Traditional path generation and tuning process for industrial robot is tedious, time consuming and experience dependent. This paper presents a novel approach to generate and tune robot path using a touchscreen device. With technique of curvature guided data filtering and percentage guided data aligning, a 2D robot path can be easily created and compensated, which can highly improve the productivity for robot engineers. This paper gives a concrete demonstration to show this idea.

Industrial robots are being widely used attributed to their flexibility, repeatability, and accuracy. The reliability of industrial robots are becoming more highlighted. Over-year evidence clearly indicates that the reliability of industrial robots has had a big improvement, not only by the more reliable hardware design, but also by collecting and analyzing the failure data in fields over a long period of time. The database for the assessment of RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety) has been, therefore, paramount to industrial robot designers and manufactures. A common database for industrial robots is not a new idea. Normally, the industrial robot manufacturers retain the detailed data about faults and other incidents retained by through after-service. However, the current databases are far from satisfactory as they are not clear regarding how they will address the RAMS requirements. In this paper, the needs and expectations of the RAMS database for the industrial robots are stated. The potential technical challenges to be faced during the realization of this database are carefully discussed. It is expected that the realization of the RAMS database could bring a further improvement ranging from design, to operation and maintenance.

This work studies a digital twin online analytics for throughput improvement of assembly flow line. As the representation of the physical assembly flow line, the proposed method includes two digital twin models to analyze the online data collected from the physical line and to calculate and apply optimal throughput improvement scheme to the physical line. With the proposed method, the online data could be fully utilized to serve the physical line, and the dependency on the experience of onsite engineers is greatly reduced. Two practical assembly lines are equipped with the proposed digital twin online analytics to demonstrate its effectiveness and efficiency.

Robot-centered cells play increasingly important roles in corporate automation and repetitive processing to improve productivity and quality. How to provide an optimal robotic cell design either from cost-effectiveness or from productivity enhancement is a highlighted objective, especially in 3C industry of communication, computer and consumer electronics where the cost is always sensitive. Although, in the past years, several optimizing solutions have been achieved, the robotic cell optimization is still an open question both in industry and academia, due to the diversities of cell patterns determined by some main factors as single/dual gripper, simple/parallel workstation, and so on. This work targets the optimization design of a single-robot cell from cost-effective viewpoint, by means of the sensitivity analysis, performed in terms of the processing time, the traveling time and the gripper configuration. It provides an indication on the relationship between the cell productivity and the main factors. By comparing the resulting increase in revenue with the additional equipment costs, it intuitively provides the optimal solution by considering the gripper type, and whether or how many parallel workstations are needed. A demonstration to enhance the productivity of a single-robotic cell from real-life engineering scenario is performed with an encouraging result.

Automatic operation system with industrial robots has become more and more popular, especially with the urgent requirement from 3C (Communication, computer and consumer electronics) manufactory. A robot cell, which often involves one or more robots and accessory equipment, can be regarded as part of the larger theme of cellular manufacturing. The objective that most interests manufacturers is the investment return rate. It is largely determined by the productivity of robotic cell, and the leading time of robotic production system. Therefore, a fast and efficient method to design a robotic cell layout with the maximum throughput for a given task is undeniably a worthy research topic. This paper attempts to discuss the challenges and key technologies in the robotic cell layout optimal design. The proper selection of configuration for task, manual operation skill learning and translation, collaborative design tool-chain, optimization in cell layout and operation scheduling, optimal end-of-arm tooling design, and human–robot collaboration are included in this discussion with existing or on-going problem-solving key technologies.

针对目前电池参数特性研究的局限性,提出一种基于多元参数融合曲面的充电特性分析方法.采用基于GNL的改进电池模型,通过参数辨识实验得到电池参数系数,结合电池的充放电特性,将电池端电压、荷电状态SOC、电流及充电时间等多元参数进行融合设计,建立电池参数的三维曲面.该曲面不仅能直观形象地反应电池各参数间的非线性函数关系,还可通过平行截取曲面对电池恒压、恒流等充电方式的充电特性进行分析,其分析结果与EMTP中的仿真结果基本一致.

Industrial robots working as a kind of intelligent but standard equipment on manufacturing sites are outlined to be with more light-weight, more flexibility, and lower cost but higher performance in the future. Diversified products to meet customer's expectation better and standardized product for easy management and manufacturing are always two main issues in the concept design phase. This paper looks to better odds by using big data to pinpoint customer needs and tailor new industrial robot products. To implement this work, a cycle-pool composed of amount of robot cycles collected from customer sites is established. The information extracted from cycles is illustrated as knowledge patterns and rules on a product portfolio in order to propose possible suggestions and solutions for new product development.

