The writing module

III. Writing exercises:

Exercise 1. Complete the sentences with the suggested words:

agricultural, unstable ,the joint-stock , military, financial ,

Originally, ________ company Vologda Machine-Building Plant specialized in the production of _______ equipment, transport vehicles for milk and foodstuffs deliveries and ________ hardware. The 1998 _______crisis largely affected the enterprise. The financial position of the plant became very _______ as demand for the mass-scale products it manufactured fell sharply.

Exercise 2. Fill in the table with words and expressions from the text:

	parts	product	processes
Example: the plant manufactures	-	wide angle and long-focus camera lenses, telescopic sights for hunting rifles (optical, laser and infrared), binoculars, night vision devices, telescopes and lenses.
the working groups also analyzed
the employees have mastered such new technologies as
these shops can also produce

Exercise 3. Compose a story on one of the topics (up to 100 words):

“Vologda Machine-Building Plant (VMZ)”

“The projects to develop new equipment ”

“Production of OAO Vologda Optical and Mechanical Plant ”

Lesson 5 The reading module

Read the text: Machinery safety brings time savings and productivity benefits

Technological advances over the last twenty years have made a huge difference to the way safety is implemented on machines. Today's machinery safety technologies are bringing significant additional benefits to machine builders and end users alike.

Before considering the benefits, however, it is worth analyzing what it is that machine builders and end users are seeking from machinery safety. Obviously they want a safe machine and one that complies with current safety standards and regulations, but they also want ease of set-up and reliability. Machine builders and system integrators are keen to have diagnostics that can help them when they are commissioning the machine, and end users want diagnostics so they can identify and rectify faults as fast as possible. Although it is an extreme example, a modern car plant produces one car every 48 seconds, or 75 per hour, so you can see why the potential cost of lost production is massive.

Fortunately modern safety technologies can help to achieve these goals, whether we are talking about an automotive production line or a machine on a smaller scale. Starting at the lower end, simple machines still tend to use one or two safety relays and guard interlocks, emergency stop switches, safety light curtains, and so on. Having said that, traditional electromechanical safety relays are limited in their functionality and diagnostics, so many companies are now using Pilz PNOZsigma relays that are capable of performing one of several different functions. This makes circuit design, ordering and stockholding easier for machine builders, plus the LEDs aid fault-finding during commissioning and operation.

Drag-and-drop logic

As the complexity of a machine increases, the complexity of the safety-related control system also increases. Once you need more than a few safety relays, the benefits of a configurable controller - such as the Pilz PNOZmulti - come into their own. Configuring the logic with drag-and-drop software is much easier than using relay logic, and the chance of wiring errors being made is greatly reduced. For series machines, the configuration can just be copied to all of the machines, and diagnostics are also far superior as well. Another thing to be aware of with medium-complexity machines is that they are more likely to require changes. With safety relays, this could require significant amounts of rewiring but, with PNOZmulti, all you have to do is connect the new safety sensors/actuators and make the necessary changes to the configuration.

Once you have a project the size of an automotive production line, you really need a programmable safety system (sometimes called a safety PLC) to handle the I/O and the logic, and probably a safety field bus for communications - such as SafetyBUS p or the forthcoming SafetyNET p.

Having considered the monitoring and control of the safety-related functions, we can now look at how safety sensor technologies can help machine builders and end users. In most cases safety sensors can be used across the board, on machines of all sizes and complexities. For example, whatever the machine, tongue-actuated guard switches or interlocks are still appropriate for physical guards that are opened on an occasional basis, while guards that are opened more frequently will benefit from non-contact magnetic switches. And if you need higher integrity, there are coded non-contact switches available.

Light curtains are very popular, but you have to remember that they are not suitable for something like a CNC machine tool where parts might be ejected at high speed should the tool or workpiece break. Light curtains are also limited to the extent that they can only guard a flat plane. Mirrors can be used to 'bend' the plane around a corner, but setting up the light curtain and integrating it with physical guarding is time-consuming and, consequently, expensive.

I. Reading Exercises:

Exercise 1. Read and memorize using a dictionary:

huge, safety, guard interlocks, safety light curtains, controller, drag-and-drop software, to handle, tongue-actuated guard switches.

Exercise 2. Answer the questions:

1. What are today's machinery safety technologies bringing ?

2. How many safety relays do simple machines still tend to use ?

3. When can we look at how safety sensor technologies can help machine builders and end users?

4. What can be used across the board, on machines of all sizes and complexities?

5. Why are not the light curtains suitable for something like a CNC machine tool?

Exercise 3. Match the left part with the right:

1. As the complexity of a machine increases,	a) can be used across the board, on machines of all sizes and complexities.
2. Another thing to be aware of with medium-complexity machines	b) that they can only guard a flat plane.
3. In most cases safety sensors	c) the complexity of the safety-related control system also increases.
4. Light curtains are also limited to the extent	d) is that they are more likely to require changes.

Exercise 4. Open brackets choosing the right words:

Once you ( have/give) a project the size of an automotive production line, you really ( need/come) a programmable safety system (sometimes ( called /worked) a safety PLC)( to handle/ to build) the I/O and the logic, and probably a safety field bus for communications - such as SafetyBUS p or the forthcoming SafetyNET p.