DESIGN WORLD MAY 2020 by WTWH Media LLC

www.designworldonline.com

May 2020

inside: MOTION CONTROL: Electric motor standards: where we’ve been and where we’re going

p. 82

LINEAR MOTION: Making synchronous belts quiet and balanced

p. 90

INDUSTRIAL CABLES: The importance of standardizing industrial bus cables

p. 104

Custom applications take the stage page 24

MAY 2020 DW COVER_FINAL.indd 1

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maxon 5-20.indd 2

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www.designworldonline.com

May 2020

inside: MOTION CONTROL: Electric motor standards: where we’ve been and where we’re going

p. 82

LINEAR MOTION: Making synchronous belts quiet and balanced

p. 90

INDUSTRIAL CABLES: The importance of standardizing industrial bus cables

p. 104

Custom applications take the stage page 24

MAY 2020 DW COVER_FINAL.indd 1

4/30/20 9:38 AM

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Maintaining a sense of positivity — 8 takeaways om Alan Beaulieu’s economic discussion First off, I hope that you are staying healthy and sane in these challenging times. What we’re all going through is difficult for all of us, to varying degrees, based on our jobs, our financial situation, our health, and more. I’d like to offer some positive news in the midst of the dire outlook that’s been the regular diet of late on news stations. On April 15th, we asked renowned economist Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics to provide us with a 90-minute webinar looking at what the COVID-19 crisis realistically means for the economy over the next few months and years. I’ve heard Alan speak many times over the past few decades at industry events like the NFPA and PTDA conferences, and he’s always a voice of reason and logic. Beaulieu’s message was one of relative optimism, that the U.S. industrial economy will rebound relatively quickly, even assuming that most of the country remains in stay-at-home mode through June, which is currently longer than state governments are anticipating. He expects a volatile recovery, with the U.S. GDP reaching a bottom in June 2020, but then a peak in June 2021 that will be slightly higher than the last peak. Beaulieu said that most leading macroeconomic indicators are still positive and in rise mode — that economic recovery is likely in the foreseeable future, and “we will be at record high levels in the economy here in the U.S. before too, too long.” Here are some more takeaways om his presentation: • On the Cares Act of 2020: The Paycheck Protection Program money is getting out there. The politicians approached the target economy in a very reasonable fashion, providing for some really inexpensive loans, large amounts of which will be forgiven, as well as money to individuals so that they can continue to move forward. In the 2008-9 stimulus, it came out piecemeal — politicians dragged it out. For this iteration, a record setting $2 trillion is being spent, something we will be talking about for a very long time. Even if you were to think about inflation and growth in the economy, this is a mammoth amount of money coming into the economy to the rescue, and it will help. It will do good things.

• We’re going to be facing a pretty tight labor market in the future. For right

now, manufacturers should try to keep the best and easily trainable, people. The unemployment rate is not going to go to double digits, according to the ITR forecast. It will be above the traditional full employment and it will be quite a bit above what we have grown accustomed to in this country, but it is not going to be the dire numbers that you’ve been hearing as we go forward. (continued on page 6)

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I n s ights (continued om page 4)

• The rate of growth and GDP has

been slowing down since the middle of 2018; most people didn’t even recognize that was happening. Now, it is falling off a cliff, it will be painful. It’s going to go way too low in June 2020 at approximately minus 2.4% — and then it is going to move up. The top will come in June 2021 at a peak of 3.6%. ITR is saying the economy is going to go om a contraction at 2.4% and then four quarters later, it’s drawing at 3.6%. People will benefit om that and feel good about that.

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• Look for firms that have been sourcing om overseas to be ready to switch back to the U.S. ITR thinks that’s one of the things that will happen as a result of the crisis — that there will be a resurgence in “near-sourcing,” not necessarily only in the U.S. but in Canada and Mexico, as well.

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• On the stock market, ITR looked at

whole. If we can go back to the high side, 85.5%, we’re making some money in a year or two. Beaulieu said that if you want it in a couple months, it’s not likely to happen. “But if you have some patience, you’re going to be all right. Your retirement is not likely to be ruined unless you’re retiring tomorrow.”

•

If you’re sourcing om China, they’re waiting for your order. Their problem now is that they’re waiting for orders om the U.S. and the E.U. and they need raw materials om the E.U. and om the U.S. The demand that they have and the demand that they’re waiting for om us are hurting or slowing the process down now. They have their own internal pent-up demand, but a consumer demand is not nearly as large in China as it is in U.S.

• Companies need to focus on

marketing now, as far as keeping their name out there. He said product and name recognition has to go on, or else when the crisis is over, they’re going to be forgotten. “I firmly believe that some level of marketing has to go on and now’s a good time to be designing products for the future. As you’re designing products for the future, marketing has to be on your team.” DW

11 precedents. The market went to rebound in anywhere om 11 to 26 months. When the market bounces back, it tends to rebound in those 11 to 26 months, om 56.5% to 85.5%. Given that the market is off (as of 3/23) 33% om the February 2020 high, if we come back 56.5%, we are made

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Teschler on Topic What 9/11 truthers do during a pandemic

Looking for something to do while sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic? Try dissecting the latest results om an outfit called Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth which looks at the collapse of WTC building 7 on 9-11-01. AE911Truth promotes the idea that the World Trade Center buildings were destroyed in a controlled demolition, despite conclusions to the contrary in the the 9/11 Commission Report as well as FEMA’s WTC Building Performance Study. WTC building 7 collapsed on 9-11 even though it wasn’t directly hit by an airliner. Flaming debris om the collapse of WTC 1 and 2 impacted the southern face of WTC 7. Unfortunately, both the primary and back-up water supplies for the building sprinkler system failed, and a fire ensued. NIST scientists and engineers analyzed the sequence of events and produced the 9/11 Commission Report. In it they concluded fire and the impact of the debris initiated the eventual collapse of the building. (One good thing: No one perished in WTC 7.) Unsurprisingly, the latest AE911Truth report completely disagrees with this conclusion. It says the collapse of WTC 7 was “a global failure involving the near simultaneous failure of all columns

in the building and not a progressive collapse involving the sequential failure of columns throughout the building.” Without saying so outright, the “simultaneous failure of all columns in the building” would seem to be a scenario consistent with AE911Truth’s controlled-demolition claims. The AE911Truth report uses a lot of finite element analysis and engineering mechanics to make this case. But even those who lack a background in these subjects may have reason to take issue with its claims: They just don’t stack up against the mountain of work pointing to causes other than controlled demolition. Consider that the NIST WTC investigation report lists 12 investigators, 77 technical contributors, five expert consultants, and about 120 technical contractors. The FEMA report on the collapse lists 27 team members. Other outside investigators have examined WTC building 7 events as well. As part of a lawsuit in 2010, a structural engineering firm analyzed the collapse for the plaintiff and claimed fire, lateral bracing code violations, and “structural vulnerabilities” caused the building’s demise. Another engineering firm working for the building owner (the defendant) said fire, not construction practices, constituted the main cause. And over the years, researchers examining aspects of the WTC collapse

have published several articles in the American Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Engineering Mechanics. None of these works mentioned evidence of the simultaneous failure scenario posited by AE911Truth. In contrast, the recent WTC building 7 report om AE911Truth was authored by three researchers who, in essence, are saying the small army of engineers and scientists who previously examined the evidence are completely wrong. Interestingly, in 2011 NIST, perhaps exasperated with the various conspiracy theories about WTC events, put out an FAQ addressing these ideas. The latest AE911Truth report may make interesting reading for FEA nerds, but on this one I’ll just go with Occam’s razor: When presented with competing hypotheses, go with the one with the fewest assumptions. In this case, you might amend this advice to say, going with the one that doesn’t involve ignoring years of careful analysis by multiple experts. DW

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

May 2020

Lee Teschler Column 5-20_V3_LT.LL.indd 8

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Technology Forward 3D printing’s ability to make parts fast proves critical to battling COVID-19 In March, what was a trickle of patients soon turned into a tsunami of people infected by coronavirus, with numbers rising daily. Healthcare workers quickly ran out of face masks, shields, ventilators and other equipment needed to fight what was turning into a global pandemic. The additive manufacturing community stepped up to the challenge fast. In a matter of days, nearly every vendor of additive manufacturing equipment, most service providers, and many makers and hobbyists were producing personal protection equipment for health care workers. Everywhere in the world. In a matter of days, supplies of 3D printed equipment reached those that needed them. The additive community demonstrated how quickly it could ramp up, deal with supply chain issues, and meet a growing need. In about 3 days, Essentium out of Texas built a special area in its facility to handle the making of protective face masks. The first run of 500 masks was delivered to the Pflugerville Police and Fire Department, followed by many more delivered to the City of Pflugerville’s Pflugerville Community Development Corp.

