From Assembly Line to Digital Design: How Industrial Automation is Transforming the Manufacturing Industry

Introduction

Industrial automation is the control of processes, equipment, and machinery in an industry setup using computerized control systems and robotics. This type of control is based on a closed-loop system where feedback loops and sensory programs initiate adjustments based on real-time data and operating conditions.

Advancements in automation technology are entirely revolutionizing the manufacturing industry globally. This has brought about a paradigm shift in the production processes, with many manufacturing industries changing from manual production methods to fully automated systems. Intelligent machines and industrial robots are now performing manufacturing tasks previously handled by human workers.  As a result, automated manufacturing industries are boasting higher production rates, improved quality of end products, minimal material wastage, and improved workplace safety.

This article explores the impacts of industrial automation on the manufacturing industry, particularly in manufacturing assembly lines and the digital design of products. It also highlights the types, use cases, and benefits of automation in manufacturing.

Types of Automation in Manufacturing

Depending on the manufacturing industry, automation takes many forms. The choice is determined by the number of functions to be performed, the number of parts to be produced, the volume of production, and capital investment. The most prominent types of automation currently being implemented in the manufacturing sector include:  

Fixed Automation: Also termed as complex automation, this type of automation is used for fixed and repetitive manufacturing operations. In fixed automation, dedicated (special purpose) equipment is configured to perform specific tasks repeatedly without changes. So, the equipment design cannot be modified to perform different operations. As such, this automation may not be applicable where product design variation is expected. However, although it lacks the flexibility to handle a variety of products, fixed automation increases production efficiency. Also, it helps achieve high production rates that bring about reduced unit costs.

It is most commonly used in welding, cutting, material handling, and assembly of parts. Fixed automation systems include automated industrial distillation processes, mechanized assembly lines, automated material handling systems(e.g., conveyors), and automated machining transfer lines.

Programmable Automation: This type of industrial automation addresses the shortcomings of fixed automation by allowing machines to reprogram or modify the control instructions of the production equipment. This enables the manufacturing of different classes of products or parts. As such, programmable automation is characterized by changes in a specific class of products. The changes in the class of products necessitate changes or modifications of manufacturing operations (and, in some cases, changes in the sequence of operation).

Usually, the control program of the automated production equipment is also modified to align with the new class of products. Changing and reconfiguring the manufacturing system is usually time-consuming and challenging to achieve. Nevertheless, it must be carried out to accommodate new products and sequence of operations. This may lead to prolonged manufacturing lead times as the production equipment and the control program must be periodically modified.

Therefore, programmable automation is ideal for batch processes characterized by medium to high volumes of products and suitable for medium-sized manufacturing industries that specialize in producing an extensive range of related products. Examples of programmable automation systems include industrial robots, automated steel rolling mills, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), and numerically controlled machine tools (CNC machine tools).

Flexible Automation: Also referred to as soft automation, the high flexibility of manufacturing processes characterizes flexible automation. It’s more of advanced programmable automation that eliminates equipment changeovers and reprogramming, as a piece of single production equipment can be programmed to perform multiple manufacturing tasks, thereby saving production time. This makes it perfect for producing different products and styles at optimal production times. It is usually associated with n-demand (real-time) production.

In essence, flexible automation is more common in applications with less specialization of product manufacturing processes, as it simultaneously allows the production of multiple products with varying specifications. Hence, a firm manufacturing a large variety of products with only a small number of production equipment can benefit significantly from implementing flexible automation.

Examples of soft automation systems include multi-purpose Computer Numerical Control machines (CNC machines), multi-functional autonomous industrial robots, and automatic guided vehicles.

Use Cases of Automation in Manufacturing

Implementing industrial automation technologies cuts across all aspects of the manufacturing industry, from product design to material and product handling processes and assembly lines.

Automated Manufacturing Assembly Lines

A manufacturing assembly line is a process that breaks down a product’s manufacturing cycle into stages that can be finished in a predetermined sequence. Assembly line automation is usually achieved by incorporating automation devices and tools such as robots, AI-powered systems, and automated conveyors into manufacturing lines.

Automating manufacturing assembly lines helps to accurately control and monitor the manufacturing process to ensure optimal productivity. It also automates repetitive tasks, eliminates human errors, and frees human labor to participate in high-end tasks requiring more practical skills.

Below are examples of how various industrial automation technologies transform manufacturing assembly lines.

