INTEGRATION OF AN AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLE SYSTEM

WITH A PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLED MATERIAL

HANDLING

This report submitted in accordance with requirement of the University Teknikal Malaysia

Melaka (UTeM) for the Bachelor Degree of Manufacturing Engineering

(Robotics and Automation)(Hons.)

by

CHIAM CHUN HONG

B051310102

930609-07-5725

FACULTY OF MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

2017

UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

BORANG PENGESAHAN STATUS LAPORAN PROJEK SARJANA MUDA

TAJUK: Integration of an Automated Guided Vehicle System with a Programmable Logic Controlled Material Handling

SESI PENGAJIAN: 2016/17 Semester 2 Saya CHIAM CHUN HONG mengaku membenarkan Laporan PSM ini disimpan di Perpustakaan Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) dengan syarat-syarat kegunaan seperti berikut:

1. Laporan PSM adalah hak milik Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka dan penulis. 2. Perpustakaan Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka dibenarkan membuat salinan

untuk tujuan pengajian sahaja dengan izin penulis. 3. Perpustakaan dibenarkan membuat salinan laporan PSM ini sebagai bahan

pertukaran antara institusi pengajian tinggi. 4. **Sila tandakan (√ )

SULIT

TERHAD

√ TIDAK TERHAD

(Mengandungi maklumat yang berdarjah keselamatan atau kepentingan Malaysiasebagaimana yang termaktub dalam AKTA RAHSIA RASMI 1972)

(Mengandungi maklumat TERHAD yang telah ditentukan oleh organisasi/badan di mana penyelidikan dijalankan)

Alamat Tetap:

NO. 76, Jalan Teratai Indah,

Taman Teratai Indah,

Butterworth, Pulau Pinang.

Tarikh: 29/05/2017

Disahkan oleh:

Cop Rasmi: Tarikh: _______________________

** Jika Laporan PSM ini SULIT atau TERHAD, sila lampirkan surat daripada pihak berkuasa/organisasi berkenaan dengan menyatakan sekali sebab dan tempoh laporan PSM ini perlu dikelaskan sebagai SULIT atau TERHAD.

i

DECLARATION

I hereby, declared this report entitled “Integration of an Automated Guided Vehicle System

with a Programmable Logic Controlled Material Handling”

is the results of my own research except as cited in reference.

Signature : ………………………..

Author’s Name : CHIAM CHUN HONG

Date : 28 May 2017

ii

APPROVAL

This reported is submitted to the Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering of Universiti Teknikal

Malaysia Melaka as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of

Manufacturing Engineering (Robotics & Automation) (Hons).

The members of the supervisory committed are as follow:

……………………………..

(Ir. Dr.-Ing. Azrul Azwan Bin Abdul Rahman CEng)

I

ABSTRAK

Pengendalian bahan termasuk pemindahan, perlindungan, penyimpanan dan

pengawalan bahan dan produk sepanjang operasi pembuatan, pergudangan, pengedaran,

penggunaan dan pelupusan. Sistem integrasi ialah gabungan pelbagai sub-sistem menjadi satu

sistem utama. Sistem ini mampu mengintegrasikan sistem Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)

dan Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) untuk berfungsi secara automatik. Oleh itu,

objektif utama dalam projek ini ialah membina dan memastikan sambungan antara AGV dan

PLC dalam aplikasi sistem pengendalian bahan adalah tersedia. Sistem ini juga boleh

meningkatkan produktiviti dan efisiensi dalam mengendali bahan. Projek ini menumpukan

kepada sambungan antara Pioneer 3-AT AGV dan Omron CP1L PLC melalui program C++.

Omron PLC akan menyambung ke penghantar. Projek ini boleh dibahagikan kepada tiga

seksyen iaitu seksyen AGV, seksyen PLC dan seksyen sistem integrasi. Seksyen AGV akan

menjelaskan hubungan antara perisian C++ dan AGV. Dapatan daripada projek ini, C++ telah

berjaya berintegrasi dengan AGV melalui Advanced Robotics Interface for Application

(ARIA). Seksyen PLC pula menumpukan kepada sambungan antara perisian C++ dan sistem

PLC penghantar. C++ dapat berintegrasi dengan PLC melalui OLE for Process Control (OPC).

