Electronics Journal | 03 - July 2021

03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

electronics journal

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THE EXOSKELETONS ARE HERE

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USI®-SAFETY ULTRASONIC SENSOR SYSTEM

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VIEWSONIC SCULPTS THE FUTURE OF HYBRID TEACHING IN POST-PANDEMIC ERA

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IN THIS ISSUE… 4 The Exoskeletons Are Here 12 Component carriers replace flexible printed circuit boards in linear measuring systems

13 USi®-safety Ultrasonic Sensor System 14 Anybus Wireless Bolt CAN – CAN communication via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 16 Southco’s Locking Solutions Drive Success for PAZTIR® 18 Innodisk Releases CAN Bus Modules for Unmanned Smart Systems 20 A showroom for Leuze sensors 22 Serial production of Hexadrone’s Tundra modular tool-carrier drone with Fischer Connectors’ rugged, miniature connectivity solutions

24 Moxa Launches Wireless Add-on Module for MXview to Overcome the Wi-Fi Network Management Challenges in Smart Manufacturing

26 Innovative and scalable multi-component software SmartCollect® SC² combines digital measurement data management and SCADA

28 Dunkermotoren is first drive technology manufacturer to integrate certified PROFINET with PROFIdrive in servo motor

29 Dunkermotoren launches its Online Shop 2.0 30 SILINA curve CMOS Imaging Sensors at industrial scale 32 Security for Industrie 4.0 34 Cap closed 36 Continued growth for industrial networks despite pandemic – Industrial network market shares 2021 according to HMS Networks

38 Capacitive silicone force sensor SXTSC by Sateco – the intelligent electronic skin 39 Lanner Network Appliance and Edge AI Computer Now Officially Validated as NVIDIA GPU Cloud-Ready Platforms

40 ViewSonic Sculpts the Future of Hybrid Teaching in Post-Pandemic Era 42 PatSnap Secures $300 Million in Series E Funding to Change the Way the World Innovates

43 Delta Electronics Joins RE100 43 100% Renewable Electricity and Carbon Neutrality Targets for Its Global Operations by 2030

44 More safety in harsh environments 45 Innodisk to Release Blockchain SSD Securing Radical Edge Data Integrity 46 Moxa Demonstrates Its Commitment to Securing Industrial Networks by Becoming IEC 62443-4-1 Certified

47 Delta Launches M125HV Gen2 Solar PV String Inverter for Large Ground-mounted Solar Power Plants

48 Additive in space 52 Container and Tray Identification Made Easy 53 Innodisk’s Industrial-Grade DRAM Modules – Rugged Reliability for FPGAs 54 ViewSonic Receives Intel’s Titanium-Tier Partner Award 56 IDS focuses on sustainability in shipping 58 The dual channel principle 62 Knowledge platform for topics related to image processing with 2D, 3D and AI 63 New InnoAGE Feature Enhancement brings superior One Button Instant Recovery for malfunctioning IoT Devices

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64 ViewSonic Partners with TÜV SÜD to Develop the Testing of a Colour Blindness Feature in Monitors

66 Increase productivity, reduce waste INDUPORTALS

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MARKET OVERVIEW

AUTHOR: MILTON D’SILVA

THE EXOSKELETONS ARE HERE While the use of exoskeletons in industry is still at the lower end of the spectrum, there is growing awareness about the benefits of exoskeletons in industrial applications.

The highly ergonomic Comau MATE upper body exoskeleton.

Example of a natural exoskeleton – the Japanese Spider Crab.

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n nature, some animals and insects have exoskeletons or external skeletons unlike most other living creatures, including humans, who have internal skeletons or endoskeletons.

Crabs, lobsters, cockroaches, grasshoppers and several types of beetles are examples of natural exoskeletons.

The early body armour adopted by human beings for combat was inspired by these exoskeletal creatures. The exoskeleton as a wearable device to augment human capabilities is of more recent origin, even as the idea was considered by many early inventors. An early example is a passive spring body brace invented in 1890, which supported the upper body in a stooping

position, to relieve fatigue. However, the concept received serious attention only in the 1960s when GE developed the Hardiman in collaboration with the US Army and Navy for military use. Though the project was not successful, it paved the way for further development of the concept.

Exoskeletons thus made for human beings may be described as mechanical or mechatronic devices attached closely to the body, which support the musculoskeletal system using various mechanical principles. These wearable devices mimic the structure of human limbs, joints and muscles and boost the

The FORTIS from Lockheed Martin is suitable for handling heavy tools.

capabilities, enhancing the performance.

Depending on the type, exoskeletons work in different ways, but basically shift the weight from one part of the body to another, reducing continuous strain.

Besides augmenting the capacity to carry heavier loads without causing fatigue, exoskeletons also improve the body posture and minimise the risk of injury.

Modern exoskeletons, developed mostly during the last two decades, are of two types – active and passive. Active exoskeletons are equipped with sensors and actuators, and powered by battery operated electric motors, pneumatics, hydraulics, or a combination of these

systems. Passive exoskeletons are purely mechanical devices and use the restorative forces of elements like springs and dampers. There are further divisions in exoskeletons based on form – upper body, lower body or full body exoskeletons. Based on applications, exoskeletons are divided into two broad categories – medical and industrial.

Medical exoskeletons are used in the rehabilitation of patients post-surgery or to assist in those recuperating from paralysis or muscular dystrophy and other disabilities. Industrial exoskeletons also have military applications – in fact these were initially used in defence services and more recently have been deployed

in industry. Exoskeletons are variously called exosuits or wearable robots, but unlike robots, which are autonomous and work independent of human support, the exoskeleton works in tandem with the human body, not as a replacement for any limb.

This article is basically about industrial exoskeletons used by workers engaged in various activities. In spite of mechanisation and automation of workplaces with various handling equipment like trolleys, hoists, pallet trucks and overhead cranes, there are a lot of activities in industry, which are physically demanding yet cannot be 03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

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MARKET OVERVIEW

The Skelex exoskeleton is powered by FlexFrame Technology.

automated. These vary from lifting of heavy loads or working in assembly operations that involve working long hours in standing or bending positions.

Also many assembly operations in automotive and aerospace industries involve workers engaged in tasks with their arms continuously stretched upwards, carrying heavy tools. These activities cause pressure on the lumbar spine and/or on muscles in various parts of the body, which in turn result in work related musculoskeletal disorders or WRMSDs. Growing health concerns Across the developed world – the Americas, Europe, Japan and now even China – the population is ageing and so is the working class – people working in factories and utilities – the typical blue collar jobs where manual labour in various forms is routine. These are also the jobs where the risks of workplace injuries, often of serious nature, are high

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and WRMSDs are common, adding to the overheads in terms of productivity loss due to sickness and absenteeism as well as high insurance costs. Apart from the unfairness of letting ageing employees go, there is that matter of the younger generation not so enthusiastic about jobs in factories and anything that involves physical activity. The situation is ripe for the induction of exoskeletons on the shop floor.

According to a discussion paper published by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, over 40% of workers in Europe suffer from lower back pain or shoulder complaints. Furthermore, 63% of workers perform repetitive tasks or frequently work (46%) in potentially hazardous positions. This not only results in injuries and absenteeism, but also costs about 2% of the gross domestic product of the European Union. Across the Atlantic in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that back pain is

Swiss startup noonee’s Chairless Chair tested extensively by Audi AG.

the most prevalent work-related health problem. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that employers pay nearly $1 billion for direct workers’ compensation. Against this backdrop industrial exoskeletons are becoming popular to address the many concerns of worker safety and productivity.

The potential benefits of industrial exoskeletons are many, as these are designed to ease the load on the spine, decrease muscle activity and improve the posture, reducing the risk of injuries.

Upper body exoskeletons reduce shoulder discomfort and increase productivity in assembly operations. While the use of exoskeletons in industry is still at the lower end of the spectrum, there is growing awareness about the benefits of exoskeletons in industrial applications, especially in automotive, construction, manufacturing and logistics sectors.

An expanding market According to a recent analysis by Frost & Sullivan, the global industrial exoskeletons market is expanding rapidly, driven by high injury costs and aging and shrinking skilled workforces across sectors. It is estimated to witness nearly a seven-fold growth, reaching US$426.6 million by 2025 from US$62.7 million in 2020, up at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46.7%. (These figures do not include medical or military exoskeletons, only industrial ones.)

The Paexo Thumb exoskeleton protects the tip of the thumb.

“Manufacturers are investing in R&D to develop technologically advanced exoskeletons, which improve performance and productivity,” says Anjan Roy, Chemicals, Materials & Nutrition Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “To deploy the latest innovations, manufacturers will focus on the robotas-a-service (RaaS) model to improve affordability for end users and test products for large-scale deployment.”

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MARKET OVERVIEW

Among the end-use industries, manufacturing – driven by the automotive sector – held the highest revenue share in 2020 and is projected to top US$271.4 million in 2025. Other manual, labour-intensive industries such as construction and transport will also make extensive deployments of industrial exoskeletons over the next four to five years as companies across these sectors focus on reducing the cost of onthe-job injuries. “From a product segment perspective, active or powered industrial exoskeletons – which are technologically advanced PPE that are powered by batteries or electricity – are expected to have the highest revenue share at 69.9% over the forecast period, whereas passive industrial exoskeletons will constitute 30.1% market share,” adds Roy. Industrial exoskeletons in the market When the Swiss startup noonee launched its prototype Chairless Chair in 2014, German automaker Audi AG was one the first to test the wearable seating passive exoskeleton at its assembly lines at Neckarsulm plant. “With the use of the Chairless Chair, we are continuously improving ergonomics in assembly operations. We also anticipate new applications for colleagues with reduced physical capabilities,” Dr Mathias Keil, Head of Industrial Engineering Methods at AUDI AG, had then stated about the experiment. More automakers have since adopted the “Chair-olution” as noonee called its invention, and it has undergone many refinements since. “Through active sitting on the Chairless Chair, your back and thigh muscles are strengthened while your spine, intervertebral discs and knees are relieved. The Chairless Chair supports a healthy and upright sitting posture and takes preventive action so that pain does not occur at all,” claims the company in its latest flyer made available during the presentation at the Digital Hannover Messe 2021. The new Chairless Chair 2.0 is a passive exoskeleton that allows workers to change easily between sitting, walking and standing.

German company Ottoblock designs and manufactures the Paexo range of exoskeletons for the back, shoulder, wrist, neck and even the thumb! Paexo 03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

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The Cray X exoskeleton from German Bionic, at Hannover Messe 2019.

was developed based on Ottobock’s nearly 100 years of expertise in the fields of biomechanics, orthopaedic technology and product ergonomics. The company worked with automaker Volkswagen AG and the Institute for Biomechanics and Orthopaedics at the German Sport University Cologne to develop these products. The close cooperation with Volkswagen led to insights in production, work ergonomics and occupational health and safety. At 1.9 kg, the Paexo is the most lightweight exoskeleton for overhead work.

At Automatica 2018, Comau, the global leader in advanced industrial automation solutions, launched MATE, its first

wearable exoskeleton. Designed to improve work quality in an efficient and highly ergonomic manner, MATE works by providing consistent and advanced movement assistance during repetitive as well as daily tasks. It uses an advanced spring-based passive structure and delivers lightweight, breathable and highly effective postural support without the need for batteries, motors or other failure-prone devices. In December 2020, Comau launched a new version, the MATE-XT, which fully accommodates the specific needs of workers in demanding industrial, non-industrial and open-air environments. Perfect for carpentry, construction, agriculture, assembly, logistics and more, MATE-XT replicates

Skelex exoskeleton is powered by the proprietary FlexFrame Technology, the device adapting to the user’s body shape, and supporting biological movement of the shoulder joint, transferring the weight to the lower body. Skelex however does not manufacture these exoskeletons, preferring to concentrate on design and innovation, and has outsourced manufacturing to another Dutch company.

the user’s physiological shoulder movements to provide optimal upper body support and offers 8 different levels of assistance that can be quickly set – or changed – by the worker without interrupting the task at hand.

At the 2019 Hannover Messe, German Bionic, a robotics company, presented the first connected robot exoskeleton compatible with IIoT. The Cray X exoskeleton, having undergone many improvements, is said to be the first cloud connected exoskeleton, enabling complete integration into Smart Factory and Industry 4.0 environments.

Skelex, a Dutch startup, is another company that has successfully introduced an upper body passive skeleton in the market, primarily for the aerospace and automotive industries. Gaurav Genani, an engineer by day is a guitarist after work, performing in a band and nursing a wrist injury, apart from having gait issues not uncommon with guitar players. While doing his master’s thesis on musculoskeletal disorders amongst musicians at TU Delft in Rotterdam, Gaurav had his Eureka moment that led to exoskeletons and the founding of Skelex. What started as an idea in 2013 finally found its way to the market in 2017 as Skelex 360, with Airbus Industrie among its first customers. The

Collaboration and outsourced manufacturing is a trend that has caught up in exoskeletons, and even aerospace companies have got into the act. Boeing – one of the largest aerospace manufacturers – has been testing different types of exoskeletons as part of its Working Smart strategy.

The company has tested the Ekso Bionics’ EksoVest extensively and found it leads to increased worker strength and speed, as well as reduced fatigue on repetitive tasks, such as overhead drilling.

These are now inducted in assembly operations. Lockheed Martin, the wellknown global security and aerospace company, manufactures exoskeletons for its own requirements as well as for military applications, based on designs of well-known companies like Ekso Bionics and Boston Engineering. While Ekso Bionics has been engaged in developing exoskeleton technology to enhance natural abilities and improve quality of life since 2005, Boston Engineering is a product design company. One of the more interesting exoskeleton products of Lockheed Martin is the FORTIS exoskeleton for handling heavy tools through a spring loaded arm. Held in a gimbal for smooth rotation and flexibility, the FORTIS takes the weight of a heavy tool off the user’s body and directly passes it off into the ground, allowing effortless handling while retaining the controls. Having undergone several revisions since it was first introduced in 2017, the latest version of the FORTIS features a new, redesigned spring arm, which is connected to the exoskeleton at the waist. A set of counterweights at the back keeps the operator steady.

Korean company Hyundai Motor Group is also engaged in research and development of exoskeletons as part 03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

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MARKET OVERVIEW

Ottoblock designs and manufactures the Paexo range of exoskeletons.

Ekso Bionics’ EVO allows full flexibility of the torso and waist.

Hyundai Motor Group’s VEX and CEX exoskeletons.

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develops exoskeletons for industrial applications. The company has already in production three types of industrial exoskeletons for upper body, lower body and the lumbar region respectively.

MAPS-U is the upper body exoskeleton with four degrees of freedom that provides 10kg of load assistance to the arms for lifting endurance, also reducing shoulder fatigue while preventing work injuries. HEMS-L is a waist that provides 20kg of load assistance, while HEMSGS is a lower limb exoskeleton with 12 degrees of freedom and 50kg load bearing capacity. All three models are fully electric with battery power for 5 hours of continuous work and quick and easy replacement facility to continue the job beyond. The company says it has many international clients in the automotive and aviation sectors, as well as logistics.

of its robotics project. Hyundai’s latest exoskeleton wearable robot, Vest Exoskeleton (VEX), has won the Product Design category (Innovative Product field) at the Red Dot Design Awards, the prestigious international design competition. VEX was developed in line with Hyundai Motor Group’s commitment to the health and safety of its industrial workers. It is designed to prevent injuries while advancing the field of robotics. The compact design is achieved using the latest technology that eliminates the need for a battery. VEX, which wears like a backpack, utilises a polycentric axis to provide a maximum force of 5.5 kgf – an astonishing achievement given it weighs only 2.8 kg. In addition to VEX, Hyundai has also designed another lightweight wearable robot, the Chairless Exoskeleton (CEX). With CEX, workers can easily maintain a sitting position without a stool or chair.

