You might have heard about automation or industrial automation a few times here and there. Are you wondering what is it? And how it works. Let us check it out! What 😦 makes automation this much famous 😌
WHAT IS AUTOMATION?
Automation is the application of technology, programs, robotics or processes to achieve outcomes with minimal human 🚶 inputs. The automation can be also called as automatic control.
INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Automation is the use of machines 🤖 to carry out manufacturing processes with little human involvement as said above. Industrial automation allows for facilities to utilize these process for a more optimized operation manufactures use machines that are operated through different control systems like programmable logic controllers or PLCs human machines or HIMIS and robotics
Automation uses logic and programming to feed the machines information on how to carry out a function these machines allow for high control which improves manufacturing performance
DIFFERENT TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Hard or fixed automation: It is made of redundant tasks with high turnout rates
Programmable automation: It is used for batch production where the automation process can be modified
Soft automation: allows flexibility and changes to products quickly and easily
Some of the benefits of industrial automation include high reliability, increased productivity, quality enhancement and reduced labor expenses
Industrial automation in a Manufacturing environment may include various types of equipment. Automated material handling systems such as Swiss log auto store is specialized autonomous and compact inventory retrieval speed. These systems are customized for the environment needs and needs of the facility .
DIFFERENT TYPES OF AUTOMATION
There are three types of automation in production can be distinguished 1.fixed automation, 2.programmable automation, 3.flexible automation
Flexible automation
Flexible automation is a type of manufacturing automation .Which exhibits some form of flexibility .Most commonly this flexibility is the capability of making products in short term frame .This process flexibility allows the production of different types with overlapping life -cycles
Fixed automation
Fixed automation systems or hard automation are typically used for production systems with solely distributed appliance and huge output wants. The equipment in a fixed automation system is manufactured and designed to perform only one set of operations on one part with high levels of efficiency.
Programmable automation
Programmable automation is a form of automation for producing products in batches .The products are made in batch sizes varying from various dozen to several thousand units at a time.
ADVANTAGES OF AUTOMATION
👍Increase in production capacity
👍Reduction in time
👍Improved quality and reliability
👍Improved working environment
👍Reduce waste
👍Increased competitiveness , sales and profit
👍No labor crisis
DISADVANTAGE OF AUTOMATION
👎Capital expenditure
👎Maintenance is more complicated and required trained expert
👎high rate of job loss is experienced due to mechanization
HOW AUTOMATION WILL CHANGE OUR ECONOMY
Automation is coming for your job at least that’s the fear among many workers 👷.From burger flipping bots to car building robots not to mention high-powered software taking more administrative tasks It seems like hundreds of skills are rapidly becoming obsolete due to the entry of machines. Automation isn’t just a robotics revolution the rise in information technology and artificial intelligence has also become an enabler of automation. AI can help navigate difficult challenges that previously only a human operator could handle.Ofcourse if you have encountered automated phone systems ,it’s likely you personally experienced that automation still has a long way to go there is nothing wrong with automation as long as it is a part of portfolio of technological changes .But it’s specific effects are not super good for labor. But the pace of technological change is accelerating and the covid -19 pandemic could have acted as the accelerant. Let us see in the future , what revolutions will automation make in our world🌏 !