What is Automation?

“the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate automatically.”

"the creation and application of technology to monitor and control the production and delivery of
products and services.”

Benefits

Manufacturing, including food and pharmaceutical, chemical and petroleum, pulp and paper

Transportation, including automotive, aerospace, and rail

Utilities, including water and wastewater, oil and gas, electric power, and telecommunications

Defense

Facility operations, including security, environmental control, energy management, safety, and
other building automation

Automation

Automation crosses all functions within industry from….

Installation, integration, and maintenance to design, procurement, and management. Automation

even reaches into the marketing and sales functions of these industries.

Automation

Automation involves a very broad range of technologies including robotics and expert systems,
telemetry and communications, electrooptic, Cybersecurity, process measurement and control,
sensors, wireless applications, systems integration, test measurement, and many, many more.

Manufacturing Process

The way a business will establish how it will produce its products for its customers.

Depending on the type of business, one manufacturing process will be best for the company.

What will determine the manufacturing process?

• Consumer demand of products

• The manufacturing technique of how a final product is completed (is it assembled by

various components, involve raw material or chemicals?)

• The available resources at the company's disposal.

Manufacturing Processes

• Repetitive Manufacturing

• Discrete Manufacturing

• Job Shop Manufacturing

• Process Manufacturing (Continuous)

• Process Manufacturing (Batch)

Repetitive Manufacturing

A manufacturer would use repetitive manufacturing for repeated production that commits to a
production rate.

Repetitive processing is comprised of dedicated production lines that produce the same or a
paraphernalia of items, 24/7, all year round. With its requirements for setup being minimal or
having little changeover, the operation speeds can be increased or decreased to meet customer
demands or requirements.

Repetitive Manufacturing Examples

• Electronic goods.

• Automobiles.

• Consumer goods (washing machines, refrigerators).

Discrete Manufacturing

Like repetitive manufacturing, discrete manufacturing also utilizes an assembly or production line.

This process is extremely diverse, with a variation of setups and changeover frequencies. This is
due to factors based on whether the products in production are similar or discordant in design.

If the items are vastly different this will require altering the setup and a tear-down, which means
production will require more time.

Discrete Manufacturing Examples

• Automobiles,

• Furniture,

• Toys,

• Smartphones,

• Airplanes

Job Shop Manufacturing

Job shop manufacturing, unlike repetitive or discrete manufacturing, makes use of production
areas rather than assembly lines. This is because this process will produce smaller batches of
custom products, which can be either made-to-order (MTO) or made-to-stock (MTS).
These workstations are organized to make one version of a custom product, or even a couple of
dozen. If customer demand requires it, the operation can become a discrete manufacturing line
with selected labor operations being, potentially, replaced by automated equipment.

Advantages & Disadvantages

• High flexibility in product engineering

• High expansion flexibility (machines are easily added or substituted)

• High production volume elasticity (due to small increments to productive capacity)

• Low obsolescence (machines are typically multipurpose)

• High robustness to machine failures

• Very hard scheduling due to high product variability and twisted production flow

• Low capacity utilization

Manufacturing (Continuous)

Process manufacturing (also called continuous manufacturing) is similar to repetitive

manufacturing as it too also runs 24/7.

The difference is that this manufacturing process productions raw materials are gases, liquids,
powders, or slurries.

Product designs are similar, unless the disciplines to create a final product or a production process
is more diverse.

Food, beverages, refined oil, gasoline, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and plastics.

Manufacturing (Continuous)

 Petrochemical,
 Cement,
 Steel,
 Sugar
 Fertilizer industries.

manufacturing (Batch)

Process manufacturing (also called batch manufacturing) shares similarities with discrete and job
shop processes.

Depending on consumer demand, one batch could be enough to meet that demand. Once a batch
is completed, the equipment is cleaned, ready to produce the next batch when needed. Batch
processes are continuous in nature.

Continuous batch processes are achievable when the ingredients or raw materials cannot be made
to a strict standard. Just like Process manufacturing (continuous) the product ingredients are
similar, and the production process is more diverse.
manufacturing (Batch)

• Baked goods.

• Clothing.

• Computer chips.

• Computer software.

• Die- or mold-making.

