Control In The Motor Industry Essay, Research Paper
Control in the Motor Industry To: Browns Motor Company From: x (IT Consultant for Control Systems
Ltd) You can use control in
industry to quicken the process of designing and manufacturing products. You
can use a computer program to design products, and to send out instructions to
make a machine operate in a particular way. Computer Aided Design Engineers and designers to
help plan and construct things such as ships, bridges, roads, and in the case
of the motor industry, cars, use Computer Aided Design (CAD). CAD software contains many
features allowing you to: ¤ Calculate
dimensions ¤ Draw
objects in 2D, and display them as solid objects ¤ View
objects from different angles ¤ Rotate
drawings ¤ Simulate
and test the finished design Using CAD software, designers
can see any problems with the design before making is started. The following resources can be
used to carry out CAD: ¤ Database?
Used to hold co-ordinates for detailed drawings ¤ Keyboard
& Mouse? Used to input co-ordinates for lines into the system, the mouse
also allows you to move the cursor and click on things on the screen. ¤ Graphics
tablet? A flat pad, which is drawn on with a special pen. The surface is touch
sensitive, movement is transferred to the monitor ¤ Scanner?
Can be used to input text and designs into the computer ¤ Digitiser?
Converts video signals into the computer from a video camera ¤ Joystick?
A joystick can be used to input dimensions into the computer To display your design you
need to use the following devices: ¤ Screen? A
monitor with a high resolution should be used to give a clear image ¤ Printer?
Most suitable would be an ink jet or laser printer ¤ Plotter? A
computer controlled arm moves the pen up and down, and plotters can also be
used to cut out shapes from material ¤ 3D-model
maker? A machine that takes a 3D object, then makes a model using laser beams
on a material. The benefits of CAD are as
follows: ¤ Drawings
can be completed faster ¤ Changes can
be made quickly, without you having to begin the design again ¤ You can
zoom into the image to allow you to pay attention to fine detail However CAD does have it?s
downfalls, which are the following: ¤ All the
work could be lost if the system crashes ¤ Training
staff to use the software is expensive ¤ Purchasing
equipment and software needed is often costly ¤ Skilled
computer operators are needed Computer Aided Manufacture CAM, or Computer Aided
Manufacture is a process of helping stages of the process of production using
computers. This is useful because: ¤ It speeds
up the process of production ¤ Less workers
need to be employed ¤ People do
not need to be employed to complete tedious and boring tasks ¤ Less
mistakes are made, and a high quality product is manufactured ¤ Less
accidents are likely to happen, which makes the factory a safer place ¤ Machines
can work 24 hours a day, increasing output, which will in turn increase sales
and profit However there are some
negative points to using Computer Aided Manufacture: ¤ Machines
needed can be very expensive ¤ In the case
of machines breaking down, repair can be costly You can use Computer Aided
Design and Computer Aided Manufacture together to decrease manufacturing and
increase time, costs, and sales greatly. You can use CAD to design the
car and then pass the instructions to the CAM machines for the manufacture of the
cars. Fewer errors will be made,
money is saved, fewer people need to be employed, and the time take to design
and make the vehicle is cut drastically.