Manufacturing

Computer-controlled manufacturing has revolutionized the way products are

made. Modern factories are full of robots; everything is automated.
In a modern factory the only people you will see are a few engineers who are
responsible for keeping the robots and other machinery running smoothly.
This is very different to old factories, where everything was done manually by
human workers.
What is an Industrial Robot?
When you think of the word 'robot', you might picture a human-shaped robot
with arms, legs and a head - the sort you see in sci-fi films. However this is not
how the sort of robots used in factories look.
Robots used in factories are called industrial robots, and they come in a wide
variety of shapes and sizes.
The most common type of industrial robot looks a little bit like a human arm.
The robot has joints (like our shoulder, elbow, and wrist) and some sort of
manipulator / device on the end of the arm (where our hand would be).
The robot's joints are powered by very strong electric motors. These motors are
controlled by a computer.
How Are Robots Used in a Factory?
Robots in factories are used to:

lift heavy items into from place to place

assemble parts together to create things

join parts together using glue, or by welding (melting metal)

paint things

Robots often work in groups, one robot holding a part, whilst another robot
does something to it.
How Do Computers Control Robots and Production Lines?

In the case of factory production lines the control system consists of:
Sensors
Sensors (inputs to the computer) detect what is happening on the production
line, and send data to the computer so that it can decide what to do.
Examples of sensors would be:

Switches / buttons - detect if something is touching them

Pressure sensors - detect if something is pressing down on them

Light sensors - detect if something is present (blocks the light)

Temperature sensors - detect if items are hot/cool enough

Liquid level sensors - detect how much liquid is in a container

Cameras - detect the shape / color of objects

Process
The control software running on the computer is the process. It takes the data
from the sensors, checks if anything needs to be done, then turns on/off
various actuators to make things happen.
For example, in a soft-drink factory, the production line involves filling bottles
with fluid (drink!)
1. The computer would make sure that a bottle was in place (using data
from a pressure sensor, alight sensor, or a camera) and then turn on the
fluid control valve.

2. The data from a fluid level sensor would be checked to see if the bottle
was full. When it was full, the computer would turn off the fluid control
valve.
3. These steps would then be repeated for the next bottle, and so on.
In a typical production line, there will be hundreds of sensors and dozens of
actuators, all connected to computers (often a large network of computers)
Actuators
Actuators (outputs form the computer) are the devices that make things
happen on the production line: robots picking things up, conveyor belts
moving, etc.
Examples of actuators would be:

Motors - used to make almost everything move, from the joints of robot
arms, to the motion of conveyor belts.

Valves - to turn on/off the flow of paint, etc.

Relays (electrically operated switches) - turn on/off devices like welders

Why Use Computer-Controlled Robots?

The robots used in factories are very expensive. Many of the larger ones can
cost as much as $500,000. And some factories have dozens of robots.
So why would a factory owner spend so much money on these expensive
machines?
There are a number of reasons that robots are used:

Robots can work 24 hours a day, every day, with no breaks

Robots don't need to be paid a wage (so money is saved)

Robots are extremely accurate compared to humans, so product quality

is high

Robots can perform tasks more quickly than humans, so more

products can be made

Factories with robots don't need to be heated or even have the lights on,
and they don't need food (so lower day-to-day costs)

Robots can work in very dangerous / unhealthy conditions (e.g. with

dangerous chemicals)

Robots don't get bored / hate their job!

There are some downsides to the use of robots in factories:

Robots are cannot easily adapt to unusual conditions like a human can
(e.g. if an item on the line is not in the correct place, a human worker
would notice and correct it)

People are made unemployed because robots are doing their jobs
(however some new jobs are created - looking after the robots - and
some employees can be retrained)

People are deskilled (this means that, because the robots are doing the
complex, skilled tasks that the people used to do, the people are left
doing simple, boring jobs)

The robots are very expensive, and it can take several years to pay for
them (paying with the savings made by not paying any wages)

ICT in industry
Computer-aided design (CAD) is now common in industry. ICT is most
often used in mass production, as computer control makes it possible to
produce many identical items very quickly. But ICT is also useful in small
batch and even one-off work, as computer control enables complicated
shapes to be produced more accurately than by hand.
ICT in design
ICT can help with designing products in many ways:

Drawings, graphics and diagrams can be produced and edited using

graphics or design software.

Writing and drawings can be combined using desk-top publishing (DTP)

software.

Pictures of existing products can be scanned and used in graphics,

photo-editing or DTP software.

Database packages can be used to record and analyse survey data.

Spreadsheet software can be used to make Gantt or other planning

charts, to produce graphs and charts, and to help with costing projects.
ICT in production
ICT can help with the making of products in the following ways:

Shapes printed onto card can be used for templates.

Text printed out can be glued onto sheet material and cut out.

Machines for cutting card and self-adhesive vinyl sheet can be used to
cut letters or shapes. Complicated shapes can be cut more easily by
machine than by hand.

Computer-controlled lathes can make a number of identical turned parts.

Computer-controlled milling machines can cut out shapes more easily

than by hand, especially recesses in materials. Complicated shapes can
be cut more easily than by hand.

