Industrial Automation

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Industrial automation is a transformative force in modern manufacturing, enabling industries worldwide to enhance efficiency and productivity. This advanced field involves the design, development, and implementation of systems that streamline industrial processes. As a core aspect of Factory Automation, it addresses critical challenges such as evolving customer demands and intense global competitiveness. 

This article will explore the scope of industrial automation, detailing the essential equipment and systems used, providing real-world examples of its application, and outlining strategies for acquiring new projects in this rapidly advancing sector.

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What do industrial automation companies do?

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Industrial automation companies are dedicated to designing, developing, and implementing automation systems for industrial processes. Their core objective is to maximize profit for businesses by minimizing operational costs, a crucial factor in today's competitive market. They achieve this by addressing significant challenges such as workforce shortages, high labor turnover, and the risk of mishaps and injuries in manufacturing environments.

These companies offer a range of services, including system integration, robotics, control systems, and software development. They implement integrated, intelligent control systems that utilize big data analysis to facilitate cooperative production processes and link supply chains, often leveraging cloud computing for a digital transformation approach. 

The increasing use of automation technology in production and manufacturing is a direct response to labor shortages and the escalating desire of consumers for higher-quality products and faster delivery. In the context of smart factories, these companies are essential for integrating manufacturing applications, visualization and control systems, Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Twin technologies, and robust information security measures.

What are the three major systems used in industrial automation? In industrial automation, three major systems often highlighted for their foundational roles are Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. SCADA systems enable real-time monitoring and evaluation, with PLCs serving as critical communication interfaces for field devices. These systems are integral to collecting and elaborating information from various plant assets like machines, sensors, products, and orders, which is vital for optimized decision-making.

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Industrial automation equipment list

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A categorized list of common industrial automation equipment typically includes sensors, actuators, PLCs, SCADA, and robotics. Sensors are fundamental, utilized for measuring critical parameters such as energy consumption and raw material usage. Actuators complement sensors by enabling mechanical actions, with newer designs allowing for functionalities like partial switch-off or stand-by modes. Smart sensors and actuators are also critical in supporting the smooth migration of conventional factories to advanced manufacturing sites.

Beyond individual components, data collection and analytics tools play a key role in modern industrial automation. The capacity to analyze vast quantities of data, or “big data”, is essential for optimizing production, distribution, and sequences. Data analytics encompasses significant analysis, often leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cognitive technologies to investigate datasets, identify trends, and extract valuable information. 

Smart factories inherently rely on the integration of manufacturing applications, visualization and control units, Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, and Digital Twins to facilitate this analysis and execution. For historical data management, batch historian systems are crucial for organizing, storing, archiving, and retrieving large volumes of real-time data from batch processes, which aids in critical batch-to-batch analysis and informed decision-making. 

To fully grasp the essence of industrial automation, it is essential to understand its foundational principles and the core elements that define its widespread application. At its heart, industrial automation refers to the use of specialized equipment and advanced technologies to execute pre-determined operations with minimal human intervention, transforming manual processes into automated ones. This field fundamentally relies on the integration of mechatronics and computers to manage the production of goods and services. 

Key to its function are basic control system elements: sensors for data measurement, controllers for decision-making, and actuators for physical manipulation of processes. The evolution of industrial automation is propelled by critical technological areas such as vertical system integration, distributed and decentralized control, smart sensing, and advanced engineering methods - all contributing to its primary goals of boosting productivity, quality, and flexibility across industries.

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What are the types of industrial automation?

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The four recognized types of industrial automation include fixed (hard), programmable, flexible (soft), and integrated automation. These classifications help define the suitability of automation for different production environments and needs.

• Fixed Automation (Hard Automation): This type is characterized by dedicated equipment designed for fixed-sequence operations, typically used for high production volumes of products with minimal variation. While not explicitly elicited with a scenario in the sources provided, its nature implies processes where changes are rare.
  
  
• Programmable Automation: This involves equipment that can be reprogrammed to accommodate changes in product configuration, often seen in environments with batch production. Robots, for example, demonstrate flexibility due to their programmability, making them versatile for various tasks.
  
  
• Flexible Automation (Soft Automation): An extension of programmable automation, flexible automation allows for quick changes in product design without significant downtime. This is crucial for industries requiring rapid adaptation to market demands.
  
  
• Integrated Automation: This involves the complete automation of a manufacturing process from design to production and delivery, with minimal human intervention. The push for "integrated intelligent controls" in industrial production exemplifies this goal.

The adoption of these specific types of automation aligns with the increased requirements on factory automation, offering a choice of solutions to achieve manufacturing goals and sustain market competitiveness.

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What are the levels of manufacturing?

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The four levels of manufacturing within a factory automation hierarchy are the field level, control level, supervisory level, and enterprise level. Each level plays a distinct role in the overall operation and management of a production facility.

• Field Level: This is the foundational level, encompassing devices like sensors and actuators that directly interact with physical processes. Sensors collect raw data, while actuators execute commands to control machinery.
  
  
• Control Level: At this level, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and other decentralized controllers are employed to manage individual machines or groups of machines. They execute direct control over equipment based on real-time data from the field level.
  
  
• Supervisory Level: This level involves systems like SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs), which provide real-time monitoring, data visualization, and control over multiple control-level devices. It aggregates information from the control level and presents it to operators for informed decision-making.
  