While all the examples quoted above are of passive exoskeletons which are more common among industrial versions in general, there are also active exoskeletons available for industrial use. ULS Robotics, a Shanghai based startup designs and

No article on exoskeletons can ignore the contribution of Dr Homayoon Kazerooni, academician and entrepreneur. A professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr Kazerooni is also the director of Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory. The laboratory’s mission is to develop fundamental scientific and engineering principles on robotics, control sciences, exoskeletons, and bioengineering. Dr Kazerooni founded Ekso Bionics which became a public company in 2014, and is the founder and current CEO of US Bionics (DBA suitX), which brings advanced exoskeleton technologies to various markets. Most of the technologies developed in this lab at Berkeley have found their way to market.

In fact, suitX offers all three individual exoskeleton modules designed to be able to work in unison to assist the shoulders, back and legs. Each module can be worn individually or in combination to make seven different configurations to cater to customers’ specific needs.

The way ahead The exoskeletons have arrived and are in use across various manufacturing sites and assembly operations globally. These are getting better and lighter with new materials like ultralight carbon and soft, super strong technical textiles used in their construction. Once prohibitively expensive, exoskeletons are now within

the affordable range of large companies, and with growing popularity and mass production, prices are expected to fall further. But it is still early days and the jury is out on the safety and efficacy of the exoskeleton. In the absence of empirical evidence based on detailed studies as well as absence of standards, there are concerns expressed about the health and safety aspects. For example, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has warned that muscle strain could occur if a powered exoskeleton moves beyond the normal range of motion of a user’s joint. There is also the risk of skin irritation or chemical burns if an exoskeleton battery leaks corrosive materials. A study has pointed out that some upper body exoskeletons do not reduce the total load on the worker, merely shift it from the shoulders to the lower back and legs. Other risks include pressure wounds or compressed nerves from prolonged use. When such wearable devices are used by multiple users, poor hygiene could spread infectious diseases.

In 2017, ASTM International, the international standards organisation, proposed a guide to provide standardised tools to assess and improve the usability and usefulness of exoskeletons.

Accordingly the ASTM Committee F48 was formed to develop voluntary consensus standards for exoskeletons and exosuits. It is currently working on the proposed standard, WK68719, working through six subcommittees that include about 150 members, including startups, government agencies, and enterprises such as Boeing and BMW. The F48 committee has already published the first two standards regarding terminology and Standard Practice for Labelling and Information for Exoskeletons, many others are under development. In February 2021, the committee approved a new standard to help establish ergonomic parameters and test metrics. According to ASTM International board member Christopher Reid, the new standard can be used during the iterative design process of exoskeleton creation as well as for comparisons between commercially off-the-shelf ready systems. It is a work in progress and the standards are still evolving. But the exoskeleton has arrived.

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HARTING

COMPONENT CARRIERS REPLACE FLEXIBLE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS IN LINEAR MEASURING SYSTEMS HARTING has developed a component carrier that can be used directly with electronic components eliminating manual assembly and replacing flexible PCBs. Increasing precision and reducing assembly costs.

Component carriers are equipped with measuring sensors for detecting position The component carrier serves as a connecting element between a printed circuit board (PCB) and electronic components (such as LEDs, ICs, photo– diodes or sensors).

The measuring sensors of a scanning head for position detection, for example on a linear slide with guide rails, are often mounted onto flex PCBs. As magnetic, optical or inductive systems, they record the exact position of the slide. To do this the sensors must be positioned exactly at a 90 degree angle. The capability to mount these as precisely as possible improves the accuracy of the measurement results. A second sensor is often installed in the measuring head for redundancy.

In addition, the status of the evaluation electronics is displayed using LEDs; these are mounted onto a flex PCB. With HARTING’s component carrier the flexible PCB can be replaced completely.

The injection-moulded plastic body already provides very precise 90-degree angles for mounting sensors. The component carrier eliminates the need for time-consuming manual assembly of the flex PCB. In addition, the sensors are positioned more precisely. Another advantage of the component carrier is that the width of the sensor modules can be further reduced to less than 8 mm.

The component carrier with the assembled electronic components, comes in a blister pack for further processing in SMD assembly facilities, and the soldered components are secured with an adhesive so that they cannot detach from their position while in the reflow oven.

For more info visit: www.3d-mid.ch

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Two sensors for detecting the position of a linear slide // Elimination of flex PCBs to implement a 90° angle between the IC and PCB (A) // Status LEDs integrated on a small component carrier (B) // Simplification of assembly

PEPPERL+FUCHS FACTORY AUTOMATION

USI®-SAFETY ULTRASONIC SENSOR SYSTEM Pepperl+Fuchs is Expanding its Product Portfolio for Ultrasonic Sensors in the Area of Factory Automation with the Safe USisafety Ultrasonic Sensor System.

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he innovative USi-safety ultrasonic sensor system is a modern and certified sensor technology that is used to safeguard hazard areas on mobile machines such as robots, industrial trucks, machines, and plants according to EN ISO 13849-1 category 3 PL d. The USi-safety system protects people and objects from potential dangers and collisions. This ultrasonic sensor ensures the safety of personnel and takes its place in the range of electro-sensitive protective devices.

The only ultrasonic sensor system of its kind in the world is characterized by its flexibility and wide range of applications. Up to two small, freely positionable ultrasonic sensor units can be positioned, connected, and parameterized flexibly and geometrically regardless of the electronics. The safety function is provided with only one sensor unit, i.e., without redundancy. They can

be integrated in confined spaces and reliably detect moving and stationary objects with any shape, color, or surface in an elliptical, three-dimensional sound field of up to two and a half meters. Dirt, temperature, air flow, and humidity have no impact on the function of the sensor.

This makes it an excellent choice for almost all applications in the industry and outdoors. The sensor system is set up using convenient parameterization software. Each connected sensor unit comes with two short-circuit and crosscircuit-monitored OSSD safety outputs.

A teach-in function for teaching in the complete detection area as a standard environment increases operational safety.

This function suppresses vehicle contours that cause disturbance, for example. https://www.pepperl-fuchs.com/global/ en/index.htm

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HMS INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

ANYBUS WIRELESS BOLT CAN CAN COMMUNICATION VIA WI-FI OR BLUETOOTH

Since its launch five years ago, the Anybus® Wireless Bolt™ has provided thousands of industrial applications with wireless Ethernet access. With a rugged and unique form factor for bolt-onmachine mounting, it is today proven and trusted in the most demanding industrial applications. Use cases vary from warehouse installations and AGVs to manufacturing of food, underground mining or rough outdoor applications. Building on the success, HMS now launches the Anybus Wireless Bolt CAN, featuring CAN-based communication to the host equipment.

Industrial CAN goes wireless The new Anybus Wireless Bolt for CAN enables CAN-based, heavy-duty machinery and applications to transfer CAN data over a robust wireless link.

Wireless communication is established either over a fast Wi-Fi connection or a reliable Bluetooth link. The CAN data is transported over a TCP/IP link which enables other standard Wi-Fi infrastructure to also connect to the wireless link if desired.

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Wireless access to J1939 CAN-based vehicle data A typical use case is wireless access to CAN data from an industrial vehicle, such as a bulk material transport truck.

For example, with the Anybus Wireless Bolt CAN, J1939 CAN data is easily communicated to a handheld tablet which gives the operator full control and visibility of the ongoing bulk material filling process.

HMS INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

Wireless CANopen use case in manufacturing Anybus Wireless Bolt CAN is fully transparent when it comes to transporting CAN data, meaning that it works with any CAN-based protocol, including CANopen.

This opens the possibility to create mobile automation islands in any manufacturing process – the Anybus Wireless Bolt CAN will bridge the CANopen line wirelessly.

standards NB-IoT and CAT-M1, targeting IoT applications.

More information regarding Anybus Wireless Bolt: https://www.anybus.com/products/ wireless-solutions

A wide range of wireless connectivity options for industrial networks and IoT applications In addition to the new Anybus Wireless Bolt CAN, the Wireless Bolt product family includes other versions which can connect to the host equipment using serial and industrial Ethernet connectivity. On the wireless side of the Wireless Bolt, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options were recently complemented with a version that supports the new LTE 03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

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SOUTHCO

SOUTHCO’S LOCKING SOLUTIONS DRIVE SUCCESS FOR PAZTIR® Established in 2017 in the Netherlands, PAZTIR® is a specialist in access management, track and trace and smart locking systems for urban delivery optimisation.

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AZTIR® provides a competitive solution that can transform any cargo bike or light electric vehicle into an enhanced, smart delivery vehicle, ideal to support the growth in city-based logistics. In an industry where delivery boxes are opened and closed an average of 300 times per day, PAZTIR’s smart access solutions save up to 50 minutes a day for one vehicle.

The Challenge A critical success factor for urban delivery vehicles, where delivery system security and speed of access are paramount, is the cargo box which secures a wide range of products. To realise enhanced security and connectivity for their box solutions, PAZTIR® needed to identify a locking product that would connect seamlessly with the system device, while being lightweight so as not to weigh down the bikes. There were additional

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challenges around speed and terrain, as the vehicles PAZTIR® equips are driven very fast or from road to pavement. The locking mechanism needed to be able to withstand constant movement and vibration and avoid the locks popping open by themselves.

The Solution PAZTIR® identified access solutions leader Southco to address the complex mix of features and qualities needed for the cargo box. PAZTIR’s customers can connect up to 6 locks to 1 Paztir IoT device and can select the right fit from Southco’s vast range of locking solutions which are designed for easy integration into the box container.

PAZTIR’s system uses either the Southco R4-EM or EM-05, depending on end design requirements. The R4-EM, for example, features a microprocessor

SOUTHCO

controlled gear motor with low power requirements and delivers proven electronic access control in a compact, lightweight package. Because it provides easy push-to-close operation and simple installation, the R4-EM is ideal for transitioning from mechanical to electronic access. Being compact, it integrates easily into existing designs.

The lock features an optional micro switch to provide feedback on latch status and multiple mounting configurations. It can also be fitted with an optional sensor to identify when doors are open or closed and has a manual override which can be used as backup for opening.

The Implementation and Results Southco’s locking solutions have added value to PAZTIR’s system by making it more secure and streamlined. By enabling their system to become more competitive, Southco is helping PAZTIR® to achieve their goal of becoming leaders in their industry and enabling logistics and delivery companies to meet their customers’ needs and maximise the performance of their customers’ fleets.

PAZTIR® is currently fitting 2000 systems across Europe, the UK and the US. “Our goal is to be the ‘go to’ company for access management, track and trace, and smart locking for electric cargo bikes in urban delivery. Southco’s products and customer service are playing a vital role in enabling us to achieve this,” said Andrej Sobotkiewicz, Paztir CEO. “The team at Southco is very supportive and informative. It was important to have their insight and advice. They were able to share samples and allow us to start testing as soon as possible,” said Sobotkiewicz. “As innovators in our industry it is important for us to be able to rely on suppliers who have an equally open attitude towards doing things differently without compromising on quality.” https://southco.com/en_gb_int/

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INNODISK

INNODISK RELEASES CAN BUS MODULES FOR UNMANNED SMART SYSTEMS Innodisk recently released their latest CAN Bus modules. With a complete line of form factors and strict industrial quality, these products have proven themselves indispensable in the success of unmanned systems.

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he demand for unmanned systems has seen marked growth since 2020, with a report from Fortune Business Insights estimating a CAGR of 12.23% for the UAV segment. Many industry verticals have felt the impact of unmanned systems, such as agriculture, logistics, transportation, and aerospace, which have all begun to leverage the benefits of unmanned vehicle technologies.

Unmanned aircraft are at the heart of all unmanned systems, but at the heart of all unmanned systems is the CAN Bus. With this continued expansion, rising complexity, and the increased efficiency

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requirements of new applications, it is critical that the CAN Bus module can operate in harsh conditions, like extreme temperatures and electromagnetic interference. Innodisk CAN Bus modules all support wide temperature, 2.5KV isolation protection, and the high-layer protocols SAE J1939 and CANopen needed to ensure optimal performance in extreme conditions without degrading.

Amongst the latest popular adopters are unmanned flight application, which has utilized Innodisk CAN Bus modules in the latest aircrafts. Innodisk’s USB to CAN module has successfully built into autonomous commercial drones,

INNODISK

as well as agriculture machine, robot operating system (ROS), Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) that for all kinds of smart applications. CAN Bus is enabled to control the system, interact with the onboard computer and various CAN devices, and diagnose issues in ground stations.

“We think it’s pretty cool that Innodisk’s CAN modules are successfully supporting our customers’ projects of different smart applications,” said Johnny Wu, Senior Manager of Innodisk’s Intelligent Peripheral Application Department. He further added, “Using Innodisk products for their unmanned devices reaffirms our commitment to providing the most durable products on the market. We’re proud to have played a small but crucial part in their developments.”

CAN Bus solutions sufficiently capable of handling the strain of these harsh environments have, until now, been a major roadblock for reliable systems development. Innodisk CAN Bus modules provide complete hardware and software integration and offer different form factors to fit diverse demands. For integrators and engineers looking to introduce their products into the unmanned systems space, it is tantamount that their hardware solution will meet the rigors of these industrial environments. https://www.innodisk.com

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LEUZE

A SHOWROOM FOR LEUZE SENSORS In 2020, Leuze set a new milestone in its company history: after just 12 months of construction time, the Sensor People put their new international distribution center into operation in Unterlenningen, near the Leuze headquarters.

The new international Leuze distribution center in Unterlenningen, near the headquarters of the Sensor People.

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clear commitment to the company’s roots and the location. At the same time a clear statement regarding growth targets and the company’s forward looking approach.

Perfectly dimensioned The Leuze distribution center has three different storage areas: the floor pallet warehouse, the high bay warehouse and the distribution center’s key area: the automatic small-parts warehouse.

Together with GEBHARDT Intralogistics Group, Leuze implemented a complete in house conveyor and storage system in its new distribution center.

Requirements The entire intralogistics process had to be automated and customized to the needs of the company. Most importantly, the complexity of various order picking tasks had to be taken into consideration and a solution found that could cope with workload peaks. Key requirement: It had to be possible to adapt the solution flexibly and scalably to additional growth.

Apart from the small-parts warehouse, GEBHARDT also provided the conveyor system with simple, perfectly matched solutions, the multifunctional, ergonomic order picking workstations as well as the warehouse management software GEBHARDT StoreWare®.

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Automatic small parts warehouse The small parts warehouse is located inside a 16 meter high, 66 meter long and 10 meter wide enclosed structure. The containers are carried by the conveyor system through two locks, fitted with high speed doors, into the storage area – and back out again.

The small parts warehouse was designed as a 2 aisle shuttle warehouse, with 38 levels and five GEBHARDT StoreBiter® one level shuttles (OLS) in each aisle.

“We deliberately chose the one level shuttles with capacitor technology from GEBHARDT. The special feature of this technology is its high degree of flexibility and scalability. Also, it requires far less maintenance than conventional slow action contact systems. They are also more durable which reduces our maintenance processes and increases profitability,” says Ibrahim Zuva, Director of Logistics at Leuze, explaining the

decision to opt for this shuttle variant.

Charging is necessary after 20 minutes of operation and takes place via conductor tracks installed at the front end of the aisle. The charging process itself takes just as few seconds. The shuttle does not need to be fully charged. When working at high capacity, the shuttles continue to operate even with a partial charge. A lifter is provided at the front end of each aisle. This means that the containers in the Leuze warehouse are not transferred at the current level, but instead the shuttles move onto a vertical lift which transports the shuttles together with the containers to the lowest position. There the containers are transferred to the conveyor system. These lifters are also used when items enter storage. The lift can transport a weight of 150 kg including shuttle and travels at four meters per second. To further increase depositing and retrieval capacity, in addition to increasing the number of shuttles it is

LEUZE

from the small-parts warehouse and fed to one of the three order picking stations.

