Sensors & Transducers, Vol. 155, Issue 8, August 2013, pp.

271-277

Sensors & Transducers

© 2013 by IFSA
http://www.sensorsportal.com

Design of Automatic Production Line Training System

Based on PLC
Na LIANG, Jiang XIAO
Beijing Forestry University, 487 mailbox, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Qinghua East Road,
Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
1
Tel.: 15210074161, 2 13910766308
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Received: 25 May 2013 /Accepted: 12 August 2013 /Published: 20 August 2013

Abstract: Automatic production line training system is used to simulate the actual process of industrial
production. According to the actual needs of teaching instrument market at present, for the purpose of students
or staff training, the author designs a practical automatic production line simulation training system. Using
Siemens S7-200 PLC as the control core, setting sensors, buttons and lights, power supply module, motors,
pneumatic components, mechanical structures for the integration, dividing into feeding, processing, assembly,
sorting, robot units, and achieving interconnection between the unit controllers via PROFIBUS. It is used to
simulate the various manufacturing aspects of workpieces from raw materials to finished products in the actual
industrial production lines. The system covers mechanical principles, pneumatic control technology, sensors,
electrical control technology, programmable logic controller and other related knowledge points, supports
professional experimental courses of automation, mechanotronics and so on. A series of practical ideas are
adopted in the subject. The entire system is fully open, students can have a comprehensive view of the internal
wiring situation; freely detachable, can operate under single-station or overall system; supporting secondary
development, can be re-build according to the innovation requirements. Copyright © 2013 IFSA.

Keywords: Automatic production line, PLC, Training system.

1. Introduction interests, exercise practical abilities and thinking

skills, consolidate expertise, improve professionalism
Automatic production line training system is used and guide students to adapt to the demand for jobs in
to simulate the actual process of industrial the future.
production. It is used in training room of colleges and
universities, to cultivate students’ cognition,
operation, then using and developing abilities. In 1.1. Research Status
order to cater to the educational philosophy and
teaching need of today's colleges and universities, the Before the 1920s, the production line and semi-
training system is a comprehensive experimental automatic production line appeared in the automotive
teaching system which is connecting theoretical industry; 1920s, Henry Ford founded the automotive
teaching with practical training. Through the industry assembly line; later, combination automatic
demonstration experiments, assembly debugging and line gradually emerged; the development of
programming, students can stimulate learning automatic control and computer technology,

Article number P_SI_1314 271

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prompted the completion of the automation 2. The Overall System

workshops and factories [1]. Today, automatic
production line is developing toward the direction of Automatic production line training system
adjustable varieties, higher flexibility, faster and consists of five units: feeding unit, processing unit,
lower cost. With the automatic production line assembly unit, sorting unit and robot unit. The units
developing by leaps and bounds, the development of are all installed in the aluminum alloy rail training
automatic production line simulation device has been table, the overall system block diagram is shown
greatly improved [2]. At present, many ordinances as Fig. 1.
manufacturers have achieved the rapid development Each unit of the system is an independent
of automatic production line simulation ordinances. mechatronic system. Feeding, processing, assembly,
Most of today's automatic production simulators have sorting units basically depend on pneumatic actuator,
achieved demonstration, debugging operations, robot unit takes the position controlling mode driven
programming and other basic functions, but there is by the stepper motor. In terms of on-line operation,
considerable room for improvement [3]. Developing each unit is undertaken by a PLC, and achieving
a removable, secondary developing, working interconnection between the unit controllers via
sub-station or run-online training system is PROFIBUS. The entire system can simulate
a far-reaching issue. supplying, processing, assembly, sorting, transporting
and other process of actual industrial production line.
Button and indicator modules including start,
1.2. Issues to be Addressed stop, reset, function buttons, manual / automatic,
single / overall knob, the alarm indicator and
The system uses Siemens S7-200 PLC as the emergency stop button. Start and stop buttons are
control core, setting sensors, buttons and lights, used to control the start and stop operation of the
power supply module, motors, pneumatic unit; reset button can reset all the action element to
components, mechanical structures for the initial position; function button is set for secondary
integration, dividing into feeding, processing, development; spinning manual / automatic,
assembly, sorting, robot units, can operate under single / online knob at the same time can select
single-station or overall system. It is used to simulate single-station or overall system situation.
the actual process of industrial production. The entire Each unit of the system needs to be powered
system is fully open, freely detachable, supporting separately. The power supply module includes air
secondary development, can be re-build according to switch and one-channel switching power, one-
the innovation requirements. channel switching power can convert 220 VAC to
24 VDC and supply to each unit.

