Automation Systems

Automation systems for industrial plants are complex, comprehensive and long-living hardware-/software systems whose features are shaped by the processes controlled in the industrial plant. Examples for industrial plants are production lines, process plants and power plants. Software structures in present industrial automation systems grew historically and are shaped by static, hierarchic structures, which have clearly divided tasks, as well as by automation and information structures (the so called automation pyramid). Software concepts which are used to develop automation systems at present are predominantly based on norm IEC 1131-3 and are strongly hardware and implementation oriented. Examples are SFC (Sequential Function Chart), FBD (Function Block Diagram) and CFC (Continuous Function Charts). These concepts, which are close to the hardware, have been used successfully since two decades.

Current automation systems face new challenges. More efficient and cost-saving hardware components are available, for instance in form of field devices. This leads to increasing decentralization within the automation system and a functionality distribution in field devices. Increasing communication of single system units in the automation system is a result of this, as well as an increasing complexity in engineering the automation system.

Engineering comprises all challenges and activities needed to plan, built, commission, operate and maintain technical plants.

A dynamic development of hardware components is contrasting the long life cycle of automation systems (10-30 years). That is why automation systems are in need of permanent partial changes: Software components are optimized or adapted to changes in hardware structure or processes.

In order to achieve a better support of the engineering of automation systems, new services and functionalities have to be integrated into automation systems. Illustration 1 shows the task assignment of man and automation system needed in future. Some engineering functions are illustrated here. By integrating engineering functions in the automation system, the engineer is supported in engineering challenges ‑ his field of activity shifts to more abstract challenges.

Current Emphases in Automation

Currently, for manufacturing companies, the purpose of automation has shifted from increasing productivity and reducing costs, to broader issues, such as increasing quality and flexibility in the manufacturing process.

The old focus on using automation simply to increase productivity and reduce costs was seen to be short-sighted, because it is also necessary to provide a skilled workforce who can make repairs and manage the machinery. Moreover, the initial costs of automation were high and often could not be recovered by the time entirely new manufacturing processes replaced the old. (Japan's "robot junkyards" were once world famous in the manufacturing industry.)

Automation is now often applied primarily to increase quality in the manufacturing process, where automation can increase quality substantially. For example, automobile and truck pistons used to be installed into engines manually. This is rapidly being transitioned to automated machine installation, because the error rate for manual installment was around 1-1.5%, but has been reduced to 0.00001% with automation. Hazardous operations, such as oil refining, the manufacturing of industrial chemicals, and all forms of metal working, were always early contenders for automation.

Another major shift in automation is the increased emphasis on flexibility and convertibility in the manufacturing process. Manufacturers are increasingly demanding the ability to easily switch from manufacturing Product A to manufacturing Product B without having to completely rebuild the production lines.