Automation World November 2022

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NUMBER 11

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

Machine Builders Bridge the Skills Gap

28

With high employee turnover on the factory floor, manufacturers are asking OEMs to design easy-to-use equipment and provide ongoing training.

Is Time Sensitive Networking the Key to IT/OT Convergence? 34

As a vendor-independent standard that allows time-coordinated and regular tra c to coexist on Ethernet, TSN is poised to converge IT and operations networks. But some challenges remain in terms of cost, complexity, and need.

Evonik Uses Modular Process Control for Greater Customizability

Siemens’ Simatic PCS Neo process control system is helping chemical manufacturer Evonik make its production model more flexible.

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

ART & PRODUCTION

Filippo Riello Marketing & Digital Publishing Art Director friello@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1200

George Shurtle Ad Services & Production Manager gshurtleff@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1170

ADVERTISING

Kurt Belisle Publisher kbelisle@pmmimediagroup.com / 815 549 1034 West Coast

Jim Powers Regional Manager jpowers@automationworld.com / 312 925 7793 Midwest, Southwest, and East Coast Kelly Greeby Senior Director, Client Success & Media Operations

AUDIENCE & DIGITAL

Elizabeth Kachoris Senior Director, Digital & Data Jen Krepelka Director, Digital Media

PMMI MEDIA GROUP

David Newcorn President, PMMI Media Group Kurt Belisle Publisher kbelisle@pmmimediagroup.com / 815 549 1034

Reed Simonsis Brand Operations Manager rsimonsis@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 205 7919

Sharon Taylor Director of Marketing staylor@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1710

Amber Miller Senior Marketing Manager amiller@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1130

Janet Fabiano Financial Services Manager jfabiano@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1330

PODCAST SERIES

Choosing Robot Grippers

Learn about the di erent types of robot grippers— pneumatic, electric, vacuum, soft adaptive, and magnetic—and how to select them based on capabilities and robot/automation supplier relationships.

AUTOMATION WORLD TV

Universal Robots’ UR20 Makes its North America Debut

The next generation of Universal Robots’ collaborative robots can be seen in this video showcasing its machine tending capabilities.

TECHNOLOGY MATTERS

Artificial Intelligence Operates Chemical Plant

A look at how Yokogawa’s AI technology controlled a JSR chemical plant for 35 days and how manufacturers are using AI to analyze sensor data.

AUTOMATION WORLD E-BOOK

Peer-to-Peer FAQ: Big Data

A down-to-earth look at the technologies behind Big Data and advice from industry on using it.

WEBINARS

Smart Manufacturing needs technology and people.

Common sense advice to enable a successful smart factory.

Join ServiceNow speakers Tom Davasia, Director Global Partner Practice and Hitesh Tailor, Senior Practice Development Director, as they share the best practices and tips on how digital solutions can empower factory workers to be at the heart of the smart factory experience.

Beyond the Cobot: Post-Deployment Tools to Accelerate Automation

Join Karl Sheppard, Regional Head of Customer Service, and Kayla Channell, Global Service Support, from Universal Robots, and learn how UR has simplified cobot ownership.

See

INDUSTRY DIRECTIONS

By David Greenfield Editor-In-Chief/ Director of Content

dgreenfield@automationworld.com

The process of bringing collaborative capabilities to industrial robots first began appearing on the automation scene about three years ago when we saw some of the first demonstrations of Realtime Robotics technology at the SPS event in Nuremberg, Germany, and Veo Robotics’ technology at TechCrunch in Berkeley, Calif.

At IMTS 2022, we saw an update from Realtime Robotics that highlights work the company is doing with Mitsubishi Electric Automation and Kawasaki Robotics.

Alejandro Suarez with Realtime Robotics explained how Realtime Robotics’ RapidPlan Create and RapidPlan Realtime software are used to control Mitsubishi’s Assista cobot and RV-7FRL and RV-8CRL industrial robots in a complex path screw-driving assembly operation.

Users only have to program the robots to place the screws where needed, Suarez said. From there, the Realtime Robotics software will compute the best path possible for the robots and avoid any collisions that could occur as the three robots work together in a small space.

“If you need to make a change, you change the targets for the robots, but the motion planning is taken care of by the Realtime Robotics technology,” he said.

In another demonstration at IMTS, Tom Munger with Realtime Robotics explained how the company’s technology can be used to control robot paths in automotive spot-welding applications. In this exhibit, two Kawasaki Robotics’ BX100N robots were outfitted with ARO spot weld guns.

The spot-welding demo uses Kawasaki Robotics’ open programming platform, KRNX, along with Realtime Robotics’ motion planning and collision avoidance software. KRNX is an application programming interface plugin for real-time control of complex and irregular robot applications. Kawasaki said KRNX enables Kawasaki robots to “leverage unlimited external computing power, enabling [use of technologies such as] artificial intelligence and machine learning applications and advanced safety.”

Munger pointed out how closely the robots can operate next to each other without colliding. “They’re able to operate in extremely dense configurations with our RapidPlan software used

to configure and create all the motion planning that exists inside the work zone,” he said. “With RapidPlan, it’s not just one single motion that exists for each robot, we’re actually pre-calculating and pre-computing thousands of motions that each one of those robots can use dynamically.”

Realtime Robotics and Kawasaki announced their partnership earlier this year, and have since partnered on several projects, including helping a large automotive manufacturer improve the speed of robot programming by 70%.

See how industrial robots are becoming collaborative.

Kawasaki Robotics’ BX100N robots with ARO spot weld guns at IMTS 2022.

If you need to make a change, you change the targets for the robots, but the motion planning is taken care of by the Realtime Robotics technology.

BATCH OF IDEAS

A General-Purpose Robot for Scalability

sneil@automationworld.com

By Stephanie Neil Senior Editor

skeletons, and has figured out how to make an affordable robot that is energy efficient, more capable, and works safely around humans. This provides the foundation for what Apptronik calls “mobile manipulation.”

you want a general purpose robot to help alleviate some of that, you start to approach human form.”

Aspin out of the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, startup Apptronik has some serious R&D behind it. Two of the company co-founders were part of NASA’s Johnson Space Center Valkyrie team, working on the actuators and controls of the humanoid robot, as well as participating in the DARPA Robotics Challenge to build a versatile “hero robot” that could do all the things needed in a disaster relief scenario.

These projects became advanced R&D work to eventually commercialize a more versatile robot that fills the need of working in an environment of unstructured tasks. And, despite the look of the robots the company has in its portfolio—like Astra, an upper body humanoid robot designed to operate with and around humans on a mobile platform, and Draco, a biped designed for agile dynamic walking—the company says it’s solving a huge problem in manufacturing.

“In manufacturing there are structured and highly repeatable tasks. Where we see this going is robots [designed] for the unstructured world,” said Jeff Cardenas, Apptronik co-founder and CEO. Specifically, Apptronik is building a platform where general purpose robots can accomplish a wide range of things vs. the typical one or two repetitive tasks. To do that, “you have to build new robots in new ways that are designed for more variable environments and variable activities for the unstructured world. That’s what we’ve done at Apptronik.”

Since 2016, Apptronik has been creating nextgen actuation and motion control as well as exo-

In robotics, the capabilities range from fixed robotic structures anchored to a floor, wall or ceiling to manipulate objects to autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that can go nearly anywhere but not directly manipulate anything on their own. The goal is to combine these capabilities to create a mobile robot that can manipulate its environment. “Everything we’ve done in the last several years has been in the mobile manipulation space, which we saw as the next big wave,” Cardenas said.

So, the focus here is to build a general purpose system that can do a range of things. What’s happening in robotics now is much like the early days of the computer industry, where there were special purpose chips and computation before a move to a general purpose hardware platform that could support a variety of software applications. This general purpose platform allowed computers to scale.

“The same thing has to happen for robotics to scale,” Cardenas explained. “To get toward wider adoption we need general purpose hardware platforms that can have a variety of applications on top. Think of it as an iPhone of robots. One hardware platform with an ecosystem of developers. This is the next frontier.”

The Apptronik development platform provides a ‘system of systems’ approach. Right now the company is building the full technology stack to prove out the utility of the platform, but the future will include a range of developers building different applications.

So why the humanoid form factor? Cardenas said it’s because most of the workflows are designed around humans. So you start to move towards human proportions and human scale. “For me it’s about utility. It’s about a world that is built for humans already, everything from where handles are placed to the tools we use, the ergonomics are built around the human form,” he said. “And when you have a major labor shortage, if

To that end, Apptronik recently announced a partnership with NASA to scale and deliver production-grade systems to the market. The robot, called Apollo, is a general-purpose humanoid designed to work alongside people in supply chain and logistics applications, as well as healthcare, hospitality, and more.

According to Cardenas, “We’re taking what both teams learned from working on these systems for over a decade and applying that to build one of the first commercial humanoid robots that’s available.” The goal is to put it in a variety environments—including space. “[NASA] wants to prove out terrestrial applications of general purpose robots to get the technology mature to the point that they then can plan space missions.”

There are currently pilots happening now with Apollo, which will have its public debut in March of 2023.

You have to build new robots in new ways that are designed for variable environments and variable activities for the unstructured world.

Cobot Trend: Machine Tending

By David Greenfield Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content

When it comes to automating tasks, one of the first areas targeted tends to be repetitive tasks that require precision and dexterity. Machine tending, a typically repetitive and precise task, has largely remained a manual operation as robotic systems tended to be too expensive for such applications. But that has been changing with the introduction and spread of collaborative robots (cobots) across industry.

