CEE_21_06

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Dan Jago Group Publisher

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INDUSTRY REPORT

In praise of the things that make the IIoT possible

There is hardly a press release that passes through my inbox today that doesn’t mention the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), or the vast amounts of data that are now available to engineers to give them better insight into their processes. I wanted to take a closer look at one of the vital cogs in the IIoT wheel – the ‘things’ that create this valuable data – so in this issue I asked some device vendors for their thoughts on the importance of the hardware devices that enable the IIoT. (pg 24)

Also in this issue is my report on Drax Power Station’s control and SCADA system upgrade journey which was vital to enable a smooth transition from coal to bioenergy in what is believed to be the largest decarbonisation project in Europe. (pg 28)

Suzanne Gill

Editor – Control Engineering Europe suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk

I/O MODULES AND SYSTEMS

Exploring the motor drive as a key player in predictive maintenance

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Rugged tablet promises optimum productivity in the field; Expanded safety gate system

ROBOT PROGRAMMING

11 Programming needs to be simple to allow robots to help meet manufacturing challenges

Addressing the need for more automated high-mix low-volume production lines

HART COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL

14 Find out how HART technology has evolved alongside other technologies to allow it to continue to meet industry needs

Streaming precise positioning data from valve positioners

Calibration has evolved in line with the digital migration of HART devices

Tips for calibrating a HART pressure transmitter

SAFETY

Adapting to a changing risk landscape

Wet wipe production quickly made safer

Control Engineering Europe is a controlled circulation journal published eight times

ISSN

We find out more about I/O technology in the Industry 4.0 era

INDUSTRY FOCUS: THINGS

24 Suzanne Gill spoke to device vendors to get their thoughts on the value of ‘things’ as part of the Industrial Internet of Things

DRIVES & MOTORS

26 More efficient motors are key to achieving greater production sustainability

SCADA

28 Suzanne Gill reports on the Drax Power Station decarbonisation journey, focussing on the need for a new SCADA solution

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THE MOTOR DRIVE: A KEY PLAYER IN PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE?

Predictive maintenance is fast becoming recognised as one of the more easily exploited applications of digitalisation, says Blake Griffin, a senior analyst at Interact Analysis.

Predictive maintenance can offer cost savings by reducing production losses due to unexpected downtimes. A predictive maintenance report from Interact Analysis puts a focus on the ability of motor drives to perform predictive maintenance diagnostics not only on themselves, but also on the equipment they control. This technology, while still in its early days, is expected to be a key enabler of predictive maintenance initiatives as it opens up a new stream of data for both machine builders and end-users.

Motor drives can be sophisticated

pieces of equipment, capable of performing diagnostics on themselves, and giving signals to alert engineers when maintenance is necessary, thereby avoiding breakdowns and subsequent costly machinery downtime. Companies such as Siemens have recognised the potential of this predictive maintenance technology and offer it as a service to end-users through their digitalisation platform called Analyze MyDrives.

However, drives can do more than diagnostics on themselves. For example, they can monitor the status of the motor they are controlling by measuring the voltage and current the motor requires

to perform a task in real-time. This data is used to control torque and motor speed, but it can also be used to identify the imminent failure of a component in a motor – drives vendors will argue that voltage and current measures give more sophisticated insights into motor failure than the standard monitoring of vibration and some vendors are developing software for their products which are aimed at making the process of gathering, organising, and monitoring trends in this data easier.

When it comes to the kind of data captured, a lot depends on whether the drive acts as a sensor, collecting

Survey reveals continued need for education about the benefits of robotic automation

A recent survey of 250 UK manufacturers, carried out on behalf of ABB Robotics, has revealed that a lack of experience in implementing and using robots is preventing many companies from investing in robotic automation.

Of the 108 companies that are not currently using robots, 62% gave lack of experience and knowledge about robotic automation as their main reason for deferring an investment in robotic automation.

“The survey reveals the need for more to be done to educate manufacturers both about the case for investing in robots and the developments that have taken place in robotic technology that have made robots much easier to use and look after,” said Julian Ware, UK & Ireland sales manager for ABB’s UK Robotics

business. “Developments in the areas of collaborative robots and simplified programming especially are helping to open new possibilities for companies that have never used robots before to find new ways to improve their productivity and competitiveness.

“There is real evidence to show that an investment in a robot can often be recouped within just 12 to 18 months. Coupled with the ready availability of training and support services from many UK robot suppliers and their partners, companies in the UK have a great opportunity to enjoy the very real advantages of introducing robotic automation to their processes.”

The report also highlights the impact of Covid-19 on convincing companies to make a switch to robotic automation. Asked whether

the pandemic had affected their businesses, 91% replied yes, with 72% stating that they were likely to make an investment in robotic automation in the near future.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the need for companies to be better prepared for events that can potentially disrupt their operations,” said Ware. “With the ability to minimise disruption caused by issues such as lockdowns and social distancing, robots can be used to help ensure greater certainty and maintain output, enabling production and distribution lines to continue running.”

To help companies assess the scope for introducing robotic automation into their processes, ABB can offer a Productivity & Efficiency Appraisal service. For more details email: robotics@gb.abb.com

and analysing data, or as a gateway passing data on to an external network. A motor drive acting as a sensor will monitor voltage and current and flag up potential malfunctions in the motor-driven equipment. It has been suggested that 70% of motor problems could be diagnosed by the drive in this way. However, for reasons of cost, not all drives have voltage and current sensors, so this is not an across-theboard solution.

If the drive could act both as a current and voltage sensor and a gateway to send more sophisticated data from smart sensors elsewhere to be analysed, it is most likely the vast majority of motor failure issues would be preempted. We believe this will be one solution offered by drive manufacturers in the future, but will probably not be useable technology on smaller, cheaper drives.

So, what is the best solution? Where should data be analysed? And how can it be done most cost-effectively – on the drive or on the cloud? The problem with sensors is that they can produce a vast amount of data. If we only want to send key analytics of motor and drive performance to the network, all that information will have to be processed on the drive. The drive would need to be able to store this data, while simultaneously collecting new information, requiring both hardware

and software modifications. In all likelihood, we expect drives as a sensor to be a premium feature within drives in the short term, and to gradually become the standard offering as demand for data from smart devices heightens.

As a general rule, the bigger the motor, the greater the financial loss when it stands idle for repair. We believe the industries that will be first in the queue for motor drives offering predictive maintenance capabilities will be those using the largest and most expensive machinery. Additionally, process industries in which downtime could represent the loss of a batch being manufactured are expected to adopt predictive maintenance early.

Smaller-scale industries may be slower

to adopt predictive maintenance owing to cost issues, but we can expect these operations to increase their demand for drives that can diagnose issues on the spot, on the motors they are controlling.

Predictive maintenance in motor drives is a technology on the move. We expect to see this industry flourish as the cost benefits become more evident in an industrial environment where efficiency is key. Suppliers have already started working on the next generation of drives which incorporate predictive maintenance. These drives will not only identify an issue with a motor; they will also adjust its performance so it will keep running until an engineer can fix it. For industrial drives, it really is a brave new world.

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Rugged tablet promises optimal productivity in the field

Getac has launched its next-generation K120 fully-rugged, IP66-rated tablet, for mobile field professionals working in challenging industries.

An 11th Generation Intel quad-core i5/i7 processor with integrated Iris Xe graphics are said to deliver rapid responsiveness and rich visuals, allowing the table to carry out multiple tasks simultaneously without slowing or overheating.

Enhanced connectivity – thanks to inbuilt Wi-Fi 6, WWAN with Integrated GPS/GLONASS and Bluetooth 5.2 –

enables users to utilise a wide selection of over-air interfaces, while Thunderbolt 4 technology makes data collection in the field quick and easy.

The K120 also includes a display with sunlight readable technology to ensure easy operation even in bright outdoor environments. Multiple touch modes enhance performance in a range of situations, while a dual hotswappable battery design is said to offer uninterrupted full-shift functionality. To keep sensitive data fully protected, the K120 includes powerful security

features and multifactor authentication management including Intel vPro Technology, TPM 2.0, HF RFID reader, smart card reader, fingerprint reader and Windows Hello.

Higher precision flow control options added to ball valves

Bonomi (UK) Ltd has extended the scope of its stainlesssteel ball valve, with ISO 5211 direct mounting pad, with the addition of V-Ball options.

The new 700355 V-Ball full bore, stainless steel ball valve is said to offer greater stability and flow control accuracy. The vast majority of ball valves within the Valpres range are now available with this option.

Available from ½in in all new sizes, V-Ball can be used with liquids and gases, enabling an accurate and precise flow control with a range up to 500:1. Each valve’s

design has been validated using FEA Software (finite element analysis), CFD Software (computational fluid dynamics) and Flow Loop testing. CV and KV curves are also available.

Using VALPSIZE configuration software, valves can be sized, checking fluid velocity, valve openings, noise and other critical issues. The control valves are also available with a manual calibrated lever with opening and flow direction indication and can be configured with pneumatic or electric actuators to fit specific flow control needs.

