Mechatronics vs Traditional Automation: Transforming Modern Manufacturing

During the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s, a mechatronic revolution took place in the world's car industry. The transformation was so profound that the cost of embedded automotive electronic and computer systems exceeded that of the metal in a typical executive car for the first time. Long-established, multi-million-dollar industries, such as carburetor manufacturers, ceased to exist, while other major companies were forced to reform and regroup to meet the mechatronic challenge.

What Is Mechatronics?

"Mechatronics is not a subject, science, or technology per se, but rather a philosophy and a fundamental way of looking at and doing things that requires a unified approach to its delivery," explains John Millbank. This philosophy transforms how manufacturing systems work together.

Think of your manufacturing facility as a living organism. In traditional automation, each component operates independently, like organs working separately without coordination. Mechatronics changes this dynamic by creating an integrated system where mechanical systems, electrical components, and computer intelligence work together as one unified whole.

Why Traditional Automation Isn't Enough

Traditional automation has served manufacturers well for decades, reliably performing repetitive tasks with consistent results. However, today's manufacturing challenges demand more sophisticated solutions. Traditional automation follows fixed programming, with components operating in isolation. When issues arise, these systems require manual problem identification and operator intervention for adjustments, always providing the same fixed response to conditions.

Mechatronics offers a more sophisticated approach. As Michio Kaku notes, it has been a "somewhat silent or invisible contributor to many systems and yet is a true technology whose strength is that, when applied correctly, it is almost transparent to the user." Instead of fixed responses, mechatronic systems adapt through continuous communication and coordination between components.

The Foundation of Mechatronic Systems

Mechatronics combines mechanical, electrical and electronics, control and automation, and computer engineering. The main research task involves the design, control, and optimization of advanced devices, products, and hybrid systems using concepts from all these fields. One of the earliest examples of mechatronic innovation was the ship steering autopilot, which merged powered rudders with electrically driven gyrocompasses.

Key elements of mechatronic systems include:

Control and Automation

In Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM), adaptive systems use Acoustic Emission (AE) sensors to monitor tool electrode vibration and adjust electrical discharge parameters to minimize unwanted vibrations. The system optimizes its performance through continuous monitoring and adjustment based on sensor data.

Advanced Materials

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) can recover up to 4% of their original length and function effectively under cyclic loading, with enhanced performance when pre-strained. Magnetorheological Fluids (MRF) can switch between semisolid and fluid states using magnetic fields, finding applications across aerospace, automotive, and civil engineering sectors.

Computer-Aided Engineering

CAE applications and integration support mechatronic system development. Engineers use specialized measurement software developed with VC++ and Visual Basic to simulate measurement procedures based on the Monte Carlo Theory.

Real-World Success: The Ducker Engineering Story

The transformation of Ducker Engineering, based in Kendal, UK, illustrates how a small engineering company achieved revolution through Computer-Aided Engineering. Specializing in designing and building equipment like garment folding machines and heated tunnels for drying and conditioning garments, they sought to diversify their product range and enhance design processes.

Through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Lancaster University's Engineering Department, they implemented several key improvements:

Marketing and Customer Support: CAE's power was demonstrated when potential clients received isometric vertical slice diagrams of the complex path of a towel through the machine during their visits.
Assembly Efficiency: Laminated sheets showing exploded views of important assemblies were placed on the shop floor to help avoid misidentification and achieve "right first time" assembly.
Process Innovation: The "Ducker Revolution" machine significantly reduced process costs compared to batch washers, washer extractors, and refurbished old towel machines. A machine of such complexity would historically have required at least 18 months to progress from concept to prototype. However, the first machine was designed, parts sourced and manufactured, and the machine assembled, tested, shipped, and working within a commercial laundry within eight months.

This success earned them a UK national award for the best link between an academic institution and a small company, as well as an "Engineering Excellence Award" from the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2005, Ducker Engineering became Kannegiesser UK, joining the world's leading manufacturer of industrial laundry equipment.

Industry Impact and Implementation Considerations

The transformation to mechatronic systems has had profound effects on manufacturing employment. In Michigan alone:

Manufacturing jobs declined by 170,000
Employment in the automotive industry fell by 17%
Manufacturing's share of state jobs dropped from 21% to 16%
Professional and business services recorded the fastest job expansion

Successful implementation of mechatronic systems requires careful planning. As Sellen and colleagues point out, organizations must consider "who should have the right to access and control information from embedded devices."

Industry experts have identified several critical factors:

Mechatronics integrates many aspects of engineering that increased specialization has pushed apart
Success requires a unified approach
Systems rely on people and interaction between individuals
Implementation must consider whole life/cradle-to-grave implications
Initial product design must be right
Products must be advanced and competitive

Looking Forward

The ready acceptance of implementing the full potential available from capable engineering tools, along with the right people to apply them, is key to successful mechatronic transformation. As demonstrated by cases like Ducker Engineering, strategic partnerships between industry and academia can help organizations navigate this transition effectively.