tenth week

We are in the last week before Christmas and we are a bit revolutionized and wanting to finish much of the challenge because when we return we only have 8 days to finish the challenge. The great advantage of this new challenge is that we do not have an individual exam, but the disadvantage is that we have more things to work in different sections, such as the model, the screen, the robot etc. We have made a breakthrough with part of the challenge because we are working more organized with the passage of each new challenge. We have not yet started the robot since it is missing a battery that has to arrive. The most difficult part of this project is the wiring of the model because we had to remove everything and reassemble it. We have started to do the programming after that we can finish the screen since the PLCs are communicated with the screen. The organization is the most important, for this, we use the gantt where we have what we have to do and thanks to this, we are guiding and controlling the days. This week we will finish the English presentations that are being very fun and entertaining.

Nineth week

          We just finished with the third challenge and now we start the new one, but before this we make the presentation of each group and each challenge so while we make the works we learn a bit more. This consist on making a connection between PLC´s. They are two differents model so thats why we need two PLC´s. On one hand, we´ve to say that we are having some difficulties like there is no motor of the tape and the arm has a sucker, but this doesn´t work because the team before had broken. On the other hand, we going to explain you the functioning of the two models.

          In the firts model, We´ve to programm a cylinder that push a piece and when this happens the arm has to go to take the piece with the sucker that doesn´t work. After this, the arm has to carry out the piece from the cylinder to the tape, but the tape is on the second PLC so now we pass to the other model. Ones the process of the first model has finished the programation makes a comunication to the second PLC. This one, has to pass from a color detector and if it is pink, black or silver each one has their own ramp. While the pieces are passing we have a detector whick counts how many pieces are in the ramps and all this has to be count by a counter on the programm.

          All we are explainig now it has to be reflect on a screen. This screen is a Siemens KTP700 Basic. Here in the right you can see what type of screen we are talking about. Well, this is all from this past week, see you next week with more information and thanks like always for being here with us learning and reading new things.

Eighth week

          Here we are, like always, to explain you what we are doing during this week. We are concentrating more in the robot programation because we´ve finished the exercises of the camera and moodle. As we said in the last post we are trying to change our work method so we are trying to do it better. Now we are explainig each other the work we´ve being doing during this week. As well, we are comunicating the camera with the robot, but this is making us some errors because is more difficult than we thougth.

          In business we complete all the parts that Garazi needs so now the only thing we have to do, before starting the new challenge, is to upload our work to "Ekingune". In english asignature we continue making readings and exercises of feeling the gaps. Also, we start making the presentations that Richard explain as the week before.

          It was suposed that a formula student it going to be in Maristak. This is a competition that the university students work on between their third and fourth years and in the left you can see a pick of what kind of cars we are talking about. The UPV university had created this car, but we can´t see it because the motor was broken and they can´t move the car to Durango, place where we study. This competition is internacional so they can participate students from Korea for example. Okey, so this is all from this week, we hope you enjoy it and we will be back next week with more.

Seventh week

          Hi everyone, here we are like those other weeks to explain what we are doing in our daily classes and in the challenge we are working on. Before talking about this, we´ve to say that we continue waiting the marks of the exams from the past friday, so please correct our exams as soon as possible please.

          Okey, after telling this, we continue with the programmation and the movements the robot has to make, here is Paul working hard to complete it. Also, Mou and Wilson today, eleventh of november, they finished with the programation of the camera and last but not least, Xabilo and Joseba are working on the exercises we have to present when we finish the challenge.

          Talking about the challenge we are attempting to work in a different dynamic. We are trying to learn in a different way, for example, us I set before, Paul is working on the programation and the moves of the robot so when he has a moment he try to explain to all the members of the group because in the exman we have to know about all the things we are learning.

          On business asignature we have to do some retouches on the company we create, for example, we´ve done a questionary, but we spoke only with young people, so now, we need to ask to people who is older, nevertheless, it doesn´t matter if they are tattoed or not. Also, we´ve to add another provider and we took "Nivea" because they are so known and we think that this would make more beneficts to us.

