Design and Manufacturing of Pipe Climbing Robot

A
REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE MINOR PROJECT –I (4ME32)COURSE

For the award of

Bachelor of Technology
(Mechanical Engineering)

Submitted by
Hunaid Barodawala : 20ME425
Jay Rathod : 20ME000
Rohit Jasoliya : 20ME421
Rayan Mansuri : 20ME000

Under the guidance of

Prof. Ashish M Thakkar

At

Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidylaya

Engineering Collage (An Autonomous Institution)
Vallabh Vidyanagar - 388 120
Affiliated to Gujarat Technological University
July – December, 2023
 CERTIFICATE
Date: 15/12/2022

This is to certify that the Minor Project I (4ME32) entitled “Design and
Manufacturing of Pipe Climbing Robot” has been carried out by Hunaid
Barodawala, Jay Rathod, Rohit Jasoliya, Rayan Mnsuri in the 7th semester
under my guidance in partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of
Technology in Mechanical Engineering, Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidylaya,
Vallabh-Vidyanagar, during the academic year 2022-23.

Guide: Prof. Ashish M Thakkar

Prof. Dr. Vinay Patel

Head of the Department
Mechanical Engineering
 Originality Report Certificate

It is certified that Minor Project I - Report entitled Design and Manufacturing of Pipe

climbing Robot by Hunaid Barodawala, Jay Rathod, Rohit Jasoliya, Rayan

Mansuri has been examined by us. We undertake the following:

(1) Project has significant new work / knowledge as compared already published
or are under consideration to be published elsewhere. No sentence, equation,
diagram, table, paragraph or section has been copied verbatim from previous
work unless it is placed under quotation marks and duly referenced.
(2) The work presented is original and own work of the author (i.e., there is no
plagiarism). No ideas, processes, results or words of others have been
presented as Author own work.
(3) There is no fabrication of data or results which have been compiled / analysed.
(4) There is no falsification by manipulating research materials, equipment or
processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not
accurately represented in the research record.
(5) The report has been checked using <NAME OF ANY REPUTED
PLAGIARISM CHECK SOFTWARE> (copy of originality report attached)
and found within limits, (i.e., permitted similarity index <= 20 %)

Name and signature of Students:

Hunaid Barodawala :

Jay Rathod :

Rohit Jasoliya :

Rayan Mansuri :
Table of Contents

CERTIFICATE.......................................................................................................................................
Originality Report Certificate..............................................................................................................
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................
1.1 Background..............................................................................................................................
1.2 Purpose of the project.............................................................................................................
1.3 Research Gap...........................................................................................................................
1.4 Methodology............................................................................................................................
1.5 Features of the project prototype............................................................................................
1.6 Technologies and Tools used....................................................................................................
2. Literature Review..........................................................................................................................
2.1 What is “Smart”?.....................................................................................................................
2.2 Literature Outcome :-...............................................................................................................
3. Design and Simulation..................................................................................................................
3.1 Design....................................................................................................................................
3.2 Simulation..............................................................................................................................
3.3 Unified Connectivity...............................................................................................................
3.4 Equipment Used.....................................................................................................................
4. Temperature Measurement.........................................................................................................
4.1 Sources of Heat Generation During Machining......................................................................
4.2 Effect of High Cutting Temperature........................................................................................
4.3 Methods for Temperature Measurement..............................................................................
4.4 K-type Thermocouple.............................................................................................................
5. Vibration Measurement...............................................................................................................
5.1 Causes of Vibration................................................................................................................
5.2 Effects of Vibration.................................................................................................................
5.3 Vibration sensor.....................................................................................................................
6. Sensor Integration........................................................................................................................
6.1 Vibration................................................................................................................................
6.2 Temperature...........................................................................................................................
6.3 COMPLETE SETUP OF THE PROJECT:......................................................................................
7. Data Analysis................................................................................................................................
8. IIoT Implementation and Data Visualization.................................................................................
8.1 Sending information to the cloud..........................................................................................
8.2 Blynk Mobile Application – Real-time Dashboard..................................................................
8.3 Blynk Console – Computer Dashboard...................................................................................
 8.4 Smart Lathe BVM – AR Application using Unity.....................................................................
9. Health Monitoring and Downtime Prediction..............................................................................
9.1 Prediction of Machine Health................................................................................................
10. Digital Twin.................................................................................................................................
11. Conclusion..................................................................................................................................
 1. Introduction
1.1 Background
In today's industrial landscape, the imperative is to automate every aspect of operations.
Within the realm of the oil industry, the inspection of pipes proves challenging owing to
the intricate structures and difficult-to-reach positions. Consequently, there arises a
demand for a specialized climbing robot designed to traverse the length of pipes, conduct
thorough inspections, identify defects, and provide immediate temporary remedies.

