MEM 5

Plant visit
Automation or automatic control, is the
use of various control systems for
operating equipment such as machinery,
processes in factories, boilers and heat
treating ovens, switching in telephone
networks, steering and stabilization of
ships, aircraft and other applications
with minimal or reduced human
intervention. Some processes have been
completely automated.
 Advantages
Produce high-quality goods for the
consumers
Unlike human, industrial robots do not
experience fatigue and inaccuracies. Instead
they can produce high-quality goods at a very
fast pace once configured properly. For
example, robots can manufacture goods with
a precision not found in even the most skilled
human workers. As a result, companies like
Apple can offer consumers high-quality goods
at cheap prices.
Generates a high ROI for the investors
 Industrial automation systems usually
incur a hefty initial investment, but they
are easy to find and easy to fix. It’s much
easier to program a robot than to train a
human worker.
 save manufacturers substantial amounts
of money in the long run. A robot is able to
produce goods 24 hours a day except
scheduled maintenance. The robots are
made from materials
Bring safety to the workplace
While industrial robots have replaced
human workers for many repetitive
tasks, they can also perform tasks in
dangerous conditions to improve the
safety in the workplace as well. With
improved safety, there will be less
accidents and fewer healthcare
concerns.
Automation systems don’t threaten the job
opportunities for human workers; instead they
open the doors for human workers to be
trained to do more interesting, creative and
safe jobs. The increased use of industrial
robots will lead to fewer jobs for humans in an
industrial setting, but more jobs in service,
healthcare, education, and the entertainment
industries. The repetitive jobs in factories will
be dominated by the industrial robots, but the
jobs that require creativity will be enjoyed
more by humans.
 Disadvantages of automation
1. Lower skill levels of workers.
2. High initial investment.
3. unemployment.
4. Not suitable for short product life
cycle.
5. Not economically justifiable for
small scale production.
 Some call it the “ fourth industrial revolution "
Regardless of what you call it, the numbers are proof
that robots are exponentially being incorporated into
factories; Bringing with them incredible precision,
productivity, and flexibility. Additionally, factories are
also seeing a boom in collaborative robots that are able
to seamlessly work hand-in-hand with human workers
to further increase flexibility and efficiency.
An industrial internet of things  is on the rise. 

 Globally, it is estimated that 1.3 million industrial

robots will arriving in factories by 2018. The
international market value for robotic systems
estimated around 32 billion US dollars and the
automotive division itself increased their robots by 43%
in one year, from 2013-2014.  Now is the time to get
your foot in the automation door. 
 1. Compact
 efficient robot design. A compact robot
design with slim arms and a small
footprint makes integration easier and
saves valuable shopfloor space. In
addition, designs with concealed air
and electrical lines keep those lines
from interfering with other equipment,
as well as protect them from wear and
damage, which helps reduce overall
costs.
 2. Robot controller features.
 Desirable features to look for in robot
controllers include
1) compact size and light weight;
2) fast processing speed;
3) modular expandability to accommodate
additional peripheral equipment without
having to purchase a new controller;
4) ease of integration with a vision system,
PLC or other devices;
5) and ease of servicing.
3. Affordable offline programming
software.
Be sure that the offline
programming software
being offered does not
include expensive,
advanced features that are
unnecessary for your needs.
 4- Low energy consumption.
 Ask about the robot’s energy consumption.
Efficiently designed, slim and lightweight
robot arms require less power, so their
motors draw less electrical current, which
can result in significant long-term cost-
savings.
 5. Safety codes.
 To protect employees and limit your
company’s liability, verify that the robot
meets or exceeds all current safety codes.
6. Short training.
 Ask about the length of required training.
Unnecessarily long training can result in
excessive unproductive employee time and
travel costs.
7.Documented mean time between
failures.
Above all, robots must be reliable,
and this can be verified with
documentation of a robot’s mean
time between failures (MTBF)
provided by the manufacturer.
8. High maximum allowable moment
of inertia.
Look for a robot with a high maximum
allowable moment of inertia, a measure of
how much force it can exert. The higher
the maximum allowable moment of
inertia, the more easily the robot can lift
and move a given payload size, putting
less strain on the robot’s motors and
resulting in a longer working life.
9. Continuous-duty cycle time.
When comparing robot cycle times, be
sure to ask whether the figures given
are for continuous duty, or only
shorter bursts of an hour or less. If the
latter, the robot will have to operate
at a slower speed in normal operation
10. Experience and reputation of the
robot manufacturer.
 Look for a manufacturer that has established
itself as an industry leader and whose robots
have stood the test of time. Also look for a
manufacturer who understands the importance
of product training by offering basic and
advanced comprehensive operator,
programming and maintenance training for its
robots through a variety of classroom sessions,
computer-workstation interaction and hands-on
robot training.
Tips for robotics
integration.
 Use a single control platform that can be scaled
to fit a wide range of robotics applications,
regardless of size or complexity. This method
allows the highest level of integration because it
combines kinematic robot control within a
machine's controller. All configuration,
programming, kinematics, troubleshooting and
operations are performed within a single control
platform, which helps reduce engineering costs,
training, maintenance and the overall machine
footprint.
 2. Use a single network technology and a
common control and visualization
environment. A networked approach
integrates the robot control system with the
machine control system. This is the most
cost-effective solution for quickly integrating
robotics into an existing application. Doing so
gives the machine's controller access to the
robot's control system, including diagnostics,
necessary automation interlocks,
troubleshooting, alarming and reporting.
 3. Use a common control engine and
development environment to help
eliminate the need for separate
controllers and systems. This embedded
approach to robotics integration brings
the robot module directly into the
control platform's chassis. It keeps
machine and robot control separate, but
helps drastically reduce the machine
footprint - by up to 50 percent - because
there are fewer control boxes on a
machine.