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MAY 2015 | VOL.68 NO.4
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MAY 2015 | VOL.68 NO.4
INSIDE PACE
Robotics
Sensors
Management
Rodney Brooks’s factory robot revolution
Florian Hermle believes Balluff’s range extends beyond sensors
Russell Palmer talks about Yokogawa’s strategic direction
PACE Awards 2015 Profiles of some outstanding nominations
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The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. Š 2014 Emerson Electric Co.
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CONTENTS
Publisher: Martin Sinclair Email: martin.sinclair@cirrusmedia.com.au Editor: Kevin Gomez Tel: (02) 8484 0976 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 Email: kevin.gomez@cirrusmedia.com.au
IN THIS ISSUE
Group Sales Manager: Tim Richards Tel: (02) 8484 0829 Mobile: 0420 550 799 Email: tim.richards@cirrusmedia.com.au QLD Sales Manager: Sharon R. Amos PO Box 3136, Bracken Ridge, QLD 4017 Tel: (07) 3261 8857 Fax: (07) 3261 8347 Mobile: 0417 072 625 Email: sharon.amos@cirrusmedia.com.au
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Graphic Designer: Louis Santos Email: louis.santos@cirrusmedia.com.au Production Co-ordinator: Tracy Engle Tel: (02) 8484 0707 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 Email: tracy.engle@cirrusmedia.com.au
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News 7
Robotics Rodney’s factory robot revolution New Products 10 Cirrus Media Tower 2, Level 3, 475 Victoria Ave, Chatswood, NSW 2067, Australia Locked Bag 4700, Chatswood Delivery Centre, NSW 2067, Australia Phone: 02 8484 0888 Fax: 02 8484 0633 ABN 80 132 719 861 ISSN 1329-6221 www.cirrusmedia.com.au © Copyright Cirrus Media, 2014
Latest releases High pressure sensors. Large surface analyser. Flexible switch design. Humidity sensor. Analysis 12
Design Guide to roller chains Insight 14
Management Russell Palmer, the new Managing Director of Yokogawa Australia talks about the strategic direction for his company Awards 22
PACE Zenith Awards 2015 Presenting a selection from the many entries received this year The Last Word 38
Sensors Balluff’s Australian push
Control systems How to develop best practices for operator effectiveness in the age of collaboration
ON THE COVER PA0 5 1 5 _ 0 0 3
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2015 PACE Zenith awards
MAY 2015 | VOL.68 NO.4
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF: INSIDE PACE
Robotics
Sensors
Management
Rodney Brooks’s factory robot revolution
Florian Hermle believes Balluff’s range extends beyond sensors
Russell Palmer talks about Yokogawa’s strategic direction
PACE Awards 2015 Profiles of some outstanding nominations
Average Net Distribution Period ending Sept ’14 5,725
Conversation 18
A big thank you and good luck to all the entrants to the 2015 PACE Zenith Awards. You have done your companies proud and turned the spotlight on the innovative work that is being done right here in this country. This year we received 81 high-quality nominations and it is shaping up to be a very close contest with very little separating the entrants. These Awards remain the country’s premier – and only – event in this industry
sector. One of the core objectives of the PACE Zenith Awards is to provide a platform for innovative teams across Australia to share their work with their peers. Good ideas are contagious and our industry can benefit if these are widely disseminated. It is heartening to see so many in our industry push boundaries and think outside the square. (See page 22) MAY 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 5
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COMMENT
WHAT’S ON
EDITOR’S MESSAGE
Hazards Australasia 2015 26-27 May 2015, Brisbane www.icheme.org/hazardsaus2015
Determining your preferred Industrial Network
National Manufacturing Week 2015 26-29 May 2015, Melbourne www.nationalmanufacturingweek. com.au Fundamentals of Process Safety 13-17 July 2015, Brisbane www.icheme.org/fpsbris APCChE 2015 Congress incorporating Chemeca 2015 27 September-1 October 2015, Melbourne www.apcche2015.org For daily updates visit www.pacetoday.com.au
Kevin Gomez Editor
Next Issue
• Test & Measurement • SCADA & MES • Instrumentation • Fieldbus
VERY soon, PACE will be unveiling a unique section on the site www.pacetoday.com.au. The Industrial Networks section will offer users insights and information on the rapidly growing area of fieldbus and industrial Ethernet. Users will be able to assess the merits of each of the ten leading protocols and download whitepapers, review case studies and keep up to date with the latest new product releases. Presently, Fieldbus has 66 percent of the market whereas Industrial Ethernet has 34 percent share and a
17 percent growth rate. Fieldbus on the other hand is growing at 66 percent. It will be interesting to see how the future pans out. Do check it out our Industrial Networks section and provide your feedback. This is my final issue of PACE magazine as I will be moving on to a different challenge. It’s been an extremely rewarding experience. I was able to get a first hand view of numerous innovative technical projects being conceived, managed and implemented
by talented engineers in this country. The best part of my time with PACE is the many enriching professional relationships I developed along the way. In some ways, this isn’t goodbye as I hope to interact with many of you again, in my new role. Email us, follow us on twitter and sound off on Facebook. editor@pacetoday.com.au
Like us on Facebook and join the conversation facebook.com/PACEtoday
INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS
ETG and OPC Foundation partner to define common interfaces for Industrie 4.0 and IoT THE EtherCAT Technology Group by Design, enables encrypted data their own technology extensions into (ETG) and the OPC Foundation transfer up to MES/ERP systems and the core area of the other. have entered into a partnership to into the cloud. Martin Rostan, Executive Director define common interfaces for Industrie 4.0 and IoT of the EtherCAT Technology Industrie 4.0 and the Internet of demand seamless and continuous Group, and Thomas J. Burke, Things (IoT). communication through all layers and President and Executive Director of According to the Memorandum levels within the digital factory, as the OPC Foundation, signed the MoU of Understanding signed at Hannover well as externally through cloud-based at the Hannover Messe 2015 trade Messe 2015, both organisations services and other Internet show. have agreed that their technologies technologies. According to Martin Rostan, the complement one another perfectly. The ETG and the OPC Foundation agreement helps create the prerequisites While EtherCAT as the real-timeseek to achieve these requirements to integrate EtherCAT systems capable Ethernet fieldbus for machine through the MoU with the common consistently into Industrie 4.0 and and plant controls leverages the definition of open interfaces between IoT architectures. The ETG Technical EtherCAT Automation Protocol (EAP) both of their technologies. Committee had decided in October for lean data exchange between masters, The two organisations will also 2014 that OPC UA would be their P AUA 0 3as 1a platform 4 _ 0 0 for 0 _scalable M e t q u i p develop 2 - these 1 interfaces 2 0 1 4 -in 0close 3 - 0 7 T 0 9 choice : 3 1 for : 1the 9 connection + 1 1 : 0 0 OPC with cloud communication with integrated Security cooperation, rather than focusing on systems and the IT world.
The ETG now looks forward to collaborating in the creation of mutually-beneficial definitions of the common interfaces. Thomas Burke comments that EtherCAT is one of the leading technologies on the field level and provides an ideal complement to OPC’s functionality. He adds that OPC UA seeks to enable the consistent, safe, and scalable communication of fieldbus systems into the IT world. The common development of interfaces between the two technologies is expected to lead to quick and practice-oriented results. www.beckhoff.com.au
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Australia
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NEWS ANALYSIS
ROBOTICS
Rodney Brooks began his lifelong love of computers and robotics early on, building a machine that could play tic tac toe at 12 out of telephone switches and light bulbs.
Rodney’s factory robot revolution BRENT BALINSKI RODNEY Brooks’s robotic innovations have found their way into places as varied as the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, the radioactive ruins of Fukushima, the surface of Mars, and even onto our livingroom floors. The Adelaide-born MIT Professor
Emeritus is right now concerned with the world’s factories, though. He believes the need for help – in the form of factory robots – has never been greater. “Manufacturing across the world is suffering from a lack of labour,” he said. Brooks said he started to see the supply of work in China dry up in about
2005. He had been visiting regularly since 1997 in his previous board/ founder role at iRobot and saw that outsourcing was looking less and less sustainable. “You talk to a Chinese manufacturer and they’ll say their biggest problem is recruitment and retention for their labour,” he said of the situation today.
The country is currently scrambling to develop and buy enough robots to deal with its labour availability and price challenges. One high-profile example of the rush for robots is the iPhone contractor Foxconn. Globally speaking, Brooks believes it’s a “knee in the curve” moment for collaborative robots, such as those MAY 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 7
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NEWS ANALYSIS
made by the company he co-founded is also suited to small-volume, highin factories, rather than factory jobs and is chairman and CTO of, Rethink variability producers – a profile that fullstop, says Rethink. Robotics. matches a large chunk of Australian The first industrial adopter in “I think people are starting to see manufacturing. Australia is fourth-generation, premium that it makes sense to put robots in to According to Rethink, the new confectioner Haigh’s Chocolates, do the really dull, repetitive jobs that the category of easy-to-use robot will be for scheduled to have a Baxter up and robots can do,” he told Manufacturers’ factory workers what the PC was for running at their Parkside factory this Monthly, during a visit to Australia in office workers. Where the PC replaced month. April. the need to, say, create spreadsheets with In the early days of its deployment in “And [also] have people who are ink and hands, the Baxter will replace research facilities and US factories, it has much smarter than any of the robots – the need to, say, pick and place widgets, been used to undesirable – for reasons of and much more dexterous – to do the allowing the worker to do something tediousness or otherwise – tasks as varied more dexterous tasks. And that’s a way to increase productivity in a world where People are starting to see that it makes sense to put robots they just can’t get enough labour.” The apparent explosion in demand in to do the really dull repetitive jobs for non-human help that is easy to program, flexible, relatively cheap and safe to work around can be seen in the more interesting but not rendering them as bagging bits of plastic, opening stool race by established robotics companies obsolete. samples, and in third party logistics. to add “co-bots” to their offerings. A As the PC didn’t replace office “These are companies that take some fresh example is the introduction of workers – just enabled them to do sort of product, unpack it, re-pack it, ABB’s YuMi at last month’s Hannover their jobs more productively – the new and move it off to the shelves, say, of Messe expo. generation of factory robots are pitched a pharmacy chain where you get two Moving the benefits of IT from as a technology that will assist factory bottles of pills for the price of one this offices than P Ato 0 factories 2 1 5 _ 0 0 0 _ ERN 1 workers 2 0 1rather 5 - 0 1 -put 2 them 0 T 1out 4 of : 2jobs. 0 : 0 week 5 + 1and 1 :they’re 0 0 wrapped together,” The adoption of adaptable robotics Baxter is the enemy of boring jobs said Brooks of one case study.