Middleware interface between the OT and IT environments

The dataFEED Secure Integration Server product from Softing Industrial works as an abstract interface between the worlds of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), offering users a set of key functionalities for efficient data exchange in a single component.

In its role as an aggregating server, this middleware makes use of OPC-UA’s address space modelling, especially for interface abstraction and data aggregation. In the process, this interface abstraction handles changes or extensions within one domain (OT/IT) without modifications then being needed in the other.

Advantages include the ease with which new IT applications can be integrated into the overall solution, to exploit short innovation cycles in IT or make targeted changes to the production environment. With data aggregation, data from multiple sources can be consolidated on a single OPC UA server, so the IT application now only needs to access this one server. This simplification to the communications infrastructure cuts configuration effort for users.

Another key feature of the dataFEED Secure Integration Server is its in-built security, with filters available to restrict the address space for individual OPC-UA client applications plus definable access

types. Apart from full implementation of OPC-UA security functions, whitelists and blacklists can also be defined to control data access from specific IP addresses, and detection of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks targeting OPC UA authentication is also included.

Modular safety gate system expands

The modular safety gate system from Pilz now includes the PSENmlock handle module. The gate module has an integrated actuator as well as an integrated escape release. In conjunction with the safety gate sensor PSENmlock for safe interlocking and safe guard locking, the handle module is said to offer a safe and adaptable solution for accessible gates.

Safe guard locking is enabled by the two-channel control on the guard locking device. As such, the switch is particularly suitable for use on machines with a hazardous overrun, which also

require safe guard locking up to the highest category performance level e.

The PSENmlock handle module can be used for both left and right-hinged gates. It can be fitted on the inside or outside and is compatible for both swing gates and sliding gates.

On the outside of the secured gate is the yellow handle, through which the actuator is disengaged for closing or opening. An escape release can only be triggered via the red handle in the inside. As a result, people can leave a danger zone potentially emerging inside the machinery space at any time. The

App Store offers efficient distribution of industrial apps

The Industrial App Store is an online shop window and secure data access portal that allows anyone to provide a service that requires secure access to their client’s process data. This data stays on the clients network so there is no need to copy, upload, or duplicate data in the cloud, which means no additional storage costs or transport fees.

This Industrial App Store, which removes the difficulties normally associated with connectivity and data security, is open to anyone wanting to develop and sell an industrial app over the Internet.

app developers retain and host their own apps, so do not have to disclose the domain knowledge contained within the app, which protects them from cloning or hacking their IP.

The solution is said to offer an even playing field, where app developers can compete to gain market share from a

PSENmlock handle module has a lockout bar for up to five locks to prevent the machine from restarting unintentionally following a stop.

growing number of active Industrial App Store users.

Industrial App Store manages access to client data and only allows apps to request the data for which they have been given the necessary privileges to obtain. The data request from an authorised app is routed to the client’s data historian by the Industrial App Store and passes the data back to the app.

Examples of what’s available on appstore.intelligentplant. com include apps to track valve movements, monitor controllers, measure alarm performance against industry standards and guidance, trend data using PCP and Calm Waters visualisations, and the very popular Power Platform connector that allows process data to be visualised in Power BI, acted on using Power Automate and accessed using Power Apps.

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CUSTOMIZATIONS TO STANDARD MOTORS FULFILL MULTIPLE SPACE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Through a combination of standard industrial motors and creative collaboration, technology-forward customizations are made to allow high-precision, long-life motors to make it to Mars and beyond.

There is no denying that the Martian environment can be harsh and unaccommodating to systems made to operate on Earth. Mars has an atmosphere about 100 times thinner than Earth’s atmosphere, even though it is thick enough to support clouds and winds. Giant dust devils often made of the oxidized iron dust that covers Mars’ surface—which is also a permanent part of the Martian atmosphere—can blanket the planet for months during particular seasons. Temperature variations on Mars range from -125oC (-195oF) near the poles in winter up to 20ºC (70oF) near the equator at midday. This all may sound like a difficult environment to adjust to, yet systems designers always go to industrial grade designs to start their search for the right components.

History Matters

In the 1970s NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) sent the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars. The Viking 1 Lander was used to perform single-point surface analysis in search of life. Viking 1 took high-resolution images for more than six years. It also performed soil samples using a robotic arm and specially designed biological laboratory—finding that the cold planet had volcanic soil, a dry carbon dioxide atmosphere, and evidence of ancient riverbeds and vast flooding.

After a two decade pause, in the mid 1990’s NASA was ready to move into the next step in the exploration of Mars and return with rovers. For these trips, NASA looked for standard industrial motors that would be robust enough to go to Mars. This is where the maxon Mars story officially starts. When NASA/JPL began their search, they knew that they needed a few critical specifications that would

make the motor more compatible with the mission. For example, the biggest issues would be for the motors to withstand the lowpressure environment as well as shock and vibration, not only from the launching activity but from the hard landing it would have to withstand. Another concern was the extreme temperature variation cycles that the motors would have to operate through.

Figure 1: Ingenuity is a flight test and will be the first aircraft to attempt controlled flight on another planet.

(Photo courtesy of NASA)

in its planetary history. A telling photo of sedimentary layers proved the point.

It wasn’t until 1997 when the first successful rover landed on Mars. The Sojourner Pathfinder incorporated ten RE 16 DC motors as a test to see how the engineering behind the semi-custom motors worked. maxon provided the high-quality, long-life industrial grade motors with very little customization for the journey. Then in January 2004, two robotic geologists named Spirit and Opportunity landed on opposite sides of Mars. They were equipped with far greater mobility than the Pathfinder rover and had scientific exploration as their primary goal. Each of these rovers was equipped with 35 maxon DC motors — RE 20 and RE 25 motors plus MR encoders.

Motors were used for a variety of applications on each rover, including driving the wheels, opening the photo panels, deploying the masts and much more. After 15 years and 45 km of travel, Opportunity’s mission ended. The focus was on science. The rover was to find out if Mars once had surface water

In late November 2018, InSight landed on Mars and was the first to use maxon’s new generation of brushed DCX motor and maxon’s first gearbox on Mars.

Collaboration and Technology Advancements

Working with other industrial partners as well as space centers like NASA/JPL allows for experiences and expertise to be shared between all parties, which results in advances in technological capabilities at all levels. Gained knowledge not only facilitates technological advancements for semicustom components for unique use such

Figure 2: Bogie Electro-Mechanical Actuator incorporating a maxon DCX 22L with a GP 32HD gearbox and integrated encoder for the ExoMars wheel drive. © maxon

as space exploration missions, but also allows manufacturers to use the data to further advance the technologies used for standard industrial products. With each Mars Rover mission requiring greater flexibility and more capabilities, collaboration is key.

For example, MDA specializes in the design of custom actuators (see Figure 2). The company incorporates maxon’s gearboxes, brakes, and encoders into their ExoMars actuator. Because very high precision was required throughout the entire manufacturing process, MDA and maxon partnered to create special assembly techniques that included a log for every single bolt (4,000 of them) and its torque value inside the unit. Out of the 70 units built, 12 will fly when the ExoMars mission launches in 2022.

Another effective partnership that helped to advance the capabilities and opportunities for new systems was with Flight Works, a company that revolutionized spacecraft propulsion using slightly modified industrial electric motors—enabling new missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Flight Works is a leader in high powerdensity micropumps for commercial and aerospace (UAVs and other space propulsion) markets. The units are electrically driven micropumps that produce very high densities, enabled by maxon brushless industrial motors modified to the launch vibrations and shock as well as space environments. The company’s products are what has allowed the last decade’s drastic increase in CubeSat launches such as the NASA/ JPL Lunar Flashlight mission.

Pump-fed propulsion allows for new space operations. Incorporating maxon EC Flat motors and EC 4-pole industrial motors, Flight Works is able to design and manufacture their 32mm propellant pumps, 22mm Hydrazine pumps, and LOX/methane cryogenic pumps. These micropumps allow pump-fed propulsion systems to operate on a wide variety of missions, including propulsion, fluid management and spacecraft cooling, and on-orbit refueling and servicing— planned for future use in Mars return

operations.

Another application where semicustom industrial motors have found their way into space include the International Berthing and Docking Mechanism (IBDM) used for docking two manned spacecraft together. Commercial companies are also integrating maxon’s motors into their spacecraft, such as the SpaceX Cargo Dragon that uses ten EC 40 brushless DC motors to rotate the solar panels, open the navigation bay door, and lock the grappling fixture into place.

Figure 3: for Mission Mars 2020, maxon brushless DC motors are customized and repackaged to fit into a new configuration. © maxon

Technology for Today’s Missions

Technology matters when designs must push beyond their limits to offer greater precision while operating in harsh environments—with a no-fail requirement. Semi-custom and custom designs can provide minor changes to make huge differences in capabilities.

