Control Engineering 2024 SepOct

When

Several new models have been added to the popular STRIDE family of industrial communication products. As with all of the STRIDE SE3 series, these additions offer low-cost, reliable Ethernet networking solutions with rugged IP30 or IP40 metal housings and Gigabit speed options.

• NEW! PoE++ Ethernet switch provides both power and Ethernet communication to connected devices, allowing even more savings in your network design. This switch will auto-detect the presence of a PoE enabled device and provide up to 240W of DC power along with Fast or Gigabit Ethernet communication speeds to the powered device.

• NEW! SE3 Ethernet media converters provide copper-to-fiber and fiber-to-copper conversions. Converting from copper to fiber allows for faster data transmission, less noise interference, and extended ranges.

• NEW! PoE++ injectors provide a convenient add power to an Ethernet network where needed, convenient for adding PoE enabled devices, including web cameras and Wi-Fi access points, to an existing standard Ethernet network.

injectors a convenient way to add power

No matter how many “ings” your process has, Productivity PLCs can handle them all while providing substantial cost savings. Whether you’d prefer a single controller for complete end-to-end control or a segmented control system with multiple controllers, the scalable Productivity PLC family has what you need for less.

This family offers three series of PLCs each with different I/O capacities but all using the same FREE advanced programming software, so you can easily scale your control hardware up or down depending on the application.

NEW! More discrete and relay I/O expansion modules have been added to the Productivity PLC family for even more affordable control options.

For the Productivity1000 PLC series:

• A 4-channel, high current relay output module with up to 7A/point and four Form C contacts, perfect for applications with higher current loads

For the Productivity2000 PLC series:

• A 6-channel, high current (7A/point) relay output module with both Form A and Form C contacts

• A 16-point low voltage discrete input module and 16-point low voltage discrete output module, ideal for devices that utilize transistor-transistorlogic (TTL) and voltage levels ranging from 3.3 to 5 VDC

GET READY TO INSPIRE

You need automation technology that inspires you as much as you inspire your team. iCube Control scales and grows with your ever-expanding vision. The technology works as one, with one controller, and will perform impeccably over the life of your system, without fail and with total security. With iCube Control,

28 | ON THE COVER: Discover how 35 engineering professionals are making a significant impact in automation, controls, and beyond.

Courtesy of Control Engineering

6 | September and October online article sampling of headlines, authors, companies, with links

8 | Automation update from IMTS 2024 and two other shows:

- Democratization of automation, Increased connectivity, Better use of collaborative robots, AI

- Universal automation platform upgrade

- System integrators offer advice

- Users group: Control system migrations, AI, workforce, energy, demos

9 | Career Update: Practice three essential skills for a successful automation career

11 | Think Again: What's new? Control Engineering knowledge expands in 70th year

13| PID spotlight, part 9: Heuristic tuning for a self-limiting process

16 | Energize uptime with EtherCATenabled power management solutions

18 | How to mitigate labor challenges with the right automation investments

21 | Modbus documentation clarified, 5 reasons to use RS-485 with automation

25 | How to meet sustainability goals, part 3 Examining roles of motion services

28 | COVER: Rising to the challenge: Engineering Leaders Under 40, Class of 2024

37 | Automated Warehouse supplement: A new kind of collaboration in the warehouse; Mitigate cybersecurity risk; Preparing the warehouse automation plan

53 | Packaging OEM supplement: 3D modeling, virtual twin

INNOVATIONS

52 | New Products for Engineers

Control Engineering eBook series, now available: Fall Edition

u IIoT Cloud eBook

Three needed PLC features; one is patented; Precision limit switches, useful for tight locations; Wireless transmitter for field asset monitoring; An industrial PC is an industrial tablet; Remote terminal units, have onboard I/O, works in extreme settings; Sensors enable continuous disinfection measurement; Temperature concentrator system with Ethernet integration

See more products online www.controleng.com/products

71 | Back to Basics: How to choose the right controller for a manufacturing application - Consider the operational needs of an application during controller selection.

NEWSLETTERS ONLINE

CE Control Systems Newsletter

• PID spotlight, part 8; controller selection, SCADA

CE Digital Transformation Newsletter

• Leaders Under 40 winners, Digital twins improve network reliability

Mark Hoske, Control Engineering (editor selections)

• Get help for open-loop tuning; Do you know what PLC programming language to use?

Stay ahead. Subscribe! www.controleng.com/newsletters

u Global System Integrator Report

The next edition is almost here, in the November/ December edition with System Integrator of the Year, System Integrator Giants, case studies, trends and tutorials and more! www.controleng.com/GSIR

Contact: mhoske@wtwhmedia.com

Information includes: Reducing costs, improving outcomes with edge AI; Leveraging edge computing's power in Industry 4.0; and Edge to cloud: Understanding new industrial architectures Learn more at: www.controleng.com/ebooks

u Digital Transformation eBook

Coverage includes: Benefits of putting people first in digital transformation; How to achieve convergence in digitalization, reliability, sustainability; and How networking systems, edge computing transform the digital landscape. See other topics at www.controleng.com/ebooks

u Control Engineering digital edition

Five digital edition advantages: 1. Useful links throughout. 2. Click on headlines to see online version with more text and often more images and graphics. 3. Download a PDF version. 4. Cover page faces a wide selection of topical eBooks. 5. Sustainability.

www.controleng.com/ magazine

Online Highlights

Don't see a URL? Search the headline at controleng.com

u International: Control Engineering Europe: Five ways SCADA systems can improve sustainability - Sylvana van de Scheur is a product designer at Ovarro. (A)

https://www.controleng.com/articles/five-ways-scada-systems-can-improve-sustainability/

u Latest automation mergers, September 2024: Reshape Automation, Timken, CGI Clint Bundy is managing director, Bundy Group, a Control Engineering content partner that helps with mergers, acquisitions and raising capital.

https://www.controleng.com/articles/latest-automation-mergers-september-2024-reshape-automation-timken-cgi

u Machine-integrated robot market growing as partnerships developSamantha Mou, Interact Analysis

https://www.controleng.com/articles/machine-integrated-robot-market-growing-as-partnerships-develop

u Reshoring, nearshoring trends making North American manufacturing competitiveCarrine Greason, A3 contributing editor; The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) is a content partner.

https://www.controleng.com/articles/reshoring-nearshoring-trends-making-north-american-manufacturing-competitive

WEBCASTS topics topics

u Can PLCs do that? and other things you really should know

https://www.controleng.com/webcasts/can-PLCs-do-that-and-other-things-you-really-should-know

u Learn how poor power quality can cause motor damage, and how to prevent it

INSIGHTS NEWS

https://www.controleng.com/webcasts/learn-how-poor-power-quality-can-cause-motor-damage-and-how-to-prevent-it

u Engineers design tiny batteries for powering cell-sized robotsAnne Trafton, contributor, MIT News Office (B)

https://www.controleng.com/articles/engineers-design-tiny-batteries-for-powering-cell-sized-robots/

u Model offers robots precise pick-and-place solutions - Anne Wilson, contributor, MIT News Office

https://www.controleng.com/articles/model-offers-robots-precise-pick-and-place-solutions

u Hot Control Engineering HMI, OI articles in 2024 - Chris Vavra, WTWH Media

https://www.controleng.com/articles/hot-control-engineering-hmi-oi-articles-in-2024

u Control Engineering hot topics, September 2024

https://www.controleng.com/articles/control-engineering-hot-topics-september-2024

ANSWERS

u Generative AI benefits for asset lifecycle managementMike Hollinger, chief architect, IBM Maximo AI Software and Solutions. (C)

https://www.controleng.com/articles/generative-ai-benefits-for-asset-lifecycle-management

u How to unlock design efficiency, standards for P&ID development - Eric J. Silverman, PE, PMP, CDT and A. Prabhakaran, automation engineer, CDM Smith (D)

ANSWERS

u How to use AI-informed advanced analytics to fill the skills gapFiona Guinee is a senior analytics engineer at Seeq.

u Improve decision-making with the right data to optimize operationsKatie Pintar is a senior analytics engineer at Seeq Corp. (E)

u PID spotlight, part 8: Closed-loop tuning for self-limiting processes - Ed Bullerdiek is a retired control engineer with 37 years of process control experience in petroleum refining and oil production. (F)

https://www.controleng.com/articles/pid-spotlight-part-8-closed-loop-tuning-for-self-limiting-processes

u How to incorporate digital transformation into SCADA master planningFrancisco Alcala, CDM Smith, senior automation engineer; Srisylesh Balaji, CDM Smith, junior automation engineer (G)

u How edge computing can improve operations, sustainability - Sunil Pandita, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Cyber and Connected Industrials

u The evolving industrial process safety world - Brian Widman and Stefan Mizera are global product managers for Rockwell Automation

https://www.controleng.com/articles/the-evolving-industrial-process-safety-world

u Passing the knowledge torch with a connected workforce - Michael Masser, Plex product manager at Plex by Rockwell Automation

https://www.controleng.com/articles/passing-the-knowledge-torch-with-a-connected-workforce

u How to use PA-DIM to improve OT/IT process data - Paul Sereiko, director of marketing and product strategy of the FieldComm Group (H)

u How to build resilient networks and reduce downtime - Henry Martel is a field application engineer with Antaira Technologies. (I)

https://www.controleng.com/articles/how-to-build-resilient-industrial-networks-and-reduce-downtime/

u How OEMs use Cartesian systems to improve control systemsBrad Klippstein, mechatronics product manager, Bosch Rexroth

https://www.controleng.com/articles/how-oems-use-cartesian-systems-to-improve-control-systems

u How motors improve industrial automation - Roy Sarkar, The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) is a content partner.

https://www.controleng.com/articles/how-motors-improve-industrial-automation

u VIDEO: Motor-drive energy efficiency and industrial sustainability goalsInterview with Benjamin Hinds is the vice president of product management and marketing at the NEMA Motors Division of ABB; Michael Basler serves as the Local Division Manager for the System Drives Division at ABB in the United States; and Michael Basler serves as the Local Division Manager for the System Drives Division at ABB in the United States.

INNOVATIONS

Stay up to date on new products at https://www.controleng.com/products

IMTS 2024

Automation improves for OEMs, machine tool users, system integrators

uIMTS 2024 coverage from Mark Hoske, Stephanie Neil, Gary Cohen, Amara Rozgus and Chris Vavra includes below and online. The show integrated robotics, sensors, logic devices, AI and other automation with machine tools and CNC applications with other automation and business goals. A major theme was the democratization of automation.

Connecting workers, technologies

IMTS made its return to McCormick Place in September and was, in some respects, a return to its machine tooling roots along with automation, the industrial internet of Things (IIoT) and digital transformation. The show included more than 1600 exhibitors in four halls at McCormick Place. Many tools aimed to improve connectivity.

Transforming manufacturers with augmented, connected workers

Augmentir said the root of manufacturing’s $1 trillion staffing problem is people in the presentation “The Future of Industrial Work – How the Augmented, Connected Worker is Transforming Manufacturing.”

Making continuous improvements with a connected workforce

L2L said despite Industrial internet of Things (IIoT), Industry 4.0, and smart factories, labor productivity has stagnated as explained in the presentation, “Transforming Continuous Improvement: The Role of AI and Connected Worker Technology.”

Add productivity, see examples, collaborative robot myths

Dispelling three common myths about collaborative robots for industrial applications, Acieta said yes to the question: “Is now the time to get a cobot?”

3 benefits of new digital machine shop

Integrated software and services help with machine shop digitalization, helping machine builders and end users, as Siemens showed. Machine tool CNC portfolio and digitalization software technologies are key to “empowering the digital machine shop.” Siemens introduced its Machinum package of software and services, integrating controls, digitalization software and machine shop services.

New

advanced machining, controls, 3D

simulation

Automation, controls, interactive demonstrations, 3D simulation and integrated maintenance were shown by Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. (photo), including Iconics automation software.

New AI-based machine tending capabilities help cobots

Other industry show coverage below and online: ICC 2024, Users group

Control system migrations, AI, workforce, energy - At the 2024 Honeywell Users Group, participants looked at control system migrations lessons learned, artificial intelligence (AI), workforce of the future, emissions controls and reduction, energy management and explored a technology demonstration center.

Latest updates, features in universal automation platform - At the Ignition Community Conference 2024, new functionality in Ignition 8.3, Inductive Automation's industrial application platform for OT and IT, span applications, historians, and infrastructure with a focus on connectivity, storage, streaming and security.

Gain critical advice on automation, SCADA from system integratorsTechnologies and trends reshape the future of automation for industrial organizations; control system integrators answered related questions from Inductive Automation and the audience during Induction Community Conference 2024 (ICC) session, “Integrator Panel: What Tech and Trends Are Breaking Through?”

other applications, from Universal Robots and partners. More than 60 UR robots were at IMTS 2024. The UR+ partner program has more than 500 products.

Robotic design, operations, support, service collaboration

ABB joined the Vention ecosystem, confirming the compatibility between the Vention Manufacturing Automation Platform (MAP) and the ABB GoFa cobot family to allow users to design robotic automation systems online, simplifying adoption of robotic automation.

Courtesy:

As a deep learning-based part detection was unveiled for faster batch changeovers by eliminating the need for fixtures, more collaborative robot capabilities were shown in advanced cobot applications for welding, finishing, part feeding, laser marking and

Mobile computing, connectivity

Zebra Technologies is helping the connected factory with mobile computing, machine vision, quality, traceability and digital transformation, with real-time monitoring and augmented workforce tools. ce

Mitsubishi Electric Automation highlighted 50 years of helping the machine tool industry with advanced controls, robotics and CNC hardware and software services, part of IMTS2024.

Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering, WTWH Media

Eric J. Silverman, PE, PMP, CDT, CDM Smith

Practice three essential skills for a successful automation career

Improve time management, organization and communication.

Three areas that help with transition into and success in the automation workforce are time management, organization and communication. Each are interdependent, like the three legs of a stool that support a career. Struggling with the transition into the automation workforce is something I’ve witnessed and experienced in my 30+ years in this industry, I have experienced the workforce from all perspectives – As a new engineering graduate learning from my managers and mentors, and later as a manager responsible for the care and well-being of a team. In my current role as manager, I’ve tried different techniques to make this transition into the automation workforce smoother for my staff and have concluded that there are no shortcuts. In my experience, the best approach is to expose new professionals to a range of projects and situations, creating opportunities for learning and reflection in three crucial areas that I believe are essential for building a strong foundation for career success. More about each follow.

Time management skills

In the fast-paced automation industry, it doesn’t take long for someone new to find themselves juggling multiple projects, each with different control system hardware and software. Schooling and internships are never quite the same as real-world experiences. Scope, schedule and budget requirements can overwhelm new professionals trying to plan time and prioritize tasks effectively. Mastering time management takes time. Experience helps. Learning the ropes of a new job or assignment helps. Mastering the next two legs of the stool has the greatest impact on learning how to successfully manage time.

Organizational skills

Despite many organizational tools, many still struggle. A lack of organization can lead to challeng-

ing discussions between co-workers, such as trying to determine the status of a task or trying to troubleshoot a technical issue with a control system. Focus on meeting a project’s scope, schedule or budget can make basic task organization seem like a time drain. Spending a little extra time upfront to develop a “to-do” tracking spreadsheet, a bullet list of tasks or a file with quick links to important project documents can be a lifesaver as tasks or projects evolve, especially in detail-oriented industries.

Communications skills

Communication skills have changed significantly with technology advances. Though we live in a 24/7 society with the ability to communicate at all hours, meaningful professional communication remains a challenge for many. Clear expectations should be established at the start of a new assignment, with a commitment to sticking to the plan. Most project teams and workplaces are multi-generational and may span continents, adding layers of communication complexities. Spending time upfront to discuss communication preferences and acceptable methods can prevent a lot of misunderstandings and frustrations later. Many projects go “off the rails” because one or more of those involved assumed they were doing something correctly, without timely questions or feedback for the task at hand.

More advice appears with the online version of this column. Feedback: What essential skills would you choose for the three legs? ce

Eric J. Silverman, PE, PMP, CDT, is a vice president and automation regional team leader at CDM Smith and is a member of Control Engineering’s Editorial Advisory Board. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor-in-chief, Control Engineering, WTWH Media, mhoske@wtwhmedia.com.

TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS, organizational skills and communication skills help; each is critical to supporting engineers and technicians with an automation career, like legs on a a threelegged stool. Courtesy: CDM Smith

Online controleng.com

KEYWORDS: Automation career advice, time management, engineering communications CONSIDER THIS What skills are you working on to improve your automation career?

ONLINE

Read other articles by Eric Silverman about automation careers.

https://www.controleng. com/articles/how-toprogress-in-engineeringautomation-3-phases https://www.controleng. com/articles/mentoringautomation-and-controlsprofessionals-by-sharingadvice-experiences

1111 Superior Avenue, 26th Floor, Cleveland, OH 44114

Content Specialists/Editorial

Mark T. Hoske, editor-in-chief 847-830-3215, MHoske@WTWHMedia.com

Sheri Kasprzak, managing editor, engineering, automation and control, SKasprzak@WTWHMedia.com

Stephanie Neil, vice president, editorial director engineering, automation and control, 508-344-0620 SNeil@WTWHMedia.com

Emily Guenther, webinar coordinator EGuenther@WTWHMedia.com

Amanda Pelliccione, marketing research manager 978-302-3463, APelliccione@WTWHMedia.com

Gary Cohen, senior editor GCohen@WTWHMedia.com

Anna Steingruber, associate editor ASteingruber@WTWHMedia.com

Chris Vavra, senior editor

Contributing Content Specialists

Suzanne Gill, Control Engineering Europe suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk

Agata Abramczyk, Control Engineering Poland agata.abramczyk@trademedia.pl Lukáš Smelík, Control Engineering Czech Republic lukas.smelik@trademedia.cz

Aileen Jin, Control Engineering China aileenjin@cechina.cn

Editorial Advisory Board www.controleng.com/EAB

Doug Bell, president, InterConnecting Automation, www.interconnectingautomation.com

David Bishop, chairman and a founder Matrix Technologies, www.matrixti.com

Daniel E. Capano, senior project manager, Gannett Fleming Engineers and Architects, www.gannettfleming.com

Frank Lamb, founder and owner Automation Consulting LLC, www.automationllc.com

Joe Martin, president and founder Martin Control Systems, www.martincsi.com

Rick Pierro, president and co-founder Superior Controls, www.superiorcontrols.com

Eric J. Silverman, PE, PMP, CDT, vice president, senior automation engineer, CDM Smith, www.cdmsmith.com Mark Voigtmann, partner, automation practice lead Faegre Baker Daniels, www.FaegreBD.com

WTWH Media Contributor Guidelines Overview

Content For Engineers. WTWH Media focuses on engineers sharing with their peers. We welcome content submissions for all interested parties in engineering. We will use those materials online, on our Website, in print and in newsletters to keep engineers informed about the products, solutions and industry trends.

* Control Engineering Submissions instructions at https://www.controleng.com/connect/how-to-contribute gives an overview of how to submit press releases, products, images and graphics, bylined feature articles, case studies, white papers and other media.

* Content should focus on helping engineers solve problems. Articles that are commercial in nature or that are critical of other products or organizations will be rejected. (Technology discussions and comparative tables may be accepted if nonpromotional and if contributor corroborates information with sources cited.)

* If the content meets criteria noted in guidelines, expect to see it first on the website. Content for enewsletters comes from content already available on the website. All content for print also will be online. All content that appears in the print magazine will appear as space permits, and we will indicate in print if more content from that article is available online.

* Deadlines for feature articles vary based on where it appears. Print-related content is due at least three months in advance of the publication date. Again, it is best to discuss all feature articles with the content manager prior to submission. Learn more at:

https://www.controleng.com/connect/how-to-contribute

What's new? Control Engineering knowledge expands in 70th year

After 70 years, Control Engineering continues to expand education for those who design, implement, integrate, maintain and manage control, automation and instrumentation systems, components and equipment.

Happy anniversary, Control Engineering, providing 70 years of information about automation, controls and instrumentation as of September 2024. Thank you to all who have contributed knowledge along the way, and those continue to do so in many formats: Online, digital edition, printed edition (U.S. and Control Engineering international), supplements, webcasts, eBooks, newsletters, videos, podcasts, events and social media. This edition introduces two topical WTWH Media supplements to Control Engineering subscribers, Automated Warehouse on Page 37 and Packaging OEM on Page 53.

More WTWH resources useful for Control Engineering

• Electronics Engineering Network https://www.wtwhmedia.com/ electronics-engineering

• Fluid Power World https://www.wtwhmedia.com/rd-network

After the WTWH acquisition of CFE Media and Technology in May, I can recommend many engineering resources to help those interested in topics related to Control Engineering:

• 3DCAD & Digital Manufacturing https://www.wtwhmedia. com/3dcad-digital-manufacturing

• Control & Automation Network https://www.wtwhmedia.com/control-automation-network

• Design World Network https://www. wtwhmedia.com/design-world-network

• R&D Network https://www. wtwhmedia.com/rd-network

• Robotics Network https://www.wtwhmedia.com/ robotics-network

Other areas of WTWH Media serve life sciences and health care; retail, hospitality and food service; and renewable energy. As appropriate, we will provide links so we can grow in knowledge together.

How to automate

As I’m sure you are, we’re working to create a strong 2025, as Control Engineering continues to educate those who design, implement, integrate, maintain and manage control, automation and instrumentation systems, components and equipment. Think again about how Control Engineering can help you, and how you can help advance Control Engineering as we grow to make a better world. https://www.controleng.com/connect/ how-to-contribute

Mark T. Hoske, editor-in-chief, Control Engineering, WTWH Media, mhoske@wtwhmedia.com.

Mark T. Hoske Control Engineering

Ed Bullerdiek, process control engineer, retired

PID spotlight, part 9: Heuristic tuning for a self-limiting process

Can what we see plus a few simple rules fix PID controller tuning in one or two easy steps?

For some difficult control loops, heuristics (pattern recognition) may be the only practical loop-tuning method. There are three common methods used to tune control loops:

• Open loop (PID spotlight 7)

• Closed loop (PID spotlight 8)

• Heuristics (PID spotlight 9, this article, and 10, next month).

There is considerable published literature on open- and closed-loop tuning methods and all control textbooks cover open and closed loop tuning. Heuristics methods are not well covered; R. Russell Rhinehart’s Criteria and Procedure for Controller Tuning (Heuristic Tuning), available at https:// www.r3eda.com under the MIT open access software license, may be unique (and very different from the method presented here).

Heuristics are normally used for finalizing tuning constants (fine tuning) after either open- or closed-loop tuning is complete or to adjust the tuning of a controller that has degraded over time. As we saw in PID spotlight parts 7 and 8 open or closed loop tuning methods often do not yield “final” tuning constants. Heuristics may be used to tune a previously untuned control loop and, for certain difficult control loops, may be the only practical method, however, open loop tuning is usually the best choice for new controllers.

Heuristic tuning for control-loop tuning

“Trial-and-error” tuning has a bad name and deservedly so. Most people who engage in tri-

al-and-error tuning have a picture in their mind of what the controller response should look like (this is good) but have no idea how to get there (this is bad).

Heuristics is a fancy way of saying pattern recognition. Humans are very good at pattern recognition, if they know what pattern they are looking for and what to do when they find it. Heuristic loop tuning is nothing more than looking at a controller response and trying to answer these questions:

• Is there too much controller gain or too little?

• Is there too much integral or too little?

• Is there too much derivative?

All self-regulating control loops with similar lag/ deadtime ratios behave the same way, the only difference is scale. Whether the open loop settling time is measured in milliseconds or days, the patterns we are looking for are the same, and the rules we apply for each pattern are the same.

Heuristic tuning is a multistep procedure as illustrated in Figure 1. Following Figure 1, when we first looked at the controller, we guessed that it had too little controller gain and too little integral (there is an element of guesswork involved, especially when we think there is too little controller gain and too little integral. Hence the large oval.) Our first step was to increase controller gain.

Our next assessment was that we had too much controller gain (we went too far) and still too little integral (but we are more certain that we have too little integral). We lowered the controller gain and increased the integral.

We then assessed that we still had too much con-

KEYWORDS: Proportionalintegral-derivative, PID tutorial, heuristic tuning methods

CONSIDER THIS

Open, closed and heuristic tuning methods are complimentary. How will having a working knowledge of the concepts behind all three methods speed and improve your tuning efforts?

ONLINE

Link to PID spotlights, parts 1-8 and with this article online, starting with “Three reasons to tune control loops: Safety, profit, energy efficiency.”

https://www.controleng.com/ articles/three-reasons-to-tunecontrol-loops-safety-profitenergy-efficiency

Aug. 1 RCEP webcast is available for one year: How to automate series: The mechanics of loop tuning

https://www.controleng.com/ webcasts/how-to-automatethe-mechanics-of-loop-tuning/

ANSWERS

FIGURE 1: Illustration of using the heuristic method to identify ideal controller gain and integral tuning constants by showing the type of controller response (such as too little controller gain and too little integral) and making step-wise adjustments until ideal controller response is reached. Courtesy: Ed Bullerdiek, retired control engineer

Insightsu

PID controller tuning insights

uCorrecting PID controller misbehavior (heuristics) and the importance of natural period to proper identification of looptuning results are covered in this Control Engineering article.

uEstimating the integral after the correct controller gain has been identified and the controller gain after the correct integral has been identified are discussed.

uHeuristic tuning may require multiple steps and it has limits. See also heuristic tuning tips.

troller gain (we didn’t go far enough) and also had too much integral (we went too far) and made commensurate adjustments. Our penultimate assessment was back to too little controller gain and still too much integral (but we are almost there). Our final adjustment made everybody happy.

Your initial thought may be “That sounds like a lot of steps.” This is a worstcase example of circling the drain (so to speak). Typically, if you are working from tuning constants provided by an open- or closed-loop tuning test, you will rarely need more than two adjustments, and one is normal. Needless to say, with practice you will get better.

However, if you are using heuristics to tune a difficult controller, typically a very slow controller, heuristic tuning benefits from the fact that:

• We are usually in the office every day.

• Optimum controller tuning exists on a fairly broad, flat plain. Being a little off target for a day or two isn’t going to hurt too badly.

• The time to make an adjustment doesn’t take very long.

HINT: My personal experience is that, for slow control loops, the amount of time sitting at a screen tuning a control loop is shorter for heuristic methods than it is for open- or closed-loop tuning. (Calendar time can run to days for the very slowest controllers; my longest was four steps over four days.) Your next thought may be: “How do I know that I’m done?”

One very good answer is: “when people stop complaining.” But normally, before you tune a control loop, you should determine what kind of response you are looking for.

• Does the controller need to get to setpoint quickly (for example, it’s a cascade secondary)?

• Does the controller need to reject disturbances?

• Does this controller provide slow optimization (Also known as: Keep it between the lines)?

The answer to these questions determines how you tune the controller (critically damped, under-

damped or overdamped) and also may affect how you set up the controller.

Heuristic tuning methodology explained

Heuristic tuning has four steps:

1. Change the controller SP (the controller is in auto).

2. Observe the process response; what pattern does it match?

3. Execute the rules for the identified pattern.

4. Repeat as necessary.

In the real world you may find that the pattern you see doesn’t exactly match any of the patterns described above. This is not unusual; often controllers that need tuning will have multiple problems. Pick the closest pattern and execute the rules. It may require multiple steps, but the process will get you to a final answer.

ONLINE sections:

• When should a control loop start to correct a load disturbance?

• The basics: How to tune lag dominant and moderate self-limiting processes

• What are the rules for too much controller gain?

• How to estimate the integral when loop tuning

• Why does estimating the integral tuning constant work?

• What are the rules for too much integral?

• How to estimating controller gain

• Rules when there’s too little controller gain

• Rules when integral is too slow

• Rules when there’s too much derivative:

For the sections above, a detailed example of heuristic loop tuning, tips and limits, equations, AND five more graphics and a table comparing open-loop, closed-loop and heuristic tuning methods, see this article online by clicking the headline in the digital edition. ce

Ed Bullerdiek is a retired control engineer with 37 years of process control experience in petroleum refining and oil production. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor-in-chief, Control Engineering, WTWH Media, mhoske@wtwhmedia.com.

FIGURE 2: PID controller with too much controller gain is shown. Tuning constants are K = 0.8, Ti = 1.6 minutes/ repeat, Td = 0 minutes.

Courtesy: Ed Bullerdiek, retired control engineer

Robust Ethernet Networks

• Unmanaged 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet switches

• Single mode and multimode ber optic switches and media converters

• Diagnostic switches for network troubleshooting

• PoE switches, mid-span splitters and injectors

• Wired and wireless IP routers for secure remote access

• Custom con gurations and outdoor-rated options available

Azad Jafari, Beckhoff Automation

Energize uptime with EtherCAT-enabled power management solutions

Integrating industrial Ethernet into the power supply helps find and fix issues earlier.

In industrial automation, we see all manner of bleeding-edge solutions designed to increase system availability, throughput and uptime — not to mention energy efficiency. Huge leaps ahead in motion control performance, computing power, and IoT connectivity have opened up a wide array of possibilities. Machine builders and manufacturer end users can measure any signal, monitor potential machine or component failures, send data to the cloud, and perform changeovers instantly.

This often entails adding countless sensors or addon “black box” devices to gather, process and send data. This approach adds expense, bloats electrical cabinets and may require engineers to learn multiple platforms to get basic data acquisition going. It begs the question of why companies are adding single-purpose devices instead of upgrading the functionality of mandatory components such as power supplies, that could do double duty? Campaigns to eliminate downtime have overlooked many workhorse devices, including power supplies. Boosting and maintaining overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) hinges on effective power management and monitoring solutions. Many metrics manufacturers want to measure can be gleaned by monitoring the power supply’s status. In the past, power supplies were treated as consumable commodities without intelligence, which couldn’t communicate to the controller like other “smart” devices. That’s changing.

New power supplies can cost effectively ensure machine uptime in many ways. The most important aspect is integration into the industrial Ethernet fieldbus to communicate with controllers and other devices. The benefits compound when coupled with electronic fuses, which simplify implementation while monitoring specific machine modules and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) technology for safe shutdowns. These solutions ensure manufacturers can meet productivity goals while minimizing maintenance times.

Power supplies can offer early warnings

A fundamental challenge in industrial settings is the unpredictability of the power supply. This is true whether machinery is operating in the Midwest or the Middle East. Machine faults, utility fluctuations and other issues can lead to costly downtime and

FIGURE 1: With the PS2000 series, Beckhoff enhances its DIN rail-mountable power supplies with built-in EtherCAT communication to boost uptime and assist in scheduling maintenance. Images courtesy: Beckhoff Automation

maintenance, early warning systems become crucial. Monitoring parameters, such as input voltage, output current and temperature, can detect anomalies that might indicate potential upcoming failures.

Early warnings ensure prompt intervention as well as enable proactive maintenance scheduling. For instance, if abnormal temperature readings suggest overheating, technicians can investigate and rectify the issue before it escalates into a critical failure. This approach not only extends the lifespan of equipment but enhances OEE.

Power supplies equipped with an EtherCAT interface can remotely collect added measurement and device diagnostics for comprehensive system monitoring. This allows the control system to access extensive measurement data and internal device diagnostics information and establish remote access to power supplies. Remote access via EtherCAT makes it possible to shut down sections of a plant in case of machine downtime or a fault.

This information adds to built-in EtherCAT diagnostics. Users can access the information via an automatically generated JSON file or dashboards built into automation software. Software options include built-in analytics packages that help to drill down and resolve power issues faster. Compelling use cases exist for equipment end users and machine builder OEMs.

• End users: This group often prioritizes robust diagnostics and performance metrics, as these directly impact operational reliability and uptime. They’re rarely involved in component-level selection for machines, especially for some lower end devices like power supplies. Selecting an EtherCAT-equipped power supply could enhance the ability to increase uptime and schedule maintenance. This means fewer missed deadlines and the ability to track down power issues in production environments.

• OEMs: While this group directly purchases the components, they’re often trying to be as competitive as possible. An EtherCAT-equipped power supply may come with a marginally higher price tag, but it provides cost savings in the long run, in terms of troubleshooting functionality, enhanced performance and increased longevity. Machine builders interested in pursuing machine-as-a-service (MaaS) models would benefit from the enhanced monitoring and preventive maintenance capabilities.

