The automation of production

1. __________

It is a matter of common knowledge nowadays that the principal direction of the present-day scientific and technological progress consists in the revolution of mechanized forms of work through the automation of production. The words “automation”, “automatic control” appeared on the pages of the press and scientific publications in the early forties of the 20^th century. Soon automatic control was recognized throughout the world to be a new, progressive, independent branch of science and engineering. Today one cannot imagine technical progress without automation.

2. __________

Automation may be defined as “the accomplishment of a job by an integrated mechanism with a minimum assistance of any kind”. In fact, automation is the integration of four independent compounds which have been linked together into a single process. These integral parts of automation are: transfer machining, automatic assembly, communication engineering and control engineering.

3. __________

Automation is not a mere extension of mechanization, but a qualitatively new step in technological development. It brought about radical changes in the technological nature of the relationship between man and machine. In mechanization the function of the direct effect on the object of labour was transferred to the working mechanism. Here, man remained the principal agent of the technological process and retained the functions of control, regulation, maintaining machines and direct intervention in the production process. With the advent of automation these functions were transferred to the mechanical device. The automation of production enables man to operate machines with the help of other machines. Now machines discharge not only production but also intellectual, and in some cases even physiological functions.

4. __________

Our country has many thousands of comprehensively mechanized and automated enterprises and workshops. The mechanized and automated production lines replace or lighten the work of a tremendous number of workers. All the hydropower plants in the country have been completely automated. Every year thousands of automated control systems go into operation at agricultural, communication, trade, transport enterprises and organizations.

5. __________

Modern means of automation make it possible to link up in a single complex the whole technological chain: machine designing, equipment and rigging, control of a technological process, control of the whole enterprise. This has been made possible due to the extensive development and mass production of new types of computer technology, from large computers to microprocessors.

Comprehensive automation calls for material inputs and time. But the economic effect from the release of “living labour”, the intensification of production, the higher quality of output and more flexible technology make up for the inputs, while, on the social plane, it gives opportunities for creative work for the makers of this technology and its users.

Thus, now the main trend in automation is developing not merely automatic machines, but entire technological processes and systems whose functioning excludes the direct involvement of men.

6. __________

Complex automation makes an important impact on social, economic and political areas. Automation contributes to a steady rise in the material and cultural well-being of people, to a substantial increase in the living standards of people. The automation helps to obliterate the frontiers separating brain work from physical labour. It creates a basis for raising the intellectual level, for the all-round and harmonious development of the individual and his unprecedented cultural flowering.

Task 5.

Find in the text equivalents to the following words and word combinations:

науково-технічний прогрес, автоматизація виробництва, автоматичне управління, незалежна галузь науки, машинобудування, виконання роботи, автоматична збірка, організація технічного контролю, основний елемент, механічний прилад, автоматизовані підприємства, гідроелектростанція, техніка зв’язку, управління технологічним процесом.

Task 6.

Translate the following words and word combinations into Ukrainian:

principal direction, automatic control, independent branch of science and engineering, the accomplishment of a job, minimum assistance, transfer machining, automatic assembly, control engineering, principal agent, direct intervention in production process, mechanical device, mechanized and automated enterprises and workshops, production lines, agricultural, communication, trade, transport enterprises, machine designing, equipment and rigging, control of the whole enterprise, well-being of the people.

Task 7.	Make up word combinations with the following words and translate them into Ukrainian:
	1. harmonious	a) agent
	2. brain	b) technology
	3. working	c) chain
	4. principal	d) control
	5. computer	e) mechanism
	6. technological	f) function
	7. automatic	g) development
	8. physiological	h) work

Task 8.

Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Науково-технічний прогрес зробив можливим перехід від механічного до автоматичного виробництва.

2. Техніка зв’язку є невід’ємною частиною автоматизації.

3. На автоматизованому виробництві людина керує машинами за допомогою інших машин.

4. Зараз машини виконують всю людську роботу, від розробки до кінцевого виробництва.

5. Всі гідроелектростанції управляються автоматично, без людського втручання.

6. Автоматизація виробництва дала людині можливість працювати більш креативно.

Task 9

Fill in the blanks with the, a, an where necessary:

1. ____ air is essential for life.

2. Most of ____ great inventors live and work in ____ Ukraine.

3. He gives lectures twice ____ week.

4. He traveled by ____ train.

5. There are many completely automated enterprises in ___ Kyiv.

6. Fleming discovered penicillin in ____ evening.

Task 10.	Answer the following questions:
1. What does present-day scientific and technological progress consists in?
2. How can automation be defined?
3. What are the integral parts of automation?
4. What functions are transferred to a mechanical device with the advent of automation?
5. Where are automated control systems used?
6. How do you understand the term “single complex”?
7. What is the impact of complex automation on social, economic and political spheres?

Task 11.

Make up the sentences about automation by matching the words in columns. Prepare a short review “What is Automation?” using these sentences:

Automation

	a) entire technological processes and systems.
1. brought about	b) to a steady rise in the material and cultural well-being of the people.
2. transfers	c) radical changes in the technological nature of the relationship between man and machine.
3. develops	d) the boundaries between brain work and physical labour.
4. makes	e) functions of control to the mechanical device.
5. contributes	f) a basis for a harmonious development of the individual.
6. erases	g) an important impact on social, economic and political areas.
7. creates	h) such integral parts: transfer machining, automatic assembly, communication engineering and control engineering.

Task 12.	Write a short composition on the topic: “The Impact of Automation on People’s Life”. Such information can be included:
Ø the influence of automation on social, economic and political areas; Ø the contribution of automation to a steady rise in the material and cultural well-being of the people; Ø the increase in the living standards of people; Ø the obliteration of the frontiers separating brain work from physical labour; Ø the creation of a basis for raising the intellectual level of people; Ø the assistance in the harmonious development of the individual, etc. Words and word combinations to be memorized:
	accomplishment	виконання
	to appear	з’являтися, виникати
	assistance	підтримка, допомога
	automatic control	автоматичне управління
	called for	покликаний, призначений для
	to change	змінювати
	communication engineering	техніка зв’язку
	comprehensive automation	комплексна автоматизація
	control engineering	техніка автоматичного управління
	to define	визначати, давати визначення
	direct effect	безпосередній вплив
	to enable	робити можливим
	frontier	межа
	hydropower plant	гідроелектростанція
	to imagine	уявляти, припускати
	impact	вплив
	intellectual level	інтелектуальний рівень
	intervention	втручання
	involvement	участь
	to lighten	полегшувати, спрощувати
	to link up	з’єднувати
	principal	головний, основний
	relationship	відносини
	technological chain	технологічний ланцюг
	tremendous number	велика кількість

UNIT 8	AUTOMATION II
Task 1.	Imagine that you are the director of a big industrial plant? How does it work? How many people do you employ? What does the number of people depend on? Present your thoughts in a few words.

Task 2.

Discuss in your group what automatic control is and try to give the definition of it.

Task 3.

Read about automatic control in industry and fill in appropriate headings to each abstract.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16