Low Cost Automation (LCA)

It is a technology that creates some degree of automation

around the existing equipment, tools, methods, and people,
using mostly standard components available in the market.
It allows low investment so that the payback period is short,
typically of the order of a few weeks to less than a year.

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Major Advantages and Features of
LCA
•Financial constraints do not hinder the application of LCA. While
capital equipment for automation is expensive and has a long
payback period, LCA is built around existing resources. Hence, the
investments required are lower and the payback period is short.
•Labour productivity can be enhanced substantially using LCA.
•Expensive automation needs a sufficiently large turnover to be
cost-effective. Lower batch/production sizes, typical of small to
medium-scale industries, can be made viable using LCA.
•Raw material costs have been rising steadily; This necessitates
better utilization of material, less Work In Progress (WIP), and less
rejection. LCA can help curtail such wastage.

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 Limitations of LCA
The judicious application of LCA systems, however, should be based on
an understanding of their limitations. Some of them are enumerated
below.
•When a readymade automatic machine/system is purchased, the time
that needs to be spent in developing it, troubleshooting, and making
modifications is avoided. In contrast, LCA systems that are typically
custom-built (generally in-house) take more time to develop.
•A technology like Computer Numerical Control (CNC), for instance,
needs very little time for changing from one drawing/design to another,
since the skill is inbuilt into the program. LCA, however, uses manual
participation and hence takes more time to learn, especially when a
change is incorporated.

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 Applications of LCA
•Any manufacturing activity is a potential candidate for LCA.
•It is useful in the case of all activities related to discrete
manufacturing, irrespective of the product.
•A wide range of activities such as loading, feeding, clamping,
machining, welding, forming, gauging, assembly, and packing can be
subjected to LCA systems adoption.
•LCA can be very useful for process industries manufacturing
chemicals, oils, or pharmaceuticals.
•Further, the mode and efficiency of downstream operations like
packaging, printing, and labelling of any product can be augmented
considerably using the LCA approach.

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 Applications of LCA
•The other possible beneficiaries include agriculture, in which the
functions of tilling, sawing, plucking etc., can be mechanized to
varying degrees. Operations involved in stock breeding, such as
controlled mixing, and distribution of feed can be another LCA
candidate.
•Finally, many operations in food processing industries that need
to be carried out under totally hygienic conditions can also be
rendered easy through LCA systems.
•Clearly, the width of applications of LCA is considerable, and its
evaluation for adoption in specific manufacturing situations is
worthwhile.

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 Methodology for LCA
•LCA can be implemented in 3 stages.
•Stage 1: System Synthesis
•Stage 2: Cost Estimation
•Stage 3: System Implementation

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 Stage 1: System Synthesis
•The LCA expert needs to conceptualize a viable solution using
appropriate technologies while paying heed to the twin
constraining parameters: ease of maintenance and overall
economic viability of the approach.
•Typically, the well-known techniques of industrial engineering like
Work Sampling, Pre-determined Motion and Time Studies (PMTS),
Developing Better Method (DBM) etc., coupled with the principles
of "Design for Automation," can be very useful in implementation.
•The system can be made well-integrated through the emphasis on
the guiding principles of standardization, simplicity, reusability,
flexibility, and maintainability.

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 Stage 2: Cost Estimation
•A rapid techno-economic evaluation is required as wide
variety of systems (mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic,
electrical, and electronics) are available for deployment in LCA
systems.
•During the cost-benefit analysis, long term benefits (like skill
upgradation of workers, more job satisfaction, safety, fatigue
reduction, reduction in % rejection, betterment of quality etc.)
are to be given due consideration.

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 Stage 3: System Implementation
•Since many alternatives are possible, an in-depth study of the
existing system and the developer’s ability to visualize the
modifications for making the final automation easier are
crucial elements in the development process. These can make
the subsequent system implementation much easier.
•At the system implementation stage, the integration of
existing equipment, tools, and workmen skills, and
troubleshooting will consume productive time. Thus, active
and cooperative participation of the workforce is very
necessary for success.

