Industrial automation technology encompasses both software and machine systems that perform undesirable tasks to move human work from manual labor to management and decision-making roles. Systems can range from hard automation, built for mass production, to programmable and flexible systems, as well as larger integrated systems that combine aspects of programmable, flexible, and integrated systems. These systems commonly include components like conveyor belts, automated handling systems, and robotic arms. Automated technology has a long history, evolving from early mechanical tools and assembly lines in the 18th and 19th centuries to sophisticated systems like computer numerical control (CNC) machines, factory robots, and flexible manufacturing cells introduced throughout the 20th century. Key developments included the first programmable machines, numerical control, and the integration of computer-aided design and control systems. Such developments have led to greater precision, efficiency, and autonomy in manufacturing. Today, automation continues to advance with AI-driven predictive maintenance, collaborative robots, software ecosystems like enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing execution systems (MES), and innovations such as robots-as-a-service (RaaS), transforming how industries produce, distribute, and manage goods. In this introduction to our automation and robotics series, we review the key technologies, history, and important trends in this dynamic field. The full set of articles include the Evolution of Robotics, Robotic End Effector Guide, Autonomous Mobile Robots, Industrial Robot Programming, Automated Factory Guide, and Robotics Commercial Off-the-Shelf Software. Here we’ll be answering the questions: What is automation technology? And how did it evolve to this point? In this article, we’ll be covering: What Is Industrial Automation Technology? History of Automation Technology Types of Automated Technology Used Today Automated Material Handling Systems Conveyors Robotic Arms Going Deeper into Automation & Technology What Is Industrial Automation Technology? While there are several types of automation, industrial automation specifically involves machines or software taking over repetitive, high-risk, high-speed, or undesirable tasks, moving human functions from physical labor to systems direction. Many may picture manufacturing automation technology, like welding robots, when thinking of automation. However, it should be noted that automation is used in far more than just manufacturing, including in material handling and testing. Automation transfers tasks from humans to machines, reorganizes work processes, and redefines the roles of both humans and machines. Over the past several decades, automation has become increasingly synonymous with computerization, as digital systems have replaced earlier mechanical and electromechanical methods. Automation of systems hasn’t always led to productivity gains. A narrow focus on efficiency can reduce system flexibility and introduce points of vulnerability. Successful automation depends on how well organizations adapt and integrate new technologies within flexible systems that balance human and machine input (Gerovitch). At its best, automation improves system efficiency while streamlining work for the people involved. Ahaus, for example, implemented a headlight assembly machine that is able to delicately handle headlights to minimize worker strain. On the other side of the automation spectrum, AMDT was able to install better control software for CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, enabling better backup and coordination of 500 more niche software systems to make it easier for human operators to ensure lower chances of equipment failure. Register NowHistory of Automation Technology Automation in history has seen a great deal of evolution. In the late 19th century, conveyor belts were used to move coal, ore, and other raw materials. By the mid-20th century, autonomous mobile robots and robotic arms were introduced. These technologies continue to grow in use as their prices come down and they expand in functionality and intelligence. Automation history started in the 1700s with tools like lathes, screw machines, and the jacquard loom, which relied on punch cards to weave a pattern. In addition to these simple machines increasing efficiency, human actions were studied and standardized to increase production efficiency as well. Workers were given detailed instructions on how to perform standardized tasks, leading to the creation of assembly lines and eventually Henry Ford’s moving assembly line in 1913 (Gerovitch). In 1938, Willard Pollard and Harold Roselund built the first “programmable” mechanism, a paint sprayer for the DeVilbiss company. In 1949, Raymond Goertz created a tele-operated articulated arm, an early version of a master-slave manipulator, which consists of two parts: a human-controlled half, and a second half further away that mirrors the movements of the human (Gasperetto). Around this same time, in 1947, Henry Ford established the use of the term “automation.” Three years later, he created the first automated engine plant, using a fixed automation system. In 1952, thanks to demands from the U.S. Air Force for more complex manufactured parts (Gerovitch), the first