DESIGN WORLD MARCH 2021 by WTWH Media LLC

March 2021 www.designworldonline.com

inside: MOTION CONTROL: Feedback on stepper motors for better positioning (and less ringing)

p. 82

ELECTRONICS: RFID comes to electric vehicles

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Back to the engineering “Super Bowl” Some of the in-person events I’m most eager to get back are the local, regional and national FIRST Robotics championships. For three decades, these competitions have encouraged young kids to get excited about robotics and engineering. Founded by masterful inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST aims to reorient our kids’ focus away om things like sports stars and entertainers — and get them excited about technology. I spoke to Kamen recently, as part of our Future of Design Engineering Series, and he focused on the fact that the only difference between this sport (FIRST) and all the others is that in this sport, every kid can turn pro. “There are right now, not a few million openings in the NBA or the NFL … but there are a few million opportunities [in engineering] … great careers out there, desperately looking for kids that know how to code, that know how to do analysis, that know how to work in the field of engineering and design,” Kamen said. “So, we give kids the inspiration to realize, ‘I can do this by doing it in a fun environment,’ but then they come through a season and they realize they could make a career out of doing this with bigger kids … to solve real problems.” Kamen’s philosophy is that if kids enjoy playing a video game, imagine how much fun it would be to design the game itself. That’s a way of thinking that more of us — parents, educators, the media, corporate citizens — need to communicate to kids. What’s more, FIRST is working with Disney and its Star Wars anchise to get more involved in the program. Why? Because kids are drawn to science fiction, and that’s Kamen’s hook. “In every generation, people come up with their science fiction, and they’re so enthralled by it, they spend a career turning that great idea into a reality,” he said. “To my grandparents, television was science fiction. When I was a kid, Dick Tracy had a watch he could talk over to. So, that was science fiction. Ten years ago, cloning was science fiction. We’re now manufacturing organs [with] 3D printers. So, if you think science fiction is fun, try the real thing. What’s more fun than science fiction? Making it real!” FIRST has grown to the point where it has teams in 191 countries and 3,700 corporate sponsors. But until we get the program into every school in this country, including ones in struggling school districts, we won’t solve the skills gap that exists here. Kamen’s own company, DEKA Engineering, employs 800 engineers, and he’s desperate to hire another 100 young engineers, so he sees how real the problem is. Please check out firstinspires.org and get your company involved — or donate your time to a local school. The next generation of engineers needs you! DW

Te c h n i c a l S u p p o r t

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Teschler on Topic R&D blues: Don’t blame education for flagging innovation Two recent data points seem to reinforce the idea that the American education system is falling behind that of other nations. The first comes om R&D World’s Global Funding Forecast which recently predicted that, for the first time, China will out-spend the U.S. in R&D investments this year. The second data point is om the Bloomberg Innovation Index. It ranked South Korea in first place when it comes to cutting-edge work, while the U.S. dropped out of the top 10. Bloomberg compiles its list using factors you might expect, They include money spent on R&D, manufacturing value-added per capita, the number of high-tech firms, and patents granted. But a large portion of the rankings are based on educational elements such as the percent of high schoolers who go on to college, the percent of the labor force with a college or trade school degree, and the number of science and engineering graduates both as a percent of the labor force and as a percent of total college and trade school graduates.

When the U.S. comes up short in international measures of science and technology, the typical course of action is to blame the usual suspects: schools and educators. There has long been hyperventilation over the performance of U.S. students compared to their international counterparts. The metric many critics point to is the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). U.S. students don’t do well in PISA. In the 2019 version, 30 countries scored higher than the U.S. in math. The U.S. also came in eighth in reading and eleventh in science. This sort of performance elicits a lot of hand wringing about U.S. education. “Critics tend to talk about how we are being ‘le behind’ by other countries, drawing links between educational data and the overall economic health of the nation,” says Fredrik deBoer, writer and academic with a PhD om Purdue. “These arguments ...seem to assume some period in America’s history when our students were doing well compared to their international peers. In fact, as long as we’ve had rigorous comparisons among countries....America has performed rather dismally.”

deBoer refers to work by sociologist David E. Drew at the Claremont Graduate University who has studied international test scores back through the 1960s. Drew reports that in 1965, the Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement had students om 12 countries solve 70 problems. Among math students, the top scoring countries were Israel, England, Belgium, and France. U.S. students placed last. The results were similar in 1982 when twel h-graders were assessed on number systems, sets and relations, algebra, geometry, elementary functions and calculus, and probability and statistics. Hong Kong students scored best, Japan was second, and the U.S. ranked last among advanced industrial countries. The bigger point, says deBoer, is that the U.S. managed to put men on the moon, win the cold war, create PC and Internet revolutions, and win numerous Nobel Prizes, all with high school students who didn’t do well on international tests. All in all, there are plenty of reasons not to eak out over less than stellar U.S. test scores. And perhaps the same could be said about innovation rankings that use educational metrics as part of their yardstick. DW

Leland Teschler • Executive Editor lteschler@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_LeeTeschler

March 2021

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Technology Forward

The state of IoT It’s been 10 years since the idea of the Internet of Things (IoT) was introduced to the world. At that time, proponents were confident the world would see 50 billion interconnected devices by 2020. Well, 2020 has come and gone and we are not there yet. According to Professor William Webb, author of the book The Internet of Things Myth, there’s no way to really know how many interconnected devices we have today, but he’s estimating its closer to 8.5 billion. Webb was a guest speaker at the recent Advantech Connect Online Partner Conference. Advantech is working on the concept of an Intelligent Planet using billions of interconnected devices. Webb thinks we will eventually get to that magic number of 50 billion interconnected devices, but that it will take more time. But the present results beg the questions: what went wrong and why is it taking so long? Webb points to several issues, but here are two: too many people had a too simplistic view of what was needed to connect so many devices. The issue here is the range of network options available, om wireless, WiFi6, LoRaWAN, to 5G and others. The professor notes that there are too

many competing technologies and designers can’t put them all in a design as options for customers. The other point is that a CEO must examine nearly every aspect of company business practices to successfully take full advantage of the IoT, and o en that examination leads to a near total revamp of the business model. To me, it seems as though the goal has moved. The goal used to be about wringing out more operational efficiency. Now, proponents talk of every business, every city, everything people do being interconnected to solve present and future problems and deliver a better life for everyone. Some of the trends coming to achieve this lo y goal include adding AI to IoT. Forecasters predict that the AIoT market (AI combined with IoT) will reach $450 billion by 2025. Some think we will see 8 billion AI capable devices by 2025. Professor Webb noted that in the future, AI may be valuable but it will not resolve all IoT issues. The use of AI to look for correlations between all the data is fine. But the critical issue is getting the data, and there’s still a way to go there. As for 5G, Webb notes that throwing 5G at the problem may do more to confuse the issue than help, especially with sensors. 5G might be a type of connectivity that is not

needed there. Edge computing is touted as an answer with concepts like edge analytics with AI, edge virtualization, and so on. Video based AI is gaining traction, again to deliver data and insights. But security issues are an obstacle to IoT, especially with edge devices. With the potential for so many interconnected devices, businesses are reluctant to commit until all that transmitted data are secure. SaaS is seen as a possible solution here. As Webb noted, for many CEOs, there are too many steps to take that can fundamentally change a business model just to make IoT work, and most are not willing to do that yet. What is really needed is for proponents of the IoT to deliver complete solutions that add value. One key point made during the conference was the acknowledgement that no one company can offer all IoT solutions alone. You’ll see an approach similar to what Advantech is doing, which is to develop partnerships with a number of companies. The goal of interconnecting all devices has been an ongoing project since the early 1980s. Its progression has pretty much been by inches, not leaps, each decade. It will be interesting to see where we are ten years om now. DW

Leslie Langnau llangnau@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_3Dprinting

March 2021

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Green Engineering Paul J. Heney

• VP, Editorial Director

A focus on sustainability in shipping Plastic is a serious problem in the 21st Century. This is not due to the raw materials or production processes, but to the fact that 32% of plastic packaging worldwide is not recovered (whether by landfill, incineration or recycling). A complete decomposition of plastics takes several centuries. Plus, plastic merely disintegrates into ever smaller particles, which ultimately find their way into the human body via the food chain. The best strategy to combat plastic waste, including in the oceans, is undeniably to avoid plastic products and to replace them with 100% biodegradable alternatives made om renewable raw materials, such as paper. German-based IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH has taken up this topic. The industrial camera manufacturer’s shipping department uses only paper now. Fillers for cartons were converted om bubble wrap to paper. A specially purchased packaging machine produces creped filling material in the desired length om normal, smooth paper layers. Even delivery note envelopes are all in paper form. An alternative to plastic adhesive tape is currently being tested in order to feed shipping cartons into the recycling cycle largely ee of plastic. “These measures have already enabled us to replace 95% of the original plastic materials in the logistics/shipping area,” said Logistics Manager Kai Schrödter. But it is not only plastic- ee shipping that plays a role for the camera manufacturer. The topic of recycling is also very important. “We reuse all fillers we receive om customers instead of simply throwing them away,” Schrödter said. “In the future, all used cardboard boxes will also be pressed into bales directly at our premises and then used to produce new recycled cartons.” In this way, IDS makes an economic contribution to sustainability. In addition, the company makes sure that all paper materials used in shipping are already purchased as recycled products.

March 2021

Green.Engineering.3-21.Vs1.indd 10

“This has already enabled us to save a considerable amount of plastic waste at our customers in 2019. In 2020, this is likely to rise even further,” said Sebastian Liepe, Head of Quality Assurance. At the same time, the intelligent use of raw materials alone increases the profitability of the entire packaging sector. In the near future, the manufacturer is planning further measures to conserve resources, such as CO2-neutral shipping. Switching to a shipping service provider that relies on electric mobility on the road directly avoids CO2 emissions. If goods have to be shipped to other countries by air, newly created green spaces, for example, provide the necessary compensation. The company says it is convinced that the changeover to sustainable action is the only right way forward and tries to develop resource-saving solutions together with business partners. DW

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Contents 3 • 2021

•

vol 16 no 3

•

designworldonline.com

| AdobeStock

104 82 _MOTION CONTROL

94 _INTERNET OF THINGS

Feedback on stepper motors for better positioning (and less ringing)

Are you ready for 5G yet?

A Supplement to Design World - March 2021 www.therobotreport.com

5G will soon be deployed with its full set of features. As a communication tool, it puts more functionality in our hands than we’ve ever had before. Will we be ready for it, when it is ready for us?

How ActiNav

automated a challenging bin-picking task page 54

100 _SENSORS

What are the different types of light sensors?

• Q & A: Greg Smith, President, Teradyne Industrial Automation Group ........................72

ROBOT_REPORT_COVER_3-21_Vs2.indd 53

Photosensors are one of the most commonly used sensors in electronic applications. Here’s a look at your options.

3/8/21 11:11 AM

53-80

104 _ELECTRONICS RFID comes to electric vehicles

88 _LINEAR MOTION

RFID tags will play a role in fielding the next generation of vehicles having electric powertrains.

Encoders hold the line

New linear encoders beef up resistance to harsh environments, while offering up nanometer-level precision.

A Z B E E S A S B P E Aw a r d s o f E x c e l l e n c e

ON THE COVER Upgraded Gap Inc. distribution center uses new split tray sortation solutions to take on difficult-to-transport products using PC Control and EtherCAT.

March 2021

CONTENTS.3-21_Vs4.LL.indd 12

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DESIGN WORLD

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| courtesy

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2/10/21 2:28 AM PM 3/8/21 9:49

3.21

• contents departments

THIN ENOUGH?

Insights

Teschler on Topic

Technology Forward

Green Engineering

Design For Industry

Design Notes

CAE Solutions

Internet of Things

109

Product World

112

Ad Index

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March 2021

DESIGN WORLD

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Follow the whole team on twitter @DesignWorld

EDITORIAL

VP, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney pheney@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_paulheney Senior Contributing Editor Leslie Langnau llangnau@wtwhmedia.com @dw_3dprinting Executive Editor Leland Teschler lteschler@wtwhmedia.com @dw_leeteschler Executive Editor Lisa Eitel leitel@wtwhmedia.com @dw_lisaeitel

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Design for Industry Aerospace

No mission is impossible when you’ve got the right scanner. | Tech Strake

3D scanning ensures cameras will mount to helicopters Loretta Marie Perera

The field of customizing aircra is growing. Companies like Tech Strake, specialize in aircra customization in Japan. According to CEO Masakazu Hikichi, aircra customization enables an ordinary aircra like a helicopter to be used in specific applications, such as rescue, police operations, and terrain scanning. Adding a camera to a helicopter may seem like a simple assignment, but it’s not. In many cases, the camera must face down and diagonally to capture aerial views beneath it. Such a placement requires firm anchoring to the aircra undercarriage, which requires a high level of detail and customization. “Different industries need a custom mount, and a lot of the time, such a mount may not be easily available,” Hikichi explained. “For safe installation and to reduce the risk of dangerous flight or something falling off, these large mounts must be custom-built.” For Hikichi, who has been using 3D scanning for more than a decade – eight years as an employee and for five years as the CEO of his own company, with equent use of Artec Eva – the idea of using 3D scanning to get the mounting details immediately came to mind.

March 2021

DFI.3-21_Vs4.LL.indd 16

“When this project came up, as a long-time user of this technology, I already knew how accurate a 3D model I could get out of 3D scanning,” he said. Teaming up with Artec Ambassador in Japan DataDesign Co., Ltd., a 3D scanning plan was formulated. Because of the focus on highly specific parts as well as larger surface areas, a combination of Artec Eva and Artec Space Spider was used – Eva for capturing the entire aircra , and Space Spider for zooming in to capture smaller details. “Eva is light and easy to carry around,” Hikichi said. “It gets into tight spaces and still has a wide field of view and distance, while Space Spider can get into small crevices, and into parts with very small spaces, while still producing a highly accurate scan.” The flagship scanner of Artec 3D, Artec Eva holds rank as the company’s most popular scanner with its light weight, ease of use, and versatility. The structured-light 3D scanner is suited for quick and accurate scans of medium-sized objects, ranging om car engines, to a human body, to furniture. The process For Tech Strake’s field of work, where specialization is key and accuracy essential, 3D scanning has become vital for streamlined

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3/10/21 8:11 AM

Scan data had to be combined for a full 3D model. | Tech Strake

processing of one-off items like mounts, racks, or rigs for helicopters. “The biggest benefit is the accuracy we can get for measurements of complicated surfaces, like the very small parts that you need for precise measurements around for the best fit.” This, he said, is difficult to do without 3D scanning, and results in wasted time in manufacturing parts that don’t fit right, which then requires reworking. First designed for use on the International Space Station, the Space Spider can capture mechanical parts and complex geometries in high resolution, with submillimeter accuracy and vivid color. Sharp edges and thin ribs are no match for the Space Spider, which captures objects with intricate details such as keys, coins, and tiny machine parts. The entire scanning process took no more than 10 hours – this included the setup required for scanning the inside and outside of the aircra . A er this massive task, scan processing began in Artec Studio: alignment, global registration, erasing unwanted geometry, noise processing, and sharp fusion. Once the scanning and initial processing were complete, the data were worked on further. “We synthesized each data set, converted it to CAD data with Geomagic Design X, then used SOLIDWORKS to design the special gear,” he elaborated. In SOLIDWORKS, the camera mount was designed and modeled around the 3D model that was imported to reverse model the part, keeping every surface and corner of the helicopter in mind. A er

The camera mount successfully reverse modeled. | Tech Strake DESIGN WORLD

DFI.3-21_Vs4.LL.indd 17

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*Optional fiber sheet shown installed.

3/8/21 9:51 AM

Every angle of the aircra – both inside and out – had to be scanned. | Tech Strake

that, the camera mount model was converted to machining data. During the machining process, cutting tools remove excess material om a block of aluminum following a computerized path guided by the 3D model. With this combination of 3D scanning and reverse modeling, the team was able to get the best possible fit. Improvements incoming By scanning surfaces both large and small, the scanners have improved the process for the Tech Strake team. “Before buying our Artec scanners, we would carry out manual measurements using calipers and molding using plaster,” Hikichi explained. “Especially when plaster was used, there was a limit to its capabilities and could not be molded cleanly due to dripping, and the efficiency of manual measurement was poor.” “The Eva and Space Spider 3D scanners have not only massively reduced repetitive work, they have also greatly improved accuracy of data acquisition,” said Hikichi. “In addition, the scanners are highly portable and can be used to scan anywhere, including narrow spaces that were previously difficult to measure.” “Compared to conventional construction methods, accuracy has been improved om the millimeter to the sub-millimeter level,” Hikichi said, “Therefore, we can greatly reduce rework as much as possible, and as a result, the total man-hours have been greatly reduced.” Previously, he added, it would take several months to complete and produce a specific part for an aircra . Now, everything is ready in two weeks. This doesn’t just save time; it saves cost, too. The Tech Strake team isn’t stopping here – they’ve got their sights set on more scanning opportunities, with plans to use Artec 3D’s new HD Mode and more scanners in the future. DW

Artec3D www.artec3d.com

DESIGN WORLD

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March 2021

3/10/21 8:12 AM

Design for Industry Aerospace

Stick the landing Seals are critical components for flight controls and landing gear in aircra . A new generation seal offers enhanced sealing efficiency, easier installation, and greater reliability. Extensive testing of the Turcon VL Seal II for hydraulic sealing proves its ‘zero’ leakage performance, to extend service life and minimize planned maintenance. Based on the Turcon VL Seal, the new seal went through a range of tests, including rapid multi-million cycle testing on an advanced test bench that achieves pressure rise rates of up to 360,000 psi per second, and enables accelerated high equency cycling up to 5 Hz, under maximum pressure or extreme temperature conditions. Compared to the Turcon VL Seal, the Turcon VL Seal II back-pumping performance more than doubled up to 3,000 psi and nearly doubled at pressures up to 5,000 psi. Accumulative leakage was around 4 milliliters less and significantly lower (around a half) om 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 cycles. Turcon VL Seal II is a unidirectional rod seal for reciprocating movements, consisting of an “L” shaped Turcon jacket energized by an O-Ring. The seal design combines the back pumping capability of the Turcon VL Seal with new patented features. An angled seal back allows seal width adjustment to service pressure, improving leakage control, while a leading protective ont lip safeguards the sealing edge during hardware assembly. In addition, the seal’s FEA optimized design improves support for and containment of the O-Ring.

