INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

MEC 6110

Prof. Mohammed Ali

Department of Mechanical Engineering
A.M.U., Aligarh

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 UNIT 1
INTRODUCTION TO AUTOMATION

•Introduction of automation technologies

•Applications in manufacturing,
•Types of automation systems – hydraulic, pneumatic,
electrical, electronic with comparison.
•Role of energies in automation – fluid power and
electrical.
•Different types of sensors, actuators, and controllers.
INTRODUCTION OF AUTOMATION
TECHNOLOGIES
 any means of helping the
workers to perform their
tasks more efficiently

a technology concerned with

the application of mechanical,
AUTOMATION
electronics and computer
based system to operate and
control production

transfer of the skill of the

operator to the machine

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 Human & Machines

❖Relative Strength of Humans & Machines

HUMANS MACHINES

1. Sense unexpected Stimuli

1. Perform repetitive tasks
2. Develop new solutions to
2. Store large amount of data
problems
3. Retrieve data from memory
3. Adapt to changes
4. Perform multitasks simultaneously
4. Cope with abstract problems
5. Apply high forces & power
5. Generalize from observations
6. Perform simple computations
6. Learn from experience
quickly
7. Make difficult decisions based
7. Make routine decisions quickly
on incomplete data
 AUTOMATION
• Automation is the technology by which a process or
procedure is accomplished without human assistance.
for operating equipment
POWER Automation implementation such as machinery,
processes in factories,
steering of vehicles,
aircraft, ships, and other
applications.

PROGRAM OF
INSTRUCTIONS CONTROL SYSTEM

BASIC ELEMENTS OF AUTOMATION

1. Power to operate the process PROCESSES
2. Instructions Program
3. Control system to actuate the instructions
• Automation provides
benefits to almost
every industry. For
example:
• Manufacturing,
including food and
pharmaceutical,
chemical, petroleum,
pulp and paper.
Transportation, including automotive, aerospace,
and rail.
 Arguments in favor of Automation

• Automation is the key to shorter work week–

working hours per week reduces and, allowing more
leisure hours and a higher quality of life.
• Automation brings safer working conditions for
workers.
• Automated production results in lower prices and
better products

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 Arguments against Automation
• It result in the subjugation of human being by a
machine – reduces the need for skilled labor
• There will be reduction in the labor force–resulting un
employment.
• Automation will reduce purchasing power-markets will
become saturated with products that people cannot
afford to purchase.

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 SOME CONSIDERATIONS
• What automation and control technology is available?
• Are employees ready and willing to use new
technology?
• What technology should be used?
• Should the current mfg process be improve
before automation?
• Should the product be improved before spending
millions of ringgit acquiring equips.
 BASIC COMPONENT OF AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM
Consists of 3 basic components:
1) The actuator (which does the work)
• Controlled by the controller.
• The actuator in a automated process may in fact be several
actuators, each of which provides an output that drives
another in the series of actuator.
• Some actuators can only be on and off. Other actuators
respond proportionally with the signal they receive from a
controller.
• Actuators can be selected for the types of inputs they require,
either DC or AC.
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2) The controller (which ‘tells’ the actuator to do work)

»A controlled system either may be a simple digital

system or an analog system.

»Digital and analog controllers are available ‘off the shelf’ so that
systems can be constructed inexpensive and with little
specialized knowledge required.

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3) The sensor (which provides feedback to the controller so that
it knows the actuator is doing work)
• Sensors can be used so that a controller can detect and
respond to changing conditions in its working environment.
• Switches and transducers are another name for sensors.
• Switches can detect when a measured condition exceeds a pre-
set level. Examples, vices closes when a work-piece is close
enough to work on.
• Transducers can describe a measured condition. Examples,
output increased voltage as a work-piece approaches the
working zone.

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 Manufacturing Process
Machinery Labour Power
Tool Waste

Starting Manufacturing Complete

material Process part

Value added
• Basic activities to convert raw material into
finished products:
i. Processing and assembly operations
ii. Material handling
iii. Inspection and test
iv. Coordination and control

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 Processing and assembly operations
• Processing operation transform a work material from
one state of completion to a more advanced state that
is closer to the final desired part/product. materials is
fed into the process, energy is apply by the
machinery and tooling to transform the material
into finished products.
• Assembly operations – two or more components
combined to form a new entity eg: welding, soldering,
screws, rivets etc.
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 Material handling & storage

• Moving and storing materials between processing

and/or assembly operations.

