What is factory Automation (The Benefits & Drawbacks)
Manufacturing becomes one of the most important applications for automation technology. Many people associate automation with manufacturing. The types of mechanisation are defined in this section, as well as examples of automated manufacturing systems.
Advantages usually attributed to automation include higher production rates and enhanced productivity, more effective use of materials, better product quality, improved safety, shorter workweeks for workers, and shortened manufacturing lead times. Higher production and better productivity have been two of the primary justifications in supporting the usage of automation.
Despite the promises of excellent quality from good craftsmanship by humans, automated systems often complete the production process with less variability than human workers, resulting in improved control and consistency of product quality. Also, increased process control makes more efficient use of materials, resulting in fewer scrap
Worker safety is an essential justification for automating an industrial operation. Automated systems typically remove employees from the workplace, therefore shielding them against the risks of the working environment. In the United States the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) was created with the national purpose of making work safer and safeguarding the physical well-being of the worker. OSHA has had the impact of boosting the use of automation and robots in the industry.
Another advantage of this application is the reduction in the number of hours worked on average per week by manufacturing workers. About 1900 the average workweek was roughly 70 hours. This has gradually been decreased to a typical work schedule in the factory automation Malaysia of roughly 40 hours. Mechanization and automation have played a crucial influence in this decrease. Finally, the time necessary to handle a normal manufacturing order through the plant is often lowered with automation.
A major drawback commonly linked with automation, labour displacement, has been mentioned above. Despite the societal gains that could follow from retraining displaced people for new employment, in virtually all situations the person whose job has been taken over by a machinery experiences a time of mental hardship. In addition to eviction from the job, the worker may be relocated geographically. In order to find a new job, an individual may have to migrate, which is another cause of stress.
Generally speaking, there is a possibility that automation technology would ultimately overpower humanity rather than aid it. Worker slavery to automated machines, the invasion of human privacy by massive computer data networks, human mistake in the administration of technology, and the prospect that society may grow reliant on automation for its economic well-being are some of the issues that must be considered.
Leaving aside the hazards of automation technology, if it is employed properly and successfully, it has the potential to create significant benefits for the future. Humans have the opportunity to be relieved of repetitive, risky, and undesirable labour in all of its forms. There is also a possibility that future automation technologies may contribute to the development of a rising social and economic environment in which people can enjoy a greater quality of living and a more fulfilling way of life.