Unit 4
Text
study: The Technology within an Industrial
Robot.
Additional
Text: Definition
of Robots
Grammar: Participle; its functions in the sentence.
1.
Repeat the words in chorus:
Axes, typically, variable, however, considerably, to
require, substituting, features, compressibility,
perhaps, assigned, repeatedly.
2.
While reading the text you will come across a number of international words.
Try to guess what Ukrainian words they remind of you:
Operation, mechanism, configuration, unique, product,
term, to manipulate, standard,
automated, machine, control, function, technology, minicomputer, programming, pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, system, radioactive, toxic, material, operation,
fact, innovation, electronic, microcomputer.
3.
Pay attention to some grammatical points:
1) An
industrial robot may be defined as a device with five or more axes with
servo-control, capable of being
programmed for independent operation. 2) Some engineers insisted that every
robot must be like us, people, and be capable of doing any job. 3) Pneumatic systems are not generally capable of
very high accuracy of movement due to
the compressibility of air, but they are
of low cost and easy to maintain. 4) Gripper
units have been used in the
nuclear machining for many years for the remote
machining of radioactive or toxic materials. 5) The innovation lies rather in
the application of the technology of robots, and it is here that invention and novelty must be considered.
II. Reading
Read the text and be ready to find in the text the answers
to the following questions:
·
How is the term
"robot" defined?
·
What are the methods of servo-drives for the axes ?
The Technology within an Industrial Robot
An
industrial robot may be defined as a device with five or more axes with
servo-control, capable of being programmed for independent operation. Typically,
two or three of these axes may be for a
hand, gripper or wrist type of mechanism and the others for what can be considered a shoulder and arm, giving
variable extension, rotation and elevation. However, there are no hard and fast
rules as to what form an industrial robot must take, and their
mechanical configurations differ considerably depending on makers.
Even
now robots are unique products for all mechanical engineers across the world.
Therefore the term "robot" itself requires clarification. Some
engineers insisted even until recently that every robot must by all means be
like us, people, and be capable of doing any
job. Others were inclined to regard any manipulating device as a robot.
The standard adopted in many countries defines an industrial robot as automated
machine combining a manipulator and programmable control device designed to
perform movement and control functions substituting for similar functions of
man.
The
technology within a robot is really well established from other branches of engineering. It is the detailed
application of such technology to a robot that is different. Many features of
NC machine tools, for example, can be compared directly with similar
features of an industrial robot. The
servo-systems for controlling the axes, the minicomputer controller, and memory
of tape programming are all established features of existing machine-tool
technology, and often the machine tool itself has adopted the technology from
other previous developments. There is, therefore, plenty of application
experience for robot control designers to draw upon.
The
servo-drives for the axes may be pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric, or any combination of these methods. Pneumatic
systems are not generally capable of very high accuracy of movement due
to the compressibility of air, but they are of low cost and easy to maintain.
Hydraulic drives have the capability of providing high forces and good control of speed and positioning.
Electrically stepping motors or dc drive can be used.
The detailed mechanical design of an industrial robot is somewhat
different from a machine tool. Industrial robots usually have a hand or wrist incorporating some form of
gripper unit. Gripper units have been used in the nuclear machining for
many years for the remote machining of radioactive
or toxic materials. Such units were designed to perform a range of
tasks, not just one simple handling operation. Simple gripper units have been
developed for handling tooling as part of automatic tool changers. There
exist many types of gripper units and transfer mechanisms.
From
these examples, it can be seen that there is little new in the technology of industrial robots, and the high
levels of reliability obtained in the practical application of robots
perhaps reflects this fact. The innovation
lies rather in the application of the technology of robots, and it is
here that invention and novelty must be considered.
What
makes a robot different from an ordinary machine is its electronic brain - a microcomputer that can be programmed to do an assigned task repeatedly, at the same pace and
with the same accuracy. It is expected that in the nearest future industrial
robots will be able to change their own parts.
Vocabulary Notes
Axis ['xksIs] — вісь
shoulder ['SqVldq] — плече
maintain [meIn'ten] — утримувати,
обслуговувати, ремонтувати
detailed — детальний
servo-control ['sWvqV kqn'trqVl] — сервоуправління
pneumatic [njH'mxtIk] — пневматичний
extension [Ik'stenS(q)n] — розширення
elevation ["elI'veIS(qn] — піднесення
programmable control device — керувальний пристрій,
якому можна задавати програму
NC machine tool — верстат з числовим
програмним управлінням, (ЧПУ)
