Industry EMEA | 26 - September 2020

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industry THE INDUSTRY MAGAZINE FOR EUROPE • MIDDLE EAST • AFRICA

MACHINE VISION IN INDUSTRY

6 A NEW ADDITION TO THE MODULAR SYSTEM FAMILY: THE 2-JAW MODULE. THE SMALL ALTERNATIVE TO A LARGE CENTRIC CLAMPING VICE

40 AUTOMATE IMAGE-BASED INSPECTION WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

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DIGITAL AND ANALOG INTERFACE BENEFITS ALL AT ONCE THANKS TO DUAL CHANNEL

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IN THIS MAGAZINE…

6 M ACHINE VISION IN INDUSTRY 14 FLIR Systems Releases New Blackfly S Machine Vision USB3 Camera with Sony’s Pregius S Sensor

15 FLIR Systems Releases Occupancy Management Solution for Brickstream 3D Gen2 People Counting System

16 Thermal imaging to screen for elevated skin temperature 18 Ground-breaking ceremony for the new building Regloplas 20 The Latty Group celebrates its 100th anniversary this year 22 Speed and precision or Compact to power pack? Drive solutions for laboratory automation

24 Delta Launches New EUCO Arena Sport Series LED Drivers for Reliable, Efficient Arena and Outdoor Lighting

26 Innodisk’s Industry-leading Solutions Enable Next-generation Networking and Telecom 27 Business Boost as CMP Launches New Cord Grip 28 AGILOX Autonomous Mobile Robots are substantially saving costs by applying Artificial Swarm Intelligence

30 Mecafi has chosen Verlinde’s partner Sodileve to fully equip its new Eolia plant 32 New research highlights resilience risk among European data centres 34 Seeq recognised as a finalist for Energy 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year 35 Rohde & Schwarz presents a new Q/V band RF upconverter for testing satellite payloads 36 Introducing our New MultiTox MOS Detector for H2S Detection in Desert and Arctic Environments

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37 Emitech recognised as a Certification Body (CB) under the CB Scheme 38 ElectroCraft, Inc. Expands the AxialPower™ Family of Linear Actuators with the APES 17 39 PTFE thrust bearing conversion to improve operations at hydropower station 40 A new addition to the modular system family: the 2-jaw module. The small alternative to a large centric clamping vice

41 NSK academy adds online training module for food and beverage applications 42 Overcoming Process Uncertainty to Reduce Scrap and Rework 46 Efficiency at a new level – with IE5+ motors and LogiDrive 48 How Sustainability Applies to Manufacturing 53 Red Lion’s FlexEdge™ Intelligent Edge Automation Platform Integrates IT and OT 54 Leuze is focused on “yellow” 56 How can holding open doors prevent the spread of COVID -19?

58 Dafo Vehicle introducing Li-IonFire™ increasing the safety of electric and hybrid electric vehicle operations

60 Automate image-based inspection with artificial intelligence 64 Emerson’s Laser Welder Improves Manufacturing Efficiency and Quality of Smaller Plastic Parts

66 Digital and analog interface benefits all at once thanks to Dual Channel 68 De Dietrich Process Systems is ready to assist companies with the relocation and development of their API production in Europe

70 New Intesis gateway makes communication between PROFINET and BACnet easy 72 Record working dimensions for the new XXL-Box

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Steed WEBZELL

EDITORIAL

COVID-19. WHAT IS INDUSTRY’S NEXT MOVE? Invisible.

They are invisible to the human eye.

But microbes can be found anywhere life exists.

They are so small, so varied and so many that – ultimately – people live in their world. The human race is constantly evolving in an almost infinite population of micro-organisms, bacteria and viruses, each one larger than the next. All less visible than each other.

Most of these families of microbes are harmless and/or essential to the proper functioning of macro-organisms such as plants, animals and humans. But sometimes a dangerous strain, suddenly outnumbering its rivals, can cause damage that is as important as it is unexpected. COVID-19 has, and will have, economic and industrial consequences that are unparalleled in history.

Rethinking the protection of line workers Some people will have been affected personally, while almost everyone will have experienced a certain level of impact on their daily lives. As soon as the health crisis began, factories had to protect their employees. As a result, there were production cuts and even temporary site closures. Then came supply-chain difficulties, order postponements and even cancellations, leading to often deep changes in the organisation of workshops and factories. Necessary changes.

Crucial. But for how long?

Controlling the spread of the virus Cities, regions, countries and continents have been confined for varying lengths of time. And sometimes it is necessary to start all over again. Governments are trying different tactics to limit the impact on their economies, with fluctuating levels of success. For a very large majority of VSEs and SMEs, the ideal would be to strengthen their balance sheet (their capital, what they own). The solutions put in place by governments act first on the lower part of the balance sheet – increasing the debt of companies by means of loans at zero or near-zero interest rates. Although this is a huge relief in the immediate term, it poses a dilemma: sufficient revenue must be created to pay it all back.

At the same time, many countries (at least in Europe) are cutting taxes and financing short-time working hours. This strategy has considerable advantages, namely companies do not lose skills and employees are not left without resources.

Certainly a huge relief and a virtuous solution in the short term, but on the flip side it will lead to national debt in almost every

country. That said, public opinion – particularly among the younger generation – is calling for profound changes in the way the world is turning.

Halting the economic crisis?

For industrial decision makers, the situation is complex.

However, the picture should not be painted too black and white – prime-time TV shows and social networks are already doing that. But to go a little further, business leaders must and will have to adjust their strategies. Look for markets that are still underdeveloped to be reborn differently after the crisis – with a lot of reactivity (knowing how to test and validate the strategy), flexibility and agility.

In the meantime, in the immediate term, industry must go on (survive?) and continue with the production know-how it has today.

What is industry’s next move?

At the end of the 19th century, Louis Pasteur showed surgeons and midwives that by washing their hands and scalding their utensils long enough between each operation, they succeeded in stopping the spread of diseases so far unknown.

Society was beginning to understand how malignant microbes spread their damage. Today, much about COVID-19 remains unexplained, but sufficient tools and strategies exists to limit and even prevent its spread, including: hydro-alcoholic gel; masks; gloves; transparent visors; plexiglass screens; the disinfection of tools, workstations, doors and corridors; social distancing; and staggering arrival and departure times at large industrial sites.

Industrialists adapt – as soon as they enter production plants, new routines have been and will be adopted. Many operating procedures have been and are still being revised and adapted.

Procedures, protocols and working methods have changed and will continue to change. Here and there in offices, workshops and factories, new tasks, new functions and new positions have been and are to be defined.

Moreover, the phenomenon of relocation is accelerated by this pandemic, which spares no country. New ideas are abound at the heart of production platforms. Industrial companies have to relocate, rebuild and re-equip machines and production workshops. Control units, field networks, sensors, actuators, robots, machines, vision systems (see special report on page 6), and online and real-time control systems, are and will be regaining their place in plants everywhere. Just differently.

26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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MARKET OVERVIEW

MACHINE VISION IN INDUSTRY Author: Steed WEBZELL

Machine vision technologies are evolving rapidly to keep pace with the requirements of industry, at times even surpassing them.

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achine vision basically refers to image-based systems used in industrial and manufacturing tasks that include identification, inspection, sorting and gauging. These systems are also used for guidance in robotic applications. Vision-based technology has been in use for over four decades, though some devices were deployed even earlier. Keyence – today a leading global supplier of sensors, measuring systems, laser markers, microscopes and machine vision systems – started the development of general-purpose image processing systems in the early 1980s. Similarly, Automatix (now part of OMRON) demonstrated its Autovision II, a basic machine vision system, in 1983.

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Broadly, three types of machine vision system have evolved over the years: 1D or line scan systems used mostly in continuous processes like sheet and rolled product manufacturing (paper, metal, etc); 2D machine vision with a digital camera to capture the image of an object, commonly deployed in barcode scanning and label orientation systems; and 3D machine vision systems with multiple cameras and laser displacement sensors, used typically in surface inspection and volume measurement. So what began as a very basic identification system has now been refined for use in very sophisticated devices that make use of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

26 | Industrie 48 Industry EMEA | Septembre | September 2020 2020

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The new OMRON FHV7 smart camera features industry-first technology.

MARKET OVERVIEW LED lighting solutions from Keyence

3D measuring in progress using the X-GAGE3D from ISRA Vision.

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MARKET OVERVIEW

So what are the most recent developments in this field?

“The potential for machine vision inspection is growing rapidly due to developments in deep learning based strategies. Tasks that were very difficult or impossible to perform with state-of-the-art rules-based vision a few years ago are now possible using deep learning techniques. This has the potential to broaden our market significantly and replace millions of visual inspectors in coming years,” says Thierry Lelaure, VP of Sales (Europe) at Cognex.

The company applies machine vision to some of the most difficult in-line applications by global manufacturers of discrete products. “Our technology allows manufacturers to perform critical functions without making contact with the product or slowing down their production lines,” adds Lelaure. Common machine vision application examples from Cognex include guiding a robot to put a windshield in a car, aligning a screen on a smartphone, reading alphanumeric codes and barcodes on packages, gauging or measuring the width of an automotive brake pad, and inspecting electronic components for defects.

OMRON is counted among the globe’s biggest players in machine vision and industrial barcode scanning. “In order to enable manufacturers with 100% quality control, OMRON has been focusing on the development of an agile range of solutions that are truly flexible and adaptable. We have been experimenting with compact form factors for tight spaces, high-speed imaging for fast-moving production lines, high resolutions for detailed inspection, and power software platforms that could be fully integrated with not only our controllers and robotics systems, but with thirdparty devices,” informs Sameer Gandhi, Managing Director, OMRON Automation India. Gandhi draws attention to some of the recent and notable launches by OMRON: Industrial Ethernet smart cameras with expanded functionalities; smart cameras with the world’s first multi-colour light and high-resolution image sensors; PoE cameras with state-ofthe-art CMOS sensors; and fast, flexible vision systems that feature industry’s first MDMC light for comprehensive defect detection.

The Keyence IV2 vision sensor series utilises AI.

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Thierry Lelaure is VP of Sales (Europe) at Cognex

Jibin Rajan Varghese is Senior Systems Software Engineer at Nvidia, USA

Sameer Gandhi, Managing Director of OMRON Automation India

MARKET OVERVIEW

Similarly, ISRA Vision is another international provider of machine vision solutions. Operating for over 35 years, the company offers high-performance components – in particular, high-resolution cameras and fast-switching LEDs – that enable the capture of structures in the nanometre and nanopixel range, even at extremely high speeds.

The company’s focus and strengths have been in the development of advanced embedded technologies and complex algorithms in highly automated systems that include robot vision systems, as well as in-line measurement and inspection technologies. ISRA systems represent effective solutions that extend from process automation and product optimisation, through to product efficiency for industries which include automotive, composites, glass, metal, paper, plastic, packaging, printing and semiconductors, to list but a few. The company also serves the paper currency, passport and other security-critical documentation segment. ISRA provides inspection systems for quality control of the highly secure and complex features incorporated in modern banknotes. These tasks include distinguishing between the colours of security threads or performing the high-precision inspection of thread windows.

Growth factors According to MarketsandMarkets, a leading market research agency, the global machine vision market size was valued at USD 9.6 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 13.0 billion by 2025. The major driver in the machine vision sector is the increasing need for quality inspection and

automation. So what are the factors that will assist this growth over the next five years?

“Improved algorithms specifically tuned for accuracy, or performance gains in terms of inference times will help increase the adoption of machine vision in the near future.

Also, cost reduction is a key motivator, since general purpose cameras with advanced software can now replace highly calibrated and expensive lighting and camera set-ups for

OMRON Code Reader.

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MARKET OVERVIEW

the same roles when AI is used in machine vision,” says Jibin Rajan Varghese, Senior Systems Software Engineer at Nvidia, USA. Varghese, who is passionate about computer vision and AI, also believes the rise of start-ups in this sector and their ease of access to graphic processing units (GPUs) and hardwareon-the-cloud for their computer and data-intensive training workloads, would impact positively on growth. “Inexpensive edge GPUs such as Jetson Nano, Xavier and Orin chips help further reduce the cost of deploying end-to-end solutions, which will spur growth in the machine vision market.

This is in addition to generic industry-wide motivators for automating vision such as the push for Industry 4.0 and touchpoint reduction due to factors such as health concerns,” he says.

With reference to lighting, award-winning LED-based LumiTrax technology from Keyence has revolutionised machine vision with the fusion of high-speed cameras, intelligent lighting and a powerful algorithm. Finding a scratch or dent on the surface of an object, which is always difficult under certain lighting conditions, is now easily accomplished by capturing multiple images of an item with lighting from different directions. Using LEDs in eight different colours delivers high-performance, versatile lighting that can be used for multi-spectrum, LumiTrax or single-colour lighting that is four times brighter than conventional solutions.

According to Thierry Lelaure of Cognex, there are several macro-trends driving the future adoption of machine vision.

The first is rising wages, which are increasing faster than productivity. There is also a desire for quicker throughput and an ever-increasing emphasis on quality. Another aspect is traceability due to concerns about product counterfeiting.

Next, products and their components are getting smaller and smaller. “A similar dynamic exists in our own machine vision products, which like all technologies, are becoming more compact, less expensive, more powerful, and easier to

Cognex reports that machine vision is an efficient and effective way for manufacturers to automate processes such as defect detection.

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Bin picking using a vision-enabled mobile collaborative robot (cobot) solution devised by OMRON

MARKET OVERVIEW

With the 2019 acquisition of Korean company SUALAB, Cognex gained access to considerable intellectual property (IP), engineering expertise and market coverage in the area of AI and deep learning-based vision inspection.

“The acquisition of SUALAB accelerates the opportunity for Cognex to solve challenging inspection applications in factories, which [until now] could only be done by large teams of human inspectors. Additionally, SUALAB expands Cognex’s presence in Asia, which is the world’s largest and fastest-growing market for deep learning-based vision,” says Lelaure. The addition of SUALAB’s engineering team and IP significantly enhances Cognex’s existing deep learning capabilities, which were acquired from ViDi Systems in 2017.

“We now have the world’s largest team of highly skilled AI and deep learning engineers specialising in industrial machine vision applications. This special domain knowledge provides immense value to Cognex in one of our fastestgrowing markets,” he says.

In late 2019, Keyence released the new IV2 vision sensor series, which utilises AI, continuing the company’s trend of developing innovative new technology paired with ultimate usability. The AI learning algorithm means the system can be simply “taught” using images of good and bad parts, with no vision programming knowledge necessary for stable results. The AI algorithm accounts for variations in lighting and batch size, and even oily or dirty components, greatly boosting the efficacy of automated inspection.

As mentioned at the beginning, machine vision is not new, but the application of emerging technologies like AI and deep learning, coupled with advanced data analytics, is providing a rapid revolution.

use and integrate,” says Lelaure, alluding to factors that are driving growth in this segment.

AI in vision systems The potential of AI in machine vision is just being tapped, even though all leading players are already offering products using this advanced technology. Imaging Development Systems GmbH (IDS), founded in 1997, started as a manufacturer of analogue frame grabbers – used for the capture of high-resolution images in high-end vision systems – but started making digital industrial cameras in 2004. Today, IDS is known for its range of cameras – uEye, IDS NXT and Ensenso 3D – as well as its software suites, which can be found in a wide range of machine vision applications within the automotive, packaging and printing industries, and in solutions for robotics, medical technology, traffic monitoring, security, kiosk systems and logistics. The IDS NXT is a vision app-based platform with AI that offers unlimited possibilities for future applications.

