A novel block-based programming framework for non-programmers to validate PLC based machine tools for automotive manufacturing facilities

An automotive manufacturing cell typically consists of multiple stations, controlled by a single industrial programmable controller. Design flaws or assembly mistakes are normally discovered during the highly time-constrained integration phase, which leads to time loss and inefficiency. This paper presents a novel domain-specific 'language' to eliminate the PLC experts from the testing process, to minimize input from operators and to reduce cost significantly. The proposed 'language' was inspired by widely available educational robotic toys, built on a block based programming environment, which allows for intuitive interaction with novice users. A comparison and evaluation study has been carried out to compare the new framework to the traditional process of building equipment for an automotive manufacturing cell. The study has shown that the proposed 'language' not only eliminates the need for PLC experts, in the testing process, but also reduces the time needed for setup and testing by 90%. In addition, the high level of abstraction decreased the potential for programming errors by 95%.