2nd International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents
December 13-15, 2004 Palmerston North, New Zealand
Distributed Web-Based Desktop E-Manufacturing System
Jyh-Hwa Tzou
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Wu-Feng Institute of Technology
Chian-Kuo Rd, Sec. 2, Ming-Hsiung, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Email: tzoujyh@mail.wfc.edu.tw
Abstract
Rapid prototyping (RP) is an automated manufacturing process that quickly builds physical models from
CAD files of 3D prototypes. With the high advanced network technologies, many different software and
hardware systems can be integrated as a distributed platform to provide more services, solve more complicated
problems and achieve better performance. The main objective of this paper is to develop web-based automated
RP system, which provides customers the convenience of distance manufacturing without having an expensive
RP machine. We take the advantage of the internet technology to combine product quotation interface, on-line
remote monitoring system and order scheduling into a web-based automated RP system. In the mean time, we
developed three kinds of rapid prototyping system. (1)Thermal extrusion based RP system,(2)Photo-mask based
RP system and (3)Metallic RP system, which demonstrated the various fabrication principles and options.
Keywords: RP (Rapid Prototyping), E-manufacture, Distributed system, scheduling program, Product
quotation.
1
Introduction
With the explosion of the Internet in recent years,
e-Business systems are the latest advance in
information technology (IT) and business process
improvement. Many web-based applications have
been developed to reduce the cycle time of
transactions.[1] In the RP industry, how to quickrespond to the quotation and select an appropriate RP
machine is a critical issue.
RP machine is a powerful tool to build RP parts,
but it is too expensive for many companies. Therefore,
it can make the RP machine more efficient and more
useful through the internet. We know that the internet
has taken its place beside the telephone and television
as an important part of people's lives, and it offers a
convenient means for e-commerce activities which
can be conducted almost anywhere any machine and
at anytime the customer wants. The e-commerce
technology is springing up quickly following internet
development and it can make prototype production
cheaper and easier in the world. E-commerce is going
to have a profound effect on the people's lives and
work, the enterprises and the government. Ecommerce offers the opportunity to explore new
frontiers of collaboration, communication and
coordination between consumers and businesses. One
of the most important distinctions between the
modern business and the traditional business is that
on-line automated cost estimation which provides the
more convenient and faster service.
2
The architecture of distributed RP
system
With current advanced network technologies,
many different software or hardware systems can be
356
integrated as a distributed platform to provide more
services, solve more complicated problems and
achieve better performance (Figure 1). The first job to
integrate different RP systems on the Web is to make
these systems communicate to each other. However,
the different RP systems may not communicate to
each other easily because they are built on different
operating systems, use different communication
protocols. CORBA (Common Object Request Broker
Architecture) has been proposed to integrate diverse
applications within distributed heterogeneous
environments such that these different RP systems can
be easily integrated regardless of what language they
are written in or where these applications reside with
any commercial CORBA solutions [2],[3]. Figure 2 is
the architecture of the RP web platform. The virtual
server can select an appropriate RP machine to
manufacture the prototypes according to user
requirements, such as short processing time and low
cost. [4]
Figure 1: The integration of different Web RP
manufacturing system.
2nd International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents
December 13-15, 2004 Palmerston North, New Zealand
slicing and pathing results before actual RP
manufacturing.
Virtual
server
adaptor
communicates with the coordinator to receive
prototype specification and to send back
simulation results.
3
The application of E-manufacture
on RP system
Figure 2: RP Web platform architecture
In Figure 2, we show the architecture of main
components in the Web platform and the design of
components is briefed as follows:
„ RP Client: Users design and simulate slicing and
pathing results through a Web browser on a RP
client. A client adaptor runs on the same machine
and a user can send the request through the
browser without knowing the existence of any
adaptors. Client adaptors have been implemented
to run on different operating systems such as
Linux, Solaris, or Microsoft Windows and are
responsible for sending user requests and
receiving simulating or manufacturing results.
„ Coordinator: A coordinator is the kernel of the
Web platform. It receives requests from RP clients
and schedules either simulating or manufacturing
requests according to real-time scheduling
algorithms to guarantee timing constraints and
user requirements to balance the load on different
machines individually. The coordinator also
caches user requests and keep track of RP server
information/status for scheduling references. If a
request cannot be satisfied at this moment, it will
be delayed and try later when any previous request
is finished. The coordinator adaptor is running on
Linux through CORBA to communicate with
client and server adaptors on different operating
systems.