March 2021

DFI.3-21_Vs4.LL.indd 20

www.designworldonline.com

‘Sealed for life’ means the seal lasts as long as the actuator itself. In addition, negating the need for drain lines and with a profile that allows smaller hardware design, the seal can make a significant contribution to an aircra manufacturer’s goal of weight reduction and fuel efficiency. Used in a tandem sealing system, flight safety is increased and back pumping enhanced. Turcon VL Seal II is available in a range of Turcon materials for use in a variety of extreme operating conditions. These are combined with O-Ring compounds suitable for use in all hydraulic fluids and service parameters. Exceeding current aerospace standards for seal performance, Turcon VL Seal II is designed for installation in AS4716 O-Ring housing grooves, enabling fitment in place of other O-Ring-energized and Turcon solutions, including the original Turcon VL Seal, Turcon Plus Seal, Turcon Wedgpak and Turcon Variseal, as well as other seal designs for these housing grooves. A metric version is also available. DW

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions www.tss.trelleborg.com DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 9:13 AM

Power REVIEW THE POWER BRANDS IN POWER TRANSMISSION

Vol. 10 | No. 1 | 2021

www.AltraMotion.com

Follow Altra Motion on:

Over 50 Application Success Stories Available on

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Altra’s Application Profile Videos on YouTube Power Transmission Solutions for the North American Overhead Crane & Hoist Market Huco Universal Joints Power Transmission Solutions for North American Bridge & Dam Applications Warner Electric WR-Thin Spring Applied Electrically Released Brakes Formsprag Rebuild & Overhaul Service

For more information contact us at: info@altramotion.com

Scan to download the interactive version of the Power Review

Altra Industrial_#1_3-21.indd 21

3/8/21 9:40 AM

Altra’s Application Profile Videos on YouTube Visit Altra Motion on YouTube to see over 50 Application Profile Videos featuring success stories from a variety of industrial applications. New videos are uploaded routinely, so check back often! These micro videos comprise the Problem | Solution Playlist and are ideal for sharing with others. They are included in the Brand Playlists as well. Share your favorite videos via email or various other social media sites. Videos can also be added to custom playlists or saved to a “Watch Later” list. Visit Altra on YouTube today! For more information, visit Altra’s YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/AltraIndMotion Scan to visit the Problem Solution Playlist on YouTube

Power Transmission Solutions for the North American Overhead Crane & Hoist Market Altra Motion provides extremely reliable components for challenging overhead crane and hoist applications. Our dedicated teams of market-focused engineering and manufacturing staff provide innovative solutions to the technical challenges faced by overhead crane and hoist manufacturers. We provide application and technical support from concept to completion. Many of the products in our comprehensive offering can be customized to meet the specific requirements for unique crane and hoist designs. Altra companies have the capability to rapidly produce prototype units for test and evaluation by customers or by using our own computer-controlled testing equipment to simulate the operating conditions of a specific client-defined application. Altra Motio n

Individual components or packaged solutions for all types of crane applications:

Stromag Warner Electric Twiflex Bauer Gear Motor

A Global Footprint to Support Customers Around the World

• • • • • •

Service and Emergency Brakes Thruster Brakes Motor Brakes Rail & Wheel Brakes Cardan Shafts Hydraulic Buffers

• • • • • •

Disc/Drum Couplings Gear and Barrel Couplings Electric and Hydraulic Power Units Geared Motors Rotary Limit Switches IoT Monitoring Systems

Ameridrives

Altra Headquarters Altra Engineering & Service Altra Manufacturing

Centers

Facilities

The Brands of Altra

Motion

Couplings Ameridrives www.ameridrives.com Bibby Turboflex www.bibbyturboflex.com Guardian Couplings www.guardiancouplings.com Huco www.huco.com Lamiflex Couplings www.lamiflexcouplings.com Stromag www.stromag.com TB Wood’s www.tbwoods.com Linear Systems Thomson www.thomsonlinear.com

Geared Cam Limit Switches Stromag www.stromag.com Engineered Bearing Assemblies Kilian www.kilianbearings.com Electric Clutches & Brakes Matrix www.matrix-international.com Stromag www.stromag.com Warner Electric www.warnerelectric.com Belted Drives TB Wood’s www.tbwoods.com

Heavy Duty Clutches & Brakes Twiflex www.twiflex.com Stromag www.stromag.com Svendborg Brakes www.svendborg-brakes.com Wichita Clutch www.wichitaclutch.com Gearing & Specialty Bauer Gear Motor www.bauergears.com Boston Gear www.bostongear.com Delevan www.delevan.com Delroyd Worm Gear www.delroyd.com Nuttall Gear www.nuttallgear.com

Components

Engine Braking Systems

Jacobs Vehicle Systems www.jacobsvehiclesystems.com Precision Motors & Automation Kollmorgen www.kollmorgen.com Miniature Motors Portescap www.portescap.com

Power Transmission Solutions for the North American Overhead Crane & Hoist Market

Overrunning Clutches Formsprag Clutch www.formsprag.com Marland Clutch www.marland.com Stieber www.stieberclutch.com

For more information, download P-7275-C from www.AltraLiterature.com

Huco Universal Joints Huco universal joints feature a comprehensive range of sizes manufactured in good quality steels. Plain bearing and needle roller types are available and can either be supplied with square, hexagonal or keywayed bores to order. The joints are also manufactured with quick release collars and in telescopic form to order. In selecting the best type of universal joint for a given application, the intended duty and life requirement are the determining factors. High speeds and/or operating angles are best handled by U/J’s fitted with roller bearings. These are lubricated for life but it is nevertheless a good plan to protect the moving surfaces with a gaiter which prevents the ingress of dust, moisture and other foreign matter. Roller bearing joints are generally specified where sustained rotational speeds exceed 1200/1500 rpm. The most commonly specified joints are those fitted with plain bearings. These are better at withstanding shock loads and are adequate for speeds up to 1200/1500 rpm. Journals and bearings are usually heat treated then ground and honed respectively. On larger U/J’s, the bearing may be manufactured separately and pressed into the parent. R A A L T

I O N M O T

Universal

Joints

For more information, download P-8189-HD from www.AltraLiterature.com

Altra Industrial_#2_3-21.indd 22

3/8/21 9:41 AM

Power Transmission Solutions for North American Bridge & Dam Applications Moveable structure engineers and OEMs worldwide have come to rely on the companies of Altra Motion for highly engineered, long-lasting power transmission solutions. Altra utilizes their exceptional engineering capability, extensive application expertise and advanced technologies to design and manufacture reliable products with the lowest cost of ownership. Altra companies provide full drivetrain solutions for the heavy moveable structure industry with a comprehensive offering of custom-designed helical and worm gear speed reducers, couplings and braking systems to meet specific project requirements. Altra engineered power transmission products are installed on all types of bascule lift, vertical lift and swing bridges as well as dam and spillway flood gates around the world. Altra brands that support the heavy moveable structures market include Nuttall Gear, Stromag and Ameridrives.

Altra Motion

Ameridrives Nuttall Gear Stromag

A Global Footprint to Support Customers Around the World Altra Headquarters Altra Engineering & Service Centers Altra Manufacturing Facilities

The Brands of Altra Motion Couplings

Geared Cam Limit Switches Stromag www.stromag.com

Ameridrives www.ameridrives.com Bibby Turboflex www.bibbyturboflex.com Guardian Couplings www.guardiancouplings.com Huco www.huco.com Lamiflex Couplings www.lamiflexcouplings.com Stromag www.stromag.com

For more information, download P-8869-C from www.AltraLiterature.com

TB Wood’s www.tbwoods.com Linear Systems Thomson www.thomsonlinear.com

Engineered Bearing Assemblies Kilian www.kilianbearings.com Electric Clutches & Brakes Matrix www.matrix-international.com Stromag www.stromag.com

Warner Electric www.warnerelectric.com

Boston Gear www.bostongear.com

Belted Drives TB Wood’s www.tbwoods.com

Delroyd Worm Gear www.delroyd.com

Delevan www.delevan.com

Nuttall Gear www.nuttallgear.com

Engine Braking Systems Jacobs Vehicle Systems www.jacobsvehiclesystems.com Precision Motors & Automation Kollmorgen www.kollmorgen.com

Power Transmission Solutions for North American Bridge and Dam Applications

Miniature Motors Portescap www.portescap.com Overrunning Clutches Formsprag Clutch www.formsprag.com Marland Clutch www.marland.com Stieber www.stieberclutch.com

Warner Electric WR-Thin Spring Applied Electrically Released Brakes Thickness Adaptive Design for Direct Integrated Holding/Parking Brake The WR range is a pre-assembled on/off dry failsafe electromagnetic brake, highly reliable and compact for static engagement. Warner Electric recently extended the WR range with new sizes to be customized in terms of thickness vs static torque to fit applications where the brake is directly mounted inside a machine’s frame and/or casting. Features: • 4 sizes with fixed diameter but different length/torque available • Offers thin solutions down to 14mm • 0.1 to 5.0Nm torque range • Maximum inner diameter up to 35mm • Various mounting options as magnet, flange or rear mount • Direct encoder mount with special location diameter in option • Noise reduction & energy saving in option • High quality corrosion protection, RoHs, Reach, CE compliant

Typical Applications: • Wheel Drive/Mobile Robot • Cobot • Scara Robot • Patient Mobility Devices • Integrated drive solution with frameless motor

otion Altra M

I N G O D U C I N T R

WR-Thin 40, WR250) (WR230, WR2 VAR00 Spring Applied d Brakes Electrically Release

direct e design for Thickness adaptiv /parking brake integrated holding electromagnetic

failsafe led on/off dry . Warner Electric is a pre-assemb for static engagement in terms The WR range and compact to be customized brake, highly reliable WR range with new sizes is directly the where the brake recently extended torque to fit applications static and/or casting. of thickness vs a machine’s frame mounted inside e available Features but different length/torqu fixed diameter • 4 sizes with to 14mm solutions down • Offers thin torque range • 0.1 to 5.0Nm up to 35mm mount inner diameter flange or rear • Maximum options as magnet, in option location diameter • Various mounting mount with special in option • Direct encoder & energy saving CE compliant RoHs, Reach, • Noise reduction corrosion protection, • High quality s Typical Application Robot • Wheel Drive/Mobile • Cobot • Scara Robot Devices motor • Patient Mobility with frameless drive solution • Integrated

For more information, download P-8824-WE from www.AltraLiterature.com

Formsprag Rebuild & Overhaul Service All internal components – sprags, energized springs, retainer, bearings, seal and hardware are refurbished or replaced to new performance standards. The inner and outer races are ground to specifications noted below so that no wear patterns remain. • Sprag Surface is hardened to 58-62 Rc • Sprag Surface finish is 15-25 microinches • Sprag Surface taper limit is 0.0002 inch per inch Consider these advantages: - Price – A guaranteed savings of 30% (compared to list price for a new unit) - Speed – Clutches are received, inspected and rebuilt in the shortest possible time frame - Warranty – The Model LLH has a 3 year warranty, all other models are 1 year on labor and materials, same as new clutches - Emergency Breakdown Program – All products that are air freighted into the Warren plant are processed immediately and, in most cases, are able to be rebuilt within a 24-hour period.

For more information, download P-1465-FC, P-1060-FC or visit the Rebuild and Overhaul page on www.Formsprag.com

Altra Industrial_#3_3-21.indd 23

3/8/21 9:42 AM

Sure-Flex Plus® & Dura-Flex® Elastomeric Couplings TB Wood’s Incorporated

Sure-Flex Plus EPDM and Neoprene sleeves are best-in-class for coupling performance and value. Here’s why: • High Torque Rating: 30% Increased Torque Rating Provides longer service life in demanding applications, reducing required maintenance and associated replacement cost. • Longer Life: Lasts Over 3X Longer than the Competition Extensive testing shows our sleeves outlast the imitators. More uptime means less costly downtime. • Better Value: Save Money Using a Smaller Coupling The increased rating of the Sure-Flex Plus sleeves lets the user choose a one-size-smaller coupling for over 50% of common applications. This lowers the cost of both initial purchase and future sleeve replacement. • Interchangeable: Retrofits to Existing Flanges No need to replace the full coupling – The Sure-Flex Plus sleeve design is 100% compatible with the current industry standard that TB Wood’s created over 50 years ago.

Dura-Flex®

SUPP O

SERV IC

• Outperforms the Competition: Testing shows Dura-Flex outlasts competitor couplings under both normal and tough environmental conditions. • Longest Life: Superior element geometry and material provide better flexibility and longer life in challenging environments. • Minimizes Stress: Patented shoe design minimizes bond stress to ensure long life. • Easy Installation: “Split-in-half” element design allows for replacement without moving hubs or equipment. • High misalignment capability – up to 4°. • No lubrication or maintenance. • Available in standard and metric versions. • 100% part-for-part interchangeable with competitive designs.

y the Specif Dif ference od’s TB Wo H ST RE NGT

Altra Industrial_#4_3-21.indd 24

For more information call:

1.888.829.6637

or visit www.tbwoods.com

3/15/21 7:29 AM

POWER TRANSMISSION

RETAINING DEVICES &

M a c h i n e To o l

Smarter and faster

maintenance & assembly tools BEARLOK

SHOELOK

BEARLOK Shrink Disc

BEARHUG

CLAMPNUT

TANGENTLOK

angle encoders

When a machine design calls for high speed performance, accuracy, and resistance to contamination, certain components fill the bill better than others. Absolute angle encoders are one example. Models RCN 2001, 5001 and 8001 are useful with fast rotating axes and direct-drive motors because the permissible speeds are up to three times higher than older established RCN encoders. When paired with an EIB 5211 sensor box, these RCN encoders will transfer the temperature of the encoder and a direct-drive motor to the control in use. This gives the user the ability to push the system to its thermal load limits which in turn increases production and cost efficiency. The scanning performance of the RCN has been designed so that any liquid contamination or condensation that enters the encoder will not affect its operation, reducing machine downtime due to encoder failures. The RCN 2001, RCN 5001 and RCN 8001 share the same profile and mounting footprint of the current RCN 2000, RCN 5000 and RCN 8001. They are available with the following interfaces: EnDat22 (FS), EnDat02, Fanuc05 and Mit03-4. DW

PRECISION NUTS & WASHERS

INCH and METRIC THREADS LEFT HANDED as well as RIGHT -HANDED

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DESIGN WORLD

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March 2021

3/10/21 8:14 AM

Design for Industry M a c h i n e To o l

How Brexit will impact U.S. machine

builders

Derek Coulson • machinery safety specialist, founder of Safe Machine Ltd, a

consultancy based in the UK, and director of Hold Tech Files Ltd., Ireland.

Now the UK (United Kingdom) has le the EU (European Union), the two parties have agreed a new trading relationship. Importantly, this post-Brexit trade deal has implications for machine builders in the USA who export to these markets. Three distinct markets are affected: Great Britain (ie England, Scotland and Wales); Northern Ireland (which remains part of the UK but still follows EU rules relating to manufactured products); and the EU. Note that the regulations in this article concern machines, partly completed machinery and safety components.

| courtesy of Glebar Co.

March 2021

DFI.3-21_Vs4.LL.indd 26

Exporting to England, Scotland and Wales Currently the rules relating to the supply of machines to the UK are almost identical to those in the EU. There are minor changes to the Essential Health & Safety Requirements (EHSRs), that should be addressed by the supplier. However, Northern Ireland is treated differently om England, Scotland and Wales (collectively referred to as Great Britain or GB). Now the UK is outside the EU, CE marking has been replaced by UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking in Great Britain. This operates the same way but there are some important changes. First, machines must have a UKCA mark applied instead of a CE mark. If preferred, the UKCA mark can be applied to documentation only until 1st January 2023 but, a er that date, the UKCA mark must be displayed on the documentation and the product. Some GB customers may not be aware of the grace period, so it would be prudent apply the UKCA mark immediately. In the accompanying documentation, the machine now needs to be referred to as being UKCA marked instead of CE marked. Where a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) or Declaration of Incorporation (DoI) would list ‘harmonized standards’ with ‘EN’ prefixes under the CE marking regime, for the GB market the declarations need to list ‘designated standards’ with a ‘BS’ prefix to indicate they are British Standards. EN and BS standards are substantially identical, so this is an administrative change only.

www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 8:16 AM

check with their Notified/Approved Body that the documentation has been updated for the GB market.

Unlike CE marking, which requires the DoC or DoI to name a person established in the EEA (European Economic Area) authorized to compile the technical file, GB has no such requirement when UKCA marking machinery. The regulations concerning machinery placed on the market in GB include Annex IV for particularly hazardous machinery and certain safety components. Whereas most machinery can be self-certified and UKCA marked by the manufacturer, Annex IV machinery requires independent third-party certification. Such bodies are ‘Approved Bodies’ in GB (similar to ‘Notified Bodies’ in the EU). A machine builder in the USA may previously have used a UK-based Notified Body to CE mark its machines for the EU/UK market. Most UK Notified Bodies are being converted to Approved Bodies but USA machine builders should TL Design World V1.pdf

6/17/19

Exporting to Northern Ireland There is no hard border in the island of Ireland, so the Northern Ireland Protocol provides for ictionless movement of people and goods between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (also known as Eire or Southern Ireland). For that reason, most rules pertaining to manufactured products placed on the market in Northern Ireland remain aligned with EU rules rather than GB rules. Machines exported to Northern Ireland should continue to be CE marked. However, CE marking requires a person established in the EU to be named on the DoC or DoI as authorized to compile the technical file. This means that an

EU based person must be able to supply a copy of the Technical File to authorities on request. Prior to the UK leaving the EU, many USA machine builders would have named a person (or business) in the UK for this purpose. Now the UK has le the EU, this is no longer acceptable. If a USA machine builder has an EUbased subsidiary, importer, representative or distributor prepared to take on this role then the documentation can simply be amended. But if they are unwilling, then somebody else will need to be sought for this role. For Annex IV machinery, if a UK Notified Body was previously certi ing machines for Northern Ireland, this can continue. Although UK Notified Bodies have mostly been converted to GB Approved Bodies, they can continue to act as Notified Bodies for CE/UKNI marking for Northern Ireland. The machine must display both CE and UKNI marks (not the UNKI mark on its own).

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Design for Industry M a c h i n e To o l

High-Efficiency Hypoid PMDC Gearmotors

RATED SPEED 10 to 500 rpm

TORQUE 20 to 1,535 lb-in

GEAR RATIOS 5:1 to 240:1

VOLTAGES 90, 130, 180, 12 & 24 VDC

Bodine hypoid gearmotors are the ideal drive solution for applications that demand high torque, compact size, low energy consumption and cool operation.

Exporting to the EU As with exports to Northern Ireland, check whether the DoC or DoI needs updating. If a person in the UK was previously named on the declaration as authorized to compile the technical file, this will need to be changed to someone in the EU. Previously, USA manufacturers of Annex IV machinery or safety components o en appointed UK Notified Bodies for conformity assessment when exporting to the EU. Now the UK has le the EU, these EC typeexamination certificates are no longer recognized. In most cases UK Notified Bodies have already transferred accreditations to other EU-based Notified Bodies but exporters should check this has been done. If the transfer has not been made, certification needs to be requested urgently om an EU Notified Body. The risks of non-compliance There are no ‘UKCA police’ to assess whether machines are fully compliant with the technical requirements when placed on the GB market, nor are there ‘CE police’ in the EU. The risk is that incorrect documentation could result in delays at customs. Exporters are therefore urged to check their paperwork is in order. Regulation 2019/1020 A separate issue, unrelated to the UK leaving the EU, also warrants highlighting. European Regulation 2019/1020 comes into force in July 2021. While the aim is to strengthen the requirements for market surveillance by EU Member States, there are important implications for machine builders. This regulation introduces a requirement for there to be an ‘economic operator’ established in the EU. If an importer or distributor is unwilling to accept the responsibilities associated with this role, then the exporter will need to seek an Authorized Representative (EU AR) to act on their behalf. The details of the EU AR must be on the Declaration and the manufacturer’s plate. DW

Hold Tech Files Ltd www.holdtechfiles.eu

Visit bodine-electric.com for complete specs.

info@bodine-electric.com

•

773.478.3515 (USA)

DFI.3-21_Vs4.LL.indd 28

March 2021

DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 8:17 AM

Packaging

Picking the unknown

The global pandemic has radically impacted the supply chain, making the need for robotic automation urgent. More than 70% of labor in warehousing is dedicated to picking and packing. As companies increasingly automate, what happens when robots must handle an unlimited number of (unknown) stock keeping units? These companies need a fast, reliable, and robust way to automate picking and placing of a large variety of objects. This challenge was taken up by the Dutch company Fizyr. The computer vision company based in Del focuses on enabling robots to pick unknown objects. The result is an automated vision system suitable for various conditions and applications, like item picking, parcel handling, depalletizing, truck unloading or baggage handling. To complete the system with the optimal hardware, Fizyr integrates compact, robust Ensenso 3D cameras with GigE uEye cameras om IDS. Instead of providing a proprietary picking cell, like most players in the market, Fizyr created plug-and-play modular so ware that integrates smoothly with any system, letting integrators choose the best hardware (e.g. Cobots or industrial robots) for their picking cell. In essence, the camera sees products to be picked or classified. Depending on the individual customer application, up to four Ensenso 3D cameras in combination with GigE uEye CMOS cameras are used. The integrated IDS industrial cameras ensure reliable, precise image capture needed by Fizyr’s so ware algorithms, which provide over 100 grasp poses each second, including the classification to handle objects differently. The so ware also detects defects to prevent damaged items om being placed on a sorter – with the help of IDS cameras as sharp eyes of the automatic system. These algorithms provide relevant information about segmentation as well as classification of type of parcel (including box, bag, envelope/flat, tube, cylinder, deformable, etc.). The system recognizes outliers or non-conveyables (i.e., damaged

DESIGN WORLD

DFI.3-21_Vs4.LL.indd 29

www.designworldonline.com

March 2021

3/10/21 8:17 AM

Design for Industry Packaging goods), best possible grasp poses in 6 DoF (degrees of eedom) and multiple ordered poses per object. It allows sensors or robots to deal with closely stacked or overlapping objects, highly reflective items and apparel in polybags, white-on-white and black-on-black flats, as well as transparent objects. Since the Stereo Vision quality directly depends on the scene’s light condition and object surface textures, finding and calculating coordinates of corresponding points on less textured or reflecting surfaces is difficult. Thus, the tasks are divided: The uEye GigE CP camera is taking 2D images of objects and provides them as input for Fizyr’s algorithms, which then proceed to classi the objects under the camera. The objects can be unknown and varying in shape, size, color, material, and stacking. Then the Ensenso camera creates the point cloud maps, Fizyr’s

so ware combines it with the information om the 2D image and analyses the surface of the cloud for suitable grasp poses for the gripper (or multiple grippers) and proposes the best ones. A clear representation of surfaces for different materials is critical, as it is a key component of its algorithms. No problem for the Ensenso 3D cameras om IDS: They improve the classic Stereo Vision principle by additional techniques to achieve a higher quality depth information and more precise measurement results. The specific camera models, as well as the number of cameras per system, depend on the individual use case of the

customer. For a typical bin-picking solution with a cobot, one Ensenso N35 is used in combination with a GigE uEye CP, but there are clients that use one Ensenso X36 and a GigE uEye CP for bin picking together with four Ensenso N35 cameras for stowing the item in other bins. The recommended uEye CP stands for “Compact Power” and is the tiny powerhouse for industrial applications of all kinds. It offers extensive pixel preprocessing and, with the internal 120 MB image memory, is also suited for multicamera systems. The camera delivers data at full GigE speed and enables single-cable operation up to 100 meters with Power over Ethernet.

