Definition of Automation

    Automation is basically the delegation of human control function to technical equipments for
1) Increasing Productivity
2) Increasing Quality
3) Reducing Cost
4) Increasing Safety in working conditions.


    Industrial automation is the use of robotic devices to complete manufacturing tasks. In this day and age of computers, industrial automation is becoming increasingly important in the manufacturing process because computerized or robotic machines are capable of handling repetitive tasks quickly and efficiently. Machines used in industrial automation are also capable of completing mundane tasks that are not desirable to workers. In addition, the company can save money because it does not need to pay for expensive benefits for this specialized machinery. There are both pros and cons for a company when it comes to industrial automation.
      On the plus side, with soaring healthcare costs, paid days off, vacation time, and other costly employee benefits, companies can save money with industrial automation. While robotic machinery can initially be extremely expensive, the loss of monthly wages for production workers leads to incredible savings for the company. While machinery used for industrial automation can break down, it does not happen often. If it does, only a handful of maintenance or computer engineers are needed to handle repairs and get lines running smoothly again.

History of Automation

History of Automation
1) Manual Control
2) Pneumatic Control
3) Hard wired logic Control
4) Electronic Control using Logic Gates
5) Programmable Logic Controller
I) Manual Control
All the actions related to process control are taken by the operators
Drawbacks
1) Likely human errors and consequently its effect on quality of final product
2) The production, safety, energy consumption and usage of raw material are all subject to the correctness and accuracy of human action.
II) Pneumatic Control
1) Industrial automation, with its machine and process control, had its origin in the 1920s with the advent of "Pneumatic Controllers".
2) Actions were controlled by a simple manipulation of pneumatic valves, which in turn were controlled by relays and switches.
Drawbacks
1.Bulky and Complex System
2.Involves lot of rework to implement control logic
3.Longer project time
III) Hard wired logic control
1.The contactor and Relays together with hardware timers and counters were used in achieving the desired level of automation
Drawbacks
1.Bulky panels
2.Complex wiring
3.Longer project time
4.Difficult maintenance and troubleshooting
IV) Electronic Control using Logic Gates
1.In 1960s with the advent of electronics, the logic gates started replacing the relays and auxiliary contactors in the control circuits.
2.The hardware timers & counters were replaced by electronic timers
Advantages
1.Reduced space requirements
2.Energy saving
3.Less maintenance & greater reliability
Drawbacks
1.Changes in control logic not possible
2.More project time
V) Programmable Logic Controllers(PLC’s)
1.In 1970s with the coming of microprocessors and associated peripheral chips, the whole process of control and automation underwent a radical change.
2.Instead of achieving the desired control or automation through physical wiring of control devices, in PLC it is achieved through a program or say software.

 automation The use of automatic machinery and systems, particularly those manufacturing or data-processing systems which require little or no human intervention in their normal operation. During the 19th century a number of machines such as looms and lathes became increasingly self-regulating. At the same time transfer-machines were developed, whereby a series of machine-tools, each doing one operation automatically, became linked in a continuous production line by pneumatic or hydraulic devices transferring components from one operation to the next. In addition to these technological advances in automation, the theory of ‘scientific management’, which was based on the early time-and-motion studies of Frederick Winslow Taylor in Philadelphia, USA, in the 1880s was designed by Taylor to enhance the efficiency and productivity of workers and machines. In the early 20th century, with the development of electrical devices and time-switches, more processes became automatically controlled, and a number of basic industries such as oil-refining, chemicals, and food-processing were increasingly automated. The development of computers after World War II enabled more sophisticated automation to be used in manufacturing industries, for example iron and steel.
The most familiar example of a highly automated system is perhaps an assembly plant for automobiles or other complex products. Over the last few decades automation has evolved from the comparatively straightforward mechanization of tasks traditionally carried out by hand, through the introduction of complex automatic control systems, to the widespread automation of information collection and processing.

SCADA ( Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition System )

Understanding SCADA
    It works like a supervisor who supervises the entire plant area ,if needed it also controls the process as well it converts the data segments for storing process values.i.e. level , pressure , switch positions , density , temperature, messages ,etc.
    From a distant place if we want to run the process i.e. starting , stopping , opening and closing of field instruments as well as logging the various values. Scada can do for you.
    Scada is not a 100% controller it is just a software which has to be linked with controllers. ultimately it has to connected to PLC / PID / DCS systems which in turn are connected to field instruments.
Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition Software:
Features of typical SCADA software
1) Dynamic representation                      2) Database connectivity 
3) Device connectivity                            4) Alarms
5) Trends                                               6) Scripts
7) Security                                             8) Recipe Management
9) Networking
I) DYNAMIC REPRESENTATION
1.This feature explains about the representation of various symbols of field instruments which are present in tool library which can be utilized in Scada applications.
2.Scada is not dedicated to any specific industry hence its library is so large that u can use it for any  industries available.
II) DATABASE CONNECTIVITY
1.Scada doesn’t has its own database just like microsoft has.Hence for storage it rely on databases available in the market.
2.It can be connected to VB , SQL ,EXCEL , or SAP.
III) DEVICE CONNECTIVITY
1.Scada is not a 100% controller.i.e.Scada alone can’t do any controlling .It has to be connected to controllers
2.Hence any scada can be connected to any PLC or DCS that are available in the market by using specific driver software.
IV) ALARMS
1.In the field area alarms are generated for warnings or to keep the process between certain limits.
2.Generally these alarms are implemented by indicating lamps or Hooters in field but Scada represents it with a format.
3.The format consists of date , time , status , priorities , many such elements which can be used for generation of reports.
V) TRENDS
1.These are also called as XY plotters or Data loggers. Basically it represents the values in wave formats .It is one of the important feature of Scada
2.It plots the value with reference to time.
3.Trend is subdivided into real time and historical trends.i.e.we can see the present values of the  process as well past values and can be stored and records can be maintained for the same.
VI) SCRIPTS
1.It is the combination of logical operators which are written in a statement.
2.It is used to run the applications made or stimulate before final execution.
3.Various types of scripts make project execution simpler for programmer.
Windows Scripts:
    On Show: Executes on time when the window is initially shown.
    While Showing: Executes continuously at the specified frequency while the window is showing.
    On Hide: Executes on time when the window is hidden.
VII)       SECURITY
1.Every application has to be secured from unauthorized users by different security levels .
2.In SCADA this security can be given as a whole as well as individually.