Seksyen sistem integrasi akan menghuraikan sambungan antaran kedua-dua sistem yang telah

dinyatakan sebelum ini. Oleh itu, C++ berjaya mencipta dua hala komunikasi dengan menberi

arahan daripada AGV dan PLC. Namun begitu, projek ini hanya menjalankan percubaan

melalui simulasi di komputer tetapi tidak akan berbeza dengan sistem yang sebenar. Objektif

projek ini sudah tercapai dan disampaikan di laporan dengan terperinci.

ii

ABSTRACT

In industry, material handling involves the movement, protection, storage and control

of materials and products throughout manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, consumption

and disposal. However, the system cannot be synchronized without integration between all

machinery systems and work automatically. Integrated system is the combination of the sub-

system becoming as one large system. The purpose of this project is to verify and establish the

connection between the Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) and Programmable Logic

Controller (PLC) material handling system to directly or indirectly improving the productivity

and efficiency. It focuses on the connection between the Pioneer 3-AT AGV and Omron CP1L

PLC by using C++ language. The Omron PLC will connect to the conveyor. This project can

be divided into third part which is AGV part, PLC part and combine part. AGV part focuses

on the connection between the C++ software and AGV. From the result, C++ program able to

connect the AGV through Advanced Robotics Interface for Application (ARIA) library. PLC

part focuses on the connection between C++ software and PLC conveyor system. C++

program is connecting the PLC by using OLE for Process Control (OPC). For the combining

part, it is focusing on the connection between both AGV and PLC system. From the results,

C++ program able to call out each coding and establish the two-way communication. Due to

some reason, the connection between each other only done in simulation. As a result, the

objective is achieved. This can be proved by the scenario for verification.

iii

DEDICATION

Only

my respected grandfather and grandmother, Chiam Ah Bak and Siah Geet Suan

my beloved father, Chiam Kok San

my appreciated mother, Lim Ai Tee

my adored sisters, Xue Chyi, Xue Mei and Xue Jing

for giving me moral support, money, cooperation, encouragement and also understandings

Thank You So Much & Love You All Forever

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my respected supervisor, Ir. Dr.-Ing.

Azrul Azwan Bin Abdul Rahman CEng for his precious time of encouraging, sharing,

mentoring and patient that was given throughout the entire project. Without his assistance and

knowledge, this project would not have been successful.

Besides, I also want to thank my family for their love and support throughout my life.

They have given me discipline and drive to tackle any task with enthusiasm. Without their

love and support, my studies journey would not be so smoothly.

In addition, I would like to thank lecturer of UTeM for teaching the knowledge of

manufacturing engineering that was extremely useful for my project. I would like to thank the

faculty member who served on the laboratory staffs and the master students for them

cooperate and generous for their expertise.

Last but not least, I would like to give special thanks to my friend who gives me much

motivation and cooperation mentally in completing this report.

Finally, I would like to thank everybody who was important to this FYP report, as well

as expressing my apology that I could not mention personally each one of you.

v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRAK i

ABSTRACT ii

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF TABLES viii

LIST OF FIGURES ix

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background 1

1.2 Problem Statement 2

1.3 Objectives 3

1.4 Scope 3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Material Handling 4

2.1.1 AGVs 5

2.1.1.1 Free Ranging and Autonomous 7

2.1.1.2 Consideration Implementation 8

2.1.1.3 Mapping, Localization, Path Planning and Navigation 9

2.1.1.4 Communication 10

2.1.1.5 LAN 12

2.1.1.6 WLAN and Wi-Fi 13

2.1.1.7 Control System 15

2.1.1.8 Programming Language 17

2.1.2 Conveyor System 17

vi

2.1.2.1 System Design 19

2.1.2.2 Consideration Implementation 19

2.1.2.3 Control System 20

2.2 Material Handling System Integration 30

2.2.1 Open System Interconnection (OSI) protocol 32

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 34

3.1 Overall Methodology 34

3.2 Initial Assessment 35

3.3 Development of Communication System 36

3.4 Software and Programming 38

3.5 Data Transfer 40

3.6 Verification, Improvement, and Implementation of the Project 41

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 43

4.1 Validation Table 43

4.2 Connection of the complete system 44

4.3 Connection with AGV system 47

4.3.1 Connection of C++ and ARIA 48

4.3.2 Connection of ARIA and MobileSim 53

4.3.3 Connect to the Real AGV P3-AT 60

4.4 Connection with Conveyor System 63

4.4.1 Connection of C++ and QuickOPC 64

4.4.2 Connection between QuickOPC and MatrikonOPC Server for Omron PLC 66

4.4.2.1 Coding for Write Data to OPC Server 67

4.4.2.2 Coding for Read Data from OPC server 70

4.4.3 Connection between the MatrikonOPC Server and MatrikonOPC Explorer 71

4.4.4 Connect to the real Omron CP1L PLC 76

4.5 Scenario for Verification 76

4.6 Sustainability 78

vii

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 79

5.1 Conclusion 79

5.2 Suggestions and Future Works 80

REFERENCES 81

APPENDIX A 87

APPENDIX B 88

APPENDIX C 89

APPENDIX D 92

APPENDIX E 96

APPENDIX F 98

viii

LIST OF TABLES

4.1 Validation Table for the coding 43

ix

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1: Simple example of material handling system 5

