所谓自动化，是指采用新技术，减少工厂内部人为干预的需要。目的是优化工厂，提高生产率，并最终在竞争激烈、空间越来越小的环境中增强竞争力。

　　推动软件或机器人流程自动化的原因有很多，包括：消除重复或复杂的任务，代替危险的人手任务，减少环境中人员的活动或减少造成人员关节高度磨损的活动，提高安全性，增加精确性，减少时间和成本，特别是节省能源，等等。

　　但工厂自动化并不意味着人力变得不再重要。恰恰相反，工厂需要安排人员监控自动化作业，维护系统，检查产品的最终质量。因此，人在自动化中的作用日益重要。

　　工厂自动化还可以加大工厂生产力，工厂因而能接受更多订单。这样一来，工厂需要更多人员。另一方面，自动化能使工厂更快收回投资成本。

　　如何进行自动化？

　　自动化过程是逐步进行的，首先应该对工厂实施传感化。

　　传感器是用来采集机器和各流程中的数据，然后通过软件，采用人工智能算法进行分析的设备。

　　在物联网（loT）领域，传感器指的是工厂互联，以便在最大程度上了解生产链，实时控制工厂里发生的一切。

　　工厂在引入自动化系统时，应当实施以下步骤：

　　1.规划：了解整个生产流程和供应链，识别哪些流程适用于自动化，确保在不中断生产的前提下进行。

　　2.集成：必须信息化所有元素和数据，以便一旦对工厂实施传感化，自动化软件就能很好理解和处理数据。

　　3.监控：安排操作人员监控系统，确保其正常运行。

　　4.维护：制定一个维护计划，采取必要措施来确保系统效益。

　　另一方面，自动化工厂通过分布式控制系统（SCD）通信，包括五个级别，即所谓的自动化金字塔：

　　1.处理级：指连接的传感器所在的控制单元

　　2.控制级：PLC系统

　　3.监测级：数据采集与监控系统（SCADA）

　　4.规划级：指制造执行系统（MES）

　　5.管理级：企业综合管理规划软件（ERP）

　　自动化的优势

　　自动化有五个优势，具体分析如下：

　　01、提高生产率

　　自动化可以提高生产速度，优化机器使用，令人员有更多时间投入在自动化无法触及的其他有价值的活动中。这个优势不仅体现在生产中，还体现在其他方面，如库存管理和订单处理等。

　　02、节省时间和成本

　　市场调研公司ARC咨询集团的一份报告指出，仅仅是采用了通用自动化，每年就可为工厂节省达300亿美金。

　　03、充分利用

　　自动化可以从不间段地工作。因此，在任何时候，无需人员干预自动处理订单。

　　04、提高质量

　　减少人工过程，这意味着能降低可能影响产品质量的疏忽和错误的风险。

　　05、提高效率

　　采用工厂自动化可优化生产，提高精确度，减少材料浪费。

　　虽然自动化目前还处在开始阶段，但不难预见，随着工业4.0的技术工具在工厂里的应用越来越广，自动化也会如机器学习或人工智能一样，逐步发展到更加复杂的行业。德勤的年报《智能自动化》指出，采用自动化技术的企业，相对于前年的58%，去年增加到了73%，有四分之三的企业都已加入这一行列。

　　作为钣金工厂，越早利用自动化这一竞争优势，在竞争中就能把对手甩得越远。

The so-called automation refers to the adoption of new technologies to reduce the need for human intervention within the factory. The purpose is to optimize the factory, increase productivity, and ultimately enhance competitiveness in an environment of intense competition and shrinking space.

There are many reasons to promote software or Robotic process automation, including: eliminating repetitive or complex tasks, replacing dangerous manual tasks, reducing the activities of people in the environment or reducing activities that cause high wear of people's joints, improving safety, increasing accuracy, reducing time and cost, especially saving energy, and so on.

But factory automation does not mean that manpower has become less important. On the contrary, factories need to arrange personnel to monitor automated operations, maintain systems, and check the final quality of products. Therefore, the role of humans in automation is becoming increasingly important.

Factory automation can also increase factory productivity, allowing factories to accept more orders. In this way, the factory needs more personnel. On the other hand, automation can enable factories to recover investment costs faster.

How to automate?

The automation process is gradual, and the first step is to implement communication in the factory.

Sensors are devices used to collect data from machines and various processes, and then analyze them through software using artificial intelligence algorithms.

In the field of the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors refer to the interconnection of factories in order to gain maximum understanding of the production chain and control everything happening in the factory in real-time.

When introducing automation systems, factories should implement the following steps:

1. Planning: Understand the entire production process and supply chain, identify which processes are suitable for automation, and ensure uninterrupted production.

2. Integration: All elements and data must be informationized so that once the factory is implemented, automation software can easily understand and process the data.

3. Monitoring: Arrange operators to monitor the system and ensure its normal operation.

4. Maintenance: Develop a maintenance plan and take necessary measures to ensure system efficiency.

On the other hand, automated factories communicate through distributed control systems (SCDs), including five levels, known as the automation pyramid:

1. Processing level: Refers to the control unit where the connected sensor is located

2. Control level: PLC system

3. Monitoring level: SCADA

4. Planning level: refers to Manufacturing execution system (MES)

5. Management level: Enterprise Comprehensive Management Planning Software (ERP)

The advantages of automation

Automation has five advantages, specifically analyzed as follows:

01. Improving productivity

Automation can improve production speed, optimize machine usage, and give personnel more time to engage in other valuable activities that automation cannot reach. This advantage is not only reflected in production, but also in other aspects, such as inventory management and order processing.

02. Save time and costs

A report from market research firm ARC Consulting Group suggests that simply adopting universal automation can save factories up to $30 billion annually.

03. Fully Utilize

Automation can work from time to time. Therefore, at any time, there is no need for personnel intervention to automatically process orders.

04. Improving Quality

Reducing manual processes means reducing the risk of negligence and errors that may affect product quality.

05. Improving efficiency

Adopting factory automation can optimize production, improve accuracy, and reduce material waste.

Although automation is still in its early stages, it is not difficult to foresee that as the technological tools of Industry 4.0 become increasingly widely used in factories, automation will gradually develop into more complex industries like machine learning or artificial intelligence. Deloitte's annual report 'Intelligent Automation' points out that the number of companies adopting automation technology increased from 58% the previous year to 73% last year, with three-quarters of companies joining this group.

As a sheet metal factory, the earlier you take advantage of automation as a competitive advantage, the farther you can outsmart your competitors in the competition.