“All those things change from week to week and have been done largely by undocumented labour in the US, up until recently. “As there’s been a crackdown on undocumented labour, those companies have had to look for other ways to do this and traditional automation doesn’t work, because the task changes every two or three days.” Brooks began his lifelong love of computers and robotics early on, building a machine that could play tic tac toe at 12 out of telephone switches and light bulbs. He completed his Masters at Flinders but has been US-based since the late1970s, finishing his PhD at Stanford in 1981 and joining the faculty at MIT in 1984. In the mid-1980s, Brooks gained notoriety by his bottom-up approach to robotics. An idea inspired by mosquitoes, he noticed that despite very little brainpower they could still move about effectively and operate well enough in their environment.
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NEWS ANALYSIS
He decided that, rather than try to build robots loaded with a top-heavy mental maps of the world which would become out-dated once their environment changed, robots could have a decentralised way of operating. Operated through “subsumption architecture”, these robots had different, simple sets of behaviour. Arranged in a hierarchy, higher tasks depended on lower tasks being able to be carried out. The stripped-down bug-bots reacted quickly in response to their changing environments, and despite their basic “brainpower” were able to act effectively in response to what was happening around them. One of the best known of these robots was Genghis, which spent a decade on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington. The architecture used to let the ant-like Genghis walk around, bump into things, react, and keep going, was used in the Roomba vacuum, thePbest MIT A 0known 2 1 5robot _ 0 0from 0 _the AM S1 spinoff company iRobot, which Brooks
co-founded. (He left the company in a household name as the ubiquitous, 2008 to found Heartland, which later autonomous vacuum cleaner he renamed as Rethink.) co-invented, Brooks has been featured The 10 millionth Roomba was in several documentaries, including Fast, sold in 2013, and they continue to Cheap And Out of Control (1997) and be in high demand the world over, Rodney’s Robot Revolution (2008). sometimes finding use carrying pets His subsumption architecture is also and 1 children 2 0 1 5around - 0 1 as- well 0 9 as T cleaning 1 5 : 1 5 : used 2 4 in + 1thousands 1 : 0 0 of PackBots, iRobot’s floors. Though maybe not as much of bomb-disposal robots which have been
deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, and even in the Mars Rover Sojourner, which landed on the Red Planet in 1997. The AI concept is still relevant today, and there are echoes of Genghis in Rethink’s factory helper. Baxter comes with a variation of the subsumption architecture built into its robot DNA. “And that’s what lets Baxter be aware of different things in parallel, for instance it’s picked something up, it’s put it in a box, something goes wrong, and it drops the object, sadly,” explained Brooks. “A traditional robot would just continue and sort of mime putting the thing in the box, but Baxter is aware of that, changes behaviour - that’s using the behaviour-based approach, which is a variation on subsumption. So it is part of Baxter’s intelligence.” Training Systems Australia (a division of Pullman Learning Group) 03 9557 7993 www.trainingsystemsaustralia.com.au
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MAY 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 9
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NEW PRODUCTS
High pressure sensors
PCMini52 humidity sensor
In response to a growing need for sensors that can withstand high pressure applications, TURCK is introducing an extension to their CRS series with a new offering of high pressure inductive sensors. This extension offers customers an enhanced offering for applications regarding cylinders with a operating pressure rating of 3000 psi, whereas the previous offering allowed for only 1500 psi. The new high operating pressure CRS series come with embedded LEDs, providing a easily visible indication of the sensor. The high operating pressure CRS offering comes equipped with a 7/8” male connector, measures 12.7 mm in diameter and comes in a stainless steel smooth barrel housing with a special high pressure sealing ceramic active face; this allows it to withstand high pressure and demanding applications. The new offering comes in six probe lengths varying from 23.2 mm to 95.9 mm with other lengths available upon request to allow users to choose the length that will fit their application needs. The high operating pressure CRS series is IP67 rated and has an operating range of -25° to 70° Celsius. Equipped with 2-wire AC/DC allows for easy adaptation to existing systems, a 3-wire PNP version is also available.
When it comes to food storage, the reliability of control equipment used matters. Climate control for storing and transporting fruit and vegetables calls for cool but humid conditions. Ideally, the humidity should be kept at around 80%, but not more than 95% RH. If conditions are too dry the fruit will wither: too damp and it will rot. While this atmosphere is ideal for fruit and vegetables it is extremely demanding for the electronics of any control equipment. The employed instrument’s electronics must therefore be well protected from the humidity to ensure reliable, automatic operation of the climate control system over longer periods. A response time of less than 10 seconds for the PC Mini52 sensors allow the control system to rapidly adjust the climate to the ideal conditions so no product is wasted during storage. With the miniature size, the simplicity and robustness the PC Mini52 humidity and temperature sensors can be easily maintained by either the end user or a service technician once the climate control system has been installed in the field.
TURCK Australia
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AMS Instrumentation & Calibration 03 9017 8225 www.ams-ic.com.au
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NEW PRODUCTS
Flexible switch design Belden has introduced its latest addition to the OCTOPUS family from Hirschmann – the OCTOPUS OS30/34 switch. Delivering maximum network availability under extreme environmental conditions, the ruggedized switch has been designed for transportation, manufacturing and machine building settings. Taking into account customers in today’s data-rich industrial settings, the new OCTOPUS switch series features Gigabit ports for connecting high speed backbones and Gigabit end devices, while its Power over Ethernet (PoE) support reduces cabling. Additionally, a bypass relay – according to the IEC 61375 standard for Ethernet in trains – extends the redundancy mechanisms and broadens the functional range of the OCTOPUS series. Two customizable housings of the new OCTOPUS switch are available, allowing customers to choose a switch that meets specific needs. The mid-sized OCTOPUS allows for a maximum of 20 ports, including four Gigabit ports and up to 15 PoE ports. The full-sized OCTOPUS adds eight additional Fast Ethernet ports for a total of 28 ports per OCTOPUS. The OCTOPUS OS30/34 is available either with Layer 3 software, including routing functionalities, or with Layer 2 software for switching. With configurable features in two different housings, engineers and installers now have increased access to high-speed uplink ports and Gigabit ports for local devices powered through PoE, including digital video recorders and wireless local area network (WLAN) access points. The OCTOPUS switch gives customers the option of fiber or copper cabling. With an IP67 rating, the switch meets the requirements of routing functions in waterproof and dust-tight housings for mounting outside of cabinets, and operates at temperatures ranging from -40°C to +70°C. Belden 1800 500 775 www.beldenapac.com
Large Surface Analyser Scientex with surface science expert partner Kruss have released the Large Surface Analyser (LSA). The system is a fully automated wetting analyser for large samples producing fast, contactless, easy-to-program measurement sequence for quality assurance applications. It comes in various sizes that measure on samples up to 9m2. In combination with the Mobile Surface Analyser (MSA), the LSA positioning robot system performs fast, fully automated contact angle and surface free energy (SFE) at freely defined positions on large samples. The MSA with its ability to take measurements in less than one second, is the fastest mobile instrument on the market for determining surface free energy with two test liquids. Using a non-contact pressure dosing system that places two drops on the sample followed by an automatic image analysis of each drop for contact angle and SFE calculation. The robot-assisted, surface analysis system is well suited to quality assurance applications. Scientex 03 9899 6100 www.scientex.com.au MAY 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 11
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IN FOCUS
Guide to roller chains Industrial roller chains may have been produced for over 100 years, but that does not mean it cannot be improved.
W
HEN most people hear speed conditions like automobile engine the word ‘chain’, they camshaft drives. This is accomplished imagine a link chain or by devising a method of operation and the type of chain used lubrication, combined with leading on a bicycle. However, chains are used design and manufacturing processes. in the manufacture of everyday goods, One of the most important factors even though they are rarely seen by the for a chain is proper lubrication. general public. Particularly when application conditions Chains are a reliable machine are severe, the need for lubrication component, which transmits power by becomes even more important. No means of tensile forces, and is best suited matter how well a transmission system to long-term continuous running and is designed, improper lubrication will power transmission with limited torque reduce the service life significantly. fluctuation. Lubrication of transmission chains There are two functions of chains; is not a simple task, due to limited power transmission and conveyance. maintenance windows, and the risk of The industries that are the main product contamination. users of chains include mining, timber, Tsubaki’s GT4 Winner chain uses automotive, electronics, steel, food, and the company’s ‘DNA’ in terms of beverage, all of whom have developed materials and manufacturing processes, new production methods requiring high and combining features such as perfectly performance chains. cylindrical bushings with lubrication These industries are looking for grooves which retain lubricant for longer improved tensile strength, fatigue periods, Tsubaki is able to engineer strength, wear resistance, environmental a commodity product into a value resistance, and efficiency. added component. Other features such continuously lubricated to minimise Chains are a mature product with as connecting links with 100 percent chain wear. limited scope for radical development fatigue strength and pins with an ‘easy Tsubaki offers other chain products due to well established industrial splitting’ design, provide a reliable and such as corrosion protected ‘NEP’ standards and a large existing efficient product. chains for wet environment, and ‘PC’ aftermarket, however changes in For applications where lubrication chain for lightweight drive and conveyor material specification and consistent heat is not possible, Tsubaki manufactures systems. Tsubaki Australia treatment processes separate the high ‘Lambda’ lube free chain using a 02 9704 2500 andPlow A 0quality 4 1 5 chain _ 0 0manufacturers. 0 _ I C H E M - specialist 1 2 bushing 0 1 5 - with 0 3oil-impregnation, - 1 8 T1 1 : 4 0 : 5 7 + 1 1 : 0 0 www.tsubaki.com.au More recently, chain is used in highthis ensures the bearing surfaces are
The Lambda lube free chain uses a specialist bushing with oil-impregnation
Lubrication of transmission chains is not a simple task, due to limited maintenance windows
Join the community
IChemE is the global membership body for chemical engineering professionals and anyone involved with the process industries. As a valued PACE subscriber IChemE are offering 25% off when you join as an Affiliate or Associate member. Sign up today and join over 42,000 IChemE members based in 120 countries worldwide. Go to www.icheme.org/joinnow and enter the code ‘PACE’. See all the benefits of membership at www.icheme.org/membership/benefits
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CONVERSATION
SENSORS
Balluff’s Australian push PACE Editor Kevin Gomez recently caught up with Florian Hermle, Managing Director Balluff, when he visited Australia. Balluff was founded in 1921 in Neuhausen, Germany and employs 2,850 people worldwide. As a provider of industrial automation, the family-run company offers a range of sensors, as well as system- and customer-specific solutions. In 2014, Balluff registered a turnover of approximately 324 million euros. How will the Internet of Things (IoT) change the role of sensors? What are Balluff’s plans in this sector? Balluff is part of the Machine Tool Builders’ Association in Germany, and the Internet of Things is closely related to the so called Industry 4.0. Definitely that’s an area where we invest and have our research going on. What we see is that the sensor is no longer just providing a signal, be it a binary or an analogue one. It’s rather the intelligent sensors that will be the future in the Internet of Things. Therefore they need smart interfaces, for example like IO-Link. You can consider IO-Link as the USB port of factory automation. It’s about more functionality. That means pre-processing and noise suppression combined in a sensor that we already have in place. In addition diagnosis to prevent downtime, so that the sensor actually tells you how many more hours he can run before he needs to be replaced. All of that of course needs to link into systems that can communicate across different media, so from the sensor to the internet. Balluff’s product range extends beyond sensors – the company is also pretty strong in networking. We offer network management tools where you can have an asset management facility so you see your sensors on a system level, and really bring the sensors away from just being a signal provider, to really be an asset and a part of your total solution. There is a move away from traditional fieldbus and towards industrial 14 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
offering – the whole photoelectric product portfolio that STM has in their hands. And not only the product portfolio that is available, but also the technology and knowledge they have to build real high end photo electric sensors. This opens up new market access for us in the areas of life science and semiconductors as well as in the packaging industry. STM’s highly specialized product portfolio therefore allows us to be a technology provider and partner in these industries Of course our existing customer base benefits from these new solutions in the Balluff portfolio.
