PACE - Process & Control Engineering - November-December 2014 by Prime Creative Media

PA1114_001

2014-11-25T14:53:37+11:00

PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 | VOL.67 NO.10

INSIDE PACE

Integration

Motors

Maintenance

Micro PLCs control massive doors at airplane hangar

How to benefit from VSD electric motors

Extract value by implementing asset optimisation

Post Print Approved PP100008186

Benefits of adaptive process control

PA1114_000_BEC

2014-10-22T11:35:58+11:00

PA1114_003

- 3

2014-11-26T15:21:59+11:00

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 8

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

Graphic Designer: Dave Ashley Email: david.ashley@cirrusmedia.com.au Production Co-ordinator: Tracy Engle Tel: (02) 8484 0707 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 Email: tracy.engle@cirrusmedia.com.au

News Analysis 6

SUBSCRIPTION: $99 pa incl GST OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTIONS: NZ: $A109 pa & OS: $A119 pa CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1300 360 126

Engineer’s Corner 22

Networking update Ethernet in harsh environments

Motors How to benefit from VSD electric motors

Innovation 8

Industry Update 27

Adaptive control Qenos innovates to increase plant optimisation Management 10

Maintenance Asset optimisation can extract value Engineering 14

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 OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF:

PLCs and control Micro PLCs control and monitor huge hangar doors Automation 18

Embedded virtualisation Collaborative Process Automation Systems Operations 20

SCADA insights Integrate data tools with the workforce of tomorrow

Business Intelligence 28

Green engineering Highlights from the Taiwan International Green Industry Show New Products 32

7 of the Best M12 X-Code connector. Portable vibration calibrator. Camera for mobile machines. Active power filter. Position switches. Bus Terminals for circuit boards. Switch with integrated bracket. Conversation 34

Systems NI’s Arun Veeramani talks about trends in embedded control

ON THE COVER PA1 1 1 4 _ 0 0 1

2 0 1 4 - 1 1 - 2 5 T1 4 : 5 3 : 3 7 + 1 1 : 0 0

PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 | VOL.67 NO.10

INSIDE PACE

Integration

Motors

Maintenance

Micro PLCs control massive doors at airplane hangar

How to benefit from VSD electric motors

Extract value by implementing asset optimisation

Post Print Approved PP100008186

Benefits of adaptive process control

Average Net Distribution Period ending Sept ’14 5,725

Security Protecting SCADA and industrial control systems

Switch to Adaptive Process Control delivers benefits APC engineers need to exert tighter control of operations to squeeze out more production at lower cost from complex and demanding processes. Standard APC applications are typically built with an underlying assumption that the as-built model developed by the engineer will always be accurate and properly structured. However, as process plant performance and economic objectives change, this may cease to be

the case as the behaviour of the process changes over time. The causes for these changes could be normal equipment wear and tear, fouling, a reduction in operator experience, resulting in additional pressure on the engineers to keep the plant operating optimally. Qenos has realised the limitations of conventional APC and committed to upgrade to the new Adaptive Process Control environment.

(See page 8) NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 www.pacetoday.com.au 3

PA1114_004

- 4

2014-11-26T15:39:28+11:00

COMMENT

WHAT’S ON

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

IoT adoption rates are set to rise

Certified Profibus and PROFINET Training 3 November-5 December 2014, Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne profibusaustralia.com.au Particle Sizing: Development and Typical Issues 16 December 2014, Online specialinterestgroups@icheme.org Hazards Australasia 2015 26-27 May 2015, Brisbane www.icheme.org/hazardsaus2015 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

• Sensors & Analysers • Process Control in Power Generation • SCADA & MES • Water & Wastewater • Focus on Fieldbus

THE first Internet of Things (IoT) World Forum in Barcelona last year had less than 800 attendees drawn from a variety of industries and technologies. The event moved to Chicago this year and had twice the number of attendees. Next year will likely be much bigger again. The growth of IoT is beginning to ramp up and industry observers believe we are at the tipping point. The convergence of information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) is now a reality with billions of IoT devices already connected.

Whether we see an IoT explosion or a gentle uptake comes down to two factors: cost and security. Right now, the cost to tag devices is relatively high. Ideally, every motor and every pump should be self diagnosing. The cost of incorporating these features is preventing manufacturers from designing and building them in and this in turn is slowing uptake. If the price is right, IoT growth will be exponential. Those seeking proof need look no further than Melbourne-headquartered MMG Mining which increased

mining capacity by 20 percent and added $1 billion to the company’s bottom line just through instrumenting every asset in the mine. With access to data the company is able to constantly monitor the performance of every asset in the mine and set it up for best possible performance. We are interested to hear your opinion. Email us, follow us on twitter and sound off on Facebook. kevin.gomez@cirrusmedia.com.au

Like us on Facebook and join the conversation facebook.com/PACEtoday

EXCELLENCE

Nominations now open for the 2015 PACE Awards NOMINATIONS for the 12th Annual for engineers, suppliers, • Machine Builder PACE Zenith Awards are now open integrators and industrial • Mining & Minerals so get your submissions ready. Check business-owners to be Processing out our funky new Awards site (www. recognised publicly in • Power and Energy paceawards.com.au). It’s now easier to front of their peers and Management nominate and find related information. potential customers. • Transport, Power and This is a unique opportunity to The sponsors so far Infrastructure showcase your project in the company are: Honeywell, Phoenix • Water & Wastewater of your peers. All finalists get two free Contact, SICK, Delta and • Young Achiever tickets to the gala dinner which be in ifm efector. • Best Fieldbus Sydney in June 2015. Categories for the 2015 Implementation It is a entertaining and fun night and PACE Awards are: • Lifetime Achievement a fantastic opportunity to network with • Manufacturing • Project of the Year P Aprofessionals 0 3 1 4 _ in 0 the 0 0industry. _ M e t q u i p •2Food - & 1Beverage 2 0 1 4 - 0 3 - 0 7 T 0 9 : 3We 1 :encourage 1 9 + 1you 1 : to0nominate 0 other The awards offer an opportunity • Oil & Gas colleagues and peers for the two

people-based awards. The Project of the Year Award is given out to the most innovative project overall. Entering the PACE Awards is free. This is the only awards program specific to process, control and automation in Australia and New Zealand. Participating in the awards is a great way to boost your team’s morale by celebrating their work and exposing it to a large audience. Finalists are profiled in PACE magazine, on www.pacetoday.com. au as well through as our social media channels. www.paceawards.com.au

You’re at the top of our world...now stop right there Software Toolbox wants to turn you upside down with our excellent products and service. We may sound funny, but we talk sense. Learn how our software connects your devices and applications. Put the right data in front of the right people at the right time and feel free to contact us and discuss your needs. At the end we are here to help you establish the best connections!!!

For all your needs, call Wonderware Australia on 1300 138 825 or info@wonderware.com.au

Australia

4 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

PA0414_000_MET1

2014-04-07T12:48:21+10:00

New Historian and System Platform 2014

• Expanded 2 M Tags and multi-tiered configuration • New cloud Historian hosting on line data • Improved security for Multi Galaxy support • Improved robustness for High Availability & Disaster Recovery

Call Wonderware Australia on 1300 138 825 or visit our website www.wonderware.com.au

PA1114_006

- 6

2014-11-25T10:34:49+11:00

NEWS ANALYSIS

NETWORKING

Ethernet in harsh environments BY SIMON LEE ETHERNET is commonplace on the factory floor for automation and industrial control, in industries such as food processing, mining, automotive, and heavy-equipment manufacturing. While there are many similarities between corporate and industrial Ethernet networks, there are also crucial differences. The standard corporate Ethernet cannot simply be ‘teleported’ into an industrial environment and succeed. There are three important areas to assess: the network; electrical signals; and cabling infrastructure. Planning and prevention, as well as selecting equipment that best suits the environment, goes a long way towards ensuring the network runs reliably, and minimises the impact of downtime.

contacts can corrode and locking tabs easily break off. Some factors that can impact the network: Environmental factor Impact Ambient humidity and direct moisture

Cable corrosion

Vibration

Cable wear, disconnects

Temperature extremes Application failures, cable wear Chemical exposure

Cable corrosion

Dust

Poor outlet/plug/connector contact, particularly with fibre optic cable

EMI

Degraded transmission

The distances over which signal must be transmitted is another key difference. Industrial Ethernet cable may The biggest issues in industrial Ethernet stem from the need to run 402 metres or more as it is routed through hazards to which networks are exposed. Two major a large plant, around hazards, and from machine to factors contribute to these hazards: lack of climate machine and switch to switch. UTP cable, typically control; and the presence of other electrical equipment. used in offices, has a 100-metre maximum distance. While the network in an office or data centre is While this specification originated to separate user protected from nature’s elements by air conditioning transmissions and prevent collisions, today the distance and shade, most industrial environments lack such limitation is the result of power transmission. climate control. Excessive heat and humidity, for Network Interface Cards (NICs) are designed example, can impact the transmission media. for 100 metres. Beyond this distance, extra power is Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable, commonly required and it generates noise that interferes with used in office networks, can be damaged by prolonged data transmission. Multimode fibre is sufficient for exposure to sunlight. The electromagnetic interference up to two kilometres. For distances over two to three (EMI) generated by electrical equipment causes noise kilometres, single mode fibre optic cable may be that impedes network traffic. RJ-45 connectors, a required. Yet fibre optic cable brings its own set of mainstay of corporate networks are not designed for requirements. The diameter of a single mode fibre is A M0 4 1 4 _ 0 0 0 _ T U R 1 2 0 1 4 - 0 3 - 1 3 T1 3 : 2 4 : 2 3 + 1 1 : 0 0 long-term performance in excessive heat or stress. Their smaller than a red blood cell. Fingerprints, or even dust

The industrial setting is different

in the air can sit on the fibre optic end-face, causing reflectance and inhibiting signal transmission. Finally, something as basic as power can affect an Ethernet installation. Office-grade Ethernet components may not function in an industrial environment powered by 24 or even 48 volts, with AC and DC sources. Industrial grade components will likely be required. In the industrial world of high-speed production and precise processes, correct and timely delivery of communication is extremely important. A data packet might contain an alert warning of excessive heat or even fire. It might be a command to turn on a cooling system. Corrupted, lost, or untimely packets, whether delivered too fast or too slow, cause serious consequences including production errors, reduced throughput, waste and downtime. All these translate into significant costs. For these reasons, industrial Ethernet must be deterministic.

