Cover Story

IT-based automation systems have easier maintenance

INSIGHT

2002-07-25


ARMED with more computing power and networking ability, IT forms the technology basis which moves automation systems in manufacturing today. In a totally integrated factory environment, for example, it is common to find manufacturing which relies on use of personal computer (PC)- controlled machines which operate on the latest software applications, and shared information and relational databases, says Manmohan Singh, who is senior manager of Industrial Automation Department at Technology Park Malaysia.

Due to the user-friendly interface of the PC, IT-backed automation systems are becoming attractive to manufacturers, he says. Such systems fit well in a business that relies on the Internet, Web-based or even wireless systems.

Manmohan says another feature of IT-based automation is easier maintenance. "It typically comes with built-in troubleshooting systems or is linked to the Internet, enabling a user to have fast access to steps on fixing the machines, thus lowering downtime," he says.

Among popular usage of automation in the manufacturing sector are robotics, computer numerical control (CNC), automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), material handling systems, vision and recognition systems, and identification and barcode systems.

Supporting software systems for automation, meanwhile, include computer- aided design, computer-aided manufacturing, and computer- aided engineering. Example of other systems are manufacturing execution systems, human machine interface, enterprise resource planning, asset management system, programmable logic control, and PC-control systems, he says.

Automation, Manmohan says, can be used in any segment of manufacturing, including batch, mass-produced or process industries. With automation, manufacturers can expect to increase labour productivity as a result of greater output per hour of labour input, reduce labour cost due to replacement of manual operations, and mitigate effects of labour shortage and increasing foreign labour.

Automation also enables manufacturers to reduce routine, manual or clerical tasks, thus improving the general level of working conditions, and increase worker safety as automation can replace dangerous and difficult work, he says,

More importantly, he adds, automation can help manufacturers improve product quality through more uniformed and consistent production work, and reduce manufacturing lead time or the time between customer order and product delivery.

Ultimately, these benefits offer a competitive advantage to manufacturers who can also accomplish processes that cannot be done manually such as tasks that require precision, miniaturisation, or complexity of geometry, Manmohan says.

Manufacturers, he explains, will need to seriously consider implementing automation at their premises to avoid high costs of not automating in the future.

"These include losing benefits such as improved quality, higher sales, better labour relations and company image."

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Source: New Straits Times

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