Charting The Future Of Automation: Your Roadmap To Join The Journey

Automation is:

“the technique of making apparatus, a process or a system operate automatically”

(International Society of Automation)

The history of manufacturing improvements has been characterised by a number of “revolutions”. These are marked by significant shifts in the way factories operate. Now the term “revolution” may be a little controversial as the changes were not quick, but they were permanent. Sites which embraced the new paradigm were successful and those that didn’t were often left behind.

Industry 1.0

The first elements of automation started in the 18th and 19th centuries as part of the Industrial Revolution. Factories in Britain used steam-powered machines to produce flour, paper, cotton, iron, and liquor.? In 1767 Richard Arkwright invented a water frame which was an improvement on James Hargreaves’ “Spinning Jenny”. The threads were stronger and could be made faster than even the Spinning Jenny. His machine didn’t have to be operated by skilled workers and was one of many shifts away from small-batch cottage industry to mass–produced automated manufacturing.??

Industry 2.0

One of the first steps toward automation in the manufacturing industry was in 1913 when Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line for car production. Before then, a car was built by a team of workers bringing materials and tools to the car. By bringing the car to the workers, Ford’s production rates improved and profits increased. Initially, the assembly line was pulled by a rope, and later it became a simple moving chain mechanism. This early implementation of automation reduced the car assembly time from 12 hours per car to about 90 minutes.

By the 1920s factories finally transitioned from steam to electric power. Although the first electricity generation station was built in London in 1881 and the first electric motors were introduced to industry shortly after that, twenty years later less than 5% of mechanical power in American factories was coming from Electric motors. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40673694 )

So why were factory owners so slow in adopting these new technologies? More from the BBC:

[Though] factories could be cleaner and safer – and more efficient, because machines needed to run only when they were being used.

…you couldn’t get these results simply by ripping out the steam engine and replacing it with an electric motor. You needed to change everything: the architecture and the production process.

Factory owners hesitated, for understandable reasons.

In the 1920s, when manufacturers finally transitioned to electric motors, productivity skyrocketed, and facilities experienced about 30% increases in output.

Industry 3.0;

With the invention of Integrated Circuits (ICs) around 1960, machine tooling became more and more sophisticated over the next several decades. The use of computers and digital sensors in industrial settings brought further advancement in high-precision control systems.

Victor Scheinman, an American pioneer of the robotics field invented the “Stanford arm” in 1969. It was designed as an arm solution to permit 6-axis articulation in an all-electric robot. This shaped a path for robots to have the potential to perform more complex tasks such as welding and assembly.

In 1971, the invention of microprocessors resulted in affordable computer hardware and allowed the rapid growth of digital controls within the manufacturing industry. With digital computers, manufacturing facilities were now able to have controllers which could perform more complex tasks at faster speeds and greater efficiency. It was at this point in history that the evolution of robotic process automation was becoming more prominent in manufacturing facilities.

Where is Automation used now?

Automation in the manufacturing industry is widely used to improve efficiency, productivity, and product quality. It can be applied in various aspects of the manufacturing process.

Material handling and Inventory Management

There could be an ergonomic or a Health and Safety requirement to eliminate a manual lifting task to reduce risks to employees.

Or automating the movement of materials to lineside operations could be used to track batches as they move through the manufacturing facility to support “Just In Time” (JIT) manufacturing.

Assembly and Production Lines

Systems with a mixture of conveyor lines, rotary tables, presses and sensors work in harmony to assemble products efficiently and consistently.

This is complemented by Cobots or Robotic Arms that handle tasks which are repetitive or where a process requires a consistent result, ie. a paint finish or weld. This also means that the valuable aspect of any company, ie. employees can be redeployed to other tasks.

Quality and Process Control

Product quality can be increased as they inspect and detect defects in products. Along with verifying the functionality and performance of products. They can regulate and control various manufacturing processes, ensuring consistency and quality

The list is endless, but Automation can be applied to almost any process or section in the manufacturing industry.

Why use Automation?

Every automation project is unique, however, there are a handful of common reasons companies decide to automate. Automating the right tasks can increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve product quality, and help factories respond to changing market demands.

Some of these reasons include

• Capacity Increase – Automation can help you increase the capacity of your factory with very little increase in headcount or labour cost. You can redeploy existing staff to more technical or higher-value tasks.
• HSE – Your employees are your most valuable resource and any time people are out due to a preventable Health and Safety incident is time and money lost. Tasks which require heavy loads or dangerous chemicals are better suited to machines.
• Quality/Reliability – Humans are not perfect and we all know mistakes happen. This often requires inspection steps and some tasks are difficult or even impossible to inspect. Operations like pipe welding are often difficult, monotonous, and safety-critical. Automated welders can make this more reliable and free up the skilled welders for the unique welds which are difficult to automate.

