37065 - Automatic Machines T

Academic Year 2019/2020

  • Moduli: Andrea Zucchelli (Modulo 1) Gregorio Pisaneschi (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Automation Engineering (cod. 9217)

Learning outcomes

Basic knowledge of automatic machines for discrete processes (functional concepts, architectures, operating methods, main criteria of their use).

Course contents

The course is divided into two modules, corresponding respectively to 6 CFU and 3 CFU. The two modules are developed in parallel during the period of the lessons.

The first module, 6 CFU (60 hours), is organized in the following sections:

M1-1. Introduction to Industrial Automation and Automatic Machines

M1-2. Systems Accessories for the construction and operation of automatic machines

The details of each section are given below.

M1-1. The first section consists of the following chapters:

M1-1.1 History of Industrial Automation and Automatic Machines in the context of Bologna

M1-1.2 Introduction to the basics of Industrial Automation

M1-1.3 Parameters for calculating the productivity of an automatic machine

M1-1.4 Introduction to the Probability and Statistics calculation with particular reference to the following topics:

- Definition of Probability

- Definition of Random Variable

- Models for Discrete Random Variables

- Models for Continuous Random Variables

- Methods for Estimating Parameters of Random Variables and of Models for Random Variables

- Introduction to the Monte Carlo Method

- Probabilistic calculation of the productivity of an automatic machine and of a line of automatic machines

M1-1.5 General overview of the main architectures of automatic machines:

- Recalls and Complements relating to Machine Construction, with particular regard to the following topics: (i) material fatigue, (ii) shafts and components for shafts, (iii) Screws for fixing and transmission of force and / or displacement, (iv) mechanical springs, (v) bearings and their assembly;

- Asynchronous intermittent machines

- Synchronous intermittent machines

- Continue Machines

- Hybrid Architecture Machines

M1-1.6 Introduction to Statistical Process Control

M1-1.7 Introduction to the motion laws which are of common use in Automatic Machines

Topics related to the first module are partly provided to students in the form of lecture notes prepared by the teacher, while others, and in particular those relating to Probability and Statistics and those relating to Machine Design, can be found in the text organized by the teacher and entitled "Complementi per Macchine Automatiche"(see Readings).

2. The second section of the first module deals with the main systems that assist the operation of an automatic machine. In particular, the systems treated are the following:

M1-2.1 deterministic and probabilistic storage systems of the product units

M1-2.2 vibrating systems for extraction and feeding of product units

The first module is completed by exercises that are carried out by the teacher during the lessons. In addition, the teacher, during the lessons, assigns students the exercises to be done at home and must be collected in a homework book that will be an integral part of the oral exam. Sometimes the teacher can also assign students the completion of exercises that the teacher has set during the lessons. The exercises are assigned during the lessons and there is no specific day during which the same exercises are assigned and carried out.

In the second module, from 3 CFU (30 hours) the following topics are dealt with:

M2-1 General classification of the Machinery Directive

M2-2 Implementation Systems of Automatic Machines

M2-3 Introduction to Fluid actuation systems for Automatic Machines

Also for the second module, case studies and exercises related to the topics are resolved by the teacher, and some exercises are assigned to the students. Students have to do the assigned exercises at home and they have to collected them in the homework book. Also for the second module the homework book is an integral part of the exam.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Lectures notes

2. A. Zucchelli, Complementi per Macchine Automatiche, McGraw Hill Create, ISBN 9781307474541

3. Luigi Biagiotti · Claudio Melchiorri, Trajectory Planning for Automatic Machines and Robots, Springer-Verlag, 2008

4. Geoffrey Boothroyd, Peter Dewhurst, Winston A. Knight, Product Design for Manufacture and Assembly, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2011

5. Geoffrey Boothroyd, Assembly Automation and Product Design, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2005

6. Stephen J. Derby, Design of Automatic Machinery, Marcel Dekker, 2005

7. A.A.V.V., Advances in Future Manufacturing Engineering, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015

8. A.A.V.V., Future Mechatronics and Automation, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015

9. Bruno Lotter, Manufacturing Assembly Handbook, Butterworths, 1986

10. Marco Fortis, Monica Carminati, The Automatic Packaging Machinery Sector in Italy and Germany, Springer, 2015

Teaching methods

Frontal teaching in the classroom with use of slides and videos.

The course is developed both providing theoretical concepts and carrying out and assigning theoretical exercises and applications related to construction aspects of Automatic Machines.

To students are assigned exercises to be carried out autonomously and individually (only if specified by the teacher some exercises may be carried out in groups and, in this case, the names and surnames of the students who participated in the group must be specified in the homework book). These exercises must be collected, in an orderly manner, in a homework book that the students must bring to the exam for oral discussion.

Assessment methods

The verification of learning of the topics covered during Module 1 and Module 2 will be carried out on the same day.

The assessment will be divided into a written test and an oral discussion as detailed below.

In the written test, relating to all the topics of the course, questions about theory and exercises can be assigned, also with multiple answers. Each question of the written test will have a score, stated in the text of the same test, and the sum of the scores will be equal to 30. The admission to the oral exam is conditional on passing the written test with a score greater than or equal to 18.

During the oral examination the student will have to discuss the exercises of the homework book and the teacher will submit to the student transversal and reasoning questions related to the topics and the exercises covered during the lessons.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations and audiovisual

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Zucchelli

See the website of Gregorio Pisaneschi