PE_20_03

Maintenance survey on skills gap & strategies

PlantEngineering.com

Transform pneumatics system design Also in this issue: • Corrosion protection • CIP and SIP procedures • Recycle metalworking fluids

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MARCH 2020

SOLUTIONS 15 | CIP and SIP procedures improve OEE and profitability

Unlock monolithic clean-in-place and steam-in-place procedures to optimize process KPIs, OEE and profits

21 | Protect electrical components from corrosion

Corrosion is a powerful destructive force; prevention is key

25 | Rethink 3D metal printing of turbomachinery parts Cover image courtesy: CFE Media file photo

Editor’s Insight 5 | A virtuous closed loop drives our process

Higher-performance pumps and compressors are now possible through support-free additive manufacturing

29 | Transform pneumatics systems for energy conservation, efficiency and safety Machine automation evolution proves the only limitation is the imagination

35 | Fastening tools without tradeoffs

MAINTENANCE SURVEY 7 | An evolutionary challenge faces the maintenance function It involves a mix of people and technology concerns, each one feeding off the other

INSIGHTS 41 | Robots work to aid humans

The industry is moving toward using collaborative robots (cobots), with force-sensing technology, to work alongside people

43 | Focus on asset health

Consider digital as the heart of your Industry 4.0 transformation

Optimize throughput goals and worker safety; new tool technology addresses both issues for manufacturers

35 | Increase profits by recycling metalworking fluids

Leaders in the metalworking and metal forming industries understand fluid recycling can have a positive effect on their bottom line

INNOVATIONS 45 | New Products for Engineers

INSIDE: IIoT FOR ENGINEERS Select your integration architecture

PLANT ENGINEERING (ISSN 0032-082X, Vol. 74, No. X, GST #123397457) is published 10x per year, monthly except in January and July, by CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325, Downers Grove, IL 60515. Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher /Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/Co-Founder. PLANT ENGINEERING copyright 2019 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved. PLANT ENGINEERING is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used under license. Periodicals postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional mailing of¬fices. Circulation records are maintained at CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325, Downers Grove, IL 60515.

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PLANT ENGINEERING

March 2020

•

3

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PlantEngineering.com 3010 Highland Parkway Suite 325 Downers Grove, IL 60515 Ph. 630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504

CONTENT SPECIALISTS/EDITORIAL KEVIN PARKER, Editor KParker@CFEMedia.com JACK SMITH, Managing Editor JSmith@CFEMedia.com AMANDA PELLICCIONE, Director of Research 860-432-4767, APelliccione@CFEMedia.com KATIE SPAIN NAREL, Art Director KSpain@CFEMedia.com SUSIE BAK, Production Coordinator SBak@CFEMedia.com

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD H. LANDIS “LANNY” FLOYD, IEEE Life Fellow H.Landis.Floyd@gmail.com JOHN GLENSKI, President, Automation Plus jglenski@processplus.com SHON ISENHOUR, Partner, Eruditio LLC sisenhour@EruditioLLC.com DR. SHI-WAN LIN, CEO and co-founder, Thingswise, LLC Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) board member shiwanlin@thingswise.com JOHN MALINOWSKI, Senior manager of industry affairs (retired), Baldor Electric Company DAVID SKELTON, Vice president and general manager Phoenix Contact Development and Manufacturing dskelton@phoenixcontact.com BILLY RAY TAYLOR, Director of commercial and off-highway manufacturing The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Billytaylor@goodyear.com LARRY TURNER, President and CEO, Hannover Fairs USA lturner@hfusa.com MARK WATSON, Senior director, manufacturing technology, IHS Markit Mark.watson@ihsmarkit.com

CFE MEDIA CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES OVERVIEW

Content For Engineers. That’s what CFE Media stands for, and what CFE Media is all about—engineers sharing with their peers. We welcome content submissions for all interested parties in engineering. We will use those materials online, on our Website, in print and in newsletters to keep engineers informed about the products, solutions, and industry trends. * www.plantengineering.com/contribute explains how to submit press releases, products, images and graphics, bylined feature articles, case studies, white papers, and other media. * Content should focus on helping engineers solve problems. Articles that are commercial in nature or that are critical of other products or organizations will be rejected. (Technology discussions and comparative tables may be accepted if non-promotional and if contributor corroborates information with sources cited.) * If the content meets criteria noted in guidelines, expect to see it first on our websites. Content for our enewsletters comes from content already available on our Websites. All content for print also will be online. All content that appears in our print magazines will appear as space permits, and we will indicate in print if more content from that article is available online. * Deadlines for feature articles intended for the print magazines are at least two months in advance of the publication date. Again, it is best to discuss all feature articles with the content manager prior to submission.

Learn more at: www.plantengineering.com/contribute

INSIGHTS

By Kevin Parker, Editor

A virtuous closed loop drives our process This editor took over responsibilities for the content side of the Plant Engineering brand starting with the magazine’s July/ August 2019 issue, having been tossed the reins by Bob Vavra, a highly regarded industrial technology journalist associated with the Plant Engineering brand for many years.

In fact, Plant Engineering has been landing on people’s desks since 1947, one of the panoply of trade magazines launched as the technologies discovered or invented during the just-ended war were subsequently devoted to peace time use. The magazines served to support and document the incredible, greatest-in-history U.S. post-World War II boom.

The role of trade magazines in engineering companies in manufacturing and other industries, in fact almost all industries, was first noticed by this editor in the 1980s when resident in the engineering department of Lindberg Corp., the maker of heattreat furnaces. Once a month, someone would stroll around the department tossing copies of Heat Treat magazine onto desktops with a hardy plop. At some point that day nearly everyone in the department, from the VP of engineering to the detail draftsmen — there were no women in the department — would take a break and spend a few moments paging through the magazine.

Era number two

During the 1980’s, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), personal computers, computer-aided design (CAD) and enterprise resources planning (ERP) were all being introduced into the industrial landscape, even in small- to mid-size manufacturing enterprises. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and distributed control systems (DCS) were soon to follow.

The 1990s were a heady time for the trade magazines. Dozens of them were introduced to — this time — support and www.plantengineering.com

document the initial wave of computerization into the industrial landscape.

Of course, many of those magazines existed only until those markets inevitably coalesced. For example, at one time it was reckoned there were worldwide more than 300 ERP vendors.

Today global ERP vendors can be added up on the fingers of two hands.

As a side note, let it be observed that for Plant Engineering, quality, W. Edwards Deming and statistical process control (SPC) were big topics at the time. Today it’s clear that SPC was merely the thin edge of the wedge, as statistics-based analytics, made possible by the ready availability of immense amounts of computing power, having already revolutionized the sports world, is poised to transform process control and production management. The industrial Internet of things (IIoT) will provide the fodder, aka, data.

Today’s world

What differentiates today’s media brands from the industrial trade magazines of the past is what’s different in so many walks of life, an emphasis on the quantification made possible by computerization. We have a far better idea of what readers want to see — what the technologies and best practices to be covered are — because with our webcasts, newsletters, eBooks, websites, product guides, white papers, databases and digital version of the magazine we can track your response to them.

Going forward, we plan to give you what you want, content that is practical and informative, like how-tos and essentialsof. For example, our webcasts on motors & drives, compressed air, lubrication and electrical power & distribution have proved very popular. Safety and security will continue as important topics, as well as others.

If you haven’t yet, tap into our newsletters and webcasts, and let’s keep this virtual closed loop going. PE PLANT ENGINEERING

March 2020

•

5

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The Chip Trapper™ offers a fast, easy way to clean chips, swarf and shavings out of used coolants and other liquids. The Chip Trapper vacuums in the coolant that is filled with debris, traps the solids in a reusable filter bag and pumps out clean coolant.

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input #5 at www.plantengineering.com/information

• Deep hole broaching • Bulk storage tank • Removes unwanted solids from liquid

2020 MAINTENANCE STUDY INDUSTRY RESEARCH

By Kevin Parker and Amanda Pelliccione, Plant Engineering

An evolutionary challenge faces the maintenance function

It involves a mix of people and technology concerns, each one feeding off the other

W

hat differentiates this year’s Plant Engineering maintenance study, an annual survey sponsored by Advanced Technology Services, Inc. (ATS), from previous editions of the study? It is a bald-faced recognition of the evolutionary challenge today facing the maintenance function.

As with most challenges today it involves a mix of people and technology concerns, each one feeding off the other.

First comes the skills gap, wherein those being trained in the diverse knowledges needed to ensure reliability in industrial environments are not of sufficient number to replace those being lost through retirement and other attrition types.

Second, while computerization in the industrial workplace may have begun in the 1970s, its impact has been on-going and pervasive. While computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and enterprise

asset management systems continue to be introduced into factories and plants, the technology base has expanded to include mobility, smart sensors, IIoT, robotics and even machine learning and artificial intelligence.

The chart below, “Industry experience,” and the two charts on page nine, “Challenges to current maintenance program” and “Maintenance strategies in place,” in particular, illustrate the point.

At ATS, an industrial maintenance services provider, this ongoing evolution has led to the introduction of a different kind of solution to meet market demand for highly skilled maintenance technicians.

Looking long term

“Manufacturers are realizing what’s needed is a longterm commitment to maintenance excellence,” said Jeremy Wright, director of product management, ATS. “Highly qualified individuals are required for the troubleshooting of complex systems, with a mix of electrical and mechanical knowledge, as well as computer skills.”