Figure 2.2: Example of an AGV 7

Figure 2.3: Pioneer 3-AT robot 8

Figure 2.4: The procedure of the data transmits 11

Figure 2.5: Example of the LAN networking 13

Figure 2.6: Example of the Wi-Fi communication 14

Figure 2.7: Example of the computer control system 16

Figure 2.8: Example of the Belt Conveyor 18

Figure 2.9: Block diagram of DCS 22

Figure 2.10: Example of PLC 24

Figure 2.11:Example of PLC system 26

Figure 2.12: Component of the PLC to control the conveyor system 27

Figure 2.13: Example of the LD 28

Figure 2.14: Example of the system integration 32

Figure 2.15: Example of the data transferring through OSI protocol 33

Figure 3.1: Overall Methodology 34

Figure 3.2: Pioneer 3 research AGV 35

Figure 3.3: Omron SYSMAC CP1L-E 36

Figure 3.4: Communication between AGV and PLC conveyor system through host computer

36

Figure 3.5: PC-104 card 37

Figure 3.6: Data transfer from AGVs to host computer 40

Figure 3.7: Data transfer from PLC conveyor system to AGVs 41

Figure 3.8: Example of the validation table 42

Figure 4.1: Using C++ sotware to link AGV and PLC systems. 45

x

Figure 4.2: Header for the main coding. 46

Figure 4.3: Coding for connect both system. 46

Figure 4.4: Desktop situation when debugging all system. 47

Figure 4.5: The software logo that uses to communication between the C++ sotware and the

AGV simulation. 48

Figure 4.6: C++ software properties setting. 49

Figure 4.7: C++ software general configuration properties. 50

Figure 4.8: C++ software adding library in Additional Dependencies. 50

Figure 4.9: C++ software adding Aria library 51

Figure 4.10: C++ software changing Runtime Library. 52

Figure 4.11: Adding Aria.h into the coding 52

Figure 4.12: Drawing map by using Mapper3Basic. 53

Figure 4.13: Select the robot and load the map 54

Figure 4.14: After loaded the map 54

Figure 4.15: The example coding of AGV moving forward. 55

Figure 4.16: The example coding of AGV moving backward. 56

Figure 4.17: The example coding for the AGV to rotate anticlockwise. 56

Figure 4.18: The example coding of AGV clockwise rotate. 57

Figure 4.19: The example coding of AGV stopping. 58

Figure 4.20: Simulation AGV moving forward 58

Figure 4.21: Simulation AGV after moving forward and start to rotate 59

Figure 4.22: Simulation AGV after finish rotate and start to move forward again 59

Figure 4.23: IP address checking 61

Figure 4.24: VNC viewer connect to VNC server 61

Figure 4.25: Real robot moving. 62

Figure 4.26: The software logo that uses to communication between C++ and PLC 63

Figure 4.27: Adding a new header file. 64

Figure 4.28: Giving the new header files name QuickOPC. 65

Figure 4.29: Adding OPC library into the coding 65

Figure 4.30: Using EasyOPC Demo Application to find server class and item id. 66

Figure 4.31: The coding that writes the value become True. 67

xi

Figure 4.32: The coding that writes the value to False. 68

Figure 4.33: The coding that makes an array for the number of items. 68

Figure 4.34: Coding for Write data from array 69

Figure 4.35: Coding for select the server-class and item id to read value 70

Figure 4.36: The coding that makes an array for the number of items. 70

Figure 4.37: Coding for read data to array 71

Figure 4.38: MatrikonOPC server create a new alias 72

Figure 4.39: Insert detail of alias 73

Figure 4.40: MatrikonOPC Explorer is connecting to the server. 73

Figure 4.41: Adding tag into the MatrikonOPC Explorer Group 0. 74

Figure 4.42: Adding available tags. 75

Figure 4.43: The tags are added and can be read the value from MatrikonOPC server. 75

Figure 4.44: Scenario for verification 77

xii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ADC - Analog-to-Digital Converter