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The selected UI-5240CP-C-HQ Rev. 2 industrial camera includes the e2v 1.3 megapixel CMOS sensor. This is a sensitive sensor and apart om the color version, it is available in monochrome and as NIR version. Features of the camera include, sensitivity to light and others which makes the sensor flexible if requirements or ambient conditions change. The aluminum housing of the Ensenso N35 3D camera with lockable GPIO connector for trigger and flash and GigE connector, has two monochrome CMOS sensors (Global Shutter, 1280 x 1024 pixels) and a projector. Using Power over Ethernet, data transfer and power supply are possible with long cable lengths. Due to the integrated FlexView technology the N35 models are particularly suitable for 3D acquisition of still objects and for working distances up to 3,000 mm. The Ensenso X36 3D camera system consists of a projector unit, two GigE uEye cameras either with 1.3 MP or 5 MP sensors (CMOS, monochrome), mounting brackets and adjustment angles, three lenses as well as sync. and patch cables to connect the camera with the projector unit. The FlexView technology ensures a better spatial resolution as well as a very high robustness of the system for dark or reflecting surfaces. The different Ensenso models that can be used have one thing in common: the dispose of a light-intensive projector produces a high-contrast texture on the object surface by using a pattern mask, even under difficult light conditions. The DESIGN WORLD

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projected texture supplements the weak or non-existent object surface structure. This principle is also called “Projected Texture Stereo Vision.” The result is a more detailed disparity map and a more complete and homogeneous depth information of the scene. “Fizyr has integrated the Ensenso SDK in its so ware using a modern and fast wrapper,” Herbert ten Have explains. “A great advantage is the 2D/3D combination, which allows the image om the 2D camera to be placed over the 3D point cloud as an overlay”. This provides a more vivid impression of the scene. On the other hand, the camera image can be optimally adjusted to the robot coordinate system by means of “hand-eye calibration” in order to ensure a target-oriented gripping. The demand for high-quality modules for state-of-the-art automated picking cells is growing worldwide. System integrators’ requirements for so ware and hardware components are increasing in equal measure. The Fizyr-IDS solution offers the following advantages: • As a plug-and-play solution, it enables easy integration into any system. • It is hardware-agnostic and thus enables customers to flexibly adapt their order picking system to their needs at any time. • It includes a robust, precise, flexible and easy-to-use 3D vision system that provides optimal object information at all times

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Design Notes

Ceramic bearings help navigate wave power

Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Estimates show that wave power could supply 10% of the global demand for energy by 2050.

Estimates show that wave power could supply 10% of the global demand for energy by 2050. If true, this would be a significant boost to a greener future, but currently, this renewable energy source is still in development. Here, Chris Johnson, managing director of ceramic bearing specialist SMB Bearings, explains how bearings will be a key enabler of ocean power. On paper, wave power is straight forward. Ocean waves bob up and down to turn a turbine located on the surface or underwater to generate electricity that is transmitted to the grid. In reality, wave-power generation is not a widely employed commercial technology. Compared with other renewable energy sources such as wind power and solar power, it’s not as cost-competitive and has numerous environmental challenges. But solar and wind power have shortcomings themselves: they’re not always available. Waves, on the other hand, are relentless, offering an opportunity to generate electricity constantly, morning and night, summer and winter.

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Making wave farms the norm will take time and a realistic outlook. Of course, wave power is restricted to areas near the ocean. A er all, the cables that carry electricity can only be so long. However, seeing as 40% of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers of the ocean, that means a lot of lights, gadgets, and kettles can be powered by waves. The world’s first commercial wave energy project is expected to be online by 2023, located five kilometers offshore near Póvoa de Varzim in Portugal. The wave farm consists of a series of train carriage sized floats

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3/10/21 8:24 AM

Full ceramic bearings, made from zirconia or silicon nitride with PEEK cages and seals, offer excellent corrosion resistance in a marine environment. As ceramic bearings are not affected by seawater, they can be used in marine environments where they are permanently submerged and can cope with high loads.

that ride waves and send power to a specially built substation at Agucadoura beach. Each float produces around 750KW of electricity — enough power to supply 500 homes. The real challenge is to develop the hardware that can take on the environmental extremities. Waves continuously pound at the equipment, and colossal storm waves can damage converters. Similarly, salty seawater corrodes or breaks down any metal part. Scientists and engineers are trying several different ways to overcome these challenges. The bearings used in the wave energy converters and peripheral rotational equipment are a big factor in the wave farm’s success.

While the world is looking to move away om fossil fuels, we can’t forget all the tried and tested technology to come out of the sector. Ceramic bearings are one of many components used in oil and gas rigs that we should take into wave farms. Design engineers could opt for 316 grade stainless steel bearings for parts above the waterline, but for submerged applications, full ceramic bearings are o en the best option. Full ceramic bearings, made om zirconia or silicon nitride with PEEK cages and seals, offer excellent corrosion resistance in a marine environment. As ceramic bearings are not affected by seawater, they can be used in marine environments where they are permanently submerged and can cope with high loads, although not as high as traditional steel bearings. Check the load rating provided by the bearing manufacturer. Beyond bearing material, quality and sha fit are just as important for design engineers developing machinery and equipment for wave power test beds or fully-fledged wave farms. The right bearings can minimize iction and corrosion while getting around the lubricant washout problem by eliminating the need for grease. DW

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3/10/21 8:25 AM

Design Notes

Expert knowledge can improve vertical

pump efficiency and reliability Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

A vertical pump’s design offers reliability provided timely maintenance is carried out.

Used throughout the water, petrochemical, and power generation sectors to move large volumes of water, vertical suspended pumps are essential assets. By optimizing performance and efficiency in these pumps, both operating and maintenance costs can be reduced. In this article, Jason Simcoe, Regional Sales Manager, and Seth Tate, Technical Advisor for Sulzer, look at how to improve various aspects of vertical pump performance. Water is a vital resource used in industry for cooling processes and other non-API (American Petroleum Institute) applications. Simultaneously, the need to move water between two points for drainage or flood control o en sees vertical pumps being used because of the reliability of their design.

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Matching performance The vertical suspended pump can be overlooked when it comes to routine maintenance. The reliability of the pump’s design means they rarely suffer om situations that attract attention. However, over time there is an expected gradual decline in efficiency as components wear, which can be exacerbated without proper maintenance.

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3/10/21 8:26 AM

Re-engineered parts offer improvements in performance and reliability.

design analysis, and manufacturing processes have enabled new parts to deliver increased performance and reliability. Merely replicating an existing part can lead to reduced efficiency, early bearing and seal failures, and increased vibration. These issues can arise because a lack of design engineering means as-new dimensions are not achieved, the surface finish is below standard, and clearances are sub-optimal. Maintaining hydraulic alignment to the application is critical for pump performance and reliability. Operating within a tolerance band on either side of the best efficiency point (BEP) for the pump increases the resistance to failure. Moving away om this region can lead to increased vibration, reduced bearing life, reduced mechanical seal life, increased random failures, and a reduction in overall pump life. For example, a power station operator was running three vertical cooling water pumps, originally designed as duty, standby, and backup. Due to a lack of routine maintenance, pump performance was hindered to the point where all three were required to keep up with cooling demand. Sulzer was contracted to retrofit one of the pumps, and a er it was reinstalled, it was able to handle normal cooling demands on its own, leaving the other two on standby. Changing requirements A common situation is one where a pump has been in service for many years, but during that time, the application profile has changed. For example, the flow rate has been reduced, o en using a control valve downstream of the pump. This situation means the pump could be operating at less than 50% of its designed flow rate, increasing operating costs and affecting control valve service life. Any loss in pump performance will go DESIGN WORLD

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unnoticed; the operator will likely open the control valve slightly to compensate. The solution is to adjust the pump’s hydraulic profile so it’s better matched to the revised application. This solution allows the control valve to be used for its intended purpose, rather than as a restrictor, and the pump can work close to its BEP. However, making a single change, such as trimming an impeller, may achieve one desired outcome. Still, at the same time, it could present other challenges, so it needs to be carefully analyzed. Ensuring minimum flow Another common issue that is encountered centers around maintaining minimum flow rates at the pump inlet. Recycle valves are used to ensure the minimum continuous stable flow (MCSF) is achieved to protect the pump om low flow damage, but all the water flowing through these valves amounts to wasted energy. These systems are o en set up incorrectly, and over time this minor issue can have real consequences, such as cavitation damage to the impellers. New parts A er many years in service, pump components will wear and eventually need to be replaced. At this point, it is essential to understand the difference between replicated and re-engineered parts and how the advances in materials, www.designworldonline.com

Bearings Vertical suspended pumps, by their design, rely on good bearing design for continued performance. As such, the options for material and lubrication systems should be fully understood. By matching the bearing design to the application, a pump’s service life can be extended and maintenance costs kept low. In many cases, the wear in the bearing system determines the maintenance program for the pump; the choices made at this point have significant consequences. Taking advantage of composite materials can help to protect against dry running, and offers improved anti-galling properties and corrosion resistance. Each application has an optimal bearing design including the lubrication technology that is employed. Some situations are better suited to bearing tube enclosures, while others perform better using product lubricated bearings. It is important to understand each system’s benefits, and to work with a pump design expert. Sealing systems When dealing with bearings, sealing system must also be considered. While packing has been the predominant design in the past, it still has its place in modern sealing systems. Correctly March 2021

3/10/21 8:26 AM

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Design Notes

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maintained, it complements the bearings providing additional support and helping to dampen vibration. Simultaneously, mechanical seals also have their place, depending on the application and innovations. Having completed a maintenance project, correct reinstallation of the pump is vital for continued reliability. Proper alignment of a vertical pump is one of the most important aspects of any maintenance procedure. This applies to the soleplate as well as the intermediate bearings. Assembly and installation procedures must be completed diligently; the slightest deviation will compound along the length of the pump and could result in shortened service life. Operators of these pumps should take advantage of the knowledge and expertise available om OEMs such as Sulzer, which has a worldwide network of engineering centers and field service personnel. By working together, these pumps can be updated with modern materials where necessary and optimized for their current applications. DW

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Design Notes

How to upgrade your control and

networking architecture Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

By implementing split tray sortation solutions from EuroSort, Gap Inc. increased order fulfillment accuracy by 2% at its distribution center in Fishkill, New York, avoiding thousands of costly returns.

When clothing retailer Gap Inc. needed to redesign its Fishkill, New York, distribution center in 2017, it tasked EuroSort with the job. Gap Inc. also required to finish the complete overhaul with limited time before the holiday shopping season. That required automation technology with the speed and efficiency to handle complex supply chains. While many material handling and intralogistics processes have widely accepted best practices, many challenges remain. One trouble spot involves items that are dubbed “non-conveyable” — usually small, lightweight items that are flexible and rounded in shape. Because the Gap distribution center ships a large amount of clothing and accessories, these items have always presented a unique challenge. Effectively transporting non-conveyables is a continual challenge for material handling and sortation systems, especially in e-commerce applications. EuroSort can put more destinations in the same footprint with sorters that are simple to maintain and operate at a cost significantly less than competing products that promise the same kind of throughput. “As a result, the technical demands on the automation and control system to realize the new split tray sorters were intense,” says Scott Fry, VP of Operations at EuroSort.

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To reduce equipment footprint, EuroSort targeted the network architecture and I/O systems as areas for improvement because the company’s sorters are gigantic, stretching hundreds of feet long. Complicating matters for EuroSort, legacy networks and most industrial Ethernet systems couldn’t effectively connect field devices on the widely distributed networks needed by their clients. Network cycle times were also limitations, particularly when an array of sensors was installed as far as 200- away. “Because most available I/O systems rely on a low-performance sub-bus for the backplane to connect hardware DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 8:28 AM

modules, like our previous supplier, we couldn’t just run wires to distributed I/O modules. We had to connect the devices all the way back to a main panel,” says Jeff Zerr, Advisory Controls Engineer at EuroSort. “A er much research into modern industrial Ethernet systems, our attention turned to EtherCAT. The simple fact that the EtherCAT protocol and all its features are preserved across the I/O hardware backplane to all individual terminals throughout a line instantly neutralized these limitations.” Because of flexible topology characteristics and the ability to distribute I/O across long distances using IP67 equipment-mounted and IP20 DIN rail-mounted hardware, the EtherCAT industrial Ethernet system has been the EuroSort networking standard since 2013. EtherCAT was also selected for its ability to interface with other protocols still used in the field, such as EtherNet/ IP, PROFINET, DeviceNet, PROFIBUS, and ASInterface. “We o en have to connect with new and old equipment om other manufacturers, so we leverage EtherCAT gateways om Beckhoff Automation to establish connectivity wherever needed,” Zerr says. “This led to a closer look at control hardware om Beckhoff, which later became our standard.” The new control and networking architecture faced some challenging EuroSort projects right away. One of the pilot applications for the new split tray sorter had around 600 destinations and over 400 trays. It also required more than 2,000 I/O points, which were networked over EtherCAT. Subsequent split tray sorter applications were much larger, with over 11,000 I/O points. Here, EuroSort leveraged High Density (HD) EtherCAT Terminals, which offer up to 16 channels in a 12-mm housing. The fieldmounted EtherCAT Box modules also proved useful to eliminate the cost, space and materials otherwise needed for numerous enclosures to house I/O stations. The EtherCAT I/O connects many devices in the sorters, such as sensors, solenoids, and variable equency drives (VFDs). “This all-inclusive connectivity promotes lower costs and a smaller equipment footprint for our customers,” Fry says. EuroSort uses TwinSAFE technology to network machine safety devices in every sorter equipped with the controls. TwinSAFE I/O and Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE) cover numerous DESIGN WORLD

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Design Notes EtherCAT industrial Ethernet provides significant benefits for EuroSort’s intralogistics solutions, especially with the fieldmounted EtherCAT Box modules from Beckhoff.

e-stops and pull cords spread across material handling lines. “The more safety devices you have and the more spread out they are, the more it makes sense to have networked safety,” Zerr says. “When a EuroSort customer needs to add a safety function, it’s easy to add it no matter where the equipment needs to go. We also get the added benefit of built-in EtherCAT diagnostics, so TwinSAFE just makes sense.” “A major reason Beckhoff continues to see significant growth of EtherCAT technology in intralogistics is because there are no restrictions on network size and topology,” says Doug Schuchart, Material Handling & Intralogistics Manager at Beckhoff Automation LLC. Today, EuroSort relies on the compact CX2040 Embedded PC with 2.1 GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processors and 4 GB RAM to run PLC, safety, and HMI on one device. EuroSort connects the embedded PCs to compact CP2907 Control Panels with 7-in. screen to display the HMI. For local data storage, the CX2040 also accommodates CFast memory cards up to 160 GB. Maintaining a compact footprint, this DIN rail-mounted automation controller

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measures just 144 x 99 x 91 mm and has a backplane connection to the EtherCAT Terminal system. This preserves the full performance and functionality of the protocol to every I/O point and back to the main controller. Programming for all aspects of the EuroSort split tray sorters, including PLC, safety, and high-level communication, is handled in the TwinCAT 3 engineering environment. “TwinCAT 3 offers a good mix of tools for traditional PLC

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DIN rail-mounted CX2040 Embedded PCs from Beckhoff supply EuroSort with the needed memory, storage, and processing power for fast-paced material handling applications.

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3/10/21 8:30 AM

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programmers and computer science-oriented programmers alike,” says Zerr. “Engineers can continue to program with ladder logic if desired, but many are seeing advantages to structured text and function blocks. Also, the TwinCAT 3 integration with Visual Studio is a boon for EuroSort. Team Foundation Server has helped our programming teams collaborate on code, stay organized and keep track of all project revisions and changes.” EuroSort has migrated to different Beckhoff Embedded PC types over the years based on CPU requirements but has been able to keep all programming in the same ee TwinCAT 3 engineering environment. Considering the ability to take on non-conveyables, equipment footprint reductions, and higher system performance, benefits of the EuroSort split tray sorters have already piled up for Gap Inc. The company has achieved 100% faster scan times and increased accuracy of PC- and EtherCAT-based sorters. Once Gap Inc. began using the EuroSort split tray sorters in a new fulfillment center, order fulfillment accuracy went up 2%. DW

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March 2021

3/12/21 11:22 AM

CAE Solutions A view on where AR/VR is headed, a roundtable discussion

Recently, Ron Fritz, CEO of Tech So 3D, hosted a roundtable discussion with five other industry executives to discuss the current state of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). The core question at hand: whether AR/VR is finally poised for its breakthrough moment – and if so, what barriers might need to be removed to usher in this new era. The participants included: • • • • •

Asif Rana, COO of Hexagon, a provider of sensor, so ware, and autonomous solutions Martin Herdina, CEO of Wikitude, an augmented reality technology company Susanna Holt, VP Forge Platform, Autodesk, a provider of 3D design and engineering so ware Thomas Schuler, CEO of Halocline, a developer of VR products for production planning and manufacturing Tony Fernandez, CEO of UEGroup, a user experience agency

A lightly edited and condensed version of the conversation and their unique perspectives follows.

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www.designworldonline.com

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Q: At various points over the past decade, many of us have believed that AR/VR was ready to really take off in the industrial setting – but it hasn’t happened yet. What are the barriers that are standing in the way of that widespread adoption, and what should the industry be focusing on? Asif: One of the fundamental things that we tend to forget when we think about commercializing a technology is the user experience. I think one of the main hurdles of AR/VR in the commercial usage is we don’t think about the full user journey or what the full end-to-end solution looks like. Martin: For a while, there was such a focus on technical benchmarks that nobody really talked about what could be achieved with AR/VR. Even when people did start to talk about what could be achieved, they didn’t really look at the full picture and at how things could be scaled beyond a single isolated use case. As long as that underlying basis is missing, widespread adoption of AR/VR will be hampered. Susanna: I think one thing that’s lacking around AR/VR is pre-processing of data and data preparation – om CAD design data, to mesh poly count reduction. That kind of stuff needs to be automated, robust, fast, and scalable. And at the moment, all of that still seems to require too much manual work to really enable this AR/VR takeoff that we’ve been anticipating for the past 20 years. Tony: I think the core issue is that AR/ VR did not emerge om a humancentered point of view. It emerged om a technological exploration point of view. And what that has meant is that the human factors of this technology are terrible.

