Automation

1
Automation

• Year 2 Lecture 1
• Dr Linda Newnes

2
Methods

• Start at 3.15 p.m. finish at 4.05 p.m.
• All videos / slides examinable
• 1 question in exam from this work.
• Questions at the beginning of each lecture from
  previous lecture notes. Please read before the
  lecture!
• Groover and Zimmer, CAD/CAM, library shortloan.

3
Course contents

• Manufacturing Automation
• Automation Building Blocks
• Hard Flexible Automation
• Robotics
• Manual Systems vs. Automated Systems

4
Typical areas of automation

• Automotive Industry
• Bomb Disposal
• Surgery
• Aerospace
• Food
• Pharmaceutical

5
Automation and Robotics in the Automotive Industry

• Brief History and overview.

• Applications

• Case studies

• Limitations

• The future?

6
Brief History
1945 - Automation coined by Ford employee.
1962
1954
Present
1980s
1990s
1910
1913
1920 - 1940
1957
1970
1976

• Present
• Huge highly competitive industry. Drive for
  higher production rates, low cost high
  quality. Typically 200-300,000 cars per year per
  line.
• Industry uses over 50 of all industrial robots
  globally 60 of these for spot welding.

• 1910.
• Cars built in small workshops
• Skilled workers.
• No automation.
• High cost. Low volume. Up to 10 days per car.

• 1913.
• Mass production techniques introduced.
• Large moving assembly line.
• One task per worker
• Standardised parts.

• 1980-1990s
• Sensor based machines
• Integrated manufacturing systems
• Unattended cells
• AI

• 1954
• First highly automated factories
• Ford reduces work force from 117 to 40

• 1962
• First industrial robot saw service
• Stacking metal from die-casting m/c

• 1970s
• Microprocessors
• Mini-computer control industrial robots

• 1957
• First commercially available NC machines

• 1976
• First spray painting robots

• 1970
• First integrated manufacturing system
• First spot welding of auto bodies.

• 1920- 40
• Automatic transfer machines integrated into
  assembly lines.

7
Applications in the automotive industry

• Positioners
• General CNC
• Welding
• Spray painting
• Assembly
• Other

8
Limitations

• Difficulty of getting information into a robot
  without human intervention.

• The level of dexterity required for some
  operations is too high for current systems

• The cost of some robots is prohibitive.

• People are more flexible for production lines
  which change operations frequently.

9
Automation in the Bomb Disposal Industry
10
Introduction

• Bomb technicians wear protective suits that
  reduce the effect of a blast but do not provide
  protection in all cases.
• Bomb disposal units are increasing relying on
  robots.
• Robots reduce or eliminate the technicians
  time-on-target.
• A robot takes the risk out of potentially deadly
  scenarios.
• Enables technician to focus fully on the bomb
  rather than the immediate danger.

Figure 1. Example of a bomb disposal robot.
11
History

• Even before WWII a rope and hook procedure was
  used to move packages to less dangerous
  locations.
• During the early 1970s remotely operated systems
  began to emerge to handle bomb threats.
• The death of several bomb technicians over a
  short period of time in N.Ireland prompted
  development.
• A remotely controlled electric wheelchair was
  developed. Fitted to carry several items of bomb
  disposal equipment.

12
Development

• First robot was a battery operated wheelbarrow.
  Used to tow away suspect vehicles to safer areas.
• Improved to have the ability to drop explosive
  charges into cars.
• Further development with an improved chassis and
  four wheel drive.
• Addition of closed circuit television camera for
  remotely viewing objects.
• Wheels were replaced with tracks.
• More improvements to tracks and manipulator arm
  had been produced.
• A modified electric wheelbarrow had evolved to a
  tracked vehicle able to fire a disrupter, conduct
  surveillance and perform a number of other tasks.

13
Common Design Components

• Manipulator
• 2-3 joints
• Large coverage area
• Electrically powered
• Replaceable

• End-Effector
• Usually 2-fingered gripper
• 2 degrees of freedom
• Integrated vision system

• Manuverability Unit
• Extremely versatile
• Robust
• Adaptive to terrain
• Drive vision system

• Features
• Modular construction
• Radio controlled
• Multi-robot capable control systems

14
BRAT

• Vision
• BW drive cameras with halogen spotlights
• Colour zoom camera with spotlights for
• manipulator arm.
• Manoeuvrability chassis
• Wheeled or tracked module
• Adjustable front tracks for stair climbing/
• obstacle crossing
• Electric power pack

• End effector/arm
• Interchangeable manipulator
• arm/disrupter deployment module
• Manipulator arm has 5 degrees of
• freedom, including a rotating turret.
• Package
• Small and lightweight
• Number of optional add-ons
• High speed and robust

15
Future Developments

• Increasing use of Explosive ordinance disposal
  robots
• Mine Clearance
• Surveillance and Reconnaissance
• Hostage Rescue Observation Support
• Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Detection
  systems
• Incorporation of leading edge technologies,
  e.g.. Virtual
• reality head set control equipment
• Robots becoming more compact and
• versatile with development.
• Artificial Intelligence?

