Control, Instrumentation and Automation in the Process and Manufacturing Industries March 2019
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Digital twins speed up the commissioning process
Edge devices as a key to Industry 4.0
GigE Vision and beyond
The role of robotics in flexible production
CONTENTS Edge benefits explored…
Editor Suzanne Gill suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk Sales Manager Adam Yates adam.yates@imlgroup.co.uk Production Holly Reed holly.reed@imlgroup.co.uk Classified Sales Lisa Hales lisa.hales@imlgroup.co.uk Dan Jago David May G and C Media
Group Publisher Production Manager Studio Design
Due to the early timing of the Hannover Messe this year, instead of producing a preview of the event we will be putting together a bumper event review in the May issue. We will, however, still be producing our annual Hannover e-newsletter, so keep an eye out for this, which will bring you details about a few of the best product launches to look out for at the event. The lead theme this year will be ‘Integrated Industry - Industrial Intelligence’, highlighting the growing interplay between automation and energy technology, IT platforms and artificial intelligence, which is driving the digital transformation of industry. In this issue of Control Engineering Europe we take a closer look at edge devices which are considered to be a key element of Industry 4.0 success and which also allows data to be processed outside of the cloud, which brings with it data security benefits. This feature section starts on pg 10. Suzanne Gill Editor – Control Engineering Europe suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk
INDUSTRY REPORT
MACHINE VISION
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22 Find out about the evolution of the GigE vision standard.
IEC 60034-23 explained.
EDITOR’S CHOICE 6
AI controller reduces downtimes; simplified plant floor to business systems communication.
CALIBRATION 24 Generate ROI with an integrated calibration solution. 25 Calibrating temperature measurement devices.
EDGE COMPUTING 10 Edge devices are a key to Industry 4.0 success.
MONITORING
12 Cloud computing has limitations which can be overcome by processing data at the edge. 14 Driving the secure edge lower in the signal chain.
26 We look at the trends in seismic monitoring and protection.
INTERNET OF THINGS
CYBER SECURITY
16 Moving from the whiteboard to full deployment.
28 Proactive management of plant security.
ROBOTICS
FINAL WORD
17 The role of robotics in flexible production. 18 We look at the automation trends influencing manufacturing and packaging industries.
31 John Browett argues that the transition to gigabit Ethernet networking technologies has to start now.
20 Demystifying robot programming.
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March 2019
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INDUSTRY REPORT
IEC 60034-23 EXPLAINED Dr Martin Killeen outlines the requirements of the international repair, overhaul and reclamation of rotating equipment standard IEC 60034-23:2018, and highlights how it impacts on the repair provider and the end user.
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he new international standard, which was published in Autumn 2018, is the first to include the requirements of the circular economy which aims to reduce the consumption of resources. The new standard establishes the benchmarks for repairing rotating equipment, maintaining efficiency levels, high standards of quality control and improving efficiency in associated pieces of equipment. The standard does not supersede those pertaining to specialist equipment, such as ATEX, nuclear, aviation, hydrogen cooled and traction, but it does include reference to them and several other standards. By complying with the new standard, maintenance and repair facilities can prove their quality of workmanship and performance, as well as promoting their commitment to reducing waste and recycling resources. By following the international guidelines, the repaired equipment can be badged with an indicative statement. The long-term aim of the standard is to maintain or improve the efficiency of equipment. It will allow upgrades to be implemented, if they are allowed by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). This means that the repair workshop needs to be well equipped, with good quality control procedures and staffed by suitably competent employees that are capable of delivering high quality repairs.
The circular economy The circular economy aims to minimise waste through reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products. The repair of electrical machines fits into this concept and by keeping energy efficient
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equipment operational, the use of additional resources is minimised. For some older machines, it may be possible to upgrade their efficiency at the same time as completing a repair. Using modern materials in the rewind and upgrading to a highergrade insulation e.g. grade B to F, which is much thinner than the legacy component, it is possible to increase the copper content of the windings, making it more efficient by reducing the copper losses and longevity of the motor. At the same time, any materials that are removed during the repair process – such as old windings and bearings – can also be recycled, which again minimises the net increase in material consumption. Furthermore, the efficiency analysis will also consider both the repair and the replace options, to ensure that the customer achieves the most cost-effective outcome. To illustrate this further the standard uses the example of a typical 110 kW motor that is need of repair. Approximately 50% of motor failures are attributed to bearings being at fault. Replacing the bearings will double the life of the machine and use 99% of the original machine because bearings are regarded as high quality, green scrap. Within a typical 110 kW motor, only 0.9% of the materials used to make it are unrecyclable. The steel laminations, iron frame, copper windings, aluminium rotor and the bearings can all be reused – the only waste products are the insulation, varnish and paint. If the repair involved the machine being rewound, then 90.5% of the materials would be reused. However, the copper and steel being replaced are both high quality, green scrap, so again only 0.9% of the materials cannot be recycled or reused during the repair.
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Rewind guidelines The new standard sets out good practice guidelines for various procedures, including the removal of windings using a burn-out oven. The stated maximum temperature for the oven is 370°C to prevent damage to the steel laminations. However, if ec5 or ec6 steel has been identified, then the temperature can be increased to 400°C. Further guidance is provided for the orientation of the motor, which should be mounted horizontally in the oven to prevent the chimney effect, which can increase heat above the maximum level. In addition, the temperature profile and the maximum temperature of the oven need to be recorded as part of the documentation for the job. Once the old windings have been removed, the repairer can install the replacements; if these have been brought in from a third-party, it is important to check the specifications to ensure compliance with IEC 60034-23. The insulation grade should match the original or provide an improvement. This is increasingly important for equipment that is supplied with a variable speed drive or frequency inverter, which can cause voltage spikes that would otherwise not be present. At the same time, the varnish or resin used to encapsulate the windings should be applied according to the manufacturer’s recommendations for curing temperatures. Improvements in resin and insulation material properties will only be realised if the guidelines from the respective manufacturers are followed.
Repairing and rebuilding In some cases, it may be necessary to rebuild a shaft, but it is important to carry out non-destructive testing Control Engineering Europe
INDUSTRY REPORT
(NDT) using penetrant dye or magnetic particle inspection (MPI) before any remedial work is completed. If any cracks are found, they need to be removed before any rebuilding of the shaft is started. Shafts can be repaired by sleeving, spiral welding and metal spraying. If metal spraying, then a bond test of 40 MPa is recommended. For some specialist equipment, such as Ex motors, bond testing is a requirement that is outlined in the standard specific to the equipment in question. It should be noted that metal spraying is not recommended for peripheral speeds exceeding 90 m/s. Repairs can also be made to bearing seats, rebuilding them by metal spraying or welding using MIG, TIG, Sub-arc
or hot wire processes and the seats should be rebuilt to the manufacturer’s tolerances. At the same time, any replaced shafts should have the same magnetic and mechanical properties as the original, but peening the shafts to improve the fit is not recommended. Replacement bearings and any grease should be in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. These have potential implications for rolling resistance and can impact on efficiency figures. If insulated bearings are installed, they should be tested and the results recorded as part of the repair file.
Testing procedures Although the new standard does cover test procedures, such as insulation
resistance, surge comparison, voltage withstand, phase balance, continuity, brush neutrality, and commutator concentricity the details are referenced in their respective standards. These have remained relatively unchanged but repairers should be mindful to cross reference between IEC 60034-23 and the testing standards to ensure full compliance. Test meters and equipment should be calibrated and certified on a regular basis. For electric motors, there is a requirement to carry out a no load test and a locked rotor test to establish vibration levels and calculate essential data such as the power factor and starting torque. Once again, as with so many parts of this standard the details are referenced to another standard, in this case IEC 60034-1. As the concept of the circular economy gains greater popularity, so companies that embrace standards such as IEC 60034-23 will be able to promote their active participation. This has the potential to highlight not only the professionalism of the company for repairing rotating equipment, but also demonstrate its commitment to reducing waste and minimising the consumption of resources. ! Dr Martin Killeen is a technical specialist at the AEMT (Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades).
TE CONNECTIVITY INTRODUCES M8M12 CABLE ASSEMBLIES FOR SENSORS AND ACTUATORS IN HARSH ENVIRONMENTS TE Connectivity (TE) now offers M8M12 cable assemblies for applications such as sensors, robotics and production equipment, where extreme temperatures and harsh environments may be encountered. They are also ideal for non-industrial applications where compact and reliable connections are required. They can be installed quickly, helping to reduce unnecessary downtime and help maintain continuous operation in critical areas. The new M8M12 cable assemblies have a protection rating of IP67, making them dustproof as well as waterproof down to 1m, while also providing protection from other common industrial elements including EMI, chemicals and mechanical stress. Designed as industry-standard solutions, these quick-turn cable assemblies help to reduce unnecessary downtime and help maintain continuous operations in critical industrial environments. Customers can choose from single-ended or double-ended cable assemblies, including M8M12 versions. M12 configurations are available with 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 poles, while M8 configurations have 3 or 4 poles. Options include straight or angled connectors and shielded and non-shielded variants. Cable sheathing is either PVC or PUR. Standard cable lengths are 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 3, 5, 7.0 and 10.0 meters, while customized assemblies can also be produced with more specific cable lengths and physical properties. The cable assemblies can be used in combination with TE’s male/female connectors and I/O modules.
Control Engineering Europe
Possible applications for the cable assemblies include industrial communications, machinery, automation, machine tools, process control systems, vision systems and general electronics manufacturing. www.te.com +49 6154 607 1740
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EDITOR’S CHOICE
AI controller reduces downtime A new solution for predictive maintenance and control is available from Omron Industrial Automation Europe in the shape of an AI machine automation controller with a Sysmac library which fuses control functions of manufacturing lines and equipment with AI processing at manufacturing sites in real time. This new solution aims to help reduce the risk of equipment damage and downtime by detecting issues early. The process of collecting raw data from machines is completely automated by the new controller which operates on the Edge, within the machine, ensuring higher data fidelity and consistency. In addition, the controller automatically creates data models from correlation analysis and monitors machine status based on that model. The AI functionality in the controller is able to identify unforeseen machine
behaviour without being explicitly programmed to do so. Since there could be many different factors and measurements that indicate an issue when observed together, automating the feature extraction process saves time and resources. Rather than being a cloud solution, Omron’s approach to AI-based control involves hardware, software and in-person service. No internet connectivity is required. The hardware is based on the Sysmac NY5 IPC and the NX7 CPU and includes Omron’s AI Application Components, a library of pre-programmed predictive maintenance function blocks. Several additional AI specific utilities are included, such as the Time Series Database Function, which collects and accumulates time series data synchronised with the control cycle at high speed, and the AI Engine, which detects unforeseen abnormalities at high speed and accuracy based on the data.
Safety module saves control cabinet space A new B&R digital output module, the X20SO6530, provides six safety relays on a unit with a width of just 25mm, offering a cost-effective and spacesaving solution for applications where numerous floating signals are required. To meet safety requirements, positively driven feedback contacts must be evaluated in a manner that is appropriate for safety technology. The new X20 module evaluates this data internally, making it just as easy to use the six safe relay outputs as it is to use semiconductor-based outputs. The digital output module has single-channel isolated outputs with a maximum switching capacity of 230 VAC / 6 A or 24 VDC / 6 A.
