Industrial automation technology is a comprehensive high-tech technology that uses control theory, instrumentation, computers and other information technologies to detect, control, optimize, schedule, manage and make decisions on industrial production processes to increase production, improve quality, reduce consumption and ensure safety. It includes three major parts: industrial automation software, hardware and systems. As one of the most important technologies in the field of modern manufacturing in the 20th century, industrial automation technology mainly solves the problems of production efficiency and consistency. Whether it is a high-speed mass manufacturing enterprise or an enterprise pursuing flexibility, flexibility and customization, it must rely on the application of automation technology.
The automation system itself does not directly create benefits, but it plays a significant role in improving the production process of the enterprise:
(1) Improve the safety of the production process;
(2) Improve production efficiency;
(3) Improve product quality;
(4) Reduce the loss of raw materials and energy in the production process
According to statistics from international authoritative consulting agencies, the output ratio of automation system investment and enterprise benefits is about 1:4 to 1:6. Especially in capital-intensive enterprises, the automation system accounts for less than 10% of the total equipment investment, playing a role of "four ounces to move a thousand gold coins". The traditional industrial automation system, i.e., the mechatronics system, mainly controls the equipment and production process, i.e., the hardware elements such as the mechanical body, power part, test sensor part, actuator, drive part, control and signal processing unit, interface, etc., under the guidance of the purposeful information flow of software program and electronic circuit logic, coordinate, organically integrate and integrate with each other to form the orderly and regular movement of matter and energy, thus forming an industrial automation system or product.
In the field of industrial automation, the traditional control system has experienced the development process of base-type pneumatic instrument control system, electric unit combined analog instrument control system, centralized digital control system and distributed control system DCS.
With the development of control technology, computer, communication, network and other technologies, the field of information interaction and communication is rapidly covering all levels from the on-site equipment layer of the factory to control and management. The industrial control machine system generally refers to the general term for automation technology tools (including automatic measuring instruments and control devices) for measuring and controlling industrial production processes and their electromechanical equipment and process equipment. Today, the simplest understanding of automation has also changed to: using machines in a broad sense (including computers) to partially replace or completely replace or surpass human physical strength.