Politécnico do Porto

Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto

Automation and test parallelization in

components for electric future mobility

Diogo Filipe Paiva de Carvalho

Master in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Specialization Area of Automation and Systems

Departamento de Engenharia Eletrotécnica

Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto

April, 2023
 This dissertation partially satisfies the requirements of the
Thesis/Dissertation course of the program Master in Electrical and Computer
Engineering, Specialization Area of Automation and Systems.

Candidate: Diogo Filipe Paiva de Carvalho, No. 1171141,

1171141@isep.ipp.pt
Scientific Guidance: Ramiro de Sousa Barbosa, rsb@isep.ipp.pt
Company: Controlar - Electrónica Industrial e Sistemas, S.A.
Advisor: Filipe Ramos Silva, filipe.silva@pt.controlar.com

Departamento de Engenharia Eletrotécnica

Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto
Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4200–072 Porto

April, 2023
"Mischief Managed"
Harry James Potter
Acknowledgements

I would like to express my gratitude, as I reach the final stage of my Master’s degree,
to my family, particularly my parents, for their physical, psychological, and financial
support in shaping both my education and my character. They provided me with
all the tools and knowledge I needed to navigate life’s challenges and inspired me to
strive for excellence.
I am also grateful to my friends, colleagues, teachers, and academic institutions
that have contributed to shaping my thinking and personal growth.
I would like to thank my supervisor, Ramiro Barbosa, for his prompt availability,
both during the initial internship proposal and throughout the project’s execution.
I am grateful to Controlar, S.A. and its employees for providing me with a unique
opportunity, excellent conditions, and a stimulating environment. I would also like
to thank my friend and company supervisor, Filipe Ramos Silva, for his guidance
on this project’s essay and his unwavering support and humour.
To all those individuals and entities mentioned, I offer a heartfelt thank you.
Without you, none of this would have been possible. . .
Abstract

With the increasing demand for electric mobility solutions, from cars to bicycles,
the massification of the production of electronic components carries some challenges
at the level of production cadence and, consequently, in the cycle times of each
industrial process. With this paradigm changeover, companies have joined a more
unassailable competitive environment, with an ampler quantity of outcomes in a
shorter time and, therefore, lower associated costs.
The present dissertation will, therefore, focus on the optimisation and manage-
ment of a test station, integrated into a production line of a rotor position sensor
for an electric vehicle. The project involves the automation of a machine, fed by
the conveyor of the production line. Will enclose a Selective Compliance Assembly
Robot Arm (SCARA) robot to manage the incoming parts of the process. Once a
component arrives at the stop position for machine feeding, the robot must re-route
it to an available test position, from among the 4 existing nests.
Accordingly, the robot will have to manage the feeding of the test positions,
such as the outputs of the pieces according to the test result. The machine has
a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) as the Central Processing Unit (CPU),
programmed in the Nexeed Automation environment. It enables the integration of
the machine into the global Internet Of Things (IoT) management (Cloud-Machine),
readying the entire concept to be incorporated with a Smart Factory (SF).
The implemented automatic system materialises the test station’s cycle time
optimization, succeeding in the 4-second average cycle time target, in view of the
fact that each test procedure varies around 10 seconds. After the implementation
of this cell, one operator will solely be required to follow the production, achieving
continuous production in large quantities. The station will handle incoming pallets,
tracking their workflow through Nexeed Manufacturing Execution System (MES).
With the final mechanisation, the company will reinforce its presence in the electric
mobility market, making use of the parallelization concept for the test procedure.

Keywords: Industrial automation, PLC, Test parallelization, Modular station, IoT,

MES, SCARA, Nexeed Automation

i
Resumo

Com a crescente procura de soluções de mobilidade eléctrica, desde os automóveis às

bicicletas, a massificação da produção de componentes electrónicos acarreta alguns
desafios ao nível da cadência de produção e, consequentemente, nos tempos de ciclo
de cada processo industrial. Com esta mudança de paradigma, as empresas aderiram
a um ambiente competitivo inatacável, com uma maior quantidade de resultados
num menor tempo e, consequentemente, menores custos associados.
A presente dissertação centrar-se-á, portanto, na optimização e gestão de uma
estação de testes, integrada numa linha de produção de um sensor de posição do rotor
para um veículo eléctrico. O projecto envolve a automatização de uma máquina,
alimentada pelo tapete rolante da linha de produção. Incluirá um robô SCARA
para gerir as peças que entram no processo. Quando um componente chega à posição
de paragem para alimentação da máquina, o robô deve reencaminhá-lo para uma
posição de teste disponível, de entre os 4 ninhos existentes.
Por conseguinte, o robot terá de gerir a alimentação das posições de teste, e as
saídas das peças de acordo com o resultado do teste. A máquina possui um PLC
como CPU, programado no ambiente Nexeed Automation. Permite a integração da
máquina na gestão global da IoT (Nuvem-Máquina), preparando todo o conceito
para ser incorporado numa SF.
O sistema automático implementado materializa a optimização do tempo de
ciclo da estação de teste, conseguindo atingir o objectivo de tempo de ciclo médio
de 4 segundos, tendo em conta o facto de cada procedimento de teste variar à volta
de 10 segundos. Após a implementação da célula, será unicamente necessário um
operador para acompanhar a produção, concretizando uma produção contínua em
grandes quantidades. A estação lidará com as paletes recebidas, acompanhando o
seu fluxo de trabalho através do Nexeed MES. Com a mecanização final, a empresa
reforçará a sua presença no mercado da mobilidade eléctrica, fazendo uso do conceito
de paralelização para o procedimento de teste.

