Manufacturing Automation: What Does It Mean for Manufacturers?

Manufacturers are seeing an increasing need for automation year over year. The manufacturing industry is one of the most prevalent and important areas for the use of automation technology. As more manufacturers look for ways to drive efficiency and lower costs, automation in factories, Industry 4.0, and other connected manufacturing solutions will continue to become more widespread. Let’s look at what manufacturing automation is, its benefits and how it’s changing industries.

What is Manufacturing Automation?

In the context of manufacturing, automation is the use of equipment to automate systems or processes. The end goal of manufacturing automation is to increase production capacity while reducing costs. Electromechanical systems can be programmed to perform a variety of tasks, and automation is particularly helpful for repetitive tasks or tasks that require extreme precision. Automation can also be used in manufacturing business management, such as with automated inventory scheduling, and sending and analyzing data for reporting, and can help improve workplace safety by performing tasks that could injure or endanger human workers. 

Though the concept of automation can be traced back as far as prehistoric times, automation really took off during the Second Industrial Revolution with Henry Ford’s moving assembly line and the introduction of large manufacturing plants. The term “automation” was then coined by D.S. Harder, the engineering manager at Ford in the 1940s.

Examples of Automated Manufacturing

Automation can come in many forms for the manufacturing industry, interacting with products in a variety of ways. Automation may not be right for every manufacturer, but most can find benefits in at least one of the three automation types:

• Fixed Automation is designed to perform just one function. If you need one item made repeatedly one way, this is the automation type for you. And because it has a singular function, the system you use should be expertly skilled at performing it. This is associated with large volume production of single parts.
• Programmable Automation can perform several functions, producing multiple item types in a shorter period of time. There is downtime, however, when automation systems have to be reprogrammed to perform a new function. This is associated with batch production, where multiple parts can be made but may require manual changeovers.
• Flexible Automation falls between the other two. While you can reprogram it to perform different functions, it only works with a limited style of products. This is associated with real-time or on-demand production, which can combine programmable automation with fixed automation and bring together several processes to improve efficiency with less downtime. 

Industries Utilizing Manufacturing Automation

Automated manufacturing efforts have become widespread across most industries, but we see it rapidly growing in the following industries:

• Automotive – Robotic process automation (RPA) has increased both productivity and safety in the automotive industry, working alongside humans to get more done in less time with high quality control. This technology can reduce human error in processes that require precise manufacturing, automated reporting and documentation, as well as contain built-in safety features, which can be programmed to stop machinery whenever a person gets too close.
• Medical Devices & Pharmaceuticals – Automated technology in the medical industry can perform tasks with more precision and with reduced rates of error than humans can alone, and because of this, it has become instrumental in the documentation, reporting and manufacturing of pharmaceutical products and medical devices.
• Food & Beverage – Automation ensures that a consistent product is achieved for every customer and can limit human interaction for improved food safety and to reduce recall risks. Automated tracking and tracing of inventory, and automated reporting and analytics can help to improve decision making for adjusting scheduling and workflows to reduce food waste or product loss. 
• Consumer Products – The consumer products and the consumer goods industry depends on automated processes to help meet demand without bleeding costs, especially during times of labor shortage. Manufacturing automation in consumer packaged goods (CPG) can be seen throughout all parts of the process, including assembly, packaging, material handling, shipping, inspection, testing, scheduling and reporting. 
• Electronics & High Technology – As demand for electronics and tech products increases, automated manufacturing robotics can drastically enhance production speed, test and remove defective product, and aid with maintaining optimal manufacturing conditions to create higher quality products with less production cost. 
• Packaging – Automation in the packaging industry helps manufacturers stay competitive and consistent in their products, keeps employees safer, and improves packaging flexibility to accommodate larger and more diverse product varieties.

Benefits of Automated Manufacturing

There are many benefits to implementing automation in manufacturing plants. Here are some of the primary areas where measurable improvement is high.

Reduced Production Time

Automation’s ability to increase production speed gives manufacturers flexible responsiveness to market changes. It also helps manufacturers be more competitive. Machinery can produce more products in less time with fewer defects, and robotics paired with advanced sensors can work together to complete validation and inspection processes to ensure quality control and increase production rate.

Less Human Error and Danger

Reducing human error not only allows for a better product but also greater safety. This decreases recalls, repair expenses and serious injuries. It also allows for more efficient utilization of resources by introducing the ability to place human capital toward research and development instead of mundane tasks. 

Labor Shortage Help and Skills Gap Closure

Machines are less likely to be in short supply than human employees. Automation technology addresses both the skills gap and labor shortage, which can drastically affect profit and even the livelihood of a manufacturing company. 

Improved Analytics and Production Tracking

The use of sensors, robotics, and advanced equipment can track inventory, system maintenance, and finished products and easily disperse data throughout the supply chain. This allows for more optimized planning and scheduling, better decision making and improved ROI.   

What is the Future of Automation in Manufacturing?

Robotics are getting smarter. Their ability to be agile and efficiently perform complex tasks with more consistency and less danger is monumental for the manufacturing industry. Based on the trajectory of current technological advances, the future of automation in manufacturing looks bright. 

As for where manufacturing automation is going, we’re likely to see a steep rise in the use and advancement of:

• AI
• Robotics 
• Machine learning 
• IoT
• Other digital manufacturing technologies that allow for more shop floor control

There is a misconception that automation technology will soon replace the human workforce, but most processes still require a human touch as people are more adaptable to change and innovation. This enables their ability to be retrained quicker than a robot can be reprogrammed and reassembled. It’s important to understand that automation isn’t designed necessarily for the replacement of roles but rather a change in roles. Instead of humans performing tasks that may present ergonomic and safety challenges, they can now be better utilized in roles that are safer, less physically laborious, and more about problem-solving, creativity, people management and innovation.

QAD Solutions for Companies Using Manufacturing Automation

Using manufacturing automation tools as a part of a digital transformation strategy can help manufacturers improve in many areas of their business. Automation can be as simple as starting data-collection and automated scheduling, and scale to include automating processes across the entire product cycle. 

The adoption of automation technologies and related digital manufacturing systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, enterprise quality management systems (QMS) and coordinated material management systems, can aid in streamlining manufacturing processes for more efficient production and help make smart, data-driven decisions. 

QAD solutions help to optimize reporting, reduce error and time to market, improve training and provide a single source of truth for companies. QAD solutions help to automate business, planning, and management processes for a more efficient and streamlined operation. These automated business processes can support manufacturing automation efforts. Used in tandem, manufacturing ERP solutions and automation technology can lead to a night-to-day kind of change for a company. 

Learn more about QAD’s next-generation ERP and supply chain solutions that enable adaptive enterprises.