Learning from the examples of others

The network. The biggest mistake plants make in installing an industrial network is thinking that the office network can be the same network used for the production floor. You don’t want the variable traffic and address schemes of your corporate network to interfere with the consistent, structured and less variable nature of your production network. Corporate traffic may bring down, or slow down, your production traffic and jeopardise the deterministic nature of your production network. A virtual local area network (VLAN) is one way to segment network traffic. Set it up so that the corporate and production networks can communicate with one other but not share the other’s highway. Think of it as two major

Mil-Spec Cordsets

Overmolded and made-to-length for robust connectivity in the harshest applications. SENSORS | NETWORKS | RFID | CONNECTIVITY | INTRINSIC SAFETY

6 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Learn more at www.turck.com.au

PA1114_007

- 7

2014-11-25T10:36:38+11:00

NEWS

highways with a tunnel providing access between the two. The second mistake is trying to save money by buying office-grade Ethernet switches. Industrial environments require industrial-rated switches, which are designed to stand up to the rigours of the industrial world and help the network run more efficiently. In production, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critical to get information from point A to point B reliably. The end result of poor network performance in an office may only be usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; PCs running slowly. On the production floor, the difference between a communication being sent in four versus six seconds could be the difference between a high-speed bottling UTP cabling is immune to lower levels of EMI. line working or not. Or, in a sheet metal plant, it might determine environment, cables need to be protected with plastic whether or not the material is cut in the correct lengths. or metal conduit. It is acceptable to run Ethernet Electrical signalling. The devices on the network along the ceiling in open trays. But when those cables such as switches can be impacted by many of the same reach the wall or anywhere they can be sprayed with issues that affect cabling. Harsh electrical environments water, get hot, or be hit by a lift truck, they should be can cause transients, disturbances and static discharge. protected by a conduit. Extreme humidity and temperature changes, vibration, This means EMI shielding needs to be considered. and inconsistent or inefficient power delivery can all For example, one machine might be filling bottles disrupt signalling. Appropriately IP-rated devices can and another machine loading them into the boxes. mitigate many of these problems. The Ethernet line needs to be separated and shielded Cabling infrastructure: protecting the cable from from the EMI field that machines, cables, motors exposure to hazards. In a typical data centre, there is and transformers generate. Excessive electronic noise likely hanging thef back A Da server _ P Awith C E UTP A M Scables FEB _ 1 3 from . pd P a g ewill interfere 1 9 / with 0 1 signals. / 1 3 ,It usually 1 0 : manifests 0 0 Aitself M as and running unprotected to the ceiling. In an industrial particular types of easily recognisable network errors,

and indicates that the transmitted frame has been corrupted somewhere along the path. UTP cabling is by nature fairly immune to lower levels of EMI. An opposite signal is transmitted on each leg of pair, and because the pair is located in the same place, any interference is the same on both legs, effectively cancelling out EMI. For higher levels of EMI, you can use a cabling type called shielded twisted pair (STP, also known as F/UTP or S/FTP). Or for even greater protection, use fibre optic cable, which is immune to EMI. Using enhanced, higher-rated cabling is not the only means of dealing with harsh environments. Consider using a combination of separation, isolation, and enhancement strategies. For example, when there is a risk of liquids, separation can be achieved by running cabling in cable trays at ceiling height as opposed to on floor pathways. Isolation can be achieved by using appropriate conduits or raceways, such as properly grounded metal conduits that help isolate some EMI noise. When operating under harsher conditions, take preventative measures such as regularly replacing patch cords and connectors well before their rated life to help avoid downtime. [Simon Lee is Vice President of Sales â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Asia Pacific, Fluke Networks.] www.flukenetworks.com apacmarketing@flukenetworks.com

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 www.pacetoday.com.au 7

PA1114_008

- 8

2014-11-25T10:06:30+11:00

BEHIND THE SCENES

Qenos makes a step change In seeking greater plant optimisation and a greater return on investment, Qenos moved from an Advanced Process Control centric strategy to an adaptive process control environment with Aspen DMC3 software.

ENOS, Australia’s leading manufacturer of polyethylene (PE), is focused on increasing commitment to further plant optimisation, reduced pressure on skilled operators and a greater return on investment for all stakeholders. This is made possible with the upgrade from an Advanced Process Control (APC) centric strategy to the adoption of an adaptive process control environment with AspenTech’s new Aspen DMC3 software. According to Richard Wawrzon, Process Engineering and Control Team Leader, at the Qenos Altona plant, “There are that many disturbance variables in a typical refinery or chemical plant, such as changing environmental conditions (temperature, humidity), changing product demand, changing feedstock composition, and more, that it is virtually impossible to drive the process at optimum productivity without the use of an advanced process control tool such as AspenTech’s DMCplus.” Wawrzon reiterated that, “Optimising a process plant often requires the operators to drive the process variables close to the plant equipment limits which can result in process instability. Operators are expected to operate away from plant alarms, and possible shut down, due to the shutdown cost, inconsistency of product quality, and loss of reputation.” “But the bottom-line is that conventional APC has limitations that make meeting the new challenges unsustainable over the long term,” he added. Today, APC engineers need to exert

even tighter control of operations in order to squeeze out more production at lower cost from complex and demanding processes. Standard APC applications are typically built with an underlying assumption that the as-built model developed by the engineer will always be accurate and properly structured. However, as process plant performance and economic objectives change, this may cease to be the case as the behaviour of the process changes over time. The causes for these changes could be normal equipment wear and tear, fouling, and a reduction in operator skills and experience, resulting in additional pressure on the engineers to keep the plant operating at optimum performance. Understanding these issues, Qenos has realised the limitations of conventional APC and committed to upgrade from AspenTech’s DMCplus to the new Adaptive Process Control environment, Aspen DMC3. According to Peter Caro, Director at AspenTech Australia, “Qenos has been an active user of DMCplus for many years, and we believe that this latest upgrade to DMC3 will release further opportunities to optimise the service factor and increase profitability for all stakeholders.” Qenos, contributes more than $1 billion a year to the local economy, employs over 750 people, and has operations in Melbourne and Sydney. The Qenos Altona site was originally part of the Altona Chemical Complex which was established in the early 1960s and is the largest production centre for petrochemicals and plastics in Australia. Their products support a range of

8 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Richard Wawrzon (L) along with an operator, analyse the impact of recent process variable adjustments. industries, including food packaging, water conservation, waste management, mining and agriculture, and they also supply a diverse range of specialty polymers.

Conventional Advanced Process Control

At Qenos, as in most chemical plants, it is mission critical to operate the plants safely and prevent disruptions to production, but at the same time to optimise operations to stay competitive and maximise profit. Change occurs every minute as feedstock composition and ambient conditions alter. Each change that occurs has an effect and the aim is to control and manage the variables to achieve the quality and the amount of product that is required. Only if they know the predicted

behaviour of the plant can the operators counteract on time to keep the plant at the optimal target. Plant operators are not in a position to manually react to such changes and conduct corrective actions on a minute-by-minute basis and in an optimal way. APC gives manufacturers, like Qenos, the solution to solve these issues since the software automatically improves operational efficiency, maximises process profitability and business competitiveness. It reduces cost, maintenance time and disruption through real-time asset optimisation, delivering improved visibility and decision support. Advanced Process Control (APC) has been a crucial innovation for process industries in the past few years, delivering the necessary plant

PA1114_009

- 9

2014-11-25T10:07:35+11:00 PA1 1 1 4 _ 0 0 0 _ BAL

2 0 1 4 - 1 1 - 1 4 T0 9 : 2 0 : 3 1 + 1 1 : 0 0

BEHIND THE SCENES

optimisations – pushing through-put to the maximum while saving energy costs, meeting operational constraints, addressing the depleting skilled operator pool, increasing plant utilisation, and, in fact, maximising plant profitability. For more than 20 years AspenTech’s Aspen DMCplus has been the industry standard for advanced process control software, although today there are many other versions of APC on the market. DMCplus, a conventional APC, has been Qenos’s chosen tool to control and optimise their plants for many years.

Why Adaptive Process Control?

As process plants age, many of the underlying assumptions about the control strategies become redundant, or ineffective. The consequence is reduced efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Wear and tear, fouling, reduced skills pool, aging workforce, changing financial modelling, are some of the factors that are not considered in the as-built controller setup. Although a controller (PLC, DCS, SCADA) may be accurate enough when implemented, at some point in the future it may not be, so the aim should be to automatically detect this occurrence and correct it on a continuous basis. When issues with controller model fidelity are detected, the tuning of the controller should also change to mitigate the potential negative impact. So, it is important that the engineer is equipped with valuable insight into process behaviour and understanding of process characteristics. Now, with a completely redesigned modelling environment and the introduction of AspenTech’s Adaptive Process Control, the chemical plant operators have a powerful new tool to manage their operation with greater control that will deliver greater operational profitability. Aspen DMC3 provides a complete range of economic trade-offs for managing step testing and model construction. Essentially, that eliminates the need to approach APC maintenance as a project, usually requiring a plant shut, and creates a continuous background process of assessing model quality, collecting current data and generating new models as the behaviour of the plant changes over time. The Adaptive Process Control initiative was born from a need to

address the current problems associated with building and maintaining control applications. This smart software can detect, isolate and correct problems without increasing the burden on engineering staff. The key advantages of Adaptive Process Control, over traditional (sustained value) approaches, are that it incorporates features that ensure the controller model is continually analysed for accuracy, poorly performing areas of the model are identified, non-disruptive background testing collects new process data while the unit is being optimised and new data is monitored in real time and bad data is automatically identified and removed. By making it easier to generate data, manage step tests and produce results, APC becomes more accessible and efficient. The need to assemble skilled resources to rebuild controllers is significantly reduced and this enables the operators to focus on more added value optimisation. Richard explained, “There is a crucial difference between the traditional approach to controller maintenance (sustained value) and Adaptive Process Control. With sustained value, revamping the controller is typically carried out as part of a lengthy and costly project, with planned operations disruption. Under Adaptive Process Control, however, the clever controller is modified over time in a background process that is not disruptive to plant operations. Adaptive Process Control improves the service factor and as a consequence, long-term profitability by reducing process variability and allows plants to be operated optimally.” “We know that the implementation of Adaptive Process Control will significantly reduce APC downtime, release our skilled operators to focus on higher value add processes to increase efficiency, create opportunities for operators at all experience levels to get involved without risk to the plant, and drive the plant at even higher levels of productivity and product quality,” concluded Richard. Qenos www.qenos.com 03 9258 7333 AspenTech www.aspentech.com 03 9869 7140

SENSOR SOLUTIONS SENSOR SOLUTIONS AND SYSTEMS AND SYSTEMS For all areas of the automation industry SENSOR SOLUTIONS For all areas of the automation industry AND SYSTEMS As a global player, we stand for comprehensive system expertise, conti-nuous innovation and the greatest reliability. Balluff is technological variety in theplayer, highest first-class individual service. Our 2600 As a global wequality standand for comprehensive system expertise, employees working and to ensure this worldwide. conti-nuousare innovation the greatest reliability. Balluff is technological variety in the highestof quality first-class individual service. Our 2600 For all areas theandautomation industry employees are working to ensure this worldwide. As a global player, we stand for comprehensive system expertise, conti-nuous innovation and the greatest reliability. Balluff is technological variety in the highest quality and first-class individual service. Our 2600 employees are working to ensure this worldwide.

9 9 56 56 9 2600 2600 56 2600

production sites production sites and subsidiaries representatives subsidiaries and representatives production sites employees subsidiaries and employees representatives

www.balluff.com www.balluff.com

Phone 1300 225 833

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 www.pacetoday.com.au 9

www.balluff.com

Image_2014_AU.indd 1

9/19/2014 12:04:49 PM

Image_2014_AU.indd 1

9/19/2014 12:04:49 PM

PA1114_010

- 10

2014-11-25T10:12:11+11:00

IN FOCUS

Asset optimisation can extract value The intelligent optimisation of assets, which can have a major impact on reducing production costs, is an area often overlooked, writes Clive Ross.

OR manufacturers working in a competitive global market environment, product price point is an imperative. And yet, the intelligent optimisation of assets, which can have a major impact on reducing production costs, is an area often overlooked. Aurecon’s Head of Asset Management, Clive Ross, says manufacturers can enhance their success by creating a proactive asset management culture and taking a more sophisticated approach to maintenance that optimises asset performance and value. Hardwired in the psyche of manufacturers is the constant vigilance on total production cost. Sometimes, deferring or minimising maintenance results in cost savings. However, these incremental savings are typically false economy. A strategic asset management approach can create far greater value for the business. Focusing on asset uptime availability and equipment peak operating efficiencies yields substantially more value than driving maintenance costs down. This value is at times less visible and tangible without a detailed knowledge of asset value creation. Figure 1: Product loss cycle – The contribution of maintenance to losses.

Unprecedented demand

Over the past two decades, the world has experienced an unprecedented demand for raw materials products assets have been pushed to limits well beyond their and processed goods. As a result, manufacturing plant, initial design specifications. PA0 9 1 4 _ 0 0 0 _ ADM 1 2 0 1 4 - 0 8 - 2 6 T1 7 : 4 8 : 0 7 + 1 0 : 0 0 production facilities and many ancillary infrastructure Our urgency to get more from less has brought

INDUSTRIAL POWER BY MEAN WELL

many facilities to breaking point. Maintenance of the asset, a cost not directly linked to productivity or revenue generation, is often deferred or worse, ignored.

