Automation Trend Report: Robots, Solar, and the Union of PLCs and HMIs
With AI and automation gaining such traction in industrial settings, Amazon recently announced that it is partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study the impact of this trend on work in such settings. While we wait for the results, there are a few other trends to explore in the realm of the evolving tech-driven industrial landscape. So, let’s get into it.
Robot Regulation
A significant part of the AI and automation movement is the integrations of robots. But as these creations increase their presence in factories and facilities, there is a push to establish standards for their activity. The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has just updated its safety guide for industrial mobile robots (IMRs). Titled R15.08-2, the resource follows the release of R15.08 Part 1 in 2020 and includes details on types of IMRs, applications, and safety requirements and considerations.
Solar Surge
Robot implementation is likely to keep driving protocol development as it progresses further in its capabilities and into additional industries. One such industry experiencing a rise in robotic and automation use is clean energy manufacturing.
According to a report by the American Clean Power Association, more than $270 billion in capital has been invested in clean energy projects and manufacturing facilities over the past 12 months. As this field expands, particularly solar production, automation solutions are playing a key role. On top of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), controls system components such as PLCs will be integral.
PLCs and HMIs
While certainly not new, the trend around PLCs is that they will continue to support the future of industrial settings from clean energy and beyond. They will do so by further integrating with HMIs, which Wayne Schaefer describes as “the pinnacles of modern industrial automation” at Engineering.com.
While Schaefer likens PLCs to the brains of a facility, HMIs act essentially as the communicator of the data that the brain is collecting. As HMIs evolve with PLCs, not only will they need to become more user friendly to humanize the massive amounts of information coming through operations, but they will also become more and more aligned with the other trends taking over industrial organizations like AI.
Sources
“Amazon and MIT are studying how automation impacts jobs” - Amazon Staff, Amazon
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-mit-study-jobs-and-automation
“A3 releases more safety standards for industrial mobile robots” - Rachael Pasini, Design World
https://www.designworldonline.com/a3-releases-more-safety-standards-for-industrial-mobile-robots/
“Opportunities in Solar for the Industrial Automation Ecosystem” - Jeff Chu, Manufacturing.net
https://www.manufacturing.net/automation/article/22872712/opportunities-in-solar-for-the-industrial-automation-ecosystem
“Human Machine Interface Engineering” - Wayne Schaefer, Engineering.com
https://www.engineering.com/story/human-machine-interface-engineering