Automation World January 2023

The intelligent self-contained vision sensor from Datalogic can be taught what images represent a quality product or proper object orientation. The sensor can determine a pass/fail or good/no good condition and output a discrete signal. Verifying fill level, cap orientation, and label presence as the product exits a bottling line is one example of an application these sensors are designed for. They can even make complex decisions involving the color of a product for quality assurance purposes.

Profinet: Designed for Openness and Determinism 30

A look at Profinet’s development, from its origins in Profibus fieldbus communications to its ability to adapt to Ethernet’s ongoing evolution and provide the determinism required by many industrial users.

Training with Workflow and Simulation Software 36

As the next generation of workers comes to industry, proper training is critical to ensuring their success in complex, highly automated industrial environments. Here’s a look at how simulation and workflow software technologies are helping industrial companies more e ectively train new operators.

Precise Automation Required for Pick-and-Pack Machine

Using Mitsubishi Electric servo motors and intelligent drives enabled Hamrick Manufacturing to create a machine with a lower cost controller that reduced changeover times by nearly 98%.

EDITORIAL

David Greenfield Director of Content/Editor-in-Chief dgreenfield@automationworld.com / 678 662 3322

Stephanie Neil Senior Editor sneil@automationworld.com / 781 378 1652

Victoria Sanchez Managing Editor vsanchez@pmmimediagroup.com / 571-612-3200 x9298

Mike Prokopeak Senior Director, Content & Brand Growth James R. Koelsch, Lauren Paul, Jeanne Schweder and Beth Stackpole Contributing Writers

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PODCAST SERIES

Determining Metrics for MES

Sam Russem with system integrator Grantek explains how MES software tracks key production metrics and how manufacturers should go about assessing their operations to figure out which metrics to track with MES software.

AUTOMATION WORLD TV

How Decoupling Hardware and Software Extends Automation

Schneider Electric’s Michael Martinez explains how decoupling devices from software allows you to extend the life of automation systems while also improving their availability, scalability, and performance.

TECHNOLOGY MATTERS

Industry Shapes the Future of Automation

Companies such as Pfizer, Shell, ExxonMobil, and Intel show the value of automation and where it’s headed through their use of specific technologies.

AUTOMATION WORLD E-BOOK

Peer-to-Peer FAQ: Cybersecurity

Learn how to protect your company against bad cyber actors.

ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

Mitigating Cyber Risks in Operational Technology (OT), Buildings, and Critical Infrastructure

In this webinar, representatives from Advantech and Veridify Security will discuss the evolving cyber threat landscape, security implications of OT/IT convergence, elements of a Zero Trust security framework, and real-time protection, device-level cybersecurity with Intel-based Dome.

New Approaches: Version Control and Device Backup for Industrial Automation

How modern version control and backup tools work and are being applied in industrial automation.

Amazon Now Offers Supply Chain Software

By David Greenfield

Editor-In-Chief dgreenfield@automationworld.com

It was just a matter of time before the cloud services providers began offering their own versions of the software they’ve been hosting on their platforms for years. As an example of this shift, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is now offering its AWS Supply Chain application to “help businesses increase supply chain visibility to make faster, more informed decisions that mitigate risks, save costs, and improve customer experiences.”

Companies already using AWS Supply Chain include Traeger Grills, Lifetime Brands (supplier of home goods by brands such as Farberware and KitchenAid), and Amazon’s own Whole Foods Market.

Features of the cloud-based software are based on nearly 30 years of Amazon.com logistics network experience, says AWS. For example, the unified data lake feature of AWS Supply Chain uses machine learning models pretrained for supply chains to understand, extract, and transform disparate data into a unified data model. AWS says the data lake can “ingest data from a variety of data sources, including existing ERP and supply chain management systems.”

Another feature of AWS Supply Chain is its Insights module for information on potential supply chain risks—such as overstock or stock outs. When risks are detected, the software automatically evaluates rebalancing options to provide recommended actions. The options provided by the software are scored by the percentage of risk resolved, the distance between facilities, and the sustainability impact, according to AWS.

The Demand Planning feature of AWS Supply Chain reportedly adjusts to market conditions and allows for collaboration across teams to avoid excess inventory costs and waste. As with the

unified data lake component, this module of AWS Supply Chain also uses machine learning. Here it is used to analyze historical sales data and realtime data, create forecasts, and adjust models to improve accuracy.

AWS offers a free trial period of 60 days, which includes 1,000 product SKU location combinations to be used for AWS Supply Chain Insights and Demand Planning and 10 GB of data storage. Following that, pricing is listed as follows:

• Data Storage and services: importing of data is free, with the first 10 GB of data priced at $0.28/hour and $0.25 per GB/month for additional storage beyond the first 10 GB.

• Insights capabilities are priced at $0.40 per product SKU for the first 100K SKUs; $0.13 per product SKU for the next 900K SKUs, and $0.065 per product SKUs over 1 million.

• Demand planning pricing is $0.30 per product SKU for the first 100K SKUs, $0.10 per product SKU for the next 900K SKUs, and $0.035 per product SKU for SKUs over 1 million.

en ris s are detected, the so ware automatica eva uates re a ancing o tions to rovide recommended actions e o tions rovided the so ware are scored the ercentage o ris reso ved, the distance etween aci ities, and the sustaina i it im act

Industrial Companies Move Toward Open Automation Tech

By David Greenfield Editor-in-Chief

If there’s a holy grail in the field of automation, it’s true plug-and-play—or plug-and-produce— capability. But with decades of devices and software created to run on proprietary systems still in operation across industry, the plug-and-produce concept has faced an uphill battle against vendors’ business models until a few years ago when a few large end users began to demand easier interoperability of automation technologies more openly.

The most vocal and active among these end users was ExxonMobil with its support of the Open Process Automation Forum and its accompanying Open Process Automation Standard (O-PAS). A key aspect of ExxonMobil’s participation in the development of the O-PAS standard was its use of

nxtControl’s technology in the company’s proofof-concept testbed for the standard.

Schneider Electric acquired nxtControl in 2017 for its runtime software based on the IEC 61499 standard. IEC 61499 uses event-driven function blocks for industrial process measurement and control systems, allowing distribution of applications across multiple devices and systems, regardless of vendor.

What’s IEC 61499 got to do with it?

As Automation World contributing writer Stephanie Neil noted in her open automation coverage from the ARC Forum event in June 2022: “[IEC

61499] is not a programming language, but a system design language for distributed information.”

The standard does not define the programming language but does recommend the use of the IEC 61131-3 languages. The function blocks used in IEC 61499 act on local variables only, enabling it to be an independent and self-contained software component. The graphical nature of this function block application is familiar to automation engineers, making it easier for debugging and commissioning.

The IEC 61499 standard is core to the e orts of UniversalAutomation.org—an independent, notfor-profit association of users and vendors managing the implementation of a shared source runtime execution engine based on the IEC 61499 stan-

dard. UniversalAutomation.org seeks to provide the basis for “an ecosystem of portable, interoperable, plug-and-produce solutions to create an entirely new category within industrial automation,” according to the organization.

Greg Boucaud, chief marketing o cer of UniversalAutomation.org, said the organization is focused on two things: 1) Being a technology enabler with the event-driven function block use of IEC 61499 as a selfcontained software component; and 2) decoupling application software from hardware with application and device models, leading to a systems model where software components are mapped to devices. “With this, developers can write once and distribute across multiple UniversalAutomation.org-compliant devices,” he said.

Schneider Electric agrees that the IEC 61499 standard provides the groundwork for enabling “plug-and-produce” automation technology components, leading it to help develop and support UniversalAutomation.org.

John Conway, president of UniversalAutomation.org, said, no one company can deliver everything needed for industry’s interoperable digital transformation, but UniversalAutomation.org helps make this possible by delivering an implementable version of the IEC standard for integration across multivendor platforms.

Insights from ExxonMobil, Intel, and Wood PLC

At the Schneider Electric Innovation Summit 2022, David DeBari, control systems engineering associate at ExxonMobil; Brad Bonnette, technical director of applied intelligence at Wood PLC, a consulting and engineering company targeting the energy and materials markets; and Richard Kerslake, general manager of industrial control and robotics at Intel, spoke about their support for UniversalAutomation.org.

“Intel is a big believer in software-defined control systems,” said Kerslake. “Today you think of [automation in] discrete boxes, such as PLCs and HMIs. Here [with IEC 61499], we break the bonds between hardware and software, which makes the whole lifecycle easier in terms of deployment and updates. And having the flexibility to choose best-of-breed hardware is about protecting your investments.”

DeBari added that he is also a strong advocate for the hardware and software separation abilities of IEC 61499. “I’ve been using the 61499 runtime for years and it’s proven to be very capable. [At ExxonMobil] we started proof of concept tests with it back in 2017 and we’ve tortured it ever since. We want to know if we can break it.”

He noted that the state-based control model used in IEC 61499 has proven very robust and

portable. “We’re doing a rip and replace for a new open process automation system at one of our chemical plants with 2,000 instruments and hundreds of loops—and we’re using 61499 as the logic. We have no doubt this will work,” DeBari said. “We found that the features, portability, distribution, and event-driven capability of IEC 61499 takes you o the clock cycle. This is going to make enough money [for ExxonMobil] that it’ll clear accounting hurdles easily.”

Bonette added that industry should not view the runtime engine as the value of IEC 61499. “It [the runtime engine] does its job and I don’t have to think about it. The value is in using embedded intelligence in software control. It allows us to focus on high value add components, like increasing the level of intelligence applied to process control instead of having to rewrite it for every hardware platform. You shouldn’t have to think about the hardware platform when you buy a control application.”

Wood is currently working with IEC 61499 on complex control strategies like emissions. “We’re applying it to thermal oxidizer logic across multiple pieces of equipment,” Bonette said. “We can build in fault tolerance and resilience, enabling it to adapt because it is grounded in state-based control.”

Kerlsake said Intel is working with Exxon and Schneider Electric on a new generation of Distributed Control Nodes (DCNs) using IEC 61499. These DCNs are field-level edge devices capable of control functions and running applications. He added that they’re also focusing on Linux-based edge controls for industrial applications.

Beyond control applications, Bonnette believes IEC 61499 can also be used to support the next generation of cybersecurity through the development of apps that include authentication and verification principles.

Compliant hardware and software

Having the IEC 61499 runtime engine supported broadly by industry was a first step. The next step, of course, is having compliant hardware available on the market for broad implementation.

Though UniversalAutomation.org was launched less than a year ago, several available automation hardware devices that support IEC 61499 include:

• Advantech’s UNO 430 ruggedized industrial PC;

• ESA Automation’s EW420 ruggedized industrial PC;

• Flexbridge’s IceBlock intelligent wireless dnode;

• Stahl’s IS1+ remote I/Os;

• Schneider Electric’s Modicon M251 machine PLC, Modicon M580 process PLC; and ATV variable speed drive card.

On the software side, Schneider Electric o ers its Ecostruxure Automation Expert, which uses IEC 61499 to decouple hardware and software to provide one common language to connect all systems. According to the company, Ecostruxure Automation Expert’s native IT/OT convergence via IEC 61499 helps it integrate with advanced IT applications, tools, and technologies for industrial use. And its asset-centric design with pre-developed asset models can be used to make it easier to reuse portable automation objects.

“When you start looking at this, you realize the control paradigm is going to change,” said DeBari. “You can break the 61499 into parts and run them in di erent places. We made each compute node do only one thing in a series of devices totaling 38 I/O points and 56 computers in a PID loop and it worked. And we’ve run it at 1 ms and below using general purpose compute and network capabilities. This is why we’re confident it can run our chemical plants that have highly energetic processes if not managed properly.”

e gra hica nature o this unction oc a ication is ami iar to automation engineers, ma ing it easier or de ugging and commissioning

e mart ensor redictive aintenance onnection

By David Greenfield Editor-in-Chief

For several years now, case studies have been showing that predictive maintenance delivers the most bang for the buck for manufacturers of all sizes. This is hardly surprising given that adding a few additional sensors and access to predictive maintenance software—much of which is cloud-based and can be purchased on a monthly or annual basis—can very quickly deliver insights into equipment health to help avoid unplanned downtime and improve scheduled maintenance activities.

The money saved here goes directly to the company’s bottom line, providing a quick return on investment on these new sensor and software technology purchases.

In fact, industry’s uptake of these sensor and software technologies can be seen in the rapid growth of the predictive maintenance technology market. Interact Analysis, an international technology research firm, expects the predictive maintenance technology market to reach a valuation of nearly $1 billion by 2024.

Understanding smart sensors

Considering the critical role smart sensors play in this growing predictive maintenance market, it helps to understand how they di er from traditional, legacy industrial sensors. According to Blake Gri n, senior analyst with Interact Analysis, “most smart sensors utilize a capacitive MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems) technology to take readings. These sensors are placed on equipment to gather various data points, most commonly vibration and temperature measurements. Smart sensors then transmit this information wirelessly to a data collector or gateway. When analyzed, this data is particularly useful for assessing the health of equipment as the level of vibration and temperature usually increases as equipment becomes faulty.”

Gri n added that these smart sensors were first largely used in consumer electronics. Their widespread use in consumer technologies helped suppliers achieve “economies of scale in these ap-

plications, enabling the smart sensor concept [to be adapted] for industrial applications. The result is a product with a low price point which allows users to cost-e ectively expand the amount of equipment monitored in their facilities.”

The low cost and ease of implementation due to wireless communication capabilities in smart sensors make it easy for industrial companies to deploy many more sensors than has been typical with legacy wired sensor technologies. This eases the transition from condition monitoring to predictive maintenance.

How smart sensors enable predictive maintenance

Predictive maintenance requires analysis of historical data to assess if equipment is trending towards a failure. Gri n notes that machine learning (ML) algorithms are increasingly being used by analytics software providers to “enhance the understanding of the application being measured” based on the historical data produced by the smart sensor.

“This not only expands the number of applications able to be monitored beyond well understood ones, it also increases the amount of time operation managers have to resolve a piece of equipment that is trending towards failure,” he says.

While these ML algorithms are predominantly used in predictive maintenance analytic software,

Gri n says Interact Analysis is seeing some cases where these algorithms are being embedded in the smart sensor to “determine what data is relevant before transmitting that data to the software for deeper analysis.”

Gri n expects this trend of embedding ML algorithms on the sensor as an important future trend for the sensor technology market.

“Since the advent of smart sensors, major automation vendors like ABB, Siemens, WEG, and Nidec have all released their own versions,” Griffin says. “We expect this trend to continue as the product is desperately needed for manufacturers to begin generating tangible benefits from IIoT technology.”

Find out how your peers across industry are using sensor technologies and artificial intelligence to improve their operations.

How Siemens’ Amberg Factory Uses Red Hat OpenShift

By David Greenfield Editor-in-Chief

Among the clearest pieces of evidence that the industrial digital transformation is underway is the increasing use of tools once reserved solely for IT in operations technology (OT) applications. In many cases, automation technology suppliers are showing the way by implementing these technologies in their own production operations.

A case in point is Siemens, whose Amberg electronics plant in Germany has moved away from a legacy Oracle system it used to run operational systems such as order management. This order management system at the Amberg facility manages 350 changeover processes between di erent production lines to ensure the right tools are in place and to update system status.

To replace the legacy system, Siemens is now using Red Hat OpenShift to create a more modular, microservices-based IT/OT architecture. This move allows developers at Siemens to apply artificial intelligence-generated data insights for smaller-scope changes to avoid disrupting operations.

Red Hat OpenShift is an enterprise Kubernetes container platform deployed on premises in Siemens’ Amberg data center to create a cloud-native, modular architecture for its operational processes and systems.

According to Siemens, making changes to the previous Oracle system required planned system downtime due to the larger scope updates required by that system. Any unplanned downtime to the order management system on the Oracle system could impact the ability to meet the facility’s daily production goals for some 1,200 di erent products. Siemens Simatic products such as controllers, HMI, SCADA, and I/O are produced at the Amberg factory.

Amberg’s applicationOpenShift

With the improved data collection and analysis enabled by Red Hat OpenShift, Siemens’ developers can gain insights into current production system conditions and evaluate opportunities

for ongoing improvement. Siemens is also using Red Hat OpenShift to automate routine tasks and support code reuse, enabling operations to continuously improve the performance of its production systems.

“Using Red Hat OpenShift at our Amberg facility means our developers can be more involved and see the real-time changes that occur when applying data insights to our production operations,” said Christian Schulze, IT project manager at Siemens Amberg. “Time savings as small as tenths of a second add up in an integrated production line like ours. It generates 4.5 million requests each day, and even millisecond improvements in processing time can have a positive e ect.”

Integrated GitOps capabilities (which automate application development processes) in OpenShift enable more frequent updates and deployment of applications for uses such as predictive maintenance and quality assurance. These updates also continuously improve the prediction accuracy of OpenShift’s artificial intelligence tools used to analyze the Amberg’s factory data in the cloud.

Siemens is also using Red Hat OpenShift to address cybersecurity threats to its manufacturing systems. This is provided by Red Hat via ongoing patches and bug fixes for the entire container application stack.

“Security has become an increasing concern, given the value of our data, the complexity of our operations, and the potential cost of disruption,” said Schulze. “Even though our central IT team is only 80 km away in Munich, we cannot have any interruption in connectivity that would slow a production line in our manufacturing facility. Red Hat OpenShift allows us to complete patches on a rolling schedule with no disruption to daily production.”

When assembling printed circuit boards at the Amberg facility, AI provides insights into the probability of errors in the printed circuit boards. Source: Siemens

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Does Data Need to be Standardized?

By David Greenfield Editor-in-Chief

No matter where you’re at in your digital transformation process, the core requirement of connecting automated machines or systems for any kind of Industry 4.0 or Internet of Things integration or analyses requires data standardization. The reason for this is that data from these various systems is created in many ways. Therefore, to make each system’s data understandable, transferable, and digestible in real time by any other system, standardization of the originating system’s data is a must.

That’s why you’re hearing so much about UNS (unified namespace). As described by Will Aja of systems integrator Panacea Technologies, “UNS allows for a central location to be the source of data for your plant’s assets. This central repository then allows connections to edge devices as well as other platforms and databases, thereby decreasing the number of separate connections that must be maintained.”

Aja adds that “UNS is not only here to stay but is becoming the default deployment option. The majority of our projects in the past several years have included partial or complete utilization of a UNS.”

While a UNS serves as the critical data connector, it is just an architecture designed to be used in this manner. How the data within it is handled can be done in several di erent ways depending on how the UNS is built.

John Harrington, co-founder and chief product o cer at HighByte, the supplier of Intelligence Hub (software designed for industrial data modeling, delivery, and governance), says industrial companies have three options to building a UNS when using Intelligence Hub.

MQTT broker

Over the past several years now, MQTT has become a preferred method for making plant floor data accessible to multiple sources in a way that does not impact the performance of the plant’s equipment. According to Harrington, the most frequently deployed UNS architecture involves building it in an MQTT broker. In this manner, data from multiple systems is published to the UNS via a topic structure in the MQTT broker. This basic structure usually follows the broad ISA-95 outline of company, site, area, line, work cell, and asset.

These steps alone, however, do not address all the data management challenges involved. The topic namespace with relevant data payloads still needs to be logically structured and MQTT requires further support for publishing and subscribing applications. Harrington says this is where Intelligence Hub can help.

“The Intelligence Hub can consume data from multiple sources, assemble the data into logical payloads that follow the ISA-95 structure or other standards, and publish the payload to the UNS,” he says. “The Intelligence Hub can also be used to subscribe to data in the UNS and then publish it to systems via MQTT or through REST APIs, SQL databases, or OPC namespaces for those systems that don’t communicate over MQTT.”

Data lakes

Rather than adjust existing system integrations, some companies prefer to send their data to a cloud-based data lake for use by analytics or dashboard visualization applications. Even here, data standardization and contextualization are still required due to the varied origins of the data as noted above. Here, Intelligence Hub can serve as a UNS gateway.

“Models in the Intelligence Hub consolidate and standardize data into contextualized information objects, while flows in the Intelligence Hub target data to the specific location in the data lake or cloud broker where they are needed,” explains Harrington.

Integration hub

This is type of UNS implementation referenced above by Aja. Here the focus is not on creating a central broker, but on integration—which helps explains the interest from system integrators—as it standardizes data for transfer among systems.

Harrington explains that, in this hub-and-spoke architecture, Intelligence Hub serves as the UNS integration hub. “The Intelligence Hub makes connections to source systems, ingests the data, and standardizes and contextualizes the data into information objects specifically designed for the consuming application,” he says. “By providing a

code-free user interface, Intelligence Hub eliminates the need for custom-coded integrations or additional data transformations and reduces integration maintenance.”