Virtual reality equipment
16
Automation in the Electronics Industry
ltInsert Picturegt
17
Traditional Electronic Production

• Reasons for Automation
• Accuracy
• Handling small components
• Pick and Place
• Repeatability
• Consistent Processing
• Minimise Human Error
• Processing Speed
• Assembly in Clean Environment
• Harsh Environment
• Hot solder
• Acid Dip tanks
• RSI - (Repetitive Strain Injury)

• lt pictures of people soldering / assemblegt

18
Applications - Positioning of Components

• Gripper
• Mechanical (jaws)
• Suction cup
• Types of Drive
• Electric
• Pneumatic

• Pick and place of components onto the circuit
  board
• Robot configuration
• Cartesian
• SCARA

19
Applications - Soldering of Components

• Conventional components / surface mount
• Robot configuration Polar Coordinate
• End Effector soldering iron with continuous
  solder feed
• Electrically driven
• Sensoring - Vision System

20
The Outlook - Micro Robots

• Used for component assembly on PCBs
• Pick and place of components
• Soldering components
• Control from central computer
• Advantages
• Simultaneous use of multiple robots
• Robot paths can cross over
• Robots can work in a team - communicate
  co-operate

21
Aerospace Industry

• Aerospace Industry
• Types of robot
• End effectors
• Common uses and applications

22
The Aerospace Industry

• Aerospace Companies generally have
• Very small production quantities.
• A large quantity of active part numbers for both
  current and out of date models.
• Very high tooling start-up costs.
• High Labour content, with manually operated and
  manipulated tools.
• Minimal opportunity to design for mechanism.
• Highly developed use of CAD/CAM techniques.

23
Manufacture and Assembly
Final Assembly - Low Volume - Static
Build Component Manufacture - Higher
Volume - High Automation
24
Component Manufacture

• High Volumes
• \ Highly Automated
• Electronic circuits/wiring
• Seating
• Small bought in parts
• Consistent Accuracy
• \ Highly Automated
• Composite fibre lay-up
• Parts with complex geometry

25
Aircraft Assembly

• Dimensional / quality inspection
• Airframe skin attachment
• Painting
• Jigless assembly
• Refurbishment
• Modifications
• Cleaning

26
In General Across Aerospace

• Companies Interested In Processing Capabilities
  As Opposed To Parts Handling
• e.g.. Spray Painting etc.
• Development towards Fully Integrated CAD / CAM
  Cells
• Removing Human Link In Programming Robot
• Hence Removing Error

27
Types of Robot Used

• Articulated robotic arms (e.g. welding,
  inspection)

28
Types of Robot Used

• Cartesian gantry (e.g. drilling holes for an
  aeroplane trail)

29
Types of Robot Used

• Selective Compliance Automatic Robot Arms (e.g.
  sub assemblies, pick and place)

30
Aerospace Robotic End Effectors

• CNC Aerodrill
• Drill and fill
• Fastner installation tool
• Aerorouter
• Fastner removal
• Stem Shaver
• Air router
• Aeroquick change
• Measurement tools

31
Common Uses and Applications

• Industrial use focuses on process handling such
  as complex positioning and assembly
• Drill and routing of aluminium sheet metal, also
  mating parts together and feeding the piece
  through an automatic riveter
• Accurate finishing processes on engine parts e.g.
  turbine blades

32
Conclusion Future

• Aerospace Industry Increasing
• Competition in Air Travel
• Lean Manufacture
• Higher Level of Automation

33
Robotics in Surgery

• The robots fit into one of two categories
  Passive or Active.
• Passive devices rely on an external operator to
  move them.
• Active devices move solely under computer control.

34
The Acrobot

• This procedure requires high accuracy.
• Acrobot is an active device but it is positioned
  by a passive one.
• It uses the Active Constraint Principal.
• Co-operates with surgeons by allowing them to
  work under force and spatial constraints.

35
The Bloodbot

• The procedure is to take blood samples from the
  forearm.
• Needle overshoot often occurs with the manual
  procedure.
• Robot prevents overshoot.

