Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics, and Cybernetics

The Testbed for Industry 4.0 at CIIRC CTU as an integral part of the European Centre of Excellence RICAIP (Research and Innovation Centre on Advanced Industrial Production) as a research and experimental workplace is the core asset for the exploitation of results of multiple research projects. The main objective of RICAIP is to build a unique research facility for the development and testing of innovative solutions for advanced and fully integrated industrial production and processes for smart factories.

The basis of Testbed is a flexible production line for concurrent production of several product types in a series of variants. It combines different technologies as additive manufacturing, machining, robotic manipulation, intelligent conveyor systems, human-robot cooperation, automated warehousing and others. Thanks to the flexible interconnection of universal production tools and a sophisticated control system, the same resources can be used to execute different operations, which are scheduled optimally as needed. Testbed comprehends technologies for manipulation and logistics (Kuka robot, 6-axis industrial robot, Montrac conveyor), production cell for machining (multifunctional tooling machine), workplace for human-robot cooperation (robots for handling and machining and for working with humans – Kuka robot, mobile wheeled robots, and collaborative industrial manipulator) and control system for Testbed (Siemens Simatic control system, Profinet communication system). There are also two 3D printers, one for printing from plastic, second for printing metal parts. The current infrastructure lay grounds for the state-of-the-art research motivated by the key areas identified within the Industry 4.0 concept.

The Testbed for Industry 4.0 is based on a multi-agent platform for distributed manufacturing systems. The multi-agent functionality serves in the scope of the local Testbed of CIIRC CTU but is capable to be extended to other lines and testbeds, utilizing the common data, digital and security platform layers.

A planner for flexible manufacturing serving as a tool that combines manufacturing and internal-logistics operations. The planner can be work in a central manner as a means for planning/ coordinating operations of several machines/ units, but also in a distributed manner utilizing the multi-agent platform for negotiating the task and capacity distribution among related resources.

Particularly, these technologies contain a reconfigurable assembly line with 4 robotic stations, where automatic assembly of products composed of parts delivered with a flexible conveying system can be done. The conveying system contains loading and unloading stations for the interaction with the environment and a camera for the recognition of the parts.

A simulation model of the production in Tecnomatix Process Simulate was created to test the production plan and other scenarios before the actual production is started. Testbed also contains a separate room with individual machining devices (machining robot, hybrid machining device for additive and subtractive manufacturing) and with 3D printers of industrial grade. Manufacturing execution system (in-house developed) connected a customer portal and automatic planner of operations to perform flexible production of simple cars.

List of Testbed for Industry 4.0 modules:

• Automatic warehouse: Autonomous carts; System for optimizing the distribution of parts and distribution of parts to production resources.
• Mobile robots: Two mobile collaborative robots designed to transport parts between production resources and to collaborate with humans; FleetManager system – management of autonomous vehicles from the warehouse.
• CP Factory: Separate production line with specific modules such as robotic assembly, pressing, drilling, optical inspection, mobile robot, etc. Separate control system and a superior MES production control system.
• Workplace for robotic vision: A group of three robots interconnected by conveyors for the realization of complexrobotic vision solutions with different types of cameras focusing on different types of tasks such as bin picking, optical quality control of parts, optical quality control of assembly etc.
•  Flexible production line: New automatic screwdriver and continuous diagnostics and quality monitoring systems. Connection to superior production control systems (MES) (both internal research and commercial). Various modules such as automatic planning of production operations, distributed machine control (multi-agent approach).
• Independent robotic workplaces: Robotic 3D printing; Laser marking; Environment for future research (e.g. bin picking); Precise control from force feedback etc.

Selection of particular equipment:

• Models for the laboratory of automatic control
• 3D SW tool for creating virtual city model
• Motion Capture System. SW Canoe
• Collaborative manipulating robotic arm incl. three-breast tentacle multi-function machine tool
• System and sensors for evaluation of position, deformation, temperature and force
• Hyperspectral camera and flir infrared camera
• Velodyne 3D scanner; Laser tracker
• Machine for micro laser machining
• Measuring workplace for surface roughness measurement, incl.optical measuring system for shape and surface sensing
• Mobile digital microscope; laser scanning confocal microscope
• Components for power network simulation and control incl. photovoltaic inventories and panels
• Industrial robotic manipulators; assembly collaborative robots; industrial robots
• Laser workplace for robotic welding, cutting and surfacing applications
• Fast robot for pick & place operations
• Industrial robot for machine tool integration, incl. multifunctional machine tool and equipment for automatic adjustment of machine tools

The Testbed for Industry 4.0, the research, experiment, and demonstration facility, is based on the state-of-the-art technology with a further future outlook and development. It is well suited for prototyping, process improvement, product development and testing in order to research new concepts and methods that would improve the manufacturing processes, optimize the manufacturing etc. The other CIIRC joint labs (or projects) with different firms can be also used under research or business conditions – e.g. Eaton, Factorio Solutions, AVRAR (Association of Virtual and Augmented Reality), Siemens, IBM, HP, Rockwell Automation, Schneider, ABB, or CP Factory lab by Festo. The 3D printers are also available.

Our technology centre offers the following services:

• Awareness creation around digital technologies
• Innovation Scouting
• Digital Maturity Assessment
• Visioning and Strategy Development for Businesses
• Brokering/Matchmaking and Ecosystem building
• Access to Specialist Expertise and Infrastructure
• Mentoring
• Training
• Testing and validation
• Concept validation and prototyping
• System integration
• Collaborative research on issues of common interest
• Education and skills development

The CIIRC CTU provides access to the very first distributed international Testbed for advanced industrial production. The high-quality digital infrastructure is the crucial part of the Testbed. The product design software as well as software to design the manufacturing and engineering operations allow the introduction of the digital twin from the very beginning of the product life. The manufacturing process can be designed, verified and optimized before it is actually implemented. Teamcenter, NX and Tecnomatix suites are used.