numerical control (NC) machine was developed at MIT in Boston by John Parsons and Frank Stulen: a milling machine numerically programmable for short series (Gasperetto). This opened the door for flexible automation lines, though early NC machines were so complex they were too expensive and high-maintenance for any but the Air Force to purchase for some time (Gerovitch). In 1954 the first robotic arm was also patented. Automatic process control was the next big wave in automation, starting with a system installed in 1959 for a Texaco oil refinery. At first, computers monitored data collected by sensors throughout the plant and provided workers with information on how to use this data in an open loop system, but later iterations made the machinery self-adjusting. Developments in central computer systems led from numerical control to direct numerical control (DNC) systems, where machinery was brought under the management of a single computer. However, computer numerical control (CNC) took over in the early 1970s as microprocessors became available, making it possible for machinists to program individual machines. These systems continued to evolve with hierarchical numerical control systems, which combine DNC and CNC systems, as well as flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) and flexible manufacturing cells (FMC). FMS and FMC coordinate groups of CNC machines, loading and unloading, and other machinery in a manufacturing cell or system. Meanwhile, factory robotics became more available in the 1960s, increasing in their ability to interact with the environment and products as their complexity grew. This was also the decade computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) began to come into play. It started with aerospace companies, and computer aided engineering (CAE) soon followed. The 1960s also gave rise to computers with the ability to act as bookkeepers, processing and storing information, with the creation of management information systems (MIS) for data analysis (Gerovitch). From there, the advancement of computers brought increasing capabilities to industrial applications, including robotics with advanced capabilities, decentralized systems, flexible control software, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems for extensive computer control. This led to large-scale automation for manufacturing, transportation, and distribution. The 1990s brought developments in intelligent automation, including for programmable logic controllers, CNC, and motion control. It also saw advancements in modeling and simulation, especially for CAD and computer-aided engineering (CAE) in automation. Additionally, manufacturing software systems began entering the market, such as supply chain management, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and manufacturing execution software (MES) (Schmidt). Increasingly able to interact with products and industrial environments, robots became suitable for applications like safely co-working with humans and detailed part assembly. Robots during this and the proceeding decades developed greater ability to interact with products and the environment, making them suited to applications like safely co-working with humans and detailed part assembly. Current automation includes innovations like robots-as-a-service, using AI to detect part failures before they happen, and increased cobot safety and flexibility. You can find out more in our article on the 2024 IMTS show. Join us in September 2026 at our next IMTS show to find out about the latest in automation advances. Types of Automated Technology Used Today Physical automation technology falls into four main categories: fixed automation, good for mass production, programmable automation for batch manufacturing, soft automation, which is best for flexibility, and integrated automation, which combines the other types of automation to create systems on larger scales. 1. Fixed (Hard) Automation Designed for high-volume production of specific products, fixed automation offers efficiency but limited flexibility. It typically involves a large upfront investment and includes systems such as conveyor belts, assembly lines, and material handling in warehouses. 2. Programmable Automation Ideal for batch and medium-volume production, programmable automation can be reconfigured to manufacture different products. However, it is slower than fixed automation and more complex to maintain. Examples include CNC machines, robotics, and programmable logic controllers (PLCs). 3. Flexible (or Soft) Automation This highly adaptable system allows quick changeovers to produce a variety of products and is extremely flexible, though it comes with high upfront costs and increased maintenance needs. Common applications include robotics used in manufacturing medical devices and electronics. 