To OMRON’s Sameer Gandhi, Industry 4.0 envisages a shop floor with intelligent and integrated devices. “A key trend here is the integration of machine vision devices – whether quality inspection or barcode reading – with other systems like robots and PLCs. Such integrated devices deliver powerful solutions that include traceability, robots with vision for superior and random pick-and-place and alignment, and 3D bin picking. To achieve these solutions, integration is key. That is why OMRON, with its wide product portfolio, is able to provide standard integrated solutions to meet the industry’s IIoT needs,” he says.

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More recently, in July 2020, OMRON released its new FH series vision system with what the company claims is the industry’s first defect detection AI technology that identifies defects without learning samples. This AI technology, which reproduces human sensibility and the techniques of skilled inspectors, reliably detects defects that were once difficult to capture, thus automating inspection routines that were previously based on human vision.

Machine vision and Industry 4.0 What trends are emerging in machine vision applications due to greater adoption of Industry 4.0? “New trends include the need for more turnkey vision solutions and increased tolerance to variable lighting conditions, as well as object shape and orientation. Bin picking in the e-commerce sector is gaining a lot of traction, with companies such as Vicarious AI and projects like the Amazon Picking Challenge fuelling the adoption of complex machine vision applications that are integral to Industry 4.0,” says Jibin Rajan Varghese of Nvidia.

“Manufacturers want easy access to data collected from the factory floor,” states Lelaure. Cognex vision systems are used in the production of over 2 billion products a day, capturing and analysing multiple digital images of each one.

“We are focused on connecting our vision systems to help customers access this data in real time. This ensures they 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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MARKET OVERVIEW

OMRON SENTECH Industrial Camera.

can make more informed decisions and assist with things like predictive maintenance, remote monitoring and device management,” he adds.

The design of systems produced by ISRA Vision is based on an IT architecture that is ready for use in the emerging Industry 4.0 environment. The X-GAGE3D, for example, is equipped with four high-resolution cameras and a powerful LED that scans all object shapes quickly, even under challenging conditions. Armed with integrated computing capacity, WLAN and OPC/UA communication protocols, an ISRA robot vision system, and in-line measurement and inspection technology, the X-GAGE3D is ready for use in networked production conditions.

COVID-19 compulsions The COVID-19 pandemic, which hit the world in early 2020, has caused massive disruption in the global economy, crippling manufacturing operations in most countries. This has lent fresh impetus to automaton and robotics, with conventional return on investment (ROI) calculations turned upside down. So how is the impact of COVID-19 likely to shape trends in machine vision?

According to Varghese, with more emphasis placed on social distancing and the containment of COVID-19, the industry has shifted more focus to manpower reduction, especially in the manufacturing and warehousing/logistics sectors.

“There is also an ongoing effort by major companies such as Amazon and Walmart to reduce human touchpoints in their logistics division, in order to reduce liability. This has fuelled demand for automated sorting and packaging tasks, which in turn will increase the adoption of machine vision in the upcoming half of the year,” he says.

is increasing even quicker now due to social distancing, as consumers are ordering more goods online to avoid shopping in-person. As a result, e-retailers are leveraging technology to help them be as efficient as possible in their distribution efforts. Many companies are also looking to become more flexible and agile with the packaging of products so they can go straight-to-consumer, because there isn’t time for products to be tied up in the logistics chain.”

Gandhi adds: “The post-COVID world has started to shape consumer demands and behaviour. The consumer is more-than-ever conscious and demanding about quality and hygiene. This is likely to put greater demand on manufacturers to control and enhance quality by ensuring that products of poor standard are not shipped, and the entire supply and delivery chain is tracked using advanced traceability solutions. All this is possible with machine vision alone. It’s the key to achieving global standards in quality, consistency and reliability, along with hygiene. The reboot and reset triggered by COVID-19 is the right opportunity for manufacturers to invest in machine vision.”

In conclusion, machine vision technologies are evolving rapidly to keep pace with the requirements of industry, at times even surpassing them. The systems are getting faster to match ever-increasing production rates, while simultaneously becoming more affordable. Machine vision is also getting more intuitive and easy to use, with plug and play options. In addition, with the help of emerging technologies, machine vision is gaining intelligence to deal with flexible production schedules and other process variations. The human eye now has serious competition.

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This view is seconded by Lelaure, who says: “Manufacturers are increasingly interested in how robotics and automation can help their business, both from a production and workforce augmentation standpoint. Machine vision is an efficient and effective way for manufacturers to automate processes such as visual inspection and defect detection.

E-commerce was one of the fastest growing markets for machine vision before the pandemic. Demand in this market 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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MEASUREMENT

MONTH’S PRODUCT

FLIR SYSTEMS RELEASES NEW BLACKFLY S MACHINE VISION USB3 CAMERA WITH SONY’S PREGIUS S SENSOR

Featuring the Newest Sony Pregius Sensor Generation, Pregius S, the Latest Blackfly S Model Provides Significantly Higher Resolution, Superior Imaging Quality, and Low-Light Performance.

F

LIR Systems announced the availability of the new FLIR Blackfly S visible spectrum camera module, the first to integrate the Sony Pregius S IMX540 sensor with 24.5 MP at 12 FPS in a USB3 camera. The combination of the Blackfly S feature set with IMX540’s high megapixel (MP) count and fast imaging enables engineers and researchers from biomedical to semiconductor industries to inspect more in less time and with fewer cameras required.

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“OEM machine designers, engineers and researchers rely on FLIR for high quality, full-feature machine vision cameras,” said Paul Clayton, General Manager, Components Business at FLIR Systems. “With this latest Blackfly S model, we continue the tradition of combining the best technology with worldclass support to empower our customers to achieve their objectives faster and at lower costs.”

With a new backside illuminated (BSI) 2.74 µm pixel, the Pregius S sensors nearly doubles the pixel density of earlier Pregius sensors while taking advantage of lower cost and more compact lenses. Delivering 24 MP, 12 FPS Sony Pregius distortion-free imaging of fast-moving targets, the Blackfly S enables faster production lines even for very detailed inspection. The Blackfly S also delivers high quantum efficiency and low read noise allowing shorter exposure times, and therefore less powerful lights are required resulting in lower lighting costs.

The FLIR Blackfly S BFS-U3-244S8M/C-C is available for purchase globally today in color and monochrome versions through FLIR and authorized FLIR distributors. FLIR will also release additional Pregius S sensors on GigE and 10GigE interfaces later this year.

To learn more about the Sony Pregius S, visit: https://www.flir.com/discover/iis/machine-vision/ pregius-s/ For Blackfly S specifications, go here for the Color and Monochrome versions.

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MEASUREMENT

FLIR SYSTEMS RELEASES OCCUPANCY MANAGEMENT SOLUTION FOR BRICKSTREAM 3D GEN2 PEOPLE COUNTING SYSTEM

Organisations can Automate Capacity Counting for High Foot-Traffic Spaces to Maintain Social Distancing Compliance.

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LIR Systems announced availability of the FLIR Occupancy Management Solution for FLIR Brickstream 3D Gen2 to automate occupancy counting within high-traffic and capacity-limited areas. To support social distancing guidelines during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Occupancy Management Solution provides organisations with an easy-to-use, real-time capacity counting and display tool for multiple entries and exits.

This solution is part of FLIR Systems’ COVID-19 response product portfolio, which includes the FLIR EST camera series, to help organisations improve safety in public places and other high traffic areas. The FLIR Occupancy Management Solution for Brickstream 3D Gen2 is available today from FLIR and its global Brickstream distribution partners.

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“Many organisations are manually measuring occupancy, but this process is often inaccurate, cumbersome and expensive,” said Paul Clayton, General Manager, Components Business at FLIR Systems. “FLIR addressed this challenge by introducing a cost-effective, scalable, selfcontained, and automated monitoring solution suitable for a variety of locations from grocery stores, stadiums, theaters, transportation hubs, to manufacturing plants, and office spaces.”

The Occupancy Management Solution is platform agnostic with an integrated IoT architecture, which can be implemented within existing Wi-Fi access points, offering a complete edge-based solution with the Brickstream 3D Gen2 hardware. It provides a simple display dashboard for capacity updates that can be viewed by staff or customers on devices with a web browser. It may be used as a standalone or integrated into existing perimeter systems, making it ideal for most environments where occupancy must be closely managed. Current Brickstream 3D Gen2 customers can purchase and add this feature with via a remote firmware upgrade.

www.flir.com/occupancy

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MEASUREMENT

THERMAL IMAGING TO SCREEN FOR ELEVATED SKIN TEMPERATURE

FLIR A320 Tempscreen can be used in high-traffic areas, such as an airport, as part of screening procedures.

Understanding how to screen for people in an efficient and accurate manner.

Summary A thermal imaging camera can be an effective screening device for detecting individuals with an elevated skin temperature. This type of monitoring can provide useful information when used as a screening tool in high-traffic areas to help identify people with an elevated temperature compared to the general population. That individual can then be further screened using other body temperature measuring tools.

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Although thermal imaging cameras are primarily designed for industrial and night vision uses, public health organisations have used FLIR cameras around the world at airports, seaports, office buildings and other mass gathering areas to provide rapid, efficient screening in high-traffic areas. FLIR thermal cameras are particularly well suited to this because they can provide a temperature reading of a person’s face in a matter of seconds.

How thermal imaging works A thermal imaging camera produces infrared images or heat pictures that display small temperature differences. This allows thermal cameras to create and continually update a visual heat map of skin temperatures. In addition, FLIR thermal imaging cameras are sensitive devices capable of measuring small temperature differences.

Many of the FLIR thermal cameras that are appropriate for measuring skin temperatures also offer built-in functions like visual and sound alarms that can be set to go off when a certain temperature threshold is exceeded. The operator can then instantly decide whether the subject needs to be referred for further screening with additional temperature measurement tools.

As the thermal imaging camera produces images in nearrealtime, the total evaluation process takes mere moments, making thermal imaging technology very useful for rapidly screening large numbers of people.

Measuring the temperature of the human body It’s true that a person’s general skin temperature is typically not equal to the person’s core temperature. That doesn’t

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The thermal imaging camera automatically detects the hottest temperature within an area, set by the operator. A color alarm makes it easy to decide whether a person needs further screening.

The thermal image shows the hot spots in the corner of the eyes.

detract from the use of thermal cameras to detect elevated skin temperatures, however. Thermal cameras are useful in this role because the goal is not to measure absolute skin temperature, but to differentiate people who have an elevated skin temperature compared to others while also considering the environmental conditions of the location.

is safe for both the camera operator and the people being screened. www.flir.com/ebt

Some FLIR camera models offer an elevated skin temperature screening mode that is helpful in comparing the person being screened against the temperature of other people previously screened. When in Screening mode, the operator can save ten thermal images of faces that the camera automatically averages as a reference.

A small investment to enable high-traffic screening Airports all over the world are using FLIR cameras and have applied this methodology to screen people entering and leaving the country. It is a quick, non-contact method that

The FLIR Systems product line-up includes a wide variety of thermal imaging cameras that can be used for detecting people with elevated skin temperature.

FLIRÂ A320 Tempscreen, however, was especially developed for thermal screening in high-traffic applications.

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Sound and color alarms All areas on the subject’s face that are hotter than a predefined temperature value can be displayed as a designated color on the thermal image. This built-in alarm allows users to make an immediate decision regarding whether the subject may need further screening with additional screening tools. In addition, some FLIR cameras are equipped with an audible alarm that can be activated to sound if the detected temperature exceeds a predefined value.

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CO R P O R AT E

GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE NEW BUILDING REGLOPLAS

Christian Eckert, CEO: With this ground-breaking ceremony our planned Smart Factory will now become a reality.

Regloplas AG sticks to its road map for the future and makes its future technology site a reality.

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egloplas AG, internationally leading manufacturer of temperature control units for the processing industry reported a healthy statement of accounts last year and a steady increase in demand for its products. For this reason, various departments such as production and logistics are now facing a state of emergency in terms of lack of space.

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For Regloplas AG to continue to compete on the world market, the company site requires expansion as soon as possible. The planned new building will provide 6 storeys, each with a floor space measuring 2500Â m2. The construction project scores points on energy efficiency and sustainability with more environmentally friendly process design. The plan is to use the entire roof area for photovoltaics to produce as much of the process energy consumption as possible in house.

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Regloplas employees can expect a stunning, modern and open working environment. The integration of digitalised processes will achieve greater process efficiency. The goal of a state-of-the-art Smart Factory is a reality.

With the ground-breaking ceremony, the management is setting a clear intent, even in Corona times, to continue to pursue its plans for the future. We will leave our current site on the Flurhofstrasse in favour of a larger and completely reconceived factory on the SpĂźhlstrasse in St Gallen.

Building work has already begun. Completion of the final construction phase is planned for the start of 2022. www.regloplas.com

Precision S e a l i n g Systems

In-house Manufacturing, Safe Sealing > > > >

Leading manufacturer of sealing solutions Expertise in all industrial markets and applications In-house compound development and manufacturing Cleanliness, traceability, coatings, specific developments

Contact us for more information Email us at oring@hutchinson.com www.oring.hutchinson.fr

CO R P O R AT E

THE LATTY GROUP CELEBRATES ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR

A century of research and innovation|Created in 1920, the family business managed by Mr. ChristianXavier Latty, grandson of the founder is now, a century later, the French market leader in industrial sealing.

Latty’s products ensure that complex industrial processes stay perfectly sealed and today have become indispensable in many sectors such as food processing, petrochemicals, mining and nuclear industries.

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he Latty Group has built a reputation for compliance with the strictest quality and safety regulations that guarantee product reliability, as well as for its solid know-how in the design and R&D of its sealing solutions and the constant evolution of its manufacturing processes. In a very competitive environment, Latty makes the difference by staying focussed on service and listening carefully to its customers, as only a medium-sized company can, while investing each year 5% of its turnover in research and development. In addition, the company has its own test laboratory enabling it to test its products under optimum conditions of use before market release or test them on the customers’ equipment for qualifications or approvals.

The Latty Group in France consists of a head office located in Orsay in the Paris region and a production site and R&D lab based in Brou in the Eure-et-Loir department. In addition to the sales force, made up of technical sales engineers and sales managers, more than 160 people at Latty work every day to serve its customers, not counting the highly responsive local network of around a hundred distributors, cutters and multi-service competence centres.

The Latty Group makes a large part of its turnover by exporting through its 10 subsidiaries, some of which have their own manufacturing unit or multi-service competence centre. The medium-term objective is to increase its share in the export markets, in particular by creating new subsidiaries while maintaining the strong level of activity in France. In this context, the group has announced the opening of two new subsidiaries in India and Brazil.

Mr. Latty speaks about the strengths of his company: “One of the Latty Group’s strong points is undoubtedly its ability to listen to its customers. Every business is different, every

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the many manufacturers with whom we have developed partnerships.

The equipment approved on these test cells can be used directly in specific applications or integrated by manufacturers in the production of industrial pumps or valves. To date, more than 100 test reports confirming these standards approvals have been obtained.

client is different with its own constraints, whether related to the environment, the size of the project or the deadline.

The technical and commercial teams are there to ensure that customers benefit from this century of experience in industrial sealing when designing the appropriate solution in each case. The proposed product must meet the customer’s expectations in every respect.”

