Abstract :
A reconfigurable pilot production cell was designed and built in response to the requirement of an ESPRIT project ASPIC. Their purpose was to allow the ASPIC consortium to prove the function, operation and implementation of the protocol and devices developed, within a real application. Devices, such as the low level sensor modules (LLS) and drive units, have been developed within the ASPIC project to check the validity of the protocol proposed. As the protocol is completely new there has been no reference equipment with which to benchmark during development. All design has progressed in parallel, with both master and slave devices being used to test each other once certain functionality had been completed in each. For this reason the pilot cells have been essential in checking devices ASPIC compliance, both functionally using test tool and dynamically in a multidevice network. The installation has a motion control aspect, but is more oriented towards sensor integration. Digital, analogue and keypad/display LLS were integrated to perform various control and monitoring tasks. The bus master is implemented on a standard PLC with a CAN interface card to allow access to the bus and to perform lower level ASPIC related tasks. A JLA vision system is used for part detection
