Ce 17 06

Ch oo M se od a er n re i tro ze fit yo / re ur pl m ac a em nu en fac t p tu at rin h g th w at ith m o at ut ch s es ac yo rifi ur cin pr g od pr uc od tio uc n tiv an it d y bu dg et

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Make the Invisible Visible With the most advanced 2D and 3D HMI/SCADA technology, ICONICS introduces its Holographic Machine Interface (HMI), enabling users to make the invisible visible and experience a new dimension in augmented reality for water and wastewater applications.

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input #3 at www.controleng.com/information

JUNE 2017 Vol. 64 Number 6

Features 34 Controls for additive manufacturing, 3-D printing Cover Story: The software tools for 3-D printing, also used for additive manufacturing, are getting more sophisticated and integrated to increase speed, quality, limit material waste, and accommodate material diversity. How are automation and controls helping to advance additive manufacturing?

34 COVER: The first 3-D printed rotating gas turbine engine blade, Siemens said, was produced by Materials Solutions. INSET: A variety of parts from Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering’s NextManufacturing Center

38 Get integrated human-machine interface hardware, software; caution Control Engineering’s new human-machine interface software and hardware research respondents advise others to get HMIs with software pre-loaded, use standards, collaborate on planning, train, look for flexibility and ease of use, and pay attention to implementation timing. Watch out for a long list of cautions, cybersecurity updates among them.

40

40 Technology drives performance of presence sensor range and accuracy As sensors evolve, engineers can take advantage of new technology to improve sensor performance.

42 The impacts of frequency and antenna selection for free-space radar transmitters Accuracy of free-space radar transmitters depends on frequency, beam angle, antenna configuration, and installation.

42

46 Advice from integrators on HMIs, wireless, cloud use, thin clients Tips follow on human-machine interface screen design, wireless and cloud technologies for Industrial Internet of Things, and thin-client use from representatives from two 2017 System Integrator of the Year companies.

59 Digital Edition Exclusives The evolution of data center infrastructure in North America: Physical and cybersecurity have to be assessed and continuously improved.

Companies need to formulate a cybersecurity plan: Cybersecurity has made significant strides; there’s more to do: SANS ICS Security Summit.

Also link to: Five benefits of concurrent engineering for manufacturers Designing for construction safety best practices Three principles to successful project management Soft starter 101: How do they work?

Six questions to ask when choosing an open- or closed-loop hydraulic system.

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CONTROL ENGINEERING

CONTROL ENGINEERING (ISSN 0010-8049, Vol. 64, No. 6, GST #123397457) is published 12x per year, Monthly by CFE Media, LLC, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher /Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/ Co-Founder. CONTROL ENGINEERING copyright 2017 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

CONTROL ENGINEERING is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used under license.

Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL 60523 and additional mailing offices. Circulation records are maintained at CFE Media, LLC, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL 60523. E-mail: customerservice@cfemedia.com. Postmaster: send address changes to CONTROL ENGINEERING, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40685520. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Email: customerservice@ cfemedia.com. Rates for nonqualified subscriptions, including all issues: USA, $150/yr; Canada/Mexico, $180/yr (includes 7% GST, GST#123397457); International air delivery $325/yr. Except for special issues where price changes are indicated, single copies are available for $30.00 US and $35.00 foreign. Please address all subscription mail to CONTROL ENGINEERING, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Printed in the USA. CFE Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever.

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Are you ready for Smart Factory?

Connected. Reliable. Secure.

These are the essential features that put the power of Smart Factory at your fingertips - devices that are interconnected, networks that stand up to tough data and environmental challenges, and platforms that protect against cyber attacks.

Whether you’re just getting started, managing a complex network, or anywhere in-between, Moxa has the tools to guide your transition every step of the way.

Learn more at www.moxa.com/smartfactory.

input #4 at www.controleng.com/information

JUNE 2017 Vol. 64 Number 5

Inside Machines Appears after page 48; Also, see the Digital Edition: www.controleng.com/DigitalEdition

M1

M1 Vibration monitoring for machines Vibration sensors are designed to ensure that machines and systems operate within safe operational parameters and to help users find imbalances caused by internal and external forces.

M4 Installing VFDs: environmental and safety considerations Inside Machines: Understanding ac variable frequency drive (VFD) installation options can save costs, reduce downtime, and enhance safety.

M8 More RFID is used in more applications Radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies are being applied in more applications. Considerations include distance speed, and data transfer rate when selecting technologies.

Departments 8 Think Again Women engineers on bias, inspiration, mentoring

M4

Products

85 RIGHT: Web access module for mobile devices, laptops; BELOW: Polycarbonate enclosure series

9 New Products for Engineers Thermal imaging camera series; Industrial Ethernet switch for Smart Factory applications

12 Research 2017 HMI Software, Hardware Report: 5 high-level findings

14 Control Engineering International Digital developments, cloud platform help with IIoT, robotics, automation, electrical products, and power grid

Technology Update 16 Top seven 2017 NEC changes you need to know 20 Improve CMMS implementation in 10 ways 24 ODVA members collaborate on wireless communications, more

85 Network-based control system; Multislot Ethernet chassis; Web access module for mobile devices, laptops; RIGHT: Linear actuator series

88 Back to Basics Sensors 102: Signal Conditioning

News 28 29 30

Graphical programming platform accelerates Survey: few have a clear IIoT vision

86 Variable area flowmeter for harsh conditions; LEFT: Gear motors for high-torque applications

Improving reliability; 31 headlines online; 32 Industrie 4.0 benefits

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CONTROL ENGINEERING

JUNE 2017

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More resources posted daily at:

JUNE

Control Systems

Process Manufacturing Discrete Manufacturing

System Integration

Specifying industrial enclosures There’s a lot more to read online. Go to www.controleng.com/news to read Control Engineering’s exclusive web content.

Six benefits of Industrie 4.0 for businesses Benefits of ERP for process and batch manufacturing Manufacturing industries are becoming more automated and efficient.

Modular electric robotic cars developed for cities.

Control Engineering provides unique automation research: See more on the HMI software and hardware survey in this issue. Read other research summaries and sign up to download the full reports at www.controleng.com/ce-research.

NEWSLETTER: INDUSTRIAL NETWORKING

Control Engineering Salary and Career Survey, 2017

Keep up with the latest industry news by subscribing to Control Engineering’s 16 newsletters at www.controleng.com/newsletters: Cybersecurity risk spikes with mingling of operations and IT technologies Embracing IIoT’s potential for maintenance CAN FD chips: different buffer features and capabilities.

Point, click, watch Graphical programming software accelerates Doug Whitaker, cowboy and Southwest Research Institute group leader, cracks a whip at NIWeek to help demonstrate measurement abilities of the new LabVIEW NXG graphical programming software that doesn’t require programming to get results. The May 23 combination of hardware and software combination sampled and analyzed 15 million pieces of data in seconds. For more, see the Control Engineering article on p. 28. Video is available at www.youtube.com/user/controlengineeringtv.

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CONTROL ENGINEERING

Networking & Security

Info Management

Education & Training

Upcoming Webcast Series: The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a transforWebcasts mational strategy that is revolutionizing manufacturing operations across the world. CFE Media publications take an in-depth look at IIoT-related issues, strategies, and opportunities. Building on the past IIoT Webcasts, the 2017 four-part series will examine concepts, technologies, applications and case uses for IIoT and of interest to engineers, managers, and technicians across the production industries.

Couldn’t catch a recent webcast?

See it on-demand at www.controleng.com/webcasts.

Oil & Gas Engineering June issue Oil & Gas Engineering provides industry-specific solutions designed to maximize uptime and increase productivity through the use of industry best practices and new innovations, increase efficiency from the wellhead to the refinery by implementing automation and monitoring strategies, and maintain and improve safety for workers and the work environment. Read the digital edition at www.oilandgaseng.com

Read this on your tablet The tablet and digital editions of this publication have unique content for our digital subscribers.

This month has digital exclusives on: The evolution of data center infrastructure in North America; why companies need to form a cybersecurity plan

www.controleng.com

oo Mo se de a ret rnize rof it yo / rep ur lac ma em nu en factu t pa rin th g th wi at th ma ou tch t sa es cri yo fic ur ing pro du prod cti uc on tiv an ity d bu dg et

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THINK AGAIN are you biased?

1111 W. 22nd St. Suite 250, Oak Brook, IL 60523 630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504

Content Specialists/Editorial

Women engineers on bias, inspiration, mentoring Even women engineers say they must guard against unintended biases.

Other important points at the NIWeek Women’s Leadership Forum panel: share inspiration, be a mentor, and, as appropriate, call out bias.

F

For many men, walking into a room

dominated by another gender was a rarity, but that feeling is just another day in the life of many of the women engineers at the first NIWeek Women’s Leadership Forum Panel.

Women shared stories of inspiration, bias, mentoring, and support for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professions on May 25 in Austin.

Dipti Vachani, vice president and general manager, Internet of Things Group, Intel Corp., said negative workplace comments to women build up, accumulate, and women may leave the STEM workforce. For example, in a room full of men brainstorming, a guy makes a point and gets praise for a great idea, and the lone women protests: “I said that 10 minutes ago. What’s wrong with you?” Using humor can help diffuse bias, Vachani said, acknowledging that it’s sometimes inappropriate to speak up.

Find a mentor, meeting challenges

Suzanne Plummer, senior director of engineering, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), said she does have women team members, and has a mentor among her peers, a woman and friend who leads a large design center.

They have a weekly one-on-one talk. One area of discussion has been how many technology companies have too few women above a certain level, Plummer said. Building a strong support system is helpful.

Vachani said, “Find people around you that appreciate your skills. Ask for help and guidance. People appreciate being asked.”

College students have formed support networks for women in various engineering programs at University of Texas at Austin, said Patricia Berry, director of the women in

MORE

ADVICE GO ONLINE See many more examples, photos, and links with this article at www.controleng.com to help encourage women engineers.

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CONTROL ENGINEERING

engineering program. Support is particularly important when women are severely underrepresented, to provide encouragement for behaviors and bias that “are not okay.” Programs match first-year engineering women with an upper-class female for support.

Using data helps, too, Berry said. Women can go into tests in STEM courses and hear guys bragging afterward about how easy the test was. Women feel better when shown that women’s grade point averages in STEM studies equal or are higher than men’s, Berry said.

Plummer said, “My boss was a tough guy, but I knew he had my back. He asked for 40% performance improvement,” but made it clear “we wouldn’t get skewered for 37%, and then we achieved 52%.” Vachani said, “When leadership asks you to adjust, adapt, and go forward,” without retribution, “You’ll see magic happen.”

Alex Davern, president and CEO, National Instruments, the lone male on the panel, said that NI has been working to drive out fear, celebrate success, and embrace failure as learning.

Bias when hiring engineers

If you don’t think hiring managers have unconscious biases, think again. Berry said that some research shows that the more people think they are not biased, the more they are.

When hiring, it’s important to have women and minorities in the candidate pool. “The Harvard implicit bias test is frustrating but useful. I still have a slight bias toward men in engineering, and it’s irritating,” Berry said.

Men are hired more on their perceived potential, Berry said, while women are hired for past successes. Metrics for hiring must be clear to the hiring panel and to the candidates.

Research shows that most women think they need all job-description requirements, she said. Men think they need 60%. ce

Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager 847-830-3215, MHoske@CFEMedia.com Jack Smith, Content Manager 630-907-1622, JSmith@CFEMedia.com Kevin Parker, Senior Contributing Editor, IIoT, OGE 630-890-9682, KParker@CFEMedia.com Emily Guenther, Associate Content Manager 630-571-4070 x2220, eguenther@cfemedia.com Amanda Pelliccione, Director of Research 978-302-3463, APelliccione@CFEMedia.com Joy Chang, Digital Project Manager 630-571-4070 x2225, JChang@CFEMedia.com Chris Vavra, Production Editor 630-571-4070 x2219, CVavra@CFEMedia.com

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Arkansas Utility Leverages Ignition to Work Better and Faster Early Success Leads to Greater Use of Ignition HMI/SCADA City Corporation operates Russellville Water and Sewer System, providing service for nearly 30,000 residents in Russellville, Ark. When it was time for City Corp. to choose a new system for human-machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), it worked with system integrator Brown Engineers to come up with a solution.

City Corp. chose Ignition by Inductive Automation®. Ignition is an industrial application platform with fully integrated tools for building solutions in HMI, SCADA, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

“We have to have faith in the software,” said Steve Mallett, general manager of City Corp.

“Ignition has worked perfectly for us, and we’ve had no issues.”

Brown Engineers is such a strong believer in Ignition, the firm is a certified Ignition Integrator. “We went live with the Russellville upgrade in mid-2015,” said Dee Brown, principal and co-founder of Brown Engineers.

“Ignition is helping run and control the water treatment plant and the water distribution system with pump stations and tanks. It’s also on the sewer treatment plant and sewer collection. So it’s a fairly large system. They also have radio and cellular telemetry sites that have been added.”

City Corp.’s SCADA system has nearly 38,000 tags. That includes data from a variety of PLCs and controllers installed at various times over the years. The system includes two HMI servers per plant in a master/backup redundant configuration.

800.266.7798 www.inductiveautomation.com

City Corporation has continuously expanded its use of Ignition.

Ignition controls digestion blowers, clarifiers, sludge pumps, and more. It also provides alarm management and reporting functions.

Big Improvement Mallett said the Ignition platform is more flexible than the utility’s previous system. And it provides a lot more data, which can be seen by more people. “That is critical,” said Mallett.

“It provides information we need to make daily decisions, and it keeps us from having to go out to our sites. It drives costs down.”

Cost was a big factor in choosing Ignition. Its unlimited licensing model is an important benefit. “The software we had before charged by the number of tags,” said Mallett. “So if you wanted to upgrade, you’d have to pay more. Our system is growing, so that was a critical consideration. With Ignition, we never have to worry about any additional cost for adding tags.”

Russellville Case Study

“We were able to make the process more efficient on several levels. The reporting, the calculations, making sure there were no mistakes. It all goes much faster now. And we found the new system to be extremely user-friendly for our field crews.”

– Julie Halford GIS/CAD Technician, City Corp.

There are other savings as well. “The yearly maintenance costs are much lower with Ignition,” said Mallett. “So it was an easy decision to go with Ignition.” And the transition was easy. “We stayed up and operating during the entire process,” said Mallett. “The switchover to Ignition was quick and painless. That’s what mattered to us, and we appreciate Brown working with our staff to make sure that it went smoothly.”

Faster Process, Less Paper City Corp. also found a non-SCADA use for Ignition, one which saves time and makes it easier to report data to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).

Seeking a more efficient process for tracking and reporting sanitary sewer overflows (SSO), Mallett asked Brown Engineers to create a mobile system that would cut down on paper and speed up the process. Brown leveraged Ignition to deliver what Mallett envisioned.

The SSO Mobile application allows City Corp. to create field assessments on mobile devices, using standard Internet technologies. The other part of the system, the SSO Workstation app, provides tools for managing the data and reporting it to ADEQ. Field crews now

use tablets and smartphones instead of paper and pencils. “We were able to make the process more efficient on several levels,” said Julie Halford, GIS/CAD Technician for City Corp. “The reporting, the calculations, making sure there were no mistakes. It all goes much faster now. And we found the new system to be extremely user-friendly for our field crews.”

City Corp. is so happy with the solution, it may adapt it for other uses. “With the success of the SSO Mobile app, we’re looking at possibly creating an app for hydrant flushing,” said Mallett. “It would allow us to get all the data from the hydrants and develop a database, versus the way we’re doing it now, which is with a pen and pad. And that could develop into an asset management system that we could use for all of our facilities.”

Improving Cybersecurity In November 2015, Brown helped City Corp. replace a failing PLC with a new controller from Bedrock Automation. Bedrock™ controllers provide ground-breaking cybersecurity at the hardware level. City Corp. is so impressed with the performance and security of the controller, it’s planning to replace all its controllers with Bedrock. “It gives us peace of mind, knowing we have that hardware layer of protection,” said Mallett.

“We sleep better at night.”

Brown Engineers is also impressed with Bedrock. “We’ve been working with City Corp. to develop a PLC upgrade and control strategy that would include cybersecurity for all their facilities,” said Brown. “And it appears that Bedrock will be the platform of choice.”

Watch the case study y online at: bit.ly/ia-Russellville

Russellville Case Study

NEW PRODUCTS for engineers database

Thermal imaging camera series Flir Systems’ T530 and T540 professional thermal imaging cameras are designed for power generation, electrical distribution, and research laboratories applications. The cameras also have the ability to image targets overhead, below, and around obstructions from a comfortable position.

F

Flir Systems’ T530 and T540 professional thermal imag-

ing cameras are designed for thermographers who operate in a variety of environments, including power generation, electrical distribution, and research laboratories. These cameras offer enhanced ergonomics with 180-degree rotating optical blocks, laser-assisted autofocus, and auto-calibrating lenses that are interchangeable with select Flir camera models.

Flir designed the cameras to reduce the strain of continual thermal inspections with a 180-degree rotating optical block.

With the ability to rotate the camera further, thermographers can image targets overhead, below, or even around obstructions from a comfortable position. Featuring AutoCal optics, the lenses can be shared between T500-Series models or with the Flir ExxSeries cameras without the need for secondary pairing or factory recalibration. The lenses use laser distance measurement data during autofocus to achieve high temperature measurement accuracy.

The cameras provide thermal imaging quality through Flir Vision Processing, which combines proprietary adaptive

filtering with Flir’s MSX technology and the image enhancement of UltraMax. With thermal resolutions up to 464 × 348 (161,472 pixels) and strong sensitivity and image clarity, thermographers can identify subtle temperature differences aided by a 4-in. touchscreen display that is four-times the resolution of comparable cameras. They also are designed ergonomically to reduce strain while allowing the users to find problems and quickly generate reports. ce

FLIR Systems, www.flir.com

Input #200 at www.controleng.com/information

MORE

ADVICE GO ONLINE See more products in the New Products for Engineers Database: www.controleng.com/NP4E. Also see the product section in the June 2017 print/ digital edition of Control Engineering. Interested in introducing a product to the world? Contact Mark T. Hoske, mhoske@cfemedia.com.

Industrial Ethernet switch for Smart Factory applications Moxa’s SDS-3008 Smart Switch is an 8-port industrial-grade intuitive Ethernet switch that allows users to activate pre-configured automation protocols— EtherNet/IP, Profinet, and Modbus/TCP. It also includes built-in network monitoring and control functionality.

M

Moxa’s SDS-3008

Smart Switch is an 8-port industrial-grade intuitive Ethernet switch that allows users to activate pre-configured automation protocols in one click and remotely manage the unit on human-machine interface/supervisory control and data acquisition (HMI/SCADA) systems.

The SDS-3008 supports the core industrial protocols— EtherNet/IP, Profinet and Modbus/TCP—and includes builtin network monitoring and control functionality. It also supports Moxa’s ABC-02 automatic backup configurator for quick event logging and configuration backup, RSTP/STP for network redundancy, along with a range of useful management functions, including IEEE 802.1Q VLAN, port mirroring, SNMP, and warning by relay.

Machine builders, plant managers, and engineers have expressed a need for practical network connectivity solutions that do not require specialized training or personnel to operate or deploy, explained Ariana Drivdahl, product www.controleng.com

marketing manager at Moxa Americas.

She said that the SDS-3008 Smart Switch “fully resolves the issues of costs, space limitations, and complexity. It integrates devices with different protocols so that they can operate smoothly with little cost and maintenance effort, delivering highly secure, scalable connectivity from plant floor to enterprise network.”

The SDS-3008 has a width of 2 cm (0.78-in.), which allows it to be used in tight quarters. It also supports both DIN-rail and rackmount installation. With the optional 1U rack accessory, users can combine four smart switch units on a 19-in. cabinet. ce Moxa Americas Inc., www.moxa.com Input #201 at www.controleng.com/information

CONTROL ENGINEERING

JUNE 2017

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Our customers have increasing pressure to show return on investment earlier on automation projects, and are thinking increasingly about efficiency of OPEX and its longer term impact. Technology advancements are driving value in “Connectedness”, “Connectivity”, “IIOT” and “Smart” solutions. Operators are increasingly embracing these solutions, but are still concerned about how cyber security is handled. Honeywell can resolve these complexities with greater simplicity. Honeywell is uniquely positioned to support our customers through the entire lifecycle of a facility.

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www.honeywellprocess.com/LEAPforOperations Š 2017 Honeywell International Inc.

input #6 at www.controleng.com/information

Connected Plant

System integration project involvement Hire out for some or all projects

research Five HMI survey findings

R

View additional findings at www.controleng.com/2017HMIReport.

Read advice from survey respondents on implementing HMI software and hardware on page 38. Amanda Pelliccione is the research director at CFE Media, apelliccione@cfemedia.com.

Uses for HMI software or hardware 22%

Primary use Secondary use

21%

18%

18%

14% 11%

Discrete manufacturing

17%

15%

10%

Continuous manufacturing

Discrete and continuous

40%

Provide services to third parties

Windows 10 (37%) are the most commonly used operating systems by respondents’ HMI software.

4. Cybersecurity: Sixty-one percent of respondents reported that their companies restrict access to HMIs in an effort to protect these devices; 57% have increased password protection procedures.

5. Mobility: One-third of respondents’ use human factors or ergonometric considerations in regard to their HMI, and 25% use a mobile industrial HMI device. ce

25%

26%

34%

2017 HMI SOFTWARE & HARDWARE STUDY

Respondents to the Control Engineering 2017 HMI Software & Hardware Study unveiled five key findings regarding what end users expect and how they purchase or specify humanmachine interface (HMI) software and hardware: 1. Justifications: The top situations in which end users purchase new HMI software and/or hardware are an automation upgrade (28%), a new installation (20%), and an operations/ engineering upgrade (11%).

2. Annual spend: Over the past 12 months, the average respondent’s company was estimated to have been spent $127,000 on HMI software and hardware; and an average of $123,000 is expected to be spent in the next year on these products.

3. Operating systems: Microsoft Windows 7 (60%) and Microsoft

Perform all projects in-house

Batch manufacturing

Continuous and batch

HMI software or hardware is most regularly used for continuous manufacturing, discrete and continuous manufacturing, or continuous and batch manufacturing purposes. Source: Control Engineering (See HMI advice from system integrators, p. 46)

Four in 10 end users involved in system integration perform all of these projects in-house. Source: Control Engineering 2016 System Integration Study

4 in 10

end users have found the adoption of IIoT and/or Industrie 4.0 to be helpful with existing initiatives. Source: Control Engineering 2016 Industrial Internet of Things & Industrie 4.0 Study

46%

of companies have found wireless technologies to be important—or even critical—to their IIoT strategy. Source: Control Engineering 2016 Mobility, Ethernet, and Wireless Study

26%

of end users buy or specify HMI software separately from HMI hardware. Source: Control Engineering 2017 HMI Software & Hardware Study

More research Control Engineering covers several research topics each year.

All reports are available at www.controleng.com/ce-research.

www.controleng.com/ce-research FOR MORE RESEARCH INFORMATION

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CONTROL ENGINEERING international

Digital products, cloud help with IIoT, robotics, automation, electrical, grid New digital products based on an integrated cloud platform aim to help with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and digitalization, said ABB, which has formed new departments for robotics and motion control, industrial automation, electrical products, and power grids: Control Engineering China.

A

A new generation of ABB digital solu-

Stone Shi is executive editor-in-chief, Control Engineering China.

tions based on an integrated cloud platform enabled with Microsoft cooperation is helping with Internet of Things and digitalization opportunities, announced ABB in October 2016. ABB also announced the establishment of four marketoriented business departments this past January: robotics and motion control, industrial automation, electrical products, and power grids. Control Engineering China interviewed Zhang Jun, ABB director of strategic markets and business development of the industrial automation business department, about ABB’s role in automation.