• Electrical goods.

• Flat-pack furniture.

• Jet engine production.

Types of Automation System

Automated production systems can be classified into three basic types:

 Fixed automation
 Programmable automation
 Flexible automation.

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 the integration
and coordination of many such operations into one piece of equipment that makes the system
complex. The typical features of fixed automation are:

 High initial investment for custom–Engineered equipment;

 High production rates;
 Relatively inflexible in accommodating product changes.

Fixed Automation

The economic justification for fixed automation is found in products with very high demand rates
and volumes. The high initial cost of the equipment can be spread over a very large number of
units, thus making the unit cost attractive compared to alternative methods of production.
Examples of fixed automation include mechanized assembly and machining transfer lines.

Programmable Automation

In this 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. Some of the features that characterize programmable
automation are:

 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

The 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 machine instructions that correspond
to the new product.

The physical setup of the machine must also be changed over: Tools must be loaded, fixtures must
be attached to the machine table also be changed machine settings must be entered. This
changeover procedure takes time.

Consequently, the typical cycle for given product includes a period during which the setup and
reprogramming takes place, followed by a period in which the batch is produced.

Flexible Automation

It is an extension of programmable automation.

A flexible automated system is one that is capable of producing a variety of products (or parts)
with virtually no time lost for changeovers from one product to the next.
There is no production time lost while reprogramming the system and altering the physical setup
(tooling, fixtures, and machine setting). Consequently, the system can produce various
combinations and schedules of products instead of requiring that they be made in separate
batches.

Flexible Automation

The features of flexible automation can be summarized as follows:

 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 Automation

The essential features that distinguish flexible automation from programmable automation are:

The capacity to change part programs with no lost production time.

The capability to changeover the physical setup, again with no lost production time.

Industrial Automation

Companies are constantly looking for improvements in productivity to increase their

competitiveness.

The use of automation technology is a tool that has been proven to achieve this, but it does not
ensure advantageous results.

One of the keys for a successful investment and implementation of automated equipment is the
choice of the right technology.

The type and level of automation that best suits the company, its needs, objectives and
prerequisites.
There are companies that are not familiar with this process, therefore, they abstain from
investments and thereby miss the opportunity to take advantage of existing technology.

Research has demonstrated the importance of integrating human beings and technology into
automated manufacturing to support sustainable and robust manufacturing systems.

The relationship between humans and technology can be seen as activities that are performed
entirely manually to fully automate, sharing tasks between human and technology. This concept is
called levels of automation.

Automation does not necessarily refer to modernization or technological innovation.

LoA scales Mechanical and Equipment

1.Totally manual.- Totally manual work, no tools are used, only the users own muscle power. E.g.
The users own muscle power

2.Static hand tool.- Manual work with support of static tool. E.g. Screwdriver

3.Flexible hand tool.- Manual work with support of flexible tool. E.g. Adjustable spanner

4.Automated hand tool.- Manual work with support of automated tool. E.g. Hydraulic bolt driver

scales Mechanical and Equipment

5.Static machine/workstation.- Automatic work by machine that is designed for a specific task. E.g.
Lathe

6.Flexible machine/workstation.- Automatic work by machine that can be reconfigured for

different tasks. E.g. CNC-machine

7.Totally automatic.- Totally automatic work, the machine solve all deviations or problems that
occur by it self. E.g. Autonomous systems

LoA scales Information and Control

1.Totally manual - The user creates his/her own understanding for the situation, and develops
his/her course of action based on his/her earlier experience and knowledge. E.g. The users earlier
experience and knowledge.

2.Decision giving - The user gets information on what to do, or proposal on how the task can be
achieved. E.g. Work order

3.Teaching - The user gets instruction on how the task can be achieved. E.g. Checklists, manuals

4.Questioning - The technology question the execution, if the execution deviate from what the
technology consider being suitable.

E.g. Verification before action

5.Supervision - The technology calls for the users’ attention, and direct it to the present task. E.g.
Alarms
6.Intervene - The technology takes over and corrects the action, if the executions deviate from
what the technology consider being suitable.

E.g. Thermostat

7.Totally automatic - All information and control is handled by the technology. The user is never
involved. E.g. Autonomous systems