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Spotlight: Highlights from our fireside chat with Nathalie Pilon, ABB Canada managing director. p.15

Defence-in-depth Best practices to help industrial operators deploy the Internet of Things securely and reliably. p.22

Machine safety: How you can prepare for the upcoming Ontario machine safety blitz. p.21

AutomationMag.com

Your resource for Canada’s industrial automation news

Top 5 in 2016 From 3D printers to industrial sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) — key trends and technologies that will impact your plant floor this year. p.16

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

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04 3:33 PM

January/February 2016 Vol. 31, No. 1

Departments 4 From the editor 5 Automation upfront The latest industry news, deal makers, and movers and shakers

22

15 Centre stage Nathalie Pilon, managing director, ABB Canada

Columns 10 Machine safety ISO 13489 and its effects on pneumatic circuits in automated machines

CONTENTS

12 Industry watch

COVER STORY

Paul Hogendoorn explores the struggle that goes on inside each of us

16 Top 5 in 2016

14 Lean insights How connectivity grounded in Lean principles can ensure success

30 Backstory The role of software over the years

15

21 Play it safe Industry experts provide tips on how you can prepare for the upcoming machine safety blitz

By Mary Del Ciancio

22 Defence-in-depth

NEW PRODUCTS

24 Connectivity 24 Energy products 25 Machine safety 26 Machine tools 27 Power supplies 28 Motion control 28 Test & measurement 29 Wire & cable

MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION · January/February 2016 Murrelektronik_MA_Jan.indd 1

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A look ahead! Key trends and technologies your plant floor could see this year Compiled by Alyssa Dalton

Best practices to help industrial operators deploy the Internet of Things securely and reliably

By Nancy Cam-Winget

6

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FROM THE EDITOR

BY ALYSSA DALTON

NOTABLE TWEETS @mellowwalk Never been a better time to buy Canadian, make Canadian, sell Canadian. bit.ly/1Ns0aW7 @ddautomation Great job to our #MOBROS for raising over $2900 for #Movember

@PengSangCau Canada Goose to double staff at Winnipeg factory shar.es/ 1c1geu via @automationmag.

Great news for CDN #manufacturing @neiltyson Now that robots move their limbs smoothly and with grace, I wonder how we’re supposed to imitate them on the dance floor. @sarahannwebster “#manufacturing, really at its heart, is an ecosystem,” Kerr of @generalelectric said. #advancedmanufacturing has a long way to reach.

4

Your resource for Canada’s industrial automation news

Investment is necessary for business growth survival

M

y favourite part of my job is investigating and sharing the many manufacturing successes Canada offers.

Mellow Walk, a light industrial safety shoe manufacturer based in Toronto, Ont., is one of those stories. Established 22 years ago, the family-run business says it operates the last shoe factory in the province.

Earlier this year, I spent a morning chatting with Andrew Violi, Mellow Walk president, about his operation.

(Go to www.automationmag.com to watch the video from my tour.)

At a time when many competitors have offshored their manufacturing, Mellow Walk insists that it maintains its made-in-Canada commitment.

What is a key ingredient in the secret sauce? Regular investment in new and upgraded equipment, he says, which results in machines that offer “better programming and control.”

“For us to be competitive against someone who’s making shoes in Vietnam or China or anywhere else in the world, we have to not just make a better product but we have to be lower our costs by making them here as well,” says Violi. “Anytime you’re buying industrial machinery, it comes with a high price tag, but if we don’t make these kinds of capital investments in our business, we’re not going to be able to maintain our position, and I think that is [a main reason why] I saw a lot of my competition close their doors here in Canada over the last 20 years. They closed because they stopped investing.”

That insight falls right in line with the findings of KPMG’s Canadian Manufacturing Outlook 2015, an annual survey Connect @AutomationMag

of more than 200 manufacturing executives from an array of industries, such as: industrial products, technology and electronics; automotive; food and beverage; aerospace and defence; and chemicals. Released last fall, the report notes, “The time to invest in growth initiatives, such as expanding to new markets and developing new products, is now. If Canadian manufacturers don’t act quickly, there is a very real risk of losing ground to global competitors.”

The report reveals a gap between what manufacturers want (65 per cent list sales growth as their top strategic priority), and what they may risk to succeed (only 17 per cent list increasing R&D and new product development as a top strategic priority, compared to 32 per cent globally). “The current incremental approach to growth and innovation is no longer the safety net it was for Canada in past years,” states the report, adding that the risk-averse attitude of storing up cash and putting innovation and investment on the back burner is no longer enough — manufacturers have a “real opportunity” to embrace disruptive changes in this global economy.

With challenges come opportunities, and with opportunities come risk and reward. This year, make investing in innovation, skilled people, and technology one of your New Year’s resolutions.

Only with continuous upkeep can we drive efficiencies in our processes. And with that, we wish you all the best for a safe, happy and prosperous 2016. | MA

adalton@annexweb.com

AutomationMag.com

Editorial advisory board Piero Cherubini, Dean, Faculty of Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship, Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology Al Diggins, President and General Manager, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, and Chairman and CEO, Canadian Manufacturing Network David Green, Technology and Business-to-Business Consultant Don McCrudden, Vice-President, Business Development, Festo David McPhail, President and CEO, Memex Automation Nigel Southway, Business Productivity Consultant and Author on Lean Thinking Bill Valedis, Vice-President, Precision Training, Products and Services Inc.

Editor

Alyssa Dalton adalton@annexweb.com Publisher

Klaus B. Pirker kpirker@annexweb.com Vice president & executive publisher

Tim Dimopoulos tdimopoulos@annexbizmedia.com REDESIGN

Janice Van Eck www.janicevaneck.com Account Co-ordinator

Kathryn Nyenhuis knyenhuis@annexweb.com Circulation manager

Urszula Grzyb ugrzyb@annexbizmedia.com Director of Soul/COO

Sue Fredericks Contributing writers

Erl Campbell, Nancy Cam-Winget, Mary Del Ciancio, Paul Hogendoorn, Andrew Hughes, Naveen Kumar, Andrej Lorkovic, Larry O’Brien, Jim Pinto, Jeremy Pollard Manufacturing Automation is published seven times a year by: Annex Business Media 222 Edward Street, Aurora, Ontario L4G 1W6 Tel 905-727-0077 Fax 905-727-0017 Printed in Canada ISSN 1480-2996 Publication Mail Agreement #40065710

Circulation email: asingh@annexbizmedia.com Tel: 416-510-5189 Fax: 416-510-5170 Mail: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 Subscription rates Canada — $40.95 per year United States — $71.95 (US) per year and Foreign — $82 (US) per year Students — $20 per year Occasionally, Manufacturing Automation will mail information on behalf of industry related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.

The contents of Manufacturing Automation are copyright © 2016 by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent.

Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication.

Funded by the Government of Canada

@AutomationMag

2016_MA_ISSUE.indd 4

2016-01-11 11:52 AM

Automation upfront

NEWS Robotics

Move to welding robots inevitable: Frost & Sullivan Modernization needs in the competitive global market and the rising emphasis on energy efficiency are steering industries towards automation and driving the uptake of welding robots over manual welding methods, finds an analysis from Frost & Sullivan.

Robotic welding offers consistency and repeatability, which is vital in user industries, notes the market research company. While demand from the automotive and transportation industry will be robust, the electronics, heavy machinery and construction industries are also contributing to market growth, it adds.

The Frost & Sullivan analysis, Global Welding Robotics Fact Book, finds that the market earned revenues of $2.44 billion in 2014 and estimates this to reach $3.38 billion in 2020.

The significant improvement in energy efficiency that robotic welding brings to the table has spiked market demand in developed economies like North America and Europe, it finds.

“Strong demand from industries in Europe will drive the demand for arc and resistance welding robots,” said Frost & Sullivan Industrial Automation and Process Control research analyst Guru Mahesh. “The introduction of new materials such as composites and carbon fibers in industrial processes will further widen the scope for use of robots in handling, cutting and welding.”

While welding robotics have an established presence in developed economies, lack of awareness among end-users and preference for low-cost solutions hinder adoption in Asian countries such as India and China, notes the company. In addition to the limited understanding of

the long-term benefits of these solutions, the availability of cheap manual labour restricts the demand for welding robotics in these regions, it adds.

“Vendors are working on increasing awareness on the various benefits of welding robots, including higher efficiency, repeatability and reliability,” observed Mahesh. “Conducting training and demonstrations

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through fairs and workshops will set the ball rolling for large-scale uptake of robotic welding across the globe.”

The analysis predicts that going forward, Middle East and Africa, India and China will be highgrowth regions, and Asia-Pacific will see increased demand from non-automotive industries such as metals, machinery, electrical and electronics.

Robotic advantage: Robotic welding offers consistency and repeatability in production.

AutomationMag.com

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Automation upfront

Robotics

Cyberworks Robotics re-enters robotic industrial cleaning market

Toyota to build RAV4s at Cambridge plant Toyota has announced plans to produce RAV4 vehicles in its Cambridge North Assembly 6

@AutomationMag

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plant in Ontario starting in 2019.

With Lexus RX in Cambridge, and Toyota RAV4 in Woodstock, Ont., and Cambridge, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) will become a “North American hub for sport utility vehicles,” says the automaker. It also announced that it will be adding hybrid RAV4 production.

“The RAV4 and the RAV4 hybrid are great products for TMMC,” said Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz.

“RAV4 is a leader in the fastest growing segment of the North American auto industry. We forecast that the segment will continue to demonstrate strong growth with the RAV4 being a major player.” Lentz also said that “producing additional RAV4s, a more upscale, more complex, higher content vehicle, fits well with TMMC’s well-earned reputation for quality.”

To accommodate the change, the Cambridge North Plant will receive “significant” new investment, including the introduction of Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA).

TMMC describes TNGA as

an “innovative, integrated approach” to developing and building vehicles, involving new production equipment and new processes.

TMMC president Brian Krinock explained that “with a new platform and the latest technology, TMMC will have the flexibility to respond to the evolving needs of the automotive marketplace.” He also said that “bringing TNGA to Canada will propel us to the next generation of automotive manufacturing and provide the basis for our longstanding commitment to employment stability.”

When the project is implemented in 2019, the automaker will have been making vehicles in Canada for 30 years. “This investment will revitalize our plant and create the foundation for our future success,” he added.

TMMC manufactures the Toyota Corolla, RAV4, Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h vehicles and is the first plant outside of Japan to build a Lexus vehicle. The company employs more than 8,000 team members across its three manufacturing plants in Ontario.

INnovation

Poll finds what is curbing Canadian innovation?

With today’s competitive business landscape, Canada’s small business owners say innovation is a top priority in 2016 according to a recent poll by CIBC. While more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of small business owners say they are likely to invest in business innovation in the next 12 months, they also cite a lack of time, capacity, technology and cash flow as the biggest obstacles holding back their ability to innovate.

“Although some reports suggest that Canada is lagging other nations in business innovation, our poll shows that 90 per cent of Canadian small business leaders see innovation as critical to their long-term success, and many are looking to invest in the next year,” said Shelley Swanlund, vice-president, Business Banking and Head of Small Business, CIBC. “Innovation can mean different things to different businesses,”

January/February 2016 · MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

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PHOTOS: CANADA GOOSE; HONEYWELL PROCESS SOLUTIONS

Automotive

Production notes: Toyota plans to produce RAV4 vehicles in Cambridge, Ont., starting in 2019.

PHOTO: TOYOTA CANADA

Great Rock Development’s wholly owned subsidiary Cyberworks Robotics has announced a return to the robotic industrial cleaning market.

As an autonomous mobile robotics engineering company with over 30 years of experience, Cyberworks says it has “revolutionized autonomous robotic vision and guidance systems, this time redefining the way industrial space will be cleaned.”

“We were the pioneers in this massive market decades ago,” said Vivek Burhanpurkar, president of Great Rock. “Some 25 years ago, Cyberworks worked with major companies in this industry to manufacture and sell autonomous robots for industrial cleaning [...] We are not interested in the consumer market where products like Roomba dominate.

The industrial market is a totally different animal and we know the major multinational players within it.”

The company’s mission is to leverage its technology to allow for the “ubiquitous deployment of robotics in society,” it notes.

“We created this market, in partnership with leading industrial companies, when we developed the world’s first industrial robotic sweeper and the technology we have today is once again years ahead of the competition. Industry participants will now be able to retro-fit the Cyberworks Guidance System into existing fielded equipment, creating an inexpensive robotics machine,” Burhanpurkar added.

