What is Industrial Automation?
2024-12-18
Industrial automation refers to the widespread adoption of automatic control and adjustment devices in industrial production to replace manual manipulation of machinery and systems. The prevalence of industrial automation is increasing rapidly in production environments. The following introduces the standard components of automation.
A controller is a primary device that controls the start, speed regulation, braking, and reversal of an electric motor by altering the wiring of the main circuit or control circuit and changing the resistance value in the circuit according to a predetermined sequence.
It comprises a program counter, instruction register, instruction decoder, timing generator, and operation controller. It acts as the "decision-making unit" that issues commands, coordinating and directing the operations of the entire computer system.
A robot is an automated machine that performs tasks. It can either follow human commands, run pre-programmed instructions, or operate based on principles formulated using artificial intelligence technology.
Robots are designed to assist or replace human labor in tasks such as manufacturing, construction, or hazardous work. They typically consist of actuators, drive devices, sensors, a control system, and complex machinery.
A servo motor, or servomotor, is a motor used in servo systems to control the movement of mechanical components. It is an auxiliary motor used for indirect speed change.
Servo motors can control speed and position with high accuracy. They convert voltage signals into torque and rotational speed to drive controlled objects. The rotor speed of a servo motor is governed by the input signal and can respond quickly, making it ideal for use as an actuator in automatic control systems. They have characteristics like small electromechanical time constants, high linearity, and low starting voltage. Servo motors can convert received electrical signals into angular displacement or angular velocity on the motor shaft.
Servo motors are categorized into DC and AC servo motors. A key feature is that they do not exhibit self-rotation when the signal voltage is zero, and their speed decreases uniformly with an increase in torque.
A sensor is a detection device that can perceive information about the measured quantity and convert this information into an electrical signal or other desired form according to specific rules for output. This output meets the requirements for information transmission, processing, storage, display, recording, and control. Sensors are the primary components of automated detection and control.
In modern industrial production, especially automated production, various sensors are used to monitor and control parameters throughout the production process. This ensures that equipment operates in normal or optimal states, and products achieve the highest quality. Therefore, it can be said that without numerous excellent sensors, modern production would lack a foundation.
