The global industrial automation market is expected to more than double from $22 billion in 2014 to $48.9 billion in 2021. Three distinct trends – sustainability and efficiency, sophistication and data analytics – are driving faster development of industrial automation technologies, particularly in North America.
Given these trends, how is industrial automation improving and impacting various industries?
Sustainability and Efficiency
Industrial operations both large and small require long-lasting lines and lower impact power grids to be sustainable. The last thing manufacturers want is to frequently replace their systems, which ultimately slows down production. Manufacturers also need their lines to run with the highest level of efficiency and when they don’t run efficiently, to have the lowest down time possible. Most manufacturers in North America are running lean operations and those systems must be set up to survive in the long run with relative ease.
Sophistication
The industrial automation market is increasingly turning to sophisticated system applications within existing infrastructures. Manufacturers need sophisticated systems that include greater functionality and interoperability with what’s already in place. New levels of sophistication present manufacturers with a unique challenge – though the systems are advanced, the operators on the production lines are not necessarily any more available than in the past. For these systems that can do far more than was possible even just 3-5 years ago, their installation, maintenance and repair must be as simple as possible.
Data Analytics
While some might think the term “big data” is overused, this data is critically important to even the most minor changes in how production lines are run today. One example of data analytics in use is predictive maintenance, or using analytics to predict problems before they occur. This allows manufacturers to avoid interruptions in production and decrease the amount of down time on a production line. The implications of data analytics make a significant impact when it comes to efficiency. In production, time is money and predictive maintenance can decrease the amount of time needed to repair a line so it’s up and running right away – or doesn’t go down in the first place.
As sustainability, sophistication and data analytics improve development of industrial automation technology, the impact across industries can be a positive on. For example, the automotive and medical industries have significant opportunities to upgrade their production lines and increase efficiency on the floor, while industrial automation plants in the food and beverage industry decrease the amount of time needed to clean manufacturing lines. Industrial automation shows no signs of slowing down, which will ultimately bring increased efficiency and productivity to manufacturing across all industries.