Parts which have fine detail, or need to have accurately fitting parts, can
be made more accurately than by hand or manual machine methods.
Home automation
Home automation refers to the use of computer and information
technology to control home appliances and features (such as windows or
lighting). Systems can range from simple remote control of lighting
through to complex computer/micro-controller based networks with
varying degrees of intelligence and automation. Home automation is
adopted for reasons of ease, security and energy efficiency.
In modern construction in industrialized nations, most homes have been
wired for electrical power, telephones, TV outlets (cable or antenna), and
a doorbell. Many household tasks were automated by the development
of specialized automated appliances. For instance, automatic washing
machines were developed to reduce the manual labor of cleaning
clothes, and water heaters reduced the labor necessary for bathing.
The use of gaseous or liquid fuels, and later the use of electricity
enabled increased automation in heating, reducing the labor necessary
to manually refuel heaters and stoves. Development of thermostats
allowed more automated control of heating, and later cooling.
As the number of controllable devices in the home rises, interconnection
and communication becomes a useful and desirable feature. For
example, a furnace can send an alert message when it needs cleaning,
or a refrigerator when it needs service. If no one is supposed to be home
and the alarm system is set, the home automation system could call the
owner, or the neighbors, or an emergency number if an intruder is
detected.
In simple installations, automation may be as straightforward as turning
on the lights when a person enters the room. In advanced installations,
rooms can sense not only the presence of a person inside but know who
that person is and perhaps set appropriate lighting, temperature, music
levels or television channels, taking into account the day of the week,
the time of day, and other factors.
Other automated tasks may include reduced setting of the heating or air
conditioning when the house is unoccupied, and restoring the normal
setting when an occupant is about to return. More sophisticated systems
can maintain an inventory of products, recording their usage through bar
codes, or an RFID tag, and prepare a shopping list or even automatically
order replacements.

Home automation can also provide a remote interface to home

appliances or the automation system itself, to provide control and
monitoring on a smartphone or web browser.
An example of remote monitoring in home automation could be triggered
when a smoke detector detects a fire or smoke condition, causing all
lights in the house to blink to alert any occupants of the house to the
possible emergency. If the house is equipped with a home theater, a
home automation system can shut down all audio and video components
to avoid distractions, or make an audible announcement. The system
could also call the home owner on their mobile phone to alert them, or
call the fire department or alarm monitoring company.
System elements
Home automation systems include the following types of devices.

Sensors to measure or detect things like temperature, humidity,

daylight or motion.

Controllers such as a PC or a dedicated home automation controller,

Actuators such as motorized valves, light switches and motors.

Buses for communication that can be wired or wireless.

Interfaces for human-machine and/or machine-to-machine interaction.

One or more human-machine and/or machine-to-machine interface
devices are required, so that the residents of the home can interact with
the system for monitoring and control; this may be a specialized terminal
or, increasingly, may be an application running on a smart phone or
tablet computer. Devices may communicate over dedicated wiring, or
over a wired network, or wirelessly using one or more protocols. Building
automation networks developed for institutional or commercial buildings
may be adapted to control in individual residences. A centralized
controller can be used, or multiple intelligent devices can be distributed
around the home
Tasks[edit]
HVAC
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can include
temperature and humidity control, including fresh air heating and natural
cooling. An Internet-controlled thermostat allows the homeowner to
control the building's heating and air conditioning systems remotely. The
system may automatically open and close windows to cool the house.
Lighting

Home automation products can be used for something as simple as

adding Multiway switching to existing electric lighting circuits, or can
include very complex interactions with other systems.
A Lighting control system can be used to switch lights based on a time
cycle, or arranged to automatically go out when a room is unoccupied.
Some electronically controlled lamps can be controlled for brightness or
color to provide different light levels for different tasks. Lighting can be
controlled remotely by a wireless control or over the Internet. Natural
lighting (daylighting) can be used to automatically control window
shades and draperies to make best use of natural light.
On the residential market, Z-Wave, Insteon and the older X10 protocol
are very commonly used for lighting automation.
Audio-visual
This category includes audio and video switching and distribution.
Multiple audio or video sources can be selected and distributed to one or
more rooms and can be linked with lighting and blinds to provide mood
settings.
Shading
Automatic control of blinds and curtains can be used for:

Presence simulation

Privacy

Temperature control

Brightness control

Glare control

Security (in case of shutters)

Security
A household security system integrated with a home automation system
can provide additional services such as remote surveillance of security
cameras over the Internet, or central locking of all perimeter doors and
windows.[16]
With home automation, the user can select and watch cameras live from
an Internet source to their home or business. Security systems can
include motion sensors that will detect any kind of unauthorized
movement and notify the user through the security system or via cell
phone.
The automation system can simulate the appearance of an occupied
home by automatically adjusting lighting or window coverings. Detection
systems such as fire alarm, gas leak, carbon monoxide, or water leaks

can be integrated. Personal medical alarm systems allow an injured

home occupant to summon help.
Intercoms
An intercom system allows communication via a microphone and loud
speaker between multiple rooms. Integration of the intercom to
the telephone, or of the video door entry system to the television set,
allowing the residents to view the door camera automatically.
Domotics[edit]
Journalist Bruno de Latour coined the term domotic in
1984. Domotic has been recently introduced in vocabulary as a
composite word of Latin word domus and informatics and it refers
to intelligent houses meaning the use of the automation technologies
and computer science applied to the home.
The term covers a range of applications of information technology to the
problems of home automation.
Domotics is the study of the realization of an intelligent home
environment.
Digital Home includes home
automation, multimedia, telecommunications, e-commerce, etc.
through home networks Domotics and home automation means that
systems talk to each other for improved convenience, efficiency and
safety.
Other systems
Using special hardware, almost any household appliance can be monitored and
controlled automatically or remotely, including cooking appliances, swimming
pool systems, and others.