CIM

COMPUTER INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING TRAINER

Configuration: DL CIM-CS

DL CIM-C
CIM (computer integrated manufacturing) is a manufacturing method, in which the entire production process
is controlled by computer. This manufacturing method includes transversal applications in several didactic
areas such as automation, pneumatics, electronics, mechatronics and process control.

De Lorenzo has developed station-based training systems, which allow the student to view a specific
manufacturing process of an industrial production line. The trainer is a closed- loop control system based on
PLC that exchanges information collected from sensors.

The version DL CIM-C integrates Conveyer belt, Linear Transfer unit, Pick and Place unit, six stations rotary
table, drilling module, uploading arm, weighing module and palletizer.

TRAINING OBJECTIVES
DL CIM-C focuses on the study of the integration Ideal for 4 students to work simultaneously.
of the industrial sensors in process inspection as a
support for manufacturing processing line. Vocational and technical schools.
The trainer integrates the typical actuators
(electric, pneumatic) into process executions. The And applicable to courses in:
performances of the actuators influence the • Automation
quality of industrial automation functions. • Electronics
Together with the sensors, they ensure and
• Mechatronics
multiply the value of manufacturing processes.
• Electro pneumatics
To study the components substations • Process Control
functionalities: linear transfer unit, horizontal
transfer unit, pick and place unit, six stations
rotary table, drilling module, uploading arm,
weighing module and palletizer.
 CIM
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS HIGHLIGHTS
Power supply: single phase by the mains. The trainer is a real application of industrial
Total power: 450W, 2A fuse on socket for overload sensors and actuators, programmable logic
and short circuit protections. control (PLC), and dedicated information and
computer technologies (ICT-s).

PLC included features: All training topics are designed for CIM
• SIEMENS PLC S7-1200 series applications understanding. The sensors are a
support for inspections and manipulation, the
Models including HMI and SCADA software is also actuators run process and the PLC monitors and
available: controls manufacturing algorithms adjusting the
• DL CIM-CS_7INCH with 7 inch HMI processes variables.
• DL CIM-CS_10INCH with 10 inch HMI
It is the basic study of Flexible Manufacturing
Systems, with benefits in increasing the machines
utilization, reducing the manufacturing leading
time, and ensuring high flexibility scheduling.

The CIM system is also available with an open

terminal block instead of the PLC. This version
allows the connection of an external controller
through the 2mm terminals. For the correct
operation of the system, it is recommended to use
a PLC with similar or improved characteristics
(INPUT/OUTPUT) as the ones provided with our
standard versions (see previous notes). Order code:
DL CIM-CT

The following table shows the details of all the options available with ordering code.

TOUCH TOUCH
TERMINAL PLC SCADA
PANEL PANEL
BLOCK SIMENS SOFTWARE
7INCH 10INCH

DL CIM-CT
DL CIM-C_1200
DL CIM-CS_7INCH
DL CIM-CS_10INCH

Note: A compressor is needed (no less than 0.6Mpa). Module suggested: DL 8110SLZ
 CIM
SUBSTATIONS DETAILS

CONVEYER UNIT
This is a miniature model of a real time industrial
conveyor system, driven by a DC motor.
The operation of the conveyor is limited to single
direction according to the usage.
The conveyor belt rolls over two pulleys fixed on
either end. The pulleys roll freely and maintain a free
movement for the belt.
• Length: 500 mm.
• Width: 50 mm.

LINEAR TRANSFER UNIT

The Linear Transfer Unit is an electro-pneumatic
controlled linear actuator. Magnetic switches are
fixed to sense the retracted and extended position of
the transfer unit.
It transfers materials from the conveyor with the help
of a pneumatically operated rod less double acting
cylinder.
• Cylinder: Pneumatic rod less (16 mm
diameter, stroke length 200 mm).
• Travel length: 200 mm.

