Automation Can Help Speed Up Post-Pandemic Production

Automation had been garnering a lot of significance in the Indian market, even before the pandemic hit the country. Automation is a broad term that includes various categories, from factory automation to robotic process automation and more. Pre-pandemic times saw the rise of factory automation systems with a number of manufacturing and production units integrating the same in their operations. With the country adapting to the new normal, it is believed that the demand for faster machinery and medical equipment production will see a rapid increase in demand. However, with the pandemic still not over, production units and factories will have to address a few challenges.

One of the first challenges that need to be addressed is that factory managers cannot ask their entire workforce to come to the production unit together on a single day. Either the number of workers will need to be altered or managers would need to ask them to come on alternate days. However, in both cases, the speed of production will suffer; it will be slower than before. The second challenge is that safety protocols that are advised by the government, like protective gear, temperature checks, social distancing, frequent sanitisation, and so on are to be followed without fail. This will lead to more expenses that factories will have to take into account after facing the losses during the lockdown. This is where automation systems come into play.

 

The implementation of automation has benefited several industries in various ways. There is no doubt that automation is one of the best ways to speed up post-pandemic production. Automation refers to technology that helps minimise human intervention or assistance. It involves various control systems that help in making sure a manufacturing unit can deliver better quality of products, increased production speeds, reduced cycle times, and much more.

Other than factory automation systems, there are computer-based production techniques as well that can be incorporated by industries for faster production. This type of automation is known as process automation. In industrial automation, one can see the implementation of industrial robots, which act as control systems to deliver better product quality as well as lower costs of production. Process automation is of two types, namely, business process automation and robotic process automation. While robotic process automation uses metaphorical robots or bots for the operation of various production units, business processes automation uses software applications for streamlining business operations. It is said that robotic process automation delivers higher accuracy, leading to faster production.

It is estimated that post-pandemic, investments in new technologies will see a significant rise. The returns in terms of productivity will be higher, while there will be a considerable reduction in manpower requirement. Implementation of products like PLC and HMI helps in increased integration of automation. HMI’s are designed with the ability to communicate with several devices at a time, which are backed by protocols. This further helps in the full integration of automation equipment in a machine. Other than this, HMI’s can exchange data with PLC units, which helps in reducing the downtime of the process. It also eliminates errors and increases workforce efficiency.

HMIs and PLCs can help in analysing variables accurately as well as help in the remote monitoring and control of a unit. Automation is said to be the future of efficiency and the implementation of automation product will definitely help in speeding up post-pandemic production.

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