EtherCAT-enabled power supplies

These types of advanced 24 or 48 Vdc power supply options look nearly identical to their pre-

decessors in size, shape, etc. They have two RJ45 interfaces added to establish EtherCAT communication.

Real-time monitoring of input and output voltages and output currents allows operators to set threshold alerts, triggering immediate responses to potential issues before they impact operations. Transparent data exchange powers automatic detection of additional loads in the system. Using an interoperable fieldbus facilitates seamless integration into the machine control environment for comprehensive diagnostics and data analytics.

Temperature monitoring helps identify environmental conditions that degrade performance or lead to premature failures. Power supply efficiency emerges as a critical consideration. Devices that operate at more than 96% efficiency consume less power and generate less heat than similar devices rated at 95% efficient or less. Higher efficiency extends the operational lifespan of equipment by minimizing heat-related wear and tear. Greater efficiency enables finer monitoring and control granularity. Integrating these technologies into industrial automation systems empowers operators with real-time insights into energy consumption patterns. This enables plant managers to make informed decisions regarding energy efficiency and optimization. ce

This article online has another photo and text on UPS and reliability and future power monitoring.

Azad Jafari, I/O product manager, Beckhoff Automation LLC. Edited by Chris Vavra, senior editor, Control Engineering, WTWH Media.

KEYWORDS: Uninterruptible power supply, EtherCAT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Discover how power supply designs with builtin EtherCAT connectivity increase uptime through enhanced diagnostics and early warnings.

Understand the ways that electronic fuses in standard I/O terminal form factors reduce wiring, shrink electrical cabinet footprint and free up valuable floor space in plants.

Explore how uninterruptible power supplies reduce maintenance time and costs using capacitive and batterybased devices.

ONLINE

For more information: www.beckhoff.com/ power-supply www.beckhoff.com/cu81xx www.beckhoff.com/io

CONSIDER THIS

How are you improving power supply and efficiency at your facility?

FIGURE 2: The CU81xx UPS series from Beckhoff includes capacitive (left) and two battery-backed versions to ensure safe shutdowns.

ANSWERS

Stacy Kelly, Rockwell Automation; Jack Uhl, Convergix Automation Solutions

How to mitigate labor challenges with the right automation investments

With skilled worker shortages, manufacturers need to be more productive and more responsive to customer preferences; automation helps.

Manufacturers are grappling with a widespread skilled worker shortage at a time when they need to be more productive and more responsive to changing customer preferences. And while many manufacturers are investing in their workforce to find, attract and retain critically needed talent, they’re also spending more on automation infrastructure.

ers need more automated and efficient processes. This is driving more manufacturers to incorporate robots into their machines and lines. Industrial robot installations surpassed 500,000 in 2021 and 2022 and were expected to near 600,000 in 2023. But robot integration may present challenges. Too often, installing and maintaining disparate industrial robots requires learning a specialized programming language, which can stress already strained engineering teams.

Unified industrial, robot controls

controleng.com

KEYWORDS: Skilled workforce shortages, how automation helps

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Create uptime and productivity with automation, efficient processes and unifying industrial controls and robot controls to help with shortages of skilled workers in manufacturing.

Understand digital twins can accelerate time to market for manufacturers.

CONSIDER THIS

How is automation filling in your facility skills gaps?

ONLINE

With this article online, see links to citations.

Also see: https:// www.controleng.com/ system-integration/ workforce-development

Based on the 9th annual State of Smart Manufacturing report, investment in new technology is increasing year-over-year, with spending in this area up 30% since 2023. To drive business outcomes over the next five years, 43% of manufacturers plan to increase automation and 42% plan to adopt smart manufacturing technology. Growing investments like these are expected to result in automation accounting for 25% of capital spending on average in the coming years.

The selection and integration of new manufacturing technologies must be carefully considered. Machines that integrate automation are increasingly expected to do more than meet traditional criteria like speed, throughput and consistency. They need to transform how manufacturers compete by helping them optimize uptime and productivity, empower their workforce and accelerate time to market.

Optimize uptime and productivity

With skilled labor difficult to find, manufactur-

Using a modern industrial control system with unified robot control allows robots to be programmed and maintained using the same interface that’s used to program the rest of the machine. This can speed up deployments and simplify maintenance, because engineers don’t need to learn specialized robot programming languages.

Producing more SKUs in shorter production runs requires identifying ways to maximize throughput while minimizing changeover times.

Some producers are using smart motion systems with independent cart technology to improve their flexibility. These systems use independent, programmable carriers that free machines from traditional mechanical constraints and make it simpler to adjust to new production requirements. The systems may allow changeovers with just the push of a button.

Manufacturers can optimize productivity and reduce staff workloads using modern productionmanagement tools. A digitalized quality management system can automate quality processes, measurements and documentation. A modern computerized maintenance management system can add efficiently by automating work-order creation and data collection when faults are recorded.

SHIFT THE WAY

Make the move to smarter manufacturing in the era of Industry 4.0 with Graybar Industrial Solutions. Whether you’re looking to improve operational efficiency, harness the power of your data, or scale your operations for future growth, Graybar has the logistical expertise and access to top manufacturers to help you keep everything moving and working like it should.

ANSWERS

by working collaboratively and using features like libraries of reusable code.

Empower workforce, smarter data use

Insightsu

UPDATED advanced automation expertly integrated into machines and manufacturing applications helps fill skilled labor gaps. Courtesy: Rockwell Automation Automation workforce productivity insights

uAutomation uptime and productivity with automation, efficient processes and unify industrial controls and robot controls.

uUnderstand digital twins can accelerate time to market for manufacturers.

uLearn about empowering workforce with smarter use of data; transformation begins with integration of smarter technologies in smarter machines

Manufacturers are under pressure to get to market quickly without delays or disruptions. This is driving them to compress project timelines when changing, expanding or adding new production operations.

Digital twins, faster time to market

Digital twin technology can help speed up projects from conception to startup. Engineers can use a digital twin of a machine to streamline new builds or line changes in a virtual environment. They can analyze the machine’s operation more deeply and uncover opportunities like overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) improvements. They can use the machine’s digital twin to discover bugs and inefficiencies in the design phase when such issues are less costly to address compared to after the physical machine is built.

A digital twin enables virtual commissioning, which involves using the machine’s model to validate and debug the machine. This can help manufacturers avoid costly changes during startup and keep startups on track. Some companies have realized up to a 30% reduction in typical commissioning time using this process. Operators can use the digital twin to be trained on the machine virtually before the physical version arrives in the plant.

Machines can use what are known as smart objects, which use a well-defined data model to essentially make a machine information-ready and dramatically simplify its integration with higher-level systems. And by using a modern, integrated design environment, engineers can save time

With experienced workers retiring and qualified talent difficult to find, manufacturers need to get the most out of the employees they have. One way is by better utilizing data. Visualization and analytics software can turn raw production data into actionable information to give operators a real-time view of what’s happening in production. They can use this information to identify when they need to intervene, like when product quality starts to veer off-spec, and to uncover opportunities to improve productivity and increase OEE. A modern MES can provide a realtime view into the production lifecycle while boosting productivity and reducing the risk of manual process errors with paperless production management.

Using AI and machine learning, analytics can become more predictive and prescriptive. Operators can begin to identify issues like component failures well before they happen and plan maintenance to address them before they cause unplanned downtime.

Innovative ways of delivering information can help employees work better. Augmented reality (AR) tools can deliver step-by-step guidance for production processes and maintenance procedures. The tools can validate each step an employee takes and even produce visual overlays on a control panel or machine to help guide employee actions. These tools can be especially useful for less experienced employees, helping them be more productive, efficient and accurate in their work, while reducing safety hazards when they interact with machines.

Creating smarter, more capable machines isn’t just using new technologies. It requires thinking holistically about how those technologies – the hardware and the software – integrate to optimize all aspects of that machine’s life. By creating integrated smart machines, manufacturers can make operations more productive, agile and resilient to navigate the skills shortage and other disruptions that come their way. ce

Stacy Kelly is global director, OEMs and machine builders at Rockwell Automation, and Jack Uhl, is vice president, business development at Convergix Automation Solutions. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor-in-chief, Control Engineering, WTWH Media, mhoske@wtwhmedia.com.

Modbus documentation clarified, 5 reasons to use RS-485 with automation

Understand the implementation of Modbus serial communication, and its evolving relevance in a digital world of automation and controls.

What started as the internet of things (IoT) has evolved into Industry 4.0. Along the way we added an extra “I” for industrial internet of things (IIoT), and rolled in ideas about big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) for automation and controls. Behind these shiny new tools is a humble little protocol: Modbus (lead by The Modbus Organization).

Why has Modbus been successful?

Originally published by Modicon in 1979, Modbus quickly became the de facto standard for industrial communications. The following characteristics contributed to the success of Modbus:

• Simple, easy-to-deploy, open-source protocol

• Asynchronous serial implementation requires minimal processing resources

• Differential serial driver provides excellent noise immunity in harsh environments

• Support for long multi-drop serial bus runs (1200m w/o repeaters/switches).

Fast forward 45 years, and the scale of industrial network data acquisition, communication and real-time processing has exploded to a magnitude unimaginable in the 1980s. However, the IIoT still contains a lot of small things that haven’t fundamentally changed over the past four decades. Many edge devices and sensors, widely distributed throughout a system, require a reliable and low-cost method of reporting data to central “IIoT” controllers. Rather than deploying a ruggedized Ether-

net solution to pick up a few bytes of data, Modbus RTU offers a reliable means of communication that can be deployed with something as simple and inexpensive as an 8-bit microcontroller.

Five reasons to use RS-485

The Modbus protocol may be implemented on a variety of different physical layers.

Legacy installations may use TIA-422 (RS-422), and TIA-232 (RS-232) may be used in specific applications, however neither are common.

EIA/TIA-485 (RS-485) is the most common and versatile serial interface used today.

Five key features of RS-485 that make it well suited for industrial control communication applications are:

1. Differential signaling provides excellent signal noise immunity.

2. Multi-drop linear bus topology allows connection of multiple nodes.

3. Bus lengths up to 1200m (4000ft) are supported without additional hardware.

4. Asynchronous communication is simple to integrate with low-cost microcontrollers and industrial wireless transmitters.

5. Transceivers are inexpensive to incorporate into embedded controls.

How single-ended signaling works

Single-ended signaling is simplest means of transmitting a digital signal from a transmitter to a receiver (such as RS-232). In a single-ended network, the transmitter switches a voltage source on and off. The receiver compares the signal to the

controleng.com

KEYWORDS: Modbus for automation, Modbus tutorial LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand why Modbus been successful for industrial automation.

How Modbus works: Protocol tutorial overview.

Learn five reasons to use RS-485 with Modbus.

CONSIDER THIS

Would a tutorial on Modbus and RS-485 help with simple automation communications? ONLINE

https://modbus.org

In the digital edition, click on the headline for more details.

Other Paruch articles: https://www.controleng.com/ articles/how-to-choose-a-vfdfor-medium-voltage-motors https://www.controleng. com/articles/power-qualityharmonics-how-to-select-avariable-frequency-drive-vfd https://www.controleng.com/ articles/how-to-select-applyvfds-medium-voltage-motorstarting-application-tutorial

ANSWERS

common reference, converting a series of voltage pulses to the ones and zeros of a serial data transmission. Single-ended signaling is susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI) because all devices share the same common reference. When noise is introduced on the line, the voltage difference between the signal and the reference becomes difficult to differentiate, potentially causing ones and zeros to be interpreted incorrectly.

Differential signaling actively drives both transmission lines. This approach provides excellent noise immunity, because any disturbance induced on the lines is canceled when the receiver compares the non-inverted and inverted signals.

On a multi-drop linear serial bus, all devices are [typically] connected to the same two signal lines. The main bus cable must be linear, meaning all devices are tapped into the same bus cable, with no “Y” or “star” connections. The device “tap” conductors shown should be kept as short as practical so that the bus appears as one wire. The bus has two definitive ends, no more, no less. Line termination is shown at each end of the linear bus in Figure

2. The relative physical location of the client versus servers, or assigned number of the server node addresses is unimportant. The four devices shown could be rearranged in any order without effect on operation or configuration.

The Modbus specification ensures that a minimum of 32 devices (including the client) must be supported on any RS-485 installation. The limitation is a function of the voltage drop that each transceiver imposes on the signal lines, and the maximum allowable length of the serial bus. It is important to note that 32 is not a hard limit of nodes. If the node transceiver specifications are unknown, limiting devices to 32 is required. Modern high impedance RS-485 transceivers are commonly available with fractional unit load ratings. If all the nodes use 1/8 unit load transceivers, the total number of devices allowed is 256 (256 nodes * 1/8 unit load = 32 unit loads). Signal repeaters also provide a cost-effective means to increase the number of allowed nodes. An active repeater allows two fully loaded bus segments to be connected to operate as one network. In a custom IoT sensor network, a second transceiver to act as a repeater may be easily embedded into the device control design if required.

What is maximum Modbus bus length?

Maximum bus length (the sum of all the cable segments between nodes) on an RS-485 installation is generally limited to 1200m (4000ft). It is absolutely critical to use the correct cable. Improper cable specification is the primary reason Modbus (RS-485) installations fail. Modbus over 485 requires a shielded twisted-pair (STP) cable, typically 24 AWG. Not all STP cables are created equally. Also required for optimal performance is a nominal characteristic impedance of 120Ω, and a minimal conductor-conductor capacitance (<15pF/ ft). Belden 9841 is often considered the gold standard for RS-485 cable. If considering an alternative cable, compare specifications carefully. Other cable constructions (such as CAT5) will work on a test bench, and may operate marginally for months in the field, but will not provide the long-term reliability of a purpose-designed cable.

The Modbus implementation guide requires line termination on RS-485 networks. When termination is applied, it must always be identical at both ends of the network. In practice, there are tradeoffs associated with termination. The purpose of

FIGURE 1 Modbus example compares single-ended and differential signals. Images courtesy: Yaskawa America Inc.

FIGURE 2 Modbus example shows a typical linear bus configuration.

termination is to damp signal reflections – to prevent transmitted signals from reflecting off the end of the bus and interposing with the next data pulse. Each time the signal reaches the end of the bus, it is reflected and loses a significant amount of energy. After three to six reflections, the signal is generally attenuated enough that it no longer poses a risk.

Signals propagate down the cable at roughly 2/3 the speed of light. On a “short” cable, the signal completes six reflections before the next signal is transmitted, and no termination is required. As the cable length increases, the time required to complete six reflections increases, and it takes longer for the reflections to attenuate. In these cases, termination is needed.

The second variable impacting termination is the bit width. At 9600 baud, the signal has ~50μs to stabilize before being sampled. At 115k baud, the signal has only ~4μs to stabilize, making it more susceptible to interference from reflections. As baud rate increases, it becomes more likely that termination is required. Conservatively allowing for six reflections, a typical 9600 baud installation would not require termination unless the bus length exceeded 2800 ft. Each time the bitrate is doubled, the allowable unterminated cable length halves (that is, 1400 ft at 19200 baud).

For simplicity, many device manufactures recommend 120Ω termination on all networks, regardless of length or bitrate. However, resistive termination is not ideal on short networks with a large number of transceiver unit loads, because the resistive termination introduces a voltage drop on the bus. As voltage drop increases, the voltage difference between the inverted and non-inverted signals decreases, making the network more susceptible to interference. Few manufacturers implement the recommended resistor-capacitor (RC) termination (120Ω resistance in series with a

1nF capacitor). The addition of the series capacitor eliminates the voltage drop associated with DC steady state current through the terminating resistor – providing required attenuation of reflected signals without sacrificing signal voltage margin. The only potential drawback of adding capacitance is the introduction of an RC delay that may impact applications that require very high bitrates, in excess of those typically used in Modbus RS-485 applications (typically 9600 or 19200, seldom greater than 115k).

Line polarization (Figure 2) is not required. If implemented, it must be implemented only once on the network (often integrated into the client device). The purpose of polarization resistors is to “pullup” and “pull-down” the signal lines to known states when no devices are transmitting. Polarization is not generally implemented, unless responding to an issue.