Ethernet. How do you see this trend evolving and how is Balluff addressing it? We definitely see the trend that you mention. We see Profibus and
What are some of the next challenges that you are working
Florian Hermle believes Balluff’s product range extends beyond sensors and that the company is also pretty strong in networking. other fieldbuses not going away but becoming less important. There is a lot of legacy business because of installed base, but all new machines and equipment will be built with Ethernet protocols. Just the ease of use, the speed,
interfaces, and will invest in new variations in the future. For instance the CC-Link IE, which will be the Ethernet based protocol from Mitsubishi. It is actually the first one that will run on a gigabit network, which will also be a next step in
We see Profibus and other fieldbuses not going away but becoming less important the cost savings that you have in the overlaying infrastructure, where you can basically consider them commodities or consumer goods. For quite a while, we have been providing all of our fieldbus modules, RFID systems and linear transducers with Profinet, Ethernet/IP or Ethercat
products for us, and not to stop with Powerlink or other interfaces to be supported in the future. How has the integration of STM into Balluff benefited in terms of products and development? What we really got was great new
on? It’s probably the challenges everybody has to face, and we’re trying to do it best. It’s certainly an extension of our global networks in order to be closer to our customers. Therefore it is not only about founding new subsidiaries but also about strengthening our global customer teams and networks. We have more and more customers that have a global footprint. We need to reflect that in our organisation as well. So we have cross border communication between our sales people, sharing best practice and support, and to encourage them to do that, and therefore be even closer to our customers and their markets. We are also in the battle for talent. To get good people you need to provide a good environment. As a family-owned company Balluff puts a lot of effort in being an attractive place to work at. With our people centric culture we attract talent to be prepared for the future.
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The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. Š 2014 Emerson Electric Co.
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CONVERSATION
Helping to put you in Control
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Magnetic Compass
DCM230B is a compact size, 2D electronic compass, measuring heading 0° to 360° with accuracy of 1°. Max sampling rate at 10 Hz. 5 VDC powered. SKU: SRS-201 Price:$229 ea + GST
People make the difference Jim Wallace, Marketing Manager, Balluff Australia talks to PACE about the possibilities for the company locally. By Kevin Gomez. What opportunities do you see for Balluff in Australia? We see the opportunities within the food and beverage sector, the packaging and also the factory automation sector, which is historically a very strong area for Balluff with the products that we have and the new products that we’re developing. We also have a focus on the mining sector, where we have, especially on the hydraulics side, a really good offering of products that ties in really well with environmental conditions demanded. What are some of product lines and specific products that you will be selling into Australia? In the food and beverage sector for instance, we have a package of level sensing devices. We have many different technologies for level sensing and for connecting those sensors back to the machine controller. All of these devices have food grade housings and approvals for wash down requirements. On the connectivity side we have networks that allow us to see in real time, sensor and system status and allow the customer to have much better visibility of their line. It also provides an end user with preventative maintenance information. Machine builders can speed up the production of the machines and lower their cost. How do you plan to distinguish yourself from other suppliers in the Australian market? The people. We believe that the Balluff offering is not just about the physical product itself. It’s the cradle to
Jim Wallace believes the pain point for an end user is quite often the amount of machine downtime. grave service that we offer, and we believe that now and in the future that people like to deal with people. We have high quality products and we invest heavily in the training of our high quality personnel so that we can offer full support wherever required. We believe that the customer sees the value in that support. The market is price sensitive. But at the same time it’s the overall cost of the solution that matters. Sometimes a component price may be slightly higher, but it gives much better performance and the overall cost of ownership is lower. The pain point for an end user is quite often the amount of machine downtime. This cost is much, much higher than the price of say a particular sensor. For instance, to have the ability to plan maintenance, rather than having to react to a machine that’s not operational because of failure of a component can provide a really significant cost saving, and with our sensor and networking developments this is now really achievable. www.balluff.com.au
Single Phase Optidrive IP66 Single phase input, single phase output AC motor drive. Suits single phase AC Motors up to 1.1 kW. Supports Modbus RTU and BacNet MS/TP communications for setup, data logging and control. SKU: IVD-012 Price: $799 ea + GST
Red Warning Light
125 mm, industrial grade dome type red LED warning light sealed to be weatherproof and is easily PRXQWHG ZLWK D SROH PRXQW ¿WWLQJ 6HOHFWDEOH VWHDG\ RU ÀDVKLQJ PRGH 12 to 24 VDC powered. SKU: QLL-0101 Price:$139.95 ea + GST
For OEM/Wholesale prices Contact Ocean Controls Ph: (03) 9782 5882 oceancontrols.com.au Prices are subjected to change without notice
16 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
Balluff Australia is set to open its new offices in Victoria.
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PA0515_018
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CONVERSATION
MANAGEMENT
Yokogawa broadens solutions Russell Palmer, the new Managing Director of Yokogawa Australia talks about the strategic direction for his company. By Kevin Gomez. Russell Palmer has been with Yokogawa Australia for 18 years and held roles from front line engineering sales to Sales & Marketing Director for Yokogawa Australia and New Zealand – a position he has held for 10 years. Palmer has replaced John Hewitt who has been appointed as Managing Director of Yokogawa Engineering Asia. Hewitt was previously Managing Director for Yokogawa Australia from 2005-2015. Coming into this role, what do you see as the main challenges for yourself and for Yokogawa? The main challenges, not particular to Yokogawa, is how do we maintain and grow and develop our core capabilities during this quieter period in the automation industry. As well as the delivery of solutions for mega projects like Chevron Gorgon, Chevron Wheatstone, INPEX Ichthys and the APLNG projects as they move into the commissioning phase, we’re broadening our offering in each of our key verticals. In power we’ve brought on Forney and we’re the exclusive distributor in Australia and New Zealand of burner management systems (BMS) for industries from power generation to dried milk production. In mining, we’re partnering with CiDRA so we can broaden into more industry solutions, whether it’s their technology for cyclones or slurry flow metering that is not part of our core offering, so that customers can still come to us. In New Zealand, we partner a lot with multinational company, Hamilton, that provides lots of food and beverage type sensors that are arguably industry best practice for food and beverage. So while we’re still focussed on Yokogawa, we’re broadening our solutions beyond just our traditional industrial automation control systems. What are some unique solutions 18 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
that Yokogawa has developed for the Australian market? I’m going two quote to different examples. The first one is subsea. Traditionally, those subsea control systems have always come as a black box or MCS, (master control system) which means then the DCS can only just read, so it’s a very rudimentary connection between the subsea and the top sites. We’ve been developing an integrated solution on the Wheatstone project and on the INPEX Ichthys project using the Yokogawa system as the MCS for the subsea on those projects. That means there’s a much tighter integration between the data coming from the sea floor up to the top sites and
It’s almost like a mini national broadband type network to pull all the data from those wells. Obviously the cost of every well, if there is any manual intervention, is going to be extraordinarily expensive because of just the remoteness of it. So by having a much higher level of automation and oversight of what’s going on at each of those wells, we’ve been able to dramatically bring the down the lifetime costs of large scale automation projects such the APLNG example which has been developed by Yokogawa here in Brisbane. A few years back it was difficult to find control engineers. What’s the situation now and how is Yokogawa managing?
To be able to offer the opportunity to work on some of the world’s biggest projects makes it easier for us to attract people then right through to the control system, and then going up into the information level, whereas traditionally it’s been lots of individual packages which are just tied together and every one of those interfaces is a potential problem. We are now looking at potential work with some of those OEMs like the GEs and the FMCs on rolling out our integrated subsea model, which we developed in our Perth office. On the East Coast we’ve got three huge jobs being developed simultaneously – the GLNG Santos led project, the QCLNG being lead by the BG Group, and APLNG being lead by Origin and its partner, Conoco Phillips. The APLNG project, has seen some of the largest SCADA system roll-outs globally, because of the nature of the geographic spread of those wells across the Bowen Basin which involves some real cutting edge network design.
