Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Car Manufacture
Objectives
Have an understanding of how organizations use ICT. Be able to describe a number of uses, giving the hardware and software requirements. Be able to describe the applications that these uses can be put to.
Robotic arms are used extensively in car manufacture Robotic arms generally have 7 sections with 6 joints Each joint is controlled by an actuator (a stepper motor)
Stepper Motors
Normal DC motors spin either forwards or backwards when current is applied A stepper motor moves in very small steps instead It makes a precise number of stepped revolutions to move the robotic arm in very small increments to the correct position.
Paint car bodies Put on wheels Drill holes in car bodies Fix rivets Tighten bolts Assemble electrical circuits Insert engines
The computer controls the movement of the arm so that a variety of jobs can be carried out.
The jobs carried out depend on the end effector attached to the arm.
Camera
To inspect work Quality control purposes
Welding gun
To weld parts of the car body together Welding can be hazardous to humans
Vacuum cups
To pick up parts without obstructing the sides or bottom Small complex car parts
Windscreens/ flat sheets of metal etc
Drills
To make holes in the car body
Screwdrivers
Also spanners and riveters To place and tighten screws, nuts, bolts and rivets
Spray guns
To paint the car body Paint fumes are dangerous to humans
Sanders/polishers
To produce a shiny finish after painting
End effectors
A robot arm can have any of the previous end effectors If the end effector is changed, the programming must also be changed
Greater accuracy than a human Lower running costs compared with paying a human Do not get tired Work is consistent standard Continuous process, no need for breaks or shift changes