HD optical gas imaging camera FLIR Systems has introduced a highdefinition (HD) handheld optical gas imaging (OGI) camera to help improve inspection safety. The FLIR GF620 is designed for the oil and gas industry and is said to set a new standard for detecting and visualisng invisible leaks of hydrocarbons, such as methane, and common volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The HD resolution of the GF620 helps inspectors survey for fugitive
hydrocarbon emissions from further, safer distances than possible with lower-resolution OGI cameras. Equipped with a 640x480 infrared detector the camera is calibrated to measure temperature, allowing the user to assess the thermal contrast between the gas and the background scene, and adjust it to improve visibility. The FLIR GF620 also includes a high sensitivity mode, which accentuates plume movement to improve detectability in low-contrast scenes.
Simplified plant floor to business systems communication Red Lion Controls has added new capabilities to its Crimson software, including an OPC UA Client driver with encrypted password support, OPC UA Historical Access, an MQTT connector for Google Cloud and store and forward buffering for all Crimson cloud connectors. With an OPC UA client driver the Crimson 3.1 is able to capture attributes such as diagnostic and performance information of the data tags of a target
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OPC UA server. With this added capability, most Crimson 3.1-based devices can act as both OPC UA server and OPC UA client. This is said to simplify system architectures, increase scalability and accelerate data integration initiatives with no need for additional hardware and with no software customisation required. In addition, OPC UA Historical Access ensures the transmission of real-time and historical data directly to enterprise business systems using a single,
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easy-to-use environment. On devices with an SD card, the MQTT connectors of the software can be configured to buffer data within the device when a connection to the target platform is not available. This feature can be set to indicate whether data should be buffered just to memory, or whether the device’s SD card should be used to provide further storage that will survive a power cycle – enhancing reliability and increasing resilience. Control Engineering Europe
EDITORS CHOICE
Safety network for automated production environments With the launch of its Safe EFI-pro System, SICK has delivered standard industrial Ethernet-based safety network integration for highlyadaptive and dynamic safeguarding in automated production and logistics environments to SIL 3/PLe. The SICK Safe EFI-pro System is a single-source solution that provides the foundation for simpler, more productive and responsive machinery safety, which is suited to use in dynamic applications like autonomous vehicles and human/ robot collaboration. It comprises the SICK microScan3 EFI-Pro safety laser scanner and the SICK Flexi Soft safety controller with EFI-Pro gateway. Safe EFI-pro is a safety network for industrial automation, based on the CIP Safety protocol. It offers the prospect of more productive and flexible safety solutions founded on rapid, high capacity transmission of both safe
and non-safe data across all levels of communication. The SICK Flexi Soft EFI-pro Gateway facilitates simple and safe system integration via EtherNet/IP CIP Safety and EFI-pro, allowing connection to SICK EFI-Pro devices as well as thirdparty CIP-Safety devices. Soft modular controller, the system provides scalability, facilitating the integration of encoders for Safe Motion Control, devices with analogue outputs, hardwired I/O as well as additional gateways for non-safe communication to any other networks. The SICK microScan3 EFI-pro safety laser scanner enables
simultaneous field evaluation with the ability to monitor up to eight protective fields at the same time on a single device. The user can also configure up to 128 monitoring cases per scanner.
Free yourself from repetitive tasks Meet Omron’s TM collaborative robots Omron’s new TM series collaborative robot family realizes an innovative manufacturing environment where humans and machines work in harmony. Our TM series provides a unique solution to easily install a robot to automate applications such as picking, packing, and screwdriving. With the various vision functionalities and simple, intuitive programming environment of the TM collaborative robots, we will further enable safe, flexible, and collaborative manufacturing between human and machine. • Human-machine collaboration • Incredible versatility • Mobile-ready Pick up the phone or email for a quote! +44 (0)1908 258258 uk@eu.omron.com Industrial.omron.co.uk
COVER STORY
DIGITAL TWINS SPEED UP THE COMMISSIONING PROCESS Tronrud Engineering produces automation solutions and machines. Among other things, this Norwegian machine building company has made a name for itself with its packaging machines. In developing and commissioning these machines, the company is now taking a completely new direction. Annemarie Loetzsch reports.
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he recipe for success of Tronrud Engineering AS is simple: supply high quality, marketable products, always according to schedule at affordable prices. In a highly complex environment like machine building, however, this can only be done with an acute intuition for new possibilities, with the ability to implement new ideas in the right context and, not least, with an appropriate measure of courage. This is fully consistent with the motto ‘Putting ideas into practice’. Borne along by this pioneering spirit, Tronrud Engineering has repeatedly adopted new approaches over 40 years and has developed from a one-man business into an agile and internationally successful machine building specialist employing 200 people at three locations. One current example of the company’s pioneering spirit is a completely new packaging machine for pillow bags into which, for example, potato chips or lettuce leaves are packed. The new development takes into account the challenges that production companies in the food and beverage industry have to cope with today: shorter times-to-market, improved flexibility and efficiency, as well as a higher product quality. The demand, above all, is for flexible machines that operate quickly and allow a quick changeover between products. The new packaging machine is groundbreaking in this respect: occupying almost the same floor space, it can pack 300 pillow bags per minute
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into cartons – almost twice as many as the current industry standard.
Digital development environment Tronrud Engineering put its trust in the Digital Enterprise Suite from Siemens: “The development of the new packaging machine began with a presentation model that was created using NX Mechatronics Concept Designer (MCD) and TIA Portal”, explains programming engineer Kjell Erik Meier. By using a completely digital development environment with a digital twin of the new machine, designers, engineers and programmers were able to work on the same project simultaneously and continuously exchange ideas. This meant that the total development time – in other words the design,
programming, installation and commissioning time – was reduced by 50%.
Digital twins Tronrud Engineering had already relied on products such as Teamcenter, the NX Suite, TIA Portal and other digital tools, because it understands that the implementation of new ideas and technologies can strengthen the competitive position of the company. Tronrud now works consistently with digital twins and takes full advantage of virtual commissioning. All components and electric circuit diagrams, as well as the entire automation system at Tronrud Engineering are now developed in completely virtual environments. This allows the behaviour and interaction of all components to be tested, even at early stages of development.
By using a fully digital development environment with a digital twin of the new machine, designers, electrical planners and programmers can work simultaneously on the same project and exchange information continuously.
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Control Engineering Europe
COVER STORY Early fault detection
The new packaging machine from Tronrud Engineering is groundbreaking: it packs twice as fast as the industry standard while requiring almost the same amount of space as before.
Machine optimisation In an initial stage, based on 3D data of the machine and its components, the NX Mechatronics Concept Designer is used to create a mechatronic model which simulates the physical and kinematic properties of the machine. This virtual model is then linked to the actual PLC program of the real machine for validation of the entire automation system. The SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced virtual controller is used for this purpose. By combining these two simulation models, a digital twin of the actual application is created, this allows the machine to be simulated, validated and optimised until the required behaviour is achieved. A process of trial-and-error in the real world becomes unnecessary. All knowledge gained, as well as faults discovered, can be used for optimisation before the actual production begins. The advantages of virtual commissioning are clearly demonstrated by Tronrud Engineering’s new packaging machine, because there are two kinematic systems working in it, whose paths cross. A classic problem area: In the initial stages of development collisions are almost inevitable – as is expensive and time-consuming damage to the machine in the trial-and-error approach. “We realised virtual commissioning with the NX tool and the Mechatronic Concept Designer and the PLCSIM Advanced together with TIA Portal”, Control Engineering Europe
said Meier, who was responsible for the virtual commissioning of the new machine. “Of course, we had some virtual crashes, but they were only virtual ones. Thus the team of developers was able to work faster but in a more relaxed way, and the company saved money.”
Lower project risk The conventional path is a completely different one, according to Erik Hjertaas, manager of the Packaging Technology division at Tronrud Engineering: “Traditionally you would do the design, production, assembly – then the software guy starts to program. In this case he actually came out with the software, pushed the button and it worked. No collisions.”
How significantly the virtual communication reduces the project risk is described by the rule of tens for fault costs from the Six Sigma approach. This helps to calculate the quotas of faults that occur within a business process and shows that undetected faults propagate themselves along the value-added chain. The later a fault is detected, the more expensive it is to eliminate. The costs increase tenfold for each stage of development. The potential of virtual commissioning therefore is also immense in economic terms – particularly for machine and plant constructors in the initial stage, but beyond that for all manufacturing companies. There is a reduction in time, risks and costs during the actual commissioning also, thanks to the virtual commissioning in advance with NX MCD. Tor Morten Stadum, PLM manager at Tronrud Engineering, explains the advantages of the parallel execution of development phases in an interdisciplinary team: “We have shortened the design phase by about 10% and the commissioning phase by about 20 to 20%. This is a decisive factor for us, because the shortening of working times in the assembly shop enables us to produce more machines.” ! Annemarie Loetzsch is marketing manager virtual commissioning at Siemens.
Virtual commissioning on the Digital Twin enabled the development team to work faster, faster and more relaxed.
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EDGE COMPUTING
Edge devices as a key to Industry 4.0 success The implementation of Industry 4.0 continues to focus on the linking of industrial production to the internet and the Cloud, and this has transformed the Internet of Things (IoT) into the ‘Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT’), according to Gavin Stoppel.
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he revolutionary approach of Industry 4.0 should not be a one-time fundamental change, but rather an openness of industry to permanent change. Connecting to the internet boosts the functionality and performance of an industrial plant and its machinery, enabling seamless integration in the form of digital, value-added networks. Within this, edge devices play a key role as they are used directly in the production module in the area of plant and machinery. Edge devices are tasked with lifecycle services such as predictive maintenance, performance management, asset tracking or spare part management. However, they can also be used more generally to enable process optimisation through Cloud-based services. The key factors here are the open interfaces of the edge devices, along with extensive standardisation of the integration. Intelligent systems can be used uniformly by different software systems, as well as being seamlessly integrated into the manufacturing environment.