Jun’s current department replaced the former ABB process automation business department and integrated products including programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and heavy duty rectifiers previously affiliated with the business department of discrete automation and motion control.

Goal: Better customer service

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS ABB expands cloud offerings with a Microsoft agreement.

Reorganization helps ABB’s focus on robotics and motion control, industrial automation, electrical products, and power grids.

Digitalization, Industrie 4.0, IIoT, and market opportunities help.

GO ONLINE www.controleng.com/international www.cechina.cn CONSIDER THIS Are your partners’ approaches to markets similar to or disparate with yours? Why?

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The integration more closely aligns ABB with markets and customers, Jun said, as the “new framework will help us make deeper exploitation of potential in the industrial digital field, and offer better service for our customers.” The new department centralizes ABB’s control products, systems, and solutions for easier customer connections and new product development, he suggested.

With changing markets, ABB often adjusts its business framework.

For example, ABB acquired Gomtec to strengthen the robot collaboration and cable sales businesses, and strengthened cooperation with Fluor and Aibel in the field of large substation and offshore wind power. Internally, structural fine tuning continues. Larger enterprises may become less flexible and agile, but this hasn’t been a problem at ABB, Jun suggested. “Changes help development,” said Jun. ABB’s growth in China has been in parallel with the general development of China’s manufacturing industry, Jun said; growth in electric power for example, from the 1980s to the beginning of this century, follows the general development of China’s electric power.

“ABB enjoyed rapid development in China’s

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market, while the general trend of industrial energy conservation and environmental protection stimulated rapid growth of ABB in high-performance motor and frequency converter business,” Jun said.

Jun predicts that future development will be in new markets, the fourth industrial revolution, and digitalization. As a multinational enterprise with a 100-year history, ABB thrived during prior industrial revolutions. ABB built the first steam turbine in Europe, installed the first high-voltage dc power transmission line globally, developed early industrial robots, and in 2004 introduced a collaborative automation system that integrated distributed control systems, electrical control systems, and safety systems.

To better develop digitalization, ABB’s strategic partnership with Microsoft combines Microsoft’s intelligent cloud platform Azure with ABB’s industry knowledge and industrial solutions to increase customer value. Jun said the ABB industrial cloud platform will be combined with ABB’s Ability digital solution to create a large and open digital industrial ecological system for customers, partners, suppliers, and developers.

Applying Big Data

In Jun’s opinion, the key to digital development lies in proper application of Big Data. At present, ABB has integrated the previously scattered data under the framework of Industrie 4.0 and builds an algorithm model to improve trend analysis.

“The application of Big Data also lies in the intensification of real-time data connections. ABB has made attempts on this, and accumulated rich experience in the field of robotics, shipping, and electric vehicles. We wish that these successful experiences can be expanded to more customer domains and segmented markets.”

Digitalization is reachable and products are being upgraded with intelligent capabilities, so “customers feel the value brought by digitalization,” Jun said. ce

Stone Shi is executive editor-in-chief, Control Engineering China; Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com. www.controleng.com

input #8 at www.controleng.com/information

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE National Electrical Code

Top seven 2017 NEC changes you need to know The 2017 edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC) includes many changes covering traditional and alternative sources of electrical power.

N

NFPA 70:

National Electrical Code (NEC) is the benchmark for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection to protect people and property from electrical hazards in residential, commercial, industrial, and other markets. Below are the top things you need to know:

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS New requirements for electrical safety.

Critical changes to the NEC 2017 edition.

Electrical safety measures for various types of facilities.

GO ONLINE For related links about the National Electrical Code, read this article online. In the digital edition, click on the headline or search the headline for www.controleng.com.

CONSIDER THIS What other changes should be noted in the NEC 2017 edition for specific building types?

1. Increased shock protection. The 2017 NEC edition expands requirements for protection from shock hazards through application of panelboard barriers, tamper-resistant receptacles, and groundfault circuit-interrupters (GFCIs). Updates include: 210.8(B) – GFCI protection of single-phase receptacles rated 150 volts (V) to ground or less expanded to include all 50 amperes (A) or less, instead of 20 A or less. Also, 3-phase receptacles 150 V to ground or less and 100 A or less.

210.8(B)(9) & (10) – GFCI protection of receptacles expanded from dwelling unit crawl spaces and unfinished basements to now include those same locations in non-dwelling units.

210.8(E) - GFCI is now required for lighting outlets in crawl spaces.

406.12 – Tamper-resistant receptacles have

been expanded to 250 V non-locking-type receptacles to a list of new areas that include mobile homes, preschools and elementary education facilities, and other areas where children are likely to be present.

408.3(A)(2) – Barrier requirements are expanded to all service panelboards. No uninsulated, ungrounded service busbars or service terminals can be exposed to inadvertent contact by persons or maintenance equipment.

422.5 – The five appliances that are/have been required to have GFCI protection are now all grouped in this section with a total of five methods permitted to achieve this requirement.

555.3 – Overcurrent protective devices that supply marinas, boatyards, and commercial and noncommercial docking facilities that have ground fault protection not exceeding 30 mA. 682.15 – All outdoor receptacles, in or on floating buildings or structures within the electrical datum plane area, must now have GFCI protection.

690.12 – This section was modified to emphasize rapid shutdown requirements for reducing the shock hazard to emergency responders. Clarity was added to this section by dividing it into four separate subsections as well as other functionality details.

2. Product listing and suitability. Products are tested to standards compatible with the NEC, raising awareness on the importance of UL and similar agency standards. Updates include: 100 - Structure – The words, “other than equipment,” were added to the definition of a structure to help recognize that such products as electric vehicle chargers and marina pedestals are not structures and should be treated as equipment.

110.3 – New language provides clarity that products are to be listed to standards recognized as achieving equivalent and effective safety for equipment installed to comply with the NEC. Figure 1: This machine’s industrial control panel has 50 kA SCCR marked on the nameplate inside the enclosure. The available short-circuit current is field marked on the exterior. All images courtesy: Eaton

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3. Arc flash awareness. To continue raising awareness of incident energy hazards, service entrance equipment rated 1200 A or more must now be clearly labeled for fuse and circuit breaker selections. Reduction requirements continue to www.controleng.com

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE National Electrical Code reduce incident energy at service entrance panels. Updates include: 110.16(B) – Service entrance equipment rated 1200 A and higher must now include a label that shows the nominal system voltage, available shortcircuit current, clearing time of the service overcurrent protective device based on that available short-circuit current, and the date the label was applied. The exception permits a 70E-type label to take the place of this information.

240.67 – For fuses rated 1200 A and above, this new requirement which doesn’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2020, and mirrors the requirements of 240.67 mandating arc energy reduction methods to be employed when the arcing current clearing time is greater than 0.07 seconds.

240.87 – Use of a device’s instantaneous trip unit was added as one of the methods to reduce arc energy when the arcing current is in the instantaneous region of the circuit breaker by design. This does not mean we can field modify the settings of the breaker to meet this language.

4. Short circuit current ratings (SCCR). The

NEC 2017 edition increases awareness of the proper application of electrical distribution equipment with regard to SCCR and expands the types of equipment that require SCCR marking.

Mandatory equipment SCCR marking: Figure 2: Installing electrical equipment where its short circuit current ratings (SCCR) is less than the available short-circuit current creates serious safety hazards. These may include shock, fire, and projectile.

409.110(4) - Industrial Control Panels 430.8 - Motor Controllers 430.98 - Motor Control Centers 440.4(B - Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Equipment 620.16(A) - Elevator Control Panel 670.3(A)(4) - Industrial Machinery 700.5(E) - Transfer Equipment for Emergency Systems 701.5(D) - Transfer Equipment for Legally Required and Standby Systems 702.5 - Transfer Equipment for Optional Standby Systems 708.24(E) - Transfer Equipment for Critical Operations Power Systems.

Requirements for equipment SCCR to be greater than the available short circuit current: 110.10 - Circuit Impedance, Short-Circuit Current Rating, and other Characteristics 409.22(A) - Industrial Control Panels 440.10(A) - Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Equipment 620.16(B) - Elevator Control Panels 670.5(1) - Industrial Machinery.

5. Available short-circuit current. The proper application of electrical equipment includes rating 18

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the equipment to handle available short-circuit current levels and marking that level on the equipment after installation. Requirements for either marking available short-circuit current or documenting that value at equipment are: 110.24 - Service Entrance Equipment 409.22(B) - Industrial Control Panels 440.10(B) - Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Equipment 620.51(D)(2) - Elevator Control Panels 670.5(2) - Industrial Machinery.

6. Surge protection. For increased protection and reliability, the 2017 NEC edition expands requirements for safety-related circuits. Surge protection is required for fire pump controllers, critical operations data systems, industrial control panels, including machinery with safety interlock circuits, and disconnects that supply emergency system loads. Updates include: 620.51(E) – Surge protection is now required where any of the disconnecting means for elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators, moving walks, lifts and chairlifts have been designated as supplying an emergency system load.

645.18 – New requirement for surge protection in critical operations data systems.

670.6 – Surge protection is now required for industrial machinery with safety interlock circuits.

695.15 – A listed surge protective device must now be installed in or on fire pump controllers.

7. Maintenance. Maintenance requirements are expanding for emergency systems to ensure the entire system is maintained in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and industry standards. Provisions ensure backup power is available during maintenance or repairs. Updates include: 700.3(C) – New requirement that emergency system equipment must be maintained in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and industry standards.

700.3(F) – These new provisions provide us with performance-based requirements to ensure backup power is available when maintenance or repairs are being made to those installations where the emergency system relies on one alternate source of power. ce Thomas Domitrovich is the vice president of technical sales at Eaton. He has more than 20 years of experience as an electrical engineer, is active with trade organizations, and is a LEED Accredited Professional. Edited by Emily Guenther, associate content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, eguenther@cfemedia.com. www.controleng.com

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE CMMS implementation

Improve CMMS implementation in 10 ways Computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) implementation doesn’t have to be complex, if you use follow this these 10-step checklists. Standard procedures, new technologies, and performance metrics can ease the path to condition-based maintenance.

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS Successful CMMS implementation requires choosing the right team, having standard operating procedures, and choosing the right metrics.

It’s advantageous to move more toward reliability reliability-based maintenance and away from reactive maintenance.

Tools such as wireless monitoring and cloud-based CMMS can help.

GO ONLINE For related links about CMMS, read this article online. In the digital edition, click on the headline or search the headline for www.controleng.com.

Read more online about how to choose the right metrics for CMMS. CONSIDER THIS If your maintenance activities aren’t where they should be, are you developing a plan and getting the buy-in needed to get there?

I

Implementing a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) can be easier and more effective by considering 10 key steps. When shifting toward condition-based maintenance, hardware and software also can help, along with defining and using standard operating procedures (SOPs) and the right set of performance metrics. This advice was given by experts at the Fluke Roadshow 2017 held, in Chicago, May 4th.

Covering the 10 keys steps to CMMS implementation success, Bill Green, leader of implementation and success, eMaint (a Fluke company), said that even after a CMMS installation, evaluation and improvements should be a continuous process with input from all involved (See Figure.

1). Green’s 10 steps for smarter CMMS implementation follow.

10 steps of CMMS implementation

1. Choose a cross-functional implementation team, including executives to approve or provide funding, maintenance (a champion and the future system administrator), project leaders (a manager

to keep things on track and an analyst to gather requirements), subject matter experts (to define how the system is used), IT staff (to provide a system environment), and implementation consultants (to provide specific expertise).

2. Familiarize the core team: A professional services team can provide upfront training to the core team, especially with training, a framework, experts, and involving future trainers. Those doing the training should know the software details, even if the software is known to be intuitive, since, “you don’t know what you don’t know.”

Online and in-person training may be available.

3. Develop (or standardize and document) workflow processes. Look at the current business and standard operating procedures SOPs, which can be how things are done—even if they’re not documented—then apply process improvements, and create a CMMS workflow using the new business processes.

Define maintenance coding (such as work order (WO) classes, types, priorities, problems, actions, and failure codes), workflow procedures and who is responsible for what, and define hierarchies (assets, criticalities, and locations).

4. Establish or update agreed-upon SOPs (see #3).

5. Prioritize the implementation, looking at the CMMS implementing process.

Tackle low-hanging fruit first with a focus on critical data. Leverage experiences of a seasoned CMMS implementer, learn from colleagues, and define the implementation timeline.

Figure 1: Advice for making the most of a computerized maintenance management system include choosing the right implementation team, working on workflow process development, and ensuring standard operating procedures are appropriate and followed. Bill Green, leader of implementation and success, eMaint (a Fluke company), provided CMMS advice at the Fluke Roadshow 2017, in Chicago in May. All images courtesy: Mark T. Hoske, CFE Media

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6. Work on the configuration. Look at forms, fields, dropdowns, and tabled data derived from standards, that were defined in the implementation phase and documented in SOPs. It’s important to differentiate the users of the system versus the users of data from the system and ensure data entry is consistent with established data standards. For instance, maintenance www.controleng.com

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE CMMS implementation and operations personnel might use different words to refer to the same things.

Standard terms must be agreed upon.

Figure 2: Setting the right metrics for the organization’s goals is important in collecting the right data, paying attention to what’s important, and improving what’s needed, suggested Bill Green, leader of implementation and success, eMaint (a Fluke company). Green gave the informationspoke at the Fluke Roadshow 2017, in Chicago in May.

‘

KPIs can help with best

7. Populate and validate data. Having the right amount of good quality data is critical for success of a CMMS implementation. All data that goes in needs to be maintained, and all maintained data needs to go into the system. Thoroughly test established processes and procedures developed to support the maintenance function. Data collection can be seen as a service. Use available import tools rather than manually transferring data.

8. Train the main users. This critical step is to ensure investments follows the trainer’s training. The person doing the training needs to be proficient in the software and in soft skills such as communication and organization.

9. Develop a go-live strategy, with support and coaching. This may include soft “go-live” dates for certain areas of the CMMS. Depending on the organization and implementation, bitesized chunks or a series of continuous improvement projects may be the best way. Highlight implementation milestones. If there is a hard golive date, create a plan B, if those involved are ready to lower the risk of data loss or production delays.

performance

10. Establish a process auditing system for continuous improvement. Use intelligence from the CMMS to drive decisions and make continuous adjustments. Define success metrics from the start. Establish a team responsible for continuous improvements, incorporating the cycle of plan, do, check, act and repeat.

goals, or world

Choose the right metrics

practices for historical

class metrics.

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’

Choosing the right maintenance-related metrics can help drive proactive decisions, moving away from reactive maintenance, where it makes sense, Green explained.

Establishing key metrics, sometimes called key performance indicators (KPIs), can help companies understand where they are on the best practices ladder, against historical performance, company goals, or world class metrics. Quantitative metrics compare goals, and qualitative measure against world-class maintenance practices.

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Leading performance indicators include preventive maintenance drivers related to time and estimates vs.ersus actual values. Lagging indicators can include mean time between failure (MTBF), mean time to repair (MTTR), mean time between inspection (MTBI), and other values. See Figure 2.

Choose metrics with end goals in mind, Green advised. Managing buildings and managing equipment for product manufacturing can use the same software and may look at some of the same equipment, but goals and metrics for success may differ.

The saying goes, Green noted, “measure what you treasure.” Doing so can reduce costs, failures, and downtime, while increasing work identification and work planning.

KPI clean up

To get clean numbers for tracking and properly rewarding KPIs, ensure data integrity. One area is to sift through any maintenance backlog, differentiating among planned, unplanned, not completed, and “that project was from years ago, we’ll never do that.”

Preventive maintenance (PM) compliance is work performed on equipment on a predetermined schedule based on elapsed time or usage to lessen the likelihood of failure; 10% is world class.

Another measurement is percentage of maintenance hours spent on planned maintenance activities versus unplanned.

Condition-based maintenance

Predictive maintenance activities are improving, but most companies have a long way to go.

A lot of maintenance remains reactive, said Alex Desselle, a Fluke product application specialist, whose career includes work with spent time at Monsanto and GE. From best to worst, consider: 1) Reliability centered maintenance 2) Predictive 3) Condition-based 4) Preventive 5) Reactive.

PM data can incorporate control system data, but other information also is needed. Edge devices can do computations on the spot. In migrating to more proactive activities, focus on failure modes and prioritize, get buyin from leadership on where to invest, select technologies with wireless capabilities to help, and enhance skills to increase maintenance core competencies. www.controleng.com

Desselle said it’s important to know what good looks like, visually detect changes, and investigate what’s going on, looking at the baseline, trending, and analysis.

Baseline charts can be stable, descending, ascending, and variable (With variable curves, statistical process control can determine if the baseline is off over time.)

Tools that can help include infrared inspections and vibration testing, looking at information consistently over time.

Wireless maintenance tools

Connected tools for maintenance professionals can help commercial and industrial teams with implementations, moving away from reactive and more toward condition-based monitoring, suggested Dave Robley, a field engineer for Fluke Industrial. Measuring and monitoring tools with wireless capabilities lower risk and save time by reducing exposure to areas requiring personal protective equipment (PPE), and enhance productivity by data sharing, analysis, and providing storage tools.

Wireless connectivity is available in more than 40 tools, covering infrared cameras, clamp meters, digital multimeters, vibration monitoring (see Figure 3), portable oscilloscopes, power quality analyzers, power and energy loggers, thermometers, process calibrator, insulation testers, and related accessories.

Figure 3: A wirelessly-enabled vibration monitor can take measurements from a fan, send it to a smart phone application, as shown by Dave Robley, a field engineer for Fluke Industrial at the Fluke Roadshow 2017 in Chicago in May. Information also can also feed that information into a cloudbased computerized maintenance management system, if desired.

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Maintain persistence

Attitudes are changing about about Big Data awareness and asset reliability, which is not a maintenance thing, but an “everybody thing,” according to Jeff Shiver, CMRP, founder of People and Processes, a consulting and training group.

While barriers include technology, software, costs, and people, work to transform the culture, Shiver said. Keep the improvements in front of people, visible to people through internal marketing. Be patient and persistent, Shiver suggested; it can take three to five years to transform the culture. ce

Mark T. Hoske is content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com.

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE industrial automation Q&A

ODVA members collaborate, push toward automation and wireless technology Cybersecurity, enabling technologies for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and cloud computing, industrial Ethernet, and wireless communications are among areas of attention for ODVA members.

O ODVA,

a standards development and trade organization for information and communication technologies used in industrial automation, convened its 2017 Industry Conference & 18th Annual Meeting in Palm Harbor, Florida, in February. The multi-day event included presentations of numerous technical papers on the latest developments in communication technology and standards that create challenges, yet many opportunities, for the industry.

Below find answers from ODVA members regarding some key questions raised at the annual meeting that were asked by Control Engineering (CE). Participants included: Gregory Wilcox, global technology business development manager, Rockwell Automation; David Doggett, senior director cybersecurity - innovation and technology - industry business, Schneider Electric; and Ian Tracy, applications engineer, HMS Industrial Networks.

CE: Security was a big topic covered throughout the conference as it relates to ODVA’s Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) and EtherNet/IP industrial Ethernet network. What would you say are the challenges and best practices to ensure that data is secure?

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS Industrial automation offers growth opportunities.

Wireless communications can advance industrial connectivity.

Cybersecurity needs attention.

GO ONLINE For related links about industrial automation, read this article online.

In the digital edition, click on the headline or search the headline for www.controleng.com CONSIDER THIS What needs to be done to address and ease the cybersecurity concerns with industrial automation?

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Wilcox: As alluded to in the question, a big step to secure data is to secure the network. Each end user has its own tolerance for risk when it comes to security, so there is no definitive answer, which is the biggest challenge. A best practice is to adopt a defense-in-depth approach to security to address both internal and external security threats to the system, of which data is a critical part. Levels of protection include: Education and awareness programs – training of OT personnel on industrial security policies and procedures, including how to respond to a security incident Physical – limit physical access to authorized personnel: control room, cells/areas,

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control panels, industrial automation and control system (IACS) devices (such as locks, gates, biometrics) Network – restrictive access, hardening, traffic inspection Computer hardening – patch management, antiX (an open-source Linux) software, white listing, removal of unused applications/protocols/services, closing unnecessary logical ports, protecting physical ports Application – restrictive access, hardening, monitoring Device hardening – trusted communications, change management, data encryption, restrictive access.

Doggett: There are a lot of challenges around security, one of which is the scope of the topic. There are legacy devices/systems to secure, legacy protocols to evolve, a flood of standards/ certifications/regulations on the horizon across multiple countries and segments, the need to generate business cases at end users’ sites, although this is becoming less of a challenge, and the evolution in the skills of the attackers which is expanding the scope of security into areas like the supply chain versus just the running plant. As a best practice there is a need to start efforts to secure solutions versus waiting for everything to be fully defined, then there are some well-known steps like analyzing what you have, selecting a framework to guide you, selecting key items to focus protection on, segmentation of the systems, etc.

Tracy: The two biggest challenges for securing industrial Ethernet and IP networks are to 1) educate the staff that works with, and maintains, these networks on cybersecurity and evolving threats. 2) Adopt and enforce policies that allow data to be used in new ways, while maintaining security. Best practices are to adopt a network architecture that isolates and segments zones, and closely regulates access between zones. Pay www.controleng.com

attention to ICS-CERT alerts and advisories.

[ICS-CERT is the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team.]

CE: With the discussion of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and increasing connectivity, can you expand on what you’ve experienced with challenges and wireless communication?

How should the industry face these challenges?

Wilcox: There are several challenges when considering wireless communications: What is the level of competency of the people who are designing, deploying, and maintaining the wireless environment? Industrial wireless communication exists in environments that are subject to change over time, and changes to the physical and radio environments can change the characteristics of the communications. The people who are involved with wireless systems have to be aware of changes that can occur, and be able to recognize when they do occur, and then adjust the system to accommodate the changes.

Can the network—including the wireless segments of the network—be secured to the level that meets the users’ tolerance for risk?

Does the application fit the capabilities of the wireless network and vice versa? Wireless is being used in many applications for monitoring and is being applied more and more to control applications. Pick the technology that fits the application then plan, design, deploy, monitor, and adjust. On the positive side, wireless can be safely and securely applied to applications that would add significant value to any manufacturing or process operation like remote monitoring and remote support. Great savings can be achieved by avoiding expensive “truck rolls” [site visits] by maintenance experts if they can diagnose and fix, or direct the fix, of problems remotely.

The industry is becoming more and more comfortable with wireless. Set up a proof of concept in your operation or in a lab. Get familiar with the technology. Hire an expert to bring you up the learning curve. By all means, start with a plan and recognize that changes in the physical and radio environment may impact the wireless network. Be prepared to adjust.

Doggett: We see a few aspects of wireless: 1) For small systems around a machine (Bluetooth, Zigbee) there is an acceptance in the market and good success without much complexity in the setup. 2) For longer range systems that cover both monitoring and control we only see success when the offer is paired with experts to www.controleng.com

do the design, installation, and ongoing monitoring/maintenance. 3) We hear a lot of talk on a new area called secondary sensing where additional sensors are added to an existing system and connected wirelessly back to either the plant network, or more likely, gateways to backhaul the data to offsite analytics. This is an interesting area but it still needs to be defined how prevalent this will be in the industrial sector where a lot of sensors are already installed for the control system versus something like transportation or buildings markets.

Tracy: One of the biggest challenges is having multiple competing standards—Lora, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi—each has its own strengths and weakness.

CE: It was said that, “The business value of cloud computing is an opportunity space.”

Would you agree that the overall industry agrees with this statement or is not quite there yet due to cybersecurity and other concerns?

Wilcox: Every indication is that the industry believes there is value in “the cloud.” A solid stance by the users on their security requirements, risk tolerance, and the ability of cloud application and infrastructure providers to deliver secure solutions is simply “table stakes.”

Without being too obvious, the information and the ability and willingness to make use of the information to solve real problems or improve operations are where the value of compute resources like the cloud comes from.