The lower price point of cobots, combined with their more intuitive programming requirements and ability to be moved where needed to work alongside humans with no protective fencing, has resulted in machine tending developing into a major application for cobots.

At IMTS 2022, Universal Robots showcased several machine tending applications developed by partners using Universal Robots’ cobots. Nick Garcia with Robotiq said, “We really wanted to mimic the human experience with this [machine

tending] solution by having it [the robot] do everything the operator does. But that’s just one part of the puzzle. The other part of the solution is the software package which reduces the time that it takes to program the system by 65%. In just three steps the software will generate a template program by asking what type of operation is being performed—whether it’s a mill or a lathe; then it prompts the user to program key waypoints within it; and then our Smart Moves software automatically programs the robot’s path based on those waypoints.”

Anders Beck with Universal Robots said this technology from Robotiq helps alleviate the issue of automating legacy machine operations. In the past, it often took several days for an electrician to really find their way into a legacy machine to connect, wire, and automate additional operations, he said. “Now you can simply mount it externally with the Robotiq system and automate a

legacy machine in a very short time.”

Beck also highlighted a system from VersaBuilt for machine tending that makes it easier for machinists to change parts—an increasingly common task for high mix, low-volume manufacturers. He said that with machine tending systems such as this one and the one from Robotiq, cobots are essentially becoming tools for operators and machinists.

“With this flexible system (from VersaBuilt), it’s possible for a machinist to retool the process frequently for many di erent parts,’ said Beck. “This frees up people from being tied to machine processes so they can, instead, be preparing new parts, replacing parts, or programming the robot for new parts.”

The Robotiq machine tending system using a Universal Robot cobot at IMTS 2022.

OnRobot Automates the Robot Integration Process

By David Greenfield Director of Content, Automation World

The realities of modern manufacturing continue to highlight the need for automation at all levels of the production process. From ongoing labor issues created by large numbers of retiring workers to news of China’s increased investments in robotics, it’s not so much a question of whether to automate to stay competitive, but what to automate first with the use of robots.

As easy as robot deployments have become over the past few years, there is still quite a bit of work required to get them up and running. It’s at this stage of robot installation and integration that many manufacturers—especially small and medium-sized businesses—require help and could encounter costs that affect the time to achieve a return on their automation investment. It can also be a period marked by integration problems that delay implementation and/or increase budgeted expenses.

Such issues are not only a concern for end users, but system integrators as well—as integration issues negatively impact system integrator

resources and project planning capabilities.

During IMTS 2022, OnRobot revealed its forthcoming product—D:Ploy—which is designed to automate the robot installation and work cell integration process. According to OnRobot, D:Ploy automatically discovers and configures the components in a robotic cell, regardless of supplier, while also integrating external I/O from other work station sensors and machines.

According to OnRobot, the D:Ploy system connects directly to the robot controller and handles all communication above the safety level. With this connectivity established, D:Ploy can automatically generate all the program logic, signal exchange, event handling, path planning, and realtime monitoring needed for the robot application.

Demonstrating D:Ploy, Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot, says that once you connect a robot to the D:Ploy module, users only have to scan the QR code on the module to securely connect to OnRobot’s cloud system, which can then detect all robotic components in the work cell— the robot as well as its end of arm tooling. Other components in the work cell are added to the D:Ploy software environment through an intuitive interface to further define the work space.

In the CNC machine loading app used to demonstrate D:Ploy at IMTS, users define the pick and end placement positions, as well as size and weight of the component or part in the D:Ploy software interface. Such robot programming processes typically take about 20 minutes to fully complete, said Iversen, but D:Ploy’s cloud server can calculate optimal motion of the robot in less than 20 seconds.

Kristian Hulgard, general manager of OnRobot’s Americas division, said D:Ploy’s 80% reduction in robot deployment time allows system integrators to take on more projects with existing resources, helps robot manufacturers benefit from greater accessibility to their products, and provides end users with “powerful new abilities to implement, manage, and redeploy automation across their facilities for long-term success.”

Iversen said the first release of D:Ploy will target palletizing, CNC machine tending, packaging, and material handling applications. It is expected to be available in late Q4 2022. Future releases will address de-palletizing and vision-based robot applications.

Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot, demonstrates the D:Ploy system at IMTS 2022.

Realizing Rapid ROI from Preventative Maintenance Solutions

By Petra Nieuwenhuizen, senior product

Amid overlapping global crises and countless marketplace upheavals, companies from every sector are looking to shore up their operations against future disruptions. Industry insiders have long seen improving asset health monitoring and maintenance as a winning strategy to achieve resilience, agility, and efficiency.

However, it can be hard to identify which digital tools will deliver the maximum impact, and harder still to convince diverse groups of stakeholders that they should prioritize a given project over another. After all, what department wouldn’t benefit from additional resources? In the end, a solid business case for prioritizing spending on asset health and predictive maintenance comes down to demonstrating fast return on investment (ROI).

As with any aspect of digital transformation, scalability is key. Preventative maintenance, enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, needs an easy-to-scale solution that maximizes ROI up-front and continues to build returns as an organization further refines its digital capabilities. But how do executives determine the most cost-effective place to start?

Identifying your predictive maintenance priorities

Many organizations already use real-time data to conduct condition-based maintenance of their assets. Given recent supply chain disruptions, however, insight into spare part delivery time becomes much more important. Risk-based maintenance integrates aspects of reactive, preventative, condition-based, and predictive maintenance techniques, as well as spare parts inventorying to improve asset availability and build resilience.

No matter where your organization is in its digital transformation, identifying where to invest for maximum returns is pivotal. Enterprises should look not only for discrete software but scalable digital solutions that are part of a robust portfolio. Aveva Asset Strategy Optimization, for example, lays the founda-

performance management, Aveva

tion for higher-level capabilities. With Aveva Asset Strategy Optimization, organizations can assess asset criticality, which they can use to prioritize the assets they will focus on with predictive analytics.

Aveva Asset Strategy Optimization gives a clear overview of all your assets, helping you pinpoint preventative maintenance investments with ROI in mind. It lets you tailor strategies to your company’s unique position. For example, if leadership is looking to further a sustainability initiative, Aveva Asset Strategy Optimization will show you which asset strategy will best achieve that goal.

Scalability drives ROI

The use of AI has become commonplace for detecting asset performance irregularities. The belief persists among some, however, that algorithms are the most important part of any predictive maintenance program. In reality, an algorithm only accounts for a small fraction of the comprehensive solution needed to deploy a holistic predictive maintenance strategy.

Aveva Predictive Analytics is one such scalable, comprehensive solution. It incorporates AI models that provide early asset performance anomaly detection and extensive diagnostics to create the right insight from all data sources. The solution’s asset libraries provide reliability data that describes the best remediating actions in the event of a failure, allowing you to minimize downtime and act quickly to address equipment health and performance problems enterprise wide.

To achieve maximum ROI, any complete predictive maintenance solution must be easy-toscale and operationalize for all stakeholders, not just data scientists and software programmers.

Solutions like Aveva Predictive Analytics can be easily scaled to encompass a single asset in one plant to all your assets worldwide.

Why Aveva?

The insight into asset criticality Aveva Asset Strategy Optimization provides, coupled with the easy-

to-scale benefits Aveva Predictive Analytics delivers, demonstrates that Aveva’s solutions represent the most comprehensive predictive analytics portfolio in the market, ensuring maximum ROI.

Operating a reliability centered maintenance (RCM) program can be a resource-intensive process. Because Aveva Asset Strategy Optimization enables collaboration between experts and non-experts, you can minimize the time it takes to collect and verify information. Users can input data directly into a web-based interface, which is then easily accessible to reliability engineers at any time, anywhere. Using this method, teams have cut the time it takes for an RCM study by half. Aveva Asset Strategy Optimization accelerates RCM from study to deployment by bringing together people and data. With Aveva’s Asset Strategy Library, deployment time of asset strategies can be sped by up to 90%.

Through native integration to the Aveva PI System, the solution is highly scalable. You can monitor a single asset, plant, or a whole host of remote assets across multiple sites, allowing you to scale continuously with a minimal IT footprint.

Aveva Predictive Analytics makes it easy for users to train proven algorithms quickly and operationalize them. Prescriptive actions, coupled with integrated fault diagnostics, speed up asset remediation. No-code architecture allows a wide range of users to quickly implement model management strategies using templates. The solution also shows users an asset’s remaining lifespan.

When deployed in tandem, Aveva Asset Strategy Optimization and Aveva Predictive Analytics create an easily scalable, comprehensive preventative maintenance toolkit, ensuring maximum ROI and allowing you to achieve your predictive maintenance goals.

Improving asset health monitoring and maintenance is key to operations resiliency, agility, and efficiency. But how do you determine the best place to begin these improvements?

marketing manager, asset

Getting to the Edge with Industrial Communications

By

As we enter the so-called fourth industrial revolution, which aims to finally close the gap between distributed automation systems and business systems, let’s take a quick look back at some of the developments that got us here and where they point for the future.

The PC revolution of the 1990s led to the popularity of the Microsoft Windows operating system (OS) and broad interest in using its graphical interface to see what was happening on the plant floor. But the automation industry had expanded rapidly in the preceding decades, introducing many new protocols and devices. To use Windows, early SCADA and HMI developers had to create a suite of proprietary software drivers to communicate with every device the system might encounter. It was a time-consuming and expensive process and, in the race to expand the available portfolio of supported devices, it generally led to very limited driver functionality.