PICK AND PLACE UNIT

It is a totally electro-pneumatic control system. There

are three main parts in this unit:
• a vertical arm (double acting cylinder),
• a horizontal arm (double acting cylinder), and
• an angular gripper (double acting angular gripper
for holding work pieces).
Magnetic switches are fixed to sense the retracted
and extended position of the vertical and horizontal
arms; so, the Pick & Place Unit transfers the material
from the Linear Transfer Unit end to the next Unit
with the help of the vertical arm, the horizontal arm,
and the angular gripper.
o Vertical travel: 80 mm.
o Horizontal travel: 150 mm.
o Load Capacity: 0.5Kg.
CIM
CONTROL SYSTEMS: SIEMENS AND ALLEN BRADLEY
PLCs

There are programmable controllers that combine

high performance and ease of use.
Their main advantages are:
• the flexibility, as they can be reprogrammed,
• the possibility of their use in environments with
severe working conditions,
• the reliability and safety, and
• the possibility of processing both digital and
analogue signals.

With this controller integrated into the system, the

students can perform experiments commonly used in
the industrial automation environment.
It includes 30 digital inputs, 26 digital outputs and 2
analogue inputs.
It can be programmed through the integrated
Ethernet port with TIA portal software.

SIX STATIONS ROTARY TABLE

A Six Stations Rotary Table (also known as Rotary
Indexer Supplier) consists of a horizontal circular
worktable, on which the work piece is placed to be
processed.

The worktable is indexed to present each work piece

to each work head to accomplish the sequence of
machining operations.
The control and driver use electrical energy.
CIM
DRILLING MODULE
The module simulates the function of drilling the
work piece. The PLC tells the vertically double acting
flat cylinder to position the drilling device near the
work piece and to start the drilling device.
The Drilling module is pneumatically operated with
several main characteristics:
• Speed: 20000 RPM
• Work pressure: 0.5 ÷ 0.8 Mpa
• Connection Port: 3/8
Lifting cylinder: 16 mm diameter & Stroke length
60mm
Fixed cylinder: 10 mm diameter & Stroke length
10mm.

UPLOADING ARM
The uploading arm or horizontal Pick & Place Unit is
an electro-pneumatic system in which the movement
is controlled by a linear and rotary actuator. This
system works as a miniature pick and place robot with
a limited path application.
The uploading arm is used to transfer the
components or work pieces from one workstation to
the other. It is pneumatically operated with main
characteristics:
• Lifting cylinder: 16 mm diameter & stroke
length 20 mm
• Rotary cylinder: 0 ÷ 180°
• Load Capacity: 0.5 kg.

WEIGHING MODULE
The weighing module consists of two elements: the
load cell and the interface circuit. The load cell
generates a variable resistance value related to the
weight of the object that is placed over it.
The interface circuit receives processes and sends this
value to the analogue input of the PLC, which
determines the correspondent weight of the work
piece placed over the load cell.
The measuring principle: balance beam-single point
weighing with:
• Rated load: 0 ÷ 1 kg
• Output: 0 ÷ 10V.
CIM

VISION SYSTEM

The vision system is a compact visual sensing

equipment, which is used for quality control
inspections in automated production lines. The vision
system serves under the class of visual sensing
methods. It basically analyses an image obtained by a
video camera, displays it, and reports its
characteristics to the system controller.

Visual process module parameters:

• Interface: Ethernet TCP/IP

• Stable light source: 6 LED White Ring Light
• Lens:12mm;
• Sensor
Type 1/3” Mono Global Shutter, 3.75μm pixel
Format: 640x480
Rate: 45
• Electronic shutter
• Built-in data processing system
• External shooting signal
• Operation mode: still shooting
• Fixed method: Independent installation
CIM
STACKER CRANE - PALLETIZER

Stacker crane - also called palletizer; it is used for

palletizing (placing) the work piece in a particular
order. Our XY palletizer is a stepper motor-controlled
unit. The motor controls the movement and the
position of the axis of the Palletizer. For work piece
handling, a suction cup is provided which is controlled
using a double acting flat cylinder that will extend &
retract to pick up or dispense the work piece.