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To take the case of VR: Who thought it was going to be a great idea to duct tape a TV to your head and blindfold you? Meanwhile, with AR, one of the problems that we continually run into is arm and body fatigue om having to hold up a device. Because AR/VR technology hasn’t centered around the reality of the human body, how it gets fatigued, and how people feel motivated to use their bodies, it will continue to have a difficult time breaking through to the mainstream, regardless of the value proposition it may offer. Q: From what everyone’s saying, it seems that the user experience is one of the big barriers to mainstream adoption. What needs to be different for people to feel comfortable? How can companies remove this barrier? Tony: I think mobile AR is a really difficult problem to solve. And again, part of the problem with most existing AR solutions is that they require people to use their bodies in unnatural ways. From a hardware perspective, we’re going to be much closer to solving that problem once we get to some sort of compact glasses. Of course, glasses come with their own problems around power and where to place the battery and so on. But I think that’s what AR’s waiting for, in terms of a hardware platform solution.

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Asif: I wonder whether there are the same expectations on an enterprise level as at a consumer level for AR/VR. I say that because in the enterprise, you do see technology that’s not so comfortable to use – but it delivers such a high value that it’s used anyways. So, perhaps the AR/VR hardware is “good enough,” and it’s the content side that deserves more focus to deliver applications that can really make an impact and deliver value. Either way, I’d say that if the hardware companies focused on more business cases, that would be helpful to the enterprise sector. Susanna: It’s true that the enterprise use case may put up with all sorts of inconveniences. But when I think of a use case for us at Autodesk, which might be an architect or structural engineer at a construction site or building site, inconvenience can quickly become a safety concern. AR provides a limited field of vision. In normal life, we don’t just look straight ahead – we’re constantly taking in things occurring on the periphery. Excluding that visual information in a potentially dangerous environment like a construction site does strike me as a risk factor. So, the hardware has to be natural to the way we conduct ourselves as humans in a particular environment.

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3/10/21 9:09 AM

CAE Solutions Martin: I think the most important point that people have hit on is that things have to feel natural. When you wear a HoloLens, it’s cool, but it’s nothing that you would want to wear for 10 hours per day at your workspace. Another aspect that companies should address is the fact that so many AR use cases totally lack context. For example, why would you use AR to project a team roster on your desk when there are so many other user interfaces that make so much more sense for that objective? AR needs to really link reality to a reasonable set of content. Q: Lots of big names – including Google, Apple, Facebook, and Microso , to name a few – are heavily investing in the belief that the barriers around AR/ VR adoption are being resolved and that this an area that is ripe for explosion. All of your companies are, to varying degrees, investing in that belief as well. What makes you optimistic that AR/VR is getting close to a real breakthrough? What drives your confidence? Thomas: It takes a long time to bring hardware technology om an early prototype to a usable product. You have to really keep at it for quite some time. What makes me optimistic is that the hardware vendors are still investing in it and pushing it forward – they’re not standing still. At the same time, more and more content is now being produced that makes more sense. I think more people understand now that you need a different set of tools for AR or VR rather than taking the same old tools that you had before, but just manipulating them differently. So, while the progress might be slower than everyone expected, that progress is very much ongoing. That makes me optimistic that we are on an eventual path towards more widespread adoption for AR/VR. Susanna: Well, let me turn this question the other way around. We’re hearing so much om our customers about how

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AR or VR is needed and how they’re expecting it to play a bigger role in their workflows. Some of that, of course, is a reflection of hype that they see in the media, but a significant proportion of it is a reflection of real need. For example, while wearing a HoloLens headset might be uncomfortable today, it does allow you to make those important decisions much faster than having to look at something, take a photograph, go back to the office, think it through, discuss it, and so on. It will speed everything up. It’s about faster decisions, better decisions. There’s a real need in the market – so that bodes quite well for AR/VR, because a lot of technological advancement and evolution is driven by market need. Tony: I would say AR/VR will break through if it can focus on its fundamental promise, which is to reveal information and perspectives in ways that would be difficult to do any other way. I’m not necessarily a believer that the way most companies have defined AR at this point is necessarily the path forward. For example, AR doesn’t necessarily always have to be visual in nature, right? It can be haptic in nature. It can be lots of other things. But visual is the primary road for now, and I think the need to visualize information that is otherwise difficult to do any other way or get access to any other way is going to drive the solution. Martin: At my company, we perhaps have a unique perspective, because we have thousands of developers using our tools on a daily basis to create AR use cases, and we can see what those people are working on. The things they are doing today with AR are substantially different om what we saw two or three years ago. There are still people working on proof of concepts, but the number of people who are moving om POC to commercial grade installations – and the number of use cases we see that are no longer for two or three or five users, but 10,000 to 20,000 users – has rapidly increased in the past year.

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Also, om a finance perspective, AR is no longer tapping into the budgets of the innovation units – it’s tapping into the budgets of the actual business units. That’s the ultimate sign that technologies like AR/VR are starting to take hold in the enterprise space. Asif: There are at least three reasons why I’m very feeling positive about AR/VR. The first is the acceleration of digitalization that has taken place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many, many systems are getting digitally transformed, and digital journeys that might have taken years to complete are now on the fast track. So, the ground is really set for AR to make a move. The second reason is that digital process management has really evolved. The journey really starts with connectivity first, then it goes to the integration, then it goes to the digital workflows. Once you have the workflow, to augment the workflow with AR is very straightforward. The third reason is the advent and proliferation of smartphones and tablets that are loaded with the sensors and features that are required for AR/VR. These devices are now at everyone’s fingertips, ready to be used for various advanced workflows. So, really, I think the time is very, very good right now for AR/ VR. DW

Tech So 3D www.techso 3d.com

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3/10/21 9:10 AM

Dassault Systèmes introduces new offers to boost maker collaboration and student employability Dassault Systèmes announced the upcoming launch of two offers that deliver new ways to design, collaborate, share and excel: 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers and 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Students. The offers, which were unveiled during Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE World 2021 virtual event, will provide makers and students with cloud-based access to Dassault Systèmes’ digital environment for design, engineering and collaborative innovation. 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers brings makers, mentors and ideas together to create, connect and collaborate. Digital hobbyists can innovate using 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Professional, 3D Creator and 3D Sculptor applications, and share their personal projects with the global Makers Community Madein3D – curated by Dassault Systèmes with the participation of makers, influencers and innovators – for help and inspiration. 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Students helps prepare students for employability in a highly competitive job market by developing the engineering, collaboration, project management and data intelligence skills that are highly

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sought a er by industry today. The offer, which can be used om anywhere, features 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Student, 3D Designer Student and Collaborative Business and Industry Innovator applications, access to a global online community of peers and experts on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, and two industry-recognized certifications. To support the launch of 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Students, Dassault Systèmes is hosting its first “World Wide Virtual Career Fair” during 3DEXPERIENCE World 2021. University students located in North America, Europe and Japan will have the opportunity to meet and network individually with Dassault Systèmes’ global talent acquisition team and SOLIDWORKS customers. 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Students will be available in May 2021 and 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers will be available in the second half of 2021, through an easy online purchasing experience on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. DW

Dassault Systèmes’ www.3ds.com

www.designworldonline.com

March 2021

3/10/21 9:12 AM

Internet of Things

Safety relay module includes built-in IoT connectivity and diagnostics The microcomputer-based HR6S safety relay module supports a variety of connections, input devices, and operating modes—and adds diagnostic and status monitoring for the growing number of manufacturing sites relying on important internet of things (IoT) data. Safety relays are crucial for monitoring safety-related inputs, and for protecting both machines and operators by enabling equipment via outputs only when normal and safe conditions are confirmed. But traditional hardwired safety relays have limited functionality, leading many to search for upgraded solutions. The adaptable HR6S safety relay module meets ISO 13849 requirements, with one model for low-risk Safety Category 1 applications and six models suitable for high-risk Safety Category 3 and 4 processes requiring redundancy. Up to eight different start modes are dialselectable, including options for manual and automatic start. Certain models have adjustable off-delays, and all use a compact DIN-mountable form factor. An expansion module is available to expand the number of safety outputs. Depending on the model, up to seven types of input devices are dial-selectable, including emergency stop switches, two-handed switches, pressuresensitive devices, and other types of interlock switches. Terminations are arranged intuitively, with terminal blocks available as push-in or screw type to meet any user need, and both styles are removeable for easy serviceability. Maintainability and convenience are aided by multiple LEDs with steady and/or flashing colored lights

March 2021

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indicating various conditions such as power, error, operating state, and more. Users can quickly check the status on-site, identi ing any issues needing immediate action. While the majority of relay modules on the market have no remote connectivity options, the HR6S safety relay modules incorporate a microcomputer so they can output 20 different indications of operational status, errors, and alerts. This capability enables supervisory control systems and IoT platforms to perform visualization, diagnostics, preventative maintenance, and other analytics. These signals are transmitted using a pulse signal to encode the information so it can be interpreted by a standard PLC input module using ladder logic. The HR6S safety relay module family simplifies the task of Safety Category 1, 3, and 4 equipment safety design, and delivers extensive IoT data to keep production online and improve worker safety. Soon, the HR5S safety relay module will be released to meet Category 2 requirements. With these two modules, IDEC becomes the only supplier in the world able to supply safety relay modules for all applications ranging om Safety Category 1 through Category 4. DW

IDEC | www.idec.com/safety

www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 9:15 AM

SMARTER

BRAKE & CLUTCH

CONTROL

Edge software platform supports computer vision and AI at the IoT edge Edge Xpert offers capabilities to support computer vision and AI at the IoT edge. Edge Xpert (v1.8) is a computing platform that enables users to run their AI algorithms and vision models at the edge. Based on Intel’s OpenVINO toolkit, the Edge Xpert computer vision service lets users deploy vision-based workloads alongside their existing intelligent edge solutions. In conjunction with existing support for IP camera and video device connectivity, Edge Xpert users can control camera devices, collect video streams and automatically apply AI and vision inference right at the edge. The service supports deploying models that can include object detection, classification and recognition. It then passes that inferred intelligence to other services for decision-making and control. Edge Xpert already takes in data om many industrial protocols and devices. Users can aggregate and fuse together sensor data with vision inference results to obtain a complete and accurate picture of the edge environment. Computer vision and AI traditionally have been employed as cloud-based IT processes. However, the next major wave of business transformations will be brought about by deploying this technology at the edge of the network. Running computer vision and AI algorithms at the edge and on-premise provides immediate and realtime operational insights for businesses. Edge Xpert also includes the key features provided in the “Hanoi” release of EdgeX Foundry. These include the ability for device connectors to be distributed on different hosts to the other microservices, data tagging to uniquely identi data sources as the data is transported northbound, and other upgrades that help with the scalability and roll-out of Edge Xpert. DW

SmartSense(IoT)

Sensor-less Brake and Clutch Controls with Status Monitoring Introducing a new way to control and monitor spring-applied, electrically-released brakes and clutches. Electronically sensing armature movement after power is applied, the controller provides real-time operation status and wear condition while communicating with your IoT system. Tracking the brake or clutch lifecycle, scheduling maintenance accurately, reducing energy and extending the lifespan has never been simpler. The SmartSense (IoT) offers:

• Avoidance of motor and brake/clutch drive overlap

• Remote armature motion monitoring • Variable holding voltage • Enhanced positioning and stopping • Increased cycle rates • Real-time brake wear monitoring • Auto-adjust timing to holding voltage

IOTech www.iotechsys.com

www.regentcontrols.com A Carlyle Johnson Company DESIGN WORLD

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www.designworldonline.com

March 2021

3/10/21 9:15 AM

Internet of Things

Processor class enhances CPU performance

The CX20x3 Embedded PCs include AMD Ryzen processors. This hardware suits 32-bit and 64-bit systems, namely TwinCAT 2 and TwinCAT 3 automation so ware. Users can select om Microso Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 LTSC or the new TwinCAT/BSD operating system. Two embedded PC variants in the CX20x3 range are available: CX2033: a fanless device without rotating parts equipped with an AMD Ryzen V1202B CPU (2.3 GHz clock equency, two cores) CX2043: a high-performance device with ball-bearing mounted and speed-controlled fan equipped with an AMD Ryzen V1807B CPU (3.35 GHz clock equency, four cores) The AMD processors are based on the Zen architecture and offer high computing power combined with a high clock equency. In addition, the graphics are integrated separately om the CPU cache, enabling excellent real-time characteristics.

March 2021

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www.designworldonline.com

The basic configuration of the CX20x3 includes two independent Gbit Ethernet interfaces, four USB 3.1 Gen. 2 and one DVI-D interface. In addition to the CPU and chipset, the basic module also includes 8 GB RAM. The controller boots om a removable CFast flash card. The CPU has 128 kB of internal NOVRAM as persistent data memory if a UPS is not used. A fieldbus and serial interface are available as options. All other components in the CX2000 family can be connected via the high-pole connections on both sides. The extended operating temperature range of -25...+60 °C also enables use of the system in applications with demanding climate conditions. DW

Beckhoff Automation www.beckhoff.com DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 9:16 AM

Congratulates

Over the last 55 years, Dorner’s product line has evolved from a single, low profile metalworking conveyor to a robust line of industrial, sanitary, and automation precision conveyors. We have solutions for a broad range of industries including packaging, automation, food processing, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, medical and more! All Dorner conveyors are built-to-order and ship in as little as 72 hours!

www.dornerconveyors.com • 800.397.8664 • info@dorner.com

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3/10/21 9:22 AM

One-Cutout NEMA Socket Series From Interpower®

Internet of Things NEWS

Newark and Cisco partner to deliver industrial IoT solutions for harsh environments Newark announced a new partnership with Cisco to offer industrial IoT network solutions for harsh and non-carpeted environments to customers across North America. The partnership brings more than 350 products to the Newark customer base, including ruggedized industrial switches, IoT gateways, industrial routers, and wireless access points, designed to withstand extended exposure to water, dust, and other extreme environmental conditions. The Cisco IoT solutions allow critical systems to continue operating even when under attack, scale cost-effectively to accommodate more IoT devices or more data, and integrate IT and OT processes. Cisco’s architecture comprehensively addresses customer requirements for scalability, integration, security, and evolving business outcome requirements.

Interpower offers four NEMA snap-in sockets which include 5-15, 5-20, 6-15, and 6-20 sockets with one common panel cutout to help you simplify product design. Each socket type has four different configuration options—choose from quick disconnect tabs with or without wire binding screws or solder tabs with or without wire binding screws. The different types allow for designing products with various voltage and amperage ratings. Made in Iowa, U.S.A. •

No minimum order or dollar requirements

•

1-week U.S. manufacturing lead-time on non-stock products

•

Same-Day shipments on in-stock products

The range of industrial switches, access points and routers by Cisco now available om Newark includes: Industrial Ethernet Switches : Industrial Ethernet (IE) 2000, 3000 and 4000 Series switches come with up to 20 ports. Developed specifically to withstand the harshest industrial environments, these switches offer the most flexible and resilient industrial ethernet products with secure connectivity, simple management and edge application execution. IW6300 Series: Designed for the most hazardous industrial locations, Cisco Catalyst IW6300 Heavy Duty Access Points deliver wireless connectivity, IoT control, and robust data collection to dangerous environments. With 802.11ac Wave 2 connectivity, dual Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+) out for IoT sensors or peripherals, multiple power-in sources, and a variety of uplink options, the IW6300 is a flexible wireless solution. The IW6300 carries an IP67 rating and Class I, Division/Zone 2 certification, as well as a temperature rating of -40 to +75 degrees Celsius, making it a mesh network component for heavy industry use.

Routers: Cisco routing provides intent-based networking for the WAN, LAN, and cloud. The Routers are designed for network security, scalability, durability, and investment protection. The modular architecture facilitates upgrades to your network without requiring a fork li upgrade of the routing platform DW

Toll-Free Phone: (800) 662-2290 E-mail: info@interpower.com Business Hours: 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Central Time

Newark www.newark.com/cisco

Order Online!

www.interpower.com

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March 2021

www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 9:20 AM

A D V E R T O R I A L Clayton Windsor - WAGO

Pushing performance

Adding functionality to terminal blocks

Terminal blocks are used industry-wide but are often only considered as a simple component that connects one wire to another. However, there are many varieties of terminal blocks that also perform specific wiring tasks (sensor or actuator wiring) or add functionality to the application like fusing, disconnect, or electronic components/PCB circuits. Addressing the latter, WAGO has introduced a new range of functional terminal blocks within their TOPJOB® S family. They feature the industry-proven spring pressure connection technology, Push-in CAGE CLAMP®, with the added benefit of a push-button. “These terminal blocks are designed to give users more functionality and increased flexibility within their application, allowing multiple options for testing, circuit protection, and pluggable modules in approximately the same footprint as a standard, through terminal block,” says Clayton Windsor, WAGO’s product manager for DIN-rail mount terminal blocks. “On top of that, the orange push-button provides a clear indication of where the tool goes to install the wires.” With these new additions to the TOPJOB® S family, the options for your applications are vast. Disconnect terminal blocks, for test and measurement, are available in variants with a highly visible orange pivoting knife disconnect, an orange pluggable disconnect, or a pivoting fused disconnect depending on the application. Fuse holder and fused disconnect terminal blocks are available for miniautomotive style blade fuses or 5x20 mm glass fuses. Additionally, users can consider adding carrier terminals, which allow for the adoption of fuse plugs and electronic component plugs for diodes, LEDs, or resistors. Custom pluggable modules can also be developed by the user or by WAGO with a small PCB for unique circuit requirements. The applications: “These functional terminal blocks further support our mindset of being a solution provider by adding value to our customers’ applications,” adds Windsor. When considering other components and devices that are commonly found in industrial control cabinets, many areas can benefit from additional functionality in a terminal block. For example, when using PLC input or output cards, disconnect terminals give the user the ability to isolate a circuit for troubleshooting or testing a current signal without removing the wires. Likewise, those same I/O cards often require fusing or protection against reverse polarity, making one of the fuse terminal blocks or electronic component plugs (with a directional diode) a great option. Other application areas include fusing the secondary side of a power supply to protect downstream devices like relays or using pluggable modules to add trans orb diodes to suppress counter-electromotive forces found in inductive loads like solenoids, contactors, or motor starters. DESIGN WORLD

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WAGO’s new TOPJOB® S rail-mount terminal blocks offer additional functionality and increased flexibility in the same footprint as a standard through terminal block. The TOPJOB® S system benefits: • Reliable & easy to use: Maintenance-free, spring pressure connection technology with intuitive, orange push-button. • Push-in CAGE CLAMP®: Direct push-in termination of solid or ferruled conductors, reducing wiring time significantly compared to screw terminal blocks. • Exclusive features: An all-metal “cage” to surround and secure conductors on all four sides, jumper retention spring to secure jumpers for reliable operation, multiline marking to simplify installation and troubleshooting. • Easy to common: A broad range of jumpers are available to fulfill simple and complex circuit commoning requirements. “As the inventor of the original CAGE CLAMP® back in 1977, we started in this industry setting new standards for safety and reliability. That is still our commitment today. A simple example of this can be found when replacing a fuse in our pivoting fuse holder. Pivoting the holder to the open position safely disconnects the circuit. While opening the cover safely ejects the fuse, no need to pry it out with a tool,” says Windsor. “In addition, the holder accommodates a spare fuse so that replacement is convenient and seamless.” So, when designing that next control application, consider the possibilities of adding functionality to your terminal block.

www.designworldonline.com

March 2021

3/10/21 9:34 AM

w w w. d e s i g nw o r l d o n l i n e . c o m / M C 2

Lisa Eitel

Gearing review for design engineers

In a new Motion Control Classroom on gearing, the editors of Design World detail the most common gear types for motion applications — as well as the contained geartrains known as gearboxes (those mechanical components consisting of a series of integrated gears) and other iterations to simpli integration and servotuning. Just consider the functions of a planetary gearbox. This is an assembly that consists of multiple planetary gears that revolve around a central sun gear while engaging with an internal gear and rotating on their own axes. Continuous engagement of the planetary gears means the load is shared by multiple teeth, allowing planetary designs to transmit high torque loads. This load-sharing among teeth also gives planetary gearboxes high torsional stiffness, making them ideal for processes that involve equent start-stop motions or changes in rotational direction — which are quite common characteristics of servo applications. Most servo applications also require very precise positioning, and planetary gearboxes are designed and manufactured to have low backlash, with as little as 1 to 2 arc-min. in some cases. In fact, planetary gearboxes can use spur or helical gears. While spur gears can have higher torque ratings than helical gears, helical designs have smoother operation, less noise, and higher stiffness … making helical planetary gearboxes the preferred gearbox for servo applications. When a gearbox is added to the drivetrain, the rotational speed delivered om the motor to the driven component is reduced by the Planetary gearset | courtesy CGI Motion

amount of the gear ratio, which can allow the system to make better use of the. Planetary gearboxes are able to accept very high input speeds and provide speed reduction of up to 10:1 for standard designs, with high-speed designs providing gear ratios (and speed reduction) to 100:1 or higher. The Motion Control Classroom on gearing will detail this and more about planetary gearboxes — including the way in which they allow best use of servomotor speed-torque characteristics. Still other references in this gearing Classroom explain various gear subtypes and geometries as well gearing for washdown settings, exceptionally demanding motion designs, sha -mount designs, and axes needing servogearing customization. Here’s a small sampling of other topics: • What are gears for power transmission? • Spur gears: What are they and where are they used? • Hypoid gearboxes: What are they and where are they used? • Wave and cycloidal gearing explained • What are the signs of gearbox misalignment? • What is pitch line velocity and why is it important? • When to use gears to change the inertia ratio of a motor-driven system Access this and other MC2 installments by visiting designworldonline.com/MC2.