When is Modbus appropriate?

For applications that require high speed and bandwidth, TCP/IP is the clear choice. For many data acquisition applications, Modbus RTU over RS-485 remains a compelling and cost-effective alternative. The two hardware approaches are not mutually exclusive – it is common for controller systems to manage TCP/IP and RS-485 device networks, depending on data transmission requirements. Modbus and RS-485 provide a simple and reliable solution to network many of the “things” that comprise the industrial internet of things and make industrial processes run efficiently. ce

Lucas Paruch is a senior development engineering manager for medium voltage drives at Yaskawa America Inc. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor-inchief, Control Engineering, WTWH Media, mhoske@wtwhmedia.com.

‘ For more about bitrate (baud) and mesh network expansion, see this article online. ’

How to meet sustainability goals, part 3 Examining roles of motion services

To unlock hidden savings, examine how industrial energy efficiency enables resilience and sustainability. Motor and drives services help maximize industrial energy efficiency.

The pursuit of efficiency, including the optimization of energy consumption, remains a constant endeavor, in the ever-evolving industrial landscape, and attention to motor and drive motion services can help.

Industries worldwide are continuously seeking ways to improve reliability and reduce costs. The Control Engineering July/August issue links to the article on Page 6, “How to meet sustainability goals, part 1: High-efficiency motors,” explaining how high-efficiency motors reduce costs, achieve greater energy efficiency and cut CO2 emissions. In the same issue, on Page 33, “How to meet sustainability goals, part 2: The drive for industrial decarbonization,” examines decarbonization strategies for carbon-intensive applications, emphasizing the critical need to address energy usage in industrial sectors. Industrial energy usage constitutes a substantial portion of operational expenses and plays a pivotal role in ensuring uninterrupted powertrain operations. Industry leaders must choose to embrace energy efficiency as a strategic imperative and recognize industrial energy efficiency as a cost-saving measure and as a pathway to resilience and sustainability.

Energy efficiency requires intention, collaboration

Recent reports highlight that energy expenditures across U.S. industrial sectors typically range from 5% to 20% of total production cost, with a significant portion dedicated to sustaining unin-

terrupted 24/7 electrical powertrain operations 1. This underscores the critical role energy efficiency plays in enhancing cost efficiency and operational reliability. However, achieving optimal energy efficiency requires more than intention; it demands strategic interventions informed by data-driven insights and expert guidance.

Businesses are increasingly recognizing the imperative of efficient energy management and turning to energy and installed-base risk audits as tools for crafting robust, future-proof strategies. Energy and installed-base risk audits provide a comprehensive framework for assessing energy usage, identifying inefficiencies and implementing targeted solutions. By leveraging energy and installed-base risk audits, businesses bolster profitability and fortify regulatory adherence and advance sustainability goals.

At the forefront of the movement toward energy efficiency is a commitment to innovation and collaboration. Forward-thinking companies leverage advanced technologies and domain expertise to deliver tailored solutions that optimize energy usage while enhancing operational performance. Such holistic approaches address the diverse needs of industrial enterprises across sectors, promoting efficiency and sustainability.

How to optimize the motor-drive powertrain system

A key aspect of these energy efficiency offerings lies in their focus on the powertrain as a sys-

controleng.com

KEYWORDS: Industrial energy efficiency, industrial resilience, industrial sustainability LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand that motor-drive system energy efficiency requires intention and collaboration.

Examine how to optimize the motor-drive powertrain system.

Look for transformative motor-drive technologies. CONSIDER THIS

What help do you need with getting the most energy savings from existing or new motor-drive systems?

ANSWERS

Insightsu

Motor services insights

uMotor-drive system energy efficiency requires intention and collaboration.

uOptimizing the motordrive powertrain system offers benefits beyond energy efficiency.

uTransformative motordrive technologies and related services help industrial companies achieve energy efficiency and decarbonization goals.

ONLINE:

BEYOND optimization of existing systems, ABB is pioneering transformative technologies aimed at redefining industrial energy management. ABB Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) provides the business insight to energy saving maintenance and equipment risk. The resultant report contains recommended actions to reduce and/or resolve risk to critical operation. Courtesy: ABB Motion Services Division

pioneering transformative technologies aimed at redefining industrial energy management. From renewable energy integration to smart grid solutions, these innovations empower businesses to achieve unprecedented levels of energy efficiency and sustainability, setting new standards for industry excellence.

tem, drive and motor combination. By optimizing the powertrain through equipment and configuration, businesses can achieve significant reductions in energy usage and maximize productivity.

Furthermore, predictive maintenance solutions enable proactive identification of potential issues before they escalate into costly downtime events. This enhances operational reliability and minimizes energy waste associated with inefficient machinery performance, enabling new levels of efficiency while extending the life span of critical assets.

Look for transformative motor-drive technologies

Beyond optimization of existing systems, motor and drive technology and services companies are

ABB Energy Savings Calculator includes new motors https://nema-energysave.us.abb.com/

• Severe duty motor NEMA Super Premium (IE4) design reduces motor losses by as much as 20% and up to 60% by adding a variable-speed drive, with extended motor life, less maintenance and more uptime. https://www.controleng.com/articles/ nema-super-premium-motors-severe-duty-enclosures-20-energy-savings

• How to meet sustainability goals, part 1: High-efficiency motors. https://www.controleng.com/articles/how-to-meet-sustainability-goals-part-1-high-efficiency-motors

• How to meet sustainability goals, part 2: The drive for industrial decarbonization. https://www.controleng.com/articles/ how-to-meet-sustainability-goals-part-2-the-drive-for-industrial-decarbonization

• Control Engineering examines how motors and drives help energy efficiency with expert articles here: https://www.controleng.com/motors-drives/energy-efficiency.

Software tools empower businesses to quantify potential energy savings achievable through the implementation of energy-efficient solutions. By inputting specific parameters related to their operations, users can gain real-time estimates of potential energy savings and receive customized recommendations for optimizing energy usage. Additionally, a lifecycle assessment provides the business insight to energy saving maintenance and equipment risk. The resultant report contains recommended actions to reduce and/or resolve risk to critical operation.

Industrial energy efficiency represents an often hidden yet pivotal means for enhancing cost efficiency and operational reliability. By embracing energy-saving initiatives and advanced solutions, businesses can unlock new levels of efficiency while advancing sustainability goals. Through collaboration, innovation and strategic interventions, industrial enterprises can embark on a journey toward a more efficient, resilient and sustainable future. ce

Article references from author

1 ABB. (2022). Energy Efficiency In Industry Report. Retrieved from https://library.e.abb. com/public/c2cbba078bbd4b5e94cd1742e58660cb/ EEM_Energy%20Efficiency%20In%20Industry%20 Report_A4_20220524_af_20220524_1648_af_DIGITAL.pdf

2 Energy Savings Calculator - ABB Motion Services - Energy efficiency and Circularity (ABB Motion Services).

Rob Snyder is local division manager, ABB U.S. Motion Services Division. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor-in-chief, Control Engineering, WTWH Media, mhoske@wtwhmedia.com.

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IRising to the Challenge: Engineering Leaders Under 40

Discover how these 35 engineering professionals are making a significant impact in automation, controls and beyond.

Amanda Pelliccione, Marketing Research Manager, WTWH Media

n an era of rapid technological advancement and complex challenges, the Engineering Leaders Under 40 program celebrates the achievements of young professionals who are shaping the future of manufacturing and engineering. This year, we honor 35 remarkable individuals whose contributions span a wide range of industries — from automation and cybersecurity to clean energy and robotics. Their innovative solutions, leadership and dedication not only drive success in their fields but also address critical workforce development issues, which are more pressing than ever. Each of these leaders brings a unique blend of technical expertise and visionary thinking, whether it's advancing cutting-edge control systems, pioneering renewable

energy initiatives or revolutionizing manufacturing processes. Their work reflects a deep commitment to excellence, continuous learning and community impact, inspiring peers and setting new standards across the industry.

automation and but also the collective

As we share their stories, we celebrate not just their individual achievements, but also the collective progress they represent in making engineering a more dynamic, inclusive and forward-looking profession. Join us in recognizing these outstanding professionals who are leading the charge in building a stronger, more innovative future for all.

Learn more about this program and how to nominate a colleague for 2025 at www.controleng.com/ EngineeringLeaders. Nominations open April 1, 2025. ce

Jason Andronic, 37

Senior Controls Project Manager

Quality Design Services

Okemos, MI

—Jason excels as Senior Controls Project Manager for Quality Design Services, having recently contributing to GM's flagship battery plant by coordinating over 250 engineers. His technical expertise in vision systems, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and robotics, coupled with his leadership skills, drives operational success and fosters growth in junior engineers. Beyond work, Jason applies his skills to home automation projects, maintaining his reputation for innovation and dedication.

Kaleb Baker, 30

Controls & Automation Engineer

Hargrove Controls & Automation

Mobile, AL

Fun Fact: Jason once repaired 30 alternators in a single day at his parents' shop.

—Kaleb is highly motivated and known for his detail-oriented approach and expertise in control systems and automation technologies. His adaptability and quick learning enable him to deliver high-quality results on various projects, from new installations to equipment upgrades. Kaleb has updated human-machine interface (HMI) screens to enhance usability and collaborated on designing safety control systems. He was crucial in programming and launching a new plant, ensuring a successful startup through close client collaboration.

Fun Fact: Kaleb enjoys working on cars and finding innovative ways to enhance their performance.

Steven Carlberg, 34

Controls & Automation Engineer

Hargrove Controls & Automation

Mobile, AL

—Steven specializes in system migrations, notably transitioning legacy Dow MOD 5 technology to modern distributed control systems (DCS) like DeltaV. His meticulous work in process control has made him an invaluable asset across industries, from oil refineries to pharmaceuticals. Steven's passion for continuous learning and client communication sets him apart as a leader.

Preston Clinemyer, 24

Hardware Design Engineer

Sealevel Systems

Liberty, SC

—Preston rapidly advanced from a repair technician to a hardware design engineer, showcasing his dedication and talent. He has led the development of custom intelligent platform management interface (IPMI) firmware and is involved in artificial intelligence (AI) server product design. His hands-on approach and continuous learning are key to his engineering success.

Fun Fact: Steven aims to visit every national park in the United States.

Ross Dale, 38

Senior Electrical Engineer

Continental Wahpeton, ND

—Ross’s transition from Journeyman Electrician to Senior Electrical Engineer has uniquely positioned him to revolutionize electrical controls at Continental’s Wahpeton facility. His contributions include designing safety systems and improving equipment efficiency. Ross’s hands-on experience and leadership have established him as a key figure in plant engineering.

Fun Fact: Ross began his career as an intern at the Wahpeton facility while completing his engineering degree.

Fun Fact: Preston has broken both of his arms twice, resulting in a total of 16 casts.

Andrew DeChirico, 36

Engineering Manager

NeoMatrix

Andover, MA

—Andy is an engineering manager and senior automation engineer at NeoMatrix, where he leads complex projects in industrial automation, particularly in the BioPharma industry. His technical expertise and leadership have significantly contributed to the company's success and growth. Andy balances his career with passions for hockey, golf, and homebrewing.

Fun Fact: Andy is an accomplished amateur chef who loves experimenting with new recipes.

Alex Garland, 36

Principal & Enterprise Account Manager

Burns & McDonnell

Atlanta, GA

—Alex is the Global Facilities leader for Burns & McDonnell in the Southeast, recognized for his work in advancing manufacturing facilities, particularly in the food and beverage sector. He led the development of a state-of-the-art "factory of the future," showcasing his blend of technical and leadership skills. Alex’s career is marked by his ability to drive client success and community impact.

Fun Fact: Alex enjoys golfing with his father-in-law, cherishing the quality family time and creating lasting memories on the course.

Michael Grabowski, 37

Senior Electrical Engineer

Salas O'Brien

Dublin, OH

—Michael is known for his exceptional work ethic and commitment to integrating safety into engineering solutions. He holds professional engineering licenses in 11 states and is actively involved in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) societies. His dedication to continuous learning has shaped him into a valuable asset in the engineering community. Outside of work, Michael is a passionate rock climber, finding joy in both the physical and mental challenges of the sport.

Evan Gonnerman, 29

Portfolio Manager

Concept Systems

Albany, OR

—Evan is an innovative engineer with a passion for finding revolutionary solutions to customer problems. His transition from Senior Engineer to Portfolio Manager has seen him expand a regional team and lead the successful launch of the evriiRobot. Evan is admired for his ability to unite customers and colleagues, fostering a collaborative environment. His dedication extends beyond work, where he enjoys spending time with his family and riding his e-Bike with his daughter, Luna.

Fun Fact: Evan loves complex and challenging board games.

Joshua Heater, 31

Proposal Delivery Manager

Concept Systems

Albany, OR

—Josh has progressed from being Concept’s first mechanical engineer to a respected engineering leader. He has pioneered robotic systems for various applications and is dedicated to mentoring junior engineers. His recent promotion to Interim Proposal Manager highlights his ability to lead and inspire his team. Josh is also active in his community, sharing his robotics expertise with middle school students through volunteer work.

Fun Fact: Michael is a dedicated family man who enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Katie, and their two children.

Joe Jones, 38

Quality Engineer

Rittal North America

Urbana, OH

—Joe excels in diffusing high-pressure quality concerns with logic, facts, and empathy, making him an invaluable team member. His dedication to continuous learning has led to numerous certifications, including a Six Sigma Yellow Belt and ASQCQA, enabling him to advance in his career. Outside of work, Joe is deeply committed to his family, coaching his sons in sports and celebrating their achievements. A former law enforcement officer, Joe transitioned back to manufacturing, driven by his passion for quality and precision.

Fun Fact: Josh is an avid soccer fan, supporting both the Portland Timbers and Chelsea Football Club.

Fun Fact: Joe once earned the Top Gun Award for best accuracy, reflecting his attention to detail.

Jacob Kaplan, 31

Engineering Manager

Continental

Lincoln, NE

—Jake leads capital investments and process improvements at Continental, significantly enhancing efficiency and reducing waste. With a strong background in product development and a customer-focused approach, he now manages both Plant Process and Manufacturing Engineering teams. Jake’s leadership has grown his team from two to seven members, and he has earned multiple patents during his career. Outside of work, he maintains saltwater reef aquariums, bonding with his autistic son over their shared love for marine life.

Fun Fact: Jake earned his private pilot's license while in college and captained the Arizona Shotgun Team.

Aneesh Karakkat, 38

Staff Application Engineer Woodward

Fort Collins, CO

Aneesh is a leader in developing control applications for turbines and compressors, managing challenging projects across multiple continents. He is recognized for his contributions to cybersecurity awareness, digitalization efforts, and his role in pioneering controls for renewable energy initiatives. Aneesh’s expertise is highly regarded by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and global customers alike. Outside of work, he enjoys playing soccer, volleyball, and hiking in Colorado.

Imran Khan, 29

Lead Solution Architect

Pipeline Technologies & Services

Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia

—Imran is a talented engineer known for his technical prowess and strategic business acumen at PipeTech. He played a key role in developing the WaveGuard Leak Detection System and securing major pipeline projects in Saudi Arabia. His contributions extend beyond technical expertise to strategic negotiations with customers. Imran is also an avid painter, finding solace and creativity in capturing nature's beauty on canvas.

Fun Fact: Aneesh is a big fan of classic motorbikes, appreciating their craftsmanship and history.

Jonathan Miller, 35

Automation Engineer

CDM Smith

Columbus, OH

Jonathan is a highly dedicated automation engineer specializing in water and wastewater control systems. As a licensed professional engineer in Ohio, he has held several leadership roles at CDM Smith, including Project Technical Leader and Ohio Region Area Coordinator. Jonathan is also a committed mentor and has obtained his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, furthering his expertise. His passion for mentorship and dedication to his clients and profession make him a standout leader in the engineering community.

Fun Fact: Painting allows Imran to shift his focus away from workrelated concerns and enjoy quality time with his family, who often join him in the creative process.

