CEE_18_09

Control, Instrumentation and Automation in the Process and Manufacturing Industries September 2018

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Advantages and practical applications of high-resolution encoders

VR and AR: industrial applications Can robots offer a cure for your production headaches?

A rapid corrosion test for stainless steel

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CONTENTS Ethernet moves ever closer to the field

Editor Suzanne Gill suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk Production Holly Reed holly.reed@imlgroup.co.uk Business Development Manager Iain McLean iain.mclean@imlgroup.co.uk Dan Jago David May G and C Media

Group Publisher Production Manager Studio Design

At the ACHEMA event in June, which now seems like a lifetime ago, we got an update on advances to the Advanced Physical Layer Project (APL), which aims to take Ethernet right down to the field level without the need for gateways.

Although the technology is still a way off being market-ready, it is progressing swiftly, when you consider how many companies and associations are involved in the project, and APL-enabled products are expected to hit the market in 2022 which will be a real tipping point for industrial Ethernet. You can find more details about the APL project in this issue. (pg 4) Also in this issue you can find out how augmented reality and virtual reality technologies look set to affect the manufacturing process and how they can

help enhance product quality and reduce times to market. (pg 22) The summer is now almost over and we are already looking towards the annual SPS/IPC/Drives event and the automation vendors’ User Conference season, which is always a great source for new feature ideas. We look forward to reporting on these events in future issues.

Suzanne Gill Editor – Control Engineering Europe Suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk

INDUSTRY REPORT

SMART FACTORIES

4

24 Find out how new technologies can revolutionise traditional processes to maximise potential in an increasingly digitised global marketplace..

Suzanne Gill reports on the latest developments to the Advanced Physical Layer (APL) project.

EDITOR’S CHOICE 6

Operator workspace offers connected environment; Diagnostics-enabled process safety relays.

INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING 10 Faouzi Grebici shares his vision of an autonomous and intelligent manufacturing approach.

ENERGY MANAGEMENT 26 RITTER SPORT has implemented advanced energy management solutions to ensure it is working in a sustainable manner.

TEST & MEASUREMENT 28 A rapid corrosion test for stainless steel.

ROBOTICS

HAZARDOUS AREA & PLANT SAFETY

14 Find out how robotics can offer a cure for your production headaches.

30 Reviewing the case for Ex connectors in place of hard-wired solutions in hazardous areas.

16 Who’s winning the robot race?

18 AI adds to robot efficiency.

FINAL WORD

WEARABLES AND MOBILE DEVICES 20 Control Engineering Europe reports on the launch of an exoskeleton solution to help reduce fatigue in factory workers.

30 Bob Halgren, DeltaV product director at Emerson, comments on process control systems of the future in an Industry 4.0 era..

22 How does AR and VR help industry?

Control Engineering Europe is a controlled circulation journal published eight 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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Paid subscriptions for non-qualifying applicants are available for £113 (U.K.), £145 (Europe), £204 (rest of world); single copies £19.

September 2018

3

INDUSTRY REPORT

ETHERNET MOVES A BIT CLOSER TO THE FIELD The latest developments to the Advanced Physical Layer project, to take Ethernet to the field, were reported at ACHEMA by three leading standards-based organisations for suppliers of process automation. Suzanne Gill reports.

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t the ACHEMA 2018 exhibition in June a joint press conference, held by FieldComm Group, ODVA and Profibus International (PI), offered an update on APL project developments. The APL project was initiated in 2011 when a group of solution suppliers set out to create a protocol-neutral, Advanced Physical Layer (APL) that could solve the problem of finding a suitable long-reach Ethernet solution for use in process automation and on instrumentation to connect field devices in remote and hazardous locations.

Much of the press conference discussion revolved around the publication of a joint Whitepaper – Ethernet to the Field – which lays out the vision and timeline for the project.

“The project development team is making good progress and products are expected by 2022,” said Dr Jorg Hahniche, chairperson of the steering

committee for the APL project. To ensure that this timeframe is adhered to the organisations are seeking to leverage the work already taking place within the IEEE 802.3cg Task Force which is working to extend the Ethernet physical layer operating at 10 Mb/sec over single-pair cable.

So far the APL project has proved the feasibility of a solution for this problem.

It also generated interest in an industrywide solution based on IEEE Ethernet standards which resulted in the creation of the IEEE P802.3cg project to focus on the development of enhancements to the existing IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard (IEEE 802.3) for Ethernet via twistedpair wiring (10BASE-T1L) that would allow for long-reach applications within hazardous areas.

The argument behind the need for such a solution was that as the process industry moves towards Industry 4.0, it requires a network standard that can transfer process data from

instruments to communication systems with the speed and flexibility of standard Ethernet and IP technologies to replace existing field devices which typically rely on traditional fieldbus network infrastructures that hinder the implementation of increasingly data intensive applications.

The draft of the enhanced standard resulting from IEEE P802.3cg will include specifications for short-reach constrained applications and for powering. It is expected to be completed in 2018, with the amendment to IEEE 802.3 expected to be approved before the end of 2019.

Working in parallel with the IEEE project, the APL project – which is supported by key process industry suppliers in addition to leading standards development organisations for industrial communications – has focussed on an extension of 10BASE-T1L for use in hazardous areas, to develop standards for all typical protection methods, especially intrinsic safety.

Key aspects of these parallel projects include efforts to amend relevant IEC standards for the installation of Ethernet devices in hazardous areas. After completion of all IEEE and IEC standards and related field device conformance tests, Ethernet to the Field should finally be ready by 2022.

APL technology and ecosystem APL is a ruggedised, two-wire, looppowered Ethernet physical layer that uses 10BASE-T1L plus extensions for installation within demanding operating conditions and hazardous areas of process plants. It enables a direct connection of field devices to Ethernetbased systems to enable a convergence

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Control Engineering Europe

INDUSTRY REPORT of OT and IT systems. Utilising a switched architecture eliminates any unwanted interference between devices connected to the same network.

Aside from cables and connectors, an APL infrastructure will consist of two basic components: • APL power switches which will provide connectivity between all standard Ethernet networks and field devices. They will include power supplies to provide power to the APL field switches and field devices. Typically they will be located in the control room or junction box on a skid.

• APL field switches for installation and operation in hazardous areas.

They will be loop-powered by the APL power switch and will distribute both communication signals and power via spurs to the field devices.

Asked about the expectations for APL, Katherine Voss, president of ODVA, said: “As the process industry moves towards more converged network architectures many Industry

4.0 concepts relating to digitalisation and transparency are being realised.

APL will flatten the architecture to eliminate the need for gateways. It will also prepare industrial communications for the next generation of workers who are more likely to want to use Ethernet instead of fieldbus.

“Ethernet to the Field is just a means to achieve the goals set out by Industry 4.0. APL in particular will address a particular use case within field devices for long reach intrinsically safe applications where power is required.

I think that 2022, the year that APL products should start to emerge, will be a real tipping point for industrial Ethernet.”

Ted Masters, president of Fieldcomm Group, continued: “The process industry is hungry for data and I believe that the ability to leverage more realtime data at the speed of Ethernet will be a key driver for migration to APL. We see a lot of ways that this migration could take place but the expectation is that it will be the really high value assets – high data usage devices, such

as valves and analysers – that will lead the way, being the first devices to be upgraded to APL.” While APL technology is not directly retrofittable into existing devices, there will be ways to communicate to existing legacy devices through an APL network so it will be possible to migrate slowly towards the technology with networks mixing legacy devices and APL devices in a blended, seamless, scenario.

“The value of the data is greater than the cost of APL and I think it is the ability to gather data from field devices that will drive the continued migration to Ethernet – starting with the highest value devices,” concluded Masters.

As part of the joint promotion of APL, and because of its potential adaptation to their respective Ethernet networks – EtherNet/IP, HART-IP and ProfiNET – the three standards-based organisations have agreed to provide future updates on the project at venues relevant to end users in the process industry. Control Engineering Europe hopes to report further from many of these events !

Free online training to cut human error in oil and gas incidents A new training initiative to help prevent oil and gas incidents by focusing on human behaviours has been launched by the International Well Control Forum (IWCF), the independent, not-for-profit organisation which sets international training standards for well control.

Research findings for the creation of the Well Operations Crew Resource Management (WOCRM) awareness course show that better understanding of leadership, situational awareness and decision making can reduce the impact of human factors on major well incidents.

The free course gives well operation crews an opportunity to boost their knowledge of non-technical skills, including communication and teamwork, using a single, internationally available, resource.

Control Engineering Europe

Course participants will also learn how to look out for warning signs of stress and fatigue in themselves and colleagues, which can affect performance in potentially dangerous work environments. Antony Quin, chief executive officer at IWCF, said: “Major incidents make everyone in the industry sit up and take notice. The launch of this free awareness training means well control crews working anywhere in the world will have consistent, expert guided knowledge. We are urging widespread uptake through our network of training centres and look forward to feedback.”

Well operation crews can access the free course online and complete the modules in their own time. Candidates with questions about the course can visit www.iwcf.org/ programmes/wocrm

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September 2018

5

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Operator workspace offers connected environment Emerson has introduced the iOps Workspace Solution, an operator workspace that is said to reduce human error. The integrated operations (iOps) solution combines visualisation hardware and software with a technical console to enable an operator to more quickly interact with multiple information sources, improving productivity and situation resolution.

The iOps Workspace Solution – developed in conjunction with workspace providers Barco, Vertiv and

Evosite – combines many operator input sources into a single, virtual workspace integrating information at the operator interface. Operators only need to log in once, at a single workspace, to gain access to all monitoring and control areas for which they are responsible.

The iOps Workspace Solution can manage inputs from any number of third-party software applications, live video feeds, and an array of automation software and hardware including the DeltaV distributed

Diagnostics-enabled process safety relays The KFD2-RSH safety relays from Pepperl+Fuch are designed to overcome the weaknesses of forceguided contacts. The device combines diagnostics, line fault transparency, and triple redundancy in a oneout-of-three architecture. The function of the switching contacts is automatically checked during each switching operation which reduces the effort required for proof tests.

The relay is immune to test pulses so is compatible with digital output cards for all common control panels.

For DTS (de-energiSed-to-safe) applications there are three serial contacts. For ETS (energiSed-to-safe) signal circuits there are two groups, each of three contacts arranged in parallel. The safety function is ensured, even if two contacts in a group fail. The integrated diagnostics function switches the three contacts successively with a time delay during each switching operation. In ETS applications, all three relays of both contact groups are initially closed with three consecutive switching operations. During the delay period, the device checks whether this contact closes the circuit and detects any faulty circuits. DTS device diagnosis takes place during the restart process rather than during shutdown. Initially, two relay contacts

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September 2018

are closed simultaneously, then the third contact is closed after a time delay. The idea is that there is no current flowing before the third contact closes, otherwise this relay is defective because it no longer disconnects the circuit. A different relay is checked during every switching cycle.

In conventional solutions, controlside line fault detection to the field device via the galvanic isolation of the module is not possible.

The specific line fault can only be detected with additional wiring of a fault indication output on the module. In contrast, KFD2-RSH safety relays provide comprehensive line fault transparency (LFT). Short circuits and lead breakages are also detected on the control side and assigned to a specific signal circuit. No additional wiring is required. The relay module monitors the connected load in the field. If there is a fault in the field wiring (short circuit, lead breakage), the resonance of the test pulse filter on the input side is incorrect. The diagnostics-enabled DO (digital output) card of the control system can detect the fault on the field side from it. In addition, the relay modules provide an auxiliary contact, which allows freely selectable feedback of line fault information.

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control system. Barco’s operator workspace software, OpSpace provides an `integrated at the glass experience’ that helps control room operators work in an intuitive way.

Pressure insensitive mass flow controller EL-FLOW Prestige, the latest generation of Bronkhorst mass flow meters/controllers for gases, can now be equipped with an on-board pressure sensor. In combination with its ‘Differential Temperature Balancing’ sensor technology and agas database with physical properties, the instrument automatically compensates for inlet pressure variations. So accuracy and control stability is not affected by pressure changes. Next to an improved yield of the customer’s process, additional components for line pressure control will no longer be required.

Its multi gas/multi range functionality enables users to select any of the installed gases and to adjust the measuring range. The dynamic behaviour of the controller can be tuned on site by adjusting the controller speed parameters.

Control Engineering Europe

HITTING TOP QUARTILE MEANS

Liberating data to flow as freely as your production

Emerson.com/IIoT

The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2018 Emerson Electric Co.

COVER STORY

ADVANTAGES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF HIGH-RESOLUTION ENCODERS An increasing number of high-resolution encoders have been introduced to the market in recent years. With its compact ENX 16 RIO, also maxon motor presents a high-end model. But which applications benefit most from high encoder resolutions?

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he requirements placed on encoders are continuously increasing. This is particularly true for positioning applications, like the placement of electronic components. The reason for this is the increasing number of electrical contacts and the simultaneous decrease in the housing size of modern, highly complex integrated circuits like microprocessors or programmable logic modules (FPGA). For example, a modern WF-XBGA housing as per JEDEC standard MO-298, with up to 2601 contacts and a 0.4mm grid size, requires a positioning accuracy of 0.4°m, or 1/900 of a revolution.

