Automation: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Applications, Appunti di Inglese

Scarica Automation: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Applications e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! AUTOMATION A development of mechanization is represented by automation, which involves the use of control systems and information technology to reduce the need for both physical and mental work to produce goods. Automation allows to obtain the desired results through a series of instructions automatically provided by the system, which define the actions to be performed. Advantages: • Replacement of human operators in activities that require physical or monotonous work. • Save time. • Saving money. • Human operators can be employed in higher level jobs. • Replacement of human operators in activities carried out in dangerous environments. • Greater reliability. • Greater precision. • Increased productivity. Disadvantages: • They cause an increase in the unemployment rate. • The technology is not able to automate all the desired tasks. • Unpredictable costs due to research and development. • Very high initial investment. • Require highly qualified maintenance personnel. Where automation is used The automation is used for: • Extremely complex tasks: how to coordinate traffic lights and maintain traffic flow. • Quick decision-making tasks: like military aircraft because they can change direction much faster than a pilot if obstacles suddenly appear. • Highly repetitive activities: such as assembly, inspection and packaging of manufactured products. • Dangerous activities: how to repair high pressure submarine pipelines, defuse bombs, carry out space research and work where there are corrosive chemicals or poisonous gases. How automation works Automation is the integration of machines into a self-control system. It is what makes automation in the machine strong is the ability of a machine to regulate itself through feedback. A feedback system, called a loop, allows a machine to adjust its performance based on its output, comparing it to a standard output, this adjustment of operations is performed in three phases: • Measure: used to measure physical variables in that environment. This is done using sensors such as photocells, thermocouples, X-ray machines and electricity meters. • Evaluation: it is used to evaluate the information measured by the sensors and compare them with the standards stored in the control program, usually