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  • 1.
    Bennulf, Mattias
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    A conceptual model for multi-agent communication applied on a plug & produce system2020In: Procedia CIRP, ISSN 2212-8271, E-ISSN 2212-8271, Vol. 93, p. 347-352Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Today, multi-agent systems are still uncommon in the industry because they require more time to be implemented than traditional manufacturing systems. In this paper, a conceptual model and guidelines are defined for communication and negotiation between agents for Plug & Produce systems. Standards for agent communication exists today, such as the FIPA collection of specifications. However, FIPA is a broad and general standard for any kind of system and leaves a lot of room for interpretation. This paper presents a new conceptual model and guidelines on how to simplify the implementation phase by limiting the choices an engineer must make when implementing a multi-agent system for a manufacturing system. © 2020 The Authors.

  • 2.
    Bennulf, Mattias
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    A Method for Configuring Agents in Plug & Produce Systems2022In: SPS2022: Proceedings of the 10th Swedish Production Symposium / [ed] Amos H.C. Ng, Anna Syberfeldt, Dan Högberg, Magnus Holm, IOS Press, 2022, Vol. 21, p. 135-146Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Multi-agent technology, used for implementing Plug & Produce systems have many proposed benefits for fast adaption of manufacturing systems. However, still today multi-agent technology is not ready for the industry, due to the lack of mature supporting tools and guidelines. The result is that today, multi-agent systems are more complicated and time-consuming to use than traditional approaches. This hides their true benefits. In this paper, a new method for configuring agents is presented that includes automated deployment to manufacturing systems and by its flexible design opens the possibility to connect many other supporting tools when needed. A configuration tool is also designed that works with the proposed method by connecting to an agent configuration database. The overall aim of the method is to simplify the steps taken for adapting a manufacturing system for new parts and resources.  

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  • 3.
    Bennulf, Mattias
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Identification of resources and parts in a Plug and Produce system using OPC UA2019In: Procedia Manufacturing, E-ISSN 2351-9789, Vol. 38, p. 858-865Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper describes a method together with an implementation for automating the detection, identification and configuration of newly added resources and parts in a Plug and Produce system using OPC UA. In a Plug and Produce system, resources and parts are usually controlled by agents, forming a multi-agent system of collaborating resources. Hence, when a resource or part is connected to the system, a corresponding agent must be instantiated and associated with that specific device. In order to automate this, the system needs information about newly connected devices. This information could, for example, be positional data describing where the device is connected. Some devices like tools and parts to be processed have no own network connection, but still, they should get an agent with correct configuration instantiated. In this work, OPC UA is used for communication between devices and the corresponding agents. All agents and their communication are handled by an Agent Handling System, consisting of an OPC UA HUB together with functions for device detection and agent instantiation. The HUB is used for transferring data between devices and their agents in the network by OPC UA protocols. When a device is connected to the network, it is detected, and a connection is automatically created to the HUB that becomes configured for transmitting data between the device and its corresponding agent. © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

  • 4.
    Bennulf, Mattias
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    Department of Signals and systems, Chalmers University of Technology (SWE).
    Goal-Oriented Process Plans in a Multiagent System for Plug & Produce2021In: IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, ISSN 1551-3203, E-ISSN 1941-0050, Vol. 17, no 4, p. 2411-2421Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This article presents a framework for Plug & Produce that makes it possible to use configurations rather than programming to adapt a manufacturing system for new resources and parts. This is solved by defining skills on resources, and goals for parts. To reach these goals, process plans are defined with a sequence of skills to be utilized without specifying specific resources. This makes it possible to separate the physical world from the process plans. When a process plan requires a skill, e.g., grip with a gripper resource, then that skill may require further skills, e.g., move with a robot resource. This creates a tree of connected resources that are not defined in the process plan. Physical and logical compatibility between resources in this tree is checked by comparing several parameters defined on the resources and the part. This article presents an algorithm together with a multiagent system framework that handles the search and matching required for selecting the correct resources.

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  • 5.
    Bennulf, Mattias
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Verification and deployment of automatically generated robot programs used in prefabrication of house walls2018In: Procedia CIRP, ISSN 2212-8271, E-ISSN 2212-8271, Vol. 72, p. 272-276Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper presents a method for automating the generation, verification and deployment of robot programs used in prefabrication of walls for family houses. The making of robot programs is today performed manually by experts, i.e. implying high costs. This is a huge disadvantage since each wall can be unique. The work demonstrates, with implementation and testing, a method to automate the generation of robot programs for fabrication of walls made of wood. This includes the task of generating collision free paths, automatic verification of path performance and deploying to a real industrial robot with minimal human interaction. © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  • 6.
    Bolmsjö, Gunnar
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Collaborative Robots to Support Flexible Operation in a Manufacturing System2012In: Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing, FAIM 2012 / [ed] Hasse Nylund, Satu Kantti, Ville Toivonen, Seppo Torvinen, Tampere University, Finland, 2012, p. 531-538Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Collaborative robotic systems where human(s) and robot(s) cooperate in performing a common task is an attractive solution to introduce automation combined with high flexibility for tasks that have a high complexity and characterized by low volume or down to one-off. By introducing collaboration in robotics systems, the operator can complement with cognitive capacity and skill in order to gain in flexibility and agility in the task operation. This paper describes on-going work related to work on collaboration between operator and robot. User scenarios are outlined together with methods, software components and hardware to support collaboration, where some of these are under development. As the standards related to collaborative robotic systems are soon to be completed, it is expected that this type of semi-automatic systems will be important for flexible and agile automation of production which otherwise cannot be automated.