Now, the NASA/JPL Mission Mars 2020 (Sample Handling and Caching System), deployed a rover similar to Curiosity but with a larger and more robust instrument package. Its goal is to collect and analyze samples, select the best ones, and drop them off on the Mars surface. Another rover will then be sent to collect the samples and bring them back to Earth at a later date. maxon brushless DC motors have been customized (see Figure 3) and are being used to handle the precious Mars samples, including the drill head chuck that takes the soil sample. The sample is then moved into a carousel on the rover, where the sample is received. A maxon motor is also used in the small robotic arm that moves the sample to stations for visual inspection, sealing, and deposition.

Like experimental missions before them, the Mission Mars 2020 payload includes something never before tried—the first helicopter, Ingenuity (see Figure 1). A helicopter operating

in the Martian atmosphere, this is one of the more revolutionary missions yet. Ingenuity incorporates six brushed DC motors (DCX 10S as swashplate actuators to adjust the pitch of the rotors) which is how Ingenuity is steered. Since there are two rotors being incorporated in the helicopter, there are three motors used for each rotor—a total of six motors. The motors look very close to standard industrial motors but incorporate internal modifications to handle the shock and vibration of the trip, as well as operation in the low-pressure Martian atmosphere.

As we explore our solar system for years to come, it’s a benefit to know that standard industrialized components can be incorporated into the spacecraft, rovers, and analytical equipment that will lead us there. With minor modifications, critical components such as motors and gearboxes are helping scientists to forge into the future to explore other moons and planets. Taking the lessons learned from every mission and applying similar concepts to industry in general has helped to advance motor design for the past several decades. Technology-forward is a thought process by which designers continually ask, “What more can be achieved?” When adapting to new environments requiring higher levels of capabilities, companies can be assured that not only will they stay ahead of the game, but their standard products will evolve as well.

KNOW WHERE TO START WITH CONTROL LOOP TUNING

To determine initial control loop tuning values, users must first look at what type of process we are dealing with and understand what the primary tuning constants

P (proportional gain) and I (integral time) do. Processes can be classified as accumulating or non-accumulating.

• Accumulating – Processes where material or energy are accumulated or held. Levels are accumulating because they hold volume or mass. Vapor pressures can be accumulating as they accumulate gas. Some temperatures are accumulating because they hold heat capacity.

• Non-accumulating – Flows, hydraulic pressures, and temperature due to combustion.

Why is this important? Integral time is based on the time it takes a process to accumulate (see Figure 1). For example, if it takes five minutes to fill a tank halfway at full feed, the integral time will be somewhere in the neighborhood of five minutes. Conversely, the time it takes for a change in valve position to reach the flowmeter is a matter of seconds. This would be a good start for the integral time for the flow.

P and I fundamentals

Let’s look at this general rule at play. The integral time (in time per repeat) is relative to the accumulation time.

A large time to accumulate means a large integral time; conversely, a short accumulation time means a

small integral time. Once we get an integral starting point, we can work on proportional gain.

Proportional gain is relative to size. For example, a large tank could have a very large proportional gain and stay in control. That might mean, for example, a value of 20 for a very large vessel, where a small tank could only tolerate a smaller proportional, say two. When dealing with proportion, keep in mind how far we want the valve to travel based on the error (difference between setpoint and measurement). Since users don’t want the tank to run empty or overflow and the integral time is rather long, the proportional should be a value of one or greater.

Since the process for a flow is small compared to a level, the proportional gain should be small, most likely less than one. Pressures can be small if users are trying to control the hydraulic pressure in a line, or large if they are controlling the vapor pressure of a

large vessel. Larger processes are often accumulating while smaller ones are non-accumulating, which means process size and proportional are relative.

Derivative is something users want to avoid unless the process has excursions, such as a reactor temperature that has a rapid rise and fall due to reactivity. In this case, users are looking at the rate of change and trying to mirror that with the derivative time.

These few simple rules can help get a control loop into a position where users can fine tune it to get the kind of recovery curve desired from process upsets. Keeping in mind integral time is relative to accumulation and proportional is relative to size will help get the loop tuning process started. plus-circle

Rocky Chambers is a control systems specialist at Maverick Technologies.

This article originally appeared on www.controleng.com

Understanding proportional gain and integral time functions in control loop tuning values and how they work together is important, says Rocky Chambers.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE!

TM Robotics, can prove valuable. The software is designed for six-axis and SCARA robots and offers assistance to all phases of automation. Importantly, this covers all phases of automation

– from planning and installation to enhancement. For manufacturers that are ambivalent as to how new robot systems will fit into their existing ways of doing things, TSAssist is a groundup re-build of the existing Shibaura Machine robot programming software, TSPC, designed for more flexibility and user-friendliness.

There are challenges ahead for manufacturing – against pressures to recover in the wake of Covid-19 and, to diversify and explore new revenue streams. Both goals require sustainability.

According to the study ‘Achieving Sustainability in Manufacturing Using Robotic Methodologies’ by the Department of Industrial Engineering, Tshwane University, South Africa ‘Sustainability is the ability to develop and implement technologies/ methodologies, which are selfsustaining without jeopardising the potential for future generations to meet their needs.’

Tshwane University’s report highlights several goals that robots in manufacturing can help achieve, including ‘adaptability to a new task; automatically compensating for limited variability [and] meeting safety requirements.’

Robots can help achieve these things – but they still need the support of human workers in order to do so. A report by Brazil’s Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR), Human Factor in Smart Industry: A Literature Review, puts it well: ‘Human work will be indispensable in smart

industries, both for the development of this concept as the management and operationalisation of advanced production systems, technologies and processes.’

Companies must adapt the capabilities of high- or low-skilled workers to get the most of out robots. This is also important to self-sustainability.

Easy programming

Self-sustainability means that the working systems between robots and humans can continue to function and grow into the future. Indeed, for manufacturers a key signifier of growth is acquiring more machines that also have more capabilities – for example ceiling mounted robots, robot 3d vision systems and more.

Tshwane University’s report states that robots must have the ‘ability to be easily programmed by shop-floor workers.’ Other factors include easier-to-use HMIs and less skill-intensive control.

Not only must these programming systems be future-proof, to support future robot purchases and overall self-sustainability, they must also complement existing processes.

This is where an industrial robot programming tool, such as TSAssist from

The programming tool helps all workers to get involved with programming and learn how to equip SCARA robots for continuous operation. It is also used to upload and download program and parameter files, generate 3D simulations, perform checks and includes an updated graphical user interface.

Diversify to survive

This brings us to diversification within sustainability. Robots are not limited to working on a single task, but rather can be used in connection with different tasks and levels of difficulty. Machine shops can therefore cost-effectively balance the requirements of diversification. TSAssist can support this by bringing numerous functions into one place, from interference checking and cycle time measurement to accurate 3D CAD manipulation with perfect calibration. This is achieved through a customisable interface designed to be used by both new and experienced robot users. Importantly, TSAssist allows programming that is simple enough to be refigured to any kind of manufacturing environment.

With easier programming, manufacturers can better explore and exploit the sustainable and environmental advantages of integrating automation and energyefficient SCARA robots into their manufacturing processes. plus-circle

Nigel Smith is CEO of TM Robotics

As companies look to diversify, Nigel Smith explains the importance of robot programming that is simple enough to be reconfigured to any kind of manufacturing environment.

ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR MORE FLEXIBLE HMLV PRODUCTION LINES

Historically HMLV production lines have relied heavily on manual labour, with automation representing something of a programming challenge. However, Oliver Giertz believes that the latest developments in programming are set to change this.

Collaborative robots (cobots) are designed to work alongside people to help boost production speed and increase quality by taking over the burden of repetitive or strenuous tasks. However, cobot technology can go much further –addressing the growing need for greater production flexibility and mobility while providing an automation solution for mass customisation in production.

The latest developments in collaborative robotics are providing manufacturers with the tools they need to effectively move towards high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) production. This means it is now possible to automate production involving frequent changeovers, with the programming of cobots for a new task taking just a matter of minutes – even for an operator with little or no programming knowledge.

The ability to teach the cobot through a hand-guiding process – either pointbased or path-based – is part of the answer, and certainly this has long been a key attraction of the technology. Mitsubishi Electric, for example, has sought to make programming even easier for operators of its MELFA ASSISTA cobot with the provision of a ‘teach’ button on the cobot arm itself to initiate the process, while automatically generating the cobot icon in its visual programming software.

Hand-guided teaching though is only part of the story. For the effective integration of cobots into HMLV production processes, there needs to be the possibility for more sophisticated programming without any additional complexity. Key to this is the ability to quickly and easily interface with tooling,

vision equipment, other peripherals and the wider control system. The opportunity to simulate the operation of the cobot without hardware being installed should also be provided.

This is where Mitsubishi Electric’s RT VisualBox programming software for the cobot is proving to be a key enabler, providing manufacturers with the tools they need to extend the potential of cobots without adding complexity. RT VisualBox brings intuitive flow-chart programming to cobot installations, with users creating programs simply by dragging and dropping function blocks and then setting the parameters. Again, it means that no in-depth programming knowledge is required to set up basic cobot applications.

