Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. S.)--Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Dr. Swaminathan, Madhavan; Committee Member: Dr. Chatterjee, Abhijit; Committee Member: Dr. Lim, Sungkyu. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

The research Analyses, PROFIBUS Communication using Process Automation and Decentralized Periphery against Conventional (4-20mA) was based on the process plant constructed in 2012 by staff and students in the Department of Instrumentation and control at Mangosuthu University of Technology. Further work was not done including configuring the entire process plant, testing all devices and display the image of the process plant on human machine interface. The process plant operation was never tested and the research topic has not been attempted before. The research was conducted to improve the existing plant to full operation or functional project. The research study was conducted in March 2013 by BZT Ntshangase, it was established that both DP flowmeter and PA flowmeter were not tested before, not calibrated correctly and both drives which are (MM440 and MM420) were not setup to control both pump1 and pump 2 in manual or auto mode. The Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) was not configured to communicate with all devices on the network. PROFIBUS-DP and PROFIBUS-PA devices were not set up; input measurements were not scaled to read within certain limits. All devices used in the process plant were not assigned unique addresses for the network and DSG files were not installed so that Programmable logic controller (PLC) would identify all devices on the PROFIBUS network. The research was based on analysis of PROFIBUS communication using process automation and decentralized periphery against conventional (4-20mA), where one flowmeter was communicating with a PLC via PROFIBUS-DP and the other flowmeter was communicating through PLC via ET-200M to a DP/PA coupler. Research objective was to examine the time response between the two signals, data transmission, network configurations and their communication protocols and including transmission rate for both networks. Process plant components used in the research were tested for linear scaling, reliability, generalizability and validity. The reason for performing these tests was to produce consistent results and to checks how similar results are if the research was repeated under similar circumstances. During testing, respectable results were achieved. All simulated results were compared with the real-time results and then a conclusion drawn based on the obtained information and facts. Project design, implementation, test procedures and test results were achieved because prototype performed as per design and research objectives were achieved. Simulation tests were conducted and the obtained results analysed. The achieved results showed that the proposed solution or the prototype system performed as per design. The experimental results could be useful to other researchers in the future. At the end of the study conclusion and some recommendations for further studies are discussed efficiently to utilize resources in the process plant verification and validation. / Electrical Engineering / M. Tech. (Electrical Engineering)

M.Com. (Informatics) / This study gives background information on technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Expert Systems (ES). The application realm of this technology is the manufacturing environment. The strategies that are addressed are, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) and Computer integrated Manufacturing (CIM). We proposel further process or step namely: Inter Organlzational Information Sharing (1015). CIM integrates all internal information sources. lOIS creates standard and secure interfaces so that the organization and other organizations especially suppliers, manufacturers and distributors can share predefined information. The sharing of this information can help make forecasting more accurate and help the organization espond faster to the consumer's ever changing needs. Due to the fact that inventory plays such an important role in the manufacturing process, a software program was developed to aid the managers in small to medium sized organizations to reduce inventory.

Industry's move towards automated manufacturing has been rapid during this decade. In a typical flexible manufacturing environment, a variety of automated manufacturing equipment is linked together with a communication network and a part transportation system. Since vendors of automation equipment have no communication standards to adhere to, integrating these machines becomes a problem. This project addressed the problem by creating a software interface between robots, CNC machines and a workcell controller. The library of functions created for the Dyna CNC machine and the IBM 7545/7547 robots will aid the future user to create software for the workcell. By using the library functions, a user will be insulated from the lower level functioning of the machines and need only be concerned about the operation of these functions. / Master of Science

This thesis is an initial attempt at analyzing the "product-process matrix," a framework suggesting the interaction of product and process life cycles. The objectives of this thesis were to test the theory surrounding the "product-process matrix" and also test theories concerning the transition of strategic objectives between "product-process matrix" regions. The methodology included conducting a survey of Virginia manufacturing firms on strategic concerns, constructing a database into which survey responses were loaded, and analyzing survey responses. Results of this survey suggested that the theory surrounding the "product-process matrix" may be inappropriate. Results also indicated the possibility that row and column descriptions of the current "product-process matrix" may need alterations in order to be more applicable to manufacturing firms. Further research is necessary to examine possible biases associated with the survey instrument and survey sample. After such research has been undertaken, it is recommended that continued work in this area may help to improve understanding the interaction between markets and manufacturing processes. / Master of Science

