IAA April 2013

April 2013 IndustrialAutomationAsia

www.iaasiaonline.com

April 2013

MICA (P) 010/07/2012 | ISSN 0219/5615 | PPS 1561/06/2013 (022960)

Warehouse Management | Drives & Motors | Industrial Ethernet | Food & Beverage

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W E NeBOOK

SIVE U L C EX

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Automate To Better

www.iaasiaonline.com

Warehouse Management Limits Of

Micro-Actuation pg 35

The Invisible

Network pg 39

Improved Accuracy

Through Automation pg 50

Every process, every kilo, every dollar.

Every.

Thing. Controlled.

Every process, every kilo, every dollar.

Every. Thing. Controlled.

In a resource-hungry business like sugar refining, costs need to be tightly controlled.

But changing consumer preferences and the rise of competitive brands emphasize the need for variety, and the highest of quality standards. ABB’s tireless commitment In a resource-hungry business like sugar refining, costs need to be tightly controlled. to process innovation can offer major performance improvements. For example, by But changing consumer preferences and the rise of competitive brands emphasize constantly matching power supply to the actual power demand of individual parts of the the need for variety, and the highest of quality standards. ABB’s tireless commitment plant, overall power consumption can be reduced by up to 30%. Whether you choose to to process innovation can offer major performance improvements. For example, by talk directly to us, or to one of our ABB Authorized value providers, you can rest assured constantly matching power supply to the actual power demand of individual parts of the that everything is controlled. Every cane, every beet, every process, every kilowatt-hour, plant, overall power consumption can be reduced by up to 30%. Whether you choose to every kilo, every dollar. www.abb.com/sugar talk directly to us, or to one of our ABB Authorized value providers, you can rest assured that everything is controlled. Every cane, every beet, every process, every kilowatt-hour, every kilo, every dollar. www.abb.com/sugar

ENQUIRY NO. 549

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AC DRIVES | SERVO DRIVES | CONTROLLERS | ROBOTS | SYSTEM ENGINEERING MTA 2013, Precision Engineering Industry Event Booth Number Date Venue City

: 3J5-01 : 9-12 April 2013 : Singapore Expo : Singapore

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Bettering Your Business Supporting Automation, Streamlining, and Energy-Saving with Our Motor Control Technology Servo motors and AC drives are critical for the smooth and precise operation of a machine.

YASKAWA products are used widely, in the manufacturing sites of every industry, in skycrapers and public facilities, and in transportation systems.

Motion Control Yaskawa Electric (Singapore) Pte Ltd 151 Lorong Chuan, #04-02A, New Tech Park, Singapore 556741 Tel: +65 6282 3003

“MOTOMAN” Industrial Robots Operating around the World In 1977, YASKAWA released the first all-electric industrial robot in Japan, and have since continued to develop robots that automate various tasks, including welding, assembly, painting, and handling. Our “MOTOMAN” robots now play important roles in automotive, mechanical, electric, metal, logistics, and other industrial fields all over the world.

Supporting Facilities around the Clock Our system engineering contributes to the stable operation of steel plants, water treatment plants, and other system indispensable for our daily lives. YASKAWA is also working to meet the increasing demand for medium-voltage AC drives required for more energy-efficient operation of pumps, blowers, and other equipment used by pneumatic and hydraulic machines.

System Engineering Learn more @

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The concept of mechatronics, pioneered by YASKAWA in the late 1969s, aims to integrate our customers’ mechanical equipment with our electronics products to yield greater performance. Today, our mechatronics technology, which enables greater performance by applying electronics technology to machine control, is contributing greatly to automation, streamlining, and energy conservation in various industries.

Robotics

Bettering Your Daily Life

Combining “Mechanism” and “Electronics” into “Mechatronics”

Visit IAA at RFID World Asia 2013, booth #4D13, from April 24 to 25, at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, Singapore.

ISSUES & INSIGHTS

25

Efficiency, Safety, And Flexibility In Warehouse Design

28

Managing Key Warehouse Processes

32

Progressive Warehouse Management Applications

Mobile racking and automated solutions for cold stores offer good economic returns for companies looking to step up operations.

By Brian Miles, Schaefer Systems International

Getting products to market on time and at a competitive price is becoming increasingly challenging. Today, retailers and end users are demanding smaller, more frequent deliveries and tighter delivery windows.

By Michael Bradshaw, Dematic SEA

25

The evolution of technology pushes all those involved in the warehousing industry to start considering new means and ways of warehouse management. By Petros Zenieris, The Business Criterion

Process CONTROL

35

The Current And Future Limits Of Micro-Actuation

37

RFID Technology: Automated Testing Lines

The high sales potential predicted many years ago for microdrives can still be achieved today, but issues centred around the feasibility of applying this technology to industrial use need to be addressed.

By Dr Thomas Bertolini, Dr Fritz Faulhaber

On a testing line for window blind motors, an RFID system ensures efficient test procedures and accurate quality classification.

By Norbert Matthes, Contrinex

35

SOFTWARE & NETWORKS

39

Creating The Invisible Network

42

Considerations For Fieldbus Systems

46

New Trends In Automation

Knowing how to transition your current industrial Ethernet infrastructure into a robust, invisible network that supports the varying demands placed on your production operations is key to building a competitive business ready solution for an ever-changing marketplace. By Brian Oulton, Belden

The selection of a Fieldbus system is an important step in improving efficiency and flexibility of an industrial communications network.

Due consideration should be given in deciding where to invest a company’s resources to this end. By Martin Rostan, EtherCAT Technology Group

39 2  industrial automation asia | April 2013

The trend towards Ethernet from the traditional IT to the world of industrial automation is happening at a faster pace than ever. This trend will surely increase as performance and environmental considerations are understood. Contributed by Bernd Lieberth, Siemens

Today, manufacturers depend on a well-coordinated supply chain for efficient operation of critical processes in the entire eco-system. Additionally, the organisation’s ability to acquire timely, accurate information will also significantly enhance customer satisfaction and profitability. A global leader respected for innovation and reliability, Zebra offers an extensive range of solutions that can help lower costs, increase productivity and enhance visibility across your supply chain.

Reduce errors and enable real-time efficiencies by eliminating manual steps in daily tasks. Reduce product search time, improve inventory stocks and enhance manufacturing process control. From simple item-level tracking to complex high-value assets management, leverage Zebra’s barcoding and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies to optimise processes, productivity and profits.

To find out more, visit http://www.virtualzebra.com/Manufacturing For further enquiries, please email SGMarcom@zebra.com © 2013 ZIH Corp. All rights reserved.

Scan the QR Code to download whitepaper on “How Barcodes and RFID Deliver Value to Manufacturing and Distribution” now.

ENQUIRY NO. 558

TOTAL VISIBILITY. STREAMLINED PRODUCTIVITY. REAL-TIME EFFICIENCIES.

Connect with us at

www.facebook.com/IAAsia

Instrumentation & Measurement

50

Case Study: New Life For Steel Mills In China And India

Precision engineering solutions are presented for China's steel market and an retrofit project in India. By Jeremy Lee, Moog

50

energy

52

Distributed Versus Centralised Power Backup Strategies

Choosing the right UPS deployment architecture for your data centre is of great importance, and as such it is important to simplify the decision-making process.

By Ed Spears, Eaton Corporation

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

56

As liquid filling machines move from older weigh cell technology to flowmeter-based systems, for smoother operations & more accurate instrumentation. By Tom Risser, president, US Bottlers

56

60

Industrial Automation Asia (IAA) is published 8 issues per year by Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd 1100 Lower Delta Road #02-05 EPL Building Singapore 169206 Tel: (65) 6379 2888 • Fax: (65) 6379 2805 Website: www.iaasiaonline.com Email: iaa@epl.com.sg

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Improve Operations Through Mobility

With growing competitions in the Asian fresh food market place, mobile solutions are fastbecoming the deciding factors in streamlining operations and improving work environments.

By Freddy Fam, Intermec Technologies

60

64

Case Study: A Better Way To Fill Bottles

Cover: Dematic

IMPORTANT NOTICE The circulation of this magazine is audited by bpa world wide. The advertisers’ association recommend that advertisers should place their advertisements only in audited publications.

Case Study: The Robotic Egg Packer

In a competitive market that often suffers from low profit margins due to the volatility of raw material costs, operational efficiency is not a luxury but an essential element to ensure a company’s survival and growth. By Shermine Gotfredsen, Universal Robots

Regulars

Refer to pg

10

Industry News

24

Fieldbus Foundation

19

CAN in Automation

66

Products & Services

20

Profibus

7 1

Calendar of Events

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EtherCAT Technology

72A Product Enquiry Card

4 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Copyright. Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced in any form or means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, taping, etc – without the written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher and editor.

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EDITOR’s PAGE

Published by:

AUTOMATE

EASTERN TRADE MEDIA PTE LTD (A fully owned subsidiary of Eastern Holdings Ltd) Managing Director

Kenneth Tan editor

To Optimise Your Facility

Joson Ng josonng@epl.com.sg Assistant editor

Mark Johnston markjohnston@epl.com.sg

Warehouse management is increasingly being optimised with the

Editorial Assistant

Tarine Tan tarinetan@epl.com.sg

help of automation. From monitoring the inflow and outflow of stock, to tracking and monitoring its contents, to making sure the

Graphic Designer

stock is handled with care, and stored in the correct environmental

Peh Loon Chin pehloonchin@epl.com.sg

conditions if necessary. As such, there are many technologies being

Senior Sales Manager

used, such as RFID technology to track and monitor the flow of

Derick Chia derickchia@epl.com.sg

cargo. In an increasingly globalised world such tracking is of great

SALES MANAGER

importance. In the simplest terms it optimises the flow of stock, and

Sanny Chia sannychia@epl.com.sg

provides an automated delivery receipt to the sender.

senior CIRCULATION EXECUTIVE

Brenda Tan brenda@epl.com.sg

Other cases where such technology has been used involve the aerospace industry. In such cases the different parts of an aircraft, eg: the wings and fuselage are usually manufactured at different locations before coming together for assembly.

Contributors

Michael Bradshaw, Brian Miles, Petros Zenieris, Dr Thomas Bertolini, Norbert Matthes, Brian Oulton, Martin Rostan, Bernd Lieberth, Jeremy Lee, Ed Spears, Freddy Fam, Tom Risser, Shermine Gotfredsen

Sensors based on RFID technology have been used to monitor

Editorial Consultants

Jim Pinto

the rate of progress in such cases, indicating at what percentage

Industry Analyst

each component has been completed. This information allows

Alastair Ross Director, Codexx Associates Ltd

greater cooperation among facilities, and ultimately enables the manufacturer to bring together the aircrafts component parts

supported by:

once they have reached completion. This is preferable, rather than having one component completed months in advance, while another component is still being built. Other technologies used in warehouse management include voice technology, and automatic monitoring of stock.

EASTERN HOLDINGS LTD executive Board Chairman

In this issue of IAA, we have articles on Warehouse Management, Drives & Motors, Industrial Ethernet, Precision Engineering, and Back-Up Power Systems. As always, we look forward to your comments and feedback.

Stephen Tay GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Kenneth Tan

etm

Eastern

Trade Media Pte Ltd an Eastern Holdings Ltd company

Mark Johnston Assistant Editor

Head Office & Mailing Address: Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd 1100 Lower Delta Road #02-05 EPL Building Singapore 169206 Tel: (65) 6379 2888 • Fax: (65) 6379 2805 Website: www.iaasiaonline.com Email: iaa@epl.com.sg MICA (P) 010/07/2012 ISSN 0219/5615 PPS 1561/06/2013 (022960) Co Reg No. 199908196C Printer: Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd

6 industrial automation asia | April 2013

ENQUIRY NO. 530

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The robot then hoists bins out of the stack one at a time until it reaches the bin that is required.

As such, there may need to be 15 bins extracted from the stack to access the 16th bottom-most bin (more on this later). The required bin is extracted from the stack by the robot hoist which elevates the bin to the rail grid at the top of the storage cube. The robot then moves the bin horizontally to a ‘drop’ stack based on the order picking station where the bin is required for order picking. The bin is then lowered by the hoist bands down to ground level where it is then presented to an operator at a picking workstation.

Upon confirmation that the picking has been completed, the robot then elevates the bin back up to the top of the storage cube and the bin is returned into storage. The next time our

new item is requested, the bin is now at the top of the stack hence the more frequently an item is ordered, the higher the probability that its bin will be positioned at the top of a stack Each robot is equipped with a grid line sensor on the underside of the unit located near the wheels. The sensor detects its location which is communicated via wireless controls to the Warehouse Control System (WCS) which knows the real time location of every robot.

AutoStore Risk Assessment

AutoStore: Antalis Lupfig, Switzerland

It’s non-issue for AutoStore that a breakdown does not occur for the entire system, rather for a component of the system. For example, if a robot breaks down and needs to be maintained, then it can be shuttled over to a ‘sick bay’ for repairs and a redundant robot can take over the work. The system involves very few moving parts, which means that the downtime being recorded from the field is next to nothing

Antalis, Europe’s paper and packaging material distributor is Swisslog’s first Swiss customer to use AutoStore to increase efficiency and minimise space requirements for published materials storage at its main depot in Switzerland. Antalis chose AutoStore because of its scalability, flexibility and ease of integration into the existing infrastructure. Antalis’ system was integrated into a warehouse area with a 10 x 10m column grid, which previously housed shelving. With a footprint of just 400m², AutoStore accommodates 18,000 plastic bins. Items arriving on automated guided vehicles are placed into storage or presented for picking at four loading and picking ports handled by 10 robots.

Benefits Of AutoStore 1 AutoStore is easy to dismantle and reinstall into another

Swisslog is a global supplier of integrated logistics solutions with a comprehension portfolio of services inclusive of building warehouses and distribution centres. Come and visit Swisslog at Semicon Singapore 2013, Booth #412 to understand how we can support your needs!

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Industry News

Visit IAA at RFID World Asia 2013, booth #4D13, from April 24 to 25, at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, Singapore.

Rockwell Automation Appoints New Regional Director For Southeast Asia

The Institution Of Engineers In Singapore Partners Labour Movement Singapore: The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) enters into an agreement with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to bring additional benefits to 3,000 of its members. This partnership will further expand the Labour Movement’s (LM) efforts in serving more Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs).

Held in conjunction with the annual IES Spring Festival, the agreement was signed by Dr Boh Jaw Woei, honorary secretary from IES and Vivek Kumar, director, Membership Department, NTUC. Special guest, Patrick Tay, director, Legal Services Department and Professionals, Managers and Executives Unit (PMEU), NTUC and MP for Nee Soon GRC, IES president professor Chou Siaw Kiang, along with NTUC union leaders from the Building Construction and Timber Industries Employees’ Union (BATU), Metal Industries Workers’ Union (MIWU), United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries (UWEEI) and over 100 IES members witnessed the signing of the Partnership Agreement.

Under this agreement, IES will be recognised as NTUC’s U Associate Partner and will partner NTUC in offering NTUC Associate Programme (AP) membership to all qualifying IES and registry members. IES will also have collaboration opportunities with the three Industrial Unions in NTUC — BATU, MIWU and UWEEI. The UWEEI-EPC (Engineering Professional Community), BATU-CBP (Community for Building Professionals) and MIWU (Chapter for Precision and Process Engineering) aim to reach out to PMEs in the electronics, building and precision engineering sectors. Through the U Associate partnership with NTUC, IES members will be able to access the programmes offered by the Professional Chapters. In the future, IES members can look forward to participating in activities organised by these Unions’ Chapters such as professional development talks, training previews, as well as recreational activities and networking sessions at subsidised rates.

Shho, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Robert Buttermore, regional director, Rockwell Automation

Signing the agreement: Dr Boh Jaw Woei, honorary secretary, IES (front row, second from left) , Vivek Kumar, director, membership department, NTUC (front row, third from left), with special guest Patrick Tay, (second row, first from right).

10 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Singapore: Rockwell Automation has announced that Robert Buttermore is to be the company's new regional director for Southeast Asia. Based in Singapore, Mr Buttermore will be responsible for sales, marketing and business operations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Mr Buttermore originally joined Rockwell Automation in 1997 in Cleveland, Ohio, US in the company’s Operations Leadership Development Program as an engineer. He advanced into roles of increasing responsibility in operations management, sales, sales management, and most recently was global business manager for IEC Motor Control Centres, prior to relocating to Asia.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University, US and is replacing Scott Teerlinck who has moved back to the US to join the executive team of a major distributor for the company.

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Industry News

Dassault Systèmes In Partnership With Airbus Singapore: Dassault Systèmes has announced a partnership with Airbus to expand the use of its 3DExperience platform’s realistic Simulation Applications (SIMULIA). This will accelerate the structural analysis and virtual testing of their next generation aircraft, starting with the A350-900.

Airbus’ Accelerated Development for Vulnerability And Nonlinear System (ADVANS) program consists of simulation methods to apply the nonlinear dynamic analysis capabilities of SIMULIA Abaqus to predict the real-world strength and performance of its aircraft structures. Accurate, nonlinear analysis, done earlier in the design phase and prior to performing costly physical tests, results in a higher quality design, faster, and at a

lower cost. Airbus designers and engineers will create large simulation models, leveraging their aircraft models designed in the CATIA application. Then, by using highperformance computing clusters, they will be able to perform full-scale, nonlinear structural simulations with SIMULIA Abaqus overnight.

The Airbus’ ADVANS program represents a milestone in the long-standing relationship between Airbus and Dassault Systèmes. The SIMULIA application, part of the 3DExperience platform, enables simulation users to move away from approximate, linear analysis to more accurate, nonlinear simulation technologies. This allows a deeper understanding of realistic structural performance earlier in the design cycle.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The wind energy industry, one of the key growth engines amongst renewable energy technologies slipped into a slowdown in 2012 plagued by Europe’s and other developed countries’ economic woes, its first since witnessing double digit growth rate year-on-year since 2009.

Amidst this, the wind energy industry is likely to regain its lost sheen back in 2013 with the extension of federal tax credit in the US and Japan’s announcement to invest in offshore wind farms in Fukushima.

Despite falling prices and technological advancements, the wind power market growth continues to be fuelled by government support.

According to Suchitra Sriram, program manager, Energy and Environment, Frost & Sullivan: “The shutdown of Japan’s nuclear reactors in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami has changed the perspectives towards renewable energy technologies.”

“The compelling need for energy self sufficiency and energy security has driven Japan to tap its offshore wind potential despite high costs and challenges in connecting to the power grid. Furthermore, Japan’s investments in developing its onshore wind power projects have been dismal since 2008 due to complicated construction guidelines and 12 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Hyoung-Il So, Iksan-Si, Jeonbuk, South Korea

Wind Energy Market Set To Boom In Japan

grid connection issues,” she added.

Unlike the European markets that led the offshore wind power development globally, the Asia Pacific region has been slow progressing. However, with Japan’s plan to aggressively promote offshore wind projects in the country, the focus of developing offshore wind farms is expected to shift from the West to the East.

“A prime example is the Fukushima offshore wind power project with a planned capacity of 1 GW. The project has proved how wind power can be harnessed effectively even to replace nuclear power plants that are currently mired in safety concerns,” said Ms Sriram.

“Besides, it highlights the role played by such renewable energy technologies

in locations that are highly susceptible to develop nuclear power plants. This project, once commissioned has the potential to push Japan as one of the leading wind power markets in the Asia Pacific region,” she added.

A lull in the country’s onshore wind power market during the recent years had driven some Japanese wind turbine manufacturers to focus on overseas European and US markets. However, this scenario is likely to change because of growing interest in developing offshore wind farms in Japan. This is expected to attract not only home-grown engineering and construction companies but also global wind turbine manufacturers to re-enter Japan.

Industry News

Jakarta, Indonesia: In over two decades since it entered the market, Endress+Hauser has established itself in Indonesia as a supplier of measuring instruments and solutions.

To strengthen this position, its longtime sales partner in Jakarta has joined the Endress+Hauser Group as an independent company.

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago country consisting of more than 17,000 islands stretching from

Sumatra to Papua and is the fourth largest populated country in the world with more than 240 million people.

The country's economic growth has consistently been above six percent in the past years, one of the highest in the region. The company is active in all areas of process technology in Indonesia with a focus on chemicals, mining, oil & gas, water & wastewater, power & energy, as well as the food & beverage and the pulp & paper industry.

Yokogawa And Soteica Visual MESA Enter Partnership To Address Energy Management Solutions Business Tokyo, Japan: Yokogawa has announced the addition of Soteica Visual MESA's energy management and optimisation solution services to its portfolio of plantwide Energy Management Solutions (EMS). The company will provide this new offering to its customers through its sales and service channels. The company has also acquired 44.3 percent ownership of Soteica Visual MESA to accelerate the joint development of EMS. There is an increasing trend to optimise the mix of conventional and alternative energy sources used by plants, which can help to protect the environment by reducing the emissions of gases such as CO2 and NOx. The partnership will allow the organisation to sell Soteica Visual MESA's Visual MESA energy management and optimisation solution package, extending the range of solution services that it is able to offer to its customers.