Inspection and test

• Both are quality control activities to determine
whether products meet the design standard and
specifications.

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 Coordination and control

• includes at process and plant levels

• Process level – manipulating input and
parameters of the process.
• Plants level – labor, maintenance, costing, shipping,
scheduling etc.

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 MACHINE TOOLS

Machine tools are machines that give special forms to

the materials in desired shapes and tolerances.

These can be metal forming, machining, welding, casting

machines or plastic processing machines, non-traditional
manufacturing machines.

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 Manufacturing Systems
1. Production Machines
In virtually all modern manufacturing systems, most of
the actual processing or assembly work is
accomplished by machines or with the aid of tools.

Classification:

i. Manually operated machines.

ii. Semi-automated machines.
iii. Fully automated machines.
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 Production Machines: i. Manually Operated Machines

• Controlled or supervised by a human worker.

• The machine provides the power for the operation and the
worker provides the control.
• The entire work cycle is operator controlled.
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 Production Machines: ii. Semi-Automated Machines

• A semi-automated machines performs a portion of the work

cycle under some form of program control, and a worker
tends to the machine for the remainder of the cycle.

• Typical worker tasks include loading and unloading parts.

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 Production Machines: iii. Fully-Automated Machines

Machine operates for extended periods (longer than one work

cycle) without worker attention.

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 Three Types of Automation

Programmable
Automation
Product
Variety Flexible
Automation

Fixed
Automation
100 10k 10L
Production Quantity
 Fixed Automation

• Fixed automation is a system in which the

sequence of processing operations is fixed by the
equipment configuration.

• Typical features:

– High initial investment for custom-engineered

equipment
– High production rate
– Relatively inflexible in accommodating product
variety.

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• The economic justification for the fixed
automation is found in products that are
produced in very large quantities and at high
production rates.

• The high initial cost of the equipment can be

spread over a very large number of units, thus
making the unit cost attractive compared with
alternate methods of production.

Example:
Transfer lines, automated assembly lines
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 Programmable Automation

• Capability to change the sequence of operations

through reprogramming to accommodate different
product configurations.

• Typical Features:

– High investment in general purpose equipment.

– Lower production rate than fixed automation.
– Flexibility to deal with variations and changes in
product configuration.
– Most suitable in batch production.
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Programmable automation production systems
are used in low and medium volume production.
The parts are typically made in batches.

Examples:

– Numerical machine tools (NC)

– Industrial Robots
– Programmable logic controllers.

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 Flexible Automation
• A flexible automated system is capable of
producing a variety of parts with virtually no
time is lost over changeovers from one part style
to the next.

• There is no lost production time while

reprogramming the system and altering the
physical set up.

• What makes flexible automation possible is that

the difference between the parts processed by
the system are not significant (soft variety).
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 • Typical Features:

– High investment for a custom engineered system.

– Continuous production of variable mixture of parts.
– Medium production rates.
– Flexibility to deal with product design variations.
– Ability to adapt to engineering changes in parts.
– Increase in number of similar parts produced on the
system.
– Ability to accommodate routing changes.
– Ability to rapidly change production set up.

Example:
FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

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 Automation in action…

• CAD/CAM • Data Collection

• CNC • Manufacturing Planning
and Control
• Rapid Prototyping
• EDI
• Inspection
• Accounting Systems
• CMM • Material handling
• Robots • Sales Force Automation
• Conveyors
• Process Controls
• FMS
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 Automation Principle and Strategies

• A certain caution and respect must be observed in

applying automation technologies.

• There are 3 approaches for dealing with

automation projects.