No longer can the maintenance function be thought of as consisting merely of as those whose primary tasks involve swapping out a gear box or motor.

“This complexity means maintenance Less than 5 years personnel may be involved in PLC and CNC programming or in troubleshooting robotics. It’s the combination of highly technical 8% skills with being enough of a jack-of-all5 to 9 years trades to be an effective troubleshooter that 14% makes all the difference,” said Wright.

For this reason, ATS offers a technical workforce solution that can over the longterm ensure the appropriately trained personnel are on-site, keeping factories up and running. This offering is in addition 16% to its comprehensive maintenance solu10 to 19 years tion and supplemental personnel services.

Industry experience 40 years or longer

8% 30 to 39 years

22%

32% 20 to 29 years www.plantengineering.com

Study highlights

Highlights of the 2020 Plant Engineering industrial maintenance study include the following: PLANT ENGINEERING

March 2020

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7

2020 MAINTENANCE STUDY INDUSTRY RESEARCH

• Respondents have worked in plant- or engineering-related positions for an average of 23 years.

• 41% of respondents say the key challenge to improving maintenance is lack of resources or staff.

• Respondents are located throughout the U.S., and especially in the south Atlantic, east north central and Pacific regions, and across a wide range of discrete manufacturing and process production industries.

• 38% of respondents indicate they are making some use of handheld/mobile devices for plant maintenance.

• 41% of respondents say predictive maintenance using analytical tools are part of the strategies used in their plant.

• Respondents indicate that on average 23% of the plant operations team are also part of the maintenance department.

• Respondents indicate that on average 20% of their plant’s maintenance operations are outsourced; “lack of skills among current staff ” and “too many specialized skills to be practical” are the no. 2 and no. 3 most cited reasons for the increase in outsourcing.

• 50% of respondents indicate they rely on a CMMS technology platform to monitor and manage their maintenance activities.

• Hiring, onboarding and retaining people is the primary challenge to their current maintenance program, according to 48% of respondents.

• 29% of respondents say their managements are planning to implement predictive maintenance programs in the future.

• 48% of respondents say their companies are planning to or are currently using advanced technologies to capture machine data.

The thing about evolutions is they often eventually result in revolutionary change, like the kind we’ve seen in manufacturing environments in the last 30 years, and likely in the next 30 years as well. PE

Advantages of maintenance strategies & tools Preventive

Run-to-failure 65%

17%

Better productivity

59%

45%

53%

51%

14%

•

March 2020

41% 30%

40% 42%

35% 32%

47%

7%

Low initial cost

42% 39%

14%

52%

58%

5% 34%

PLANT ENGINEERING

Minimize overhaul frequency

53% 55%

55%

Reduced probability of failure

Remote monitoring

50%

19% 24% 19%

44% 26%

47%

53% 59%

8%

36%

71% 68% 55%

16%

55% 53%

49%

6%

66%

51%

15%

Overall efficiency

45% 39% 42%

70%

Overall equipment effectiveness

40% 43% 42%

17%

Flexibility

8

57%

30% 29%

Fewer maintenance staff

Improved safety

45%

31%

Energy savings

Increased component safety

40%

58%

58%

Ease of use

66%

RCM

69%

13%

Decreases downtime

74%

PdM

55%

23%

Cost effective overall

CMMS

60% 58%

22% 31%

39%

45%

www.plantengineering.com

Challenges to current maintenance program 1 (most challenging)

2

3 (least challenging)

People (hiring, onboarding, retaining)

48%

Process (training, reporting, planning/scheduling)

19%

27%

Technology (awareness, implementation, data analytics)

25%

33%

46% 35%

27% 40%

Maintenance strategies & tools in use 76%

Preventive maintenance information

60%

Reactive maintenance (run-to-failure) Computerized maintenance management system (CMMS)

52%

Predictive maintenance (PdM) using analytical tools Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) using operational data analysis Other

www.plantengineering.com

41% 22% 4%

PLANT ENGINEERING

March 2020

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9

2020 MAINTENANCE STUDY INDUSTRY RESEARCH

Maintenance support A great deal

A lot

Some (little)

Fluid power systems (air, hydraulc, etc.)

12%

Internal electrical distribution systems

9%

Material handling equipment

8%

Less automated (manual) systems

32%

50%

21% 30%

22%

Materials handling equipment

None at all (or N/A)

18%

6%

61%

9%

46%

16%

46%

26%

33%

6% 4%

44%

Hours spent on scheduled maintenance per week Don’t know

2%

40 or more

18% 30 to 39

20 to 29

•

March 2020

18%

12% 16%

10

Less than 5

PLANT ENGINEERING

18%

5 to 9

16% 10 to 19

www.plantengineering.com

Percentage of plant’s annual operating budget allocated to maintenance Less than 5%

Don’t know

13%

More than 15%

17%

22%

31%

5% to 10%

17% 11% to 15%

Training received by maintenance personnel Basic mechanical skills

77%

Safety

71%

Basic electrical skills

70%

Lubrication

51%

Motors, gearboxes, bearings

50%

Basic plumbing/pipefitting

49% 40%

Predictive maintenance Welding and fabricating

37%

Fluid power systems

35%

CMMS, data logging, etc.

33%

Calibration

31%

Process operations

31%

Equipment/system programming

30%

Blueprint reading

29%

Machine stop technology Other None

www.plantengineering.com

23% 4% 6%

PLANT ENGINEERING

March 2020

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2020 MAINTENANCE STUDY INDUSTRY RESEARCH

Technologies used to monitor/manage maintenance 50%

Computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) In-house created spreadsheets and schedules (e.g., Microsoft Excel)

47%

Clipboards and paper records of maintenance rounds

46%

Automated maintenance schedule generated by your manufacturing scheduling system

29% 18%

General computerized calendar (e.g., Microsoft Outlook) Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)/SAS/Cloud computing

9%

Enterprise asset management (EAM)

8%

Other None

2%

1%

Leading cause of unscheduled downtime Other Shortage of skilled technicans 4%

Lack of proper training Maintenance strategy failure 5% (e.g., PdM) Poor equipment design/engineering Lack of time to perform maintenance

6%

•

March 2020

PLANT ENGINEERING

34%

Aging equipment

8% 9%

Operator error

12

2% 1% Don’t know

11%

20% Mechanical failure

www.plantengineering.com

Use of handheld/mobile devices for maintenance Don’t know

The devices are fully integrated into a plant-wide CMMS or IIoT system We use them for scheduling and to provide information about the machine and its work history at the repair site

We use them for communications between maintenance personnel and schedulers

6%

6%

29%

9%

We do not use them and have no plans to use them in the future

23% 27% We do not use them now but are studying or may consider their future use

Impact of IIoT on maintenance operations It will help us better understand machine health

32%

It will help us better predict and prevent equipment shutdowns

27%

It will have no impact

25%

It will change the way our plant maintenance personnel work and interact with all levels of our operation

25%

Don’t know

www.plantengineering.com

20%

PLANT ENGINEERING

March 2020

•

13

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SOLUTIONS BATCH AUTOMATION

By John Parraga

CIP and SIP procedures improve OEE and profitability Unlock monolithic clean-in-place and steam-in-place procedures to optimize process KPIs, OEE and profits

P

Figure 1: Sample clean in place (CIP) and processing equipment.

All images courtesy: ECS Solutions

rocess plant operators seeking to automate their manufacturing processes should consider automating clean in place (CIP) and sterilize in place (SIP) sequences, which often are more complex than the product production process itself (see Figure 1). Some of the complexities may come from the lack of automated devices, as well as from creating control code to perform the procedures defined during automation design, then, changing them until they meet the final qualifications.

CIP and SIP automation are commonly prescribed with little flexibility, which often only allows the end user to change minor functionality via parameter sets.

Sometimes the sequences are “black box” where nothing can be viewed or changed, which limits the end user from making significant optimization changes without requiring control system reprograming.

When specifying the optimal CIP and SIP sequence, users may need to consider the many factors that affect equipment cleaning and sterilization, such as the surface characteristics, environmental considerations, chemical factors, detergent concentration, temperature, chemical active ingredients, physical active ingredients, chemistry of detergents, acid-anionic sanitizers, hydrogen peroxide, exposure time, flow rate and so on.

Changing the paradigm of how CIP and SIP are implemented is the key to unlocking the potential

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for improving many aspects that can help optimize them and therefore optimize the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of the process. A major aspect of automation is to provide the ability to clearly specify how the procedures should be executed, enforce their execution and provide ample information for verifying how the activities were performed, while the system should allow the process to be optimized regardless of whether these activities are executed by the automated equipment or via operator actions.

Operators can clearly be instructed to perform the required tasks at the appropriate time. These tasks may consist of equipment setup configuration images or manual material addition instructions while capturing pertinent information.

This optimization capability can be achieved with off-the-shelf products and a paradigm change in the implementation approach. The system must provide the maximum flexibility and modularity based on the equipment capabilities, as well as incorporate the required operator actions as part of these procedures.

Procedure automation does not imply that the equipment is automated. It means that all steps and actions required to perform all tasks are executed in the correct order in an unambiguous way regardless of how these tasks are executed (automated equipment or operator actions).

Often, the automation solution assumes the operators have performed the required setup activities prior to starting the actual CIP and SIP automated sequence. Unfortunately, the workforce does not always perform these activities consistently. Even experienced operators tend to have their own way of doing things, and the new operator may be at risk of not performing the required activities as intended. Therefore, a comprehensive solution should incorporate all the activities the control system can execute as well as the activities the operators must perform, such as making connections on transfer panels, removing equipment and so on.