  • 7.
    Carlsson, Henrik
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    A General Virtual Manufacturing Concept for Programming, Verification and Optimisation of Complex Control Functions2008In: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing, FAIM 2008: June 30th - July 2nd, 2008, University of Skövde, Sweden / [ed] Leo J. de Vin, Skövde, 2008, p. 668-675Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper describes a general virtual manufacturing concept for industrial control systems. Our virtual manufacturing concept provides a distinct advantage; programming, verification and optimisation of complex real-time dependent control functions described by real control code, which can be directly transferred to the real manufacturing system. To achieve this distinct advantage, a time synchronised virtual manufacturing system is a necessity. The aim of this paper is thus to present and to describe in detail, our proposed virtual manufacturing concept. To the authors’ knowledge no such general virtual manufacturing concept, i.e. one that can correctly handle complex real-time dependent control functions, currently exists. To summarise previous work related to virtual manufacturing and industrial control systems, several critical issues have been identified. The virtual manufacturing concept proposed in this paper addresses these issues. To verify that our concept can manage these critical issues found and further is suitable in industrial applications a virtual manufacturing test case is also presented. The test case, that includes motion control (i.e. servo), complex control functions, real control systems etc., was carried out with success.

  • 8.
    Carlsson, Henrik
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Signals and Systems.
    Methods for Reliable Simulation-Based PLC Code Verification2012In: IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, ISSN 1551-3203, E-ISSN 1941-0050, ISSN 1551-3203, Vol. 8, no 2, p. 267-278Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Simulation based PLC code verification is a part of virtual commissioning, where the control code is verified against a virtual prototype of an application. With today’s general OPC interface it is easy to connect a PLC to a simulation tool for e.g. verification purposes. However, there are some problems with this approach that can lead to an unreliable verification result. In this paper, four major problems with the OPC interface are described, and two possible solutions to the problems are presented: a general IEC 61131-3 based software solution, and a new OPC standard solution

  • 9.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Haijun, Xing
    University West.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    A Simulation-Based Optimization Approach for Holonic Manufacturing Systems2012In: Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing, FAIM 2012: Helsinki, 10-13 June / [ed] Hasse Nylund, Satu Kantti, Ville Toivonen, Seppo Torvinen, Tampere University, Finland: Tampere University of Technology, 2012, p. 515-522Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Holonic Manufacturing System (HMS) is an integrated multi-agent technology that represents the developing direction in the automation field. HMS can be represented as a non-hierarchical manufacturing architecture with no or limited supervision. However, it is a challenge for a single holon in a non-hierarchical system to make globally optimal decisions. This paper presents a simulation-based optimization method for HMS by introducing a new wizard holon. A wizard holon collects the necessary information from the entire HMS and uses Discrete Event System (DES) simulation to evaluate the cost of different decisions. Since a non-hierarchical approach is used the wizard input is only treated as an advice to achieve more globally optimal decisions. The decisions are still taken by the local holon. Even for an experienced operator it might be hard to predict the outcome of a decision in a critical situation. Hence, wizard advices are valuable for all types holons, including machines, robots, and operators.

  • 10.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    A flexible lean automation concept for robotized manufacturing industry2011In: Proceedings of the 4th International Swedish Production Symposium: 3 - 5, May, Lund, Lund: Swedish Production Academy , 2011, p. 361-367Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Due to constant changesin the market there is a need for low-cost and low-volume manufacturing.Usually this type of production is difficult to automate due to the time ittakes to become profitable and the inflexibility of such solutions.  Therefore, flexible automation solutions needto be addressed together with cost effective aspects. In this paper, a newconcept for the design of a flexible, robotized solution based on leanautomation is presented and simulated. The proposed lean automation concept isformed of standardized robot stations, human-robot collaboration and costeffective level of automation. The main goals are flexible automated productionsystem and reduced production cost. This paper shows that the proposed flexiblelean automation concept has some key advantages compared to the traditionalrobot cells; a longer lifetime for the robot cell as well as being easier tore-balance, introduce new parts to and expand the cell. Further, it also showsthat the proposed concept reduces the cost for automation of products with low volume.

  • 11.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Flexible Robotized Automation in Manufacturing Systems2011In: The 21st International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing: Taiwan, 26-29 June 2011, 2011, p. 207-214Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Due to constant changes in the market there is a need for low-cost and low-volume manufacturing. Usually this type of production is difficult to automate due to the time it takes to become profitable and the inflexibility of such solutions. Therefore, flexible automation solutions need to be addressed together with cost effective aspects. In this paper, a new concept for the design of a flexible, robotized solution based on lean automation is presented and simulated. The proposed lean automation concept is formed of standardized robot stations, human-robot collaboration and cost effective level of automation. The main goals are flexible automated production system and reduced production cost. This paper shows that the proposed flexible lean automation concept has some key advantages compared to the traditional robot cells; a longer lifetime for the robot cell as well as being easier to re-balance, introduce new parts to and expand the cell. Further, it also shows that the proposed concept reduces the cost for automation of products with low volume.

  • 12.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Gustavsson, Steve
    University West.
    A Flexible Lean Automation Concept for Robotized Manufacturing Industry2010In: MESM 2010: 11th Middle Eastern Simulation Multiconference / [ed] Mar wan Al-Akai di, Ostend: Eurosis , 2010, p. 101-104Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper describes a general virtual manufacturing concept for industrial control systems. Our virtual manufacturing concept provides a distinct advantage; programming, verification and optimisation of complex real-time dependent control functions described by real control code, which can be directly transferred to the real manufacturing system. To achieve this distinct advantage, a time synchronised virtual manufacturing system is a necessity. The aim of this paper is thus to present and to describe in detail, our proposed virtual manufacturing concept. To the authors’ knowledge no such general virtual manufacturing concept, i.e. one that can correctly handle complex real-time dependent control functions, currently exists. To summarise previous work related to virtual manufacturing and industrial control systems, several critical issues have been identified. The virtual manufacturing concept proposed in this paper addresses these issues. To verify that our concept can manage these critical issues found and further is suitable in industrial applications a virtual manufacturing test case is also presented. The test case, that includes motion control (i.e. servo), complex control functions, real control systems etc., was carried out with success.