This paper presents a collaborative method to make full use of the advantages of CAD and CAR (Computer aided robot) software in industrial robotic application. CAR software is a necessary tool in robotic cell design with robot programming and robotic cell/line performance simulation with imported CAD model. However, due to the lack of efficient channel between CAD and CAR, the check-and-change design loop is always time consuming. This paper illustrates how to link these two types of software with an intermediate file, which records geometric data of CAD model and robot simulation information as well. With the implementation of this method, a high efficient design-simulation loop is set up and the productivity is highly improved on the engineering site. Finally this paper gives a concrete demonstration.

With the maturity of the industrial robotic technology, robotic cells are gradually regarded as a kind of stand equipment to replace human work in every walk of life. How to obtain the maximum or approximate maximum throughput in a robotic cell is always the highlighted goal, especially in the rapid growing 3C industry market. In this paper, the objective is to get a 1-unit cycle sequence of robot actions that approximately minimizes the cycle time to produce a part and maximizes the throughput by using a new hybrid algorithm in the robotic cell with a dual-gripper robot. In this algorithm, different constrains are considered during computing the cycle time, including free/non-free process, allowed time window. The resulting diagrams provide very intuitive insights into the accuracy of the hybrid algorithm compared with the exact algorithm. Additional 100 simulation results prove the effectiveness of the hybrid algorithm, with a solid performance to achieve the maximum productivity of robotic cell.

Robot-centered cells play a more and more important role in the fields of incorporate automation and repetitive processing in order to increase productivity and to improve quality. In practice, it is always desired to achieve maximum/near-maximum throughput in a robotic cell. Sometimes, even a small improvement in throughput will be one of the highlighted objectives in robot scheduling, for instance, in the 3C industry of communication, computer and consumer electronics. In this paper, the scheduling problem in an n-workstation (n<;=8) m-stage robotic cell with parallel workstations is discussed by considering the constraints in real engineering practice, including free/non-free pick-up, allowed time window, and free/non-free process. A new method is proposed for optimal scheduling by means of optimally arranging each blocked cycles in every LCM cycle (Least Common Multiple), and assembling them in a proper order. This method is applied to a practical scheduling problem for a 7-workstation robotic cell. It is shown that the throughput is dramatically enhanced after optimization in the engineering scenario. Moreover, by comparing the resultant increase in revenue with the additional equipment costs, the result diagrams also provide managerial insights into links between throughput and cell layout flexibility.

Industrial robot is proven to be more cost effective in terms of flexibility, repeatability, and with new functions offer improved accuracy. Since the parts produced in a robotic cell are identical, it is sufficient to determine the sequence of robot moves, in case of single- or dual-gripper, to implement the tasks. How to achieve the maximum/near-maximum throughput in a robotic cell, even a small improvement in throughput, is always the highlighted objective in engineering practice, especially in 3C industry of communication, computer and consumer electronics. The optimality in cell layout and optimistic robot move scheduling come from robotic cell throughput optimization viewpoint, in terms of the steady state cycle time to produce a part. In this paper, an analytical framework for scheduling moving of robot with single- or dual-gripper is developed. Initially different constraints are considered in validation, including interval/free pick up, non-free/free process, and inadmissible path. It is indicated that a dual-gripper robot can gain an improvement in throughput in most cases. The resulting diagrams provide a clear overview of the scheduling and links between throughput and cell pattern, by comparing the resulting increase in revenue with the additional equipment costs.

An electric vehicle( EV) charging-discharging-storage integrated station was proposed,which combines the functions of single charging,battery swapping and storage station. This integrated station can not only meet EV operational needs and reduce the peak-valley power difference with optimizing control method of charging and discharging,but also can use its converter and storage battery to control the harmonics and reactive current,which brings some value-added benefits to power quality. Based on the function of station's each unit,three lossless value-added control methods were discussed. Considering the structure and power analysis of the system,the corresponding value-added control strategies were put forward,which are proved to be lossless theoretically,and can greatly improve the power quality and grid reliability.

Construction of complete energy facilities is pivotal in the development and further popularization of electric vehicles (EV) in China. A design scheme for electric vehicles (EV) charging-discharging-storage integrated station, in which the functions of charging, battery swapping and storage are merged, is proposed, and in the aspects of converting technique and dispatching and function design the control and operation of the integrated station are expounded. The bidirectional interaction between battery system and power network can be implemented by converting equipments, and besides energy supply for EV the integrated station can provide power network such auxiliary services as peak load shifting, reactive power compensation, harmonic elimination and emergency support. On this basis, combined with different operating modes of power network, possible operational modes of the integrated station are analyzed and according to the features of battery energy storage system the energy storage levels of two battery systems of the integrated station are divided, and then taking power network statuses into account the operating modes of the integrated station are further researched.

