Unit 2

 

Text Study: Automation and Mechanization.

Additional Text: Numerical Control.

Grammar: adjective, adverb

I. Pre-reading Exercises

1. Repeat the words in chorus:

Semiautomatic, lathes, unloading, transfer-machine, except, extensive, major, manufacturing, technique, in whole, petrochemicals, especially, quality

2. While reading the text you will come across a number of international words. Try to guess what Ukrainian words they remind of you:

automation, muscle, mechanical, process, mechanization, Industrial Revolution, machines, automatic, physical, operate, control, history, engineering, components.

3. Pay attention to some grammatical points:

1) The first machines were not automatic; they performed many physical tasks but they had to be operated and controlled by workers.2) The machines have widened the range of operations that can be performed automatically and they have mechanized some loading and unloading of machines. 3) One of the factors for the industrial engineer to consider is whether each manufacturing process can be automated in whole or in part.  4) During the Middle Ages, windmills had been made to turn by taking advantage of changes in the wind by means of devices that worked automatically.

II. Reading

Read the text and be ready to find in the text the answers to the following questions:

·         What is ‘mass production techniques’?

·         What factors should the industrial engineer consider in the process of manufacturing?

Automation and Mechanization

In so far as automation replaces human muscle by mechanical power, it continues a process of mechanization which began before the Industrial Revolution two centuries ago. The first machines were not automatic; they performed many physical tasks but they had to be operated and controlled by workers. But semiautomatic machines were invented early in the history of mechanization; they were, for instance, the textile machines and, later on, the lathes widely employed in engineering. These machines performed automatically, once they were set and loaded, and they confined human operator to two kinds of work, the unskilled work of loading and unloading, and the skilled work of setting and maintaining machines. Since then technical development has been gradual and continuous. They have greatly widened the range of operations that can be performed automatically and they have mechanized some loading and unloading of machines. Perhaps the best and most recent example is the transfer-machine in engineering, it combines automatic machining with automatic transfer between operations, so that all loading and unloading is done mechanically except at the beginning and end of the line. There have also been extensive developments in the handling of materials and components between processes and in the mechanical assembly of simple components.

A major advance in twentieth century manufacturing was the development of mass production techniques. Mass production refers to manufacturing processes in which an assembly line, usually a conveyer belt moves the product to stations where each worker performs a limited number of operations. In the automobile assembly plant such systems have reached a highly-developed form.

One of the factors for the industrial engineer to consider is whether each manufacturing process can be automated in whole or in part. Automation is a word coined in the 1940s to describe processes by which machines do tasks previously performed by people. The word was new but the idea was not. We know of the advance in the development of steam engines that produced automatic valves. Long before that, during the Middle Ages, windmills had been made to turn by taking advantage of changes in the wind by means of devices that worked automatically.

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.

Vocabulary Notes

replace — замінювати

semi-automatic ['semI"Ltq'mxtIk] — напівавтоматичний;

lathe [leID] — токарний верстат; employ застосовувати, використовувати;

load — навантажувати;

confine [kqn'faIn] — обмежувати;

skilled [skIld] — кваліфікований;

setting — регулювання, вмикання, встановлення;

maintaining — обслуговування;

transfer-machine — автоматична складальна лінія;

extensive [Iks'tensIv] — обширний;

industrial engineer [In'dAstrIql "enGI'nIq] — інженер-технолог;

manufacturing ["mxnju'fxkCqrIN]  — виробництво;

assembly [q'semblI] line — складальний конвеєр;

conveyer [kqn'veIq] belt — стрічка конвейера;

increase [In'krJs] — збільшувати;

efficient [I'fISqnt] — ефективний, продуктивний;

coin — утворювати нові слова;

advance [qd'vRns] — прогрес;

valve [vxlv] — клапан;

refining [rI'faInIN] — очищення, підвищення якості;

chain-drive — ланцюговий привід, передача.