  • 13.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    He, Jun
    University West.
    Integration of humans into a multi-agent system2013In: ESM'2013 The 2013 European Simulation and Modelling Conference / [ed] Stephan Onggo and Antonin Kavicka, Ostend, Belgien: EUROSIS-ETI Publication , 2013, p. 257-259Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The aim of this paper is to describe on-going work in the integration of humans in automated manufacturing systems. The intention is to achieve a flexible manufacturing system to meet the rapid developing and changing of today’s industry. The approach is based on a control concept with multi-agents. Humans, which are considered as a valuable factor in industrial production, are proposed as flexible agent resources for the automated manufacturing system.

    A test case was performed on a manufacturing system where three different groups of humans where integrated in the system; inspection, carrier and recovery. The P-SOP agent generator was used to automatically generate IEC 61131-3 PLC control code for the system.

  • 14.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Reddy, Dhanush
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    A genetic algorithm with shuffle for job shop scheduling problems2015In: Modelling and simulation 2015: The European simulation and modelling conference 2015, ESM 2015, October 26-28 Leicester, United Kingdom / [ed] Marwan Al-Akaidi & Aladdin Ayesh, Ostend: ESM , 2015, p. 363-367Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Job shop scheduling problems are computationally complex combinatorial optimization problems. Genetic algorithms have been used in various forms and in combination with other algorithms to solve job shop scheduling problems. A partially flexible job shop with precedence constraints increases this complex behaviour. There are two main parts to optimizing ajob shop, the routing and the scheduling. The objective here is to get consistent optimal makespan using a genetic algorithm. This paper firstly, presents a simulation approach for the considered partially flexible job shop scheduling problem. Which take into account the precedence constraints and reduce situations of deadlock. To solve the partially flexible job shop scheduling problem a genetic algorithm was used and improved. It utilise a genetic crossovers for routing and a new random shuffle feature is introduced for the scheduling. The computational results have shown that the algorithm performs well in terms of finding a consistent optimal schedule for the given problem

  • 15.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems. University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems. Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Signals and Systems, Gothenburg, Sweden.
    Constructive cooperative coevolutionary optimisation for interacting production stations2015In: The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, ISSN 0268-3768, E-ISSN 1433-3015, Vol. 78, no 1-4, p. 673-688Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Optimisation of the control function for multiple automated interacting production stations is a complex problem, even for skilled and experienced operators or process planners. When using mathematical optimisation techniques, it often becomes necessary to use simulation models to represent the problem because of the high complexity (i.e. simulation-based optimisation). Standard optimisation techniques are likely to either exceed the practical time frame or under-perform compared to the manual tuning by the operators or process planners. This paper presents the Constructive cooperative coevolutionary (C3) algorithm, which objective is to enable effective simulation-based optimisation for the control of automated interacting production stations within a practical time frame. C3 is inspired by an existing cooperative coevolutionary algorithm. Thereby, it embeds an algorithm that optimises subproblems separately. C3 also incorporates a novel constructive heuristic to find good initial solutions and thereby expedite the optimisation. In this work, two industrial optimisation problems, involving interaction production stations, with different sizes are used to evaluate C3. The results illustrate that with C3, it is possible to optimise these problems within a practical time frame and obtain a better solution compared to manual tuning.

  • 16.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Signals and Systems.
    Optimisation of Interacting Production Stations using a Constructive Cooperative Coevolutionary Approach2014In: Proceedings of 2014 IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE), IEEE conference proceedings, 2014, p. 322-327Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Simulation-based optimisation carries the burden of computationally expensive fitness calculations. It is very often used to tackle large-scale optimisation problems with a relatively high level of complexity. Therefore, it is of interest to have optimisation techniques dedicated to simulation-based optimisation. This paper proposes a simulation-based optimisation approach, called Constructive Cooperative Coevolutionary (C3) search procedure, to optimise the control of interacting production stations. An optimisation algorithm is embedded in the C3 search procedure to optimise subproblems separately. It includes a novel constructive heuristic that creates a feasible solution for the considered problem efficiently. It also incorporates an extended version of the existing cooperative coevolutionary method that can handle large-scale optimisation problems. Furthermore, this paper presents a case study considering a sheet metal press line as an example of interacting production stations. In this case study, the performance of the proposedC3 search procedure is evaluated and compared with other optimisation algorithms. This shows that the C3 search procedure is able to successfully optimise the press line within a given number of fitness calculations, outperforming existing algorithms. Also, it is shown that C3 can be embedded with either stochastic or deterministic optimisation algorithms, without sacrificing performance.

  • 17.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Parthasarathy, Prithwick
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Energy Consumption Model for 2D-Belt Robots2016In: 7th Swedish Production Symposium Conference proceedings, Lund: SPS16 , 2016, p. 1-7Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Production that incorporates robotics consumes energy and the trend today is to reduce consumed energy not only to lower the cost but also to be a more energy efficient entity. Energy models can be used to predict the energy consumed by robot(s) for optimising the input parameters which determine robot motion and task execution. This paper presents an energy model to predict the energy consumption of 2D-belt robots used for press line tending. Based on the components’ specifications and the trajectory, an estimation of the energy consumption is computed. The capabilities of the proposed energy model to predict the energy consumption during the planning-phase (i.e. before installation), avoiding the need for physical experiments, are demonstrated. This includes predicting potential energy reductions achieved by reducing the weight of the gripper tools. Additionally, it is also shown how to investigate the energy saving achieved by using mechanical brakes when the robot is idle. This effectively illustrates the purpose and usefulness of the proposed energy model.

