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Control System Test Platform for a DC Motor

2022 , Saá-Tapia F. , Mayorga-Miranda L. , Ayala-Chauvin, Manuel Ignacio , Domènech-Mestres C.

Currently, control systems are used to improve the behavior of actuators that are part of an equipment or process. However, to enhance their performance, it is necessary to perform tests to evaluate the responses of its operation depending on the type of controller. In this sense, a test platform was developed to compare and optimize the speed control of a DC motor with three types of controllers: Predictive Model Control (MPC), Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) and Fuzzy Logic. Data acquisition was performed using the Arduino MEGA board and LabVIEW software. The mathematical model of the three controllers was developed, taking into account the electrical and physical properties of the DC motor. Through MATLAB IDENT, the state space (SS) and transfer function F(S) equations were generated for the MPC and PID controller, respectively; on the other hand, input/output ranges for the Fuzzy Logic controller were input/output ranges defined by assigning belonging functions and linguistic variables. Experimental tests were carried out with these models under no-load and load. Tests performed in vacuum show that performance index with the motor at 100 rpm results in a PID of 0.2245, a Fuzzy Logic of 0.3212 and an MPC of 0.3576. On the other hand, with load at 100 rpm, a PID of 0.2343, a Fuzzy Logic of 0.3871 and an MPC of 0.3104 were obtained. It was determined that the Fuzzy Logic controller presents a higher over impulse; the PID and MPC have a faster stabilization time and with negligible over impulses. Finally, the MPC controller presents a better performance index analysis according to the Integral Square Error criterion (ISE). © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Design for the automation of an Ambu Spur II manual respirator

2021 , Domènech-Mestres C. , Blanco-Romero E. , de la Fuente-Morató A. , Ayala-Chauvin, Manuel Ignacio

This article shows the design of a device to automatize an Ambu Spur II manual respirator. The aim of this compassionate medicine device is to provide an emergency alternative to conventional electric respirators—which are in much shortage—during the present COVID-19 pandemic. To develop the device, the classical method of product design based on concurrent engineering has been employed. First, the specifications of the machine have been determined, including the func-tion determining the air volume provided at every moment of the breathing cycle; second, an ade-quate compression mechanism has been designed; third, the control circuit of the motor has been determined, which can be operated via a touchscreen and which includes sensor feedback; fourth, the device has been materialized with readily available materials and market components, mostly of low cost; and fifth, the machine has been successfully tested, complying with sanitary regulations and operating within desirable ranges. The device has been already manufactured to supply respirators to several hospitals around the Catalan Autonomous Community in Spain, but can also be replicated in developing countries such as Ecuador. © 2021 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

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Design and Construction of a Low Cost CNC Milling Machine for Woodworking

2021 , Ayala-Chauvin, Manuel Ignacio , Saá F. , Rodríguez R. , Domènech-Mestres C. , Riba-Sanmartí G.

Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machinery were created to reduce manufacturing times for industry, but this type of machinery is costly and therefore only a few uses can recover the investment. However, the progress of electronics in the last decades has allowed to develop affordable CNC machines. This article explains the design and manufacturing process of a low budget CNC milling machine for woodworking. All the structural elements were designed and simulated using PTC CREO, as well as the manufacturing sequence. The control hardware uses commercially available electronics such as Arduino ONE, and stepper motors to move the machine, while the software uses the free open source codes Vetrica Aspire and Universal G Code. The machine was tested on different materials, obtaining good results. The result is a CNC milling machine for woodworking that costs about 50% the price of an equivalent commercial machine, an can therefore be a suitable solution for craft industries. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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IoT Monitoring for Real-Time Control of Industrial Processes

2022 , Ayala-Chauvin, Manuel Ignacio , Escudero P. , Lara Álvarez, Patricio , Domènech-Mestres C.

Today’s industries require monitoring and control of all manufacturing processes. Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems provide a framework for integrating production systems. In this regard, the Internet of things (IoT) has rapidly evolved to digitize and interconnect devices in industrial processes. However, to achieve the integration of a complete system implies high costs in software and hardware, which limits its penetration in medium and low size industries. For this reason, this project proposes the creation of a low-cost IoT platform whose objective is to monitor and analyze both physical and electrical parameters of an industrial process in real-time. To achieve this objective, the software and hardware specifications were defined and characterized, the conceptual design and detail of the prototype were made, and finally, the materialization was carried out. The platform was structured in two parts, a web video supervision module with a continuous monitoring camera ESP32-CAM and an interface that integrates the sensors that measure the physical and electrical variables of the environment. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed system in a practical machining application on a CNC machine. With the data coming from the sensors, a database was generated to analyze and create temperature versus cutting speed control models to monitor the manufacturing process. Tests were performed on several materials, and the mathematical model of the system behavior was determined for each material in order to monitor and visualize the performance in the machining process. Finally, the cost of the project complies with the specifications proposed. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.