Doggett: Cloud computing is clearly an opportunity space for industrial automation.

Taking advantage of new technologies allows companies to affordably increase capabilities and provide better insight to users. Thanks to analytics, secondary sensing, predictive algorithms, and cloud hosted applications, the users can increase their efficiency by reducing travel needs and prevent issues before they occur.

Cybersecurity will be critical to the success of applications.

Tracy: I think that most everyone sees cloud computing as an opportunity, but adoption has been slowed by a number of factors, not just security. There are issues of data access and even ownership. Take for example, data generated by a packaging machine. The machine owner, the machine builder, and even the individual component suppliers, all want data from that machine. Also, it is unclear exactly what results can be expected from cloud computing, and what data needs to be available in the cloud to achieve these results.

David Doggett, senior director cybersecurity Schneider Electric

Ian Tracy, applications engineer, HMS Industrial Networks

Gregory Wilcox global technology business development manager Rockwell Automation

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE industrial automation Q&A CE: What are the concerns you have regarding moving to a more automated, connected industrial space? How should those concerns be addressed?

‘

The next part is to understand what value can be derived from a more connected supply chain.

’

Wilcox: The concern is that it isn’t moving fast enough. By digitalizing their connected assets and exposing and using stranded data within and about the assets, users can derive value from the translation of the data to information to achieve faster time to market and lower total cost of ownership, improve asset utilization and optimization, and improve quality and cycle time, all while managing their enterprise risk. That’s a connected enterprise.

Doggett: Of course security is a concern but this is manageable, both technically and in the attitude of acceptance. Schneider has been successfully selling a connected offer with Ethernet on board and transparency both into our devices and third parties’ devices for years. The next part is to understand what value can be derived from a more connected supply chain and to make sure that this is realized versus just connecting for the sake of it.

Tracy: Security is a major concern. This must be addressed by education and diligence. Also, I’m concerned about the general

input #13 at www.controleng.com/information

perception that more automation equals less jobs. I don’t think the equation is that simple.

CE: What does the industry need to pay attention to based on what was discussed among peers at the ODVA conference?

Tracy: The biggest takeaway was the limitation of the current device description files, and the initiative to improve on this for EtherNet/IP devices.

Wilcox: Security will continue to be a priority for everyone in the value chain. New and emerging changes to communication technologies, such as wireless, time sensitive networking, Ethernet in process industries, internet protocol and Ethernet to constrained devices, and scalable computing from the edge of the network to the cloud—will have significant impact on how value is created in the not-too-distant future.

As technology enhances and grows, standards development, cybersecurity, and challenges within the industrial automation space must be addressed to move forward and benefit from automation technology. ce Emily Guenther is associate content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, eguenther@cfemedia.com.

2017 Global Automation & Manufacturing Summit November 7, 2017 Presented in partnership with:

Registration opening soon!

Under the theme “Empowering Manufacturing Future,” CFE Media will produce its 2017 Global Automation and Manufacturing Summit (GAMS) on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. The now-annual GAMS event will be colocated with Hannover Fairs USA’s Industrial Automation/MDA Pavilion at the 2017 FABTECH Show at McCormick Place, Chicago.

The event will begin at noon with a networking luncheon on the show floor. Three sessions will follow, focusing on three key aspects of the adoption of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in manufacturing. The event will conclude with a cocktail reception and networking event.

The three GAMS sessions include: 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm: CYBERSECURITY: HOW FAR DO WE NEED TO GO? • The problem of security for (IIoT) is one of the most discussed issues as manufacturers look to deploy this technology solution. We’ll look at the real issues, perhaps debunk a few myths, and talk about the common-sense ways manufacturers can secure their data and their operational integrity.

• The presentation will be led by Dr. Richard Soley, chairman of the Industrial Internet Consortium, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OMG (Object Management Group) executive director of the Cloud Standards Customer Council.

2:15 pm to 3:15 pm: IIoT IN DISCRETE MANUFACTURING: MANAGING THE PROCESS • When it comes to IIoT, manufacturers in discrete industries, particularly in the metalforming and CNC industries, have a different set of expectations from those in the process industries—and a different set of challenges. We’ll talk with industry experts to look at how to get the most out of IIoT, and how to use data to improve operations, supply chain and safety.

• Speakers will include Kevin Lewis, vice president, digital factory, factory automation at Siemens, Aurelio Banda, CEO and president, Beckhoff Automation North America and Derek Harper, vice president of information technology at Faurecia North America.

3:30 pm to 4:30 pm: MAINTENANCE AND IIoT: FOLLOW THE NUMBERS • The data generated by IIoT can point a maintenance professional to a problem on the plant floor—if he’s looking at the right numbers at the right time. More sophisticated analytics are helping maintenance teams focus on the right data at the right time, and we’ll talk with them on how this strategy can lead to more uptime and better safety.

• The presentation will be led by Sal Speda, research director for discrete manufacturing for ARC Advisory Group and will include Mohamed Abuali, disruptive technology executive at FORCAM Inc. and Scott C. Hibbard, vice president of technology, industrial applications for Bosch Rexroth Corporation.

INDUSTRY NEWS and events

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Graphical programming platform accelerates National Instruments (NI) announced LabVIEW NXG 1.0, the first release of the next generation of LabVIEW engineering system design software on May 23 at NIWeek. NI, calling itself “provider of platform-based systems that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges,” said in its announcement that “LabVIEW NXG bridges the gap between configurationbased software and custom programming languages with an innovative new approach to measurement automation that empowers domain experts to focus on the problem, not the tool.

Jeff Kodosky, NI cofounder and business and technology fellow, known as the “Father of LabVIEW,” said, “Thirty years ago, we released the original version of LabVIEW, designed to help engineers automate their measurement systems without having to learn the esoterica of traditional programming languages. LabVIEW was the ‘nonprogramming’ way to automate a measurement system.

“For a long time we focused on making additional things possible with LabVIEW, rather than furthering the goal of helping engineers automate measurements quickly and easily. Now we are squarely addressing this with the introduction of LabVIEW NXG, which we designed from the ground up to embrace a streamlined workflow. Common applications can use a simple configurationbased approach, while more complex applications can use the full open-ended

Easier integration, more openness, and application practicality are among feature highlights of LabVIEW 2017. Courtesy: Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering input #14 at www.controleng.com/information

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graphical programming capability of the LabVIEW language, G.” NI said the 1.0 release of LabVIEW NXG helps engineers performing benchtop measurements drastically increase productivity with new nonprogramming workflows to acquire and iteratively analyze measurement data. These nonprogramming workflows simplify automation by building the necessary code behind the scenes. For instance, engineers can drag and drop a section of code equivalent to 50 lines of text-based code, one of many ways LabVIEW NXG helps engineers focus on innovation rather than implementation, the company said.

“As business has increased, the NI platform has allowed our software to scale up to meet the rising demand,” said Casey Lamers, senior controls engineer at Phoenix Nuclear Labs, which provides the world’s strongest commercial neutron generators for industries such as medicine, energy, and material processing, according to the NI release.

“Developing custom software for a new accelerator used for the medical imaging isotope industry has gone from taking months to weeks, and software build times have gone from hours to just 30 minutes. As a participant in NI’s lead user program, we’ve been using early versions of LabVIEW NXG over the last year and are confident it will further reduce our development time and improve our ability to deliver new features faster,” Lamers said.

NI said LabVIEW NXG introduces

LabVIEW NXG from National Instruments helps engineers without programming experience capture data quickly and easily and get to results faster. Courtesy: National Instruments www.controleng.com

Digital edition? Click on headlines for more details.

See news daily at www.controleng.com/news

a re-engineered editor with functionality that experienced LabVIEW users often request and still offers a user experience similar to complementary software in the market. The refreshed editor extends the openness of LabVIEW to integrate with a broader set of languages. The modernized editor improves programming productivity by streamlining the editor micro-interactions, user interface objects based on vector graphics, and zooming capabilities.

As LabVIEW NXG 1.0 revolutionizes benchtop measurements, new capabilities in LabVIEW 2017 target the development, deployment, and management of large, complex, and distributed test and embedded applications. These include LabVIEW 2017 features that enhance interoperability with standard IP and standard communications protocols such as IEC 61131-3 programming languages, OPC UA, and the secure DDS messaging standard. Other features help with human-machine interface development and cloud server integration. Application areas mentioned include production test, structural test in aerospace and heavy machinery, along with smart machine design. (See more, online.)

Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia.com, with additional information from NI.

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Survey: Few have clear IIoT vision

F

ewer than 2% of executives at large organizations say their companies have a clear vision of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), with implementation well underway. That is according to a new report by consultancy Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network, working in partnership with The CMO Council, Penton’s IoT Institute, and The Nerdery.

The study, The Impact of Connectedness on Competitiveness, is based on a global survey of 350 executives from large enterprises, and 52% of executives at large enterprises expect IIoT to have a “significant” or “major” impact on their industry within three years; 32% forecasting a “moderate” impact in that timeframe.

Adoption lags expectations; 10% of respondents characterizing attention and adoption within their industry as “widespread and aggressive.” More than half (53%) report growing interest; 1.5% say their organizations have a “clear vision of IIoT with implementation well underway;” 29% say they have made a strong commitment, with implementation and pilots starting; 28% are in planning.

Not a case of rip-and-replace Ian Hughes, IoT analyst at business and information technology (IT) advisory company 451 Research, suggested that the reason why adoption for IIoT had been slow is because it requires companies to factor in new solutions and combine them with legacy infrastructure and applications. “Many of the machines involved already are heavily instrumented, with standard ways of communicating data in a much richer and granular way than many other enterprises, so these could be said to already be engaged in a degree of IIoT,” he added. The study also found that one-third of executives believed there is a major IoT skills gap.

Sooraj Shah is editor at Internet of Business. This article originally appeared on Internet of Business, a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com. www.controleng.com

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®

www.ids-imaging.com/usb3.1 input #15 at www.controleng.com/information

INDUSTRY NEWS and events

PROGRAMMABLE INCREMENTAL ENCODERS

Improving reliability with outsourced maintenance strategy Large-scale equipment (gas turbines, agreement (LTSA). Once this has expired, generators, compressors, and large pumps) the plant owner is free to continue with require expertise to maintain optimum a similar arrangement or to engage an performance. Plant owners increasingly independent provider. In many cases, seek to outsource the major elements of the independent option is more attracequipment maintenance to improve reli- tive, especially for response time and parts ability and minimize downtime. repairs, which can be critical in returning Time is money and plant owners aim the asset back to normal operation. to maximize productivity and minimize With high-value assets, it is common costs; central to this objective is avoiding for plant owners to maintain a stock of unexpected breakdowns, which can incur spare components, either on their own huge costs in terms of lost production. premises or stored and managed by the Implementing a robust preventive mainte- independent maintenance partner. For nance program is the example, spare rotors first of many actions to Vibration analysis, for compressors are reduce the incidence of usually held so that failure. when there is a planned thermal imaging, flow Depending on the maintenance shutdown equipment, a number measurement, and power the service rotor can be of techniques, such swapped for the spare, use can be used. as vibration analysis, minimizing downtime thermal imaging, flow for the plant. measurement, and power consumption, Once the compressor has been recomcan be used to indicate the initial stages of missioned the rotor that was removed a concern. Recording this data also builds can be inspected and repaired. The plant up a useful asset history, which can be used operator can select among providers to predict failures and enable intervention to choose from and the scale of service that minimizes repair times. will differ; some will provide a stanIn many cases, this low-level moni- dard repair of damaged components, toring will be carried out by the on-site while others will offer the opportuniengineers, while the data analysis may be ty to improve performance and efficienconducted by an original equipment man- cy through improvements to the original ufacturer (OEM) or similar product spe- design. cialist. Once there is an indication that a The level of technical expertise also repair is required, or a piece of equipment influences the ability of a maintenance is scheduled for a predetermined overhaul, provider to support a client in the event the aim is to implement a strategy that will of an unexpected failure or forced outage. minimize disruption and return the plant These events are a worst-case scenario for to normal operation as soon as possible. a plant manager, and it is essential that Optimizing this process requires con- repairs are completed as quickly as possisiderable planning for labor and spare ble. To achieve this, maintenance providparts. Specialist maintenance contrac- ers need to be able to deliver workers and tors can provide expert advice and prac- facilities at short notice. tical assistance in preparing for a major Long-term maintenance contracts can plant service. Experience in these projects be tailored for each client. (More online.) is essential to ensure the overhaul runs smoothly and on-site management can be Claudia Proeger, marketing and comsupplied with technical support. munications, rotating equipment services, In some cases, such as large gas tur- Sulzer Management Ltd. Edited by Chris bines, the OEM may initially have a fixed Vavra, production editor, Control Engineercontract to deliver a long-term service ing, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

‘

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www.controleng.com

Headlines online Industry events At www.controleng.com, on the right side, click on the events box and scroll by month to see related industry events including:

Miniaturized AC/DC power supply modules 3 to 5 Watt for PCB mount.

For highest efficiency in low power operation or standby mode.

Process Expo 2017, Chicago, Sept. 19-22 www.myprocessexpo.com Pack Expo and Healthcare Packaging Expo, Las Vegas, Sept. 25-27 www.packexpolasvegas.com FABTECH, Chicago, Nov. 6-9 www.fabtechexpo.com/about 2017 Global Automation and Manufacturing Summit, McCormick Place, Nov. 7 www.controleng.com; click events upper right.

Top five Control Engineering articles May 15-21: The most visited articles included Salary and Career Survey, sensors and signal conditioning, robotic safety, electrical design, and cybersecurity risks.

Firmware solution for IoT devices Everynet, which helps businesses deploy and scale IoT solutions, has developed firmware over the air (FOTA) capabilities for low-power, wide-area (LPWA) networks.

Benefits of two-factor authentication Two-factor authentication can provide manufacturers with an extra layer of security, but the process should not be cumbersome or time-consuming if a user’s identity needs to be established quickly.

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input #17 at www.controleng.com/information

Manufacturing index retreats, is solid The April purchasing manufacturers’ index (PMI) from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) fell 2.4 percentage points from 57.2% in March, to 54.8% in April.

Food/beverage manufacturing compliance Use enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to manage processes and procedures for food and beverage manufacturing.

Temperature manufacturing Endress + Hauser opened a 42,000-sq-ft temperature manufacturing facility and extended an analyzer manufacturing plant.

CORRECTION The information below corrects information about U.S. and international technical report for collaborative robotics as stated in a Control Engineering May 2017 article, “Robotic safety: What you don’t know,” pages 28 and 29 and online.

A recently available technical report (TR), RIA TR R15.606 (TR 606), offers the U.S. national adoption version of the ISO/TS 15066 technical specification for collaborative robots; 15066 and TR 606 are essentially the same content. To comply with one is to comply with the other.

The article online is now correct, with an updated link and information about expected timing.

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www.tracopower.com

input #18 at www.controleng.com/information

INDUSTRY NEWS and events Digital edition? Click on headlines for more details.

See news daily at www.controleng.com/news

5 ways Industrie 4.0 improves manufacturing As digital manufacturing takes over traditional manufacturing operations, industries have attained a technical benchmark that seemed unattainable. With Industrie 4.0, or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in the U.S., manufacturers are rapidly moving towards the factory of the future where assets provide users with real-time information. Industrie 4.0 blends computers, cyber-physical systems, and automation to make production smarter and more independent, adding efficiency in five ways.

1. Production line monitoring

As a factory floor expands, it becomes more difficult to monitor multiple assembly lines, let alone multiple factories located at remote locations. Getting information on the productivity of a specific manufacturing plant would require contacting the right person with the right information. With the smart factory, the ability to remotely monitor multiple production lines in different manufacturing plants at different locations becomes easier.

2. Smart supply chain

Processes linked with a supply chain are complicated and hard to track. It takes time to watching supply chain management steps. Industrie 4.0 can provide an intelligent supply chain embedded with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and sensors to allow process automation, inventory tracking, and real-time monitoring.

asset and identifying who is using any particular asset when is impossible with manual processes. With IIoT, factory managers effortlessly can monitor every asset that is connected in the system, measure efficiency, know about its availability and active time, and decide or identify who is using or will need the asset at a particular time.

3. Predictive analytics

5. Personalized products

Manufacturers with legacy systems may stockpile high-risk replacement parts. This occupies a lot of factory space. Predictive analytics can end stockpiling by allowing companies to monitor equipment and performance. Data visualization generated by predictive analytics shows functional machines, efficiencies of active machines, and alerts for those needing maintenance.

4. Asset monitoring

Assigning and monitoring assets can be a challenging when done manually.

Keeping a record of each manufacturing

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With automation and easier communications between a manufacturer and consumers, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more room for product personalization. The combination of IIoT and just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing allows companies to consider customer preferences and meet demands.

Pushpak Parmar, IoT consultant, Softweb Solutions Inc.; Riya Savjani, IoT evangelist and content strategist, Softweb Solutions Inc. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

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COVER STORY next gen automation

Controls for additive manufacturing, 3-D printing The software tools for 3-D printing, also used for additive manufacturing, are getting more sophisticated and integrated to increase speed, quality, limit material waste, and accommodate material diversity. How are automation and controls helping to advance additive manufacturing?

A

dditive manufacturing (AM) and other 3-D printing technologies are advancing with closer integration of controls and design software, and seamless transfer of intellectual property from one stage to the next.

Recent additive manufacturing developments include a new Siemens platform to support a complete vision for the global additive manufacturing market, standards development by ASTM International, and research in the future of additive manufacturing materials, design, and processes from the NextManufacturing Center at Carnegie Mellon University.

Connected resources

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS A digital parts manufacturing platform can connect resources across locations.

Global design and engineering expertise expands for additive manufacturing, 3-D printing.

The idea-to-part time is decreasing as 3-D printing is expanding for industrial use.

Advancing its integration of tools to support the global additive manufacturing industry, Siemens revealed plans at Hannover Messe in April for a new online collaborative platform designed to bring ondemand product design and 3-D printing production to the global manufacturing industry. The part

GO ONLINE See related videos, links, and articles, including: Interactive 3D-printed robot developed for educational purposes Industries use metal for 3-D printing 3-D printers help cultivate nextgeneration engineers Additive manufacturing: Disruption or evolution?

CONSIDER THIS Are you moving as quickly as advancements in additive manufacturing?

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manufacturing platform under development from Siemens’ product lifecycle management (PLM) software business is expected to provide an environment capable of connecting all members of the global manufacturing community to maximize resource utilization, access additive manufacturing expertise, and expand business opportunity.

For example, by linking part buyers to microfactories, the platform aims to enable 3-D print production parts on-demand where needed across the world. The platform will include collaborative capabilities to help streamline the coinnovation process and accelerate use of 3-D printing as a mainstream production method for industrial parts.

Improved manufacturing workflow

The announcement addresses “the diverse needs of all additive manufacturing market participants–from designers and engineers, to manufacturers, 3-D printing machine

An engineering first: The first 3-D printed rotating gas turbine engine blade, the SGT400 Stage 1 Turbine Blade, according to Siemens, was produced

by Materials Solutions, a Siemens additive manufacturing services provider.

Siemens PLM Software’s NX software is in the background. The Siemens part manufacturing platform, expected to launch mid2018, aims to connect members in new ways to accelerate adoption of additive manufacturing in production. Cover photo courtesy: Siemens

www.controleng.com

Engineering collaboration: A new online collaborative part manufacturing platform, under development from Siemens, is designed to provide an environment capable of connecting members of the global manufacturing community. This new collaborative platform, expected in mid-2018, will help streamline the co-innovation of re-imagined products and accelerate the adoption of 3-D printing as a mainstream production method, Siemens said. Courtesy: Siemens

3-D printing metals map: The NextManufacturing Center at Carnegie Mellon University has a focus on direct metal processes.

The center is developing a new approach to metals additive manufacturing—merging process data to create an integrated understanding of the technology.

This holistic approach to additive manufacturing from the CMU College of Engineering aims to define AM’s future, from metals to bio-printing. Learn more at www.engineering.cmu.edu/next.

Courtesy: Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering

OEMs, material vendors, and software providers,” said Tony Hemmelgarn, president and chief executive officer, Siemens PLM Software. Doing so will help distributed industrial additive manufacturing and co-innovation, Hemmelgarn suggested, while “connecting the people, technology, equipment, and expertise needed to efficiently address mutual business opportunities.”

The platform is expected to create an online ecosystem of qualified members from areas such as product designers, job shops, part buyers, 3-D printer OEMs, material suppliers, expert services providers, micro-factories, and others.

Those involved will be able to connect and “initiate co-innovation of products using the latest software tools for additive manufacturing.” www.controleng.com

Advantages of easier linking might include greater access to design experts, part buyers, services, better job scheduling, and reduced time to obtain production quantities of end-use parts at needed locations, the company said, along with better scheduling and machine utilization, and greater access to the latest systems, technology, and expertise for repeatable production of industrial parts and quantities. This digital platform is expected to launch in mid-2018.

Additive manufacturing standards

Standards were among topics discussed at a May conference on additive manufacturing (RAPID+TCT in Pittsburgh, Pa.). Mohsen Seifi, Ph.D., ASTM International’s director of additive CONTROL ENGINEERING

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COVER STORY next gen automation Metal 3-D printed parts: The NextManufacturing Center at Carnegie Mellon University’s use of direct metal processes can create a variety of metal parts with an approach to metals additive manufacturing that merges data from all parts of the process to create an integrated understanding of the technology. Cover excerpt courtesy: Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering

Research, future additive manufacturing

Sharing research, best practices:Jack Beuth, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the NextManufacturing Center at Carnegie Mellon University, speaks at the 2017 RAPID + TCT event in Pittsburgh, Pa. Courtesy: Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering

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manufacturing programs, explained that the new framework for developing additive manufacturing standards was created in 2016 through an agreement between two standards development organizations: ASTM International and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The effort aims to coordinate the creation of standards related to feedstock materials, processes, equipment, and finished-part properties while supporting standards for aerospace, medical devices, automotive, and other industries.

ASTM International is helping create a Standardization Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing, a plan developed by a group known as the Additive Manufacturing Standards Collaborative (AMSC), explained Pat Picariello, ASTM International’s director of developmental operations.

In a related panel, AMSC chair Jim Williams, advocated for new additive manufacturing standards and specifications in aerospace, defense, medicine, and other fields.

CONTROL ENGINEERING

Another component of the conference was academic research in additive manufacturing.

A symposium was hosted by the NextManufacturing Center at Carnegie Mellon University that was designed to promote discussion about additive manufacturing technologies and foster collaboration among industry, government, and nonprofit sectors.

Presentation speakers included top industry professionals from companies such as General Electric, Ansys, Arconic, and ATI Powder Metals; representatives from Catalyst Connection and America Makes; and researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, Penn State University, and the University of Pittsburgh.

Control Engineering asked two conference speakers for some advice about 3-D printing for manufacturing, based on their research and field experiences.

Jack Beuth, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and director of the NextManufacturing Center, said, “Process monitoring and control is perhaps the single most important application area in additive manufacturing research right now, and it will continue as a driver for AM innovation for the next 10 or more years.”

In addition, Beuth noted, “Companies in the metals industry should take additive manufacturing very seriously, continue to gather information, and continue to re-evaluate how AM might affect their business. The processes are changing very rapidly and everything we see tells us that the rate of change will increase from this point on.”

Anthony Rollett, Ph.D., professor of materials science and engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and associate director of the NextManufacturing Center, said, “Users of powder-bed machines are strongly encouraged to understand that there is a well-founded process window for their particular machine that is based on the physics of the processes. The process window can be extended by paying attention to the various details.” ce Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, CFE Media, Control Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia. com, using materials from Siemens, ASTM International, and Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. www.controleng.com

WEBCAST SERIES

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a transformational strategy that is revolutionizing manufacturing operations across the world.

