Automation

1. Warming up:

   1. How could you define “automation”?

   2. How do you think if industry is possible without automation?

2. Look through the text and say if it contains ideas you have just discussed.

Automation is the system of manufacture performing certain tasks, previously done by people, by machines only. The sequences of operations are controlled automatically. The most familiar example of a highly automated system is an assembly plant for automobiles or other complex products.

T he term automation is also used to describe non-manufacturing systems in which automatic devices can operate independently of human control. Such devices as automatic pilots, automatic telephone equipment are used to perform various operations much faster and better than could be done by people.

The simplification of work made it possible to design and build machines that resembled the motions of the worker.

Automation has also had an influence on the areas of the economy other than manufacturing. Small computers are used in systems called word processors, which are rapidly becoming a standard part of the modern office. They are used to edit texts, to type letters and so on.

Many industries are highly automated or use automation technology in some part of their operation. Railways are also controlled by automatic signaling devices, which have sensors that detect carriages passing a particular point. In this way the movement and location of trains can be monitored.

Not all industries require the same degree of automation. Sales, agriculture, and some service industries are difficult to automate.

The automation technology in manufacturing and assembly is widely used in car and other consumer product industries.

Nevertheless, each industry has its own concept of automation that answers its particular production needs.

3. Read the text attentively and answer the following questions:

   1. How is the term automation defined in the text?

   2. What is the most “familiar example” of automation given in the text?

   3. What industries use automation technology?

4. Give English equivalents to the following Russian words and word combinations:

последовательность операций, похожий, высокоавтоматизированная система, сборочный завод, непроизводственный, независимо, выполнять, напоминать, влияние, требовать, степень, тем не менее, особый, ранее.

5. Read the text again and write out the main sentence of each logical part.

6. Retell the text in your own words.

Bearings

1. Warming up:

1. What are bearings?

2. Where are they used?

2. L ook through the following text and give Russian equivalents to the underlined words, word combinations and terms.

The bearing makes many of the machines we use every day possible. Without bearings, we would be constantly replacing parts that wore out from friction. The concept behind a bearing is very simple: Things roll better than they slide. That is because when things slide, the friction between them causes a force that tends to slow them down. But if the two surfaces can roll over each other, the friction is greatly reduced.

Bearings reduce friction by providing smooth metal balls or rollers, and a smooth inner and outer metal surface for the balls to roll against. These balls or rollers "bear" the load, allowing the device to spin smoothly. Probably the first use of a bearing was back when the Egyptians were building the pyramids. They put round logs under the heavy stones so that they could roll them to the building site.

There are many types of bearings, each used for different purposes. These include ball bearings, roller bearings, ball thrust bearings, roller thrust bearings and tapered roller thrust bearings.

Ball bearings are probably the most common type of bearing. In a ball bearing, the load is transmitted from the outer race to the ball and from the ball to the inner race. Since the ball is a sphere, it only contacts the inner and outer race at a very small point, which helps it spin very smoothly.

The new San Francisco International Airport uses many advanced building technologies to help it withstand earthquakes. One of these technologies involves giant ball bearings.

3. Read the text attentively and answer the following questions:

   1. Who was the first to use a bearing?

   2. What is the concept behind a bearing?

   3. What happens when things slide?

   4. How do bearings reduce friction?

   5. What is the function of balls or rollers?

   6. What kinds of bearing can you recall?

   7. How do ball bearings work?

4. Complete the sentences:

   1. Giant ball bearings are used to…

   2. The most common type of a bearing is…

   3. Smooth metal balls or rollers reduce…

   4. Friction is a force…

5. Using the text explain the expression:

Bearings help to reduce friction.

3. Retell the text using the following expressions:

The title of the text is…; It describes…; It mentions about…; According to the text…; Owing to…; The fact is that…

METALS