Course title: Industrial & Factory Automation
Industrial automation is the use of control systems, such as computers or robots, and information technologies for handling different processes and machineries in an industry to replace a human being. It is the second step beyond mechanization in the scope of industrialization.
Industry 4.0 is the next phase in factory automation, connecting up the equipment on the factory floor as part of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Being able to monitor and control the equipment from the cloud adds intelligence to the process without having to update the equipment. New equipment such as industrial robots can be added to the production facilities to enhance the efficiency of the process control. STMicroelectronics can help you make Industry 4.0 and Smart Industry a reality, today. Data from all the equipment, including robots, is collected and delivered to a database in the cloud for processing. This can provide a higher level of supervisory control via a data dashboard with a real-time display of the performance of the factory automation system, with alarms triggered if thresholds are exceeded.
Industrial automation is the use of control systems, such as computers or robots, and information technologies for handling different processes and machinery in an industry to replace a human being. It is the second step beyond mechanization in the scope of industrialization. With automation or automatic control, organizations can perform processes with little to no human assistance. Automation controls equipment and completes processes for a large range of objects and manufacturing environments around the globe. Automation can increase efficiency, quality, and effectiveness. In addition, it is often all but invisible to the average user. Important Factors for IoT devices typically involve information that can positively contribute to safety, quality, and time efficiency. Factory automation can create the products customers want, as well as generate better wages and more choices for employees.
Most modern control systems employ a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) as a means to control motors, pumps, valves and various other equipment used in a process. Computer based PLC and SCADA are both used to monitor and control equipment in process automation across many different industries, such as telecommunications, water and waste control, energy, oil and gas, and transportation.
Products provide the means by which process personnel interact with the PLC control system. A well designed combination of PLC’s and HMI’s can be a solid foundation for your process automation needs. Data from all of these systems is then sent to the central SCADA unit. That SCADA unit has its own HMI. This is why a lot of people get confused and think SCADA and HMI are one and the same. That HMI or “Human Machine Interface” unit on the SCADA can monitor and control anything that is connected to it. In conclusion, HMI can be part of SCADA but SCADA cannot be part of a HMI. It’s that simple. Today, Industrial Automation has taken over the production process in industries and it is very difficult to imagine a production line without automation systems. There are several factors that lead to the implementation of automation system in industrial production like requirement of high-quality products, high expectations in product reliability, high-volume production etc.