Thesis (MEng)-- Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African industry has an increasing need for manufacturing automation. However, the classical form of automation is not cost effective for the low volumes and high variance of products that are produced there. The industry may use the reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) concept to improve production of its products. However, industry has been unwilling to adopt the reconfigurable manufacturing systems developed in recent research projects. Due to industry’s hesitance to adopt the control platforms on which reconfigurable manufacturing systems are currently based, the focus of the thesis is on creating a reconfigurable control system using industry accepted technologies. This research focused on evaluating a Beckhoff embedded PC’s suitability as a station controller that controls a reconfigurable subsystem in an RMS. The control system for the station controller was developed using only the IEC 61131-3 programming languages and the Beckhoff programming software. This control system was evaluated by using it to control a station that is responsible for testing a circuit breaker’s tripping current and time. The developed control system was based on the ADACOR architecture because of its optimisation capabilities that were necessary to keep the cycle time of the station as low as possible. The design and implementation of the physical configuration and control system of the station is described in this thesis. The station was designed to meet the requirements of both an RMS and the case study. Because of the limitations of the IEC 61131-3 programming languages, dynamic instantiation of holons is not possible and a method was developed to simulate dynamic task holons. By making use of the embedded PC’s ability to run multiple PLCs at the same time, each type of holon was run in its own PLC thread. The developed control system and station was evaluated by conducting experiments using a laboratory test setup. The evaluation of the developed control system in this thesis proved that an RMS can be created, in the context of station control, using IEC 61131-3 and industry accepted technologies, if a hardware platform is used that allows multiple PLCs to be run in individual threads. The control approach that was created in this thesis can be used to create station control systems that offers optimised cycle times, the benefits of an RMS and the benefits of industry accepted technology. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse bedryf het 'n toenemende behoefte aan geoutomatiseerde vervaardiging. Die klassieke vorm van outomatisasie is egter nie koste effektief vir die lae volumes en hoë variansie van produkte wat in Suid Afrika geproduseer word nie. Die bedryf kan moontlik die konsep van 'n herkonfigureerbare vervaardigingstelsel (HVS) gebruik om vervaardiging te outomatiseer. Die bedryf is egter nie bereid om die herkonfigureerbare vervaardigingstelsels wat in onlangse navorsingsprojekte ontwikkel is, te aanvaar nie. As gevolg van die bedryf se huiwering om die beheerplatforms waarop herkonfigureerbare vervaardigingstelsels tans gebaseer word, te aanvaar, is die fokus van die tesis om industrie-aanvaarde tegnologie te gebruik om ‘n herkonfigureerbare beheerstelsel te skep. Hierdie navorsing fokus op die evaluering van 'n “Beckhoff embedded PC” se geskiktheid as 'n stasiebeheerder van 'n herkonfigureerbare substelsel in 'n HVS. Die beheerstelsel vir die stasie beheerder is ontwikkel deur slegs van die IEC 61131-3 programmeringstale en die Beckhoff programmering-sagteware gebruik te maak. Hierdie beheerstelsel is geëvalueer deur dit op die beheer van 'n stasie wat verantwoordelik is vir die toets stroombrekers, toe te pas. Die beheerstelsel was gebaseer op die ADACOR argitektuur as gevolg van die optimeringsvermoëns wat noodsaaklik was om die siklustyd van die stasie so laag as moontlik te hou. Die ontwerp en implementering van die fisiese konfigurasie en beheerstelsel van die stasie word in hierdie tesis beskryf. Die stasie was ontwerp om aan die vereistes van beide 'n HVS en die gevallestudie te voldoen. As gevolg van die beperkings van die IEC 61131-3 programmeringstale, is dinamiese instansiëring van holons nie moontlik nie, en 'n metode is ontwikkelom dinamiese taakholons na te boots. Deur gebruik te maak van die "embedded PC" se vermoë om meervoudige PLCs terselfdetyd te hanteer, kan elke holon tipe in sy eie "thread" loop. Die ontwikkelde stelsel en die stasie is geëvalueer in 'n laboratorium deur middel van eksperimente. Die evaluering van die beheerstelsel in hierdie tesis bewys dat 'n HVS geskep kan word, in die konteks van ‘n stasiebeheerder, deur IEC 61131-3 en tegnologie wat wyd in die industrie aanvaar word, te gebruik mits die hardeware-platform wat gebruik word toelaat dat verskeie PLCs terselfde tyd op een beheerder kan loop. Die beheerbenadering wat geskep is in hierdie tesis kan gebruik word om stasie- beheerstelsels te skep wat optimale siklus tye, die voordele van 'n HVS en die voordele van industrie-aanvaarde tegnologie bied.

<p> </p><p>Denna examensrapport beskriver arbetet med att utveckla ett nytt övervaknings och maskinalarmsystem till utbildningsfartyget M/S Calmare Nyckel. Systemet som konstruerades är styrdatorbaserat med grafiskt presentation av driftsvärden.</p><p>Projektet drevs av tre sjöingenjörsstudenter på Sjöfartshögskolan i Kalmar.</p><p> </p> / <p>This graduate report describes the work relating to the development of a brand new monitoring and machinery alarm system onboard the training vessel M/S Calmare Nyckel. The system developed, is based on PLC automation technology, and allows graphical presentation of system data.</p><p>The project was managed by three marine engineering students at the Kalmar Maritime Academy.</p> / Klassning av alarmsystemet genomfördes 2009-05-18 av inspektör från transportstyrelsen. Systemet godkändes.

Denna examensrapport beskriver arbetet med att utveckla ett nytt övervaknings och maskinalarmsystem till utbildningsfartyget M/S Calmare Nyckel. Systemet som konstruerades är styrdatorbaserat med grafiskt presentation av driftsvärden. Projektet drevs av tre sjöingenjörsstudenter på Sjöfartshögskolan i Kalmar. / This graduate report describes the work relating to the development of a brand new monitoring and machinery alarm system onboard the training vessel M/S Calmare Nyckel. The system developed, is based on PLC automation technology, and allows graphical presentation of system data. The project was managed by three marine engineering students at the Kalmar Maritime Academy. / Klassning av alarmsystemet genomfördes 2009-05-18 av inspektör från transportstyrelsen. Systemet godkändes.