Palavras-Chave: Automação industrial, PLC, Paralelização de testes, Estação

modular, IoT, MES, SCARA, Nexeed Automation

iii
Contents

List of Figures vii

List of Tables ix

Listings xi

List of Acronyms xiii

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Controlar - Electrónica Industrial e Sistemas, S.A. . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2.1 Controlar Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.2 Automation Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 Problem definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3.1 Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3.2 Expected results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4 Project schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.5 Document structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2 State-of-the-Art 9
2.1 Industrial automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2 Industry 4.0 (I4.0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.1 Internet Of Things (IoT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2.2 Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.2.3 Cloud Computing (CC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.3 Robotics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.3.1 Robot constitution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.3.2 Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.3.3 Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.4 Existent solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

3 System Architecture 27
3.1 Block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.2 PLC, robot, controlador, cartas, RFID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

v
4 Software Implementation 29
4.1 Software tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.2 Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
4.3 MES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

5 Final Results 31
5.1 Results presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
5.2 Results discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

6 Conclusions 33
6.1 Future work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

References 35

Appendix A TBD 39
A.1 Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
A.2 Another section of A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

vi
List of Figures

1.1 Controlar logo [1]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1.2 Controlar business units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 Tese/Dissertação (TEDI) project schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2.1 Communication in industrial automation systems [3]. . . . . . . . . . 10

2.2 Use degree of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies [5] [6]. . . . . . . . . . 12
2.3 Internet Of Things (IoT) reality [7]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4 The basic building blocks of an Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID)
system [9]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.5 RFID tag composition [9]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.6 Cloud Computing three main delivery models [13] [14]. . . . . . . . . 16
2.7 Information and management systems for planning and control [16]
[17]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.8 Framework of the manufacturing process of cloud Manufacturing Ex-
ecution System (MES) system diagram centred on machine tools [15]. 18
2.9 "Rossum’s Universal Robots" play by Karel Capek (1920) [20]. . . . 19
2.10 An example of a robot composition scheme [24]. . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.11 Typical robot joints [25]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2.12 Robot work volumes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.13 An RRRP Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) robot
for performing Pick-and-Place operations [25]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

vii
List of Tables

1.1 Controlar companies over the world. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2.1 Design principles of each I4.0 constituent [4]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2.2 Tracking industrial IoT technologies [8]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.3 The number of Degrees-of-Freedom (DOF) and constraints provided
by common joints [25]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2.4 SCARA pros and cons [19]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

ix
Listings

xi
List of Acronyms

AMR Advanced Manufacturing Research

AWS Amazon Web Services

CC Cloud Computing

CPS Cyber-Physical Systems

CPU Central Processing Unit

DOF Degrees-of-Freedom

DUT Device Under Test

EOL End-of-Line

HMI Human-Machine Interface

I4.0 Industry 4.0

IaaS Infrastructure-as-a-Service

IoS Internet of Services

IoT Internet Of Things

ISO International Organisation for Standardisation

IT Information Technology

MEEC-AS Mestrado em Engenharia Electrotécnica e Computadores, área de

Automação e Sistemas

MES Manufacturing Execution System

MESA Manufacturing Execution Systems Association

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

OEE Overall Equipment Effectiveness

PaaS Platform-as-a-Service

xiii
PCB Printed Circuit Board

PLC Programmable Logic Controller

R&D Research & Development

RFID Radio-Frequency IDentification

RPS-i Rotor Position Sensor Inductive

SaaS Software-as-a-Service

SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

SCARA Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm

SF Smart Factory

TEDI Tese/Dissertação

xiv
Chapter 1

Introduction

The predictable rise of electric mobility in the near future raises concerns, such
as the mass production of electronic components. The fact that both have to be
integrated brings some challenges, such as product cadence and, consequently, the
cycle time of each industrial process. Manufacturing enterprises face intense global
competition and need to focus on both product quality and production efficiency.
These factors are critical for the success of such enterprises and are often seen as
both the amplest defiance and the ultimate objective.
The present essay will focus on optimising and managing an automatic machine,
with several test stations, which will be integrated into a production line of an elec-
tronic component for an electric vehicle. The main objective to develop is optimising
the station’s cycle time, given the settled goal of 4 seconds. Each test position will
take about 10 seconds for the entire procedure.
Given this, the project will underline its automation, fed by the production’s line
main conveyor. It will be endowed with a SCARA to manage the work-piece flow
throughout the machine. With the arrival of a component to the conveyor’s load
position, the robot must forward it to one ready test position from the existent 4.
Having this said, the robot will feed the 4 positions with work-pieces, and manage
their flow from the moment they arrive at the station’s workspace.
The station’s central unit will be a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) from
Beckhoff, programmed in Nexeed Automation environment. This enables the ma-
chine integration in line’s IoT (Cloud-Machine), preparing the whole concept so it

1
2 Chapter 1. Introduction

is passable to being integrated into an intelligent factory. Consequently, the station

will have to inform MES, so the station’s product life-cycle is documented.

