UNIT 1

AUTOMATION
CONTENTS
I. Overview
II. Social issues of automation
III. Current emphasis in automation
IV. Safety issues of automation
V. Additional reading
I. OVERVIEW
I.1 REAI!"
Automation is the use of control systems in stead of human operators to control
processes and machinery. In the scope of industriali#ation automation is a step $eyond
mechani#ation. %hereas mechanization provided human operators with machinery to assist
them with the physical re&uirements of wor'( automation greatly reduces the need for
human sensory and mental re&uirements as well.
Automation plays an increasingly important role in the glo$al economy and in daily
life. Engineers strive to com$ine automated devices with mathematical and organi#ational
tools to create comple) systems for a rapidly e)panding range of applications.
*uman is( however( irreplacea$le in many +o$s. ,or e)ample( no device has $een
invented which can match the human eye or ear for accuracy and precision in many tas's(
and human is a$le to identify and distinguish among far more scents than any automated
device. *uman pattern recognition( language recognition( and language production a$ility
are well $eyond anything currently envisioned $y automation engineers.
Industrial ro$ots engage in vehicle under$ody assem$ly
1
I.- VOCA./0AR1
Accuracy 2n3 ['kjursi]4 Ch5nh )6c
Assem$ly 2n3 ['sembli]4 07p r6p
Automation 2n3 [,:t'mein]4 89 :;ng ho6
Automated 2ad+3 [':tmeitid]4 89 :;ng
.eyond 2adv3 [bi'jnd]4 !go<i
Control 2n3 ) [kn'troul]4 =i>u 'hi?n
Currently 2adv3 ['krntli]4 *i@n nay
aily 2ad+3 ['deili]4 8hABng ng<y
istinguish 2v3 [dis'tigwi]4 ChDn $i@t
evice 2n3 [di'vais]4 8hiEt $F
Engineer 2n3 [,endi'ni]4 GH sA
Envision 2v3 [in'vin]4 *Inh dung
E)panding 2ad+3 [iks'!ndi]4 JK r;ng
Operator 2n3 ['!reit]4 !gABi vLn h<nh
"lo$al 2ad+3 ['gloubl]4 8o<n cMu
*uman 2n3 ['"ju:mn]4 Con ngABi
*uman 2ad+3 ['"ju:mn]4 !gABi( t5nh ngABi
Identify 2v3 [ai'denti#ai]4 !hLn $iEt
Increasingly 2adv3 ['inkri:$il%]4 8Nng lOn
Industriali#ation 2n3 [in,dstrilai'$ein]4 CPng nghi@p ho6
Invent 2v3 [in'vent]4 Ch6t minh
Irreplacea$le 2ad+3 [,iri'!leisbl]4 GhPng th? thay thE
0anguage 2n3 ['lgwid]4 !gPn ngQ
Jachinery 2n3 [m'i:nri]4 J6y mRc
Jatch 2v3 [mt]4 !gang( $Sng
Jechani#ation 2n3 [,meknai'$ein]4 CT 'h5 ho6
Jental 2ad+3 ['mentl]4 8inh thMn
Organi#ational 2ad+3 [,:gnai'$einl]4 8U chVc
Cattern 2n3 ['!t&)n]4 JWu
Crecision 2n3 [!ri'sin]4 =Xng
Crocess 2n3 ['!rouses]4 Yu6 trInh
Range 2n3 [reind]4 ChZm vi
Recognition 2n3 [,rekg'nin]4 !hLn dZng
Scent 2n3 [sent]4 J[i
Sensory 2ad+3 ['sensri]4 C\m gi6c
Strive 2v3 [straiv]4 C] g7ng
Scope 2n3 [skou!]4 GhuPn 'hU
/nder$ody 2n3 ['nd'bdi]4 S<n )e
%hereas 2con+3 [,wer'$]4 8rong 'hi
-
I.^ REAI!" COJCRE*E!SIO!
