Divided by application fields, industrial automation equipment includes two main segments: process automation and factory automation (manufacturing automation). Process automation involves using process control systems composed of detection instruments, regulators, computers, and other components to automate fluid or powder processing in industries such as petrochemicals, metallurgy, and paper making. The equipment that constitutes the process automation control system includes:
- Control Layer: Industrial Computers (IPC), PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), and DCS (Distributed Control Systems);
- Detection Layer: Machine Vision, Detection Instruments, etc.;
- Execution Layer: Regulators (pneumatic control valves, gate valves, ball valves, etc.).
With the continuous development of the economy and the improvement of scientific and technological levels, computer control technology has made significant advancements in recent years and is widely used across various industries. This technology largely avoids environmental pollution, efficiently utilizes resources, and promotes the implementation of sustainable development policies.
Factory automation refers to the automatic completion of all or part of the processing of discrete workpieces to produce products.
Industrial automation cannot do without its brain – the controller. Common types of work controllers include PLCs, industrial computers, embedded controllers, and the recently popular PAC, which is gradually entering the mainstream control market.
Computer control technology has gradually become one of the hottest technologies today. Its various advantages have led to its widespread application in many fields, including industrial automation. However, like all things, computer control technology has its downsides. While it helps us, it also brings some issues. Its extensive use can greatly improve the efficiency and quality of industrial automation production, laying a foundation for the long-term development of related enterprises. This makes the industrial automation production process more environmentally friendly and better protects our environment. However, some enterprises, driven by profit, neglect environmental concerns and over-exploit resources, causing significant harm and environmental destruction, leading to the endangerment or extinction of many species.
The advancement of science and technology has propelled human society forward. We have now entered the information age, where computer technology is widely applied in social life and highly valued. As the information age rapidly progresses, the development speed of computer systems has increased, but so has their complexity. While improving efficiency, we are also required to produce under environmental protection premises, supporting sustainable development. Computer control technology plays a significant role in industrial development and production.
Industrial automation involves using various technologies such as Intelligent Document Processing to achieve various process controls.The goal is to minimize manual operations and fully utilize non-animal energy and various information for production work, termed industrial automation. The process that enables automatic production in industries is called industrial automation.
Statistics show that the investment-to-output ratio of benefits from automated systems in enterprises typically reaches 1:4 to 1:6. Benefiting from robust economic development and the trend of manufacturing upgrades, China’s industrial automation market has grown rapidly at an average annual rate of double digits over the past decade. By 2015, the scale of China’s industrial automation market was expected to reach 350 billion yuan.
Controllers process received information and provide feedback to inverters or servo drives, changing the current working frequency through rectification and inversion to adjust the motor speed. They also control valves and pneumatic components to manage the entire production process. Controllers are the guarantee of precise control in industrial automation.
Increasingly, controllers are indispensable in industrial control. PLCs are widely used in industrial control due to their simple programming, strong readability, powerful functions, high cost-performance ratio, comprehensive hardware support, strong adaptability, and strong anti-interference capabilities in complex factory environments. Industrial computers, specially designed for industrial sites, are required to endure intense vibrations, significant dust, and high electromagnetic interference, as well as continuous operation without rest throughout the year. Therefore, industrial computers are subject to stricter requirements than ordinary computers.
In the production process, stability is paramount. Thus, professional industrial controllers have their place. As the demands of industrial production continue to rise, industrial controllers are developing new functions and exploring new advantages to adapt to emerging changes. Perhaps in the near future, we will see the development of compact, universal, high-standard, easy-to-program, and highly readable industrial controllers, which could transform the industrial control industry into something entirely different from today’s landscape.
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