The containers are transported out of the warehouse in the shuttles, and the vertical lift moves them to the lowest level where they are handed over to the conveyor system.

also possible to integrate a further lift at the end of the aisle. If the current solution achieves 130 double cycles, adding a second lifter will increase performance to 200 double cycles. The warehouse uses two different containers. A large container measuring 600 x 400 x 220 mm and a smaller container measuring 600 x 400 x 125 mm. Based on the large containers, the warehouse achieves a capacity of 33,000 storage spaces. By stacking two small containers on top of each other, the capacity can be increased to up to 40,000 storage spaces.

The path through the warehouse In the case of items entering the warehouse, Leuze makes a distinction between items from external suppliers, which supplement Leuze’s own product range, and items that come from Leuze’s own production facility. The external items arrive at the incoming goods department in parcels. There, they are

unpacked and their identity and quantity checked. If identity and quantity are correct, the items are packed in one of the two container variants and “married” to the container. In this way, the ERP system knows which items are contained in which container. The process step in which the internal items are assigned to a specific container takes place at the production site. The individual containers are transported to a loading point where they enter the conveyor system. The Leuze sensors and the warehouse management software (LVS) from GEBHARDT do the rest. “Our sensors read the bar codes to determine which container is at which position in the conveyor system, and the LVS deposits the containers chaotically randomly in the small-parts warehouse,” explains Zuva. The LVS is familiar with the order pool. In other words, it knows which order must be retrieved for delivery and when. Algorithms stored in the LVS control which container is retrieved first

After the container is handed over to the conveyor system, it travels (controlled by Leuze sensors and the GEBHARDT StoreWare® software) to one of the three multifunctional order picking workstations, which are each equipped with a height adjustable pedestal to ensure optimum ergonomics.

Multifunctional workstation means that three different order picking functions can be carried out at each workstation.

The first function is defined as the basic function and deals with orders that are supplied to European end customers via the usual parcel delivery services.

The containers are transported by the conveyor system. When they arrive at the workstation, SAP tells the order picker how many items need to be picked for the order. The order picker places the items in the shipping box. The shipping box is then packed, the delivery slip and service provider label are attached, and the parcel is again transported on the conveyor system to the outgoing goods department. When the parcel arrives at the removal point, the parcel is loaded into a pallet and received by the shipping provider. The second function is responsible for sending deliveries to non European subsidiaries. They receive grouped consignments, i.e., weekly bulk shipments. The third function is the so called consolidation function.

The conveyor system and order picking workstations can be easily retrofitted so large pallet boxes can then be handled and filled. “Our consolidation orders consist of items from the small parts warehouse and other items from the two other storage areas.

To merge the items from the different areas, an additional conveyor belt can be pushed to the order picking workstation,” says Ibrahim Zuva summing up the retrofit. https://www.leuze.com 03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

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FISCHER CONNECTORS

SERIAL PRODUCTION OF HEXADRONE’S TUNDRA MODULAR TOOL-CARRIER DRONE WITH FISCHER CONNECTORS’ RUGGED, MINIATURE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS

The Tundra with Yellowscan’s Mapper equipped with three Fischer MiniMaxTM Series connectors.

Hexadrone unveiled its first serial drone, the Tundra, a ruggedized, multi-functional, modular drone that will be industrially manufactured in a factory under construction in France. The Tundra uses ultra-rugged, miniature Fischer UltiMate™ and Fischer MiniMax™ connectivity solutions, able to withstand the harsh environments the drone may need to operate in.

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esulting from more than three years of development, the Tundra is the first French modular, multirotor drone. Designed in Hexadrone’s workshops in the Haute-Loire in an open innovation logic, this collaborative tool carrier, in its beta version, won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in 2018.

Unveiled on April 30, 2021 in its serial version, the Tundra is a unique 100% modular, multifunctional unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), designed and manufactured as a development hub for integrators.

The body is equipped with numerous interfaces that allow the integration of accessories, sensors and other modules already available on the market, or the development of new ones. This enables

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the Tundra to adapt to custom features and rapid changes in the state of the art, which also helps it combat obsolescence.

The drone’s arms are interchangeable and easy to remove. The user can choose from three different types, depending on the various missions and flight scenarios planned. With the most durable arms, the Tundra can carry a payload of up to four kilos for a flight time of 30 minutes – a high performance in the world of multirotor drones.

The serial production of the Tundra, made possible thanks to the construction of an industrial building underway in Saint Ferréol d’Auroure in the Haute-Loire, is the logical next step in this drone’s development that meets the market needs analyzed by Alexandre Labesse,

FISCHER CONNECTORS

The Fischer UltiMateTM Series interface on the Tundra’s body.

The standard interface module can be adapted with Fischer MiniMaxTM connections.

Hexadrone’s Chairman and Founder: “With this multifunctional, modular tool carrier, our customers are opening up the field of possibilities in their collaborative projects and lowering their development costs when they adapt the drone to users’ new needs and new technologies on the market. This is not possible with most of today’s drones, which are designed for a single type of use and quickly become obsolete due to rapid technological advances. In response to obsolescence, we’ve opted for adaptability and durability.”

The Tundra’s durability is ensured through a robust design that allows for intensive use in the field. The drone is waterproof and can cope with harsh conditions.

Moreover, transportation and assembly in the field are easy, as the landing gear can be fitted and the arms screwed on in less than a minute.

Two types of robust, miniature connector for intensive, durable use To fulfill the drone’s technical requirements for modularity, reliability,

durability, ruggedness and ease of use, Hexadrone chose Fischer Connectors’ high-performance, ultra-robust, push-pull connectivity solutions. The Tundra comes equipped with a rugged Fischer UltiMate™ USB 2.0 connector that is waterproof and reliable in all conditions. The standard interfaces can accommodate external modules linked, among others, by Fischer MiniMax™ connectors and cabling, which optimize the high-density miniaturization of onboard electronics, such as a companion computer, a storage module, a security key or a lidar that the Tundra can be fitted with for certain aerial remote-sensing missions using lasers.

Guy Lacroix, Director of Fischer Connectors France, is very happy with the technological partnership established throughout this rugged drone’s development: “We’ve been supporting the Tundra’s innovations from the outset.

Our experts are gratified to have been able to see the project through to serial production with suitable connectivity solutions. Since connectivity lies at the

heart of this rugged UAV, our highperformance solutions proposed in this modular offering cover the whole range of integrators’ technical requirements in terms of robustness and reliability, miniaturization, sealing up to IP68, and data transmission.”

• Tundra: www.tundra.hexadrone.fr • Shop for Hexadrone’s drone: https://hexadrone.fr/ • Fischer UltiMate™ Series: www.fischerconnectors.com/global/en/ fischer-ultimatetm-series • Fischer MiniMax™ Series: www.fischerconnectors.com/global/en/ fischer-minimaxtm-series • Fischer Connectors’ solutions for UAVs: www.fischerconnectors.com/global/ en/applications/robotics-unmannedvehicles

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MOXA

MOXA LAUNCHES WIRELESS ADD-ON MODULE FOR MXVIEW TO OVERCOME THE WI-FI NETWORK MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES IN SMART MANUFACTURING

Moxa, a leading provider of network infrastructure solutions, has released the MXview Wireless addon module for our MXview industrial network management software. MXview streamlines network management by visualizing networks, helping non-IT staff simplify operations and improve network uptime.

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his software has successfully helped many customers from around the world in different industries, such as in power, intelligent transportation, and manufacturing. Today, with the rise of smart manufacturing, intelligent and reliable industrial network communication has become the cornerstone for nearly every smart application. In response to the transformation of the industrial environment and increasing number of Wi-Fi applications, the new MXview Wireless add-on module fulfills the different requirements of both static and dynamic wireless applications in smart manufacturing. With reliable network communications as a foundation and real-time network management from a single pane of glass, business owners can focus on improving operational efficiency and achieving maximum system uptime.

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Visualize Wi-Fi Networks for Optimal Operational Efficiency Intelligent process control is a typical static wireless application in smart manufacturing where customers use Wi-Fi to establish the communication between the clients installed at production lines and the control center.

However, an unstable wireless connection might lead to wrong decision-making due to incomplete on-site information or dropped connections, affecting optimal production processes. It’s often difficult to know the exact status of the Wi-Fi connection and fix issues immediately the moment they occur. The MXview Wireless add-on module simplifies network management by allowing users to get detailed device information and performance indicator charts for individual AP and client devices from the device dashboard. “A major benefit of

this module is that users can now view the wireless and wired network status from a single main control dashboard.

This feature not only lets you quickly understand the network conditions of the factory, but also makes network management much easier.” says Lyra Li, product manager at Moxa. Furthermore, users can monitor connectivity patterns and customize alert settings to immediately notify you of any problems.

In turn, this allows engineers to perform on-site troubleshooting quickly and efficiently, ensuring maximum network availability.

Easy Troubleshooting for Maximum System Uptime In automated material handling (AMH) systems, the Wi-Fi connections must be able to dynamically adapt to the constantly moving vehicles. An unstable

MOXA

wireless signal could easily disrupt the operation of these systems. However, wireless connections are invisible and affected by a lot of different factors.

The MXview Wireless add-on features a dynamic topology view to let users see the status of wireless links and connection changes at a glance. Moreover, since automated vehicles constantly roam between different APs around the facility, users can overlay the network topology on top of a floor map of the facility to easily locate the vehicle by just checking the client’s wireless connection. This helps save a great deal of time when trying to identify a malfunctioning client device.

“The roaming playback function lets users review a client’s roaming history of the past 30 days to repeat an incident. Users can leverage this function to find and address the root cause more efficiently, instead of having to consolidate and examine individual device logs.” says Lyra.

Exclusively developed by Moxa, these two functions are specially designed to fulfill the growing requirements of automated factories, smart logistics, and other intelligent applications. To learn more about our wireless AMH solutions,

you can watch our introduction video at https://youtu.be/AX41LeTb-ZE. Leveraging our experience in wired network management with MXview, the newly released MXview Wireless add-on module was created to get the most out of your Wi-Fi applications. To encourage everyone to experience the power of this industrial network management software, Moxa is also launching a special promotion program. From now until December 31, 2021, users can fully enjoy the MXview Wireless add-on for free for one year by simply activating the MXview Wireless add-on module for MXview.

For more information about the product and details regarding this ongoing promotion, please visit the product page or the microsite at www.moxa.com/ MXview.

MXview and MXview Wireless Add-on Module Highlights • Automatically discovers and visualizes network devices and physical connections • Instant alerts with customizable trigger thresholds • Easily embedded into OT/IT systems • Single, integrated dashboard for wired and wireless network status overview • D etailed device information and performance indicator charts • D ynamic topology view shows the status of wireless links and connection changes at a glance • Visual, interactive roaming playback function to review the roaming history of clients Learn how MXview was endorsed by our ITS customer by reading our City of Lancaster, USA case study. https://www.moxa.com/en/casestudies/city-of-lancaster

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CAMILLE BAUER

INNOVATIVE AND SCALABLE MULTI-COMPONENT SOFTWARE SMARTCOLLECT® SC² COMBINES DIGITAL MEASUREMENT DATA MANAGEMENT AND SCADA The SmartCollect® SC² offers a state-of-the-art and flexible HMI. All critical measurement data at a glance. How the dashboard manages data can be adapted to the individual needs of the user.

The topic of measurement, secure access to measurement data, secure storage of measurement data as well as the visualisation and analysis of such data poses ever-increasing challenges.

Among other things, this is also driven by increasingly strict IT guidelines, growing complexity of infrastructures and data protection. And all this comes in the context of rapid digital market dynamics.

The goal: Simplify the world of measurement data Camille Bauer Metrawatt introduces the innovative SmartCollect® SC² HMI/ SCADA software for managing data in a user-friendly way. Unlike some other SCADA software tools in this category, SmartCollect® SC² is based on a new state-of-the-art platform with a visually appealing 2D/3D web-based graphical user interface. The simplicity, functionality, flexibility along with the price-performance ratio are convincing.

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A look at the system architecture Essentially, it is a web-based HMI that does not require a complicated clientserver architecture. The advantage is obvious. The security of the IT infrastructure stays in the hands of the user and is not affected by how a user software accesses the HMI. The user runs the application via WebGUI and the application is monitored using role-based access control (RBAC) and an AuditLog. According to the customer-specific configuration, measurement data is securely stored on a server, locally or in the cloud, and retrieved for visualisation by the web-based HMI at the frontend. In addition, many common communication protocols are available for system integration.

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The system architecture can be used with all measurement data, can visualise them and can communicate with higher-level systems when required.

Deliberate simplicity despite high performance is the order of the day Innovative functionalities are at the heart of SmartCollect® SC². For example, infrastructural overviews of measurement data can be displayed in 2D or 3D graphics as well as in single-line diagrams. A dashboard also enables you to evaluate progressions in the relevant measurement data, to analyse them with synchronised zoom functions and to derive possible trends from them.

In addition to visualising events and alarms, there are export functions for the measurement data. A big plus of the software is the access to individual measuring points from the HMI of the SmartCollect® SC² directly into the respective WebGUI of the measuring devices. Here, necessary settings as well as further measurement data can be viewed and deeper analyses can be made or even individual processes can be represented graphically. Access in the Camille Bauer products is also protected against unintentional manipulation with further integrated protective functions such as RBAC, Client Whitelist, AuditLog, Syslog, Secure Firmware, 16GB SD card and Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (https). The customer can set up all the

options described above flexibly. The user can implement user profiles in order to adapt them later to the corresponding users. A wide range of national languages are supported. The SmartCollect® SC² also offers a user-friendly option to process a wide variety of data including measuring devices and sensors from different manufacturers as well as virtual channels. Modern sharing, snapshot and playlist functions are also included.

The right version for every use case There are currently 4 editions of SmartCollect® SC² available for the use cases. The Starter Edition is the best choice for smaller installations, while the Standard Edition, which comes in a Professional or an Enterprise Edition, is recommended for more than 10 measuring points. The software is then scaled to the number of measuring points and the required measurement data and optimally designed to fit the existing budget. In addition, the user is guided during the design phase in a way that makes it clear from the beginning what the software will look like and how it will function in the application. This is a big plus for creating transparency and efficiency during the offer or initialisation

phase. At the same time, the software in each edition can be scaled up by taking into account any potential far-sighted adaptations and extensions. The software is used in energy distribution applications as well as in industrial and commercial infrastructures. It is therefore a good allrounder for many areas, especially where a particular measuring unit is taken into account.

I n f o : S t a t i o n a r y SCA D A w i t h SmartCollect® SC² - Power Quality as a Service (pq-as-a-service.com): https://pq-as-a-service.com It is worth taking a look online at: https://scada-smartcollect.com [with access authorisation] Contact at: info@scada-smartcollect.com

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DUNKERMOTOREN

DUNKERMOTOREN IS FIRST DRIVE TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURER TO INTEGRATE CERTIFIED PROFINET WITH PROFIDRIVE IN SERVO MOTOR Since the end of February 2021, Dunkermotoren’s fully integrated PROFINET solution has been officially certified by the PROFIBUS user organization.

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his means another important feature is fully integrated into the motor, which is a milestone in terms of cabling, commissioning and IIoT capability. Dunkermotoren, the world leader in brushless DC motors with integrated electronics from 1 to 4000 watts, is the first drive technology manufacturer to fully integrate its certified PROFINET solution with PROFIdrive into a motor.

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The certification assures Dunkermotoren that the high standards of stability, even under extreme bus conditions, are always maintained. Currently the products BG 95 dPro, BG 75 dPro, BG 66 dPro and the BGE 5510 dPro are available with PROFINET interface, covering the output power from 1 to 4000 W. https://www.dunkermotoren.com/en/

DUNKERMOTOREN

DUNKERMOTOREN LAUNCHES ITS ONLINE SHOP 2.0 Dunkermotoren launches its new online shop.