PHOTOS: CANADA GOOSE; HONEYWELL PROCESS SOLUTIONS

PHOTO: TOYOTA CANADA

she continued. “Investments in innovation can include finding ways to evolve business models to meet customers’ changing needs, improving technology to be more efficient, or even uncovering unique ways to attract and retain top talent.”

Poll respondents included a cross-section of small business owners from all sectors of the economy from professional services and manufacturing to health care and real estate.

The top overall challenges faced by small businesses include dealing with changes in the marketplace (38 per cent), competition (32 per cent) and identifying sources of future growth (32 per cent).

When asked what innovation means to them, business owners’ top selections were evolving a business model to meet customers’ changing needs (22 per cent) and using new technologies to achieve efficiencies (18 per cent).

“Given increasing competition and economic pressures, now more than ever small business owners need to find new ways to grow,” said Swanlund. “Investing in innovation can help reduce long-run costs by creating efficiencies, or help a business open up new markets by delivering differentiated products or services

to meet clients’ ever-evolving needs.”

CIBC suggests developing a business plan, consulting with advisors, and creating a realistic financial plan as three tips to help small businesses succeed.

Operations

Canada Goose to double staff at Winnipeg factory Outdoor apparel maker Canada Goose has announced plans to double its staff at a new factory in Winnipeg by early this year as it lays the groundwork for a bigger international expansion.

The new facility opened in October 2015 and is already employing 80 people, says Dani Reiss, president and CEO. He hopes to see that level spike — first to about 160 employees by March with a further goal of 364 people working there by the end of March 2017.

“We want to be able to support growth in the markets... where we’re growing very quickly,” Reiss told The Canadian Press.

The company says hiring is being done in partnership with the Manitoba government, which has helped support the training of employees.

Building capacity: Canada Goose strengthens workforce with new hires.

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First moves: Brazilian factory to use Honeywell’s process controls.

In total, Canada Goose now has two factories in Winnipeg and two in Toronto. The company also contracts out manufacturing work to about 20 other factories across the country.

All of its products are made in Canada, with the exception of its gloves, which are manufactured in China, says Reiss.

Canada Goose has been building its capacity over the past two years after securing a deal with U.S. private investment firm Bain Capital, which took a majority stake in the brand.

Its new Winnipeg factory is significantly larger, measuring 103,000 sq. ft. Located at 1455 Mountain Ave., the plant is just north of the company’s existing operations in the city.

Last January, Canada Goose acquired a 45,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in the Toronto area from its contractor, Grand Harbour Clothing. The acquisition added approximately 70 employees to its staff and was expected to boost efficiency by 25 per cent.

Located in the Scarborough area of Toronto, this is the company’s second manufacturing plant in the Greater Toronto Area. The HyBridge Lite collection, a line of lightweight jackets and vests, is produced at the site.

Reiss said the made-in-Canada brand is focused on making sure it can meet the growing demands for its jackets and outerwear in the United States, which is now

its fastest growing market.

— With files from David Friend, The Canadian Press INTERNATIONAL Brazil

Chemical facility the first to use Honeywell’s process controls Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) has announced that a large chemical facility in Brazil will be the first in the world to use its Experion Orion Console, which it says is designed with plant operating personnel in mind by providing a single visual workplace that allows for more effective responses and less operator fatigue.

ICL Brasil will use the Experion Orion Console as well as Honeywell’s Universal I/O technology to modernize its production facility in Cajati, near Sao Paulo. The upgrades are meant to increase production, improve efficiency and improve the effectiveness of the plant operators.

“This project reflects ICL Brasil’s bold and pioneering vision for its business by better helping its operators perform their jobs, reducing costs and saving time on the overall project,” said Francisco Casulli, HPS business leader for Brazil. “Experion Orion truly changes the concept of ‘plant operations’ by AutomationMag.com

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Automation upfront

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@AutomationMag

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Tech hub: The new 50,000 sq. ft. Trumpf Technology Center will focus on integrating automation and information flow with machine tools.

the company, adding that this allows the system to become operational as soon as the points are set, and eliminates the need to re-open panels to replace cards or adjust wiring even if there are changes later in the project.

According to Honeywell, using Universal I/O modules allows plants to reduce the number of spares that are needed, which is important for large projects such as the ICL Brasil upgrade, which can have more than 10,000 I/O points — “this translates to significant savings on inventory and storage costs.”

United States

New Chicago Trumpf tech centre to open this year Over the span of six decades, Trumpf Group has grown to more than 50 locations and 10,000 employees worldwide, and in 2016, the company will expand once again with a new location in Chicago, Ill. Last October, Trumpf purchased approximately five acres of land adjacent to Interstate Highway 90 in Hoffman Estates, a northwestern suburb of Illinois.

According to the company, the site will serve as the future home of the Trumpf Technology Center and the centre of excellence for Industry 4.0.

The new Technology Center will be the “industry-leading facility with a strong focus on integrating automation, material and information flow with machine

tools,” said company officials. It will also feature Trumpf’s latest technologies designed to suit manufacturers and the next generation of manufacturing engineers.

The facility, according to the company, will combine an innovative automation center with research and development, driving towards “one piece flow” sheet metal production capabilities.

The centre will be about 50,000 sq. ft., based on the most recent concept plans. Visitors will include those from North America, Europe and Asia for system and machine demonstrations and to observe and be part of live sheet metal production with automated and flexible machine tools and processes.

Trumpf is one of the largest manufacturers of fabricating equipment and industrial lasers in North America, offering its customers machine tools and solutions for sheet metal processing, laser-based production processes and electronic applications. These technologies are used to manufacture an array of products, from vehicles, building technology and mobile devices, to power, data storage components, and commercial and residential appliances.

DEAL MAKERS

Motion Industries to acquire Moss Rubber Motion Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company, has entered into a definitive agreement whereby

Motion Industries has agreed to acquire Moss Rubber and Equipment. Execution of the transaction is expected to take place immediately.

Moss Rubber and Equipment has been a supplier of quality industrial rubber products since 1965. Moss specializes in hose and rubber products for the manufacturing, petroleum, construction, mining, and agricultural industries throughout northern California.

“We are very excited to become part of Motion Industries and to be able to leverage the added strength that the company provides,” said Greg Moss, president of Moss Rubber. “It will be a good fit with our customer relationships, which for both companies are built on a platform of trust, performance, and satisfaction.”

Tim Breen, president and CEO of Motion Industries, said, “We are excited about gaining Moss’s technical expertise in the hose and rubber category, which will help broaden Motion Industries’ services even more in this area.

We want to welcome all Moss employees to the Motion family, and we look forward to the contributions they will make to our Company in the years to come.”

With annual sales of $4.8 billion, Motion Industries is an industrial parts distributor of bearings, mechanical power transmission, electrical and industrial automation, hydraulic and industrial hose, hydraulic and pneumatic components, industrial products, safety products, and material handling.

PHOTO: TRUMPF GROUP

transforming the process operators into profit operators. These operators not only understand how the plant works, but how to make it run more efficiently and profitably.”

Experion Orion Console – built on Honeywell’s flagship Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) control platform — boasts an improved ergonomic design, better displays and stronger capabilities to meet the needs of increasingly mobile plant operators.

“The Cajati plant has been an important part of our company’s success for almost 30 years,” said Arnaldo Dias Jr., industrial manager of ICL Brasil. “For this upgrade, we needed technology that would help us boost our competitiveness and improve our leading position as the premier manufacturer of phosphoric acid. Honeywell’s technology will enable us to do that.”

The console boasts an ultra-high definition display with status readings of operations in a single glance for “faster and more-informed” management.

Operators can customize displays to prioritize data that is needed for a given process or operation. The display also can be set to show operating limits and targets. Additionally, the console features adjustable sitting and standing operating positions to minimize fatigue.

The console was developed using the Honeywell User Experience, an approach to the design and development of new products focused on making them easier to use, more intuitive, more efficient, and more productive.

Use of Honeywell’s Universal I/O (input/output) technology will speed project schedules, reduce production downtime, and help plant personnel more efficiently manage operations by reducing the stock of spare parts, notes the company.

In parallel, the Universal I/O modules play a critical role in helping start operations on time by allowing operators to quickly and remotely configure channels as digital or analogue, explains

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

PHOTO: TRUMPF GROUP

Effective this month, Anthony (Tony) Varga will assume the helm of Endress+Hauser Canada as CEO and general manager, coinciding with the retirement of Richard Lewandowski, who was previously in the role. According to the company, Lewandowski led the Canadian business unit through “tremendous growth” over 20 years. Varga joins Endress+Hauser from Rittal Systems, most recently serving as president of Rittal Canada and senior vice-president of Rittal’s North American Sales. “Endress+Hauser is an international leader in its field and I have already seen how that culture of excellence is reflected in the Canadian team members I have met,” he said.

After almost 50 years in the management of the Harting Technology Group, Dietmar Harting (right) handed over the position of board chairman to his son Philip (left) on October 1st.

Dietmar will remain a member of the company group’s board as personally liable partner and will focus on matters concerning “the future and new technologies.”

Together with his sister Maresa Harting-Hertz, president finance and purchasing, Philip represents the third generation of the family-owned company which was founded 70 years ago by his grandparents Wilhelm and Marie

Harting. “Handing over the baton to my son is a major step in the successful generational transition. With the new management line-up we have set the course for the company’s successful future development,” explained Dietmar.

Stratasys is welcoming Dell veteran John Gould as the newest member of its leadership team. With more than 20 years of global management and technology experience, Gould will serve as president of North American operations. According to Stratasys, Gould brings “deep operational expertise and a strong track record of success with go-to-market strategy and global sales leadership.” In his new role, Gould is charged with defining the company’s North American strategy to expand the business and improving both the customer and channel partner experience.

Wago has appointed Juliano Matias to the position of national sales manager for Canada. Matias brings a “wealth of knowledge, deep-domain relationships and business development expertise” to Wago’s Canadian sales team, says the company. “My immediate goal will be to grow our team to better support our customers and strategically expand Wago’s presence in the industrial marketplace. In future we also hope to have a ‘bricks and mortar’ location to highlight our commitment to the Canadian market,” said Matias.

or Engineering at the university, the scholarship recognizes a student in their second year of study or higher who has “demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, and who emulates the core values of Shimco: honesty, integrity, respect and cooperation.” “This annual scholarship reflects Shimco’s desire to support the advancement of science and engineering and to foster our core values in the local community. Carmen was an ideal match for those objectives,” said Peter Voss, Shimco president, CEO and owner. tna, a provider of processing and packaging solutions, has expanded its North American service team with the

Encoder solutions that just make sense.

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Shimco has awarded its inaugural scholarship for continuing education at McMaster University to Carmen Bracho, a level II mechanical engineering and management student. Given to a student in the Faculty of Science

MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION · January/February 2016

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appointment of Gus Papageorge as senior project manager.

According to the company, customers in the region can benefit from “enhanced project management and engineering assistance throughout the installation process.” This latest appointment, says tna, reinforces its capabilities as a “single-source provider of turnkey solutions and services that delivers customers an on-time, on-budget, high quality installation that is stress-free, from start to finish.” From sale activities and design, to system performance, monitoring, client liaison, installation and project closure, Papageorge and the team are the main point of contact and will provide project management support. | MA

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MACHINE SAFETY

BY ERL CAMPBELL

Erl Campbell serves as a key account manager for the food and beverage industry at Aventics Corporation (www.aventics.com/us), where he has worked since 1998. He has two technical engineering degrees from Greenville Technical College and has studied mechanical engineering at the University of North Carolina.

Pneumatics in machine safety and ISO 13489

M

achine builders are required to meet certain standards when developing machines for their customers. The goal is to make the workplace safer and increase overall productivity. ISO standard 13489 is one that is currently required for machines being delivered in Europe and is leading the way globally. The standard addresses safety and the reliability of machine control systems and their effects on the risk level to personnel. It is important to note that the ISO standard covers the control aspect of the machine and not the actual moving components. For example, pneumatic actuators should be selected separately based on operating pressure, speeds and load or force required. The machine builder goes through a process to identify hazards and risks and determine levels of protection needed to mitigate the risk to a performance level based on the severity of the hazard, frequency of exposure, and potential to safeguard the hazard. The process results in a Category and Performance Level for each area of concern. The category determines the amount of logic required, and the Performance Level is based on the length of life of the machine.

Typically the higher the category, the higher the performance level needs to be to satisfy the category. Suppliers of components have developed many devices for specific safety functions, however in most instances, these functions can be performed by standard components when implemented properly in a safety circuit.