In the last 12 months we’ve seen a huge downturn in the industry affecting a lot of the big EPCs and the large oil & gas and mining companies. So the experiences of five years ago compared to today are radically different. There’s now obviously a much bigger pool of people here in Australia to call on in the first instance and the quality of the people in that pool have gone up because they’ve had experience on some of flagship projects for those large companies. We were in a fortunate position since a lot of those large projects utilised Yokogawa control systems. We’re not looking at the challenge of finding people anymore, we’re looking at the challenge of making sure we’ve got the very best people in the correct roles. It’s now more about being an employer of choice. We are very focused
on providing opportunities here in Australia. We are very proud that our management team is based in Australia and we have a very high level of autonomy and are active supporters of the Australian Industry Participation scheme where we develop and transfer skills to our customers, our suppliers and our contractors. As a result of that, we are now a global centre of excellence for power. By adapting to providing our solutions to mining, we have also become a centre of excellence for the delivery of mining and metals projects, which takes in anything that needs a high level of processing such as gold, zinc, lead and copper. We are now providing Australian expertise to help our overseas cousins in South America, Canada and South Africa develop their markets, which again goes back to why we can attract and retain some good people. To be able to offer the opportunity to work on some of the world’s biggest projects obviously makes it easier for us to attract people. You mentioned food as a focus in New Zealand. Are you going to do that in Australia as well? New Zealand has developed a massive dairy industry and nearly all of it is spray dried. So it’s not milk, it’s infant formulas and powdered products that are being exported to China where it commands very high prices. We will certainly use expertise from New Zealand here in Australia where it makes sense, but I wouldn’t expect to see the same level of investment in spray driers Australia as we do in New Zealand. Similarly, I wouldn’t expect to see the same amount of level of LNG activities going on in Australia replicated in New Zealand either. What does Yokogawa do in renewable energy in Australia?
PA0515_000_GLO
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PA0515_000_DIR - 1 2015-04-14T13:39:51+10:00 paceadd_may15_Pace 10/04/2015 11:08 AM Page 1
DIRECTAUTOMATION...Your answer to a tough economy
Protos X™ Field I/O The Protos X "Xpansion" I/O System ... using Modbus RTU (RS-485) or Modbus TCP (Ethernet) communications protocols The Protos X compact, modular field I/O system allows a user to install remote field I/O devices without having to invest in another controller.
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The unique slim design and low cost of the Protos X I/O makes it the most practical distributed I/O available today. The ultra-slender form factor makes it easy to install on or near machine or application components, saving time and excess field wiring and speeding up troubleshooting. The ultra-compact design makes it perfect for applications where a typical PLC or I/O solution simply would not fit. The small footprint of the Protos X I/O system allows it to be installed in tight locations at or in the vicinity of the equipment it is monitoring and/or controlling. The multiple I/O count options give the user the ability to monitor/control from just a couple of points to a couple hundred points depending on the number of terminals used. Unique interlocking design of the terminals means the data and power buses are carried from module to module and used only when needed. Simple wiring with push-in, spring clamp wiring on I/O terminals. Communications to the bus couplers is via Modbus protocols. The Protos X field I/O series offers
Three Bus Couplers that utilize Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP protocols
2, 4, 8, and 16-point discrete I/O terminals
Bus expansion terminals for accommodating up to 255 I/O terminals Currently we offer three different couplers;
2, 4 and 8-channel analog I/O terminals
The PX-MOD utilizes Modbus RTU/ASCII protocol over RS-485 The PX-TCP1 and PX-TCP2 offer Modbus TCP protocol over Ethernet The PX-TCP2 provides an additional port which can act as a switch to other couplers of the same type A variety of power supply options Protos X System Requirements One Coupler per assembly and one End Terminal per assembly
Protos X I/O Configuration Tool The quick, easy to use PX-CFGSW configuration utility helps setup the bus coupler to match the configuration of the network and identify the address of each Protos X terminal. The PX-CFGSW tool can also be used to disable or set the Watchdog time, set the Modbus address offset based on controller requirements and reset the bus coupler as needed. The software tool is a free software download from our Web site or it can be purchased separately on CD
Direct Automation Pty Ltd (formally Automation Direct Pty Ltd)
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CONVERSATION
There is a lot of “packaging” by That’s an area that we’re looking at Australia and South East Asia, ending renewables suppliers. developing further in the future. up in Hong Kong for a time before So if you buy a solar plant or a wind eventually returning back to the UK a farm or even a waste-to-energy plant, Lastly, can you tell us you came to be few years later. typically what happens is a lot of that where you are sitting today? When I got back to the UK, I wanted technology comes from Europe, and Originally I’m from the UK and I was to broaden my horizons, so I worked the control solution is already fortunate to get a scholarship from for WIKA Alexander Weigand out of embedded. Emerson Electric when I first left school, Frankfurt, based in their London office Where the OEMs are based here, such as the solar companies like NEP Solar, or the Big Dish developed at We’ve been developing an integrated solution on the the Australian National University in Wheatstone project and on the INPEX Ichthys project Canberra, we have been successful in providing solutions whether it’s a PLC using the Yokogawa system as the MCS for the subsea SCADA system or a packaged solution on those projects like our HSX10 which combines the best of Yokogawa’s measurement and control technologies in a compact, simple and affordable package. which allowed me to both study for for about five years before eventually We’re seeing a lot of that happening my degree at the same time as work at returning to Australia in the late ’90s. with some energy companies as well. Emerson. I approached Yokogawa for a So where you have got renewables Being such a big global company, position and I’ve been here ever since. around the country, where we may one of the benefits of that was they were This is my 18th year at Yokogawa, so I not be the control solution at the site, able to ask me where I’d like to go. feel I’ve had a reasonable apprenticeship we may well provide enterprise level So after I finished my studies I went after that time, and for the last 10 years, integration I1have A D _ PofA those C E Asites M Sinto F Ea business B _ 1 3 . p to d Fisher-Rosemount f P a g e 1 in 9Melbourne / 0 1 / 1for3 a, 0 : been 0 0 part A of M the executive team system. year before travelling and working across at Yokogawa Australia, heading up the
sales and marketing group since 2005. That’s allowed me to learn a lot about the industry internationally – how things are done in US companies, how things are done in German companies, and now how things are done in Japanese companies. They’re all radically different with their internal cultures. I think Yokogawa in Australia is a great blend of Australian entrepreneurship with a Japanese long-term view. I think that has really helped Yokogawa develop a very strong local market presence as one of the key players in our space. We’re very focused on meeting the needs of the local industry first and partnering with the customer with a long-term view to provide better customised solutions. My reporting lines have remained very similar because I reported to John Hewitt as the managing director here and I still report to John who is the new CEO of the Asia Pacific area. www.yokogawa.com/au
MAY 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 21
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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS
Proudly sponsored by Proudly sponsored by
Project of the Year NOMINATIONS
A big thank you and good luck to all the entrants to the 2015 PACE Zenith Awards. You have done your companies proud and turned the spotlight on the innovative work that is being done right here in this country. This is shaping up to be a very close contest with very little separating the entrants. After the judges have done their work and the scores tallied, there can be only one overall winner. Here, we celebrate our overall project winners from 2013 and 2014. PACE Zenith Award: Overall Project of 2013 Countermeasures Manufacturing Facility SAGE Automation successfully designed, developed and installed a new aircraft countermeasures production facility for Chemring Australia in the regional Victorian town of Lara near Geelong. Chemring Australia has a 10 year, $160 million contract with the Australian Defence Force to supply aircraft mounted countermeasures designed to draw missile attacks away from the aircraft. The $11 million new production facility was considered essential for the fulfilment of the contract. Constructed in four stages, this is the first automated countermeasure manufacturing plant constructed in the southern hemisphere. The project was a unique combination of manual and automated processes and required SAGE Automation to consider issues such as delicate product handling techniques, functional safety requirements, machine guarding, hazardous areas and high operating temperatures of up to 85°C. SAGE invested heavily in the first stage of the program to develop a solution which met the requirements of the project, especially a combination of hazardous areas and high temperatures. Both mechanical and electrical requirements within the manufacturing environment, products and control architecture were researched, locally and off-shore, to source and trial the appropriate equipment to develop a solution. The aircraft countermeasures require highly energetic materials during construction. If these materials are not handled correctly, they will auto-initiate. As such, the safety critical manufacturing operation requires reliable and repeatable processes which work smoothly not only the first time, but every time. Additionally, the facility was developed to keep people outside of the danger blast area - thus requiring full automation of systems. In addition, all the machinery and systems employed WINNER 2013: Garry Mahoney (L), Pacific by SAGE had to meet Director, Honeywell Process Solutions congratulates winner Adrian Fahey of SAGE exceptionally high standards Automation. of safety operation. 22 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
PACE Zenith Award: Overall Project of 2014 Tahmoor Coal Recycled Water Treatment Plant Tahmoor Colliery is an underground coal mining operation situated in the Southern Highlands region of NSW, approximately 75km south west of Sydney. Tahmoor Colliery has historically purchased approximately 1.5 million litres of potable water per day from the Sydney Water main supply system, for virtually all underground and most surface processes, including all cooling and dust suppression water which are significant points of use). During the peak of the drought in 2006, Tahmoor Colliery was named in Sydney’s top ten water users on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald. At that point, with Sydney’s water supply dams at record low levels and residential water restrictions were in force, there was strong pressure from Government for industry to reduce water use. The initial proposal to recycle water at Tahmoor was to utilise a reverse osmosis (RO) plant to treat mine waste water, and to produce approximately 1 million litres of potable grade water per day to offset the mine’s existing water purchases. Detailed review of this concept revealed a significant increase in electricity consumption, and a brine waste stream that could only effectively be disposed by road tanker haulage to an ocean outfall. The Tahmoor Environment and Community team developed an alternative concept, which was more sustainable, producing fit for purpose water, with lower capital and operating costs, significantly reduced energy requirements, and no community impacts from increased road traffic. It is this improved system which has now been commissioned. The treatment plant design involves utilising a clean stream of high quality groundwater from the base of the No.3 Ventilation Shaft approximately 450m below the surface. Historically this clean water stream (approximately 1 ML/day) had been mixed with process water from the underground operational areas, and pumped to the surface sedimentation ponds to form part of Tahmoor’s daily 3-4 ML/day mine discharge WINNER 2014: Glencore’s Nicholas Wandke stream to the Bargo River (L) and Ian Sheppard (R) receive the PACE (in accordance with mine Project of the Year Award from category dewatering licences and the site sponsor Garry Mahoney (C), Pacific Director, Environment Protection Licence). Honeywell Process Solutions.
