This project is funded by the Irish Central Border Area Interreg IIIA Partnership (ICBAN) through the EU Interreg IIIA Programme
Ireland/Northern Ireland

Computer Integrated Manufacturing

This is the newest lab in the School of Engineering, where components can be

• manufactured,
• tested and
• assembled
  using a state of the art fully automated CIM system.

The CIM system contains

• 2 Robots,
• a CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) Mill and Lathe,
• Vision System,
• Laser Scan Micrometer,
• Conveyor and
• Automatic Storage Station.
  

The Lab can be used to demonstrate industrial/research advanced control and automation concepts and techniques.

Programmer Logic Controllers (PLC) and industrial personnel computer (IPC) using IEC 1131-3 standard programming languages (Ladder Logic, Function Block, Statement List, Structured Text, Sequential Function chart). Soft PLC simulation.

Fieldbus system and automation integration. Robot programming, simulation and integration.

Web-enabled human machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software system.

This Lab can be used to demonstrate current leading edge Mechatronics data acquisition technologies. It is configured around the LabVIEW Professional Development System.

This development system is designed specifically for developing high-end systems, working in teams, or adhering to stringent quality standards. It includes all the features of the Full Development System plus additional tools. It provides seamless integration with measurement hardware and code-generation tools to facilitate rapid development of data acquisition and analysis, instrument control, and data presentation solutions.

It also includes libraries for performing measurement analysis and digital signal processing, generating reports, displaying 3D plots, and calling external code through DLLs, ActiveX, and .NET objects. The Professional Development System also includes source code control, application complexity measurement utilities, and the LabVIEW Application Builder, with which you can create and distribute stand-alone executables and DLLs.

The Lab can be used to demonstrate the fundamentals of Pneumatic and Hydraulic technologies. Basic or advanced pneumatic and hydraulic circuits can be built and tested. The circuits can be simulated before been built and controlled using a soft PLC. Circuits can then be controlled by an industrial PLC.