What’s New in Process Technology Aug 2014 by Westwick-Farrow Media

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0814

ON THE COVER

WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY AUGUST 2014

CONTENTS

Differential pressure (DP) measurement is widely used to measure level in pressurised and

nderstanding data storage U technologies

vacuum tanks. However, traditional DP measure-

New products

ownership. The problems often encountered with

Hot products online

Improving industrial wireless reliability with PRP

As I see it

anufacturing intelligence: establishing a connected M enterprise

ment using impulse lines and capillaries has its drawbacks in terms of accuracy and total cost of conventional DP systems that use impulse lines include clogging, icing, leaks and condensation. Even those DP systems that use oil-filled capillaries face issues in applications with changing ambient temperatures. Endress+Hauserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new electronic DP system consists of one transmitter with two sensors (with ceramic or metal cells). The transmitter calculates the differential pressure from both sensors and transmits the level, volume or mass via 4-20 mA/ HART as a standard 2-wire loop-powered device. The systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modular design ensures that repair costs and downtime are drastically reduced. Individual components can be replaced separately, significantly reducing maintenance costs and ensuring maximum plant availability. Furthermore, in addition to differential pressure and level, it is also possible to get the process pressure information as well as the sensor temperature via HART. This valuable information can not only help with maintenance but also improve safety, for example, by avoiding overpressure. The benefits of Endress+Hauserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new electronic DP system include greater reliability, accuracy and availability by eliminating traditional mechanical issues, greater safety and better cost-effectiveness, by lowering TCO through reduced installation time, maintenance, downtime and spare parts

NOW in DIGITAL! Your copy of What's New in Process Technology is now available as an online eMag.

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requirements.

Endress+Hauser Australia Pty Ltd www.au.endress.com

UNDERSTANDING

DATA STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES Jesse Chuang, Senior Software Manager

With the growing amounts of data being stored by industrial organisations today, understanding computer storage technologies is critical to ensuring the best-possible performance and reliability of access for the data stored on those systems.

4 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

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Storage system technology trends To define it simply, a storage system provides the data storage services for a host computing system and generally contains three major parts: • A storage medium to store digital data • A standard interface to connect to the computing system • A storage control unit to manage data transfer and disks Taking an enterprise-grade storage system as an example, the HDDs are the main components that store the digital data, and the significant evolution in recent years is that the transfer interface has been changed from the original parallel bus to a serial bus architecture. Now it seems that both SATA (serial advanced technology attachment) and SAS (serial attached SCSI) are the mainstream disk drive interfaces. Currently SAS-based HDDs are used for enterprise-based

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storage solutions but there are a growing number of enterprises that have started using hard drives with SATA interfaces to reduce implementation costs, since it comes at a lower price and performance has been continuously improving (up to 6 Gbps). In addition, the connecting interface serves as data access channel between the storage device and host, but different storage interfaces will affect the transmission speed and stability. Unlike the direct attached storage (DAS) system, which uses SAS to connect to the host computing system but within a limited distance (within 10 metres), a network attached storage (NAS) system, for example, is connected to computers over a network. As mentioned earlier, enterprises have primarily adopted the HDD as a storage medium. However, it uses a mechanical arm with a read/write head to move around and read information from the right location on a storage platter. Such mechanical movement can easily cause vibration issues and so the access performance of HDDs also cannot be significantly improved. Consequently, flash memory in the form of solid state disks (SSD) - without moving parts - have been welcomed by the market, due to the considerations of durability, speed and power consumption.

Common storage systems Using diverse control methods, a storage system is able to provide varied functions. There are four types of storage systems commonly in use, namely JBOD, RAID, NAS and SAN. The following describes these in detail. As the name implies, JBOD (just a bunch of disks) is an array of hard disks that are merely concatenated together and haven’t been configured with any kind of redundancy mechanism. Although it can only control multiple independent disks at the same time without advanced features, many companies are still willing to use it to expand storage space, since it provides a lot of storage capacity for a host by a single interface at a relatively lower cost compared with other system options. The second one is RAID (redundant array of independent disks). The basic idea is to combine a plurality of inexpensive drives into a disk array group, so that the performance achieved is even more than one expensive hard drive with huge

AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 5

ith the popularity of computers and networks, most enterprises and organisations require storage of databases, documents, files and other types of information. Since IBM introduced the first hard disk drive (HDD) in 1956, disk technology has made great progress and plays an essential role in today’s information technology world. For enterprise applications, HDDs are used with multiple-user computers running a variety of tasks such as transaction processing databases, computing software and storage management software. Due to fast-growing, data-intensive network services, the number and size of files has been growing at an exponential rate while at the same time information exchange has become more time critical. As a result, existing data storage systems face many challenges and HDDs must operate continuously in demanding environments as well as delivering the highest-possible performance without sacrificing reliability. Accordingly, choosing the appropriate storage system is an important key in establishing an effective and flexible fundamental storage architecture set-up. In this article, we will provide an overview of storage systems to help you understand the related concepts and knowledge so as to determine which solution will work best for your business.

Industrial data storage

USING THIN PROVISIONING, ENTERPRISES CAN MAXIMISE THE VALUE OF THEIR STORAGE INVESTMENT BECAUSE OF THE ON-DEMAND ALLOCATION OF BLOCKS OF DATA AGAINST THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF ALLOCATING ALL BLOCKS UP FRONT.

only the data that is changing. Additionally, if your server is running applications and has critical information that needs to be recovered quickly when a problem occurs, storage snapshot is a function that can provide speedy recovery.

Data deduplication

amounts of storage. For the host system, the array can be accessed by the operating system as one single drive. Depending on the selected level of redundancy, RAID can offer better benefits than single hard disk, such as enhanced fault tolerance and increased data processing efficiency. The different schemes or architectures are named by the word RAID followed by a number and the common levels are RAID-0/1/5/6/10/50/60. As previously described, NAS is a network-attached storage system and provides a cost-effective way to add hard disk space to a network. NAS is often connected to a host system via Ethernet, which is much cheaper than other interfaces and is a general connection interface in the enterprise network environment. Featuring networked and long-distance connections (compared with directly attached storage or DAS), the storage system and host system do not need to be placed in the same location, thus enhancing enterprise information security. Besides, the basic unit of storage on disk is different between DAS and NAS. The former is a block-level data transfer and the latter is file-level data sharing, so NAS is generally known as file-based storage. The last one is SAN (storage area network) and, similar to NAS, transfers data between servers and storage devices through a network. Based on the network environment, a user can store or back up all data to a storage system which is located at another building to ensure that disaster recovery can be done within minutes rather than hours or perhaps days, and a user can still access information if there are major problems, such as a fire or flood. In contrast to NAS, the host system regards SAN as a DAS system due to taking a block as a basic unit of storage. In other words, this block-based storage has the advantages of DAS and NAS in that it allows multiple host systems to use the storage space without file-based limitations. Until recently, most SAN systems used a fibre interface, but now Ethernet network interfaces for SANs have become increasingly popular due to their competitive price and the widespread use of Ethernet in enterprises and organisations. Ethernet-based SANs are often called ‘IP-

SAN’ since they use a network protocol that is based on IP (Internet Protocol).

The advanced features of SANs From the above description of many types of storage systems, you will find that SAN seems to be the best choice for organisations with rapidly increasing IT needs such as video surveillance, broadcasting, medical image processing, cloud computing and big data processing - to maximise the utilisation of storage equipment.

Thin provisioning One of benefits of installing a SAN is better disk utilisation through ‘thin provisioning’, which is a mechanism to provide a host with virtual capacity volumes and allows space to be easily allocated to servers, on a just-enough and just-in-time basis. Using thin provisioning, enterprises can maximise the value of their storage investment because of the on-demand allocation of blocks of data against the traditional method of allocating all blocks up front. For example, a user assumed that he may need 1 TB of storage space but only uses 100 GB of physical disk capacity right now - thin provisioning allows the system to create the virtualised disk space for the user and just incrementally add more physical disk capacity into the underlying storage pool when the user really needs it. Meanwhile, this great flexibility enables users to fully utilise the storage space more effectively rather than hundreds or thousands of partially utilised local disks wasting power and generating heat in the data centre.

Storage snapshots Unlike traditional full backups that may take a long time to complete, the ‘storage snapshot’ only takes a minimum of time since it uses a set of reference markers or pointers to data stored in a SAN. By implementing copy-on-write methodology on entire block devices and copying changed blocks to other storage, a storage snapshot can preserve a self-consistent past image of the block device and consumes less disk capacity because the storage required to create a snapshot is minimal, and holds

6 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

Data deduplication is a specialised data compression technique and works by eliminating duplicate data to ensure only one unique instance of the data is actually retained on physical disks. Since redundant data is replaced with a pointer to the unique data copy, this function can improve storage utilisation and can also be applied to network data transfers to reduce the number of bytes that must be sent. Combining deduplication with traditional compression can enable the size of the compressed file to be only one tenth of the original size; a system can save more storage space while keeping data integrity.

Scale-out storage In order to establish a flexible and highperformance storage system, scale-out storage Ethernet architecture is ideally suited to virtualisation, cloud, and big data environments by adding more nodes to a system horizontally. The scale-out storage differs conceptually from the older scale-up approach which just vertically added storage capacity to the same head end; moreover, the performance will be significantly decreased when the loading is too heavy. On the contrary, capacity, computing and network connectivity are scaled equally in the scale-out environment, so performance can remain linear even as more units are added. Secondly, the host can freely access any storage space and these nodes can communicate with each other as well.