Students in a number of universities set about using their schools’ 3D printing equipment to print face shields for healthcare workers. Materialise developed a novel 3D printable solution to a part used to deliver oxygen to patients to help alleviate the ventilator shortage. Carbon quickly developed 3D printed test swabs to help meet the critical shortage of testing equipment. Stratasys Ltd. announced a global mobilization of the company’s 3D printing resources and expertise to respond to the pandemic, spanning its Stratasys, GrabCAD, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing and partner network with donated printing capacity across all regions. The initial focus provided thousands of disposable face shields for use by medical personnel. Australian company SPEE3D is reporting that it is using its 3D deposition technology to deposit anti-microbial copper onto metal surfaces. Laboratory tests have shown that touch surfaces modified with copper material ‘contact kills’ 96% of SARS-CoV-2 (i.e. COVID-19), in just two hours. Even 3D printing users helped. The engineers at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ Morristown

and Shelbyville manufacturing facilities used their 3D printers to produce facemask kits with visors. Open source designs quickly spread through the internet for use by anyone with a 3D printer and plastic material. And that’s just a small sample of the additive manufacturing community’s efforts. The pandemic highlights weaknesses in the supply chain for many companies, especially for medical applications. Executives are looking closely at their supply chains and planning how they can be improved given the capabilities the additive industry has demonstrated. The key skills that the additive industry has shown recently include an amazing amount of cooperation and collaboration. Pundits and “opinionists” equently wonder what application will be the one that demonstrates the true value of additive manufacturing. The quick response of this industry to the COVID-19 pandemic may finally demonstrate just how useful additive manufacturing’s ability to make parts fast really is. DW

Leslie Langnau • Managing Editor llangnau@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_3Dprinting

May 2020

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Green Engineering Paul J. Heney

â&#x20AC;˘ Editorial Director

Vertical farming is considered a promising alternative to conventional agriculture in metropolitan areas. The motion plastics help to reduce plant downtime. | Courtesy of igus GmbH.

How motion plastics can make agriculture sustainable

Lubrication- ee tribo-polymers om igus, a German-based manufacturer of motion plastics, are helping vertical farmers meet the challenges of their growing market. With a world population of 7.8 billion, food production has become a challenge that will intensi . The United Nations expects the global population to reach 8 billion by 2023 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and 10 billion by 2057. More than half of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population lives in cities and metropolitan regions. Because agricultural space is scarce, food must be transported to urban areas om distant regions. Vertical farming is a growing solution. Different levels in enclosed buildings are used for food production, which reduces production and transportation costs and lowers CO2 emissions. The vertical arrangements use small spaces in urban areas to generate the greatest possible agricultural yield om a small surface area.

High-performance polymers display their strengths Machinery used in vertical farming works in a highly sensitive environment. The motion plastics are suitable for use in this type of food production. This ensures eedom om maintenance and trouble- ee operation

May 2020

Green.Engineering.5-20_Vs2.LL.indd 12

within a vertical farm. Due to the lubrication- ee feature, FDA compliance and highest hygiene standards, plants, vegetables, salad and uit are not contaminated. In addition, the tribo-polymers are corrosion ee and low-maintenance as well as resistant to dirt, dust and soil. There is also great potential in the concepts of autonomously operating, fully automated vertical farms. Low-cost automation systems enable costeffective vertical planting, harvesting or packaging throughout the year, along with a quick return on investment. Living Greens Farm, based in Minnesota, is exemplary for its vertical farms. The company converts vacant skyscrapers into vertically arranged farms. These cultivation techniques require special machinery for nutrient supply and irrigation of the plants. A patented traverse system equipped with igus e-chains carries enriched water directly to the plant roots. www.designworldonline.com

In an empty warehouse in Minneapolis, about 4,000 sq-m of space is used to yield the same quantity of food produced om more than 100 acres of conventional agriculture. Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), which is located in Scotland, also uses motion plastics for automation in vertical farming. One of the goals of the company, Growth Towers, is to make vertical farming more economical by improving productivity, yield, quality and consistency and by drastically reducing electricity and labor costs. The vertically arranged IGS systems must be reliable, yet low- iction and easy to maintain. The drylin linear guide systems meet all requirements and ensure trouble- ee operation of the system. A year a er installation of the lubrication ee components, no noticeable wear of the bearing shell could be detected at inspection. DW igus | www.igus.com DESIGN WORLD

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Contents 5 • 2020

•

vol 15 no 5

•

designworldonline.com

A Supplement to Design World - May 2020 www.designworldonline.com

How to

optimize autonomous navigation through networking page 60

INSIDE:

90 82 _MOTION CONTROL

110 _ELECTRONICS

Electric motor standards: where we’ve been and where we’re going

What the future holds for switching power supply technology

90 _LINEAR MOTION Making synchronous belts quiet and balanced

Here are ways to minimize synchronous belt noise as well as the importance of keeping belt drives balanced. 96 _MEDICAL Bringing point-of-care tests from lab to life

A look at best practices in the design and development of microfluidic devices for point-of-care diagnostics. 104 _INDUSTRIAL CABLES

CONTENTS.5-20_Vs2.LL.indd 14

• 60 AMRs improve Ingram Micro’s productivity during peak season...........................................74

ROBOT REPORT COVER_5-20_Vs2.indd 53

4/29/20 10:55 AM

53-80

Sensor www.sensortips.com

A Supplement to Design World - May 2020

Designing sensification systems for personal healthcare: The factors that matter

116 _MACHINE TOOL Headless HMIs: Less is More

Sensor Tip cover 5-20_FINAL.indd 131

Headless human-machine interfaces can be the best choice for integrating large-format and mobile visualization options into industrial automation applications.

4/27/20 4:22 PM

131-137

124 _MECHANICAL Don’t blame it on the bearings

Stamping a low-quality metal with a high-quality machine tool probably won’t result in success But how many operators, unaware of the low-grade material, still blame the machine tool?

ON THE COVER When standard off-the-shelf components won’t work for conveying, it’s time to bring in custom. | Courtesy: Dorner

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

2019

As bus products evolve to faster and more environmentally iendly products, the need for backward compatibility is important. May 2020

• BADGR mobile robot learns to navigate on its own ..........................................................70

Though advances will continue, you probably won’t see the same degree of efficiency improvements that characterized the previous two decades.

The importance of standardizing industrial bus cables

• 5 trends in supply chain robotics ..................64

| AdobeStock.com

A survey of recent activities in three of the most important standards committees doing work in the area of electric motors shows continued improvement in energy efficiency and safety standards.

• How former coal miners became mobile robot technicians ..............................................54

BRONZE REGIONAL AWARD asbpe.org

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4/29/20 2/4/20 11:34 12:29 AM PM

5.20

â&#x20AC;¢ contents departments

CONTENTS 5-20_second.page_Vs1.indd 16

May 2020

Insights

Teschler on Topic

Technology Forward

Green Engineering

Design For Industry

Design Notes

CAE Solutions

Internet of Things

138

Product World

144

Ad Index

www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

4/29/20 8:31 AM

DESIGN WORLD

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 Senior Editor Miles Budimir mbudimir@wtwhmedia.com @dw_motion Senior Editor Mary Gannon mgannon@wtwhmedia.com @dw_marygannon Associate Editor Mike Santora msantora@wtwhmedia.com @dw_mikesantora CREATIVE SERVICES

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Design for Industry Packaging

Servos deliver flexibility to packaging applications

The MELSERVO-J5 Series of AC servo motors, amplifiers, and motion control units bring reliability, flexibility and efficiency to a range of industries, including manufacturing, packaging, printing, converting, material handling and more. MELSERVO-J5 is a result of continuous innovation and improvement upon the MELSERVO Series of products. New to the Series is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;quick tuningâ&#x20AC;? function that allows users to quickly and reliably tune their servo mechanism in approximately 0.3 seconds. The servo amplifier sets the speed loop gain and suppresses machine resonance through the servo on command. No tuning experience is required because gain values are automatically generated, reducing machine setup time and effort. Additional functions and features include an advanced vibration suppression function, multi axes servo amplifiers, expanded predictive

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maintenance capabilities powered by Maisart AI technology, a 31.25 µs communication cycle time, multi-network capability including compatibility with CC-Link IE TSN and EtherCAT. MELSERVO-J5´s new features unlock benefits across various industries. Communication cycle time combined with a 3.5 kHz speed equency response rate ensures precise, responsive movement and short settling time. Compatibility with CC-Link IE TSN facilitates IoT in astructure across the manufacturing enterprise, and enables time synchronization across all connected devices at one gigabyte per second (1 Gbps). The MELSERVO-J5 Series is also able to meet any axis requirements, om single axis to a 256 multi-axis system, due to its scalable synchronous axes—while all the motion modules are programmed in a single so ware environment. DW

Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en

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Design f o r I n d u s t r y Packaging

Packaging vendor produces and donates face shields for medical workers

When Prent Corp., in Janesville learned that a local medical center, Mercyhealth Hospital and Trauma Center, had a shortage of protective equipment due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic, the company sprung into action. Within 48 hours, healthcare workers had new face shields. Prent has donated more than 10,000 face shields to Mercyhealth and other local healthcare facilities. The company plans to ramp up production to provide to healthcare workers in need throughout the country.