Pipe Structures in Pipe Industries

1.2 Purpose of the project

To demonstrate a novel approach in pipeline inspection, the manually operated pipe-
climbing robot boasts sophisticated capabilities for meticulous examination of the pipes it
traverses. This innovative solution aims to enhance efficiency and accuracy in identifying
and addressing potential defects along the pipeline infrastructure.

1.3 Research Gap

Proposed study aims to show that a manual lathe, even though not initially equipped with
connectivity capabilities, can be converted into a smart connected system with real-time,
internet-based connectivity for fault detection. This research project intends to answer the
following questions:

a Is it possible to establish wireless real-time interconnectivity between a manual

lathe and a mobile device connected to the internet?
b Can the data from the lathe machines be manipulated in real-time?
c How interactively can the data be visualized in the third dimension using
Augmented Reality? Is it feasible?
d Can issue identification be implemented to notify the supervisors in event of tool
failure?

1.4 Methodology
The sequence to build this project is divided into 4 segments:
1. Design and Rectification
2. Electronic Integration
3. Prototyping
4. Manufacturing and Final Assembly
The lathe machine tool is subjected to experiments involving variable feed, depth of
cut, and spindle speed. A vibration sensor and a thermocouple are used to measure data
relating to vibrations and temperature at the tool-workpiece interaction, respectively. These
sensor data are collected inside the microcontroller.

That data is then monitored on the Blynk IoT Cloud Platform called Blynk Console
and displayed using the Blynk IoT Application, Blynk Console Web Application, and the
Smart Lathe BVM AR Application built from scratch for Android smartphones.

1.5 Features of the project prototype

• Brings the virtual world to reality using AR/VR
• Real-time Smart Lathe Parameter monitoring
• Tool Health and RUL Prediction

1.6 Technologies and Tools used

• Autodesk Fusion 360
• Arduino IDE
• Creo Paramatic
 2. Literature Review

Up until this point in history, the team has come up with four defining industrial
revolutions. The first was powered with steam power, engine-driven, piston-cylinder
systems. The second was brought by the discovery of electricity and designing assembly
line mass production. The third emerged with the inclusion of computers and information
technology. The fourth industrial revolution is the one to which we are contributing,
involving human-machine communication, lesser cognitive load, and increased level of
automation across industries.

2.1 What is “Smart”?

Think of it as a “smartphone”, or a “smart TV”. It is evident that the thing these
devices share in common is the ability to connect with other devices, share information to
and fro, and interact with humans, that is, the human-machine interface. However, the term
“smart” might not be the same in an industrial setting. It means an entirely collaborative
and integrated system that is responsive in real-time to meet variations in the industrial
segment. The production chain, quality control, or supply chain management could easily
be monitored simultaneously.

A “smart” machine is capable of these characteristics:

1. Self-recognition along with communication with other parts of the factory
2. Self-monitoring and optimization of working parameters
3. Self-assessment of the quality of production
4. Self-learning and enhancement in performance with data over time (Ivester and
Heigel, 2000)

2.2 Literature Outcome :-

• The fourth industrial revolution has ushered a new era of technologies for the
industries.
• Machine communication and higher levels of automation are features of this
revolution. The generation and analysis of data leads to optimization and first-part
correct production. The global manufacturing transformation is concentrating on
smart manufacturing, which is changing how businesses and industries operate. •
The word ‘smart’ refers to completely integrated, collaborative systems that react
instantly to changes in the factory environment, the supply chain, and customer
needs.
• It is linked to four key capabilities: self-recognition and interaction; self-monitoring
and operational optimization; self-evaluation of the quality of work; and
selflearning and continuous performance improvement.
• Unified connectivity, real-time monitoring, and issue identification capabilities can
be made available to a machining centre by supplying it with the appropriate
hardware, software, and communication protocols.
• Supervisors wouldn't even need to be on-site to be fully aware of the machines in
use. The need for constant human supervision would be significantly reduced if the
machines had these intelligent capabilities.
 • This project's main focus will be on how to integrate a smart solution into an
existing college system, particularly in cases where resources are constrained and
the machines being used weren't initially built to communicate.
• When it comes to the conversion of manual machines to smart systems, there is not
much research done. The focus of this study is on this topic.