A rotary encoder suitable for the task should have a ten times higher resolution. For an incremental

encoder, this results in a minimum resolution of 2,250 counts per turn (cpt).

For applications with highly constant velocity control, the requirements on the encoder resolution are significantly higher: Due to the square relationship between the specified maximum deviation of the speed from the set value and the necessary encoder resolution, this task requires encoders with several 10,000 counts per turn.

As a rule, the smaller and less inert the drive system, the higher the required resolution.

Robust and compact Both of these applications require not only high resolution, but also a comparatively high maximum speed

and error-free encoder function for an agile, dynamic final system. Not least, even a high-resolution encoder should use as little additional installation space as possible and be electrically and mechanically robust.

The new maxon ENX 16 RIO encoder (where RIO stands for Reflective, Interpolated, Optical) fulfills the requirements for a highresolution optical encoder with an especially compact size. Its use of latest technologies allows it to reach up to 65,536 cpt. And its housing with 16mm outer diameter and a length of 7mm is very robust mechanically due to its injection-molded construction.

Installed directly on the motor shaft The ENX 16 RIO is an incremental

Figure 1: ENX 16 RIO – the new reflective optical encoder with up to 65,536 counts per turn in a robust housing (16 mm diameter, 7 mm long).

To the left as a combination with a configurable DC motor (DCX 16 S), to the right a view into the sensor housing.

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Control Engineering Europe

COVER STORY Characteristic

Unit

ENX16RIO

Counts per turn

cpt

512 to 65,536 (in steps of 256)

Number of channels

3

Output driver

RS422 (min. 20 mA per channel differential)

Max. pulse rate

kHz

3,125

Max. speed

rpm

40,000 (up to 4,096 cpt)

Phase shift

°el

90° ± 10°el (for 4,096 cpt)

Operating temperature range

°C

-40 to +100

Typical Current draw

mA

50 (no load)

Operating voltage

V

4.5 to 5.5

Size

mm

Ø16 x 7

Dust protection Table 1:

IP5x

Data sheet for the ENX 16 RIO encoder.

three-channel encoder with differential EIA RS422 compatible output signals. The resolution can be configured at the factory, from 512 cpt up to the maximum.

For resolutions up to 4096 cpt, the encoder works without error at speeds as high as 40,000 rpm.

When the resolution doubles, the speed is halved. This is due to the maximum output pulse frequency of 3 MHz. However, even at a very high resolution of 16,384 cpt, 10,000 rpm are still possible – and all this in a very compact size. The high speed is supported by the external-bearing construction without spring-like connecting elements. By mounting the target directly onto the motor shaft, the full dynamic range can be used in positioning applications.

The ENX 16 RIO encoder uses a disk with 256 lines. With the programmable interpolation up to 256, a resolution of up to 65,536 cpt can be achieved. With the quadrature evaluation of increments, the maximum position resolution is 18 Control Engineering Europe

bit. Despite its high resolution, the encoder is very robust: Its operating temperature range is -40°C to +100°C, and in combination with matching motor flange, the plastic-encased circuit board provides a dust-proof housing in accordance with IP5x. This optical encoder is, therefore, also suitable for ‘dirty’ environments. The ENX 16 RIO gives engineers a modular solution for a wide range of maxon DC motors. Combinations are possible for direct drive solutions based on series DCX 16 to DCX 35, EC-4pole 22, and EC-4pole 30, as well as the iron-wound internal-rotor motors EC-i 30, EC-i 40, and EC-i 52.

3D printers to surgical robots Table 1 summarises the key data of the new ENX 16 RIO encoder. This new high-resolution encoder is especially suitable for high-precision position and velocity control. Its high maximum pulse rate and external-bearing construction mean that hardly any compromises are necessary when it comes to speed and control dynamic.

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The robust ENX-format housing, the wide operating temperature range, the differential RS422 interface, and the dust-proof installation on specified maxon motors enable new solutions in many high-end applications, such as precision measurement, printing machines, delta robots, 3D printers, plotters, surgical robots, haptic applications, electronic component placement, and many others. Please do not forget: In order to fully exploit the capabilities of the new encoder, the position and speed controllers need to be sufficiently dynamic and properly adjusted. This is possible with maxon’s high-performance motion controllers like ESCON, EPOS4 and MAXPOS. The mechanical output components also need to satisfy the highest quality and precision requirements. For these reasons, it is preferable to install highresolution encoders in direct-driven applications. !

Author: Dr. Volker Schwarz of maxon motors www.maxonmotor.com September 2018

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INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING

Personalising the manufacturing process Faouzi Grebici shares his vision of an autonomous and intelligent manufacturing approach where the three key functions of transformation, transfer and transportation are harmonised to provide optimum agility.

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onsumer demand for more customised products is a trend that is necessitating rapid change in both the supply chain and manufacturing processes. The traditional manufacturing scenario is usually optimised around low mix/high volume production models so there is a steep learning curve for industry to adapt to the new normal.

The conventional approach of ‘same, standardised and stocked’ products, with a heavy initial investment and uncertain return on capital, is severely challenged by todays shrinking product lifecycles and the e-commerce trend for convenience shopping.

The challenge is that most manufacturing plants are built to leverage efficiency through volume.

Emphasis has always been put on the product transformation from raw to finished with monolithic lines. To respond to high mix, low volume demand it is

Figure 1: Changeability map as envisioned by Omron.

common to call for an extra process at the end of the line or to rely on subcontractors that are embedded within the supply chain.

Transportation of products within the plant and the transfer from machine to machine is usually either rigid or is a

manual process undertaken as close as possible to the line. Existing production lines are struggling to cope with faster product cycles and more rapidly changing consumer demands. This has resulted in the need for production lines designed with changeability built-in to allow them to be more flexible.

Preparing for changeability

Figure 3: Cost of failure and focus on line failure prevention through real time

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Changeability is defined by the ability of an enterprise to react to change – from product shape and form up to the enterprise business model. It should be built into machines and line reconfigurability up to product flow flexibility to address the ultimate agility through production relocation-ability.

Change-over-ability is critical at the transformation stage. It consists mainly in machine control and operations. Here it is possible to address variability through changing shape and size mainly but maintaining the nature of the product.

Then comes the stage where the product nature and family is changeable and this Control Engineering Europe

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Sponsored article

Mobile multi-protocol diagnostics for all environments PROCENTEC wants to help elevate your operation to the next level. Most operations or processes gearing towards Industry 4.0 will operate in a mixed architecture. This means facilities have to deal with an architecture where older networks and Industrial Ethernet networks work side by side. With this situation in mind, we developed the next evolution in our diagnostic eco-system: the PROCENTEC Mercury.

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he PROCENTEC Mercury is a robust tablet which features our cross-platform software package called Osiris. The PROCENTEC Mercury is perfect for troubleshooting, maintenance and monitoring Industrial Ethernet and PROFIBUS networks. The PROCENTEC Mercury enables you to gain insight into the health and possible faults in your industrial network. While developing this innovative product, the user was, and remains, the main focus.

This handheld device is fast, has an easy to use interface and can be used in industrial environments.

Diagnostics and monitoring of Industrial Ethernet and PROFIBUS: When the PROCENTEC Mercury is plugged into an Industrial Ethernet network, it creates a clear overview of all devices and how they are connected in the network. This topology can be viewed in the galaxy view, hierarchic tree view and the customizable view where you can easily create your own personal view. Significant information about a device or connection will appear in the topology by clicking on it. This data is displayed with clear NAMUR NE 107 icons identifying where problems are occurring in the network.

Collecting information about the quality of the network with PROCENTEC Mercury is easy with Q-Factor (Quality Factor). This feature can be found on the dashboard and works with a weighted algorithm to score the quality of the network. The Q-Factor can be shown in different

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ways; from 0 to 5000, according to the automotive standard, or from 0 to 100% as a relative display of the quality of the network. A simpler overview can also be provided through the traffic light feature, which can show the status in three colours.

When combining the PROCENTEC Mercury with PROCENTEC ProfiTrace, it offers a new software package for troubleshooting PROFIBUS networks.

With the PROCENTEC Mercury, typical PROFIBUS failures such as noise, reflections, voltage drops, termination problems, double addresses, wire breaks and configuration faults are quickly identified.

Automated PROFINET network commissioning: A unique, brand-new feature on PROCENTEC Mercury is the PROCENTEC Commissioning Wizard. It automatically walks you through the steps necessary to meet the PROFINET standards for network commissioning.

Preparing PROFINET or Industrial Ethernet certification reports was never this easy. With the PROCENTEC Commissioning Wizard, PROCENTEC offers automated commissioning of PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet networks. The PROCENTEC Commissioning Wizard is integrated in our Osiris software and available in the dashboard. When run on PROCENTEC Mercury, our mobile handheld device will become a powerful and smart commissioning tool to be used in all environments.

When the PROCENTEC Commissioning Wizard is launched,

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it will check the current network condition. After performing the Quickscan, our PROCENTEC Commissioning Wizard will guide through the next seven steps of the commissioning process. Results are shown and give immediate insight on valuable information such as double IP addresses, network loads and ARP requests.

Each step is accompanied with the necessary information provided

by PROCENTEC Delphi, your virtual network engineer. Not only possible network errors are shown, PROCENTEC Delphi suggests which actions to take to solve the issues, so the PI certification rules are met.

Meet PROCENTEC Delphi – your virtual network engineer: With PROCENTEC Delphi we have succeeded in sharing the knowledge we have built up over the past 20 years of performing diagnostics on industrial networks. It is a unique software feature which offers guidance in plain everyday language.

PROCENTEC Delphi is part of our Osiris software and therefore available on the PROCENTEC Mercury and PROCENTEC Atlas. PROCENTEC Delphi is our knowledge and your virtual network engineer. As an integrated part of our software PROCENTEC Delphi is always there to help.

Read more about our monitoring and diagnostic solutions for industrial networks at: https://procentec.co.uk

September 2018

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INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING

Figure 2: Concept of a polymorphic production line for high mix-low volume.

deals with full line reconfiguration to start a new production batch.

Flexibility comes when the flow of the product is changed and the linear synchronicity is broken to allow products to move directly to workstations where the transformation happens instead of every product having to go through all the same stations and taking up almost the same takt time. The ultimate agility comes when production cells are easily re-locatable within the plant or even to different sites across the globe.

Figure 1 outlines the changeability map envisioned by Omron. Attaining full flexibility is achieved best when the three key functions of Transform, Transfer and Transport (3Ts) are integrated in the initial design of the line.

Intelligent cells It is proposed that responding to a need for greater high variability within small volume and high mix production lines a new approach should be considered, based on a polymorphic production line. As shown in Figure 2, transformation cells with reconfigurable fixed robots are supplied by mobile robots that are autonomous, intelligent and collaborative. This calls for smart transfer systems to ensure minimum idling time when loading or unloading

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the workstations. The key to achieving the highest efficiency is to balance the load of the production cells through smart feeding and proper sorting and alignment and by optimising flow of the mobile robots so that queuing, loading/ unloading and travelling is optimised.

Omron offers a planning tool to simulate these tasks well as an Enterprise Manager which is able to control a fleet up to 100 mobile robots.

Looking at integration from initial design the 3Ts are key. However, to ensure a viably industrialised line it is also vital to employ lean concepts that look at operational excellence and human safety. Human safety is a critical aspect from the start and cannot be retrofitted once the line is in operation. With products being freely transported around production cells safety assessments should be undertaken at every stage of the operation.

Operational excellence While data is important, it is necessary to focus on ‘relevant’ data, which can now also be collected from the edge. A failure will cost exponentially more as it travels farther away from the machine level.

However, collecting data without a base of lean thinking is fruitless.

Operational excellence is about achieving

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the target cost with zero compromise on quality and maximum customer satisfaction through committed delivery.

Hence Quality, Cost and Delivery (QCD) should be the starting point. Figure 3 demonstrates a simplified approach to this. Quality should be about both product quality and process quality as a single entity, while delivery is about equipment availability and equipment performance as targeted. From quality stems traceability and from availability stems visibility on the shop floor. All of this leads to a controlled and improved cost performance. Omron is adding a new dimension to improving machine availability and quality through edgebased machine learning controllers which will help predictive maintenance and faster machine set up which, in turn, will contribute to a better QCD. In conclusion, it is consumer behaviour that is shaping the factory of tomorrow.

Omron is happy to share its vision of a factory that produces on demand to reduce waste and scrap, re-utilise equipment to maximise the return on engaged assets and above all a working environment where the operator is turned into a true creator. !

Faouzi Grebici is industry solution manager for Omron EMEA. Control Engineering Europe

CONNECTORS

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PushPull: THE

SMART CHOICE FOR THE SMART FACTORY

As the rise of smart factories continues to alter the landscape of production and manufacturing facilities, the demands placed on modular components become more challenging.

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o facilitate more flexible production processes, technicians and machine operators now need the ability to efficiently disconnect and reconnect the industrial lifelines of data, signal and power. This process also needs to be carried out quickly in order to avoid expensive machine downtime.