„ Database: The database stores information of the
entire system, including hardware specification,
performance and status of RP servers or virtual
servers, prototype specification and user
requirement of each request, etc. The database
also stores some sample CAD files of prototypes.
The files are in “.stl” format, but not limited to, in
our platform. Sample files can be downloaded to
client adaptors for users to modify or design new
prototypes.
„ RP Server: an adaptor runs on a RP server to
control and monitor the RP machine connected. It
receives prototype specification from coordinator
and informs RP machine to start RP
manufacturing. It is also responsible for
transmitting the manufacturing video stream back
to client adaptors.
„ Virtual Server: Virtual server simulates the
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Figure 3: Flowchart of RP E-manufacturing system
The E-Manufacturing application framework of
web–based RP system mainly includes five parts.
(1)Open STL file and display it using Open GL
technology, (2) Product quotation system, (3) Select a
suitable RP system, (4) Joint alliance system, (5)
Order scheduling program. The flowchart of the RP
E-manufacturing system is shown in Figure 3. The
Open GL technology can be used to show the 3D
models with different color on different directions.
The product quotation system supplies an on-line
automated cost estimation related to the option of
materials, manufacturing time and RP machines
before the RP part being manufactured. In the RP
selection system, we can use some conditions (such as
2nd International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents
December 13-15, 2004 Palmerston North, New Zealand
materials, cost, and manufactured time) to select the
appropriate RP machine. This web-based RP selection
system can help users to select an appropriate RP
machine. After evaluating, the system shows the
manufacturing time and cost. When customers are
satisfied with this estimation, they can transmit STL
file via the internet to the RP web server. After
scheduling, the web server can transmit the STL file
to the RP machine that chosen by the customers. Then
the RP part can be manufactured in the chosen RP
machine.
During manufacturing process, customers also
can watch a live image of RP part via internet, and
monitor the RP machine which fabricates physical
part through CCD camera.
If customers or companies want to joint the
alliance, they can joint the system as a member of the
association and upload the information of their RP
machine (introduction, specification of the RP
machine, and the manufactured parts) to the RP WEB
server.
3.1
they can upload the STL file via the internet to the RP
Web server. After finishing the order scheduling, the
web server can transmit the STL file to the customer
chosen RP machine. Then the RP part can be
manufactured in our RP machine. [4]
Figure 5: Interface of showing STL file and product
quotation
The RP E-manufacturing system
portal site
The website includes the interface showing STL
file, selection of RP machine, the product quotation
and the join alliance system. The flowchart of RP Emanufacturing system portal site is shown in Figure 4
[5].
Figure 6: The RP selection system
Figure 4: The flowchart of RP E-manufacturing system
portal site
The interface of showing the STL file and
product quotation system is shown in Figure 5. The
system provides customers to view 3D model, rotate
the 3D model, select color, slice, generate tool paths
and scale it on the web. Product quotation system
provides customers to evaluate the product. After
evaluating the product, the system displays required
results (such as total fabricating time, volume and
cost). When customer satisfied with this estimation,
358
Figure 7: Hierarchy of joint alliance system
The RP selection system is shown in Figure 6.
The system provides some choices (materials, cost,
and manufacturing time) for customer to select proper
RP machine. If there are many selections of RP
machine on the web, this system can assist customer
to choose the appropriate one. The system can
efficiently save time in the selection of RP system.
2nd International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents
December 13-15, 2004 Palmerston North, New Zealand
After finishing the evaluation, the system shows the
manufacturing time and cost. Then the RP part can be
manufactured in our RP machine.
The site hierarchy of alliance system is shown in
Figure 7. When customers or companies want to join
our alliance system, they can upload the information
which includes the introduction of the RP machine,
the photographs of the RP machine, and the pictures
of the completed RP parts.
3.2
Metallic RP
system
CCD
RS 232
RP Controller
4-Axis Motion Card
Workstation/ WWW Client
4
4.1
The developed RP systems
Thermal extrusion based RP
system
The thermal extrusion based RP system is shown
in Figure 10. There are two lights, two CCDs, 2Dplanar XY table, thermal extrusion head, z-axis
elevator, and brush. The CCD is used on the remote
monitoring system. It can provide the real time online
images when the RP system is working. The user can
also control the CCD viewpoint through the browser.
