Cee 17 06

Control, Instrumentation and Automation in the Process and Manufacturing Industries June 2017

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Welcome to the future of

Industrial Ethernet diagnostics

Putting big data into context Identifying your industrial cyber security gaps Special CC-Link IE supplement: Enabling Industry 4.0 with Open Gigabit Ethernet

How clever is your smart factory?

Put all the right pieces in place .for optimum productivity.

With the increasing demand on modern manufacturing to become ever more responsive, the need for complete control as well as information transparency from top tier management down through to the factory floor and beyond to suppliers and stock management systems is fast becoming a critical part of any successful manufacturer’s strategy.

At Mitsubishi Electric we’ve been focussing on this future for many years and have developed a range of industry leading automation systems and solutions that take any organisation well beyond the limitations of today’s approach to manufacturing through sophisticated connectivity, precise control and reliable data all deployed through robust, proven technologies.

n Robots n Advanced HMIs

When you’ve been looking into the future as much as we have you’ll soon see all the answers for smart manufacturing.

n Programmable Controllers

Come and join us by visiting our website or emailing automation@meuk.mee.com.

n Servo & Motion Systems

n Variable Speed Drives

n Low Voltage Switchgear

gb3a.mitsubishielectric.com

n Software Solutions

CONTENTS

Removing barriers to Industry 4.0 success

Editor Suzanne Gill suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk Sales Manager Nichola Munn nichola.munn@imlgroup.co.uk Production Sara Clover sara.clover@imlgroup.co.uk Business Development Manager Iain McLean iain.mclean@imlgroup.co.uk Dan Jago David May Colin Halliday

Group Publisher Production Manager Studio Designer

Welcome to the June issue which includes a review of just a few of the many products and innovations introduced at Hannover Messe this year. The event was awash with companies talking about their Industry 4.0 concepts and showing how systems and solutions can be connected – with each other and with the cloud. Monitoring and maintenance solutions were also in evidence on many stands, highlighting one of the benefits of collecting and analysing data. (pg 14) This issue also includes a special supplement, put together with the help of the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), which demonstrates how CC-Link IE is helping to make Industry 4.0 a reality.

The supplement also highlights the

importance of collaboration, with a report on some of the CLPA’s latest collaborative partnerships with other organisations, to help ensure that all barriers to successful Industry 4.0 projects are removed.

This issue also provides some advice on what needs to be considered when moving from a wired remote monitoring solution to a wireless one. (pg 22).

We are taking our annual summer break now, but do join us again in September.

Enjoy!

Suzanne Gill - Editor suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk

INDUSTRY REPORT

BIG DATA

4

18 Engineers are awash with data from a variety of sources, but how can analytics be used to create actionable insights from this data to improve outcomes?

Mobile Apps are transforming the factory environment; OPC Foundation opens European certification lab.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

CYBER SECURITY

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20 Find out about the risks facing industrial control systems today and why real-time visibility is key.

Extended I/O range for use in extreme environments; Hand-held encoder programmer with CANopen interface.

MACHINE SAFETY

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY 22 Advice on what to consider when moving from a wired remote monitoring solution to a wireless one.

10 Electromagnetic Work Regulations explained.

12 Building electronic safety functions directly into drives which control motor and machinery movements can simplify design, while also offering greater safety.

HANNOVER MESSE REVIEW

FINAL WORD 28 Brian Foster, head of Industry Finance at Siemens Financial Services in the UK, discusses an emerging business model which links payment for equipment and technology to business benefits.

14 This year many companies introduced Industry 4.0 concepts and showed how systems and solutions can be connected with each other and the cloud. Monitoring and maintenance solutions were also in evidence.

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE 17 Suzanne Gill reports on the launch of a new service offering from Tetra Pak, which makes use of equipment data and advanced analytics to predict machine errors.

Control Engineering Europe is a controlled circulation journal published six times per year by IML Group plc under license from CFE Media LLC. Copyright in the contents of Control Engineering Europe is the property of the publisher.

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Control Engineering (USA) Frank Bartos, Mark Hoske, Renee Robbins, Vance VanDoren, Peter Welander Circulation Tel: +44 (0)1732 359990 Email: subscription@imlgroup.co.uk Completed print or on line registration forms will be considered for free supply of printed issues, web site access and on line services.

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Qualified applicants in Europe must complete the registration form at www.imlgrouponthenet.net/cee to receive Control Engineering Europe free of charge.

Paid subscriptions for non-qualifying applicants are available for £113 (U.K.), £145 (Europe), £204 (rest of world); single copies £19.

June 2017

3

INDUSTRY REPORTS

IO-LINK SAFETY SPECIFICATION RELEASED The IO-Link Safety specification has been published and released by the IO-Link Community, following its successful concept assessment by the TÜV SÜD. In the same way as IO-Link, IO-Link Safety is fieldbus and system-independent, which is achieved through conversion of the many safety protocols available on the market to IO-Link Safety in the master and there are now considerably more device types (more than 4,000) than IO-Link masters. To open a new market or

Statoil’s Total Uncertainty Management project completed Emerson has announced the completion of its Total Uncertainty Management program in cooperation with Statoil, which commenced in 2012.

The program focused on improving history matching, uncertainty management and quantification across the entire reservoir characterisation workflow through Roxar Tempest ENABLE, Emerson’s history matching and uncertainty estimation software solution.

The project learning has resulted in major updates to Tempest ENABLE which, combined with the uncertainty management capabilities of Emerson’s Roxar RMS characterisation and reservoir modelling software, allows workflows based on commercial software applications to quantify uncertainties across the complete reservoir characterisation and development workflow. By analysing multiple plausible realisations and incorporating the data into its decisionmaking, it is possible to better quantify the effects of uncertainties on volumes and cumulative production to improve risk management.

Key elements of the Total Uncertainty

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Management program, which took place over four years, included: • Further improvements to the ‘proxy’ based history matching technique behind Tempest ENABLE, based on research and field trials by Statoil.

Proxy based history matching and uncertainty has been shown to be an effective means of using historical data to reduce the uncertainty of production forecasts.

• The implementation of Statoil’s algorithms in Ensemble Smoother type history matching and uncertainty. The Ensemble Smoother is a history matching technique, particularly successful in handling the production effects seen on 4D seismic.

• A continued focus on integrated workflows between geological modeling, simulation, the forward modelling of seismic and history matching – a workflow common to both proxy based and Ensemble Smoother type methods.

• Maximising the use of cluster and cloud computing within history matching and uncertainty management – essential for high volume and integrated workflows.

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a new system for IO-Link Safety, all that is necessary is to develop a corresponding IO-Link Safety master. All existing IO-Link Safety devices can then be used without modification.

The time and effort required to configure IO-Link Safety is minimal.

Authentication is derived from the assignment to the master port, and the monitoring time is set automatically for each device. As with IO-Link, devices can be replaced without the need for an engineering tool. A replaced device is automatically assigned the stored parameters of its predecessor after startup. Furthermore, the authentication rules out both confusions and manipulations.

A significant challenge is open and secure parameterisation of safety devices. IO-Link Safety devices always have an IODD device description, which contains the complete communication properties, identification, parameterisation, and diagnosis.

However, the applicable standards require a ‘dedicated safety tool’ to rule out manipulations. Therefore, a software interface exists for integrating the dedicated tools associated with the devices into the IO-Link engineering tools. The Device Tool Interface (DTI) has been kept very simple and ensures that integration into the existing IOLink engineering tools does not pose a problem and that safety-related device software can be easily adapted and used further on the device side.

In the process, it is important that the package consisting of the IO-Link Safety device, IODD, and the ‘dedicated tool’ can be used globally in all system environments without modification.

On the basis of the existing specification, manufacturers can now begin to integrate IO-Link Safety into their systems. www.profibus.com/technology/io-link Control Engineering Europe

INDUSTRY REPORTS

OPC opens European certification lab Due to a large increase in demand by end users and suppliers to certify OPC UA enabled products the OPC Foundation has expanded its certification programme.

“We decided to expand the reach of our certification process by opening up a new certification lab in Europe, and at the same time making this lab available to test both OPC Foundation member products as well as nonmember products. This lab will not only test the OPC UA functionalities but will also certify the implementation of OPC UA companion specifications which is the real key for Industry 4.0 and IIoT Interoperability,” explained Stefan Hoppe, global vice president of the OPC Foundation.

The new OPC Foundation European Certification lab is located near Stuttgart, in Germany.

The OPC Foundation European Certification lab provides suppliers with an opportunity to work directly with the certification testers validating compliance to the OPC specifications, and at the same time being able to validate interoperability with certified reference products.

Jörg Allmendinger, CEO of automation systems integrator, Allmendinger, where the European lab is hosted, said: “The European lab provides additional certification capacity and its availability results in a significantly reduced time from registration to successful passing of all tests for vendors.

Overlapping working hours with both the certification lab and the vendor in the European time-zones as well as short transport ways are minimising the testing preparation time and analysis in case of issues.”

Mobile Apps are transforming the factory environment According to Frost & Sullivan, the factory environment is set to witness a massive transformation with the advent of Industrial mobile applications (apps).

Coupled with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), industrial mobile apps will create new business models and revenue streams aimed at enhancing connectivity, control, convergence and customer satisfaction, as well as increasing overall plant productivity, responsiveness, supply chain logistics and employee relations.

“Companies such as Cisco and Dassault Systèmes are offering industrial mobile apps to train field engineers globally via

Control Engineering Europe

cloud-enabled video technology and do real-time troubleshooting. Rockwell and Honeywell also offer Industrial Ethernet and wi-fi-enabled devices to monitor and control plant assets and performance, and provide services to proactively respond to the kinetic needs of the customer,” said Sharmila Annaswamy, Industrial Automation & Process Control research analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

Mobile app development for industrial purposes is expected to fuel the global ‘app economy’ and is set to achieve a double-digit growth rate by 2020. More than 80% of top

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management executives feel that mobile technologies will play a pivotal role in keeping organisations ahead of global competition.

Further key trends and developments identified include: • Wearables such as smart watches, goggles, and headsets continue to accessorise the industrial handheld industry with gesture control and intelligent intimation techniques to enable safe, hands-free operations.

• Support from governments and strict safety regulations boost the industrial handheld market in developed economies such as the US, Europe, and Japan, sustained by a strong and diverse industrial customer base.

• Innovations in the network layer are expected to address building inherent data security and real-time information availability in switches, routers, and other access devices.

• While developed economies are witnessing new entrants in cyber security and information storage, emerging economies are expected to step into data analytics and visualisation tools to harness the IoT invasion.

June 2017

5

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Extended I/O range for use in extreme environments A variant of the WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750, the XTR range, is now available to deliver I/O for use in harsh applications. With high protection against environmental and electronic interferences, the system is said to be suitable for hazardous areas including offshore, particularly hot or cold environments, or environments subject

Autonomous mobile platform for smart factory logistics Comau has introduced an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) platform, with Agile1500 being the first AGV within this.

Modular, scalable and reconfigurable, the vehicle is able to carry up to 1,500 kg with a maximum speed of 1.7 m/sec.

The vehicle is said to have a key role in the development of a new operating platform to meet Industry 4.0 requirements. Comau believes that it can increase overall plant safety thanks to its security features and an integrated laser scanner that stops the AGV upon detection of an obstacle along its route.

Agile1500 is a configurable standard product. In addition, it can be fitted with accessories to enhance its performance, as required by each specific application. It works with multiple navigation systems that use both natural landmarks (walls, objects, etc.) as well as predefined points (magnetic spot and magnetic tape).

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to strong shocks and vibrations.

The range includes programmable fieldbus controllers, couplers, digital and analogue inputs and outputs, and a range of communication, supply and segment modules tailored to meet the needs of particular applications.

With up to 16 channels in a 12 mm wide module housing, and no additional protective measures or external heating/ cooling required, the system is also suitable for situations and applications where cabinet or DIN-rail space is at a premium.

Able to withstand temperatures from -40°C up to +70°C, the XTR range requires no air conditioning and has no moving parts, resulting in lower energy and maintenance costs, while reducing the risk of mechanical failure.

It is also able to function at elevations of up to 5,000m, making it suitable for high altitude applications. Vibration protection of 5 g and shock protection up to 20 g defends the system against constant and sudden impact.

The XTR is protected against electronic interference with isolation up to 5 kV of impulse voltage, lower EMC emission of interference and high insensitivity against EMC interference. WAGO’s push-in cage clamp connections mean that wiring is quick and easy, and that connections remain secure and protected against disturbances, even in unshielded areas.

Hand-held encoder programmer with CANopen interface The SICK PGT-12-PRO is believed to be the World’s first hand-held programming tool for encoders and sensors with a CANopen interface.

The battery-powered pocket-sized programming tool was designed for rapid configuring and programming of SICK’s AHS/AHM36 programmable absolute encoders and TMS/TMM inclination sensors with CANopen or analogue output.

According to Darren Pratt, SICK UK’s encoder specialist, the PGT-12PRO shows the future of flexible and easy-to-use programming in CANopen environments. He said: “Integrating encoders and sensors into a CANopen fieldbus can vary between different applications and often requires specialist programming knowledge

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and skills. Whether in the design office, on the production line, or in vehicles out in the field, the PGT-12-PRO liberates the engineer from having to complete remote programming via a PLC or PC.” Sensor upgrades and new functions can be installed via a firmware update.

Configurations can be saved to the device’s SD card, then transferred to enable device replacement and also cloned to enable installation of any number of identical applications and configurations.

The pre-configured node ID is easy to adjust to eliminate conflicting addresses. Baud rate, frequency and type of parameter transfer are also simple to manage, allowing data load and transmission speed in the fieldbus to be controlled to the optimum.

Control Engineering Europe

Q-factor network quality

Atlas

The vision on Industrial Ethernet Customizable dashboard

Galaxy view topology

Traffic light network overview

To learn more, visit our website: www.procentec.com/atlas

COVER STORY

Welcome to the future of INDUSTRIAL ETHERNET DIAGNOSTICS Reducing downtime and increasing productivity is an important topic for all engineers today. To help system users prevent issues occurring in their network, PROCENTEC has introduced Atlas as its solution to Industrial Ethernet diagnostics.

T

his year, PROCENTEC celebrates its 20th anniversary. The company started in 1997 when two friends and an older brother started assisting companies in improving their PROFIBUS networks, which at the time was still a new and innovative fieldbus communication solution. From day one, the company had a focus on troubleshooting and maintenance.

Later, after becoming a PROFIBUS training center, PROCENTEC started to offer training to help customers use its acquired knowledge of the system to make their networks stronger and more reliable.

As the use of PROFIBUS grew, so did PROCENTEC. In 2003, the company released its first product – the ProfiTrace toolkit – which allowed users to test networks before they were implemented, or to troubleshoot problems that occurred on the factory network. The ProfiTrace toolkit proved to be a powerful tool for troubleshooting and maintenance of PROFIBUS networks and resulted in PROCENTEC becoming a leading company in this field. Building on the success of ProfiTrace, PROCENTEC went on to form alliances with many international partners who helped the company to grow quickly and become well-known for its PROFIBUS solutions.

Besides the toolkit, PROCENTEC started to introduce manufacturing components such as the ProfiHub family, which helps create the most

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reliable network infrastructure on the market today. Its third product family is ComBricks, a permanent monitoring networking and control solution for PROFIBUS, which enabled PROCENTEC to rapidly become a primary manufacturer of network components with integrated capabilities for remote monitoring and asset management. These products – in addition to the company’s role as a Test Center and a Competence Center – have made PROCENTEC an established player in the PROFIBUS market. Over the years more than 4,000 participants have received a training certificate from the company.

PROCENTEC is an international PROFIBUS and PROFINET Competence Center and it runs one of the eight accredited test laboratories for the certification of PROFIBUS devices. In its laboratory, automation vendors can have products tested for PROFIBUS compatibility. Based upon a positive test report, PROFIBUS International will then issue a certificate for the devices.

Moving to Industrial Ethernet PROCENTEC gained a great deal of knowledge about PROFIBUS throughout the years and shared this with its partners and customers. Although, with over 50 million nodes in use across the globe, PROFIBUS is still the protocol of choice across industry, a shift is occurring within industrial automation. This is resulting in a move away from the traditional fieldbus systems to Industrial Ethernet, which is now becoming the

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basis for meeting the primary needs of the industrial user. Its essence lies in making the cable reliable and optimising the plugs and switches to meet the often harsh environmental conditions found in the industrial environment. With this in mind, working groups have set out to define protocols that meet virtually all automation goals.

Since 2010, the use of Industrial Ethernet has grown quickly. According to market research from HMS Industrial Networks, today Industrial Ethernet makes up 46% of the global market compared to 38% last year. The transition to Industrial Ethernet is being driven by the need for high performance, integration between factory installations and IT-systems, as well as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in general.

The simple and effective design of Ethernet has made it a very popular networking solution. However, it can be more complex than it may, at first, look when a problem occurs on the network.

One error can lead to serious downtime, which in many factories can be very costly.

Within an Industrial Ethernet network, which can sometimes contain thousands of devices, it can be hard to find out which device is failing. By the time an engineer has finally identified the error, critical processes could already have been ruined, leading to lost material and revenue. That is why the best solution for preventing unexpected and expensive downtime in industrial networks is to Control Engineering Europe

COVER STORY have a good strategy for diagnosis. A well thought out strategy for diagnosis will lead to return on investment.

Introducing Atlas To create a solution for preventing downtime in Industrial Ethernet networks, PROCENTEC started to develop Atlas in March 2016. At that time there weren’t many permanent monitoring solutions for Industrial Ethernet on the market and those already in existence were mainly aimed at highly skilled technicians. There was a need for a solution that is easy to use and one which could be understood by everyone who might be involved in reducing downtime in Industrial Ethernet networks. The Atlas solution is infused with PROCENTEC’s 20 years of experience of supporting its customers in the field and also of producing monitoring solutions for PROFIBUS and PROFINET. Atlas has been designed from the ground up with end user requirements in mind.

The literal meaning of Atlas is a map.

PROCENTEC’s Atlas maps the network with its interactive topology: a graphical and hierarchical display of a complete network. This view makes connections between devices become clear very quickly and intuitively. It also shows dependencies to easily identify and mitigate critical paths in the network or to identify line-depths. Information on separate devices is displayed using status icons according to the NAMUR NE 107 standard. The topology can be visualised in a dynamic galaxy view or the more traditional hierarchical tree view. Connected to PROCENTEC ComBricks, even PROFIBUS devices are visible with Atlas.

Atlas also provides valuable information about the quality of a network. Traditionally this information was difficult to achieve, but Atlas’ Q-Factor (Quality Factor) simplifies this using a weighted algorithm which is built up from all connected devices in the network. The Q-Factor shows a number from 0 to 5000, according to the Automotive standard, or from 0 Control Engineering Europe

to 100% as a relative display. A traffic light display allows a simple overview of the network status in three colours.

In addition, the biggest strength of the product is its ease of use. After implementing the device in the network, installation only takes four steps before the tool immediately starts to discover the complete network by recognising devices and getting relevant information from them. All the capabilities of Atlas can be viewed through a web browser on the central, customisable dashboard page. This dashboard is available not only at the factory plant, but worldwide.

Industry 4.0 ready Atlas also makes sure users are ready for Industry 4.0. The device ensures that networks are healthy and available permanently. It also has an integrated OPC-UA server in the platform. Because PROCENTEC shares its knowledge with its partners, so too does the Atlas platform, by offering thirdparty support. Additionally PROCENTEC is interested in working with other vendors and implementing all the advantages they have into Atlas as well.

Celebrating 20 years Twenty years of innovative ideas, creativity and working together as a group has resulted in many innovative products. With the development of Atlas, PROCENTEC has proven that it will not stand still in a rapidly changing market. The company extended its reach in the market by working with a new protocol and will soon also extend

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its reach by opening a new UK office in Manchester – a testament to the company’s continued growth. Being a family company depends on the values of friendship. The two friends and the brother are still owners of PROCENTEC and the PROCENTEC family has now grown to over 50 people working at their headquarters in Wateringen, more than 10 in the German office in Karlsruhe and three employees in Italy.

And all partners from the early days are still there as distributors.

As the numbers of highly skilled network technicians dwindles, the need for systems to help people understand their networks grows. The launch of Atlas, with its easy to use and understand displays, is a good first step in helping companies to do just this. www.procentec.com June 2017

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MACHINE SAFETY

Electromagnetic Work Regulations Paul Taylor explains what is required to ensure compliance with the recently introduced Electromagnetic Work regulations.

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he Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 No. 588 came into force across Europe in July 2016 to implement the EU Physical Agents Directive (EMF) 2013/35/EU. It covers the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from electromagnetic fields.

The European Commission has published a set of ‘non-binding guides to good practice for implementing Directive 2013/35/EU’ comprising; Volume 1: Practical Guide; Volume 2: Case Studies; Volume 3: Guide for SMEs. In addition, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK has produced a guide: ‘A guide to the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016’.