          And finally, in english asignature we continue making different exercises like readings and improving and spreading our vocabulary to speak better. Talking about improving our english, Richard told us about a new work which consist on making an oral presentation. He explain the subject we have to choose to make the presentation and all of the options had in common the robots aspect. So this is all and as always we hope you continue reading us and enjoying with the things we are making.

Sixth week

          Here we are again to explain you what we are being doing during this week. Firts of all we have to mention that this tuesday we finished the challenge, but before presenting this we will talk about the second one. On Friday we made the exam which took us 3 hours and this consist on making a programm which select between two types of boxes, they could be smalls or bigs and with the program we had to send to a differents conveyor belts and according to what piece was we`ve to make to programming options.

          On monday, the teachers explain us all the things we haven´t done during the challenge and talking about this, now we know exactly what they were asking for in the model and we think that this was to be explained before starting the challenge, but know is done so we have to continue with the work we have from now on.

          On tuesday, we moved from our places to start researching the new model we have to work on and also, Garazi, the teacher of business, explain us what we had left to finish the factory we created during the first challenge. In our group we had left the ad of the company, the marketing part and the questionary we wrote to our family or friends to know more about our project and to compare the difference type of persons who could buy our product.

          Today, wednesday, we are researching how the ABB robot moves all the axes, also, we start with the exercises, but this is still difficult because we haven`t the knowledge we need to make those. On your left appears a picture of the robot we are working on that is called ABB 120. In totally we have 4 weeks to finish all the RA´s of the moodle, as we explain before a big part of that is completing the exercises and doing the programm of the robot with out failures. So this is all from the last week. We hope you keep whit us reading this post week by week and informing and learning about new things like our progression.

Fifth week

          Whats up, readers, here we are in new post talking about how our week is going. This week  isn´t common because it has one day less than others, the first of November is All Saints' Day, a holy day. In Spain, at the past, people usually went to the cemetery to visit their dead family members or friends. Actually this tradition has been lost and as a rule, only old people goes to the cemetery.

          On the other hand, the day before, Halloween is celebrated, old tradition which usually was celebrated in EEUU, but year in year out expands to more countries, Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties, carvin pumpkings into jack-o'-lanterns, lightting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, as well as watching horror films. In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve. including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, remain popular, although elsewhere it is a more commercial and secular celebration.

          In regards to class, we have reached the final stretch of the challenge, which is ends at November 11. We have found quite difficult because the model with which we are has a lot of sensors and conditions what it must to comply. Moreover, we had to program a screen using another program.

          To finish I have to say that we, the students, are waiting for news about teachers strike that is called from November 7 to December 5, in case it takes place, we will not have class during those time.

Fourth week

          Hello everyone, like the weeks before we are going to explain you in what we are working on. We are in the third week of challenge and we have almost finished the program of the model taking in to account that the last day to present it is the next friday we are so close to make a good work. Between this and the week before many thing have happened and in this post we are going to tell you about what we have earned during this weeks.

          On one hand, our group, Automatikoak, we where in Amorebieta to present an idea because in business matter we make a great work for a contest and they select us to go and make a presentation. It was a good presentation and we get the second place so they grant us 500€. 
Our idea consist on changing the filaments of the 3D printer with recycled plastic and with this reduce the contamination that the plastic create. The idea that wins was making some icecreams with the leftover of the cheese and the name of this project was Hëlate.

          On the other hand, in english asignature we did a exam which consist on doing a letter and we were the sellers of a piece of a robot that Maristak need so we had to question about the interest of headmaster and try to sell him all possible pieces. The second part of the exam was a writing. We wrote about the teamwork and the metodology we are using during this two years. We think that all of us approve the exam less Wilson, but he has difficulties because in Bolivia he hasn´t learn this language. Now we have to wait until Richard give us exams so from here we wish all of student of second A.R.I. good luck.

          Getting back to the things we wrote before, each one of the group are making something diferent in the challenge and then we will put all the information we compile in common for that learn about each one. This could be also the part of the second writing, but we aren´t speaking about that now. And last but not least, we continue making de RA´s of moodle to get better our marks because when we go to work the mark would be an important part to they contract us. So this is all thanks for being withs us another week more and lets get this curse good.