CFE Media publications take an in-depth look at IIoT-related issues, strategies, and opportunities in the 2017 IIoT Webcast series.

The 2017 Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Webcast Series: Webcast One: Get your head into the cloud Available On-Demand This Webcast focuses on how emergent IIoT technologies change the way process and automation engineers execute projects and sustain productivity in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, cyber-physical world.

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Webcast Two: Sensing and control at the edge: Microcontroller kits Thursday, June 8, 2017 Microcontroller kits emerge as a go-to tool in IIoT-based industrial automation.

Sponsored by:

Webcast Three: IIoT transforms predictive maintenance Thursday, August 24, 2017 Connecting complex machinery and equipment to operations and enterprise systems enables machine learning, predictive maintenance and secure monitor and alarm. IIoT addresses significant integration challenges posed by the unique data types generated by the many kinds of machinery and equipment found in plant environments, from CNC machines to robotics.

Sponsored by: Bosch Rexroth, Deublin, GTI Spindle Technology, IBM, Rittal

Webcast Four: How IIoT helps cybersecurity efforts Thursday, October 19, 2017 Cybersecurity is a threat to enterprises large and small, at risk of being attacked from unexpected sources both inside and outside the enterprise. IIoT can reduce the cybersecurity risks inherent in legacy automation, instrumentation, equipment, and devices.

Register for the IIoT series today at www.controleng.com/lloT

HMI RESEARCH respondent advice

Get integrated HMI hardware, software; heed these cautions Control Engineering’s new human-machine interface (HMI) software and hardware research respondents advise others to get HMIs with software pre-loaded, use standards, collaborate on planning, train, look for flexibility and ease of use, and pay attention to implementation timing.

Watch out for a long list of cautions, cybersecurity updates among them.

H

uman-machine interface (HMI) cybersecurity is among a long list of cautions offered by respondents to the new Control Engineering survey on “HMI Software and Hardware.” Advice includes buying hardware already pre-integrated with software, using standards, collaborating with stakeholders, and training.

Among subscribers participating in Control Engineering’s HMI research more than 75 offered write-in advice, grouped for analysis into six categories: Integration and standardization, cautions, experience, flexibility and ease of use, schedule and timing, and library. While many pieces of advice could be grouped into more than one category, only one was chosen for this tally.

See the table for how many each type of advice was given. The “Control Engineering Research” page in this issue gives other findings. A subset of the advice, by category, follows.

MORE

Integration and standardization

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS HMI hardware and software offer advantages when integrated.

It’s useful to collaborate when choosing and implementing HMI software and hardware.

Standards, validation, updates, and attention to cybersecurity are important.

GO ONLINE Read this article online to see all the advice. www.controleng.com/CE-Research CONSIDER THIS Research data points, p.12, in this issue adds more advice.

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Buy hardware and software together. Mixing does not usually work.

Choose integrated hardware and software.

Combine both to be cyber-secure and robust in case of an operation system crash.

Consolidate systems if possible and use software and hardware from as few vendors as possible.

Develop standardized templates to keep development costs down.

Do not risk variation for the sake of technology. If possible, choose integrated hardware and software from a vendor or original equipment manufacturer.

Ensure it can be easily integrated with the industrial control system software.

Find and stick with one HMI hardware and soft-

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ware that are easy-to-interface to programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

HMIs are the Wild West. Just pick one you like and standardize on it.

Implementing HMI software and hardware together is practical, and sometimes easier.

Insist open protocols and standards.

It is good to have a general knowledge of how HMI software and hardware integrate. Knowing protocols, I/O requirements, and machine scope will help in selecting what products will work together. Good support is paramount.

Make sure that the integrator turns over all source code and/or passwords.

Make sure they have drivers for your controls.

Move more towards client-based applications.

Multi-communications capability is important.

PC-based is most flexible.

Put standards in place before purchasing and implementing.

Seek a low cost, interoperable HMI solution.

Use a knowledgeable integrator.

Cautions

Ask about the models and capacities of the HMI. Consult with production!

Find a company that isn’t always changing and not supporting what they sold you just a bit ago.

Get your communications setup tested early.

After that it’s dead easy.

Implementing HMI software and hardware is more costly than expected.

Keep the design software and run-time software the same version.

Look at optional devices and equipment.

Stick with larger well known names.

Test and speak with a manufacturing application engineering team, not just the sales force. www.controleng.com

Test for all possible situations, especially environmental testing.

The line of software and hardware must be commercially available in the next 6 or 7 years.

Try before you buy if possible. Some software programs are easier to use than others.

Use only tried and trusted suppliers.

Validate, validate, validate.

Experience

Assist with the pre-existing infrastructure or plan prior to purchase.

Consider all options.

Consider the operational requirements.

Don’t get too fancy.

Ensure vendors have staff with knowledgeable technicians and professionals.

Go one step larger than you think with screen size, memory, and other attributes.

HMI hardware can be control-center based (regional control center, using off-the-shelf PCs and monitors), or field-based, which is a different standard (temperature range, display elements, etc.)

Include operations in graphics conversion projects. Ownership of operations is critical to the success on an upgrade project.

Present systems to end users during the specification and design phases. They have valuable input.

Read current literature and review with your specific machine or industry in mind.

Review the brand’s expertise and tool support.

Flexibility and ease of use

Be open to change.

Budget and choose applications wisely and be ready to adapt for emerging technologies.

Ease of application development is important.

Flexibility and scalability towards operations for future modifications and upgrades are important.

Invest in training. Understand topology complexity before buying. Keep it easy and simple to maintain. Look at supporting materials.

The software should be intuitive and user friendly and compatible with multiple platforms.

They should be usable, configurable, easily programmable, and secure.

Stay simple with programming. A 600-page manual means the software is too complicated.

Use the software of the PLC vendor.

Cybersecurity, schedule, timing

Don’t wait until current hardware/software is obsolete to upgrade your system. Run to failure should not be the determining factor when realizing it’s time to upgrade.

Implementing HMI hardware and software www.controleng.com

‘

Don’t wait until current hardware/software is

always takes more time than obsolete to first expected.

One of the biggest problems for HMI software is the upgrades and security risks tied to Microsoft Windows. It would be good to see more embedded systems that are not tied to Windows and have a longer life cycle. In my experience, Windows-based operating systems push upgrades and replacement instead of the hardware capability.

’

upgrade.

Library

Customization capability is important, along with ability to use a graphical library from another source, such as a managed .Net Framework from a third party.

Ease of use and support are key. Using templates and programming standards also is important.

Stage everything in a shop and test communications and other parts of the system before taking it to the field.

The person responsible needs to have the time to implement properly.

When looking for HMI software and hardware solutions, always attempt to look to future needs and buy accordingly.

The ability to meet security requirements is first and most imperative. Using login credentials that are user specific and immediately expire when a user leaves the terminal are essential.

Use effective engineering tools for static and dynamic graphics design. Ensure ease of field sensors connections to dynamic graphics symbols. ce Mark T. Hoske is content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com. Data provided by CFE Media research director, Amanda Pelliccione, apelliccione@cfemedia.com.

Table: 2017 HMI hardware and software advice topics 23

Integration and standardization

17

Cautions

12

Experience

12

Flexibility and ease of use

9

Cybersecurity, schedule, timing

3

Library

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SENSORS technology advances

Technology drives performance of presence sensor range and accuracy As sensors evolve, engineers can take advantage of new technology to improve sensor performance.

R

ange and accuracy are critical sensor functions that offer engineers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) a window into how processes are running at the device level.

This is especially true for presence sensors, which are used in automated environments.

From detecting a product on a conveyor line, to monitoring liquid levels in containers, to ensuring components are in place, the reliable, exact detection of an object is vital to workflow.

By understanding the essentials of sensor range and accuracy, as well as how new technology affects these functions, engineers can choose the best solutions for their applications.

Essentials of sensor range and accuracy

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS Understanding sensor range and accuracy allows engineers to make the best choice for their application.

Engineers should pick the smallest radio frequency (RF) field required to detect the object because of repeatability and hysteresis.

Technology advances such as IO-link are improving sensor performance and are helping them be more accurate.

GO ONLINE Read this story online at www.controleng.com for more stories about sensors and what they can do for manufacturers.

CONSIDER THIS What is the next big evolution for sensor design and what impact will it have for manufacturing?

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Physics is key to presence sensing capabilities, and the rules of this science determine range and accuracy. Inductive proximity sensors and ultrasonic sensors are two common categories of presence sensors.

Inductive proximity sensors feature an internal coil technology that generates a radio frequency (RF) field to detect the presence of an object.

For the best accuracy and precision, engineers should choose the smallest RF field required to detect the object.

This is because of repeatability and hysteresis.

Repeatability is accuracy of the operating point over repeated operations, which is typically 2% or less of the sensing range. Hysteresis is the difference between when the sensor signals that an object is present as the target approaches the sensor face, and the point when the signal turns off as the target moves away. It is calculated as a percentage of movement in the sensing field, and is typically 5%.

For example, if an 8 mm sensor has a range of

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3 mm, the repeatability would be 0.06 mm and the typical hysteresis would be .15 mm. A much larger 80 x 80 mm “hockey puck” style sensor with a 50 mm range would have repeatability of 1 mm and typical hysteresis of 2.5 mm.

For applications that require very specific presence sensing, the 8 mm sensor would be more accurate because the on/off signal window is more precise.

For presence sensing at extended ranges, ultrasonic sensors are often a better fit. These sensors use sound waves to detect objects, by emitting a sonic pulse and then receiving the reflected signal.

Ultrasonic sensors can achieve reliable detection at ranges up to 6 m. The devices are also ideal for more complex presence sensing, such as Manufacturers are incorporating IO-Link technology into existing sensors, such as Turck’s factor 1 uprox3 sensor, to allow engineers to gather additional information from the factory floor. All graphics courtesy: Turck

irregularly-shaped or transparent targets, non-metallic objects, wide sensing areas and when dust or oil films are present.

Liquid level monitoring and glass detection are two application examples where ultrasonic sensors excel.

Detection of clear objects such as glass can be challenging for vision-based systems, but these transparent materials still will reflect sound waves when sensors are properly installed.

Liquids are exceptional at reflecting sound waves when the surface is clear, and ultrasonic sensors often are used to monitor liquid levels in containers.

Harsh environments also could substantially influence range and accuracy. Harsh environments can involve any number of environmental challenges, from aggressive chemicals to dust and other www.controleng.com

ingress. Material selection is critical to ensure a sensor can withstand these variables and reliably detect objects. Stainless steel is the best option when harsh chemicals are present. Brass is typically suitable for environments without chemicals.

How new technology impacts sensor performance

Today’s presence sensors are experiencing performance improvements thanks to microprocessor and internal sensor technology advances. As new solutions come to market, engineers and OEMs are discovering how these innovations enhance the accuracy or extend the range of sensors in an operation.

One of these advances is IO-Link, which is a standardized, point-to-point communication technology designed to increase the data that can be gathered from a sensor and reported to a controller. It also has practical applications for data accuracy, especially in analog systems.

In traditional analog systems, a signal may be translated from digital to analog before ultimately being delivered to the programmable logic controller (PLC), where it is converted from analog back to digital. With each translation, data losses can occur.

With IO-Link, however, sensor signals are transmitted digitally one time before being carried back to the IO-Link master and ultimately the PLC. Limiting the number of translations limits the opportunity for losses.

This technology also improves accuracy of sensing values because the digital resolution is fixed. An engineer can look at the binary digital signal, pick the points that represent the position, and make decisions based on the readings.

An engineer doesn’t have to scale the analog signal over the desired measuring range any longer. The internal microprocessors are designed to enable more linearization to make digital signals even more accurate.

Sensor design, capabilities

Beyond IO-Link, microprocessor technology also is having a fundamental impact on sensor design and capabilities. Companies can make smart sensors with diagnostic capabilities and linearize the internal signals to make a more accurate and repeatable sensor.

In the past, electronics took up extra space to be able to solder the leads to the printed circuit board. New flip chip designs have the solder connections on the underside of the package and can manage higher currents, and have more processing power and longer sensing ranges, in www.controleng.com

IO-Link is a standardized, point-to-point communication technology. This graph demonstrates where IO-Link products are used, in the level between conventional devices and networking products.

less physical space. This allows for more compact sensor sizes. Recent sensor releases feature designs up to 30% smaller than previous solutions, with up to 50% longer sensing ranges.

Sensor design will continue to evolve, presenting new opportunities for insights into process and workflow. By pairing knowledge of

‘

Smart sensors have diagnostic capabilities and linearize the internal signals to make a more accurate and

’

repeatable sensor.

presence sensor essentials with technologies like IO-Link and increasingly powerful microprocessors, engineers can drive improved system performance and operations from the PLC to the device level. ce Tony Udelhoven, vice president, sensors division, Turck. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

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SENSORS radar transmitters

The impacts of frequency and antenna selection for free-space radar transmitters Accuracy of free-space radar transmitters depends on frequency, beam angle, antenna configuration, and installation.

F

ree-space radar transmitters for level measurement typically use 6, 26, and 80 GHz frequencies. Recently, there has been a lot of hype concerning high-frequency radar transmitters, where some manufacturers claim: the higher the frequency the better the performance. This is not necessarily true. Instead, accuracy depends on frequency, beam angle, antenna configuration, and installation, but most importantly the dielectric constant of the product itself.

Free-space radar transmitters

There are two major operating principles for free-space radar transmitters: time-of-flight (TOF) and frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW). Each has “time” as the base for distance measurement but calculates it in a different way.

TOF radar uses a microwave pulse launched from a transmitter. When the microwave energy

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS Selecting frequency for free-space radar transmitters.

Best practices for mounting and installing transmitters.

The importance of antenna design and location.

GO ONLINE For related links about radar transmitters, read this article online. In the digital edition, click on the headline or search the headline for www.controleng.com.

Read more online about mounting transmitters.

CONSIDER THIS How can radar level measurement improve application measurement accuracy?

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Figure 1: This is a comparison of 6 GHz and 26 GHz radar transmitters in the same application showing the sharp peak using 26 GHz to the rounded peak of a 6 GHZ radar reflection.

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reaches the material being measured, there is a change of impedance due to the dielectric constant (gas phase to liquid or solid surface) that causes the energy to be reflected. The amount of energy reflected is dependent on the dielectric of the material being measured. High dielectric materials, such as water, reflect all or most of the energy emitted. Low dielectric materials, such as hydrocarbons, reflect smaller amounts of energy.

The radar times how long it takes for the microwave pulse, moving at the speed of light, to reach the surface and return. This time divided by two provides the distance to the surface being measured. The transmitter then subtracts the distance from the span of measurement, resulting in the level of product inside a tank or silo.

FMCW radar also uses microwave energy directed at the surface of the material being measured. Like TOF radar, the amount of energy reflected is based on the material’s dielectric.

FMCW radar transmits a continuous stream of energy instead of a pulse, and the frequency is continuously modulated or varied. So, for an 80 GHz FMCW radar, the transmitter frequency may start at 79 GHz and ramp up to 81 GHz. The transmitter compares the frequency it’s receiving back from the product surface to the frequency it’s sending out. The difference between the frequencies is equal to the time it took for waves to hit a surface and come back.

Just like for the TOF radar, distance subtracted from the span of measurement results in a level application.

Though manufacturers will cite all sorts of reasons why one technology is better than the other, both should be considered, depending on application details. Both technologies use microwave energy traveling at the speed of light and energy reflected based on the dielectric of the material being measured, and both measure “time” to determine distance or level. www.controleng.com

Frequency effects

There are a number of factors that impact a measuring signal’s accuracy and availability, including frequency, antenna type, installation conditions, and the dielectric constant of the material being measured.

Transmitter frequency affects accuracy, beam angle, and antenna size. Low frequency transmitters are generally less accurate compared to higher frequency transmitters due to the poorer resolution of the signal generated by the lower frequency transmitters. Figure 1 shows an envelope curve comparison between 6 GHz and 26 GHz radar transmitters. The 26 GHz radar (red line) generates pulses that are approximately one half the length of the 6 GHz pulse (blue line). This provides a sharper return and higher accuracy.

The 6 GHz pulse is much wider than the 26 GHz pulse. The transmitter interprets this pulse and determines where the level is located. The blue arrows indicate that the interpretation can be several points. The transmitter can interpret the leading edge, the center, or the following edge as level, which affects accuracy. Since the 26 GHz transmitter pulse is much sharper, this limits interpretation to a single point, shown by the red arrow. The result is that accuracy for the 6 GHz transmitter is typically 6 to 10 mm while the 26 GHz transmitter provides 2 to 3 mm accuracy in process applications.

Advanced algorithms can be applied to come to less than 1 mm accuracy for tank gauging applications.

Reflection peaks from 80 GHz radars also are quite sharp, which makes evaluation of the exact level quite easy. Process radars using 80 GHz can have an accuracy of 1 mm in process applications, while tank gauging and custody transfer radars using 80 GHz can have accuracies of less than 0.5 mm.

Frequency also affects the beam angle of the signal propagated by the transmitter. Lower frequencies generate wider beam angles than higher frequency transmitters. A wide beam angle may be more suitable than a narrow beam angle in some applications.

Antenna considerations

Antenna size and type also affect the beam angle. The lower the frequency and smaller the antenna, the wider the beam angle. Increasing frequency and/or increasing antenna size reduces the beam angle.

Many believe the smallest beam angle is the best choice for level measurement, and this is true as a general rule. Reducing the beam angle allows the microwave energy to more easily avoid the vessel wall, agitators, and other internal tank obstructions. www.controleng.com

Providing a radar transmitter with a beam angle that does not intersect the vessel wall or obstructions is ideal.

However, it’s important to understand that even if the beam intersects obstructions or the wall, this does not necessarily mean the installation will be unsuccessful. Intersecting the wall will cause some energy loss but is often inconsequential.

Obstructions in the beam path can be mapped out—eliminating them from signal evaluation.

It is often thought that if the beam angle intersects the vessel wall it disqualifies the application for free-space radar. While radar installation where the beam angle does not intersect the vessel wall is ideal, it’s rarely attainable due to mounting nozzles and other interferences.

Through proper selection of frequency, antenna size, and tank mapping, a successful application is achieved most often.

Measuring ranges

Frequency and antenna size have an influence on measuring range. But the dielectric constant of the material being measured and the installation conditions of the measurement also greatly influence the measurable range.

Low frequency signals have a longer wave length and will travel farther than higher frequencies. Radar transmitters with high frequency emitters are capable of measuring ranges of approximately 100 feet, which is okay for most applications.

Antenna size and type also have an influence on transmission range. Larger antennas provide greater range and energy focus than smaller antennas. Horn style antennas, “tear drop,” parabolic, rod, and planar antennas are all antenna styles used to provide solutions to different application requirements and measuring ranges.

Figure 2: This is an envelope curve showing an agitator signal mapped out.

‘

Many believe the smallest beam angle is the best choice for level measurement, and this is true as a general rule.

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SENSORS radar transmitters Installation conditions for radar transmitters

Even if the best radar is chosen for the application, it will give poor results if it’s not installed properly. Conditions that are present in the installation must be considered. The dielectric constant of the material being measured, mounting type, location, and the surface of the target will all make an impact.

Condensation, usually from water forming on the antenna of a radar transmitter, can cause problems. Water has a high dielectric of about 80 dc. In a typical horn style antenna, water droplets condensed on the inside of the horn can cause interference and affect the launch of the electromagnetic signal. This interference causes “noise” in the signal and reduces energy. Enough condensation can cause the radar to lock in the near zone, resulting in failure.

To combat condensation problems, several special antenna designs have been developed to help “shed” condensation.

If the traditional horn style antenna must be used for application conditions, it’s possible to add a purge connection to keep the radar free of condensation or dust build up. Since air is very low in dielectric strength, it does not interfere with the microwave signal.

Purging with 60 to 70 psi air, such as a blast activated by a solenoid, will keep the horn clear and is a commonly-used method.

Some manufacturers provide diagnostic capabilities to monitor the area of incoupling, which indicates when condensation or buildup reaches a level that may start to interfere with the signal. These advanced diagnostic capabilities can be used to perform maintenance, such as purging the antenna prior to a failure condition. The ability to provide preventive maintenance reduces

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downtime and emergency maintenance requirements.

Internal obstructions in the vessel must also be considered.

Agitators, heating coils, thermowells, and other components inside the vessel can interfere with the radar transmission. The narrow beam angle of the 80 GHz radar does a good job of avoiding most obstructions; the remaining ones need to be eliminated from the signal evaluation to prevent the transmitter from seeing these as false level signals.

Typically, the interfering signals are “mapped out” so the radar transmitter ignores them. Figure 2 shows the level measurement signal evaluation with an agitator mapped out. The red line in Figure 2 is the signal provided by the return of the microwave energy.

The black line is the superimposed map that eliminates the agitator reflection from evaluation and allows the transmitter to follow only the actual level signal. For a signal to be valid and evaluated as a level signal it must be higher than the map.

It is not just the frequency of a radar that is important, but antenna design, smart algorithms and location play a big role in successfully measuring the level in a tank or silo. The more difficult the application and higher the accuracy requirement, the more critical it is to have the optimal frequency and antenna design. ce Gene Henry is a senior U.S. level product marketing manager and Bill Sholette is a senior regional level product business manager in the Northeast region of the U.S. for Endress+Hauser. Edited by Emily Guenther, associate content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, eguenther@cfemedia.com.

Control Engineering Webcasts help you obtain educational information on specific topics and learn about the latest industry trends.

Check out some of our Webcasts on topics like: • Choosing sensors for the application • lloT series: OT/IT convergence, collaboration • lloT series: Edge, cloud, fog computing • lloT series: Maintenance optimization • System Integration case studies • lloT series: Network integration, cyber security • Motors and drives • Human-machine interface hardware, software

Being knowledgeable of the proper safety measures, codes, and regulations in both new and existing facilities is an absolute necessity.

It just might even save your life one day.

Safety First: Arc Flash 101 is a new online and on-demand course CFE Edu is offering for you to stay up to date on the latest electrical safety information. CFE Edu is an interactive online platform taught by industry experts that offers exclusive, multi-media content on engineering topics that are critical to your work.

Safety First: Arc Flash 101 will:

✓ Explain the importance of electrical safety ✓ Define codes and standards as they relate to electrical safety ✓ Explore arc flash and safety measures ✓ Summarize codes and standards for electrical safety (i.e. NFPA 70E)

Led by industry experts Lanny Floyd and Hugh Hoagland, this on-demand online course offers instructor-led discussions, videos, and high-quality presentations on an interactive and intuitive platform. The course is self-paced, accessible 24/7, and approved for one (1) AIA CES learning unit and one (1) HSW credit.

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Learn more and register at CFEedu.cfemedia.com * Contact CFE Edu Manager, Emily Guenther, at eguenther@cfemedia.com for more information or with any questions about CFE Edu.

ROUNDTABLE System Integrator of the Year

Advice from integrators on HMIs, wireless, cloud use, thin clients Tips follow on human-machine interface screen design, wireless and cloud technologies for Industrial Internet of Things, and thin-client use from representatives from two 2017 System Integrator of the Year companies.

S

ystem integrators from companies that won 2017 System Integrator of the Year recognition were asked to provide advice on human-machine interface (HMI) software screen design, wireless and cloud technologies for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and on projects, which yielded thin-client advice.

Providing advice on these topics are: Jordan Gass, control systems developer, Interstates Control Systems Loren Schmidt, senior control systems developer, Interstates Control Systems Will Aja, vice president of customer operations, Panacea Technologies Inc.

CFE Media: What advice can you provide about human-machine interface software design?

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS Use color, animations, graphs, alarms, and standards carefully when designing HMIs. Wireless helps with data collection.

Thin-client architectures and virtualization save resources.

GO ONLINE www.controleng.com/SIY http://www.controleng.com/globalsi-database CONSIDER THIS Articles in this issue include more advice on HMIs: See pages 12, 38.