To further clarify why this hub-and-spoke approach is preferred to other methods of data centralization and transference for integration projects, Aja says, “Data historians, for example, often involve a complex series of drivers and connectors to roll the data up into the centralized storage, whereas the UNS model allows for a single connection to the UNS to collect all the data. The reporting platform can then query the UNS, which knows to query the data historian (and other databases if required) to return the desired data. This helps eliminate the complexity, points of failure, and maintenance costs required to keep vast amounts of connectors updated and operable.”

Robot Safety Awareness

By David Greenfield Editor-in-Chief

When it comes to automation technologies, robots always draw the most interest and attention. This happens for two reasons: 1) robots are fascinating to watch in action; 2) robots are helping to address realworld labor issues that are, in some cases, crippling production operations.

Amid this fascination with robot kinetics and the labor issues they’re helping to resolve, one issue that isn’t always adequately addressed is robot safety. Even with ever-safer robot technologies emerging via the growth of collaborative robots and technologies that can make industrial robots more collaborative, robots are still moving equipment that require safety assessments the same as any other automated machinery.

To raise awareness of this issue, Festo Didactic and Sick have created a safety awareness training package that focuses on robot risk assessments and related safety implementations. This package includes a Festo Didactic Manufacturing Production system and a simulated smart factory featuring a six-axis robot, Sick area scanners, a safety PLC, and a safety relay.

Though this safety awareness training package has been established in several community colleges and universities across the country, its use is not limited to students. Workers in industry can also sign up for the safety awareness course to upskill their robotics knowledge.

Beyond helping students and workers understand the importance of risk assessments, the training course is also helping them understand what to do with the digital data captured in the process. The curriculum features a six-step method around robotics and automation equip-

ment safety to ensure students understand risk assessments, safe design, technical protective measures, administrative information about residual risks, and machine validation and deployment.

Festo and Sick designed the curriculum to be robot agnostic so that it can be used by all robot manufacturers.

Listen to this podcast on machine risk assessments.

Aveva Outlines Its Technology Plans

By David Greenfield Editor-in-Chief

With the recent acquisition of Aveva by Schneider Electric (which already owned a sizable stake in the company), many current and perspective users may be wondering about the future direction of the company. Aveva executives sought to clarify this at the Aveva World 2022 event in San Francisco.

Peter Herweck, CEO of Aveva, said Aveva will continue to operate as a separate company under the Schneider Electric umbrella. “Aveva will become a private operation in a large, publicly listed company.” He added that Schneider Electric is Aveva’s “largest client today” and most of Aveva’s software is already part of Schneider Electric’s technology offerings.

With Aveva’s stated goal of bringing together its technologies into one end-to-end, artificial intelligence-infused software for engineering and

Aveva's Rob McGreevy explaining the company's technology vision at Aveva World San Francisco 2022.

Aveva CEO Peter Herweck.

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operations, all accessible via one pane of glass, the task lies in achieving this broad-based integration.

Rob McGreevy, chief product officer at Aveva, explained the work ongoing at Aveva to achieve this vision.

“We will continue to offer a modular, not monolithic, approach with the intent to create an open, vendor neutral environment to deliver an industrial software platform,” he said, explaining that 30-40% of that data that comes into Aveva’s engineering and operations software comes “from other company’s products. The PI System (acquired by Aveva from OSIsoft in 2020) was a leader in this. And it’s the same with Wonderware InTouch HMI/SCADA (acquired by Aveva in 2018 via the merger with Schneider Electric, which had owned Wonderware since 2014 with its acquisition of Invensys).”

McGreevy said Aveva is essentially blending different user interfaces to connect systems from the edge to the enterprise. Based on this approach, Aveva plans to release the “first-ever coordinated HMI/SCADA release in 2023 via the integration of the Aveva Historian and PI systems to the cloud-based Aveva Data Hub,” McGreevy said. “This takes the HMI concept and applies it to the enterprise.”

To optimize both equipment assets and operational processes, McGreevy said the combined

forthcoming system will be able to schedule work based on data-driven performance plans and asset maintenance predictions. This will involve the integration of Aveva artificial-intelligence-powered analytics and the PI system to connect operational processes and analytics.

As an example of what will be possible for industrial companies with these combined technologies, McGreevy noted Thai petrochemical company SCG now saves 40% on maintenance costs after digitalizing its equipment and processes data through application of the PI system. “SCG achieved a 9x return on investment (ROI) in 6 months using predictive analytics, mobile operator technology, Unified Operations Center, and the PI system,” he said.

He added that Aveva’s vision is to create a connected community where users still own all their data but can securely share it with equipment vendors, suppliers, and customers. “Digitizing this value chain—from design to operations—helps identify and minimize costs,” said McGreevy.

The ability to access a digital twin of assets, processes, and sites gives users information needed to improve operations and maintenance as well as training. With digital twins built on this coordinated data, engineering efficiencies can be increased by 30%, McGreevy added. “It’s more than linking documents for access,

its’s about delivering additional information to a worker as it’s presented; for example: Do you need a ladder to access the equipment [to perform the required maintenance]?”

Learn more about the trend toward HMI/SCADA becoming core to enterprise-level software.

How Pfizer, Shell, and others are digitally transforming their operations.

others

SCG Chemicals plant in Thailand. Source: SCG Chemicals Business

Robot Piece Picking Advances with Artificial Intelligence

By David Greenfield Editor-in-Chief

Artificial intelligence applications have been growing rapidly in a variety of industrial technologies, ranging from data analytics and quality inspections to autonomous mobile robots. Now the technology is being applied to robotic grasping applications to enable accurate picking and placing of random objects in unstructured and changing environments.

Siemens says it is working to “democratize artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled robotics by encapsulating systems for complex problems in easy-to-use software.” To this end, the company is developing an as-yet-to-be-named software technology designed for use by system integrators and OEMs to create cost-effective, advanced AI-driven piece-picking systems that can “reliably pick and place objects that are unknown to the system at runtime.”

Differentiating factors

Traditional automated pick-and-place systems follow fixed, pre-programmed routines in a structured environment. Applying AI enables robotics to perform generic tasks in unstructured and dynamically changing environments.

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Explaining how the technology Siemens is developing differs from the use of 3D vision to enable robots to pick and place random objects, Dr. Eugen Solowjow, head of the Robotics & AI Research Group at Siemens, said, “picking and placing unknown objects is still relatively new. It has existed for, at most, two years in the market and, up until now, has not been very commonly distributed. These systems rely on AI—more precisely Deep Neural Network technology—to pick objects that are unknown to the system during setup and/or engineering.”

Thus, the key differentiator with the developing Siemens technology is its ability to pick unknown objects.

According to Siemens, this new software will enable users to move from using robotic systems with static pick points to an AI-driven piece picking robot in less than an hour. Setup for the system is accomplished in four steps: set the robot arm and related end-of-arm tooling to move safely to static pick-and-place points; mount the 3D camera; install the Siemens software for piece picking on the target runtime hardware of choice; follow the guided setup via the user interface for calibration.

With these steps implemented, calculated pick points are then continuously provided to the robot motion program, enabling the robot to grasp any object.

“The set up takes only 30 minutes through an easy and straightforward calibration process,” said Solowjow. “The user interface is very simple and clear.”

Target applications for this technology include order fulfillment operations with a high number of SKUs requiring 500-1,200 picks per hour, such as goods-to-person tote picking, conveyor induction and sortation in e-commerce, e-grocery warehouse automation, and food and beverage packaging.

IIoT solutions and analytics software detect compressed air leaks saving manufacturers over 20% in energy costs.

Camera and robot agnostic

A key aspect of Siemens’ piece picking software technology is that OEMs and integrators can use any robot, gripper, or vision system. The software supports multiple RGB-D 3D camera manufacturers, allows for the robot arm to be chosen based on the application, and is modularly designed with robot system designers in mind. The runtime platform can be integrated into a Siemens Simatic S7-1500 TM (Technology Module) MFP (multifunctional platform) PLC or any industrial PC to operate independently of any robot/vision system.

To enable the software to be robot hardware agnostic, Solowjow said, “We use the Siemens Simatic Robot Integrator and Library, which act as an abstraction layer and enable universal communication between the PLC and various robots of different makes.”

As for robot grippers, Solowjow said grippers “usually support generic communication protocols such as Profinet. Gripper specifics—such as their geometry or suction cup diameter—can be addressed through calibration.

Software capabilities

Inputs to the Siemens pre-trained, AI-powered

vision software in the PLC come from the 3D camera’s point cloud, with the output being the grasp pose for any object at runtime. A Siemens HMI is used to interface with the PLC and software; and Siemens TIA Portal can be used to program the entire system—Siemens PLC and HMI as well as the robots, vision system, and gripper.

Solowjow noted that the software requires the PLC to have Siemens’ TM MFP, which allows for edge computing applications on Simatic controllers. The TM MFP is designed for integrating various independent applications, he explained, and will be extended to other platforms such as Siemens Industrial Edge, industrial PCs, and cloud platforms.

The Siemens AI-driven piece picking system also provides for collision avoidance for all actions in the robot workspace, enables robots to master challenges such as handling tightly packed boxes using low-cost 3D cameras, and reduces errors through features such as automatic bin detection.

“We pretrain the AI skill for grasping using simulation,” said Solowjow. “Similar to a human, the AI learns how to grasp in general—as opposed to specific objects—so that grasping of unknown or previously unseen objects is possible.”

The Siemens AI picking software is robot and end-of-arm tooling agnostic. In its exhibit at PACK EXPO 2022, Siemens used a KUKA Agilus KR3 robot and a Robotiq EPick vacuum gripper to demonstrate the technology.

This engineer just set up several ultrasonic sensors for a new machine line. Despite the varying ranges he had to set, he used a single software application. He set the distances. He adjusted gain. He filtered out anomalies. And those settings will remain for future replacement sensors.

That was “Simply easy!”

Emerson’s Plantweb Incorporates AspenTech Software to Expand Automation Capabilities

By David Greenfield Editor-in-Chief

Automation trends are not as rare as they once were. Today we can easily see new trends around robots-as-a-service, innovative new methods of material handling, and remote monitoring, just to name a few. But one of the early trends in automation that’s clearly still going strong is the shift toward the importance of software.

That’s not to imply that automation hardware isn’t critical. It’s just that many hardware features and functions have become commoditized to a large degree, leading companies to differentiate and innovate through the capabilities of specific software packages.

This trend has become important as the worlds of IT and operations technology (OT) converge across industry.

The most recent example of this trend can be seen in Emerson’s announcement that it is incorporating AspenTech’s portfolio of asset optimization software into its Plantweb digital ecosystem. This combina-

22_004416_Automation_World_JAN Mod: November 23, 2022 3:48 PM Print: 12/12/22 4:28:52 PM page 1 v7

tion of technologies is a result of Emerson’s transaction with AspenTech in May 2022. That transaction involved Emerson contributing $6 billion to AspenTech in exchange for a 55% stake in the company.

Prior to the addition of Aspentech’s software, key features of Plantweb have been its Optics Analytics, Insight, and digital twin software to optimize plant-wide systems performance via insights into plant assets and their operating condition; pervasive sensing technologies for non-intrusive measurement of process and asset variables; and data management technologies to ease the process of data identification, contextualization, security and governance.

Emerson says AspenTech’s software leverages the information provided by Plantweb’s other components to “enable companies to optimize the business and sustainability performance of their plants and enterprise through advanced asset and business optimization software.”

Mark Bulanda, executive president of Emerson’s Automation Solutions business, said, “Our Plantweb digital ecosystem, combined with the asset optimization leadership of AspenTech, gives organizations the ability to see, decide, act, and optimize every aspect of their operations to drive exceptional returns on automation investment in productivity, safety, and sustainability.”

Here’s how Emerson explains the “see, decide, act, and optimize” capabilities of the newly expanded Plantweb with AspenTech:

• The ability to “see” is provided via Emerson’s sensing and measurement technologies, via capabilities such as leak and corrosion detection, tank, safety and equipment monitoring, personnel awareness, process measurements, and liquid and gas analysis.

• Automation systems and software, such as batch and advanced control, SCADA, PLCs, safety systems, asset and alarm management, remote monitoring, artificial intelligence and digital twins, enable the “decide” capability through analytics and improved visibility. Emerson says its software drives better decisions through on-demand access to expertise, while auto-

mated workflows empower personnel to focus on high-value activities rather than low-value tasks.

• Emerson technologies such as digital valve control, process isolation, pressure regulation, motion control, and air handling provide the “act” capabilities to protect people, equipment, and the environment.

• The ability to “optimize” has expanded with AspenTech’s software via the ability to perform capital estimation, facility modeling, economic analysis, reservoir modeling, planning and scheduling, process and dynamic simulation, process knowledge management, supply chain management, process and energy analytics, management execution, electricity grid management, and operations and asset performance management.

Boundless automation

Following on this trend around the centrality of software to industrial automation, Peter Zornio, chief technology officer for Emerson, said, “Plantweb has remained a platform for continuous innovation in the industry since its introduction in 1997, including the world’s first integrated digital safety loop, machinery health monitoring, and the pervasive deployment of wireless technologies. Now Plantweb sets the software foundation for the future of ‘boundless automation,’ where the intelligent field, edge, and cloud become a seamless architecture for world-class responsiveness and performance.”

The core of this “boundless automation” vision is the ability to more easily manage, connect, and deliver both OT and IT data across the enterprise— from the field to the cloud.

Bulanda noted that the historical automation architectures we’re all familiar with were purposebuilt, with operational data isolated from hardware and software systems. These architectures, by design, created layers of automation, across which data could not easily be shared. But as industrial businesses move toward decentralized

operating models and self-optimizing plants, there has been a growing demand for a unified software environment that allows for data to stream across the enterprise when and where it’s needed.

Zornio added, “The shift to a software-defined architecture across the cloud, edge, and intelligent field will eliminate functional and architectural

silos” to create this “boundless automation” platform. “Such a platform is required to truly enable all the benefits promised by digital transformation applications and programs,” he said.

Responsive Experts p p

Read about Plantweb’s use of augmented reality for asset management.

The Power of Vision

Murrelektronik has developed efficient and economical system solutions for integrating industrial image processing systems. The advantages include minimal installation effort as a result of decentralized, pluggable modules that can be mounted directly on the machine.

This achieves the goal of maximum performance with minimum wiring effort. The compact, powerful module is located right where it is needed. All in all, this saves installation time and reduces installation efforts while offering maximum availability enhanced by LED diagnostics each module. As a result, control cabinet components for connecting camera systems are replaced by a decentralized installation systems.

Quality Assurance Using Scanning Acoustic Microscopy

By David Greenfield Editor-in-Chief

Most automated quality inspection technologies involve machine vision systems and aspects of artificial intelligence-powered software to speed the identification of part defects. But visionbased quality inspection is not the only quality inspection technology available. Another option is scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM).

Also known as ultrasonic non-destructive testing, SAM can identify small defects during manufacturing and analyze the specific root cause of a failure when a device fails in the field.

Hari Polu, president of Okos, a supplier of industrial SAM systems, says the SAM technology makes it possible for manufacturers to move to a higher level of failure analysis because of SAM’s ability to detect defects at a 50-micron level. “With this type of testing, we can inspect materials and discover flaws that were previously undetected,” Polu says.

He adds that a growing number of manufacturers are equipping their R&D and quality assurance labs with SAM, as well as integrating it into production lines for inspection. According to Polu, SAM testing is already the industry standard for inspection of semiconductor components to identify defects such as voids, cracks, and the delamination of different layers within microelectronic devices.

How SAM works

Using SAM, sound is directed from a transducer toward a small point on a target object. To produce an image for quality analyses based on the sound pulses, scans are produced. These scans range from single to multiple layers, which can include up to 50 independent layers. These multi-layer scans allow for “depth-specific information to be extracted and applied to create two-and three-dimensional images without the need for time-consuming tomographic scan procedures or X-ray equipment,” says Polu.

These images are then analyzed by software to detect and characterize flaws such as cracks and voids.

Polu says advanced, phased array SAM systems can detect minute flaws in specialty metals and alloys.

SAM at scale

Even though small manufacturers can use a tabletop SAM system for scan envelopes of more than 300mm with a scan velocity up to 500 mm/s and accuracy and repeatability of +/- 5.0 micron, larger manufacturers typically require higher speed inspection capabilities.

Performing such high-speed inspections with 100% accuracy, as typically required by semiconductor manufacturers, requires automated equipment that can simultaneously inspect several layers, often on multiple channels.

“When high throughput is required for 100% inspection, ultra-fast single or dual gantry scanning systems are utilized along with 128 sensors for phased array scanning,” says Polu. “Multiple transducers can also be used to simultaneously scan for higher throughput.”

Polu noted that an advanced phased array with up to 128 sensors and accompanying software can enable inspection times of five minutes for granular detection of small impurities or defects, compared to the 45-minute inspection time required for a 5 MHz sensor to inspect an 8–10-in. square or disc alloy.

The Okos software designed to accompany the physical and mechanical SAM scans enable A, B, and C scans, contour following, off-line analysis, and virtual rescanning for composites, metals, and alloys. Polu says this results in highly accurate internal and external inspection for defects and thickness measurement via the inspection software.

“Various software modes can be simple and user friendly, advanced for detailed analysis, or automated for production scanning,” says Polu. “An off-line analysis mode is also available for virtual scanning.”

Okos’s software-driven SAM model enables the company to reduce the costs of SAM testing while still delivering high quality inspection results, thus putting SAM technology “well within reach of even modest testing labs,” Polu says.

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PROFINET:

Designed for Openness and Determinism

A look at Profinet’s development, from its Profibus fieldbus origins to its adpatability amid industrial Ethernet’s evolution, and how it provides the determinism required by many industrial users.

By James R. Koelsch, contributing writer

John Smith, director of the New Freedom wastewater treatment plant, monitors remote data via Profinet communications. Photo Courtesy: Phoenix Contact

When your factory runs only three months a year, you’re always investing in ways to increase the yield from your equipment. That’s why Joey Scarborough, general manager of the cotton gin facility owned by the Mildstead Farm Group in Shorter, Ala., chose Profinet for its industrial Ethernet communications to pass data between controllers and automation devices.

Part of Milstead Farm’s operating strategy is to be proactive at continuously maintaining and improving the gin’s equipment and process controls. A combination of proper maintenance and new equipment has been largely responsible for a gradual, but steady increase in the gin’s productivity over the years. Production topped 50 bales per hour in 2018, double the initial 25 bales an hour that the gin could process when operations began in 1998.

Scarborough believes Milstead Farm’s program of continuous improvement will be easier to perpetuate with Profinet as the backbone protocol of its control network. This open protocol defines both cyclic and acyclic communications among the Profinet components connected to standard Ethernet cables. With the protocol, the network can accommodate any Profinet product developed by

MAKING SENSE OF INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

At the New Freedom wastewater plant, a fiber-optic ring connects these redundant RFC 460R controllers and the Profinet Media Redundancy Protocol provides millisecond fault recovery time. Photo:

hundreds of automation vendors. This includes programmable logic controllers (PLCs), programmable automation controllers (PACs), drives, robots, input-output devices (I/Os), and diagnostic tools.

At Milstead Farm, Profinet was initially installed as part of an upgrade project aimed at fine-tuning the company’s process controls and adding some new moisture-control equipment to help the humidifier keep pace with rising production levels. The company was already using Profibus for its plant floor fieldbus communications. The upgrade included replacing an obsolete PLC with a more powerful one and changing a local I/O rack at the end of the 2017 ginning season. At the end of the following season, Profinet was installed to network the two controllers in the plant.

Profinet also prepares Milstead Farm’s gin for the future. Although the existing Profibus network was still performing quite well, it was approaching its design limits in terms of node counts and cable distance, according to David Adams, the systems integrator at Design Automated Controls who performed the upgrade.

Besides extending these limits, Profinet also increased data transfer rates and integrated easily with the company’s existing Profibus network. The

new central processing unit (CPU) has Profibus and Profinet onboard, so it permits the machinery still using the Profibus protocol to communicate seamlessly with the control system.

Perhaps just as important is the path that Profinet opens for future upgrades. Among the first upgrades Milstead Farms has planned are the new Ethernet-based human-machine interfaces (HMIs) to replace the five aging HMIs on the Profibus network. The new HMIs will provide Milstead Farms with more—and better— troubleshooting tools.