  
• Enterprise Level: At the highest level, the enterprise level integrates manufacturing operations with overall business functions, often involving Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This level is responsible for strategic planning, resource scheduling, and overall business optimization, linking production performance to wider company goals.

Information and communication technology facilitates the collection and elaboration of data from sensors to upper-level control, and horizontally between decentralized controllers, supporting decisions across all these hierarchical layers. This hierarchical structure is essential for achieving high-performance quality control and flexible transient operations across all time scales.

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What are the main automations?

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The three main automations are discrete, process, and hybrid automation systems. These categories classify automation based on the nature of the products and processes involved.

• Discrete Automation: This involves the production of distinct, countable products, such as automobiles, electronics, or household appliances. Factory automation is a key aspect of discrete manufacturing, focusing on areas like flexible production, product traceability, seamless engineering, and resource efficiency. Examples include assembly lines where individual parts are put together to form a final product.
  
  
• Process Automation: This deals with processes that involve continuous or batch flow of materials, typically found in industries producing liquids, gases, powders, or slurries. This type of automation is a subset of industrial automation. Examples include chemical manufacturing, food processing, and oil refineries. Batch process control, for instance, manages complex data and controls for efficient execution, ensuring accurate measurements of ingredients and preventing errors.
  
  
• Hybrid Automation: This combines elements of both discrete and process automation. Industries that produce discrete products through processes involving fluid or bulk material handling often utilize hybrid automation. An example might be the production of packaged foods, where initial processing is continuous or batch, followed by discrete packaging operations.

Understanding these main types is crucial for selecting the most appropriate automation strategy to optimize production and achieve business goals across various industries.

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What are the types of process automation?

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The two types of process automation are continuous and batch process automation. These are integral to industries that handle materials in a flowing state.

• Continuous Process Automation: In this type of automation, materials flow continuously through the production system, and the product is produced without interruption. Examples include the chemical manufacturing of petrochemicals, or continuous power generation plants. These systems often operate 24/7, with steady-state operations being the norm.
  
  
• Batch Process Automation: This involves distinct production runs, or "batches," where specific quantities of materials are processed in a sequence of steps. After one batch is completed, another can begin, often with different recipes or parameters. Food processing and pharmaceutical manufacturing are typical examples. Batch process systems generate enormous amounts of data, with information relationships often dependent on the specific control recipe execution rather than being purely time-based.
  
  Batch process management focuses on agility, speed, and safety to meet increasing production demands through modeling, execution, and tracking information related to material and control flow.

Both types of process automation are critical for ensuring consistent product quality, optimizing resource utilization, and responding to market demands within their respective industrial contexts.

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What is the difference between industrial automation and process automation?

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Industrial automation is a broad and encompassing field that involves the application of various technologies, methods, and systems to automate operations across industries. Its key goals include manufacturing future products and ensuring social and environmental sustainability. This includes automating everything from discrete parts assembly to continuous chemical processes.

Process automation, as highlighted, is a subset of industrial automation. It specifically deals with processes that involve the continuous or batch flow of materials, often found in industries like chemical manufacturing, oil and gas, and food processing. The focus in process automation is on controlling variables like temperature, pressure, flow rates, and levels to produce a desired output.

The distinction lies in scope: industrial automation covers a wider array of applications, including discrete manufacturing (often referred to as factory automation), whereas process automation specializes in controlling fluid or bulk material processes. Industrial automation examples range from the intricate movements of robotics in an automotive assembly line to the sophisticated control of smart homes and smart waste management systems like smart bins.

Factory automation, a closely related concept, aims for flexibility in lot sizing, product traceability, seamless engineering, resource efficiency, and migration strategies for advanced manufacturing sites. While industrial automation is the overarching discipline, process automation addresses a critical segment of this broader landscape by applying automation principles to specific types of material transformation.

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How to get industrial automation projects?

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Securing industrial automation projects requires a multifaceted approach that combines building expertise, seeking relevant certifications, engaging in networking, and effectively participating in tender bidding. Companies that position themselves as next-generation partners in this field understand that success comes from transforming challenges like labor shortages, tariffs, and supply-chain pressures into measurable gains in throughput, cost, and resilience.

Building expertise is fundamental; this includes deep knowledge of control systems, robotics, and software development, and the ability to offer full-stack integration services. The ability to integrate various systems, applications, and devices within a network is crucial for creating powerful information systems that plant personnel can use effectively. An emphasis on open standards, such as those promoted by the OPAF (Open Process Automation Forum) network, is also vital for modern projects, as it helps remove vendor dependency and ensures interoperability.

Certifications, like those issued by PLCopen for compliant functional blocks, signal a commitment to industry standards and best practices, enhancing credibility. Networking allows for the identification of potential clients and collaboration opportunities, while strategic tender bidding involves showcasing a clear, data-driven direction and an objective approach to solving customer problems. 

By becoming a thought leader and an authority on specific topics within industrial automation, companies can leverage insights into real-world customer search behavior to attract projects. This strategy, rooted in understanding customer needs rather than internal assumptions, allows for the confident pursuit of high-value opportunities.

Are you ready to explore Factory Automation solutions tailored to your operation? Connect with DP Gayatri to discover how industrial automation can streamline your processes, boost productivity, and improve ROI. 

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