  • 18.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    WMG, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom (GBR).
    Parthasarathy, Prithwick
    ISolve Technologies, Chennai, 600018, India (IND).
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Energy model for motion planning of 2D-belt press line tending robots2020In: International Journal of Manufacturing Research, ISSN 1750-0591, Vol. 15, no 1, p. 52-72Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A current trend in production is to reduce energy consumption where possible not only to lower the cost but also to be a more energy efficient entity. This paper presents an energy model to estimate the electrical energy consumption of 2D-belt robots used for material handling in multi-stage sheet metal press lines. An estimation of the energy consumption is computed by the proposed energy model based on the robot components’ specifications, the robot path and trajectory. The proposed model can predict the energy consumption offline by simulation, and thus, before installation, avoiding the need for physical experiments. It is demonstrated that it can be used for predicting potential energy reductions achieved by optimising the motion planning. Additionally, it is also shown how to investigate the energy saving achieved by using mechanical brakes when the robot is idle. This effectively illustrates the usefulness of the proposed energy model. © 2020 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

  • 19.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Technology, Mathematics and Computer Science, Division for Electrical Engineering and Land Surveying. University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems. Department of Signals and Systems, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
    A Constructive Cooperative Coevolutionary Algorithm Applied to Press Line Optimisation2014In: Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing: Capturing Competitive Advantage via Advanced Manufacturing and Enterprise Transformation / [ed] F. Frank Chen, Lancaster, PA, USA: DEStech Publications, Inc. , 2014, p. 909-916Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Simulation-based optimisation often considers computationally expensive problems. Successfully optimising such large scale and complex problems within a practical time frame is a challenging task. Optimisation techniques to fulfil this need to be developed. A technique to address this involves decomposing the considered problem into smaller subproblems. These subproblems are then optimised separately. In this paper, an efficient algorithm for simulation-based optimisation is proposed. The proposed algorithm extends the cooperative coevolutionary algorithm, which optimises subproblems separately. To optimise the subproblems, the proposed algorithm enables using a deterministic algorithm, next to stochastic genetic algorithms, getting the flexibility of using either type. It also includes a constructive heuristic that creates good initial feasible solutions to reduce the number of fitness calculations. The extension enables solving complex, computationally expensive problems efficiently. The proposed algorithm has been applied on automated sheet metal press lines from the automotive industry. This is a highly complex optimisation problem due to its non-linearity and high dimensionality. The optimisation problem is to find control parameters that maximises the line’s production rate. These control parameters determine velocities, time constants, and cam values for critical interactions between components. A simulation model is used for the fitness calculation during the optimisation. The results show that the proposed algorithm manages to solve the press line optimisation problem efficiently. This is a step forward in press line optimisation since this is to the authors’ knowledge the first time a press line has been optimised efficiently in this way.

  • 20.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems. Department of Signals and Systems, Chalmers University of Technology, S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
    Constructive cooperative coevolution for large-scale global optimisation2017In: Journal of Heuristics, ISSN 1381-1231, E-ISSN 1572-9397, Vol. 23, no 6, p. 449-469Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper presents the Constructive Cooperative Coevolutionary ( C3C3 ) algorithm, applied to continuous large-scale global optimisation problems. The novelty of C3C3 is that it utilises a multi-start architecture and incorporates the Cooperative Coevolutionary algorithm. The considered optimisation problem is decomposed into subproblems. An embedded optimisation algorithm optimises the subproblems separately while exchanging information to co-adapt the solutions for the subproblems. Further, C3C3 includes a novel constructive heuristic that generates different feasible solutions for the entire problem and thereby expedites the search. In this work, two different versions of C3C3 are evaluated on high-dimensional benchmark problems, including the CEC'2013 test suite for large-scale global optimisation. C3C3 is compared with several state-of-the-art algorithms, which shows that C3C3 is among the most competitive algorithms. C3C3 outperforms the other algorithms for most partially separable functions and overlapping functions. This shows that C3C3 is an effective algorithm for large-scale global optimisation. This paper demonstrates the enhanced performance by using constructive heuristics for generating initial feasible solutions for Cooperative Coevolutionary algorithms in a multi-start framework.

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  • 21.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems. University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems. Department of Signals and systems, Chalmers University of Technology.
    Improved Constructive Cooperative Coevolutionary Differential Evolution for Large-Scale Optimisation2016In: Computational Intelligence, 2015 IEEE Symposium Series on, IEEE, 2016, p. 1703-1710, article id 7376815Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm is widely used for real-world global optimisation problems in many different domains. To improve DE's performance on large-scale optimisation problems, it has been combined with the Cooperative Coevolution (CCDE) algorithm. CCDE adopts a divide-and-conquer strategy to optimise smaller subcomponents separately instead of tackling the large-scale problem at once. DE then evolves a separate subpopulation for each subcomponent but there is cooperation between the subpopulations to co-adapt the individuals of the subpopulations with each other. The Constructive Cooperative Coevolution (C3DE) algorithm, previously proposed by the authors, is an extended version of CCDE that has a better performance on large-scale problems, interestingly also on non-separable problems. This paper proposes a new version, called the Improved Constructive Cooperative Coevolutionary Differential Evolution (C3iDE), which removes several limitations with the previous version. A novel element of C3iDE is the advanced initialisation of the subpopulations. C3iDE initially optimises the subpopulations in a partially co-adaptive fashion. During the initial optimisation of a subpopulation, only a subset of the other subcomponents is considered for the co-adaptation. This subset increases stepwise until all subcomponents are considered. The experimental evaluation of C3iDE on 36 high-dimensional benchmark functions (up to 1000 dimensions) shows an improved solution quality on large-scale global optimisation problems compared to CCDE and DE. The greediness of the co-adaptation with C3iDE is also investigated in this paper.

  • 22.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems. Department of Signals and Systems, Chalmers University of Technology,Gothenburg, Sweden.
    Multi-objective constructive cooperative coevolutionary optimization of robotic press-line tending2017In: Engineering optimization (Print), ISSN 0305-215X, E-ISSN 1029-0273, Vol. 49, no 10, p. 1685-1703Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This article investigates multi-objective optimization of the robot trajectories and position-based operation-coordination of complex multi-robot systems, such as press lines, to improve the production rate and obtaining smooth motions to avoid excessive wear of the robots’ components. Different functions for handling the multiple objectives are evaluated on realworld press lines, including both scalarizing single-objective functions and Pareto-based multi-objective functions. Additionally, the Multi-Objective Constructive Cooperative Coevolutionary (moC3) algorithm is proposed, for Pareto-based optimization, which uses a novel constructive initialization of the subpopulations in a co-adaptive fashion. It was found that Paretobased optimization performs better than the scalarizing single-objective functions. Furthermore, moC3 gives substantially better results compared to manual online tuning, as currently used in the industry. Optimizing robot trajectories and operation-coordination of complex multi-robot systems using the proposed method with moC3 significantly improves productivity and reduces maintenance. This article hereby addresses the lack of systematic methods for effectively improving the productivity of press lines.