Good all-rounders It is fair to say that IT edge devices are good all-rounders as they can be used universally for all services. However, there is one exception to this rule – automation. On the face of it, this appears to be a contradiction, since Industry 4.0 is often seen as being the use of technology to power all functions within the industrial sector. Also, converged Ethernet networks
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have been implemented for several years. A decisive step in this is TSN (Time Sensitive Networks), which allow the Ethernet network to be universally integrated into real-time areas. So why shouldn’t the IT edge device be used universally, including automation? Or why shouldn’t the programmable logic controller (PLC) also be used universally as an IT edge device? If you analyse the requirements for an industrial control and an IT edge device, there are clear differences. The programming of a PLC is adapted to the machine, strongly functionoriented and uses well-established hardware and software that has already proven itself within the application. The basic function of a machine, or of a machine module, only alters if there are significant changes in the production process. Of course, parameters of the actual sequence can be accessed in order to enable flexible production within the scope of a mass customisation. However, these changes do not affect the modules to such an extent as to require a new commissioning in each instance. As a rule, the basic control structure with the deployed control system remains unchanged over many years, something which is necessary not least in light of safety aspects. It is unusual for a completely new PLC to be installed during the life cycle to increase performance. This is usually only customary after several years, in the course of refurbishment. By contrast, the installation of an IT edge device usually constitutes an expandable platform which is
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constantly adapted and built out during the life cycle of a machine via the use of additional services. Software updates in short intervals are also common here. However, no new commissioning of the machine takes place, since safetyrelevant aspects are not affected. The software used also meets the necessary standards in the IT environment. OPC UA constitutes an intersection in communication with industrial devices, even if signs are already on the horizon that this communication standard is not the only one that will be used by IT in the industrial environment. IIoT standards such as MQTT are also finding in-roads here. Consequently, the IT edge device turns out to be completely built and operated according to IT paradigms. Most of all, it is not rigid or unchanged in the life cycle of a machine or plant. It will continuously evolve with lifecycles far below those of automation devices. This is necessary to keep up with IT. But that would mean that even a PLC – an intelligent drive in a machine – will be replaced within five years so it can be up to date with the latest IT standards. This is neither economically viable nor technically feasible. The decoupling of IT edge devices and automation devices provides further advantages in plant operation.
Optimising production If the production process is to be optimised by new services, access to the automation devices is necessary. This requires suitable interfaces, including a semantic description of the devices. Creating these is going to be one of the Control Engineering Europe
EDGE COMPUTING foremost future requirements because in most of today’s applications, the automation device and the edge device operate completely separately, mostly with their own, dedicated sensors. This is not an ideal solution, as both devices have their valid advantages. But their use is not only based on co-existence; their cooperation is crucial. Otherwise, it comes down to a fight that only an edge device with integrated automation control – meaning an all-rounder – can win. But these jack-of-all-trades solutions have already proven, more often than not, to be lame ducks. Therefore the preference remains for reliance on fast edge devices, which provide the requisite ability for the system or machine to learn over its entire life cycle. In addition, implementing IIoT at an organisational level adds new network and operational security challenges to a computing environment, by introducing network and cloud connectivity at the shop floor level. Unfortunately, unlike IT networks which can look back on 25 years of security there are significant challenges with very few specific
instructions about how to implement IIoT securely at the device, network and system levels. With the MICA from HARTING, thought has already been given into how it can be securely integrated into manufacturing and production environments. MICA (Modular Industry Computing Architecture) is an opensource, edge computing device which can be customised with custom hardware, software and interfaces to suit individual requirements. As a result, it provides a quick and easy solution to implement digitisation projects directly at facilities and machines. The key to securely rolling out IIoT is taking a thorough look at the environment and identifying and mitigating potential threat vectors. A useful way of tackling this is to identify thread boundaries, usually contact or handoff points between different systems, and securing them and zones between the boundaries. In the case of IIoT, you can identify the threat zones as being between the machine and MICA and the backend, e.g. the Cloud, and between the backend and remote users.
The backend area is usually the normal corporate network, public internet or private and public clouds. Security in this zone is covered by standard IT security practices. You should consider how best to secure the data coming from and going to the MICA. Examples of possible solutions include firewalls, traffic monitors, and in some cases, even intrusive methods such as deep packet inspection (DPI). Conversely, you may also want to tunnel data from the MICA through portions of the backend zone using techniques such as virtual private networks, SSH tunnels or other forms of encryption. In many applications, such as condition monitoring, the traffic from the machine zone to the MICA is largely unidirectional or the sensors might be limited enough that no thread emerges. But keep in mind that PLCs and sensors are getting more sophisticated so care does need to be taken by container developers to safeguard against sneak attacks from compromised machines or sensors. ! Gavin Stoppel is product manager at HARTING.
EDGE COMPUTING
EDGE COMPUTING AND EMBEDDED IOT
Cloud computing has three main limits – latency, connection and cost. Find out how this can be overcome by processing data at the edge.
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echnology advances have enabled embedded devices to communicate with sensors and other assets in a simple, effective and cost-effective way. Thanks to embedded software platforms, these devices can collect data and transfer them via the Internet. These are now typical functions of IoT gateways. The role of cloud computing and cloud-based data centers is crucial here as they provide remote connectivity to, and remote management of, OT infrastructures and a place for data storage and analytics to trigger important business decisions. Nonetheless, cloud computing has three main limits – latency, connection and costs. Mission-critical applications require hundreds or thousands of parameters to be constantly monitored, generating increasingly larger data flows to be sent to the cloud. While response time from data centers has been reduced it could still not be sufficient for some applications that require immediate feedback. Connection issues may arise in some IoT applications. Imagine, for example, that you have to manage a fleet of locomotives equipped with sensors and intelligent devices that constantly send data about the vehicle status and position. During the journey, vehicles can travel across mountain or remote areas where Internet connection is bad, or even areas without Internet. Devices must keep managing those insights and provide response to trigger critical issues or malfunctions even without remote support. The number of intelligent devices and smart sensors is constantly increasing so maintaining such device infrastructures
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is becoming more expensive due to the fact that huge amounts of data have to be transferred to a central data center via the Internet. Bandwidthrelated costs can be even higher in cellular networks. Moreover, data coming from the field could have not been filtered at the source, thus loading data centers with unnecessary and redundant information. Edge computing gives the ability to provide secure computing and storage capabilities along with data analytics, filtering, aggregation, routing and device management in the field. It provides advanced management functionalities where data is produced helping to reduce latency, connection issues and infrastructure costs. Integration with cloud platforms becomes an additional feature for a more complete, end-to-end infrastructure management.
Edge-to-cloud infrastructure Under the brand name of Everyware IoT Eurotech is able to provide an integrated hardware and software edge-to-cloud IoT infrastructure enabling edge and cloud computing. Its capabilities go from advanced analytics and device management at the edge to seamless and secure integration with enterprise data centers and IT applications for remote infrastructure management and further analytics. The company’s Multi-service IoT Edge Gateways provides native support for industrial protocols and are said to
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Multi-service IoT edge gateways provide native support for industrial protocols.
be powerful enough to enable data processing, logging and management: they come pre-configured with Everyware Software Framework (ESF), an IoT Edge Framework which provides a web-based development environment for edge computing and IoT applications. ESF bridges the real and the digital world. Digital twins allow easy asset and device management and configuration without the need to write thousands of lines of code. ESF also offers data management functionality and analytics in the field and connectivity to cloud platforms such as Everyware Cloud (EC) for remote data and device management and integration with IT applications. Edge computing as a concept has been around for many years. However, today’s applications require huge amounts of data to be quickly and reliably processed in a secure way, resulting in the need for more computing, storage and analytics capabilities at the edge. More powerful and intelligent devices mean more value can be extrapolated from data, leading to more efficient operations and cost-effective business decisions. ! Control Engineering Europe
MAKING YOUR AUTOMATION INVESTMENTS FASTER, SMARTER AND MORE SECURE Edge-to-cloud connectivity, softwareenabled flexibility, advanced robotics, machine health monitoring and systemlevel security – they’re all part of Analog Devices’ suite of Industry 4.0 accelerator solutions, designed to deliver nextgeneration capabilities today, with future-proof pathways to what’s next. Wherever physical meets digital, we’re there...AHEAD OF WHAT’S POSSIBLE.
Now to NEXT: ACCELERATING THE PATH TO INDUSTRY 4.0 Join us at HANNOVER MESSE 1 – 5 April 2019 Hannover, Germany Hall 9, Booth H23
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EDGE COMPUTING
Extending the secure edge Many business leaders find it hard to understand industrial control system (ICS) cyber security challenges as there are so many factors contributing to their complexity and so cyber security is one of the issues that is delaying adoption of Industry 4.0, says Erik Halthen.
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ngineers who are tasked improve bandwidth, and optimise with developing solutions for machine interworking. However this industrial control systems have increased access and accessibility of probably never seen significant control is changing the cyber security cyber security requirements risk assessment of the factory system. at the device level with traditional ICS cyber security solutions need to methods for securing industrial control adapt quickly to address the changing systems relying on limiting access to risk, and traditional countermeasures networks and devices, and monitoring applied to the system – such as firewalls network traffic through information and placing a device behind a locked technology (IT) solutions. door – are counterintuitive to the A product lead working on devices in goals of Industry 4.0. This means that a factory will find it easy to dismiss cyber devices need to be security hardened security as an IT problem. However, to enable increased functionality in a the traditional methods for securing secure method. Identity and integrity industrial control systems will no longer will be at the core of every device in the be sufficient in an Industry 4.0 scenario. field to enable trusted data and secure Companies need to have a strategy to operation. address device security at the edge to There are a variety of standards ensure that the challenges posed by in the industrial market that provide ICS cyber security do not slow down guidance on implementing security in Industry 4.0 adoption. industrial control systems. IEC 62443, for While ICS cyber security standards example, is a security standard in draft and guidelines are in place, or are being form for the international market with established to secure the factory, they governance in Europe while in the US do not provide guidance on how to accelerate Industry 4.0 initiatives. Analog Devices has a mission to enable its customers to more rapidly adopt Industry 4.0 solutions by extending the secure edge and making it easier to implement security. The very nature of Industry 4.0 is to increase access and accessibility of control of the devices in the factory. This requires increased access to data to expand transparency, reduce network planning, lower CapEx, reduce OpEx, To adapt for Industry 4.0, edge devices need to make a transition.
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NIST provides security guidance. These are two of the most predominant standards, providing useful guidelines for implementing security and assessing one’s security posture for industrial control systems; however, they do not provide guidance on how to accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0. IEC 62443 currently offers no guidelines for implementing security below the PLC and an ISA99 working group has recently been established to address cyber security at the bottom layers of the factory within the IEC 62443 framework. Today, to meet an acceptable security posture of a system, countermeasures must be applied to devices that do not reach a sufficient level of security. These countermeasures typically rely on methods such as firewalls to limit access and section off or isolate vulnerable devices. In the future, devices will need to reach higher security levels to enable the transition to Industry 4.0.
Control Engineering Europe
EDGE COMPUTING
Extending the secure edge The traditional market space occupied by Analog Devices is at the physical edge, where the real world is translated into digital signals and data is born. This gives the company the opportunity to establish trust in data by providing identity and integrity much earlier in the signal chain and establish a new definition of the secure edge. Traditionally, the secure edge has originated at gateways, PLCs, or even servers in the ICS security framework. This view is reminiscent of the traditional IT cyber security view of the factory but it persists throughout the industry. The prospect of driving the secure edge lower in the signal chain is interesting because it enables higher confidence in the decisions that are being made from that data. The earlier identity and integrity can be established in the signal chain, the more trust and confidence can be placed in the data that is driving decisions. ICS cyber security cannot be addressed by a one size fits all solution and an in-depth defense approach needs to be adopted and applied based on the risk assessment of the system. Analog Devices has a strategy to extend the depth of ICS cyber security as Ethernet is adopted at the edge. Enabling Industry 4.0 requires the factory to adopt new connectivity
Having greater confidence in the data driving decisions is made possible by driving the secure edge lower in the signal chain.
methodologies. This means that Ethernet has taken, and will continue to take, a larger role in industrial control systems. Analog Devices’ security strategy is to focus on where there is Ethernet connectivity because this significantly changes the impact any one device on the network has on the system. Its current family of industrial Ethernet solutions and TSN solutions has been the focus of security development. In the near term, the fido5000, RapID Platform, which provides two-port, multi-protocol connectivity, will be enabled with security features that provide key generation/management, secure boot, secure update, and secure memory access to protect against network bound attacks.