21 GARDEN BLVD DINGLEY VILLAGE VIC 3172 AUSTRALIA T +61 3 9551 6922 F +61 3 9551 6977 E SALES@ADMTECH.COM.AU

WDR SERIES

DR-RDN20

DR-UPS40

A great all rounder • AC/DC power supply • 120W to 480W • Wide input to 550VAC • Adjustable DC output

Eliminate failure ‘down time’ • Redundancy Module • 24V and up to 20A output • Failure alarm options • -40 to 70’C operation

Protect from power failure • 24V UPS module • Up to 40A output • Failure alarm options • Battery status indicator

SEE THE FULL RANGE AT WWW.ADMTECH.COM.AU

10 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

PA1114_000_FLU

2014-11-12T13:38:00+11:00

 www.fluke.com/au/connect

+61 2 8850 3333

auinfo@fluke.com

PA1114_012

- 12

2014-11-25T10:13:09+11:00

IN FOCUS

Strategic asset management enables an organisation to find the optimum level of asset management and maintenance activity

Figure 2: Balancing costs of maintenance and asset unreliability. Organisations will take a range of approaches to asset management with varying results: 1. Measured and controlled asset debottlenecking exercises and asset efficiency design upgrades through sustainable work capital programmes. These programmes generally result in engineering standard and legislative compliant designs and production optimised assets that will continue to deliver enhanced production throughputs in future years. 2. Fast track projects that deliver immediate returns and enable the asset owners to capitalise on the demand experienced during these years. While these programmes generally comply with the engineering design and legislative requirements, many are not optimised, and deliver suboptimal performance and efficiency. 3. Increased production throughputs via existing assets, reducing access to plant for planned preventive maintenance and managing the higher rate of asset degradation through increasing breakdown maintenance. This short term action solution results in overloading, higher wear out rates and component stresses, and increased breakdowns, which ultimately leads to an increased forward maintenance log. While the development of comprehensive asset life cycle management plans and strategies may have been considered in tactic 1 above, it is unlikely they were in tactics 2 and 3. The primary consideration at the time would have been to produce as many tonnes of product as soon as physically possible. As a result, the performance of these assets is likely to be suboptimal.

working in a competitive global market. Strategic asset management enables an organisation to find the optimum level of asset management and maintenance activity to meet their organisational plans as depicted in figure 2. Focussing the appropriate resources on critical assets to perform an optimum level of maintenance work has proved to reduce production costs. As manufacturers move to a strategy of higher levels of automation to further reduce dependency on labour costs, this focus on intelligently optimising the asset becomes even more important. The solution, as illustrated by Figure 3, lies in working to create a proactive culture, which drives asset management improvement plans that guide the engineering, project

delivery and operations activities in the plant, process, product and people, to eliminate, prevent and control functional failures and extract greater value from existing investments. The solution also lies in looking at the facility, its processes and its equipment with a forensic engineering lens, identifying equipment with the highest run time hours or lowest availability rating, to find the weak point in the production chain. This type of analysis roots out the highest likely causes for breakdowns and production interruptions and eliminates them by implementing improvement plans and actions for execution by their maintenance practitioners. This entire process is even further enhanced if strategic asset management is embedded at the start of a project. If followed from the design stage, this approach incorporates asset reliability and maintainability to eliminate these as a source of breakdowns and production interruptions prior to commissioning future assets. It ensures equipment and processes are designed and selected with their long term operability and value adding potential in mind. [Clive Ross (clive.ross@aurecongroup.com) is Aureconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Head of Asset Management.]

Outsourced maintenance

This operating environment created a culture resulting in an outsourced maintenance cycle. Where maintenance is an activity focussed on only restoring or maintaining functional capability in plant that has been lost through errors in the engineering, project delivery and operations cycle. Figure 1 explains this. Product price point is vital for manufacturers 12 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Figure 3: Implementing cultural improvement to drive value.

Aurecon 03 9975 3000 www.aurecongroup.com

PA1114_000_RSC

2014-10-22T12:06:31+11:00

CAN I ORDER

YES

AS FEW OR AS MANY AS I NEED?

YES

DO THEY STOCK A

WILL THEY DELIVER MY ORDER

ON TIME? YES

WIDE RANGE

Don’t settle for second best.

FROM LEADING BRANDS?

DO THEY HAVE

WHO’S BEST TO DEPEND ON FOR THE PARTS I NEED?

GREAT CUSTOMER SUPPORT? YES

You can count on us for the parts you need. Choosing the right distributor is as important as choosing the right parts. With RS Components, you can access 500,000 products from over 2,500 trusted global brands. Our outstanding customer support makes it easy to find and buy what you need. No order is too small and we offer same-day dispatch* for in-stock products.

au.rs-online.com

* See website for Terms & Conditions.

PA1114_014

- 14

2014-11-25T15:03:21+11:00

BEHIND THE SCENES

PLCs control huge hangar doors Micro PLCs from IDEC control 31,751 kg doors at a giant airplane maintenance hangar in San Francisco International Airport, write Jenna Castro, Lina Tan, and Marc Sanchez.

Boeing 747-400 is 70.7m long, has a wing span of 64.6m and a tail height of 19.5m. It weighs close to 396,893 kg. at takeoff. The Superbay Maintenance Hangar at the San Francisco International Airport can accommodate up to four of these massive airplanes at one time. The hangar has eight doors – four on each opposite sides – allowing access to this huge space measuring 152 x 165m about the size of two football fields. Each hangar door (Figure 1) consists of two inner and two outer doors, each measuring 39.6m wide and 27.4m high to allow the planes to be towed in and pushed out using tow vehicles. Each door is made of two halves, each 19.8m wide, and weighs 33,565 kg The door sections are mounted on dedicated rails (much like a train track), and the rails are offset so that adjacent doors can open and close without interfering with their neighboring door (Figure 2). MicroSmart Pentra PLCs from IDEC are almost lost in this huge structure, yet they provide vital control and monitoring of the doors to allow the coming and going of airplanes as large as a 747-400s.

Revamping the hangar

Pilot Construction Management in San Francisco was the general contractor in charge of retrofitting and modernising the hangar doors, which is used by American Airlines and United Airlines for A-Check and B-Check airplane maintenance, as well as engine and flap replacement. A major part of the retrofit was upgrading the door controls in each hangar, including the eight doors, controls, motors and gear drives. The previous control system consisted of multiple relays, contactors, timers, antiquated power track systems, and miles of wiring, requiring continuous maintenance, repair and upkeep. The doors were constructed in 1969 using relays, contactors and chain drives to control the speed of door travel. The components were so old that parts for repair were scarce or non-existent. The power panel and power track were so old that their components were discontinued over 20 years ago, and airport personnel had to actually manufacture these components just to keep the doors running. When this project started, the airport’s engineers saw an opportunity to introduce new technology and bring the drives and the controls into the 21st century. Also, because of the new upgrades, the function of the hangar was re-evaluated and additional aircraft maintenance work, such as weigh and measure procedures that could not previously be performed, were added to the function of this hangar. “Weigh and Measure” is one of these additional 14 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Figure 1: IDEC PLCs control the opening and closing of 31,752 kg hangar doors to allow airplanes as large as a 747 to enter and leave the hangar.

To further increase reliability the airport engineers borrowed the quick replacement concept from NASCAR and designed a Drive Cart special tasks on the periodic maintenance schedule of the aircraft. It requires all doors to be closed and almost zero air movement within the hangar. Although the doors are often left open in pleasant San Francisco weather, all doors must be closed when weighing an airplane because any wind will create lift on the wings and affect the weight of the aircraft. Closing all eight doors manually can be quite a task for a single operator, but automation greatly simplifies this work.

Simplicity and expandability

Engineers from San Francisco International Airport’s

Design and Construction Department attended one of IDEC’s three-day PLC Programming classes in Sunnyvale, CA, and selected IDEC PLCs for the project because of their simplicity, capability and expandability. The airport engineers designed the control system and logic themselves, while Pilot Construction was in charge of the electrical contractors, control contractors, mechanical contractors, precision removal of all old equipment, installation of new wheels, structural upgrade on doors, and all other renovation tasks. Pilot called upon Jensen Instrument Company, a very reputable distributor and systems integrator in California, to provide the programming and integration solution for the PLCs and HMIs to meet SFO’s requirements for the project.

Micro PLCs and big doors

Each door is comprised of two halves, and is driven by two sets of drives. Each drive is controlled by one Schneider variable frequency motor drive (VFD, Figure

PA1114_015

- 15

2014-11-26T15:38:14+11:00

BEHIND THE SCENES

4). Each drive is capable of driving the entire door; however, the airport engineers required redundancy of drives for each door. To further increase reliability, the airport engineers borrowed the quick replacement concept from NASCAR, and designed a “Drive Cart.” Using a Meltric DSN20 Decontactor (a quick disconnect electrical coupling for the 480 volt power system), an engineer can replace the motor and gear drive in less than 10 minutes should there be any need to replace a drive. Each door has an IDEC MicroSmart Pentra PLC (Figure 4) that connects to the two VFDs via Modbus, communicating in ASCII via this RS485 connection. The PLC also has inputs for on/off switches, photoelectric sensors, and a laser sensor that checks for people or objects in the path of the door. The sequence of events for opening a hangar door starts when the operator is notified that an airplane is approaching the hangar for entry through a certain door, or is ready to depart the hangar. From the IDEC HG4G touchscreen Human Machine Interface (HMI, Figure 5), the operator starts the door open sequence. Because each hangar door has inner and outer doors, the operator has to command each door to open from PA 1 1that 1 4door’s _ 0 0touchscreen. 0 _ A M S Similarly, 2 1when2 an 0 1 4 - 1 1 - 2 6 T1 5 : 3 2 : 4 6 + 1 1 : 0 0 Figure 2: Each door section is mounted on a dedicated rail. airplane completes its passage through the door, the

Analysers and sensors for: • Dew point and trace moisture in process gases and liquids • Oxygen and binary gases • Relative humidity

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Pty Ltd Unit 20, 51 Kalman Drive Boronia, Vic, 3155, Australia Tel: +61-3-9017 8225 Fax: +61-3-9729 9604 E-mail: sales@ams-ic.com.au Web: www.amc-ic.com.au

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 www.pacetoday.com.au 15

PA1114_016

- 16

2014-11-25T15:04:04+11:00

P A1 1 1 4 _ 0 0 0 _ OCE

2 0 1 4 - 1 1 - 1 2 T1 4 : 5 9 : 4 2 + 1 1 : 0 0

BEHIND THE SCENES

Helping to put you in Control

HeatShrink Rolls On Sale Heatshrink rolls in different colours, roll length and diameter are being discounted for runout sale. Grab your rolls today. While stock lasts, no backorders. Prices starting from $20.23 per roll.

Master PLC controls all doors

Capacitive Proximity Sensor M30, 3-wire unshielded capacitive proximity sensor. It features: NPN style with normally open contact, 10 to 30 VDC powered with 25 mm sensing distance. SKU: IBS-1305 Price: $49 ea + GST

Digital Spirit Level

DMI400 Digital spirit level allows you to measure angles, slopes, level and plumb quickly and accurately. It features both liquid bubble vials & a digital inclinometer built into a 600 mm spirit level rail and readings with an accuracy of 0.1 degree. SKU: IBI-001 Price: $149 ea + GST

N1540 Universal Indicator

5-digit universal process indicator that accepts thermocouples, Pt100, 4 to 20 mA, 50 mV & 10 V signals. 24 VDC/AC powered, mini USB interface. SKU: IPI-151 Price: $245.00 ea + GST

USB Serial Stepper Controller

Four axis stepper motor controller fitted with USB & RS-485 ports. Takes simple serial commands and produces ramped frequency profiles for stepper or servo motor control. Revised version can be 8 to 35 VDC powered and has analog inputs. SKU: KTA-290 Price:$95 ea + GST

Figure 3: Schneider Electric VFDs working in tandem move the 31,752 kg hangar doors. operator uses the touchscreens to command the PLCs to close the inner and outer doors. The anti-collision laser sensor devices were designed by the airport engineers, and Pilot Construction implemented them into the newly retrofitted doors.