Kyle Moore, 39

Team Leader & Senior Automation

Controls Engineer

Malisko Engineering

Denver, CO

—Kyle is a senior automation controls engineer with 19 years of experience at Malisko Engineering. As a team leader, he has been instrumental in leading multi-year projects, developing project management processes, and mentoring junior engineers. His technical expertise spans across multiple industries, including pharma, food and beverage, and more. Kyle is also a dedicated mentor and has contributed to Malisko's core values and project execution process. His leadership extends beyond his team, impacting the entire company.

Fun Fact: Jonathan recently traveled to India to mentor senior engineers in CDM Smith’s technical specialist development program.

Tim Mullen, 31

OT Cybersecurity Engineer

Applied Control Engineering

Newark, DE

—Tim leads the operational technology (OT) infrastructure and cybersecurity business at Applied Control Engineering, focusing on developing resilient and secure-by-design systems. His career began in the nuclear power industry, where he became a cybersecurity expert. At ACE, Tim has built a core team supporting OT security, earning his Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP) certification and becoming a licensed control systems professional engineer in Maryland.

Fun Fact: Kyle helps maintain his in-law’s family farm, which includes raising chickens, goats, sheep, and cows.

Emily Niemi, 29

Group Manager

RoviSys

Portage, MI

—Emily is a group manager at RoviSys, leading the Life Sciences division with a focus on system integration and client collaboration. Starting as a software developer, Emily quickly advanced, earning certifications in PI System Infrastructure and AI. Her leadership was critical during the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine project, leading to her promotion. Emily’s authenticity and enthusiasm make her a highly respected leader in her field, and she is passionate about empowering women in engineering.

Fun Fact: Tim volunteers as a bike mechanic at Velocipede Bike Project, a do-it-yourself bike shop in Baltimore.

Fun Fact: Emily is highly active and competitive, participating in various physical races and competitions each year.

Robert Phillips, 37

Automation Manager Interstates

Sioux Center, IA

—Robert is an automation manager at Interstates, specializing in soybean processing and refining. Starting as an entry-level programmer, he has advanced to managing client accounts and leading an automation delivery team. Robert is known for building strong, long-term relationships with clients and mentoring young professionals. His contributions to digital transformation and his leadership within the industry make him a trusted advisor and a rising trailblazer.

Mohamed Poptani, 38

Automation Engineer

CDM Smith

Boston, MA

—Mohamed has made significant contributions to municipal water and wastewater treatment projects, specializing in control systems design and construction oversight. As the Automation Design Area Coordinator for CDM Smith’s Northeast Region, he mentors young professionals, develops telecommunications standards, and ensures project delivery standards. His expertise and leadership extend to advancing telecommunications systems in newer markets, making him a pivotal figure in his field.

Fun Fact: Robert enjoys hunting and fishing, particularly for the strategy and adventure involved in the process.

Angelo

Rabano, 29

Controls & Automation Engineer

Hargrove Controls & Automation

Birmingham, AL

—Angelo is recognized for his innovation in optimizing complex systems, particularly through his Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification. He led a team that significantly improved process modeling software implementation, reducing deployment time across multiple plants. Angelo is also known for his initiative in addressing critical equipment issues during plant outages, enhancing operational safety and efficiency.

Fun Fact: Angelo is developing a mobile game that will be an adaptation of a board game he played with his college roommates.

Vidyadhar Rangojoo, 39

Principal Engineer

Fluence Energy

Arlington, VA

—Vidyadhar is a leader in the clean energy sector, known for integrating machine learning with battery energy storage systems to enhance operational efficiency and predictive maintenance. His work has set new industry standards, significantly reducing operational costs while advancing renewable energy technologies. Vidyadhar's contributions have made a lasting impact on sustainable energy solutions.

Fun Fact: Mohamed has visited over 30 countries, with Tanzania, Tokyo, and Andalusia among his top recommendations.

Olajide Rabiu, 38

Project Manager

Salas

O'Brien

Dublin, OH

—Olajide excels in automation and controls with extensive experience in power substation design and engineering. A certified PMP, he has delivered cost-effective, technically sound solutions, saving clients substantial procurement costs. Olajide is also a mentor, fostering continuous improvement and innovation among emerging engineers, making a lasting impact on the industry.

Fun Fact: Olajide enjoys watching English Premier League soccer and is active in community service through his local church.

Jason Rhodewalt, 39

Partner

Barry-Wehmiller Design Group

Roseville, CA

—Jason has made exceptional contributions to industrial automation, particularly in developing a manufacturing execution system (MES) for the world’s fastest beer can line. As a Partner at Barry-Wehmiller Design Group, he leads complex automation projects and has pioneered a new market offering in data center automation. His leadership extends beyond his company, elevating the field of industrial engineering.

Fun Fact: Vidyadhar enjoys traveling and learning about global sustainability practices.

Fun Fact: Jason is a rugby coach and board member for his local rugby club.

Nicole Riddle, 32

OT Cybersecurity Engineer

Applied Control Engineering

Newark, DE

—Nicole has been pivotal in building ACE’s OT cybersecurity division, creating standards and training materials, and assisting clients with cybersecurity vulnerabilities in industrial control systems. She is a key contributor to ACE’s Cybersecurity Committee, developing templates and standards while leading major cybersecurity projects. Nicole also supports new engineers and helps customers maintain robust cybersecurity programs.

Tyler Robillard, 37

Director of Engineering & Manufacturing Operations

Feldmeier Equipment

Syracuse, NY

—Tyler progressed from Design Engineer to Director at Feldmeier Equipment, leading a team in developing innovative products and earning multiple patents that enhance product cleanability. His contributions to improving efficiency and innovating within the company have earned him recognition, including the Innovator of the Year award by the Manufacturers Association of Central New York.

Fun Fact: Nicole is a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and trains regularly, aiming for her black belt.

Aleandro Saez, 30

Process Engineer

Champion Cooler

Denison, TX

—Aleandro has significantly advanced Champion Cooler’s robotic systems, developing ergonomic solutions that improve safety and designing innovative evaporative coolers that enhance energy efficiency and performance. His commitment to excellence and creativity positions him as a leader in engineering.

Fun Fact: Aleandro is an avid painter, transforming discarded materials into Picasso-inspired artworks.

Fun Fact: Tyler enjoys camping with family and has a permanent site at a local campground.

Matthew Schoendorf, 31

Head of Joining Technologies

Brose North America

Auburn Hills, MI

—Matt leads Brose North America's welding technologies, driving cost-saving innovations and process improvements across multiple locations. His leadership has advanced laser welding technologies and fixture designs, significantly enhancing operational stability and efficiency. Matt's proactive approach to new technologies and his leadership within the welding team have been instrumental in the company’s success.

Fun Fact: Matt enjoys home renovations and dog training, which enhance his creativity and leadership skills.

Bruce Slusser, 35

Digital Transformation Practice Director

Actemium-Avanceon

Exton, PA

—Bruce founded Actemium-Avanceon's DataOps division, leading digital transformation efforts that optimize infrastructure and enhance operational efficiency. His expertise in supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) design and MES application development has been critical in helping manufacturers achieve their digitization goals. Bruce’s commitment to equipping teams with accurate data has driven innovative solutions across various industries.

Anthony Soellner, 35

Electrical Development Engineer

Innomotics

Norwood, OH

Fun Fact: Bruce recently designed and managed a complete home remodel using an architecture software program.

—Anthony is an expert electrical development engineer with 12 years of experience designing high-efficiency motors for heavy industrial applications. He plays a pivotal role in shaping industry standards through active participation in National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) technical committees and IEEE working groups. Anthony's work includes authoring technical papers and pending patents on motor heating, and he has conducted extensive training on motor operations. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, biking, and kayaking with his family.

Fun Fact: Anthony, who is fluent in both English and Spanish, is the first in his family to attend and graduate from a university.

Geno Triana, 38 Automation Engineer CDM

Smith

Dallas, TX

—Geno is an accomplished automation engineer with expertise in SCADA system design and cybersecurity for water and wastewater treatment facilities. His diverse background in industrial robotics, pollution control, and automation makes him a key asset to the industry. A licensed professional engineer in 10 states, Geno is dedicated to improving infrastructure performance and reducing cybersecurity risks for his clients. He is actively involved in the American Water Works Association. Outside of work, Geno enjoys running and has run several marathons and an Ironman triathlon.

Dru Vitale, 35 Controls & Automation Engineer Hargrove Controls & Automation

Baton Rouge, LA

—Dru is a versatile controls and automation engineer with extensive experience leading projects, commissioning systems, and solving complex challenges in real-time. His ability to learn and master outdated systems is crucial for successful migrations, making him a valuable resource on any project. Dru’s on-the-ground expertise and forward-facing client roles ensure smooth operations and successful project completions. Outside of engineering, Dru recently fulfilled a lifelong dream by visiting Greece, inspired by his childhood fascination with Greek mythology.

Fun Fact: Geno recently joined a Toastmasters club to improve his public speaking skills, becoming a more effective speaker and listener.

Caidey Whatley, 27

Controls Engineer

Hargrove Controls & Automation

Mobile, AL

Fun Fact: Dru is passionate about cooking and baking, often bringing his culinary creations to the office for teammates to taste.

—Caidey has rapidly advanced her career, becoming proficient in three DCS platforms and earning recognition for her reliability and leadership potential. She plays a key role in recruiting efforts, representing her firm at various colleges. Caidey has received quality awards for her dedication, obtained her Engineer In Training certification, and continues to expand her technical expertise. Passionate about mentoring, she has been instrumental in developing a summer high school intern program to inspire future engineers.

Garrison Wilfert, 25

Senior Engineer

Concept Systems

Albany, OR

Fun Fact: Caidey read 115 books last year and recently started learning bookbinding.

Joanna Zinsli, 37

Group Product Manager

Seeq

Seattle, WA

—Joanna’s expertise in the oil and gas industry has made her an invaluable asset at Seeq, where she leads product development with a customer-focused approach. Her career began as a process engineer at Valero Energy Corp., and she now serves as a Group Product Manager at Seeq, driving the success of key product rollouts. Joanna is also a co-chair of Women of Seeq, where she champions professional development for women in technology. Outside of work, she cultivates a miniature urban farm with her family.

Fun Fact: Joanna enjoys making jams and pickles from the harvest of her urban farm.

—Garrison is a rising star in automation and controls, known for his innovative solutions and strong leadership. He rapidly advanced to Senior Engineer at Concept Systems, where he tackles complex projects in various sectors, including aerospace for the U.S. Department of Defense. His engineering journey began with a senior project that developed affordable breathing devices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Garrison is a team player who fosters collaboration and values integrity in all aspects of his work.

Fun Fact: Garrison enjoys playing tabletop games like Pathfinder and Magic: The Gathering with his colleagues.

Engineering Leaders Under 40

Know someone who qualifies as an Engineering Leader Under 40? Help give them the recognition they deserve.

The Engineering Leaders Under 40 program recognizes manufacturing professionals under the age of 40 who are making a significant contribution to their plant’s success, and to the control engineering and/or plant engineering professions. Our research shows that finding, training and retaining workers is the biggest issue facing manufacturing today. The goal of the Engineering Leaders Under 40 program is to call attention to these successful young engineers in manufacturing and to show how manufacturers are recruiting and developing the next generation of manufacturing professionals.

Nominate someone at: https://www.controleng.com/events-and-awards/ engineering-leaders-under-40/

See past leaders online at the page above, going back to 2010.

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Valmet DNAe is a catalyst for sustainable practices, and it sets the stage for autonomous operations and a digitalized future. Empower people to perform at their best, reach and exceed your targets, enable path to autonomous operations and evolve throughout the lifecycle with the new DCS. Are you ready to evolve?

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UMass Amherst designs a multirobot team that shares situational awareness.

A new kind of collaboration

in the warehouse

BY STEPHANIE NEIL • EXECUTIVE EDITOR

The capabilities of collaborative robots, commonly referred to as “cobots,” could soon expand beyond direct human-robot interaction to include heterogeneous robots intelligently coordinating and interacting with each other.

New research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is proving robots can be programmed to create their own teams and voluntarily wait for their teammates to execute a set of dependent tasks. This new multi-team robot collaboration has the potential to improve manufacturing and warehouse productivity.

The research, funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects

Agency (DARPA) Director’s Fellowship and a U.S. National Science Foundation Career Award, is led by Hao Zhang, associate professor in the UMass Amherst Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences and director of the Human-Centered Robotics Lab. Zhang’s research on “autonomous group introspective learning and coopetition for cross-capability multi-robot adaptation,” uses lessons from the social psychology of humans to help teams of robots with different capabilities work together and adapt to complex situations.

When Zhang was awarded the DARPA prize last year to improve robot teamwork, he was already focusing on

two main areas – group introspection and cooperative competition, dubbed “coopetition.”

Group introspection would allow robots in a team to be aware of all their other team members, so they have a shared situational awareness of the overall team’s capabilities. To accomplish that, Zhang is modeling robots in a team as a graph to enable group awareness, and using conditional models that identify backup robots with similar capabilities to replace failed teammates. They are solving the competition aspect by simultaneously modeling cooperation at the team level and competition at the individual level. Cooperation tackles tasks that are

Autonomously transport materials up to 4,200 lb with the industry’s most comprehensive autonomous mobile robots and fleet management software.

AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE

infeasible for individual robots to solve, while competition encourages each robot to perform better and adapt faster.

Multi-robot mix and match

In a warehouse setting there may be many different types of robots and payload capacities: fixed in place robotic arms, mobile automated guided vehicles (AGVs), heavy-lifting palletizers, etc. The challenge, however, is coordinating a diverse set of robots for a common purpose.

“There’s a long history of debate on whether we want to build a single, powerful humanoid robot that can do all the jobs, or we have a team of robots that can collaborate,” stated Zhang. “Robots have big tasks, just like humans. For example, [if] they have a large box that cannot be carried by a single robot, the scenario will need multiple robots to collaboratively work on that.”

The other behavior is voluntary waiting. “We want the robot to be able to actively wait because, if they just choose a greedy solution to always perform smaller tasks that are immediately available, sometimes the bigger task will never be executed,” Zhang explains.

As a solution, Zhang created a learning-based approach for scheduling robots called learning for voluntary waiting and subteaming (LVWS) coupled

“There’s a long history of debate on whether we want to build a single, powerful humanoid robot that can do all the jobs, or we have a team of robots that can collaborate”

with a graph attention transformer network (GATN) that computes rewards for scheduling tasks to robots. LVWS includes nodes (robots) and edges (communication, relationships, or spatial positions).

According to the multi-robot research, collaborative scheduling is formulated as a bipartite matching problem where robots are assigned to tasks. These tasks are put into a GATN that integrates graph attention networks to encode the local graph structure and transformers to encode contextual information.

The resulting outputs are embeddings for each node, as well as global embedding for each graph which are used to compute a reward matrix used to perform bipartite matching.

To test their LVWS approach, the research team gave six robots 18 tasks in a computer simulation and compared

Group introspection and cooperative competition enables multi-robot teams to collaborate. | UMass Amherst

their LVWS approach to four other methods. In this computer model, there is a known, perfect solution for completing the scenario in the fastest amount of time. The researchers ran the different models through the simulation and calculated how much worse each method was compared to this perfect solution, a measure known as suboptimality.

The comparison methods ranged from 11.8% to 23% suboptimal. The new LVWS method was 0.8% suboptimal.

“So, the solution is close to the best possible or theoretical solution,” said Williard Jose, an author on the paper and a doctoral student in computer science at the Human-Centered Robotics Lab, in a statement.

The team has also demonstrated this method running on real-world robots.

Worth the wait

A common question the research team has received is, “How does making a robot wait make the whole team faster?”

Jose responds by describing this scenario: There are three robots — two that can lift four pounds each and one that can lift 10 pounds. One of the small robots is busy with a different task and there is a seven-pound box that needs to be moved.

“Instead of that big robot performing that task, it would be more beneficial for the small robot to wait for the other small robot and then they do that big task together because that bigger robot’s resource is better suited to do a different large task,” Jose explained.

Zhang hopes this work will aid the progress of developing teams of heterogeneous robots, particularly as it relates to the scalability of large industry environments that require specialized tasks. AW

Scan the QR code to watch a demonstration of the LVWS method in a manufacturing assembly case study run in a Gazebo simulation or visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zslbOXQXtSI

Hao Zhang

Williard Jose

in the automated warehouse in cybersecurity Mitigate risk

BY STEPHANIE NEIL • EXECUTIVE EDITOR

How to recognize threats, track critical data, and train employees.

