What is industrial Automation

Industrial Automation is often a technique by which we make hand over human control to machines. In industrial automation machines are programmed to accomplish the tasks which individuals used to achieve. Why it is done? Because of its advantages:

Through Industrial automation we will do mass production with less manpower

Quality of the method is increased

Safety of person & products are increased

More accurate process control

Since human intervention is less so reliability from the system is higher

Systems operate is low power source, more electronic control so equipment every day life is higher

Changes in process logic becomes easier since logics are changed mostly through software

Principal Industrial Automation MNCs

L & T • ALSTOM

Schneider • FESTO

Siemens • Fuji Electric

Allen Bradley • Toshiba

Messung • TATA Honeywell

Modicon • Omron

Mitsubishi • Fanuc

Asia Automation • Delta

How industrial automation control system Evolved?

Initially automation was achieved through manual control, operators employed to control the method at every step. Human intervention was there at every step. Drawbacks were low quality output, errors involved in human involvement affected compromised safety, wastage of raw material, and accuracy of human action.

Then came Pneumatic Control: Industrial automation on this era was achieved through invention of pneumatic controllers noisy . 1920s. Automation was achieved by controlling air to pneumatic valves, which were actually switched on/off by relays and switches. They were very bulky and changing with the logic was very complex procedure since a lot of rework was forced to accomplish difference in logic. So time delivered to complete task changes was very high

Hard wired logic control: contactors, relays (for switching), timers and counters (for timing and counting) were used for achieving desired industrial automation. But these systems also resulted into bulky panels. A lot of wiring was involved so time taken to complete task was higher. Defect investigation & troubleshooting was complex.

Electronic Control using Logic Gates: In early 60s electronics dominated the method, electronic logic gates were utilised for achieving logical operations. they replaced switching devices like relays and contactors inside control circuits. Electronic times & counters replaced mechanical timers & counters. Due to utilization of electronics space and requirements reduced, maintenance requirement reduced & systems were more reliable.