Editing Automation (section)

===Industrial automation===
{{See also|Building automation|Laboratory automation}}Industrial automation deals primarily with the automation of [[manufacturing]], [[quality control]], and [[material handling]] processes. General-purpose controllers for industrial processes include [[programmable logic controller]]s, [[Stand-alone power system|stand-alone I/O modules]], and computers. Industrial automation is to replace the human action and manual command-response activities with the use of mechanized equipment and logical programming commands. One trend is increased use of [[machine vision]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.controleng.com/articles/what-is-machine-vision-and-how-can-it-help/|title=What is machine vision, and how can it help?|date=6 December 2018|website=Control Engineering}}</ref> to provide automatic inspection and robot guidance functions, another is a continuing increase in the use of robots. Industrial automation is simply required in industries.

====Industrial Automation and Industry 4.0====
{{See also|Work 4.0}}The rise of industrial automation is directly tied to the "[[Fourth Industrial Revolution]]", which is better known now as Industry 4.0. Originating from Germany, Industry 4.0 encompasses numerous devices, concepts, and machines,<ref name="doi.org">{{Cite journal | doi=10.11113/jt.v78.9285|title = Industry 4.0: A Review on Industrial Automation and Robotic| journal=Jurnal Teknologi| volume=78| issue=6–13|year = 2016|last1 = Kamarul Bahrin|first1 = Mohd Aiman| last2=Othman| first2=Mohd Fauzi| last3=Nor Azli| first3=Nor Hayati| last4=Talib| first4=Muhamad Farihin| doi-access=}}</ref> as well as the advancement of the [[industrial internet of things]] (IIoT). An "[[Internet of things|Internet of Things]] is a seamless integration of diverse physical objects in the Internet through a virtual representation."<ref>{{Cite book | doi=10.1109/IMIS.2012.134|chapter = Integrating Building Automation Systems and IPv6 in the Internet of Things|title = 2012 Sixth International Conference on Innovative Mobile and Internet Services in Ubiquitous Computing| pages=683–688|year = 2012|last1 = Jung|first1 = Markus| last2=Reinisch| first2=Christian| last3=Kastner| first3=Wolfgang|s2cid = 11670295| isbn=978-1-4673-1328-5}}</ref> These new revolutionary advancements have drawn attention to the world of automation in an entirely new light and shown ways for it to grow to increase productivity and efficiency in machinery and manufacturing facilities. Industry 4.0 works with the IIoT and software/hardware to connect in a way that (through [[Information and communications technology|communication technologies]]) add enhancements and improve manufacturing processes. Being able to create smarter, safer, and more advanced manufacturing is now possible with these new technologies. It opens up a manufacturing platform that is more reliable, consistent, and efficient than before. Implementation of systems such as [[SCADA]] is an example of software that takes place in Industrial Automation today. SCADA is a supervisory data collection software, just one of the many used in Industrial Automation.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Pérez-López | first=Esteban | title=Los sistemas SCADA en la automatización industrial | journal=Revista Tecnología en Marcha | volume=28 | issue=4 | date=2015-12-11 | issn=2215-3241 | doi=10.18845/tm.v28i4.2438 | doi-access=free | page=3 | doi-broken-date=4 December 2024 |url=https://revistas.tec.ac.cr/index.php/tec_marcha/article/download/2438/2224}}</ref> Industry 4.0 vastly covers many areas in manufacturing and will continue to do so as time goes on.<ref name="doi.org" />