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Figure 2: Procedural and equipment model.

Improving CIP and SIP procedures

To improve CIP and SIP procedures, expose capabilities of the equipment and personnel to a recipe author who will be responsible for configuring the required procedures without requiring the intervention of the automation team. The best practices as to how to perform CIP and SIP can be specified and modified without requiring controller programming.

Due to this implementation approach, an end user can continuously update the current best approach and improve OEE. In addition to walking the operators and automated equipment through the required cleaning and sterilizing steps, these off-the-shelf products provide the ability to arbitrate equipment and recipe execution of the products as well as CIP and SIP. They maintain and update equipment status (clean, in use, to be cleaned, out of service, in service and the like); the recipe author can confidently manage the recipes through its lifecycle via versioning as well as recipe approval processes. Since the solution manages the execution of the products, as soon as the equipment can be cleaned or sterilized, the procedures can commence without requiring the operator to initiate them. Equally, the product recipes can start as soon as the required equipment CIP or SIP procedures are complete.

Modular approach

A modular approach to automating the process can best be obtained by following the ISA-S88 standards for batch automation, where a fundamental concept is to expose equipment capabilities to a recipe author.

The ISA-S88 equipment model exposes these capabilities. The ISA-S88 procedural model is used by

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the recipe author to specify how these capabilities are used. The equipment capabilities often are programed in controllers and the procedures are configured as required by the recipe author via a PC display, not a programming tool.

The procedural model is shown on the left side of Figure 2; levels ISA-S88 defines in the equipment model are shown on the right side of Figure 2. Starting at the bottom within the phase, the basic procedural model building block, for every equipment phase defined, there is a representation of it in the procedural model.

This implementation philosophy provides the maximum exposure of the equipment capabilities. It is important not to focus on how the recipes can be implemented but more on what the equipment can be commanded to do. It is important to expose the capabilities of what can be done by the CIP skid and SIP equipment and at the destination equipment.

Figure 3 shows a control system human-machine interface (HMI) equipment module faceplate that represents what the CIP skid and the destination equipment can be commanded to do. The operator can control the equipment module via the HMI, or the sequencing engine can control it in automatic mode. The operator can specify the parameters to complete a minor step of the CIP procedure. Once this is complete, the operator can configure the next step and so on until all the steps are complete. But a recipe procedure can be configured to perform the entire sequence of steps automatically until the equipment is cleaned or sterilized using the same concept but commanded by the sequencing engine.

Commands on the left side of the equipment module faceplate allows users to: • Deliver a material from a source • Control the flow rate • Control the temperature • Receive material and return it to a desired route • Monitor supply and return conditions.

The logic also monitors required conditions to determine if the desired duration and/or amount required has been met.

The destination equipment capabilities are visible on the right side: Receive and return CIP material via possible flow paths.

These parameters can be populated from a recipe for each step and the process conditions monitored by the recipe to make decisions regarding when to proceed to the next recipe step. The recipe author www.plantengineering.com

is exposed to process information for configuring recipe transition conditions such as supply and return conductivity, flow rate, temperature as well as the destination information such as temperature, level, pressure and any other equipment information available.

The operator can manually control independent CIP and SIP configurations via the HMI faceplate, but the idea is to have the sequencing engine drive all the activities as specified in the recipe procedures. Following the ISA-S88 standard, we implement equipment phases — much like building blocks — that can take the role of the operator and specify how this equipment module should be used. This equipment phase is then called by the recipe author to transfer the desired parameters to the equipment module as many times and in as many ways as necessary to perform the current best approach for cleaning and sterilizing a piece of equipment.

Recipe phases, the building blocks on the procedural side, are put together to form “operations.”

Multiple operations can be created to maximize reuse of operations across multiple recipes. An operation can be created to prompt the operator to prepare the equipment for CIP or SIP, another operation can be created to perform a quick rinse or a comprehensive clean based on the condition of the equipment that requires cleaning or sterilizing. These operations are organized and sequenced inside of a unit procedure as seen in Figure 4; unit procedures can be sequences within a procedure level recipe.

The key to simplifying the CIP and the SIP process is to set up equipment using an equipment module, this module being able to define all possible equipment configurations in a simple modular matter. For a modular, straightforward controller design and implementation approach, coding requirements consist of simple to define and implement actions, such as open paths, control flow rate, control temperature and expose process conditions. What to do with these capabilities is the role of the recipe/procedure author. Application of the www.plantengineering.com

procedural role of ISA-S88 enables the specification of the sequence necessary to perform the required procedures.

Some of the benefits of this approach include: • Recipe author focuses on specifying the procedures to be followed, not the code.

• Automation team focuses on exposing the equipment capabilities to the recipe editor.

• No need to change the controller code to improve procedures.

• Create reusable operations to deploy across multiple standard operating procedures.

• Incorporate manual procedures within the overall procedures.

• Provide new and experienced operators a consistent methodology for preparing equipment for CIP and SIP. • Provide unambiguous instructions and information to properly setup each manual step.

• Create consistency by enforcing execution steps.

• Capture procedural information for reporting and analytics.

• Capture OEE information for each step, as well as group of tasks.

• Flexible and modular automation-enabled continuous improvements.

PLANT ENGINEERING

Figure 3: Sample equipment module humanmachine interface (HMI) display.

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Figure 4: Recipe phase instance of data flow to equipment module.

CIP and SIP constitute a critical aspect of the bottom line of a manufacturing process. Just as important as the products manufactured with the assets, CIP plays a very important role in the product quality as well as the overall availability of the equipment to manufacture these products. Being able to consistently execute the required cleaning step regardless of the equipment level of automation is paramount.

Therefore being able to clearly specify and enforce the steps required are critical regardless of how these tasks are executed. Operators and equipment are guided to seamlessly perform their task to ensure the desired cleaning procedures are executed in an optimum manner.

Real world results

The heart of agile cleaning is an ISA-S88 batch management package where cleaning requirements can be defined in one or more recipes rather than in the control programming and data tables. Here we find the first advantage, that a process knowledgeable person can modify the cleaning practices without being a controller programmer or hiring one.

Modifying ISA-S88 flowchart-style recipes is easy to learn and do well in comparison to controller programming.

Efficient cleaning is doing the right cleaning based on product made and equipment status. Hard work enabled by agile tools can make a dramatic difference.

One client increased process cell capacity by 20% through careful experimenting, swabbing, testing and adjusting of its recipes. Because we exposed the capabilities of the equipment, they were able to modify the

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recipe to attempt cleaning equipment in parallel, adjust times, monitor various conditions and the like. Capacity to make 20% more product with no incremental equipment cost and minimal marginal labor cost increases plant profitability dramatically.

Not all products require the same level of cleaning. Some may require significantly less. Scheduling a cleaning recipe is designed specifically for the cleaning requirements of that product.

Compared to using a single, worst-case scenario, cleaning recipe following all product runs, intelligently doing the right cleaning increases available process cell capacity and plant profits.

Using a batch management package for cleaning recipes provides an electronic record of the cleaning. Such records can be used to improve cleaning practices and to identify cleaning instances. Building from the previous example, a monitoring solution can validate from the electronic record that the right cleaning recipe was executed and completed without anomalies. Admittedly, lowered risk only affects plant profitability indirectly, but is certainly valuable to business overall.

This agile approach was used on a 60-unit process cell initially designed so that any unit might be cleaned by any of three cleaning systems. After being in production for several months, the client recognized the value of investing in a fourth cleaning system, allowing parallel cleaning of four units instead of three. This change could be supported in approximately a day of engineering time with essentially no startup time as new supply and return equipment modules were added with a fourth coordinator capable of using the existing 60 process supply and 60 process return equipment modules.

The additional cleaning system improved the process cell OEE, increased cell capacity and improved plant profitability.

These examples apply to both CIP and SIP practices. Recipe procedures in a batch management package can easily direct operators to perform manual actions.

Implementing agile ISA-S88 solutions for batch process control and cleaning can cost 10% to 20% more initially. However, the investment can easily pay large dividends over the lifecycle of the project. PE John Parraga is a batch process specialist at ECS Solutions. He is an experienced batch process engineer with career stops at Sequentia and Rockwell Automation. www.plantengineering.com

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SOLUTIONS PAINTS AND COATINGS

By Dave Mueller

Protect electrical components from corrosion Corrosion is a powerful destructive force; prevention is key

T

he World Corrosion Organization estimates the global cost of corrosion at $2.5 trillion (USD) or about 3% of the GDP in most industrialized countries. Therefore, any money saved by preventing corrosion, including the cost of lost productivity because of outages, delays, failures and litigation; labor; and new equipment to replace failed parts, directly improves profitability.

Consider the petrochemical refining industry where processing equipment, electrical systems and lighting need protection from pitting, corrosive gases and water intrusions. In the U.S. alone, the industry’s annual direct cost of corrosion is estimated at $3.7 billion. Of this total, maintenance-related expenses are estimated at $1.8 billion, vessel turnaround expenses at $1.4 billion and fouling costs are approximately $0.5 billion. In a commodity-driven industry, investment in more effective corrosion control strategies often takes a back seat to acrossthe-board cost-cutting measures to the detriment of long-term profits, environmental safety and operational productivity.