The product family roadmap includes single-chip solutions that feature a hardware root of trust, secure device lifecycle management, secure communications/mutual authentication, and tamper protection. As the industry continues to adopt sensors with increased intelligence, connectivity will extend lower in the factory driving additional security requirements at the device level. Analog Devices is committed to developing a secure portfolio that enables easier adoption of ICS security solutions and establish trust at the edge to accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0. ! Erik Halthen is security systems manager, industrial solutions at Analog Devices.
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INTERNET OF THINGS
MOVING FROM THE WHITEBOARD TO FULL DEPLOYMENT Lawrence Ross describes how digital experimentation with the IoT leads to innovation and looks at potential solutions for creating a clearer path to innovative IoT.
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hough the IoT is capable of delivering success, implementing a solution effectively can be difficult and costly. Typically, a fully deployed IoT solution requires significant upfront investment because of the large number of sensors and network gateways that need to be installed and commissioned before services can start running. The solution must not just be functional but must also deliver on key metrics such as security and reliability. With such stringent demands, the success rate for early adopters has been comparatively low. A 2016 study conducted by Cisco found the success rate for an IoT project was just 26%. Research by McKinsey found pilot projects frequently went no further: just 30% of those surveyed were starting to scale to enterprise-wide deployment. The pilots themselves were often lengthy endeavours. Of those organisations surveyed, 84% of companies were stuck in pilot mode for more than a year. For 28%, the pilot was still running after two years. However, pilot projects can convey important information for the organisation. According to McKinsey, 64% of the decision-makers surveyed
agreed they learned even from stalled or failed IoT initiatives and those experiences have helped accelerate subsequent investment in IoT projects. Many of those who have been successful engaged the IoT partner ecosystem at every stage of the implementation plan. Working with partners is a key factor in IoT success but there are many other contributors. Successful organisations want to be able to keep pursuing proven strategies. But to remain competitive, they have to embrace change and innovate. The IoT is now seen to be a leading candidate for advancing innovation. But as with any innovation it involves risk. For every innovation that results in an improvement to the bottom line there are many ideas that fail to deliver. The key is to minimise the costs of failures but learn as much as possible from them to help drive the innovation that will deliver a successful deployment. Experimentation can answer the many questions that need to be tackled before any mass IoT deployment. But how can the concept be put into practice? What is required is a ready made platform that supports experimentation through plug-and-play substitution of components both at
ADLINK IoT digital experiments platform offers a safe space that makes it possible to get results fast, whether they are successes or failures.
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the hardware and software level. The platform needs to offer businesses a safe space that makes it possible to get results fast, whether they are successes or failures. A platform that is offered as a subscription, such as ADLINK Edge, can provide all the relevant hardware, software and services required for a variety of projects and experiments that are run simultaneously in a manner that minimises risk for the user. It understands the many different protocols and data-access technologies that can form an IoT implementation and lets users connect disparate devices and computers using their native protocols and feed into an IoT backbone. The data flows into a common stream from which back-end services can pull insights and deliver real-time knowledge to users and customers with access to the experiment. When implemented in a manner that satisfies stakeholders and takes account of the capabilities and limitations of individual technologies, the IoT can deliver cost savings. A divideand-conquer strategy that uses early experimentation to let implementers gain knowledge as quickly as possible provides a way to cut out many of the obstacles to success. Small-scale experiments enabled by a service that provides a wide variety of IoT technologies and devices that are known to work together streamline the learning process. In doing so, they make it much easier for organisations to move from the whiteboard stage to full deployment. ! Lawrence Ross is general manager – Software & Solutions at ADLINK. Control Engineering Europe
UK NEWS
AUTOMATION IS KEY FOR UK MANUFACTURING GROWTH Peter Williamson argues that automation is key to manufacturing growth, and to plugging the skills shortage.
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t long last the UK appears to be re-awakening to the importance of manufacturing. While it may have been the failings of other parts of our economy that has re-focussed attention, the end result is a strong desire to get more productive. Innovation in the field of product and process design has always been a UK strength but the cost of producing goods has become a big issue as others do it much more cheaply. And it is not just because the cost of labour is lower in other countries but also that their manufacturers have more readily adopted automation. The obvious need is for UK manufacturers to drive down unit costs while, at the same time, assuring high and consistent quality. Automation is the key ingredient here but the sad fact is that less than 0.5% of worldwide robots sold last year were installed in the UK, according to figures from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) World Robotics Industrial Robot Report 2018.
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It is certainly true that traditionally robots were costly and inflexible and required specialist and time-consuming set-up. Naturally this resulted in many manufacturers being reticent to take the plunge unless production volumes justified the investment. More recently, automation vendors have responded to this reticence by completely openingup the market and today there has never been a better time for UK manufacturers to invest. The options are now extensive. Robots – both stand-alone and those that work collaboratively with humans ¬– allow manufacturers to consider modular automation systems that grow with their business. They are easy to specify, install and programme and many are also Internet of Things (IoT) ready with built-in, standard communication protocols. By investing in flexible manufacturing and systems with fast set-up, manufacturers can also swiftly accommodate product design changes and also make a greater variety of products.
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Impacting the skills shortage Automation can also have an important impact on the skills shortage. Engineering UK, a not-for-profit organisation which works in partnership with the engineering community, has predicted an annual shortfall of 59,000. Engineers are coming into industry both as graduates and increasingly as apprentices but not in sufficiently high numbers to sustain the momentum. These young people need to see engineering as a sector that is both dynamic and challenging. And investment in automation can actively help UK manufacturing to shake off its backward and grimy image and offer rewarding employment. More than ever we need this new breed of skilled and enthusiastic engineers to build a manufacturing base that the world’s designers choose above others for its high quality and costefficiency production. ! Peter Williamson is managing director at R.A. Rodriguez (UK) and RARUK Automation.
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FOOD INDUSTRY FOCUS
GET SMART TO STAY AHEAD Suzanne Gill finds out where the food industry is on its ‘smart factory’ journey and gets advice about how to make use of new technologies to become more productive and flexible to meet rapidly changing consumer demands.
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he move towards more connected, data-driven food and drink production and packaging plants looks set to accelerate, driven by a need to apply greater levels of automation to enable leaner and more efficient production. According to Research and Market’s Food Automation Market – Global Opportunity and Industry Forecast report, the sector is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 7.1% to 2022. Martin Walder, VP industry at Schneider Electric, believes that putting smart devices on the factory floor is the answer to many of the challenges facing the food processing industry today. He said: “Manufacturers are now being tasked with keeping pace with rapidly changing consumer demands for personalisation, customisation, quality and choice. They are also challenged with cutting costs, while reducing times to market. “Thanks to technology advances, including the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) cobotics and augmented reality, factories now have the tools to allow them to become truly smart. A ‘smart factory’ is one that is equipped with a high level of automation and connectivity – with both suppliers and customers. The key expectation from a smart factory is to enhance quality, delivery service and efficiency. Such factories will have a smart power infrastructure, smart environmental controls and will be fully collaborative with the automation systems.” Walder warns that any manufacturing operations that do not adopt digital technologies will be marginalised – if not lost. “Ultimately, these technologies are becoming critical for maintaining competitiveness,” he
said. “We are already seeing several food manufacturers reap the benefits of these technologies, with increased control and visual capabilities over the production line. Automation does not come without its challenges, but the benefits are now becoming clear.”
Meaningful data Russell Morgan, sales manager UK and Ireland at Mettler-Toledo, says that the drive to digitalisation is allowing organisations to collate and interpret meaningful data from across plant operations, providing real-time status information about the manufacturing and packaging process. He said: “Improved connectivity is enabling checkweighers to automatically adjust filling machine settings. Data on product rejects is much easier to export and evaluate, allowing quality indicators to be shared with customers. In addition, emulation techniques enable remote performance monitoring and settings adjustment for product changeovers, improving efficiency. “Employing digitised solutions can also support operation management to keep production running, avoiding
downtime and planning maintenance repairs at the right time.” At the 2018 PPMA show, Rexroth demonstrated some Industry 4.0 solutions in action. Andrew Minturn, business development and strategic product manager at Rexroth, said: “ Once adopted, digital solutions will help manufacturers to make the most of every asset in their facility, helping them to operate more efficiently and productively, essentially improving their competitiveness in the marketplace. “Industry 4.0 has started to be adopted by manufacturers in all industries over recent years. It is often the small changes which will offer the most value, like installing a new conveyor system which can sit within a connected factory to deliver results from the moment of installation.”
Embracing the concept Andy MacPherson, food & beverage industry manager at Festo, says that food manufacturers are beginning to embrace the concept of industrial digitalisation and the potential it can offer – improving production > UK4
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FOOD INDUSTRY FOCUS efficiencies, reducing costs and being more responsive to customer demands. “Before embarking on the journey, it is vital that all involved know precisely what they are seeking to achieve,“ he said. “It is important to remember that digitalisation is an evolution, not a revolution,“ His advice is to plan Industry 4.0 implementation as a series of steps, focussing first on areas where it is possible to reap early benefits. “While an entire smart food factory is still some way off, genuine improvements in efficiency and quality are achievable right now by retrofitting Industry 4.0 technologies to existing production lines,“ he said. Smart food manufacturing will mean different things to different people. OAL visualises it as a flexible unmanned factory from goods-in to end-of-line packaging. “Traditionally the UK food industry has relied on manual labour. However, with labour costs rising, a growing understanding of the problems of human intervention – such as crosscontamination and health & safety – and the possibilities that are opening up due to rapid advances in automation and robotics technology, it is clear that the food industry needs to start thinking about smart food manufacturing,” said Jake Norman, innovation manager at OAL. “The most important step is
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to gain a good understanding of the digital technologies available, this is best achieved by speaking to suppliers, systems integrators or universities,” he advises. “One of the biggest areas where we see huge opportunity is in ingredients handling. When people are involved in food processing, they make mistakes that’s human nature when performing repetitive tasks during an eight hour shift. Traditional micro-weighing systems tend to be too expensive and create crosscontamination issues because of common transfer lines and contact surfaces. OAL has developed a robotic weighing system that overcomes these issues with a costeffective automation solution, enabling the beginning of a smart food factory with unmanned ingredient handling.”