In response, Microsoft and a small group of automation vendors—including Opto 22—developed OLE for Process Control using Microsoft’s Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) technology. Now called Open Platform Communications,

OPC defined a common specification based on a client-server model that allowed Windows-based SCADA/HMI software to communicate indirectly with plant floor hardware by means of an OPC server, which housed all the drivers needed to communicate with those devices. With OPC, vendors could more easily develop software for industrial systems and the quantity and diversity of data that could be extracted improved.

But challenges remained. Taking advantage of OPC required a Windows-based computer or server to exchange operational data from plant floor devices with the software that needed this data. OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) was developed to meet this challenge by making it possible to run OPC at the edge of networks, directly embedded into industrial processors and devices.

At the same time, we saw much greater interest in closing the gap between automation and business networks. As a result, automation manufacturers began introducing edge-oriented controllers and I/O systems. These devices offer state-of-the-art, powerful CPUs that combine traditional real-time control and sensing functions with the communication, storage, security, and

data processing functions previously found only in higher-level systems.

Together, OPC UA and these new edge controllers and I/O systems significantly simplify the task of communicating operational data between plant floor systems and the software systems businesses rely on every day.

This combination has brought us to where we are today, with modern concepts like the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0. We can clearly see the value and significance of opensource protocols and software. We can work on long-neglected capabilities like cybersecurity for industrial systems. We can again draw on innovations in IT to outfit control systems for the tasks we need them to perform.

Our history points clearly to the future, where edge computing capabilities and powerful software running on these platforms are ushering in new levels of industrial communications. As automation professionals working on digital transformation, we can see how edge devices and interoperability standards are paving the way for companies to flourish.

A look back at the key technology developments that delivered Industry 4.0 gives us a good indication of where industry is headed.

Benson Hougland, vice president of marketing and product strategy, Opto 22

Enhancing MQTT Sparkplug B for Industrial IoT

Automation engineers and integrators who recognize the value of a smart MQTT broker will be in a good position to meet those demands and to develop increasingly sophisticated industrial IoT scenarios.

By Xavier Mesrobian, vice president of sales & marketing, Skkynet Cloud Systems Inc.

One of the most popular industrial IoT (IIoT) protocols for data communications is MQTT. Originally developed for the oil and gas sector, it is efficient, quick, and secure, making it ideal for connecting field devices to a central SCADA system and passing data between them. With the advent of IIoT and Industrie 4.0, many automation professionals have turned to MQTT as a useful protocol

for connecting devices to the cloud. But MQTT has its drawbacks. For example, it does not have a standardized data format to define how data is sent and received, causing interoperability issues.

To address this problem, Sparkplug B was created. Sparkplug B provides a topic namespace, state management, and payload definition for MQTT. It classifies MQTT clients as either edge of network (EoN) devices that produce data, or as applica-

tions that consume data. Each Sparkplug B device produces messages of various kinds, like a “birth” message to show it has come online, “data” messages for sending data, and a “death” message when it goes offline. Any Sparkplug B application that is online receives these messages and is kept informed of which data is coming from which device.

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.

Simplifying Industry’s Adoption of Time-Sensitive Networking

Profibus & Profinet International works to make technologies like TimeSensitive Networking easy for end users, but we also help automation companies build TSN-capable products and ease industry-wide adoption.

By Michael Bowne, executive director, PI North America

To help automation device vendors adopt Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), Profibus & Profinet International (PI) has released the Profinet Community [software] Stack. This portable software stack provides core functions required by Profinet-enabled devices. These core functions can then be adapted to the specific hardware upon which the stack is being implemented, and to the application software that will utilize it. From the outset, the Profinet Community Stack has been developed and released with TSN integration in mind.

Available to PI members, the stack can be downloaded for free from the PI website (www. profibus.com). It is intended primarily for Profinet solution providers or technology partners, and secondarily for the device vendors. It gives our technology partners a foundation upon which to build their software stacks that make it easy for

device vendors to add Profinet to their products. They are the experts in helping add Profinet to a device and can be consulted at any point during the integration process.

Easy Profinet + TSN testing

Every Profinet-enabled device is required to pass conformance testing and certification before it can be released on the market. The same test tool used by PI test labs to put devices through their paces is available for download and use by device vendors. It is an automated tester that steps through test cases and gives clear results with each test case performed. Because TSN requires clock synchronization, hardware support is needed in the devices via TSN-capable Ethernet chips. This means the hardware employed by the test tool must also have such hardware support.

To ease the TSN integration process, the latest version of the Profinet test tool has been developed

to use a widely available, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) development kit for the TSN functionality. The test tool runs on any laptop and initiates the test cases via the connected TSN dev kit. This ensures that device vendors can easily run through test cases themselves via this COTS hardware.

Functionality focus

Automation component makers should focus their efforts on building out the features and functionality of their devices. Meanwhile, integration of a communication interface should be as painless as possible. With the Profinet Community Stack and COTS hardware for automated TSN testing, PI is helping device vendors do just that. We want to enable adoption of TSN by end users by easing its integration for device vendors.

The productivity and efficiency of your manufacturing operations depends on a constant cycle of collecting and analyzing IIoT data. Fortunately, Mitsubishi Electric has the hardware, software, and expertise to help you automate the process.

Multi-Tasking Machine Controllers

High-end machine performance is often delivered via a controller that also communicates with other machines in real-time and provides live production data for use by higher level systems to support OEE frameworks and manage artificial intelligence-enabled maintenance systems.

By Christian Nomine, strategic product manager visualization & analytics, Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation EMEA

The requirement to multi-task while maintaining precise control over a machine (or multiple machines) means a modular PLC construction is more important than ever. The latest IoT (Internet of Things) Gateway available for Mitsubishi Electric’s advanced iQ-R Series PLC is a perfect example. It makes use of the OPC UA standard designed to provide a direct exchange from smart OT (operations technology) devices to cloud-based systems.

In combination with an Iconics SCADA suite, the IoT Gateway can be used to access real-time-data from multiple robot controllers (and other automation devices) and make them available for easy onscreen monitoring and management via on-premises or cloud-based systems. This allows companies to benefit from predictive maintenance functionality built-in to the robots which uses AI (artificial intelligence) to predict requirements ahead of time and make suggestions for servicing or parts replacements. The flexibility to see this information and act upon it from anywhere in the world empowers plant operations personnel to work remotely and take advantage of their smart factory capabilities.

A plant-wide automation system can also be driven by the machine controller and its communication modules. An IoT Gateway and iQ-R modular PLC can be used as a hub to drive a simplified IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things)-enabled control and management environment. It effectively makes the most of the controller’s capability while creating transparency within the IT systems.

From a manufacturing perspective, introducing a time-sensitive network such as CC-Link IE TSN can increase the speed and synchronicity of a production line significantly. Micro-delays and bottlenecks can be effectively eliminated by ensuring that everything from in-feed machinery to CNC machines tools, conveyors, assembly systems, testing, marking, robot loading systems, packing and palletizing is synchronized in real time.

Interoperability

But this ecosystem doesn’t work in isolation. It relies on OPC UA, MQTT, and the likes of Azure IoT Hub to link ERP and MES layers to the PLC at the heart of the system via the IoT gateway. This allows personnel—from production to senior management—to pull reports and plan factory output based on demand and availability.

The role of the machine controller in an IIoT environment also helps integrate with edge and cloud processing platforms to deliver data analytics benefits. Edge computing is increasingly used for data analytics because it offers a low-latency solution for interpretation of targeted trends data rather than mass storage. Meanwhile, cloud computing is increasingly being used for complex, but less time-sensitive, analysis on larger data sets required for deep learning models.

Mitsubishi Electric’s solution for edge comput-

ing, the MELIPC, captures data seamlessly from the PLC and can process, filter, and provide initial analysis locally. The most relevant results can be acted upon locally, while data needing more advanced analytics can be sent to the cloud. The MELIPC addresses the need for processing as close as possible to the control system, while also using the same protocols as the IoT Gateway, such as OPC UA and MQTT.

The MELIPC also uses machine learning to analyze collected data and generate a model of the machine’s operational state. This model can then be used to detect variations in the machine’s performance in real time to provide feedback to other IT-based systems to provide early warnings and advice that can impact quality, efficiency, and output volumes.

Easy on-screen monitoring and management of multiple robot controllers is available both on-premises or in a cloud environment thanks to the Iconics SCADA suite.

Source: Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V.

A smart MQTT broker for Sparkplug B

The Sparkplug B specification makes MQTT a better choice for a range of IIoT applications. And yet even more can be done by enabling an MQTT broker to parse messages. By design, MQTT is a transport protocol. The broker that connects the clients acts like a postal service, passing along letters but not knowing the contents. An MQTT broker that can parse and act on the content of the messages as they stream through becomes a smart broker. A smart MQTT broker that also supports Sparkplug B provides some unique capabilities beyond what a normal Sparkplug B broker can offer.

For example, it can: Synchronize all applications. Because it is aware of all connections, a smart broker can synthesize

a “birth” (startup) message for each connected device whenever a new application comes online. This allows that application to receive “data” messages from all currently connected devices, eliminating issues related to start-up order.