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Prent is a plastic thermoforming company that designs and produces custom packaging for the medical and electronics industries. The company had just installed and validated a new thermoforming production line the week before. “We heard there was a dire need in our community and we knew we could help, so we dedicated a team to work on it immediately,” said Joseph Pregont II, vice president of corporate sales at Prent. “The added capacity means we have an entire production line dedicated to making face shields without impacting other orders. We’ll continue face shield production until hospital supply chains can meet the demand.” Right now, many healthcare workers are forced to reuse surgical masks because they’re in short supply. The face shield covers the whole face to help keep masks clean so they can be safely used longer. Prent designers tried creating a traditional face shield with 3 parts (shield, foam cushion and elastic headband) but found it would take too long to get all the parts om suppliers, so the company designed an innovative solution made of only plastic and foam that could be produced and delivered quickly. Doctor Kathleen Agard om Mercyhealth tested some prototypes and choose one that fit well without fogging up. “Less than 12 hours a er I first spoke to Prent, they had prototypes for me to see,” Agard said. “I’m really impressed that they were so responsive and giving of their time. The face shield is very important because it helps keep our staff and patients safe. ”

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The scratch-resistant, recycled PETG plastic material om sister company, GOEX, was extruded in 24 hours. The machine die was developed by local Millenium Die Group in just 5 hours. Then full production began. During the first shi at Prent, workers produced 2,200 face shields and had them delivered to Mercyhealth. The company intends to continue making face shields for the foreseeable future until there is no longer a shortage at medical facilities. Prent estimates it has the capacity to make millions of face shields per week. DW

Prent Corp. | www.prent.com

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Design for Industry Material Handling

Sensor technology adapts to position

and shape of handling automation applications

Developments in robotics, automation and many other rotative applications are aiming for ever more compact designs that o en cannot be implemented using the standard components available on the market. flexCoder technology is an encoder system comprising a sensor and rule that can be adapted to the position and shape of an application. The flexibility of adaptation of flexCoder technology allows it to be built exactly into the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design. The key factor is that both the sensor and the rule can be adapted. The compact sensor mount can be adopted, and modification is required only to the attachment of the rule on the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sha . With other applications, a standard magnet ring is used and the mounting of the flexible sensor array and the evaluation and interface electronics are adapted to the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specific fixing options in the housing. Since the electronics can be both bent and stacked, integration can be compact. Thanks to these adaptations to the encoder and rule with regard to the sha diameter and the fixing options available, the application can be designed more compactly and more uncompromisingly. The MSAC200 issues absolute position feedback as soon as it is switched on. For this the SSI interface and the established motor feedback interface, BiSS-C are used. Optionally, the analog real-time signal output can be provided with sin/cos signals 1 Vss.

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With ring diameters om 44 mm, an absolute resolution of up to 21 bits is achieved. The high repeat accuracy of 0.01° allows precision positioning at all times. A further special feature of the MSAC200 is its high installation tolerances. The distance between the sensor and the rule is ≤0.6 mm, and the axial tolerances are of the order of ±0.2 mm. This makes the construction of the complete system easier and allows use in dynamic applications. The MSAC200 is ideally suited for use in applications in which both high resolution and precision are accompanied by the need for flexible adaptation to the customer’s design. These requirements apply to motor feedback, to handling and assembly automation, and to robotic systems. MSAC200 profile: • Customer-specific ring diameter and type. • Integration into small installation space • Absolute resolution of up to 21 bits • Repeatability 0.01° • Sensor/ring distance ≤0.6 mm • BiSS-C and SSI interfaces • Optional analogue real-time signal output sin/cos 1 Vss for industrial and medical applications, e.g. for motor feedback, handling automation and robotics DW

SIKO www.siko-global.com/p/msac200

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Design for Industry Material Handling

When the application calls for custom When standard, off-the-shelf conveying components will not address a design challenge, the time has come to work with a vendorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design team. The Dorner Engineered Solutions Group (ESG) can help you build conveyor systems with unique dimensions and performance characteristics beyond regular conveyor platforms. ESG is a full-service team of dra ers, designers, project managers, electrical and mechanical engineers working together to evaluate your application and design a custom conveyor system that meets your efficiency goals and objectives. ESG offers services in concept, design and needs analysis, along with layout and 2D or 3D modeling. Services include mechanical design, phased engineering, controls (HMI, PLC and servo panel builds), factory and site acceptance testing, as well as replacement and spare-parts recommendations for bench stock. These services suit applications involving: packaging; merging,

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diverting, rotating and sorting products; accumulation systems; depositing and rejects; indexing and positioning; inspection, testing and sortation; product handling including multiple sizes and shapes. DW

Dorner www.dornerconveyors.com

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YOUR CUSTOM SOLUTIONS ARE CGI STANDARD PRODUCTS

Advanced Products for Robotics and Automation CGI Motion standard products are designed with customization in mind. Our team of experts will work with you on selecting the optimal base product and craft a unique solution to help differentiate your product or application. So when you think customization, think standard CGI assemblies. Connect with us today to explore what CGI Motion can do for you.

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Design for Industry Material Handling

Create custom conveying designs Conveyors have long been the work-horse of the material handling industry. Transporting packages, improving workflows, and interfacing with other automated solutions to drive efficiency in warehouses and manufacturing environments. Today, the requirements placed on zero-pressure-accumulation conveyor systems are becoming more demanding in terms of their technical performance. They need three things: More Data, Higher Precision, and Improved Power Efficiency. The DC Platform promises to fulfill these requirements. The DC platform can collect hundreds of parameters of data om the conveyor system, which will help drive improved performance and ease maintenance. This level of visibility provides quick system optimization and flexibility. The DC Platform also precisely positions totes and goods. This suits robotic applications and other situations where millimeteraccurate placement is required. Lastly, platform includes options for 24 V or 48 V power. This platform can be used to create a range of conveying solutions, om conveyors that can be commissioned without a programmable logic controller (PLC) using plug-and-play, all the way to tailor-made, high-performance systems that can be consistently and transparently

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integrated into the data universe of Internet of Things 4.0 applications. The modular platform enables system integrators to design conveying systems according to customers’ requests in both 24 V and 48 V versions. With this step, the 48 V systems enable the use of up to 50% fewer power supply elements than in 24 V systems. The RollerDrive EC5000 also offers more flexibility in terms of its mechanical output power. The motor rollers are available in 20 W, 35 W and 50 W versions that can take on any transport tasks for light or heavy goods. For heavy goods, there’s a 50 W power option as well as a RollerDrive version with tubes measuring 60 mm in diameter instead of 50 mm. The IP66 and Deep Freeze design www.designworldonline.com

options are available, for RollerDrive solutions in areas that are cleaned using water jets or that reach temperatures as low as -30° C¤ The EC5000 can be supplied with a bus interface based on the CANOpen standard, upon request. The RollerDrive’s bus interface lets users control the acceleration, speed and deceleration of the conveyed goods in the system more precisely. This solution also allows them to position the relevant goods on the conveyor to the nearest millimeter. DW

The Interroll Group www.interroll.com

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Design for Industry Safety

Drive option delivers safety features Bosch Rexroth’s drive-integrated SafeMotion machine safety platform, on IndraDrive intelligent servo drives, has received the ODVA’s CIP Safety over EtherNet/IP certification, adding to the company’s capabilities to support major safety automation buses, including CIP Safety on Sercos, PROFIsafe on PROFINET and FailSafe over EtherCAT. This certification enables SafeMotion to be integrated into almost any new or existing machine automation architecture, giving machine builders more options in machine safety functionality. Adding safety capabilities in the drive can alleviate additional hardware and components. SafeMotion can be used to monitor up to 20 safe and certified motion functions, such as Safe Torque Off, Safe Brake Control, Safe Direction and Safe Stop. It provides the maximum level of safety (Cat 4, PL e, SIL 3) for all functions. Support for all major safety automation buses is through a multi-Ethernet port on the drive, making it easy to speci one drive platform with a variety of options, regardless of the PLC. Using one bus system for both standard and safety communication also simplifies system architecture and reduces cabling and installation efforts for the machine builder. Bosch Rexroth drives and SafeMotion work right out of the box, requiring no additional tuning. Base parameters typically work for all applications, saving installation time. So ware, firmware, configuration, setup and features are identical across the IndraDrive platform. DW