Building on the past to create the future

In a way, the migration toward Profinet at Milstead Farm reflects the lessons learned from its predecessor, the Profibus fieldbus. “The experiences gained from building Profibus during the 1990s helped immensely when the time came to introduce Profinet in the early 2000s,” explains Michael Bowne, executive director, Profibus and Profinet International (PI) North America.

His reasoning is that a fully functional fieldbus does more than simply transfer bits and bytes among devices on the factory floor. It also

Courtesy Phoenix Contact

MAKING SENSE OF INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

facilitates such things as diagnostics, configuration, redundancy, vertical integration, functional safety, and energy management. “Many of these capabilities in Profibus are baked into Profinet,” says Bowne.

The big di erence between the two, of course, lies in the physical layer. Whereas Profibus relies on RS-485, Profinet uses Ethernet. “This opens a world of possibilities,” observes Bowne. “Ethernet speeds are orders of magnitude greater.” Profinet’s telegram size is also larger, and Ethernet’s full-duplex nature allows Profinet to send and receive data simultaneously.

Besides handling larger amounts of bi-directional data, the Ethernet-based backbone also permits open communications. “Other protocols—such as OPC UA or HTTP—can coexist on a Profinet network,” says Bowne, indicating that “the network is now an infrastructure.”

These attributes have enabled Profinet to

grow beyond its historic uses in industrial automation networking.

“The very first iteration of Profinet was developed for machine-to-machine integration,” notes Bowne. At the time, it was believed that “serial-based fieldbuses like Profibus would be used at the field level and that horizontal integration at the controller level would be achieved via Ethernet-based Profinet.”

Almost immediately, however, the automation industry found that Profinet would also work at the field level. Consequently, Profinet has progressed over the two decades since to include features for motion control, process automation, functional safety, and energy management.

Another benefit of Profinet is its determinism, which is not a native characteristic of Ethernet. Profinet can bring determinism to the factory floor by skipping the TCP/UDP and IP layers of the ISO/OSI Model and going directly

from the data link layer (Layer 2) to the application layer (Layer 7) of the OSI model. This means that applications requiring synchronized, high-speed motion can use Profinet IRT (isochronous real-time) to provide sub-millisecond cycle times.

Bowne points out that many of the mechanisms in Profinet IRT are also found in the Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) standard being developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). “From this perspective, Profinet is ready for TSN,” he says. “It’s already written into our spec.” He expects the first Profinet over TSN devices to be released in a year or two.

Further Ethernet developments promise to extend the reach of Profinet. One of these is Ethernet-APL (advanced physical layer), a technology that brings Ethernet to field devices in hazardous areas.

is an intrinsically safe version of IEEE

“It

These switches from Phoenix Contact are among the products that members of PI design for Profinet.

MAKING SENSE OF INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

WASTEWATER APPLICATION

The New Freedom wastewater treatment plant in southern Pennsylvania needed to upgrade its control system as the existing controls—based on a DOS binary system—had become obsolete. Finding replacement parts and programmers for the system became increasingly di cult and there was a growing potential for prolonged failures that could be disastrous to both water quality and the surrounding environment.

John Smith, plant director at New Freedom, wanted to avoid these problems while executing the upgrade with minimal disruption to the plant’s biological and chemical treatment processes. He also wanted to replace the obsolete controls with a network of reliable, redundant PLCs capable of taking the plant’s sequential batch reactor process into the future.

For these reasons, he and his staff settled on a plant-wide, fiber-optic ring connecting redundant RFC 460R controllers from Phoenix Contact. The controllers use the Profinet Media Redundancy Protocol (MRP) to provide fault recovery within milliseconds and which can connect remote I/O stations on the ring.

The migration plan—designed to minimize any interruption in the plant’s processes—was to install the new controls while the older ones continued to operate. Then, once the new controls were tested, the old controls would be removed and the new ones would go into operation as the plant’s primary controls.

The resilience provided by this architecture proved itself from the very beginning. When a fatal error rendered the old PLC inoperable during the site acceptance test, Phoenix Contact’s engineering services team was able to bring the new control system online quickly without significant interruption in the treatment process.

Besides enhancing the network’s resiliency, the Profinet protocol on the new PLCs also expands the universe of peripheral systems that New Freedom can add to the control network. For example, single-purpose displays have already been replaced with touch-screen HMIs. New Freedom can also now explore the implementation of industrial Internet of things (IIoT) and artificial intelligence technologies for predictive maintenance and energy management.

2-wire Ethernet (10BASE-T1L) that brings both power and communication to instruments at 10 Mbit/s over cables as long as 1 km,” explains Bowne. “The richness and transparency of Ethernet can now be utilized down to the field level in process automation.”

Open by design

The ability of Profinet to accommodate a mix of devices from diverse suppliers has been a leading factor driving the protocol’s proliferation across industry.

“Building a factory today requires a diverse mix of devices,” explains Bowne. “With Profinet, users are free to select best-of-breed solutions from their vendors of choice and can rest assured that these products will communicate properly.”

Vendor agnosticism was part of the plan from the beginning, even though Profinet was originally conceived as the industrial communications protocol for Siemens products.

“Siemens understands that users don’t want to be tied to one specific vendor or a proprietary technology,” says Torsten Paulsen, general manager of the Profi Interface Center, Siemens Industry Inc.

For this reason, the company chose not to pursue what Paulsen describes as the easy route when industrial Ethernet emerged in the early 2000s. Rather than mapping its well-established Profibus protocol into existing Ethernet protocols like TCP/IP and UDP/IP, Siemens instead decided to develop the protocol as an open and vendor-independent technology.

It did so by founding Profibus and Profinet International, a consortium that manages the technology and its evolution. “After the original patents were written and finalized, the intellectual property rights were handed over to PI,” reports Bowne. “Any company that joins PI as a member, anywhere in the world, is granted rights to these patents.” PI is now governed by a board of directors composed of representatives of the member companies.

These member companies joined and supported this and similar consortia for the same reasons that Siemens organized PI. Phoenix Contact, for example, joined PI in 2004 to develop a migration path to an Ethernet platform for its own InterBus fieldbus. “The choice of going it alone with our own Ethernet-based platform made no sense,” says Arnold O ner, strategic marketing manager, automation infrastructure at Phoenix Contact.

Like other member companies, Phoenix Contact allocates resources to support PI. This includes selecting employees to sit on the governing board of directors and participating on various technical committees and working groups. “Our employees are still working at the Phoenix Contact o ces,” explains O ner. “They do in-house testing to verify

MAKING SENSE OF INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

what other members are uncovering, build up designs, and verify that these designs will work with our own products.”

As a member, Siemens also has employees performing many similar functions as Phoenic Contact. Siemens also “supports and sta s several PI testing labs, training centers, and competence

centers around the globe,” says Paulsen. An example is the Profi Interface Center he manages. This combined competence center, training center, and testing lab has been certified and accredited by PI to support the PI community in North America.

The supercomputer for automation and IoT

In the most advanced digital production lines or the highest performance machines, more and more functionality must be implemented with even shorter cycle times, requiring more powerful centralized control systems. With the C6670 industrial server, Beckhoff offers a paradigm-shifting machine controller offering up to 40 processor cores for the pinnacle of high-performance automation. This immense computing power can be fully harnessed via the TwinCAT 3 automation platform, which is designed to maximize the potential of each individual core in many-core control systems.

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Beckhoff many-core control offers up to 40 processor cores

TRAINING WITH WORKFLOW AND SIMULATION SOFTWARE

As the next generation of workers comes to industry, proper training is critical to ensuring their success in complex, highly automated industrial environments. Here’s a look at how simulation and workflow software technologies are helping industrial companies more effectively train new operators.

By Mat Dirjish, contributing writer

Even in the early days of computing, businesses were looking at computers as tools for setting up complex simulations. Some credit Keith Douglas Tocher for developing the first discrete-event simulation program in 1960. Dubbed the General Simulation Program, his program used a common structure to execute a range of simulations.

Today, computers can simulate any industrial application for use in training or for control and analysis of specific automation operations. And when it comes to training industrial workers in their tasks, the confluence of simulation and workflow management are growing closer together.

Workflow guidance

When it comes to the benefits of workflow software for operator training, Allen Hackman, head of manufacturing at ServiceNow (a supplier of workflow software), explains that workflows aren’t simply a software checklist, they are a true driver of digital transformation. His reasoning for this is that workflow software integrates with existing software systems to unify the underlying insights and connect siloed teams, data, processes, and systems to drive action and get work done as required.

“For example, a digital workflow for a machine setup process will provide the steps to take in addition to knowledge that gives the employee instructions on

how to complete a task,” he said. “If there is an issue with a step or the employee has a question, he or she can trigger a request that automatically gets routed, assigned, and actioned by a support team.”

Allen noted that, despite the similarities among industrial companies when it comes to their interest in workflow software, “we’re seeing di erent industries use workflows in di erent ways to solve challenges. Organizations with large complex supply chains are prioritizing workflows that improve communication and collaboration. Companies with a large population of front-line factory workers are using workflows to improve overall equipment effectiveness and productivity. And those with ma-

AUTOMATION TRENDS

jor technology investments are using workflows to identify and reduce cyber risk.”

According to Allen, companies such as Jabil, Siemens, and Owens-Illinois are just a few of the hundreds of companies that ServiceNow has helped in the industrial sector.

Training simulations

The line between digital twins and simulations can blur a bit when it comes to training applications. The principal difference is that digital twins are connected to their real-world counterparts and reflect their operations in real-time—often including the ability to control them remotely. Simulations, on the other hand, are not typically connected in a live fashion with the physical equipment they represent. As such, simulation software replicates the actions of real-world equipment offline, providing a safe space for trainees to interact with the equipment.

Pramesh Maheshwari, vice president and general manager of lifecycle solutions and services at Honeywell Process Solutions, sees aging workforces and increasingly complex technologies as mega-

The DeltaV Simulate system provides trainees virtual controls, graphics, and alarms identical to those in the refinery. Source: Emerson

AUTOMATION TRENDS

trends putting pressure on industrial companies to improve their training programs. He said, “More than ever, industry needs training and development solutions that empower workers to improve plant performance, uptime, reliability, and safety. One of the best ways to do this is by simulating real-world environments and rare, but critical plant operation and maintenance scenarios to enable safe, handson learning away from the hazards of a plant.”

Emerson, for example, is using simulation to train refinery workers in Canada. Working with the refinery, Emerson developed a digital twin of the refinery’s production control system integrated

with a high-fidelity simulator. Here, Emerson’s DeltaV Simulate virtual control system is used to mirror the refinery’s operator stations, engineering stations, process controllers, and system functions. Emerson’s Mimic software then simulates the processes, equipment, transmitters, and final control elements with operation-based modeling objects.

This system provides trainees with virtual controls, graphics, and alarms identical to those in the refinery and allows the use of all Emerson DeltaV software for training and development without the refinery having to purchase duplicate control hardware and system licenses.

Another application benefitting from simulation is training workers on computer numerical control (CNC) machines, such as milling machines, routers, lathes, and laser cutters. Siemens o ers a CNC training platform for creating and operating a CNC digital twin using the company’s Sinumerik 840D numerical control (NC) and NX software.

Trainees can operate an o ine digital twin of a CNC machine at their own PC as well as safely test and optimize NC programs without potentially damaging the real machine.

And Honeywell recently released an updated version of its Immersive Field Simulator, IFS-R120, described as a virtual reality (VR) and mixed-reality training tool based on a digital twin of a plant’s operations. With this technology, events like primary failures and switchovers, as well as cable and power supply failures, can be simulated.

Gamifi cation

Though not a new concept, gamification is a trend gaining ground in the simulation software arena. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines gamification as the process of adding games or game-like elements to a learning a task to encourage participation.

The updated version of Honeywell’s IFS-R120 teams virtual and mixed reality with a digital twin to simulate real-life industrial events. Source: Honeywell

According to 3D game tech company Juego Studios, gamification training simulations are a good way to package complex content into interactive visual modules. Trainees learn complex tasks within a game-like environment. Realistic simulations make dry content interesting while enabling better understanding and memory retention.

Juego’s Unity3D game engine creates immer-

AUTOMATION TRENDS

PG&E’s Uses Aveva’s Simulation-Based Operator Training System

With more than 15 million customers spread out over a 70,000 square mile area and served by more than 6,800 miles of gas transmission pipelines and 42,000 miles of gas distribution pipeline, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) has established a massive operations network. Because natural gas can be dangerous, operator skills are critical to ensuring that potentially dangerous situations are avoided or minimized as much as possible.

Patrick Rouanzoin, gas control operations specialist at PG&E, said the company is now using Aveva’s Operator Training System (OTS) simulation software to train and qualify its pipeline operators.

PG&E uses the Aveva OTS to “expose control room personnel to real life normal, abnormal, and emergency operating conditions,” said Rouanzoin during his presentation at the Aveva World 2022 event in San Francisco. Without a simulation-based OTS, “we have to train on real equipment—and that can be dangerous,” he added. “The OTS provides a safer training environment and increases reliability by minimizing loss of continuity of operations.”

According to Rouanzoin, prior to the deployment of the Aveva OTS, operators were trained for abnormal events by reviewing previous events. “But copies of tends, alarms, and operator actions only carry

By David Greenfield, editor in chief

so much weight,” he said. “Even playback doesn’t put the operator in the moment. They can’t feel the experience as it would happen in real life. The OTS puts the person in a real event. The modeling of pipeline controls and alarms allows operators to see a line rupture in real time and what it would look like in terms of the incoming data, alarms, and trends.”

With the Aveva OTS, an operator can position simulated valves and start/stop compression in the same manner as they would with the realworld system. Plus, they see the results of their actions.

“Operators can also learn what other areas of the system they should focus on depending on location of the event,” added Rouanzoin. “The entire control room sta can learn e ective teamwork to minimize response time and coordinate e orts.”

Rouanzoin noted that PG&E has created a specific room for OTS training that is similar in layout to PG&E’s actual control room with multiple operator consoles “to get operators working together through an event.” He added that reception to the OTS from operators has been positive and PG&E is planning to use OTS situations to qualify operators.

“Our expectation is that the OTS will improve operator response in real emergencies and help eliminate second guessing,” said Rouanzoin.

By David Greenfield, editor in chief

Artificial intelligence is being widely applied across industrial technologies—from quality inspections to data analytics. Now, Eschbach, provider of Shiftconnector software for communication between production shifts and teams, announces that artificial intelligence (AI) has been incorporated into Shiftconnector to improve its search capabilities.

Andreas Eschbach, CEO of Eschbach, said the addition of AI to Shiftconnector grew from seeing the di culties operators in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries experienced when trying to gain access to operations data from five or more years ago.

The new Shiftconnector software “pre-processes inputs for use by AI to give better search results and expose workers to more targeted info,” said Eschbach. “Worker inputs into Shiftconnector are made machine readable for use by the embedded AI technology to enable advanced search capabilities across new and old shift data, meaning that the queries now run across years of knowledge records. This has helped workers see—not just data

from the past few months—but from past several years to better understand issues. This essentially helps connect current crews with retired crews by making historical data more accessible.”

By retrieving the most relevant information to the task and presenting it to the worker, Eschbach said the software can accelerate operations and help teams recover from disruptions by immediately identifying appropriate fixes. This is enabled, not only by worker inputs into Shiftconnector, but also via data delivered from asset management software such as the Aveva PI System, Maximo, and SAP.

“Beyond identifying areas where workers need to focus, Shiftconnector also delivers directed tasks to optimize what workers should focus on based on real-time incoming data,” said Eschbach. “This helps workers identify areas for continuous improvement. As di erent teams work to develop unified responses, act on unexpected events, and maintain a cohesive workflow throughout multiple shifts, the natural language processing made possible by the inclusion of AI becomes essential.”

sive 3D worlds that allow users to interact with complex equipment and large machines. The Unity engine allows development of cross-platform training applications for mobile devices, desktops, and/or web browsers. Training simulations can walk workers through safety procedures, operations, and maintenance, as well as repair and assembly processes.

As an example, Juego Studios developed a 3D simulation training module for employees working on drilling operations with RFID tagged pipes. The training module simulates the industrial environment with 3D images of equipment and tools. It also provides instructions for fitting RFID tagged pipes and drilling operations.

Another company in the simulation arena, Simutech Multimedia, uses gamification in its simulation software to train manufacturing workers. The company’s Simutech Training System teaches troubleshooting skills to workers operating and maintaining industrial control systems.

The system takes trainees through a six-step approach to troubleshooting circuits and helps them develop e ective techniques for safely navigating industrial electrical controls, motors, and programmable logic controller (PLC) circuits. Workers can personalize training progress and managers can continuously monitor their development.

Slide into Success

Whether you stay standard or go custom — we’ve got you covered.

Fabco-Air pneumatic linear slides combine reliability, robustness and a low-maintenance design for superior performance in many industrial applications, from packaging to medical imaging. Choose from a wide range of standard units, which guarantee precise, repeatable operation and excellent load-handling capabilities. We can also modify units to deliver higher forces, faster speeds and longer strokes.

Options include:

• Many styles: single and dual bearing block, rodless and more

• Anodized aluminum toolbars and bearing blocks

• Stainless steel bearing materials

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• Many accessories and sensing options

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A member of Festo Group

Precise Automation Required for Pick-and-Pack Machine

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By David Greenfield, Editor-in-Chief

Hamrick Manufacturing is well-known in the packaging industries for its end-of-line equipment, such as case sealers, packers, and erectors, as well as pick-and-place machinery and specialty equipment. The company works with several automation suppliers to create its equipment, so when a customer wanted a machine developed to pick and pack a variety of di erent protein powders in containers with intricate and delicate labels, Hamrick realized this new machine would require precisely controlled automation to protect the labels and allow for fast and easy changeovers between di erent products.

This customer runs “about 20 di erent SKUs on this line," says Je Eckstein, controls engineering manager at Hamrick. "They could run one product for a week or two straight, then they might run three di erent ones in a day. They wanted to speed up the process and remove any sort of operator error during changeovers” by automating the process. The customer’s fillers run 40+ bottles a minute, so any delays in changeover add up to a lot of bottles not being processed.

To create this pick-and-pack system, the first item on Eckstein’s list was to find powerful, compact servo motors for it. He reached out to Shaltz Automation, a supplier of Mitsubishi Electric equipment, and found the HG-KR23K servo motors to be a good fit for this new design with their 3000 rpm and 2.0 newton-meters of torque. The motor’s dimensions are 60mm x 77.1mm x 76.6mm (WxHxD) and it weighs 0.91kg. The torque level of the HG-KR23K is twice what Eckstein was expect-

The HG-KR23K servo puts motion control logic within the drive itself, taking the load o of the PLC and simplifying programming.

ing from a compact servo motor.

Sizing of the motors was critical, because we’re “putting them inside of a 17-axis mechanical assembly that really didn't leave much room for motors," says Eckstein.

The new machine also uses Mitsubishi Electric FR-E800 VFDs (variable frequency drives) and an EtherNet/IP amplifier. The FR-800 series feature auto-tuning with induction and permanent magnet motors, can switch between multiple Ethernet protocols without the need for additional cards, can operate in ambient temperatures from -20°C to 60°C (-5 to 140°F), and the control card is conformal coated to withstand harsh environments.

The EtherNet/IP amplifier is another important component of the new machine’s design as it allows a non-Mitsubishi controller to work seamlessly with the Mitsubishi motors and drives.

"The thing that I really like about the EtherNet/ IP integration between the PLC and the Mitsubishi Electric drives is that all the motion control is done inside the drive,” says Eckstein. “All the behind the scenes work that it takes to make a servo go from point A to point B, plus how fast it gets there and how quickly it slows down—the math, the algorithms and the programming—it all gets taken care of inside the servo drive. That means the PLC can be non-motion rated, so we could go with a much less expensive PLC."

The use of Mitsubishi Electric motors and drives on this new machine deliver greater accuracy, says Eckstein, as well as greater output “because the motors are less likely to fail." Plus, the new machine

will dramatically reduce changeover time from 30 minutes to 40 seconds, according to Eckstein.

"[For this machine] we just standardized on Mitsubishi Electric components," Eckstein notes. "And the machine that we ultimately developed has enough precise control to softly place each package. It's extremely gentle."

Read about an OEM’s head-to-head test of servo vs. pneumatic actuators.

Listen to this podcast discussing the di erences between standard and inverter duty motors.

presents

LEADERS IN AUTOMATION 2023

Advantech

https://www.advantech.com

Since its inception in 1983, Advantech has steadily grown for four decades, focusing on creating innovative technologies to improve our lifestyles and our environment. At this milestone year, Advantech would like to take this opportunity to thank our employees, our customers, and partners who helped us become a celebrated global brand.