Respond to errors. In addition to its ability to identify out-of-order or lost MQTT messages, a smart broker can also automatically disconnect a Sparkplug B device when these kinds of errors occur and allow it to reconnect. This causes the device to re-send its “birth” message, which resynchronizes all receiving applications, thus maintaining a single version of the truth.

Resolve failed writes to devices. Another useful feature is the ability to check all write requests from applications to devices, to ensure the specified data value was written on the device. If the smart broker detects that the value on the device did not change, it forces the device to disconnect,

causing it to retransmit its “birth” message. This resynchronizes all applications listening to that device and is another way to maintain a single version of the truth.

Add data quality information. For systems that need to convert Sparkplug B data to other protocols, a smart broker can add quality information. For example, when converting Sparkplug B data to OPC, it adds OPC data quality. “Birth” or “data” messages are assigned the OPC data quality of Good, while “death” (shutdown) messages can take a Not Connected quality.

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Hardy Chooses netX to Deploy Profinet in Weight Controller

Hardy’s HI 6200 features EtherNet/IP, ModBus, Ethernet TCP/ IP, and Profinet communication to support the widest range of international standards and IoT trends such as remote monitoring.

Weighing company Hardy Process Solu tions has added Profinet communica tions to its HI 6200 single-channel weight controller/indicator.

The decision to implement Profinet came about because of growing local market demand, and the fact that Hardy is increasingly supporting world markets where Profinet has achieved sig nificant market penetration. Hardy is also pursu ing the growing trend of IoT (Internet of Things) adoption, which is easily supported by netX.

“We’ve always been protocol agnostic,” says Tim Norman, Hardy product manager. “For example, back in the days of the fieldbus wars, we were one of the first North American com panies to introduce Profinet into our products, to complement the protocols used here in North America. We strongly believe that our customers should be free to use whatever communications protocol they prefer.”

HI 6200 details

The HI 6200 has been available with EtherNet/ IP, ModBus, and Ethernet TCP/IP commu nications since launch. The decision in 2020 to add Profinet came about because a signifi cant amount of product sales now come from European, Asian, and South American markets. Norman says there’s a clear need to support the widest range of international standards. “The increasing trend towards deploying IoT, particularly remote monitoring, means that our products must have the latest technologies available,” says Norman. “That requires ever more and better connectivity. We see Profinet as key in those global markets.”

The HI 6200 is an ultra-compact, DIN railmounted device measuring just two inches wide and three-and-a-quarter inches high. It allows for high-density panel designs compared with traditional weighing instrumentation, reducing both machine costs and control cabinet foot prints. It has a 32-bit ARM core for processing

which, along with Hardy’s proprietary WaveSaver technology and a single-button-press calibration method, delivers accurate, stable, and fast weight readings in the type of adverse conditions that plague process control.

The HI 6200 supports proactive maintenance strategies while delivering the benefits of IIoT device-level connectivity though built-in web servers or directly via the UDP transport layer. It can also be used as a co-processer for a control system such as a PLC, DCS, or PAC, delivering 100 updates per second of processed weight data at resolutions exceeding 1:10,000.

Profinet integration

Integrating Profinet proved to be a bigger challenge than expected, mainly because the ultra-compact design meant there were limited resources available on the motherboard. Nor man says, “We initially purchased a Profinet software stack to reside on our existing Eth ernet platform. However, the stack required an extensive rework and optimization, and after many months of engineering effort it still wouldn’t pass Profinet certification. As we were in a hurry to get the product released, we decided to stop that approach and look for an integrated hardware and firmware solution.”

Hardy evaluated several possible options and chose to use the netX 52 chip from Hilscher. “Our engineering staff already had experience with this chip from an earlier product upgrade to our HI 4050+ single-scale weight control ler,” says Norman. “That’s quite an old product but we were able to add Profinet using the netX 52. So, it made sense to use the same chip when upgrading the HI 6200.”

Inside the netX 52

Part of Hilscher’s netX family of network inter faces, the netX 52 is a Profinet node device. The netX range is unique in that it supports all popu lar industrial networking protocols by deploying

appropriate firmware. The netX 52 supports up to 14 industrial networking protocols. Fully certified stacks are available for all supported protocols and simply loaded into a chip as needed.

Using netX devices enables an OEM to create a single hardware platform and install the com munications protocol after manufacture to meet a customer’s particular requirements. Hilscher provides starter kits for developers and offers full engineering support.

Engineers from Hardy Process Solutions visited Hilscher North America in Chicago to receive local engineering training and guidance. With the netX 52, it took Hardy less than six months to achieve a certified Profinet weighing solution for the upgraded HI 6200.

Now the company is looking to use the netX 52 a third time, in a future flagship product designed to meet the growing demand for a weight controller that can support IoT-compliant systems and strategies.

“The increasing trend towards deploying IoT, particularly remote monitoring, means that our products must have the latest technologies available.”

Approaching the Changes in Cloud Evolution

When it comes to connecting IT and operations technology, the wide range of requirements from operations, marketing, finance, and maintenance mean that preplanning is a requirement. Here’s how to approach it.

By Charlie Norz, senior Automation Product Manager for WAGO Corp.

Industrial manufacturers have recognized the many benefits of plant floor digitalization.

Leaders in both IT and OT (operations technology) must work together to decide on the degree of information that needs to be collected as well as what type of analytics are required. Due to the wide range of requirements from other departments, such as operations, marketing, finance, and maintenance, pre-planning is the key for any IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) application.

New consumers of industrial data want immediate opportunities to improve efficiency, profitability or prevent downtime in ways that were not possible before. Cloud services and scalable storage are certainly drivers of this trend. Many controllers, for example, support the mainstream protocols commonly deployed in factories, but also add new messaging schemes like MQTT and REST APIs to support these new applications.

Cloud challenges

There are challenges with these approaches, for sure. For example, cloud providers have their own set of APIs and services unique to their solution. Customers who are looking to adopt a cloud platform need to consider how portable their data is and how easily they

can tie into existing systems within their organization. A controller that allows for open development, especially those that are Linux-based, will generally support more platforms than a closed system.

Cloud platforms commonly use MQTT for secure IIoT communications, leaving the integrator to determine how the JSON payload is structured; this adds flexibility but can also create interoperability challenges. Specifications like SparkPlug B help by defining the namespace to address this challenge. But while Sparkplug B is supported, relatively few cloud platforms have formally adopted it yet.

Cloud platforms are constantly evolving. For example, if you are using AWS Greengrass on a PLC and AWS releases a new machine learning service, a customer can easily adopt this new feature. A new driver or update used to mean installing and licensing new software on multiple servers, hoping there are no conflicts. Fortunately, this labor-intensive task might soon be a thing of the past.

First steps

Data collection, storage and retrieval is the first step in digital transformation. Many cloud agents

can orchestrate and manage your assets in a centralized way, allowing changes to be scheduled and rolled back as necessary. It is also possible to remotely deploy code to a group of edge devices for non-real-time tasks. This is a fundamental change in the way controllers can be programmed and managed, potentially making a significant impact on our industry.

Central to the IIoT approach is edge computing—collecting and processing data where it is generated. There is a lot happening in the edge of network space. This is an enabling technology that greatly simplifies software development and testing, which is more in line with mainstream software development.

Adopting an open and easy approach to industrial controls and supporting IIoT is accomplished by designing controllers that support established protocols and programming specifications, while at the same time extending support for new solutions or hybrid control schemes. This approach gives controls engineers flexibility to deploy the software applications that best meet their design goals.

IP Routers Simplify Integration for IIoT Facilities

Using an IP router with LAN and WAN capabilities means that a machine can be connected to the facility’s internal and external networks, enabling address changes on the machine to comply with the plant’s IP requirements.

By Harpartap Parmar, senior product manager, Contemporary Controls

Many manufacturing facilities are executing asset digitization projects to incorporate Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) connectivity between devices. In many instances, plant-wide and machine-to-machine communication using an Ethernet-based protocol is the norm.

Machines are utilizing Ethernet for internal communication between components as well. With more and more manufacturers depending on inter-

net-connected machinery, the plant engineer now needs to follow the policies of the IT department in addition to usual operational technology (OT) requirements. Using an IP router can resolve network conflicts between the IT department and OT, allowing machines to be more easily integrated into an IIoT environment.

Modern machines are comprised of various complex subsystems that communicate via the Inter-

net Protocol (IP)—the backbone of the Internet. The machine builder pre-defines each subsystem IP address and the range of addresses devoted to each machine. This addressing convention may conflict with the customer’s addressing policies, which increases the installation time and introduces unnecessary complications. An IP router can quickly and effectively integrate these machines to the customer’s existing IP infrastructure, benefiting

both customer and machine builder alike.

The various IP components of the machine are assigned IP addresses and the application controlling these various subsystems is programmed to communicate to these subsystem devices using their IP addresses. A machine builder then ships this tested machine to his customer, but the IP addresses used at the customer’s site are probably different than what was tested at the machine builder’s factory. Changing the IP addresses on the machine and modifying the control program to communicate with revised IP addresses to comply with the customer’s IP address requirements adds significant time to the commissioning process and hinders the ability to bring the machine on-line quickly.

The use of an IP router allows the machine’s IP addresses to remain unchanged. The IP router consists of two networks, one internal network called LAN and one external network called WAN. The machine is connected to the internal network and the external network is connected to the plant which can be easily changed to comply with the

plant’s IP requirements. The various machine subsystems are presented as one device to the plant network but can be easily accessed individually by using various features of the IP router like port forwarding, port range forwarding and NAT (network address translation).