Associated services: research, development and testing Latty’s other strong point is to have some research, development and testing department located in its production site in Brou and to be able to support client manufacturers in the process of approving their equipment in compliance with the relevant standards and directives, particularly for valves and fittings.

In the nuclear field, the Fukushima feedback has led to stricter requirements on all materials used in the plants. To meet these requirements, the Latty Group has developed new products for industrial valves, rotating machines, pressure vessels and piping, including packaging qualified for accident conditions with radiation resistance up to 4000 kGy and EPDM-based elastomer seals up to 1700 KGy. Mechanical seals have also been developed and qualified on new plants meeting post-Fukushima requirements.

Mr. Latty concludes: “Today’s requirements are very different from those of 1920. Over the course of a century, the Latty Group has lived through the industrial revolution of the 20th century, always developing quality products that are increasingly innovative and efficient. Originally, Latty braids were invented to seal the shaftline outlets for shipbuilding.

Today, Latty seals can be found in equipment in all sectors of industry. They respond to the continuously evolving demands of industry and strive to better preserve our environment.” www.latty.com

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Latty is recognised for the quality and performance of its ranges of braids and sealing rings and more particularly for its FILCOAT process (double impregnation of threads). All the research we do in the development of fibres and lubricants enables us to offer a range of about 50 different qualities of braids with more than 70 types of impregnation and 120 varieties of yarns (aramide, PTFE, graphite, carbon, etc.) to meet all our customers’ applications.

Sensitive sectors All industrial sectors are concerned by industrial sealing but not all leaks have the same consequences. Although working in all industries, the Latty Group particularly addresses the needs of industries sensitive to the reduction of greenhouse gases (ISO 15848), the safety of people and the security of equipment and industrial sites.

In the field of industrial valves, for example, the design of new packaging has made it possible to reduce the leakage rate of fugitive emissions, linked to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), by a factor of more than 10,000.

On a 500 m² platform with more than 15 test cells equipped with precision measuring equipment (pressures from the vacuum to 650 bar, temperatures from -200 °C to 650 °C, helium mass spectrometers, a 5,500 kN press, etc.) the company is able to accommodate equipment of all sizes to meet the requirements of our customers and also those of 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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B I OT E C H N O LO G Y

SPEED AND PRECISION OR COMPACT TO POWER PACK? DRIVE SOLUTIONS FOR LABORATORY AUTOMATION

Countless samples are tested daily in analytical laboratories. The benefits of automation in this area is obvious: They make it possible to achieve faster results, higher throughput, fewer errors and lower personnel costs. In order to ensure smooth operation, high dynamics and precision are extremely important for the drive systems. We spoke to Dr. Aihua Hong about the requirements and developments in this market segment, for which she is responsible at FAULHABER.

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In which industries does laboratory automation play a part?

Automated processes can be found in all laboratory areas, such as the chemical, pharmaceutical and food technology. The medical industry is an area in which there has been considerable growth worldwide. Automated solutions have been indispensable in this area for many years in so-called in-vitro diagnostics (IVD), i.e. the analysis of medical samples such as blood, urine and tissue. Test procedures are also becoming increasingly automated in the research laboratories of pharmaceutical companies in the development of new drugs.

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NEWS What exactly is laboratory automation?

The degree of automation in the different laboratories varies considerably. It ranges from carrying out individual processes using stand-alone devices up to complete sample analysis in complex systems. The latter is particularly required in areas where large numbers of samples need to be examined in accordance with a standardised protocol and little flexibility is needed – such as IVD in the main laboratory of a hospital or in large laboratories for medical diagnostics.

Which processes are carried out automatically in these areas?

Almost the entire analysis process takes place automatically in these laboratories. It starts with the preparation of the blood samples in colour-coded sample test tubes. A scanner records the type of analysis that is required for a test tube, and ensures that it is picked out by a robot arm accordingly. Some of these samples are centrifuged in order to separate the constituents of the blood. The samples are then transported in special transport units to the actual analysis station, e.g. by conveyor belt or in a small trolley with a wheel drive.

What happens in the analysis station?

The sample is first identified by directing the bar code at a camera and having it read. Then the stopper is removed from the test tube, and some of the sample is removed.

The test tube is then sealed again and archived for possible testing at a later date. The sample is transferred to a reaction vessel for the actual analysis, e.g. onto a test plate or petri dish. During the subsequent testing, the drive technology is mainly used for processes such as pipetting, liquid handling, mixing and stirring.

Which requirements have to be met by the motors?

Many different movements have to be be carried out during the entire process, and the demands made of the drive technology differ accordingly. The conveyor belts require large, powerful motors, and components that are as compact and lightweight as possible. Thanks to our comprehensive product range we can cover the entire spectrum, and can supply an extremely good solution for almost any requirement.

Can you give us some examples?

Many applications require a highly dynamic system for repeated start/stop movements such as pick-and-place and pipetting processes. Both speed and extremely accurate positioning are required when doing this. Size and weight also play a part here: The drive for the upwards and downwards movement of the gripper arm or pipetting head can usually be found in the mobile component. It must therefore be extremely light and compact.

Furthermore, the equipment for IVD has to undergo an expensive certification process before it can be put into operation. In order to avoid repeating this process, the replacement of existing devices with other models is avoided wherever possible. The availability of replacement parts therefore plays an important part as well. If a FAULHABER component has to be replaced after a long service life, the customer can rely on the fact that it can still be obtained from us, even after many years. www.faulhaber.com MORE INFORMATION

What are the advantages of FAULHABER motors?

The DC-micromotors of series 1524SR and 2224SR are particularly suitable for these applications. They have no iron armatures and are therefore much lighter and smaller than other models with comparable performance. At the same time, they are characterised by having extremely high dynamics. They are mainly used in combination with a series IE3 encoder, which only increases the overall length of the unit by two millimetres. High performance is therefore achieved with an extremely compact design.

percent of their profit with the reagents that they sell with their devices for sample analysis. The service life of their equipment and the continuity of their reagent sales are therefore directly related.

Are there any other reasons for opting to use FAULHABER products?

It is extremely important to our customers place to have high-quality components so that their equipment will operate reliably for longer. They generate about ninety 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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ELECTRONICS

DELTA LAUNCHES NEW EUCO ARENA SPORT SERIES LED DRIVERS FOR RELIABLE, EFFICIENT ARENA AND OUTDOOR LIGHTING

Delta, leader globale nelle soluzioni power e di gestione termica, ha annunciato oggi il lancio dei driver LED serie EUCO Arena Sport, progettati per fornire ai produttori di apparecchi di illuminazione una soluzione versatile per numerose applicazioni di illuminazione industriale e commerciale quali le torri faro, l’illuminazione per sport ricreativi, in porti, aeroporti e nei parcheggi.

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elta, a global leader in power and thermal management solutions, today announced the launch of EUCO Arena Sport Series LED drivers, which are designed to provide luminaire manufacturer’s a versatile solution for many industrial and commercial lighting applications such as high mast lighting, recreational sports lighting, harbors, airports, and parking lot lighting. Built on three independent output channels with a maximum power of 500W (1500W total), these drivers have a wide operating temperature range that ensures performance and reliability for the most rugged applications. These drivers offer precise tuning of the drive current and are equipped with dimming circuitry for DALI-2 digital dimming to allow for adjustment of lighting levels from 0.1% to 100%. In addition to the driver architecture and circuit topology, Delta has achieved a very low typical current ripple of ≤1% peak-to-peak. That is important when it comes to televised events, since current ripple can cause LED flicker. Flickering lights affect the quality of sports broadcasts and limit slow motion options.

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“Financial considerations play a significant part in recreational sports lighting, especially for stadiums. Energy efficiency, resource conservation, maintenance, and sustainability are important factors that should be taken into account for any lighting installation,” said Tim Lee, Vice President of Delta Electronics EMEA region. “And using LED lighting is not just about electricity costs. The metal halide lamps still installed at many arenas can take considerable time to warm up, for instance. If they turn off in the middle of an important event, it may take half an hour or more for the lights to come back on. Our new LED drivers for arena lighting offer exceptional efficiency as well as reliability so people attending and watching televised events can have consistently great experiences.”

Special design allows high reliability and long driver and luminaire life The new EUCO Arena Sport LED drivers use solid heat sinks that provide more contact area with the cold plate for passive cooling as well as high-quality components to ensure a long operating life and high reliability. In developing the EUCO

• 1500W built on 3 independent programmable channels • Wide Output Range 250V~500Vdc & programmable 500mA~1400mA • DALI-2 DiiA-certified driver • Low (≤1%) peak-to-peak current ripple • Wider Operating temperature: -40 °C ~ +50 °C • Compact-sized and light-weighted

Arena Sport series drivers, one of the main design goals was to ensure good heat management so the product is capable of operating with high efficiency across a long service life.

The long lifetime and high reliability of EUCO Arena Sport LED drivers have passed the rigorous 5000hrs plus Accelerating Life Test (ALT) with harsh environment of 65 °C temperature and 85deg humidity.

The EUCO Arena Sport LED drivers are available in two versions. The EUCO-1K5140GLA model is designed for DALI 2 control interfaces with the EUCO-1K5140GDA serving facilities that use RDM/DMX. Maximum output power for both versions is 1500W (three 500-watt channels) and default and maximum output current is 1400mA. www.deltapsu.com

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Lower maintenance costs Depending on the installation environment and ambient temperatures, the maintenance intervals can be significantly increased. EUCO Arena Sport Series LED drivers can be located up to 200m away from the luminaire, which means the drivers no longer need to be on a high mast that requires a bucket truck (which can damage grass fields) or industrial climbers for driver maintenance and installation. With the EUCO Arena Sport drivers, facilities can perform driver maintenance on the ground. Furthermore, light designers can now use much lighter masts since the weight of the driver is no longer a consideration. Even when retrofitting LED lights at an existing facility, old masts can be easily replaced.

operating life of these new LED driver pairs well with the long working life of LEDs themselves.

Additional cost-saving features The EUCO Arena Sports LED drivers from Delta use highquality components to maximise mean time to failure (MTTF). They also have a low inrush current, which allows facilities to reuse existing circuit breakers if desired. The 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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ELECTRONICS

INNODISK’S INDUSTRY-LEADING SOLUTIONS ENABLE NEXTGENERATION NETWORKING AND TELECOM

Innodisk’s pioneering solutions enable organisations to take full advantage of next-generation networking and telecommunications.

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ltra-fast standards such as 5G and Wi-Fi 6 are ushering in a new era of networking and communications.

These exciting new technologies promise higher speeds and lower latencies for both enterprise users and consumers, forming a cornerstone of the future of computing. Innodisk offers optimised flash storage, DRAM modules, and embedded peripherals that equip organisations with the performance and features needed to capitalize on these exciting technologies.

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Minimal Latency and Maximum Performance 5G and modern networking technologies mean a critical technological leap forward for edge computing and the Internet of Things. However, this technological leap also requires networking equipment with hardware that is up to the task.

Innodisk addresses these demands with flash storage solutions such as the 3IE7 and 3IE6-P series, which are designed to bring all the necessary performance for equipment such as IoT gateways, routers, and servers at the edge; as well as Ethernet switches, gateways, firewalls, routers, and 1U servers in the backend. Featuring functionality such as iData Guard, iCell, and iPower Guard, 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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these storage solutions provide exceptional power management. Meanwhile, iSLC provides endurance of up to 10 times that of typical 2D MLC and 3D TLC – while providing SLC-level speeds and minimal latency.

In-vehicle Networking Innovation Next-generation networking and communications also bring opportunities in transportation. With these new technologies, reliable real-time monitoring of massive vehicle fleets becomes possible, and the added bandwidth allows much more data to be transmitted. Innodisk’s CAN bus modules are fully up to this task, providing in-vehicle communications optimised for demanding in-vehicle conditions, while iCAP, Innodisk’s browser-accessed management platform provides exceptional remote management capabilities.

Together, these state-of-the-art innovations from Innodisk allow businesses to position their applications to take full advantage of the future of networking – at the edge, in the backend, and on the move. www.innodisk.com/

ENERGY/POWER

BUSINESS BOOST AS CMP LAUNCHES NEW CORD GRIP

Leading cable gland and cable cleat specialist, CMP Products, has extended its North American product range with the launch of a brand new cord grip cable gland.

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MP’s latest cable glands in the CG Range are designed and engineered specifically to suit unarmored flexible cable and cord as used predominantly throughout the USA and Canada.

Manufactured from high-grade 6000 series aluminum, the glands provide excellent corrosion and ingress protection in wet, dry or hazardous environments; and have undergone testing to the latest edition of UL50E. They join the company’s suite of existing UL and CSA certified cable glands, which have undergone some of the most stringent tests for cable glands. Jamie Hughes, head of CMP’s Americas operation in Houston, explains:

In relation to the timing of the launch Jamie added: “The timing of the launch is crucial in these unprecedented times and it’s credit to our R&D Team and manufacturing colleagues that we are able to launch and hold stock of these products for our customers despite everything that is going on in the world.

“We have been based in Houston for more than 20 years and the launch of the cord grip is a welcome addition that will give another boost to our business and that of our distributors.”

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“Cord grips have been used in the Americas for several years, with many designed and tested to dated standards.

Conversely, the CMP CG series is tested to the very latest edition of UL514B. It’s a much more challenging test and a better way to demonstrate how the cable glands will perform in real life scenarios.”

The cord grip has been developed utilise CMP’s heritage of more than 60 years and covers a wider range of cables with fewer cable glands, hence reducing inventory levels and therefore cost. Available in sizes 3/8” to 2”; each product includes an entry thread seal and locknut as standard.

Other materials available on request include zinc-plated steel, stainless steel and nickel plated on request. www.cmp-products.com/cord-grip 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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I N T R A LO G I S T I C S

AGILOX AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOTS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY SAVING COSTS BY APPLYING ARTIFICIAL SWARM INTELLIGENCE

Swarm Intelligence (SI) and bio-inspired computing have attracted great interest in almost every area of science and engineering, including robotics, over the last two decades.

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eing an innovative manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), AGILOX directs most of its effort into developing one of the most unique robotic material handling features on the market – completely decentralised autonomy. AGILOX Intelligent Guided Vehicles (IGVs) are completely independent, self-controlled, and intelligently designed to handle failover, recovery, and deadlock prevention perfectly. Our SI system can provide real-time solutions to impossibly complex optimisation problems in the most efficient way possible, often in ways that a human designer could never anticipate. The swarm can also handle unexpected changes in dynamic environments without any human intervention.

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AGILOX vehicles automatically exchange information about the environment and the current work order situation with each other via WiFi several times per second. Based on virtual transport costs, which each participant constantly

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recalculates for all pending orders, it is automatically decided which vehicle fulfills an order and which path that vehicle can take to fulfill this order in the shortest amount of time.

All of this is possible with almost no overhead cost to the endcustomer. There are no expensive server systems, no wires added under the floor, no reflector or beacon installations – no hardware of any kind, other than your regular 2.4 or 5 GHz WiFi network and the charger. There is no software to install or maintain, no version numbers to keep up with, and no licenses with ongoing subscription fees.

The nature of our Swarm Intelligence also provides another massive advantage in terms of setup cost. Once the first AGILOX unit learns its environment and workflow details, the system becomes immediately infinitely scalable. Adding additional vehicles to the swarm to increase throughput is as simple as turning on the power and assigning an IP address. Within minutes, the new vehicle will automatically download all of its configuration information from the swarm and begin working, no additional commissioning or programming required.

