Age of Automation
“Automation is cost cutting by tightening the corners and not cutting them”— Haresh Sippy
Introduction
Automation has had a notable impact in a wide range of industries beyond manufacturing (where it began). Once — telephone operators have been replaced largely by automated telephone switchboards and answering machines. Medical processes such as primary screening in electrocardiography or radiography and laboratory analysis of human genes, cells, and tissues are carried out at much greater speed and accuracy by automated systems.
The term automation was coined in the automobile industry in about 1946 to describe the increased use of automatic devices and controls in mechanized production lines. The origin of the word is attributed to D.S. Harder, an engineering manager at the Ford Motor Company at the time. The term is used widely in a manufacturing context, but it is also applied outside manufacturing in connection with a variety of systems in which there is a significant substitution of mechanical, electrical, or computerized action for human effort and intelligence. It has revolutionised those fields in which it has been presented, and there is hardly one aspect of contemporary time that has been untouched by it.
The definition of automation according to Britannica is ‘application of machines to tasks once performed by human beings or, increasingly, to tasks that would otherwise be impossible. This leads us to two main topics which are mostly what automation is about, Robotics and Mechatronics.
ROBOTICS & MECHATRONICS
Robotics is the design, construction, and use of machines (referred to as robots) to perform tasks done traditionally by human beings (according to Britannica). In most cases, robots are used to perform simple repetitive tasks like moving an object from one place to another or simply just repeating an action with a certain frequency whereas mechatronics focuses on the integration of mechanical, electronic and electrical engineering systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, computer science, telecommunications, systems, control, and product engineering. It is basically, mechanics and electronics amalgamation. An industrial robot is a prime example of a mechatronics system.
AUTOMATION IN THE DIGITAL SERVICE INDUSTRY
The convenience of digital services at the industrial level is viewed as a rapid trend taking into consideration the wider use of the boom of the information system in society and the advancing industrial evolution. The means of exchange of ideas between people, businesses and organisations are mostly through the exchange of digital information, considering the high capacity of operation of information and digital records, it is realistically impossible to timely process the response & follow-ups manually. Here comes into light the significance of automation where computing simplifies the set of techniques regarding the operations & use of robots in the finishing of tasks substituting the physical needs of humans. This automation is done with the help of software automata or AI that can perform accurately repetitive tasks. The job guidelines are set by the developer using some form of display logging and defining variables. These jobs include activities like logging into applications, copying and pasting data, opening emails, filling forms, among others.
AUTOMATION IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & OPERATIONS INDUSTRY
With the increasing demand for industrial robots in diverse industries such as manufacturing, electronic and semiconductor and automotive industry the urge for robotic grippers has also surged at a commendable pace, owing to rapid progress in AI and gripping technologies for the aforesaid industries.
Robotic Gripper — Integral Component of Automation
There is a thrust for increased handling capability of robotic grippers, with the development of robotic operation in e-commerce order fulfilment, manufacturing, and other pick and place functioning. Such is the case especially with collaborative robots, which require robotic grippers that can handle a broadening variety of objects in repetitive, and fast tasks. The requirement of the electronics, food processing, automotive industries have strengthened and escalated the development of claw, parallel, rotary, magnetic, and vacuum grippers, variety of types of robotic grippers are used in plastics, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural industries, besides consumer-packaged goods. Packaging, material handling, logistics, warehouse management, and more are some of the ranges of applications performed in an industrial environment by robotic grippers. Robotic Grippers are customizable, have improved dexterity, add Intelligent Sensors, Combine Multiple Technologies.
Disinfecting Robots Amidst COVID-19
With COVID — 19 pandemic setting its foot in the world the worst-hit industries were the manufacturing & service sector but for the automation industry, it was a blessing in disguise as the demand for disinfecting robots were at its emergence to avoid human touch amidst this painful sight for mankind.
Increasing numbers of autonomous mobile robots were being developed to help facilities address requesting the need for repeated disinfecting in response to COVID-19.
Since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, robots have been seen as an answer to associated social distancing and workforce issues. They have also been eyed as a solution to the near-constant disinfecting processes required to keep areas as virus-free as possible.
Now Fetch Robotics has announced the release of its Smart Guard UV disinfecting autonomous mobile robot, built in cooperation with Piedmont National, a supplier of packaging equipment and services, and Puro Lighting, a supplier of disinfection UV lighting. According to Fetch Robotics, the Smart Guard UV is an autonomous, broad-spectrum UV disinfection robot that eliminates up to 99.9% of viruses and bacteria with UV-C, UV-B, and UV-A. It also reports on the results of the disinfection.
CONCEPT OF INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS- AN APPLICATION OF AUTOMATION
An industrial robot is typically some form of jointed structure of which there are various different configurations. The robot industry has defined classifications for the most common and these are:
- Articulated
- SCARA
- Cartesian
- Parallel (or Delta)
- Cylindrical.
The structures are designed by the adjoining of several rotary and/or linear motions or joints. Each of the joints provides a motion that collectively can position the robot structure in a specific position. The ability to position a tool, mounted on the end of the robot, at any place or angle requires six joints or six degrees of freedom commonly known as six axes. The working envelope is the volume the robot operates within and is defined by the structure of the robot arm, the lengths of each element of the arm, and the motion type and range that can be achieved by each joint. The envelope is normally shown as a side view. Controller, sensors, robot arm, end-effector & drive are the primary & integral components required to furnish & design an Industrial robot.
CONCLUSION
Induction of automation in both industrial & service sector has witnessed a greater in recent past due to its attribute of enhanced productivity, quality of product & services delivered & maintenance of safety at low cost but with evolving technology comes greater risk and this induction will indirectly do away with the physical requirement of manpower which further will augment the figure of an unemployed individual resulting into a disturbed equilibrium of job market herewith it is proposed for limited use of automation with few flexibilities as at last human intellect is required to operate these machines & understand human emotions.
References —
Authors —
Dhiren Kumar, Vibhanshu Saurav
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