Conclusion As businesses continue to grow and flourish, their storage systems need to be upgraded and the rise of emerging applications (such as cloud systems, video-on-demand services, high-definition image files, real-time and interactive data exchanges, etc) makes massive data management a serious problem. An industrial storage solution is preferable and applicable to enterprises, especially in non-consumer applications, to easily increase capacity with better performance and reliability and to maximise the storage management efficiency with effortless backup and maintenance while providing long-term investment protection for your company. Advantech Australia Pty Ltd www.advantech.net.au

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NEW PRODUCTS

HIGH-CURRENT CONNECTOR RANGE The Proconect 3PV/3PX high-current connector range is now available from NHP. Proconect 3PV/3PX plugs and sockets are available in either a screw ring (3PV) or push-pull connection (3PX) system where regular use or high vibration is expected. With current ratings starting at 160 A with a maximum of 660 A at 3.3 kV, the 3PV/3PX also features IP67/IK10 ingress and impact protection. Made with corrosion-proof tempered cast aluminium including stainless steel fastenings, the 3PV/3PX range provides a solution for arduous applications. A full range will be available and featured in NHP’s upcoming Plugs and Sockets catalogue, including appliance inlets, socket outlets, straight plugs, angled plugs and extension sockets; three-phase, earth and two pilot pins or three-phase, neutral, earth and two pilot pins; crimping or screw terminal style cable connection, suiting cable cross-section from 16-300 mm2; and a medium voltage range up to 11 kV available on request. NHP Electrical Engineering Products Pty Ltd www.nhp.com.au

LADDER DIAGRAM PROGRAMMING FOR SAFETY CONTROLLER

MOTOR SIMULATION CD-adapco has integrated the SPEED electric machine design tool with STAR-CCM+. STAR-CCM+ is a modelling tool for heat transfer, fluid dynamics, structural stresses, electric and magnetic fields, and aero-acoustics. CD-adapco purchased the SPEED electric machine suite of programs in June 2011. SPEED performs a 2D magnetic design using both analytical equations and finite element analysis links (using PC-FEA, a 2D FE solver) for electric motors, generators, alternators and other magnetic actuators. It also combines electronic drive models with the machine’s magnetic design. STAR-CCM+ takes the SPEED simulation results, converts their 2D model into a 3D model and models the machine’s thermal performance under a wide range of environmental conditions. STAR-CCM+ can also be used for the electromagnetic 2D calculations as the GoFER to PC-FEA will be available for STARCCM+ using the 2D magnetic FV solver. CD-adapco Australia www.cd-adapco.com.au

The Pilz PSS 4000 now supports Ladder Diagram programming in the PAS4000 software tool. Users can select three of the five programming languages from the International Standard IEC61131-3; Function block diagram, Instruction List and Ladder Diagram, providing a higher level of usability and flexibility. All the programming languages can be combined with the PASmulti editor to simplify the design of complex programs. The introduction of Ladder Diagram programming follows on from the release of Ethernet/IP connectivity in the previous release of PAS4000. The Pilz safety and standard control system can communicate with the common systems via ModbusTCP, Profibus-DP and Ethernet/IP natively, and utilising the additional gateway modules, CANopen and Ethercat. The safety controller is versatile enough to be either used as a combined standard and safety PLC or as a stand-alone safety PLC. The safety controller has been implemented in solutions for mining, manufacturing, railway, bridge control, cable cars, oil platforms, hospitals, building fire protection and amusement rides. Pilz Australia Industrial Automation LP www.pilz.com.au

8 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

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PGV

Beamex PG pressure generators

0...-0.95 bar 0...-13.7 psi

PGM 0...20 bar 0...300 psi

PGXH 0...700 bar 0...10 000 psi

PGPH -0.95...140 bar / -13.7...2000 psi

PGL -400...400 mbar / -160...160 iwc To complement our integrated calibration solutions we have extended our range of calibration pumps. With precision and performance in mind, interchangeable across our range of pressure calibrators ranging from -0.95 to 700 bar the Beamex PG range are a fast and reliable way to generate pressure.

www.beamex.com info@beamex.com

Unit 20, 51 Kalman drive Boronia VIC 3155, AUSTRALIA Phone: +61-3-9017 8225 E-mail: sales@ams-ic.com.au web: www.ams-ic.com.au

HOT PRODUCTS

ON WWW.PROCESSONLINE.COM.AU THIS MONTH

PRP redundancy modules enable paral-

lel network redundancy without switchover times and thereby increase the fault tolerance in energy networks. Phoenix Contact Pty Ltd http://bit.ly/WtNU4G

ETHERNET I/O MODULES

PRP REDUNDANCY MODULES

The XT1210 and XT1220 models provide an 8-channel interface for analog voltage or current input signals and support EtherNet/IP, Modbus/TCP and Profinet. Metromatics Pty Ltd http://bit.ly/1pPBfBu

ULTRASONIC FLOW METER The Series UFB has an easy-to-use compact and lightweight design and is intended for

homogeneous liquids that contain no air pockets. Dwyer Instruments (Aust) Pty Ltd http://bit.ly/1nZbwnp

PHOTOELECTRIC SENSORS The O6 type photoelectric sensors from ifm are now also available in a stable plastic housing

and feature reliable background interference suppression. ifm efector pty ltd http://bit.ly/1nZbqMO

10 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

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AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 11

NEW PRODUCTS

ELBOW FLOW CONDITIONERS Wastewater treatment engineers who can’t find room for the recommended straight pipe run needed by electromagnetic flow meters in sewage lift stations will find the Vortab Elbow Flow Conditioner from The Vortab Company eliminates the problem by removing swirl and asymmetric velocity profiles caused by pumps placed too close to the meter. The Vortab Company’s elbow flow conditioner eliminates the flow meter upstream piping requirements by conditioning the flow stream into a flow regime, mimicking an adequate straight run. In addition to conditioning the flow stream, the 90° angle tab-type Vortab Elbow Flow Conditioner eliminates the pipe cost and technician labour. The Vortab Elbow was developed using the same tab-type flow conditioning technology as the straight run Vortab flow conditioners. It isolates the flow irregularities and conditions the flow stream into a swirl-free and symmetrical velocity profile. Swirl reduction and velocity profile correction occur naturally in long lengths of straight pipe due to diffusion and turbulent mixing. Vortab’s anti-swirl and inclined vortex generating profile correction tabs, projecting from the inside pipe surface, generate vortices that accelerate these natural pipe effects to create a uniform, non-swirling, symmetrical flow profile in a much shorter section of pipe. Vortab flow conditioners can be made from carbon steel, 316L stainless steel or Hastelloy C-276. A variety of process connections are also available - ANSI flanges, male NPT threads, butt welded preps or retaining wafers. AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Pty Ltd www.ams-ic.com.au

ULTRA-HEAVY-DUTY BAG FILLING SYSTEM Flexicon’s latest ultra-heavy-duty bulk bag filling system palletises and fills bulk bags with filter cake, aggregates, metal powders, abrasive minerals, dry chemical additives and other difficult-to-handle bulk materials. The system integrates a Swing-Down bulk bag filler with a Flexicon pallet dispenser and powered chain conveyor, allowing safe, high-capacity filling of bulk bags of all popular sizes, including bags with wide-diameter spouts for passage of irregular materials. When a filling cycle is initiated by push-button or contact closure, pallet dispenser forks lower the stack of pallets onto the chain conveyor, withdraw from the bottom pallet and raise the remaining pallets, allowing the conveyor equipped with photoelectric sensors to move the dispensed pallet into position below the filling station. The bag connection frame of the Swing-Down fill head lowers and then pivots to a vertical position, allowing an operator at floor level to safely and quickly attach bag straps to automated latches, slide the bag spout over a wide-diameter inflatable spout seal and press a spout seal inflation button. The system then automatically pivots the bag connection frame back to horizontal, raises the entire fill head, inflates the bag to remove creases, fills the bag at a high rate, finishes filling accurately at trickle feed rate, deflates the spout seal, releases the bag loops, raises the fill head to disengage the spout, rolls the bag out of the filling area and rolls a new pallet into place to begin another cycle. Flexicon Corporation (Australia) Pty Limited www.flexicon.com.au

12 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

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Another I/O change? Great. So another wiring schedule. Another marshalling design. And another cabinet... Just make it all go away!