The Physical Agents Directive (EMF) identifies the need for competent services or persons to undertake a workplace assessment where potentially hazardous EMF sources are present. While the exact definition of a ‘competent service or person’ is not currently regulated, the HSE’ definition is: ‘Someone who has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities that allow them to assist you properly. The level of competence required will depend on the complexity of the situation and the particular help you need.’

For EMF, this means that suitable people should be appointed with defined responsibilities for EMF safety.

Their role can be summarised as follows: • Receive relevant training on the EMF sources, measurement and calculation procedures.

• Have access to current EMF Directive, guidance and standards.

• Liaise with employer/operator to understand specific hazards for the site.

• Perform periodic risk assessment,

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•

•

• •

•

calculation and measurement using appropriate test equipment.

Produce report and records for employer/operator.

Ensure safety controls are identified and applied correctly.

Consult with other workers.

Provide training in safe operation/ maintenance of EMF sources where necessary for workers/visitors.

Assist with EMF exposure incident investigation, advise on medical examination.

A risk assessment of EMF hazards in the workplace can, therefore, be made in five steps, using the HSE general guide to risk assessment. These are: • Identify the hazards.

• Decide who might be harmed and how.

• Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions.

• Record your findings and implement them.

• Review your assessment and update if necessary.

As a starting point to identify EMF hazards both the non-binding practical guide to the Physical Agents Directive (EMF) 2013/35/EU and the guide to the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 describe an approach to identifying hazards by using an initial assessment that contains lists of equipment that are not an EMF hazard and those that might be.

An important consideration is whether the workplace has workers at particular risk, who are those with medical devices or who are pregnant. If such workers are present, their exposure must be assessed

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on a case by case basis.

Where equipment is identified as potentially producing an EMF hazard, a specific risk assessment is required to identify the severity of any exposure, the likelihood of exposure and resulting risk, taking account of any existing or new safety controls and safe operating procedures. Information may be available from the supplier or manufacturer on the type and levels of EMF, but in the absence of such information a detailed assessment by a competent person or service will be required to measure or calculate the EMF exposure levels. A procedure needs to be in place in case of accidental or suspected overexposure, including a process for medical examinations.

The Physical Agents Directive (EMF) includes safety controls in its Article 5 ‘Provisions Aimed at Avoiding or Reducing Risks’. This includes controls such as interlocks, shielding, barriers and signs, locking off access, selecting alternative equipment that emits less EMF and restructuring the layout of the workplace.

EMF assessment can be complex and may result in significant changes to the workplace environment. Organisations should therefore take action to implement a process that will ensure that the equipment they use poses no risk to their employees.

Paul Taylor is manager for Machinery Safety at TÜV SÜD Product Service.

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MACHINE SAFETY

Safety-conscious drives meet safety standards In the last decade, updated safety standards have made it possible for electronic safety functions to be built directly into drives which control motor and machinery movements in industrial processes. Mikko Ristolainen explains how this approach simplifies things for designers and machine builders, while also providing higher overall safety and protection levels.

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achine safety strategies aimed at protecting people, property and ecosystems can benefit from innovations in drive technology with safety functions being built directly into the drive. This can offer significant benefits to machine builders, designers, engineers and endusers, who want to meet all relevant safety requirements with less hassle while saving time and money.

Integrated safety Integrated safety has revolutionised the way we achieve machine protection.

New electronic safety solutions integrated into the drive are capable of replacing safety systems based on external electro-mechanical add-on

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devices. In ABB’s drives, for example, integrated safety consists of the safe torque off (STO) function. Additional safety functions can also be integrated into the all-compatible ACS880 industrial drives, using the optional safety functions module.

Implementing a machine safety system from start to finish can be seen as a daunting and complicated undertaking.

But it is now made much easier thanks to drive-based functional safety technology, and standardisation that unifies requirements and terminology used across the market. So, we can move away from the separate electromechanical machine safety measures that involve hard-wired logic add-ons like relays and contactors. Instead, electronic safety functions are built

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directly into the drive’s safety logic.

Some of the most important benefits that can be obtained with integrated safety in drives include reduced design time and effort as well as easy commissioning of one or several built-in pre-programmed safety functions in one common safety module. Other advantages include reduced number of devices, cabling, and costs, as well as no wearing parts, when compared to the use of electro-mechanical safety devices.

Design tools The safety designer’s job starts with a risk analysis aimed at defining if and where risk reducing safety functionality is needed on the machine and then deciding which safety levels and functions are required. To make this

Control Engineering Europe

MACHINE SAFETY process easier, ABB’s functional safety design tool helps machine builders, OEMs and system integrators to calculate, verify and document the required, designed and achieved safety levels like SIL and PL using a very logical stepwise procedure, according to machinery standards EN IEC 62061 and EN ISO 13849-1.

Such a functional safety design tool can help cut the designer’s workload by simplifying and speeding up the design process, while simultaneously ensuring the safety design calculations are carried out according to the relevant standards. Additionally, ABB’s design tool is compatible with numerous safety libraries including the company’s own, as well as other manufacturer’s, safety devices, making calculations and device selection faster and easier.

Once the machine design is approved, drive-based functional safety is ready for implementation. Safe torque off (STO), which is the safety function that brings drives safely to a no-torque state (emergency stop) and/ or prevents an unexpected start-up, is the compulsory foundation for drive-based functional safety. STO is, therefore, built into the drive as an electronic safety function to be used as an alternative to traditional electromechanical methods such as contactors.

ABB’s all-compatible drives have STO built-in as a standard feature.

With STO as the foundation of drive-based functional safety, ABB has developed a range of solutions including modules with TÜV Nord-certified safety functions (FSO-12 and FSO-21). The safety module works seamlessly with the all-compatible ACS880 drives. It complies with SIL3 / PLe and offers several optional safety functions in a compact ‘safety-yellow’ coloured module. The functions are: Safe stop 1 (SS1), Safe stop emergency (SSE), Safe brake control (SBC), Safely-limited speed (SLS) and Safe maximum speed (SMS). The FSO-21 safety functions module offers the additional safety functions: Safe speed monitoring (SSM) and Safe direction (SDI).

The ability to build in preControl Engineering Europe

Expanded safety at work range With a new generation of programmable safety controls and an expanded line of safety relays, Leuze electronic believes it is able to offer safe solutions for all applications in machine and system construction.

Its new safety relays allow many smaller safety tasks to be solved – from the monitoring of simple components, such as E-STOP or safety switches, to the integration of optoelectronic sensors or standstill monitoring of motors with its 22.5 mm housings

programmed functions like SS1 and SLS in a drive is a benefit. When comparing modern integrated safety to the way it has traditionally been done – by connecting discrete devices together in a certain wiring and logic sequence – this benefit becomes obvious.

Functionality at the drive Using the safety module provides straightforward functionality right in the drive. There is no need to figure out how to hook up and wire the logic with relays, resets and contactors.

Instead users can work in harmony with the drive’s functionality. All that is needed is to commission the required built-in functions based on the safety design, and this eliminates the electromechanical logic design task.

The safety functions module provides pre-programmed safety logic functions that can easily be implemented in the drive according to the ‘connect-configure-reconfigure’ principle. The main benefit is the integrated safety functions that work seamlessly together alongside the drive control system. In addition, diagnostic features aid troubleshooting to keep the system continuously safe, with critical safety-related status and eventsystem messages part of the standard drive operation, accessible through the drives control panel.

Direct benefits for the machine builder, designer or machine user include

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– the relays have a compact design taking up little room in the switch cabinet.

The safe controls of the MSI 400 product family offers both 24 inputs/ outputs as well as an Ethernet interface and integrated industrial Ethernet protocol such as Profibus and Ethernet IP in a compact design.

The safety controls are said to be suitable for the safe monitoring of simple safety functions as well as for performing more complex safety tasks.

less cabling, which saves costs and makes the safety design work within a smaller footprint. Faster response time also provides improved protection in an emergency situation.

Additionally, the design of the safety module means less maintenance and less chance of breakdown as there are no wearing parts. A further benefit is encoderless capability for speed-related safety functions to be used in certain suitable applications. This results in lower costs and higher reliability.

A system-wide safety approach The safety functions module is easy to connect to a safety PLC making it possible to build larger safety systems.

The PLC controls several drives, and the safety module provides the local safety functionality and feedback to and from each drive. ABB achieves connection between the drive and PLC via a PROFIsafe-based fieldbus.

The integration of electronic safety functions into drives is now possible due to updated safety standards. When combined with a deep knowledge of both drive technologies and safety design, new approaches to drive-based functional safety offer real value for machine builders, designers and safety engineers.

Mikko Ristolainen is ABB Drives functional safety manager, and is an expert on drive-based functional safety at ABB’s drives factory in Helsinki.

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EVENT REVIEW

Hannover highlights This year Hannover Messe was awash with companies introducing Industry 4.0 concepts and showing how their systems and solutions can be connected with each other and the cloud. Monitoring and maintenance solutions were also in evidence, demonstrating one of the benefits of collecting and analysing data.

“T

he IoT has now made it possible to generate the information required for predictive maintenance, said Dieter Michalkowski, IoT expert at Aventics.” Preventive maintenance with intelligent data analysis is now an important value driver in the industrial sector as it can prevent unplanned machine downtime and increases system availability.

Aventics showcased its predictive maintenance capabilities. Under the motto ‘Smart Pneumatics: The Driver for Predictive Maintenance’, it monitored shock absorber functions and cylinder speeds based on an electro-pneumatic valve system. The existing sensors in the system were monitored along with the control and the data was analysed with the AV/AES series valve systems and the Smart Pneumatics Monitor. Monitoring the load allows the system to determine the current state of the shock absorber and to provide early detection of wear.

The information is then provided to the user in standardised data logs.

Secure remote maintenance Phoenix Contact used the event to highlight its TC Cloud Client remote maintenance modules which connect machines to the mGuard Secure Cloud securely over the Internet. The TC Cloud Clients have one digital input and one output. As a result, service connections to the Cloud can be made and signaled as required. The modules are said to provide a cost-effective solution for the scalable remote maintenance of machines. There is a choice of TC

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Cloud Clients, which use the operator network, and variants which use the worldwide 4G-LTE mobile network for Cloud communication. The clients are configured with the help of the Cloud and are ready immediately for use in the machine.

The mGuard Secure Cloud provides a high-performance, scalable VPN infrastructure which connects service personnel with machines and systems via the Internet. The integrated mGuard VPN technology uses the IPsec security protocol to ensure the security of information and data transmitted between the service technicians and the machines.

Phoenix Contact also introduced a WLAN solution for machine building.

The WLAN 1100 wireless module combines Access Point and antenna technology in a single device. It is installed like an antenna, directly onto machinery, mobile vehicles or control cabinets, rather than being housed inside a control cabinet. Two integrated high performance antennae with MIMO technology ensure reception wherever it is needed. Because the wireless module does not require space in the control cabinet it is easy to retrofit, being attached using single-hole assembly and via a Combicon connector and RJ45 Ethernet connector.

Smarten up legacy equipment An interesting addition to the B&R profolio is the new Orange Box which is said to enable smart-factory upgrades for legacy equipment.

The Orange Box enables machine operators to collect and analyse data from previously isolated machines and

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lines, bringing them into the smart factory environment with minimal effort. It consists of a controller and B&R’s preconfigured software blocks – known as mapps. The controller collects operating data from any machine via its I/O channels or a fieldbus connection.

From this data, the mapps generate and display OEE ratings and other KPIs, and can also share the information with higher-level systems via OPC UA. Installing the Orange Box requires no changes to existing hardware or software. It is flexible and modular.

To collect and analyse basic operating data, all that is required is a 25mm wide compact PLC and the mapp OEE component. For more advanced features – such as alarm management or energy monitoring – the solution can be scaled up with more powerful PLCs and additional software components.

Control cabinet monitoring Turck showcased the IM12-CCM cabinet guard which continuously monitors ambient variables inside control cabinets and protective enclosures.

The device is able to detect incorrectly closed doors as well as monitoring moisture and temperature levels. It also detects unauthorised access to switch cabinets, providing protection against manipulation in compliance with IT security regulations. The slim 12.5 mm DIN-rail device can be easily installed into existing switch cabinets.

It features an internal data logger with time stamp and stores data for up to two years. This enables users to detect creeping changes over longer periods.

An interface enables two cabinet guards Control Engineering Europe

EVENT REVIEW

to be operated in master-slave mode in order to monitor correct door closing and the other limit values simultaneously at two points in the control cabinet. The master processes the data of the slave and sends a signal to the controller.

Flexible communication For smart manufacturing, Delta introduced its new Industrial 3G/WAN VPN Router DX-3001 Series which supports 3G communication while also providing various connection methods over WAN ports, offering flexible industrial communication. It features dual SIM redundancy design and can be a seamless switch among ISP systems for continuous network connection.

The company also launched a compact modular mid-range PLC. The AS Series incorporates new 32 bit SoC CPUs. It has a program capacity of 40k steps/ms and supports up to 32 extension modules or a maximum or 1,024 I/O points. It is able to control up to eight axes via CANopen motion network or six via pulse control (200kHz).

Moving into hazardous areas Beckhoff’s CPX series control panels are now also available for use in hazardous areas classified Zone 2/22. In addition to the control panels and Panel PCs in the CPX series, Beckhoff has also introduced the new ELX series EtherCAT Terminals with intrinsically safe interfaces for field device connection through to

Ex Zone 0/20, as well as TwinCAT control software with numerous interfaces specific to process technology.

The CPX portfolio offers a selection of screen formats, sizes, installation options and features which allows process industry applications to benefit from advanced capacitive multi-touch technology.

Also prominent on the Beckhoff stand was a hygienic version of its eXtended Transport System (XTS), a transport solution which sees the company’s linear motion technology driving movers around a track, independently of each other at high speeds and with high accuracy.

The XTS replaces mechanics with software functionality and this allows for a higher degree of design freedom.

The reduction in mechanical engineering requirements allows machines using XTS to be more compact, lighter weight and will require less wiring. In addition, compared to conventional solutions, systems employing XTS will be more flexible and maintenance needs are lower.

The new XTS Hygienic was developed in co-operation with the European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG). As a result, it meets all the requirements for system certification according to EL Class I AUX. It has a protection rating of IP 69K, which promises a high degrees of protection against ingress of dust and water.

RFID supports OPC UA

The new Orange Box from B&R allow legacy equipment to be included in smartfactories.

Control Engineering Europe

Among the plethora of launches from Siemens was new firmware for its Simatic RF600 RFID system, which now supports OPC UA. The new firmware allows devices to be

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connected to the cloud-based open IoT operating system MindSphere. The RFID solution acts as a link between the real and digital world and it is the first RFID system that supplies data to MindSphere.

Linking the RFID system to the cloud opens up new opportunities for the use of data captured from RFID transponders – such as the registration and tracking of containers, pallets or products. The captured data can be analysed and made available remotely. Using the MindSphere app concept customers can gain access to a wide range of information such as RFID-based KPIs. Siemens also launched a cross-system engineering tool for planners and automation specialists to allow simple, efficient Simatic PCS 7 process control system development. By providing consistency of the digital system from planning through automation to central data management, the new Simatic PCS 7 Plant Automation Accelerator engineering tool creates the conditions for improved decision security and more efficient processes across the whole plant.

Wireless torque sensors A specialist torque sensor manufacturer, Sensor Technology, used the event to confirm several new distributors for China, and Portugal for its wireless torque sensors and load cells.

The torque sensors work by measuring the twist in a drive shaft under load, which is monitored by a radio frequency (RF) pick up so that there is no need for complicated hard wiring and delicate slip rings. The load cells also use wireless (RF) technology to transfer load data to the control system.

In total over 225,000 visitors attended the event this year looking for industrial technology solutions and to learn more about Industry 4.0. It would appear that the age of integrated industrial systems has really begun and it appears that now is the time to press ahead with these new technologies to create more value and ensure competitiveness in the future. Next year Hannover Messe will be back from 23rd to 27th April.

June 2017

15

ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS

Cloud-based continuous monitoring solution Yokogawa and Microsoft jointly exhibited an innovative hot spring monitoring system at the Hannover Messe, based around IIoT architecture.

Y

okogawa Electric Corporation has developed a hot spring monitoring solution based on its Industrial IoT (IIoT) architecture and which works on Microsoft’s Azure IoT Suite. It was jointly exhibited at the Microsoft Corporation booth at this year’s Hannover Messe by Yokogawa, JMC Geothermal Engineering Co., Ltd. (a geothermal development company), and an owner of a hot spring.

Japan holds the world’s third largest geothermal energy reserves, estimated at 23 gigawatts. However, making use of this natural resource requires great care so as not to have an adverse impact on hot springs, whose use has a history going back more than 1,000 years.

Accordingly, it is mandatory in Japan that consensus with the local community is reached before undertaking any geothermal development project. The collection and scientific analysis of data can help to clarify the impact that any geothermal development will have on a hot spring and this is considered to be one of the tools suitable for helping to reach consensus.

Although this scientific approach is useful, conventional monitoring systems

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June 2017

pose challenges for developers. The bulkiness of the equipment, for example, along with other factors that make them difficult to install, and the need to cover their operating costs.

An integrated monitoring solution To obtain the data and conduct the scientific analysis needed to reach a consensus with local communities, Yokogawa has developed an integrated monitoring system that is just one-tenth the weight of a conventional combined system consisting of individual flowmeter, thermometer, and conductivity meter components. It requires less wiring, is easier to install, and automatically connects with the cloud.

Using a cloud-based IIoT architecture that Yokogawa continues to refine, this system will be able to visualise sensor data on the flow rate, temperature, and conductivity of the water discharged from a hot spring. Users will have anytime/anywhere access to the measurement data using a PC or tablet.

In addition, the system will be able to store data collected over periods of ten years or more, which is expected to be a valuable asset in geothermal development.

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Many countries continue to develop their geothermal energy resources, and the steam and hot water from these sources is being used for power generation and heating, for example. Yokogawa’s system can also be used in such applications. It will be able to monitor the steam wells used to produce geothermal energy, and will also be suitable for small-scale measurement applications such as floor heating and greenhouses.

Using Yokogawa’s IIoT architecture based on Microsoft’s Azure IoT Suite, it expects to be able to offer end-to-end solutions, from the automatic registration of devices with a low power wide area network (LPWAN) such as LoRaWAN – a wireless communications standard proposed by the LoRa Alliance – for the use of mobile phones for data transfer, remote control, and alarm notification.

Based on the company’s architecture, this hot spring monitoring system will make it easier for geothermal developers and hot spring owners to exploit new hot spring sources, and will greatly reduce the amount of work required for device procurement, installation, and maintenance.

This monitoring system development project was commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), with the aim of developing a simple remote monitoring solution to assess whether geothermal power development projects are compatible with the need to protect hot spring sources. The goal of the project was to develop an inexpensive measuring instrument that can continuously and remotely monitor items such as the hot groundwater discharge rate.

The development was a collaborative effort of Yokogawa Electric Corporation, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), and JMC Geothermal Engineering Co., Ltd. (Geo-E).

With the aim of quickly developing commercial applications for its IIoT architecture and products such as this hot spring monitoring system, Yokogawa will accelerate the development of related products and businesses.

Control Engineering Europe

UK INDUSTRY REPORT

Are you vulnerable to attack?

According to Derek Burton too many of industrial systems in the UK remain unnecessarily vulnerable to cyber attacks.

T

he recent WannaCry cyberattack that hit UK hospitals and continued to creep across industries in almost 100 countries should act as a reminder to all who are operating critical systems of the need for robust security strategy.

The biggest threat to UK systems isn’t the hackers, it is the lack of ongoing oversight and review by organisations providing critical services. In the same way that many NHS systems were affected as a result of operating outof-date systems, it is likely that most industrial control systems are highly vulnerable to attack.

The recent attack gives a glimpse of what could happen if other critical systems went down across the country.

What might happen if areas such as energy or water supplies were hit? Cyber security is a relatively new concept in the world of industrial automation and control systems used to manage such life-essential areas. Most systems were installed without considering cyber security. There are a lot of systems out there that are older legacy systems.

Cyber attacks were the furthest thing from anyone’s mind when they were

developed and installed.

The bad news is that the patch created for the WannaCry ransomware probably hasn’t been applied to many computers that are part of industrial control systems. Even worse, some computers that form part of industrial control systems are likely to be running very old versions of Windows that may not be able to be patched.

Some companies simply don’t keep up with the necessary fixes that are developed to protect them. Some organisatons are leaving themselves unnecessarily vulnerable to attack. The ransomware that hit the NHS had a fix developed for it in March, yet it still managed to get through to numerous unprotected systems.

Guidelines The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently issued guidelines for operators of major hazard workplaces to ensure they are managing cyber security appropriately. Inspectors will be visiting all such sites across the UK to ensure they are taking the steps needed to protect their sites from cyber threats.

This guidance offers a way to ensure organisations are protected where

cyber-security could pose a major accident risk to the health and safety of employees, members of the public or the environment. However, these inspections don’t cover the protection of critical infrastructure, such as utility networks, process plants or manufacturing systems.