The eight PLCs controlling all eight doors are centrally located, making it easy for a single operator to close all eight doors when needed for an airplane weighing. He or she simply walks from one PLC touchscreen to the next, closing each door in turn. Plans for the future are to have a Master PLC that can control all doors, and set up each door PLC as a slave. Also, a wireless connection from a remote location will be set up to serve as a fire control. Before opening or closing the door, the PLC first checks the status of the VFDs via Modbus to ensure that they are engaged. The doors have no brakes and the drives and the inertia of the door act as positioning brake. If a VFD is not functioning, the operator can manually disengage it for maintenance and safety purposes. Once the VFD drive is replaced or repaired, the PLC can re-engage the drive and put it back into operation. Next, the PLC checks the anti-collision laser sensor to make sure nothing is in the path of the door. If the laser sensor detects an obstruction during the door operation, the PLC stops the motor and the drive. As a redundant and backup system to the laser s ensors, radial limit switches are also installed at each end of the doors to mechanically detect any obstruction. The IDECâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PLC monitors the laser sensors and limit switches continuously during the door operation. As part of the retrofit, during all door operations the airport engineers designed the PLC to illuminate an LED directional light and announce the message,

Site-Log Pulse/State/Event Site-Log LPSE-1 is a 7-channel, battery powered, standalone, pulse/state/event data logger. USB and Serial interfaces designed to allow easy local and remote access SKU: MED-030 Price: $599 ea + GST

New MeanWell Slim Line Series

MeanWell has recently announced the released of their highly anticipated new slim line series: EDR-120, NDR-120 & EDR-150. Only EDR-120 & NDR-120 offers standard output such as 12 VDC, 24 VDC & 48 VDC. EDR-150 is currently only available with 24 VDC output, but can be adjusted up to 156 W. These series will be available in late October. Price starting from $35 ea + GST.

For OEM/Wholesale prices Contact Ocean Controls Ph: (03) 9782 5882 oceancontrols.com.au

16 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Figure 4: An IDEC Pentra PLC controls the two VFD drives that open and close the door. Each hangar has eight doors, and each door has a PLC controller.

PA1114_017

- 17

2014-11-25T15:09:11+11:00 AD_ PACENAT APR_ 1 3

2 0 1 3 - 0 3 - 1 8 T1 4

BEHIND THE SCENES

As a redundant and backup system to the laser sensors radial limit switches are installed at each end of the doors to mechanically detect any obstruction

Figure 5: From this touchscreen HMI, the operator can instruct the PLC to open or close the hangar door. “Door Closing, Please stay Clear of the Door” over a loudspeaker continuously, while the LED directional light signals the direction of door travel to the hangar occupants. The PLC monitors all safety sensors to ensure that the doors are moving properly; if the doors stop for any reason, the PLC analyses the problem, informs the operator, and displays a troubleshooting screen on the HMI.

Programming the PLC

The IDEC MicroSmart Pentra PLC supports 32-bit processing, has floating-point math functions, Modbus master and slave capabilities, seven communication ports, up to 512 digital I/O and 56 analog I/O, and can be expanded easily if needed. The PLC has web server capability which allows access to the PLC from mobile devices and the Internet via any browser. The PLC has both Ethernet and Modbus communications, and Jensen Instrument and the airport engineers decided to use Modbus to connect to the Schneider Electric VFDs. Jensen Instrument programmed the PLCs and HMIs, following the Airport engineers’ design parameters. IDEC’s Automation Organizer software provides two packages for programming: WindLDR for programming the PLC in relay ladder logic and function blocks, and IDEC’s WindO/I-NV2 for programming the touchscreen HMI. WindLDR allows online editing and simulation, so Jensen was able to fully simulate the PLC logic before installation, critical in this and many other applications. WindO/I-NV2 provides tools for programming

graphical screens with a library containing 5,000 symbols, which simplified the programming effort and saved design time. Using Automation Organizer, Jensen programmed the system to allow touchscreen control of all functions, display device status, trigger alarms, present troubleshooting displays, calculate scaling for the laser sensors, and keep track of the time the drives are in use for maintenance purposes. After installation of the eight PLC systems, Jensen downloaded PLC and HMI programs and performed start up. Thanks to the simulation capability of the IDEC system, startup of the first door and fine adjustment took less than a day. As the other doors came on line, Jensen started up the other PLCs using a cookie cutter approach, and put the doors in operation within a few hours. Also, Jensen was able to easily add features and options as the users discovered the capability of the new system. One such added option was interlocking the “Man Doors” that are installed as part of the hangar doors. These Man Doors are standard-sized, fire-rated, all-steel doors that are embedded and constructed as an integral part of the hangar doors, which allow aircraft mechanics to enter and leave the hangar when the main doors are closed. After installation of the “Man Doors,” and at the request of the hangar employees, Jensen added the programming logic onsite for the PLC and HMI to interlock the Man Doors with the operation of the hangar doors. If any of these Man Doors are open, the hangar door will not operate but will display on the HMI why the door is not running, and which Man Door is left open. The system has been very reliable and trouble-free since the first set of doors went online in March 2014. The overall cost of the hangar door renovation was about US$3,300,000. However, each IDEC Micro Smart Pentra PLC cost less than US$200, making the PLCs one of the most cost effective solutions in the industry. [Jenna Castro is Project Manager, San Francisco International Airport - Design & Construction Department. Lina Tan is Vice President, Pilot Construction, General Contractor, San Francisco, CA. Marc Sanchez is Programmer, Jensen Instrument Company, San Mateo, CA.] IDEC 1800 684 332 sales@au.idec.com www.idec.com

Unbeatable Control, Precision, and Flexibility

NI LabVIEW system design software and reconfigurable I/O (RIO) hardware lower cost and shorten design time by integrating motion, vision, and I/O within a single software development environment.

Accelerate your productivity at ni.com/ industrial-control-platform Australia: 1800 300 800 New Zealand: 0800 553 322

©2013 National Instruments. All rights reserved. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. xxxxx

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 www.pacetoday.com.au 17

PA1114_018

- 18

2014-11-25T10:15:42+11:00

OPINION

AUTOMATION

Embedded virtualization Virtualization has an impact on process controllers and process field devices, writes Harry Forbes.

PREVIOUS ARC Advisory Group column dealt with server-level virtualization in CPAS, ARC’s collaborative process automation system model. Server virtualization has become part of mainstream IT, and most server virtualization technologies and benefits map directly into CPAS at the server level. Here, we address the impact virtualization has on process controllers, I/O systems, and process field devices; the parts of an automation system implemented as embedded systems. An embedded system is traditionally defined as a dedicated function device containing electronic hardware, a microprocessor, and specialised software. The relatively complex embedded systems found in process controllers employ microcontrollers or full-fledged microprocessors. They are networked and may download their operating system and application software via network services. With the development of multicore microprocessors, semiconductor suppliers can now support virtualization technology within a single microprocessor. In effect, the software stack of a server can now be replicated within an embedded system. Process automation, with its very long product life cycle, stands to benefit from the broad adoption of embedded virtualization in other industries, such as automotive, aerospace, and medical equipment. Process automation suppliers are now planning products that will use this technology. ARC believes that embedded virtualization will have a major impact on our evolving CPAS vision.

NextGen Controllers

Process controllers are perhaps the most complex and multi-functional components of any process automation system. To meet the extremely high requirements for reliability, they incorporate complex and proprietary means for hardware fault tolerance. Process controller software has always

run on various real-time operating systems (RTOS). The next generation of process controllers will be able to exploit multi-core processors and embedded virtualization. ARC believes these factors will weigh in the development of future CPAS controllers with embedded virtualization: Higher performance – The additional compute capacity of multi-core

provided their own (proprietary) system management capabilities. Given extra processing capacity and a rich OS, these could be incorporated into standardsbased management protocols, which could aid in giving automation system status wider visibility in the enterprise. Advanced networks – Several process automation suppliers have developed high-availability Ethernet networks at the controller (peer-to-peer) level. In

processors with virtualization could be employed simply to improve the capacity and/or performance metrics of a process controller. Greater application integration – Controllers running both an RTOS and a rich OS will be able to host CPAS applications that presently can only be hosted in servers. Advanced process control and optimisation are certainly applications that may fit into this configuration. Data historians and local analytics may fit as well. System management – Process automation systems have traditionally

NextGen controllers, these networks may extend to the I/O systems and perhaps even to field devices. Networks can also be virtualized, and silicon suppliers have developed technologies for doing this at the embedded system level. Such virtualized network interfaces could be provisioned to support both real-time and rich OS network traffic. New controller modularity options – Process controllers represent a combination of high complexity and low unit volume. System designers are challenged to optimise not only performance, but product lifecycle length,

18 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

TCO, system BOM costs, commonality of system hardware, and commonality of system software. ARC believes that in the long term, commonality and component life will weigh more in this equation. This would favor new systems incorporating higher performance processors and more common software.

Field device applications

Process automation I/O systems can share some of the same benefits from virtualization, but not to the same degree as controllers. The industry trend in I/O systems has been toward “smart” I/O modules that are configurable (via software or a hardware adapter) to accept multiple types of signals. This capability has proven very valuable in compressing automation project schedules by decoupling detail engi-neering from other project activities. Expanding smart I/O capabilities is essentially a “smart analog” technology development that will not be enhanced by virtualization. Process field devices (transmitters, valves, drives, analysers, etc.) have remained largely immune from virtualization benefits. This is mostly because of the age and limited capabilities of the network technologies serving process field devices (HART, FOUNDATION fieldbus, Profibus PA). Adoption of Ethernet networking by process field devices will open up device communication to all manner of improvements and deeper integration, but adoption will be gradual. A field network consisting of a switched Ethernet infrastructure could remove many of the barriers and difficulties end users experience with managing thousands (or tens of thousands) of process field devices. Given the very long device product development and operating lifecycle, Ethernet field networks will emerge very gradually in the process industries. [Harry Forbes (HForbes@ARCweb. com) is Senior Analyst, ARC Advisory Group.] www.arcweb.com

PA1114_000_BAR

2014-10-10T14:34:42+11:00

Optimum performance, precise control, perfect corrosion protection AUMA manufacture actuators for valves ranging from just a few centimetres in

Optimum performance, diameter through to products for weir gates precise control, several metres high. Combined with AUMA’s perfect corrosion protection modern control concepts, integration with

AUMA manufacture actuators for valves

high perfomance fieldbus distributes control

ranging from just a few centimetres in

systems is straightforward. Easy retrofitting,

diameter through to products for weir gates

absolute reliability within anywith type of plant and several metres high. Combined AUMA’s always control at the concepts, forefront integration of innovation. modern with ■ AUMA’s modular concept ensures perfect high perfomance fieldbus distributes control

integration systems is straightforward. Easy retrofitting, absolute reliability withinsolutions any type of plant and ■ Intelligent actuator support the always DCSat the forefront of innovation. ■

modular concept perfectof ■AUMA’s Perfectly adapted to theensures wide range integration

valve types and sizes

■

Intelligent actuator solutions support the Worldwide service and extensive experience DCS

■

Perfectly adapted the wide range industry of Actuators forto the water valve types and sizes

■

Worldwide service and extensive experience

Actuators for the water industry

Standing in precision and performance Standing in precision and performance

Ltd. ••P.O. P.O.Box Box792 792 ••Artarmon Artarmon NSW NSW 1570 1570 •• Tel. Tel. +61 +61 284374300 294361088 •• info info@barron.com.au www.barron.com.au BARRON GJM Pty. Ltd. @barron.com.au •• www.barron.com.au BARRON GJM anzeige_ganze_seite_barron.indd 1

Pty. Ltd. • P.O. Box 792 • Artarmon NSW 1570 • Tel. +61 294361088 • info@barron.com.au • www.barron.com.au18.07.2011

anzeige_ganze_seite_barron.indd 1

08:05:52

18.07.2011 08:05:52

PA1114_020

- 20

2014-11-25T10:17:17+11:00

OPINION

OPERATIONS

Invest in SCADA Companies are looking to integrate data tools with the workforce of tomorrow, writes Doug Warren.