Fig. 1. The overall system block diagram.

3. Feeding Unit Material transporting conveyor belt is driven by

motor, the driving wheel is φ90 × 36 mm (wheel
The feeding unit is the first unit which plays a diameter × wheel thickness), the driven wheel is
feeding role of supplying raw materials to the next 40 × 36 mm (wheel diameter × wheel thickness).
unit. It can launch the material in the silo to the Micro-AC gear motor and the gearbox can regulate
transfer stage automatically, so that the robot will the actual speed between 9-135 rpm [4]. Lower speed
crawl and transport it to other units. The configuration can not only provide a greater torque, but also make
diagram of feeding unit is shown in Fig.2. the material smoothly fall on the conveyor belt, and
Feeding unit selects fiber optic sensor and obtained the similar speed with the conveyor belt
amplifier, photoelectric sensor. Fiber optic sensor is within a shorter time and a smaller displacement, thus
mounted on the bottom side of the silo to detect the ensure the stability.
material; photoelectric sensor is used to detect Choosing SMC mini pen-type cylinder, the
whether the material is reaching. cylinder push block pushes the material in the hopper
to the material transfer stage. Connect SMC one-way

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solenoid valve to the pen-type cylinder. One-way detect whether it is qualified, and then sending it to
solenoid valve is a single electronic control the fourth workstation, waiting for the robot to send it
components, it will control one-way cylinder, and to the next unit. The configuration diagram of feeding
return to its original position when lost power. Each unit is shown in Fig. 4.
pneumatic circuit consists of cylinder, one-way
throttle valve, two-five way valve, manual valve,
pneumatic FRL, pressure gauge, gas supply, muffler
and other components. When the two-five way valve
coil is energized, the cylinder piston driven stem
extending and pushing the material; when the two-
five way valve coil is de-energized, the valve stem
move back to the initial position [5].
The flowchart of feeding unit is shown as Fig. 3.

4. Processing Unit
This unit has four workstations. Robot grabs the
workpiece to the first workstation. When the
workpiece is detected, the dial rotates, moving
workpiece to the stamping punch workstation, then Fig. 2. The configuration diagram of feeding unit.
moving it to the stamping detection workstation to

Fig. 3. The flowchart of feeding unit.

Processing unit selects photoelectric sensor,

proximity switch and two micro-switches. The
photoelectric sensor is installed below the first
workstation, using to detect whether the aluminum
material is sent here; proximity switch is mounted on
the bottom of the second workstation to detect
whether the workpiece is arriving accurately; the two
micro-switches are fixed on the first and fourth
workstation of the robot run rails, using to judge the
current running position of robot.
The dial controlling motor is hybrid stepping
motor, which is installed on the bottom of the
turntable and driving turntable rotating. Thin cylinder
drives a DC gear deceleration motor rotating
Fig. 4. The configuration diagram of processing unit. downward, to simulate the drilling movement.