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he new online shop is based on an online product configurator that the drive manufacturer already integrated into the website in 2018.

This enables customers to configure the perfect drive online from 125,000 possible configurations, check availabilities and order directly. The matching drive specifications and 3D models can also be downloaded directly.

Not only does the online shop offer new customers a great overview of Dunkermotoren’s product portfolio, but existing customers can also order their products quickly and easily.

Special conditions and agreements are automatically applied in the online shop.

Known article numbers can be entered directly in the shop, and customers can also find a history of all previous orders in their dashboard, regardless of whether they were placed via the shop or in the traditional way.

Express production for Dunkermotoren products will be further expanded in the course of this. Currently, more than 2,000 products from the stock program can be configured, ordered and delivered within a few days.

The new online shop is available immediately for all European countries under https://shop.dunkermotoren.de.

Variants for the USA and China will follow over the year. https://www.dunkermotoren.com/en/

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SILINA

SILINA CURVE CMOS IMAGING SENSORS AT INDUSTRIAL SCALE SILINA, a deeptech startup in microelectronics, brings a real paradigm shift to the imaging industry by curving the imaging sensors. Curved sensor technology is being developed for many years but was limited to single-chip manufacturing processes, until now. SILINA has been developing a unique technology which enables to curve hundreds of imaging sensors at the same time, offering new perspectives in the design of cameras, from high volume to niche markets.

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n nature, most vision systems use curved retinas, like human eyes.

Curved retinas enable to use simple optical lens with only one lens, the crystalline, providing a wide field of view for an outstanding image quality, making the eyes very compact. Unfortunately, all electronic imaging systems use flat imaging sensors which require making the lens very complex, using many expensive optical elements. This degrades the optical performance and capabilities of the camera, and increases the mass/ volume budget and overall cost of any camera and optical system.

Curved imaging sensor technology is the next major innovation for the imaging industry. It disrupts the way vision systems are designed. It overcomes hardware limitations that no software can solve and enable a whole new generation of cameras. It provides drastic improvements on four key criteria: increased image quality and detection capability, and reduced cost and bulk of cameras.

An innovative process for scaling Wilfried JAHN, CTO and co-founder of SILINA, has been developing and optimizing a curving process with the objective to scale and reach high volume markets. He explains: “our innovation has been driven to unlock the technological barriers of scalability. Previously, this technology was limited to niche markets since the various solutions were limited to manual single-chip manufacturing processes, delivering a few tens of units during the past 20 years. Thanks to cross-pollination ideation of various professional experiences, we have been able to create a unique process to curve hundreds chips at the same time. We can

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control all the parameters which make the process reliable and repeatable, reducing significantly the cost of production. One month after creating SILINA, we have curved 275 units of 1-inch CMOS imaging sensors at the same time, a world first demonstration.”

SILINA’s curving process is the same whatever the sensor format and technology, notably CMOS and CCD. It can be applied to Front-Side Illuminated (FSI), Back-Side Illuminated (BSI) sensors, and on various spectral bandwidths from ultraviolet, visible to infrared. This process enables low volume and high volume manufacturing, curving one sensor, several sensors or a full wafer at a time. Also, various shapes can be obtained: spherical, aspherical, freeform and custom shape on-demand.

SILINA

This manufacturing process has also been developed to keep the same original packaging used for classic flat sensors, meaning that the mechanical architecture and electronic board remain the same, facilitating the integration of the technology on current production lines.

A dual business model Michaël BAILLY, CEO and co-founder of SILINA, detail the startup offers: “our services are offered to optical system designers and manufacturers, camera integrators and sensor manufacturers to support them in the improvement of their imaging system performance while reducing their cost of production.

Our offer is made of two propositions, a support in optical system design to integrate the curved sensor technology in their specific applications, and an on-

demand service to curve their imaging sensors. SILINA does not design nor manufactured its own sensors, but curve existing flat sensors. Finally, we plan to reach high volume markets via IP licensing.”

SILINA’s technology brings a significant benefit for the imaging industries: aerospace, defense, photography, automotive, smartphone and others.

The main value proposition is specific to each market segment and application: e.g. high image quality for smartphones, low mass/volume budget for aerospace and drones, better detection capability for automotive. Michael BAILLY continues: “These needs drive our technological developments in several complementary aspects including yield of production, shape accuracy and resistance to

environmental constraints. In the end, each technological development for a specific application benefits the others.”

He concludes: “Microelectronics and photonics projects are defined by the European Commission as Important Projects of Common European Interest.

Curved imaging sensor technology complies with this scope. It’s a real asset for European companies, and SILINA will deliver it at large scale.” https://www.linkedin.com/company/ silina/

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SOFTING INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

SECURITY FOR INDUSTRIE 4.0 Seamless, secure data exchange for the integration of production and management levels.

Data exchange in Industrie 4.0 applications Data exchange is an important issue to look at when integrating the production (operational technology, OT) and management (information technology, IT) levels. This is due to the large number of variables and non-standardized interfaces, as well as the need to support access privileges and specific security requirements. Although OPC UA has now established itself as a standard technology for achieving these goals, the devil is in the details when it comes to implementing successful Industrie 4.0 applications.

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Interface abstraction, data aggregation and security The dataFEED Secure Integration Server product from Softing Industrial works as an abstract interface between the worlds of OT and IT, offering users a set of key functionalities for efficient data exchange in a single component. In its role as an aggregating server, this middleware makes use of OPC UA’s address space modeling, especially for interface abstraction and data aggregation. In the process, this interface abstraction handles changes or extensions within one domain (OT/IT) without any modifications then being needed in the other. Advantages here include the ease with which new IT applications can be integrated into

SOFTING INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

dataFEED Secure Integration Server works as an abstract interface between the worlds of OT and IT

the overall solution, to exploit short innovation cycles in IT or make targeted changes to the production environment.

With data aggregation, data from multiple sources can be consolidated on a single OPC UA server, so the IT application now only needs to access this one server. This simplification to the communications infrastructure cuts configuration effort for users.

Another key feature of the dataFEED Secure Integration Server is its in-built security model, with filters available to restrict the address space for individual OPC UA client applications plus definable access types. Apart from full implementation of OPC UA security functions, whitelists and blacklists can also be defined to control data access from specific IP addresses, and detection of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks targeting OPC UA authentication is also included.

Direct benefits for customers Whether customers are retaining existing setups or are planning a new plant installation, deciding to deploy the dataFEED Secure Integration Server offers a significant set of advantages when running Industrie 4.0 applications.

In one recent example, integrating 1.5 million variables into an overall system was the challenge faced by a leading provider of power station process control systems. However, accessing such a large number of variables is a major stumblingblock for many OPC UA clients. Because of this, the power station application instead chose to use the variable filtering option to achieve targeted variable access restrictions for individual OPC UA clients.

In addition, only read access is granted to the individually configured variables. This prevents the unauthorized overwriting of assigned data values.

A major automotive parts supplier likewise chose dataFEED Secure Integration Server specifically to handle variable aggregation and filtering from multiple, heterogeneous OPC UA servers, giving the OPC UA clients a standard, harmonized interface for accessing all variables. In this case, the customer’s need to implement a state-of-the-art security standard was another key reason for choosing this solution. https://industrial.softing.com/us/index. html

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IDS IMAGING DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

CAP CLOSED Camera-based cap control with artificial intelligence.

40 different colours and shades are reliably detected

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trong price pressure combined with high quality requirements - the beverage and bottle industry faces the classic dilemma of many industries.

This is also the case in the quality control department of a French manufacturer of plastic caps. Reliably detecting cracks and micro-cracks on plastic caps in 40 different colours and shades running at high speed on a production line is a real challenge. APREX Solutions from Nancy, France has successfully achieved this goal with the help of an image-processing technology and artificial intelligence. The basic images are provided by a USB 3 industrial camera from IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH. SOLOCAP is a subsidiary of La Maison Mélan Moutet, “flavour conditioner since 1880” and manufactures all types of plastic caps for the food sector at its

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industrial site in Contrexéville. Among them, a top-class screw cap suitable for any glass or PET bottle. Thanks to a clampable lamella ring arranged around the bottle collar, it enables simple, fast, absolutely tight and secure seal. However, the slats must be reliably and extremely carefully checked for cracks, tears and twists during production. This is the only way to guarantee absolute tightness.

The previous inspection system could not meet these high requirements. APREX Solutions realised the new solution with artificial intelligence individually on the basis of in-house software algorithms.

The necessary specifications were developed in advance in cooperation with the customer. This also included several inspection stages, one of which, for example, was the reject control to avoid

IDS IMAGING DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

The APREX inspection system checks plastic caps for defects running at high speed on a production line.

false reports. The introduction took place in two phases: First, the specific “SOLOCAP application” was trained with the help of the intelligent APREX Track AI solution. The software includes various object detector, classifier and standard methods that operate at different levels. Networked accordingly, they ultimately deliver the desired result tailored to the customer. Four control levels with several test points guarantee a reliability rate of over 99.99%.

In the second step, this application was implemented in the production line right after the first assembly run with APREX Track C&M. The latter was specially developed for the diverse image processing requirements in the industrial sector. This includes, among other things, the control and safeguarding of a production line up to the measurement, identification and classification of defects in the production environment.

The software suite delivers the desired results quickly and efficiently, without time-consuming development processes.

After a short training of the AI methods, the complete system is ready for use at the customer. In the case of SOLOCAP, it combines an IDS UI-3280CP-CHQ industrial camera, powerful ring illumination and a programmable logic controller (PLC) to provide comprehensive control over all inspection processes. At the same time, it records all workflows

in real time and ensures complete traceability. Only one camera is needed for this. However, APREX TRACK C&M could handle up to 5 cameras.

“The difficulty of this project consisted mainly in the very subtle expression of the defects we were looking for and in the multitude of colours. With our software suite, it was possible to quickly set up an image processing application. Despite the complexity,” explains Romain Baude - founder APREX Solutions. The image from the camera provides the basis for the evaluations. It captures every single cap directly in the production line at high speed and makes the smallest details visible to the software.

One crucial component: the camera The UI-3280CP-C-HQ industrial camera integrated into the system with the 5 MP IMX264 CMOS sensor from Sony sets new standards in terms of light sensitivity, dynamic range and colour reproduction. The USB 3 industrial camera provides excellent image quality with extraordinarily low-noise performance at frame rates up to 36 fps. CP stands for “Compact Power”. This is because the tiny powerhouse for industrial applications of all kinds is fast, reliable and enables a high data rate of 420 MByte/s with low CPU load. Users can choose from a large number of modern CMOS sensors from manufacturers such as Sony, CMOSIS, e2v and ON Semiconductor with a wide range

of resolutions. Its innovative, patented housing design with dimensions of only 29 x 29 x 29 millimetres makes it suitable for tasks in the fields of automation, automotive, medical technology and life sciences, agriculture, logistics as well as traffic and transport, among others.

Screwable cables ensure a reliable electrical connection. Thanks to the IDScharacteristic plug & play principle, the cameras are automatically recognised by the system and are immediately ready for use, as Romain Baude confirms: “The excellent colour reproduction of the UI3280CP-C-HQ and its high resolution of 5 MP were decisive factors for us in choosing the camera. At the same time, the model enabled a quick, uncomplicated integration into our system.”

Outlook Anthony Vastel – Head of Technology and Industry at SOLOCAP – sees a lot of potential in the new inspection system: “APREX’s AI-based approach has opened new doors for our 100% vision-based quality control. Our requirements for product safety, but also for reject control, especially in the case of false reports, were quickly met. We are convinced that we can go one step further by continuing to increase the efficiency of the system at SOLOCAP and transferring it to other production lines.” AI offers quality assurance, but also all other industries in which image processing technology is used, new, undreamed-of fields of application. It makes it possible to solve tasks in which classic, rule-based image processing reaches its limits. Thus, high-quality results can be achieved with comparatively little effort - quickly, creatively and efficiently.

APREX Solutions and IDS have recognised this and offer solutions with intelligent products that make it easier for customers to enter this new world. Image processing and AI - a real dream team on course for growth… https://en.ids-imaging.com/

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HMS INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

CONTINUED GROWTH FOR INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS DESPITE PANDEMIC - INDUSTRIAL NETWORK MARKET SHARES 2021 ACCORDING TO HMS NETWORKS

Every year, HMS Networks carries out a study of the industrial network market to analyze the distribution of new connected nodes in factory automation. This year’s study shows that, despite the Corona pandemic, the industrial network market is expected it to grow by 6% in 2021. Industrial Ethernet still shows the highest growth and now has 65% of new installed nodes (64% last year), while fieldbuses are at 28% (30). Wireless networks continue to climb and are now at 7%. PROFINET passes EtherNet/IP at the top of the network rankings with 18% market share compared to 17%.

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HMS INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

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MS Networks now presents their annual analysis of the industrial network market, focusing on new installed nodes within factory automation globally. As an independent supplier of solutions within Industrial ICT (Information and Communication Technology), HMS has a substantial insight into the industrial network market. The 2021 study includes estimated market shares and growth rates for fieldbuses, industrial Ethernet and Wireless technologies.

The study concludes that the industrial network market is showing signs of regained stability and HMS expects the total market to grow by 6% in 2021.

Industrial Ethernet is growing steadily Growing by 8%, Industrial Ethernet continues to take market share. Industrial Ethernet now makes up for 65% of the global market of new installed nodes in Factory Automation (compared to 64% last year). EtherNet/IP and PROFINET are fighting for first place, but this year PROFINET passes EtherNet/IP at the top of the network rankings with 18% market share compared to 17%. EtherCAT continues to perform well globally and now matches the leading fieldbus PROFIBUS at 8% market share. Modbus TCP is next at 5% market share and together with fieldbus brother Modbus RTU, these Modbus technologies now account for 10% of the market, confirming their continued importance in factory installations globally.

Fieldbus decline halted The ongoing fieldbus decline reported

by HMS in recent years is almost halted with a fieldbus decrease of only -1% in 2021, as factories tend to stick to existing technologies to a higher degree in uncertain times, such as during the pandemic. Fieldbuses are now at 28% market share of the total amount of new installed nodes (30% last year). PROFIBUS is still the clear fieldbus leader at 8% followed by Modbus-RTU at 5% share and CC-Link at 4%.

Wireless is here to stay Wireless continues to grow rapidly at a rate of 24%. Wireless now has 7% market share but the market still awaits the full impact of 5G in factories. With ongoing global activities about wireless cellular technologies as enablers for next level smart manufacturing, HMS expects that market demand will increase for wirelessly connected devices and machines to be included in the less cabled and flexible automation architectures of the future.

Regional network variations EtherNet/IP and PROFINET are leading in Europe and the Middle East with PROFIBUS and EtherCAT as runners up.

Other popular networks are Modbus (RTU/TCP) and Ethernet POWERLINK. The U.S. market is dominated by EtherNet/ IP with EtherCAT gaining some market share. PROFINET and EtherNet/IP lead a fragmented Asian market, followed by strong contenders CC-Link/CC-Link IE Field, PROFIBUS, EtherCAT and Modbus (RTU/TCP).

Smart and sustainable manufacturing requires networking “Industrial network connectivity for devices and machines is key to obtain smart and sustainable manufacturing, and this is the main driver for the growth we see in the industrial networking market,” says Anders Hansson, Chief Marketing Officer at HMS Networks.

“Factories are constantly working to optimize productivity, sustainability, quality, flexibility and security. Solid industrial networking is key to achieving these objectives.”

Scope The study includes HMS’ estimation for 2021 based on number of new installed nodes within Factory Automation. A node is defined as a machine or device connected to an industrial field network. The presented figures represent HMS’ consolidated view, considering insights from colleagues in the industry, our own sales statistics and overall perception of the market.