YOU CAN DO THAT Electronic marshalling eliminates the rework, the redesign and the headaches. With DeltaV Electronic Marshalling, Emerson lets you make I/O changes where and when you need them without costly engineering and schedule delays. Our new DeltaV CHARacterization Module (CHARM) completely eliminates the cross-wiring from the marshalling panel to the I/O card–regardless of signal type–so you’re no longer held to predefined specifications. All those wires, gone. All that time and engineering, gone. See how easy it can be by scanning the code below or by visiting IOonDemandCalculator.com

CASE STUDY

Loy Yang mitigates beater wheel fires wirelessly The Loy Yang B power station is a large, brown-coal-fired power station located in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley. Loy Yang B has two units with a capacity of 1050 MW and is Victoria’s newest and most efficient brown coal-fired power station, generating around 17% of Victoria's energy needs. It is owned by GDF SUEZ Australian Energy (70%) and Mitsui & Co (30%). In 1995, Loy Yang B was the world’s first coal-fired power station to gain quality accreditation to ISO 9001 and the first Australian power station to gain environmental accreditation to ISO 14001. Loy Yang B employs up to 152 full-time staff and another 40 contractors. Loy Yang B is supplied 24 hours a day with raw brown coal from its adjacent mine. Four giant bucketwheel excavators, called dredgers, operate 24 hours a day in the Loy Yang open cut mine, feeding coal directly to the power station silos via a conveyor belt. The incoming coal is fed from the silos to the coal milling plant where it is partially dried by flue gas from the boilers before being fed into the beater wheel to be pulverised and dried before it enters the boiler furnace space. The beater wheel breaks down the coal into fine dust particles the size of talcum powder, which are then blown into the partial-separation firing boiler to fuel the furnace fire. The beater wheel stands three metres high, weighs 28 tonnes, spins at approximately 490 revolutions per minute within the mill, and operates in temperatures around 320-400°C. Under certain operating conditions, a localised fire can occur near the face of the beater wheel which can result in costly downtime and repairs. A decision to install temperature-monitoring equipment near the face of the beater wheel was taken by engineering staff. They needed to monitor the beater wheel temperature, get that data into their existing monitoring system, and prevent localised fires on the beater wheel. Because of the severe operating conditions and the difficult installation location, a wireless system was deemed the only method capable of achieving a reliable and suitably flexible solution. After an in-depth investigation and a review of available technologies by engineering staff, the IECex-rated Oleumtech wireless battery-powered sensors and wireless gateway I/O products were selected. These products were supplied by Automation Group, a group of companies that specialises in providing electrical and automation products, support and technical services to the utility, mining and energy sectors as well as contractors and integrators. An embedded thermocouple device was installed near the face of the beater wheel. This was connected directly to the Oleumtech

14 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

TC-1 thermocouple wireless sensor which is a self-contained, battery-powered temperature measurement solution. The TC-1 Thermocouple sensor is made especially for remote, rugged environments without access to mains power, and where solar is not an option, and can be operated in a hazardous environment with or without the enclosure and without the risk or fear of causing an explosion. It is therefore particularly suitable for monitoring flares, kilns, gas turbines and other hot industrial processes. The Oleumtech TC-1 wireless sensors transmit data about the temperature that the beater wheel is exposed to. It also transmits the sensor’s battery voltage and wireless strength (RSSI) data to an Oleumtech DH-2 wireless gateway installed at the engineering office. The DH-2 gateway then connects to an existing DCS via RS232/485 Modbus. “With the required temperature data being fed directly from the face of beater wheel to the DCS system, it is expected that downtime and repairs due to unforeseen temperature levels will be kept to a minimum - if not totally eliminated,” said Oleumtech Product Specialist at Automation Group Graeme Lane. Future system expansion and the addition of other types of battery-powered wireless sensors and wireless I/O into the existing network will be easy using the Oleumtech wireless system. This is because the Oleumtech wireless system can operate point to point and point to multipoint, as well as peer to peer using multiple gateways to interface to other existing PLCs, RTUs, or DCS anywhere around the plant. This could include not only the addition of more thermocouples, but also sensors for air temperature, pressure, levels, flows, RTDs and cathodic protection. Automation Group www.automationgroup.com.au

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*All prices are subject to change, orders will be accepted at the pricing ruling at the time of acceptance of orders and do not include GST.

NEW PRODUCTS

EMBEDDED AUTOMATION COMPUTER The UNO-2362G embedded automation computer offers an AMD G-series

ZIGBEE DEVICES RANGE

dual core processor, daisy

ICP Electronics Australia has released a range of ZigBee products manufactured by ICP DAS for industrial automation and control environments. ZigBee is a specification based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard for wireless personal area networks (WPANs). ZigBee operates in the ISM radio bands, and it defines a general-purpose, inexpensive, self-organising, mesh network for industrial control, embedded sensing, medical data collection, smoke and intruder warning, building automation and home automation. The family of product includes analog I/O, temperature sensors, digital I/O, multifunction I/O, ZigBee sniffers, repeaters and converters (RS232/485, Ethernet and USB to ZigBee). All models feature -25 to +75°C operation, ESD/EFT protection, 10-30 VDC wide-range power supply, dual watchdog timer, Windows GUI configuration software, and are DIN rail mountable.

chain network capabilities as well as Advantech’s iDoor technology. The daisy chain technology allows users to connect to, and configure, multiple Advantech ADAM modules to create star networks without the need to use a network switch. Advantech’s iDoor technology is a new modular way of adding functions to the UNO-2362G. Modules for the iDoor system include fieldbus protocols such as Profinet, EtherCAT and Powerlink. Also available are expansion and storage; digital and analog I/O; WAN, MAN, and LAN communications with Wi-FI, GPS, GPRS, and LTE; as well as ancillary modules such as temperature, brightness, smart meters and others. The UNO-2362G has enhanced 3D graphical performance with an AMD G-series T40E dual core processor, 2 GB DDR3 RAM (upgradeable to 4 GB RAM) and an AMD Radeon HD6250 GPU which supports H.264, VC-1, MPEG2, WMV and DivX. There are also two display outputs (DisplayPort and HDMI) which can run two monitors, four USB 2.0 ports, one mini-PCI socket and two Gigabit LAN ports. The UNO-2362G supports WebAccess 7.2 management software

ICP Electronics Australia Pty Ltd

with IPV6 support, SUSIAccess and Advantech DiagAnywhere software

www.icp-australia.com.au

applications. Advantech Australia Pty Ltd

Sensor Monitoring Services

Industrial Control ZigSense cloud controller is an

Energy Metering

Refrigeration

Tank & Silo Level

HVAC Cold Storage Building Automation Water Metering

out-of -the-box solution ready to operate independently or as an interface station between remote ZigSense wireless sensors and ZigCloud online monitoring services sites. Users gain access to live or historic data generated by the monitored process. ZigCloud enables the user to define online: Alarms, Reports, Graphs and Charts. Users receive alert messages and reports via email, SMS or voice. Interface to other devices is Modbus ready.

Gas Monitoring Pollution

www.advantech.net.au

OPC SERVER FOR ALLEN BRADLEY The Allen Bradley OPC Server from MatrikonOPC enables OPC access to PLC5, SLC500, Micrologix and ControlLogix PLCs. It is

Horticulture

designed for those users that are integrating their Allen Bradley

Aquaculture

PLCs with historians, HMIs and other OPC-enabled applications or devices without the need for any third-party applications. This Allen Bradley OPC Server securely communicates over Ethernet, serial and ‘Blue Hose’ using many Allen Bradley protocols such as DF1, DH+, DH485 and EtherNet/IP. Unlike other Allen Bradley-to-OPC interfaces, the MatrikonOPC Server for Allen Bradley can grant and deny access to tags based on user login. It enables a secure access to control and automation systems and opens new connectivity possibilities to other parties. The OPC Server for Allen Bradley PLCs includes a number of time-saving features such as: automatic detection of PLC configuration changes; loading of device configuration files .l5k, .pc5 and .slc; bit writes through OPC tags; automatic device discovery; support for user-defined structures in ControlLogix PLCs; automatic tag generation for each device; and automatic serial port configuration. A wide range of analog, digital and specialty I/O modules is

ZigSense and ZigCloud are business units of Conlab Pty Ltd 13/1020 Doncaster Road, Doncaster East, Victoria 3109 Australia Ph: +61 3 9842 7711 Fax: +61 3 9842 7511 www.zigsense.com.au Email: info@zigsense.com.au

available, and the OPC Server supports device-level redundancy through fail-over channels. MatrikonOPC www.matrikonopc.com

16 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

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NEW PRODUCTS

SHOCK DATA LOGGER The MSR165 shock and vibration data logger fromMSR Electronics features 1600 shock measurements per second in all three axes, the capacity to store over 1 billion measured values and the ability to add additional temperature, humidity, pressure and light sensors. Following the recent enhancement of the MSR165 memory capacity (2 million measured values by default, 1 billion measured values with a microSD card) as well as improved software for capturing and evaluating the recorded data, the data logger now has an increased working range and longer life battery. While it was previously possible to monitor shocks up to Âą15 g, this has been increased to Âą200 g. This extended working range is beneficial for recording applications where very large forces occur suddenly. High transient shocks can occur during transportation monitoring of delicate goods, industrial drop and impact testing and in aerospace applications. With its digital 3-axis acceleration sensor, the device can detect any unplanned events. The 3-axis acceleration sensor starts recording data either when an acceleration threshold is exceeded or at a set time. Thirty-two measured values are recorded even before the shock event takes place, in order to ensure that the history of the shock can be examined during g-force analysis. The device has low power requirements and with its rechargeable 800 mAh lithium-polymer battery, the unit can record shock measurements for a period of up to six months by default, or longer with additional battery and charging options. Interworld Electronics and Computer Industries www.ieci.com.au

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AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 17

