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Electronics
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Refurbishment, Remanufacturing and Retrofitting of Machinery in Cyber-Physical Production Systems
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Refurbishment, Remanufacturing and Retrofitting of Machinery in Cyber-Physical Production Systems

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Systems & Control Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 14839

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pedro M. B. Torres

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Guest Editor
1. Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral No 12, 6000-084 Castelo Branco, Portugal
2. SYSTEC—Research Center for Systems and Technologies, ARISE—Advanced Production and Intelligent Systems Associated Laboratory, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: electronics; instrumentation; automation; control; robotics; cyber-physical systems; computer vision; image processing and machine learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Gil Gonçalves

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias S/N, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: digitization, digital transformation, and Industry 4.0; architectures and models of information systems for complex systems; cyber–physical systems; IoT and edge computing; predictive and prescriptive models for adaptable and reconfigurable systems
Prof. Robin Augustine

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical Engineering, Division of Solid State Electronics, Head of The Microwaves in Medical Engineering Group, Angstrom Laboratory, Uppsala University, Elektroteknik, Box 65, 751 03 Uppsala, Sweden
Interests: automation; robotics; IoT; bio-mechatronics; cyber–physical systems; intra-body communication; sensing; prosthetics; electronics; industry; materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Volker Lohweg

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Guest Editor
Institute Industrial IT (inIT), Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe (TH OWL), Campusallee 6, D-32657 Lemgo, Germany
Interests: Intelligent automation; digitalization; information fusion; industrial image processing; pattern recognition; cyber–physical (production) systems; machine learning; resource-limited electronics; mobile devices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances have paved the way for the systematical deployment of Cyber–Physical Production Systems (CPPSs), with information from all related perspectives closely monitored and synchronized between the physical factory floor and the cyber computational space. Such a trend is driving manufacturing industry toward Industry 4.0, where high industrial productivity and efficiency are closely connected with well-functioning and well-maintained equipment.

To remain competitive, manufacturing companies should continuously increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their production processes and equipment. From this perspective, upgrading and maintenance activities have become even more crucial for business success. Refurbishment and re-manufacturing are activities of the circular economy model, whose purpose is to keep the high value of products and materials, as opposed to the currently employed economic model, thus targeting the extension of equipment and materials and reducing the unnecessary and wasteful use of resources. These two activities, along with health status monitoring, constitute key elements for the lifetime extension and re-use of industrial equipment.

The goal is to save valuable resources by re-using equipment instead of discarding it via supporting legacy industrial infrastructures with advanced technological solutions that have built-in capabilities for in-situ repair, self-assessment, and optimal re-use strategies.

Keywords and Topics:

  • Big data analytics, predictive analytics, and optimization models;
  • Machinery digital twins;
  • Refurbishment and re-manufacturing of machinery;
  • Edge, fog, and cloud computing;
  • Health monitoring, failure inspection, and diagnosis of machinery;
  • Advanced mechatronics devices;
  • Automation and robotics;
  • Case studies and testbeds on smart manufacturing;
  • Cyber–physical systems;
  • Developments in intelligent manufacturing systems;
  • Industrial communication protocols;
  • Modeling and simulation for smart manufacturing;
  • Smart actuators and materials;
  • Sustainable materials, products, and processes;
  • IoT and IIoT;
  • 5G in industry;
  • Big data and machine learning;
  • Industrial vision systems;
  • Vision-guided robotics.