Answer the following &uestions4
1. %hat is automation_
-. %hat automation has in common with mechani#ation_
^. *ow is mechani#ation different from automation_
`. %hat do engineers do to create comple) systems for applications_
a. %hat are the applications of automation in the daily life_
b. %hy are there still the +o$s for human_
I.` SCEAGI!"
!ame the applications of automation in our daily life and discuss the convenience we
en+oyc
II. SOCIAL ISSUE OF AUTOMATION
II.1 REAI!"
Automation raises several important social issues. Among them is automationds
impact on employment. In the early 1effs( felt that gac&uardds automated weaving looms
threatened their +o$s( English te)tile wor'ers formed the Luddites( a social movement( to
protest against te)tile machines. Since then( the term hLudditei refers to anyone who is
against technology advancement.
Some argue automation leads to higher employment. It was thought that the
displacement of human wor'ers $y computeri#ed systems would lead to severe
unemployment. In fact( the opposite has often $een true( for e)ample( the freeing up of the
la$or force allowed more people to enter higher s'illed +o$s( which are typically higher
paying. One odd side effect of this shift is that juns'illed la$orj now $enefits in many jfirstk
worldj nations( $ecause fewer people are availa$le to fill such +o$s.
Some argue the reverse( at least in the long term. 8hey argue that automation has
only +ust $egun and shortkterm conditions might partially o$scure its longkterm impact.
Jany manufacturing +o$s left the /nited States during the early 1llfs( $ut a onektime
massive increase in I8 +o$s 2which are only now $eing outsourced3( at the same time( offset
this.
It appears that automation does devalue la$or through its replacement with lessk
e)pensive machines. *owever( the overall effect of this on the wor'force as a whole
remains unclear. 8oday automation is &uite advanced( and continues to advance more
rapidly throughout the world. Automation is encroaching on ever more s'illed +o$s( yet
during the same period the general the wellk$eing of most people in the world has increased
dramatically. %hat role automation has played in these changes has not $een well studied.
One irony is that in recent years( outsourcing has $een $lamed for the loss of +o$s in
which automation is the more li'ely culprit. 8his argument is supported $y the fact that in
the /.S.( the num$er of insourced +o$s is increasing at a greater rate than those outsourced.
,urther( the rate of decline in /.S. manufacturing employment is no greater than the
worldwide average4 11 percent $etween 1lla and -ff-. In the same period( China( which
has $een fre&uently critici#ed for jstealingj American manufacturing +o$s( lost 1a million
^
manufacturing +o$s of its own 2a$out 1am of its total3( compared with - million lost in the
/.S.
Jillions of human telephone operators and answerers( throughout the world( have
$een replaced wholly 2or almost wholly3 $y automated telephone switch$oards and
answering machines 2not $y Indian or Chinese wor'ers3. 8housands of medical researchers
have $een replaced in many medical tas's from dprimaryd screening in electrocardiography
or radiography( to la$oratory analyses of human genes( sera( cells( and tissues $y automated
systems. Even physicians have $een partly replaced $y remote( automated ro$ots and $y
highly sophisticated surgical ro$ots that allow them to perform remotely and at levels of
accuracy and precision otherwise not normally possi$le for the average physician.