S THE information management world evolves, the use of real-time data to power functionallyrich business applications is driving greater value for industrial companies. Specifically, this translates to the ability to run efficient operations – from more profitability, greater reliability and safety of manufacturing operations, to greater efficiency and uptime of capital assets. Increases in investment in industrial data collection and analysis applications means that companies are also starting to look at how they can integrate these tools with the workforce of tomorrow. To give context, the industrial operational workforce is expected to undergo a number of key changes, including a 40 percent reduction in operational experts over the next seven years. This means that the vast experiential knowledge built up over time by current operators will slowly deplete leaving companies to retrain and upskill a new workforce. With predictions that the workforce of 2020 will have only 30 percent of the experience levels of the current workforce, it means that the overall firsthand expertise in a role will have decreased. This doesn’t necessarily mean fewer qualifications but more so tacit knowledge versus the explicit information that can be learnt from text books. Despite a reduction in firsthand knowledge, the new generations who are recruited into the industrial workforce have a distinct advantage when it comes to technological adaptations. Being digital natives they can collaborate online and have the ability to share information within drastically reduced timeframes. Additionally, by moving physical IT and software assets onto cloud platforms (virtualisation) in the workplace, it will give rise to experts who can create a wider influence over the total industrial supply chain, increasing its effective output.

Investment in technology is key

Workforce changes aside, technologies like SCADA continue to serve as a platform for collecting data and exchanging information within the control layer of a business. In doing so, it also becomes a gateway to reach up through the application stack of an enterprise into the execution and operations layers of a business, and approaching Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

better management of processes is the best way to prepare for the industrial future. Building/rebuilding and maintaining a SCADA system can be expensive. This is why investing in the future of SCADA is about building on existing systems to extend operational value. There are key areas that can help optimise and improve SCADA operations including: • Linking together operating assets, people and processes to improve

Likewise, interfacing with applications including Enterprise-class Historian, Workflow, condition-based monitoring and asset management facilitates holistic operations management and “decision-support” applications, which are among some of the most talked about subjects in the changing industrial landscape. Significant investments are made by industrial businesses not only in their technology, but more importantly in the capital assets and operation of their facilities. Making the most of those investments by maintaining and improving technologies that enable

competitive advantage through the addition of a Business Process Management system. Also providing operators with multi-platform mobile clients and applications to enable them to interact with the SCADA system at any time and from any location. • Investing in a robust software portfolio coupled with a strategy to develop a unified framework of function-rich business applications which deliver optimised business processes specific to the type business. While each market segment can, and does, have different needs, overall the idea is to unify various automation

20 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

applications for the next generation of operations management systems. This will provide operational improvements via enterprise wide visibility and standardisation, which is a common way of viewing operational data for consistency of quality, processes and KPIs. It is one “version of the truth” which provides better business agility and increased competitiveness overall. A SCADA system’s role in this equation is to drive the following: • Improved engineering efficiency – reduce the engineering cost and complexity required to build and maintain a system • Enhanced lifecycle management – reduce upgrade and maintenance costs • Operational empowerment – increase operational efficiency from more powerful information and simplified useability • Extended operational value – expand the management of your operations beyond traditional supervisory control to achieve and sustain operational excellence and business agility As real-time information becomes a critical asset to industrial business, it drives significant investments in technology to maximise the value of capital assets and to optimise the operational performance of facilities. While industrial applications like SCADA are technologically advancing at a rapid a rate it presents a new challenge for business in the form of integration and training with industrial workforces. With industry on the cusp of an operational transformation that is strongly driven by a major generational transition – Generation Y, and an aging workforce it has a huge impact on technology. Despite these challenges, applications like SCADA will continue to remain a critical part of industry as it grows and becomes more reliant on data to inform its operations. [Doug Warren is Vice President, SCADA and MES Activity, Schneider Electric.] www.schneider-electric.com

PA0714_000_SICK1

2014-06-24T16:32:19+10:00

BULKSCAN® LMS511: NON-CONTACT AND MAINTENANCE-FREE SENSOR FOR MEASURING VOLUME FLOW.

The Bulkscan® LMS511 uses time-of-flight technology for non-contact measurement of volume flow on conveyor belts. Using the multi-echo technology, the Bulkscan® LMS511 can combine time-of-flight data with the belt speed to generate a reliable volume flow signal, regardless of the bulk material’s properties or weather conditions. Aside from calculating total quantities and mass flow, the Bulkscan® LMS511 can monitor the operation of the conveyor belt without coming into physical contact with it and promptly gives warning of any belt slippage. The integrated center-of-gravity calculator can be used to detect uneven loading of the bulk material and avoid excessive belt wear. Its tough industrial housing is well suited to rugged operating conditions. An integrated heater also ensures safe operation at low ambient temperatures. Discrete signals as well as Ethernet TCP/IP can be used to connect the measuring system to a host communication system. For more information please visit www.sick.com.au or call 1300 405 807.

SICK Bulkscan Full Page Advertisement Cirrus Media.indd 1

24/06/2014 3:39:57 PM

PA1114_022

- 22

2014-11-25T10:18:52+11:00

IN FOCUS

Benefit from VSD electric motors Many companies are replacing their gas turbine and steam turbine drivers with the variable-speed electric motors due to better operation, reliability and efficiency, writes Amin Almasi.

OR many plants, the cost of the rotating machinery trains (such as pumps, compressors and their all associated accessories and auxiliaries) could amount to around 30 to 60 percent of the total cost of the plant. The general trend in many companies is to replace the gas turbine and steam turbine drivers with variablespeed electric motors due to better operation, reliability and efficiency. Control, reliability, operation and maintenance of variable-speed electric motors are discussed.

Synchronous electric motors

A synchronous electric motor is an AC motor in which the shaft rotating speed is synchronized with the frequency of the AC current. The synchronous electric motors contain electromagnets on the stator of the electric motor that create a magnetic field which rotates in time with the oscillations of the supply current. The rotor turns in step with this field, at the same rate. In other words, the electric motor does not rely on “slip” under usual operating conditions, and as a result produces torque at the synchronous speed. The synchronous motors can be contrasted with the induction electric motors, which should slip in order to produce torque. The speed of the synchronous motor is determined by the number of magnetic poles and the frequency of electric power supply to the electric motor. The synchronous motors are available in high-horsepower directcurrent excited industrial sizes. In large sizes, the synchronous motor provides two important functions; first, it offers a relatively high efficiency; second, it can operate at leading or unity power factor and thereby provide the power-factor correction. Previously, there were only two major types of synchronous motors: ‘non-excited’ and ‘direct-current excited’, which had no self-starting capability

An example of a very large generator; the same technology can be used to manufacture very large VSD electric motors (source: Siemens). to reach synchronism. Advances in independent brushless excitation control of the rotor winding set have offered a new type of synchronous motor. The ‘brushless wound-rotor electric motor’ is the most suitable type of synchronous motor with all the theoretical qualities of the synchronous motor and the wound-rotor motor combined, such as the power factor correction, the highest power density, the highest potential torque density, relatively low cost electronic controller, the highest efficiency, and others. Brushless synchronous type electric motors are commonly-used for high power level applications. Output ratings of two-pole synchronous motors are theoretically

22 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

unlimited (in terms of power) since generators of this type have been built for above 100 MW with many successful references. Many of these generators are above 200 MW. However, the shaft speed operating ranges of such electrical machines are limited for many mechanical and dynamic reasons, such as: • The centrifugal forces acting on the embedded field windings and the diode wheel. In other words, the mechanical strength of the rotor or the supporting component materials, in general, can become a limiting factor. • The length of the rotor (the bearing span) is limited to cope with the lateral vibrations and rotordynamics issues. The brushless exciter, which should

supply full field power from standstill to rated speed, is usually solidly flanged to the non-drive end of the electric motor and sometimes has its own bearing (the third bearing). This rotor assembly is known as the “three-bearing rotor”, often used for high-speed electric motors. This can result in a well-defined (in terms of lateral vibration behaviour) rotor system with three bearings and a controlled rotordynamics response. Three bearings electric motors are often of the pedestal-type, which offer relatively high stiffness and excellent dynamic behaviour. For relatively low speeds, sleeve bearings are usually employed. Sometimes, there is a requirement for

PA1114_000_SEW

2014-11-14T08:58:18+11:00

PA1114_024

- 24

2014-11-25T10:19:38+11:00

IN FOCUS

better stability and additional damping of tilting-pad bearings for relatively highspeeds. Usually, advanced tilting-pad bearings should be used. Particularly for speeds above 2,500 rpm, tilting-pad bearings are always preferred.

example, many existing VFD systems were originally designed with an insufficient speed range. Traditionally, 80 to 105 percent (of normal operating speed) speed range has been used for many machineries, which is not sufficient for majorities. Mechanical team should determine limitations to the variable-speed and torque conditions imposed by the rotating equipment. For example, the VFD should not run a compressor below the minimum speed based on various machine requirements. Dry gas seal requirements, rotordynamics issues, torsional studies, and other limitations should be carefully considered. Electrical team should deal with the proper electrical items of the VFD system.

Induction electric motor

An induction electric motor is a type of AC machine where power is supplied to the rotor by means of electromagnetic induction. These electric motors are widely used in difficult industrial drives, because they are rugged, simple and reliable; their speed is determined by the frequency of the supply current to the electric motors. The most common type is the squirrel cage electric motor, and this term is sometimes used for induction motors generally. The stator of an induction motor consists of poles carrying supply current to induce a magnetic field that penetrates the rotor. To optimise the distribution of the magnetic field, the windings are distributed in the slots around the stator, with the magnetic field having the same number of north and south poles.

Notes on VFD

To avoid any problem with variablespeed electric motors, the VFD (variable frequency drive) should provide an output with the following qualities: • Voltage and current with good phase balance and minimal DC component: This could reduce circulating currents losses in the electric motor. • Limited harmonic content. This can minimise circulating current losses and minimises torque pulsations. The characteristics and advantages of the electric variable frequency drives (VFDs) should be considered as an important element of control that provide good control, flexible operation and safety, instead of the more common concept found in literatures which see the VFD only as an energy saving device. In addition of an efficient operation and an electrical protection, the use of VFDs for condition monitoring and performance improvement of the machinery trains is a very important aspect of this new technology. The VFD system’s nature makes it ideal to diagnose machinery train condition and take corrective action to improve the operation and the reliability. Modern VFDs run the

Large electric motors vs. generators

An example of a large electric motor (source: Siemens). so-called “motor model” many times per second. These calculations are performed in a VFD internal control module to determine the required output from the inverter to the electric motor. This operation generates vast amounts of data about the electric motors and the driven rotating equipment. Currently, most of this information is sub-utilised. With proper filtering and conditioning these data and information can be used for diagnosis purposes and corrective actions could be made the VFD system (the train driver) to improve the operation. Some additional process information may be needed (e.g. pressure, temperature, flow-rate, and fluid physical properties), which can be fed to the VFD system just like they are supplied to an advanced control or condition monitoring system. The compressor surge can be a good example of a VFD monitoring and correction application.

VFD: Team work

Successfully selecting, configuring, installing, control, operation and

24 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

maintenance a VFD system should involve three engineering disciplines: • Process team (or automation/control team) • Mechanical team • Electrical team • Control team If any of them is left out, the VFD system may very likely problematic or under-performed. Too often, the implementation of a VFD system is left only to the electrical engineers under the erroneous premise that this is “an electrical equipment item used to save energy”. There are a number of reasons for this approach. The detailed vendor documents from VFD manufacturers tend to focus too much on the VFD internals, purely electrical and electronics issues, and not enough on the concepts and connection of the VFD with the process or mechanical subjects. The fact is that all above three disciplines should work together for a VFD system. Process team (or automation and control team) have to define the basic design data of running a process with ‘variable speed’ driver within properly defined process requirements. For

Large generators (above 100 MW) have been used in many power plants. There are many large generators (above 100 MW) operating in power plants all over the world. However, large VSD electric motors (above 80 MW) are not used except a few special cases. The rotor and overall features of both the electrical motors and the electrical generators could be considered identical. In many cases, they both use the same designs, sub-systems, components, materials, structure manufacturing methods and operating principles. The first major difference between large generators and large electric motors is the large electric motors are variablespeed machines. Another major difference is the oscillating shaft torques induced during the starting with an electric motor. Modern innovations and advanced technologies, such as new material developments, and improved techniques, etc., make it practically possible to use large output electric motors in applications where, previously, a large gas turbine driver (or a large steam turbine driver) would have been the only choice. Benefits over turbine drivers such as increased periods between the maintenance shutdowns (five years or more for modern electric motors), higher efficiencies, better reliability and improved environmental conditions have considerable impact on long-term operating costs.