The Cougar Automation cyber-security team recommends that organisations providing goods and services critical to the daily lives and working of the UK take steps immediately to ensure they are safe, including: • Identify all computers in their industrial control system that are running Windows operating system.

• Apply the security patch (and any other missing security patches) to computers running Windows versions new enough to be patched.

• Unless they are critical to your ongoing operations, immediately shut down any machines running older versions of Windows that cannot be patched until they can be upgraded to secure versions of Windows.

While these actions will protect against this specific threat, and increase security in general, it is vital that all operators of industrial control systems put in place ongoing security against the wide range of evolving threats they faced. The good news is that there are ways to protect systems easily and reduce network vulnerability.

Derek Burton is company leader at Cougar Automation.

Food Processing Awards – call for nominations Food Processing magazine has announced the categories for the Food Processing Awards 2017, which recognises companies for their excellence in UK food and beverage engineering.

This year the award ceremony will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Coventry immediately after the Appetite for Engineering event on 19th October which takes place at the Manufacturing

Control Engineering UK

technology Centre in Coventry.

The Food Processing Awards 2017 categories are: • Robotics & Automation • Continuous Improvement • Young Engineer of the Year • Lifetime Achievement • Hygiene & Food Safety • Process & Packaging

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• Skills & Development • Future-Factory Enabling Technologies • Environmental / Sustainability Nominations should be sent to the editor of Food Processing – Suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk – before 14th August. After this date the final nominations will be presented to the readers of Food Processing

June 2017

UK1

MACHINE CONTROL

Making vertical farming viable Control Engineering UK looks at the role that machine control has played in helping make vertical farming a commercially viable option.

V

ertical farming is a technique which involves growing crops in trays, stacked vertically.

The technique can offer many benefits. It uses less water, pesticides, fertiliser and has lower labour costs than traditional farming methods. Food can also be grown closer to the point of use, in urban settings, or areas not normally suitable for agriculture.

Henry Aykroyd, CEO at vertical farming developer, Intelligent Growth Solution (IGS), explains the advantages of the technique: “Vertical farming allows us to provide the exact lighting and environmental conditions necessary for optimal plant growth. The collected growth data ensures the technique is repeatable in any location, at any time, providing fresh, consistent crops with less wastage than other techniques.”

The main sticking point that has halted the widespread adoption of vertical farming is that it requires a great deal of energy. Even though vertical farming uses power efficient LED lighting, a way to lower the energy costs to a level that would make it commercially viable has not been found.

IGS has developed several ways of getting round these commercial obstacles by increasing the adoption of automation technology, smart lighting and flexing with the grid.

IGS was founded around the idea of a unique growth tower as a machine concept, based around a vertical stacking system. The tower design features 64 4m x 1.6m growing trays.

The stacking system-based tower

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June 2017

design is highly scalable, as each tower would have its own control system. All serviceable parts are contained within the first 1m of the tower and access to the crops is granted when the tray leaves the tower which negates the need for staff to work at height.

Initially, two prototype towers were built. The integration of the stacking system, LED control, hydroponics and power systems was complex, especially since the design had to allow for new features and towers to be added when necessary.

Omron helped IGS to create a future-proof control system from the ground up, with enough flexibility to accommodate any changes in the prototype designs. Control for the lighting, cooling and hydroponics systems had to be completely integrated into the system.

The stacking system, lighting, hydroponics and other components in each tower would be controlled directly

by an Omron Sysmac machine controller which is able to output secure data directly to a SQL database to add or manipulate data. In the vertical farming system, the controller communicated straight to the cloud. The ability to connect the control system to the cloud allowed the towers to operate without the need for an enterprise IT system, further saving on the cost and complexity of the overall system.

Elimination of enterprise IT layer “Omron Sysmac controls and monitors every aspect of the system in real-time, as well as eliminating the need for the whole IT layer,” said Dave Scott, technical director at IGS. “This implementation cuts out many traditional causes of downtime and failure. We had a power cut recently and once power was restored, the factory returned to normal with no UPS systems, no data corruption and no human input required.”

Communications were implemented using both control I/O over EtherCAT, and SQL data over Ethernet/IP. This dual protocol approach allowed the optimal communications system to be used for the tasks that were most appropriate.

The control I/O took care of the system sensors and lighting with the same EtherCAT network also handling the motion control element.

The Omron hardware was supported

by Sysmac Studio configuration software. Sysmac gave IGS a single Omron’s Sysmac platform controls and monitors each growth tower.

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Control Engineering UK

MACHINE VISION flexible platform that could be used to develop the control software, validate it, and then control and monitor the towers. Changes can be made remotely via VPN to the system and new features can be supplied when the company needs them in the future.

The completed prototypes allowed IGS to work on overcoming the energy problems that had made earlier vertical farming attempts economically unviable.

Initially it looked at how to make the LED lighting more efficient while providing the features the scientists desired. The company implemented a new technique to wire the LEDs directly from the power supply. This cut the power consumption of the LEDs dramatically, without losing any control. Tests on the system show the LEDs have energy efficiencies up to 90% right down to 20% load.

Even though the new design made the lighting more efficient, the overall energy consumption was still too high to be commercially viable. Since almost

Omron’s control system coordinates growth cycles with grid capacity for optimum energy usage.

every aspect of the growing cycle is not time critical, IGS can flex with the grid in real time, resulting in lower electricity costs to operate. The control system can automatically coordinate growing cycles with the periods of time where the energy supplier is under or over capacity.

This technique further decreases the electrical costs.

“We are currently working on realtime crop sensing, which will enable the crops to communicate directly with the lights, ensuring we only create light the plants can use,” concluded Scott.

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FLOW MEASUREMENT

FLOW MEASUREMENT: Understanding upstream and downstream pipe diameters

While there are some creative ways to get flowmeters piped, there are certain installation best practices that should be adhered to whenever possible, says Jeff Weiss.

O

ne of the most common issues with flow measurement is an incorrectly sized flowmeter, followed by poor installation. While there are some creative ways to get flowmeters piped, they can neglect the fact that there are certain installation best practices that should be followed for each flowmeter type, and those should be adhered to whenever possible.

Incorrect flowmeter installation After all the trouble you went through selecting the proper meter for an application, why not ensure it’s installed in a manner that will produce optimal measurement results? A lot has changed over the years in terms of flowmeter technology. However, you can’t argue with physics. Fluid flowing through a pipe generally assumes a desirable

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June 2017

flow profile at or near the center of the pipe. Flow disturbances (distortion and swirl) can occur via improper flowmeter installation, thus reducing measurement accuracy. Aside from improper sizing, material incompatibility, and meter misapplication, a number of issues with flow measurement arise from improper piping practices.

A lot of time, effort, and money can go into the purchase of a flowmeter.

However, it seems that not as much consideration is given to its installation.

Perhaps this is due to limited changes that can be made to existing piping (time and expense), the end users having a technology they are not familiar with and making assumptions based on what they have done in the past, or a mechanical contractor having limited experience with various flowmeter technologies, etc.

In this case, when talking about improper installation, the focus is on the placement of the meter in the process piping and its relation to valves, elbows, strainers, reducers, and a host of other devices that can be inserted into the piping that can have an effect on the flow profile. There are some general guidelines and

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best practices that all users should follow. The old adage, “If you don’t know something, ask,” applies here.

There are no bad questions when trying to determine proper meter placement. Each technology has specific recommendations for meter placement and recommended pipe diameters upstream and downstream. Perhaps one of the most overlooked resources is speaking with the account manager/ sales resource for that particular vendor.

In many cases, they will be able to assess each installation and give you the recommendations needed to ensure proper performance.

One size does not fit all One technology does not fit all applications. We all may have our favorite technology, but you can’t fit a round peg in a square hole, and the same goes for flowmeters. Just because there’s a spare meter lying in the storeroom doesn’t mean it will be the most suitable. There are many options to consider, especially if you have existing piping that can’t be modified easily. It’s important to start thinking about the importance of installation effects and how this could impact the type of meter that is chosen.

If you find that your flowmeter performance is suffering from installation effects, all is not lost. Ideally, the meter could be moved to a more suitable location that would ensure proper upstream and downstream straight pipe. Another option would be Control Engineering UK

FLOW MEASUREMENT to change the type of meter or change to a different design of the same kind of meter. For example, changing from a standard vortex to a reducer vortex.

Upstream and downstream requirements As there are multiple flow technologies available, so too are the recommendations for proper meter placement in process piping. While each manufacturer may have different guidelines, below is a general overview of typical upstream and downstream piping requirements.

Magnetic flowmeters Magnetic flowmeters are fairly forgiving in terms of varying flow profile. To ensure specified accuracy over a broader range of process conditions first, ensure that the meter is piped in a manner so it always remains full. Second, install the flowmeter a minimum of five straight pipe diameters upstream and a minimum of two straight pipe diameters downstream from the electrode plane.

Vortex flowmeters Vortex flowmeters like a fully developed flow profile and typically require long straight upstream piping runs. Elbows, reducers, and other devices upstream of the sensor will distort the flow profile, so adequate straight runs need to be accounted for. Typical recommendations suggest 35 straight pipe diameters upstream and five straight pipe diameters downstream. If you don’t have sufficient upstream straight run, some manufacturers allow for

K-factor corrections that could reduce this requirement. If using temperature and pressure compensations to derive mass flow, then the temperature and pressure transmitters should be installed downstream of the flowmeter at a minimum of four to six straight pipe diameters.

Coriolis flowmeters Coriolis flowmeters are designed to measure mass flow and density directly.

Their measurements are insensitive to fluid profile, have very few installation limitations, and therefore don’t require upstream and downstream straight pipe runs. The main guidelines for Coriolis sensors are to make sure the sensor tubes remain full. If installed in a vertical pipe, make sure the fluid (liquid and slurries) flows up and gasses flow down and do not use the meter to align misaligned pipe.

Turbine flowmeters Turbine flowmeters must be installed in a manner that minimises measurement errors caused by turbulence or damage to the moving parts caused by high flow rates. It also is recommended that a strainer is used upstream of the turbine meter to capture any contaminants that could damage the moving components.

Sufficient back pressure also should be maintained to avoid any potential flashing or cavitation.

The general guidelines suggested by manufacturers of turbine flowmeters are 15 to 20 straight pipe diameters (inclusive of the strainer) straight pipe runs upstream and five straight

pipe diameters straight pipe runs downstream. The upstream requirement can be increased if, for example, there are two elbows in different planes (up to 50 straight pipe diameters).

Alternatively, the upstream straight run requirement can be reduced if some form of flow straightening is used, down to 10 straight pipe diameters upstream.

Ultrasonic flowmeters Ultrasonic flowmeters require fully developed flow conditions to ensure the meters will perform as specified.

There are two basic types of measuring principles, Doppler and transit time, with the latter being more commonly used for fiscal custody transfer applications of gas and petroleum liquids. As with other technologies, these sensors do require adhering to basic installation guidelines to minimise errors caused by flow profile disturbances.

Consult the standards, ask questions Requirements vary by manufacturer, which could lead to some confusion. In a fiscal custody transfer application of either a liquid or gas, make sure to be fully versed in the current standards.

By asking the right questions, consulting with the manufacturer, and having a good understanding of the existing guidelines and standards, you should be well on your way to getting the most for your flowmeter investment.

Jeff Weiss is an account manager with Cross Co. This article originally appeared in www.controleng.com

I/O FOR THE MOST EXTREME CONDITIONS WAGO’s I/O system, 750 XTR, is extremely weather resistant and can operate from -40 °C up to +70 °C, making additional heating or cooling equipment unnecessary.

It is highly resistant to electromagnetic interference as well as insensitive to vibrations and impulse voltages up to 5 kV, ensuring secure communications in demanding applications. With up to 16 channels in a 12 mm wide housing it requires less space, and has lower energy and maintenance costs; taking automation into extreme environments.

To request a catalogue call 01788 568 008, e-mail ukmarketing@wago.com, or visit www.wago.com

MACHINE VISION ROBOTICS

ROBOT SAFETY: WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW...

With robot safety, what you don’t know can actually hurt you! Control Engineering reports on robotic safety, terms, and standards affecting robotic implementations.

W

ith robotic safety, the adage, ‘What you don’t know won’t hurt you’ doesn’t apply, which is why the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) in the US continues to teach about applicable robotic safety standards and risk mitigation strategies. At an RIA Business Forum in January, Jeff Fryman, RIA director emeritus of standards development, offered a day-long ‘Robot Safety Standard (R15.06 2012) & Robot Risk Assessment Training Seminar.’

Complying with existing standards and guidelines, training, documentation, and using experts, like Certified Robotic Integrators – which RIA offers – were among Fryman’s suggestions for reducing risk and staying safe.

In 2016, Fryman gave similar training 33 times. “Education is particularly relevant, even as the update cycle for R15.06 has begun, with possible

ENCLOSURES

completion in 2018 or 2019,“ he said.

A recently available technical report (TR) offers the U.S. national standard version of the TR606 technical specification for collaborative robots.

TRs are voluntary. A TR will not use ‘shall’ in its language, staying only with advice, using the word ‘should,’ instead. The specification is expected to be updated in a future international standard for collaborative robotics.

Unified robotic safety standards At the January class Fryman explained that the Canadian standard is interchangeable with the U.S. standard, with some cleanup edits offered two years after the U.S. standard’s release.

Importantly, U.S. and international safety experts worked on ISO 10218-1 and -2 of 2011, two parts legally required in Europe. Part 1 is harmonised; by law, original equipment manufacturers must produce a safe

machine. The standards speak to the supply chain and do not tell users how to run robots or even how to turn them on. Canada did add value by offering user-directed information in annexes to its standard rather than in separate technical reports like in the U.S. version.

Machine builders know that if they’re producing a machine for use in the EU, documentation must use ISO and IEC references, rather than U.S. or Canadian references.

Risk assessment Those familiar with the R15.06 robot safety standard from 1999 will recognise that a major change in the 2012 standard includes the need for a risk assessment for robot safety. Previously an option, a risk assessment is now required. It’s mentioned in clause 4 in parts 1 and 2. Any task-based methodology will do, but the TR R15.306 from the 1999 standard will work. In the standard, Table 2 provides a risk level decision matrix.

Control reliability is a term used in North America and refers to the steps needed to make something unreliable

POWER DISTRIBUTION

CLIMATE CONTROL

ROBOTICS into something reliable. In Europe, categories have been used instead.

Control reliable is understood as greater than Category 3 and less than Category 4. Functional Safety language in the international standard overlays “Performance Level d” (PLd) with “Structure Category 3.”

Why were the changes made? Control reliable is only a concept and cannot be quantified. ISO 13849-1 provides performance metrics. Math formula proves level requirement with a look up chart. A controls engineer can prove requirements are met. Related terms are functional safety, Performance Level (PL) and category.

Robotic safety responsibilities Stakeholders are identified in the R15.06 standards. Part 1 talks to robot manufacturers. Part 2 talks to the rest of supply chain, integrators, consultants, installers and suppliers. But, the user is ultimately responsible for the safety of industrial robot installations.

User stakeholder responsibilities are information for use (ensure safeguards are in place and are used, and training and safe work practices are in place); compliance with all codes and regulations (such as OSHA lockout/tagout); and risk assessment: Participation in risk assessment and maintenance of related risk-assessment documentation.

Do these things early in the process.

By waiting until delivery of the robot or machine, it’s often only possible to enclose the robot or system with safeguards. Often it’s easier to design hazards out. Note that if a user makes modifications, the user qualifies as a system integrator and is responsible for Part 2 of the standard.

Robot safety retrofits While R15.06 began in 1986, those involved often ask if older robots or systems require compliance. A robot and system should be compliant with the standard in effect on the date of manufacture. New robots should comply with the latest R15.06 or ISO 102181:2011 standard.

Rebuilt robots, if equal to their original configuration, should comply with the standard in effect on the date of manufacture.

A remanufactured robot with a new configuration should comply with the new standard, including if the robot gets a new controller. (A software upgrade doesn’t count.)

A moved robot system or cell must comply at least with the 1999 standard.

TR R15.506 provides guidance and includes a flow chart of circumstances.

It is possible to have a fully compliant 1999 standard robot without a risk assessment, but for compliance to the 2012 standard, a minimum risk

assessment must be performed as outlined.

OSHA General Duty Clause requires employers to provide a safe workplace.

OSHA looks if industry standards exist, such as R15.06, and others.

Language is important. R15.06 is written in ISO English, which might not be the words many people normally would use. English is not precise, but ISO English is, which is important, because France and Germany use one word for safety and security.

Robot standards According to the standard, what qualifies as an industrial robot requires answering five bullet points affirmatively.

If any answer is no, it might be useful to use R15.06 anyway, which helps for any highly automated machine, although other standards may apply.

An industrial robot: • Is automatically controlled • Has a reprogrammable multipurpose manipulator • Is programmable in three or more axes, which can be either fixed in place or mobile • Is for use in industrial automation applications.

Review of R15.06 is likely to start later this year, with possible revision in 2019.

This article originally appeared in www.controleng.com

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ROBOTICS

Delta robot gains an extra limb Suzanne Gill reports on an interesting design development to the traditional Delta robot.

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lso known as parallel-link robots, Delta robots have, for many years, provided a solution for high-speed, high-acceleration robotic applications. The traditional Delta design consists of three jointed arms connected to motors on a central hub base unit.

Coordinated movement of the arms up and down from the base unit pushes the joints inward or outward, which moves the plate in the X, Y and Z axes, giving the robot a cylindrical work envelope.

With a pick rate of 300 per minute, Omron is set to debut what it says is the World’s fastest and most flexible Delta pick and place robot at this year’s PPMA exhibition in Birmingham, from 26 – 28 September.

Four arms The Quattro is particularly worthy of mention because, unusually for a Delta robot, it features four arms, instead of the more usual three. This feature allows it to offer a larger working envelope and the extra arm

also provides it with a much greater degree of manipulation. Furthermore, the Quattro is also the only Delta robot that has been USDA (US Department of Agriculture) certified and constructed with materials that are safe for primary food handling, making it more hygienically-advanced than many existing robots on the market. USDA provides guidelines for the evaluation and certification of the sanitary design and fabrication of meat and poultry processing equipment, including criteria for the materials used in addition to design features and fabrication.

The Quattro was developed for integrators and end-users who require ultra-high-speed mechanisms integrated with intelligent vision technology for high-speed, reliable packaging, manufacturing and assembly applications. Compared to existing picker robots, other delta robots or parallel robot systems, it promises to offer higher speeds, heavier payloads at high speed, more consistent performance across the robot’s work envelope, and it has

an extensive working range. The robot is available with vision software and integrated controls to offer high-speed manufacturing, packaging and assembly solutions With its four arm rotational platform, Quattro is said to be able to reach up to 30% further than traditional designs, facilitating a larger operational area, including the ability to access wider conveyors. The extra arm also enables the robot to tilt, which allows the load to be placed at a different angle than it is picked – a benefit in many packaging applications. The combination of speed, manipulation, reach and its 15kg payload makes it suitable for a wide variety of general automation applications.

Commenting on the robot, Dan Rossek, Omron marketing manager, said: “PPMA members go out of their way to exhibit the latest cutting-edge technology to attract UK brand owners from the food, pharma and FMCG industries. This year, Omron will debut the only four arm Delta robot in the World – the Quattro – which is also the fastest Delta robot on the market and the only system that’s USDA hygienecertified. It’s a feat of engineering for all to see.”

Omron’s fourarm Delta robot will make its UK show debut at PPMA 2017.

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Control Engineering UK

MOTORS

BRUSHED OR BRUSHLESS? DC MOTOR CHOICES Amir Janjua offers advice on choosing a brushed or brushless DC motor.

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hen choosing a DC motor system for an application, several things first need to be considered prior to deciding on whether a brushed or brushless DC motor will be the best solution. These include: • Required output speed/torque • Available power supply • Service life • External conditions – Temperature, humidity, dimensional capacity Once these factors have been considered, the answer should be more clear as to whether a brushed DC or a brushless DC motor should be chosen.

The internal construction differs between the two and each comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Brushed motors from Maxon come with two options – one with graphite brushes and one with precious metal brushes. The brushes make up the commutation system, as they make contact with the commutator bars when the rotor rotates, allowing the motor to achieve continuous motion and maintain the required torque.

Brushless motors have three phases, meaning they cannot be operated directly with a DC power supply or battery. The voltage has to be supplied in pulses to each phase creating a sequence which allows the motor to

rotate in a constant manner. In order to achieve this, the positioning of the rotor is required, which is usually provided by the integrated hall sensors. The PCB at the back of the motor has three hall sensors mounted to it, each placed at an equal distance of 120o, and they detect the magnetic poles of the control magnet thus allowing the motor to be operated.

There are several reasons to opt for a brushless design as opposed to brushed. One of the main reasons is the service life. As the brushes in a brushed motor make contact with the commutator during operation, it eventually leads to wear of the brushes which essentially reduces performance and service life. When considering the brushless design, the main factor which limits service life is the bearings which retain the shaft. Brushed motors on average achieve a service life of 1,0003,000 hours whereas brushless motors should be able to achieve 20,000 hours providing they are operated within their specification.

