{"id":56011,"date":"2022-03-15T10:42:42","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T02:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tm-robot.com\/?p=56011"},"modified":"2023-04-26T15:58:27","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T07:58:27","slug":"factory-automation-vs-process-automation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.tm-robot.com\/en\/factory-automation-vs-process-automation\/","title":{"rendered":"Factory Automation vs Process Automation: What’s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"
We are all familiar with the concept of automation, especially factory automation<\/a>, given the prevalence of industrial robots. When thinking of automation, most of us would probably be able to equate it to assembly line production in factories. While this is indeed one use for machine automation, there are actually many types of automation equipment and processes used in various different industries today. Two of the most common examples of industrial automation are factory automation vs process automation.<\/p>\n Machine automation is basically the use of control equipment to perform manufacturing operations. Machine automation can be used in all phases of manufacturing, from processing, inspection, testing, assembly, packaging, and final delivery. There are two main types of factory\/machine automation: machine or process automation, and full factory automation.<\/p>\n Process Automation is defined as use of control equipment to perform manufacturing operations on individual pieces, subassemblies or batches of products. The objective here is to improve the speed or quality of production by minimizing labor requirements or increasing machine speed\/capacity with the same labor content.<\/p>\n Factory Automation involves using programmable logic controllers, computers and other control equipment to automatically sequence or operate entire production lines. The objective here is to speed up the entire production process from order entry through final delivery with no manual intervention.<\/p>\n Factory automation, for instance, can be categorized further according to these automation types: fixed, programmable, and flexible automation.<\/p>\n Fixed automation is relatively fixed and inflexible in terms of the cells it can handle. It’s not possible to change a fixed cell line easily, without considerable cost and plant downtime.<\/p>\n Programmable automation allows for quick changes to product types, part numbers or production quantities within a single cell. The type of product or quantity to be produced is usually determined by the programming of computer systems that are directly linked to cell controls.<\/p>\n Flexible automation allows for quick changes to product types, part numbers or production quantities within a single cell with minimal cost and plant downtime. The type of product or quantity produced can be changed using an ergonomically designed MMI (Man Machine Interface) that is also directly linked to the cell controllers.<\/p>\n At its core, factory automation is a holistic industrial process which, through automation, serves to reduce risk and harm to human works with increased automation in the tasks and production processes in a plant. While process automation focuses on automating industrial control applications used in the operation of factories, plants, and other industrial facilities.<\/p>\nWhat are Factory Automation and Process Automation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Difference Between Factory Automation vs Process Automation<\/strong><\/h2>\n