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Gass: A high-performance HMI gives operators the critical information they need to know to safely and effectively do their jobs without being overwhelmed with information and animations that don’t add value to what they are trying to accomplish. Elements common to a high-performance HMI include: 1. Judicial use of color. Too many colors can overwhelm a person when trying to view the process from a high level. Colors like red, yellow, and orange attract an operator’s attention, so should be reserved for abnormal or alarm conditions. Operators can more easily note an area with abnormalities by incorporating a neutral color background, like gray, and highlighting abnormal conditions with brighter colors.

2. Limited animations and moving parts.

These may not provide value and may only serve to draw operator attention away from important information.

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3. Graphs and “analog sliders,” which are easier to understand at a glance than numbers (important for precision).

4. Alarm management. Determine importance of alarms, which should be highlighted, and in what ways. This will serve as a way to avoid overwhelming operators with alarms that may be of little value or serve as notification only. Major industrial disasters can be attributed in part to an HMI and alarm management system that did not highlight critical information at the critical time. An improved design in these systems could have allowed the operator to quickly notice substandard performance, and quickly take action to prevent the catastrophe.

Schmidt: Standards need to be consistently used within a human-machine interface. Operators find comfort in familiarity. When something deviates from the standard (a one-off design), it adds an area to the HMI where the operator has to deviate from standard thinking, and has to interpret and evaluate the screen more thoroughly. This causes slower reactions to anything that needs action, especially something pertaining to quality and safety.

Aja: The evolving ISA standards around high performance HMIs [ISA101, HumanMachine Interfaces] have created quite the stir in the industry, especially in the process world. Most process engineers will scoff at the idea of not having a P&ID [process and instrumentation diagram] as the backdrop for control screens. However, most of the information coming out points towards higher operator efficiency, greater situational awareness, and decreased response times to critical events or alarms.

As with all things, defining core requirements and desired outcomes will ensure the smoothest implementation of high performance graphics.

Simply moving 100% towards high performance graphics is not ideal, but refusing to incorporate the standards shouldn’t be an option either. There are situations where operator performance can be www.controleng.com

improved, as well as situations where traditional HMI layouts are needed.

Implementing user-based security and access will allow the desired screen motifs to be presented to the right groups. We have seen clients have high performance graphics for operators, but when maintenance personnel are logged in a more traditional screen layout is shown with information relevant to their role.

Having clear requirements and desired outcomes, prioritizing areas for improvement, and implementing role-based access will ensure the best aspects of high performance graphics are implemented alongside the benefits of more traditional systems.

CFE Media: How can wireless and cloud technologies help with data management for IIoT? Aja: Wireless mesh network technologies are a real game changer for industrial wireless implementation. Most IT departments have shied away from wireless implementation on the automation side due to interference from typical process equipment (tanks, piping, clean rooms, etc.). Losing connection simply from walking around is not acceptable by client standards so hard-wired connections were always preferred.

Implementing a mesh network allows the addition of wireless access points wherever needed, at the same time providing seamless connection to the user across access points with no interruption. This greatly increases mobility options as well as wireless enabled data producing device options. The technology will continue to improve, and hard-wired connections will become necessary only for connecting core infrastructure, such as servers, OPC collectors, etc.

Cloud technologies have evolved greatly, and the biggest opportunity for our clients is in the hybrid cloud arena. A hybrid cloud is having a local virtualized infrastructure that works in conjunction with an offsite cloud provider for data storage.

This allows clients to have the benefits of having a self-managed high availability private cloud, and the versatility and power of remote services in one infrastructure. Most practical uses of this setup involve hosting all SCADA, historian, and automation software in a virtual environment and using a remote cloud service for historian data storage facilitating complex data analysis.

This design ensures the most critical plant systems are in a controlled and easily accessible area, while simultaneously having access to the horsewww.controleng.com

power a cloud service can provide for multivariate analysis.

CFE Media: Please provide advice based on system integration experiences, applying automation, controls, and instrumentation. What did you learn?

Aja: One thing we learn project after project is the benefit of deploying the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) layer on thin clients. Decoupling the hardware layer from the server infrastructure greatly increases the longevity of a system, and makes future migrations even easier. In a 10-year span, you might see five generations of HMIs from the same vendor. This can be a huge problem in a controlled environment and leads clients to stockpile hundreds of thousands of dollars of spare parts to avoid continuous migrations.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;

Thin-client deployments allow companies better insight into operator actions and higher amounts of security with authentication

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

against an existing domain.

Moving physical custom HMIs into a thinclient-based deployment will soon become a requirement once the benefits are realized by the majority of the industry. Physical custom HMIs may not allow domain-based authentication, leaving shared passwords for entire user groups, which is a major security and audit trail concern.

Thin-client deployments allow companies better insight into operator actions and higher amounts of security with authentication against an existing Microsoft Windows domain.

Most clients are intimidated by the thought of implementing thin clients, but by carefully evaluating potential risks, such as network reliability prior to implementation, the transition can be smooth and successful.

We are excited to see more clients requesting thin clients and confident the adoption rate will increase significantly in the near future. Once clients experience the benefits of virtualizing the server infrastructure and using thin client HMIs they never want to go back. ce Mark T. Hoske is content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com.

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CALLING ALL SYSTEM INTEGRATORS...

2018 System Integrator of the Year

call for entries

Entries are due August 18, 2017 Control Engineering and Plant Engineering’s annual

System Integrator of the Year Awards

2018

Questions?

Who should enter?

If you’re a system integrator with demonstrable industry success, Control Engineering and Plant Engineering urge you to enter the 2018 System Integrator of the Year competition. Past System Integrator of the Year winners—Class of 2017, Class of 2016, and Class of 2015—are not eligible to enter the 2018 System Integrator of the Year program.

Contact Bailey Rice Director of Business and Market Development CFE Media brice@cfemedia.com (630) 571-4070 x 2206 2017 System Integrators of the Year

15 | 2016 SI Giants 29

What’s in it for the winners?

The chosen System Integrator of the Year winners will receive worldwide recognition from Control Engineering and Plant Engineering. The winners also will be featured as the cover story of the Global System Integrator Report, distributed in December 2017.

How will the competition be judged?

Control Engineering and Plant Engineering’s panel of judges will conscientiously evaluate all entries. Three general criteria will be considered for the selection of the System Integrator of the Year: • Business skills • Technical competence • Customer satisfaction

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INSIDE MACHINES discrete sensors Figure 1: Oscillations and vibrations which occur during a wind turbine’s operation, primarily in the gondola and the mast, are important physical measured variables. All images courtesy: TWK

Vibration monitoring for machines Inside Machines: Vibration sensors are designed to ensure that machines and systems operate within safe operational parameters and to help users find imbalances caused by internal and external forces.

A

sking if there is there such a thing as good and bad acceleration in manufacturing may seem like an odd question, but it is justified. Shaking may be good for a cocktail, but it isn’t so good in a system or machine.

The task is therefore to ascertain whether acceleration caused by oscillations and vibrations still can be tolerated or whether it is already so high that the application is being damaged and has to be stopped.

Vibration monitoring is becoming increasingly important in machines and systems and it requires corresponding safety components to register vibrations, oscillations, inclination angles, and rotational angles safely.

Vibration sensors with a CANopen safety interface and switching relay are designed to measure dynamic acceleration with a frequency range from 0.1 to 60 Hz. Band filters can be used to subdivide the frequency range into sub-areas so that, for instance, low frequencies of less than 5 Hz can be analyzed more precisely and higher frequencies do not act as a disturbance, and vice versa.

The CANopen safety interface is implemented according to the following profiles: CiA 301 version 4.2 (application layer) and EN 50325-5 (safety protocol) as well as CiA 401-1 version 3.1 (Profile for I/O devices – Part 1: Generic I/O modules). The vibration sensor can be extensively www.controleng.com

parameterized using this interface and specific procedures have to be taken into consideration during safe communication and parameterization by means of this interface. It is important that safety-relevant parameters are not changed and the safe functions are not impaired as a result.

Parameterization for safe vibration sensor operation

With parameterization, special CANopen objects are used to write new values, which allow the user to change parameters to meet specific needs. However, checksums additionally have to be transferred for each parameter change and these checksums have to be calculated in advance by the user for each parameter to be changed so that each can be transferred to the sensor. The parameters for the sensor to operate are entered in this tool, and the checksum is displayed in the result window.

However, this calculation also can be carried out independently using the underlying calculation polynomial (CRC-CCITT: x16+x12+x5+1), or a calculation tool to be programmed by the user can be stored in the control system. Before any change can be made to the sensor, the valid flag, which is a type of sensor lock mechanism, must be deactivated by writing a “0” into this object.

The object structure of CANopen—in this case, CANopen Safety—permits this safe

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS Vibration sensors are designed to examine internal and external causes of vibration and oscillation for machines.

Parameterization allows users to change the settings to meet their specific needs.

Vibration sensors also can be used as part of a safety test and can help ensure that a machine does not exceed a certain limit.

GO ONLINE Read this story online at www.controleng.com for more stories about vibration sensors and other stories from CAN in Automation (CiA).

CONSIDER THIS What other factors should be considered when testing for vibration in machines?

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INSIDE MACHINES discrete sensors

parameterization and simplifies handling. No special device programs have to be used to carry out the changes. Unintentionally changing the parameters is out of the question.

Vibration testing at a wind turbine

Figure 2: A screenshot showing an example of a CANopen Safety CRC calculation.

Figure 3: TWK’s NVA115 vibration sensor is a SIL2 Safety component.

Wind turbines are designed to generate electricity. However, the electricity does not simply come out of the socket or—in this case—the wind turbine. A wind turbine is a complex and extremely detailed piece of construction that has to be protected from potential damage. The oscillations and vibrations, which occur during operation, primarily in the gondola and the mast, are important physical measured variables.

They have to be registered to protect the system. If the vibrations are excessively high, the entire system is affected. The acceleration forces, which occur in the mast, may lead to crack formation or even fractures. Possible internal event causes include damage to the transmission or the bearings that may lead to the occurrence of excessive main shaft vibrations. These vibrations lie in a frequency from 10 to 50 Hz. On the other hand, external influences may cause the system to vibrate. Among others, these influences include rotor blade icing or damage.

These do not occur uniformly and therefore lead to rotor imbalance, which can cause the entire system to vibrate. Unfavorable wind conditions leading to excessive movements on the part of the gondola and the mast are another potential concern. The frequencies typically lie between 0.2 and 3 Hz. These vibrations have to be determined as part of vibration monitoring for a wind turbine to cause the control system to shut the system down if respective limit values are exceeded.

Vibration sensors, machine safety

This is where the sensor comes into play as a safety component. The measured acceleration value is constantly compared with limit values. If these are exceeded, the internal safety relays are shut off.

The two safety switching contacts, each of which consists of two individual relays connected in series, are switched in the system’s safety chain.

Their series connection helps ensure that the electrical circuit is safely disconnected—even in unfavorable or extreme conditions in which an individual relay would perhaps stick.

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The sensor also can monitor vibration behavior over a longer period of time and ensure the vibrations do not exceed a permissible amplitude value.

If the value is exceeded briefly, the system does not have to be stopped immediately. Moderate and higher vibration values, which occur temporarily, are permissible if the system’s vibration values subsequently decrease again. The safety chain is interrupted only when the system vibrates extensively for too long. If the user wishes, the vibration data can be transferred to the control system to ascertain what vibrations are present in the system.

The configurable safety switching contacts with the respective limit value comparison always react to a filter’s output main value. Another special feature is that the sensor can be set to stop the system in a specific vibration phase. This is achieved using a shut-off delay and the vibration sensor’s ability to recognize the monitored vibration’s zero-axis crossing. The positive zero-axis crossing is the starting point for the adjustable time if the shut-off criterion was met beforehand. Standard settings such as x- or y-axis assignment, momentary, or root mean square (RMS) value also are possible with a number of adjustable parameters. Two analog signals also are available optionally for additional value output alongside CANopen Safety.

Sometimes it is occasionally necessary to know whether the two switching contacts’ relays are still operating reliably. It may be that they have not had to switch for a number of weeks or months. Despite robust relays and durable electronics, it makes sense to test them occasionally. To do this, it is possible to initialize a self-test lasting a few seconds via object 32FD. Depending on which value is transferred to this object, either switching contact 1 or 2 is tested, or both. However, the sensor remains in operational status during the test so the control system still can see all of the current vibration data.

The self-test can be used to check if the switching contacts really open, even if they are in the safety chain, so the user can check the relay status from the point of view of the vibration sensor and can read out this switching status. Incidentally, this can be done at any time, not only during the self-test. This is important so that the control system can detect which device in the safety chain was triggered.

The vibration sensor helps ensure that an application is in safe hands for minimizing damage caused by interference acceleration. ce Achim Albertini is with TWK Elektronik. This article originally appeared on CAN in Automation (CiA), a CFE Media content partner. Edited

by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, cvavra@cfemedia.com. www.controleng.com

input #20 at www.controleng.com/information

INSIDE MACHINES VFDs

Installing VFDs: environmental and safety considerations Understanding ac variable frequency drive (VFD) installation options can save costs, reduce downtime, and enhance safety.

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS Heating and cooling requirements for VFDs. The risks and benefits of different installation methods.

How a VFD’s installation impacts its performance.

GO ONLINE For related links about VFDs, read this article online. In the digital edition, click on the headline or search the headline for www.controleng.com.

CONSIDER THIS Are certain installation methods ideal for particular facilities?

C

ost is often the deciding factor when choosing where and how to install low-voltage ac variable frequency drives (VFDs).

However, putting cost ahead of key decisions regarding installing a drive, can lead to a higher cost of ownership. It also can increase the likelihood of unscheduled shutdowns and create potential safety issues.

Whether users are planning to install VFDs in a new or existing facility, several environmental and safety issues should be considered first.

Environmental issues for VFDs

Heat is the greatest enemy of VFD reliability. If it is not effectively managed, heat can build up in the “junction layers” of the drive’s power transistors. This can cause the layers to fuse or melt.

Overheating also can compromise a VFD’s intelligent power module. And it can impact the hundreds of smaller discrete components and subassemblies that all work together in the drive.

Installing a VFD in a motor control center (MCC) assembly is a desirable option from an environmental perspective.

UL-845: Motor Control Centers assembly requirements and test procedures address heat management for the entire MCC lineup. This means the MCC manufacturer is required to certify that the VFD will not be harmed by being in the MCC, nor will the heat produced by the VFD compromise other equipment in the MCC. However, it is important to remember that proper thermal management and Figure 1: Users should understand the inherent risks and benefits of installation options to optimize a VFD’s performance.

All images courtesy: Rockwell Automation

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UL-845 listing of the assembly can only be done

by MCC manufacturers. Panel builders, even those certified under UL-508a, cannot add VFDs into an MCC and maintain its UL-845 listing. If one unit in an MCC is not UL-845 listed, the listing of the entire MCC lineup is void.

Housing a VFD in an industrial control panel (ICP) rather than in an MCC assembly puts the heat-management burden on the end user.

If the ICP must be sealed, an air-conditioning unit often is required to maintain the internal temperature within the VFD’s design limits (or to the limits of other ICP components). A general rule of thumb is to estimate that the VFDs will emit approximately 3% of the total power going through them as heat into their immediate surroundings.

When ventilating the ICP, the total volume of air exchanged at the maximum ambient temperature must be sufficient to maintain the internal temperature within the VFD’s design limits.

Also, filters must be used to mitigate contamination if the ambient air being circulated contains dust or moisture. Failure to maintain and periodically replace filters will result in components overheating.

Another critical, heat-related issue with VFDs mounted in ICPs is maintaining the clear space areas around the VFDs for proper airflow. Each VFD design will have specific, minimum clearance requirements—above, below, and side to side— that are critical to the cooling of internal boards and components. Often, inexperienced panel fabricators falsely assume that slotted wire duct is not an obstruction and mount it too close to the VFD. However, it is an obstruction to proper airflow, and failure to heed the clearances that often results in premature failure of the drives.

Wall-mounted VFDs typically have fans that push and pull air through the drive housing for cooling. Also consider what else may be present in www.controleng.com

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In our concept machine above, the legs utilize both rotary and linear motion requiring special motor designs. For both the rotary and linear motion, we would customize the motor’s mechanical characteristics (torque/force, length, width, height) as well as the electrical characteristics (bus voltage, resistance, inductance, pole pitch, and current) required for the application.

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INSIDE MACHINES VFDs this ambient air, including moisture, machine oil, dust, chemicals, and gases. These elements can get into the VFD and cause damage, or build up debris that lowers the cooling efficiency.

Clearances from airflow obstruction are equally important for wall-mount drives.

Some gasses, such as hydrogen sulfide, should be avoided altogether because they can corrode the printed circuit boards and connectors. Also, a minimum relative humidity must be maintained on some drives because, if too low, static electricity becomes a problem when the air is moved across the components. This is especially a concern in low-voltage drives that do not use conformal coating on their boards.

VFDs with motor sizes above 400 hp become too large to install on the wall and are built into free-standing structures that bolt to the floor. These options, referred to as cabinet-mounted VFDs, require a separate air channel for cooling the heat sinks.

Proper VFD safety

Arc flash safety is a serious concern when deciding how and where to install VFDs. The most persuasive argument for installing VFDs in MCCs is that the safety is inherent in the overall MCC design. When VFDs are installed in MCCs, all personnel-safety issues become relevant to the entire MCC decision-making process. If users want an MCC to be arc-resistant, the VFD cubicles must be arcresistant as well.

Beyond arc flash protection, there are other personnel-safety issues with MCC installation: In a UL-845 MCC unit, a VFD must be in a tested and

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Figure 2 2: Users should understand the inherent risks and benefits of installation options to optimize a VFD’s performance.

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listed series combination, performed by the MCC manufacturer, at a level that meets or exceeds the MCC short-circuit rating. As long as the overall MCC specification meets the site conditions, this provides assurance every unit within it will be certified to be connected to that system.

User access to a VFD via the humanmachine interface (HMI) is always brought out to the unit door in an MCC format unless otherwise specified. This means operators will not need to open the unit door and expose themselves to the safety hazards inside when they want to read, adjust, program, or troubleshoot a VFD from its display.

When housing VFDs inside an ICP, multiple safety aspects must be considered as well.

If users do not require a short-circuit current rating (SCCR) in purchase specifications, some ICP builders will deliver an ICP with a 5 kA “courtesy” rating. This means users cannot connect the ICP to a power system with more than 5 kA of available fault current (AFC). But 5 kA AFC is virtually impossible to attain in an industrial application, especially where 480 V service is used.

Also, arc flash safety and lockout/ tagout requirements usually mean an ICP’s main disconnect will need to be opened, locked, and tagged before working on anything inside or connected to the ICP. Having multiple, through-thedoor disconnect devices is extremely difficult to manage. But an ICP may make sense compared to an MCC or separate VFDs in the event one part of the system is shut down, the entire system must be shut down anyway.

Again, for wall-mounted and cabinetstyle VFDs, SCCR is critical. If possible, the VFDs should be purchased as combination units, where the main disconnect and over-current protective devices are included as integral to the VFD package.

This solves the SCCR issue and other electrical safety issues.

Another issue with large VFDs is that they are often very heavy. Maintenance technicians, for example, often use tools, jacks, or even forklifts in ways that may put the VFD or the workers at risk. A rollout chassis design, using a specially designed “truck” assembly that matches up to internal guide rails at the bottom CONTROL ENGINEERING JUNE 2017

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of the VFD cabinet, can provide an easy way to safely remove heavy components.

The accessibility, safety, maintenance, and suitability of a VFD’s installation can have long-term impacts that will not be immediately obvious during the design and planning stages. By understanding the inherent risks and benefits of different installation options,

users can optimize a VFD’s performance across its lifecycle while potentially reducing downtime and safety risks. ce Jeff Raefield is a power technical consultant at Rockwell Automation. Edited by Emily Guenther, associate content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, eguenther@cfemedia.com.

input #23 at www.controleng.com/information

INSIDE MACHINES radio frequency identification

More RFID is used in more applications Radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies are being applied in more applications. Considerations include distance speed, and data transfer rate when selecting technologies.

R

adio frequency identification (RFID) systems used in industrial environments have come a long way since their beginnings in the 1970’s. Each new development since then has aimed to improve performance and extend the possibilities for a variety of applications.

There are factors, unique to each industry, that need to be considered when determining the most suitable RFID system for an application.

RFID considerations

Generally three main points should to be taken into account and a compromise can be reached. They are: 䡲 The distance between the tags and the read-write heads 䡲 The speed at which the object can move past them 䡲 The data transfer rate.

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KEB America, Inc. 5100 Valley Industrial Blvd. S Shakopee, MN 55438 952.224.1400 sales@kebamerica.com input #24 at www.controleng.com/information

While there are a number of complex formulae offered by RFID system manufacturers, online configurators also are available which allow customers to simulate their application and find the optimum set-up.

Like so many innovative concepts in the control industry, the automotive manufacturing industry was key to the development of RFID, driven by consumer demand for personalized vehicles.

Today consumers can decide exactly what will be fitted to the cars they purchase. This makes it necessary to somehow mark every car with information about individual features that need to be

‘

fitted, providing transparency at all times throughout the manufacturing process.

The challenges presented by car manufacturing are unique yet use almost all of the classical manufacturing processes.

In addition to mechanical engineering, it is possible to encounter elements of transport technology, handling technology, and logistics, as well as presses and general metal processing techniques.

Add to this a variety of different interlinked processes and you have a very complex scenario.

Automotive RFID applications

Data carriers, or tags, capable of withstanding high temperatures were an important addition to systems offered to car manufacturers. Their use also became widespread in the paint curing process, where the data carriers can be used, as they can pass through the oven on the vehicle skids. These data carriers operate at more than 392°F (200°C) and do not require cooling before reading or writing.

A good system will offer tags with EEPROM and FRAM memory, where the latter allows an almost unlimited number or read and write operations.

Many conventional RFID systems only are capable of reading and writing tags statically, whereas the better systems can read and write on the fly, typically at speeds of 0.5 ms/byte.

Producing read-write heads with a usable sensing range proved a major challenge for early system developers. However, it is now possible to get read-write heads with sensing ranges of around 500 mm (19.685 in.)

The challenges presented by car manufacturers, are unique

’

yet use almost all of the classical manufacturing processes.

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RFID for food and beverage

RFID monitors, manages assets

Special IP69K rated readwrite heads for food and beverage applications are now commonplace, and a further development is data carriers which can be mounted directly on metal. Tracking and traceability, vital in many production facilities today, are made possible by the allround capability of RFID.

Increasing demand for RFID technology has resulted in the production of more cost-effective solutions.

New technologies also play an important role in this growth. Advances in printed electronics, for example, have helped create new classes of thin, flexible RFID tags that can be combined with printed sensors, printed batteries, thin-film photovoltaic solar cells, and other technologies. Antennae design also has been improved, increasing the performance of the tags.

The integration of RFID and passive sensors for temperature, moisture, pressure, and vibration can provide greater intelligence for monitoring and managing assets.

RFID is enabling a host of new applications in all major industry sectors but prior to the advent of cloud technology, managing the data flowing in from thousands of tags posed a problem. Now, with cloud-based applications and services taking the burden of IT support away from the point of activity, companies can deploy centrally-managed and centrally available implementations without the traditional support and deployment costs. ce George Perkins is marketing executive at Turck Banner. This was edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com from a Feb. 6, Control Engineering Europe posting, “The rise and rise of RFID.”

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS For RFID, consider distance, target speed, data transfer rate.

High temperature and wash down RFID applications are possible.

RFID range can be nearly 20 inches.

GO ONLINE Control Engineering Europe www.controlengeurope.com Search “RFID” at www.controleng.com for more.

Linked to this article online, read: “The role of RFID in the smart factory.”

