Automation Equipment Types and Terms

  • Assembly equipment is used in the production process.
  • Assembly lines are manufacturing processes in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner.
  • Assembly machines are automated parts of the assembly process.
  • Automation equipment is the group of computerized machines used in manufacturing and packaging processes.
  • Automation systems can include assembly, laser marking, bulk feeder, material handling and injection molding systems, plastics processors, radial and axial inserters, component sequencers, chip component mounters, etc. Automation systems are used in a wide variety of industries, such as the manufacturing, pharmaceutical and consumer products industries.
  • Control systems guide or manipulate various elements in order to achieve a prescribed result.
  • Factory automation consists of different technologies, philosophies and disciplines, the combination of which varies from process to process and plant to plant. Factory automation systems can include controllers, SCADA software, operator interfaces, I/O, drives and communications networks.
  • Fastening systems include blind, threaded, non-threaded, concrete and general construction fastening systems. Fasteners, such as screws, nails, bolts and concrete anchors, connect two pieces together that would otherwise have been separate.
  • Hydraulic lifts (http://www.hydraulic-lifts.net) are work platforms used to raise and lower material, personnel and work pieces for loading and assembly positioning. Hydraulic lifts are crucial pieces of assembly machinery.
  • Machine automation refers to the computer-operated machines used in an assembly line.
  • Palletized conveyers are modular systems that use pallets, or trays, to move parts from one station to the next for machining or assembly processes.
  • Pneumatic grippers are parts of assembly machinery that are often lightweight and capable of handling and moving pieces along in the assembly process.
  • Robotic systems are often used in conjunction with automated assembly machinery. Robotic systems, whose benefits include re-programmability, handle more detailed assembly jobs and are designed to move material, parts, tools or specified devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.
  • Silk screen machines are a type of assembly machinery that produce a desired image onto various fabrics and textiles.
  • Synchronous chassis machines are often custom built machines for the assembly of pieces that include three or more parts. A rotating table, which rotates parts into position, is typically a part of the main machine.
  • Vibratory bowl feeders (http://www.vibratory-feeders.com),the most common type of parts feeder , has a vibrating and turning bowl with a  helical track that climbs the inside wall of the bowl into which parts are dumped. As the parts climb the track, they encounter barriers that adjust the parts in a certain way, making subsequent assembly easier.

Actuator - A device in a closed-loop control system that translates the control signal of the final control element into action by the control device.
 
Adjustable Speed - The concept of varying the speed of a motor, either manually or automatically. The desired operating speed (set speed) is relatively constant regardless of load.
 
Assembler - A program that translates assembly language into machine instructions.
 
Automation - Automatic, as opposed to human, operation or control of a process, equipment or a system. Automation also refers to the techniques and equipment used to achieve this automatic control.
 
Axis - Any movable part of a machine or system that requires controlled motion. Several axes of motion can be combined in a coordinated multi-axis system.
 
Bill of Material - A list of all the subassemblies, parts and raw materials of which a parent assembly consists.
 
CAD (Computer Aided Design) - Also called "CADD (computer aided design and drafting)," it is a system that can be integrated with a CAM system.
 
CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) - The use of computer technology to generate data to control part or all of a manufacturing process.
 
Calibration - The process of determining the capacity or scale graduations of a measuring instrument.
 
CIM (Computer-Integrated Manufacturing) - The use of computers in all facets of manufacturing.
 
Conveyor Belt (http://www.conveyorbelting.net) - A moving belt that transports objects along the assembly process.
 
Dark Factory - An entirely automated plant floor in which there is no labor.
 
FMC (Flexible Machine Centre) - Typically, an automated system comprised of CNC machines in which robots load and unload parts that are conveyed through the system.
 
JIT (Just-in-Time) - An approach to manufacturing in which each operation is closely synchronized with subsequent operations.
 
Load Cell (http://www.load-cells.org) - A transducer for the measurement of force or weight. Action is based on strain gages mounted within the cell on a force beam.
 
Network - Any system of computers and peripherals.
 
Proximity Switch - A device that senses the presence or absence of an object without physical contact and, in response, closes or opens circuit contacts.
 
RP (Rapid Prototyping) - An early step in the design process of assembly systems in which a small-scale prototype is developed to test out certain key features of the design. RP, which can include sketches, low-fidelity physical prototypes, CAD visualization, rapid application development or video prototyping, is extremely useful for large-scale projects, as it speeds up the entire development process.
 
Robotics - The study of the design and use of robots, particularly for their use in manufacturing and related processes.
 
Sensor - A device that measures the motion of, or forces/torques acting on, a body or joint.