Browsing by Author "Bepperling, Axel"
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- Decision support system for Petri nets enabled automation componentsPublication . Pinto, João; Mendes, João M.; Leitão, Paulo; Colombo, Armando W.; Bepperling, Axel; Restivo, FranciscoThe expected behavior of industrial automation systems can be defined and modeled, but since not every event is predicted at design time, additional care has to be taken during the operation to handle situations such as exceptions, failures and new production orders. Another remark is also the limitation of modeling languages used in the control to permit the intervention of higher grade decision mechanisms. This paper discusses the application of decision support system for Petri net based processes to control automation components and devices. The decision mechanisms are used for path planning, production scheduling and preventive maintenance, to support the description of processes in Petri nets formalism. As such, the same Petri nets designed for the control are also used as analytical information input to the decision support system and for the detection process options that require decision. The solution provides a dynamic complement to the static modeling and operational flexibility. Experiments were done in a real service-oriented industrial factory-cell to prove the specified approach.
- Engineering of service-oriented automation systems: a surveyPublication . Mendes, João M.; Leitão, Paulo; Restivo, Francisco; Colombo, Armando W.; Bepperling, AxelThe evolution of manufacturing systems and the emergence of decentralised control require flexibility at various levels of their lifecycle. New emerging methods, such as multi-agent and service-oriented systems are major research topics in the sense of revitalizing the traditional production procedures. This paper takes an overview of the serviceoriented approach in terms of platform and engineering tools, from the perspective of automation and production systems. From the basic foundation to the more complex interactions, service-oriented architectures and its implementation in form of web services provide diverse and quality proved features that are welcome to different states of the production systems’ life-cycle. Key elements are the concepts of modelling and collaboration, which enhance the automatic binding and synchronisation of individual low-value services to more complex and meaningful structures. Such interactions can be specified by Petri nets, a mathematically well founded tool with features that enhance towards the modelling of systems. The right application of different methodologies together should motivate the development of service-oriented manufacturing systems that embrace the vision of collaborative automation.
- Engineering tools for the integration of service-oriented production systemsPublication . Leitão, Paulo; Mendes, João M.; Bepperling, Axel; Cachapa, Daniel; Colombo, Armando W.Engineering frameworks are currently required to support the easy, low-cost, modular and integrated development of production systems, addressing the emergent requirements of reconfigurability, responsiveness and robustness. This paper discusses the integration of High-level Petri net-based service-oriented frameworks with 2D/3D engineering tools, allowing the digitally design, configuration, validation, simulation, control and monitoring of production systems, in an integrated manner. An experimental case study was implemented, based on the Petri nets Development toolKit (PnDK) development framework, to validate the proposed concepts.
- Integration of virtual and real environments for engineering service-oriented manufacturing systemsPublication . Leitão, Paulo; Mendes, João M.; Bepperling, Axel; Cachapa, Daniel; Colombo, Armando W.; Restivo, FranciscoEngineering frameworks are currently required to support the easy, low-cost, modular and integrated development of manufacturing systems addressing the emergent requirements of re-configurability, responsiveness and robustness. This paper discusses the integration of 2D/3D digital software tools with Petri net based service-oriented frameworks to allow the design, configuration, analysis, validation, simulation, monitoring and control of manufacturing systems in a virtual environment and its posterior smooth migration into the real ”physical” environment. An experimental case study was implemented to validate the proposed concepts, using the Continuum platform to design, compose, analyze, validate and simulate the Petri nets based service-oriented manufacturing control system, and the Delmia Automation™ software suite to support the rapid prototyping and the easy simulation of the designed control solution. The experimental results prove several aspects of the proposed approach, notably the smooth migration between the design and the operation phases, one of the main objectives of the work.
- Software methodologies for the engineering of service-oriented industrial automation: the continuum projectPublication . Mendes, João M.; Bepperling, Axel; Pinto, João; Leitão, Paulo; Restivo, Francisco; Colombo, Armando W.Service-orientation represents a new wave of features and solutions by bringing closer Information Technology to the industrial domain, particularly factory shop floors. The service-oriented automation software entities (designated here by bots) used in such approach requires a short set of methodologies and software targeting their specification for both computer systems and embedded automation devices. The present work explains the adopted methodologies and software developments for the engineering of service-based automation systems. The main contents focus on the specification of a framework for the development of bots and supporting engineering tools that are part of the Continuum project. The paper also does an overview over the engineering steps from the system design to the operation, and focuses the importance of the maintenance of automation bots. Such applications will contribute to decrease the development time and reduce the components' interdependency, offering enough flexibility for automatic reconfiguration of shop-floor layouts.