It is almost impossible to imagine the production line in factories and shop floors without the implementation of industrial automation. It utilizes control equipment and systems in order to perform tasks that were in the past accomplished manually.

These systems are designed to deliver operations of the industrial equipment automatically, hence considerably lowering the level of manual operator involvement and oversight needed. Typically, the automation systems consist of sensory programs and feedback loops that adjust the operating conditions automatically to fulfill the desired values depending on real-time data.

In recent years, the technologies that are used for industrial automation have evolved significantly primarily due to the digitization of manufacturing. Keep reading more to find out all things essential about industrial automation.

Perks of Industrial Automation

Enhanced Quality

The automated work cells are generally less variable and comparatively less prone to errors than human operators. Precise outcomes from industrial automation deliver higher reproducibility and consistency along the production process - which ultimately provides higher-quality products.

Reduced Cost

While initially setting up the automation system may seem like an expensive affair but if we analyze the long-term basis then industrial automation solutions are way more budget-friendly than human operators. Once the initial setup cost is paid, the only expenditure that goes into it is for maintenance and energy requirements during its operation.

Increased Efficiency & Throughput

Automated systems are designed to operate 24/7 and work rapidly in comparison to human operators. This extra work time elevates efficiency and outcomes in higher throughput from the work cell. Moreover, industrial automation offers flexibility for adjusting the work cell.

Types of Industrial Automation

At present, industrial automation is being deployed across a myriad of industries performing everything from manufacturing tasks to operating an ATM. There are mainly three categories in industrial automation and they are -


Fixed - This type of automation represents hard or rigid automation. It is the least flexible and mainly utilized to execute consistent tasks with a dedicated range of equipment with the aim to enhance production efficiency and rate of throughput. The primary drawback of this type of industrial automation is that once established, it becomes difficult to make any modifications to the process or reconfigure the equipment.

Flexible - This type of system is referred to as soft automation. Similar to programmable industrial automation provided this one is much more flexible. The major benefit of this type of automation solution is that the product changeovers are conveyed through a control system and executed rapidly and automatically.

Programmable - This type of automation is ideal for product batches where the guidelines change for the automated system over time based on which product is manufactured. The control program is reprogrammable for each batch with the provided specifications and the critical processing sequencing and tasks. This process of changeover requires time as in most cases the equipment must also be reconfigured from batch to batch.

If you are interested to learn more about industrial automation then make sure to get in touch with the best suppliers now.