1.1 Context
Considering the high competitiveness in today’s industrial sector, companies have
been investing in all possible ways of improving their end product. With the acquired
experience from dozens or even hundreds of years of automation, companies have
found that replacing human hand with robots, in certain applications, enable a shine
of benefits for them.
Process automation brings notable advantages for every sort of production com-
pany. Along with the reduced production costs (time and financially), it also pro-
vides appreciable productivity and overall quality growth. All this is associated with
the fact that fewer factory floor is occupied and even human’s fatigue from repetitive
work is reduced.
The automotive industry is no exception. With the high-standard demands from
clients and manufacturers, production companies for the said industry have found
no other way but to indulge in this recent reality.
Controlar’s will and core business is dedicated to industrial automation and test
systems, with a special focus on the automotive industry. The company pursues
the development of the highest standard machines for product testing and quality
control, with the urge of exploiting areas such as automation and artificial vision.
The hereby dissertation was fully developed in Controlar’s installations and followed
the client’s established moulds for the product’s test sequence.

1.2 Controlar - Electrónica Industrial e Sistemas, S.A.

Established in 1995, Controlar has been instigating its growth and supplying the
industry with all sorts of hardware and software solutions. With its sharp vocation
to the development of automotive electronic components, the company develops
highly integrated solutions regarding industrial automation, functional test systems
and overall quality for in-house electronic devices [1]. Corporation’s logo is displayed
in Figure 1.1.
The main enterprise facilities are currently based in Alfena, Portugal and have
several distinct business fronts. Each one of them counts with a significant portfo-
lio of products and services with worldwide references in some of the best-known
multinational partners.
1.2. Controlar - Electrónica Industrial e Sistemas, S.A. 3

Figure 1.1: Controlar logo [1].

1.2.1 Controlar Group

As formerly articulated, Controlar detains a string of different target markets, with a
different responsible unit. The organisation has been experiencing strong growth and
expansion both nationally and internationally, supplying new products and services
always with the best possible quality and innovation at a competitive price level.
Figure 1.2 shows the corporation’s business units. Test systems unit (Sub-
figure 1.2a) is accountable for all sorts of testing, such as Printed Circuit Board
(PCB) and End-of-Line (EOL), and quality control. Solutions and partners unit
(Sub-figure 1.2b) is responsible for making partnerships and Research & Develop-
ment (R&D) projects. The automation systems division (Sub-figure 1.2c) is re-
sponsible for the assembly and programming of production lines, making use of
technologies such as artificial vision. The last unit concerns the matter of Aerospace
& Defence (Sub-figure 1.2d).

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Figure 1.2: Controlar business units: (a) Test Systems, (b) Solutions
and Partners, (c) Automation Systems and (d) Aerospace & Defence.

All these industry branches were first instigated in the organisation’s home coun-
try, and have gradually been finding their way out of its borders. It has partitions
over North America (more specifically Mexico) and Malaysia, and detains companies
4 Chapter 1. Introduction

such as Eiit and Sensing Future, always with the scope of disseminating its product
innovation all around the world. Table 1.1 displays the said organisations.

Table 1.1: Controlar companies over the world.

Location Enterprise
Porto Controlar (Head quarters)
Coimbra Sensing Future
Spain (several) Eiit
Mexico Controlar North America
Penang Controlar Malaysia

1.2.2 Automation Systems

Given the fact the project’s software was fully developed by the Automation Sys-
tems department, an introduction to its areas of development and achievements is
worthwhile being executed.
The aforementioned business unit is dedicated to the development and integra-
tion of industrial automation solutions, initiating with the project conception, ac-
companied by the development of mechanical parts, electrical projects programming
and connection of PLC and Human-Machine Interface (HMI). From elementary ap-
plications to integration with high levels of automation, it is a very flexible area and
demonstrates the ability to respond to various types of projects such as [1]:

• Electrical industrial installations;

• Development of machines and production lines;

• Automation, remodelling and modernization of machines and processes;

• Programming PLC and HMI;

• Deployment of specific software for production control and efficiency monitor-

ing efficiency - Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and MES;

• Process monitoring solutions employing Supervisory Control and Data Acqui-

sition (SCADA) systems, production line control and automation processes;

• Project, installation, and programming of robots;

• Industrial machine vision systems;

• Traceability applications.
1.3. Problem definition 5

1.3 Problem definition

The adjacent document has the purpose of presenting the development of a solution
which provides the production line with the ability to calibrate each Rotor Position
Sensor Inductive (RPS-i) unit, taking the established workflow and cycle time into
consideration.

1.3.1 Objectives
The station should be able to run a conveyor regardless of other processes, indexing
the Device Under Test (DUT) once its arrival. Then, the Pick-and-Place robot
should take it to the station in which the device will be tested and calibrated,
forwarding it to the succeeding machine or placing it in a rejection drawer for later
evaluation. With this said the final product should fulfil the following objectives:

• Run the conveyor independently from the remainder of the line, managing the
flow of the upcoming pallets according to the test status;

• Identify each incoming work-piece with a RFID tag, in order to distinguish

the different breeds of DUT, and thus forwarding to the correct sequence;

• Design efficient trajectories for the robot’s programs, assuring the safety of
each movement, even in recovery homing state;

• Cycle time optimization, considering test 10-second run-time and pursuing the
4-second duration imposed by the client;

• Definition of a hierarchy for the entirety of the machine, so each object runs its
dependencies by itself, abstracting some concepts away from the main station;

• Synchronization of all station modules, reducing waiting times in all test stages;

• Introduction to Nexeed Automation, a cloud-based solution of machine pro-

gramming, elevating I4.0 approach to a greater level of integration;

• Notify MES of the information regarding all work-pieces and their processed
flow along the machine.