NEWS

AGILOX represents a total departure from the traditional approach to material handling processes. We apply the principles of our decentralised IGV system to our entire business model from top to bottom as well, by providing our customers with the training and tools to perform their own maintenance and expand or modify the system as they see fit.

With open interfaces, infinite flexibility, and unrivaled collective intelligence, the possibilities for your AGILOX implementation are limited only by your imagination.

Welcome to the future of logistics automation. www.agilox.net

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I N T R A LO G I S T I C S

MECAFI HAS CHOSEN VERLINDE’S PARTNER SODILEVE TO FULLY EQUIP ITS NEW EOLIA PLANT

The Mecafi group, set up in 1993, is a leading player in high precision mechanics for applications in aerospace and industry. Mecafi mainly operates in France, where its employees of approximately 650 work at Châtellerault in the Vienne administrative department (Nouvelle Aquitaine region) at the HQ / R&D centre and 3 production plants.

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ince it was set up, Mecafi has heavily invested systematically, in terms of both material and human resources, for reasons of innovation in leading edge techniques in the area of high-speed precision machining and specialized processes. 2015 marked the year of the building of its 3rd MECAFI Eolia plant, a turbine parts specialist causing the group to consult Sodileve, Verlinde’s partner and authorized distributor, for the installation of all the hoisting, lifting and ergonomical elements in the plant.

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Sodileve (Société de Distribution et d’Installation de Matériel de Levage [lifting equipment distributor and installer]) had already carried out an operation at Mecafi for the installation of two new jib cranes at the first production plant at Châtellerault, which was already fitted out with Verlinde’s competitors’ lifting equipment. Following this operation and in view of the quality of the EUROCHAIN service and products, Mecafi requested Sodileve’s support for the time of the construction of their new Eolia plant. The audit was carried out in conjunction with Verlinde. The joint operation was launched in 2015 and delivery took place three years later. It involved fitting out an 8,700 m2 plant under construction with lifting solutions for the loading of cast aluminium machines while integrating the ergonomics of stations. A part of the machine pool had already been installed, so from the start the equipment had to be adapted to fit the available space. As the project progressed, requirements were revised upwards.

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Ergonomic lifting equipment aligned to the requirements of each application The whole range of Verlinde’s EUROSYSTEM overhead handling and EUROSTYLE jib crane systems was deployed at Mecafi, all fitted with EUROCHAIN hoists: EUROSYSTEM STD (steel) and ALD (aluminium) hollow section girders, inverted jib cranes or triangulated beam section arms, etc.

The aluminium systems were chosen at spots where station ergonomics was essential: lightness of tracks enables users to manipulate loads, easily and almost effortlessly, even heavy and cumbersome ones. The steel systems made the moving of heavy loads easy thanks to the excellent rolling coefficient. Stress is kept to a minimum on the bearing structure by the pendular design of the system. The EUROCHAIN electric chain hoists are the result of innovative technology: their materials, concepts of operation and style offers them power and user-friendliness. They can be adapted for specific requirements.

Since the delivery of the plant in 2019, Sodileve has carried out further operations involving the installation of additional jib cranes in order to enhance the operating convenience of certain stations. Sodileve has also upgraded some installations with lifting beams and girder clamps of its own design in order to optimise processes and increase productivity.

Jean Guichard, CEO of Sodileve, points out: “Mecafi was very appreciative, over and above the delivered works and follow-up, of the advisory service we were able to offer the company. Our business involves trust that goes hand in hand with a label of quality applicable to our operations and advisory service.

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The most powerful hoisting element installed at Mecafi can lift 3.2 tonnes while the smallest, 125 kg. In all, 32 hoisting systems with 32 Verlinde EUROCHAIN hoists were installed and commissioned by Sodileve, including 3 at the company’s first plant.

Continuity of service Sodileve also signed an exclusive preventive maintenance and repair contract with Mecafi, this time for the whole pool of lifting machinery, 80% of which was Verlinde equipment as the company’s first plant had already been equipped by other makers. Since 2015, the installations have been problem-free apart from normal wear and changing a few spare parts.

Mecafi is entirely satisfied with its installations and equipment and declares its readiness to continue its working relationship with Sodileve and Verlinde. www.verlinde.com 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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NEW RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS RESILIENCE RISK AMONG EUROPEAN DATA CENTRES

Mission Critical Report.

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he resilience of data centres across Europe is at risk as the industry looks towards a permanent renewable energy infrastructure, according to a major new report launched by temporary global power and temperature solutions company, Aggreko.

The report – Mission Critical – provides unique insight of 700 data centre consultants across the Netherlands, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the UK and Ireland, following a survey conducted by independent agency Censuswide on behalf of Aggreko.

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The results found that more than half (55%) of those surveyed expressed at least some concern about the capabilities of the local grid and energy infrastructure’s ability to meet current demand. Among the least confident were respondents in the UK and the Netherlands.

Grid limitations were also the cause of most power outages across the regions for 60% of respondents. This could be one of the reasons for the high take up of renewable technology, with solar (70.4%) and wind (65.4%) popular among Europe.

However, while the move towards renewables appears to be gathering pace, a number of barriers to adopting the technology were also highlighted, including energy storage and changing technology.

While the uptake in renewables is to be welcomed, it could leave the resilience of data centre facilities at risk, as Chris Rason, UK Managing Director of Aggreko, explains: “Renewable technology is a key driver for the data centre market, and our research shows that both solar and wind are popular technologies.

“However, as the use of these technologies increases, the risk to resilience also rises, especially during periods of intermittent energy supply. Energy storage is clearly a concern here, but as the use of diesel generators drops, operators and contractors need to look for greener solutions to ensure back-up power is available during periods of intermittence.”

On-site generation is also considered in the report, after more than 60% claimed that power security was a key driver

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NEWS

• 700 data centre consultants covering seven European countries surveyed • More than half expressing at least some concern about their local energy grid • 60% claim grid limitation are among main causes of power outages • 40.5% believe first generation infrastructure designs cannot meet temperature control demands • Solar (70.4%) and wind (65.4%) among renewable energy being adopted • 60% claim power security as key driver towards decentralised energy adoption

to adopting a decentralised energy solution. Only one third (35.7%) admitted that on-site generation was in place as a revenue stream, while almost half (47%) cited rising energy costs as a key driver.

The report also includes an opinion piece from Zahl Limbuwala, Executive Director of Strategy & Market Engagement for CBRE Data Centre Solutions Group. He comments: “The findings from Aggreko’s survey provide further evidence of the rising challenges facing data centre operators. As the industry continues to grow, these challenges will only become more prevalent and perhaps a barrier to continued progress. Understanding the obstacles – and how to overcome them – is extremely important but we are confident our innovative industry can rise to the challenge.”

Aggreko is the world’s largest hire company, providing temporary power, battery storage, temperature control and testing solutions to data centres. Supporting a number of world’s leading data centre operators, Aggreko’s extensive experience covers all types of data centre, including hyperscales, edge and co-location.

The report – Mission Critical: Power resilience, competitiveness and sustainability in European Data Centres – can be downloaded on the Aggreko website. www.aggreko.com

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The survey results also show cause for concern when considering a data centre’s ability to cope with temperature demand. Last year saw Europe experience record high temperatures. With over 40% of respondents believing that first generation data centres are not able to meet temperature challenges, the question of whether facilities are able to cope with a warming planet continue to be raised.

“Data centre operators and managers should ask themselves “can this facility cope with sustained periods of heat?” If the answer is no, then considering alternative or temporary cooling solutions during peak periods should be encouraged.”

Chris Rason adds: “Addressing the concerns of rising temperatures is already a priority for data centres and we have seen a trend towards free cooling being implemented in facilities. However, with temperatures on the increase, consultants are showing uncertainty as to whether facilities can indeed cope with the heat.

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SEEQ RECOGNISED AS A FINALIST FOR ENERGY 2020 MICROSOFT PARTNER OF THE YEAR

Seeq Corporation, a leader in manufacturing and industrial Internet of things (IIoT) advanced analytics software, today announced it has been named a finalist for the Energy 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology.

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We are very pleased to be awarded this distinction in recognition of our work with Microsoft in serving the digital transformation needs of energy customers,” says Megan Buntain, Director of Cloud Partnerships at Seeq. “Our success is a credit to our team’s investments in integration with Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and other Microsoft cloud offerings.”

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The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognise Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions during the past year. Awards were classified in several categories, with honorees chosen from a set of more than 3,300 submitted nominations from more than 100 countries worldwide. Seeq was recognised for providing outstanding solutions and services in Energy.

The Energy Partner of the Year Award recognises a partner organisation that excels at providing innovative and unique services or solutions based on Microsoft technologies to energy companies – which include oil & gas, power & utilities, mining and renewables– demonstrating thought leadership in their industry.

“It is an honor to recognise the winner and finalists of the 2020 Energy Microsoft Partner of the Year Award,” said Darryl Willis, Vice President, Energy, Microsoft. “These partners go above and beyond, delivering timely solutions that solve the complex challenges that energy businesses around the world face – from communicating and collaborating virtually to helping customers realize their full potential with Azure cloud services, and beyond. I am proud to honor and congratulate the Energy Award winner and finalists.” www.seeq.com

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MEASUREMENT

ROHDE & SCHWARZ PRESENTS A NEW Q/V BAND RF UPCONVERTER FOR TESTING SATELLITE PAYLOADS To enable continually higher data rates for end users of satellite links, satellite operators are using higher frequencies, such as the Q/V band, where larger bandwidths are available.

The new R&S SZV100A RF upconverter from Rohde & Schwarz now offers a solution for testing broadband transponders in the payloads of very high throughput satellites (VHTS). With its 2 GHz modulation bandwidth, the R&S SZV100A covers the entire frequency range from 36 GHz to 56 GHz.

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he Q/V band offers larger bandwidths for feeder links to satellites, making it ideal for the implementation of upcoming data links with high bit rates. This includes future communications and cellular backhaul networks that can provide end users with large volumes of data. Operators of conventional geostationary satellites as well as LEO satellites in the new space environment are discovering the advantages of these new satellite bands.

The test setup consists of the R&S SMW200A vector signal generator, the R&S SMA100B RF and microwave signal generator, and the R&S SZV100A Q/V band RF upconverter.

With its outstanding RF performance, the R&S SMW200A

The compact housing design, low weight and mounting points of the R&S SZV100A allow mounting as close as possible to the DUT, for example on the outside of a thermal vacuum chamber (TVAC). The distance between the IF source or LO source and the R&S SZV100A can be as much as 10 meters, allowing an optimised test setup.

The upconverter and the signal generators can be operated remotely with a PC software over a LAN connection. The R&S SZV remote control software enables simple and convenient configuration of the entire device setup.

The R&S SZV100A is ideal as a low-cost upgrade for existing test systems. Thanks to the control software, the setup consisting of the R&S SZV100A, R&S SMW200A and R&S SMA100B can be operated as a single instrument. The R&S SZV100A is now available from Rohde & Schwarz.

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High demands are placed on microwave components in the Q/V band, which means they must undergo extensive testing during development and verification. Amplifiers, converters, receiver modules and complete satellite payloads are just a few examples of components that have to be tested in the Q/V band. Especially for satellite payloads, test equipment must meet very high requirements for signal quality. Together with the R&S SMW200A vector signal generator, the R&S SZV100A Q/V band RF upconverter provides continuous coverage of all satellite bands from VHF to V band as well as the frequency bands for 5G in the Q/V band.

delivers the modulated broadband IF signal with bandwidths up to 2 GHz, while the R&S SMA100B provides the high-precision LO signal. The maximum output power of the R&S SZV100A is as high as +16 dBm (at 1 dB compression point).

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MEASUREMENT

INTRODUCING OUR NEW MULTITOX MOS DETECTOR FOR H2S DETECTION IN DESERT AND ARCTIC ENVIRONMENTS

New MultiTox MOS Detector Supported by the Telecapteur Calibration Management Software.

When the reduction of unscheduled downtime is vital to your plant’s operations, Teledyne Gas & Flame Detection has you covered.

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e understand the importance and complexities of maintaining process critical applications within Oil & Gas, Petrochemical and Refining industries, particularly when the detection of Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) in extreme and challenging conditions is critical to the safe and smooth operations of your plant.

The Multitox, DG-TT7-S (Type D), from Teledyne Oldham Simtronics, provides best-in-class support when H₂S is a constant threat. By utilising the latest solid-state Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) technology, inside a rugged and durable detector head, Teledyne enables H₂S to be detected easily, without the risk of poisoning, whilst providing industry leading sensor life of up to 10 years and an extended 5 years warranty as standard.

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This, combined with our innovative Telecapteur Asset Management Software, being developed in partnership with ADNOC, enables automatic visualisation of key information, including instant access to historical calibration data, enabling quick and accurate analysis instead of relying on slower paper-based processes. Furthermore, our software simplifies calibration by reducing the number of operators 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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required from two to one, decreasing OPEX spend ($) and ensuring your assets remain fully operational for longer.

Summary of Key Advantages: • Ideal for desert and arctic environments • Durable sensor with latest MOS technology • No cross interference • Enhanced sensor life (up to 10 years) with 5-year warranty as standard • No shelf life limitations • Rugged and durable stainless-steel casing • Magnet configuration with calibration capabilities - Calibration – Zero & Adjustment - Configuration – Relay & Outputs • Simple one-man calibration capabilities • Hart version 7 • Large and multicolour display • Digitization compatible with Telecapteur Software • Extremely Stable Zero • Fastest Response & Recovery Time • Highest Target Gas Specificity https://teledynegasandflamedetection.com/en/node/2971

MEASUREMENT

EMITECH RECOGNISED AS A CERTIFICATION BODY (CB) UNDER THE CB SCHEME Since 2014, Emitech has had its own international certification service called Emitech Certification. It has now been recognised as an NCB (National Certification Body).

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s an ISO 17065-accredited product certification body, Emitech Certification has initially become a Notified Body for CE marking. As such, it issues certificates of conformity under the RED 2014/53/EU directive for radio communication equipment, and the EMC 2014/30/ EU (electromagnetic compatibility) directive. This involves assessing the conformity of a product for which there are not yet any harmonised standards, extending the validity of a test report to an entire range of products, validating the integration of sub-assemblies by partial tests or a voluntary approach by a manufacturer.

Emitech Certification supports manufacturers who want to market their products internationally. It takes care of the technical and administrative formalities, arranges for local tests to be carried out if necessary to obtain approval, and chooses the most suitable procedure. The CB Scheme (CB Scheme) is thus the most efficient way to approach export markets in more than 50 countries throughout the world. Within the framework of the CB Scheme, Emitech’s international certification service has just been recognised as an NCB (National Certification Body). It can now manage its network of CBTLs (Certification Body Testing Laboratories), and deliver, based on their reports, the CB certificates recognised in the member countries.

The CB scheme, a process of mutual recognition of test results between participating countries The CB scheme is an international certification program for the exchange and acceptance of product test results from recognised participating laboratories, “CBTLs”, and National Certification Bodies, “NCBs” in more than 50 countries around the world. The goal of the CB Scheme is to constantly harmonise electrical product safety and electromagnetic compatibility requirements at international level, while also taking national deviations into account.

Pascal Bonnenfant, head of Emitech Certification.