The converter of two-stage topology is presented according to electric vehicle charge-discharge and storage integration station requirements.Charging simulations and experiments of the charger consist of LLC resonance circuit,bridge PWM DC converter,bi-directional Buck-Boost converter DC converter and three-level bi-directional Buck-Boost converter DC converter are carried out.The charging current DC convention efficiency are compared,the advantage and disadvantage of each DC converter are analyzed from the structure complexity,control difficulty,control precision and cost.

Converter in EV (electric vehicle) charging-discharging-storage integration station must satisfy the correlation objects. These include: lower harmonic and higher energy conversion efficiency, benefits to battery life, adaption to different batteries, and adjustable charging current. In this paper, we propose a three-stage circuit topology, based on precise charging control, which is able to accomplish these goals on a lithium ion polymer battery pack. It is expected that the converter will also work well on other battery chemistries. In order to use three-stage converter to charge precisely, we need to first design each stage circuit and control strategy. The final strategy can accurately capture the voltage of each DC bus and the charging current of a cell. We also give the analysis of factors affecting battery life and energy conversion efficiency, whereby the three-stage converter is in practice. Comparing with charging simulations of batteries in conventional converter, those in three-stage converter are conducted. Results are presented that that it is possible to achieve more precise charging in integrality of battery charging and extension of battery life than the conventional converter expected in an implementation.

In the semi-humid region of the Loess Plateau in China, dry soil layers in deep soil after alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) have significantly obstructed the development of sustainable agriculture. However, how to recover soil desiccation sustainably and how to develop a sustainable alfalfa-grain crop rotation system are still unclear. Based on a set of long-term experimental data, the development and recovery of soil desiccation, the forage yield of alfalfa and the grain yield of following crops were researched by the combination of simulation method and investigation method. Some suggestions were proposed for farmers to sustainably recover soil desiccation in deep soil using grain crop rotation system. Validation results showed that (1) EPIC model estimated well both monthly soil water and vertical distribution of soil water in different soil layers for alfalfa-grain crop rotation system and (2) the EPIC model was an effective tool to research the development and recovery of soil desiccation in the Loess Plateau by using validated parameters. Simulation results showed that: (1) It was difficult to restore soil water in deep soil by crop rotation; soil water in the soil below 10 m depth should not be lower than 12%, during the cultivation of alfalfa, (2) Alfalfa stand age should not longer than 10 years in the semi-humid region of the Loess Plateau with the mean annual rainfall of 550-600 mm, and (3) cultivating shallow root crops such as potato and soybean was better to recover soil desiccation after alfalfa. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

介绍了基于CAN总线的工业锅炉控制系统。在硬件方面,对锅炉控制系统的结构(即上位机、中心接入机、控制器和现场测控单元)实现进行详细分析;在软件方面,对锅炉汽包水位、蒸汽汽温和蒸汽压力三个被控量的控制回路进行了具体介绍,采用串级PID闭环调节提高了系统的稳定性和抗干扰能力。在通信协议方面,提出基于MOSBUS协议和CAN协议的自定义通信协议,具有针对性和灵活性,提高了系统的通信效率,满足了锅炉工业控制的实时性要求。

In this paper, a reasonable model under the thermal void effect of the Insulate Gate Bipolar Transistor is been built. Finite element analysis (FE) is introduced to analyze thermal characteristics of the model. The results indicate that the heat distribution of IGBT is determined of voids with different sizes, positions and the intensity. Besides, the synergy of void effect and heat coupling effect would significantly increase the temperature of the chip.

In order to meet the operational requirements of the electric vehicle charge discharge storage integrative station,a new kind of the multi-purpose converter based on topology structure is proposed,its operating characteristics are analyzed under four running states,such as charging,DC-converting,semi-discharging and discharging and the corresponding control methods of the multi-purpose convert in different running states are presented.This paper also verifies the feasibility of the multi-purpose converter through EMTP/PSCAD simulation analysis and illustrates the correctness of the multi-purpose converter to support the energy flow of the integrative station.

In this paper, a simple and low cost AC/AC/DC converter is proposed to charge EV( Electric Vehicle) batteries. An exclusive Z-Source (LC) network, which acts as a static transformer, is connected in front of the PI filter and uncontrolled full-bridge rectifier. By controlling the shoot-through duty ratio, the output voltage of the converter can be regulated in a large range rapidly, which can meet the charging demands of EV battery series in different scales. Compared to the conventional charger, the bulk is small. In this topology, fewer switches are needed. It's safer, doesn't need to take account of the dead zone and the control strategy is simpler. More over, inheriting the advantages of Z-source, the novel charger reduces in-rush and harmonic current, which makes it more flexible to the grid. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the proposed topology and the control method are presented. Simulations of charging polymer Li-ion battery series are given, and the results prove the validity of the analysis, and verify the good application of the novel EV battery charger.