Automation Defintion: Automation is the use of machines, control systems and information technologies to optimize productivity in the production of goods and delivery of services.
Automation is used to save mental and manual labor and reduce overall production time. Before the automation era work was done by hand and involved a great volume of thinking and manual work for each individual item. As the market demand started to increase in the early 18th Century it was evident that the manufacturing machineries had to change and become automated to have better productivity and better quality than before. Automation started in the industrial revolution when men had the idea to revolutionize the way of work and handle the production processes. That was the beginning of the modern industrial era which passed thorugh several stages until the present time. Changes and improvements to the production processes of goods started three Centuries ago had changed the way we live today. Today, the automation is largery used in most of the production facilities, being an important factor of the success for modern technologies. An automated production system can produce more goods in the same period of time while keeping a superior quality level as the production process is supervised and controlled by computer systems. Automated production lines produce goods that are compliant with the specification requirements reducing the percentage of defective items, fact that has an important contribution to the overall efficiency of the production system and reduction of losses. Factories are not the only thing that can be automated. For example cars, planes, electric fans, television remotes, ovens, fridges, toilets and many other goods or processes could be automated as well.
The television remote is a good example of automation. When televisions first came out they did not have remotes and every time when the people wanted to change the chanel had to get up off the couch and turn the dial on the side of the TV set. This task was sometime difficult if the people were old, sick or disabled. This issue became evident to the television manufacturers and they realised that a device for remote control was needed. Remote control of televison set was a step forward in the implementation of automation for the domestic applications. The idea of remotely controling house system started with TV in late 70's and was later expanded to other house systems such as audio, lighting, security, heating and ventilation systems. Lately the automation systems are integrated in an overall control system called Building Automation System (BAS). The BAS could be customized to serve the specific needs of the building.
Advantages of Automation:
Increase productivity (number of products produced in the same period of time)
Reduce production cost
Better quality control
Ensure conformity to specification
Better streaming of production process
Disadvantages of Automation:
Major job cuts
Increased energy consumption to run the machineries.
Heavy industrial automated processes impact negatively on the environment due to the increased volume of residues that have to be disposed.
High capital cost to implement automated processes.
Automated lines processes reduce the challanges for the workers who are required to do repetitive simple tasks causing insatisfaction and lack of interest in their work.
Conclusion Although there are many disadvantages of having automated processes we have to rely on automated systems as they are the only solution to satisfy increasing world demand and fast changing technological environment.
Automation Defintion:
Automation is the use of machines, control systems and information technologies to optimize productivity in the production of goods and delivery of services.
Automation is used to save mental and manual labor and reduce overall production time. Before the automation era work was done by hand and involved a great volume of thinking and manual work for each individual item. As the market demand started to increase in the early 18th Century it was evident that the manufacturing machineries had to change and become automated to have better productivity and better quality than before. Automation started in the industrial revolution when men had the idea to revolutionize the way of work and handle the production processes. That was the beginning of the modern industrial era which passed thorugh several stages until the present time. Changes and improvements to the production processes of goods started three Centuries ago had changed the way we live today. Today, the automation is largery used in most of the production facilities, being an important factor of the success for modern technologies.
An automated production system can produce more goods in the same period of time while keeping a superior quality level as the production process is supervised and controlled by computer systems. Automated production lines produce goods that are compliant with the specification requirements reducing the percentage of defective items, fact that has an important contribution to the overall efficiency of the production system and reduction of losses.
Factories are not the only thing that can be automated. For example cars, planes, electric fans, television remotes, ovens, fridges, toilets and many other goods or processes could be automated as well.
The television remote is a good example of automation. When televisions first came out they did not have remotes and every time when the people wanted to change the chanel had to get up off the couch and turn the dial on the side of the TV set. This task was sometime difficult if the people were old, sick or disabled. This issue became evident to the television manufacturers and they realised that a device for remote control was needed.
Remote control of televison set was a step forward in the implementation of automation for the domestic applications. The idea of remotely controling house system started with TV in late 70's and was later expanded to other house systems such as audio, lighting, security, heating and ventilation systems. Lately the automation systems are integrated in an overall control system called Building Automation System (BAS). The BAS could be customized to serve the specific needs of the building.
Advantages of Automation:
- Increase productivity (number of products produced in the same period of time)
- Reduce production cost
- Better quality control
- Ensure conformity to specification
- Better streaming of production process
Disadvantages of Automation:Conclusion
Although there are many disadvantages of having automated processes we have to rely on automated systems as they are the only solution to satisfy increasing world demand and fast changing technological environment.
Links:
Andrei's Automation and Productivity
Andrei's productivity page
Andrei's questions and answer