The driver adopts AC servo driver current loop for

subdivided control, motor low speed running stable,
almost no shake and noise. Suit for various CNC
mechanical, robotic, cash-counting machine
industries.
Its main parameters are:

• 2 Stepepr motor :24VDC

• The stroke of axis are 110mm and y axis are
310mm
• Cylinder: vertical flat type, double acting
cylinder 10mm diameter and stroke 60mm.
• 4 inductive sensors: Used to detect the X,Y-
axis home position and the X,Y-axis ultimate
limit position
• Gripper: Suction cup
• Operating pressure: 6 bar
• Number of I/O – 6 inputs and 6 outputs
 CIM
HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE (HMI)

It is a computer based DCS and power automation

monitoring system, which has a wide application area
and can be used for data acquisition, supervisory and
process controls, and it is the most widely used in
power systems.

With this unit added to the system, the students can

perform experiments commonly used in the
industrial automation environment.

It has a high resolution and includes I/O interfaces

such as Serial interface and Ethernet 10/100 base-T.
Available only for the following models:
DL CIM-CS_7INCH it is available in 7-inch or 10-inch
DL CIM-CS_10INCH

Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA)

software
The system is supplied with Supervisory Control And
Data Acquisition (SCADA) software and already
installed in the HMI unit.
It occupies an important position in remote control
Available only for the following models:
systems and can monitor and control on‐site
DL CIM-CS_7INCH
operating equipment to achieve functions such as
DL CIM-CS_10INCH
data acquisition, equipment control, measurement,
parameter adjustment, and various signal alarms. It
interfaces with the CIM’s PLC.
 CIM

EXPERIMENTS DESCRIPTION

Integration of the sensors in CIM experiments:

 Capacitive proximity switch
On the inspection area (a), the capacitive sensor  Inductive proximity switch
detects metals, the inductive sensor distinguishes  Photoelectric switch
the difference between metals and plastic, and the  Electromagnetic sensors
photoelectric switch detects reflexivity of the object
for correct positioning.

In the transfer area (b), electromagnetic (reed)

sensors collect information regarding strokes of the
horizontal rod less cylinder.

On the handling area (c), electromagnetic (reed)

sensors detect correct positions of the arms during
manipulations.

Integration and control of dedicated actuators

experiments:
 DC motor control The DL CIM-C trainer offers an excellent possibility
 Pneumatic cylinders control to study, understand, and design the most
appropriate applications of a DC motor use (a).
Simple, easy to control, with some proper gear, the
application for belt conveyer is fast integration of
this electric machine in manufacturing chain.
The pneumatic actuators, with their elasticity, offer
best solutions for alternative linear displacements,
and grippers. Together with its electric and
pneumatic controlling accessories, and the use of
PLC, these execution elements define and describe
in an excellent form the mechatronics concept.
Through these experiments, the student/user can
compare the possibilities of expansion for these
actuators, following the main formulated functions
for the manufacturing process design.
 CIM
Substation functionality:
Around a PLC program, that integrates different kind Linear transfer unit experiment
of signals (detection whether has work piece, metal
work piece detection, detection whether the work
piece coming, START/STOP commands), it is built a
linear transportation system, as manufacturing
function.

Different kinds of working zones are identifiable:

process controlling, inspection area, delivering point.

Substation functionality:
Transfer unit experiment Around a PLC program, that integrates different kind of
substation signals (linear transport cylinder stretch out
detection, linear transport cylinder retract detection with
upstream process signals and type of transported
materials), it is built a transfer substation.
Through this experiment, we understand the operations
sequence and dependencies of the material
transportation and handling up to the moment of
materials transferring substation.
These understood and clarified handling constraints allow
expanding solutions for many other classes of transported
materials.