Slow to adopt John Rowley, sector manager at Mitsubishi Electric, believes that the UK food industry has been generally slow to adopt smart factory technologies. He said: “We often see food plants that are operating without an industrial network on the factory floor yet establishing network connectivity across a production site is the first step in moving towards being a smart factory.” Rowley believes that there are several reasons for this, however chief among
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them is investment cost. “The food industry is typically run on high volumes and small margins. Supply contracts can be short and seasonal demand makes it hard to build large processes that are flexible enough to be used flat-out all year round. However, we find that the cost argument is often the easiest to overcome. “A smart factory can be built one piece at a time, as long as the vision of the final goal is discussed at the outset. Robots are a great example, they have been used in stand-alone packing applications for many years, mainly because these jobs are tiring and repetitive for human operators and the ROI for a packing robot can be achieved very quickly. Robots are increasingly being used in process and assembly situations today as they are now easier to programme, are more flexible and can work alongside human operatives easily without the need for physical guarding systems.” Rowley argues that the cost of basic automation provision can be small when compared to a standalone piece of equipment such as a new filling machine or a process freezer for example. “Once you have connected one piece of equipment to a control and monitoring platform – and it is providing production data that allows for better control and optimisation the process then there is a strong driver to keep going and include everything in the system,” he said. “This is no bad thing because it is a positive first step towards the creation of a fully smart factory, which will ultimately be more flexible, easier to control and more competitive. “It is an interesting time for food producers and there are a whole host of other solutions available today, such as edge computing, predictive maintenance and OEE benchmarking that can help improve profitability and scalability. Ultimately, however, for a large number of SMEs, it is still about taking that first step, and that step will be much easier if taken in collaboration with an experienced integrator,” he said. ! Control Engineering UK
ROBOTICS
THE ROLE OF ROBOTICS IN FLEXIBLE PRODUCTION Peter Lange believes that combining the power of mobile robots and cobots is key to making factories more flexible to cope with rapidly changing demands.
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actories today are being pressured to produce ever more individual products to meet fast changing consumer demands. Other considerations include shorter product life cycles and skilled labour shortages. To handle these issues it is necessary to build in more production flexibility to enable quick line changeovers and layout changes. In many applications, greater flexibility can be introduced if the traditional production line is ‘broken up’ into individual cells. With such process modules, products can be more easily customised and the modules can be rearranged if necessary. If a specific product isn’t produced, the other process modules still continue to work. Driverless transport systems (AIV/AGV) or mobile robots can be used to ensure a flexible and reliable flow of goods between these individual modules. This solves the issue of increasingly variable products produced in small quantities, constantly changing production conditions, and the just-in-time provision of different components. Collaborative robots that can work safely alongside people also have an important role to play in enabling flexible manufacturing. A new generation of cobots is emerging in response to Industry 4.0. In applications where flexibility and not production speed is key, collaborative robots are now filling the gap, with extremely user-friendly software tools and integrated sensory functions. Advances in machine vision systems, location capabilities and integration with warehouse systems is helping to achieve this. Control Engineering Europe
Collaborative robots can be widely deployed in production, testing, quality control, packaging and palletising applications, for example, as well as intralogistics. They can support people in assembly processes when precision and repeatability are key, or could apply adhesives and seals with simultaneous quality control. Thanks to repeatability, they are also suited to automating complex quality tests, and their ability to lift heavy objects means they can also be used as palletisers when partnered with the appropriate safety equipment.
Joining forces Bringing cobots and mobile robots together is the obvious next step. Collaborative robots mounted on mobile robots are expected to become integral to innovative logistic solutions. Manufacturers should be looking at how to integrate collaborative robots into their more flexible, constantly evolving production environments, particularly where the re-deployment of machines, line changeovers and conveyors is a requirement.
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When you add the ever-growing capabilities of machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI) into the mix, the possibilities for robots grows even further. A collaborative robot, for example, can have a built-in intelligent vision system which would give it totem pairing, object position, bar code identification, colour differentiation, and other vision functions. Gestures can guide the robot by hand, and change the degree of freedom of the handguide function according to different conditions. The increasing use of cobots and mobile robots is another step towards the flexible manufacturing industry of the future, where humans and machines will work together in harmony When machines can relieve people of monotonous or stressful tasks and allow them to concentrate on more value-add tasks, production lines will run more smoothly, helping to increase efficiency and productivity. ! Peter Lange is robotics manager at Omron Europe. March 2019
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SHAPING THE FUTURE Malte Schlüter looks at the main trends that are influencing the manufacturing and packaging industries and which are expected to shape the future.
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or many industries, constant adaptation is essential to meet market requirements. Changes are being influenced by factors such as regulation, skills shortages and digital transformation. To turn these challenges into opportunities companies must increasingly rely on solutions such as human-robot collaboration and the use of artificial intelligence to manage intensive data processing. The main technology trends include:
Collaborative robots Diversification, personalisation and ever smaller batch sizes cannot always be handled economically via automated high-speed processes in mass production. The corresponding tasks are often transferred to third-party partners and customisation experts, who tend to employ costly human intensive resources to perform complex or unique tasks on small batches. Conventional industrial robots are therefore more likely to play a subordinate role in this area. A clear trend across manufacturing
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and packaging enterprises, however, is the increased demand for collaborative robots (cobots) to work alongside humans. This trend is not about displacing classic industrial robots, but is about supplementing them and adding advances in automation. Equipped with a vision system robots can relieve people of monotonous, tiring and physically stressful tasks by, for example, correctly orienting parts or lifting loads. In this way, they can help to increase the efficiency and quality of human work. Cobots are designed from the outset to be used in close proximity to humans, that means they operate with forces and acceleration parameters that are harmless to humans and which are specified in the ISO TS15066 safety guideline. Mitsubishi Electric is currently developing a new collaborative robot with features that ensure there is no risk of injury from crushing edges and a surface that is easy to clean and prevents dirt traps – while still achieving the same repeat accuracy of ±0.02 mm as its industrial robots. The prototypes
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are still under testing, but they have already been presented at international exhibitions. A further feature of cobots is the simplicity of their control and programming requirements, which can be carried out by trained personnel at the end user company. This eliminates the ongoing need for external system integrators or programmers. In addition, they can be used flexibly in many application areas within the manufacturing, assembly and packaging industries and can be quickly reprogrammed and redeployed to where they are most needed. Mitsubishi Electric’s prototype offers various teaching options. These range from force-controlled manual movement of the robot arm to the desired position, through to visual programming and user interfaces on tablets or mobile devices for calibration and parameterisation.
Robots without protective barriers For industrial robots, the market demand is for alternative safety solutions to fences, barriers, cages and cells. After all, these safety precautions occupy valuable production space, mean high additional cleaning costs in hygienic areas, and prevent a meaningful cooperation with workers. In addition, there are complex restart procedures required after an emergency stop or if protective barriers have been opened. Instead, optical safety systems can be applied. Laser scanners are widely used to monitor defined zones around the robot. A special feature offered by Mitsubishi Electric is a safety-relevant reduction in the speed of movement for its industrial robots. As soon as a human enters the outer zone the robot will slow down. When a person enters Control Engineering Europe
ROBOTICS
Data from PLCs, controls and drives can be collected centrally and processed locally using special edge computing technologies.
the area where there is a danger of direct contact the robot will stop immediately. Instead of securing an area with light barriers and laser scanners, entire rooms are increasingly being monitored with camera systems. In the future, vision systems equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) will recognise when and where people enter the robot’s workspace and will regulate its speed accordingly. In this way, people will soon be able to move freely and safely around robots. With a view to achieving this objective Mitsubishi Electric is actively working with its partners to develop practical solutions ready to bring to the market.
AI In robotics, AI describes the ability to react appropriately to unforeseen and non-programmed situations. If, for example, a robot receives a product that deviates from the standard in terms of orientation, geometry or packaging, then without AI it could not identify these irregularities and react accordingly. Robot systems equipped with AI and corresponding vision systems as sensors can now learn to identify these deviations and adapt their processes. Control Engineering Europe
AI is also used for high-volume manufacturing where intelligent robots detect quality defects in products to be packaged and replace these with flawless products during the process – even within individual production cells. Robots that can be moved manually or even mounted on driverless transport systems can also quickly detect their new position and adapt their process sequences using AI.
Data mining Against the backdrop of a desire to increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by means of digitalisation, there is a high demand for analysis of extracted data (data mining) from production. In the first instance there is a recipe and production data for internal evaluation. In addition, the condition and operating profile of devices like the robot’s components such as servo drives can be recorded. This provides valuable information about the status of wear parts and any contamination, for example. The resulting database information then enables predictive maintenance strategies with a significant saving potential in maintenance costs. To improve these strategies further,
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Mitsubishi Electric is developing a new edge computing technology that will be fully commercialised in the course of 2019. It is aiming at leveraging the value of manufacturer’s data using advanced analytic algorithms executed on the edge of the shop floor. Another important category of process data is the one that is used for traceability and consumer information, especially in the food sector. This can be employed, for example, to prove compliance with the cold chain or to attach origin information to food packaging that can be called up via a QR code. Collecting data from PLCs, controls and drives centrally and processing it locally using special edge computing technologies helps reduce the bill for storage space in the cloud in addition to delivering many other advantages for production control and monitoring. Far from replacing all manual work, as fully integrated, intelligent colleagues robots can help to make tasks more comfortable and efficient. This is no longer a dream of the future, as the technologies are already available and are economic to use. ! Malte Schlüter is global key account director F&B/ CPG at Mitsubishi Electric. March 2019
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DEMYSTIFYING ROBOT PROGRAMMING Software suppliers are disproving preconceptions about robot offline programming (OLP) being too complicated or not cost-effective. Tanya M. Anandan reports.
