Machine Building & Automation
Machine Building and Automation
Machine Building & Automation plays a key role in modern manufacturing by improving productivity, precision, and operational efficiency. Advanced automation technologies integrate machine engineering, process engineering, software, robotics, and control systems to streamline production processes and reduce manual intervention. Manufacturers rely on measurement, testing, and monitoring solutions to ensure machine accuracy, optimize performance, and maintain product quality throughout design, production, assembly, and inspection. Continuous monitoring of critical parameters such as temperature, pressure, vibration, speed, and electrical performance helps minimize downtime and supports predictive maintenance. From machine building and process automation to quality control and industrial testing, advanced instrumentation enables manufacturers to improve production efficiency, reduce operational costs, and achieve consistent manufacturing results across a wide range of industrial applications.
Development, design and machine construction
You can complete numerous tasks simultaneously in an automated manufacturing cell, making it simple for you to switch from one product or task to another.Industrial automation is the use of robotics and computer software to enable autonomous systems to control equipment and procedures used in a variety of industries.When talking about developing technology for industrial automation, common themes include digital transformation, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), and Industry 4.0. How can you, as a manufacturer or machine builder, turn these ideas into practical answers that could improve your current automation procedures? Marketing manager at Murrelektronik UK, Korina Parker, considers practical responses to these developments that are quick to implement and offer long-term benefits.
Machine builders can help manufacturers protect against cyber hacks
The hazards associated with utilising complicated software for automation and how machine designers might reduce these risks are examined by Stephen Hayes, managing director at automation and control technology expert Beckhoff UK.
The importance of cyber security in the manufacturing sector is rising along with the use of technology and communication. Due to the growth of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), factories are more susceptible to cyber assaults that could lead to employee bodily damage, data breaches, and production interruptions.
The industrial manufacturing sector, which accounted for 10% of all occurrences, had the second-highest number of cyber security incidents in 2020, according to a report by IBM.
Why Industrial Automation
Through more effective production control, industrial automation increases production rate. By drastically cutting product processing time and improving product quality, it aids in bulk production. As a result, a given labour input generates a lot of results.The necessity for manual process parameter checks can be entirely eliminated by automation. Industrial processes use automation technology to alter process variables automatically to define values utilising closed-loop control methods. Industrial automation lessens the operating process complexity. By replacing it with automated equipment that operate in dangerous environments, industrial automation lowers the level of personal safety.
Applications
Fixed Automation
In fixed automation, the equipment parameters determine the order of the processing steps. The merging and coordination of numerous processes into one piece of equipment makes the system more sophisticated. Each activity in a fixed or hard automation sequence is typically straightforward. High initial investment costs and high output rates define this sort of automation. As a result, it is appropriate for products with very high volumes and demand. Examples of fixed automation include machine transfer lines, automatic assembly lines, and specific chemical process equipment.
Programmable Automation
The manufacturing machinery is built to be flexible enough to adapt the order of operations to the many product configurations in this automation. Programming, a set of encoded instructions that the system can read and interpret, directs the order of execution. This automation is especially suitable for batch manufacturing processes with medium to high output volumes. It is challenging to adapt the system to a new product or set of procedures. Programmable automation is exemplified by numerically controlled machinery, steel rolling mills, paper mills, and industrial robots.
Flexible Automation
A system that can produce a variety of products with little to no time for product modifications is referred to be flexible or soft automated. Fully programmable automation characterises it. When the automation system is reprogrammed and the physical specifications of the product are altered, no manufacturing time is lost. As a result, the system is able to create many product combinations and schedules without needing to manufacture each one in a distinct batch. Automobiles, CNC machines, and self-guiding vehicles are a few examples of this automation system.
FAQs
Measurement instruments help monitor critical parameters such as temperature, pressure, flow, vibration, and electrical performance, ensuring accurate operation and improved machine efficiency.
Common instruments include digital multimeters, clamp meters, temperature meters, pressure gauges, vibration meters, tachometers, thermal imagers, and data loggers.
Automation solutions enable real-time monitoring, reduce manual intervention, improve process accuracy, minimize downtime, and enhance overall production efficiency.