A key factor The output speed is also a key factor when choosing a brushed or brushless motor. Brushed motors can achieve up to approximately 18,000 rpm.

However brushless motors can achieve a continuous output speed of 120,000

The Internal construction of the brushed and brushless motors differs – each comes with its own benefits and disadvantages.

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June 2017

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rpm. The speed is also a result of the commutation system used.

The external conditions also play a huge part in determining which choice of motor to select. If, for example, the motor was to be operated in a vacuum, a modified brushless motor would be the first choice or a brushed motor with precious metal brushes.

With graphite brushes, oxygen and a certain level of humidity are required to form a sufficient patina layer on the commutator surface. This layer is crucial for creating an electrical contact as well as a low level of friction. In a vacuum application no patina layer will form. As for precious metal brushes, the brush lubricant would not be present as it would be removed as a modification, because it would eventually evaporate in a vacuum application, resulting in a limited service life. Other advantages of using brushless motors are that there is no commutator arcing, and there is no brush fire which would contribute to a reduction in service life.

Using a brushless motor does come with disadvantages, the main one being that a controller is required in order to supply a voltage sequence between the three phases. Adding a controller to the system results in an increase in cost, and from an engineering point of view, results in more dimensional space being required to account for the controller as well as the relevant cables.

With the key comparisons in mind, the choice between a brushed or brushless motor should be fairly clear, based on the specific application. Both options come with advantages and can be used in various applications, offering high levels of performance.

Amir Janjua is technical engineer for maxom motor UK. Control Engineering UK

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APPETITE for engineering 19th October 2017 Manufacturing Technology Centre Ansty Park, Coventry Advances in intelligent connectivity and automation technologies continue.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) as well as smart machines and factories is becoming reality.

Traditional engineering principles are being challenged by this new order.

A4E will allow UK F&B SME’s and multi-nationals to learn how step changes in efficiency and downtime can be achieved through the introduction of these innovative technologies.

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NEW PRODUCTS

Adaptable wide beam industrial lighting solution WIL STANDARD is a new LED light from Weidmüller that is suited to use in a range of applications. The LED light incorporates three rows of LEDs (3 x 14 LEDs) arranged in a trapesium shape at 20° angles, allowing for an ultra-wide beam angle and a broad illuminated area. This design means users do not have to rotate the light to illuminate specific areas or even change the direction.

IP67 protection enables installation in a range of applications. The light is connected using an M12 plug-in connector. The operating voltage is 24 V DC with a maximum current of 430 mA. The very bright light has a light colour of

6500 K – roughly equivalent to daylight and is therefore acceptable to the eye.

The flat construction of the light lends itself to a range of installation options either in the control cabinet or the field.

In the control cabinet, it can either be fitted concealed behind a folded edge or simply on the side panel. Thanks to the fixing holes in the light, installation is simple and direct, with no need for any additional fitting materials. Spaced 225 mm apart and with a diameter of 6.5 mm, the fixing holes ensure simplified installation in conventional control cabinets. To make installation easier, the LED light has pre-assembled M12 connections with a 30-cm long prefabricated cable, so no individual cables or wires need to be connected.

Thanks to the M12 plug-in connector, it can be cascaded with multiple lights connected in parallel. Because of the low current consumption, users also have the option of connecting the LED light directly to the 0.5-A standard output of a PLC. With a 2-A PLC output module, four lights can also be connected in parallel.

With a height of just 8 mm, the

IO-Link module added to pneumatics platform Emerson has expanded the ASCO Numatics 580 Series fieldbus electronics platform with the introduction of an IO-Link communication option.

For use with the ASCO Numatics 500 Series valve islands, the IO-Link module offers machine automation designers a convenient, cost effective and reliable solution for solenoid valve control through direct digital data communication with the machine controller plus the ability for eventbased and I/O mapped diagnostics – both important predictive maintenance requirements.

The 580 Series IO-Link is compatible with the full range of 501, 502 and 503 Series valve islands which offer flow rates from 400 to 1400 l/min in valve sizes of 11, 18 and 26 mm.

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June 2017

The ASCO Numatics 580 Series IO-Link module is said to offer many advantages such as simple commissioning with unshielded 3-wire communication connection and 4- or 5-pin industry standard M12 connectors for power and communications. In addition to increased machine availability through enhanced diagnostics, further benefits include parameter setting with IO-Link´s integral device description protocol (IODD) plus simple configuration parameter update and easy component exchange. When used with the 500 Series valve islands and a compatible IO-Link master, a modular distributed I/O topology can be achieved for up to 32 solenoid outputs per master in addition to third-party sensors, relays and other field level components.

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light is very flush, and measures 240 mm in length and 40 mm in width.

The illuminated area is completely encapsulated, making it suitable for use in harsh industrial environments. Based on the industrial development approach, the new WIL does not require an airsealed area, so there is no inspection glass which can break. This design makes the LED light extremely robust. It also emits very little heat, so coolants and lubricants do not overheat.

Linear motors with Profinet drive The ST Series linear motor from DUNKERMOTOREN is now available with Profinet drive, DME 230x4, further extending the range, which already offers CANopen and EtherCAT drive options.

In combination with the Profinet drive option, the ST linear motors can now be easily integrated into Siemens controller environments.

The linear system with DME 230x4 is said to provide highly dynamic motion and good controllability for quick and precise positioning.

Typical applications for the ST Series ServoTube could include industrial machinery, laboratory equipment and test systems. The absence of meshing mechanical parts, such as gears or ball/lead screws in the ST Series makes it quiet in operation and it requires no maintenance.

The motor can achieve speeds of up to 10m/sec, acceleration up to 586m/s² (60g), peak forces up to 1860N and it is available with protection ratings of up to IP67.

Control Engineering UK

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE

Using data analytics to offer predictive maintenance services Suzanne Gill reports on the launch of a new service offering from Tetra Pak, which makes use of equipment data and advanced analytics to predict machine errors.

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ustomers in the liquid food processing sector today are aiming for ever greater efficiencies when managing their production processes.

At this year’s Hannover Messe, Tetra Pak introduced a new suite of services for its customers, which focus on improving the ability to predict machine errors, accelerating response times, and offering faster, direct access to its technical knowledge.

Powered by Microsoft technology, these digital solutions aim to boost manufacturers’ efficiency, cut costs and ensure food safety. Johan Nilsson, vice president for TetraPak Services talked about some of the latest digital technologies that can help boost efficiencies for food manufacturers. He said: “Digitalisation can help support the journey to reducing operational costs. Securing high product quality and food safety is high on the agenda. The environmental performance of factories is also vital. Improved environmental performance will normally be the result of an increase in output from the same resources.”

Tetra Pak’s new service solutions for maintenance, issues monitoring and resolution centre around three main areas: Connected workforce: Empowered with wearable technology - based on Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality headsets - local Tetra Pak service engineers at customer sites are now able to connect directly with global specialists wherever they are. This gives the service engineer the benefit of expert support and advice in real time. Nilsson said: “Our customers operate in a complex landscape where quality is essential and Control Engineering Europe

production lines are sophisticated. Using the HoloLens, customers can now access the whole network of our specialists wherever they might be in the world, via our service engineers. This transforms the delivery of our support and enables quick resolution of quality issues.” The HoloLens mixed reality technology can also be utilised by service engineers during system installations and for regular preventative maintenance practices.

Advanced analytics: Data from filling lines is collected in a central database from where it can be accessed and analysed by a team of Tetra Pak’s experts. This data means that advanced analysis can be used to predict issues and optimise machine performance.

“Around 60% of our installed base of equipment is connected so we can receive performance and process data from the equipment. When you have the data and apply Tetra Pak’s machine learning and domain knowledge, it is possible to create valuable insights and based on these it is possible to take action – undertake preventative maintenance activities before something on the machinery breaks,” said Nilsson.

“Typically it is possible to predict failure between one and two weeks before the failure occurs.”

Connected solutions: All equipment at the customer plant can be connected to the Microsoft Azure cloud system, managed

by Tetra Pak, enabling machines at different production

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stages, such as processing, filling and distribution, to communicate with each other and synchronise. This gives the customer an overview of the plant and offers performance optimisation opportunities for the whole production.

Reducing downtime For Tetra Pak customers the new condition monitoring service can help predict machine failures before they occur, resulting in reduced machine downtime and the costs related to maintenance or unexpected failures.

The service sees Tetra Pak analysing operational performance data from more than 5,000 connected filling machine lines. This is used to advise customers about their maintenance needs in a more timely and effective way than was previously possible, allowing parts to be ordered in advance, manpower to be better scheduled and other repairs undertaken during the scheduled downtimes. Two different approaches are taken by Tetra Pak to achieve this – utilising historic data to predict a failure and using limited real-time data alongside an advanced algorithm, which can help predict a failure.

Tetra Pak started a six-month pilot project for the new service offering in January 2016, supporting 17 lines across 10 customers in Europe and the Americas with the new service. During this period, downtime was eliminated by up to 48 hours for each line, saving up to 30,000 Euros for the customer.

June 2017

17

BIG DATA

Putting big data into context Engineers at process plants are now awash with data from a variety of sources.

Michael Risse explains how analytics can be used to create actionable insights from this data to improve business outcomes.

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ig data in process manufacturing is simultaneously old news, new news and big news. It’s old news because while many writers and businesses started paying attention to big data around 2011, it has been a factor in process manufacturing plants and facilities for decades.

Along with DCS, SCADA and HMI systems came process historians to store and manage the petabytes of data associated with modern operations.

Many process automation vendors will tell you they’ve been ‘doing big data for years’ because the generation, storage and management of large amounts of data is nothing new to most process plants and facilities.

What’s new?

But there is something new, or at least more recent, about big data in process manufacturing. This new component encompasses not only the increasing volume of data generated, but also the variety of data types which include, but aren’t limited to, mapping and location, video, remote asset, ERP, asset management and pricing systems data.

In the generally accepted definition of big data – coined in 2001 by Doug Laney, now with Gartner Group – this is the

‘variety’ component of big data, which fits along with volume and velocity as the three pillars of the modern data environment. Laney didn’t use the term big data, but he did correctly identify the characteristics of big data, which endure to this day – lots of data from many sources created at an accelerated rate due to the low cost of generation, collection and storage.

The big news about big data for process manufacturing is the opportunity to make better use of the data available, regardless of its source, to help improve business outcomes. This could be data from operations leveraged by the business side to improve pricing and cost decisions. Or data from the business side used by operations to improve tradeoffs in production priorities, or many other uses. In any of these use cases, the key to success is contextualisation of the data.

In process manufacturing, this is typically thought of as an L1 or L2 data mapping effort – for example associating assets with batch IDs – but this new opportunity is at the L3 and L4 levels.

At these levels, it’s not just associating sensor, asset, batch, process analytics – but also includes process, profit and plant analytics.

Just as an operator can sit in front

Figure 1: Seeq screen shot. Picking the right data analytics tool can deliver clear visuals showing insights to enable improved outcomes.

(Images courtesy Seeq)

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June 2017

of an HMI depicting plant status, an engineer can now sit in front of a screen with a visual presentation of all the data sources available to him or her for an investigation or optimisation effort (Figure 1). This self-service data access for ad hoc analytics is now a reality, which is a significant new big data development.

Analytics in action Using new predictive analytics capabilities, engineers can know in advance the likely condition of an asset in terms of required repair or maintenance. But while the engineer may be aware of asset conditions, they don’t know the implications from a profit and loss perspective because they can’t see the big picture from a plant manager’s point of view.

In some situations, costs saved in one area may lead to additional costs in another. For example, reducing throughput to extend asset life in one area could negatively affect downstream production to an extent greater than the savings realised.

This is the opportunity of big data in the hands of an engineer, to enable modern analytics across data regardless of source and type to inform better outcomes. The engineer must have access to the data, contextualise it and

Figure 2: Oxygen flow-rate data plotted directly with Seeq from the DeltaV historian for three 3L lab-scale bioreactors and the 100L pilotscale bioreactor.

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Control Engineering Europe

BIG DATA execute the analytics – all within the time it takes to improve an outcome. If these tasks take longer than a batch run time, for example, they are not helpful. This is a common situation due to the complexity of collecting data from a variety of sources, cleansing it and modeling it.

But with the right data analytics tool, the desired results can be produced quickly, as these uses cases demonstrate.

Pharmaceuticals Problem: When moving from experiments to full-scale production, the reactor yields realised in the lab could not be duplicated upon scale-up. The causes were difficult to identify using manual methods and existing data management tools, primarily spreadsheets.

Solution: Bringing together data from disparate sources associated with the lab and full-scale production, with the help of Seeq productivity applications, allowed this pharmaceuticals company to quickly compare the two processes and ascertain key differences. Fullscale production parameters are then adjusted to improve yields (Figure 2).

Electric power grid management Problem: An electrical grid management group was unable to create a mathematical model to predict how much load industrial users would shed in response to an electrical rate change.

Solution: A model was built using various data sources to predict load shedding in response to rate changes.

All operators now consistently identify events mathematically, instead of only the best operators occasionally finding insight using their intuition. Using these mechanisms, the group now has closedloop control of grid loading.

Open-pit mining ore truck operations Problem: Trying to use the abundance of data produced by the large and complex ore trucks working the mine was difficult due to the many sources and forms it took, and the number of historians collecting this information.

Control Engineering Europe

Demonstrating the benefits of transmission of data to the cloud Industry 4.0 success relies on capturing, transmitting and processing data. This means that connectivity is now a vital requirement for all equipment and is the reason that Rittal has incorporated communication capabilities into its new cooling units and chillers.

Rittal’s Blue e+ cooling units and chillers consume an average of 70% less power than their conventional counterparts. They are also able to transmit key data to a smartphone quickly and simply via a near field communication (NFC) connection.

Further, Rittal’s parameterisation and diagnostics software uses a USB interface or a network to support system operation and to deliver rapid support for maintenance and repairs.

The new communications module – Com Modul – also allows the cooling units and chillers to communicate with higher-level systems via OPC UA, PROFINET, SNMP, Modbus RTU and CAN Master – helping enable predictive maintenance and data analytics.

At Hannover Messe, Rittal demonstrated how the system works, using both Siemens MindSphere and IBM’s Watson IoT. MindSphere is a cloud-based, open IoT (Internet of Things) operating system, which enables customers to develop their own Industry 4.0 applications. It offers a scalable platform which can capture and analyse huge volumes of data – paving the way for smart-factory processes in

Solution: Seeq gathers data from all the disparate sources in all its forms and transforms it into one common format for analysis. Complex questions such as engine loading under very specific conditions are now easy to answer, leading to improved operations.

Big data is here in process plants and facilities, and in ever greater quantities from a wider variety of sources. The

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energy data management and resource optimisation, for example. Additionally, it harnesses analytics to predict when repairs and maintenance are required.

This cuts costs and raises system uptime in comparison to work performed at predefined intervals. The solution also calculates the shortest routes for service engineers to take for these tasks – which can be particularly advantageous at facilities with a large number of machines. Plus, because up-to-theminute data on each unit is available on the IoT platform, staff know what replacement parts they will require for the job in hand, eliminating the need for multiple trips.

The IBM Watson IoT demonstration showed how Rittal products interoperate with this cloud-based data analytics system, using a machine at Rittal’s production plant in Germany to show how the collected data can be used to improve efficiency.

Watson’s architecture is designed to rapidly process information, and employs machine learning algorithms to analyse growing data volumes with increasing precision – with the aim of finding better answers to a variety of challenges.

This type of data analytics applications help streamline maintenance and cut downtime. For the machine designer the solution’s also open up new business opportunities, providing an opportunity to offer smart maintenance contracts.

challenge is figuring out the best way to present this data to the engineer so they can quickly make decisions to improve outcomes. Modern data analytics solutions address this issue by visually presenting data to users, and by providing them with tools to interact with and produce results from the data.

Michael Risse is vice president and chief marketing officer at Seeq Corporation.

June 2017

19

CYBER SECURITY

Highlighting the risks to

INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS Barak Perelman highlights the numerous risks facing industrial control systems today.

He argues that real-time visibility is key to better security.

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oday’s industrial control system (ICS) networks face cyber threats from a wide range of actors – state-sponsored hacks, terrorist groups, hacktivists, professional criminals, and disgruntled employees. The introduction of disruptive technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 complicate things further, exposing the already fragile infrastructure of so many ICS networks to such threats.

Unlike complex IT networks, which have a wide variety of sophisticated security controls, including mechanisms such as authentication and encryption – and which possess detailed logs – ICS networks lack such controls which makes

them easy targets.

Most ICS networks were designed and created before the age of the Internet. In other words, before security was the 24/7 nerve-wracking concern that it is today, when cyber terrorism did not exist, and at a time when industrial networks were isolated by a physical air-gap from other parts of the organisation. Today, many of these legacy systems are still in place, unpatched, and vulnerable, exposed to the growing ICS threat landscape.

External and internal threats External cyber attacks typically come from politically motivated sources such as nation states, terrorist groups, or hacktivists. They can also be criminally-

motivated. Industrial espionage is also a common motivator since ICS can hold valuable IP related to industrial processes and products.

In the past few years, there have been a number of headline-grabbing attacks on ICS networks.

In 2016 the Ukraine suffered a power outage that affected nearly one-fifth of Kiev’s population. This happened almost exactly one year after another attack had cut power to 225,000 people in the country. The Ukrainian Government claimed that both attacks were connected, along with a series of hacks on other state institutions including the national railway system, several government ministries and a national pension fund.

Last year, the US Justice Department reported that Iranian hackers had infiltrated the industrial controls of a dam in Rye Brook, New York. While they managed to access its control systems, the breach didn’t cause any damage because the facility was not functional at the time.

Not surprisingly, security experts believe that the vast majority of ICS hacking incidents are not made public as there is no regulation or law requiring them to be reported.

The menace within External cyber attacks are not the only concern in sensitive industrial networks.

Malicious insiders and human error can pose just as much of a risk to these networks. Trusted employees, contractors, and integrators who work on manufacturing processes can create disruptions, unintended outcomes, and significant damage.

Since most ICS networks lack

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Control Engineering Europe

CYBER SECURITY any authentication or encryption mechanisms, an insider will often have unfettered access to any device on a network so may be able to make changes to critical devices. This includes the sensitive controllers responsible for the entire lifecycle of industrial processes. Also, because there are no logs tracing such activities, detection is very difficult and can take days.

Human error Human error is the leading cause of operational downtime. Basic mistakes – such as making changes to a wrong PLC and doing poor maintenance of DCS systems – can cause extensive disruptions and downtime.

If an organisation cannot track activities, it will be very difficult and time-consuming to identify the source of problems, discover who/what caused them, and take appropriate action.

Many ICS networks lack any authentication or authorisation mechanisms. Also lacking are basic controls to enforce policies for access, security, and change-management.

These networks also don’t have audit trails or logs that capture access and changes to critical control devices.

Consequently, it is virtually impossible to prevent unauthorised access or changes. It is also very difficult to discover if control systems were compromised or to determine the source of an attack. This lack of visibility prevents staff from discovering incidents and responding to them quickly and cost-effectively.

Securing a network The key to protecting ICS environments begins with realtime visibility into every facet of the network and every action. This includes being able to monitor all activities, track all attempts to access controllers and changes being made to these critical devices (whether performed by trusted insiders or unknown sources), and to determine whether actions are authorised or not.

Control Engineering Europe

Fighting for holistic IT/OT security Integrated cybersecurity solutions are still a long way off because of a lack of expertise and a lack of solutions that don’t address the integration between information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) departments, says Thomas Nuth.

While the need for cybersecurity is apparent, enterprise and industrial networks are still often managed without a cohesive security strategy.

And, even after years of being an acknowledged problem, integrated solutions are not in sight.

Why? First and foremost, there is a lack of expertise in the workforce. Secondly, today’s technologies have focused on modularised solutions for either the enterprise network or the industrial environment, without paying attention to integration between the two.

All sectors need to find innovative ways to scale the expertise of their limited workforces to bring security to extensively connected systems, operations and networks. Innovative cyber tools must lead the way by automating learning of baseline behaviors, network monitoring, and cybersecurity management so few may do the work of many, for corporate and industrial control system (ICS) security.

Siloed security Technology is also partially to blame for the cybersecurity deficiency we face today. This is especially true in nonenterprise sectors such as utilities, oil and gas, and industrial manufacturing.

From an industrial and enterprise networking view, cybersecurity ended up addressed from two diverse perspectives. From either direction, cybersecurity has been shortsighted by

In other words, to not just identify malicious actions, but also to be able to look at a comprehensive audit activity and drill down to specific incidents when problems occur. With full visibility into engineering activities and changes made

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an approach that limits the focus to the reach of each group’s network domains.

The reason for this shortcoming is the industrial automation space (OT) and the enterprise software space (IT) are being forced to connect with one another in terms of solutions delivery, operations management and customer outreach, but security integration has not always followed suit.