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SMC thin cylinder drives stamping punch motor left intake path and the right exhaust path switch on
move along the Y-axis direction; SMC mini pen at the same time, rotating cylinder swings clockwise,
cylinder simulates stamping detection operation. and drives assembly platform to rotate 90 degrees,
When the two-five way valve coil, which connected when the left coil is de-energized, rotating cylinder
to thin cylinder is energized, stem drives drilling stops turning and keeps the original state; when the
motor to punch; when the valve coil is de-energized, right coil is energized, the right intake path and the
the valve stem moves back to the initial position [6]. left exhaust path switch on at the same time, rotating
Mini pen cylinder acts similarly. cylinder swings counterclockwise, and drives
Processing unit works as follows: The robot assembly platform to rotate negative 90 degrees,
transports the workpiece to the first work station of assembly station returns to the initial position, when
the turntable, photoelectric sensor detects the the right coil is de-energized, the bilateral gas path
presence of the metal parts, motor drives turntable close at the same time, rotating cylinder stops.
rotating ninety degrees to the second workstation, DC When the left coil of solenoid valve which is
gear motor moves along the Y-axis negative direction corresponding to standard cylinder is energized, the
to simulation the operation of the stamping, and then ejector cylinder piston drives stem out and tops out
the dial rotates to simulate punch detecting, finally the assembly slot, when the left coil is de-energized,
the dial rotates to the fourth station, the proximity the bilateral gas path close at the same time and keep
switch detects the metal workpiece and then sends the original state; when the right coil is energized, the
the information to PLC, robot will send workpiece to ejector cylinder piston drives stem back to the
the next unit. original state, when the right coil is de-energized, the
ejector cylinder piston stops.
When the coil of solenoid valve which is
5. Assembly Unit corresponding to the thin cylinder is energized, the
pushing cylinder piston drives the stem out, pushes
The function of assembly unit is to embed the metal metal pin out to the hole of the workpiece; when the
pin into the workpiece, and complete the assembly coil is de-energized, the stem of pushing
process. This unit focuses on pneumatic controlling, is cylinder returns.
the main unit of pneumatic control training. The The pneumatic picture of assembly unit is shown
configuration diagram of assembly unit is shown in as Fig. 6.
Fig. 5.

Fig. 5. The configuration diagram of assembly unit.

Fig. 6. The pneumatic picture of assembly unit.

The unit contains a rotating cylinder and two square

The assembly unit works as follows: workpiece is
cylinders, selecting SMC swing cylinder to control the
placed on the assembly platform, rotating cylinder
rotation of the assembly slot. Pushing cylinder is SMC
rotates ninety degrees, the ejecting cylinder tops out
thin cylinder, using for pushing out the metal pin.
the assembly platform, then the pushing cylinder
Ejecting cylinder is SMC standard cylinder, using to top
pushes the metal pin out to workpiece, completing
out the assembly slot. The joint action of pushing and
assembly process. The ejecting cylinder returns,
ejecting cylinder makes the workpiece complete the
rotating assembly platform goes back to the initial
assembly process quickly and accurately [7]. Rotating
position, robot sends the workpiece to the next unit.
cylinder and ejector cylinder connect to the two-way
solenoid valve. The two-way solenoid valve is a double
electronic controlling components, it can control two- 6. Sorting Unit
stroke movement.
When the left coil of solenoid valve which is This unit includes a fiber-optic sensor and its
corresponding to rotating cylinder is energized, the amplifier, proximity switch and beam photoelectric

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switch. Fiber-optic sensor is installed on the sorting 7. Robot Unit