Another topic in the news is the major skill shortages experienced by UK manufacturers. According to Make UK’s latest research, some 36% of vacancies in UK manufacturing are proving hard to fill as applicants lack the appropriate skills or experience. Automation can help address this issue for manufacturers.

What does the future hold for Industrial Automation?

As shown through many of our examples, automation has been picked up by many of industry's big players: Automotive, Food and Beverage, and Medical. However, just as computers which were once the size of a room are now held in our pockets, the increased affordability, awareness and access will make industrial automation more common in businesses of all sizes and sectors. Automation is no longer only for those with deep pockets and MOQs in the hundreds of thousands.

It took several decades for electricity to become ubiquitous in factories and robots are still trickling down from automakers to SMEs, however, make no mistake, the future of automation is coming. There are many new and exciting technologies that may become more common in the next few years!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Human-AI Collaboration

Artificial intelligence, or AI, and machine learning algorithms are becoming more adept at understanding and responding to complex data, enabling AI to take on tasks that were once exclusively human. In the years to come AI could be used to power everything from autonomous transport vehicles and smart factories to predictive maintenance in machine shops.

Factories augmented with AI will allow workers to eschew repetitive tasks and free humans to focus on creative, strategic, and complex problem-solving. Humans and machines working in data-driven collaboration will be the cornerstone of future work environments.

Industry 4.0, IoT and Smart Manufacturing

As mentioned above, data-driven collaboration is key to the future of industry.

Industry 4.0 represents a shift in manufacturing from algorithm-defined control systems to a data-driven, dynamic approach. With tight connections between data acquisition devices on the shop floor (IIOT) feeding digital technologies like AI and data analytics factories are becoming “smart”. They will not only produce high-quality goods efficiently but will also adapt rapidly to changing market demands, offering mass customization, reducing batch sizes and minimizing waste.

Robotics Revolution

Though the 4th Industrial Revolution may be underway, the 3rd is still being applied. Manufacturing companies are all on their own automation journeys. However, many are discovering robots are no longer confined to factory floors. They are also seen in warehouse logistics and other operational tasks. The list of tasks that robots are capable of completing is growing each and every day.

Outside the world of Industrial robots, Boston Dynamics is one of the pioneers in robotics research. They are pushing the boundary on what is possible with a robot. Check out the progress from 2008 to 2022 in bipedal robots:

In the factory setting, cobots now work safely alongside humans on cooperative tasks in shared workspaces. Safety features such as force-limiting technology, speed and proximity sensors, and the ability to stop or slow down when they detect the presence of a human nearby allow these to be deployed effectively in mixed-use areas There is plenty of information available but see our tips on “Getting started with Cobots”.?

Learning and Reskilling

The skills required in the workplace are going to change, this will mean ongoing education and reskilling programs to equip the existing workforce and early introduction to the fundamentals of coding, design, and engineering for future generations. Hopefully, the role of workers in factories will become less monotonous, more interesting, and safer.

How can I start my Automation journey?

Every automation application is unique and introducing automation into your factory needs to be done with careful consideration. The specific areas and processes where you can implement automation will depend on your available budget, industry, and production needs.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but will give you a high-level overview of the important steps toward a successful project

A. Understand your process(es)

1. Create a process map or your overall workflow
2. Find your Bottleneck or operational reason for automating

B. Make a plan

1. How will this project affect my whole factory/process
2. What are medium and long-term goals for automation (prevents rework)

C. Find a solution

1. Write your specification. This is a list of requirements (musts or needs) that suppliers can design toward. It should not be a list of solutions or concepts. These can be discussed at the next step.
2. Work with equipment suppliers or integrators to find possible solutions to meet your specification

Some other good tips include:

• Always make sure your implementation project has tangible milestones so the project can be derisked and broken down into manageable tasks.
• We would always suggest starting small and using the “KISS” (Keep It Super Simple) philosophy which will aid a successful implementation. This will yield quicker results and then you will be able to move on to the next stage of your automation journey.
• Finally, understand your budget. There is no point in automating just for the sake of it. The project must demonstrate a benefit to the company that is tangible and justifies the “ROI” (Return on Investment).

It is important to remember there are many ways to address an automation project. As long you have a plan and a specification, a solution can be found to meet your budget. Remember, fully automated solutions with no human intervention will require high capital expenditures whilst semi-automated solutions will require less investment and tend to be useful at the start of your automation journey.

For further information on getting started, see our previous blog on “How To Get More Out Of Your Factory” or check out the blog post on our site.