Another breakthrough for the team
This week was once again successful for the team in working towards our goal of creating and simulating a virtual factory. The team made a significant breakthrough within the Process Simulate software where both a 'weld' and 'pick and place' operation were modelled from scratch. When put together, this modelled an actual operation on an assembly line and thus demonstrated the progress towards the final goal. A few minor modifications are required for fine-tuning as well as the implementation of PLC programming—due to be completed in the forthcoming weeks.
In addition to the modelling within Process Simluate, significant progress was made with the PLC programming. Given that the team now has access to two machines with software installed, it was possible for team members to experiment with programming in the software itself. This practical experience was key to expanding upon the knowledge from literature and has set the team in a good position for implementation.
Finally, the team can confirm that one of their first deliverables has almost reached completion. The literature review is at a draft stage due to be finalised next week. This is the first major milestone for the team and demonstrates a detailed understanding of the field of virtual commissioning.