CASE STUDY

Anti-collision systems ensure safe container-terminal operations Container terminals operate on a 24/7 basis, so the demand on availability is extremely high. Collisions involving the boom of ship-to-shore cranes and the ships themselves pose the greatest risk in daily operations. In order to offer its customers uninterrupted operations, DP World - one of the leading container-handling companies - has decided to equip the expansion of its Jebel Ali facility in Dubai with anti-collision systems from Sick. Jebel Ali has been voted ‘Best Seaport in the Middle East’ for 19 consecutive years and is just one example of DP World’s high level of service. The new Terminal 3 in Jebel Ali is to become yet another benchmark for safe and efficient operation. Collisions involving the boom of ship-to-shore cranes and the ships themselves pose the greatest risk in daily operations. Accidents of this type account for 31% of the costs of quay crane insurance claims; they are the single largest cost item in this area. Collisions of cranes with other cranes and other equipment occur almost as frequently. In addition to the immediate damage - including damage to customers’ property such as the ship or its load collisions may also result in extended downtime of cranes and other port equipment. Quay Cranes in Terminals 1 and 2 are today already equipped with Sick technology. All 69 cranes in the new Terminal 3 will be equipped with new Sick AOS systems for boom-collision prevention on the STS cranes and pathway-collision prevention on all the cranes. In order to maximise efficiency, the Jebel Ali facility will also use LMS511 2D laser scanners for truck/vehicle positioning and POMUX KH53 linear encoders from Sick for automated and precise positioning of the trolleys. The AOS system uses cutting-edge LMS511 and LMS111 laser scanners. These sensors feature high-speed sampling technology and support the evaluation of multiple echoes of a single pulse. This drastically increases the accuracy and reliability of the data

18 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

and allows the units to be used 24/7 in virtually any weather conditions - for example, dust in Jebel Ali or fog, rain or snow at ports elsewhere. LMS511 and LMS111 can evaluate multiple fields, all at the same time. The AOS system comes with pre-configured fields for warning, deceleration and stop and can be adapted to customer requirements. Evaluation features include blanking of objects, reference contours, defined pixel patterns, etc. Fields can change dynamically, depending on the status of the inputs. With Flexi Soft, the AOS systems use a high-performance, modular safety controller. This allows for easy integration into the control architecture of the complete system. The controller features sophisticated, unique selftesting functions to check at any time the availability of the system regarding all configured field sets and installation position. However, outstanding technology was not the only reason for DP World to opt for Sick. Sick was able to readily respond to DP World’s requirements for a complete solution with all applicable sensor technologies, not just for individual sensors. As a global organisation, Sick is also represented in many countries. Experts from Sick based in Dubai, Sweden, China and Germany successfully liaised with DP World, the system integrator from Sweden and the main manufacturers from China and Abu Dhabi. Nabil Qayed, Director, Technical Department, DP World UAE Region, said: “24/7 availability is paramount in container-terminal operations. The anti-collision solutions from Sick play a key role in our new Jebel Ali terminal to ensure this availability and will help us to achieve new standards in efficiency and competitiveness for our customers.” Sick Pty Ltd www.sick.com.au

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INSTRUMENTATION+SENSORS PRODUCTS

WIRELESSHART TEMPERATURE SOLUTION The THZ WirelessHART temperature solution combines the Moore Industries THZ Smart HART temperature transmitter and the Bullet WirelessHART adapter by MACTek into one reliable self-powered package. The updated WL housing includes a battery case using off-the-shelf D-type lithium batteries wired to the transmitter and the Bullet. This means that the package can be installed without the need for potentially expensive signal wiring or additional power. This saves on long-term maintenance and repair costs associated with wiring, along with eliminating the need to stock or purchase special batteries. It also reduces replacement battery costs by cycling the THZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power and taking periodic readings to optimise the balance between power needs and wireless communication update rates. This and other features allow the lithium batteries to last up to five years. The THZ WirelessHART assembly allows the THZ to transmit critical temperature and HART diagnostic information to a WirelessHART gateway in situations where power is not readily available. Examples of this include a remote pumping station or monitoring locations where access to power is limited. By using the THZ WirelessHART solution, engineers can take full advantage of critical temperature readings and HART diagnostics without needing solar panels or other power sources. The solution also features 20-bit input resolution and long-term stability specifications, with up to five years of service between scheduled calibrations. The Bullet prevents the loss of critical temperature readings by monitoring the battery voltage and setting a HART alarm bit when it nears critical levels. Moore Industries Pacific Inc www.miinet.com

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AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 19

INSTRUMENTATION+SENSORS PRODUCTS

PHOTOELECTRIC SENSORS Balluff has released a new generation of photoelectric sensors in the BOS 6K series. With small dimensions (31.5 x 19.5 x 10.8 mm) they are suitable for use in tight spaces in compact machines. Its 70 variants provide a functional product range that features both red light and laser versions (class 1), as well as high precision, range and functionality. Diffuse sensors, through-beam sensors, reflection light sensors with and without background suppression and analog distance sensors, each with the flexibility to be configured for light/dark switching, are available. All of the sensors have a tough and durable plastic housing with abrasionresistant laser inscription. A special design element protects the optics from the side. Due to its IP67 and IP69K degrees of protection, and a lens surface with PMMA and Ecolab approval, the BOS 6K is suitable for use in the food industry. All of the variants feature high-quality teach buttons with tactile feedback. If the installed sensor is difficult to access, they can also be taught the interesting aspect using a remote connection. The sensor functions can also be configured during ongoing operation. Two LEDs easily visible from any direction properly provide information at a glance. They indicate the operating state, the function reserves and the switching state. Durable metal plugs ensure there are no outages under high mechanical loads. Balluff-Leuze Pty Ltd www.balluff.com.au

20 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

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270x88mm HACH PACIFIC_ProcTech_Turbs:layout

6/24/14

INSTRUMENTATION+SENSORS PRODUCTS

INDUCTIVE PROXIMITY SENSORS

MEASURE TURBIDITY WITH CONFIDENCE.

The Allen-Bradley 871P VersaCube inductive proximity sensors are 4-wire DC sensors that integrate both standard and specialty features into a redesigned 40 mm rectangular housing suitable for a wide range of general-purpose and welding applications. The VesaCube offers Factor 1 sensing; high IP67, IP68 and IP69K ratings; extended sensing ranges; weld field immunity; slag resistance; complementary outputs; and high-visibility LEDs in the one package. The VersaCube offers extended range, complementary (NO and NC) outputs and equal sensing distance for all metals. The VersaCube also features a high-visibility status indicator that can be seen from a long distance at 360°.

Hach has a wide range of turbidimeters that can be suitable for any application. • Raw Water

For demanding applications, the 871P VersaCube can be ordered with ToughCoat, a weld slagresistant coating on the sensing face. ToughCoat prevents the adhesion and accumulation of weld spatter, as well as the associated problems - including physical damage or ‘burn-through’ to the internal components. The result is a sensor that lasts considerably longer than its standard weld field immune counterparts.

• Filtered Water • Filter Optimization • Membrane Compliance Contact us to find out which turbidimeter is suitable for your application.

Featuring reverse polarity, short circuit, false pulse noise and overlay protections, the 871P weld field immune (WFI) VersaCube models provide a costeffective solution for a range of general-purpose, welding and hygienic applications.

AU: 1300 887 735 | hachpacific.com.au NZ: 0800 50 55 66 | hachpacific.co.nz

Additional capabilities include an enhanced feature set with increased performance, adding mounting features and options for new and drop-in retrofit applications and easy viewing with large indicators for status and diagnostics. Rockwell Automation Australia www.rockwellautomation.com.au

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AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 21

6:56 AM

INSTRUMENTATION+SENSORS PRODUCTS

GAS CHROMATOGRAPH The Danalyzer 370XA gas chromatograph (GC) from Rosemount is designed for continuous online analysis of natural gas for applications such as custody transfer, power generation, and burner fuel/air ratio control. The device provides a C6+ analysis similar to legacy Danalyzer GCs in a much smaller and simpler form. An advantage of the device is the Maintainable Module, which incorporates the analytical components in an easily removable module. The module can be replaced in the field in approximately two hours (including warm-up and purge), and can be maintained at the component level for cost-effective repair. Easy-to-use software assistants on the full-colour LCD local operator interface reduce the need for specialised training by providing a step-by-step walk-through of common operational and maintenance functions such as changing calibration gas, auto-valve timing and module replacement. The device can be pole mounted, wall mounted or floor mounted. No shelter is required for most environments. Emerson Process Management www.ap.emersonprocess.com

DIGITAL SF6 TRANSMITTER The WIKA GDxx-20 digital SF6 transmitter series is able to determine the relative humidity (dewpoint), the pressure, temperature and density of SF6 gas and SF6 gas mixtures with enhanced precision in a wide measuring range. Full transparency of SF6 gas status helps utilities to boost security and efficiency. The streamlined design with only one process and one cable connection makes for easy implementation into new or existing switchgear possible. Digital Modbus enables state-of-the-art communications, ready for smart monitoring environments, as well as minimising programming and wiring costs. Up to 247 transmitters can be connected on one bus system. SF6 gas online monitoring maximises equipment availability, enabling a predictive reliability-centred maintenance strategy. WIKA Australia www.wika.com.au

22 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

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INSTRUMENTATION+SENSORS PRODUCTS

