Chapter 21

Industrial Automation

Industrial automation is the automation of industrial processes by means of modern computer-assisted technology. It is a broad industry comprised of many segments and application domains. A common way to divide the industrial automation market is according to the type and characteristics of the process:

• Process manufacturing (continuous processes) is the branch of manufacturing that deals with formulas and raw material. The output cannot be distilled back to its basic components, for example, food, paper, steel, ore.

• Discrete manufacturing (manufacturing of discrete units) is the branch that deals with orders and parts. The output is easily identifiable things, for example, cars, toys, computers.

The opportunities ...

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