Industrial Automation: How did it evolve?

One of the unique ability we human beings have is the high cognitive capability. The unique capability had enabled us to think and offload the human labour. The ancient humans developed tools to hunt, fight, create, carve etc. If we have to see the use of brain for automation we can relate it to the water wheels around the 1st century BC in and around the Greek and Roman worlds.

1. The Dawn of Automation: Exploring Ancient Innovations

This can be seen as early example of automation. Later in 9th Century we have observe lot of example of windmill and watermill working based on renewable energies. To put it to the context the earliest examples of practical windmill are from 7th century Persia. The windmills of those days were deployed for many mechanical usages few of them being grain grinding, tool sharpening, sawing, papermills, stone and ore crushing etc.

2. Steam Powers Progress

The modern automation tools came into being during the Industrial Revolution of 18th Century. The world was focussed on factory production and automation of processes. Steam engines, Internal Combustion engines and steam mills spurred the growth of concentrated production and hence more and more automation to offload the human labour.? In 1785, Oliver Evans designed an innovative flour mill, marking history's first entirely automated industrial procedure capable of sustained production without the need for human involvement.

3. Control Theory and Beyond

In 1867, James Clerk Maxwell introduced the foundational concepts of control theory through a paper. As the Industrial Revolution's techniques spread globally, industries ramped up production of materials like cotton, paper, and metals, leading to significant global advancements in industrial automation.

4. Electrification and Efficiency

During the 1920’s the industrial automation advanced swiftly with factories adopting relay logic and electrification. The rise of central power stations, along with the introduction of high-pressure boilers and steam turbines, boosted the need for advanced instrumentation and controls. Manufacturing plants began shifting to electric motors, moving away from primary shaft and belt drives powered by steam engines. In fact the shift due to electrification led to approximately 30% growth in production, attributed to the enhanced efficiency, reduced maintenance, and minimized friction losses of electric motors compared to their steam counterparts.

The contemporary control rooms used color-coded lights to signal factory workers to manually adjust settings, like toggling switches or valves, in a method called "on-off" process control. By the 1930s, controllers were developed to make calculated adjustments in response to deviations from a set point. In 1958, industrial control systems began adopting solid-state digital logic modules, the forerunners to today's programmable logic controllers (PLC), which eventually phased out the majority of electro-mechanical relay logic.

5. The Digital Leap, Robotics and Realization

In 1971, came the era of microprocessors, which resulted in significant reduction in computer hardware costs, again spurring the growth of digital controls within the manufacturing sector. The advancement of computer technology, continuing to the present day, further propel the progression of industrial automation. The Digital Technologies made the ?manufacturing plants possess controllers capable of executing intricate tasks with enhanced speed and efficiency.

The technology progressed further and the robotic process automation started playing a bigger role in manufacturing. Victor Scheinman, created the "Stanford arm" in 1969. This was a special 6-axis electric robot that could move in many ways, allowing it to do complicated tasks like welding. The companies like ABB Robotics and KUKA Robotics introducing advanced robots to the market.

The result of this continues automation is such that the automation is deep penetrated in our daily lives through connected devices, appliances and robots.

While the journey to the level of automation we see today is long, but we can see this in four major revolutions in Industry and the fifth one is evident. The mechanization of production using Steam and Water power had started during the 18th Century and known as 1st industrial revolution. This mechanization was expanded to Mass production using electricity and assembly lines during the late 19th century and known as 2nd Industrial Revolution.

The invention of Integrated circuits and digitalization using the electronics and computers in the late 20th century that brought the true automation to these manufacturing organisation was called as 3rd industrial revolution. The 4rd Industrial revolution has begun the digital manufacturing for factories using robotic arms and Automated guided vehicles.

In conclusion, the history of industrial automation is not just a chronicle of technological advancement, but a mirror reflecting humanity's relentless pursuit of progress. As we stand at the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution, it is clear that automation has transcended mere machinery, becoming an integral part of the socio-economic fabric that shapes our lives. The transition from steam to digitalization signifies not just a change in tools, but a transformation in our approach to work, productivity, and innovation. As we embrace the era of smart manufacturing and interconnected devices, the lessons from our past revolutions continue to guide us. They remind us that at the heart of automation is the human spirit, ever aspiring to push the boundaries of what is possible.