英文翻譯INTRODUCTIONTOMECHATRONICS1:WhatIsMechatronics?MichatronicsisatermcoinedbytheJapanesetodescribetheintegrationofmechanicalandelectronicsengineering.Theconceptmayseemtobeanythingbutnew,sincewecanalllookaroundusandseeamyriadofproductsthatutilizebothmechanicalandelectronicdis-cipplines.Mechatronics,however,specificallyreferstoamultidisciplined,integratedapproachtoproductandmanufacturingsystemdesign.Itrepresentsthenextgenerationofmachines,robots,andsmartmechanismsnecessaryforcarryingoutworkinavarietyofenvironments-primarily,factoryautomation,officeautomation,andhomeautomationasshowinFigure1.Bybothimplicationandapplication,mechatronicsrepresentsanewlevelofintegrationforadvancedmanufacturingtechnologyandprocesses.Theintentistoforceamultidisciplinaryapproachtothesesyetemsaswellastoreemphasizetheroleofprocessunderstandingandcontrol.Thismechatronicapproachiscurrentlyspeedingupthealready-rapidJapaneseprocessfortrasformingideasintoproducts.Currently,mechatronicsdescribestheJapanesepracticeofuseingfullyintefratedteamsofproductdesigners,manufactring,purchasing,andmarketingpersonnelactinginconcertwitheachothertodesignboththeproductandthemanufacturingsyestem.TheJapaneserecognizedthatthefutureinproducdtioninnovationwouldbelongtothosewholearnedhowtooptimizethemarriagebeweeneletronicandmechanicalsystems.Theyrealized,inparticular,thattheneedforthisoptimizatongwouldbemostintenseinapplicationofadvancedmanufacturingandproductionsystemswhereartificialintelligence,expertsystems,smartrobots,andadvancedmanufacturingtechnologysystemswouldcreatethenextgenerationoftoolstobeusedinthefactoryofthefuture.Fromtheverybeginningsofrecordedtime,mechanicalsystemshavefoundtheirwayintoeveryaspectofoursociety.Oursimplestmechanisms,suchasgears,pulleys,springs,andwheeles.haveprovidedthebasisforourtools.Ourelectronicstechnology,ontheotherhand,iscompletelytwentieth-century,allofitcreatedwithinthepast75years.Untilnow,electronicswereincludedtoenhancemechanicalsystemsperformance,buttheemphasisremainedonthemechanicalproduct.Therehadneverbeenanymasterplanonhowtheintegrationwouldbedone.Inthepast,ithadbeendoneonacase-by-casebasis.Morerecently,however,becauseoftheoverwhelmingadvancesintheworldofelectronicsanditscapabilitytophysicallysimplifymechanicalconfigurations,thetechnicalcommunitybegantoreassessthemarriagebetweenthesetwodisciplines.Themostobvioustrendinthedirectionofmechatronicinnovationcanbeobservedintheautomobileindustry.Therewasatimewhenacarwasprimarilyamechanicalmarvelwithafewelectronicappendages.Firstcamethestartermotor,andthenthegenerator,eachmakingtheoriginalproductabitbetterthanitwasbefore.Thencamesolid-stateelectronics,andsuddenlythemechanicalmarvelbecameanelectro-mechanicalmarvel.Todaysmachineiscontrolledbymicroprocessors,builtbyrobots,andfault-an-alyzedbyacomputerconnectedtoitsexternalinterfaceconnector.Automotivemechanicalengineersarenolongerthemastersoftheircreations.Theprocessthatdescribestheevolutionoftheautimibileissomewhattypicalofotherproductdsinoursociety.Electronicshasrepeatedlyimprovedtheperformanceofmechanicalsystems,butthatinnovationhasbeenmorebyserendipitythanbydesign.Andthatistheessenceofmechatronicathepreplannedapplicationof,andtheefficientintegrationof,mechanicalandelectronicstechnologytocreateanoptimumproduct.ArecentU.S.DepartmentofCommercereportentitledJTECHPanelReportonMechatronicsinJapancomparedU.SandJapaneseresearchanddevelopmenttrendsinspecificareasofmechatronicstechnology.Exceptforafewareas,thetechnologynecessarytoaccomplishthedevelopmentofthenextgenerationofsystemsembodyingtheprinciplesofmechatronicsisfullywithinthetechnologicalreachoftheJapanede.Comparisonsweremadeinthreecategories:basicresearch,asvanceddevelopment,andproductimplementation.Exceptformachinevisionandsoftware,JapanesebasicresearchwascomparabletotheUnitedStates,withtheJapaneseclosinginfaseonmacchinevisionsystemtechnology.Japaneseartificialintelligenceresearchisfallingbehind,primarilybecausetheJapanesedonotconsideritanessentialingredientoftheirfuturesystems,theyappearcapableofclosingeventhatgap,ifrequired.Intheadvanceddevelopmentandproductimplementationareas,JapanisequaltoorbetterthantheUnitedStates,andiscontinuingtopullaheadatthistime.TheDepartmentofCommercereportconcleudedthatJapanismaintainingitspositionandisinsomecasesgaininggroundovertheUnitedStatesintheapplicationofmechatronics.Theirprogressinmechatrinicsisimportantbecauseitaddressestheverymeansfornextgenerationofdata-drivenadvanceddesignandmanufacturingtechnology.Infact,theDepartmentofCommercerepertcincludesthatthishascreatedaregenrativeeffectonJapansmanufacturingindustries.TOclesethegap,wewillneedtogomuchfurtherthancreatingnewtools.Ifweacceptthefactthatmechanicalsystemsoptimallycoupledwitheletronicscomponentswillbethewaveofthefuture,thenwemustalsounderstandthatthepippleeffectwillbefeltallthewaybacktotheuniversity,wherewenowkeepthetwodisciplinesofmechanicsandeletronicsseparatedandallowthemtomeetonlyinoccasionaloverviewsessions.Newcurriculamustbecreatefiranewhybridengineeramechatronicsengineer.Onlythencanwebeassuredthatfuturegenerationsofproductdesignersandmanufactuiingengineerswillfullseekexcellenceinthesenewtechniques.Weneedtorethinkourpresentdayapproachofseparatingourengineeringstaffsbothandfromeachotherandfromtheproductingengineers.Livingtogetherandcommunicatingindividualknowledgewillbethekeytooptimumdesignsandnewproductdevelopment.Thedefinitionofmechatronicsismuchmoresignificantthanitscombinedwordsimply.Itcanphysicallyturnengineeringandmanufacturingupsidedown.Itwillchangethewaywedesignandproducethenextgeneratingofhightechnologyproducts.Thenationthatfullyimplementstheredimentsofmechatronicsandvigorouselypursuesitwillleadthewordtoanewgenerationoftechnologyinnovationwithallitsprofoundimplications.2.BenefitsOfMechatronicsMechatronicsmaysoundlikeutopiatomanyproductandmanufacturingmanagersitisoftenpresentedasthesolutiontonearlyalloftheproblemsinmanufacturing.Inparticular,itpromisestoincreaseproductivityinthefactorydramatically.DesignchangesareeasywithextensiveuseofmechatronicelementssuchasCAD；CAPandMISsystemshelpinscheduling；andflexiblemanufacturingsystems,computer-aideddesign,andcomputerintegratedmanufacturingequipmentcutturnaroundtimeformanufacturing.Thesesubsystemsminimizeproductioncostsandgreatluincreaseequipmentutilization.ConnectionsfromCAE,CAD,andCAMhelpcreatedesignsthatareeconomicaltomanufacture；cintrolandcommunicationsareimproved,withminimalpaperflow；andCAMequipmentminimizestimelossduetosetupandmaterialshandling.Manycompaniesthatmakeextensiveuseofcomputersviewtheirfactoriesasexamplesofmechateonicconcepes,butonclosewxaminationtheirintegrationishorizontal-inthemanufacturingareaonlyoratbestincludesprimarilymanufacturingandmanagemengt.GeneralElectric,aspartofitsefforttobecomeamajorbendoroffactoryautomationsystems,includingitsErieLocomotivePlant,itsScjenectadySteamTurbinePlant,anditsCharlottesvilleControlsManufacturingDivision.Theprimarybenefitsofmechatronics,withanemphasisonadvancedmanufacturingtechnologyandfactoryautomation,aresummarizedbelow.HighCapitialEquipmentUtilizationTypically,thethroughputforasetofmachinesinamechatronicssystemwillbeuptothreetimesthatforthesamemachinesinastand-alonejobshopenvironment.Themechatronicsystemachieveshighefficiencybyhavingthecomputerscheduleeveryparttoamachineassoonasitisfree,simultaneouslymovingthepartontheautomatedmaterialhandlingsystemanddownloadingtheappropriatecomputerprogramtothemachine.Inaddition,thepartarrivesatamachinealreadyfixturedonapallet(thisisdoneataseparateworkstation)sothatthemachinedoesnothavetowaitwhilethepartissetup.ReducedCapitalEquipmentCostsThehighutilizationofeqipmentresultsintheneedforfewermachinesinthemechatronicsystemtodothesameworkloadasinaconventionalsystenm.Reductionsof3:1arecommonwhenreplaceingmachiningcentersinajob-shopsituationwithamechatronicsystem.ReducedDirectLaborCostsSinceeachmachineiscompletelyundercomputercontrol,full-timeoversightisnotrepaired.Directlaborcanbereducedtoth