英 文 翻 譯 INTRODUCTION TO MECHATRONICS1: What Is “Mechatronics“?“Michatronics“ is a term coined by the Japanese to describe the integration of mechanicaland electronics engineering. The concept may seem to be anything but new ,since we can alllook around us and see a myriad of products that utilize both mechanical and electronic dis- cipplines. Mechatronics,however ,specifically refers to a multidisciplined ,integrated approachto product and manufacturing system design .It represents the next generation of machines,robots ,and smart mechanisms necessary for carrying out work in a variety of environments-primarily ,factory automation ,office automation ,and home automation as show in Figure 1.By both implication and application ,mechatronics represents a new level of integration for advanced manufacturing technology and processes .The intent is to force a multidisciplinary approach to these syetems as well as to reemphasize the role of process understanding and control .This mechatronic approach is currently speeding up the already-rapid Japanese processfor trasforming ideas into products .Currently ,mechatronics describes the Japanese practice of useing fully intefrated teams of product designers ,manufactring, purchasing, and marketing personnel acting in concert witheach other to design both the product and the manufacturing syestem.The Japanese recognized that the future in producdtion innovation would belong to those who learned how to optimize the marriage beween eletronic and mechanical systems.They realized,inparticular ,that the need for this optimizatong would be most intense in application of advanced manufacturing and production systems where artificial intelligence ,expertsystems ,smart robots, and advanced manufacturing technology systems would create the next generation of tools to be used in the factory of the future.From the very beginnings of recorded time ,mechanical systems have found their way into everyaspect of our society .Our simplest mechanisms ,such as gears ,pulleys, springs,and wheeles.have provided the basis for our tools .Our electronics technology,on the other hand ,is completelytwentieth-century ,all of it created within the past 75 years.Until now ,electronics were included to enhance mechanical systems' performance ,but the emphasis remained on the mechanical product .There had never been any master plan on how the integration would be done .In the past ,it had been done on a case -by-case basis .More recently,however,because of the overwhelming advances in the world of electronics and its capability to physically simplify mechanical configurations ,the technical community began to reassessthe marriage between these two disciplines.The most obvious trend in the direction of mechatronic innovation can be observed in the automobile industry .There was atime when a car was primarily a mechanical marvel with afew electronic appendages.First came the starter motor ,and then the generator ,each making the original product a bit better than it was before .Then came solid-state electronics,and suddenly the mechanical marvelbecame an electro-mechanical marvel .Today's machine is controlled by microprocessors ,built byrobots ,and fault-an-alyzed by a computer connected to