PA1114_025

- 25

2014-11-25T10:20:18+11:00 MA 0 6 1 4 _ 0 0 0 _ A N C

2 0 1 4 - 0 5 - 0 6 T1 5 : 1 2 : 0 5 + 1 0 : 0 0

IN FOCUS

Brushless synchronous type electric motors are commonly-used for high power level applications Large electric motors

Particular mechanical considerations, dynamic issues, rotordynamics responses and material strength problems relating to a large electric motor rotor for highspeed, variable-speed, power dense applications play important roles for the smooth operation, reliability and proper maintenance. The rotor assembly should be in the context of managing spin stresses and maintaining radial contact pressure over the broad operating speed range. The thermal reliability analysis also plays a crucial role. The rotor complete assembly should be in a way to accommodate the relative growth between the different parts at various operating speeds and temperatures. The rotor core proportions of length divided by diameter (“L/D” ratio) should be selected considering different mechanical, dynamic, performance and reliability factors. The “L/D” ratio should be an optimum value to provide the required torque in the available length envelope, within the bounds of material properties and rotordynamics. The rotor assembly material properties (such as the mass density, mechanical strength, electrical properties, etc) can impose limitations on the maximum surface speed (because of the internal spin stresses and other reasons) and thus play an important role in the operation and reliability. In addition to the spin stresses, interference fit preload stresses can contribute to the loading of the rotating components particularly rotor core assembly. Operation at relatively high rotational speeds (in excess of about 3,600 rpm) requires a high level of balance.

Electric motor rotor

The rotor core should be designed to be assembled onto the electric motor rotor shaft with a proper interference fit mechanism. The interference fit should allow for the positive contact

between the rotor components and shaft throughout the operating speed and the temperature range, ensuring stable balance behaviour and proper rotordynamics responses. In addition to maintaining radial contact, sufficient net radial interface pressure should remain in order to transmit the torque, with a significant factor of safety for the peak transient torques and the over-speed case. The thermal interface fit is commonly used. When performing large temperature differential (thermal) rotorshaft fits, it is usually required to install a heated core onto a chilled shaft. Further, there is a risk of conical buckling of the core once full interference pressure is achieved during the cool-down phase of the thermal assembly. Usually, the conical buckling can relax the preload of an interference fit, resulting in excessive rotor growth and axial shifting of the core causing the balance problems and the insulation faults in the electric motors. Although not often reported in the literature, failures of interference fit rotor core assemblies through the conical buckling have occurred. Some electric motor manufacturers had experienced one or sometimes more cases of this kind of failure. For the large electric motor rotors, a novel reliability methodology should be employed to predict and prevent conical buckling of the rotor core through structural reliability studies. Features of the rotor assembly structure to contain the buckling motion should be carefully considered. An important parameter is the axial deflection stiffness. The buckling reliability analysis consists of approximating the forcedeflection characteristics of individual buckled components, and applying those forces to an accurate finite element model of the assembly structure to quantify the resulting deflection. To implement any interface fit properly, a buckling force-displacement curve should preferably be generated for each involved component. [Amin Almasi (amin.almasi@ymail. com) is a rotating machine consultant in Australia. He specialises in rotating machines including centrifugal, screw and reciprocating compressors, gas turbines, steam turbines, engines, pumps, condition monitoring and reliability.]

Is Australian Manufacturing Doomed? We don’t think so! Aussies love to invent Here are 3 examples:

Black Box

Cochlear Implant

Open Architecture CNC Export hall of famer, ANCA designed Australia’s first CNC 40 years ago. They then invented the open, software based CNC architecture in the 1990s and have been refining it ever since. Their tool grinders are sold and acclaimed worldwide. The amazing power and flexibility of their CNC is their secret weapon and why they have never considered using a Japanese or German controller.

Flexible to the core Advanced CNC functions Modern, all digital design Local engineering, worldwide support Single motor apps to complex MTs

This world class CNC is now available to OEMs, Machine Tool Builders & Systems Integrators.

ANCA Motion A division of The ANCA Group Australian designed & owned Ph: 03 9751 8900 www.ancamotion.com/cnc

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 www.pacetoday.com.au 25

PA1114_000_DEL2

Delta_poster_APF_20141125_297x235.indd 1

2014-11-25T15:00:12+11:00

2014/11/25 上午 09:34:39

PA1114_027

- 27

2014-11-25T10:21:50+11:00

OPINION

SECURITY

Protecting SCADA and ICS Australian businesses are under increasing threat from cyber attacks, writes Gavin Coulthard.

USTRALIAN businesses are under increasing threat from cyber attacks, forcing them to deploy more sophisticated and advanced cyber security measures. Attacks on critical Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems (SCADA) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) can cause serious disruptions to daily operations. Protecting these systems is paramount to avoid the socio-economic impact of a cyber attack. Targeted attacks to SCADA and ICS have progressively become more sophisticated. Stuxnet first exposed the vulnerability of ICS by showing how a combination of social engineering, applications, filetypes and vulnerabilities, for both windows and ICS software, could be exploited to compromise an industrial control process. The more recent Energetic Bear campaign raises the bar in its use of trojanised malware residing in ICS software installers and in how it implements commonly deployed ICS protocols such as OPC. Understanding these advanced threats and how to mitigate them is very important for Australian organisations.

SCADA and ICS are vulnerable

Because SCADA and ICS are both used in industries such as electrical, water, oil and gas, they present an attractive target for attackers. Monitoring tasks, from temperature and humidity to air flow and uninterruptable power supplies, offer opportunities for sabotage. SCADA cyber threats could also be the result of unintentional incidents. These have just as much impact on service disruption as malicious events. As businesses have become savvier regarding external, internet-based attacks, many have neglected to protect against risks presented by these internal networks. Attackers have realised that they can use weak links such as SCADA and ICS to access an organisation’s valuable data sources. Many SCADA systems are managed

by ageing Windows servers and desktops, such as Windows XP, that cannot be upgraded because the control software is not compatible with newer versions of Windows, or the upgrade cost is prohibitive. Protecting these systems is difficult, leaving organisations in a precarious position. To avoid becoming vulnerable, businesses must implement the right protection measures. The first step is to understand why business industries are

centrally managing the protection of key infrastructure from cyber threats and ensuring network availability for continued operations. There are five key ways to protect SCADA and ICS networks: 1. Use advanced cyber protection. Measures such as next-generation firewalls work to protect assets and creates microsegments across the organisation, which increases visibility to decrease the threat of attacks.

An entire framework will inspect all traffic traversing the SCADA zone for exploits and targeted threats now more vulnerable to cyber attacks than in the past. Reasons include: • commonly used industrial protocols and tools (such as Modbus) were not originally designed with security in mind and they lack basic authentication features • industry networks were never designed to account for potential intrusions • there are numerous unpatched and unpatchable systems • new technologies such as mobile computing, smart metering, and the slow-but-inevitable evolution towards IP-based access exposes operational networks more and more to cyber attacks. These systems were not previously protected because they were not as highly-connected as they are now. Because of these factors, it is critical that Australian businesses invest to protect their data, employees and entire operations. Without appropriate security measures in place, entire systems could be impacted.

2. Secure access to the SCADA zone. Processes should be put in place to tie security policies with user identities to ensure non-authorised users are denied access. Systems such as a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Virtual Private Network (VPN) can achieve this. 3. Eliminate the risk of having to manage multiple ports. Ensure multiple ports are protected by one firewall. 4. Deploy a complete vulnerability protection framework. An entire framework will inspect all traffic traversing the SCADA zone for exploits, malware, botnet and targeted threats. 5. Ensure protection from unsupported operating systems. Using a next generation firewall effectively detects and defends against Windows XP and SCADA application-specific attacks across the network so that organisations using SCADA environments have ongoing protection despite the withdrawal of support for Windows XP.

Protect against cyber attacks

Additional security processes

To mitigate the business risks associated with an attack, asset owners need to control network access, block threats and reduce the downtime caused by such incidents. Businesses should deploy a system that will control network traffic and threat prevention,

It is important to note that network segmentation can be an effective method to reduce the scope and risks of SCADA and ICS but only if it is deployed with the right cyber security technologies in place. In addition, organisations should establish on-going risk-management

procedures, routine self-assessments, periodic security audits and reviews. These measures will deliver the best opportunity to protect valuable operations systems. Once these strategies are implemented it is also essential to communicate with employees to ensure they are well aware of cyber threats, their impacts and what employees can do to help protect the business. Management should also implement IT policies and configurations across both enterprise and control networks. Other actions to be taken include: • logging and reporting incidents and potential threats • using and understanding security software • using software to aggregate logs from all sites to a central point to gain holistic insights into network usage and security incidents • using software to facilitate documentation and completing regular cyber audits. Ultimately, the team should also apply a lifecycle approach to threat prevention that controls attack vectors before having to block known and zero-day threats. As cyber attacks on SCADA and ICS systems become even more targeted, sophisticated and persistent, businesses must invest more time and resources to implement the right countermeasures to guarantee maximum protection of critical infrastructure. Understanding where the threats come from and how to effectively mitigate or respond to them is no longer optional. Businesses that fail to protect their SCADA and ICS systems risk catastrophic ramifications. Putting appropriate threat intelligence and risk prevention measures in place is vital. [Gavin Coulthard is Manager Systems Engineering of Australia/New Zealand, Palo Alto Networks.] Palo Alto Networks 02 7900 5440 www.paloaltonetworks.com

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 www.pacetoday.com.au 27

PA1114_028

- 28

2014-11-26T13:09:32+11:00

IN FOCUS

Green technologies at TiGiS TiGiS showcased the capability of Taiwan businesses in machinery and equipment for green alternative energy. This year the show attracted more than 20,000 visitors and PACE was at the event in Taipei.

he sixth Taiwan International Green Industry Show (TiGiS), organized by TAITRA and Expo Union, was held on October 6 to 9 in Taipei. This year, it was again held in conjunction with the Taipei International Electronics Show (Taitronics), to build a business platform for green technology. A total of 201 exhibitors using 331 booths showcased their latest products in this year’s TiGiS. TiGiS was held concurrently held with the Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF), which is themed “Green Vision, Green Asia”. Meanwhile, the 40th edition of Taitronics, themed “Green Electronics, Intelligent Life”, took place at the same venue, providing collaboration opportunities between the electronics and green industries. Theme pavilions by government agencies, industrial R&D centers and associations showcased the full range of Taiwan’s green industry. www.greentaiwan.tw

Technologies for commercialisation

At TiGiS, Giant Lion Know-How displayed several innovative technologies that have been developed in-house. The sixth Taiwan International Green Industry Show (TiGiS) was held on October 6 to 9 in Taipei. One product from Giant Lion Know-How was a radiator with a direct heat conduction core area and an annular optimised horizontal thermal conductor. This patented design consists of a copper and aluminium leading to low thermal resistance. It finds use in large thermostat bodies, industrial boilers and heating devices. Another patented design was a patented shallow geothermal cooling system for a wind tower turbine generator. Wind turbines typically need cooling systems to ensure high efficiency,

Akiko Nakagawa, Director-General, Trade Fair Department, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO). Explains Akiko Nakagawa (pictured alongside), Director-General, Trade Fair Department, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO): “Japan has advanced technology when it comes to the environment industry.” JETRO promotes trade and investment between Japan and overseas companies. JETRO organised three companies to attend TiGiS in Taiwan. This Taiwan International Green Industry Show was held early October in Taipei. solar-info@t-axis.co.jp

Giant Lion Know-How promoted its radiator with a direct heat conduction core area and an annular optimised horizontal thermal conductor. longevity of equipment and safe operation. Giant Lion’s geothermal generator cooling design uses cooling coils mounted on a standard wind turbine generator and demonstrated a cooling of over 40 degrees compared with traditional cooling using heat sinks. The advantages listed included: high dissipation rate; low power consumption; small space requirements in the nacelle; reliable operation. The company has also developed a very fast charging system for electric vehicle charging. The novel system can charge an EV from 20% to 80% in three minutes. Using a multi-way battery plate, featuring several nodes, ensures a more homogeneous chemical reaction. This results in a lower temperature rise and longer battery life. www.giantleo.com.tw

Solar plants viewer

Japan’s Axis Corporation has developed a solar plants viewer which can be used to monitor industrial photovoltaic (PV) generation plants. When using total power monitoring by power conditioning subsystems, it

28 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

can be difficult to detect partial failures (decrease in output) caused by PV module troubles, deteriorated cables and partial shading. Just 1 Mega Watt often needs 3,000 to 4,000 modules and it requires a great amount of time to inspect them to find the source of defects. The Axis system features separate monitoring for each string allowing the early detection of partial system errors. This also leads to decreased down time as the specific problematic string can be identified and the faulty module then repaired or replaced. Takafumi Hayashi of Axis emphasises that customising the software is very simple. This system does not require a junction box and power collection box for the monitoring equipment. It can be installed on existing PV equipment without the need for any power distribution work. “The system monitors and records the power generated and solar irradiance and sends out real-time email alarm alerts in case of problems,” Hayashi told PACE. The integrated screen displays measurement values and camera images from multiple plants.

