Benefits of Automation In The Processing Industry

During the earlier period, the machinery, equipment and facilities were available with limited scope. The production and productivity have been in normal and the quality of the product also not upto the satisfaction. With the introduction of Automation, the Industry could produce High Quality Products, Value added products, Improve the Production. To free the working atmosphere employer and employees coordination should be good.

HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS The machining operations were carried out by conventional type which are labour oriented. In order to get the accuracy there may be 2 to 3 operations. To get the correct specification the operator used to further machine the product.. With the installation of CNC and VMC, the operations and accuracy is controlled by the latest y machine/computer. The output will be of high quality and precision. All the Drawing and Design will be controlled by the Computer.

As regard to the foundries, the size of the furnaces may be decided as per the requirements of the production. Nowadays Induction furnace available in different capacities. In case of smaller articles with higher quantity they may choose for Investment Casting. The melting materials with 1400 Degree or 2000 Degree Centigrades are carried to the pouring pot with the help of handling equipment.

If the products is bulk or voluminous, it is advisable to handle equipment and to transport materials for easy safe handling. In the Textile Industry, the Carding Machines are connected with Heavy Duty Motors. The accumulated waste droppings from the floor and lickerin fly has to be cleared once in 2 hours or 4 hours. Whenever to clear the waste, the machine has to be stopped as a safety measure. Sometimes the workers with over confidence, remove the bottom level waste with brush or brooms. In retrospective, because of the over confidance, the workers get injured by loosing Hands or finger. Because of the incident the management may offer him sops in service of his work a subordinate position

VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS Due the automation, the management can to improve the production for value added products, they buy the machine with higher cost, so operational cost will be reduced over a period of time

In the Textile sector, they prefer to install Auto Cone Winder. The operator is expected to load the bobbin at a specified point. The bobbin yarn will be selected or knotted with the cone automatically. The final product will be of good quality and this will also give efficient performance for the Auto warp and high productivity in Sizing and Loomshed. In the loomshed also they have droppers by which any breakage happens, the machine will automatically stopped. The operator attends the trouble immediately by the RED LIGHT on the top of the machine. CCTV CAMERA By installing CCTV Camera in the important areas, the activities can be monitored by the TEAM HEAD / MANAGERS/ CORPORATE HEAD along with their other routine schedules. The Executives can give suitable instruction then and then. The Banking Industry installed the CCTV Cameras in the ATM Centre, thereby any mishandling can be easily traceable then and there.

SIRON and ALARM The machineries, equipments and facilities can also be connected with Electronic Chips and devices resulting any abnormal situation arises, due to activation of Siran / Alarm, suitable corrective steps can be handled or damage control system will be implemented.

The Textile Show room with costly garments, silk sarees and in the jewellery show room, high value yellow metals are attached with a small plastic CAPSULES inserted with a sim. In the exit point of the show room they would have installed a metal detective device. In case anybody cross the detective device along with the item attached with the sim, the siron will get activated. This way theft and mishandling can be controlled

MAINTENANCE The maintenance schedule and operation procedure can be inbuilt with the system by proper design and planning. The maintenance on daily basis, weekly basis , preventive maintenance and break down maintenance can be properly designed and recorded through the system. Unless the check list is correctly followed, the operation of the machinery or the function mode will not operate. This way damage control principle can be properly complied.

LIMITATIONS Since being the electronic device, its activities are based on the program and the design installed in the machinery. In case of abnormal situation, the device cannot take corrective steps. Thereby the result may not be of positive one in the crucial hour.

If any part of the machines and pipelines and valves get corroded due to the acidity of the product and leakage in the pipeline, the siran / alarm may alert the situation. Whereas if the product is easily flammable and runs with high pressure, they may given way for fire or blast. Hence due care has to be taken to avoid such situation while programming the design and operation.

By installing CCTC cameras to find out the production loss and find out theft of materials by the employees.

Siron and Alarm are fixed if there are any abnormal situation arises.

By V. NARASIMHAN and A.K. SRIKANTAN, SAFETY CONSULTANTS & PARTNERS, ENYES ASSOCIATES