Anders Hansson, Chief Marketing Officer, HMS Networks

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SATECO

CAPACITIVE SILICONE FORCE SENSOR SXTSC BY SATECO THE INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC SKIN Through its subsidiary, Sateco XT AG, Sateco is breaking new ground and adding the capacitive silicone sensor SXTSC to its portfolio of established keypad systems. The elastomer sensor works according to the capacitive operating principle and can continuously measure both touch and compressive force. It is soft and flexible, can be shaped three-dimensionally, and is suitable for various applications such as automotive, VR, AR, gaming, robotics, medical technology and general industry.

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oth the sensor’s footprint and dimensions can be freely designed.

As a result, it can be customized to curved surfaces and integrated seamlessly between the body structure and surface. This enables an ergonomic design of input devices, prostheses and exoskeletons both on small and large surfaces.

The sensor combines two measurement functions in one component. It can detect the approximation of a body part at a short distance and precisely measure its exerted force as well. This keeps the combination compact and enables predictive operating and measurement systems.

Silicone is gentle on the skin. Optional texturing of the surface can make it even more comfortable to wear. Silicone is chemical and temperature-resistant with regard to food.

When used as a measuring cell, the sensor can be easily integrated directly in the surface away from a circuit board using electrical connectors. Its elastomer material makes additional damping, preload and tolerance compensation elements unnecessary. This simplifies the design and reduces manufacturing costs.

Thanks to its elastomer material, the SXTSC sensor is robust, shock and impact-resistant, and it also enables high durability, even in rough environments at high (+85°C) and low temperatures (-40 °C).

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Samples including evaluation electronics are available in a starter kit and enable a quick and uncomplicated start into the new technology. https://www.satecogroup.com/

LANNER ELECTRONICS

LANNER NETWORK APPLIANCE AND EDGE AI COMPUTER NOW OFFICIALLY VALIDATED AS NVIDIA GPU CLOUD-READY PLATFORMS

Lanner’s first NVIDIA NGC-ready Platform for Accelerating Deployments of Network Edge Virtualization and 5G Edge Cloud Computing.

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anner Electronics (TAIEX 6245), a global leader in SDN/NFV network appliances and rugged applied computing platforms, announces that its hyper-converged infrastructure appliance, the FX-3420, and Edge AI Appliance, LEC-2290, have been officially validated as NGC-Ready Server for Edge computing platforms. In a configuration with NVIDIA® T4 GPUs, Lanner network appliances have been tested for functionality, performance, and ease of deployment to AI frameworks and virtualized, disaggregated 5G ready network architecture.

“NGC-Ready validation of Lanner network appliances helps our customers across industries accelerate their hyperconverged AI-enabled application deployments at the edge,” said Jeans Tseng, CTO of Lanner. “In the case of telecom for instance, customers can bring Edge AI to advance an array of applications – from 5G Open RAN to edge data centers, private networks, and MEC.”

The NGC-Ready validation process included extensive testing on the FX3420 and LEC-2290 for a wide range of applications for on-premise, cloud and edge deployments. Lanner’s validated network appliances can help customers leverage the extensive range of NVIDIA GPU-accelerated software available for real-time intelligent decision making.

Customers can easily migrate workflow compute environments including both hybrid and multi-cloud implementations, run GPU-optimized software on bare metal servers or on virtualized environments, and maximize utilization of GPUs and network interoperability.

Lanner will be taking part in the NVIDIA GTC 2021 Conference as a 2021 PLATINUM partner (April 12-16).

Don’t miss out on this amazing event.

Registration is free and gives you access to all the live sessions, interactive panels, demos, research posters, and more.

GTC21 Registration Link: https://www. nvidia.com/en-us/gtc/?ncid=ref-spo95198&sfdcid=undefined#cid=gtcs21_ ref-spo_en-us 03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

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VIEW SONIC

VIEWSONIC SCULPTS THE FUTURE OF HYBRID TEACHING IN POST-PANDEMIC ERA Introducing “Here’s to Learning” Video as a Tribute to All Educators.

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iewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, introduces“Here’s to Learning - A Thank You to Educators,” a campaign to celebrate educators for their devotion and hard work during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Once the pandemic abates, the hybrid educational model will be the new normal in education. Standing by the educators, ViewSonic is committed to delivering more innovative education solutions and sculpting the future of education.

The pandemic has affected people’s lives in all aspects, a hybrid approach of combining in-person and distance learning is foreseen as the new trend in the future. However, teachers’ workload

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and stress are getting heavier due to the rising demand for distance education since they have to redesign their lessons and adopt new technologies at the same time.

As a tribute to all the hard-working educators, ViewSonic launches “Here’s to Learning - A Thank You to Educators,” a 3-minute video filmed in the U.S., India, and Taiwan to celebrate the value they bring to the world. This video shows how educators overcome the challenges and barriers by incorporating technology into new teaching approaches to keep teaching-learning uninterrupted, no matter if they are in-person or remote classes.

VIEW SONIC

Hybrid teaching is the future of education, it allows teachers to simultaneously teach on-site or remotely. ViewSonic understands teachers’ pain points and provides the Hybrid Learning Solution with integrated software and hardware including ViewBoard interactive displays, myViewBoard visual learning platform as well as a robust product portfolio.

In 2020, the first ViewSonic Hybrid Teaching Classroom in Chung Yuan Christian Universitywas established in Taiwan. Through the end-to-end solution, teachers can switch between physical and virtual classrooms seamlessly which lessens their burden when adapting the teaching approach. Moreover, it

also breaks down the barrier of space by incorporating physical and unlimited online students into one class. Hybrid teaching and learning keep education uninterrupted and ViewSonic’s goal is to achieve a digital revolution and true equality in education that benefits both teachers and students in every corner of the world.

Find out more about ViewSonic Hybrid Learning Solution: • ViewSonic Education – Hybrid Learning Solutions (brochure) • Introducing ViewSonic Hybrid Learning Solution (video) • H ybrid Learning Classroom Set Up (video) • H ere’s to Learning Anywhere ViewBoard for Learning Solutions (video) • Here’s to Learning Anywhere - Monitors for Learning Solutions (video) • Here’s to Learning Anywhere - Writing Devices for Learning Solutions (video) www.viewsonic.com/ap/education/ 03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

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PATSNAP

PATSNAP SECURES $300 MILLION IN SERIES E FUNDING TO CHANGE THE WAY THE WORLD INNOVATES PatSnap prepares for the next phase of growth to further scale the adoption of its innovation intelligence platform, which powers R&D and IP teams developing and commercializing the world’s most innovative products.

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atSnap, a global leader in Innovation Intelligence, today announced it has secured USD$300 million in Series E funding. The investment round was led

by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Tencent Investment with participation from CPE Industrial Fund and existing investors Sequoia China, Shun Wei Capital, and Vertex Ventures.

PatSnap plans to use the funds to further advance its innovation intelligence platform, accelerate product development, and acquire additional domain expertise in the industry sectors where its technology is used by research and development (R&D) and intellectual property (IP) teams. The funds will also enable PatSnap to expand its sales presence around the world and invest in the growth and professional development of its employees to ensure the company is well positioned to address the complex needs of its customers.

PatSnap’s flagship R&D Intelligence and IP Intelligence platforms use machine learning (ML), computer vision, natural language processing (NLP), and other artificial intelligence (AI) technology to provide innovation teams at many of the world’s largest companies, global brands, and universities and research institutions with access to market, technology, and competitive intelligence as well as patent insights needed to take their products from ideation to commercialization.

PatSnap’s clients include Dyson, Spotify, Oxford University Innovation, and The Dow Chemical Company.

“PatSnap’s mission is to empower innovators to make the world a better place,” said Jeffrey Tiong, founder and CEO of PatSnap. “Our global footprint, leadership, and strategic position in the innovation economy have enabled us to attract top investors, customers, and talent. Adding Softbank Vision Fund 2 and 03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

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Tencent to our notable roster of investors will help solidify PatSnap as the industry standard for innovation intelligence. Both have deep investment expertise with AIled companies and proven track records supporting sustainable company growth.”

Companies around the world are under pressure to increase the pace of innovation. And while more money is spent on R&D every year – USD$2.4 trillion in 2021 according to R&D World – the returns are dwindling.

An article published in HBR also noted a 65% drop in R&D productivity. PatSnap’s AI-powered technology addresses this issue by analyzing and connecting the key relationships between millions of unstructured data points across disparate data sources to deliver insights that guide R&D decisions and help accelerate the time it takes to bring new innovations to market.

PatSnap has more than 10,000 customers around the world, supported by more than 700 employees working from the company’s Asian headquarters in Singapore, European headquarters in London, and North American headquarters in Toronto. Over the past year, PatSnap has enabled its customers to significantly accelerate time to insight

when dealing with unstructured data by an estimated 12x, leading to an estimated 3x increase in successful product launches.

“We believe AI is radically changing industries, and PatSnap is a technology leader using AI to enable companies to innovate faster using IP data and R&D analytics,” said Eric Chen, Managing Partner, SoftBank Investment Advisers.

“We are pleased to partner with Jeffrey and the PatSnap team to support their mission of helping innovators make faster, more informed decisions through connected innovation intelligence.”

“We believe in a connected world and are impressed with PatSnap’s AI-centric platform that helps organizations and researchers to connect the dots,” said Levin Yao, Managing Partner of Tencent Investment. “PatSnap is the clear leader in the connected innovation intelligence category. Its impressive portfolio of customer use cases reinforces its role in enabling companies to significantly improve their ability to identify business opportunities and threats across multiple domains and industries.” *As of the date of this press release, SoftBank Group Corp. has made capital contributions to allow investments by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 (“SVF 2”) in certain portfolio companies. The information included herein is made for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy limited partnership interests in any fund, including SVF 2. SVF 2 has yet to have an external close, and any potential third-party investors shall receive additional information related to any SVF 2 investments prior to closing. https://www.patsnap.com/

DELTA ELECTRONICS

DELTA ELECTRONICS JOINS RE100 100% RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY AND CARBON NEUTRALITY TARGETS FOR ITS GLOBAL OPERATIONS BY 2030 Delta, a global leader in power and thermal management solutions, today announced it has joined RE100, a global initiative bringing together the world’s most influential businesses that entails the commitment of 100% renewable energy use and carbon neutrality in their global operations. With the aforementioned pledge, Delta becomes the first high-tech company in Taiwan to target the RE100 goal by 2030.

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elta implemented Science Based Targets (SBTs) in 2017, committing to a reduction in carbon intensity by 56.6% by 2025. In 2020, its carbon intensity dropped by more than 32% and renewable energy usage rate is expected to cover about 45% of its total electricity consumption. Delta’s board of directors and ESG committee have also set an internal carbon price of US$300 per metric ton in 2021 for its global operations to further encourage lower carbon emissions. That carbon fee will fund internal energy conservation projects and the procurement of renewable energy. These initiatives underscore Delta’s continuous contributions towards carbon neutrality, a pillar of sustainable development.

and actively participates in international initiatives. In 2015, we joined We Mean Business, and implemented Science Based Targets (SBTs) in 2017, committing to a reduction in carbon intensity by 56.6% by 2025. Through self-generation of solar energy, energy-saving projects, and purchase of renewable energy certificates, etc., Delta achieved its annual SBTs for three consecutive years while its carbon intensity dropped by more than 32% in 2020. Also, the renewable energy contribution in our operations reached 44.1% in 2019. Through its core competence in energy-efficient power electronics, Delta continues to foster energy-saving solutions and actively contributes to containing global warming below 1.5oC.

Ms. Aleksandra Klassen, co-leader and RE100 senior impact manager of The Climate Group, said: “We are delighted that Delta Electronics has joined RE100, the global initiative led by the Climate Group in partnership with CDP. By committing to 100% renewable electricity by 2030, Delta Electronics is taking an important step forward on improving their sustainability, joining a growing number of companies committed to driving market change. This sends a powerful message that renewable electricity makes good business sense, and we encourage others to follow.”

As Delta promises to be ahead of the industry’s renewable energy goals, it needs to overcome the challenges of different countries’ development of renewable energy and supporting regulations as the Company operations are spread in all five continents. Thus, it will focus on its own energy conservation, the use of self-generated solar energy as well as self-contained power plants.

At the same time, it evaluates the transaction maturity of the local green power markets, and is also considering Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) to achieve the RE100 target. Delta also expects that joining the RE100 initiative will further drive the development of green energy in the supply chain and provide customers with core energysaving and carbon-reduction technology experience to prepare the entire industry for 100% use of renewable energy and carbon neutrality.

Mr. Ping Cheng, Delta’s chief executive officer, said: “We are deeply proud to join RE100 on Delta’s 50th anniversary, hoping to join hands with our global customers and partners to create a sustainable future for our planet. With its corporate mission: ’To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow”, Delta has long been concerned about climate change

Delta has been deploying renewable energy for years, actively developing related solutions, and increasing the ratio of renewable energy use via PPAs and RECs. In 2019, Delta’s electricity consumption from renewable energy reached 44.1%. The solar PV systems in Delta’s main plants generated 23.2 million kWh of green electricity and Delta purchased renewable energy certificates for 170 million kWh of renewable energy, totaling a reduction of 156,204 metric tons CO2e compared to 2018. In 2020, Delta is expected to have increased its total renewable energy usage ration to approximately 45%.

RE100 is a global renewable energy initiative led by The Climate Group and CDP (the Carbon Disclosure Project).

Joining companies must publicly commit to achieving a 100% green power usage schedule between 2020 and 2050 and put forward plans year by year. There are currently more than 290 corporate members, including giants from technology (Apple, Google, Facebook, Dell), financial (Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Wells Fargo), food and beverage (Walmart, Coca-Cola, Starbucks) and beauty care (Unilever, P&G, Johnson & Johnson, Estée Lauder, L’OCCITANE Group) industries, etc. to achieve the goal of green power usage through green power investment, purchasing renewable energy certificates, signing green power purchases and other means. http://www.delta-emea.com

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LEUZE

MORE SAFETY IN HARSH ENVIRONMENTS With the LBK radar system, Leuze expands its safety product range. The 3D safety system reliably monitors danger zones – even in harsh environments with dirt, dust and welding sparks.

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afety has top priority in industrial environments. Leuze has a new safety solution for use in this area: the LBK safety radar system – a 3D solution for use in environments with dirt, welding sparks, sawdust, smoke or humidity. The system safeguards danger zones of machinery and systems – even in harsh environments. “The big advantage of the LBK safety radar system is that it is resistant to environmental influences and is yet very sensitive and reliably detects movements,” says Jörg Packeiser, Marketing Manager - Safety at Leuze.

“In addition, the LBK radar technology monitors a three-dimensional space and not just a two-dimensional surface.”

Sensors register movements The LBK radar system responds to movements and generates a stop signal as soon as a person enters the monitored area. The Sensor People thereby protect both employees as well as operating processes. This is because the 3D solution interrupts operating processes only if someone actually remains in the danger zone. The system thereby avoids unnecessary shutdowns and, at the same time, increases the availability of the machine or system. As soon as all persons have again left the danger zone, the machines can start up again. The radar technology can reliably differentiate between people and static objects because it detects even stationary

LBK reliably differentiates between static and dynamic objects.

persons located in the protected area.

Static objects, such as pallets or material containers, can be left in the protected area without problem. They do not result in a system interruption.

Flexible in use, easy to install The LBK safety radar system is used primarily for restart protection and for monitoring hidden areas. Users can adapt it to their individual requirements: with the number and position of the sensors, with the adjustable operating range as well as with the selectable opening angle. The system also uses its 3D radar technology to monitor areas on steps or pedestals and areas shaded by non-metallic objects. To safeguard larger areas, up to six radar sensors can be connected together via a controller. In this way, the system offers a maximum monitoring area of 15 x 4 meters. The individual sensors can be connected to form groups. If necessary, these groups can be switched off, thereby allowing the system to adapt to dynamic processes.

