Manufacturing Automation

Manufacturing automation and mechanization are often confused, but the two processes work differently. Mechanization was designed to make the task of a human operator easier and reduce the number of workers needed to make a different product. Automation uses information technology, robots and computer controls to eliminate the need for human sensory input.

Manufacturing automation often works slowly, but a number of businesses have upgraded to the newer and more efficient processes. The need for the human worker has not disappeared from factories altogether, but automation does reduce the costs of labor. There are still tasks that humans perform quickly and more elegantly than machines. As long as this remains the case, the need for the human worker will not disappear.

Manufacturing automation works by letting the machines take over the processes where capabilities beyond human senses are required, such as measuring temperature, extreme precision cutting, or measurements that are accurate to nanometers or smaller distances. Automation processes will often be controlled by a central computer, which will monitor the process throughout every single step.

Each step in an automation chain needs to operate smoothly. Manufactured pieces come into the next machine as soon as they are needed. A human may still feed the process at some point, but he does not need to operate the tools the same way that he would need to operate them on an assembly line.

Manufacturing automation takes a great deal of money and a fair amount of time to implement. Businesses that have upgraded to such systems have saved on employee costs, although they have also drawn criticism from the employees who find their job is no longer needed. Manufacturing automation may decrease the number of low skilled jobs, but the process does require highly skilled, higher-paid employees to watch over the business’s manufacturing equipment. A tech needs to be on site in case something goes wrong with a machine.