When specifying electrical products for harsh environments, choosing the right materials to ensure adequate corrosion resistance is crucial. In offshore oil and gas operations, for example, equipment is under constant exposure to seawater and salt spray, both of which are highly corrosive due to the autocatalytic action of sodium chloride and other dissolved chlorides. Corrosive substances such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide also occur naturally in oil and gas fields. Other corrosives that affect a wide range of industries include chlorine, bromine, hydrochloric acid and ammonia.

Iron and steel types

Most industrial electrical products worldwide are still made of coated metal. The most used metals are ferrous, taking advantage of iron’s strength, versatility, workability and relative affordability. Unfortunately, except for stainless steel, ferrous products also are the most susceptible to corrosion.

Protective coatings

Various finishes can be applied to help isolate metallic surfaces from the surrounding corrosive environment. The most familiar example is ordinary paint applied to steel to prevent rust.

However, there are several other methods including baked enamel, Figure 1: Intertek conducted ASTM B117-18: Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus performance testing on iron conduit bodies from three major manufacturers. A total of 39 conduit bodies were tested, all in the 3/4-inch trade size. All images courtesy: Emerson Automation Solutions, Appleton Group

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SOLUTIONS PAINTS AND COATINGS

epoxy powder coat and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating. For effective protection, coatings must be applied properly and protected from damage during installation and use. The zinc surface on galvanized steel serves as a protective coating and, if damaged, a sacrificial anode that will corrode in preference to the exposed steel.

Galvanization and finishes

Galvanization of iron and steel products can greatly improve corrosion resistance in wet or weatherexposed environments. Galvanized cast iron and non-stainless-steel products often are used in wet and weather exposed locations with the expectation that they can safely remain in service for many years. But the same products would likely be unsuitable for direct exposure to corrosive chemicals. A wide variety of liquid and powder coating finishes can be applied to iron and steel products — including galvanized products — to help seal out water, air and corrosive chemicals. Their effectiveness depends on thorough coverage, reliable adhesion and suitable resistance to impact and abrasion in the field. Resistance to chemical degradation also is important. Epoxy powder coat is one example of a finish that provides excellent resilience and strength while remaining impervious to heat and most chemicals.

Galvanization provides double protection

The only effective way to fight rust is to prevent the corrosive processes from beginning. This normally is done in one of two ways: by adding a barrier i.e., paint, that prevents oxygen and electrolytes such as rainwater from reaching the surface, or by introducing a sacrificial anode, which corrodes preferentially to the iron or steel part. Galvanization provides both protection methods simultaneously.

Protective properties

The galvanizing process creates a metallurgical bond between a zinc coating and the underlying steel or iron. This bond provides much stronger adhesion than any type of paint, including epoxies.

The galvanized surface forms in multiple layers, with zinc and iron alloyed in varying ratios. The outer layer of pure zinc is relatively ductile, while the inner layers are progressively harder — harder than steel, in fact. These qualities combine to provide excellent resistance to impact and abrasion, helping protect against surface damage.

In addition, when left unpainted, zinc exposed to the wetting and drying of weather gradually

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forms a zinc carbonate patina over a period of a few months to a year. This patina provides an additional barrier against corrosion. Because it “grows” outward from the surface, this patina is especially effective at protecting edges and corners where paint could be easily damaged.

The most important advantage of galvanizing over paint, however, is the anodic property of zinc in a galvanic couple with iron. If the galvanized coating is damaged — whether by accident or through an intentional action such as cutting or drilling — the zinc will act as a sacrificial anode that corrodes first while protecting the more noble iron or steel.

This protective action will continue until the damage is repaired by applying a zinc-rich paint to the damaged area, for example, or until all the zinc has corroded. Depending on the thickness of the galvanized layer and the corrosiveness of the surrounding atmosphere, the service life, defined as time to first maintenance, can be a couple of decades to 100 years or more.

Epoxy powder coat

Unlike liquid paint, powder coating uses an electrostatic process to apply a finish to metallic parts in a dry state. Once applied, the finish is heat cured to create a finish that is thicker, tougher, more even on all outer surfaces and edges and more durable than most paints. This makes epoxy powder coat one of the preferred protection choices for oil and gas, wastewater and other harsh, corrosive industrial applications. To ensure proper adhesion and maximum durability, correct surface preparation and application quality are essential. The goal should be to apply multiple, well-bonded coats to provide optimum resistance against impact and abrasion. Components should be periodically inspected for finish damage that exposes the metal underneath to salt spray or other corrosive elements. Epoxy powder coat also can be degraded by UV radiation, so service life may be shortened for products installed in areas exposed to intense direct sunlight.

Independent performance testing

To determine the corrosion resistance of various protection methods used on conduit bodies, Emerson turned to Intertek, an independent total quality assurance provider to industries worldwide with more than 1,000 laboratories and 44,000 employees. Intertek conducted ASTM B117-18: Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus performance testing on iron conduit bodies from www.plantengineering.com

Test results three major manufacturers. A total of 39 conduit bodies were tested, all in the 3/4-inch trade size (see Figure 1).

The salt solution used was 5% ±1% according to ASTM B117-18. To prevent salt fog from entering the interior of the conduit body, all iron test samples had steel (zinc plated) plugs installed, with aluminum plugs with Teflon tape in the aluminum samples. Test samples were subjected to the salt fog for 1,008 hours (42 days), being removed only for inspection and photography at fixed intervals.

Testing was conducted in the Arlington Heights, Ill. Intertek laboratory in January 2019. Test samples were sorted into 15 groups according to metal and protection types, i.e., malleable iron (plated/painted), die-cast aluminum (painted), cast iron (plated/painted), cast aluminum (unpainted) and so on. All samples were purchased at electrical distributors from their inventory and not sourced from the manufacturer. This article examines the results of the malleable iron and cast-iron samples (see “Test results”).

Final thoughts

Not all industries have the same corrosion problems, but all industries do need to take the possibility of corrosion seriously and choose the right protection for their operations and environment. Start by checking the certifications and ratings required for your application. Next, discuss these requirements and concerns with the manufacturer. Becoming informed is the best way to ensure the product you select will provide the corrosion protection and service you expect over its lifetime.

In this study and in real-world applications, the triple coat finish has shown to be far more effective than conventional paint finishes. It’s formed when a zinc electroplate, chromate dip and epoxy powder coating is combined to achieve greater corrosion protection in wet or harsh environments, assuring long, trouble-free service in locations such as petrochemical and chemical plants, refineries and other process industries.

Triple-coat finishes consist of:

Coat No. 1: Zinc electroplate.

Zinc is one of the most important nonferrous metals. When applied onto the surface of ferrous metals, it creates a formidable corrosion-resistant barrier. It is resistant to atmospheric attack, fresh www.plantengineering.com

Testing was conducted in the Arlington Heights, Ill. Intertek laboratory in January 2019. Test samples were sorted into groups according to metal and protection types. Testing was performed according to ASTM B117-18 using a 5% salt solution.

Malleable iron Test subjects were three malleable iron conduit bodies using different protection methods

The top photo shows the conduit bodies before the test. The bottom photo shows the same conduit bodies after 42 days in salt fog.

Figure 2: Test subjects were three malleable iron conduit bodies protected by: • Appleton FM7: triple-coat finish featuring zinc, chromate and electrostatically applied epoxy powder coating (left) • Brand X: Zinc plating and acrylic paint (center) • Brand Y: Zinc plating and acrylic paint (right).

Cast iron Test subjects were three malleable iron conduit bodies using different protection methods

The top photo shows the conduit bodies before the test. The bottom photo shows the same conduit bodies after 42 days in salt fog.

Figure 3: Test subjects were three cast iron conduit bodies protected by: • Appleton FM7: triple-coat finish featuring zinc, chromate and electrostatically applied epoxy powder coating (left) • Brand X: Zinc plating and acrylic paint (center) • Brand Y: Zinc plating and acrylic paint (right).

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SOLUTIONS PAINTS AND COATINGS and saltwater and is highly effective at keeping moisture from reaching the surface of the coated object.

Coat No. 2: Chromate dip.

Chromate coatings act as paint does,

protecting the zinc from white corrosion, thus making the part considerably more durable. It also destroys organic growth on the surface. While conventional paint coatings have long been popular, they’re not as effective in resisting corrosion as chromate. Paint

is hard to apply evenly, so it tends to drip and bubble, miss small crevices and thin out at the edges, leaving these areas more exposed. Because of its chemical composition and method of application, chromate is not subject to paint’s limitations.

Coat No. 3: Epoxy powder coat.

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As a final finishing step, epoxy powder is applied to fittings electrostatically.

Drawn to the metal like a magnet, the powder covers evenly, reaching into the smallest crevices. The powder is then slowly oven baked to cure the coating and ensure a strong bond.

Because powder coating does not have a liquid carrier, it can produce thicker coatings than conventional liquid coatings without running or sagging. Products are more resistant to mechanical damage since the powder coat finish does not crack or chip like painted surfaces.

By merging the strengths of zinc, chromate and epoxy powder, the triple-coat process results in a thick, uniform layer of protection that seals out the harshest corrosives, including: • Sulfur oxides • Nitrogen oxides • Chlorine and chlorides • Ammonia and ammonia salts • Hydrogen sulfide.

Triple coat is extremely durable. It is flexible so it stays intact when the underlying metal expands and contracts during temperature changes and stress fluctuations — unlike paints.

It also adds value through fewer callbacks and lower operation costs, while helping safeguard the environment by virtually eliminating overspray particulates. On the job, there is no better way to safeguard your operations, profitability and employee safety than triple-coat protection. PE

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DUST & FUME PROBLEMS SOLVED

Dave Mueller is product manager for fittings, plugs and receptacles; control stations at Emerson Automation Solutions, Appleton Group.

