INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

ELECTIVE - III IE 519

CHAPTER I
Concept of automation in industry Mechanization and automation Classification of automation systems

Automation
Automation is a dynamic technology that represents a continuous evolutionary process that began many decades ago. Some might even argue that the process began with the industrial revolution when machines began to take over the work previously performed by manual labour. Automation is a process of technological development that will proceed into the foreseeable future. Automation is a technology concerned with the application of mechanical, electronic and computer based systems to operate and control production.

Automation
Automation technology includes
Automatic machine tools to process parts. Automatic assembly machines. Industrial robots. Automatic material handling and storage systems. Automatic inspection systems for quality control. Feedback control and computer process control. Computer systems for planning, data collection, and decision making to support manufacturing activities.

Reasons for Automation

Increased productivity High cost of labour Labour Shortages Trend of labour towards the service sector Safety High cost of raw materials Improved product quality Reduced manufacturing lead time Reduction of in-process inventory High cost of not automating (such as improved quality, higher sales, better labour relations, and better company image)

Arguments Against Automation

Subjugation (suppression) of the human.
On one hand, automation tends to transfer the skill required to perform work from human operators to machines. In doing so, it reduces need of skilled labour. Manual work left by automation requires lower skill levels and tends to involve rather menial tasks. In this sense, automation tends to downgrade factory work. Routine monotonous jobs are easiest to automate. Fewer workers are thus needed. Net result is that the overall level of manufacturing labor will be upgraded.

Reduction in labour force with resulting unemployment. Reduce purchasing power.

As machines replace workers and these workers join the unemployment ranks, they will not get wages necessary to buy the products.

Arguments in Favor of Automation

Automation will allow the average number of working hours per week to continue to decline, thereby allowing greater leisure hours and a higher quality of life. Automation brings safer working conditions for the worker. Automated production results in lower prices and better products. Growth of the automation industry will itself provide employment opportunities. Automation means increasing standard of living

Types of Automation
Three basic types
Fixed automation. (Process type) Programmable automation. (Program type) Flexible automation. (Process and Program type)

Fixed Automation
It is a system in which the sequence of processing (or assembly) operations is fixed by the equipment configuration. The operations in the sequence are usually simple. It is integration and coordination of many such operations into one piece of equipment that makes the system complex. Features of fixed automation
High initial investment for custom-engineered equipment. High production rates. Relatively inflexible in accommodating product changes.

Fixed Automation
Economic justification for fixed automation is found in products with very high demand rates and volume. High initial cost of equipment can be spread over a very large number of units, thus making the unit cost attractive compared to alternate methods of production. Examples
Mechanized assembly lines (starting around 1913 the product moved along mechanized conveyors, but the workstations along the line were manually operated). Machining transfer lines (beginning around 1924)

Programmable Automation
The production equipment is designed with the capability to change the sequence of operations to accommodate different product configurations. The operation sequence is controlled by a program, which is a set of instructions coded so that the system can read and interpret them. New programs can be prepared and entered into the equipment to produce new products. Features of programmable automation
High investment in general purpose equipment. Low production rates relative to fixed automation. Flexibility to deal with changes in product configuration. Most suitable for batch production.

Programmable Automation
Used in low and medium volume production. Parts or products are typically made in batches. To produce each new batch of a different product, the system must be reprogrammed with the set of new instructions. Physical setup (Tools, fixtures, machine settings etc.) of the machine must also be changed. This changeover procedure takes time. Typical Cycle time = (Time for setup and programming) + (Time in which batch is produced) Examples
Numerically controlled machine tools ( started in 1950s) Industrial robots (1960s)

Flexible Automation
It is extension of programmable automation. A flexible automated system is one that is capable of producing a variety of products with virtually no time lost for changeovers from one product to next. Has developed only over the last 20 or 25 years, and the principles are still evolving. There is no production time lost while reprogramming the system and altering the physical setup (tooling, fixtures, machine settings). System can produce various combinations and schedules of products, instead of requiring that they be made in separate batches.

Flexible Automation
Features of flexible automation
High investment for a custom-engineered system. Continuous production of variable mixtures of products. Medium production rates. Flexibility to deal with product design variations.

Flexible V/S Programmable Automation

Essential features that distinguish flexible from programmable automation
the capacity to change part programs with no production time loss. the capability to change over the physical setup, again with no production time loss.