Bosch Rexroth www.boschrexroth-us.com/drive-integrated-safety

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Safety

Safety laser scanner fits in tight places

Size is always a design challenge. For those scanning applications where size matters, this ultra-compact safety laser scanner, nanoScan3, combines smart safety functions with solid measurement data quality for accurate and reliable localization. With an overall height of just over three inches, this space-saving sensor can be used in applications with minimal mounting space. The size enables manufacturers to use small AGVs or mobile robots equipped with safety technology. Based on successful microScan3 technology, the 2D safety sensor, nanoScan3, uses patented safeHDDM scan technology. Thus, the nanoScan3 holds up well in harsh or challenging ambient conditions. It is impervious to interferences like dust, contamination, and ambient light. Benefits at a glance: • Small housing, measuring only 3.15 in. in height • Two pairs of OSSD safety outputs • Design suitable for industrial use and easy to integrate with standard M12 connectivity • Up to 128 eely configurable fields and monitoring cases • Direct static and encoder inputs for flexible monitoring case switching • Protective field range of three meters with a scanning angle of 275-degrees

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• High-precision measurement data

output for navigation support via Ethernet interface • Maximum detection reliability even when subject to challenging ambient conditions • Intuitive Safety Designer so ware enables flexibility in configuration and diagnostics • The nanoScan3 fulfills Type 3 according to IEC EN 61496-3, SIL2 according to IEC 61508, and SIL2CL2 according to EN 62061, Category 3, as well as performance level d according to EN ISO 13849. DW

SICK www.sick.com

May 2020

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Design for Industry Semiconductor

Rapid prototyping of ceramic

semiconductor parts

In semiconductor fabrication processes, ceramic is a vital material used in many types of components and products such as chucks and carriers, wafer polishing substrates, heaters, nozzles, plasma-resistant parts, and electrical feedthrough insulators. Ceramic, which comes in forms such as alumina/aluminum oxide and zirconia/zirconium oxide, is o en used when resistance to chemicals or corrosion is required and dimensional stability over a range of high temperatures is needed. It is also a good insulator. Moreover, the strength, hardness, toughness, and wear resistance of ceramic can promote part longevity. However, the fabrication of ceramic prototypes typically has long lead times of 12 to 15 weeks. In the semiconductor industry, this kind of delay can be a major challenge. A growing number of semiconductor manufacturers are partnering with domestic suppliers of ceramic parts that have rapid prototyping capabilities and can turn around product in as little as a few weeks. The quick turnaround allows manufacturers to accommodate multiple design iterations before committing to a final design. Ceramic parts play a vital role in many aspects of semiconductor manufacturing, particularly in vacuum plasma chambers used to clean, etch or activate a dielectric material surface, according to Walt Roloson, R&D Engineering Manager at PVA TePla America, a leading system engineering firm that designs plasma systems. Noted Roloson, PTFE-coated parts used in plasma chambers can release fluorine, which is difficult to remove om the chamber even with an oxygen cleaning plasma cycle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to mechanically remove the surface layer because it essentially absorbs the fluorine,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ceramic material is basically inert, and if plasma breaks down, the ceramic does not give off any chemicals, unlike the PTFE,â&#x20AC;? explains Roloson.

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time ames without a tooling fee. Ceramic parts can also be machined out of plates, rods or tubes. Knowing which ceramic material to use, and at what level of purity, is also a critical consideration. High purity 99.8% alumina can withstand the extreme plasma edge environment, including vapor phase etchants, high RF voltage, microwave plasma, and aggressive cleaning methods. It offers excellent heat resistance, wear resistance, plasma resistance, and low dust generation. Also known as aluminum oxide, the material is almost a given in the industry and superior to a metal, which would typically corrode quickly in an acid environment involving etching. Compared to other ceramics, alumina/aluminum oxide is low cost with high hardness properties. This material is commonly used as an electrical insulator.

Due to its insulative properties, ceramic parts are used in PVA TePla’s RF vacuum chambers to ensure no accidental connection between the positive and negative nodes of the system. One example is a ceramic “door pusher” used to automatically close the chamber door. Recently, the company prototyped a ceramic part to isolate the cooling line electrically through the back of the chamber. Ceramic Technologies Corp., a Houston-based company, provides rapid prototyping and material expertise to the semiconductor industry for ceramic products such as vacuum chucks, wafer clamps, li pins, insulation boards, and alumina end effectors. These products can be manufactured using isostatic pressing and sintering techniques to produce high quality, fully dense parts o en in 3 to 4-week

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For strength and toughness to protect a product in a rough, external environment, zirconia/zirconium oxide is recommended. This high-strength material exhibits excellent wear and corrosion properties. DW

Ceramic Technologies Corp. www.certechinc.com

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Design Notes

Intelligent drives improve printing production

Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

The Fusion flexographic press from BarryWehmiller’s PCMC has data-driven smart systems from Bosch Rexroth that offer advances in manufacturing speed and agility.

The rapid introduction of Industry 4.0 (i4.0) technologies is transforming manufacturing across a range of industries, including packaging printing. New data-driven smart systems offer advances in manufacturing speed and agility for increased productivity and less downtime and waste. Many companies are exploring and integrating i4.0 technologies to make the Factory of the Future a reality today. This includes Barry-Wehmiller’s PCMC, a supplier of equipment for flexographic printing, bag and tissue converting, packaging, and nonwovens technology. Using advanced intelligence and machine-learning capabilities in the drives and controls platform om Bosch Rexroth, PCMC recently introduced an i4.0 smart technology solution called SteadyPrint that solves the longstanding problem

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QUICK RELEASE PINS. of “bounce” in flexographic printing. Printing is centuries old, with “modern” printing concepts invented by Gutenberg in the 15th century. Since then, printing has been as much an art as a science, even with the advent of today’s high-speed flexographic printing systems. Although these systems incorporate advanced automation that enables printing complex jobs at speeds up to 2,000- per minute, certain aspects of printing operations o en depend on an operator’s artful manipulation — even “tweaking” — to print a perfect image. Waste associated with the issue of “bounce” is most o en seen at the start of print runs with challenging graphics. These challenging graphics o en have a hard leading edge on a printing plate that meets the opposing impression roll, causing an impact that affects print registration. This issue leads to poor print quality, with uneven ink distribution, or colors that are out of registration. Press operators typically tweak various settings on the press manually until they minimize out the bounce effect — at times being unable to eliminate these adverse effects on the print quality. “Every flexographic printer struggles with certain bounce jobs,” said Rodney Pennings, PCMC Sales Director. “In

printing, the overall goal is to get the presses quickly up and running at full speed, keeping the amount of set-up time and wasted material as low as possible. Bounce leads to wasted time and materials, and companies must depend on experienced press operators to fine-tune print settings and still get the press running at the highest possible machine speed with quality output.” According to Pennings, PCMC incorporated the latest i4.0 technology in its new SteadyPrint feature as a solution to reduce print set-up time, increase quality, and reduce print waste, even with lessexperienced machine operators. PCMC called on Bosch Rexroth for the resources and capabilities needed to develop SteadyPrint, including: • Intelligent motion control technology that can “learn” and respond with torque offsets • Support for high-speed Sercos communications architecture for real-time motion control advantages • The Open Core Interface tool that enables access to additional motion control functionality and analysis using third-party programming languages

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The Fusion press uses intelligent servo drives with high-speed Sercos communication and the IndraMotion MLC motion logic automation platform with an Open Core Interface for overall machine control.

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Design Notes To develop SteadyPrint, engineers used the capabilities of IndraDrive M servo drives to gather new data about the motion on each axis. The SteadyPrint feature engages a drive-based algorithm and eliminates the need for press operators to make manual mechanical adjustments to smooth out print quality and eliminate bounce.

functionality for the company’s Fusion and ELSMax flexographic printing presses. SteadyPrint is based on a disturbance-canceling algorithm that uses the intelligence in the servo drives to “learn” the electronic signature of each print job and rapidly cancel out the disturbance that generates bounce. When customers were given the opportunity to test the feature by bringing sample jobs into PCMC, they were able to improve press speeds between 200% and 400% and reduce waste by up to 35%.