Pneumatic circuits to perform safety functions have been developed. The circuits increase in complexity due to the extra channels and sensors that are needed to accomplish the required control. The components used would need to be tested to ensure they are reliable to a given level based on the level of safety required. Valves are measured with a B10 value. The B10 value is the number of cycles until 10 per cent of the components tested in an endurance test had failed. When it

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comes to electrical parts, like a sensor on a cylinder, we use MTTF which is “mean time to failure” and this number is measured in years. When these values are intended to reflect the case of a dangerous failure of the component, they are expressed with a subscript d. The standard B10 or MTTF number can typically be converted mathematically to a B10d or MTTFd to reflect the dangerous failure case. The dangerous failure number is typically higher by a factor of two since not all failures would be catastrophic and most components would only have diminished function once the B10 number was hit. This reliability data for standard pneumatic components can be used in a freely-available software program called SISTEMA to calculate a performance level for a given circuit design. The circuit used to perform a safety function should be reviewed by a third party like the IFA (“Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance”).

Some pneumatic manufacturers provide a library of the needed values for use in the software.

The machine builder’s need to meet these new guidelines has spurred development of new components to make implementation easier. Many pneumatic manufacturers now have products designed for safe exhaust, for example. Category 3 safe exhaust is the most common function required on machines containing pneumatic systems. The product can be as simple as using two solenoid valves with a sensor on each one to monitor the valve position, or can be a complete integrated device. Category 3 requires that the control system has redundancy and condition monitoring. The verification would need to be handled by a separate safety relay. The system can be upgraded by using increased monitoring through a safety PLC to achieve Category 4. The device could also be implemented in a modular package using only the functionality needed. The modular concept would allow the designer to choose a soft start valve or to integrate a pressure

Machine safety guidelines help machine builders examine their machines for risk and possible areas where personnel can be harmed.

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The most common function required on machines containing pneumatic systems

switch and can be combined with the normal preparation of compressed air (i.e. filters, regulators, etc.).

Other functions that are commonly addressed are safe holding, prevention of unexpected movement, and safe pressurization. Again, depending on the level of protection required, these can be accomplished with standard components. Rod locks with monitoring, pressure operated check valves, soft start valves, pressure switches, and directional control valves are components that can be used in circuits to develop the necessary control.

The future development of products for safety circuits could be integration into individual manifolds, allowing sections of the machine

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Safety guidelines help machine builders examine their machines for risk and areas where personnel can be harmed.

to be exhausted instead of the whole machine. Already, valves can be monitored for consistent shift times and that information can be used to alert the machine operator of possible problems before a failure. We may even see actuators with a complete control system integrated. The regulations have increased the need for further development of these types of solutions.

Machine safety guidelines help machine builders examine their machines for risk and possible areas where personnel can be harmed. The main concepts are to identify the severity of

the risk, the length or frequency of exposure, and the potential to avoid the hazard. The parts selected for control of a specific function should have a measured expected service life (B10, MTTF). Using these concepts and devices to perform given functions will ensure reliable operation of the control circuit for a given machine movement, however the machine builder will need to make sure the machine is safe. The higher reliability of the machine control will also make the machine more efficient and productive over its useful life. | MA

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INDUSTRY WATCH

Paul Hogendoorn (paulh@getfreepoint.com) is co-founder of FreePoint Technologies, “Measure. Analyze. Share.” (Don’t forget to share!) Visit www.getfreepoint.com for more information.

BY PAUL HOGENDOORN

Feeding the wolves

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here’s a native American legend that explains the struggle that goes on inside each of us and compares it to a fierce and constant battle between two wolves. The legend explains that one wolf is evil and filled with things like anger, jealousy, greed, self-pity and arrogance. The other wolf is good and filled with opposite things, like peace, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, compassion and faith. The story is told to a young boy by an old brave or perhaps his grandfather. The young boy asks the obvious question at the end of the story, “Which wolf will win?”

The question is as relevant to us today as it was when it was originally asked. The battle rages on not only in each of us individually, but it is fought in our workplaces, our communities, and even our countries too. Last month, we watched the arrival of the first refugee families in Toronto. It was a small handful of people, but the press was there in droves. I watched the arrival unfold on the news — the Prime Minister of Canada was there giving hugs and helping kids put on winter jackets. The battle of the wolves inside my head raged. This is a handful of people, I thought, and there are hundreds of thousands that need to be helped, and many more still waiting to escape. There’s still a complicated war we are reluctant to fight in that area of the world, and it will be difficult to win, if it can be won at all. The leader I saw moments ago on TV giving out hugs and winter jackets is the same leader that withdrew our country’s fighter jets from the cause. The evil wolf was clearly winning the battle in my head; the problem over there was too big, and what I was watching on TV — the arrival of a couple families to a new land — was not going to change anything at all. But then I started to see some of the other things: the relief and joy on the faces of those first off the plane; the welcoming embrace from strangers there to greet them to a new land; the stories of communities, churches and groups of people rising

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Simply focusing on the elimination of negative attitudes does not guarantee that good attitudes will survive, let alone thrive.

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The percentage of your workforce that typically embraces new business initiatives, according to leadership experts

up to the challenge of sponsoring a family or multiple families. Perhaps these small acts would not change the entire world and fix the seemingly unfixable problem, but it was changing the world for those who are coming, and it even seemed to be changing the world for all those that are rallying their energies to receive them. The good wolf was starting to fight back.

Faith, hope and love — actually put into action — is the only way to defeat the evil wolf in our heads.

It’s the same with our workplaces.

A new initiative or idea is brought forward, and the wolves start to do battle.

Some leadership experts suggest that a small group (perhaps only 10 per cent) of your people will embrace it and want it to succeed, while an equal-sized group will be bound and determined to see it fail. Both of these smaller groups, like the two wolves, will petition for the hearts and minds of the 80 per cent in the middle. Which wolf will win?

Many companies I see today are hamstrung by this battle. They want to make improvements, but they don’t want to incite the negative energies

and influences they know lays in wait.

Some might suggest that identifying and eliminating the negative influences is the answer, and perhaps in some cases that might be, but the evil wolf always creeps back in. Simply focusing on the elimination of negative attitudes does not guarantee that good attitudes will survive, let alone thrive. The 80 per cent in the middle are those who have been exposed to many well-intended but poorly executed plans, and they remember both of those things — the good intentions, and the negative outcomes. It’s even worse when the previous changes were never perceived as being well-intended for them, but only intended for the company.

So, which wolf wins? The answer is always the same — the wolf you feed is the wolf that will win. It’s the one that gains the strength needed to prevail.

You can’t simply starve the other one out, because it always finds another source for food.

Which one are you feeding? If we want to get anything good accomplished, it’s a question we need to ask ourselves every day. | MA

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National Manufacturing and Distribution Centres: Calgary, AB • Edmonton, AB • Airdrie, AB • Milton, ON Mississauga, ON • Etobicoke, ON • Perth, ON Regional Manufacturing Facilities: Delta, BC • Calgary, AB • Edmonton, AB • Winnipeg, MB Mississauga, ON • Lachine, QC • Dartmouth, NS

Call toll-free: 1-800-268-3578

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LEAN INSIGHTS

Andrej Lorkovic currently serves as vice-president of business development U.S. at Belden for the Industrial Connectivity Business Unit ICOS, where he is responsible for the entire product portfolio of Belden’s Lumberg Automation and Hirschmann Valve Connectors.

BY Andrej Lorkovic

Connectivity implementations grounded in Lean principles ensure success

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Core to Lean principles is a focus on problem-solving, manifested in: • The use of continuous process flows to surface problems, • A commitment to stopping work to fix problems, rather than simply forging ahead, and • Visual control that prevents problems from hiding.

Each of these disciplines translates into an approach that gives manufacturers peace of mind that the communications network will be designed and implemented along three key value propositions: 1. The first is to meet the unique requirements of the environment. Customization is no longer a high-cost proposition. Flexibility and innovation are possible when it comes to modifying standardized components such as sensors and valve connectors, connection technology for power transmission, LED lighting, decentralized distribution 14

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create a framework for reducing waste and inefficiency while promoting productivity, quality and sustained 3. Finally, to be delivered by a highly growth.

2. The second is accountability for and transparency into any issues that may arise — whether it’s a delivery delay of critical information, an unexpected need to modify the plan. When milestones are at risk or missed, the work stops until the issue is resolved and the project can proceed smoothly.

trained and extremely competent team. Industry expertise around best practices, innovation and regulations related to building communications networks is a given. Domain expertise in manufacturing processes in general, and the specific variations associated with end products manufactured, are essential to ensuring that the products selected, the configuration designed and the final result performs to the highest standards of reliability and efficiency.

The Lean-driven enterprise cultivates customer focus

Not all customers are alike, which means solutions shouldn’t be either. Tailored solutions — from batch sizes of just one upwards — are made possible when Lean processes define every aspect of the enterprise. Production, research and development, even sales

Complexity requires quality be job #1

Today’s communication networks are increasingly complex, as are the requirements for performance and reliability of those networks.

All of the tenets of a Lean framework are geared toward one overarching result — quality. Buyers can rest assured that the process, from scoping to specification, design to implementation and testing to working, will include: • Fast and articulate feedback on feasibility, including details on special requirements and fully explained budget options, • Customized solutions that use best-inclass components and present no risk to regulatory compliance, and • Recommendations for specification improvements that convert vision into flawless execution.

In the case of an implementation partner, a commitment to Lean principles ensures product, project and performance quality of the highest calibre. | MA

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Lean cultures are problemsolving cultures

systems and I/O modules. The commitment to quality also ensures custom components Lean manumeet industry standards and facturing regulations. principles

and the back office can benefit from the disciplined framework that is the hallmark of a Lean enterprise.

When Lean principles are a cultural common denominator, all processes are precisely controlled by key performance indicators (KPIs). Backlog, delivery schedules, project delays and quality issues are recorded at every stage of production, from prototype to final product, and communicated to the customer daily. At any given time, the customer knows where things stand, what needs to happen to move things along and who the point of contact is for further information. This transparency ensures no one is surprised and that the whole ecosystem works together toward a resolution.

Additionally, the cross-functional nature of a Lean-driven enterprise makes it possible for development and production to be adapted dynamically, optimizing Lean process implementation.

PHOTO: BELDEN

he vision for the factories of the future, where machines “talk” to machines, relies on the availability of an uninterrupted flow of data from the production floor to the back office and back again. While communications and connectivity technology have advanced, the conditions in which the infrastructure must live have not. Excessive noise, vibration, dust and, in some cases, extreme temperatures are simply the norm.

Choosing the right partner for designing and implementing a communications network that can withstand the rigours of the production environment is critical for success in the factories of the future and requires a closer look at the role Lean principles can play in the selection process. Lean manufacturing principles create a framework for reducing waste and inefficiency while promoting productivity, quality and sustained growth.

It may not seem immediately obvious to apply the tenets of Lean processes when choosing a connectivity partner. Consider this though: when a partner values continuous improvement, optimized efficiency and quality over cost, the relationship starts and is fuelled by a commitment to satisfying the customer.

CENTRE STAGE

Last August, Nathalie Pilon was appointed ABB Canada managing director, bringing with her two decades of electrical and manufacturing experience. We spoke with Pilon for her take on how Canada can stay competitive in this turbulent market.

PHOTO: ABB

PHOTO: BELDEN

MA: What is it about this industry that has kept you in it all these years?

NP: Well for one, I like manufacturing. I think there’s a passion for me to make sure we stay relevant in manufacturing in Canada and there’s a way for us to compete. It’s an industry where there’s a lot of respect, I would say, between the whole supply chain and the value that each of us bring in the supply chain, and one where [we are] able to innovate not only in product but in servicing.

Competitors basically know each other because we have an industry in which both distributors and manufacturers get together to try and solve industry problems.

There’s collegiality of parties with manufacturing reps and agents that operate in that business, just trying to look at a sustainable business going forward. One thing I talk about often with employees, I started back when I was at Thomas & Betts, is sustainability. It not only looks at what you do to the environment and how you operate, but also at keeping manufacturing relevant and [maintaining] jobs for people, making it sustainable for employees so that they can have a job in Canada. That’s what sustainability means to me. It’s basically about business continuity — the continuation of business and for generations to come.

MA: Do you think elements of your career have been more difficult because you are a woman?

NP: I cannot say that. Personally I’ve been very fortunate from that standpoint but I also realize that because it hasn’t been difficult for me, I can’t assume it’s not difficult for others. I was sharing that with employees this week when somebody asked

MA: You bring up a good point in talking about overseas competition. Who do you think our biggest competitors are? Who should we keep our eye on?