The partnership will also allow Soteica Visual MESA to expand its sales of Visual MESA through Yokogawa's global sales network, with a particular focus on Asia.

Visual MESA is capable of reducing annual energy costs by approximately two percent to five percent.

There are approximately 3,400 plants worldwide with US$40 million or more in utility costs each year that could benefit from Visual MESA and obtain a return on

Adam Jakubiak, Kraków, Małopolska, Poland

Y0s1a, US

Endress+Hauser Consolidates Its Position In Indonesia

their investment in one year or less, and Yokogawa will initially be targeting these facilities.

The company will provide high value added EMS services, including maintenance and sitewide energy management and optimisation services (sustainability services). The companies will also cooperate in engineering with the aim of acquiring the knowledge needed to create a new business model for an EMS service that can help to optimise energy efficiency throughout a plant, including the main process and utilities.

April 2013 | industrial automation asia  13

Industry News

Emerson Upgrades Automation At One Of Europe’s Largest Thermal Power Plants Chelyabinsk, Russia: Emerson Process Management has completed an automation upgrade for an 800 MW unit in Russia’s Surgut-2 Power Plant, one of the largest thermal power stations in Europe. The company completed the upgrade during a four-month shutdown.

Unit 3 of the Surgut-2 Power Plant, owned and operated

by E.ON Russia, will now use the company's PlantWeb digital automation architecture with the Ovation expert control system, which was designed specifically for power applications. Previously, the unit used vintage analogue controls. The company's technology will help operators improve operational efficiencies and reliability.

In addition to upgrading the Unit 3 control system, instrumentation, control valves, and other related equipment, the company also modernised controls for the fluid end of the turbine set, reconstructed and equipped the Unit 3 control room, provided engineering and installation services, certified compliance with requirements of Russia’s System Operator of Central Dispatch Administration of the Unified Energy System, and assisted with unit startup.

The new integrated system enables automated operation of the entire power unit, including electrical controls for turbine generators and pumps, boiler and burner controls, and unit power and frequency control and coordination. It also provides real-time monitoring of equipment and timely notification of abnormal situations, and helps determine equipment health so technicians can schedule maintenance and repairs more efficiently.

Emerson upgrades automation for 800 MW unit at one of Europe`s largest thermal power plants.

As part of the project, the company also installed AMS Suite predictive maintenance software, which uses advanced diagnostics to enable Surgut-2 technicians to make better decisions based on a better view into the performance of their instrumentation. The Ovation system’s user interface is also consistent with previously upgraded units, simplifying user adoption.

Kostya Kisleyko, Moscow, Russia

Honeywell To Enhance Process Performance At Russian Refinery

14 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Moscow, Russia: Honeywell has announced it has been selected by OOO Kirishinefteorgsintez, part of OAO Surgutneftegaz holding, to supply its Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) and Advanced Alarm Manager system at the company’s refinery in Kirishi, in the Leningrad region of Russia.

OOO Kirishinefteorgsintez chose to install Experion PKS as part of the upgrade process to its gas fractionating unit’s compressor block and the crude distillation unit. Experion PKS will help to optimise production processes by

providing the integration of production subsystems as well as safety, industrial security and advanced control systems, enabling plant operators to work more effectively and make more informed decisions.

The company will also deploy its suite of Advanced Alarm Management products to improve plant uptime and safety by reducing losses through a more effective warning and alarm system, helping to prevent accidents at the plant which could lead to financial or environmental losses.

Industry News

Schaeffler CTO Discusses 'The Drives Of Tomorrow' At MTZ Conference Wolfsburg/Herzogenaurach, Germany: 'The Drives of Tomorrow' was the theme of the MTZ’s eighth conference held in Wolfsburg, Germany. Engine developers and automotive engineers came together to exchange ideas, with the main focus being placed on solutions for tomorrow’s automobiles, which will be shaped by globalisation, the availability of resources, and legislation on emissions.

The automotive industry and its suppliers are working on solutions to these challenges. In addition to the increasing trend for electrification, the optimisation of drive trains based on internal combustion engines as a complete system is also a focal point, as they are set to retain their dominant role in individual mobility.

In his keynote speech 'Enablers and Key Technologies for Efficient Small Engines', Schaeffler CTO professor Peter Gutzmer addressed the conflicting priorities that have to be dealt with in

modern engine development. “Small engines are both a marketable solution and a technical challenge at the same time. Smaller means less engine capacity and often fewer cylinders, less weight, and less friction — but above all, it initially means less comfort and inferior dynamics as well. These are the problems we have to solve,” professor Gutzmer explained.

“The performance and the running characteristics that are prevalent today have mainly been defined by largecapacity engines with a high number of cylinders. In contrast, modern 'rightsizing' drives are just emerging on the market,” he added.

For instance, two-cylinder engines used in small cars, three-cylinder engines used in compact cars, and four cylinder engines used in high-end cars all deliver respectable performance and are therefore increasingly in demand today. The trend for increasing specific

Schaeffler CTO professor Peter Gutzmer gave insights into ‘the drives of tomorrow’ in his keynote speech at the MTZ conference in Wolfsburg.

engine performance is set to make advances here.

The technologies and components playing the decisive role include variable valve control systems, turbocharging, i n c re a s i n g l y c o m p l e x t h e r m a l management systems, and a range of solutions for vibration damping. There is also the task of minimising friction and reducing weight to a greater extent, and of considering all these individual factors together in order to achieve an optimised, holistic approach.

The Netherlands: Imtech Marine has upgraded and extended the coverage of its Global VSAT Network. In addition to its existing network, the company can now offer VSAT coverage in the South Atlantic Ocean, between South America and Africa, an important area for the international maritime industry. The company also offers a broadband communication solution that utilises the iDirect Evolution platform. This solution covers all major shipping routes and provides quality of service, service level agreements, 24/7 support and worldwide VSAT coverage, including automatic beam switching.

At the same time as expanding the network, the company, together with its partner ITC Global, upgraded to the latest iDirect Evolution software version 3.1.This new software offers customers on the company's Global VSAT Network many advantages such as improved IP throughput and efficiency on their Ku-band VSAT Network as well as improved beam switching for maritime terminals, which is now both easier and faster. It also supports each

Wojtek Hintzke, Rumia, Pomorskie, Poland

Imtech Marine Upgrades And Extends Global Ku-Band VSAT Network

Imtech Marine has upgraded and extended the coverage of its Global VSAT network to cover areas important to the international marine industry.

application on board with up-to-date transport technology and offers more efficient multicasting, making video applications much faster.

April 2013 | industrial automation asia 15

Industry News

London, UK: ABI Research forecasts 8.6 billion smart cards will ship in 2013; a combined number spanning all smart card markets. Of total shipments, 16 percent are forecasted to use a contactless interface, rising to 30 percent in 2018. Government ID, transportation and ticketing, and payment cards continue strong double-digit growth in contactless adoption. SWP SIM card volumes continue to strengthen, and are expected to breech the 500 million mark in 2018.

Over the next three years the company expects to see a shift in the penetration ratio of pure contactless and dual interface shipments. In 2013, it forecasts 59 percent of all contactless deployments will utilise a pure contactless interface, reducing to 38 percent in 2018. The increase in dual interface adoption is apparent across multiple markets. IC vendors NXP,

Infineon, and STMicroelectronics are positioned to offer the best combination of convenience and high-end security over multiple applications. Additionally, the increase in dual interface adoption will deliver greater margins benefiting IC and smart card vendors alike.

Phil Sealy, research analyst, ABI Reseach comments: “The increase in contactless adoption is not limited to a selection of markets, although it is the banking and government verticals which are adopting contactless technology at a quicker rate, with the SIM market close behind. ABI Research tracks new services and credentials regionally, including governments issuing new national ID and social welfare cards, MNOs with SIM-based NFC payment services and wallets, and banks jumping to nextgeneration dual interface EMV cards.

As a result ABI Research forecasts that dual interface shipments will exceed the

Artur Cimoch, Lodzkie, Poland

Dual Interface And Pure Contactless Smart Cards Will Account For 16 Percent Of All Smart Card Shipments In 2013

A contact based smart card as used in a digital camera.

one billion mark in 2015.”

This market data report focuses on the collection of primary data from manufacturers of smart cards and secure ICs. The data includes the installed base and annual shipments of smart cards and secure ICs by technology and interface type, by region and vertical market. It is part of the company's Smart Card & Secure ICs Database.

ABB Wins Orders To Provide Electrical Systems For Drill Ships In Brazil Zurich, Switzerland: ABB has won orders worth US$160 million from Jurong Shipyard for the design, supply, supervision of installation, testing and commissioning of the main electrical systems for seven next generation drill ships that will operate in the deep water oil and gas fields off the coast of Brazil. The orders were booked in the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.

The ships will be used to drill wells in the offshore pre-salt fields off the southeast coast of Brazil. The company's integrated electrical package will provide a reliable power supply to subsystems onboard ships and help the operators maximise their energy efficiency.

The seven vessels are the first in a series of highefficiency drill ships designed for ultra-deep water operations and built by Estaleiro Jurong Aracruz at their shipyard on the central eastern coast of Espirito Santo, Brazil. It is a wholly-owned shipyard of the Jurong Shipyard based in Singapore.

16 industrial automation asia | April 2013

The company's scope of supply includes complete electrical systems including generators, distribution switchboards, transformers, drives and motors to power the ships’ thrusters and drilling systems. All of the company's solutions meet or exceed IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and the customer’s standards for safety, and are in full compliance with IMO (International Maritime Organisation) regulations to ensure uninterrupted drilling operations.

Equipment deliveries to the shipyard are scheduled for 2013, with the first vessel to be delivered to the ship-owner in the second quarter of 2015.

The ships will be delivered to Sete Brazil, a company established in 2010 by various Brazilian and international investors. On delivery, the seven drill-ships will be chartered to Petrobras for 15 years. Three of the ships will be partially owned and operated for Petrobas

by Odfjell and three by Seadrill, both Norwegian based companies.

Industry News

Manufacturing Innovations To Drive MEMS Equipment Market Lyon, France: Although MEMS standardisation will never happen, companies are optimising their own technology platforms. Such process innovations will drive MEMS equipment and materials to seven percent CAGR over 2012 - 2018.

In the report ‘MEMS Front-End Manufacturing Trends’, Yole Développement gives detailed analyses about MEMS device technology process flow, manufacturing trends and manufacturing cost breakdown (accelerometers/gyroscopes, microphones, pressure sensors, optical MEMS, and so on).

Changes in MEMS manufacturing will drive the equipment and materials market from US$378 million to US$512 million for equipment and US$136 million to US$248 million for materials between 2012 - 2018.

The company forecasts that demand for MEMS-related equipment will grow from ~ US$378 million in 2012 to > US$510 million by 2018, at a CAGR of 5.2 percent over the next five years. It is interesting to note that its MEMS market forecast will follow a cyclical up/ downturn similar to what the mainstream IC equipment market underwent.

The demand for materials and related MEMS consumables will grow from ~ US$136 million in 2012 to > US$248 million by 2018 at a CAGR of 10.5 percent

over the next five years.

Today, MEMS fabrication is still very diversified and lacking in standardisation. MEMS has a different story than IC and does not follow the same roadmap as the semiconductor industry. As such, it is still common to see many players with radically different manufacturing approaches for the same MEMS device, sometimes within the same company (ie: both the CMOS MEMS and hybrid approaches can be used for inertial devices or microphones).

However, as MEMS becomes a commodity product with a quicker time-to-market compared to previous generations, anything that speeds up the commercialisation process is welcome. MEMS packaging is evolving in a different direction than front-end processing. Packaging standardisation will become increasingly critical in order to support the volume growth in unit shipments, and decrease overall costs associated with MEMS and sensor content.

This report shows that as MEMS moves from competing on process technology to competing on functions and systems, a move towards more standard solutions is necessary to drive down package size and cost.

California, US: North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted US$1.09 billion in orders worldwide in January 2013 (threemonth average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.14, according to the January 2013 book-to-bill report published by SEMI. A book-to-bill of 1.14 means that US$114 worth of orders were received for every US$100 of product billed for the month.

The three-month average of worldwide bookings in January 2013 was US$1.09 billion. The bookings figure is 17.2 percent higher than the final December 2012 level of US$927.4 million, and is 8.5 percent lower than the January 2012 order level of

US$1.19 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in January 2013 was US$952.1 million. The billings figure is 5.4 percent lower than the final December 2012 level of US$1.01 billion, and is 23.2 percent less than the January 2012 billings level of US$1.24 billion.

“In January 2013, the three-month average for bookings improved again for new semiconductor manufacturing equipment orders placed by worldwide customers to North American manufacturers, while billings declined slightly,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “The ratio is above parity for the first time since May 2012, although both orders and billings

Sundeip Arora, India

North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts Book-To-Bill Ratio Of 1.14

currently remain tempered by the economy and relatively conservative spending plans at the start of the year,” he added.

The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers.

April 2013 | industrial automation asia 17

Industry News

Dr Charles Gay Elected To National Academy Of Engineering

Dr Charles Gay, president of Solar Division, Applied Materials

California, US: Applied Materials has announced that Dr Charlie Gay, president of Applied Materials Solar division, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for his seminal leadership contributions to the development of the global solar PV industry.

Founded in 1964, the NAE provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. The academy membership honours those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, or education.

D r G a y ’s c o n t r i b u t i o n s across solar energy technology, manufacturing and deployment have helped the global solar PV market become a US$50 billion industry and enabled the cost of solar to come down by a factor of 50 since 1978. More than 85 percent of all solar panels manufactured in the last three decades have been made using the metallisation and packaging technology solutions developed by Dr Gay and his teams over the duration of his career.

As founder of the Greenstar Foundation, Dr Gay has worked to apply solar technology to improve people’s lives by delivering solar power to villages in developing countries.

18 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Red Lion Celebrates 40 Years Pennsylvania, US: Red Lion Controls has announced that the company is celebrating 40 years of providing its products to customers around the world. Since its birth in a Pennsylvania garage in the early 1970s, the company has expanded its operations to include more than 15 offices across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

To commemorate this milestone, the company launched its better.together website to recognise the company's history while sharing news following recent acquisitions of two industrial networking companies. The website includes a three minute timeline video showing president Mike Granby walking through the company's history.

Agilent Technologies Helps Students Acquire Real-World EDA Skills With Licensing Program California, US: Agilent Technologies has launched the Agilent EEsof EDA Student License Program, designed to provide access to the company’s EEsof EDA software on students’ personal computers.

With the license, students no longer have to use university lab computers or log in to a university system to access the software via the company’s license servers.

Instead, students can now access it any place, anytime on their own computers.

The software available through the licensing program includes Advanced Design System (ADS), Electromagnetic Professional (EMPro), Genesys and SystemVue. The licensing program is open to students attending universities that participate in the company’s EEsof EDA University Educational Support Program. Issued licenses will be the same as those actively supported for the student’s university.

If the university has a supported ADS university donation package, for example, students will receive ADS licenses. All licenses are valid for 12 months and are for educational purposes only. These licenses are only being offered in the Americas, Europe (excluding Russia) and Japan.

International Society Of Automation North Carolina, US: The International Society of Automation (ISA) has announced that it has published a book that outlines clear and proven security principles, practices and standards that, when properly applied, can safeguard a nations’ critical infrastructure, defense establishment, and production capabilities from the risks of cyberattack.

'Industrial Automation and Control System Security Principles' by Dr Ronald Krutza, a scientist and consultant specialising in cybersecurity services, illustrates that while cyberwarfare presents considerable challenges to essential national assets — such as refineries, chemical plants, manufacturing operations, power plants and pipelines — there are effective, structured defenses against such aggression.

“While there are numerous and worthy publications that discuss the protection of computer-based systems in a wide variety of implementations, these documents focus more on general terms, mostly in the area of risk analysis, and apply to disparate areas of applications,” says Dr Krutz.

Newsdesk

Looking To Outer Space In March 2013, the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) ground-based telescope started operation.

A special-purpose correlator comprising more than 134 million processors controls it. For internal communication purposes the signal blending sub-system uses more than 500 CAN networks.

One of the most powerful supercomputers in the world has now been fully installed and tested in the Andes of northern Chile. At a height of 5,000 m above sea level, the 134 million processors of the correlator continually combine and compare faint celestial ‘signals’ received by as many as 50 dish-shaped antennas. They work together to make virtually a single, enormous astronomical telescope. The correlator can additionally accommodate up to 14 of the 16 antennas in the Atacama Compact Array (ACA), a separate part of ALMA provided by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), for a total of 64 antennas.

In radio telescope arrays, sensitivity and image quality increase with the number of antennas.

The ALMA system, which was built by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), uses 32,767 ASIC processors to blend the signals from the antenna array. The processors, built on 0.25-micron CMOS technology, run at 125-MHz. As it is built for these correlation functions, the silicon is able to deliver 512 billion operations per second. The processors are arranged 64 to a board, which are connected via one CAN network running at 1 Mbit/s.

In order to overcome some physical layer problems, fibreoptical transmission is used.

One of the ALMA project partners is the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which uses in its projects CAN and CANopen networks. The European researchers used VMEbus boards with CAN interfaces from ESD (Germany) and CANopen I/O modules by Beckhoff (Germany).

ENQUIRY NO. 2101

CiA Conferences For 2013 The program committees are calling for papers for the fourteenth international CAN Conference (iCC) and for the first Mobile Machine Control (MMC) conference.

Both events organised by CAN in Automation (CiA) will take place in 2013. All papers are presented in the English language.

The last iCC was The conference held in Hambach castle offers participants (Germany) in March 2012 with two parallel the possibility to session tracks. The become acquainted fourteenth ICC will take place at the Eurosites with the latest République in Paris developments in (France) on November 12 - 13, 2013. CiA invites CAN as well as all interested persons to CAN FD. submit an abstract for the conference before June 7, 2013. The conference offers participants the possibility to become acquainted with the latest developments in Controller Area Network (CAN), including partial and pretended networking as well as the improved CAN protocol (also known as CAN FD).

In addition, CiA has scheduled the first international MMC conference, which will take place in the Meistersingerhalle in Nuremberg (Germany) from June 12 - 13, 2013. The latest developments and applications regarding CAN in mobile machine control will be reported on.

The conference is not limited to CAN-related topics.

Safety and security, fleet management, and other topics of controlling mobile machines will also be discussed.

Mobile machines include off-highway vehicles, construction machines, agriculture and forestry equipment as well as other outdoor vehicles and truck-mounted bodies.

ENQUIRY NO. 2102

April 2013 | industrial automation asia 19

Industry Updates Open Standard For

Energy Management

In Industrial Applications PROFIenergy is a profile of the real-time Industrial Ethernet protocol Profinet. It was developed in response to calls from the AIDA group of automotive manufacturing companies (Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen) for an open standardised method of controlling energy consumption in automation systems.

The profile, published in 2010, enables the deployment of more effective energy management strategies over Profinet architectures. Its function is to place energy consuming devices such as robots, laser systems, conveyors, handling systems and IO into ‘sleep’ modes during equipment idle times (ie: nonproductive periods) in order to prevent the wastage of energy.

It requires firmware to be embedded in vendor-supplied devices and equipment so that these can respond to PROFIenergy commands and status requests sent from a central control point (eg: a PLC or supervisory computer).

for energy savings during nonproductive periods.

The analysis concluded that savings of up to 30 percent are possible. In chosen ‘typical’ cases this could result in plantwide cost savings of €1,400,000 (US$1,877,960) per annum. The potential ‘green’ savings are substantial as well. The analysis also concluded that, for optimum b e n e f i t , t h e P R O F I e n e rg y concept should be designed into automation systems at an early engineering stage, requiring close collaboration between end users, device vendors, system integrators and OEMs. Profinet is the enabler for intelligent energy management in automation systems. As experience grows, the concept is expected to become more tightly

Real World Study Early calculations suggested that energy savings could be dramatic. To assess the actual potential, a ‘real world’ study of some typical automation systems was undertaken to analyse and understand their energy use profiles and assess the potential 20 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Saving energy on idle time eg: weekend.

integrated into plant-level energy management systems.

The PROFIenergy Concept The aim of the PROFIenergy profile is to enable easier and more efficient energy management of automation systems, by intelligently placing individual devices or sub-systems into energy-saving modes during idle times.

Various degrees of energy savings are possible, ranging from the device equivalent of the ‘sleep’ (hibernation) mode of a PC through to the complete standstill of a production line.