Thewarehouse is integral to the manufacturing supply chain. As such, with cybersecurity threats on the rise, there’s an urgent need to adopt best practices that will ensure that the warehouse doesn’t become the weakest link in the supply chain.

As more automation makes its way into warehouses and more assets are integrated, there is a pressing need to safeguard the digital and physical infrastructure. This is especially urgent since cybercriminals are crafty and could use an opening in a warehouse as a backdoor into a partner’s network.

For example, in February 2023, Applied Materials, a semiconductor technology supplier, was reportedly the victim of a cybersecurity incident that originated from a ransomware attack on one of its suppliers. That incident cost Applied Materials $250 million in its second quarter that year.

No warehouse or fulfillment center wants to be a catalyst for cyber catastrophe. Yet, staying safe is not easy, as malicious actors are finding new ways to infiltrate organizations.

McKinsey has identified three cybersecurity trends that represent the biggest threat now and in the future:

• On-demand access to ubiquitous data and information platforms. Recent shifts toward mobile platforms and remote work require high-speed access to ubiquitous, large data sets. This dependency exacerbates the threat of a breach. And since organizations collect more data about their customers, such a breach could be costly.

• Hackers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to launch sophisticated attacks. Attackers using advanced tools such as AI, automation, and machine learning could cut the end-toend life cycle of an attack from weeks to days or even hours.

• The growing regulatory landscape and continued gaps in resources, knowledge, and talent. Many organizations don’t have enough cybersecurity expertise. The shortfall is growing as regulators increase their monitoring of cybersecurity in corporations.

With these trends in mind, it’s important to understand how to mitigate risks.

To get a better understanding of the actions needed to protect the automated warehouse, Locus Robotics outlined some best practices. The company makes autonomous mobile robots (AMR) for fulfillment. In June, it received the 2024 Fortress Cybersecurity Award in the Compliance category from the Business Intelligence Group.

Locus specified three areas of importance: understanding the threats, capturing the data, and training the workforce.

Bad actors vs. bad decisions

Cybercrime is growing and is descending upon unsuspecting businesses from all directions. There are nation-state adversaries that pose a national security risk in the form of advanced persistent threat activity (APT) aimed at targeted and prolonged network intrusion. There is malware, phishing, and ransomware, which are

the most common forms of attacks on business, and, as seen in the Applied Materials example, can be costly.

And then there are the employees who make mistakes – such as plugging a virus-infected USB drive into a system. Or simply taking a call from the wrong person. The data breach at MGM Resorts in September 2023 that shut down electronic payments and casino machines was initiated by a hacker group impersonating the IT staff, gaining access to systems via a call to an employee.

Fouad Khalil, senior director for enterprise security, risk, and compliance at Locus Robotics, is a member of a group called InfraGard, a national nonprofit organization that has formed a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the private sector to educate and share information on security threats and risks. As an InfraGard member, he has access to timely insight on threats to critical infrastructure, providing the knowledge and resources to not only protect Locus Robotics, but also its customers.

However, other threats are already penetrating the plant and warehouse.

“Artificial intelligence, I think, is a big security risk,” Khalil said.

The cybersecurity risks associated with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in warehouses can be broadly categorized into data breaches, system vulnerabilities, and compliance challenges.

While GenAI may boost productivity and enhance decisionmaking, its integration into robotics and other systems exposes new potential attack vectors for cybercriminals.

“The data that powers GenAI — often sensitive and proprietary — can become a target,” said Khalil. “Moreover, the interconnected nature of modern warehouses means a breach in one area can have cascading effects throughout the entire operation.”

To that end, the cybersecurity risks associated with this technology should be considered and steps taken to mitigate risk. (see sidebar).

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While GenAI uses data, robots generate it. To secure that data throughout the warehouse, it has to be tracked.

“When you follow the data, you understand where it is stored, how it is transmitted, how it is processed, and you have sufficient controls over those data elements to make sure that it’s protected,” Khalil said. “And if it’s not protected, then [you have to figure out] what action you can take to mitigate the risk.”

One way to mitigate the risk is to create a barrier, which is what Locus Robotics does with its secure tunnel of encrypted data used to share information. But constant infrastructure changes in a warehouse can affect the environment. Adding a network node or allowing an OEM access into the network, for example, could open the door to unauthorized network access.

“It sounds simple, but it's a lot of complexity that comes into play,” said Khalil.

While Locus Robotics builds AMRs, they are just one piece of the solution. According to the Wilmington, Mass.-based company, it has designed its navigation software with measures to protect customers’ proprietary data.

“It's a one-stop shop/blackbox secure solution that gets deployed to a warehouse that offers the cloud reporting, the onpremises reporting, the robotics, services, operational efficiencies, connectivity for the network, and everything else that comes into play to make it effective and more productive,” Khalil explained. “That black-box approach is what we deliver, and security comes through that entire lifecycle, from start to end.”

Awareness must be raised for security

Khalil emphasized that security is everyone’s responsibility – from the robot provider to the management team to the engineers and the operators in the warehouse. With all these different people in the mix, education is imperative.

“The first challenge that you find in our industry is awareness and acceptance that there is a risk,” he said, noting the shared responsibility model is important to understand.

“Every time we deploy our solution to a warehouse, we are accepting the risks that they're experiencing.”

Shared responsibility should be reflected throughout the ranks of an organization, as well. Security

awareness training is a critical part of keeping the warehouse safe from cyber threats. “Especially given the fact that employees are your front line of defense, they must be always kept up to date on all things security,” Khalil said.

And it's not just about training your employees to be cybersecurityaware, but also training everyone in the partner ecosystem. To ensure a safe environment in the warehouse and beyond, the entire supply chain needs to embrace cybersecurity best practices. AW

Locus Robotics locusrobotics.com

Mitigate Your Cybersecurity Risks

According to Locus Robotics’ Fouad Khalil, the cybersecurity challenges of integrating GenAI into warehouse operations are significant, but not insurmountable. Here are some ways to safeguard warehouse operations:

• Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment: Begin with a thorough assessment of the cybersecurity risks associated with implementing generative AI. Understand where vulnerabilities may exist and how they can be exploited.

• Use robust data-protection measures: Implement state-of-the-art encryption, access controls, and data anonymization techniques to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access.

• Regularly update systems and manage patches: Keep all systems, including AI algorithms and connected devices, updated with the latest security patches to close any vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

• Train employees: Educate your workforce about the potential cybersecurity risks and best practices for preventing breaches. A wellinformed team is your first line of defense against cyber threats.

• Have an incident-response plan: Develop a comprehensive incident response plan that outlines steps to be taken in the event of a cybersecurity breach. This should include procedures for containing the breach, assessing the damage, and communicating with stakeholders.

• Collaborate with AI vendors: Work closely with your GenAI vendors to ensure they adhere to rigorous cybersecurity standards. Understand their data handling and storage practices, and ensure they align with your security requirements.

AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE

Preparing the plan warehouse automation

BY CHRIS VAVRA • SENIOR EDITOR

Consider this five-step strategy for a successful move away from manual processes.

The warehouse industry has transformed from its dire state 20 years ago, to an exciting era driven by Industry 4.0. Automation, fueled by efficiency, drives global growth, especially in the United States. However, newcomers to robotics need a solid warehouse automation plan, according to Movu Robotics, a maker of shuttle systems and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).

Five current trends, including e-commerce growth and workforce challenges, are driving warehouse adoption of automation. Upcoming trends like actionable data and robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) also

promise significant benefits, reflecting continuous industry evolution.

Christoph Buchmann, sales director at Movu Robotics, outlined a five-step process for successful automation adoption. The steps include change management, a robust process review, software design emphasizing IT integration, hardware considerations, and meticulous implementation with worker training for long-term success.

The warehouse industry was in a terrible state 20 years ago, according to Buchmann. Today, he said, it’s a very exciting time, thanks to the rise of Industry 4.0 and other concepts,

which are fueling the growing trend toward automation and data exchange in technology and processes.

Automation offers great potential for manufacturers, Buchmann said during his presentation, “Mastering the Path to Automation: A Roadmap for Successful Implementation” at Modex in Atlanta earlier this year. “If you’re not thinking about automation now, you should start,” he said.

Five trends to consider in a warehouse automation plan Buchmann said five things are driving the acceleration of warehouse automation:

THE 5 PHASES OF TRANSITION

Movu Robotics presented steps to a successful warehouse automation plan. | Chris Vavra, WTWH Media

“The one thing you can expect is the unexpected”

1. Greater efficiency and profitability. It’s more costeffective than ever to implement automation.

2. Workforce development changes. The worker shortage remains a major challenge for employers.

3. Rising cost of real estate. Rather than build new facilities, companies are trying to make more of what they have.

4. E-commerce growth. The COVID-19 pandemic was among the factors forcing changes in consumer behavior and expectations for faster order fulfillment.

5. Food supply. The food and beverage industry has been using automation even more to match consumer demand and keep costs down.

While these trends are fueling automation’s growth now, Buchmann said five more trends are coming that will have just as big an impact:

1. Actionable data. There is more data than ever, and the technology has evolved to where companies can take advantage.

2. Accelerating technology. Advances in machinery, software, and now artificial intelligence are continuing.

3. Entry-level automation. Buchmann said automation was big and complex 20 years ago. That has changed. Now, robots are more scalable, more affordable, and less complicated.

4. RaaS. Robotic fleets have grown in manufacturing facilities and small-to-midsize enterprises (SMEs) are turning to the service

model to use robotics for their short-term needs rather than making the long-term investment right now.

5. Safety and sustainability. Keeping workers and facilities safer has always been a priority, but now companies are trying to reduce energy costs.

Five steps to moving from a manual to an automated process

Buchmann said there are many benefits automation can bring, such as better efficiency and throughput, higher profitability, better safety, and improved accuracy. However, he acknowledged that it isn’t as easy as pushing a button.

Buchmann described a fivestep process to transition from a manual process to an automated one. The entire transition requires a culture change, he said, and taking ownership and trusting in your partners and employees is key.

Management might approve, but the workers are the ones who will make a deployment happen, Buchmann added. It’s critical that the plan be flexible throughout the entire process.

“The one thing you can expect is the unexpected,” he said.

1. Change management

Putting people, particularly those who will be most affected, in a leadership role is critical. Buchmann said people are naturally reluctant to change, and they need to be persuaded. He said doing this with a heavy hand and making people feel bad about what they’re doing wrong right off the bat will shut down the conversation before it even begins.

Solutions for Automation and Robotics

Non-contact transmission of

– Safe and fast data communication via Ethernet Signals (Profinet, Ethernet

– High energy transmission (up to 400 Watts) –

WHAT’S DRIVING THIS ACCELERATION?

Five current and future trends are driving automation growth in warehouse facilities.

| Chris Vavra, WTWH Media

He said the trick is to encourage them by highlighting what they’re doing well and lowering their emotional barriers to new ideas.

“You’ll be surprised how quickly they’ll buy in,” Buchmann said. “Workers want to shine.”

By building on those small wins and having them own the new processes and technology, it’ll be easy to get buy-in on the ground floor, which is where change management starts.

2. Process review and design

Buchmann said developing a strong plan is critical because it needs to improve upon what is already being implemented. Having the right data is critical to success, and any potential solution is only as good as the data that goes into the design. Developing an automation plan on bad data or a bad process is only going to lead to a bad automated process, he said.

Gathering the right data requires an in-depth data analysis of the information most important to the operation and creating models that illustrate a full view of the four walls within an operation. It can also help uncover the nuances that make each corporation unique and provide a foundation to build success, said Buchmann.

He recommended that companies follow these three steps during the process review and design:

Assess current operations. Conduct a thorough analysis of warehouse processes, workflows, and technologies and consider future needs.

Set clear objectives. Define specific goals for warehouse automation and establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets to measure the implementation’s success.

Educate yourself. Buchmann said people involved in the project should engage with vendors and technology experts as well as evaluate the latest automation technologies to find successful examples.

It’s important to answer key questions such as “What is the automation

transition designed to achieve?” he said. It’s also worth looking at an alternative analysis and determining what is the cost or risk of not automating.

From there, the plan can move forward with a business case that provides a thorough and detailed roadmap for success.

3. Software design

Buchmann said companies should not underestimate the importance of IT integration because the most common reason for failed automation implementations is lack of it.

It’s a little more complicated because warehouse software can have overlapping functions and no fixed function divisions. That means each IT landscape of a warehouse is different. Companies need to find the right set of functions to successfully fulfill operational needs.

Getting the automated interface right and using a digital twin, which is an emulation and virtual replica of a real-life system, also can help as a tool to drive improvements in warehouse productivity and efficiency.

4. Hardware design

There are many types of automation equipment used in warehouse facilities. The four most common are:

1. Mobile robots

2. Automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS)

3. Conveyor and sortation systems

4. Stationary and collaborative robots.

Buchmann explained that there are many operational needs and priorities to consider, such as whether the facility should be semiautomated or fully “lights out.” It’s also worth asking about operational redundancy, adaptability, and scalability during the process.

Whatever the case, a thorough analysis is a must because mismatched technologies lead to inefficiencies.

5. Implementation and support

Now the real physical work starts, said Buchmann. The good news is everything is all set because KPIs were already established.

The commissioning and implementation process should cover the fundamentals, such as testing everything at all levels and doing performance tests beforehand. Worker training is also critical for a warehouse automation plan to be successfully executed.

It won’t be a perfect process and it shouldn’t be, but the issues will be minor, Buchmann said, as long as people know how to react. “Minor problems can cause downtime if you’re not trained for them,” he said.

People are at the heart of the process, and companies that realize and value their workers’ potential and take the time to develop a strong process will come out ahead in the automation race. It’s one they can’t afford to lose as it becomes more than a “nice to have,” like it was 20 years ago. Now, a warehouse automation plan is a necessity. AW

Christoph Buchmann, sales director at Movu Robotics, discussed how to adopt warehouse automation in Atlanta. |

Chris Vavra, WTWH Media

Unleashing Efficiency: The Dynamic Duo of Conveyors and Robotics in Modern Warehousing

In the dynamic landscape of modern warehousing, the integration of conveyors and robotics has emerged as a game-changer, revolutionizing how facilities meet goals of throughput and accuracy. This combination enhances operational efficiency and catapults warehouses into a new era of productivity.

Elevating Throughput with Robotic Precision:

Robotics, equipped with advanced vision systems and machine learning, are transforming the movement of goods within warehouses. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and robotic arms seamlessly collaborate, ensuring a continuous flow of items from receiving to shipping. Conveyors act as the arteries, efficiently transporting products between robotic workstations and amplifying throughput rates.

Dorner conveyors specifically act as the Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and robotic arms have redefined order picking. Conveyors play a pivotal role in integrating these robotic picking systems, allowing for a smooth transition of items from storage to packing stations. This dynamic interaction ensures that orders are fulfilled rapidly, meeting the demands of today’s fast-paced supply chains.

Dorner’s 2700 Medium Duty series conveyors are designed for AGV/ AMR compatibility, allowing for quick and easy integration of the technology

into existing conveyor systems. With a robust design, increased weight rating, extended widths, and a low-profile aluminum frame, the 2700 series is ideal for applications that require both speed and precision.

Precision at Scale: Conveyors and Robotics Driving Accuracy:

Automated Quality Control: Robotics with computer vision capabilities ensure unparalleled quality control process accuracy. Conveyors serve as a conduit for products to undergo automated inspections by robotic systems, guaranteeing that only defectfree items proceed through the supply chain. This not only reduces errors but also maintains high product quality.

Error-Free Order Fulfillment:

Integrated with robotic order fulfillment systems, Conveyors contribute to flawless picking and packing processes. Robots navigate the warehouse, guided by conveyors, ensuring the correct items are selected and efficiently transported to packing stations. This collaborative approach significantly reduces order errors and enhances overall accuracy.

Real-time Inventory Accuracy: In conjunction with conveyors, robots are transforming inventory management. Drones and robotic platforms equipped with RFID technology conduct real-

time inventory checks. Conveyors efficiently transport these robotic platforms, enabling swift and accurate updates to inventory levels. This synergy ensures that warehouses maintain optimal stock levels, reducing the risk of stockouts or excess inventory.