This educational installment sponsored by:

March 2021

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www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 9:48 AM

A Supplement to Design World - March 2021 www.therobotreport.com

How ActiNav

automated a challenging bin-picking task page 54

INSIDE: • ABB develops next-gen GoFa, SWIFTI cobots....................................................62 • Tactile sensing for feedback control, object classification .........................................68 • Q & A: Greg Smith, President, Teradyne Industrial Automation Group ........................72

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3/8/21 11:11 AM

How ActiNav

automated a challenging bin-picking task Facing challenges due to labor shortages, Allied Moulded turned to Universal Robots’ ActiNav to automate an important bin-picking application.

Steve Crowe | Editor, The Robot Report

March 2021

Actinav_RR_3-21_Vs3.LL.indd 54

www.therobotreport.com

THE ROBOT REPORT

3/10/21 9:54 AM

The Robot Report

Founded in 1958, Allied Moulded is a full-service molding operation manufacturing non-metallic electrical boxes and enclosures for residential, commercial and industrial markets. Facing significant challenges due to labor shortages, the Ohio-based company chose Universal Robots’ new ActiNav system to automate an important bin-picking application. The deployment enabled Allied Moulded to reduce overtime expenses, move existing workers to more ergonomic tasks and improve consistency in the production process. Challenge Like many firms throughout Ohio’s manufacturing sector, Allied has faced challenges filling open positions due to difficult labor market conditions. At the same time, the company wanted to enhance the safety of its current staff by freeing them from repetitive, unergonomic bin-picking tasks. Quality improvement was also a motivating factor in the decision to explore automation “When looking for automation you look for repetitiveness. You have better control over your quality if you have more consistency with loading and unloading machines,” explained Tom Carlisle, manufacturing support department manager, Allied Moulded. “As far as keeping and retaining your employees, you want to remove some of the repetitiveness from their positions.” Using manual labor on bin-picking applications produces inconsistent results, added manufacturing engineer technician, Nate Gilbert. “One of the biggest challenges with manual labor is they get tired and towards the end of the day, production would go down; whereas with a robot, you can always count on a consistent output.” The COVID-19 pandemic added another layer of concern regarding the company’s manual labor force. “We could risk that dedicated staff at any moment would not be here for reasons beyond their control,” said Carlisle. “So we needed a way to keep those processes running.” Additionally, Allied Moulded required a bin-picking solution with a small footprint, so that it could easily be incorporated into its existing facility.

ActiNav’s high-resolution sensor and CAD matching enable high accuracy picks. | Universal Robots

THE ROBOT REPORT

Actinav_RR_3-21_Vs3.LL.indd 55

www.therobotreport.com

March 2021

3/10/21 9:55 AM

The Robot Report

Inside ActiNav Universal Robots’ ActiNav autonomous bin-picking kit is an

Solution Allied Moulded has been tracking the development of bin-picking automation om its infancy, and has found significant limitations with traditional approaches, said Carlisle: “Most of your bin-picking systems were developed for forging operations, but they didn’t have the speed that we were looking for.” When Allied first researched binpicking automation, the technology “just wasn’t where we needed it to be,” said Gilbert: “The guarding was too intrusive, and that was going to make it difficult when we needed to have an operator in that area. Floor space here at Allied is pretty limited already, and the thought of having to put up more guarding to accommodate a robot was one of the things that held us back initially; but with collaborative robots being safe around employees, we felt that was a great way to go.” Allied Moulded’s interest in the potential of collaborative robots (cobots) increased following a trip to a nearby factory that had already successfully deployed cobots om Universal Robots (UR). A follow-up encounter with UR at a trade show eventually led to the deployment of UR’s ActiNav autonomous bin-picking kit – a flexible, automated bin-picking solution that synchronously handles vision processing, collision- ee motion planning, and autonomous realtime robot control. “ActiNav was the first system we were confident we could get in the space available without creating a bunch of extra obstacles. Just the simplicity of it picking parts out of the bin and onto the conveyor is what we were really looking

automated bin-picking solution that synchronously handles vision processing, collision- ee motion planning, and autonomous real-time robot control. The ActiNav kit consists of: • • • • •

Autonomous motion module 3D sensor (placed above bin) ActiNav user interface Alignment marker All cables, screws, and brackets Universal Robots e-Series cobot (UR5e or UR10e)

for, and ActiNav seemed to meet that demand,” said Gilbert, noting that ActiNav constitutes a major improvement to the vibratory feeders that are o en used for part positioning. “We have vibratory bowl feeders on lots of our machines; but they are loud, and they are expensive, so it just wasn’t justified to put that type of system on this machine. But ActiNav is much lower cost, and much quieter.” While Allied Moulded had experience with traditional automation, deploying a cobot was “a brand new experience,” said maintenance group lead, Nathan Wells: “It was really exciting to see something that didn’t need to be caged in, and that I could walk around while it was doing its job. When it came to programming, this was probably one of the easiest robots that I’ve ever had to program. You don’t really have to have any specific numbers to put in, or anything like that; you just have to move it into place, push a few buttons and there you go, there’s the program.” Feeding ActiNav the data it needs to take care of part recognition is an equally painless process, said Wells: “We used a CAD file of the product, loaded it into the ActiNav and it took that and used it to register parts out of the bin. It was

Allied Moulded’s process begins with stock handlers unloading a full crate of parts into a dumpster. Once activated, the dumpster dumps its parts into the ActiNav bin. | Universal Robots

March 2021

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www.therobotreport.com

very easy to load in. You just put it on a USB and plug it into the controller.” Meanwhile, teaching the bin was also very straightforward: “We just touch the robot to each part of the bin. You do a few spots of that, and ActiNav learns the bin itself. I would say a er the first day of setup, it took maybe a shi to learn how to actually do the programming, and a er that, we were good on our own.” The process begins with stock handlers unloading a full crate of parts into a dumpster. Once activated, the dumpster dumps its parts into the ActiNav bin. ActiNav picks up parts –in this case, extruded fiberglass electric junction box housings – and places them in proper orientation onto a narrow, railed conveyor. Correct placement is crucial, explained Carlisle: “The part has to be placed in a particular order on the machine because of the secondary operations that the machine performs. If the part is placed incorrectly on the conveyor, you’d have to reject that, so you’ve lost all the labor and materials of that part.” The conveyor brings the parts to a small, caged work cell that has a rotary table with multiple stations. At each station, there is a fabrication element that is applied to the cup and eventually there is an out-conveyor that dumps finished parts into a large bin. Along the way, Carlisle notes, ActiNav has to make some decisions autonomously: which part to pick, how to place it in the correct orientation and how to identi incorrect parts, place them aside and continue with its main task. Once the bin is kept full, ActiNav can go all day without operator intervention, said Gilbert. “I’ve been pretty impressed with the ability of the robot to pick our parts out of the bin, no matter the THE ROBOT REPORT

3/10/21 9:57 AM

FHA-C Mini Actuator with Integrated Servo Drive

The Servo Drive is Inside!

The FHA-C Mini Series is a family of extremely compact actuators that deliver high torque with exceptional accuracy and repeatability. As part of the FHA-C Mini family, an integrated servo drive version utilizing CANopen® communication is now available. This evolutionary product eliminates the need for an external drive and greatly improves wiring while retaining high-positional accuracy and torsional stiffness in a compact housing. • Actuator + Integrated Servo Drive utilizing CANopen communication • 24VDC Nominal +7-28VDC Supply Voltage Range • Single Cable with only 4 conductors needed: CANH, CANL, +24VDC, 0VDC • Zero Backlash • Dual Absolute Encoders

• Panel Mount Connectors with 4 exit options • Output Sensing Encoder 14bit (16384 cpr) resolution • Input Sensing Encoder 15bit (32768 cpr) resolution • Control Modes Including Torque, Velocity, and Position Control, CSP, CSV, CST • Harmonic Drive HDL Software

42 Dunham Ridge, Beverly, MA 01915 | 800.921.3332 | www.HarmonicDrive.net Harmonic Drive is a registered trademark of Harmonic Drive LLC. CANopen is a registered trademark of CAN in Automation.

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10/22/20 11:03 AM AM 3/10/21 10:00

The Robot Report Programming ActiNav is intuitive thanks to full integration with the UR teach pendant. ActiNav took Gold in the Industrial Automation category at the 2020 LEAP Awards. LEAP (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program) Awards celebrate the most innovative and forward-thinking products serving the design engineering space. | Universal Robots

orientation, and place them on the machine correctly. A task like that is usually pretty hard for a robot to be set up to do. We’re pretty confident in an operator doing it; but to have the robot do it and not have to use direct labor in that situation has been a big benefit.” Traditional automation requires mats, fences and enclosures to protect workers om potential injury, but this can lead to enclosures “the size of an office” being required to automate some tasks, noted Carlisle, whereas cobots are designed to operate in close proximity to people: “This lets you have flexibility of where you’re going to place the robot [and] lets you interact with it: if there’s difficulty and you need to go and clear an error, there’s not a large procedure that you have to go through to get access. And it makes it more acceptable to individuals on the floor because it doesn’t seem inaccessible to them; it’s right there in the open.” Results ActiNav doesn’t take any lunches, cigarette or bathroom breaks and it always shows up for work, Carlisle noted. “It’s like the tortoise and the hare. ActiNav is consistent. It’s always there, putting the part on. A human operator can be faster, but their consistency can be affected by the need to take breaks. At the end of the day, the total amount of product should be the same, if not better, with ActiNav than a human operator;

March 2021

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ROS 2 driver for UR cobots PickNik is collaborating with Universal Robots (UR) and Forschungszentrum Informatik (FZI) on developing the official ROS 2 driver for UR’s collaborative robot arms. PickNik is developing the UR ROS 2 driver as a test platform for ros2_control, the popular control amework for the Robot Operating System (ROS) that is in the final stages of porting to ROS 2. PickNik is also leveraging its in-house UR5 cobots to further test and integrate the motion planning amework MoveIt to ROS 2. As a member of the ROS 2 Technical Steering Committee, PickNik is hoping these hardware demos with MoveIt 2, ROS 2, and UR cobots will speed up the transition to the more industrial and hardened ROS 2 middleware. The UR ROS 2 driver is based on the original Universal_Robots_ROS_Driver for ROS 1 and will be fairly similar. However, it will take advantage of new ROS 2 features such as component nodes and zero-memory copy integration with ros_control. From a performance perspective, the major benefit is decreased latency. At press time, the new ROS package was in the alpha stage and provides config files for just the UR5e cobot. PickNik is encouraging the open source community to start submitting patches and bug reports for the new driver as needed. PickNik said launch and config files for the other cobot models, and additional functionality such as end-effector I/O and force/torque data streaming, will be coming soon.

www.therobotreport.com

THE ROBOT REPORT

3/10/21 9:58 AM

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3/10/21 10:01 AM

The Robot Report but without the fatigue and manual dexterity of moving all the time. At the end, the tortoise just keeps putting it out because he’s consistent.” Deploying ActiNav has allowed operators at Allied Moulded to upskill, becoming trainers and mentors on the system and contributing design ideas for future automation projects. “As we bring in automation to do a lot of the mundane and unsafe tasks, and to be safer, our operators are the biggest asset that we have and they make the best trainers for your next generation of employees,” said Carlisle. ActiNav’s versatility is inspiring a host of ideas for future applications at Allied Moulded. “Picture yourself on the candy line with Lucille picking the chocolate drops off,” suggested Carlisle, referring to the famous chocolate factory scene in the television sitcom “I Love Lucy.” “ActiNav could do that for you. And tomorrow it might be candy canes. The next day it might be fruitcakes. That’s the flexibility you’d like to see. And once you see the task performed and you say, ‘Well, it can do this,’ you mind goes, ‘I have a hundred other things that I’d like to try.’”

Deploying ActiNav has allowed operators at Allied Moulded to upskill, becoming trainers and mentors on the system and contributing design ideas for future automation projects. | Universal Robots Allied Moulded is “well on its way” to being able to move ActiNav to any machine and set it up for any part style, said Gilbert. “We’re planning to implement ActiNav anywhere we can find a benefit for it. If we had a failed vibratory bowl, for example, we would just have ActiNav pick the part out of the bin and place it on the line.” The company plans to use ActiNav on multiple machines in its facility. “Table loading would definitely be something that I could see happening,” said Well. “This would be loading parts from a bin directly onto a round table that will rotate around to stations, instead of loading it onto a conveyor.” RR

Fastener Engineering This area has long been one of the most read and sought after by our engineering audience! From screws to bolts and adhesives to springs, these critical but often overlooked components are the key to every successful design. FastenerEngineering.com will serve readers in the mechanical design engineering space, providing news, product developments, application stories, technical how-to articles, and analysis of engineering trends. This site will focus on key issues facing the engineering markets around fastener technology, along with technical background on selected components.

Engineering September 2019

A supplement of Design World

covering nuts, bolts, rivets, screws, u-clips, eye bolts, washers and more.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: • Special print section in select issues of Design World • Fastener Engineering monthly newsletter

LEARN MORE AT: FASTENERENGINEERING.COM 60

March 2021 www.therobotreport.com

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DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 9:58 AM

2 Conceptual rendering of the multi-jointed robotic arm of a surgical system.

3 1 4

Giving robots a sense of touch FUTEK's miniaturized sensor technology allows surgeons to perform as if they had virtual fingertips. The sensors’ precise measurement and feedback allow the machine to emulate the dexterity and haptics of human hands.

QTA143

Micro Reaction Torque Sensor

Dimensions: 14 mm × 10 mm × 26 mm Provides closed-loop feedback on torque measurement.

LSB205

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3/10/21 10:02 AM

ABB develops next-gen GoFa, SWIFTI cobots ABB’s GoFa and SWIFTI lines offer higher payloads and speeds to complement its YuMi cobots.

Steve Crowe | Editor, The Robot Report

March 2021

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www.therobotreport.com

THE ROBOT REPORT

3/10/21 10:05 AM

The Robot Report

ABB is expanding its portfolio of collaborative robotic arms. The 2020 RBR50 company recently introduced its GoFa and SWIFTI cobots that offer higher payloads and speeds to complement its YuMi cobots. The GoFa and SWIFTI cobots are available now. ABB said the new cobots will accelerate its expansion in high-growth segments, including electronics, healthcare, consumer goods, logistics and food and beverage. ABB introduced a new cobot website that offers additional details and resources about the new cobots. In 2019, more than 22,000 new cobots were deployed globally, up 19 percent compared to the previous year, according to market research firm Interact Analysis. The demand for cobots is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 17 percent between 2020 and 2025, according to Interact Analysis, while the value of global cobot sales is expected to increase om an estimated $0.7 billion in 2019 to $1.4 billion by 2025. ABB’s GoFa cobot Let’s start with the new GoFa CRB 15000, a 6-axis cobot with torque and position sensors in each joint, a 950mm reach, 5kg maximum payload, and speeds up to 2.2 meters per second. Pronounced ‘go-fa’, the new cobot has a payload 4.5 kg higher than YuMi and a 70% longer reach than the single-arm cobot. GoFa is designed for a variety of applications, including material handling, machine tending, component assembly , packaging and inspection, and laboratory automation. Users can program GoFa via lead-through programming and ABB’s new Wizard programming so ware. Based on simple graphical blocks, Wizard makes it easier for nonspecialists to automate their applications. “Offering high speed, a 5kg payload, precise performance and a small footprint, coupled with simple set up and programming, GoFa can be quickly and easily deployed to help fill gaps in production lines wherever and whenever needed,” said Andie Zhang, global product manager, collaborative robotics, ABB Robotics. “This provides users of all sizes, om SMEs to large companies, with the flexibility to quickly adapt to changing circumstances and respond instantly to changing customer demand without having to incur delays arising om having to find extra staff at short notice.”

Pronounced ‘go-fa’, the 6-axis cobot has a payload 4.5 kg higher than YuMi and a 70 percent longer reach than the single-arm cobot. | ABB

THE ROBOT REPORT

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www.therobotreport.com

March 2021

3/10/21 10:05 AM

The Robot Report The 6-axis SWIFTI cobot line is based on ABB’s IRB 1100 industrial robot and offers a payload of 4 kg and maximum speed of 5 meters per second. | ABB

ABB said the new cobots will accelerate its expansion in highgrowth segments, including electronics, healthcare, consumer goods, logistics and food and beverage. ABB introduced a new cobot website that offers additional details and resources about the new cobots.

With built-in sensors in each joint, GoFa automatically stops if it makes contact with a human or another robot. Its plastic and aluminum joints also feature rounded geometry, with no pinch points that could trap limbs. Other safety features include a visual safety configurator on GoFa’s FlexPendant, as well as an interaction status light that changes color depending on GoFa’s operating status.

Comparing ABB’s entire cobot lineup Before we get to the SWIFTI cobots, let’s compare ABB’s entire cobot lineup: ABB SWIFTI cobots The 6-axis CRB 1100 SWIFTI cobot line, which is based on ABB’s IRB 1100 industrial robot, offers a payload of 4kg and maximum speed of 5 meters per second. There are two models that offer different reaches: 475mm and 580mm.