“We had multiple customers come in to do bounce trials and, while every customer’s print job is different, all of them doubled or tripled their speed, or went to full speed much faster than ever before,” Pennings said. “One customer had a complex job that could only run at 300- per minute on their press due to bounce. They ran the same job on our Fusion press with SteadyPrint at 1,500- per minute with no operator adjustment.” Each Fusion press system consists of a large central impression cylinder, eight

to 10- in diameter, surrounded by eight or ten printing “decks” with two cylinders, one containing the image and the other applying the ink. The Fusion press, like other PCMC presses, was already using IndraDrive M servo drives and IndraDyn T ameless torque motors to control the cylinders, and the IndraMotion MLC motion logic automation platform for overall machine control. To develop SteadyPrint, Rexroth motion control engineer Brian Schmidt said they used capabilities inherent in the Rexroth IndraDrive servo drives to gather new data about the motion on each axis. “Our IndraDrive servo drive registers bounce as a torque disturbance. The

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drive will counteract the disturbance and smooth out the motion, but while the disturbance is happening, print quality is adversely affected.â&#x20AC;? Schmidt said that by capturing data on the torque feedback, velocity feedback, and position feedback of the drives, the torque feedback had a signature that repeated once per rotation of the roll. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We developed a concept to record this pattern,â&#x20AC;? Schmidt said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We then apply a compensation algorithm, to offset the effects of the torque disturbance, significantly reducing position errors.â&#x20AC;? According to Schmidt, each print job, takes just a few rotations of the cylinders for the drives to â&#x20AC;&#x153;learnâ&#x20AC;? the necessary torque offset to apply; the SteadyPrint feature then engages the drive-based algorithm and eliminates the need for manual mechanical adjustments to smooth out print quality and eliminate bounce. This also eliminates the wasted material om mechanical adjustment and enables full-speed printing almost om the outset of each print run. PCMC is adding refinements to the Fusion press mechanical design to minimize deflection, including an improved mandrel support arrangement that increases deck stability. The company is also using the IndraDrive drive-based torque offset algorithm to implement its SteadyPrint capability across the full line of Fusion press systems as well as the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ELSMax presses. According to Pennings, the SteadyPrint feature confirms a core advantage of Bosch Rexrothâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach to automation and motion control: Using distributed, drive-integrated intelligence to solve motion control challenges is o en the smartest and most effective approach, rather than depending on a PLC to handle all the processing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no way we could do this if the intelligence wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in the drive,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Given the speed and dynamics of how these print jobs run â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 1,000 to 2,000- per minute, with repeats as low as 12-in. long â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be possible to have the controller handle the compensation. It has to be in the drive.â&#x20AC;?

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The high-speed Sercos Ethernetbased communications bus as the backbone for its motion control platform has also enabled PCMC to advance its connected machine concept. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With Sercos, we have an expanded view of all the data that the drive captures,â&#x20AC;? Pennings said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That lets us have a deeper look into the drive and allows us to implement system dashboards and predictive maintenance capabilities where we can connect remotely through the cloud to support customers in real-time to manage their systems.â&#x20AC;? According to Schmidt, the Open Core Interface enhances PCMCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flexibility to provide connected machine functionality to its customers. The Open Core Interface is a machine control programming interface to create high-level, languagebased applications. PCMC used Open Core Interface to extract data om the drives, such as torque, position, and velocity data, and then made it available for analysis using third-party programming languages and data analytics packages, rather than going through traditional PLC methods of exchanging data. The Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) recently awarded its FTA Technical Innovation Award, Heavy Metal Category, to PCMC for the SteadyPrint system. Pennings credited the close working partnership his people developed through multiple innovation sessions and system refinements for the success and recognition that SteadyPrint has accomplished. DW

Bosch Rexroth | boschrexroth.com

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Design Notes

Ultrasonics creates seal for critical medical device

Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Ultrasonic assembly can be applied in a range of frequencies and with varying levels of downforce to bond even delicate nonwoven materials and filter media.

Life sciences company MilliporeSigma recently turned to Emerson when heat sealing and ultrasonic welding failed to successfully seal a filter membrane to its plastic housing for a microfiltration device planned to assist in bioscience research. MilliporeSigma supplies microfiltration membranes for bioscience research, as well as for use in the manufacture of high-tech medical devices requiring advanced filtration. A medical manufacturer chose one of MilliporeSigma’s microfiltration membranes for use in its new microfiltration device. During testing, the medical manufacturer was unable to seal the MilliporeSigma membrane successfully to its plastic housing. MilliporeSigma’s delicate filter membranes must be sealed flawlessly to a plastic housing to filter out potential microscopic contaminants, and chemical and biological constituents. The manufacturer tried heat sealing and ultrasonic welding, but both damaged the 125 µm-thick PVDF filtration membrane, which had 0.2 µm pores. Emerson used the Tg – Glass Transition differential between materials as an advantage by melting and flowing the lower Tg filter housing material into the PVDF membrane’s pores, creating a hermetic mechanical bond. To further complicate the challenge, the manufacturer anticipated producing 1 million products per year. This target meant the seal also needed to withstand the demands of high-volume production.

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TOUGHENED EPOXY for STRUCTURAL BONDING MilliporeSigma needed to optimize the tooling and assembly process and solve their customer’s problem. Engineers evaluated the equipment, materials characteristics, and welding specifications that were being used unsuccessfully to create the required seal. To solve the problem, engineers used Branson ultrasonic technology and designed custom-tailored process parameters using Patented Amplitude Profiling that produced the desired results while protecting the delicate membrane om damage. Tool and horn assembly using FEA (finite element analysis) also maximized the effectiveness of high- equency (40 kHz) ultrasonic welding, precisely matching weld specifications to the properties of the materials being bonded. Prototype testing using the reconfigured horn fixture and new weld specifications delivered the intended results for MilliporeSigma and its customer. The device manufacturer could count on a consistent, repeatable, 360° hermetic seal that would withstand the demands of high-volume production and a shortened cycle time, which also lowered overall production costs. The Emerson engineering team understood the science and art needed to weld a microfiltration membrane to a plastic housing. Branson’s high- equency ultrasonic welding, and custom-tailored tool and horn assembly solution, helped them overcome the challenge of sealing the membrane properly to a medical device. These design features helped expedite the launch of a new air filtration product. Because Branson ultrasonic technology produces strong, repeatable seams and joints, withstands sterilization processes, and eliminates the need for solvents or glues, it not only addresses medical nonwoven and device manufacturing problems, but does so while reducing the risks and sources of potential contamination. Cleanroom manufacturing requirements can be met with data monitoring and storage capabilities needed to meet stringent regulatory requirements. Ultrasonic assembly can be applied in a range of equencies and with varying levels of downforce, to bond even delicate nonwoven materials and filter media in consumer and personal care products, baby diapers and training pants, mattress pads, seat cushions and covers, household mops and cleaning products, and disposable vacuum and filter bags. DW

Emerson | emerson.com/en-us

One Part Supreme 10HT HIGH BOND STRENGTH

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Design-Notes-5-20-Vs4.LL.indd 37

May 2020

4/29/20 9:58 AM

Design Notes

How to ensure long-term line operation

Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

“We support our partners with our knowledge of any technical changes required to make sure that machinery continues to function and production runs smoothly at beverage bottling plants,” says Klaus Thatenhorst, head of the Standards Department at KHS.

KHS Group’s Supplier component discontinuation offensive helps prevent machine downtimes at beverage plants and safeguards the service lives of its filling and packaging machinery. With the availability of significant components becoming ever shorter, the discontinuation management scheme makes sure plant equipment stays up and running. This topic is gaining in importance in the digital age, where electronic components have shorter product life cycles. When a supplier’s component needed extensive further development and modified legislation called for technical changes to be made, the supplier contacted KHS. KHS Service is proactively tackling the problem of supplier components no longer being available and having to be replaced by new solutions. “We support our partners with our knowledge of any technical changes required to make sure that machinery continues to function and production runs smoothly at beverage bottling plants,” states Klaus Thatenhorst, head of

May 2020

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the Standards Department at KHS. “By replacing the necessary components in good time, we ensure that our machines have long service lives and are thus sustainable.” Fast responses to any changes are made possible with a holistic system of data management. Through this, the systems supplier always knows which part, which machine, and which customer will likely be affected by a discontinuation. This data management system shortens response times if new components are needed. This is especially relevant when modifications have to be made to the machine’s engineering. In 2019, engineers DESIGN WORLD

4/29/20 9:59 AM

Robot manufacturer KUKA will only be supplying its current KR C2 controller until 2024 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; this has an impact on two series of KHS palletizers, among other machinery. The Dortmund engineering company is thus preparing itself and its customers for the pending

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RETAINING DEVICES & maintenance & assembly tools BEARLOK

