Mass production is so common nowadays that some part in your daily appliances my actually come from the same factory. That is why the computers that you use are cheaper nowadays because of mass production.
While the production line helped to reduce the cost of goods and improve productivity, it had a few disadvantsges:
- Requires a large workfore
Because a production line has many step, it requires a large number of people to support these steps.
- Retivity boring work
Work in a production line is repetitive and tend to be boring.
Automation can overcome these disvadvantage.
กรอบ1
Automation occurs when machines are used to carry out a process or an activity with minimum human effort or supervision
In the early part of the 20th century, automation was initially done using mechanical machines. These machines were cleverly designed to perform only some parts of the production line automatically.
In the later parts of the 20th century, products became more complex and so did the production lines that produced them. Mechanical automation was no longer capable of doing many of the complex tasks.
One common way to achieve automation is by using machines that contain embedded processors. Embedded processors are found on circuit boards of computerised machines. Such machines include computers and robots.
กรอบ2
A processor is a part of the computer that follows instruction and caries out action. It is like the “brain” of a computer
หุ่นยนต์
A robot is a computer-controlled machine which can perform physical tasks, either automatically or by remote control. It usually has an arm-like structure with joints. Mostly, it is used perform dirty, dangerous, difficult, repetitive tasks or tasks that require accuracy and consistency
Benefits of Using Robots
There are some advantages of using robots:
- Because robots work at fast speeds, products are made in a shorter time. So, with robots, productivity is high
- Because robots are accurate and consistent, consistency and quality of products can be ensured.
- The costs of producing goods are reduced in the long run.
- Worker do not have to be exposed to conditions that are dangerous or harmful to their health.