1.3.2 Expected results

After due research and study of all integral parts regarding the subject and ensuing
implementation, it is expected that the final result will endow the following key
points:

• The machine is expected to be developed under a highly modular scope. The

implementation of any kind of add-on must not conflict with others;
6 Chapter 1. Introduction

• The robot is expected to have next to zero idling time, this meaning that the
require-operation buffer’s management must be perfected;

• The operator is expected to have access to all sorts of information regarding

the machine’s state and must be able to run the automatic cycle or even recover
the station’s status from every point of the program’s execution.

1.4 Project schedule

Given the fact the project follows the course unit’s scope of TEDI, concerning
Mestrado em Engenharia Electrotécnica e Computadores, área de Automação e Sis-
temas (MEEC-AS), its duration must be comprised in the latter year of the course.
Given the project’s complexity and dimension, it was necessary to design a tem-
poral chart, describing the project’s timeline. This way, it was assured that the due
deadlines would be established in time. The project’s schedule is displayed in Figure
1.3.

1.5 Document structure

Besides the introduction, the document is composed of the following structure:

• Chapter 2 provides a comprehensive overview of the State-of-the-Art in in-

dustrial automation and robotics. It traces the evolution of these fields over
the years and delves into the applications of Pick-and-Place robots, which are
relevant to the project discussed in this essay. The chapter also explores the
emerging field of I4.0 and its related topics.

• Chapter 3 details the system architecture based on the project’s specifications.

It presents the hardware and software components and features a block dia-
gram that illustrates the connections between each component.

• Chapter 4 offers a thorough account of the project’s implementation, includ-

ing the programming of the SCARA robot and PLC, as well as the system’s
interaction.

• Chapter 5 presents the results of the implementation and demonstrates how

the station behaves in response to its inputs. It also includes corresponding
images to illustrate the process.

• Chapter 6 draws conclusions about the developed solution and evaluates pos-
sible future work that can be performed.
1.5. Document structure 7

2023 Calendar Weeks

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

State-of-the-Art

Automation

Robotics

IoT
System architecture

Hardware

Software

Literature review submission

Software development

Robot

PLC

C# interface
Tests and validation

Essay writing Last documentation writing

*development* Final submission

Figure 1.3: TEDI project schedule.

Chapter 2

State-of-the-Art

The current chapter will underline the industrial automation evolution, analysing
the most common industrial robots in the market, with a special focus on the
SCARA robots, bridging a comparison between brands and applications employ-
ing the robot’s kind. It also analyses the conventional Pick-and-Place applications
and the associated robotized devices.

2.1 Industrial automation

The term "automation" hails from the Greek word automatos, which betokens self-
acting. In other words, something standalone, capable of performing automatic
procedures. It was coined by the automotive industry in the mid-1940s, to refer
to automated part handling between production machines, while being capable of
processing continuously on them [2].
The contemporary advances in computers and control systems have extended its
definition. By the middle of the 20th century, automation had existed for many years
on a smaller scale, using unadorned mechanical devices to automate the production
of elementary-shaped products. However, the concept solely became truly practical
with computer symbiosis, whose flexibility conceded it to drive almost any sort of
task [2].

9
10 Chapter 2. State-of-the-Art

Figure 2.1: Communication in industrial automation systems [3].

2.2 Industry 4.0 (I4.0)

I4.0 is one of today’s most debated subjects. Unlike erstwhile industrial revolutions,
which were found on a posteriori, I4.0 was minutely foreseen, providing various
prospects for organisations and research institutes to actively shape their future [4].
I4.0 can be depicted as a combination of technologies and strategies used to or-
ganize the value chain. Smart Factory (SF) with modular structures are a key com-
ponent of the subject which can take advantage of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)
to monitor physical processes and create virtual models of the real world. These ac-
crue in decentralized decisions and articulate with each other or/and with humans
in real-time through the IoT. Internet of Services (IoS) is used to offer and access
both internal and cross-organizational services by participants in the value chain [4].

Table 2.1: Design principles of each I4.0 constituent [4].

CPS IoT IoS SF

Interoperability
Virtualization
Decentralization
Real-Time Capability
Service Orientation
Modularity

Before proceeding with the description of each I4.0 component, there are some
concepts that must be defined, in order to locate the scope of the subject. They are
the following [4]:
2.2. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) 11

• Interoperability: implies that CPS, such as work-piece carriers, assembly

stations and products, are capable to transmit information through unified
open nets and semantic descriptions;

• Virtualization: signifies that CPS are able to monitor physical processes.