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ven though offline will behave like a computer numerical With simulation, users can detect programming (OLP) has come control (CNC). This is not the case,” possible collisions between the robot, a long way, misconceptions said Albert Nubiola, CEO of RoboDK tooling, fixtures and any safety fences. about it still linger. A lot Inc. “CNCs are easy to program. The Simulation can analyse joint limits, of robot programming in workspace is properly defined. It’s singularities, and reach issues. Plus, the welding industry still is done like a cube.” However, robots have it can reveal a host of eye-opening manually, point by tedious point, a spherical workspace, and because issues that save time and money in with a teach pendant. Many still of joint limits and robot singularities the long term. OLP uses simulation to remember the old days of robotics (points at which a robot movement output robot-specific code that can that overpromised and under is not mathematically predictable), be loaded onto the physical robot delivered. Dreamers and doers there are certain types of movements controller and run the program. have been working to exceed you cannot do. OLP helps avoid errors Post processors turn programming expectations. when programming a robot. code into a language the robot can Simulation and OLP software In robotic machining, there could understand. Robot manufacturers has evolved and become smarter, be hundreds to thousands of points,” have their own proprietary faster, more flexible, and reliable. Nubiola continued. “Nobody would programming languages, which This is a new era in ease of use and ever be able to program that point means third-party software must be OLP software suppliers are here to by point using a teach pendant. You multilingual. demystify the softer side of robotics. definitely need software to be able to Most simulation and OLP solution do that offline.” When OLP makes sense providers will tell you it’s not one Simulation can be used for a The main impetus for OLP is robot or the other. Simulation and OLP go proof of concept such as a robot downtime, which is the time required hand in hand. Though the terms are integrator’s sales tool to demonstrate to manually program a robot point by often used interchangeably, but you how a robotic system will perform. point with a teach pendant. There also can have simulation without OLP but you cannot have OLP without simulation. Robot simulation is the 3D representation of a robotic cell or production line. It visually demonstrates how a robot moves along a path or trajectory from one XYZ coordinate to another XYZ coordinate. It can include multiple robots mounted on external axes working with multi-axis workpiece positioners, or coordinating on an assembly line. All this movement and planning, however, can get complicated. Offline programming (OLP) software accurately simulates a robotic welding process using calibrated data for “A lot of customers robot kinematics, external axes, and workpiece positioners. purchase a robot thinking it Courtesy: CENIT North America Inc./Robotic Industries Association (RIA)
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ROBOTICS are costs associated with the machine’s downtime and the programmer’s labour. “If an end user is manually programming a robot on the teach pendant (online), they have to shut down production in order to program the part,” said Rob House, director of sales at Octopuz Inc. “The benefit of using offline programming is you can be running production, and you can program your next two, three, or five parts offline in the software and then once you are ready to start a new job, you can just switch over the program and then start your production again.” OLP is best-suited for complex path planning applications that require a lot of points such as welding, trimming, laser cutting, deburring, thermal spraying, painting, laser cladding, and additive manufacturing. OLP isn’t as beneficial for simple pick-and-place applications, assembly, packaging, and palletizing. These applications still can be programmed using offline software, but users may not realise their return on investment (ROI). It’s more costeffective to program manually if the process has only four or five points. “If you are spending as much time programming in software as you do with a teach pendant every single time you have a new part, you are no better off,” said Garen Cakmak, senior director at Hypertherm Robotic Software Inc. “For robots in a high-mix, low-volume environment, software needs to be easy.” Improving ease of use is top priority for these software developers. But simulation and OLP are pointless if they do not accurately reflect reality.
Calibrate and don’t deviate For OLP to work, the virtual world must match the real world. This means the simulation must represent the physical robotic cell accurately. “The virtual environment in OLP software has to be an exact replication of the actual workcell on the shop floor, which is not the case in most situations,” said Helmut Ziewers, vice Control Engineering Europe
A collaborative robot is programmed offline, saving operators months of manual programming time for this tedious railway maintenance process requiring hundreds of repetitive movements. Courtesy: Hypertherm Robotic Software Inc./RIA
president of digital factory solutions for Cenit North America Inc. “The deviations between a computer-aided design (CAD) model and the physical part associated with that CAD model can be minor or significant, especially in conjunction with less than perfect tooling. We still see major issues and people saying we can’t do this offline, because of those deviations.” However, those deviations are not insurmountable. Calibration is critical. “If we are off just a few millimeters or centimeters, you can create as many offline programs as you wish,” Ziewers said. “They will never fit. We have to know exactly how that robot was set up on the shop floor, and there must not be any deviations or else the OLP won’t work. The toolpath, the trajectory will always be off. This was the case with Crown.” Crown Equipment Corp. manufactures powered forklift trucks. Its Roding, Germany, facility has several complex robotic welding systems with external axes and multi-axis workpiece positioners. Faced with production bottlenecks caused by time-consuming manual robot programming, Crown Roding decided to explore if OLP was
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feasible. Their journey was not without a few hiccups. Some on the Crown team were skeptical while others were eager to try OLP. Cenit was one of two suppliers brought into participate in a benchmarking study. Ziewers said they took CAD drawings provided by Crown’s automation integrator and created the virtual robotic workcell in their software. Based on those drawings, they created the robot program and ran it on the physical workcell. But something was off. Cenit engineers arrived on site to physically calibrate Crown’s workcell. “We found out what the differences were, dimensionally,” Ziewers said. “We applied those differences in our software and then adjusted the offline program based on the new setup in the virtual world. This matched exactly the physical setup from the shop floor, and the robot program worked perfectly. ! Tanya M. Anandan is contributing editor for the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) and Robotics Online. This article originally appeared on www.controleng.com March 2019
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MACHINE VISION
GigE Vision and beyond Control Engineering Europe finds out how the GigE Vision standard has evolved to ensure it continues to meet rapidly changing image data transfer requirements.
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he GigE Vision standard for the transfer of image data from a camera to a host computer was developed in 2006, following CameraLink as the second data transfer standard produced specifically for the machine vision industry. The standard is based on Gigabit Ethernet technology and offers users a number of key benefits: • Data transmission at rates up to 110 Mb/sec over distances up to 100m, using standard Ethernet cables and components. • Compatibility and interchangeability of GigE Vision cameras from any manufacturer. • The network structure means that frame grabbers are not required . Managed by the AIA trade association (www.visiononline.org) the GigE Vision standard has been adopted
globally, with most major industrial vision hardware and software vendors having developed products that are GigE Vision-compliant. Since its launch it has proven to be particularly popular in factory installations where the use of Ethernet cabling and components is common practice, and because of the long distances over which images can be transmitted without repeaters. However, with the increasing availability of ever higher resolution CMOS image sensors and ever faster inspection speeds, the amount of data needing to be transferred has increased significantly and this has led to the need for higher speed data interfaces. “The vision industry has reacted to this need with the development of further vision standards – notably CameraLink HS, CoaXPress and most recently, USB3 Vision,” said Allan Anderson, chairman at the UK Industrial Vision Association
(UKIVA). “While these all offer higher data transmission rates than GigE Vision, none can transfer images over similar distances without the use of special cables and/or repeaters. “For applications where the higher data transfer rates are essential, then one of the alternatives must be used, with the associated complexity of cabling. Nevertheless, GigE Vision continues to dominate the market, with a survey conducted in 2018 by one UKIVA member indicating that GigE Vision still accounted for over 40% of the machine vision systems used. According to Mordor Intelligence, the GigE camera market was worth $0.81 billion in 2017.”
The need for speed The GigE Vision standard has evolved since its original launch. GigE Vision 2.0, released in 2011, improved the real-time
GigE Vision has proven to be popular in factory installations where the use of Ethernet cabling and components is common practice.
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Control Engineering Europe
MACHINE VISION
Machine vision software advances The capabilities of a given machine vision or embedded vision system rely on more than just the hardware of the camera. The central hardware components of a camera often are viewed as solely responsible for the system’s performance – components such as the sensor, the lens, the interface and more are given all the credit, but software can be just as impactful. The software used in machine vision and embedded vision systems has been making major advances. From the food and beverage industry to the electronics industry, improving machine vision software is having an impact. While advances have happened across the board, there are four areas in which major gains have been made. High dynamic range inspection: The electronics industry is running lines faster and with higher resolution, introducing higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Companies are using machine vision software to reduce SNRs for more accurate inspections. Depending on the manufacturer’s need, this software can be highly customised. Optical character recognition software: Optical character recognition (OCR) historically has been limited to black
synchronisation of multi-camera systems by utilising the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol to allow each camera on the network to be simultaneously triggered.
The latest version Version 2.1, announced in 2018 now features multi-part transmission. This allows the sending of more complex data structures used in 3D imaging or any application which would benefit from a three-coordinate data structure. The continuing popularity of the GigE Vision standard is undoubtedly related both to the distances over which data can be transmitted and the ease of integration using industry standard components. It therefore comes as no surprise that increasing the data transmission rate within this framework in order to accommodate greater data volumes is a continuing goal. Different approaches have been applied to boost standard GigE Vision capabilities, ranging from link aggregation to proprietary software solutions. Nevertheless developing more wide-ranging Ethernet solutions is a Control Engineering Europe
text on white backgrounds, but this is rarely the case in real-world manufacturing. New OCR software can detect characters on busy backgrounds, and some of the newest software even can recognise characters when new fonts are introduced. 3D imaging: A number of manufacturers have been developing photometric 3D algorithms to read 3-D text, among other things. Some forms of 3D vision software combine multiple images of the same part to enhance contrast in 3D images for more accurate imaging results. Deep learning: Some companies are making strides in deep learning, and this technology is one of the latest buzzwords. A few of the largest software developers have image classification tools based on deep learning that detect hard-to-define defects and product variations. Machine vision software plays a critical role in the performance of a vision system. Today, identifying the right software for a machine vision application is as important as finding the right hardware. This article originally appeared on www.controleng.com
preferable approach. The networking stack used is divided into a number of different layers. The ‘Ethernet’ layer is unaware of the protocols and connections of the layers either above or below it which means the technology is future proofed. The latest development is the use of NBASE-T to allow users to get the benefit of significantly increased data throughput without the expense and difficulty of replacing existing Ethernet cabling. Fully compatible with GigE Vision, NBASE-T is an extension to the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard and increases data transmission using industry standard CAT 5e cable to speeds of 2.5 and 5 Gb/sec for 2.5BASE-T and 5BASE-T respectively and to 10 Gb/sec using CAT 6A cable for 10BASE-T. 5BASE-T exceeds the data transfer speeds of both USB 3.1 (Gen1) and USB 3.0, while 10BASE-T also exceeds rates for CameraLink (Full/80-bit) and CoaXPress (single lane CXP-6). They all maintain the original GigE Vision data transmission distances of up to 100 metres. A number of
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5BASE-T and 10BASE-T cameras are now available from UKIVA members, to take advantage of these improved data transfer rates.
No popularity decline Stemmer Imaging has supplied and supported a wide range of GigE Vision cameras since the standard was introduced. Mark Williamson, managing director at Stemmer Imaging UK, has seen no decline in their popularity. He said: “We are particularly excited by a new range of 5BASE-T cameras that combine the higher inherent data transfer rates with in-built proprietary technology utilising sophisticated pixel analysis and processing to deliver an overall bandwidth of 985 MB/sec. That is over double the speed of USB3 and approaching the speeds of 10BASE-T, but it requires only standard Cat5e cables that operate up to 100m cable lengths. They are also significantly physically smaller and consume less power than 10 GigE Vision cameras, allowing deployment in a wider range of factory applications.” ! March 2019
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CALIBRATION
GENERATE ROI WITH AN INTEGRATED CALIBRATION SOLUTION Heikki Laurila explains integrated calibration solutions and how this can help make the calibration process more effective, save time and money and improve the quality and integrity of the results.
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rocess instrument calibration is just one of the many maintenance related activities undertaken in a process plant. The last thing you want is to waste already limited resources performing unnecessary calibrations or by employing time-consuming, ineffective calibration procedures. However, it is vital that all critical calibrations are completed, to ensure an efficient process and product consistency and to minimise downtime. It is also important to ensure that the plant remains regulatory and safety compliant, and is audit-ready. It is not enough to simply buy new calibration equipment or calibration software – that will not automatically make a calibration process leaner and more effective. Instead, it is necessary to first analyse all the steps of the calibration process, and with the help of a suitable solution and expertise, find ways to improve the calibration process.
