What this book covers

Chapter 1, Automation Is a Part of Our Daily Lives, walks the reader through elements, products, and goods that we simply take for granted, and how these goods are an outcome of automation. We will discuss how every aspect of our lives has changed as consumers have become more demanding and how this has affected the entire supply chain and the automation behind it. We will introduce the reader to a typical manufacturing setup and how machines and lines are built to enable a factory to produce the necessary products. Moreover, in this part, we will explore the control challenges associated with products across industries and try to provide insight into how automation and control help us overcome these challenges. We will start with the end product, then cover the control challenges associated, and explore the possibilities to handle these control challenges.

Chapter 2, The Art of Temperature Control, explains how managing temperature is an art in the true sense, the reason being that temperature changes are very slow and a precise way of measuring the temperature is required. Temperature is measured in manufacturing products such as bottles (plastic), plastic parts, metal, fabric, lamination (packaging), and tablet coating (in pharma). The control challenge is to maintain the temperature within the desired values (a constant temperature). These are deployed in extruder applications and bottling applications. The measurement variable, temperature, is directly measured by sensors in the heater (the heating area). In this chapter, we will read about how temperature can be controlled in the best possible way and how we can avoid overshooting, undershooting, and fluctuations. We will also explore solutions deployed in the industry such as taking measurements using a temperature sensor and PID control.

Chapter 3, Tension Control – Managing Material Tension, is all about how managing tension is essential in preparing various products such as wires and yarn. Tension ensures the diameter of yarn or wires is consistent. Similarly, there are various other industries and applications in which tension plays a crucial role. The main control challenge is to maintain constant tension or winding at a constant torque. It is also crucial for winding and unwinding materials. The measurement variable in these cases is either the direct tension of the material or, indirectly, the diameter of the rolls or the force needed for winding. In this chapter, we will look at this control challenge in detail and how products are affected if the required variables are not controlled properly. Moreover, we will look at solutions deployed in the industry to manage tension on the material, such as measuring using a load cell, making sure there is no excess tension, quickly responding if needed, or if the response time is not short enough for your requirements, then estimating the tension by measuring the diameter roll.

Chapter 4, Level Control – Controlling the Level of Liquid to Avoid Drying Up or Spilling Over, discusses the essential element in various industrial applications of controlling the fill of a tank that contains fluid. This can be witnessed in our day-to-day lives as well, with overhead water tanks that supply water at home. If the level is not maintained, then there is a risk of the tank drying up or the tank spilling. The control challenge is to manage the level of filled material (in a tank or a bottle). The measurement variable is the level, which is measured using sensors and then action is taken accordingly. In this chapter, we will look into various applications where filling containers and maintaining the levels of a contained material is crucial and how industry experts manage this control task. We will look at possible solutions, such as measuring using capacitive or ultrasonic sensors.

Chapter 5, Motion Control – Control, Synchronization, and Interpolation of Axes for Accuracy and Precision, explores how synchronization, interpolation, and motion control are vital to handling products in the industry. Machines and materials need to be precisely positioned to make a consistent and accurate product. If not configured correctly, wastage and losses occur. For making products such as bottles, wire mesh, yarn, cloth, metal parts, capsules, and syringes, motion control is deployed very frequently. The control challenge is the synchronization and interpolation of axes. The measurement variable in these applications is the movement ratio and synchronization. In this chapter, we will look at the products and control challenges in question in tandem and at the effect of not handling motion control correctly. The solution we will observe in this chapter is using drives to control motors – servos, steppers, and variable-frequency drives (VFDs).

Chapter 6, Material Dispensing Control, covers products that are filled in specific volumes, such as liquids and oils (edible oils). In these cases, filling accuracy and precision make a huge difference because if filled less, the consumer is dissatisfied, and if filled more, the company makes a loss. Thus, the control challenge is to use a fixed quantity of a filled material (in a bottle or can). In these applications, the measurement variable is the volume, making it a volumetric filling application. In this chapter, we will explore how volumetric weighing is done and how machines fill products into bottles and do so by measuring the volume. We will explore possible solutions deployed in the industry, such as measuring using a load cell for volumetric filling.

Chapter 7, The Interplay of Humans-Machines-Automation, expands on how automation was achieved in the early days by using various mechanical linkages such as wheels and pulleys or hydraulic systems for machine-based optimization. However, the actual motive power was provided by human intervention, so the machine was the means to get the movement going as per human design. Therefore, this chapter will clarify how automation provides a bridge between human design and the actual movement of a load in the industry.

Chapter 8, Automation – Dramatically Helping Avoid Human Intervention, outlines how advances in software give automation a central role. In general, an automaton is capable of performing a fixed task in a strictly limited environment. The exception is automatons that operate outside of a limited environment, and they are usually designed to reach a defined stop status and wait for human intervention. However, automation can take care of most exceptions. These are the requirements for mission-critical projects where no one failure can affect the entire system. Here, concepts such as redundant or hot-standby systems come into play.

Chapter 9, Automation Can Build a Superorganism with Awareness, teaches the reader about automation and distributed intelligence. Controller chips have been doubling in speed and halving in size every 2 years. The computational prowess of a smartphone controller is greater than the command control module from the Apollo 11 moon mission. These chips, being small, can be embedded into every device. Each of these controller boards also has the capability to communicate—as in, talk—to other controllers. This is what we mean by distributed intelligence.

Chapter 10, What’s Next?, summarizes the findings of this book by explaining how humans have unique capabilities that automation will never have. It is not simply a matter of superiority. Automation has its own particular strengths, which are and will continue to be superior to the equivalent capabilities of humans. On the other hand, there are also traits that are unique to humans and set us apart. Hence, there is no place for pessimism about machines ruling the world.