Prof. Pedro M. B. Torres
Prof. Gil Gonçalves
Prof. Robin Augustine
Prof. Volker Lohweg
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 5304 KiB  
Article
Closed-Loop Control Applied to the Injection Moulding Process—An Industry 4.0 Refurbishment Case Study
by Joel C. Vasco, Joaquim Martins, Pedro Oliveira and Paulo Chaves
Electronics 2023, 12(2), 271; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12020271 - 05 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1364
Abstract
Injection moulding process stability is a key issue in ensuring suitable quality of plastic parts. External factors such as processing equipment malfunctions, environmental variations, or tool misuse require qualified professionals to handle the issue or diagnosing systems to detect them at an early [...] Read more.
Injection moulding process stability is a key issue in ensuring suitable quality of plastic parts. External factors such as processing equipment malfunctions, environmental variations, or tool misuse require qualified professionals to handle the issue or diagnosing systems to detect them at an early stage to avoid production in unsuitable processing conditions. The process control system was developed to provide a solution to these problems, whether by introducing automatic self-corrections to processing conditions or providing key performance indicators (KPI) for operation, maintenance, production, and quality control, with a local or remote interface. The system gathers processing and operating data from the mould and from the processing equipment to provide an overall process view. The data collected are obtained from several sensors located on the mould, placed at strategic locations, and real-time information is provided by the injection equipment or its peripherals. These data are processed in near real-time by the process control system and corrections for processing parameters, if required, are transferred to the injection equipment to be implemented in the subsequent injection cycles. Preliminary results from this case study proved that this solution provided suitable responses to the imposed processing variations, resulting in optimized plastic parts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Refurbishment, Remanufacturing and Retrofitting of Machinery in Cyber-Physical Production Systems)
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37 pages, 16759 KiB  
Article
Intelligent Computer Vision System for Analysis and Characterization of Yarn Quality
by Filipe Pereira, Alexandre Macedo, Leandro Pinto, Filomena Soares, Rosa Vasconcelos, José Machado and Vítor Carvalho
Electronics 2023, 12(1), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12010236 - 03 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2755
Abstract
The quality of yarn is essential in the control of the fabrics processes. There is some commercial equipment that measures the quality of yarn based on sensors, of different types, used for collecting data about some textile yarn characteristic parameters. The irregularity of [...] Read more.
The quality of yarn is essential in the control of the fabrics processes. There is some commercial equipment that measures the quality of yarn based on sensors, of different types, used for collecting data about some textile yarn characteristic parameters. The irregularity of the textile thread influences its physical properties/characteristics and there may be a possibility of a break in the textile thread during the fabric manufacturing process. This can contribute to the occurrence of unwanted patterns in fabrics that deteriorate their quality. The existing equipment, for the above-mentioned purpose, is characterized by its high size and cost, and for allowing the analysis of only few yarn quality parameters. The main findings/results of the study are the yarn analysis method as well as the developed algorithm, which allows the analysis of defects in a more precise way. Thus, this paper presents the development and results obtained with the design of a mechatronic prototype integrating a computer vision system that allows, among other parameters, the analysis and classification, in real time, of the hairs of the yarn using artificial intelligence techniques. The system also determines other characteristics inherent to the yarn quality analysis, such as: linear mass, diameter, volume, twist orientation, twist step, average mass deviation, coefficient of variation, hairiness coefficient, average hairiness deviation, and standard hairiness deviation, as well as performing spectral analysis. A comparison of the obtained results with the designed system and a commercial equipment was performed validating the undertaken methodology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Refurbishment, Remanufacturing and Retrofitting of Machinery in Cyber-Physical Production Systems)
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14 pages, 5793 KiB  
Article
Bin-Picking Solution for Randomly Placed Automotive Connectors Based on Machine Learning Techniques
by Pedro Torres, Janis Arents, Hugo Marques and Paulo Marques
Electronics 2022, 11(3), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11030476 - 06 Feb 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2595
Abstract
This paper presents the development of a bin-picking solution based on low-cost vision systems for the manipulation of automotive electrical connectors using machine learning techniques. The automotive sector has always been in a state of constant growth and change, which also implies constant [...] Read more.
This paper presents the development of a bin-picking solution based on low-cost vision systems for the manipulation of automotive electrical connectors using machine learning techniques. The automotive sector has always been in a state of constant growth and change, which also implies constant challenges in the wire harnesses sector, and the emerging growth of electric cars is proof of this and represents a challenge for the industry. Traditionally, this sector is based on strong human work manufacturing and the need arises to make the digital transition, supported in the context of Industry 4.0, allowing the automation of processes and freeing operators for other activities with more added value. Depending on the car model and its feature packs, a connector can interface with a different number of wires, but the connector holes are the same. Holes not connected with wires need to be sealed, mainly to guarantee the tightness of the cable. Seals are inserted manually or, more recently, through robotic stations. Due to the huge variety of references and connector configurations, layout errors sometimes occur during seal insertion due to changed references or problems with the seal insertion machine. Consequently, faulty connectors are dumped into boxes, piling up different types of references. These connectors are not trash and need to be reused. This article proposes a bin-picking solution for classification, selection and separation, using a two-finger gripper, of these connectors for reuse in a new operation of removal and insertion of seals. Connectors are identified through a 3D vision system, consisting of an Intel RealSense camera for object depth information and the YOLOv5 algorithm for object classification. The advantage of this approach over other solutions is the ability to accurately detect and grasp small objects through a low-cost 3D camera even when the image resolution is low, benefiting from the power of machine learning algorithms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Refurbishment, Remanufacturing and Retrofitting of Machinery in Cyber-Physical Production Systems)
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19 pages, 18314 KiB  
Article
Rapid and Easy Assessment of Friction and Load-Bearing Capacity in Thin Coatings
by Luís Vilhena, Fábio Ferreira, João Carlos Oliveira and Amílcar Ramalho
Electronics 2022, 11(3), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11030296 - 18 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1414
Abstract
The present research paper aims to evaluate the tribological behavior of coatings in applications where high wear resistance and low friction are required, commonly used in refurbishment of various items of industrial equipment. Twelve tribological pairs made of six different coatings, corresponding to [...] Read more.
The present research paper aims to evaluate the tribological behavior of coatings in applications where high wear resistance and low friction are required, commonly used in refurbishment of various items of industrial equipment. Twelve tribological pairs made of six different coatings, corresponding to three different coating families, have been studied: TiSiN, Cr, and DLC (diamond-like carbon). The coatings were produced using a technique called high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). To perform the tribological tests, two methods were used to measure friction, namely energy dissipation in vibratory systems and sliding indentation. The first technique is based on the evaluation of free vibration movement with damping of a mass–spring system induced by a mechanical impulse where the contact between the vibrating device and the sample to be analyzed acts as an additional energy dissipation. At the same time, friction is determined through the inverse analysis by comparing the experimental vibratory movement with the analytical equation of the movement. The determination of the load-bearing capacity of the various coatings has been evaluated using sliding indentation tests against spherical bodies using a constant sliding speed and increasing normal loads. The results obtained in both tests allow to verify a relationship between the friction coefficients of the studied tribological pairs: µDLC < µTiSiN < µCr. This relationship does not occur in the case of the vibration test with the 100Cr6 counter-body. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Refurbishment, Remanufacturing and Retrofitting of Machinery in Cyber-Physical Production Systems)
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22 pages, 3014 KiB  
Article
A Systematic Simulation-Based Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for the Evaluation of Semi–Fully Flexible Machine System Process Parameters
by Thirupathi Samala, Vijaya Kumar Manupati, Jose Machado, Shubham Khandelwal and Katarzyna Antosz
Electronics 2022, 11(2), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11020233 - 12 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2162
Abstract
Current manufacturing system health management is of prime importance due to the emergence of recent cost-effective and -efficient prognostics and diagnostics capabilities. This paper investigates the most used performance measures viz. Throughput Rate, Throughput Time, System Use, Availability, Average Stay Time, and Maximum [...] Read more.
Current manufacturing system health management is of prime importance due to the emergence of recent cost-effective and -efficient prognostics and diagnostics capabilities. This paper investigates the most used performance measures viz. Throughput Rate, Throughput Time, System Use, Availability, Average Stay Time, and Maximum Stay Time as alternatives that are responsible for the diagnostics of manufacturing systems during real-time disruptions. We have considered four different configurations as criteria on which to test with the proposed integrated MCDM (Multi-Criteria Decision-Making)-TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution)-based simulation approach. The main objective of this proposed model is to improve the performance of semi–fully flexible systems and to maximize the production rate by ranking the parameters from most influenced to least. In this study, first, the performance of the considered process parameters are analyzed using a simulation approach, and furthermore the obtained results are validated using real-time experimental results. Thereafter, using an Entropy method, the weights of each parameter are identified and then the MCDM-based TOPSIS is applied to rank the parameters. The results show that Throughput tTme is the most affected parameter and that Availability, average stay time, and max stay time are least affected in the case of no breakdown of machine condition. Similarly, Throughput Time is the most affected parameter and Maximum Stay Time is the least affected parameter in the case of the breakdown of machine condition. Finally, the rankings from the TOPSIS method are compared with the PROMETHEE method rankings. The results demonstrate the ability to understand system behavior in both normal and uncertain conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Refurbishment, Remanufacturing and Retrofitting of Machinery in Cyber-Physical Production Systems)
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Review

