INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION: HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS AND TYPES - TECHNOLOGY - 2024

The industrial automation is the technology used by control systems such as computers, robots and information technologies to enable automatic execution of different processes and machines in an industry, without the need for human operators.

It seeks to replace human decision making and manual command-response activities with the use of mechanized equipment and logical programming commands.

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Previously, the purpose of automation was to increase productivity, since automated systems can operate 24 hours a day, and reduce the cost associated with human operators, such as wages and benefits.

This automation has been achieved by various means, such as mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, electronic and computer devices, generally combined among them.

General-purpose controllers for industrial processes include: programmable logic controllers, independent I / O modules, and computers.

Current situation

Recently, industrial automation has found increasing acceptance by different types of industry, due to its enormous benefits in the manufacturing process, such as increased productivity, quality, flexibility and security at low costs.

It also has benefits in savings in labor, electricity costs, and material costs, as well as greater accuracy in measurements.

An important trend is the increased use of computer vision to provide automatic inspection functions. Another trend is the continued increase in the use of robots.

Energy efficiency in industrial processes has now become one of the highest priorities.

For example, semiconductor companies offer 8-bit microcontroller applications, found in general-purpose pump and motor controls, to reduce power consumption and thus increase efficiency.

The World Bank's World Development Report 2018 shows evidence that while industrial automation displaces workers, innovation creates new industries and jobs.

History

Since its inception, industrial automation has made great strides among activities that were previously performed manually.

Industrial Revolution

The introduction of the first engines and the steam engine created a new requirement for automatic control systems, such as temperature regulators and pressure regulators.

In 1771 the first fully automated spinning mill, powered by hydraulic power, was invented. In 1785 an automatic flour mill was developed, becoming the first fully automated industrial process.

Ford Motor

In 1913, Ford Motor Company introduced an automobile production assembly line that is considered one of the pioneering types of automation in manufacturing.

Before that, a car was built by a team of skilled and unskilled workers. The automation of production improved Ford's production rates and increased its profits.

The assembly line and mass production of automobiles were the first of their kind in the world. It cut the car assembly time from 12 hours per car to about an hour and a half.

Advances in the 20th century

Control rooms became common in the 1920s. Until the early 1930s, process control was only on / off.

Controllers began to be introduced in the 1930s, with the ability to make calculated changes in response to deviations from a control figure.

Control rooms used color-coded lights to signal plant workers to make certain changes manually.

During the 1930s, Japan was a leader in component development. The first microswitch, protection relays and high-precision electric timer were developed.

In 1945, Japan began an industrial reconstruction program. The program was based on new technologies, as opposed to the antiquated methods that the rest of the world used.

Japan became the world leader in industrial automation. Car companies such as Honda, Toyota, and Nissan were able to produce numerous high-quality, reliable cars.

characteristics

Mechanization is the manual operation of a task using motorized machinery, but depending on human decision making.

Automation represents an additional step to mechanization, since it replaces human participation with the use of logic programming commands and powerful machinery.

Lower operating costs

With industrial automation, the vacation, health care and bonus costs associated with a human worker are eliminated. Likewise, it does not require other benefits that employees have, such as pension coverage, bonuses, etc.

Although it is related to a high initial cost, it saves the monthly salary of the workers, which leads to substantial savings for the company.

The maintenance cost associated with equipment used for industrial automation is lower, because they do not tend to break down. If they fail, only IT and maintenance engineers should repair it.

High productivity

While many companies hire hundreds of manufacturing people to run the plant for three shifts for the maximum 24 hours, it still needs to be closed for holidays and maintenance.

Industrial automation meets a company's goal, allowing the manufacturing plant to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. This brings a significant improvement in the productivity of the organization.

High quality

Automation appeases human-related error. In addition, the robots do not have any type of exhaustion, resulting in products of uniform quality, even manufacturing them at different times.

High flexibility

If a new task is added on the assembly line, a training will be required for the human operator.

On the other hand, robots can be programmed to do any type of work. This makes the manufacturing process more flexible.

High information accuracy

The automated data collected allows you to analyze key manufacturing information, with great precision of this data, reducing your compilation cost.

This enables correct decisions to be made when trying to improve processes and reduce waste.

High security

Industrial automation can make the production line safe for workers by implementing robots to maneuver dangerous situations.

High initial cost

The initial investment associated with switching from a human production line to an automatic one is very high.

Additionally, training employees to operate this sophisticated new equipment involves substantial costs.

Types

Fixed automation

It is used to execute repetitive and fixed operations in order to achieve high production rates.

Employ a special purpose team to automate fixed sequence processes or assembly operations. The sequence of operations is determined by the configuration of the equipment.

The programmed commands are contained in the machines in the form of gears, wiring and other hardware that cannot be easily changed from one product to another.

This form of automation is characterized by a high initial investment and high production rates. Therefore, it is suitable for products that are made in large volumes.

Programmable automation

It is a form of automation for the manufacture of products in batches. Products are manufactured in batches ranging from several dozen to several thousand units at a time.

