Industrial Automation Done Right: How to Hit Every Expectation
One day you wake up and have a life-changing realization:
Your means are no longer sufficient. You need new wings to fly past obstacles and thrive.
For manufacturers putting out fires every day, that moment comes when plant upgrades become non-negotiable. Figuring bad readings, tiredness from patching up obsolete equipment, and the stress of last-minute rework lights the spark for change.
If you’ve reached this point, congrats on choosing to evolve with industrial automation. If you are still in a research stage, this article will help you too.
Why?
Because we’ll walk you through how to do manufacturing automation integration the right way, from implementation to team adoption.
Let’s begin.
Manufacturing Automation Integration: Leap from Frustration to Fluidity
You’re the manager of a steel plant. The facility grapples with:
● Efficiency losses in the furnace system (fuel gas consumption and temperature readings are out of control).
● Persistent casting defects.
● And rolling mill output fails thickness standards far too often.
These are major roadblocks to profitability and client satisfaction.
How you can tackle it? Here’s a step by step guide, with proven manufacturing automation integration strategies that ensure your expectations are met.
#1: Identify & Measure the Pain Points
Before solving problems, we have to see them clearly.
First, perform a full audit, logging metrics and interviewing teams. The findings reveal a story waiting to be told.
In this case, the process revealed:
● Irregular gas usage, signaling failing sensors or control loops.
● Furnace temperature readings varied across batches.
● Casting defects tied to missed setpoints.
● Rollers delivering inconsistent product thickness.
What comes next?
#2: Solution Design & Technology Selection
Not every facility needs a massive overhaul.
Map out your needs. See what’s on the market. Choose a technology.
For instance:
Table 1. Focused plan to overcome manufacturing pain points with industrial automation.
At this stage, you should also define clear, measurable goals for your automation project. Consider aiming to:
➔ Reduce fuel gas consumption by 15%.
➔ Decrease casting defects by 10%.
➔ Achieve a dimensional tolerance of +/- 0.5 mm in your rolled steel.
Next, assess automation costs based on your project’s scope, complexity, and industry needs.
For a typical mid-sized manufacturing plant looking to modernize control systems, introduce sensors, and add robotics or autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), here’s a ballpark estimate:
● System design and consulting: $15,000–$50,000
● Hardware and equipment: $50,000–$250,000+ (including robots, PLCs, SCADA, HMIs, sensors)
● Integration and software development: $30,000–$120,000
● Training and change management: $10,000–$30,000
Total estimated range: $100,000–$450,000.
The good news? Industrial automation pays for itself… And fast!
Manufacturers see:
● 25–40% reduction in downtime, thanks to real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance.
● 30–50% labor efficiency gains by automating repetitive or hazardous tasks.
● 15–35% scrap/waste reduction through better process control and quality monitoring.
● Fewer recalls and happier customers, courtesy of consistent product output.
Average payback period: 12–24 months, depending on the project’s scope and facility size.
#3: Phased Implementation
Big changes work best when they’re rolled out in manageable phases.
You can tackle the furnace first, followed by casting, then rolling. This brick-by-brick approach reduces downtime and favors team training at each stage.
# 4: Integration with Existing Infrastructure
We reached the point where the rubber meets the road.
This phase includes:
➔ Installing the hardware and software components.
➔ Configuring the system to meet your specific requirements.
➔ Conducting rigorous testing to ensure everything works as expected.
Integrating new automation systems into a complex industrial environment demands careful planning and execution.
It’s crucial to work with an experienced partner like Verdusco Automation. We have a proven track record of successful system integration. For each client, we tailor a scalable, budget-conscious plan—often deploying in phases to reduce upfront costs and spread the investment over time.
After completing integration, you are all set. It’s time to run your operations with new wheels.
But one last stage remains.
#5: Monitor, Optimize, Scale
Once running, fine-tune parameters and performance settings over a month.
When dramatic improvements appear, you can green-light phase two: Scaling the system plant-wide.
How to Prepare Employees for Working with Robots
Updating a smartphone can send people into a panic. So, imagine what introducing new technology into a decades-old production floor might feel like.
Many of your employees will fear learning “complicated” systems. But here’s the reality:
Industrial automation is here to support employees and remove the repetitive, exhausting, and unsafe parts of their job. So, they can focus on the tasks that matter most.
To prepare employees gently through this transition, you should:
As Elon Musk once said, “Some people don’t like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster.”
In manufacturing, that alternative is falling behind while others charge forward.
Resistance fades when employees know they’re not being replaced. They’re being championed.
Conclusion: Why Automation Success Starts with Clear Expectations
Industrial automation makes the floor safer, the workflow smoother, and the job more enjoyable.
Manufacturers who set clear expectations before automation integration see higher productivity, improved safety, and significant cost savings.
Verdusco Automation helps ensure your automation project meets your expectations.
We offer you:
Custom automation design: We tailor solutions that fit your unique needs.
Seamless integration: We ensure automation works flawlessly with existing infrastructure.
Ongoing support & optimization: We help you maximize efficiency and ROI long after implementation.
You’d do more than adopt automation. You’d master it!
Contact Verdusco Automation today!
📩 Get in touch now: https://www.verduscoautomation.com/contact.