Emulsified crude oil equipment

Heavy crude oil is the residue at the bottom of the tower left over from processing and cracking of crude oil. Because it has ahigh heating value and is relatively cheap, it is widely used. The problem with heavy crude is incomplete burning which leads to greater air pollution and higher emission indexes. Also, heavy crude oil has greater viscosity and requires repeated heating. As a result, bitumen will sediment and oil and silt will clog the nozzle and pipeline. The need to frequently clean the burner nozzles and oil tank can adveresly affect the profitability of the operation. To enhance the burning performance of heavy crude oil, additives can ne used. These include pour point depressants, demulsifiers and bitumen dissipating agents. However additives are expensive, require auxiliary equipment and have limited benefits. Klima Technology has developed ECH-A which eliminates the need for additives or auxiliary equipment and it just uses water.The device does a complete emulsification of heavy crude oil and water to generate an efficient secondary nebulization and this contributes to complete burning for enhanced oil efficiency rate. The heavy crude oil (60 to 100

100

PA1214_000_BAR

2014-10-10T14:00:46+11:00

100

75 25

100

25 0 5 25

0 5

AUMA - the world leader in electric valve automation for the water and wastewater industry. AUMA - the world leader in electric valve automation for the When you need electric valve actuators you need reliable, innovative and flexible solutions water and wastewater industry.

from a global leader that provides dedicated local support. AUMA - the world leader in electric valve automation for the When need electric valveindustry. actuators you need reliable, innovative and flexible solutions wateryou and wastewater By choosing AUMA you can relax. from a global leader that provides dedicated local support.

75 25

5 25 0 5

0 5

When you need electric valve actuators you need reliable, innovative and flexible solutions

An international team ofprovides fullyrelax. trained staff supports from a globalAUMA leader that dedicated local support.a comprehensive, user-friendly product By choosing you can range suitable for all valve types and applications. By choosing AUMA you can relax. An international team of fully trained staff supports a comprehensive, user-friendly product More reasons AUMA: range suitable fortoallchoose valve types and applications. An international team of fully trained staff supports a comprehensive, user-friendly product

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

range suitable for all valve types and applications.

Entry level through to intelligent actuator solutions More reasons to choose AUMA: More reasons todesign choosewith AUMA: A unique modular interchangeable parts Entry level through to intelligent actuator solutions A■ comprehensive range of field-bus interfaces Entry level through to intelligent actuator solutions A unique modular design with interchangeable parts

■ A unique modular design with interchangeable parts BARRON GJM PTY LTD ■ A comprehensive range of field-bus interfaces ■ A comprehensive range of field-bus interfaces 78 Dickson Avenue, Artarmon NSW 2064

Ph: 02 9436 Fax: 02 9439 3413; info@barron.com.au BARRON GJM1088; PTY LTD BARRON GJM PTY LTD

78 Dickson Avenue, 2064 78 Dickson Avenue,Artarmon Artarmon NSW NSW 2064 Ph: Ph: 02 02 9436 1088; info@barron.com.au 9436 1088; Fax:02 029439 9439 3413; 8437 4300;Fax: 8437 3413; 4333; info@barron.com.au

The Actuator Specialist

ActuatorSpecialist Specialist TheThe Actuator

100

100 75

75 25

75 95

95 100

100

www.barron.com.au or www.auma.com

25 0 5

www.barron.com.au or www.auma.com

PA1114_030

- 30

2014-11-26T13:10:25+11:00

IN FOCUS

Program Interface) provided by Billion smart energy gateway, and further to come out their own service platform with an integrated gateway and sensors. Billion is also capable of manufacturing AMI/AMR products for smart grid, Home Area Network (HAN) products for in-house energy management for its OEM customers. Additionally, it offers low-cost, highquality contract manufacturing of a wide range of communication devices including Power Line Communication (PLC) modules, GPRS/GSM modules, couplers and many other networking components for smart grid applications. www.billion.com www.smartgrid.com.tw

The Axis solar plants viewer can be used to monitor industrial photovoltaic (PV) generation plants. percent) and water or organic industrial waste water (0 to 40 percent) is fed into the ECH-A emulsification device which outputs eco-friendly heavy crude oil. The ECH oil mist is heated. When the temperature exceeds 100C, water in the oil mist starts to gasify and the volume starts to inflate. When the water gasifying pressure is greater than the tension of the oil mist, the oil mist explodes into smaller articles with smaller diameters. Their oxygen-absorbing capability is enanced, contributing to the burning. Water addition rates can be ~15 percent for glass, metal, mining and power plants; ~20 percent for pharmaceutical, printing, dairy industries; ~30 percent for the food industrt hospitals and general industries.

The Smart Grid aims to reduce carbon emissions resulting in more energy-saving products. The Billion BEsmart package consists of smart energy gateway and various sensors. The sensors include different type of ZigBee meter, power plug, smart switch, IHD, thermostat, IP-Cam which have been integrated with Billion smart energy gateway. BEsmart offers cloud service and app supporting Android and iOS for energy management and home automation. It makes it easier for the system integrator and software partner to integrate their back-end solution and application software via an API (Application

CSC trades on trust

China Steel Corporation (CSC) had one of the largest stands at TiGiS. No small wonder as it is the biggest steel company in Taiwan, enjoying more than 50 percent of the domestic market. Major export destinations are Mainland China, Japan and Southeast Asia. With annual production (in terms of crude steel) around 10 million tonnes, CSC produces a range of products that includes plates, bars, wire rods, hot and cold rolled coils, electrogalvanized coils, electrical steel coils, hot-dip galvanized coils, and Ti/ Ni-base alloy. The domestic market takes roughly 65 percent of CSCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production and exports take the remaining 35 percent. In order to enhance its operational synergy, CSC has diversified its businesses. Presently CSC and its 21

www.comaxima.com.tw

Smart energy

Also at TiGiS was Billion Electric which was founded in 1973 on an idea of excellence. Today, the company is a leading provider of network equipment and power supply products in Asia Pacific Rim. Since its Communication Division was established in 1992, Billion has re-enforced its investment in developing next generation network equipments and Internet access devices for home, telecommuters, and SME users. Since March 2009, Billion has added its investment in R&D and manufacturing of Smart Grid business to focus on Green product development.

subsidiaries constitute the CSC Group in five business areas: steel, engineering and construction, industrial materials, logistics, and services & investments. The CSC Group is focused on the business scope of steels and materials, engineering and services, and minerals and resources. One subsidiary, China Ecotek Corporation (CEC), is on a mission to become a world-class environmental protection technology and project company. The company has accumulated technology in electromechanical engineering and environmental engineering projects such as incinerators, water treatment facilities, and waste treatment plants, CEC has gradually expanded into areas such as steam-electricity cogeneration, railways and metro systems, biotechnology, corrosion and leak resistance engineering, and whole-plant turnkey projects. www.csc.com.tw www.ecotek.com.tw

Low energy lighting

T1 Lighting Technology has collaborated with Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) manufacturers to create a series of patent protected technologies that use less energy, last longer, and minimise the emission of C02 and other hazardous waste by-products. Unlike traditional incandescent lights that require thermionic emission, CCFLs benefit from operating at significantly lower temperatures. CCFLs are characterised by low power consumption, longevity, close to zero UV emission, excellent colour rendering, and the elimination of flicker. Having long been used to backlight TV liquid crystal displays, the technology is proven and good baseline for green lighting solutions. www.t1light.com

Drink it and wear it

Billion is a leading provider of network equipment and power supply products.

30 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the philosophy of S.Cafe. The company realised that the natural odour control ability of coffee grounds could be combined with fabric. Armed with this knowledge, S.Cafe went on to create a technical composite fibre made from coffee grounds. Clothing made from this fibre provides UV protection and is very fast drying. All the phenol, ester and oil is extracted from the grounds before processing it into fibre. With the coffee

PA1114_031

- 31

2014-11-26T13:12:24+11:00

IN FOCUS

thermal switch detects the setting temperature, the heating temnpeerature is reduced from 200°C to 120°C. The 120°C heated air stream pushes the front 200°C heated air steam forward to regernerate the non-desorpted dessicant. Thus the average temperature of the vessel would be lowered to 120°C when the heating stage was finished. The small temperature rise in the second heating stage results in energy consumption savings of the heating procedure. www.qym.com.tw

Using waste heat

CSC is the biggest steel company in Taiwan enjoying more than 50 percent of the domestic market. grounds permanently embedded in the yarn fiber, the particles work to control and absorb odours. The trapped odours are released in the next wash/dry cycle of the clothing. The highly concentrated byproducts are are then used in the cosmetics and textile industries. The company is already working on a coffee soap and a doodorisation bag (there are instructions on the website), www.scafefabrics.com

Adsorption drying

Quan-Yang demonstrated the Zinger Heated Dryer which is equipped with a patended device to save energy. The

dryer uses internal waste heat during heating and cooling to save energy. The company reports energy saving efficiencies as high as 20 percent more than general heated dryers. Also, the lifetime of the dessicant could be prolonged by 50 percent. Zinger Heated Dryers eliminate the external air vapour contamination so the company designed the heating air stream in the same direcion as the cooling air stream. Normally, the 200°C hot air is used to regenarate the dessicant layer by layer. The Zinger dryers feature a thermal switch in the vessel to detect the regeneration temperature. As the

Pump Dryer is used to remove moisture from a load of sludge or temperature sensitive materials. The dryer generates more heat using less energy. As a result, it’s more efficient and more environment-friendly than conventional dryers. The company also offers energyefficient evaporation equipment based on the mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) system. MVR has a host of applications including desalination, upgrade low-pressure steam, wastewater recycling and to replace existing multi-effect evaporators.

Trans Energy is focused on the enviwww.transenergy.com.tw ronmental and energy sector and demonstrated a range of products in The next Taiwan International this area. Green Industries Show (TiGiS) will The Heat Recovery Unit was be held from October 21-23, 2015 in developed to provide enterprises Taipei. with the most effective energysaving solution. The product can [PACE magazine’s Kevin Gomez instantly provide hot and cold water attended the event as a guest of TAITRA at 95°C A D and _ P 7°C A C respectively. E P L A M A R _ 1 2 . p(Taiwan df PExternal a g e Trade 1 Development 1 5 / 0 2 / 1 2 , The Low Temperature Heat Council).]