Emitech supports its customers in a global approach to marketing their products abroad. As this process is fully controlled under the framework of the CB Scheme it is largely autonomous and its reactivity is augmented.

This recognition is part of the strategy to internationalise Emitech’s service offering, established when Emitech created its certification service. www.emitech.fr/en

Thanks to mutual recognition of CB certificates between countries, the tests performed are recognised in these member countries. This makes it easier to place products on the market abroad and opens the way for manufacturers to obtain certification marks (NF, etc.).

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NCB recognition is a strategic step Within this context, four of Emitech’s laboratories have already been recognised for several years as CBTLs in the categories for medical, laboratory, multimedia and information processing equipment. A CBTL has to depend on a single NCB. Since April 2020, Emitech’s certification service has been recognised as a National Certification Body under the NCB scheme. This means that this service can now issue CB certificates from its own CBTL laboratories.

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MECHANICS

ELECTROCRAFT, INC. EXPANDS THE AXIALPOWER™ FAMILY OF LINEAR ACTUATORS WITH THE APES 17

ElectroCraft APES17 Speed/Force Performance Across Standard Thread Leads

ElectroCraft, the global fractional horsepower motor and motion solutions provider, has expanded its linear actuator lineup for the AxialPower™ family with the APES17.

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lectroCraft has recently expanded the AxialPower Enhanced Series of Linear Actuators to include a new high-performance 42mm (NEMA 17) frame size. This new linear actuator is highly configurable and available with a variety of imperial or metric leadscrew options with resolutions ranging from 0.006 mm to 0.050 mm per step, with an incredible output force of up to 1001 N (225 lbs.).

The APES 17 offers 40% more force than competitive size 17 designs.

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ElectroCraft hybrid stepper-based linear actuators provide original equipment manufacturers the precision, performance and reliability that is needed for a wide variety of motion control positioning applications. From medical and laboratory equipment to industrial machinery, ElectroCraft offers configurable to completely customizable solutions in three unique product designs: linear actuator (non-captive), leadscrew motor (external linear) or guided linear actuator (captive).

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“ElectroCraft’s unique motor, shaft and insert designs offer industry-leading linear force per frame size while providing superior precision, speed and efficiency,” notes Scott Rohlfs, Director of Product Marketing,“These new actuators are ideal for a wide variety of medical and laboratory applications including precision metering pumps, mass spectrometers, gas & liquid chromatography systems, medical imaging systems, sample handling and dispensing systems, allowing equipment manufacturers to reduce product footprints while significantly increasing performance.”

ElectroCraft’s AxialPower family of linear actuator products are available in the most popular frame sizes, including 28mm (NEMA 11), 42mm (NEMA 17), 56mm (NEMA 23), and 86mm (NEMA 34). www.electrocraft.com

MECHANICS

PTFE THRUST BEARING CONVERSION TO IMPROVE OPERATIONS AT HYDROPOWER STATION

Michell Bearings has completed a PTFE conversion of white metal thrust pads at a hydroelectric power plant in Tennessee.

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onstructed in the mid-1930s, the Norris Dam was the first major project for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Its purpose was to bring economic development to the region and control the flooding that had long plagued the Valley.

TVA worked with Michell Bearings after experiencing numerous thrust bearing failures over the life of one of the two generator units. The failures of the original white metal bearings resulted in excessive downtime and associated loss of revenue.

Michell Bearings’ in-house performance prediction software was used to evaluate the performance of the existing white metal pads.

Steve Dixon, CEO at Michell Bearings, said: “Although the original contract was awarded as a study, we were pleased to hear that our advice was taken on board and led to the supply of the PTFE thrust pads for the Norris unit.”

Previously Engineering Director at Michell Bearings, Steve took on the role of CEO in May 2020. “We have been researching the advantages of PTFE for over 20 years and so we were confident that the material would solve TVA’s problem.”

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Michell Bearings was awarded a design contract to investigate the potential problems with the 1930’s design, which had been subject to various attempts over the years to improve reliability. The engineers at Michell Bearings created a 3D model of the thrust bearing support structure and performed a finite element analysis to determine any issues affecting the bearing performance.

The bearing thrust pads were replaced using a PTFE lined alternative as a result of the study. The PTFE material provides a greater safety factor when compared with the white metal solution. PTFE is more durable and has a well-established and proven track record within the hydro power sector. The study concluded that the material will also increase the life of the bearing and provide greater reliability.

Michell Bearings and TVA are working on an additional two projects at the Cherokee and Douglas hydropower plants.

Michell Bearings will be presenting a paper on the findings of this project at the Hydrovision exhibition in June 2021. www.michellbearings.com 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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MECHANICS

A NEW ADDITION TO THE MODULAR SYSTEM FAMILY: THE 2-JAW MODULE. THE SMALL ALTERNATIVE TO A LARGE CENTRIC CLAMPING VICE

ElectroCraft APES17 Speed/Force Performance Across Standard Thread Leads

Maximum flexibility for machining a wide range of parts and small quantities is not just wishful thinking, with the Hainbuch modular system it becomes reality. No matter what shape or size: round, cubic, small or large, with the modular system you can clamp any kind of workpiece. The various adaptation clamping devices can be changed over very quickly.

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he Marbach, Germany-based manufacturer of clamping devices is constantly adding to its modular system so that users can always find the optimum solution for every clamping situation. However, one thing was still missing, an adaptation for clamping cubic parts, which is why Hainbuch has introduced the 2-jaw module to the market.

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The modular system: designed for maximum flexibility Round workpieces are clamped externally with classic clamping heads. But when these reach their limits, because a larger diameter of the workpiece needs to be clamped, then the 3-jaw module is used. And for cubic parts, the 2-jaw module is used for centric clamping in machining centers and milling machines. In just two minutes, it is possible to change-over from external clamping to centric clamping. The 2-jaw module can even be used at speeds of up to 1,500Â rpm. Due to its small, lightweight design it is the perfect alternative to a large and heavy centric clamping device. The basic unit into which the jaw module is inserted is a Hainbuch chuck or vice. Modules can be exchanged 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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without changing the clamping device and, thanks to the integrated Centrex quick-change interface, no alignment is needed.

Small, light and multitasking The Hainbuch solution with its chucks or vices and jaw modules is nothing like the gigantic, heavy vices found in many shop floors, and whose size is more a drawback than an advantage. In practice this often leads to a large chuck holding a small workpiece. And this immediately causes a dilemma because it often means the tools are hard to access.

It is not unusual to use special tools, but this comes with a very high risk of collision. By comparison, the Hainbuch modular system is far more efficient, and just as capable of multitasking as machine tools are nowadays. www.hainbuch.com

MECHANICS

NSK ACADEMY ADDS ONLINE TRAINING MODULE FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE APPLICATIONS The popular and ever-expanding NSK academy – www.nskacademy.com – has added a new training module to its portfolio of courses. Aimed at increasing the knowledge of those involved in developing and specifying machinery for the food and beverage sector, the new module represents a comprehensive overview of all factors relating to bearing use in such applications.

Like every training module available at NSK academy, those completing the course will be invited to answer a series of questions to test their knowledge. Participants attaining an 80% pass mark will receive a certificate in recognition of their achievement.

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ost operating conditions in the food and beverage industry are extremely challenging, especially for rotating equipment. The environments typically encountered can have an adverse effect on many components, including bearings, leading to recurrent failures, hazardous work conditions and costly downtime.

of the NSK bearing solutions – and the technology behind them – that have been developed to overcome such issues.

The new online training module at NSK academy is designed to generate a better understanding of bearing specification and use in demanding food and beverage sector applications. Included is an introduction to the industry, its key drivers and the typical machine and equipment types that rely on bearing technology. Such systems include conveyors, washing processors, mixers, filling plant, breading machines, peeling machines, grinders, fryers, ovens, steamers and freezers, to list but a few.

Ultimately, all those taking part will learn more about the arduous conditions in the food and beverage industry, and how bearing life can be maximised. This ethos stays true to the founding principle of the NSK academy, which is to help participants expand on the knowledge they apply on a daily basis, and utilise the latest NSK bearing solutions to maximise the operating life of machines. All of the online training modules are designed to increase staff skill levels and help OEMs achieve better profitability thanks to reduced maintenance requirements.

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In particular, the course looks at what happens to bearings in different conditions, identifying the various potential failure modes. Conditions covered by the new e-learning module include wet, clean/food line, dirty/gritty, hot and cold. For each condition, module participants receive an overview

The module also covers bearings used in the general food and beverage plant environment, such as those found in gearboxes, electric motors, pumps and packaging machines.

Learn more about bearings for food and beverage sector applications at the NSK academy’s online portal – www.nskacademy.com

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MECHANICS

OVERCOMING PROCESS UNCERTAINTY TO REDUCE SCRAP AND REWORK

Figure 1: Time Spending In Machining Production Not Optimised.

Product quality is a key performance indicator for manufacturing businesses. Many workshops believe that achieving quality-standard certifications such as ISO, NADCAP and API affirms the quality of their work. In reality, the standards do not fully focus on how to make acceptable finished workpieces, but rather concentrate on establishing procedures for rejecting bad parts.

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true picture of a manufacturer’s product quality comes from a look into the shop’s quality control area, especially where there are parts with stickers or tags calling for “re-inspection.” The tags indicate that for some reason the workpieces were rejected or must be returned to production for rework. Scrap and rework result when manufacturing processes do not meet expectations.

Some processes, especially machining, are based on the interaction of many variables and thereby are subject to uncertainty and some degree of unreliability. It is essential that manufacturers recognise the sources of uncertainty, understand how they arise, and find ways to resolve them.

In many cases, however, the sources of process uncertainty are not recognised or are ignored and accepted as standard practice. In the end, overcoming uncertainty and limiting scrap and rework comes down to the awareness, knowledge and motivation of those on the shop floor.

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Sources of Uncertainty Competitive pressures prompt manufacturers to perform cost-reduction analyses. The analyses include examination of spending for materials, tooling and machining time.

Seeking out and eliminating the many instances of lost time offers significant opportunities for controlling costs (see figure 1). Methods used in cost analyses include OEE and Lean programs. Such analyses, however, often are based on a view of the manufacturing process as a kind of selfcontained, simple box. A shop puts raw material or a semifinished product into the box, machining processes occur, then a certain number of workpieces exit the box, either as finished products or as semi-finished workpieces destined for another box. recognise Machining Variables What often is missing in the analyses is recognition that in the real world, it is not totally certain that every product that leaves the box will be acceptable. Unacceptable products must be reworked or scrapped.

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Figure 2: Why Next STEP – Product Quality.

The number of unacceptable workpieces produced depends on how closely the variables in the manufacturing process are controlled. Processes such as forging, for example, are not extremely complex and do not require an extreme level of precision. These processes therefore are relatively controllable, reliable and capable of consistently delivering the expected number of acceptable workpieces.

In contrast, other manufacturing processes involve multiple variables that can reduce the predictability of the outcome.

The number of acceptable workpieces coming out of the box is not reliably predictable.

Mass production scenarios generally compare the number of unacceptable parts statistically with the hundreds or thousands of parts produced overall. Over long production runs, the shop can analyse the operation, note the factors that resulted in the unacceptable parts, and update machining parameters to minimise uncertainty and maximise reliability.

In high-mix, low-volume manufacturing scenarios, however, there is minimal time to examine unacceptable parts and change machining processes to eliminate them.

The challenge is greater if a production run consists of only a single item. The issue is multiplied further when the shop is not familiar with the workpiece material and the end customer requires the finished part immediately.

An unacceptable result on a job involving a single part demands machining of another part, increasing cost and disappointing the customer.

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It is an exaggeration to call all machining processes unreliable but describing them as not entirely predictable is quite accurate. Machining involves many variables. It subjects cutting tools and workpiece materials to strong cutting forces and high temperatures. The combination of forces and temperatures creates a complex and fluid situation. The hardness of a tool determines its ability to cut effectively, and hardness will vary between room temperature and the 800ËšC temperatures generated in machining. Heat also affects the machining characteristics of the workpiece material. The effects of the variables are unpredictable. Even if machining parameters are specified for a certain application, the exact values that exist during the operation will be unknown. Varying results in surface finish or dimensions can make apart a candidate for reworking or the scrap bin.

When parts are unacceptable, two areas need to be examined. One area is technological: a manufacturer needs to know what is actually happening, recognise which variables caused the unexpected result, and decide how to resolve the problem. The other area for examination involves determining the financial effects of producing unacceptable parts. That includes calculating the unexpected cost of rejection or rework and deciding how the company will account for it.

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Figure 3: STEP Graphic Course Concept 2020.

In the case of mass production, eliminating the production of unacceptable parts is relatively simple. Technological staff reviews and updates the process, makes trial runs, and arrives at a solution. In true mass production scenarios, the number of unacceptable workpieces is relatively very small compared to the total production output, and the costs are negligible. But in the case of high-mix, low-volume or even single-part production, the cost of unacceptable parts can severely depress profit margins or even result in an operating loss. The manufacturer has just one opportunity to make an acceptable part in an extremely limited amount of time.

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Hidden Or Ignored Costs Some costs that should be included in the total cost of manufacturing may be hidden or ignored. An example is the cost of deburring. A workpiece is considered complete when its machined surface finishes match specifications and its edges and geometries match blueprint requirements. A part with a burr is not complete. Although a burr represents a lapse in machining quality, burrs are often accepted as a normal consequence of the process. In any case, burrs must be removed and the cost of accomplishing that can be significant. In a real-world example, a highly-automated shop with five-axis milling machines produced a family of parts that required manual deburring. Ultimately, the time and labor involved in deburring represented 20 percent of the cost of a finished workpiece.

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In some cases, the cost and price calculations for a part are based on machining processes without considering the cost of deburring or other secondary operations. Such costs may not be negligible. To gain an accurate picture of total manufacturing cost, hidden costs must be recognised and mitigated.

Tool Selection Use of appropriate production equipment and tooling will minimise variability in machining operations. Large, rigid machine tools can resist the forces of heavy machining that cause inconsistent workpiece dimensions. Machine tool features such as glass scales, linear guides and thermal management systems maximise accuracy.

Cutting tool selection plays a major role in limiting variability.

Over the last two or three decades, the approach to tool selection has evolved. Previously, tool choice was basically divided between high performance tools that offered the greatest possible output rates and economical tools that provided the lowest possible cost per part. In some cases, however, the highest performing tools were relatively fragile. When they worked well, they worked brilliantly, but careful application was paramount. The lower priced tools did not match the speed and output capability of the highperformance tools, but the price advantage came at the expense of lower output.

When choosing tools today, a key consideration before choosing geometries, speeds and feeds is what a user requires in terms of tool performance. For mass production operations, there remains a need for tools that maximise metal removal rates and tools that offer maximum tool life. Extremely high precision applications require tools whose manufactured dimensions, wear characteristics, and application parameters have been developed with extreme accuracy in mind, albeit at a premium tool cost.

In the present era of frequent high-mix, low-volume production scenarios, it is extremely important that the quality of the finished workpiece meets expectations the first time the part is machined. The focus is on tools that work in a wide variety of situations with minimal process development time. That is the thinking behind development of versatile tooling (see sidebar). When put to use by production engineers and operators who know the tools’ capabilities and limitations, tooling engineered to be reliable and versatile is the answer for many applications.

Working with a limited number of versatile tools enables an operator to learn and understand tool performance over time while adapting to machining of variety of different workpieces.

