Automation primer-"Discussion of the various levels of automation"

The word "automation" is used frequently in modern discourse to describe all manner of things that involve machines and electronics performing tasks previously performed by humans. Nonetheless, automation still has a finite and quantifiable meaning when referring to its implementation in a modern cement manufacturing facility. This paper is written for the technical professional who is not a degreed electrical engineer, programmer, or automation practitioner. In it, we provide a brief overview of the modern plant automation architecture, as well as some selected details concerning the pieces that comprise the overall system. Our review runs from the sensors and actuators, through the process control, operator interface, and information technology, to the tie-ins with the enterprise business systems. We address subjects such as: 1) overview: what is the architecture of a current plant automation system, what are the current hardware and software platforms available and what are some of the typical capabilities and applications? 2) Technology: what are the current technologies utilized at the various automation levels, and what functionality is available? 3) Implementation: what are some of the key considerations that need to be addressed when implementing a system?