Evaluation of the performance of an automated metallographic samples analysis system by means of Petri Nets modelling

This paper presents the results of the research about the automation of the metallographic samples preparation and analysis processes. At the University of Oradea the authors designed and made an automated metallographic samples preparation and analysis system. This automated system can achieve polishing, attack by reagents and metallographic analysis. The flexible cell (the automated system) is made of two subsystems. The first subsystem, which is served by an industrial robot, performs the polishing and the sample surface assessment. The second subsystem, also served by an industrial robot, performs the reagent attack and finishes the metallographic analysis in order to determine the microstructure of the sample. The authors have designed a timed Petri nets model in order to assess the performance of the automated system and to identify the possible bottlenecks. The model is made for the case that the system is required to analyse two kinds of samples. The sequences performed by the industrial robots are modelled by transitions with associated timings that are equal to the real time periods taken by the robots to execute the corresponding actions. Other activities, such as grinding polishing, finishing polishing, reagent attack, washing, microscope examining, have been also modelled by means of transitions. The execution of a transition (the completion of a real sequence) is possible if certain conditions are met. These conditions are modelled into the Petri net by means of positions. The number of samples that can be analyzed in a certain time period can be determined by simulation.