The software provides ‘plug and play’ integration with vision systems and grippers. A configuration wizard within RT VisualBox provides operators with an intuitive methodology for setting up peripherals. Other equipment, for example feeding systems, can be directly controlled with libraries over Ethernet.

With any application, proof of

concept is key, and RT VisualBox enables users to simulate the cobot’s task without any hardware attached. It means a new application can be tested thoroughly before committing to hardware and provides a digital twin for the cobot installation where ideas and approaches can be simulated. RT VisualBox reduces engineering time and cost by effectively becoming a facilitator for the in-house development of cobot applications.

From pick-and-place to palletising and packaging, from assembly to quality assurance, cobots have proven themselves to be useful coworkers alongside human operatives. With recent advances in intuitive programming, manufacturers now have the tools to bring even greater flexibility to their processes, automating even high-mix operations that require frequent changeovers. plus-circle

Oliver Giertz is product manager for servo/motion and robotics for the EMEA region at Mitsubishi Electric, Factory Automation.

Flex-6 Nano

HART TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES WITH HART-IP

After several years of development, the EthernetAPL standard will soon be released and products will become available. Users will be faced with a new set of technology adoption decisions as they pursue a path towards process automation digitisation.

To make good decisions, questions need to be answered – Is the workforce ready to embrace IP enabled field devices? Can the workforce simultaneously learn to work with a new automation protocol? How is security being addressed? How easy is it to transition from current technology to new technology as equipment ages and is replaced? Will my current software and control systems support the new technology? Can we use this in control applications?

In the process automation market, field devices, infrastructure, and software supporting HART have dominated the installed base for decades. All major control systems support HART, all major asset management systems support HART, and HART data can be easily integrated with historian and enterprise software through software connectors.

While HART is often derided as old and slow, one of the hallmarks of the HART Communications Protocol is the continual integration of new technology that builds on, rather than supercedes, the basic HART communications 4-20mA application software layer.

WirelessHART and HART-IP were standardised over a decade ago. Where WirelessHART has enjoyed tremendous growth and media attention, HARTIP has quietly become a mainstay for infrastructure connectivity. Why? Because modern control and

asset management heavily use IP connectivity and HART-IP is simply HART, encapsulated in an IP packet.

With the coming availability of Ethernet-APL, several roadblocks that prohibited HART-IP from migrating to the field devices have been removed by this new physical layer, namely:

• Power and signal over a single twowire cable,

• The ability to create intrinsically safe IP-enabled devices,

• Long cable runs of up to 1,000m.

The version 7.7 enhancement of the HART Protocol Specifications, which enables HART-IP to better address the needs of process automation above the physical layer, came as a result of recognition of the impact that EthernetAPL could have on the future of process automation field devices. With revision 7.7, requirements for specific, minimum security suites are now also specified.

HART-IP is simple

HART-IP is simply HART, encapsulated in a secure IP packet. This means that existing control software, asset management software and enterprise software that support HART can also support HART-IP.

For maintenance technicians and control engineers this means that

HART-IP Packet Structure.

the tools that you are familiar with to configure, manage, operate, and maintain instrumentation will look and operate the same for HART-IP instruments as they have for HART 4-20mA instruments. The primary difference is the removal of the requirement to clip-on to a 4-20mA cable, as the instrument will now be securely accessible via IP.

HART-IP has been deployed in commercial products used in process automation for nearly a decade. WirelesHART gateways are the most common use of the technology. WirelessHART instruments connect wirelessly to the gateway. Gateways then assemble and transport IP packets from the WirelessHART instruments using HART-IP to control and asset management applications, which in turn disassemble the IP packets, leaving the HART data to be consumed by the application.

Finally, later this year and to assure interoperability of HART-IP enabled products with process automation systems FieldComm Group will be extending its HART certified, registration program to include HART-IP products. plus-circle

Paul Sereiko is director – marketing and product strategy at FieldComm Group.

Paul Sereiko highlights how HART technology has developed, alongside other technologies, to allow it to continue to meet industry needs.

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Designed to meet the needs of Industry 4.0

STREAMING PRECISE POSITIONING DATA FROM VALVE POSITIONERS

The ability to use existing industrial Ethernet and wireless networks in process manufacturing plants and automation facilities has made data exchange within a facility and even throughout global corporate networks easier than ever.

Process and diagnostics data from smart HART digital field instruments can now be shared with mid and higher-level control, asset management and data information systems without having to upgrade expensive process control systems.

Moore Industries has seen numerous customers using its HES HART to Ethernet Gateway System to collect and transmit smart HART device data to higher-level systems over Ethernet via MODBUS/TCP for predictive analysis and control decision-making.

In a recent application, a customer needed to control two valves that had Siemens smart HART positioners installed and had a further requirement to communicate actual valve position over Ethernet using MODBUS/TCP to their higher-level systems.

Originally the customer wanted to use the Moore Industries model 535 or 545 PID controllers to control the two valves in order to balance and/ or limit each valve’s travel to maintain final pressure through the system, but it was quickly realised that the controller’s communication capability did not support Modbus/TCP and this was required by the installed DCS and Historian.

Moreover, the higher-level monitoring systems wanted to monitor and record where actual stem positions currently were, not where the valve controller was driving them to via the 4-20mA signal. This could only be obtained by reading the HART data from the smart positioners.

The HES 4-channel model was utilised to pick up the actual stem position HART data from the smart positioners and send it to the higher-level systems

– no longer requiring the valve controller to communicate the CV (Controlled Variable), or desired stem position, output. The HES was an effective and economical solution that enabled the customer to take advantage of existing HART data from the positioners and share that critical data with their higher-level systems on their existing Ethernet infrastructure.

More about HES

Timely knowledge about the process can result in better decisions and faster preventive action. Getting data from HART devices to MODBUS/TCP and HART-IP based monitoring and control systems at the speed of Ethernet, is made possible with the HES HART to Ethernet Gateway System. Up to 64 Smart HART devices can be connected to the HES.

The gateway supports HART field devices both old and new with HART 5, 6 and 7 revisions, including devices such as Coriolis, magnetic, vortex, ultrasonic and multivariable mass flowmeters along with pressure, pH, level, temperature transmitters, and even smart valve positioners.

The gateway is simple to configure over Ethernet using PACTware or other FDT compliant host with supplied HES DTM.

All of the HART data can be viewed from connected

field devices in read-only mode with any web browser via a built-in web server or a MODBUS/TCP compliant host. The unit also supports HART-IP, which allows you to monitor any of the connected HART device variables, HES variables, or diagnostics. Support for these open industrial protocols enables interface with any process control or asset management system while taking advantage of any Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) initiatives that facilitate the propagation of process data to higher level corporate or analytical systems. plus-circle

CALIBRATION EVOLVES WITH DIGITALISATION

Industry 4.0 is driving factory automation along a path of increasing levels of digitalisation and key to implementing Industry 4.0 principles is the widespread use of sensors to help fine-tune performance and detect potential issues. The ecosystem that has built up around the Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) protocol – which has underpinned the use of process sensors in automation for many years – is evolving to support this trend.

Traditionally, HART has delivered data to PLCs and supervisory systems using a point-to-point two-wire connection. If the installation calls for many sensors and process transmitters, point-to-point wiring becomes increasingly difficult. Changes to the HART interface have made it possible to deploy sensors using multidrop buses to simplify wiring and allow readings to be taken from an array of sensors along a cable run. However, as this bus version uses the same core protocol, data transfer is relatively slow.

Many users will find it more advantageous to turn to newer technologies that leverage advances in digital networking – WirelessHART and HART-IP. WirelessHART accesses the same licence-free 2.4GHz spectrum that is employed by WiFi and Bluetooth but uses a protocol that was developed to support industrial communications. The Time Synchronised Mesh Protocol (TSMP) supports very low power operation by allowing sensors to switch off when they are not expected to communicate. Its mesh design also lets packets hop from one wireless node to another, an approach that helps extend the maximum range of the network. This may be crucial in systems that

cover wide areas and where fixed cabling is impractical.

HART-IP leverages the industry standard IP stack to make it possible to send HART messages over the many forms of Ethernet that are now available, including versions designed for intrinsically safe operation in hazardous environments, as well as WiFi. The use of IP makes it possible to run fieldbus data alongside other protocols to ease the integration of PLCs and sensors into unified SCADA systems on one core network. Adding WirelessHART support will extend the range of the fixed network.

Calibration is critical Whatever the underlying communications protocol, calibration is a vital aspect of system commissioning and maintenance. Traditionally, this is a process where a service engineer takes a professional calibrator to the transmitter. Calibration takes place once the instrument is attached physically to both the analogue inputs and the data port. Instruments are available to provide menu-driven workflows to check the transmitter is working correctly, sending accurate data and then record the results.

Adoption of WirelessHART and HART-IP will entail changes in the way the calibrator accesses the data sent by the transmitter over the network. To ensure the engineer is seeing the same information that is sent to PLCs or SCADA systems, they will need to

tap into the networks to receive those packets. Where the transmitter is reporting data using WirelessHART, it may make sense to have an adapter module for a calibrator that interfaces with protocols such as WirelessHART directly.