Around another PLC program, that integrates different Substation functionality:

kind of substation signals (horizontal cylinder stretch out Pick and place unit experiment
detection, horizontal cylinder retract detection, vertical
cylinder stretch out detection, vertical cylinder retract
detection) with upstream process signals (related to
availability of the materials), it is built this pick and place
substation. The implementation and the control of the
gripper is the core idea.

Through this experiment, we understand the operations

sequence and dependencies of the material
transportation and handling up to the moment of
materials transferring substation.
These understood and clarified handling constrains
allows expanding solutions for many other classes of
transported materials.
 CIM
Six Stations Rotary Table Experiment We study here an integrated motion system (motors,
mechanical power transmission devices, encoders,
sensors, and controllers). We underline the important
parameters for rotary indexing tables (the needed
resolution of the application, the required repeatability
and accuracy, and other mechanical parameters such as
acceptable levels of backlash or hysteresis).
Another key parameter is the loading including torque,
axial, radial, and moment loads. These can impact the
type and size of the indexer used in each application -
probably it is the most important element in the
production chain (four major interconnected operations:
1- 4).
A rotary indexing table can be used in many applications
including manufacturing, inspection, and assembly tasks

Drilling Module Experiment

Hole drilling operation using an elastic driving system
(pneumatically operated) offers the possibility to observe,
understand, and design later, the main operations:
connecting the air source output port of the compressor to
the air source input, turning the pressure regulating valve, the
drilling control, till the ending operation. It is an application
and technique that utilizes high pressure to obtain a
mechanical movement.
As for many other machine tools used in industrial processes,
this station is equipped with standard control (manual or
automated, emergency actions). At the same time, we
underline some major advantages: safe, robust, powerful,
long lasting, easy to maintain.

Uploading Arm and Weighing Module Experiment

A simple and robust decision maker algorithm has

been implemented in DL CIM-C based on the
weight of the work pieces.
The uploading arm is controlled for selecting pieces
of work, in a programmed operations sequence.
During the experimenting time, the automation of
the uploading process is tested as a concept.
CIM

Visual Inspection Module Vision inspection systems provide image-based

inspection automated for your convenience for a
variety of industrial and manufacturing applications.
They can measure parts, verifying parts are in the
correct position, and recognizing the shape of parts.
Computer software processes images captured during
the process you are trying to assess to capture data,
and they can be embedded into your lines to provide a
constant stream of information.

The visual inspection module has two work modes:

learning mode and compare mode; learning mode is
used to update the contrast images stored in the
system; the compare mode is that the camera
compares the store image with the shoot one, to
determine that this image is similar with which picture
that pre-existing in the system.

These systems can be used in any number of industries

in which quality control is necessary. For example, they
can assist robotic systems to obtain the positioning of
parts to further automate and streamline the
manufacturing process.

The data collected by a vision system can help improve

efficiency in manufacturing lines, sorting, packing and
other applications. In addition, the information
captured by the vision system can identify problems
with the manufacturing line or other function you are
examining to improve efficiency, stop inefficient or
ineffective processes, and identify unacceptable
products.
 CIM

Integration of the substations: CIM experiment

The DL CIM-C trainer offers excellent possibility
to study, understand, and design the most
proper applications where particular substations
are implemented to work together.

The experiment is mostly focused on sequential

execution of different manufacturing
operations:
1- reception, loading and first inspection, then
transporting materials according with the
processes flow,
2- selection point according with inspection
algorithms,
3- locating on rotary index for repetitive
operations,
4- example of technological process (drilling
machine),
5- selection point according with another
specific criteria (weight),
6- output selection, palletizing, and
preparation for expedition.

One time we understand the main operations of

defined manufacturing system, the success of
using this trainer would be the measure of
expansion, or customization according to local
requirements.

In actual implementation, the PLC sub-programs

are working in CIM experiment, like program
routines that allow easy understanding of the
programming manner