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SOLUTIONS ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

By Dr. Zach Murphree

Rethink 3D metal printing of turbomachinery parts Higher-performance pumps and compressors are now possible through support-free additive manufacturing (AM)

R

ecent breakthroughs in industrial metal additive manufacturing (AM) are lifting restrictions on pump and compressor designs and how they are manufactured.

These restrictions apply to limits current-generation AM systems face in creating passageways, blades and channels. The breakthroughs are seen in AM optics, powder bed quality, chamber environment, consumables and real-time process monitoring and control for part validation in individual or series production.

For pump and compressor performance, a recently introduced advanced AM system can produce a shrouded impeller with up to a 12-inch diameter, with shroud angles down to 5 degrees and no support structures required to hold the blades and other features in place during manufacture in the 3D printer.

This represents a highly significant improvement over all other currently available AM solutions. No internal supports are needed. Externally, just the extruding lip on the outer rim and the bottom edge are anchored. It is a good practice to extrude a wall around the diameter of the impeller to support the shroud; this mateFigure 1: Support-free additive rial can be easily manufacturing was used to print this removed in a single shrouded impeller. The cross section operation in postshows various shallow angles that would processing. require numerous support structures with The system can incumbent additive manufacturing (AM) produce most systems. All images courtesy: Velo3D shrouded impeller g e om e t r i e s w it h a surface roughne ss l owe r t han 10-micron SA on all surfaces, internal and external. In addition, the closedloop melt pool control and metrology s y s t e m s prov i d e www.plantengineering.com

real-time control and monitoring throughout the build, ensuring the structural integrity of each finished piece and consistency from build to build. This accuracy, quality and ability to execute on extreme design complexity can be applied successfully to related fluid-and-air pump and heat-exchange equipment (see Figure 2).

Pump and compressor complexities

Pumps and compressors are some of the most common pieces of industrial equipment found in nearly every major market. One class of pumps is the centrifugal pump, which has many uses in very demanding applications. The impeller in these pumps can either be open or can have a shroud or covering depending on the application.

Shrouded or closed, impellers are used in highperformance pumps where efficiency is of concern. They also find significant use in pumping flammable or explosive fluids. The shroud on the impeller makes the pump less sensitive to impeller/ volute tolerancing and drift, which increases the pump performance and eliminates the potential for sparks that might result from contact with the volute. Examples of applications include turbopumps (particularly for aerospace and rocket propulsion), electric submersible pumps for oil and gas and industrial compressors.

Because of the rise in commercial space exploration, impellers are widely used in rocket engines.

Shrouded impellers are used in the turbopumps that feed the engine, often with Inconel impellers on the liquid oxygen (LOX) side and Titanium impellers on the fuel side. In some applications (e.g., oxygen-rich staged combustion with highpressure LOX), even tried-and-true Inconel 718 can be found to be lacking — or at worst, fuel for a catastrophic event. In this case, many people have turned to Monel or another proprietary (e.g., Mondaloy) alloy. With so many considerations to bear in mind, shrouded impellers often are customPLANT ENGINEERING

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ized for each job, designed to suit the demands of a given operating environment.

The complexities in creating shrouded impellers make them a good fit to exploit the benefits of recent additive manufacturing advances.

Design issues addressed via additive manufacturing have included parts consolidation and internal passage creation. Conversely, the traditional impeller manufacturing process involves 5-axis machining, with the bottom impeller and shroud created as separate pieces that are brazed or EBM welded.

Figure 2: These parts are from top to bottom inducer, shrouded impeller, diamond heat exchanger and radial flow heat exchanger.

This process can be expensive, time-consuming and relatively low yield. Producing such parts in an additive workflow has long been an attractive proposition, but one that has remained challenging because of the restrictions inherent in supportdependent solutions.

The angle of overhangs and the need to remove supports after manufacturing while maintaining acceptable surface finish have been among the primary limitations of employing additive manufacturing for applications like shrouded impellers.

Furthermore, post-processing requirements have been extensive, consisting of electrochemical polishing, extrude honing and/or other processes, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Electrochemical polishing, for example, is expensive and can require complicated tooling, while extrude honing preferentially removes/polishes certain surfaces in the fluid channels.

Looking ahead

The unique needs and challenges of shrouded impellers are a strong fit for the new technology discussed here.

When using costly metals and creating critical-use parts, it’s important that any manufacturing process produce and maintain reliable results — not only meeting but exceeding existing capabilities.

Unlike complex machining from a block of metal, new AM technology for impeller creation uses only the material necessary for each part, with the elimination of supports reducing extraneous material usage even further. Cutting costs as well as final part weight through optimized design, the new process for support-free 3D printing shrouded impellers offers a compelling alternative to the manufacturing status quo because traditional manufacturing via machining or use of AM processes depends on extensive supports and anchors.

The latest advances in support-free additive manufacturing open new possibilities for industry to rethink the design and fabrication of existing pump and compressor products — expanding their performance, depth of customization and cost benefits. PE Dr. Zach Murphree is vice president of technical partnerships at Velo3D. His background includes engineering roles for energy companies, where he oversaw introducing metal additive manufacturing technology to a Fortune 500 energy company. He earned Bachelor of Science and PhD degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas and has been granted more than 35 patents.

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Contact us today info@epicor.com | www.epicor.com | 1.800.999.1809 input #10 at www.plantengineering.com/information Copyright ©2020 Epicor Software Corporation. All rights reserved. Epicor and the Epicor logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation in the United States, and in certain other countries and/or the EU.

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SOLUTIONS

CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN MACHINE DESIGN

By Bob Bradley and Robby Haun

Transform pneumatics systems for energy conservation, efficiency and safety Machine automation evolution proves the only limitation is the imagination

I

n the past, the idea of, “air is for breathing, water is for drinking, oil is for your automobile” was one shared by many designers when specifying components, designing systems and building machinery. The result was big, inefficient machines that consumed copious amounts of commodities.

As manufacturing evolves to accommodate more demanding, safer and more precise processes, including for compressed air use and energy-conscious automation, the pneumatics industry is aligning itself as a critical strategic partner.

Manufacturers of pneumatic systems are highly motivated to stay ahead of the latest trends. The emergent technologies expressly address size and footprint, energy consumption and connectivity as well as monitoring of plant automation as it relates to maintenance planning and operational efficiency.

In earlier manufacturing plants, factory installations were dominated by a mass of valves, actuators and other big, bulky and inefficient pneumatic system components.

Air preparation was exceptionally oversized, and valving was placed on sub-bases the size of bricks and weighing more. Pneumatic actuators used up large amounts of machine real estate (although they did have a calming hiss to them, ensuring that compressed air was present and ready for work). While the traditional designs of the past were useful and effective, the days of using the air control valve as a step stool to reach higher on the machine are gone.

What’s replaced them are a sleeker, more energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing means to deliver air to automated processes.

Efficiency-focused demand vis-à-vis automated machinery has impacted valves, resulting in less weight, smaller size and power savings. Air preparation encompasses full-featured assemblies that ensure efficiency, copious functionality and safety. Actuators are lightweight, incorporate position feedback and a wider range of applications. Component lubrication has all but been eliminated.

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These innovations allow designers to focus on compact machine footprints and connectivity while retaining a focus on plant savings. Durability results in assemblies capable of attaining millions of valve cycles and actuations, while being paired with monitoring technologies that support streamlined preventive maintenance programs in many facilities.

Improving efficiency

To improve overall pneumatics efficiency, the first place to start is always the compressor room — the place where the larger horsepower motors and biggest energy users reside. Decrease the load on the compressor room and the plant will see bottom-line benefits.

Compressor manufacturers “feel” the demand for greater efficiencies, less noise and more environmentally friendly installations as well as integration of pneumatic systems into the plant’s primary monitoring and control systems.

They’ve delivered solutions with smaller footprints that are less noisy in operations, as well as more effective enclosures that make use of variable frequency drives, oil-free options and innovative control schemes that tie into the factory monitoring platform (see Figure 1). These designs allow a compressor to be controlled, i.e., accelerated, decelerated or even idled and turned off according to plant demand. These monitoring and control options mean pneumatics can be managed from anywhere in the plant as well as, in some cases, from offsite.

Where once compressed air was considered to be just a commodity, it is now a balance-sheet line item controlled and monitored via emergent technologies that deliver real operational improvements.

Gaining control of pneumatics use can be seen as an initial step in an overall plant efficiency program by reducing compressed air usage.

On the production floor, machine users have options at their fingertips when it comes to solution selection.

Correct sizing has been a perennial topic of discussion PLANT ENGINEERING

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SOLUTIONS

CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN MACHINE DESIGN Figure 1: Today's air cylinders embody further development of proved ISO cylinder designs.

They address solutions needed in nearly all industries All images courtesy: Emerson/ Aventics

over the years. Conducting a Google search on the term, “pneumatic system design,” elicits more than 84 million results. Included in the results are many pneumatic solution providers offering software applications that support maximum efficiency when sizing machine components, eliminating whatever value was once found in the rule-of-thumb: “pipe size, right size.”

These software application tools eliminate the need to upsize components or the need to bake in the extra capacity that was the norm, ensuring that machines will operate as designed without wasting utility resources.