Comparing ABB's Cobot Arms

Payload Reach Degrees of Freedom Max TCP Speed

GoFa

0.5 kg

5 kg

SWIFTI 4 kg

559 mm

559

950 mm

580 mm or 475 mm

1.5 m/s per arm

1.5 m/s

2.2 m/s

5 m/s

Repeatability

0.02

0.05mm

0.01 mm

38 kg (including controller)

9.6 kg

27 kg

21 kg

IP30

IP54

IP40

Tabletop

Any Position

• RobotStudio AR viewer • Inherent safety = close collaboration • Soft padded joints • Servo fingers • Integrated vision • Vacuum gripper • Lead through programming"

• RobotStudio AR viewer • Integrated joint design with torque sensors • Arm Side Interface (ASI) featuring user-customizable buttons and light ring • Lead through programming • Interaction status light • Small footprint"

Mounting Positions Features

Single-Arm YuMi

0.5 kg per arm

Robot Weight Protection Class

Dual-Arm YuMi

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• RobotStudio AR viewer • Inherent safety = close collaboration • Soft padded joints • Servo fingers • Integrated vision • Scanning QR code • 2 x vacuums • Integrated controller"

www.therobotreport.com

• • • • • • • •

RobotStudio AR viewer 4 integrated air supplies Industrial robot speeds Lead through programming Wizard easy programming Interaction status light Safety laser scanner SafeMove cobot software"

THE ROBOT REPORT

3/10/21 10:06 AM

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The Robot Report

To ensure safety, the SWIFTI line combines ABB’s SafeMove safety certified robot safety software, which is integrated directly into the cobot controller, with a safety laser scanner. | ABB

ABB said SWIFTI is designed to support intermittent collaboration between human and robot, including tasks such as kitting, material handling, and screwdriving to insertion and polishing tasks. ABB said that since there is no potential for contact between human workers when SWIFTI is moving, it can be used with the same tooling as a standard IRB 1100 industrial robot. An example is the inclusion of a vacuum pack, which features four integrated air supplies that can be used to enable simultaneous picking of multiple items using suction. To ensure such safety, the SWIFTI line combines ABB’s SafeMove safety certified robot safety software, which is integrated directly into the cobot controller, with a safety laser scanner to create a speed and separation safety concept. ABB said the goal is to avoid any contact between human and robot that could potentially result in injury. This enables safe collaboration at higher speeds and payloads without the need for containment measures such as fences, ABB said. Using a ‘green, yellow, red’ zone approach, the robot reacts according to which zone a human worker is in. If the worker is detected in the green zone, then the robot will carry on working at its full speed and range of movement. If the yellow zone is entered, the robot restricts

its movement and speed to a safe limit. Entry into the red zone will bring the robot to a complete halt, allowing the worker to safely approach the robot to perform a task such as loading or unloading. The robot will remain stopped until the red zone is cleared and will only return to full movement and speed once the worker is back in the green safety zone. “As well as helping to reduce the overall cost of an installation through reduced spending on additional safety measures such as fences, being able to remove physical separation between people and robots saves space and makes for more open workspaces,” said Zhang. “This helps people operate and carry out their tasks freely, which minimizes potential disruption and interruption of production processes caused by having to stop the robot to allow operators to enter a cell to sort out issues in the event of a problem.” RR

March 2021 www.therobotreport.com

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The Robot Report

Tactile sensing

for feedback control, object classification

Enabling object classification and real-time feedback control based on tactile sensing enhances manipulation capabilities and will be especially important for cobots being designed to operate with more human-like capabilities. Alan Sullivan, Diego Romeres, Radu Corcodel

Collaborative robots (cobots) are designed to operate around humans in a factory environment and to execute tasks in a human-like fashion. Interestingly, assembly tasks that are simple for humans to perform such as gripping, grasping, turning and rotating items require highly sophisticated reinforcement learning (RL) protocols and tactile sensors for cobots to repeatedly successfully perform. Visual programming routines in the onboard so ware enable operators to program a robot via a “train by demonstration” graphical user interface. However, the technology behind these easily programmed and controlled robots is complex. Conventional robots are able to reliably grasp objects due to the availability of highprecision sensing om fixed cameras with known poses relative to the robot. However, the key benefit of using cobots is that they are, by design, easier to set up and program with the result that sometimes the only vision system available to localize objects is a lower-resolution camera mounted on the robot itself. To close the resulting perceptual gap, tactile sensors have been developed by several research teams, and research is underway on methods to use them for tactile feedback and object classification. This is especially important for tasks such as insertion (e.g., a sha into a bushing) or for handling so or delicate objects such as food.

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www.therobotreport.com

THE ROBOT REPORT

3/10/21 10:09 AM

The reason tactile sensing is needed for insertion is that – once the robot picks it up – the object being manipulated may change pose, e.g., due to an unsuccessful insertion attempt. It is thus critical for successful insertion to adapt to object pose changes and tactile feedback can provide the necessary information to detect such “in-hand” object pose changes. For so or delicate items, a critical grasp is needed, that being a grasp that is tight enough to hold the object without slipping, but not too tight in order to prevent any damage to the item. Training with model- ee RL Recently, several research papers related to tactile-based control have been published by research groups at the Mitsubishi Electric Research Lab (MERL, Cambridge, MA). A paper entitled “Tactile-RL for Insertion: Generalization to Objects of Unknown Geometry” was submitted by MERL and MIT researchers to the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in which reinforcement learning was used to enable a robot arm equipped with a parallel jaw gripper having tactile sensing arrays on both fingers to insert differently shaped novel objects into a corresponding hole with an overall average success rate of 85% with 3-4 tries. THE ROBOT REPORT

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In this work, the change in tactile signals over time is processed into a tactile flow signal representing the change of contact between the grasped object and the gripper during insertion. Subtle changes in the rotation of the objects in the gripper fingers caused by collisions with the target are detected by the tactile sensing arrays and can be used to provide real-time feedback to correct the object’s position and pose. Using tactile signals as input, a controller was trained with deep, model- ee RL to learn a tactile-based feedback insertion policy. In this manner, the controller learned om its “mistakes” and increased its effectiveness. To further develop the learning regimen of the controller, training was performed on pegs of different shapes (i.e., round and square) in a curriculum-learning fashion, starting with relatively simple tasks and learning increasingly more challenging variations. This led to a significant reduction in the number of training iterations. The system was first trained to place the pegs against a flat wall with one constraint, next a corner with two constraints, followed by a U with three constraints, and finally inserting into a square hole. The RL process was successful enabling the resulting controller to generalize to novel real-world objects, with similar shapes as the training pegs, such as a small and big bottle, a phone charger and a paper box. www.therobotreport.com

March 2021

3/10/21 10:10 AM

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Classifying objects by ‘feel’ The controller learning worked well on objects with a firm or hard surface. But what about objects with a thin or malleable surface that could be damaged by mishandling by a robot arm, such as a peach or cellophane-wrapped package? To address that problem, MERL researchers presented a second paper that also leverages the patterns obtained by tactile sensing for robotics at the 2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). The paper, entitled “Interactive Tactile Perception for Classification of Novel Object Instances,” describes research in which signals from tactile arrays developed at MERL and attached to the fingers of a gripper mounted to a robot arm can be used to classify novel object instances based only on tactile “feel.” The set of test objects used in the experiment included such household objects as an apple, a stuffed animal, paper cup, toy football, tennis ball and a wine glass. Objects are localized in the workspace using depth sensing after which the robot executed a sequence of palpations of the object using proposals from a grasp pose detector. The novel tactile arrays consist of temperature-compensated, superminiaturized pressure sensor cells laid in a planar grid and attached to the finger pads of our robotic gripper. The signals from the tactile array are converted into a 3D surface representation that is similar to human tactile perception. This approach conveniently and elegantly represents the tactile information as an implicit subset of the object’s geometry, precisely localized in the robot’s workspace. In essence, the finger pads engage with an object like a human hand and – through controller manipulation and learning – begin to understand the qualities of the object to properly handle it. The tactile data from the sequence of palpitations was encoded in a tactile feature space using the Viewpoint Feature Histogram (VFH) that encodes both the geometry and the viewpoint of a tactile point cloud. Each palpation’s VFH feature was processed using a OneClass Support Vector Machine (OC-SVM) to determine whether the object was

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March 2021

similar or different to a previously tested object. If the object is novel, its tactile model consisting of all its VFH features is stored and used for future object detection tasks. An advantage of this approach is the data efficiency due to the omission of the need to pre-train the system on a set of known objects. It therefore allows this approach to easily expand to incorporate novel objects. Although the tactile information encodes geometry information, the OC-SMV is agnostic to object scale. The results show good object separation for object pairs having significantly different tactile feel such as geometry and hardness, with the accuracy slightly improving as the number and distribution of palpitations increases. Enhancing manipulation skills Although formulated as an exploratory research, our results show that using pressure-based tactile sensing can successfully be employed for novel object detection by performing few palpitations and without the need for pre-training. Enabling object classification and realtime feedback control based on tactile sensing enhances the manipulation capabilities of today’s robots and will be especially important for cobots that are being designed to operate with more human-like capabilities. Looking forward, we expect tactile sensing to play a key role in achieving higher levels of dexterous manipulation in contact-rich settings including tactile serving, in-grip pose detection and controlled slipping. While these applications mostly reside on the factory floor at this stage, the learnings derived in this setting will be critical for the effective use of homebased robots to perform routine tasks such as putting away the groceries, meal preparation and cooking, and just maybe someday changing a baby’s diapers. RR Alan Sullivan, Ph.D., is a Computer Vision Group Manager, Diego Romeres is a Principal Research Scientist, and Radu Corcodel is a Research Scientist with Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL), the US subsidiary of the corporate research and development organization of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. MERL

www.designworldonline.com

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10/22/20193/15/21 12:36:057:27 PMAM

The Robot Report

Q&A:

Greg Smith, President, Teradyne Industrial Automation Group Inside Teradyne’s acquisition strategy and the future of collaborative robotics.

Steve Crowe | Editor, The Robot Report

North Reading, Mass.-based Teradyne built its business around automatic test equipment for electronics. This still accounts for the majority of its business, but Teradyne embarked on a series of acquisitions for key industrial robotics companies, including AutoGuide Mobile Robots, Energid, Mobile Industrial Robots and Universal Robots. The combination of collaborative robots, automated mobile robots and motion control so ware for robots are helping companies improve operational efficiency. We recently talked to Greg Smith, president, Teradyne’s Industrial Automation Group. Smith explained the goals of acquiring the aforementioned companies, as well as what Teradyne is looking for in future industrial automation-related acquisitions. He discussed the future of collaborative robotics and offered a unique perspective on mobile manipulation. This interview was adapted om Smith’s appearance on The Robot Report Podcast. To hear the full conversation, check out The Robot Report Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

March 2021

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www.therobotreport.com

THE ROBOT REPORT

3/10/21 10:14 AM

THE ROBOT REPORT

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www.therobotreport.com

March 2021

3/10/21 10:14 AM

The Robot Report Teradyne built its business around automatic test equipment for electronics. This still accounts for the majority of its business, but Teradyne embarked on a series of acquisitions for key industrial robotics companies, including AutoGuide Mobile Robots, Energid, Mobile Industrial Robots and Universal Robots.

Can you describe Teradyne’s vision for the future of robotics? Even though we bought Universal Robots in 2015, we really started this journey back in about 2013. If you look at the core business Teradyne is involved in and the trajectory of that market om 2005-2013, Teradyne was really successful in terms of gaining share and building a strong and profitable business. But the fundamentals of that market, semiconductor testing, were not that great. The market was shrinking between 5-10% per year during that period on average. We felt we had a long-term problem that we needed to solve. We needed a way to drive growth in the organization and revitalize the core.

Povlsen named Universal Robots president Universal Robots (UR) named Kim Povlsen its new president. He started the role on March 1, leading the cobot arm pioneer into its next stage of growth. Povlsen, a Danish native, held various executive business and technology leadership roles at Schneider Electric, a global energy management and automation company. He most recently served as VP, Strategy & Technology, and was responsible for the technology strategy and execution within a multi-billion dollar global organization. Kim holds a master’s degree in Computer Science & Embedded Engineering om the University of Southern Denmark. UR is based in Odense, Denmark. “I have been impressed with Universal Robots for some time,” said Povlsen. “To me, the company represents the pinnacle of innovation and potential and I was thrilled to be approached for this unique leadership role. The company not only pioneered the category of collaborative robots, created an ecosystem of partner technology solutions and a vast global distribution network to serve customers in their varied industrial automation needs, it also has the potential to fundamentally reshape automation across the global economy. I really look forward to working with, learning om and being part of the great people at Universal Robots.” UR is owned by Teradyne. Greg Smith, president of Teradyne’s Industrial Automation Group, told The Robot Report someone who loves robots is the right person to run UR. The person needs to be able to simultaneously run a “world-class manufacturing and distribution company, then walk to a meeting where you’re coming up with the ideas on how to open up automation to new areas.” “Kim combines a fantastic track record as a dynamic executive with a background in and a tremendous passion for robotics,” Smith said. “With Kim on board, Universal Robots is poised to strengthen its leadership in the global market for collaborative robotics. With Kim’s leadership, we can accelerate the growth in new applications and market growth for cobots. “Universal Robots was one of the original companies at the core of the Odense innovation hub for robotics, and our global customers recognize the innovation and quality of that Danish heritage. I’m thrilled to have a Danish executive who can build on our achievements and support the further development of our robotics hub and headquarters in Odense.”

March 2021

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THE ROBOT REPORT

3/10/21 10:14 AM

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The Robot Report The decision we made was to add a new platform to the company. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out where the best opportunity was. We looked at a lot of stuff, energy exploration, healthcare, and finally looked at industrial automation. We saw there was a potential inflection in industrial automation with the introduction of collaborative robotics, new motors and drive trains coming on the market that allowed for lower price points, and the acceleration of AI and UX technologies to make automation much more accessible. We started to look for companies that would allow us to get a foothold there. We were really fortunate that we engaged with Universal Robots and were aligned in time when Universal Robots was looking to scale globally. They needed a significant investment to bring their organization to the next level, so they became our anchor property in the area of automation. How has Teradyne’s Industrial Automation Group performed since it was built out? There are two things that are really interesting. Within industrial automation, we’ve managed to maintain a greater than 25% growth rate for those businesses up to 2020. In 2020, because of COVID, there was a significant impact to the whole automation business. And we were hit in a very similar way to other players in the space. But we’ve been really pleased in terms of the growth of Universal Robots. Both MiR and AutoGuide are poised to grow at 40-100% per year rates over the next few years. We’re thrilled about how our prospects look in industrial automation. The thing we didn’t expect is that a er we made this move, Teradyne’s core business started growing as well. So now we are sitting on top of two growth engines at the same time. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the collaborative robotics business? COVID has had a near-term effect that is generally negative for the automation business and generally positive for Teradyne’s core business. As soon as the pandemic broke, essentially, everybody

March 2021

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stayed home and bought electronics. The semiconductor industry has been growing strongly. With industrial automation, continuing sales hasn’t been impacted, but getting new customers has. At the end of the day, people buy om people they trust, and it’s hard to build trust with new people if you can’t meet them, sit down and have a conversation. This past year we generated $40 million of new business through lead generation, even though we’ve been locked in our basements. So we’re doing well. There’s still a huge amount of demand, but there’s been this drag in terms of building awareness because you can’t do a hands-on demo if you can’t be in the same room. Is awareness about collaborative robotics still the main challenge? What we’ve been talking about inside of UR, MiR and AutoGuide is that we have two parallel challenges to deal with. In 2020, UR shipped its 50,000 cobot. In 2020 alone, it shipped more than 9,000 cobots. That’s a lot of hardware. There are a lot of Tier-1 companies worldwide relying on our products for critical operations. So product quality, product reliability, service network, completing engineering programs on time — all of that needs to run in a world-class manner. At the same time, we think we’ve only penetrated the potential market for robotics about 5%. There’s this need to innovate and find new markets and find the things that are barriers for people to adopt collaborative automation. That needs to be done in a much more interactive way with our customers and at a much faster pace than developing the next robot, which has to be done to the highest industrial quality standards. How many cobots does Teradyne expect Universal Robots to sell in 2021? Coming into 2020, we thought we would sell 13,000 robots before COVID hit. We had the potential for that kind of year. If you look at 2021, we’re cautiously optimistic that we’re going to see a significant increase. When we came into 2020, we also built the operations capacity, the

www.therobotreport.com

distribution capacity, and the service capacity to deal with that kind of growth. Essentially, we’re crouched at the starting line ready to go in 2021 with the organization that we need to be able to take advantage of the growth I think we’ll see coming out of the pandemic. At the end of 2020, Jürgen von Hollen stepped down as Universal Robots president a er four-plus years. He is now CEO of Ultimaker, a Dutch 3D printing manufacturer. Why did step down? All I can tell you is what he shared with me. He said he loved the journey he went on at Universal Robots. When he joined in 2016, Universal’s revenue was less than $100 million. In 2019, we did $250 million in revenue. He managed a 36% growth rate. When he joined, Universal Robots had just shipped its 10,000 cobot; when he le , we shipped the 50,000 cobot. He built something amazing in terms of overall structure. He didn’t say this, but I think he loved that a lot — inventing the global organization and building it out into a world-class company. I think that really got him going. I think he saw the opportunity to do that again with Ultimaker. In terms of the trajectory as a company, he had the chance to transform Ultimaker om a startup into a worldclass company. To some extent, I think he felt his job was done at Universal Robots. Will we see more integrated products or complete solutions om Teradyne’s industrial automation portfolio? For example, a mobile manipulator that combines a MiR mobile robot base and Universal Robots cobot arm? There’s an interesting economic challenge around arms on mobile bases. When people look at doing automation, they look at it om an ROI perspective. How long is payback going to take? How much utilization does the automation get? If you take a cobot arm and stick it on top of a mobile robot, then you’re in a situation where when you’re using the arm, the base isn’t adding any value. And when you’re using the base, the arm isn’t adding any value. It has to be a much higher value application to justi the spend because

DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 10:17 AM

you’re only using half the robot at any moment. There’s some challenges in terms of getting the right price point to be able to do that. But we also see some interesting niches where even with today’s technology, It makes a whole ton of sense to do. We’re taking a longer view to see what the right strategy is to try and maximize the available market for [mobile manipulators]. It’s a little bit more subtle than I think it looked like than it looks at first glance. If you put a $25,000 robot on top of a $50,000 robot, you need to get a lot of value out of that before it is less expensive than a person pushing a cart. Is Teradyne still looking to grow its Industrial Automation Group? We are, and we categorize the kind of acquisitions we want to do into two buckets. The first bucket would be additional segments of the industrial automation market. That would be

things other AMRs [autonomous mobile robots] and 6-axis robots. We have good product offerings and pretty good market coverage in those two areas. But there are a lot of other robot types that we could potentially be looking at. We are always looking for companies that have excellent technology that would allow us to make more tasks [able to be automated]. How do we expand the market for robotics? If there’s so ware or hardware that allows us to do that, we’re also interested in those kinds of companies. We have this incredible community with UR+. Just to give you an idea, even though there was a pandemic in 2020, we went om about 211 products in the UR+ community to 308. We have 300 more products in the pipeline to be added om 100 different companies. That’s one of our biggest advantages in the collaborative automation space is that we are open to collaborate with

other companies and to support their innovations. We want to be careful about what investments we make — be sure they’re foundational advances to the state of the art. When we looked at bin picking, we saw that most of the existing bin-picking solutions really didn’t have an ability to do good path planning. With [Energid’s] Actin, we felt it was adding a missing piece to that whole market. We still have bin-picking solutions in UR+ community, and our distribution channel still helps facilitate customers that have binpicking problems that are more aligned to those than our own solution. We think we’ve come up with a fundamental advance in technology, so that’s the kind of thing that we want to invest in. RR

It’s not a web page, it’s an industry information site So much happens between issues of R&D World that even another issue would not be enough to keep up. That’s why it makes sense to visit rdworldonline.com and stay on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. It’s updated regularly with relevant technical information and other significant news to the design engineering community.

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FUTEK We make innovation possible FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology specializes in creating inventive sensor solutions for today’s leading tech innovators: • Load cells • Torque sensors • Pressure sensors • Multi-axis sensors • Instruments • Software Our end-to-end measurement products and services include sensors, amplifiers, and calibration, allowing you to streamline and optimize your system and achieve better results at a lower cost than legacy solutions. All our products are made in the USA. To learn more, visit www.futek.com.

