We will consider five steps for a better understanding of  the industrial control process:

Step 1 – Understanding of the actual manufacturing process

The first step is to understand the real customer’s manufacturing process. Most of the time, the automation process is a combination of automated machines.  For example, an integrated process can receive the product from a continuous forming or trimming operation and be handled by an industrial robot for delivery to a conveyor system to continue with the robot palletising cell system.

The automated production system can execute this process over and over. When the plant is run 24/7 with continuous production, any interruption may impact the process.

Step 2 – Manufacturing process’ s enhancement to minimise disruption

Go throughout the manufacturing process during the proposal and the design of the project.  Likewise, the impact and recovery from any interruption in the process. As a result, an integrator should consider any optimisation or improvement to support the specific requirement of the process.

These manufacturing optimisations minimise downtime and, most importantly, the recovery that may be required.

Step 3 – Automated manufacturing Benefits

Automated manufacturing refers to the ability to plan and implement the practices of production to research and to develop tools, processes, machines and equipment; and to integrate the facilities and systems for producing quality products with the optimum results in a factory.

The main advantages of automated manufacturing include higher consistency and efficiency, reduction of lead times, quality products, simplification of production, reduced handling, improved workflow, and improved worker confidence.

Automated Robots are used extensively in the manufacturing engineering process, and they can quickly adapt to a production line.

Step 4 – Environmental Conditions and Control Panel Design

Automated manufacturing machines handle the product throughout the entire process, conveyor, robots, environmental factors (temperature, humidity and others), which required more controls logic and input/control by the operators.

Besides, the system’s design must fit within the existing plant and equipment layout. It means that all components of the control system, for example, control panel manufacture, electrical panel wiring, plc programming, rewrite of the user HMI interface and the other industrial electrical panel components, require a unique and well plan design.

Step 5 – HMI improve operator adoption of Robotic Automation System

The process optimisation of the automating control system via the HMI improve the manufacturing control systems. However, by upgrading the system, there are ongoing challenges on the level of training and experience of the staff.

An important factor is to provide the factory with more control of the control system via the human-machine interface (HMI) to allow the operator to visualise the process at any point of the production. The HMI interface may simplify error recovery and ease to use interface. We recommend involving in the discussion the plant production, maintenance and engineering staff to provide a product that met the company’s needs.

Manufacturing Control Systems Solutions

At Phoenix, we are a system integrator company based in the UK, and our manufacturing location is in Liverpool and the main office in Abingdon.  Also, we served the UK market as well as globally, upgrading or designing a new automated manufacturing process and robotic automation system.

Check out the Manufacturing Automation Systems article