its “external interface connector“.Automotive mechanical engineers are no longer the masters of their creations.The process that describes the evolution of the autimibile is somewhat typical of other productds in our society.Electronics has repeatedly improved the performance of mechanical systems ,but that innovation has been more by serendipity than by design .And that is the essenceof mechatronica the preplanned application of ,and the efficient integration of,mechanicaland electronics technology to create an optimum product.A recent U.S. Department of Commerce report entitled “JTECH Panel Report on Mechatronics in Japan“compared U.S and Japanese research and development trends in specific areas of mechatronics technology.Except for afew areas ,the technology necessary to accomplish the development ofthe next generation of systems embodying the principles of mechatronics is fully within the technological reach of the Japanede .Comparisons were made in three categories :basic research ,asvanced development, and productimplementation.Except for machine vision and software ,Japanese basic research was comparable to the United States,with the Japanese closing in fase on macchine vision system technology.Japanese artificial intelligence research is falling behind ,primarily because the Japanese donot consider it an essential ingredient of their future systems ,they appear capable of closing even that gap,if required .In the advanced development and product implementation areas,Japanis equal to or better than the United States,and is continuing to pull ahead at this time .The Department of Commerce report concleuded that Japan is maintaining itsposition and isin some cases gaining ground over the United States in the application of mechatronics .Theirprogress in mechatrinics is important because it addresses the very means for next generationof data -driven advanced design and manufacturing technology. In fact ,the Department of Commerce repert cincludes that this has created a regenrative effect on Japan's manufacturing industries.TO clese the gap ,we will need to go much further than creating new tools .If we acceptthe fact that mechanical systems optimally coupled with eletronics components will be the waveof the future ,then we must also understand that the pipple effect will be felt all the way backto the university,where we now keep the two disciplines of mechanics and eletronics separated andallow them to meet only in occasional overview sessions .New curricula must be create fir a newhybrid engineer a mechatronics engineer .Only then can we be assured that future generations of product designers and manufactuiing engineers will full seek excellence in these new techniques.We need to rethink our present day approach of separating our engineering staffs both andfrom each other and from the producting engineers .Living together and communicating individualknowledge will be the key to optimum designs and new product development .The definition of mechatronics is much more significant than its combined words imply .It can physically turn engineering and manufacturing upside down. It will change the way we design and produce the next generating of high technology products.The nation that fully