Component efficiency

While the compressor room with the high horsepower motors is the first place to look, there are other targets primed to be made more efficient. Valve technology has addressed the same need for energy conservation as has impacted other pneumatic components and done so in a comprehensive manner.

Valves that once required more than 6 watts of power are now using 0.8 watts, and soon-to-be introduced designs will improve this further. Manifolding multiple valves is the standard, which saves machine space, exploits less power and adds opportunities for fieldbus technology inclusion. This in turn wll reduce the amount of wiring needed while bringing components into the realm of real-time data and information.

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Besides the sizing tools available for setting design parameters, pneumatic system technology supports efforts to preclude the possibility of exhausting compressed air, a potentially costly eventuality.

Manufacturers are scrutinizing and seeking better understanding of parameters that include force, pressure, flow and speed to discover innovative ways to decrease compressed air usage. Technologies involved include for actuator position sensing, wireless communications, proportional pressure and flow regulation and emergent technologies like smart pneumatics with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) pathways.

These intelligent pneumatic systems build bridges to the IIoT, ensure system visibility and lower operating costs — supported by central analysis and control electronics equipped with the ability to alert the factory of potential abnormalities or breakdowns.

More than just compressed air

In addition to solution enhancements, machine control design has changed in other ways, including how projects are managed. Machine design and control projects of the past have had two sides of the equation: a mechanical side encompassing the pneumatics, and an electrical side focused on signaling valves and machine operation. The two sides would review their schematics, overlay their plans and decide on a place to hand off the control signals. www.plantengineering.com

While technology continues to improve efficiency, demands for best practices in support of project management brings a new profile for the “controls” project leader. The new controls project lead creates the conduit for controlling machine movement, encompassing electronics, airflow, feedback, positioning and machine health monitoring. This responsibility is continuously evolving with user demands for efficient technology, placing pressure on providers to stay up to date when it comes to innovation trends.

Embracing continuous technology enhancements in factory automation will reduce manufacturing costs and raise visibility of predictive maintenance schemes capable of keeping plant operations efficient and continuous.

Pneumatic system design enhancement on the electrical side includes the incorporation of fieldbus communications, IIoT and machine health monitoring as fundamental improvements from the air and power circuits of the past.

Fieldbus allows component communication related to the machine and across the plant to be streamlined via a single cable, while enabling real-time insight into the operation of each component via the plant network or IIoT hub.

Controls leaders can review plant operations from any location — even other factory locations around the world. Maintenance data supports strategic plant management insight and support in making necessary changes or weighing requests for machinery improvements or replacements. Plant operations are being monitored and programmed to communicate with smartphones and other intelligent devices, addressing much more than just the compressed air conservation challenge.

Machine safety and energy conservation

In addition to the pathways to IIoT, smart pneumatics and other trending technologies, safety will always be considered the priority in plant machinery product

development. In many cases, technology is focused on safety concerns, including for zoned safety valve products as well as for spool sensing technology. With the ability to sense the position of control valves and confirm their position with redundant monitoring, the potential for injuries is significantly reduced.

The ability to integrate these smart components into machine build strategies is ever improving and is being introduced into the safety systems in the form of stand-alone circuits, isolated from the operation of the machine.

As product enhancements continue to evolve, system designers can count on pneumatic actuation that is lightweight, efficient, accurate and on the cutting edge. Actuation also is a focus for safety, giving a variety of configurations such as linear, rotary and rodless to achieve compact design, as well as machine design capsulations, protecting the automation-driven motions from the machine operator (see Figure 2). One popular function related to enhanced safety is actuator position sensing across its entire working length. This provides an additional monitor and proactive call to action, removing many potential hazards when combined into a safety sensing circuit.

Working in tandem with goals for energy conservation and overall efficiency, machine safety is greatly improved with modern pneumatic components and controls. Standards developed by governing bodies require machine safety functions such as parameter guarding with operation-stopping safety interlocks, vision systems and the means to release stored energy.

Additional standards for safe workspace actions are being implemented, all to keep our friends, family and co-workers safe.

Machine automation experts keep safety the highest priority with products, solutions and technologies that integrate pneumatics with other factory automation products. Their goal is to make the machines of today safer to use while making the machines of tomorrow even safer.

Figure 2: The latest generation of rodless cylinders features a very robust, virtually leak-free design with high speed capability. www.plantengineering.com

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SOLUTIONS

CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN MACHINE DESIGN Looking ahead

Factory automation technology is being designed, released to the market and incorporated into new projects in response to demands for greater efficiency that is strong and growing. Pneumatic systems designers and providers are rising to meet that demand with creative and innovative approaches for new and challenging applications. One can argue that earlier pneumatic systems were oversized air consumers, but technology has changed the landscape of the entire factory. Pneumatic system manufacturers consider the plant in all its aspects as they address design and application projects, with an express understanding that compressed air is no longer the commodity it was once considered to be.

The factory of today runs more efficiently than it did in the past and in full awareness of the demand for more efficient processes. The factory of tomorrow will undergo an even more fundamental technology paradigm shift. Pneumatic system manufacturers are stepping outside the boundaries of technologies with which they’ve been most familiar to incorporate smartphone apps, wireless communication, real-time

awareness of machine issues and production output, and most importantly, operator safety and accident prevention. As these innovations continue to improve efficiency and introduce innovation, the factory of tomorrow will have options only limited to one’s imagination. PE Bob Bradley is a certified fluid power specialist with Motion Industries and lives in Loves Park, Ill. He has worked in the fluid power industry since 1988, and with Motion Industries for 17 years. He currently supports sales in Northern Illinois for many Motion Industries locations.

Robert (Robby) Haun is national sales manager for mechanical products for Emerson where he has worked since 2012. He lives in Knoxville, Tenn., and has a Bachelor of Science degree from Ashford University as well as an MBA from South College. He began his career in machine automation in 2000 and has since moved into a heavier fluid power focus, designing and selling pneumatics and hydraulic systems and managing electrical control and automation business units.

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It takes 3 simple steps

H-1/Food Grade Lubricants: The Pure, Safe, High-Tech, Sustainable Approach to Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Plant Lubrication.

Jim Girard

Vice president and chief marketing officer, LUBRIPLATE Lubricants Company

First introduced and used in the United States market, Food Grade Lubricants have been a part of industrial lubrication since the early 1960s. Since their initial development, there have been great technological advancements with research, development, introduction and use of food grade lubricants.

Download the paper at lubriplate.com and click on Resources/ White Papers

The Food and Drug Administration produces its Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Title 21 of the FDA’s CFR presents many sections which authorize ingredients which may be used to produce food grade lubricants.

Lubricant manufacturers have been able to add anti-microbial additive to their products. Anti-microbial additives help to prevent the decomposition of lubricants caused by microorganisms.

The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) is the leader in authorizing and monitoring H-1/food grade lubricants for all lubricants manufacturers. The International Standard Organization (I.S.O.) also developed the ISO-21469 certification and registration process for lubricants used in specialized industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, animal feed manufacturing.

The use of synthetic polyalkylene glycol (PAG) base stocks to manufacture H-1/food grade gear oils has produced H-1/ food grade gears oils which deliver extended drain intervals and unmatched anti-wear and extreme pressure protection.

Synthetic polyol ester (POE) food grade fluid technology now delivers optimum lubrication protection for high heat oven chains in bakeries. POEs have unmatched oxidation stability which virtually eliminates carbon deposits and keeps the chains clean. Silicones and PTFE are also used very effectively. Synthetic H-1/food grade technology also helps to consolidate the amount of lubricants required.

H-1/food grade lubricants also are part of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Programs (HACCP.) In the United States, the F.D.A. and the U.S.D.A. demand that food and beverage processors develop HACCP programs in which lubricants may be considered as potential chemical hazards. However, if food and beverage processors switch to 100% H-1/food grade lubrication programs, then lubricants are not considered potential chemical hazards and a HAACP plan is not necessary for a 100% H-1/food grade lubrication program.

Today, calcium sulphonate thickened greases made with USP white mineral oils and synthetic polyalphaolefin (PAO) base stocks are truly anti-wear and extreme pressure lubricants.

With these technological advancements in H-1/food grade lubricants, food, beverage and pharmaceutical processors should not hesitate to convert to a 100% H-1/food grade lubrication program. Converting to 100% H-1/food grade program delivers money-saving lubricants consolidation, a reduction in lubricants misapplication, sustainability and helps to ensure a safe product for the ultimate consumer.

LubeXpert@lubriplate.com www.lubriplate.com

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SOLUTIONS SAFETY & PRODUCTIVITY

By Jeff Lowe

Fastening tools without tradeoffs Optimize throughput goals and worker safety; new tool technology addresses both issues for manufacturers

N

Figure 1: Pulse tools eliminate the torque reaction so operators can run the tool at high speeds. The tools produce repeatable accuracy for safety-critical applications.

All images courtesy: Ingersoll Rand Advanced Assembly Power Tools

ewton’s Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This concept can be problematic for operators on an assembly line.

Each day, workers fasten hundreds of bolts, and to do that, they need reliable fastening tools. To enhance safety and eliminate cords and hoses on factory floors, many assembly plants have adopted cordless fastening tools, which empower workers to move with more flexibility and deliver more torque to their application.

On one hand, cordless fastening tools give operators flexibility and help them complete jobs with repeatable success. But over time, the torque “reaction” associated with common cordless fastening tools can injure operators and impact job performance.