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Methodology for LCA
Systems Development

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 Technologies Used for LCA
•Mechanical systems
•Pneumatic Systems
•Hydraulic Systems
•Electric Systems
•Electronic Systems
•Hybrid Systems

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 Mechanical systems
•These are generally rugged, simple, cheap, and made up of
elements like cams, gears, mechanisms with linkages, indexing
devices, feeding devices etc.

Mechanism with linkages Indexing device Feeding device

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 Pneumatic Systems
•These operate using compressed air as the activating power
source.
•Usually, the pressure used is in the range of 4 to 8 bar.
•Typically compressed air facility is available through piping.
•The pipe running through the shop floor will have a number of
tapping points to which the LCA device can be connected.
•Pneumatic circuits are extremely popular for LCA applications
due to their low cost, ease of fabrication, and safety in
operation.
•Pneumatics are often the best fit for executing mechanical
motion in a reliable, simple, and cost-effective manner.
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Pneumatic Systems

Basic Elements of a Pneumatic System

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 Hydraulic Systems
•Even though oil hydraulic systems are generally costlier than
pneumatic systems, they are attractive where large forces are
required along with fine control of speed.
•Their field of application is very wide, ranging from simple hydraulic
brakes used in automobiles to sophisticated actuating systems in
aircraft. They are used virtually in every industry, such as:
a. Die-casting machines in the casting process
b. Presses for heavy-duty metal-forming processes
c. Injection or transfer moulding machines for plastics, tractors,
earth-moving equipment, forklifts, machine tools etc.

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Hydraulic Systems

Basic Hydraulic System

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 Electric Systems
•These consist of electric motors or electro-magnets for
actuation.
•A variety of electric motors (AD, DC, servo, stepper etc.) are
available as rotary actuators.
•Today, electronic controls of motors have reached sufficiently
high level of sophistication such that speed-torque
characteristics can be controlled and adjusted.
•For linear actuators, conversion of rotation of motor through
any mechanical means (rack and pinion, screw and nuts etc.)
can be used.

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 Electric Systems
•Sensors (transducers) also form a major part of electric LCA systems.
•A transducer converts a physical parameter (temperature, pressure, velocity,
etc.) to an electric signal which can then be used to control the actuator.
•This signal, generally being feeble, is amplified and then used.
•Switches, contactors, relays, etc. are used to develop the circuit.
•The electric circuit consists of two parts:
(A) the actuator part which consists of the electromagnets, motors, brakes,
etc. along with safety devices like overload protections,
(B) the control part consists of activating devices like start, stop push buttons,
limit switches, relays, timers, etc.

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Electric Systems

Wires, switches, contactors, relays, push buttons, timers, actuators etc.

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 Electronic Systems
•The reliability of an LCA system can be significantly enhanced by using
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) which can replace hardwired ladder
logic.
•Use of a PC can further enhance the capabilities of the PLC system by
storing data and using them as and when required.
•The obvious advantage here is that since no hardware assembly is
required, assembly time is low.
•The system also becomes very compact and the chances of malfunctioning
are reduced as there are no hardware elements connected through wires.
•In the case where a PC is also available, much more complex decision-
making can be done by the system.

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 Hybrid Systems
•In this, more than one type of system is used and interfaced
appropriately with another so that the advantages of both are
used, while ensuring that the disadvantages are not
detrimental to the functional requirements.
•Depending on the systems that are coupled, these are called
electro-mechanical, pneumo-hydraulic, electro-pneumatic etc.

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Hybrid Systems

Hydro-Pneumatic Circuit Electro-Pneumatic Device

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References
 http://www.ircc.iitb.ac.in/IRCC-Webpage/PDF/update/archives/
sept_2002/focus-ramkri.html
 https://library.automationdirect.com/pneumatics-for-mechanical-
motion/

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