II.- VOCA./0AR1
Advance 2v3 [d'v':ns]4 Ch6t tri?n
Advancement 2n3 [d'v':nsmnt]4 S9 tiEn $;
Advanced 2ad+3 [d'v':nst]4 8iOn tiEn( hi@n :Zi
Analysis 2n3 ['nlsis]4 ChDn t5ch
Appear 2v3 ['!i]4 nuot hi@n
Cell 2n3 [sel]4 8E $<o
Computeri#ed 2ad+3 [km'!ju:trai$d]4 Vng dpng m6y t5nh
Condition 2ad+3 [kn'din]4 =i>u 'i@n( ho<n c\nh
Critici#e 2v3 ['kritisai$]4 ChO ph6n
Culprit 2n3 ['kl!rit]4 8hq phZm
isplacement 2n3 [dis'!leismnt]4 Sa th\i
evalue 2v3 [di:'vlju:]4 "i\m gi6 trF
Electrocardiography 2n3 [i'lektrou'k':digr':#]4 =i@n tim
Employment 2n3 [im'!limnt]4 Vi@c l<m
Encroach 2v3 [in'krout]4 nDm nhLp
,ree 2v3 [#ri:]4 "i\i phRng
"ene 2n3 [di:n]4 "ien
Impact 2v3 ['im!kt]4 \nh hAKng
Information 2n3 [,in#'mein]4 8hPng tin
Insourced 2ad+3 [ins:st]4 89 :\m nhLn
Irony 2n3 ['airni]4 =i>u chr trOu
Issue 2n3 ['isju:]4 Von :>
I84 Information 8echnology
0a$oratory 2n3 [l'brtri]4 Chsng th5 nghi@m
0a$or 2n3 ['leib]4 0ao :;ng
0a$or force 2n3 ['leib #:s]4 09c lAtng lao :;ng
0ongkterm 2ad+3 [lt:m]4 <i hZn( lDu d<i
0oom 2n3 [lu:m]4 Ghung cui
Janufacturing 2n3 [mnju'#ktri]4 n\n )uot
`
Jassive 2ad+3 ['msiv]4 8o lrn
Jovement 2n3 ['mu:vmnt]4 Chong tr<o
%or'force 2n3 ['w:k'#:s]4 09c lAtng lao :;ng
O$scure 2v3 [b'skju]4 0<m mB( che :i
Odd 2ad+3 [(d]4 Gv lZ
Offset 2v3 [':#set]4 .[ lZi
Opposite 2n3 ['!$it]4 =i>u tr6i lZi
Outsourced 2ad+3 [auts:st]4 8huO ngo<i
Chysician 2n3 [)'$in]4 .6c sw
Radiology 2n3 [,reidi'ldi]4 !g<nh n &uang
Raise 2v3 [rei$]4 =xt ra
Refer 2v3 [ri'#:]4 !Ri :En
Reverse 2n3 [ri'v:s]4 =i>u ngAtc lZi
Screening 2n3 ['skri:ni]4 Gi?m tra( cyn l9a
Severe 2ad+3 [si'vi]4 !ghiOm tryng
Serum 2n3 ['sirm] 2pl3 Sera['ser]4 *uyEt thanh
Side effects [said i'#ekt]4 86c dpng php( hi@u Vng php
Shift 2n3 [i#t]4 Chuy?n dFch
Shortkterm 2ad+3 [:t t:m]4 !g7n hZn
S'illed 2ad+3 [skild]4 CR tay ngh>( cR 'H nNng
Social 2ad+3 ['soul]4 nz h;i
Sophisticated 2ad+3 [s')stikeitid]4 8inh vi( phVc tZp
State 2n3 [steit]4 .ang
Switch$oard 2n3 ['switb:d]4 8Ung :<i :i@n thoZi
8echnology 2n3 [tek'nldi]4 CPng ngh@
8e)tile 2n3 ['tekstail]4 !g<nh d@t
8issue 2n3 ['tiu:]4 JP
/nemployment 2n3 [,nim'!limnt]4 8hot nghi@p
/nited 2ad+3 [ju:'naitid]4 *tp nhot
/. S.4 /nited States
%eaving 2n3 ['wi:vi]4 @t
%ellk$eing 2n3 ['wel'bi:i]4 8Inh trZng t]t :{p
%hole 2n3 ["oul]4 8o<n th?
II.^ REAI!" COJCRE*E!SIO!