table to detecting the material. Proximity switch is
suspended on the sorting platform, the distance The robot unit is the driving unit of the entire
between the metal pin that assemble successfully and system, plays an important role of linking the
the proximity switch is 4 mm, while the distance remaining four units to complete the handling
between the workpiece and the proximity switch is function among the other units. In this unit, the
above 5 mm. Due to the detection range of the coordinates setting of robot's moving direction is
proximity switch is 3-5 mm [8], when workpiece shown as Fig. 8.
arrives within the detection range of the sensor,
proximity switch can detect its presence or not, that is
whether the workpiece has been successfully
assembled; beam photoelectric switches are installed
in the middle of the trough to detect whether sorting
operation is successful or not, then control the motor
to stop.
DC reduction gear motor can drive conveyor belt
to transport the material to sorting detection point.
Selecting small no-shaft-rotating pen cylinder to
regulate the extending of baffle at the successfully
assembled trough. In order to reduce the impact of
the baffle caused by the movement of the workpiece,
to make workpiece change direction when
Fig. 8. The coordinate diagram of robot moving direction.
encountering baffle, this requires the contact surface
between baffle and workpiece is arc, which requires
the cylinder that controlling the damper must be no- The robot unit has four micro-switches, the X and
shaft-rotating kind [9]. When the solenoid valve coil Y-axis rails each has a micro switch respectively,
is energized, the cylinder piston drives the stem out, indicating the robot's moving limit position in X, Y
pushes baffle out; when the solenoid valve coil is de- direction; Z-axis rail has two micro switches,
energized, the stem of cylinder returns. corresponding to the dwell position of the robot at the
Sorting unit works as follows: fiber optic sensor assembly unit and the sorting unit respectively.
detects the sorting materials, then controls motor to X-axis selects 1500 mm thread screw and EG
drive the transmission belt. Proximity switch detects series linear guide; due to Y-axis and Z-axis having a
the material when it reaches the centre of the belt, if shorter stroke (300 mm) and a smaller load, selects
it can detect the presence of the metal pin, indicating straight-line modules to realize the moving of gripper
that the workpiece has been successfully assembled, in this two-axis direction [10].
cylinder pushes the baffle out, intercepts the This unit has three stepper motors, which are used
workpiece, lets it slide into assembled slot; if to control the movement of the manipulator in the
proximity switch can not detect metal pin, indicating three directions -X, Y and Z. Using two-claws sliding
that the workpiece has not been successfully rail gripper to grip the workpiece. The towline can
assembled, cylinder remain intact, lets it slide into avoid the winding knot problems caused by the
no-assembled slot; when the workpiece slide into the robot's movement [11]. When the solenoid valve coil
slot, beam photoelectric switches detect the is energized, the gripper clamps, grabs the workpiece;
workpiece, baffle returns back, motor stops, sends when the coil is de-energized, the gripper releases,
completing signal to the robot unit, accepts the next puts down the workpiece. Fig. 9 is the electrical
workpiece sorting task. diagram of robot unit.
This unit works as follows: the robot can move
along the X, Y, Z axis direction, rely on pulses and
micro switches to locate accurately, indicate its
duration position by micro switches, transport the
workpiece to the corresponding position according to
the needs and complete crawling and
placing function.

8. Network Control and Overall System

Running
8.1. Network Control

The system is running with the STEP7

programming software. In the network settings, the
Fig. 7. The configuration diagram of sorting unit. robot is driving unit, the other four are driven units.

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Setting the communicate parameters in the system In the PPI network, the robot unit must specify
block, that is all the units are communicating with the the driving property with the Port0 controlling byte
robot unit. The transmission baud rate is set to SMB30 in the first scan cycle. After setting, the robot
9600 bps with PPI communication protocol [12]. program will generate NET_EXE subroutine [13].
In the processing and robot program that selecting
stepper or servo motor, the STEP7 wizard will
generate the PTO (Pulse Train Output) subroutine
automatically [14].

8.2. The Overall System Running

When the overall system is running, the running

diagram is shown as Fig. 10. The thick line is PLC-
PROFIBUS bus cable, it is used to connect PLC via
Port 0, to realize communication of the whole system
[15]. After programming and debugging, we can
download the program to PLC via serial
programming cable, in order to achieve the running
purpose of the overall system without computer.

Fig. 9. The electrical diagram of robot unit.

Fig. 10. The overall system running diagram.

9. Results and Discussion overall function; reassembling the system according

to the requirements and programming with the
The automatic production line training system reserved bits properly, innovating more
can be applied in the training room of colleges and practical functions.
universities as the following three aspects: automatic Compared with the other training systems at the
production line simulation demonstration; according teaching instrument market at present, the system has
to the hardware design, compiling to achieve the the following obvious advantages:

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The System is fully open, especially the production line teaching device, Tongling Vocational
controlling cabinet, students can have a and Technical College, Vol. 2, 2012, pp. 58-60.
comprehensive view of the internal wiring, it is easy [3]. Deng Chongliang, Tan Huanchang, Automatic
to apperceive and understand for students. production line based on PLC, Youjiang Teachers
College for Nationalities, Vol. 3, 2005, pp. 31-36.
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under single-station or overall system. We can production line based on PLC, Southwest Petroleum
choose the type and quantity of the workstations University, Chengdu, 2011.
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