The sensor data is linked to virtual plant and simulation models (such as
SCADA systems), creating a reproduction of the physical world. Can also
provide information for required intervention, supporting in handling the rise
of technical complexity;

• Decentralization: as the demand for personalized products continues to

grow, it becomes more challenging to manage systems from a central point.
For quality guarantee and traceability, it is essential to keep track of the entire
system at any time. For instance, the usage of means such as RFID tags could
inform machines about the information regarding a product contained in a
pallet. This way, central planning and controlling are no longer required;

• Real-Time Capability: data collection and analysis is essential for effective

organizational management. In a real-time acquisition environment, the status
of the plant is continuously monitored and analyzed, enabling timely response
to machine failures and facilitating the rerouting of products to alternative
machines;

• Service Orientation: a SF facility operates on a service-oriented architecture

where all CPS provide their functionalities as self-contained web services. This
enables the customization of product-specific processes based on customer-
specific requirements through the hypothetical use of RFID tags;

• Modularity: is designed to be adaptable to changing needs by allowing the

replacement or addition of individual modules. This makes them well-suited
for addressing seasonal fluctuations or changes in product specifications. In a
SF, new modules can be readily incorporated through the Plug&Play principle,
which relies on standardized software and hardware interfaces. These inter-
faces enable the automatic identification of new modules and their immediate
integration into the system.

The leading drivers of I4.0 help in transforming the manufacturing process into a
fully digitized and intelligent one. There are nine pillars which will transform isolated
and optimized cell production into a fully integrated, automated, and optimized
production flow. This leads to greater efficiency and change in traditional production
relationships among suppliers, producers, and customers as well as between humans
and machines [5]. Figure 2.2 illustrates the degree of usage of each I4.0 application
over the industry branch.
12 Chapter 2. State-of-the-Art

Big Data
Autonomous Robots
Simulation
Integration No
IoT Low
Cybersecurity Medium
Additive Manufacturing High
Augmented Reality Highest
Cloud Computing (CC)
Mobile Technologies
Artificial Intelligence
RFID
0 20 40 60 80 100

Figure 2.2: Use degree of I4.0 technologies [5] [6].

The chart dissects the usage of Industry 4.0 technologies among the several
companies surveyed. The top three technologies resorted to a very high degree
were "Mobile Technologies", "Cloud Computing", and "Cybersecurity". On the other
hand, the technology with the highest percentage of non-usage was "Autonomous
Robots", with 32.8% of the surveyed companies not using the technology at all.
Notwithstanding, all percentage fields tend to get more prominent over the years,
due to the IoT trends that companies are subscribing to.
There are few industries that abstain themselves from stepping and adhering
to the technologies reported above, as withdrawn from the chart. Digital transfor-
mation holds significant importance for both manufacturing and service industries,
being that these technologies can greatly optimize production processes in these sec-
tors. Among them, several are those which will evidence a relevant weight in the
scope of this dissertation’s project.

2.2.1 Internet Of Things (IoT)

The term IoT is typically employed to describe a collection of technologies, systems,
and design principles associated with the emerging wave of internet-connected ob-
jects and devices in the physical environment. While similar to Machine-to-Machine
communication, which involves the connection of sensors and devices to Information
and Communication Technology systems via wired or wireless networks, IoT also
encompasses the connection of these systems and sensors to the broader internet
and the use of general internet technologies [7].
In the long term, it is envisioned that an IoT ecosystem will emerge, enabling
things and real-world objects to connect, communicate, and interact with each other
in a manner similar to human interactions via the web today. The increased un-
derstanding of the complexity of these systems, economies of scale, and methods
2.2. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) 13

for ensuring interoperability, in conjunction with key business drivers and gover-
nance structures across value chains, will facilitate the widespread adoption and
deployment of IoT solutions [7].
IoT represents an extension of the existing internet, with it no longer restricted
to people, media, and content, but also encompassing real-world assets as intelli-
gent entities exchanging information, interacting with people, supporting enterprise
business processes, and creating knowledge (Figure 2.3). IoT can be applied to var-
ious contexts, including open and innovative promises of the technologies at play,
as well as advanced and complex processing within confined environments such as
industrial automation, as employed in the present project. When implementing IoT
technologies in more closed environments, an alternative interpretation of IoT could
be the "Intranet of Things" [7].

Figure 2.3: IoT reality [7].

2.2.2 Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID)

RFID technology has acquired immense popularity in recent decades, as it enables
the wireless connection of billions of things, allowing for the identification, localiza-
tion, transaction, and authentication of products. Advancements in chipsets within
the High Frequency and Ultra-High Frequency bands have streamlined the explo-
ration of allied technologies such as RFID sensors, which have emerged as a promis-
ing solution for various applications [8]. Figure 2.4 illustrates a basic RFID system,
endowed with a tag, interrogator module and controller.
An RFID tag, as displayed in Figure 2.5, is a device that comprises an electronics
chip and an antenna, which together facilitate data storage and transmission to
14 Chapter 2. State-of-the-Art

Figure 2.4: The basic building blocks of an RFID system [9].

an interrogator. Typically, the chip contains a memory that can store, read, and
sometimes write data, along with other essential circuitry. The tag is often enclosed
in a package to make it more practical for use, such as a label on a package [9].
These RFID sensors can be fully passive or battery-powered, and their design varies
based on architecture, complexity, and system requirements. Chip-based designs,
where the sensor is integrated within the chip, provide a reliable configuration, while
antenna-based sensors present the challenge of transforming the RFID tag antenna
into a sensor. These sensors appeal to their usage due to limited cost and negligible
maintenance requirements [8].

Figure 2.5: RFID tag composition [9].

