History of Automation and Process Introduction

Control System Training
History of Automation and Process
Introduction

Classification: Restricted
Agenda:
• History of Industrial Automation
• Types of Industrial Automation
• Process Industries
• Overview of Continuous & Batch Process

INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
• AUTOMATION: Automation is a set of technologies that result in the
operations of machines and systems without significant human
intervention and achieves performance superior to manual operation.
• CONTROL: Control is a set of technologies that achieves desired patterns of
variations of operational parameters and sequence for machines and
systems by providing the necessary input signals.

INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
• Industrial automation is the process by which the manually controlled
operations are replaced with electrical, electronic and controller devices.
• The replaced devices provide the system with efficient control and
produces quality output.
• They also maintain the system output at the desired condition leading to
reduced cost production and increased returns.
• This automation process has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

HISTORY OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
• The industrial automation process can be compared to the evolution of computers.
• The evolution of computers begins from large room size device consisting of lots
vacuum tubes and lots of other components.
• This was a very difficult system to work with and was also limited in its application.
• The latest computers are so small in size with great speed to process multiple
applications at a time.

HISTORY OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
HUMAN CONTROL
• Initially industries were mostly controlled using manpower, these
industries were very simple industries or the process was simple.
With time, development and invention of new instruments began,
and the processes started becoming complex. These requirements
increased the need to replace certain simple human controlled
conditions with mechanical, pneumatic and electrical devices, for eg.
relays.
ELECTRICAL CONTROL
• The development of electrical devices like relays made simple
operations like on/ off to be done by these device than humans in
field. This was a huge step towards automation. This system of relay
based control and simple computer operations started making
process control much easier but, the biggest disadvantage was due to
the massive wiring system of the relay circuit. This massive wired
system made wiring and troubleshooting difficult.

ELECTRONIC CONTROL
• With the development of microprocessors and microcontrollers the relay
logics were being implemented in gates on small IC chips ,this reduced the
wired systems largely. Thus the processes were more efficiently controlled.
• As efficiency increased, industries started planning for upgrading of the
industries. This posed a problem as these devices came with limited inputs
and outputs.
• The programming of the microprocessor and microcontroller was difficult
as it required skilled people to do the job.
• The devices were application specifically programed and upgrading of
process meant replacing the entire kit.
• The microcontroller or microprocessors were also not able to with stand
the high temperature of process industries.

PLC AND DCS BASED CONTROL
• The above issues or disadvantages of the various automation systems made
industries to look for alternate solutions.
• With the development of first PLC device by Richard Morley of MODICON in 1960’s ,
the answer to most of industrial requirements was met.
• The PLC device was designed as a rugged device with proper protection, thus making
it suitable for various kinds of industries.
• The programming of the PLC was very simple and did not require any skilled
programmers.
• When upgrading had to be done addition of inputs and outputs was easy as only I/O
modules had to be added to existing control system.
• These advantages made the PLC as the best solution for complete industrial
automation.
• Over the period more complex control operations led to the DCS also becoming
prominent in process control.

TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
• Fixed or Hard Automation
• Programmable Automation
• Flexible or Soft Automation
• Fixed Automation: This automation is used for fixed and repetitive
operations to achieve high production rates. Here special purpose or
dedicated equipment is used to automate the fixed sequence assembling or
processing operations. Once it is set up, it is relatively hard to change or
vary the product design. Therefore, it cannot
provide product variety, but
increases the efficiency with
higher production rate and
reduces unit cost. Eg: distilled
process, paint shops, conveyors etc

• Programmable Automation: In this automation, a specific class of product
changes and also assembling or processing operations can be changed with
the modification of control program in the automated equipment.
• This automation is best suited for batch production process where product
volume is medium to high. But in this, it is hard to change and reconfigure
the system for a new product or sequence of operations. Therefore, new
product or reconfigure of sequence of operations requires a long setup.
• Examples of this automation system are numerically controlled machines,
paper mills, steel rolling mills, industrial robots, etc.

• Flexible Automation: This automation system provides the automatic
control equipment that offers a great flexibility for making changes in the
product design. These changes can be performed quickly through the
commands given in the form of codes by the human operators.
• This automation allows the manufacturers to produce multiple products
with different ranges as a combined combination process rather than
separate. Eg: automatic guided vehicles, automobiles, and multipurpose
CNC machines.

PROCESS INDUSTRIES
• PROCESS: Process is defined as a series of actions or steps taken in order to
achieve a particular end.
• Process as used in the terms process control and process industry, refers to
the methods of changing or refining raw materials to create end products.
The raw materials, which either pass through or remain in a liquid, gaseous,
or slurry (a mix of solids and liquids) state during the process, are
transferred, measured, mixed, heated or cooled, filtered, stored, or
handled in some other way to produce the end product.
• PROCESS INDUSTRY: Process industries are those industries where the raw
material is subjected to physical or chemical changes which transforms or
converts it to different product/ products.
• Process industries include the chemical industry, the oil and gas industry,
the food and beverage industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the water
treatment industry, and the power industry
• The process in these industries can be done in batches or as continuous
processes

PROCESS INDUSTRIES
BATCH PROCESS
Batch process is the manufacturing process where the final product
required is produced stage by stage at different workstations.
In batch process identical products are produced by means of assembly
lines.
The raw material used to create these products are same from first
product to next product.
Examples: Pharmaceutical industries, food and beverages, paint industries,
cement industries.
CONTINUOUS PROCESS
Continuous process is the manufacture process in which, from the receipt
of the raw material to processing of final product happens continuously.
In continuous process the raw material is either bulky or fluid in large
quantity that flow continuously and undergoes a chemical reaction or is
subjected to heat treatment. These are the 24 x 7 kind of industries which
have a specifies maintenance periods.
Examples: Refineries, chemical plants , blast furnaces.

PROCESS INDUSTRIES
In a food processing industry which makes sauce the process from receipt
of ingredients to making the sauce happens continuously and this is a
continuous process.
The filling of sauce into bottles of different sizes happens as a batch
process. That is bottles of a specific size and predefined number will be
filled at a time. Once this batch is completed the next size bottle is taken
for filling.

COMPARING BATCH AND CONTINUOUS PROCESS

Topics to be covered in the next session:
• Instruments - Introduction

Thank you!

History of Automation and Process Introduction

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