Industrial automation and
robotics
MSc in Management Engineering
Prof. Paolo Rocco
Schedule
Learning objectives and course syllabus
The goal of this course is to
provide the students with a general view of the current methods and tools
offered by automation technologies for the smart factory, including industrial
and collaborative robotics. The course will also discuss technological aspects
for the implementation of the automation systems, with specific reference to
digital control, programming of logic controllers, communication protocols, and
programming industrial robots.
The course fits into the
overall program curriculum pursuing some of the defined general learning goals.
Specifically, at the end of the
course, the student is expected to be able to:
-understand the role of
automation systems for the smart factory;
-manage the design of simple
automation systems in terms of both discrete and continuous control;
-understand the communication
technologies for industrial systems;
-identify the role of
industrial robots in the factory, why and where they should be used in the
production systems;
-understand and master the new
trends in industrial robotics, like collaborative robotics;
-use software programs to
simulate and to offline program the robots..
Course syllabus is as follows:
Introduction
Automation:
current and future scenarios. The industry 4.0 paradigm. Human-centric
automation.
Process automation
The
control problem. The role of the dynamics in control systems. State models and
transfer functions. Closed-loop control: the role of feedback. Industrial
controllers. Digital control technology. Application: motion control.
Discrete automation
Action
sequencing and logic control. Task scheduling in an automation plant. The
Programmable Logic Controller. Programming languages: Ladder Diagrams and
Sequential Function Charts (SFC). Real-time systems.
Communication technologies and protocols
Technologies
and protocols for interconnecting industrial devices and processes: industrial
ethernet and fieldbus. Protocols to provide services in industrial
environments.
Industrial and collaborative robotics
Industrial
robots. Selection of a robot based on the application. Robot kinematics, motion
planning and control. Tools for robot motion programming. Collaborative
robotics: advantages in human-robot collaboration. Safety standards. Examples
and applications.
AI-driven production control
Methods
and tools for production control in mixed human-robot lines, based on digital
twins of the plant and closed-loop scheduling/dispatching rules.
Prerequisites
Basics
in linear algebra and calculus.
Bibliography
K. J. Astrom and R. M. Murray, Feedback systems - An Introduction for Scientists and Engineers https://www.cds.caltech.edu/~murray/books/AM05/pdf/am08-complete_22Feb09.pdf
B. Siciliano,
L. Sciavicco, L. Villani, G. Oriolo: Robotics: Modelling, Planning and Control,
3rd Ed., Springer, 2009 (in English)
Lecture notes
Introduction to
the course 
Introduction to
Automation
Dynamic Systems
Linear Systems
Updated 30/09/2024
Feedback Control
Systems
Logic Control: the
PLC
Sequential
Function Chart
Distributed
Control Systems
Introduction to
Industrial Robotics
Robot Kinematics
Motion planning
Motion control
Collaborative
robotics
AI driven production control
Lab sessions
MATLAB/Simulink
In order to participate in the
lab activities, students need to bring their own laptop with them.
You need to install your own copy of MATLAB/Simulink. Instructions how to
create a Matlab account and download and install your
free copy of MATLAB are available here:
https://www.software.polimi.it/mathworks-matlab/
Make sure that the Control Systems Toolbox is included in your suite (it should
be, unless you deselect it on purpose).
You do not need any internet connection during the lab session.
ABB RobotStudio
RobotStudio is a professional virtual environment for offline
programming of robots, interfaced with a virtual controller.
Please install beforehand your own copy of RobotStudio. You can download the software at the following
address:
https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/robotstudio
Please notice that it is a somewhat heavy
download (about 2 GB). Also, the program runs only in a Microsoft Windows PC.
Following the instructions available at the
above web page, you should fill a form to request your own copy of the software
and then, after installation, activate a free license that is valid for 30
days. Interested students can ask us for a license for educational purposes (we
have several of them).
Once you have installed RobotStudio,
you also need to install the appropriate RobotWare
for our lab sessions. Follow these instructions:
-open RobotStudio
-select the tab "Add-ins"
-select the version 6.11.02 of the RobotWare IRC5 and install it
Once the installation is complete, by
selecting again the tab "Add-ins", the installed RobotWare
will show up under the installed packages. Please proceed to the installation
of the RobotWare before the lab session.
Exams
Students will take a written examination, consisting of open-ended questions.
Texts of exams will be published here.
Results of the exams will be notified to the students through the online services.
Training example 1: text solution
Training example 2: text solution
Training example 3: text solution