ACCOUSTIC DENSITY INTERFACE LEVEL TRANSMITTER FloLevel Technologies has launched a self-cleaning acoustic density interface transmitter for mining and applications that suffer from build-up issues. This technology accurately measures most liquid/slurry solutions where an interface of up to two densities exists, that need to be monitored continuously. The level interface transmitter tracks liquid-to-liquid interface, liquid-to-paste interface and liquid-to-granular interface. It is a high-powered ultrasonic self-cleaning transmitter that is not affected by changes in the conductivity and dielectric of the solution. The pulse amplitude is great enough to cause a phenomenon called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;rarefactionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, which causes cavitation to be produced from the array transducer diaphragms as they pulse. The cavitation bubbles oscillate in front of the diaphragm, which cause implosions that generate high energy levels, removing scale and other build-up problems. The FloLevel system is easy to install from the top of the tank and is easy to calibrate. It comes with an adjustable 316SS bracket, with flange mounting options and a colour display controller mounted in a stainless steel enclosure. It can measure the density interface, with a maximum control range of 6400 mm and resolution accuracy options available are 15 and 25 mm. Various output capability options are available, such as three 4-20 mA ports, Modbus, ProfiBus, Foundation FieldBus, DeviceNet and Ethernet. The FloLevel Array is suitable for all mineral slurry applications. FloLevel Technologies Pty Ltd www.flo-level.com Projekt1 18.07.14 09:06 Seite 1

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AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 23

INSTRUMENTATION+SENSORS PRODUCTS

SEDIMENTATION PROFILE INSTRUMENT The Krohne OPTISYS SLM 2100 is an optical measuring system for sedimentation profile measurement and continuous tracking of sludge blanket. It allows for reliable tracking of sedimentation layers in industrial and municipal applications, such as sedimentation basins in power plants, and water plants, as well as sludge blanket measurement in clarifiers and sludge thickeners in sewage treatment plants. OPTISYS SLM 2100 is the successor of the OPTISENS OAM 2080 sludge blanket measuring system, but has been completely re-engineered to extend its area of application to sedimentation processes. It uses an optical suspended solids sensor, which is submerged into the basin. Unlike ultrasonic-based sludge level meters, the optical measuring principle is not subject to echo returns from walls or separating zones as well as signal damping by fluff or floating sludge. The SLM 2100 offers three measuring modes: measurement of sedimentation profile, two-zone monitoring and zone-tracking. For sedimentation profile measurement, the system directly measures the suspended solids concentration at all heights as the sensor travels through all layers of the medium. The two-zone monitoring feature enables the monitoring of the heights of two predefined concentrations. It can be used to prevent sludge washout into the next stage. The SLM 2100 has two 4-20 mA outputs that communicate height and concentration according to the selected measuring mode. Inputs include a rake guard switch that protects the sensor from being caught by the rake. Also maintenance mode and interim measurements can be started remotely via digital inputs. Krohne Australia www.krohne.com

THREE FOR ANY EVENTUALITY VEGABAR series 80

Fast track to the right pressure transmitter The new VEGABAR series 80 is a testament to VEGA’s innovative strength. Three sensor variants cover measuring ranges from 25 mbar to 1,000 bar and process temperatures from -90 to +400 °C. VEGA has completely re-engineered their VEGABAR pressure transmitter family as well simplifying them down to just three innovative model ranges.

overload resistant ceramic-capacitive CERTEC® measuring cell, and it boasts some new and extraordinary innovations. Its sensitivity to condensation has been virtually eliminated, also its sensitivity to sudden temperature change.

The three transmitter variants can solve practically any process pressure application. VEGABAR 82 is the all-rounder, with its ceramic measuring cell, covering 60 to 70% of all applications. If high temperature and chemical resistance is required, the VEGABAR 81 with a chemical seal assembly is the first choice. For very high pressures the VEGABAR 83 (with its metallic measuring cell) is recommended.

The CERTEC® cell from VEGA is the only ceramic measuring cell that is almost impervious to temperature shocks; a patent has already been applied for on this world first.

The versatile VEGABAR 82 features the proprietary, oil-free, high abrasion and

The VEGABAR 80 series can be quickly and easily combined into an electronic differential pressure system. Compared to conventional, electronic differential pressure measurement is often cheaper and much easier to handle. VEGA is the only supplier that offers this solution with ceramic pressure transmitters.

VEGA Australia Pty Ltd Freecall: 1800 817 135 Email: info.au@vega.com www.vega.com/au/

24 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

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INSTRUMENTATION+SENSORS PRODUCTS

CYLINDRICAL PHOTOELECTRIC SENSORS The GR18 range of cylindrical photoelectric sensors covers a wide range of applications. With their seven different housing types, they are suited to both space-saving and flexible-mounting solutions. The cylindrical photoelectric sensors in the cylindrical M18 housing are available in both a short-length version (GR18S) and a standard-length version (GR18). There are seven different housing designs, and plastic or metal versions with straight or right-angle optics, with IP67 enclosure ratings. There is also a special fully flush metal variant in the G18S range. Installation and precise detection are aided by a highly visible PinPoint LED, and a highly visible signal indicator LED, along with a no-bracket M18 hole mounting option which saves maintenance and commissioning time. Sick Pty Ltd www.sick.com.au

ELECTRONIC PRESSURE TRANSMITTERS WITH FLUSH MEMBRANE HYDAC’s electronic pressure transmitter types HDA 4000 and HDA 7000 as well as the electronic pressure switch type EDS 3000 are available with a flush membrane. The flush membrane version has been developed especially for applications in which a standard pressure connection could become blocked, clogged or frozen by the particular medium used. Additional applications include processes where the medium changes regularly and any residues could cause mixing or contamination of the media. Clogging and gumming-up of the pressure port is thus reliably prevented and even with difficult process media, the susceptibility to failure is reduced. Sensors with fluid port connections generally used in the relevant field of applications are available. Furthermore, connection variants with a cooling body designed for special applications, also standard applications, with high fluid temperature up to 150°C have been developed. Product benefits include: accuracy ≤ ±1.0% FS max; analog and switching outputs, most commonly used mechanical connection variants, fluid temperature up to 150°C possible using devices with cooling body; ATEX and IECEx approval possible depending on the model type. HYDAC International www.hydac.com.au

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AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 25

IMPROVING

INDUSTRIAL WIRELESS RELIABILITY WITH PRP Dr Tobias Heer, Head of Embedded Software Development

The robustness, reliability and availability of wireless connections can be increased dramatically by using standards-based redundancy techniques.

ireless solutions are often thought to be tainted by susceptibility to interference and lack of reliability. Despite recent technical improvements, wireless transmission technology still elicits concern when mission-critical processes have to be controlled or monitored via WLAN connections. However, by using standards-based redundancy techniques, such as Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP), concerns about reliability and availability can be greatly alleviated. This article describes the basic technical principles, requirements and application scenarios for the application of PRP in WLAN networks. Regardless of industry concerns, wireless LANs have become an enabler for many of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s communication applications in industry. WLAN is an excellent solution whenever using cables would be too heavy, unreliable (wear and tear), costly or simply impossible due to moving parts and vehicles. In addition, the use of wireless on the production floor enables a completely new approach for planning and executing production processes (Industry 4.0). The ongoing technical advances and much wider acceptance of wireless solutions in recent years is also fostering increasingly challenging and highly sophisticated application scenarios. Yet the reliability and quality of service of wireless connections can cause concern for applications with strict reliability and latency requirements.

26 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

Examples of such critical or sensitive applications include controlling production workflows or video systems with safety tasks, such as the monitoring of hazardous locations in a plant or monitoring the interior of passenger rail cars. Network interruptions can quickly lead to serious problems and consequently high follow-on costs.

PRP - packet redundancy To counter network disruptions in wired industrial Ethernet networks, redundancy techniques have been established to ensure that the network continues to operate smoothly even if individual connections fail. These redundancy techniques can also be used in wireless networks in order to significantly increase the reliability and robustness of the connections. One key example is standardised Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP). IEC62439 PRP is used increasingly in wired environments to enable seamless redundancy or loss-free switching in the event of failure in a network path or a device. To achieve this, data packets are duplicated and transmitted in parallel across two different and independent network paths. Before the duplicated packets are delivered beyond these network paths, the parallel streams are merged and duplicate packets are removed. If a single path fails, packets from the other path will be used. The application relying on this network can therefore continue to

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Network redundancy

2. Decreased latency, since the faster of the two duplicated packets is always forwarded. 3. Reduced transit time fluctuations (jitter); and long delays, caused by an occupied medium or by network layer retransmissions, are reduced because fluctuations only appear if both packets arrive late.

Figure 1: PRP over two WLAN transmission paths - the redundant transmission compensates for packet losses and counterbalances load and interference-related transit time differences.

Benefits in practice

work without failure despite serious disruptions in the network. (Figure 1 shows PRP in operation in a wireless scenario.) PRP can also be used in a wireless environment, although the impact manifests itself in a completely different and even more beneficial way from in a wired scenario. This is because parallel redundancy can be used not only for total network disruptions, but also to compensate for the inherent small- scale disruptions (such as interference) in a wireless network. When PRP transmits packets simultaneously on two different wireless transmission paths (Figure 3), the effects of individual path packet losses can be eliminated; a transmission fault or receive error on a path only becomes visible if both paths fail simultaneously for the exact same packet. In other words, uncorrelated packet losses are never seen by applications employing PRP techniques. Although the mechanisms used by PRP are the same in both wireless and wired scenarios (packet duplication and elimination), the effect achieved is more dramatic for wireless. While use of the PRP allows a seamless switchover between two networks in both a wired and wireless scenario, its use in a wireless scenario immediately offers a number of additional advantages: 1. Compensation for individual packet losses in case of temporary disturbances, such as interference caused by other radio systems, increasing reliability dramatically.