The connections themselves need to be easy to handle, simple to use and secure enough to withstand the dayto-day rigours of challenging industrial environments. Fortunately, the PushPull range from HARTING doesn’t mind getting its hands dirty.

Easy, secure connections As its name suggests, the PushPull range from HARTING utilises an intuitive, tool-free connection and termination technique that guarantees an error-free process. Simply click the two sections into place and listen for the audible feedback. The sturdy housing is engraved with pronounced contours which ensure a firm grip on the connector, even in challenging industrial environments. All these features mean interfaces can be

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quickly and easily changed without the need for any specialist training.

Colour coding To further simplify the process and eliminate the possibility of incorrect matings, HARTING has designed PushPull with colour-coded marks. The first is a yellow triangle that appears on both the plug and socket. Simply line the two triangles up when mating to ensure connections are orientated correctly. This delivers considerable timesavings for the operator, especially when many interfaces need to be connected.

Secondly, the user also has the option to allocate colour codes to each PushPull plug and socket in an installation.

For example, you could decide to individually code data, signal and power lines to ensure each one is easily identifiable, reducing cabling errors.

Secure and adaptable The PushPull range also comes with a spin-lock that firmly secures the connecter in a mated position, preventing inadvertent disconnection.

Simply plug in the PushPull then rotate the ring one-eighth of a turn clockwise to lock and secure the connection.

For industrial and manufacturing environments, HARTING has developed the PushPull V4 Industrial. It comes in a resilient, one-piece housing that protects the connection from aggressive chemicals.

The housing has been

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tested according to Railway Standards for shock, vibration and temperature, meeting EN 45545-2 and ensuring it can stand up to the toughest of tests and can be used outdoors.

The V4 Industrial comes with additional IP65/67 protection covers on both ends to safeguard from dust ingress and water.

Improvements in the second generation of the PushPull extend to cable clamping. Previously, the V4 utilised three cable clamps but that number has now been reduced to one.

As a result, the new version can easily accommodate cable diameters from 4.5mm up to 10mm.

One thing that has remained constant with the PushPull V4 Industrial is the variety of insert connectors available.

Power variants are available in 3- and 4-pin which cover up to 250V at 16A, perfect for systems that have a highenergy usage. For signal transmission, you can choose from 10-pin, 20-pin and even a hybrid power/signal variant for up to 5A/48VDC and 10/100MHz. The PushPull range also includes RJ45 Ethernet solutions for Fast Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Last but not least is data, where the modular housing is available with USB mating. Fibre optic solutions are either multimode or singlemode capable.

In keeping with HARTING’s principle of modular design, old and new PushPull components are 100% compatible with each other. www.HARTING.co.uk September 2018

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ROBOTICS

Robotics: a cure for your production headaches?

Mike Wilson looks at the most common headaches faced by food & beverage companies and explains how they can be solved with robotics.

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ny manufacturer wishing to succeed in today’s fiercely competitive markets must be able to make and supply products that the market wants and should be able to respond to rapid changes in consumer demand.

In the food production section there are some particular challenges that add further pressures such as high staff turnovers coupled with issues such as product quality and safety, flexibility of production lines and financial strain.

The challenge for SMEs in the food industry is to deliver high quality, short shelf life products quickly and efficiently.

These pressures have resulted in an increased interest in robotic automation in the food sector. In the UK, a Food and Drink Federation (FDF) report, ‘Economic contribution and growth opportunities’, released in June 2017, highlighted the growing support for automation as a way of increasing competitiveness.

Based on a survey of UK food and beverage producers, the report found that 73% of those surveyed were using some form of manufacturing process automation, with another 40% saying that their productivity had improved due to investing in new machinery and equipment, including robots.

There is still more work to do, however. Conversations with various food and beverage companies have uncovered common headaches that affect production processes – which could be either directly or indirectly solved by robotic automation.

Inconsistent quality Where tight margins leave little room for error, a mistake can affect not only the product, but also the stock of ingredients

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needed to produce a replacement – pushing up the cost of production per unit and squeezing margins further.

Factors such as inattentiveness, operator boredom in repetitive processes and failure to understand instructions can all conspire to increase the risk of errors. Where mistakes occur, the potential ramifications are felt in everything from increased order turnaround times and late delivery through to lost orders as customers lose trust and look to alternative suppliers. In the most extreme cases, an error caused during production could even lead to a product recall. As most producers rely on just-in-time delivery of ingredients, rather than holding them in stock, any loss of product caused by an error can also lead to potential delays in production processes as replacement ingredients are brought in.

Sudden fluctuations in order sizes and delivery deadlines can cause problems where processes are not sufficiently flexible to deal with them. The solution has, traditionally, been to draft in temporary labour as and when necessary.

Although this may provide a solution, it presents an added cost and a potential source of error, particularly when the workers may be unfamiliar with the company’s products or processes. The need to change production lines quickly to handle different products can also hamper delivery times

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where changeover cannot be achieved quickly enough.

Another issue is reliability. A general reluctance to invest in new technologies and machines means that many companies are hanging on to older plant, exposing themselves to an increased risk of unplanned downtime caused by failing equipment.

Late payments are the bane of any business, impacting on cash flow and increasing uncertainty. The imbalanced nature of the supermarket/supplier relationship means that many companies may have to wait months before getting paid. This is particularly problematic for those relying on temporary workers to help meet staffing shortfalls.

Uncertainties in cash flow can make it difficult to hire sufficient staff or can impair the ability to plan and can be particularly problematic when production needs to be unexpectedly ramped up.

Robotic automation These challenges are all steadily being addressed by new developments in robotic technology.

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ROBOTICS Barclays Bank’s 2015 report ‘Futureproofing UK manufacturing’ highlighted the important contribution that automation, including robots, could make to the food and beverage sector, with productivity improvements of up to 25% estimated by 2025. Robotic automation technology can help industry to achieve the highest standards of efficiency and productivity while reducing waste, as well as solving temporary staffing issues.

Many of the headaches identified earlier in this article can be either directly or indirectly solved by investing in robotic automation technology.

Bringing consistency Robots can solve consistency issues throughout production lines.

Developments in vision inspection technology, for example, are enabling robots to quickly spot defective products that do not conform to a given specification. The robot can either miss the faulty products or halt the line until these products are removed. If a robot is used with a batch control system, it may also have a barcode scanner that can recognise a faulty set of products.

The risk of contamination in upstream processes and in mid-stream applications like stacking, can also be significantly reduced using robotic technology.

Consistency is a key advantage of robotic automation technology, not just in terms of the quality of the end product but also in the way the product is handled from the outset. Once the robot is fully programmed, it can be left to handle a process with no risk of issues arising from unexpected alterations.

A robot’s ability to switch between multiple production or packaging processes with minimal downtime required for set up provides the flexibility needed to complete orders in the shortest time. The innate flexibility of robotic technology enables different object types and shapes to be handled on a single line.

With today’s robots offering high Mean Time between Failure (MTBF) rates, reliability is also enhanced.

Furthermore, developments in Control Engineering Europe

technology such as remote service mean that manufacturers with a remote service agreement from their robot manufacturer can have their robot monitored remotely to spot any potential problems in advance.

Developments in offline programming make it possible to run a robot in a virtual process before committing it to the actual factory floor.

By enabling a robot or robot system to be thoroughly tried and tested in an offline environment, software is helping eliminate the time and cost of designing and commissioning a physical installation. Although robots are unable to directly help suppliers get payment from bigger companies dictating payment schedules, they can help reduce operational overheads by eliminating the costs associated with drafting in extra staff and other resources to handle orders. Also, because robots are less likely to make mistakes or break things, companies can realise reduced costs through decreased wastage and reprocessing of products.

At this point it is important to clarify that robotic automation is at its best when it augments, rather than replaces, a manual workforce. Robots can work around the clock and can cope with the harshest of conditions to aid workers who would otherwise be unable to reach those all-important deadlines.

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Summary The take-up of automation technology is continuing to rise as manufacturers turn to robots to help them achieve new breakthroughs in competitiveness and productivity through safe, hygienic and speedy automation. The continual advances in robotic automation technology, coupled with a continued fall in the cost of robotic equipment, mean there is likely to be a continued increase in take-up of robots in production and packaging processes. !

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Mike Wilson is business development manager for ABB Limited UK robotics business. He is also chairman of British Automation & Robot Association (BARA).

September 2018

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- For all your hydraulic applications Synchronization controls Pressure controls Position controls Power amplifiers

ROBOTICS

WHO’S WINNING THE ROBOT RACE? Nigel Smith looks at who is leading the way in the race for automated production.

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tatistics from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) prove that the number of industrial robots used in production is increasing.

However, three-quarters of total robot sales are currently attributed to just five countries – China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States and Germany.

Asia has been the strongest market for robotics for some time and a significant percentage of the 380,550 robot units sold globally in 2017 will have been deployed to Asian factories. Indeed the region reported record-breaking robot sales for the past four years in a row, rising by 19% in 2017.

In 2015, the Chinese government announced Made in China 2025 (MiC2015) a national initiative to reboot the country’s manufacturing sector. Similarly, Japan launched its own transformation project in 2017, named Society 5.0. The scheme aims to go beyond Germany’s 2011 Industrie 4.0 initiative by considering the challenges that these new technologies will bring to society, rather than solely focusing on their use in manufacturing.

Europe, the second largest market for industrial robot sales, also increased its volume of robot deployment in 2017.

Purchasing 56,000 units in total, the continent reached a new peak for robot sales for the third year in a row. However, much of this deployment was attributed to Germany, currently the fifth largest robot market in the world.

Automotive industry Much of Europe’s deployment of robotic technology is also related to the automotive industry so it is no surprise that the champions for robotics in Europe are those with a strong automotive presence — Germany, Italy and Sweden.

Automotive manufacturers have long used six-axis robots in their production.

Looking to the future, increasing the volume of robot deployment will rely on the small to medium-sized companies also investing in automation. To reach this market, industrial robots must become more accessible, in relation to both cost and user experience. TM Robotics’ ‘Global Robotics Report 2018’ found that simple programming was one of the most important features when choosing a

SCARA, Cartesian or six-axis model – 79% of respondents named this as a top five consideration.

Easy robot programming also provides established users with reduced programming time. Growing demand for easily programmable robots is also evident in the rapid increase in sales of collaborative models – robots that can work without protective barriers between machine and employee.

Collaborative robots (cobots) currently account for 3% of the total robotics market, but this figure is expected to reach 34% by 2025. These machines have been marketed as easy to program, but despite this, they should not be considered as a total alternative to traditional industrial robots.

While cobots boast some impressive responsive features, generally they cannot tackle the dangerous, repetitive and heavy-duty tasks usually associated with industrial robots. Respondents to the Global Robotics Report agree, 55% did not believe that cobot technology is advanced enough to deliver the performance require for manufacturing, and a further 25% are unsure of their capabilities.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution for automating a facility,” explained Peter Williamson, manging director of RARUK Automation. “The growth in the cobot market represents cobots as an ideal first step towards automation, but there’s more than one route to deploying robotics in a facility. We have developed a varied range of automation technologies which ensures we can deliver the right kind of automation to our customers, dependant on the application.”

The IFR predicts that the robot industry will experience a further boom in 2019, with an estimated 2.6 million robot units set to be deployed. There’s no denying that Asia is currently dominating the robotics market, but with such rapid changes happening in a relatively short period of time, there’s scope for other nations to catch up. !

Nigel Smith is manging director of industrial robot distributor TM Robotics.

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Control Engineering Europe

Forward-thinking solutions. sdrawkcaB .ytilibitapmoc

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Our PLCs, HMIs, Inverter Drives, Industrial Robots, Switchgear, Servo / Motion Controllers and Software solutions are all designed to address the requirements of end users, systems integrators and OEM businesses to help improve productivity, efficiency and quality.

So don’t hold back in seeing what the future could bring for your company contact us on automation@meuk.mee.com or call 01707 276100. gb3a.mitsubishielectric.com

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Software Solutions

ROBOTICS

AI ADDS TO ROBOT EFFICIENCY

The implementation of artificial intelligence is adding efficiency to all stages of the manufacturing process, including robotics.

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rtificial intelligence (AI) is adding efficiency to almost every phase of the manufacturing process – from design and start-up through to operation and maintenance.

This is why Mitsubishi Electric’s new industrial robot series – the MELFA FR – incorporates AI technologies to help achieve a more flexible and productive working environment.

Increased productivity and profitability for manufacturing companies require the optimisation of available floor space and machine up-time. Safety features such as Safe Limited Speed (SLS), Safely-Limited Position (SLP) and Safe Torque Off (STO) achieve this by allowing personnel to work efficiently around robots. Scalable safety options allow the robot to be optimised for occasional or regular human access. Slowing down in stages, rather than making an immediate stop and transitioning from high-speed to lowspeed operation and back again quickly allows both the robot and the human to work efficiently without stops, and in a smaller space.

In addition to the time saved in operation the new MELFA FR robot

series is also said to be fast and simple to install with intuitive programming and extensive connectivity options. Before use, operators can set-up and test robot movement and interaction virtually using 3D CAD simulation software.