Until now, it has been an either-or scenario: Manufacturers find a tool that delivers a lot of torque and is flexible but has a lot of reaction for operators. Or, they find a tool that delivers less torque and accuracy but is more comfortable for workers. In today’s assembly environments, operators cannot sacrifice productivity or control to meet industry expectations

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for high throughput goals. Luckily, modern pulse tool technology ensures manufacturers don’t have to. Pulse tools generate short energy pulses instead of continuous torque.

Best of both worlds

Select pneumatic tools have the desired speed, and support collection and ergonomics, but hoses confine operators and introduce safety hazards. Mechanical clutch tools automatically shut off when operators complete jobs, but they don’t have full traceability or transducer capabilities, often requiring a manual wrench to complete the final torque measurement.

Cordless pulse tools with transducers offer manufacturers a cordless solution that provides repeatable accuracy while protecting the operator.

With pulse tool technologies, the pulses eliminate the force in an operator’s hands that other cordless tools produce, allowing workers to operate tools at high speeds without worrying about torque reaction. Pulse tools with transducers are ideal for high speed, high throughput fastening of safety critical applications where precision is a must.

No reaction is better than reduced reaction

One of the top workplace health-related issues is repetitive strain injuries (RSI). Stance, reach, repetitive motion, vibration and torque reaction contribute to these injuries. As the power of cordless tools increases, the risk factors for RSI also increase. There are ways manufacturers can limit RSI among their employees. Pulse tools help minimize exposure PLANT ENGINEERING

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SOLUTIONS SAFETY & PRODUCTIVITY

to RSI risk factors, thus have better ergonomics for assembly operators and enhance comfort for better long-term productivity. When workers are more comfortable and can get work done quickly, they produce more output and it reduces absenteeism as a result of reduced workplace injuries (see Figure 1).

There’s science behind pulse technology that makes it reactionless. Fluid inside the pulse unit absorbs the energy from the motor, so it doesn’t transfer to the operator. The anatomy of a pulse tool is unlike other cordless technologies; the motor is separate from the output shaft of the tool. This unique design isolates operators from the torque reaction, making it safe to run the tool at high speeds.

Technology for safety critical applications

For safety critical applications, such as securing a seatbelt tether to the B pillar of a vehicle, it’s vital that bolts are tightened accurately to mitigate issues or recalls after vehicles leave a plant. Pulse technology with transducers equips manufacturers with precise accuracy for high torque applications. Solutions like the Yokota YS-e Battery System Wrench distributed by Ingersoll Rand are as productive as any other fastening solutions with the accuracy of a digital wrench.

O p e r at o r s p r o g r a m torque targets for each specific application on a programming console, including torque limits, angle limits and batch count. As workers tighten each fastener, results display on a screen to ensure accuracy and traceability.

Pulse tools with transducers save manufacturers time on the plant floor because operators no longer need to stop and use a wrench to finish tightening tasks or apply a reaction device. Takt time is precious, and operators are rid of the burden to check the accuracy of each fastener and ultimately, slow down throughput.

Figure 2: Reduce required equipment on the factory floor with fastening systems that can connect as many as four tools per wireless unit.

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Flexible solutions scalable with changing demands

Throughput demands are continually changing.

Tools flexible enough to scale with demand help manufacturers rebalance their lines quicker. When manufacturing experiences a change in demand, it’s ideal that systems quickly adapt with minimal downtime. Tools with simple interfaces allow operators to make changes on the fly. Some current technologies do not require experts or costly training. Modern pulse tool solutions have programming consoles and remote capabilities so that operators can control and make changes from any device with an Internet browser using a simple interface that does not require a license.

Big Data and tools future-proof manufacturing floors

Pulse technology with transducers integrates with a data-driven environment by generating data operators can use to garner insights about productivity and quality. Some pulse fastening systems can connect as many as four tools per wireless unit, reducing the equipment required on a factory floor. Every fastening application differs. Manufacturers should seek solutions that support multiple applications and are easy to integrate into their system. Assembly operators can connect a cordless tool system to their plant-wide infrastructure using readily available communication protocols. These features equip manufacturers with full insight into their operations to improve product quality, test new processes, evaluate efficiency and more (see Figure 2).

Ergonomics, capability, flexibility and traceability are four sought-after features now available in one tool to help manufacturers meet throughput goals while keeping their operators safe. PE Jeff Lowe is senior global product manager Ingersoll Rand Advanced Assembly Power Tools. www.plantengineering.com

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Robotics WINTER EDITION

Robotics More robots, more jobs; fewer robots, fewer jobs Proximity-based safety improves robot movement and efficiency Six use cases for collaborative robots

Best Practices in Asset Management Optimization WINTER EDITION

Best Practices in Asset Management Optimization

Maintenance

MAINTENANCE SPRING EDITION

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SOLUTIONS METALWORKING

By Darrell Milton and Ron Wendt

Increase profits by recycling metalworking fluids Leaders in the metalworking and metal forming industries understand fluid recycling can have a positive effect on their bottom line

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oolants have improved significantly and are now better than those available 10 or 15 years ago. They last longer but are more expensive. Depending on location, coolant could cost up to $50 per gallon. Disposal costs also can vary from 25 cents to $6 per gallon.

A coolant can be up to 10% concentrate mixed with 90% water. Companies often pay to dispose of the used coolant and refill machines with new fluid, greatly increasing equipment maintenance costs.

Recycle to save coolant costs

Metalworking shops have cradle-to-grave responsibility for coolants, even if a certified company is hired for their disposal. Federal and state authorities can hold the generator of the waste accountable for cleanup costs for improper coolant disposal, which can cost a company money and reputation.

Fluid recycling can change this scenario. Companies can save up to 60% of the coolant concentrate by removing tramp oils and solids.

While this is a sizable payback, additional factors contribute to potential return on investment (ROI).

Tramp oil, also known as sump oil, is unwanted oil that has mixed wit h c utt ing fluid. It originates as lubri-

cation oil that seeps out from the equipment slideways and washes into the coolant mixture, as the protective film with which a steel supplier coats bar stock to prevent rusting, or as hydraulic oil leaks.

Enhance machine tool performance. Removing tramp oil from the manufacturing process is critical as removal improves fluid performance and longevity, air quality, bacterial resistance, corrosion resistance and tool life. Removing small fines leads to better tool life, better part finish and reduced machine tool wear.

Improve air quality. Fluid recycling can limit liability and increase worker health and safety. Removing tramp oil from coolant regularly results in less airborne oil mist, which improves air quality. Maintaining a cleaner working area also reduces the amount of slippery moisture on floors, contributing to a safer work environment. A fluid recycling program also helps companies achieve and maintain ISO 14000 status.

Eliminate bacteria and minimize odors. While most machines have a system to remove most of the chips, smaller fines left behind settle in the tank.

Because the residue contains anaerobic bacteria, these leftover fines often form as smelly, greasy sludge on the bottom of the tank. There is no effective process or coolant additive to penetrate the sludge and kill the bacteria. It must be physically removed regularly.

Using a sump cleaner, a CNC machine tool sump with 50 gallons of coolant and 20 pounds of sludge can be cleaned in 10 to 15 minutes, with the filtered coolant returned to the sump for reuse.

A sump cleaner filters the fluid it removes from the sump, making it possible to pump the filtered fluid back into the sump. This reduces needs for coolant concentrate purchase and disposal. Customers using

Figure 1: Chips and solids are captured in a large basket located inside an Eriez sump cleaner. All images courtesy: Eriez www.plantengineering.com

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SOLUTIONS METALWORKING

a sump cleaner typically see an ROI in just a few months and continue to save money.

Cleaning coolant regularly pays off. Disposing of coolant without cleaning the machine afterward results in downtime and worker intervention. New coolant immediately mixes with bacteria, which shortens its life. Cleaning machine tool sumps and the coolant regularly improves the life of the coolant and reduces costs.

Fluid recycling approaches

Acceptable solutions and the accompanying equipment to keep fluids clean are numerous and depend on the complexity of machinery and the manufacturing process. Fluid recycling equipment choices include sump cleaners, coolant recycling systems, high speed centrifuges, coalescers, oil skimmers, permanent magnet filters and magnetic chip conveyors.

Fluid recycling equipment can be portable to treat fluid at the machine, or a centrally located coolant recycling system can be used based on customer needs

and desires. For example, companies can achieve an excellent ROI with a simple sump cleaner instead of the traditional time-consuming methods used to dispose of fine particulates. A sump cleaner is a portable, powerful filter that helps shops clean machines efficiently and faster than a Shop-Vac or a shovel and rake. A sump cleaner reduces labor and downtime for cleaning the machine.

Looking ahead

The economic benefits of recycling metalworking coolant are many. The larger the shop, the larger the potential savings. Each time the coolant is reused, money is saved through decreased coolant purchasing and disposal costs. With attention — primarily by ensuring contaminants do not begin to interfere with performance — most coolants can be used many times before they must be replaced. PE Darrell Milton is director of heavy industry at Eriez.

Ronald Wendt is fluid recycling product manager at Eriez.

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INSIGHTS ROBOTICS

By Steve Alexander

Robots work to aid humans The industry is moving toward using collaborative robots (cobots), with force-sensing technology, to work alongside people

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he relationship between humans and robots has been evolving since the early days of industrial automation. When the first robots hit automotive assembly lines in the late 1970s, a robotic cell was an island unto itself — a wide area that people avoided during operation.

Today, people work side-by-side with robots in many industrial applications, creating more productive lines, safer conditions and happier employees.