  • 23.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Manufacturing Processes. University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems. Chalmers.
    Optimised Control of Sheet Metal Press Lines2014In: Proceedings of the 6th International Swedish Production Symposium 2014 / [ed] Stahre, Johan, Johansson, Björn & Björkman, Mats, 2014, p. 1-9Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Determining the control parameters for sheet metal press lines is a large scale and complex optimisation problem. These control parameters determine velocities, time constants, and cam values of critical interactions between the equipment. The complexity of this problem is due to the nonlinearities and high dimensionality. Classical optimisation techniques often underperform in solving this kind of problems within a practical timeframe. Therefore, specialised techniques need to be developed for these problems. An existing approach is simulation-based optimisation, which is to use a simulation model to evaluate the trial solutions during the optimisation. In this paper, an efficient simulation-based optimisation algorithm for large scale and complex problems is proposed. The proposed algorithm extends the cooperative coevolutionary algorithm, which optimises subproblems separately. Hence, the optimisation problem must be decomposed into subproblems that can be evaluated separately. To optimise the subproblems, the proposed algorithm allows using embedded deterministic algorithms, next to stochastic genetic algorithms, getting the flexibility of using either type. It also includes a constructive heuristic that creates good initial feasible solutions to expedite the optimisation. The extension enables solving complex, computationally expensive problems efficiently. The proposed algorithm has been applied on an automated sheet metal press line from the automotive industry. The objective is to find control parameters that maximise the line’s production rate. The results show that the proposed algorithm manages to find optimal control parameters efficiently within the practical timeframe. This is a step forward in press line optimisation since to the authors’ knowledge this is the first time a press line has been optimised efficiently in this way.

  • 24.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems. University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Simulation-based Time and Jerk Optimisation for Robotic Press Tending2015In: Modellling and Simulation: The European simulation and modelling conference 2015, ESM 2015, Ostende: ESM , 2015, p. 377-384Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Increased production rate and robot motion smoothness in a sheet metal press line are essential. Smooth robot motions avoid unplanned production interruptions and excessive wear of the robots. Reaching high production rate and smooth motions requires tuning of the tending press robot control to minimise the cycle time and jerk. Doing this for a press line with multiple robots is a complex large-scale problem. To model such problems for the optimisation process, computer simulations become almost essential. This work presents simulation-based optimisation of the time and jerk of robotic press tending operations and investigates the importance of including the robot motion’s smoothness. An optimiser works in concert with a simulation model of a sheet metal press line and its parametrised control system. The effect of including jerk minimisation in the objective function is tested on a real-world problem concerning a sheetmetal press line. The results illustrate the importance of including jerk-minimisation as an objective in the optimisation.Furthermore, the performance of this approach is compared with manual tuning by experienced operators. The results show that the proposed simulation-based optimisation approach outperforms manual tuning.

  • 25.
    Glorieux, Emile
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Parthasarathy, Prithwick
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    An energy model for press line tending robots2016In: ESM'2016, the 2016 European simulation and Modelling Conference: Modelling and Simulation '2016 / [ed] José Evora-Gomez & José Juan Hernandez-Cabrera, Eurosis , 2016, p. 377-383Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Today most industries aim at reducing energy consumption to become sustainable and environment-friendly. The automotive industry, with mass production and large volumes, is one such example. With many robots working round the clock, there is great potential to save energy. In this climate there is a need for robot simulation models that can be used for motion and task execution optimisation and which are aimed lowering energy consumption. This paper presents an energy consumption model for 2D-belt robots for press line tending in the automotive sector. The energy model is generic for 2D-belt robots and is entirely based on component specifications (e.g., dimensions, masses, inertia). An implementation and validation against a real 2D-belt tending robot used in the automotive industry is performed and presented. The purpose and usefulness of the energy model is also demonstrated by two application cases; the investigation of potential energy reductions achieved by reducing the weight of gripper tools, and by using mechanical brakes when the robot is idle.

  • 26.
    Massouh, Bassam
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Ramasamy, Sudha
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    A Framework for Hazard Identification of a Collaborative Plug&Produce System2022In: Communications in Computer and Information Science, ISSN 1865-0929, E-ISSN 1865-0937, Vol. 1616 CCIS, p. 144-155Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Plug&Produce systems accept reconfiguration and have the attribute of physical and logical flexibility. To implement the Plug&Produce system in a manufacturing plant, there is a need to assure that the system is safe. The process of risk assessment provides information that is used to implement the proper safety measures to ensure human and machine safety. An important step in the risk assessment process is hazard identification. Hazard identification of Plug&Produce system is unique as the hazard identification method provided in the safety standards do not consider system flexibility. In this paper, a framework for hazard identification of a collaborative Plug&Produce system is presented. A study case that includes a collaborative Plug&Produce system is presented and the framework is applied to identify the system’s hazards. Also, the generalisation of the framework application is discussed. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

  • 27.
    Nilsson, Anders
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Bennulf, Mattias
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    A Classification of Different Levels of Flexibility in an Automated Manufacturing System and Needed Competence2021In: Towards Sustainable Customization: Bridging Smart Products and Manufacturing Systems: Proceedings of the 8th Changeable, Agile, Reconfigurable and Virtual Production Conference (CARV2021) and the 10th World Mass Customization & Personalization Conference (MCPC2021), Aalborg, Denmark, October/November 2021 / [ed] Ann-Louise Andersen, Rasmus Andersen, Thomas Ditlev Brunoe, Maria Stoettrup Schioenning Larsen, Kjeld Nielsen, Alessia Napoleone, Stefan Kjeldgaard, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH , 2021, p. 27-34Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Mass customization has become more attractive but requires a transformation towards more flexible solutions in contrast to dedicated manufacturing systems. Flexibility includes complex tasks such as the introduction of new products or new manufacturing processes as well as to efficiently handle daily balancing. The main challenge when it comes to flexibility in manufacturing is to be able to handle the technical aspects and still be competitive. In this article we consider the cost for flexibility to include two main things; (1) setup time, e.g., time for planning, design, programming and configuration, installation, ramp-up, scrapping of old equipment, preparation of facility, hardware installation, and (2) need of competence, inhouse knowledge, external competence, or external expert competence. This article presents an overview of available solutions and the level of flexibility and the level of competence that is needed for a reconfiguration one can expect out of a specific solution. Further, most of the existing solutions found do not consider or address the full problem of flexibility. However, we describe a possible future of industrial concept: Plug & Produce, which can address flexibility within manufacturing more completely and sustainably over time. Methods for configuration instead of programming are developed by University West. 