The MELFA FR robot portfolio addresses a wide range of automation applications by offering both vertically articulated robotic arms and horizontally articulated SCARA robots. Each version employs a double-arm structure securing maximum freedom of movement while delivering stability at high speeds. Depending on the model, the new robots are available with ranges of up to 1504 mm and 2 to 20 kg load capacity. MELFA FR robots are said to maintain accuracies of up to ± 0.01 mm.

Commenting on the range, Oliver Giertz, product manager Servo/Motion/ Robots for EMEA region for

Mitsubishi Electric, said: “The new MELFA FR robot series offers the latest advances in managing safety and using AI on the factory floor. When AI is applied to highly adaptable automation products not only are they easier to use, but also fast and efficient to integrate within production and assembly systems. The result is a collaborative, versatile, safe and reliable solution that can boost productivity and slash production time and costs.” !

Slimline general purpose robot FANUC has extended its slimline range of compact, general purpose robots, suited to use in narrow work spaces and topmount applications.

The M10iD/10L is the latest model in FANUC’s M-10 robot series. It comes complete with long arm to provide an extended reach of up to 1636mm, allied to the handling of larger workpieces with a maximum payload of up to 10kg.

With a footprint of 343m x 343mm, the M10iD/10L is suited to compact production line installations and is fully articulated to reach narrow spaces in machine tools or jigs.

As with other models in the M-10 series, the M10iD/10L

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benefits from a hollow arm, wrist and body, which facilitate the easy routing of internal cables. This makes the robot straightforward to integrate and modify and, coupled with a slim J2 curved arm it can reduce any interference with peripheral devices and work cell equipment.

The six-axis robot has a maximum speed of 720°/sec, and a repeatability of ±0.03mm. The M10iD/10L also facilitates intelligent maintenance schedules thanks to FANUC’s Zero Down Time condition monitoring software, which is said to be able to predict the status of mechanical and process equipment.

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Control Engineering Europe

UK INDUSTRY REPORT

Industry 4.0: UK manufacturers still have a way to go According to an EEF survey, manufacturers are boosting investment in Industry 4.0 technologies and many have moved beyond the initial ‘conception’ phase and into the ‘evolution’ phase where they are seeing real benefits from their investments.

According to EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, new digital technologies are rapidly transforming European manufacturing, with investment in Industry 4.0 technologies being vital to achieving a step change in UK manufacturing productivity given performance has flat-lined in the decade since the financial crisis.

However, 57% of manufacturers are yet to make investments and only onein-four companies see the UK as being in an Industry 4.0 leadership position.

The EEF says that barriers are standing in the way of additional investment in industry and has called on Government to do more work to overcome this as part of the industrial strategy. Chris Richards, head of business environment policy at EEF, said: “New digital

technologies are rapidly transforming manufacturing and are key to boosting improvements in productivity. While there has been some progress and more companies are both aware of, and investing in, 4IR it is clear that we are still some way off a majority engaged in adoption.

“The reasons for this patchy uptake depend on where firms are on their journey, but include a spectrum of challenges. These range from skills and technology compatibility to company culture and finance. Government and industry need to work together to ensure the UK benefits from the productivity benefits 4IR technologies can offer.”

The survey also shows the move to a more advanced form of Industry 4.0

investment for companies is seeing significant benefits being expected or realised in terms of improved labour efficiency (35%), improved machine utilisation rates (34%) and increased production flexibility (32%).

However, it also highlights the fact that significant barriers still remain in the way of a digital future. In particular lack of skills within business for implementation tops the list for 88% of companies, although breaking down by phase, for those doing nothing on Industry 4.0 the biggest barrier is not understanding how technologies can help the business.

Of those investing the most in Industry 4.0, skills becomes less of an issue as the biggest barrier is data compatibility between systems (42%). !

Online tool can assess your readiness for Industry 4.0 adoption Festo has developed an online tool to help companies assess their readiness for Industry 4.0 adoption. Industry 4.0 Quick Check enables current Industry 4.0 maturity levels to be measured and highlights what the next training and development priorities should be.

The tool was created using Festo’s own experience in adopting Industry 4.0 practices at its manufacturing sites and in delivering workshops for third-parties. Neil Lewin, Festo learning & development consultant, explains: “The new online tool makes it easier to find answers by guiding users through a set of questions about their business priorities. It then immediately delivers a report by email containing

Control Engineering UK

recommendations on how they can move forward on their Industry 4.0 journey.”

The user is prompted to choose three targets for which they would like to receive initial recommendations for action. The Quick Check then asks 15 questions that cover the following aspects of the business: • Data collection and processing • Networking and integration • Production autonomy • Strategy and processes • Employees and culture The software analyses the results of this online survey to assign a maturity level. The evaluation and the corresponding recommendations for action are presented graphically and in writing in a summary report.

For your free Industry 4.0 preparedness assessment, go to: www.festo-didactic.co.uk/I4check

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September 2018

UK1

TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

ENCLOSURE TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS Enclosures are designed protect sensitive electronic and electrical items from the atmosphere in which they are installed. The temperature within the enclosure is always an important consideration to maximise service life of the equipment inside.

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aintaining an internal temperature within an enclosure is important to ensure prolonged service life of the equipment inside. Because heat is trapped inside enclosures, which are designed to protect against the ingress of solid objects and water, an active cooling solution is often required.

When considering your climate control options it is important to ensure that the solution is right for the environment in which it will operate and also the type of product being processed and/or the location of the equipment on site.

Consider the ambient temperature of the facility – if it remains lower throughout the entire year than the desired temperature inside the enclosure then fan-and-filter units and air-to-air heat exchangers should be effective.

They use ambient air to remove heat energy from the enclosure and dissipate it into the local environment.

If the ambient temperature rises above the required internal temperature of the enclosure then units with active cooling circuits should be used.

Wall/roof-mounted cooling units use refrigerant as an intermediate medium to remove the excess heat, transferring it to the surrounding ambient air, and maintaining the desired conditions.

Air-to-water heat exchangers, as the name suggests, transfer unwanted heat to water, transporting it away from the enclosure to centralised cooling plant, possibly outdoors, where it may be more easily dissipated. Air-to-water heat exchangers can offer a more hygienic solution than cooling units, so are suited to use in food processing applications.

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They do not require a supply of ambient air and have no louvres. They can have a very simple housing that has no dirt traps and is very easy to clean.

Dusty or acidic contamination can interfere with switchgear and cause short circuits or a reduction in service life. Applying filter mats to fan and filter units will help, but if the environment is extremely contaminated do consider installing an air-to-air Enclosure management solutions should take into heat exchanger, cooling unit consideration the environment in which the equipment or air-to water heat exchanger, must operate. the spotlight on carbon footprints which all have sealed internal and energy prices rising, the energy air-paths so can ensure contaminated air consumed by manufacturing processes is not drawn into the enclosure. should be reduced, where possible.

Cleaning and maintenance An energy efficient enclosure cooling Establishing a regular inspection and solution from Rittal is available in the cleaning routine for cooling equipment form of the Blue e+ cooling unit which is good practice. Consider using vacuum incorporates heat pipe technology, cleaning units with filter mats to delivering cooling in a similar manner remove any dust and debris, which can to an air-to-air heat exchanger, starve the fan and the cooling circuit of using fans alone, when the ambient air. This will result in the unit working temperature is sufficiently low. As the harder for longer. ambient temperature rises and the Cooling systems must also be kept heat pipe is not able to satisfy demand, clean to maintain the highest levels of speed-controlled components provide hygiene. Some will be cleaned daily additional mechanical cooling, but only with pressure washers and jet steam as much as is needed. If the ambient cleaners, in which case use a solution temperature exceeds the temperature that meets the ingress protection (IP) required in the panel, active cooling rating demanded by the site and install alone is supplied, but, again, no more additional cowls or covers as needed. than is necessary. With many production facilities now working around the clock Reducing costs and throughout the whole year this It is important, from both an heat pipe and inverter technology can environmental and a cost saving deliver typical energy savings of around standpoint, to adopt the most 75% when compared to traditional energy efficient technologies. With cooling solutions. !

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Control Engineering UK

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

BRINGING THE PROCESSING AND PACKAGING MACHINERY INDUSTRY TOGETHER It’s almost PPMA exhibition time again! This year the annual processing and packaging machinery event will take place at the NEC in Birmingham from 25 to 27 September.

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he PPMA exhibition promises to be bigger and better than ever this year, with exhibitors coming from all over the world and from a variety of different industries including engineering, labelling, shrink wrapping, stretch wrapping, packaging, sensor manufacturing, and logistical and data communication.

Running alongside the exhibition, the PPMA has put together an interesting conference programme, which runs over the first two days of the show in the Enterprise Zone. The programme has been created to focus on key issues facing the manufacturing. sector. It will include presentations covering topical issues such as Brexit, Industry 4.0, cyber security, robotics, automation and optimisation, augmented reality, as well as tackling the ongoing debate surrounding the impact of plastics in packaging.

Headlining the programme will be Lord Mark Price, a former Minister of State for Trade and Investment, whose previous roles have included managing director of Waitrose and deputy chairman of the John Lewis Partnership; and Jonathan Warburton, chairman of Warburtons.

Preparing for Brexit With less than a year to go before Brexit, Lord Mark Price will look at how businesses can prepare for life post-Brexit. Jonathan Warburton will focus on how to build a long-term sustainable business. He will draw on his

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own experience of spearheading the growth of the Warburton business. Visitors will also hear from Nick Brown, head of sustainability at Coca-Cola Enterprise, and thought leaders from the processing and packaging industry, who will share their insight into how to improve production line efficiencies and futureproof operations.

Smart cameras A range of smart cameras and 3D camera technology suited to process and packaging applications will be shown by Multipix Imaging. 3D sensors are finding many applications across all industry sectors to optimise production processes, improve quality control and reduce manufacturing costs. Two different types of 3D camera technology will be shown, each suited to different applications. Both camera ranges are compact, easily installed and rapidly set-up, utilising 3rd party software from MVTec’s powerful HALCON imaging library.

Firstly, the SmartRay ECCO 3D camera range uses ‘laser triangulation’ with image formation technology to create detailed 3D images. The sensor measures the profile of the

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object to create a 3D model of the object surface. It is suited to use in applications that require high precision measurements of objects that are moving, such as glue bead inspection, defect detection in packaging, measuring medical instruments, weld inspection, and automotive part inspection. It is also possible to inspect 3D data of an object of uniform colour, for example a tyre tread.

Secondly, Photoneo PhoXi 3D scanner technology uses laser light pattern projector technology which emits a set of coding patterns onto the target scene. These are interpreted by a single camera and reconstructed as a point cloud. The PhoXi capturing and processing pipeline can deliver 16 million measurements per second – either in 3.2 megapixels at 5fps, or 0.8 megapixels at 20fps. PhoXi scanners are suited to use in robot handling applications.

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Automation and process technology in a single system: with PC-based Control

www.beckhoff.co.uk/process With a comprehensive range of components for explosion protection and the common interfaces in TwinCAT, Beckhoff offers the possibility to integrate automation and process technology in a system without barriers into Zone 0/20. The range extends from the narrow, intrinsically safe EtherCAT Terminals from the ELX series and the high-grade Control Panels and Panel PCs from the CPX series through to EtherCAT, the fast process technology fieldbus, and the TwinCAT control software with specific process technology interfaces. This allows users to directly connect intrinsically safe field devices and to realise integrated control architectures with barrier-free process technology.

TwinCAT 3: with process technology interfaces

Complete EX range: from Panels and Panel PCs to the I/Os

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

Safety and flexibility Pilz will be demonstrating the Pilz Smart Factory, showing how its product offerings can help achieve intelligent networking and flexible production, while keeping safety at the forefront.

The company will also be showing its Industry 4.0-compatible modular safety gate system which allows users to create their own individual safety gate solutions. Also on show will be the new PITestop active E-Stop button which indicates by illumination whether or not it is active.

Also on the Pilz stand will be the ‘PROBms’ model which measures limit values for force or pressure of a robot movement as one of the measures to achieve a safe collaborative robot application.

Advanced automation Visitors to the Lenze stand will have an opportunity to have a coffee and interact with the company’s automation platform to visualise what advanced automation can offer – from geared motor to the cloud. “We want to give our customers the chance to strengthen their relationship and knowledge of Lenze as an automation solutions provider, our networking area will enable visitors to talk about both challenges and opportunities,” said Neil Beaumont, marketing communications manager at Lenze.

Lenze is actively involved with PPMA

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meet the challenges of increasingly flexible and digitally-connected production environments.

Visitors will also learn how SICK’s range of registration sensors yield efficiency advantages through reliable detection and control of packaging processes such as cutting, folding and gluing for all substrates, even those that are shiny, matt, dark or uneven.

SICK will also be demonstrating its machine safety solutions. SICK’s safety laser scanner, including the MicroScan3, a range of safety light curtains and FlexiSoft safety control system, which can help engineers to achieve compliance while optimising productivity.

Business Education, Skills and Training (BEST), and during the show and on Thursday 27th September, 60 students will attend the Young Peoples’ skills seminar and workshop. As well as a visit to the Lenze stand and other key exhibitors, Michael Sachpekidis, new business automation manager at Lenze, will present and discuss automation technology innovations. He said: “We have been working closely with schools and technical colleges providing both hardware and software products, including advanced motion control and automation systems and technologies.

