The core project of the Testbed for Industry 4.0 is an innovative experimental Flexible Assembly line. Its purpose is to explore the capabilities of flexible and distributed production. Customers have the ability to customize their products by specifying the desired features, and the machines will construct them accordingly. Additionally, the assembly line has the capability to be easily reconfigured for different product assemblies.
The Flexible Assembly Line boasts a multi-agent based monorail distribution system, a computer vision-enabled warehouse robot, and an on-demand component supply system facilitated by autonomous guided vehicles. The Manufacturing Execution System oversees the conveyor distribution and robot operations and optimizes the allocation of tasks to robots. The multi-agent control scheme forms the basis of a decentralized production configuration, which promotes modularity, facilitates production customization to meet customer requirements, enables the spatial separation of production machines, and incorporates the logistics chain and distribution channel model. The controlled production line can be easily expanded by connecting additional machines and production lines, allowing for the emulation of distributed production within a compact space to evaluate individual sub-concepts.
Explore a robotic arm in 3D
Key Technologies
- Manufacturing execution system (MES): Implementation of a cutting-edge MES for adaptive, flexible, and optimal control of manufacturing processes, ensuring superior production performance and responsiveness.
- Machine vision: Utilization of state-of-the-art machine vision algorithms for assembly object detection, enabling seamless robotic manipulation and enhanced automation.
- ESG: Leveraging detailed energy consumption data for optimization, fault detection, comprehensive reporting, driving sustainability and operational efficiency.
- Multi-agent based monorail distribution system: Facilitates flexible product transport within the assembly line.
- Distributed production: On-demand component supply to the assembly line and interconnection of multiple production lines together.
Commercial Benefits for Entrepreneurs
- Optimisation: The manufacturing execution system oversees the production lines distribution and robot operations and optimizes the allocation of tasks to robots.
- Expandability: Monorail distribution system and autonomous guided vehicles allows to extend the production line by connecting additional machines and further production lines.
- Adaptivity and scalability: System is adaptable to diverse product requirements and allows easy implementation of new manufacturing processes or reconfiguration for different product assemblies.
- Monitoring and reporting: Energy consumption monitoring supports environmental sustainability efforts by identifying opportunities to lower the carbon footprint and facilitates comprehensive energy reporting for internal and external stakeholders.