ROBOT INDUSTRY AUTOMATION DJV 6043

 

Robotics industrial automation is changing the face of production. Manufacturers around the globe are implementing some form of automation to become more efficient, safe and ultimately to increase revenues. While some advantages are obvious, there may be more than you think. Add them all together and you can see why so many industries are investing in industrial robots.

8 Advantages of Industrial Automation:

Quality Control - no one likes purchasing an item, only to be disappointed by the poor quality. Robots are a great solution for higher quality production. Quality builds trust from customers as well as pride knowing that you are contributing something of value.

Repeatability - Being consistent and knowing that you will get the same quality end product is critical to efficiency. A robot is able to perform the exact same task, exactly the same way, over and over again. Less errors means less wasted time.

Waste Reduction - Consistent repeatability allows manufacturers to reduce overall waste. Less errors not only saves time, but it also reduces the amount of material required to produce the product. A couple of examples: robots can use less wire for welding, less amount of paint, and cut closer to the edge.

Faster Cycle Times - Unfortunately humans have their limitations. Robots have been known to greatly improve production cycle speeds. The more you can produce, the higher demand you can meet and ultimately bringing in more money.

Improved Workplace Safety - There are so many dangerous work environments that can have horrible side effects on a human body. Separating workers from lifting too much weight, exposure to fumes and gases, close interaction with lasers or blades, can tremendously decrease the possibility of injury.

Reduction of Labor Costs - Labor can be expensive, especially when you factor in medical benefits, paid time off, injury comp time, etc... Robots can replace certain jobs, but that doesn't mean they are going to take over the world. It just means we need to adjust our focus. Understanding that robots are there for our own safety and efficiency allows us to remove workers from tough tedious jobs, to more fulfilling roles.

Reduced Floor Space - It's easy to start sprawling out across the shop floor with extra materials, tools, and machinery. Robots can help reduce the footprint of the required workspace by optimizing everything into a smaller, confined space.

Integration with Business Systems - Now a days, communication between multiple data platforms is rapidly growing, improving efficiency. You can see when there's a bottleneck a lot quicker with proper technology installed. Robots and machinery are talking with one another to give business leaders a better view on the overall picture, helping them make smarter decisions on how to improve their process.

Do you have any question?

Please refer to your lecturer or supervisor.

PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER DJV 3022

 

What is a PLC?

A PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER (PLC) is an industrial computer control system that continuously monitors the state of input devices and makes decisions based upon a custom program to control the state of output devices.

 

Almost any production line, machine function, or process can be greatly enhanced using this type of control system. However, the biggest benefit in using a PLC is the ability to change and replicate the operation or process while collecting and communicating vital information.

 

Another advantage of a PLC system is that it is modular. That is, you can mix and match the types of Input and Output devices to best suit your application.

 

HISTORY OF PLCS

The first Programmable Logic Controllers were designed and developed by Modicon as a relay re-placer for GM and Landis.

 

These controllers eliminated the need for rewiring and adding additional hardware for each new configuration of logic.

The new system drastically increased the functionality of the controls while reducing the cabinet space that housed the logic.

The first PLC, model 084, was invented by Dick Morley in 1969

The first commercial successful PLC, the 184, was introduced in 1973 and was designed by Michael Greenberg.

WHAT IS INSIDE A PLC? 

The Central Processing Unit, the CPU, contains an internal program that tells the PLC how to perform the following functions:

 

Execute the Control Instructions contained in the User's Programs. This program is stored in "nonvolatile" memory, meaning that the program will not be lost if power is removed

Communicate with other devices, which can include I/O Devices, Programming Devices, Networks, and even other PLCs.

Perform Housekeeping activities such as Communications, Internal Diagnostics, etc.

HOW DOES A PLC OPERATE?

There are four basic steps in the operation of all PLCs; Input Scan, Program Scan, Output Scan, and Housekeeping. These steps continually take place in a repeating loop.