A typical process In a typical calibration process work is planned and work orders are created in the maintenance management system. With an integrated solution, work orders move automatically and digitally from the maintenance management system to the calibration software. There is no need to print work orders and distribute them manually. The necessary calibration details are handled by the calibration software which sends the work orders to the mobile calibration equipment. The
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The key benefits of an integrated calibration solution: • Improve operation efficiency – do more with less: Automate calibrations and calibration documentation. Eliminate all manual entry steps in the calibration process. Use multifunctional tools to carry less equipment in the field and lower equipment life-cycle costs • Save time and reduce costs – get a good return on investment: With automated processes, get more done in shorter time. Don’t waste time on unnecessary calibrations. Let the data from the system guide you to determine the most important calibrations at appropriate intervals. • Improve quality: With electronic documentation, avoid all errors in manual entry, transcriptions and pass/fail calculations. • Guides non-experienced users: Let the system guide non-experienced users to allow them to perform like professionals.
results are stored in mobile devices and users can sign off the results using an electronic signature. From the mobile device the results are automatically transferred to the calibration software. Once the work orders are completed, the calibration software automatically sends an acknowledgement to the maintenance management software and work orders are closed. The whole process is paperless and there is no need for manual entry
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• Avoid system failures and out-oftolerance risks: Use a calibration system that automatically ensures that the required tolerance limits are met, to avoid system downtime and expensive out-of-tolerance situations. • Be compliant: Use a system that helps meet regulations and internal standards of excellence. • Ensure safety: Ensure safety of the plant workers, and customers, using a calibration system that helps navigate through safety critical calibrations. • Safeguard the integrity of calibration data: Use a calibration system that ensures the integrity of the calibration data with automatic electronic data storage and transfer and relevant user authorisation. • Make audits and access data easy: Use a system that makes it easy to locate any record an auditor asks for.
of data at any point. This makes the process more effective and saves time, and also helps minimise mistakes and improves the quality and integrity of the calibration data. Furthermore, calibration results are safely stored and are easily accessible in the calibration software for review for example in case of audits and for analysis purposes. ! Heikki Laurila is product marketing manager at Beamex. Control Engineering Europe
CALIBRATION
CALIBRATING TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT DEVICES A Whitepaper from OMEGA Engineering discusses why and how frequently temperature sensors need calibrating.
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n many industries controlling temperature is insufficient. It is important to also have documentation of the temperature or thermal cycle to which the product was subjected. Such logs are required in food processing and pharmaceutical production and storage, for example. This can be accomplished by temperature controllers with recording capabilities. For safety-critical items such as wheel hubs, suspension linkages or brake components, documentation helps a manufacturer prove that a part was heat-treated correctly and was neither too brittle nor too soft. Quality Management Systems universally require calibration of all measuring equipment that can affect final product quality. While calibration of gauging equipment is usually understood, the importance of calibrating temperature sensors is sometimes overlooked.
Why calibrate? Every device used for process-critical measurements should be checked periodically. Where adjustment is possible, a device measuring outside of expected limits should be brought back to an acceptable performance level, but in the case of non-adjustable equipment the deviation or measurement performance should be recorded and a decision made on whether it remains fit for purpose. In the case of temperature measurement equipment, the properties of bimetals and thermocouple wire change with use and time, especially when used at elevated temperatures, resulting in measurement drift. Additionally, a thermocouple probe Control Engineering Europe
may be damaged in service, possibly mechanically or by corrosion, resulting in rapid deterioration of the wire. RTD’s and thermistors are also both fragile devices and easily damaged, so should be checked periodically. The same applies for IR thermometers and thermal imaging cameras.
Frequency Quality standards generally leave it to the user to decide how often a device should be calibrated. However, an auditor will expect a sound justification for whatever frequency is given. When establishing a calibration frequency, consideration should be given to the type of use the device sees, the risk of damage and the rate of drift, which can be determined from historical calibration records. Procedures should be implemented defining the actions needed if calibration shows a device is operating outside of acceptable limits. For example, a product manufactured since the last calibration may need to be recalled (and the cost of doing so may influence calibration frequency). In safety critical situations, such as food or pharmaceutical production, calibration may need performing every day or even every shift.
In-house or calibration lab? For most organisations the determining factors about whether to calibrate in house or to use a calibration lab will be the volume of calibration work to be performed and the availability of inhouse resources. If gauge calibration is already performed, adding temperature sensors to the list of equipment requires investment in a dry block probe or blackbody calibrator.
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Just as ISO9000 provides a Quality Management framework for manufacturing companies, ISO 17025 does the same for calibration laboratories. Defined procedures document the methods used for the calibration work undertaken, ensuring methods are robust and provide an appropriate level of traceability. Significant emphasis is placed on communicating results to customers, and this includes information on measurement uncertainty. A lab not meeting the requirements of ISO 17025 may perform satisfactory calibration work with appropriate levels of traceability. However, formal accreditation should give the confidence that appropriate procedures will be followed and negating the expense of having to verify this yourself. Many manufacturing processes use heat to modify product characteristics. In some cases precise temperature control is essential to ensure fitness for purpose, and a paper trail – temperature logs plus evidence of calibration – verifies that the manufacturer took appropriate steps to maintain the quality of the items produced. Calibration of temperature sensors, whether performed in-house or contracted to a specialist lab, is an essential part of this activity. ! March 2019
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MONITORING
SEISMIC MONITORING AND PROTECTION Following the Fukushima incident the nuclear industry has a renewed focus on risk mitigation from extraordinary events caused by nature. Control Engineering Europe looks at the trends in seismic monitoring and protection systems, technologies adopted and current best practice driven by these enhanced risk management demands.
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he various regulatory bodies around the world have gone back to basics to consider not only the design basis for operational sites but also revisit the risk analysis, the accident management strategy and the periodic safety review policy. Considering that many nuclear power stations are located on the coast, the risk of flooding from both seismic events and severe weather has been put into particular focus. Of significant importance has been the review of methodology used to derive the seismic hazard and how that hazard has been mitigated through the design process and present day operational systems. No two nuclear plants are the same in terms of their approach to seismic monitoring and protection. Sensonics has identified that some sites utilise data from the national network of geophysical instruments, while others implement independent monitoring and shutdown on each critical plant item. In each case, the derivation of the required seismic monitoring and protection strategy must meet with the safety case and provide appropriate risk mitigation. The structural effects to be expected at a site from an earthquake result from the vibration induced by the event, classified in terms of seismic response spectra. This defines the ground acceleration magnitude versus frequency, typically over a range of 0.1Hz to 100Hz. Two such types of spectra are specified, the Operational Basis
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Earthquake (OBE) and the Design Basis Earthquake (DBE), based on a predicted worst case seismic event within a specified period of time (for example OBE may be specified within 100 years). Secondary response spectra are derived from the ground accelerations through modelling to predict the response of each structure and each level within that structure. A nuclear plant will allocate several seismic categories for specifying the design requirements and assess according to the safety class. For example the highest or most stringent category will demand the equipment or process be tested to the DBE level plus a margin (+40% is recommended in IEEE- 344, Standard for Seismic Qualification of Equipment for Nuclear power generating Stations), since the process must still remain operable to the design basis even if other less critical plant processes may have failed above the OBE level. Any earthquake above the OBE level may result in the plant being shutdown and to remain shutdown until post analysis / inspection has determined the plant is safe to continue operations. The challenge is to design and construct in a cost effective manner to meet with the seismic categorisation and to provide sufficient design margin. It may not be possible for all equipment or processes through either analysis or testing to meet with its categorisation fully and this is where independent seismic monitoring systems can be utilised to provide detection of the OBE event and to bring the process to a safe
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state. Not only must these monitoring systems be robust to seismic events but they also need to exhibit high levels of availability beyond the DBE magnitude event to maintain a valid alarm function. In combination with the seismic requirements various safety standards are applied to obtain a stated availability, with EN IEC 61508 being the most common approach. Adherence to such a standard provides a stated system reliability and availability while at the same time providing an understanding of the systematic failures and ensuring compliance with the EN IEC 61508 life cycle model.
Where to start? The starting point with any seismic monitoring design is the sensor. There is a clear technical difference between the types of sensors that are used for seismic protection and those used for geophysical earthquake monitoring. Geophysical seismic monitoring utilise broadband magnet & moving coil (electrodynamic) sensor arrangements capable of measuring micro g acceleration events with sinusoidal periods of over 100 seconds. Strong motion sensors for seismic protection applications only need to provide a resolution down to 1mg and a response to 10 seconds; while historically electrodynamic sensors have been used, nowadays for these applications piezoelectric-based accelerometers are preferred as they match the technical requirement closely and provide higher reliability as they have no moving parts. A trend in vibration monitoring is Control Engineering Europe
MONITORING
the adoption of MEMS (Micro ElectroMechanical Systems) devices in a wide range of sensing applications. These devices offer a low frequency response and exhibit the required dynamic range for strong motion seismic monitoring. MEMS devices have been widely used in civil engineering applications since the 1990’s, their relative low cost and small size suite applications where many measurement points are required on structures for a limited period of time. However, adoption of this technology has been slow for the seismic protection market, where stated reliability and maintainability are the key requirements. How can you verify that an installed strong motion sensor is working correctly, when for most of the time there is nothing to measure? This situation is exacerbated by the sensor installation which is normally difficult to access. With broadband seismometers it is common to have a secondary coil arrangement which can be excited and therefore stimulate movement of the mass to verify calibration without physical shaking. Sensonics has incorporated a similar mechanism into its piezo electric based seismic sensors to ensure the measuring element is operating to the correct sensitivity; this self-test feature is a critical requirement which will become apparent when we look at the overall system design. It is common to utilise redundant sensor configurations in the overall monitoring system concept (See figure 1) for a detailed functional block diagram of a modern day seismic monitoring and protection system. Three separate physical locations are monitored with triaxial sensors capable of measuring acceleration in the three orthogonal axes. The acceleration of each sensor is processed by a trip amplifier with the overall triaxial unit performing a one out of three (1oo3) logic operation to derive the location OBE alarm. The trip alarms from each location are fed back to the central control panel which Control Engineering Europe
Logic
Sensors
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Final element
Seismometer 1 Dual Output
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Alarm Relays
System Panel X Y
Seismometer 2 Dual Output
Channel B 2oo3 Vote
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Safety Critical Functions Trip Test & Calibration
Ch A status Indicator
Record Replay Print
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Trip status Annunciator
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Uninterruptible Power Supply 1 Uninterruptible Power Supply 2
Figure 1
performs a subsequent two out of three logic operation to determine the final trip result. In this example the voting logic is also redundant to enhance reliability and maintainability. The final element of the system is connected to the specific plant circuit breakers or to the emergency shutdown system to complete the safety loop. For redundancy, a simple one out of two (1oo2) system should meet with the reliability requirements, in fact demonstrating a higher reliability than the 2oo3 system. However, this system configuration offers no protection against spurious trips which can result from mechanical interference or sensor failure. Two out of two (2oo2) is an alternative option that can be considered, however on failure of a channel the system defaults to a 1oo1 system, whilst the 2oo3 option on channel failure can revert to either 2oo2 or 1oo2, both of which are preferred over 1oo1, making the 2oo3 system the norm for nuclear protection applications.
