AN APPLICATION OF MECHATRONICS IN MANUFACTURING WITH OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING IN A WINDOWS ENVIRONMENT

• Main Authors: M. L. J. Jürgens, D.C. Page
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Stellenbosch University 2012-01-01
• Series: South African Journal of Industrial Engineering
• Online Access: http://sajie.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/370

<p>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This project is part of a program to establish mechatronics knowledge and skills in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch. A low-cost, but accurate mechatronic application was developed by automating a pipe-bending machine. Accelerating software development through object-oriented programming was also investigated. The object-oriented software was developed with a structure that increases the independence between the application object and the data acquisition system. A teach-pendant and large, multicolour displays with interactive buttons were developed to ensure a user-friendly machine. .The positioning of the headstock was controlled by a pulsing control algorithm, which achieved an accuracy of ±0.15 degrees and a repeatability of ±0.24 degrees. The design of the machine and software and experimental results are discussed in this paper.</p><p>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie projek vorm deeI van 'n program om kennis en vaardighede in die aanwending van megatronika in die Departement Bedryfsingenieurswese van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch te vestig. 'n Lae koste, maar akkurate megatronika toepassing is ontwikkel deur 'n pypbuigmasjien te outomatiseer. Versnelling van sagteware-ontwikkeling deur die toepassing van objek-georienteerde programmering is ook ondersoek. Die objek-georienteerde sagteware is ontwikkel met 'n struktuur wat onafhanklikheid tussen die toepassings-objek en die dataver-samelingstelsel bevorder. 'n Handkontrole eenheid en groot veelkleurige rekenaarvertoonskerms met interaktiewe drukknoppe om 'n gebruikersvriendelike masjien te vereker is ontwikkel. Die posisionering van die kopstuk word beheer deur 'n puls-algoritrne wat 'n akkuraatheid van ±O.l5 grade en 'n herhaalbaarheid van ±0.24 grade lewer. Die ontwerp van die masjien en sagteware en eksperimentele resultate word in hierdie artikel bespreek.</p>