CONSIDER THIS How can advanced RFID help your applications?

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digital edition Exclusives, Online Extras: Benefits of the Control Engineering Digital Edition include tablet-friendly viewing (HTML5), exclusive content in every issue; headlines link to the longer version posted online; links are live where a URL is provided; and an email link arrives when ready. In addition, link to additional “Online Extra” articles.

DIGITAL EDITION EXCLUSIVES

DE1 The evolution of data center infrastructure in North America

Data centers have become increasingly important under the Industrial Internet of Things revolution. Physical and cybersecurity have to be assessed and continuously improved. What are the most crucial considerations for the IT infrastructure of a data center?

DE5 Companies need to formulate a cybersecurity plan

Cybersecurity has made significant strides in terms of companies’ awareness, but there is still a long way to go, according to experts at the SANS ICS Security Summit.

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DIGITAL EDITION exclusive

The evolution of data center infrastructure in North America Data centers have become increasingly important under the Industrial Internet of Things revolution.

Physical and cybersecurity have to be assessed and continuously improved. What are the most crucial considerations for the IT infrastructure of a data center?

T

he IT infrastructure market is undergoing a rapid digital transformation.

Canada and parts of the United States have become ideal locations for primary co-location and disaster recovery data centers hosting global enterprises. Data center modernization or new construction projects can deliver futuristic data centers consisting of highly automated infrastructure in which applications and data will be deployed and provisioned based on evolving workload demand.

Power and cooling—the backbone of data centers— must be designed and constructed to be flexible enough to keep up with automated, virtualized, dynamic technologies of the future while planning for capacity growth, efficiency demands and budgets.

Is the data center secure enough?

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS Data center modernization can deliver a highly automated infrastructure in which applications and data will be deployed and provisioned.

Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) integrates information technology (IT) and facility management disciplines to centralize monitoring, management, and intelligent capacity planning.

Companies must have a strategy to implement it in order to realize the benefits and manage cybersecurity threats.

GO ONLINE Read this story online at www.controleng.com for more information and additional stories from MG Strategy+.

CONSIDER THIS What future developments could help data centers evolve even more?

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With rising cybersecurity concerns, protecting servers and information assets in data centers is critical. Security—both physical and cyber—has to be assessed, continuously improved, and new systems may need to be put in place to increase the security posture in this sector. IT operations are a crucial aspect of most organizational operations around the world. One of the main concerns is business continuity; organizations rely on the information systems to facilitate operations and customer services.

It is necessary to provide a reliable infrastructure for IT operations, in order to minimize any chance of disruption. Both physical and cyber information security continue to be a major concern; data center upgrades or new construction must offer a secure environment that minimizes the chances of a security breach.

The data center therefore must possess high standards for assuring the integrity and functionality of its hosted computer environment, which should include redundancy of mechanical cooling and power systems and network fiber optic cables.

CONTROL ENGINEERING

How to cool the data centers?

A number of data center hosts are selecting geographic areas that take advantage of the cold climate to mitigate the extensive costs of cooling their server infrastructure. As data centers pack more computing power, managing the significant heat that the semi-conductors generate is consuming more and more of the operating costs of a data center; consumption is at approximately 2% of U.S. total power consumption. Facilities in the northern United States and Canada are able to employ a technology called “free cooling” to reduce this energy cost in half, using the outdoor air to supplement the work done by the energy intensive components of the cooling-system.

Free cooling uses a specialized heat exchanger that uses cool outdoor air to chill water or glycol that circulates to the server racks. This reduces the load on the large energy consumption equipment— compressors and pumps. For facilities deploying “free cooling” technology, ideally-located facilities can operate two-thirds of the time without running their chillers; this easily can save the $250,000 per year.

Public, private or hybrid: What’s best for your data?

For companies that continue to own and operate their own data center, their servers are used for running the internet and intranet services needed by internal users within the organization, e.g., email servers, proxy servers, and domain name system (DNS) servers. Network security elements should be deployed: firewalls, virtual private network (VPN) gateways, situational awareness platforms, intrusion detection systems (IDS), etc. An on-site monitoring system for the network and applications also should be deployed to provide insight to hardware health, multi-vendor device support, automated network device discovery and quick deployment. In addition, off-site monitoring www.controleng.com

systems can be implemented to provide a holistic view of the LAN and WAN performance.

A company’s data center provides the capability to optimize the equipment housed within these centers, strengthen the network infrastructure and work with partners on the integration of their data. Any internal upgrade project should reduce the power usage effectiveness (PUE) and create a culture focused on being green and efficient that provides the Infrastructure for the delivery of digital business services.

Companies that continue to operate their own data centers will face future challenges to ensure that every asset is utilized optimally.

Data centers have become increasingly important under the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) revolution. All graphics courtesy: MG Strategy+

Data center infrastructure management

Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) is the integration of information technology (IT) and facility management disciplines to centralize monitoring, management, and intelligent capacity planning of a data center’s critical systems. By embracing DCIM, data center operators will bring consistency, predictably and control to IT operational metrics, while also improving service assurance. This can be achieved through the implementation of specialized software, hardware, and sensors, DCIMenabled common, real-time monitoring and a management platform for all interdependent systems across IT and facility infrastructures.

A DCIM product can help a data center manager identify and eliminate sources of risk and to increase availability of critical IT systems.

It can be used to identify interdependencies between facility and the IT infrastructure and to alert facility managers to gaps in system redundancy, and provide dynamic, holistic benchmarks on power consumption and efficiency to measure the effectiveness of “green IT” initiatives. It’s important to measure and understand data center efficiency metrics. Energy metrics, as well as server, storage, and staff utilization metrics, will allow a more complete view of all enterprise data centers.

Data center boom in North America

The combination of cheap power and cold weather puts Canada and upper regions of the United States in a similar class with Sweden and Finland, which host huge data centers for Facebook and Google. The data that will be managed by companies is estimated to grow by a multiple of 40 over the next decade, requiring a huge growth in the data center footprint over the next five years. Data custody is a dimension that plays into the selection of data center location, www.controleng.com

Canada is seen as having an advantage over the United States because many companies are concerned about the U.S Patriot Act, which allows the U.S. government to intercept and examine data stored in the U.S. without a search warrant.

Key items that will revolutionize the data center architecture and how people and firms manage it will be:

Business impact examples for upgrades.

Modular data centers – scalability and capacity will require pre-fabricated deployments with flexible packages.

Software-defined networking – decouples network topology and traffics management from network hardware to seamless interaction between application workloads and network infrastructure.

Energy efficiency – DCIM software packages to automate management processes, consolidate servers and improve transactional performance.

Interconnected framework – customer demands will require reliable and secure CONTROL ENGINEERING

JUNE 2017

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DIGITAL EDITION exclusive

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resources with faster access that are governed with Master Service Agreements for managing various service level agreements (SLAs).

Data center facilities are the heart of the company’s electronic business infrastructure, giving life to a significant percentage of business activitives.

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With Asia growing faster than expected, providers have been working hard to keep up with the region’s growth. This has led to data centers that may not have the best energy and water efficiencies designed and implemented within them; this is going to be an area needing future upgrades and consumers education on the efficiency benefits. Data center operators will continue to be challenged to convince customers that their facility is a secure place to store data as this is the lifeblood of their business.

Data center facilities are the heart of the company’s electronic business infrastructure, giving life to a significant percentage of business activities. As these mission-critical facilities have no personnel on site and remotely managed from a network operations center, there are vulnerabilities that need to be addressed and mitigated.

Access controls will be important to manage— the data center management team must know the vendors and internal and external customers, and maintenance practices and procedures must be rigid, centralized and authenticated.

Another key is to ensure that the IT’s support staffing structure does not become understaffed and overworked, as it is expected to deliver an up-time as high as 99.999%. This statistic has a powerful significance: virtual perfection is expected.

As a data center environment is complex, administrators must avoid technical shortcuts because this will take its toll on support procedures and compromise the overall system security. Server virtualization has been a gamechanging technology for IT, providing efficiencies and capabilities that were not possible within a physical environment.

While server virtualization has continued to mature and advance, companies must have a strategy to implement it in order to realize the benefits and manage cybersecurity threats.

Data center operators can now plan, deploy, and maintain a sound virtual infrastructure. ce Anil Gosine is the global program manager for global industrial projects with MG Strategy+, a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Joy Chang, digital project manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, jchang@cfemedia.com.

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CFE Media’s

Global System Integrator Database CFE Media’s Global System Integrator Database is an interactive community of global end-users and system integrators hosted by Control Engineering, Plant Engineering, and our global partners in Asia and Europe.

The newest version of the online database is even easier to use.

Features and updates:

• Relevancy score indicates how closely

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pertinent data of a System Integrator before clicking to view the full corporate profile

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request a quote for a project directly from the database site integrator’s engineering services appear on one page on their corporate profile – other details are organized by tabs.

As a Systems Integrator there are quite a few options available for online advertising. They vary in functionality and design, but the Global System Integrator Database has been our go to.

It is easy to use, professionally designed, and has given us a great deal of exposure to clients we wouldn’t normally be able to reach.

We have had more clients contact us with this solution than any other System Integrator database combined. We not only going to renew our profile this year, we plan on upgrading.

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Find and connect with the most suitable service provider for your unique application.

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DIGITAL EDITION exclusive

Companies need to formulate a cybersecurity plan Cybersecurity has made significant strides in terms of companies’ awareness, but there is still a long way to go, according to experts at the SANS ICS Security Summit.

S

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS Cybersecurity is further along than it was a few years ago, but there is work to be done.

The security industry has to use the growth and stability of the safety movement as an aid.

Companies should have a basic plan and create a cybersecurity culture.

GO ONLINE Read this story online at www.controleng.com for additional stories from ISSSource.

CONSIDER THIS What else can companies and users do to prepare for possible cybersecurity attacks like the one that impacted companies in May 2017?

DE5

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ometimes you can reach your goal by starting from nothing and cobbling together thoughts and ideas piece by piece by piece until it makes connections and the result is a final product.

There is no initial vision, but that comes together after working and living through the experience. Kind of like a Monday morning quarterback thing.

Other times, there is a vision from the top or someone who had an idea and simply says, here is a plan, let’s execute on it and it will help us move forward.

No matter how it comes together, the end result is the mission. When it comes to security, it is amazing how quickly professionals can get mired in the muck of everyday experiences and lose sight of what that mission truly is.

That big picture of every manufacturer is to keep systems up and running, producing product and safeguarding intellectual property and keeping everyone safe. Pretty simple, right?

Security today compared to five years ago— and maybe even one year if you talk to some industry experts—is night and day. Not quite where the industry should be, but further advanced than it was.

“For years, we admired the problem. Today, it is not uncommon when you buy a controller there are more secure enhancements,” said Mike Assante, industrial and infrastructure practice ICS/SCADA lead at the SANS Institute, during his keynote at the SANS ICS Security Summit in Orlando, Fla. “Fundamentally, security is being designed into control elements. There are more areas where security has to catch up, but we are getting there. Over time, we saw a combination of skill sets. There is progress.”

The days of only adding security in to a proposal only if you are asked about it are long gone because end users are expecting it to be in the solution.

“More companies are putting it in the safety category,” Assante said. But in this changing

CONTROL ENGINEERING

landscape, “It is not a question of progress, but can we keep pace. In a changing landscape, models are changing, we are dynamic. This is the main event. More companies are moving toward digital technologies.”

What people used to say was the potential for attacks is now falling in line with real attacks on real critical infrastructure.

The most recent attack in the Ukraine is a case in point. In that attack, civilians lost power for just over an hour after a cyber attack against the utility.

“The stakes are growing with expanding attack surfaces,” Assante said. “We understand how exposed we are in the architectures. We have seen a shift in motivations and diversity of attacks. We have always known they were possible now we are seeing them demonstrated.

We are seeing attacks that are damaging devices at the firmware level.”

With the Ukraine attacks used as a barometer, Assante said the security industry has to fall back and use the growth and stability of the safety movement as an aid.

“We have done incredible things with safety,” he said. “We have dealt well with accidents, storms and errors. Now the biggest challenge is in the cyber domain. The complexity and the level of abstraction has been difficult to see. Complexity and abstraction of software is creating a challenge. I think we are up to the challenge.”

One person living that challenge everyday is Sanford Rice, SCADA system developer at Atmos Energy Corp., a gas pipeline company.

Rice, a control engineer by trade and a relative newcomer to security, talked about tips for those new to ICS security: “Don’t panic.”

He also laid out a few basic ideas for starting a security program: Start with basics Adopt a culture, treat security like safety Learn how to talk the talk.

“Our mission is to provide information and www.controleng.com

keep it safe. Our system is designed to be static.

Our system does not change, it is simple. We are on the low end of utilization and load,” Rice said.

Atmos knows security is a big issue and they are not afraid to invest.

“We have implemented more changes in security than we have in operability and usability,” Rice said.

In terms of technology, Rice does not have to go out and reinvent the wheel all the time.

“Commercial off the shelf (COTS) can help. We have been successful along the way and found people that can help. We have used information technology (IT) solutions to make improvements.” ce Gregory Hale is the editor and founder of Industrial Safety and Security Source (ISSSource.com), a news and information website covering safety and security issues in the manufacturing automation sector. This content originally appeared on ISSSource.com. ISSSource is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

‘

Security today compared to five years ago — and maybe even one year if you talk to some

’

industry experts — is night and day.

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Wednesday, October 22, 2015 One Chip. One Company. All Your Network Solutions.

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MEDIA SHOWCASE FOR ENGINEERS Your place for new products, literature, Apps, Videos, Case Studies and White Papers.

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Input #102 at controlengineering.hotims.com

JUNE 2017

CONTROL ENGINEERING

Input #104 at controlengineering.hotims.com

www.controleng.com

We proudly salute manufacturing innovation and invite you to explore and celebrate the success stories of these participating manufacturing innovators: Allied Electronics

Iconics Inc.

Allied Moulded Products, Inc.

IDS Imaging Development Systems Inc.

AutomationDirect

KEB America, Inc.

Baldor

Maple Systems Inc

Balluff Inc

Moxa

Beckhoff Automation LLC

Phoenix Contact

Carlo Gavazzi Inc

POSITAL-FRABA

Dataforth

Radwell

Digi-Key Corporation

Rittal Corporation

Eplan Software & Services

Sealevel Systems

EZAutomation

SEW Eurodrive Inc.

Hilscher North America Inc.

Turck

Honeywell

WAGO Corporation

Look for the special Innovations videos at:

www.controleng.com/innovations

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

Quick, Easy, and Error-Free Product Design In today’s fast-paced world, improving efficiency, saving time, and reducing errors is critically important. That’s why Allied Electronics has created the Schneider Electric Visual Product Configurator.

Using this advanced and intuitive tool, designers, buyers, and MROs can quickly and easily order custom configurations of important products, including: ! Pushbuttons (16mm, 22mm, and 30mm)

! Control Stations

! Drives ! Tower Lights

Parts created exactly to your specifications The Schneider Electric Visual Product Configurator walks you through the construction and ordering of a particular system. This ensures that all necessary parts are ordered, and all options are considered. For example, if you’re interested in a variable torque drive, you would choose the selection type (or ask the Configurator for help), the input voltage, the input phase, the motor power, the power rating, and the functionality. Next, add any needed accessories, including configuration tools, I/O adapters, keypads, mounting, and option cards. Using this simple process, such parts are created exactly to your specifications, ensuring the best possible fit for your application.

Finally, when the product is configured to your satisfaction, all the parts are added to a Bill of Materials (BOM), complete with description, catalog number, and quantity, which can then be exported as a PDF for later ordering, or added to your cart for easy purchasing.

By approaching system design in a holistic way through the Schneider Electric Visual Product Configurator, rather than simply ordering discrete parts, you’re assured you’re getting everything you need in a single order, saving both time and money and boosting efficiency.

Ordering custom-configured products has never been easier. With just a few mouse clicks at www.alliedelec.com/schneidervpc, you can have the products you need – configured to your exact specifications – built and ready to ship to you. No more time spent combing the web trying to find what you need, now you can build what you need easily and efficiently. It’s one more way that Allied provides your total solutions.

Allied Electronics | 800.433.5700 | thinkallied.com input #29 at www.controleng.com/information

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

A Leading Manufacturer of Nonmetallic Electrical Enclosures and Accessories to provide protection for instruments or electronics, housed inside an enclosure, that require routine attention or detail. The cover kit features a strong and rigid design, mounting securely to the outside of any enclosure, and makes accessibility to electronic components easy.

Allied Moulded Products, Inc. headquarters in Bryan, OH

Allied Moulded Products, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of nonmetallic electrical boxes and enclosures in today’s residential, commercial and industrial markets. The industrial enclosures can be found all over the world in many different control applications such as industrial & manufacturing plants, waste water treatment, wind turbines, security, SCADA, solar, marinas, data & telecommunications, mining, factory automation and more.

The extensive line of NEMA type 4X/IP66 fiberglass reinforced polyester (FRP) enclosures, made with its proprietary ULTRAGUARD ® resin formulation, outperforms competitors in the areas of yellowing, gloss retention, discoloration and change in texture.

With a wide range of sizes, accessories and customizations available, Allied Moulded offers a complete solution to your industrial enclosure needs.

In addition to fiberglass, Allied Moulded also offers the POLYLINE ® series, a line of polycarbonate, injection-molded enclosures.

Premium Accessories For Enclosures Allied Moulded is expanding its line of premium enclosure accessories with two additional sizes of its HMI cover kits. The HMI cover kits are designed

Now available in four sizes – with the addition of a 10” x 8” and a 16” x 14” – HMI cover kits are UL® listed and maintain a NEMA 4X seal with the use of a Formed-In-Place (FIP) polyurethane gasket system, and is well-suited for outdoor applications.

Multiple cover latching options are also available, including a hinge screw, tamper proof screw, and snap latch model. All are available in solid opaque or polycarbonate thermoplastic clear covers.

A Trusted Partner Allied Moulded continues to be a leading manufacturer of nonmetallic electrical enclosures and a “one-stop resource” where fiberglass and polycarbonate products can co-exist depending on the specific application characteristics and chemical compatibility requirements.

For more information about Allied Moulded, visit www.alliedmoulded.com.

Tel: 800-722-2679 | Fax: 800-237-7269 | sales@alliedmoulded.com

input #30 at www.controleng.com/information

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

AutomationDirect We ship super-fast (and FREE on orders over $49). The majority of our products are stocked for same-day shipping, when you place your order by 6p.m. E.T. (with approved company credit or credit card). Plus, you get free two day (transit) shipping on orders over $49 within the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico; shipped via ground service or LTL (certain heavy items are excluded). We guarantee it.

Company headquarters located just north of Atlanta, Georgia

A well-recognized name in the industrial automation market, AutomationDirect is a distributor of thousands of products including Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), AC/DC drives and motors, operator interface panel/HMIs, power supplies, sensors, pushbuttons, NEMA enclosures, pneumatic supplies, wire, and much more. In business since 1994, the company headquarters is located just north of Atlanta, Georgia.

For over 20 years we’ve been saving our customers time and money on industrial automation products.

We have a huge inventory that is constantly growing in order to provide you with the quality components needed to keep your projects on schedule. We’ve heavily invested in new infrastructure that will allow us to continue offering the service and support you deserve.

We want you to be pleased with every order. That’s why we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on almost every stock product we sell, including our software (see Terms and Conditions for certain exclusions).

Orders ship quickly from our state-of-the-art warehouse

We make ordering easy and our service is exceptional. Shop online with our exhaustive product listings or browse our online catalog; fax or phone us – you’ll get friendly, efficient service from the most helpful sales team in the business. Independent surveys completed by readers of industrial trade magazines for their Readers’ Choice Awards have placed us at the top of the list for service 15+ years in a row.

For more information, contact us at 800-633-0405 or visit us online at www.automationdirect.com.

1-800-633-0405 | AutomationDirect.com input #31 at www.controleng.com/information

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

Designed for Food Safety: Dodge Mechanical Products and Baldor-Reliance Motors Food and Beverage processing equipment should be designed, used, and maintained with food safety principals as a priority. Failure to adhere to these practices can cost companies thousands, if not millions, to resolve. It is critical that food and beverage companies not only consider the initial purchase price, but also the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) that includes the cleanability, maintenance, and reliability of the equipment provided by suppliers who understand the principles of sanitary design.

Industry leading Dodge® mechanical and Baldor-Reliance® electrical products help ensure the highest level of food safety, reliability, and performance in the food industry.

Long before we invested in the people, equipment and material required to produce Dodge washdown reducers and Baldor • Reliance Washdown Duty motors, we invested our time and attention in listening to equipment designers, operators and plant maintenance engineers. We learned about their toughest processing applications in the food and beverage industry. We took notes when they shared their wish lists of product capabilities and characteristics.

That was over 30 years ago, and we’re still listening to customer input.

That is why Baldor-Reliance Stainless Steel motors and Dodge Ultra Kleen gear reducers are engineered to meet the toughest demands of food production and processing. These products have been designed, tested and certified to meet IP69K requirements for water protection, and provide the necessary protection from severe washdown conditions without allowing caustic chemicals or water to enter the product.

Baldor-mediarelations@abb.com | 479-646-4711 | www.baldor.com input #32 at www.controleng.com/information

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

Industry 4.0: Focused Expertise for Industrial Automation Balluff sensors and identification systems collect, and Balluff networking solutions reliably transport the data to the supervisory systems for interpretation. Industry 4.0 relies on the availability of relevant data in real time and the ability to derive the value-added stream of information from the available data at any time.

Balluff ’s United States headquarters in Florence, KY

Realization of the Intelligent Production System Industry 4.0 implies intelligent production systems. Balluff can provide you with the necessary technologies and is focused on expertise for the realization of the intelligent production systems. As a reliable partner for industrial automation, they can work alongside you to increase the efficiency and profitability of your processes, making you more competitive.

Customer Support Across the Country Balluff’s North American headquarters has been located in Florence, Kentucky since 1983. Balluff Inc.’s Florence campus includes a new state-of-the-art Customer Support Center and Supply Chain Management building.

The Florence location specializes in the production and market-leading delivery of linear position sensors. In addition, it is the North American distribution and warehouse center for Balluff. Over 180 employees and a premier distribution network allows us to support our customers in every area of the country.

Tony Canonaco Balluff President/CEO

When it comes to quality, Balluff, holds itself to a higher standard. Products are tested in an accredited lab with a quality management system that is certified according to the latest ISO 9001:2015 standard.

Industry 4.0 relies on the availability of real-time, relevant data

Like to know even more? Contact Balluff today to connect with one of their knowledgeable local representatives: Balluff@balluff.com or 1-800-543-8390.

Balluff@balluff.com | 1-800-543-8390 | www.balluff.us input #33 at www.controleng.com/information

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

Strategic cloud connectivity for IoT and Industrie 4.0 Industrie 4.0 and IoT applications do not start with just the underlying technology. In reality, the work begins much earlier than this. When implementing IoT projects, it is critical to examine corporate business objectives first and establish the benefits to be gained from these projects. From an automation providerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective, there are two distinct categories of customers that can be defined: machine manufacturers and the end customers of the automated machines.

Far beyond the scope of conventional control tasks, applications such as Big Data, data mining, and condition or power monitoring enable the implementation of innovative automation solutions.

New hardware and software technologies for Industrie 4.0 and IIoT provide simple implementation for advanced connectivity.

Industrie 4.0 and IIoT strategies place strict requirements on the networking and communication capabilities of devices and services. In traditional communication architectures, large data quantities must be exchanged between field-level sensors and higher level layers. However, horizontal communication between PLC systems also plays a critical role in modern production facilities.

PC-based control technologies provide universal capabilities for horizontal communication and have become essential for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s automation projects exactly for this reason.