3. Design and Simulation

3.1 Design
Design has been made in SolidWorks 2022 Student’s Edition. The attempt is to model
maximum lathe components, making the next step (viz. simulation) as accurate as possible.

3.2 Simulation
MATLAB 2022a, licensed under a special student scholarship for Academic Students.
3.3 Unified Connectivity
The main challenge in converting this lathe into a smart system with unified connectivity
lay in measuring an electrical signal and customizing the code 16 needed to successfully
transfer that measurement to the manufacturing apps for real-time monitoring and data
analysis for issue identification.

3.4 Equipment Used

Hardware:
• Lathe
• ESP32 Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Module
• K-type Thermocouple
• SW-420 Vibration Sensor
Software:

• MATLAB & Simulink

• Arduino IDE
• SolidWorks 2022 Student Edition
• Unity Unreal Engine
• WebAR
• Android SDK

Programming Languages:

• Arduino
• C#
 4. Temperature Measurement
4.1 Sources of Heat Generation During Machining
During machining heat is generated at the cutting point from three sources. Those sources
and causes of development of cutting temperature are:

• Primary shear zone (1) where the major part of the energy is converted into heat
• Secondary deformation zone (2) at the chip – tool interface where further heat is
generated due to rubbing or shear
• At the flanks (3) due to rubbing between the tool and the finished surfaces

4.2 Effect of High Cutting Temperature

The effects of the high cutting temperature, particularly when it is high, are mostly
detrimental to both the tool and the job. The major portion of the heat is taken away by the
chips. But it does not matter because chips are thrown out. So attempts should be made
such that the chips takeaway more and more of heat leaving a small amount of heat to
harm the tool and the workpiece. The possible detrimental effects of the high cutting
temperature on cutting edge are:

• Rapid tool wear, which reduces tool life

• Plastic deformation of cutting edges if the tool materials is not enough hard and
strong
• Thermal flaking and fracturing of cutting edges due to thermal shocks
• Built up edge formation

The possible detrimental effects of cutting temperature on the machined workpiece are:
• Dimensional inaccuracy of the job due to thermal distortion and
expansioncontraction during and after machining
• Surface damage by oxidation, rapid corrosion, burning etc.
• Induction of tensile residual stresses and micro cracks at the surface and sub
surfaces

4.3 Methods for Temperature Measurement

(i) Thermal paints technique;
(ii) Thermocouple techniques -Tool-work thermocouple technique, Transverse
thermocouple technique, and Embedded thermocouple technique;
(iii) Infrared radiation pyrometer technique; (iv) Optical infrared radiation pyrometer
technique;
(v) Infra-red photography; (vi)
Fine powder techniques; and
(vii) Metallographic methods.

4.4 K-type Thermocouple

We have chosen a k-type thermocouple for temperature measurement. One of the major
advantages of K type thermocouple over other thermocouple is it can function in rugged
environmental conditions & in various atmospheres. It has integrated composition of
Chromel and Alumel wires and has a range of -270 °C to 1260°C. Also, mounting is easy
and economical compared to others.

ADVANTAGE OF USING K-TYPE THERMOCOUPLE:

1. Calibration is not required in thisdirect temperature readings are obtained on a real
time basis.
2. Temperature is required to be measured only at one point.
3. Temperature ranges up to 1260°C.
4. More accurate than tool work thermocouple
 5. Vibration Measurement
In any machining operation vibration is frequently a problem. The vibration signatures for
different arrangements are recorded to determine the dynamic characteristics of the system.
These vibration signatures are analysed to determine causes of inaccuracy in the
manufacturing process and faulty components. Many condition monitoring techniques are
available to monitor the machine experimentally. Among these techniques vibration
monitoring is the most widely used technique because most of the failures in the machine
tool could be due to increased vibration level.

Vibration which affects the machining performance and in particular, the surface finish and
tool life. Severe vibration occurs in the machining environment due to a dynamic motion
between the cutting tool and the workpiece. The monitoring of manufacturing processes
and equipment conditions are the essential part of a critical strategy that drives
manufacturing industries towards being leaner and more competitive.

