What is Industrial Automation and What are its Components?

What is industrial automation?

Automation is the use of machines, control systems, and information technologies to optimize productivity in the manufacturing processes with little human involvement.

Industrial automation helps us to process the plant operation in more optimized conditions by using various control systems such as Programmable Logic Circuit (PLC), Human-machine Interface (HMIs), and robotics.

Automation employs logic and programming to provide information to machines on how to accomplish a function; these machines provide great control, which enhances manufacturing performance.

In a manufacturing environment, industrial automation may consist of various types of equipment. In industrial automation control, multiple process variables such as temperature, flow, pressure, distance, and liquid levels can be recorded at the same time. All these variables are recorded, processed, and controlled by complex microprocessor systems or PC-based data processing controllers.

Advantages of Industrial Automation

The main advantages of industrial automation are

• High reliability

• Increased productivity

• Quality enhancement and

• Reduced labor expenses

What are the types of Industrial Automation?

There are different types of industrial automation available in the market based on their use. They are:

• Fixed (Hard) Automation

• Programmable Automation

• Flexible (Soft) Automation

• Totally Integrated Automation (TIA)

• Fixed (Hard) Automation

This type of automation is used in high-volume production settings with dedicated equipment. To perform well there is a pre-installed operating set are available with the equipment

Fixed (Hard) Automation Advantages:

• High production rates

• Low unit cost

• Fixed (Hard) Automation Disadvantages:

  
  

• The initial investment is high

• High chance for failure

• Programmable Automation

The production equipment in this method is built to be able to modify the operation sequence to meet different product configurations.

It is mainly used when manufacturing products in batches because we can customize and make adequate changes throughout the manufacturing process.

A program of instruction always controls the manufacturing process in programmable automation. In this case, we can just load the program into the hardware system and begin producing new products at any moment.

Advantages of Programmable Automation :

• Very flexible

• Able to deal with design variations

• Appropriate for batch production

• Disadvantages of Programmable Automation:

  
  

• High investment.

• Production rate is low than fixed automation.

• Flexible (Soft) Automation

The material-handling system connects several machine tools in flexible automation, and all components of the system are controlled or controlled by a central computer.

Flexible (Soft) Automation Advantages:

• Continuous production of variable mixtures of products

• Flexible to deal with product design variation

• The production rate is medium

• Flexible (Soft) Automation Disadvantages:

  
  

• High investment

• Cost is high compared to fixed automation

• Totally Integrated Automation (TIA)

Integrated industrial automation refers to the comprehensive automation of production operations, in which all processes are coordinated digitally and controlled by computers. It includes technology such as:

Computer-aided process design

Machine systems that are adaptable

Machine tools for computer numerical control

Material-handling robots are examples of automated material-handling systems.

Systems for automatic storage and retrieval

Control of production and scheduling by computer

Conveyors and cranes that are automated

Main Components ofIndustrial Automation

PLC – Programmable Logic Controller

DCS- Distributed control system

SCADA

Advance Solutions

Cyber Security

OT

PLC

A PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER (PLC) is an industrial control system that continuously analyses the status of input devices and makes choices to control the state of output devices based on a custom program. To automate a process or machine, a PLC monitors inputs, makes choices based on its program, and controls outputs.

PLC has composed of three main parts:

Input,

CPU and

Output.

Architecture of PLC

Basic PLC Operation :

A PLC consists of Input modules, a central processing unit (CPU), and output modules. An input device collects digital or analog signals from various field devices known as sensors and converts them into a logic signal that the CPU may use. Depending on the program instructions stored in the system memory, the CPU makes decisions and executes control instructions. A programming tool provides the appropriate instructions, which specify what the PLC will do in response to the presented input. An operator interface allows the device to show process information and add new control settings.

What are the advantages of PLCs?

The advantages of PLCs are

Smaller in size compared to Relay logic solutions.

Easy to handle

Faster response

Less maintenance

Easier to troubleshoot.

Better reliability

Remote control and communication capability.

Major PLC manufacturers list

Siemens.

Rockwell Automation / Allen Bradley.

Mitsubishi Electric

Schneider Electric.

ABB.

Honeywell Process.

Omron.

Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems.

Distributed Control System (DCS)

A distributed control system, or DCS for short, is a manufacturing plant control system with autonomous controllers scattered throughout the system.

The distribution of control system architecture throughout the plant has resulted in more efficient methods of improving control stability, process quality, and plant efficiency.

DCS are commonly used in the following processes,

• Oil and Gas

• Petrochemicals

• Chemical plants

• Nuclear power plants

• Water treatment plants

• Sewage treatment plants

• Food processing

• Automobile manufacturing

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing

A DCS is made up of both software and hardware. The simplicity of local installation with most controllers reduces installation expenses. On-site, low-latency automated control improves reliability, while central control functions and remote control alternatives allow for human oversight. Unlike a central controller system, individual processes have their own controllers with separate CPUs, allowing other processes to continue in the event of a breakdown.

What is the Function of a DCS?

While DCS are used in a variety of industries to manage complicated production processes, they are most commonly seen in large, continuous manufacturing plants like Oil and Gas, petrochemical industry. Individual controllers receive instructions from the DCS, which are then distributed throughout the plant. When properly set, the DCS can increase safety while simultaneously increasing production efficiency.

Major DCS manufacturers list

Honeywell

Yokogawa

Emerson Electric

Invensys Limited

Siemens

Metso

ABB

General Electric

Mitsubishi

Rockwell

Airticle sources is from website: https://automationforum.co/what-is-industrial-automation-2/