of the proposed methodology, demonstrating its potential to significantly improve the energy and time efficiency of robotic workplaces. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop