Robotics in the factory of the future: Robotic technology in shipbuilding applications

The United States Shipbuilding Industry is currently undergoing a period of self-examination with the prospect of a contest for survival of the fittest looming on the horizon. The few commercial shipbuilding contracts that appear on the worldwide market are typically awarded to one or another of the foreign competitors. The primary customer for the U.S. industry is the U.S. Navy, and that source cannot support the total shipbuilding capacity currently in existence. This paper offers the suggestion of flexible automation as a means for the industry to improve productivity. Problems associated with the implementation of this new technology are discussed and examples of projects that are intended to provide solutions for these problems are presented. Shipbuilders are making substantial efforts to improve their production methods and are using group technology concepts to establish process lanes where work of a similar nature is accomplished in the same work station. This rationalized approach coupled with the move of the robotics industry toward providing intelligent machines should provide an excellent opportunity for the introduction of flexible automation into an industry of vital importance to the national defense.     

Robotics in the factory of the future: AI in manufacturing: The NBS AMRF as an intelligent machine

Within its Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF), the U.S. National Bureau of Standards (NBS) is addressing research issues in interface standards for the fully automated factory of the future for the production of small batches of discrete parts. Consisting of robots, machine tools and computers, the AMRF is being integrated using a real-time, sensory-feedback, data-driven hierarchical control architecture. As such, the AMRF is a research tool for investigating the manufacturing enterprise as a system of intelligent machines. This paper: (1) describes the AMRF in terms of its real-time control system architecture; (2) notes the role of symbolic languages, knowledge-representation, sensory-processing and other aspects of artificial intelligence in its development; and (3) speculates on further application of AI in future intelligent manufacturing systems similar in form to the AMRF.     

汽车工厂Painted Body Storage的仿真研究

文章是针对于汽车厂PaintedBodyStorage(PBS)的模拟仿真研究。汽车厂装配车间是典型的混流生产方式的车间。在喷漆车间,为了减少颜色频繁变换带来的喷头清洗费用,需要尽量将相同颜色的车辆进行组合。PBS是位于油漆车间和装配车车间之间调配空间,控制投入到装配线的车辆顺序,装配线中要尽量要分散相同配置的车辆。满足车辆的接近禁止和均匀化等约束,一旦不能满足,就需要补助人员的投入。PBS的目标是尽量满足这两种约束条件。文章介绍了汽车工厂的PBS研究。提出了装配线的车辆顺序进场、出场的优化算法,通过模拟仿真证明了该算法的优越性,进行了运营因素中的灵敏度分析。     

输送机控制系统在自动化立体仓库中的应用

作为立体仓库的重要组成部分,输送机设备发挥着越来越重要的作用。仓库中所有货物的入库、出库等作业都必须通过输送机来完成。以某空港配餐公司自动化立体仓库为例,介绍了输送机在仓库中的应用,在立体仓库出入库工艺流程的基础上,分析设计了全自动模式下输送机出入库的步进流程图,并对不同工作模式下输送机的工艺流程进行了分析。     

S7-400在自动化立体仓库监控系统的应用

介绍烟厂烟叶配方自动化立体仓库的整个监控系统的结构,详细叙述西门子S7-400PLC在系统中硬件配置和程序设计。整个控制系统实现了仓库的管理监控,实际运行可靠,达到了设计要求。     

橡胶轮胎混合生产过程分布式调度系统结构

就混合生产过程调度系统的结构和组成进行了研究,分析了一般调度系统的计算机体系结构,根据混合生产过程分级协调的特点,提出了采用客户服务器模式来实现这种复杂生产过程分布式调度系统的结构。     

Electricity storage systems in the future German energy sector: An optimization of the German electricity generation system until 2040 considering grid restrictions

Due to the growing feed-in of electricity based on renewables, electricity storage systems will be essential in the future energy sector. Because of the volatile feed-in, electricity will have to be shifted temporally. Additionally, load centers and regions of potentially high wind-based electricity production are located far away from each other in Germany, resulting in the need to transport electricity from the north to the south. According to the targets defined by the German government, more than 60% of electricity generation in 2040 is to be based on renewables. A strategic allocation of storage systems might help to improve the utilization of grid capacities and integrate renewables at the same time. To analyze this, we implemented the possibility to commission storage systems throughout Germany in the energy system model PERSEUS-NET-ESS. This investment and dispatch model includes a DC approach of the German transmission grid and, thus, calculates not only the installed capacities, but also their optimal allocation. Besides storage systems, gas turbines or load shift potentials can be used for the integration of renewables. In this paper, we use PERSEUS-NET-ESS to evaluate the alternatives taking the grid restrictions into account. Results indicate that it is beneficial to commission about 3.2 GW of battery storage systems until 2040, provided that storage investment will drop to about 150 €/kWh until then. The main part of the capacity is to be deployed in northern Germany close to the sea, where electricity from off-shore wind parks will be fed into the grid. At the same time, the storage systems will be located mainly close to congested grid lines. For the case of battery storage systems being impossible in the model, gas turbines are commissioned instead. Modeling will also consider the load shift potential due to electric mobility. It can substitute almost all of the commissioned storage systems and at the same time reduce the total generation capacity needed.