NP: That’s interesting. To [determine] our top competitor, I think it really depends on what [sector] you look at. Obviously we benchmark with and talk a lot about Germany, not that we can compete with Germany but we should look at its recipe for success and how the country can stay competitive in this environment. [We should] try to benchmark against countries, like Singapore, that have economies that have made conscious decisions to invest and [define] their manufacturing strategy.

me what I will do for women.

Really it’s about making sure I express myself and let myself be more accessible or seen and not as self-promotion but [in a way] that helps others. I was sort of refraining from doing so but then I realized that we still have big steps to take in terms of having women in higher positions or as members of boards. When I realized that, I decided I had to share my story more so people understand that it is feasible, it is possible.

MA: What advice or words of wisdom would you give to a young person considering a future in manufacturing?

NP: You need to believe in it.

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You need to want to make a difference and be open about the challenges around us. Competition isn’t necessarily in our backyard; it’s the one that we don’t see that is competition. So how do we work on this? How do we stay relevant? Relevance can be product or service-related. For me, it’s all about [whether] we are staying in tune with what the customer needs and making sure we develop products with ease of installation that have automation, cost savings or [reduced] emissions. There is so much good you can do with manufacturing if you’re a problem solver.

I think the future definitely has challenges, but challenges also bring opportunities.

MA: What is Canada’s biggest obstacle in the manufacturing world?

NP: The challenge is the investment needed to automate, and [I wonder if] we’ll have the will and the means to keep up on the automation and change the way we look at investment.

In the last 15 years [...] when you look at the investment firms are doing in other parts of the world, you see that we are much slower in getting with the technology. When the Canadian dollar was strong, people were under pressure in terms of margins and cash flow was tight, and they didn’t invest but now... investment is very expensive because the dollar is so weak. Our timing is off. We cannot delay these investments too long otherwise we’re going to put ourselves out. We need to have the latest technology to compete. | MA

To read our news item announcing Nathalie Pilon’s move to ABB Canada, visit bit.ly/1OX87X3.

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COVER STORY

Top 5 in 2016 Key trends and technologies hitting your plant floor this year Compiled by Alyssa Dalton

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ust in time for the New Year, Manufacturing Automation has compiled the top trends and technologies Canadian manufacturers should watch out for in the next 12 months, as predicted by a handful of industry experts. Unlike last year’s diverse mix of predictions, this year’s experts all noted the Internet of Things (IoT) and the emerging Industrial IoT (IIoT) as top gamechangers, as well as big data and Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) convergence.

As Naveen Kumar of Frost & Sullivan (first expert listed below) pointed out, 2016 will be an important year as the industrial sector “readies itself for the digital overhaul.”

Naveen Kumar, Frost & Sullivan senior industry analyst, holds five years of consulting experience in the industrial automation space. He helps companies achieve growth, innovation and leadership with his expertise in corporate strategy and competitive intelligence.

by multiple connectivity standards (no standardization) have been keenly observed by the industry participants. However, increased adoption of Internet of industrial sensors in large-scale deployments triggers the best practice solutions, widely accepted standards and market consolidation.

1. Internet of industrial sensors

With the increased deployment of sensors and connectivity technologies, emergence of industrial big data pipeline will drive analytics applications for asset maintenance. Software driven assets embedded with analytics at various layers will bring in more intelligence to the system as well as through machine learning. As there is a gap in the market between very broad analytics technology platforms and customer expectations, there’s a lot of work required to build analytic algorithms to address highly specific problems, especially in optimization of asset performance and energy efficiency. First, the biggest challenge lies in building a unique platform to aggregate the variety, volume, and velocity of industrial data and cleanse them before ingesting it into analytic engines. Second, the challenge lies in creating standardized pre-built analytic applications that are flexible, scalable and quickly deployable. This is significant as high implementation cost is the major roadblock in this transformative process. Finally, the focus is to create prescriptive insights collaborating diverse scientific, computational, and mathematical disciplines and business rules to predict business outcomes. It is going to

As machine-to-machine (M2M) communications begin to mature, sensors will be widely deployed to monitor remote assets, measure energy consumption, track environmental compliance and improve asset visibility. Integration of several sensor technologies with edge analytics drives the asset performance, reliability, safety and security. As attention increases towards asset performance management, new low-cost wireless sensors are expected to be deployed in existing installed base to collect several data that were earlier considered inaccessible due to technology limitations and budget constraints. With the improvements in instrumentation technology, miniaturization and advanced analytics software, the cost of intelligent sensors is coming down as well as its ease of use. With sensorization of industrial assets, failing parts in an asset can be spotted very early to avoid undesirable downtime consequences.

Process critical applications in asset intensive industries will likely uptake the sensorization to remotely monitor and control at a high level of operational efficiency. The market dynamics around interoperable issues caused 16

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2. Industrial big data analytics be very interesting to witness how industrial customers are going to build business, whether to outsource managing analytic applications or to handle it internally with in-house expertise from centres of excellence.

3. “As a Service” Cloud models As Cloud computing enabled significant innovations in enterprise and consumer worlds, it’s now time for the industrial community to witness the impact of Cloud services at the operational level, both in discrete and process based industries. This calls for the emergence of partnership ecosystems to offer holistic solutions that address emerging challenges of end customers. This means the need for an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) model that enables industrial setups to concentrate on their core areas and outsource IT processes like storing, managing and securing massive industrial digital assets. Follow on with the IaaS in the industrial sector; it’s the Platform-as-a-Service model that opens up significant opportunities and enables intelligent software applications. We must wait to see how combined expertise from IT and January/February 2016 · MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

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levels of trust, decoy systems to gather information on an intruder in the network and defence-in-design are some of the foundational ICS cybersecurity solutions that underpin the growth of Internet of Industrial Things (IoIT) market. Higher levels of IT-OT integration will require appropriate skillsets and solutions that cater to cybersecurity incidents pertaining to ICS. While it is difficult to determine value versus ROI for industrial cybersecurity, damages and costs for repairs and revival after an attack continue to increase with APTs (Advanced Persistent Threats). With the increased ICS security offerings in the market and partnerships, we could see more initiatives from governments and industrial regulations to drive compliance guidelines, possibly for energy sector first and then for the rest influenced by the opening up of industrial network boundaries to the outside world.

Jim Pinto is an international speaker, technology futurist, automation consultant and writer.

1. Internet of Things (IoT)

50 billion devices will be IoT-connected by 2020. Intelligent sensors and networks will take measurement and control to the next level, dramatically improving productivity and efficiencies in production processes.

OT solution providers will come together to offer a holistic value proposition that makes industrial customers bet on this transformative approach and improvise their operations.

4. Industrial mobile apps and BYOD The next obvious technology will be the market for industrial grade apps to address the emerging needs of mobile workers. The increased penetration of 4G-LTE infrastructure will tap the attention of industrial customers to demand mobile interfaces to improve anytime, anywhere response and collaboration. Moreover, the relentless consumerization of IT demands a solution to “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD), where MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION · January/February 2016

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workers can use a handheld for personal and official activities while ensuring both parties are satisfied with security, usability and cost.

The industrial automation market is a classic business case for devices that must bridge the gap between gadgets designed for the general consumer and purpose-built tools for the mobile worker.

5. Industrial cybersecurity All the above technologies are at stake unless there is a robust back up from industrial cybersecurity systems and infrastructure.

Industrial cybersecurity will have to move from a reactive operating model to a more proactive response model. Self-aware systems that can adapt and respond to different

The industrial Internet continues to transform the automation industry. It revolves around increased M2M communication with vast networks of data-gathering sensors, providing mobile, virtual, and instantaneous connection. The real value derives from the gathering data and leveraging it. More and more infrastructure is being put in place to analyze the data in real time. Cisco estimates that 50 billion devices will be IoT-connected by 2020. Intelligent sensors and networks will take measurement and control to the next level, dramatically improving productivity and efficiencies in production processes.

Growth will be bottom-up, not top-down.

2. Mobile devices in automation Today’s pervasive smartphone has more power than a super-computer of just a couple decades ago. The use of Wi-Fi-connected tablets, smartphones and mobile devices is generating strong growth in industrial manufacturing. Handheld devices provide mobile access to real-time, actionable information to decrease costs, increase operating efficiency and enhance productivity. More engineering employees are working at different hours outside the factory. Many organizations are encouraging employees to use their personal mobile devices to access enterprise data and systems, a surprising and perhaps inevitable change in attitude.

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COVER STORY

and predictive analytics in the Cloud, IIoT is becoming a strategic enabler to improve manufacturing performance. Despite initial concerns, many companies now realize that, when properly implemented, Internet and wireless technologies can provide appropriate security and availability of services across multiple plants and facilities. This helps further meld plant floor and enterprise systems, creating an opportunity to transform manufacturing operations through IIoT strategies. However, until clear standards and well-defined reference models emerge for IoT in process automation and the cybersecurity issue is fully resolved, many end-users are understandably taking a “wait and see” attitude.

3. Cloud computing Cloud-based applications are the key to leveraging data for improved productivity.

IoT doesn’t function without Cloud-based applications to interpret and transmit the data coming from sensors, actuators and plant data from many different locations.

The Cloud is what enables the apps to go to work anytime, anywhere. The Cloud helps to optimize operations by enabling collaboration among remote mobile workers and suppliers, allowing fast and secure access for data-driven decisions. Significant gains in efficiency, cost and capability can be achieved as more products become intelligent and Cloud-connected.

4. Smaller, cheaper sensors Many conventional sensors are still too physically large and expensive, and this limits expanded use in IoT. Systems developers and manufacturers are looking for smaller, cheaper sensors — and they are getting smaller and cheaper all the time. As they do, they will increasingly be used in many intelligent devices. Added sensors and connectivity turn “dumb” products into “smart” ones, while products increasingly move into the realm of services. According to James Bailey of Accenture, “The cost of both the sensors and devices is approaching free and the size is approaching invisible. So, literally everything will have IoT technology at some point.”

5. 3D printing in manufacturing Today, manufacturing is becoming possible 18

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without tooling, large assembly lines or multiple supply chains. 3D printing is increasingly being used for competitive advantage relating to versatility, price and speed of delivery. The technology has developed to the point where it is opening up competitive manufacturing to small businesses. Accuracy is improving, the size of printed objects is increasing, and the price keeps reducing, so that 3D printing is expanding rapidly in the industrial manufacturing arena. It is surprising to think about manufacturing without tooling, assembly lines or supply chains. However, that is what is emerging as the future of 3D printing becomes commonplace.

Larry O’Brien, vice president of research at ARC Advisory Group, oversees research into process automation markets, including process automation systems, process safety systems, plant asset management systems, and field networks. He has been a member on several ISA committees and actively promotes technology standards throughout the process automation industry.

1. Industrial IoT-enabled applications for process automation By connecting previously stranded data from smart sensors, equipment, and other industrial assets with advanced applications

Many industrial sectors have already embraced modularization concepts. NAMUR NE 148, for example, spells out how the chemical industry can use more modular concepts in automation and production processes to encourage reusable engineering and more flexible production. This includes use of innovative “plug and produce” micro production plants that can be easily relocated or reconfigured to different products as needed. Modularization also includes new forms of automation hardware like characterizable and configurable I/O and the “late binding” concept between automation system hardware and software to help get automation off the critical path for capital projects. With fully adaptable and standard I/O and control hardware, the user can theoretically design and test all of the software aspects of the system before it is deployed into the physical system hardware. Often referred to as “late binding,” this allows the software to be deployed into the hardware infrastructure at the very late stages of the project.

3. Operator effectiveness and situational awareness Many advancements have been made in HMI graphics over the past several years and you can see that in the new offerings from DCS suppliers. The most prominent example of this is the adoption of the ISA 101 HMI standard, which addresses both operator effectiveness and situational awareness.

ISA 101 probably holds the record for the longest standard in development, but we have seen a lot of progress this past year, with its recommendations being implemented in several supplier HMIs.

PHOTO: Alexander Tolstykh / Shutterstock.com

3D printing is increasingly being used for competitive advantage relating to versatility, price and speed of delivery.

2. Modularization of automation solutions and production processes

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Reliable Detection For Your Application

PHOTO: Alexander Tolstykh / Shutterstock.com

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COVER STORY

4. Freeing “stranded” device diagnostics provides path for intelligent device management Most intelligent field devices currently installed in process plants are “underachievers.” They have a lot of untapped potential, but tapping into that intelligence and turning it into useful information has eluded many industrial organizations. This is not a question of which protocol to use, whether the devices are wired or wireless, or the kind of plant asset management system in place. The real issues are the day-to-day work processes that determine how maintenance and other tasks are completed in the plant.

