Experts at Loughborough University have created a software tool
with the potential to save manufacturers millions of pounds a
year.
Academics at the Innovative Manufacturing and Construction
Research Centre (IMCRC) have created a virtual engineering
environment which offers manufacturers a faster and more focused
tool for the creation of their automation systems.
The Business Driven Automation (BDA) system has been developed
in the automotive sector in partnership with Ford Motor Company,
ThyssenKrupp System Engineering Gmbh and Schneider Electric.
BDA provides a virtual engineering environment that has the
potential to save manufacturing companies many millions of pounds
by enabling them to validate and change automated assembly and
production systems quickly and efficiently, at minimal cost and
risk across multiple global locations.
The approach is highly generic and applicable to virtually all
industrial automation sectors, from electronic goods assembly to
the food and packaging industries.
In today's fast-moving business environment, the ability to
change automated assembly and production systems quickly and
efficiently, at minimal cost and risk across multiple global
locations, is vital.
Current automation systems are difficult and complex to service,
reconfigure and integrate. Moving away from these traditional,
slower practices, the new software engineering tool enables rapid
configuration and modification of factory automation systems.
The project's Principal Investigator Prof Rob Harrison said:
"We've developed innovative software to give a quick, accurate,
virtual 3D prototype view of assembly machine behaviour before they
are physically built. We aim to make these tools much easier and
faster, and we want to see them used throughout the machine
lifecycle, not just at initial design and build."
Les Lee, Manufacturing Engineering, Ford Motor Company Ltd,
said: "Collaboration offers opportunities for reduced costs, faster
time-to-market, improved customer satisfaction, strategic thinking
and quicker problem solving. The IMCRC BDA project is a fine
example where measurable benefit is being delivered with shared
knowledge utilisation and the creation of innovative
products.''
The commercialisation of this project received funding support
from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
through the Knowledge Transfer Account (KTA) awarded to
Loughborough University.
It has also received support from the Intellectual Property
Commercialisation team which is part of the University's Enterprise
Office.