The emergence of automation has a great impact on people in various industries, because there are many highly repetitive labor jobs in factories, and the production capacity may vary due to differences in operators. With the introduction of Industry 4.0, Through the combination and application of various technologies, the automation of the production line can be controlled by machines from raw materials, assembly to distribution and packaging. People only need to set and check, which is a very important change for the factory. This article will share the definition of automation and the value it brings.
What Is Automation?
Automation refers to the automatic detection, processing and analysis of mechanical equipment, systems or processes under the condition of no one or few people, according to the set requirements, and to achieve the expected goals. Such development can avoid human beings in dangerous and cumbersome labor and environment, it can also increase efficiency, improve quality, accuracy and precision.
Automation is mainly aimed at two levels, one is labor, and the other is information processing. The former is usually manual work with high repetition and independence, and the latter is through data collection, which needs to rely on artificial intelligence technology to analyze and solution.
The integrated, serial, and automated production line from start to finish can only be achieved on the basis of multiple Industry 4.0 technologies. And this is not only highly repetitive labor work, as factories become smarter and the application of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), automated technology can be applied to many decision-making levels of work, and further create a future for the economy.
Industrial Automation
Industrial Automation was first proposed by Ford. It is a model for automating the operational processes of the manufacturing industry. On this basis, we can further subdivide into two levels of industrial automation: the automation of manual labor, And the automation of information processing and decision-making.
Automation of Manual Labor
Since the concept of automation was first proposed to the present, most of what we call automation is the automation of physical labor, and most of the work categories of manual labor are usually highly repetitive and independent, that is, technically speaking, this type of labor is the easiest to automate.
Automation of Information Processing and Decision Making
This stage has been in the past ten years, and it has grown significantly with the advancement of artificial intelligence technology. Looking at the framework of automation proposed by Sheridan and Verplank, in recent years, computers have also gained more and more decision-making power in the stages of acquiring data, analyzing data, establishing decisions, and implementing decisions.
As long as operators can understand the entire data strategy process and combine relevant technologies, they can build a highly automated Industry 4.0 factory in this modern age with abundant resources.
The Value of Automation
Automation has a significant impact on production, changing the operation mode of factories, assembly and warehouses, and in the process, it also generates many new values, which can help companies improve the productivity, accuracy and flexibility of production. Here's the value of automation:
1. Increased production: In the past, factories had to employ a lot of labor. In order to maintain productivity, they had to work long hours. During vacations or maintenance periods, productivity may be reduced. Through the combination of automation and other technologies, it can maintain normal operation for nearly 24 hours, and greatly increase production.
2. Reduced production costs: Using automation for production, although an initial fee is required to integrate the automation system, it can reduce labor costs in the long run, and only need to employ a small amount of manpower for control.
3. Improve employee environment: Many industrial environments will have chemicals or high-voltage electricity, etc., which will put workers in a dangerous working environment. Safety will be the main focus. In some cases, the company may pay related costs. Therefore, through the automation system, the production line can be a safe working environment and the occurrence of accidents can be reduced.
4. Product quality control: automated machinery will not suffer from fatigue, burnout or be affected by other factors like humans, so the probability of errors in the production process is relatively small, and the production process is more accurate than manual, and can provide high and consistent quality.
5. Provide customized products: The demand for customization in the market is gradually increasing. The factory can meet the quality and safety standards through the automation system, improve the flexibility of the production line, and mass-produce customized products for enterprises. Bring new revenue streams.
Advantages and Challenges of Automation
Many people think that automation will replace manpower and cause many people to lose job opportunities. Of course, after reducing some operational processes, most of the manpower will be deleted, but the advantages of automation are to improve productivity, consistency and efficiency. At this time, the participation of operators will be reduced. It will be more important and more able to focus on other important tasks, rather than spending energy on routine and repetitive tasks.
Of course, automation is not all advantages, and it will also face some challenges. For example, the solution requires time and energy to achieve optimization. It is not that the introduction of automation can produce benefits, but it needs to be adjusted for the entire production line. Automation can be optimally leveraged as projects and builds are managed functionally.
