Industrial Automation is Making Factories Smarter and Revolutionising Manufacturing

Industrial Automation

In simple terms, industrial automation uses computers, robots, and other devices to run industries with less interference from people. The manufacturing process and automation were initially introduced in the 1960’s with programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Today, the market for industrial automation across the world is expected to be $ 296. 7 billion by 2026 due to increasing usage of artificial intelligence, IoT and machine learning in the business world. Today, the top universities of India offer programs like B Tech Automobile Engineering and M Tech in Industrial Automation and Robotics. Students who are masters of these technologies set up smart factories where machines are integrated with each other to make manufacturing production processes more efficient and precise.

The Evolution of Manufacturing Technology

This blog will seek to compare today's manufacturing technology to that of the Industrial Revolution period. In the last decade of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, mechanisation was accompanied by the extensive use of steam power. In the contemporary period of the twentieth century, assembly lines, which Henry Ford initiated, became significant in mass production techniques. Advancements in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, such as computer numerical control machines and robotics set in motion precise and efficient modalities of manufacturing. Today, as Industry 4. 0 is unfolding, IoT, artificial intelligence, and advanced robotics are making new factories smart systems that are well interconnected. These advancements increase the scale of automation, data analysis, and real-time surveillance, increasing efficiency and innovation in the manufacturing line.

Key Components of Industrial Automation

Industrial automation relies on several key components to optimise manufacturing processes.

• Sensors: Measuring instruments that acquire information about factors such as temperature, pressure, and speed to pass on to the regulating systems in real-time.
• Actuators: Actuators are physical devices that run commands issued by control systems, such as turning valves or moving robotic arms.
• Programmable Logic Controllers: Industrial computers control processes by operating encoded sequences in response to stimuli from sensors.
• Human-Machine Interfaces: Interfaces by which operating personnel can observe and interact with the industry's automated systems through graphics displays and controls.
• Robots: Mechanisms that can do the work that enables automation in tasks like assembling, welding, and material moving.
• Industrial Networks: Systems that connect different subsystems so that data can be transferred and control can be related to different processes taking place in a production line.

Therefore, it is a component of the management system that coordinates and optimises affairs, reduces errors, and increases efficiency, especially in production lines.

Rise of Smart Factories

Smart factories are a giant leap in the manufacturing industry since they result from advanced technology. In such factories, sensors and devices gather data from real-time processes, and computers apply artificial intelligence to analyse the data and detect process optimisation and possible maintenance requirements. This integration enables control of production lines so that production can be changed dynamically, hence increasing productivity.

A report shared in 2023 reveals that organisations using smart factory solutions are likely to gain productivity improvements of up to 30%. According to current technological development trends, smart factories are now crucial for attaining a higher degree of innovation and sustainability.

Revolution in Productivity and Efficiency

The introduction of industrial automation and the smart factories concept, has boosted productivity and efficiency. Substitute labour decreases since manual operations are unfavourable and prone to human interjection and slowness. For instance, the application of robots and AI in production and automation provides round-the-clock services, hence cutting down on working times and, at the same time, cutting down on possible costs. The degree of automation also makes control of the manufacturing processes accurate, resulting in higher standards for products produced.

McKinsey estimates that organisational productivity could increase by at least 20% when automation is adopted. In the same regard, real-time data analytics allows management to make changes and avoid situations in which some parts of the organisation become bottlenecked. It also improves the general use of resources, achieving an overall optimality of organisational operations.

Manipal University Jaipur Taking the Lead with its out of the box M Tech in Industrial Automation & Robotics Program

Manipal University Jaipur is expanding the frontiers of manufacturing in M. Tech in Industrial Automation and Robotics. MUJ is one of the top universities of Rajasthan when it comes to technology education. Its B Tech Automobile Engineering program is also bringing a stir in the automobile engineering community.

The two-year M. Tech program offers a detailed knowledge of modern disciplines such as mechanical design, programming, IoT, robotics control, and Industry 4. 0. Intended to correlate with contemporary scientific and technical progress; the curriculum guarantees students’ ample preparation for using modern approaches to automation and intelligent technologies.

It produces graduates who are industry-ready professionals who synthesise, analyse, design, and optimise robotic systems and mechanical devices. Owing to this, the placements at MUJ are top-notch. With the influx and integration of the theoretical aspect of engineering and industrial experience, Manipal University Jaipur is leading the evolution of engineering education, especially in industrial automation.