Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems and Automation (LMS)

LMS brief description

The Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems & Automation (LMS) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics at the University of Patras is oriented on research and development in cutting edge scientific and technological fields. LMS researchers work on a variety of research subjects including production systems planning and control, software development for industrial networking, innovative manufacturing processes, virtual reality engineering applications, and quality control and metrology. LMS is involved in a number of research projects funded by the EC and European industrial partners. Particular emphasis is given to the co-operation with the European industry as well as with a number of “hi-tech” firms. LMS is under the direction and technical coordination of Professor George Chryssolouris. It currently employs approximately 70 researchers organized in three different groups: a) Manufacturing Processes Modelling and Energy Efficiency, b) Robots, Automation and Virtual Reality in Manufacturing and c) Manufacturing Systems.

LMS infrastructure

LMS is running the robotic group activities in a fully equipped Machine shop, where the following robotics cells are installed and used for research.

• Flexible cell with two heavy duty industrial robots (COMAU NJ130 and NJ370) equipped with fixture, gripper, welding gun, RFID sensors.
• Dual arm robot cell equipped with PILZ SafetyEye, Human robot interaction sensors, Schunk grippers.
• Cooperating robots’ cell for small payload assembly operations involving two COMAU RACER 7-1.4 robots, a conveyor, grippers and camera system for object detection.
• Human-Robot cooperative (HRC) enabling the cooperation of a human operators with a high payload robot (COMAU NJ130). This HRC Cell is equipped with a state-of-the-art 3D Safety camera (PILZ SafetyEye) integrated with COMAU C5G Safe robot control functions. Wearables devices and a novel ICT infrastructure for a Safe and intuitive interaction of the operator with the robot is provided.
• Universal Robot (UR) 10 robot cell for Human Robot Collaborative assembly equipped with grippers and screwdrivers enabling robot autonomous tool change.
• A mobile dual arm robot able to navigate autonomously in different workstations performing multiple assembly operations such as handling, screwing, drilling etc.
• A Virtual and Augmented reality tool involving a Holographic device as well as a CAVE system.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCFh4zQ9X6GlQb4c8wQk8Sw/videos