The extraction of vibratory signatures can be a valuable diagnostic tool to predict

impending failures of the bearing and tool post. In all the cutting operations like turning,
boring and milling, vibrations are induced due to the deformation of the workpiece,
machine structure and cutting tool. Today, the standard procedure adopted to avoid
vibration during machining is by careful planning of the cutting parameters and damping
of the cutting tool.

5.1 Causes of Vibration

• Inhomogeneities in the workpiece material. Variation of chip cross section.
• Disturbances in the workpiece or tool drives.
• Dynamic loads generated by acceleration/deceleration of massive moving components.
• Vibration transmitted from the environment.
• Self-excited vibration generated by the cutting process or by friction (machine-tool
chatter).

5.2 Effects of Vibration

• Improper surface finish of the workpiece • Disfigure/Breakage of
cutting tool
• Risk to employees.

5.3 Vibration sensor

A vibration sensor is a device that measures the amount and frequency of vibration in a
given system, machine, or piece of equipment. Those measurements can be used to detect
imbalances or other issues in the asset and predict future breakdowns. Vibration sensors
are piezoelectric accelerometers that sense vibration. They are used for measuring
fluctuating accelerations or speeds or for normal vibration measurement.
There are three main types of accelerometers:
 • Piezoelectric
• piezoresistive and
• capacitive MEMS.

SW-420 NC type Vibration Sensor

We have used SW-420 NC type Vibration Sensor for vibration measurement.

Vibration Sensor (SW-420) is a high sensitivity non-directional vibration sensor. When the
module is stable, the circuit is turned on and the output is high. When the movement or
vibration occurs, the circuit will be briefly disconnected and output low. At the same time,
you can also adjust the sensitivity according to your own needs.
 6. Sensor Integration
6.1 Vibration
Vibration is a parameter that dictates a machine’s health. Especially in the case of the Lathe
machine, vibration will be an important factor that will predict the product’s quality.
Hence, if a model based on vibration data (history or real-time) is utilized, one can
ultimately predict, or at least get an inference of when the product quality would degrade
significantly. An SW-420-Vibration-Sensor has been used to serve this purpose. However,
it has some major drawbacks. The output is digital, meaning, either 0 or 1. It is unable to
identify the magnitude of vibration which is essential for health prediction. To resolve this
limitation, signal enhancement on the ESP32 program has been done. With this, a certain
amount of time period is analysed, and a number of spiked have been counted during that
duration. The count is assumed to be the magnitude of the vibration.

Output of vibration sensor

SW-420 NC type Vibration Sensor

6.2 Temperature
Mounting of temperature sensor:
It is a very difficult task to mount a temperature sensor on the cutting tool. The sensor
should be placed on the cutting tool such that it should not create any disturbance while
machining operation. The sensor should not collide with the workpiece during the
operation.

So how to most efficiently mount the sensor?

We have done many literature reviews on this and found a solution for this. We decided to
do internal threading into the tool of the same diameter as that of the thermocouple and
will fix the sensor into that drilled hole.

6.3 COMPLETE SETUP OF THE PROJECT:

Here, ESP32 is being powered by a Power Bank, depicting the versatility of module
working in variable voltage conditions.
 7. Data Analysis
➢ One of the problems which occur in the process of turning is heating of the
elements which participate in machining. Heating is the most intensive in the
cutting zone i.e. in the zone when the chip is separated from the base material. If
the machining involves high speed steel tools, then the maximum allowed
temperature is approximately 600 C because after reaching the said temperature,
the tool considerably loses its mechanical properties.
➢ Here we have first of all measure the Temperature of the Cutting tool with the help
of K-type Thermocouple.

❖ Temperature Measurement in Arduino MEGA

Experimental Temperature Readings in Celsius and Fahrenheit using Arduino

MEGA for prototyping purposes. Thermocouple is interfaced with Arduino
MEGA.

❖ Temperature Measurement on actual Lathe Machine

Temperature Measurement setup in Manual Lathe Machine

 8. IIoT Implementation and Data Visualization
8.1 Sending information to the cloud
The owner of a busy factory wishes to monitor their factory product manufacturing and
machine health from their residence. How would one achieve that?
The problem is, a conventional lathe doesn’t come with an intrinsic ability to send and
receive data. Interconnectivity is a mechanical limitation that needs to be resolved.
Hence, this project utilizes ESP32 as a selected microcontroller for wireless
communication between the manual lathe and any internet-accessed mobile device – as
simple as a mobile phone.