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 The USA Principle

❖It is common Sense approach to automation and

process improvement

❖USA Stands for:

U: understand the existing process
S: simplify the process
A: automate the process
 U: Understanding the Process

❖Study current process in detail

Find answers:
What are inputs?
What are outputs?
What exactly happens between input & output?
What is function of process?
How does it add value to the product?
What are sequence of operations?
 Simplify & Automate

❖Simplify the Process:

Simplify the existing process
Generate answers to queries:
• What is the purpose of each step and transport?
• Is this step necessary?
• Can this step be eliminated?
• Does this step uses the most appropriate
technology?
• How can the step be simplified? Can
steps be combined?
❖Automate the steps in process
 2. 10 Strategies for Automation
1. Specialization of operations
2. Combined operations
3. Simultaneous operations
4. Integration of operations
5. Increased flexibility
6. Improved material handling and storage
7. On-line inspection
8. Process control and optimization
9. Plant operations control
10.Computer-Integrated manufacturing
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1. Specialization of operations:
The first strategy involves the use of special purpose
equipment designed to perform one operation with the
greatest possible efficiency.

Reduce To = time per operation at a given machine or

workstation
To = actual machining time + the work piece
handling time + tool handling time per
work piece

To = Tm + Th + Tth

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2. Combined operations:
• Production occurs as a sequence of operations.
• Complex parts may require dozens, or even hundreds,
of processing steps.
• The strategy of combined operations involves reducing
the number of distinct production machines on
workstations through which the part must be routed.

Reduce
nm = separate machines or operations through which the product
must be routed in order to be completely processed.
Th = the workpiece handling time
Tno = non operation time associated with the same machine
Tsu = setup time; the setup typically includes arranging the
workplace and installing the tooling and fixturing required for the
product. 46
3. Simultaneous operations:

• A logical extension of the combined operations strategy

is to perform at the same time the operations that are
combined at one workstation.
• In effect, two or more processing (or assembly)
operations are being performed simultaneously on the
same work part, thus reducing total processing time.

Separate machines nm Reduce: Tsu Setup time

Th Tno To
Workpiece handling time Time per operation
Non-operation time

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4. Integration of operations.

• Another strategy is to link several workstations into a

single integrated mechanism using automated work
handling devices to transfer parts between stations.
• In effect, this reduces the number of separate machines
through which the product must be scheduled.
• With more than one workstation, several parts can be
processed simultaneously, thereby increasing the
overall output of the system.

Reduce: nm , Th ,Tno , Tsu

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5. Increased flexibility.

• This strategy attempts to achieve maximum utilization

of equipment for job shop and medium-volume
situations by using the same equipment for a variety of
products.
• This normally translates into lower manufacturing lead
time and lower work-in-process.

Reduce: Tsu , MLT, WIP , increase U

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6. Improved material handling and storage.

A great opportunity for reducing nonproductive time

exists in the use of automated material handling and
storage systems. Typical benefits included reduced work-
in-process and shorter manufacturing lead times.

Reduce: Tno MLT, WIP

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7. On-line inspection.
• Inspection for quality of work is traditionally performed
after the process.
• This means that any poor-quality product has already
been produced by the time it is inspected.
• Incorporating inspection into the manufacturing process
permits corrections to the process as product is being
made.
• This reduces scrap and brings the overall quality of
product closer to the nominal specifications intended by
the designer.

Reduce: Tno , MLT, q

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8. Process control and optimization.

• This includes a wide range of control schemes intended

to operate the individual processes and associated
equipment more efficiently.
• By this strategy, the individual process times can be
reduced and product quality improved.

Reduce: Tno , q = scrap rate, improved quality control

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9. Plant operations control.

• Whereas the previous strategy was concerned with

the control of the individual manufacturing process,
this strategy is concerned with control at the plant
level.
• It attempts to manage and coordinate the aggregate
operations in the plant more efficiently.
• Its implementation usually involves a high level of
computer networking within the factory.

Reduce: Tno , MLT, increase U

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10. Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM).

• Taking the previous strategy one step further, we have

the integration of factory operations with engineering
design and many of the other business functions of
the firm.
• CIM involves extensive use of computer applications,
computer data bases, and computer networking in
the company.

Reduce: MLT, increase U, design time production

planning time

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 3. Automation Migration Strategy
• Owing to competitive pressure in the market place, a
company often needs to introduce a new product in the
shortest possible time.

