Research Focus

Mechatronic systems

Mechatronic Systems

Introduction

The Department of Mechatronic Systems at the IPM is involved in the design, layout/optimization and project planning of mechatronic components within the framework of projects financed by third-party funds. For this, modern methods and tools for modeling and simulation, rapid-control-prototyping and HIL are deployed. For data acquisition and processing commercially available as well as custom-designed sensors, measuring methods and software tools based on modern algorithms (Fuzzy, Neural Networks) are used for monitoring, state diagnosis and technical diagnosis or for control engineering tasks. Camera systems with image processing software complement the equipment. For processing of big amounts of data networking is inevitable (grid computing), powerful algorithms structure and reduce that flood of data. Increasingly open-source hard- and software is used in form of embedded systems for this. The experience in these areas is the basis for the successful processing of the requirements to be considered in the projects and the tasks to be mastered. 

Current projects address among others the increase of energy efficiency of turbo machines through usage of novel high-temperature magnet bearings, or plant identification using image-based systems and data acquisition.

Work areas

  • Drafting, design/optimization/functional integration and projecting of systems for automatization technology and mechatronics
  • Modeling and simulation of technical systems - ANSYS, Quickfield, FEMM, MATLAB/ Simulink
  • Rapid-Control-Prototyping, Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) – dSpace
  • Design and construction of mechatronic components - NX, KiCad
  • Measurement and sensor technology - depelopment and application of modern algorithms and measurement methods
  • Construction and commissioning of technical systems
    • experimental tasks
    • measurement data acquisition, processing and evaluation 
  • Monitoring, state and technical diagnosis
  • Data analysis and development of algorithms
  • Control engineering, power electronics
  • Software development - C++, Java, MATLAB, SQL, R
  • Project development and management
  • Design and implementation of human-centered human-machine interfaces for industry facilities, (extended) virtual/augmented reality - Unreal IDE and runtime environment
  • Development/implementation of novel algorithms for intelligent data analysis and for the design of autonomous, self-lerning cyber-physical systems - technology development "AI at the edge"

Application fields

  • Magnet bearing technology
  • Open-sourced technology for embedded systems
  • State evaluation and individual state-related vitalisation of crops
Photo: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Worlitz
head of department
Prof. Dr.-Ing.
Frank Worlitz
Institute of Process Engineering, Process Automation and Metrology
02763 Zittau
Theodor-Körner-Allee 8
Building Z IVc, Room C1.17
Upper floor
+49 3583 612-4548

Presentation

The IPM's Mechatronic Systems department deals with the design, layout/optimization and project planning of mechatronic components as part of externally funded projects. Modern methods and tools for modeling and simulation, rapid control prototyping and HIL are used for this purpose. In addition to commercially available sensors, in-house developed sensors, measurement methods and software tools based on modern algorithms (fuzzy, KNN) are used to record and process measurement data, e.g. for monitoring, status diagnostics and technical diagnostics or for control engineering tasks. Camera systems with image processing software complement the equipment in this respect. Networking (grid computing) is essential for processing the large volumes of data generated (big data); powerful algorithms structure and reduce the flood of data generated. Open-source hardware and software are increasingly being used as embedded systems for this purpose. Experience in these areas forms the basis for the successful processing of the requirements and tasks to be considered in the projects.

Current projects include , which is working on increasing the energy efficiency of turbomachinery through the use of innovative high-temperature magnetic bearings, image-based systems and data processing for plant identification.

Fields of work

  • Design, layout/optimization/functional integration and project planning of automation and mechatronic systems
  • Modeling and simulation of technical systems - ANSYS, Quickfield, FEMM, MATLAB/ Simulink
  • Rapid control prototyping, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) - dSpace
  • Design and construction of mechatronic components - NX, KiCad
  • Measurement and sensor technology - development and application of modern algorithms and measurement methods
  • Construction and commissioning of technical systems
    • Experimental work
    • Data acquisition, processing and evaluation
  • Monitoring, status diagnosis and technical diagnosis
  • Data analysis, algorithmization
  • Control engineering, power electronics
  • Software development - C++, Java, MATLAB, SQL, R
  • Project development and project management
  • Design and implementation of human-centered human-machine interfaces in industrial plants, (augmented) virtual reality (VR, AR) - Unreal IDE and runtime environment
  • Development/implementation of modern algorithms for intelligent data analysis and for the design of autonomous, self-learning cyber-physical systems - "AI at the Edge" technology development

Application fields

  • Magnetic bearing technology
  • Open-source technologies for embedded systems
  • Condition assessment and individual condition-based vitalization of crops
Additional links
Photo: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Worlitz
Fachgebietsleiter
Prof. Dr.-Ing.
Frank Worlitz
Institute of Process Engineering, Process Automation and Metrology
02763 Zittau
Theodor-Körner-Allee 8
Building Z IVc, Room C1.17
Upper floor
+49 3583 612-4548