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FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. 10 Thomas Irvine, CA 92618 USA www.futek.com +1 (949) 465-0900

THE ROBOT REPORT

3/11/21 3:31 PM

Robotics Robotics

Harmonic Drive FHA Actuator with Integrated Servo Drive Just Released: FHA mini actuator with an integrated servo drive utilizing CANopen® communication. Eliminating the need for an external servo drive, it features a single cable connection with only 4 wires needed: CANH, CANL, +24VDC, 0VDC. A single-turn 14bit (16384 cpr) gear output sensing encoder has been integrated along with a single-turn 15bit (32768 cpr) motor input sensing encoder providing a true absolute encoder that does not require a battery within 360° of rotation of the output. The FHA-C mini Series is a family of extremely compact actuators that deliver high torque with exceptional accuracy and repeatability.

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maxon Compact motors for Collaborative robots Reliable, Powerful, Efficient maxon flat motors are especially suitable for installation in confined spaces. The brushless motors are designed as internal and external rotors and can reach speeds of up to 20,000 RPM. Available with hall sensors, sensorless or with integrated electronics. These motors can also be combined with gearheads and encoders. • External, multi-pole rotor for high torques • Open design for excellent heat dissipation at higher speeds maxon is your single source for motion solutions. When you choose maxon, you can expect outstanding service, creative options and quality without question. Want to get your ideas moving? Contact maxon today.

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THE ROBOT REPORT

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March 2021

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JUST RELEASED: Revolutionary - Motus Labs ML1000 Series precision M-DRIVES offer a higher torque density than competing strain wave gearing with no compromise in performance. The ML1000 family of hollow shaft drives includes standard gear drive sizes ranging from 17-40. Motus Labs’ patented design utilizes a series of cam-driven blocks, instead of traditional gear teeth, that engage over 80% of the output ring surface area at all times resulting in a more rigid drive at a lower weight. The design distributes load stresses over a much larger surface area, permitting the M-DRIVE transmission to deliver up to twice the torque per unit size and volume and 15% greater efficiencies compared to strain wave drives.

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NEW AksIM-2TM rotary absolute kit encoders offer outstanding performance – to 20-bits with no hysteresis Renishaw associate company RLS d.o.o Introduces an improved second generation of AksIMTM absolute rotary encoders widely used in many humanoid, medical and collaborative (Cobot) applications, where hysteresis, large through holes, low profile, reliability and repeatability are fundamental. The additional benefits of AksIM-2TM encoders are: • Full range of sizes • Onboard eccentricity calibration • Multiturn capability • Extended operating temperature and pressure ranges

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Contact Info: 1001 Wesemann Drive West Dundee, IL 60118 Website: www.renishaw.com Phone: 847.286.9953 Email: usa@renishaw.com

THE ROBOT REPORT

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Feedback

on stepper motors for better positioning (and less ringing) Jim Stevens • Product Specialist • POSITAL Inc.

This large-bore hollow-shaft kit encoder from Posital Inc. is suitable for use with hollow-shaft stepper motors.

March 2021

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DESIGN WORLD

3/10/21 10:36 AM

M o t i o n

C o n t r o l

Feedback-equipped stepper motors are not a complete substitute for servomotors, but they can provide a reliable alternative in many real-world applications. These motion-design solutions improve machine performance without breaking the bank. Stepper motors are a top choice for many motion and position control applications. They’re available in a wide range of sizes and torque ratings and are significantly less expensive than high-end servomotors. So, let’s talk about ways of raising stepper-motor performance to that of servomotors by adding feedback devices. Stepper-motor benefits and drawbacks to address Stepper motors are brushless dc electric motors that move in discrete steps rather than continuously sweeping rotational motion. These step motions are driven by magnetic field shifts by sets of electromagnetic coils in the stator. Stepper motor operation depends on a controller — an electronic device that feeds current to the motor’s stator coils in a sequence that drives step motions. The controller’s capabilities has significant impact on motor performance.

There are several types of stepper motors available, but the most common varieties offer good resolution (200 steps per revolution or better) as well as respectable low-speed torque, rugged construction, long service life, and relatively low cost. However, they do have limitations. Torque output drops off at higher rotational speeds and (with simple controllers) stepper motors can be subject to ringing — high-frequency vibrations. The biggest drawback is that even in positioning applications, basic stepper-motor systems operate under open-loop control. Stepper motors respond to instructions from the controller to move a certain number of steps — but return no feedback to the controller about whether this motion has been completed. So if the motor fails to complete requested step motions, a growing discrepancy can arise between what the controller assumes as the motor

A stepper motor sporting an encoder and controlled like a brushless servomotor is efficient … and less expensive than a true bldc servomotor. DESIGN WORLD

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M o t i o n

C o n t r o l

Posital kit encoders for stepper-motor applications include magnetic, capacitive, and optical variants.

shaft’s rotary position and the true position of the shaft (and any attached loads or driven mechanisms). Such mismatches happen when the motor’s torque is insufficient to overcome mechanical resistance … and in fact, these mismatches can become a significant problem at high rpm, because that’s when motor torqueoutput capabilities are limited. That’s why design engineers often overspecify stepper motors — to avoid missed steps, even if it makes for stepper-motor selections that are overly large and heavy for all but the most demanding motion profiles. Another drawback is that when a traditionally applied stepper motor comes to a stop, current must flow through the motor windings to hold the stepper-motor shaft in position. This consumes electrical power and heats the motor windings and surrounding subcomponents. Feedback on stepper-motor systems for reliable positioning Adding encoders to a stepper-motor system to get shaft-position feedback essentially closes the control loop. Adding these feedback devices increases overall system cost, but not as much as switching to a servomotor.

March 2021 www.designworldonline.com

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One approach for adding encoder feedback is to operate in move and verify mode. In this case, a simple incremental encoder is added to the stepper motor’s tail shaft. Then when the controller issues step commands to the motor, the encoder continuously verifies to the controller that the commanded motions have occurred. If the motor fails to complete the requested number of steps, the controller can request more steps until the motor reaches the intended position. More sophisticated controllers also increase the phase current into the motor as a way to boost torque for making those extra steps. Encoders used in such move-and-verify setups typically have resolutions that are some multiple of 200 positions per revolution. Note that setups employing moveand-verify modes may still benefit from the inclusion of oversized motors, but not oversized to the degree required by simple open-loop systems. Also note that this mode can help intelligent controllers finetune holding currents into the motor for slight efficiency improvements during stopping … though overall energy consumption still tends to be high. DESIGN WORLD

techno

3/10/21 10:58 AM

Closed-loop stepper control with absolute encoders Another somewhat more sophisticated option for critical position-control applications is full closed-loop control employing multiturn absolute encoders.

Encoders used here attach to a stepper motor’s tail shaft to monitor: • The stepper motor’s angular position as well as • The stepper motor’s number of full turns. In this configuration, the stepper motor is controlled like a high-pole-count brushless dc (bldc) motor … and the encoder continually provides position feedback to the controller. Holding current supplied to the motor is then exactly tailored to the amount required to maintain position within a given position tolerance. A stepper motor controlled like a brushless servo motor is energy efficient and less expensive than a true bldc servomotor. So, why not use low-cost stepper motors for all bldc servo applications?

Well, stepper motors used in closed-loop servo systems have a physical limitation not found in true BLDC servomotors. More specifically, stepper motors thusly operated are essentially working as 50-pole brushless motors, so can’t achieve the rpms possible with servomotors. In addition, stepper-motor rotors have higher inertia than those of true bldc servomotors of equivalent power … so can’t deliver the same accelerations. When a stepper motor is used in bldc mode, the encoder performs a vital commutation role — reporting the motor shaft’s exact rotary position … which in turn lets the controller energize the appropriate set of stator electromagnets for continuous rotation as needed. In addition, precision absolute encoders can also help advanced microstepping controllers in finetuning the phase current to reduce the ringing (vibration) that occurs in more basic stepper-motor systems. Choosing the right encoder for a stepper-based design As was mentioned above, simple incremental encoders can be effective when a stepper motor is used in move and verify mode. Incremental encoders also support speed control … although stepper motors aren’t usually the best choice for continuous operation at steady speeds.

Absolute encoders, which report the shaft’s rotary position, excel on critical positioning axes. These come in selfcontained versions (having their own closed housing and shaft) or kit forms.

Here’s the difference: • Self-contained encoders require some form of coupler to connect them to the motor’s shaft. • In contrast, kit or modular encoders are integrated by the machine builder into a motor or drive mechanism to measure rotary motion directly from the drive shaft. These kit encoders might be built into the motor’s housing or attached externally to the motor’s end bell. Absolute magnetic encoders, which measure rotations through a set of Halleffect sensors, are a top option for feedback control of stepper motors. Available in self-contained as well as kit form, they are rugged and relatively insensitive to dust, moisture, and other contaminates … plus are easy to install. Magnetic encoders that take kit form consist of an electronics package (mounted on a small PCB) along with a small permanent-magnet array attached to the rotating shaft. Miniature versions of these encoders in self-contained form (having external diameters down to 22 mm) are available for especially small motors.

This is an exploded view of a 22-mm magnetic kit encoder assembly from Posital Inc. for especially small stepper-motor applications.

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M o t i o n

C o n t r o l

Multiturn magnetic encoders can keep track of the motor’s completed number of rotations. Such encoders are useful for control of motors driving loads via reduction gears, worm gears, and cable drums. The rotation counter for these devices is built around a Wiegand sensor that detects complete rotations and provides power for the counter circuitry. This ensures that the rotation count is always accurate, even when rotations occur while system power is unavailable.

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Hollow-shaft kit encoders employing capacitive measurement can be a useful option in cases where it is preferable to install the rotation measurement device on the drive end of larger motors. These are available with multiturn measurement ranges and center openings of 30 and 50 mm. DW

right out-of-the-box!

Posital Inc. | www.posital.com

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Encoders

hold the line

New linear encoders beef up resistance to harsh environments, while offering up nanometer-level precision. Miles Budimir • Senior Editor

FORTiS linear encoders from Renishaw feature a non-contact design, reducing mechanical wear and offering greater longevity. A unique seal offers greater resistance to fluid and solid debris contamination.

March 2021

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L i n e a r

M o t i o n

Good, accurate data is at the heart of industrial systems. In any kind of application involving motion, especially high performance motion, the feedback the controller receives can make or break it. As the old cliché goes; garbage in, garbage out. That’s why sensors and encoders that deliver real-world data to controllers are so critical to success. Among linear motion sensors and encoders, there are well-established means for attaining accurate feedback data. Typical sensing methods include optical as well as magnetic technology. Even though these technologies have been around the block a few times, manufacturers continue to make improvements to them, keeping pace with industry demands. Enclosed optical encoders Case in point; Renishaw’s FORTiS enclosed linear absolute encoder series. An enclosed optical encoder houses the encoder’s electronics and optics within a sealed unit that is attached to a readhead body. Both the sealed optical unit and the encoder’s scale are further protected within a sealed enclosure, providing high resistance to the ingress of liquids and solid debris contaminants. It features an extruded enclosure with longitudinally attached interlocking lip seals and sealed end caps. The readhead body is joined to a sealed optical unit by a blade, which travels through the lip seals along the length of the encoder. Linear axis movement causes the readhead and optics to traverse the encoder’s absolute scale (which is fixed to the inside of the enclosure), without mechanical contact. DESIGN WORLD

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L i n e a r

M o t i o n

The diagram shows the internal optical construction of the FORTiS encoder. The encoder scale features an absolute scale code of full-width contrasting lines, which is imaged via a lens onto a detector array inside the readhead.

An enclosed optical encoder houses the encoder’s electronics and optics within a sealed unit that’s attached to a readhead body.

The encoder’s scale features an absolute scale code of full-width contrasting lines, which is imaged via a lens onto a detector array inside the readhead. Linear position measurements, output in digital form, are compatible with a range of industry standard serial communications protocols. Ian Eldred, FORTiS Principal Mechanical Engineer at Renishaw, highlights some of the design features, including better repeatability and reduced hysteresis. “These are due to an innovative non-contact mechanical design that doesn’t require a mechanical guidance carriage. Five years of accelerated life testing, under the harshest conditions, has enabled Renishaw to develop and refine the new advanced DuraSeal lip seals. These offer excellent resistance to wear and machine tool lubricants, superior sealing and ingress protection up to IP64 when combined with air purge.” “FORTiS absolute encoders also feature integrated, specially designed tuned mass dampers that deliver 30 g vibration resistance and push the limits of what enclosed encoders can endure,” adds Eldred, making them resistant to a wide range of mechanical shock and vibration. There are two different extrusion profiles available. The FORTiS-S linear encoder is the standard-sized encoder,

March 2021 www.designworldonline.com

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available with measuring lengths from 140 to 3,040 mm and installs directly to a machined surface via flexure holes in the extrusion’s body. The FORTiS-N encoder, available with measuring lengths from 70 to 2,040 mm, features a narrower crosssection extrusion and a more compact readhead for installations in confined spaces. This model can be mounted directly to a machined surface via two end-cap mounting holes or a mounting spar for greater rigidity. The encoders feature a range of serial communications protocols including BiSS C, BiSS Safety, Siemens DRIVE-CLiQ, FANUC, Mitsubishi and Panasonic. The encoder dimensions also ensure space and bolt-hole compatibility with a wide range of alternative current and legacy systems. Installers can also connect the Advanced Diagnostic Tool, ADTa-100, via a standard USB connector, to a PC running Renishaw’s ADT View software. This provides a user-friendly graphical interface of advanced diagnostic information, including key encoder performance parameters such as signal strength along the axis length. A permanent record of installation data can be saved providing confidence to both machine builders and users.

DESIGN WORLD

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3/11/21 12:30 PM

HEIDENHAIN’s LIC 3100 absolute kit encoder uses a steel tape scale with measuring lengths up to 10 m.

Kit encoders for absolute positioning HEIDENHAIN’s newest high-accuracy motion feedback encoder can now be used for absolute positioning in machines in the semiconductor, metrology and robotic industries. The company’s new LIC 3100 absolute kit encoder is an additional offering that fits between their LIC 4100 and 2100 series. Among other features, it’s especially tolerant to contamination and has loose mounting tolerances. The graduation of the new LIC 3100 encoder is carried by a sturdy stainlesssteel tape. This steel tape scale has a 2-track graduation resulting in a period of 80 microns. The tape scale is available in rolls of 3, 5, and 10-m lengths and can be inserted into an aluminum extrusion for better thermal growth behavior or can be mounted directly to the motion axis surface with an adhesive backing on the steel tape.

The reader head can output a measuring step of just 10 nanometers and maintain a velocity of 10 m/sec. It’s offered with the well-known EnDat 2.2 high-speed serial electrical interface as well as five others, making it plug-and-play compatible with motion controllers. The interpolation error, or cyclical error, is +/- 100 nanometers, allowing the encoder to provide smooth constant velocity and allow linear motors to function more efficiently. Mounting of the reader head to the scale is fast and simple due to forgiving mounting tolerances and easy-to-use handheld diagnostic tools like HEIDENHAIN’s PWT 101. A zero-datum position can be programmed anywhere along the scale length. Draw-wire feedback – tried and true Draw-wire sensors are another tried and true linear measurement technology –

relatively simple in construction, rugged, and low cost. They’re ideal for applications with intermittent measuring requirements, as well applications where a readhead or some other encoder component can’t be readily attached to the object whose motion is being measured. Encoder Products Company’s (EPC) has a new series of draw wire encoders, the LCX Series draw wire units. They work with the company’s encoders to accurately measure position and provide motion feedback in motion control applications. The LCX Series is manufactured for the company by their German technology partner and offers wire lengths from one to 42.5 m in length. “The maintenance-free draw wires are particularly quick and easy to install,” says Dave Wilson, National Sales Manager for EPC. “Draw wires are used for motion feedback because of their reliability. Coupled with an EPC encoder, the highly-

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L i n e a r

M o t i o n These LCX Series draw wire units from Encoder Products work together with the company’s encoders to measure position and provide motion feedback in motion applications such as boom cranes and forklift booms.

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flexible steel wire of the LCX is a good choice for motion control in a range of applications from extrusion presses and textile machinery, to gantries, boom cranes, forklift booms and more.” The LCX is available in three housing sizes: an 80-mm casing with 1, 2 and 3-m wire length options, a 120-mm casing with 4 or 5-m wire length options, and a 135-mm casing with wire lengths from 6 to 42.5 m. The LCX Series draw wire units work with encoders that have a clamping flange that’s 36 mm in diameter, with a 10 mm diameter shaft and 20 mm long. This includes EPC absolute encoder Model A58SE, which offers EtherCAT and PROFINET communication protocols; Model 758, a high-performance incremental encoder; and the Model 858S, a stainless steel incremental encoder. These options allow designers to choose the right encoder and wire length for their application. DW Renishaw www.renishaw.com/fortis HEIDENHAIN www.heidenhain.us Encoder Products www.encoder.comw

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I n t e r n e t

o f

T h i n g s

Are you ready for

5G yet?

We’ve all been inundated by ads from Telecom Companies wanting us to adopt the latest 5G technology. Marketing aside, 5G is more than just another incremental step in the progression from 1G through 4G. It was designed to be a high connectivity, broadband, wireless, low latency communication platform. It has the same attributes that system designers are looking for to handle the massive amounts of data being generated and used to operate factories – and that’s no coincidence. Some of the performance characteristics that are supported by the 5G architecture include mission-critical communications, IoT, all spectrum types (licensed, shared, unlicensed); low, mid and high frequency bands and device-to-device and multi-hop mesh connectivity. In broad terms there are three migration pathways from 4G to 5G based on the intended use. The first of these is eMBB or Enhanced Mobile Broadband. This is for existing systems that are built for 4G LTE applications where the higher bandwidth of 5G means faster download speeds, and a higher density of devices per square kilometer. This would also include higher mobility (think high-speed trains and airplanes) and potentially could take advantage of the lower latency of 5G. These are essentially extending the reach of existing 4G devices. DESIGN WORLD

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Scott Orlosky • Contributing writer

3/10/21 11:37 AM

Internet

Things

A growing area of use is in autonomous vehicles, both on-road and in controlled environments like warehouses and robotic manufacturing. This is referred to as URLLC or Utra Reliable and Low-Latency Communications. This involves incredibly fast turnaround, use of license-free bandwidth and data-sharing arrangements – all in the name of reliability. The goal is accurate data with low latency in situations where delays would result in a literal collision. One unique feature in this structure allows for critical signals to interrupt existing communication for safety reasons. This service level includes positioning information that would evolve to compete with localized GPS.

The third level of 5G engagement is mMTC or Massive Machine-Type Communication to support one million devices per square kilometer. In order to be effective as an IoT communication channel under the 5G NR (New Radio) standard it required the definition of two new device types. These are either NBIoT (Narrow Band, 200kHz, Internet of Things) and CAT-M1 (1.4 GHz, Mobile). The NB-IoT variant is specifically for sensors or measuring devices which only need to perform their duty occasionally: things like flow measurement, tank level, overspeed indication, etc. This class of devices should be ubiquitous, cheap, and low power. The CAT-M1 is for devices

which require the high bandwidth and low latency that you would find in an automation environment. Both can sleep for extended periods of time with extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) and Power Saving Mode (PSM). Where is 5G capability now? The original timeline was released by the 3GPP and IEEE in 2018 and the first specifications, released in mid-2019 are for use cases built on top of 4G LTE devices. At the time of that release, two more specification releases were planned over the next three years and then a fourth release at a later time, TBD. This rollout is different than any previous rollouts largely because

Typical architecture of a 5G network approach.

