VMKV ENGINEERING COLLEGE, SALEM

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING COURSE

UNIT V - APPLICATIONS
Application of robots - Material handling - Machine loading and unloading, Assembly, Inspection, Welding, Spray
painting, Mobile robot - Recent developments in robotics- safety considerations- Application in Aeronautical
Engineering.
PART A
1. What are the characteristic of places a robot may substitute humans?
Ans.

2. What are the three types of applications robots are mainly used?
Ans. Robots are being used mainly in three types of applications: material handling; processing operations;
and assembly and inspection.
3. What do you mean by material handling?
Ans. In material handling robots move parts between various locations by means of a gripper type end
effector.
4. What are the different types of material handling operation?
Ans. Two sub-divisions may be noted in material handling: material transfer; and machine loading and/or
unloading.
5. Write some applications of AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle).
Ans. i. Driverless train operations
ii. Storage distribution system
iii. Assembly line operation
iv. FMS (Flexible Manufacturing System)
6. What are the types of AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle)?
Ans. i. Towing vehicles ii. Unit load vehicles
iii. Pallet trucks iv. Fork trucks
v. Light load Vehicles vi. Assembly line vehicles.
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AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING COURSE

7. List out the steps to be followed by an organization in order to implement robot programs in its operations.
Ans. i. Initial familiarization with the technology
ii. Plant survey to identify potential applications
iii. Selection of the application
iv. Selection of the robot
v. Detailed economic analysis and capital authorization
vi. Planning and engineering the installation
vii. Installation
8. What are the typical technical specifications required for material transfer?
Ans. i. Number of axes: 3 to 5
ii. Control system: limited sequence or point-to-point playback
iii. Drive system: pneumatic or hydraulic
iv. Programming: manual, powered lead through
9. What are the general characteristics of environment that make potential robot application technically
practical and economically feasible?
Ans. 1) Hazardous or uncomfortable working conditions
2) Repetitive operations
3) Difficult handling jobs
4) Multicast operation
10. What do you mean by RGV (Rail Guided Vehicle)?
Ans. Motorised vehicles that are guided by a fixed rail system constitute a third category of material
transport systems called Rail Guided Vehicle. If the system uses just one rail it is called a monorail system;
whereas it can also consist of a two-rail system.
11. Define welding process.
Ans. Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics,
by causing fusion, which is distinct from lower temperature metal-joining techniques such as brazing and
soldering, which do not melt the base metal.
12. What are the various types of welding a robot is used for?
Ans. There are more than thirty different types of welding, from simple oxy-fuel (using a flame) welding to
high-tech processes such as laser beam welding. The four most commonly used welding processes are
MIG, TIG, Stick and Flux- Cored arc welding. Though these processes can be done by automated
equipment, they are mostly practiced by trained welders also.
13. What do you mean by loading and unloading of a machine?
Ans. Machine loading:
In this operation, the robot loads raw work parts in the machine, and some other systems are used
to unload the finished work parts from the machine.
Example: In a press working process, a robot is used to load the sheet metal in the press, and the
finished work parts are removed from the press with the help of gravity.
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AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING COURSE

Machine unloading:
In machine unloading, the finished work parts are unloaded from the machine by a robot, while the
loading of raw materials are done without any robot support.
Example: Plastic modeling and die casting.
Machine load and unload:
In this process, a robot performs both loading and unloading of work parts in and from the machine.
Example: Machining operation.
14. What are the inspection techniques a robot is used for?
Ans. There are different kinds of robotic solutions in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, ranging
from subsea systems that are remotely operated to mobile robotic systems for topside use that perform
inspection and maintenance operations on assets.
Systems range from tailor-made solutions by inspection companies (and are therefore not
commercially available) to commercially available inspection systems. The majority of these robotic
systems have implemented a limited number of inspection technologies; these include, amongst others,
visual and camera systems (most of the robot systems are fitted with visual inspection systems), Ultrasonic
sensors for thickness gauging, and magnetic or electromagnetic systems.
15. What do you mean by MARS ROVER?
Ans. NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission is an ongoing robotic space mission involving two
Mars rovers robots, Spirit and Opportunity, exploring the planet Mars. It began in 2003 with the sending
of the two rovers: MER-A Spirit and MER-B Opportunity—to explore the Martian surface and geology.
16. What do you mean by mobile robot?
Ans. A mobile robot is an automatic machine that is capable of locomotion. A spying robot is an example
of a mobile robot capable of movement in a given environment. Mobile robots have the capability to
move around in their environment and are not fixed to one physical location.
17. List out the types of a mobile robot?
Ans. Mobile robots may be classified by:
• The environment in which they travel:
o Land or home robots are usually referred to as Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs).
They are most commonly wheeled or tracked, but also include legged robots with two or
more legs (humanoid, or resembling animals or insects).
o Delivery & Transportation robots can move materials and supplies through a work
environment
o Aerial robots are usually referred to as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
o Underwater robots are usually called autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)
o Polar robots, designed to navigate icy, crevasse filled environments.
• The device they use to move, mainly:
o Legged robot : human-like legs (i.e. an android) or animal-like legs.
o Wheeled robot.
o Tracks.
 VMKV ENGINEERING COLLEGE, SALEM
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING COURSE

18. List out the capabilities required in a mobile robot.

Ans. i. Means of locomotion, i.e., wheels, legs, wings, etc.
ii. Navigation, i.e., line following, target seeking, obstacle avoidance, navigation using maps,
map building, self localization, etc.
Mobile robots have the capability to move around in their environment and are not fixed to one
physical location. Mobile robots can be "autonomous" (AMR - autonomous mobile robot) which means
they are capable of navigating an uncontrolled environment without the need for physical or electro-
mechanical guidance devices.
Alternatively, mobile robots can rely on guidance devices that allow them to travel a pre-defined
navigation route in relatively controlled space (AGV - autonomous guided vehicle). By contrast, industrial
robots are usually more-or-less stationary, consisting of a jointed arm (multi-linked manipulator) and
gripper assembly (or end effector), attached to a fixed surface.
19. Write any four advantages of a mobile robot?
Ans. The major advantages of mobile robots are:
i. Prepared surface not essential
ii. Continuous surface not essential
iii. Legged mobile robots can work in environments designed for human beings where
wheeled robots cannot be used.
iv. Active suspension
v. Can be made contaminant proof by clothing
Disadvantages:
i. Greater complexity of hardware
ii. Greater demand on actuator due to self weight
iii. Greater complexity of control and coordination.
The major advantages of robots are:
– Decreased labor costs
– Increased precision and productivity
– Increased flexibility compared with specialised machines.
– Robots can perform dull, repetitive jobs.
– Robots can operate in hazardous environments.
– Can change location for new task.
20. List out four design specifications of NATRAJ robot developed by IIT Bombay.
Ans. Broad design specifications for Nataraj:
i. Walking speed 0.2 m/s on level ground.
ii. Climb steps of 0.5 m height.
iii. Climb ramps of 15 deg incline.
iv. Weight 200 Kgf with standard payload.
v. Prototype development in Rs. 2 millions.