For example, consider a machine builder tasked with the installation and network configuration of automated guided vehicles (AGVs). The project requires a method that simplifies the Ethernet network within the AGV system and allows technicians to have dependable external access to the devices without IP address conflicts.

In this case, the AGV system consists of a programmable logic controller (PLC), a human machine interface (HMI), and a barcode reader that form an internal network with a built-in 4-port switch connected to the LAN side of a Contemporary Controls EIGR IP router. Using the port forwarding feature of the IP router, the different IP ports from the external WAN IP address are mapped to different internal LAN devices in the

AGV. This setup is then easily uploaded to multiple routers for use in different AGVs allowing for the same configuration across all the devices. The time is takes to test the AGV while it is being built at the factory is reduced, and installation at the site is simplified by requiring just the WAN IP address to be configured either via static IP or DHCP. No other IP settings for the devices or the applications need to be modified at the install site.

Using this set-up, there is direct access to the PLC through the IP router, allowing the customer to easily monitor and program the PLC. The HMI and the bar code reader can also be accessed through the router. The multicast traffic is kept within the AGV network and doesn’t impact the customer’s IT network. The IP router’s built-in firewall prevents direct unauthorized access to the LAN side devices from the WAN side, making the AGV system a secure and effective addition to the IIoT facility.

The Anheuser-Busch facility in St. Louis serves as the hub of innovation for more than 30 brands—the most popular be ing Budweiser and Michelob Ultra. At a facility like this, multiple lines run at high speed on the packaging floor. As an example, one can line can package 1,950 12-ounce cans per minute and 1,650 16-ounce cans per minute.

With so much activity, operators have to be familiar with equipment and procedures. Un fortunately, the beverage manufacturer is not only dealing with the skills shortage impacting the entire industry, but it is also preparing to lose about 40% of its workforce that is ready to retire. That means novice operators will be run ning machines and learning to interpret HMIs (human-machine interaces) that have, in many instances, been in place for decades.

By Stephanie Neil, Senior Editor

Concerned about what the future holds for the packaging floor with these workforce issues in mind, Ken VonderHaar, global director of the Anheuser-Busch Can Division, is asking OEMs to design machines that are much easier to learn and to use.

“Essentially, we're asking for simplicity,” he says. “We would like for all of the complexity to be under the hood [of the machine], and we would like an operator interface that's very simple, easy to understand, and enables our younger employees to interface with some type of video screen. We also look for set-up procedures that are built into the operator screen. And we’d love it if [OEMs] could help train our operators.”

Lisa Rathburn, vice president of engineering at food manufacture T. Marzetti agrees that training and easy interfaces can help close the skills gap.

“We walk through the interfaces during design reviews to ensure that terminology matches what is used by our teams on the plant floor,” she says. “We are focused on standardizing where possible to simplify the diversity of knowledge needed. And we are also favoring changeover parts, rail adjustment, etc., that have clear indicators or push-button operations to reduce human error and manual adjustments.”

OEMs are listening to customers’ requests and delivering intuitive HMIs and visual learn ing components, as well as offering augmented reality (AR) and remote management and diag nostic technologies to offload most of the main tenance issues.

The goal is to avoid a big problem when there’s an easy fix.

“We can solve 90% of the issues remotely and

With high employee turnover on the factory floor, manufacturers are asking OEMs to design easy-to-use equipment and provide ongoing training.

Workers monitor the packaging line at Anheuser-Busch’s facility in St. Louis.

within an hour,” says Robert Mize a technical support representative at Pearson Packaging Systems, a provider of end-of-line automated packaging systems.

Pearson’s remote service o ering is free and available 24/7. They use several technologies to connect with customers and help them get back up and running quickly. One method employed uses PTC’s Vuforia AR technology, which allows the technician to make annotations on a shared screen. It’s a simple process that starts by sending a code to a phone with the Vuforia app and pulling up the software to allow operators and technicians to share the same screen. It does not require a remote connection to the machine and is especially useful when operators have language barriers or don’t know maintenance terminology. “It’s one of the first things we mobilize. We can see the machine and we can annotate in real time,” says Mize.

Another connection method uses an Ewon router that connects to the PLC via a secure VPN tunnel. The router enables the technical support team to see the state of the machine, including PLC and sensor data, as well as make corrections to the code if necessary. “Back in 2019, we made the decision that we were going to equip any plant or industrial network [our machines] are in with the ability to remote connect,” says Brian Patrick, Pearson’s vice president of engineering. “It’s allowed us to make further investments, not only just putting remote connection on machines, but also being able to send things out quickly from a support standpoint.”

In certain cases, Pearson also provides cameras that can be set up around the machine so that when a remote session takes place, technical support can see what the customer is seeing. This is especially helpful when a situation has to be assessed over a period of time.

Urgent calls

These types of services are proving to be vital given the current state of the workforce. For example, during a routine customer service call to Pearson tech support, Mize answered questions about a machine while trying to gauge the operator’s familiarity with the tech nology. That’s when he learned that the caller had actually been a cashier at the warehouse retail site just an hour before being reassigned to the machine operator role.

“Even the tone of the callers is totally different than it was a few years ago,” Mize says. “There’s a sense of urgency. It’s like they’ve been dropped o in the middle of the ocean and have to learn to swim for themselves.”

The urgency is heightened because every second counts. “Our customers make money when they get boxes out the door,” says Paul Wolf, director of customer service at R.A. Jones, a supplier of primary and secondary packaging machinery. “So how do you get a new hire to operate a line in a day?” One solution, Wolf says, is a two-minute training video.

The company has identified several of the most common faults on its machines and are now scripting out short, documentary-like videos on how to fix them. “A lot of documentation gets lost, but with a video of how to fix it, we can get an operator up to speed in record time,” Wolf says, noting they are also embedding videos in HMIs and online manuals, which

can be customized to customer needs.

Other OEMs are aiding the untrained operator by developing somewhat self-su cient machines.

At PACK EXPO International in October, BellatRx introduced a new labeling machine that includes a piece of equipment that takes the measurements of a bottle, which when entered into the HMI, automatically creates a recipe in which all of the conveyors, label dispensing, wrap, and metering wheel speeds are automatically set and synchronized without further operator intervention. This gets the operator to 90% of where the set up needs to be just by measuring the bottle. “They don’t need to understand dispense speed or any of that because we understand it, and we write in the code and algorithms to calculate the speeds,” explains BellatRx president and CEO Alan Shuhaibar. “All you need to do is measure the bottle and enter the dimensions.”

A short animation or video also serves as a step-by-step guide in the HMI on how to get the BellatRx labeler up and running. The video is coupled with an LED light strip installed along the length of the machine. When setup is required on a certain assembly, the section of the LED strip in front of that assembly will light up to draw the operator’s attention to that point. The mechanical adjustments include electronic feedback which turns the LED light green when it is in the correct set point or red when it is not. On the HMI, the

Pearson Packaging Systems uses PTC’s Vuforia augmented reality to connect operators and service technicians.

operator cannot progress to the next screen un less all setpoints for that assembly are green.

In the past, the OEM’s expectation was that the operator knew how to set up the machines. But that’s no longer true in many cases. In addition, people expect the same user-friendly interface as an iPhone. “We are trying to take that mindset and put it into the machines. You shouldn’t need a PhD to run a labeler,” Shuhaibar says.

No coding experience? No problem

In its own factories, industrial control supplier Bosch Rexroth uses its ActiveAssist assistance system to guide operators through the assembly process. It provides instructions projected on a workstation with a vision system that confirms when something is done correctly.

The company has also reinvented its automation approach over the last two years with its softwaredriven ctrlX Automation platform. By going back to the drawing board in its development of this plat form, the company erased the traditional boundaries between machine control systems, IT, and Internet of Things (IoT) to create a flexible and scalable plat form based on the Linux real-time operating system, open standards, and comprehensive IoT connectivity with web-based engineering.

Using the Blockly visual programming language the platform provides a drag-and-drop function block that builds sequentially. “So now, instead of memorizing dozens of lines of code, you just have to understand that this block means a kinematic move sequence. This makes it easy to use and to train someone to use,” explains Brad Klippstein, product manager for smart mechatronics at Bosch Rexroth. “In under five minutes we can teach you how to use this interface and program your process.”

In addition, Bosch is helping OEMs and customers alike by providing them with its LinSelect online tool for designing and commissioning of machines. “It allows you to input the parameters of whatever you are trying to do.” If you are trying to move boxes from point A to point B, for example, just input the distance needs, weight of the box, and a few other details pertinent to the process. “Our system sizes and selects the mechanical, electrical, and software components that fit together based on your application.”

Third-party control

Of course, the easiest thing for OEMs to do to help their customers is to fully manage the machines onsite. However, the thought of allowing a third party to remotely control a machine is completely o -limits. Or is it?

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Given the current circumstances, it’s becoming acceptable to relinquish control to the experts. “We always have a plan B with the remote connection of a machine,” says Pearson’s Patrick. “We have the ability to take over the machine, so if an operator is not comfortable doing something, they can grant us access to use the HMI remotely.”

To be clear, this scenario requires specific conditions with the machine in a certain state for it to work, Patrick notes, emphasizing “there is no opportunity to put someone in danger.”

Taking even this small step in allowing restricted remote control of machines is a big deal for many end users, but it’s something they could ultimately be asking for in greater numbers.

