Question

Name the three Functions that advanced manufacturing automation, explain them in a few wards, and give an example on each one of them?

Answer 1

Three functions that Advanced Manufacturing Automation,

1. Safety Monitoring,

2. Maintenance and Repair Diagnostics, and

3. Error Detection and Recovery.

Safety Monitoring,

There are two reasons for providing an automated system with safety monitoring :-

(i) to protect the workers in the vicinity of the system.

(ii) to protect the equipment associated with the system.

For example :-  Limit switches to detect proper positioning of a part in a workholding device so that the processing cycle can begin, Heat or smoke detectors to sense fire hazards, etc.

Maintenance and Repair Diagnostics,

Maintenance and repair diagnostics refers to the capabilities of the automated system to assist in the identification of the source of potential or actual malfunctions and failures of the system.

The diagnostic subsystem moniton and records the status of key sensors and parameters of the system such as dimensions of the parts produced during normal operations. The failure diagnostics mode is invoked when a failure occurs. Its purpose is to interpret the current values of the parameter and to analyze the recorded values preceding the failure so that the cause of the failure can be identified.

Error Detection and Reovery

As indicated by the term error detection and recovery consists of two steps:-

(i) error detection

(ii) error recovery.

The error defection step uses the automated svstem's sensors to determine whether a deviation or malfunction has occurred or not by correctly interpreting the sensor signal/signals.

In the error recovery step, by detecting the deviations, corrective action can be taken in subsequent operations.

Examples of failures include fracture of a mechanical pin, bursts in any hydraulic line, rupture of a pressure vessel, and failure of a cutting tool etc. Recovery of individual failure is done accordingly.