Preventive maintenance is still the order of the day, with maintenance technicians still travelling out to the field to inspect devices for potential issues. Intelligent field devices, however, offer the potential to change the way maintenance is done in process plants in some fundamental ways. In place of often-inefficient preventive maintenance rounds, real-time digital diagnostics from instruments and valves can be used to schedule maintenance. This enables today’s time-strapped maintenance staffs to focus on the devices and assets that actually require attention. In this manner, maintenance personnel can become more actively involved in optimizing the performance of the plant and operators are in a better position to prevent abnormal situations or shutdowns from occurring. The key is to have the right work processes in place for personnel to follow.

ISA-108, an emerging standard, will provide end-users with standard templates for intelligent device management (IDM) work processes that they can deploy in their plants and modify to suit their individual needs.

5. New approaches for integrating automation and electrical technologies Automation and electrification remain largely separate islands of functionality in today’s plants, as are drives and motor control centres. Both process operators and maintenance personnel have limited visibility into what is really happening in their electrical systems and control over how much power their automation assets are consuming.

Many suppliers offer applications for improved visibility into the power side of the manufacturing process. As reflected in our Collaborative Process Automation System (CPAS) model, ARC believes that taking a more proactive stance toward integrating the automation systems and electrical systems domains of the manufacturing process 20

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can yield significant energy cost savings. IEC 61850, a global communication standard for substation automation, defines the communication between intelligent electrical devices (IEDs) in switchgear and associated systems. This means that all automation functions, as well as the engineering, can be considered. The main point here is that IEC 61850 is the key enabler for integrating automation and electrical systems. By providing a greater level of interoperability between electrical devices from different suppliers, IEC 61850 does for electrical products what process fieldbus does for instrumentation and control valves. It also promises the same level of enhanced diagnostics and plant asset management capabilities offered in process fieldbus devices.

Andrew Hughes is a principal analyst at LNS Research with his primary focus being research and analysis in the Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) practice. He has 30 years of experience in manufacturing IT, software research, sales and management across a broad spectrum of manufacturing industries.

1. Real IIoT applications Much has been discussed about IoT in manufacturing and 2015 has seen the advent of viable first generation IIoT platforms that will allow enterprises to increase the value from their manufacturing assets and products.

In 2016, we’ll see the first real applications bringing together data from disparate sources to create knowledge that improves manufacturing. As an example, we can imagine an equipment supplier collecting performance data from many customers and applying it in your plant to improve line reliability and to predict maintenance.

2. Big data analytics Manufacturing analytics is typically very fragmented. Edge analytics close to control level along with new mobile offerings brings new applications to the shop floor. Similarly, partnerships between automation suppliers and cloud computing companies offers big data opportunities beyond the plant. This year, we expect to see the first real big data analytics delivered to manufacturing companies. These will bring together manufacturing data with unstructured data and external information, and deliver new insights through sophisticated predictive and even prescriptive analytics results. The success of analytics in manufacturing will

be directly proportional to the openness of engineers’ minds to new knowledge; new smart connected business processes can come from anywhere.

3. Deconstructed MOM Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) systems have been around for almost 30 years and have steadily grown into huge monolithic systems that cover most, if not all, of the ISA95 MOM standard. These systems offer little flexibility. In 2016, we expect to see disruption in this sector from smaller applications that are integrated by IIoT platforms and Ethernet/IP to provide some functionality in the Cloud and some in the plant. Production execution and data gathering will remain in the plant while new applications for scheduling, analytics, visualization from anywhere, traceability and so on will become standalone Cloud applications, often offered as a service. Manufacturers will get more choice, less cost and tighter integration between plants.

4. IoT device gateways Today almost all information gathered from plant sensors is passed up the chain from sensor to controller to HMI or MOM system and thus perhaps to a centralized repository.

The IIoT needs to work in a very different way; access to sensor data that is not needed for control must be easily configured when it is required. New IoT gateways will provide low cost Ethernet/IP connections to the IoT platform and easy access to necessary sensor data without affecting control hierarchies.

As IoT applications take off in 2016, device gateways will become an essential element of factory infrastructure.

5. IT-OT convergence If the first four of my predictions come to fruition, then the fifth is guaranteed true!

Plant personnel will see a huge increase of IT professionals wandering the factory floor.

The convergence of IT and OT has been slow to get started, probably due to a mutual lack of trust, but now it is time. The opportunities for all involved are limitless as the gaps between plant and IT systems are covered over by IIoT platforms, analytics and MOM applets. All plant engineering staff should make it their 2016 New Year’s resolution to become IT savvy! | MA

Can’t remember how accurate our predictions from last year were? Refresh your memory and check out our Top 5 in 2015 cover story at bit.ly/1DSGk5m.

Please feel free to send comments and questions to editor@automationmag.com. Happy reading!

January/February 2016 · MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

2016-01-07 2:29 PM

MACHINE SAFETY

Play it safe

How you can prepare for the Ontario machine safety blitz

By Mary Del Ciancio The Ontario Ministry of Labour’s “Safe operation of machinery blitz” is taking place January 18 until February 26. During this time, ministry inspectors will show up, unannounced, at industrial facilities across the province to make sure employers are protecting workers from hazards associated with the operation of machinery. What are they looking for and how can you prepare? Manufacturing Automation asked three safety experts for their advice.

Vivien Wharton-Szatan Provincial co-ordinator for the Industrial Health and Safety Program, Ontario Ministry of Labour When machines are not properly guarded or locked out during maintenance, repair and other activities, serious injuries or death can occur. “We want to make sure that we target those sectors to ensure that we can reduce the risk, with the ultimate goal of having the workers go home safe,” explains Vivien Wharton-Szatan, emphasizing that the responsibility for addressing workplace hazards is with the employer.

To ensure that workers are safe, the blitz will focus on several key priorities. Inspectors will be looking to employers to ensure workers are not exposed to pinch points or moving parts of unguarded machinery; that machinery is properly locked out and blocked during mechanical repair and maintenance; and that workers are not exposed to the risk of electrical contact by ensuring machinery is de-energized and locked out during electrical repair and maintenance. In addition, inspectors will be looking at whether employers have taken adequate measures to address potential musculoskeletal disorder hazards involving guards, and whether policies and programs are in place to protect workers from hazards in the workplace. They will also be checking to see if the workplace has an internal responsibility system, including a health and safety representative or a joint health and safety committee when required.

Wharton-Szatan suggests that, in preparation for the blitz, companies should have their safety representative or committee conduct an inspection of their own workplace, turning a “critical eye” to the areas inspectors will be watching.

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For more information, take a look at the Industrial Sector Plan on the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s website (bit.ly/1BMO9ug), which provides details on what inspectors will be paying close attention to during the blitz.

Bill Valedis Manager, Automation, Safety and Training, Precision TPS

Michael Wilson Machine safety specialist, Workplace Safety and Prevention Services

Safety begins with having a plan in place, according to Bill Valedis. This plan should outline the steps, the process and the policy of how to protect workers in the workplace.

Next, companies need to put the plan in motion, and educate employees as to how these policies will be executed.

“Having a plan and actually having some timeline of when this plan is going to be implemented shows responsibility to the ministry, and it shows that you understand what the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act states in terms of responsibilities,” explains Valedis.

How do you determine the plan and the areas to tackle first?

“Look at the risk, assess the risk, figure out what is the highest risk component of a particular task, and deal with that specific one,” he says. “And find the remedy very quickly.”

Industrial companies also need to make sure the facility has safe operating procedures, that they are documented, and that these procedures are being followed by workers, he notes. Documentation is key, so that companies can prove they are taking measures to educate employees about workplace hazards, he adds.

“When a Ministry of Labour rep walks into a place, they look for all kinds of different signs, but fundamentally they will be looking at how workers behave with machinery,” he says.

Valedis says the best way to be prepared is to take initiative. “Be proactive and do all these things on your own, and then have an action plan of how...you’re implementing all these fixes.”

Michael Wilson knows what’s involved in making workplaces safe — and he knows what an unsafe workplace looks like when it comes to machinery. Wilson suggests that one of the first things companies should do to prepare for the blitz is to make sure there aren’t any exposed mechanical hazards like pinch points, in-running nips or crushing hazards that might be accessible to workers, and to ensure guarding is in place, that it’s effective, and that it has not been bypassed or circumvented.

Simply having the guarding in place isn’t enough, he says. Employers need to make sure that the safeguarding is in good repair and that it functions as intended. While inspections are key to pinpointing these issues, Wilson also recommends talking with the machine operators to make sure they understand the importance of properly functioning safeguards.

“Check in with workers and make sure they understand why the guards are in place and certainly that it’s important to report if they aren’t functioning or have been damaged,” he explains.

Wilson also says that industrial companies need to have a more positive and proactive approach to safety. It’s important for companies to be able to identify the hazards, assess the level of risk and determine the next appropriate steps to reduce that risk, he says, adding that companies should never assume a piece of equipment is safe. | MA Mary Del Ciancio is a Stouffville, Ont.-based business writer, and former editor of Manufacturing Automation.

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CYBERSECURITY

Defence-in-depth Before unleashing the Internet of Things, secure it

By Nancy Cam-Winget

F

actories are poised to capture more value from the Internet of Things (IoT) than any other setting in the next 10 years.

That’s the finding of a recent McKinsey Global Institute report, The Internet of Things: Mapping the Value Beyond the Hype, which seeks to identify where and how IoT will have the biggest economic impacts in 2025.

The report estimates that factories stand to benefit the most from IoT, creating between $1.2 trillion and $3.7 trillion of value per year by 2025.

The true IoT value at stake, however, will be dependent on the course that industry charts.

For instance, only manufacturers and industrial operators that adopt the Internet Protocol (IP) — the world’s defining network technology — can expect to fully leverage the growing number of IP-enabled devices, such as tablets, video cameras and RFID readers that were designed for other industries because the vendors are making them IP aware. Additionally, only an IP-centric unified network architecture provides the foundation on which all IoT devices and machines 22

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can seamlessly communicate without the need for additional hardware, such as gateways, converters, routers or proprietary switching.

At the same time, manufacturers and industrial operators will only seek to capture IoT’s value if they know they can do so securely. Currently, 43 per cent of large manufacturers list security as a barrier to Internet-connected machines, according to a recent IndustryWeek survey. A 2014 IHS Technology survey of manufacturers, OEMs and industry experts also found that security was named the number two concern, behind signal reliability, among those using wireless technology.

Such concerns have merit given the tens of thousands of new malware attacks that are let loose across the Internet everyday and the multi-billion-dollar counterfeit industry that has launched profit-robbing knock-offs of everything from pharmaceuticals to fighter jets.

Fortunately, best practices exist to help manufacturers and industrial operators deploy IoT both securely and reliably. And it all begins with a security approach known as defencein-depth.

Security best practice: layered protection A defence-in-depth approach uses layered security to establish multiple lines of defence. Even if an attack breaches one defence, it still faces an array of others.

This approach requires six main components:

1. Physical security

43% Percentage of large manufacturers who list security as a barrier to Internetconnected machines

Greater connectivity across your operations means more entry points onto the network. As a result, physical security should be integral to your security plan. Ports should be secured using lock-in/block-out devices to prevent unauthorized device connections and disconnections that could lead to virus uploads and data theft. Network hardware also must be securely contained, such as storing switches in lockable enclosures rather than in control panels. You can also extend the benefits of your information-enabled environments into physical security.

For example, high-definition cameras can record events with greater detail, or even automate the security-monitoring process to free up security personnel.

Access-control technology can also be extended from building doors down to the cabinets, closets and control panels.

2. Network security

2025 The year that factories are estimated to benefit the most from IoT

A number of security measures will help strengthen your network and general infrastructure. Deploy firewalls with intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) within and around your industrial network, and ensure general networking equipment such as switches and routers are configured with their security features enabled. Split different areas of the plant into their own separate VLANs based on functionality or location to create domains of trust for security access. A demilitarized zone (DMZ) should be established to create security guards between the

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manufacturing and enterprise zones. This allows users to share data and services while ensuring traffic does not directly travel between the two zones.

3. Computer hardening Software vulnerabilities are the top means of entry for intruders into automation systems. Help prevent this through computer-hardening measures such as antivirus software, application whitelisting and host intrusion-detection systems, and by removing any unused applications, protocols and services.

Following some software-patching best practices can also help reduce risk. These practices include disabling automatic software-updating services, subscribing to vendors’ patch-qualification

as programmable automation controllers, switches, routers and firewalls will vary based on device class and type, affecting how much time and effort is required to harden different devices. Trusted compute modules can be installed to further safeguard the integrity of the hardware platform.

6. Policies Form a multidiscipline team that

includes operations, IT, engineering and safety personnel.