Use of Industrial Robots

Robotics involves designing and using intelligent machines called robots to replicate or substitute human actions in production processes. Automating assembly lines in manufacturing facilities is the primary concept as robots can perform several manufacturing tasks. Currently, there are millions of industrial robots on factory floors across the globe. These industrial robots are typically configured to perform repetitive and tedious manufacturing tasks that human workers may not perform to the desired precision, including stacking, welding, painting, polishing, labeling, and assembling.

The widespread application of industrial robots to automate manual processes in assembly lines is evident in major companies in the world, like Tesla, where about 600 industrial robotic arm systems are being used along the vehicle assembly lines to weld chassis castings and stamp car parts. Tesla is also one of the automakers utilizing the world’s giant robot, Godzilla, to move completed car bodies to the paint shop lines. In addition, advanced robots are being used in Tesla’s paint shop lines to perform multi-layer paint coating for depth and dimension.

Also, Amazon Retail is relying heavily on robots for inventory management, lifting, and moving packages and products throughout its premises. Overall, using robots in manufacturing assembly lines ensures greater production speed, high precision, and lower production costs.

Automated Conveyor Systems

Conveyor systems are a crucial part of automated manufacturing assembly lines as they help transport manufacturing items from one point to another automatically. A typical conveyor system can be based on belts, rollers, or wheels to move parts along the assembly lines. Such systems bring speed and efficiency to manufacturing while minimizing workplace risks and production costs.

In addition, automated conveyor systems are an integral part of continuous-motion automation, where manufacturing assembly lines are tailored to run steadily, with each machine executing assigned tasks continuously. Continuous-motion automation streamlines the manufacturing process, increases production throughput, and optimizes the manufacturing cycle time. An example of application is in motor vehicle assembly lines, where automated conveyor belts are used to move car bodies along the lines as industrial robots assemble wheels, windows, doors, etc.

AI-Powered Automation Systems

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be defined as the ability of a machine or computer system to perform tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence, such as data collection, analysis, and decision-making. It plays a crucial role in manufacturing automation by ensuring highly accurate and real-time control of production processes.

AI-powered automation systems in manufacturing assembly lines complement Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). While the PLCs automatically control electro-mechanical manufacturing processes, machines or device tasks, and operations. The AI-enabled control systems collect run-time data for every piece of equipment in the assembly line, capturing information the human eye cannot easily spot. They then analyze the data to identify inconsistencies pointing to machine flaws and find solutions immediately. If any assembly line component shows signs of malfunctioning, the AI systems will generate an alarm instantly to alert the maintenance personnel with detailed information about the problem.

It is also worth mentioning that Artificial Intelligence technology has considerably improved predictive maintenance, helping to prevent machine breakdown, unplanned downtimes, and financial losses. Moreover, it has assisted in optimizing the performance of manufacturing assembly lines by providing an overview of the whole production process for engineers to identify areas that need improvement through automation. AI has improved system monitoring, diagnosis, and control, keeping everything in the assembly line aligned and maintaining the quality of end products as high as possible.

Automation in Material Handling

The impact of automation in manufacturing also extends to material and product handling, as evident within manufacturing factories and warehouses. Material handling automation helps to enhance safety in the workplace by eliminating the need for employees to carry heavy materials. It also reduces contamination of sensitive materials, improves manufacturing cycle times, and increases productivity.

Automation technology has availed many automated systems to help handle materials within manufacturing facilities, including conveyor systems, Automated Material Handling systems (AMHS), and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVS).

Roller conveyors are the manufacturing industry’s most widely used conveyor systems for moving materials. They can be manual, powered by gravity, or electricity. Roller conveyors are electrically powered in most automated manufacturing systems for speed and convenience. These systems are easily adaptable to tasks such as trays, cartons, crates, etc. They are extensively used in steel-making industries and packaging and baggage-handling systems.

On the other hand, Automated Material Handling Systems (AMHS) are unconventional and efficient methods of moving materials within the same department, at opposite ends of the manufacturing floor, or between two buildings. These systems work in conjunction with other automation systems, such as conveyors and elevators, to transport materials using control instructions provided by Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). This greatly improves the efficiency of the manufacturing process. AMHS also relies on other technologies, such as near-field communication and Optical Character Recognition (OCR), to identify the moving materials and determine their destination.

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), or self-guided vehicles, are mobile robots that move autonomously across a manufacturing facility, transporting materials without an onboard human operator. They accomplish tasks that are usually completed using handcarts, forklifts, conveyors, etc.  As such, they can efficiently deliver materials such as metal, plastics, and rubber to the production lines, thereby ensuring shorter production cycles. The reason is that the AGVs can provide an uninterrupted supply of raw materials from the warehouse to the production lines repetitively throughout the manufacturing process. So, partially completed products can quickly be transformed into finished and usable products.