4. Integrated Automation Integrated automation can be any combination of the other three and is usually used when integrators are trying to automate the entire manufacturing process of a product. These systems rely on advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI). They are excellent for data collection, efficiency, and productivity. However, they are the most expensive and difficult to integrate, require significant staff training. They’re often used in lights out manufacturing, which requires no human workers at all (4 Main). Automation Technologies for Optimizing Industrial Processes A range of automation technologies is used to streamline industrial processes, including material handling systems, conveyors, and robotic arms. Automated Material Handling Systems Automated material handling (AMH) is a broad category that uses automated systems for such applications as: Dispensing Machine loading Material handling Order picking Packaging AMH systems are faster, more agile, and exceptionally precise. They also reduce the risk of accidents associated with improper handling. Advances in sensing, machine learning (ML), AI, and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies are making it possible to fully automate an increasing number of handling tasks today (Mishra). Conveyors Conveyor systems are standard equipment in manufacturing for a variety of operations: Pick-and-place Dispensing Assembling Palletizing Moving products or materials that are too heavy to lift There are dozens of types of conveyors with names suggesting their purpose, including gravity, elevated, accumulation, bucket, chain, spiral, and vertical. Two of the most widely used conveyors are roller conveyors, used for heavy loads where less precision is required, and belt conveyors, which are best for pick-and-place movements that require precisely locating smaller or irregularly shaped objects. Robotic Arms Robotic arms have been used for welding operations in automobile manufacturing for more than 50 years, and this industry is still the largest user of robots. A little less than a third of all robots are found in the automotive industry. Today, the range of tasks that robotic arms perform has expanded greatly as their flexibility continues to increase through technology advancements. In addition to lifting heavy items, they are also increasingly used for much smaller applications. One Harvard team has created a 15 mm x 20 mm robot arm that can be used in pick-and-place of circuit boards (milliDelta). A typical industrial robot arm includes a series of joints, articulations, and manipulators that work together to closely resemble the motion and functionality of a human arm. The arm’s job moves the end effector from place to place – picking up, putting down, taking off, or welding a part. A computer controls the robot by rotating individual step motors connected to each joint; some larger arms used to lift heavy payloads use hydraulics or pneumatics. A robotic arm can be programmed to do several different jobs or one specific job, depending on the manufacturer’s needs. Robotic arms can perform a wide range of tasks depending on the tools that are attached to the end of the arm, and recent technology advances have greatly expanded the variety of end effectors, also known as end-of-arm tooling. Additionally, a variety of sensors can be attached to robotic arms to communicate detailed data about the robot’s working environment to its control center to guide its movements and activity. Register NowGoing Deeper into Automation & Technology Automated technology has increased in flexibility and applications over the past few hundred years. Enabling better output and greater worker safety, it has moved human roles farther from manual work and closer to management and decision-making. With innovations like robots-as-a-service and emerging tools such as AI, the next century of automation is poised to bring remarkable advancements in what industry can achieve. Want to go deeper into automation? Our next article in this series focuses on the tooling that enables robotic arms to perform such incredible feats of precision. Learn more in our robotic end effectors guide. Do you have input about this article? Tell us about it.Read the Automation and Robotics Series Robotic End Effector Guide: End of Arm Tooling Types and Trends History of Robotics: Robotics Generations, Coding, and More Autonomous Mobile Robots: Companies, Types, and Advantages Industrial Robot Programming: Teach Pendant, Robot Simulator & Languages Automated Factory Guide: Lights-Out & Dark Manufacturing Robotics Commercial Off-the-Shelf Software: Robot Operating System, Cenit, and MoreSources Gasparetto, Alessandro, and Lorenzeo Scalera. (2019, January). “From the Unimate to the Delta Robot: The Early Decades of Industrial Robotics: Proceedings of the 2018 HMM IFToMM Symposium on History of Machines and Mechanisms." ResearchGate. Accessed July 11, 2025. Gerovitch, Slava. “Automation.” (2003, January). Encyclopedia of Computer Science. Accessed July 14, 2025. “MilliDelta: Millimeter-Scale Delta Robot." Wyss Institute, Harvard University. Accessed August 4, 2025. Mishra, Aparna. “Unit 3 Automated Material Handling.” Academia.edu. Accessed July 14, 2025. “The 4 Main Types of Automation Explained.” (2024, September 13). Universal Technical Institute. Accessed July 14, 2025. Schmidt, Gunther. “Industrial Automation – Past, Present, and Future.” Technical University of Munich. Accessed July 14, 2025.
Automation technology has evolved from conveyor belts used since the late 19th century to robotic arms, which continue to grow in use as prices come down and advanced end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) and sensors expand their functionality and intelligence.
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