  • 28.
    Nilsson, Anders
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Customization and flexible manufacturing capacity using a graphical method applied on a configurable multi-agent system2023In: Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, ISSN 0736-5845, E-ISSN 1879-2537, Vol. 79, article id 102450Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This article proposes a Plug & Produce and goal-oriented configurable multi-agent system that admits adding and removing resources to balance the manufacturing capacity without doing any digital reconfiguration or reprogramming. To handle that a new part-agent strategy is developed and described. Goals are central in designing autonomous multi-agent systems, possibilities to execute goals in parallel are desirable when the process requirements admit concurrent use of resources. Also, a standardized graphical method, the sequence of goals chart, is proposed to define and visualize parallel and sequential goals independently of available resources. Premanufacturing of wooden houses belongs to one of many manufacturing industries that claim flexible automation systems due to the high degree of customized products and a fluctuating market. A physical Plug & Produce robot-based workstation was built up to verify the flexibility in altering capacity and adoption to product modifications of a house wall section. Further, the simplicity of modifying the proposed configurable multi-agent system was compared to more traditionally designed systems and plain multi-agent systems with superior results. The flexibility is built into the proposed system by default as a part of the concept, simple enough to be handled by existing in-house knowledge within manufacturing companies. 

    Download full text (pdf)
    fulltext
  • 29.
    Nilsson, Anders
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    From CAD to Plug & Produce: A generic structure for the integration of standard industrial robots into agents2023In: The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, ISSN 0268-3768, E-ISSN 1433-3015, Vol. 128, no 11-12, p. 5249-5260Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Industries of low-batches or one-of manufacturing aim for automation that is competitive enough to adapt to new or modifed products daily through in-house knowledge that focuses on manufacturing processes and not on machine function programming. To solve this, a complete set of actions that utilize seamless data transfer from product design in CAD to a Plug & Produce automation concept is proposed together with a generic structure for the integration of standard industrial robots into agents. This structure enables agents to handle their local reference coordinate systems and locations relative to a global perspective. Seamless utilization of data from product designs to Plug & Produce will simplify and shorten the time of digital development through concurrently usable text-based and graphical confguration tools of a confgurable multi-agent system. Needed data extracts directly from the product design as requirements of operational goals. Extraction of data from the product design, sequence of goals, and process plans, which are recipes of how to solve goals, can by this concept be confgured by in-house knowledge that has the process knowledge but not necessarily programming competence.

    Download full text (pdf)
    fulltext
  • 30.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    A Simulation-Based Optimisation Method for PLC Systems2012Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Tuning of process parameters such as time constants, cam values, velocities and robot paths, in order to increase capacity utilisation, is today a challenging manual on-line task in many automated manufacturing systems. On-line methods interfere with production and will cause unwanted downtime, which indeed reduces capacity utilisation. The literature offers virtual manufacturing and simulation-based optimisation as an approach, but without handling time-synchronised control functions, e.g. motion and feedback control.

    This thesis presents a simulation-based optimisation method for PLC systems, able to handle time-synchronised control functions. A programmable logic controller (PLC) is a commonly used type of industrial control system that is capable of handling all control functions in a manufacturing system. The approach presented in this thesis is, however, independent of the type of control systems used. Hence, PLC is used as a general name for all control systems, managing all discrete event, continuous feedback, motion, supervisory, as well as safety control functions.

    A generic simulation-based method for tuning of process parameters has been formulated.  Various goals are attainable by a multi-criteria optimisation approach. The idea is to use a time-synchronised hardware-in-the-loop simulation including real PLCs. By this approach, the method provides a distinct advantage as it involves all complex control functions by using the real PLC code. An additional benefit is that all tuned process parameters can be directly transferred to the PLCs in the manufacturing plant.

    To achieve a feasible simulation-based optimisation method for PLC systems, a new Combined Lipschitzian and Simplex (CoLiS) optimisation algorithm has been established. Complex control functions in industrial manufacturing systems cause conditions such as highly non-linear functions with multiple local optima, a considerable number of parameters and long evaluation times. All these conditions are managed by the non-gradient global CoLiS algorithm. The CoLiS algorithm starts with a global search and then switches over to local convergence. Additionally, all local optima determined during the global search are selected and then constitute starting points in separate local optimisation instances.

    To verify the formulated method’s suitability in industrial applications, and the effectiveness of the new CoLiS algorithm, an optimisation case study has been performed. Improved production performance, both in terms of increased production rate and smoother robot motions, was reached in an automotive sheet-metal press line.

  • 31.
    Svensson, Bo
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Optimisation of Manufacturing Systems Using Time Synchronised Simulation2010Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Download full text (pdf)
    FULLTEXT01
  • 32.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    A new Combined Optimisation Algorithm for Sheet-Metal Press Line Tuning2012In: Proceedings of the 5th International Swedish Production Symposium, SPS12: 6th-8th of November 2012 Linköping, Sweden / [ed] Mats Björkman, Linköping: Produktionsakademien, The Swedish Production Academy , 2012, p. 479-485Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper shows how a new combined optimisation algorithm can improve the efficiency in simulation-based parameter tuning of sheet-metal press lines. In automotive tandem sheet-metal press lines there are a number of critical interactions between moving parts to consider during the loading and unloading motions. All these interactions, both within each station and between the stations, are time-critical and must be synchronised to reach high production rates and avoid collisions. This cause conditions such as a highly non-linear objective functions with multiple local optima, considerable number of parameters, and long evaluation times. It is a great challenge to obtain an efficient direct search algorithm for global multi-criteria optimisation fulfilling all these conditions.