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seen by the chart and table below, 5G also potentially includes numerous additional frequencies. The FCC has made a commitment to an accelerated roll-out for these new frequencies under their 5G FAST plan. Reference https://www.fcc.gov/5G . They have designated spectrum groups as High, Medium, Low and Unlicensed bands and have already, through an incentive auction, licensed the High band spectrum covering 28 through 48 GHz. of the added capabilities mentioned above and the wide amount of spectrum that will need to be sold off and regulated. In mid-2020, the latest release (release no. 16) was finalized. This is the one that starts to bring in the factory 4.0 features: Things like multi-user multiple input/output often referred to as Massive MIMO will speed up communication cycles; self-contain positioning (without GPS) that could allow for 3m positioning within a building, improving to sub meter accuracy with release 17; 5G NR (New Radio) which uses

unlicensed spectrum allowing for private local networks and TSN (Time Sensitive Networking) that can synchronize all devices on the network to the same clock as well as enabling vehicle-to-vehicle networking. How bandwidth is allocated Over the years, telecom companies have been accumulating license rights for voice and data for use in mobile phones, 1G through 4G. All of these frequencies are still available for 5G. However as can be

Example use cases: Autonomous vehicles

One feature of 5G is the ability to designate certain information as mission-critical. Unlike 4G, 5G is allowed to assign priority to critical signals and can override other ongoing “conversations”. If a collision was imminent for example it could send an e-stop command to a piece of equipment, or sub-system. This supports the autonomous vehicle operating construct, but is also suitable for keeping Cobots safe,

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5G TECHNOLOGY WORLD Delivers the Latest 5G Technology Trends

5G Technology World is EEWorldOnline’s newest site covering 5G technology, systems, infrastructure, and wireless design and development. Get caught up on critical 5G information, check out the following articles on 5GTechnologyWorld.com: Massive MIMO performance testing: Emulate the channel Performing MIMO testing using real-world conditions is critical for successful 5G deployments. www.5gtechnologyworld.com/massive-mimoperformance-testing-emulate-the-channel

5G is hot, keep your components and systems cool 5G’s antennas and the devices that drive them generate more heat than their LTE predecessors. That creates new cooling problems for wireless devices and systems. www.5gtechnologyworld.com/5g-is-hot-keep-yourcomponents-and-systems-cool

5G moves into production, causes test issues 5G Technology World talks with Teradyne’s Jeorge Hurtarte, who explains components and over-the-air production test of 5G components. www.5gtechnologyworld.com/5g-moves-intoproduction-causes-test-issues

IEEE 1588 adds timing performance while reducing cost and risk GPS and GNSS have been the standards for network timing, but they have security issues. A Master clock and IEEE 1588 reduces the risk and lowers installation costs. www.5gtechnologyworld.com/ieee-1588-adds-timingperformance-while-reducing-cost-and-risk

For additional content, go to: www.5gtechnologyworld.com

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Designation Millimeter wave (High Band) Part of FCC 5G FAST

Potential Range Status 24.25 GHz – Includes some 52.6 GHz unlicensed spectrum

Sub 6GHz (Mid Band) Part of FCC 5G FAST Low Band Part of FCC 5G FAST Unlicensed Part of FCC 5G FAST None, yet

450 MHz – 6GHz

None, yet

600, 800 and 900 MHz 6 GHz and >95 GHz 5.925 GHz – 7.150 GHz 64 GHz – 86 GHz

or emergency stops on conveyors or web processes, where an error can be costly in terms of product, and lost time to restart the process. Monitoring

A lot of critical equipment is motor driven and when it is over-driven, or it’s near end-of-life, they can start to self-heat. A manufacturing plant could be fitted with IR cameras to cover critical operations and look for any anomalous heat events. These types of failures usually result in a shutdown, however when used for monitoring this could allow for a “run-safe” or “safe stop” operation. Then service could be scheduled with a planned shut-down which minimizes the disruption to production. Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR)

These applications require lots of bandwidth and must have a low latency (< 1ms). In a VR application, the intent would be to use a headset or glasses as a teaching tool. An operator could learn things like testing protocols, assembly processes, or robot teaching methods. They could simulate a manufacturing environment and then run the simulation to ensure that it works as planned before committing capital expenditures. Augmented Reality, though similar to VR is a better tool for accessing CAD drawings, assembly drawings and tooling drawings

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Includes some unlicensed spectrum

Things

Comment FCC Actions on 5G 4 operating An incentive auction was completed in bands January, for the 37.6 to 38.6 GHz, 38.6 to 40 GHz, and 47.2 to 48.2 GHz ranges. May add 42 GHz and 26 GHz 27 Considering broadband mobile 2.5 to 3.5 operating GHz and 4.2 GHz. 4.9 GHz for public bands safety, and may add 2.75 GHz

Under consideration Under consideration

in a graphic form. Most manufacturing facilities would produce these drawings routinely as part of the manufacturing process. Once those drawings are associated together through a number, an assembler can call-up these drawings during the product build. With these references, product assembly could be checked at each stage of assembly against the design and manufacturing template. Local internet

With the luxury of a greenfield project or a small pilot plant, the high bandwidth and wireless connectivity of 5G installations could be used to build a local Internet today. It would be accessed directly through a local connection. In theory, sensors could send data directly to the cloud or local servers and prime movers (motors, actuators and robots for example) could access their instructions directly from a specific location. At present, not all sensors and prime movers are designed with IIoT in mind and so they don’t have the communication infrastructure. But, in the meantime, a plant can be built using one of the existing ethernet connectivity standards. As the 5G offering expands, communication could migrate to 5G wireless on a step-wise basis. Once fully deployed, the typical smart factory architecture could be built similar to the 5G smart factory with a cyber infrastructure as shown below. www.designworldonline.com

Wrap it up 5G is coming on quickly and will be deployed with its full set of features within the next couple of years. As a communication tool, it puts more functionality in our hands than we’ve ever had before. The question now is, will we be ready for it, when it is ready for us? Author Bio: Scott Orlosky has an MS in Manufacturing and Control Theory from UC Berkeley and has worked over 30 years designing, developing, marketing and selling sensors and actuators for industrial and commercial industries.

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March 2021

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What are

the different types of light sensors? Nikhil Agnihotri

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S e n s o r s

Light sensors or photosensors, which are designed to measure light intensity, are one of the most commonly used sensors in electronic applications. Light intensity is one of the seven base physical quantities. The measurement of light intensity is useful in many consumer, industrial, and security applications. A light sensor is a photoelectric device that converts light energy into electrical energy. These sensors are designed to be sensitive to visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light, which means they’re sensitive to a narrow band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Light sensors are built from selective materials that generate electricity on exposure to a specific part of the spectrum. The amount of electricity is proportional to the intensity of the incident light.

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Understanding units of light intensity Light intensity is one of the seven base physical quantities. Its SI unit is candela. One candela is the www.designworldonline.com

luminous intensity in a given direction of a source, which emits monochromatic green light of 540×1012 hertz and has a radiant intensity of 1/683 Watt per steradian in the same direction. Candela is often used to indicate the intensity of artificial lights. Other units include lumen and lux. Lumen is the unit of luminous flux and measures the total amount of light emitted by a source. It’s defined as the amount of light emitted per second over a solid angle of one steradian from one candela’s uniform source. Lumen is often used to indicate the brightness of light sources. While lumen is a unit used to express the total amount of light from a source, lux is the total amount of light from a source incident on a particular surface area. One lux is equal to one lumen of the light incident per square meter. March 2021

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germanium. They operate like any normal diode or transistor except that their PNjunction is exposed to light and conduct when subject to light. The response of a photodiode or phototransistor is tuned to a specific range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Light sensors are built from selective materials that generate electricity on exposure to a speciﬁc part of the spectrum. The amount of electricity is proportional to the intensity of the incident light.

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Types of light sensors Light sensors are mostly passive devices. They’re categorized into two classes. The first generates electricity on exposure to light (i.e., photoemissive and photovoltaic devices). The other conducts electricity on exposure to light (i.e., photoconductive/photoresistive and photojunction devices) One of the best examples of a photovoltaic device is a solar cell. A phototube is a photoemissive device. A light-dependent resistor is a photoconductive/photoresistive device. Photodiode and phototransistor are popular photojunction devices. However, it’s important to note the differences between these mechanisms. Photoemissive devices are built from photosensitive materials, such as cesium, which generates free electrons on exposure to photons. These devices generate current when exposed to light. The higher the frequency of incident light, the greater the energy of the incident photons, and the higher is the amount of electric current generated. In photovoltaic devices, the difference between two semiconductor materials is generated in response to incident light energy. Due to these potential differences, the current flows between the two semiconductor layers. Photoconductive devices are built of semiconductor materials that are conductivity changes based on exposure to light. Due to the energy absorbed from the incident light, more free electrons are generated and the conductivity of such materials increases. The most common photoconductive material used in LDR cells is cadmium sulfide. Photojunction devices are built from typical semiconductor materials, such as silicon or

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LDRs A light-dependent resistor (LDR) or photoresistor is made of a photosensitive semiconductor that’s conductivity changes when exposed to the light. The material’s resistance is in several thousand ohms or mega ohms in the dark and falls to a few hundred ohms when subject to light. The semiconductor material is often laid in a zigzag pattern over a ceramic substrate to increase the dark resistance. The semiconductor materials typically used for constructing photoresistors are lead sulfide (PbS), indium antimonide (InSb), lead selenide (PbSe), and cadmium sulfide (CdS). Cadmium sulfide is the most common material used in the construction of LDRs. It is a low-cost semiconductor with a response curve that closely matches that of the human eye. The peak sensitivity wavelength of cadmium sulfide is 560 nm to 600 nm. Generally, LDRs are used for the detection of light or dark. They can be connected in a voltage divider network with a transistor circuit or a microcontroller/ microprocessor. An LDR can also be connected to a Wheatstone Bridge with an operational amplifier circuit. Photodiodes A photodiode is a photojunction device. It’s a normal diode with its PN junction exposed to light through a transparent case or a clear lens. These diodes have the same voltagecurrent characteristics as any other junction diodes. But they have higher conductivity than conventional diodes because their junction is open to light exposure. The photodiodes are connected in a reverse-bias configuration, which conducts a reverse leakage current in the dark. When the photodiode is subject to light, the reverse leakage current is increased multiple times. The reverse leakage current of a silicon diode in the dark is 1 uA. That of a

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Phototransistors Phototransistors are similar to photodiodes except they provide amplification to the current. These are generally designed using normal NPN transistors with their collector-base PN junction exposed to light via a transparent case or a clear lens. Due to current amplification, their output current is 50 to 100 times greater than photodiodes. The base region is electrically isolated or has control for sensitivity. As phototransistor already provides current amplification, unlike a photodiode, and requires no external amplifier for its operation. A phototransistor is simply a typical transistor with a base-collector exposed to light. The NPN phototransistors are connected in a circuit with their basecollector in a reverse-bias configuration. In the dark, there’s a small leakage current from the emitter. When exposed to light, the base current increases and is amplified by the transistor. The sensitivity of a phototransistor depends on the DC gain of the transistor. The output current can be controlled by the resistance between the

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base and the emitter of the phototransistor. For higher sensitivity applications, such as optocouplers, Darlington phototransistors are used. In Photodarlington transistors, two NPN-type phototransistors are connected as a Darlington pair. The output current amplification is the product of the current amplification of the two phototransistors. Photodarlington transistors have a longer response time compared to phototransistors but offer higher sensitivity. Phototransistors are typically used as optical switches, optical isolators, or infrared filters, and in IR remotes and optical-fiber communication. Solar cells Solar cells or photovoltaic cells are not sensors. They’re mainly used for generating solar energy and are made of single-crystal silicon PN junctions, similar photodiodes but with a broader response curve. Unlike photodiodes connected in a reverse-bias configuration, solar cells are connected in a forward-bias configuration much like typical diodes. These cells are designed to be sensitive to sunlight instead of a narrow range of the electromagnetic spectrum. When exposed to solar radiation, a cell generates a potential difference of 0.58V. Typically, several solar cells are connected in series in a panel to output a greater voltage. This DC voltage can drive a resistive load or be converted to AC for transmission. Applications of light sensors LDRs, photodiodes, and phototransistors are commonly used as light sensors in a variety of applications, including: brightness adjustment in mobile devices, automatic lights, automatic irrigation, optical isolation, fiber optic communication, motion detection, IR remotes, position sensing, optical data, and optical imaging. Light sensors are also used for security applications and home automation. For example, they’re often used in shipment cargo to detect at what times the container was opened to track lost goods. Some light sensors are also used for motion detection in many smart home security applications. DW

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germanium diode is 10 uA. On exposure to light, the reverse leakage current can shoot as high as 300 uA. The higher the intensity of incident light, the higher goes the reverse leakage current. LDRs or photoresistors have a long response time. They may take several seconds to change conductivity after exposure to light. Photodiodes, on the other hand, have an instant response. Although an LDR is tuned to the visible spectrum of light, photodiodes are sensitive to both visible and infra-red lights. The biggest disadvantage of photodiodes is that their reverse leakage current is still in the micro-ampere range — even when subject to light. Therefore, they require an operational amplifier circuit for light detection. Photodiodes have a response time in nanoseconds. These are used in sophisticated applications including cameras, imaging and scanning devices, CD and DVD readers, optical fiber communication, motion detection, and positioning sensors.

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E l e c t r o n i c s

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RFID

comes to electric vehicles RFID tags will play a role in fielding the next generation of vehicles having electric powertrains. Frank Linti • Schreiner LogiData

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The ((rfid))-DistaFerr SL2 label is example of an RFID label that is unaffected by metallic substrates. It can be read from a range of up to four meters on metals. The use of special materials makes the RFID transponder durable. It has been tested to current automotive standards and is weatherproof. These labels can be printed (with thermal transfer printers) and programmed on-site.

For suppliers, it pays to know a few details about the RFID tags commonly applied in automotive applications and some points to look out for. For one thing, RFID tags can have a maximum storage of about 2 kbytes, but the RFID labels installed in vehicles have only a small storage capacity , typically 512 bits (64 characters) up to about 2,000 bits (approx. 250 characters). The arrangement of the chips on the RFID tag itself is largely standard. But the storage is typically only large enough to hold production data or, in rare cases, a defined state of the object is also transmitted. RFID label costs typically don’t depend on whether they play a role in assembly, in logistics, or in some other use. Factors contributing to cost are generally associated with how much abuse the label must withstand, the surface it must stick to, and the type of adhesive needed to give the tag the necessary working life. Tag costs typically

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| AdobeStock.com

any suppliers to OEMs must incorporate RFID-compatible labels on components they provide, especially in prototype construction. This is especially true for RFID labels on automotive OEM components. But OEMs sometimes have trouble using these labels due to variables in chip content configurations. So automobile manufacturers increasingly require use of standardized RFID content.

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E l e c t r o n i c s Conventional UHF RFID labels cannot be read when adhered to metal. Labels for on-metal use are usually optimized for a specific UHF frequency ranges as set by ETSI in Europe or the FCC in the NAFTA region and Asia. This means labels can be identified only within these specific ranges, a problem when objects go from one continent to another. ((rfid))-DistaFerr Global is a label designed to mitigate the problem. It can reside on metal parts and handles all frequency bands thanks to its dual-band antenna. The reading range can be up to 6 m depending on the chip option. Users typically print and program labels from a roll on-site.

range between five cents and one euro per label, depending on the design and requirements. In addition, there are only two hard and fast rules for where RFID tags are a better choice than bar codes: RFID generally is the better choice when the need is to record automatically, in bulk, from a distance or with a security requirement. RFID also offers the possibility, for example, of storing QM data on the chip.

The ((rfid))-DistaFerr ESD is designed for use on containers or production trays made of ESD plastics. Reading range is about two meters. Made from special materials, the ((rfid))-DistaFerr ESD is weather-resistant and withstands exposure to aggressive substances and cleaning processes. The label is suitable for on-site programming and printing by thermal transfer printer.

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Of course, once a bar code is defined, the only way to change the data it contains is to paste another code over it. It is also helpful to know that there are several types of standardized RFID. ISO/IEC 18000 is an international standard that describes a series of diverse RFID technologies, each using a unique frequency range. The frequencies the standard covers range from 135 kHz on the low end to 960 MHz. Of these, production and logistics RFID typically uses the UHF band, 300 MHz to 3 GHz. Another type of RFID sometimes seen in manufacturing uses is governed by ISO/IEC 15693. It covers what are called vicinity cards which can be read from farther away (about 1.5 m). Power for the tag typically comes from the reader which beams it over the air. These systems operate at 13.56 MHz, the HF range, and typically encode information using either ASK or FSK. Typical examples are the RFID tags in public library books and in theme park passes that expire after a certain time period. But industrial RFID tags sometimes use the same technique. It is often the case that industrial RFID applications have special needs not well suited to off-the-shelf tags. So use of RFID may entail some development work and perhaps a roll-out in a pilot project. For example, labels may require tailoring to handle challenging substrates such as metal, ESD, carbon fiber, glass or to withstand harsh heat or cold. Many components contain iron, steel or aluminum. Metal can block electromagnetic fields and prevent DESIGN WORLD

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readers from picking up tag data. So label manufacturers may need to build in shielding agents to prevent distortion or degradation of tag readability. Additionally, the antenna on the tag may also need tweaking to obtain the required range, particularly when the substrate material interferes with RF reception. Special requirements such as tampering protection, personalization and encryption may also necessitate extra effort on the part of the tag supplier. RFID labels suppliers can devise tags as needed for compatibility with specific manufacturing processes. The result can be off-the-roll processing, programming and printing to handle particular needs and manufacturing environment factors, which may include: Production inception: Metallic components equipped with an RFID label can inform the system or machines on an array of issues, including their inspection criteria or how they should be processed downstream. Tags also facilitate handovers to various stations such as quality management, receiving and shipping departments, or to a connected external services provider.

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Our NFPA interchangeable pneumatic cylinders take the guesswork out of cylinder selection. We design and manufacture our NFPA cylinders in Gainesville, Florida—so expect fast delivery, supply chain resilience and local support no matter your application. One example of RFID technology designed for use on metal substrates is the ((rfid))-DistaFerr label. Measuring just 10x50x1.7 mm, it is the smallest UHF-RFID label for on-metal applications that is commercially available. Users can program and print the label individually on-site with a thermal transfer printer. The solution allows automated transmission of production-specific data to a UHF-RFID

Built tough, our NFPA actuators feature anodized aluminum heads and barrels and stainless steel hardware for corrosion resistance. They also incorporate highstrength composite rod bears and PTFE piston wear bands for superior load handling and long service life. Choose from 19 standard mounting options and hundreds of standard configurable options to meet the requirements of almost any application. Standard catalog not enough? Tell us about your application and let us design a custom solution optimized for your environment. • • • • • •

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E l e c t r o n i c s

Downstream production: When assemblies involve a large number of metallic components there will be a mix of on-metal and non-metal labels. Many of the RFID labels on metal must stick to their parts for a long time despite adverse weather. It’s best to use RFID label suppliers whose products have been tested and certified according to the relevant requirements – especially those for harsh, inclement conditions. Painting processes: RFID labels on automotive chassis are typically applied in the body shop. The chassis then passes through numerous painting and drying processes. Temperatures may hit 230°C (446 °F) depending on the painting method. Purpose-developed RFID on-metal labels can withstand such heat. Assembly: RFID-UHF labels work better than barcode labels especially for metallic components. One reason: Readers needn’t sit close to RFID tags to retrieve

their information. In contrast, bar code readers may require close proximity to scan without errors. Logistics: Numerous work-in-progress components sit in plastic containers that must be automatically readable. Such containers need relatively high-read-range RFID labels so they can be read even while passing through a gate on a forklift. On-metal and on-plastic RFID labels are available to mitigate interference issues that can arise during handling such as electrostatic discharge. Efficiencies stem from incorporating standardized, end-to-end readable RFID labels. RFID elements both optimize internal processes and create value across the entire production chain. Automotive components or assemblies that must be recorded during assembly without being picked up and scanned are prime candidates for RFID. These include the engine, transmission, suspension and

steering system. In addition, RFID plays a role on safety-relevant assemblies such as airbags, electrical systems, bumpers, belt systems and seats. Finally, a point to note is that RFID implementations must observe data standards. Labels must be VDA (Germany), ANSI (US) or ISO-conformant in terms of size, design and memory. Quality is also important. Only specifically qualified materials may be used in the labels. DW Schreiner LogiData www.schreiner-group.com

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