Looking back on Advantech’s 40-year globalization development, from the establishment of overseas branches and the growth of a multinational enterprise, to the execution of a Globally Integrated Enterprise for strengthening the management matrix, the next era of globalization transformation will be powered by a Sector Driven growth model that creates a paradigm shift of growth for Advantech. Today, Advantech has offices in 28 countries, employs over 8,800 people and offers over 1,500 standard products.

One of Advantech’s core product lines is Industrial PCs (IPC), which we first introduced in 1990. Within six months, five engineers created the IPC-600, a rackmount chassis to integrate the system. Many IPC’s found in the market today share a resemblance to Advantech’s 1st Industrial PC. Today, Advantech is the world’s largest supplier of Industrial PCs with 41% worldwide market share.

We plan to continue being a leader and innovator in this industry, working closely with our business and eco-partners to stay true to our mission of Enabling an Intelligent Planet.

KC Liu, Chairman of Advantech, “deeply believes that if a company only focuses on maximizing stakeholders’ profit, it will be unable to deliver sustainable innovation. The best way to maintain competitiveness is to combine the interests of the community, employees, clients, and shareholders. In this way our corporate values can truly become altruistic and keep the company moving forward and growing, thereby setting the foundation for a sustainable future for another four decades.”

To celebrate our 40th anniversary, Advantech will bring employees and partners together and host events throughout the year. Please contact your Advantech representative for further details.

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Alpha Wire

1320 City Center Drive Suite 100, Carmel, IN 46032 USA

Phone: 1-800-52-ALPHA

www.alphawire.com

Founded in New York City in 1922 as a supplier of wire strengtheners to the millinery industry (women’s hats), Alpha Wire grew to become a valued supplier to the expanding radio industry throughout the 1930s by producing wire and insulators for antennas. In the decades that followed, the business was propelled by the defense industry’s need for electronics during World War II, and by the advent of television.

Enhancements to Alpha’s broad portfolio continued to the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Innovations included the introduction of superior flex capabilities and the development of EcoWire®, the industry’s first smaller, lighter, and zerohalogen hook-up wire. That development was followed by the acquisition of COAST in 2014, which expanded Alpha’s capabilities to include custom cables.

For over 100 years, Alpha Wire has designed and manufactured industry-leading wire, cable, and tubing products for Industrial Automation, Medical, Semiconductor, Aerospace & Defense, Consumer Electronics, and Energy markets. With manufacturing facilities throughout the U.S., and offices and distribution centers in the U.S., UK, China, and Hong Kong, Alpha Wire provides an extensive selection of cable, wire, heat-shrink tubing, accessories, and wire management services to customers worldwide.

Alpha Wire’s purpose-driven, hazard-matched connectivity solutions along with its leadership in flexible automation cabling, consultative approach, and responsive support of customers’ unique needs, availability of small put-ups, short minimum runs, and highly engineered custom cable solutions have enabled Alpha to serve many of the world’s leading companies.

For more information, contact Alpha Wire at 1-800-52-ALPHA.

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AutomationDirect

3505 Hutchinson Road, Cumming, GA 30040 USA

Phone: 800/633-0405

Email: customersupport@automationdirect.com

http://www.automationdirect.com

A well-recognized name in the industrial automation market, AutomationDirect provides quality products with FREE award-winning in-house sales and technical support.

With tens of thousands of products, everything from cable ties, pushbuttons, sensors, wire, and tools, to pneumatics, HMIs, and PLCs, our online store is available 24/7 for product research and ordering (no waiting for a distributor to contact you back) and our award-winning service is available if you need it during normal business hours. Our store has many conveniences built in for customer satisfaction including easy online quotes, quick ordering by uploading CSV file, reusable BOM and favorite lists, secure checkout with convenient payment options including PayPal, upfront pricing (you get our low price no matter if you buy one item or one hundred), and real-time stock availability listed on each product page.

We also have numerous helpful product selectors/configurator tools for PLC, servo system, motor, timing belt, and field I/O products. We have free documentation: manuals, comprehensive help files, price list, CAD files, free product tutorial videos, free (full package, no demo) software that you can take for a spin, and we list all customer reviews that we receive for our products, so customers know as much about the product as possible. Once the purchase is made our automated facility has an order accuracy of 99.98% but we do offer a 30-day money back guarantee on most products for any lastminute changes’ customers may need. Also, orders over $49 ship free of charge.

AutomationDirect’s customer support team has been rated top-notch by its customers. For 15 years straight, the Tech Support team was voted by readers of Control Design magazine as best in service and support for various products. And, their own customer surveys consistently rank the company’s service as better than other suppliers.

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Automation24

3600 Horizon Dr., Ste 110, King of Prussia, PA, 19406 USA

Phone: 800/250-6772

Email: mail@automation24.com

www.automation24.com

Automation24 is the premier online supplier for industrial automation components offering a well-rounded selection of products and solutions from sensor to control cabinet. We have been developing a well-rounded range of items from brand name manufacturers and offer them to our valued customers at the best prices. Order conveniently and quickly online and benefit from our cost-effective first-class products.

In 2022 a variety of new items were added to the continuously growing product portfolio:

Safety light curtains for reliable user protection from Datalogic

High-quality process control and monitoring solutions from Beijer Electronics

Cutting-edge industrial IoT solutions from IXON Cloud

Innovative data loggers and process displays from Lascar Electronics

By having our on-site warehouse here in the US and consistent availability of products, items that are shown as available on our webshop will be shipped the same working day.

Need it tomorrow? No Problem! Expedited delivery services are also available.

To make your purchase with us as pleasant and easy as possible, we place great emphasis on a comprehensive online experience. We offer an easy-to-use filter function which separates products based on technical characteristics to simplify selection. In addition, we have a product comparison function and provide comprehensive product information. You will find answers to frequently asked questions in our FAQ section, but should you have any further questions, our outstanding Technical Customer Support Engineers are at your disposal Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to assist with product selection and provide support before, during and after your order.

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AVEVA

30 Cannon Street, London, EC4V 6XH, United Kingdom

Phone: 713-977-1225

www.aveva.com

Email: feedback@AVEVA.com

AVEVA is a global leader in industrial software, sparking ingenuity to drive responsible use of the world’s resources. The company’s secure industrial cloud platform and applications enable businesses to harness the power of their information and improve collaboration with customers, suppliers and partners.

Over 20,000 enterprises in over 100 countries rely on AVEVA to help them deliver life’s essentials: safe and reliable energy, food, medicines, infrastructure and more. By connecting people with trusted information and AI-enriched insights, AVEVA enables teams to engineer efficiently and optimize operations, driving growth and sustainability.

Named as one of the world’s most innovative companies, AVEVA supports customers with open solutions and the expertise of more than 6,400 employees, 5,000 partners and 5,700 certified developers. With operations around the globe, AVEVA is headquartered in Cambridge, UK.

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Banner Engineering

9714 Tenth Avenue N., Minneapolis, MN 55441 USA

Phone: 888-3-SENSOR

Email: info@bannerengineering.com

www.bannerengineering.com

Banner Engineering designs and manufactures industrial automation products including sensors, smart IIoT and industrial wireless technologies, LED lights and indicators, measurement devices, machine safety equipment, as well as barcode scanners and machine vision. A high-quality, reliable Banner product is installed somewhere around the world every two seconds. Headquartered in Minneapolis since 1966, Banner is an industry leader with more than 10,000 products, operations on five continents, and a world-wide team of more than 5,500 employees and partners.

Banner is solving industry problems through automation, helping Fortune 500 manufacturing companies and disruptive startups alike. Designed and built to set up easily, work hard, and operate reliably, our award-winning products increase productivity and operational efficiency and are backed with a dependable global support network.

Our dedication to innovation and personable service makes Banner a trusted source of smart automation technologies to customers around the world. As companies work to minimize downtime and cut costs while improving speed and quality, Banner helps them get more out of their equipment. From new installations to unlocking valuable data from existing devices via plug-and-play overlay networks, Banner’s innovative IIoT solutions put people more in touch with production anytime, anywhere.

Banner is leading across the globe, with highly trained Banner field sales engineers helping customers by assessing processes and goals and delivering tailored solutions. Through face-to-face and virtual interaction with customers, Banner brings innovative products and solutions to ever-evolving industries wherever they are.

Customers come to Banner for smart, well-built products; custom solutions; and personal attentive service. Our commitment to innovation shows through a continuous, marketdriven evolution of products and technology, delivering products of the highest quality, fulfilling needs of each customer, and operating with accountability and integrity. These commitments continue to guide and define us as a company.

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Beckhoff Automation

13130 Dakota Ave, Savage, MN 55378 USA

Phone: (952) 890-0000

www.beckhoff.com

Email: beckhoff.usa@beckhoff.com

Adaptive Automation Offers Unrivaled Flexibility in Manufacturing

Beckhoff Automation is a global provider of open automation systems based on advanced PC-based control technology. The “New Automation Technology” philosophy at Beckhoff represents universal and open automation solutions used in a wide spectrum of high-tech applications around the world. These applications range from control of machines and robots to Internet of Things (IoT) systems to category-defining mechatronics advancements and much more. The world headquarters of Beckhoff Automation is in Verl, Germany while the U.S. headquarters office is in Savage, Minn. (Minneapolis area).

A breakthrough in adaptive mechatronics technology, the XPlanar flying motion solution delivers unrivaled flexibility and throughput in part, product and package handling. The highly adaptive system uses planar motor tiles as a base to levitate passive movers that can fly at speeds of 2 m/s and up to 1 g acceleration. Path planning and collision avoidance software produce extremely efficient and maintenance-free motion control for complex assembly, packaging, inspection and material handling applications. Antisloshing functionality in TwinCAT 3 software optimizes XPlanar’s transport capabilities in applications involving liquids, such as filling of beverages, cosmetics and other goods. XPlanar offers wear-free movement and the ability to cover planar motor tiles with stainless steel, glass or other hygienic surfaces.

Beckhoff has also expanded the highly adaptive eXtended Transport System (XTS) portfolio recently with new hardware and software enhancements. With No Cable Technology (NCT), the XTS can provide contactless power supply and synchronous real-time data communication directly to its movers. This solution enables individual movers to serve as mobile handling and processing stations, essentially turning the intelligent transport system into a powerful, highly flexible multi-robot system.

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CARLO GAVAZZI Inc.

50 Hastings Lane, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 USA

Phone: 847/465-6100

Email: Sales@CarloGavazzi.com

www.GavazziOnline.com

Founded in 1931, CARLO GAVAZZI is a multinational electronics group active in the design, manufacture and marketing of electronic and electrical components for industrial automation and building automation.

With several ISO9001 and ISO14001 certified manufacturing and R&D facilities throughout Europe and Asia, and dozens of sales offices spanning the globe, you are assured that product support, service, and inventory are only a phone call, email or mouse click away. CARLO GAVAZZI products are developed and manufactured in full compliance with the most important standard regulations, such as UL and CSA.

Typical customers are original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of packaging machines, injection molding (plastics) machines, agriculture machines, food and beverage production, conveying and materials handling equipment, door and entrance control systems, parking guidance systems, elevators and escalators as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning devices. Distributors and system integrators are our typical sales channels.

OUR COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF PRODUCTS INCLUDES:

SENSORS: Capacitive/Inductive Proximity Sensors and Photoelectric Sensors (with and without IO-Link), IO-Link Masters, IO-Link Smart Configurator, Motion/Presence Sensors, Level Sensors, Magnetic Switches, Limit Switches, and Safety Interlocks

SWITCHES: Solid State Relays, Solid State Contactors, Electromechanical Contactors, Definite Purpose Contactors, Overloads, Manual Motor Starters, Mini Circuit Breakers, Soft Starters, Electromechanical Relays, Push Buttons, and Pilot Lights

CONTROLS: Energy Meters/Software, Current/Voltage/3-Phase Monitoring Relays, Current Transformers, Switching Power Supplies, Timers, Digital Panel Meters, Dupline Field, and Installation Bus, DuplineSafe Mining Monitoring/Safety System

See All the Leaders In Automation at www.AutomationWorld.com/Leaders

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500 Corporate Woods Parkway, Vernon Hills, IL 60061 USA

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CC-Link is a family of industrial open technology automation networks that process control, information & diagnostics to provide efficient, integrated factory-wide industrial and process automation. The family provides IIoT Ready high speed, deterministic communication seamlessly linking a wide assortment of multi-vendor automation devices.

CC-Link IE TSN – A next generation network based on the current CC-Link IE with the adoption of Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) technology. CC-Link IE TSN provides flexible IIoT system construction along with reduced downtime by using GP Ethernet diagnostic tools compliant with SNMP. CC-Link IE TSN can offer a best in class motion control operation with cycle times better than 31.25µs.

CC-Link IE Field Basic – Software based, open-technology general-purpose Industrial Ethernet network. CC-Link IE Field Basic is a cyclic network that provides a cost effective industrial Ethernet network for small-scale equipment not requiring high-speed control.

CC-Link IE Field – IIoT Ready 1 Gigabit Industrial Ethernet network linking field level devices to controllers. CC-Link IE Field provides a secure industrial Ethernet network via its tokenbased architecture. CC-Link IE Field is IEC approved for safety communications and can provide integrated motion control functions all on a single Industrial Ethernet network.

CC-Link – Open-technology fieldbus network providing complete deterministic behavior & cost effectiveness, flexibility and ease of use. Fully compatible CC-Link Safety is IEC/ISO approved for safety communications and exceeds industry safety network standards.

CC-Link IE TSN is the only released TSN compatible network on the market. CC-Link IE Field is cost effective, flexible, high-performance as well as easy to install and use. CCLink IE is an industry leader with Gigabit Ethernet networking. CC-Link is a market leader in Asia. Many export oriented American manufacturers are incorporating CC-Link IE compatibility because of its strength and market leadership in Asia.

CIMON Automation

2435 W Horizon Ridge Pkwy STE 100, Henderson, NV 89052, USA

Phone: 800/300-9916

Email: sales@cimoninc.com

https://www.cimon.com/

CIMON is a global leader in industrial automation solutions, providing customers with reliable and innovative products for over 20 years. Our customers include some of the biggest names in industry, such as Samsung, Hyundai, Kia, LG, Sharp and Korean air. With our expertise and commitment to customer satisfaction, we are proud to be the go-to provider for all your automation needs.

In-House Manufacturing and Development: CIMON Automation develops and manufactures the products in-house, ensuring that each one meets the highest standards for performance and reliability. Additionally, CIMON offers custom solutions tailored to individual customer needs, allowing customers to create the perfect solution for their goals.

Wide Range of Products: CIMON offers a comprehensive range of industrial automation products, from PLCs and HMIs to SCADA and IPCs. With such a variety of products available, clients can find the perfect solution for their project or budget.

Unparalleled Support: CIMON provides comprehensive customer service and technical support for all our products, as well as free training sessions to help customers get the most out of their investments in automation. Our team is always available to address any questions or issues that may arise.

At CIMON Automation, we believe that quality and support are paramount when it comes to industrial automation projects. That’s why we strive to provide our customers with reliable solutions backed by a 3-year warranty and free unlimited technical support & training included with every purchase. With our extensive product range, in-house manufacturing & development capabilities, and industry-leading customer service & support team - you can be sure that you’ll find exactly what you need from us for your next project! Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you succeed!

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CODESYS Corporation, 200 Cummings Center | Suite 272-D, Beverly, MA 01915 | USA

Phone: 978/473-7600

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Email: northamerica@codesys.com

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CODESYS has been offering hardware-independent Soft PLCs for over 20 years and continuously they have been expanding their products. Today, CODESYS provides hardware-independent Soft PLCs with and without real-time for Windows, as well as Soft PLC solutions for Linux x86 and ARM-based systems.

CODESYS Virtual PLC sets new standards in Industry 5.0

The CODESYS Virtual PLC is a more advanced product towards the future. It allows the CODESYS Soft PLC to run in a virtual environment without the need for a device. Instead, the device gets replaced by containers and hypervisor technologies.

The CODESYS Virtual PLC can be installed multiple times on a device and has no hardware requirements. It is connected to the Automation World via virtual LAN. CODESYS is currently delivering CODESYS Controls in Docker containers to pilot customers. CODESYS will soon release solutions based on hypervisor technology, for example to easily install CODESYS Control on a server.

Advantages CODESYS Virtual PLC

1. A significant reduction in costs and effort for procurement: wiring, maintenance, rolling out applications and device administration

2. The control cabinet is no longer occupied by one or more controls.

3. Power supply units and their wiring are no longer necessary.

4. OT and IT merge completely.

Instead of procuring and installing several controllers, it is sufficient to load an available IT platform in the network with virtual controllers and to manage them centrally – performed by IT specialists instead of automation specialists.

CONTEMPORARY CONTROLS

2431 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515 USA

Phone: 630/963-7070

www.ccontrols.com

Email: info@ccontrols.com

INNOVATIVE MACHINE INTEGRATION SOLUTIONS

With more than 47 years of experience, Contemporary Controls is a leader in innovative solutions for industrial automation. Contemporary Controls’ customers are systems integrators, contractors and OEMs seeking simple, reliable networking and control products from a dependable source. Designed for unattended operation in environments not conducive to office-grade equipment, CTRLink products provide convenient DIN-rail mounting in control panels, 24VAC/DC power, UL 508 and improved EMC compliance.

Contemporary Controls’ Skorpion series of IP routers ease the integration of new machines into the existing network. Each machine consisting of multiple IP devices connects to the LAN-side while keeping the same IP settings for the devices and the application, lowering installation cost and eliminating troubleshooting. VPN models of the routers can provide secure remote access with the use of the RemoteVPN service from Contemporary Controls. Cellular routers with available data plans for hassle-free device activation provide quick and easy commissioning of the devices on the remote jobsite.

A virtual private network (VPN) can provide secure access to remote job sites while giving systems integrators the flexibility to maintain systems from an offsite location. Contemporary Controls offers three VPN solutions to meet your remote access needs.

Unmanaged switches provide a cost-effective method for expanding Ethernet networks. For troubleshooting, diagnostic switches allow a network sniffer to attach to an unused port on a switch and observe all traffic on the network.

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Digi-Key Electronics

701 Brooks Ave S., Thief River Falls, MN 56701 USA

Phone: 800/344-4539

Email: sales@digikey.com

http://www.digikey.com

Global electronics distributor Digi-Key Electronics offers more than 13.4 million electronic components and automation products from over 2,300 quality name-brand manufacturers. The company’s reputation extends worldwide as the original pioneer and provider of the widest selection of electronic components in the industry, ready for immediate shipment. With products available in both design and production quantities, Digi-Key is the best resource for designers and buyers alike.

The key differentiators of service that made Digi-Key who they are today, have laid the foundation for what Digi-Key brings to the world of automation tomorrow. Through the use of digital tools, industry leading supplier partnerships, and a breadth of product that is unrivalled by any other, Digi-Key paves the way as a one-stop shop to serve customers in a unique automation landscape.

Digi-Key is the preferred supplier for industrial automation, control and safety products, carrying a broad portfolio including advanced controls like PLCs, HMIs, motion, safety and robotics.

Digi-Key provides detailed technical resources and robust search functionality to help you find the exact parts you need, including a range of EDA and design tools, reference design library and free online schematics tools, on-demand multimedia library, comprehensive article library and community forums, and much more.

In 2022, the company opened its new, 2.2 million square foot Product Distribution Center Expansion to meet and exceed customers’ expectations more efficiently.

From prototype to production, Digi-Key has the resources and products to take your design to the next level! Learn more at www.digikey.com/automation.

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Dorner

975 Cottonwood Ave., Hartland, WI 53029 USA

Phone: 262/367-7600

Email: info@dorner.com

www.dornerconveyors.com

At Dorner, our mission is to Transform Conveyor Automation by providing cutting edge solutions with best-in-class support. It’s that commitment and history of proven excellence that has made the Dorner Brand a recognized leader in product handling for over 50 years. With our complete line of customizable stainless steel and aluminum conveyor automation systems, Dorner can provide solutions for almost any conveyor need.

Dorner’s conveyors are designed to move product to the exact location, at the exact time and in the exact position it needs to be for the next phase of the production line. With benefits such as industry best product transfers and in-house belting capabilities, Dorner is leading the market in precision conveyance. This extremely accurate product control allows.

Using Dorner’s Online Configurator, you can design and engineer simple or complex conveyors to meet your needs in minutes. The industry leading tool delivers a complete 3D CAD assembly model for instant validation of fit. Dorner conveyors to easily integrate with robots, workers and equipment.