SHOELOK

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CLAMPNUT

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PRECISION NUTS & WASHERS

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

ADAPTER SLEEVE ASSEMBLIES

Materials of: CARBON, ALLOY and HARDENED ALLOY STEELS

had to find 1,700 discontinuation solutions. Half of these required much more than a simple replacement, with intensive technical work necessary. To be better prepared for the discontinuation of system parts, the KHS team is in regular close contact with its suppliers. It is already common knowledge, for instance, that robot manufacturer KUKA will only be supplying its current KR C2 controller until 2024; this has an impact on two series of KHS palletizers, among other machinery. The Dortmund engineering company is thus preparing itself and its customers for the pending conversion in advance. The KHS Group is also able to offer fast and flexible systems and solutions for short-term discontinuations. Its parts management system stocks replacements for as long as possible for precisely this purpose. This may all initially sound like an expensive and time-consuming undertaking for the bottler, yet it yields great benefits on several counts. By changing components quickly, the systems provider avoids unplanned downtimes over a longer period caused by the failure of a part no longer available. Furthermore, beverage producers can sometimes even improve line efficiency by installing new replacement components while implementing other upgrades as well. When converting a machine, KHS Service not only removes and replaces discontinued components but also takes them back and reworks them. In the digital age, discontinuation management is an issue that is becoming increasingly important. While mechanical parts such as gear motors are usually available for up to ten years, according to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association, (VDMA) some electronic components last just two years. Accordingly, the number of replacements for comparable parts required as a result of discontinuation is already currently increasing at shorter and shorter intervals. DW

KHS | khs.com DESIGN WORLD

Design-Notes-5-20-Vs4.LL.indd 39

Materials of: ALLUMINUM and CORROSION RESISTANT STEEL NUTS & WASHERS

HARDENED TONGUE WASHERS

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CAE Solutions

PTC launches Creo 7.0 CAD so ware with AI PTC launched an update

to its computer-aided design so ware. Creo 7.0 includes new

capabilities to bring artificial intelligence (AI) to designers so they can make simulation part of their daily work. The Creo 7.0 launch follows PTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent acquisition of Onshape, developer of the Onshape So ware-as-a-Service (SaaS) product development platform, demonstrating the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to providing innovative technology through multiple delivery models. The newest release includes generative design technology om Frusum, a company recently acquired by PTC. Generative design uses AI capabilities to optimize designs. AI is the use of technology and mathematics to create systems that perceive, learn, and act to enhance or replace human capabilities-augmented reasoning. Engineers can speci their requirements and goals within the so ware, including preferred materials and manufacturing processesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and the generative engine will automatically produce a manufacture-ready design as a starting point or as a final solution. The so ware combines AI with engineering capability and creativity. Parts and products designed through this process are lighter, stronger and use far less materials than those designed using traditional CAD so ware. Integral to generative design is the goal of augmenting design expertise and capabilities by: --Optimizing designs for multiple objectives simultaneously and providing a designer with several novel design alternatives, which enables companies to substantially reduce engineering cycles.

May 2020

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DESIGN WORLD

5/1/20 9:08 AM

--Creating constraint-driven design that would not be intuitive to a human or that normally requires deep expertise to optimize (essentially allowing lessexperienced designers to create output comparable to more experienced experts). The Creo 7.0 also includes fluid flow analysis via Creo Simulation Live—a real-time simulation solution that helps designers iterate faster and design with more confidence. This analysis capability expands on PTC’s strategic alliance with Ansys, a maker of simulation and visualization so ware. The tool offers real-time guidance for instant feedback on design decisions in the CAD environment. Engineers don’t have to guess at how their design might perform under real-world conditions. They can incorporate as many design changes as needed, confident that they’ve made the best-informed decisions possible. Creo 7.0 also introduces multibody design, a new set of design tools that enables users to complete many design tasks more efficiently while making their part design easier to manage, understand, and modi . With the multibody design workflows, engineers can separately manage, visualize, and design geometric volumes. This is particularly helpful in the areas of generative design, additive manufacturing, and simulation. The upgrade to the PTC CAD so ware also includes enhanced additive manufacturing capabilities, including improved support for Stochastic and custom lattices, giving designers greater flexibility when creating lattice structures. As with every release, Creo 7.0 provides additional usability and productivity capabilities for all users, including enhanced dra capabilities, improvements to 2D mirror functionality, and multiple user interface improvements to the Sketcher tool. DW

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May 2020

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CAE Solutions

Updated CAM So ware for 2020 DP Technology, the parent company of the ESPRIT CAM system, introduces an array of so ware updates for 2020. Among the more significant developments are updates to the so ware’s computeraided design (CAD) interfaces and new or improved solutions for specific machine tools. ESPRIT 2020 features plentiful updates for Swiss-type machining. This technique is defined by its small, o en intricate parts. Medical devices, such as bone screws, are typically manufactured on Swiss-type machines. The 2020 update introduces or enhances support for 200 different Swiss-type machine models, including: • Citizen D25, which features three channels, 3x Y-axis, 3x Z-axis, B-axis ont and back • Star SV 38R, which features three channels and a B-axis • Tsugami SS38, a chucker-convertible sliding headstock lathe with B-axis • Tornos machines • Seamless integration of laser cutting operations for Tsugami and Citizen • Willemin-Macodel MT series machines

The 2020 update also includes updated support for the latest CAD so ware, including: • SolidWorks 2020 • SolidEdge 2020 • PTC Creo 6 • NX 1847 Additionally, the so ware expands mill-turn support to the following machines: • Index G200 and G220, featuring two and three turrets and a disk turret mounted on a B-axis • Miyano BNE 51 MSY, featuring three X-axes and three Z-axes • Traub TNX, featuring simultaneous independent machining with up to four tool carriers • CMZ TTL, featuring two turrets and two spindles • Enhanced profile threading and probing capabilities round out the product release. DW

ESPRIT | www.espritcam.com

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DESIGN WORLD

4/29/20 10:09 AM

Precision Control for Your Operations

How to use Inventor CAM to create 2D milling toolpaths Ascent- Center for Technical Knowledge announced the release of Autodesk Inventor 2020: Introduction to 2D Milling, its newest title available in print and eBook formats for students and instructors. The hands-on, practice-intensive content teaches key skills and knowledge required to take the 3D model, set it up in the CAM environment, and assign the toolpaths needed to generate the code required by 2D milling machines. This learning content provides the foundational skills to help those in need of CNC programming that may not have traditional design skills to successfully use Inventor CAM to create 2D Milling CNC machine code. By combining theory and practice-intensive learning content, students can quickly advance their skillset and recognize the benefits of the integrated design and CAM tools. Highlights of topics covered in this introductory guide to Inventor’s integrated CAM solution include: • Locate, modi and create tools in the Tool Library • Set up machining operations using Inventor CAM • Create a Face, 2D Adaptive, 2D Pocket, 2D Contour, and Drill toolpath using the Inventor CAM interface • Use the Simulation option to visualize toolpaths DW

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May 2020

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CAE Solutions

Helping NASA’s knowledge quest

Ramco Machine, LLC (Rowley, MA U.S.A) is helping to impact the future of space exploration by using hyperMILL CAM so ware and 5-axis machining to make parts for an advanced NASA satellite mission. The mission, named Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), is credited to discovering its first circumbinary planet - a world orbiting two stars. In 2017, Ramco was contracted by MIT Lincoln Laboratory (Lincoln, MA U.S.A.) to fabricate the critical camera mount brackets for an important NASA TESS satellite mission. NASA’s TESS mission is designed to explore and survey nearby bright stars to analyze planets, both smaller and larger than earth, as the planets circle their host stars and the earth orbits the sun. In 2018, a solar powered in-space satellite equipped with four ultrasensitive cameras was launched aboard a two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on its way beyond earth’s solar system to outer space. The fourcamera system developed at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory monitors the brightness of more than 200,000 stars and searches for minute drops in brightness as the planets transit in ont of each star.

May 2020

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DESIGN WORLD

4/29/20 10:12 AM

Cu O in th

R D

US ©

Making the mounting brackets required machining Invar, a nickel-iron alloy with a low thermal expansion coefficient, allowing it to meet the rigors of launch and enabling it to compensate for the extreme temperature swings of outer space. The mounting bracket has exceedingly tight tolerances. The central rib’s thickness is .050 in. +/- .001 in., perpendicularity between surfaces is held to .001 in. and the bracket’s two opposing surfaces must be in-line with each other to within .001 in. To cut Invar and achieve the required tolerances, Ramco used a hyperMILL generated 5-axis profile finish tool path. By doing this, an accurate finish across each part was achieved, keeping them within these very tight tolerances. DW

OPEN MIND Technologies AG www.openmind-tech.com

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Easy mechanical connectivity Full spare parts availability High quality & affordable

Cut your engineering and assembly time and labor while reducing the need for costly replacement parts. Our latest generation MKK and MKR linear modules provide affordable and easy mechanical connectivity in a complete, compact solution — with full spare parts availability. Count on Bosch Rexroth to deliver the proven modular mechatronics technology to keep your machines moving.

