Industrial Automation equipment is used for reducing costs, improving quality, increasing productivity, and reducing costs. Automation controllers 
are connected to the industrial equipment like assembly lines, processing equipment, machine tools to operate easily in coordination with the stored programs. Some of the industrial applications are research and industrial applications, continuous batch and discrete applications, and I/O operations.
The different categories of Industrial automation are:
- Process controllers: They are used for carrying out process control functions and does functions even for data gathering. Some of the process industries are petrol, gas, paper, food and beverages etc. A process control function includes monitoring various types of functions like measuring the pressures of gases and even liquids, flows, temperatures etc.
- Signal Processor: They are used for removing or deriving the primary or secondary signal portion from a signal which is compositely measured including again the primary and the secondary signal. A digital signal processor is commonly used signal processing system.
- Barcode equipment: It is equipment which is used for giving information about the characters by the use of vertical or the parallel lines of different thickness which are being arranged at different intervals. These are generally used for determining the cost of any equipment.
- Data Acquisition System: Data acquisition system is used for getting the data efficiently. The analog sensors and the recording or measurement systems are used for measuring and analyzing valuable data.
- Machine vision system: It is an important control in the automation system. It has the capabilities which are employed for measurements and even inspection of the parts. It includes computer based image acquisition and even analysis capabilities.
- Motion control device: It is used for moving an object in the required manner. The main components of the motion control device are controller and the mechanical system. They are divided into types of systems. They are general motion controlled device and the other one is CNC machine. The general motion control device uses low cost controllers for the operation. The other type is computer numeric controlled device uses the high cost controllers.
- Radio frequency identification (RFID): These radio frequency waves are used for identifying the object at any place. It allows identification of the persons, articles etc easily.
- Robotic system: They are frequently used instead of human labour. Computers are used for controlling the Robots generally. They perform the operations with much intelligence. The current manufacturing systems are using the robots for the automation to be done easily.
- SCADA system: It is also called as Supervisory control and data acquisition system it is widely used in processing controls and even for management of power systems. They are being used for monitoring, controlling the operations of wide variety of operations which include factories, power plants etc.
- Temperature Monitoring Equipment: It is used for protecting the electronic appliances or components high temperatures and the temperature variations are recorded which are used for monitoring the electronic appliances.
- Wireless telemetry system: It is a communication system which is used for measuring and even for collecting the data and then it is used for transmitting the collected information to the required equipment which is at a remote place.
- Factory automation equipment: A typical factory automation system uses the PLC’s for the automation. This makes the automation system work faster without any time wastage. The PLC’S naturally perform the process control operations.
- Human-Machine Interface: It is the meeting point where both the man and machine are interlinked. This interface reduces error and protects the workers from hazards.
These are the most common types of components which are used for making an industry automated.