Hardware-in-the-Loop for manufacturing automation control: Current status and identified needs

In the past simulation and prototyping coexisted as disjointed iterative steps with limited benefits. As technology has advanced and processes have become more complex, the traditional isolated simulation and prototyping approaches can't satisfy dynamic, global competition requirements. Because of this there is a need for a mixture of simulation and physical implementation, called Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL). This paper will explore the most active fields and research achievements within HIL including component compatibility testing, controller verification, and software. This assessment is used to highlight regions within HIL research that would benefit manufacturing automation control.