A Supervisory Control System for a Mechatronics Assembly Station

Abstract

In this work, we design and create a Human Machine Interface (HMI) for a mechatronics assembly station controlled by a programmable logic controller. Components are pneumatically assembled of different parts which include a valve body, a spool, a screw, and a knob-spring. A PLC uses the data gathered from various sensors to control the output devices. This PLC is interfaced with a computer that acts as a human-machine interface. The HMI interface is designed in such a way that the information from the assembly station can be monitored and controlled in real-time. The process can be performed manually or automatically by changing the state of the selector switch on the HMI. A different message is displayed at each step of the assembly process to identify the progress. Different alarms are also displayed to alert the operator of possible complications during the assembly process. This project was performed in the Advanced PLC Laboratory at Michigan Technological University using an Allen Bradley CompactLogix L32E PLC. The software used includes RSLogix 5000 for programming the PLCs, and FactoryTalk View Studio for developing the SCADA HMI system.