This team will be responsible for identifying vulnerabilities and developing a security policy to mitigate those vulnerabilities. More than determining which security

technologies are needed and how they should be implemented, your policy should also shape the processes and procedures that drive good security practices into workers’ everyday behaviours and interactions. | MA

Nancy Cam-Winget is a distinguished engineer at Cisco. She is also a contributor on the issue of information security and other topics for Industrial IP Advantage, an educational community created to help manufacturers and industrial operators capitalize on the value of connected, information-enabled operations through the use of standard, unmodified IP and Ethernet technologies (www.industrial-ip.org).

Best practices exist to help manufacturers and industrial operators deploy the IoT both securely and reliably, and it all begins with a security approach known as defence-in-depth. services for patch compatibility, obtaining patches only directly from vendors, pretesting patches on non-operational systems, and scheduling patch installs while also planning for contingencies.

4. Application security Integrate security mechanisms into individual manufacturing or industrial control-system applications. This can include using a role-based access control system to restrict access to critical process functions or requiring operators to enter login information before accessing an application.

5. Device and computer hardening Adjust the default configuration of an embedded device to make it more secure in areas such as change management and restrictive access. The default security settings for devices such

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Electromate Industrial 6221 Highway 7, Unit #15 Vaughan, Ontario, Canada L4H 0K8 www.electromate.com

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NEW PRODUCTS CONNECTIVITY

ENERGY PRODUCTS local data acquisition, the Box PC offers various industrial interfaces such as 2x Gbit Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, as well as an optional CAN bus and/or Profibus interface, whereas legacy installations benefit from two serial interfaces (RS232/485). For wireless connection to the Cloud or the local network, the Kontron K-Box A-202 can be equipped with LTE (4G) and GSM (2G/3G) or Wi-Fi. www.kontron.com

Innovation Pit Stop at SPS Drives 2015 TE Connectivity showed off the latest ideas and projects from its TE Industrial Innovation and Advanced Development teams at the SPS IPC Drives tradeshow, November 24-26, 2015, in Germany. TE’s booth featured an Innovation Pit Stop, with the central topic of Internet of Things (IoT), as well as a number of technologies to share and discuss with visitors classified under three headings — Connecting the Physical, Connecting Smart Objects and Connecting the Content. “While the larger part of our booth focuses on TE products or technologies, our Innovation Pit Stop allows us to demonstrate and discuss functioning prototypes and concepts in an open environment. The TE Innovation Pit Stop is an idea generator for our visitors and TE engineers, as we co-create and learn from each other,” said Mark Maas, business development senior manager, TE Industrial Innovation Platforms. Connecting the Physical focused on passive and active solutions to transport power, data and/or signal; Connecting Smart Objects highlighted smart connectivity with integrated functions like sense, identify, communicate, actuate and control; and Connecting the Content looked at enabling the data use within IoT, with the goal to analyze, control, predict, prevent, trace 24

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Groov 2.3 connects Modbus/TCP devices to smartphones, tablets and improve efficiency, productivity and convenience. www.te.com

Box PC with IoT Gateway solutions from Intel Kontron has launched the KBox A-202, a Box PC supporting Intel Gateway Solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT). Based on the Intel AtomTM processor E3800 this fanless and battery-free machine-to-machine platform is designed to serve as an “intelligent gateway” in a range of data intensive IoT applications including those increasingly required in industrial automation, transportation and communications, says the company. Supporting Kontron’s embedded application programming interface (KEAPI) and Intel Gateway Solutions for the Internet of Things, the KBox A-202 claims to be quickly and easily deployable by OEM and SI customers looking to exploit the full potential of the IoT by extending their systems to connect with next-generation intelligent infrastructures. For

Opto 22 has announced groov 2.3, describing it as a “major” update adding Modbus/TCP communication to the company’s groov web-based mobile interface software. With groov’s new Modbus/TCP support, thousands of industrial devices can now be monitored and managed using scalable operator interfaces on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, says the company. Modbus/TCP is a TCP/IP-based communications protocol used in level sensors, rotary encoders, drives, meters, and industrial controllers and I/O, plus other devices deployed in diverse industries.

Industrial automation end-users, system integrators, machine OEMs, or any authorized person can monitor and control these devices, as well as automation, building, and other control systems, all from a mobile device.

No intermediary servers, protocol converters, or communications interfaces are required, says the company, simplifying hardware planning and reducing ongoing maintenance. www.opto22.com

Multi-site energy monitoring systems Carlo Gavazzi has launched a new line of modular monitoring systems for energy management. VMU-C EM is a data logger system for small to medium projects, VMUC-Y EM is a hardware data aggregator for medium to larger projects, and Em2 Server is a software solution for large projects. They are designed to complement the extensive line of Carlo Gavazzi energy maters and current transformers. The VMU-C EM is a combination of hardware modules, whose primary function is to collect data from a network of energy meters and environmental sensors and then

make this data available to end users utilizing industry standard methods, such as integrated web server, FTP, HTTP and Modbus/TCP data transfers. The VMU-Y EM is a data aggregator that is built upon the VMU-C EM hardware platform, with a primary function of aggregating data from a network of VMU-C EM data loggers in applications where support for more than 32 energy meters is required.

The Em2 Server is a software solution provided as a Virtual Machine software appliance to be hosted either in a customer’s facility or remote server. www.gavazzionline.com

Demonstration and evaluation kit The “powerful and versatile” Platinum demo and training unit from Omega provides a PID control simulator that is fully integrated temperature control system suitable to investigate the use of closed loop (PID) and On/Off temperature control in January/February 2016 · MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

2016-01-07 2:29 PM

MACHINE SAFETY Alarm notifications promise improved response times

both heating and cooling applications. The PT Demo includes a CN8DPT-144-C24-EIP-DC controller, powered by 12 Vdc, 2A universal AC to DC adaptor.

It has a thermoelectric heating/ cooling element capable of 5 C to 50 C setpoint and a Type K thermocouple for temperature readings. The CN8DPT features a three-colour (red, green and amber) programmable LED display with the capability to change colour and/or change the state of designated outputs when an alarm is triggered. The embedded Ethernet connection allows the unit to connect directly to an Ethernet network and transmit data in standard TCP/ IP packets, or serve web pages over a LAN or the Internet. The USB connection allows connecting the unit to the Windows based Platinum configurator software for configuration and monitoring, as well as supporting USB-based thumb drives for directly transferring configuration data. The unit comes with panel mounted USB and Ethernet connectivity, an alarm indicator, a 4 mA to 20 mA remote set-point potentiometer, a pushbutton digital input, and an aluminum plate allowing the user to feel the temperature response. Physical outputs may be assigned to Alarm, PID, OnOff control or auxiliary output functions. Meanwhile, a 32-bit, 120 Mhz ARM processor boasts a full PID control process with auto-tuning and a fuzzy logic based adaptive control algorithm that adjusts and optimizes the control loop parameters based on external environmental or control system deviations. www.omega.com

Win-911 is announcing “major updates” to smartphone and tablet apps for Apple iOS and Android devices. New notification sound selections are provided, allowing users to assign different ringtones to the Mobile-911 app. According to the company, in-app sounds will provide better alerts in noisy environments, and enable better response times to active alarm events, even when the app is open. iOS users can select a notification sound from a variety of newly added ringtones.

Several of these tones were selected to be louder and longer than the standard iOS default.

Android users are still free to select a custom tone from their device. Users are also now able to change the appearance of their alarm display screen by adjusting font sizes, making alarm notifications more visible and easier to read. Bulk deletion options have been added to help save time and streamline use. www.win911.com

Safety light curtain Omron Automation and Safety says its F3SG-RE global safety light curtain designed for machine guarding solutions does

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not require blanking or muting capabilities. The F3SG-RE series provides On/Off detection and complements the fully programmable, multi-segment cascading F3SG-RA series of safety light curtains to offer OEM machine builders options within a single family, says Omron. “Cost savings and increased efficiencies are due in large part to the F3SG-RE’s ease of operation, easy mount brackets, simplified connectivity, and informative indicators that expedite installation and reduce maintenance downtime,” noted company officials. Both series boast finger and hand protection models with 14 mm resolution and 30 mm resolution, respectively. The IP67-rated housing withstands water washdown without additional protective tubes, making it ideal for a variety of environments and production lines, adds the company. www.omron247.com

Molded case circuit breaker Eaton has announced the Digitrip RMS 210+ electronic trip unit integrated in an F-frame molded case circuit breaker (MCCB). The Digitrip 210+ trip unit promises to provide easy setup, ensure coordination and reliable protection for electrical systems in commercial, industrial and machinery manufacturing environments.

Designed to fit FDE-frame MCCBs, the 210+ electronic trip units are available in two types, LI and LSI. Both versions include a seven-position dial to set current rating (ampacity) of the breaker. Available features on the electronic trip unit include two dials for simplified setup during installation, including an ampacity dial with seven ANSI ratings on each frame; tighter tolerances on protection curves from thermal magnetic breakers; a status indication light to provide user situational awareness; a test port for secondary injection testing; and a tamper-protection clear cover

with a slot for a wire seal. The trip units are available in 100A, 150A or 225A MCCB frames, and are UL 489 and CSA listed. www.eaton.com

Family of alarm horns, loudspeakers and warning units E2S Warning Signals has announced the D1x range of alarm horns, loudspeakers and integrated alarm horn/Xenon strobe warning units in LM6 aluminium enclosures. Designed to create the most effective warning signals available for use in Class I/II Division 1, Zone 1 & Zone 20 environments, the UL/ cULs approved alarm horns and combined units are available with directional flare horns or omni-directional radial horns for 360° sound dispersion. The 117 and 125dB(A) alarm horns feature four remotely selectable alarm stages/channels with positive or negative line stage/ channel switching and a choice of 64 alarm tones. This latest range from E2S offers triple cable gland/conduit entries and duplicate terminations enabling ‘daisy-chain’ cabling, says the company. The 5 and 10 Joule Xenon strobes promise great

visibility with light outputs up to 1,000,000 cd. Available in seven colours (Amber, Blue, Clear, Green, Magenta, Red and Yellow) the UV stable polycarbonate filter is field replaceable. The PA flare horn loudspeakers are available in 15 or 25W versions; input options include 8 or 16 ohm low impedance and 70V line transformer. www.e2s.com AutomationMag.com 25

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NEW PRODUCTS MACHINE TOOLS

Wrap-around packer Standard-Knapp has announced the model 333 Vanguard Wrap-Around Packer, which it says produces a tight, square, cost-saving wrap-around tray or full case shipper. Depending on the product and the case, the Vanguard offers speeds of up to 30 cycles per minute. Boasting snap-in parts and quick-handle adjustments, the unit promises to deliver reliable, repeatable changeover. According to the company, pneumatically-controlled top and side actuation provide “complete control” over compression, so delicate products are protected. Product comes in directly over the tray blank, which eliminates side push and unnecessary impact on the product, it adds. It can handle a range of product packaging, including cans, cartons, and bottles (glass or plastic), as well as multi-packs, tubs, and aseptic packs. www.standard-knapp.com

flash-rate settings with free Patlite software. Machine operators can use the colours and patterns to communicate machine status, indicate abnormal activity, track assembly pace, all with the goal of improved efficiency across different processes. The signal tower’s 60-mm diameter is compatible with the LME series, making a retrofit/upgrade using existing pole or wall mount brackets. Other specifications include: operating ambient temperature of -25 C to 60 C; signal wire current maximum 70mA; 11 alarm types; and IP65 protection rating. www.patlite.com

says the company. According to Schleuniger, the press accepts most industry-standard, ministyle applicators for crimping side- and rear-feed terminals.

The optional pneumatic feed unit accommodates pneumatic feed applicators. “Excellent applicator access makes adjustments and exchanges quick and simple and the optional quick-change applicator base is available for even greater efficiency,” it adds. www.schleuniger-na.com

Machine offers five workstations for punching, shearing and notching The Kaast Machine Tools PS 85 DP Ironworker offers five workstations for punching, shearing and notching. “Like a Swiss Army knife, it is completely invaluable in that it is multipurpose,” says the company. The machine has two independent cylinders allowing for dual operation which, according to the company, translates to parallel work on the punch and at a second work station. This includes an electric trigger switch up to 1,000 mm for quick workflow of repetitive work. With 90 tons of pressing force and a 10 HP motor, each workstation includes jogmode for tool and work piece positioning. The PS 85 DP has a throat depth of 19.7 in. to allow

for working with a larger size of sheet metal, it adds. It will punch up to 1 1/4-in. diameter by a thickness of 0.78 in. and has a stroke length of 3.2 in. www.kaast-usa.com

Remote service portal offers machinery service support Bosch Packaging Technology says its Remote Service Portal provides a “safe data connection” between customer machines and Bosch experts to support customers around the world. The remote access is suited for machine set-up, the preparation of field service visits, remote diagnostics, troubleshooting in case of machinery downtime, and software updates. Through remote data connection, Bosch experts can access different machinery control components to receive an overall picture.