Wireless sensor nodes are composed of hardware components including a phys-

ical sensor, a microcontroller, a radio frequency transceiver, and a power source.
These nodes measure various physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, and
sound. The microcontroller’s power consumption, chip size, computational power,
and on-chip memory are significant considerations when designing a sensor node.
The selection of a low-power transceiver is crucial to minimize power consumption,
as it accounts for most of the power budget. Power source and battery management
are important aspects of sensor node design, especially in wireless sensor networks
2.2. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) 15

where battery replacement is not feasible. The Radio Frequency front-end adjust-
ment circuit compensates for changes caused by the sensing element [8].
RFID sensors are available in various configurations, with both chip-equipped
and chipless tags. Chip-equipped tags integrate the sensor directly into the tag, while
chipless tags rely on modifying the tag response for sensing purposes. Piezoelectric
materials, changes in electromagnetic response, and thin-film transistors are among
the mechanisms used in chipless tags for sensing. While some RFID sensors are
already available on the market, others are still in development and not yet mature
enough for practical applications. A classification of RFID sensors, covering both
chip-equipped and chipless tags, is shown in Table 2.2. The development of an
augmented version of RFID technology with sensing capabilities has the potential
to revolutionize the IoT by providing a solution for ambient-power scavenging [8].
Table 2.2: Tracking industrial IoT technologies [8].

Wired Wireless RFID Chipless RFID

Sensors Sensors Sensors Sensors
Installation cost High Low Low Low
Maintenance cost Low High Low Low
Hardware cost High Medium Low Low
Scalability Low High High High
Sensor accuracy High High Medium Low

2.2.3 Cloud Computing (CC)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) characterises Cloud
Computing as “a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network
access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers,
storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released
with minimal management effort or service provider interaction” [10].
In other words, Cloud Computing (CC) is a model where a group of servers,
known as a data centre, work together to provide users with computing resources.
These servers have different resources, such as Central Processing Unit (CPU) and
memory, but their utilization is optimized to efficiently handle user requests. Vir-
tualization, as defined in Section 2.2, is a key technology used in CC to create
and manage virtual machines, allowing computations to be moved between servers
during execution. This enables flexibility, efficiency, and scalability in the use of
computing resources. It also provides the use of heterogeneous resources, important
for a successful and sustainable CC solution [11] [12].
The concept enables users to focus on their main tasks without concern about
the underlying Information Technology (IT) infrastructure. CC offers three different
levels of abstraction to users, as illustrated in Figure 2.6 [11] [13] [7]:
16 Chapter 2. State-of-the-Art

• Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): users request virtual machines and vir-

tual networks to access processing, network and storage resources (Amazon
Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine);

• Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): users request complete development plat-

forms that include virtual machines with an operating system and specific
libraries, frameworks or tools provided by the cloud provider (AWS Elastic
Beanstalk, Google App Engine, Adobe Commerce);

• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): users request the use of a complete applica-

tion that automatically provisions a software stack onto virtual machines. This
enables users to access the resources they need without bothering about the
details of the underlying infrastructure (Gmail, Slack, Microsoft Office 365).

Figure 2.6: Cloud Computing three main delivery models [13] [14].

CC inspired a new concept, Cloud Manufacturing, which transforms IT resources

into on-demand services. It is a modern concept that integrates various technologies,
including informatics, computer networks, CC, web services, and manufacturing
automation. These resources can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal
management effort or interaction with service providers. The goal is to provide
ubiquitous access to manufacturing resources, making manufacturing more flexible,
scalable, and efficient. With the advent of the I4.0 epoch, MES systems began to
mature into cloud MES systems, potentiated by aforementioned notion[11] [13].
In response to the demand for increased efficiency and improved product quality,
many manufacturing companies have adopted the MES for tracking and document-
ing information in the manufacturing process. The MES system was first proposed
by the Advanced Manufacturing Research (AMR) Corporation in the 1990s and the
2.2. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) 17

Manufacturing Execution Systems Association (MESA) provided an official defini-

tion in 1997, through the standard ANSI/ISA-95 (illustrated in Figure 2.7). How-
ever, the traditional MES system is delimited in its ability to track information at the
individual, machine, raw material, method, and workshop levels. With the advent
of CC, big data, and the IoT, the new I4.0 era has emerged in industrial manufac-
turing. To remain competitive, traditional manufacturing enterprises have begun
to upgrade their systems to include cloud MES systems with Cloud Manufacturing
characteristics [15] [16].

Figure 2.7: Information and management systems for planning and

control [16] [17].

A cloud MES system is a crucial part of industrial production, which incorporates

cloud platform storage and big data processing technology on top of the traditional
MES system. This new system enables production to become more refined, coordi-
nated, and intelligent, and it is a core part of each enterprise to achieve production
synergy [15].
Figure 2.8 proposes a manufacturing process framework for a cloud MES system
centred around machine tools, consisting of four layers [15]:

• Equipment control layer: based on processing machine tools and enterprise

workshops, which are virtual and abstracted as nodes. Each manufacturing
unit (such as a DUT) is configured with RFID, providing hardware support
for real-time tracking and monitoring functions in the cloud MES system;

• IoT layer: performs the interconnection of devices between manufacturing

units, composed of various processing machine tools or enterprise workshops.;

• Cloud MES layer: integrates cloud storage, big data technology, and a MES
system, which processes and feeds back data indexes of underlying devices
uploaded through the IoT layer;

• User layer: enables real-time dynamic display for tracking and monitoring
of the manufacturing process by the cloud MES layer, which can be accessed
using various methods, such as SCADA web browsers, application software
clients, augmented/virtual reality or intelligent display devices.
18 Chapter 2. State-of-the-Art

Figure 2.8: Framework of the manufacturing process of cloud MES

system diagram centred on machine tools [15].

