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Automation of Industrial Processes

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Thomas Shaw
Automation of Industrial Processes



The speedy expansion of a massive international market demands the industrial sector to optimize production processes to achieve a higher market share and enhance competitiveness. To achieve this, engineering has promoted the development of areas like mechanics, electronics and robotics to manage and consolidate the automation of industrial processes. Get much more information and facts about Automated inspection systems



Automation could be the implementation of intelligent systems and technologies to operate machinery and control production processes, regardless of human operation in jobs that call for greater work and represent a huge danger to the health and welfare of workers. At the moment, you will discover 3 types of automation in accordance using the degree of production and desires of a particular market:



Fixed Automation:



Designed for large-scale manufacturing: A specialized machine or equipment is used to produce a part of a product or the product itself, inside a fixed and continuous sequence. This kind of automation is ideal for generating large volumes of products which have a long-life cycle, an invariable design and also a broad consumer demand. Its major limitations are the high initial cost plus the lack of flexibility with the equipment to adapt.



Programmable Automation:



Appropriate for any smaller sized production volume, segmented by batches, programmable automation permits to adjust or reprogram the sequence of operation, by implies of a software, to incorporate the variations on the product. Amongst by far the most used equipment for this sort of automation are numerical control machines, robots and programmable logic controllers.



Flexible Automation:



Made for an typical production level, flexible automation will be the extension of programmable automation. It reduces the programming time from the equipment and permits to alternate the elaboration of two products (in series) when mixing diverse variables. Flexibility refers towards the capability of teams to accept modifications in the design and configuration on the product, hence decreasing costs for companies.



Benefits of Industrial Automation



Decreases manufacturing expenses

Increases the efficiency on the production process.

Speeds the response to market demands.

Replaces the man with complicated industrial processes that endanger his physical integrity

Favors business competitiveness.

Improves the security on the processes and also the top quality of your production.



Disadvantages of Industrial Automation



Generates technological dependence

Demands a sizable initial investment

Lack of trained personnel to manage the equipment

Susceptibility to technological obsolescence

The resistance of the workers towards the change



One of the major challenges of the implementation of automated systems in industries is always to balance the work done by computerized equipment and robots with all the work performed by the operators. Whilst technology aids to optimize processes and limits human intervention, it will not replace it completely. The error would be to associate industrial automation with unemployment since human presence is important for the management, supervision and control of complicated production processes.

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