Controls as Part of The Bigger Picture

The launch of a new product created on an automated line may be synchronised with a
marketing campaign, and it will also have broad implications for logistics and storage
from the raw materials through to the final point of sale. The hardest thing to move in
the AMHS business is the system handover date, so delivering a new line on time is
crucial to its profitability. From the day the contract for an AMHS is signed, however,
there are risks associated with every constituent component delivery, a risk which is
magnified by system changes resulting from evolving end user requirements. Although
delivery variability can be taken into account, each delay puts pressure on the controls
testing phase and threatens the system delivery schedule.

Take Controls Testing Off The Critical Path

The dynamic behavior of an AMHS cannot be fully tested until it is complete, which places controls
testing right at the end of every project, squarely on the critical path. This is unfortunate for many
reasons, not least because the duration of controls testing frequently proves so hard to predict.
Lateness penalties written into AMHS contracts are there for good reason - many projects are
delivered late, often due to the unforeseen nature of the testing process. What is essentially an office
job requiring concentration and problem solving skills is invariably carried out under pressure in a
warehouse or a factory environment. Testing is often difficult to do properly due to time constraints,
practical limitations, pressure from the end user, pressure from the system integrator, and changes
to the required system specification.

The Advantages of Offline Controls Testing

One of the main advantages of performing controls testing offline with Emulate3D
Controls Testing is exactly that - the fact that it can be done offline means that it can be
taken off the critical path, and this clearly presents many benefits to the user. As soon
as the design and planning phase of the project is complete the control system can be
built ready for testing. Not only is the testing phase off the critical path, but it is now
unrelated to the state of the hardware. Proposed control system changes to existing
systems can be reliably tested while the system continues to produce in its current
configuration.

Test Early, Reduce Costs

There is a clear incentive to test the control system against an Emulate3D model of the
hardware as soon as possible as this provides further verification of the expected
system operation. Should any problems be highlighted at this stage, many options,
including hardware changes, are still available to the system designers. End users can
be shown operational sequences and operators can be trained on the real system
responses, and they will make fewer mistakes. Interface designs and screen layouts
can be modified and improved if it is observed that the HMI (Human/Machine Interface)
is less than clear. The fine positioning of sensors can be determined, and functional
parameters tested and optimised.
Test Exhaustively by Running Multiple Tests
The opportunity exists to run batteries of Emulate3D tests on different computers
simultaneously, thus effectively multiplying the amount of testing time available by the
number of computers used. Once the hardware system is installed on site, the controls
testing phase is reduced to a minimum checklist to ensure the correct connection of all
sensors and outputs, as the logical verification of the system will have been completed
off line. Once the system is in production, the Emulate3D Controls Testing model
remains of considerable value to the end user - few systems remain unchanged during
their lifecycle, so any proposed modifications should again be evaluated offline first,
prior to implementation.