If required, the remote service allows adapting settings and parameters by accessing HMI or machine controls. The remote service is also suited for documentation purposes, such as restoring settings and data after a modernization. The portal supports several machine generations, even equipment from third party suppliers can be integrated into the portal from Bosch, it notes. www.bosch.com

LED signal tower with 21 colours, 11 alarm types Patlite’s multicolour LED LA6 RevoLite signal tower claims to allow users to quickly program up to 21 custom colours and

UniCrimp 100 crimping press Schleuniger describes its UniCrimp 100 crimping press as delivering power and precision at a competitive price. With 20 kN (2.2 tons) of crimping force, the UniCrimp 100 can process wires up to 6 mm2 (10 AWG), 26

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POWER SUPPLIES Multi-range power supply

storage to save and recall up to 100 different instrument settings and configurable overvoltage and overpower protection limits. www.bkprecision.com

B&K Precision has expanded its 9115 series with the addition of multi-range programmable DC power supply, model 9117.

The 9117 promises to deliver up to 3,000W of output power in any combination of voltage up

Power supplies for process heavy applications Weidmuller says its family of PROmax power supplies is designed for the demanding needs of process heavy applications.

The power supplies feature start up at temperatures as low as -40 C, hazardous area approvals (UL, Class 1 Division 2) and promise a 300-per-cent power boost, “making them an ideal choice for harsh environment applications that require maximum power,” says the company. According to Weidmuller, the all-metal housing and DIN-rail mounting foot promote mechanical shock- and vibration-resistant operation. The family includes 16 models with

to 80V and current up to 120A within its power rating. The 2U 19-in. rackmountable design boasts “extensive remote interface offerings, increased current range, and low cost-per-watt.”

Front panel features from the current 9115 series models carry over to the 9117, which include a VFD display, independent voltage and current control knobs, cursors, and a numerical keypad for direct data entry. The new model also provides internal memory

5, 12, 24 or 48V DC outputs for loads up to 40A. Voltage output may be adjusted via the front panel and either series or parallel operation is standard on all units.

A two-colour LED provides local status output and remote status monitoring is delivered through the integrated relay contacts. www.weidmuller.ca

Safety isolating transformers are glow-wire compliant Foster Transformer says its line of Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) safety isolating transformers are certified to EN 61558-1, EN 61558-2-6, and the latest edition of EN 60335-1.

Many models are also UL and C-UL Recognized as Inherently Limited Class 2 transformers under UL 5085-1, UL 5085-3, CSA C22.2 No. 66.1-06, and CSA C22.2 No. 66.3-06, it adds.

In addition to providing isolation for the connected load, these transformers are capable of withstanding a direct shortcircuit in excess of 15 days, and require no external fusing, notes Foster. Transformers are glowwire compliant per EN 60335-1 for appliance applications, and are offered with output ratings of 75 VA and 100 VA. Models are available with input voltage ratings from 115V through 460V, 50/60 Hz, including dual voltage models for North American/ European applications. www.foster-transformer.com

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NEW PRODUCTS MOTION CONTROL

TEST & MEASUREMENT in the metal cutting industry, in foundries, assembly applications in the automotive and electrical industry, and to delicate handling tasks in the medical and pharmaceutical industry.

The PGN-plus Permanent is available in the unit sizes 50 to 125. An expansion of the existing PGN-plus series is planned, says the company. www.schunk.com

Synchronous drive components AutomationDirect’s SureMotion line of power transmission products includes timing pulleys (or sprockets), bushings and timing belts that can change speed and torque while connecting mechanically rotating components. The SureMotion XL timing pulleys have a 1/5-in. pitch and 1/4 or 3/8-in. width and are available in aluminum or steel, with or without hub and with smooth bore and setscrew.

SureMotion L timing pulleys have a 3/8-in. pitch and 1/2 or 1-in. width. Both aluminum and steel pulleys are available with or without hub and are available with smooth bore and setscrew.

SureMotion L steel pulleys made to fit Taper-Lock or QD-style drive steel bushings are also available; bushings are sold separately. www.automationdirect.com

temperature, shock, moisture, EMI, RFI and magnetic fields.

According to the company, the non-contact, absolute-position encoders relies on interaction between the measured displacement and an internally shielded, space/time modulated, electric field, and feature absolute or incremental position feedback providing analogue or digital outputs. www.electromate.com

Absolute position rotary encoder Netzer’s high performance Electric Encoder technology claims to suit a variety of applications ranging from space

and avionics, through military and defence, to instrumentation and automotive. The new DS-58 model features 18 bit resolution and boasts high tolerance to 28

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of the multi-tooth guidance is equipped with grease pockets, which promotes continuous and more even distribution of lubricant, making it “practically maintenance-free,” adds the company, which increases the life span of the gripper.

According to Schunk, many industries will benefit from this gripper: machine/system loading

Mitutoyo’s HV-100 series Vickers hardness testing machines claim to be high-quality digital systems that offer complete control

Couplings for encoder applications Zero-Max says its Control-Flex couplings are designed for encoder applications where speed and positioning feedback in a system is critical. According

“Practically maintenance-free” gripper boasts long life span Schunk says its PGN-plus Permanent gripper is equipped with an oval piston drive, “ensuring high forces in confined spaces.” The contour

Hardness testing machines

to the company, the couplings help minimize a system’s reaction forces for more precise and repeatable operation and longer life. Designed with a parallel linkage-style flexible disc, Control-Flex promises “radial flexibility to reduce reaction forces” such as side loads on shaft bearings and seals that can be caused by shaft misalignment. The Control-Flex disc allows parallel, angular and axial shaft misalignments while maintaining transmission of torque and angular velocity.

Two versions of the coupling are available: a single-flex disc version for standard torque capacity, and a two-flex disc version for increased torque capacity and torsional stiffness.

The couplings are suitable for use in packaging, medical device, machine tool, conveying and automated assembly systems that utilize encoder feedback devices. www.zero-max.com

of test force for testing many workpieces. “Measuring resolution of 0.1μm enables small indentations to be measured with high precision,” says the company. Automatic operation is available via AVPak software performed on a Windows PC. The HV series is available in four configurations: A, B, C, D models.

The HV-110/120 - system A is equipped with a motorized test force selection and motorized turret mounts, and offers a list function for performing multi-point average hardness evaluations. Mitutoyo describes the HV-110/120 - system B, C, D as advanced models with additional productivity improvements. These testers feature AVPAK dedicated image analysis software which boast automatic indentation reading with “excellent automatic edge detection capability which eliminates reading variations and visual error.” www.mitutoyo.ca

Handheld probe coordinate measuring machine Keyence has released the XM series handheld probe coordinate measuring machine, saying that it can be “easily installed in any environment” and allows the operator to perform 3D measurements with “high accuracy.” The user selects the desired measurement parameters (elements, GD&T) and measures the target to complete

January/February 2016 · MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

2016-01-07 2:29 PM

MEASUREMENT

WIRE & CABLE programming. Augmented reality guidance images are created automatically, and measurement points with their 3D elements are visually overlaid, explains the company. Operation does not require any foundation or ancillary equipment, and the system’s temperature and humidity operating ranges are 50 F - 95 F and 20-80% RH respectively. The tool promises

Aluminum cable catalogue Cable manufacturer Helukabel has published its first-ever aluminum catalogue, which presents its range of aluminum cables and conductors, as well as information about processing techniques and the associated connection technology.

According to the company, this is the first catalogue of its kind to appear on the market. “With more than 100 pages, everything readers need to know regarding aluminum as a conductor material and the extensive product range is clearly presented,” it notes.

The catalogue highlights the advantages and special characteristics related to the use of aluminum cables, and provides facts that might facilitate a switch to the metal. Catalogue users also learn about the lower conductivity of aluminum, which requires a conductor cross section that is about one-third larger than that of a copper cable, notes the company. www.helukabel.com

in High Performance Pelican brand cases. Designed for use in harsh outdoor environments, the Pelican case housing boasts a watertight, crushproof, dust proof enclosure with Heavy Duty Deflector Ribs for protection from shocks and impacts.

Stainless steel padlock protectors promise extra strength and security when locking for tamper resistance. Use either of the two with rubber over-molded handles to move the recorder between job sites. www.palmerwahl.com

Modules for strain gauges consistent measurement regardless of operator, environment or other circumstances by sharing programmed work instructions and measurement parameters.

All measurement results are automatically recorded and saved. www.keyence.com

Portable pressure/ temperature recorders in Pelican case housing Palmer Instruments has introduced its portable pressure and temperature recorders housed

B&R has added two new analogue input modules to its X20 I/O series that can be used to digitize signals from strain gauges: the X20AIA744 with two full-bridge strain gauge inputs and the X20AIB744 with four full-bridge strain gauge inputs.

Up to four strain gauge channels can now be housed in a module as thin as a single-channel unit, says B&R, adding that users can save both equipment costs and control cabinet space. www.br-automation.com

MA’s Technology Handbooks are a series of digital magazines that focus on a single product category within Canada’s manufacturing industry. Posted on MA’s website as an interactive flip-style magazine, our Technology Handbooks provide specific market and product information, as well as trends within that specific product category, to machine builders, component manufacturers, end-users and system integrators.

Do you have a new product announcement to share? Let us help you get the word out. Send your press release and images to editor@ automationmag.com.

ADVERTISER INDEX 1 Allied Electronics Inc. 19 Allied Electronics Inc. 2 Automation Direct 5 Beckhoff Canada 13 Eaton Canada 9 Encoder Products Company 23 Harmonic Drive LLC 11 Hiwin Corporation 3 Murrelektronik Canada 31 SCHUNK Intec Corp.

32 Siemens Canada Ltd. 27 Workplace Safety & Prevention Services

Encoder cables and connectors

TO ADVERTISE Contact Klaus B. Pirker kpirker@annexweb.com

Mencom is offering over-molded 12, 16, 17, & 19 pole M23 encoder connectors with straight or right angle heads.

TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

A LOOK INTO THE PRODUCTS, TECHNOLOGIES AND SOLUTIONS SHAPING THE MARKET technology

POWER

node, and full network recovery, takes only 300ms.

Protection takes action. The switchover to the passive soon as a serious interruption is detected, Aerolink protocol to detect that the link has been disconnected. As technology uses the wireless radio's standard wireless via a backup device and backup frequency. The the active channel, the backup path will transmit the data frequency-level redundancy. If there is interference on different access point on a different frequency, providing Furthermore, the passive node can be connected to a update. convergence and Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) nodes online. This includes the time required for network communication link within 300ms by bringing backup reason, AeroLink Protection completely restores the If the active node stops sending or receiving data for any active node, while the others are passive, backup nodes. connected to a single access point. One serves as the AeroLink Protection-enabled wireless client nodes With AeroLink Protection, a network has two or more two types of risks - device failure and wireless link failure.

WDS connections, the link is exposed to at least one of when you are using old-fashioned wireless bridge or bridge between two networks. As we have seen above, provides a reliable wireless AeroLink Protection system availability. Moxa's downtime and maximize to minimize system wireless bridge is essential communications, a reliable platforms, or train-to-ground between off-shore oil communication lications, such as n industrial app-

IEEE 802.11n Wireless AP/Bridge/Client.

Protection-enabled devices, the AWK-3131A Industrial first of Moxa's new generation of A-series AeroLink AeroLink Protection technology is available now in the

Manufacturers Automation Inc. How May We Help You?

Industrial Computing

Industrial Ethernet Switches

rd

Industrial I/OLogik

A LOOK INTO THE PRODUCTS, TECHNOLOGIES AND SOLUTIONS SHAPING THE MARKET

Enjoy Seamless Communication with AeroLink Protection

when the 5GHz range is frequencies can be used, different backup required, three or more

DIGITAL

frequency interference is SUPPLEMENT robust resistance TO to radio when needed. If even more wireless bridge network stronger protection for your hardware - providing even by adding additional up your redundancy paths

Wireless & Cellular Connectivity with Wireless, Cellular, Ethernet, I/O and Surveillance Cameras Moxa's Advanced AeroLink Protection Industrial Outstanding Reliability Introduction to Wireless Redundancy with the products, technologies A look into Outstanding Quality

DIGITAL

MACHINE DESIGN • SYSTEMS • TECHNOLOGY

SUPPLEMENT TO

And solutions shAping the mArket

High Tech Tech Solutions Solutions for for aa High High Tech Tech World World High

Introduction to Wireless Redundancy with Moxa's Advanced AeroLink Protection

I

n industrial applications, such as communication between off-shore oil platforms, or train-to-ground communications, a reliable wireless bridge is essential to minimize system downtime and maximize system availability. Moxa's AeroLink Protection provides a reliable wireless bridge between two networks. As we have seen above, when you are using old-fashioned wireless bridge or WDS connections, the link is exposed to at least one of two types of risks - device failure and wireless link failure.