Looking Forward: The Future of Warehousing Efficiency:

As modern warehousing continues to evolve, the integration of conveyors and robotics is a testament to technological innovation. This dynamic duo not only meets the demands of today’s throughput and accuracy goals but also positions warehouses for a future of continuous improvement and adaptability. By embracing this integrated approach, warehouses are not merely keeping pace with the times but defining the future of efficient, accurate, and responsive supply chain management.

The Data Driven Warehouse

How real-time data collected at every touch point smooths out operations

Emerging technologies are revolutionizing supply planning, enhancing supply chain efficiency, agility, and resiliency. Real-time data and advanced analytics driven by connected assets and systems help identify potential disruptions, mitigate risks and make informed decisions. We will discuss key insights into today's supply chain challenges.

What are today’s supply chain challenges?

The constantly evolving global supply chain landscape poses a range of challenges for businesses today that can impact their operational efficiency and effectiveness. Here are the biggest challenges:

• Business disruptions and market volatility: Over the past five years, supply chain operations in various industries faced unexpected events, which resulted in reactive responses. This can impede the ability to meet demand, leading to lost revenue, increased costs, and a decline in overall profit margins.

• Demand predictability: Social media, COVID driven direct-to-consumer (DTC) models, market volatility, and now inflation have made traditional demand forecasting insufficient. Operations are leaning on outdated forecast approaches that also lag and fail to respond adequately to current market dynamics.

• Holistic inventory visibility and optimization: Inventory management is complex and dynamic. The end of 2022-2023 saw excess inventory across many organizations due to COVIDrelated supply chain constraints. This led to higher costs, lower margins, and waste. The long term impact will lead to lost sales, and loss of differentiation, loyalty, and market positioning. Adopting an integrated approach and leveraging advanced technology and best practices, businesses can overcome these challenges - improving supply chain efficiency and resilience.

What is lacking in today’s supply chain strategies?

Supply planning today involves technology, data analysis and stakeholder collaboration. While technical and data analytic advancements have been made, there are still several areas that need improvements in the industry:

• Accurate transparency of data

• Dynamic supply planning and execution based on integrated intelligence and automated decision-making

• Convergence of network modeling, scenario and traditional planning and planning

Businesses want to improve supply chain visibility, predict, and mitigate risks, and optimize performance. Incorporating advanced concepts can enhance agility and resilience, meet customers’ evolving needs, and optimize performance. Below are a few advanced technologies and characteristics that must be included in an organization’s growth plans for supply chain optimization.

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can help businesses analyze data, find patterns, and make proactive decisions to mitigate risk. Many planning solutions have already integrated AI/ML into their core plans, but further integration of this can enhance algorithms. This could include detecting shifts and anomalies -- optimizing execution, automating operations such as key planning processes and real time decisions, and more.

• Digital twins and advanced simulation: Digital twins and simulation create virtual versions of physical assets, processes, and systems. These outputs can be used to evaluate scenarios and risk, identify key constraints, optimize, and evaluate alternative configurations.

With data and AI/ML, digital twins can continuously evaluate supply chains and networks, informing businesses in an unprecedented way.

• Automation and autonomous systems: The targeted deployment of automated storage retrieval systems (ASRS), autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and other assets with IoT connectivity, RFID asset tracking and machine vision can mitigate risks ranging from labor shortages to inventory loss. Working in tandem with digital twin and AI/ML, these assets comprise self-optimizing systems that drive higher output and efficiency by learning from both physical and simulated scenarios in the connected warehouse.

The future of supply chain planning requires digitization, automation, connectivity, and data-driven decision-making. Organizations that embrace these technologies create agile, transparent and efficient supply chains that are resilient to market changes and disruptions.

You can read more in our recent whitepaper, Synchronizing Supply & Demand in 2023 and Beyond.

Innovations

See more New Products for Engineers www.controleng.com/NPE

Three needed PLC features; one of them is patented

The EZminiTouchPLC from EZAutomation is a miniature programmable logic controller (PLC) that includes a touch screen, a removable terminal block and ability to make online programming changes. It’s also available as part of a starter kit. The units are suitable for smaller machines, with a compact cabinet that integrates human-machine interface with a PLC. The modular design is particularly useful for maintenance. Like EZAutomation other PLCs and HMIs, the EZAutomation EZminiTouchPLC, has ability to edit a process recipe on-screen, a patented feature. The HMI is available in 3.5-inch or 6-inch TFT LED display, 400 nits, 75,000 hours of operation. It’s made in America.

EZAutomation, https://EZAutomation.net/miniTouchPLC

Remote terminal units, have onboard I/O, works in extreme settings

Red Lion’s programmable remote terminal units (RTUs), VT-MIPM138-D and VT-MIPM248-D. Equipped with onboard I/O and designed for uncompromising performance in extreme environments, the industrial controllers are ideal for a wide range of rugged, process-oriented applications in water and wastewater processing, oil and gas production and other advanced automation settings. The industrial RTUs can address up to 16,000 Sixnet nodes or 247 Modbus nodes per controller.

Red Lion, www.redlion.net

Wireless transmitter for field asset monitoring

The Emerson Rosemount 802 Wireless Multi-Discrete Input or Output Transmitter has eight discrete input/output (I/O) channels, each configurable as an input or an output. WirelessHART capability allows the transmitter to connect to a wireless gateway, which can link to a host, such as a control system or asset management system, via a wired connection. This allows the host to monitor and control assets remotely wirelessly. The new transmitter and prior version, the Rosemount 702 Wireless Discrete Dual Input or Output Transmitter, are the only WirelessHART-enabled remote I/O transmitters available. The transmitter improves safety by removing the field technician from hazardous areas while maintaining the discrete input and output control levels enabled by the host system.

Emerson, www.emerson.com

sustainable package designing the perfect

sustainable package designing the perfect the

From material research to responsible recycling, Dassault Systèmes’ 3D modeling software streamlines the packaging lifecycle.

Consumer

packaged goods (CPG) companies are under pressure to create more sustainable packaging. Now, faced with the inevitable move to environmentally friendly products, manufacturers are reassessing the materials, the packaging machines, and the recycling responsibility. All of which starts with the packaging design.

Dassault Systèmes provides software that can optimize the design process. Design World asked Raymond Wodar, the company’s global director business consulting for the CPG and retail industry, how the initial design impacts the entire product lifecycle — and how to start the process.

Who in a CPG organization is responsible for sustainable design?

Wodar: In a consumer packaged goods organization, sustainable design is typically a cross-functional effort that involves several departments and roles. The brand marketing function will likely define the parameters for the project and the packaging design and development teams are responsible for incorporating sustainable materials into the design. The teams need to work with internal sustainability or environmental affairs groups that will provide the goals

Stephanie Neil Executive Editor

and standards needed to achieve sustainability targets. Supply chain and procurement teams will also be involved for sourcing sustainable materials and managing the logistics packaging requirements. Other functions may involve advanced R&D topics like materials research and help from outside agencies to determine latest trends and consumer requirements.

packaging oem

Beyond materials, what needs to be considered when creating a sustainable package design?

Wodar: When creating a sustainable package design, several factors beyond just the choice of materials need to be considered to minimize environmental impact and enhance overall sustainability. The design should be optimized to minimize the size and weight of the package to decrease material usage and excess packaging while still effectively protecting the product. A lighter product will also reduce transportation emissions in the supply chain. A thorough evaluation of the entire supply chain will help us understand the environmental impact from production through transportation and distribution. This includes considering how far materials and finished products need to travel and the associated carbon footprint of that journey.

Considerations for end-of-product-life are critical as well. This involves designing for disassembly (if applicable), providing clear recycling or disposal instructions, and considering the lifecycle impact of the packaging once it has been discarded. Using materials that are widely accepted by recycling systems or that can biodegrade in industrial composting facilities is critical.

For a brand manufacturer, the cost profile of the package will be very important so that tradeoffs between material cost, weight, and quality can be properly balanced to provide the consumer a great value while managing internal product margins.

What are the regulatory pressures associated with sustainable packaging?

Wodar: Regulatory pressures related to sustainable packaging are increasingly influencing how companies design, produce, and manage packaging. These pressures come from various levels of government and regulatory bodies and can vary by region. Many regions are implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs that require producers to take responsibility for the Dassault Systèmes

Booth N-5623 N-5623

entire lifecycle of their packaging, including end-of-life disposal and recycling. Companies may need to manage or contribute to the costs of collection, recycling, or disposal. Several countries and states have introduced bans or restrictions on single-use plastics and certain types of packaging. Regulations might limit or prohibit the use of plastic bags, straws, or other singleuse plastic items, pushing companies to seek alternative materials or packaging solutions. Governments are starting to set targets for waste reduction, recycling rates, or the reduction of packaging waste. Companies are often required to meet these targets or face penalties. For companies operating globally, international regulations and agreements, such as the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, can affect packaging design and sustainability practices.

How can 3D modeling software help?

Wodar: 3D modeling software enhances the design process by providing a detailed, interactive platform to explore and optimize sustainable packaging solutions, leading to more effective and efficient design outcomes. 3D modeling software allows designers to create detailed visual representations of packaging designs. This helps in visualizing how sustainable materials and design choices will look and function in the real world before physical prototypes are made. Before creating physical prototypes, 3D models can be used to simulate how the packaging will behave under various conditions. This includes testing durability, functionality, and fit, which helps in optimizing the design for better performance with sustainable materials. More advanced 3D modeling tools can also integrate with lifecycle assessment (LCA) software to evaluate the environmental impact of packaging designs. This helps in understanding the potential environmental footprint of different design choices and materials.

Engineering Your Linear Motion Solutions Engineering

PBC Linear is here to provide innovative solutions through the development and manufacturing of linear motion components, mechanical subassemblies, and customized systems to meet customers’ specific application needs. Our diverse staff of engineers with in-depth industry knowledge and decades of experience collaborate with you to solve your linear motion needs.

Headquartered in a 200,000 square-foot facility in Roscoe, Illinois, USA, where production is streamlined and maximized to produce unmatched quality and designed specifically for the most complex and meticulous applications, resulting in ready to install linear solutions.

PBC Linear has the ability to provide smooth and reliable linear motion solutions for a wide array of applications ranging from very small pick-and-place assemblies and scanners used in lab automation to heavy-duty lift systems in industrial manufacturing. Other applications utilizing our components and/or systems are kiosks, unattended retail systems, scanners, printers, and etchers.

packaging oem

What does a virtual twin do?

Wodar: A virtual twin is not only a digital replica of a physical object, system, or process, but it integrates real time data, simulations, and analytics to provide a comprehensive and dynamic model that mirrors the real-world counterpart. The most powerful part of virtual twins is the ability to perform ‘what-if’ scenario analysis. This allows for simulation of various scenarios and testing of different conditions without impacting the physical entity. Imagine testing how a package will behave when dropped, or when stacked in a pallet, or when going through temperature extremes, without needing to use a physical prototype. This is useful for assessing the impact of design changes, operational adjustments, or environmental factors. More advanced virtual twins can predict future performance or potential issues based on historical data and simulation results.

Can creating a virtual twin using 3D modeling software accelerate the time-to-market for a sustainable package design?

Wodar: Yes, using a virtual twin created with 3D modeling software streamlines and accelerates the entire process of sustainable package design. By enabling rapid design iterations, accurate simulations, and efficient collaboration, it reduces the time required to bring a new sustainable packaging solution to market. Designers can simulate how different design changes impact the packaging functionality, sustainability, and consumer appeal without the need for physical prototypes. This includes testing how the packaging performs in various conditions. This highly compresses the time needed to validate the design. Virtual twins also enable the testing of different sustainable materials to evaluate their performance, recyclability, and environmental impact, leading to

better material selection and design optimization.

What are the other benefits of using a virtual twin in sustainable design?

Wodar: Virtual twins offer a wide range of benefits in sustainable design, from cost savings and quality improvements to enhanced collaboration and environmental impact reduction. By leveraging these advantages, organizations can drive innovation, optimize design processes, and achieve their sustainability objectives more effectively. Using virtual twins minimizes the need for physical prototypes, saving costs associated with materials, manufacturing, and testing. By optimizing designs and processes virtually, companies can reduce material waste and energy consumption, leading to lower production costs and a smaller environmental footprint. Virtual twins enable designers to fine-tune every aspect of the design for optimal

Christoph Burgstedt | Adobe Stock | Generated with AI

IE5+ Technology

Intelligently controlled, high efficiency solutions for conveyor applications

Reduced Total Cost of Ownership and fast Return on Investment

Reduction of variants through constant torque over a wide speed range

Ventilated synchronous motors for quiet, cool operation

packaging oem

performance, durability, and sustainability. This leads to higher-quality products that meet or exceed performance expectations.

What is the Dassault Systèmes product that CPGs would use to accomplish this?

Wodar: It is called the Perfect Package industry solution experience. The comprehensive solution helps CPG companies design and optimize packaging in record time. Capabilities include structural design, modeling and simulation (MODSIM), project management, specifications management, lifecycle analysis, and more.

Is understanding the production of the sustainable package part of the process?

Wodar: Yes, understanding the production of a sustainable package is integral to ensuring that the packaging is truly sustainable. It helps in making informed decisions about materials, manufacturing processes, and cost implications, ultimately leading to a more effective and environmentally responsible packaging solution. Different materials may require specific manufacturing processes. Understanding these processes helps ensure that the packaging can be produced efficiently and sustainably. For instance, some materials may need specialized machinery or processes that could impact production costs and the environmental profile. Also, assessing the energy consumption, water use, and waste generated during production is vital for understanding the overall environmental impact. Sustainable production practices aim to minimize these factors.

What is the responsibility of the machine builder in this sustainability journey?

Wodar: The machine builder's role is integral to the sustainable packaging journey. Their involvement in designing, producing, and supporting efficient and adaptable machinery helps ensure that packaging manufacturers can meet

their sustainability goals effectively. By collaborating with other stakeholders and focusing on energy efficiency, material compatibility, and innovation, machine builders contribute significantly to the advance of sustainable packaging solutions. Builders must ensure that their machinery can handle and process sustainable materials, such as biodegradable films, recycled paper, or alternative substrates, without compromising performance or quality.

In a circular economy, does recycling of the package come into the design process?

Wodar: Yes, in a circular economy, the design process is significantly influenced by how the package will be recycled. The principles of a circular economy aim to minimize waste and make the most of resources. This requires considering the entire lifecycle of a product, including its end-of-life stage. Key considerations in the design process for packaging in a circular economy include choosing materials that are recyclable and can be separated easily from other components. Biodegradable or compostable materials might also be considered. OEM

Find more packaging news, trends, and research on WTWH Media’s Packaging OEM by visiting packagingoem.com or scanning the QR code

Raymond Wodar Dassault Systèmes

Door Mounted Motor Disconnect Switch

• Dual AC/DC rated; see below specifications

• Integrated door or side panel mounting

• Rear facing terminals for easy installation

• Loadsafe RT Series

• Switch make/break operation is semi- independent from operator’s actuation speed

• Silver contacts ensures safe and durable operation

• UL 60947-4-1

scan the qr code to learn more

35 Royal Road Flemington, NJ 08822

908-806-9400 908-806-9490 (FAX) info@altechcorp.com

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KHK USA offers the broadest selection of stock metric gearing in North America. Designed for use in industrial automation applications, conveyor systems, packaging equipment, robotics, and general machinery applications, KHK’s selection of spur gears, helical gears, internal ring gears, gear racks, bevel gears, screw gears, worms & wormwheels, ratchets & pawls, gear couplings, right-angle gearboxes, and gear lubrication systems are available in various materials and sizes. KHK’s website offers free 3D CAD models for all gear products, complete product specifications, and 24/7 shopping. With KHK USA, stock gears are delivered from stock, with no minimum order or credit card surcharges.

khk usa inc.

259 Elm Place, Mineola NY 11501 516-248-3850

www.khkgears.us

PBC Linear is here to provide innovative solutions through the development and manufacturing of linear motion components, mechanical subassemblies, and customized systems to meet customers’ specific application needs.

