Industrial automation
Industrial automation is the application of techniques, software and / or specific equipment on a given machine or industrial process in order to increase their efficiency, maximize production with lower energy consumption and / or raw materials, lower emissions waste of any kind, better safety conditions, whether material, human or information relating to this process, or even to reduce stress or human interference on the process or machine. It is a step beyond mechanization, where human operators are provided with machinery to assist them in their work.
Among the electronic devices that can be applied are the computers or other devices capable of performing logical operations. These devices in some cases replace human tasks or perform other that the human being can not accomplish.
It is widely applied in various areas of industrial production.
Examples of machines and processes which can be automated are listed below:
– Auto Industry:
- stamping processes (sheet molding to the desired shape of the vehicle)
- Welding machines
- Paint Process
– Chemical industry:
- Dosage products for mixtures
- pH Control
- effluent treatment plants
– Mining:
- Crushing ore
- Pelletizing Plants
- loading wagons
– Paper and pulp industry:
- Cut and wood stripping
- Bleaching
- Cutting and packaging
- Packing in all the mentioned industries
The most visible part of automation currently is connected to the robot, but it is also used in chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries, the use of pressure transmitters, vacuum, temperature and other variables necessary. Industrial Automation is designed mainly to productivity, quality and safety of a process.
An important additional contribution of industrial automation systems is the connection of the system of supervision and control with enterprise systems management companies. This connectivity allows important data sharing daily operation of processes, contributing to greater agility in decision-making and greater reliability of data supporting the decisions within the company so as to improve productivity.