PROFIenergy can also be used to control interactions between equipment (such as conveyor drives, water/wastewater drives, HVAC drives or drives in

The controller sends the PROFIenergy command to the devices to react efficiently during idle times.

production machines), by taking them through predetermined slow down and restart sequences.

T h e re a l - t i m e I n d u s t r i a l Ethernet protocol Profinet is the medium by which PROFIenergy commands are transmitted to energy-consuming devices and equipment. It can be fully integrated into standard automation systems based on Profinet. It utilises the acyclic Profinet communication slots and therefore does not interfere with normal process control activity.

Energy management utilising PROFIenergy can therefore be managed by the same controller as used in the automation process.

Alternatively, it can be managed by a dedicated controller on the same network.

W i t h P R O F I e n e r g y, t h e mechanisms controlling the ‘sleep’ modes of equipment reside inside end devices. These respond to commands issued at predictable idle times (such as lunchtimes), or at dynamically-decided times that depend on circumstances — for example the deliberate slowdown of a production line to match material input conditions, a product change, or a line breakdown.

It is important to recognise that many devices and equipments in automation systems operate interdependently. That is, they

react to operations taking place in advance of, during and after the process in which they are involved. However, smooth production flows are usually the principle goal for maximising productivity.

As a result, not all production equipment is active all the time.

In other words, non-productive time is built-in to most production processes. It is either hidden (eg: when an IO device has nothing to do) or it is overt (eg: when a robot waits for material to arrive).

During non-productive periods energy is wasted. The situation is compounded by random faults due to, for example, breakdowns or delivery failures when large sections of a process may be halted. It is the goal of PROFIenergy to put non-productive devices and equipment into energy-saving modes during these periods using a simple, standardised technique.

As well as basic ‘sleep modes’, energy consumption can be reduced in other ways — for example by adapting process cycle times to production rates.

Equipment interdependencies can be taken into account — for example a conveyor may need to be run down to idle over a 30 second period before a robot can be put into its ‘sleep’ mode.

Restarts may need converse runup procedures. Pneumatic and thermal energy usage could also be considered.

Since a wide variety of pauses can be expected, a range of approaches is required. Each production process is different, and each device or subsystem may need a different approach to energy-management. Implementing PROFIenergy is therefore the responsibility of equipment vendors, OEMs, system integrators and end users acting together.

All need to have a common

understanding of the objectives for each automation process.

Who Else Could Benefit?

It is the enabling technology for deploying the chosen energy management strategy. It enables intelligent energy management.

So far, the main focus for this has been on automotive manufacturing because that is where the biggest demand currently is. Could other end users or equipment vendors benefit?

Are there opportunities for low end systems such as remote IO? The quick answer of course is ‘yes’, particularly where large numbers of devices are involved.

But each plant situation will be different and an energy audit will be needed in every case to understand the implications and potential benefits.

An industry that might benefit significantly is intra-logistics (eg: automated warehousing and distribution) where equipment such as automated mechanical handling systems, automatic guided vehicles and multiple conveyors are widely used.

One high energy consumption sector is the process industries.

Could PROFIenergy be used there?

It is thought unlikely at present because continuous processes cannot be shutdown and restarted in the way that discrete manufacturing systems can.

In any case, process industry operators are already acutely energy conscious and are well used to minimising energy usage wherever possible. Nevertheless, many process industries are hybrids (ie: they include discretelike functions such as bottling and packaging) so it is possible that PROFIenergy will find applications in those areas in due course.

ENQUIRY NO. 2103 April 2013 | industrial automation asia 21

The EtherCAT Technology Group continues to expand its trade show activities in Asia.

EtherCAT

Technology Group

Back In Asia 2013 AFTER the success of EtherCAT events in 2012 the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) will continue to expand its activities in Asia during 2013. Over the y e a r t h e o rg a n i s a t i o n w i l l carr y out several Industrial Ethernet seminars in locations throughout China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

In the context of those EtherCAT roadshows ETG, in 2013, will visit more than 20 cities in total. The full-day events will introduce EtherCAT technology in general 22 industrial automation asia | April 2013

and transmit an in-depth knowledge about the benefits as well as various implementation and application possibilities of EtherCAT. E x p e r i e n c e d E t h e r C AT technologists on-site will share their knowledge with the participants — the seminars address end users as well as system integrators. To round off the program every event is accompanied by a table-top exhibition, where co-sponsoring ETG member companies

In 2013 the ETG will carry out Industrial Ethernet seminars in China, South Korea and Taiwan.

show their EtherCAT products and expertise.

Due to the success of ‘Plug Fest’ in Japan during 2012 and the growing number of EtherCAT device manufacturers in Asia the ETG is planning for another

‘Plug Fest’ in 2013. This event is an opportunity to test master systems and slave devices for interoperability and offers a platform to discuss relevant topics and swap know-how and knowledge during the development process of new EtherCAT products.

Martin Rostan, executive director, EtherCAT Technology Group, explains why the ETG decided to further develop its activities in Asia in the future: “Approximately one-third of all ETG members come from this continent — that clearly shows the high potential the Asian market offers for EtherCAT. For us it is just natural to refer our knowledge to our Asian members and to support them by understanding and adopting EtherCAT technology.”

Success For EtherCAT In Mobile Applications On February 6, 2013 the ETG held its kickoff event for 2013 ‘EtherCAT in Mobile Applications.’

At the event, a total of 115 participants received detailed information on the use of EtherCAT in mobile applications, demonstrating the need for new technology in this market.

The comparison between the tasks in mobile machines and those in manufacturing automation shows striking s i m i l a r i t i e s : p re s s e s , f a n s , complex motion and sorting functions or transporting tasks that need to be solved for the working process. To increase yield rates and energy efficiency of new machine concepts in mobile

One-hundred and fifteen people attended the kickoff event ‘EtherCAT in Mobile Applications’ in Frankfurt, Germany.

vehicles, hydraulic functions are increasingly being replaced by electric actuators, which are coordinated individually via a control system. In addition, remote access to the machine for analysing production data or for diagnostic purposes is required.

Legacy communication systems increasingly reach their limits: the bandwidth as well as the cycle times required for the parallel transmission of realtime, diagnosis, information or image data cannot be made sufficiently available.

EtherCAT overcomes these limitations as it is an open, real-time communication system, which is widespread in manufacturing automation and its features are just as interesting for mobile applications, such as tractors, combined harvesters, excavators, cranes and dump trucks.

“With its performance and flexibility, EtherCAT — as

the ‘Ethernet fieldbus’ — is predestined to meet future needs in mobile applications,” says Dr Guido Beckmann who headed the event on behalf of the ETG and was one of the speakers on-site.

Some of the main topics in the presentations included the special characteristics and challenges of mobile applications i n t h e f i e l d s o f E t h e r C AT communication, electrification of mobile machines, condition monitoring, test systems and functional safety. In addition, application examples provided insights into the practical usage of EtherCAT in mobile machines.

Besides the representatives of ETG, Dr Guido Beckmann and Martin Rostan, speakers from companies such as 3S-Smart Software Solutions, Beckhoff, BIBA, Broadcom, dSPACE, John Deere, TÜV Süd and Vector Informatik supported the event.

ENQUIRY NO. 2104 Dec 2012/Jan April 2013 | industrial automation asia 23

Fieldbus Foundation Announces

First Field Demonstration For ROM The Fieldbus Foundation has plans to conduct a series of live field demonstrations showcasing its Foundation for Remote Operations Management (ROM) technology. The first live demo of Foundation for ROM will take place on April 30, 2013, at the Petrobras research and development facility (Cenpes) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The company’s executives and automation industry media were in attendance.

The first development of its kind integrating remote Input/Output (I/O), ISA 100.11a, WirelessHART, wired HART, and H1 fieldbus protocols into a single standard data management environment, Foundation for ROM extends the capabilities of Foundation fieldbus to countless wired and wireless devices installed in some of the world’s harshest and most remote locations.

Unified Digital Infrastructure This open, non-proprietar y solution provides a unified digital infrastructure for asset management in applications ranging from tank farms and terminals to pipelines, offshore platforms, and even Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) skids. Whether operating on a wired or wireless High Speed Ethernet (HSE) backhaul network, end users can pull device data into the Foundation fieldbus infrastructure.

This provides a single source of data management, diagnostics, alarms and alerts, data quality 24 industrial automation asia | April 2013

control, control-in-the-field capability, and object-oriented block structure.

Foundation for ROM extends the capabilities of Foundation fieldbus to countless wired and wireless devices installed in some of the world’s harshest and most remote locations.

An Enabling Technology The company is interested in specifying Foundation for ROM technology for the ambitious projects it is undertaking in the upstream and downstream hydrocarbon industry. It has a US$224 billion capital spending plan through 2015, with most of the investments targeted at the upstream sector on the highly publicised Pre-Salt area of the Santos Basin.

The Petrobras Centro de Pesquisas Leopoldo Américo Miguez de Mello, also known as Cenpes, is the largest oil and gas research centre in the Southern Hemisphere. At the facility, a series of tests will be conducted with a Foundation for ROM system installed on a distillation process pilot plant to evaluate the use of fieldbus-based ROM devices with wireless protocols

for remote applications.

Miguel Borges, who is employed at the Cenpes facility, believes Foundation for ROM can be an enabling technology for remote applications on Petrobras’ offshore platforms.

“The Fieldbus Foundation’s ROM solution is attractive to us, since we want to gain access to diagnostic information from devices installed at our remote sites,” Mr Borges said.

Reliance Industries (India) has also agreed to host Foundation for ROM field demonstrations and additional end user demonstrations in Japan, the Middle East and Europe are being planned.

According to Dave Glanzer, d i r e c t o r o f Te c h n o l o g y Development, Fieldbus Foundation, the company’s field demonstration will offer a look at the full functionality of Foundation for ROM, including wireless device integration, remote I/O integration, and wireless backhaul capabilities.

“This demonstration is the first step to show the capabilities of Foundation for ROM before it is specified for commercial projects,” said Mr Glanzer.

“The ROM solution enables end users to diagnose, either locally or remotely, the condition of their automation assets and then optimise predictive and preventive maintenance strategies,” he added.

ENQUIRY NO. 2105

issues & insights

Mobile racking and automated solutions for cold stores offer good economic returns for companies looking to step up operations. By Brian Miles, regional MD, Schaefer Systems International

Efficiency, Safety & Flexibility In Warehouse Design

A

s Asian economies rebound from the global financial crisis, most are in a far stronger position than pre-crisis time: their GDPs’ are up, employment levels are high and most countries are posting positive growth factors.

A g a i n s t t h i s b a c k d ro p , multinational corporations are ramping up production to meet higher demands. As disposable income rises, lifestyle changes are taking place, not least eating habits.

The days of daily shopping at the wet market, is now being replaced by regular visits to the cold store, where sales of frozen foods are rapidly growing.

In order to ser vice this increasing demand for frozen food, a new industry of cold store operators is growing throughout Asia. These operators are moving away from the smaller custom built units and are building multiuser units with goods stored on pallets and a variety of cold store cells to accommodate a wide range of frozen goods in varying degrees of temperatures of down to -30 deg C. The cost of running a cold store can be up to 10 times the cost of an ambient warehouse.

Therefore, careful planning is necessary to obtain the optimal return on this investment.

Flexible Designs With the growth of the cold supply chain, a number of European and American cold store operators are moving into Asia, bringing with them their latest technologies.

Invariably, these systems are designed to maximise the use of the footprint and available height.

This means moving away from the more conventional racking systems, such as double deep and drive in racks, to systems which will provide increased pallet locations, as well as offer the facility for individual case picking if necessary.

The key to designing any new cold store is to plan the storage April 2013 | industrial automation asia  25

system design at the greenfield site stage, where the dimensions of cold store suit the system to be used. It is surprising that many designs on the drawing board do not consider critical dimensions of the racking system.

European operators have realised that size matters. For example, a 15,000 pallet cold store only requires marginally more electricity to run than a 30,000 pallet store at the same temperature, provided that both rooms have the same number of doors.

The positioning of doors and access to the cold room with airlocks can have a bearing on power consumption. For high activity cold stores, the use of pallet conveyors that can deliver pallets in and out of the cold store with operatives using heated cab trucks, can reduce cold air loss and substantially increase operational efficiency.

The use of smaller personnel doors, in the larger stores have now become a regular feature.

Investment in high quality fast reaction doors, which open and close automatically, can reduce air movement into the cold room and ice formation.

Mobile Pallet Racking By far the most popular storage option for the modern cold store is mobile pallet racking, where banks of selective pallet racking are mounted on electrically driven mobile bases, set on tracks inlaid to the concrete surface. In Europe over 80 percent of cold stores use mobile racking systems.

In Asia, customers have also been fast to appreciate the benefits of these systems, with one supplier having built over 50 installations in Asia over the last eight years.

With the use of adjustable pallet racking, the end user has 100 percent selectivity of every pallet, with lower levels available for case picking. Albeit at the expense of access aisles, as only one aisle is available per block, which could consist of as many as five to eight double entry racks.

This requires some careful assessment of pallet movements and case-picking requirements per hour/day, as only one truck can practically work in each aisle.

Previously considered operationally too slow, new hand held controls with radio frequency operation on the materials handling equipment allow the

Automated Storage and Retrieval System

racks to be moved immediately once the reach truck exits the aisle. With an average time of less than one minute to reopen the next aisle, double pallet cycles of 20 to 25 pallet movements per hour is achievable.

The use of mobile pallet racking, which was once considered one of the most expensive options, has proven to be cost effective, particularly so for new greenfield sites, where the cold room can be designed to suit the optimum operational features of mobile racking.

All the cost of mobile racking is in the first two metres. Therefore, cold store consultants should be encouraged to maximise the height to suit their Material Handling (MH) equipment: typically more than 12 m for a reach truck operation or more than 16 m for a very narrow aisle. Optimum rack lengths are between 30 to 40 m.

Too short rack runs will require more movement of the racks.

Safe & Green

Mobile Racking System

26  industrial automation asia | April 2013

Mobile racks are now offered with a number of safety features that protect pedestrian and forklift access. They can be fitted with automatic zone picking features which will subdivide the operational aisle into two or three smaller aisles for case picking.

Night parking is another feature to consider when the cold store is not in operation. It allows equal distribution between all

issues & insights

aisles to permit airflow when racks are stationary.

Another important feature of mobile racks is that the aisle lighting can be fitted to the rack, which only lights up when the aisle is opened. This can reduce the use of power and energy, as well as the heat created. Using high-energy 250 watt bulbs over conventional 400 watt ceiling fittings, which can require another 200 watts to reduce the heat, it is possible to reduce the cost of lighting in the cold store by up to 80 percent.

Whilst flow racks remain a popular choice for operations which handle high numbers of homogenous products with limited Stock-Keeping Units (SKUs) requiring First In, First Out (FIFO), their cost per pallet location can be prohibitive.

Channel storage using an electrically operated satellite, which operates on a rail set below the pallet is a good choice for an economical solution. The satellite, which is operated by the MH driver, can automatically store or retrieve in both First In, Last Out (FILO) and FIFO designs.

It also has a shuffle mode which will automatically shuffle pallets from the on-load to the offload position and can undertake an inventory count of the number of pallets stored per channel.

Whilst most systems use rechargeable batteries, a system which works from a direct rack power supply has been introduced.

This configuration is suitable for high activity stores that work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Batteries can lose about 25 percent of their power capacity w h e n w o r k i n g a t e x t re m e temperatures, so this alternative system is popular in cold stores, particularly those designed with Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS & RS).

Singapore currently has the highest cold room in Southeast Asia that is over 30 m in height with an aisle changing AS & RS. Similar systems have been installed in Vietnam and China, although not at the same height. These systems provide fully-automated storage, which can operate 24 hours a day.

They can be provided with picking tunnels to allow operatives to work at the lower levels case picking to pallets or belt conveyors.

ENQUIRY NO. 2201

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ENQUIRY NO. 556

© 2013 Advantech Co. Singapore Pte Ltd

EKI-6340-1

April 2013 | industrial automation asia 27

issues & insights

Getting products to market on time and at a competitive price is becoming increasingly challenging. Today, retailers and end users are demanding smaller, more frequent deliveries and tighter delivery windows. By Michael Bradshaw, regional director, Integrated Systems, Dematic SEA

Managing Key

Warehouse Processes U

nderstanding how to meet changing market demands as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible is core to the success of many businesses. Through technology and automated processes, costs can be lowered, delivery lead times reduced and service levels increased with greater accuracy, traceability and visibility for customers and suppliers.

One of the keys to managing an efficient and sustainable warehouse or distribution centre is having the right mix of automation and technology.

28  industrial automation asia | April 2013

Carton, Case And Crate Handling As manufactured goods exit the production line, they are packed in cartons or cases for handling and transport. The most efficient way to transport these goods to downstream p ro c e s s e s i s b y c o n v e y o r systems Conveyor systems can include a range of intelligent p o w e r e d r o l l e r, b e l t a n d accumulation conveyors that interface to automated sortation systems, buffering and storage systems and palletising cells.

Palletising Solution Before goods are stored or shipped, products are typically consolidated onto unit loads such as pallets. The palletising process is often automated or semi-automated with factors such as throughput, labour cost and safety regulations all influencing the appropriate palletising solution for the warehouse.

Robotic palletisers have long been used in production environments to stack homogenous products onto pallets in a predefined stacking pattern.

Advances in product recognition

handling. These range from manually operated pallet trucks and forklifts, to fast and accurate fully automated solutions such as free-path Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and fixed path pallet conveyors and overhead monorail systems.

Some of the key criteria for selection include travel distance, throughput and the number of pickup and delivery locations.

H i g h t h ro u g h p u t s , s h o r t e r distances, and lesser sources and destinations lend themselves better to fixed path solutions and applications, whereas more sources and destinations and a more modest throughput will be better suited to free-path solutions.

Space Efficient Storage Systems

technology including vision and profiling systems now enable robotic palletisers to handle a variety of shapes and sizes at the same time to facilitate building of mixed product pallets.

As opposed to manual palletising, automated palletising systems provide safe, reliable, consistent and cost-effective operations around the clock.

Unit Load Handling Once the finished goods have been assembled into a palletised unit load, a range of solutions can be implemented for further

Achieving production efficiency requires certain minimum sized production runs and providing responsive customer service levels requires a certain minimum stock holding. While storage adds nothing but cost in terms of land, building, equipment and handling, it is a necessary factor in most supply chains, serving as a critical buffer between production, suppliers and customers.

A number of options exist for storing inventory. Traditionally, products are manually stored on pallets in selective pallet racking.

Whether products are stored in a dedicated distribution centre or manufacturing facility, the cost and availability of land can be key drivers for more space efficient solutions.

High rise Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) for pallets can be built over 40m high to maximise storage density, lower operating costs, reduce damage, and increase productivity and accuracy.

A range of ASRS systems are also available for smaller unit loads such as totes, cartons and

cases. These systems are able to perform fast and efficient handling of a range of unit loads in single deep or multi-deep configurations and can deliver efficiencies in both storage and order fulfilment with goods-to-person picking.

The latest in automated tote, case and tray storage and sequencing is shuttle technology which delivers up to five times additional throughput capacity compared to traditional miniloads.

Designed to supply sequenced products for order fulfilment, pick face replenishment or mixed case palletising, shuttle solutions can also be utilised as a shortterm buffer storage system for a production environment or for consolidating and sequencing orders buffered for despatch.

Unlike a conventional ASRS, which typically use a single crane per aisle to access stock, shuttle technology uses a fleet of self-propelled carts operating on individual storage levels to retrieve and put goods away in a space-efficient storage system, at very high rates. When used in conjunction with specially designed high rate pick stations, the shuttle solution has enabled

An Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) in operation.

April 2013 | industrial automation asia  29

issues & insights

A Pick-to-Light solution in operation.

picking rates of up to 10 times conventional methods, delivering labour cost reductions.

Order Fulfilment The process of order fulfilment i n v o l v e s p i c k i n g p ro d u c t s according to customer orders and preparing them for despatch.

Picking may involve handling full pallets, full cases or loose items (split case picking).

Fast and accurate order fulfilment in the supply chain is critical to a company’s ability to deliver on its marketing promise to customers. This process can also have a bearing on distribution costs and overall competitiveness.

With around 60 percent to 70 percent of the direct labour effort in distribution centres being spent on order fulfilment tasks, it is not surprising to see ongoing developments being made in order picking technologies and solutions to facilitate higher productivity, speed and accuracy, and to reduce the overall cost per carton. This is particularly the case with split case picking which is by far the most labour intensive with more frequent and 30 industrial automation asia | April 2013

smaller orders becoming a feature of many warehouse operations.

Paperless picking technologies provide the benefits of speed, accuracy and real-time information and can greatly improve overall productivity by facilitating higher pick rates, reducing checking effort and eliminating paper processing and data entry. These technologies include Pick-to-Light, Put-to-Light, Pick-by-Voice, RF Terminals and Goods-to-Person pick stations.

Pick-to-Light allows fast picking, excellent productivity and high accuracy, especially for split case picking. Light displays at the pick locations flash to indicate the product required and the displays indicate the quantity to pick. Pick-to-Light can provide good pick rates when applied in the right way and is best suited to operations with a high level of split case picking activity and a relatively low number of products.

For many order picking applications a ‘per picker’ technology makes the most practical and economic sense.

Hand held RF terminals have been common place in the distribution centre for many years and serve

well in bringing accuracy, tracking and real-time information to the order picking process. However, RF terminals provide only a marginal benefit (if any) in picker productivity compared to paper because operators, which are still required to stop at each location, handle a terminal, read a screen and enter information using a keypad.

Voice Picking is a newer and wearable ‘per picker’ technology that provides all the benefits of high accuracy and real-time connectivity together with productivity improvements, often in the order of 20 percent or more.

The operator wears a wireless terminal on a belt, receives picking instructions through a headset and is able to interact with the system by speaking. There is no stopping to read a terminal or pick slip and no keying-in or markingup paperwork.

Both hands and both eyes are free during the process, making the picking faster, more accurate and safer as well. With support for multiple languages and the ‘speaker dependent’ capability to recognise individual operators’ accents and dialects, this smart overlay technology is suited for distribution centres in Asia and applicable to both split case and full case picking applications.

With a new breed of Goodsto-Person solutions, technology and automation are being used to eliminate travel altogether and provide orders of magnitude improvements in productivity.

These solutions involve delivering products and orders to an operator at a high rate pick station at the exact time and in the exact sequence they are required to fulfil orders.

At high rate split case GoodTo-Person workstations, the task for an operator involves transferring items from a product tray or tote into an order shipper.

A touch screen display and/or

indicator lights are used to direct the process. Workstations are designed with ergonomics in mind to minimise any lifting, bending and twisting. This not only improves occupational health and safety, but productivity as well.

Intelligent Conveying And Zone Routing Intelligent conveyors can be applied in several ways to do the travelling in place of the operators.

In split case picking environments, intelligent conveyors and software systems are used to route orders to zones where picks are required and to route them past zones where there is no work to be done.

Conveyors and sortation systems support batch picking

which provides efficiencies from picking several orders all at once.

capacity, efficiency and accuracy in a distribution centre.

Sortation Solutions

Software Solutions

Whether it be in production lines, cross docking facilities or in order picking operations, sortation solutions are often at the heart of highly effective logistics and distribution systems.

The development of high speed sortation has enhanced the speed and performance of many warehousing operations.

Sortation systems can also facilitate flow through operations where products are received and sorted to destination, reducing inventory levels and eliminating the need for storage and picking altogether, thereby increasing

Order management, material flow and controls software are required for effective logistics m a n a g e m e n t a n d c o n t ro l .

It maximises efficiency and p ro d u c t i v i t y b y m a k i n g i t possible to manage workflow and balance workload across available resources.

A seamless integration of t e c h n o l o g i e s a n d s o f t w a re provides a single user interface for all material flow and order fulfilment activities with the host computer, typically an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or a Warehouse Management System (WMS). Inventory data can be updated in real-time through such software, facilitating processes such as automated invoicing and shipping documentation.

The Right Solution Advances in technology and automation have given rise to an increasing range of solutions offering the potential for supply c h a i n s t o p e r f o r m b e t t e r, faster and at less cost. From smart overlay solutions to full automation, there is opportunity for most supply chains to enjoy the benefits of more responsive operations, faster and more accurate fulfilment, improved tracking and information flow and higher productivity.

While there is no one-sizefits-all answer, an understanding of the business, the operation, the product range and the order profile, with the support of industry specialists where appropriate, will facilitate identification of the right solution that can deliver these benefits with an acceptable payback period and ongoing savings beyond.

An example of an intelligent conveying and zone routing solution in a distribution centre.

ENQUIRY NO. 2202 April 2013 | industrial automation asia  31

issues & insights

Progressive

Warehouse Management Applications

I

n the past 30 years the role of the warehouse operation has drastically changed and it has already moved away from its very basic core functions, such as receiving, storing, tracking and supplying of finished Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) to customers, or raw and packing materials to factories for their eventual manufacture/conversion to finished goods.

In today’s warehousing environment more emphasis is being placed on matters related to speedy but accurate receipt and delivery of SKUs, the optimum warehouse space utilisation, the correct use and proper application of all Material Handling Equipment (MHE), the application of Lean Process and the 5S Technique. All the way to ensuring their customers’ satisfaction, retention, and most importantly to safeguard their loyalty.

Owing to the complexity and sophistication of today’s warehouse operation, its role provides a twofold benefit, aiming to achieve an optimum position between minimising the total cost of

32 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Nino Satria, Jakarta Selatan, Jakarta, Indonesia

The evolution of technology pushes all those involved in the warehousing industry to start considering new means and ways of warehouse management.

By Petros Zenieris, principal consultant & trainer, The Business Criterion

operation, whilst providing the expected service level for the business.

In view of this fast changing environment, the employees involved in the warehouse business must be well equipped with all relevant knowledge as their role has substantially been upgraded to a higher level. In light of this, advanced warehouse technologies have been selected to discuss.

These are: 1 Voice Technology 2 Pick-To-Light 3 Automated Storage And Retrieval Systems (AS & RS) 4 Pick And Go Order Selection 1. Voice Technology This gives warehouse workers a new way to communicate verbally with the Warehouse Management System (WMS) via radio frequency. It is similar to RFID technology, but more advanced.

Voice technology uses speech recognition and speech synthesis to allow warehouse workers to communicate with the WMS. Warehouse workers use a wireless, wearable computer with a headset and a microphone to receive instructions by voice and to verbally confirm their actions/results back to the system. This wearable computer, or voice terminal, communicates with the Warehouse Management Software via a radio frequency Local Area Network (LAN).

Each warehouse worker/ picker needs a belt-worn, wireless terminal, which consists of a headset with a microphone and receives instructions by voice and verbally confirms actions back to the system.

2 Pick-To-Light This system could be used for picking (collecting) or putting (placing) products as an alternative to manually picking or packing various SKUs within the warehouse area.

Its aim is mainly to electronically assist warehouse personnel to locate the pick or pack location of the specific SKU(s) by the flashing indicator light, as such enabling pickers/packers to work in a more efficient

The

Benefits Of Voice Technology Order picking productivity usually improves by 10 to 20 percent because pickers’ hands and eyes free operation speeds up the picking of SKUs. It also reduces all unnecessary movements/walks back to the assignment desk. The warehouse productivity is also improved by paperless picking because the work of printing and distributing picking lists or labels is mostly eliminated.

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ENQUIRY NO. 548

Example Of Voice Technology • In a voice technology operating warehouse environment an order picking application for 10 cases of X SKUs is transmitted to an operator.

• The operator receives his instruction via his headset and collects the 10 cases of X SKUs. • To complete this task he reports through his portable microphone a pre-arranged phrase such as ‘Yes’ or ‘Done’.

• The computer in the warehouse office captures the phrase and records the text ‘Yes’ to the programme.

• The database reduces the quantity of X SKUs by 10 cartons from the stock.

13/02/2012 19:25 13/02/2012 19:25

April 2013 | industrial automation asia 33

issues & insights

and effective way in their respective areas.

The device is located at the bottom or on top of the bin, shelf or rack warehouse area to attract the attention of the picker or packer.

Tip: Difference Between Speech Recognition And Voice Recognition: Speech recognition is the method of capturing the voice to identify and to return what someone has spoken. Voice recognition is a method of capturing the voice to identify the person that is speaking.

How It Works?

• The order is scanned and the quantity required is shown on the ‘display module’.

• A light illuminates to prompt the operator to collect the specific SKU(s) from the respective location.

• The operator collects the exact quantity and then presses the ‘send’ button at the bottom of the location to confirm transaction.

• Stock is updated in ‘real-time’.

Benefits From Pick-To-Light Technology It provides additional speed and accuracy in the processing order. Pick-to-Light technology reduces the time required searching for the location, or the correct SKU, as such it increases the picking or packing rate.

On the other hand, such technology is more relevant to small size SKUs placed in bins, or on shelves and it is not so applicable for big size SKUs placed on pallets (pallet load) or bulk stacking.

3 Automated Storage And Retrieval Systems It is a computer-controlled robot type system for sorting, storing and retrieving various SKUs (usually pallet loads) vertically or horizontally as it moves along fixed isles within the warehouse area.

It represents a much faster, reliable and most importantly accurate operation as the system does not require a human operator to function.

Although such an application requires a big size — wide warehouse areas for the business to get the full benefit of such technology, it is worth to mention the increasing demand for such automated systems in today’s warehousing environment.

AS & RS can improve the warehouse productivity in many industries and not only in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

Benefits From AS & RS Technology It can help increase productivity levels as the system can pick, replenish and sort SKUs without a human operator’s intervention. Being constructed in modules 34 industrial automation asia | April 2013

it could be easy to adjust them in order to meet warehouse expansion plans. It also reduces labour costs and increases inventory accuracy levels.

4 Pick-And-Go Order Selection This is similar to pick-to-light selection as it enables the order picker to handle the fulfilment of the order and respond with speed and accuracy. Also, It is based on an automated forklift process which can be provided from a variety of forklift suppliers.

This system allows the warehouse picker and the automated forklift to work together, so whenever a picker picks a case/unit there is always a forklift readily available and waiting for him/her. In this way the picker’s productivity will increase substantially.

How It Works?

The WMS sends the customer order to the picker along with an automated forklift. The picker receives the customer’s order via a pick-by-voice headset. At the same time the automated forklift loaded with a pallet is dispatched at the right place (following the picker) with its forks at the right height. The picker can now pick the assigned quantity of each SKU and places them on the top of the pallet.

As the picker receives a new customer order the forklift automatically escorts the picker to the next location hence, enabling the picker to pick instead of driving the forklift. When the pallet on the forklift gets loaded, the system dispatches a new pallet to the picker and the loaded pallet is automatically driven to the dispatch area.

Benefits From Pick-And-Go Order Selection Technology It is a hands’ free process, which increases the picker’s flexibility in the warehouse. It also minimises the picker’s time spent in searching for the correct SKU or moving front and back to the warehouse office to collect/deliver orders.

The picker continues working in his designated warehouse area never leaving his picking area. The PickN-Go system is compatible with most forklift brands. It removes unproductive steps in the warehouse business environment, and increases the productivity rate.

Conclusion In this fast moving and ever demanding environment, for one to be ahead of the game, one has to be not only familiar with the current warehouse developments, but to be able to constantly and continually upgrade his knowledge with current and advanced trends in order to provide the expected service level and be able to contribute to the optimisation of his company’s performance.

ENQUIRY NO. 2203

process control

The high sales potential predicted many years ago for microdrives can still be achieved today, but issues centred around the feasibility of applying this technology to industrial use need to be addressed. By Dr Thomas Bertolini, MD, Dr Fritz Faulhaber

The Current And Future Limits Of

Micro-Actuation T

he definition of ‘microactuation’ is not entirely clear. On the one hand it is generally understood to mean drive and propulsion mechanisms that can be precisely positioned within the micrometre range.

Some tried and tested solutions have been on the market for many years now, but they are constantly being improved. These include piezo drives, hexapods and stepper motors with proven microstep operation.

However, ‘micro-actuation’ is also used to describe very small actuators with components and parts measuring a few 100 micrometres. The latter differ somewhat from the rest due to

the technology used. A distinction is made between microactuators that can be produced micro-mechanically and those manufactured using a lithographic masking technique (similar to that used for semiconductors), whereby the individual components are etched out of a basic structure.

measurable effect on advancing the technology involved to the point that excellent results can now be achieved in this field.

A Matter Of Size Both forms of microdrives with small mechanical dimensions can be manufactured with a good degree of reproducible c o n s i s t e n c y. R e s e a r c h i n these fields over the past 15 years, particularly in purposebuilt research units has had a

Microdrives have their advantages, but also their disadvantages, in particular their feasibility in industrial settings.

April 2013 | industrial automation asia 35

Feasibility, however, and usage in industrial practice are two different things. A drive, in the original sense, serves the purpose of moving a load along a certain pathway. Drives with dimensions of about 1 mm or less can naturally only generate infinitesimal torque and force. The forces and torques produced are often so minimal that overcoming their own internal friction forces and frictional torques is an immediate problem.

By comparison, drives manufactured in the 2 to 5 mm range produce enough force and torque to master real propulsion tasks. More and more applications are now gradually emerging for such drives. The most common examples of practical industrial use are currently to be found in the field of medical devices for minimally invasive surgery and diagnostic tools that can be used in the human body, such as heart catheters or X-ray capsules. But optometry is also a field where microdrives are proving their worth — in such devices as laser beam systems.

Key To Further Development Basic conditions are a barrier to market demand. The key to further development and more widespread dissemination of microdrives is existing user demand. Without it, these drives will not be further enhanced or find a wider market. In other words, applications are needed which rely on very small mechanical drives and cannot be realised without such microdrives.

It is only the technological pull or market demand that will ensure microdrives make their way into industrial applications. As already mentioned, the technology has been around for some time to produce these microdrives, but without the right technological push or a concerted effort to bring 36 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Microdrives have many applications in industrial automation

an existing and accomplished technology to market, it simply will not work.

In addition, the popularity of microdrives will be slow to develop due to the prevailing conditions.

Customers for such drives must first learn how to handle them. In order to work with microdrives, a different environment from that of drives with conventional, familiar dimensions is required. It starts with entirely different measuring technology and includes the fact that working with micro-actuators requires a much higher standard of cleanliness in the operating environment, such as flow boxes or even a clean room.

More highly qualified staff are needed and particular care has to be taken in dealing with incoming goods inspections. These few points alone illustrate how much effort and change is required of

anyone wanting to work with microdrives.

In Conclusion Microdrives in the 2 to 5 mm range will be used in the next five years in many different areas, but uptake of even smaller actuators is unlikely in the industrial sector from today’s perspective. This means the market for microdrives as a whole will develop at a relatively slow pace. However, the high sales potential predicted many years ago, when the technology was brand new, can still be achieved.

The spread of micro-actuators is interestingly not a matter of technology — we can already do much more than we need to — it is more a matter of the feasibility of applying this technology to industrial uses.

ENQUIRY NO. 2301

process control

Case Study

RFID Technology:

Automated Testing Lines On a testing line for window blind motors, an RFID system ensures efficient test procedures and accurate quality classification. By Norbert Matthes, business development manager, Contrinex

T

he days when shutters, blinds or awnings had to be laboriously raised or lowered manually are long gone.

They are now generally provided with an electric motor that does the work at the touch of a button.

Elero, in Beuren near Stuttgart, is a manufacturer of electric motors and controls for roller shutters, sun protection systems and doors. After production and before delivery to the customer, motors pass through special testing lines to ensure they work perfectly. This quality check, like the entire drive assembly process, is automatic. “By automating these steps we have been able to make our entire production process more efficient and meet higher quality requirements with our products,� says Oleg Oster, technician in charge of equipment and automation at Elero.

Automated Testing Line On the testing line for window blind drives, workpiece carriers take each motor through a fixed sequence of test stations.

At the first test station torque, current, voltage and noise levels are checked individually. At the second station, the limit switch and the adjustment of the hexagonal shaft are verified. Finally, the third station tests the fit of the shaft.

The company has automated the entire testing line and equipped it with an Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system. This technology allows the identification of objects using electronic tags (transponders).

Each workpiece carrier is fitted with an RFID tag and each test station has a corresponding Read/ Write Module (RWM).

The unique number of each workpiece carrier is permanently written into the first area of tag

On the testing line: The workpiece carrier travels over the read/write module (front left), which checks all information on the tag. If the data matches, the carrier is raised, the check is performed, and the result is written on the tag.

April 2013 | industrial automation asia  37

memory. In a second area the tag stores the current order number.

A third area receives the test analyses. This last area comprises test results from each individual testing station, which are written into tag memory by the modules at each station.

The controller transmits the test assessment to the labelling system for checked assemblies.

Fault-free drives go on to the delivery stage. Motors with faults detected are returned to the factory for inspection and repair.

Before each new test cycle, all workpiece data on the tags, with the exception of the workpiece carrier number, is rewritten.

Tags are therefore used in a continuous cycle. A manual process places motors on the workpiece carrier and removes them after testing — everything else happens automatically.

Robust And Economical The RFID technology used by the company comes from Contrinex, a Swiss sensor specialist. The read/ write modules used in this project are of the type RLS-1303-020 with a diametre of M30 and have a maximum read/write distance of 60 mm. The housing (IP67) is made of metal and the sensing face of PBTP. A blinking LED indicates the presence of a tag in front of the RWM. The tags used by the company are type RTP-0301-020, a passive version for 13.56 MHz according to ISO/IEC 15693. They consist of a disc-shaped PBTP housing with a screw fastening hole.

The EEPROM memor y has a total capacity of 2,048 bits, organised in 64 blocks of 32 bits (4 bytes). The tag’s user memory comprises 40 blocks. Here, individual storage areas can be locked with a password or protection bits. The company uses this feature to fix the workpiece carrier number. The memory of 38 industrial automation asia | April 2013

The overall testing sequence is visualised on a screen at the loading station for the testing line (front).

a ‘ConIdent’ tag is organised into the following areas: • A laser ROM area containing the tag’s unique ROM number (64-bit unique ID), which is written during production of the chip and is ‘readonly’ (transponder type and manufacturer code are integral components of the UID), • A user memory, • A c o n f i g u r a t i o n a r e a , comprising the lower 24 memory blocks, the UID, the Electronic Product Code (EPC) memory, security elements, write access conditions and special information, such as the Application Family Identifier (AFI) and Data Storage Format IDentifier (DSFID), and • A password area.

Just One Master “The RFID read/write modules and tags that we use are robust, inexpensive and easy to replace if necessary. They can also be quickly written to in blocks,” explains Mr Oster. The RFID system has an EtherCAT interface, which

supports the real-time Ethernet technology used by the controller.

The company drives the PC-based controller via a TwinCAT PLC. It also programmed read/write access to the various RWMs in the TwinCAT, developing all the necessary software in house.

However, the EtherCAT interface was not the only advantage of the Swiss RFID system over comparable products.

“The Contrinex system has a very simple structure,” explains Mr Oster. There is only one master which, once written, can control all RWMs. These are then linked using Y-connectors. Up to 10 of these modules can be connected in a hardware loop, up to 253 via software.

The product range also includes ConID HF software that allows RFID components to be tested on any standard PC. “Other RFID systems we looked at could only connect two or a maximum of four read/write modules with one master. That made our decision easy,” said Mr Oster.

ENQUIRY NO. 2302

software & Networks

Knowing how to transition your current industrial Ethernet infrastructure into a robust, invisible network that supports the varying demands placed on your production operations is key to building a competitive business ready solution for an ever-changing marketplace.

By Brian Oulton, director, Global Vertical Marketing – Industrial, Belden

Creating The

Invisible Network

T

he data demands of a modern production facility — be it in the process industries or discrete manufacturing — require a communications infrastructure that can grow with the diverse range of demands placed on the business by supply chain partners and customers. This means that your communications network must be able to scale and adapt on the fly without the need for adjustments or upgrades each time a change is needed.

Maintaining this kind of advanced network, however, has required a level of network infrastructure management from production personnel who should

instead be spending their time on productivity improvements.

With the recent expansion of industrial Ethernet technology on the plant floor, there now exists an opportunity to meet these networking infrastructure requirements without the need for a great deal of network maintenance involvement from operations.

To help you assess your current industrial Ethernet infrastructure and understand what gaps need to be addressed to create a robust, invisible network that requires little maintenance to scale and adapt to changing business requirements, we will explain how to:

• future proof your network for bandwidth requirements.

• provide for the ability to layer in new applications as needed.

• properly select switches and cabling based on environmental and application specifics.

Create A Network Backbone Instead of a flat network of switches connected to each other, creating an infrastructure based on a backbone to which a series of smaller networks can be connected is more strategic.

Backbones are a series of fast, high-throughput switches that run throughout your production operations and connect to your enterprise network. These April 2013 | industrial automation asia 39

backbones are usually connected with fibre cable and connect to each other at 10 Gb/s or 40 Gb/s rates, while connecting to the next level of switches at 1 Gb/s or 10 Gb/s rates. The backbone switches can be made resilient with redundant power supplies, and the backbone network resilient by wiring it in a ring or other resilient methods.

Segment Your Network Once your backbone is established, start thinking about the network the same way you think about the production equipment and processes. In other words, the network should be set-up in pieces so that that each part is controlled and wired separately from the rest of the equipment for ease of management and minimal downtime to the entire process.

The first step in this process involves creating a number of small networks (called subnets), with all of a subnet’s devices connected to one or more connected switches. Next, add

switches with layer 3 firmware, connect each subnet to a layer 3 switch and connect the layer 3 switches to backbone switches.

If it does not make sense for you to keep the subnets physically separate — for example, if you would end up running two different sets of wires to the same places just to support two subnets — you can create logical networks called Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs).

V L A N s s h a re t h e s a m e physical infrastructure, but act like they are separate networks.

Just like subnets, you will need to use layer 3 switches to allow one VLAN to talk to another. With this infrastructure, you can add devices and switches to your subnets, and even add entire new subnets to your infrastructure.

Also, rather than going through control cabinets and crawling around machinery looking for blinking lights, specify managed s w i t c h e s t h ro u g h o u t y o u r network. By doing this, you will be able to connect a computer

Infographic of an Industrial Ethernet connected floor to a central control room.

40 industrial automation asia | April 2013

anywhere on your network and see the status of every switch and every switch port from wherever you are.

Design For Security Assess your cyber security risks and do not forget to think about

A wireless access point is an important element of the modern industrial network.

software & Networks

you have plenty of headroom.

Good managed switches also have a feature called Quality of Service (QoS) to prioritise critical traffic over less important traffic.

Choose Industrial-Grade Ratings

The robustness of an Industrial Ethernet network is important in ensuring its reliability in sometimes hazardous environments.

physical security; industrial Ethernet networks can support Ethernet cameras, keypad entry devices and security software, too.

A key aspect of a solid security process includes updating your policies and procedures — because some people simply forget to close and lock the door.

P ro t e c t y o u r c o m p u t e r s with the best antivirus software and be sure to enable features that check USB jump drives, DVDs, and so on. Protect your network, equipment and people by enabling the security features in the layer 3 switches between your backbone and device-level (layer 2) switches. Lock the doors on your control cabinets and turn off the unused ports on your switches. Set-up the security on your wireless network.

At a minimum, add firewalls with even more protection than the layer 3 switches between your production networking and your enterprise network, or to separately secure each subnet if needed.

As a matter of fact, ISA 99 and IEC 62443 recommend creating s m a l l s e c u re z o n e s u s i n g firewalls, as described above, to prevent the spread of malware.

Industrial control security is a major topic of concern and will be for the foreseeable future.

Assess Your Network Capacity And Data Priority Today’s industrial Ethernet switches only use a fraction of their bandwidth. So having room on the network to adequately handle production data traffic should not be an issue. However, if you are pushing streaming video or IP phone traffic over the network, or are concerned about a precision motion control application or that your subnet may be getting too big, get the manufacturer’s specifications on all of the equipment and switches on the network and do the mathematics.

Another option is to monitor the existing traffic with network management software to ensure

For the network to truly be invisible and create the least maintenance issues for you, all switches, cables and connectors need to be industrial grade and installed correctly. If you do not specify industrial grade equipment, you may well end up with ‘office grade’ materials that will underperform and become a problem.

You should specify bonded p a i r c o p p e r, a n d s t ro n g l y consider Cat 6 and fibre for all things industrial, with shielded bonded pair copper for areas with a lot of electromechanical and radio frequency noise. Also, specify industrial ratings for jackets and cable connectors to protect against any chemicals, moisture, sunlight, excessive tension (eg: when pulling through conduit), and abrasion.

Conclusion Building adaptable, competitive production operations is a challenge in itself. Your industrial network should not add to this challenge; it should ease it.

These six points represent the key critical aspects to creating a robust, reliable industrial network that can be adapted to meet the expected and unexpected challenges your business will face.

Equally impor tant is the fact that, by following these guidelines, you can create a network that requires minimal maintenance and provides for easy troubleshooting.

ENQUIRY NO. 2401 April 2013 | industrial automation asia 41

software & Networks

The selection of a Fieldbus system is an important step in improving efficiency and flexibility of an industrial communications network. Due consideration should be given in deciding where to invest a company’s resources to this end. By Martin Rostan, executive director, EtherCAT Technology Group

Fieldbus Systems W

hether you realise it or not, the communication network is the single most important technological component of a machine or plant control system. The network ultimately determines the entire control architecture: a relatively slow network requires closing the faster control loops in decentralised devices, while a h i g h p e r f o rm a n c e n e t w o r k enables engineers to freely decide whether to use centralised versus decentralised architectures.

In addition, a well-accepted network provides the freedom to select components from a large variety of vendors while a network dominated by a single automation giant reduces the choice to this

42 industrial automation asia | April 2013

giant’s products by default, since third party products are either not available or not supported properly by the giant’s network configuration tool.

So how do control system integrators or machine builders select their communication network, their fieldbus system?

The majority of users do not actively select their fieldbus at all — they select the control system vendor and whatever bus system this vendor provides will ‘do the job.’

The vendor is selected for a variety of reasons. A very common reason is: history (‘we have always used these products,’ or ‘our application code is written in the programming language

Svilen Milev, Bulgaria

Considerations For

of this vendor and we cannot justify the effort to port over the code’). Another one is: customer preference (‘our clients want us to use this platform so that their maintenance team can handle the machine’).

Also the local sales and application engineering team of the vendor plays an important role (‘I am happy with the vendor’s support: they are attentive and responsive and they know what they are talking about’).

Vendor reputation contributes big time (‘my supplier is leading edge and provides innovative technology that keeps me ahead of my competition,’ or ‘they are so big, they must be good’). And, of course, all the other usual factors

are taken into account as well: initial price (often more important than ‘total cost of ownership’), quality, ease of use, performance, and yes, even design.

High Performance Legitimises Broad-Based Support But how about those users that start their control system evaluation by taking a closer look at the bus technology itself as the key component of their system? Naturally, these are the types of users that the fieldbus organisations primarily address.

In regards to EtherCAT, the Ethernet packet is no longer received and then interpreted with process data copied at every device, but the technologies slave devices read the data addressed to them while the frame passes through the node.

Similarly, input data is inserted while the telegram passes through.

With this technique of ‘processing on-the-fly,’ the frames are hardly delayed at all. As a result, an EtherCAT frame comprises the data of many devices both in ‘send’ and ‘receive’ direction within one Ethernet frame and the usable data rate increases to over 90 percent.

The resulting higher performance then leads to more efficient machines. EtherCAT makes the processing power of an industrial PC more available for the application, and faster controls provide more accurate results. For example, Husky, an injection moulding machine manufacturer, reported that by using EtherCAT it was possible t o re d u c e t h e p a r t w e i g h t variation and as such the wall thickness of plastic cups their machines make.

A s a re s u l t , t h i s s a v e s material worth over US$180,000 per machine, per year for the company’s customers. But not only closed loop controls benefit from faster communications: in many applications there are so called ‘transitions,’ where one has to wait for the part to arrive, or the cylinder to reach its end position, or the pressure to reach a certain threshold.

With a faster network, the waiting times are reduced and the throughput of the machine or plant is increased — increasing efficiency a few percentage points can be easily achieved this way.

Also such users understand t h a t E t h e r C AT i s n o t o n l y

The topology flexibility of EtherCAT simplifies planning and installation.

fast, but also precise: thanks to the distributed clock mechanism, measurement values can be sampled and outputs set in a synchronised manner network wide — and with a jitter smaller than one microsecond. This accuracy is suited for synchronised motion control applications and for the integration of measurement tasks within the same network.

The technology is versatile: master-to-slave, slave-to-slave and master-to master communication methodologies are supported.

It is also inexpensive: On one hand there are the softwareimplemented masters on standard Ethernet ports, on the other there are the integrated yet low cost slave controller chips.

The cabling efficiencies also save money, since it does not require switches or other active i n f r a s t r u c t u re c o m p o n e n t s and uses standard Ethernet cabling and connectors. Even engineering efforts are reduced, since network tuning is not required anymore and because the diagnostic features of the t e c h n o l o g y p ro v i d e e x a c t error localisation, reducing troubleshooting time.

Besides low cost chips and hardware it is important to stress again another crucial factor for low component prices: worldwide acceptance of the technology. This ideally means a wide selection of products and as such competition among the suppliers. The technology is supported by the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) with over 2,300 member companies from 56 countries.

System integrators and machine builders also increasingly want to integrate functional safety in their control architecture — and not just to reduce wiring. Conventionally, safety functions were realised April 2013 | industrial automation asia 43

software & Networks

Process data is inserted and extracted on the fly.

separately from the automation network, either via hardware or using dedicated safety bus systems. Safety over EtherCAT, on the other hand, enables safety-related communication and control communication on the same network and ETG members are capitalising on this in the form of new safety solutions.

Flexibility And Openness Boost Functionality Users of the technology also capitalise on the flexible topology that simplifies planning and installation. The networks have no practical limitations regarding the topology: line, star, tree, redundant ring and all those combined with a practically unlimited number of nodes per segment. Even wireless technologies can be integrated and the ‘hot connect’ feature allows users to connect and disconnect nodes or entire network segments during runtime.

For many users, the migration from a legacy bus system can seem challenging. This technology 44 industrial automation asia | April 2013

addresses this with a large selection of fieldbus gateways: more than 20 different bus systems are already supported.

With these components one can integrate existing devices with a legacy fieldbus connection into an EtherCAT network and establish interfaces to ‘neighbouring’ or higher level systems. Migration from previous systems is smooth and at the same time the previously complex interface requirements of the central controllers are omitted: other systems are simply integrated via EtherCAT and no longer via PCI, cPCI, PCIe and so on.

With these networks, there is also no need for manual address settings via dip-switch, rotary switch or similar means at every device: at boot-up, the addresses are assigned automatically. Even if devices are added later, the original addresses can be kept — EtherCAT masters can also feature automatic topology recognition with which they can compare the actual network configuration with the one expected by the application program. After device

replacement, all parameters can be downloaded automatically.

When selecting a fieldbus network, true openness means future-proof implementation. That said, almost every fieldbus and Ethernet technology claims to be ‘open.’ With EtherCAT, openness does not only mean international standardisation (IEC, ISO), but availability of commercial (as well as shared and open source) master and slave software and chips from several suppliers.

It also means clear guidelines regarding interoperability, master and slave implementations for a wide variety of operating systems and controllers, openness of the configuration tools (including third party devices) and specifications for the application interfaces.

EtherCAT technology is not only fully Ethernet-compatible, it is also characterised by a particular openness ‘by design’: the protocol can transport other Ethernetbased services and protocols on the same physical network. Such Internet technologies are tunnelled via the EtherCAT protocol, so

that the real-time characteristics are not impaired. Therefore, all Internet technologies can also be used in the EtherCAT environment: integrated web servers, e-mail, FTP transfer, and so on.

An Answer For All Users We find that both groups of users — those that base their network decisions on their choice of control vendors and those that take a closer look at the bus technology itself — are increasingly moving towards this technology. In summary, EtherCAT is characterised by its performance, simple wiring and openness for a range of devices and other protocols.

Industrial Ethernet AD_NEWSCO_20120608Final-01.pdf 1 13-2-21 下午2:00 Precise Synchronisation throughout the network by the Distributed Clock Mechanism.

ENQUIRY NO. 2402

Mission Critical Industrial EthernetRobust & Built to Last C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

The ultimate end-to-end Ethernet solutions, from the best names in the business. Fiber and copper cables, connectors, switches and routers, Wifi, firewalls and network management software.

sales.ROAP@belden.com http://www.beldenapac.com

Phone: 65-6879-9800

ENQUIRY NO. 547

Belden·

April 2013 | industrial automation asia 45

software & Networks

The trend towards Ethernet from the traditional IT to the world of industrial automation is happening at a faster pace more than ever. This trend will surely increase as performance and environmental considerations are better understood. Contributed

by Bernd Lieberth, senior automation consultant, Siemens

use of Ethernet is becoming more and more common for connecting devices at the field level. However even so, the great number of Ethernet-linked automation devices requires rethinking.

New Trends In

Network str uctures: the line structures frequently dictated through the use of Fieldbus systems are being replaced by switching structures. Line structures are retained only at the machine level and are now implemented using cascaded switching components.

The large flat networks, which represent one broadcast domain, give way to a network structure divided into logical subnets. Here, many companies are benefiting from synergy effects between IT and automation by taking advantage of IT experience in the effective operation of large networks with many nodes.

Automation systems require specific network structures at the machine level, whereas the used Ethernet structures for superordinate levels of the network are similar for IT and automation. For this reason, m a n y c o m p a n i e s p re f e r a comprehensive integration of the automation areas into the IT. Large network areas can be set up, used, and operated together, as such enabling the best possible return-on-investment for the complete network.

Closely tied to the use of Ethernet is the use of the TCP/ IP protocols — ubiquitous in the IT world. The stability and longstanding experience associated with TCP/IP applications make the TCP/IP protocol a widely soughtafter basis for non-time-critical applications, even in automation applications. Optimised protocols are being used for time-critical applications, which mostly communicate within automation cells.

This is accompanied by

Automation

I

n most companies, the days of operating automation systems as isolated systems are long past. For a number of years, automation components such as controllers and control PCs have been communicating with centralised computers and servers. These centralised computers are normally located in centralised network areas, as they are in the IT world, and must therefore be accessible via the network administered

by IT personnel.

With the rising flexibility of

46  industrial automation asia | April 2013

automation, this communication is constantly increasing, and the growing penetration of this communication is becoming an integral part of the entire automation process. As such, the stepped-up integration of automation areas is becoming an increasingly important criterion for a company’s success.

In addition, more and more automation system components, such as IO devices, valves, and drives, are connected to controlling components via Ethernet. Due to this trend, the

the increasing interaction of management and diagnostics of automation systems resulting from the growing permeability of communication and the integration of networks. More and more automation cells are monitored and configured by centralised diagnostic servers located in the central areas of the overall network.

Integration of automation network components into a centralised Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) management is increasingly common. Besides the numerous similarities, during network implementation, specific circumstances of automation must also be considered. In addition to the installation of automation devices in different environments, the different communication requirements, such as real-time behavior, must be taken into consideration.

Specific Conditions In Automation The main branches of automation are: Factory Automation: Manufacturing

automation is involved first and foremost in the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, plant manufacturing, OEM and the electrical industry. It represents an important driving force behind the dissemination of Industrial Ethernet.

The number of nodes in these types of production facilities, together with flexible manufacturing that requires communication between automation devices and centralised production control systems, has been a motivation for the use of well-established office technologies like Ethernet.

Special conditions for communication in tunnels, in building and underground construction sites, during transport, and in traffic (rail, road, and water) are also taken into consideration within Industrial Ethernet.

Process automation: Process automation is involved in a wide variety of industries, especially in the Southeast Asia region, ranging from chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing and mining operations to paper

and food processing. Process automation is also used in highly sensitive industries such as refineries, oil and gas processing plants, and water and wastewater treatment plants.

A common factor in all branches of automation is the strong dependency on plants m a n u f a c t u re r s . T h e p l a n t s manufacturer’s specifications regarding operating systems, remote maintenance, and so on, are frequently binding and must be taken into account through the use of suitable measures in this specific application area.

Devices with a heavily restricted application scope and a specific real-time operating system (high performance with little memory requirement) are normally used. Often, exactly one application per device is used.

However, there are also devices that are based on a universal operating system and as such are subject to the same risks as components in the office world.

The specific circumstances and the resulting conditions and requirements are grouped into various ‘Facts’ and presented below. A brief description of the situation as it exists in the IT world is presented for each fact along with information highlighting how the situation differs in automation.

Finally, consequences for the IT world as a result of integration are presented in each case.

Network Structure And Network Nodes

Automation structure from the field level to the office world.

The network structure encompasses the passive network topology, ie: star, ring, or line, as well as the logical network design with active network elements, ie: layer 3 and layer 2 switches. In the office world, a hierarchically intermeshed network topology becomes accepted, which is based on layer 2 and layer 3 switching and provides for a April 2013 | industrial automation asia 47

software & Networks

star-shaped connection of end devices. These end devices are comparatively homogeneous with regard to intelligence and comprise PCs, workstations, servers, costs, and multimedia devices such as IP phones. An important characteristic of office world technology are the short innovation cycles. In some cases, these measure only a few years and involve frequent replacement of system, operating system, and network components.

In automation, control processes are predominantly run in series. An automobile assembly line provides a very good simplistic image of this process. This serial process results in a line-shaped arrangement of machines and of communication nodes. Nodes can therefore be linked in the simplest possible manner using a line or tree topology. Line topology is used preferentially in the horizontal area, while star-shaped topology in the primary (campus) and secondary (building) areas remains unaffected by this.

Devices in automation differ significantly.

In addition to intelligent devices for control and monitoring of automation systems, such as: • robots, • controllers, and • the user’s interface to monitor and control the machine or process (HMI devices) There are also simple devices used at the field level, such as: • I/O devices (sensors and switches), • drives, and • embedded systems A special type of network node is represented by devices that function both as a terminal and as a network switch. In the office world, such devices are only known in the form of IP phones with integrated switches.

48 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Automation systems frequently contain devices that are used as input/output devices for control elements while simultaneously having an integrated switch.

They can be operated as an IO device within the required communication (ie: Profinet, Modbus-TCP, and so on), and they can also forward a data packet to the next network node.

This ‘combo-function’ enables simple implementation of a line topology as well as ring topology or a combination of both, which is especially suited for use in automation. Pure network elements corresponding to conventional switches used in the office world can often be avoided.

In office networks as well as automation networks, the availability of the network is a critical factor in the acceptance of users.

In automation, an unavailable network almost always results in shutdown of the entire system or a part of the system, which is associated with high failure costs.

Availability can be increased by: • Use of network elements with higher Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) values • Use of network elements that can be repaired or replaced very quickly and easily • Use of redundancy mechanisms that can bypass the failure of a network element through automatic mechanisms.

Standardised redundancy mechanisms (MRP — Media Redundancy Protocol) with very short failover times have only recently become available for automation and is standardised with Profinet devices.

This requires network elements offering ver y high MTBF — considerably exceeding the MTBF in the office world.

In many cases, this completely c i rc u m v e n t s t h e n e e d f o r redundancy mechanisms.

With industrial wireless LAN, Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) or mobile operating and maintenance devices can be integrated easily into the automation landscape even with

Line

(Redundant) ring

Star Tree

Wireless communication (IWLAN) even Safety Fieldbus Integration Network structures

safety technology. With the use of Wireless LAN instead of using trailing cables, flexibility and availability will be increased.

Environmental Conditions By far the largest market share of network elements has been developed primarily for the office world. The conditions are ideal; often, only network elements, ie: switches, are placed in their own wiring cabinets. It is understandable that these ideal conditions disappear as the proximity to machines increases and the distance from these types of protected areas increases.

In particular, the following conditions must be assumed in industrial environments: • High quantities of dirt and dust in solid and liquid states • High mechanical loads in the form of vibrations and shocks • High or low temperatures ranging from -40 deg C to +70 deg C • Very limited assembly space • H i g h h u m i d i t y o f u p t o 95 percent • High electromagnetic loads The increasing networking of communication nodes in the automation area increases the number of data connections and links. In order to place the network elements, such as switches, in a central location, very long cables would be required, which would increase the cabling effort significantly.

As a result, network elements (mainly switches) are needed that can be installed and operated close to the machines. The more stringent requirements described for these components preclude the use of standard office switches at the machine level. The particular operational environment determines whether LAN components must be protected against ‘environmental

adversities’ and, if so, which ones.

A further difficulty posed by the use of standard office switches is the ability to install them in or on the machine. Here, spaceconsuming 19 inch technology cannot be used. Instead, spacesaving technology must be selected that can make use of the installation infrastructure onsite. As a consequence, smaller switches, typically having fewer than 10 ports and suitable for DIN rail mounting, are used.

Typically, a 24 V DC power supply is used at the machine level, ie: in automation cells, rather than a 230 V AC supply. Special switches are required to support this type of power supply.

In contrast to the office world, the switching functionality is not ensured primarily through use of components that exclusively connect other network nodes.

Rather, the line topology makes it necessary to assume that not only ‘pure’ switches are integrated in the line but also automation devices that exhibit a switching functionality consisting of one input port and an output port. This is comparable to the switching functionality of VoIP phones.

In spite of the resulting provision for adapted components close to the machines, it must not be assumed that the statement ‘Industr y = harsh environment’ is valid for all industrial areas. Actually, officelike conditions can often be found in manufacturing locations, eg: at chip manufacturers. For this reason, it is inappropriate to categorically reject officesuitable components in industrial environments caused by the presence of harsh environmental conditions. Instead, the specific conditions should be identified in advance for each installation site. If applicable, simple measures, such as installation in an air-conditioned and sealed

Rough environment switches.

cabinet, can be taken to create new environmental conditions, thereby obviating the need for expensive special switches, eg: IP67 class switches with especially high leak-tightness properties.

Implementation of automation communication infrastructures, which is based on Ethernet and TCP/IP, turns out to be easily a c h i e v e d f ro m a t e c h n i c a l perspective. The structure of automation networks at the machine level can differ significantly from the structure of office networks; this applies for the network structure, the hardware and software requirements, and the protocols used.

New solutions not known heretofore in the office world are necessary for automation networks and can be realised appropriately only by using specific ‘industr y suitable’ components and technology.

Such solutions are offered by open Fieldbus technology and standards. ‘Office-like’ technology can also be used in industrial environments in areas not directly closed to the machines (field level), while considering the exceptions. Current standards provide planning rules for the design of connections between the standard IT environment and the specific environment of an automation cell.

ENQUIRY NO. 2403 April 2013 | industrial automation asia 49

instrumentation & Measurement

Precision engineering solutions are presented for the China steel market and a retrofit project in India. By Jeremy Lee, regional manager (South East Asia & Taiwan), Moog.

Case Study:

New Life For

Steel Mills

In China And India

W

hile steel mills are sometimes considered to be ‘old-style’ manufacturing, there are many examples where some of the latest precision engineering and motion control technologies are being used for new mills as well as retrofits of existing facilities.

Steel mills represent an interesting challenge as advanced technologies must be used in demanding environments. These environments include exposure to extensive heat, dirt and the rigours of a 24/7 operation.

Steel Production In China There is no doubt that China 50 industrial automation asia | April 2013

is the largest steel production source in the world. In 2006, the total crude steel production in China was 418 million tonnes, that is more than one third of the steel production in the world.

The total investment in the heavy industry market is about RMB212.88 billion (US$26.95 billion). In the past 10 years, the overall technology of the steel industry in China has greatly improved. The product structure has been constantly optimised and international competitiveness has been enhanced.

Below are two examples where precision engineering, proven products and new solutions

have been executed in China’s Steel Industry.

Pipe Cutting Machine — Cutter Feeding System A large steel maker in China built a pipe mill production line and needed a specialised pipe cutting machine. The steel pipe’s diameter can be larger than 220 mm and has several different sizes. The most challenging requirement is that the pipe can be as long as 20 m after milling. It varies from a normal lathe machine as a jig clamps and turns the pipe and a cutter then feeds into the pipe to cut it.

To meet these requirements, Xi’an Heavy Machinery Research Institute designed a pipe cutting machine which features a long holder table to fix the long pipe, and a complex revolving cutting head turning around the pipe. The cutter is mounted on the turning head and a servo actuator controls the cutter’s precision cut into the pipe using a Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) system.

Considering the tolerance of the pipe during the cutting process and the speed of the operation control of the cutter, feed position and speed are vital for quality and for preventing damage to both the pipe and the cutter itself.

Moog in China cooperated with Xi’an Heavy Machiner y Research Institute by supplying the servo actuator, the servo c o n t ro l l e r s y s t e m a n d t h e c o m p a n y ’s A x i s C o n t ro l Software (ACS). As the CAM for feeding the cutter is a non-linear system, and in order to get better cutting quality and higher cyclic efficiency, the actuator needed to follow a customised special position and velocity cur ve ver y accurately. For example, the cutter should touch the pipe softly in the beginning and keep a constant speed during cutting.

CISDI Engineering — AGC Actuator Test About 10 years ago, some local Chinese OEMs started to manufacture rolling mill equipment including large size, highly dynamic and accurate Automatic Gauge Control (AGC) actuators.

In recent years, many OEMs began to take a system approach to dynamic performance. In the past, performance was normally evaluated on parameters such as friction, force, smoothness, speed, and pressure to understand the performance of individual components like cylinders and servo valves.

For the servo actuator that was used for the full hydraulic AGC control in this high speed hot strip rolling mill system, it was necessary to understand how the servo loop works to assess the performance of the whole system, not just evaluate the performance of each individual component.

In 2005, CISDI Engineering which had a 1,750 Hot Strip Mill Project, used approximately 100 servo valves in that production line to cover all servo closedloop control functions. They sought to design a solution for an on-site testing of the actuator performance. This was achieved by supplying a digital servo controller and ACS for the implementation of on-site testing.

Some key parameters that the testing monitored for the actuator were: position accuracy, hysteresis, step response and frequency response. The test results helped the company understand the whole AGC actuator system performance and enabled smoother commissioning in end user sites.

Steel Production In India The Indian steel industry is nearly a century old with ‘Tata Iron and Steel Company’ being the first integrated steel plant set up in

The Indian steel production industry has grown to become the fourth largest producer of steel in the world signifying great potential for automation technology in further improving this expanding market.

1907. The industry has grown and now India is the fourth largest producer of steel in the world. The finished steel production in India has grown from a mere 1.1 million tonnes in 1951 to the current level of around 58 million tonnes. While the growth in the steel sector was formerly in the public sector units, the situation has changed dramatically since 1990, with most of the growth originating in the private sector.

India’s National Steel Policy released a couple of years ago has set a long-term goal that India should have a modern and efficient steel industry established according to world standards and catering to a diversified steel demand. This will require indigenous production of over 100 million tonnes per annum by 2019-2020. In addition to greenfield projects, this also calls for modernising existing steel mills with retrofits and adoption of the latest technology.

The following example is an application where one of the leading steel mills was offered a retrofit solution to improve the performance of an existing facility.

Mukand — Hospet Division — Billet Caster Retrofit An application completed for a local steel mill in India was the

billet caster project with Mukand Limited, also called Hospet Steel.

This location has been in operation for 10 years and manufactures billet and bloom cast steel.

Hospet Steel had some demanding requirements for their solution that were both technical and environmental.

They were seeking to improve quality by eliminating pores or blow holes and increase productivity of the billet casting by implementing an Automated Mould Level Controller (AMLC).

It was also critical to upgrade from a manual to an automated system to eliminate human errors in a high production environment. An impor tant consideration was that the solution needed to be robust and withstand an environment with dusty and humid conditions.

They preferred to use local vendors with a proven track record because they needed long-term local support which included technical, repairs/ spares and training services.

The turn-key solution approach included Moog Hydraulic Manifold Systems, servo actuators, D633 Servo Valves and Servo controllers, all built to suit the customer’s requirements. (The application engineers created customerspecific software using the sample tracing capability of the ACS Software.

The AMLC project was cited by the customer as successful, as it achieved high accuracy in maintaining control of liquid molten metal. Production cycles were improved while maintaining an operation with 99 percent efficiency without a breakdown.

Most importantly, the quality of the customer’s products increased even considering the increase in production due to high demand for the billet steel.

ENQUIRY NO. 2501 April 2013 | industrial automation asia 51

energy

A

Distributed Versus Centralised

lthough power protection solutions vary in numerous ways, all but the largest data centres use one of two basic approaches when deploying Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPSs): Either they distribute many smaller UPSs among their server racks or they install one or two large UPSs centrally within or near their server room.

Both strategies have strengths and weaknesses, and there is no simple formula for determining which one a given company should use. This is why it is important to simplify the decision making process.

Distributed And Centralised Backup Basics Though both are designed to keep important data and applications continuously available, distributed and centralised power backup schemes accomplish that goal in different ways with differing advantages and disadvantages.

Distributed Backup In a distributed power backup scheme, UPS hardware and other power protection equipment is mounted directly in an organisation’s server racks, or in some cases directly adjacent to them.

Commonly used in network closets and mediumsized data centres, distributed backup strategies generally feature large numbers of smaller UPSs located in many places.

Power Backup Strategies Choosing the right UPS deployment architecture for your data centre is of great importance, and as such it is important to simplify the decision-making process. By Ed Spears, product manager, Eaton Power Quality Solutions Operation, Eaton Corporation

• Lower capital expenses: Distributed backup architectures help growing companies conserve cash by adding UPSs incrementally each time they install a new server rack, instead of making large upfront investments in centralised UPSs with more capacity than they initially need.

• Better power availability: As a rule, the shorter the wiring distance between UPSs and the servers they protect, the lower the potential for problems along the power chain (such as grounding issues, electrical noise interference and loose connections) and therefore the higher your overall power availability.

• Easier deployment and r edeployment: Distributed backup architectures generally feature smaller, lighter UPSs that are easy to install and relocate.

• Simpler network integration: In distributed backup schemes, UPSs are positioned in or adjacent to server racks, so Ethernet connectivity is always nearby and readily available.

52 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Erik Araujo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Advantages of the distributed backup approach include the following:

Disadvantages of the distributed backup approach include the following: • More complex management: Companies with distributed backup strategies often find monitoring the status of their many UPSs a challenge.

• Less efficient rack space usage: Though power protection equipment is an essential component of any well-designed IT infrastructure, servers usually play a far more important role. Consequently, most IT managers seek to devote as much rack space as possible to server hardware. In distributed backup strategies, however, UPS hardware takes up rack slots that could otherwise be dedicated to servers.

Centralised Backup A centralised backup scheme relies on one or two large UPSs rather than lots of smaller ones. Those UPSs are usually situated at the end of a server row, along the perimetre of the server room or in a separate room nearby.

Advantages of the centralised backup approach include the following:

Centralised power backup strategies rely on one or two large UPSs.

• Easier management: Managing one or two UPSs is far less labour-intensive for administrators than overseeing lots of distributed devices.

• Simpler redundancy: Adding redundancy to a distributed backup scheme requires companies to install two UPSs in each of their server racks, doubling the already sizeable number of devices they must monitor and manage as well as the amount of rack space they must dedicate to power protection. Redundant centralised power strategies require just two UPSs, rendering them much easier to administer.

• Better use of rack space: By locating UPSs outside the rack, centralised backup strategies leave more space for server hardware.

• Three-phase power protection: The smaller UPSs typically used in distributed backup architectures generally provide single-phase power protection only. However, high-density server equipment such as blade servers often runs on three-phase power. The larger UPSs employed in centralised backup schemes can protect both three-phase

and single-phase electrical loads.

• Longer batter y life in high-temperature environments: Thanks to research proving that companies can safely operate servers at temperatures as high as 80 deg F/27 deg C or above, server rooms are often far warmer these days than was once common. Such hot conditions can significantly shorten the lifespan of a UPS battery. In a centralised backup scheme, batteries are typically located in a cooler space outside the data hall, so they tend to require replacement less frequently.

• Higher capital expenses: The large UPSs utilised in centralised backup strategies are generally far more expensive than the smaller devices used in distributed architectures.

• Lower energy efficiency: To accommodate future growth, most companies with centralised backup schemes deploy UPS hardware with more capacity than they initially require. Consequently, their UPSs are lightly loaded at first and often as little as 75 percent efficient. That means up to 25 percent of the power those UPSs consume ends up being wasted.

• More complicated network integration: In centralised backup schemes, UPSs are positioned outside the data hall in rooms that may not have ready access to Ethernet connectivity.

Questions To Ask When Deciding Which Backup Architecture To Use Though there is no easy way to determine whether a distributed or centralised backup strategy makes more sense for your data centre, here are six key questions to ask during the decisionmaking process: 1 Will I be using server hardware that requires three-phase power protection?

If so, a centralised power backup scheme is probably your best option, as few of the rack-mounted UPSs used in distributed backup strategies offer threephase power protection.

2 Which strategy makes better financial sense?

Answering this question involves weighing multiple considerations: • Sensitivity to capital expenses: Companies looking to limit capital expenditures tend to prefer distributed backup schemes, since they allow you to buy additional UPS capacity gradually over an extended period of time, rather than all at once upfront.

• Sensitivity to operating expenses: For businesses eager to limit operating expenditures, centralised April 2013 | industrial automation asia 53

energy

backup strategies have b o t h s t re n g t h s a n d weaknesses. On the one hand, they usually require less administrative overhead. On the other, their lower initial energy efficiency typically translates into higher electricity spending.

3 Am I equipped to

Like a blade server, modular UPSs let data centres add capacity incrementally as their needs increase.

monitor and manage distributed UPSs? Administration is one of the top challenges associated with distributed backup schemes. Companies considering a distributed approach, then, should evaluate their readiness to monitor and manage potentially large numbers of UPSs scattered across their data centre.

4 Which approach will better meet my

availability needs?

Distributed backup architectures tend to deliver better power availability, since they position UPSs in close proximity to the loads they are protecting and the failure of a single UPS affects only a small portion of the data centre. Companies with a low tolerance for downtime — such as hospitals and stock trading firms — may therefore be better off adopting a distributed backup strategy versus a centralised one.

5 How big a priority for my data centre is

maximising server density in the white space?

In distributed backup architectures, UPSs and batteries occupy rack space that otherwise could be dedicated to servers. As a result, organisations that wish or need to fit as many servers as possible into their white space usually choose to place UPSs in their grey space by adopting a centralised backup scheme. This is especially true of smaller installations with a limited number of racks.

6 Who will be primarily responsible for

managing and maintaining our UPSs? As a rule, facilities managers are more familiar — and hence comfortable — with centralised backup architectures, while IT managers are more comfortable with distributed ones. For that reason 54 industrial automation asia | April 2013

alone, companies that give primary responsibility for UPS management to their facilities department often choose a centralised backup scheme, while companies that place their IT department in charge of UPS administration go with a distributed scheme.

Mitigating The Downsides Of Distributed And Centralised Power Backup Strategies Though both distributed and centralised backup approaches have flaws, data centre operators can lessen their force with the help of these suggestions: Deploy Intelligent Power Management Software And Network-Enabled UPSs Businesses planning to use a distributed backup architecture can make monitoring and managing their numerous UPSs easier by implementing networkaware power management software. When used in conjunction with network-enabled UPSs, the latest intelligent, logical and complete power management applications give data centre managers a global view of their entire power quality infrastructure through a single console.

Adopt Rigorous UPS Maintenance Procedures Another way to simplify management of distributed power backup architectures is to employ thorough, documented maintenance procedures, such as those contained in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). Developed by the British government in the 1980s, ITIL defines specific, effective and repeatable ways to handle incident management, service desk operation and other common IT tasks. Even in data centres with large numbers of UPSs, performing administrative tasks in consistent, repeatable ways can significantly lower the likelihood of power failures while also increasing the productivity of data centre technicians.

Use UPSs That Are Energy-Efficient At Low Loads One drawback of centralised backup strategies is that the large UPSs they rely on are often lightly loaded at first and hence inefficient. However, companies can reduce the resulting wasted energy and heightened cooling demands by deploying UPSs designed to be efficient even under low loading conditions.

UPSs with state-of-the-art, multi-mode conversion capabilities, for example, are highly efficient even when less than fully utilised.

Utilise Modular UPSs Building your power protection architecture around modular UPSs can be a best of both worlds solution to the distributed versus centralised backup dilemma.

Much like blade servers, modular UPSs enable

multiple plug-and-play power units to share common electrical feeds, power supplies and cabling. Some designs provide up to 50 or 60 kW of capacity in 12 kW building blocks; larger ones can be augmented in 200 to 300 kW increments.

Either way, data centres can simply plug in another power module whenever their requirements increase. The end result is a redundant backup scheme endowed with both the manageability of a centralised strategy and the affordable, pay-as-yougrow scalability of a distributed approach.

Employ A Hybrid Backup Strategy Distributed backup strategies improve power availability by placing UPSs close to servers.

Centralised backup strategies, however, offer a simpler way to add redundancy to a power protection scheme.

Hybrid backup strategies that utilise both a large, centralised UPS and numerous smaller, distributed UPSs combine the best of both approaches. Should a problem occur along the power chain between the centralised UPS and the racks it safeguards, the distributed UPSs can provide continued protection.

Conclusion When designing a power protection scheme for their data centre, IT and facilities managers must ask themselves whether a distributed or centralised backup strategy makes more sense. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to that question. Companies must weigh each architecture’s advantages and disadvantages against their financial constraints, availability needs and management capabilities before deciding which one to employ.

ENQUIRY NO. 2601

MTA 2013 SINGAPORE Booth 3G3-05EXPO Hall3

SENSORS SAFETY RFID

Booth 3G3-05 Hall3

Contrinex (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd

READING PAINT DATA FROM RFID TAG POSITION CONTROL IN DRYING CATHODIC DIP-PAINTING: OVEN WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE POSITION CONTROL RESISTANT SENSORS

WITH C44

WRITING DATA ONTO HIGH TEMPERATURE RESISTANT RFID TAGS

POSITION CONTROL IN DRYING OVEN WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE RESISTANT SENSORS

ENQUIRY NO. 557

NG DATA ONTO HIGH RATURE RESISTANT AGS

Conversely, should one or more distributed UPSs fail during an electrical outage, the centralised UPS is there to keep emergency power flowing.

Of course, deploying both centralised and distributed backup devices costs more in the short run than choosing one approach or the other, but organisations with high availability requirements are likely to find the added expense worthwhile in the long run.

April 2013 | industrial automation asia  55

sector spotlight

As liquid filling machines move from older weigh cell technology to flowmeterbased systems, for smoother operations & more accurate instrumentation.

By Tom Risser, president, US Bottlers

A Better Way To Fill Bottles Case Study:

U

S Bottlers in Charlotte, Nor th Carolina, US i s a m a n u f a c t u re r o f high speed liquid packaging equipment used by the food, pharmaceutical, chemical and automotive industries. Their products include rotary cleaning, filling and capping machines (Figure 1) that operate at speeds from 20 to more than 1,000 bottles per minute.

Over the years, the liquid bottling industry has moved from mechanical fillers and weigh-scale fillers using load cell

56 industrial automation asia | April 2013

technology to flowmeter-based fillers. The flowmeter filler to a large degree is now the preferred style over the weigh scale filler. In fact, many mechanical and weighscale filler customers have been converting older machines to flowmeter-based fillers for more modern support and better bottle handling control.

To meet the demand for new and upgraded liquid filling machines, US Bottlers uses Endress+Hauser flowmeters on all its filling machines (Figure 2).

The company’s flowmeters

were selected after research and comparison to competitive products.

Inside A Liquid Bottling Machine Liquid bottling machines are available in several styles including pressure gravity, vacuum, piston, electronic weigh scale, and flow and mass measurement. All have advantages and disadvantages in various applications but — in general — flowmeter-based filling machines are the first choice for most customers.

In a flowmeter-based system,

an external tank system moves liquid product to the roof of the filler for disbursement through a distribution manifold. Empty containers are fed onto a rotary table, separated, and then positioned on individual filling stations under custom-designed filling valves.

When a container is positioned under the valve, the filling process begins at a rate designed to suit the container’s particular shape and dimensions, and the product’s flow characteristics. Once the target fill volume is achieved, the filling process stops.

Complicating the matter is the need to fill bottles and containers as fast as possible. Consequently, liquid bottling machines can have up to 120 filling heads — and can handle containers such as metal cans, PET bottles and pails at speeds up to 1,000 bottles per minute. The entire machine design process is a

matter of balancing speed, filling accuracy and cleanliness — and accurate and repeatable flow measurements are critical.

The ability of the meter to properly measure the liquid flow is the most critical step in the filler cycle. The selection of the flowmeter is influenced significantly by the flow characteristics of the product, any pulp or particulates, foaming tendencies, as well as sensitivity of the liquid ingredients.

There is the ability to program the stages of filling in a fast or slow mode. In a two-stage fill, it can be programmed to start fast and slow down at the end; for example, with a small tapered neck container. Or it can start slow, then speed up to avoid splashing and foaming, like pouring a foaming beer in a glass. Sometimes with a handled container it is best to slow down halfway to let air get out of the

Figure 2: Mass flowmeters measure flow on this bottling machine that fills motor oil containers.

handle area. And, thanks to the flowmeter accuracy, we can dribble feed the last 10 percent for better filling accuracy.

Flowmeter selection requires a combination of expertise with sensor electronics and software — and also a strong background in valve design, manifold distribution systems, pressure control, and cleaning velocity requirements.

The Best Way To Measure Flow

Figure 1: Modern bottling machines allow high-speed filling of a variety of containers with a wide range of liquids.

To obtain the required accuracy, t h e c o m p a n y ’s m a g n e t i c flowmeters and Coriolis-type mass flowmeters are used in a variety of sizes with sanitary flanges. A magnetic flowmeter is alway used if the product is conductive and only use a Coriolis meter when necessary. A magnetic flowmeter is smaller and easier to fit into the tight spaces of a filling machine.

Typically, the meters are mounted at the manifold so the valves can move up and down. We use 3/4-inch. and 1-inch. ID flanges, and the flow rates can range quite widely from 0.5 to 4 GPM. The flowmeters send pulse output signals to the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) on the filling station, which shuts the fill valve when a container is full.

The PLC uses a proprietary algorithm to determine volume April 2013 | industrial automation asia 57

sector spotlight

Figure 3: An old weigh filler for a motor fluid product converted to mass flowmeters.

from the flow signal. This algorithm is the main reason why liquid fillers are better than every other competitive filler that also uses flowmeters. The algorithm we use originated with our weigh scale fillers and has been tweaked to work with signals from a flowmeter instead of with totalising values from load cells.

There is no universal liquid filler; instead, every application is unique and custom. The bottlesper-minute rating for a machine is almost always dictated by the number of flowmeters that can fit into the physical size of the machine, so the relatively small size of the flowmeters is a real plus.

Liquid filling machines are rarely ‘level fillers’; that is, we never can guarantee the precise 58 industrial automation asia | April 2013

level. We also cannot guarantee filling accuracy that is equal to the accuracy the flowmeters can achieve, because valves, solenoids, pneumatics, vibration and pressure swings do not allow filling accuracies to be that tight.

Flowmeters allow for a much simpler valve construction versus a traditional mechanical filling system. Mechanical filling systems use seals and bottle contact to establish shut-off — much like an old gas pump filling nozzle, but with an overflow return leg to establish level in the container.

This means there are more surface areas to clean and more gallons of cleaning solutions to flush.

Because flowmeter-based filling machines are so accurate, they do not need an overflow to establish a liquid fill level, as

with mechanical fillers. As such, a flowmeter system requires about half the total amount of piping, hoses, nipples, manifolds, and so on. It also does not require as much pressure, cleaning solutions, and time to clean as a mechanical filling system.

Flowmeter-based systems also promote a non-contact valve design, which means no contact with the bottle finish, allowing for aseptic options. Coriolis and magnetic flowmeters have no moving parts or obstructions, which makes them easy to clean and flush.

The addition of a flow sensor may seem like expensive complexity at first glance — but it leads to savings in overflow, return pumps and extra control systems — not to mention a more

sanitary and cleanable design throughout.

With a flowmeter system, changing product does not require calibration as we simply store recipes based on empirical data from previous runs to allow quicker switching between bottle sizes and ingredient change.

A filling machine can only run certain types of related products; for example, we can easily switch from a fruit juice to a low-sodium version of the fruit juice, but not from fruit juice to motor oil.

that uses these flowmeters not only meets all of the quoted accuracy guarantees, but are as good as any filler that has been produced. Second — and probably more important — many customers that purchased a flowmeter-based filler have

come back for repeat orders.

This is not just because of these flowmeters, but improved liquid measurement is a large part of overall customer satisfaction.

ENQUIRY NO. 2701

Liquid filling machines can last for years, requiring only periodic updates and replacement of parts.

US Bottlers rebuilds its older machines (Figure 3) as a service to its customers. Part of the process involves rebuilding and replacing valves, rotary unions, silicone hoses and fittings, slide rods, bushings, rollers, and roller blocks. We also repair the main drive motor, bearings, gearboxes and belts as needed.

In most cases, customers also ask us to convert their old weigh-type filling machines to flowmeter machines during the rebuilding process.

One of the unusual observations is that it appears that when re b u i l d i n g a n o l d e r w e i g h filler machine into a flowmeter machine, the new fillers appear to be more accurate over and above what would be expected by the improvement in flow measurement.

Part of the reason could be that during the conversion process, the entire machine is given an overhaul and brought into specification; or it could be that the flowmeter is less susceptible to vibration and electrical noise in a bottling plant.

The flowmeters’ success is measured in two ways: First, every single one of the fillers

ENQUIRY NO. 551

Retrofitting Older Machines

April 2013 | industrial automation asia 59

sector spotlight

With growing competitions in the Asian fresh food market place, mobile solutions are fast-becoming the deciding factors in streamlining operations and improving work environments. By Freddy Fam, mobility product manager, APAC, Intermec Technologies

Improve Operations Through Mobility A

sian fresh food retailers and grocers are operating under tougher conditions than ever before. Increasing competition, on-going price wars and diminishing profit m a rg i n s h a v e a l l b e c o m e common issues that directly impact on the daily interactions with local supermarkets and grocers. With the sheer variety of products on the shelves, the sector naturally lends itself to being a highly complex working environment that usually involves high volume of stock turnover and varied handling and order processes.

This complexity is accompanied 60  industrial automation asia | April 2013

by the challenges that centre on the need to streamline operations and control escalating costs.

Increasingly, distributors and operators within the Asian fresh food retail or grocery sectors a re t u r n i n g t o t e c h n o l o g y innovations as a way of protecting their futures, and maintaining a competitive advantage against their competitors.

The growth of specialist fresh food grocery distribution technology presents a range of opportunities to Asian retailers who are looking to improve their productivity. Increasing a c c u r a c y i n t h e re c e i v i n g process has a flow-on effect

to all subsequent operational processes. Ensuring confidence when identifying one product, as distinct to the next, means there are fewer issues where staff needs to cross the floor to place items where they belong.

In more isolated instances, this can prevent the need to send an item back to a distribution centre for redelivery to another shop. Because of the unique nature of each individual fresh food supply chain, the difficulty lies in designing a system that can guarantee a level of accuracy to ensure that staff and products are exactly where they are meant to be.

Data Capturing When receiving perishable goods, it is imperative to accurately capture all incoming merchandise data. This data can include basic information such as item number, description and quantity, as well as more advanced data elements like lot numbers, serial numbers, expiration dates, track and trace data and product condition.

Even though there are many other proven methods of data capture, many Asian grocers still use paper-based methods for receiving, which is recognised as a time consuming process that is known to increase human error.

By introducing an automated freight management system into their supply chain, Asian fresh food retailers are able to better streamline and manage incoming and outgoing food.

In addition to the automated freight management system, by integrating a barcoding solution a n d i n t ro d u c i n g s c a n n e r s to replace outdated paper based systems, Asian fresh food distributors can ensure that they are employing bestpractice logistical solutions to

increase their productivity and maximise efficiency.

Similar to best-practice barcode and scanning solutions, savvy Asian fresh food grocers are deploying mobility solutions to drive greater accuracy and productivity in their inbound operations. Pairing mobile computers with mobile printers on the receiving dock allows workers to take the ‘process to the product’, rather than the other way around.

Mobile computers give receivers the ability to automatically capture all necessary data through fast and efficient scanning. This process is more cost efficient and can drive productivity increases of 20 to 30 percent over more labour intensive paper processes. It i s a l s o f a r m o re a c c u r a t e , eliminating data entry errors that can occur in the multiple phases of a paper process.

Picking Operations Picking is a labour intensive, physically demanding work process. It is also the most common place in a warehouse environment

Capturing date of incoming goods is imperative to keep track of stock and to ensure streamlined operations.

for injury incidents, with a high quantity of work related injury and employee turnover.

Implementing a mobile voice solution that addresses and improves all these aspects creates a recognisable and measurable Return-On-Investment (ROI).

Within distribution operations, the cost of labour is the highest cost incurred, and within those labour costs, the cost of picking labour is the greatest. As such, any technology investment focused on improving the picking process can have a profound effect on bottom line results.

Voice picking is an accurate, efficient and ergonomic method, which is increasingly accepted by some of the big players as the best-practice picking solution.

It is a hands-free and eyes-free process that removes unnecessary labour associated with paper and/or label pick methods in the distribution centre.

Productivity improvements of 35 percent are typical. Indeed, the use of check digits and voice confirmations drives accuracy levels in the range of 99 percent.

This eliminates the costly work associated with mispicks and drives high store satisfaction levels. This rise in store satisfaction comes as a result of the higher accuracy leading to better filled orders, and less time wasted on both sides of the supply chain.

The key advantage of implementing a voice solution, as mentioned above, is that it leaves the operators with their hands and eyes free. Where in the past, pickers were essentially chained to their paper order forms and pens; the voice-directed system speaks to each individual operator via a headset.

By keeping the hands and eyes free, pickers are then at liberty to accurately and safely complete the task at hand — without having to refer to pieces of paper or handle April 2013 | industrial automation asia 61

sector spotlight

any other equipment. A by-product of this is that the warehouse then becomes a far safer working e n v i ro n m e n t , c o n t r i b u t i n g towards the company’s health and safety compliance obligations whilst increasing job satisfaction for those on the front line.

Outbound Operations Mobile computers, printers and scanners, as well as voice recognition and RFID can be deployed in several combinations that will increase productivity and accuracy in the outbound processes. Specifically for the fresh food industry, accuracy in loading operations is vital to ensure that all merchandise is delivered on time and free of spoilage or damage at its final destination.

While independent printing is becoming more advanced in the Asian fresh food sector, in most cases, a mobile printer is still matched to a mobile computer that can perform direct printing and is capable of running other logistical applications.

While most mobile printers have basic compatibility with dozens of mobile computers, many users are surprised to learn that printer performance can vary significantly depending on the computer it is paired with.

The printer-computer combination is an important variable for productivity and should be evaluated during the selection process. The compatibility between a computer and printer goes beyond whether each device supports the businesses desired interface.

Before choosing a mobile printer/computer combination for your business, Asian fresh food professionals should test their own label and receipt formats to determine which printer-computer combination is fastest and most responsive for operations. Ideally, the printer should also be a close 62  industrial automation asia | April 2013

match with the computer in terms of form and functionality.

For example, if you require a ruggedised printer for your distribution centre, chances are that you will also need to employ a rugged mobile computer to deal with the same environmental concerns. As with other supply chain technologies, ruggedness and durability can vary widely

among mobile printer and computer models.

Scanning containers into trailers with mobile computers or RFID technology, having correctly barcoded and recorded the containers, can eliminate the errors associated with paper processes and enables a cleaner, simplified electronic invoicing process at the time of loading.

RFID can be deployed to increase productivity and accuracy in controlling the flow of goods.

Store Operations Deploying mobile computers at the receiving docks in stores facilitates a more efficient unloading process at the point of delivery and ensures the accuracy of each load, saving time and money at each drop off.

These devices can also be effective for unloading direct store delivery orders and capturing signature data. Using them to perform perpetual inventory counts at the store level has also proven to drive inventory accuracy improvements and reduce labour associated with searching for non-existent product or handling excessive safety stock.

By implementing track and trace processes that record important information about food products from the field to fork, local grocers and fresh fruit distributors can be a lot more confident of the produce they are distributing. With a greater industry and regulatory emphasis on ensuring that all food products sold are safe for human consumption and identifiable throughout the supply chain, this ensures the industry can benefit in a number of ways.

Mobility solutions are being successfully deployed throughout the food chain to help address

Competitions Driving Innovations There is no doubt that competition in the food sector is heating up,

and Asian fresh food grocers and supermarkets are an area where competition is becomingly increasingly concentrated. This competition, while providing short term pain, also drives innovation and out-of-the-box thinking which leads to more efficient, profitable operations.

Where innovations over the past decade have focused on merchandising, product positioning and the marketability of brands, investment in technology is now providing much clearer ROI when it comes to streamlining the operations of the food sector, and returning the focus to making operations more efficient, rather than just more attractive to the end consumer.

ENQUIRY NO. 2702

piGRIP™

- taking gripping to new dimensions

piGRIP with bag handling lip

A modular suction cup that fits most machines and that can be optimized for gripping almost all materials is now here. Piab’s latest innovation piGRIP™ is modular with independent configurable lips, bellows and fittings, which allows you to optimize the suction cup so that it fits your material and machine perfectly.

Visit www.piab.com for more information.

Piab Asia Pte Ltd • 4008 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, #03-16 Techplace I, Singapore 569625 • Phone: +65 6455 0076 Piab AB • Box 4501, Täby SE-18304, Sweden • Phone: +46 8 6302500

ENQUIRY NO. 541

Retail printing applications for mobility solutions.

issues around traceability. Growers and producers of produce, such as poultry, meat and seafood, are using mobile computers, scanners and mobile printers to capture all relevant and required data at the point of harvest.

These solutions are also being deployed in the processing plants, along each point of transport and in the distribution centres, to capture the data and update the systems in the event of a recall. This information, captured in real time, can be retrieved immediately, ensuring the safety of the consumer and resolving the problem quickly.

April 2013 | industrial automation asia 63

sector spotlight

In a competitive market that often suffers from low profit margins due to the volatility of raw material costs, operational efficiency is not a luxury but an essential element to ensure a company’s survival and growth.

By Shermine Gotfredsen, business development manager, Universal Robots

Case Study:

The Robotic Egg Packer

T

he selection, packaging and processing of 2.5 million eggs per day are extremely delicate work tasks that require quality control, care and attention to details. However, the competitive market in the food and beverage industry does not allow companies to focus on their short-term objectives at the expense of their long-term ones.

Cascina Italy, an Italian company with the vision of creating a certified food chain has managed to overcome this challenge and succeeded in their processing of eggs and eggs products through the implementation of automation solutions.

The company is a supply chain that guarantees the quality of their processes, from the types of food they use to feed their chickens to the final packaging of their products intended for consumers.

Robotic Solutions In order to constantly improve its operational efficiency, the company has identified robots as useful tools suited for their employees. The goal was to be able to prepare packages of fresh eggs for large-scale distributions using minimal efforts, while maintaining greater flexibility.

In just 45 days after the first technology demonstration carried out by Universal Robots’ 64 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Italian distributor Alumotion, a UR5 robot came into operation on the company’s packaging system. The robot helped prepare cartons of a total of 1,440 eggs, with each being filled with nine layers of 10 egg packs accurately positioned in a completely automatic way inside the carton.

As Roger Moretti, the plant manager of the company, has commented: “Our subsidiary company was set-up 15 years ago with the aim to focus on the egg industry and to complete the holding company’s agriculture supply chain businesses.

Even for our eggs, we followed the same philosophy: that is to focus on quality as our strategic objective and technological innovation in order to achieve the desired quality.”

According to him, this has created a complex challenge in a market that often suffers from low profit margins due to the volatility of raw materials costs. For this exact reason, operational efficiency is not a luxury to have but an essential element to ensure the company’s survival and growth.

“To increase our market share, we need to launch new products. We have recently launched the Ovosnello, a fat and cholesterol-free egg white cake that is already cooked and ready to be eaten fresh or heated in the microwave,” he added.

Intuitive controls for interfacing with the robot packers.

Fabio Facchinetti, the head of technical at Alumotion, also commented that when they proposed the technology of collaborative robots to the egg supplier, the company managed to recognise their potential immediately.

Operator Friendly System A feature of the robots is that they are able to work side-by-side human operators without taking up much space and the need to build protective barriers.

The robotic arm of the UR5 robots weighs 18 kg, making it possible for the distributor to bring it to their customer to do a live demonstration to illustrate its potential in fulfilling their customer’s requirements and objectives immediately.

Moreover, the ease of programming of the robot also made a huge difference as it allows not only them as an integrator to quickly programme and show their customers the feasibility of the applications that can be automated, but also highlighted the flexibility of re-programming the robot when it is moved to another part of a production line, should the customer require it to perform other work tasks, without changing the layout of the production set-up.

Currently a robot is installed on one of the 24 stations of the company’s output line of selection and packaging of fresh eggs for human consumption. It processes an average of about 1.5 million eggs a day, while another line takes care of the egg products intended mainly for the food and confectionery sector.

one or more robots in their existing line without compromising the other stations.

Therefore, the compactness of the robots was a good solution for them to achieve this goal. In addition, the ability of the robots to work sideby-side to the human operator without having to install protective barriers has saved them on cost and space.

The construction and implementation of the first robot occurred quickly. After less than one and a half months, the robot was operational on a packaging lane that packages 15,000 eggs per hour. In addition, after a training session of only half a day, the company’s workers were able to operate the robot without assistance.

“We believe that collaborative robots will be very useful for companies like ours; where there are constraints of flexibility, space and limited budget for investments to implement traditional expensive robotic solutions,” Mr Moretti concluded. “From our point of view, the results are great so far, so much so that we feel that we can achieve our investment in less than a year and have achieved further refined and improved quality of our packaging processes,” he added.

ENQUIRY NO. 2703

Asif Akbar, India

The robot is now relieving operators from one of the most arduous jobs of handling larger packages for mass distribution. This process requires many bending and strenuous movements because of the depth of the boxes used to pack greater quantities.

Mr Moretti continued by saying that for them, it is important that the robot does not take up much space in order to maintain the flexibility they need.

It was a key requirement for them to be able to install

ENQUIRY NO. 555

Work Safety

April 2013 | industrial automation asia 65

eBOOK EXCLUSIVE

Smart manufacturing is using innovation and technology to revive the sector, as it makes use of real time information and intelligence to increase productivity and enhance the production process. By Sherlyne Yong

Intelligent Manufacturing:

The Smarter Choice W

ithin the past few decades or so, companies took to outsourcing their production process due to rising operating costs, and manufacturing jobs were moved to developing countries where wages were lower.

This trend is starting to reverse however, and the manufacturing sector is experiencing a revival in developed countries.

Mention manufacturing in the past and the image of mass production with a factory line of workers comes to mind. Today’s

industrial automation asia | Feb/Mar 2013

manufacturing on the other hand, has become much smarter and is characterised by technology, speed and automation. Access to business intelligence software and analysis, when roped in with the flexibility of today’s systems, has led to what is known as smart manufacturing.

According to a 2011 report by the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies (NHCPPS), the Smart Manufacturing/High Technology (SMHT) sector in the US is a highly paid workforce that

represents nine percent of the private sector businesses but employs 15 percent of the private sector workforce.

Similarly, a 2012 White House report on advanced manufacturing also focused on its importance as a driver of future economic growth. The report revealed that the manufacturing sector accounted for 72 percent of all private sector R&D spending, and is the sector responsible for new technologies that enhance the competitiveness and growth of

the entire economy. This marks a shift from repetitive, low-skill manufacturing jobs to a digitised manufacturing environment that requires a proficiency in areas like IT, mathematics and science.

Advanced technologies have not only made it easier to manufacture new products, but to also manufacture existing products in new ways. This has led to high value creations that are produced in an operationally efficient way, thereby contributing to economic growth.

Smart manufacturing, which can also refer to intelligent or advanced manufacturing, comprises of an autonomous system that is adaptive and capable of selflearning and self-optimising, which is achieved by the knowledge garnered through a monitoring process. It is characterised by the use and integration of information, automation, computation, software, sensing and networking, while leveraging on innovative materials and emerging capabilities. What this results in is an intelligent system that can respond proactively in a dynamic environment.

Predictive and preventive, the use of intelligent manufacturing systems help producers to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in an era where the lack of timeliness is detrimental. Such applications increase productivity, resulting in a faster time to market while facilitating a faster product transition and the development of more products — enhancements that are integral in an increasingly globalised world.

To say that knowledge is power is a mere understatement, especially as information makes up the core of intelligent manufacturing systems. The entire process revolves around making informed decisions after picking out useful patterns from data, most often in a non-linear flow of events.

For instance, it starts with the collection of raw data filtered within a set of targeted parameters, which is then pre-processed for noise removal, missing value replacement and data cleaning, and later consolidated into forms for mining. Thereafter, the data is integrated and a model is produced based on functions (eg: clustering, classification, prediction, association, regression and summarisation), depending on the type of knowledge required.

The appropriate algorithms should also be selected according to the functions used for pattern identification.

Data mining follows in the next step, which includes searching for relevant patterns in a particular representational form. Knowledge

Gerard79, Luzern, Switzerland

Steve Jurvetson, California, US

Manufactured Intelligently

The design of Artificial Neural Networks are an important element in generating Intelligence in a manufacturing process or machine.

Feb/Mar 2013 | industrial automation asia

eBOOK EXCLUSIVE

is then derived from analysing and visualising meaningful patterns among the collected sets of data.

Whatever information that is gathered is then incorporated back into the system for consideration, creating a cycle based on feedback and continuous modification. The information is stored and can be retrieved anytime for use or integration into the manufacturing process.

Streamlined For Benefits

Steve Jurvetson, California, US

Smart manufacturing plants are typically highly automated and IT-optimised, which results in higher output and productivity, a reduced need for manpower, higher quality products, skilled jobs which are better paid, a safer working environment, resource efficiency, lower production costs, increased flexibility and a faster time-to-market.

Gaining access to the information flow has led to an agile environment that can respond quickly to the dynamism of the market. Companies have used data analytics, modelling and simulation to obtain manufacturing intelligence, creating flexible factories that are capable of just-

in-time production. The extensive IT-optimised infrastructure means it can be easily reprogrammed as well.

T h e a v a i l a b i l i t y o f re a l time trends further facilitates resource planning and enables operators to optimise the time, energy and materials used during production, leading to better product lifecycle management. Operators are also better equipped to make informed decisions on the spot. Implementing intelligent processes across the supply c h a i n w i l l a l s o c re a t e a n interconnected grid of networks and increased harmonisation between different points of production and business levels.

More impor tantly, smar t processes have the ability to make sense of real time information and the flexibility to respond accordingly. By continuously improving on its own system and the way it derives outcomes through feedback propagation, the quality of products will be enhanced and there will be lesser downtime in addition to increased equipment life and utilisation.

Being able to act on

The semiconductor industry makes use of intelligent manufacturing processes to ensure consistent quality and efficiency.

industrial automation asia | Feb/Mar 2013

feedback somewhat confers self-maintenance or healing functions to the machines as well.

This includes load-dependent monitoring, fault diagnosis or automatic maintenance scheduling, which are all primed to prolong machine life. On the business level, organisations are also better able to analyse their Key Performance Indexes (KPI) and derive best practices.

This forms an integral portion as improvement is only possible with the identification of problem areas.

Fit For Function While a plethora of techniques exist when it comes to how intelligent processes work, choosing the right technique depends on the function it performs and the type of knowledge to be acquired.

Intelligent processes can be used for purposes such as quality control, job shop scheduling, fault diagnostics or even yield improvement. Meanwhile, functions can be segregated into whether it is used for description, classification, monitoring, prediction, and so on.

For instance, descriptive data mining, otherwise known as concept description, concisely summarises data by its main characteristics and helps to discriminate when comparing between two different sets of data. Within the manufacturing context, it is generally used for understanding processes.

It can be used for quality control in PCB manufacturing, where existing practices include the use of an extended rough set theory approach to derive at rules and significant features, or using a hybrid neural network and decision tree model to discriminate between outlying patterns.

In job shop scheduling, key concepts are identified and

OpenPICUS

Many manufacturing processes make use of intelligent production methods to improve efficiency and cut costs.

benchmarked after analysing past scheduling data with their results. Some researchers have also created an intelligent system in Hitachi, using a three step feature extraction, combinatorial search and presentation, to help engineers narrow down areas of focus during fault analysis.

Meanwhile, classification is supervised learning, where data is separated into predefined categories after its attributes are analysed. It is used to identify patterns so that corrective measures and improvements can be made. For instance, it was used for process monitoring and fault diagnosis, where an integrated neural network was used to classify faults, while a rough set was used to match the causal relationship between various parameters and their outputs.

Clustering on the other hand, is unsupervised learning where there are no defined classes and data is

clustered based on probability or similarity metrics instead. Some researchers managed to improve the yield in a wafer manufacturing plant after using a combination of self-organising map neural networks and rule induction to identify critical factors that influence yield.

Prediction is another learning function that holds vital importance within manufacturing, for it allows for one to be prepared. For instance, it can be used to gauge the rate of tool wear, or when maintenance is required. Neural networks can be used in monitoring processes to recognise tool conditions. A regression tree based model can also be employed for estimating lead times in the job shop.

Relationships between data items can be glimpsed through association rule mining, which hinge on the co-occurrence of data items. Association rules can

enhance design for manufacture by providing additional useful information. In one example, this type of mining was performed on the historical product data of fan blades, so that process limitations and associations between different product dimensions could be established. This helps with future changes or improvements in design.

Intelligent processes are essentially the efficacious workings of a set of algorithms.

Nonetheless, it has to be noted that while a sound technological framework is important, smart manufacturing systems also have to ensure that their data collection methods and tools are reliable. As a result, there is push not only for enhanced network infrastructures, but also the creation of a greater access to next generation sensors that facilitate the quality and transmission of information.

Feb/Mar 2013 | industrial automation asia

products & Services Agilent Technologies: Oscilloscope

The InfiniiVision 4000 X-Series oscilloscope by Agilent Technologies has DSO and MSO models from 200 MHz to 1.5 GHz. The device has a 12.1 inch capacitive touch screen with InfiniiScan Zone touch triggering, and an update rate of over 1,000,000 waveforms per second.

This device effectively has five instruments in one, which include oscilloscope channels, logic channels, digital voltmeter, dual-channel WaveGen function/arbitrary waveform generator and serial protocol analyser. It is also possible to upgrade these features after purchase.

Enquiry no. 2801

Beckhoff Automation:

Servo Terminal

The EL7201 series for the Beckhoff EtherCAT I/O system has a new version, the EL7201-0010. This series integrated a complete servo amplifier for motors up to 200 W in a standard HD terminal housing. This particular version supports the ‘One Cable Technology’ (OCT) equipped on the AM8000 servomotor series instead of the traditional resolver interface. OCT combines power and feedback signals in one standard motor cable.

Material and commissioning costs can be lowered as a result.

This servo terminal extends the modular compact drive system even further with more flexible options. In addition to solutions for stepper and DC motors, the servo terminals are also designed for dynamic servo positioning tasks thanks to integrated, fast control technology.

Enquiry no. 2803

Banner Engineering:

Check Point: Security Gateway

Banner Engineering adds the MachineMountable Remote Display to its line of iVu Vision products.

This product enables users to view the iVu sensor image remotely and serves as a constant monitoring and user programming interface, without interference from electrical noise.

The rugged, noise immune, stationary remote display features an 89 mm (3.5 in), diagonal, colour LCD flat-panel touch screen display and an wide viewing angle — 60 degrees left and 60 degrees right; 50 degrees up, and 55 degrees down. Two LEDs on the Remote Display provide feedback of the remote sensor operation — one for Power/Error, and the other indicating inspection Pass/Fail.

The 21700 Appliance from Check Point Software Technologies comes in a compact 2U chassis. The appliance offers 78 Gbps of firewall throughput, 25 Gbps of IPS throughput and a 2,922 SecurityPower Unit (SPU) rating. It also leverages the company’s Software Blade Architecture, providing large enterprises and data centres with layers of security.

The product is a part of the 21000 appliance family, which supports the Security Acceleration Module, a hardware accelerator including SecurityCore technology and featuring 108 cores. It is suited for transaction-oriented environments.

Remote Display

Enquiry no. 2802 66 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Enquiry no. 2804

products & Services

Cognex: OCR Reading Software

The OCRMax technology from Cognex now includes automatic tuning capability. This feature makes complex OCR applications simpler and is available in the In-Sight Explorer 4.8 and VisionPro 8.1 software releases.

When a user clicks the auto-tune button, the system acquires a sample image and automatically adjusts the tool to its optimal parameters for better reading performance.

The OCRMax algorithm prevents misreads and provides font management for optical character recognition and verification (OCR and OCV) applications.

Enquiry no. 2805

Fluke: Infrared Thermometer Fluke has introduced the VT02 Visual IR Thermometer, a troubleshooting camera with an infrared heat map. This product is designed to combine the visual insight of a thermal imager, the visual images of a digital camera, and the point-and-shoot convenience of an IR (infrared) thermometer.

Conducting inspections for electrical, industrial, HVAC/R and automotive applications is faster with this product than an infrared thermometer, which requires multiple readings and manually recorded results. This device detects problems using blended thermal and digital imagery. It will display and save images as full visual, full infrared, or in three blended modes (25, 50, and 75 percent). Images are saved to the micro-SD card, eliminating the need to write down single or multiple measurements.

Enquiry no. 2807

Contrinex: Inductive Sensors

Fuji Electric: Inverter

The Series 700 full metal inductive sensors from Contrinex are designed to be robust, reliable and durable in hazardous environments. With a one-piece stainless steel (V2A/AISI304) construction and a hermetically sealed cable entry, these sensors are corrosion-resistant, and designed to be impervious to oil, and pressure resistant to 80 bar.

These sensors are rated to IP68 and IP69K delivering fit and forget performance with minimal downtime. With operating distances up to 40mm, the Full Metal range senses both ferrous and non-ferrous materials with Factor 1 performance and is available in sizes from M8 to M30.

The Frenic-Ace series of inverters from Fuji Electric can be used under a variety of installation environments and load conditions. The existing general-purpose drive has only one or two ratings that customers can select to match their installation and specification needs. This series offers four ratings, which allows customers to select the optimum drive rating for their installation and load conditions.

More energy-saving benefits are also offered through optimal sensorless synchronous motor control. In addition, an existing motor on the site can be replaced with a synchronous motor even after installation. Some of the applications for this series of inverters include air conditioning equipment, conveyors, food-related machinery, machine tools, and textile and spinning machinery.

Enquiry no. 2806

Enquiry no. 2808 April 2013 | industrial automation asia  67

products & Services

ifm electronics: Temperature

JJ Lapp: Protective Cable

ifm electronic has released an IP69k Temperature Transmitter, featuring integrated drift monitoring and temperature diagnostic backup functions, operating to an accuracy of 0.2 K. Due to this new ‘self-monitoring’ function, calibration intervals may be increased and maintenance costs reduced.

The accuracy of the TAD series temperature transmitters is backed up by a free ‘5-point calibration certificate’. Probe lengths come in 33, 55 and 87.5 mm, to meet the requirements of the food, beverage and process industries.

The Silvyn FG and the corresponding Silvyn AMG-FG conduit gland from JJ Lapp, are made suitable for the food industry where machines and equipment have to be cleaned using aggressive cleaning agents. The smooth PVC outer sheath of the Silvyn FG conduit allows an easy cleaning process whereby scraps can be identified with the naked eye through its white outer sheath.

The specially rounded gland design of the Silvyn AMG/FG meets the increased hygienic requirements to install components with the minimum possible number of edges, while an additional special plastic nipple also ensures that there is no room for residue in the connection between the conduit and the gland.

Transmitter

Enquiry no. 2809

Conduit And Cable Carrier System

Enquiry no. 2811

Invensys Operations Management:

National Instruments: Vector

Invensys Operations Management has enhanced its Triconex critical control and safety offerings for industrial operations. The Triconex Safety View solution is software for alarm and bypass management and is certified by TÜV Rheinland to IEC61508 Systematic Capability 3 for use in applications up to Safety Integrity Level 3.

The software provides safety integrity for critical alarm management applications. It improves situational awareness and broadens visibility into the risks that come with system startups, shutdowns and other critical process transitions that must be managed by plant personnel.

Vector Signal Transceivers (VSTs) from National Instruments combine a vector signal analyser and vector signal generator with a user-programmable FPGA for real-time signal processing and control. Built on the NI LabView RIO architecture, it delivers programming flexibility and RF hardware to meet a range of applications.

RF and Microwave Test solutions are based on modular hardware and defined and designed in software to give the test system required. Because of this flexible approach, the VST can be configured for multiple RF applications including wireless connectivity and channel emulation and is scalable for future applications.

Alarm And Bypass Management Tool

Enquiry no. 2810 68 industrial automation asia | April 2013

Signal Transceivers

Enquiry no. 2812

products & Services

PiezoMotor: Linear Motor

R Stahl: Remote I/O System

A different motor size within the LTC family from PiezoMotor has been released. The Piezo LEGS Linear Twin-C 40N, LTC40 motor is designed for a number of applications. For instance in optical, laser as well as in automation applications.

This product operates directly, with no need for gears or mechanical transmission, to create a backlash free linear motion within nanometre or even sub-nanometre resolution.

The motor is easily set up with simple drive electronics. It is suited to use the motor in move and hold applications since there is no power draw in the hold position.

The explosion-protected remote I/O system IS1, from R Stahl, is being extended with the IS1+. The device now provides additional features to address current and future requirements.

In recent years, the system added many new functions, including Fast Ethernet connection, Profibus redundancy, DTM support, integration of optical rings and modules with integrated magnetic valves.

The I/O modules are fully downward compatible to their predecessors, allowing users to exchange or upgrade legacy devices without any changes to project planning and wiring.

Mixed modules enable efficient solutions even at a low signal density and reduce the number of module types by 50 percent, which minimises expenses for spare parts storage.

Enquiry no. 2813

Enquiry no. 2815

Powertech: AC/DC Enclosed

Yokogawa Electric:

Powertech’s SE Series of enclosed AC/DC switchmode power supplies offers a robust design while complying with safety and EMC requirements.

The series has an output power range of 25W, 40W, 60W, 60W (dual), 100W, 120W (dual), 150W, 240W, 320W and 500W, which covers many applications and is available in both 12VDC and 24VDC outputs.

This series of enclosed AC/DC switchmode power supplies offers a wide power range from 25W to 500W, a universal AC input voltage 85-264VAC, a voltage tolerance of ±1 percent, an adjustable output voltage of ±10 percent, and compliance with safety standards (EN60950-1) and EMC standards (EN55022 Class B).

Yokogawa Electric has released the F3YP22-0P, F3YP24-0P, and F3YP28-0P positioning modules for the FA-M3 series range-free multi-controllers.

The FA-M3 is an embedded controller that is used with electronic component/equipment assembly systems and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The positioning modules control the positioning movements of motors on production machinery. These modules were developed to bolster the existing lineup of positioning modules to meet the need for increased speed, accuracy, and cost-performance.

The F3YP22-0P module is for 2-axis (2 motors) operation, the F3YP24-0P for 4-axis (4 motors), and the F3YP28-0P for 8-axis (8 motors).

Switching Power Supplies

Enquiry no. 2814

Positioning Modules

Enquiry no. 2816 April 2013 | industrial automation asia 69

ENQUIRY NO. 546

Calendar Of Events 2013 april

8 – 10 China ePower

Shanghai New International Expo Centre Shanghai, China MP Internation Email: lindsayteopaco@mpinetwork.com Web: http://www.epower-china.cn/en/

8 – 12 Hannover Messe 2013

Hannover Fairground Hannover, Germany Deutsche Messe AG Web: http://www.hannovermesse.de

9 – 12 MTA Asia 2013

Singapore Expo Singapore Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd Email: gillian@sesallworld.com Web: http://www.mta-asia.com

17 – 19 Propak China 2013

june

5 – 8 Renewable Energy Asia 2013

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) Email: info@cmpthailand.com Web: http://www.renewableenergy-asia.com/

12 – 15 Propak Asia 2013

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok Exhibition Services Ltd. Email: piyaporn@besallworld.com Web: http://www.propakasia.com/

18 – 21 CommunicAsia 2013

Marina Bay Sands Singapore Singapore Exhibition Services Email: pin@sesallworld.com Web: http://www.communicasia.com/

24 – 25 RFID World Asia 2013

Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre Singapore Terrapinn Pte Ltd Email: lydia.sebastian@terrapinn.com Web: http://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/ rfid-world-asia/#rfid-world-asia

may 7 – 9 Semicon Singapore 2013

Marina Bay Sands Singapore Email: cliao@semi.org Web: http://www.semiconsingapore.org/

16 – 19 Intermach 2013

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) Co. Ltd E-mail: Sukanya.A@ubm.com Web: www.intermachshow.com

july 2 – 5 MTA Vietnam 2013

Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd Email: mta@sesallworld.com Web: http://www.mtavietnam.com

3 – 5 Clean Energy Expo China 2013

China National Convention Center Beijing, China Koelnmesse Co Ltd Email: j.chiah@koelnmesse.com.sg Web: http://www.cleanenergyexpochina.com/

3 – 5 Indo Renergy Expo & Forum

Jakarta Convention Centre Jakarta, Indonesia PT Napindo Media Ashatama Email: info@indorenergy.com Web: http://www.indorenergy.com/

Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) Shanghai, China China International Exhibitions Email: vicky@chinaallworld.com Web: http://www.propakchina.com/en/

august 28 – 30 Electronics Assembly and Packaging Technology Expo 2013

Shenzhen International Convention & Exhibition Center Shenzhen, China Reed Exhibitions Email: vera.ng@reedexpo.com.hk Web: http://www.atexpochina.com/en/

28 – 31 Taipei International Industrial Automation Exhibition 2013

Taipei World Trade Centre Nangang Exhibition Hall Taipei, Taiwan Chan Chao International Co Ltd Email: automation@chanchao.com.tw Web: http://www.autotaiwan.com.tw/en/

september 4 – 6 Semicon Taiwan 2013

Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall Taipei, Taiwan Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) Email: jtsai@semi.org Web: www.semicontaiwan.org/en/

october 2 – 4 Power Gen Asia 2013

IMPACT Exhibition & Convention Centre Bangkok, Thailand PennWell Conferences & Exhibitions Email: exhibitpga@pennwell.com Web: www.powergenasia.com

21 – 25 Metaltech Malaysia 2013

Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Trade-Link Exhibition Services Sdn Bhd Email: info@tradelink.com.my Web: http://tradelink.com.my/metaltech/

To be considered for inclusion in the Calendar of Events, send details of event (name, date, venue, organiser contact) to: The Editor IAA Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd. 1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building, #02-05, Singapore 169206 Tel: (65) 6379 2888 • Fax: (65) 6379 2805 • Email: iaa@epl.com.sg

Advertising Index

64

|

IndustrialAutomationAsia

ADVERTISING I N D E X

ADVERTISER

PAGE NO ENQ NO

ABB PTE LTD

IFC

549

ADVANTECH CO SINGAPORE PTE LTD

27

556

BELDEN SINGAPORE PTE LTD

45

547

COGNEX SINGAPORE INC.

33

548

CONTRINEX (SEA) PTE LTD

55

557

FUJI ELECTRIC ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

7

530

IFM ELECTRONICS PTE LTD

59

551

JJ LAPP CABLE (S) PTE LTD

65

555

OBC

543

NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

5

552

PIAB ASIA PTE LTD

63

541

SOANAR PTE LTD

11

550

8&9

553

UBM ASIA (THAILAND) CO LTD – RENEWABLE ENERGY ASIA 2013

70

546

YASKAWA ELECTRIC (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD

1

554

ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

3

558

Mitsubishi Electric Asia PTE Ltd

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Name: (Surname) ________________________________________ (Given Name) ___________________________ Company: ______________________________________________ Job Title: _______________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Country: _______________________________________________ Telephone No: __________________________ E-mail:_________________________________________________ Fax No: ________________________________ Commencing From: ____________ (Year) ___________ (Month)

I wish to pay by:

❑ Credit Card

❑

Cheque - made payable to Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd

❑

Telegraphic Transfer Payment

Cardholder’s Name ________________________________

UNITED OVERSEAS BANK, SINGPORE BANK CODE : 7375 BRANCH CODE : 037 ACCOUNT NO : 921-343-851-0 COMPANY : EASTERN TRADE MEDIA PTE LTD

❑ Amex

❑ Visa

❑ Mastercard

Account Number

Security ID –

Receipt will only be issued upon request!

Expiry Date Signature

Mail or Fax this form to: Circulation Department, Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd

1100 Lower Delta Road #02-02 EPL Building Singapore 169206 Fax: (65) 6379 2806

Your Business Activity ❑ 500 ❑ 505 ❑ 510 ❑ 515 ❑ 520 ❑ 525 ❑ 530 ❑ 535 ❑ 540 ❑ 545 ❑ 550 ❑ 555

Semi-Conductor Foundry Services Semi-Conductor Equipment Mfg Electrical & Electronics Mfg Automated Assembly Precision Engineering & Sub-contracting Aerospace Automotive Material,Storage & Handling Systems Design & Programme Building and Construction Rubber & Plastic Manufacturing Assembly/Packaging

❑ 560 ❑ 565 ❑ 570 ❑ 575 ❑ 580 ❑ 585 ❑ 590 ❑ 595 ❑ 600 ❑ 605 ❑ 610

Food & Beverage Processing Pulp & Paper Oil & Gas Production Power Generation Chemical and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Environmental Management Water & Waste Water Management & Recycling Shipbuilding & Repair Trade Association/Institutions/Government Agency Agents/Distributors/Representatives Others (Please be specific)

YOUR JOB FUNCTION ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

50 52 54 56 58 60

Executive Management Maintenance Engineering Manufacturing Engineering Design Engineering Packaging Engineering Process Engineering

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

62 64 66 68 70 72

(Please tick)

(Please tick)

System Support Engineering Testing & Inspection/Quality Control Purchasing/Sourcing Research & Development Sales & Marketing Others (Please be specific)

Size of company (Please tick) ❑ 001 1 – 10

❑ 002 11 – 30

❑ 003 31 – 50

❑ 004 51 – 100

❑ 005 101 – 499

❑ 006 500 or more

eMedia Achieve Value,

Give Yourself The Edge Take advantage of eMedia, and expand your customer base at home and abroad.

90,000

IAA Hub

90,000 visitors view IAA’s website yearly, given our clients worldwide exposure to their customers. Currently we offer a top and bottom portal banner at US$4,000 and US$2,000, respectably. We also offer video hosting at only US$1,500/year or US$125/month.

60%

eNewsletter

With 32,000 eNewsletter subscribers, a CPM of 0.8 cents and a 60 percent click through success rate, you can be sure of generating maximum value for any budget.

eBook

As an eBook exclusive we are offering one full-page ad for US$2,500, with each additional page at US$200, if included in the same issue.

By booking three issues, one full-page ad will cost US$2,000 per issue only, US$6,000 for three issues, saving you US$1,500!

SAVE

US$1,500 Email : salesiaa@epl.com.sg Tel: (65) 6379 2888 Fax: (65) 6379 2805

www.iaasiaonline.com

BPA Audited Our database is BPA audited ensuring our circulation figures are authentic, giving you peace of mind when choosing IAA.

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ENQUIRY NO. 543