Headquartered in a 200,000 square-foot facility in Roscoe, Illinois, USA, where production is streamlined and maximized to produce unmatched quality and designed specifically for the most complex and meticulous applications, resulting in ready to install linear solutions.

PBC Linear has the ability to provide smooth and reliable linear motion solutions for a wide array of applications ranging from very small pick-and-place assemblies and scanners used in lab automation to heavy-duty lift systems in industrial manufacturing.

Other applications utilizing our components and/or systems are kiosks, unattended retail systems, scanners, printers, and etchers.

Robotics Weeks

AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE

From mobile robots and automated storage to picking, palletizing, and sortation systems, warehouse operators have a wide range of options to choose from. To get started or scale up with automation, end users need to evaluate their own processes and environments, find the best fit for their applications, and deploy and manage multiple systems.

6402 E. Rockton Road Roscoe, Illinois 61073 USA

+1.815.389.5600

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Automated Warehouse Week will provide guidance, with expert insights into the evolving technologies, use cases, and business best practices.

ROBOTICS ENGINEERING

Robotics Engineering Week features keynotes and panels, delivered by the leading minds in robotics and automation, addressing the most critical issues facing the commercial robotics developers of today.

Combating the Changes of Evolving Automation Technology with Conveyance

In the ever-evolving packaging landscape, OEMs constantly seek ways to enhance efficiency, flexibility, and reliability in their packaging lines. At the forefront of this technological evolution is Dorner Conveyors, a leading innovator in conveyor solutions. With a commitment to integrating cutting-edge technologies and adapting to the latest industry trends, Dorner is well-prepared to continue as the preferred choice for OEMs looking to build or upgrade their packaging lines.

Pioneering Integration with Robotics

One of the most significant advancements in packaging technology is the integration of robotics. Dorner Conveyors excels in facilitating seamless interactions between conveyor systems and robotic components. Dorner's conveyor solutions are meticulously engineered to interface with a wide range of robotic arms and automation systems, enabling precise and efficient product handling, sorting, and packaging.

This compatibility ensures smooth operation across various stages of the packaging process, minimizing manual intervention and optimizing workflow efficiency. Dorner's conveyors are designed with built-in features that support automation, such as smooth transfer points, adjustable speeds, and the ability for real-time data communication.

Dorner's precision is the catalyst for this integration. Dorner's fabric belted conveyors utilize a v-guided underside of the belt, which tracks in the conveyor's frame to ensure that the belt is centered, ensuring that the product is as precise as possible to interact with the robot on the packaging line.

This integration allows for enhanced precision in packaging applications, contributing to higher productivity and reduced operational costs. Whether for a high-speed production line or intricate packaging tasks, Dorner's conveyors ensure that robotic systems perform at their best, providing OEMs with a robust solution for modern packaging demands.

Adaptability to New Technologies

As technology advances, the packaging industry faces increasing demands for flexibility and adaptability. Dorner's

conveyor systems are built with these evolving needs in mind. The modular design of our entire breadth of conveyors allows for easy customization and reconfiguration, accommodating emerging technologies such as IoT-enabled systems, advanced sensors, and machine learning applications.

This adaptability ensures that Dorner's conveyors can integrate with the latest technological innovations, making them a future-proof choice for OEMs. By leveraging Dorner's adaptable solutions, OEMs can stay ahead of technological trends and incorporate new features into their packaging lines without overhauling existing infrastructure. This forward-thinking approach enhances operational efficiency and supports long-term growth and scalability.

Superior Performance and Reliability

When it comes to performance and reliability, Dorner Conveyors sets the benchmark. Their extensive range of conveyor systems includes low-profile, sanitary, and heavy-duty models, each designed to meet specific operational requirements. With a focus on high-quality materials and robust construction, Dorner's conveyors are engineered to withstand the demands of high-speed and heavy-duty applications. Dorner's advanced controls and monitoring systems also provide realtime performance data, enabling proactive maintenance and minimizing downtime. This ensures that packaging lines operate smoothly and efficiently, contributing to consistent product quality and overall operational success.

Tailored Solutions for Diverse Needs

Understanding that every packaging line has unique requirements, Dorner offers customized solutions to meet specific needs. Our Engineered Solutions team collaborates closely with OEMs to design conveyor systems that seamlessly integrate with existing equipment and workflows. Whether you need conveyors for complex packaging tasks or highvolume production, Dorner provides tailored solutions that enhance operational efficiency and can help achieve your goals. Working with Dorner gives OEMs access

to expertise and a wide range of options for optimizing their packaging lines. This personalized approach ensures that each conveyor system is designed to address the unique challenges and objectives of the application, delivering optimal performance and value.

Commitment to Continuous Innovation

Dorner's commitment to innovation drives its continuous development of advanced conveyor technologies. Their investment in research and development ensures that their products incorporate the latest advancements, positioning them as a leading choice for OEMs seeking to stay ahead in the packaging industry. By partnering with Dorner, OEMs benefit from a conveyor solutions provider dedicated to pushing the boundaries of technology and performance. This commitment to innovation enables OEMs to build packaging lines that are not only efficient and reliable but also equipped to handle future challenges and opportunities.

In summary, Dorner Conveyors is a leader in providing advanced, adaptable, high-performance conveyor solutions for packaging lines. With their expertise in integrating robotics and new technologies and their focus on reliability and customization, Dorner is the ideal partner for OEMs looking to enhance their packaging operations and achieve long-term success. Trust Dorner to deliver innovative solutions that drive efficiency, flexibility, and excellence in your packaging line projects. OEM

For more information

on Dorner’s Packaging Conveyors visit our website dornerconveyors.com or visit booth N-5623 at Pack Expo International in Chicago.

NORD LogiDrive Complete Drive Solution

with New IE5+ Motor Technology

LogiDrive® is a complete decentralized drive package that greatly reduces engineering and commissioning efforts. With this modular system, the number of variants can be minimized, making maintenance easier and reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for the operator. The LogiDrive interface is intuitive and allows for easy control and monitoring of all units within the system. When paired with the NORDCON APP with NORDAC

ACCESS BT Bluetooth stick, LogiDrive systems can provide real or nearreal time drive status to proactively predict maintenance issues and keep systems running smoothly. LogiDrive systems can be configured with IE3, IE4, and latest IE5+ permanent magnet synchronous motors that maintain extremely high efficiency, even at partial loads.

Energy Efficient

• Compliance with the most stringent efficiency regulations

• Considerable reduction of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

• High efficiency, even in partial load ranges and at low speeds

• Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) technology

Variant Reduction

• Standardization of gear motor versions designed for intralogistics and airport technology

• Simplified engineering and selection

• Constant torque over a wide speed range through variable frequency drive technology

Service and Maintenance Friendly

• Considerable reduction of spare parts inventory

• Plug-and-Play technology

• Compact, space-saving design

• 25% weight reduction with lightweight aluminum housing

• Replacement of individual components possible

NORD offers unmatched product versatility, fast, reliable sales and support, and direct access to our engineering team. We also offer online tools for easy configuration and ordering of gear motors and spare parts, as well as 24/7/365 emergency breakdown service. OEM

Arc Flash Prevention: What You Need to Know

Rittal North America

Arc flash risk is a concern where energized equipment over 50V is involved. Not following proper safety protocols or having the right equipment for the job can lead to potentially fatal injuries.

It is important that engineers and panel builders design the enclosure system with arc flash prevention and risk mitigation in mind. However, it is equally important that employees working on or near the energized equipment understand the required safety regulations and follow them at all times. It is vital for employee safety to stay up to date on the latest information from the leading regulatory agencies including OSHA, IEEE, and NFPA 70E to help ensure energized equipment is properly marked and secured to help prevent arc flash exposure.

In this whitepaper, you’ll learn:

• Arc flash regulations and standards developed by the leading regulatory agencies.

• Common misconceptions related to arc flash

• How an arc flash forms, and what can cause it

• Best practices for posting arc flash hazards and safety protocols and why it’s important to always follow the posted guidance as determined by NFPA 70E.

Additionally, you’ll learn about safety recommendations from the regulatory agencies and solutions to help prevent arc flash exposure including information on proper personal protective equipment (PPE), lockout tagout, and energy isolating devices. Lastly, we’ll explore how engineers can build a custom solution to help prevent arc flash exposure and how this helps to keep employees safe.

Register to download the paper at: https://tinyurl.com/yvucewaj

Network security is not enough for OT data

This whitepaper explains how securing networks for operational technology (OT) is necessary, but no longer sufficient. Air-gapping is too restrictive these days. With Industry 4.0 and digitalization, enterprises need secure access to their production data. Network security is still important, but data security has become equally critical.

Network security and data security serve different purposes. Network security is like locking doors of a house to prevent unauthorized access, while data security involves protecting the information inside the house. Even with robust network security measures like zero-trust access and VPNs, vulnerabilities persist. For instance, malicious code can still spread from IT to OT networks through compromised devices or phishing attacks.

What’s needed is to secure data connections within the network. This approach involves using outbound firewall ports, resembling an “invisible mail slot” in a door where data is exchanged securely with zero attack surface. Technologies like Cogent DataHub, the DataHub Smart MQTT Broker, or data diodes can facilitate this process by establishing secure, outbound connections to support one-way or bidirectional data flow, as needed.

To fully enable this approach, Implementing a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) between IT and OT networks is a best practice. Recommended by standards such as the EU’s NIS 2 Directive and NIST SP 800-82, a DMZ can keep both OT and IT networks secure. Using data security measures alongside network security ensures comprehensive protection. Skkynet offers a range of solutions to integrate these security layers effectively, ensuring robust protection for OT systems.

Artificial Neural Network Technology: Enhancing False Alarm Suppression in Flame Detection

By: MSA Safety

False alarms in flame detection systems have long been a costly and frustrating challenge for industries. When non-hazardous signals are mistakenly identified as flames, it often results in unnecessary facility shutdowns, production halts, and increased downtime. These disruptions can negatively impact both productivity and safety, creating operational inefficiencies that are difficult to mitigate.

To address these issues, there has been a growing focus on improving detection methods that can significantly reduce false alarms without compromising the accuracy of real flame signal identification. Achieving this balance, however, has been a complex task.

In this white paper, we explore how advanced diagnostic technologies, specifically ensemble artificial neural networks (ANNs), are revolutionizing flame detection systems. Ensemble ANNs can dramatically reduce the occurrence of false alarms by emulating the human brain’s pattern recognition abilities, which allows them to differentiate between actual flames and other, non-hazardous anomalies such as arc welding, reflection off water surfaces, and other non-flame related environmental nuisances. By improving detection accuracy, ANNs can help minimize unnecessary shutdowns, leading to more reliable operations and lower associated costs.

This white paper also delves into the mechanics of ANNs as incorporated into MSA’s next-generation FL5000 MSIR flame detector, showcasing key advantages such as adaptability, speed, and efficiency. These systems have the potential to enhance industrial safety by improving the precision and response times of flame detection systems.

Download the white paper to learn more about how ANNs can help enhance flame detection reliability, boost safety, and optimize operational efficiency across a wide range of industrial applications. Discover how this innovative technology can help reduce costs and minimize downtime for your facility.

Email: fgfd@msasafety.com us.msasafety.com/flame-detectors

Sensors enable continuous disinfection measurement

Engineers

Endress+Hauser disinfection sensors for chlorine dioxide, free chlorine, total chlorine, free bromine and dissolved ozone make use of the amperometric measuring principle. Real-time measurement technology allows for immediate responses to process changes, optimizing the dosing of disinfectants and reducing costs. These chlorine sensors remain active and ready to measure as soon as chlorine is detected, even after extended periods without chlorine, unlike other sensors that struggle to provide accurate readings after such intervals. No costly reagents are required using the amperometric measuring principle, eliminating reagent disposal and the associated workload. An optimized polarization time means that the disinfection sensors reach a stable display value faster after commissioning. This reduces system downtime and extends production uptime. Endress+Hauser, www.us.endress.com/en

Precision limit switches, useful in tight locations

AutomationDirect added a variety of new Metrol limit switches to a growing lineup of precision limit switches. The mechanical limit switches have a repeatability down to 0.5 microns (µm) and are some of the smallest switches/sensors available. Their tiny size allows mounting tight locations. Precision touch limit switches with a 1-micron repeat accuracy, 90-degree straight touch limit switches with a 6mm smooth barrel, mini stopper precision limit switches in 8, 10, and 13mm flat head styles and high precision tool setter limit switches with threaded M4 mounting holes or downward installation options. Non-LED limit switch models are available for a reduced price. AutomationDirect, www.automationdirect.com/limit-switch

An industrial PC is an industrial tablet

Introducing the Simatic IPC MD-34A, an industrial tablet designed to tackle the toughest tasks. With its IP65 waterproof and dustproof rating and MIL standards for shock and vibration, it is built to withstand harsh environments. Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and running Microsoft Windows 10, the is said to fit complex applications, connecting with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular connectivity. Added features are a hot-swappable battery for uninterrupted operation, RFID and barcode scanner add-on modules and a range of accessories to enhance productivity.

Siemens, www.siemens.com

Back to Basics

CONTROLLER SPECIFICATION

How to choose the right controller for a manufacturing application

Consider the operational needs of an application during controller selection.

At the heart of any automated setup is a controller. However, the choice among a programmable logic controller (PLC), process automation controller (PAC) and industrial PC (IPC) hinges on a series of decisions dictated by each individual application. The distinction between PLCs, PACs and industrial IPCs are often not clear-cut. A simple explanation of each follows:

A PLC is considered the standard controller that is primarily designed for straightforward, robust control tasks. A PAC builds on the capabilities of a PLC, offering additional features and flexibility for more complex automation needs. An IPC can run the same software as a PAC but includes all the capabilities of a personal computer, providing extensive processing power and connectivity options.

Differences among PLCs, PACs, IPCs

The next step is to understand the differences between the controller options.

interfaces, such as USB and PCI, ensuring easy integration with everyday peripherals. Engineers can also use frameworks like .NET and tools like Visual Studio to create customized applications and interfaces for specific industrial needs. IPCs can also manage tasks parallel to the operating system (OS), enabling critical real-time tasks, such as control processes or data acquisition, to operate independently and concurrently with the OS without being disrupted by changes or updates to the OS itself.

Investing more initially can save money over time by meeting future scalability needs and enabling data-driven processes.

PLCs: The first semiconductor-based PLC was created in the late 1960s to replace the inflexible hardwired relay systems of the time. Today, PLCs execute pre-programmed instructions, often in ladder logic or other structured languages. They monitor inputs from sensors, make logical decisions and control outputs. Their cost-effectiveness makes them a popular choice for small-scale projects. Advanced PLC models can handle remote input/output (I/O) and motion control, providing flexibility and functionality for complex automation tasks.

PACs: PACs use exception-based logic rather than ladder logic and this allows them to handle events or exceptions as they occur rather than following a sequential process. This means they can manage complex applications, such as advanced process control and motion control, by responding dynamically to real-time changes and conditions in the system. While PACs generally offer more advanced functionality and better performance, they are more expensive than PLCs. As technology advances and R&D costs decrease, the distinction between the two types of controllers is likely to become less clear.

IPCs: An IPC is a rugged computer designed for industrial or harsh environments. It can support standard hardware

Which controller to choose?

PLCs are often chosen for use in standalone machine applications. Yet if motion control, safety integration or managing remote I/O are needed, a PAC may offer a better solution. For applications with advanced features or extensive software requirements, an IPC could be the appropriate solution.

However, if the total cost of ownership is a determining factor, investing more initially can save money over time by meeting future scalability needs and enabling data-driven process improvements.

Strategic upfront investments can, alternatively, yield substantial long-term savings and operational efficiencies, ensuring that businesses meet immediate growth needs and optimize processes through valuable data insight. ce

Tom Cash is director at Foxmere. Edited by Chris Vavra, senior editor, Control Engineering, WTWH Media.

controleng.com

KEYWORDS: Controller selection, PLCs, PACs, IPCs ONLINE

This article originally appeared in Control Engineering Europe https://www.controlengeurope.com/article/208050/Addressing-thecontroller-conundrum.aspx Learn more about control systems from Control Engineering. https://www.controleng.com/control-systems

Also see the Control Engineering article, “Select, install new controllers in 3 steps.” https://www.controleng.com/articles/ select-install-new-controllers-in-3-steps

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