PA0514_000_HON
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dare to discover
100 years of innovation Honeywell has been a respected pioneer in oil and gas for over 100 years. From the UOP thermal cracking process that set the foundation for oil refining in 1914, to the first SCADA and DCS systems in the1970’s, to first-ever universal I/O in 2012, Honeywell develops and implements technology that delivers an unmatched combination of performance and safety. Discover today’s processing, instrumentation, automation and advanced software solutions to help you drive more value out of your oil and gas operations.
Discover Honeywell.
For more information about our solutions for Oil and Gas visit www.honeywellprocess.com © 2014 Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.
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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS Proudly sponsored by
Power & Energy Management NOMINATIONS
Technofast Industries EziTite TR Hydraulic Nuts Korean boiler feed pumps assembly project In a recent application, Technofast Industries’ new EziTite TR High Temperature Hydraulic Nuts demonstrated their performance when they were used to assemble boiler feed pumps at an electricity generating plant in South Korea. The temperature resistant fasteners were used to replace the former method employing large torque wrenches weighing more than 125kg. The Technofast method resulted in an installation time of around 30 minutes using two personnel, compared with eight hours and four personnel using the previous method. EziTite Hydraulic Nuts, in contrast to the former method, tension the bolt in one simple operation. They are rapidly applied by being screwed by hand onto bolt studs, hydraulically actuated to stretch the bolt to the precise tension required, then secured in place mechanically with an integral mechanical lock ring. The charging pressure is relieved, and the EziTite Hydraulic Nuts remain in situ at the precise target bolt load. The reverse procedure permits equally rapid disassembly when it is eventually required. All studs can be tensioned or de-tensioned simultaneously by manifolding them to a single hydraulic source.
Albatech Evcco Ezi-Bend Ezi-Bend is a segmented conduit Sweep Bend for use with non-metallic rigid conduit used in electrical and data cabling. It has been designed to address the difficulties experienced in electrical installations when cable within conduit has to be routed in various directions utilising bends with angles in various degrees. It is produced in 15° segments for conduit sizes 40mm through 80mm and 7.5° for conduit sizes 100mm through 150mm with sockets for final connection to conduit. It is fully compliant with AS/NZS 2053:2001 “Conduits and Fittings for Electrical Installations” and is produced from a UV stabilised LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) material suitable for both surface and sub-surface installations. Each segment is “snap-locked” together prior to the insertion of cable or uniquely after cable has been formed into the desired angle, this feature is a significant benefit particularly in large diameter cable due to the high physical forces required to pull cable through a bend. Bends segments are able to rotate on their axis to allow the formation of compound angles
Bouwmeester Composites Tammar rim project Bouwmeester Composites has shown innovation in a highly competitive market and transformed its production over the past two years from Asian manufacture to 100 percent Australian designed and manufactured products. It has not only entered a new market segment within the bicycle industry, but also proudly developed a new product which is an industry first; the Tammar carbon fibre mountain bike rim. To support the manufacture of this product BC, also developed a low energy consumption manufacturing process in advanced composites to locally manufacture in South Australia. The two year R&D phase of this project saw many challenges in design, material 24 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
science, testing, manufacturing processes and costs. These challenges were met with a team that saw these, not as impediments, but opportunities to be more innovative. Without this attitude a successful, measurable outcome would not have been able to be delivered to meet the demands of the consumer and succeed in a high value market with an Australian product.
Mescada TIET Project (TPSC Integrated Engineering Tool) With the proposed and executed Phase1 COMOS Project at TPSC (Toshiba Plant Systems & Services Corporation, Japan) MESCADA managed to consolidate, integrate and streamline TPSC’s Engineering Landscape. The key for such innovative and sophisticated solution is SIEMENS’s integrated software solution called COMOS. With COMOS, Siemens is the only company in the world to offer the process industry a software solution for the integrated management of plant projects – from engineering and operations to modernization as well as dismantling. COMOS ensures that engineers and operators can access all project-relevant data at all times, across all company levels and in all project phases. With the so called TIET Project (TPSC Integrated Engineering Tool) TPSC decided to introduce a new Engineering Solution to replace various tools and integrate other tools, e.g. 3D Authoring SW and Calculation SW, into COMOS. Objective was to establish the software solution COMOS as the basis for the cooperation of worldwide collaboration across the entire lifecycle of a plant.
Successful Endeavours ABB CQ930 3 Phase Power Controller The ABB CQ930 is a 3 phase power factor correction controller that can handle up to 7 capacitor banks and provide telemetry feedback including voltage, current, power factor, THD and harmonic analysis to the 19th harmonic in real time on every incoming measurement stream including all voltages and all currents including neutral current from the capacitor bank star connection. It supports autonomous operation but can also be remotely monitored and controlled via the DNP3 SCADA protocol. This allows it to seamlessly integrate into existing control architectures and fully configurable points, including remapping of point numbers and behaviour, support drop in replacement for existing units. Developed around the latest generation of ARM Cortex M4 processors it supports a graphical sunlight readable LCD and for the first time provides real time waveform and harmonics display eliminating the need for a DSO during system commissioning. Autonomous mode allows for capacitor bank switching based on voltage, current, power factor, reactive power, temperature and a calendar schedule. A novel short range radio link allows unit servicing without the use of a ladder.
EDITOR’S NOTE This is a selection from all the nominations received at the time of going to press. Once judging is complete, Finalists will be announced on www.pacetoday.com.au. They will also be individually notified.
PA0515_000_DEL
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2015-04-16T10:10:32+10:00
THE FUTURE OF AUSTRALIA’S MEDIUM VOLTAGE DRIVE IS HERE
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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS
Proudly sponsored by
Young Achiever NOMINATIONS
Adrian Guerrera Evoqua Water Technologies Every day around the world, millions of people and thousands of companies rely on Evoqua Water Technologies to help them meet their needs for clean water. Adrian is a graduate process engineer who has a continuous process improvement role with a focus on improving product quality and reducing process variability. He is the process owner of the intermediary washing and drying process between extrusion and assembly. Adrian is the project engineer for several improvement initiatives within the factory to reduce waste, process lead time, WIP and increasing plant capacity and throughput. The drying of product is currently a bottleneck. Adrian completed a number of accelerated drying trials, validation trials and production runs. By first producing mini bundles and later introducing bundle splitting, drying kinetics and moisture removal rates increased significantly, reduced drying time from 28 days to 5 days.
Phillip Hyde HVTC Hunter/Centennial Coal – Mandalong Phillip is currently a fourth year Engineering Mechanical apprentice employed by HVTC Hunter and hosted to Centennial Coal at the Mandalong mine. As an Engineering Mechanical apprentice at Centennial Coal over the past three years, Phillip has rotated through a number of different work roles. Phillip Hyde is an absolute outstanding apprentice. Phillip is the only Centennial Coal apprentice granted sponsorship to commence his Diploma of Engineering in the first year of his apprenticeship. Phillip has now successfully completed this qualification and has commenced the Advanced Diploma of Engineering which he believes will be completed prior to the end of his apprenticeship in Janaury 2016. Phillip has represented HVTC Hunter at the following: Skills on Show” on 18 March 2012 at the Maitland Showground; “Try a Trade” day at the Newcastle showground on 9 May 2012; The HVTC Skills Centre open day on 24 August 2012; involved in preparing and presenting a PowerPoint presentation on my learning at the HVTC Skills Centre for potential host companies; Apprentice of the month-Coal Face magazine; Nominated for Today’s Skills Tomorrow’s Leaders program - was reserve position and will be eligible to nominate again this year; Scholarship ATP Training -SOA Certificate IV Fluid Power; Working on the longwall lifecycle project with the Engineering department at Centennial Mandalong; Asked to speak about the apprenticeship pathway at the NSW GTA conference in the coming weeks; Will be nominated for all eligible awards for 2015/16.
Jay Thomas Logan Howarth’s Sheet Metal Fabrication Jay has proven himself to be a fantastic Team Worker who is an asset to Howarth’s Sheet Metal Fabrication. He is always showing a positive attitude both at work and in his personal life. A thoughtful and competent young man who is headed toward a great future in the industry. He consistently demonstrates innovative ideas and creative solutions for the company resulting in client satisfaction and repeat business. Jay can always be depended upon to complete his projects within the specified time frame (which is crucial in our business) and to immerse himself in the job he is undertaking to provide the customer a quality finish to their required product. Our business relies on the satisfaction of our customers and we pride ourselves on having staff that can live up to producing the standard required – Jay is one such person who takes pleasure in the work he does which in turn keeps our valued clients coming back.
Aaron Deal Honeywell Process Solutions Since Aaron joined HPS, he has excelled among his peers and has been instrumental in making BeltAIS a commercially implemented online conveyor belt monitoring system in the Hunter Valley area of NSW. Aaron became responsible for BeltAIS technology in 2013 and developed it from a proof of concept to a viable industrial product with its first commercial installation in 2014 – within one year. As a result of his efforts, the solution is now also being evaluated for use in South Africa, North America and Japan. Aaron’s first milestone achievement with the BeltAIS system was the enhancement of the user interface. Thanks to Aaron’s diligent work, the data analysis and reporting functionality of the system has been streamlined which has enabled the addition of a plant operator interface, automated alarming and developed an automated email report system. Thanks to his amendments, the BeltAIS system is now significantly easier to use.
EDITOR’S NOTE This is a selection from all the nominations received at the time of going to press. Once judging is complete, Finalists will be announced on www.pacetoday.com.au. They will also be individually notified.
26 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
PA0515_000_SIC
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2015-04-28T11:28:10+10:00
THERE IS NOTHING IN THE AIR TONIGHT.
From power generation and cement production to waste treatment and the distribution of natural gas – the more complex a plant, the greater the demands on systems engineering and services. When it comes to monitoring emissions, evaluating gases for optimal process control and ascertaining custody transfer measurements for pipelines, SICK is a step ahead in every segment of the industry. With complete solutions for gas analysis, dust measurement and flow measurement that are perfectly tailored for each process environment. With superior equipment availability, easy operation, certified explosion protection and robust measurement technology with long maintenance cycles. When it comes to finding a clean solution, the whole world takes measurements with SICK. We think that’s intelligent. For more information please visit www.sick.com.au or call 1300 405 807.