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The benefits of deploying standards-based PRP can be demonstrated using a simple example: assuming the loss rate is identical on both paths and is approximately 0.1%, the loss rate (or loss probability) for the overall PRP system would be just 0.0001% (0.001 x 0.001 = 0.000001) - an improvement by a factor 1000. This calculation assumes that losses are evenly distributed and are not correlated. To achieve this in practice, it is necessary to ensure there are no influencing factors that would impact both radio channels equally, a best practice in building reliability. A key example of this diversity is operating both paths in different frequency bands. As a result, a competing radio transmission or other environmental influences cannot affect both paths at the same time. Other factors that cause correlated losses and reduce the uniformity of the loss distribution should also be minimised. For example, permanent overloading of a connection can cause sequences of packets to be dropped, which drives up the loss rates for this connection and therefore significantly worsens the combined loss rate at the same time. These dramatic improvements can also be achieved in reality. In practical tests, the perceptible packet loss for the application with the PRP was reduced from 0.105% and 0.101% for the individual connections to 0.00021% using a parallel redundant PRP connection - an approximately 500-fold improvement. Another positive effect of the use of PRP is that the network latency and transit time differences - jitter - decrease significantly in the network. A reduction in the average latency from 3.1 or 2.8 ms to 1.7 ms can be observed in practice in the above example. The jitter value likewise falls from 0.45 to 0.23 ms. The reason for the improvement in these metrics is that the faster of the two packets transmitted across the wireless links is always forwarded with the PRP. Outlier packets with long transmission times, as are known to occasionally occur with WLAN because of the shared medium and the non-deterministic channel access, can be largely eliminated in this way. Consequently, three of the most important quality indicators for a network (loss rate, jitter and transmission time) are improved significantly with PRP.

AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 27

Network redundancy

Figure 2: PRP over two WLAN transmission paths - improvements in average packet loss, jitter and latency can be dramatic.

The client can also establish the redundant connections to different access points along the route and roam from access point to access point with one of the two PRP connections remaining active at all times. Moreover, the resulting quality of the connection will always be as good or better than the best of the two connections, regardless of mobility effects (such as bad signal-to-noise ratio or fading) since the PRP algorithm automatically chooses the packets of the better link. This allows roaming interruptions and service degradation to be avoided with no switchovers. What is important in this scenario again is that PRP is not limited to the wireless channel, since various WLAN connections run over several access points connected to the network in different ways. Duplicate packets must be eliminated at a central point in the network, something that is only possible using a standardised and WLAN-independent method.

More about the PRP standard

Figure 3: PRP in a WLAN network comprising several access points and a client. Elimination is performed at a central location with a PRP-enabled switch.

Topologies and applications While PRP represents a significant improvement in the redundant protection of individual transmission paths as outlined above, the fact that it is not limited to pure wireless transmission makes the flexibility of this standardised solution all the more obvious when it comes to complex network structures. Even though proprietary WLAN redundancy solutions potentially offer enhanced transmission performance, such improvements are always focused on an individual transmission path. Standardised PRP on the other hand allows more complex scenarios to be realised with wired and wireless Ethernet connections, as well as mobile applications with roaming devices. In a scenario in which PRP is used over both a wired and a wireless transmission path, the wireless transmission path can therefore be used as a switchover-free backup connection for the wired path in the case of applications with difficult constraints (such as moving parts or high temperatures). Such a combination is not possible if proprietary WLAN redundancy solutions are used. Figure 3 shows the use of PRP in a mobile scenario: a dual-radio client (on a moving machine or a vehicle) travels along a path with several access points. The client can operate two connections at the same time, which means that the path can be protected with PRP.

28 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

Like other well-known redundancy protocols (such as STP and RSTP), PRP is a form of Layer 2 redundancy. In PRP, however, each PRP node has two interfaces with the same MAC address and IP address (at Layer 3) - which allows higher layer protocols to operate over PRP without modification. All the redundancy occurs at the Ethernet frame level. It therefore depends on hardware that supports such a configuration - such as the Hirschmann OpenBAT series of access points. Non-PRP nodes can be attached to one of the networks only, or can be attached to both through a special device known as a RedBox. The original standard IEC 62439-3 (2010) is sometimes referred to as PRP-0. More recently it was amended to align PRP with the High-availability Seamless Redundancy (HSR) protocol, which uses a ring topology instead of parallel networks. To achieve this, the original PRP was modified at the cost of a loss of compatibility with the PRP 2010 version. The revised standard IEC 62439-3 (2012), referred to as PRP-1, describes both HSR and PRP. Many technical details are now aligned with HSR, which eases the implementation of multiprotocol nodes. In particular, a redundant transition between HSR and PRP networks is now possible.

Conclusion As a standardised redundancy solution, PRP is ideally suited to dramatically improving reliability and the quality of service of wireless connections. In addition, PRP allows a variety of network topologies comprising wired and wireless connections to be protected. As a result, loss- and latency-sensitive applications can successfully be operated over wireless connections. Belden Australia Pty Ltd www.belden.com

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NEW PRODUCTS

MODULAR CONNECTORS Han High Temp is a product series that is based on HARTINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Han B and Han E series. High-quality materials with wide temperature ranges are used to produce connectors that are suited for a wide variety of applications. The connectors can withstand temperatures up to 200Â°C - so they can be used directly in machines and facilities that would otherwise require cumbersome and complex constructions. The electro-mechanical design process is optimised, so that machine parts which are exposed to high temperatures can be designed modularly. The work process is optimised since lower wiring complexity results in reduced maintenance costs. The basic structure of the Han High Temp connector consists of a bulkhead-mounted housing and a cable-side hood. The company says the aluminium die-cast hoods and housings feature a highly compressed surface with excellent non-stick properties. They also have a non-stick coating on the bulkhead-side seal which allows easy handling without significant sticking. The series also features rugged contact inserts - the LCP injectionmoulded insert delivers high temperature resistance coupled with mechanical stability. Temperature-resistant contacts, for either screw or crimp terminations, ensure reliable connections with minimal contact resistance even at extreme temperatures. HARTING Pty Ltd www.harting.com.hk

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AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 29

NEW PRODUCTS

HMI WITH INTEGRATED SOFT PLC The Pixsys TD240 is a HMI indicator and controller with integrated PLC â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;softâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; functions that has a 320 x 240 pixel TFT/LCD touch-screen front panel with a 256-colour display. The device is suitable for a variety of applications including general automation, control and measurement applications, the control and monitoring of general automated machinery, as a stand-alone controller, alarm monitor and logger for building automation systems, food processing, chiller monitoring and control, weighing systems, packaging and food processing machinery. The device allows an operator to visualise process data and images, indicate alarms, and perform data logging, as well as to display help messages and instructional text. All process variable set points are accessible and adjustable through the touch screen. Integral to the device is an onboard programmable mini PLC. It is configurable in the same ladder language as other DIN rail-mounted PLCs. The graphics are programmable in TdDesigner software in a drag-and-drop fashion. The memory card facility enables users to download firmware upgrades and pre-programmed changes to the device, speeding up the commissioning of the device on new installations, as well as upgrades or changes to existing installations. The device has four configurable analog inputs for all thermocouple types, RTDs, 0/4-20 mA and 0-10 VDC inputs, as well as 16 digital I/O ports. Outputs include 16 selectable as static 700 mA outputs, four analog 0-10 VDC outputs, two RS232/RS485 serial ports, with support for Modbus RTU master/slave. Heastern Industries www.heastern.com.au

30 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

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NEW

HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONTROLLER

PRODUCTS

The Axiocontrol AXC 3050 controller from Phoenix Contact is suitable for complex automation tasks due to the fast processing speed it offers. Functions like high-speed

NEPHELOMETER

counters and event tasks are integrated

Hach’s FilterTrak laser nephelometer can detect changes in turbidity as low as

directly into the controller. This enables short

0.0005 NTU. The high resolution is made possible by advanced laser optics and

response times without the need for special

signal processing, allowing the instrument to detect increased concentrations of

I/O modules. The rugged, EMC-resistant

submicron-sized particles that are a precursor to larger particles. This allows for

housing opens up new possibilities for use

early filter deterioration detection that meets or exceeds that of particle counters.

in harsh industrial environments.

Operators can detect impending filter breakthrough, delineate filter ripening and

To set up local stations, the Axioline F

maximise effective filter run time.

I/O system modules can be installed in

Applications include recycled water

the modular controller as required. The

plants, drinking water plants, power sta-

controller can be integrated into existing

tions, micro filtration and reverse osmosis

networks via the three Ethernet interfaces and expanded

filtering.

to include additional local I/O modules. The user can

The instrument meets all USEPA filtering

choose between the TCP/IP, UDP, Modbus/TCP and

monitoring requirements and is compat-

Profinet communication protocols, with the controller

ible with all Hach controllers including

functioning as both a Profinet controller and a Profinet

the sc200 or sc1000 digital controllers.

device. A USB connection makes it easy to log data

The FilterTrak can also manage up to 18

on removable media and to update the controller pro-

different digital sensors. The FT660 is built

gram. In the event of power failures, the Axiocontrol

to ‘plug and play’ without any additional

PLC automatically backs up all controller data from the

software configuration.

application onto the flash card.

