Automation for beginners - Balluff guide

The development of industrial automation is the future of businesses. Automation solutions are used in many areas of manufacturing plants: from the production process, quality control, and logistics. However, before these solutions are put into use it is necessary to learn the basics of automation, without which it would be impossible to understand the functioning of individual devices and systems.

Industry 4.0 brings new challenges and opportunities in the area of automation, and over the next few years this trend will guide the development of the entire industry. To keep up with it, a comprehensive and extensive knowledge of industrial automation is necessary. However, the development does not end with its acquisition.

This knowledge needs to be expanded and updated all the time, as changes and innovations are rapidly taking place before our eyes. Balluff is fully aware that every master was once an apprentice. And it is with beginners in mind that we have created the "Automation Basics" handbook, which contains the most important information on various areas of the field - from sensing, object identification, sensor technology and RFID to IO-Link.

Our study of the basics of industrial automation is aimed primarily at young engineers starting their careers, as well as engineering students and industrial automation enthusiasts. In the first part of the article, we will introduce the audience to the development of issues in the field of detection, object identification and the measurement of various parameters by means of state-of-the-art solutions. We are sure that their variety (text and video formats) will help to assimilate knowledge and best understand the basics of automation.

Automation Basics - Lesson 1: Detection. Sensors see, hear and communicate in their own language

To better understand what industrial automation is all about and how its solutions work, you need to realise that the operation of individual components (sensors, networks, controllers) is comparable to the operation of human senses. Unbelievable? And yet! If we take a closer look, we can see some similarities between humans and machines. This is a somewhat futuristic approach, but it should not be feared - as it serves to better understand how industrial automation solutions work.

For example - the senses of sight, taste, smell or touch correspond to the operation of a number of sensors - optoelectronic, for measuring pressure, vision, capacitive. In turn, the equivalent of the neural net will be the network connections through which data is transmitted - from the control unit to the executive unit. The machine's brain is a PLC logic controller, its ears are ultrasonic sensors and its muscles are various types of motors and drives. Thanks to such a view of machine construction and the basics of industrial automation, even beginners will be able to understand the principles of operation of individual solutions, tailored for Industry 4.0. At first glance, it may seem like a trivial comparison, but it is important to remember that the human body is a machine that is perfect in its operation, which is actually an unsurpassed model for connections, controllers and other elements. Once this analogy becomes clear, however, the rest of the topics in automation for beginners will fit into place.

The topics we introduce in the first chapter of the "tutorial" that connect to the above analogy are:

Automation Basics - Lesson 2: Object Detection and Identification.

Detection is another extremely important topic we look at in Automation Basics. Sensors are used in manufacturing plants and companies in many different applications: during the production process, quality control or finished product packaging and logistics.

Sensing is primarily based on the identification of objects, as well as their positioning. Using appropriate sensors, not only solids (metallic and non-metallic), but also liquids can be detected. Various technologies are used to identify objects, such as magnetic field detection, as well as solutions based on the properties of light and sound, which are encapsulated in devices representative of industrial automation - that is, sensors.

The aforementioned devices can be classified according to a simple division: Inductive sensors (which are used to detect all metallic objects that are at a distance of a few or a few tens of mm), capacitive sensors (detect everything that has a certain capacitance at close range), optoelectronic sensors (they are divided into diffuse which use the object to reflect light back to the sensor, and retro-reflective optoelectronic sensors which operate on the principle of a unidirectional barrier - with their help the detection of objects is possible at greater distances) and ultrasonic sensors (used to detect almost all objects at greater distances).

In order to make it easier for the audience to assimilate the basics of industrial automation and the subject of sensors and object identification, Balluff has proposed the following division of topics:

Fundamentals of automation - lesson 3: Measurement of position, distance, pressure

Precise measurements of parameters (position, distance, pressure) affect many aspects in a company - in particular, production and the possibility of optimising it. It is important that measurements are made in real time, with the greatest possible precision.

Thanks to industrial automation solutions, it is possible to measure in detail the position of objects, distances, angles or pressure - with appropriately selected devices. For each parameter - pressure, distance, angles or position - the methods of measurement are different, so before selecting a specific solution, it is necessary to carefully define the needs to which it is to respond.

Various solutions are used to make measurements of position and other parameters - one example is the linear transducer, which allows measurement of several positions at the same time - even under harsh operating conditions.

The second type is magnetic encoding technology (which magnetic encoders use) - best suited for precise measurements made in real time.

The third and fourth types (represented by sensors), are inductive technology (suitable for measurements at close distances) and optoelectronic technology (makes measurements regardless of distance, object texture and color). What issues in this topic will be discussed in detail?

Industrial automation is a very broad field - explaining its basics, however, gives us a lot of satisfaction - especially when we receive positive feedback from our audience. In the next article in our "Automation Basics" series, we will discuss sections on RFID technology, network connections and the IO-Link interface.