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INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

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Versione italiana
Academic year
2019/2020
Teacher
ELENA MAINARDI
Credits
6
Didactic period
Secondo Semestre
SSD
ING-INF/04

Training objectives

The course is concerned with the industrial application of automatic control, with particular emphasis to the packaging machine field. The course is divided into two parts. The focus of the first part is in the logical control of machine, with particular emphasis on PLC (programmable logical controller) programming languages (following IEC61131-3 norm). The second part concerns with the control of mechanical system with electrical actuators.

The most important acquired knowledges are:
- PLC, PLC modules, general carachteristics, I/O addressing
- IEC 61131 international regulation and programming languages
- Kinematic chains and mechanisms for motion transmission
- Motion control laws - trajectory planning (polynomial, trapezoidal, spline etc)

The most important abilities (how the student will be able to apply the acquired knowledges)are:
- to be able to write a PLC control software using SFC, LADDER and ST
- to be able to design a kinematic chain starting from position and velocity contrains
- to be able to design a trajectory for motion control

Prerequisites

Automatic control systems.

Course programme

Introduction to industrial automation, Programmable logic controller (PLC), PLC structure, introduction to real time programming, PLC programming, programming languages (IEC61131-3 norm), software model, variable declaration, LD, ST, IL, SFC, FBD languages. Introduction to motion control for packaging machinery, kinematics chains, analysis of kinematics chains, trajectory generation (polynomial, cycloidal, trapezoidal functions), the gear.

Didactic methods

Lessons are:
- theoretical lessons on every area of the program
- laboratory lessons (4 or 5 lessons, 2 hours for each one) using Codesys, a free software for automatic machines programming and simulation (SFC, LADDER and ST). Each student has a personal computer and works alone

At the end of every theoretical subject some exercises (taken from previuos written exams) are solved to prepare students for the final exams

Learning assessment procedures

The exam is:
1) a written examination with 1 exercise on LADDER, 1 exercise on SFC, 1 exercise on motion control and 5 written theoretical questions (3 hours)
or
2) a written examination with 1 exercise on motion control and 5 written theoretical questions (2 hours) plus a software project using Codesys, related to themes that the teacher publishes every year.

In the first case the grade is the one of the written exam, in the second case is the average grade of the two tests (written + Codesys project).
It is necessary to reach a sufficient level in every of the three areas of the exam (theory, programming in ladder + SFC, motion control) to obtain a final grade of 18/30.

Passing the examination means the student has acquired the knowledge specified in the educatonal goals.

The exam can be taken in English

Reference texts

Pdf lecture notes (available on the unife Industrial Automation web page) concern all the course theoretical areas and are sufficient to study for the exam.

Additional information about motion control can be found here:
G. Canini e C. Fantuzzi: "Il controllo del moto per Macchine Automatiche", Pitagora, Bologna 2003

Additional information about PLC and programming can be found here:
Karl-Heinz J. and M. Tiegelkamp "IEC61131-3: Programming Industrial Automation Systems", Springer, Germany, 2001.
Teacher's handouts