Impact of control system design on a flexible manufacturing system for colliery arches

Describes the design of an advanced control system for a machine used in the flexible manufacture of colliery roadway supports. Computer-aided design techniques were used extensively in the development of the system. Simulation, in particular, was important for efficiently establishing appropriate control modes and strategies. The control problem is, in essence, a co-ordinated servo control problem, and relevant high-grade robotic dynamic control techniques were used to obtain maximum performance benefits. The control system was implemented in a multiprocessor environment and worked successfully. This application is important because it demonstrates that sometimes a control system may be the deciding factor determining whether a process is possible at all.