implements the rediments of mechatronics and vigorousely pursues it will lead the word to a new generation of technology innovation with all its profound implications.2.Benefits Of MechatronicsMechatronics may sound like utopia to many product and manufacturing managers it is often presented as the solution to nearly all of the problems in manufacturing . In particular ,it promises to increase productivity in the factory dramatically.Design changes are easy with extensive use of mechatronic elements such as CAD; CAP and MIS systems help in scheduling ; and flexible manufacturing systems ,computer-aided design ,and computer –integrated manufacturing equipment cut turnaround time for manufacturing .These subsystems minimize production costs and greatlu increase equipment utilization .Connections from CAE,CAD, and CAM help create designs that are economical to manufacture ;cintrol and communications are improved,with minimal paper flow; and CAM equipment minimizes time loss due to setup and materials handling.Many companies that make extensive use of computers view their factories as examples of mechateonic concepes, but on close wxamination their integration is horizontal-in the manufacturing area only –or at best includes primarily manufacturing and managemengt .General Electric ,as part of its effort to become a major bendor of factory automation systems ,including its Erie Locomotive Plant, its Scjenectady Steam Turbine Plant, and its Charlottesville Controls Manufacturing Division. The primary benefits of mechatronics, with an emphasis on advanced manufacturing technology and factory automation ,are summarized below.High Capitial Equipment Utilization Typically , the throughput for a set of machines in a mechatronics system will be up to three times that for the same machines in a stand-alone job shop environment . The mechatronic system achieves high efficiency by having the computer schedule every part to a machine as soon as it is free , simultaneously moving the part on the automated material handling system and downloading the appropriate computer program to the machine . In addition , the part arrives at a machine already fixtured on a pallet (this is done at a separate work station )so that the machine does not have to wait while the part is set up .Reduced Capital Equipment CostsThe high utilization of eqipment results in the need for fewer machines in the mechatronic system to do the same work load as in a conventional systenm . Reductions of 3:1 are common when replaceing machining centers in a job-shop situation with a mechatronic system. Reduced Direct Labor Costs Since each machine is completely under computer control ,full-time oversight is not repaired . Direct labor can be reduced to the less skilled personnel who fixture and defixture the parts at the work station ,and a machinist to oversee or repair the work stations ,plus the system supervisor . While the fixturing personnel in mechatronic environments require less advanced skills than corresponding workers in conventional factories , labor cost reduction is somewhat offset by the need for computing and other skills which may not be required in traditional workplaces.Reduced Work-in –Process Inventory and Lead TimeThe