Alternatively, users could take advantage of the ubiquitous nature of IP to have packets relayed to a handheld device using a network gateway. This mode of operation will also be useful to test the information flow from each recalibrated transmitter. The greater complexity of the network architecture makes it important for technicians to understand how to spot problems that may prevent data being received correctly. A network-protocol analyser – such as the LinkIQ Network+Cable Tester from Fluke Networks – which provides diagnosis of many network issues such as cable breaks and router misconfigurations, provides a good solution for the service engineer alongside calibration gear. plus-circle

Eric van Riet is strategic support & training manager – LMS Admin, Application Engineering and Technology at Fluke.

Eric van Riet explains how calibration has needed to evolve in line with the digital migration of HART devices.

A network-protocol analyser can provide diagnosis of many network issues, such as cable breaks and router misconfigurations.

CALIBRATING A HART PRESSURE TRANSMITTER: TOP TIPS

Pressure transmitters are one of the most common instruments found in a process plant, and the commonest type of smart pressure transmitter is a HART transmitter. Whether it is wired or wireless, the fundamental purpose of a HART transmitter is to measure the input process signal and convert it into an accurate output signal. Calibration is key to maintaining this accuracy, but what is the best way to do it? Let’s start with the basics.

Calibration is essential: Even the very best calibrators drift over time, becoming less and less accurate. To ensure that a HART transmitter is working correctly and accurately it needs to be regularly calibrated. To perform a calibration it is necessary to measure (or generate) an accurate input and then accurately measure the output, most often mA. Then you repeat this process for several points across the whole range – for example at 25% steps. The input and output should be measured with an accurate and traceable reference standard or calibrator. It is also worth noting that wireless HART transmitters only transmit infrequently, so for calibration it is best to connect via the screw terminals rather than reading the wireless signal, otherwise it will be a very time-consuming process.

Configuration is not calibration: Changing settings on the HART transmitter using a communicating device that supports the HART protocol is known as configuration. Even though this can be done with a calibrator that supports HART communication, configuration does not ensure transmitter accuracy. It is also worth pointing out that a HART communicator cannot calibrate a HART transmitter.

Deal with errors: If you find an error when you calibrate, the HART

transmitter needs to be trimmed (or adjusted) to measure accurately. Sometimes people think that if they only use the mA output, they only need to adjust the output/analog section. But because the input section and output section are in series, both should be adjusted if mA output is used. It is possible to just adjust one to compensate for the error in the other, but it is not recommended. It is also important to note that a HART communicator alone cannot trim a HART transmitter – you always need a reference standard (a calibrator) to make the measurements required for the trimming.

A calibrator (or mA meter) is needed to measure mA: Another common misconception is that a HART communicator can measure the transmitter’s mA output signal. In reality a communicator typically shows the AO value, which is the digital representation of the nominal mA value. This means it is not a true measured mA current signal, and does not show what the mA transmitter is really outputting. Even if the AO value in the HART communicator shows 4,000 mA, it does not mean the

output current is actually 4,000 mA. This means you need an mA meter or a calibrator to measure the true mA output.

Watch out for damping: Many HART transmitters support damping, which adds a delay between a change in the transmitter input and when that change affects the input reading and corresponding output value. Damping needs to be set to zero before calibration, then returned to the required value when the process is finished.

To properly calibrate a HART transmitter a calibrator and a communicator are required – or a device which combines the two, such as the Beamex MC6 field calibrator which contains a fieldbus communicator for HART, as well as for FOUNDATION Fieldbus and Profibus PA instruments. It offers calibration capabilities for pressure, temperature and various electrical signals and can be used with Beamex CMX calibration software for a paperless calibration process. plus-circle

Heikki Laurila is product marketing manager at Beamex.

Heikki Laurila offers advice on calibrating HART pressure transmitters.

ADAPTING TO A CHANGING RISK LANDSCAPE

automation and control systems in the manufacturing environment.

Following IEC-62443

The international standard IEC-62443 ‘Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS)’ holds the answer here, as it aims to mitigate risk for industrial communication networks by providing a structured approach to cybersecurity.

Industry 4.0 innovations are already having a significant impact on many industries, as they enable higher efficiencies, greater flexibility and innovative business models.

As Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) advance, we will see machinery, systems and installations become increasingly interconnected on a global scale. By combining the strengths of the physical and virtual worlds, cyber-physical systems have the potential to significantly enhance industry performance, facilitate new products and spark innovative business models.

While smart factories will see reduced risk in several areas – such as fewer worker injuries as machines take over hazardous tasks – the increasing number of physical and digital interfaces introduces new risks, as serious vulnerabilities can be exploited by new forms of cybercrime. Connected industrial application safety breaches can potentially put people or even whole facilities in danger and repercussions could be very damaging. This new connectivity therefore also translates into a switch in the risk landscape as cyberattacks become increasingly widespread.

Both industrial IT security and the security of wireless products will become increasingly important and ongoing investment in cyber security is crucial to keep up with technological developments for competitive advantage, alongside effective measures to combat hacker attacks. Planning ahead and optimising cyber resilience throughout the entire system lifecycle – from design to support – is therefore essential.

New vulnerabilities

There are a wide variety of possible cyber security vulnerabilities in the manufacturing environment, and these can appear throughout the entire component or system lifecycle.

Vulnerabilities include a lack of knowledge about how to apply IT security protection to machinery that has not traditionally required it. These systems may be running legacy communication networks, with which today’s cyber security software is incompatible. Further, merging traditional ways of working with Industry 4.0 approaches can cause problems.

Remote maintenance by equipment suppliers or subcontractors requires a connection to their network, which may be infected or have less stringent IT security. Likewise, any existing machines on the factory floor, which lack digital identification and authentication functionality, do not have the capability for end-users to be sure that operating instructions received by the network are from an authorised person and not a hacker. There is also a risk that the smart tags on components or the final product being produced may be manipulated in a cyberattack.

Machinery suppliers and system integrators must therefore enhance cyber resilience by improving their development, integration and support processes. For machinery end-users, analyses, assessments and tests play a key role in implementing appropriate security controls. The challenge is to successfully harmonise IT requirements with the specific demands of

Originally developed for the IACS supply chain, it is a collection of multi-industry standards focused on cybersecurity protection methods and techniques. While it has a mix of process, quality and technical requirements, this standard series is mainly directed at systems rather than individual products. Consequently, IEC-62443 has become the leading industrial cybersecurity standard for all types of plants, facilities and systems across a myriad of industries. The standard applies to component suppliers, system integrators and asset owners.

This standards series addresses security processes along the complete supply chain. For example, product suppliers’ certification should be based on IEC62443-4-1 ‘Product security development life-cycle requirements’. This part of the standard applies to the supplier’s overall security programmes, and also to the security processes connected to the development of the relevant component and control system.

Through a set of defined process requirements, IEC-62443 ensures that all applicable security aspects are addressed in a structured manner. This includes a systematic approach to cybersecurity throughout the stages of specification, integration, operation, maintenance and decommissioning. Also, the standard foresees that processes are established to facilitate all necessary technical security functions. When adapted to the relevant project scope, IEC-62443 lays the foundations for cybersecurity robustness throughout the product and system lifetime.

Corresponding certifications (IEC-62443-2-4 ‘Security program

Paul Taylor explains how IEC-62443 can hold the answer to enhancing cyber resilience in smart factories.

requirements for IACS service providers’) enables system integrators to verify whether generic processes and security processes for a reference architecture or blueprint are compliant. During the certification process, the auditor executes a conformity assessment based on document reviews, interviews and on-site audits. When compliance with standard requirements has been confirmed, the certification concludes with the issuance of a report and a certification mark. To maintain the validity of this certification, an annual surveillance audit is required.

Beside the generic process aspects during product development and system integration, the IEC-62443 standard also specifies technical security requirements for components and systems. These technical requirements are described in IEC-62443-4-2 and IEC-62443-3-3. The assessment of both process and technical requirements are the basis for the certification of both components and systems.

Industry 4.0 and the IoT presents powerful opportunities for manufacturers to develop new competitive advantages. Across a variety of industries cyber-physical systems are being implemented to enable higher efficiencies, unmatched flexibility and innovative business models. However, as systems and processes become digitised and interconnected, cybercriminals are increasingly hacking into the critical infrastructure of connected production facilities. Therefore, in order to harness the opportunities, industry must fully understand these new challenges and take steps to minimise the potential risks.

IEC-62443 provides a holistic approach to help mitigate these risks and provides increased assurance to the entire machinery supply chain. Awareness and understanding of the IEC 62443 standard and its components – among other cybersecurity laws and regulations – can therefore help to prevent cybercrime attacks within your business. Not only will this minimise risk by enhancing cyber resilience of your products and systems through a structured approach to industrial security, it may also increase competitiveness as the implementation of IEC-62443 demonstrates your commitment to industry best practice by optimising security capabilities. plus-circle Paul Taylor is head of industrial products (UK) at TÜV SÜD.

