Industrial automation and robotics

Introduction to automation

Prof. Paolo Rocco ([email protected])

Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria
 What is automation?

 It is the science and the technology whose aim is to design automatic control
systems, i.e.:

 endowed with increasing autonomy

 able to perform tasks which are ACTUATORS
difficult or impossible for humans

PLANTS &
SYSTEMS

CONTROLLERS

SENSORS

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 What is automation?

Every time we have a machine or a device performing a task that can be

otherwise made by a human we are making automation:

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 What is automation?

Well, automation systems can also co-exist with humans:

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 What is automation?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f-uChX5CVc

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 What is automation?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJLMW6l303g

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Automation is pervasive

Automation in industry Automation in vehicles

Automation in utilities and networks

Home automation

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Automation in industry

Rigid automation
Pneumatic/electrical
 The sequence of operations is fixed
actuation
 Production process composed of a sequence of
simple operations
 Large production with very small variations

Programmable automation
 The sequence of operations can be changed PLC
 Medium-low production batches
 Between batches the production plant has to be reconfigured

Flexible automation
 Production can be varied without idle times for conversion Robot
 Machine characterized by high flexibility and configurability
(FMS: Flexible Manufacturing Systems)

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Automation in industry: elements and networks

Source: A. De Luca

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Automation, a risk or an opportunity?

Fonte: The European House - Ambrosetti

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Automation, a risk or an opportunity?

Fonte: The European House - Ambrosetti

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 A recent comprehensive study on automation

Source: McKinsey Global Institute

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Automation and productivity growth

 Automation of activities can enable businesses to improve

performance, by reducing errors and improving quality and
speed, in some cases beyond human capabilities.

 Automation also contributes to productivity, as it has done

historically.

 This would give a needed boost to economic growth and

prosperity and help offset the impact of a declining share of the
working-age population in many countries.

 It is estimated that automation could raise productivity growth

globally by 0.8 to 1.4 percent annually.
Source: McKinsey Global Institute

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Potential of automation of the activities

Almost half the activities people are paid almost $16 trillion in
wages to do in the global economy have the potential to be
automated by adapting currently demonstrated technology.

Source: McKinsey Global Institute

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Potential of automation of the activities

While less than 5

percent of all
occupations can be
automated entirely
using demonstrated
technologies, about 60
percent of all
occupations have at
least 30 percent of
constituent activities
that could be
automated.

Source: McKinsey Global Institute

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Activities most susceptible to automation

 Activities most susceptible to automation involve physical

activities in highly structured and predictable environments, as
well as the collection and processing of data.

 In the United States, these activities make up 51 percent of

activities in the economy accounting for almost $2.7 trillion in
wages.

 They are most prevalent in manufacturing, accommodation and

food service, and retail trade, and include some middle-skill jobs.

Source: McKinsey Global Institute

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Activities most susceptible to automation

Source: McKinsey Global Institute

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 “Risk of automation” in the different countries

Source: OECD

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Factors influencing the growth of automation

 Technical, economic, and social factors will determine the pace and
extent of automation. Continued technical progress, for example in
areas such as natural language processing, is a key factor.

 Beyond technical feasibility, the cost of technology, competition with

labor including skills and supply and demand dynamics, performance
benefits including and beyond labor cost savings, and social and
regulatory acceptance will affect the pace and scope of automation.

 Half of today’s work activities could be automated by 2055, but this

could happen up to 20 years earlier or later depending on the various
factors

Source: McKinsey Global Institute

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Automation and workforce

 People will need to continue working alongside machines to produce the

growth in per capita GDP to which countries around the world aspire.

 People displaced by automation will find other employment.

 The anticipated shift in the activities in the labor force is of a similar order of
magnitude as the long-term shift away from agriculture and decreases in
manufacturing share of employment in the United States, both of which were
accompanied by the creation of new types of work not foreseen at the time.

Source: McKinsey Global Institute

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Automation and policy-makers

 Policy-makers should embrace the opportunity for their economies to benefit

from the productivity growth potential and put in place policies to encourage
investment and market incentives to encourage continued progress and
innovation.

 They must evolve and innovate policies that help workers and institutions
adapt to the impact on employment: rethinking education and training,
income support and safety nets, transition support for those dislocated.

 Individuals in the workplace will need to engage with machines as part of their
everyday activities, and acquire new skills

Source: McKinsey Global Institute

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco

 Exercise

Consider a few production processes in a company you know:

 Are they, at least partially, automatable?
 What are the skills required to the human workers?
 Do you think that they can be transferred to a machine?

Source: Paperblog

Industrial automation and robotics – Introduction to automation – Paolo Rocco