In production automation, several stages can be conditionally distinguished.
Setting goals
The owner of the company decides for what reasons he needs to automate production. These may be cost reduction, reduction of the share of defects, expansion of the product line, etc.
Planning a strategy
High-quality forecasting will ensure the efficiency of production automation. A number of local tasks are highlighted here:
Research and translation into electronic form of processes subject to automation.
Optimization of relevant skype database operations (selection of the optimal structure, elimination of unnecessary actions, consolidation of individual operations into single production processes).
Basic project of the ATPP (selection of technological solutions capable of solving the identified tasks).
Automation and digitalization will not be effective without a clear plan in advance. The more complex the production processes, the more complex and costly the strategy will be.
Selection of equipment
Here, not only robotic machines with the appropriate software will be needed, but also electronics, namely:
controls;
control boards;
controllers and switches;
protective equipment;
signaling;
application software.
Stages of automation in industry
Project development
The main stage of automation in industry. The project is a comprehensive automation plan indicating the equipment used, the technology of its application, the functions of the personnel, the implementation period, the parameters for assessing the effectiveness. The main elements of the project are:
information on the scale of automation;
list of automation tools;
setting targets to evaluate performance;
description of tools and administration procedures;
placement of automation equipment in production and administrative premises.
In addition, the project includes a list of responsible persons, the procedure for their actions in the event of emergency situations during launch, debugging, and daily use of automation equipment.
Selection of a contractor
Installation and configuration of automation equipment is performed by specialized organizations, including those that manufacture the corresponding equipment. This process is most often associated with the need for personnel training. Workers must easily navigate the innovations of the production cycle and the implemented technologies. Otherwise, the autonomy of production can turn into its lack of control.
Once the automation is complete, the company needs to solve two important tasks:
Providing periodic maintenance of equipment.
Ensuring the safety of personnel and the equipment itself.
The first task is solved by engaging a service organization that has employees with the necessary qualifications on staff. The second can be solved either by implementing specialized software or by making changes to the existing management and control procedures at the enterprise.
Download a useful document on the topic:
Checklist: How to Achieve Your Goals in Negotiation