THE CONTENT AND PROCESS OF AUTOMATION STRATEGIES (original) (raw)

Automation Strategies: Refinement of Manufacturing Strategy Content

2006

Automated manufacturing systems are regarded as highly productive, which improves company's competitiveness. Many companies consider automation as either fully automated or entirely manual. This is never true since there is always a combination of automated and manual tasks. The delicate issue is to choose the level of automation, LoA, which is best for the purpose. When planning and implementing automated manufacturing systems, a large number of issues need to be considered. Traditional manufacturing strategy theory ...

The industry's view on automation in manufacturing

Many manufacturing companies in Europe are presently focusing on automation as a weapon for competition on a global market. This paper focuses on industry's view of automation. The paper presents data on advantages and disadvantages of automation, based on one pilot study and one Delphi study in two rounds.

Levels of automation in manufacturing

Ergonomia An International Journal of Ergonomics and Human Factors , 2008

The objective of this paper is to increase the general understanding of task allocation in semi-automated systems and to provide a systematic approach for changing the level of automation. The paper presents a literature review of definitions and taxonomies for levels of automation (LoA) across multiple scientific and industrial domains. A synthesizing concept is suggested, including a LoA definition and taxonomy aimed for application in the manufacturing domain. Results suggest that the level of automation should be divided into two separate variables, i.e. physical/mechanical LoA and cognitive/information-related LoA. Further, the idea is that LoA in a manufacturing context can be described and assessed using seven-step reference scales for both physical and cognitive LoA.

Levels of Automation in Production Systems

2008

Although automation is often seen as an efficient way to achieve cost-efficient production and to relieve humans from heavy or dangerous tasks, it also has its drawbacks. Earlier research has shown that increasing levels of automation in unforeseen production situations can be related to production disturbances. The human operator that can handle those unforeseen situations does not always have the ability to interpret present and future production situations, based on available information from the production system. The aim of this thesis is to theoretical and practicable development of the concept of Levels of Automation (LoA) in production systems and to improve the distribution of functions and tasks between humans and automation. A systems approach was adopted and an abductive research approach chosen, since the underlying data are based on qualitative analysis of the literature and observations, as well as individual and consensus views of automation. The empirical studies were conducted as seven case studies in order to develop a LoA taxonomy and a LoA measurement methodology. An exploration of existing taxonomies of LoA was carried out by means of a literature review, and the Swedish industry’s views of automation were explored through a Delphi survey. Also, two reference scales for assessment for LoA was developed. The results of the research show that the level of information automation, from an industrial perspective, has primarily been seen in terms of an increase in the pace of information and providing decision support in order to help the human in understanding the situation. However, this research also demonstrates that, from a production perspective, it is important to recognise that many automated processes in production involve automation of physical tasks, which are for the most part controlled by computers. It is also concluded and verified that the two reference scales presented for levels of automation are applicable to production tasks and that the level of automation in production systems can be assessed, measured and analysed with the DYNAMO methodology.

AUTOMATION PROPOSAL FOR A PRODUCTION FACTORY

In a productive process, the implementation of automation systems is not always justified, but there are certain indicators that justify and make necessary the implementation of these systems. As manufacturing systems, grow in complexity, certain processes become obsolete and difficult to manage manually, hindering compliance and expansion of production standards. Automation emerges as a solution to these problems, and when applied correctly, it can minimize time, increase quality and perform other tasks that are impossible for the worker, among other benefits. When a process is automated, it is because after performing various analyzes it is known that said automation would positively and significantly affect at least one of the company's indicators. This article describes the characterization of a company manufacturing cooling products, as well as the analysis to detect a process that can be improved through automation. This process turned out to be the cutting and punching of the metal sheets that make up the main structure of the chillers, which are the processes with which the entire production cycle begins. The present proposal will allow the company to generate an economic impact that encompasses the improvement of a process in time and quality, in addition to promoting the reduction of labor and energy expenditure, which leads to substantial economic savings.

Implications of automation in engineer-to-order production: a case study

Advances in Manufacturing, 2014

In order to retain a certain level of production in Norway, suppliers to the Norwegian maritime industry need to lower their production costs. Automation is generally an effective way of achieving this in standardized high-volume, low variety production. However, manufacturing companies in the Norwegian maritime industry typically supply capital-intensive, advanced and customized products in low volumes. In this engineer-to-order production situation, manual labor is traditionally preferred over automation. Nonetheless, such companies increasingly automate parts of their production. This paper presents a case of a supplier that has chosen to automate its welding operations, the implications and determinants of this decision.

ROLE OF AUTOMATION IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES

In the last decades, industrial automation has become a driving force in all production systems. Technologies and architectures have emerged alongside the growing organizational structures of production plants. Industrial automation plays an important role in industrial and manufacturing environment. Industrial automation means automatically control of industrial appliances which save money, time also reduce human efforts. Automation devices such as controllers and data systems and/or services. Systems and methods are provided that receive statements or other unit of data interaction from an automation device, provide the statements to an appropriate system or service for processing, and optionally return a response such as a result set. In this paper brief study about the automation, level of automation, Industrial automation and types of industrial automation etc.

Automation in the workplace: An Australasian perspective

Technovation, 1997

Automation is adopted to achieve greater production throughput, high levels of productivity and greater value adding. The rationale behind the implementation of automation in industry is now being more closely investigated. The philosophy that all types of automation will benefit the organization is now being seriously contested in the literature. The researchers found that best practice companies are finding new ways of automating processes and consequently gaining a long-term strategic advantage.

Controlling Levels of Automation – a Model for Identifying Manufacturing Parameters

IFAC Proceedings Volumes, 2006

The term Levels of Automation is defined in this paper as the interaction and task division between the human and the machine within a manufacturing system. This paper presents a model for identifying manufacturing parameters to control automation levels. The results show that different parameters are identified as capabilities that affect the level of automation and the output of the system. Conclusion is that the model presented can serve as a way to control and choose the right level of automation by adjusting either input parameters or the level of automation which together with performance measures form a continuous system.