A Model-Based Approach for Mixed Hardware In the Loop Simulation of Manufacturing Systems

The paper deals with the problem of testing control software for discrete manufacturing systems with a set of flexible simulation tools. In the paper, the Hardware-In-the-Loop approach is improved in order to obtain a simulation architecture which allows a step-by-step testing of the control. The main idea is: “what is ready can be tested simulating the remaining parts”. In this way, it is possible to test a module of the control software once it is ready even thought other interacting modules must be still developed. This technique has been supported by a specific 3D graphic simulation environment (SIMBA, SImulation of Model-Based Automation systems), which follows a model-based approach guided by a mechatronic view of automation systems. SIMBA has been used for real industrial test cases and will be fully integrated with the proposed mixed simulation methodology.