           

Third Week

          This week before we started the new challenge, which is the second one. The teachers told us more or less what we have to do during this month that is the time we can delay to make all the things the challenge ask for. The first step to start with work was searching inputs and outputs of the model and having this maked we started with programation.

          Also we have an english exam on thursday that is going to be composed by making a letter and answering some little questions. We expect that is going to be easy but who knows. Morever, the people who havent Bachelor can use a dictionary which makes easier the test. In classes we have been continuing with the blog, doing exercises to practice for the exam and also we´ve done a personal writting speaking about we are making a machine and we have some sensors to finish it.

          The writting type we are working on are letters and this time we wrote to a director os an enterprise which produce the sensors we need and we had to agree the price, if we could meet with him, if we can visit the company and more things that we thought they could be a good idea for our work and company.


          During the classes with Garazi we create a company that makes filaments for 3D printers with recyclable plastic. After presenting the idea to Ikas empresa they select us in the first five positions so now, on friday, all the group, Automatikoak, we have to go to amorebieta to present our idea of the company we created. Along with this, we will explain how to reduce the contamination that this machines makes with the idea we can offer. As I set before we are in the first five positions so we win a prize of 500 euros. In case Ikas empresa select us in first position wi will win one thousand euros to distribute between five persons.

          Last but not least, we have to mention that a new member has joined our team. His name is Markel, hi´s from ermua and he must do two challenges with us because the last year he hasn´t passed them. Now, our team is completed and we are working hand to hand to get everything right.

          Next week we will continue reporting to you our progress, thanks and see you soon.

       

Second week

          This week we´ve being working on MPI connection because we hadn´t time to be working on Profibus and Javi told us to leave it in a feedback we´ve done the gorup of us, Automatikoak, with the teacher. We used this meeting to talk abaut the first challenge and we spoke abaut the time we had to finished it, the things we had to finished before had maked all the challenge. But us I said before, because of the time Javi said to don´t did the screen and the Profibus connection.

          Talking about other asignatures, for example business, Mikel Lopez, on friday, went to Iurreta representing our class to did some activities we had prepared the week before like wroting a banner. In the other post called "First week" you can read what we´re talking about. On thrusday Mikel told us what had he doing on Iurreta and told us that they created a company and take in account the budget and things like that, he also said that he passed a good morning talking about the creation of companys, what they have to do, the best option in business, etc...

          On the other hand, in english asignature we´ve being working on how to make a good letter and we did some exercises of reading also. After that, Richard told us to mame a letter with the tips we where learning with the activities we´ve done before.

          And last but not least, we finished the challenge on monday, so today, wednesday the teachers, Jon and Javi, told us abaut the new challenge. But this it can´t be posible to finish in the day that is decided because a strike of one monthe had been called and if this afects to Maristak making the challenge is going to be imposible.

First week

          We´re working in a communication between four plc (Power Line Communications). Are two types to communicate, on one hand, we have the easier one which is called MPI communication. To do this we haven´t make any programm, that´s why is the easier one. But when we finish with this we´ve to make the programms for each one of the PLC. And on the other  hand, we´ve to make a communication with an especific cable called Profibus. This one it´s more difficult and nowadays we can´t explain the process we have to continue because we don´t know how to do it, but on this week we´ve to have done the MPI connection so when we finish that wi will be prepared to make the other Profibus connection.

          Also, we´ve to make another asignatures work, for example buisiness. On this side, Garazi which is our teacher told us on tuesday to go to another class all of students we´ve to make Business, because are someones that has validate this asignature, we´ve maked a cardboard with some messages and we pick a partner of our class to representate on friday in Iurreta where will be reunited from other schools for carry out some activityes in common.

          As well, we have english lesson too which take us two hours on thursday´s. Our teacher is Richard and he told us to make some different exercises like reading, for example, completing a conversation between some guys using the words that are in the excercises. Also we´ve done a listening exercise of an student that came to spain in a erasmus and explain the experience he had here. Also told us to write in our blog weekly to make the final project which is a blog with all the process of our challenges.

          As we explain before, the work of communication is our first challenge, but are four challenges yet we have to done before we go on practices to a company.  The other ones are, two robotic arms, one panel and a sensor that takes pieces according to the color and the size. But know we´ve to focus on our challenge because we have work to do.