Another advantage of the LBK safety radar system is that the easy-to-operate configuration software can be adapted to define the system parameters. Certified safety experts from Leuze are available to discuss any potential applications and can also assist with configuration and commissioning of systems. https://www.leuze.com

The LBK safety radar system enables reliable 3D area monitoring in hash environments.

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INNODISK

INNODISK TO RELEASE BLOCKCHAIN SSD SECURING RADICAL EDGE DATA INTEGRITY The increasing ubiquity of AI in everyday applications brings with it concerns regarding data integrity and validation.

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nnodisk’s new-patented blockchain technology brings to its latest SSD solution “InnoBTSTM SSD” and alleviates these concerns through sophisticated use of digital signature and blockchain that is fully software independent.

Integrated with Distributed Ledger Technology and Tamper-proof Innodisk announces its new solution combines blockchain technology to secure the valuable data in recent IoT scenarios, such as POS systems at unmanned stores, smart meters, digital ID cards. The important data written to the SSD will create an encrypted hash string that corresponds to the specific data set, and the encrypted hash string is spread on the blockchain network, essentially creating a decentralized ledger that is distributed between numerous unique computers. The process is to make the encrypted hash string to be “chained” on the blockchain network. If tampering happens, the chained data is checked with an encrypted hash string on the network, clearly showing any discrepancies.

Automatic Generate Digital Signature and Easily Verified The InnoBTSTM SSD incorporates a hardware-run digital signature. Through the sophisticated use of private and public keys given to each file that is sent, the receiver can always verify the correct sender. The SSD creates and secures the private key within an internal safety zone, ensuring maximum private key security.

Only the public key will be available for anyone to verify the correct sender.

Full Software Independence The new InnoBTSTM SSD series benefits from blockchain technology and data streaming combine to create an industryleading solution for data integrity at the edge. Removing the need for software eases system integration as well as strengthening data integrity by moving the functions to the more inaccessible SSD firmware.

Innodisk’s solution allows for easy blockchain setup for edge applications that is not reliant on software, and meanwhile connects numerous devices to the blockchain network. This makes the InnoBTSTM SSD suitable for cutting-edge AI applications such as smart cities, smart vehicles, smart factories, and intelligent surveillance. www.innodisk.com

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MOXA

MOXA DEMONSTRATES ITS COMMITMENT TO SECURING INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS BY BECOMING IEC 62443-4-1 CERTIFIED Moxa Inc., a leader in industrial communications and networking, with a focus on securing industrial networks, is delighted to announce it has obtained the IEC 62443-4-1 certification pertaining to cybersecurity standards.

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he certification testing and audit was performed by LCIE Bureau Veritas and issued by the IECEE certification body. Moxa has always been involved in the cybersecurity industry and was one of the first companies globally to become IEC 62443-4-1 certified by the world-leading conformity assessment and certification services provider.

The IEC 62443 standard Part 4-1 defines a secure development lifecycle for the purpose of developing and maintaining secure products used in industrial automation and control systems. The IEC 62443-4-1 certificate confirms that Moxa has implemented a secure by design methodology from the first day of the product development process, which includes complete security lifecycle management and patch management.

This certificate also demonstrates Moxa’s capability to identify and respond to vulnerabilities and work with customers to mitigate their risks.

According to IDC’s latest worldwide IT and OT Convergence survey in 2020, the key motivations for IT/OT convergence are enhancing operational safety and performance, reducing costs, and improving quality. Another important observation from the report is that globally, 48.8% of IT and OT management owners consider security to be the top barrier to IT/OT convergence. This point highlights the importance OT enterprises place on security when embracing Industry 4.0 or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in order to significantly enhance operational efficiency and productivity.

“In response to our customer’s concerns, Moxa has been actively looking into the security requirements of IEC 62443 standards dating back to when they were still under development in 2016,”

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said Samuel Chiu, General Manager of Moxa Networking Co. Ltd. “By adhering to the strict verification process of IEC 62443 standards, Moxa not only provides industrial-grade solutions, but also ensures that security is part of the DNA of its reliable networking solutions throughout the product development process. We provide our customers with the assurance that they can connect their valuable assets with Moxa’s solutions and be confident that they can keep their operations running smoothly.”

Moxa has also been following the evolving cybersecurity best practices in order to ensure our solutions work harmoniously with the latest technological innovations of edge devices while mitigating the latest cyberthreats. One of the best practices is shared in Enhancing ICS Cybersecurity in the Software Development Lifecycle.

This article, which features on the ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance blog, was contributed to by SZ Lin, Assistant Project Manager at the Technology and Research Corporate Division of Moxa. Lin was the first person in Taiwan to be awarded the ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Expert Certificate. In addition to Lin, Felipe Sabino Costa, whose current roles include ISA cybersecurity instructor and Moxa

LATAM Industrial Cybersecurity Expert, also pointed out some key criteria in his article Can a Solution Provider Handle Industrial Cybersecurity? 8 Questions to Ask. His article can also be found on the ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance blog, and has helped guide business owners to develop mission-critical solutions that include cybersecurity by design.

Before obtaining the IEC 62443-41 certificate in May 2020, Moxa has been following the development of the standard for five years and has designed our products in accordance with its guidelines. In addition, Moxa has spent considerable resources on educating the market about not only the importance of the standard, but how we embed its principles throughout all stages of our hardware and software development.

Only when cybersecurity awareness is increased can industrial network security be enhanced by joint forces. Bearing this in mind, Moxa will continue investing in cybersecurity and work closely with our customers to ensure that “secure by design” solutions can be implemented successfully. www.moxa.com

DELTA ELECTRONICS

DELTA LAUNCHES M125HV GEN2 SOLAR PV STRING INVERTER FOR LARGE GROUND-MOUNTED SOLAR POWER PLANTS 140 kVA, three-phase string inverter offers 99.1 percent peak efficiency and is now quieter.

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elta, a global leader in power and thermal management solutions, today announced the launch of its solar string inverter M125HV series Generation 2, an updated version of its its popular 140 kVA inverterfor large ground-mounted photovoltaic arrays.

The M125HV Gen2 offers the same maximum output of its predecessor but now operates at a quieter 71.5 dB(A) level while still offering peak efficiency of 99.1 percent.

Strong performance, lower noise The M125HV Gen2 accommodates input voltages ranging between 860 and 1500 volts DC with a maximum sporadic voltage of 1600 volts. Up to 20 strings can be attached via Amphenol connectors, for instance as part of utility-scale ground-mounted installations. The peak efficiency of 99.1 percent ensures high yields. By accepting high input voltages, the latest Delta inverter can reduce the amount of current cables must transport, which allows installers to use smaller gauge wire and minimize energy loss.

“The M125HV Gen2 includes everything that made the Gen1 so popular with customers but is even quieter now,” said Andreas Hoischen, Senior Director, Business Unit Photovoltaic Inverters for Delta EMEA. Rugged, safe, durable Intelligent cooling combines natural convection with quieter active ventilation.

The M125HV Gen2 is IP65-rated and uses Type-2 surge protection devices on the input and output sides. By avoiding the use of electrolytic capacitors, a longer service life may be possible.

The M125HV Gen2 at a glance • 99.1 percent peak efficiency • As many as 20 strings via Amphenol connectors • Remote control and monitoring via Fieldbus • Type-2 surge protection preinstalled on the input and output sides • Aluminum housing with IP65 protection • Protection class II terminal box and robust screw terminals on AC side • All-in-one-design with two mechanical DC disconnectors • No electrolytic capacitors • Pro-EL (Electroluminescence) feature • D ata point collection for string monitoring and I-V curve creation • Reactive power supplied 24/7 • Anti-PID technology • Sunspec-compatible The updated M125HV Gen2 inverter is available from Delta in Q1/2021 in selected European countries. http://www.delta-emea.com 03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

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IDS IMAGING DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

ADDITIVE IN SPACE

Cost reduction in aerospace through additive manufacturing.

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pacecraft are developed on Earth, tested, fully assembled and transported in one piece by a launch vehicle to their respective places of operation. Each component must be designed to withstand the high loads of the launch phase. In most cases, in addition to complex test procedures, this leads to an oversized structure of the spacecraft components, because in orbit they experience only a fraction of the stresses they must endure during rocket launch. The maximum take-off mass required for transport with the launch vehicle and the volume of satellites, for example, thus cause high space transport costs. At the same time, space in the rocket is restricted, which limits the design of the spacecraft from the outset.

The search is on for processes that expand the possibilities of future space missions, save resources and reduce costs.

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One possible approach is to manufacture spacecraft components directly in orbit using generative manufacturing.

Generative technologies enable efficient and agile production of components on site. The AIMIS-FYT team at Munich University of Applied Sciences is developing and researching an additive manufacturing process for this purpose, in which the production of structures takes place in zero gravity. The elements needed for space travel do not have to meet the high launch requirements, but can be tailored precisely to the mission requirements. The process is being researched on parabolic flights in zero gravity - supported by a uEye CP industrial camera from IDS. For this additive manufacturing process, also called “in-situ manufacturing” (Latin in situ “in place”), the team developed a 3D printer with an extruder through which

IDS IMAGING DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

Successful 3D printing of a “diagonal rod” in weightlessness.

The resin is cured by UV radiation.

The four basic operations of 3D printing.

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A finished truss structure in zero gravity detail shot from the IDS camera

a liquid photopolymer can be dispensed.

“Our 3D printing process can directly print three-dimensional structures in space using a UV-curing adhesive or potting compound,” says Torben Schaefer, press officer of the AIMIS-FYT team, explaining the special feature of this technology.

Instead of creating the components layer by layer, as is the case with conventional 3D printers, they are created directly by the three-dimensional movement of the print head. Through the application of UV light, the resin is freely extruded into space in zero gravity and hardens within a short time. In combination with weightlessness, this enables manufacturing without shape restrictions that normally exist due to gravity on Earth.

Typical shape limitations are, for example, long overhangs that are not possible on earth or can only be manufactured with elaborate support structures. In zero gravity, it is even possible to create components without a fixed anchor point, such as a pressure plate.

This production process enables a wide variety of designs, such as printed structures for solar panels or antennas.

For example, the production of mirrors for parabolic antennas or the manufacture of truss structures for the mounting of solar generators is conceivable.

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manufacturers and distributors of small to micro satellites or even entire satellite constellations, who can use it to reduce both their unit costs and the launch costs for transporting their systems into orbit. In addition, the reduced mass of the spacecraft assembled in orbit saves resources and can increase the lifetime of a mission by taking more fuel on board instead. “For satellites, the fuel is usually the limiting factor; at present, it usually lasts for around 15 years,” explains Torben Schaefer.

Application The most important process of the manufacturing process is the printing process itself. This is essentially made up of 3 main phases: 1 - Extrusion of the resin with the aid of the extruder 2 - The resin emerges from the nozzle in a viscous state in zero gravity 3 - Curing of the resin by the UV LEDs. The printing of straight rods, connections of rods and the creation of free-form rods are tested. In one case, a conventional printing plate is used as the starting point for printing; in another case, the behaviour of printing, free-floating rods is investigated.

The main parameters of the printing process are the extrusion speed of the resin, the UV light intensity, the UV light time and the trajectory, i.e. the movement path of the printer. “In our printing process, precise, pressure-stable and constant delivery of the medium is important. At the same time, the parameters should be kept constant during the entire process,” explains Torben Schaefer. The USB 3 camera sponsored by IDS keeps a close eye on the process: It watches the nozzle of the printer in close-up and always moves relative to it. This way, the camera follows the nozzle with every movement and always has it precisely in focus. The image is cropped in such a way that the formation of the rods is captured around 4.5 cm below the nozzle. “The IDS camera hereby provides very important results for the discharge of the resin and its curing.

The UV LEDs required for curing produce a strong overexposure, which means that difficult lighting conditions prevail.

No problem for the U3-3260CP from the IDS portfolio: with the cost-effective 2.30 MPixel Sony sensor IMX249 (1920 x 1200 px), it sets particularly high standards in terms of light sensitivity and dynamic range. This makes the global shutter CMOS sensor with its 5.86 µm pixels predestined for applications like these, which are supposed to deliver a perfect result even in difficult lighting conditions

IDS IMAGING DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

During the parabolic flight of the esa programme FYT, zero gravity prevails for 20 seconds

- in this case, strong brightness due to overexposure.

In order to be able to further analyse the exit behaviour from the nozzle in zero gravity, the process is carried out at a slower speed. The contour of the rod must be precisely captured. ‘For this, the high frame rate and resolution of the camera are crucial for a high-quality evaluation,’ explains Torben Schaefer from the AIMIS team. With a frame rate of 47.0 fps, the IDS camera ensures excellent image quality and is extremely low-noise perfect conditions for its task in space.

But the simple integration of the camera also convinced the research team.

Software ‘We were able to seamlessly integrate the camera into our C++-based monitoring system with the help of the IDS SDK,’ says Torben Schäfer. According to him, this is where all the data from the sensors converge and provide a comprehensive overview of the current status of the printer and the individual print parameters. ‘We can start and stop the recording of the IDS camera and all other measurements with one click. Since there are only twenty seconds of zero gravity on a parabolic flight and there is a break of around one and a half minutes between two parabolas, we only save the most

important information by starting and stopping measurements and recordings in a targeted manner.’ In addition, a live image of the printing process is displayed on the monitor with the help of the IDS software. ‘This live feed makes it easier for us to set up and quickly analyse the printhead.’

University of Applied Sciences. The AIMIS-FYT (Additive Manufacturing in Space - Fly your Thesis) team is taking part in zero-gravity experiments as part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) campaign. IDS accompanies the team as part of its university sponsorship programme.

Outlook The findings from the experiments will be used to further optimise the printing process of the four basic 3D printing operations (straight bar, straight bar with start / stop points, free-form bar as well as connections between bars) and to prove the primary functionality of additive manufacturing in zero gravity.

The aim is to test the technology in space, as it offers the chance to drastically reduce the cost of components in space technology. ‘With the AIMIS-FYT project, we have the opportunity to actively shape the future of space travel,’ says Michael Kringer, project manager of the AIMISFYT team. The powerful little IDS camera has successfully recommended itself for future missions - on Earth and in space.

https://aimis-fyt.eu/ https://en.ids-imaging.com/

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LEUZE

CONTAINER AND TRAY IDENTIFICATION MADE EASY New stationary bar code reader is ideal for container and tray identification and especially suited to conveyor systems with limited installation space.

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euze is expanding its portfolio of stationary bar code readers with the introduction of the BCL 200i.

Designed specifically for conveyor systems, the new BCL 200i is a 1D bar code reader with integrated industrial interfaces and simple PROFINET configuration. The device can be configured directly in the control via the GSDML file.

The compact design of the BCL 200i makes it particularly suitable for applications with limited installation space such as on or between conveyor lines. In addition to the small dimensions, the location of the cable outlet on the side of the device and its dovetail mounting system make it even easier to install in space constrained applications.

Ideal for container and tray identification This latest addition to Leuze’s BCL range of bar code readers is particularly suited to the detection of 1D codes on trays and containers regardless of whether the bar code is printed vertically or horizontally.

The device features integrated Ethernet TCP/IP and PROFINET interfaces and a web-based configuration tool enables remote diagnostics from anywhere in the world.

Additionally, the inclusion of integrated code reconstruction technology (CRT) enables the BCL 200i to read bar codes with small line heights as well as damaged or smudged labels. With the aid of the CRT decoder, bar codes can also be read at a large twist angle. The resulting decrease in no-reads significantly increases system availability and decreases down-time.

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Activation without additional sensor system The new device also incorporates automatic reflector activation (autoReflAct), enabling activation without an additional trigger sensor system. This is achieved by directing the scanner with reduced scanning beam towards a reflector mounted across the conveyor. If the reflector is covered by an object such as a container with a bar code label, the scanner activates the read procedure. The read procedure is completed as soon as the scanner can see the reflector again.

