Jack, H., “The Virtual Laboratory”, A presentation at the ASME National Congress, Nashville, November, 1999.
A VIRTUAL MANUFACTURING LABORATORY
Hugh Jack
Padnos School of Engineering
Grand Valley State University
Grand Rapids, MI
OVERVIEW
EGR 474 - Integrated Manufacturing
• First offering Summer 1998
• Topics include,
- robots
- CNC machines
- integration for automation
- networking
OVERVIEW (continued)
LAB EQUIPMENT
Robots
Seiko RT3000 - Cylindrical
Mitsubishi RV-M1 - Articulated
CNC
Emco PC Turn 50 Lathe
Light Machines Prolight Mill
Computers
Windows NT and Linux Servers / Clients
Ethernet
DAQ Cards
Serial and Parallel Interfaces
Video Camera
OVERVIEW (continued)
OVERVIEW (continued)
LABS
Robot Programming
1. Basic programming
2. Robot to robot interfacing
3. Robotic cell control with PLCs
4. Material handling systems
CNC Machining
5. Basic G-code programming
6. NC machine integration into workcells
7. Graphical NC programming
Integration (next year)
8. Integration with networks
9. Databases
THE PEDAGOGY
THE PEDAGOGY (cont’d)
• Students access equipment 24 hours a day using the Internet
- minimal safety issues
- maximum convenience
• Program simulation and execution remotely for robots and NC
- more effective use of equipment by sharing
- simulation can be done off line
• Prelab program development is expected before the lab sessions
- students grasp fundamentals before laboratory
- concrete exposure to equipment raises confidence
• The point-and-click environment is more appealing to students
AN EXAMPLE (the Seiko RT3000 Robot)
AN EXAMPLE (continued)
AN EXAMPLE - DAQ Card
CONCLUSION
• The lab is in use and development will continue this winter
• The lab is available on-line for general access
www.aml.gvsu.edu
• Next year the lab should support high level cell programming
• The lab has been developed using programs/files written in,
Java - use interfaces/controls inside Netscape and servers
HTML - web page structure for the Internet
VRML - 3D geometry for web based viewers
C/C++ - drivers