Manufacturing System Laboratory
The Manufacturing Systems Lab is equipped with 2 servers and 20 workstations for research and teaching. A variety of commercial software is currently available at the lab including CAD/CAM (SolidEdge, Esprit, Hypercam, Parasolid, CATIA), manufacturing system simulation (ARENA), mathematical and constraint programming (ILOG CPLEX, SOLVER, SCHEDULER) and process simulation (VERICUT). Moreover, a set of internally developed software is installed and available for research, industrial applications and consulting. These ensure the most advanced research results achieved in the lab in the areas of manufacturing system analysis, production and process planning and machine tool simulation.
The software FLOWLINE is based on analytical methods for manufacturing systems analysis. FLOWLINE is capable of estimating the production flow performance of complex manufacturing systems both rapidly and accurately. It represents a valid alternative to simulation during the system configuration / reconfiguration phase.
The TPS software TPS (Total Production Scheduling) is able to generate production plans and schedules under finite capacity constraints, based on constraint programming. TPS is currently successfully implemented in real production plants covering several industrial sectors.
In regard to simulation, the research carried out has generated a language for production flow optimization (DEOS, Discrete-Event Object-oriented Simulation), applications for machine tool simulation (customized plug-ins for VERICUT) and reconfigurable simulation models for the design of diagnostic laboratories for health care applications. The list of software available in the lab is continuously upgraded depending on research requirements and results. The Lab is connected via a video-conferencing system to a European network of labs called VRL KCiP, recently transformed into the European EMIRACLE Association, and it is part of the Visionair European research infrastructure for virtual manufacturing applications.