EXPLANATION OF YOUR INTERNSHIP REPORT:

ENGLISH VIII
INTERNSHIP REPORT OUTLINE
TITLE PAGE

Name of University

Course

Title of the report (Internship Semester and year)

Name of Intern

Internship Employer

Date of report submitted

TABLE OF CONTENTS
OBJECTIVE(S)
INTRODUCTION
1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Place of employment

Full name of the company

Address of the company

A map showing location

Company logo

Company mission statement

Brief history

Number of staff and departments

Organization chart with names

2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

3. INTERNSHIP

3.1

3.2

Internship position

Department and job title

Department in which the internship took place

Job duties and responsibilities

project/Activities

Project/Internship program activities

-

Describe the area, case study or project(s) on which

you worked.

Mention the challenges and/or operational problems

you experiences or witnessed during your internship
and explain how they were solved.

Describe the activities you did and the

process you followed in order to perform
them. Provide details on the work that you
performed (programs, calendars, graphics,
pictures of the equipment you used)

Explain if you use any knowledge and skills from

your degree program during the internship and say
if you feel that you were lacking particular technical
abilities necessary for specific assignments.

4. INTERNSHIP EVALUATION

Strengths and weaknesses of the internship provided

by the company.

Training and supervision (mention whether you have

received adequate training and supervision)

Learning outcomes (list and explain the things that you

learned during your internships in this company

CONCLUSION

Universidad Politcnica de Sinaloa

Internship Report
Mechatronics Engineering
8th Quarter
Internship employer: Key Solution

Systems

Name:
Group:
Date:

Table of contents
Objectives.............................................................................................2
Introduction..........................................................................................2
1.

General Information.......................................................................2

2.

Theoretical framework...................................................................2
Automation with National Instruments..............................................2
LabVIEW Software.............................................................................2
Automating Measurements and Processing Signal Data................2
Instrument Control.........................................................................2
Automating Test and Validation Systems.......................................2
CompactRio.......................................................................................2
NI Smart Camera...............................................................................2
NI Vision Builder for Automated Inspection Software........................2

3.

Internship.......................................................................................2
3.1

Internship position....................................................................2

3.2

Project/Activities.......................................................................2

3.2.1 Machine vision for pharmaceutical blisters inspection........2

3.2.1.1 Performing an automated inspection with Smart Camera2
3.2.2 Software for temperature measurement and devices
calibration......................................................................................2
3.2.3 Automated Powder Mixer....................................................2
3.2.3.1 Performing the Powder Mixer process:...............................2
4.

Internship evaluation.....................................................................2

Conclusion............................................................................................2
Bibliography.........................................................................................2

Objectives
-The development of SCADA software applications for a Powder Mixer,
based on National Instruments technology, with LabView 2012
platform and DSC modules.
-Create new machine vision applications and a new algorithm for the
software of pharmaceutical blisters inspection, based on National
Instruments technology. Programming in Vision Builder software and
performing the inspections with NI Smart Camera.
-Develop a new software for the temperature measurement and
calibration of devices (RTD). Based on NI technology.

Introduction
Over the past few years, technology has been evolving, progressing
and making industry better every day, and it has helped to economy
improvement; and mechatronics is an important piece in this puzzle
because its engineers are working in the industry innovation and they
are making our living easier by the automation.
That is why this last internship was very interesting, lot of knowledge
and experience about these new applications and innovations have
been gotten. In the next paragraphs of this report, are going to be
explained all the performed activities and the devices that were used.
The projects performed in the internship were truly related to the
mechatronics field, such as automation, safety, quality and machine
vision projects and solutions.

1. General Information
I performed my internships in an automation and telecommunications
company called Key Solution Systems de Mxico located in Tomas
Balcazar
1504,
Las
Alamedas,
Zapopan, Jalisco.

Mission statement: To successfully

integrate industrial solutions, based
on
industrial
automation,
telecommunication,
instrumentation
and control, implementing the most competitive software and
hardware in the market.
Brief history: Key Solution Systems is an engineering, automation
and applications consultancy company, approach to design,
development and implementation of solutions with added value to
industry. It is committed to offer corporative solutions; it develops and
implements integral projects for the industry, from the installation to
the information processing.
Departments:
-Industrial automation
Staff:
-

Projects engineers
Software developers
Technicians

-Instrumentation and control

Staff:
-

Project engineer
Electronic engineer
Control engineer
Technicians

-Telecommunications
Staff:
-

Projects engineers
Software developers
Cisco engineers
Technicians

2. Theoretical framework
Automation with National Instruments
For several decades, the main tasks for the control of industrial
systems was reliable, discrete logic and straightforward analog I/O. In
recent years, the complexity of devices and systems significantly
increased
along
with
the
requirements
for
performance
measurements, signal processing, data logging, and advanced
control. Growing investment in areas such as medical, life sciences,
and renewable energy is fueling this trend on top of the development
in industrial machines and systems. With 20 years of measurement
experience, National Instruments offers high-performance hardware
platforms for optimizing automation applications. NI programmable
automation controllers (PACs) can help you add precision
measurements to your control to create high-performance monitoring
applications or realize advanced controls.