• If the product turns out to be successful, and higher

future demand is anticipated, then it makes sense for the
company to automate production.

• The improvements are often carried out in phases.

• Many companies have an automation migration strategy.

• It is a formalized plan for evolving the manufacturing
systems used to produce new products as demand grows.

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Automation Migration Strategy
A typical automation
migration strategy is
the following:
Phase 1: Manual
production
Phase 2: Automation
production with single
station.
Phase 3: Automated
integrated system

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Role of energies in automation – fluid power
and electrical.
 Fluid Power

◼ Technology that deals with

Generation
of Power using
Control
Pressurized fluids
Transmission
◼ Muscle that moves industry
◼ Used to Push, Pull, Regulate, or Drive all
machines of modern industry
◼ Fluid
 Liquid (Hydraulics)
 Gas (Pneumatics)

Hydraulic and Pneumatic Controls 2

 Why Fluid Power?
◼ Most industrial processes require objects or substances
to be :
 moved from one location to another,
 or a force to be applied to hold,
 shape or compress a product.

◼ Such activities are performed by Prime Movers.

◼ In many locations all prime movers are electrical.
◼ Rotary motions can be provided by simple motors, and
linear motion can be obtained from rotary motion by
devices such as screw jacks or rack and pinions.

3
Why Fluid Power?
◼ Electrical devices are not, however, the only means of
providing prime movers.

◼ Enclosed fluids (both liquids and gases) can also be

used to convey energy from one location to another and,
consequently, to produce rotary or linear motion or apply
a force.

◼ Fluid based systems using liquids/gas as transmission

media are called hydraulic/pneumatic systems

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 HISTORY OF FLUID POWER
•Ancient historical accounts show that water was used for
centuries to produce power by means of water wheels, and
air was used to turn windmills and propel ships.
•Pascal’s law and Bernoulli’s law operate at the very heart
of all fluid power.
 Pascal’s Law
It was in the 17th century hydraulics as we know it, came into use. Based on a
principle discovered by the French scientist Pascal , it relates to the use of fluids
in transmitting power.
◼ Principle of how fluid transmit power
“Pressure applied to a confined fluid is transmitted
undiminished in all directions”

Force Multiplication
10 N 100 N
1 sq. cm 10 sq. cm

Pressure of 10N/sq cm

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Pneumatic and Hydraulic Drives or Fluid Power?
What do we mean by Pneumatic and Hydraulic Drives ?

Pneumatic and Hydraulic Drives

-It is mainly considered with energy conversation

-Conversation pressure into force

- Conversation of flow into speed
 Double acting cylinder

Layout of pneumatic system

A B
Flow
control
valve
A B

Directional
4/2 DCV
control valve

P T

Air Dryer Air receiver

tank Filter Regulator Lubricator Muffler
Compressor
M FRL Unit

From atmosphere 64
Hydraulic system

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• Types of automation systems – hydraulic,
pneumatic, electrical, electronic with
comparison.
 Electrical , pneumatic and hydraulic systems
Let us consider the following task :
The task considered is how to lift a load by a distance of
about 500 mm. Such tasks are common in manufacturing
industries.

Direction
Load
A
 Electrical solution
Basic choices;
- solenoid: the solenoid produces a linear stroke directly
but its stroke is normally limited to a maximum distance
of around 100 mm.

- DC and AC motors : DC and AC motors are rotary

devices and their outputs need to be converted to
linear motion by mechanical devices such as worm
screws or rack and pinions.

• The choice of motor depends largely on the speed

control requirements.
• A DC motor fitted with a tacho and driven by a thyristor
drive can give excellent speed control, but has high
maintenance requirements for brushes and
commutator.
• An AC motor is virtually maintenance free, but is
essentially a fixed speed device (with speed being
determined by number of poles and the supply
frequency).
• Speed can be adjusted with a variable frequency drive,
but care needs to be taken to avoid overheating as most
motors are cooled by an internal fan connected directly
to the motor shaft.
• We will assume a fixed speed raise/lower is required, so
an AC motor driving a screw jack would seem to be the
logical choice.
 Electrical solution, based on three phase motor

Operation
A mechanical jack driven by an AC motor controlled by a reversing
starter. Auxiliary equipment comprises two limit switches, and a
motor overload protection device. There is no practical load
limitation provided screw/gearbox ratio, motor size and contactor
rating are correctly calculated.
 Hydraulic solution
A solution using hydraulic system can be realized using a hydraulic
linear actuator (arm).
It consists of a movable piston connected directly to the output shaft
If fluid is pumped into pipe A the piston will move up and the shaft
will extend; if fluid is pumped into pipe B, the shaft will retract.

