What are the 3 Types of Industrial Manufacturing Automation?
Share this post
Tablet of Content
Industrial manufacturing automation is the use of advanced technologies and systems to automate industrial processes, such as assembly lines, material handling, quality control, and other tasks. Industrial manufacturing automation can be a system or automated solution that includes robotics, computer-aided design, and manufacturing (CAD/CAM), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), sensors, and other technologies that work together to streamline production and improve efficiency.
Automation in industrial manufacturing has rescued the man-hours and labor costs involved to keep the production line running round the clock with people working for shifting to operate, monitor, and maintain the automated system.
The history of industrial manufacturing automation dates back to the early 20th century when Henry Ford introduced the concept of the assembly line for the mass production of automobiles. This allowed for the rapid production of standardized parts and components and led to the development of specialized machines and tools to aid in the manufacturing process. It was in 1970s and 1980s when computerized systems and robotics were introduced into manufacturing automation and ever since then the types of automation in industrial manufacturing have experienced significant growth.
The 3 Types of Industrial Manufacturing Automation
Industrial manufacturing automation has grown into 3 categories in accordance with the requirements and how they are developed to meet engineering expectations. Briefly, they are fixed, programmable, and flexible automation.
What is Fixed Automation?
Fixed automation is referred to in some cases as hard automation due to its feature of being designed to perform and render a specific sequence of tasks that only serves a single product and the mentioned procedure of automation always follows fixed configurations and settings either mechanically or programmable that once the system is installed it can not be refit to other products, or probably so in some circumstances yet with a significant level of reconstruction and redesign.
Fixed automation is usually used for high-volume production of a single product with repetitive manufacturing processes such as assembly lines in the automotive industry or in the production of consumer goods like toys and electronics. Most of the fixed manufacturing automation is non-standard solutions that need high set-up investment in terms of their complexity of design and engineering. However the high initial costs for fixed automation investment are easily amortized by the very high demand rates and volumes of the products they are designed for.
Examples of fixed automation include:
- Assembly line machines: These machines are often used in industries such as automotive, electronics, and aerospace, where high volumes of products need to be produced quickly and consistently. They can be customized to perform specific tasks based on the product being manufactured.
- Material handling systems: Material handling systems are essential for moving products efficiently through a production facility. They can be automated to reduce labor costs and improve safety and can be designed to handle heavy loads and awkwardly shaped items. In the case of manufacturing automation, a material handling system may be an infeed system, transfer system, pick-and-place system, etc.
- Conveyor systems: There are several types of conveyor systems, including belt conveyors, roller conveyors, and overhead conveyors. They can be used to transport products horizontally or vertically and can be automated to sort, merge, and divert products as needed.
- Chemical manufacturing processes: Fixed automation is typically used in chemical manufacturing processes for the production of high-volume and standardized products, such as large quantities of plastics, paints, and fertilizers.
What is Programmable Automation?
Programmable automation resembles fixed automation systems in the way they are designed and engineered mechanically and systematically, however, programmable automation can perform and accommodate a range of products and allows frequent changeovers, since it uses a sort of Computer Numerical Controlled mechanisms and is with PLC to be flexible in settings and configurations. Programmable automation features production equipment tooled with computer-controlled devices that control and monitor a sequence of functions and tasks.
Examples of Programmable Automation are:
- CNC Machining Center: A CNC machining center is a highly automated machine tool that uses computer numerical control (CNC) technology to perform multiple operations on workpieces. CNC machining centers are capable of performing milling, drilling, tapping, turning, and other machining operations with high precision, speed, and accuracy.
- Automated welding systems: Automated welding systems use robots to perform welding tasks. These systems are programmed to follow a specific set of instructions to weld components together with precision. They are commonly used in the automotive, aerospace, and heavy equipment industries.
- Pick-and-place robots: Pick-and-place robots are used to move products or materials from one location to another. They can be programmed to pick up and place objects with precision. These robots are commonly used in the electronics, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical industries.
What is Flexible Automation?
Flexible automation takes programmable automation a step further by allowing for even greater customization and flexibility. These machines can be easily reconfigured to perform different tasks or produce different products. Examples of flexible automation include multi-axis CNC machines, automated material handling systems, and collaborative robots.
Multi-axis CNC machines: Multi-axis CNC machines are capable of cutting, drilling, and shaping materials on multiple axes. These machines can produce complex parts and components with precision. They are commonly used in the aerospace, automotive, and medical device industries.
Automated material handling systems: Automated material handling systems use robots and conveyors to move products or materials within a manufacturing facility. These systems can be customized to handle different types of materials and products. They are commonly used in industries such as food and beverage, consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals.
Collaborative robots: Collaborative robots, also known as cobots, are designed to work alongside human workers. These robots are programmed to perform repetitive or dangerous tasks while allowing human workers to focus on more complex tasks. They are commonly used in the automotive, electronics, and medical device industries.
What Kind of Automation Does Packaging Machine Pertain?
A packaging machine is a system that is engineered to perform the packaging automation process of a specific or a variety of products. In a broad sense, a packaging machine can be any kind of automated system that works for primary, secondary, or tertiary packaging.
Packaging machines can belong to different types of automation depending on their level of customization and flexibility. However, in general, packaging machines are often classified under flexible automation since they are designed to handle different sizes and shapes of products and can be adjusted easily for different production runs.
Examples of Packaging Machines as Flexible Automation
Packaging machines are an excellent example of flexible automation. They can be used for a variety of packaging applications, such as filling, sealing, labeling, and wrapping, and can handle different types of materials, including plastic, paper, and metal. These machines can also be programmed to accommodate different product sizes and shapes, making them highly versatile.
Form-Fill-Seal Machine: Either HFFS or VFFS can create primary packaging bags from rolls of film into various packaging styles and shapes. For example, a VFFS is able to form and seal various bag styles including gusset bags, flat bags, three-side seal bags, chain bags, etc. Form-Fiill-Seal machines are typically programmable and can adapt to different products and production processes, making them a flexible automation solution for packaging. They can handle a wide range of materials, including plastics, laminates, and aluminum foil, and can produce packages in different sizes, shapes, and configurations.
Thermoformer: Thermoformer can be considered a packaging machine of flexible automation. Thermoforming is a manufacturing process that involves heating a plastic sheet to a pliable temperature and then forming it into a specific shape using a mold. This process is commonly used to produce various types of packaging, such as blister packs, clamshells, trays, and cups.
Thermoformers are typically programmable machines that can adapt to different products and production processes, making them a flexible automation solution for packaging. They can handle a wide range of materials, including plastics, foams, and paperboard, and can produce packages in different sizes, shapes, and configurations. With advanced controls and sensors, thermoformers can also optimize material usage, reduce waste, and improve overall efficiency.
Overwrapping Machine: The overwrapping machine is considered flexible automation because it can adapt to different types of products and packaging processes. An overwrapping machine is capable of accommodating a variety of packaging materials from plastic films to paper and foil. Just like all the other packaging machines, overwrapping machines are able to cover a range of product sizes and offer flexibility for packaging automation.