Dorner’s Engineered Solutions Group (ESG) is transforming product handling with innovative solutions that are custom designed to solve customers’ unique needs. This full service team can provide systems for applications such as:

- Accumulation

- Indexing & positioning

- Merging, diverting and sorting

- Product flow & control

- Rejecting & depositing

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Emerson Automation Solutions

160 Park Avenue Florham Park, NJ, 07932-1049 United States

Phone: 888/889-9170

Email: insidesales@emerson.com

Emerson.com/Sustainable-Automation

At Emerson, taking care of the earth and taking care of business go hand in hand. As a global technology, software and engineering company, we understand our responsibility to provide advanced solutions that help us make the world healthier, safer, smarter and more sustainable.

Through our innovative automation portfolio and industry-leading expertise, we help hybrid, process and discrete manufacturers achieve their most ambitious sustainability goals and reliably reduce emissions while optimizing operations and lowering costs.

Effectively reaching net zero targets begins with clear vision and informed decision-making. Emerson delivers the expertise, hardware and software solutions for manufacturers to identify opportunities for energy savings, extract rich data streams, access key insights and address issues that can lead to wasted resources.

Emerson’s smart products and software make it possible for manufacturers to monitor utilities usage, including compressed air, water, steam or other gases and electricity, in real time and receive actionable alerts. Operators can quickly detect and address issues, identify waste and optimize consumption, achieving a level of control that can significantly improve efficiency and productivity while reducing downtime.

For instance, Emerson’s AVENTICS™ AF2 sensors and IIoT-enabled software architecture precisely monitor compressed air flow at facilities around the world. Their data and analytics have helped leading manufacturers identify leaks, optimize pneumatic processes, improve air flow efficiency and drastically reduce energy use and emissions.

By working with Emerson, manufacturers of all sizes and stages of digital transformation can Go Boldly™ – and honor their own commitments toward a more sustainable world.

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Encoder Products Company

464276 Highway 95, Sagle, Idaho 83860 USA

Phone: (800) 366-5412

encoder.com

Email: sales@encoder.com

At Encoder Products Company, we strive to serve you with expert service, quality products, and fast delivery. EPC specializes in encoders for motion feedback in industrial automation applications such as packaging, printing, labeling, vision systems, food and beverage, motor feedback, and more. EPC offers:

- Tru-Trac® all-in-one linear measurement solutions

- Draw wire units with wire lengths up to 42.5 meters

- Accu-CoderPro® programmable encoders

- Accu-Coder® incremental encoders in shaft, thru-bore, and blind hollow bore packages

- Magnetic multi-turn absolute encoders that operate in the absence of power without gear trains or batteries

- Robust mechanical housings for harsh operating environments, with stainless steel and corrosion-resistant options

- Magnetic encoder modules with sealing to IP69K

- Temperature ranges from -40° C to 120° C

- Competitor cross referencing and drop-in ready Direct Replacement encoders

- Engineering services for your custom motion feedback needs

EPC is ISO 9001:2015 certified, and we design, manufacture, and assemble most of our encoders and accessories at our corporate headquarters in Idaho, USA. When you call EPC, you’ll talk to engineers and encoder experts who can help you find the right motion feedback for your application. Contact us today.

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Endress+Hauser

2350 Endress Place, Greenwood, IN, 46143 USA

Phone: 888-ENDRESS

www.us.endress.com

Email: info.us@endress.com

Celebrating it’s 70th anniversary in 2023, Endress+Hauser is a global leader in measurement instrumentation, services and solutions for industrial process engineering. They provide process solutions for flow, level, pressure, liquid analysis, gas analysis, temperature, recording and digital communications, optimizing processes in terms of economic efficiency, safety and environmental impact. The company serves a variety of industries, including chemical, oil & gas, food & beverage, water & wastewater, life sciences, power & energy, and primaries & metals.

Endress+Hauser, a Switzerland-based company, was founded in 1953, and expanded operations to the U.S. in 1970. More than 80% of all Endress+Hauser instruments ordered and shipped within the U.S. are manufactured in the U.S. This means customers can rely on Endress+Hauser to deliver the products they need quickly. This strong manufacturing base is complimented by a complete network of sales partners and service locations to support its customers – wherever their instruments are installed.

Premium services, customized solutions, project management and IIoT applications round out Endress+Hauser’s offering, helping customers gain efficiency, increase quality and maximize plant availability.

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Fabco-Air, Inc.

3716 N.E. 49th Avenue Gainesville FL 32609 USA

Phone: 352/373-3578

www.fabco-air.com

Email: service@fabco-air.com

At Fabco-Air, we help our customers build the best possible machines. We produce a full range of pneumatic actuators, including compact and lightweight cylinders, large-bore high-force actuators, and high-quality grippers, valves, sensors, slides and filter/regulators. We service a wide range of markets, including food and beverage, packaging, electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, warehouse and logistics, medical, automotive and printing.

Custom solutions. Over 50 percent of the components we manufacture are special items designed to solve unique application problems. Many tailor-made products are variants of our standard models, ensuring we can deliver them quickly.

Made in the U.S. Our production facility in Gainesville, Florida lets us quickly respond to and meet ever-changing market needs, while our wide range of domestic stocking distributors and over 10 international distributors keep lead times short.

Online tools. Our online configuration and CAD tools lets users select products to configure from the ground up, option by option. Our experts are also always available to provide support, and we excel at creating custom specials for hard-to-satisfy requirements.

Interchangeable. We manufacture interchangeable components that meet NFPA and ISO standards, making the replacement and upgrade processes fast and easy.

Fabco-Air’s comprehensive product range includes Pancake® II Direct Interchange Air Cylinders, which feature durability, long life and short strokes for space-limited applications, as well as NFPA and OEM-NFPA FCQN Interchangeable Cylinders, which can replace other manufacturers’ NFPA units for greater design freedom. In addition, F-Series Direct Interchange Actuators excel in light duty, space-constrained applications, while Multi-Power® Cylinders can deliver forces comparable to low-pressure hydraulics.

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FAULHABER MICROMO

14881 Evergreen Ave., Clearwater, FL 33762 USA

Phone: 800/807-9166

www.faulhaber.com

As the exclusive provider of FAULHABER products for North America, FAULHABER MICROMO creates value through advanced design and engineering services, and is proud to offer the broadest range of high precision, high performance products for micro motion applications within diverse, challenging industries, such as Medical Devices, Lab Automation, Robotics, Industrial Automation, Optics, Aerospace, Defense, and Semiconductor Equipment.

The FAULHABER product line includes fractional horsepower coreless (brush) DC motors, brushless DC motors, stepper motors, piezoelectric motors, linear DC servo motors, planetary & spur gearheads, high-resolution encoders, fail-safe brakes, speed & motion controllers, micro-mechanical systems, complete servo systems, and custom subassemblies which incorporate FAULHABER drive systems into OEM devices.

With on-site machining and assembly facilities, a versatile standard product line, and an Advanced Engineering Group, customization is our strength. FAULHABER MICROMO’s facility of 75,000 ftÇ includes a state-of-the-art CNC machining center, a 12,000 ftÇ clean room assembly operation (class 100,000 capable), and a dedicated R & D team and engineering testing center.

FAULHABER’s engineering team partners with customers for the design, specification and after sales support of industry leading motion control products. Advanced online tools, such as the FDST (FAULHABER Drive Selection Tool) used for evaluating and selecting a variety of product configurations and performance options, combined with our easy online store, OEM engineers can easily and quickly purchase compact motion systems, day or night. Plus, with our localized inventory, many products can be delivered in three days or less to meet immediate design and testing requirements.

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Festo Corporation

1377 Motor Pkwy. Ste 310 Islandia, NY, 11749 USA

Phone: 800/99-FESTO

www.festo.com

Email: service.us@festo.com

Festo US has become known as an innovative and preferred supplier of pneumatics and electromechanical automation solutions through its 50 years of working with U.S. partners.

A leading organization helping to improve customer productivity, Festo US has made significant investments in its U.S. infrastructure, from people to resources. In 2016, the company opened the Festo Regional Service Center in Mason, Ohio. The service center lowers customer inventory requirements by stocking components and ensuring prompt shipment. The facility houses the Festo Customer Solutions Center for custom solutions.

With a range of 30,000 products, including Fabco-Air inch-based pneumatic cylinders, Festo supports the most complex automation and production requirements across multiple industries, including medical testing and diagnostics, providing smart automation solutions from a single source. Within this line are Festo’s “core range” of affordable pneumatic and electromechanical products that meet 80% of all application needs. The core range simplifies ordering, lowers the cost and time of product acquisition, and improves the uptime of systems through global availability of core parts.

Digitalization is a core competency of Festo. The online catalog, engineering productivity tools, component-based digitalization capabilities, and artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives are all integral to the company’s digital transformation capabilities on behalf of customers.

Festo Didactic Learning Systems, the world-leading provider of equipment and solutions for technical education, creates hands-on technical training systems and digital and blended learning solutions to help train the next generation of workers. Didactic Learning Systems training can be on location or time-and-location independent.

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Hammond Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

475 Cayuga Rd, Ste 100

Phone: 716-630-7030

Email: sales@hammfg.com

https://www.hammfg.com/

For more than 100 years, customers who have required unsurpassed performance, wide selection and durability for power distribution, racks and enclosures have relied on the Hammond brand. In 1917, the original company known as O.S. Hammond and Son was established in Guelph, Canada. Hammond began making tube radio sets, battery chargers and other related products between 1919 and 1927. In the decades since the company has evolved and expanded to manufacture transformers and enclosures for hundreds of industries and tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

Hammond differentiates itself by working towards a simple mission: Quality products and service excellence.

Enclosures & Accessories

Hammond has a wide selection of UL listed, NEMA rated enclosures for use in nearly limitless applications. Combined with a comprehensive line climate control and power distribution accessories, Hammond enclosures are a complete solution for the automation industry.

Hammond also manufactures a world-leading line of electronic enclosures ideal for use in applications such as sensors, environmental monitoring, IOT, and associated industries.

Worldwide Service Excellence

Hammond has nine manufacturing facilities in Canada, the USA, and Europe (UK), each of them specializing in different types of enclosure products from injection molded plastic boxes, to communications infrastructure, to power distribution, to water-resistant stainless steel enclosure fabrication.

This group of factories feed the company’s warehousing and distribution centers in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Hammond’s large inventory combined with a vast network of world-class distributors help ensure that Hammond products can quickly reach

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HEIDENHAIN CORPORATION

333 East State Parkway, Schaumburg, IL 60173 USA

Phone: 847/490-1191

http://www.heidenhain.us

HEIDENHAIN develops and manufactures linear and angle encoders, rotary encoders, digital readouts, and numerical controls for demanding positioning tasks.

HEIDENHAIN products are used primarily in high-precision machine tools as well as in plants for the production and processing of electronic components.

With our extensive experience and know-how in the development and manufacture of measuring devices and numerical controls, we create the groundwork for the automation of tomorrow’s plants and production machines.

Since 1889 we have maintained a continuous drive to provide technically superior products. In combination with reliability, closeness to the customer and a practice-oriented frame of mind form the basis of HEIDENHAIN’s efforts. HEIDENHAIN has always sought a dialog with science and research on the one hand and with users and customers on the other. Our competence in the area of linear and angular metrology is refl ected by a large number of customized solutions for users. These include the measuring and test equipment developed and built for many of the world’s standards laboratories and the angular encoders for various telescopes and satellite receiving antennas. The products in the standard HEIDENHAIN product program naturally profi t from the knowledge gained in such projects.

The requirement for highest achievable quality refers not only to the fi nal products, but also to all activities in our company. The high HEIDENHAIN quality standard has been confi rmed by certifi cation according to ISO 9001.

But quality isn’t everything. HEIDENHAIN also sets standards in environmental protection. Long life cycles and products designed for recycling on the one hand and resource conservation and the sparing use of energy on the other are prerequisites for environmental certifi cation according to ISO 14001. Validation according to EMAS also affi rms HEIDENHAIN’s sustained development efforts toward products that are lastingly economical, ecological and socially compatible.

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HELUKABEL USA, Inc.

1201 Wesemann Dr., West Dundee, IL, 60118, USA

Phone: 847-930-5118

www.helukabel.com

Email: cables@helukabel.com

HELUKABEL – Electrical System Solutions

HELUKABEL is a global cable system solutions provider specializing in the production of cables, wires, accessories, cable assemblies, robotic dress packs, and drag chains for use in a multitude of automation-focused industries including machine building, automotive manufacturing, material handling, food and beverage, wood, pulp, and paper processing, oil and gas, and robotics, to name a few.

Our extensive cable portfolio includes flexible and continuous-flex control cables, data, network and bus cables, VFD and servo motor cables, torsion cables for robotic applications, single conductors, and multi-norm cables with domestic and international electrical approvals. With the acquisition of the companies EKD Systems and Sangel Systemtechnik, which have both been active on the market for many years, the HELUKABEL Group is now offering OEM and customer-specific cable assemblies and drag chains. This is in addition to our existing competencies in designing and manufacturing robotic dress packs (Robotec Systems) as well as cable storage and cutting systems (Kabelmat). Our goal is to provide targeted support for different industries with customized, complete solutions that suit their unique applications.

New automation technology means new cable challenges. With over 40 years in the cable business, we have designed our products to provide an uninterrupted flow of power and data to today’s automated manufacturing systems, regardless of the working conditions. Our cable and system engineering expertise allows us to meet and exceed customer expectations as industry technology becomes more advanced. We continuously provide new electrical system solutions for our customers, which allows them to maintain their position at the forefront of the market.

HELUKABEL products have long service lives, and have been tested to multi-million flexing cycles. This makes the automated manufacturing process leaner by reducing downtime and increasing productivity.

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HighByte

52 Alder Street, Portland, ME 04101 USA

Phone: (844) 328-2677

www.highbyte.com

Email: info@highbyte.com

HighByte is an industrial software company in Portland, Maine USA building solutions that address the data architecture and integration challenges created by Industry 4.0. HighByte Intelligence Hub, the company’s award-winning Industrial DataOps software, provides modeled, ready-to-use data to the Cloud using a codeless interface to speed integration time and accelerate analytics. The Intelligence Hub has been deployed in more than a dozen countries by some of the world’s most innovative companies spanning a wide range of vertical markets, including food and beverage, life sciences, pulp and paper, industrial products, consumer goods, and energy.

Automation and data engineers deploy HighByte Intelligence Hub at the Edge to merge real-time, transactional, and time-series data into a single payload for consuming applications. With the Intelligence Hub, users can speed system integration time, rapidly leverage contextualized data for analytics, AI, and ML applications, and govern data standards across the enterprise.

In 2022, HighByte released 3 new versions of the Intelligence Hub. These releases expanded integration with AWS and Microsoft Azure cloud services and included many new capabilities, including data conditioning, data pipeline monitoring, templating; DTDL model ingest from Azure Digital Twins, Active Directory support, data source monitoring and alarming, and flow performance metrics.

Join the company’s free trial program to get hands-on access to HighByte Intelligence Hub and set up your first data flow in less than 10 minutes. Visit https://highbyte.com/trialprogram to learn more and request access.

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Hilscher

2525 Cabot Drive, Suite 200, Lisle, IL 60532

Phone: 630/505-5301

www.hilscher.com

Email: info@hilscher.us

Hilscher is a global specialist in network connectivity solutions for device makers, OEMs, system integrators, and end-user manufacturers. Founded in 1986 and with locations worldwide, Hilscher’s communications products span single-chip ASICS, embedded modules, PC cards, gateways, proxies, protocol converters, and IIoT solutions.

At the heart of every product is Hilscher’s own netX network controller ASIC. netX is a game-changer because it allows “best-in-class” network choice for any application. The netX-based solutions support industrial communications protocols, including Fieldbuses (DeviceNet, Modbus, CC-Link, PROFIBUS, and more); Real-Time Ethernets (EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, CC-Link IE, POWERLINK, Sercos III and TSN) and IIoT protocols (OPC UA and MQTT), with universal Master and/or Slave connections.

For device makers and OEMs, netX chips and embedded solutions allow any industrial communications protocols to be designed into your products with built-in security, using one chip family and a common set of software tools. This helps “future-proof” your designs while minimizing costs and development time.

The network pain for end-users and system integrators is how to interconnect all the different automation networks found across their manufacturing facilities. Hilscher’s netXbased products for these challenges include gateways, proxies, PC cards, and supporting software stacks that make it easy to connect one network to another for improved dataflow.

Hilscher’s netFIELD portfolio is a platform for simplifying IIoT deployment. It includes sensorEDGE devices and gateways; netFIELD Edge Gateways; netFIELD Cloud, with a Software-as-a-Service Platform and Portal; and netFIELD Applications to configure and connect to automation protocols and commercial clouds.

igus®, inc.

257 Ferris Avenue, Rumford, RI 02916

Phone: (800) 521-2747

www.igus.com

Email: sales@igus.com

igus® has been manufacturing engineered plastics for more than 50 years and develops each of the materials and all technology behind its products. Committed to using its innovative polymer materials to produce products that provide creative solutions and exceed customer expectations while delivering fast, accurate service, igus’ polymer blends are used throughout its range of product lines of cable carriers, plastic bushings, spherical bearings, and linear bearings, guides, and slide tables.

igus engineers develop over 100 new polymer compounds each year for use in its selflubricating linear guide systems and bearings. Each material is tested extensively in the igus lab in Cologne, Germany. More than 10,000 tests are conducted on each material to analyze tribological properties, wear resistance, and more, and all results are placed into an extensive material database. With this data, igus engineers can offer a precise lifetime prediction for bearings and linear systems in nearly any application.

igus for automation & robotics manufacturers: drylin® linear technology, robotic arms, and gantry and delta robots, as well as iglide® plastic bearings, offer 100% dry-running and maintenance-free operation for overall cost-savings when compared to metal linear and plain bearing systems. For robot cable management, triflex® R features a built-in torsion stop to reduce the amount of mechanical stress imposed on your robot cables, along with a defined bend radius and split cavity for separation.

Contact our team of product experts for help with your application or choose from a range of online tools to select your ideal system, calculate lifetime, download CAD files, and more.

White papers, application examples, videos & more are available at toolbox.igus.com/lowcost-automation.

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Inductive Automation

90 Blue Ravine, Folsom, CA, 95630 USA

Phone: 800/266-7798

Email: info@inductiveautomation.com

www.inductiveautomation.com

Inductive Automation produces industrial automation software that reduces frustration and increases efficiency. The company’s core mission is to inject innovation and unprecedented value into the industry.

Ignition is a universal industrial application platform. It empowers users to connect to all of the data across their enterprise, rapidly develop any type of industrial automation system, and scale their systems in any way, without limits. Ignition also offers unlimited extensibility through the addition of fully integrated modules. With Ignition, users can create a variety of seamlessly integrated industrial solutions.

SCADA: Control, track, display, and analyze your process.

HMI: Build optimized screens to monitor and control your machinery.

IIoT: Make your data more accessible and efficient with MQTT.

MES: Track your production, manage recipes, calculate OEE, and more.

Alarming: Build complex alarming systems and get notifications instantly.

Reporting: Create and deliver dynamic, database-driven industrial reports.

Edge Computing: Capture, process, and visualize critical data at the remote edge of your network.

Enterprise: Empower teams with better data to make smarter decisions.

See All the Leaders In Automation at www.AutomationWorld.com/Leaders

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Lenze

630 Douglas St., Uxbridge, MA, 01569 USA

Phone: 800/217-9100

www.lenze.com

Email: info.us@lenze.com

“The best machines and production facilities around the world use Lenze.”

As a global specialist in Motion Centric Automation, Lenze works with its customers to create high-quality mechatronic products and packages; powerful systems consisting of hardware and software for machine automation; as well as digitalization services in areas such as big data management, cloud or mobile solutions, and software for the Internet of Things (IoT).

Engineering made easy – in order to deliver the ideal solution for your machine tasks, Lenze advises and supports you through all five phases of the engineering process:

1. Developing ideas, 2. Drafting concepts, 3. Implementing solutions, 4. Manufacturing machines, 5. Ensuring productivity

If you are looking to implement cutting-edge machines and plant concepts, or modernize existing installations, you can trust Lenze. We help choose the best products, providing energy efficient drive dimensioning, project planning, implementation and commissioning. We make it easy for precise implementation of your machine tasks.

Lenze is a global manufacturer of electrical and mechanical drives, motion control and automation technology. We are a leading provider of automation solutions to the following industries: material handling and logistics, industrial equipment, consumer goods packaging, robotics, and commercial pumps/fans. With a global network of engineers, sales representatives, and manufacturing facilities, Lenze is well-positioned to meet the motion control needs of customers worldwide. Lenze Americas, a subsidiary of Lenze SE of Germany, is headquartered in Uxbridge, Massachusetts.