Knowledgeable application of versatile tooling can minimise production of rejected workpieces, and increased process reliability can help financial management gain an accurate picture of true costs and profit margins.

Essential Contributions The world’s recent bout with the pandemic virus has served to emphasize the role that people play in manufacturing success. A highly-automated shop in Holland was forced to reduce production because a number of manufacturing staff members were sick at home. Despite a strong presence of robots, computers and artificial intelligence, when people disappear, production suffers. It is clear that people remain the key element of manufacturing productivity. An educated, flexible and motivated manufacturing workforce can adapt to production scenarios such as high-mix, low-volume situations and also provide the rapid response necessary to expedite production when unforeseen problems occur in a fast-paced environment. Computer operating skills are needed, but equally or even more necessary are a sense of how the machining process works, a picture of what end results are expected and a desire to accomplish that goal.

Seco Versatile Tooling Fills A Wide Range Of Needs Most manufacturing shop owners believe it is their job to acquire “the best tooling there is”. But going unanswered is the question, “what do you expect from your tools?” For some shops, maximum metal removal rates are paramount, while others require long, consistent tool life to enable safe and reliable lights-out operation.

“The best tooling there is” are the tools that exactly fit the parts, workpiece materials, machine tools and production schedules of a particular shop. After choosing the tools, discussion of carbide grades, geometries, speeds and feeds can begin.

Choosing tools also requires examination of an organisation’s overall work content and flow. In a recent example, a machine shop owner realized he was spending €200,000–250,000 yearly in tooling. A check of tooling in stock at his company revealed nearly €700,000 of inventory. It turned out that the shop generally produced small batches of parts, and each time a new workpiece or material appeared, the shop owner added what he thought was the best, most high-performing tool for the job. As a result, the shop accumulated a large inventory of the best possible tools that no one in the shop really knew how to use, as well as tools that were unusable because they were purchased for a one-time job that never repeated.

To help avoid similar situations, Seco offers the Seco Selection of versatile tooling. The tools do not necessarily offer maximum possible performance, but are dependable, easy to use, and engineered to be very productively applied across a wide range of workpiece materials and part geometries. A versatile tool can be used one day in steel, the next day in stainless, the day after in aluminum and at the end of the week in titanium. They are not second choice tools, but rather first choice for the balance of performance and flexibility that is necessary to efficiently process the high-mix, low-volume machining projects characteristic of manufacturing today. With a versatile tool, a skilled operator can work both productive and economic miracles.

By: Patrick de Vos, Business Development Manager & Technical Education Manager Seco Consultancy www.secotools.com

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MECHANICS

EFFICIENCY AT A NEW LEVEL – WITH IE5+ MOTORS AND LOGIDRIVE

The new IE5+ motor generation from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS offers a constant high efficiency over the entire adjustment range in a hygienic design that raises the LogiDrive concept for intralogistics to a new level with regard to energy efficiency and reduction of variants. The total cost of ownership (TCO) can be considerably reduced.

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heenergy-efficient latest generation permanent magnet synchronous motor has considerably lower losses than the current IE4 series. The unventilated smooth motor achieves its high efficiency that, at times, is significantly above efficiency class IE5 via a wide torque range – and is optimally suitable for the operation in the partial load range. The compact IE5+ motor offers a high power density with less installation space and will be initially launched in a size for power ranges from 0.35 to 1.1 kW with a continuous torque from 1.6 to 4.8 Nm and speeds from 0 to 2,100 min-1.

Direct motor attachment as well as NEMA and IEC motor attachments are available. The motor concept will be gradually extended with more sizes and powers. It is ideal for use in hygiene-sensitive and harsh environments because it is easy to clean, corrosion-resistant and wash-down capable. nsd tupH surface treatment and IP69K protection class are optionally available, as well as an integrated mechanical brake. An integrated encoder is part of the standard equipment. With the new generation of IE5+ motors, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS takes the first step towards a new product system landscape with focus on ultimate energy efficiency paired with compact design.

LogiDrive with high efficiency up to IE5+ The new IE5+ synchronous motor can be combined with all NORD gear units and drive electronics as a modular system and supplements the successful LogiDrive concept.

The standardised geared motor variants – consisting of an energy-saving synchronous motor, a 2-stage helical bevel gear unit and a NORDAC LINK frequency inverter – have

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NEWS

The new IE5+ motor generation from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS offers a high power density and raises the LogiDrive concept for intralogistics to a new level with regard to energy efficiency and reduction of variants.

been specially developed for use in intralogistics, parcel logistics and airport technology, and represent an optimal compromise between energy efficiency and a reduction of variants. The new IE5+ motor can further increase these benefits. Utilising the high overload capacity of the motors and the system’s wide adjustment range, the solution is individually tailored to each customer and specifically designed for the system’s individual load range.

The decentralised LogiDrive systems are highly efficient and extremely easy to service thanks to plug & play technology. The entire system has a modular design, so that all components of the drive technology can be individually serviced. This minimises maintenance and repair costs. The compact design saves space and is light in weight thanks to the aluminium housing. Thanks to the special design of the IE5+ motor and its operation with the frequency inverter, the same motor variant can be universally used worldwide. This means that the same motor type can be used independent of the respective mains voltage or local energy efficiency regulations.

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The IE5+ synchronous motor and the respective LogiDrive systems are available from the second quarter of 2020. www.nord.com

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MECHANICS

HOW SUSTAINABILITY APPLIES TO MANUFACTURING

Businesses today attach the term “sustainable� to products and activities ranging from fish and furniture to energy consumption and architecture. Their stated focus is on preserving natural resources and protecting earth environment. In a narrower sense, however, machining in manufacturing has always pursued a form of sustainability. Machining competitively priced, high quality products enable a manufacturer to make a profit and thereby sustain its existence as a business.

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hroughout history, manufacturers have sought ways to make their machining processes more efficient and cost-effective. Those efforts involve ongoing development of advanced and precise production machinery, improved cutting tools and optimisation of cutting systems overall. Specific strategies include high speed machining, high feed machining, high performance machining and digital machining.

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The recent initiative called sustainable machining aims at reducing raw material consumption, energy use and generation of waste throughout the product life cycle to a level that at least is in balance with the carrying capacity of our planet. Oftentimes, general discussion of sustainability concentrates on large global environmental issues but overlooks the basic elements of price, cost, customer satisfaction, process knowledge and reliability. When it 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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comes to sustainability in machining, true success starts with simple, straightforward steps and analysis.

Sustainable Pricing Every business faces the challenge of setting sustainable prices for its goods or services. The price must be high enough to cover costs and produce a profit, but low enough that it doesn’t drive customers to competitors. A manufacturer can set a higher price if the customer perceives that the product provides sufficient value for what is paid.

On the other hand, if pressure from customers and competitors results in setting the price too low, profit margins suffer. When the price is below the cost of producing the product, losses result. If competitive pressures push the price too low, those designing and machining the product have to find ways to produce it cheaper, faster and better

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to cut production costs and support a sustainable profit margin.

Invisible Costs However, in many businesses the point where costs stop, and profits start is unclear. That is because the real costs themselves also are unclear. Hidden, ignored or unknown factors are not part of the cost calculation. Typical invisible costs include unplanned downtime, rejected workpieces and broken tools. These costs are not considered representative or “real”. The attitude or mindset that results in some cost factors becoming invisible is not limited to production staff; it can exist company wide.

Achieving a sustainable cost structure requires making the invisible visible. Manufacturing staff must examine and evaluate the machining process as well as the structure and flow of the organisation’s activities overall to uncover hidden costs.

Waste and Measurement Efficient manufacturing minimises wasted time, energy and raw material. Issues surrounding the waste products of machining such as chips, cutting oils and coolant are complex. Manufacturers traditionally consider the waste products as an unavoidable result of the process and believe that change is difficult to accomplish and, thus, has been minimal. The attitude in much of the machining world is “that’s how it goes, it’s just something to deal with”.

Effectively minimise waste and preserving resources requires thorough understanding of workpiece material characteristics and machining processes. Gaining that understanding involves accurate measurement of process factors to determine exactly what is being done and what the results really are. True accuracy avoids the use of round figures; round figures usually indicate incomplete knowledge of the process at hand and hinder valid determination of results when changes are made. If a shop claims its manufacturing efficiency is “above 60 percent”, is that 61 percent or 95 percent? Both are above 60 percent.

Similar, cutting speed described as “around 200 m/min” is not trustworthy information. The speed more likely will

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Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is a key element of economic sustainability. A customer wants to know when his or her order will arrive. Lead time, in a customer’s mind, begins when they place an order. And lead time is not exclusively production time. If machining apart involves three weeks process time, but administrative activities eventually take another two weeks, a shop must be honest with itself and its customers and state a lead time of five weeks. Metalworking

equipment suppliers including Seco Tools provide tool inventory management, tool identification and machine monitoring systems that enable shop personnel to track customer jobs and maximise a shop’s ability to meet lead time goals and maintain customer satisfaction. (See sidebar)

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actually be 195 m/min or 206 m/min than an estimated round number.

In one case, a shop owner was convinced that his facility utilised 70 percent (round number) of the time available for machining. Careful measurement determined that actual utilization was only 34 percent. In simplified terms, among every three machines in that facility, one would be working, and the other two were idle. So, the shop owner’s undisciplined measurement (guessing) proved basically worthless.

Salary and Sustainability In analyse sustainability in relation to global labor costs, assessment of labor productivity should exclude salary costs. Labor productivity equals production turnover, minus the costs of purchased goods and services, divided by the number of employees, divided by a unit of time.

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This formula measures labor productivity without influence of labor costs and enables valid comparisons of labor productivity among countries or businesses with differing salary scales. The salary of a skilled machine operator in a Western nation, for instance, may be ten times that of an operator in a lower-salary country, but that difference doesn’t indicate actual productivity. It is possible that the 10 operators in a low-salary country produce fewer parts, at lower quality, than the one operator in the West.

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However, if actual labor productivity (as measured above) in the lower-salary country is at the same level as the Western country, then achieving economically sustainable productivity in the Western country requires investment in innovative technology and production methods and continuing education of manufacturing staff.

High labor productivity indicates that manufacturing personnel possess thorough insight into what they are doing and have comprehensive knowledge and skills. This enables them to work faster, realize their full competence and gain higher job satisfaction. For a skilled operator, machining is frustrating when unanticipated events occur. That happens frequently in today’s high mix, low volume production scenarios as the products and small lot sizes change very quickly. However, skilled, multi-disciplined operators can rapidly adjust operations to overcome bottlenecks and other disruptive events.

Reliable Process A sustainable machining process is reliable and predictable and minimises energy waste. An unreliable process results in reworked or scrapped workpieces and waste of the raw material, energy and labor used to produce the rejected work.

Similarly, from a sustainability perspective, work in process (WIP) is essentially waste. From an economic point of view, WIP represents lost money, lost time and wasted floor space.

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In addition, there is always the possibility that a stored semifinished workpiece can be damaged as it moves through the logistics system. Accordingly, a shop should have as little WIP as possible.

Reducing Energy Consumption Throughout history, manufacturing has found ways to accomplish greater results with less energy. For example, in the beginning of the 1980s many workshops had machines with 70 or more kilowatts of power. Today, milling machines with 7 kilowatts of power provide productivity that can be higher than that of those machines ten times more powerful. A sustainable machining process minimises energy consumed per cubic mm or cubic inch of material removed. minimise energy consumption automatically results in less wasted energy, making machining a more environmentally friendly operation. maximise Efficiency Figure 3 shows electrical energy consumption by a five-axis machining center for one working day. (These data were gathered from just one machine and represent a general reference.) Surprisingly, the main spindle does not consume the majority of the energy the machine uses. The main spindle and axis drive motors typically use only 30 percent of the energy, while various cooling systems employ 44 percent, and pumps, transformers, machine control and other systems consume the rest. Consequently, when the machine is not cutting, most of the machine’s other systems continue to use energy.

workpiece requires 2.2 units of energy. Energy consumption per workpiece in scenario two decreases 36 percent on only a 3 percent increase in daily energy consumption. Producing three workpieces in scenario one would require the machine to run longer and consume more energy. Sustainable machining is not necessarily about consuming less energy, but it is about doing more with the energy consumed.

Conclusion Manufacturers have long pursued economic sustainability through machining of competitively priced, high quality products that enable them to support and maintain their businesses. Economic sustainability consists of many components, but in general, the components are basic and straightforward. Most of all they involve realistic, honest and accurate evaluation and elimination of occasions of waste in all aspects of the production process.

In achieving economic sustainability, manufacturers deal with issues that enable them to also address and reduce the impact of their operations on the environment and achieve sustainability in the global sense.

Author: Patrick de Vos, Business Development Manager e Technical Education Manager Seco Consultancy www.secotools.com

Efficient use of energy can significantly boost product output with minimal increase in overall energy usage. In one scenario, actual machining of a part takes one hour.

If programming, setup and waiting time require six hours, the machine will produce two parts in an eight-hour day.

When the machine is cutting, energy consumption can be considered to be 100 percent, or nominally one unit. The cutting operation uses 20 percent of the energy, so when the machine is not cutting it consumes 80 percent of an energy unit. Therefore, total energy consumption for the day is 6.8 units while the machine produces two parts.

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A second scenario follows analysis of the process with special attention to eliminating wasted time. The analysis enables idle time to be reduced to 5 hours, a cutback of 16.5 percent.

Now three hours of cutting time are available, permitting the production of three parts. Total energy consumption per day is 7 units, or 3 percent more than in scenario one.

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NEWS

Measurement and Sustainability Organisation and measurement of process factors and equipment constitutes a major step towards eliminating waste and achieving sustainable machining processes. To know exactly where wastes of time and energy occur, shop personnel need to work with definite numbers and facts rather than speculation and round-number estimates.

At the most basic level, manufacturing personnel must know what tools are available and where the tools are in the manufacturing facility. When that information is not available, shop staffs begin to guess, make assumptions and wander about in search of the tools. The situation can be described as the workshop safari. Staff members know the tools are in the shop, but don’t know exactly where they are.

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Seco Tools provides tool identification and management systems aimed at eliminating the workshop safari. Seco Inventory Management System, for example, is a versatile, industrygrade vending system that can be fully networked to a facility’s production flow. After being configured with a facility’s specific tooling needs, Inventory Management automatically provides comprehensive reporting to track tool usage and spot irregularities that may indicate problems.

It is also critical to correctly identify tools as they move through the production process. Visual and tactile identification may be insufficient when numerous similar-appearing tools are involved. Seco Tools has partnered with IDEM to offer a digital tool identification system to provide a system that employs radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and a Bluetooth tag reader. The system enables operators to immediately connect with a database of over 900,000 tools via a native IOS or Android application.

Comprehensive information includes tool specifications and tool history management as well as other features such as group communication capability for sharing comments and project

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details among multiple participants. Shop personnel can also use the same RFID technology to identify measuring tools and other shop items.

Real-time machine monitoring supports economic sustainability in that it enables continual tracking of machining processes.

Regarding the customer satisfaction element of economic sustainability, monitoring gives shop personnel the ability to immediately tell a customer where his or her order is in the production process and when it will be delivered.

For Seco Machine Monitoring, Seco Tools has partnered with MachineMetrics, a provider of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) machine platforms. Machine Monitoring facilitates Ethernet, Wi-Fi and cellular communication while connecting directly to machine tool PLCs and controls. Digital and analog I/O is configured and managed through a web interface. The cloud-based system is easy to use, completely customizable, and fast to install. The system captures machining data and provides manufacturing analytics that help users learn about their operations and improve machine tool utilization and capacity. It also enables interaction with Seco cutting tool information database and experience so that users can improve their processes and fully utilise data regarding tool life, speed and feed optimisation and tool breakage.

