Engineering Topic: Robotics

  
Scenario: 
You have been recently appointed as a robotics engineer for your company’s large manufacturing facility in the UK. Your company have very recently been involved in ‘buying over’ one of your competitors which has now resulted in the day to day running of one of their manufacturing plants. 
Your company aims to further automate the newly acquired production facility through the increased utilisation of PLCs and Robotic systems in order to improve quality and increase their competitiveness in the currently challenging global marketplace. 
Your role will involve research, recommendations for improvements, programming, analysis and design. This assessment shall cover all of these areas and allow you to provide the necessary evidence in the form of a report. 
Task 1
a) Research the following types of industrial robots and prepare a short report (approx. 600 words total) to present your findings. Your report should clearly identify and describe the operation of each type of industrial robot and should explain 2 different uses for each type of robot within industry nowadays. You should use appropriate images or diagrams (referenced where appropriate) to assist in your descriptions.
(i) Articulated arm 
(ii) Cylindrical
(iii)  Parallel
(iv)  Cartesian
b) Research the following types of robot end effectors and prepare a short report (approx. 600 words total) to present your findings. Your report should clearly identify and describe the operation of each type of end effector and should explain 2 different industrial applications for each type. You should use appropriate images or diagrams (referenced where appropriate) to assist in your descriptions.
(i) Mechanical gripper
(ii) Cutting tool
(iii)  Welding torch
Task 2 
You have been recently appointed as a robotics engineer for your company’s large manufacturing facility in the UK. Your company have very recently been involved in ‘buying over’ one of your competitors which has now resulted in the day to day running of one of their manufacturing plants. 
Your company aims to further automate the newly acquired production facility through the increased utilisation of PLCs and Robotic systems in order to improve quality and increase their competitiveness in the currently challenging global marketplace. 
Some of the current robotic cells within the facility are shown below (robot cells 1 & 2):

As a new robotic engineer you are unfamiliar with some of the equipment used within the various cells and must research and investigate the existing equipment which will form part of your report.
Task 2a 
Research and investigate the following safety system components utilised within both Robot Cells 1 & 2 and provide some basic information on their operation how each can be utilised within the cells. You should use appropriate photos/diagrams to help explain.
(Make sure that all writing is in your own words and that appropriate Harvard Referencing is used at all times for any information/images etc. used)
The safety systems used within robot cells 1 & 2 are listed below:
· Light beam 
· Part location microswitch
· Part location proximity switch (metallic detection)
· Solid panel guarding 
· Wire mesh guarding 
· Guarding interlock switch
Guidance 2a: 600 -800 words