low cost automation

Ishwar V. Bhoge.

Parag J. Tarwadi.

Presented by :-

What is Low Cost Automation ?

It is a technology that creates some degree of automation

around the existing equipment, tool, methods, and people, using

mostly standard components available in the market.

Useful in activity releated to discrete manufacturing.Wide

range of activity such as

Loading

Feeding

Clamping

Machining

Welding

Forming

Gauging

Assembly and Packing can be subjected to LCA system

adoption.

Useful in processing industries for manufacturing chemicals,

oils, or pharmaceuticals.

The overall

methodology used for

development of LCA

For developing LCA a

wide variety of systems

are available.

Important note is that

stage 1 & 2

System synthesis

Cost estimation

Useful for stage 3

System implementation

Well synthesised through emphasis on the guiding principles

of standardization, simplicity, reusability, flexibility and

maintainability.

Long term benefits must be considerable.

System stability condition.

Playback period and system up gradation.

LCA systems are basically

Mechanical System :-

Rugged, Simple and Cheap.

Made up of elements like Cams, Gears, Mechanisms with

linkages, Indexing devices, Feeding devices etc.

Pneumatic Systems:-

Operate using compressed air as the activating power source.

Pressure range of 4 to 8 bar.

The system here is very simple and has no moving parts.

Hydraulic Systems :-

Costlier than pneumatic systems.

Very wild field application.

They are used virtually in every industry, such as:-

•Die casting machines in casting process.

•Presses for heavy duty metal forming processes

Electric System:-

Consist of electric motors or electro-magnets for

actuation (AD, DC, servo, stepper etc.)

The electric circuit consists of two parts:

(A) The actuator part which consists of the electromagnets,

motors, brakes etc. along with safety devices like

overload protection,

(B) The control part consisting of activating devices like

start, stop push buttons, limit switches, relays, timers

etc.

Hybrid System :-

More than one type of system is used and interfaced

appropriately with another so that the advantages of both

are used, while ensuring that the disadvantages are not

detrimental to the functional requirements.

Hybrid System :-

Hydropneumatic circuit.

Electro-pneumatic Device.

Use of PLC (Programmable Logic Control) can bereplace h hardwired ladder logic.

Use of PC can improved capabilities of PLC by storingdata & using as per our requirement.

No hardware assembly is required, assembly time islow.

System becomes very compact, no hardware elementsconnected through wires.

Micro-controller Based Low Cost Automation :-

Micro-computer based design brings flexibility, re-configurability, compactness and economy to an automationsystem.

Processing power is available through micro-controllers atvery reasonable prices hence Low Cost.

Low cost electro-mechanical automation system.

High technology, low cost automation implemented withMechanical systems controlled by microcontroller is indeed forbig growth and wide applications in the Indian Industry.

The need to have Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

in place in the drug and pharmaceutical sector.

Batch process plants are not fully geared to adapt to

GMP norms that are being laid down.

There are many difficulties in implementation of GMP

in the batch process industries. Because of their ledge of

the process characteristics.

Batch Process Monitoring :

Low cost data acquisition systems can be used to monitor

some of the key process variables like temperature,

pressure, pH, conductivity etc.

Multivariate statistical analysis tools like Principal

Component Analysis (PCA), and Multi-way PCA etc., can

be used for such inferential measurements to provide the

soft sensors for tracking the product quality.

Batch process Control :

The non linear and dynamic nature of batch process operation

makes the batch process control problem rather complex.

Batch distillation is another operation used widely in the

process industry.

Batch process data can be used to develop tendency models

Through modeling one can develop optimal operational

policies permitting higher recovery of costly products, as well

as recycle policies which minimize reprocessing cost.

Batch Process Management :

Higher productivity, better capacity utilization, energy

conservation and flexible manufacturing, batch process

planning through formal optimization tools help in

evolving production plans to meet set operational goal.

Troubleshooting and for making modification isavoided.

Use manual participation and hence take more timeto learn, because changing form one design to another,the skill is inbuilt into the program.

One has to understand the need to overcome “the

learning curve” problem.

Productivity may even decrease when a person is in the

learning phase.

LCA is a technology that promises to be very useful for

any kind of manufacturing organization.

ANY QURIES ???