    The new combined algorithm starts with the Lipschitzian algorithm DIRECT as global search and then switches over to the Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm for local convergence. Furthermore, during the switch over, the algorithm determines all local candidates of the set of points evaluated by DIRECT, and starts multiple Nelder-Mead local searches in each of these.

  • 33.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Improving Performance in Flexible Manufacturing by a P-sop Approach2014In: Proceedings of the 6th International Swedish Production Symposium 2014 / [ed] Stahre, Johan, Johansson, Björn & Björkman, Mats, 2014, p. 1-8Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper present a Part oriented Sequence of Operation (P-SOP) approach that address flexibility, robustness and deployment in manufacturing cells up to plant level. A P-SOP description language has been formulated where the control strategy based on actual circumstances easily can be defined. Furthermore, a P-SOP multi-agent generator has been created that compiles the strategy description to multi-agents that control the manufacturing. Deadlock free IEC 61131-3 PLC code are directly generated from the description language. The code is not optimised for a specific scenario since the general description contains all possible routing paths and all resources available.

  • 34.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Off-Line Parameter Tuning of a Sheet-Metal Press Line2011In: The 4th International Swedish Production Symposium, Lund: Swedish Production Academy , 2011, p. 459-466Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Anautomotive sheet-metal press line is an excellent example of an automatedmanufacturing system with time dependent complex control functions. The PLCcontrol functions include not only discrete events and supervisory control, butalso analogue feedback and motion control. Furthermore, most press line tuningmethods today are on-line and highly empirical, depending on individualoperators. Thus, there is a need of an objective off-line parameter tuningmethod. This paper presents an off-line parameter tuning of an automotivesheet-metal press line. Improved production performances have been reached,both in terms of increased production rate and smoother robot motions, comparedto today’s industrial on-line method. Two suitable optimisation algorithms havebeen implemented and evaluated. The challenge is to handle highly non-linearfunctions, considerable number of parameters, and long evaluation times in thesimulation. The utilised off-line method is a combination of simulation basedoptimisation and time synchronised hardware-in-the-loop simulation, i.e. avirtual manufacturing system including real PLCs. This method provides adistinct advantage, since it describes all complex control functions byexecuting the same PLC control code used in the manufacturing plant. A furtherbenefit is that all tuned process parameters can be directly transferred to themanufacturing plant.

  • 35.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation Systems.
    P-SOP -€“ A multi-agent based control approach for flexible and robust manufacturing2015In: Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, ISSN 0736-5845, E-ISSN 1879-2537, Vol. 36, p. 109-118, article id 1301Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In a truly flexible manufacturing system the description of the control strategy must be updated every day. Hence, a new way to handle changes in the environment down to control system deployment and production is required. This paper presents a novel approach, based on P-SOP, to handle multi-agent based control and verification. The P-SOP approach addresses flexibility, robustness and deployment in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort. P-SOP includes a description language where the control strategy based on actual circumstances easily can be defined. Based on the description multi-agents, to control the manufacturing, are automatically generated. An industrial advantage is that the multi-agent generator creates IEC 61131-3 PLC code that can be executed on standard PLC’s. This feature eliminates the need for experts in PLC programming and reduce deployment time to become more efficient. Hence, this flexibility enables small series down to one off production in a competitive way. With multi-agent control it is also possible to handle rebalancing due to market changes, scheduling of available humans, introduction of new part types, and rerouting due to a machine break down or planned service. The generated agents are not optimised for a final solution with specific timings. All decisions are made on-line and the generated solution adapts to the circumstances that arise. With the P-SOP multi-agents it is easy to manually remove or introduce parts to the manufacturing cell without disturbing the system, e.g. for manually random inspections, removal of parts due to restart. The formulated description language and the multi-agent generator has been successfully tested and evaluated in an industrial environment.

  • 36.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    A Virtual Real-Time Model for Control Software Development: applied on a Sheet-Metal Press Line2005In: Industrial Simulation Conference 2005 / [ed] Jörg Kruger, Alexei Lisounkin, Gerhard Schreck, 2005, p. 119-123Conference paper (Refereed)
  • 37.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering. University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    An efficient algorithm for press line optimisation2013In: The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, ISSN 0268-3768, E-ISSN 1433-3015, Vol. 68, no 5, p. 1627-1638Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Automated manufacturing processes such as automotive tandem press lines include time dependent complex control functions. All motions and critical interactions between moving parts must be synchronised to avoid collisions and reach high production rate. It is even for a skilled operator hard to optimise these processes on-line. Therefore, a hardware-in-the-loop simulation including real industrial control systems and its control code establish an essential tool for optimisation. Additionally, an efficient optimisation algorithm is required to reach a useful simulation-based optimisation method. This paper proposes a new optimisation algorithm starting with the Lipschitzian algorithm DIRECT as global search and then switches over to the Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm for local convergence. During the switch over, the new algorithm determines all local candidates of the set of points evaluated by DIRECT and starts multiple Nelder-Mead local searches in each of these. An optimisation study for an automotive press line shows that the proposed algorithm combines the benefits of the Lipschitzian and the simplex algorithms in an efficient way. The importance of multiple local searches from all local candidates found is also shown in the study. Based on the same number of function evaluations, it is also shown that this algorithm reaches improved press line performances compared to the stochastic differential evolution algorithm.