servo-drive — сервопривід
to draw upon — черпати, брати
positioning — позиціонування
dc (direct current) drive — привід постійного струму
stepping motor [stpIN 'mqVtq] — крокуючий двигун
gripper-unit — затискуючий привід
nuclear machining ['njHklIq] — механічна
обробка радіоактивних матеріалів
remote machining [rI'mqVt] — механічна обробка за допомогою
дистанційного
управління
automatic tool changer — пристрій для автоматичної
зміни інструменту
Comprehension
1. Tell what sentences are true and what are false.
1) A device that has a lot of axes with servo-control, capable of
being programmed for independent operation is called an industrial robot. 2)
The form of an industrial robot is strictly
defined. 3) The mechanical configurations of a robot depend upon the
tasks it performs. 4) The term "robot" itself is rather clair and distinct. 5) According to the international
standards an industrial robot is an automated machine with a manipulator and
programmable control device for substituting similar human functions. 6) The
machine tool itself cannot adopt the technology from other previous
developments. 7) Pneumatic systems are characterised by very high
accuracy of movement and very high cost. 8) Hydraulic drives provide high
forces and good control of speed and
positioning. 9) Gripper units have been used in the nuclear
machining lately for distant machining
dangerous materials. 10) the high levels of
reliability obtained in the practical application of robots proves that the technology of industrial robots has changed
greatly. 11) The electronic brain of
a robot differs it from an ordinary machine. 12) A microcomputer can’t be programmed to do an assigned task repeatedly, with definite pace and accuracy.
2. Complete the sentences:
1) An industrial robot may be
defined as … . 2) Robots are unique products for … . 3) Some engineers insisted that every robot must… . 4) Many features of
NC machine tools can be compared directly with … .
5) The minicomputer controller, and memory
of tape programming are all established features of …
. 6) The servo-drives for the axes may be … . 7) Gripper units were designed to … . 8) Simple gripper units have been developed for … . 9) In the nearest
future industrial robots will be able to … .
3. Choose the right answer:
1) What is an industrial robot?
a) a
device with two axes, capable to perform loading and unloading operations;
b) a
device, capable to substitute similar human functions;
c) a
device with five or more axes with servo-control, capable of being programmed
for independent operation.
2) What is the
standard of an industrial robot adopted in many countries?
a) it
is an automated machine capable of doing any
job;
b) it
is an automated machine combining a manipulator and programmable control
device;
c) it is an automated
machine characterised by very high accuracy of movement and very high cost.
3) What is programmable
control device designed to?
a) it
is designed to perform movement and control functions;
b) it
is designed to substitute similar functions of mechanical tools;
c) it
is designed to adopt the existing technology
from other previous developments.
4) What
are the established features of existing machine-tool technology?
a) they are: pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric servo-drives for the axes;
b) they are the features of NC machine tools;
c) they
are: the servo-systems for controlling the
axes, the minicomputer controller, and memory of tape programming.
5) What
are the possible servo-drives for the axes?
a) they may be developed for handling tooling as part of
automatic tool changers;
b) they may be be like people, and be capable
of doing any job;
c) they
may be pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric,
or any combination of these methods.
6) What
is the difference between the design of an industrial robot and a machine tool?
a) industrial robots usually have a hand or wrist incorporating some form of
gripper unit;
b) industrial robots usually have memory of tape programming;
c) industrial robots
usually have definite mechanical
configurations.
7) What are
gripper units used for in the
nuclear machining?
a) for controlling the axes;
b) for independent operation;
c) for
the remote machining of radioactive or
toxic materials.
8) What
is the electronic brain of an industrial robot?
a) it is a
microcomputer that can be programmed to do an assigned task repeatedly, at the same pace and with the same accuracy;
b) it is a a hand or wrist incorporating some form of
gripper unit;
c) it
is a manipulating device of a robot.
4. Answer the
questions:
1) How
many axes has an industrial robot got? 2) What functions do these axes perform?
3) What form must an industrial robot take? 4) What do the mechanical
configurations of a robot depen on? 5) What is the problem of the definition of
the term “ROBOT”? 6) How is an industrial robot defined in many countries? 7) What are the established features of existing
machine-tool technology? 8) What are simple
gripper units developed for? 9) What operations do gripper units perform in the nuclear industry? 10) What makes a
robot different from an ordinary machine?
5. Find as quickly as possible
and read out the sentences containing the following important information:
*6.
Try to tell the gist of the text.
Word Study
1. Give Ukrainian equivalents of the
following.
Axes, servo-control,
independent operation, wrist type of
mechanism, extension, rotation,
elevation ,mechanical configurations,
unique product, clarification, manipulating device, programmable control
device, servo-systems, machine-tool technology, compressibility of air, electrically stepping motor, gripper unit, transfer mechanism.
2. Give English equivalents of the
following.
верстат з
числовим програмним управлінням, сервопривід, привід постійного струму,
механічна обробка радіоактивних матеріалів, механічна
обробка за допомогою дистанційного управління, пристрій для автоматичної
зміни інструменту, наполягати, замінювати
подібні функції людини, радіоактивні та
токсичні матеріали, пневмосистема, гідравлічний
привід, висока точність руху, контроль швидкості
та позиціонування, виконувати ряд задач, високий рівень надійності, застосування робототехнологій, новизна,
та сама швидкість, найближче майбутнє.
3. Match the words in
A with their synonyms in B:
A B
Operation state
Elevation progress
Fast lift
Do speed
Country quick
Application construction
Development action
Design perform
Pace use
4. Fill in the gaps
with the words from Vocabulary Notes in the appropriate form.
automatic tool changers / dc drive / remote machining / servo-drives / gripper unit / axes
1) The … for the … may be of
different types. 2) Electrically stepping
motors or … can be used. 3) Industrial robots usually have a hand or wrist incorporating some form of … . 4) Gripper units
have been used in the nuclear industry for the … of radioactive or toxic materials. 5) Simple gripper units have
been developed for handling tooling as part of … .