LabVIEW Software
LabVIEW is powerful system design software built specifically for
tasks performed by engineers and scientists.
LabVIEW has many application areas, such as:
Automating Measurements and Processing Signal Data
Develop measurement systems faster with LabVIEW and the graphical
system design approach. Within a single software environment,

LabVIEW provides unparalleled integration with NI or third-party data

acquisition hardware, extensive signal processing libraries, and user
interface controls purpose-built for measurement data visualization.
Trust LabVIEW when you need to automate multiple measurements
and make data-driven decisions.

Instrument Control
NI LabVIEW is a graphical programming environment that makes it
easy to control and acquire data from any instrument over any bus.
You can automate measurements from several devices, analyze data
as you acquire it, and create custom reports all in a matter of
minutes. Avoid spending hours learning how to take measurements
from a particular device. With LabVIEW, you can focus on the results
rather than the process of obtaining them.
Automating Test and Validation Systems
LabVIEW is system design software optimized to give you the tools
you need to quickly develop powerful test software. With support for
thousands of instruments traditional and software-defined - and
technologies such as multicore and field-programmable gate arrays
(FPGAs), combined with graphical and textual programming options,
you can develop high-performance automated test systems. The
LabVIEW system design software, an industry leader for automated
test software, has an expansive community featuring thousands of
developers, integrators, and collaborators worldwide.

CompactRio
CompactRIO is a reconfigurable embedded control and acquisition
system. The CompactRIO systems rugged hardware architecture
includes I/O modules, a reconfigurable FPGA chassis, and an
embedded controller. Additionally, CompactRIO is programmed with
NI LabVIEW graphical programming tools and can be used in a variety
of embedded control and monitoring applications.

NI Smart Camera
NI Smart Cameras are industrial, highquality image sensors combined with
powerful processors to create rugged, allin-one solutions for machine vision
applications. They are designed to tightly
integrate
with
NI
programmable
automation controllers and human machine interfaces as well as work
with the entire suite of vision
algorithms in the NI vision software
platform.

NI Vision Builder for Automated

Inspection Software
Vision Builder AI can help you easily
configure, benchmark, and deploy a
vision system that addresses vision
applications from pattern matching
to code reading and presence detection to precision alignment and
classification.
With Vision Builder AI, you can perform the following tasks:
-

Acquire and process images with any NI frame grabber.

Configure more than 100 powerful machine vision tools
including geometric matching, optical character recognition
(OCR), and particle analysis
Set up complex pass/fail decisions based on inspection results
Communicate triggering and inspection results directly over
digital I/O, serial, and Ethernet protocols
Use the default deployment interface or customize your own
Vision Builder AI simplifies the development and maintenance
process by replacing the complexities of programming with an
interactive menu-driven development environment, without
sacrificing performance or range of functionality.

3. Internship
3.1

Internship position

I performed
Development
department.

my activities as an Automation Software

Engineer,
in
the
Industrial
Automation

My duties were to develop software and applications for three

different projects, me and my partner made the tasks
successfully with Marco Bandas advices, he was the engineer
that was in charge of me and my partner.

3.2

Project/Activities

3.2.1 Machine vision for pharmaceutical blisters inspection. This

process is very popular nowadays, because it is an important
part of quality control, it consists in the use of an image
sensor (smart camera) to check if every blister made is
correct, this software checks if a pill is out of its place or if it
is in the wrong blister.
3.2.1.1 Performing an automated inspection with Smart Camera
1. Set up the NI Smart Camera, by starting and inspection. (Fig.
1)
2. Acquire main picture, this is going to be the picture that the
others pictures are going to compare with. (Fig. 1)
3. Choose the parameters that are going to be checked, such
as pixels, size, colors, brightness, etc. (Fig. 1)
4. Set the properties of every parameter. (Fig. 2)
5. Start the inspection by clicking the start inspection button.
(Fig. 1)

Main
picture

Acquire
Start
image
Paramete
inspectio
rs
n button

Fig. 1 New inspection

The lightning of the Smart Camera can damage the

eyes.
3.2.2 Software for temperature measurement and devices
calibration. This project was for a measurement company,
normally the temperature measurement devices need to be
under ideal conditions (determined temperature, voltage,
current, etc.) and when the company goes to the industry, it
is hard to have those conditions in that place, they just have
those conditions in their labs, so they needed a software of
measurement and calibration so they can take the devices to
any place and the software solves the difference between
the optimal results and the wrong environment results.
Fig.
2
configuration

Parameters

For this project, we already had some knowledge starting from

the software and the math to do this.