It’s vital we support and encourage our future engineers and we are excited about what they will learn from the show this September.”

Marginal gains SICK UK will use the PPMA event to demonstrate how technology developments in smart sensors and machinery safety systems can release latent productivity benefits that help engineers to aggregate ‘marginal gains’ and achieve significant yields in efficiency, throughput and reduced waste.

The company will be showcasing its 2D and 3D vision sensors, as well as a range of Auto-Identification solutions for coding and labelling. It will use these tools to demonstrate how high-performance detection, quality inspection and traceability can help

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Terminal blocks WAGO will use the event to introduce two variants of its TOPJOB S family of rail-mounted terminal blocks. A pushbutton version and a lever-actuated version, the first terminal block of its kind, offers switchgear manufacturers a wide choice for wiring assemblies, with three different wiring options within the same product range.

The clamping point of the pushbutton terminal block can be opened with any screwdriver or similar operating tool. Feed-through terminal blocks with push-buttons are available for wire with a cross-section between 0.14 to 25 mm². The push-button terminal block is available in 2-, 3- or 4-conductor variants.

The lever-actuated variant is equipped with a lever on the field side and a push-button or operating tool-actuated connection on the secondary side.

The clamping point on the field side is opened and closed by hand using the lever, allowing installers to tell at a glance which wires in an assembly are terminated. Both the push button and lever actuators are orange in colour, making them clearly visible for easy identification.

Astec Solutions wants to talk to visitors about how to digitally transform their operations. The company will be promoting a number of recently launched services designed to address Control Engineering UK

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

common pain points and barriers to digital progression. With clever use of software products, the services go beyond the purely operational view of traditional SCADA and utilise predictive analytics, historic insights and augmented reality for preventative maintenance and proactive operations.

Astec’s focus is working with existing systems and avoiding ‘rip and replace’ overhauls. Astec has refined its solutions so the system infrastructure is crafted to be robust and secure while remaining flexible and extensible. Implementations are carried out with a holistic, IT-centric approach – and the discipline that comes with it. Customers can access fresh functionality and innovative tech while benefiting from fully supportable, off-the-shelf software that extends the value of their original investment.

Hygienic motors Following on from the introduction of its modular designed drum motor

MACHINE VISION ‒ KEY ENABLER FOR INDUSTRY 4.0

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platform for use on belt conveyor applications in 2017, Interroll will highlight the expansion of the range from 80mm diameter drums and debut details of the new DM0113 and the DM0138, all available with an asynchronous or synchronous motor winding. Predominately used in belt conveyor applications, each motor is tested and designed in modular fashion in such a way that it can be delivered in the shortest possible time.

The new generation of drives are said to feature stronger shafts and ball bearings for an extended lifespan. A stable design with a planetary gearbox, allows higher torque to be transferred with low levels of operating noise. All the drum motors in the new generation comply with the requirements of IP69K. Interroll will also display the 24V EC310 RollerDrive which makes it possible to build up an intelligently controlled conveyor system divided into zones with the drives of each individual

conveyor section only being powered when material is actually conveyed. At throughput rates of 600 to 1,800 units per hour, this achieves energy savings of up to 50% by comparison with continuously running motors.

Lafert Electric Motors will be demonstrating its range of hygienic, easy-to-clean stainless motors and gearboxes plus high-efficiency IE4/IE5 permanent magnet motors. It will also show its IE2, IE3, single phase and brake motors.

The company’s Marlin stainless steel motors are designed specifically to meet the hygiene requirements of the food, drink and pharmaceutical industries.

IP66/69K rated, the motors are smooth bodied with no crevices/recesses. They will not rust and have no paint to flakeoff, minimising contamination risks. !

To obtain a free visitor badge to the PPMA Show 2018 go to: www.ppmashow.co.uk

VISION. RIGHT. NOW.

PROCESS SAFETY

PLANT CONTROLS AND SAFETY INITIATIVES Implementing and maintaining safety processes is vital to help prevent and identify safety risks and hazards for industrial automation workers. Susan Colwell suggests asking operators these six safety questions.

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afety for the industrial automation worker will depend on the safety layers built into the process operations as well as the process operators’ dedication and knowledge of safety strategies and policies. Control systems have automated safety layers that are designed to prevent accidents, but machines and alarms can only handle so much of the risk. The remainder of that responsibility – and the key to minimising risk – lies with people and the safety strategies that are followed.

Layers of risk reduction A basic process control system (BPCS) is typically designed to have layers of safety functions and built-in safeguards to eliminate or reduce hazards. The BPCS runs the process, but also functions as the first line of defense for the operators

through independent protection layers (IPLs). It identifies abnormal situations, such as an out-of-tolerance measurement.

To address the next layer of safety risk, a process hazard analysis (PHA)/ hazard and operability (HAZOP) study is performed to determine the remaining safety-related issues or to identify other potential system failures. Next, the safety instrumented system (SIS) layer is designed to minimise those risks that have been identified as unacceptable through the HAZOP study. It’s integrated with the BPCS with independently operating safety instrumented functions (SIF). SIS importance is heightened as the BPCS ages, when it lacks maintenance or even when

the skill level of operators shifts through employee attrition or lack of knowledge.

A safety risk can arise at anytime, anywhere, due to any combination of factors. Therefore, it is vital to have safety initiatives, strategies, and policies in place. There should be a zerotolerance policy for not adhering to safety policies and procedures.

Operator safety awareness Complacency is the enemy of process

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operations. This is an area where a corporate culture and policies can have the biggest influence on safety – by working hard to keep safety policies and procedures ingrained in operators and other personnel to keep them welltrained, informed, and vigilant.

Operator training and sharing tribal knowledge is key. Ask the following six questions to ensure that operators are well-trained: 1. Do the operators understand their role in keeping themselves and others out of harms way?

2. Are they trained on situational awareness and do they know where to go for help and what to do in an emergency?

3. How well do they know the facility’s system and the danger it holds?

4. Are they kept up to date on changes to the systems and processes?

5. Do they know best safety practices for tasks they may be asked to perform that are unfamiliar or outside the scope of their normal workload?

6. Is their system designed to interface with operators in a clear, concise manner with the right information available at the right times?

For some systems, operators can get

IT INFRASTRUCTURE

overloaded with information and may unintentionally miss taking the necessary action needed to prevent a safety risk.

The control system may sport a sea of colourful icons on its monitor, but fancy graphics may impede the operator in recognising critical alarms. Alarms often seen may be considered a nuisance and ignored.

Safety incidents occur when operators cannot tell the difference between a critical event or a normal one. Highperformance HMI graphics help identify alarms using grayscale screens with consistent colours or shapes. However, operators should still be properly trained on critical alarm elements and other piping and instrumentation diagram symbols and must be able to recognise and respond to abnormal situations. They also should have a clear understanding as to what is happening with the systems and processes.

Trained operators are the key to taking advantage of BPCS and SIS automated safety functions. Without one or the other, the risk of an incident increases.

If measures are being taken to lower facility risk, but the equipment is degrading or the proper machine or predictive maintenance policies and procedures have not been followed, benefits are easily negated. If a PHA/

HAZOP audit outlines potential risk factors in systems, the right course of action is to heed the recommendations to prevent a potentially catastrophic event. It is important to have a cohesive safety policy in place that includes the personnel and how the facility is run.

Risk tolerance level As part of the process to further corporate culture safety strategies, policies and initiatives, look at the larger automation picture and perform an analysis of existing systems and processes. In doing so, it is then important to determine the tolerable and intolerable risks. Key tasks will be to review if all facility’s automation, safety systems, and personnel work together to ensure safe and secure operations.

Safety does not just happen. It greatly depends on buy-in from all areas of a facility, including management, engineering, operations, and maintenance. It requires a mix of process control safeguards and safety policies, strategies, and initiatives. With these elements in place, an effective corporate safety culture can be built to keep automation systems and people safe. !

Susan Colwell is content development manager for Maverick Technologies, a US-based system integrator.

SOFTWARE & SERVICES

www.rittal.co.uk

NEW PRODUCTS

Detection and ranging sensors promise less false signals Suitable for both indoor or outdoor applications, the new LMS1000 and MRS1000 infrared LiDAR distance and range sensors from SICK incorporate its HDDM+ (High Definition Distance Measurement) which is said to enable greater consistency in performance, even in adverse environmental conditions.

The sensors can be easily mounted onto machinery, cranes or gantries, on walls or above entrances in buildings to achieve optimum viewpoint.

The HDDM+ ‘triple-echo’ laser scanning technology almost eliminates any false signals which results in much less risk of collisions or errors due to an inaccurate evaluation of the position of objects in the sensor’s field.

The four plane detection capability of the MRS1000 enables it to be used for more complex tasks as diverse as multi-level obstructions, boundary mapping and security for large or sensitive areas.

The LMS1000 scans in a single plane, with a 275° angle of view, up to 64m for a general range of distance detection and ranging applications, with ten fields allowing several pre-programmed applications. With the same angle of view and distance, the

MRS1000 scans in four planes, allowing either the height of objects to be scanned, such as overhanging obstructions, or indepth scanning from an elevated position.

The IP65/67 rugged, compact housing resists shock, impact and vibration, and together with an operating temperature range of -30°C to +50°C and integrated heating, the sensor is fit for duty even in extremes of weather and maintenance costs are minimised.

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The CF.Q module from igus is able to check and evaluate cable health in real time, helping to ensure timely maintenance or replacement.

Damage caused by repeated tight bending or extreme loads can be quickly detected. In addition, predicted lifetime for the cables can be determined in advance. The control cabinet mountable CF.Q module informs the user of any problems by switching an NC (normally closed) contact when the pre-defined values of the electrical parameters change.

The integration of an SD card slot make the modules suitable for data logging, a serial interface is also integrated as standard for data output. For precise insight into the measured values, igus provides a direct connection to its isense-online system.

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» Stacklights with maximum flexibility. « Brandon Hobusch Technical support

Programmable alarm management display for process monitoring BAUMER has introduced a range of measuring instruments with flexible programmable displays which, when used in conjunction with the company’s pressure and temperature gauges, are said to ensure high standards of functionality, safety and flexibility in process monitoring.

The CombiView series alarm management systems for process industry applications can be used alongside CombiPress pressure gauges and CombiTemp temperature gauges. When configured with either the pressure or temperature gauges, the CombiView displays an overview of the current status of individual processes directly onsite. The measuring values do not have to be analysed initially because the display indicates at-a-glance whether the preset measuring values have been exceeded and immediate intervention is required.

CombiView provides a clear signal to indicate whether there is a need for action. For example, the background colour ‘red’ is suitable for values that require fast intervention, while a green background could signal correct operation. The system allows operators to individually select the parameters and preferences to suit their process.

The representations on the display can also be adapted as required to suit the settings required for the process with a choice of either digital or analogue display of the values.

for example:

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The divisibility of the system allows for subsequent assembly.

Here, the frame is installed around the wires and it is not necessary to disconnect the cables.

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WEARABLES AND MOBILE DEVICES

ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEW BREED OF WORKWEAR? Control Engineering Europe reports on the launch of an exoskeleton solution to help reduce fatigue in factory workers.

D

ata relating to the adoption of wearable devices from a 2017 report

by Zebra Technologies Corporation found that 50% of manufacturers plan to adopt wearable technologies by 2022 and 55% of current wearable users expect to expand their level of usage in the next five years. The Zebra report also predicted that current manual processes will dramatically decline. It states, for example, that the use of pen and paper to track vital manufacturing steps will see a drop in use from 62% in 2017 to just 20% by 2022 due to the inefficiency and susceptibility to errors of this traditional method.

According to data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) the global market for wearable technology – which includes all types of exoskeletons and all the sectors in which they can be used – has grown by over 60% since 2015. Annual growth of this market is expected to be around 25% from 2018 to 2020.

When it comes to exoskeletons, Comau is predicting that over one-third

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September 2018

of applications will be found within the industrial sector. The company launched an interesting offering into the exoskeleton market at Automatica in June. Its MATE Fit for Workers exoskeleton was developed by the company in collaboration with IUVO – a spin-off company of the BioRobotics Institute of Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa – and Össur, an Iceland prosthetic solutions company.

Throughout the design process the team collaborated closely with factory workers engaged in manual activities to ensure that the resulting device would be acceptable to the expected wearer.

The result is a solution that is said to be very different to other exoskeletons. It uses no batteries, motors or mechatronics. It is made from lightweight and breathable materials and has been created to adhere to the body of the operator like a second ‘skin’. Importantly, the inclusion of a patented kinematic mechanism guarantees that the device follows the movement of the operator through all the degrees of freedom of

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the shoulder without the need for any bulky equipment.

MATE is expected to find uses in a range of industrial applications, including assembly, packaging, storage, handling of materials and, in general all those tasks which require the flexion-extension of the shoulder to be repeated constantly over time, with bending angles of around 90°.

It can provide consistent movement assistance during repetitive as well as daily tasks, helping to reduce wearers shoulder muscle activity by up to 50%.