 

Four Steps In The PLC Operations

1.) Input Scan

Detects the state of all input devices that are connected to the PLC

2.) Program Scan

Executes the user created program logic

3.) Output Scan

Energizes or de-energize all output devices that are connected to the PLC.

4.) Housekeeping

This step includes communications with programming terminals,

internal diagnostics, etc...

APPLICATION AUTOMATION SYSTEM DJV 5032

Automation Control System

´  System that is able to control a process with minimal human assistance or without manual.

´  Have the ability to initiate , adjust, action show or measures the variables in the process and stop the process in order to obtain the desired output

The main objective of Automation Control System used in the industry are:

                1. Increase productivity

                2. Improve quality of the product

                3. Control production cost

Can you explain the details about this basic block diagram?

Please send your answer to your lecturer and comment below!

Technology in Education

The rapid and constant pace of change in technology is creating both opportunities and challenges for schools.
The opportunities include greater access to rich, multimedia content, the increasing use of online coursetaking to offer classes not otherwise available, the widespread availability of mobile computing devices that can access the Internet, the expanding role of social networking tools for learning and professional development, and the growing interest in the power of digital games for more personalized learning.
At the same time, the pace of change creates significant challenges for schools. To begin with, schools are forever playing technological catch up as digital innovations emerge that require upgrading schools’ technological infrastructure and building new professional development programs. Some schools have been adept at keeping up with those changes, while many others are falling far behind, creating a digital divide based largely on the quality of educational technology, rather than just simple access to the Internet.
The rapid evolution of educational technologies also makes it increasingly challenging to determine what works best. Longitudinal research that takes years to do risks being irrelevant by the time it is completed because of shifts in the technological landscape. The iPad, for instance, became popular in schools soon after it was released and well before any research could be conducted about its educational effectiveness.
Following is a look at some of the hottest issues and trends in educational technology and how they are creating opportunities and challenges for K-12 schools.

INDUSTRIAL ROBOTICS VIDEO!

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INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS

Credit to : http://www.learnaboutrobots.com/industrial.htm Modern industrial robots are true marvels of engineering. A robot the size of a person can easily carry a load over one hundred pounds and move it very quickly with a repeatability of +/-0.006 inches. Furthermore these robots can do that 24 hours a day for years on end with no failures whatsoever. Though they are reprogrammable, in many applications (particularly those in the auto industry) they are programmed once and then repeat that exact same task for years. A six-axis robot like the yellow one below costs about $60,000. What I find interesting is that deploying the robot costs another $200,000. Thus, the cost of the robot itself is just a fraction of the cost of the total system. The tools the robot uses combined with the cost of programming the robot form the major percentage of the cost. That's why robots in the auto industry are rarely reprogrammed. If they are going to go to the expense of deploying a robot for another task, then they may as well use a new robot.
	This is pretty much the typical machine people think of when they think of industrial robots. Fanuc makes this particular robot. Fanuc is the largest maker of these type of robots in the world and they are almost always yellow. This robot has six independent joints, also called six degrees of freedom. The reason for this is that arbitrarily placing a solid body in space requires six parameters; three to specify the location (x, y, z for example) and three to specify the orientation (roll, yaw, pitch for example). If you look closely you will see two cylindrical pistons on the side of the robot. These cylinders contain "anti-gravity" springs that are a big part of the reason robots like these can carry such heavy loads. These springs counter-balance against gravity similar to the way the springs on the garage door make it much easier for a person to lift. You will see robots like these welding, painting and handling materials.
The robot shown at right  is made by an American company, Adept Technology. Adept is America's largest robot company and the world's leading producer of SCARA robots. This is actually the most common industrial robot. SCARA stands for Selective Compliance Articulated (though some folks use Assembly here) Robot Arm. The robot has three joints in the horizontal plane that give it x-y positioning and orientation parallel to  the plane. There is one linear joint that supplies the z positioning. This is the typical "pick and place" robot. When combined with a vision system it can move product from conveyor belt to package at a very high rate of speed (think "Lucy and the candies" but way faster). The robot's joint structure allows it to be compliant (or soft) to forces in the horizontal plane. This is important for "peg in hole" type applications where the robot will actually flex to make up for inaccuracies and allow very tight part fits.
	The machine at left can be called a Cartesian robot, though calling this machine a robot is really stretching the definition of a robot. It is Cartesian because it allows x-y-z positioning. Three linear joints provide the three axes of motion and define the x, y and z planes. This robot is suited for pick and place applications where either there are no orientation requirements or the parts can be pre-oriented before the robot picks them up (such as surface mounted circuit board assembly)  Thanks for reading this entry!!