“It's always a challenge with our IT team to [allow for] remote [access] into anything in the brewery,” says Anheuser-Busch’s VonderHaar. “And that's just because of the risk. But I think the trend is there, and we have to figure out how to do that. And at the end of the day, yes, we want to do that. We need to figure out how to do that safely and try to do it in a manner that doesn't put our operations at risk.”

The Ewon router provides a secure remote connection to the machine, allowing tech support to see the state of the PLC and more.

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MAKING SENSE OF INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

time-coordinated and regular tra c to coexist on Ethernet, TSN is poised to converge IT and operations networks. But some challenges remain in terms of cost, complexity, and need.

By James R. Koelsch, Automation World Contributing Writer

MAKING SENSE OF INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

As an up-and-coming Ethernet-based tech nology, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) has been generating a lot of excitement in the world of industrial automation. “It holds the promise of having multiple IP-based networks on a network with a degree of time synchronization and determin ism,” explains Robert Trask, P.E., North American representative at the EtherCAT Technology Group.

“TSN is not a fieldbus,” he stresses. “It’s a toolbox of functionalities.” Specifically, it is set of IEEE 802 bridging standards being developed and promulgated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).”

Stephan Kehrer, senior architect at Belden, says TSN is sometimes misunderstood to “be a completely new communication technology o ering real-time capabilities.” Kehrer contends this is not an entirely correct description because TSN has been emerging as a key industrial networking technology precisely because it is not just one new technology for real-time communications.

Yes, TSN does o ers a range of new functionality for data transmission—for example, guaranteed bandwidth, real-time guarantees, and redundancy features. “But all of this comes as an enhancement

to the well-known and widely established communication technology, namely Ethernet according to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3 and IEEE 802.1,” explains Kehrer.

Once all the specifications have been developed and promulgated, TSN will be a vendor-independent standard that allows time-coordinated and regular tra c to coexist on Ethernet. It promises to bring together the worlds of information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) onto a converged network.

It will do so by overcoming the barriers that have been prohibiting IT and OT communications from sharing the same network.

“Classic IT networks don’t o er the necessary determinism for real-time control of critical processes, such as motion control,” explains Gunnar Lessmann, master specialist in Profinet at Phoenix Contact USA. “And classic OT networks don’t offer the necessary bandwidth for applications such as vision cameras.”

TSN brings together the bandwidth and the determinism needed for the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). “Devices on a network can communicate with a PLC in real-time and with short cycle

times,” says Lessmann. “And at the same time, they can run alongside several parallel IT applications, such as PCs, data analytics, or image recognition with artificial intelligence.”

Understanding the key functions of TSN

TSN has its origins in the audio/video bridging (AVB) standards for transferring audio, video, and other real-time content over Ethernet. “This laid the foundation for the expansion of Ethernet into what we now call TSN,” says Tom Weingartner, technical marketing director at Profibus and Profinet International (PI) in North America.

The next major milestone in the development of the standard was the formation of the TSN Task Group at the IEEE in 2012. “This group spent the next several years putting together a series of specifications that we now consider the TSN toolbox,” says Weingartner.

This toolbox consists of the IEEE 802.1Q 2018 and 802.1AS-2020 standards. “The IEEE 802.1 standards define the mechanisms for time synchronization, tra c priority, and tra c scheduling in Ethernet networks,” says Thomas Brandl at

MAKING SENSE OF INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

Bosch

Rexroth Corp.

“IEEE 802.1 AS, for example, defines Grandmaster clocks that allow all devices on a network to share a common understanding of time with high accuracy—ultimately supporting determinism,” adds Tom Burke, director of global standards at the CC-Link Partner Association.

Then, IEEE 802.1 Qbv defines a time-aware scheduler (TAS), which is essentially a gate driver that prioritizes Ethernet frames based on transmission time. “When urgent cyclic data need to be transferred, TAS temporarily interrupts the transmission of non-urgent tra c,” explains Burke. “As a result, time-sensitive data can be delivered within the reserved time slots for high-priority tra c.”

IEEE 802.1Qbv also optimizes bandwidth usage with a scheduling mechanism based on frame lengths. “When the scheduler receives a message that needs to be transmitted, the overall length of the frame is checked,” says Burke. “If the frame can fit without a ecting high-priority tra c, the scheduler sends the information.” If the frame won’t fit, the sched uler either queues the message or, using definitions in IEEE 802.1Qbu and IEEE 802.3br, transmits it in two parts (also known as frame pre-emption).

Besides regulating bandwidth and reserving time slots, rules in IEEE 802.1Qbv also govern the selection of communications paths. “More

than one path is defined to build fault tolerance mechanisms,” says Burke. “As a result, latency is minimized, and di erent data tra c streams can be transferred on a network without delays.”

These TSN mechanisms are now being incorporated into Ethernet chipsets so that automation using those chips can engage in TSN-based communications. The production of Ethernet chips is already underway and, in some cases, completed, reports Lessmann at Phoenix Contact. “TSN requires the necessary hardware support in endpoints and switches,” he adds. “This means that new devices and switches are required.”

The rate of the proliferation of TSN will depend on how quickly chipmakers produce the necessary chips and automation vendors incorporate them into their devices.

Where gaps still exist

Although Qbv, Qbu, and AS—the three core TSN specifications—have already been promulgated, other TSN specifications are still under development.

“The largest issue at the moment is that there is no agreed-upon consensus for configuring a TSN-bridged network,” reports Trask at EtherCAT Technology Group. “Even though TSN itself is inde pendent of any particular vendor, current TSN im plementations have been largely vendor dependent.”

This is partially due to the fact that, as the IEEE was releasing the core 802.1 standards, TSN continued to evolve.

“It became clear we needed a way to apply TSN to various use cases within di erent market verticals,” recounts Weingartner at PI. This realization led to the development of a growing series of profiles that define how to apply TSN to those use cases. An example is the IEC/IEEE 60802 profile for industrial automation. Other examples include IEEE 802.1DG for the automotive industry and 802.1 DP for aerospace.

“Think of it this way,” suggests Weingartner. “The TSN specifications tell us what TSN is so we can build silicon and software. TSN profiles tell us how to use TSN in a particular market so we can build boards and systems for particular applications.”

TSN has matured to the point where a number of TSN-capable devices have already begun to appear, and organizations are able to show proof of concept. At Hannover Messe in Germany last June, for example, PI showed a set of industrial devices that support Profinet over TSN. The demonstration highlighted 802.1AS Time Synchronization and 802.1Q Preemption running at gigabit speeds. “Each of the solutions used di erent silicon and software along with the Profinet stack that supports TSN,” says Weingartner.

The EK1000 EtherCAT TSN Coupler from Beckho expands the range of applications of EtherCAT in heterogeneous network environments. Source: Beckho Automation

MAKING SENSE OF INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS

Available TSN products

Among the TSN-capable devices already on the market is the Managed TSN Switch 2300 from Phoenix Contact. “This switch can be configured so that TSN mechanisms, such as frame preemption, are used transparently for existing Profinet applications,” says Lessmann. The switch can be helpful for planning a step-by-step migration to full TSN, especially since Profinet permits the use of legacy and TSN devices on the same network.

Belden recently released its Bobcat Railswitch, a TSN-capable device that can come with link speeds as high as 2.5 Gbit/s. The device supports two timesynchronization mechanisms, which make it compatible with existing field devices in brownfield networks and with industrial automation following the IEC/IEEE 60802 TSN protocol.

Bobcat also supports the Time-Aware Shaper (IEEE 802.1Qbv) mechanism with either two or three gate entries, a choice that permits implementing either a two-phase or a three-phase model. The three-phase model promotes convergence. “For example, each of two control protocols can be separated in time within the first two phases, and the Bobcat still allows all other tra c within the last phase,” says Kehrer. Any tra c that might otherwise disrupt the control tra c can be put in this last phase.

For controller-to-controller communications, controls manufacturers are already building boards that o er TSN features. “From our point of view, TSN by itself is not a key technology in industrial networking,” says Brandl at Bosch Rexroth. “Rather, we regard a vendor-independent, standardized

application protocol in combination with TSN as the key technology.”

For a standardized protocol, Bosch Rexroth is supporting the OPC UA FX (Unified Architecture Field Exchange) specification. The OPC Foundation has already issued the first release to its members for review, so Brandl expects the protocol to be promulgated soon.

Meanwhile, the new Rexroth ctrlX Core control platform comes with TSN-enabled Ethernet ports and supports OPC UA publish/subscribe communications. “Our recommendation is to start with vendor-independent control-to-control communications based on this,” says Brandl. “TSN and real-time communication capability will follow according to the OPC UA FX specification.” These enhancements will be rolled out in software updates.

Do you really need TSN?

TSN is a technology in need by much of industry. But it’s not necessary for every industrial Ethernet network.

One limitation of TSN is that it can be expensive and complicated to deploy. “When there are many nodes, and thus cascaded TSN bridges, TSN suffers from NP [nondeterministic polynomial-time] completeness, where complexity soars with the number of connections,” says Trask. “Every stream requires two TSN connections. Minimizing the number of streams is the only hope for a successful TSN implementation [in such cases].”

A device that might help with this is the EK1000

EtherCAT TSN coupler from Beckho Automation. The coupler exploits the ability of EtherCAT to carry the data of many devices in one Ethernet frame and, therefore, in one TSN stream.