With AeroLink Protection, a network has two or more AeroLink Protection-enabled wireless client nodes connected to a single access point. One serves as the active node, while the others are passive, backup nodes.

If the active node stops sending or receiving data for any reason, AeroLink Protection completely restores the communication link within 300ms by bringing backup nodes online. This includes the time required for network convergence and Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) update.

Furthermore, the passive node can be connected to a different access point on a different frequency, providing frequency-level redundancy. If there is interference on the active channel, the backup path will transmit the data via a backup device and backup frequency. The technology uses the wireless radio's standard wireless protocol to detect that the link has been disconnected. As soon as a serious interruption is detected, Aerolink Protection takes action. The switchover to the passive node, and full network recovery, takes only 300ms.

AeroLink Protection not only guards against both device and wireless link failure, but also offers the ability to scale

MACHINE DESIGN • SYSTEMS • TECHNOLOGY

Digital

MACHINE DESIGN • SYSTEMS • TECHNOLOGY

Industrial

Connectivity with Wireless, Cellular, Ethernet, I/O and Surveillance Cameras Wireless & Cellular

up your redundancy paths by adding additional hardware - providing even stronger protection for your wireless bridge network when needed. If even more

A LOOK INTO THE PRODUCTS, TECHNOLOGIES AND SOLUTIONS SHAPING THE MARKET MACHINE DESIGN • SYSTEMS • TECHNOLOGY

Outstanding Quality to Supplement Outstanding Reliability

SUPPLEMENT TO

MACHINE DESIGN • SYSTEMS • TECHNOLOGY

DIGITAL

18 MA • Technology Handbook Motion Control 18 MA • Technology Handbook Motion Control MACHINE DESIGN • SYSTEMS • TECHNOLOGY

THE MARKET SHAPING AND SOLUTIONS TECHNOLOGIES THE PRODUCTS, A LOOK INTO

Enjoy Seamless Communication with AeroLink Protection

Supplement to

AeroLink Protection offers cast-iron redundancy by automatically handling both device failure and radio interference. Relying on industry standards for security and interoperability, it offers simple "plug and play" setup and configuration—working well with existing networks.

AeroLink Protection is modular and scalable: offering anything from basic redundant wireless bridges, to increasingly robust wireless network configurations for more demanding environments.

Digital

And solutions shAping the mArket A look into the products, technologies

AeroLink Protection technology is available now in the first of Moxa's new generation of A-series AeroLink Protection-enabled devices, the AWK-3131A Industrial IEEE 802.11n Wireless AP/Bridge/Client.

Manufacturers Automation Inc. 1-800-387-6268 • www.manuauto.com

Industrial Computing

Industrial Ethernet Switches

Industrial I/OLogik

How May We Help You?

Manufacturers Automation Inc.

33

rd

SHAPING THE MARKET TECHNOLOGIES AND SOLUTIONS A LOOK INTO THE PRODUCTS,

CONNECTIVITY AND SOLUTIONS SHAPING THE MARKET A LOOK INTO THE PRODUCTS, TECHNOLOGIES

TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

One unified platform controls your entire machine

MACHINE DESIGN • SYSTEMS • TECHNOLOGY

DIGITAL

required, three or more different backup frequencies can be used, when the 5GHz range is

AeroLink Protection is a client radio feature that negotiates with every other AeroLink Protection-enabled client in range to set up the active node and passive nodes. Because AeroLink Protection works at a low level, layer 2, it is effectively invisible to higher network protocol levels, so it is easy to add an AeroLink Protection bridge to an existing network: it just works. The fast recovery time and simple setup allow users to form a reliable wireless bridge that will ensure their daily operations are uninterrupted, no matter what kind of failures occur.

SENSORS technology hAndbook

ALL SHAPES. ALL SIZES. ALL COLORS.

CleverLevel LBFS/ LFFS switch – The really clever alternative to vibrating forks.

Increase Throughput with Precise, High-Speed Motion

L

Grab Control of the Programming Process from Day One

Omron’s Sysmac Studio automatically creates a single data table that can be referenced by all our connected control systems. This

robust resistance TO to radio SUPPLEMENT frequency interference is

available.

Times are changing.

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Simon says “CleverLevel is a switch for all media”

CONTROLC

33

more demanding environments. increasingly robust wireless network configurations for anything from basic redundant wireless bridges, to AeroLink Protection is modular and scalable: offering and configuration—working well with existing networks. and interoperability, it offers simple "plug and play" setup interference. Relying on industry standards for security automatically handling both device failure and radio AeroLink Protection offers cast-iron redundancy by

available.

Power Panel, Safety, Motion and HMI controller

MOTION

uninterrupted, no matter what kind of failures occur. wireless bridge that will ensure their daily operations are time and simple setup allow users to form a reliable to an existing network: it just works. The fast recovery levels, so it is easy to add an AeroLink Protection bridge layer 2, it is effectively invisible to higher network protocol nodes. Because AeroLink Protection works at a low level, client in range to set up the active node and passive negotiates with every other AeroLink Protection-enabled AeroLink Protection is a client radio feature that

I

Sensors

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

1600 King Street North, St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0 - 1-800-387-6268 - www.manuauto.com

Manufacturers Automation Inc. 1-800-387-6268 • www.manuauto.com

TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

SUPPLIES

hAndbook

SENSORS and wireless link failure, but also offers the ability to scale AeroLink Protection not only guards against both device

HMI & Operator Interface

TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

CONNECTIVITY

1600 King Street North, St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0 - 1-800-387-6268 - www.manuauto.com

For more information, contact Klaus Pirker at kpirker@annexweb.com or (905) 726-4670.

The connectors are UL listed and promise to endure positive vibration for use with motor drives and moving assemblies.

They are also IP67 rated for harsh industrial environments.

The cable jackets are available in ITC-ER PVC, shielded PUR and shielded TPE jacket in a range of standard off-the-shelf lengths. The mating receptacles are available with 1/2-in. NPT, back mount, panel mount, rear mount, M20 or M20-long mounting threads. www.mencom.com

SUPPLIES

POWER

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C

TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

CONTROL

MOTION

Toll Free: 1-866-986-6766 Email: askomron@omron.com still switches only when the tank is really full or empty. A sim-

Discover how we can overcome www.baumer.com/CleverLevel < PLC + HMI = Power Panel C-Series machine’s throughput barriers.

www.baumer.com/cleverlevel your

09.02.15 11:00

09.02.15 11:00

Learn more about swing-arm panels extremely well-suited for harsh industrial environments. on the latest in filling level measurement at 1-905-335-8320 accordingly, the frontCleverLevel provides IP65Fax: protection, which makes these devices Bring yourself up-to-date Phone: 1-905-335-8444 when empty, the sensor and container walls disks, are coated OMRON AUTOMATION ANDitSAFETY belongs. • Canada toll free: 866.986.6766 • www.omron247.com fans orwith batteries, they are maintenance-free.

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The forks temperatures between and +200°C. small mounting programbetween starting the week oneand andalso refining debugging as the available. With optionbe used as a Visual Compowe deliver comprehensive forinupportrait to 256 axesisthat forks.

Coarse granular mediathe canwhole easilyweb-compatible become lodged andsor is Omron, IP67 as standard, and it is a suitable for ambient providestoa these practical basis to start developing machine format also lets you turn up canhousing even At errors Studio. can arise, since high viscosityintegrated materials tend stick blue lation ining Sysmac The comprehensive view todevices necessary, a 21.5” model terminal are signal fully LED is highly visible from all directions. The sennot offer great performance in all of situations.

CleverLevel can be installed in any orientation. A bright the integrated development environment andthese program simu-Measurlarge displays are still browser, Power Panel T30 media.delivery The commonly used vibrating fork levelusing sensorwith doesan embedded sensor easy, even for difficult applications.

On-timethe machine can be achieved with less stress If space is limited yet Equipped foamGolden presence, viscosity,File stickiness, and the aggressiveness of what the sensor sees, and makes setting the Reward:as One Program log resistive of touchrepresentation screens. for user ergonomics.

There are many factors to consider in level applications, suchfeaturing ple configuration software shows the user a clear graphical trollers – both ana– an enormous advantage point level application. traces whether testing in simulation or with actual hardware.

Power Panel C-Series coninformation on each screen one up sensor to be used for traces with to 192 variables thatalmost can beany divided among Panelthe T-Series terminals and to include even more hassimulator changedinallSysmac of that,Studio allowing just 4 simultaneousHMI family: Power tion. The provides resolution make it possible type of level The CleverLevel single trace—such as switch. speed, acceleration, deceleration, and posi-cessful Power Panel larger displays and higher to cover all with offers one 8 variables in new of what ble is happening.

A applications typical simulation a series to its sucFull HD resolution. The application.

It wasmultiple simply not possiinstead of piecing together traces to get a general sense&R has added two with either HD Ready or sensors, depending on the specific simulation capacity lets engineers see more machine interaction a wide assortment of different processesfrom complete their cycles where and when expected. Large engineers have needed to 14 weeks.

The simulation allows to the specify verification that motion overflow or running dry. Until now, hardware may not be available for 12 levels in tanks, to protection they would in against the real machine, whose monitoring maximum and minimum All sections of code work together as es can varya considerably, from built-in, high-powered oscilloscope.

The demands on level Sysmac Studioswitchdisplays operation with portance simulation in many industries. and real world operation. evel detection is of great im-configurations for out creating separate and motion to robotic kinematics withTest the whole system, from PLC logic One Button Simulation

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MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION · January/February 2016 Handbook_MA_Jan.indd 1

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BACKSTORY

What we published in...

2001 “People are the on/off switch to technology adoption” 2003 “Many SEMs have resisted purchasing modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) software packages — with good reason”

2008 “A 3D modelling software package lets you recreate your plant floor”

2006 “Software identifies issues and makes a developer’s life easier”

2014 “Cloud-based ERP provides control over operations”

2009

The role of software over the years

I

n 1995ish, I developed and moderated a software track for ISA Tech, the first and only one dedicated to the conference and not exhibits. Rich Ryan (who was with Rockwell Automation at the time) and I had a discussion on the future of automation software. He said that automation companies will become more I/O centric, and that instead of hardware pulling software like programming software, software will pull hardware.

Software in manufacturing has taken a steady rise throughout the 1990s and really hit its stride on the factory floor when Windows 95 hit the road. It moved DOS-based code over to Windows, made things more user-friendly, and created a user interface that was easy for most since the home computer was then somewhat affordable and ran Windows 95.

30

@AutomationMag

2016_MA_ISSUE.indd 30

The top-end manufacturing software backends may run on Oracle or Unix, but the front-end for the most part has run and still runs on Microsoft Windows. Back in the day, most components of plant floor software were individual applications. In contrast, amalgamation of various components, as well as seamless integration of components, has made a great stride in automation and manufacturing software for many companies.

There were many third party software companies in the 80s and 90s, but now they have been swallowed up by the big fish. Just look at Wonderware HMI software. The fish were hungry, and it led to a manufacturing software platform that is single sourced, instead of piecemeal!

Since Y2K, the use of software in every manufacturing facility has risen to great heights. Mobility,

“PLM takes off!

Aircraft parts supplier reaches new heights with PLM software” 2010 “Software for the future: new technologies will be driven by new software, so be prepared” 2014 “Fractionation plant boosts efficiency with cross-platform SCADA”

device-independence, Internet, and operating system flexibility have added to the ability of software to aid in the pursuit of profits and efficiency.

The immediate and long-term benefit for any manufacturing facility is visibility — period. They have access to everything, and with the Internet of Things (IoT), we will see new software applications and platforms that will give us new insights into everything we do. Devices will be talking to us — indicating imminent failure, processes will tell us when they are going out of spec, and real-time data will be all the rage. Imagine a plant with a best before date thanks to software that hasn’t been created yet! | MA Commentary by Jeremy Pollard, who has been in the industrial automation industry for more than 30 years. He works as a systems integrator, educator, writer, and consultant.

January/February 2016 · MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

2016-01-07 2:29 PM

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