S M A R T FA C TO R Y

RED LION’S FLEXEDGE™ INTELLIGENT EDGE AUTOMATION PLATFORM INTEGRATES IT AND OT

Advanced Networking and Powerful Automation in One Operating System.

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These new capabilities open doors to new product combinations, further expanding the applications to which the FlexEdge platform can be deployed. With FlexEdge’s modular communications sleds, users can now deploy multi-cellular radio gateways for critical communications applications. And, for environments with demanding requirements, the platform offers multiple isolated serial ports, routable Ethernet ports, optional serial, USB, Wi-Fi, and cellular communications sleds, and field-installable I/O.

Powered by Crimson 3.2 software, the FlexEdge platform provides customers with maximum flexibility to easily modify controller functionality as application needs change.

From advanced networking to automation, one controller does it all. Customers can enable additional functionality through field-unlockable software upgrades that eliminate the need to purchase or add more equipment, saving both money and unnecessary downtime.

www.flexedge.net

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ed Lion’s FlexEdge Intelligent Edge Automation Platform now combines the scalability of Linux® with the power of Crimson® 3.2 software into one userfriendly operating system. This fusion enables a single FlexEdge controller to provide advanced networking, security, and automation. By integrating information technology and operational technology, FlexEdge helps customers reduce costs, improve data security, and increase productivity.

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PLANT SAFETY

LEUZE IS FOCUSED ON “YELLOW”

In the field of automation technology, the colour yellow stands for safety at work. The safety expert Leuze, as a developer and provider of safety sensors, safety solutions and safety services for the entire life cycle of a machine, is now further increasing focus of the company’s safety competence in its business activities with a dedicated division. Leuze emphasizes this with the motto, “Safety at Leuze”.

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euze is oriented towards a proactive differentiation and focusing policy. The goal is to ensure the success of their customers in an industry that is ever evolving.

This means: the Sensor People concentrate on those focus industries in which they have acquired extensive, specific application know-how over the years. “When these technological competences are applied to the relevant industry segments in a targeted fashion, this results in specific applications,” explains Dr. Albrecht von Pfeil, Director Business Area Safety Sensors & Solutions at Leuze. “One of these is the area of safety, which is increasingly becoming a focal point for us,” he adds.

From sensor manufacturer to safety all-rounder Leuze has always been a forerunner in the area of safety at work through trend-setting inventions, such as the development of the very first protective sensor. Having started as a manufacturer and developer of safety sensors, Leuze has further developed significantly in recent years.

Today, the product range of the safety expert includes safety sensors, safety services and safety solutions. This know-how is packaged together in the newly created Safety division. For its customers, Leuze is thus a reliable partner for efficient safety sensor solutions for the entire life cycle of their machines and systems.

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Safety solutions made by Leuze Over the course of several decades, the Sensor People have acquired extensive safety expertise and today have in-depth knowledge of standards as well as a great deal of practical experience in the use of safety-related applications. Both form the basis of the Leuze safety solutions. At the heart of every safety solution are the safety concepts qualified

by Leuze. Professional Leuze safety consultants assess the 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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NEWS

For their customers, the Sensor People are a reliable partner for efficient safety sensor solutions for the entire life cycle of their machines and systems.

requirements for each individual safety solution and tailor them to the respective system layout. The Sensor People accompany the projects all the way through to the safetyrelated approval of the safety solution on-site.

“Safety at Leuze” The decision to increase focus on the area of safety is underlined by a new motto, “Safety at Leuze”. “The new safety motto stands for an ideally matched product portfolio, extensive experience in safety consulting, in engineering and design of safety solutions as well as the broad range of safety services. All of this for various aspects of different types of machines and systems,” explains Dr. Albrecht von Pfeil. www.leuze.com

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S E C U R I T Y

HOW CAN HOLDING OPEN DOORS PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID -19?

Reducing the spread of germs and bacteria has never been more essential in the current climate. Holding open internal doors provides an easy and effective method of infection control within your building, but it is important that this does not impact your fire safety.

Reducing door handle contact A study by the New England Medical Journal, which researched the survival of coronavirus on a number of surfaces, identified that the virus was still detectable on hard surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel 72 hours later.

While regular cleaning can help combat transmission, the inevitable use of door handles means that they can quickly become a hotspot for the spread of germs.

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Improving visibility and aiding social distancing While lock down restrictions remain uncertain, social distancing measures are expected to stay for some time.

Holding open internal doors facilitates social distancing by allowing improved vision when entering or leaving a room, or when travelling through a corridor. Not to mention the post-COVID etiquette of whether or not you should hold the door open for the person behind you!

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Increasing ventilation Workplace guidance published on 11 May 2020 identified ways employers and employees can work safely during the pandemic. One of the recommendations included the requirement for increased ventilation which can be achieved by opening windows and doors.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said: “Good ventilation can help to minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus, so focus on improving general ventilation.

Where possible, consider ways to increase the supply of fresh air, for example, by opening windows and doors” The solution Geofire’s Agrippa door holder allows a door to be hygienically held open in a fixed position, preventing the need to touch the door handle. The Agrippa door closer’s free-swing feature allows a door to be held open at any angle. Using “listen and learn” technology, the Agrippa suite of products will automatically release the door on the sound of the building’s fire alarm.

Wedges or homemade devices should never be used to hold open a fire door and is illegal should a fire occur.

Building operators have a legal responsibility to ensure fire doors are not illegally wedged open to ensure that they can prevent the spread of smoke and flames. The Agrippa wire-free fire door holder and closer are fully compliant to the requirements of BS 7273-4 for standard actuation of fire doors, and third party tested and approved to EN1154 and EN1155.

Andy Collinson, CEO at Geofire said: “Wedging open a fire door removes its ability to stop the spread of fire, putting lives at risk. There are legally compliant solutions readily available if ease of movement around a building or increased ventilation is required.

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“From new builds to listed buildings, we have products to suit every installation; conventional hard wired, radio wire free and the Agrippa fire door holder and closer allow “dual mode” installation, meaning you can install straight from the box and programme our innovative “listen and learn” patent technology at a more convenient time”.

To learn more about Agrippa and how it can help infection control within your building, visit www.geofire.co.uk/agrippa-covid19-solution/

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S E C U R I T Y

DAFO VEHICLE INTRODUCING LI-IONFIRE™ INCREASING THE SAFETY OF ELECTRIC AND HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE OPERATIONS

As there is a global transition to renewable fuels, there is an increasing demand for electric or hybrid vehicles (EV and HEV). However, knowledge is limited about the new fire risks associated with vehicles having these new energy carriers.

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onsequences connected to risks of Li-ion batteries, in case of a malfunction, can be serious, for example, they can result in toxic gas emissions or explosion.

In collaboration with the coordinator, Dafo Vehicle Fire Protection, an EU initiative has built a fire protection system that addresses and mitigates these risks effectively and safely.

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Fire suppression systems for vehicles have been on the market for decades, and are widely used and regulated across a wide variety of industries. However, these systems are tested to be effective on vehicles with combustion engines, and all test standards are designed with this in mind.

The growth of the electric and hybrid electric vehicle industry has accelerated the demand for new fire suppression technologies.

“With the rapid introduction of electric and hybrid electric vehicles in public transport, there are new challenges because they present totally different risk scenarios,” says Anders Gulliksson of Dafo Vehicle, coordinator of the EUfunded Li-IonFire (Automated e-vehicle Lithium Ion Battery Early Warning and Fire Suppression System) project.

“When the commonly used Li-ion batteries fail through short circuiting, overcharging, high temperatures, mechanical damage and overheating, this might cause thermal runaway and the release of a flammable electrolyte, which makes fire extinguishing very difficult. In addition to the dramatic fire scenario with the rapid increase in heat, there are a lot of potentially toxic gases being emitted”.

A comprehensive solution for fire mitigation The project partners, including Dafo Vehicle Fire Protection and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, explored different techniques to detect potential battery failure, as early as

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possible, and take immediate action to stop, or delay, a potentially hazardous situation.

The partners studied the various fire risks related to battery spaces, including specific risks when charging, and procedures for handling electric vehicles and batteries after a crash. They also investigated to what extent fixed and integrated fire suppression systems, which are widely used to protect engine compartments on heavy vehicles, can be applied to vehicles powered by Li-ion batteries, and how they should be designed.

Through extensive testing, the Li-IonFire team better understood how a breakdown occurs within the battery and how it can be detected. “If a system is activated at this early stage, the battery can be ‘brought back’ to a safe state, without the fire developing further,” explains Gulliksson.

With proper detection and system activation, the hazardous scenario can be reversed and potentially even stopped entirely.

The system was officially unveiled at in 2019, and has generated tremendous interest from both end users and vehicle manufacturers.

“Li-IonFire delivers to the market a product that didn’t exist until now: a system that can offer real protection against battery fires, using a new suppression agent, Forrex EV, which is specifically developed for these applications,” concludes Gulliksson.

“Li-IonFire will significantly boost the safety of operators and the protection of valuable assets.”

Li-IonFire will be available from 01st September 2020.

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“The tests have also shown that even with a late deployment of the fire suppression system, there’s a possibility of delaying the battery reaching a critical state, meaning that the chance of safe evacuation is very high.”

The project team successfully validated and demonstrated a highly innovative fire protection system for electric and hybrid electric vehicles.

The new system provides an early fire warning system, and spot cooling to prevent thermal runaway while localising and suppressing fire.

https://www.fireshieldsystemsltd.co.uk/

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S M A R T FA C TO R YÂ

AUTOMATE IMAGE-BASED INSPECTION WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

High demands on products as well as high time and cost pressure are decisive competitive factors across all industries and sectors. Whether in the food or automotive industry quality, safety and speed are today more than ever before factors that determine the success of a company.

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ero-defect production is the goal. But how can it be guaranteed that only flawless products leave the production line? In order to make quality inspection as efficient, simple, reliable and cost-effective as possible, the German company sentin GmbH develops solutions that use deep learning and industrial cameras from IDS to enable fast and robust error detection. A sentin VISION system uses AI-based recognition software and can be trained using a few sample images. Together with a GigE Vision CMOS industrial camera from IDS and an evaluation unit, it can be easily embedded in existing processes.

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High demands on products as well as high time and cost pressure are decisive competitive factors across all industries and sectors. Whether in the food or automotive industry – quality, safety and speed are today more than ever before factors that determine the success of a company. Zerodefect production is the goal. But how can it be guaranteed that only flawless products leave the production line?

How can faulty quality decisions, which lead to high costs, be avoided? In order to test this reliably, a wide variety of methods are used in quality assurance.

A visual inspection with the human eye is possible, but it is often error-prone and expensive: the eye tires and working time is costly. A mechanical test, on the other hand, is usually accompanied by complex calibration, i.e. setting up and adjusting all parameters of both software and hardware in order to detect every error. In addition, product or material changes require recalibration. Furthermore, with the classic, rule-based approach, a programmer or image processor must program rules specifically for the system to explain to the system how to detect the errors. This is complex and with a very high variance of errors often a hardly solvable

Herculean task. All this can cost disproportionately much time and money.

In order to make quality inspection as efficient, simple, reliable and cost-effective as possible, the German company sentin GmbH uses IDS industrial cameras and deep learning to develop solutions that enable fast and robust error detection. This is because, in contrast to conventional image processing, a neural network learns to recognise the features on the basis of images themselves. This is exactly the approach of the intelligent sentin VISION system. It uses an AI-based recognition software and can be trained on the basis of a few sample images. Together with a GigE Vision CMOS industrial camera from IDS and an evaluation unit, it can be easily embedded in existing processes.

Depending on the application, the AI is trained to detect errors or anomalies. With the latter, the system learns to distinguish good from bad parts. If, for example, a surface

The hardware setup required for the training and evaluation consists of an IDS industrial camera and appropriate lighting.

The recognition models used are trained using reference images. For example, a system and AI model was configured for the error-prone inspection of fabric webs in the textile industry. A difficult task, as mistakes can be very subjective and very small. The system camera for optimum image material of textiles and web materials was selected together with IDS on the basis of specific customer requirements. A GigE Vision CMOS camera (GV-5880CP) was selected, which provides high-resolution data, triggered with precise timing, for accurate image evaluation.

The system learns what constitutes a “good� fabric structure and knows already from a few shots of the fabric what a clean and flawless product looks like. For quality inspection, the image captured by the IDS Vision CP camera is then forwarded via GigE interface to an evaluation computer and processed with the recognition model. This computer can then reliably distinguish good/bad parts and highlight deviations. It gives an output signal when an error is found.

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Application The system is capable of segmenting objects, patterns and even defects. Even surfaces that are difficult to detect cannot stop the system. Classical applications can be found, for example, in the automotive industry (defect detection on metallic surfaces) or in the ceramics industry (defect detection by making dents visible on reflecting and mirroring surfaces), but also in the food industry (object and pattern recognition).

structure is inspected, see metal part in the automotive industry or ceramic part, errors are detected by Artificial Intelligence as deviations from a comparison with reference images. By using anomaly detection and pre-trained models the system can detect defects based on just a few sample images of good parts.

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Anomaly extracted from a recording of a substance.

In this way, slippage and pseudo rejects can be reduced quickly and easily.

Slippage is the proportion of products that do not meet the standard but are overlooked and therefore not sorted out, often leading to complaints. Pseudo rejects, on the other hand, are those products that meet the quality standard but are nevertheless incorrectly sorted out.

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Both hardware and software of the system are flexible: For multiple or wider webs, additional cameras can easily be integrated into the setup. If necessary, the software also allows for re-training of the AI models. “Experience simply shows that a certain amount of night training is always necessary due to small individual circumstances. With pretrained models from our portfolio, you need fewer reference images for individualization and post training,” explains Christian Els, CEO and co-founder of sentin. In this case, the images show the structured surface of a fabric and a small anomaly on it, which was filtered out in the image on the right: Camera Extremely accurate image acquisition and precise image evaluation are among the most important requirements for the camera used. Perfectly suitable: The GigE Vision CMOS camera GV-5880CP. The model has a 1/1.8” rolling shutter CMOS sensor Sony IMX178, which enables a very high resolution of 6.4 MP (3088 x 2076 px, aspect ratio 3:2).

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It delivers frame rates of up to 18 fps at full resolution and is therefore ideal for visualisation tasks in quality control.

The sensor from the Sony STARVIS series features BSI technology (“back-side-illumination”) and is one of the most light-sensitive sensors with a low dark current close to the SCMOS range (Scientific CMOS). It ensures impressive results even under very low light conditions. Thanks to the sensor size of 1/1.8", a wide range of C-Mount lenses is available for the GigE Vision camera model GV-5880CP. “In addition to resolution and frame rate, the interface and the price were decisive factors in the decision for the camera. The direct exchange with the IDS development department has helped us to reduce the time needed for camera integration,” says Arkadius Gombos, Technical Manager at sentin. The integration into the sentin VISION system is done via GenTL and a Python interface.

