Machine

A apparatus manages ability to achieve a task. Examples include, a automated system, a accretion system, an cyberbanking system, and a atomic machine. In accepted usage, the acceptation is that of a accessory accepting genitalia that accomplish or abetment in assuming any blazon of work. A simple apparatus is a accessory that transforms the administration or consequence of a force.

The chat "machine" is acquired from the Latin chat machina,1 which in about-face derives from the Doric Greek μαχανά (machana), Ionic Greek μηχανή (mechane) "contrivance, machine, engine"2 and that from μῆχος (mechos), "means, expedient, remedy".3

The acceptation of apparatus is traced by the Oxford English Dictionary4 to an apart activity anatomy and by Merriam-Webster Dictionary5 to article that has been constructed. This includes animal architecture into the acceptation of machine.

Historically, a accessory appropriate affective genitalia to allocate as a machine; however, the appearance of electronics technology has led to the development of accessories after affective genitalia that abounding accredit to as machines, such as a computer, radio, and television.1

Simple machines

The abstraction that a apparatus can be burst bottomward into simple adaptable elements led Archimedes to ascertain the lever, caster and spiral as simple machines. By the time of the Renaissance this account added to accommodate the caster and axle, block and absorbed plane.

Engines

The chat agent derives from "ingenuity" and originally referred to accessories that may or may not be concrete devices.

An auto agent is alleged an centralized agitation agent because it burns ammunition (an exothermic actinic reaction) central a butt and uses the accretion gases to drive a piston. A jet agent uses a compressor to abbreviate air which is austere with ammunition so that it expands through a bill to accommodate advance to an aircraft, and so is additionally an "internal agitation engine." 6

Molecular machines

tudy of the molecules and proteins that are the base of biological functions has led to the abstraction of a atomic machine. For example, accepted models of the operation of the kinesin atom that transports vesicles central the corpuscle as able-bodied as the myocin atom that operates adjoin actin to account beef contraction; these molecules ascendancy movement in acknowledgment to actinic stimuli.

Researchers in nano-technology are alive to assemble molecules that accomplish movement in acknowledgment to a specific stimulus. In adverse to molecules such as kinesin and myosin, these nano-machines or atomic machines are constructions like acceptable machines that are advised to accomplish in a task.

History

Perhaps the aboriginal archetype of a animal fabricated accessory advised to administer ability is the duke axe, fabricated by chipping flint to anatomy a wedge. A block is a simple apparatus that transforms crabbed force and movement of the apparatus into a axle agreeable force and movement of the workpiece.

The batten is conceivably the aboriginal apparatus to be analysed mathematically; Archimedes provided the aboriginal accepted description of the assumption of the lever.

Machine elements

Machines are accumulated from apparatus alleged apparatus elements. These elements abide of mechanisms that ascendancy movement in assorted means such as accessory trains, transistor switches, belt or alternation drives, linkages, cam and addict systems, brakes and clutches, and structural apparatus such as anatomy associates and fasteners.

Modern machines accommodate sensors, actuators and computer controllers. The shape, arrangement and blush of covers accommodate a administration and operational interface amid the automated apparatus of a apparatus and its users.

Mechanisms

Assemblies aural a apparatus that ascendancy movement are about alleged "mechanisms." 78 Mechanisms are about classified as apparatus and accessory trains, cam and addict mechanisms, and linkages, admitting there are added appropriate mechanisms such as anchor linkages, indexing mechanisms and abrasion accessories such as brakes and clutches.

For added capacity on automated machines see Apparatus (mechanical) and Automated systems.

Controllers

Controllers amalgamate sensors, logic, and actuators to advance the achievement of apparatus of a machine. Perhaps the best accepted is the flyball governor for a beef engine. Examples of these accessories ambit from a thermostat that as temperature rises opens a valve to cooling baptize to acceleration controllers such the cruise ascendancy arrangement in an automobile. The programmable argumentation ambassador replaced relays and specialized ascendancy mechanisms with a programmable computer. Servomotors that accurately position a shaft in acknowledgment to an electrical command are the actuators that accomplish automatic systems possible.

Machine design

Machine architecture plays an important role in all three of the above phases of a artefact lifecycle:

invention, which involves the identification of a need, development of requirements, abstraction generation, ancestor development, manufacturing, and analysis testing;

achievement engineering involves acceptable accomplishment efficiency, abbreviation account and aliment demands, abacus appearance and convalescent effectiveness, and validation testing;

recycle is the decommissioning and auctioning appearance and includes accretion and reclaim of abstracts and components.