Answer the following &uestions4
1. %hat the social issues does Automation raise_
-. *ow can a person who is against technology advancement $e called_
^. *ow does automation lead to severe unemployment_ In fact( is this true_
And what happens in stead_
a
`. *ow does automation $enefit the uns'illed wor'ers in the hfirst worldi
countries_
a. In the /. S.( did automation lead to higher employment in 1llfs_
b. Is it clear that automation devalues la$or_
|. Is the outsourcing the root cause of the loss of +o$s in the /. S_
e. oes the increase in insourced +o$s offset the reduction in outsourced +o$s_
l. oes China deserve to $e $lamed for stealing /.S. +o$s_
1f. o Chinese or Indian wor'ers replace human telephone operators in
developed countries_
11. %here medical researchers can $e replaced_ And what replace them_
1-. Can some doctors} tas's $e done $y ro$ots_
II.` SCEAGI!"
,or you( does automation devalue la$or_ And what are the reasons_
III. CURREN EMPHASES IN AUTOMATION
III.1 READING
Currently( for manufacturing companies( the purpose of automation has shifted from
increasing productivity and reducing costs( to $roader issues( such as increasing &uality and
fle)i$ility in the manufacturing process.
8he old focus on using automation simply to increase productivity and reduce costs
was seen to $e shortksighted( $ecause it is also necessary to provide a s'illed wor'force who
can ma'e repairs and manage the machinery. Joreover( the initial costs of automation were
high and often could not $e recovered $y the time entirely new manufacturing processes
replaced the old. 2gapands jro$ot +un'yardsj were once world famous in the manufacturing
industry.3
Automation is now often applied primarily to increase &uality in the manufacturing
process( where automation can increase &uality su$stantially. ,or e)ample( automo$ile and
truc' pistons used to $e installed into engines manually. 8his is rapidly $eing transitioned to
automated machine installation( $ecause the error rate for manual installation was around 1k
1.am( $ut has $een reduced to f.ffff1m with automation. *a#ardous operations( such as oil
refining( the manufacturing of industrial chemicals( and all forms of mental wor'ing( were
the early applications of automation.
Another ma+or shift in automation is the increased emphasis on fle)i$ility and
converti$ility in the manufacturing process. Janufacturers are increasingly demanding the
a$ility to easily switch from manufacturing Croduct A to manufacturing Croduct . without
having to completely re$uild the production lines.
III.- VOCA./0AR1
Automo$ile 2n3 [':tmbi:l]4 ~tP
Chemical 2n3 ['kemikl]4 *o6 chot
Converti$ility 2n3 [kn,v:t'biliti]4 CR th? chuy?n :Ui
Emphasis 2n3 ['em#sis]4 =i?m nhon
Error 2n3 ['er]4 0i
b
,ocus 2n3 ['#ouks]4 8ryng tDm
,le)i$ility 2n3 [,*eks'biliti]4 0inh hoZt
*a#ardous 2ad+3 ['"$ds]4 !guy hi?m
Installation 2n3 [,inst'lein]4 07p r6p
Industrial 2ad+3 [in'dstril]4 CPng nghi@p
Initial 2n3 [i'nil]:4 .an :Mu
gun'yard 2n3 [junk j':d]4 .zi th\i
Janually 2adv3 ['mnjul]4 .Sng tay
Oil refining 2n3 [il ri'#aini]4 0yc dMu
Cistons 2n3 ['!istn]4 C5t tPng
Janufacturing process 2n34 Yu6 trInh )\n )uot
Ja+or 2ad+3 ['meid]4 0rn
Jetal wor'ing 2n3 ['metl 'w:ki]4 "ia cPng 'im loZi
Croduction line 2n3 [!r'dkn lain]4 Dy truy>n )\n )uot
Croductivity 2n3 [,!rdk'tivti]4 !Nng )uot
Yuality 2n3 ['kwliti]4 Chot lAtng
Shift 2n3 [i#t]4 Chuy?n :Ui
Shortksighted 2ad+3 [:t 'saitid]4 8hi?n cLn
Su$stantial 2ad+3 [sb'stnl]4 =6ng '?
Switch 2v3 [swit]4 Chuy?n
Rate 2n3 [reit]4 8 l@
Recover 2v3 [ri:'kv]4 8hu lZi
Repair 2n3 [ri'!e]4 Sua chQa
Ro$ot 2n3 ['roubt]4 !gABi m6y( m6y t9 :;ng
8ransition 2v3 [trn'$in]4 Chuy?n tiEp
III.^ REAI!" COJCRE*E!SIO!
