Vocabulary Practice

1. What are sensing devices in an automated system? What is another term for them?

2. What does the decision element of an automated system do?

3. What does the control element of an automated system do?

Automation (Part II)

Perhaps the most important part of an automated system is sensing or feedback. Sensing devices automatically check on parts of the manufacturing process such as the degree of heat or the thickness of a sheet of steel or paper. This is called feedback because the instruments return or feed back this information to the central system control.

The decision element is used to compare what is going on in the system with what should be going on; it receives information from the sensing devices and makes decisions necessary to maintain the system correctly. If some action is necessary the decision element can give instructions or commands to the system.

The control element consists of devices to carry out the commands of the decision element. They may be many kinds of devices: valves that open or close, switches that control the flow of electricity, or regulators that change the voltage in various machines; they make the necessary corrections or adjustments to keep the system in conformity with its program.

Automation was first applied to industry in continuous-process manufacturing such as refining petroleum, making petrochemicals, and refining steel. A later development was computer-controlled automation of assembly line manufacturing, especially those in which quality control was an important factor.

An industrial engineer working with automated systems is part of a team. Many components of the system, such as computers, are electronic devices so electronic engineers and technicians are also involved. Many of the industries in which automation has proved particularly suitable—chemicals, papermaking, metals processing—involve chemical processes, so there may be chemical engineers at work too. An industrial engineer with expertise in all these fields may become a systems engineer for automation projects thereby coordinating the activities of all the members of the team.

Discussion

1. What are some of the things sensing devices do?

2. How do sensing devices act on the information they receive? Why is the process sometimes called feedback?

3. What is the function of the decision element? What can it do?

4. What does the control element consist of? What can these devices do? What is their purpose?

5. To what kinds of industries was automation first applied?

6. What was a later development in industrial automation?

7. What skills are necessary on a team involved in industrial automation? Why are people with these various skills involved?

8. What do we call an industrial engineer with a number of different automation skills?

Review of Unit Nine

A. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate word or phrase.

1. ___________ engineering is a branch of mechanical engineering that is involved primarily with manufacturing processes.

2. When large numbers of products that are exactly similar, like automobiles, are being manufactured ___________ techniques will probably be used.

3. An ___________ consists of conveyer belts or chain drives that deliver products and materials to workers at particular times during the manufacturing process.

4. ___________ involves systems for operating or controlling machines mechanically rather than by the action of human beings.

5. A step-by-step sequence that breaks a job into individual parts is

a___________

6. ____________ elements perform the actual work in an automated system.

7. ___________ devices may convey materials to specific places at specific times or may perform operations on the materials.

8. ___________ devices check on conditions such as heat, thickness, and weight in an automated system.

9. The process that returns information to the control is called

10. The ___________ element in an automated system can compare what is happening with what should be happening and then give instructions so that the system will function according to its program.

11. The devices such as valves, switches, and voltage regulators that carry out instructions of the decision element are known collectively as the ___________ element.

B. Make a diagram of the way in which you think the different elements in an automated system work in relation to each other. Explain briefly the function of each element in the system.