Automation in manufacturing uses, advantages and disadvantages
Manufacturers are using machine automation and controls to produce high-quality products faster and more efficiently, These automated systems offer critical information to help the managers make good business decisions, The ability to produce the products while providing the data is an important part of automation.
Automation in Manufacturing
Technology has changed the nature of manufacturing, In the past, manufacturing and fabrication were all done by hand by the people, Now computers and technology have penetrated the industry, Automation has become the competitive advantage in today’s manufacturing world, Automation has allowed the companies to mass produce the products at outstanding speeds and with great repeatability and quality.
In Automatic control or Automation, You can use many control systems for operating the equipment such as machinery, processes in the factories, boilers and heat treating ovens, switching on telephone networks, steering and stabilization of the ships, the aircraft, and other applications and the vehicles with minimal or reduced human intervention.
Although machine automation becomes the resource for remaining competitive in the manufacturing industry, there are some factors to be considered to be competitive and to get a return on the investment, Depending on the operations, automation may or may not be a good fit, If it is a small operation with low production quantities, the initial investment of purchasing the automated machines would not be economical.
Automation in Manufacturing
One of the most important application areas for automation technology is manufacturing, To many people, Automation means manufacturing automation, There are three types of automation in production that can be distinguished which are fixed automation, programmable automation, and flexible automation.
Fixed automation stands for the automated production facility in which the sequence of processing operations is fixed by the equipment configuration, It is known as hard automation, the programmed commands are contained in the machines in the form of the cams, the gears, wiring & the other hardware that is not easily changed over from one product style to another.
Fixed automation has high production rates and high initial investment, It is suitable for products that are made in large volumes, Examples of fixed automation include machining transfer lines found in the automotive industry, automatic assembly machines, and certain chemical processes.
The computers carry out the sequential control and feedback control, a single computer will do both in the industrial application, Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are a type of special-purpose microprocessor that replace many hardware components such as the timers and sequencers used in relay logic type systems.
The general purpose process control computers have replaced stand-alone controllers, with a single computer able to perform the operations of hundreds of controllers, Process control computers can process data from a network of PLCs.
Automation is carried out by many means such as mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, electronic devices, and computers, Modern factories, airplanes, and ships use all these combined techniques.
Automation in manufacturing advantages
Machine automation improves product quality, accuracy, and repeatability, It offers less human error, When the machine is programmed to perform a repeated task, Machine automation offers a higher volume of production, Automated equipment is capable of producing much larger production volumes than a largely human workforce and it will increase the profitability.
Automation will speed up the production time, There is no one perfect and we are all prone to making mistakes, Which is why the machine that performs repeated tasks is less likely to make mistakes than the employee when the automated machine is programmed to perform the task over and over again, the accuracy compared to an employee is far greater.
Machine automation offers fewer employee costs, With a smaller human workforce, When you add automated machines to the operation, You need fewer employees to get the job done, It causes fewer safety issues, which leads to financial savings, there are great costs that are diminished or reduced such as the payroll, health care, the benefits and sick days.
Automation decreases the number of employees who perform tasks that can be dangerous and prone to injury, So, It increases the safety and the work environment will be safer, Automation mitigates the effects of labor shortages, In the skilled trades, this pro is especially powerful because we are dealing with a deficit of skilled workers able to perform the roles required in our factories, plants, and sites.
Automation eliminates mindless tasks, There’s a worthy argument that automation merely eliminates the mindless, manual, clerical tasks that are routine and boring, So, we are ultimately improving the general level of working conditions.
Machine automation increases worker safety, If you transfer your workforce from active, hands-on positions, to supervisory roles, you’ve increased the overall safety, This is a pretty major selling point for automation, Benefits of automation include labor savings, savings in electricity costs and the material costs, and the improvements to quality, accuracy and, precision.
Automation in manufacturing disadvantages
When you have a machine that can perform a certain task, it limits the flexibility and variety of tasks that the employee could do, You will have unpredictable costs that may exceed the actual cost saved by the automation itself, such as the research & the development costs of automating process and the cost of training employees to operate the automated machines.
Machine automation causes more pollution than the human worker, Different types of machines operate using the motor which may require gases or chemicals to operate, This can cause an increase in pollution in the workplace.
Automation in manufacturing comes with a large capital investment, Automated machines can be one of the most costly operating costs for the company, It increases unemployment rates as there are fewer employees, Automation increases the efficiency in industry but it will cause a loss of human jobs due to machines.
The employee can perform a flexible variety of tasks, whereas the machine is limited to what it’s been programmed to do, There is a world of unpredictable or unknown costs that come with new technology, such as maintenance, repair, supervision, training, etc.
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Industrial robot (Auto industry) uses, advantages and disadvantages
I agree when you mentioned that incorporating automation in the manufacturing industry can help reduce the number of employees. This would be beneficial as the company gets to reduce the risk and injury of people who are working in the factory. I would like to think if a company wants to ensure the safety of the workplace, they should invest in automated machines such as packaging equipment by getting it from a reliable supplier.