Exploitable results
The project was a basic step in the evolution towards the application of the Concurrent Engineered Design Approach of Machine Tools (CEDAM) concept. The definition of a reference architecture, although not completed proved to be a necessity for the initialization of new research activities striving towards the application of CEDAM.
Based upon an inquiry on user requirements and an analysis of state of the art machine tools, together with a conceptual functional analysis of the machining process, a functional decomposition of the machining workstation into a reference set of functional units was executed. Also, specification methodology based on specification list structures has been set up.
Technical solutions for the material and energy supply of the modules and technical solutions related to the physical connection of the modules have been examined.
The control architecture of the machining workstation is a very important and innovative aspect of the reference architecture. Although the distribution of control functionalities to the modules has not been executed, a lot of important work has been done while developing the 'essential model' of the machining workstation. The use of the 'Yourdon structure analysis' methodology proved to be a powerful tool to model the control of the system. The dictionaries describing the data that is to be exchanged between different control processes will be of important value for the selection of communication technology and the definition or choice of appropriate protocols.
The development of configuration tools for designing the machining workstation and for specifying the different modules proved to be a prerequisite for a successful application of CEDAM. The project provided the first initiatives towards the development of these tools.
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