“TSN can be used to route an Ethernet frame to an EK1000 and then talk to many other devices on the other end,” explains Trask. “Having few streams greatly simplifies the configuration of a TSN network so much that it is foundational to any real TSN success at the field level.”

Lacking such devices in the near term could mean that cost and complexity may limit TSN to machine automation and discrete-parts manufacturing—at least for now. These applications often require the extremely fast responses, coordinated action, or both that TSN promotes.

Process control loops, on the other hand, are usually much slower acting. “So, for the vast majority of control applications in process automation, there is no need for TSN because the speed of the control loop is easily handled with standard Ethernet,” says Paul Sereiko, director of marketing at FieldComm Group, a standards development organization for process automation.

This should be true even in plants that combine factory and process automation if there is sucient bandwidth for non-TSN tra c. “As long as this bandwidth is available, the process instruments need not be burdened with the cost and increased complexity of configuration inherent in a TSN device,” says Sereiko.

The Bobcat Railswitch from Belden promotes the convergence of IT and OT. Because of TSN, communications can occur in as many as three phases, each of which can carry control or other tra c independently of the other phases. Source: Belden

Evonik Uses Modular Process Control for Greater Customizability

Siemens’ Simatic PCS Neo process control system is helping chemical manufacturer Evonik make its production model more flexible.

By David Miller

In recent times, process industries such as chemical manufacturing are facing many of the same challenges as those in the discrete manufacturing space. Increasingly stringent competitive pressures require them to be ever-more flexible, even with the cost of feedstocks, energy, and labor potentially rising. For instance, pharmaceutical manufacturers using specialty chemical inputs are tasked with achieving faster time-to-market for smaller batches of more customized products, as personalized medicine and self-administration of treatment become more common.

For many companies, including specialty chemical provider Evonik, modular production may provide a solution to these challenges. Modularization of process automation systems entails the replacement of large-scale plant infrastructure oriented toward producing a single product with a series of distributed or modularized production cells capable of producing multiple customized products.

Recently, Evonik adopted automation technology supplier Siemens’ web-based Simatic PCS Neo process control system to aid in its shift to a more modular production environment. The Simatic PCS Neo allows multiple users across the globe to

collaborate on projects simultaneously by granting them visibility and insight into plant sections at various locations. Following from this, the commissioning of projects has been made more e cient, as production can be more intelligently allocated across an array of available assets.

“Generally speaking, we’re seeing a clear trend in the market toward shorter innovation cycles and more specific adaptations of product portfolios. This also applies to our plant. That’s why we wanted to implement a plant concept that would allow us to quickly and easily prepare and expand plant sections for a new test,” said Stefan Handel, project manager at Evonik.

Simatic PCS Neo’s process historian also enables centralized archiving of all process data so that daily reports for plant sections and plants as a whole can be generated automatically. Moreover, new plant sections can be connected to the historian via plug-andplay functionality with few mechanical modifications.

According to Handel, Module Type Package (MTP) protocols were required for integrating Evonik’s plant assets into the Simatic PCS Neo. These protocols provide standardized definitions of all information assets required to communicate

to higher-level systems, increasing interoperability and allowing individual process modules to be added and removed without excessive reconfiguration.

“MTP enables us to structure sections in the plant as modules with their own intelligence,” Handel said. “The intelligent modules are combined in and managed, monitored, and controlled in the central control system, which allows us to configure our processes even more flexibly.”

Evonik’s first modular plant section began production on schedule in February 2020, just three months after the project was launched. Since that time, several other Evonik plants have been successfully converted as well.

Learn more about Siemens’ Simatic PCS Neo.

Rugged Router

Abaco, abaco.com

Abaco Systems introduced the VSR8000, a rugged secure router featuring a virtual firewall. This provides a commercial off-the-shelf, line replaceable unit version of the recently launched 3U VPX VSR347D. The VSR8000 sits in a rugged and size, weight, and power optimized package. Abaco has taken its SBC347D single board computer, added a software environment, and integrated it into a package that meets qualifications including MIL-STD-810H for protection from rain, sand, and salt fog. The software architecture uses an x86 architecture processor. With eight ports of 1000Base-T, users can connect to multiple networks and devices.

Sensitive Environment Robot

Comau, comau.com

Comau introduces its new Racer-5 SE, an industrial robot designed for the settings that characterize the pharmaceutical, health and beauty, food and beverage, and electronics industries. Featuring a protective water, heat, and grease-resistant coating, the ruggedized 6-axis articulated robot has IP67 certification, high-grade ISO 5 cleanroom classification, and protection from chemical agents. It also has NSF H1 food grade lubrication, and its surface is approved for direct contact with all types of food (Reg Eu 1935/2004, Reg Eu 10/2011 and Reg Eu 1895/2005).The Racer-5 SE has a 5 kg payload and an 809 mm maximum reach.

Predictive Maintenance Monitor

Fanuc, Fanucamerica.com

Fanuc has introduced AI Servo Monitor, a new industrial Internet of Things software designed to prevent production problems before they happen. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to predict possible failures of the drive systems for Fanuc servomotors and spindle motors. AI automatically creates a baseline model of the machine while running in a normal state. An anomaly score expresses a difference in the baseline model and the daily recorded values. On a web interface, daily data is displayed in graphs which allows users to monitor these abnormalities. Email notifications can be issued if this value exceeds the predefined thresholds. In conjunction with MT-LINKi, the monitor analyzes the daily performance of machines equipped with Fanuc CNCs. Non-Fanuc CNCs, PLCs, and various sensors can also be connected using MTConnect or OPC UA.

Frameless Servo Motors

Kollmorgen, electromate.com

Kollmorgen has released the new TBM2G series of frameless servo motors. Complementing Kollmorgen’s existing TBM and KBM series of frameless motors, the TBM2G series offers higher performance torque in a more compact package. Available in seven frame sizes with three stack lengths each for a total of 21 standard motors, these can be integrated directly into robotic joints and similar embedded equipment. Typical applications are cobots in the 3 kg to15 kg range, powered at 48 V DC and below. These motors are designed to perform at high speeds without exceeding the 80°C limit needed to safeguard humans and to prevent degradation of grease and electronic components. The TBM2G series is also available with thermal sensor options.

Azure Optimized IIoT Gateways

Moxa, moxa.com

The new AIG-300 series of IIoT (industrial Internet of Things) gateways deliver the connectivity needed to share edge data with the cloud for analytic processing and insights. The gateways leverage Arm Cortex A7 dual-core 1 GHz processors, pre-loaded Azure IoT Edge, Moxa ThingsPro Edge software, and I/O options for Ethernet, CAN, RS-232/422/485, USB, and four digital interfaces. Built industrial-grade, its DIN-rail enclosure is made from SECC steel, and meets Class I, Division 2 and ATEX hazardous location standards. The gateway features an IP30 environment rating, IEC 600068-2 shock and vibration requirements, and an operating temperature range of -40° to 70° C. AIG-300 gateways can be maintained to ensure continuous availability with resume file transmission, over-the-air software upgrading, and secure boot for prevention of software-injection attacks. These gateways are equipped with built-in recovery functions that automatically roll back to the previous stable version of the firmware.

Factory Drive Recorder

Omron, automation.omron.com

The Omron Factory Drive Recorder combines Omron’s industrial camera line with Omron’s new Event Capture software. Compatible with the Omron M Series cameras, the Factory Drive Recorder can record video up to 5 minutes before and after a designated maintenance incident based on a variety of triggers. It can also monitor up to eight cameras on a single system. Four trigger methods are used to prompt recording: Time based, motion detection, master image comparison, and trigger sensor. It is compatible with the M Series GigE Vision and the M Series USB3 Vision. These cameras feature resolutions from 0.4 to 20 MP, frame rates as high as 527 FPS, and Sony Pregius sensors with Global Shutter.

DIN Rail Wireless Transmitter

SignalFire, Signal-fire.com

SignalFire Wireless Telemetry has added the new DIN Ranger to its family of sensorto-cloud cellular data transmission products. This new DIN-rail mountable DC powered version of the Ranger can be used with existing power and panel boxes, allowing addition of remote monitoring capabilities to existing systems—including pulling data from Modbus devices. The DIN Ranger requires less than 2.5mA of external DC power. The DIN Ranger integrates with Modbus RTU devices to offer an always on, bi-directional connection with cloud applications over cell networks. SignalFire’s Ranger products use the open MQTT/Sparkplug standard. While the Ranger can come bundled with a SIM card and its SignalFire Cloud web application, a hardware-only option is also available.

Extended Reach Robot

Yaskawa, motoman.com

Yaskawa Motoman’s new GP70L is a multi-purpose robot with a 2732 mm horizontal reach, 4715 mm vertical reach, 0.05 mm repeatability, and can handle up to a 70 kg payload. The robot’s design allows access to parts in tight spots and facilitates close placement of robots for high-density work cells. A wide wrist motion range eliminates potential interference with fixtures. A single cable connects the manipulator to the controller and a cable installation tube facilitates fieldbus routing through the S-axis. The GP70L can be floor-mounted and has an IP67-rated wrist and an IP54 body standard. It is controlled by the YRC1000 controller and does not require a transformer for input voltages ranging from 380V AC to 480V AC.