reduction of work –in-process in a mechatronic system is quite dramatic when compared to a job-shop environment . Reductions of 80 percent have been reported at some installations and may be attributed to a variety of factors which reduce the time a part waits for metal-cutting operations. These factors include concentration of all the equipment required to produce part into a small area ;reduction in the number of fixtures required ;reduction in the number of machines a part must travel through because processes are combined in work cells ; and efficient computer scheduling of parts batched into and within the mechatronic system.Responsiveness to Changing Production RequirementsA mechatronicsystem has the inherent flexibility to manufacture different products as the demands of the demands of the marketplace change or as engineering design changes are introduced .Furthermore , required spare part production can be mixed into regular runs without significantly disrupting the normal mechatronic system production activities.Abulity to Maintain ProdutionMany mechatronic system are designed to degrade gracefully when one or more machines fail . This is accomplished by incorporating redundant machining capability and a material handling system that allows failed machines to be bypassed . Thus , throughput is maintained at a reduced rate.High Product QualityA sometimes-overlooked advantage of a mechatronic system , especially when compare to machines that have not been federated into a cooperative system , is improve product quality . The basic integration of product design characteristics with production capability ,the high level of automation , the reduction in the munber of fixtures , and greater attention to part/machine alignment all result in a good individual part quality and excellent consistency from one workpiece to another ,further resulting in greatly reduced costs of rework.Operational Flexibility Operational flexibility offers a significant increment of enhanced productivity . In some facilities , mechateonic system can run virtually unattended during the second and the third shifts . This nearly “unmanned “ mode of operation is currently the exception rather than the rule . It should , however, become increasingly common as better sensors and computer controls are developed to detect and handle unanticipated problems such as tool breakages and part-flow jams . In this operational mode , inspection ,fixturing , and maintenance can be performed during the first shift .Capacity Flexibility With correct planning for available floor space , a mechatronics system can be designed for low production volumes initially ;as demand increase , new machines can be added easily to provide the extra capacity required.Mechatronic System ElementsThis chapter provides a brief introduction to the mechatronic system concept and the system elements required to implement mechatronic technology . The stress is on factory automation ,whiche will serve as the foundation for mechatronic technology integration in office automation and home automation .System Concept Mechatronic production systems include all aspects of product design , manufacturing , and plant management , in a coordinated data-driven computer-as-sisted