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Mitsubishi Electric Automation

500 Corporate Woods Parkway, Vernon Hills IL 60061 USA

Phone: 847/478-2100

Email: Mitsubishi-Electric@meau.com

https://us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en

With more than 100 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products, Mitsubishi Electric is a recognized world leader in the production of industrial automation equipment. We support the needs of customers through the application of advanced technology in a broad product portfolio including PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, servo amplifiers and motors, control software, CNC, motion controllers, robots, LVS, and TSN gigabit network technology.

We help customers in industrial and commercial sectors facilitate smart manufacturing solutions, streamline operations, lower costs, and increase agility, all for a more sustainable future. As well, our commitment to quality and performance means machines built with our controls and drives run in top operating condition for a long lifetime. With real-time diagnostics, predictive maintenance analytics, and continuous tuning functions, producers are able to run for extended periods without unplanned stoppage.

In addition to offering best-in-class products, it is most important to Mitsubishi Electric to keep your business producing. From timely repairs, to extending the life of your machine, our technicians are available to assist with a multitude of services to keep your equipment running at peak performance.

Find out how Mitsubishi Electric is “Automating the World” for a more resilient and sustainable future.

Motion Automation Intelligence (Motion Ai)

1605 Alton Road, Birmingham, AL 35210 USA

Phone: 8 00-AUTOMATE Email: info@ai.motion.com Ai.Motion.com

Motion Ai is t he leading h igh-tech s olution p rovider f or in dustrial a utomation across the United States. The expertise found in this group include s emerging automation technologies w ith focused s oluti ons en gineering for m achin e a nd m otion c ontrol, pn eumatics, ro botics, m achine v isi on, digital networking/IIoT, industri al f raming a nd c ustom mechatronic systems.

Motion Ai’s engineering expertise and vast distribution network serve to implement automation solutions for a diverse set of end markets and applications. Many industries, including se miconductor, ph armaceutical, m edical, l ogistics, a utomotive, a erospace a nd many more, benefit from Motio n Ai applying best-in-class engineered systems, p roducts and s ervices.

Motion Ai serves various industries, including automotive, defense/military, agriculture, material handling, metals, textiles, food and beverage, construction, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, p lastics, se miconductors a nd more.

Whether it’s motion control, industrial networking or robotics, Motion Ai’s automation specialists p rovide p roduct s el ection, s izin g a nd c onfiguration, technical s upport a nd application en gineering s ervices c ustomized for s pecific a utomation ne eds. O ther engin eered so lutions include m otor c ontro ls, e lectric panels a nd m achine-level c ontrols that network to customers’ manufacturing controls.

Motion A ia lso s upplies p arts and e ntire a ssemblies, simplifying i ts c ustomers’ s upply chain. Motion Ai helps customers design and implement a trusted solution to decrease downtime a nd ul timately in crease R OI.

Motion Plus

610 Epsilon Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15238

Phone: 888/668-4660

Email: hello@motionplusmore.com

www.motionplusmore.com

Motion Plus is an online marketplace with a broad portfolio of automation and motion and control components IN STOCK. We focus on providing businesses with high-quality products to streamline their automation journey. Our inventory includes state-of-theart controls and drives, stepper and servo motors, manual stages, optomechanical components, ball screws, linear bearings, high-precision linear actuators, industrial-grade linear positioners, and much more. These products are from brand names you know and trust. We understand that automation is essential for businesses today, so we strive to provide you with the best products that meet your needs.

We pride ourselves on offering exceptional customer service, technical support, and competitive pricing to ensure our clients get the best value for their investment. Our team of experts is always ready to help you via email, online web chat, or even a simple phone call. Our team is ready to help you solve your automation challenges. Visit our online forum to engage with other experts and get your questions answered quickly by seasoned industry professionals.

Whether you’re looking to improve efficiency in your factory or automate a specific process, we have the products and expertise to help you achieve your goals. Trust us to help you take your automation to the next level. We are dedicated to providing you with the best automation components, services, and support. We offer fast and reliable shipping with many of our products in stock at our warehouse. We also provide easy online ordering for your convenience. Contact us today and experience the difference.

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Moxa Americas, Inc.

601 Valencia Ave, Suite 100, Brea, CA 92823, U.S.A.

Phone: 1-888-MOXA-USA

www.moxa.com

Email: info@moxa.com

Powered by a global team of more than 1,000 diverse and passionate employees on every continent, Moxa stands committed to delivering innovative connectivity solutions that help its customers realize the vast potential of industrial automation and uncover business value at every step of their digital transformation journey.

At Moxa, an integral part of our DNA is engineering best-in-class, innovative network devices that enable industrial equipment to better connect, communicate, and collaborate across divergent systems and processes. Everyday our employees are motivated to push the boundaries to build the most reliable, scalable and secure network infrastructures possible that serve as the bedrock foundation for industrial operations. In doing so, we support enterprises in building resiliency today while enabling them to digitally transform their businesses for future growth.

With unmatched expertise in Industrial IoT systems, network security, and the integration of IT and OT networks, Moxa is accelerating progress for a broadening range of industries from traditional manufacturing, railways, and maritime systems to solar power, oil and gas, and intelligent transportation. No matter which industrial sector we serve, we realize that the playing field has been permanently changed by digital transformation.

Industry 4.0 is no longer the exception to the rule — it is the rule for companies that must remain competitive in an increasingly global economy. Moxa supports businesses striving to be Industry 4.0 leaders by challenging their existing ways of working, by helping them adopt new network architectures, and by helping them leverage data and analytics to achieve operational excellence and enterprise agility.

At Moxa, our mission is to help drive the digital transformation of your business. Our goal is to improve its performance and topline growth by optimizing operations with the right technology investments. To learn more, visit www.moxa.com.

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Murrelektronik, Inc.

1327 Northbrook Parkway, Suite 460, Suwanee, GA 30024

Phone: 770-497-9292

murrinc.com

Email: 2info@murrinc.com

Murrelektronik is your system partner: From the control cabinet via the interface, active or passive into the field. We have a widely diversified product range and can supply you with well thought-out solutions that are made to fit your industrial automation applications - from a single source.

Murrelektronik’s U.S. office, production facility and warehouse are located in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA. Our team is customer oriented and we strive to give our customers the very best in product, price, delivery and service. Backed up by a skilled technical support team and a distribution network across the country, we can provide detailed product and application advice from concept to completion. Our success has been based on innovative products, a highly-developed market and customer orientation, effective logistics, teamwork and quality products.

As a Murrelektronik customer, you are our main focus. Our “stay connected” claim has emerged from this philosophy. It underlines the fact that we consistently orient ourselves to market requirements with regard to products, performance, price, quality, logistics and service. We throw a great deal of innovation and flexibility into the mix to create an orientation that is supported by a cooperative management culture, flat hierarchies and short decision-making routes. Murrelektronik

is a globally operating company. With more than 2700 employees around the world, your contact is never far away.

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NORD Gear Corporation A Member of the NORD

800 NORD Drive, Waunakee, WI 53597 USA

Email: info.us@nord.com Phone: 888/314-6673

www.nord.com

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS designs and manufactures gear boxes, electric motors, and control products engineered for adaptability. A recognized market leader, our innovative solutions are powering applications in nearly every industry throughout the world.

NORD’s extensive product portfolio is continuously evolving to meet the needs of today’s fast-changing markets, but NORD does far more than manufacture the world’s finest drive components. Our modular design delivers versatility with more than 20,000,000 standard configurations that can be delivered quickly. This concept also gives customers complete freedom to specify a drive solution that’s perfect for their application without the need for costly custom components.

DuoDrive – The latest generation of IE5+ PMSM motors integrated into a single-frame, single-stage helical gear unit housing. DuoDrive features a power range of 0.5 HP – 2HP, output speeds of up to 1000 rpm, max output torque of 700 lb-in, and speed ratios from 3.24 – 16.2:1. Ideal for washdown environments, these innovative gear units are compact, quiet, and highly efficient.

NORDAC ON/ON+ – Developed to meet the special requirements of horizontal conveyor technology, as well as for interaction with NORD’s new IE5+ synchronous motors (NORDAC ON+). These VFDs are characterized by an integrated Ethernet interface, full Plug-and-Play capabilities, and a very compact design.

IE5+ Synchronous Motors – NORD’s IE5+ motors offer 0.47 – 1.5 HP and 14.2 – 42.5 lb-in. of torque in a single motor frame with several industry-standard mounting options. Designed for compatibility with NORD’s modular gear units, this motor allows the number of variants to be reduced significantly, making systems easier to maintain and saving Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) costs.

Norgren

5400 S Delaware St, Littleton, CO 80120 USA

Phone: (800) 514-0129

www.norgren.com

Email: LittletonCustomerService@imi-precision.com

Norgren is a world leader in motion control and fluid technology with a proven track record of creating innovative engineering solutions.

Whether it’s improving the speed, productivity, reliability, and efficiency of equipment; generating significant energy and cost savings; or lowering total cost of ownership across industries, Norgren’s solutions are designed to help customers pursue progress, achieve new goals, and overcome problems. Norgren offers technical excellence and a true collaborative approach to help organizations forge a better world through breakthrough engineering.

When applications have specific needs, Norgren has the necessary experience to answer with creative solutions and pioneering platform products. Norgren’s motion control solutions are also used across other factory automation sectors, including:

• Packaging • ood and Beverage • Material Handling • Metal abrication

As part of a portfolio of high-quality products that complete the entire pneumatic circuit, Norgren offers smart components with IO-Link capabilities. Digitally connected Excelon® Plus air preparation, R Series valve manifolds, sensors, and switches allow manufacturers to collect more data on operations, improving efficiency and optimizing productivity while reducing machine downtime.

orgren also has a diverse array of other products including Bimba pneumatic actuators, vacuum products, and linear- and cartesian-style electric actuators — that improve performance and reduce downtime and energy consumption on production lines across the world.

To explore how Norgren can help meet the unique motion and automation needs for your application, call us today or visit norgren.com.

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Opto 22

43044 Business Park Drive Temecula, California 92590 USA

Phone: 951/695-3000

www.opto22.com

Email: info@opto22.com

Let the engineers at Opto 22 help with your digital transformation.

Opto 22’s groov® family of industrial edge controllers and I/O is designed from the ground up with integrated control, connectivity, and cybersecurity tools to help you connect automation, enterprise, and cloud data.

• Securely access, monitor, and maintain your systems at remote locations or customer sites

• Collect, process, and publish operational and energy data backed by fault-tolerant storage and store-and-forward capability

• Develop real-time control programs in a language you know: ladder logic, function block diagram, flowcharts, Python, C/C++, and more

• Build dynamic operator HMI screens for embedded or external touchscreens, mobile devices, and browsers

• Replace costly, high-maintenance Windows PCs for HMI, OPC, and data processing with Linux-based industrial processors

• Secure existing PLCs, traditional I/O, and standalone equipment, then integrate it with databases, business systems, and cloud services

Built on decades of field-proven experience, groov products offer lifetime guarantees on solid-state I/O, UL Hazardous Locations approval, ATEX compliance, and a wide -20 to 70 °C operating temperature range.

Count on free pre-sales engineering help and product support, too. All Opto 22 products are developed, manufactured, and supported in the U.S.A.

See All the Leaders In Automation at www.AutomationWorld.com/Leaders

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Pepperl+Fuchs

1600 Enterprise Parkway, Twinsburg, OH 44087 USA

Phone: 330/425-3555

Email: sales@us.pepperl-fuchs.com

www.pepperl-fuchs.com

As a leader in industrial sensor technology and a pioneer in electrical explosion protection, Pepperl+Fuchs has been developing components and solutions for over 70 years. Forging ahead with new ideas and finding new approaches is what drives us. This is the foundation for technologically advanced solutions that are tailored to individual applications and geared toward future requirements.

Our wide-ranging process automation portfolio includes intrinsic safety barriers, signal conditioners, HART interface solutions, WirelessHART, remote I/O systems, FieldConnex® fieldbus infrastructure, human machine interfaces, purge and pressurization systems, mobile computing and communications, surge protection, level measurement, custom cabinets, and junction boxes.

In addition, Pepperl+Fuchs’ Solution Engineering Centers (SECs) around the world offer tailor-made system solutions complete with hazardous-location certification and documentation. Creating customer-focused solutions to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges is at the center of everything we do. And Industry 4.0/IIoT makes this more important than ever.

Pepperl+Fuchs is re-envisioning tried-and-trusted technologies and developing innovations that pave the way for networked production and communication that transcends your company’s boundaries.

Our innovation, your competitive advantage.

Pilz Automation Safety, LP

7150 Commerce Blvd., Canton, MI, 48187 USA

Phone: 734/354-0272

www.pilz.us

Email: info@pilzusa.com

Pilz is a technology leader in safe automation technology; consistently developing a role as a total solutions supplier with solutions for safety, automation, and industrial security technology. The objective of Pilz is to automate plant and machinery in such a way that the safety of human, machine and environment is always guaranteed. Pilz is represented by 42 subsidiaries and branches on all continents.

Products and solutions for complete automation — Pilz offers complete automation solutions based around its core skill of safety – from sensor technology to control and actuator technology. The product range also includes corresponding software tools, diagnostic and visualization systems as well as services. Thus, complete system solutions emerge. Complete also means that our solutions consist both of automation, safety, and security solutions.

Pilz solutions can be used in all areas of mechanical engineering, from packaging and automotive to robot applications and even wind energy, to name just a few. These solutions guarantee that systems run safely at airports, that theatre scenery moves smoothly, and funiculars or roller coasters travel safely.

We inspire by our innovative strength — Innovation traditionally plays an important role at Pilz. We have set standards and made industrial history with our products, such as the first E-STOP relay PNOZ.

Innovative strength is our driving force. Pilz was and continues to be a pioneer for the automation of the future. At Pilz, competencies and capacities in development and production are always built on a sustainable basis. Our strategy is to seize innovative ideas and make them market-ready and suitable for industry.

For more information on Pilz, please visit www.pilz.us

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Pro-Face America

Phone: 734/477-0600

Email: customercare@profaceamerica.com

www.profaceamerica.com

Pro-face is a leading global HMI supplier and offers the most reliable touchscreen operator interfaces and industrial computers in the automation solutions market.

Our core product offer includes Pro-face brand HMI software and hardware, and both panel and box style Industrial PCs. Pro-face offers dedicated and PC-based, open architecture, visualization and control systems. Our high powered, but easy to use software allows for a clear and functional operator interface.

An extensive connectivity to PLCs and industrial devices make Pro-face the best choice for your control solution. Our renowned product quality, start-to-finish support, and global reach are unsurpassed. Training, customization and solution design: our experience makes the difference.

Pro-face brand products have been installed on factory floors and in field operations worldwide. Today Pro-face still sets the HMI standard with state-of-the-art technology, efficient manufacturing, unparalleled testing, and global distribution and support.

We continually upgrade our offerings to help keep your HMI applications on the cutting edge.

Visit www.profaceamerica.com for more information.

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ProComSol

13001 Athens Ave, Suite 220, Lakewood, OH, 44107 USA

Phone: 216/221-1550

www.procomsol.com

Email: sales@procomsol.com

ProComSol, Ltd (Process Communications Solutions) was founded in 2005 dedicated to providing products for users of process communications technology. We established our reputation with reliable USB HART modems certified by the FieldComm Group. The HMUSB- ISO HART Modem is the most cost-effective certified USB HART Modem available.

We are known for several technical innovations. Among them is our Bluetooth HART modem which first appeared on the market in 2005. This makes us the first to offer wireless capabilities for HART users. We were also the first to offer products based on SDC-625 technology. Our DevComDroid Smart Communicator App for Android, released in 2014, is the first product to offer full DD capabilities on the Android platform. Our DevCom.iOS App for Apple products was released in 2017 - also an industry first.

Our HART Communicator software products (DevCom2000, DevComDroid, and DevCom. iOS) have established themselves as the only real alternatives to expensive communicators. DevCom2000 was originally released in 2006. Constant and steady improvements over the years have made DevCom2000 reliable, convenient, and feature rich.

The DevCom family of products also fully support HART-IP. This means they can be used with the upcoming Advanced Physical Layer hardware (Ethernet-APL).

Our new Foundation Fieldbus (FF) products follow in this tradition of innovation and quality. DevComFF.Win, released in 2021, provides full FF communicator capabilities using the transmitter DD for Windows. DevComFF.Droid, released in 2022, also provides full FF communicator capabilities, but for Android devices.

ProComSol has always been a member of the FieldComm Group. We are committed to improving the HART and FF protocols and offering high quality, reliable, and innovative products using these robust technologies. If you do not see products or features that you need, please contact us. We promise to work hard to meet your needs.

PULS North America

2640 White Oak Circle, Suite A, Aurora, IL 60502 USA

Phone: 630/587-9780

pulspower.us

Email: info@puls-us.com

PULS, the premier manufacturer of the most efficient DIN-Rail and machine mount switched mode power supplies, dedicates 100% of company resources on the design, development, production and sales of high quality, long-lasting DC power products for the industrial market. This singular focus on the needs and requirements of the DC power market has resulted in PULS becoming the market leader in this demanding industry. Our broad product offering enables users to select the right PULS product for the application requirements without the need to oversize and/or purchase unnecessary features.

Efficiency - PULS products feature the industry’s highest energy efficiency ratings. High efficiencies produce less heat which in turn provides for longer life expectancies of all components. High efficiencies also result in the lowest energy consumption for the user and reduce thermal management requirements.

Technology Leader - Since 1980, PULS has used advanced design techniques to bring product innovations to the industrial automation market, advancing quality and reliability for OEMs and end users throughout the world. Two ultra-modern production facilities in Europe and Asia utilize highly automated manufacturing and test lines which allows PULS to maintain reliability and consistency in our manufacturing process.

Control of Supply Chain and Manufacturing - PULS controls the entire process—from development to shipment—and maintains significant inventory levels in North America to meet your requirements no matter the size or scope of your commercial needs.

Lowest Total Cost of Ownership - Beginning with the engineering-based design for optimum efficiencies and small power densities, to the quality of components used in every unit, PULS designs lead to lower heat generation, smaller footprint, longer service lifetimes and reduced replacement and energy costs. This results in PULS having the lowest total cost of ownership for OEMs and end users.

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Special Advertising Section

Rollon Corporation

101 Bilby Road, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 USA

Phone: 973/300-5492

www.rollon.com

Email: marketing@rolloncorp.com

ROLLON Corporation is a manufacturer of linear motion systems, telescopic guides, linear actuators and Cartesian robots. Our products include the Compact Rail linear guide, Telescopic linear guides, actuators and gantry systems that are designed to meet the requirements of engineers involved in designing for applications in the fields of industrial automation and robotics.

We have a dedicated engineering staff located throughout the USA servicing all of North and South America. Our engineers are experienced in applications across a variety of industries including: plant assembly; packaging machinery design; industrial automation; machine tools and robotics; semiconductor; medical and pharmaceutical; other capital equipment such as construction and specialty vehicles, aircraft, and passenger trains.

We have proven custom engineering capabilities: delivering engineered solutions and custom products for OEM’s and machine builders worldwide to solve unique and difficult applications.

ROLLON is a global company headquartered in Milan, Italy, with significant operations in USA, Germany and France.

Linear Line—ROLLON’s family of linear motion products includes its flagship Compact Rail, a durable, precision, linear bearing system that is easy and inexpensive to mount to all surfaces – even non-machined. Other linear motion solutions include the Telescopic Rail which is a linear slider that acts like an industrial drawer slide because it telescopes beyond its mounting structure.

Actuator Line—Available in belt, rack and screw driven models, all of our new Actuator Line models are available as standalone modules–for use without our linear guides. The actuators offer an extremely attractive balance of low cost, high performance and fast delivery times.

SEW-EURODRIVE, Inc.

1295 Old Spartanburg Hwy, Lyman, SC 29365 USA

Phone: 864/439-7537

Email: cslyman@seweurodrive.com

www.seweurodrive.com

Drive and Automation Expertise from SEW-EURODRIVE

In addition to our industry-leading line of gearmotors and other components, our dedicated team of automation engineers provides the expertise, project planning, software, commissioning, and worldwide support for your most challenging motion control projects. Our experts will provide a solution of perfectly matched SEW components that work together seamlessly — because we designed them that way!

Our MOVI-C® modular automation system is a one-software, one-hardware automation platform that combines fully integrated components, control electronics and automation software – like our MOVIKIT® pre-built software modules. These simple to use modules benefit engineers of all experience levels by reducing time in automation programming.