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WET WIPE PRODUCTION QUICKLY MADE SAFER

As a result of increased production demands, machine utilisation and uptime are a critical KPI at Nice-Pak. This meant that the engineering teams were given a very short installation window to undertake a significant machinery refurbishment with the overall objective of producing a more reliable and intuitive converting machine.

The machine works at high speeds and so a high integrity safety related control system was required. This outcome had a significant impact on the use of series wiring of the machine’s safety devices.

Euchner was called in to offer a solution and, working closely with Nice-Pak, it was able to design and manufacture a bespoke Industry 4.0 ready solution based on its CTM interlocking switches, which incorporates IO-Link interface. Nice-Pak’s risk assessments determined that the safety equipment needed to meet the requirements of Performance Level PLd/ PLe, according to EN-ISO-13849, as well as high levels of diagnostic coverage coupled with reliability.

The CTM’s internal monitoring allowed Nice-Pak to connect multiple switches in series and still achieve high levels of safety-integrity up to Category 4/PLe. This series connection significantly reduced the amount of field wiring that was required on the machine and, in addition to the safety signals, the simple wiring architecture also carried inclusive diagnostic data.

Conventional safety systems require extensive additional cabling to get basic diagnostic data. The Euchner solution, however, which incorporates a single core within the interconnection cable, carries all of the comprehensive

information for all of the switches in the group. The safety chain was monitored via the integration of Euchner’s ESM-CB unit which was used to transmit the status of the individual switches to a higher-level Rockwell Automation control system via IO-Link.

Through the use of the diagnostic information, Nice-Pak can identify potential faults on the machine including switch misalignment caused by wear and tear or potential manipulation and can proactively correct any issues prior to experiencing unexpected machine downtime. In addition, Nice-Pak engineering has replicated this information on the machine’s HMI to present the operating team with real-time information to allow them to make informed decisions.

It was essential that any potential solution could be installed and commissioned quickly. Due to the features of the CTM switch and the

benefit of Euchner undertaking the pre-assembly of the interconnects, installation was carried out in less than half the time that it would have taken using a conventional solution.

Commenting on the project, Gareth Roberts, Nice-Pak’s group EC&I engineer, said: “A benefit of the Euchner solution is the ability to retain the diagnostic coverage, hence the performance level, while utilising multiple connected locking door switches wired in series, saving time and money. The new safety solution was extremely quick to install and is performing exactly as expected without any issues.” plus-circle

Wet wipe manufacturer, Nice-Pak, set out to undertake a safety system upgrade in a strict timeframe for a converting machine that was due for an overhaul.

I/O IN AN IIOT ENVIRONMENT

Suzanne Gill spoke to Udo Huneke, director of sales & customer solutions at Murrelektronik GmbH, to find out more about I/O technology in the Industry 4.0 era.

Q: IIoT has resulted in industrial environments generating ever more data, how is I/O technology ad-apting to complex IIoT applications?

The industrial environment is generating more data, but not all information (data) is useful. The more data you get, the more data you have to store, to secure, and to think about. Storing data requires a server and this results in energy usage and CO2 output.

In many cases, helpful datasets come out of the machine itself and the information that can be gathered from sensors and actuators or decentral I/O modules is invaluable. For example, the information obtained from the machine processes delivers a lot of possibilities for improving or managing the process or service of a machine.

Murrelektronik is focussing on the smart data route, which means taking the right data and using it to get the best results. It does not mean putting all kinds of information in a big data pool for an undefined period.

Q: Are you seeing an increasing demand for smart I/O technology with digital communications? If so, what installation or implementation considerations need to be taken into account?

The use of Smart IO technology will increase more and more. To connect all this, you need to know which kind of installation technology is available and how ‘time critical’ the information is and how stable the system has to be.

For all time sensitive or safety related information, a cabling installation system is still the best solution – even if we talk about 5G networks. Of course, the more you want to install, the more control

cabinets you need or better – you install in a decentral way with high IP-rated modules.

Murrelektronik’s decentralised system technology is advancing quickly. Today it is possible to combine many functions in a single module to deliver a better usability for decentral installation systems.

Q: What considerations need to be taken into account when specifying the communications link from an I/O module up to a monitoring or control system?

The communication link to a control system is typically easy. Based on customer/project specification and the PLC manufacturer. The application will show which PLC is needed and modules then have to fit this link.

Monitoring systems are often independent from the PLC and may be placed at a different location. The question is then, which kind of communication link is available to that location and which time restrictions on the network are given?

OPC UA is the preferred solution, but you have to keep in mind that between the OT network and the IT network restrictions could be heavy. Furthermore, if you need to transfer a lot of information, it could be better to let the PLC manage the process and bypass the PLC in sending data to the monitoring systems. This in a cabled way or, for example, via GSM.

Q: Are you seeing an increase in demand for IP67 rated I/O systems for use outside of control cabinets?

The demand in IP67 rated I/O systems and ancillary products has been increasing for many years and will increase further. Control cabinets can get smaller and the installation time will be reduced, because all sensors and actuators can be plugged with standardised pre-manufactured cables. This reduces not only time and therefore costs, but it allows you to adapt the installation to changing needs or extend the system easily by adding another module if needed to suit changing requirements. Finally, with decentral installations it is possible to build modular machines which can be designed, tested, shipped and started in a modular way. plus-circle

MVK fusion module combines safety IO, IO-Link maters and normal IOs in one module which can deliver better usability in decentral installations.

KEEPING AN EYE ON THE THINGS THAT DRIVE THE IIOT

Much of the excitement about the Industrial Internet of Things revolves around the data that can be generated. The ‘things’ that gather this data are often overshadowed. Suzanne Gill spoke to device vendors

value of

Dr. Christoph Spiegel, strategic product group manager at KROHNE Group, was quick to point out how vital the ‘things’ are to the success of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). “Production processes cannot be virtualised, so sensors are needed to feed the digital representation of the physical process into the superordinate systems,” he said. “Process optimisation, driven through what is possible in the IIoT world, offers new insights into the existing physical process but this is only possible with the right sensors in place. Even if it comes to the deployment of artificial intelligence for process optimisation and predictive maintenance, reliable data must still be acquired from the physical process.” The products deployed across the production floor are not purely digital – they contain true hardware designed to provide the required data even under harshest process conditions.

“Connectivity consists of three aspects

– interface, protocol and semantics,” continues Spiegel. “Interfaces and protocols are already there, we have 4/20 mA with HART, various fieldbuses and industrial Ethernet to choose from. To unleash the full power of multivariable sensors and their built-in diagnostic functions, digital interfaces are needed. In the brownfield, HART and its entire ecosystem are already in place and can provide the required data. Meanwhile, in greenfield sites, Ethernet is most likely to be the preferred technology in the future.”

Condition monitoring Gary Ingram, sales manager for reliability solutions at Emerson, focusses on a particular area where IIoT is offering solutions. “Traditionally, condition monitoring of balance of plant equipment has relied heavily on manual vibration measurements, performed as infrequently as once per month. It could take several days to take readings from

get their thoughts on

and analyse specific pieces of equipment merely to identify which devices require further investigation,” he said.

While online vibration monitoring provides continuous updates, installation costs and complexity has meant this technology has been reserved for the most critical assets in the plant, such as turbines and compressors. In both manual and online cases the data collected requires manual interpretation and analysis from trained experts, often performed externally.

“This is one area in particular that the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has been embraced,” said Ingram. “New wireless and edge monitoring devices are providing users with up to the moment process and condition monitoring results, with automated analytics and actionable alerts to support more efficient and predictive maintenance strategies.

“New IIoT and edge analytics solutions have lowered the cost of implementing online solutions and expanded the range

of equipment that can be monitored. Compact and rugged devices with the necessary processing power, allow edge analytics to compliment manual based activities,” said Ingram. “These devices are providing access to online data and then transforming that data into actionable information. This helps, not only in terms identifying issues before they escalate, but also increasing the efficiency of maintenance teams.”

AMS Asset Monitor from Emerson, for example, can bridge the gap between routine inspections and higher cost online data collection by combining pervasive sensing with edge analytics. The monitor utilises vibration, temperature, digital and analogue inputs from traditional sensors and then applies embedded automated analytics to alert personnel to the most common faults associated with the asset. “These devices are very simple to deploy, designed for easy field mounting at the asset, eliminating the need for expensive, cumbersome components such

as long sensor field cables, junction boxes, barriers, cable trays, and long cable runs back to the system rack and the associated labour to install them.”

“Once the data is collected and analysed, the monitor can send overall asset health status and alerts, with detailed asset information available on a user’s mobile device. Trend values can be stored internally along with the most recent spectrum and waveform data. Each application offers default alert settings for out of the box use without requiring specialised training.”

Sustainable solutions

Creating long-term, sustainable solutions in which legacy products can continue to play a part, relies on backwards compatibility of devices. “If you build high quality sensors and instrumentation that will last decades, it is important that they don’t become obsolete and unusable in future systems,” explained Doug Anderson, UK marketing manager at Vega Controls.