A passive structure The exoskeleton uses a springbased passive structure to provide a lightweight, breathable postural support.

Commenting on the launch, Tobias Daniel, vice president robotics and automation products global sales & marketing, said: “MATE has been designed in close collaboration with factory workers, so it able to respond directly to their needs. With our exoskeleton, they will be able to do the same tasks but with less fatigue.”

MATE is expected to become an important element of Comau’s HUMANufacturing Technology strategy, a concept which puts people at the center of the production process in an environment made safer and more efficient through the implementation of collaborative robots and digital technologies. This strategy was introduced last year at the Hannover Messe, where Comau provided a demonstration of Industry 4.0 at work with an automated cell in which every unit interacts with the system with operators being at the center of every phase of activity. !

Control Engineering Europe

WEARABLES AND MOBILE DEVICES

Augmented reality: offering benefits from commissioning to maintenance The commissioning of a plant needs to be undertaken as smoothly as possible. Traditionally, important data or deviations have first been recorded on paper and then transferred to the system before anyone could react or process the data further – a time-consuming process.

With the help of mobile devices and augmented reality (AR) data can be made quickly and easily accessible. Lengthy intermediate steps and handwritten notes, lists or the consultation of the manual are no longer required. Instead mobile workers can use AR applications to receive and enter data as well as test results directly on the mobile device and even add a photo or voice memo.

AR not only identifies what the user is seeing. AR assisted navigation, for example, can guide humans efficiently and safely through complex plants.

AR technology can also offer benefits during inspection and maintenance, providing mobile workers with technical data on a mobile device in real time. The

tablet range within ecom’s mobile worker ecosystem, for example, which is based on the latest Samsung Galaxy Tab Active2, can help solve multiple challenges and tasks across industry. It uses sensors to detect an object and software then displays all relevant technical data.

Using this technology a mobile worker who inspects a plant in a potentially dangerous working environment can record the result and repair any damage during maintenance or initiate necessary repair measures immediately. If any additional specialist knowledge is required the mobile worker is able to connect with them via the device in real time, helping to accelerate remote diagnosis and maintenance in hazardous areas.

The computer-aided extension of reality offered by AR highlights aspects that have previously not been visible.

The extended image on a mobile device, for example, can highlight defective instruments to maintenance teams and can also provide them with repair instructions – all in real time and on site.

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WEARABLES AND MOBILE DEVICES

HOW DOES AR AND VR HELP INDUSTRY? Factory visibility, training, and troubleshooting benefit from augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) used in manufacturing, processing, and other industrial applications. Designs, assembly, quality, and safety can improve says Ramkumar V.

A

ugmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) empower manufacturers to gain insights into equipment health and product models and other areas.

The resulting operation and process efficiencies can help enhance product quality and reduce times to market.

AR and VT technologies leverage sensors, cameras, smart devices and wearables, and other Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) tools. Training becomes easier as workers are given a visual, hands-on experience in front of the machines which will lead to improved assembly and maintenance.

In aircraft assembly, for example, the AR device displays an image of the components, overlaid with renderings of specifications, bolts, cables, parts, and part numbers, enabling complex heavy machinery to be assembled by simply following instructions. In an aircraft manufacturing training facility, this technology has enabled engineers to increase productivity by 30%. VRsimulated training programs help new employees learn complex processes by immersing them in an animated 3D replica of the physical facility. This method has yielded higher retention rates, when compared to lecture-style or reading-based methods, particularly for the younger generation of workers.

AR and VR can disrupt manufacturing training methods, helping to keep factories running in light of the fact that manufacturing plants are projected to lose 2.7 million skilled workers due to retirement in the next decade.

Manufacturers can leverage AR

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September 2018

and VR functionalities for multiple operational activities on the factory floor, including: Design improvement: AR and VR can smooth the transition toward individualised and customer-centric production by catalysing the product design improvement process. Coupled with a digital twin and IIoT, AR’s overlaying features and VR’s auditive, visual, and haptic simulation capabilities enable product design engineers to generate, study, and test virtual prototypes.

The automotive industry is investing significantly in AR and VR to improve product design. VR-equipped 3D visualisation software helps reduce prototyping costs as well as enhancing the design review process and its feedback loop. This, in turn, shortens the product lifecycle and accelerates time to market.

Complex assembly: Besides aircraft assembly training, engineers can streamline customised product development in smart plants using AR-powered worker guidance systems.

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The system blends artificial intelligence and other detection components with high-lumen industrial strength projectors and torque guns to ensure that products are built without errors the first time. In the aeronautics sector, AR-equipped smart glasses enable technicians to precisely assemble and install cabins in commercial aircraft. The head-mounted gear has a camera that can scan barcodes which technicians use to read cabin information and see the design layout, which displays the marks as ‘augmented’ items. The marking process allows the technician to confirm the mark location and validate it with millimeter-precise positioning.

Quality assurance: AR plays an important role in enabling the product quality control. Automotive and aerospace industries have already begun employing AR-equipped glasses and tablets to examine the quality of parts sent by third-party suppliers and placement of different components in the assembly line.

The worker guidance systems used to assemble components are also used

Control Engineering Europe

WEARABLES AND MOBILE DEVICES to assure product quality. The AR-facilitated tool combines industrial cameras with high-powered projectors to display essential information directly onto the work surface. The resulting digital canvas allows technicians to verify and validate assembly sequence and manufacture parts. Some OEMs and Tier 1 automotive manufacturing firms who have adopted light guide systems over traditional work instructions have reported a 90% reduction in errors and 40% to 50% reduction in cycle time.

Maintenance: Maintenance teams leverage AR-overlaid displays to view machine condition, facilitating problem detection ahead of solving it in person. In one instance, an AR headset used a technology to guide a technician with instructions on the line of sight. This helped improve his performance in wiring a wind turbine’s control box by 34%.

A recent innovation in AR based maintenance software further allows technicians to track the position of the overlay so that content does not get dislodged when the user moves the tablet around.

Expert support: Remote assistance using AR and VR solutions can enable people in different geographies to connect and troubleshoot problems together, cutting travel costs and expediting the problem-solving process. Additionally, AR with visual and haptic capabilities can be used to remotely operate tasks through robots in an uninhabitable environment. Such teleoperation systems enable engineers to immerse themselves in a VR interface and then control robotic motions, such as on-site welding or parts assembly.

Safety: Remote monitoring of hazardous conditions is accomplished using VR, and maintenance protocols are deployed through AR-powered tablets. This enables engineers to securely enforce safety standards. A coal mining firm deployed an AR system for maintenance planning for long wall equipment, belt conveyors, and loaders. The system used 3D simulated images to virtually recreate mining conditions and scenarios such as underground rock falls. It immerses users in the experience, facilitating improved performance, health, and compliance to safety standards.

In another case, an automotive OEM used virtual manufacturing technology to design a safe and efficient work environment. The immersive VR used, along with 3D printing and full-body motion capture, enabled reduction of employee injuries by 70% and ergonomic issues by 90%.

Warehouse operations: Smart warehousing has disrupted distribution logistics practices by enhancing the precision and speed of fulfilling orders. AR can more efficiently tag, code, and manage freights. Reports suggest that warehouse workers using AR have improved their picking accuracy by up to 300% and accelerated their performance by 30%. !

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Ramkumar V is group head, engineering application and testing solutions for L&T Technology Services.

T +44 (0)1225 733200

The article originally appeared on www.controleng.com Control Engineering Europe

September 2018

23

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SMART FACTORIES

STEPPING INTO THE FUTURE Andrew Minturn explores how new technologies can revolutionise traditional processes to maximise manufacturers’ potential in an increasingly digitised global marketplace.

E

ven the smallest improvements to a process can have a big impact – both on efficiency and the bottom line. Industry 4.0 is transforming this process of continual improvement, making small incremental changes simple to implement and easy to manage, even when it comes to existing legacy machines.

Adapting to market trends is crucial to remain competitive. Consumers now expect customised products, greater flexibility and shorter lead times. To meet these demands, and overcome ever-present challenges such as increased cost pressures and heightened quality standards, facility managers must understand how plants can be improved to support modern manufacturing. In practice, that means making changes to existing equipment, streamlining processes and adopting new technologies in order to realise greater levels of efficiency, improved productivity and, ultimately enhanced competitiveness.

Of course, the most influential trend within the sector right now is Industry 4.0 – essentially the updating of plants and machinery to create digitised smart factories which allow manufacturers to be more flexible and, in turn, better

placed to meet market demands. In practice, this means that – through the Internet of Things – everything is connected, from machinery right through to the supply chain, placing data firmly at the heart of the modern factory. With every element of a facility – including legacy machines – having the potential to capture data, processes can now be optimised more effectively than ever before.

Improving visibility The fitting of sensors onto all types of machinery means that data can be gathered in real time, delivering a host of benefits to manufacturers when it comes to process monitoring – from the ability to conduct production quality checks at the point of manufacture, through to system health checks and continuous monitoring.

To make the most of this data and enable the process of continuous improvement to take place, it is vital for manufacturing plants to be able to process it immediately. That’s where digital solutions, such as Bosch Rexroth’s Active Cockpit, come into play. Making it simple to collect, process and visualise the relevant data of a manufacturing

facility, the equipment presents vital performance figures and statistics in real time. Harnessed directly from sensorfitted equipment, complex raw data is translated into status charts, annotation notes and to-do lists which are displayed via an interactive touchscreen display, delivering an easily digestible insight into how the factory is operating in that precise moment. Not only does this make for more accurate decision making on the shop floor, but also enables rapid reaction with minimal effort, so production lines can maintain their flexibility and continue to run efficiently, with small changes being made as soon as the data identifies a need.

Equipped with this level of knowledge, facilities managers are able to ensure the smart operation of their factory, with targeted process monitoring taking place continuously. This means faults can be identified earlier, leading to fewer equipment failures and reduced downtime; the health of machines can be monitored and recorded, so maintenance can be precisely scheduled to cause as little disruption as possible; and, ultimately, day-to-day operations can be carried out more efficiently, in-line with the exact needs of the market.

A place for legacy machinery While sensors are key to facilitating the collection of data and enabling process monitoring which empowers clearer decision making for machine optimisation, they are also vital in bringing legacy equipment into the digital future of manufacturing, making the idea of smart factories a reality. Whether a facility is new or old, almost all equipment is capable of machine communication and

24

September 2018

www.controlengeurope.com

Control Engineering Europe

SMART FACTORIES A smart future

data sharing, so even those pieces of equipment which, at first glance, don’t appear to lend themselves to an Industry 4.0 environment, can be brought in-line with the needs of a smart factory.

Fitted onto a cell, machine or tool, sensors are at the heart of smart factories. Connected to software which can measure key variables such as temperature, pressure, vibration and power consumption, they give machines a voice – and allow engineers to understand the real-time performance of key pieces of equipment. Armed with these key insights, facilities managers can control and optimise machines and processes. As well as harnessing and relaying performance figures to central solutions such as ActiveCockpit, smart sensors can also respond to control commands, receiving new settings in seconds to maximise flexibility, enabling actions like rapid product changeovers.

With everything in place, factories equipped for Industry 4.0 can create a progressively smarter future, one where virtual reality can play a critical role in the manufacturing process. By integrating the physical world of machines and people with the virtual world through connected communication, the opportunities for smart factories are clear to see.

Imagine, for instance, a workspace which is tailored specifically to the worker that happens to be on shift. One which displays assembly instructions automatically in the operator’s language, selects tasks according to their qualifications, and adjusts each element of the workspace to that which they find most comfortable – from font size through to the height of the workstation.

Taking the smart workstation even further, ActiveAssist utilises RFID tags to identify which workpiece is being

Andrew Minturn is strategic product manager at Bosch Rexroth.

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produced, prompting the operator to assemble the piece in the most effective order using an interactive display which mimics the piece being worked on.

Further reducing the potential for human error, pick-to-light systems indicate which component they need next, alerting them to any mistakes immediately. The result of this integrated approach is new levels of production reliability and transparency, as each stage is monitored and data accurately harnessed, so every product has complete traceability.

What’s best is that these scenarios aren’t decades down the line, but can be realised by any manufacturer today simply by embracing connectivity. That not only means they’re equipped for a smart future, but means they’re reaping the rewards – in efficiency, cost savings and continuous improvement – today. !

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ENERGY MANAGEMENT

FINDING ENERGY SAVING OPPORTUNITIES Sustainability is more than just a slogan for chocolate manufacturer RITTER SPORT. It works continuously to minimise the environmental impact of its production methods and strives to conduct its business responsibly to benefit both people and the environment.

This includes the implementation of advanced energy management solutions.

R

ITTER SPORT demands consistently high-quality raw materials and processing methods, using only sustainable raw materials.

Since 2002 it has been operating its own block-type thermal power station based on the combined heat and power (CHP) principle.

Following a 2016 upgrade of the power plant it now generates 9.9 million kilowatt-hours and covers about one-third of the company’s total electricity needs and 70% of its heat requirements.

RITTER SPORT also has ambitious goals for improving energy efficiency, as Eberhard Pfeifer, workforce manager at Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG, explained: “We want to cut energy consumption by 1.5% each year.” To this end, the company wanted to implement an advanced energy management system that

would meet the requirements for ISO 50001-conforming energy management but also to allow for the identification of savings potential in production.

