Introduction to Automation

Nowadays, workplace automation is everywhere, and it is not just a robot. When hearing
the word automation, people usually associate it with robots. Well, automation is the term that
usually used to describe the process of replacing human labor with machine labor. Several
examples of automation are CAD/CAM, robots, CNC machines, security systems, etc. The most
important thing about automation is the process is accomplished without human assistance, or it
can be said that it is controlled automatically. An automated system is a combination of software
and hardware designed to work automatically without human needs of operation and controls in
every work. This automated system has three elements which are power (electricity), programs
of instruction, and control system. Programs instruction is a set of commands that specify the
details of each process. One of the examples is CNC machines such as CNC Lathe and CNC
Milling process that needs the program first before it can do the process such as drilling, material
removing, or endmill. There are three elements in control system which are sensors, actuators,
and controllers. In control system, there are two types of operation which closed-loop control
system and open-loop control system. Closed-loop control system is a system that used the
principle of “feedback”, so the output is compared and resulting in feedback that will make the
system work better. On the other hand, the open-loop control system is operated without a
feedback loop and it is less expensive and simpler.

There are so many things that used the principle of automation in daily life such as ATM,
vending machine, and dishwasher. Automation is also applied in the workplace and industry
such as the painting robots, soldering machine, and bottle filling machine. Automation is needed
for several reasons such as increasing safety, increasing comfort, improving quality and
precision, and the most important reason is because there are several jobs that humans cannot do
such as reaching the difficult part in painting the cars. Besides reasons to automating, there are
also several reasons to not automating such as labor resistance, high investment, and also cost.
Everything has advantages and disadvantages including automation. The advantages commonly
attributed to automation is including the higher production rates, increases in productivity, more
efficiency in the material used, and reducing the factory lead times. Besides the advantages, there
are also the disadvantages attributed to automation such as worker displacement as the work all
replaced by the machines. In addition, there is also a possibility that humans will be the slaves of
the machine itself. These dangers aside, automation technology, if used wisely and effectively,
can yield substantial opportunities for the future. There is an opportunity to relieve humans from
repetitive, hazardous, and unpleasant labor in all forms.

There are three types of an automation systems which are fixed automation,
programmable automation, and flexible automation. Flexible automation is a system in which the
sequence of processing (or assembly) operations is fixed by the equipment configuration. The
operations in the sequence are usually simple. It is the integration and coordination of many such
operations into one piece of equipment that makes the system complex. The fixed automation is
usually applied in the production of high-demand volume and long-life cycles product.
Programmable automation is a form of automation used in producing products in batches and
products with different options. The products which are made in batch production ranging from
several dozen to several thousand units at a time. For each of the new batch production, the
production equipment must be reprogrammed and changed over to accommodate. Flexible
automation is a type of automation that is capable in producing a variety product or parts with no
time lost for changeover from one product to the next product. It has flexibility to deal with
variety design of products, but it needs a high unit cost and high initial investment cost

In conclusion, automation is common nowadays and it can be seen from the variety of
evidence that already exists in everyday life even though not all humans are aware of it.
Automation is not just an ordinary thing. This is a complex and complicated thing, so it requires
high skill to be able to create automation. Various benefits and benefits of automation have also
been felt in this day and age. The benefits of automation certainly make it easier for humans to
do all the work they cannot do. However, automation, on the contrary, seizes their work because
every job is done a lot by machines. These dangers aside, caused by automation, will produce a
good thing in the future if it is used properly. Automation can also relieve human repetitive,
hazardous, and unpleasant labor in all forms.