Overall, this framework reflects the real-time interconnection and cloudification

of devices, providing virtual and intelligent managing of the manufacturing process
by the MES system. The cloud MES system has become a popular choice for
manufacturing companies as it meets the needs and challenges of the management
of distributed manufacturing in a multi-company supply chain and provides the
system with the following functions [15] [16] [18]:

• Distribution of resources and control;

• Production distribution;

• Data acquisition and storage;

• Quality operations management;

• Process and work management;

• Production tracking;

• Performance analysis;

• Operations scheduling and sequencing;

• Document control;

• Maintenance operations management;

2.3. Robotics 19

• Material path, tracking and storage.

In such a manner, cloud MES systems are becoming a core concern in the data
management of an organisation, facilitating the process tracking of any product in
every production flow.

2.3 Robotics
The term "robot" originally referred to a versatile, energy-powered automated ma-
nipulator designed to perform a range of tasks. Its etymology can be traced back to
the Czech word robota, meaning forced labour or drudgery. The concept of robots as
artificially created humanoids capable of performing a variety of functions was first
introduced in Karel Capek’s 1920 play "Rossum’s Universal Robots", represented
in Figure 2.9. In the play, the robots were initially obedient servants, though were
eventually given emotions by a misguided scientist [19].

Figure 2.9: "Rossum’s Universal Robots" play by Karel Capek (1920)

[20].

A robot is an automated device that follows instructions programmed into its

computer system to perform tasks, such as handling objects and carrying out actions,
while also sensing and responding to its surroundings. According to the Robot
Institute of America, a robot is characterised as “a reprogrammable, multifunctional
manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices through
various programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks" [19].
This first attempt to establish a concise formal exposition rose the current In-
ternational Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) definition, known as ISO-8373.
20 Chapter 2. State-of-the-Art

According to the standard, an industrial robot is an automatically controlled, repro-

grammable multifunctional manipulator with three or more axes that can be used
in industrial automation applications in a fixed position or in motion [21].
Robot conventions are well disseminated, as is the case concerning manipulators’
morphologies and their components. Being a complex machine, it is subdivided into
several features, examined in Subsection 2.3.1 which, as a whole, allow it to operate
properly.

2.3.1 Robot constitution

A robotic manipulator consists of a mechanical structure, the actuators, the end
actuator, the controller and the console programmable interface, as illustrated in
Figure 2.10. This structure is partitioned, being characterized by the following
components [19] [21] [22] [23]:.

• Links: distances and connects the degrees of freedom in a rigid way and may
present diverse shapes and configurations. These are connected to each other
through the robot joints;

• Joints: interconnects the robot links, fostering the relative movement be-
tween them. They may present various morphologies and can be cylindrical,
prismatic, revolute, and spherical, among others;

• Wrist: serves as a connection between the end-effector and the actuator. The
wrist has the "yaw-pitch-roll" configuration, where the yaw enables the rotation
of the handle around the "X" axis, performing the left and right movements.
Pitch executes the up and down rotation through the "Y" axis and roll has the
purpose to rotate around the arm through "Z" axis;

• End-effectors: connected to the wrist of the robot, they are devices used
to perform a specific job (such as a welding torch, a paint gun, or a gripper,
among others). Can be divided into two main groups: grippers and tools;

• Actuators: act as the robot’s muscles. The controller sends the signals to
actuators so that they can move one or more joints. Actuators used in a
real-world scenario may be of three different kinds: hydraulic, pneumatic or
electric. The actuator selection depends on the intended application.

• Sensors: used to provide data required for the robot correct and safe oper-
ation. It has two groups of sensors, the internal and the external. The first
obtains speed values, position and joint acceleration values through the use of
optical encoders. The external sensors are installed around the robot, allowing
the environment’s read and perform the intended, through the programmed
instructions.
2.3. Robotics 21

• Controllers: is a microcomputer-based device that controls the movement

of the manipulator. From the controller and the input and output cards, it
is possible to read and act output variables according to the developed logic.
The controller provides communication with computers and other types of
machines and industrial devices, enabling the exchange of signals easily.

Figure 2.10: An example of a robot composition scheme [24].

2.3.2 Classification
Robot manipulators can be classified by various characteristics regarding their struc-
ture, such as the number of DOF of the kinematic structure, the geometry of the
workspace and motion characteristics, by the type of control and drive [22] [23] [25].
Nonetheless, the most usual is to classify robots according to the composition of
their joints, as displayed in Figure 2.11:

• Revolute (R): allows rotational movement between two links. The relative
motion between the bodies is also restricted to a one-dimensional form, en-
abling the joint rotation around an axis common to both bodies;

• Prismatic (P): provides linear movement between two links. It is composed

of two bodies aligned in one direction in order to restrict the relative movement
between the bodies in a one-dimensional translation;

• Helical (H): allows helical movement between two links. Might be dubbed as
a screw joint, providing simultaneous rotation and translation about a screw
axis;
22 Chapter 2. State-of-the-Art

• Cylindrical (C): formed by two links that rotate among themselves. One link
is inside the other, allowing the inner link to perform the twisting movement
and the prismatic;

• Universal (U): consists of a pair of revolute joints (2 DOF), arranged so that

their joint axes align in an orthogonal composition.