8.2 Blynk Mobile Application – Real-time Dashboard

8.3 Blynk Console – Computer Dashboard

8.4 Smart Lathe BVM – AR Application using Unity

 9. Health Monitoring and Downtime Prediction
9.1 Prediction of Machine Health
We firstly determine the temperature at the tool tip using thermocouple. For this, proper
mounting of thermocouple on the tool is very critical. The method that we employed for
accurate mounting is shown in the figure, where a hole is drilled and then brazed near the
tool cutting edge.
The operating parameters chosen for the experiment are:

• Workpiece material :- mild steel (Ø30mm)

• Tool tip :- HSS with brazed Carbide tip
• Feed :- 0.225mm/rev
• Depth of cut :- 1mm
• Speed :- 258, 433 rpm
• Coolant :- not used

With a speed of 238 rpm, we have obtained the average tool tip temperature as 95°C. When
compared with the research paper, performing an experiment on similar parameters, the
temperature they obtained was 114 °C. This confirms that mounting is fairly accurate and
gives satisfactory results.
Real- time readings were recorded from the sensor and displayed on the computer screen
using an arduino.
Further accuracy in temperature can be obtained by analytical method.
The thermocouple is mounted at certain distance from tool tip. Hence, exact temperature at
tool tip can be found by:

Formula: Q= k*A*∆T/ L,

Where:
• Q = Heat transfer rate
• k = Thermal Conductivities = 34.0 W/m K for carbide
• A = Cross-sectional area(m )= 7*10^ m for 30mm dia workpiece
2 -6 2

• T1 = TTip

• T2 = The temperature at the first measurement point

• ∆L = length (m)
•
Sample calculation:

Here, T1 = 45°C, T2 will be room temp = 25 °C and taking Length 3mm:

Q= 34.0*7*10^-6*(45-25)/ 0.003 = 1.6 W
For the constant cutting speed, rate of heat transfer is constant.
Hence,
Q= k*A*( T -T )/ L
Tip 2

1.6 = 34.0*7*10^ *( T -45)/ 0.003

-6
Tip

4.8= 0.238 T -10.71

Tip

T = 65.168 °C
Tip

Similarly, the corresponding values of tool tip temperature for given output values of
thermocouple are:
 SR NO. TThermocouple TTip

1 45 65.16

2 49 69.17

3 50 70.16

4 95 115.168

Now, every tool workpiece pair has a threshold limit of temperature, beyond which if the
tool is operated, will lead to breakage of tool and can damage the workpiece.
For this particular tool that we have chosen for experiment, the threshold temperature is
600°C. Beyond this the tool considerably loses its mechanical properties.

So, if during machining, temperature nearer to this value is reached, then a message or
alarm will alert the operator that the tool is about to get damaged and hence the cutting
conditions needs to be changed. Thus, tool health is increased.
 10. Digital Twin

The digital twin brings together the data from all aspects of the machine lifecycle, laying
the data foundation for innovative product design and quality traceability. Besides, the
digital twin promotes efficient synergies between the different stages of the machine
lifecycle, achieving iterative optimization. Furthermore, the digital twin shortens the
product development cycle, improves manufacturing efficiency, and ensures accuracy,
stability, and quality.

The virtual model of the Lathe machine is created to establish the machine’s digital twin.
The Lathe digital twin would always keep in company with the physical machine to
provide value-added services. Firstly, the product in use is monitored in real-time, as the
product digital twin continually records the product usage status data, use environment
data, operating parameters, etc. Consequently, owners or users can keep abreast of the
latest state of the machine.
 11. Conclusion
Primitive Digital Twin, in other words, one-way communication between Manual Lathe
Machine and Mobile Device has been set up. Following conclusion can be drawn out of
this project work:
1. It is possible and advantageous to set up a digital twin of any physical entity
as it gives an appropriate estimate of when the downtime is likely to occur.
2. Visualization of Data plays an essential role in any industry as we are
quickly progressing towards a Data-centric information technology sector.
3. It is convenient for operators to visualize data in Virtual Reality, than to
carry the mobile phone all the time while monitoring the machine
performance. Here is the Target image which can be scanned in our mobile
application: