IAA Dec2010-Jan2011

Dec 2010/Jan 2011

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MICA(P) 039/07/2010 | ISSN 0219/5615 | PPS 1561/06/2011 (028597)

Picking Up Steam

Sensor and Actuator Circuits:

Safety & Reliablility

Computing Platforms:

Tough Technology

Sustaining Demand

With Biofuels

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contents December 2010/January 2011

ISSUES & INSIGHTS

22

Market Outlook 2011

CONTROL POINT

28

Sensor And Actuator Circuits: Safety & Reliablility

Modern power supplies require designs that can provide effective overload and short-circuit protection for field devices. Erich Fischer, division head, Automation and Process Control, E-T-A Germany

SOFTWARE & NETWORKS

32

A Shot In The Arm For The Automotive Industry

The combination of portability supplied from measuring arms and inspection software programs makes it easier to carry out more inspections. By Peter Dickin, marketing manager, Delcam

Instrumentation & Measurement

34

Sensors: Precision In Measurement

Digital high-density temperature transmitters enable the simple and cost-effective monitoring of multiple temperature points. By Jonas Berge, director of PlantWeb Consulting, Emerson Process Management

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

42

Computing Platforms: Tough Technology

44

Re-Arming The B52s

48

Limitless Optimisation Of Machine Tool Performance

Military and aerospace applications need to address the Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) issues, all while being able to operate effectively in demanding environments. By Vincent Chuffart, product manager, Kontron

Measurement arms are used to overhaul US Air Force B-52s. By Dan Alred, product marketing manager, Faro and Richard Hansen, quality assurance manager, Mission Support.

The open architecture THINC system provides upgradable tools to increase productivity without costly CNC overhaul. Submitted by Julie Murphy, marketing manager, Okuma America Corp

Energy

50

Kiril Havezov, Bulgaria

2  industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Biofuels: Sustaining Global Demand

Innovative technologies for biofuel production are being developed and employed to satisfy growing energy consumption. By Mark Johnston

2010-2011

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contents

z Dec 2010/Jan 2011 IndustrialAutomationAsia Dec 2010/Jan 2011

December 2010/January 2011

fEATURES Slashing CO2 Permeation Test Times

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Knowing the rate of CO2 loss is of interest to both bottle manufacturers and bottlers. By Joel Fischer, permeation lab manager, Mocon

58

Sensor and Actuator Circuits:

Safety & Reliablility

Computing Platforms:

Tough Technology

Sustaining Demand

With Biofuels

IAA DecJan.indd 1

Moving Mountains

11/29/10 6:46 PM

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

At the Graphical System Design Summit that was held in Singapore in October, Chandran Nair, MD, South East Asia, National Instruments (NI), explains how software innovation is scaling heights in various industry sectors.

By Michael Tham

60

Picking Up Steam

| Biofuels

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MICA(P) 039/07/2010 | ISSN 0219/5615 | PPS 1561/06/2011 (028597)

Market Outlook 2011 | Sensor and Actuator Circuits | Computing Platforms

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Case Study: Robot Drags Crates & Serves Tea

Humanoid prototype robots that perform complex, two-handed manipulations may be used for moving items in a warehouse in the not-too-distant future.

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EVENTS

62 Solidworks 2011

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EDITOR’s PAGE

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Kenneth Tan editor

Michael Tham michaeltham@epl.com.sg Editorial Assistant

For many industries, the year 2010 has been one of cautious recovery.

As countries lick their wounds from the global economic disaster of the previous year, certain companies have already embarked on ambitious initiatives to claim market share.

Schneider Electric has inked an agreement to acquire a 50 percent stake in Electroshield – TM Samara. The latter specialises in medium voltage products and solutions in Russia, and is involved in the oil & gas, power generation and electro intensive industries. In Asia, the former has also opened its eco-friendly logistics hub in Singapore to serve the regional market – and to link the company’s operations there to other global locations.

Another company that is expanding its operations is ABB, which has opened a robotics application centre in Singapore. The aim is to make available a facility for its partners and potential end-users to learn about what robotic automation can do for them. The company foresees that growth in this sector is likely to be fuelled by industries like food, beverage and pharmaceuticals.

Riding on the growth trend in Asia, Premier Farnell has announced element14 – an expanded inventory of products that are relevant to electronic design engineers.

In North Vietnam, National Instruments has appointed Advancing Technologies & Investment Consultants Joint Stock Company as its system integrator. The arrangement will cover industries such as military, oil & gas, chemicals and glass production.

Elsewhere in South East Asia, SIMTech has launched the Nanotechnology in Manufacturing Initiative (NiMI) in Singapore. The initiative explores the use of nano-materials for industry applications and addresses challenges in the adoption of this technology in manufacturing.

Further up north, Rockwell Automation has partnered with Sonic Automation, an industrial automation distributor in Thailand. The agreement is aimed at enhancing the former’s market access, and at expanding its served markets in South East Asia.

With increasing activity in the region, 2011 looks poised for a promising start. And as 2010 draws to a close, we would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Michael Tham Editor

Nicole Yee nicoleyee@epl.com.sg Senior Art Director/Studio Manager

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Erich Fischer, Peter Dickin, Jonas Berge, Vincent Chuffart Dan Alred, Richard Hansen Mark Johnston, Dr Ursula Frank Julie Murphy, Joel Fischer, Joson Ng Editorial Consultants

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6 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

System 800xA Extended Automation The Power of Integration

Profitable collaboration. Operational excellence can only be achieved through collaboration between people and systems. ABB’s System 800xA Extended Automation platform provides the collaborative environment necessary for various organizations and departments to work as one. Utilizing System 800xA’s patented Aspect Object Technology, information is integrated from various plant systems, applications, and devices and presented as one plant-wide view enabling informed, real-time decision making. That’s the power of integration.

For more information visit www.abb.com/controlsystems

ENQUIRY NO. 173

Industry News Hirschmann Hosts Conference In Indonesia

Bali, Indonesia: The sixth annual Hirschmann Partners Conference for introducing the INET range of products, has been held in Bali, Indonesia from November 16-18. The meeting was kicked off with a welcome speech by Keith Mauck, VP of Sales & Marketing and Chua Teck Guan, director for SEA & NA. The speech included an overview of go-to-market strategy, channel development as well as the growth strategy in Asia Pacific.

Siemens Conducts Workshop In Singapore

Singapore: Siemens has conducted a sales workshop in September at the Swissotel, Merchant Court. The lecturer was Helmut Stiegler from I IA SM SE, Nuremberg. In total 50 partners attended the event.

The opening two hours of the workshop were dedicated to repeat the basics of sales management.

After the basics had been settled, the lecturer referred to the intricacies of sales management.

8 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

At tendees of the conference were presented the company’s latest products and innovation, including live demons trations by produc t managers from Germany: Juergen Schmid, Mark Cooksley and Olaf Schilperoort.

Re gional pa r t ner s a nd s ale s as sociates shared their succes s stories in various vertical markets, which will be duplicated across different countries.

“Belden is continuing its investment in a key vertical market f o c u s e d , g o - t o - m a r ke t m o d e l .

The implement ation of the our m a r ke t d e l i v e r y s y s t e m i s ke y to the future grow th of our business in the region. This m o d e l co nt i nu e s to e m p ha s i s e the signif icance of our par tners as a critical piece to our success,” said Mr Mauck.

One of the main topics was the consideration of customer needs.

At the end of the first day, seven groups were formed where each was in charge of creating a customer specific value proposition using the theoretical knowledge gained in the workshop before.

T hree groups pre s ented the results of this group assignment the next day in front of the audience.

Mr Stiegler gave his feedback on their ideas and concept s. The last quarter of the workshop was based on how to work out a customer value concept using sales figures such as assets and economic value added to define Economic Value to the Customer (EVC). The lecturer gave the audience an insight into pricing before doing a short summary of the two workshop-days.

Plant Automation Seminar Siemens has sponsored a symposium featuring Profibus and Profinet in Manila, Philippines.

Dubbed ‘Profibus/Profinet: Te c h n o l o g y E a s y To U s e ’, t h e symposium was organised jointly

by Profibus Association Southeast Asia and MFI Technological Institute ( M F I -T I a n d f o r m e r l y M e r a l c o F o u n d a t i o n) t o e n h a n c e l o c a l engineers’ capabilities on industrial connectivity and troubleshooting.

The sponsor presented its solutions for factory and process automation to a gathering of the countr y ’s indus trial automation community. Bernd Lieberth, Siemens’ specialist and promoter of Profibus technology, elaborated on how the systems can impact an entire production sequence.

Industry News

Schneider Electric Opens Logistics Hub In Singapore S i n g a p o r e: S c h n e i d e r El e c t r i c has announced the opening of its logistics hub for Asia, which employs the company’s expertise in energy management to optimise energy efficiencies.

Eco-Friendly Design Bruno Lesage, Hub Asia director, says: “Our expertise in power, data centres, process and machines, building control and physical security has enabled us to build an intelligent energy management solution – an energy efficient hub – that is bringing us savings of over 30 percent per year, which equates to approximately S$68,000 (US$52,873).”

“The hub makes invisible energy waste both visible and actionable. There is real-time tracking of power conditions to generate raw data of electricity consumption allocation, analyse power quality, reliability and trends, and to produce reports such as energy cost and load profile reports.”

The logistics hub occupies over 14,000 square metres and will manage over 110,000 cubic metres of cargo per year.

According to Mr Lesage, the concept for Hub Asia is part of the company’s global strategy, and is based on three main missions: • To be the link between the company’s factories that are based in Asia Pacific and its worldwide customers: US, South America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, North Asia, Southeast Asia, India, and Pacific zones; • To be the link between the company’s suppliers that are based outside Asia Pacific and its customers that are in Asia Pacific markets; • To be the host for all supply chain and logistics specialised functions.

Emmanuel Babeau, executive VP Finance, said: “As a part of our supply chain management strategy, this hub will consolidate all our electric products that are manufactured in Asia Pacific

and redistribute them to 170 regional customers and partners in over 31 countries around the world. We estimate this to create a turnover in excess of 14,000 tonnes of goods valued at €500 million (US$697 million) per year.

The logistics hub is also expected to provide cost savings of more than €8 million and a reduction in lead time for product delivery of 3-4 days for most of the region.”

Stuart John Thorogood, president, South East Asia, said: “Locating Hub Asia here in Singapore means that there will be a decrease in transportation time. This will help to raise our service level for customised or adapted produc t s, which will be handled here in our adaptation workshop. The workshop is an integral part of our warehouse facility, which helps us achieve quick turn-around time for our value-added services and also helps to boost distribution activities around the region.” “ We h ave i n c o r p o r a t e d o u r occupancy sensors to ensure that lighting in low traf f ic areas will automatically be turned-off when it is not needed. We have also reduced the resources that are required to guard the goods during after working hours. This is by installing security cameras around the facilities with digital recording systems,” says Mr Thorogood.

Acquisition Of Electroshield – TM Samara Schneider Electric has signed an agreement to acquire 50 percent of Electroshield – TM Samara, a specialist in medium voltage products and solutions in Russia, with key positions in oil & gas, power generation and electro intensive industries.

The latter has operations across Rus sia and in the neighbouring Central Asian countries, and employs approximately 7,000 people in four different industrial sites (in Russia and Uzbekistan). It is expected to generate revenues in excess of RUB 17.0 billion (US$592 million) for the current year, with an EBITA margin close to the group’s average.

With this acquisition, the former will strengthen its position in Russia in terms of customer reach, local industrial footprint, R&D capabilities and technical design competencies.

The purchase price for 50 percent of the company is RUB 10.7 billion (US$368 million) on a debt-free cash-free basis, or 1.3 times 2010 expected sales. The acquisition will be consolidated under the equity accounting method.

Subject to certain conditions and antitrust approval, Schneider Electric could obtain full ownership of the company under similar financial conditions for the remaining 50 percent.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 9

Industry News

Singapore: ABB has officially opened its robotics application centre in Singapore on September 29, 2010. According to Renny Yeo, honorary president of the Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation (SMA), this milestone is significant, especially in a period where the government is implementing the Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) recommendations.

One of the key areas is the subject of continuous training, productivity and the use of innovation to remain competitive in the world market.

Emphasising On Expertise “Singapore’s skilled workforce is at the point where conventional productivity improvement and training will only bring incremental results. To achieve productivity growth of the 2 – 3 percent target by our government over the next decade, we must look at other ways to achieve this target. This is where automation and robotics will play a major role to achieve a quantum leap. The use of robotics will lower the cost of production, improve material usage and reduce the wastage of valuable resources.

There are other needs that only robotics can help to achieve; as they are hygienic, safe, allow for flexibility and ensure consistency throughout the manufacturing process,” says Mr Yeo. “I was told a simple robot cost just over S$30,000 (US$23,158). At this cost, it makes it viable for SMEs to look into robotic automation. This is crucial for our SMEs as we continue to face a shortage of workers and rising costs. I would like to encourage SMEs to look into the use of robots for selective applications such as picking, packing, and palletising,” added Mr Yeo. James Foo, president and country manager, ABB said: “According to the International Federation of Robotics, the trend towards automation dipped in 2009 only because of the economic crisis. Since 2010, the demand for industrial robots has been surging worldwide. The demand in the Asia Pacific market is expected to grow at a rate of 12 percent per year between 2011 and 2013.”

David Marshall, marketing communications manager, Robotics Division, ABB added: “We forecast that much of that growth will come from the food, beverage and pharmaceuticals industries in Asia. It is therefore important that we have a presence in the region and not just at our headquarters in Shanghai, China. This robotics centre serves as a hub for South East Asia. Our aim is to provide a facility that both our partners and potential end-users can come to learn about what robotic automation can do for them.”

Regional Support The company has also expanded its dedicated Control Systems Regional Unit in Singapore to provide greater local support for its customers in the growing Asian market. The unit provides expert technical and training support for automation customers, as well as regional delivery, sales support, marketing and business development functions.

As part of the expansion, the company has located several key global managers for its control systems business in Singapore. The regional unit provides technical, training, and sales support for control systems and products throughout the Asian region.

10 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Premier Farnell Launches Enhanced Services In Asia Singapore: Premier Farnell has announced an expanded inventory of products that are relevant to electronic design engineers, next-day delivery in Asia Pacific and an enhanced range of services, under the name element14. The latter offers an inventory for engineers in Asia, providing access to technology products.

The group’s businesses located in Australia, China, India, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand will be known as element14 and will offer customers and suppliers a multi-channel, multi-currency, and multi-language way to source for their product needs.

In addition to locally based sales and technical teams and service centres across the region, the websites offer speed and ease of search to access the product offering for engineers and buyers alike.

EMA Appoints Accenture For IES Project Zsuzsanna Kilian, Hungary

ABB Opens Robotics Centre In Singapore

Singapore: The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has appointed Accenture to design and implement an Intelligent Energy System (IES) pilot project.

The IES pilot will involve around 4,500 customers in various residential, commercial and industrial locations, including the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) campus, the CleanTech Park at Jalan Bahar and the Punggol Eco-Precinct. This is a step towards a smarter power grid, which will provide consumers with more information, choice and control over their electricity usage, thereby improving energy efficiency for Singapore as a whole.

Industry News

FCI Microconnections To Inaugurate Facility In Singapore Singapore: FCI Microconnections has announced that it is to officially inaugurate its plant in Changi, Singapore.

The plant consists of R&D and manufacturing capabilities. It is spread out over about 18,000 square metres of space and employs more than 330 personnel.

Dr Beh Swan Gin, MD, Singapore Economic Development Board, said: “FCI Microconnections has also been a catalyst in the upgrading of Singapore’s supplier capabilities, and a technology innovator in product and solutions development.”

SIMTech Launches Nanotechnology In Manufacturing Initiative Singapore: The Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), has launched the Nanotechnology in Manufacturing Initiative (NiMI).

Supported by International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Spring Singapore, this initiative explores nanomaterials for industry applications and addresses challenges in the adoption of nanotechnology for manufacturing.

Participating in this initiative are 13 companies: 3M; Cel Coatings; Gaia Science; Haruna (S); K-Solar 3G Technologies; Pidilite Innovation Centre; PJI Contract; Shimadzu (Asia Pacific); Sunny Instruments Singapore; Toray Industries; TÜV SÜD PSB; Vestas Technology R&D; and Wangi Industrial.

National Instruments Appoints AIC As System Integrator Hanoi, Vietnam: National Instruments (NI) ASEAN has announced Advancing Technologies & Investment Consultants Joint Stock Company (AIC), as the former’s appointed system integrator. This is for defence systems, automated test, data acquisition systems, and signal analysis across diverse areas such as military, oil & gas, chemicals and glass production industries in North Vietnam.

With this partnership, the former will extend its marketing support and technical consultancy for the latter. Engineers from the latter will provide turnkey solutions to North Vietnam customers with its system engineering services using the former’s technologies.

Both companies formalised their commitments in a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony. The companies will work closely together on system opportunities in North Vietnam, addressing targeted areas in the defense, oil & gas, chemicals and glass production industries. By 2013, both companies aim to achieve a year-on-year growth of 20 percent for the Vietnam market.

Rockwell Automation Partners With Sonic Automation In Thailand Thailand: Rockwell Automation has entered into a partnership with Sonic Automation, an industrial automation distributor.

Customers are now able to transition to the latter for order placement, fulfillment, inquiries, full technical support and customer service.

Improving its distribution performance is a critical component of the business model. Moreover, the partnership supports the former’s growth and performance business strategy, which consists of enhancing market access, expanding its served markets and extending its geographic reach in South East Asia.

Metso Supplies Board Machines To Liansheng Paper Industry Fujian, China: Metso will supply two board machines to Liansheng Paper Industry (Longhai). This is to the latter’s mill in Longhai City in Fujian province on the southeastern coast of China.

The start-up of both machines is scheduled for the first quarter of 2012.

The delivery will include two board machines.

The combined annual capacity of the two machines will be about 800,000 tonnes. One of the machines will produce testliner and the other will produce fluting.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 11

Industry News

Dieffenbacher Supplies OSB Line To Hubei Baoyuan

David Ritter, US

Hubei, China: The commissioning work on Hubei Baoyuan Group of China’s Oriented Strand Board (OSB) line has been completed. The first board was produced in October, 16 months after signing of the contract with Dieffenbacher. The plant is located close to Jingmen City, in Hubei Province.

The average annual production volume of the 2.4 metre wide and 30 metre long CPS press will be 220,000 cubic metres.

The scope of supply includes the main equipment package for OSB processing, including wood loading, strand manufacture, wet strand storage, drum dryer, dry strand storage, screening and gluing. The core of the press is the 3-head OSB spreading system, to ensure accuracy of spreading and minimum board tolerances.

The press outfeed, the board finishing systems, and electrical automation and monitoring system were also supplied by Dieffenbacher.

The OSB line is located directly adjacent to the existing Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) line. Both lines are connected by a shared wood store.

Honda Completes Transmission Plant In Japan Tokyo, Japan: Honda Motor has held a ceremony to commemorate the completion of an automobile transmission plant at its Hamamatsu Factory (Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka, Japan).

The company has relocated its former transmission production operations to the plant and has increased the capacity to meet demand for automobile transmissions.

With this plant, the Hamamatsu Factory’s annual production capacity for Automatic Transmissions (AT) and Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) has increased from the previous 700,000 units to 800,000 units. The plant is scheduled to begin production at its full capacity in January 2011.

The two-story plant building has an aluminum machining line and transmission parts receiving/shipping station on the first floor and a transmission assembly line on the second floor – achieving efficient use of space and production efficiency. The first floor is equipped with an airconditioning system, which improves air circulation to address the issue of oil mist.

The plant is also equipped with a solar energy generation system on the top of the roof and an access way between facilities. The plant has advanced designs to address environmental issues from various perspectives including rooftop afforestation and the use of rainwater.

12 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Cummins Launches ChinaMade Generator Sets China: Cummins Power Generation launched its domestic-made Q60 serial generator sets.

As the government and local industries increase their investments in commercial p r o p e r t y, g r a n d d a t a c e n t r e , i n f r a s t r u c t u re , t e c h n o l o g y a n d power plants, China’s economic recovery also provides an opportunity for the company to compete in the high-range power supply segment.

Sandvik Coromant Releases Free Machining Calculator App Sweden: Sandvik Coromant has released a free app that is designed to provide engineers and m a c h i n i s t s w i t h a re s o u rc e f o r calculating cutting data. Once downloaded and installed, the app helps users to optimise the performance of their turning, milling and drilling applications by calculating the optimal setting based on a job’s unique parameters.

The machining calculator app features a help button that provides additional information on the calculation being executed and the input needed to generate results.

The company’s app also contains a process cost comparison that determines how tool o p t i m i s a t i o n c a n p ro v i d e c o s t and time savings. The app works with both metric and inch measurements and is available for both iPhone and Android phones.

Industry News

RNCOS: Global Semiconductor Industry Sees Growth Noida, India: The semiconductor market is mainly considered as a sophisticated and capital-intensive enterprise, incorporating a wide range of advanced technologies that stimulate growth in other industries through the use of electronics.

According to a research report ‘Semiconductor Industry Forecast to 2012’, the global semiconductor market will grow at a CAGR of around 11 percent during 2011-2013 fuelled by demand from emerging Asian economies. Countries such as India and China will fuel the demand for semiconductors in the Asia Pacific region in coming years.

Integrated circuits or ICs remains the most dominant segment of the semiconductor industry, accounting for around 84 percent of the total revenue in 2009 followed by optoelectronics, discrete and sensors.

Research projects that future growth will be driven by the sensors segment followed by the optoelectronics, discrete and ICs semiconductors. Increasing usage of motion-control user interfaces on consumer electronics and drop-detection/ protection features in portable systems will fuel growth in this segment.

China’s semiconductor market will witness significant growth in the coming years. The country has emerged as one of the fastest growing markets for semiconductor consumption on the global map. One of the major reasons for this transformation has been the continuing transfer of global electronic equipment production facilities to China owing to the country’s low cost manufacturing facilities. Experts say that the Chinese semiconductor market will grow as exports of electronic products recover from the global economic crisis.

Dim a

V, I sra el

Nissan Increases Production Capacity In China

Yokohama, Japan: Zhengzhou Nissan (ZNA), Nissan's local partner in China, has hosted the inauguration ceremony for its second plant in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.

Annual production capacity of the two ZNA plants will increase to 200,000 units from the current capacity of 60,000 units. With the additional investment and plant expansion, FY 2012 production is planned to reach 240,000 units. As a result, the Nissan's annual production capacity in China expands from the current 670,000 units to 1.2 million units in FY 2012, once production from other facility expansion projects is added, including a second facility in Dongfeng Nissan's Huadu Plant.

Incorporating the company's global standards, ZNA's second plant will feature the advanced production facilities. The facility will produce two SUV models – X-Trail and Qashqai – which are currently produced in Dongfeng Nissan's Huadu Plant in Guangzhou City, Guangdong province.

With the increased production capacity, ZNA and Dongfeng Nissan's Huadu Plant, which currently has annual capacity of 360,000 units, will be two major production bases supporting the company's business in China.

Total investment in the construction of the second ZNA plant is approximately RMB 1 billion (US$149 million). Additional investment and expansion are under discussion. At the start of operations, approximately 1,400 jobs will be created.

Amadeus Receives Energy Efficiency Certification Madrid, Spain: Amadeus has announced that its data centre has been awarded the ‘Energyefficient Enterprise’ certification by international organisation TÜV Süd.

The latter granted the Amadeus data processing centre in Erding, near Munich in Flavio Takemoto, Brazil Germany, its certificate following an energy audit of its facilities. This certification is the result of a year-long process, during which time a full review of the data centre’s energy efficiency was conducted.

Of particular focus were the power supply, cooling and climate control processes and IT equipment used, as well as the facility’s procurement, installation and deinstallation processes and procedures.

Following the audit, the latter worked together with the former’s facility management, storage management and capacity planning contacts to develop a plan for implementing energy saving measures in order to gain certification as an energy-efficient enterprise.

As a result of certification, internal guidelines now exist that assess all data centre activities from a sustainability perspective. Amadeus is making additional efforts to continue operating its data centre in a resource-efficient manner in order to achieve renewed certification in 2012.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 13

Industry News

Mag & Samputensili Team Up

Tesla Motors Selects Apriso’s MES California, US: Tesla Motors has selected Apriso’s FlexNet as its enterprise Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for advanced lithium-ion battery and Powertrain components manufacturing, and assembly of its Model S sedan.

FlexNet will provide a manufacturing platform for real-time visibility and control of its manufacturing operations. The solution will provide Tesla product and process genealogy, which will then be used as part of the company’s best practice production and in-line quality processes.

Bentivoglio, Italy: Mag and Samputensili, two manufacturing technology companies, are joining forces to provide integrated gear manufacturing s o l u t i o n s , c o v e r i n g a v a r i e t y o f g e a re d w o r k p i e c e s i n d i ff e re n t industrial sectors.

The former is acquiring the machine building operations of the latter in Chemnitz – subject to approval by the antitrust authorities – in order to integrate gear-cutting technology into its product portfolio. The entity is to be renamed ‘Mag Modul Verzahntechnik’.

The agreement is accompanied by a product development plan for the joint development of newer generation machining centres to combine soft and hard manufacturing processes in integrated machine tool solutions.

Markus Grob, president Mag Europe, explains this move with the trend towards integrated solutions: "Both partners will benefit from the partnership by expanding their range of offerings, allowing them to jointly open up growth opportunities. This alliance represents a step forward for the company in promoting its strategy of increasing core business activities by enlarging the portfolio and integrating complementary technology into its existing machine concept. On a joint basis, the partners will be able to process turning and hobbing operations in a single machine, thereby saving cycle time, setup and auxiliary times.”

APPOINTMENTS & NOTICES Cisco Appoints CTO Cisco has appointed Alex Zinin as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for its service provider business in Asia Pacific and Japan. Reporting directly to Edzard Overbeek, president for Asia Pacific and Japan, Mr Zinin will work with the company’s service provider customers in areas such as Internet Protocol Next-Generation Networks (IP NGN), video, mobility, data centers and cloud computing.

Walter Enables Viewing Tool Data On iPhone

Misumi Appoints MD For South East Asia

Tübingen, Germany: Walter is presenting its iPhone application Walter Tool Scout at AMB in Stuttgart. The application will offer users mobile access to tool data in future.

The application is part of a service range that the precision tool manufacturer is placing with its brand Walter Multiply.

In future, the company will also provide mobile access to its tool data administration with Tool Scout. This means that users can log on to the Walter tool management database from any location, gaining access for example, to 2D and 3D tool models.

Misumi Corporation has appointed Takako Sasaki as MD, South East Asia.

She previously headed the business development division for FA general components in Japan.

14 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Industry News

Fixed Wireless Terminals & Cellular Routers See Growth Till 2015 wings,’ becoming mobile broadband routers. This segment is starting from practically zero, and its top is not yet in sight.”

Cellular M2M Connections To Show Steady Growth Cellular M2M connections continue to show steady growth, and are expected to exceed 297 million in 2015. According to forecasts, the 2009 forecast of about 225 million connections by 2014 has also been raised to 232.5 million.

There are however, many regional differences. Europe continues to account for the largest regional share with 110 million connections in 2015; North America will rank second with 79 million and the Asia Pacific region third with almost 66 million.

According to Mr Lucero: “The major world regions show different drivers for cellular M2M markets. The European market is the most diversified and has the most mature deployments.

The EU benefits from regulatory mandates surrounding eCall and smart energy. In North America the focus has traditionally been more on telematics, although M2M is now growing strongly in other areas including smart energy.

Both telematics and energy are providing impetus in Asia Pacific, but the markets are less mature, outside of key countries such as Japan.”

Key operators providing M2M in Asia are NTT DoCoMo in Japan, Korea Telecom, and China Mobile, which recently announced that it is

Gerard 79, Switzerland

New York, US: In 2015, shipments of Fixed Wireless Terminals (FWT) and cellular routers will total nearly 13 million, according to ABI Research.

The research includes market analysis for industrial terminals, business gateways, telephony adaptors – all relatively mature markets showing stable modest growth – the market for mobile broadband routers is predicted to contribute the greatest increase in shipments.

M2M practice director, Sam Lucero said: “While they share underlying technologies, these devices/ applications perform different roles and are used in diverse environments.”

He added: “Industrial terminals as Machine-to-Machine (M2M) devices, benefit from the growing business and government interest in telemetry and telematics. Business gateways now offer viable alternatives to DSL-based services and are increasingly used in remote branch offices. Telephony adaptors connect local analogue voice phone systems to the world via a cellular network; the Chinese government is particularly interested in their use to extend telephony services to rural areas.”

Jeff Orr, principal analyst, adds: “Mobile broadband routers allowing multiple devices to connect from ‘anywhere’ (a car, a hotel, a construction site) may be found in both consumer and business contexts. Businesses are already familiar with wired business continuity and redundancy methods. Now devices have ‘grown

serving five million M2M connections.

In Europe, important providers include Telefonica in Spain, Telenor (Scandinavia), Orange Business Services (part of France Telecom), and Vodafone. The four major cellular operators in North America, Verizon Wireless (which operates GM’s OnStar service), AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile are all offering M2M, in addition to alternative providers such as Kore Telematics and Numerex.

Some business model and operational differences exist too: European providers tend not only to set up distinct M2M business units, but to supply those units with their own M2M-specific infrastructure.

And they are more oriented towards providing value-added services in addition to basic M2M connectivity.

North American operator M2M business units, in contrast, tend to use the operators’ main networks for M2M.

Faro & Carl Zeiss Form Solutions Network Chicago, US: Faro Technologies and Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology have launched the Innovative Solutions Network, a marketing, sales and support collaboration in North America. Through the

network, the two companies will provide a broader product solutions offering, including both traditional and portable Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs).

From the simplest to complex metrology measurements, the network will offer customers access to more patented technologies, focused applications, and customer support programs and resources.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 15

Industry Updates In the world of automation, functional safety is crucial and must be reliable as it controls the safety of man, machine and environment.

It is therefore essential to ensure consistent public relations and the careful implementation and use of Profisafe technology. In order to ensure this is the case, PI has defined special measures.

QA In Product Development

The document ‘Profisafe Policy’ provides a set of rules for companies that want to provide Profisafe products and systems. It describes the necessary development steps for such products, including the necessary QA measures. It regulates the use of the logo and provides a summary of the relevant standards and documents.

This document has been drawn up in collaboration with TÜV and BGIA, and is included by organisations in the approval process for the Profisafe technology.

All participating companies and institutions are obliged to comply with the rules of the policy.

The IEC 61508 standard defines special requirements, such as increased electromagnetic immunity, without detailing the specifics. This gap is filled by a supplementary guideline ‘Profisafe Environment,’ which promotes the development and use of F-devices and F-hosts.

There are two ways to implement the driver software in devices.

Development of software is in accordance with specifications or using a starter kit that is available on the market. The advantages of a starter kit are obvious: tested and pre-certified driver software, additional valuable information, tools and technical support. All available ASICs and communication layers can be used for the interfaces to Profibus and Profinet. The 16 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Quality Assurance

For

Safety

Availabilty Immunity EMC

yes

Safety IEC 61508Conformance

PROFIBUS DP or PROFINET IO Conformance Tests: • PROFIBUS DP, PROFINET IO • PROFIsafe-Layer • Referenz-Host/Device yes

Certificate of PI

Profisafe driver software just needs to be adapted accordingly.

Conformity of Profisafe products (F-devices and F-hosts) to the Profisafe protocol must be tested in accredited PI test laboratories and certified by the PI certification office.

The condition for the use of such products in safety applications is a safety certificate from a renowned testing agency – such as TÜV or BGIA acc – to the IEC 61508 standard.

In turn, this certificate can only be obtained if the product has been awarded a Profisafe certificate by the PI certification office. A Profisafe certificate is granted on the basis of a positive test report, which is issued by an accredited PI Test Laboratory (PITL). The ‘Profisafe Test Specification’ defines the roles and tasks of the assessment bodies (eg: TÜV, PNO) and the PITLs. The tests are designed to ensure the conformity of the communication functions of Profibus/Profinet to the

yes yes

Certificate of “Notified Body” specifications and adherence to the Profisafe profile.

The use of certified products reduces costs for the end user.

A certification test is crucial to quality assurance. The aim of device certification is to ensure the necessary safety for users when interconnecting devices from different manufacturers.

Implementation of successfully tested devices guarantees users faultfree communications with regard to the communication protocol.

This enables significant cost reductions when commissioning and replacing devices.

Support From Competence Centres

Profibus & Profinet International (PI) has now set up more than 35 Competence Centres (PICC) worldwide. The PICCs offer a range

Uniform Training

PI Training Centres (PITC) have been set up in order to ensure a globally uniform training standard for engineers and technicians. The accreditation of the PITC and their experts ensures the quality of this training and the engineering and setup services for Profibus and Profinet.

The required quality of Profisafe products and systems depends largely on the quality of the expertise and the applied methods/procedures of the development team. This can be kept at the required level through the implementation of an appropriate training program. For this purpose, the responsible working group of the PNO, in collaboration with TÜV, have worked out a program that

is offered to interested member companies for personnel training.

The two-day training course finishes with a final exam. On successful completion of the course, the experts receive a TÜV certificate as a ‘Certified

Profisafe Designer’. The two-day training course must be repeated every two years. This is designed to ensure that the knowledge of the experts is kept continually up-to-date.

ENQUIRY NO. 8101

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of services. These can include seminars on a range of topics, acceptance of development tasks, advice on the implementation of technologies or the commissioning or troubleshooting of plants.

Due to the scope and the range of application options of these technologies, these services have been broken down into different areas of technical expertise.

The accreditation by PICCs, which covers the scope of Profisafe, contains additional conditions due to the importance of functional safety. Because the focus here is on the safety of man, machine and environment, these additional conditions are based on compliance with pertinent legal and technical regulations.

In order to ensure adherence to the required quality, the experts responsible for functional safety at the PICCs for Profisafe are also obliged to participate in a workshop that culminates in a final exam. The workshop is run as a collaboration between PI and the TÜV. This workshop must be repeated, and the exam passed every two years.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 17

Newsdesk

CANopen Safety

Published As

European Standard

EN 50325–5

The CANopen Safety protocol (CiA 304) developed by the CAN in Automation (CiA), international users’ and manufacturers’ group, is now published as a European standard. It is available as EN 50325-5 from the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) and any national body.

The safety protocol is an addition to the CANopen protocol standardised in EN 50325–4, also known as CiA 301. The safety protocol is designed to allow safety-related communication based on CAN according to IEC/ EN 61508. The German TÜV has approved the protocol for use for systems requiring Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL 3).

Safety-related devices use the Safety-Related Data Object (SRDO) service, which allows one-to-many communication relations. The SRDO messages are periodically broadcast in the network and any other safetyrelated device interested in the data can use it without the need of a centralised master. A SRDO consists of two CAN messages 18 industrial automation asia | Dec May 2010/Jan 2009 2011

where the first contains the regular data and second message is transmitted on a different identifier with the data content bit-wise inverted. This makes the protocol efficient as it allows the use of small and cheap microcontrollers, since no complicated CRC is used.

The first ready-to-use implementations of CANopen Safety are available: The TÜV approved CANopen Safety Chip (CSC02) available from CiA implements the CANopen Safety

protocol in a single chip. “The CSC02 is dedicated especially for sensors to be used in mobile machines and other out-door applications,” said Thilo Schumann from CiA. The CSC02 allows easy integration of the CANopen Safety protocol into safety-related devices. The first commercial product available that uses the CSC02 is the safety-related encoder family

by Posital.

ENQUIRY NO. 8102

CAN/J1939 Product Guide 2010 CiA has published the CAN/J1939 product guide 2010. This guide includes the CANas well as the J1939 Product Guide. It is available at the CiA website. This catalogue will also be distributed on CD-ROM. The product guide lists devices and services by name, product category, and by manufacturer name. Within the J1939-part of the catalogue the product entries are sorted by industry groups. A photograph, description as well as contact data complete the information in both parts of the catalogue. From each page of the product guide, readers can easily switch from one guide to the other by clicking onto the respective logo.

The CD-ROM will be sent to all CiA member companies. Non-members may order the product guide free of charge at the CiA-office.

ENQUIRY NO. 8103

Fieldbus Foundation Announces

Final Release Of

The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the final release of its H1 Interoperability Test Kit (ITK) 6.0. This test tool, which tests the functionality of a fieldbus device and its conformity with the Foundation function block and transducer block specifications, is available to members holding an active maintenance agreement.

The H1 ITK 6.0 has been updated to test for new, required field diagnostics capabilities, which standardise how all fieldbus devices communicate their diagnostic data to the process control and asset management systems – regardless of the vendor. The test kit also employs an intuitive user interface.

All ITK 6.0 devices now support the latest advancements in field diagnostics per the NAMUR NE107 recommendation, which build upon the existing diagnostic capabilities of Foundation fieldbus equipment.

At the same time, there is a greater degree of organisation

so that field instruments can represent their diagnostics in a more consistent way.

For example, in employing field diagnostics capabilities, non-critical diagnostics can be routed to a maintenance station for future work while critical d i a g n o s t i c s c a n b e ro u t e d to operations with specific recommendations on how to resolve an instrumentation issue.

This and other advanced ITK 6.0 features are fully configurable to provide flexibility in user applications.

Last year, the Device ITK Profile Final Specification (FS 1.0) was released to provide an easy way of mapping field device requirements to the foundation’s latest ITK versions. This specification, which is the basis for the current updates to the ITK test system, helps fieldbus device suppliers to identify minimum required features for their products, and at the same time, allows existing equipment

manufacturers to identify the latest requirements.

The Fieldbus Foundation’s ITK 6.0 test kit verifies the functionality of an H1 (31.25 kbit/s) device and its conformity with the Foundation fieldbus Function Block and Transducer Block specifications.

As a tool for troubleshooting and debugging devices, the test kit includes all hardware and software that are required to ensure a manufacturer’s complete device interoperability as specified by the foundation’s official registration testing procedure.

By using the H1 ITK, device developers can run tests that are identical to those used by the Fieldbus Foundation before submitting their device for official registration.

Additional ITK 6.0 updates include suppor t for testing Custom Profiled Function Blocks and software components that are built with VC9.

ENQUIRY NO. 8104

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 19

Asia Jentschmann specialises in machines that manufacture awnings. Using the type 3796 combined automatic ultrasonic cutting and welding machine, awnings for motor homes and caravans are manufactured with a maximum length of six metres and widths of between 2.5 and 3.2 metres. Depending on the necessary width, two thermoplastic-coated cloth webs and the piping seams are welded and cut precisely to size.

In order to ensure a continuous welding process, the company uses so-called ‘roll sonotrodes’ with radial oscillation (amplitude), by means of which the PVCbased fabric is heated up and welded. The awning material runs continuously between the synchronously driven roll sonotrodes and the anvil rollers. The prerequisite for this dynamic process is the precise guidance of the fabric; t h e s e t t i n g o f t h e d i f f e re n t welding parameters must be correspondingly precise and are automatically readjusted during the welding procedure.

Fully Automated Processes The machine produces continuously from the roll; ie: a roll of 180 metres in length is processed in approximately 23 minutes at a speed of 8.0 metres/ minute. “The loading of the roll and the in-feeding of the cloth webs and the round piping profile, as well as the positioning of the ultrasonic welding head take place manually,” explains Pierre Bartholdi of Jentschmann, who is responsible for the machine concept. “The order-dependent pull-off lengths and lot sizes are loaded via the operating panel 20 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

EtherCAT Facilitates

High-Precision

Cutting

from the product database and transferred to the controller.”

Upon starting the plant, the pulling carriage drives forward.

“During transport both edges of the awning web are turned upwards first and then inwards by mechanical guides,” says Mr Bartholdi, describing the intake of the awning web. “The

round piping profile is bound into this fold synchronously.

Ultrasonic welding heads with roll sonotrodes weld the assembly seam and the piping seams.”

After reaching the specified cloth length, the cross cutting gantry, which is programmed with the TwinCAT flying saw automation software, synchronises itself to the

pull-off speed, fixes the cloth by means of pneumatically actuated holders and cuts it transversely. “The precise cloth length is an important quality criterion for our machines,” explains Mr Bartholdi. “We cut with an accuracy of ±1 to 2 mm. The intake of the cloth is regulated in width via an edge controller.” After the cross cut has been made, the pulling carriage drives at a high speed with the finished awning cloth to the rear and sets it down on the delivery table – while the cross cutter continues to pull the welded cloth web until the pulling carriage takes over the pulling of the cloth again after having been driven back.

Once this happens, the cross cutting unit returns to the home position and waits for the next cross cut. The production of a finished cloth of 3.5 metres in length takes approximately 26.25 seconds.

Advanced Drive Technology The production sequence runs fully automatically after the awning web is set up. Five Beckhoff EtherCAT servo drives from the AX5000 series plus servo motors from the AM3000 series – complete with attached twostage planetary gear units and an integrated single-turn Biss absolute encoder – drive the material web unwinder, the edge controller, the belt drive for the seam press, the cross cutting unit and the pulling carriage.

The belt drive is the so-called ‘pilot drive’, with feed rate entered as a fixed value. The speed of the material web unwinder drive is controlled in relation to the feed rate and the diameter of the material web roll. To this end, the diameter of the material web roll measured during setup is adopted into the control loops of the plant controller in the case of a known material

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thickness. Because the diameter of the cloth roll decreases as the awning web is unwound, the speed of the material web unwinder drive must be increased proportionally.

The diameter of the cloth roll is calculated precisely at the beginning via a dancer roll and incorporated in the dancer position control in order to avoid deviations. The control concept on which this is based, was programmed with the TwinCAT Controller Toolbox. Mr Bartholdi says: “The dancer roll has an ultrasonic sensor with which the height is measured. The higher the roll rises, the more the unwinder drive must accelerate. This way, all parameters for control are known and as a result, it is guaranteed that the unwinder will not oscillate during the production sequence.”

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Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 21

issues & insights

The year past has shown signs of recovery from the global recession, despite some degree of uncertainty across different industries.

Companies are identifying emerging industry trends and continue to adapt to the changing business climate.

In this special segment, industry leaders tell us about their views and how they are capitalising on the windows of opportunity for company expansion and market growth in the year ahead.

22  industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Energy Efficiency

Progress In Design

Making Connections

Market Expansion

James Foo, president and country manager, ABB Singapore

Sng Eng Sim, GM, Advanced Technology Enterprise

David Soon, regional MD, South Asia Pacific, Advantech

Kai Ristau, head, International Sales and Business Development, Beckhoff

Since 2009, the moulding sector has been shrinking, w i t h m a n y p l ay e r s mov ing their design and production to low cost countries. We see a growing demand for validation and simulation in the consumer electronics, machinery, automation, marine and product design sectors.

Environmental concern prompts designers and engineers to a sk the ‘what if’ question, in relation to carbon footprint, energy consummation, water eutrophication, and air acidification.

Data ma nagement and control is an area of growth, given the trend of distributed offices, the need for IP protection, audit, and quality control.

With SolidWorks tools, we are poised to support customers and prospects alike, with professional consultants and certified engineers.

We are expecting the adoption of wireless devices to significantly increase across many industrial auto m at io n se c tor s worldwide in 2011, especially in the Asian region.

Moreover, this trend of industrial devices with wireless connectivity will grow in the coming years, enabling an intelligent planet of interconnected devices and systems (known as the Internet of Things).

With this in mind, we will be focused on promoting a va riety of wireless devices. We are readying a new line of w irele ss network modules as well. We currently offer industrial wireless solutions in the EKI series that enhance long ra nge w irele ss coverage and extend mobile connectivity. Our upcoming Adam-2000 series of wireless network modules will feature 2.4G communications to enable remote DAQ capabilities over a variety of networks.

Trends that will continue in 2011 include the interest in reducing emissions with energy efficient technologies and renewables, and increasing commodity and energy demand to fuel economic growth. For Singapore and South East Asia, many industries, particularly F&B and pharma, are looking to automate their manufacturing line. We are showcasing a packaging solution in our robotics application centre that will help boost productivity.

We anticipate that energy demand, climate change and emerging markets will drive growth beyond the current economic cycle.

We continue to expect service demand across many industries, due to the need to ensure energy reliability, and pressure to maintain productivity and uptime. We are also sensing a converging demand for power and automation technologies to achieve optimisation in various industries like datacentres and grid systems.

We have been active in Asia for more than 10 years, promoting ‘New Automation Technology’ to almost all vertical markets in industrial automation as well as building automation.

These markets have been the first targets for Beckhoff in Asia. Today, Asia accounts for 20 percent of our global business.

Newer markets such as renewable energy (eg: wind industry and photovoltaic/ solar) have emerged and are in our focus, as well as growing markets like Flat Panel Display (FPD) a n d s e m i co n d u c to r production. We have invested in the expansion of t he di re c t sa le s organisations. Beckhoff Malaysia has been active since April 2010 and subsidiaries in Singapore and Japan will start operations in the next few months.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 23

issues & insights

Gearing Up

Ready For Growth

Poised For Expansion

Keith Mauck, VP, Sales & Marketing – Infrastructure Business Group APxC (Asia Pacific excluding China), Belden

Lee Song Yang, MD, Carlo Gavazzi Automation Singapore

Tan Choon Hock, director of MEAP Mitsubishi Electric Asia

Looking at 2011, we continue to see the trend where industrial and public infrastructure is growing faster than the enterprise sector, especially in such segments as oil & ga s, petro - chemica l, p ower t ra n sm ission and distribution, t ra n sp or tat ion, a nd mining.

Our strategic focus across APAC will be in line with our strategic plan, which was developed in 2009. Our task is to speed up execution in the key areas of end-user engagement and vertical market process, utilising our ma rket deliver y system.

In 2010, the overall economic outlook for industrial, enterprise and public infrastructure has been getting brighter, but is still challenging in comparison to the pre2008 period.

The automation market outlook for 2011 remains positive in most of the segments that we focus on, especially in the electronics, and F& B markets where demand for ou r autom at ion components is driven by manufacturing and machines import/export activities.

The positive trend of more Asian countries pa r ticula rly China, implementing stronger local directives on machine safety requirements, is a catalyst for additional growth.

We also see increasing demand in energy-related markets, partially driven by the subsidy policies of some countries for energ y sav ing a nd renewable energ y; providing us positive signals and expectations for potentially stronger growth into these areas.

Ma ny countries in the region have been experiencing good economic growth for the year 2010. For 2011, we expect certain industrial sectors such as semiconductor and electronics to be slowing slightly.

We have introduced some new pro duc t s i n 2 01 0 a n d m o r e will be introduced into the market next y e a r. D e sp ite s o m e uncertainties predicted in the new yea r, we expect to achieve double digit growth.

24 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Overcoming Challenges

Vidya Ramnath, VP, marketing & wireless, Emerson Process Management Asia Pacific

Automation users continue to face the challenges of demographic changes in the years ahead. The task of building and running a safe, efficient operation is more complex than ever.

At the same time, many of the experienced workers who have to deal with such complexities today are nearing retirement or simply not available.

Anticipating these trends and understanding these challenges, we have started using Human Centered Design with the simple goal of making products that are not only reliable, compatible, and cost-effective, but that also make the customer’s jobs easier.

This work has enabled us to deliver products and services that remove barriers to productivity – in automation projects, operations and maintenance and in plant management.

Energy Demand

Glen Sharkowicz, Global Business Development advisor, ExxonMobil Lubricants & Specialties

As we look into 2011 and beyond, oil & gas will continue to be a major contributor to overall global energy supplies.

Oil and gas powered electricity generation is expected to grow rapidly through 2030.

To meet the everincreasing global demand for reliable energy supplies, oil and gas producers must proactively incorporate the right maintenance solutions to help enhance equipment availability, reliability, and safety.

A proactive maintenance mindset is essential for both onshore and offshore applications since operations are often in remote locations and equipment are frequently subjected to extreme conditions.

To protect critical equipment that drive their day-to-day production – such as gas engines and compressors – oil and gas producers are realising the benefits of choosing highperformance synthetic oils and greases over conventional, mineralbased fluids.

Saving Through Automation

Asian Expansion

Growing Expectations

Kwee Hong Loo, deputy GM, Hitachi Asia

David Zhang, regional GM, HollySys

Mark Jones, MD, ifm Electronic

Factories are constantly trying to reduce energy costs while maintaining plant efficiency. Our target markets include factories in Asia that use inverter controlled production equipment and HVAC systems. Today’s society requires a vast amounts of energy and this is causing problems such a s g lob a l wa r m i n g, resource depletion and environmental damage.

We believe that greater emphasis should be placed on energy savings through f a c to r y a u to m a t i o n and upgrading energy consuming equipment (eg: compressors). Green buildings may become a standard for future building developments in Singapore.

In addition, manufacturers are also expected to improve their inverters to an efficiency of more than 95 percent and to comply to Harmonic and EMC standards.

The global financial crisis over the past two years has had a significant impact on the automation industries.

While there appears to have been a recovery in 2010, there is still a level of uncertainty. As quoted by a professional institute, ‘temporary stagnation has been observed in between 2009-2010 at the global customer end, which also affects the automation business’.

D e sp i te su c h a n economic climate, we have been seeing steady and rapid growth in the Asia Pacific market between 2009-2010 that should continue into 2011.

This is due to emerging markets such as India, China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Second, after undergoing the financial crisis, customers prefer automation providers to combine professional and customised products a nd ser v ices with competitive pricing.

Subsidiary companies in Asia have exceeded growth targets, especially in core markets like a u to m o t i v e s , s te e l , ports, general assembly automation, and the F&B manufacturing industries.

In 2011, we expect a minimum of 25 percent sales growth and customer expansion in all industries.

Supporting this continued market expansion will be investments in new staff, along with a multi-million dollar manufacturing plant that is based in Tuas, Singapore.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 25

issues & insights

Riding On Diversity

Marcia Gadbois, VP Business Development, Indusoft

Our vision for 2011 is that the footprint of devices is going to get smaller, but more powerful with richer graphics. We aim to provide diverse means to receive information – whether it is on a smart phone, web browser, e-mail, or another form that is conducive to the person receiving the information.

T he A sia Pa c i f ic market is diverse, and encompasses a variety of industries such as machine builders, manufacturing, water treatment, semiconductors, utility, oil & gas, steel, building automation, and more.

Our Web Studio is used to create HMI applications for machines, and redundant S C A DA or O ve ra l l Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) interfaces for maintaining machines for customers.

Strategic Directions

Process Acceleration

Ng Guan Leong, regional sales & marketing manager, JJLapp Cable

Takako Sasaki, MD, Misumi South East Asia

Chandran Nair, MD, National Instruments SE Asia

In a fa st- paced a nd competitive countries like Singapore, there are growing developments in high-rise buildings and residential blocks.

We h a v e o b s e r v e d that Green building systems have gradually been implemented to conserve energy. We see Green energy as one of the growing trends for building industry.

Building management systems have been one of our company’s main area of focus, especially in Asia whereby accommodation and commercial buildings have been in demand over the past years.

We currently have more than 40,000 different product categories that meet various industry needs.

We see opportunities in almosteveryindustry,such as automobile, electronics, semiconductors, and precision machineries.

We will be placing greater strategic emphasis on South East Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, as the region is expected to play a key role in leading and accelerating the growth of our group.

We a re awa re of further demands for better quality, faster delivery, and lower prices on those components that are used in any kind of Monozukuri (manufacturing). We are a one-stop provider of various components for automated machineries/ press dies and plastic moulds, with more than one million varieties.

A trend that we expect to co n t i nu e i s t h e need for software and hardware tools for rapid prototyping. Another trend is the increased use of monitoring systems for structures like bridges, d a m s , t u n n e l s e tc .

Overall, we expect 2011 to be volatile from an economic perspective, but showing growth in areas that relate to productivity, environmental issues and infrastructure projects.

Our company is a provider of technology for measurement and control applications that span numerous industries and research areas. We are focusing on providing a comprehensive unified platform for engineers and scientists to design, prototype, deploy and test their systems. Some of the important growth areas are telecommunications te st ing, de sig n a nd testing for the electronics indu st r y, st r uc tu ra l monitoring, robotics and the implementation of sof t wa re defined radio applications for deployment and research.

Capitalising On Opportunity

26 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Technological Advancement

Eco-Friendly Alternatives

Industry Automation

Customer Focus

Scott Teerlinck, regional director South East Asia, Rockwell Automation

Stuart J Thorogood, president, Schneider Electric South East Asia

Suetsugu Masaki, sales manager, Singapore Oriental Motor

Raimund Klein, executive VP, head of Industry Sector, Industry Automation & Drive Technologies, Siemens ASEAN

The Sma r t Grid is transforming the way that people use energy and we therefore expect to see a rise in opportunities due to the growth in this sector. Renewable energies, which include hydro, wind, solar and biomass, will continue to gain a greater share of the global energy mix.

Our company continues to provide energ y ma na gement solutions for five key domains, namely: energy a nd infra structure; industry; data centres and networks; buildings; a nd re side nt ia l. By implementing integrated energ y ma na gement solutions, our customers can save up to 30 percent of their energy consumption.

This is our focus, with the goal of making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green.

Automation is required in the Asian market for the various manufacturing segments. The ability to identify automation requirements for each industry is crucial for securing market share in times of automation convergence.

The semiconductor and factory automation industries will still be the key focus for businesses.

There are also trends in the development of medical and solar technology in the region and our aim is to be able to serve more market segments in Asia.

There is a resurgence in the automotive and tire sectors. This is driven by geographic capacity expansion, hybrid powertrains and their associated materials and body design changes, and the impact of new tire technologies to support these vehicles.

We have observed increased activity from heavy industries, particularly oil & gas and mining as key issues surrounding sa fety are shifting customer investments. We are involved in sa fety systems, components, and services, and are seeing increased interest in solutions that help to maximise production uptime while protecting workers, equipment, and the environment.

Our focus on smart, safe, and sustainable manufacturing continues to help customers as they look to redesign processes and products for cleaner, safer, and more energy efficient operations.

G re a te r s a fe t y a n d security, growing demand for environmental care, and the scarcity of natural resources, are the global major trends in the industry. These demands are fueling the expansion of many industries within South East Asia.

We are sharpening our focus on integrated technologies and energy conservation solutions for the water, oil & gas, chemical, cement, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors a nd electronics industries.

We are also aligning our products and services to meet the demands created by each trend. Customer prox imit y is key to understanding their needs even better and to provide support. We ensure that our products and solutions are helping customers to meet the twin challenges of resource scarcity and environmental protection.

ENQUIRY NO. 8201

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia  27

control point

Sensor and Actuator Circuits:

&

Safety Reliablility T

Modern power supplies require designs that can provide effective overload and short-circuit protection for field devices. By Erich Fischer, division head, Automation and Process Control, E-T-A Germany

oday’s Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems are generally highly automated and reliable, and their network communication with master Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems is becoming increasingly common. In the other data direction, ie: ‘down’ towards the I/O field level, I&C systems communicate with sophisticated sensors and actuators, remote operator panels and local controllers, data loggers and other I/O devices.

However, in spite of the importance of field control and data acquisition, the careful planning of power distribution to and the protection of the 24V DC sensor/actuator field is sometimes neglected, and investment into its modernisation is often 28 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

considered of lower priority. Yet, the failure of the I/O field voltage not only has a devastating impact on process value acquisition, process visualisation and mandatory plant reporting, but may even bring entire field sections to a standstill.

Growing Demands It is not unusual to have two or three thousand I/O points for analogue measurement values, actuator drives, setpoint setters, valves etc, in a single generating unit.

Therefore, the efficient connection and reliable protection of every sensor and actuator may be challenging to the plant design engineer.

Often, a row of ‘fuse cabinets’ is dedicated to this

Figure 1: One 24 V DC power supply unit supplying a number of sensors and actuators

Distribution of AC feed Power supply

AC

AC 230 V

Distribution of DC feed Itotal

DC 24 V

DC IL1

IL2

IL3

IL4

IL5

Load 1

Load 2

Load 3

Load 4

Load 5

“sensor”

“sensor”

“actuator”

“interface”

“valve”

Itotal = IL1 + IL2 + IL3 + IL4 + IL5

purpose; especially in view of the large number of sensors/ actuators to be connected and protected. The question of how to resolve the issue rationally and cost-effectively, yet safely and reliably, is not an easy one to answer.

Hence, two requirements need to be reconciled when modernising a sensor/actuator field: a. Reliable protection to ensure plant availability b. Efficient and economical installation Four aspects have to be analysed before actually defining the protective components for the sensor/ actuator level. Only a finely tuned adjustment of all four parameters will ensure quantifiable and precise circuit protection.

Step 1: The Load To begin with, the total power requirement of all loads has to be established in order to determine the size of the required power supply. Therefore, the rated currents at normal operation of all connected sensors and actuators have to be added up (Figure 1), taking the demand factor into consideration.

How many of the connected loads will simultaneously draw current from the power supply? The rated currents of the individual devices are usually indicated in the technical data provided by the device manufacturer. At the same time, the simultaneous occurrence of these individual load currents results from the intended function of the sensor/actuator field.

The definition of these details is part of the plant specification. Another parameter that needs to be investigated is the expected inrush current of each load. Fuses, circuit breakers or other circuit

protectors should tolerate short inrush peaks at the power-up of the connected loads without causing nuisance tripping. Quite often, this aspect is underestimated when selecting circuit protection components.

Step 2: The Power Supply The next step determines the 24V DC power supply, which will also influence the choice of the protection concept. The chosen power supply should be large enough to have a reserve of at least 20 percent above the total power requirement at continuous load as calculated in step 1. This ensures that the power supply can cope with overload situations.

When it comes to short circuit demands on such a Switch-Mode Power Supply (SMPS) unit, careful planning is necessary. What maximum short circuit current must the power supply be capable of providing – at least theoretically – to prevent the output voltage from falling more than 10 percent below the required nominal value?

The overload factor of SMPS units typically lies between 110 percent and 150 percent for continuous operation. A 40A SMPS unit with an overload factor of 110 percent can supply a continuous 44A current. For short-circuit or overload currents which are higher than that, the device will reduce its output voltage to a few volts in order to drive the over-current.

Step 3: Cabling The third parameter to examine is the cabling.

Here, cable lengths, cross-sectional areas and line attenuation play an important role as they determine whether a high short circuit current can actually flow or is quenched by line attenuation. The cable path from the Power Supply Unit (PSU) to the Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 29

control point

DC 24V power supply unit

Figure 2: DC 24V power distribution with short circuit across one sensor/actuator

R1

Circuit-breaker with I

R2

Load with I

Fault: Short circuit across the load

Short circuit current R1 = Cable resistance between power supply and circuit protector R2 = Cable resistance between circuit protector and load Other loads with I

sensor/actuator is divided into two sections: the path from the PSU to the branch-off with the circuit protection device for each branch, and the path from the circuit protection device to the actual load in the field (Figure 2).

Step 4: Circuit Protection Different components are available for circuit protection.

Fuses Although low-priced and functional, fuses lack the additional features that are considered essential for efficient commissioning, service and troubleshooting. They usually offer no alarm indication and cannot be reset or switched on and off. When a fuse has blown, it has to be replaced. The replacement fuse should be identical in current rating and response characteristics.

Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs) Standard miniature circuit breakers offer a wider range of functions such as On/Off or Reset and optional add-on auxiliary contacts for alarm indication. However, the critical point with MCBs is to find the proper rating for reliable fault tripping. Typically, thermo-magnetic breakers of B or C characteristics are used.

For instance, a B6 circuit breaker for 6A rated current requires 3 – 7 times the rated current to trip magnetically, ie: undelayed, in the event of a short circuit. This means that only a short-circuit current in the range 30 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

of 18A – 42A ensures reliable fault tripping.

In the worst-case condition, 42 amperes are required for the circuit breaker to protect against a short circuit.

However, can the SMPS unit provide such a high current or does the cable used, allow such a high current flow? Taking into account component tolerances, there is a need to assume there is the risk that the B6 circuit breaker never trips magnetically in the event of a short circuit. Although it will eventually activate its delayed thermal trip, this may take seconds or even minutes.

Selectivity & Current Peaks During this short-circuit period, and with the circuit breaker not responding, the switch-mode power supply must cope with the additional shortcircuit current. For protection, it will go into its current limiting mode and reduce its output voltage by a few volts or even down to zero.

All the other field devices supplied by the SMPS unit will therefore also be without power, and come to an uncontrolled standstill. There is no selectivity in this type of circuit protection as the device or branch responsible for the short circuit will replicate the failure of all other devices. One may think that the remedy lies in a fast-acting circuit breaker, ie: a circuit breaker with A or Z characteristics.

However, it should not be forgotten that for EMC protection, today’s sensor/actuator devices have considerable capacitive content in their inputs. As a result, they produce high inrush currents when

Electronic circuit-breaker with electrical isolation at overload

t [s]

5 Underlayed electronic disconnection Electrical isolation after 3 sec. typ.

Passive range No response

0

Disconnection within 3 to 5 sec

IN ~1.1 x IN

~1.8 x IN

I[A]

Figure 3: Response characteristics of the electronic circuit-breaker type ESS20

they are switched on. A fast-acting circuit breaker would interpret this current peak as a short circuit and trip instantly. With this solution, there is the problem of nuisance tripping, resulting in the field device or sensor/actuator never switching on, as it triggers the circuit breaker each time.

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Another Alternative With the increased emphasis on solid-state technologies, electronic circuit breakers are setting standards in the arena of circuit protection. The response characteristics of electronic circuit breakers are tuned to the behaviour of switchmode power supplies. Just like the SMPS unit, this generation of circuit breakers offer a current limiting mode in order to keep the load current always below a level that would prove critical for the power supply.

They distinguish between the three conditions of short circuit, overload and inrush peak, and respond differently to each situation.

They typically limit the short-circuit current which protects line and load and prevents an excessive load on the power supply. A slight overload condition is accurately recognised and will be tolerated for a certain time. Only if the load current does not revert to its normal value within seconds, will the circuit breaker respond and trip (Figure 3). Short inrush peaks caused by switching a field device also will not trip the electronic circuit breaker as its current limiting mode leads to a slower charging of the capacitive components of that field device. This solves the problem of nuisance tripping during power-up of the connected loads.

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ENQUIRY NO. 190

Overload

3

In today’s context, it is not only the higher-level plant control, management and SCADA systems that are undergoing intensive modernisation. The fast-paced implementation of the latest technology also redefines switchgear, control and automation concepts even at the sensor and actuator level.

At the so-called ‘lower’ and sometimes neglected level of the automation hierarchy, reliability and availability are essential attributes. After all, the safe and efficient system integration of large numbers of widely distributed field sensors and actuators is the foundation for accurate process data acquisition, consistent status monitoring and reliable plant control.

The advancement of modern power supplies into the increasingly decentralised automation and control architecture requires a newer approach to the design of circuit protection, particularly when it comes to the selective overload and short-circuit protection of field devices. It is mainly in DC 24V systems which rely on switch-mode power supplies, that the electronic circuit breaker rapidly replaces the classical thermo-magnetic circuit breaker – as its integrated current limiting function allows for the special overload and short circuit conditions that are encountered in these applications.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 31

software & Networks

Portable Inspection:

A

Shot In The Arm For The Automotive Industry

The combination of portability supplied from measuring arms and inspection software programs makes it easier to carry out more inspections. By Peter Dickin, marketing manager, Delcam

I

nspection was traditionally carried out in a separate, dedicated area away from the production line. It was carried out at the end of the manufacturing process, usually by specialist metrologists, using expensive equipment that could not be moved.

Recently, there has been a transition to the use of portable inspection arms from companies such as Faro and Hexagon. These devices offer accuracy, combined with the ability to undertake inspection virtually anywhere in the factory at any stage in the manufacturing or assembly process.

Of course, the va rious manufacturers of measuring arms can take much of the credit for this development. However, a 32 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

part has been played by Delcam through the development of its PowerInspect inspection software. While it does work with a wide range of inspection devices, including stat ic Co ordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs), and optical and laser-based systems, it is also a suitable software for portable inspection arms.

T he co mb i n a t io n o f t he portability of inspection arms and the software makes it practical to make more inspections than is possible with a dedicated CMM located at a considerable distance from the point of manufacture.

Allowing more inspections, plus giving real-time results in an easyto-understand format, means that problems can be identified earlier and corrected at lower cost.

This translates into considerable savings in time and money for a wide range of manufacturing companies. It also allows companies to offer higher and more repeatable quality to their customers.

From Drawings To CAD Models A parallel development that has also benefited from the introduction of inspection software programs has been the move away from drawings that were traditionally used as the basis for inspection. Most design data is now issued to subcontractors as CAD models rather than as drawings. It is more efficient and reliable to allow inspection directly against the CAD model than against drawings generated from that model.

While the prime motive for the development of PowerInspect was to allow inspection against CAD data, the opportunity was also taken to address the problems of inspection speed and complexity.

It was also decided that the software must be independent of the hardware being used. Much of the other inspection software on the market is linked to particular inspection devices. Companies using a range of equipment must therefore have staff trained on a variety of software. In addition, it can be difficult to enforce standard reporting methods and formats from different software.

Inspection Software Programs At BMW A typical application for inspection software is its use on two Zett Mess AMPG measuring arms to inspect chassis prototypes in the ‘Process Technology Prototype Development’ of the BMW Group.

The system produces faster results, and is suitable for both inspection specialists and for production experts who have not had training in measurement technology.

Ever y new BM W cha ssis prototype is received by the development team as a CA D file, which is used to weld the design. Welding distortions of 3 mm are the norm and have to be eliminated in a continual process of welding – inspection – correction – inspection. In the past, the inspection process for some of the parts required up to two hours; now, only five minutes are needed. This results in significant time savings since up to five inspection passes are required per component.

“Many inspection programs are complicated to use,” claimed Stefan Schneider, application engineer at Delca m. “The program’s ease of use is essential for situations like that in BMW’s chassis prototype development, where both metrology specialists and production staff need to use the software.”

Ea sy operation a nd the sh o r te s t p o s s ib l e l e a r n i n g curve allow casual users to be able to work accurately a nd efficiently with the measuring equipment. After only two days of training, BM W employees could use the software program in combination with the Zett Mess arm.

I n addit ion, t he sof t wa re does not require the parts to be held in a specific fixture.

Its best-fit routines mean that inspection can be undertaken in any position. Furthermore, the arm and software make it possible to inspect two parts simultaneously on one table.

If the alignment between the two parts is known, the user ca n switch between the two inspection sequences.

It is also quicker to add extra p oint s into a me a su rement sequence. The additional data can be incorporated with the earlier measurements and the combined results displayed immediately,

instead of having to re-measure the whole part. Similarly, it is possible to change the datum being used for the inspection and have the inspection report regenerate quickly.

Maintaining Quality Inspection is often seen as a ‘ne ce ssa r y ev il’ by some ma nu facturers. W hile t hey k now that quality control is essential, they regard it an extra expense that cannot contribute to the bottom line. By moving

to portable inspection systems and inspection software, many companies have been able to meet their quality needs and also reduce the time and cost of their manufacturing.

Being able to inspect more often can, at least, determine immediately when parts are so far out of tolerance that they cannot be recovered. This will not be good news but is still better than continuing work on a part that is already scrapped.

ENQUIRY NO. 8401

Time Is Money The combination of inspection software programs and measuring arms has also reaped benefits in other industries.

Investing in a Romer CimCore portable coordinate measuring arm with PowerInspect has proven to be a time-saver at Rayco Manufacturing, an equipment builder based in the US. “It saves us many hours compared to the manual way most fabrication shops check their work,” said Roger Timmons, quality assurance engineer, “and we get more information about our production faster, so we can make adjustments quickly and accurately.”

Most of the work at the company is cutting and welding steel to form the structures of the machines. As the company grew and its product ranges expanded, it decided it needed to further improve the consistency of its steel fabrications and ensure quality from the first laser cut through to the completed fabrication.

“Five minutes with the inspection software saves an hour out on the assembly floor,” Mr Timmons claimed. “We can make adjustments before the components get into the assembly flow.” For example, the software showed that the run-out on some of the feed wheels used on its chippers was not acceptable. Detecting the situation prior to assembly saved the one and a half to two hours it would have taken to remove and replace an inaccurate feed wheel. In another example, the frame for one of its machines was exhibiting a twist during assembly. Said Mr Timmons: “We measured it during welding and found that the fixture needed correction. We also use the system for troubleshooting out on the assembly floor to determine why a part may not be fitting perfectly, so future parts can be corrected before they go to assembly. We can do this in about 10 minutes, a time saving of up to 1,000 percent compared to any manual method.”

ENQUIRY NO. 8402

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 33

instrumentation & Measurement

Sensors:

Precision In

Measurement

Digital high-density temperature transmitters enable the simple and cost-effective monitoring of multiple temperature points. By Jonas Berge, director of PlantWeb Consulting, Emerson Process Management

M

any plants have processing units where multipoint temperature se n sor a r ray s a re u se d to capture temperature profiles to detect hot-spots, or where multiple single temperature points are within close proximity. To condition these sensor outputs, decisions used to have to be made between accuracy (using many single-point measurement transmitters), and low-cost (using control system temperature input cards or temperature multiplexers).

Newer high-density temperature transmitters provide both the precision of field mounted transmitters, and economy by using fieldbus or wireless technology. Management, including the setup, calibration, and diagnostics of these transmitters and all their sensors is simplified, thanks to the graphical enhancements in the Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL). These transmitters are an ideal solution and a logical transition to digital communications and a more efficient plant.

Industry Application The correct temperature is important for the operation of many processes. An incorrect temperature will impact plant throughput, quality, and yield. This variable is also important for maintenance, as high temperature is a leading indicator of problems in motors and machinery. If left unattended, improper temperatures can result in plant downtime and maintenance costs. High-density temperature transmitters are ideal for applications where there are

34 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

many temperature measurements clustered together.

Applications include: • Determining the accurate temperature profiles of tanks for computation of density to calculate volume and mass of the product; • Monitoring reactor temperature profiles to identify hot-spots and channelling to prevent product or catalyst damage, and to control reaction efficiency; • Monitoring distillation column tray temperature profiles to optimise separation and product quality; • Monitoring various points throughout a furnace to determine how efficiently the furnace uses energy to improve energy usage to reduce operating costs; • Monitoring motor winding temperatures to ensure that they are operating within specifications, thereby extending service life and preventing unnecessary downtime;

ENQUIRY NO. 160

instrumentation & Measurement

Figure 2: Fieldbus high-density temperature transmitter accepts eight sensor inputs

Figure 1: Cost of different solutions for 256 temperature measurement points

• Monitoring bearing temperature on critical compressors, pumps, fans, agitators, and conveyor belts etc, and to alert when they exceed suggested operating temperatures. This is to prevent potential damage, cascading into shutdowns of larger processing equipment; • Keeping tabs on heat exchanger efficiency by measuring inlet and outlet temperatures for steam and product, and to detect degradation due to fouling; • Analysing boiler tube surface temperature to detect slagging or soot deposits hampering heat transfer, and predicting fatigue to prevent boiler shutdowns due to tube ruptures, to improve efficiency and plant availability.

Old Solutions Fall Short Having operators to walk the plant floor and jotting down temperature gauge readings on a log sheet is prone to error, time consuming, and performed too infrequently to gain accurate insight into the process. Several early automated alternatives have evolved over the years.

These solutions included: • Direct wired Distributed Control System (DCS) temperature input card • 4-20 mA transmitters

Principle of Operation

Multipoint temperature profiling sensors measure the temperature at different points along its length. Up to 60 sensing elements may be included in a single probe for a single pipe penetration. Multipoint temperature profiling sensors may use either Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) or thermocouple sensing elements.

36 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

• Temperature multiplexer • Remote-I/O One solution is to hardwire sensors directly to the DCS I/O subsystem – requiring many expensive temperature input cards and either an extension wire (for thermocouple) or multiple wires (three or four for RTDs) for long distances, which are costly and labour intensive. In hazardous areas this method may require many barriers for intrinsic safety at additional cost.

Moreover, the sensor’s low signal is prone to noise pickup, resistance drift, and stray junctions, causing inaccurate readings.

Another solution is hardwired low-cost headmounted ‘puck’ and ‘cookie’ temperature transmitters to condition the sensor signal to 4-20 mA in the field for better noise immunity. While being more accurate, this method also has drawbacks, especially when used for multiple temperature sensors. It requires many transmitters plus analogue input cards in the DCS and hardwiring with long cables, conduit, trays, and marshalling for each transmitter. The hardware, engineering, and installation are labour intensive and expensive. The 4-20 mA signal requires the careful matching of range in the system and every transmitter, plus a five-point loop check at commissioning. The intermediate signal conversions also impact accuracy.

A remote-I/O solution requires expensive modular hardware such as the remote I/O scanner cards, backplanes, and temperature input cards. Additionally, the field cabinet must be larger than traditional junction boxes in order to house the remote-I/O subsystem, and the responsibility for the field cabinet is often pushed to the systems group. The many modular components lower the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and input cards mounted in the field are more difficult to

Digital Advantage High-density temperature transmitters have emerged as a cost effective solution. These transmitters are intrinsically safe, and can be installed close to the process, even in hazardous areas, thereby enabling short sensor wiring. This reduces installation costs and improves the accuracy, as the cost and drift problems of long sensor wires are eliminated. A stable and accurate measurement translates into better control and improved production output.

Unlike 4-20 mA, which is limited to one real-time variable per wire, digital networks communicate many process variables to the DCS. A single highdensity temperature transmitter accepts many

sensor inputs. This reduces the cost per channel, and drastically lowers the number of transmitters, system wiring, conduit trays, safety barriers, input cards, installation and commissioning time that are needed to complete a project (Figure 1).

High-density temperature transmitters share the same network together with other devices. One gateway can support several hundred temperature points. This ability to add new devices is one of the reasons plants why chose digital plant architectures in the first place. Lastly, the temperature readings are transmitted as real engineering unit values, avoiding range mismatch between the transmitter and DCS, thereby eliminating five-point loop tests and speeding up commissioning.

High-density temperature transmitters that are based on Foundation fieldbus (IEC 61784-1 profile 1/1 of IEC 61158 type 1) support eight isolated and individually configured temperature sensors each (Figure 2). Many of these transmitters can be mounted inside the same field enclosure when a large number of points are required.

Since the transmitter is bus-powered, separate power supply wiring is not required. Plants that already have Foundation fieldbus networks can easily add these digital

ENQUIRY NO. 187

inspect and service, increasing maintenance costs.

Yet another solution is temperature multiplexers, which concentrate a large number of sensor inputs in one piece of hardware. This creates unnecessary risk, as a single multiplexer failure would mean the loss of many measurement points. Additionally, a separate power supply is required, adding to costs.

Input channels are not individually isolated, which leads to ground loop and surge challenges.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia  37

instrumentation & Measurement

devices with no additional system upgrades.

For 4-20 mA transmitters, a sensor failure is reported as either high or low (just above 20 mA or below 4 mA), masquerading as a process temperature problem, often making the system shut down the loop even though the process is not actually abnormal. For Foundation fieldbus, a separate status accompanies the value, indicating its validity. The operator and control strategy logic can easily distinguish between a sensor failure and extreme temperature.

Rather than unnecessarily shutting the loop down and causing downtime, an alert is sent to the operator who can decide what to do, while the control valve holds the last position. This increases plant availability.

Optionally, the process can be configured to shut down on sensor failure if some loop so requires.

Foundation fieldbus devices have the computational ability to calculate the average of multiple sensors, select the highest or the lowest temperature, or choose the valid value from redundant sensors. The fieldbus supports peer-to-peer communication directly from one device to another. That is, temperature readings can be combined with readings from other transmitters to compute density or compensated flow and level etc.

Measurements in inaccessible points, eg: high up on tanks or pipe racks, or below grated flooring, can be communicated to a local indicator at eye level (Figure 3). One local field indicator can receive up to eight variables from any device on the same network.

Easy Deployment Wireless high-density temperature transmitters based on IEC 62591 (WirelessHART), an international standard for wireless in process applications, is another digital solution which accepts four temperature sensors in the same device. Plants that already have the standard’s networks can easily add these digital devices.

A wireless transmitter connects quickly and easily

Figure 3: Fieldbus remote indicator displays readings from any device on the bus

38 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

since no wires have to be run back to the system, shortening project time. This enables temperature transmitters to be installed on points that were previously not monitored by the DCS, to enhance plant performance and safety. These wireless transmitters check the temperature in minutes or seconds instead of once a day, week, or month, ie: updates several thousands times faster than operator clipboard rounds.

A wireless high-density temperature transmitter shares the same standard’s network infrastructure as do wireless pressure, vibration, pH, conductivity and valve position transmitters, as well as level switches.

They all communicate with the control system via the same wireless gateway. Because all the standard’s devices use the same common application protocol, devices and gateways from different manufacturers can interoperate.

These devices self-organise, forming a mesh network where each device maintains communication with multiple neighbours, establishing multiple communication paths, relaying data from even the most remote devices all the way to the gateway. This topology does not require line-of-sight to the gateway and eliminates the need to build a web of access points throughout the plant or run power in the hazardous area.

The devices automatically find the best communication path and continuously monitors signal quality to ensure network robustness and greater than 99 percent data reliability. If devices are added or removed, the network automatically adjusts its communication paths, without any interruption in data flow. No manual configuration or reconfiguration are required.

Gateway To The Past Temperature sensors on seldom used reactors and other processing equipment may initially not have been connected to the DCS. Similarly, temperatures of motor windings and bearings on various assets

Figure 4: Status indication adjacent to temperature reading flag the validity of the measurement. Failure diagnostics is available at the click of a button

Figure 5: Setup wizard created by the device manufacturer’s expert using EDDL guides the technician step-by-step

have not been monitored continuously as many plants were designed with the minimum amount of instrumentation, due to the high cost of hardwiring.

However, the increased focus on reliability, energy efficiency, shorter shutdown periods and safety now require additional measurements. Fieldbus and wireless are ideal solutions.

Modern DCSs have native support for wireless or fieldbus. However, any old DCS can also make use of high-density temperature transmitters or any other WirelessHART and Foundation fieldbus device using a wireless gateway or fieldbus linking devices available from many suppliers – which convert to Modbus/RTU, Modbus/TCP, or OPC. Fieldbus or wireless support in the DCS engineering console is not required as the configuration is performed through a web server embedded in the gateway or through intelligent device management software. Once the network is in place, more devices can be added at will for different kinds of measurements.

User-Friendly Interface Multiplexers and remote - I/O require special configuration software that has to be learned and kept up-to-date. Detailed diagnostics about sensor faults are generally not provided or distinguished from out-of-range temperatures.

The international IEC 61804-3 (EDDL) standard is an integral part of HART and Foundation fieldbus, enabling high-density temperature transmitters to be managed for the plant’s intelligent device management software just like other devices such as pressure, temperature, and vibration transmitters.

EDDL provides full interoperability with complete access to setup and diagnostics through a hierarchical menu structure. These transmitters share the same alarm management system and trending, eliminating the need for special software and training.

The device manufacturer provides an EDDL file for each device type. The file is simply copied onto the system to tell the latter how to interface with the device.

Unlike other device integration technologies, no software

installation skills or license key management are required to commission a new device type or revision.

On the device overview page, device status accompanies the primary process value indicating its validity (Figure 4). The operator can easily tell the difference between a sensor failure and extreme temperature, and act accordingly. By identifying that the problem is with the sensor and not the process, the operator need not initiate an unnecessary shutdown procedure, thereby reducing downtime.

Conversely, the maintenance technicians can focus on the repairs that are really needed, instead of inspecting transmitters and sensors that are not broken.

Since there are many sensors that are connected to the same high-density temperature transmitter, the device manufacturer has taken extra care by using EDDL to ensure that the device is displayed in the system in a way to make it easy to setup. A ‘wizard’ guides the technician step-by-step through the process, only prompting for the parameters required, showing only valid options based on prior selections to shield the technicians from the complexity of the transmitter’s internal dependencies (Figure 5).

Parameters or options which are not applicable do not distract the technician, and the required settings are not overlooked. The technician can abort the wizard at any point. Wizards simplify sensor configuration, sensor calibration trim, and the configuration of internal calculations.

Similarly, device manufacturers use EDDL to control the content and structure of graphical presentation of diagnostics. Easy-to-read screens alert the operator to any failure, and recommend corrective action depending upon the type of alert (Figure 6). Manufacturer knowhow is provided as help text enriched with conditional images, ie: for each problem, the system displays a different illustration from the device manufacturer showing where the problem lies.

This helps technicians to resolve the problem faster, thereby reducing downtime. The intelligent device management software, regardless of manufacturer, renders a display with a consistent Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 39

instrumentation & Measurement

Figure 6: Conditional images dynamically illustrate the possible root cause

look and feel, making the management of a mixture of simple and sophisticated device types from different manufacturers using different protocols easier.

Sounding The Alarm When a sensor failure occurs, the operator may only have hours or minutes to respond before the process is affected. It therefore often makes sense to display critical device faults that will affect the process, on the operator console. Non-critical failures that do not directly affect the process need only be displayed on the maintenance station, so as to not cause alarm flooding to operators.

The sensor failure is an early warning to the operator to take care of the process to avoid shutdown, thereby improving process availability. EDDL is used by different people using different tools in all phases of the lifecycle; for initial setup from the DCS, for diagnostics by operators during operation from the DCS, and calibration by technicians using a handheld field communicator or laptop in the maintenance shop.

Since EDDL is a compressed text file that is independent of the Windows operating system, it has the system administration advantage over other device integration technologies in that new EDDL files do not force a Windows upgrade for the system.

Conversely, the files are not made obsolete by new Windows versions. Time is saved by minimising upgrade administration. Ie: new versions of Windows and software can be adopted and benefitted from sooner. Each version of each device from every manufacturer has its own unique file, and there are no shared files. This ensures that adding a new device does not overwrite another.

There are many temperature points around plants that are not being monitored due to the high cost of hardwiring. Digital communications, such as Foundation fieldbus and WirelessHART enable reliable process control and monitoring. Digital high-density temperature transmitters have made the monitoring of large concentrations of temperature points simple and cost-effective.

At the heart of the digital plant architecture that uses the power of field intelligence to improve plant performance, fieldbus networks offer several benefits, including advanced diagnostics, and the ability to link the functionality of different devices together.

WirelessHART offers the ability to accurately monitor temperature points without the use of any power or communication wiring.

EDDL guides the setup of intelligent devices around the plant, and enable smart diagnostics integrated with operator consoles to become a natural part of daily maintenance practices. The combination of transmitters with multiple inputs and digital networks enable any plant to increase productivity and safety, and decrease downtime.

ENQUIRY NO. 8501

Case In Point At a multinational refiner’s plant in Australia, the depleted catalyst from reformers is regenerated in reactors before reuse.

Operators monitor the temperature profile of the reactors to maintain a gradual and uniform temperature rise throughout the reactor without runaway hot-spots. The temperature profile is measured using multipoint sensor arrays.

Previously, the operators had to hook up several hundred temperature elements to chart recorders each time the catalyst had to be regenerated – a time-consuming

40  industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

practice. Personnel safety also drove change to reduce the time that workers have to spend exposed in the field. The newer solution uses 31 high-density temperature transmitters mounted in the field near the sensors.

Temperature points are interlaced and distributed across several transmitters in such a way that a single fault does not cause all measurement points on a reactor section to be lost. A crude reactor temperature profile is available even if one transmitter fails. Considering

material, labour, and documentation, the eight-input fieldbus transmitter solution is 66 percent lower in cost than single-input 4-20 mA transmitters, and 49 percent cheaper than direct sensor wiring.

The temperature profile is more accurate, enabling operators to better decide when the regeneration process is complete, and to stop before it runs too long, with a more repeatable result.

Additionally, new operators will find it easier to learn how to operate the reactors.

ENQUIRY NO. 8502

ENQUIRY NO. 166

sector spotlight

Computing Platforms:

Tough Technology

Pablo Barrios

Military and aerospace applications need to address the Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) issues, all while being able to operate effectively in demanding environments.

By Vincent Chuffart, product manager, Kontron

V

ER SA module Eurocard (VME) technology has been a major standard in rugged Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) embedded aerospace and military applications – and for good reason: developers have enjoyed flexibility, given the technolog y’s open architecture and its ecosystem. The level of reliability and robustness has been a major factor too.

But with the increase of data to be processed from more and enhanced sensors, radio communication, imaging systems, etc, the bandwidth of VME has become a bottleneck for modern aerospace applications. VPX, the successor to the standard for open COTS applications, is eliminating these bottlenecks, while sticking with most of the specifications from VME and only changing what needs to be improved.

Range Of Applications The VPX family of technologies is improving the widespread open standards of the VME for 6U and 3U boards and ecosystems in terms of performance as well as electrical and mechanical ruggedisation. And, with the ratification of the OpenVPX specification for multivendor, multimodule, integrated system environments by the VITA Standards 42 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Organisation (VSO), this technology is ready for a range of aerospace and military applications.

Since February 2010, the OpenVPX (VITA 65) specification completes the VPX technology triumvirate, which specifies the base electrical and mechanical standards on board level (VPX / VITA 46), enhanced mechanical ruggedisation formats (VPX-REDI / VITA 48) and system level interoperability (OpenVPX / VITA 65). The completion of this triumvirate represents an advancement in open standard COTS computing. It provides developers and system integrators with a level of performance and interoperability for their specific backplane-based system designs, while leaving room for applicationspecific augmentation.

One of the most important assets of VPX for aerospace and military applications is the serial switched fabric. Serial differential signal transmission – in comparison to parallel data bus systems, like for example, Peripheral Component Interconnect(PCI)–offersadvantages in regards to higher transaction and aggregate bandwidth, lower link latency, increased scalability, and less consumed routing real estate, enabling smaller systems with lighter weight.

Multiprocessor systems, which are required in several military situational awareness applications such as radar, sonar etc, especially benefit from the high bandwidth offered by the technology. Even if the connection to the dedicated boards is made via a single gen 1 PCI Express (PCIe) lane, up to 250 MB/s peak bandwidth is available.

The technology currently enables a maximum bandwidth of 6.25 Gbaud per second per differential pair. Using a serial point-to-point communication scheme, this means per slot and line, not shared, as with a parallel bus.

And since PCI express in regards to software is compatible to PCI, the effort for migrating applications previously based on the parallel PCI bus is minimal, accelerating the time to market for OpenVPX designs.

Higher I/O Density Standard I/O interfaces are also moving to high-speed signals and more sensors and peripherals require a high capacity for application-specific I/O pins to the backplane. Many of today’s existing products already exceed VME’s 205-pin capacity for user I/O pins. For these applications, 6U VPX, for example, holds 268 signals for general purpose I/O including 128 high-speed differential pairs.

Rugged Concept On the mechanical side, the standard fulfils the requirements in terms of robustness, resistance to mechanical stress, corrosion and resistance to bending or incorrect insertion of boards and even outperforms its predecessor. In system casing, it is compatible to VME, which simplifies the implementation of VPX systems considering that many military systems currently in use are aging and need to be replaced and upgraded – since modernisation is ideally achieved by changing only modular components that are based on open standards and that are compatible with existing systems.

F u r t h e r m o r e O p e nV P X boards support all PMC and XMC mezzanines, helping Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and developers to leverage the advantages of the new standard – and still use their dedicated

extension modules, which can be regarded as part of the core competencies of most OEMs for a faster time-to-market.

T he te c h nolo g y e n su re s continuity for legacy VME users. By providing support for full VMEbus electrical, software and selected mechanics, the users’ investments are protected. Parallel VPX enables

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OEMs to leverage the spectrum of hig h - sp e e d intercon ne c t technologies . This is for the design of applications that require better performance; smaller Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) combined with higher bandwidth, I/O and connectivity density.

ENQUIRY NO. 8601

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ENQUIRY NO. 186

The routing for both the serial data buses like PCI express, Serial RapidIO (SRIO) and Ethernet as well as the dedicated I/O signal pairs is defined by the backplane. While OpenVPX defines the general pin-out, it enables the use of not only one but several different serial data buses.

This is for the dedicated system as well as for the routing scheme over the backplane: switched star or dual-star networks or a fail-safe full-meshed network for redundant signal transmission are all possible.

Rear transition modules that tap on new fields of application for compact 3U VPX systems are now possible – which extensively use I/Os via the back side of the systems instead of being limited to the space on the front. In this way, peripheral-rich applications with robust, long-term available and fast COTS systems can be carried out efficiently. This is also interesting for many switchboard applications in which peripherals are connected from the back and user interfaces are on the front.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 43

Kevin Abbott, US

sector spotlight

Re-Arming

B-52s

The

Measurement arms are used to overhaul US Air Force B-52s.

By Dan Alred, product marketing manager, Faro and Richard Hansen, quality assurance manager, Mission Support.

M

ission Support Incorporated has been involved in the combination of sheet metal fabrication and modern CAD/CAM dimensioning technology for improved production capabilities. In addition, they have also implemented real-time CAD/CAM digital manufacturing and inspection of US Air Force legacy aircraft components.

As a depot-level overhaul service provider for both the Department Of Defense (DOD) and some of the major commercial aerospace companies, Mission Support (MSI) has been engaged in the repair/overhaul and manufacture of aircraft subassemblies since 1990.

The company overhauls and manufactures airframe structural components, flight controls and the associated actuation systems, aerial refueling, landing gear, and other flight critical components for the DOD. The Utah (USA) based company was contracted by the US Air Force to overhaul the engine bypass ducts on B-52 Stratofortress bombers. The most difficult issue confronting the company in the performance of this contract was the lack of adequate technical data, which resulted in fit and conformance problems with the overhauled bypass ducts.

The company’s solution to this dilemma demonstrates an intertwining of many years of sheet metal expertise with modern CAD/CAM technology. The following article describes how the company solved several different 44 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Difficulty:

Lack of adequate technical data

Solution:

Incorporating measurement arms and digital 3D CAD software in production

Conclusion:

Reduced production hours

production issues with these bypass engine ducts using FaroArms and Verisurf Digital 3D CAD software.

Problems In The Remanufacturing Process MSI essentially remanufactures the bypass ducts of the B-52, often performing a complete disassembly/ reassembly during overhaul. Most of these engine ducts have been in operation on the aircraft for over 30 years and many are misshapen, corroded, or distorted. Using the original hard tooling to re-build them proved to be a non-viable option.

Even though they often have the original hard tooling and fixtures from the OEM, these tools are cumbersome and less accurate than required and the associated mylar data was incomplete. This makes it difficult to reconstruct the needed parts because the older tools lack the accuracy needed to locate the critical attach points to be within the OEM drawing tolerances.

Also, a lot of the upstream and downstream tooling originally used by the manufacturer to create these parts simply do not exist anymore. Even so, without a better alternative, this old tooling was used for years to overhaul these structures.

As the dimensioning technology utilised for inspection improved, the company found it increasingly difficult to produce conforming products using the original hard tooling – even after calibration of these

Solutions: Using CAD & Measuring Arm The first step to solving these problems was to convert the existing technical data into a CAD format utilising reverse engineering. The company conducted dimensionally accurate scans of the available mylars. Utilising the FaroArm with Verisurf CAD software in ‘reverse engineering mode’, th1111e company generated point cloud profiles of the old master moulds.

They then manually entered as much data as was available from existing tooling drawings. This effort produced 3D CAD solid models for all six-duct configurations. MSI then calibrated the original assembly fixtures and subsequently revamped manufacturing of the ducts themselves, eventually incorporating CAD/ CAM technology at every level of their production process. These implementations effectively solved the fit problems for all of the critical attach points and contours that were being encountered by the Air Force in the field.

These ducts are fairly large aluminium sheet metal assemblies (typically 3-5 feet in size) that have a lot of inherent distortion and damage from being on the aircraft for several decades. The CAD data was initially used solely to evaluate the condition of damaged engine ducts sent from the field for overhaul, as well as to inspect the finished bypass ducts with a measuring arm.

Production continued using the hard tooling to reconstruct the ducts. However, few of the bypass ducts produced in this manner would pass inspection since using the hard tooling could only get them to within approximately 0.060 inch, while the required tolerance is +/- 0.010 inch.

In an effort to improve the dimensional accuracy of the placement of the piece parts reattached to the ducts, the company production personnel tried locating everything using the measuring arm.

Eventually they developed a number of production techniques using the measurement arm as a ‘virtual tool’ in the production process to rebuild these engine ducts instead of using hard tooling.

Results & Advantages The results were positive once the FaroArm was used to locate all of the features, in lieu of the hard tooling.

The manufacturing and inspection process of parts became more accurate. The company now uses the measurement arm for both their production and QA

inspection needs. The portable CMM can be used directly on the shop floor and provides accuracy comparable to a traditional CMM. Since implementing this system, the dimensional conformity of the engine ducts is more consistent and they have not had one quality defect on the fit. It has been such a successful program that Mission Support was granted a sole-source supplier contract for these ducts to the Air Force.

That is not to say that the transition was completely smooth. There was a lot of trial and error during the implementation process. The production department was initially reluctant to use the technology, but, once they had been trained, MSI technicians discovered that using the measuring arm to reassemble the ducts reduced the number of inspection failures and improved product quality.

Using this system, which the company developed, to rebuild the ducts makes it much easier, less time consuming, and much more accurate. This allows production to do their job in overhauling the ducts with new sheet metal components.

This process is one where the company’s veteran sheet metal technicians use the old art of sheet metal fabrication – building and shaping parts by hand – and then utilise Faro and Verisurf to show them in real time where all of the profiles, trim lines, and attach points

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ENQUIRY NO. 191

tools. Increasing reports of fit problems from the field showed the need for a better solution.

As the Air Force made the determination that the B-52 was to be kept in service for three more decades, they were also requiring overhauled components to be rebuilt to much tighter tolerances. A better solution needed to be implemented.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 45

sector spotlight

are supposed to be. It is a marriage of archaic hand fabricated sheet metal aluminium fabrication techniques and CAD/CAM technology.

After production rebuilds the ducts, the company’s quality assurance team then inspects the ducts using the measuring arm with software. Each serialised engine duct receives a generated report for all of the critical attach points and profiles and this report is used to demonstrate their acceptance to the government QAR representative, as a final validation of its dimensional conformance.

To be a successful system for the company, there had been zero quality deficiencies on these ducts since implementation. It has made the fit of each engine duct consistent and accurate within the required tolerances.

The company is confident of this production technique using the hardware and software combination and they see a market for using this same technique on other older legacy aircraft.

Faro was used at all stages of inspection and production – including the initial dimensional evaluation, tear down and inspection of the B-52 ducts, the reconstruction of the components and profiling of features, to the production, and the final QA inspection. It is also utilised to reverse engineer many of the old legacy components where technical data may be lacking, and use the CAD data to remanufacture new components via CNC, and to inspect the finished components prior to their use.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. The first article engine ducts built using this system of producing and inspecting the ducts with the measuring arm were tested on the wings of several B-52s at Barksdale Air Force Base. It was immediately apparent that the attach points and profiles fit correctly to the aircraft.

Return On Investment For Mission Support, the FaroArm has improved the consistency of the product and its overall quality. What used to take production weeks to locate and profile components on these ducts now takes days.

Rebuilding engine ducts have proven to be a difficult task, paving the way for the usage of CAD measuring arms

It is difficult to calculate precisely, but with the reduced production hours to overhaul these ducts, MSI estimates the savings could possibly be as high as US$100,000 over the life of their B-52 overhaul contract.

ENQUIRY NO. 8602

Faro: Scan Processing Software The Scene 4.7 features efficient point cloud handling and visualisation due to the 64 bit architecture which extends the usable memory. The version also incorporates ‘one-click’ webshare functionality. Scanned images can now be put on the Internet, enabling companies from the architecture, engineering and law enforcement industries to share scanned information with customers.

The web-share functionality is built into the software and requires no additional software to publish the scanned data on the web. It will be delivered with every Faro laser scanner and current users of a 4.X version of the software will be provided with an upgrade at no cost.

ENQUIRY NO. 8603

46 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

ENQUIRY NO. 193

sector spotlight

C

apital investments on machine tools often come with some heavy baggage. While shortterm gains are measurable and impactful, the use of a proprietary control system may close the door for future system improvements.

The challenges of today’s aerospace industry create a need for smarter, more flexible solutions.

Open architecture control systems provide a platform for cu stom isat ion a nd ongoing upgrades that provide users with the kind of controls they need to maximise lean performance. This keeps the door open for continuous process improvement, increasing the lifetime return on investment.

Any machine tool can cut metal, but one of the keys to improving the process is to capture and analyse the data that is associated with the processing and cutting. The machine control plays a critical role in being able to capture that data. A Windows-based, open architecture system provides connectivity, traceability and adaptability. This enables end users to continuously i mprove pro ce sse s, i mp a r t management control, reduce costs and improve quality.

All machine controls allow the operation of the machine – turning, cutting, drilling or milling – whatever the machine capabilities might be. However, machine functionality provides only one part of the production p i c t u r e . To t r u l y i m p r o v e machine tool performance, it is essential to have the ability to control and upgrade the various inputs in order to impact the overall manufacturing or cutting capabilities of the machine.

Taking Control THINC (THe Intelligent Numerical Control) is the aerospace industry’s limitless control platform that grows with emerging technology even after a machine is on the factory floor. Its PC compatible

48 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Limitless Optimisation

Of Machine Tool Performance

The open architecture THINC system provides upgradable tools to increase productivity without costly CNC overhaul. Submitted

by Julie Murphy, marketing manager, Okuma America Corp motherboard runs all aspects of the machine, including real-time motion as well as all Windows applications. Because of its single processor design, it can be swapped to remain technically current over time.

Memory can be upgraded independently by the end user, eliminating expensive memory options and providing the ability to use any preferred off-the-shelf technology. The standard PCcompatible Ethernet and multiple USB ports at the motherboard allow integration between the factory floor and corporate communications channels, paving the way for a paperless environment and data acquisition, plus easy integration of computer and industrial peripherals.

Comparing Other Controls Conventional CNC capability is frozen in time the day that the customer takes delivery. The THINC open architecture platform will grow with technology, allowing it to adapt to changing customer requirements.

Anything that runs on a Windows system can run on the platform.

Traditional CNC design is a static reflection of the customer’s needs, as perceived by a corporate development organisation. This limits growth over time. Now, an open and fluid platform can allow the end user to take advantage of new capabilities as they become available from various sources, without a costly CNC control overhaul.

Expansion of capabilities over time can be made using off-the-shelf, or even custom, solutions. The result is a control platform that provides optimisation efficiencies resulting in a competitive advantage.

True Manufacturing Solutions Require Connectivity By connecting various programs, equipment and information, layers of intelligence can be added, allowing for the collection and analysis of data. This provides the tools that are needed to make informed decisions about process improvements.

Open architecture controls provide a link between the machine,

the human and the information components of manufacturing.

The control enhances the ability of the machine to cut parts by interfacing, via Ethernet cable or USB connection, with peripheral equipment, accessories a nd information sources.

The ease of connectivity and the ability to read and process information reduces the need for redundant inputs, minimises human intervention and provides security controls.

The Need For Smarter Controls Traceability of product and processes is important in many industries for a variety of reasons: compliance with regulatory directives, product recall risk aversion, quality intelligence, or to build customer trust. Especially with government regulations in the aerospace industry (whether it be commercial aircraft or military), there is a high demand for traceability.

With the control, it is possible to trace things such as the origin of raw materials, what tool was used, which operator was running the machine, at what time the parts were made, on which machine the parts were made, etc.

Adaptability Allows Monitoring & Measurement Storing and processing data on the control (using API) provides the capability to adapt to various manufacturing environments, for mat s, a nd ph i lo soph ie s.

Each part program may require a different level or routine of measurement, and the control can adapt to these requirements.

Even if there is a FMS with multiple pallets and multiple part programs, each can be custom handled. From statistical process control to 100 percent inspection, the control will adapt.

Touch-sensitive probing is used to gauge, measure and verify

key features on a part. If a part is found to be out of spec, a variety of actions can occur: - A flag or alarm can be triggered - In pre-process situations, geometry can be identified and adjustments made to avoid damage to the tool, workholding or machine - Part rejection - Reworking of the part - Other human intervention to determine cause and resolution Adaptive control software monitors software and sensors within the machine to make automated, real-time decisions regarding feed rate and depth of cut. Applying predetermined parameters, the control makes adjustments such as decreasing the depth of cut when an increase in horsepower is detected, or increasing the feed rate with a de c re a se i n horsep ower.

Monitoring and measurement through the control provide end users with robust, adaptable tools to reduce waste and downtime.

The Open Architecture Approach Given the challenges and d e m a n d s f a ce d b y to d ay ’s aerospace industry, incremental process modifications a re inadequate to produce the scale of efficiencies that is needed to remain viable. A seed change that shatters the traditional silo model of doing business is not only needed, it is inevitable.

Open architecture is based on a philosophy of removing the barriers, limitations and planned obsolescence imposed by proprietary control systems.

It places focus on the continuous improvement of control systems by a llowing the ongoing incorporation of best-in-class upgrades. This involves opening the door to connectivity, which has traditionally been viewed as risky. The truth is, it allows all parties to focus resources o n e x p a nd i n g p e r for m a nce continuously.

ENQUIRY NO. 8604

Real-World Applications: 66 Percent Reduction In Cycle Time

Accurate Grinding & Manufacturing Corp in California, US supplies shafts, carrier assemblies and housings to the aerospace industry. Okuma, along with distributor partner Gosiger, helped them to analyse their processes and to develop a fully automated production line that reduced cycle time by nearly 66 percent, eliminated waiting time between operations and reduced loading and unloading time.

The THINC control allowed them to connect an Okuma Captain L370MW lathe with live tooling, a Fanuc robot and a conveyor. This transformed a process that formerly involved five steps into a continuous process that can run unattended.

ENQUIRY NO. 8605

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia  49

energy

Biofuels:

Sustaining

Global Demand

T

he biofuels industry is growing at a rapid pace amid global pressures for alternative clean sources of fuel for the energy sector. Oil price spikes and energy security are also major influences that are stimulating the demand for biofuels as an alternative to the more conventional fossil fuels. Biofuels are made from either solid biomass, liquid fuels, or biogases.

More Ways Than One Systems have been developed that harvest algae in an efficient way for use in algae biofuels such as biodiesel and ethanol. Algae stores energy in the form of lipids.

The potential for oil production is high for algae for two reasons. Algae has a fast growth rate and in general has high oil content. The oil in some species account for over 50 percent of their mass.

About 300 species have been identified that are potentially good sources of oil. It is thought that approximately 100,000 species exist globally. Properly engineered algae systems could potentially produce about 2,000 – 20,000 gallons (7,570 – 75,708 litres) of biodiesel plant oil per acre. Both algae biodiesel and algae ethanol are potentially significant for the clean fuel biofuel revolution. In comparison, biodiesel that is produced from soybeans gives 189 litres/acre/yr and biodiesel from palm oil yields 2,271 litres/acre/yr.

The Korean Institute for Industrial Technology has developed a technique for extracting ethanol from seaweed, which appears to be more cost efficient and advantageous than other sources of biofuel.

Seaweed grows faster than other sources of biofuel – as much as six harvests per year. Other advantages are that seaweed does not have lignin, meaning that pre-treatment is not necessary. Using seaweed is also not as politically sensitive, does not encroach on land used for food-crop production, and absorbs up to 50 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Melinda Bylow, US

Innovative technologies for biofuel production are being developed and employed to satisfy growing energy consumption.

sevens times more carbon in the atmosphere. This process is attracting heavy investment from private organisations and governments.

Government Involvement The Philippines government has plans to develop a US$5 million ethanol farm at a 100 hectare site, using the process for extracting ethanol from seaweed developed by the Koreans.

In Chile, it has been announced that US$7 million will be invested towards a seaweed-based bio-ethanol project. It will be spearheaded by Seattle-based Bio Architecture Lab (BAL), in collaboration with the Universidad de Los Lagos and Chilean oil company ENAP. The goal of this project is to produce an annual 165 million litres of bio-fuel, equivalent to five percent of Chile’s petrol consumption.

In the US, Biofuels Automation has announced the development of the ‘Titan Heat Transfer System,’ which is a patent-pending closed loop heat transfer system that captures wasted process heat, boosts cooling capacity, and amplifies energy performance.

The system works by adapting to the specific process performance needs and eliminating energy inefficiencies within industrial plants. The process itself improves BTU/Gallon performance through its heat transfer process and offers a modular, minimal footprint and low capital investment option.

Other advantages of the system include savings on natural gas or coal, minimising evaporative cooling tower loss, and substantially reduces energy consumption.

Kiril Havezov, Bulgaria

Helmut Guigo, Latvia

With its fast growth rate and high oil content, systems are available to efficiently produce fuel from algae – with the potential of leaving a lighter environmental footprint.

The goal of a seaweed-based bioethanol project by BAL and ENAP is to produce an annual 165 million litres of bio-fuel, equivalent to five percent of Chile’s petrol consumption.

Hitachi Variable Frequency Drives Pursuing the Ideal Compact Inverter

WJ200 Series

WJ200 Series (Dual Rating) • 0.1~2.2kW (1-phase 200V class, CT) • 0.1~15kW (3-phase 200V class, CT) • 0.4~15kW (3-phase 400V class, CT)

User-friendly Compact Inverter

&

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X200 Series (V/f)

0.4~55kW (3-phase 200V class) 0.75~400kW (3-phase 400V class)

0.2~2.2kW (1-phase 200V class) 0.2~7.5kW (3-phase 200V class) 0.4~7.5kW (3-phase 400V class)

Hitachi Asia Ltd

L300P Series (V/f) 11~75kW (3-phase 200V class) 1.5~132kW (3-phase 400V class)

24 Jurong Port Road, #03-05 Office Block, CWT Distripark Singapore 619097 Tel: +65 6305 7400 • Fax: +65 6305 7401 • URL: www.hitachi.com.sg • Email: ice@has.hitachi.com.sg

Tel: +81 3 4345 6063

ENQUIRY NO. 079

Looking For Substitutes Traditional fossil fuels are being depleted. It has therefore become a priority for many to find alternative sources of energy production both for environmental reasons, but also from an energy security perspective.

In terms of biofuel as an alternative to fossil fuel, the answer is not hard to find as several crops have the potential to produce fuel similar to diesel. Producing fuel from food crops is no longer as viable and research must continue in developing new technologies that improve biofuel production by producing fuel from algae or agricultural waste.

Nanofarming is a technique which will make use of nanoparticles that will absorb fatty acids from living microalgae. The advantage of this technique is that it does not destroy the cells of the algae.

At the Biotechnology Foundations Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University, researchers have discovered a way to increase biofuel production from tobacco plants by engineering two genes, which increase the oil in tobacco leaves. This means that the genes can be changed in the tobacco plant to produce more oil.

Inspired by the nests of a frog called the Tungara frog, researchers have found a way to artificially create a photosynthetic material from foam, which uses plant,

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 51

energy

Dora Pete, Hungary

Scientists have made advances in the breakdown of waste such as corn stalks, grass, weeds and wood and have converted it into biofuel.

bacterial, frog and fungal enzymes to produce sugars using solar energy and carbon dioxide. The result is a process that is designed to capture all light instead of only a fraction, which is the case with natural photosynthesis. Once light has been captured, the process is designed to convert all of the captured solar energy to sugars – which is later used to make ethanol or other biofuels.

Waste-To-Energy The waste that is found on farms is another important area where scientists have made advances in the breakdown of waste such as corn stalks, grass, weeds and wood and have converted it into biofuel. Developed at the National Science Foundation, they believe that it is possible to use the existing infrastructure of oil pipelines, storage tanks, refineries and engines for the fuel. The whole process reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is renewable.

A process that is called Helioculture has been developed by a startup company called Joule Biotechnologies in California. The process converts carbon dioxide into liquid using a solar converter.

The converter contains an internal broth of gray water, nutrients and unnamed genetically engineered organisms that use photosynthesis to secrete hydrocarbons that can be used as fuel. It is believed that this process can produce up to 20,000 gallons (75,708 litres) of usable fuel per year per acre of land for approximately the same cost as fossil fuels.

Nanotechnology is being used to lower the cost of biofuel production. The technology aims to immobilise the enzymes that are used to convert cellulose to sugars, which would allow them to be reused several times over. The effect is that the overall cost of the process is reduced.

A small wood-eating worm (known as a gribble) could potentially be used as a source of biofuel.

Enzymes in the gut of the gribble can replicate plasma 52 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

gasification by breaking down wood and/or straw fibre into its component parts – the by-products of which can produce ethanol. A research team in the UK are attempting to produce similar enzymes that by themselves can produce ecologically sound ethanol from wood.

Duckweed is one of the world’s smallest flowering plant but has been identified as a potential source of biofuel as the plant can yield more starch per acre than corn and produce biofuel without waste. The plant can also digest animal waste, converting it to leafy starch which is it another source of biofuel.

An enzyme called Cellic CTec2 has been developed by a Danish biotechnology company and aims to convert maize, wheat, straw and woodchips into ethanol for as little as 32 pence per litre. The enzyme breaks down cellulose in the waste into simple sugars, which are then used to produce the ethanol.

Conventional biofuels are manufactured from sugar, starch, vegetable oil or animal fats – all of which have limitations and directly affect resources such as the human or animal food supply, since they ultimately come from either plant or animal sources.

As the global population rises, so will the demand for food and energy.

Limiting Effects Research is being performed in biofuels that do not directly impact the human or animal food chain and that produce less greenhouse gases. Second generation biofuels address some limiting factors surrounding their first generation counterparts. These being the threshold above which first generation biofuels can be produced without threatening food supplies and the biodiversity of a region.

Many first generation biofuels are dependent on subsidies and do not compare favourably with traditional fossil fuels such as oil, in terms of cost.

Some of them produce only limited savings. Taking emissions from production and transport into account, first generation biofuels frequently exceed those of the traditional fossil fuels.

The aim of second and subsequent generation biofuels is to help solve these problems and to supply a larger proportion of fuel sustainably, affordably and with greenhouse gas reduction through the entire lifecyle.

According to a 2008 study, biofuels account for 1.8 percent of the world fuel and of 2007, production capacity exceeded US$4 billion worldwide. It is growing as countries seek alternative sources of energy to curb greenhouse gasses and provide some energy security.

Opportunities await the biofuels industry with growing demand for alternative fuel sources.

ENQUIRY NO. 8701

ENQUIRY NO. 194

features

P

Slashing CO2 Permeation Test Times

Knowing the rate of CO2 loss is of interest to both bottle manufacturers and bottlers.By Joel Fischer, permeation lab manager, Mocon

lastic beverage bottles perform a near-perfect job of holding their liquid contents. The real challenge is holding CO2 gas, which can travel through the bottle wall, the cap, or the seal where cap and bottle meet. As carbonation life is critical to the shelf life of the product, the rate of CO2 loss is of interest to both bottle manufacturers and bottlers.

Until now, the methods of testing a container’s ability to retain CO2 have been Zahm-Nagle testing or Carbo QC pressure testing.

Another is Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) testing, which uses light to measure the amount of carbonation remaining in the liquid after a period of time.

Unfortunately, these methods are labour intensive, require a great deal of product, and take weeks or months to provide useful predictive information on rates of CO2 loss.

There is, however, an effective, non-destructive way of determining, in just hours after a bottle has been conditioned, the amount of CO2 permeating out of a bottle and the expected shelf life of its contents.

It can be used for the speedy determination of the amount of CO2 loss through the bottle wall, the closure, and across the seal.

Components Of CO2 Loss There are three places that CO2 can go after a bottle has been filled with carbonated liquid and sealed.

• As pressure inside the container stretches the bottle (bottle creep), CO2 can leave the liquid and occupy the headspace created by expansion of the bottle. This loss is limited by the maximum expansion of the bottle and can be compensated for in carbonating the beverage.

Jason Evans, Okinawa, Japan

54 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

• CO2 molecules can be absorbed into the bottle wa ll itself (sorption). Sorption is limited by

• Finally, CO2 can pass through (permeate) the bottle wall, closure, and seal. Permeation is an ongoing process and contributes to the majority of CO2 loss over time.

Isolating Permeation Per me at ion is t he pr ima r y determinant of shelf life and must be measured separately from the other two forms of CO2 loss. This is accomplished by testing after ‘conditioning’ the bottle, or bottles to be tested. The specific type of bottle determines conditioning time.

It isolates the effect of permeation after the bottle has been filled and sealed.

Conditioning allows bottle creep and sorption to reach their maximum levels, so that they are no longer factors in further CO2 loss. At this point, the system has reached a steady state in which CO2 is lost only through permeation for the duration of the product’s shelf life.

Channels Of Loss By Permeation A f ter hav ing eliminated, by conditioning, bottle creep and sorption as the means of CO2 loss, the next stage is to separate the three possible channels of loss by permeation. CO2 can permeate through the bottle wall, through the closure, or across the seal between bottle and closure.

Placing a thick layer of epoxy over the entire closure of a test b ot t le e f fe c t ive ly pre ve nt s permeation through the closure. A layer of epoxy over the closure and the space where the closure and bottle meet prevents permeation through both closure and seal.

B y comp a r i n g lo s s f rom bottles with the two different levels of epoxy covering and an untreated bottle (or of a single bottle tested first without epoxy

and then with two different levels of epoxy), the amount of CO2 loss via each of the three channels can be determined.

Existing Methods For Loss Due To Permeation Existing methods measure the amount of CO2 remaining in a bottle over its entire shelf life.

• The Zahm-Nagle method tests by piercing the bottle and measuring the pressure inside.

• In Carbo QC testing, the liquid is moved to the device’s measuring chamber for testing.

• FTIR testing is based on infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy. An IR beam is transmitted through the bottle, and absorption values of the beam are measured to

determine the concentration of CO2 within the bottle.

As the first two of these are ‘destructive’ tests, the testing period must begin with a large number of filled bottles. All three of the tests must be repeated at intervals over the life of the product – usually weeks or months – using one or more bottles from the original batch for each test.

The testing process continues until a tested bottle reaches an ‘expired’ state, thereby indicating the shelf life of the product.

Limitation Of Traditional Methods The underlying problem with these tests is that they do not measure the amount of CO2 lost from the bottle; they measure the amount of CO2 remaining in the bottle.

ENQUIRY NO. 185

the capacity of the wall material to absorb CO2.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 55

features

Love Janine, Hawaii, US

Plastic beverage bottles do a near-perfect job of holding their liquid contents. The real challenge is holding CO2 gas, which can travel through the bottle wall, the cap, or the seal where cap and bottle meet.

Due to only a small fraction of the CO2 inside the bottle lost every day, it is difficult to accurately measure that loss, particularly early in the product’s shelf life.

For example, if a bottle loses one percent of its CO2 on the first day of testing, and the test measurement of the CO2 remaining in the bottle is off by one percent, this represents a 100 percent potential error in the measurement of lost CO2.

As the amount of CO2 in the bottle drops over time, the accuracy of such testing may improve, but such improvement comes at the end of the testing period, which could be months in duration. As a result, attempts to extrapolate shelf life from measurements made early in the test period will 56  industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

be unreliable due to small errors in measurement or variations between bottles. This is why these methods are generally applied over long periods of testing.

A Better Way Of Testing The alternative to existing tests is to place the bottle within a closed chamber and measure the increase in CO2 in the chamber over time. Since lost CO2 is directly measured, an error of one percent in measurement is just that, a one percent error – a huge improvement over the 100 percent error in the example above.

Using this method, the greatest accuracy comes at the beginning of the test period, providing numbers that can be used to accurately

extrapolate shelf life based on just a few hours of testing.

Benefits Of Direct Testing Direct testing of CO2 loss offers several advantages over existing indirect methods. By eliminating weeks or months of testing, it can greatly reduce the time-to-market of a bottle or beverage.

If testing identifies problems, it allows quick action to address them. And because it can provide accurate measurements using a single bottle, it eliminates the variances among samples that can throw off traditional testing.

Finally, the process eliminates most of the labour cost involved in existing testing.

ENQUIRY NO. 8801

8th annual

A multi-faceted event: • Dedicated area on the exhibition floor • A special application zone – “RFID in Action” • Mega joint morning plenary session on 13 April 2011 • A high-powered conference on 13 and 14 April 2011 • The return of RFID World Asia Awards

13 – 15 April 2011 SUNTEC Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre

Held in conjunction with:

Beyond tracking

16th annual

Asia’s ONLY executive summit for the R.F.I.D The 8th annual RFID World Asia 2011 is the largest gathering of the Asian RFID value chain. It is a unique business exchange platform for the Asia Pacific outreach.

RFID World Asia is the largest and only dedicated RFID event in Asia for thought leadership demonstration, technological showcase and sourcing platform.

ASIA 2011

Who Should Exhibit at RFID World Asia 2011?

• Semicon electronic / component parts – tags, chips, labels, printers, security sensors and transponders • RFID applications for supply chain, logistics, infrastructure, healthcare solutions, location and real-time systems • Data capture / processing / management hardware and software • Consultants – RFID, SCM, security and wireless mobility Confirmed Exhibitors*:

Power Luncheon Sponsor:

*Updated as at 19 November 2010

Media Partner:

Access senior decision makers at RFID World Asia!

Contact Ms. Chen Chin Fee at +65 63.222.786 or chinfee.chen@terrapinn.com to find out how you can gain face time with them.

Organised by:

Follow us on ENQUIRY NO. 192

using ‘Cards Asia’

|

using ‘/cardsblog’

www.terrapinn.com/2011/RFID

features

IAA: Give us some examples of how your software is being utilised by the various industries.

Moving

Mountains

At the Graphical System Design Summit that was held in Singapore in October, Chandran Nair, MD, Southeast Asia, National Instruments (NI), explains how software innovation is scaling heights in various industry sectors. By Michael Tham 58 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Chandran Nair: Our LabView software is a graphical prog ra mming env ironment t hat a l lows t he re sp e c t ive domain experts to program and implement their algorithms easily, as opposed to having to hire an additional programmer to do the job. For example, there is a Malaysia-based company – Chiller Energy Management Systems (CEMS) whose core business is in the energy management and conser vation for centralised chiller air-conditioning systems.

They achieve about 15 – 30 percent energy savings using a framework that comprises of software and hardware from NI. In the traditional oil and gas industry, we work closely with companies in the area of robotics for applications like underwater welding. Our progra mmable automation controllers are also used for control systems on platforms to perform critical tasks like the Partial Stroke – to ensure that emergency mechanisms turn on to shutdown the system correctly.

The industry is looking at newer methods as the older programmable Logic Controllers ( PLCs) are digital-based and are typically slower. With such PLCs, it is also not possible to add intelligence to ‘state-based’ machines. They are also not able to perform multiple measurements nor make decisions based on a combination of digital and analogue measurements.

In the Green energy side of the business, we help wind turbine companies to perform machine condition monitoring. These are huge turbines that can be affected by long periods of downtime if they breakdown. Such situations however, can be avoided if there

LabView software is a graphical programming environment that allows the respective domain experts to program and implement their algorithms easily.

is consta nt feedback to the operator about the condition of the machinery, which allows preventive maintenance work to be performed. In this manner, the cost of repairs and downtime can be avoided.

We also aid companies that use Pipeline Inspection Gauges (PIGs) to inspect pipelines for problems like cracks, leaks and corrosion. Our technolog y is able to help them to integrate seamlessly with vision, sonar and other types of sensors.

IAA: How do you empower your employees to adopt an innovative mindset?

CN: I provide my employees with a general framework of what they need to do, but otherwise they have the freedom to implement ideas and carry out their work. Our varied group of customers ensure that our employees are at their innovative best. For example, we have a number of customers who use our systems to understand animal behaviour. So it is not uncommon for our employees to support customers in monitoring the behaviour of monkeys at the zoo using our vision-based systems – to study animal behaviour.We also have another customer who

uses our systems to perform crab movement analysis at a crab farm.

The purpose is to understand what the best routine, temperature, salinity and food patterns are, to help the crabs to gain weight.

On the other hand we have our engineers to support technologists to implement some of the latest technologies in autonomous vehicle s. Such diversit y of applications spurs innovation.

In terms of contributing to society, many of our employees are also involved in ‘adopting’ schools and working with universities to provide education for the underprivileged. In December, we will be making an announcement about our collaboration with one of the top universities in the region.

With this arrangement – under our Planet NI Initiative – the institution can allow less privileged individuals to take courses for free.

IAA: What are your plans for the next 12 months?

CN: In the next 12 months, our plan is to continue to improve our LabView product through the improved use of Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). On the testing side, we want to increase the number of protocols that are used for different kinds of Radio Frequency (RF) testing. We also want to focus on improving the ease of integrating sensors in robotics.

ENQUIRY NO. 8802 Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 59

features

Case Study:

Robot Drags Crates &

Serves Tea

Humanoid prototype robots that perform complex, two-handed manipulations may be used for moving items in a warehouse in the not-too-distant future.

By Dr Ursula Frank, Project Management R&D Cooperations, Beckhoff Automation

R

ollin’ Justin is the result of over 10 years of research at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Weßling. The lightweight robot a rms a nd hands developed by the DLR like those used, for example, for maintenance work in space are the basis for the development of a mobile robot in the shape of a human being.

The robot’s grasping range can be extended by means of the torso and the mobile platform with four separately retractable

60 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

and extendable legs mounted on roller bearings – analogous to the trunk and leg movements with which a human extends his radius of action.

Freedom Of Movement The upper body alone has 43 degrees of freedom equipped with torque sensors; a total of 51 joints make Rollin’ Justin a highly mobile automaton that can manipulate and interact sensitively. The robot manipulates objects with two hands and is able, for example, to

carry a crate or prepare instant tea. The latter requires complex coordination of movements.

The robot must grasp the tea caddy with one hand, in order to unscrew it with the other hand. It then fills instant tea granulates into a drinking glass, whereby it gauges the quantity exactly by tapping the plastic container lightly with a finger. Finally, it pours water into the glass from a decanter.

A looser or tighter coordination of arms and hands is required, depending upon the kind of manipulation: for instance the grasping of large objects, such as a crate, requires the tight coordination of both arms. The opening of a screw cap, on the other hand, requires the synchronous movement of hand and arm.

However, Rollin’ Justin also interacts with humans and its environment: if it knocks against something or touches an object or a person, it notices that and aborts the movement, or it asks whet her it should continue

The components used for the robot communicate via CAN, CANopen, Sercos, SpaceWire and EtherCAT. These different fieldbuses are mapped via the Beckhoff TwinCAT PLC automation software on an EtherCAT slave.

working. Via an integrated speech recognition system, the robot knows approximately 100 words a nd ca n combine them into meaningful phrases.

Apart from that, it uses builtin cameras to collect information from its environment and can identify objects in order to be able to orientate itself accordingly. The equipment with torque sensors, eg: in the fingers, ensures that the robot can also grasp sensitive objects, such as strawberries, without crushing them.

T h e ro b o t ’s fo o t p r i nt i s v a r i a b l e : w h e n p e r fo r m i n g h i g h l y d y n a m ic a c t io n s o r actions requiring a particularly long re ach, it stabilise s it s upper body by enla rging its footprint; it extends its legs to do this. If it needs to traverse a narrow passage, it retracts the legs again.

“The utilisation of proven hardware components from thirdparty suppliers allowed us to save time - consuming development

work when building Rollin’ Justin,” explains Klaus Kunze from the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Robot Systems Department, DLR. “Our selection was primarily determined by the desired functions and the necessity of a compact design.”

Automation Control However, this presented the DLR with the challenge of having to integrate the most diverse re a l - time protocols. T he components used communicate v ia CA N, CA Nop en, S ercos, S p a c eW i r e a n d E t h e r C AT. T h e s e d i f fe r e n t f i e l db u s e s are mapped via the Beckhoff Tw i n C AT P L C a u t o m a t i o n software on an EtherCAT slave.

All data necessary for control are available synchronously via a single real-time capable bus protocol in a Matlab/Simulink environment on the separate real-time computer that controls the entire platform, including the upper body.

“We needed a solution that, on the one hand, would support the communication technology of the components, while on the other not limiting their performance capability, such as the 1 ms cycle time of the Sercos drives and the short dead times,” says Klaus Kunze. The force sensors and the servo drives are connected via standard EtherCAT terminals. SSI terminals acquire the data from the position sensors of the robot legs. The drives of the arms and the torso are connected via master PCI plug-in cards.

Rollin’ Justin represents an optimal experimentation platform for the DLR to test robust control strategies and intelligent action planning for the realisation of complex, two-handed manipulation tasks. However, the employment of the mobile service robot as a cratedragging or tea-pouring household aide, for the time being, remains a dream of the future.

ENQUIRY NO. 8803 Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 61

EVENT review

SolidWorks 2011 With the launch of the 2011 version of SolidWorks, Sharon Toh, GM, South Asia, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp speaks to IAA as she explains the theme behind the new product and the company’s marketing strategies.

By Joson Ng & Michael Tham.

S u s ta i n a b i l i t y e qua l s innovation – this is the theme for the 2011 version of SolidWorks.

The inspiration behind the theme according to Ms Toh can be drawn from daily experiences.

She says: “Today, from buying a car to the detergent you use and even clothing, you cannot escape the green theme. For me, sustainability is here to stay. It is not a passing fad. Therefore from our point of view as a technology provider, it is really important to share with our customers how they can use this to further innovate their products.”

62 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Embracing innovation is one thing an enterprise should adopt as a guiding principle. Transforming innovation into a business success however, can be hailed as a masterstroke. This process, as Ms Toh describes is a “driving force behind success in business.”

She says: “Being innovative is what the majority of our customers do everyday. It includes taking existing technology and turning it into a finished product that appeals to people. Our job is to help our customers do that easily. By just adding this key

component (sustainability), it is possible to reach new markets and find new customers.”

The Issue Of IP A nother major focus of the latest version is on speed and collaboration, resulting in more productivity and profitability. The issue of collaboration however, in the design world, may be a sensitive one. On one hand, as a software developer, the company understands the need to protect design Intellectual Properties (IPs). On the other hand, in today’s

industrialised world, it is almost impossible to work alone in a design project and hence the need to share information is of critical importance. A potentially tricky issue has been solved by a function called defeature.

Say Ms Toh: “It’s true that many companies need to work together. Oftentimes we have to acquire parts from vendors. These vendors supply you and they may also supply your competitors. With the defeature tool, the user can share information and at the same time protect his or her intellectual properties. With this function, the component can be presented as it is with features critical for cooperation and removing sensitive features, which should not be shown. In addition, this function helps reduce file size as not all information are displayed.”

Cloud Computing – Aiding SMEs Sustainability is usually associated with Product Life Cycle Management (PLM). Full scale PLM involves a product’s inception to disposal according to Ms Toh and only the bigger companies have the resources to carry it out effectively as PLM includes consumers’ research data and trending as well.

In order to assist SMEs which may not be able to invest as much into PLM but are still in need of it nonetheless, the 2011 version features Product Data Management (PDM), which allows cloud computing.

“With cloud computing, the users do not have to maintain a large database on their own. This is good for companies with less than 20 people,” she says.

Marketing Strategy & Hot Spots With the company dominating the aerospace and automotive i n d u s t r i e s , M s To h v i e w s

a lter nat ive energ y a s a n i ntere st i n g i ndu st r y. “ From wind to solar energ y, we are repre sented, pa r ticula rly in South Korea,” she says.

Moving closer to home, Vietnam is one country that Ms Toh has her sights on. Giving us a clearer picture, she says: “We feel Vietnam is a developing country and one of the fastest growing market. Looking at their demographics, you can tell they have a lot of young people who are well-trained and speak good English. This is a key component for growth for a country.”

According to a repor t, majority of designers in the country still use 2D software programs. As such, the company fe e l s e du c a t i o n i s t h e to p priority. “We are working with

institutes a nd compa nies to stress the importance of IPs and the benefits of 3D design suites.

Concurrently, we launched a free 2D design suite in August 2010 called DraftSight. As many of them are still paying for 2D software programs, we hope by providing this free software, we ca n in a way encoura ge designers from the developing countries to make the transition into 3D programs and also pay more attention to IP,” she says.

Ms Toh reveals no marketing efforts were made for the launch of DraftSight. Despite adopting a lowkey stance on this software, there were about 250,000 downloads within the first month of launch.

ENQUIRY NO. 8901

Dassault Systèmes: 2D CAD Product

DraftSight is a professional-grade, open 2D CAD product for users who want a better way to create, edit and view DWG files. DraftSight is easy to use and is available for professional CAD users, students and educators to download and activate for free at its website.

Based on an advanced architecture, the software program has a small footprint, should take less than a few minutes to download, and runs on multiple operating systems including Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and the Mac (Linux support will be available later this year).

ENQUIRY NO. 8902

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 63

EVENT review

SolidWorks Innovation Day 2010 ATE: Innovation & Sustainability

SeaCAD: The Race To Innovate

The SolidWorks Innovation Day 2010 which was organised by Advanced Technology Enterprise (ATE), was held in Singapore on October 14.

Isaac Chong, MD, ATE kicked off the event with an opening address. He explained that innovation is not a mere concept, just a product or technology. Rather, it is a continuous process of asking, ‘what if.’ Mr Chong cited examples of innovative ideas that came about because someone asked the ‘what if’ question.

Such ideas include mobile applications that can be used to monitor heartbeat and blood glucose levels. He also gave an example of a device that can read brain waves and translates them into commands – allowing human users to interact with machines via thought processes.

Keynote speaker Sharon Toh, GM of South Asia for Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks emphasised on the importance of sustainability.

“In the 1980s, achieving competitive advantage often meant lowering costs and increasing efficiency.” However, the focus today has shifted. Ms Toh believes that the next wave of consumers will increasingly demand Green products.

With a racecar fronting its poster for this year’s launch, ‘staying ahead’ seems to be the buzzword for SeaCAD, which was presenting the 2011 version of SolidWorks. In his welcome speech, Conrad A Montgomery, CEO and founder, SeaCAD Technologies stressed the importance of making innovation a top piority and how by using the best in class tool and technology are ways to stay ahead of the competition.

The event saw a general session where attendees were introduced to product enhancements in the 2011 version and also two breakout series that featured topics like Easy Transition to SolidWorks, Optimise and Design Sustainable Products and Creating Realistic Design Motion among others.

In the general session, some of the new features of SolidWorks 2011 include ‘revolve up to surface’ which according to the presenter, allows more flexibility in design.

When it comes to sheet metal, the software has improved flattening ability for complex shape.

The event ended with a plaque presentation and a lucky draw where some participants walked away with some attractive prizes.

Mandarin Orchard Singapore Oct 14, 2010

Concorde Hotel Singapore Oct 8, 2010 ENQUIRY NO. 8903

64 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

ENQUIRY NO. 8904

Global Tronics

2010 The event wa s held from September 13 – 15 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

A tota l of 237 pa r ticipating companies from 22 countries participated in the 10 th edition of the event with international presence from China, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, UK, US and Taiwan.

Of these, 53 percent were first time participants at the e v e n t . G l o b a l Tr o n i c s 2 010 attracted some 5,065 attendees ove r a f lo or a re a o f 4 , 24 0 squa re metres. It is mov ing towards introducing emerging technologies and content to the industry.

T h e P r i n te d E l e c t ro n i c s conference that wa s held alongside the event was a first time collaboration with SIMTech a nd SPR I NG Singapore. The conference that was held on the first day received support from more than 200 delegates.

There were 10 companies t h a t a l s o p r e s e n te d t h e i r printed electronics products and capabilities in the Printed E le c t ro n ic s S howc a s e he l d alongside the conference.

September 13-15, 2010 Sands Expo And Convention Centre Singapore ENQUIRY NO. 8905 Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 65

EVENT REViEw

Singapore International

Energy Week 2010

T H I S ye a r’s S i n gap ore I n te r n a t i o n a l E n e r g y We e k (SIEW) has grown bigger, with over a dozen trade shows, dia log ue s, rou ndtable s a nd network ing se ssions that were held from October 27 to November 4. The annual platform for energy professionals, policy makers and commentators saw active discussions from 14,000 attendees from over 60 countries on energ y issues, strategies and solutions at Raffles City Convention Centre, Suntec City Convention Centre and Marina Bay Sands.

Generating Discussion Under the theme of ‘Fuelling the Smart Economy’, the event aims to facilitate the exchange of ideas and discussions on pertinent energy-related issues, while simultaneously meeting the strategic objectives of Singapore’s 66

industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

commitment to becoming a global leading energy hub.

According to a report by The World Bank, energy consumption in East Asia has trebled over the past 30 years due to growing cities and rapid industrialisation, and demand is expected to double again in the next 20 years. To support this, the current share of low ca rbon technolog ie s in power generation needs to increase three-fold from today’s 70 percent – primarily from wind, hydropower, geothermal and biomass energy sources from various countries in Asia.

The Asian Development Bank (A DB) estimates that energ y demand in the region will grow by about 2.6 percent annually, with Asia already accounting for 30 percent of global energy related CO 2 emissions. This is expected to rise to 45 percent if nothing is done.

Ca rbon For um A sia 2010 fo cu se d on climate cha nge abatement efforts in key markets across the region. Among the topics discussed were ‘China’s drive to create a new market’ and ‘Japan and South Korea: New a nd e x ist ing for m s of offset demand’. The session on ‘Growing Money on Trees: The Forest Carbon Market’ generated discussion with different opinions being voiced among financiers, traditiona l ca rbon ma rket players, and the growing number of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) organisations.

At t he Singapore E nerg y Lecture, prime minister Lee Hsien Loong talked about the current energy situation in Singapore and its possible future scenarios. As

part of the global economy, the country faces the key challenge of obtaining energy that is cost competitive, secure, clean and sustainable. To address this cha llenge, Mr Lee sa id that Singapore can invest in knowledge and capabilities for more energy options, build a smart energy economy and develop a long-term energy masterplan to guide the evolution of the nation’s energy landscape.

A Better Tomorrow To accomplish these objectives, Mr Lee revea led four key strategies: use market forces; diversify energy supplies; build a robust energy infrastructure; and invest in energy research and innovation.

He also pointed to nuclear

p owe r a s a p o ssible f ut u re s o u r c e o f e n e r g y. M r L e e sa id t hat S i n gap ore shou ld start building up its nuclear capabilities today so that it has the ability to exercise such an option one day. He also urged Singaporeans to be ready to make lifestyle adjustments as the future world will be fossil fuel- constrained and carbonconstrained.

The a nnual Clea n Energ y Expo trade fair and conference at t rac te d ove r 5,0 0 0 c le a n energy professionals from nearly 50 countries. With over 170 international exhibitors and 115 speakers from leading players in the technology, services, finance and government sectors attending the Expo, it was also the closing anchor event for SIEW. T h i s y e a r ’s t r a d e f a i r saw a nu mb er of e x hibitors showcasing innovative A sian solutions in sustainable m o b i l i t y, w i n d t u r b i n e technology as well as various energ y- efficient technologies for homes, office buildings and public property.

One such company is S i n g a p o r e - b a s e d S i n g Yu e Technologies, which unveiled its latest innovation, the CherWind compre ssed w ind turbine.

This wind turbine provides an alternative renewable energ y source to urbanised areas and cit ie s w it h h ig h p opu lat ion densities. Leveraging on highr i se bu i l d i n g s – i n s te a d o f of fshore or subu rba n a re a s where wind turbines are usually located – this small wind turbine is designed for metropolitan Asian cities.

Innovation Showcase SwissInso has also launched t wo t u r n ke y sola r- p owe re d solutions – the Krystall Solar water purification system and the K ly maa sola r thermal

control system. The solar water purification system combines me mbra ne te ch nolog y w it h pho tovolt a ic p a ne l s i nto a cost- effective, solar-powered transportable water purification/ desalination unit.

Each unit is capable of conver ting brack ish, se a or sp o i l e d su r fa ce w a te r i nto quality drinking water at a rate of 100,000 litres per day. The solar thermal control system is an environmentally-friendly a ir cooling / heating solution t hat u se s colou re d op aque solar thermal panels that can be mounted on the façade of a building to capture the sun’s energy in an aesthetic manner – to supply the necessary energy to run the entire cooling system for the building.

E l e c t r i c Ve h i c l e s ( E Vs) to o k t h e s p o t l i g h t a t t h i s year’s Clean Energy Expo Asia.

The Sustainable Mobility Pavilion showcased products ranging from the three-wheeled electronic Bike Board, a singleseater small electric vehicle that use s pla nt- ba sed bio plastics for some of its body p a r t s , to f u l l - f l e d g e d h i g h performance electric-powered sports cars.

Audi a nd EV World were also panelists in the Sustainable Mobility Roundtable that brought together both industry practitioners and policy makers in a discussion to help pave the way for the mass adoption of EVs. Product Power Power-Gen Asia and Renewable Energy World Asia Conference and Expo featured over 120 speakers and 150 exhibitors from the electric power and transmission and distribution industry.

O n d i sp l ay w a s S a n y o’s Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin Layer ( HIT ) cr ystalline silicon-type solar cell, which Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 67

EVENT Review

claimed a world record with a n efficiency of 23 percent.

T he H I T sola r cell is made from single-crystalline silicon a nd a mor phou s si l icon. It s structure ha s a feature that ca n reduce recombination loss of the electrical element by su r rou nd i n g t he e ne rg y generation layer of single thin

crystalline silicon with ultrathin amorphous silicon layers.

Sipos Aktorik has launched its extreme precision actuator, t he S ip o s 5 H i M o d , for t he first time at PowerGen A sia.

It fe atu re s a high pre cision position encoder with a n a cc u r a c y o f 0 . 0 0 2 to 0 . 0 0 3 percent and Modulation

At the SIEW, industry players share their plans and views on clean energy. Augustine Quek reports. and marketing culminating in executive management roles. He has over 20 years of experience in the water and wastewater industr y and seven years in biogas projects.

IAA: What technologies are available for companies to reduce their carbon footprint?

Steven Harding is MD of Viridis Solutions. He has experience in engineering, business management, operations

68 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Steven Harding: Viridis Solutions prima rily delivers water and wastewater projects which include Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects. This usua lly ta ke s the form of biogas generation and the maximisation of that gas for carbon credits. For example, t h e a n a e ro b i c d i g e s t i o n o f sludge f rom a wa stewater

C l a s s D (c o n t i n u o u s d u t y) according to DIN EN 157 14 -2.

Additional standard features include an external or wireless Bluetooth COM-SIPOS interface and modulation software functions.

The world needs a secure and sustainable energy system to overcome t he cha llenge s of population and energ y d e m a n d g r o w t h . H o w e v e r, energ y markets are now in a t ra nsit ion sta ge, w it h ma ny of its own fundamental changes and challenges at the same time.

F ro m b i o f u e l s to e n e r g y efficiency to carbon trading, t h e S I E W h a s d e m o n s t a te d that many possibilities exist.

October 27 - November 4, 2010 Suntec Singapore

ENQUIRY NO. 8906

treatment plant can produce biogas.

T here a re three ways of handling this biogas that allows the operator to qualify for carbon credits. The first is to flare off the gas. By burning the methane, the direct release of global warming potential for methane is avoided.

The second is by using the gas in its raw state, such as to produce heat for boilers. The third option is to produce electricity in a power generator. But this last option requires the gas to be scrubbed.

We have d i f fe re nt k i nd s of scrubbers for this purpose, from scrubbers that use only water to biologically active ones.

IAA: Do you use automation in your business?

SH: We use automation as we do monitor a range of parameters,

which are required for CDM carbon projects. In addition to remote monitoring and regular re p or t i n g o f dat a for C D M reporting, we also collect data on other operations such as water usage, and biological inhibitors that may adversely affect carbon credits to be claimed.

IAA: What challenges are there for companies to implement these solutions?

S H: T he cha llenge s a re t he same as they have always been, and that is getting the money!

Getting people to forgo investing

Koji Tokuda is senior officer, Pla nt, Industria l, Machiner y Division at Marubeni Corporation. He joined t h e c o m p a n y i n 19 8 3 . H e wa s i nvolve d ma i n ly i n t he information technolog y field such a s the mobile phone business and later moved to the environmental field as GM o f E n v i ro n m e n t a l B u si n e s s Development Department in 2008.

IAA: What does your company do?

Koji Tokuda: We are a trading company and we mainly buy a nd sell ca rbon credits. For example, we can buy credits that are generated from renewable energy projects in China, and sell the carbon credits to the complia nce buyers in Japa n and Europe. We are interested in high-efficiency coal plants, iron and steel plants, cement plants, ge ot her ma l pla nt s, nucle a r pla nts, Ca rbon Stora ge a nd Sequestration (CCS) and REDD that may generate credits in the next phase. However, some of

in other more traditional projects and to invest in CDM projects is a cha llenge. For exa mple, if a person wa s to chose bet ween inve sting $2 million in a pigger y or in a biogas facility, they are more likely to go with what they are confident with – so they lean towards spending the money on the expanding of the piggery.

The piggery would make you money for certain, and the CDM project might make you money, but why take the risk? Getting the money and the investors and the various parties together – that’s the challenge.

IAA: What about regulations? Is that a hurdle?

SH: In Australia, yes, but not here. At t his point in time, Asia is still the best place for such projects. But I think they [Australia] are in the process of setting up. I do see it coming.

I t ’s a b i t i n t e r e s t i n g . I n Australia, a guy’s got quite a la rge project, more tha n 1.4 megawatts, but he won’t spend the money. He’d rather wait for the ca rbon credit ma rket to be implemented so he can get credits for it. So it’s holding Australia back a bit.

them are currently not qualified for carbon credits.

IA A: W h a t c h a l l e n g e s a r e t here for compa nies in t he implementation of these solutions?

KT: Under the Kyoto Protocol, developed countries such as Japa n have to reduce t heir ca rbon emissions. But such direct reductions are expensive in Japan. So the country hopes to be able to reduce its carbon emissions export technologies.

There is a committee currently in Japan looking into this. However, t here is cu r rent ly no cle a r framework, post-Kyoto, for such a reduction scheme. Instead, it is based on bilateral agreement between both parties.

Compl ic at io n s c a n a r i se when, for example, a Japanese company builds a nuclear power plant in Vietnam. Who claims the carbon credits? Therefore, there are challenges even before a proje c t sta r t s, a nd ma ny details need to be ironed out.

The uncertainties that arise after the Kyoto agreement runs out in

2012 is a big challenge for CDM companies.

Another area is the methodology in calculating carbon credits. One possibility is to use a different standard. Japan has proposed another method, the JMRV, which has been issued in some categories. This is still under discussion.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 69

EVENT Preview

SIAF SPS – Industrial Automation Fair

Guangzhou

Electromechanical products account for more than half of China’s total exports. The export value of mechanical and electronic products in Guangdong alone soared to US$35.59 billion in the first two months of 2010, up 19.2 percent from last year.

As one of the country’s largest manufacturing zones, there is demand for technologies to speedup several thousand production lines operating in the region.

Guangdong is currently facing a shortage in human resources – of roughly 100,000 workers. This combined with greater demand for more precise and efficient work practices, is creating a need for technical solutions, especially in the field of automation. On average, the sales of sensors have risen by 39 percent annually.

Product Offering The second edition of SPS – I ndu st r ia l A utom at io n Fa i r Guangzhou is scheduled to take place from March 9 – 11, 2011 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex. It will feature three major product zones covering industrial automation; industrial robotics; and motion and drives.

Ha ndling a nd a ssembly technologies along with hydraulic and gear equipment will also be available. This edition of the event 70 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

has increased in size by 50 percent and covers an exhibition area of 30,000 square metres.

As part of an overall effort to facilitate trade, the organisers will launch an onsite businessmatching programme at the show.

Key personnel from electronic com mu nicat ions, nu mer ica l control machining, automotive manufacturing, energy, aviation and ship building will be introduced to suppliers of servos, motors, connectors, inverters, encoders, human-machine-interface devices, industrial robotics, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), sensors and Profibus.

Global Participation International associations like the AMA Association for Sensor Te c h n o l o g y f r o m G e r m a n y and the Taiwan Electrical and E l e c t r o n i c M a n u f a c t u r e r s’ Association will be organising pavilions at the event.

The former will also host technical seminars on energy e f f i c i e n c y a n d a u to m o t i v e automation. Daniel Jones, a board member of the US-based Motion Control Association will lead an

industry forum on motion and drives. Symposiums on industrial robotics, industrial security and urban rail transportation will also be conducted.

The Robotics Association of Taiwan will help to organise a special area for robotics. It is estimated that by the end of the year, more than 17,300 robots will be in operation across China.

Sales of robotics technolog y i s e x p e c te d to i nc re a se by US$1.47 billion.

The event is sponsored by the China Foreign Trade Centre and Messe Frankfurt Exhibition. It is organised by the China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition Corporation, Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co, Guangzhou Overseas Trade Fairs and Mesago Messe Frankfurt. The Guangdong Association of Automation and the Guangzhou Association of Automation are the Honourable Organisers.

March 9 – 11, 2011 China Import and Export Fair Complex Guangzhou, China ENQUIRY NO. 8907

products & Services

products & Services Advantech:

Belden:

Advantech has launched a line of Human Machine Interface (HMI) devices that are targeted specifically at the industrial operating panel market. The WOP-2000 series supports a variety of LCD sizes from 3.5 to 12.1 inch and is suited for applications involving the use of PLCs, motion/thermal controllers, inverters and sensors.

This line of HMI devices come bundled free with PM Design 2.0 software, providing a complete solution for factory automation, including packaging, label cutting, and motion-based robot dispensing tasks.

Belden has introduced a data cable specifically for use in railway and mass transportation applications. The BE43769 is a halogenfree Cat 5e Ethernet cable that meets railway industry standards.

This specialised data cable delivers real-time information for operators and passengers, on-board as well as in terminals and control rooms.

The data cables have mechanical resistance and a small bending radius for optimal installation within limited space applications.

Industrial Operator Panels

Data Cables

Enquiry no. 8908

Enquiry no. 8910

Bekum:

Best:

The Eblow x07 D electric blow moulding machine by Bekum can mould plate widths of 350 mm to 700 mm, and has a clamping force of 80 to 240 kN as a single and dual-station unit.

The core of the machine is a clamping unit that has been developed by the company, and which is also available for hydraulic blow moulding machines. The clamping unit has a C-base frame, which was subjected to FEM analysis. The design of the base frame utilises closing plates that move along low-friction linear guides enabling symmetrical force distribution over the entire mould area, while maintaining parallelism of the closing plates.

Best has introduced a camera sorter with a small footprint, and an inspection width of one metre. This would make it suitable for integration in a frozen vegetable line.

The Opus sorter detects foreign material and defects of the product itself, based on differences in colour, shape and structure.

To sort on shape characteristics, it implements a general shape sorting toolbox.

It has a graphical user interface, giving the operator comprehensive, manageable control over the machine.

Blow Moulding Machine

Enquiry no. 8909

Optical Sorter

Enquiry no. 8911 Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia  71

products & Services

Contec:

Faulhaber:

The EPC-6200 e m b e d d e d programmable controller from Contec is a DINrail base fanless e m b e d d e d programmable controller that has been designed to be easily installed and maintained with diligent design to fulfill fanless applications.

It comes with varied OS and driver support, such as Windows Embedded Standard 2009, Windows XP Pro, and Windows 2000. The controller provides two Ethernet ports, four serial ports, and can satisfy the control and data transfer field applications simultaneously. It also provides a PC/104-Plus expansion interface for greater system flexibility.

Faulhaber has introduced the 2232/2250...BX4 CSD/CCD brushless DC servo motor. It combines the advantages of BX4 technology in a tiny package: long service life, high noncogging torque and freedom from adhesives. This makes them ideal for use in demanding application areas such as robotics, automation, medical technology, specialty machinery and the aerospace industry.

The drives include a temperature range of -25 to +85°C, thermally allowable continuous current up to 0.69 A, and configurable speed in the range of 5 to 8000 rpm.

Embedded Programmable Controller

Brushless DC Servo Motors

Enquiry no. 8912

Enquiry no. 8914

Emerson:

Flexicon:

Emerson has extended its family of Fisher VeeBall valves to include the V150E expanded outlet version.

The valve features a transitional flow contour that increases in flow area from inlet to outlet. The valve is designed for installation directly to a medium consistency pump discharge flange, and the expanded outlet will accommodate larger diameter transfer lines. The single piece body design has no gasket joints, which eliminates potential leak paths.

A critical part of the design is the segmented V-notch ball as the control element, which has a natural shearing action that is suitable for pulp stock or slurry flows.

The bag dump system from Flexicon collects dust that is generated during the manual dumping and compaction of bags, and conveys bulk material downstream. The unit is intended to reduce material waste and eliminate the need to clean a remote dust collection site, while protecting workers and preventing plant contamination.

Pre-engineered, pre-wired and ready to plug in and run, the compact system integrates a receiving hopper, dust collector, bag compactor and flexible screw conveyor on a frame – which streamlines installation and allows for easy relocation if required.

Fisher Vee-Ball Valve

Enquiry no. 8913 72 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Bag Dump System

Enquiry no. 8915

products & Services

Flotech:

GE:

The Cooling Tower Management System (CTMS) from Flotech is a complete system to keep cooling water disinfected while reducing water, energy and chemical consumption.

This standalone system with a built-in automatic blowdown maintains high Cycles of Concentration (CoC) and controls corrosion. Blow-down is reduced and water savings can be achieved.

All materials of the CTMS skid are in accordance with EC certification. A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) system is installed on the skid which also allows easy data logging, monitoring and controlling.

GE has made available a line of Proficy Accelerator software solutions: the Proficy Accelerator for Packaging Line OEE. This solution combines the company’s out-of-the-box software and services offering with pre-packaged proprietary algorithms from SlimSoft Solutions, to enable line-level analytics and views.

The product also enables users to communicate performance indicators (KPIs) and business drivers directly to the plant floor in near real-time.

Packaging Line OEE

CMTS

Enquiry no. 8916

Enquiry no. 8918

Fluke:

Ifm Electronic:

Fluke Corporation has introduced a line of clamp meters. The 381 remote display true-rms AC/DC clamp meter with iFlex or just Fluke 381 is a full-featured clamp meter with an extra. The display is wireless and can be removed.

Only one technician will now be required unlike the previous arrangement of two.

A technician will clamp the meter around a conductor, remove the display, then close the equipment cabinet or move across the room to operate controls – all while watching real-time readings.

Ifm is offering a variant to its all-electronic manometer. The unit has a conical G1 process connection and also enables an exact orientation, given its rotatable housing.

‘PG’ type contact manometers available so far have an Aseptoflex Vario process connection for hygienic areas or a G ½ process connection for hydraulic applications. Furthermore, units with a conical G1 thread can also be supplied. In combination with the available adapters, this connection also enables flush installation and is therefore also suited for hygienic applications.

Fluid Sensors

Clamp Meters

Enquiry no. 8917

Enquiry no. 8919 Dec 2010/Jan 2011 | industrial automation asia 73

products & Services

Igus:

NXP:

Igus has developed the latest material in their line of lubricant-free polymer plain bearings, called ‘iglidur J350’.

These maintenance-free plain bearings are resistant to temperatures of up to 180°C. Additional axial securing is only necessary in applications with an ambient temperature greater than 150°C. High wear resistance and performance in abrasive conditions are also benefits given by this bearing. In addition, the material is tough and flexible to mould, which opens up possibilities in both manufacturing and assembly.

NXP Semiconductors has announced the availability of an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) RF power transistor; the BLF888A, a 600W LDMOS device for broadcast transmitters and industrial applications.

For a DVB-T signal over the full UHF band from 470 to 860MHz, the transistor can deliver 120W average power with efficiencies greater than 31 percent. With a gain of 21dB and a VSWR that is greater than 40:1, the transistor is suited for advanced digital transmitter applications, such as DVB-T.

Polymer Plain Bearings

UHF RF Power Transistor

Enquiry no. 8920

Enquiry no. 8922

Mitsubishi:

Vega:

Mitsubishi has introduced the M70V series of CNC controllers.

It uses RISC CPU technology and a high-speed graphics chip.

Coming as standard are multi-channel support with a range of high-speed functions. The result is faster unit processing times and precision for the machined parts.

The CNC series provides a choice of two drive systems, an advanced MDS-D/DH series and the lower priced MDS-SVJ3/ SPJ3 series.

The microwave barrier introduced by Vega, is a sensor that detects the limit level of bulk solids and liquids contactlessly. The Vegamip 61 is adapted to the requirements and needs of the bulk solids industry.

It is designed to detect the limit level under adverse environmental conditions like dust generation, fog or high temperatures.

The microwave barrier consists of a transmitter and one or several receivers. The receiver measures the attenuation of the received microwave signal and generates a switching signal from it.

CNC Controller

Microwave Barrier

Enquiry no. 8921 74 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 2011

Enquiry no. 8923

Calendar Of Events January

April

19 – 21 ELE Trade – International Electronics Component Trade Show

01 – 04 Pumps and Valves Asia

Exhibition Grounds, 30521 Hannover Germany Deutsche Messe Web: www.hannovermesse.de

SUNTEC Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre Singapore Terrapinn Email: enquiry.sg@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/2011/rfid/

Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo, Japan Reed Exhibitions Japan Email: inw@reedexpo.co.jp Web: www.nepcon.jp/en/

May

March 09 - 11 SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guanzhou (SIAF)

The China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex Guangzhou, China Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Email: sps@china.messefrankfurt.com Web: www.siaf-china.com/english/

23 – 26 MTA 2011 Singapore Expo Singapore Singapore Exhibition Services Email: mta@sesallworld.com Web: www.mta-asia.com

04-08 Automex

PWTC (Putra World Trade Centre) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Premier Exhibitions Services Email: info@tradelink.com.my Web: www.tradelink.com.my/automex/

05 – 07 Chine ePower

Shanghai New International Expo Pudong, Shanghai China MP International Email: kenneth@zhongmao.com.cn Web: www.epower-china.cn/

12 – 15 IA Robotics

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) Email: intermach@intermachshow.com Web: www.thai-exhibition.com/ intermach/

23 – 26 Inatronics 2011

JIExpo Jakarta, Indonesia GEM Indonesia Email: info@inatronics-exhibition.net Web: www.inatronics-exhibition.net

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) Email: Suchawadee@cmpthailand.com Web: www.pumpsandvalves-asia.com/

15 – 18 ProPak Asia

13 – 15 RFID World Asia

19 – 21 Internepcon Japan

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

21 – 24 CommunicAsia

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

23 – 26 Assembly Technology

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Reed Tradex Email: contactcenter@reedtradex.co.th Web: www.assemblytechexpo.com

November 22 – 25 CIA

SUNTEC Singapore Singapore Singapore Exhibition Services Email: events@sesallworld.com Web: www.cia-asia.com/index.htm

12 – 15 Intermach

23 – 26 INAPA

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) Email: intermach@intermachshow.com Web: www.thai-exhibition.com/ intermach/

Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) Jakarta, Indonesia PT Gem Indonesia Email: info@gem-indonesia.net Web: www.inapa-exhibition.net/

28 – 31 Biologic Manufacturing World Asia Marina Bay Sands Singapore Terrapinn Email: paul.lim@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/2011/ biologicasia/

june

04 – 08 Hannover Messe

Tokyo Big Sight Japan Reed Exhibitions Japan Email: inw-k@reedexpo.co.jp Web: www.eletrade.jp/en/

2011

25 – 28 MTT Indonesia

Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) Jakarta, Indonesia ECMI Email: mtt@ecmi.cc Web: www.mtt-indonesia.com/

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, #04-02, 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

ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES

PAGE NO

ENQ NO

ABB Pte Ltd

7

173

Belden Singapore Pte Ltd

43

186

Carlo Gavazzi Automation Singapore Pte Ltd

37

187

Edmund Optics Singapore Pte Ltd

55

185

E-T-A Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

21

144

Exxon Mobil Asia Pacific

1

126

Fuji Electric Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

5

161

MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

Hitachi Asia Ltd

51

079

Igus Singapore Pte Ltd

31/45

190/191

Malaysian Exhibition Services Sdn Bhd

47/53

193/194

Ted Asoshina Echo Japan Corporation Tel: 81-3-32635065 Fax: 81-3-32342064 aso@echo-japan.co.jp

Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd

35

160

Misumi Southeast Asia Pte Ltd

3

177

OBC

189

Plant Werx Pte Ltd

17

136

Rockwell Automation Southeast Asia Pte Ltd

IFC

158

Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd

41

166

Singapore Oriental Motor Pte Ltd

IBC

188

Terrapinn Pte Ltd

57

192

Mitsubishi Electric Asia Pte Ltd (CC-Link)

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50 52 54 56

Executive Management Maintenance Engineering Manufacturing Engineering Design Engineering

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

58 60 62 64

Packaging Engineering Process Engineering System Support Engineering Testing & Inspection/Quality Control

❑ 66 Purchasing/Sourcing ❑ 68 Research & Development ❑ 70 Sales & Marketing

❑ 72 Others (Please specify) Do you

❑ recommend

❑ decide

❑ specify on new product purchases?

THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AT OUR COMPANY/FACTORY IS 1 ❑ 1-10

2 ❑ 11-30

3 ❑ 31-50

4 ❑ 51-100

5 ❑ 101-499

6 ❑ 500 or more

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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 #04-02 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

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ENQUIRY NO. 188

ENQUIRY NO. 189