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Journal PROCEEDINGS IN MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS |
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ISSN 2343–7472 ISSN-L 2067-9238 |
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Journal PROCEEDINGS IN MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS □
Volume 20, Issue 4, 2025 Optimising
material flow through virtual prototyping: a discrete-event simulation
approach · Aurelian IONESCU, Robert PATRASCOIU, Alexandra CANA, Andrei IANCU, EPICS-based
integration of PLC safety systems for a digital twin implementation · Elena BALAȘ, Cristina MOHORA, Dana TILINÃ, Knowledge
management in the design of a complex industrial product · Sorin-Constantin BOTEZ, Corina
BOTEZ, George CONSTANTIN, Numerical
assessment of the structural integrity of UAV shafts reconditioned by thermal
spraying
Optimising material flow through virtual prototyping: a discrete-event
simulation approach Andrei Daniel SCARLAT1,*, Lidia
Florentina PARPALA2, Cicerone Laurentiu POPA3, Radu
Constantin PARPALA3, Costel Emil COTET4 1) PhD Student, Robots and Manufacturing Systems Dep.,
National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania 2) Lecturer, PhD, Robots and Production Systems Dep.,
National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania 3) Assoc. Prof., PhD, Robots and Production Systems
Dep., National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest,
Romania 4) Prof., PhD, Robots and Production Systems Dep.,
National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania Abstract: The escalating demand for enhanced
process efficiency and production adaptability in the manufacturing sector
has catalysed the adoption of virtual prototyping and discrete-event
simulation (DES) for optimising material flow prior to physical
implementation. This paper delineates a simulation-centric methodology
developed to analyse and improve the architecture of a beverage packaging
line. The constructed virtual prototype accurately mirrors the entire
production system, encompassing depalletising, filling, packaging,
palletising, and wrapping, thereby serving as a digital testbed for
evaluating various optimisation scenarios. A series of experiments was
conducted to diagnose and investigate various optimisation scenarios based on
cycle-time reduction, buffer expansion, and parallel machine configurations
on overall system throughput. Findings reveal that a moderate enhancement at
the bottleneck station—specifically, a 10% reduction in Modulfiller cycle
time—resulted in a 7% increase in output. Conversely, excessive local
acceleration or attempts to speed up downstream processes led to diminishing
returns. These results underscore the efficacy of DES-based virtual
prototyping in facilitating low-risk evaluations of process improvement
strategies and establishing a robust framework for future Digital Twin
integration. Key words: Discrete-event
simulation, Virtual prototyping, Material flow optimization, Bottleneck
analysis, Witness Horizon, Smart manufacturing. EPICS-based integration of PLC safety systems for a digital twin
implementation Aurelian IONESCU1,*, Robert
PATRASCOIU2, Alexandra CANA3, Andrei IANCU4 1) PhD Student, Eng, Doctoral School of Industrial Engineering and
Robotics, National University of
Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania 2) PhD Student, Eng, Gamma System Dep, ELI-NP, Magurele, Romania 3) Student, Eng, Gamma System Dep, ELI-NP, Magurele, Romania 4) Student, Eng, Gamma System Dep, ELI-NP, Magurele, Romania Abstract: This paper presents a compact
Digital Twin architecture for PLC-based safety systems, implemented at the
ELI-NP LINAC Gamma Beam System (GBS). The Machine Protection System (MPS) and
Personnel Protection System (PPS) are implemented on Siemens S7-1500 PLCs and
must ensure high reliability, short reaction times and full traceability of
safety events. To integrate these safety systems into the facility-wide EPICS
environment, a layered data chain is implemented: Siemens S7-1500 →
s7nod driver → EPICS IOC → EPICS Archiver Appliance →
Grafana. The PLC executes the safety logic and acquires process signals
(vacuum, cooling temperature and flow, access status), while EPICS exposes
these internal variables as Process Variables (PVs) for monitoring, archiving
and visualisation. The paper summarises the configuration of the ISO-on-TCP
link between PLC and EPICS, mapping of PLC memory into PV records, and use of
Archiver Appliance and Grafana for real-time and historical analysis. A
Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) case study on a Mydax precision chiller shows how
the Digital Twin is used to validate the cooling subsystem behaviour and
safety reactions. The proposed architecture provides a compact, extensible
solution for Digital Twin-based monitoring and safety system testing.. Key words: Digital Twin, EPICS, PLC
Siemens S7-1500, safety interlocks, Archiver Appliance, Grafana,
Hardware-in-the-Loop.
Knowledge management in the design of a complex industrial product Elena BALAȘ1,
Cristina MOHORA2,*, Dana TILINÃ3 1) PhD Student, Doctoral School of Industrial Engineering, National
University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA, Bucharest, Romania 2) Prof., PhD, Robots and Manufacturing Dep., National University of
Science and Technology POLITEHNICA, Bucharest, Romania 3) Assoc. Prof., PhD, Robots and Manufacturing Dep., National University
of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA, Bucharest, Romania Key words: knowledge management;
complex industrial products; industrial engineering; PLM; Ishikawa diagram;
digital transformation. Numerical assessment of the structural
integrity of UAV shafts reconditioned by thermal spraying Sorin-Constantin
BOTEZ1,*, Corina BOTEZ2, George CONSTANTIN3 1, 2)
Lecturer, PhD, Graphics Engineering and Industrial Design Department,
POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania 3) Prof,
PhD, Robots and Manufacturing Systems Department, POLITEHNICA Bucharest,
Romania Abstract: The present study investigates the
structural behavior of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) shafts reconditioned
through thermal spray coatings, with emphasis on stress distribution and
integrity under operational loading conditions. UAV shaft components are
subjected to combined axial, torsional, and bending loads, leading to
progressive surface degradation and potential failure in critical regions.
Thermal spraying represents an efficient reconditioning technique; however,
the addition of a coating layer alters the mechanical response of the
component, particularly at geometric discontinuities. A three-dimensional
finite element model was developed to simulate the mechanical response of
coated shafts, incorporating both substrate and coating material properties.
The analysis considers realistic service loads and focuses on key geometric
parameters, including shaft diameter, fillet radius, and coating thickness. A
simulation plane of 9 tests was employed to evaluate the influence of these parameters
on stress distribution in critical regions, namely the frontal area,
cylindrical section, and fillet zone. The results demonstrate that the fillet
radius is the most influential parameter governing stress concentration,
while coating thickness significantly affects stress redistribution,
especially at the coating–substrate interface. Higher stiffness coatings tend
to shift stress concentrations toward the interface, whereas lower stiffness
coatings exhibit elevated stress levels within the coating layer. Although no
statistically significant effects were identified due to limited dataset
size, consistent trends indicate the dominant role of geometric parameters in
controlling stress behavior. The findings provide valuable guidelines for the
design and optimization of reconditioned UAV shafts, highlighting the
necessity of balancing coating thickness and geometric features to minimize
stress concentrations and ensure structural reliability. Key words: UAV shafts, thermal spraying,
finite element analysis, structural integrity, stress concentration, coating
thickness, fillet radius. |
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