Evolution of industrial automation

Automation has been of high priority for the manufacturing sector, from Ford's first set of Model-T Assembly lines in the early 1920s to the modern factory floor. With appropriate automation, the aim was to rationalise the production and keep the process under control. Instrumentation for measuring process variables assumed a significant role in meeting such goals. The development of new sensors and instruments took place in stages concurrent with advancements in science and technology. This paper comprehensively reviews the evolution of industrial automation. Essentially, it reviews the milestones in the industrial automation and control systems, the emergence of Distributed Control Systems (DCSs), the advanced control architecture, the non-conventional technologies for the future and finally the benefits from the networked system.