Conclusion Automated, image-based quality control with Artificial Intelligence offers many advantages over human visual inspection or conventional machine vision applications. “In AI-based image interpretation, the aim is to create images on which humans can see the error, because then the AI model can do it too,” concludes Christian Els. The system learns to recognise the requirements of the product similar to a human being. But the human brain is beaten at any time by an artificial intelligence in terms of consistency and reliability. Even if the brain is capable of remarkable peak

The GigE Vision camera GV-5880CP from IDS ensures precise image acquisition and accurate image evaluation when inspecting fabric webs.

performance, an AI can recognise much more complex error patterns. The human eye, on the other hand, cannot stand up to any camera in terms of fatigue and vision. In combination with deep-learning recognition software, the image processing system therefore enables particularly fast and accurate inspection. Depending on the application, image acquisition and evaluation can take place in just a few milliseconds.

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The system can also be applied to other areas such as surface testing. Similar applications are e.g. the testing of matte metal/coatings surfaces (automotive interior), natural materials (stone, wood) or technical textiles such as leather.

Scratches, cracks and other defects on consumer goods can thus be detected and the respective products sorted out.

Exclude quality defects and produce only “good stuff” – an indispensable process within the framework of quality assurance. IDS cameras in combination with the deep learning supported software of sentin GmbH significantly optimise the detection of defects and objects in quality control. This allows the personnel and time expenditure for complaints and rework, as well as pseudo rejects, to be significantly reduced in a wide range of industries and areas. https://en.ids-imaging.com/ueye-industrial-cameras.html

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S M A R T FA C TO R Y

EMERSON’S LASER WELDER IMPROVES MANUFACTURING EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY OF SMALLER PLASTIC PARTS

The Branson GLX Micro Laser Welder provides precise, clean and repeatable welds of delicate and intricate plastic component.

Branson GLX Micro provides precise, clean and repeatable welds of delicate and intricate components.

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merson has introduced the Branson GLX Micro Laser Welder, supporting the need to manufacture smaller and more delicate plastic parts used in the medical and consumer electronics industries. The benchtop version of the GLX Series uses advanced laser technology and incredibly low clamp force to produce precise, clean and repeatable welds of superior aesthetic quality and performance. This provides manufacturers with greater design freedom and increased production throughput.

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The GLX Micro uses the patented Simultaneous ThroughTransmission Infrared® (STTlr®) laser welding technology, which enables manufacturers to achieve superior weld strength and quality with exceptional speed and flexibility.

With STTIr, all lasers are fired simultaneously to heat, melt and bond the component parts along the entire weld surface in 0.5 to 5 seconds, depending on material and geometric complexity. This method is highly repeatable and stable, helping to increase production throughput.

STTlr eliminates the use of friction which may generate flash and particulates, thereby ensuring smooth and barely visible weld lines can be incorporated into product designs. With STTlr, highly complex 3D contours can be accommodated, allowing designers to create parts for maximum 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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functionality and ergonomic appeal. The GLX-micro offers the industry’s lowest clamp force of 1 Newton, enabling the joining of small and very delicate parts, including those with embedded electronics and sensors.

“There is increasing demand for smaller and more intricate high-quality plastic components for the medical and consumer electronics markets,” said Priyank Kishor, global product manager for Branson products at Emerson’s Automation Solutions business. “By offering advanced welding performance and an unrivaled clamp force, the GLX Micro laser welder enables manufacturers to design and efficiently produce the highest quality products.”

The GLX Micro is cleanroom compatible, having a stainlesssteel design, requiring no lubricants, and being powered from a remote electrical cabinet that can be positioned outside the production area. To support traceability, production data, including weld depth and clamp force, is available in a range of formats and can be outputted to the manufacturing execution system. www.Emerson.com/Branson

S M A R T FA C TO R Y

EMERSON’S NEW LASER WELDER ENHANCES MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES

The Branson GL-300is a highly flexible quasi-simultaneous plastic joining solution, designed to deliver efficient high-quality welds in a wide range of applications and help manufacturers to increase production efficiency.

Branson™ GL-300 platform increases production capability and enables faster production start-up

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merson has launched a new laser welder platform that provides high mix and batch manufacturers of plastic components with greater production capability, without compromising product quality or performance.

The Branson GL-300 is a highly flexible quasi-simultaneous plastic joining solution, designed to deliver efficient highquality welds in a wide range of applications and help manufacturers to increase production efficiency.

“For batch manufacturers looking for more efficient production processes, quasi-simultaneous laser welders provide a very flexible, cost-effective joining solution,” said Priyank Kishor, global product manager for Branson products at Emerson’s Automation Solutions Business.

“The Branson GL-300 extends this flexibility by enabling the assembly of a broader range of components, helping to increase manufacturing capability and profitability.”

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Manufacturers increasingly need machines and processes that can be quickly and cost-effectively adapted to changing production demands and specifications. For low volume, high mix manufacturers especially, flexible welding solutions that allow faster production start-up, provide a critical advantage. The Branson GL platform meets this need by combining highly efficient and accurate welds with costeffective and easy-to-change tooling that enables faster set-up and adjustment for changing product specifications.

Manufacturing capability is further enhanced by a range of unique features including a high-quality scanning system, easy-to-use HMI, large (300mm x 300mm) weld area, multiple weld modes, variable spot size as low as 0.5 mm and an adjustable laser power source height. These enable the Branson GL-300 to support applications with different materials, application sizes and production speeds.

www.Emerson.com/Branson

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S E C U R I T Y

DIGITAL AND ANALOG INTERFACE BENEFITS ALL AT ONCE THANKS TO DUAL CHANNEL

Pressure sensor PP20H and conductivity sensor CombiLyz AFI now add on the Baumer portfolio of process sensors with digital communication interface.

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igital communication opens up many opportunities – but only sensors that reliably deliver precise measured values offer real added value by IO-Link.

Well established and appreciated by many users, both pressure sensor PP20H and CombiLyz AFI conductivity sensor excel by outstanding measuring performance and IO-Link interface, but now they offer even more interesting features such as simple and fast parameterization – even during operation. This way, secondary data like different process data output simultaneously or diagnostic data only accessible this way can be communicated from sensor to controller or even retrieved from the sensor memory if required. Further to the digital interface, the sensors also provide one or more conventional analog outputs for maximum user flexibility.

Dual Channel – analog and digital interface in a single sensor Dual Channel enables analog as well as digital sensor operation or both at the same time – this way, Baumer process sensors such as conductivity sensor CombiLyz AFI and pressure sensor PP20H work both in conventional control topologies and digital IO-Link control environments.

In process automation, the proven analog interface is helpful for sensor integration into existing control concepts.

Nevertheless, in sensor commissioning, IO-Link advantages such as easy and fast parameterization or access to secondary data are a valuable help. For process control, parallel readout of conductivity or pressure value is enabled via 4 … 20 mA analog output.

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More information, more process effectiveness IO-Link provides access to valuable secondary data: process data including sensor temperature respectively process temperature of PP20H. Such information allow for interesting conclusions, e.g. unusual temperature rise in containers or pipes. And, such data are basic for predictive maintenance. CombiLyz AFI conductivity sensor delivers information on media concentration in addition to media 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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conductivity. By doing so, the medium in process and its concentration is precisely identified. Pressure sensor PP20H delivers ambient pressure information in addition to process pressure. Therefore, the sensor can be deployed for both absolute and relative pressure measurement.

Enhanced process efficiency thanks to fusioned sensor data IO-Link allows for mutual and bidirectional sensor communication via the controller. This way, every sensor can utilise the measured values of other sensors to solve complex measuring tasks or for optimisation of processes and production flow. Using conductivity sensor AFI for example, transmission of the measured temperature value would reduce response times of temperature compensation to 15 seconds or even completely circumvent them. In level detection in closed tanks, two fusioned pressure sensors enable direct indication of the filling level. The head pressure sensor transmits the measured value to the pressure sensor at the tank bottom for zero point adjustment. This way, the actual pressure is determined.

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With CombiLyz conductivity sensors and PP20H pressure sensors now featuring this digital communication interface, Baumer further adds on their portfolio of IO-Link process sensors. And, solutions for flow and level detection using this digital communication standard are also available. www.baumer.com/io-link-process-sensors 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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DE DIETRICH PROCESS SYSTEMS IS READY TO ASSIST COMPANIES WITH THE RELOCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR API PRODUCTION IN EUROPE

The French industrial group De Dietrich Process Systems, a world leader in the supply of equipment, complete systems and process solutions for the pharmaceutical, chemical and fine chemical industries, is putting its eight European sites in battle order to meet the demand for relocation and the increasing demand for producing active pharmaceutical ingredients in Europe.

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or several years now, Europe has been suffering from a shortage of medicines and vaccines, essential for the well-being and security of its citizens. This situation is partly because production centres are located in another continent. The crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, that we now undergoing, has brought this into sharp focus, showing even more clearly how dependent Europe is on Asia for the manufacture of APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) and HPAPIs (Highly Potent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients). In this context, De Dietrich Process Systems underlines its willingness, and confirms it has the ability and capacity to support industries who wish to relocate or develop their production of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

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From process equipment to production line design The relocation of a production unit often changes both its general organisation and that of the workshops. Whether it is for the installation of a new laboratory, a pilot unit, a largescale API manufacturing unit, or to modernize and adapt existing units, De Dietrich Process Systems can provide customised solutions.

These include production equipment for reaction, distillation, extraction, separation, filtration, drying, storage, and powder transfer. Containment equipment, i.e. hermetic equipment designed to avoid any contact between the inside of the equipment and the outside, such as glove boxes, bagging, etc., can also be supplied. The offer includes Cleaning in Place (CIP) and Sterilisation in Place (SIP), regardless of the construction materials: stainless steels, noble metals such as nickel, titanium and zirconium alloys, but also enamel and borosilicate glass 3.3.

More than just an equipment supplier, De Dietrich Process Systems can also take charge of the complete design of the production units, including engineering studies, tests,

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installation of equipment and starting up the production lines.

www.dedietrich.com

All solutions take strict manufacturing constraints into account and respect the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) required in the pharmaceutical industry.

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A head start for the new, future installations on two crucial subjects, respect for the environment and people safety Respect for the environment is a key issue that must be integrated in the relocation strategy. The Plant-Based division of De Dietrich Process Systems, which has been active for several years, supports numerous customers who wish to produce APIs using plant-based raw materials.

A new range of confined equipment dedicated to powder transfer, bagging, filtration and drying ensures the protection of operators and products. By avoiding any contact between the equipment interior and exterior, they protect operators from toxic products and conversely avoid the risk of contamination of products by the external environment. These complete units comply with the strictest safety measures.

For decades, De Dietrich Process Systems has provided the pharmaceutical industry with high quality equipment and solutions to meet the most stringent standards of the pharmaceutical industry.

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NEW INTESIS GATEWAY MAKES COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PROFINET AND BACNET EASY

HMS Networks announces a new Intesis™ protocol translator for communication between PROFINET PLCs on factory floors and Building Management Systems with BACnet IP/MSTP. With this, full data integration, monitoring, and control is enabled between factory floors and building facilities.

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Key objectives can be achieved with factory-tobuilding communication In factories, it is essential that environmental dimensions such as temperature, humidity, and air quality are controlled and monitored automatically to ensure optimal conditions for manufacturing and working staff. And, by ensuring efficient control of facilities such as HVAC and lighting systems, factory owners can save a lot of energy and manage emergency situations in a safe way.

However, when system integrators plan for factory-tobuilding integration, they normally face a heterogeneous and challenging communication situation. BACnet is typically the protocol used in the Building Management System (BMS) to control the facilities inside the building, and PROFINET is one of the most used factory networks for controlling production processes.

Communication enabled with certified Intesis PROFINET – BACnet gateway Focusing on this situation, the new Intesis PROFINET – BACnet IP/MSTP protocol translator from HMS Networks is a cost-effective and easy-to-install gateway solution that offers bi-directional communication between PROFINET PLCs and BACnet controllers. Able to connect up to 1200 data points, the gateway is BACnet IP/MSTP server/slave on one side and PROFINET I/O device on the other, featuring independent Ethernet ports. The gateway has been BTL certified for BACnet and carries the UL mark in order to guarantee the highest communication and quality standards.

Thanks to its strategic placement between the factory and building systems, the gateway becomes an enabler of very

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interesting applications such as energy metering of devices and machines in the factory from the BACnet-based BMS system, HVAC monitoring, and control from the PROFINET PLC, as well as easy alarm definition and management.

Easy configuration and integration process using Intesis MAPS Intesis MAPS, the common configuration tool for all Intesis protocol translators, offers a very intuitive configuration process for system integrators covering both sides of the gateway. MAPS help integrators further in their projects by providing valuable EDE files for the BACnet integration, as well as GSD files and TIA portal TAG files for fast configuration of any connected PROFINET PLC controller.

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The result of HMS’ combined expertise in factory and building communications Extending the comprehensive range of existing Intesis BACnet protocol translators, the new PROFINET – BACnet version is the first product in a new line of Intesis gateways for factory to building integration that will be released step by step by HMS Networks. In these gateways, HMS combines its proven Anybus® and Intesis communication technologies for industrial and building-oriented communication respectively, trusted by customers in millions of installations worldwide. www.intesis.com 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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RECORD WORKING DIMENSIONS FOR THE NEW XXL-BOX

“After the huge success of the L-BOX and XL-BOX, our compact marking stations, we have been asked on numerous occasions to offer a larger workspace in order to be able to mark large parts”. These are the words of Eric B. Marketing and Sales Director at SIC MARKING, world leader in industrial traceability, to justify the launch of the new XXL-BOX Laser Marking Station.

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s its name indicates, the new XXL-BOX station offers record working dimensions (up to 520 mm high) as well as great modularity thanks to its 3 standard models (800, 1200 and 1600 mm wide) and its numerous accessories. The strength of this new product also lies in its ability to adapt perfectly to different customer requirements, illustrating SIC MARKING’s extensive know-how in the realisation of tailor-made solutions:

“The XXL-BOX is ideally suited for the classic use of its large working volume, but also enables the project manager at SIC MARKING to offer tailor-made solutions for more complex large-volume marking applications. As Project Manager, Nicolas E. highlights the flexibility of this new product through a large number of accessories. “Automatic threedimensional axis, automatic loading system, loading drawer or turntable are just a few examples of the applications proposed by our technical teams to meet our customers’ needs”.

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Requested by a large number of customers, the new XXLBox Laser Marking Station has met a great success with ETIs and large companies manufacturing large parts or subassemblies such as shafts, valve or pump bodies, crankcase, exhaust components but also bodywork sub-assemblies.

It is not surprising to find it in the sectors in which SIC MARKING is already active: Automotive, Aeronautics, Industrial Vehicles, Hydraulics, Oil & Gas… 26 | Industry EMEA | September 2020

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NEWS Available in 3 basic sizes at a very competitive price, the XXL-BOX perfectly complements SIC MARKING’s laser workstation wide range of products, which makes it possible to meet all customer requirements in terms of cabinet size.

As a result, the international French group had the opportunity to prove all the qualities of its new product by taking up the challenge offered by a major German automotive supplier. The company wanted to mark a Datamatrix code on gearbox prototypes. The solution provided was an XXL-BOX laser marking station, with a 5-axis laser that made it possible to achieve a marking window of 900 x 500 x 500 mm. The project was the result of a technical and commercial cooperation between the headquarters and SIC MARKING GMBH (the group’s German subsidiary) and highlighted the great adaptability of this new product to customised requests and the group’s ability to monitor projects at an international level. www.sic-marking.co.uk

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