AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING

Course Objectives:
1. Introduce principles, methods, and hardware/software tools used in modern computerized design and manufacturing of discrete parts.
2. Acquire practical experience in computer-aided design and manufacturing through a series of laboratory exercises (see ADMS Laboratory)
3. Understand the main components involved in automated manufacturing, so as to be able to select an area of academic and professional specialization.

Course Outline:
·  Introduction to geometric modeling and related techniques for computer-aided design, process planning, and manufacturing: approximating curves and surfaces, motion planning.
· Introduction to basic concepts of probability theory for Statistical Process Control (SPC): quality control, control charts, Taguchi methods
· Discrete-event control of manufacturing systems: Programmable Logic Control (PLC)
· Introduction to systems and control theory: modeling and control of dynamic processes, applications to manufacturing process control and robotics.
· Supervisory control of manufacturing systems: discrete-event models, inventory control, scheduling.

LABORATORY SESSIONS:
1. Designing a part to be manufactured.
2. Computer-Aided Design (CAD): designing a part using the SmartCAM software
3. CNC machining: introduction and basic operation of a CNC milling machine
4. Computer-Aided Process Planning (CAPP): creating a process model for turning using the SmartCAM software
5. Process planning and CNC machining of a rotational part: manufacturing a part on a lathe
6. Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC): introduction, basic operation, and programming of a PLC
7. Robotics: introduction and basic operation of a robotic manipulator
8. Robot control: controlling a robotic manipulator through the ACL language
9. Vision systems for inspection of parts
10. Statistical Process Control (SPC): introduction to basic techniques for inspection and quality control
11. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM): introduction to communication networking in a manufacturing environment
12. Computer Simulation and supervisory control of manufacturing systems: task sequencing and scheduling