New Perspectives on Budgeting Needed

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

The traditional annual budget process has been widely and credibly criticized on many fronts, but it stubbornly continues unchanged in many organizations. It is hard to let go of the perception of control that the annual budget provides. It is also a game executives become skilled at, and they are loath to trade away those skills and the probability of success they feel they have.

Let’s consider the assumptions behind a traditional “command and control” annual budget:

• A clear path to a target 12 months in the future can be planned and then achieved.

• A plan remains a good measurement point for 12 months.

• People respond consistently and rationally to monetary incentives and penalties.

• Management is more knowledgeable about products, operations, and customers than responsible front line employees.

What’s the alternative? The adage—a failure to plan is a plan to fail—rings loudly, and the 12-month budget, despite its failings, is a plan.

The increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) in the global business and economic environment calls for more planning and adapting than the traditional once-ayear effort. Additionally, managers and workers are demanding a higher level of trust and transparency, and the flexibility to innovate and be entrepreneurial. This workforce development is a big positive for a VUCA business environment. But how do we lead and manage it, particularly for some level of financial control?

Revisiting the budgeting process

A good first step is to simplify the goals and make them more durable and long-term. For example, a goal of sales growth at 110% of an established sales growth index for your key markets. This type of goal can last for several years, end contentious internal arguments each year, and automatically adjust to the macroeconomic environment. Durable targets can also be set for quality, expense control, operational improvement, etc. Durable performance targets allow for longer term, more realistic planning at all levels of the organization.

Budgets also typically involve an annual capital or discretionary project component that pits all organizational interests against one another in gladiatorial combat for 12-month entitlements that then must be used whether they are eventually needed or not.

Why not hold much more frequent discussions of

organizational performance and opportunities and then invest based on the situation as it develops; adaptations can then be made to meet the organization’s long-term goals. This approach to investment aligns with a shift to a flexible budget based on rolling forecasts that show how well plans and goals are being received in the market and achieved.

Performance and credibility

Individual performance tied to 12-month budgets can lead to undesirable behavior in several ways— upfront negotiating for lowball targets, spending that isn’t needed, uneconomic discounting, hard selling customers, and even fraud. Furthermore, it can cause dissatisfaction among employees who see managers directing actions they know to be questionable or even wrong. A move toward teambased performance incentives tied to durable, long-term goals can foster more workforce innovation, engagement, and positive problem solving. It also makes the workforce more attuned to organizational goals and performance metrics and their part in contributing to them.

A final element of information to establish credibility in the organization is to ensure that organizational cost and investment measures reflect the causal operational and customer (internal and external) relationships that employees see in the resources and processes they manage and work in. Traditional financial accounting and reporting systems are typically designed for creating regulated financial reports for external investors, creditors, and other stakeholders. New managerial costing systems dedicated to creating internal decision support information often need to be established to create relevant information to guide the workforce to focus on longer term goals. Without the information to create understandable and internally credible rolling forecasts and projections and evaluate tangible and intangible investment opportunities, the best intended workforce engagement initiative can fail.

This article owes its inspiration and many of the ideas to an article titled, The Guided Self-Control Management Model, written by Franz Wirnsperger and Klaus Moeller about their experience at Hilti in the October 2021 issue of Strategic Finance magazine published by the Institute of Management Accountants.

A move toward team-based performance incentives tied to durable, long-term goals can foster more workforce innovation and positive problem solving.

Embedding Sustainability Strategy is the Key to Success

By Diane Sacra director of marketing, LNS Research

More and more, we see manufacturers worldwide stating impressive, lofty goals for sustainability at their organizations. Phrases like “zero emissions” and “net carbon zero by X” are frequently communicated internally and externally. But there is a real difference between simple rhetoric and a true sustainability strategy.

According to Allison Kuhn, research analyst at LNS Research, “You see these great goals like ‘net carbon zero by 2024 or 2025’, but you also see greenwashing, where companies are pushing out these statements and not really living up to their end of the bargain by showing actual progress toward a sustainable future. In the worst cases, this can even be somewhat fraudulent and mislead stakeholders.”

While many industrial organizations are focused on creating sustainable products in the least wasteful and harmful ways, their actions sometimes fall short because of what Kuhn describes as “actions disconnected from strategy.” She explains that organizations may have the best of intentions, but if their sustainability strategy is simply “bolted on” versus “built-in,” manufacturers will run into repeated obstacles and won’t realize the program success they set out to achieve.

Risks and opportunities

Though some risk comes along with creating a holistic sustainability program, there is also much opportunity. According to Kuhn, the business case is certainly there, including support for the everimportant bottom line.

“We know that more than 70% of sustainability leaders are finding corporate financial gains and long-term growth from their efforts, delivering to the bottom line and improving operations,” Kuhn said. In addition, she points out that these environmentally friendly programs are extremely important generationally. “We are finding it’s especially important to Gen Z…many will insist manufacturers focus on sustainability in order to work for or buy products from these companies.”

Sustainability program development

Any new operating models tied to sustainability must address the complexity, uncertainty, and the potential for disruption of sustainability and

ESG (environmental, social, and governance) initiatives. Kuhn states it’s important to mitigate these elements to set up a successful and scalable sustainability program. Moreover, she says to achieve centers of excellence versus “pockets of compliance,” a few things need to happen.

First, the program needs to start with executive leadership. “Top leaders in the organization need to impress on their teams that sustainability is not just the ‘right thing to do,’ but this is ‘how we will do things.’ ” Yet, while successful sustainability programs need such C-suite backing, the initiatives themselves must incorporate all levels of an organization, particularly the sometimesoverlooked frontline workforce.

“Converging transformation initiatives by engaging from the ground up with frontline workers is critical. Embedding sustainability by looking at processes across the entire supply chain—endto-end—is very important to creating a holistic, organizational-wide program that is genuinely built-in,” said Kuhn.

Perhaps most important to a successful sustainability program is going beyond simply reporting—or what Kuhn deems as incessant scorekeeping—and having the correct metrics in place. “The old way of looking at return on investment is not going to work for sustainability. Given we are talking about making better use of resources, using less energy, and minimizing waste, we need to ensure our sustainability program metrics are also evolving to define and measure what success looks like within an organization. The metrics need to incentivize workers as we build this changed mindset.”

Overall, industry is headed in the right direction with the conversations, goal setting, and actionable strides toward sustainability. But there is still a long way to go. As manufacturers march toward this new mindset with the focus on preserving the world for future generations, it’s important to understand that embedding sustainability within their programs will also position them to meet those big, lofty goals for competitive advantage.

Top leaders in the organization need to impress on their teams that sustainability is not just the ‘right thing to do,’ but this is ‘how we will do things.’

Automation Direct www.automationdirect.com 2 Automation24 Inc. www.Automation24.com 24-a

AVEVA Software, LLC https://www.aveva.com/align-your-teams 13

Contemporary Controls www.ccontrols.com/machine 27 Digi-Key Corp www.digikey.com/automation 9 Doosan Robotics Inc www.doosanrobotics.com 31 Fabco-Air http://www.fabco-air.com 21 Festo Corporation http://www.festo.us 33 Hammond Manufacturing www.hammondmfg.com 25 Hilscher North America www.hilscher.com 15 icotek North America www.icotek.com 35

Inductive Automation http://www.inductiveautomation.com 5 Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. https://us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en 19 Motion https://www.motion.com 7 Opto 22 http://www.opto22.com 47 PI North America us.profinet.com/go-digital 11

PMMI Industry Training www.pmmi.org/industry-training 39 PMMI ProSource http://www.ProSource.org 26

Rockwell Automation for MAVERICK Technologies http://www.rockwellautomation.com 48 Skkynet Cloud Systems Inc https://skkynet.com/ 37

Telemecanique Sensors www.tesensors.com/XXSonic 17 Uline http://www.uline.com 30 Wago Corporation http://www.wago.us 23

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Inductive Automation is now positioning Ignition as enterprise software.

Though this may seem like a stretch for software that began as SCADA/ HMI, when you look at it from the perspective that SCADA/HMI is a core system for communicating plant floor data from the most granular operating levels, it’s di cult to see how any enterprise software for industrial companies can use the term “enterprise” without SCADA/HMI at its core.

David Greenfield on SCADA/HMI software becoming enterprise software.

OSHA gives us the definition of a machine. And they state that the three fundamental areas are: the point of operation, the power transmission device, and the operating controls. When you look at your equipment, if they have these three fundamental areas, then that’s a machine and it would fall under the machine risk assessment requirement.

Devin Murray of Schmersal on machine risk assessments.

Consisting of a sensor that sits on a hip clip or strapped between an individual’s shoulder blades, it collects data measuring a variety of inputs at a rate of 12.5 times per second and analyzes all the moves of the person’s torso. That information provides real-time alerts to the wearer informing them when they are doing something that could compromise their safety.

Stephanie Neil on wearable safety in the warehouse.

Automation as a concept can be taught quickly, but the real labor comes in learning all the nuance we sometimes take for granted. Things like the number of vendors and their di erent software packages, the industryspecific regulations that guide development, or navigating the di erent associations and their standards, most of which have to be purchased to view.

Will Aja of Panacea Technologies on building the next generation of automation talent.

Since collaborative robots are often used by companies without extensive robot or automation experience, the grippers must be simple to integrate and commission. Some robot manufacturers have partnership programs with the various tooling manufacturers, which can provide a direct mechanical interface from the gripper to the robot as well as a software plugin which enables simple plug-and-work commissioning.

Michael Guelker of Festo on choosing robot grippers.