AGV - Automated Guided Vehicle

CAN - Controller Area Network

CSMA/CA - Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance

DAC - Digital-to-Analog Converter

DCS - Discrete Control System

FBD - Function Block Diagram

IC - Integrated Circuit

IL - Instruction List

IPCF - Industrial Point Coordination Functions

IPCF-MC - Industrial Point Coordination Function – Management Channel

ISO - International Organization for Standardization

I/O - Input and Output

IWLAN - Industrial Wireless LAN

LAN - Local Area Network

LAWN - Local Area Wireless Network

LD - Ladder Diagram

LED - Light Emitting Diodes

OLE - Object Linking and Embedding

OPC - OLE for Process Control

OS - Operating System

OSI - Open System Interconnection

PC - Personal Computer

PCMCIA - Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association

PLC - Programmable Logic Controller

RF - Radio Frequency

ROI - Return of Investment

SCADA - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

xiii

SFC - Sequential Function Chart

ST - Structural Text

Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity

WLAN - Wireless LAN

1

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Manufacturing industry plays an important role and made a large influence in the

economic growth. But, the manufacturing industry need to face a lot of challenges due to

globalization in this 21st century (Ong, 2015). So, the manufacturing industry is always

searching for improvement. To improve it directly or indirectly, one of the methods is to

integrate the system each other to increase the productivity. There are a lot of systems in

manufacturing industrial such as material handling system, packaging system, fabrication

system and so on (Kajan et at., 2013), (Jaiganesh et at., 2014).

Material handling system involves short distance movement within the confines of a

building or between a building and a transportation vehicle. It utilizes a wide range of manual,

semi-automated, and automated equipment and included consideration of the protection,

storage, and control of material throughout their manufacturing, warehousing, distribution,

consumption, and disposal (Aized, 2010). In a simple way to explanation, material handling

system is a system concerned about loading, moving and unloading of materials. Some

example of the material handling system is Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) system and

conveyor system.

AGVs is a flexible manufacturing system (Butdee et at., 2008). This system can

improve response time for material movement due to it suitable for long and short distance

moves (Hollier, 1985). There are a lot of industries choosing AGVs as material handling

2

system (Wu et at., 2012). The example of AGV are towing AGV, unit-load AGV, pallet truck

AGV, fork truck AGV and others (Wu et at., 2012).

Conveyor systems are especially useful in the application involving the transportation

of heavy or bulky materials. Conveyor systems allow quick and efficient transportation for a

wide variety of materials which make them very popular in the material handling and

packaging industries (Ong, 2015). There is a positive growth for conveyor system on

manufacturing industry (TECHNAVIO, 2016). The example of the conveyor system likes

pneumatic conveyor, vibrating conveyor, flexible conveyor, vertical conveyor and others.

There are many conveyor systems is using Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to control it.

PLC is an industrial digital computer which is flexible, ruggedized and adapted for the

control of manufacturing processes, such as assembly lines, or robotic devices, or any activity

that requires high-reliability control and ease of the programming and process fault diagnosis

(MAKOX, 2014), (Aized, 2010). By using the PLC, the output results must be produced in

response to input condition within a limited time.

In future, the material movement should be fully integrated to form a coordinated,

operational system which including receiving, inspection, storage, production, assembly,

packaging, unitizing, order selection, shipping, transportation and the handling of return

(Aized, 2010).

1.2 Problem Statement

Currently, the problem that faced by manufacturing industry is most industry choose

manual as product transfer. The worker or operator needs to take the product from the machine

and send it to another section. Even they use AGV, the human operator still a needed for tasks

like loading/unloading that are difficult to fully automate. To avoid non-value added activity,

integration between systems is needed. Besides that, the whole system in the manufacturing

industry is not synchronizing without integration between all machinery systems and work

3

automatically. To link the whole system together, we need to do it step by step. So, the

research starts from integrating the AGV and PLC material handling system. In addition, there

are just a few of research being done about the integration system between AGVs and the

material handling system. So, to prove the AGVs works on integrating with material handling

system, we try to communicate each other through experimentation. By integration difference

system together, it can be improving the productivity and decrease the cost efficiency while

the whole system in the industry can be more synchronize without any operator interrupt after

few years.

1.3 Objectives

The objectives of this project are:

(a) To establish the communication between AGV and PLC conveyor system using

communication protocol.

(b) To verify the integration capability between AGV and PLC conveyor system through

experimentation.

1.4 Scope

The scope works for this project are:

(a) The type of material handling system is using conveyor system and AGV system.

(b) The type of AGVs is using Pioneer 3-AT (P3-AT) research AGV.

(c) The conveyor system is using Omron PLC to control.

(d) The type of communication is using Local Area Network (LAN).