As the backbone of critical infrastructure, ICSs are ubiquitous.

Threat management also needs to scale to endpoints throughout the industrial network – such as sensors, PLCs, data loggers and HMIs. Furthermore, as the use of desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones have come into play, the reach of the ICS domain has grown rapidly.

A solution that combines automated anomalous detection of ICS security issues, along with proactive threat remediation and containment, is required if security is to scale beyond the OT/IT divide.

When it comes to cybersecurity, less attention needs to be paid to the categorisation of OT versus IT, and more on holistic integration between the two.

Leaving ICS without highly-scalable, automated, real-time cybersecurity visibility means our largest industries and government services will continue to be vulnerable to cyber threats.

The good news is automated machine learning and rapid evaluation of data using artificial intelligence is coming into play. These tools meet the needs of securing industrial networks and processes yet integrate with IT security infrastructure to bridge the OT/IT divide.

Thomas Nuth is a product director at Nozomi Networks.

This article originally appeared on www.controleng.com

to critical control logic taking place in ICS networks organisations can implement security and access management policies that specify who is permitted to make certain changes, when, and how.

Barak Perelman is CEO of Indegy.

June 2017

21

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY

Moving to a wireless remote Scott Keller offers advice monitoring system on what needs to be considered when moving from a wired remote monitoring solution to a wireless one.

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aving the ability to automatically track and control assets remotely is an important requirement in many applications and it can help to improve operations while reducing costs. The use of wired remote sensing systems are the most usual solution to achieve this, especially in the oil and gas industry. Sensors monitoring various assets are normally equipped with outputs that require hundreds of metres of wire to connect to a PLC. Analogue 4-20mA current loop and Modbus interfaces are examples of communication protocols that can cope with long cable runs.

However, while wired remote monitoring offers advantages over manual readings from sensors or gauges, it does have limitations, depending on the application regarding installation cost, sensor flexibility, and environmental influences. If a remote monitoring application requires multiple sensors to monitor various parameters, for example, a wired system requires each sensor be wired back to the controller using an interface port. For large systems, a wired system requires a large interface panel with many different interfaces.

A wireless system, however, will often have a digital communications interface (Modbus RS485), allowing for many sensors to be wirelessly ‘connected’ to the controller through a single port.

While beneficial when configuring a new controller, changing from a wired interface, with lots of individual input ports, to a gateway-based wireless system with a digital interface does require pre-planning.

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In lieu of making a complete changeover there are modules available that can convert digital information into individual analogue channels, simulating the existing analogue interface. Although this is the easiest solution for a quick changeover, and does not require any software changes, it does not utilise the vast increase in data and diagnostic benefits that are made possible by changing the complete communications architecture to a wireless sensor control system.

There are many factors which should be considered when evaluating a move to a wireless remote monitoring and control system instead of upgrading an existing wired system:

Costs Wired systems: What is the area over which the wired system will operate?

Costs related to running conduit over large areas, especially if requiring trenching, can make a wired system too cost prohibitive.

Wireless systems: With no conduit or trenching requirements, a wireless system can be installed at the cost of a wired system with 15m of installed conduit – less if conduit needs to be buried.

Maintenance Wired systems: When removing sensors for periodic maintenance, wires integrating to units can be damaged.

Improper wire labeling can result in

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incorrect sensor replacement.

Wireless systems: In a wireless system, nodes integrate to sensors that send data directly to a gateway. When removing sensors for maintenance, the wireless node easily detaches and reattaches without interference by wires.

Environmental Wired systems: Underground conduit is often ruined by equipment when digging a trench for another underground conduit run. The cost to replace conduit and cable systems can be huge. In addition, lightning strikes on a sensor will propagate along all wires, often destroying equipment attached to the system.

Wireless systems: With no underground wires, nothing must be dug when going wireless. Once installed, lightning strikes to a sensor may damage the single unit, but will not interfere with the complete system.

Topography Wired systems: Certain locations make it impractical to run wires, such as across a highway or river.

Wireless systems: A wireless node can be easily installed on the other side of a highway or river. Self-configuring, wireless nodes automatically connect to the network.

When moving from a wired solution to a wireless one, consider all the aspects of the job. Is there a problem with what you have now? If so, are you willing to change the interface at the controller understanding that this change will allow you to take in much more data and diagnostic information than you had before? Is it more cost-effective when considering the absence of cable, trenching and interface requirements?

Deciding when to ‘pull the trigger’ is always the hardest part.

Scott Keller is CEO at SignalFire Telemetry.

Control Engineering Europe

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY

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And to reach beyond today’s horizons, we work step-by-step with you to make the unimagined a reality. That’s how we move forward, through the synergy of co-innovation partnership. Join hands with

RTU expands scope for telecontrol applications

us, and together we can sustain a brighter future. Yokogawa: Building a better tomorrow with you today.

New Remote Terminal Units (RTU) from Siemens are said to extend the application scope of compact RTUs for telecontrol applications.

The new Simatic RTU3010C, and the functions added to the RTU3030C, can be used for the simple implementation and monitoring of measurement points for process data such as level, flow and fill level, as well as pressure and temperature, even in plants spread over a wide geographical area.

The transmission of process values can be cyclically controlled or event-driven. The RTUs can be connected to any control center using different telecontrol protocols – also standardised protocols. With the support of telecontrol protocols such as Sinaut ST7, the compact RTUs can be integrated into new or existing Sinaut ST7 and SCADA systems. Integrated inputs and outputs allows sensors to be directly connected. Together with web-based engineering, this helps simplify commissioning.

Applications for new RTUs include the water and wastewater industry, agriculture and asset management.

To connect to the control center, instead of an integrated UMTS modem the Simatic RTU3010C uses external industrial routers such as Scalance M for network connection over an Industrial Ethernet interface. Power is supplied to both the compact RTUs over a DC12-24 volt interface, by a solar panel with rechargeable battery or simply using conventional batteries.

The RTUs are also capable of powering the connected sensors. The new firmware version 2.0 enables additional batteries to be used, increasing the capacity to more than 70 ampere hours (Ah) and allowing for much longer operating times without the need to change batteries.

The RTUs have been designed for use in harsh ambient conditions, at temperatures of between -40°C and +70°C, and when fitted with an additional IP 68 rated protective housing, even in flood conditions.

Control Engineering Europe

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Please visit www.yokogawa.com/eu

DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEMS

Four things to remember about DCS MIGRATION Whether it’s a refinery, chemical plant, or other process-related facility, the primary control system must operate efficiently, safely, and economically. If it doesn’t, perhaps it’s time for an upgrade. Jack Smith reports.

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lant and operations managers don’t wake up one day and realise their distributed control systems (DCSs) and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) may be approaching obsolescence and a plan of action should be formulated. Unfortunately, the realisation that a process plant’s control platform is becoming ineffective typically comes too late, speaking from practical and economical perspectives.

When that realisation does come, it’s time to do some type of control system upgrade. Whether piece by piece replacement over time or a full rip-andreplace migration is in order, there are four things to remember about DCS migration: • Decide that DCS migration necessary • Decide the appropriate justification • Plan the migration path • Implement the migration plan.

The necessity of migration John Rudolph, vice president of Lifecycle Solutions and Services at Honeywell Process Solutions, wrote in an article that appeared in the July 2016 issue of Control Engineering titled ‘Surviving a control system migration project’: In its 2015 report, ‘Distributed Control Systems Worldwide Outlook,’ the ARC Advisory Group estimated that $65 billion worth of installed process automation systems in the world today are nearing the end of their useful lifecycles, which, in many cases, can exceed 25 years. Many of these systems – as much as $12 billion worth – are some of the original DCSs installed in the late 1970s. Ironically, many manufacturers treat their business

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systems and email servers very differently than their process control systems.

Companies make a concerted effort to keep IT infrastructure current. The same level of emphasis is not yet common practice for plant automation.”

Even though a legacy control system may still work well after 30 years or even longer doesn’t mean that it is operating efficiently, reliably, safely, or costeffectively. Jeff Morton, a sales manager at Cross Company Integrated Systems Group, wrote in an article that appeared in the January 2017 issue of Control Engineering titled ‘Six action items for an aging DCS/PLC’: ‘Budgets are always a constraint and capital expenditures may be tight, especially for full DCS or PLC replacements, which are often multimillion dollar investments.

That investment, though, is nothing compared to the cost if the production facility went down and could not recover for a week or more.

What’s even more concerning is that there are many facilities that are unprepared for system failure or obsolescence, which can have catastrophic consequences. Operations, facility, or engineering managers need to begin preparing for migration of your control system from a legacy system to current and supported architectures.

“doing nothing” option is no longer viable.

In a Control Engineering article titled ‘Distributed control system upgrades for process control systems,’ Aneel Shahzad Baig, senior project manager at Intech Process Automation, wrote that reasons to upgrade a DCS include: • End of life • End of support • Lack of knowledge or skilled resources to support legacy systems • Performance issues • Lack of openness for expansion or integration with newer systems • Lack of features required for enhancing the control philosophies • Maintenance costs.

Emerson’s Laurie Ben, director of global modernization business development, and Aaron Crews, director of global modernization solutions, offer additional reasons for a control system modernization project. Their article, “Using automation modernisation for business success,” appeared in the April 2017 issue of AppliedAutomation.

• Expense – the automation system is expensive to keep healthy.

• Decreasing value – the automation system has few tools and technologies to help meet current business needs and market pressures.

DCS migration justification

Plan the migration path

According to Rudolph, when it comes to keeping automation technology up to date, proactive is the new normal.

Companies that migrate to a newer, more effective control system gain a key advantage over competitors that wait for assets to reach end of life. The

Although the initial decision to upgrade and justifying the migration project are necessary, the actual project planning is probably the biggest point to consider so far. There are so many decisions to which the classic engineering answer is applicable: “It depends.”

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Control Engineering Europe

> p26

Technology Elevated to the Cloud.

Time to Elevate Your Thinking.

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Introducing Experion® Elevate: real-time process SCADA delivered as a secure and scalable service— for predictable costs, easy upgrades, and continual support. We call it Elevate because it takes SCADA to a higher level.

For more information, please visit

Connected Industrial Connected Plant

www.honeywellprocess.com/elevat © 2017 Honeywell International Inc.

DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEMS

Rudolph suggests the following upgrade possibilities for a legacy DCS: • Technology refresh involving replacement of legacy electronics • Technology upgrades involving replacement of existing equipment • Intellectual property upgrades transitioning to more advanced technology.

Typical migration alternatives, according to Rudolph, can include: • Moving control to the current hardware to preserve the installed inputs/outputs (I/O) and all of the existing engineering • Moving control to the current hardware to preserve the installed I/O and re-engineering the current control software • Moving control to the current hardware, upgrading to new I/O, and re-engineering the current control software • Removing the control systemm

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– including I/O – and completely re-engineering all of the control software.

Ben and Crews suggest three behaviours for achieving success in a DCS moderniSation: 1. Begin with the end in mind 2. Actively manage project risk 3. Use a forward-engineering philosophy.

When planning any kind of DCS migration, one must not leave out the training aspect.

“A DCS migration, particularly one in which a new platform is introduced, requires much thought and can unleash a variety of problems if not executed well. Training is a significant issue and should be approached carefully,” wrote Peter Welander, contributing content specialist for Control Engineering, in an article titled “DCS migrations: Opportunity for improvement, or operational disaster” in the July 2016

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issue of the magazine.

Implement the migration plan There are many things to consider when faced with an aging DCS, but they can be summed up into these four things to remember: necessity, justification, plan, and implementation. By the same token, there are many challenges to consider as well.

“If properly planned and implemented, control system migrations enable industrial organisations to migrate legacy control platforms at their own pace, allowing new controllers to be added at any time and integrated with existing equipment,” Rudolph said. “A wellexecuted strategy to address technology obsolescence delivers significant operational and business benefits through seamless integration of new and existing automation assets.”

Jack Smith is a content manager at Control Engineering. www.controleng.com Control Engineering Europe

More Integrated.

More Synergies.

Less Work.

LEAP™ for Operations Increases Operational Productivity and Throughput.

Now, use LEAP project methodology to optimize, simplfy, and run operations efficiently. Once an automation project is implemented, continue to use LEAP principles to squeeze more out of what you have and avoid major capital expansions.

For more information, please visit

Connected Industrial Connected Plant

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

FINAL WORD

Linking outcomes and opportunities through virtual testing capabilities).

In order to confidently offer outcomes-based solutions knowledge of the technologies involved, along with their likely impact on the user organisation, is required. That ‘intimacy’ with technology and its applications does not tend to be the province of generalist financiers. It requires specialist knowledge and wide experience, along with a close relationship between solution provider and financing partner.

The pay-for-outcomes option transforms the reliability of financial planning in manufacturing. Not only are costs more transparent, the risk of technology obsolescence, capital commitment, and so on are avoided.

Brian Foster, head of Industry Finance at Siemens Financial Services in the UK, discusses an emerging business model which links payment for equipment and technology to resulting business benefits.

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igital innovation is changing the way business works. In the past, businesses would acquire enabling machinery and technology with the expectation that, once operational, it would allow them to remain competitive for long periods, often across a decade. Rapid developments in digitalised equipment however, are now compelling organisations to review their thinking and look to regularly upgrade machinery and technology. The Internet of Things (IoT) enables equipment and technology performance to be remotely monitored, analysed, improved, predictively maintained and made more efficient, and virtual environments are bringing new products and processes to market more quickly.

This has enabled finance providers to increase the transparency of how equipment and technology are being used; allowing them to base tailored financing arrangements on the expected business benefits resulting from the use of that technology.

Pay-for-outcomes Being able to pay for business outcomes, rather than paying to use the technology that the acquirer believes will produce beneficial outcomes, has seen significant growth in the last few years. The

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An example emergence of a new generation of digitalised technology that links people, technology and organisations has made it possible to closely align what is paid by private- or public-sector organisations with the expected business benefits.

This notion is now being more widely discussed as the emerging business model in manufacturing. Finance and technology are being combined into an integrated value proposition where the solution provider offers organisations the possibility of paying for expected business outcomes, such as productivity improvements, optimised uptime, precise performance gains, cost reduction or reduced energy usage.

‘Business outcomes’ can take many forms, depending on the priority of the end-user organisation. Manufacturing companies usually seek one or more of four business outcomes – reduced cost per manufactured product unit (through, faster production rates, reduced setup time, etc.); reduced operating overheads (for instance, lower energy consumption); ability (and agility) to deliver product variations to each customer without cost penalty; and faster product development (e.g.,

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Kübler & Niethammer is a midsized papermaker. It recently implemented an efficiency optimisation programme for its power plant that involved installing an additional steam turbine SST-060 from Siemens Power & Gas. To preserve the company’s lines of bank credit Siemens created a tailored pay-foroutcomes arrangement which made it possible to match the reduced energy costs resulting from the new turbine technology to the cost of the new technology and therefore pay for it.

Pay-to-use Pay-to-use arrangements, enabled by financing techniques such as leasing, rental and asset finance, have steadily gained ground over the last 20 years.

Businesses have sought to acquire key operating technology and equipment while broadly spreading payments across the period during which they are gaining advantage from the use of that equipment, machinery or technology.

These arrangements support a company’s need to access the required technology to compete without requiring upfront capital. This also allows the benefits of the equipment’s Control Engineering Europe

FINAL WORD use to be broadly matched to payments over time while providing a means of avoiding technology obsolescence.

Alongside the emergence of the ‘pay-for-outcomes’ approach, it is likely that ‘pay-to-use’ methods will continue to play an important role in providing access to the latest advances in technology and equipment. Payto-use models are making it possible for manufacturers to make necessary technology upgrades and enjoy the business benefits that result. These models are also developing into more sophisticated forms that have flexed to

embrace and accommodate trends in the technology markets.

Pay-per-wrap solution TRAKRAP, for example, manufactures a packaging solution for retailers that use 90% less energy and 70% less wrapping film. The UK-based company wanted to access a business model enabled by suitable financing that would help its cash flow and improve its customer service. Introduced to Siemens Financial Services by technology partner Siemens Digital Factory, TRAKRAP agreed a vendor financing arrangement that

enabled its customers to spread the costs for the use of the system over the contractual period on a ‘cost-per-wrap’ basis. TRAKRAP receives payment for its customers’ solutions from Siemens at the commencement of the agreement and can continue to invest in growth.

Siemens research suggests that both pay-for-outcomes and pay-to-use finance models will continue to gain popularity.

Embedded finance (where finance is an intrinsic part of the sales proposition) will continue to grow in importance as one of the key factors making such payfor-outcomes business models work.

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PRODUCT FORUM • CURTISS-WRIGHT INTRODUCES NEW CANBUS ROTARY POSITION SENSOR New model expands NRH27x range and offers CANbus J1939 output for specialty vehicle applications Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial division has announced the launch of the NRH27C, a non-contact rotary position sensor which is suitable for use on specialty on- and off-highway vehicles utilizing CANbus communications.

Developed by Curtiss-Wright’s legacy brand of Penny & Giles, the NRH27C extends the company’s recentlyintroduced NRH271 and NRH272 family and shares many similar features and benefits. These include a low-profile sensor body, small footprint, CANbus J1939 communications and a fully encapsulated, IP69K-rated design that offers exceptional performance against water, dust, shock, vibration and temperature. This makes the range ideal for use by OEMs of on- and off-highway vehicles that are destined for use in challenging environments, and as a cost-effective solution for medium volume applications where a degree of customization may be required.

Within the CAN messaging structure of the vehicle,

the NRH27C’s two independent Hall-effect sensing signals allow for error checking of the positional data, which addresses the needs of safety-critical applications. Additionally, an on-board diagnostic function means predefined error messages can be sent to define the present state of the sensor. The versatile, factory-programmeable electronics can also be easily set to different Baud rate, Node ID and Frame rates according to system requirements.

• CANbus SAE-J1939 output • Wear-free with no mechanical degredation • Optimal combination of performance, safety and cost • Concentric magnet assembly offsets up to 2mm • Multiple magnet options Contained in a 9.5mm low-profile housing and available with industry-standard AMP Superseal, Deutsch DT04 series connectors, or simple 18AWG flying-leads for customer termination, the NRH27C can be powered from a 5Vdc regulated or 9-30Vdc unregulated supply and provides a full 360° output range.

Please forward all sales and reader service inquiries to cwig.uk@curtisswright.com.

For more information on Curtiss-Wright Industrial products, visit www.cw-industrialgroup.com or call +44 1202 034000

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MODULAR AREA VIEW KIT ALLOWS OEMS FAST SETUP OF TEST SYSTEMS First Sensor presents a modular Area View Kit (AVK) for the setup of 360° all-round view systems for applications in special vehicles and machines. The Area View Kit allows solution providers, integrators and OEMs to quickly and easily build up, develop, and test a demo system. Therefore, it accelerates the development process and minimizes technology risks. The kit consists of four digital HDR-CMOS cameras with a range of accessories for mounting on the vehicle or on a metal plate for desktop applications. The AVK software stitches the images of the individual cameras together to form a virtual overall picture and allows the programming of arbitrary viewing angles and zoom functions.

Check out the latest webinar from First Sensor. In special vehicles and mobile machines Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) can avoid damages and process delays caused by collisions. This webinar presents the new Embedded Area View solution from First Sensor Mobility, which is based on long-term automotive camera design know-how and delivers real-time images from any angle in a 360° all-round view. i More info - Enter Link code 133692 www.first-sensor.com USB_card_85x55mm_final.indd 2

Control Engineering Europe

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PRODUCT FORUM • LENZE LAUNCHES READY-TO-GO ERP COMPLIANT MOTORS AND GEARED MOTORS Lenze, the motion control specialists, has launched a range of ready-to-go motors and geared motors that are designed to meet the recently introduced Energy-related Products (ErP) regulations. The Lenze motors are pre-configured, for use by machine builders and OEMs, to help minimise the cost and complexity of correct design, specification and installation– ensuring faster and easier machine building.

The latest stage of the ErP regulations, stating that premium efficiency IE3 class motors must be used for applications above 0.75kW, came into force in January 2017; previously, this requirement only applied to motors above 7.5kW. The primary exception to the new regulation is where a variable speed drive is used, in which case the motor can meet the IE2 class specification.

This change has a potential impact for machine builders, as IE3 class motors are

generally more expensive and may require revisions to machine design, to accommodate different dimensions, current and torque ratings, and integration with additional features such as brakes and encoders.

To address this challenge, Lenze is offering a range of pre-configured motors and geared motors, which are ErP compliant, easy to specify, available in small volumes and with short lead-times. The range includes, for example, the company’s m550 IE3 standard three-phase AC motors, offering a power range from 0.75 to 45kW, with options for brakes, blowers, feedback, connectors and surface protection.

Learn more at www.lenze.com. +44 1234 7532-00 sales.uk(at)lenze.com

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INSERTION TURBINE FLOWMETERS FOR LARGER DIAMETER PIPE APPLICATIONS Titan Enterprises is a leading supplier of affordable, high quality insertion turbine flowmeters for installation in larger diameter pipelines (40 - 900mm).