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Internet of Things

Micro drive connects to a variety of networks The GA500 Industrial Microdrive meets RoHS2, providing a sustainable and an environmentally iendly drive. Its TUV safety rating lets designers meet stringent safety ratings for their machines and provides a long mission time for the life of their equipment. The GA500 also gives customers flexibility. The drive is rated up to 40 HP and can be applied to 240 Vac single-phase, 240 Vac threephase, or 480 Vac three-phase incoming power. For those that use dc as their power source, the drive is [UL] rated to accept dc as its primary power source. The GA500 can operate a variety of motors, which include induction, permanent magnet (SPM and IPM), and synchronous reluctance (SynRM). For customers that require network communications with their drives, the GA500 offers a variety of industrial protocols that help be part of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which include EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP/IP, and EtherCAT. Traditional fieldbus protocols like DeviceNet, PROFIBUS, and Modbus RTU (embedded) are also available. The GA500 can be programmed without main power applied, which means users can set up the drive so it is ready to run before main power is available. A visual LED status ring provides drive status at a glance. The DriveWizard Mobile app lets users program and/or monitor the GA500 through mobile devices like a smartphone or tablet. DriveWizard Mobile instantly accesses the Yaskawa Drive Cloud, providing a safe location to store drive information with instant access anywhere. DW

Drives & Motion division of Yaskawa America, Inc. www.yaskawa.com/GA500

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May 2020

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Extensive tubing inventory Eagle stocks stainless, copper, brass and aluminum in metric, hypodermic and fractional tubing in an extensive assortment of grades. Cut-to-length tubing - Eagle can cut and de-burr any diameter in quantities from 1 piece to millions from lengths of .040” and longer with a standard tolerance of ±.005 on diameters of less than 1”. Closer tolerances are met quite often. Talk to us!

The WISE-6610 LoRaWAN gateway and Wzzard LRPv2 LoRaWAN node helps users have a better control and management for applications in remote areas (e.g., for flood monitoring) and harsh environments (e.g., extreme temperatures, high humidity). The LoRa wireless technology overcomes the boundary of distance, thereby maximizing monitoring efficiency. The wireless telecommunication is for long-range, low-bit-rate communication among “things” (i.e., connected objects such as battery-powered sensors). Because the Wzzard LRPv2 Node and WISE-6610 LoRaWAN Gateway support long-range WAN communication, there is no need to pay additional telecommunication costs. The Wzzard LRPv2 Node can connect up to four sensors simultaneously and suits production lines that have many sensors or for applications where there is limited space for additional devices. The software is customizable to accommodate most monitoring plans. Because the Wzzard LRPv2 Node offers flexibility in hardware and software, it frees users from having to deploy an infrastructure-heavy wireless network, meaning that resources can be allocated to other more critical investments. The Wzzard LRPv2 Node has two modes: sleep mode (for when the node is idle) and operation mode (for data transmission). It comes with an embedded alarm system to notify users when a threshold has been exceeded so that action can be taken. The smart design of the operation modes and alarm system helps control the budget by saving the power it consumed and notifying users if any emergent actions are required. With an IP66 rating, both devices are protected against ingress from dust and water jets. Furthermore, their dual-power design (BC/battery for the Wzzard LRPv2 Node) provides multiple deployment options. DW

Advantech | www.advantech.com

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Bending / Coiling - Eagle craftsmen working with state-of-the-art machinery supply uniformly smooth bends, meeting the tightest customer specifications.

Wire EDM & Laser Machining enables Eagle to produce some of the mosdt exotic parts imaginable.

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Bunting Supply Chain is Staying Strong

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Simplify maintenance and improve asset management The IIoT platform, Netilion, is an ecosystem combining digital services and system components to improve the lifecycle and asset management, maintenance, and support of instruments and analyzers. With Netilion, users can keep track of their installed base, documentation and data management, and instrumentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance and health status. Netilionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital services available today are Scanner, Analytics, Health, Library and Value. Netilion Scanner is a ee smartphone app that guides users in capturing field instrument asset data while using QR code or RFID tag. It can store images and instrument location and accessibility. Critical and quality-relevant information can also be saved, associated with the instrument tag. Netilion system components such as field gates and edge devices can be used to upload installed base information and create lists of the instruments, without having to interact with the control system. The installed base information in the digital service Netilion Analytics can be used to create a digital twin of the system and analyzed with dashboards to initiate proactive maintenance measures for critical instruments or swap out discontinued instruments. Netilion Health visualizes the diagnostic data om an instrument and receives instructions to address the issue. This service can track the condition of the instrument so that other maintenance optimization measures can be initiated. Netilion Library helps users organize working files and documents. It is a file sharing and data management service for the complete life cycle

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Internet of Things of an instrument. Files can be continuously added to the digital twin in a traceable manner so that they are available at any time and om anywhere. This industrial file management service safely stores documents and makes them available to any device capable of hosting a web browser. Netilion Value is a digital service that collects process data om the field and makes them accessible anytime and anywhere. It displays the values in various features such as the dashboard, history, tracking map, and more. These digital services can be used separately or in concert to improve the management, maintenance, and support of instrumentation systemsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;regardless of instrument or analyzer type or vendor. DW

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A Supplement to Design World - May 2020 www.designworldonline.com

How to

optimize autonomous navigation through networking page 60

INSIDE:

• How former coal miners became mobile robot technicians ..............................................54 • 5 trends in supply chain robotics ..................64 • BADGR mobile robot learns to navigate on its own ..........................................................70 • 60 AMRs improve Ingram Micro’s productivity during peak season...........................................74

ROBOT REPORT COVER_5-20_Vs2.indd 53

4/29/20 10:55 AM

The Robot Report

HOW

former coal miners became mobile robot technicians

The Eastern Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute has provided a lifeline for both former miners and tech companies seeking talent.

Steve Crowe • Editor • The Robot Report

Matt Neace, 25, was born in Whitesburg, Ky. The small town is located in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and had a population of 1,875 in 2018. It once was known as a “diamond among the coal fields.” Coal mining long was the economic engine that fueled Whitesburg and other parts of the Appalachia region, which spans om southern New York to Alabama and is home to more than 25 million people. According to the 2010 census, nearly 25% of Whitesburg’s population lived below the poverty line. Like many in the area, Neace was born into the coal mines. His father worked in the mines for 28 years, while his uncles drove coal trucks. “My whole family was affiliated with the mines,” said Neace. “But I was laid off five times in my 5-plus years in the coal business. You never knew

Former coal miner Matt Neace is now installing and servicing mobile robots. | AutoGuide Mobile Robots

May 2020

Coal miners to robot technicians_RR_5-20_Vs5_ed.indd 54

www.therobotreport.com

THE ROBOT REPORT

4/30/20 8:17 AM

if you were going to have a job or how you’re going to pay the bills.” Drive two hours north to Warfield, Ky., and 35-year-old Devan Parsons has a similar story. Parsons worked in the coal mines for four years before being laid off and taking a “dead-end job” at a local auto parts store. He lived with his brother-in-law during the week to shorten the commute to the coal mine and would return to Warfield on weekends. Parson’s father drove an 18-wheeler coal truck, hauling coal two hours to the loading docks a couple counties away.

THE ROBOT REPORT

Coal miners to robot technicians_RR_5-20_Vs5_ed.indd 55

“It’s hard to get a job here,” he said. “The whole place was built on coal mining. If you weren’t in the coal mines, your job was related to mining. The area is struggling right now.” Robots are often viewed as a threat to human jobs and our future. But not in this story. This story is about how robots are providing former coal miners, like Neace and Parsons, with a second chance and bright future.

AutoGuide Mobile Robots’ MAX N10 moves loads up to 10,000 pounds with no tape, no RFID tags, no mirrors or reflectors. | AutoGuide Mobile Robots

Casualties of the ‘War on Coal’ Being laid off was part of being a coal miner. Workers would eventually find work at another nearby mine, but that came to a crashing halt in 2008 when

www.therobotreport.com

May 2020

4/30/20 8:18 AM

The Robot Report regulatory pressure from President Obama forced many coal mines to close. The industry dubbed this the “War on Coal,” and the business was forever damaged. Kathy Walker moved to Eastern Kentucky 30-plus years ago from the Washington, D.C., area. She is out of the coal patch herself. For 15-plus years, she was a member of the National Coal Council, a federal advisory committee that helps shape policies about matters relating to coal. She worked for the energy division of the Italian government, purchasing U.S. coal that was then exported to Italy and other European countries. And later she started her own coal sales and marketing company. “Even before 2008, I could see the train coming down the track with regard to coal,” she said. “There were increasing regulatory and political pressures, and I could slowly see a change coming, driven mainly by the utilities.” Walker wanted to provide an opportunity for a sustainable future for the people of the region. She researched what types of work might be a fit for the culture and the workforce, and she stumbled upon CNC machining. “Some people still think machining is your grandfather’s factory job. Well, it’s quite the opposite today,” she said. “21st century CNC machining is high-tech; it’s inspiring and challenging. It takes a little bit of a lot of different competencies to be successful at CNC machining. And what most people never realized about mining is that you must be multi-skilled to be successful at it as well.” eKAMI re-skills former coal miners In 2016, Walker partnered with the Gene Haas Foundation, owned by one of the world’s largest machinetool makers, Haas Automation, to develop a workforce training center to re-skill former miners. Hailing from Youngstown, Ohio, the former “Industrial Heartland of North America,” Gene Haas, Founder of Haas Automation, began working in a machine shop when he was 14 years old. Like the miners of Appalachia, Haas understood the importance of hard work and responsibility at an early age.

