A modular reconfigurable approach to the creation of flexible manufacturing cells for educational purposes

The time taken to install and overcome teething problems of a flexible manufacturing cell consisting of a CNC lathe, a CNC milling machine and a gantry robot suggested that there was a business and technical opportunity to develop modular software which could be used either stand-alone or integrated easily as part of a larger system. Software relating to a 3 level hierarchical control system was specified, written and extensively tested. At the highest level is the host computer. At the supervisory level are the cell controllers. At the third level device drivers provide an interface and control for each element (including storage and measuring systems etc.). The outcome is robust networked PC-Windows based software which is easily reconfigurable. This enables a cell consisting of any of the relevant Denford equipment to be installed quickly and effectively. Full installation including testing is normally carried out within 2 days. A wide range of software facilities is available for operational simulation, including scheduling. An indication is given of the particular needs of educational establishments