A Closed-Loop Inspection Architecture for Additive Manufacturing Based on STEP Standard

Among the challenges posed by the new industrial revolution-Industry 4.0 is the integration of systems associated with manufacturing. In this sense, the inspection process assumes an important role since it provides the information base to make the decisions that allow reaching the design and quality specifications. From the manufacturing point of view, Additive Manufacturing (AM) contains the potential to meet production demands by making efficient use of resources, reducing manufacturing time, and enabling the manufacture of complex parts. The idea of integrating the inspection process with a robotic system for additive manufacturing seeks both to improve the quality of the parts produced and to find methods to optimize the process and create a sustainable system. However, to make this combination a reality, it is necessary to face the barriers posed by the lack of integration of the information produced by the different computerized systems throughout the life cycle of the product. Thus, there is no integration of feedback information from shop-floor necessary for inspection and validation of the part manufactured with AM, which does not allow a closed-loop digital thread. Concerning this, the present article proposes the development of an integration strategy with a digital data model based on STEP-NC (Standard for the Exchange of Product model data - Numerical Control) for closed-loop AM. The data models in STEP-NC for the AM and inspection tasks it develops, highlighting the scenario of integrated feedback for the closed-loop AM digital thread. Are presented the architecture of integration validated by using an open AM platform and the results of error control over the parts. (C) 2019, IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control) Hosting by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.