Future Trends of Automation Technology! The Impact of Automation Technology on Industry

Automation technology is a comprehensive technology, it has a very close relationship with cybernetics, information theory, system engineering, computer technology, electronics, hydraulic pressure technology, automatic control, etc. Technology has had the biggest impact.

1. The development history of automation technology

The earliest feedback control mechanism was used in the windmill's sail, which was patented by Edmund Lee in 1745.

In 1788, Watt improved the steam engine, and mankind began to enter the era of using machines. It keeps its own speed stable by means of a centrifugal speed regulating device. This centrifugal speed regulating device is the earliest automatic machine in the world.

In the 1940s, through the efforts of American mathematician Wiener and others, cybernetics was produced on the basis of the mutual penetration of automatic adjustment, computer, communication technology, bionics and other disciplines. This theory has had a profound impact on automation technology. The feedback control principle proposed by Wiener is still an important law in control theory.

In the 1960s, with the advancement of complex industrial production processes, aviation and aerospace technology, and socio-economic systems, the theory of automatic control developed rapidly, and the level of automation technology was greatly improved. Two notable developments were the widespread use of digital computers and the birth of modern control theory.

In the 21st century, automation technology has entered the era of computer automatic design.

2. Tools for automation technology

Engineers can digitally control automated equipment. The result is a rapidly expanding range of applications and human activities.

Different types of automation tools exist:
ANN - Artificial Neural Network
DCS - Distributed Control System
HMI - Human-Machine User Interface
SCADA - Data Acquisition and Supervisory Control System
PLC - Programmable Logic Controller

Robotics

3. Application of automation technology

Industrial automation is one of the most important directions for the application of automation technology. Its specific applications include:

Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
Integrated office automation (OA) (eg: access control system, IT audit)
Process Control and Automation Instrumentation
Artificial intelligence technology

4. The impact of automation technology on industry

Industrial automation mostly uses automatic equipment to replace high-risk, monotonous, and high-frequency human activities, such as taking hot castings, picking materials every few minutes, and assembly lines. Through the introduction of automated equipment, it helps to solve the situation of human resource increase, technical gap, and stable quality. The concept of automation as a fixed mode requires the following preparations before importing:

Standardized operations: automation is all the functions that are composed of calculation, planning, input computer settings, and control of repetitive operations. Only when each production step is unified and institutionalized can it be planned and calculated by humans.

Risk assessment: For the possible risks in the middle of the production process, such as: raw iron filings for metal processing, die casting, and forming aluminum blocks that have not been depilated and woven. The test is the technology and experience of the planner, and the risk assessment will be greatly improved. To affect the final benefits generated by this set of products, it is best to make more evaluations between planning automation equipment manufacturers and machinery manufacturers, so as to avoid production conditions affecting automation operations.

Efficiency evaluation: Generally speaking, planners will use manpower and time as the basis to estimate the benefits that can be saved, because a set of automation equipment such as robotic arms can cost up to one million, or the price of door-type manipulators is relatively low but still expensive. If the benefits are not achieved, it is not recommended to import.

Simple three points to judge whether it is suitable for automatic import:

The annual output is large.
Short processing time.
The shape of the product is simple.

At the same time, automation may also cause an increase in unemployment and become a political issue. With the development of computers, traditional automation machinery is becoming more and more intelligent, which may lead to penetration into lower-end industries and smaller companies, replacing more job vacancies. It may be an expansion of geometric progression. The Nikkei News has studied that Japan may be robbed of 7.35 million job opportunities by robots after 2030, and those who have been robbed of their jobs will flock to other job opportunities, so that workers in other jobs will be in the labor market. Those who are more vulnerable are now adversely affected by wages and benefits, so automation technology may exacerbate the gap between rich and poor and become a huge unknown problem.

5. Future trends of automation technology

Automation application fields can be divided into: office automation, machinery automation, information automation, industrial automation, sewage treatment automation, etc., which are widely used. Its overall development trend is: more widely combined with modern technologies in various places, especially with computer technology and cybernetics, from the automation of physical activities to the automation of information activities, such as using computers to automatically design, not just aided design.

Diversification of mechanical functions: Industrial and commercial products have become more refined and diversified. Under the changing environment, packaging machines that are diversified, flexible and have multiple switching functions can meet market demand.

Intelligent control: Packaging machinery manufacturers generally use PLC power load controllers. Although PLC is very flexible, it still does not have the powerful functions of computers (including software). In the future, packaging machinery must be multi-functional and easy to adjust and operate. Computer-based intelligent instruments will become a new trend in food packaging controllers.

Structural design standardization and modularization: making full use of the modular design of the original model, the new model can be converted in a short time.

6. New applications of automation technology

The general environment of the industry has raised many new topics for the industrial field, such as the optimization of industrial structure, the improvement of competitiveness and innovation capabilities, the green and intelligent manufacturing industry, etc., especially the convening of the "18th National Congress". Emphasized the necessity and urgency of integrating key words such as "innovation" and "green" into the development trend of the industry under the new situation. Test the development of China's manufacturing industry. It is against this background that automation technology in the manufacturing industry is also given an increasingly important position. In addition to its inherent functions such as control and monitoring, automation technology has also become a sharp tool for improving energy efficiency and production management. Its technical application in various branches is also constantly deepening.

The application of industrial robots is "hot"

Industrial robots are a typical example of innovative automation applications in the manufacturing industry, and this cutting-edge technology has undoubtedly become a hot topic in the industry. This phenomenon has also attracted the attention of many application industries. Potential. From the high-profile manufacturing giant Foxconn extending an "olive branch" to "machine labor", to the frequent appearance of many robot manufacturers with new products and applications, industrial robots seem to have embarked on the fast track of technology upgrading and application expansion.

There is a saying in the industry that automation technology is the "one-of-a-kind" technology in the industrial field, which shows that automation technology is widely used. In fact, from the upper control system to the lower data acquisition and transmission drive, automation technology is used. Especially with the changes in the macro demands of the industry, the role and positioning of automation technology in the entire industrial system are also deepening.

Internet of things

The application of automation technology in the Internet of Things mainly includes: data collection and storage such as sensors; automatic analysis and processing of data, giving the execution process; monitoring after-sales products and providing personalized service solutions.

7. Future trends

With the continuous development and progress of science and technology, the emergence of various food processing products has posed new challenges to packaging technology and packaging equipment. Packaging automation technology is playing an increasingly important role in the field of circulation. The competition of packaging machinery is becoming increasingly fierce. In the future, packaging machinery will cooperate with the trend of industrial automation, promote the overall level of packaging equipment, and develop multi-functional, high-efficiency, and low-consumption packaging equipment. Packaging automation technology is also developing towards the following trends: Structural design standardization and modularization Make full use of the modular design of the original model, and the new model can be converted in a short time.