VIII)    RECIPE MANAGEMENT
1.One of the finest feature of any scada .
2.It explains that we can maintain various recipes of different process and implement it on the process.
3.All the recipes are stored in a single server and it can be fetched by any client server from any area to run the process.

IX)       NETWORKING
1.It explains we can share SCADA applications on LAN or Internet as well exchange of data is possible.
2.Lot many Networking protocols are supported by Scada software.
3.Can be put on networking with other peripherals and processors with various networking topologies.

Some of the Leading SCADA Software

        1.        Wonderware : InTouch

2.        Intellution : Fix DMACS

3.        Merz : Aspic

4.        Allen Bradley : Rsview

5.        Siemens : WinCC

6.        GE Fanuc : Cimplicity

7.        KPIT : ASTRA

Programming Languages in PLCs

1.     Ladder Logic  ( LAD/LD )

2.       Structured Text ( ST)

3.       Instruction List ( IL )

4.     Sequential Function Chart ( SFC )

5.       Function Block Diagram ( FBD )

Applications of Automation

• Automated Video surveillance:

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) started the research and development of automated Visual surveillance and Monitoring (VSAM) program 1997-99 and airborne Video Surveillance (AVS) program 1998-2002. Currently there is a major effort underway in the vision community to develop a fully automated tracking surveillance system. Automated video surveillance monitors people and vehicle in real time within a busy environment. Existing automated surveillance systems are based on the environment they are primarily designed to observe, i.e., indoor, outdoor or airborne, the amount of sensors that the automated system can handle and the mobility of sensor, i.e., stationary camera vs. mobile camera. The purpose of a surveillance system is to record properties and trajectories of objects in a given area, generate warnings or notify designated authority in case of occurrence of particular events.

• Automated Highway Systems:

As demands for safety and mobility have grown and technological possibilities have multiplied, interest in automation have grown. Seeking to accelerate the development and introduction of fully automated vehicles and highways, Congress authorized more than $650 million over 6 years for intelligent transport systems (ITS) and demonstration projects in the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). Congress legislated in ISTEA that “The secretary [of transportation] shall develop an automated highway and vehicle prototype from which future fully automated intelligent vehicle-highway systems can be developed. Such development shall include research in human factors to ensure the success of the man-machine relationship. The goal of this program is to have the first fully automated highway roadway or an automated test track in operation by 1997. This system shall accommodate installation of equipment in new and existing motor vehicles." [ISTEA 1991, part B, Section 6054(b)].
Full automation commonly defined as requiring no control or very limited control by the driver; such automation would be accomplished through a combination of sensor, computer, and communications systems in vehicles and along the roadway. Fully automated driving would, in theory, allow closer vehicle spacing and higher speeds, which could enhance traffic capacity in places where additional road building is physically impossible, politically unacceptable, or prohibitively expensive. Automated controls also might enhance road safety by reducing the opportunity for driver error, which causes a large share of motor vehicle crashes. Other potential benefits include improved air quality (as a result of more-efficient traffic flows), increased fuel economy, and spin-off technologies generated during research and development related to automated highway systems.

• Automated manufacturing:

Automated manufacturing refers to the application of automation to produce things in the factory way. Most of the advantages of the automation technology has its influence in the manufacture processes.
The main advantage of the automated manufacturing are: higher consistency and quality, reduce the lead times, simplification of production, reduce handling, improve work flow and increase the morale of workers when a good implementation of the automation is made.

• Home Automation

Home automation (also called domotics) designates an emerging practice of increased automation of household appliances and features in residential dwellings, particularly through electronic means that allow for things impracticable, overly expensive or simply not possible in recent past decades.

Advantages and disadvantages of Automation

The main advantage of automation are:

• Replacing human operators in tasks that involve hard physical or monotonous work^.
• Replacing humans in tasks that should be done in dangerous environments (i.e. fire, space, volcanoes, nuclear facilities, underwater, etc)
• Making tasks that are beyond the human capabilities such as handling too heavy loads, too large objects, too hot or too cold substances or the requirement to make things too fast or too slow.
• Economy improvement. Sometimes and some kinds of automation implies improves in economy of enterprises, society or most of humankind. For example, when an enterprise that has invested in automation technology recovers its investment; when a state or country increases its income due to automation like Germany or Japan in the 20th Century or when the humankind can use the internet which in turn use satellites and other automated engines.

The main disadvantages of automation are:

• Technology limits. Current technology is unable to automate all the desired tasks.
• Unpredictable development costs. The research and development cost of automating a process is difficult to predict accurately beforehand. Since this cost can have a large impact on profitability, it's possible to finish automating a process only to discover that there's no economic advantage in doing so.
• Initial costs are relatively high. The automation of a new product required a huge initial investment in comparison with the unit cost of the product, although the cost of automation is spread in many product batches. The automation of a plant required a great initial investment too, although this cost is spread in the products to be produced.