Automation, what

P. Neumann, Communication in industrial automation—What is going on . Control Engineering Practice, Volume 15, (2007), pp. 1332. 

Majors, R. E. 1995. Trends in sample preparation and automation—What the experts are saying, LC-GC, 13 742-748. 

Neumann, P. Communication in industrial automation-what is going on Control Engineering Practice 15, 1332-1347 (2006)... 

The term theoretical chemistry may be defined as the mathematical description of chemistry. The term computational chemistry is generally used when a mathematical method is sufficiently well developed that it can be automated for implementation on a computer. Note that the words exact and perfect do not appear in these definitions. Very few aspects of chemistry can be computed exactly, but almost every aspect of chemistry has been described in a qualitative or approximately quantitative computational scheme. The biggest mistake a computational chemist can make is to assume that any computed number is exact. However, just as not all spectra are perfectly resolved, often a qualitative or approximate computation can give useful insight into chemistry if the researcher understands what it does and does not predict. 

In recent years, the automatic regulation of processes has steadily gained a foothold ia the brewiag iadustry. The aim has beea to produce beer with a better and more even quahty and at lower costs. Today, with new equipment and experience ia automatioa within the process iadustry, it is possible to build an advanced automatic system for the brewiag iadustry. Many factors influence the level of automation needed, and judgment must be used to decide what is best for optimum profit. 

The gas turbine is a complex system. A typical control system with hierarchic levels of automation is shown in Figure 19-3. The control system at the plant level consists of a D-CS system, which in many new installations is connected to a condition monitoring system and an optimization system. The D-CS system is what is considered to be a plant level system and is connected to the three machine level systems. It can, in some cases, also be connected to functional level systems such as lubrication systems and fuel handling systems. In those cases, it would give a signal of readiness from those systems to the machine level systems. The condition monitoring system... 

To determine the structure of a protein or peptide, we need to answer three questions What amino acids are present How much of each is present in what sequence do the amino acids occur in the peptide chain The answers to the first two questions are provided by an automated instrument called an amino acid analyzer. 

As an example, consider the automation efforts for chemical laboratories in the last decades. Chemical laboratories of today are equipped with instruments that, in principle, can run automatically for 24 hours a day. This results in a higher productivity, since more samples can be analysed with an equal technical effort. Decisions about the analysis itself, how many and which samples must be analysed with what method or technique, etc., are still the responsibility of the laboratory personnel. Since experience can be incorporated into expert systems, they can provide significant benefits as decision-supporting tools. Therefore, the main ideas of expert systems and their development are explained in this chapter. More detailed information can be found in the numerous textbooks on expert systems [7-10]. 

In addition, further automation will be needed in what is still very much a hands-on art. Autoinjectors coupled to complete analytical data systems and readers for 96-well plates are the beginning of what will continue to be a necessary trend of residue chemistry. The application of the techniques of combinatorial chemistry/biochemistry, which has produced screening methodology for handling many variables, might be appropriate to residue chemistry. 

There may be circumstances in which an electroanalytical method, as a consequence of the additional chemicals required, has disadvantages in comparison with instrumental techniques of analysis however, the above-mentioned advantages often make electroanalysis the preferred approach for chemical control in industrial and environmental studies. Hence, in order to achieve a full understanding of what electroanalysis can do in these fields first, it will be treated more systematically in Part A second, some attention will be paid in Part B to electroanalysis in non-aqueous media in view of its growing importance and finally, the subject will be rounded off in Part C by some insight into and some examples of applications to automated chemical control. 

In 1976, Radiometer61 presented for the first time a microprocessor-controlled titration system. Since then, the microprocessor has been used preferentially and as a fully integrated part (in line) in electroanalytical instruments as a replacement for the on-line microcomputer used before. Bos62 gave a comprehensive description of the set-up and newer developments with microprocessors in relation to microcomputers and indicated what they can do in laboratory automation. Many manufacturers are now offering versatile microprocessor-controlled titrators such as the Mettler DL 40 and DL 40 RC MemoTitrators, the Metrohm E 636 Titroprocessor and the Radiometer MTS 800 multi-titration system. Since Mettler were the first to introduce microprocessor-controlled titrators with their Model DK 25, which could be extended to a fully automated series analysis via the ST 80/ST 801 sample transport and lift together with the CT 21/CT211 identification system, we shall pay most attention to the new Mettler MemoTitrators, followed by additional remarks on the Metrohm and Radiometer apparatus. 

Wieck et al.188 reported on what they called "a simple approach to micro-computer-controlled electrochemistry , which in fact represents a considerable amount of laboratory automation. In this direction, the "enhancement of the performance of analytical laboratories, a theoretical approach to analytical planning by Janse and Kateman189 represented a further step in laboratory management. 

What is less clear is how, or whether, the roles of pharmacists will grow or advance. Since no significant increase in the number of practicing pharmacists can be foreseen in the immediate future to take on this increasing workload, while hopefully continuing to expand services and the delivery of pharmaceutical care, pharmacy clearly faces a major challenge. More use of better trained, certified, or even licensed technicians is one approach. More automation and computerization is another. A rapid growth in the expected use of electronic prescriptions may also allow further efficiencies—even the prospect of a paperless automated process. 

To determine the number of hourly personnel, the process engineer must decide what tasks must be performed and how maw people each task will require per shift Some petroleum refineries processing over 200,000 bbl/day require less than 6 operators per shift. A plant that is nearly completely automated may require essentially no one however, for safety reasons two persons will be employed. Two... 

There we have it, if data collection and analysis can not be done now, it is usually because someone doesn t want it to be done. Where then are the new horizons in laboratory automation We return to the concept of task automation. Task automation involves determining what it is we should be doing, and using automation to accomplish it efficiently. This is a restatement of the now familiar efficiency and effectiveness concept. 

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