4

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Material Handling

Material handling is one of the basic components in manufacturing industry. Material

handling means the loading, unloading, movement, protection, storage and control of materials

and products throughout manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, consumption and disposal

especially by the aid of mechanical devices. As a process, material handling incorporates a

wide range of manual, semi-automated and fully automated equipment and systems that

support logistics and make the supply chain work. Material handling helps with forecasting,

resource allocation, production planning, flow and process management, inventory

management and control, customer delivery, and after sales support and service. A company’s

material handling system and processes are put in place to improve customer service, reduce

inventory, shorten delivery time, and lower overall handling costs in manufacturing,

distribution and transportation (MHI, 2014). So, material handling system is becoming

increasingly important to manufacturing industry nowadays due to this technique which can

help system planners to measure the total productivity of a business and identify the full

opportunity for economic improvement through the use of more efficient material handling

activities (Hollier, 1985). There are a lot of type of material handling system such as conveyor

system, AGVs and robot arm each (Lindsay et at., 2000). Figure 2.1 shows that the example of

the material handling system. The example of material handling system is cover by red circle.

5

Figure 2.1: Simple example of material handling system (Toray, 2016)

2.1.1 AGVs

AGV is a type of driverless, steerable, wheeled industrial mobile vehicle designed

primarily to carry material, tow objects behind them in trailers and transport individuals.

According to the Vosniakos and Mamalis (1990), AGVs are an industrial transportation

system equipped with electronic devices to follow a wire buried in the ground, pick up and

deliver their load at work stations, communicate with each other hardware devices, and move

around the network controlled by a supervisory computer and possible by microprocessors on-

board. AGVs are commonly used in manufacturing plants, warehouses, distribution centres,

paper industry, printing industry, textiles industry, steel industry and terminals (Kajan et at.,

2013), (Wu et at., 2012). There are four important elements in AGVs which are:

6

(a) vehicles

Vehicles are the most important elements of an AGVs as they perform the

actual transportation tasks. All vehicles are design individually according to their

specific working tasks, working condition and working environment (Schulze et at.,

2008). Vehicle can be classified as toward AGV, unit load AGV, pallet truck AGV and

fork truck AGV (Wu et at., 2012), (Vosniakos and Mamalis, 1990).

(b) guidance and information transfer system

Most of them will using signal paths, lane paths or signal beacons for

navigation. The examples of the sensors that AGV will use to senses are optical

sensors, laser scanner, magnetic sensors and also camera (Wu et at., 2012), (Vosniakos

and Mamalis, 1990).

(c) traffic control system

The traffic control system covers superordinate control component. It tasks is

administration of the transportation orders, the optimization of schedules, the

communication with other control system. The system also provides graphical

visualization and statistical analysis (Schulze et at., 2008). The AGV routing method

can be classified from the viewpoint of trajectory shape which is single loop or bi-

directional (Kajan et at., 2013).

(d) pick-up and deposit station and load transfer equipment (Vosniakos and Mamalis, 1990)

AGVs pick-up and deposit station and load transfer can be accomplished in

many way such as manual load transfer, automatic couple and uncouple, power roller,

belt, chain, power lift/lower and power push/pull (Ülgen and Kedia, 1990). Besides, a

robot such as robot arm installed on an AGV, which can give the robot the mobility it

lacks and the AGV the flexible manipulator it lacks (Vosniakos and Mamalis, 1990).

7

The advantages of AGVs is flexibility system, safety technology, and accuracy and

productivity. It is a flexibility system due to the vehicle can quickly reprogram to change

direction, path or operation. The system also can eliminate the need for expensive retrofitting

and new directions, tasks, and work cells can be created almost instantaneously without the

need for physical equipment installation. Besides, the AGVs is safety due to it can avoiding

interference with human or building. It also can work at the environment that may be not

suitable to human operators. In addition, the AGVs is accuracy after combined with Radio

Frequency (RF) technology and it can operate at a fixed rate to meet a predictable metric for

operational activity (Vosniakos and Mamalis, 1990), (Jaiganesh et at., 2014). Development of

the AGVs plays the major role in industry to improve the technology of the material handling

system (Kajan et at., 2013), (Jaiganesh et at., 2014). Figure 2.2 show that an AGV is

transporting the material.

Figure 2.2: Example of an AGV (Schafer, 2015)

2.1.1.1 Free Ranging and Autonomous

Todays, the AGVs is already update, compare to the classic ones which is floor based

type AGV, it instead of using free ranging AGV and autonomous AGV (Wu et at., 2012),

(Vosniakos and Mamalis, 1990). Free ranging and autonomous AGV is an automatic machine

that is capable of locomotion (Vosniakos and Mamalis, 1990). It means the AGV will use

software to program without a physical path. The factory or warehouse must be installed