Towards a lean automation interface for workstations

Methods and principles of Lean Production have become the major concepts to create highly efficient processes since the early 1990s. Due to its high effectiveness by reducing complexity and focusing on value-adding tasks, the Lean concept is still successful. Nevertheless, its changeability to produce highly customised products is limited. Industry 4.0 describes the vision of a smart production which can meet these future market requirements. Enablers are innovative information and communication technologies and the integration of all production entities into a common digital network. Lean Automation is the application of Industry 4.0 technologies to Lean Production methods in order to combine benefits from both domains. First proprietary Lean Automation solutions exist, but to enhance changeability in production, a common, unified communication interface is required. This paper presents the ongoing work towards an interface for digitising Lean Production methods using Cyber Physical Systems.     

Towards an integrated evaluation of flexible automation investments

This paper presents a decision-support-system (DSS) structure for flexible automation investments. It takes into account: (1) a comprehensive investment context for multimachine systems; (2) developments in modelling flexibility in economic evaluation; and (3) an integrated physical/financial design and evaluation, for capitalizing on recent developments in DSS technologies and automated decision/risk-analysis tools.     

Towards the design of a new standard for composite stiffness identification

This paper presents a step towards the design of a novel test for simultaneous identification of all the stiffness components of orthotropic composite materials. A simulator was adopted to numerically simulate the whole identification process. Synthetic images were generated and then processed by Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to calculate the strain fields. The Virtual Fields Method (VFM) was used to identify the material stiffness parameters and error functions were finally defined to evaluate the identification error. Two steps of optimization were applied to obtain the best design variables of different specimens and the optimal DIC processing parameters. Four types of test configuration were simulated including short off-axis tensile test, short off-axis open-hole tensile test, off-axis Brazilian disc and off-axis unnotched Iosipescu test and the most promising configuration was identified.     

RCADiA: simple automation platform for comparative multidimensional protein identification technology

Multidimensional liquid chromatography in combination with tandem mass spectrometry has been used to analyze a variety of biological structures including protein complexes. Incorporating this approach with autosampling devices presents a number of problems including decreased sensitivity due to exposure to extra surfaces, carryover from run to run, and increased dead volume. We developed a device, termed Radial Column Array for Distribution and Automation (RCADiA), to automate multiple MuDPIT experiments while eliminating many of these problems and maintaining a high resolution and sensitive analysis. The design, which places each sample downstream of any common fluid path, presents a low risk of carryover between successive analyses. Beyond the convenience of automation, the RCADiA platform also produces data of similar quality to the standard method of performing individual MuDPIT experiments. We demonstrate this device by performing a comparative analysis of mitochondria enriched from rat liver and spinal cord.     

Dimensions of manufacturing automation

The gamut of manufacturing automation and its ramifications in relation, to the strategic and operational issues can be appreciated only if the forces driving the system towards automation and their interrelationships are understood, Whether the automated technology is rigid (hard automation) or flexible; whether the control architecture for the system is interactive, passive, or intelligent; and whether the system is a direct evolution from a corresponding conventional (non-automated) system are some of the important considerations. A framework is required to relate the system parameters, leading to different configurations, with the strategic issues such as mix of configurations and path of evolution from one to another (or a mix) configuration, and operational issues such as a hierarchical (push) versus pull production control and the software logic support. Such a framework in terms of technological sophistication levels and control software sophistication levels is presented.     

On the effectiveness of performance-based adaptive automation

This article examines the effectiveness of different forms of performance-based adaptive automation (PBAA). Using data from three experiments (N = 10, N = 38, N = 40), different models of algorithm design were compared for their effectiveness in driving PBAA. The following components were varied: type of task (i.e. primary or secondary tasks), baseline of performance data (e.g. moving average), and triggering criterion (i.e. level of deviation from standard performance). The data were generated by operators working with a computer-based simulation of a process control environment. The results showed that none of the models enjoyed a convincing level of effectiveness. The automation algorithms generally achieved higher levels of miss prevention than false alarm prevention. Surprisingly, primary task performance was generally better at driving PBAA than secondary task performance. The results suggest that it may be difficult to design an effective algorithm of PBAA if the work environment is highly complex.     

Driving aviation forward; contrasting driving automation and aviation automation

ABSTRACT

Technological solutions incorporating automated functionality have been seen as tools that can be used to reduce human error in both aviation and driving environments whilst bringing about improvements to operational safety and reduced accident rates. Historically, aviation has led the way, but over recent years, developments in the field of driving automation have accelerated rapidly. This paper looks more closely at what aviation may now learn from driving by assessing the underlying motivations and use of automation within their respective fields, as well as the differing design philosophies used to implement such systems.     

新年致辞

激越的钟声,送走了令人难忘的2以抖年;绚丽的霞光,迎来了令人憧憬的2005年。岁月悄悄淌过我们为之忘情的标准化事业。在这辞旧迎新的喜庆时刻,我谨代表国家标准化管理委员会、中国标准化协会,向全国各界从事标准化工作的同志们道一声:你们辛苦了!向关心、支持标准化工作的朋友们表示衷心的感谢!在过去的一年中,在党中央、国务院的亲切关怀下,在各地方、各部门的大力支持下,全国标准化工作者围绕经济建设、社会进步和人民生活提高,做了大量卓有成效的工作,标准化的作用得到了全社会的广泛认同,标准化工作的地位得到了进一步的提升。近年来,我…     

新年致词

在喜庆的气氛中,我们步入了崭新的一年,在这辞旧迎新,继往开来的时刻,我谨代表中国标准化协会全体理事向一年来辛勤耕耘,努力工作的全国标准化工作者表示衷心的感谢和问候!2005年是我国圆满完成“十五”计划,取得辉煌成就的一年,也是我国标准化事业发展可圈可点的一年。在国务院各有关部门的大力支持与合作下,国家标准化管理委员会组织各行各业6000多名专家,付出了一年多时间的辛勤劳动,对我国现行的两万多项国家标准和正在制定的近万项国标计划项目进行了全面彻底的清理。清理结果的公布和后续工作的展开,为我国标准水平的提高和跨越式发展…