At the turn of the century, VEGA founded its PLICS modular product system for instrumentation, a concept designed to run through all of its devices – from sensor configuration to commissioning – it offers a unified structure across all

measuring principles. The idea was that there would be one platform for all main technology ranges – choose a sensor type, process connection, electronics communication/option and housing that best suits your needs.

Anderson believes that one of the most important achievements of the PLICs approach was being able to add Bluetooth to the ‘universal’ PLICSCOM programmers which enables users to simply ‘click it on’ to a transmitter built as long ago as 2002 to gain instant access to Bluetooth wireless set up, diagnostics, monitoring and back-up via a free App. Bluetooth is now standard on many sensors and switches for set up, diagnostics, process and asset management.

“It is equally important to look to the future when it comes to the design of smart devices,” said Anderson. New products will be needed to meet new challenges and we believe that the VEGA 80 GHz radar chip does just that. The development of this energy-efficient chip has enabled the launch of a new range of wireless IIoT radar sensors. Each new sensor comes with 10 years battery life and has measuring ranges up to 30m for liquids and solids. They also benefit from seamless integration to the SaaS VEGA Inventory system and API servers. These sensors will be helping innovation in industrial manufacturing for years to come by driving efficiency. plus-circle

REDUCING ENERGY FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION

Marek Lukaszczyk explains why, exploring the use of more energy efficient motors is key to achieving greater sustainability in production.

Manufacturers have long strived for greater sustainability in production, and key to achieving this is to reduce energy consumption.

Efforts to reduce consumption has obvious advantages, including a reduction in energy cost, ultimately leading to higher profit. However, there are also legal requirements for improving energy efficiency in industrial settings – and rules related to electric motor efficiency are some of the most prominent.

Electric motors

Electric motors are the single biggest consumer of electricity in the world. According to analysis by the International Energy Agency, they account for around two-thirds of total industrial power consumption and 45% of the world’s total power consumption. It’s no surprise then, that improving efficiency of this equipment can reap significant productivity gains.

WEG’s experience is that, traditionally, plant managers have not always prioritised energy efficiency when specifying a motor. Saving energy and saving costs should be a major part of a plant managers decision making process and with new legislation, it will be. As the world puts a greater onus on improving energy use in industry, new legislation means that energy efficient equipment is becoming a regulatory and legal requirement – and it is well known that electric motors account for 40% of global electricity consumption.

Changes to motor legislation

WEG has built its ethos on ensuring its equipment is as environmentally friendly as possible. As a result, it has always adhered to the relevant energy

legislation across all continents and in advance of the required dates.

The current regulation on eco-design for electric motors, which WEG’s motors meet, applies to single speed three-phase 50Hz or 50/60Hz induction motors, with two, four and six pole speeds and outputs between 0.75kW-375kW and rated voltage up to 1000V.

However, from 1 July 2021, these rules will tighten with the introduction of European regulation 2019/1781, a new regulation specific to energy efficiency of electric motors, and variable speed drives (VSDs).

The new regulations will replace the regulation EC 640/2009 and have the potential to reap huge improvements in energy consumption for motor use. At the centre of the regulation is the EU MEPS (European Minimum Energy Performance Standard). This indicates how energy efficient a motor is, with ratings from IE1 through to IE4, with IE1 being the least efficient, and future ratings of IE5 and IE6 already being discussed.

VSD and hazardous area motors

Unlike previous iterations of these regulations, the new legislation includes requirements for VSDs. For industry, this means that VSDs will also have to comply with certain efficiency standards set by the legislation. It’s important to note, that the efficiency ratings for VSDs will be different for those set for electric motors.

Similarly, ATEX hazardous area motors

are also included in this regulation for the first time. These motors, designed specifically for use in potentially explosive atmospheres are now required to adhere to the same energy efficiency standards as safe area electric motors.

The regulation is valid for new motors and VSDs placed on the market from 1 July 2021. Replacement motors, as substitutes for identical motors integrated in products placed on the market until 1 July 2022 – and are specifically marketed for this purpose –do not have to meet the requirements of the new regulation now and will have an extended time to keep being installed.

Under the new regulation, smaller induction motors between 120W-750W and larger motors between 375kW1000kW will also be included. Three phase eight pole motors, single-phase motors and Ex eb motors will also fall under these requirements for the first time.

The new eco-design rules will impact all those responsible for sourcing motors for use in their manufacturing facilities. Full details of the requirements can be found at www.weg-ecodesign.com. plus-circle

Marek Lukaszczyk is European and Middle East marketing manager at WEG.

CONSIDERATION OF INCENDIVE ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGES IN THE USE AND PRODUCTION OF HAND SANITISERS

Many companies are reconfiguring production lines, or starting up new ones, to increase the supply of hand sanitiser in response to the current pandemic. However, industry groups like the Solvents Industry Association are concerned with reports of inappropriate packaging of solvents and an incident of a static discharge igniting vapours present on an operator’s hand after the application of hand sanitiser.

This short note will outline what approaches can be taken in terms of managing the risk of solvents (including alcohols) being ignited by uncontrolled discharges of electrostatic sparks.

The importance of grounding people

Managers of facilities where operators have exposure to potentially flammable or combustible atmospheres need to ensure the operators are grounded. This is because people isolated from a ground source (e.g. flooring capable of dissipating static charge to earth) can accumulate large electrical potentials (voltages) beyond 20,000 volts without even realising it until they discharge a spark.

In addition, if operators are regularly applying hand sanitisers, either inside or outside a designated hazardous area, it is important to ensure that they do not have the potential to accumulate electrostatic charge on their bodies. Ignition of vapours emanating from the hand can occur if the person approaches

or touches a grounded object (e.g. door handle, stair railing) resulting in a static spark discharge with enough energy to ignite the vapour.

The most effective means of grounding personnel is to ensure that they are provided with safety footwear that meets the static dissipative criteria specified in standards like EN ISO 20345 or ASTM F2413-18. Testing all footwear prior to entry into the facility is recommended. Easy to use footwear testers can be installed at designated entry points to hazardous areas in the facility, (or to the overall facility if required).

Such testers utilise a simple plate on which an individual stands, with their safety shoes on, and presses a button with their index finger to initiate the test.

If the resistance threshold of the shoes is below the required level, as specified in EN ISO 20345 or ASTM F2413-18, the test will indicate a positive output with a green LED indicator which provides the operator with a “GOOD-TO-GO” message that he/she can enter the hazardous area.

If the shoes fail the test the indicator will stay red and the tester’s buzzer alarm will activate. At this point the operator should not enter the hazardous areas and should report the failed shoe test to the most relevant authority in the facility.

An inter-lockable output contact can be specified to control the door entry system and prevent access to the hazardous area.

Containers used in production and transportation

In relation to the use of containers, particularly IBCs, they should, ideally, be of an all metal construction so that when they are grounded, electrostatic charge cannot

accumulate on the surface of the container. If the supply or use of fully metal IBCs is not possible, then the metal cages that contain the plastic container should be grounded. Splash filling should be avoided as this increases the rate of charge generation.

If electrostatic charge is permitted to accumulate the voltage of the IBC will rise very rapidly and result in this energy being discharged in the form of an electrostatic spark onto a grounded object like an operator. If the spark energy is sufficiently high it will ignite the surrounding vapours with little effort. A discharge at 20,000 volts would be capable of releasing up to 60 mJ of energy via the static spark.

Additional sources of best practice information

It is not possible to discuss every potential process involving the use of solvents, however, a more comprehensive summary of the various processes at risk of static discharges in solvent processing and handling operations can be viewed on the European Solvents Industry Group website. https://www.esig.org/solventsand-static-electricity/

You can also check the latest version of the standards and recommendations: IEC TS 60079-32-1 NFPA 77 API 2003

Newson Gale Ltd Phone: +44 (0)115 940 7500

Email: groundit@newson-gale.co.uk

FUTURE-PROOFING CONTROL AT DRAX POWER STATION

Suzanne Gill reports on the Drax Power Station decarbonisation journey, focussing in particular on the need for a new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) solution that would help ensure a more integrated control solution and ensure the operation is future-proofed.

UK-based Drax Power Station has been transformed in recent years in what is believed to be the largest decarbonisation project in Europe. Today the power station – which has seen a great many changes since its construction in the 1960s – provides the most renewable power of any single location in the UK – 14 terawatt-hours. Of the original six boiler units at the site, four have been converted to biomass and early in 2021 the plant ceased running its two remaining coal units commercially.

Obviously, the transformation of the power station required many control system changes. Added to this there has also been an increasing need in recent years for the power industry to meet more stringent legislative demands. To help Drax meet these challenges the organisation made a decision, back in 2017, to upgrade the entire control system to ensure that wider integration of the plant’s control system with other systems and projects would be possible to make sure that the operation was future-proofed.