For each new batch, the production equipment must be reprogrammed to suit the new type of product. This reprogramming requires time, with a non-productive period of time followed by a production run for each batch.

Production rates are generally lower than in fixed automation, because the equipment is designed to facilitate product changeover, rather than having product specialization.

Examples of this automation system are numerically controlled machines, industrial robots, steel mills, etc.

Flexible automation

With this system an automatic control equipment is provided, which provides great flexibility to make changes for each product. It is an extension of programmable automation.

The downside to programmable automation is the time required to reprogram production equipment for each new batch of product. This is lost production time, which is costly.

In flexible automation, reprogramming is done quickly and automatically at a computer terminal, without having to use the production equipment as such.

These changes are made by instructions given in the form of codes by human operators.

Consequently, it is not necessary to group the products into batches. A mixture of different products can be produced one after another.

Applications

Industry 4.0

The rise of industrial automation is directly related to the "fourth industrial revolution", which is better known as Industry 4.0. Originally from Germany, Industry 4.0 encompasses numerous devices, concepts and machines.

Industry 4.0 works with the industrial Internet of things, which is the perfect integration of various physical objects on the Internet, through a virtual representation, and with software / hardware to connect in order to add improvements to manufacturing processes.

Being able to create smarter, safer and more advanced manufacturing is possible with these new technologies. It opens up a more reliable, consistent and efficient manufacturing platform than before.

Industry 4.0 covers many areas of manufacturing and will continue to do so as time goes on.

Industrial robotics

Industrial robotics is a branch of industrial automation that helps in different manufacturing processes, such as machining, welding, painting, assembly, and material handling.

Industrial robots use various mechanical, electrical, and software systems to enable high precision and speed, far exceeding any human performance.

These systems were overhauled and improved to the point that a single robot can run 24 hours a day with little or no maintenance. In 1997 there were 700,000 industrial robots in use, the number has increased to 1.8 million in 2017.

Programmable logic controllers

Industrial automation incorporates programmable logic controllers (PLCs) into the manufacturing process. These use a processing system that allows you to vary the input and output controls, through simple programming.

A PLC can receive a variety of inputs and return a variety of logic outputs. The input devices are sensors and the output devices are motors, valves, etc.

PLCs are similar to computers. However, while computers are optimized for calculations, PLCs are optimized for control tasks and use in industrial environments.

They are constructed in such a way that only basic logic-based programming knowledge is needed to handle vibrations, high temperatures, humidity and noise.

The biggest advantage that PLCs offer is their flexibility. They can operate a range of different control systems. They make it unnecessary to rewire a system to change the control system. This flexibility makes them profitable for complex and varied systems.

Examples

In the automotive industry, the installation of pistons in the engine used to be done manually, having an error rate of 1-1.6%. Currently, this same task is done with an automated machine, having an error rate of 0.0001%.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is used with robotics to make automatic labeling, using robotic arms as automatic label applicators, and AI to detect the products to be labeled.

Automation at Audi

At the Audi plant in Germany, the number of robots is almost equal to 800 employees. They do most of the heavy lifting, as well as potentially dangerous welding, as well as tediously repetitive testing.

Among the benefits of automation at Audi are much higher productivity and a lower requirement for unskilled workers.

The robots used at Audi not only take care of the dangerous work previously performed by untrained employees, but also collect a wealth of data that can be analyzed and used to improve factory operation.

However, there are still tasks that robots cannot perform and humans are better equipped to handle.

By taking on the most dangerous tasks and improving the efficiency and productivity of those tasks, Audi can attract more highly skilled and skilled workers to perform human-focused tasks.

Automated production line

It consists of a series of workstations connected by a transfer system to move parts between the stations.

It is an example of fixed automation, as these lines are generally set up for long production runs.

Each station is designed to perform a specific processing operation, so that the part or product is manufactured step by step, as it progresses along the line.

In normal line operation, one part is processed at each station, so many parts are processed simultaneously, producing a finished part with each cycle of the line.

The various operations that take place must be properly sequenced and coordinated for the line to operate efficiently.

Modern automated lines are controlled by programmable logic controllers. These can perform the types of timing and sequencing functions required for your operation.

References

1. Terry M. Brei (2018). What is Industrial Automation? Sure Controls Inc. Taken from: surecontrols.com.
2. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2018). Automation. Taken from: en.wikipedia.org.
3. Electrical Technology (2018). What is Industrial Automation - Types of Industrial Automation. Taken from: electricaltechnology.org.
4. Unitronics (2018). What is Industrial Automation? Taken from: unitronicsplc.com.
5. Encyclopaedia Britannica (2018). Applications Of Automation And Robotics. Taken from: britannica.com.
6. Adam Robinson (2014). Industrial Automation: A Brief History of Manufacturing Application & The Current State and Future Outlook. Cerasis. Taken from: cerasis.com.
7. Eagle Technologies (2013). Factory Automation, a German Example. Taken from: eagletechnologies.com.