It is a form of automation which is used for manufacturing products in batches. For each new batch the production equipment will be reprogrammed for producing a new type of product.
The products are being manufactured in batches – the quantity of the products manufactured is ranging from few dozens of products to thousands of them. Programmable automation is mostly used in manufacturing systems. Here specialized manufacturing equipment is placed for both processing and altering by means of software. Programmable automation means general purpose equipment is being used in a process manufactured system where the processing sequence and the operation types can be easily altered using software application systems. Programmable automation is very efficient for the production of customized products. A company or a factory having programmable automation has a vast advantage over another which does not have it.
In the factories of today, programmable automation is widely preferred. Some of the advantages by using programmable automation are:
- Reduce the time used for setting up the machinery and equipment i.e. the time needed for setting the machinery is short
- Time required for responding towards to the market is also very short
- Even the ease of including the product design techniques is high.
- Production rate is high.
These are some of the advantages which are encouraging the use of programmable automation on a wider scale.
The main disadvantage is the capital investment higher; but once the investment is arranged this capital investment is worth it when compared to its advantages. As the factories are planning for the future, many different technologies and approaches are being considered for inclusion in the factories of tomorrow.