In a fast developing country like India, automation seems to be the keyword today. In fact, the Indian automation industry is currently witnessing a growth of 20-25% p.a. Industrial automation accelerates India's pace in joining the global developed countries' list. While automation is vital for any major industry in India like steel, cement and pharmaceuticals for instance; it has high penetration in textile, packaging, pharmaceuticals and automotive industries.

Automation gets the manufacturing job done in an efficient and faster way, also with better accuracy, leaving no room for errors. The resultant product is of high quality and reliability. Industrial automation is much more than just speedy and impeccable manufacture. It almost runs a business more effectively, almost by remote, through prompt information transfer.

In the initial stages of its entry in India, industries hesitated to use automation since it needed proprietary knowledge and expensive skills thus making it impossible for small and medium industries. But with the fall in prices, industrial automation is gaining momentum in the country even among Tier 1 and 2 industries besides top manufacturers. One could say that India is going through a radical change in its perception of automation. However, the country still depends largely on Japan, Germany and the United States for its automation needs.

In spite of the presence of skilled engineers in India, Indian industrial automation technologies went unnoticed due to lack of opportunities to exhibit skills. Indian companies when buying automation products from foreign sources procure them as the products are. But when the same products are bought from an Indian source, the client expects more flexibility and customised solutions.

Automation is an extensive field whose perspective and demands change with different companies. It could either be process automation where the end user applies it in volatile areas, or factory automation, which is applied in manufacturing units. Automation is all about using numerical or programmable logic control in collaboration with computer aided design or computer aided manufacture to control industrial machinery and other related processes so that human errors are minimised. The process loop of these automations includes measurement system, controller and the final control element.

Automation comes in several manifestations - artificial neural network, distributed control system, human machine interface, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), PLC, programmable automation controller, instrumentation, motion control and robotics - and increasingly, a seamless integration of multiple systems and resources. Industrial automation is actually making a move from PLC based platforms to PC based platforms. However, PLC based users are still shying from using PC based industrial automation because the latter is not designed to provide uninterrupted real time control.

The automation process is going through a set of trends which includes wireless connectivity, embedded intelligence and machine to machine communications, web and application integration, real time information access and robotics. All these technologies and solutions are developed based on the demands posed by specific situations.

Wired connectivity is not suitable for certain environments and wireless connectivity has its own set of problems such as susceptibility to RF noises from machines and changes in physical environments.

The communication between PLCs and sensors or actuators must be reliable for successful automation. Wireless networks operate with star topology where the base station has communication through remote nodes in a point to multi point method. This system is easy to maintain and provides room for expansion.

ZigBee wireless protocol is developed into a new wireless technology which overcomes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi limitations such as short range, restricted coverage, node vulnerability and radio link failures. Its integrated setup and routing intelligence translates to easy installations. The wireless technology eases industrial automation in hazardous and difficult to reach zones. Important information is relayed easily and response time is brought down.

Mobile enabled manufacture is on the development process. It is all about access of industrial automation through PDA, laptop or mobile phone enabled mobile network. Though the concept is attractive, it is not easily manageable.

Previously wireless automation was a challenge and almost impossible in offshore monitoring of oil and gas sectors. Security concerns, conflicting standards and inadequate technologies were an issue.

But the situation has changed a lot with efforts made to chart distributed signal processing algorithms, energy efficient medium access control, fault tolerant routing protocols and self-organising sensor network mechanisms. Such nuances are accentuated by WirelessHART and ISA SP100.11a Standards. Process Control Systems such as SCADA, DCS and PLC and safety shutdown systems adhering to IEC 61508 which protect personnel, process and equipment, are employed here.

Embedded intelligence, machine to machine (M2M) and machine to human (M2H) communications are some of the innovations happening in industrial automation. As days pass, the number of machine operators is diminishing because machines operate by themselves, thanks to the M2M communications and embedded intelligence. M2M communications enable managers to understand about assets, costs, liabilities and activities and help them to make effective decisions in a faster pace. Such technologies have expanded beyond factory floors and are used in production, manufacturing, testing, logistics and marketing.

Embedded platforms are used in industrial automation to execute multiple tasks. These embedded platforms are managed and evaluated by Priority based Pre-emptive Task Scheduling algorithm in MUCOS2 real time operating system.

Real time information access is an important development in industrial automation. It is used by grey collar employees who are unison of blue and white collar employees. The engineers on the field and factory operators enable information access on the go and feed them in the system. Such real time information access benefits logistics, marketing, production and many other industrial activities.

Nano scale automation is a notable trend in industrial automation which is done with the help of specialised equipment such as nano scale wireless sensor networks and impulse radars and motion controllers. These equipment meet the assembly, measurement, monitoring and control requirements of the nano processes. Research and development in industrial automation is also focused on energy, for the sake of client benefit. The industrial automation equipment is designed to accommodate renewable energy like solar energy and save existing sources of energy. These products also come with star ratings which reflect their energy saving attributes.

Robotics comprises industrial automation devices, which are used mainly in the automotive industries. They help with tasks like welding, painting, assembly, pick and place, packaging, palletising, product inspection, testing speed, precision and reliability of the automobile. Robotics is gaining popularity due to their mechanical and intelligent capacities and their falling costs.

In the current industrial automation market, vendors consider three factors to be important, these being product portfolio, service support and cost factor. Intelligent play with these factors enhances the reputation of industrial automation products.

Industrial automation product portfolio is nearing a saturated position and vendors are currently offering hybrid products of PLC and DCS functions. Such products have end user gain as well as economic advantages. Every trend in the Indian industrial automation sector is based on and caters to these three factors.

According to a study conducted by Frost & Sullivan, Indian manufacturing industries and factories in particular would be influenced in future by trends happening in cyber security, cloud computing, enterprise ecosystem, sustainability and mobile and wireless technologies. Industrial automation vendors need to build expertise in end user requirements in order to face competition and sustain.

Therefore the vendor should understand the end user's need of service and sales support, the end user's perception of mega trends, his outlook towards and need for hybrid products and his opinion on standardisation of automation products.

To sum up all the above mentioned trends, it is obvious that Indian automation industry and all its user industries have a bright and promising future unfolding within them. India's aspiration to compete with global leaders is not far from realisation as the country embraces the latest technology in industrial automation.
(Photographs used are for illustrative purpose only)