 Automation in the Digital Design of Products

Industrial automation supports the digital design of products by applying Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software to generate product designs and using other technologies, such as 3D printing and CNC machining, to accurately and consistently fabricate digitally designed products.

Automated 3D Printing

Also referred to as Additive Manufacturing (AM), 3D printing is a technology that fabricates 3D prototypes, tools, and fully functional products from digital designs created using appropriate 3D modeling software. This technology usually uses CAD-based product designs to print (fabricate) a product through the layer-by-layer deposition of liquid or powdered raw materials until the design is generated in its physical form. 3D printing is not sensitive to a digital design’s geometric complexity and intricacy. Thus, it allows the production of very complex parts and products that would be extremely difficult or impossible to produce using conventional manufacturing techniques.

Also, although 3D printing is slow and needs improvement for mass production, it has proved to be effective in developing product prototypes and the tooling necessary to manufacture them, usually at shorter lead times. As a result, this technology has found many applications in the car, aircraft, and medical equipment manufacturing industries. The Boeing Company, for instance, has begun using 3D printing to produce titanium parts for building its 787 Dreamliner. In the medical industry, 3D printing is widely used to produce customized medical implants, and there is a possibility of soon creating human organs using this technology.

CNC Machining

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining is an automated process that relies on pre-programmed software and codes to perform machining operations based on digital designs of products. CNC machines, therefore, are computerized machines that use computer software to monitor and control production operations that may be too complex for robots or humans to handle. These machines use a machining language known as G-code to determine production parameters such as location, speed, feed rate, and coordination. Dimension and geometrical aspects of the manufactured product are derived from the digital designs generated using CAD software.

CNC machining provides high precision and rapid production capacity, making it perfect for aerospace applications, such as jet engine manufacturing.

Examples of Industries Implementing Manufacturing Automation

Below are some major industries that have heavily adopted industrial automation technologies to achieve their various production goals.

Automotive Industry: Automation is increasingly becoming popular among automakers, with industrial robotic arm systems working alongside human workers in vehicle assembly lines to complete more manufacturing operations in less time. Some of the functions of robots within the automotive production lines include assembling parts, transportation, painting, etc. Automation technologies in motor vehicle manufacturing have helped maintain tight control of the production parameters, minimize human errors, and ensure that the vehicles leaving production lines have the best possible quality. 

Food and Beverage Industries:  The food and beverage industries rely on automated production lines to maintain food safety by reducing human interference with the raw materials during processing and finished products at the packaging stage. Also, automated inventory systems in these industries are helping boost tracking and delivery of materials and finished products, making it possible to maintain appropriate inventory levels. In addition, other automation technologies, such as automated reporting and AI-powered analytics, assist in decision-making, work scheduling, minimizing material wastage, and reducing financial losses.

Healthcare Industry: Automation technologies are widely used in the healthcare industry to perform various tasks with more precision and high accuracy (reduced error rates). These tasks include manufacturing various medical devices, such as diagnostic equipment and customized medical implants like prosthetics.

Also, automation technologies like 3D printing allow surgeons to generate accurate anatomical models. This helps them prepare adequately for complex procedures, reducing surgery time significantly.

In the pharmaceutical industry, automation is applied in product processing, tracking drug distribution, and ensuring patients comply with medication regimens. It is also being implemented in pharmaceutical packaging systems to manage labeling, capping, and positioning pharmaceutical product bottles.

Aerospace Manufacturing: Automation technologies are widely used in commercial aerospace manufacturing to optimize production processes by automating various operations such as welding, drilling, bending, fastening, parts inspection, spray coating, and conveyance. These automated manufacturing operations improve production accuracy and throughput, saving time and money.

Conclusion

In conclusion, industrial automation is transforming the manufacturing industry positively, bringing speed, efficiency, precision, consistency, and improved quality control, ultimately increasing factory productivity significantly and enhancing customer satisfaction. However, there are concerns that the widespread adoption of manufacturing automation will render many workers jobless as industrial robots and other automation systems take over human positions in production/assembly lines and factory floors. Also, implementing industrial automation technologies in manufacturing requires high capital investments and high maintenance and repair costs.

Nevertheless, manufacturing automation helps free up human labor to focus on emerging high-level tasks such as programming and implementing advanced automation systems that increase productivity and significant cost reductions. As a result, more and more manufacturing industries are expected to continue embracing industrial automation technologies to increase profits and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving sector.

This entry was posted on October 17th, 2023 and is filed under Automation, Education, Electrical, Technology. Both comments and pings are currently closed.