Answer the following &uestions4
1. In the past( what was the purpose of automation_
-. Currently( what are the most important re&uirements for automation_
^. %hy is the old focus of automation shortksighted_
`. %hat is the improvement in error rate made $y automated installment
compared with manual installment_
a. %hat are the operations that can $e regarded as ha#ardous_
b. %hy automation should $e applied for ha#ardous operations_
|. ,or manufacturing( what do fle)i$ility and converti$ility mean_
III.` SCEAGI!"
%hy increase productivity and reduce costs are not enough to +ustify the necessity of
a s'illed wor'force who can ma'e repairs and manage the machinery_
|
IV. SAFTY ISSUE OF AUTOMATION
IV.1 REAI!"
One safety issue with automation is that while it is often viewed as a way to minimize
human error in a system( increasing the degree and levels of automation also increases the
consequences of error. ,or e)ample( the Three Mile Island nuclear event was largely due to
overkreliance on jautomated safetyj systems. /nfortunately( in the event( the designers had
never anticipated the actual failure mode which occurred( so $oth the jautomated safetyj
systems and the human overseers were inundated with vast amounts of largely irrelevant
information. %ith automation we have machines designed $y 2falli$le3 people with high
levels of e)pertise( which operate at speeds well $eyond human a$ility to react( $eing
operated $y people with relatively more limited education 2or other failings( as in the
Bhopal disaster or Ch!no"#$ %i&a&t!3. /ltimately( with increasing levels of automation
over ever larger domains of activities( when something goes wrong the conse&uences
rapidly approach the catastrophic. 8his is true for all comple) systems however( and one of
the ma+or goals of safety engineering for nuclear reactors( for e)ample( is to ma'e safety
mechanisms as simple and as foolproof as possi$le.
IV.- VOCA./0AR1
Actual 2ad+3 ['ktjul]4 8h9c tE
Anticipate 2v3 [n'tisi!eit]4 8iOn li@u
Approach 2v3 ['!rout]4 8iEn :En
Catastrophic 2ad+3 [,kt'str)k]4 8h\m hoZ
Conse&uence 2n3 ['knsikwns]4 *Lu &u\
E)pertise 2n3 [,eks!'ti:$]4 GiEn thVc chuyOn mPn
,ailure 2n3 ['#eilj]4 S9 c]
,alling 2n3 ['#eili]4 !hAtc :i?m
,alli$le 2ad+3 ['#lbl]4 CR th? sT sRt
,oolproof 2ad+3 ['#u:l!ru:#]4 8ri@t :?
Inundate 2v3 ['inndeit]4 8r<n ngLp
Irrelevant 2ad+3 [i'relivnt]4 GhPng liOn &uan
Jechanism 2n3 ['mekni$m]4 CT chE
Jinimi#e 2v3 ['minimai$]4 "i\m thi?u
Jode 2n3 [moud]4 0oZi
!uclear 2ad+3 ['nju:kli]4 *Zt nhDn
Overseer 2n3 ['ouvsi&r)]4 !gABi gi6m s6t
Reactor 2n3 [ri:'kt]4 0s ph\n Vng
Reliance 2n3 [ri'lains]4 8in cLy
Relatively 2adv3 ['reltivli]4 8ATng :]i
Safety 2n3 ['sei#ti]4 An to<n
/ltimately 2adv3 ['ltimtli]4 Cu]i c[ng
View 2v3 [vju:]4 !hIn nhLn
e
IV.^ REAI!" COJCRE*E!SIO!
Answer the following &uestions4
1. %hy there is still the safety issue with automation_
-. %hat caused the 8hree Jile Island nuclear event_
^. %hat could the designers do to $etter deal with the 8hree Jile Island
nuclear event_
`. %hat is li'ely the worst shortcoming of automated systems_
a. %hat is the goal of safety for nuclear reactors_
IV.` SCEAGI!"
