An Analysis of Factory Automation

In Today’s competitive global markets, end-users are scrambling to reduce costs and improve asset utilization. Many large companies have eliminated systems engineering and maintenance, preferring to outsource these functions. Mirroring this change, large controls vendors are expanding their offerings to “total solutions” responsibility, including systems integration, supply logistics, training and maintenance services.

An every entrepreneur always strives for the profitability in the business. A business of manufacturing activity is becoming competitive due to globalization.

Swift developments in technology, increasing affordability and awareness have made manufacturing field a prime candidature for automation.

High level of automation may not be necessary at all the places. However, It is a lovely scene to watch robot assembling the wind shield on cars one after the other with out breaks, an enclosed sophisticated caged automation producing medical vials at extremely high output rates, a line of engine assembly producing engines after engines with envied precision and repeatability. All these scenes have become normal in manufacturing industries. What you can prominently notice in such automations is total or partial absence of human being. That’s automation of manufacturing.

In manufacturing industry there are manufacturing engineers who generally decide, plan and execute manufacturing process for product being produced. While in initial stage the process of manufacturing engineering plays vital role in decision making about ‘How’ the products will be produced efficiently, fast, error free and of highest standard.

Many aspects needs to be considered while deciding the method of manufacturing. Generally there are t...

... middle of paper ...

...handling explosives, charging atomic fuel in to reactors are the most dangerous task and must be considered for automation.

Automation can always provide great solutions to many problems of manufacturing activities. A buyer of automation system shall have contemplated view about facility management. A buyer of automation system shall always have benchmark criterion to weigh the advantage of automation systems and for creating healthy and encouraging working atmosphere for manufacturing activities against financial investments.

Automation is good, if contemplated. Capital depreciation is generally swallowed by the overhead rate, making automation seem the easy route to lower labor costs. In reality, major capital investment demands a toll on the profits of every product in a profit center and depletes the company's funds.

Works Cited

Pinto's writings