1. Automation Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

2.  Automation- When most or all of the machines or processes run with little or no human control. To perform work without the aid of people. Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

3. Almost everything we use today comes from an automated system and increasingly those systems are run by machines. We are developing machines with Artificial Intelligence that run themselves. They can make adjustments to production as needed. Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

4.  Control systems are mainly computerized systems that have a program that tells a machine what to do, or not to do.  They are used in manufacturing to take the work load off of humans or to eliminate the human job altogether.  Sometimes it eliminates tasks that are hard for people to do or could cause physical problems.  It is a matter of making money. Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

5.  The first thing that needs to happen is to determine what process is needed to make a product and what is the best order to do this in. In the picture below, would it be best to put the wheels on or wait until after you put the parts behind the wheel? Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

6.  Automated systems can cost a lot of money and you must determine if they will save you money.  Could humans produce something faster and easier?  Are you going to produce enough of the product to pay for the equipment? Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

7.  We must ask ourselves: Can we make this product forever, or can we change the product to make something else?  Can we use the control systems to program in other procedures to make other products around the work axes we have now? Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.