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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS
Proudly sponsored by
Best Fieldbus Implementation NOMINATIONS
Successful Endeavours IoT Monitoring Platform Successful Endeavours focusses on the design and manufacture of electronics based products that are intended to be manufactured in Australia. In Victoria in 2008 this was a $7 billion industry. The R&D component is of course a subset of this. Seventy percent of our business is designing products that will be made by other people (our clients). The other 30 percent is either making the product we have designed for other people, or else making a product we designed for ourselves. In this latter case we have seen an opportunity in the market that no-one is prepared to invest in and decided to do it ourselves. This is an example of one those opportunities. Water and waste monitoring is a significantly growing industry and if you are doing factory and process plant level fit out then there are a wide range of products you can choose from. If it is a solar powered remote device that must report back over the Internet via 3G communications so you can get at the data then you might not find a product at all, or you might only find some very expensive ones. So we developed and now manufacture one that can do this cost effectively.
Sigma NSW BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance Peak Downs Mine CHPP PLC Upgrade Project The project encompassed the entire replacement of the Coal Handling and Preparation plants PLC and SCADA Software and Hardware system from the ROM, Processing Plant, Train Loadout facility as well as four additional smaller PLC systems. The project battery limit was typically the field terminals of the existing automation systems. The project execution was over a three year period. Annual maintenance shutdowns were utilised during this period to progressively cutover individual systems. Sigma engineered the system to provide the platform to alleviate the limitations of the former systems. It also provided a system with the capacity to absorb and change as business needs demand; standardised software across the plant and inline with four other sister plants in the BMA Group; a software standardisation which provides a framework for cost effective future change; control system installation and commissioning conducted during plants annual shutdown period whilst other mechanical and electrical maintenance work was in progress.
GE Intelligent Platforms Fortescue’s Solomon Iron Ore Project Development of Fortescue Metals Group’s 60mtpa Solomon Iron Ore Project in Western Australia’s Pilbara was completed in just over two years – including the construction of two new mines, primary and secondary crushers, two ore processing facilities, PROFINET & Profibus control networks, 15 km of overland conveyors, rail and other infrastructure. The ability to meet tight projected timescales was thanks to the willingness of FMG’s and its partners’ to think outside the box. In consultation with Project system integrators I&E Systems, the FMG owner’s team broke down the entire project into seven Design & Construct (D&C) packages, appointing a different contractor for each stand-alone package. I&E Systems defined strict operational guidelines to each Contractor for the D&C packages, and undertook all the control system integration and implementation work for the packages and managed the overarching architecture. Each stand alone D&C package has its own set of servers and can easily communicate with the others via interface blocks and a control system design based on FMG’s preferred vendor GE and their new platform Proficy Process Systems (PPS). Solomon Hub sets a new benchmark in the cost and time required to design and construct highly reliable, complex.
EDITOR’S NOTE This is a selection from all the nominations received at the time of going to press. Once judging is complete, Finalists will be announced on www.pacetoday.com.au. They will also be individually notified.
28 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS Proudly sponsored by
Manufacturing NOMINATIONS NOMINATIONS
Philmac Ball Valve assembly machine The project is about reducing waste for the manufacture of ball valves. Previously we had a laborious manual method to assemble the ball valve components at around 35-40 seconds. (5 people). The task was given to assemble valves in 15 seconds. The first step was to design a machine to screw valves together and test at the same time in an automated and safe manor. I adopted a bottle line approach where the valves after pre-assemble where auto screwed together using a Stanley nut runner. With the use of cryogenic mass flow detection equipment we created a clamping mechanism to clamp and test the valve for leaks. The unit will reject failed valves as it rotates around the machine. The machine is fully adjusted at the push of a button; all valves have their own program number where the machine auto sets itself with no operator set up time. The only tooling change is spanner and turret which takes about 2 mins to set up. The pre-assemble area requires manual work but we have stream lined for minimal wastage and movement. Lean principles have been used to eliminate waste and we require 4 people to run the line instead 5.
Albatech Evcco Ezi-Bend Ezi-Bend is a segmented conduit Sweep Bend for use with non-metallic rigid conduit used in electrical and data cabling. It has been designed to address the difficulties experienced in electrical installations when cable within conduit has to be routed in various directions utilising bends with angles in various degrees. It is produced in 15° segments for conduit sizes 40mm through 80mm and 7.5° for conduit sizes 100mm through 150mm with sockets for final connection to conduit. It is fully compliant with AS/NZS 2053:2001 “Conduits and Fittings for Electrical Installations” and is produced from a UV stabilised LSZH ( Low Smoke Zero Halogen ) material suitable for both surface and sub-surface installations. Each segment is “snap-locked” together prior to the insertion of cable or uniquely after cable has been formed into the desired angle, this feature is a significant benefit particularly in large diameter cable due to the high physical forces required to pull cable through a bend. Bends segments are able to rotate on their axis to allow the formation of compound angles Cost savings achieved through lower transportation costs, reduced inventory and quicker installation times and the assembled bend can weigh up to five times less than PVC equivalents.
Machinery Automation & Robotics BladeStop In collaboration with Meat & Livestock Australia, Machinery Automation & Robotics developed a unique solution, BladeStop™. BladeStop™ is designed to reduce risks of serious injury by mechanically stopping the bandsaw blade when the unit sense that a person has come in contact with the blade. Upon sensing contact with the operator, the blade stops operating within 15 milliseconds which can be a huge difference between just having a small skin cut and an amputated finger. This product by MAR provides all industry and personal users of bandsaws with significant benefits; Reduce production time lost due to injuries; Greatly reduce worker’s compensation costs; Reduce insurance premiums; Increase processing uptime; Reduce operator turnover and training costs; Promote positive OH&S related to bandsaw operation; Reduce product spoilage.
Heat Treatment Australia Aluminium Vacuum Brazing Aluminium Vacuum Brazing (AVB) is thermal processing technology developed by Heat Treatment Australia. The primary advantage of the process is the ability to allow for weight reductions in aircraft components. A cooling line is machined into two halves of plates; these cold plates are joined together under stringent metallurgical conditions known as AVB creating a bond between the parting lines and mating surfaces. Post the process being performed the component now exhibits strength and capabilities as if it was machined from a single piece, but of much thinner and heavily reduced weight compared to it being machined from a single larger piece to create the same cooling path outcome. There is a significant need for this process within the international market with emphasis on companies who can supply onto ITAR controlled Military Programs such as the JSF F35 within the US.
30 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
ANCA FX Linear tool grinder range The FX Linear tool grinder range consists of 3 new machines - the FX3 Linear, FX5 Linear and FX7 Linear. The FX Linear includes a significant number of new technology releases and a complete body redesign that is both aesthetically pleasing and technologically beneficial. The entry level range is ideal for everything from light manufacturing, to regrinding and full production. Many new noteworthy features have been included in the range to make an operator’s work easier. These include a new touchscreen customisable with Windows, handheld pendant for easier set-up and an easy to access front loader door for slide out pallets. ANCA developed its own LinX cylindrical linear motor technology for X and Y-axis movement on the new range. These provide superior surface tool finish, reduced cycle times and increased productivity. The FX Linear tool grinder is compact but also has a large working envelope. Every part on the machine, from the two choices of automation – both contained within the canopy, to the new AM5000 control system, have been designed to enhance accuracy and increase productivity. A wide range of accessories, such as the MicroPlus high accuracy workholding and tool support system that provides less than 3 micron runout.
EDITOR’S NOTE This is a selection from all the nominations received at the time of going to press. Once judging is complete, Finalists will be announced on www.pacetoday.com.au. They will also be individually notified.
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TIA Portal – take a look
Don’t you love it when everything just works? Efficient automation starts with efficient engineering www.siemens.com.au/futureofmanufacturing
Siemens technology can be found at the heart of manufacturing and industrial plants throughout Australia and around the world – including our own factories. At our Amberg factory in Germany where we produce advanced electronics including SIMATIC automation, we have achieved a sevenfold increase in production volume since 1989, in the same-sized production area and with only a small increase in personnel. The defect rate is – believe it or not – at 12 defects per million process steps. We understand there’s a difference between making things and making things right. That’s why Siemens is redefining manufacturing with new advanced automation technologies such as SIMATIC S7 1500 plus the Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal.
The Totally Integrated Automation Portal S7 1500 is a new generation of controllers in the TIA Portal and marks a milestone in automation. It ensures highest efficiency and maximum usability for medium and high-end applications in machine and system automation. With the TIA Portal, Siemens provides an engineering framework that makes it possible to implement automation solutions anywhere in the world in all industries. From planning to commissioning, operation, and maintenance all the way to upgrade of existing automation systems, the TIA Portal saves engineering time, costs, and effort. That’s engineering efficiency. To find out how SIMATIC S7 1500 plus the TIA Portal can help your business, call 137 222 or email us at manufacturing.au@siemens.com
siemens.com.au/futureofmanufacturing
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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS
Proudly sponsored by
Food & Beverage NOMINATIONS
Enerpac Slew Bearing Replacement Enerpac EVO synchronous lifting technology has enabled contractor partners SKF and Sandvik to achieve precision, safety and avoidance of downtime during a 220-ton lift to facilitate slew bearing replacement on a GrainCorp ship loader at the Gladstone Port Terminal, Queensland. The Enerpac EVO synchronous lifting system – using PLC control to manage four heavy duty CLRG cylinders simultaneously – was used to lift the upper structure of the ship loader over 300mm, allowing the old bearing to be taken out and a new one put in. The high-precision synchronous technology, offering up to 144 lifting points, is the same widely proven Enerpac Integrated Solutions technology used to lift large and often awkwardly shaped objects ranging from ship sections and tunnel boring machines, through to electrical turbines, mining grinding mills, oil and gas processing plant and dragline superstructures. When taking the slew bearing out of the Port of Gladstone loader, the upper structure needed to be lifted straight up with absolute precision. The EVO system managed to stay within an average accuracy between the cylinders of 0.54 mm, which is incredibly accurate for a lift this large.
