Concepts of Automation and Control

The discussion in this chapter revolves around the general introduction and the basic definition of the concepts of automation and control. Automation and control are closely interrelated fields with the advent of Industry 4.0. Automation deals with the integration of technologies that can enable systems to carry out tasks without human intervention or with minimal intervention. On the other hand, control is a process of monitoring and manipulating the variables of a system in order to achieve the desired outputs. Hence, an automated system comprises the control system, information, communication and technology system, actuator, and effective feedback mechanism. The emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies focuses on improvement in efficiency, profitability, systems’ flexibility, manufacturing processes, product quality, cost, and time effectiveness with a significant reduction in manufacturing process errors. These improvements can be aided by putting in place a system with effective automation and control. This chapter further explores the differences between mechanization and automation and draws a correlation between automation and artificial intelligence. Also, the capabilities underlying the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology are highlighted. Furthermore, the classes of automation are explained including the procedures for automation design. In addition, the merits and demerits of automation are highlighted and the chapter ends with the automation of production lines and different work layout configurations. The concept of automation is central to industrial society and is prevalent in the engineering industries (manufacturing, process industries, etc.)