With the advancement of technology, industries started to implement automated systems to improve the efficiency and productivity of the workplace. The wide-scale adoption of these systems has seen the Industrial Automation Market growing, reaching 127.04 billion dollars in 2018 and expected to increase to an astounding 296.70 billion by 2026, according to Fortune Business Insights. 

While these statistics indicate the growing acceptance of automation systems, they do not break the numbers down into widely varied automation systems. How would you know which automation system is the right fit for your company, then? The right automation system for your business gets determined by the work conditions, competitive pressures, production and assembly specifications, work requirements, and labour cost.

Below, we outline different types of automation systems and industries where they get found. By reviewing the types of systems mentioned below and considering the factors above, you should be more equipped to choose Fanuc for your company.

Types of Automation

  • Fixed Automation

Also called rigid automation, fixed automation systems perform a set of tasks with no variance. Due to their functionality, these systems will usually get used in both continuous-flow discrete and continuous-production systems. An example of fixed automation hardware would be a conveyor belt automation system designed to improve efficiency by moving objects from Point A to Point B with minimum effort. 

Adopting fixed automation systems like automated conveyor belts and including value-added solutions to reduce labour time and costs during installation alleviates the pressures on the competition on your company, improves margins, and keeps you ahead of your competitors. 

An example of a value-added solution would be using bundler wires for automated conveyor systems. It not only reduces the time to install but reduces the cost of labour and keeps employees safer from injuries related to pulling wire while installing. 

2) Programmable Automation

As its name suggests, programmable automation works by following commands delivered from a computer program. It means the resultant process can change as instructions get altered by the computer via codes. However, since the effort to program is not trivial, the processes and tasks are not different. 

  • This kind of automation is prevalent in large-scale manufacturing settings, where similar products get produced using many steps and tools, such as paper or steel rolling mills. Repetitive manufacturing, in which the same products get over long periods and in large batches.    
  • These machines can continue to run with little to no human oversight. They get used in automotive and building. 

3) Flexible Automation

Also called soft automation, this kind of automation is used in computer-controlled flexible production systems, allowing more flexible manufacturing. Each piece of machinery is given instructions by the human-controlled computer, meaning the tasks can get varied by changing the code fed into the computer. This kind of automation would get used in batch processes and jobs shops with high product diversity and low-to-medium work, like textile production.    

  • Discrete production, which allows variation in a production process, though it is limited, i.e. 
  • Job shop production takes place in production and is more labour-intensive than other forms of production. An example of this might be a bespoke piece of machinery. 

Conclusion

So now you know the three major systems used in Industrial Automation. If you want to look for a company for your automation solutions, hire Automated Solutions Australia to get your work done.