Machinery Automation & Robotics BladeStop In collaboration with Meat & Livestock Australia, Machinery Automation & Robotics developed a unique solution, BladeStop. BladeStop is designed to reduce risks of serious injury by mechanically stopping the bandsaw blade when the unit sense that a person has come in contact with the blade. Upon sensing contact with the operator, the blade stops operating within 15 milliseconds which can be a huge difference between just having a small skin cut and an amputated finger. This product by MAR provides all industry and personal users of bandsaws with significant benefits; Reduce production time lost due to injuries; Greatly reduce worker’s compensation costs; Reduce insurance premiums; Increase processing uptime; Reduce operator turnover and training costs; Promote positive OH&S related to bandsaw operation; Reduce product spoilage.
B.-d. Farm Paris Creek B.-d. Farm Paris Creek B.-d. Farm Paris Creek, is a producer of certified organic dairy products such as milks, yogurts, Quarks, butter, soft cheeses and hard cheeses. For years, the company has been constantly increasing production, processes, productivity, and environmental sustainability and at the same time they have been decreasing the environmental carbon footprint, the impact on waterways and air-pollution. On the farms, the company maintains a sustainable environment due to biodynamic farming methods at the basis: the soil. No artificial fertilisers are used and there is no chemical treatment on soil, animals or crops. Waterways are made sustainable due to eliminating pollution of the ground water. All processing and dairying waste water is recycled and converted to liquid fertiliser. Due to the structure of the soil and the ability of the plant–root system to retain water, there is considerable water saving during the irrigation season. High tech, modern processing equipment ensures energy efficiency in dairy production. Custom designed renewable electricity generation consisting of energy monitoring, industrial solar photovoltaic system, industrial evacuated tube solar collectors ensure maximised savings of fossil fuelled energy. The project started in 2015. Estimated volumes of sales will double by end of 2016 due to increased distribution Australia wide and exports.
32 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
EDITOR’S NOTE This is a selection from all the nominations received at the time of going to press. Once judging is complete, Finalists will be announced on www.pacetoday.com. au. They will also be individually notified.
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Welcome to the world of
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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS Proudly sponsored by
Transport, Power & Infrastructure NOMINATIONS
Konecranes Australia Konecranes RMG Crane Solution for Pacific National New Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG) cranes are being delivered by Konecranes to Australia’s largest private rail freight operator, Pacific National. These cranes will provide world-class container handling productivity and reliability, enabling Pacific National to serve its customers better at its expanded intermodal terminals in Sydney and Melbourne. Four Konecranes RMGs will go into operation as part of expansion and modernisation projects at Pacific National’s Sydney and Melbourne intermodal terminals. The all-electric, hydraulics-free Konecranes RMGs will be used to load and unload containers to and from trains and road trucks, the essential part of intermodal terminal operations. Pacific National customers at these terminals include companies from the mining, manufacturing, grain, construction, metal and retail sectors. The cranes will be equipped with Konecranes’ Active Load Control (ALC) technology, which ensures fast, precise and safe container handling by eliminating container sway. ALC allows optimum container handling cycle times to be reached in all operating conditions – even with an inexperienced operator. The new Konecranes RMGs will be under Konecranes service contract, minimising maintenance costs and downtime. The cranes will also be equipped with Konecranes’ TRUCONNECT® remote monitoring, enabling remote diagnostics for maintenance purposes.
Institute of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Australia Inc AMS 2750 Project The Institute of Instrumentation, Control and Automation Australia’s (IICA) nomination is the post trade course “Course in Pyrometric Requirements for Thermal Processing”. This course has been nominated because it is unique in two ways. Firstly in Australia it was developed in response to an industry wide request for assistance to develop a course to address the application of, and compliance with AMS 2750 in relation to AMS process specifications for heat treatment. Secondly it is the only course of its type in the world that provides the participants with a post trade qualification. Specifically, Australia’s wider supply chain to the aviation manufacturing and maintenance industry does not have Nadcap accreditation that is required to participate in the global aerospace industry. The course encompasses aviation manufacturing, maintenance, supply and manufacture of heat treatment equipment, equipment maintenance and calibration. There was nothing in Australia that addressed this knowledge and skills vacuum. These gaps carry with it potentially serious air safety risks, as well as preventing Australian companies from entering both global and national aerospace commercial activities. In Australia, the course is supported by CASA and Internationally, is recognised by the pre-eminent international aerospace body, PRI/ Nadcap.
Archer Enterprises Multi-Jet Control Valves for Special Hazard Water Deluge Fire Suppression systems Stanwell Power Station had to replace outdated components in its Special Hazard Water Deluge Fire Suppression system which were no longer made by the Original Equipment Manufacturer. There weren’t any spare parts available and the OEM had stopped providing maintenance and overhaul services. The Multi-Jet Control (MJC) valves had been in service for 20 years. The challenge was finding a suitable replacement to ensure future performancecritical protection for the site’s four coal fired generating units which supply 1460-megawatts to the Queensland power grid. One alternative was to change to a new type of valve, however, the introduction of different valves would require modifications to the interfaces and fire suppression pipework. Modifying the system would require it to be shut down for a length of time. The existing valves had a metal to metal seal design which was prone to leaking and other OEM’s had the same design. Archer presented a fresh solution which involved designing and manufacturing new-generation components compatible with the existing system. We improved the old design to prevent further water leaks and there was no need for a lengthy shut down.
Cook Medical Australia Small steps to big change Cook Medical Australia is a member of Cook Inc. the largest privately owned medical device company in the world. In 2014 Cook Medical Australia established the “Small Steps to Big Change” initiative in an attempt to reduce its overall environmental impact through a number activities and initiatives that flowed through all levels of the organisation. Through the establishment of Cook Medical Australia’s Green Committee, the “Small Steps to Big Change” program has had the full backing of the company which has seen the implementation of a number of changes to the way Cook Medical Australia operates on a daily basis and the impact that it has on the environment. From transport to and from work, air conditioning, office waste, production waste, food waste and even the paint on the walls Cook Medical Australia has taken into consideration every possible impact it is having on the environment and is constantly looking for ways in which it can reduce that impact in the day-to-day operation of the company. The ‘not so small’ capstone project for Cook Medical Australia in 2014 was the installation of 99 solar panels consuming a total of 706m2 of roof space. Cook Medical Australia is a member of Cook Inc. the largest privately owned medical device company in the world. In 2014 Cook Medical Australia established the “Small Steps to Big Change” initiative in an attempt to reduce its overall environmental impact through a number activities and initiatives that flowed through all levels of the organisation.
EDITOR’S NOTE This is a selection from all the nominations received at the time of going to press. Once judging is complete, Finalists will be announced on www.pacetoday.com. au. They will also be individually notified.
34 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
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Nobody manufactures 6 mm safety relays. Until now.
Maximum performance – minimum size With the PSRmini product range, Phoenix Contact is bringing to the
Relay Technology Designed by PHOENIX CONTACT
market the most narrow safety relays in the world. At widths of just 6 mm and 12 mm, they provide maximum functional safety through force-guided contacts according to the standard EN 50205. The highly-compact design means space savings of up to 70 %. This is possible thanks to the newly developed relay technology from Phoenix Contact with switching loads up to 6 A. For additional information call 1300 786 411 or visit phoenixcontact.com.au/mini
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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS
Lifetime Achievement NOMINATIONS
Ross G Colvin Consultant/Associate – Systems & Process Control, Hatch Ross is an electrical engineer with around 38 years’ experience, including 25 years with BHPE/Hatch. Ross has extensive consulting experience in estimating, design, construction and commissioning of electrical, instrument and control systems for projects in the oil and gas, minerals processing, and materials handling industries. He has held roles including Instrument and electrical design team leader on a number of greenfield and brownfield projects. Ross also has diverse experience in oil, copper, coal, silver/lead/zinc, nickel, aluminium, sand mining industries and is familiar with both instrument and electrical design. Ross was the office lead engineer for the Systems and Process Control (S&PC) team in Brisbane for around seven years to 2014 where he was responsible for S&PC
recruitment, training and staffing of projects and operations support executed from the Brisbane office. Previously the lead Electrical and S&PC engineer on the ERA R3D Underground Mine Surface Infrastructure feasibility study. Completed the Tati Activox Project feasibility for LionOre where his responsibilities included leading the Brisbane control and instrument team work-sharing an area of a hydrometallurgical nickel project in Botswana with the South African office. Previously the lead S&PC engineer on the Queensland Nickel expansion Project in Townsville for BHP/QNI where Ross was responsible for the control and instrument design team. Ross is currently the IICA Brisbane committee chairman and as such participates on the IICA Federal Council. He has always had a strong philosophy that the people on his team can never receive enough industry related training, and has encouraged his people to attend as many IICA and other institutional training courses as possible. This is a refreshing approach when most of industry is cutting back on training, and it has earned him the respect of his teams. At the same time he brings this strong culture of training to the Federal Council, and he is actively involved in implementing a member certification program in the IICA. Ross is a quiet achiever and an asset to the ACI industry.
Mining & Minerals Processing NOMINATIONS
Sigma NSW BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance Peak Downs Mine CHPP PLC Upgrade Project The project encompassed the entire replacement of the Coal Handling and Preparation plants PLC and SCADA Software and Hardware system from the ROM, Processing Plant, Train Loadout facility as well as four additional smaller PLC systems. The project battery limit was typically the field terminals of the existing automation systems. The project execution was over a three year period. Annual maintenance shutdowns were utilised during this period to progressively cutover individual systems. Sigma engineered the system to provide the platform to alleviate the limitations of the former systems. It also provided a system with the capacity to absorb and change as business needs demand; standardised software across the plant and inline with four other sister plants in the BMA Group; a software standardisation which provides a framework for cost effective future change; control system installation and commissioning conducted during plants annual shutdown period whilst other mechanical and electrical maintenance work was in progress.
