Need of Automation, its applications
In this
article we will cover a wider spectrum of automation ranging from understanding
the term automation till its requirement in the industry.
This article
is for those audience who are very new to the world of automation. I have put a
lot of effort and covered from the scratch so that even a non-technical person
can understand.
Let’s start!
👍
Being an
engineer (Mechatronics graduate), I always wonder how the processes take place
in an industry and how do the engineers control these processes. And when you
dig deeper into this question, there comes a magical answer called The
Industrial Automation.
But in this
article, we shall first understand the basic of automation. Industrial
automation shall be covered in the upcoming articles. Don’t worry.
By the end
of this article, I am sure that you will get the complete knowledge of automation
which includes the meaning of automation, need of automation, advantages
of automation and applications of automation
I shall tell
you from the very basic which even a 12th grade student can
understand.
Just relax
and continue reading. I promise that this article will upgrade you and shall
bring a difference between you and your friends. 😎
Before
getting into the insight of the topic, let us understand about the word “automation”.
I guess you all have heard this term frequently here and there.
But still
having very little knowledge about the meaning of automation, where we use
automation and lastly why we use automation? Let us have a look!
👉Meaning of automation
The meaning
of Automation has its roots in the word “Autonomous” which means any object, or
a body that can function on its own and act independently (i.e., without
depending on some external aid for its own functionality).
Now let us
make it easier to understand with a simple example.
For example,
an autonomous university! You have heard this term, frequently right?
Have you
ever thought of what does that mean?
Any
university or an institution which can run on its own, make laws on its own and
finance on its own without depending on some other university or government is
known to be an autonomous university.
Likewise, in
engineering terms, any machine which can perform its tasks on its own without
depending on a human being is an autonomous body (or autonomous machine).
And this
process of making a machine to function on its own without any external aid or
help is known as Automation.
👉Need of Automation
On the top
of everything, why do we need automation?
Before
understanding this, I have one simple question for you.
Do you want
your life to be complex (or) so easy? I guess everybody would think of an easy
and comfortable life. Right?
Similarly,
for an engineer, it is his duty to achieve the output from a machine by
reducing the complexity of its functioning. And this can be done through
automation!
Now let us
understand it with a small example.
We all have
overhead tanks in our home. When the tank is empty, you go and switch on the
motor (technically it’s a pump) to fill the tank.
Then you
must constantly keep a check on whether the tank is full or not. As soon as the
tank is full, you must go again to switch off the motor.
Suppose if
you have forgot to off the switch! I guess we all know what will happen, right?
There is going to be a lot of water wastage from tank, unnecessary current
usage and at last a lot of scolding from our parents! 🤷
Now, in the same
example, suppose you are having a device (or) you have invented a method which
can keep a check on the level of the tank instead of you which automatically switches
on the motor when the tank is empty and again switch off when it is full. How
easy it is now, right!
This will
save your time, reduce current wastage and water wastage. This is AUTOMATION.
Now the tank
has become an autonomous body that performs its task of filling the water
without depending on some external help (i.e., a human being in this example).
The same
principle is applied from micro level problems as mentioned in the above
example to macro level problems that occur in industries.
With
automation you can:
1. Reduce the complexity
2. Reduce the time consumed
3. Reduce the manpower
4. Increase the accuracy
Finally, the
whole cost is reduced with high quality that brings profit to the industry.
Technically
we call it OPTIMIZATION, about which I will share with you in the
upcoming articles.
Friends, I
hope now you are aware of the term automation and why do we need it. This is my
first article.
And I am
planning to write many more articles which will help you to understand complete
industrial automation, choose your career in field of automation, career
growth in automation in India and the salary of an automation engineer.
Please share it with all those upcoming automation engineers.
See you all
again in the next article! 👋
