Previously, the goal of automation was to
increase productivity (because automated systems can operate 24 hours a
day) and lower the costs associated with human operators (i.e. wages &
benefits). However, the emphasis of automation today is on increasing
quality and flexibility in the manufacturing process. Industrial
automation is the use of control systems, such as computer systems or
robotic systems, and information technologies to replace humans in
various processes and machineries in an industry. It is the second step
beyond technological progress in the industrialization process.