S.Cafe created a technical composite fibre made from coffee grounds. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 www.pacetoday.com.au 31

1 1 : 2 9 : 5 2

PA1114_032

- 32

2014-11-25T11:21:48+11:00

SPOTLIGHT

7best of the

PACE showcase of the best engineering technology releases of the month.

PS116 Position Switches Bus Terminals for circuit boards The EtherCAT plug-in modules from the new Beckhoff EJ series offer an efficient solution to implement platform concepts in large-scale machine production with many common parts, while retaining the possibility to configure variants. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;plug-inâ&#x20AC;? modules are electronically-based on the EtherCAT I/O system, while their design allows them to be directly attached to a circuit board. The circuit board is an application-specific signal distribution board that distributes signals and power to individual application-specific plug connectors in order to connect the controller to machine modules as required. Elaborate manual wiring of single wires, common in conventional control cabinet construction, is replaced by simply plugging in prefabricated cable harnesses. Unit costs are lowered, and the risk of incorrect wiring is reduced to a minimum by coded components. In large-scale machine production, expenditures for replicating designed controller configurations is a significant cost factor. While traditional control cabinet wiring offers maximum flexibility and extendibility, this is not required when manufacturing hundreds of essentially identical machines. On the contrary, the manual wiring of mass-produced machines is a common source of errors and causes high labour costs. The new EtherCAT plug-in modules introduce an efficient wiring solution into the series production of machines.

Suitable for a wide variety of applications across all forms of plant manufacturing, Schmersal PS116 position switches are compact, robust and versatile. With a symmetrical design, variety of contact configurations and a selection of re-positional actuators, the PS116 offers flexible and reliable solutions for a multitude of applications. Its dimensions allow installation in confined spaces to monitor the position or presence of moving parts, workpieces or conveyed materials. All switches have positive opening NC contacts making them suitable for use in safety circuits up to PL e (ISO 13849-1) and CAT 4 (AS 4024.1).

Beckhoff 03 9912 5430 www.beckhoff.com.au

Tiny switch with integrated bracket Binary-switching, magnetic-field sensitive, electronic cylinder switches of the BMF series from Balluff deliver precise and bounce-free switching response, simple handling and universal use. With the BMF 243, the sensor specialist has now rounded off its product line with magnetic field sensors for spacecritical applications. The new BMF 243 compact sensor offers high performance reserves for cylinders with both weak as well as with strong magnets and convinces with high repeat accuracy and small hysteresis. Due to its small dimensions of 3,8 x 24 mm, it is suitable for particularly small grippers and cylinders with C-slots. The bracket is already integrated in the sensor. As a result, no additional mounting bracket is necessary. It fits completely into the cylinder slot without protruding. The switch point is adjusted in seconds using a screwdriver. The BMF 243 is supplied with a cable clip that ensures optimum strain relief and secure cable routing. With the miniature sensors of the BMF series from Balluff, designers can implement highly dynamic application concepts in pneumatics that can only be realised with low-weight components that have small space requirements. Balluff 03 9720 4100 sales@balluff.com.au www.balluff.com 32 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Control Logic 1800 557 705 sales@control-logic.com.au www.control-logic.com.au

PA1114_033

- 33

2014-11-25T11:28:08+11:00

Email your product news to editor@pacetoday.com.au

Portable vibration calibrator

M12 X-Code connector increases throughput

The 9110D Digital Portable Vibration Calibrator enables users to generate ISO 17025-compliant calibration certificates. It is a compact, battery-powered and selfcontained vibration reference source which can be used to calibrate individual sensors, vibration switches and data collectors, as well as to validate the entire measurement channel of a condition monitoring or recording system. Designed for use in-situ, including on the manufacturing plant floor, the unit calculates and displays test sensor sensitivity on the readout screen in real time. It also has built-in ICP input for common piezoelectric accelerometers and can save up to 500 calibration records directly to the unit’s internal memory. Users can copy records to the included USB flash drive with Report Generation Workbook via the unit’s USB port. Saved calibration data is then transferred to a computer where the user can generate and print an ISO 17025-compliant customisable calibration certificate. This product provides enhanced stability and superior vibration calibration over an extended 7 Hz (420 CPM) to 10 kHz (600,000 CPM) frequency range, at amplitudes up to 20 g pk (196 m/s²).

With the ability to transfer up to 10 Gbps of data, TURCK’s new M12 X-Code connector increases throughput and efficiency in high-end systems and applications. The M12 X-Code connector offers superior signal strength for high-speed Ethernet data transfers, compared to traditional M12 connectors that support up to 10/100 megabits per second (Mbps) Ethernet. Its ability to handle high bandwidth files and minimise transfer time reduces data bottlenecks and improves performance. To achieve 10 Gbps Ethernet transmission speed, the M12 X-Code connector features advanced shielding design paired with Category 7 copper cable. Each of the four data pairs are shielded from each other within the connector, providing increased isolation against cross talk, or unwanted signal coupling from one balanced twisted pair to another. Newer applications for video, camera and vision systems, as well as high-speed data acquisition, demand a network cable that can handle more than 10/100 Mbps data transfer. Gigabit Ethernet can provide the speed and capacity needed. Featuring a robust, compact design, the IP67rated M12 X-Code connector reliably operates in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 70°C. The overmolded construction eliminates hand-wiring and misconfigurations.

John Morris Industrial industrial.johnmorris.com.au 1800 251 799

TURCK 1300 132 566 turckaustralia@turck.com

Delta Active Power Filter

Robust camera system for mobile machines The new “O2M” camera system from ifm efector not only features an encapsulated, weather-proof aluminium housing with IP 68/ IP 69K but also temperaturecontrolled lens heating. With high shock and vibration resistance it also holds the E4 type approval. Additionally, the system is fitted with an analogue video output and suitable for universal use. Operating and rear area monitoring is becoming increasingly important in the field of mobile machines. Universal and trouble-free use is required even in extremely difficult conditions. The pressure-resistant camera system O2M features automatic brightness adjustment and light sensitivity of < 0.25 lux. The system can, for instance, be directly connected to the PDM360 dialogue modules with graphics capabilities, colour display and analogue interface. This makes it possible to use the dialogue module not only to display machine information but also images of up to two cameras. Therefore a separate monitor is not needed. The wide selection of flexible mounting accessories provides universal installation and application options. ifm efector sales.au@ifm.com 1300 365 088

Delta Energy Systems has recently launched its new Active Power Filter: APF2000. Featuring the highest industry standard 32-bit digital microprocessor, the APF2000 accurately compensates for harmonics, power factor correction and unbalanced phase compensation for the ultimate power quality improvement. Delta’s APF2000 monitors load current and filters harmonics up to the 50th order to <5% (THDi) to maintain a clean line current and improve Power Factor correction by over 96%. With one of the lowest response times in its class, the APF2000 boasts a dynamic filtering response of 300µs and other state-of-the-art features to maximise performance, including a modular CVT fan for optimized ventilation, smart Digital Signals Processing (DSP) to offer self-diagnosis and built-in high voltage protection module for full hardware protection. Remote monitoring is enabled through communication protocols RS-485, Modbus, CANopen, Ethernet, and Profibus, which are included as standard. Wallmount options are available up to 100A and single cabinet solutions up to 300A, which can be combined for a full modular solution, up to six parallel connections. Reduce energy loss and maintenance costs, whilst improving power quality with Delta’s Active Power Filter, APF2000. Delta Energy Systems 03 9543 3720 www.delta-es.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 www.pacetoday.com.au 33

PA1114_034

- 34

2014-11-25T10:24:10+11:00

THE LAST WORD

SYSTEMS

Trends in embedded control PACE talks to Arun Veeramani, Regional Program Manager, Embedded Control and Monitoring, NI.

The NI CompactRIO combines an open embedded architecture with small size, ruggedness, hot-swappable industrial I/O modules, and is powered by the NI LabVIEW reconfigurable I/O (RIO) architecture. Kevin Gomez caught up with Arun Veeramani when he visited Sydney to speak at the NI Technical Symposium. Why is this a special year for CompactRIO? This year we are celebrating the 10 year anniversary of CompactRIO. Back in 2004, we released the first CompactRIO and what we call now, the LabVIEW RIO architecture as well. It’s based on the RIO architecture, the three main components are processor, FPGA and IO – all working in harmony. This is what really makes the difference. The CompactRIO platform has been extremely popular with our customers for about ten years now and this architecture will continue to stand it in good stead over the next decade. We ensure that CompactRIO continues to meet customer expectations and lets them continue to innovate, especially with features like advanced processing power. The newest CompactRIO has an Intel Dual Core Atom processor and that gives our customers an integrated GPU – they don’t need a separate HMI sub-system. They can put the HMI task in the realtime controller itself and all they need to do is get a monitor, plug it in directly to the CompactRIO and there you go.

This minimises the development time. We have added a Linux operating system as the backbone. Linux has the advantage of being open, so customers familiar with Linux can go in and modify elements if they wish. Now we have augmented the community version with real-time

Once people understand the FPGAs more they are more open to it. Some think FPGAs are like the old smart phones where all they can do is talk. It’s not true, it has a microprocessor, it has the DSP and of course it has the FPGA capabilities. If did not know how to program an FPGA back then you could either go

We are continuing to open up our tools and our systems so customers can continue to use their existing expertise and existing skill set without having to learn something completely new. capabilities so it stays true to the realtime nature of CompactRIO. With the latest CompactRIO you no longer need LabVIEW on the realtime side. You can just use C or C++ and talk to the FPGA which is running LabVIEW and this is a big change. We are continuing to open up our tools and our systems so customers can continue to use their existing expertise, existing skill set without having to learn something completely new. Is there still some resistance in the market towards FPGAs?

34 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

out and hire some extremely expensive resource, or you have to learn the FPGAs. But now with system loaded tools like LabVIEW FPGA we’re truly democratising embedded system design where the user is able to program the FPGAs much easier. The application and domain experts are not hardcore embedded designers. They are a medical life sciences experts or a mechanical engineers and they’re able to quickly program an FPGA. We’ve seen an increase in the uptake but by no means is the market saturated. There are enough people out there who

we truly think will benefit from FPGAs and we will continue to educate them. What is the USP for NI’s System on Module? System on module (SOM) is a class of products that exist in the industry, it’s not something that NI defined. But on the other hand we have an SOM that we truly believe is differentiated. When developing an embedded project you are going to choose a processor and the peripherals that go with it. You’re not going to go out and design a processor, you’ll go go to AMD, are Intel. What you are really designing is your secret sauce and the IO that goes on it. We are basing the NI SOM on the LabVIEW RIO architecture which has been tried and tested in the market. Unlike other system on modules, it is supported by LabVIEW so you don’t have to write to your own processor or get an operating system. It comes with the NI Linux RT operating system and an FPGA that’s supported by LabVIEW so users can quickly get up and running and really focus on the critical, differentiating aspects that allow them to get to market faster. National Instruments (NI) www.ni.com

PACE_Awards_FP_2015.pdf

Page

25/11/14,

11:44:56

AEDT

Nominations are now open for the 2015 PACE Zenith Awards A total of 11 awards are up for grabs. The 12th Annual PACE Zenith Awards highlight innovation and excellence in Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s process control and automation industry. All finalists will receive free publicity in PACE and two free tickets to the gala dinner in Sydney where the winners will be announced.

For more information visit www.paceawards.com.au

PA1114_000_EME

2014-11-18T10:41:15+11:00

The computer platform I bought a few years ago is already obsolete. I need technology that will keep pace.

YOU CAN DO THAT DeltaV™ Virtual Studio makes it easier to keep your system current. Keeping your control system up-to-date can be tedious, time-consuming and expensive. With a workflow and feature set that is easy to understand, DeltaV Virtual Studio is uniquely designed for automation engineers. Use pre-built virtual machine templates to easily ensure accurate upgrades with minimum effort. Keep pace with the latest technology – easy. Find out more at: www.DeltaV.com/Virtualization.

DeltaV_AD_YCDT_Virtualization_297mmX235mm_Pace.indd 1

10/28/2014 6:53:34 AM