Introduction to Automation

7/21/2019 Introduction to Automation

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AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS

Introduction to Automation

Engr Haider-e-Karar

Teaching Assistant

Mehran University of Engineering and Technology

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AUTOMATION

•

A system in which many or all of the processes of production, movement andinspection of parts and materials are automatically performed or controlled by aself-operating machinery or electronic device

OR

• Automation is the process in industry where various production operations areconverted from a manual process, to an automated or mechanized process

• Automation is used to replace humans

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AUTOMATION

•

Industrial robotics are said to be the most visible part of automation.

• Modern automated processes are mostly controlled by computer programs,which through the action of sensors and actuators, monitor progress and controthe sequences of events until the process is complete.

• Decisions made by the computer ensure that the process is completed accurateland quickly

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Example Video on Automation

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MECHANIZATION VS AUTOMATION

•

Mechanization refers to the use of powered machinery to help a human operatoin some task

• The use of hand-powered tools is not an example of mechanization

•

The term is most often used in industry. The addition of powered machine toolssuch as the steam powered lathe dramatically reduced the amount of timeneeded to carry out various tasks, and improves productivity

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MECHANIZATION VS AUTOMATION

•

Mechanization saves the use of human muscles; automation saves the use ofhuman judgment

• Mechanization displaces physical labor, whereas automation displaces mentallabor

• Mechanization is the replacement of human power by machine power , whereaautomation is the replacement of human thinking with computers and machines

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NEED FOR AUTOMATION

•

Automation would benefit all types of manufacturing industry as well as servicindustry, which required their personnel to carry out tasks beyond humancapacity

• The typical characteristics of the client that is likely to benefit from automationare:

• High volumes of production,• Process quality difficult to be established by human operations• Hazardous, monotonous or fatigue causing operations• Utilization of production capacity being reduced by operator related delays,

Where manpower related risks are not affordable

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BENEFITS OF AUTOMATION

• High productivity: higher production rates, better capacity utilization

• High quality: consistency, predictability, control over process

• High flexibility: multi product, multi capacity, without learning curves

• Reduced Labor Costs: savings in manpower

• Reduced Operator errors: causing quality problems, rework and rejeccosts, and delayed costs & liabilities of product failure

• Reduced Operator Hazard & Fatigue: better morale, and reduced coinjury and claims

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LOW COST AUTOMATION• Low cost automation is a technology that creates some degree of automation

around the existing equipment, tools, methods, people, etc.

• Using mostly standard components available in the market with low investmenso that pay back period is short

• Major advantages of low cost automation are, low investment, increased laborproductivity, smaller batch size, better utilization of the material and, processconsistency leading to less rejections

• Low cost automation may be adopted for: Loading, Welding, Assembly andPacking etc.

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TYPES OF AUTOMATION

1. Fixed Automation (Hard Automation)2. Programmable Automation3. Flexible Automation (Soft Automation)

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1. FIXED AUTOMATION

• Fixed automation refers to the use of special purpose equipment to automate afixed sequence of processing or assembly operations.

• It is typically associated with high production rates and it is relatively difficult tmake changes in the product design.

• This is also called hard automation

• Example: 1. GE manufactures approximately 2 billion light bulbs per yearand uses fairly specialized, high-speed automation equipment

2. Paper productionEngr Haider-e-Karar



1. FIXED AUTOMATION

• Fixed automation makes sense only when product designs are stable and produlife cycles are long

• Advantages• Maximum efficiency• Low unit cost• Automated material handling —fast and efficient movement of parts

• Disadvantages• Large initial investment• Inflexibility

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2. PROGRAMMABLE AUTOMATION

• In programmable automation, the equipment is designed to accommodate aspecific class of product changes and the processing or assembly operations cabe changed by modifying the control program.

• Programmable automation is used when the volume of production is relatilow and there are variety of products to be made

• The example of this kind of automation is the CNC lathe that produces a specifproduct in a certain product class according to the input program

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• Products are made in small batches

• In programmable automation, re configuring the system for a new product is timconsuming because it involves reprogramming and set up for the machines andnew fixtures and tools (see example video: YouTube CNC Machine :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZVB3J6Wb4)

• Examples include numerically controlled machines (CNC) etc.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZVB3J6Wb4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZVB3J6Wb4



5 Axis CNC Machine Cutting a Helmet.

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•

Advantages• Flexibility to deal with changes in product• Low unit cost for large batches

• Disadvantages• New product requires long set up time• High unit cost relative to fixed automation

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FLEXIBLE AUTOMATION (Soft Automat

• In flexible automation, the equipment is designed to manufacture a variety ofproducts or parts and very little time is spent on changing from one product toanother

• Thus, a flexible manufacturing system can be used to manufacture variouscombinations of products according to any specified schedule.

• With a flexible automation system it is possible to quickly make changes in theproduct (which may be redesigned in reaction to changing market conditions anto consumer feedback) or to quickly introduce a new product line.

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Example: Flexible Automation

• A great example of flexible automation is at the state of the art TeslMotors Factory in Freemont, CA. As Chris Anderson says in hisbook Makers: The New Industrial Revolution;

• Tesla has built the most modern factory in the world. It happebuild cars, but it could build anything. It is not just automatedveritable robot army. Hundreds of general-purpose KUKA robot armsdo everything from metal-bending to assembly

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Tesla Motors Factory in Freemont, CA.

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FLEXIBLE AUTOMATION

• Flexible automation gives the manufacturer the ability to produce multipproducts cheaply in combination than separately

• Advantages• Flexibility to deal with design variations• Customized products

• Disadvantages• Large initial investment• High unit cost relative to fixed or programmable automation

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AUTOMATION TYPES

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REASONS FOR NOT AUTOMATION

• Labor Resistance: People look at robots and manufacturing automation as acause of unemployment. In reality, the use of robots increases productivity,makes the firm more competitive and preserves jobs. But some jobs are lost

• Cost of Upgraded Labor : The routine monotonous tasks are the easiest toautomate. The tasks that are difficult to automate are ones that require skill. Thu

manufacturing labor must be upgraded

• Initial Investment: Cash flow considerations may make an investment inautomation difficult even if the estimated rate of return is high.

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BUILDING BLOCKS OF AUTOMATION

• We can categorize the components of an automation system belonging to one othe following four classes:

• Sensors• Analyzers• Actuators

• Drives

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GENERAL BLOCK DIAGRAM

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SENSORS

• Sensors are the first link between the typical automated system and theconventional process

• Sensors convey information from the manufacturing process equipment, thepiece of part being manufactured, and from the human operator

• Many type of sensors are used in automation e-g:

• Manual switches• Limit switches• Proximity switches• Light sensors,• Motion sensors,• Temperature sensors etc.

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ANALYZERS

• Once information is sensed it must be registered and analyzed for content andthen a decision must be made by the system to what action to should be taken

• This function can be quite complex, and the system components that perform itare generally too complicated

• Most commonly used Analyzers are• Computers•

Counters• Timers• Barcode reader• Optical encoder

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ACTUATORS

• Once a real world condition is sensed and analyzed something may need to bedone about it

• More and more automated systems are closing the loop by taking physical actioautomatically without operator intervention

•

Cylinders• Solenoids• Relays

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DRIVES

• Drives take some action upon the process at the command of the computer orother analyzer.

• The difference between the actuator and the drive is that the actuators are usedfor a short, complete discrete motion, usually linear, and drives execute morecontinuous movements

• Motors• Stepper Motors• DC Servo Motors

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CLASS TEST

• Design a control system which contains all building blocks ofautomation

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END OF LECTURE

“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have

Thomas Je

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Introduction to Automation