36
Open-heart Surgery

• Traditional
• High patient trauma
• High infection risk
• Long recovery
• Robot assisted
• Ribs intact, far less trauma
• Reduced infection risk
• Increased precision

37
Neurophysiological Monitoring

• Use of robotics
• Electrodes inserted into brain for monitoring
• Using robotics electrons can be positioned with
  accuracy of 50 microns
• Electrons can be advanced through brain in steps
  of 1 micron

38
Laparoscopic Surgery

• Robot assisted routine
• Used for gall-bladder,gynecological,chest and
  abdomen pin-hole surgery
• Robot hands manipulate fibre-optic light and
  camera while surgeon carries out surgery
• Voice controlled robot can hold tools steadier
  and longer than a human equivalent

39
Advantages of Robotic in Surgery

• Reduced costs after initial set-up
• Less chance of complications
• Eliminates surgeon fatigue and tremor

Robot training using sensorised glove
40
Future Advancements

• Increase Autonomy, walking away from the
  master-slave approach.
• Decrease operating times even further.
• Expand the use of the technology into more
  hospitals.

41
Future Advancements

• Increased dexterity.
• Reduce size of the technology.
• Future work involves the development of new
  technologies for producing powerful autonomous
  microrobots capable of moving within the human
  body.

42
The Use of Robots in Space
43
Space Robots

• Space robots originally pictured as Humanoid or
  Mechanical Men
• Nowadays applied to any device that works
  automatically, or by remote control.
• Particularly devices programmed to perform tasks
  normally done by people
• In space, robots perform tasks that are too dull,
  dirty, delicate or dangerous for people.

44
Space Robots - How they work?

• Similar in design to terrestrial robots.
• Each has controller, sensors, actuators, radio
  communications and power supply.

• Differences between space and earth robots
• Weightlessness. No need to support any weight,
  only required to apply accelerating /
  decelerating force, so can be much lighter.
• Reliability. On-site repairs are costly and
  difficult. Robots have Orbital Replacement Units
  (ORU) to allow modular repairs
• End effectors. Must have a hard contact point and
  a solid connection to prevent the target drifting
  away.

45
Space Robots Different types

• Exploration Reconnaissance.

• Space probes such as Galileo and Cassini fully
  merit the name of robots.
• They perform programmed tasks over long periods
  without direct human supervision.

• They operate in the vacuum of space withstanding
  exposure to radiation and extremes of
  temperature, where humans cannot explore.

46
Space Robots Different types

• Exploration Reconnaissance.

• Roving vehicles such as the Mars Sojourner
  explore planet surfaces autonomously, receiving
  periodic updates instructions.
• Control module based on insect behaviour.
• Modules are organised into a pecking order to
  avoid conflicts.

47
Space Robots Different types

• Astronaut Assistance.

• Robot Arm such as the Shuttle Remote Manipulator
  System.
• Deploys payloads and captures free floating or
  stationary objects for maintenance repair.

• All systems are designed to be maintained by
  humans.
• The robots make use of the existing tools, spare
  parts handholds.
• Consequently, space robots are designed to mimic
  human design movement.

48
Space Robots Different types

• Astronaut Assistance.

• Free Flying Television Camera.
• Used for remote inspections of the exterior of
  space stations spacecraft.
• Contains 2 TV cameras a floodlight.
• Steered by 12 nitrogen thrusters.
• Can operate continuously for 7 hours.

49
The Space Station Remote Manipulator System
(SSRMS) at the International Space Station (ISS).
50
Properties of the SSRMS.

• Multi-purpose manipulator arm.
• 17m long.
• Handling capacity of 100,000 kg due to the use of
  Servo Power Amplifiers at the joints.
• 3 segments and 7 joints combined with the ability
  to move along the Space Station give all over
  access for the primary use of servicing.

51
End Effector for the SSRMS.

• Equipped with
• Vision and force sensors.
• Control systems for astronauts performing space
  walks.

52
Mobile Serving System (MSS)
53
Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM)

• 15 degrees of freedom.
• 600 kg mass handling capacity.
• 3.5 m long.
• 1662 kg.
• Can attach to either the MBS or the SSRMS.

54
Orbital Replacement Unit/Tool Changeout
Mechanism (OTCM)

• Keyed parallel jaws.
• Retractable nut drive unit.
• An offset camera and light.

55
In Summary

• Various Applications.
• Relevant and crucial to all industrial / other
  sectors.
• In the next few weeks we will cover the building
  blocks.
• Learn the correct vocabulary.