Due to the rapid advances in technology, all industrial processing systems, factories, machinery, test facilities, etc. turned from mechanization to automation. A mechanization system needs human intervention to operate the manual operated machinery. As new and efficient control technologies evolved, computerized automation control is being driven by the need for high accuracy, quality, precision and performance of industrial processes.
Automation is a step beyond the mechanization which makes use of high control capability devices for efficient manufacturing or production processes.
What is Industrial Automation
Industrial automation is the use of control devices such as PC/PLCs/PACs etc. to control industrial processes and machinery by removing as much labor intervention as possible, and replacing dangerous assembly operations with automated ones. Industrial automation is closely linked to control engineering.
Automation is a broad term applied to any mechanism that moves by itself or is self dictated. The word ‘automation’ is derived from ancient Greek words of Auto (means ‘self’) Matos (means ‘moving’). As compared with manual systems, automation systems provide superior performance in terms of precision, power, and speed of operation.
In industrial automation control, a wide number of process variables such as temperature, flow, pressure, distance, and liquid levels can be sensed simultaneously. All these variables are acquired, processed and controlled by complex microprocessor systems or PC based data processing controllers.
Control systems are an essential part of an automation system. The various types of closed-loop control techniques ensure the process variables to follow the set points. In addition to this basic function, the automation system employs different other functions such as computing set points for control systems, plant startup or shutdown, monitoring system performance, equipment scheduling, etc. The control systems combined with monitoring adapted to the operating environment in the industry allow for a flexible, efficient and reliable production system.
The automated system needs special dedicated hardware and software products for implementing control and monitoring systems. In recent years, the number of such products has been developed from various vendors which providing their specializing software and hardware products.
Types of Industrial Automation
Industrial automation is the use of computer and machinery aided systems to operate the various industrial operations in a well-controlled manner. Depends on the operations involved, the industrial automation systems are majorly classified into two types, namely process plant automation and manufacturing automation.
Process Plant Automation
In process industries, the product results from many chemical processes based on some raw materials. Some of the industries are pharmaceuticals, petrochemical, cement industry, paper industry, etc. Thus the overall process plant is automated to produce the high quality, more productive, high reliable control of the physical process variables.
Manufacturing Automation System
The manufacturing industries make the product out of materials using machines/robotics. Some of these manufacturing industries include textile and clothing, glass and ceramic, food and beverages, paper making, etc. New trends in manufacturing systems have been using automation systems at every stage such as material handling, machining, assembling, inspection, and packaging. With the computer-aided control and industrial robotic systems, manufacturing automation becomes very flexible and efficient.
Industrial Automation Equipment
Industrial automation (IA) is an integrated, flexible and low-cost system platform that consists of various equipment and elements which perform a wide variety of functions like sensing, control, supervision and monitoring related to industrial processes. The figure below shows the structure of industrial automation which describes the various functional elements of IA.
Sensing and Actuating Elements
The sensors or sensing elements convert the physical process variables such as flow, pressure, temperature, etc. into electrical or pneumatic form. Various sensors include thermocouples, Resistor Temperature Detectors (RTDs), strain gauges, etc. The signals from these sensors are used for processing, analyzing, and decisions in order to produce the control output. The various control techniques are implemented to produce the required output by comparing the current sensed process variable with set values. Finally, the controllers produce the computed outputs and are applied as electrical or pneumatic signal inputs to the actuating elements. Actuators convert the electrical or pneumatic signals to the physical process variables. Some of the actuators include control valves, relays, motors, etc.
A special category of the instruments is smart instruments which are integrated systems of sensing or actuating elements with the capability of communicating with field buses. These smart devices consist of a signal conditioning circuit internally and facilitate connecting directly to the communication link in the industrial bus system.
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Robotic Automation in India|Contract Manufacturing|Engineering Design|CAD 3D Modeling
Automation is a step beyond the mechanization which makes use of high control capability devices for efficient manufacturing or production processes.
What is Industrial Automation
Industrial automation is the use of control devices such as PC/PLCs/PACs etc. to control industrial processes and machinery by removing as much labor intervention as possible, and replacing dangerous assembly operations with automated ones. Industrial automation is closely linked to control engineering.
Automation is a broad term applied to any mechanism that moves by itself or is self dictated. The word ‘automation’ is derived from ancient Greek words of Auto (means ‘self’) Matos (means ‘moving’). As compared with manual systems, automation systems provide superior performance in terms of precision, power, and speed of operation.
In industrial automation control, a wide number of process variables such as temperature, flow, pressure, distance, and liquid levels can be sensed simultaneously. All these variables are acquired, processed and controlled by complex microprocessor systems or PC based data processing controllers.
Control systems are an essential part of an automation system. The various types of closed-loop control techniques ensure the process variables to follow the set points. In addition to this basic function, the automation system employs different other functions such as computing set points for control systems, plant startup or shutdown, monitoring system performance, equipment scheduling, etc. The control systems combined with monitoring adapted to the operating environment in the industry allow for a flexible, efficient and reliable production system.
The automated system needs special dedicated hardware and software products for implementing control and monitoring systems. In recent years, the number of such products has been developed from various vendors which providing their specializing software and hardware products.
Industrial automation is the use of computer and machinery aided systems to operate the various industrial operations in a well-controlled manner. Depends on the operations involved, the industrial automation systems are majorly classified into two types, namely process plant automation and manufacturing automation.
Process Plant Automation
In process industries, the product results from many chemical processes based on some raw materials. Some of the industries are pharmaceuticals, petrochemical, cement industry, paper industry, etc. Thus the overall process plant is automated to produce the high quality, more productive, high reliable control of the physical process variables.
Manufacturing Automation System
The manufacturing industries make the product out of materials using machines/robotics. Some of these manufacturing industries include textile and clothing, glass and ceramic, food and beverages, paper making, etc. New trends in manufacturing systems have been using automation systems at every stage such as material handling, machining, assembling, inspection, and packaging. With the computer-aided control and industrial robotic systems, manufacturing automation becomes very flexible and efficient.
Industrial Automation Equipment
Industrial automation (IA) is an integrated, flexible and low-cost system platform that consists of various equipment and elements which perform a wide variety of functions like sensing, control, supervision and monitoring related to industrial processes. The figure below shows the structure of industrial automation which describes the various functional elements of IA.
Sensing and Actuating Elements
The sensors or sensing elements convert the physical process variables such as flow, pressure, temperature, etc. into electrical or pneumatic form. Various sensors include thermocouples, Resistor Temperature Detectors (RTDs), strain gauges, etc. The signals from these sensors are used for processing, analyzing, and decisions in order to produce the control output. The various control techniques are implemented to produce the required output by comparing the current sensed process variable with set values. Finally, the controllers produce the computed outputs and are applied as electrical or pneumatic signal inputs to the actuating elements. Actuators convert the electrical or pneumatic signals to the physical process variables. Some of the actuators include control valves, relays, motors, etc.
A special category of the instruments is smart instruments which are integrated systems of sensing or actuating elements with the capability of communicating with field buses. These smart devices consist of a signal conditioning circuit internally and facilitate connecting directly to the communication link in the industrial bus system.
Follow tags:
Robotic Automation in India|Contract Manufacturing|Engineering Design|CAD 3D Modeling
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