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17 pages, 379 KiB  
Review
A Systematic Review on Life Extension Strategies in Industry: The Case of Remanufacturing and Refurbishment
by Carlos Ferreira and Gil Gonçalves
Electronics 2021, 10(21), 2669; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10212669 - 31 Oct 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2863
Abstract
Several factors have led to an increase in the focus on sustainable development. In this context, the concept of Circular Economy (CE) has gained tremendous momentum in research and implementation. Fitted into CE’s concept, the Life Extension Strategies (LES) have been popular among [...] Read more.
Several factors have led to an increase in the focus on sustainable development. In this context, the concept of Circular Economy (CE) has gained tremendous momentum in research and implementation. Fitted into CE’s concept, the Life Extension Strategies (LES) have been popular among industrial practitioners, regulators, policymakers, and academics from different industries due to the several benefits of these strategies. The general scope of this study is to approach LES within the industrial environment. The main goal is to understand how Remanufacturing and Refurbishment (R/R) strategies have been applied in different industry types. To achieve this goal, we carried out a systematic literature review whereby we captured some examples of R/R applications that demonstrate the potential of application to various industries (e.g., aerospace/aeronautics, energy power, and automotive industries) and equipment types (e.g., nuclear reactor, hydropower plant, and turbine blades). We also described some strategies to implement LES (e.g., economic analysis and life cycle assessment) and the different impacts achieved or expected (life extension, cost-saving, and efficiency enhancement). Moreover, we discussed three specific points concerning R/R application, the LES categorization, and the inexistence of a multi-dimensional framework to LES. Finally, we provided a set of systematized information about R/R. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Refurbishment, Remanufacturing and Retrofitting of Machinery in Cyber-Physical Production Systems)
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