A new addition to the BCL series: the stationary 1D bar code reader 200i. The new BCL 200i is particularly suited to guided container identification. The new BCL 200i is particularly suited to guided tray identification.

INNODISK

INNODISK’S INDUSTRIAL-GRADE DRAM MODULES RUGGED RELIABILITY FOR FPGAS Innodisk recently announced its industrial-grade DRAM modules for FPGA (field-programmable gate array) applications that open the door to new opportunities for system integrators and network operators.

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nnodisk’s first-to-market industrialgrade DRAM modules for FPGAs provide wide temperature support, robust design, reliability, and complete form factor support with high capacity single or dual rank for AI and IoT applications.

FPGAs are a formidable choice for inference in embedded, edge computing, AI, and IoT applications.

Highly customizable FPGAs offer greater performance with lower power consumption than general-purpose GPUs and give far greater flexibility for adjustment in the field than ASICs. “We expect this to be a game-changer that can roll with the tide of AI,” said Samson Chang, Global DRAM Vice President of Innodisk. “Industrial-grade DRAM is key to the integration of FPGAs in applications like AI and IIoT.” The $5.9 billion FPGA market is expected to see a 7.6% average annual growth rate over the next five years, fueled primarily by increased AI and IoT adoption. The moves of major industry players further support these indications of future growth. Intel’s $16.7 billion acquisition of Altera in 2015 was the first sign, and on October 27, 2020, AMD announced its $35 billion deal to buy Xilinx.

“Innodisk’s DRAM modules provide large capacity, low-latency memory access for FPGAs,” Chang said. “And we provide complete form factor industrial-grade options for industries where reliability is tantamount.”

Features of Innodisk’s industrial-grade DRAM modules for FPGAs include: • Single or dual rank–providing high capacity • - 40–85°C temperature tolerance– surpassing stringent JEDEC standards • Anti-sulfuration–guarding DRAM silver alloys against sulfur corrosion • HumiSeal conformal coating–protecting from dust, dirt, and corrosion • Side fill technology–bolstering chip-toPCB solder joints.

“Since 2005, Innodisk has been innovating new DRAM and storage technology products for industry and embedded computers,” said Chang. “We’re proud of our DRAM modules for FPGAs because they anticipate and solve our customers’ future AI and IoT needs for FPGA systems.” www.innodisk.com

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VIEW SONIC

VIEWSONIC RECEIVES INTEL’S TITANIUM-TIER PARTNER AWARD ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, today announced that it had received Intel’s prestigious TitaniumTier Partner Award in the new Intel® Partner Alliance Program.

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he award demonstrates ViewSonic’s significance in its strategic alliance with Intel and the excellence in its innovative interactive display and digital whiteboarding solutions for both education and enterprise segments.

“We are happy to receive this award, as this is an important milestone for ViewSonic to be recognised as a leading member of the Intel Partner Alliance,” says Craig Scott, CTO of ViewSonic and President of ViewSonic EME/ANZ. “Our partnership with Intel over the past two years has helped address current needs, and our innovative solutions have shaped the digital world of both enterprise and education, from meeting rooms to classrooms and beyond. Moving forward, we’ll have greater early access to Intel’s technology which will allow us to develop cutting-edge solutions to provide realworld benefits to our customers.”

ViewSonic was recognised as Intel’s Titanium-tier Partner, the top tier of the alliance’s membership, for its work with Intel to implement AI and deep learning solutions as part of the myViewBoard software ecosystem and in using computer vision to improve the experience for distance learning and remote work.

ViewSonic’s innovative solutions in IoT are also in line with Intel’s vision to develop and boost new technology in an increasingly data-centric world. With the Titanium status, ViewSonic has exclusive access to Intel’s resources to deliver the most advanced products and solutions to customers.

ViewSonic has collaborated with Intel since 2018 to develop advanced interactive displays and digital whiteboarding for the modern workplace and classrooms.

The collaborations with Intel include ViewSonic’s latest myViewBoard Sens with AI, integrating Intel’s OpenVINO toolkit which employs facial-expression recognition and mood indexing. This solution gauges an audience’s emotions to inform a presenter or teacher during their presentation or lesson immediately.

Additionally, the collaborations also include the work in ViewBoard with certified Intel® IoT Market Ready Solutions (Intel® IMRS) and myViewBoard plugin for the Intel Unite®solution.

As an Intel-recognised top-tier partner, ViewSonic aims to provide a straightforward and secure transition into distance learningand work-fromhome initiatives. ViewSonic continues to work with Intel and the ecosystem to pave the way for a more connected and data-driven world. www.viewsonicglobal.com

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VIEW SONIC

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IDS IMAGING DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

IDS FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABILITY IN SHIPPING Intelligent use of raw materials protects the environment and increases economic efficiency.

IDS products leave the dispatch area plastic-free

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lastic is one of the most serious problems of the 21st century. This is not due to the raw materials or production processes, but to the fact that 32% of plastic packaging worldwide is not recovered (whether by landfill, incineration or recycling). They end up uncontrolled in the environment.

A complete decomposition of plastics takes several centuries. Previously, plastic merely disintegrates into ever smaller particles, which ultimately find their way into the human body via the food chain – the keyword being micro plastics. The best strategy to combat plastic waste, including in the oceans, is undeniably to avoid plastic products and to replace them with 100% biodegradable alternatives made from renewable raw materials, e.g. paper.

IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH from the Swabian town of Obersulm has taken up this topic. The industrial camera manufacturer’s shipping department uses only paper instead of plastic. First of all, fillers for cartons were converted from bubble wrap to paper. A specially purchased packaging machine produces creped filling material in the desired length from normal, smooth paper layers. Even delivery note envelopes can only be found in the dispatch department in paper form.

An alternative to plastic adhesive tape is currently being tested in order to feed shipping cartons into the recycling cycle largely free of plastic. “These measures have already enabled us to replace 95% of the original plastic materials in the logistics/shipping area,” reports IDS Logistics Manager Kai Schrödter.

But it is not only plastic-free shipping that plays a role for the camera manufacturer.

The topic of recycling is also very

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IDS IMAGING DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

Packaging machine produces flexible, environmentally friendly filler from paper.

Only recycled packaging material is used in the dispatch of IDS.

important. “For example, we reuse all fillers we receive from customers instead of simply throwing them away,” explains Schrödter and adds “In the future, all used cardboard boxes will also be pressed into bales directly at our premises and then used to produce new recycled cartons”.

In this way, IDS makes an economic contribution to sustainability. In addition, the company makes sure that all paper materials used in shipping are already purchased as recycled products.

“This has already enabled us to save a considerable amount of plastic waste at our customers in 2019. In 2020, this is likely to rise even further,” explains Sebastian Liepe – Head of IDS Quality Assurance. At the same time, the intelligent use of raw materials alone increases the profitability of the entire packaging sector.

In the near future, the industrial camera manufacturer is planning further measures to conserve resources, such as CO2-neutral shipping. Switching to a shipping service provider that relies on electric mobility on the road directly avoids CO2 emissions. If goods have to be shipped to other countries by air, newly created green spaces, for example, provide the necessary compensation.

A further project already underway is the introduction of shuttle packaging, which allows shipping free of disposable packaging. On the initiative of IDS, these containers are utilised wherever suppliers or customers receive or ship large quantities of products – each in the same individually configurable boxes.

help to use the resource of transport as sparingly as possible.

IDS is convinced that the changeover to sustainable action is the only right way forward and tries to develop resourcesaving solutions together with business partners. After all, relatively “small” changes can make a big difference – for the environment and for the company itself. https://en.ids-imaging.com/ourcorporate-culture.html

In addition, exchangeable load carriers avoid returns of empty containers and

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LEUZE

THE DUAL CHANNEL PRINCIPLE The dual channel principle is just one of many new developments within the scope of Leuze’s nearly 60 years of innovation history.

What does dual channel actually mean?

The increasing digitization opens entirely new possibilities in automation technology for increasing the productivity and efficiency of machinery and systems.

A much more precise look into the machine is possible today than in the past. It is possible to obtain much more detailed and, in addition, constantly available condition information about the machine – not only on-site, but also remotely, and in digital form. An increase in the amount of information also means ever larger amounts of data, not to say a flood of data, that must be managed.

New strategies, expertise and futureoriented technologies are necessary here. Leuze accepts this challenge and develops smart sensors. Smart means sensors that, on the one hand, record the relevant real-time process data, but, on the other hand, can also supply a great deal of additional information which, once evaluated, can provide information at any time about the current machine state.

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To ensure the that the information reaches the desired recipient – be it the process control, the operating company or even the appropriate machine support service – new communication technologies are needed. In addition to offering sufficient

LEUZE

Figure 2 Determination of the print mark position with the KRT 3B contrast sensor

bandwidth (e.g., industrial Ethernet interfaces), these must also provide multi-channel capability. Only in this way can the data be delivered in a targeted manner and processed further. This is precisely what the innovative dual channel principle from Leuze offers. First: A realtime process data channel and, second, a need-oriented information channel for exchanging status information and configuration settings.

maintenance intervals ultimately increase the availability of the machine or system since the maintenance can be performed before the machine or system comes to a standstill with the associated loss of productivity.

And what exactly is Industry 4.0?

The primary idea behind Industry 4.0/ IIoT is to standardize data and the way it is exchanged across all system borders and all the way up to the cloud. Most of this data is generated with the help of sensors. Their job is to capture process variables and transfer these in the form of data to the receiving systems via one or more interfaces.

Leuze communication solutions within the scope of Industry 4.0/IIoT In the past, point-to-point connections between the control unit and the respective sensor or actuator have defined industrial automation. A masterslave communication model currently prevails. This means that a control unit usually serves multiple end devices via one cable in linear topology (fieldbus installation). The use of new technologies will allow a transition to a netlike or starshaped communication architecture. We are already accustomed to this from the IT field.

Through Industry 4.0/IIoT, additional and even new topics, such as a recipe change, a format changeover or the condition monitoring as well as the predictive maintenance of a machine or system are increasingly shifting into focus. The data required there is, however, often not essential for the actual automation task.

But it does make it easier for the user to plan for maintenance. Preventative

As the interfaces to the control systems are increasingly Ethernet-based and therefore powerful enough to serve two data channels simultaneously, this is opening up completely new possibilities.

These are necessary for the networked world of Industry 4.0 and deliver the data to the various receivers in a target-oriented manner. With two data channels, the basis for this already exists,

i.e., through the integrated industrial Ethernet interface with additional TCP/ IP channel and the possibility to expand it for OPC UA communication – and even to new cloud-based applications in the integrated connectivity devices. The latter are denoted at Leuze with a red i in the type designation. This is precisely where IO-Link is indispensable: this simple, 3-wire interface offers all functions that are needed for new IIoT approaches, such as asset management or condition monitoring. It can also be economically integrated in the smallest of devices.

Dual channel in practice Nevertheless, the original measurement task of the sensors cannot be forgotten – especially as many highly dynamic applications are heavily dependent on all process-relevant information with respect to time. In combination with the newly emerging application possibilities, the dual channel principle from Leuze supports precisely this requirement. The data is transferred to the process control in real time via the first sensor channel.

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LEUZE

Figure 3 - Dual channel with connection to the PLC

switching signal. During active pointto-point communication, it can handle no more than the direct data exchange of the control. For the process control, however, both types of information are necessary in parallel but with different time requirements. The dual channel principle is the same for all sensors with one or more integrated data interfaces – regardless of their complexity. In the following, we consider and differentiate between two possibilities for a binary switching sensor: first, the dual channel principle with connection to the PLC. And second, the dual channel principle with respect to Industry 4.0/IIoT. In addition, we consider dual channel for sensors with fieldbus interface.

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1 - Dual channel with connection to the PLC Consider as an example the KRT 18B contrast sensor, which is used in extremely fast-running packaging machines to determine an exact print mark position: here, the packaging quality of the machine is dependent on the realtime capability of the switching output.

The trigger signal from the switching output of a contrast sensor is therefore not processed via the control but is rather connected directly to the actuator. This then directly triggers the placement of a label without time delay. (Figure 2).

In addition to the fast reaction time of the machine, the exact teaching of the contrast differences between print mark and background is largely responsible for the reliable operation of the machine or system. Optical contrast sensors such as the KRT 18B, offer the possibility to determine the optimum contrast ratio for each container or label using multiple transmitter colors. For this reason, the KRT 18B is also equipped with an IO-Link communication interface in addition to the fast switching output. Using a teach routine, the transmitter colors are taught in once and then stored in the respective sensor or the control. Defined or taughtin products can then be selected from the recipe memory of the sensor at any time via IO-Link. If the machine undergoes a format change, the entire configuration file is transferred from the control. This eliminates the need for another teach-in process. (Figure 3).

Figure 5 - Reliable detection of transparent objects with the PRK 3C, PRK 55 or PRK 18B retro-reflective photoelectric sensors

LEUZE

Figure 4 - Dual channel and Industry 4.0/IIoT with a binaryswitching sensor

Figure 6 - Dual channel and Industry 4.0/IIoT with fieldbus interface sensor

2 - Dual Channel and Industry 4.0 / IIoT Within the scope of Industry 4.0/IIoT, data needs to be available to other automation participants, independent of location and worldwide. This is used, for example, for monitoring and configuration. Cloud solutions are generally selected here.

Provided the prerequisites identical to those described above exist, the connection can be made via a decentral IO-Link coupling module with Ethernet interface and OPC-UA communication protocol instead of the direct IO-Link connection to the PLC. The data is then connected to the cloud via, e.g., an IoT Edge gateway. (Figure 4). As per the practical example from the area of bottle filling as follows: Transparent objects, e.g., glass or PET bottles, on a conveyor belt must be reliably detected during the ongoing process – even in cases of challenging environmental conditions such as fogging, water vapor or soiling. Through the use of a retro-reflective photoelectric sensor for transparent objects with IO-Link – such as the Leuze PRK 3C, PRK 55 or PRK 18B – such environmental influences can be detected and appropriately analyzed so that the machine control can respond accordingly. (Figure 5). A fast trigger signal is needed in this case as well. For example, to trigger an inspection camera or eject faulty parts. In addition to the convenient teach-in using IO-Link, the second channel can be used to realize a simple but effective contamination monitoring system. The received signal level of the sensor can be compared with the set

switching threshold at any time for this purpose, thereby allowing a reduction in the function reserve to be detected. If this information is transmitted to the person responsible for the machine or system, e.g., via the OPC UA interface of the IOLink coupling module, the necessary cleaning measures can be determined from the analysis of this information and scheduled during breaks without interrupting production (predictive maintenance).

3 - Dual channel with sensors with fieldbus interface Leuze offers a dual channel solution for more complex sensors with an integrated fieldbus interface as well. The BCL 348i bar code scanner, for example, primarily has a PROFINET fieldbus interface.

Process and alarm values, detailed status and diagnostic messages as well as the complete device parameterization can be carried out from the control via this interface. If the data needs to be available location-independent and worldwide for monitoring, the sensor offers this possibility via its industrial Ethernet interface with the OPCUA communication protocol. Via an integrated cloud connector or an IoT Edge gateway, the data can be transported all the way to a cloud application. (Figure 6). www.leuze.com

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IDS IMAGING DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

KNOWLEDGE PLATFORM FOR TOPICS RELATED TO IMAGE PROCESSING WITH 2D, 3D AND AI IDS Vision Channel – Platform for digital live sessions and networking.

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Knowledge increases when it is shared” – following this maxim, IDS is making its expertise as one of the leading manufacturers of digital industrial cameras free of charge and directly accessible on a new platform.

In addition to online events, useful tools such as calendars and live chats, the IDS Vision Channel also offers a media library with recordings of past events and additional, exclusive content. The online sessions address image processing topics around 2D, 3D and embedded vision as well as artificial intelligence.

They are short, focused and build on each other depending on the topic. This makes them interesting for both beginners and experts. Afterwards, questions can be discussed in the group or with the speakers. This makes the IDS Vision Channel ideal for knowledge exchange and knowledge building.

