Team 30 Moog Radford - Virtual Factory Model of the Learning Factory

Project Abstract

Moog, Inc. is an engineering company specializing in motion control systems and a sponsor of the Virginia Tech Learning Factory. The Learning Factory is an on-campus facility offering students the opportunity to interact with real-world manufacturing equipment that also serves as a showcase and testbed for Industry 4.0 technologies. Aiming to explore low cost and low profile  Industry 4.0 techniques such as remote observability and control, Moog and Virginia Tech collaborated to design a “Virtual Factory Model” — a 3D model of the Leaning Factory containing all room features and machines, digitally linked with real-life counterparts for real-time remote monitoring. In constructing the Virtual Factory Model, the team not only modeled and programmed the entire synchronous virtual environment, but implemented new controls and visual features, such as orbit cameras, zoom functions, and machine highlighting.The team also created administrative displays that include manufacturer information, project status, and completion time. The enhanced Virtual Factory Model is projected to a benefit of over $150,000 through equipment investments and labor cost reductions. The model also serves to promote the Learning Factory, bringing in an estimated 9 new student researchers in the next 3 years.

Members: Nicholas Chechak, Michael DiGiacomo, Rachel Reed, Yipin Zhou
Faculity Advisor: Dr. Zhenyu James Kong
Company Contact: Brandon Spangler