Titan insertion turbine flowmeters combine proven technology with modern materials and innovative design. The durable PVDF turbine rotates freely on a 316 stainless steel shaft and has special aerofoil shaped blades to extend the dynamic range of the meter.

Specially contoured housing further improves the meter linearity particularly at lower fluid velocities. Installation from the side of the flow line is made via a 1.5” BSP or NPT fitting, and versions are available for ‘hot-tap’ insertion into pressurised lines.

Each Titan insertion turbine meter contains two sensors, one self-powered (for battery operated equipment) and the other an open collector transistor. A reed switch may be specified for hazardous areas were simple

apparatus is acceptable. The body of Titan Insertion Turbine flowmeters is manufactured from AISI 316 stainless steel and as standard is supplied with three meters of five core screened instrument cable. Titan MetraCount, MetraSmart and MetraBatch devices can all be mounted directly onto a turbine insertion flow meter to provide display of flow rate, total or batch control.

For further information please visit www. flowmeters.co.uk/insertion-turbineflowmeters-for-large-40-900mm-pipes/ or contact Titan Enterprises on +44-1935-812790 / sales@flowmeters.com.

BIFOLDS PATENTED UNIQUE VOLUME AND FILTER BOOSTER RANGE IN 316L STAINLESS STEEL PROVIDES UP TO 500% HIGHER FLOW THAN THE MARKET EQUIVALENTS. By removing all elements from the main flow line, including, regulators and filters, the effective CV of the patented filter booster is multiplied, resulting in significantly reduced tubing sizes. Where safety is critical, Bifolds range of volume and filter boosters are SIL 3 third party certified to IEC 61508 Parts 1 & 2.

In applications where a fast response time on modulating service, in combination with a fast shutdown time (ESD), is required, the VBP also eliminates the need for an additional poppet or Quick Exhaust Valve to achieve the required closing speeds. This results in reduced material and labour costs and simplifies positioned set up and control.

The range functions with a working pressure range of 2 to 10 bar g, with maximum inlet pressure of 20 bar g and operates at a working temperature of -55ºC to +180ºC. The common design format offers a choice of four main sizes

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with port threads of 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2”, 3/4”, 1”, 11/2” and 2” NPT which allow for installation flexibility and easy hookup.

The EQUAL internal porting and balanced forces allow identical fill and exhaust flow, making setup extremely simple and controllable.

Amplification of any control logic can be achieved by incorporating the volume booster with our ‘AXIS’ and modular system solutions.

The pneumatically balanced design minimises the impact of both downstream and upstream pressure Tel. +44 (0) 161 345 4777 Fax. +44 (0) 161 345 4780 Email: gbancroft@bifold.co.uk Web: bifold.co.uk

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Control Engineering Europe

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PRODUCT FORUM •

DUAL LASER INFRARED THERMOMETER The high-performance, handheld OS758-LS dual infrared thermometer is a non-contact temperature measurement instrument. The OS758-LS offers a wide array of features including adjustable emissivity, colour backlit LCD, 60:1 distance to spot, hi/ low temp alarm, max/min/ avg/ diff temperature monitoring and data storage. This meter is also designed with a microSD card slot (SD card included).

The OS758-LS offers a rugged design that is shatterproof at 1 m (3.3’) with an ergonomic rubber boot handle. A Type K thermocouple input is included for contact measurements, often used to verify emissivity.

Wide Measurement Range: Infrared up to 1600°C (2912°F) • Dual Laser Points for the Target Spot Size • High Distance to Spot Ratio Up to 60:1 • Hi/Low Temp Alarm • Colour Bar Displays Temperature in Max/Min Mode • Output Interface: SPI, USB, SD Card Storage • Rugged Design—Shatterproof at 1 m (3.3’) • Type K Thermocouple Input • Applications • Industrial Measurement • Building Maintenance • Laboratory/R&D sales@omega.co.uk 0800 488 488 www.omega.co.uk

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DEW POINT/HUMIDITY TRANSMITTERS The HX200 is a high accuracy calibrated dew point or humidity transmitter. The remote sensor is designed to work at temperatures as high as 200°C. This high accuracy sensor is also built to withstand up to 51 bar. These transmitters are perfect for applications such as compressed air, dryers and environmental chambers.

High Accuracy with Certificate of Calibration • High Temperature Sensor to 200°C (at 0% RH) • High Pressure Sensor to 51 bar • Switchable for Dew Point or Humidity • Switchable °C or °F Temperature sales@omega.co.uk 0800 488 488 www.omega.co.uk

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Power Management IoT Kit Microsoft Azure IoT Starter Kit

Ready-to-run Energy monitoring and management IoT Cloud solution: Includes an Intelligent Power Meter Concentrator, a power meter, and Microsoft Azure service.

ICP DAS CO., LTD. www.icpdas.com

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TEL:+886-3-597-3366 FAX:+886-3-597-3733 e-mail:sales@icpdas.com

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June 2017

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ENABLING INDUSTRY 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET • An integrated network for Industry 4.0 • Collaborating for Industry 4.0 success • CC-Link IE Field Basic explained

CC-LINK CC-LINK IE: IE IN ACTION ENABLING INDUSTRYAUTOMOTIVE 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET INDUSTRY SECTOR:

CC-Link IE: Providing Increasing efficiency and flexibility Industry 4.0 PRODUCTION solutions IN AUTOMOTIVE

By John Browett, general manager of the CC-Link Partner Association – Europe.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has succeeded in increasing efficiency of production and rom its origins in the Japanese We believe that CC-Link IE provides operation Yorii following the introduction Contentsof the open market management over six years ago, at its the bestplant, open networking solution 3. Haruyuki Otani explores CC-Link IE is now used on a available for Industry 4.0 applications gigabit Ethernet-based CC-Link IE network, which allows communication within manufacturing trends and issues global basis and is supported by virtue of its unique gigabit a unifibyed network for control performance. signals from a varietyincludes of factory automation devices and explains where CC-Link IE a variety of leading This Supplement fits in. automation vendors.

The CC-Link an overview of a white paper we such as PLCs, production management information, and safety signals.

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Partner Association (CLPA) currently onda Motor Co established has over 300 partner companies that Yorii as theeither ‘mother offer various devices forfactory,’ CC-Link which means that lateral IE, or its fieldbus counterpart, CC-Link. expansion ofisthe production The total membership now around model created here been 2,900 companies, meaning thathas the replicated other overseas factories, CLPA is oneinof the largest open network including a plant with the of aim associations and isinaMexico demonstration the company’s competitive of enhancing our strong worldwide support.

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Furthermore, as information. safety Industry 4.0 becomes more established flexibility built the factory in The manufacturing, thisinto bandwidth thein Yorii plantsure means that, today, will become essential making edge the remains at the cutting all processes and devices canofshare and all of vehicle production industry, the information they need in real development work, in the the timecompany’s in order to drive manufacturing production way of high-level development forward in the technology future. ciency production systems, and high-effi This Supplement covers a variety of plant. CC-Link IE over comes out of this developments regarding Aspast automotive conditions the year. Wemarket start with an overview continue to undergo major changes, of how CC-Link IE provides solutions areapplications. struggling inThis is newIndustry car sales4.0 for developedwith countries, while major followed a review of how one of for marketsprocess in the growth leading is predicted Japan’s semiconductor developing countries, equipment suppliers iswhere using automotive CC-Link IE are stillsolutions competing manufacturers to deliver world class to this for dominance. global industry. Having an increased

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June 2017 2016

have written explaining why – and we encourage you to download a copy of the original to get the whole story.

While gigabit is our headline technology, we are also mindful of the need to support applications where 100Mbit Ethernet is still being used.

CC-Link IE Field Basic achieves this, delivering many of the features of CC-Link IE to companies who would like to offer compatible products with a 100Mbit physical layer. An overview of CC-Link IE Field Basic is also included in this Supplement.

Finally, no technology is an island.

The CLPA caused a stir in the industry competitive advantage, through increased efficiency, is therefore vital and is the reason that Honda has utilised the Yorii plant as a ‘mother factory’ to continue to work towards further increased efficiency and to ensure that it continues to employ leading-edge production systems in all its plants, wherever they may be in the world.

The rate of new cars sold within Japan has plateaued and the industry can no longer count on the consistently rising sales figures of the past. The Yorii plant was built with a view to increasing costcompetitiveness through highly efficient production and energy management.

The plant has the capacity to produce Browett isvehicles every year, as well upJohn to 250,000 Manager for fulfi lling its continuing role as ‘mother asGeneral CLPA Europe. factory’ which requires it to share its

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6. Meeting conflicting machine control demands.

8. Collaborating for Industry 4.0 success.

10. Data and control in future manufacturing – whitepaper review.

11. CC-Link IE Field Basic explained.

with the announcement of the intention to work with PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) on a joint cooperation to produce a specification for interoperability between CC-Link IE and PROFINET. This specification production technology and knowwas delivered as scheduled in one how domestic andwith international year. with The cooperation PI is not production hubs, with a view to helping the end of CLPA’s activities with other increase overallWe global organisations. alsocompetitive plan to work ability. with the OPC Foundation to provide Taku Yokomukai, support for OPC UAmaintenance with CC-Link IE. supervisor on the vehicle body assembly Details about our collaborative ventures production line, was involved in the are also included in this Supplement. selection of control when the We hope that youdevices find the factory was designed in 2011.

Hewould said: Supplement informative.

If you “We talked lot about what kind of like to haveafurther discussions about control devices would how CC-Link IE and can networks benefit your be appropriate for a state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, or how you factory.” can incorporate it into your products, The figet rst in issue which arose when please touch. for the constructing network John Browetta –control General Manager, vehicle body assembly line was how to CLPA Europe. handle the overall network architecture. partners@clpa-europe.com “We did consider a flat construction www.clpa-europe.com linking the whole plant in a single

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IE: CC-LINK IECC-LINK IN ACTION ENABLING INDUSTRY 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET INDUSTRY SECTOR: AUTOMOTIVE

An integrated network for Industry 4.0

network, but given the possibility that a single failure could stop the entire plant’s network, we decided that we were better off with multiple networks,” explained Yokomukai.

However, constructing individual networks by application results in a more complex system would increase introduction and operation costs.

Additionally, from the perspective of spreading its know-how to other factories, a sturdy and simple construction was required. he implementation of smart While considering the system factory technologies suched architecture, the team also identifi essential the network. as Industry 4.0for is attracting two functions One was the centralised much attentionvisualisation today and automation control devices. of factorythis requires integration and assembly lineused alone The vehicle body optimisation of the IT systems at usesmanagement, dozens of PLCs, making individual the production, and field management inefficient. The target levels. factory was an environment in which However, integrating the field automation control device networks with higher levelssetup, using IT can failure detection could monitoring andrelating pose problems to the speed and be centralised capacity of thethrough networkthe andnetwork. seamless The other essential function wasFamily connectivity.

The CC-Link Protocol the of safety signals.(FA) is ancommunication integrated factory automation When a worker enters a prohibited network designed to resolve these issues. area or approaches a robot, safety IT systems in manufacturing industries considerations a sensor consist broadlymandate of three levels – (interlock) for the detection of workers manufacturing, production, and field. that would result in productionlevel coming Traditionally, the management to abeen halt. However, traditional has located atthe headquarters, practice of using relays to configure a Figure 1: Manufacturing hardware-based safetyITcircuit would system and batch management great deal of time during line take up a through the cloud. expansions and changes so the decision was made to incorporate safety signals into the network as well, aiming for a structure that would allow flexible line changes.

Haruyuki Otani discusses the current IT system trends in manufacturing industry and explains how CC-Link IE can help alleviate issues at the field level.

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Selecting the CC-Link IE network Based on the factory requirements, Yokomukai focussed on a solution based around the CC-Link IE network because its single Ethernet cable allows communication of control information for PLCs and controllers as well as

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and the production and field levels at plants. In keeping with the trend of manufacturing globalisation many production and field levels are now providing andwhich safety dispersedmaintenance across the globe connected of devices. information has resultedfrom in thethe construction “With CC-Link IE I discovered that it systems appropriate to each region. could handle to maintenance and safety Additionally, achieve localised This allowed information optimisationas ofwell. management andus IT to build athe simple and high-reliability systems, management level itself is the cutting-edge network also oftensuitable locatedfor regionally (Figure 1). explained Yokomukai. plant,” Global integration of manufacturing factory IT Compatibility systems using with the cloud carries with it automation devices was many factorscontrol that need to be mitigated, also important.

“In order to fulfill such as fluctuations in exchange the projected production numbers, rates.

This means that management line was the vehicle body information mustassembly now be available going to in have to be maintained at a instantly order to respond to these near constant 100% operating rate, challenges.

Traditionally, a customrequiring reliability andbe guaranteed made IT system would optimised for from the control devices. performance business operations, but this required So when we were selecting control enormous investment and time to arrive for the Yorii Plant’s body devices at a customised system, andvehicle came with assembly line,that ourthe in-house the problem systemproposal might have for Mitsubishi Electric’s products, was become obsolete by the time it was in which had proven themselves operation.

Abandoning these over custommany years at our Sayama plant in Japan. Because the CC-Link IE network is compatible with Mitsubishi Electric’s control devices, we felt that we could construct an optimal system by combining the two,” said Yokomukai.

The open gigabit Ethernet based CC-Link IE network follows the physical and data layers as defined by IEEE 802.3 (1000BASE-T). Through the work of its industry group, the CC-Link Partner Association, it has become widely adopted and is considered a standard.

As well as covering high-speed I/O and control of distributed controllers, it offers flexible network topology options such as star and ring types, allowing

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made systems and making use of cloud services to fulfill 80% of requirements allows business operations to be matched to services instead, improving great freedomefficiency in the arrangement management and agility. and guration of connected confi System integration via thedevices. cloud In addition, not only it support makes networking atdoes the production management level easy and (setup secureand withmonitor) vertical and failure maintenance and integration of(monitoring management systems. detection) of controlleralso devices, but it OPC-UA is increasingly coming also a offering safety communication into features play here, greater ease of function allowing sharing safety a vertical integration.

It also of provides information among multiple safety PLCs. security function.

Installation and testing The field networks needoftothe bevehicle body assembly line of began in November addressed in terms the ease of their 2012 and the plant started production integration with production, given in 2013. Full commenced theJuly constraint of operation real-time operation. in September 2013. Commenting The attitude toward security also on the plant really get a differsYokomukai at the fieldsaid: level“We as consistent sense of the is effect of the visualisation productivity required even in the case originally. that we were aiming of an incident.

Safety for at this level is The also diagnostic functions of level CC-Link helps vital. Because the field willIEoften us to quickly locateof any problemseamless with comprise a variety networks, the equipment or control devices.” connection is required to straddle the introduction Through different layers of networks. of CC-Link IE network Honda has achieved the desired centralised visualisation Future manufacturing IT of control devices. “The vehicle body systems assembly line uses to 50 PLCs and In the future, cloudup applications will we are able to have a centralised overview be adopted to support big data and of the line status or problems that artificial intelligence (AI), while themay be occurring when a necessary signal manufacturing industry will increasingly isn’t received, making operation makebeing use of applications such as higher. managementmaintenance efficiency much preventative to minimise an incident has also Recovery time afterquality facility downtime; stabilisation been shortened,” said to prevent variation in Yokomukai. quality; and Safety solutions and line expansion optimisation of production operations is also simple –with requiring only chain. the To co-ordinated the supply a LAN cable to a vacant connection provide for of these new applications, field port the CC-Link IE network and the level on networks will need to be highinterlock be added immediately into speed andcan large capacity to handle the a Mitsubishi safety PLC, ever larger quantities ofconsiderably sensor data. reducing Further,workload. the trend away from mass

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CC-LINK CC-LINK IE: IE IN ACTION ENABLING INDUSTRYAUTOMOTIVE 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET INDUSTRY SECTOR: production to mass customisation is now advancing into job production of multiple models. To achieve low-cost job production, technical issues must first be overcome. For example, depending on the product to be manufactured, the field networks will need to be reconfigured for optimisation.

To sum up, the issues facing the field level networks include:

CC-Link IE is comprised of CCLink IE Control, CC-Link IE Field, CC-Link IE Field Motion, and CC-Link IE Field Safety. CC-Link IE offers high speed and large capacity. Sufficient bandwidth has also been provided for the addition of new applications in the future. CC-Link IE Field Basic has also been recently introduced in order to extend compatibility to 100Mbit Ethernet devices.

CC-Link IE Control has been widely adopted in the consumer electronics and automotive manufacturing sectors because of its high-speed and real-time performance capabilities (Figure 3).

In many plants recipe and quality control are important management items at the production level. CC-Link IE Control takes into account coordination and integration with the production level, such as recipe distribution and quality data retrieval.

In addition to cyclic communication CCLink IE also offers real-time performance.

Transient communication is also provided for recipe distribution, quality data retrieval, and so on. Additionally, the competitive advantage, wide 1 Gb/sec bandwidththrough can be divided increased effitransient ciency, is therefore vital for cyclic and communication and the reason Hondaof has utilised use, is enabling the that prevention any the Yorii plant as a ‘mother factory’ to continue to work towards further increased efficiency and to ensure that it continues to employ leading-edge production systems in all its plants, wherever they may be in the world.

The rate of new cars sold within Japan has plateaued and the industry can no longer count on the consistently rising sales figures of the past. The Yorii plant was built with a view to increasing costcompetitiveness through highly efficient production and energy management.

The plant has the capacity to produce up to 250,000 vehicles every year, as well as fulfilling its continuing role as ‘mother factory’ which requires it to share its

Increasing efficiency and flexibility

IN AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has succeeded in increasing efficiency of production and operation management at its Yorii plant, following the introduction of the open • Ease of integration with the gigabit Ethernet-based CC-Link IE network, which allows communication within Figure 3: Link scan time. production level under real-time a constraints. unified network for control signals from a variety of factory automation devices • Guaranteed continuous production management information, and safety disturbance to the cyclic communication such as PLCs, production signals.

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and safety. onda Motor Co established • Integration and seamless connection Yorii asnetwork the ‘mother with different types,factory,’ means that lateral includingwhich sensor networks. expansion of the production • High-speed / large capacity modelallowing created here characteristics new has been replicated in other overseas factories, applications. including plant inconfiguration.

Mexico with the aim • Ease of anetwork of enhancing the company’s competitive The open CC-Link ability on a global scale.family Key points for the designfamily of theis The open CC-Link network which openedfieldbus in July Yorii Plant,of composed the CC-Link 2013, theand requirement for basedincluded on RS-485, the CC-Link IEa simple andEthernet robust network; industrial uniquely enhanced based automation visualisation of factory on 1 Gbps Ethernet (Figure 2). These control streamlined operation providedevices, a comprehensive open maintenance management and and network architecture that focuses as the fl exible expansion and change while on performance and reliability network also supports communication of minimising cost. safety information.

The flexibility built into the factory means that, today, the Yorii plant remains at the cutting edge of the vehicle production industry, and all of the company’s development work, in the way of high-level production technology and high-efficiency production systems, comes out of this plant.

As automotive market conditions continue to undergo major changes, new car sales are struggling in developed countries, while major growth is predicted for markets in the developing countries, where automotive manufacturers are still competing for dominance. an increased Figure 2: The open Having CC-Link network family.

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period due to transient communication.

PC card products for use in IPCs also exist, and quality analysis solutions can be constructed to apply the analytics tools on IPCs to the quality data retrieved via the card.

Ensuring safe, continuous production Security is provided by OPC-UA at the production level, and field networks are cost-optimised with a focus on design for productivity such as processing time.

One of the most important requirements for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is to ensure that the data production technology andbetween knowand information exchange how with domestic international devices and servicesand is secure and the production hubs,has with a viewwith to helping OPC Foundation worked increase overall global competitive many security validation companies ability. and organisations to provide the Taku Yokomukai, maintenance highest level of security.

Because of supervisor on the body assembly the importance ofvehicle OPC UA to Industry production line, was involved in the 4.0, the German Office for Information selection(BSI) of control devices the Security performed an when in-depth factory was designed 2011. security analysis of theinOPC UAHe said: “We talked a lot about what kind ofit specifications which confirmed that control deviceswith andanetworks was designed focus on would security be appropriate a state-of-the-art and contains nofor systematic security factory.” vulnerabilities.

The first issue which arose when Stefan Hoppe, OPC Foundation the constructing a control network for global VP, said: “In a connected world vehicle bodyand assembly line was how tono connectivity interoperability have handlewithout the overall network architecture. value security.