The planning and control of manufacturing systems is a complex activity involving a myriad of decisions and optimization algorithms. ln a Computer Integrated Manufacturing System (CIMS) these decisions and algorithms span several functions, require information from several sources, and have consequences in several sectors of the manufacturing system. This dissertation is concerned with the development of a structured methodology for executing this activity. Therefore, the primary activities are first, to develop the framework for a Computer Integrated Production Planning and Control (ClPP&C) system, and second, to formulate and solve specific mathematical models which are nested in the developed framework. The framework functions as a "city plan" for the production control activity in a CIMS environment, while the mathematical methodologies are pieces of the decision architecture. Achieving a CIMS implies achieving an integrated manufacturing system. Implying the production control system needs to be designed with specific consideration of the concepts, issues, and principles of integrated manufacturing. As such, these concepts, issues and principles are identified and developed in this research. A model of CIMS is developed and the role of ClPP&C is analyzed. A framework for integration in manufacturing is developed and used to guide the modeling efforts. . The ClPP&C "city plan" is developed using an adaptation of the IDEF methodology. The objective of the plan is to define the separate problems which are to be solved in production control, the interrelationships between these problems, and the synergy which causes them to behave as a single system. This research specifically addresses the master aggregate scheduling (MA-Schedule) and the coordinating production scheduling (CP-Schedule) problems within the CIPP&C plan. The MA-Scheduling problem prescribes how much of a family is to be produced in a time period, and is formulated in detail as a non-linear 0-1 mixed integer program. The formulation aggregates capacity, time, and products; models routing and capacity flexibility; and considers the availability of material transporters. The solution procedure incorporates linearization methods, preprocessing algorithms, and large-scale MIP solvers. The CP-Schedule is formulated as two separate problems. The first disaggregates time and product and is to be solved as a MIP. The second problem determines the start time of each product batch at a cell. lt is equivalent to the minimum makespan problem and solution approaches are discussed. A network of programs was designed to execute the scheduling methodology. Experimental results with the methodology are reported. These results provide insights into system performance in various conditions. Specifically, the impact of flexibility, loading, transporter availability, and cost dimensions are analyzed. / Ph. D.

There exists today a variety of Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) systems that have been designed, developed, and implemented irrespective of the facility's condition and status. It is often found in practice that Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) constituents such as production control, loading, sequencing, scheduling, etc. do not interact with Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), or CAPP. They operate as stand alone techniques that are not interrelated in the CIM scenario. This could be overcome through increased, improved communication between CAD, CAPP, CAM, and other CIM constituents. CAPP has to be tied into the computerization of other CIM functions. An approach in this direction is what this research presents. Its uniqueness is that it relates CAPP in a flexible manufacturing system atmosphere with scheduling, in effect relating CAPP with production control. It integrates process selection and route generation with factors such as facility congestion, work in process, flowtime, machine utilization and dynamic shop conditions. The generation of alternate routes, and the incorporation of this technique in a CAPP system is an unique approach to the problem of interrelating CAPP with other CIM components. This involved the design and development of software that can model facility capacity, understand part construction, maintain and track shop status, reason through the facility capacity to arrive at possible machining sequences and job routes, and apply a heuristic to arrive at the job route through the facility. This results in the introduction and implementation of the concept of dynamic scheduling and alternate route generation in CAPP systems. The objective in global terms was to construct a CAPP system that considers routing and production control for a FMS that consists of several high capacity, modern machines. The concepts mentioned above are combined and coalesced in a CAPP system that truly provides computerized assistance to the process planning function at a macro-level. This research attempts to create a truly integrated CAPP system within a CIM atmosphere. / Ph. D.

by Leung Wing-keung, Joseph, Mok Yan-hung, Albert. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 92-93.

Manufacturing techniques are based on the principles of Flexible Manufacturing and Dedicated Manufacturing for mass production. Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMS) is a manufacturing system that can provide for Agile Manufacturing (AM). This has lead to research on the concept, design and equipment implementation for RMS. RMS requires three key capabilities: rapid changeover between products, rapid introduction to new products and unattended operation. The relationship between these manufacturing techniques has been investigated. Research has been focused on the research and design of a Reconfigurable Modular Machine (RMM) for RMS. The research has addressed the design of subsystems for RMM by using the generic modular mechatronics control. This approach included modular machine controller hardware, software, mechanical design and generic "plug-and-play" capability, These designs of subsystems allowed for rapid reconfiguration of RMS that increased system efficiency and significantly minimized manufacturing change over downtime. / Manufacturing techniques are based on the principles of Flexible Manufacturing and / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.