system .But unlike any other process before , they will also include the operationts that are the involed in defining the product a plant is to manufacture .It is precisely here that the Japanese have excelled ,making many American firms take notice and wonder why their share of the market is disappearing.A close inspection of the process would receal that the Japanese had created new products that were so much attuned to the using public that our statle products lacked luster in the market-place . They created a need for their products and did so by that age-old principle which states, “give the customer what he wants ,not what you think he wants .”Sharing the design process with customer is an interesting process that , when considered as part of the mechatronic philosophy , becomes the prime mover for everything else that happens in factory automation.There are three general groups of mechatronic functions , as shown in Figure 2: market needs analysis ,which results in user-oriented product design ; manufacture(both fabrication and assembly ) of products on the factory floor; and enlightened management of factory operations . The three general groups noted above ,stressing the need for inproved design , product manufacturing ,and enlightened management ,are not necessarily mutually exclusive . In fact , the goal of introducing mechatronics into these systems is to break down the barriers between them so that design and manufacturing system are inextricably linded . Howerer , the three categories are useful to frame the discussion , particularly since they correspond to the organization of a typical manufacturing firm. 漢語翻譯機電一體化概述1：何為機電一體化機電一體化是日本人新造的術語，用來描述機械工程與電子工程的結合。機電一體化的念除了是個新的概念之外，還可以看成包含任何東西的概念，因為我們周圍有許許多多的數不清的產品都是機械和電子技術有機結合的產物。然而機電一體化特別指的是多學科相結合的產品設計和制造系統(tǒng)的方法，他代表著下一代的機器、機器人和靈敏的機械能夠在一系列不同的環(huán)境下進行工作。主要是：工廠自動化、辦公自動化、家庭自動化，如下圖 1 所示同時應用機電一體化代表著一個新的層次上的先進生產技術和過程相結合。這就意味著把包含多種學科并且反復強調的方法應用于那些系統(tǒng)，這與把理解和控制放在一個重要的地位上是一樣的。這種機械與電子技術相結合的方法使現(xiàn)今觀念轉變已經比較快的日本更快的把技術應用于產品之中。目前，機電一體化闡述了日本人使用充分結合的隊伍的實踐，這一隊伍包括產品設計者、制造人員、采購人員和銷售人員，他們相互一致行動，既設計產品又設計制造系統(tǒng)。日本人承認在生產革命中未來將屬于知道怎樣使用電子系統(tǒng)和機械系統(tǒng)之間相結合的最好的人們，更特別的是他們意識到這種需要是先進生產技術和制造系統(tǒng)的優(yōu)化是最強烈的，譬如人工智能、專家系統(tǒng)、靈巧機器人。先進的制造系統(tǒng)能夠創(chuàng)造下一代將來能夠在工廠應用的工具。迄今為止，機械系統(tǒng)已經在我們社會各方面廣泛應用且存在，例如我們的一些簡單機械齒輪、彈簧、輪子都是我們日常生活的基本工具。在另一方面我們的電子技術在 20 世紀已經在短短的 75 年內就已經相當的發(fā)達了。直到現(xiàn)在，電子技術從屬于機械系統(tǒng)，并來增強機械系統(tǒng)的性能。但是重點仍然放在機械產品的生產上，從沒有把機械和電子相互結合。在過去，只是就事論事，最近由于世界上電子技術的不可抵擋的先進性，且能夠實際的簡化機械裝置。機械技術行業(yè)開始將電子技術與機械“聯(lián)姻” 。最直接的機電一體化改革體現(xiàn)在自動化工業(yè)。我們進入了一個嶄新的時代，一輛汽車是只有幾個電子元件就能控制的機器。首先是起動器馬達，接著出現(xiàn)的是發(fā)電機。每一次都使產品有了新的進步，之后半導體電子元件（由集成塊、晶體管和二極管組成）的出現(xiàn)成為機械行業(yè)的奇跡?，F(xiàn)今的機器是由微處理器控制，由機器人生產，故障分析由與外接口連接器連接的電腦控制，自動化機器引擎。電子技術已再三的改善了機械系統(tǒng)的性能。這是機電一體化的精華─機械技術和電子技術預先計劃應用和有效結合以創(chuàng)造一種最佳的產品。美國貿易部最近的一篇題為“日本技術規(guī)則委員會關于機電一體化評論”的報告比較了美國和日本在機電一體化技術上的研究和發(fā)展。除了少數領域外，完成使機電一體化的原理具體化的下一代系統(tǒng)的研制所必須的技術完全在日本人所能及的范圍內。在下列三個方面作了比較：基礎研究、試樣樣品和產品實現(xiàn)三個方面。除了機械視覺系統(tǒng)和軟件系統(tǒng)外，日本的基礎研究與美國的是可以相比的，日本人在機器視覺系統(tǒng)（系統(tǒng)通過傳感、物體識別、圖象分析和解釋來確定物體的方位和形狀的能力，稱為機械視覺系統(tǒng)）日本人工智能方面的研究比美國相對落后，主要是日本人不認為人工智能是與他們將來系統(tǒng)結合的關鍵。如果需要的話，他們甚至關閉且不研究人工智能。在試樣試品和產品實現(xiàn)方面，日本與美國持平，甚至超過美國，并在一段時間內仍保持領先勢頭。美國貿易部的報告總結出：日本仍然保持其地位，在一些情況下，對于機電一體化的應用仍勝于美國。