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The speakers are from a wide range of disciplines at IDS, from product management to development to management. In addition there will be guests – such as the IDS Solution Partners or start-ups – depending on the subject. The experts are available to answer questions during and after the online sessions. Each event will be offered at least twice so that people from every time zone can participate live. The channel language is English. An overview of all upcoming dates can be found in the IDS Vision Channel calendar, which allows the various events to be easily filtered, booked and managed.

“We bring our specialists to you – conveniently on the screen. Participants can choose suitable events from a wide range of topics and receive tips and tricks for their own applications,” summarises IDS Managing Director Jan Hartmann.

As travel restrictions continue due to the pandemic, the IDS Vision Channel is intended to serve as a digital meeting place and to foster exchange within the international machine vision community.

The launch event will take place on 28th of January. Interested parties are cordially invited to take a look at the opportunities and challenges of machine vision with the experts at IDS and to learn more about the future-oriented developments of the company.

Registration is open and free of charge via www.ids-vision-channel.tech.

INNODISK

NEW INNOAGE FEATURE ENHANCEMENT BRINGS SUPERIOR ONE BUTTON INSTANT RECOVERY FOR MALFUNCTIONING IOT DEVICES From out-of-band management, on-site technology to autonomous recovery, Innodisk’s InnoAGE series provides full recovery to IoT edge devices.

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nnodisk’s award-winning InnoAGE flash storage devices developed in partnership with Microsoft keeps expanding. The new-patented recovery technology of on-site recovery and 24/7 no-man monitoring feature come together by InnoOSR (On-Site Recovery) and following feature enhancement. Now Innodisk’s exclusive InnoAGE series are able to meet full recovery scenarios.

Full Recovery Abilities for Edge Device The latest addition to the InnoAGE series is the InnoOSR 3TO7, available in 2.5”, M.2 2242 and 2280, as well as mSATA form factors in capacities from 32 GB up to 1 TB. The brand new InnoOSR lineup brings superior recovery that can be triggered by one button touch, easily bringing malfunctioning devices back to life without time-consuming softwarelevel recovery or costlier remote recovery.

InnoAGE Innovation for All IoT Applications Aiming at the blooming market of 500 billion IoT edge devices, InnoAGE series can afford little downtime, especially for data centers, warehouses, and surveillance devices. The InnoOSR series, meanwhile, is perfect for staying operational continuously even without staff available nearby, for example kiosks, unmanned retail applications, and casino gaming machine etc.

The new InnoAGE series lineup also includes InnoOSR feature enhancement, which automates InnoOSR’s instant recovery functionality with the help of a patented firmware-level heartbeat function. The result is an exceptionally cost-efficient recovery solution that reduce 80% cost from technical maintenance. InnoOSR Plus requires no human intervention and 24/7 autonomous monitoring of edge devices, with OSR toolkit, easily integrated into any software/platform.

Together with InnoOSR, InnoAGE 3TI7 series is designed with firmware technologies and equipped with Microsoft Azure Sphere. InnoAGE enables multifunctional management, timely maintenance, smart data analysis and firmware updates, data security, and remote control through the cloud, while InnoOSR brings cost-efficient no-fuss recovery to uptime-critical applications. www.innodisk.com

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VIEW SONIC

VIEWSONIC PARTNERS WITH TÜV SÜD TO DEVELOP THE TESTING OF A COLOUR BLINDNESS FEATURE IN MONITORS ViewSonic Europe Ltd., a leading global provider of visual solutions, and TÜV SÜD, the globally acclaimed safety and quality expert organisation, announced the world’s first TÜV SÜD testing of a colour blindness feature in monitors.

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n doing so, they have set a new test method for the electronics industry.

ViewSonic’s colour blindness feature consists of two modes – colour filter mode for colour vision deficiency (CVD) users and simulation mode for creators to deliver a colour blindness friendly experience. This feature is available in ViewSonic’s professional ColorPro models VP2468a, VP2768a and VP3481a.

“ViewSonic is happy to partner with TÜV SÜD in developing this groundbreaking testing together. We are proud of the strides we have made in enhancing the user experience in the new world of high definition visual media,” said Bonny Cheng, COO at ViewSonic. “ViewSonic’s vision for the ColorPro series not only includes accurate colour representation, but also helps and assists with multimedia accessibility for CVD users. TÜV SÜD conducted rigorous tests on ViewSonic’s colour blindness feature including colour recognition confirmation, colour filter software and colour simulation to establish a high-quality testing method for the industry.”

“TÜV SÜD is focused on providing safety, security and sustainability solutions within organisations. TÜV SÜD and ViewSonic have taken the lead to define a new set of testing methods for the compatibility of monitors with colour vision deficiency features. This revolutionary approach helps ensure that user enhancement is being accurately evaluated. It is a first for any monitor brand. We were happy to work with our partner ViewSonic on such a groundbreaking feature,” said Alex von Mylius, Product Certification Director of TÜV SÜD Global Product Service Division.

CVD test subjects were selected by TÜV SÜD, using the Munsell 100 Hue Test that identifies the zones of colour confusion (Protanopia, Deuteranopia or Tritanopia).

The subjects then tested ViewSonic’s monitors and exclusive colour blindness software. Compared to the traditional approach which only alters the overall combination of colours, the ViewSonic colour blindness feature algorithm alters most of the colours that are not identifiable by CVD users. The test result showed ViewSonic’s colour blindness feature improved the ability of the CVD subjects to successfully identify colour differences from 70-75% (on average) to 90%.

Creating a Colour Blindness Friendly Experience The colour filter mode caters to users with CVD to help them identify images with enhanced colour visibility. The CVD user can activate the colour filter function via vDisplayManager and choose between two levels, the normal colour filter and advanced setting filter. Both levels assist CVD users to customise the display to enhance colour visibility and identify a wide range of coloured graphics more accurately. The advanced setting filter can also be used to change the contrast level and set the best filters for the user’s most comfortable viewing experience.

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Another mode, the colour blindness simulation, allows graphic designers to envisage their creations as they would be seen by a CVD user and adjust accordingly.

This innovative technology benefits creators, designers, teachers, especially in preschool, as well as CVD users. CVD users can have a more friendly viewing experience as the content is created with the simulation mode.

VIEW SONIC

The colour blindness feature is now available in ViewSonic’s professional ColorPro monitor series – VP2468a, VP2768a and VP3481a. The ColorPro series serves as the ideal solution for creative work, such as photography, design, and video editing. They deliver colour-accurate, true-to-life images with industry colour standards including sRGB, calibration, and uniformity. https://www.viewsonic.com/uk/ 03 - Electronics Journal - JULY 2021

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INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, REDUCE WASTE In addition to the demands on productivity, high expectations of consumers and retailers weigh on food manufacturers and processors. They expect not only safe and qualitatively perfect foodstuffs.

High requirements of consumers and retail chains In addition to the demands on productivity, high expectations of consumers and retailers weigh on food manufacturers and processors. They expect not only safe and qualitatively perfect foodstuffs.

Leuze’s detection expert – the DRT 25C – reliably meets the high requirements of packaging machines with innovative reference technology.

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In addition to adhering to legal regulations, they increasingly require additional certifications from their suppliers. To simultaneously comply with the legal requirements, meet the standards of the retail chains and satisfy the expectations of the consumers, functioning automation technology is essential for food manufacturers and processors. This means: They need intelligent technologies and services to allow them to meet the high standards with regard to food safety as efficiently as possible, in compliance with guidelines and while making the most efficient use of resources.

LEUZE

The objective and philosophy of Sesotec, a leading manufacturer of product inspection and material sorting systems in Schönberg, Bavaria, is to support the food-producing industry in the profitable manufacture of safe food and to create less waste in the process. To do this, the company offers appropriate application solutions for all process levels, products and conveying types as well as for all critical control points of the production process.

UNICON metal detector system from Sesotec, consisting of conveyor belt, detector coil with control unit and ejector unit.

In the area of materials handling, various sensors from Leuze that have proven themselves over the years are in use at the foreign object detection systems.

Currently in test operation at Sesotec is the DRT 25C switching sensor from Leuze with a completely new operating principle based on Contrast Adaptive Technology (CAT). This sensor is ideal for complex, customer-specific applications that cannot be solved with a standard detection method.

The customer is king Consumers demand not only long shelf lives but also constant availability of the entire selection. Moreover, the food should be of high quality and free of any contaminants or foreign objects.

Consumers also increasingly want to know the source of their products: where, with what ingredients and how they were produced. At the same time, calls for food that is free of gluten and allergens and is completely vegetarian or vegan are also increasing. Food demand is thereby becoming significantly more specialized.

This results not only in an additional challenge but also in increased costs for the production process.

Producing the required quantities of food requires an increasingly automated process chain. And not only consumers but retailers are also placing high demands on the food manufacturers and processors. In addition to product quality, other topics include transparent traceability as well as fast reaction paths in the event of any recall actions. On top of this are increased requirements on logistics systems and supply chains.

Precise technologies ensure efficient processes The food industry has become a complex, globally networked system with

Since 2019 Sesotec is a supporting member of the initiative “SAVE FOOD” and is actively engaged against worldwide food waste and losses.

many participants: raw materials are purchased internationally at various price and quality levels. They are often sold, stored and processed far from where they were originally produced. Increasing food transports, longer transport paths and multiple loading processes result in a growing risk of contamination.

“Manufacturers need precise technologies to comply with the legal standards regarding food safety,” explains Hermann Sammer, Director of R&D at Sesotec. However, an increasing degree

of automation means less personnel and fewer inspections by employees in the production chain. The risk of any foreign objects present in the food not being detected thereby increases.

To detect metal contaminants – such as from wires or shavings – metal detectors like those manufactured by Sesotec can be used. For the detection of contaminants from non-metallic materials, e.g., glass or plastics, Sesotec offers X-ray systems.

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as a standard supplier of individual metal detectors. We are instead focused on offering our customers specific, complete solutions that are tailored to their respective application and requirements.

And these consist not only of our own components. Also included here is all of the sensor technology. Only in this way are we able to help our customers increase the cost effectiveness of these solutions in spite of the additional costs that arise though a mechanical product inspection,” explains Sammer.

Brigitte Rothkopf, Director Corporate Communication at Sesotec, emphasizes: “As important as cost effectiveness is, so too is making a positive contribution to the minimization of food waste. After all, this is not only an ethical problem for us, but an economical one as well.” Since 2019, Sesotec is a founding member of the “SAVE FOOD” initiative and is actively involved in preventing food waste and loss around the world. This is a joint initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), of the environmental program of the United Nations (UNEP), of Messe Düsseldorf and of Interpack, the world’s leading trade fair for packaging and processes.

The DRT 25C reliably detects from above.

has already been working together with Leuze for many years. Always with the goal of solving the sometimes tricky applications of his customers even better and more efficiently. For reliable detection as well as proper labeling or assignment, optical technologies from Leuze are used here. They ensure that exactly what is on the label is actually in the package.

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25 series. Sesotec customers in the food industry confirm their reliable function, cost effectiveness and long service life in an environment that is subject to the highest hygiene requirements and regular cleaning cycles.

Nevertheless, Sesotec is always open to new ideas and technologies. One such example of this is the recent test operation of a completely new Leuze sensor, the DRT 25C with a fully new operating principle based on Contrast Adaptive Technology (CAT). “Our company philosophy is very closely aligned with that of Leuze. We don’t view ourselves

New on the start line: the DRT 25C from Leuze Leuze’s new DRT 25C switching sensor promises to reliably detect every type of object and type of product packaging such as are examined in the food sector with Sesotec metal detectors and checked for contamination. Fully independent of their color, shape and surface structure.

Regardless of whether flat, glossy, with openings or transparent. “Such objects are not so easy to detect using conventional sensors, which scan from the side. Above all because the front edge of packaged products cannot always be reliably detected,” explains Andreas Eberle, Key Account Manager Packaging at Leuze.

Hermann Sammer from Sesotec adds: “The problem often manifests itself in the form of multiple triggering – especially at high conveyor speeds.” He has had this experience above all with irregular shapes as occur, e.g., with fish and meat.

This usually involves individual pieces that do not have the exact same length and shape. The same holds for plastic outer packagings of fruit or vegetables.

LEUZE

Pleased with the positive test results: Hermann Sammer, Director of R&D at Sesotec and Andreas Eberle, Key Account Manager Packaging at Leuze.

Sesotec is currently putting the DRT 25C through its paces in the company’s technical center. A wide range of objects and packaging are being used here. The objects travel into the metal detector on the conveyor belt. Prior to entry into the metal detector, they are always detected by the DRT 25C at the front edge and over the entire product length – all from above.

“The view from above is a big advantage.

Irregular shapes can thereby be significantly better detected. The sensor solutions currently on the market have so far only been able to perform this task to a limited extent,” confirms Sammer. Test experiences thus far are very positive.

Even in difficult work environments, such as with quickly moving and, in some cases, strongly vibrating conveyor belts.

Positive test results for complex applications The DRT 25C shows it strengths exactly where conventional sensors, which scan from the side, are pushed to their limits. In the test environment at Sesotec, no effort is being spared to test the DRT 25C under “real” application conditions in detail: “After all, it needs to function properly afterwards in our customers’ application environments and be free of any malfunctions that would slow a machine or system or, worse, bring it to a standstill,” explains Michael Maier, developer in the product inspection department at Sesotec. As a result, Sesotec intentionally wets, soils or gums up conveyor belts in the test situation as is often the case in actual use, e.g., due to stuck labels or chocolate residues. “From these test

Michael Maier, Developer in Product Inspection at Sesotec and Michael Schafferhans, Technical Sales Consultant at Leuze.

results, we deduce possible product improvements or further developments,” says Michael Schafferhans, Technical Sales Consultant at Leuze. “This allows us to determine where we need to readjust and improve further,” he adds. Leuze takes this feedback from customers and partners very seriously and is actively working on additional sensors based on the CAT technology. After all, it always comes down to providing the customer with the best possible support with his application and making him even more successful. This is the goal and aspiration of the Sensor People.

Contrast Adaptive Teach increases the throughput “The DRT 25C is based on a completely new technology: the Contrast Adaptive Teach Technology (CAT),” explains Eberle.

The basic idea is simple: The object can change at any time. The DRT 25C therefore works with an object’s environment as a constant reference surface instead of with the object itself.

In packaging systems, this is the conveyor belt. This serves as a teachable reference.

Once the sensor has been taught the contrast information of the conveyor belt, it only needs to be intelligent enough to adapt this knowledge to a possible change of environment. This is precisely what CAT technology does. With this reference technology, Leuze has created a new operating principle in the field of switching sensors. The DRT 25C learns the signal parameters of the conveyor belt at the press of a button and stores them as the “standard zero.” Every object

that is transported on the conveyor belt now generates a signal. If this deviates from the zero state, the DRT 25C reliably detects the object as a “deviation from the reference.” The performance of the device is optimized through the choice of teach level. There is, for example, a teach routine for conveyor belts that become heavily soiled over time. Another teach level exists especially for the detection of very flat or even transparent objects.

Once the sensor has been “taught”, no additional settings or readjustments are necessary. Not even if the object is changed, as the sensor operates together with the conveyor belt as a reference.

The all-rounder sensor The DRT 25C dynamic reference diffuse sensor from Leuze is based on the intelligent CAT technology and represents a new operating principle. It thereby sets new technological standards on the market and is another milestone in the innovation history of Leuze. Once again as forerunners, the Sensor People thereby precisely meet their customers’ requirements for reliable detection and make them successful in an industry that is ever evolving. After all, the success of their customers is their aspiration and goal. Reduced downtimes, increased machine throughput as well as higher production quantities, all with maximum flexibility without readjustment when changing objects – that means increased cost effectiveness for their customers. www.leuze.com

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