The phenomenon of industrial automation in the modern world opened the door to Industry 4.0, bringing systems and technologies interconnected through the Internet of Things (IoT) and real-time software applications. These allow industrial processes and machines to be monitored and controlled productively with automated operations, improving asset performance through operational excellence.
What is industrial automation?
Industrial automation is the use of technologies and systems to control and optimize production processes in an industry. This is achieved through the use of automated devices and computer systems that control and monitor the production process, enabling greater efficiency and precision in the manufacturing of products.
In simpler terms, industrial automation is a way of making production processes faster, more precise, and efficient by using technology and automated systems. This can include the use of robots, computer-controlled equipment, and monitoring and control systems to automate tasks and processes that were previously done manually. Industrial automation can be used in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, mining, energy, and construction.
Thus, the key to this phenomenon is to optimize resources and achieve a high-quality final product.
These advances have allowed a significant increase in production for all companies where they have been applied, enabling a fast return on investment.
Types of industrial automation systems
Industrial automation systems are usually classified into four types:
- Hard or fixed automation system: These are machines specially designed for a specific, highly repetitive process with a very high production volume. Industries that use this system offer stable and sustainable products in the long term, with fixed processes that do not allow changes. They are fast, precise, and safe systems with high production rates.
- Programmable automation system: Used for batch production since it requires time to program the set of coded instructions for a line change.
- Flexible automation system: This system allows configuring a machine to adapt to a new product in a short time, controlled by a computer. It is very useful in industries that manufacture items requiring different and varied configurations.
- Integrated automation system: A set of independent machines, processes, and data working together under a single control system.
What are the industrial automation systems?
Industrial automation systems Vary according to the functions they perform:
- Sensors: Convert physical variables of processes to process, analyze, and make decisions to produce the control output.
- Artificial neural networks: Used to classify relationships and identify patterns in datasets.
- Distributed control system: Controls are decentralized and expand based on the part that needs monitoring.
- Human-machine interface: Includes the necessary electronics to signal and control the state of equipment but depends on human intervention to operate.
- Programmable Logic Controller (PLC): Small programmable computers that control and automate processes in real-time using input and output signals.
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA): Systems connected to terminal units that translate sensor signals into understandable data to control and optimize the system.
- El Floor Control System: A floor or production control system provides an accurate picture of a manufacturing process at different stages.
Let’s dive a little deeper into the last two systems: SCADA and floor control:
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are connected to terminal units that work to translate sensor signals into understandable data, used to monitor and control industrial processes through real-time data acquisition and processing. These systems are commonly used in control applications and to execute instructions on industrial processes, usually remotely, such as in the automation of food processing plants, electric power generation, and gas and oil distribution.
Floor control systems: These systems capture data accurately to provide real-time production status control.
They can operate either connected or independently without requiring a SCADA system.
One example of this is the Opttime system from Proalnet, which can:
- Justify downtime
- Accurately control units and times
- Automatically measure downtime, machine breakdowns, speed, raw materials, and waste.
- Visualize all your connected machines and their main indicators in real-time.
- View information from any device.
- Generate detailed historical data and export it to Excel.
- Receive alerts of stops and speeds on your mobile device..
Benefits of industrial automation
- Optimizes product quality.
- Reduces production efforts and time.
- Improves productivity.
- Lowers industrial costs.
- Minimizes machine damage.
- Increases personnel safety.
- Reduces machine repair costs.
- Greater efficiency in the organization’s production.
- Helps with remote monitoring.
- Improves data flow.
- Enhances working conditions and human capabilities.
- Provides accurate information.
- Saves production time.
At Proalnet, we are experts in managing productivity indicators, and we have a specialized team in manufacturing execution systems (MES).
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