Nowadays, the term industrial automation is key to improve the possibilities of companies. More and more companies of all sizes and industries are applying various technologies to automate their supply chain.
If you want more information about industrial automation, at Bionix Technologies we have the answers you need and the best solutions for your company. Discover them!
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What is industrial automation?
When we talk about industrial automation we refer to the application of various technologies to control and monitor industrial processes, so that we can reduce human intervention and increase the amount of data we collect in the processes to optimize them.
Automation implies improving cycle times, productivity, the quality of the production process and the competitiveness of the company. Working on this last aspect is of great relevance at a time when we are encountering more and more competitors.
Globalization has favored the imports and exports of products, making the automation process a key and differentiating element to remain competitive and efficient compared to your competitors.
How does industrial automation work?
To carry out an industrial automation process it is necessary to apply different technologies, depending on the needs of each company or the level of automation they want to achieve.
The goal of automation is to perform repetitive processes that can be carried out correctly in a more autonomous way. It also seeks to improve the production cycle times of an article, allowing to produce more in less time, minimizing errors. Without human intervention and with the data collected, the products are more uniform from batch to batch.
Types of industrial automation
There are three types of industrial automation:
• Fixed automation. When we have large volumes of identical parts production. This type of automation has very low costs, but does not contemplate new configurations for the production of different products, which represents a great problem at the moment in which the product becomes obsolete or the part being manufactured has to suffer design modifications.
• Programmable automation. This mode of automation is related to low volume production. The ability to reconfigure and readjust machines and software allows new customization series to be customized.
• Flexible automation. It is a hybrid between the other two types of industrial automation, with their respective advantages. The production cadence is assimilable to the systems of the first, while allowing room for small modifications throughout the process as in the second.
Where can we apply industrial automation?
As we have mentioned, today automating processes is possible in companies of all kinds, from the smallest to companies with very complex production chains.
Its implementation is very important in the automotive industry, the food or metallurgy sector, as well as in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. In our post on where to implement RFID solutions you can discover how it helps in each of the sectors that most exploit its application.
RFID and industrial automation
What kind of technologies can we use to automate companies? There exist different types, from devices, machines, robots to even software. RFID is a technology that also allows many processes or phases of the supply chain to be automated.
RFID allows identifying and transmitting the information of an object, through radio frequency waves. To do this, we need an RFID tag, which allows us to store, transmit or identify this data.
To read this tag and the data contained, we need a reader and an RFID antenna, which will identify the tag and remotely read the content of the smart tag attached to the object. Depending on the size of the warehouse and its configuration, it may also be necessary to install reading arches or RFID portals.
RFID technology is one of the applications that allows a higher level of industrial automation. It is very important in certain processes of the supply chain, very repetitive processes that with this technology avoid mistakes and human intervention.
Traceability and production control
When manufacturing a product we need materials for its final production. For sorting, distributing within the factory and tracking parts or materials, RFID tags and RFID devices allow quick and automated identification of all stock.
An advantage over barcodes is that RFID technology allows labels to be read in large quantities, without the need to open packages or visual contact, speeding up and increasing inventory accuracy.
The entry and exit of products within the warehouse is becoming easier with this technology.
Logistics
RFID is the most widely used technology in the world to automate and control logistics processes.
Logistics is a complex process that involves monitoring each of the products that come in and out of the warehouse, along with those that are returned. With RFID, sending erroneous or incomplete orders disappears in almost 100% of logistics processes.
With the application of RFID we can know if the loaded products are correct or not for the shipment in progress. If not, through notifications and alarms we can know if an expedition is wrong before sending it.
Point of sale
In the store we can also control a lot of information about the products. The RFID tags allow total control of the stock, avoiding stock breakages or unknown losses, in addition to managing a quick replenishment.
Additionally, RFID tags have another advantage over barcodes. By allowing more data storage, it is not just the business that benefits, the customer can obtain a complete traceability of the products, something highly valued in the fashion retail sector.
You see that RFID has multiple advantages. RFID allows knowing the flow of all operations, optimizing the supply chain at many points, even critical points, and reducing the waste of items. This solution means a reduction in operating costs and an increase in profits.
Do you want to implement the best RFID solutions? You can start to revolutionize your supply chain now! At Bionix Technologies we manufacturer the whole solution, both hardware and software, we can adapt to the needs of our customers and the particularities of each supply chain. Enter our website. Contact now!
