Good Literature Review About Types Of Automation:

Abstract

Types of automation in manufacturing industries
Automation refers to the use of controls mostly in machines to perform given tasks. Additionally, automation has helped in making work easier and thereby saving a lot of time, which the employees use in other productive activities. As a result, the firm that uses automation recognizes increased profits due to the high quality of work. Most manufacturing companies have adopted the use of the automation machines in the operation because, in the long run, they preserve a lot of energies, therefore, reduces the company expenses. However, there are many types of automation and they differ in terms of the work they perform.
First, there is the information technology automation. It refers to the use of the computers to help in the conveyance of messages and information from one point to the other. The IT automation has contributed greatly to the reduction of the travelling costs between departments. Additionally, it saves a lot of time due to avoidance of the travelling (Arora, 2009). In return, the workers use the saved time to engage in more productive activities that lead to the increase in the production in the firms. Therefore, the uses of the computers to convey messages to the different departments require skilled personnel.
Computer-aided manufacturing is another type of automation, where the workers use the computers to plan and control the production, for instance, the use of robots in performance of specific tasks in the manufacturing. Furthermore, the computer-aided design entails the use of computer programs in planning of the layouts, parts and products numerically in a manufacturing company. For this reason, the system ensures that there is free flow of operations leading to an upsurge in the efficiency and effectiveness of the production. Therefore, the companies employ the machine workforce in the production process eradicating the human power, which in most cases is prone to mistakes thereby affecting the quality of the products.
The flexible manufacturing system is another type of automation, which incorporates the use of the robots and other machines to manufacture homogeneous products. Additionally, the workers could use the automation in the manufacturing of the products using different schedules (Arora, 2009). The suppleness of the systems ensures that the same machines can produce similar products and later change the parts used in the production if the products require differentiation. For this reason, the automation helps in saving the productions costs and increase the production level. As a result, the reduction of the expenses leads to an upsurge in the profitability levels of the production companies.
The numerically controlled machines used in the manufacturing companies warrant the use of sequence in the products. Therefore, the system eradicates the manual work and uses the machines to perform tasks. As a result, it improves the quality and accuracy of the processes. The system works with the help of computers where the skilled personnel store processes, calculate and execute them. Additionally, the machines operate in sequence, to avoid omissions. The use of sequences ensures that the machines perform a thorough work where the machines leave no operation unattended or half-way completed. Additionally, the system ensures that they perform the tasks in a sequential order to avoid overlooking or under looking a process (Leondes, 2003). As a result, the manufacturing company maintains a consistent flow of the products, and they do not over produce or under-produce.
Another type of automation is the computer-integrated manufacturing system help in linking to the production operations in a single computer. Therefore, it enhances the centralization of operation. Therefore, the company minimizes the number of the manpower required thereby; reducing the labor force (Leondes, 2003). For this reason, only one person controls the machine as opposed to the many workers the companies would employ with the use of the many machines. Some of the operations performed include controls such as; planning, controlling, quality, purchasing and marketing. Additionally, the system helps in product designing, and it leads to an increase in the sales and a reduction in the production costs. The product design is essential to help with the increased demand for the products that lead to an upsurge in sales.
Another automation used in the manufacturing companies is the industrial robots. They perform the work in a sequential order. Additionally, they maintain high-quality products and ensure speedy productions. Consequently, the robots are not subject to exhaustion because they can keep up with the high demand levels in the societies (Arora, 2009). Therefore, they ensure the supply of the products that matches the demand level. On the other hand, human labor is subject to fatigue, high expenses, therefore, cannot keep up with the high production rate. As a result, human labor leads to low production, which leads to loss of customers thereby reducing the profitability levels. However, the increased demand and the low supply of the products could lead to loss of customer loyalty, and they end up shifting their preference to the competitors or substitute products.
In summation, production companies should embrace automation in their companies because they increase efficiency and quality of the products. Automation has helped in the reduction and eradication of many production expenses leading to the increased profitability levels.

References

Gupta, A. K., & Arora, S. K. (2009). Industrial automation and robotics. New Delhi: University
Science Press.
Leondes, C. T. (2003). Computer aided and integrated manufacturing systems: A 5-volume set.
New Jersey: World Scientific.