Hach Pacific Pty Ltd

Phoenix Contact Pty Ltd

www.hachpacific.com

www.phoenixcontact.com.au

FT1A Series: SmartAXIS-Touch New breed of Controller + Touchscreen packed into one

- Available in TFT 65K colour or monochrome versions - Perfect for small systems that require a touchscreen and I/O control in one unit - Four built-in 10A relay outputs - Eight built-in DC digital inputs (two inputs can be configured as 0-10V DC analogue inputs)

Order your SmartAXIS-Touch today ...

IDEC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD Phone: 1800 68 4332 Email: sales@au.idec.com Web: www.idec.com/australia www.ProcessOnline.com.au

AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 31

CASE STUDY

Detecting coal self-combustion hazards Overslag Bedrijf Amsterdam (OBA) is a dry bulk terminal company operating in the Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp (ARA) region. It operates from two terminals in the port of Amsterdam, transferring and loading several commodities including coal, agricultural bulk goods, minerals and biomass goods. Due to excellent rail and waterway connections via the North Sea and the Dutch hinterland, OBA offers multiple modes of shipping that include seagoing vessels, push barges, trains and trucks. The storage and handling of coal is approximately 80% of OBA’s business, consisting of round-the-clock shipments to Germany, the Northeast of France, the UK and the Netherlands. When coal is exposed to oxygen, its temperature rises and can ignite suddenly. It’s no wonder that spontaneous combustion is a real worry around OBA’s stockyards. Being such an extremely valuable product, it needs to be protected under a watchful eye 24/7. For some coal types, it’s not a question of whether or not it will happen, it’s a matter of when it will happen. “Self-combustion of coal is something we have to take into account every day,” says Dick Meijer, planner at OBA. “To prevent it from happening, we need to take the appropriate measures. More specifically, we send out an excavator or wheel loader to dig out and spread the suspected area. And we have dedicated combustion fighting equipment that allows us to compact the area and to release the oxygen out of the coal stack.” Needless to say for OBA, reaction time is of utmost importance. Not only will coal combustion amount to high expenses resulting from energy and quantity loss, it also can have safety and environmental implications. “In order to minimise those costs as much as possible, we were looking for a way to monitor the temperature of our coal stock before it’s loaded onto the barges,” comments Dick Meijer. “Thermal imaging turned out to be the perfect technology to do that. We already conduct weekly inspections via an external agency, but in 2013, we also invested in our own thermal imaging cameras from FLIR Systems to be sure that all the coal leaving our site has a temperature that is safe to be transported. The big advantage of thermal imaging compared to other technologies is that thermal imaging cameras can monitor entire areas of the coal stack. When the coal is on the conveyor belt, thermal imaging cameras allow us to read the entire coal mass temperature, not just the coal surface. Thanks to thermal imaging cameras, we can see if something goes wrong and immediately take the appropriate measures.” In a multilateral agreement between various EU countries, it is mandatory that the temperature of a coal load - before, during and directly after the loading process - be below 60°C. “Therefore, every load of coal that leaves this terminal to Germany needs to be backed with a valid temperature monitoring certificate. With Germany as

32 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

an important market for OBA, thermal imaging allows us to meet these requirements more easily,” says Meijer. The OBA terminal is now equipped with three rugged FLIR A310f cameras. Each camera is positioned on a tower with a wide view overlooking several conveyor belts that deliver the coal to barges. By positioning the thermal imaging cameras as close to the barges as possible, OBA can visualise the entire conveyor belt stretch (up to 900 metres) and monitor the coal temperatures up to the last second before loading, which helps prevent the risk of a combustion incident onboard. The thermal video images are sent over a network to a central control room where they are continuously monitored. Operators make use of a proprietary software system that offers intuitive colour codes to communicate about the real-time status of the coal loads. Code green means the coals are below a dangerous temperature and there is no danger for self-combustion. Yellow means the temperature is rising. In practice, this usually means temperatures are between 40 and 50°C. When that occurs, OBA takes preventive measures, such as digging out and spreading the coal. Code red means that temperatures are above 55°C, prompting an alert that forces the conveyor to stop, preventing coal with excessive temperatures from being loaded. For this situation, OBA selected the FLIR A310f, a highly sensitive, high-speed camera in an environmental housing. The housing increases the camera’s environmental specification to IP66, without affecting any of the camera features. “After thorough consultation and testing with FLIR distributor Rato, we decided to choose the FLIR A310f, because it gave us very accurate and consistent results,” says Meijer. For example, snow falling on the coal stack can generate steam. A thermal imaging camera is able to provide reliable temperature measurements regardless of this phenomenon.” A slightly longer and more detailed version of this article can be read online at http://bit.ly/1ofFbZD FLIR Systems Australia Pty Ltd www.flir.com.au

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WIRELESS TELEMETRY SOLUTION The Oleumtech WIO standalone wireless I/O mirroring system is claimed to be a revolutionary and economical telemetry solution for control cable wire replacement. The system provides a bi-directional, point-to-point communication where users can place inputs and outputs on both sides, and it is easy to use with no programming or software needed. When faced with having to replace an existing control cable hardwired system or installing new infrastructure, the WIO system is a fast, easy, and economical method for wirelessly duplicating discrete, 4-20 mA or 0-10 V signal wire. The WIO system requires no configuration or software and mounts to 35 mm DIN rail, with only a screwdriver and a wire stripper required. In the system, the radio modules control and power everything. They manage all signal traffic and provide critical alarms and diagnostics that can trigger digital outputs for notification. The paired radio modules can communicate up to every 100 ms with a default response time of 1 s. The radio modules use AES encryption for securely delivering data and are offered in the 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz licence-free spectrum. Automation Group www.automationgroup.com.au

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NEW PRODUCTS

FANLESS SERVER SYSTEM The Perfectron ROC235A is a 1U rackmount fanless rugged system based on Intel’s QM77 chipset and that supports Intel’s high-performance Core i3-3120ME (35 W), Core i5-3610ME (35 W) and Core i7-3610QE (45 W) processors. The ROC235A also features wide range DC inputs (9-24 V) and wide operating temperature range from -20 to +70°C, and supports dual 204-pin DDR3 SO-DIMM system memory up to 8 GB. The ROC235A’s thermal design solution incorporates six copper liquid-vapour vacuum tubes (heat pipes) which efficiently manage the system’s heat dissipation. This rugged mechanical structure also provides better vibration resistance. Instead of a fan, the enclosure features large, open honeycomb vents on the top, sides, front and back to allow for natural convection cooling. The design increases the heat dissipating area, allowing for a faster cooling effect. A range of I/O connections is available, such as three display interfaces (HDMI, DVI-D and VGA), audio Mic-in, Line-out, one COM port, two Ethernet LAN and four USB ports. Onboard there is one PCI or one PCIe slot plus one mPCIe expansion slot, allowing users to add additional functionality such as Wi-Fi or GPRS. Backplane Systems Technology Pty Ltd www.backplane.com.au

AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 33

NEW PRODUCTS

BEARING DESIGN TEMPLATES igus has released a range of iglidur semi-finished products in new sizes and diameters. Round bars are available in lengths from 100 to 1000 mm and in diameters from 10 to 100 mm, as well as iglidur plates in diameters of 2 to 25 mm. With these additional widths, designers gain more scope for individual design. Meanwhile ten iglidur materials with specific features are available for a large variety of branches, such as the food, beverage or automobile industry. Round materials, for example in the blue iglidur A350 material, are available in diameters of 30, 40, 50 and 60 mm. They are also available in the small 20 mm diameter and are suitable for medium to high loads and temperatures up to 180Â°C and conform with FDA requirements. Round bars are now available in four new dimensions: 20, 40, 50 and 60 mm.

MODULAR SAFETY CONTROLLER The Flexi Soft modular safety controller has been upgraded with new functionality that allows packaging system manufacturers to benefit from the efficient cascading of safety sensors. Materials supply, servicing and maintenance work, as well as error rectification, are the most important reasons that packaging machines are often provided with a variety of safety doors, service panels or covers. Along with these, emergency stop pushbuttons are almost always provided, as well as safety laser scanners or safety light curtains in some applications where machine openings without a mechanical, physical guard must be accessed. Due to the special screened cables involved, as well as the discrete wiring and safe inputs for the safety controller, integrating all of these switches and sensors separately would until now have incurred significant costs. The Flexi Loop functionality upgrade fulfils the requirement for cost-saving cascading of safe switches and sensors, with which safety doors and servicing panels on machines are protected up to Performance Level (PL) e in accordance with DIN EN ISO 13849-1. Up to 32 sensors, even those produced by other manufacturers, can be cascaded and receive voltage supply via loop nodes. This

