Implementing circularity measurements in industry 4.0-based manufacturing metrology using MQTT protocol and Open CV: A case study

In the context of Industry 4.0, manufacturing metrology is crucial for inspecting and measuring machines. The Internet of Things (IoT) technology enables seamless communication between advanced industrial devices through local and cloud computing servers. This study investigates the use of the MQTT protocol to enhance the performance of circularity measurement data transmission between cloud servers and round-hole data sources through Open CV. Accurate inspection of circular characteristics, particularly roundness errors, is vital for lubricant distribution, assemblies, and rotational force innovation. Circularity measurement techniques employ algorithms like the minimal zone circle tolerance algorithm. Vision inspection systems, utilizing image processing techniques, can promptly and accurately detect quality concerns by analyzing the model's surface through circular dimension analysis. This involves sending the model's image to a computer, which employs techniques such as Hough Transform, Edge Detection, and Contour Analysis to identify circular features and extract relevant parameters. This method is utilized in the camera industry and component assembly. To assess the performance, a comparative experiment was conducted between the non-contact-based 3SMVI system and the contact-based CMM system widely used in various industries for roundness evaluation. The CMM technique is known for its high precision but is time-consuming. Experimental results indicated a variation of 5 to 9.6 micrometers between the two methods. It is suggested that using a high-resolution camera and appropriate lighting conditions can further enhance result precision.

Preliminary studies on hydrothermal synthesis of zeolite from Malaysian kaolinite clays

The use of kaolin as a source of silica and alumina for synthesis of zeolite has been widely reported with various compositions and processing routes. However, since kaolin is highly influenced by geological origin and geographical formation, coupled with the processing method, two different crude kaolin were obtained at various locations in Peninsular Malaysia to serve as precursor for synthesis of zeolite. Hydrothermal treatments were made at reasonable low temperature of 90°C in an oven. The synthesized product was then analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, to evaluate the potentials of the process and the product. The outcome of the analysis suggested that the breaking down of the clay structure and the armophization process can improve raw material reactivity. However, the crystallinity and composition of the crude kaolin together with appropriate incubation time can greatly influence the synthesis process and the product.

Simulation of Energy Dump Converter Topology for Switched Reluctance Motors

The switched reluctance machine (SRM) is the least expensive machine to produce yet it is very reliable.  An SRM drive system has to be designed so that there is integration between the machine and the converter-controller configuration. This paper focuses on the resistor dump converter topology where most of the energy from the windings is dissipated in a resistor. A detailed analysis and simulation of the converter has been conducted and a design guideline for the proposed converter is laid out.  The resistor dump converter has a low component count and this enables it to achieve a low cost converter.  Simulation results show that for the resistor dump converter additional snubbers are required.  This leads to an increase in complexity of the controller as more parameters need to be considered.  Also, the addition of the passive components of the snubber makes the circuit less reliable and costly. For the purpose of just looking into detail on the behaviour of the converter, it is sufficient to look at the results of the simulation using a static inductor to model the SP-SRM.  If cost is to be the priority, the most economical choice must be made but within limits of the application. 

Information Structure of STEP Convertor of STEP-CNC Mapping System

ISO 14649 standard, commonly recognized as STEP-NC is a data model interface for computer numerical controllers. STEP-NC goes much further that G codes and has a more comprehensive data model that overcomes the lack of process information in ISO 6983 files (G codes programming). The STEP compliant approach brings the possibility to integrate the machine controller to the overall enterprise information network, with the intention of having bi-directional data flow. This will provide the novel capability for upstream feedback of information from the numerical controller to the design and process areas in the process planning and manufacturing. This paper presents the key concepts of the proposed STEP Convertor of the STEP-CNC Mapping System. The objective of the main system is to take a generic STEP file as the input to drive a CNC machine tool. The main system is broken down into two main sub-systems, STEP Convertor and STEP-NC Translator. This paper will focus solely on the information structure and conceptualization of the STEP Convertor.

Development of STEP-NC Based Machining System for Machining Process Information Flow

To realize the STEP-NC based machining system, it is necessary to perform machining feature extraction, generating machine-specific information, and creating a relationship between STEP-NC entities. A process planning system of a STEP-NC information flow that starts with constructing a machining feature from a CAD model will be developed. In this paper, a further in-depth study of the implementation and adaptation of STEP-NC in manufacturing is studied. This study will help to understand how the data from CAD/CAM can be converted into STEP-NC codes and the machining process will be based on the STEP-NC codes generated.