Karol Janik

We introduce RAMP, an open-source robotics benchmark inspired by real-world industrial assembly tasks. RAMP consists of beams that a robot must assemble into specified goal configurations using pegs as fasteners. As such it assesses planning and execution capabilities, and poses challenges in perception, reasoning, manipulation, diagnostics, fault recovery and goal parsing. RAMP has been designed to be accessible and extensible. Parts are either 3D printed or otherwise constructed from… Show more

We introduce RAMP, an open-source robotics benchmark inspired by real-world industrial assembly tasks. RAMP consists of beams that a robot must assemble into specified goal configurations using pegs as fasteners. As such it assesses planning and execution capabilities, and poses challenges in perception, reasoning, manipulation, diagnostics, fault recovery and goal parsing. RAMP has been designed to be accessible and extensible. Parts are either 3D printed or otherwise constructed from materials that are readily obtainable. The part design and detailed instructions are publicly available. In order to broaden community engagement, RAMP incorporates fixtures such as April Tags which enable researchers to focus on individual sub-tasks of the assembly challenge if desired. We provide a full digital twin as well as rudimentary baselines to enable rapid progress. Our vision is for RAMP to form the substrate for a community-driven endeavour that evolves as capability matures. Show less

The increasing global demand for commercial aircraft creates many new challenges in manufacturing including an increased need to maximize the automation of manufacturing processes. The purpose of this research is to develop the understanding of leading edge assembly processes using robot mounted tooling and automated fixture with advanced process monitoring. Within this research real-time process monitoring data is acquired from an assembly operation and processed into an open cloud environment… Show more

The increasing global demand for commercial aircraft creates many new challenges in manufacturing including an increased need to maximize the automation of manufacturing processes. The purpose of this research is to develop the understanding of leading edge assembly processes using robot mounted tooling and automated fixture with advanced process monitoring. Within this research real-time process monitoring data is acquired from an assembly operation and processed into an open cloud environment enabling advanced data analytics. Implementation of advanced analytics of process data could be developed for the use of machine learning algorithms which can lead to superior fault finding. The aim of this research is to improve product quality, reduce cost and increase process knowledge, enabling the potential for maximized online and offline process feedback. This paper details how an Industry 4.0 based open Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environment can be used to interface with a number of proprietary devices to enable real-time process monitoring in aerospace manufacturing. The implementation of the software and hardware is detailed and followed by an initial evaluation of the system architecture by performing leading edge assembly operations. In addition, a baseline of current IIoT systems is discussed, with the comparison to the specific architecture used here. The system is based on a wireless integration of proprietary devices and sensors feeding real-time data to an open cloud environment. Data is analysed and visualised in real time with online access and report generation. Show less

One-way assembly of aero structures has the potential to significantly reduce build times. One of the solutions, which goes towards achieving this philosophy, is the use of a ‘C' clamping automated drilling system. The Manufacturing Technology Centre has developed and manufactured a ‘C' clamping automated drilling unit to overcome many of the limitations of current designs, which prevent their use on a broader range of structures. The drilling unit addresses issues with inter-stack burrs… Show more

One-way assembly of aero structures has the potential to significantly reduce build times. One of the solutions, which goes towards achieving this philosophy, is the use of a ‘C' clamping automated drilling system. The Manufacturing Technology Centre has developed and manufactured a ‘C' clamping automated drilling unit to overcome many of the limitations of current designs, which prevent their use on a broader range of structures. The drilling unit addresses issues with inter-stack burrs, access, size and weight restrictions as well as economic factors. This technical paper will present the outcomes from the design and manufacture of the drilling unit that is to be used within restricted access areas, as either a hand held device or as a robotic end effector free from any cables or hoses, allowing full and unhindered articulation of any robot motion. The device’s services: power, tool lubrication, swarf extraction and control systems have been designed to be embedded, rendering it a standalone unit. With the miniaturisation of the electrical and mechanical elements, combined with a deep throat, high clamping force and innovative spindle design, the system can be applied in a variety of scenarios. The control system has been designed to be low cost, compact and wireless with a tablet interface for enhanced connectivity, improving on current solutions. Combined with the utilisation of brushless servomotors for real-time position, speed and torque feedback, the unit allows adaptive drilling of multi-material stacks and future development of other smart drilling principles. The project was funded by Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and conducted by the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). Show less