5. Translate sentences into English using
words and word combinations from the Vocabulary Notes.
1) Сучасні промислові роботи здатні самі себе обслуговувати та
вдосконалювати. 2) Вісь промислового робота може використовуватись як плече або
рука для різноманітних операцій. 3) Сервопривід
роботів може бути як гідравлічним, так і пневматичним. 4) З механічної точки
зору верстати з числовим програмним управлінням (ЧПУ) та промислові роботи
мають багато спільних рис. 5) У ядерній промисловості роботи з затискаючим
приводом використовують для механічної обробки радіоактивних матеріалів за
допомогою дистанційного управління.
Grammar in Use
1. Read and translate
the following sentences paying attention to the function of Participle in the
sentences:
1). "Multi-point" PTP robots and CP robots are
also called "servo-controlled" robots. 2). The
simplest of the above mentioned robots are those operated by pneumatics with
fixed cycle control. 3). Most of them have electrical control systems but there
are also examples of complete pneumatically controlled models. 4). The number of types of electromechanical robots is
increasing quickly. 5). There are also robots working in the cylindrical,
spherical and cartesian systems. 6). Industrial robots are being used for a wide
variety of tasks.
2. Make up questions to which
the underlined words are the answers:
1). Industrial robots are widely used to transfer, manipulate, and
position both light and heavy workpieces. 2). The
feedback principle is used in automatic-control mechanisms. 3). The motions of the machines are controlled by punched
paper or magnetic tapes. 4). A computer in FMS can be used to
monitor and control the operation of the whole factory. 5). Railways are also
controlled by automatic signaling devices. 6). In
the telephone industry dialing and transmission are done automatically.
3. Open the brackets
using Passive Voice
1). The automation technology in manufacturing and assembly (to
use) in car and other consumer product industries. 2). Some machines (to program) by their design to make only certain processing
operations. 3). For each new product the production
equipment must (to reprogram) and (to change) over. 4). The program (to code) in computer memory for each different
product style and the machine-tool (to control) by the computer programme. 5). In flexible automation the number of products (to
limit). 6). The reprogramming of the equipment in
flexible automation (to do) at a computer terminal without using the production
equipment itself.
4. Translate the sentences
containing Participle I and Prticiple II in the function of adverbial modifier:
1) When entering
the Internet, I always find a lot of interesting information. 2) Though never
built Babbage's analytical engine was the basis for designing today's
computers. 3) When written in a symbolic language programs require the
translation into the machine language. 4) While operating on the basis of
analogy analog computers simulate physical systems. 5) When i ised voltage
represents other physical quantities in analog computers. 6) Being discrete
events commercial transactions are in a natural form for a digital computer. 7)
As contrasted with the analyst, the computer system architect designs computers
for many different applications. 8) While dealing with discrete quantities
digital computers count rather than measure. 9) When using a microcomputer you
are constantly making choice — to open a file, to close a file, and so on. 10)
As known all computer systems perform the functions of inputting, storing,
processing, controlling, and outputting.
Additional Text
(for individual work)
Read and translate
the text.
Definition of robots
One of
the difficulties in dealing with the word "robot" is the wide variety
of definitions. No two are exactly alike. Robots come in all shapes and sizes,
but only in the most abstract sense do they resemble the mechanical men
portrayed in science fiction. Some definitions permit the idea that robotic
processes allow for some human intervention. This explains in part why the
Japanese statistics show
Another
definition states that basically, robots are microprocessor-controlled
mechanical devices that perform functions or provide an intelligent interface
between machines and processes. They can be intelligent enough to make
on-the-spot manufacturing decisions.
They can duplicate
human manipulative skills
with accuracy and precision.
The Robot Institute of America has coined a definition commonly accepted
by many writers. Tt states that a robot is a reprogrammable, multifunctional
manipulator designed to move materials,
parts, or specialized devices trough variable programmed motions for the
performance of a variety of tasks without human intervention. Today's
commercially available robots, in addition to being programmed to follow a
complex sequence of instructions, can also
be modified through electromechanical means without changing hardware.
Robots
are of several types. Distinctions are often made between low, medium, and high
technology, but basically it is the manner in which robots are controlled that
serves as the basic distinction. There are
the non-servo controlled robots programmed by setting up a sequence of moves or
mechanical stops.
These are the familiar "pick-and-place" robots, simple to
operate and easy to program and maintain. The servo-controlled robots are more
complicated. The programmed moves are recorded in a memory. They have greater flexibility and can store more than one
program. When linked together with electronic controls, a series of operations
can be connected in a manufacturing sequence - computers linked to computers.
They are even capable of replacing worn-out or broken drill bits and other implements. Managers will find an exellent glossary of terms provided by Obrzut. The newer
robots are capable of imitating the human sense of sight, hearing and touch.
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.