Pfeifer continued: “This system is the first step toward knowing precisely how much energy it takes to make each individual chocolate bar.”

In line with the company’s focus on excellence in all its operations, the new energy management solution had to meet a set of specific requirements.

First, it would need to able to integrate all energy data from production, building technology, and power generation and store and archive them in a single database. Because RITTER SPORT wanted to be able to extract information on energy efficiency in its production from the energy data, the system had to provide the capability to link energy data and process information. And finally, the new solution had to be easy and intuitive to

Energy manager Benjamin Flaig can access figures and data on mobile devices.

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operate and support data analysis with dashboards and multiple reports so that production and energy management staff could easily access the data at any time.

With Simatic Energy Manager PRO from Siemens, the company has found a solution that meets all the necessary criteria. The system records production data as well as energy data from the Desigo Insight building management system. The solution offers a userfriendly system that RITTER SPORT can easily maintain and extend or could modify in the future without having to call on external resources. The company plans to record measured values directly with Simatic S7-1200 and S7-1500 controllers as well as Simatic AI energy meters. It also plans to install Sentron PAC measuring devices to connect more measuring points to the system.

Commissioning Siemens supported the commissioning of the new system and trained the staff at RITTER SPORT. It was installed on-site within four days, and after the successful training staff were able to work with the new solution.

Since then, the energy management system has met expectations. Pfeifer said: “Software, training, support – all aspects of the collaboration with Siemens have thoroughly impressed us.”

RITTER SPORT is now able to not only comply with the ISO 50001 requirements for energy management but is also able to integrate and link Control Engineering Europe

data from diverse sources, allowing it to relate consumption and production data to each other and gain insights into the energy requirements of individual processes. This provides a lever to identify hidden potential and further increase energy efficiency.

Benjamin Flaig, energy manager at RITTER SPORT, explained further: “From the first presentations, we have been impressed by the easy data management and the excellent data visualisation that Simatic Energy Manager PRO provides. With the new solution, we have a tool for greater transparency. We now already know the major consumers, and we know where we need to dive deeper and take a closer look.”

Big gains, little effort Simatic Energy Manager PRO provides a set of easy-to-use dashboards which allows RITTER SPORT to access energy and production data anytime and allows the company to easily evaluate and analyse the data.

The information is readily available on tablet PCs and terminals in the production area – and also on mobile devices. “I can access the numbers wherever I am. This is very convenient,” said Flaig. “I have a motto – energy efficiency is smart laziness.

Simatic Energy Manager fits into this perfectly, because you can make big gains with little effort.” !

The Tinytag Energy Logger from Gemini Data Loggers is a portable, easy to use data recorder which monitors power usage in premises with high consumption equipment.

Using an energy consumption logger offers an effective means of checking power usage – it is often easier to look at logger readings than attempt to decipher electricity bills (which are often estimated) or meter readings.

The Tinytag Energy Logger monitors single and three phase power usage, and recorded data can then be analysed to help understand how and where energy is used and to identify opportunities for reduction.

It uses non-invasive flexible coils to monitor the current in each phase of a three phase supply, while voltage information can be obtained via a standard 13A wall socket.

Recorded data is downloaded to a PC – where Control Engineering Europe

it is presented initially in graphs and tables in the Tinytag Explorer Software – to help identify times of peak load and to identify power hungry or inefficient equipment.

The unit also records Power Factor (PF) data, a measure of power transmission efficiency: This can be significant because power companies typically charge a higher rate for industrial or commercial customers with a low PF. September 2018

Also interested in really fast, rugged, light, accurate, customised and inexpensive infrared thermometers and cameras for non-contact measurements between −50 °C to +3000 °C? Visit www.optris.gobal

New

Energy logger helps identify energy savings

Thereʼs no two ways about it: our cost-effective Xi series IR cameras with their automatic spot finder function and analog/digital outputs are ideal even for OEM applications.

Staff at RITTER SPORT can access energy and production data anytime and can easily evaluate and analyse the data on tablet PCs and terminals in the production area.

On target.

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

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Innovative Infrared Technology

TEST & MEASUREMENT

RAPID CORROSION TEST FOR STAINLESS STEELS Stainless-steel piping and tanks have a passive layer that protects them from corrosion. If this layer is incompletely formed or damaged, it can pose problems.

Dr Helga Leonhard and Jens Lehmann discuss a rapid test that can be used to check the condition of the passive layer.

A

flawless passive layer on the material surface of stainless steel is essential.

However, it is not always easy to ascertain whether the passive layer has fully formed and how to positively influence the quality of the natural surface protection during processing.

While they provide clarity on corrosion behaviour, traditional test methods, such as electrochemical measurements and salt-spray tests, do require special equipment and expert knowledge so can be costly. Further, they are destructive test methods and can take hours or even days to gain a result. This makes such tests unfeasible from a financial and practical perspective for many processors.

The KorroPad rapid test method, developed by the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), and verified by TÜV SÜD Chemie Service, changes this situation.

In order to select the right materials, plant engineering routinely relies on electrochemical measurement methods, such as determination of pitting potential by plotting current densitypotential-curves in measurement cells in a lab or at individual locations on the component itself. The objective was to compare electrochemical measurements with the KorroPad method. If the KorroPad method proved suitable, processors and users of stainless steels would be provided with an easy-to-use on-site method.

A shining, clean stainless steel surface is not necessarily an indicator that the

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right type of piping or tank material has been selected. Faults in, or inadequate formation of, the passive layer are not visible to the naked eye. In the chemical industry in particular, material surfaces have to withstand extreme conditions. During everyday production operations they are exposed to acids, corrosive gases and other aggressive fluids. Defects in the passive layer can lead to dissolution of materials and pitting corrosion, and ultimately causes failure. For this reason verification of the corrosion resistance of materials is important.

Passive layer Plant engineering mostly uses chromiumnickel-molybdenum steel, with chromium being the most primarily important element for corrosion resistance. The presence of humidity and oxygen causes passivation, resulting in the formation of a chromium oxide layer on the stainless steel surface. The requirement for passivation is a chromium content of at least 10.5%. The chromium oxide layer

acts as a passive layer. However, it is only a few atom layers thick, is invisible and highly sensitive. Faulty or unfavourable conditions during production, processing, transport or storage can affect full formation of the passive layer and this will affect surface protection. The passive layer can regenerate in the presence of a sufficient amount of oxygen and humidity. Ultra-clean polished metallic surfaces also favour repassivation.

If the passive layer is incomplete, divalent ferrous ions are released from the material at the faults in the protective layer. The gel-like KorroPads are saturated with water containing small amounts of sodium chloride and a ferrous-ion indicator. The indicator is potassium hexacyanoferrate (III), which is yellow to transparent in aqueous solution and spontaneously changes to Prussian blue upon contact with the ferrous ions released from the material. Highly visible blue spots appear on the light-yellow pads, indicating the locations at which the protective passive layer is missing on

KorroPad test can indicate a defect in the passive layer. (Image courtesy: BAM)

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Control Engineering Europe

TEST & MEASUREMENT test is suitable for quality assurance. The method clearly identified faults on the exterior of new pipes with longitudinal welds.

On the safe side

Indications of corrosion and requirements for surface corrosion resistance (Image courtesy: BAM)

the stainless steel surface or has not fully formed.

Non-destructive test method The KorroPad procedure is a nondestructive testing method. It can be used to verify the corrosion resistance of piping and tank components even before they are installed in a process plant.

The test is easy to use and does not require any previous or expert knowledge in the fields of corrosion or electrochemistry. The KorroPads are roughly the size of a five Euro cent coin.

The surface to be tested needs to be cleaned with acetone or alcohol before the pads are placed on the surface and pressed down. The test only takes 15 minutes. When this period has passed, the pads are removed using a plastic spatula and placed on a plastic carrier film. Scanning or photographing the test result is helpful for evaluation and documentation. If the KorroPads reveal a risk of corrosion, the material experts will consult with the plant operator and plan the next steps.

The test method is primarily surfacespecific and can be used on all relevant stainless steel types. This was confirmed in comprehensive practice tests carried out on austenitic chromium-nickelmolybdenum steels at TÜV SÜD Chemie Service. Tests conducted on temper colours after welding also – without exception – produced indications in KorroPads. The testers further observed that electrochemical cleaning/polishing using devices designed for this purpose or Control Engineering Europe

mechanical treatments (such as brushing the weld seams) also sometimes resulted in indications. Obviously temper colours had not been sufficiently removed which hindered full re-formation of the passive layer.

Parallel to KorroPad testing in practice, TÜV SÜD Chemie Service carried out local electrochemical measurements for comparison. The results showed that pitting corrosion potential was lower at the points where KorroPad testing resulted in indications, meaning that corrosion risk is higher at these locations.

This rapid test can also be used to verify that passivation has fully developed after grinding, etching and other cleaning steps, confirming that no problems need be expected during operation later on. It was also possible to prove that the rapid

TÜV SÜD Chemie Service confirmed the suitability of the KorroPad method in many tests and applications in practice.

The method can be used to verify the corrosion resistance of steels both as delivered and after processing. Given this, it provides clarity and reliability in corrosion protection right from the outset.

The method can also be used to characterise many process-related factors influencing surface quality and material. Thanks to its rapid application and the easy evaluation of test results, the method enables both positive and negative changes in passive-layer stability to be identified immediately.

This allows users to respond quickly, eliminate critical influences and initiate improvements to in-house processes.

Other potential areas where KorroPads may be used include incoming and outgoing goods inspection. !

Dr Helga Leonhard is a test engineer at TÜV SÜD Chemie Service. Jens Lehmann is a research associates at Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und-prüfung (BAM).

Indication of corrosion on a pipe with longitudinal weld as delivered. (Image courtesy TÜV SÜD)

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HAZARDOUS AREA & PLANT SAFETY

EFFICIENT CONNECTIONS FOR THE EX ZONE Howard Forryan argues the case for the use of Ex connectors, in place of hard-wired solutions, in hazardous areas.

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perators of oil and gas platforms need to continuously monitor the sites’ ambient condition status through parameters such as gas concentration levels, differential pressures and temperatures.

Mobile explosion-proof detectors and transmitters allow such measurements to be made at various key locations on the platform and then be re-positioned as required. The readings are switched and recorded via an explosion-proof central controller. These pre-existing detectors and central controller enclosures will, typically, already have glanded conduit access points. Because of the stringent requirements of explosion-proof equipment any modifications to such certified equipment is often avoided.

To save installation time and maximise location flexibility of such mobile detection systems on an oil or gas platform installation, explosion-proof cable-to-cable connection solutions can be retrofitted without compromising the equipment’s Ex certification compliance.

For the links to the central controller enclosure already located on site, cables can be wired through existing glands

and conduits, leaving free ends for cable-to-cable connector termination.

HARTING can provide a mating cable-tocable connector with tool-less quick-lock termination connector inserts. Its Han Ex 4A cable-to-cable connector system allows the connection between the controller and the detectors to be made outside the explosion-proof enclosure, ensuring there are no modifications to the enclosure and so there is no need for re-certification of equipment.

Connectors versus hard-wiring Another offshore oil and gas platform related application where connectors can offer significant benefits over hard-wiring is on mobile heavy lifting cranes, which may need to be frequently removed and re-installed at different locations. While the crane platform and operator cabin will be installed in the ‘safe zone’, the boom is operating in the hazardous zone, so it is mandatory to use ATEX approved components. The boom carries a number of different sensors (for detecting angle and load, for example) and a light bar at its tip; near the cabin various connectors are used at a panel

Suitable Ex-rated connectors, such as the HARTING Ex connector range, can offer benefits in hazardous area applications.

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where all the sensors are wired up.

Across the general Ex sector, the replacement of defective loads, such as low-voltage switchgear, generators or pumps is complex. The power has to be switched off before the defective equipment can be uninstalled and replaced. With a hard-wired installation, all cores would have to be screwed or connected individually. Connectors, on the other hand, reduce downtime and support modern and flexible machine configuration through modularisation in hazardous areas. Connectors such as HARTING’s Han Ex series are available in different tool-less contact wiring termination designs.

Meeting requirements Intrinsically safe explosion protection is based on the limitation of the power circulating in intrinsic circuits, permitting electrical devices to be operated safely even in an explosive environment. Han Ex connectors meet the standards for materials that are permitted to be used in potentially explosive atmospheres (DIN EN 60 0790). Air clearance and material creepage distances are in accordance with the intrinsically safe circuit requirements for zones 1 and 2. The connectors feature a termination technique which supports unskilled assembly and flexible hood and housing mating solutions while their blue colour provides easy identification of inherently safe circuits and they ensure protection class IP65 when mated or unmated in conjunction with appropriate lanyard attachable loose covers. !

Howard Forryan is a product market specialist at HARTING. Control Engineering Europe

PROGRAMMING

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR LADDER LOGIC? Ladder logic is favoured by manufacturers in discrete industries. Its usefulness, compared to other IEC 61131-3 programming languages and PC programming, depends on application complexity and other factors, according to Jon Breen.

