Marshal johnson

What is Automation?
Whether its adding conveyor belts in a production setting or its programming robotic arms in a factory, automation provides an efficient way to make products quickly and with accuracy which prevents wasted materials and work stoppages that transpire in industrial settings. Automation provides companies with enhanced technology that can sense inaccuracies, provides tools that can improve productivity, and alleviates workers from tiring processes that can cause severe damage to their bodies. These benefits don't come with out the costs though. Many small to medium sized companies are feeling the pressure to automate their processes as a way to save money, often finding it might be easier to hire a quality engineer, who has the ability to enhance the already in place system thus preventing these smaller companies from running out of business due to increased demand of their product. Today we are going to go over what benefits automation provides while identifying some of the negatives associated with this business term.

Automation and What it Provides

Automation of industrial processes gives workers an in depth overview of what errors they are producing with their products and serves as a tool for the quality assurance section of a company. With CNC machines using CAD drawings measured to scale being run by a program or a mixing drum being on a timer before its emptied and then cleaned out by prefixed sprayers, automation guarantees that whatever inconsistencies plaguing the production process of a product will be significantly reduced. Their sensors provide digital feedback while using algorithms to ensure every measurement made with those sensors is within an acceptable limit. Control systems provide the brains for automation by housing all the code and computer systems that provide instructions to actuators, which are the mechanical and electrical components that work in tandem to create all of the parts a company furnishes.

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Downsides of Automation
While this previous paragraph highlights the benefits of what automation can do, this section will show how automation negatively impacts businesses that have limited reach due to the specificity of their product or not having garnered national recognition that would apply pressure for them to upgrade their manufacturing process. While automation tools provide an overview of where your strengths and weaknesses are in creation process, according to an article on the website Qviro, titled Implementation Costs of Industrial Automation, they state that the cost of upgrading a system in a medium sized could cost $200 K for a partially automated system and $500 K for a fully automated system. These investments are drops in a hat for big business since their return on investment is often calculated into the upgrade proposal and allows banks to approve loans with little or no oversight. Significant investments like automation can make or break smaller companies because their bottom line and their assets are directly tied to market trends and how much product they need to make to break even on the loan.

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Automation: Friend or Foe?
The industrial world continues to expand its horizons into more advanced technology and with it has brought on a new age of automation. While Fortune 500 companies make the switch to automation almost instantly due to their  massive product portfolio; Medium to small companies are feeling the pressure from their consumers to automate their production lines in order to keep up with demand. With automation being a driving force for industrial engineering, will we see a new form of automation that can provide increased production and not break the bank?

 

 

 

References

Fan, Y.Fan (2025). Automation in Mechanical Engineering: Revolutionizing Efficiency and Precision Challenges of automation in mechanical engineering [Review of Automation in Mechanical Engineering: Revolutionizing Efficiency and Precision Challenges of automation in mechanical engineering]. Journal of Applied Mechanical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.35248/2168-9873.25.14.527

QVIRO. “\\\\Implementation Costs of Industrial Automation - Qviro Blog.” Qviro Blog - How to Purchase Industrial Technology, 15 Nov. 2024, https://qviro.com/blog/implementation-costs-industrial-automation/