From Steam to Digital: The Evolution of Industrial Automation
From Steam to Digital: The Evolution of Industrial Automation
What do steam engines, electricity, automation, and digital technology have in common? They've all driven industrial revolutions that transformed our society. Each advancement - from steam power to electricity, automation, and digital technology - has propelled us into a new era. And the evolution continues.
The Steam Engine and the First Industrial Revolution
At the end of the 18th century, the steam engine revolutionized production, marking the first Industrial Revolution. Before this, human society relied on water, wind, and animal power, which were inefficient and limited. The steam engine gave people mechanical power, shifting production from manual labor to machine - based manufacturing. This boosted productivity and moved humanity from an agricultural to an industrial society.
Electrification, Assembly Lines, and the Second Industrial Revolution
In the early 20th century, the second Industrial Revolution brought assembly lines and electrified tools. Henry Ford's introduction of the assembly line in the production of the Model T Ford reduced costs but standardized products. At that time, large - scale production restricted customer choices. However, with Industry 4.0 technologies, some industries now achieve mass customization.
The second Industrial Revolution also introduced forward - thinking ideas. Henry Ford's remark to his marketing team highlights this: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." This shows that some entrepreneurs already had advanced strategic insights, market analysis, and marketing concepts.
Automation and the Third Industrial Revolution
In the 1970s, the third Industrial Revolution emerged, driven by automation technology. In 1970, the first PLC was used at General Motors to control processes like metal cutting, drilling, and assembly. The PLC's programmability allowed engineers to replace relay control logic with ladder - diagram programming, making it more convenient and enabling a general - purpose control device that could adapt to various processes through programming.
The first PLC was invented by Richard E. Dick Morley and his team at Bedford Associates and was named Modicon 084. Its associated Modbus fieldbus technology is still widely used today due to its simplicity and open - neutral copyright requirements.
In the mid - 1970s, Honeywell's TDC2000 and Yokogawa Electric's Centum control systems were launched, both claimed as the first DCS. They featured microprocessor - based multiloop control, CRT displays replacing alarm panels, and high - speed data channels. These characteristics laid the foundation for modern DCS and introduced the concept of distributed control.
At the first International Instrumentation Exhibition in Shanghai in 1980, the TDC2000 was displayed and later applied in a petroleum catalytic cracking process in China, becoming the country's first DCS application.
These industrial revolutions have significantly enhanced productivity through technological innovation, rescuing humanity from the Malthusian trap. They've given rise to new industries and modern management ideas, with the automation industry playing a crucial role in driving societal progress.