Engineering and control software in PC-based control architectures provide the ideal foundational technologies for Industrie 4.0 concepts and IoT communication. Moreover, new IIoT-compatible I/O components enable easy-to-configure and seamless integration into public and private cloud applications.

Particularly in the manufacturing sector, there is high interest in reducing in-house production costs through efficient and reliable production control, and by reducing the number of rejects produced.

The traditional machine manufacturer pursues similar objectives and is interested in reducing machine costs while maintaining or increasing production quality. Optimizing the machineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy consumption and production cycles, as well as enabling predictive maintenance and comprehensive fault diagnostics, are rewarding goals.

Specifically, predictive maintenance and fault diagnostics offer machine manufacturers a solid basis to establish services that can be offered to end customers as additional revenue streams. What both customer categories ultimately want is for the machine or product to be designed with the utmost efficiency, increasing competitiveness.

Sven Goldstein, Product Manager, TwinCAT Connectivity and IoT

Tel: 1-877-TwinCAT | beckhoff.usa@beckhoff.com | www.beckhoff.com/TwinCAT-IoT input #34 at www.controleng.com/information

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

EPLAN Cogineer: Automating schematics generation

Whether your electrical or fluid design project has a few schematics or a few hundred, each is time-consuming to create manually. EPLAN’s new Cogineer automates schematics generation with a user friendly interface that requires no particular expertise in configuration or variant management, only an understanding of how to use macros. Any EPLAN user can immediately begin working with Cogineer and expect extra-fast, error-free results.

It’s fully integrated into the EPLAN Platform.

“We have developed a system which is as simple as possible to use but also highly innovative in terms of functionality,” says Dieter Pesch, head of product management and development at EPLAN.

creation. Using the Project Builder doesn’t require knowledge of EPLAN and can even be used to create detailed preliminary documentation for a high quality quotation.

Macros and sample projects provide the basis for creating rule sets – e.g. so-called mini configurators for generating sub-functions or full projects. It does not matter whether schematics are being designed according to functional structures or a specific production perspective.

EPLAN Cogineer picks up users at whatever point they’re at and requires no change in the way design is being performed.

Take the example of a motor control unit. EPLAN Cogineer provides a mini configurator for it. The user selects all main parameters, and the software generates the correct control unit in the schematic.

He or she need no longer worry about selecting parts for the motor starter or about cable sectioning or creating the configuration interface – it’s done by the software according to the stored rule set. If the rules set changes, the configuration interface changes automatically.

This is achieved through EPLAN Cogineer’s two functional areas: the Designer and Project Builder.

Rule sets are defined in the Designer. The Project Builder then enables the automatic creation of user interfaces for configuration and automated project

EPLAN Cogineer is able to produce full project documentation at the press of a button with absolute data consistency from product structuring through project implementation. It’s a universal automation tool for saving great amounts of time and delivering higher quality engineering.

Watch our video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=9XCfXA65iWc

Contact info@eplanusa.com +1 (847) 240-4667 www.eplanusa.com input #35 at www.controleng.com/information

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

EZAutomation EZAutomation, a division of the AVG Group, is a manufacturer and online distributor of innovative low cost automation products Made in the USA. Such products include HMI/Operator Interface Panels, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), DC Din-Rail Power Supplies, Sensors, Industrial PCs,Programmable Encoders, Control Transformers, all-in-one HMI-PLC combo units and much more.

Most Competitive Prices on the Market With the latest and greatest technology and features across the entire EZ product line, we guarantee that our customers will have the lowest overall cost of ownership in the industry when using our products.

AVG Automation and its three divisions, Autotech Controls, Uticor Technologies and EZAutomation, have been in business serving the automation industry since 1968, and is proud to be one of the only automation suppliers who continues to manufacture everything in the USA.

Innovation at its best We are always at the fore-front of technology, innovating new concepts based on industrial automation needs. With our new line of EZTouch EZ3 HMIs with Wifi connectivity, unique integrated EZTouch I/O combo units for small enclosures, Programmable Time Delay Relays from 0.01 secs to 999 hrs, and DC Power Supplies with a display for voltage, load current and maintenance alerts, EZAutomation has taken industrial automation to the next level. This innovation is why we continue to be awarded Control Engineeringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Engineerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice Awards year after year.

Customer Service and Technical Support: Our business model focuses on providing customers with the best quality of US based service that will put a smile on your face. With Customer Service available from 6:00am to 7:00pm (CST), we have you covered from the East Coast to the West Coast, with same-day shipping until 7:00pm.

Technical Support is available from 6:00am to 12:00am (midnight) and also as weekend emergency support. It is our mission to make sure that our customers are always up and running.

New Ideas? - At EZAutomation, we strive to have the latest technology available on the market and value customer feedback on new ideas. We are always excited to hear about your applications, giving us new ideas for products that may be lacking in the industry, or that may improve automation controls, so please feel free to contact us anytime.

EZAutomation, Division of AVG | sales@ezautomation.net | 1-877-774-EASY www. ezautomation.net input #36 at www.controleng.com/information

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

Got Networks? Think Hilscher.

For end-users, the “network pain” is how to interconnect all the different automation networks found across their manufacturing facilities. Hilscher’s netX-based products for end-users include gateways, proxies, PC cards, and supporting software stacks that make it easy to connect one network to another for improved dataflow.

Bridging IT to OT

Hilscher is a global specialist in network connectivity solutions for device makers, OEMs and end-user manufacturers. Founded in 1986 and with locations worldwide, Hilscher focuses on industrial communications, with all fieldbus, Real-Time Ethernet and emerging Industrial IoT protocols supported in its netX-based products.

All Networks, One Chip In 2006, Hilscher ceo, Hans-Jürgen Hilscher, and his team developed the netX ASIC to solve a time-consuming communications problem—how to address the many flavors of networks in an automation hierarchy. The netX System-on-Chip solution implements all tried-and-tested fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet systems, and offers pre-certified software protocol stacks. netX is a game-changer for automation device makers, enabling designers to choose best-in-class network performance for any application, all supported by one chip family. Today, Hilscher offers a full complement of netX-based embedded solutions for device makers and OEMs that “technology proof” designs while minimizing costs and development time.

Hilscher’s newest solutions are the netIOT® “Industrial Cloud Communication” products, including: Embedded chips and interfaces for IoT-enabling automation devices; Edge Gateways for collecting and processing data over factory networks; and Service offerings to provide connection to IT and cloudbased applications.

Based on the latest netX technology, netIOT supports EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, EtherCAT, Sercos, TSN, DeviceNet, PROFIBUS, IO-Link, CC-Link, OPC UA, MQTT and more, with software connectors to IT and cloud service providers, such as SAP, IBM, and Microsoft.

Frost & Sullivan, a leading global market research and consulting firm, recently presented Hilscher with its 2017 Global Industrial IoT Communication Solutions Enabling Technology Leadership Award. This is a compelling, third-party validation of Hilscher’s growth strategy and execution. “Hilscher provides advanced communication solutions for industrial automation, allowing customers to streamline work flows more efficiently and increase productivity. As a result, customers gain deep insight into their operations by leveraging data analytics capabilities.”

info@hilscher.us | +1 630-505-5301 | www.hilscher.com input #37 at www.controleng.com/information

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Experion® Elevate Technology Elevated to the Cloud.

Grounded by Honeywell’s Dependability.

Experion® Elevate is real-time process SCADA delivered as a secure and scalable service – for predictable costs, easy upgrades, and continual support. This offering marks an important milestone for cloud-enabled IIoT solutions.

With Honeywell, you know you will be getting more than from a single-product vendor – with the full industry experience and choices you need to make your operations a success.

Benefits and Solutions On-site footprint, hardware, software, and maintenance are greatly reduced. Experion Elevate delivers predictable costs, easy upgrades, continual support, and ease of implementation.

In addition, partnering with Honeywell ensures you have an entire suite of solutions available to choose from, including: • • • •

Robust data monitoring, storage and analysis Integrated safety and cyber security Integrated field instrumentation, skids, terminals Integration across the business solution space

You can be sure your implementation will be robust and reliable—because your system is running on ours.

We Give You Options Whether you choose a traditional on-premises or offpremises solution, or a combination of the two, Honeywell delivers robust options to fit your needs. No matter the system size or deployment of regulated or critical data, Honeywell provides flexible and scalable options that are right for you.

• • • •

On- and off-premises combinations Subscription-based Industry- and application-independent High availability options

Efficiency and Agility Simplify your operations with a solution that brings business agility and increased operational efficiency, from implementation through ongoing operations. With our solution, you get: • The latest software and features • Reduced need for on-site support and skills maintenance • Lower cost of entry; OPEX potential • Rapid project deployment • Lower lifecycle cost

Experion SCADA - Honeywell’s Best Kept Secret Experion SCADA is at the heart of our Experion systems and provides a highly scalable, integrated system with a superior HMI. Radically simplify configuration by up to 80% and improve operational efficiency with equipmentbased templates, pan and zoom, dashboards and task-based filters.

Visit www.honeywellprocess.com/elevate to learn more. input #38 at www.controleng.com/information

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Making the Invisible Visible™

When selecting an automation software vendor, it’s certainly a good idea to choose one that stays current with today’s technology trends. ICONICS is entering its 30th year of providing advanced web-enabled OPC UA and BACnet certified visualization, analytics and mobile software solutions for any energy, manufacturing, industrial or building automation application. ICONICS has been able to do so by staying ahead of the curve in the evolution of information technology while working closely with IT leaders such as Microsoft.

Cutting Edge Tech The upcoming Version 10.95 of ICONICS GENESIS64™ HMI/SCADA and building automation suite, AnalytiX® operational excellence solutions, Hyper Historian™ data historian and MobileHMI ™ apps for any smart device contain multiple cutting edge technologies.

These include an end-to-end IoT software suite, a software-as-a-service energy monitoring offering, and a groundbreaking holographic machine interface that redefines the concept of HMI. However, while these breakthroughs may seem impressive, they’re natural evolutions along ICONICS’ technology roadmap. Implementing the latest and greatest tech is a good start for those seeking automation software, but these tools cannot be used to their full potential if the majority of an organization’s valuable data remains hidden.

ICONICS’ solutions have the ability to communicate with a wide variety of communications protocols including OPC UA, BACnet, Modbus, SNMP and web services, to name a few. This is in addition to ICONICS’ IoTWorX ™ integration with today’s most trusted cloud transport protocols, such as AMQP, HTTPS, REST/ JSON, and MQTT, to enable unlimited scalability and maximum reliability.

A Larger Vision ICONICS’ vision for customers and partners is to “Make the Invisible Visible™ ”; uncovering previously inaccessible data, in order to visualize it, analyze it and utilize it for informed decision making.

With over 350,000 installations in more than 80 countries worldwide, ICONICS software is recommended for automating, monitoring and optimizing a customer’s most critical assets and has been selected by over 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies.

Contact ICONICS to “Make the Invisible Visible” in your organization today and reveal the full potential of your enterprise data. www.iconics.com info@iconics.com +1 (508) 543-8600

input #39 at www.controleng.com/information

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Your Industrial Control Solution Smart HMIs: HMI Control for Smart Factories cMT = Control and monitor, from the plant floor and beyond.

Maple Systems new “Smart” cMT HMIs enable control and monitoring of the HMI from PCs, smart phones, and tablets.

For over 33 years, Maple Systems has been a leading provider of HMIs (Human Machine Interfaces) in North America. Perfect for any machine or industry, our powerful HMI and IIoT solutions are designed to meet your most demanding automation needs, offering modern touchscreens, unrivaled value, great functionality, and intuitive software.

Choose from six versatile product lines to complement your machine’s design: • • • • • •

Touchscreen HMIs Smart HMIs for the IIoT HMI + PLCs Light Industrial Panel PCs Heavy Industrial Panel PCs Text-Based Operator Interface Terminals

Best-Value Control Products Utilized globally across all industries, Maple’s powerful control solutions are compatible with the biggest names in PLCs—Allen Bradley, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron, and more.

Maple Systems offers affordable solutions, powerful features, great software and advanced technical support.

Smart HMI solutions include a powerful display-less HMI (cMT-SVR), and a 15” touchscreen HMI (cMT5151) packed with features including trending, recipes, alarms, and more. Both models offer the ability to provide instant access to your industrial control system.

Enjoy excellent IIoT connectivity with support for many IIoT protocols including MQTT, OPC UA Server, MySQL Database, and more.

Take Industrial Control Further with Light Industrial PCs Does your automation process require specific capabilities and customization? Maple’s OMI6000 Light Industrial Panel PC line offers a thin profile, vivid touchscreens, fast processors, and a Windows operating system. Pair it with the SCADA software of your choice. Features include: • • • •

7” – 21.5” High-Res TFT LCD Displays 1.6 GHz to 1.83 GHz Processors 32-bit or 64-bit Windows Operating Software Solid State Drive Expandable up to 128GB

It is our promise to help you achieve your business and process goals on time and within budget.

What can we help you control? Contact us today.

P: 425-745.3229 E: info@maplesystems.com www.maplesystems.com input #40 at www.controleng.com/information

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Unlock Your Network’s Industrial IoT Potential 30 Years of Experience with Industrial Networking and Communications The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is driving more field devices to be connected to the Internet every day, putting a premium on networking products that will deliver continuous connectivity without human intervention. Moxa’s solutions allow you to deliver valuable data efficiently and securely for a broad range of industrial and automation applications, with increased reliability, improved efficiency, optimal connectivity, and a lower operating cost.

Since 1987, we have designed and manufactured industrial grade networking and communication equipment for mission-critical applications. Our Ethernet switches, wireless access points, IP cameras, computers, and more are designed and tested to ensure highly reliable operation and connectivity for industrial users and harsh environments.

Three-In-One Serial Device Server With I/O and Wi-Fi For maximum flexibility when connecting to field equipment, our new NPort IAW5000A-6I/O Series combines IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n wireless with six digital I/Os. • • • •

Connects serial, Ethernet, 4 DIs and 2 DOs over Wi-Fi Redundant dual DC power inputs and support for relay output Secure data access with WEP/WPA/WPA2 wireless encryption MicroSD card slot for configuration backup

Slim and Smart Ethernet Switch for Machine Builders and OEMs Our new SDS-3008 smart switch makes life easier for users working with limited cabinet space, a tiny budget, and little to no formal network training. It fits into the tightest spaces and can be monitored over SCADA. • Easier, more cost-effective alternative to full managed switches • Rugged, ultra-slim form factor with multiple mounting options • Simple one-page configuration requires zero network training • Integrates with HMI/SCADA for network monitoring

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M12 Connectors for all Applications Technology offers reliability and efficiency Two popular technologies are spring cage and insulation displacement. Both offer quick installation and technical advantages over traditional screw connection.

Spring cage provides a secure connection even during mechanical shock and vibrations. Push-in Technology goes one step further: a leg spring allows wires to be pushed easily into the clamping area.

Variety of coding options prevent mis-mating issues in the field.

M12 plug connectors are widely used for field installation of electrical devices and sensors. For engineers and device manufacturers, the M12 connector is often a first choice due to the variety of applications, whether data, signal, or power.

This benefits end-users by having reliable and economical connector interfaces.

Increasing use of sensors on electrical equipment is fueling more requirements for field cabling and connectors. To support efficient installation, factory-molded cordsets are used with pre-made connectors on both ends, facilitating fast connection from point-to-point.

Equally common are factory-molded cordsets with one connector end which then requires technicians in the field to determine the appropriate cable length, prepare the open cable end, and attach an M12 connector onsite. When on-site assembly is necessary, the technicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skill and the quality of the assembled cordset is greatly influenced by proper selection of M12 connection technology.

For wire removal, or when inserting stranded wires without ferrules, the leg spring door is opened by the user. No screwdrivers or tools are required.

Insulation displacement simplifies cable preparation. Stripping the wire insulation is not necessary.

Simply place individual wires into the termination area; expertly designed cutting blades slice through the insulation.

Push in a ferruled or solid wire in seconds!

Key advantages of IDC are speed and ease of use. For example, shielded data cables can be assembled in less than two minutes and non-shielded signal cables in less than 60 seconds!

IDC cutting blades uniformly and reliably make contact.

As specialists for circular plug connectors, Phoenix Contact offers a comprehensive range of industrial standard connectors and molded cord sets in sizes ranging from M5 to M58.

(800) 888-7388 | info@phoenixcon.com | www.phoenixcontact.com input #41 at www.controleng.com/information

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Innovation in Motor Feedback Compact and versatile kit encoders from POSITAL-FRABA are easy to build into motor housings, feature multi-turn measurement capabilities without backup batteries

POSITAL’s new kit encoders provide motor manufacturers and other equipment builders with an accurate, rugged and cost-efficient way of building rotary position feedback into their products. They are based on POSITAL’s highly successful precision magnetic rotary encoders. Now however, the core components of these instruments are available as separate assemblies that can be easily integrated into other products.

The POSITAL kit encoder components offer advantages over the rotation measuring devices traditionally used for motors and rotating equipment. Compared to resolvers, they offer improved accuracy and multi-turn measurement capabilities. They provide digital outputs (instead of the analog signals produced by resolvers) eliminating the need for an A/D converter in the control system.

Compared to optical disk encoders, POSITAL’s magnetic encoders are less costly, less vulnerable to contamination from oil or dust and more resistant to shock and vibration.

Multi-turn absolute position measuring capability is based on an electronic rotation counter that is powered by the company’s well-proven Wiegandeffect energy harvesting technology. Since the system is self-powered, rotation counts are always accurate, even if the rotations occur when

there is no control system power available.

There is no need for backup batteries and no need for periodic backup battery checks and replacements, significantly reducing maintenance requirements.

The electronic components, including Halleffect sensors, a 32-bit microprocessor and the Wiegand-wire energy harvesting system, are packaged in a compact 36mm diameter, 24.2mm deep unit. A special magnetic shield isolates the magnetic pickups of the measurement system from the external magnetic fields, including those created by motor brakes.

POSITAL kit encoder components are easy to incorporate into normal manufacturing processes.

The magnetic sensors are more tolerant of dust and moisture than optical disks so that nearcleanroom assembly conditions are not required.

A built-in self-calibration capability compensates for sensor-to-shaft alignment errors.

The resolution of the new POSITAL kit encoders is 17 bit, with an accuracy of better than +/- 0.1.

The operating temperature range is -40 to 105 degrees Celsius. Communications interfaces for these devices are based on open-source communications protocols, including BISS, SSI and RS485-based protocols, eliminating reliance on proprietary communications systems and controllers.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/eKoEgfFR1H8 | Visit www.posital.com input #42 at www.controleng.com/information

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Large Scale Transitioning to An Automated Inventory System The drawings for the building were helpful but we learned they weren’t precise enough to depend on.

You have to actually measure distances rather than relying on drawings. This helped us avoid major problems during the deployment.

Expect the unexpected: Headquarters in Willingboro, NJ

As Radwell International, Inc. finalize our transition to an automated material handling system in our NJ headquarters, here are some of the lessons we learned in the process:

Nothing ever goes exactly as planned. We planned carefully and had few surprises, but once you get into a project you realize that there are always going to be things you didn’t plan for. Accounting for this can prevent delays.

Use process optimization as a bridge to automation: Over a period of a few years we evaluated our processes to see where we could make improvements prior to transitioning. We found we could more than double our picking efficiency by moving to a zone picking scheme with a second order consolidation process.

Know your competencies: We are an engineering company so we made the decision to manage a good deal of the system integration ourselves. For some parts we had to bring in outside expertise to fully leverage our capabilities. Companies that don’t have engineering as a core competency will have to rely more on outside resources for systems engineering.

Find the visionaries: Don’t trust the architectural drawings: Because we coordinated our implementation with the move to a new facility, we were developing plans for a facility that we had never occupied.

Collaboration is key. If you get lucky, you may find some visionaries within your personnel- the people who don’t just do the job they are told to do, but are always on the lookout for better ways to do their job. These visionaries can be extremely valuable during the planning phase.

Tel: 609-288-9393 | sales@www.radwell.com | www.radwell.com input #43 at www.controleng.com/information

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High-Quality, Affordable Enclosure Solutions for Any Industrial or IT Application only is energy consumption far less than with conventional technology, but the improved cooling leads to longer service life of the components inside the enclosure and the cooling unit itself.

TS 8: The World’s Most Adaptable Enclosure

Rittal designs and manufactures the world’s leading industrial and IT enclosures, racks and accessories, including high efficiency, high density power management and climate control systems for industrial, data center, outdoor and hybrid applications. Rittal’s off-the-shelf standard, modified standard and custom-engineered products are known throughout the world as high-quality, affordable solutions for practically any industrial or IT infrastructure application – from single enclosures to comprehensive systems.

Up to 75% Savings in Energy Costs Rittal’s Blue e+ is a completely new generation of cooling units that represents a quantum leap in terms of cost-effectiveness and energy conservation due to its speed-regulated components and patented heat pipe technology. As well as providing far higher energy efficiency than existing cooling solutions, the units also offer a range of powerful new features that provide longer component life, flexibility and ease of use.

Unique inverter technology provides cooling output that is always exactly the amount needed at the time. Not

The TS 8 has sold more than 10 million units around the world and is one of Rittal’s most popular enclosure products.

Available in carbon, 304 and 316 stainless steel varieties for various environments, this enclosure cabinet has the ability to bay with other cabinets on all sides, can be assembled by one individual, and has a remarkable number of configurations possible for internal electronics placement.

Combined with Rittal’s climate control and power distribution systems, the TS 8 enclosure safely and efficiently protects electronic equipment, control and processing systems in the harshest environments.

Versatile, Durable Wallmount Enclosures Rittal’s wallmount portfolio is available in over 100 standard sizes in both carbon and stainless steel models. NEMA-rated for strong protection with knife-edge perimeters, they also feature secure locking systems and foamed-in-place gaskets for dust and moisture prevention. Easy to install, these wallmounts offer vast flexibility due to maximum use of interior space. customerservice@rittal.us (800) 477-4000 www.rittalenclosures.com

input #44 at www.controleng.com/information

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SEW-EURODRIVE … Power Transmission Innovation MOVIGEAR® The MOVIGEAR® Mechatronic Drive System for horizontalmaterials handling from SEW-EURODRIVE sets new standards in terms of efficiency and functionality. MOVIGEAR® not only combines the gear unit, motor and drive electronics within one highly reliable, efficient, and hygienically designed unit, it also reduces total start-up cost and annual operating costs in your material handling system…by as much as 50%!

IE3 Compliant DRN.. Motor Our new DRN.. induction motors meet the stringent IE3 super-premium energy efficiency standard. They also fit existing gear units – allowing for easy upgrades and retrofits of existing DRE (IE2) gearmotors.

The weight and dimensions of the new DRN motors have only marginal changes as compared to the DRE series. Due to its outstanding system stability, tight control, and high-cycling capacity, the DRN.. electric motor can replace a servo motor in many cases. Plus, its multiple brake sizes allow a higher torque for a stopping brake or a lower torque for a VFD holding brake. And finally, its wide HP range and various connector options enable the DRN motor to be used in a wide variety of new and retro-fit applications.

DRC Electronic Motor The DRC electronic motor provides an ultra-efficient motor and electronics package for those gear units already installed in your system. Like MOVIGEAR, the DRC electronic motor consists of a permanent-field synchronous motor with integrated drive electronics in a completely enclosed housing. The DRC electronic motor offers greater flexibility allowing it to mount to any gear unit plus, offers an optional mechanical brake.

About SEW-EURODRIVE Engineering excellence and customer responsiveness distinguish SEW-EURODRIVE, a leading manufacturer of integrated power transmission and motion control systems.

SEW-EURODRIVE solutions set the global standard for high performance and rugged reliability in the toughest operating conditions. With its global headquarters in Germany, the privately held company currently employs over 16,000 employees with a presence in 48 countries worldwide.

U.S. operations include a state-of-the-art manufacturing center, five regional assembly plants, more than 63 technical sales offices and hundreds of distributors and support specialists.