According to Martin Nichols, control & instrumentation engineering team manager at Drax Power Station, one of the big drivers for change in the control room was the age and increasing obsolescence of the original RTAP SCADA system. He said: “We were running the power station on a system that had been fitted in the early 1990s and it had started to show its age. While the SCADA system had been running the plant successfully for many years and the engineering team had established routines and procedures for

maintaining, building, and deploying projects using the system, we were finding it increasingly more difficult to get support, making it harder to undertake the project work necessary to allow for a smooth transition from coal power to bioenergy.

Greater flexibility

“Because our operators were so familiar with the original SCADA system, we wanted to minimise the need for retraining on any new system. However, it was also important to find a system that would give us greater flexibility. I also stipulated that the chosen system must have no bespoke coding or logic –it needed to be a native out-of-the-box solution,” continued Nichols.

Because the engineering team were comfortable with the existing processes and procedures in place at Drax, Nichols ideally wanted a solution that would require minimal changes. “I wanted to be able to employ the same paperwork

standards, but with a more up to date system, in a bid to minimise the need for retraining of the engineering team,” he said.

Chris Cox, technical & business development manager at Codra, takes up the story: “Thanks to our longstanding experience in the nuclear sector, which is what the Panorama suite was developed for, a feature embedded into the Panorama E2 system enables us to programmatically transfer data from the original system and build it directly into the Panorama application. This feature, which was borne out of the need for the nuclear sector to ensure that a certificate to operate remains valid following any systems upgrade, offers benefits in other sectors too and this helped us to meet Drax’s new SCADA system requirements.

“We wanted to demonstrate the benefits of this technique to Drax, so we convinced the engineering team to provide us with a sample of data to test.”

This was a success and Codra was given more data to further test the validity of the automatic transfer of legacy system data into Panorama for the Drax application.

“This led to us eventually being invited to transfer the complete legacy SCADA system configuration into Panorama during a scheduled shutdown of the plant so that the systems could be run alongside each other. Yes, a few minor errors were identified when we did this, but in essence it was a straightforward automatic transfer,” continued Cox.

Panorama was able to read the same equipment alongside the original system, but was providing more detail, and was faster than the legacy SCADA solution. “We were also able to prove that it would not be necessary to redraw all the graphics – which offered some huge project time savings,” he said.

It was largely down to the success of this onsite test that finally led to the decision by Drax to specify Panorama SCADA software right across the power station.

Thanks to its nuclear industry roots, Codra’s Panorama suite of products also has established expertise in security. Indeed, Panorama E2 was the first SCADA platform to be awarded the First Level Security Certification (CSPN) by the French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) and this gave Drax the confidence that the solution offered a proven level of security.

The systems integrator for the project, Morson Projects, was then tasked with installing the system into each unit during scheduled shutdowns. The interface to connect the SCADA system to plant devices and PLCs is via OPC-DA which allows the SCADA solution to connect directly and easily to legacy systems.

“The Panorama platform is object oriented to the core,” explained Cox. “This means that when you put an application function and feature together it can be tested as a single entity and its behaviour can be assured before the function is scaled across an application. This helps reduce errors that would otherwise need to be corrected later in the process –and so it can offer time and cost savings and reduce project delivery risks.”

Conclusion

Ultimately Codra, and its Panorama SCADA solution, was specified thanks to its flexibility and its ability to fit in with existing Drax standards – the screens and operator experience are almost identical to that of the original system, which helped enable the engineering team to quicky get up to speed and work confidently with the new system. Today, Panorama controls all four bioenergy units in addition to common services and a water treatment plant on the site, from a single control room.

“The Drax application has high levels of complexity and involvement. However, the features of Panorama meant that all we needed to do was create a toolbox and class library in the application and then we were able to hit the ground

running,” said Nichols.

“Because of the way the system is designed, we have a common cross-class library across all of the systems. This is a big benefit as it makes it easier to manage and operators quickly became familiar with it. We no longer need to rely on the ever-decreasing number of systems integrators and suppliers who were needed to help us with any new projects based around the original RTAP SCADA. However, the main benefit is that we now have an open and flexible SCADA solution that can be easily interfaced into other systems, and that we will be able to extend in the future if needed,” concluded Nichols. plus-circle

INVESTING IN SMART FACTORIES

Neli Ivanova, sales manager, Industrial Equipment at Siemens Financial Services in the UK, discusses 5G and the future of smart factory investment.

5G has the potential to dramatically enhance productivity and encourage growth across manufacturing industries. Through increased connectivity, the technology is likely to accelerate smart factory initiatives and given its transformational promise, mobile technology is viewed as a crucial tool for post-pandemic recovery.

5G is between 10 and 20 times faster than its predecessors 4G and LTE (LongTerm Evolution), while simultaneously capable of supporting a million connected units per square kilometre. It boasts a transmission rate of up to 20GB per second and consumes only onethousandth of the amount of energy per bit transferred compared to LTE.

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the increased need for manufacturers to be able to swiftly change production processes in response to shifting demand alongside labour shortages. With 5G manufacturers will be able to dynamically adapt their production areas to current circumstances at any time, without having to make major infrastructure changes.

A report on the benefits of 5G in industrial operations found that 75% of industrial companies in the UK plan to invest in 5G in the first two years of its availability. Nonetheless, comprehensive smart factory investment is also essential for companies to stay ahead of competitors in the present. Understanding the cost of not transforming to Industry 4.0 is the topic of the most recent research from Siemens Financial Services (SFS), which estimates the size of the investment challenge and looks at the potential organisational and financial gains – from migrating to smart factory technology – that late adopters of this technology will miss out on.

The report ‘Industry 4.0: Rising to the challenge’ conservatively estimates the global transformation challenge for smart factory migration to be in excess of $400 billion over the next five years. Europe alone accounts for $137.4 bn of this total.

An urgent issue

While the productivity benefits of 5G and digitalisation are potentially accessible to all manufacturers, the window of opportunity to transform and thereby gain competitive advantage is limited, making the issue an urgent one. Challenges to implementing digital transformation tend to pivot around the issue of finance. These barriers, however, can be overcome using smart finance techniques – known as Finance 4.0 – which cover the full range of requirements, from the acquisition of a single digitalised piece of equipment, to financing a whole new factory. Smart financing techniques help manufacturers address the need to invest, to harness sustainable thirdparty capital to reduce the burden on corporate lines of credit, as well as to deploy cash flow management techniques that help maximise available working capital. All of these are playing a crucial role in helping manufacturers deal with the current period of volatile markets and economics.

Neli Ivanova is sales manager, Industrial Equipment at Siemens Financial Services.

financing structures which are focused on achieving recognisable and clearly identified desired business outcomes for the manufacturer, through access to the right technology, services and advisory. Currently, one of the greatest advantages of such an approach is the ability to flex and adapt rapidly to market challenges. More broadly, these financing techniques align payments to the expected rate of return-oninvestment delivered through new technologies and equipment.

Smart finance solutions tend to be offered by specialist financiers, where the funder understands the technology, the markets, the applications and the operating pressures and where financing is an integrated part of the discussions with technology vendors. Using this knowledge, they create and align

Increased production capacity, agility and productivity, while improving price competitiveness, are just some of the examples of the benefits of smart factory transformation. While manufacturers eagerly await the arrival of 5G, measures should be taken to keep factory processes optimised to ensure a business is competitive, especially during these challenging times. Smart finance provides an avenue to investment in the present, enabling manufacturers to realise long-term transformation goals in the future.

Alarm systems management

Complex industrial systems require complex control systems – but carefully thought out alarms systems

EEMUA is the acknowledged leader in the field, with EEMUA 191, ‘Alarm systems - a guide to design, management and procurement’, being regarded as the benchmark in alarm systems management.

The EEMUA Alarm Systems e-learning module provides an introduction to EEMUA 191 and is positioned at the awareness level. It offers simple and practical guidance to managers, designers, supervisors and operators on how to recognise and deal with typical human-factor problems involving alarm systems. Its

scope covers many sectors, including the energy, process and utilities industries.

The e-learning is recommended

for both discipline and projectfocused engineers from a variety of backgrounds who want to gain an introduction to the fundamental principles for design, management and procurement of alarm systems. The course is also relevant to engineers and managers from operating companies as well as specialist contractors and equipment suppliers. Visit the EEMUA website for further details. www.eemua.org

Creating a successful control environment

Know what you want, plan what you’ll get, check that you’ve got it!

The EEMUA Control Rooms e-learning module provides guidance to engineers and the wider teams involved in the design of control rooms, control desks and consoles. It will help during newbuild and modification projects, as well as evaluating existing set ups where people operate industrial processes and activities on facilities such as chemical plants, power stations and oil refineries.

The e-learning will benefit anyone with an interest in process plant control rooms and control desks using Human Machine Interfaces.

It is especially relevant to control

engineers, control room console (and HMI) designers and vendors, control room operators, engineering consultants, engineering contractors,

engineering managers, facilities managers, graduate engineers, plant operations managers, process safety managers, SCADA engineers and systems support managers.

The e-learning is positioned at the awareness/introductory level and is an optional precursor to working through EEMUA 201, ‘Control rooms: A guide to their specification, design, commissioning and operation’. Visit the EEMUA website for further details. www.eemua.org