====Industrial robotics====
[[File:Workmaster.jpg|alt=Large automated milling machines inside a big warehouse-style lab room|thumb|Automated milling machines]]
[[Industrial robotics]] is a sub-branch in industrial automation that aids in various manufacturing processes. Such manufacturing processes include machining, welding, painting, assembling and material handling to name a few.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Shell|first1=Richard|title=Handbook of Industrial Automation|url=https://archive.org/details/handbookindustri00shel_442|url-access=limited|date=2000|page=[https://archive.org/details/handbookindustri00shel_442/page/n305 46]|publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-8247-0373-8}}</ref> Industrial robots use various mechanical, electrical as well as software systems to allow for high precision, accuracy and speed that far exceed any human performance. The birth of industrial robots came shortly after World War II as the U.S. saw the need for a quicker way to produce industrial and consumer goods.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kurfess|first1=Thomas|title=Robotics and Automation Handbook|url=https://archive.org/details/roboticsautomati00kurf_743|url-access=limited|date=2005|page=[https://archive.org/details/roboticsautomati00kurf_743/page/n35 5]|publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-8493-1804-7}}</ref> Servos, digital logic and solid-state electronics allowed engineers to build better and faster systems and over time these systems were improved and revised to the point where a single robot is capable of running 24 hours a day with little or no maintenance. In 1997, there were 700,000 industrial robots in use, the number has risen to 1.8M in 2017<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2017/gx/talent.html|title=Managing man and machine|last=PricewaterhouseCoopers|work=PwC|access-date=4 December 2017}}</ref> In recent years, AI with [[robotics]] is also used in creating an automatic labeling solution, using robotic arms as the automatic label applicator, and AI for learning and detecting the products to be labelled.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://milliontech.com/solutions/label-printing/irls-intelligent-robotics-labeling-system|title=AI Automatic Label Applicator & Labelling System|publisher=Milliontech|date=18 January 2018
}}</ref>

====Programmable Logic Controllers====
Industrial automation incorporates programmable logic controllers in the manufacturing process. [[Programmable logic controller]]s (PLCs) use a processing system which allows for variation of controls of inputs and outputs using simple programming. PLCs make use of programmable memory, storing instructions and functions like logic, sequencing, timing, counting, etc. Using a logic-based language, a PLC can receive a variety of inputs and return a variety of logical outputs, the input devices being sensors and output devices being motors, valves, etc. PLCs are similar to computers, however, while computers are optimized for calculations, PLCs are optimized for control tasks and use in industrial environments. They are built so that only basic logic-based programming knowledge is needed and to handle vibrations, high temperatures, humidity, and noise. The greatest advantage PLCs offer is their flexibility. With the same basic controllers, a PLC can operate a range of different control systems. PLCs make it unnecessary to rewire a system to change the control system. This flexibility leads to a cost-effective system for complex and varied control systems.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bolten|first1=William|title=Programmable Logic Controllers|date=2009|edition=5th|page=3}}</ref>

PLCs can range from small "building brick" devices with tens of I/O in a housing integral with the processor, to large rack-mounted modular devices with a count of thousands of I/O, and which are often networked to other PLC and [[SCADA]] systems.

They can be designed for multiple arrangements of digital and analog [[Input/output stream|inputs and outputs]] (I/O), extended temperature ranges, immunity to [[noise (electronics)|electrical noise]], and resistance to vibration and impact. Programs to control machine operation are typically stored in battery-backed-up or [[non-volatile memory]].

It was from the automotive industry in the United States that the PLC was born. Before the PLC, control, sequencing, and safety interlock logic for manufacturing automobiles was mainly composed of [[relay]]s, [[cam timer]]s, [[drum sequencer (controller)|drum sequencer]]s, and dedicated closed-loop controllers. Since these could number in the hundreds or even thousands, the process for updating such facilities for the yearly model [[changeover|change-over]] was very time-consuming and expensive, as [[electrician]]s needed to individually rewire the relays to change their operational characteristics.

When digital computers became available, being general-purpose programmable devices, they were soon applied to control sequential and combinatorial logic in industrial processes. However, these early computers required specialist programmers and stringent operating environmental control for temperature, cleanliness, and power quality. To meet these challenges, the PLC was developed with several key attributes. It would tolerate the shop-floor environment, it would support discrete (bit-form) input and output in an easily extensible manner, it would not require years of training to use, and it would permit its operation to be monitored. Since many industrial processes have timescales easily addressed by millisecond response times, modern (fast, small, reliable) electronics greatly facilitate building reliable controllers, and performance could be traded off for reliability.<ref name=Parr00>E. A. Parr, ''Industrial Control Handbook'', Industrial Press Inc., 1999 {{ISBN|0-8311-3085-7}}</ref>

====Agent-assisted automation====
{{main|Agent-assisted automation}}
Agent-assisted automation refers to automation used by call center agents to handle customer inquiries. The key benefit of agent-assisted automation is compliance and error-proofing. Agents are sometimes not fully trained or they forget or ignore key steps in the process. The use of automation ensures that what is supposed to happen on the call actually does, every time. There are two basic types: desktop automation and automated voice solutions.