MOVIGEAR® is the mechatronic drive system that combines the gear unit, IE4 motor and electronics in one compact unit. Recent updates include fully integrated Ethernet/ IP communications and digital motor integration. This advanced single-cable technology carries power, feedback information and control signals along a single hybrid cable between decentralized devices.

SEW-EURODRIVE now offers a full complement of drive maintenance and management services with our 24/7 online portal and complete overview of your drive components, the condition of your units, drive usage, and service details. Plus, our new on-site Pick-Up Box service frees up your maintenance team for other tasks. Just place your drives that need repair in the supplied box, and we’ll handle the pick-up and return of your drive units.

SEW-EURODRIVE sets the global standard for high performance and rugged reliability.

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Special Advertising Section

Skkynet Cloud Systems, Inc.

2233 Argentia Road, Suite 302, Mississauga, ON L5N 2X7 Canada

Phone: 905-702-7851

www.skkynet.com

Email: sales@skkynet.com

Skkynet is a global leader in real-time middleware products that allow companies to securely acquire, monitor, control, visualize, network and consolidate live process data inplant or over insecure networks.

In plant, Skkynet offers DataHub® software, an industrial middleware solution that connects to virtually any system using standard protocols such as OPC, Modbus, TCP, MQTT, and ODBC to support OPC networking, server-to-server bridging, aggregation, data logging, redundancy, and real-time HMI.

For IoT, Skkynet offers Skkynet DataHub service in Microsoft Azure. This service allows companies to securely network industrial data to other locations, consolidate information from remote plants and devices, share data for predictive maintenance, or use a real-time HMI to view data from around the globe. Secure by design, it does not require any security hardware, VPN, or changes to IT policies. Yet your plant systems remain invisible to the Internet.

Skkynet software and services are being used in over 25,000 installations in 86 countries, including the top 10 automation providers worldwide. OEM relationships with hardware and software providers include Siemens, General Electric and Metso Outotec, and we are a certified AVEVA technology partner. We serve every industrial sector: energy, manufacturing, water, building automation, oil & gas, mining, and more. Our customers include Microsoft, Siemens, AVEVA, Caterpillar, Mittal Steel, ABB, Gamesa, Honeywell, IBM, GE, Equinor, Goodyear, BASF, TEVA, Bombardier, and the Bank of Canada.

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SMC Corporation of America

10100 SMC Boulevard Noblesville, IN 46060 USA

Phone: 800/762-7621

www.smcusa.com

Email: sales@smcusa.com

SMC promotes advanced automation through automated control technology.

SMC offers technology in pneumatic components such as actuators; cylinders; directional control valves; airline preparation equipment; chillers and dryers; vacuum components; static elimination products; fittings and tubing; electric actuators; grippers; pressure switches high purity chemical valves and fittings as well as process gas equipment.

SMC’s global presence with manufacturing, sales and technical support in over 83 countries assures that continuity of products and service are maintained to support your global manufacturing requirements.

With its goal of ever more advanced automation, and using its many achievements as a base, SMC is developing high quality, highly reliable, CO2 reducing products to contribute to automation in industry, as well as in familiar areas of everyday life.

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Teledyne DALSA

605 McMurray Road, Waterloo, ON N2V 2E9

Phone: 519-886-6000

Email: TDI_sales.americas@teledyne.com

www.teledynedalsa.com

Teledyne DALSA is a part of Teledyne’s Vision Solutions group and a leader in the design, manufacture, and deployment of digital imaging components for machine vision. Our image sensors, cameras, smart cameras, frame grabbers, software, and vision solutions are at the heart of thousands of inspection systems around the world and across multiple industries.

Our Vision is Comprehensive

Teledyne DALSA’s Genie Nano™ area scan cameras offer support for a variety of interfaces, from GigE Vision (1, 5, 10GigE) and CoaXPress, to Camera Link – allowing seamless integration with virtually any imaging system. The Falcon4™-CLHS provides a Camera Link HS interface when true high-performance imaging is required (resolution/ speed). Our multi-featured Linea™ line scan cameras offer advanced CMOS sensor technology, and are available in 2K, 4K, 8K, 16K and 32K resolution with specific models for near and short-wave infrared (NIR, SWIR) applications. AxCIS™ is our fully integrated line scan imaging module which combines sensors, lenses, and lights all-in-one. This Contact Image Sensor (CIS) is easy-to-use and offers a lower system cost for many demanding machine vision applications as well as superior signal-to-noise ratio.

Teledyne DALSA’s Z-Trak2™ family of 3D profile sensors ushers in a new era of 5GigE 3D profile sensors for high-speed, in-line 3D applications. Models deliver scan speeds of up to 45,000 profiles per second and features built-in HDR and reflection compensation algorithms to handle surfaces with varying degrees of reflectivity in a single scan.

Industrial Vision and Factory Automation

Teledyne DALSA’s vision solutions are designed for factory floor deployment. Our innovative smart cameras like the BOA2™ and BOA™ Spot and multi-camera vision systems like Vicore™ offer scalable solutions to satisfy a wide range of application needs, from positioning robotic handlers to complete assembly verification. Our easy-to-use iNspect™ and Sherlock™ vision application software save you time and reduce vision development costs without compromising system performance or reliability.

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Telemecanique Sensors

1875 Founders Dr., Dayton, Ohio 45420 USA

Phone: 888/778-2733

https://tesensors.com/global/en

Telemecanique Sensors specializes in sensors and sensor-related technology. Telemecanique Sensors is a global player, present in more than 20 countries, with products distributed worldwide through a broad network of partners. As a global leader in the sensors business, we help our customers select the right technology to get the best performance and reliability from their machines.

Focused on 3 core values – Simplicity, Proximity and Expertise – we have become experts in factory automation sensors as well as specialists in demanding applications, making our customers’ lives “simply easy!”

Leading in Ultrasonic Detection

The new XXW54 Wide Beam Ultrasonic Sensor from Telemecanique Sensors is the latest advancement in wide area Ultrasonic detection! It can be easily integrated into CAN or Industrial networks and easily configured with the FREE available XX Software.

Our Ultrasonic XX software allows easy set up and customization of the XX configurable ultrasonic sensors range. Basic and advanced parameters such as operating mode, window area, hysteresis, and echo options can be adjusted to fit specific applications. Download a free copy of the XX configuration software here and start exploring its capabilities!

WAGO Corporation

N120W19129 Freistadt Rd, Germantown, WI 53022 USA

Phone: 262/255-6222

www.wago.com/us

Email: info.us@wago.com

WAGO Corporation provides North America with innovative Interconnect, Electronic Interface, and Automation solutions. Headquartered in Germantown, WI, WAGO features state-of-the art manufacturing and 75,000 square feet of storage capacity for 37,000 product locations. Extensive engineering resources, a 25,000+ product portfolio, custom manufacturing, and a global network of dedicated professionals ensure WAGO has the resources and expertise to help you get the job done. To see our capabilities in action, watch the video at www.wago.us/capabilities.

ECO 2—Balance Size, Efficiency with Tool-Free Installation

As an economical solution for standard applications, WAGO’s ECO 2 power supplies maximize space in your control cabinet while providing a high efficiency rating up to 90%. These power supplies come with our Push-In CAGE CLAMP® technology for reliable connections and equipped with orange integrated levers, allowing for a tool-free installation experience. They also have a Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of greater than one million hours and with LED indications, DC O.K. contacts, adjustable output voltage and convenient marking options they are a cost effective and excellent choice for standard applications.

Edge—Devices on the Cutting Edge of Network Computing

WAGO combines the advantages of decentralized Cloud computing with local control networks by debuting their new Edge Controller and Edge Computer. These devices come complete with open architecture supporting Linux-based applications such as Docker and NodeRed and advanced hardware for all of your edge of network application requirementsz. As an IT and OT in one device, they provide low latency control and simplified connection with Cloud based services providing multiple interfaces for connection to field devices and monitors.

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Yaskawa America, Inc.

2121 Norman Drive South

Phone: 847/887-7000

Email: info@yaskawa.com

https://www.yaskawa.com

At Yaskawa, we help you explore what’s possible, and open new doors to opportunity. Rather than accepting the status quo, we invite you to wonder, “What if?” And then we make it possible. That dedication to innovation is what makes us different.

Experience is often the difference between solving a problem the right way and settling for “good enough”. Our global expertise is unmatched and unquestioned, with 100+ Years of manufacturing excellence, 30 countries with sales, service, and manufacturing locations, and $4.5 billion in global sales per year.

We provide both standard products and tailor-made solutions, all backed by proven quality and reliability. We continuously work to save you money, time, and energy, because we believe your machine can always run faster, smoother and more productively. It’s about making the correct diagnoses, creating the right automation machinery, and implementing it in the best way possible.

Yaskawa AC Servo Systems come to a precise position with a speed and consistency that is unmatched in the industry. Connect our rotary, linear, and direct drive servo motors to an advanced Yaskawa machine controller to achieve SINGULAR CONTROL, the ability to manage robots, servos and drives with a single controller and familiar IEC 61131-3 programming.

Yaskawa low and medium voltage AC Variable Frequency Drives cover every automation application need in the industrial plant, with power ranges from fractional HP to 16,000 HP and a legendary reputation for reliability and advanced technology. Our latest variable frequency drives provide simple motor setup with highly flexible network communications, embedded functional safety, no-power programming, and easy-to-use tools featuring mobile device connectivity with our DriveWizard® mobile app.

Over 500,000 Yaskawa Robots are at work worldwide, with 150+ models to choose from and the strength of decades of application expertise.

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Industrial Collaborative Robot

Designed to bridge the gap between industrial and collaborative robots, ABB’s new Swifti CRB 1300, with a payload of up to 11kg, can be used in applications such as palletizing, pick-and-place, and screw driving.

User programming the Swifti CRB 1300 cobot. Source: ABB

Source: ABB

Powered by ABB’s OmniCore C90XT controller, the new Swifti CRB 1300 is up to five times more precise than any cobot in its class, according to ABB. Features include speeds up to 6.2m/s, payload options from 7kg to 11kg, and reaches from 0.9 to 1.4m. The robot also has protection against dust and moisture (up to IP67).

A key collaborative application feature of the Swifti is its use of a safety laser scanner integrated with ABB’s SafeMove collaborative safety software. This allows for safe collaborative use, eliminating the need for protective fencing or

other physical barriers between humans and the robot. If the laser scanner detects a worker within Swifti’s operating area, ABB’s SafeMove software automatically slows the robot or stops it completely as needed. As the worker moves away, robot movement is restored, returning to full speed for full productivity only once the working area is completely clear. A built-in status light provides a visual indication of the cobot’s status when a worker is within the workspace area.

According to ABB, the Swifti CRB 1300 can improve production efficiency by up to 44% com-

pared to other cobots in its class. For example, in a typical palletizing application, the Swifti can process up to 13 boxes per minute compared to the nine boxes possible with other cobots in its class.

Users can program the Swifti by physically guiding it through a process (lead-through programming) or by using ABB’s Wizard Easy Programming software, which uses graphical block programming to allow non-specialists to program the robot.

The ABB Swifti CRB 1300 performing machine tending duties.

Machine Visualization

Emerson’s PACSystems RXi HMI features industrial ruggedness, intuitive graphics, and smartphone-like usability for easier collaboration.

Designed with OEMs in mind, Emerson’s PACSystems RXi HMI (human machine interface) is designed with projective capacitive touchscreen technology that allows users to interact with the visual display with 10-point multi-touch capabilities like swipe, pinch, or zoom to move to the next screen or expand a chart.

The PACSystems RXi HMI has an IP66 water resistance rating for protection from high-pressure water jets and in marine use. It is also approved for use in temperatures ranging from -20oC to +65oC and is resistant to chemicals, impact, scratches, and

dust. Emerson notes that the PACSystems RXi HMI is designed in accordance with IEC 62443 Global Automation Cybersecurity Standards to support end users’ overall digital security strategy.

This HMI comes pre-loaded and pre-licensed with the Movicon WebHMI software and is HTML5-ready, making it easy for operations, management, and maintenance teams to view the same screen at the same time regardless of location. According to Emerson, this ability to immediately share information and access to expertise reduces maintenance costs and

improves productivity.

With the Movicon WebHMI software, the PACSystems RXi HMI is ready for data analysis, troubleshooting, and diagnostics. An included data trending tool provides a snapshot of productivity and quality while the SQLite database tool and PAC analyzer help users troubleshoot problems to minimize downtime.

The HMI also features extensive protocol support with OPC UA for better data contextualization and MQTT for cloud connectivity.

The PACSystems RXi HMI. Source: Emerson

Jet Pump Stainless Steel Motors

AutomationDirect, automationdirect.com

AutomationDirect has added the new IronHorse MTRJ series of jet pump motors to their AC motor lineup. MTRJ centrifugal jet pump motors come in a TEFC enclosure with a 56J frame that has a threaded shaft for direct connection to a jet pump. The MTRJ motors are available in 120/230V AC from 1/3 to 2hp and in 208-230/460V AC from 1/3 to 3hp at 3600rpm. They have a bolt-on, bolt-off base and single-phase models that include built-in thermal protection. Also available are the MTS series of IronHorse motors, which are EISA compliant and feature IP69Krated stainless steel construction. The MTS series features a TEFC or TENV 304 stainless steel enclosure, can be used in Class I, Div. 2 hazardous locations, and is available in sizes from 1/3 to 20hp in 208-230/480V AC 3-phase and in speeds of 1200, 1800, and 3600rpm.

IoT Bridge for Azure

Cirrus Link, cirrus-link.com

Cirrus Link has released its IoT Bridge for Microsoft Azure on the Azure Marketplace, which connects standard MQTT Sparkplug data models to Azure Digital Twin and updates data changes to Azure Data Explorer for time series data. The IoT Bridge is a software widget based on Sparkplug that converts operations technology data to IT data automatically. Users can create any asset data models with Sparkplug templates, then automatically connect the models to Azure. The software consumes MQTT Sparkplug data, auto-creates data models, auto-discovers data assets, and requires no coding.

Non-Contact Cobots

Dobot, dobotcobots.com

Dobot has introduced 3kg and 10kg payload capacity collaborative robots to the existing 5kg version of the Safe Skin model previously available. In addition to stopping when the robot arm contacts an object, the Safe Skin add-on—a wearable collision detecting product— provides an additional layer of safety by allowing the robot arm to sense an object and stop before it touches an object. Safe Skin perceives any intrusive entity within an adjustable distance up to 15cm, responding within 0.01s and achieving an emergency stop within 0.1s. When the object is no longer detected, the robot resumes operation automatically.

GigE Low-Light HDR Camera

E-con Systems, e-consystems.com

RouteCAM_CU20 is an HDR camera based on the Sony Starvis IMX462 sensor that comes with low light and near infrared capabilities. This Powerover-Ethernet camera offers power supply for the camera through the data cable and comes with ONVIF protocol support. The camera can be integrated with all image processing platforms. The GigE interface of this camera ensures transfer of data up to a distance of 100m and H.264/H.265 encoding delivers video transmission with minimal bandwidth.

Computer-on-Modules

Congatec, congatec.com

The conga-HPC/cRLS computer-on-modules address applications requiring multi-core and multi-thread performance, large caches, and large memory capacities combined with high bandwidth and advanced I/O. They are based on high-end processor variants of the 13th Gen Intel Core processors. Target markets include industrial, medical, and edge applications using artificial intelligence, as well as embedded and edge computing systems with workload consolidation requirements for which congatec also supports realtime hypervisor technologies from Real-Time Systems.

Disinfection and Water Treatment Sensors

Endress+Hauser, us.endress.com

Endress+Hauser released its new Liquid Analysis disinfection sensors and accessories, adding the CCS55D Memosens free bromine sensor, CCS58D Memosens ozone sensor, and Flowfit CYA27 assembly to the product family. The Memosens CCS55D is an amperometric-free bromine sensor built for long-term measurement with Memosens digital sensor technology ensuring maximum process uptime. The CCS58D Memosens ozone sensor is capable of measuring ozone concentrations in the range of 0.1 to 2.0 mg/L, with an error of ±2%, or ±5 µg/l. The modular CYA27 Flowfit assembly provides a flexible basis for the measurement of disinfection parameters. The assembly features a status light that provides indication of flow status. It can also be connected to a transmitter’s alarm relay to indicate the NAMUR status of the measuring point.

Contact us today, and one of our field sales representatives will show you why we are one of the fastest growing automation companies worldwide. We’ll even provide a free evaluation sample to qualified OEMs.

Info@CarloGavazzi.com

Digitalization Suite Fanuc, fanucamerica.com

The NC Reflection studio from Fanuc uses machine models from the machine tool builder or select CAM systems with a virtualized Fanuc CNC to create a digital twin for G-code and cutting simulations. The software also enables backplotting, program editing, and job setup. By using the real CNC parameters, machine layout, and kinematics, a high level of simulation accuracy is provided. Users can upload or download part programs to the CNC over an Ethernet connection for program management. NC Reflection Studio allows part program editing and complete job setup of tooling, fixtures, offset, and part blanks. Importing posted programs from CAM and testing using the machine models and CNC setup enables users to see how the machine will process the program in production operations.

Smart Positioner for Valve Control

Festo, festo.com

Festo has released the new CMSH Smart Positioner with its new VTOP modular installation platform. The CMSH features the HART communications protocol, two-wire technology (analog and digital), condition monitoring, and fail safe modes. It has an operating temperature range of -40 to 80 oC. The attachand-play VTOP, with any combination of filter regulator, booster, or fail safe eliminates the time and risk of plumbing add-ons to the process valve assembly. The modular design of the VTOP enables the individual modules to be combined as needed. VTOP modules can be extended and retrofitted as needed. They also feature VDI/VDE 3845 and 3847 1- and 2-component mounting plates.

Parallel Robotic Gripper

Kurt Workholding, kurt.com

Kurt Workholding has released the RV24 robotic gripper, a scaled-down version of its RV36 Gripper. The RV24 is a two-finger parallel gripper that allows automated finger/end effector changes without changing the gripper body itself. The Kurt RV24 gripper comes with sensors that ensure fingers and parts are in place and ready for production. High-strength aluminum alloy keeps gripper weight to a minimum while a hard-coat finish reduces wear. This new gripper size allows for smaller parts handling and lighter minimum clamping force. The RV24 is designed to work with a range of robotic applications and can perform on cobots or smaller robots. The gripper’s double-acting piston allows for flexible clamping and un-clamping force. Customers can choose from machinable aluminum or steel finger options.

IoT Sensors

L-com, l-com.com

L- com has expanded its line of IoT sensors with new pressure and temperature sensors featuring a micro-fused silicon strain gauge, a leak-free elastomer structure, integrated temperature compensation, independent pressure and temperature outputs, and resistance to shock, overload, and vibration. These new IoT sensors offer accuracy in measuring pressure, temperature, humidity, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, pH, chlorine, and turbidity. Other new temperature and humidity sensors from L-com include a duct-mount model for air stream measurements, and two wall-mount sensors with RS-485/Modbus RTU output.

Multi-sensor Metrology System

OGP, ogpnet.com

The SmartScope E7 multi-sensor metrology system features the fixed lens IntelliCentric optical system, which provides a high-resolution image for video edge detection. The digital zoom allows for instantaneous magnification changes, while the standard all-LED lighting system provides illumination from all angles. With the capability to capture the same size ranges as other mechanical zoom optical systems, the SmartScope E7 has no moving parts to maintain.

Industrial Beacons

Rockwell Automation, rockwellautomation.com

Rockwell Automation’s new Bulletin 855R 110m industrial round beacons offer audible and visual indications with multiple light-pattern and mounting options for use in a mix of signaling applications. Other new features of the 855R beacon family include the ability to provide up to 15 unique DIP switch-selectable light patterns, multicolor functionality, high brightness, and a mounting base that’s compatible with all LED beacon modules and can produce up to three different audible outputs from a 32-tone table. All 855R devices are available in 24V DC, 120V AC, or 240V AC global ratings, and have IP66/67 and UL Type 4/4X/13 ingress protection ratings and are available as separate components or pre-assembled.

3D Sensor

SmartRay, smartray.com

The Ecco X 25 3D sensor from SmartRay offers 4,096 points of resolution and a scan rate up to 40 kHz, a measurement range of 20mm and a stand-off distance of 65mm. The Ecco X 25 delivers a typical vertical resolution of 0.9-1.4µm and a typical vertical resolution of circa 5.0-7.0µm. The Z-linearity is 0.005%, and Z-repeatability is 0.2µm.