3.2.2.1 Adjusting devices

1. Take a lecture from the pattern measurement devices in ideal
conditions and from the portable devices. (Fig. 3)
Fig. 3 Instrument/device calibration

2. Compare the results and adjust the temperatures to make them

equals (Fig. 3).
3. Convert the results to degrees, kelvin and Fahrenheit (Fig. 3).
4. Take the lectures from the devices in any condition (Fig. 4).
5. Save the result.

Lectures
Do not measure without the proper protection
Adjust
equipment, high temperatures can be dangerous.
Convertio
3.2.3 Automated Powder Mixer. This process is normally performed
manually by workers, the powders are needed for grounds
manufacturing, but they are hardly hazardous and
carcinogenic, so the company in charge of this
manufacturing asked for a system that could be totally
hermetic and cheap.

Fig. 4 Field lecture

It was challenging to balance the function with the cost,

because a lot of devices and motors were needed and I had to
do it as cheaper and smaller as possible, so I and my partner
found the way to put everything together with less devices.
Our knowledge form the degree program was very useful
because we already knew the software (LabVIEW) and how to
program so that made our work easier.
This is how our Powder Mixer project looks in the software:
In the following instructions, Im going to explain the process in
order to carry out this project:
3.2.3.1 Performing the Powder Mixer process:
1. Fill each tank with powder by turning on the vacuum bombs and
the valves. (Fig. 1)
2. Pour the powders one by one into the weighing hopper. (Fig. 1)
3. Open the Valve 1 to pour the powders into the mixer, wait for 20
minutes. (Fig. 1)
4. Open the Valve 2 and pour the mixture into the storage hopper.

(Fig. 2)
5. Pour the mixture in the containers and the bags. (Fig. 2)
Valves
Tanks
Storage hopper

Weighin
g

Container/Bag

Mixer

Vacuum
bomb
Valve 2
Fig. 5 Powder Mixer (top)

Fig. 6 Powder Mixer (bottom)

Be careful with the powders, they are highly carcinogenic.

4. Internship evaluation
The company gave me the opportunity to learn more about LabVIEW
software and hardware, and they taught me many concepts and
applications of machine vision that is having a lot of work field
nowadays. They put me in charge of one of the machine vision
projects, and I learned a lot, I feel ready to develop and perform these
kind of applications.
The engineers that I had as tutors, really helped me to learn no things
about automation, they showed me the path and they were very
supportive.
-Machine vision. I learned about the devices that are needed for this
application and how to use the software.
-Automation. I was able to get new knowledge about this field and the
use of more devices.
-Working environment. I had the opportunity to meet engineers with
similar careers and I learned about work responsibilities and
behaviors.

Conclusion
During the performing of this second internship at Key Solution
System, I got a huge knowledge. The experience I got by performing
different activities for the development of applications, was related to
all the academic knowledge I have gotten during this years of career.
The things that I have learned from school are very important for my
incursion in the work lifestyle.
In automation, I could learn a brand new way to automate, it
was different from the way I learned from the school, because in the
internship I used different devices and software, which made it more
interesting. National Instruments devices as the cRio and

CompaqDAQ, were used instead of the classical PLC. This experience

will be very helpful for my professional development in the future.
I have learned about new and innovative applications, such as
machine vision, this is a Brand new application in Mexican companies,
and I could observe how the Key Solution Systems integration
engineers begin to implement this system of quality control in the
industry, like the pharmaceutical one.
I could enjoy a friendly and comfortable working environment,
everyone helped each other, and I could share my academic
experience with engineers and technicians, it was possible to be part
of the organization and they heard all of my ideas and solutions, I
really felt part of it.
To conclude, this experience was successful and pleasant and it
opened the doors for a bright future, because they offered me a good
job, I got many motivations to start looking for a master degree, I got
new friends and I feel lucky and happy, because I lived this great
experience.

Bibliography
National Instruments (2012). Cmaras Inteligentes, Mxico: National
Instruments
Corporation.
From:
http://www.ni.com/vision/esa/smartcamera.htm (07 de Diciembre de 2012)
National Instruments (2012). NI LabVIEW para Automatizar Medidas y
Procesar Datos de Seales. Mxico: National Instruments Corporation. From:
http://www.ni.com/labview/applications/daq/esa/
National Instruments (2012). NI LabView para control de instrumentos,
Mxico:
National
Instruments
Corporation.
From:
http://www.ni.com/labview/applications/instrument-control/esa/
National Instruments (2012). NI Vision Builder AI Development Toolkit,
Mxico:
National
Instruments
Corporation.
From:
http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/es/nid/207759 (07 de Diciembre de
2012)
National Instruments (2012). Sistema de Control y Adquisicin NI
CompactRIO,
Mxico:
National
Instruments
Corporation.
From:
http://www.ni.com/compactrio/esa/whatis.htm (07 de Diciembre de 2012)
Valn, Armando, La Evolucin de LabVIEW: Dcadas de Desarrollo (2009).
Brasil:
National
Instruments
Corporation.
From:

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/pub/p/id/717
2012)

(07 de Diciembre de