Orica LOADPlus Pro MMU Control System Complete re-creation of the Control system of an MMU (an explosives mixing truck). Previous control systems were very manual and offered little relevant feedback to operators. Mistakes were easy to make and there was no possibility of collecting accurate and verifiable data, which is what our customers were striving to obtain. The challenge however is a dirty, dusty and continually changing working environment, miners can be resistant to change and are often computer illiterate and customers who desire results, but cannot pause production. The key is the MMU operator who gathers the precious data while completing their daily tasks. The system had to really engage the operator, without adding complexity to an already full workload, be adaptable, logical and no slower than previous systems. There is no patience for downtime, and a high propensity to reject the project rapidly if there are perceived failures, from both the MMU operator and the customer. The project delivered above and beyond the expectations and the operators are very positive about the design. Customers are excited by the offering which has never been effectively delivered previously. The potential for this system to grow globally and eclipse all other blasting applications is evident.
EDITOR’S NOTE This is a selection from all the nominations received at the time of going to press. Once judging is complete, Finalists will be announced on www.pacetoday.com. au. They will also be individually notified.
36 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS
Water & Wastewater NOMINATIONS
Technofast Industries EziTite TR Hydraulic Nuts Korean boiler feed pumps assembly project In a recent application, Technofast Industries’ new EziTite TR High Temperature Hydraulic Nuts demonstrated their performance when they were used to assemble boiler feed pumps at an electricity generating plant in South Korea. The temperature resistant fasteners were used to replace the former method employing large torque wrenches weighing more than 125 kg. The Technofast method resulted in an installation time of around 30 minutes using two personnel, compared with eight hours and four personnel using the previous method. EziTite Hydraulic Nuts, in contrast to the former method, tension the bolt in one simple operation. They are rapidly applied by being screwed by hand onto bolt studs, hydraulically actuated to stretch the bolt to the precise tension required, then secured in place mechanically with an integral mechanical lock ring. The charging pressure is relieved, and the EziTite Hydraulic Nuts remain in situ at the precise target bolt load. The reverse procedure permits equally rapid disassembly when it is eventually required. All studs can be tensioned or de-tensioned simultaneously by manifolding them to a single hydraulic source. In addition to their simple and swift operation, the EziTite Hydraulic Nuts overcame multiple issues experienced with the former method.
Jacobs Group (Australia) Sarina Water Recycling Facility Mackay Regional Council faced a significant challenge in modernising Sarina’s sewage infrastructure to meet increased demand, tight treatment standards and recycled water requirements. The Transfield Services SKM Joint Venture delivered the 8,000 equivalent population Sarina Water Reclamation Facility and completed commissioning in November 2014. An advanced biological nutrient removal process incorporating a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) was selected. Complete automatic control by SCADA simplifies the operation of a complex plant so that operators can focus on the most important activities. Protecting and maximising the life of the membranes is essential to operating an MBR efficiently. It is also important to balance phosphorous, ammonia and nitrate removal. The SCADA provides operators with the tools and flexibility to achieve these goals. The plant has provided significant environmental benefits, via reduced nutrient and pathogen discharge to the Great Barrier Reef and beneficial reuse of recycled water. Key outcomes included: Successful optimisation of the 8,000 EP capacity process for a startup load of 3,000 EP, a turndown of 63 percent; Aeration control by ammonia trim of target dissolved oxygen; Scheduling and automation of wasting, thickening, decanting, dewatering and polymer batching, freeing up operator time; Efficient use of a single centrifuge for both thickening and dewatering.
Oil & Gas NOMINATIONS
H.I.Fraer Submarine Escape and Rescue System Support Systems H.I.Fraser has designed and manufactured a solution to support of the Australian Navy’s Submarine Escape Rescue System (SERS) Hyperbaric Suite. The solution contains two air transportable containers that provide the submariners in all seven integrated diving locks of the hyperbaric chambers with environmental control (heating/cooling/humidity control) as well as diving quality breathing air. The H.I.Fraser solution is a world first and novel for two reasons: It meets and exceeds the IMCA offshore diving environmental control standards despite the sheer volume of gas, number of people being decompressed and number of integrated diving locks (seven). It addresses the issue of significantly reducing the footprint for traditional SERS by using a novel low pressure air compressor solution. The compressor solution exceeds the safety requirements for breathing quality diving air. The proof of the solution is that two of the four leading international offshore diving companies either failed to develop a solution that worked, or refused to quote due to the complexity of the problem.
AP Automation SIL 2 Fire Pump AP Automation has produced the first SIL-certified fire pump customizable to client needs. For use on an off-shore oil rig, the client required a high-pressure water mist system for two fire pumps (one primary and one standby). The pumps use two different PLCs (one primary and one as redundant) and four sectional valves to the required fire protection area featuring both automated and manual control. The customer had a number of unique hazards including the potential for death in case of a serious fire, the environmental hazard if a fire was not quickly and properly contained and the potential for injury to maintenance technicians if the pump was still connected to 3-phase power. This safety solution is unique, as it allows Australia companies to export products/ solutions to China that we normally buy from them. EDITOR’S NOTE This is a selection from all the nominations received at the time of going to press. Once judging is complete, Finalists will be announced on www.pacetoday.com. au. They will also be individually notified.
MAY 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 37
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THE LAST WORD
CONTROL SYSTEMS
Operator effectiveness
How to develop best practices for operator effectiveness in the age of collaboration. By Paul Miller.
M
ULTIPLE converging trends make operator effectiveness even more important today than
ever before. These include: loss of expertise in industrial plants and the transition to a new workforce, business imperatives to “do more with less,” increasing regulatory compliance pressures, and new information technology (IT)-based enabling technologies moving into the operational technology (OT) space.
Collaborate with operators and supervisors
Today’s plant operators must collaborate effectively not just with other operators and operations supervisors within their own plants; but with plant maintenance staffs, engineering, and IT groups; and business planners and supply chain professionals at the corporate level. These converging trends and the associated business imperatives make it critical for owner-operators across a broad range of industrial sectors to identify best practices for operator effectiveness and collaboration to support their benchmarking, knowledge transfer, onboarding, and continuous performance improvement initiatives.
Owner-operators searching for answers
Based on discussions with a large number of our technology end user clients, it’s clear to ARC Advisory Group that owner-operators are struggling to identify best practices for how their operations staffs can best interact with the production process to improve performance. Operators must also be able to take advantage of the tremendous amount of data and information now available to them from control systems, asset management systems, alarm management systems, historians, and so on to make better decisions. Increasingly, plant operations staffs must collaborate with others inside 38 www.pacetoday.com.au MAY 2015
and outside the plant, and – in general – become more attuned to the overall business.
Industrial Internet of Things initiative While ARC’s ongoing research into collaborative process automation systems (CPAS) and related industry initiatives such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Industrie 4.0, and Smart Manufacturing provides some guidance, questions remain about basic issues such as: • What are the most important points of collaboration for plant operations staffs? • What data and information is most important for field and control room operations and what is the best way to present information to them? • How do you prevent overloading operators with too much data?
workers that will soon be retiring and transfer this knowledge to the next generation of workers? • How do you make operators more aware of the impact their actions have on the business?
New IT-based collaboration tools offer significant potential
Effective collaboration requires a high degree of situational awareness, including operational window compliance and a good overview of the status of procedural automation, process control, and any abnormal situations. New collaboration tools - many based on Internet Protocol (IP) and concepts of the emerging Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) - offer significant potential to improve operator effectiveness through improved access to sensor-based data, new cloud-based
Today’s control systems provide operators with more raw data than they know what do with • What role do the Internet of Things, Big Data, and predictive analytics play in operations? • Should operators have access to the public internet and, if so, what can you to do help ensure plant safety and data security? • What are the most effective OT and IT tools for supporting operator effectiveness and collaboration? • What are the best tools for supporting mobile workers? • What is the best way to respond to and manage alarms and abnormal situations? • Do social media-type collaboration tools have a place in industrial operations? • What are the most important KPIs for operations and maintenance staffs? • What is the best way to capture knowledge from the experienced
data analysis tools, and improved collaboration, both within plants and across a multi-plant enterprise.
Occasional glitches have serious repercussions
However, many of these tools remain unproven in demanding, missioncritical industrial environments in which downtime is unacceptable and occasional “glitches” can have serious repercussions. Many end users in the heavy process industries still also have serious concerns about hosting critical data and applications in “the Cloud” due to the persistent threat of cyber security intrusions.
Raw data
Information-overload is another concern.
Today’s control systems already provide operators with more raw data and information than they often know what do with. The newer information and collaboration tools can only exacerbate the situation. Rather than more data and information, it’s important for operators to quickly easily access the right information, in the right context, and in a time frame that makes it useful for real-time decision support. The operators themselves are often in the best position to determine this.
Help identify today’s best practices
Clearly, new IT-based technologies and IIoT concepts offer significant future potential to improve operator effectiveness and collaboration. However, many of these technologies and concepts remain unproven in industrial environments, driving owner-operators to wonder what their peer organizations are doing in this area. To help identify current best practices, ARC Advisory Group has launched a confidential web survey on this topic. Readers can use the following URL to access the survey www. surveymonkey.com/s/665TNMH. To help ensure valid results, we encourage as many plant operators, operations supervisors, plant managers, and other appropriate individuals as possible to participate in this survey, which shouldn’t take more than about 15 minutes to complete. A summary of the aggregated results and analysis will be made available to all qualified participants. Paul Miller, Director of Content at ARC Advisory Group, has 30 years of experience in the industrial automation industry. As a “student of the industry,” he continues to follow the increasing adoption of IT in the OT area and its ramifications for industrial organizations. www.arcweb.com
TICKETS NOW ON SALE! Celebrating its 12th year, the 2015 PACE Zenith Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 11th June in Sydney. This is the industry’s night of nights, where we recognise and reward companies and individuals who have contributed to Australia’s Process and Control Engineering Industry. DATE: Thursday 11th June 2015 TIME: 6.30pm pre dinner drinks for a 7:00pm start VENUE: Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney TICKETS: $150 + GST per person or $1,200 + GST for a table of 10 Tickets include a 3 course dinner and beverages
Categories for the 2015 PACE Zenith Awards include: • • • • • •
Manufacturing Best fieldbus implementation Food and beverage Lifetime achievement Machine builder Mining and minerals processing
• • • • • •
Oil and gas Power and energy management Water and wastewater Young achiever Project of the year Transport, power and infrastructure
To book your tickets to the PACE Zenith Awards dinner please contact carlyp@fst.net.au or phone 02 9376 3235
For more information visit www.paceawards.com.au PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
PA0515_000_OMR
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