The brush is used to clean the tip of the thermal
extrusion head. [8]
The order scheduling system
Thermal extrusion
RP system
Then the RP part can be manufactured in our RP
machine. The architecture of RP database is shown in
Figure 9. The RP database framework mainly
includes three parts: (1) Alliance system, (2) Data of
the members, (3) Order scheduling program. [7]
RS 232
iMac/ WWW Client
Z axis elevator
In t e r n e t
RP Controller
4-Axis Motion Card
Elevator
WWW Server
PC
PC/ WWW Client
Thermal extrusion head
Electronic
photo-mask
Pump
Light source
RP part
PC-based
Controller
Notebook/ WWW Client
Steel brush cleaner
CCD camera 1
FDM 2000
Photo-mask
based RP system
CCD camera 2
Linear planar motor table
Figure 8: Architecture of scheduling system
Figure 10: The thermal extrusion based RP system
RP Database
4.2
Photo-mask based RP system
Elevator
Alliance
system
Electronic
photo-mask
Order
scheduling
Members
database
Pump
Light source
RP machine
RP
Manufacturer data
data
Member
data
Superuser
data
Thermal
extrusion
RP system
data
Metallic RP Photo-mask
system data based RP
system data
PC-based
Controller
FDM
2000
data
Figure 11: The physical photo-mask based RP system
Figure 9: Architecture of RP database
The architecture of order scheduling system is
shown in Figure 8. E-commerce is about using
technology to streamline business model and
increasing its efficiency. All customers’ data exist in
the database of RP web server. The RP web server
transmits the first order to the chosen RP machine.
359
The photo-mask based RP system is shown in
Figure11. A rapid prototyping system that is based on
the electronic photo-mask to build RP parts layer by
layer. Unlike general liquid-based rapid prototyping
systems, the proposed system makes use of planeshaping method to substitute for line-shaping method,
and the light source, laser beam, is superseded by
2nd International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents
December 13-15, 2004 Palmerston North, New Zealand
general visible light. The desktop manufacturing
system has the advantages of low cost, compactness
and no support needed. [9]
4.3
Metallic RP system
The system architecture is shown as Figure 12.
The 2500W CW Nd-YAG laser, which is transferred
through the optical fiber, is focused to melt the
metallic powder on the pre-placed powder mechanism.
The pre-placed powder mechanism is placed on the
XY table, and the laser head is mounted on the z axis
elevator. After fabricating one layer, the RT forming
trough of the powder mechanism will descend one
layer thickness and the powder feeding trough will
ascend one layer thickness at the same time. Then the
flat scraper will move from left to right, so that the
powder placed on the top of RT forming trough is flat.
The next layer of powder is laid and the scanning by
Nd-YAG laser is repeated. Layer after layer, the
metallic powders are added and melted until the
whole RT part is completed. [10]
Laser head
X-Y table
manufacturing via internet. The final RP parts
manufactured by the thermal extrusion based RP
system are shown in Figure 17. The finished 3D RT
parts manufactured by the metallic RP system are
shown in Figure 18.
Figure 14: The quotation result of arrow model
Shielding gas
supply
Pre-placed powder
mechanism
Figure 12: The physical metallic RP system
5
Experimental results
Figure 15: The quotation result of vase model
Figure 13: The quotation result of thin cylinder model
The evaluated result of the models is shown in
Figure13, 14, 15. The client-side interface of remote
monitoring system is shown in Figure 16. Customers
can observe a live image of RP part during RP
360
Figure 16: The interface of remote monitoring system
2nd International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents
December 13-15, 2004 Palmerston North, New Zealand
7
Figure 17: The final RP parts manufactured by the
thermal extrusion based RP system
Figure 18: The finished RT parts manufactured by
the metallic RP system
6
Conclusions
Several RP machines developed by our
laboratory can be integrated and the RP resources
could be shared on the Web. Users and customers can
design, simulate and manufacture RP parts through a
Web interface. The objective of this paper is to
develop an E-Manufacturing, remote supervisory
control rapid prototyping system. The main purpose
of the system is to provide remote customers some
services through the internet to use the RP machine.
The system also can show information to the
customers through the internet, and provide various
services (such as show STL file, the product quotation
system and selection of RP machine).
If customers are satisfied with this estimation,
they can transmit STL file via the internet to the RP
web server. After scheduling, the web server can
transmit the STL file to the RP machine which is
chosen by the customer. Then the RP part can be
manufactured in our RP machine. Several RP and RT
part manufactured by the proposed RP/RT systems
are also shown in this paper.
In the future, we will continue to enhance RP
part quality and improve the system efficiency. After
the RP manufacturing process is completed, the GSM
module can send a message to inform the supervisor
and the customer.
361
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