Factory Automation

The basic principles of manufacturing have not changed for hundreds of years. Raw material enters the factory where it is moved, machined, and processed to transform it into a more valuable state. What has changed is the automation technology available for the processing. Modern factories may have very few people on the manufacturing floor. Robots handle materials, automated vehicles move the materials between "islands of automation" and a networked control room oversees it all. The need for higher levels of machine utilization, higher levels of productivity per person, consistency in quality and consistency in production rate has driven these changes.

The increased use of networks in the factory and the interconnectivity between the machines can make the forensic analysis of industrial accidents far more complex. Often times it is not enough to analyze one machine. Very different types of equipment, motors, PLC's, I/O modules and operator interface terminals may all connect with one another on the same communication network. Possible interplay between different pieces of automation and the networked control room must sometimes be considered.