The significance “We consider aan flat construction of BSIdid performing in-depth security linking the plant in a single analysis andwhole recommending OPC UA

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IE: CC-LINK IECC-LINK IN ACTION ENABLING INDUSTRY 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET INDUSTRY SECTOR: AUTOMOTIVE as the only known communication network, butaddress given the platform to thepossibility complex that failureof could stop 4.0 thecannot entire be a single needs security Industry network, we decided that we plant’s underestimated.” with multiple networks,” were better CC-Link IE off Field Safety has been explained defi ned toYokomukai. realise safety communication However, individual can using CC-Linkconstructing IE. Safe communication networks by applicationbetween results insafety a include communication system would increase more complex fi eld devices and a safety controller as introduction and operation costs. of well as transmission and reception Additionally, from the perspective safety data between safety controllers. spreading know-how to by a of When a singleitsprocess is stopped sturdy and simple other safety factories, function, a other related processes construction was to required. are synchronised stop, to allow for While considering the system rapid restart following recovery. architecture, the team also identified Integration two functions essential for the network.

For the Protocol visualisation Family, SLMP One wasCC-Link the centralised factory Message automation controlhas devices.

(Seamless Protocol) been of vehicle assembly alone The defined as abody mechanism forline integrating uses dozens of PLCs, making individual and seamlessly connecting different management inefficient.This Theprotocol target types of field networks. factory was an environment in which enables connection from a higherautomation control level system to field device devicessetup, without failure detection could monitoring considering and the differences between be centralised through network.

CC-Link IE, CC-Link, andthe TCP/IP. In recent Thethere otherhas essential function was years been an increase in the the of safety signals. use communication of open sensor networks, such as IOWhen worker enters Link, inanetworks at theafiprohibited eld level, and area or approaches robot, safety the CC-Link Partner aAssociation has also considerations mandate sensor undertaken specifi cationadevelopment (interlock) forconnection the detection workers for seamless withofother open that would result in production coming networks such as PROFINET (Figure 4). to CC-Link a halt. However, traditional IE adoptsthe standard Ethernet as relays to configure practice of using the lower-level communication layeraand would hardware-based safety circuit a token passing method as its highertime during line take a great deal of level up communication control method. so the decision expansions changes In the tokenand passing method, data was made torights incorporate safety transmission – tokens – aresignals relayed into thethe network as well, aiming for a around network between stations structure that would allow flexible line changes.

HTTP/ Selecting FTP etc the CC-Link IE network

Based on the factory requirements, on a solution Yokomukai focussed TCP/UDP based around the CC-Link IE network IP because its single Ethernet cable allows communication of control information for PLCs and controllers as well as

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great freedom in the arrangement and providing maintenance and safety information from the connected devices. configuration of connected devices.

FigureCC-Link 5: “With IE I discovered that it In addition, not only does it support Dynamic network could handle maintenance and safety management (setup and monitor) and configuration. maintenance (monitoring and failure information as well. This allowed us detection) of controller devices, but it to build a simple and high-reliability for theroute. cutting-edge also featuresas: a safety communication summarised network followingsuitable a designated Only those Yokomukai. function sharing plant,” • Simpleallowing integration with of thesafety stationsexplained having data transmission rights Compatibility with factory tokens are information multipleuse safety productionamong level through of PLCs. can transmit data.

Currently, automation control devices was Installation and testing ofwhich the vehicle transient communication does circulated around a statically determined fulfi ll also important.

“In order body line began in November notassembly affect real-time performance. route, but technically, it is to also possible to 2012 and the plant started production the projected production numbers, • Reduced operation restart time change this route dynamically at random assembly in following July 2013. aFull operation commenced the vehicle safety stop through safety intervals.

Inbody the future, thisline willwas enable in communication September 2013.which Commenting on the going to have todepending be maintained at a coordinates route switching on the plant Yokomukai said: “We really get a near constant 100% operating rate, 5). between processes. product to be manufactured (Figure sense of the effect the visualisation requiring reliability and guaranteed • Consideration ofof seamless Simultaneous troubleshooting is also from theconfi control devices. for originally.

The that we were aiming performance connection with other open networks. important in network guration. diagnostic functions of CC-Link helps So when were selecting control • With CC-Link IE, provision forIE highIt must bewe possible to easily fi nd the Yoriion Plant’s vehicle body us speed to quickly locate any problem with devices / large capacity has already locationfor of the trouble the network. assembly line,are ourprovided in-housefor proposal thebeen equipment control devices.” ensuredor for the future.

Various tools this for Mitsubishi Electric’s products, the introduction was • Through Logical topology providedof with no purpose.

For example, a management CC-Link IE network Honda has achieved which provenevent themselves dependence on physical topology, tool forhad network historyover and a years at our Sayama theusing desired centralised many a token passingvisualisation method. network diagnostic tool. plant in of control devices. “The vehicle body Japan. Because the CC-Link IE network • Straightforward troubleshooting. assembly line uses up to 50 PLCs and we Conclusion is compatible with Mitsubishi Electric’s are able to haveled a centralised overview Solutiondevices, strategies address Haruyuki Otani the technical task control weto felt that we of theatline or Partner problems that may manufacturing fieldby force thestatus CC-Link Association. could construct IT ansystems optimaland system combining the two,” said Yokomukai. be occurring when a Message necessary signal Figure 4: SLMP (Seamless Protocol). network issues using CC-Link IE can be The open gigabit Ethernet based isn’t being received, making operation CC-Link IE network follows the physical Application Common Protocol management efficiency much higher.

IEEE 802.3 and Seamless data layers as defined by Recovery time after an incident has also Message Protocol (SLMP) (1000BASE-T). Through the work of been shortened,” said Yokomukai. its industry group, the CC-Link Partner Safety solutions and line expansion is also simple – requiring only the Association, it has become widely Other open connection of a LAN cable to a vacant adopted and is considered a standard. networks Communication Controller port on the CC-Link IE network and the As wellnetwork as covering high-speed I/O and protocol Field network communication protocol communication protocol interlock can be added immediately into control of distributed controllers, it Ethernet flexible network topology options a Mitsubishi safety PLC, EIA-485 considerably offers (RS485) such as star and ring types, allowing reducing workload.

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June 2017 2016

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CC-LINK CC-LINK IE: IE IN ACTION ENABLING INDUSTRYAUTOMOTIVE 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET INDUSTRY SECTOR:

Meeting conflicting Increasing effi ciency and flexibility machine control demands IN AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION Honda Ltd. has succeedednetworking in increasingsolution, efficiency of aproduction CC-LinkMotor IE hasCo., provided a high-speed with large dataand capacity, operation management at its Yorii plant, following the introduction of the open for an innovative semiconductor moulding machine. gigabit Ethernet-based CC-Link IE network, which allows communication within a unifihe edTOWA network forofcontrol Itsignals frompackage a variety of factory automation devices Corporation things which the customer is going to offers a smaller footprint Japan, a manufacturer of need in the future and not just what with higher input/output (I/O) along such as PLCs, production management information, and safety signals.

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semiconductor production onda Motor Co established equipment since 1979, Yorii as thepursued ‘motherthe factory,’ has always which means thatproducts lateral development of innovative expansion of the production for semiconductor manufacturing.

This model created has been was acknowledged when here its innovative replicated in other overseas factories, new CPM1080 moulding machine, which including a plant in in Mexico the aim was launched early 2016, with was recently the company’s competitive of enhancing awarded the “Semiconductor of the Year abilityGrand on a global 2016 Prix” inscale. the semiconductor Key points forequipment the designdivision. of the manufacturing which opened in JulyIndustry Yorii Plant, by Sponsored Electronic Device 2013, included thecelebrates requirement for a News, the award innovative simple and or robust network; enhanced techniques products which have factory automation visualisation to of the contributed development of the control devices,industry. streamlined operation semiconductor maintenance management and and During the development of this latest as the flexible expansion moulding machine,and thechange company had to network also of confront and supports overcomecommunication the challenge of information. safety achieving high-speed and precise control flexibility built the factory forThe a completely new into moulding system. plant means that, today, The resulting speedthe andYorii precision of the remains by at the CPM1080 cutting edge offered is said to far all of vehicle production industry, and surpass that of conventional moulding the company’s development work, in the machines. high-levelmachine production way ofmoulding The has technology been production systems, and high-effi designed for ciency use in the semiconductor comes out of this plant. device production process for sealing As automotive market semiconductor chips withconditions resin (Figure continue to undergo changes, 1).

It employs a varietymajor of state-of-the-art are struggling in with the new car sales and technologies is compatible developed countries, major latest Fan-Out Wafer while Level Packaging for markets in the growth istechnique predicted which (FOWLP) provides developing countries, where automotive a solution for semiconductor devices are integration still competing manufacturers requiring a higher level and for dominance.

Having an increased a greater number of external contacts.

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June 2017 2016

with improved thermal and electrical performance.

The FOWLP technique, which is a cutting-edge package technology that is currently attracting a great deal of attention from the electronics industry, allows for a thinner profile than is possible with a conventional Chip Size Package (CSP).

Many semiconductor chips are sealed simultaneously with resin onto the surface of 300mm diameter wafers, (disc-shaped semiconductor material) or 320mm square panels. The traditional way to do this is known as the transfer moulding method, which sees the through competitive advantage, wafers or panels being put into cavities increased efficiency, therefore vitalthe (depressions) within is the mould, and and ispoured the reason thatoutside Hondathe hasmould. utilised resin in from theInYorii plantthe as aCPM1080 ‘mother factory’ contrast, moulding to continue to work further machine employs thetowards ‘compression and tosees ensure increased ciencywhich moulding effi method’ the that resin leading-edge it continues to employ introduced into the cavity beforehand, in all its plants, production systems with the wafer, or panel, being pushed mayabove be in the world. wherever theyfrom into the resin by the press.

The rate ofthe new cars sold within Japan Adopting compression moulding has plateaued industry can no method allowsand the the CPM1080 moulding longer count on thethe consistently rising machine to reduce thickness of the offurther the past.

Theis Yorii plant sales figures package even than possible was builtthe with a viewtechnique. to increasing costby using FOWLP It also competitiveness through highlyuse effiof cient allows for much more efficient production the resin. and energy management.

The plant has the capacity to produce Overcoming control issues up to 250,000 vehicles every year, as well lling its continuing as ‘mother “To acquire solid customerrole support for as fulfi factory’ which requires it to share its our equipment it is important to offer

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they need now. This is why we took the plunge with the new system,” explained Noboru Hayasaka, executive officer and division manager of the development division at TOWA. The adoption of innovative features on its new machine did, however, lead to some development challenges for the company.

A major focus of the development was on the design of the control system.

The company was faced with two main issues. The first hurdle which needed to be overcome was for the effective control of more complicated mechanical systems. The obvious ‘tough nut’ that needed to be cracked related to control production technology andtable knowof the dispenser and resin which how with domestic international supplies resin to theand mould.

To convey production with view toinhelping resin to the hubs, mould, it isaapplied increase global advance overall onto the resincompetitive table by the ability. dispenser; to distribute the resin evenly, maintenance theTaku resinYokomukai, table and dispenser must be supervisor on the vehicle body assembly guided along specific trajectories using production line, was involved in the the advanced calculations.

Additionally, selection ofneeds control when the movement todevices be optimised to factory wastype designed in being 2011. used He said: match the of resin and “We talked a lot about what kind of its characteristics.

“To handle multiple control devices andthe networks demands at once, control would system be appropriate for a state-of-the-art function and performance both needed factory.” major enhancement. Therefore we The first which arose when decided toissue review the design of the the constructing a control network forHitoshi control system from scratch,” said vehicle body assembly line was how to Kita, department manager for the handle the overall network architecture. equipment development department at “We did consider a flat construction TOWA. linking the where whole CC-Link plant in IE, a single This was the

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IE: CC-LINK IECC-LINK IN ACTION ENABLING INDUSTRY 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET INDUSTRY SECTOR: AUTOMOTIVE network, but given the possibility that a single failure could stop the entire plant’s network, we decided that we were better off with multiple networks,” explained Yokomukai.

However, constructing individual networks by application results in a more complex system would increase introduction and operation costs.

Additionally, from the perspective of spreading its know-how to great freedom in the arrangement and providing maintenance and safety other factories, a sturdy and simple construction was required. information from the connected devices. configuration of connected devices.

Figure 1: The TOWA CPM1080, awarded the “Semiconductor of the Year 2016 Grand Prix” in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment division and its While considering thethe system CC-Link IE I discovered that it In addition, not only does it support internal control system. Left: resin table. Right: the “With control system. architecture, the team also identified could handle maintenance and safety management (setup and monitor) and foropen the network. well. This us Ethernet-based industrial network maintenance two functions essential information conventionally(monitoring 2ms at best,and hasfailure been safety systemascontrol canallowed be achieved detection) ofshortened controller with devices, One was the centralised visualisation to build a simple and high-reliability standard came into the equation. dramatically thebut newit with a single network.

Exploiting this factory CC-Link automation control devices. for the cutting-edge also features a design,” safety communication of network suitable Uniquely, IE enables highcontrol system said Ryota point in order to simplify the control vehicle body assembly line alone explained Yokomukai. function allowing sharing ofequipment safety The plant,” speed, large-capacity communication Okamoto, supervisor of the system has increased the reliability of the Compatibility with factory information multiple safety PLCs. uses dozens of PLCs, making individual at 1Gbps.

It also features separate developmentamong department at TOWA. equipment,” continued Nakajima. automation control devices was Installation and of the vehicle management inefficient.communication The target control and information Summing up thetesting development Speeding ahead also important.

“In order to fulfill body assembly in November was environment in which dataan bandwidths which allowsfactory for the process for the line newbegan moulding machine, 2012 and the plant started production Another issueproduction which needed to be automation setup, the projected numbers, transmissioncontrol of largedevice volumes of data despite facing multiple obstacles, detection could body assembly linesystem was in July 2013.

Full operation overcome the control monitoring and failure the vehicleduring without affecting control.

Tetsuya Kitagawa, from thecommenced equipment in September department 2013. Commenting on the beWithin centralised through the network. going to have phase, to be maintained at a development was controlling the CPM1080 moulding development at TOWA, said The other essential function was plant Yokomukai said: “Wewas really get a near constantwhen 100%the operating rate, the pressure wafer or panel machine CC-Link IE is used for the “The desired performance finally the communication of safety signals. sense of the effect of theimprovisation visualisation requiring and guaranteed is pushed reliability into the resin in the cavity. connection of the multiple servo obtained with continual the control devices.

When a worker enters a prohibited that we were aiming for originally. The performance Compression from moulding requires amplifiers and controllers that drive and support” diagnostic functions of CC-Link IE helps So when we were selectingtocontrol area or approaches safety management of pressure be far more mechanical systems,aasrobot, well as for considerations mandate a sensor the Yorii Plant’s body New possibilities us to quickly locate any problem with devices preciselyfor controlled than isvehicle necessary safety system control.

“We specified The equipment effort takenortocontrol createdevices.” the new (interlock) for this the application detection ofbecause workers assembly line, our in-house proposal the with the traditional transfer moulding CC-Link IE for for Mitsubishi Electric’s products, the introduction moulding was well of worth that result large-capacity in production coming was Throughmachine method.

To meet the precise pressure of itswould high-speed, data to a halt. However, the traditional CC-Link IE network Honda hasby achieved which proven themselves over it, as it has been well received controlhad requirements, the speed of transmission capability,” said Takanobu relaysoftothe confi gure a years at circuit our Sayama the desired centralised visualisation practice ofausing many semiconductor manufacturing the feedback for theplant pressin Nakajima, manager equipment would “In Because the CC-Link network of controlThe devices.

“Themachine vehicle body hardware-based safety circuit Japan. industry. moulding has mechanism pressure sensorIE output development department at TOWA. deal of time during line Mitsubishi Electric’s assembly line uses up tomanufacturers 50 PLCs and we take up a great is helped semiconductor tocompatible the controlwith system, needs to be the context of designing a system that so the intradecision are able to productivity have a centralised expansions and changes control devices, we felt that we to increase and itoverview also drastically increased. processes the greatly increased of the aline status or problems may was made to incorporate safety signals could an optimal offers cutting-edge examplethat of how Theconstruct development team atsystem TOWAby equipment data which accompanies into the network asitwell, aiming for a combining the two,” said Yokomukai. be occurring when a necessary signal to implement FOWLP manufacturing set out to completely reform the multifunctionality, offered a good flexible line The open gigabit Ethernet based isn’t being received, operation structure that equipment, which is making expected to become feedback circuit.

A new control system solution. It alsowould offersallow superb control CC-Link IE network follows the physical muchtechnology higher. changes. management efficiency the next-generation package was adopted in which the analogue performance.” ned by IEEE 802.3 and data layersby asthe defipress Recovery time after an incident has also trend. signals output mechanism These attributes of CC-Link IE Selecting the (1000BASE-T). the input work of been said Yokomukai.

Theshortened,” TOWA development team pressure sensorThrough are directly to contributed to the moulding machine its group, the CC-Link Safety line expansion CC-Link took the solutions bold stepand of introducing theindustry servo amplifier driving the Partner press being ableIE to network meet the conflicting Based on the factory is also simplenew – requiring onlyto the Association, it has become widelyin the a disruptive technology the mechanism motor.

This resulted demands placed uponrequirements, it – for high on aa solution LAN cable vacant Yokomukai connection of aindustry adopted is considered a standard. semiconductor andtoitahas paid feedbackand being reliably faster than functionalityfocussed along with simple and based around the CC-Link IE network port on the overcome CC-Link IE the network and the As well as covering high-speed I/O and off. Having challenges with a conventional system, where rational control system. interlock be added immediately into because its single Ethernet cable allows control of distributed that such can disruptive solutions invariably sensor output is input controllers, to the servoit “Because CC-Link IE is equipped information flexible network topology options a MitsubishiTOWA safetylooks PLC, considerably offers communication of control encounter, set to continue amplifier controller after conversion with functions that prioritise safe for PLCs and controllers as well as such as star and“Feedback, ring types, which allowing reducing workload. to make its presence felt in its market. to digital data. was communication, both device control and

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June 2017 2016

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CC-LINK CC-LINK IE: IE IN ACTION ENABLING INDUSTRYAUTOMOTIVE 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET INDUSTRY SECTOR:

COLLABORATING FOR Increasing efficiency and flexibility INDUSTRY 4.0 SUCCESS IN AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION

CLPA is collaborating with other networking organisations to improve communications between networks, both vertically horizontallyand to Honda Motor Co., Ltd. hasdifferent succeeded in increasing efficiencyand of production remove any barriers to Industry 4.0plant, following the introduction of the open operation management at its Yorii gigabit Ethernet-based CC-Link IE network, which allows communication within LPA is at the forefront of systems, Naomi Nakamura, global this is what the OPC Foundation and a unified network control director signals from a variety automation devices offering solutionsfor that help of the CC-Link Partner of factory the CLPA hope to achieve by together users achieve their Industry Association, said: “Our aim is to make developing an interface specification such as PLCs, production management information, and safety signals.

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4.0 aspirations, with CC-Link IE onda Motor Co established already offering the greatest as the ‘mother factory,’ bandwidthYorii for such applications with its which means that lateral unique gigabit Ethernet. the production Workingexpansion with otherofnetworking model here has organisations hascreated helped CLPA to been replicated other overseas factories, take this a in step further, as recent including a plant in the Mexico the aim collaborations with OPCwith Foundation the Profinet company’s competitive of enhancing and Profibus and International ability on a global scale.

(PI) demonstrate.

Key pointsabout for the of the Speaking andesign agreement which opened in July Yorii Plant, made between the CLPA and the 2013,Foundation, included thetorequirement OPC coordinate for a simple and robustinnetwork; communications machineenhanced to IT visualisation of factory automation control devices, streamlined operation and maintenance management and flexible expansion and change as the network also supports communication of safety information.

The flexibility built into the factory means that, today, the Yorii plant remains at the cutting edge of the vehicle production industry, and all of the company’s development work, in the way of high-level production technology and high-efficiency production systems, comes out of this plant.

As automotive market conditions continue to undergo major changes, new car sales are struggling in developed countries, while major for markets in the Fumihiko Kimura, growth is predicted CLPA Chairman with developing countries, where automotive Karsten Schneider, PI are still competing Chairman. manufacturers for dominance. Having an increased

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the task of getting data from machines simpler by supporting edge computing.

By extending our CSP+ technology, and incorporating it with OPC-UA, machines will be treated as if they were a single device. This will allow information to be easily shared throughout an enterprise and beyond.”

Digitalisation in all areas of industrial automation requires consistent communication across all levels while using Internet technologies, both inside and outside of the factory – for example to cloud-based services – and

competitive advantage, through increased efficiency, is therefore vital and is the reason that Honda has utilised the Yorii plant as a ‘mother factory’ to continue to work towards further increased efficiency and to ensure that it continues to employ leading-edge production systems in all its plants, wherever they may be in the world.

The rate of new cars sold within Japan has plateaued and the industry can no longer count on the consistently rising sales figures of the past. The Yorii plant was built with a view to increasing costcompetitiveness through highly efficient production and energy management.

The plant has the capacity to produce up to 250,000 vehicles every year, as well as fulfilling its continuing role as ‘mother factory’ which requires it to share its

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with harmonised access. The two associations signed a Memorandum of Understanding with both organisations agreeing to closely cooperate while developing these interfaces.