  • 38.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering. University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Off-Line Optimisation of Complex Automated Production Lines: Applied on a Sheet-Metal Press Line2007In: Proceedings of the 2007 IEEE International Symposium on Assembly and Manufacturing, IEEE , 2007, p. 82-87Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper presents a successful off-line

    optimisation case study of a sheet-metal press line for the

    automotive industry. The proposed off-line optimisation

    method results not only in increased production rate but also in

    obtaining smoother material handling motions. The off-line

    optimisation method contains two parts. The first part is a

    parameter study, combining factorial design with production

    line simulation including emulated control systems and

    resulting in a simplified performance model based on multiple

    linear regression. The second part is an optimisation on the

    simplified performance model using the Nelder Mead simplex

    method aiming at production optimisation. Due to the

    complexity in a modern production line, it is not possible to

    create a useful model representation of the entire control

    system code/function. Therefore, the proposed optimisation

    method is based on using production line simulation including

    emulated control systems with the real IEC 61131-3 control

    code. Our approach in this work is a parameter variation

    strategy for optimisation, i.e. adjusting the control system

    parameters in the same way as the line operators do, and not

    changing any control strategy.

  • 39.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering. University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Simulation based optimization of a sheet-metal press line2009In: IEEE Conference on Emerging Technologies & Factory Automation, ETFA 2009, 2009, p. 1-8Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    An off-line optimization of a sheet-metal press line is performed with improved production performances, both in terms of increased production rate and smoother robot motions. Smooth motions prevent the sheet-metal to slide out of position or even fall out, thereby causing lengthy down times. The simulation based method use a process optimizer connected to a time synchronized virtual manufacturing model including real industrial control systems, e.g. PLC. The key benefit herein is that all tuned control system parameters can be directly downloaded to the real press line without any post-processing or transformations. The challenge to find suitable optimization algorithms for a press line that handle highly nonlinear, discontinuous functions; considerable number of parameters; and long evaluation times is reached.

  • 40.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering. University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Production Systems.
    Time-synchronised hardware-in-the-loop simulation - Applied to sheet-metal press optimisation2012In: Control Engineering Practice, ISSN 0967-0661, E-ISSN 1873-6939, Vol. 20, no 8, p. 792-804Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper presents an off-line process parameter tuning method, focussing on complex control functions for automated manufacturing systems. The proposed method is based on a combination of simulation-based optimisation and time-synchronised hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Real indus- trial control systems, e.g., PLCs, are included in the simulation, executing the unchanged control code from the manufacturing plant. This approach allows all plant control functions to be included, even time-critical feedback loops and vendor secret blocks such as motion control. Consequently, the method suggested manages the problems identified in previously presented simulation-based approaches. Furthermore, a case study of an automotive sheet-metal press line has been performed to verify the proposed method, with successful results.

  • 41.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Virtual Real-Time Model: a Tool for Increased Production2005In: Mekatronikmöte 2005, 2005Conference paper (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Increasing the total number of produced components in a pre-existing production line, which is a large-scale mechatronic system, is a continuous and never-ending story in industry. There is a need for tools and methods to develop the control software off-line, i.e. to manage programming, verification, validation, optimisation, training new operators, etc. without using the real production line. Therefore a general Virtual Real-Time Model, VRTM, for simulating industrial production lines is proposed. The VRTM is intended to be used for off-line control software development and is aimed at increase the throughput in highly automated production lines. The main features of the VRTM are that the same control software is used as in the real production line and that virtual real-time is used, implying that everything is time-synchronised and works in the same way as in the real production line (including security functions). An applied VRTM simulating a sheet-metal press line is implemented and validated. A comparison test with the press line at Volvo Car Manufacturing in Göteborg is performed with a satisfactory agreement. This shows that the VRTM can be used for off-line control software development.

  • 42.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Nia, Nima K.
    Volvo Cars, VCIT, Olofström, Sweden.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Lennartson, Bengt
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Electrical and Automation Engineering.
    Sheet-Metal Press Line Parameter Tuning using a Combined DIRECT and Nelder-Mead Algorithm2011In: The 16th IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation: Toulouse, France, September 5-9, 2011, 2011, p. 1-8Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    It is a great challenge to obtain an efficient algorithm for global optimisation of nonlinear, nonconvex and high dimensional objective functions. This paper shows how the combination of DIRECT and Nelder-Mead algorithms can improve the efficiency in the parameter tuning of a sheet-metal press line. A combined optimisation algorithm is proposed that determines and utilises all local optimal points from DIRECT algorithm as Nelder-Mead starting points. To reduce the total optimisation time, all Nelder-Mead optimisations can be executed in parallel. Additionally, a Collision Inspection Method is implemented in the simulation model to reduce the evaluation time. Altogether, this results in an industrially useful parameter tuning method. Improvements of an increased production rate of 7% and 40% smoother robot motions have been achieved.

  • 43.
    Svensson, Bo
    et al.
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Nilsson, Anders
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    Danielsson, Fredrik
    University West, Department of Engineering Science, Division of Automation and Computer Engineering.
    P-SOP Agent Generator for Flexible Manufacturing2013In: Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, ISSN 2195-4356, E-ISSN 2195-4364, Vol. 7, p. 341-353Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In a flexible manufacturing industry the production planner may need to make an updated description of the control strategy every day. The description contains all possible routing paths and is based on actual circumstances. It varies depending on, e.g., rebalancing due to market changes, scheduling of available operators, introduction of new parts, and rerouting due to a machine break down or planned service. A Part oriented Sequence of Operation (P-SOP) description language has been formulated to assist the production planner to be able to handle these flexible manufacturing scenarios. Multi-agents to control the manufacturing are automatically generated from the P-SOP description language. The P-SOP agent generator creates IEC 61131-3 PLC code that can be executed on standard PLC’s. An agent consists of a head, a communicator and a body. The head and the communicator are the automatically generated part with a predefined interface against the physical body, e.g., the mechanical/electrical structure of a robot. This feature eliminates the need for an external expert in PLC programming. The head contains many small sub-sequences for all operations that are defined for the specific body. The purpose of the communicator is to communicate with surrounding neighbour agents to form a multi-agent system. The formulated language and the P-SOP agent generator has been successfully tested and evaluated in an industrial environment.

1 - 43 of 43
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