REPORT: AUTOMATION, ROBOTICS AND OTHER ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

TECHNOLOGIES

AUTOMATION- was coined in the late 1940’s. It stemmed from the word “ automatic “ and is probably a
shortening of an earlier term “ automatisation “.

MECHANISATION- use of machines to do work.

TYPES OF MECHANIZED CONTRAPTION:

a. mechanisation without mechanical power- person controls the contraption and the element
responsible for action is mechanical.
b. mechanisation with controllable mechanical power- hardware is responsible for both power and
action
c. mechanisation without controllable power- uses inanimate power sources, currents of air and
power and not in the person’s control.
d. Automatic devices- work by themselves for some of the time.
e. mechanisation- concerned with semi-automatic control, people are required for only some
elements of control.
OTHER INGREDIENTS THAT CONCERN CONTROL:

1. Systems Approach- with this, factories make things by passing them through successive
stages of manufacturing without people intervening.
2. Programmability- with this, a system can do more than one kind of job. An operator can
reprogram the computer that controls the machine to make it do different things.
3. Feedback- makes an automatic device vary its routine according to changes that take
place around it.
4 INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONS:

1ST – took place in England between 1760 and 1840. People made advances in both power and action
elements of machinery. Major breakthrough of the time was the steam engine.
2ND- from 1880 till 1920 in the USA. The major breakthrough was the use of electricity instead of steam
engines.
3RD- coincided with the advent of automation in its inflexible form. Main features were the advances in the
control of manufacturing processes so that things could be made more cheaply, with greater precision and
fewer people. It featured the electronic computer.
4TH- characterized by automated machines that were versatile and programmable and could make different
things according to different sets of computer instructions.

INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS:

ROBOT came into the English language in the early 20th century from the translation of a Czech 1923 play
RUR (Rossum’s Universal Robots) by philosopher Karel Kapek. It was derived from “ robota “ meaning
compulsory labor and “ robotnik “ meaning serf.
ROBOTICS- was invented by fictionist Isaac Asimov.

3 LAWS OF ROBOTICS:

1. Robots may not injure a human being.

2. Robots must obey orders given to them by human beings.
3. Robots must protect their own existence except if they violate laws 1 and 2.

Joe Engleberger- founder of Unimation and the father of industrial Robotics.

Japanese Industrial Robots Association(JIRA) divides robots into 6 classes:

1.manual handling devices

2.pick and place devices
3.programmable variable sequence manipulators
4.robots taught manually
5.robots controlled by programming language
6.robots that could react to their environment

BRITISH ROBOT ASSOCIATION (BRA) defined industrial robots as reprogrammable devices

designed both manipulate and transport parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed
motions for the performance of specific manufacturing tasks.

ROBOT INSTITUTE OF AMERICA (RIA) defined a robot as a reprogrammable device designed to

move materials, parts, tools or other specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the
performance of a variety of tasks.

Mechatronics- term referred to by the Japanese as the undergoing linkage of mechanics with electronics
that is present in all technologies.

THE ROBOT ARM- a mechanical arm fixed to the floor, wall, ceiling or to another machine fitted with a
special arm effector w/c can be a gripper, welding gun or paint sprayer. The arm moves by hydraulic,
electric or pneumatic actuators in a sequence of reprogrammed motions under the direction of a controller
(microprocessor based). The controller senses the position of the arm by monitoring feedback devices on
each joint to increase the range of positions the arm cab reach, they have been placed on tracks or gantries
providing limited mobility.

ROBOT CLASSIFICATIONS:

FIXED SEQUENCE ROBOTS- cannot be reprogrammed unless it is reset.

VARIABLE SEQUENCE ROBOTS- can immediately execute a new task by running a new program.
MULTIPOINT ROBOTS- those that have sufficient memory to store discreet points which the arm had to
move to but the movement in between those points were not specified.
CONTINUOUS PATH ROBOTS- path followed by robot is controlled at all times.
FIRST GENERATION ROBOTS- deaf, dumb, blind robots that are common on factory floors.
SECOND GENERATION ROBOTS- found in laboratories and have sensors such as vision and touch
systems.
THIRD ENERATION ROBOTS- equipped with senses and have the ability to recognize and may have
some understanding of objects in the outside world as well as the capability of acting in their own accord.

EVOLUTION OF ROBOTICS:
-1st Analog computer was constructed in 1930
-IBM built -1st digitally fully automatic computer in 1944
- In 1948, the British built the 1st computer at Manchester University where its program of
instructions was stored.
- Feranti produced Mark 1 Star, the world’s 1st commercially available computer in 1950.
- George Devot applied for a patent for what is considered to be the 1st industrial robot in 1954.
- John Mcarthy popularized Artificial Intelligence in 1956.
- 1st truly flexible robot was born in 1968.
- Vic Scheiman built small robot arms in 1973.
- 1st commercially available microcomputer controlled T3 robot was produced by Cincinnati
Milacron in 1974.
ROBOTICS, AUTOMATION AND A NEW INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
 - steam-driven manufacture, which began to spread across northern and central England in the late
18th century attracted many foreigners because these machines could do the work all day. This
steam-driven machines placed themselves and their human attendants in the factory system during
the Industrial Revolution.
- The factory system is a system of required labor in a standardized fashion to a rhythm set by the
machine. This system gave birth to the urban proletariat.
- Applications of robots in the factory include industrial robots ( primed to do various tasks
automatically), field robots (designed to operate in an unstructured environment and possess
sensors that allow them to move around and respond to obstacles) and intelligent robots(designed
to use AI to solve problems)
- In the USA and Europe, attention has focused upon exotic robotics, machines that can traverse the
moon’s surface.
- Japan became the leader in Robotics because they have a highly educated workforce, a long
term commitment to develop key industries, easily available capital at low interest rates,
high levels of R and D investments and a dedication to quality design and efficiency in
productivity.
- In the US, conditions were less favorable. The government took a hands-off policy in the industry
and labor shortage was absent unlike in Japan.
- In developed nations, Robotics is likely to progress due to a strong engineering culture and high
per capita living standards. In South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, governments
have targeted electronics and computers as key industries for export-led growth.
- In third world countries like the Philippines, in order for Robotics to flourish,, a large supply of
engineers and scientists is needed as well as labor shortage.

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY TODAY:

- The boom in manufacturing is led by new technologies available today as well as low wages,
customization, mass production, flexibility and most importantly, INFORMATION.
-Information technology forges the link between engineering the product and re- engineering the company.
- Eli Whitney’s concept of interchangeable parts was the basis of the American System of
manufacture.
- Marc Brunel’s notion of specialization of specialization eventually led to 20th century mass
production.
- Gaspard Monge developed the mathematics of descriptive geometry, applying them to tasks of
describing machinery that led to the foundations of modern technical drawing.
- Frederick Taylor developed scientific management in which man was a source only of work and
individual error.
Computer Aided Design (CAD)- makes it possible to transmit designs directly to machines that will
follow them perfectly. It provides the classical advantages of automation: time and accuracy. Standards for
CAD transmissions have been developed such as IGES and STEP.
FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS (FMS):
-identified into 4 types by Daniel Whitney:

1.flexibility about inputs

2.flexibility as a way of having a second chance if you make a wrong decision
3.flexibility within production
4.process flexibility

heterarchy- a concept of utilizing a chip on top of a part to be processed. The chip acts as a negotiator for
the part, communicating with the machines in behalf of the part. It eventually finds a suitable machine to
process the part.