This evolution has happened because of continual technological advances, including electric servo motors, advanced control software, state-of-the-art human-machine interfaces (HMIs) and safety components.

In the beginning

The first industrial robots were not built with human interaction in mind. Cells contained large areas on the shop floor, surrounded by fencing to cover the radius of a robot’s possible reach. Even if a robot wasn’t working directly in an area, that space needed to be sectioned off because the robot had the reach capability to breach that zone. At that time, there was no software to prevent the robot from using its full reach in all directions.

In the 1980s, electric servo-driven motors replaced hydraulic cylinders in robots. This allowed robots to be in the feedback loop so they could sense force and be more accurately controlled. Using newly developed software, a work envelope could be created for just the path where the robot was moving to do its task, thus reducing the required amount of fenced-in space.

Over time, the big fencing created a fear for some people that robots were extremely dangerous. They mis-interpreted what robots were saying. Robots don’t provide human-like subtle indicators, giving people the sense that robots can be unpredictable. These fears are unfounded.

Human-machine interfaces

With the evolution of HMIs, more people are communicating directly with robots. HMIs have advanced from elementary push-button pendants to intuitive touchscreen tablets, making it easy to interface with robots. The early robots required a specially trained person with an engineering background to program them. www.plantengineering.com

Modern HMIs progressed from simple touchscreens to wireless tablets with graphical icons so user-friendly that even an unskilled operator can program the robot to work with the next part or to set up a different job.

Cameras and vision systems

Robots once needed all inbound parts to be fixtured or oriented identically, which usually required a person to manually load those parts. Today’s cameras and vision systems allow robots to handle a variety of parts in different positions. Three-dimensional vision systems give robots the ability to pull different parts from a bin and compensate for the differences before loading into the system. An operator may only need to push a bin of parts up to the inbound side of a robot and then remove finished parts at the end of the line. While the robot is handling the dull, simple tasks, operators can work multiple lines, do different tasks and learn a variety of skills. Reducing the repetitive jobs like loading and unloading parts gives workers a stronger sense of engagement and less chance of injury, resulting in happier, healthier employees overall.

Collaborative robots

Today, the industry is moving toward using collaborative robots (cobots), equipped with force-sensing technology, to work alongside people. By sensing force and stopping a robot immediately upon contact, the system may no longer need fencing, and the footprint shrinks. Now robots work directly in tandem with people for a variety of applications that involve ergonomic challenges, safety concerns and repetitive motions. For example: • Machine manufacturing: a robot holds and rotates a large, heavy machine part so an operator can weld and grind on that part • Machine tending: an operator continually loads parts onto a grid plate so a robot can simultaneously remove parts to load into a machine • Auto assembly: a robot lifts and positions a spare tire for a worker to load into a car trunk • Metal fabrication: a robot holds a tray, a person loads parts onto the tray, then the robot inserts the tray into a furnace.

A maintenance technician’s relationship with robots has changed significantly over time. Real-time moniPLANT ENGINEERING

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toring and remote access to a robotic system allows the maintenance team to oversee operations while performing other functions. Essentially, the robot is continually reporting on itself. A system will identify a problem, create an alert on a technician’s device and provide diagnostics immediately, reducing downtime it would otherwise take to investigate a cause and identify the way to fix it.

To go one step further, monitoring systems can indicate a part is wearing excessively and predict when it will fail, allowing the manager to schedule downtime to replace it and avoid interfering with productivity.

Long-term system data helps create regular maintenance intervals and identify bigger problems that need to be addressed.

By preventing emergency repair situations and reducing the time to diagnose a problem with the robot, maintenance personnel can be more proactive and focus on the most important tasks in the facility.

Risk assessment

A certified robotics integrator will perform a risk assessment of any new or modified robotic system

following safety standards set by the Robotics Industry Association (RIA). This is especially important with collaborative robotic systems with increased potential contact points. Trained assessors look at how people may interact with robots during required tasks and evaluate the hazards.

After appropriate assessment, the integrator will design the proper safety measures into the system, such as safety interlocks, sensors, switches, scanners and light curtains. Safety software creates zones in the robot to monitor those safety inputs and lets the operator safely enter a zone. If safety signals are violated in that zone, the robot immediately stops. This allows robots and humans to continue working in harmony. PE Steve Alexander is vice president of operations for Acieta. Using his experience with machine tool and robotics technologies, he has spent 20 years helping manufacturers thrive in a competitive global economy. He began his career as a field service engineer. Since then, he has held roles in technical support and sales as well as leadership roles in parts and service.

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INSIGHTS ASSET MANAGEMENT

By Andrew Kowalik

Focus on asset health Consider digital asset management systems as the heart of your Industry 4.0 transformation to ensure health and competitiveness

W

hen companies can accurately pinpoint their high-risk assets, they can prioritize maintenance and repair work, justify and allocate their capital spending and increase their reliability and regulatory compliance. Unfortunately, judging asset health is as much art as it is science. Manufacturers’ maintenance schedules may do a good job of covering their liabilities, but they will empty your coffers. While the best machine operators have an intuitive sense about what it takes to keep things running smoothly, with increasing automation and workforce turnover that can’t be relied on the way it once could.

Automation aids asset maintenance

Fortunately, other aspects of industrial automation are making it easier to keep asset health in focus. Digital sensors, digital twins and software analytics combine to bring science into asset maintenance. In the process, they are revolutionizing how companies not only manage their assets, but also how they operate their businesses.

Traditionally, asset maintenance is accomplished by one of two methods: time-based or condition based. An example of time-based maintenance is the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule for the equipment. Condition-based maintenance monitors the equipment, applies analytics and uses the insights generated to determine the optimal maintenance schedule. It is often the better approach of the two given the complexity of assets and operations

Figure 1: Creating a digital twin of your entire operation by aggregating individual digital twins.

All images courtesy: Nokia www.plantengineering.com

today, the increasing digitalization and automation of industrial processes and the need for a reliable and flexible manufacturing environment, which calls for zero-downtime operations.

Digital twin for predictive maintenance

Industry 4.0 is changing asset management by introducing digital technologies that can monitor assets and optimize performance in real time. Machine and sensor data along with analytics can be used to create a virtual model or digital twin of the machine. The digital twin can then be used to assess the machine’s performance to more precisely pinpoint when it is likely to fail, commonly referred to as predictive maintenance.

There are many kinds of digital twins or virtual models depending on the problem being solved. In the case of predictive asset maintenance, the key is to compare actual performance data to historical performance data. With machine learning, the algorithms and the model become more precise based on actual experience. This added precision helps to schedule maintenance, repairs and replacements with greater accuracy, avoids downtime and helps with workforce management. It also can reduce the number of spares and the cost of ensuring redundancy.

The best analytics applications not only provide more precise estimates of when machines will fail, they will keep track of all your assets and focus attention on where the greatest risks lie. This often-complex calculation for asset managers is trivial for an analytics application, once you’ve fed it the data it needs. The application keeps track not only of the risk of failure, but also the time-to-repair and costto-repair and the likely cost of failure. It can then red flag issues posing the highest risk to the business.

However, this is only the beginning of an entirely different way of managing assets. Digital twins or virtual PLANT ENGINEERING

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INSIGHTS ASSET MANAGEMENT

Figure 2: An analytics program using machine learning and artificial intelligence has almost infinitely more capacity to sift through data, filtering, sorting and identifying action-impacting correlations.

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models don’t have to exist in isolation. It also is possible to connect digital twins and create a picture of your entire operation (see Figure 1).

The aggregation of twins creates system-level, factory-level and businesslevel views. This introduces the possibility of workflow optimization, where analytics programs can suggest areas for workflow improvement and redesigns that have factory-wide and business-wide impacts. This is where risk assessment models become valuable as the analytics programs can identify and measure the spillover effects of malfunctions and failures. This data can then be mapped to parameters such as cost, quality and even customer satisfaction.

There is never too much data for a software analytics program. For a human asset manager, the addition of all this extra data would quickly reach a point of diminishing return. An analytics program using machine learning and artificial intelligence has almost infinitely more capacity to sift through data, filtering, sorting and identifying actionimpacting correlations (see Figure 2).

Monitoring and controlling asset health is a good beginning. But as you evolve your operations using Industry 4.0 technologies, it is only the start of a much more ambitious, long-term digital transformation of your business. It is important in thinking through your digital asset management systems that you think of them as part of a platform for your entire business with a single, powerful analytics engine at the core.

It will be the heart of your Industry 4.0 transformation and ensure the health and competitiveness of your future business. PE Andrew Kowalik is strategy head of industrial markets in the Enterprise Business Group at Nokia.

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INNOVATIONS NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS

Gecko single pad (SP) gripper The Gecko Single Pad (SP) Gripper brings the innovative Gecko adhesive gripper technology to small-footprint applications that were previously impossible to automate. The gecko-inspired adhesive technology offers precise, no-mark gripping, even for perforated items such as circuit boards or for shiny surfaces, without the cleaning process. Named after their payload in kilos, the three different Gecko Single Pad grippers (SP1, SP3 and SP5) work with leading small robots and cobots.

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2F-85 & 2F-140 adaptive grippers The new Adaptive Grippers are less exposed to factory air, dust and fluids. Their finger bases have been redesigned to simplify fingertip changeover and ensure a reliable grip. The overall design is smoother and rounder, with every sharp edge removed. Each one also includes an accessories holder near the base. The new 2F-85 and 2F-140 are connected to Universal Robots’ safety function, making them more collaborative than ever.

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PLANT ENGINEERING

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