Development of an automated cell for the teaching of integrated manufacturing systems

This article reports the educational experience related to integrated manufacturing systems education associated with a manufacturing cell projection and development. The content of the manufacturing systems subject of the UNIP's electrical engineering course is extent and includes, e.g., CAD, CAE, CAM and CIM systems, fixed robotics, automation networks, mathematical modeling and motors control and driving. As methodology for the subject, it was chosen the theoretical teaching of its content besides the development of a tangible experiment, which was to develop a manufacturing cell with decentralized control, that emulates the thermal treatment process of a piece which is handled by a serial manipulator with two degrees of freedom and two-finger gripper.