An Internet-based Automatic Riveting System using Remote Monitoring and Control

Today, the mechanical arm using pneumatic actuator controlled by programmable logic controllers (PLC) for automatic material process is widely used in the modern manufacturing. The pneumatic based mechanical arm provides a relatively low cost means of force, torque and motion. However, the limitation arises when the system requires an accurate position. With an increasing demand for a natural, intuitive man-machine interaction in automated industry, the graphical operation is the other important issue that is gaining much attention nowadays. In a comprehensive case study, a PC-based virtual instrument (VI) for an automatic riveting system employing the pneumatic based mechanical arm combined with a precise X/Y platform is developed. The proposed scheme can carry out both fast and accurate riveting process using a remote monitoring and control function via the Internet. The real-time implementation shows its good performance and presents the illustrative demonstration.