Commenting on the agreement, Thomas Burke, president and executive director of the OPC Foundation, said, “The collaboration between the OPC Foundation and the CLPA provides a complete solution for CC-Link networks and devices to the cloud. End-users who have selected the reliable CC-Link networks will also be able to integrate with other disparate systems to achieve complete data and information production technology and knowexchange.” how with domestic and international production hubs, with a view to helping Closely collaborating increase global competitive CLPA hasoverall also been closely collaborating ability. with PROFIBUS and PROFINET Taku Yokomukai, maintenance International (PI) which has led to supervisor the vehicleofbody assembly the recent on introduction a joint production line, was involved in the specification to provide interoperability selection of control when the between CC-Link IE devices and PROFINET. factory in 2011.

He said: Manywas enddesigned users source production “We talkedfrom a lotacross aboutthe what kindwhich of machinery world, control devices and networks would can result in machines in the same plant be appropriate for state-of-the-art communicating viaadiffering protocols factory.”to increased engineering leading Theto first issue which arosebecause when work achieve integration for the constructing control network users need toacombine heterogeneous vehicle body assembly how to architectures that may line not was necessarily handle the overall network architecture. communicate as standard.

“We did consider a flatand construction Increasing flexibility linking the whole a single interoperability forplant end in users was the

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IE: CC-LINK IECC-LINK IN ACTION ENABLING INDUSTRY 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET INDUSTRY SECTOR: AUTOMOTIVE main motivation for the cooperation, network, but users givenof the possibility that so when end both networks could stop the entire a single failure flagged up their challenges the network, we decided we plant’s organisations reacted quickly,that via the multiple networks,” were better off with new cooperation, to find a solution. explained Yokomukai.

Of course, achieving such a goal However,difficulties constructing individual presented considering the networks by application results in a advanced tasks, such as diagnostics moreintegration complex system and of thewould devicesincrease and introduction and operation costs. components that are involved.

A Additionally, from the perspective working group, comprised of experts spreading its know-how to of from both CLPA and PI, worked factories, sturdy and other together on theasolution and,simple within construction was required. one year, were able to make the While considering the specification available tosystem members of architecture, the team also identifi ed both organisations to allow them to essential for the network. two functions begin developing hardware products to One wasthe thenew centralised visualisation support specification. factory automation control devices. of This specification centres around vehicle body of assembly line alone The the functionality a ‘coupler’ uses dozens of allows PLCs, making individual device – which transparent management ineffi cient. The target communication between CC-Link IE and factory was an environment which PROFINET. As a result,inboth networks automation control setup, can seamlessly sharedevice information, detection could monitoring and failure effectively achieving communication be centralised through between differing partsthe of anetwork. line on The other essential function was separate networks, hugely increasing the communication of safety signals. transparency and integration.

When a worker enters a will prohibited The new specification help area or approaches a robot, safety eliminate the situation where a considerations mandate sensor new machine may not bea able to (interlock) for with the detection ofprotocol workers communicate a differing that would result in production architecture in a certain location.coming to a halt. integration However, the traditional Seamless will increase relays machines to configure practice of using transparency between anda circuit would hardware-based safety networks, increasing connectivity. deal of covers time during line take a greatsolution Theupcoupler somachines the decision expansions and changes communications between or was made to incorporate safety signals systems.

Traditionally, developers have into the to network well, aimingeffort for a needed devoteas considerable flexible line structure that wouldand allow during engineering installation, as changes. well as certification and commissioning, to design the interfaces in such a way Selecting the communication as to make seamless CC-Link IE network between CC-Link IE and PROFINET Based on the factory requirements, possible. focussed a solution Yokomukai Both the CLPA andon PI expect to see based around the CC-Link IE coming network the first supported products because itsthis single Ethernet cable allows to market year, which will mean control of information communication that the originalof concerns end users for PLCs and controllers as well as which initially sparked the cooperation,

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great freedom in the arrangement and providing maintenance and safety information from the connected devices. configuration of connected devices.

“With CC-Link IE I discovered that it In addition, not only does it support could handle maintenance and safety management (setup and monitor) and maintenance (monitoring and failure information as well. This allowed us detection) of controller devices, but it to build a simple and high-reliability also features a safety communication network suitable for the cutting-edge function allowing sharing of safety plant,” explained Yokomukai. with information among safety PLCs. At Compatibility the 2016 Hannover Fairfactory Thomas J. Burke, President and Executive Director ofmultiple the OPC Foundation and Naomi Nakamura, Global Director of the CC-Link Partner Association signed a Memorandum of automation control devices was Installation and testing of the vehicle Understanding in which both organisations agreed to closely cooperate. also important. “In order to fulfill body assembly line began in November 2012 and the startedplug production the projected will be able toplant seamlessly into CCwill have beenproduction addressed numbers, in under two body both assembly line was in July operation commenced the vehicle Link IE 2013. whichFull is the dominant industrial years, displaying organisations’ in September 2013. Commenting on the going to haveto toaddressing be maintained a networking solution in those regions. commitment users’atneeds. plant Yokomukai said: “Weasreally get a near constant 100% operating rate, “CLPA and PI are acting role models sense of how the effect of the visualisation Supporting endand users requiring reliability guaranteed to show working together can from thetocontrol devices. for4.0 originally.

“The CLPA is pleased be working with that were performance help we make theaiming Industry vision a The diagnostic of CC-Link IE helps So when were selecting PI and ourwe partners to offer control support to reality. We functions have proven to the industry forwho the need Yorii Plant’s vehicle body us totwo quickly locate any problem with devices end users this interoperability that competing organisations assembly line, our in-house proposal the or control devices.” and we believe that the cooperation can equipment work together – cooperation is an for Mitsubishi products, theofintroduction ofconcluded was Through between CLPA andElectric’s PI will directly help essential part Industry 4.0,” CC-Link IE network Honda has achieved which had provensuch themselves over4.0 to make concepts as Industry Schneider. yearssaid at our Sayama “Increased plant in theCommenting desired centralised many a reality,” Nakamura. on thevisualisation PI collaboration, Because the CC-LinkisIE network of control devices.

“The manager vehicle body Japan. openness and accessibility what our John Browett, general at with Mitsubishi Electric’s assembly line uses to 50 PLCsaim andof we is compatible end users demanded, so we are pleased CLPA-Europe said:up “The main are to have awith centralised control devices, we felt thatfully we with to be able to support them the able cooperation PI is tooverview offer of the line and status or problems that may could construct an optimal system by this new specification.” end users machine builders combining thesurprised two,” said Yokomukai. be when a necessary signal “I was very that we achieved theoccurring maximum flexibility as they open gigabit Ethernet based isn’t being received, making operation allThe of this work in just one year,” said operate globally.

We were pleased CC-Link networkchairman follows the ciency much higher. management Karsten IE Schneider, of physical PI. to have been effi able to announce the ned by IEEE 802.3 incident hasyear also and data layers asfirst defirequired Recoveryspecification time after anwithin The cooperation a good coupler one (1000BASE-T). Through thegroup workworking of been said Yokomukai. understanding from each of theshortened,” first announcement of our its industry group, thethe CC-Link Safety solutions and lineWe expansion together about how other Partner network cooperation as planned. are now is – requiring only the Association, it has widely works and this wasbecome achieved, allowing onalso thesimple way to working with various cable to aactual vacant connection of a LANto adopted and is considered a standard. many European machine builders, who partner companies realise port on theasCC-Link IEpossible. network and As wellhave as covering I/O and would alreadyhigh-speed specified PROFINET hardware soon as This the interlock into control of distributed within their machines,controllers, to ship theitsame will allowcan us be to added deliverimmediately this increased flexible network topology a Mitsubishi safetytransparency PLC, considerably offers machine to Asia or Japan withoutoptions communications directly such as star and ringbecause types, allowing reducing workload. changing anything, the machine to industry.”

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June 2017 2016

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CC-LINK CC-LINK IE: IE IN ACTION ENABLING INDUSTRYAUTOMOTIVE 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET INDUSTRY SECTOR:

Choosing an Industry 4.0 Increasing effi ciency and fl exibility networking solution Industry 4.0 – Data and control in future manufacturing

A recentAUTOMOTIVE whitepaper looks at the key requirements for Industry 4.0 IN PRODUCTION success and proposes CC-Link IE as an Industry 4.0-ready Industrial A white paper prepared for the CC-Link Partner Association by OlsenMetrix Marketing

Honda Co., Ltd. has succeeded in increasing efficiency of production and EthernetMotor networking solution. operation management at its Yorii plant, following the introduction of the open ndustry 4.0 is becoming a reality eliminates the hardware costs and will often try to choose just gigabit Ethernet-based CC-LinkEnd-users IE network, which allows communication within and is bringing with it a host of engineering knowledge required to one standard, with their choice often a unifi ed network for and control coming signals from varietyand of factory automation devices benefi ts for both consumers implement network switches.

Its shared down to theatechnology manufacturers, including lower memory concept offers benefi ts too, its commercial benefi ts.

CC-Link IE can such as PLCs, production management information, and safety signals.

I H

costs, faster production, better onda Motor Co established resource effi ciency, higher quality as the ‘mother factory,’ control andYorii greater traceability.

The key which means that lateral enabling technologies that will allow the benefi production Industry 4.0expansion to deliverof these ts are model created here has been the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) replicated in othersystems, overseascombined factories, and cyber-physical including plant in Mexico with the aim with cloudaand even “fog” computing. themultiple company’s competitive of enhancing The IIoT enables devices to ability on adata global scale. exchange using Internet and Key points fortechnologies the design of the cyberEthernet based while whichare opened in July Yorii Plant, physical systems the actual machines 2013, included for a or systems that the will requirement produce and/or simple and robust network; consume the data and use it enhanced to help automation visualisation of factorytheir guide and coordinate actions with control devices, streamlined operation other parts of a manufacturing process. maintenance management and and Ensuring sufficient performance is a assuccess the flexible expansionfor and change key requirement Industry 4.0 network also supports communication so manufacturers planning to move of information. safety towards these smarter factory concepts flexibility into thethat factory Theto need considerbuilt the impact their the Yorii plant means that, today, chosen network technology might have. edge of the remains at the It is clear thatcutting industrial control and all of vehicle production industry, networks will be based on Ethernet, in the the company’s because it is andevelopment international work, standard high-level productionof technology way of that ensures interoperability industrial production systems, high-efficiency and commercial networks and makes this plant.despite the comes out of However, IIoT possible.

As automotive market conditions convergence of standards, developing continue to undergo majoron changes, hardware able to operate all are struggling new car sales available industrial network in standards developed countries, whileautomation major is still impractical.

Typically markets growth iswill predicted vendors focus onfor a group ofin the developingand countries, wherethat automotive standards technologies will arecommercial still competing manufacturers provide the most success, for dominance. an increased based on marketHaving demand.

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offer a number of advantages. It is the only available industrial control network currently offering 1 gigabit Ethernet performance, so is able to provide the bandwidth needed for the next generation of industrial automation.

CC-Link IE is also able to extend 1 gigabit industrial Ethernet network technology right down to the field device level, while combining multiple functionality such as motion and safety on the same network.

Security While the use of Internet-based technologies has increased the possibilities of what can be achieved competitive advantage, in manufacturing, it has through also increased increased effi ciency, IE is therefore vital of the threats.

CC-Link uses a number and is the reason that Honda has utilised techniques to maximise and optimise the Yorii plant as aIt‘mother factory’ network security. combines the to continue work towards further physical andto data-link layers of the and to ensure that increased efficiency OSI hierarchy with an open protocol leading-edge it continues employ that extendsto from the network to in all its plants, production application systems layers. The result is an open may be in the world. wherever they knowledge but controlled base that Thepartners rate of new cars to sold within Japan CLPA are free implement, has plateaued and the the exposure industry can but which reduces to no longer count on the consistently rising unauthorised use. figures of industrial the past. The Yorii plant sales Unlike other Ethernet was built with a view to increasing solutions, CC-Link IE can also delivercostcompetitiveness through highly efficient deterministic control communications production and energy management. without needing the addition of The plant has the capacity Ethernet switches when usedto inproduce line upring to 250,000 vehicles every year, as well or configurations.

Determinism fulfilling its by continuing roleIEasField ‘mother asguaranteed is the CC-Link factory’ which technique requires it which to share its token-passing

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so that complicated programming to control communication is not necessary.

Fault tolerance CC-Link IE technology offers ‘hot backup redundant controller capability’ to allow systems to continue operating even in the event of controller failure.

The option of a dual redundant fibre optic ring configuration is also available, further increasing the fault tolerance of a system.

The speed and scale of development – and the benefits that it can offer – has resulted in a great deal of interest in Industry 4.0 since its concepts were first productionto technology knowpresented industry inand 2011.

With how with domestic and international commercial and domestic applications of production hubs, with a view to helping Ethernet-based technologies, bandwidth increase overall global competitive was the key to delivering a wider, more ability. advanced and higher performance level Yokomukai, maintenance of Taku services.

Industry 4.0 will depend on supervisor on the vehicle body assembly greater bandwidth in a similar way. production was involved in come the Very soonline, manufacturing will selection ofon control devices whennot theyet to depend services that have factory was designed 2011.

He said: been thought of. The in key requirement “We talked a lotadvances about what to enable these willkind still of control devicesand andonly networks would be bandwidth CC-Link IE is be appropriate for a state-of-the-art currently in a position to deliver the best factory.”for this. solution The fiof rstthe issue whichwhitepaper, arose when A copy original forfuture the constructing control ‘Industry 4.0 –aData andnetwork control in vehicle body assembly line was hownow to manufacturing’ can be downloaded handle overall network architecture. from thethe Control Engineering Europe “We did Enter consider flat construction website. linkacode 133610 at www. linking the whole plant in a single controlengeurope.com

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IE: CC-LINK IECC-LINK IN ACTION ENABLING INDUSTRY 4.0 WITH OPEN GIGABIT ETHERNET INDUSTRY SECTOR: AUTOMOTIVE

Making CC-Link IE compatible with 100Mbit Ethernet devices

network, but given the possibility that a single failure could stop the entire plant’s network, we decided that we were better off with multiple networks,” explained Yokomukai.

However, constructing individual networks by application results in a more complex system would increase introduction and operation costs.

Additionally, from the perspective of spreading its know-how to other factories, a sturdy and simple construction was required.

C-Link IE Field Basic can While considering the system bethe implemented on both architecture, team also identifi ed essential for the network. devices or master controllers two functions One was the visualisation by centralised software alone, enabling devices. of factory automation compatibilitycontrol to be added vehicleproducts body assembly line The to existing without thealone need uses dozens ofmodification.

PLCs, makingThis individual for hardware helps management cient. to significantlyineffi reduce theThe costtarget of factory was an environment in to which development and time market. automation device setup, CC-Link IE control has become a de-facto failure looking detection monitoring protocol forand businesses tocould be centralised throughand thefuturenetwork. optimise productivity The their otheroperations essential function was proof in line with the communication signals. anticipated increasesofinsafety data volumes When a worker enters a4.0 prohibited required by an Industry production area or approaches robot, safety environment thanksato its gigabit considerations mandate a sensor bandwidth. However, CLPA recognised (interlock) for the of workers that there are still detection many products and that result in production coming lowerwould level applications where the to a halt.of However, the traditional benefits gigabit performance are using relays configure practice not fullyof recognised.

Itsto response hasa circuit would hardware-based safety been CC-Link IE Field Basic which can be time during line take up a great implemented ondeal anyof existing 100Mbit expansions and changes so the decision device. was made to incorporate The principal aim of thesafety new signals into the network as well, the aiming for a technology is to increase accessibility flexible line structure would allow of CC-Linkthat IE to vendors whose devices changes. do not support gigabit connections.

CC-Link IE Field Basic is compatible Selecting theUDP/IP based Ethernet with TCP/IP and CC-Link IEwhich network technology, helps maximise the Based on the factory interoperability with requirements, other Ethernetfocussed on a solution Yokomukai based devices and services. based the CC-Link IE network The around new variant takes the key because its single Ethernet cable allows functionality of CC-Link IE and offers controlatinformation communication it to devices thatof operate 100Mbit. for PLCs and controllers as well asof John Browett, general manager

At the last SPS/IPC/Drives fair in Nuremberg, the CLPA introduced CC-Link IE Field Basic as an addition to CC-Link IE, extending compatibility to any product with a 100Mbit Ethernet port. providing maintenance and safety

C

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information from the connected devices.

“With CC-Linkexplains IE I discovered that it CLPA Europe, could handle maintenance and safety further: “While CCas well.an This allowed us information Link IE has become to build a simple and high-reliability established technology for the cutting-edge network leader, it suitable is clear that explained plant,” while some deviceYokomukai.

Compatibility with factory makers are undoubtedly interested in automation wasIE’s core the benefits control offereddevices

by CC-Link ll are also important.

“In order to fulfithey technology, for various reasons the production numbers, not projected ready to support a gigabit physical vehicle body assembly line wasof the layer.

In some cases this is because going to have to be platform maintained attheir a the communication that near constant 100% operating products are currently based on,rate, in requiring reliability and guaranteed others it will be because their products from the in control devices. performance are targeted at a level the market So when we were selecting control where gigabit performance is still a for the Yorii Plant’s body devices future requirement.

CC-Linkvehicle IE Field assembly line, our in-house proposal Basic addresses these kinds of issues by for Mitsubishi Electric’s was bringing accessibility to the products, network and which had proven over its benefits withoutthemselves the need to support years physical at our Sayama many the gigabit layer.” plant in Japan. Because the CC-Link IE network with Mitsubishi Electric’s Blending is compatibleseamlessly Becausedevices, CC-Linkwe IE Field Basic’s control felt that westack is compatible with TCP/IP &system UDP/ by could construct an optimal combining two,” said Yokomukai.

IP, it blendsthe seamlessly with other The open gigabit Ethernet and based Ethernet-based technologies CC-Link IE network follows the physical hence means that implementation on

by IEEE can 802.3 and data100Mbit layers asEthernet defined devices existing (1000BASE-T).

Through the work of be achieved purely through software its industry group, the CC-Link Partner development.

Furthermore, a master Association, hasnetwork become widely controller foritthe is also just adopted is considered a standard. software and based, so any industrial PC or As wellEthernet as covering high-speed I/O and other equipped controller can it IE control of distributed be rapidly deployed tocontrollers, run a CC-Link flexible network topology options offers Field Basic network without the need such as star andinterface ring types, allowing for any special cards, driver

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great freedom in the arrangement and configuration of connected devices.

In addition, not only does it support management (setup and monitor) and maintenance (monitoring and failure detection) of controller devices, but it also features a safety communication function allowing sharing of safety information multiple safety PLCs. developmentamong or other additional work.

Installation and testing of the To simplify implementation ofvehicle CC-Link body assembly line is began in November IE Field Basic, CLPA offering sample 2012 and the plant started code free of charge to CLPAproduction regular in July 2013.

Fullkey operation commenced members.

With CLPA partners, in September 2013.

Commenting on the including Balluff, CKD, Hilscher, IDEC, plant Yokomukai “WePhoenix really get a Mitsubishi Electric,said: Molex, sense of and the effect of Electronics, the visualisation Contact Renesas already for originally. The that we were aimingdevelopment, considering product diagnostic functions of CC-Link IE helps CLPA is encouraging other companies us quickly locate problemtoo with to to support this newany technology the or controlthat devices.” withequipment a special campaign allows the introduction of IE Field Through developing companies a CC-Link CC-Link IE network has achieved Basic product to getHonda free official product the desired centralised visualisation certification from the CLPA until the end of control Octoberdevices.

2017. “The vehicle body assembly line to 50 PLCs and we “CC-Link IE uses Fieldup Basic really rounds are ablescope to have a centralised overview off the of what the CLPA can of thecontinued line statusBrowett. or problems that may offer, “It opens up be occurring when a necessary signal even lower end, smaller scale systems isn’t being IE received, making operation to CC-Link via 100Mbit Ethernet. much higher. management efficiency At the same time, compatibility an incident hasIEalso Recovery time aftergigabit with conventional CC-Link been shortened,” Yokomukai. technology opens said up the possibility solutions and line expansion of Safety combining different network types is also simple – requiring requirements. only the according to application a LAN cable to business a vacant connection It will clearlyofoffer additional port on the CC-Link IE network and the opportunities whether a company interlock can be added immediately into is planning sales in Europe, or in a Mitsubishi safety PLC, considerably Asia, where CC-Link IE has been an reducing workload. established technology for years.”

June 2017 2016

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Open automation network technology leader | CC-Link IE

The only open gigabit Ethernet ready for Industry 4.0

CC-Link IE is the only open gigabit Ethernet available today and proven for over six years in demanding applications. So, why gigabit?

• Maximum bandwidth for Industry 4.0 applications • Open development & product support • NEW: CC-Link IE Field Basic available for 100Mbit devices partners@clpa-europe.com | www.clpa-europe.com CC-Link IE is supported by leading automation vendors such as:

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