Comprehension

1. Tell what sentences are true and what are false.

1). In so far as automation replaces human muscle by mechanical power, it continues a process of mechanization which has begun just now. 2). Semiautomatic machines were invented at the beginning of the 21-st century. 3). The transfer-machine in engineering combines automatic machining with automatic transfer between operations, so that all loading and unloading is done by human muscles except at the beginning and end of the line. 4). Automation is a word coined in the 1940s to describe processes by which people do tasks previously performed by machines. 5). Windmills had been made to turn by taking advantage of changes in the water by means of devices thai; worked automatically. 6). A later development was human-controlled automation of assembly line manufacturing, especially those in which quality control was an important factor. 7). Mass production refers to manufacturing processes in which an assembly line, usually a conveyer belt moves the product to stations where each worker performs an  unlimited number of operations.

2. Choose the right answer:

1). How does automation replace human muscle?

a) by physical power;

b) by mechanical power;

c) by electrical power.

2). When were semiautomatic machines invented?

a) just now;

b) before the Industrial Revolution;

c) in the 1940s;

d) early in the history of mechanization.

3). What is the best and most recent example in engineering?

a) lathe;

b) valve;

c) transfer-machine;

d) conveyer belt.

4). When did the word automation coin?

a) in the Middle Ages;

b) in the 1940s;

c) in the twentieth century.

5). Where was automation first applied?

a) in continuous-process manufacturing;

b) in machine building;

c) in food industry.

3. Complete the sentences:

1) In so far as automation replaces human muscle by mechanical power … . 2). Semiautomatic machines were, for instance, … . 3). They have greatly widened the range of … . 4). Perhaps the best and most recent example of automatic machines is … . 5). Mass production refers to … . 6). One of the factors for the industrial engineer to consider is … . 7). Automation is a word … . 8). During the Middle Ages, windmills had been made to … . 9). A later development of automation was … .

4. Answer the questions:

1) When did the process of mechanization begin? 2). Describe the first machines. 3).When were semi-automatic machines invented? How did they work? 4). How did technical development continue? 5).What machine combines automatic machining with automatic transfer between operations? 6).In what spheres of mechanization do extensive developments take place?

5. Find as quickly as possible and read out the sentences containing the following important information:

• semiautomatic machines
•  the word ‘automation’
• application of automation

*6. Try to tell the gist of the text.

 

Word Study

1. Give Ukrainian equivalents of the following.

  Human muscle; loading and unloading of machines; mechanical power; automatic transfer; physical tasks; to extensive developments; unskilled work; the range of operations, major advance; to do tasks; limited number of operations; performed by people; to increase productivity; automatic valves; industrial engineer; by means of devices; manufacturing process; making petrochemicals; computer-controlled automation.

2. Give English equivalents of the following.

  Механічна сила, фізична робота, кваліфікована робота, напівавтоматичні машини, обмежувати, обслуговування машин, розширювати діапазон операцій, механізувати навантаження та розвантаження, автоматична складальна лінія, обробка матеріалів, механічне складання, стрічка конвеєра, в цілому чи частково, парові двигуни, автоматичні клапани, вітряк, за допомогою пристроїв, довготривале виробництво, очищення бензину, контроль якості.

3. Match the words in A with their synonyms in B:

A                                 B

human                         start

power                          fulfill

begin                                       type

perform                                   qualified

for instance                 as a rule

kind                            person

skilled                         force

usually                        for example

great                            idea

refining                       extreme

thought                        clearing

 

4. Fill in the gaps with the words from Vocabulary Notes in the appropriate form.

Assembly line/ to coin/ semiautomatic/ to confine/ manufacturing/ lathes/to perform

1) Semiautomatic machines … human operator to the unskilled work of loading and unloading, and the skilled work of setting and maintaining machines. 2) The … were widely employed in engineering. 3) Mass production refers to manufacturing processes in which an …, usually a conveyer belt moves the product to stations where each worker … a limited number of operations. 4) … machines were invented early in the history of mechanization. 5) Automation is a word … in the 1940s to describe processes by which machines do tasks previously performed by people. 6) Automation was first applied to industry in continuous-process … such as refining petroleum, making petrochemicals, and refining steel.