Proof-tested design Combine these channels with dual voting arrangements and the sensor inbuilt test function results in a system design that can be fully proof tested whilst on line, maximising the availability of the system. Each voting circuit can be isolated and tested in
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turn through signal injection of each sensor, a critical aspect of the system performance being the sensor will still respond to an real seismic event even whilst under test. The avoidance of smart devices within the protection loop also eases the analysis burden to meet with the safety requirements and is the preferred solution for most clients. Separating the protection and event recording functions is a logical step which enables the latest technologies and features to be utilised for the seismic waveform recording without impacting on the protection safety case. Use of proven technologies in combination with measurement redundancy tends to be the industrial norm for modern day nuclear applications; with self-testing features and spurious trip performance being of particular importance in relation to the automatic shutdown systems. Adopting this best practice has become standard for new installations and should also be considered for obsolete seismic monitoring equipment on existing sites. A stated and demonstrated reliability, minimal spurious trip occurrence, full measurement loop proof testing, maximum design life and maintainability combined with a low demand and high integrity shutdown system is now the expected norm. ! March 2019
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CYBER SECURITY
PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT OF PLANT CYBERSECURITY According to Camilo Gomez a combination of information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) cybersecurity expertise is required to manage the influx of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices and increased IT/OT integration.
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he inward-looking plant control system is giving way to a wider and flatter network architecture, which requires a different cybersecurity focus. Operations technology (OT) is undergoing a sea change in goals, structure, and management – as is information technology (IT) with the integration of the plant control system with the business systems. This makes it necessary to manage giant data flows inside the plant. The physical plant continues to be important, but it is complemented and managed by the virtual plant, a concept that makes possible a ‘digital twin’ of the actual plant. Management and operations can use the digital twin to experiment and improve operational efficiency. New tools and process controls are becoming available. Robots and virtual reality can be used in hazardous areas to improve operator safety, and simpler, easier-to-operate advanced process control systems are becoming common. Outside the plant, the cloud and related applications have made the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) practical and useful. An IIoT implementation proliferates new sensors inside and outside the plant to improve plant performance. Open process automation (OPA) initiatives – intended to produce a common platform so controllers, sensors, and software can work together without compatibility issues – have been added. These trends are occurring simultaneously and have contributed to disruption. Old ways of running process
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plants are not competitive in many process industries. Disruptive events can create innovation and add value.
OT cybersecurity transformation Traditionally, sensors and controllers have been connected to the plant control system using wires or using wireless protocols. OT cybersecurity has focused on protecting the plant control network and keeping unauthorised users from invading the control systems. However, OT cybersecurity is now transforming. The principles and practices of OT cybersecurity are being used in nontraditional automation sectors, such as building automation, transportation, and medical automation. What used to be a hard-wired perimeter has moved outward from the plant and become virtual. The 2D structure of OT cybersecurity is 3D with the inner applications, level 0 and 1 devices and applications, and sensor devices connected directly to the cloud. From there, they’re connected to the automation systems; maintenance, repair, and operation (MRO) systems; and plant business systems. Plant operations personnel always have recognized the need for functional safety. The rise of OT cybersecurity has made it clear an insecure plant is an unsafe plant. Cybersecurity and functional safety mirror, overlap, and complement each other. Security of the safety instrumented system (SIS) is a critical function, the same as basic plant control system security. With fully integrated business systems, the cybersecurity of the entire value
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chain is critical. Making a supply and a distribution chain integrated and secure are essential in today’s enterprise. OT cybersecurity is no longer a static function; it is a fluid and continuously changing entity that must be managed carefully.
OT cybersecurity threats As the function and footprint of OT cybersecurity has grown and changed, the threats it faces have broadened. Traditional cybersecurity evolved to deal with threats in the IT environment such as email phishing, human-in-the-middle penetration attacks, malware, and disaffected employees. First-generation OT cybersecurity began with IT-derived implementations such as perimeter security and air gaps. The second generation of threats was more plant-centered. Advanced persistent threats (APTs) continue stealthy attacks from outside the enterprise aimed at IP theft or destruction of plant operations. The third and current generation of threats is persistent and focused on causing harmful disruption to plant operations. It is potentially destructive to machinery and systems. Threats have evolved to become OT-specific as hacking has evolved, as well. OT cybersecurity defenses have been reactive, complacent, and conformanceoriented. They typically are based on IT technologies, not always a good fit for OT purposes and have often evolved slowly into OT security technologies. They have been based traditionally on conformance to standards and based on lifecycle, certifications, and regulations. These defenses are relatively easy to Control Engineering Europe
CYBER SECURITY
penetrate, especially with APTs, and provide an unrealistic sense of security. Standards such as ISA/IEC 62443, the NIST framework, NERC CIP, and others have provided a framework and a path forward to designing good OT security postures for plants. The ISA Security Compliance Institute has provided ISA Secure component certification since 2010. Standards compliance does not necessarily result in adequate or increased cybersecurity protection.
OT cybersecurity challenges The basic OT cybersecurity challenge is to deal with the ongoing industry transformation. First, it is necessary to assess the effectiveness of traditional controls and cyber tools. Traditional penetration testing has been used for this. The problem is it is very difficult to operationalize these traditional tools without considerable training and overhead to get from the theoretical to the practical. The current challenge is moving the perimeter from the physical plant and a network-centric focus to the virtual, which requires providing security to edge components and applications. Edge devices are numerous and proliferating. This makes it impossible to provide a secure cyber environment without protecting edge devices in real time to maintain security for each Level 0 and 1 device. One main issue is the increase of poorly-secured IIoT devices being installed in plants to send data to the cloud and then to the plant. These IIoT devices can provide intrusion vectors that are overlooked by plant operators and Control Engineering Europe
Cybersecurity must be applied in the process industries from the enterprise to the application level.
engineers eager to get more data. The plant is insecure if the supply chain is insecure. The high integration between the supply chain and the control system required in modern process plants makes the supply chain a vector for potential attacks. Active anomaly detection is needed to maintain a secure plant network. This makes it possible to achieve the posture of predictive and preventive response instead of reactive and conformanceoriented activity. This includes outsidethe-plant threat intelligence. Often the best option is to move from a reactive approach to an adaptive security posture. The plant of the future will integrate operational reliability monitoring, security monitoring, and network monitoring with process monitoring.
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Detection will be transformed from signature-based detection to anomaly detection. OT cybersecurity must be integrated with management of change functions, alarm management, safety systems, and security information and event management. The entire plant operational system revolves around security and safety. For many process plants, it can be difficult to implement a modern functional security position. This is where companies specialising in cybersecurity can be of assistance to process plants. ! Camilo Gomez is global cybersecurity strategist at Yokogawa Electric Corp. This article originally appeared on www.controleng.com March 2019
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PERFECTLY FOCUSSED The USB 3.1 Gen 1 uEye LE with active focus
LIQUID LENS
USB TYPE-C
®
www.ids-imaging.com/usb3.1
FINAL WORD
Taking a deep dive into gigabit Ethernet It is becoming apparent that the reluctance to move beyond 100Mbit Ethernet technology is a very real limiting factor for Industry 4.0 adoption. John Browett, general manager at CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) Europe, argues that the transition to gigabit Ethernet networking technologies has to start now.
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he future of manufacturing will be built on lots of data. Making the best use of this data without its volume crippling the systems used to derive value from it, will depend on speed and bandwidth.
Talking bandwidth Factory networks have already evolved from simple fieldbus networks for sensors and actuators all the way to employing Ethernet right down at field level. Now we are seeing the convergence of information technology (IT) networks and operational technology (OT) networks. In many ways it is the seamless flow of information between these two worlds that defines the possibilities of Industry 4.0. The thing that we can be sure of is that whatever bandwidth we believe to be adequate for today’s requirements, in the future we are going to need more of it. This is one of the reasons behind CLPA’s focus on open, gigabit industrial Ethernet, and its argument that industry must begin the transition to gigabit if it is to reap the benefits of Industry 4.0. Some argue that the speed and bandwidth debate is irrelevant, and that with the adoption of technologies such as OPC UA and TSN, bandwidth is just something we’ll be able to take for granted. But, while they have an important role, they are complementary technologies, not replacements for existing networking protocols. Control Engineering Europe
The information throughput in most of today’s industrial processes is some way off being regarded as ‘big data’, but it’s a lot of information nonetheless. Right now, the information being sent to the cloud is, by and large, information for historical logging and trend analysis, separated from the real time control data by using the likes of edge computing platforms. But if the predictions of some companies are correct, then edge computing is just an intermediate step and we could soon see the likes of virtual PLCs and virtual SCADA in the cloud, collecting data from and sending it to plant floor devices in real time. If that comes to pass, it will certainly need high speed networking technologies. But even today, looking at the data we are trying to pour through our edge computing platforms, the standard 100Mbit technologies are surely feeling the strain. Imagine a network transmitting both synchronous control information (I/O states, data registers, etc.) and asynchronous information such as alarms, quality data and other messages. A machine jam or a parameter drifting out of tolerance or any number of process glitches could see the network flooded with alarm messages, which can quickly impact on the performance of the whole system.
Speed matters Detractors of gigabit Ethernet ask if the speed of transmission matters. It does,
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John Browett is general manager at CLPA Europe.
because it allows for more messages per cycle and thus more useful data collected. Even with a limit on the amount of data per device, this does not imply a limit on the data collected because data registers can be constantly changing. Hence, as Industry 4.0 requires us to extract more useful information from production systems, gigabit Ethernet offers the ability to provide the speed and bandwidth to do this. Not only does CC-Link IE Field have 1Gbit transmission speed, it also has a greater network data capacity than both TCP/IP and UDP/IP general purpose Ethernet. These additional headers used for general purpose Ethernet frames are placed within the payload portion of the frame. This necessary additional information used by those headers reduces the network data that can be transmitted by each Ethernet frame. In CC Link IE Field transmissions, no additional Ethernet headers are required, so network data is not reduced. For those who still need convincing that we are heading towards a gigabit Ethernet future, it is interesting to consider the companies making industrial Ethernet switches: looking at their product portfolios reveals that you can already see growing numbers of gigabit Ethernet products. If we are to realise the goals of Industry 4.0, then we have to conclude that gigabit Ethernet isn’t simply a conceptual future; it’s a very real present. ! March 2019
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| AT11-17E |
AX8000 multi-axis servo system: minimum cycle time, maximum performance.
Fast current and position controller: ■ Current controller response time of 1 µs ■ Current controller cycle time of 62.5 µs (down to 16 µs) ■ Speed controller cycle time of 62.5 µs (down to 32 µs) ■ Position controller cycle time of 62.5 µs ■ EtherCAT cycle time of 62.5 µs
www.beckhoff.com/AX8000 The modular AX8000 system complements the highly scalable Beckhoff Drive Technology portfolio. With freely combinable drive modules, the AX8000 multi-axis servo system delivers high-performance drive technology and enables optimised space utilisation in any control cabinet. Increased sampling rates enable smoother mechanical movements and therefore optimised product quality. With FPGA technology current measurement takes less than 1 µs.
Hall 9, Booth F06