The typical scan rate delivers up to 163 million points/sec. The sensor provides a gigabit Ethernet interface, a quadrature encoder interface, and two inputs and outputs to support a range of start, data triggering, and output options. Its enclosure is rated to IP67, its operating temperature ranges from 0 to 40°C, and has an input voltage of 24V DC at 10 W. It measures 48 × 84 × 125.3mm, and weighs less than 750g.

MIPI Optical Modules

Teledyne, teledyne.com

Teledyne e2v releases Optimom 2M MIPI optical modules for vision system development. All Optimom 2M models are powered by Teledyne e2v’s 2-megapixel, low-noise, global shutter image sensor to capture images of fast-moving objects. These optical modules are built with the same 25mm square outline, enabling a single mechanical design that can fit into constrained mechanical systems and come with monochrome or RGB color options as well as multi-focus, fix-focus, or no lens options which come pre-installed and focused. Optimom 2M uses the MIPI CSI-2 protocol and standard FPC connector to link with embedded processing boards. Integration uses a dedicated development kit which includes both an adapter board and Linux drivers.

Rugged Android PDA

Winmate, winmate.com

Winmate announced its new M700DQ8-EX a 7-in. ATEX rugged tablet. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core with speeds up to 2.2 GHz. The M700DQ8-EX has passed the U.S. military 810G standards for vibration, shock, and 5 ft. drop, has an IP65 rating, and battery life that can last up to 20 hours. The 7-inch TFT panel with optical bonding can be used with finger, glove, or stylus, in sunlight and rain. The M700DQ8-EX can be attached to vehicle docks or used with various optional accessories like the carry strap.

Extended Reach Robot

Yaskawa, motoman.com

The extended reach six-axis GP8L robot from Yaskawa has an IP54 rated body and offers an 8 kg payload capacity, 1,636mm horizontal reach, and 2,894mm vertical reach. It can be floor-, wall-, tilt- or ceiling-mounted with brakes included on all axes. GP-series robots are controlled by the YRC1000 controller, built to a global standard, and do not require a transformer for input voltages ranging from 380V AC to 480V AC. The control cabinet fir these robots is highly compact, at 598 x 490 x 427mm. The long reach, slim-body design and wide wrist motion range of the GP8L makes it flexible enough for a variety of applications.

3-Phase Power Supplies

Lütze, luetze.com

Lütze has introduced two more power supplies to its 3-phase collection—a 120W (5A) and 240W (10 A) version. The two power supplies have a range input of 350-575V AC and also allow parallel operation with active load balancing. In addition to tool-free, push-in connectors, both have defined connection terminals for precise assignment on circuit diagrams and in EPlan-macros. QR codes on the front side link directly to relevant equipment documents and a remote function allows the power supplies to be switched on and off remotely. At only 55mm in width, these fit well in compact spaces, and come in an IP20-rated aluminum casing.

Linear Position Sensors

HG Schaevitz, alliancesensors.com

H. G. Schaevitz has released its LV-45 series inductive, contactless linear position sensor using LVIT Technology. The LV-45 sensors are designed for applications requiring rugged devices and can withstand the vibration and shock environment found in mills, along with the humidity found in most outdoor applications with an operating temperature range of -20 o to 85oC. The LV-45 series uses a proprietary inductive technology that allows it to replace DC-LVDTs in most applications. The SenSet range adjustability feature allows the user to scale the sensor’s zero or full span output to the actual range of motion of the workpiece being measured after the sensor is installed. Additional features include ranges from 100 to 450mm with various analog outputs, a 44.5mm outer diameter body with 5mm wall thickness, double shaft seals, ½-20 UNF externally threaded core rod, 1/2-20 UNF threaded or rod eye end connecting rod, and optional mounting hardware.

NEW PRODUCTS

Controller and I/O Firmware Update

Opto 22, opto22.com

The latest firmware version 3.4 for Opto 22’s groov EPIC (edge programmable industrial controller), along with version 3.4 for the groov RIO edge I/O module are available for free download for all groov EPIC and groov RIO users. New data democratization capabilities include an embedded OPC UA server, configuration of multiple MQTT brokers and option to choose both JSON and Sparkplug payload formats to simultaneously publish operational data to multiple MQTT servers. For groov EPIC, the new OPC UA server option complements three other OPC UA server options previously available onboard: Ignition/Ignition Edge, Codesys, and Node-Red. For groov RIO, the new OPC UA server permits an optional remote, Ethernet-based input/output module. The 3.4 release also adds support for SNMP and the Scratch Pad memory map area.

Terminal Blocks

Phoenix Contact, phoenixcontact.com

The new XTV terminal blocks fro Phoenix Contact can accommodate the direct insertion of all conductor types: ferruled, solid, or stranded wires. These terminal blocks feature Push-X technology, so the technician only needs to apply enough force to unlatch the spring to directly insert any type of wire. The push button displays the chamber position clearly, regardless of the conductor diameter and orientation of the terminal block. The initial XTV product range includes three cross-sections: 6, 10, and 16mm². Push-X technology has been tested beyond the standard requirements, making it suitable for harsh environments. The XTV family is compatible with the ClipLine complete terminal block system.

Master Base Drive

Siemens, siemens.com

The Sinamics DC Master (DCM) base drive from Siemens is a pre-wired drive with all components mounted onto a back panel. These drives are rated from 15A–850A continuous current. Standard features include input fuses, output DC fuses (regen only), control transformer, AC line contactors, Profibus, BOP20, UL508A certification and an 65KA SCCR rating.

DC-DC Converters

TDK, tdk.com

TDK Corporation has introduced the 250W TDK-Lambda RGA series of ruggedized non-isolated DC-DC converters. Designed for harsh environments, the converter is capable of operating between temperatures of -40C to +110°C. The aluminum case also reduces radiated EMI and allows for conduction cooling to a cold-plate for fan-less operation. The RGA models consist of three voltage and current combinations to support operation from 12V, 18V, 24V, 36V, and 48V power sources. Capable of operating from an input voltage of 9-40V or 9-53V, the step-down converter delivers output voltages that can be adjustable from 3.3 to 15V, 24V, or 40V with output currents of up to 20A. Basic features include an output voltage adjustment pin, negative logic remote on-off, remote sense, input under-voltage, over-current, and thermal protection.

Infared Camera

Teledyne Flir, teledyneflir.com

Teledyne Flir’s Neutrino LC CZ 15-300 camera features integrated continuous zoom (CZ) lenses. Based on Teledyne Flir Hot FPA technology, the Neutrino LC CZ 15-300 offers 640x512 HD MWIR imagery and 15mm to 300mm CZ capability for ruggedized products requiring low power consumption and quiet, low-vibration operation. The FL-100 linear cryocooler drives operation and comes with a two-year warranty. All Neutrino IS products include a Teledyne Flir CZ lens integrated with a Neutrino SWaP Series camera module (VGA or SXGA). Because the camera module and lens are designed for each other, the camera can provide performance not achievable when integrating cameras and lenses from different sources.

Collision Avoidance Sensor

Toposens, toposens.com

Addressing the need for mobile robot safety, the Toposens Echo One 3D ultrasonic echolocation sensor and Toposens processing unit with filters for 3D collision avoidance are now available. Based on the principle of echolocation, Toposens Echo One uses sound-based triangulation and sophisticated noise-filtering software. This enables delivery of 3D data output in real-time for each obstacle detected within the adjustable warn and stop zones. These zones can be set to dynamically follow a mobile robot taking a left or right turn and adjust to the speed of the vehicle. The sensor sends the obtained data in a 3D point cloud format to the Toposens processing unit. From there, the processing unit triggers either a slow down or stop command to the mobile robot’s CPU.

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Finance’s Role in Analytics

By Larry White CMA, CFM, CPA, CGFM lwhite@rcaininstitute.org director, Profitability Analytics Center of Excellence

The Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA.org) and LNS Research recently released their biannual “Analytics That Matter” survey results, titled “Driving Real Results with Industrial Analytics.” It is full of insights into the value and advantages gained by industry leaders from investing in analytics technologies and implementation recommended approaches. The report from MESA and LNS shows that leaders in applying analytics are significantly outpacing followers with their ability to make better decisions faster and with greater agility.

If your organization is hesitating to make investments in improving manufacturing analytics, the results of the MESA and LNS research highlight the value to be gained from these technologies.

Survey respondents noted that the top three drivers of their investment in analytics were reducing costs, improving profitability, and risk management. These are issues in which finance should be providing advice and guidance.

Companies identified in the survey as analytics leaders focused on pushing the benefits of the analytics “down the organization” to empower production workers and supervisors to become more efficient and effective on the factory floor and make data empowered decisions that improve quality and reduce costs. “Leaders” in the use of analytics were almost 300% more likely than followers to build fully integrated teams of data scientists and manufacturing personnel to identify problems and arrive at solutions. Analytics “followers,” on the other hand, typically maintained separate organizations for data scientists and manufacturing personnel. Leaders also provide data analytics training widely across the organization to “build an army of citizen data scientists” capable of improving operations and using decision support information more effectively.

Interestingly, leading companies did not have manufacturing teams leading their analytics initiatives. Instead, they want their manufacturing personnel focused on getting product out the door. Manufacturing team members were actively engaged in these analytics initiatives, but support functions such as quality, safety, and maintenance were the ones leading the projects. Followers tended to have plant managers, manufacturing/operations, or operations technology teams responsible for leading analytics initiatives, which tends to slow the progress of analytics initiatives.

While data quality and technology issues were the most frequently listed as causing problems for analytics initiatives, the bigger issue was “gathering buy-in from operations, business, and plant level personnel” closest to a root cause. The study showed that analytics leaders looked at their initiatives as people, process, and technology challenges and applied equal resources and effort to support each of the three dimensions.

What finance can do

Manufacturing finance staffs can facilitate and help create the organizational will and capability needed to make the investments in analyt-

ics and modernization. Finance needs to serve as a business partner with manufacturing, IT, and value support functions to rapidly identify and quantify the business benefits that can be gained. Analytics benefits can range from improving the ability to track small changes on the factory floor to providing insights to reconfigure customer, production, or logistics processes for greater efficiency and customer satisfaction. All of which can result in significant financial gains for the business.

Finance can also help make new improvement projects more understandable to senior organizational leadership, allowing project leadership to focus on innovation, implementation, and achieving results rather than continuously justifying and re-justifying their expenses, funding needs, and proving the benefits they are creating.

Larry White is a Director of the Profitability Analytics Center of Excellence (www.profitability-analytics.org ) which trains and advocates for improved decision support information connecting resources and operations to business performance.

Drivers of analytics initiative investment, per the MESA/LNS report.

e ew mart anu acturing ode

By John Clemons

MESA Marketing Committee Chair

The world of manufacturing is undergoing a significant step change. Terms like Smart Manufacturing, Digital Transformation, and Industry 4.0 are top of mind for many manufacturing executives. There’s lots of new technologies coming together to create artificial intelligence solutions, digital twins, digital threads, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), augmented and virtual reality systems, and a whole lot more. This smart technology, along with a lot of smart people, are creating the fourth industrial revolution and driving economic growth through manufacturing.

With all this technology coming together, everyone seems to be looking at it from their own points of view. This means there’s a good bit of confusion out there with practitioners not sure about how all this technology fits together or how it really achieves the benefits everyone claims.

intends or the mode to e used virtua ever one in the industria s ace e new mart anu acturing mode wi rea the andsca e into managea e ieces so that ever one can understand the com onents and wi s ea a common anguage s such, the mart anu acturing mode wi serve oth as a re erence mode and as a rescri tive mode

MESA International, the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association, is developing a new Smart Manufacturing Model that will cut through the hype and the fluff to provide a simple, easy-to-use model for Smart Manufacturing.

There’s no doubt we’re in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, but the size and the impact of it are still up to us. That’s why MESA is building this new model, to add even more power to the revolution and ensure that its impact is global, substantial, and long-lasting.

A model is typically defined as an abstract definition of something that exists in the real world. But a model needs structures to work. MESA has decided that the highest-level structure in its new model will be the lifecycle.

This term was chosen because everything has a lifecycle. Each lifecycle will have multiple functions defined within it that, when combined, will provide manufacturers with the complete solutions they need for their businesses.

Applicability

To make this Smart Manufacturing model applicable to real-world situations, MESA is also modeling the interactions between the various lifecycles and detailing the technology threads that span across the lifecycles. In the new model, these threads are referred to as “crosslifecycle threads” and “enabling technologies.”

MESA intends for the model to be used by virtually everyone in the industrial space. The new Smart Manufacturing model will break the landscape into manageable pieces so that everyone can understand the components and will speak a common language. As such, the Smart Manufacturing model will serve both as a reference model and as a prescriptive model.

By detailing the individual pieces and their interactions, it will provide everyone that uses the model with the common points of view necessary to understand and communicate about the entire Smart Manufacturing landscape. This will help industry better evaluate technologies to ultimately determine how well they fit their own businesses.

Here’s a list of the lifecycles and technologies addressed by the model:

• Lifecycles —production, production asset, product, supply chain, workforce, order-to-cash.

• Cross-lifecycle threads —quality, compliance, energy, analytics, security, digitial twin/digital thread, modeling/simulation.

• Enabling technologies —IIoT, Big Data, artificial intelligence/machine learning, virtual and augmented reality, edge to cloud, blockchain, additive manufacturing, robotics, and wireless.

Whether it’s technology suppliers, manufacturers, analysts, or engineering companies, everyone using the model will have a common language and understanding of the Smart Manufacturing landscape.

This really is a great time to be in manufacturing with many new technologies and business models developing. That’s why there’s excitement about manufacturing from the C-suite on down like we’ve never seen before.

The new MESA Smart Manufacturing model is looking to build on this excitement. It will help point the way to the future and give everyone a framework for truly understanding the value of Smart Manufacturing.

How to Pivot from Vision to Value

Don’t get stuck

By Diane Sacra LNS Research

Industry data analyses conducted by LNS Research indicate that more than twothirds of industrial organizations are committed to an Industrial Transformation (IX) program. LNS Research defines IX as “the proactive and coordinated approach in leveraging digital technologies to create step change improvement across the value chain.”

Despite lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and current economic uncertainty, IX shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, LNS Research states that 83% of companies say they are maintaining or even increasing their IX initiatives in the face of all of 2023’s economic uncertainties. Why? Early adopters have realized significant return on investment (ROI) from their efforts. These leaders account for the top 20% of companies reporting real success or significant progress in IX—and their results are evident.

For example, LNS Research reports that more than 80% of IX Leaders were able to reduce their cost of goods sold and/or improve operating margins and/or grow revenues by at least 3% as a result of their IX programs.

On the flip side of this are the “IX Followers.” These are organizations engaged in IX that find themselves stuck or stalled in their progress. LNS Research reports that more than 75% of companies are not yet realizing any value in their transformation programs. But why?

According to Tom Comstock, research fellow at LNS Research, the obstacle to realizing value is the “transformation chasm”—the gap between what is required to initiate a program and what is required to sustain transformation. “The staffing, processes, strategies, and methodologies needed to get an IX program going eventually become a burden to long-term success,” Comstock explained.

To prevent getting stuck in the transformation chasm, Comstock suggests that manufacturers cannot simply refine the structure of their program as it matures. Instead, they must rearchitect or pivot within that structure.

“Evidence increasingly shows that IX programs—especially successful ones—must restructure their efforts mid-flight to achieve, sustain, and grow the ROI from their transformational investments,” Comstock said. “At LNS Research, we call this program restructuring the ‘Pivot to Value,’ as meaningful improvement in the financial performance of the company is dependent on these changes.”

LNS Research has found that the benefits of transformation begin to accrue quickly as IX ramps up early on in the “Vision Stage,” but unless the organization pivots dramatically, those benefits will not grow or sustain over time. The IX efforts made early on may be lost long-term, according to Comstock, because “businesses tend to revert to the mean unless the program is restructured.”

Pivoting scales IX with a more holistic approach across the organization. Early on, for example, the organization may be focusing on departmental challenges and avoiding some of the bigger organizational issues that lie ahead. But long-term, this narrow departmental focus will provide dwindling returns. According to Comstock, “IX Leaders pivot and are twice as likely to focus on problematic business models and supply chain restructuring that are too difficult to address in the earlier stages of transformation.

So how can organizations avoid stagnating in the transformation chasm and pivot to value as Comstock suggests?

Confront the bigger challenges

One of the most important shifts a manufacturer can make in their program is to model IX Leaders and not be afraid to tackle the big stuff in your pivot. These leaders are focused on both the bigger picture and problems and are willing to invest in solving these large challenges even without immediate payback.

Another key aspect involves incorporating your IX program into your organization’s culture. This takes a more holistic approach that may include changes such as making digital competencies part of performance appraisals, hav-

ing robust IX training programs throughout the entire company, combining IX within continuous improvement programs and teams, and making IX not simply a program but an ingrained, standard way of doing business.

While there are many elements to pivoting from vision to value within IX and avoiding the dreaded chasm, one final area Comstock touches on is technology. He states that IX leaders are not hyper-focused on new digital or emerging technologies; they’ve moved past the new tech testing phase and have already determined what will work best for their needs. This has allowed them to shift their focus to improving business processes via those technologies.

“For leaders, it is about applying technology to reorchestrate business processes, breakdown organizational silos, and innovate agility and resiliency,” Comstock said.

Evidence increasingly shows that IX programs—especially successful ones— must restructure their efforts midflight to achieve, sustain, and grow the ROI from their transformational investments.

Automation Direct

www.automationdirect.com/vision 2

Automation24 www.Automation24.com 5

AVEVA Software, LLC www.aveva.com/align-your-teams 33

Banner Engineering Corp. www.bannerengineering.com 13

Beckhoff Automation www.beckhoff.com 35

Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. www.beckhoff.com 21

Carlo Gavazzi www.gavazzionline.com 99 Cimon Co. Ltd www.cimon.com 101

Contemporary Controls www.ccontrols.com/ctrlink 105

Digi-Key Corp www.digikey.com/automation 7

Emerson Corporation www.Emerson.com/Sustainable-Automation 24

Encoder Products Company www.encoder.com 27

Fabco-Air www.fabco-air.com 41 Festo Corporation www.festo.us 29

Hammond Manufacturing www.hammondmfg.com 103

Heidenhain Corp. www.heidenhain.us 15

Lenze Americas www.lenze.com 17

Motion www.ai.motion.com 9

Moxa Americas, Inc. www.moxa.com 19 Murrelektronik, Inc. www.murrinc.com 28 Norgren, Inc. www.norgren.com 39

Opto 22 www.opto22.com 111

PMMI ProSource www.prosource.org 97

ProFood World Sustainability

Excellence in Manufacturing Awards www.pfwgo.to/sema 43

ProComSol www.procomsol.com 20

SEW Eurodrive, Inc. www.seweurodrive.com 112

SMC Corporation of America www.smcusa.com 23

Telemecanique Sensors www.tesensors.com/XXSonic 25 Uline www.uline.com 26

Yaskawa America, Inc. www.yaskawa.com 11

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Siemens’ Amberg electronics plant has moved away from legacy operational systems used to manage 350 changeover processes between di erent production lines and is now using Red Hat OpenShift to create a more modular, microservices-based IT/OT architecture. This move allows developers at Siemens to apply artificial intelligence-generated data insights for smaller-scope changes to avoid disrupting operations.

David Greenfield on Siemens’ use Red Hat’s OpenShift technology in its manufacturing operations.

The new smart instrument setup measures both ambient temperature and internal temperature, performing corrective calculations to achieve continuous, accurate, and repeatable readings of the gas inside the pipe. Data is sent to the automation system using WirelessHART, and the system gives operators a great deal of intelligence compared to what they had with the singular temperature reading.

Beth Stackpole on how smart instruments are improving operations.

What some users fail to understand about HMI systems is exactly how tightly the software is connected to factory floor controllers. This connection via high security networks, VPNs, and masks, can be tricky to navigate, particularly when the architecture is intentionally complex to provide security.

Randy Otto of ECS Solutions on why web-based HMI technology is ready for industrial use.

While working in one heavily dated facility, we discovered that all their control panels were on one network. They also used multiple versions of various panel devices from multiple manufacturers. The site was in such a state of disarray it was di cult to pinpoint which devices were where and what each panel was specifically controlling.

Melissa Bruno of E Technologies Group on battling obsolescence and risk with technology assessments.

A recent Accenture survey found that 94% of North American companies are now planning to invest directly in onshoring or nearshoring. And more than half of all supply chain and manufacturing executives think building manufacturing capacity closer to home is essential for their companies’ survival.

Brian R. May of Accenture on the next phase of industrial supply chains.

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