Can you tell what the word hother fallingsi means_ And discuss what can $e the
causes of accident for automated systems.
V. ADDITIONAL READING
Som o' th (o!$% (o!&t %i&a&t!&)
8he Th! Mi$ I&$an% a**i%nt was the worst accident in American commercial
nuclear power generating history( even though it led to no deaths or in+uries to plant wor'ers
or mem$ers of the near$y community.
On Jarch -e( 1l|l( the /nit - nuclear power plant 2a pressuri#ed water reactor
manufactured $y .a$coc' %ilco)3 on the 8hree Jile Island !uclear "enerating Station
in auphi County( Cennsylvania near *arris$urg suffered a partial core meltdown.
8he accident unfolded over the course of five tense days( as a num$er of agencies at
local( state and federal level tried to diagnose the pro$lem and decide whether or not the onk
going accident re&uired a full emergency evacuation of the population. 8he full details of
the accident were not discovered until much later. In the end( the reactor was $rought under
control. Although appro)imately -a(fff people lived within five miles 2e 'm3 of the island
at the time of the accident( no identifia$le in+uries due to radiation occurred( and a
government report concluded that jthe pro+ected num$er of e)cess fatal cancers due to the
accident... is appro)imately onej. .ut the accident had serious economic and pu$lic relation
conse&uences( and the cleanup process was slow and costly. It also furthered a ma+or decline
in the pu$lic popularity of nuclear power( e)emplifying for many the worst fears a$out
nuclear technology and( until the Cherno$yl disaster seven years later( it was considered the
worldds worst civilian nuclear accident.
8he +ho,a$ Di&a&t! too' place in the early hours of the morning of ecem$er ^(
1le`( in the heart of the city of .opal( India( in the state of Jadhya Cradesh. It was caused
$y the release of `f tons of methyl isocyanate 2JIC3 gas from a /nion Car$ide su$sidiary
pesticide plant.
8he International Jedical Commission on .hopal was esta$lished in 1ll^ to
respond to the disaster. 8he ..C gives the death toll as nearly ^(fff people dead initially(
and at least 1a(fff from related illnesses since. Amnesty International cites --(fff total
deaths as its conservative estimate. .hopal is fre&uently cited as the worldds worst industrial
disaster.
8he Ch!no"#$ %i&a&t! was a ma+or accident at the Cherno$yl !uclear Cower Clant
on April -b( 1leb( at f14-^ a.m. 8he power plant is located near Cripyat( /'raine. An
l
e)plosion at the plant was followed $y radioactive contamination of the surrounding
geographic area.
It remains the worst accident in the history of nuclear power. A plume of radioactive
fallout drifted over parts of the %estern Soviet /nion( Eastern Europe( %estern Europe(
!orthern Europe( and Eastern !orth America. 0arge areas of /'raine( .elarus( and Russia
were $adly contaminated( resulting in the evacuation and resettlement of over ^^b(fff
people. A$out bfm of the radioactive fallout landed in .elarus( according to official postk
Soviet data.
8he accident raised concerns a$out the safety of the Soviet nuclear power industry(
slowing its e)pansion for a num$er of years( while forcing the Soviet government to $ecome
less secretive. 8he nowkindependent countries of Russia( /'raine( and .elarus have $een
$urdened with the continuing and su$stantial decontamination and health care costs of the
Cherno$yl accident.
8he -ffa report prepared $y the Cherno$yl ,orum( led $y the International Atomic
Energy Agency 2IAEA3 and %orld health Organi#ation 2%*O3( attri$uted ab direct deaths
2`| accident wor'ers( and nine children with thyroid cancer3( and estimated that over l(fff
people among the appro)imately b.b million most highly e)posed( may die from some form
of cancer. Specifically( the report cited `(fff thyroid cancer cases among children diagnosed
$y -ff-.
Although the Cherno$yl E)clusion one and certain limited areas will remain off
limits( the ma+ority of affected areas are now safe for settlement and economic activity.
1f