他們在機電一體化方面的進步是非常重要的，因為它是下一代以數據為主導的設計及制造技術的重要手段。實際上，美國貿易部報告的結論會對日本的工業(yè)生產產生更深遠的影響。為了縮小差距，我們不僅要制造新的工具，而且我們要走的路更遠。如果我們接受電子元件最佳結合的機械系統(tǒng)將是未來的浪潮。這一事實，那么我們一定能理解。這波紋效應一直到大學都能感覺到。在大學里我們把機械學和電子學這兩門學科分離，而且僅在偶然的綜合性課程中允許二者相遇?，F(xiàn)在的課程必須能夠創(chuàng)造新的混合型的工程師──機電一體化工程師。只有這樣，我們才能保證將來下一代的產品設計者和制造工程師將在新的技術領域有出色的表現(xiàn)。我們必須需要重新思考一下我們現(xiàn)代的劃分我們機電一體化工程師成員的方法，既要彼此互相區(qū)別，而又要與產品工程師相互區(qū)別。居住在一起，個人之間相互交流在產品將產生一種復雜的效應。最大化的相互作用是優(yōu)化設計和新產品開發(fā)的關鍵。機電一體化的定義的重要性不在于它是詞語的簡單組合，他把工程技術和制造技術相互結合，他會改變我們設計和生產下一代高科技產品的方式，充分為機電一體化提供基礎，并強有利的推行機電一體化的國家將把世界導向一場具有深遠意義的新一代技術革命。2：機電一體化的優(yōu)勢機電一體化對于許多產品和制造者聽起來似乎是近乎理想的完美境界，因為機電一體化幾乎能解決生產制造中的所有問題，更特別的是，他很有可能顯著的提高工廠產品的產量。廣泛的利用機電一體化組成部分例如 CAD(計算機輔助設計 )、CAP(計算機輔助計劃)和 MIS(管理信息系統(tǒng))幫助的編制進度。并且柔性制造系統(tǒng)、計算機輔助設計、計算機集成制造設備，可以大大的降低生產制造的工作周期，這子系統(tǒng)降低產品成本和提高設備的利用率，與 CAE(計算機輔助工程 )、CAD 、CAM(計算機輔助制造)相結合的機電一體化能創(chuàng)造更經濟的產品，利用控制和聯(lián)絡的提高，降低圖紙數量，并且 CAM 設備減少了安裝和控制機器的時間。許多公司更廣泛的利用計算機把他們的工廠看成是機電一體化構想的試樣點。但是，經過嚴密考察后，他們的結合是水平的──只在生產領域──包括主要的生產制造和管理階層。通用電器公司成為工廠汽車系統(tǒng)的主要賣主，已經推出其宏偉計劃合并其旗下的數個公司，包括伊利機車廠、斯克奈塔氣輪機廠、夏洛茨維爾制造分工司。機電一體化的主要優(yōu)勢著重放在先進制造技術和工廠自動化。機器設備的高利用率典型的講，一套機電一體化機器設備的生產量是在獨立車間的環(huán)境下、相同的機器條件下的三倍。當機器一空閑下來時，就讓計算機調度每一個零件到這臺機器，同時在自動材料輸送關系系統(tǒng)中使零件運動，并且把適當的計算機程序下行傳輸到這臺機器80，這樣就能使機電一體化系統(tǒng)達到很高的效率。另外，已經固定在托板上的零件到達機器，以使零件裝卡時機器不必等待──把零件固定在托板上是單獨的工作站上完成的。降低設備資金消耗機器設備的高利用率，原因在于在作用同樣工作時機電一體化系統(tǒng)比傳統(tǒng)的機械系統(tǒng)需要更少的機器設備。當利用機電系統(tǒng)代替加工中心時，減少 1/3 的機器設備是正常的。降低工人的勞動消耗因為每一臺機器是完全在計算機控制下不用工人一直盯著工作，直接的減少了機器工人的監(jiān)工或者維修工、零件的檢察員，不太需要有技能的人員。例如在車間夾緊、卸下工件。然而，在機電一體化工作環(huán)境下與傳統(tǒng)的工作車間相比不需要更高的技術。勞動力資金的減少在某種程度上與傳統(tǒng)工作車間不需要的技術是相互抵消的。有計劃調度在制工件和減少產品設計到投產時間或從定貨到交貨時間。與單獨車間環(huán)境下相比，利用機電一體化系統(tǒng)在減少在制工件方面是非常顯著的。據一些車間報道已經減少了 80%，這些都歸功于減少了定貨到交貨的時間的諸多因素，這些因素包括：全部生產零件所需的設備都集中在一個小的區(qū)域內；所需夾具的數量的減少；由于加工工藝被組合在工作單元中而引起的零件所必須通過的機器的數量的減少；以及分批進入的和已在機電一體化系統(tǒng)中的零件要進行有效的計算機調度。對改變的產品的需求快速響應機電一體化系統(tǒng)對于不同產品的生產需求和市場需求改變或者工程設計改變都有固有的靈活性。更進一步，備用件的需求不會大大擾亂正常的機電一體化系統(tǒng)的生產活動。生產的可維護性許多機電一體化系統(tǒng)能夠適度的降低當一個或更多的機器失效后不能正常工作的機率。當某臺機器失效后多余的機器和原材料控制系統(tǒng)使系統(tǒng)繞過失效的機器，因此，生產量始終保持在一個恒定的百分率上。高的產品質量經常性的監(jiān)督機電一體化系統(tǒng)，特別是當與沒有與合作系統(tǒng)聯(lián)合的機器系統(tǒng)相比能夠更能提高產品的質量，產品設計性能與生產能力的基本結合，高水平的自動化夾具數量和駐留的機器數量的減少，設計的更好的永久性夾具，更加注意零件與機器的調整，所有這些都使單個零件質量良好，零件之間有極好的一致性，并且導致返工成本的大大減少。靈活的控制靈活的控制能夠顯著的增加產品的產量，在一些設施里，機電一體化系統(tǒng)可以在中班和晚班和無人看管條件下自動運行，這種幾乎無人的操作方式目前是例外的情況，而不是常規(guī)，但是他可以變成常規(guī)。如果好的傳感器和計算機能夠控制和解決一些非預期的情況，例如刀具劃傷、零件流動阻滯等等。在這種操作模式下，監(jiān)察、安裝和維修可以在第一班即可完成。靈活性由于正確的操作可利用的占地面積的計劃，一個機電一體化系統(tǒng)最初可為低產量而設計。隨著需求的增長，可以容易的增添新機器，以提供需要的附加生產能力。3: 機電一體化的組成這一章節(jié)簡要的介紹機電一體化系統(tǒng)的原理，而且講述了需要機電一體化各個組成部分來實現(xiàn)機電一體化工藝技術。 機電一體化系統(tǒng)的 重點應放在 工廠自動化，因為工廠自動化作為機電一體化整體技術中辦公自動化和家庭自動化的基礎。系統(tǒng)原理機電一體化產品生產包括產品設計的所有方面，產品的生產制造和與工廠管理部門由數字化驅動的相互協(xié)調的計算機輔助系統(tǒng)。但不同于以往的其他工藝技術，他們還包括與確定工長江要制造的產品有關的工序，這里 恰好是日本人以勝人一籌之處，使得許多美國公司注意并想知道為什么它們（占有）的市場份額正在消失。一份關于這種工藝的周密調查講揭示：日本人已創(chuàng)造了非常適合于用戶的新產品，以至我們的陳舊產品在市場上失去了光澤。他們引起了對他們產品的需要，并且是按照那個古老的原則做到這一點的，這個原則是：“給予顧客它所向要的東西，而不是給他認為他鄉(xiāng)要的東西。與顧客分擔設計過程是一種有趣的過程，當把她作為機電一體化基本原理的一部分考慮時，這一過程為在工廠自動化方面發(fā)生的其他一切事實的動力。，機電一體化功能一般分為三類：與用戶相關的產品設計的市場分析，在工廠現(xiàn)場的產品的生產制造，開明的工廠經營管理。上述三大類功能，既強調需要改進的設計，產品的制造，開明的管理，不是必然相互排斥的。實際上，把機電一體化引入到這些系統(tǒng)的目的掃除它們之間的壁壘，從而使設計和制造系統(tǒng)能夠自然而然的連接起來，然而這三種功能構成討論是很有好處的，特別，當他們與典型的制造公司對應更能體現(xiàn)其好處。