L

adder logic, the primary PLC programming language, is simple and represented graphically as relay contacts and coils. The question today is how well can ladder logic serve the complex automation needs compared to other programming languages? The answer is more complicated than just contacts and coils.

Automation existed before PLCs, frequently using a network of relays for the brain of an application. There wasn’t a programming role; there was an engineer to design the circuit and an electrician to assemble it. The circuit would be documented in a standard structure that resembled a ladder when drawn on paper, hence the name ‘ladder diagram,’ (see Figure 1).

When PLCs arrived, they promised a lot of benefits to automation, but nobody knew how to program them.

Then someone got the idea to program

Start button

the PLCs with the ladder diagram, which allowed the industry to repurpose existing skill sets for programming. Engineers and electricians could read and understand the programming, and automation design could largely follow the same patterns it had with relays.

Before PLCs, relays took up physical space in a cabinet, cost money to buy, and required time to wire. They were also limited to on/off functionality without capabilities for analogue, math, or data collection in relay logic (aside from some sparse timing and counting functions in special relays). Even the largest, most complex automation systems were limited by the realities of physical relays so the language of ladder logic didn’t have to do very much.

Today, the processor chip inside a PLC can do more than relays at a much lower cost of space, money, and implementation time. In turn, the programming languages used in PLCs have grown to reflect the

Stop button

Hydraulic pump

Hydraulic pump

Conveyor switch

Conveyor motor

Figure 1: Example of a simple ladder logic diagram.

All images courtesy: Breen Machine Automation Services

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increased capabilities. Ladder logic does a lot more today than it used to. PLCs are commonly used for analogue control, tracking part data (barcodes, test results, calibration), controlling motion, and a plethora of other tasks – and ladder logic is still the dominant language. As the language has evolved and automation has become more complex, programming PLCs has become a more specialised occupation. Ladder logic is no longer such a convenient language for electricians to read and maintain, nor is it a broadly existing skill in the incoming workforce.

Other languages Industrial programming is influenced by two communities: the standard IEC 61131-3, the industrial control programming standard from the International Electrotechnical Commission; and PC programming. These languages usually are seen as complementary to ladder logic, rather than directly opposed to it.

IEC 61131-3 As PLCs became popular, the industrial community found the need for standards to guide programming. The IEC’s committee addressed this need with standard IEC 61131, and languages specifically in part three (IEC 61131-3). This defined four programming languages that generally were interchangeable – ladder diagram, function block diagram, structured text, and instruction list – and also a program organisation language called sequential function charts.

Each language has its own strengths and weaknesses, and they can be used Control Engineering Europe

PROGRAMMING

The languages drawn into automation from the PC world tend to be used for specialty/peripheral applications. That may include interfacing with databases or programming automation peripherals like cameras and robots. Structured text (defined in IEC 61131) is very similar to Pascal, a common PC programming language at the time IEC 61131 was introduced. Pascal has since fallen out of favour, but is a great example of how the automation industry has borrowed from the PC industry in the past. Current examples of PC languages in automation include C++, Java, and C#. These languages are powerful, but haven’t found a strong foothold in automation.

Before comparing ladder logic to other potential options, it is important to understand what a program really needs to do. It has to make the automation work, which virtually any language can do, but the real world puts other demands on it as well. This largely boils down to readability. Ask these three critical questions about your programming languages.

• Can a programmer or maintenance technician look at the code and understand what it does?

• Can problems be found quickly to minimise machine downtime?

• When new functionality is desired, how easy is it to extend the program?

There are features of different languages that affect a programmer’s ability to make a readable program.

Nine areas in particular can influence programming language selection.

General knowledge: Ladder logic is widely used, which makes it easy to find Control Engineering Europe

Analog

Digital

PC languages

someone who can Operation read it. Other IEC Discrete Continuous 61131 languages show some preference within certain Function industries, but aren’t block Sequential as universally used function chart or understood. The PC languages used in automation tend Structured to be very popular text and have a lot of Ladder support resources, but not always in the industrial community, which diminishes Figure 2: A general overview of IEC 61131-3 languages and where potential benefits. they best fit for programming ease and readability.

Internal documentation: Every language has a way for the programmer math is involved? Ladder logic supports to explain the intent of the program in arithmetic and some basic functions like plain English. In ladder logic this mostly absolute value or square root, but as is done with rung comments and tag calculations involve more pieces, they (variable) comments, which work well for tend to be less readable. Comments get simple rungs, but can be less helpful for separated visually from the things they’re larger rungs or math. Other IEC 61131 documenting, and doing the same math languages vary, but are generally good operation more than once is not pretty for documenting the things they’re good since loops are not pretty! Structured at. For example, structured text allows text and PC languages tend to be more good documentation of math and loop graceful with large math functions. PC structures. PC languages tend to have languages also offer high-level math a lot more functionality available with functions for virtually any purpose and are many options for internal documentation, packaged for easy use. and sometimes even auto-generate Visibility: Reading an unfamiliar documentation from the source code, program is like reading a choose-yourcreating a manual for a programmer or own-adventure novel through a paper technician to reference and understand towel tube. You have to page back and the big picture quickly. forth between different parts of the Decision structures and loops: At a book and you can only see a little bit simple level, programming comes down of the page at a time. The amount of to ‘if this happens, do that.’ This is a code that fits on the screen can impact a decision structure called ‘if-then,’ and programmer’s ability to figure out what it is easy to use and understand in all the program does and how. Ladder logic languages discussed here. But what if typically displays one to five rungs on the the programmer wants to do something screen at a time. Its graphical nature makes more than once? These structures aren’t it information sparse, and it is harder for a well supported by ladder logic, usually programmer to ‘see’ the whole program. resulting in code with poor readability.

Sequential function chart, also graphical, Structured text and PC languages, on the avoids this issue by being high-level and other hand, tend to be very good at all limited in nature, like a short book with common decision and loop structures. a table of contents. Text-based languages Math: Addition and subtraction are (structured text and PC languages) tend easy, and work fine in any language, to be more dense, showing 30-50 lines of > p34 but what happens when complicated code on the screen at one time.

Primary inputs/outputs

together within one program to best support different program functions.

There is certainly room for debate on which language is best suited to which task (see Figure 2). Generally, a process will operate as discrete or continuous.

Automation also tends to lean towards mostly digital input/output (I/O) or analogue I/O.

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PROGRAMMING

Encapsulation, code reuse: What’s the answer to increasing complexity?

Abstraction. When driving a car, the driver isn’t thinking about the ignition timing, the traction control, or the engine cooling strategy. All of the other stuff is abstracted away, self-contained, and self-managing. In programming, this is called ‘encapsulation,’ and it’s got a benefit beyond just making things easier to understand in varying levels of detail; it also means the code can be reused. If a machine is programmed to calculate overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) for every hour in the day, it can be coded to calculate OEE once, then reuse it for each hour. Ladder logic and other IEC 61131 languages do this well. PC languages add object-oriented features, which make this much more powerful. IEC 61131 has provisions for object-orientation, but they are not always implemented

by PLC manufacturers, which means programmers cannot use them.

Libraries: Libraries let users take code reuse to the next level by adding someone else’s code to a program in encapsulated, tested pieces. Like the car example, users don’t even have to know what’s under the hood to take advantage of it. Ladder and IEC languages have limited support for this type of functionality. PC languages have a lot of library support, often for free. These are not intended to cover the functions ladder excels at,

but often apply in areas where ladder is less applicable such as math, vision inspection, and data handling.

Analogue versus digital: In many ways, the analogue versus digital argument is similar to the math argument. Ladder logic does very well with digital signals and information, but is less graceful with analogue. Function block, another IEC 61131 language, does very well with analogue signals, but is less elegant with digital. Structured text and PC languages tend to handle both well, but since they’re more flexible, there’s more need for the programmer to organise the code well for readability.

Determinism: In automation, it is usually important for the controller to read inputs, run the program, and write outputs in a repeatable time frame (for example, every 15 ms). This is called determinism. Ladder logic and all IEC 61131 languages are deterministic. PC languages vary. For example, C++ can be deterministic, but higher-level languages like Java and C# generally can’t provide determinism.

What’s the best option?

So, how does ladder logic match up against the rest? It remains favoured by the discrete automation industry where digital inputs and outputs are the norm.

On the other hand, the process industry, where analogue inputs and outputs are dominant, makes good use of the

function block language to handle those portions of code. Of course, industry preference is dominated by only one of the above considerations: support.

Available support is largely an expression of historical norms because recent history dictates what experience the workforce has today. Since ladder logic has been the norm for so long, using a different language may seem like a scary prospect.

New graduates have experience with text-based languages and not with ladder logic. As the workforce turns over, the industry preference will likely skew toward text-based languages as more support becomes available. In the end, automation is likely to have multiple languages involved in its operation. Thinking in one language can be detrimental to those goals.

The PLC will use one or more language, and so will many of the peripherals. It’s important for a programmer to know what languages are available, what they’re good for, and how to apply them with the intention of creating readable, supportable code. !

Jon Breen is founder/owner at Breen Machine Automation Services.

This article was originally published on www.controleng.com

NEMA 4X APPROVED FLOW COMPUTER The Metra-Smart from Titan Enterprises is designed for computing and displaying flow rates and totals as well as giving an analogue output proportional to flow.

Weatherproof to IP66 / IP67 (NEMA 4X) standards, and UV resistant, the Metra-Smart flow computer is suitable for operation (-20˚C to 80˚C) with flowmeters used in harsh industrial and marine environments.

As well as computing flow rates and totals, this small intrinsically safe device can also give two pre-set flow alarms and calculate differential rates from two input sensors.

The battery powered Metra-Smart displays re-settable total, accumulated total and flow rate in engineering units as programmed by the user. Simple pin-protected flow chart programming with prompts are used to guide users through the entire programming routine. The battery life of the Metra-Smart is 10 years + to provide you with long peace of mind.

The pulse output of the Metra-Smart can be selected to act as an input pulse repeater serving as a signal conditioner module or may be programmed as a scaled pulse output for remote metering.

For further information about the Metra-Smart flow computer or to discuss your application please contact Titan Enterprises on +44-1935-812790 / sales@flowmeters.com.

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Control Engineering Europe

FINAL WORD

Looking into the future of control systems Bob Halgren, DeltaV product director at Emerson, comments on process control systems of the future in an Industry 4.0 era.

O

ver the past 10-20 years control systems have moved from being purpose-built computer hardware and proprietary networks to being Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) PCs running on Ethernet networks. In the last five years, these PCs have been virtualised, so the footprint is now a lot smaller, while physical hardware remains at the core of the control system.

Software and how users interact and engineer within the software, is now more critical. Software must be easy to use and intuitive to make it possible for the data to be turned into analytics and process insight to enable better decision making.

Significant expansion in mobile worker solutions has made the control system accessible from anywhere via smart devices. Mobile displays, operator

Control Engineering Europe

interfaces, and user experience tools that enhance how people interact and see the plant have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of plant operations.

Mobile solutions allow process plant managers to access the data they are interested in – such as KPIs and high level alerts – when they want it, as opposed to having to make a phone call or go into a control room. Managers can understand and respond to situations faster to mitigate risks of incidents and improve total plant production.

Engineering shortage With shortages of qualified engineers being a global issue, it is incumbent upon automation and control system providers to offer solutions that enable end users to do more with less. This can be achieved by embedding expertise

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into the software and offering operator training and simulation solutions to help operators make good decisions.

Process customers are often operating facilities where a failure could have a negative impact on the environment, surrounding community, or employees.

As such, there is often a reluctance to be the first to try out new technologies, which must be proven safe before being widely adopted by process customers.

This means it is vital for automation vendors to go through a very rigorous testing program to ensure that the control system and related products are ready for use in a process manufacturing environment without increasing operating risk.

Today the control system exists in a physical plant, but in the near future it will move to the cloud in the form of a digital twin. As a digital twin, the control system can be used to train operators and optimise processes offline to create better, safer, and more reliable production at the actual plant site.

With the arrival of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) there is a rapid move to integrate data and analytics.

The push is always to innovate, but we must always make sure that systems can easily integrate at multiple levels to break down silos between plant level, business systems, and cloud analytics capabilities. !

September 2018

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| PC11-48E |

Minimised size with maximised application flexibility.

The ultra-compact C6015 IPC.

www.beckhoff.com/C6015 With the ultra-compact C6015 Industrial PC, Beckhoff is again expanding the application possibilities of PC-based control. Wherever space or cost limitations previously prevented the use of a PC-based control solution, this new IPC generation offers an excellent price-performance ratio in an extremely compact housing. With up to 4 CPU cores, low weight and unprecedented installation flexibility, the C6015 is universally applicable in automation, visualisation and communication tasks. It also makes an ideal IoT gateway.

Processor: IntelŽ Atom™, 1, 2 or 4 cores Interfaces: 2 Ethernet, 1 DisplayPort, 2 USB Main memory: up to 4 GB DDR3L RAM Housing: Die-cast aluminium-zinc alloy Dimensions (W x H x D): 82 x 82 x 40 mm

Hall 7, booth 406 Flexible installation with rear or side panel mounting.