When used for guide tubes in operation tables, telescope arms for loading cranes or slide rails, all the plates are made of tribooptimised plastic iglidur J. The high-performance material eliminates low friction values in dry runs, is wear resistant, lubrication and maintenance free, and is resistant to a range of chemicals. Treotham Automation Pty Ltd

minimises expenditure on cabling and frees up safety controller inputs. Power supply and communication paths between the individual loop nodes can be as long as 30 m, meaning that a full loop may amount to a total length of 960 m. The connection is achieved via an unscreened standard cable with M12 connectors. Sick Pty Ltd www.sick.com.au

www.treotham.com.au

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NEW

HAZARDOUS AREA ACCELEROMETERS

PRODUCTS

Monitoring both vibration and temperature levels is at the heart of many predictive maintenance strategies. Monitran has recently added a temperature measuring capability to its range of IECEx-certified sensors. Certified to IECEx Group II, the MTN/2285IT and MTN/2200IT series are sealed to IP67, making them suitable for measuring vibration levels and temperatures in areas where explosive gases, liquids or dust may be present. They can be supplied with either integral cables or 4-pin connectors. The MTN/2285IT series comprises sensors with DC current outputs, in the range 4-20 mA, proportional to RMS velocity (mm/s) and temperature as a voltage, with a sensitivity of 10 mV/°C. In addition, the operating temperature is certified to T6 (-55°C ≤ Ta ≤ +45°C). The MTN/2200IT series is suitable for analysis applications and features constant current accelerometers with isolated outputs for acceleration, in volts at a standard sensitivity of 100 mV/g, and temperature at a sensitivity of 10 mV/°C. The operating temperature for this series is certified to

EMBEDDED COMPUTER Neousys Technology's NUVO-4000 Series fanless box PC is designed with four PCIe/ PCI expansion slots. The combination of high performance, small footprint and versatility makes the NUVO-4000 not only a suitable application platform, but also a potential replacement of traditional rackmount or wall-mount industrial computers. The embedded computer incorporates an Intel third-generation i7/i5 processor to offer high computing power, and a fanless architecture to offer reliable operation in various environments. Its two Gen2 PCI Express slots provide a total of 6 GBps of bandwidth for applications demanding highspeed data transmission. A 48 W power budget is dedicatedly supplied to the x16 PCIe slot for powering a high-wattage PCIe card. The embedded computer also has PCI slots to accommodate up to four PCI cards for general industrial automation, test and measurement applications. The embedded computer features a small footprint for a fanless box PC with four expansion slots. It supports many I/O interfaces for communication/control purposes, and implements DVI+DVI+VGA triple independent display outputs for video/image-related applications. A smart fan is available as an optional extra for better operating reliability

T4 (-55°C ≤ Ta ≤ +95°C).

when high-watt cards are installed.

ADM Instrument Engineering Group

Backplane Systems Technology Pty Ltd

www.admtech.com.au

www.backplane.com.au

Decouples, monitors and controls

QUINT ORING Active redundancy module for maximum system availability Monitoring with the QUINT ORING: • Output voltage of the power supplies • Wiring up to the redundancy module • Decoupling section • Load current ACB technology doubles the service life of your redundant power supply units. Call us today: 1300 786 411 or visit phoenixcontact.com.au

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AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 35

NEW PRODUCTS

PROCESS DRIVES Schneider Electric has released Altivar Process, a range of drives for process applications. Due to a convergence of IT and operational technologies, Altivar Process drives deliver added-value services in the water, oil and gas, mining, metals, minerals, and the food and beverage industries that enable business and process optimisation through improved life-cycle asset management and optimised energy consumption. Through advanced system and equipment condition monitoring, Altivar Process ensures that applications are performing at optimum efficiency at all times. Compared to conventional drives, Altivar Process delivers an additional 8% cost reduction due to its ability to instantly detect efficiency drifts and to monitor motor power with a high level of accuracy (<5%). This enables the automation system to immediately make adjustments, thereby minimising a negative impact on the bottom line. In contrast to conventional drives, Altivar Process is also able to reduce downtime by another 20% due to predictive, condition-based maintenance and a user interface with easyto-understand graphs. Fully integrating both architecture and business systems, Altivar Process provides process visibility and transparent access to enriched data at both the factory and asset level. Embedded Ethernet and web servers provide consistent and secure access to this information. The embedded web server allows users to select which information to view and which to store. Additionally, key performance indicators and alarms are automatically monitored and can generate alerts to system operators of any performance irregularities so preventive steps can be taken to maintain optimum process efficiency and profitability. Schneider Electric Industry Business www.schneider-electric.com

When There’s No Room for Error When it comes to measuring humidity in harsh manufacturing environments, you don’t want to cut corners. The Vaisala HUMICAP® Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series HMT330 is an uncompromising transmitter you can depend on for years of trouble-free performance. • Credibility that speaks for itself – close to 80,000 installations worldwide and counting • A wide range of options and configurations • Built for extreme environments • Support and service you can count on Your customers choose the best. Why would you choose anything less?

More information: www.vaisala.com/HMT330

Tel. 03 9815 6700 Email: sales.melbourne@vaisala.com

TIA-AU-WNIPT-May-2014-180x135.indd 1

36 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

16.5.2014 14.42

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NEW PRODUCTS

HIGH-AVAILABILITY MANAGED SWITCHES The 7000 series managed switches from Phoenix Contact are equipped with Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) and can therefore be used in EtherNet/ IP networks, and can be configured and diagnosed from the EtherNet/IP control system. They are claimed to be the first switches to support the Device Level Ring (DLR) redundancy mechanism. With DLR, network availability is increased with a switching times of less than 3 ms. Up to six non-DLR-enabled devices can be integrated into the ring with the FL SWITCH 7000 switch. In addition, functions such as IGMP snooping, multicast source detection and auto-query ports for intelligent multicast filtering are also available on the switches to enhance network stability. Phoenix Contact Pty Ltd www.phoenixcontact.com.au

PORTABLE SPECTROPHOTOMETER The DR1900 is a light and compact portable spectrophotometer. It is built for rugged conditions and is flexible, accepting a wide range of vial sizes. Built with field use in mind, the DR1900 has a large, clear screen and a simple user interface that makes testing easier in demanding conditions. Easy to hold and operate, the compact DR1900 is claimed to be a valuable tool for field technicians. The DR1900 has over 220 of the most commonly tested preprogrammed methods built in. Users can also use the easy-to-use interface to create their own methods. Tests are performed with a wavelength range of 340-800 nm, which make this a field instrument that can be used to find results typically only seen in laboratory instruments. Hach Pacific Pty Ltd www.hachpacific.com

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AUGUST 2014 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 37

AS I SEE IT MANUFACTURING INTELLIGENCE: ESTABLISHING A CONNECTED ENTERPRISE

t’s no secret that there is currently widespread demand for greater productivity, better utilisation of assets and improved decision-making in the manufacturing industry. Manufacturing intelligence is bridging the gap between the production and corporate environments to help manufacturers meet these demands. Improving connectivity across operations provides the platform to integrate information across business systems and the plant floor, which in turn offers agility, lower cost of ownership and superior operations. While established production software is mature technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) delivers a new value proposition to the industrial market. Industrial IoT technologies help manufacturers lay a foundation for a highly secure, connected enterprise using standard unmodified Ethernet to connect people, processes and data. A key performance indicator for production software is its ability to present information in real time, and in a meaningful way based on the role of the user. Data modelling provides an object-oriented view of data from a variety of sources, enabling users to access data based on the terminology of their roles. Modelling data around Asset Models or ISA S95 hierarchies, while abstracting data source complexities from users, provides an environment for ad hoc analysis and benchmarking of performance across equipment of the same type or across units, while consolidating data about an entity within a single view. This provides better insight. Such an enterprise allows the entire supply chain to be connected, giving manufacturers the competitive edge required to analyse, forecast and rapidly respond to changing market demands.

Mobility and adaptability While establishing a connected industrial enterprise can appear to be an overwhelming challenge, it is one that manufacturers must address to remain competitive in the current marketplace. Mobility is also a big driver in the capabilities of manufacturing intelligence. It allows manufacturers to be more selective about how information is consumed and then delivered to consumers in the correct format for the devices they use. Manufacturers are therefore not limited

A.B.N. 22 152 305 336 Head Office Cnr. Fox Valley Road & Kiogle Street, (Locked Bag 1289) Wahroonga NSW 2076 AUSTRALIA ph: +61 2 9487 2700 fx: +61 2 9489 1265 www.westwick-farrow.com.au Editor Glenn Johnson wnipt@westwick-farrow.com.au

by location when accessing information through industrial IoT technology. A key indicator for the successful integration of information and infrastructure is adaptability. Advances in manufacturing intelligence are driven by the maturity of standards and the ability to report information across different platforms and devices.

Data explosion As a result of the connected enterprise, the amount of manufacturing data available is growing exponentially. For manufacturers to achieve flexibility and efficiency, they must have the capabilities to manage, visualise and analyse ‘big data’ in real time. This involves combining the data from the systems running the plant, which together comprises machine intelligence with information from business applications. By utilising cloud-based infrastructure, manufacturers have the computing power and mobility requirements to process and store big data. Cloud technologies enable new business models and value chains for manufacturers looking to leverage these technologies to optimise their people assets, and the internal and external expertise of the organisation through collaborative models. In a connected enterprise, manufacturing intelligence is moving towards more data-driven manufacturing that allows for automation of the generation of key performance indicators. The IoT is delivering capabilities that are making software a crucial investment for manufacturers that want to generate additional productivity and optimise operations.

With over 20 years in the automation industry, Dean Tressider has extensive knowledge, understanding and experience of the automation landscape. His current role - Software Solutions Architect, Rockwell Automation Australia - involves interfacing with product design and development, and working with customers to architect SCADA, MES and energy management software solutions for all industries.

38 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - AUGUST 2014

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