Hydraulic cylinder
Physical components
•The maximum force available from the cylinder depends
on fluid pressure and cross sectional area of the piston.
•The system requires a liquid fluid to operate; expensive
and messy and, consequently, the piping must act as a
-closed loop, with fluid transferred from a storage tank to

one side of the piston, and returned from the other side of
the piston to the tank.
•Fluid is drawn from the tank by a pump which produces
fluid flow at the required 150 bar.
•Cylinder movement is controlled by a three position
changeover valve.
•Speed control is easily achieved by regulating the volume
flow rate to the cylinder.
•Precise control at low speeds is one of the main
advantages of hydraulic systems.
•Travel limits are determined by the cylinder stroke and
cylinders, generally, can be allowed to stall at the ends of
travel so no over travel protection is required.
•The pump needs to be turned by an external power
source; almost certainly an AC induction motor which, in
turn, requires a motor starter and overload protection.
•Hydraulic fluid needs to be very clean, hence a filter is
needed to remove dirt particles before the fluid passes
from the tank to the pump.
•One final point worth mentioning is that leaks of fluid
from the system are unsightly, slippery (hence hazardous)
and environmentally very undesirable.
• A major failure can be catastrophic.
Pneumatic solution

◼ The basic actuator is again a

cylinder, with maximum force on
the shaft being determined by air
pressure and piston cross-sectional
area.
◼ Operating pressures in pneumatic
systems are generally much lower
than those in a hydraulic systems;
◼ 10 bar being typical which will lift
10 kg cm-2 of piston area, so a 16
cm diameter piston is required to
lift the 2000 kg load specified in the
previous section.
Hydraulic and Pneumatic Controls 14
◼ Pneumatic systems therefore
require larger actuators than
hydraulic systems for the same
load.
◼ The valve delivering air to the
cylinder operates in a similar way
to its hydraulic equivalent. One
◼ notable difference arises out of
the simple fact that air is free;
return air is simply vented to
atmosphere.

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Pneumatic System

16
 Pneumatic System

◼ Air is drawn from the atmosphere via an air filter and raised to required
pressure by an air compressor (usually driven by an AC motor).
◼ The air temperature is raised considerably by this compressor.
◼ Air also contains a significant amount of water vapour. Before the air
can be used it must be cooled, and this results in the formation of
condensation So, the air compressor must be followed by a cooler and
air treatment unit.
 Pneumatic System

◼ Compressibility of a gas makes it necessary to store a volume of

pressurized gas in a reservoir, to be drawn on by the load.
◼ Without this reservoir, a slow exponential rise of pressure results in a
similar slow cylinder movement when the valve is first opened.
◼ The air treatment unit is thus followed by an air reservoir.
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 Pneumatic System

◼ Hydraulic systems require a pressure regulator to spill excess fluid back

to the tank, but pressure control in a pneumatic system is much simpler.
◼ A pressure switch, fitted to the air reservoir, starts the compressor
motor when pressure falls and stops it again when pressure reaches
the required level.

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Comparison

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Comparison

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Advantages of Fluid Power
◼ Very high force despite small components
◼ Very slow and linear movements
◼ Very exact positioning (stops exactly on a point).
◼ Start-up under heavy loads
 Possible to start the motor & process a job with a load attached to it.
This is because there is oil in the actuator though the pump is idling.

◼ Simplicity, safety, economy

 In general, fluid power systems use fewer moving parts
than comparable mechanical or electrical systems. Thus,
they are simpler to maintain and operate. This, in turn,
maximizes safety, compactness and reliability.