HOW INDUCTION MOTOR WORKS??

Basic learning of induction motor for additional knowledge.

Induction motors in practice

What controls the speed of an AC motor?

In synchronous AC motors, the rotor turns at exactly the same speed as the rotating magnetic field; in an induction motor, the rotor always turns at a lower speed than the field, making it an example of what's called an asynchronous AC motor. The theoretical speed of the rotor in an induction motor depends on the frequency of the AC supply and the number of coils that make up the stator and, with no load on the motor, comes close to the speed of the rotating magnetic field. In practice, the load on the motor (whatever it's driving) also plays a part—tending to slow the rotor down. The greater the load, the greater the "slip" between the speed of the rotating magnetic field and the actual speed of the rotor. To control the speed of an AC motor (make it go faster or slower), you have to increase or decrease the frequency of the AC supply using what's called a variable-frequency drive. So when you adjust the speed of something like a factory machine, powered by an AC induction motor, you're really controlling a circuit that's turning the frequency of the current that drives the motor either up or down.

What's the "phase" of an AC motor?

We don't necessarily have to drive the rotor with four coils (two opposing pairs), as illustrated here. It's possible to build induction motors with all kinds of other arrangements of coils. The more coils you have, the more smoothly the motor will run. The number of separate electric currents energizing the coils independently, out of step, is known as the phase of the motor, so the design shown above is a two-phase motor (with two currents energizing four coils that operate out of step in two pairs). In a three-phase motor, we could have three coils arranged around the stator in a triangle, six evenly spaced coils (three pairs), or even 12 coils (three sets of four coils), with either one, two, or four coils switched on and off together by three separate, out-of-phase currents.

Advantages and disadvantages of induction motors

Advantages

The biggest advantage of AC induction motors is their sheer simplicity. They have only one moving part, the rotor, which makes them low-cost, quiet, long-lasting, and relatively trouble free. DC motors, by contrast, have a commutator and carbon brushes that wear out and need replacing from time to time. The friction between the brushes and the commutator also makes DC motors relatively noisy (and sometimes even quite smelly).

Disadvantages

Since the speed of an induction motor depends on the frequency of the alternating current that drives it, it turns at a constant speed unless you use a variable-frequency drive; the speed of DC motors is much easier to control simply by turning the supply voltage up or down. Though relatively simple, induction motors can be fairly heavy and bulky because of their coil windings. Unlike DC motors, they can't be driven from batteries or any other source of DC power (solar panels, for example) without using an inverter (a device that turns DC into AC). That's because they need a changing magnetic field to turn the rotor.
Artwork: Electric motors are extremely efficient, typically converting about 85 percent of the incoming electrical energy into useful, outgoing mechanical work. Even so, there is still quite a bit of energy wasted as heat inside the windings—which is why motors can get extremely hot. Most industrial-strength AC motors have built-in cooling systems. There's a fan inside the case attached to the rotor shaft (at the opposite end of the axle that's driving whatever machine the motor is attached to), shown here in red. The fan sucks air into the motor, blowing it around the outside of the case past the heat ventilating fins. If you've ever wondered why electric motors have those ridges on the outside (as you can see in the top photo on this page), that's the reason: they're cooling the motor down.

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