CHAPTER 1

DEFINITION :

Process of following a predetermined sequence of operations with little

or no human labor that includes knowledge and expertise from various
branches of engineering, using specialized equipment and devices that
perform and control manufacturing processes.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES :

ADVANTAGE(S) DISADVANTAGE(S)

Replacing Human Operator in Technology Limits.

Tedious Tasks. Nowadays technology is not able to
atomize all the desired tasks.

Fewer Accidents. Initial Cost is Relative Highly.

Elimination of labor therefore The automation of a new product required
reduced number of accidents. a huge initial investment.

Improved and Uniform Quality. Research and Development Cost.

Entire production process, The research and the development costs
beginning with raw materials and are very high and this has large impact of
ending with end products, is the profitability.
handled by machines.

Increased Output and Enhanced Controversy Regarding Unemployment.

Productivity.
Enhanced productivity and
production because due to the
increase of production speed.
Reduced Cost.
Fewer failure products.
Better Production Control.
Automation results in better control
of the speed and flow of production
as a result of highly mechanical
sequencing.
While the automation replaces the manual
labor and replaces them with a single
automated machine which results in a
unemployment. As the work which is done
by a large number of labors is done by a
single machine, reducing the need of much
manual labor as earlier. So many of the
workers can lose employment.

Economy Improvement.
TYPE OF AUTOMATION :

TYPE DEFINITION WHEN TO CONSIDER

Fixed automation refers to the High demand volume

use of custom-engineered Long product life cycles
FIXED (HARD)
(special purpose) equipment to
automate a fixed sequence of
processing or assembly
operations.

A manufacturing system Batch production

designed with the capability to Products with different
PROGRAMMABLE change the sequence of options
operations to accommodate
different product configurations.

An extension of programmable Low production rates

automation in which the system Varying demand
FLEXIBLE
is capable of changing over from Short product life cycles
one job to the next with no lost
time between jobs.

TYPE / EXAMPLE ADVANTAGE(S) DISADVANTAGE(S)

FIXED (HARD) Maximum efficiency Large initial investment

Light bulbs Low unit cost Inflexibility

PROGRAMMABLE Flexibility to deal with New product requires

Programmable Logic changes in product long set up time
Low unit cost for large High unit cost relative
Controller
batches to fixed automation

FLEXIBLE Flexibility to deal with Large initial investment

design variations High unit cost relative
FMS (Flexible Manufacturing
Customized products to fixed automation or
System) A group of
programmable
machines designed to
automation
handle intermittent
processing requirements
and produced a variety of
similar products.

Product Variety

Program
High mable

Flexible
Medium Automati

Flexible
Low Automati

Low Medium High

Production Volume
TERMINOLOGIES :

1. Degree of freedom
The number of joint axes capable of motion in the robot arm, each equals
one degree of freedom.
One joint indicates one degree of freedom.

2. Tool Centre Point

The exact point of work on end effectors.

3. Work envelope / workspace

The maximum and minimum reach of the end effectors.

4. Speed
Maximum rate the controller can move the TCP with the payload to a point.

5. Payload
Maximum lifting capacity of the robot arm under operating conditions.

6. Repeatability
Measure of the variation that occurs during repeated returns to a point
required during a taught program.

7. Accuracy
A measure of how well the robot controller, arm and TCP respond to
commands from a remote terminal.
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