2.1.2. Flexible Cell with ABB RM

Flexible Cell (Figure 3) is an Integrated ABB iRB120-Robot Training Station that consists of the following major components:


The communication link is made with Profinet, protocol standardized in IEC 61158 and IEC 61784, which uses traditional Ethernet hardware and software to define a network that structures the task of exchanging data with PLC and all the above-mentioned devices. For the FC hardware structure, the following profiles are applicable:


ABB Robot Controller has the hardware capability to communicate with third party devices via Profinet protocol by means of a dedicated board AnybusCC Profinet slave (DSQC 688) on the ABB Robot Controller DSQC1000 (main computer) (Figure 4). With the Profinet Anybus Device option, the ABB IRM controller can act as a slave on the Profinet network.

#### 2.1.3. Mechatronics Line Hera&Horstmann

The laboratory mechatronics flexible line, from Hera&Horstmann (Figure 5), incorporates five individual workstations with different tasks; each of them handle the line operations in different stages of the manufacturing process such as handling and transport-

ing on conveyor belts, loading and processing workparts with pneumatic workstations, sorting and testing products and storage in the dedicated warehouse unit.

**Figure 3.** Flexible Cell Station with RM ABB IRB120 6-DOF.

**Figure 4.** Profinet communication link between Siemens S7-1200 PLC and ABB Robot Controller.

**Figure 5.** Hera&Horstman assembly/disassembly mechatronics line.

The five-part workpiece enables the complete manufacturing process workflow operations such as assembly, testing, sorting, storage and disassembling. The workparts/components to be assembled into a single product are shown in Figure 6: workpart carrier (base platform), body, top or cover, metal cylinder and plastic cylinder. A/D/RML is a flexible manufacturing line by adding the capability of handling and processing batches of two different products, referred to as workpiece type 1 (WP1) and workpiece type 2 (WP2). WP1 is the workpiece with the triangular edges top part (Figure 6) and is assembled in the FC by ABB IRM. WP2 is the workpiece with round edges, top part (Figure 7a–c), and is assembled on the Hera&Horstmann ML.

The hardware structure of the ML presented on Figure 2 is based on a PLC distributed architecture, integrating the process peripherals such as signals and function modules in Remote I/O stations on the Profibus network, and consists of a Siemens Simatic S7-300 series PLC, processor type CP 314C-2 DP and Siemens CP 343-2 communication module for Profibus link.

Profibus DP interface uses predefined speed up to 12 Mbit/s and connects all 5 workstations and Storage Tower Rack, referred to as Workstation 6, through Remote IO's (Siemens ET200S communication modules), which improves adaptability and execution performance for the flexible assembly/disassembly technology framework inside this decentralized architecture design.