• Spherical (S): behaves like a combination of 3 rotation joints, allowing ro-

tational movements around the 3 axes that intersect at a common point. To
have the effect of a spherical joint, many robots include 3 rotary joints whose
axes of rotation intersect at one point.

Figure 2.11: Typical robot joints [25].

A joint facilitates relative motion between two rigid bodies by providing DOF,
while simultaneously limiting the possible motions of the connected bodies through
constraints. For instance, a revolute joint can be perceived as enabling one DOF
between two rigid bodies in space or imposing five constraints on the motion of one
rigid body with respect to the other. In general, the difference between the DOF of
a rigid body (three for planar bodies and six for spatial bodies) and the constraints
imposed by a joint on its motion must equal the freedoms granted by that joint [25].
The DOF and constraints furnished by the aforementioned joint types are outlined
in Table 2.3.
Industrial manipulators are available in various configurations, with the joints’
compositions being a key differentiating factor among them. The SCARA configu-
ration (Sub-figure 2.12b), which has been adopted in the current project, consists
of either two or three rotating joints and one prismatic joint. Figure 2.12 highlights
the further frequently used configurations (Sub-figures 2.12a, 2.12c and 2.12d).
2.3. Robotics 23

Table 2.3: The number of DOF and constraints provided by common

joints [25].

Constraints c Constraints c
Joint Type DOF between too between too
planar spatial
rigid bodies rigid bodies
Revolute (R) 1 2 5
Prismatic (P) 1 2 5
Helical (H) 1 N/A 5
Cylindrical (C) 2 N/A 4
Universal (U) 2 N/A 4
Spherical (S) 3 N/A 3

SCARA robot morphology is earning popularity in the task automation market,

improving cycle time, increasing throughput, and eliminating bottlenecks. These
manipulators utilize linear actuators and motors to position tools, which improves
assembly accuracy and saves assembly time and cost, ideal for the project’s purpose.
These robots can move in three axes ("X", "Y", and "Z") and are typically mounted
on a pedestal [27].
As any sort of robot, SCARA kind are designed to mimic the movement of the
human arm and include both shoulder and elbow joints, a wrist axis, and vertical
motion. Has four DOF, being a combination of the articulated and cylindrical robot.
SCARA robots are commonly used for Pick-and-Place tasks, which involve moving
objects from one location to another, scampering up the assembly process [19] [27].
The basic layout of a SCARA robot is illustrated in Figure 2.13.
These manipulators are ideal for applications requiring consistent acceleration
through round movements, such as dispensing and in-gate gasket forming. They are
swift, with the ability to multiply movement at their joints and employ advanced
control systems, making them user-friendly with fewer programming requirements.
However, they have also some drawbacks, such as being situational and difficult to
predict in a few scenarios [27]. Having this said, Table 2.4 exposes this morphology’s
pros and cons.

Table 2.4: SCARA pros and cons [19].

Advantages
High speed
Excellent repeatability
Good payload capacity
Large work area for floor space
Moderately easy to program
Disadvatanges
Limited applications
Two ways to reach point
Difficult to program off-line
Highly complex arm
24 Chapter 2. State-of-the-Art

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Figure 2.12: Robot work volumes [26]: (a) Spherical, (b) SCARA,
(c) Cylindrical and (d) Cartesian.

Figure 2.13: An RRRP SCARA robot for performing Pick-and-Place

operations [25].
2.4. Existent solutions 25

SCARA robots have become a vital workstation for industries such as the au-
tomotive, thanks to their servo framework, machine vision structure, and straight
modules [27].

2.3.3 Applications
As previously ascertained, SCARA robots possess multiple advantageous features
that entitle them to perform various functions with high accuracy and speed [28]:

• Pick-and-Place: can efficiently carry out the operation by transporting ma-

terials between different points due to its superior precision and repeatability;

• Palletizing: excels at tasks as its vertical axis has a short diameter that
enables it to insert objects into boxes without the risk of collision;

• Visual Inspection: if equipped with a vision system in its tool, which enables
it to carry out to analyse of a product’s quality. This same system can also
guide the robot and provide it with the necessary information to position
objects accurately;

• Component Testing: with the aid of an appropriate tool, the SCARA robot
can execute this sort of operation with ease. For instance, it can test a tactile
screen by using a probe to conduct electrical tests at the designated point
accurately.

2.4 Existent solutions

Falar de soluções já existentes, implementadas por outras empresas
Chapter 3

System Architecture

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,
pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.

3.1 Block diagram

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,

27
28 Chapter 3. System Architecture

pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.

3.2 PLC, robot, controlador, cartas, RFID

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,
pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.
Chapter 4

Software Implementation

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,
pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.

4.1 Software tools

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,

29
30 Chapter 4. Software Implementation

pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.

4.2 Implementation
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,
pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.

4.3 MES
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,
pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.
Chapter 5

Final Results

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ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,
pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.

5.1 Results presentation

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,

31
32 Chapter 5. Final Results

pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.

5.2 Results discussion

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,
pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.
Chapter 6

Conclusions

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,
pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.

6.1 Future work

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,

33
34 Chapter 6. Conclusions

pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.
References

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Appendix A

TBD

A.1 Section
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida
placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,
pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.

A.2 Another section of A

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum
ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu
libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue
eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et
lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida

39
40 Appendix A. TBD

placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget
sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu,
pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget
risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget
orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.