This enables SEW-EURODRIVE to provide local manufacturing, service and support, coast-tocoast and around the world.

SEW-EURODRIVE, Inc. | Tel: 864-439-7537 | www.seweurodrive.com input #45 at www.controleng.com/information

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Unlock device-level data and reduce control costs with Turck automation components In any operation, engineers and OEMs have to weigh costs vs. capabilities. From sensors and connectivity to fieldbus technology devices, Turck delivers and designs components to solve this ongoing challenge.

Minifast HD cordsets offer an ATEX-approved connector in a complete cable assembled package.

Control costs can be among the highest expenses in automation. While PLCs fundamentally changed the industrial control landscape, today the costs to add I/O points and license required third-party software are often a burden.

To reduce these costs and provide device-level control, Turck introduced its Field Logic Controllers (FLCs) powered by ARGEE technology.

ARGEE empowers manufacturers to add logic to compatible I/O devices without a PLC. Accessed via an HTML5-compatible web browser, this software transforms I/O devices into FLCs for use as: •

Standalone logic controllers: FLCs perform all logic as a standalone application without a PLC.

•

Local backup for a PLC: If FLCs lose communication with the PLC, the devices can take over and either shut down or maintain the process.

•

Partners for PLC processing: FLCs can monitor an application and send defined variables and updates back to the PLC.

As FLCs revolutionize automation control, technology and design advances drive new solutions in sensors and connectivity.

Uprox3 IO-Link sensors offer the market’s longest sensing distances to all metals.

Point-to-point communication via IO-Link technology is one breakthrough, offering advantages in signal quality, parameterization and diagnostics, and device-level data insights. Turck continues to expand its IO-Link product line with these benefi ts in mind. Its recent Uprox3 IO-Link sensor combines IO-Link capabilities with the longest Factor 1 sensing ranges on the market for unparalleled performance.

ARGEE-powered Field Logic

While internal Controllers enable cost-effective technology shapes control via an HTML5-based interface. sensor capabilities, connectivity solutions are undergoing a design shift. With increasing demand for reliable solutions in harsh applications, many Turck cables and connectors feature rugged overmolds and advanced plastics and stainless steel to stand up to these environments. These design upgrades improve reliability in applications where vibration, temperature, ingress and pull strength threaten performance.

800-544-7769 | tusa.marketing@turck.com | www.turck.us input #46 at www.controleng.com/information

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WAGO Carries on Legacy of Providing Cutting Edge, Reliable Technology WAGO Corporation provides innovative Interconnect, Electronic Interface, Terminal Block and Automation solutions. Equipped with CAGE CLAMPÂŽ Spring Pressure Connection Technology, WAGO products are user-friendly, vibration-proof and maintenance-free. From terminal blocks to PLCs and more, our compact products deliver safe and reliable solutions for any factory, process or building application.

Innovations include:

Sensor/Actuator Terminal Blocks Send Clear Signals TOPJOBÂŽS Sensor/Actuator DIN-rail mount terminal blocks save up to 72% space on the rail, as compared to standard feed-through terminals.

Positive and negative potentials can be endlessly expanded using standard jumpers without pole number limitation. This terminal block family provides the most compact and streamlined wiring for sensors and actuators. For more info: www.wago.us/sensor-actuator

PFC200 with Master Port An economic gateway between multiple fieldbuses, the highperforming 750-8208 Series controller offers a compact size, large memory and secure VPN and firewall. This PLC comes equipped with two Ethernet ports, a PROFIBUS Master port, as well as CAN and Serial interfaces. For more info: www.wago.us/Profibus-PLC To see our company video, visit www.wago.us/company-video

info.us@wago.com | (800) DIN-RAIL | www.wago.us input #47 at www.controleng.com/information

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A Global Force With Electronic Automation Components Founded in 1931, CARLO GAVAZZI is a multinational electronics group active in the design, manufacture and marketing of electronic and electrical components for industrial automation and building automation.

With several ISO9001 and ISO14001 certified manufacturing and R&D facilities throughout Europe and Asia, and dozens of sales offices spanning the globe, you are assured that product support, service, and inventory are only a phone call, email or mouse click away. CARLO GAVAZZI products are developed and manufactured in full compliance with the most important standard regulations, such as UL and CSA. Typical customers are original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of packaging machines, injection molding (plastics) machines, agriculture machines, food and beverage production, conveying and materials handling equipment, door and entrance control systems, parking guidance systems, elevators and escalators as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning devices. System integrators and distributors are typically the channels we utilize to reach the market. sales@CarloGavazzi.com | 847.465.6100 www.GavazziOnline.com input #48 at www.controleng.com/information

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5/18/2017 10:12:01 AM

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Dataforth’s Powerful MAQ®20 Expands Capabilities with New Modules Dataforth continues to grow its 3rd generation data acquisition system, ensuring MAQ20 functionality is equal to or better than any other system on the market – while still offering the industry’s most affordable price per channel. All MAQ20 modules are designed for installation in Class I, Division 2 hazardous locations and have a high level of immunity to environmental noise.

High Density Voltage Discrete Input Modules - These modules offer 20 discrete input channels and are two versions of the same module. The MAQ20-DIV20 interfaces to 10-32VDC signals; the MAQ20-DIVC20 has a +24VDC compliance voltage for interfacing to relay contacts, solid state switches, or other devices requiring excitation. Input-to-bus isolation is 1500Vrms in both versions, and each individual channel is protected up to 150Vrms continuous overload.

High Density Isolated Discrete Output Module - The MAQ20-DODC20SK has 20 isolated discrete output channels that can switch up to 60VDC signals and sink up to 3A of current. Output-to-bus isolation is 1500Vrms, and each individual channel is protected up to 60VDC continuous overload. In addition, this module has 150Vrms channel-to-channel isolation.

Soon-to-be-Released Modules - Additional MAQ20 modules will offer discrete relay output, and isolated process voltage & process current analog input with channel-to-channel isolation. sales@dataforth.com | 800-444-7644 | dataforth.com input #49 at www.controleng.com/information ce201706_innovHlf_dataforth.indd 1

5/16/2017 5:45:53 PM

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Digi-Key Offers Line of Industrial Automation Products Digi-Key Electronics carries a broad line of Industrial Automation, Control and Safety products from advanced controls such as PLC, HMI and temperature controllers to accessories such as wire duct, safety switches and safety light curtains.

We offer some of the most recognized and trusted industry suppliers and provide 24/7 technical support. Customers can set up even complex processes quickly with our diverse selection, extensive inventory, and same day shipping guarantee.

Here are a few products to help you get started: Omron Automation & Safety – Safety Light Curtains: Next generation safety light curtain packed with powerful features, offering both robustness and reliability.

Easy installation with waterproof housing for demanding environments.

Panasonic – Miniature EX-Z Focused Beam Sensor: Ultra-minute EX-Z series sensors are designed for installation in narrow spaces where only conventional fiber sensor heads could be installed before.

Phoenix Contact – Power Supply Units: High-quality power supply units featuring leading technology.

Choose the range of power supply units that best suit your requirements based on functionality and power.

Molex – Brad® Mini-Change® Connectors: High-performance connectors feature gold-over-nickel plating for a longer-lasting solution designed with a variety of configurations and advanced features to meet numerous connector requirements. ce201706_innovHlf_digiKey.indd 1

digikey.com/IAC

input #50 at www.controleng.com/information

5/15/2017 4:44:21 PM

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IDS Industrial Cameras – Because Easy is Simply Better IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH is a leading manufacturer of digital industrial cameras with USB or GigE interface. Shaping the future since 1997, IDS is also pioneer in the development of digital USB 3.1 industrial cameras.

Visionary thinking and modular concepts enable customers to develop innovative and individual applications, for industrial as well as for non-industrial use.

“It’s so easy!” is the philosophy which is reflected in every detail of the IDS cameras. To provide the best user experience in the vision market, these increasingly high-performance cameras are extremely simple to handle.

We make things different – This is the difference The in-house developed IDS Software Suite is unique in the vision market: It allows mixed operation and switching between USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1 and GigE cameras without changing a single line of program code. Easy integration and use, backwards compatibility, stability and permanent updates are only some features that offer an unrivaled user experience.

Problem solving – Worldwide The combination of high quality “Made in Germany”, long-term product availability, easy integration and use make IDS cameras unique and popular. Worldwide, they help to optimize processes, assure quality, advance research, conserve raw materials, and serve people. IDS has 220 employees who work mainly at the German headquarters in Obersulm, but also internationally in three subsidiaries and three offices. +1 781-787-0048 | usasales@ids-imaging.com | www.ids-imaging.com input #51 at www.controleng.com/information

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A Full Solution Provider of Powerful and Versatile Products KEB America is headquartered in Shakopee, MN. We provide top-tier service, repair, and field support for customers in North America. Our goal is to be a full solution provider, bringing KEB’s powerful and versatile products to a host of niche markets.

Since the debut of controls and automation products, Sales Engineers have found a strong interest in Industry 4.0 and IIoT in many markets. Routers, HMI, and embedded control from KEB are ideal solutions for customers looking to get started in IIoT. KEB America headquarters in Shakopee, MN

The Elevator group at KEB America is the largest application.

Customers benefit from the F5 line of inverters as well as the R6 regenerative drives. Harmonic filters designed specifically for 60Hz mains are also popular and allow customers to meet IEEE519 power requirements.

KEB America has recently seen growth in the theatre and stage market. Stadiums with retractable roofs use KEB brakes. KEB F5 drives are used to synchronize robotics and animatronics. Backstage, KEB gearmotors are used on a variety of applications where their quiet operation and configuration options are beneficial.

952-224-1400 | info@kebamerica.com www.kebamerica.com input #52 at www.controleng.com/information ce201706_innovHlf_KEB.indd 1

5/11/2017 9:34:16 AM

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Computers, I/O and IoT Solutions for Demanding Environments Providing Communication and Connectivity Where it Matters Most Our most fulfilling, innovative products are the results of unique customer challenges and specifications. Those projects push us to fulfill our ongoing commitment to exceed expectations. And sometimes, we even surprise ourselves.

Compact, Reliable and Can Take the Heat - A Sealevel customer needed an industrial computer with extreme requirements. The shock and vibration requirements exceeded many MIL-STD-810 standards and the system needed to perform over wide operating temperature extremes. Our team responded with the Relio™ R1 Industrial Computer. With an impressive -40°C to +71°C operating range, the Relio™ R1 operates on a powerful Intel Atom® processor. And, its future-proof COM Express design allows for easy migration as processor technology evolves.

Redefining Working Remotely - Working with a leader in sign manufacturing, Sealevel designed a solution to monitor conditions and adjust settings accordingly, and analyze data. Sealevel now offers the SeaConnect™ 370 as a standard product to allow users to monitor and control real-world processes. The SeaConnect™ 370 features two Form C relays, four digital inputs, two 12-bit A/D converters and a 1-Wire® temperature interface. The SeaConnect™ 370 works with SeaCloud™, our secure, scalable, IIoT software designed to monitor, analyze and control data.

Contact sales@sealevel.com | 864.843.4343 www.sealevel.com input #53 at www.controleng.com/information

NEW PRODUCTS and software See more products daily at www.controleng.com/NP4E.

Linear actuator series for motion control applications Thomson Industries’ WhisperTrak actuator line is designed for a variety of motion system applications. The WhisperTrak linear actuator line doubles force-handling capability from 2 kN to 4 kN; provides higher-speed operation at 2 kN; and offers new options for low-level switching, limit switching, and position control at 2 kN and 4 kN operation. The 4 kN WhisperTrak offering is rated for 4 kN with speed at 4 mm/sec. The 2 kN version is rated for 2 kN with speed at 8 mm/sec. The series also has an IP67 static environmental rating, which provides the ability to operate in harsh conditions in which they are exposed to washdown, rain, and dust without the use of an additional cover.

Thomson Industries Inc.,

www.thomsonlinear.com,

Input #202 at www.controleng.com/information

Network-based control system update for oil, chemical applications Yokogawa’s updated Stardom network-based control system supports Microsoft Windows 10. It also features a high-speed CPU module that comes with a new function that enables Java applications to run on a Stardom controller. In addition, an oil flow rate calculation function has been added to meet the needs of oil and gas well operations. Stardom has been enhanced for oil and gas well and pipeline operations and it also includes functionality for the on-site management of data that reduces the amount of communications traffic between central monitoring rooms and facilities distributed over a wide area. A Duolet function that enables Java applications to run on the FCN controller is now embedded in the high-speed CPU module. It also can be used for small- to medium-size oil, chemical, iron and steel, pulp and paper, food, and pharmaceutical process facilities.

Yokogawa,

www.yokogawa.com,

Input #203 at www.controleng.com/information

Multislot Ethernet chassis for enhancing TSN

Polycarbonate enclosure series AutomationDirect’s Integra polycarbonate enclosure premium series of screw-cover wall mount enclosures adds wall mount lift-off screw cover, hinged screw cover, and single-door hinged cover with non-metallic latch models to the Integra wall mount enclosures. The Premium series features Integra’s T-Rail mounting system for dead-front panels, swing-out panels, layering subpanels, and/or infinitely variable subpanel height.

They are engineered for durability and impact resistance, UV stability, chemical resistance, and have a wide operating temperature range from -40 to 265°F. Added features include integrated mounting flanges molded into the enclosure for easier mounting and an integrated latch.

National Instruments’ (NI) cDAQ-9185 and cDAQ-9189 multislot Ethernet chassis feature enhanced time sensitive networking (TSN) and rugged CompactDAQ hardware for distributed measurements. They offer precise synchronized timing over the network, which eliminates the need for lengthy timing cables. They also allow for simple daisy chaining through an integrated network switch, quick setup, and expansion in distributed applications. They have an operating temperature range from -40 to 70°C, shock resistance up to 50 g, and vibration resistance up to 5 g, which allows them to be used in harsh environments. They also feature software abstraction through the NI-DAQmx driver, which automatically synchronizes multiple chassis for simple programming.

National Instruments (NI),

www.ni.com,

Input #204 at www.controleng.com/information

Web access module for mobile devices, laptops Siemens’ Sinamics V20 Smart Access web server module is designed to mount directly onto a drive, transforming a mobile device or laptop into a virtual operator panel for drive control. The wireless connection on the module facilitates setup, programming, commissioning, production monitoring, and maintenance on a variety of machines and production equipment. No separate app is required, nor is a written operator manual needed, making operation highly intuitive and easy-to-learn. Smart Access provides convenient access to the Sinamics V20, up to 100 m away, even when the drive is located in difficult-toaccess installations. A built-in, multi-color LED provides a quick communication status readout. www.siemens.com

AutomationDirect

Siemens,

www.automationdirect.com

Input #206 at www.controleng.com/information

Input #205 at www.controleng.com/information

www.controleng.com

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NEW PRODUCTS and software See more products daily at www.controleng.com/NP4E.

Variable area flowmeter for harsh environmental conditions Krohne’s H250 variable area flowmeter with M40 Indicator combines flow measurement with latest communication capabilities like Foundation Fieldbus. The H250/M40 is ideal for flow measurement applications such as oil and gas. The H250 has a flanged size range from 1⁄2- to 6-in. and is ideal for measuring corrosion, scale, or hydrate-inhibitors, demulsifiers, methanol, MEG, fuel gas, and nitrogen. The flowmeter’s all-metal design ensures high resistance to pressure, temperature, and media and stands up to extreme application and environmental conditions. The product’s innovative construction allows end users a free choice of intrinsically safe or flameproof design. The M40 Indicator allows for simple, low-cost installation, and is capable of measuring and displaying without an auxiliary power supply.

Krohne Inc.,

www.krohne.com,

Input #207 at www.controleng.com/information

Gear motors for high torque automation applications Yaskawa America’s line of gear motors is based on its Sigma-7 servo motors. The line is designed for automation applications that require high torque at low output speeds. A set of gearheads have been designed to pair precisely with every servo motor in the full Sigma-7 range, creating complete gear motor solutions rated from a low of 50 W to as high as 15 kW. Five different gear ratios are available, ranging from 3/1 to 50/1.

Other features include precision helical gearing with a 40% greater tooth surface area for smoother, quieter, and more accurate operation. They also have balanced, concentric shaft couplings designed to minimize vibration during high-speed operation and reduce the inertia of the gear motor system.

Yaskawa America Inc.,

www.yaskawa.com, Input #208 at www.controleng.com/information

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Allied Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 . . . . . . . . . . 5. . . . . . . .www.alliedelec.com AutomationDirect . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2, IFG, OFG . 1, 2. . . . . . .www.automationdirect.com BALLUFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 . . . . . . . . 13 . . . . . . .www.balluff.com CALLING ALL SYSTEM INTEGRATORS…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com/SIYApplication CFE Edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .http://CFEedu.cfemedia.com Control Engineering Digital Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com Control Engineering Webcasts. . . .44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com/webcasts Dataforth Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . .www.dataforth.com EPLAN Software & Services LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 . . . . . . . . 14 . . . . . . .www.eplanusa.com FRABA POSITAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . .www.posital.com GAMS at FABTECH 2017 . . . . . . . .27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.fabtechexpo.com Honeywell Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 11 . . . . . . 6. . . . . . . .www.honeywellprocess.com/LEAPforOperations iCONICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 . . . . . . . . . . 3. . . . . . . .www.iconics.com/HMIvideo IDS Imaging Development Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . .www.ids-imaging.com Inductive Automation. . . . . . . . . . .Bellyband, 8A-8B . . . . . . . .www.inductiveautomation.com IIoT Webcasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com/lloT Maple Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 . . . . . . . . . . 4. . . . . . . .www.maplesystems.com MICROMO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . .www.micromo.com Moxa Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.moxa.com Phoenix Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13, 19 . . . . .7, 10 . . . . . .www.phoenixcontact.com/confidence_relays RADWELL INTERNATIONAL, INC .15 . . . . . . . . . 8. . . . . . . .www.Radwell.com Schneider Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 . . . . . . . . . 9. . . . . . . .www.schneider-electric.us/smartmachines Sealevel Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . .32 . . . . . . . . 19 . . . . . . .www.sealevel.com SEW-EURODRIVE, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .C4 . . . . . . . . 28 . . . . . . .www.seweurodrive.com Siemens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1, 21 . . . . . .11 . . . . . . .www.sea.siemens.com TRACO POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 . . . . . . . . 17 . . . . . . .www.tracopower.com Yaskawa America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .C3 . . . . . . . . 27 . . . . . . .www.yaskawa.com Inside Machines Aerotech Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M6 . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . .www.aerotech.com Allied Moulded Products, Inc. . . . .M9 . . . . . . . 25 . . . . . . .www.alliedmoulded.com Beckhoff Automation LLC. . . . . . . .M3 . . . . . . . 20 . . . . . . .www.beckhoff.com CFE Media’s New Products for Engineers Database . . . . . . . . .M10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com/NP4E Festo Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M10 . . . . . . 26 . . . . . . .www.festo.com KEB America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M8 . . . . . . . 24 . . . . . . .www.kebamerica.com TDK-Lambda Americas Inc. . . . . . .M7 . . . . . . . 23 . . . . . . .www.us.tdk-lambda.com WAGO Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M5 . . . . . . . 21 . . . . . . .www.wago.us

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We welcome content submissions for all interested parties in engineering. We will use those materials online, on our website, in print and in newsletters to keep engineers informed about the products, solutions and industry trends. www.controleng.com/contribute explains how to submit press releases, products, images and graphics, bylined feature articles, case studies, white papers, and other media. * Content should focus on helping engineers solve problems. Articles that are commercial in nature or that are critical of other products or organizations will be rejected.

(Technology discussions and comparative tables may be accepted if non-promotional and if contributor corroborates information with sources cited.) * If the content meets criteria noted in guidelines, expect to see it first on our Websites. Content for our e-newsletters comes from content already available on our Websites. All content for print also will be online.

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BACK TO BASICS signal conditioning

Sensors 102: Signal conditioning Users that have to convert a signal from a sensor on their own have plenty of tools available, but there are aspects that need to be considered, such as cost and field conditions.

MORE

ADVICE KEY CONCEPTS Larger systems may require users to convert the signal from a sensor using a relay.

There are tools available for users who have to convert a digital or analog signal on their own.

When planning a signal conditioning application, users should consider the costs and the field conditions.

GO ONLINE Read this article online at www.controleng.com for more information and other stories from Frank Lamb on sensors and control systems.

CONSIDER THIS What other challenges might users face when trying to convert a signal from a sensor?

I

In many control applications, users don’t need to think about what goes on inside of a device.

A signal is converted inside of a device to whatever their control system needs. Most industrial systems have standards listed on certain voltage or current signals: 24 Vdc or 120 Vac for digital; 0 to 10 Vdc or 4 to 20 mA for analog.

In most cases, the actual detecting element inside of the sensor is a low voltage device that requires somewhere from 1.5 to 5 Vdc. For commonly used, mass-produced devices, all of the conversion happens inside of the sensor. Users simply have to provide one of the standard industrial voltages mentioned previously and connect it to the input.

With larger systems, signals can’t be distributed at such low levels. Devices are often far away from the control enclosure, though communicationsbased distributed input/output (I/O) blocks have all but eliminated the necessity of using 120 Vac

Figure 1: Users have to consider the aspects of a converter such as costs, location, and how to provide power to it and the detection device. All images courtesy: Frank Lamb, Automation Primer

Figure 2: To determine tank levels using load cells through a signal conditioner, users also need a summing board, but what works in a controlled setting might not be reflected in the field.

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signals. Still, it is certainly not realistic to transmit transistor-transistor logic (TTL) signals from a sensor to a control cabinet.

What happens when users have to convert the signal? There are a variety of commercially available devices that take in a signal of one type and convert or amplify it into a signal of a different type. Probably the simplest method of doing this with a digital signal is to use a relay. Relays are available with 5 Vdc, 12 Vdc, 24 Vdc, 120 Vac, and even higher coils.

Even with such a simple device, care must be taken not to corrupt the signal by introducing noise into the system. It wouldn’t do to tie-wrap your 5 Vdc wires to the motor cables or 480v supply.

Analog converters are available to convert 4 to 20 mA to 0 to 10 V and vice-versa, mV/V signals to standard analog, and various other special purpose devices. One of the problems that can occur is that shown in Figure 1. Not only do users have to consider the aspects of the converter itself—where to put it, how to wire it, its cost, etc.—but also how to provide power to it and the detection device.

Figure 2 provides an example of the devices needed to determine tank levels using load cells, which can bring up some interesting decisions on where to put things and how to interface them.

Everything needs to fit in the space available to the users, which means some of the signal processing devices will not be mounted the way they would be in the field.

The signal conditioner itself, which takes the mV signal and amplifies it to a 0 to 10 Vdc signal, uses a 12 Vdc power supply. Again, since the output from the summing board is a mV level signal, it needs to be close to the signal conditioner.

There is also the issue of how to calibrate all of this once everything is put together. Every time users pass through another conversion or device, another variable is introduced into the system. ce Frank Lamb is the founder of Automation Consulting LLC and is a member of the Control Engineering Editorial Advisory Board. This article originally appeared on the Automation Primer blog. Automation Primer is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com. www.controleng.com

ATTENTION GEARHEADS

Are you into the nuts and bolts of automation power and precision?

Here’s something new to get enthused about: every Yaskawa servo motor is now available with a perfectly matched gearhead. Enjoy Yaskawa servo speed and precision at torque ratios never seen before. Better still, each gearhear is precisely attached to its specific servo motor at our Illinois factory to assure decades of trouble free operation.

Contact a Yaskawa representative about our new gear motor options, and shift your machine’s performance into high gear.

For more info: http://budurl.me/YAI1040

YASKAWA AMERICA

input #27 at www.controleng.com/information

DRIVES & MOTION DIVISION

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1-800-YASKAWA

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seweurodrive.com | 864-439-7537 input #28 at www.controleng.com/information