5. Translate sentences into English using words and word combinations from the Vocabulary Notes.

1 .Перші машини не були автоматичними; вони виконували багато фізичних завдань, але робітникам треба було керувати ними і контролювати їх. 2. Напівавтоматичні машини було винайдено на початку ери механізації. 3. З того часу технічний розвиток був поступовим і тривалим. 4. Значно розширився діапазон операцій, які можна виконувати автоматично. 5. Слово "автоматизація" виникло в 1940 роки, щоб охарактеризувати процес виконання машинами завдань, які раніше виконували люди. 6. Автоматизацію вперше застосували у промисловості з безперервними процесами виробництва, такими як очищення нафти, виробництво нафтохімічних продуктів і підвищення якості сталі.

 

Grammar in Use

1. Write Comparative and Superlative Degrees of the following adjectives and adverbs

Far, many, early, late, wide, gradual, continuous, great, good, extensive, simple, high, new, important.

2. Complete the table

hard
difficult
	bigger
	more effective
		the most
		the cleverest
practical
easy
	more hazardous
little

3. Translate into English

1) Автоматизовані машини краще справляються з важкою та небезпечною роботою, ніж люди. 2) Подальший розвиток автоматизації відбувався протягом ХХ століття. 3) Повна автоматизація виробництва є такою ж важливою для промисловості, як і комп’ютерізація. 4) Найскладнішим завданням вчених є створення штучного інтелекту. 5) Розвиток механізації розпочався набагато раніше, ніж розвиток комп’ютерних наук. 6) Перші комп’ютери не були такими потужними, як сучасні і виконували набагато менше операцій.

Additional Text

(for individual work)

Read and translate the text.

Numerical Control

Numerical control is a form of programmable auto­mation in which a machine is controlled by numbers (and other symbols) that have been coded on punched paper tape or an alternative storage medium. The initial appli­cation of numerical control was in the machine tool industry, to control the position of a cutting tool relative to the work part being machined. The NC part program represents the set of machining instructions for the particular part. The coded numbers in the program specify x-y-z coordinates in a Cartesian axis system, defining the various positions of the cutting tool in relation to the work part. By sequencing these positions in the program, the machine tool is directed to accomplish the machining of the part. A position feedback control system is used in most NC machines to verify that the coded instruc­tions have been correctly performed. Today a small com­puter is used as the controller in an NC machine tool. Since this form of numerical control is implemented by computer, it is called computer numerical control, or CNC. Another variation in the implementation of nu­merical control involves sending part programs over tel­ecommunications lines from a central computer to indi­vidual machine tools in the factory. This form of numeri­cal control is called direct numerical control, or DNC.

Many applications of numerical control have been developed since its initial use to control machine .tools. Other machines using numerical control include component-insertion machines used in electronics assembly, drafting machines that prepare engineering drawings, coordinate measuring machines that perform accurate inspections of parts. In these applications coded numeri­cal data are employed to control the position of a tool or workhead relative to some object. Such machines are used to position electronic components (e.g., semiconductor chip modules) onto a printed circuit board (PCB). It is basically an x-y positioning table that moves the printed circuit board relative to the part-insertion head, which then places the individual component into position on the board. A typical printed circuit board has dozens of in­dividual components that must be placed on its surface; in many cases, the lead wires of the components must be inserted into small holes in the board, requiring great precision by the insertion machine. The program that controls the machine indicates which components are to be placed on the board and their locations. This informa­tion is contained in the product-design database and is typically communicated directly from the computer to the insertion machine.

1. Divide the text into the logical parts and give a title to each one.

2. Put questions to the text.

3. Discuss it with your groupmates.