Darrell Easter, Assembly Department Lead, joined AutoGuide Mobile Robots in May 2019 after a 20-year career in oil and gas. | AutoGuide Mobile Robots

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www.therobotreport.com

To test the miners-to-machinists concept, Walker sent three displaced workers from the industry to the flagship Haas Center at Vincennes University in Indianapolis. The 15-week immersive program was already two weeks underway when the Kentucky students arrived, but the instructors assured Walker they would work on Saturdays to help the new students catch up. “After a week, the instructor called me and said despite joining late, they were already caught up and actually helping train other students,” Walker said. “The instructor then asked me how many other available people I had like that, and I said, ‘Right now, about 10,000.’” Prior to graduation from Vincennes, the three “pilot” students were hired by Lockheed Martin’s U.S. Special Operations division in Winchester, Kentucky. They put their new CNC skills to work machining parts for the military. In the fall of 2017, Walker opened the Haas eKentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute (eKAMI) in Paintsville, Ky. The 40,000-square-foot facility, located on a former coal mine site, offers an accelerated 16-week program for adults and a 9-month program for young adults. The program includes instruction in both technical and soft skills. Students train on the latest state-of-the-art CNC equipment, learning to program, set up, and operate machines that produce parts for various industries, including military and defense, robotics, aerospace, medical, and electronics. They also learn the importance of punctuality, teamwork, adaptability and leadership. Students earn credentials from the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS). To earn the certifications, they are required to pass online exams and produce precision parts on the CNC machines that are inspected for accuracy by an outside engineering firm. Thanks to private and public grant funding, all local students have received scholarships to cover the tuition. At press time, Walker said approximately 100 students have graduated from the program, with a 100% placement rate. “Not all the students are from the mining industry, but many are,” Walker said. “Many graduates are now working in manufacturing, inspecting, assembling, and programming jobs.”

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The Robot Report

An eKAMI student gets hands-on training. | eKAMI

From coal miners to mobile robot technicians Many eKAMI graduates are now working for AutoGuide Mobile Robots, a Massachusetts-based developer of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that was acquired by Teradyne in October 2019 for up to $165 million. AutoGuide manufactures its AMRs in Kentucky. Twenty-five eKAMI graduates and former coal miners now work at AutoGuide and its premier integrator, Heartland Automation. Neace and Parsons are two of those 25. Neace joined AutoGuide in May 2019 as a Mobile Robot Field Service Technician. A few years ago, he was operating a roof bolter to keep a mine from collapsing. Now he is installing, programming, and servicing mobile robots at customer sites across America. “This is a dream come true,” said Neace. “eKAMI gave me a whole new world — a career and a future. We have robots in Alabama, Georgia, New York, South Carolina, Texas, and the Teradyne acquisition will have us going overseas soon. I’ve never been out of the country, so that will be new for me. I’ve been wanting to get out and see the world, and this job allows me to do so. I can’t wait.” Walker said AutoGuide is the only pure-play robotics company that has hired eKAMI graduates. Rob Sullivan, President and CEO of AutoGuide, said the company hires a few people from every

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eKAMI graduating class. “We’re a high-tech robotics company getting resources from the coal mines of Kentucky. We did it out of necessity,” said Sullivan. “It was hard to find resources. We found out about eKAMI, and it’s been a nice way to find skilled resources for manufacturing and installations.” Parsons started at AutoGuide on Jan. 1, 2020, as a Mobile Robot Technician. He was running a shuttle car in the deep mines at the end of his mining days. Now he is working in the shipping and receiving department and is learning to assemble AutoGuide’s mobile robots at its office in Georgetown, Ky. “When you go into an underground mine, you’re not 100% sure you’re going to come back out,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about robotics before this. I’ve always been pretty good mechanically, so I was able to transfer what I picked up in class into my job. I’m excited to see how far I can go and see how the technology grows.”

an education,” he said. “You don’t need an education to work in the mines; you just need a strong back.” Perhaps that is now starting to change. Walker said eKAMI’s ultimate goal is to open the door to provide advanced manufacturing opportunities to the region’s re-skilled workforce. “We’re changing people’s lives and, hopefully, changing the trajectory of Appalachia forever,” she said. “A lot of people now have hope, which is a very strong motivator. “The overarching goal of eKAMI is to diversify the economy of Eastern Kentucky by attracting industry to the area,” Walker said. “Word is spreading about the exceptionally skilled, innovative, and motivated workforce. We’re truly sitting on a gold mine of talent.” RR

Gold mine of talent Darrell Easter is Assembly Department Lead at AutoGuide. He joined the company in May 2019 after graduating from eKAMI. The 56-year-old had a 20-year career in oil and gas, but recently moved to Paintsville, his wife’s hometown. “To be honest, many folks in Appalachia didn’t worry about getting

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The Robot Report

How to

optimize

autonomous navigation through networking

Navigation on Demand system builds a common database by cross-linking mobile robots, giving each access to sensor data of the entire fleet. Stefan Dörr • Project Manager, Industrial and Commercial Service Robots • Fraunhofer IPA

Manufacturers and logistics providers have an immense and growing need for flexibility. Mobile robots with increasingly autonomous navigation and common interfaces can help meet this need, as new and maturing technologies take robotics to new levels of industrial utilization. The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) in Stuttgart, Germany, has been developing its NODE technology to improve the navigation of autonomous mobile robots. From AGVs to AMRs Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have been a major component of the recent expansion in commercial service robots. Almost 111,000 units were sold in 2018, an increase of 53% in sales and 60% in units compared with 2017, according to the International Federation of Robotics. Of these, almost 8,000 were involved in production, and the rest were primarily in the e-commerce sector. While some mobile robot applications are still feasible with the rigid structures used by AGVs, such as physical tracks, many dynamic environments need more agile robots. The trend toward smaller batches and higher product variability requires greater flexibility in production and materials handling. Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) use adaptive navigation algorithms to learn new routes and meet this need.

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www.therobotreport.com

THE ROBOT REPORT

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Concentration and mixed fleets require sophisticated software Two additional trends are occurring in mobile robots. The first is concentration. As more robotic vehicles drive in an environment, software developers have responded with more efficient systems for fleet management, traffic control, and dynamic path planning. The second trend is toward heterogeneous fleets. Many AMRs are equipped for specific processes, and large facilities may have multiple types of robots from different manufacturers. Many vehicles can communicate only with similar robots. There has been progress here with VDA 5050, a new interface proposed by the German Association of the Automotive Industry.

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In the future, this interface could become an international standard. What robots need in autonomous navigation As mobile robots move in more challenging environments and cooperate more among themselves and with other systems, both hardware and software must evolve. In its autonomous navigation research and development, Fraunhofer IPA identified the following requirements: • Robots must work without infrastructure and markers. AMRs eliminate the costs and effort involved in installing and maintaining AGVs. • Software should be easy to use, with intuitive user interfaces and algorithms for

www.therobotreport.com

The Navigation on Demand system builds a common database by crosslinking mobile robots, both among themselves and with external computing resources. This ensures each robot can access the sensor data of the entire fleet. | Fraunhofer IPA

May 2020

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The Robot Report By connecting to a cloud/edge infrastructure, computationallyintensive processes can be outsourced to reduce cost-intensive local computing resources on the robots. | Fraunhofer IPA

self-configuration and self-optimization. This enables users without expert knowledge to put new applications into operation in the space of just a few hours. • Autonomous navigation software must be flexible. Thanks to their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, AMRs should be usable in a wide range of applications. • A fleet should also easily be expandable to include virtual robots. With the help of augmented reality, travel paths and other information can be visualized. This simplifies and accelerates the commissioning, maintenance, and adjustments of the fleet. Fraunhofer IPA develops NODE Fraunhofer IPA has developed the Navigation on Demand, or NODE orchestration, coordination, and navigation system, to meet the requirements outlined above. It builds a common database by cross-linking vehicles, both among themselves and with external computing resources. Thanks to this common database, each vehicle always has access to the sensor data of the entire fleet. The cooperative navigation algorithms use this database for optimal fleet control. Previously, it was possible to control the navigation of only one vehicle optimally according to its local field of view. Now, an entire fleet can be operated based on the aggregated knowledge.

By connecting to a cloud/edge infrastructure, computationally intensive processes can be outsourced to reduce cost-intensive local computing resources on the robots. Furthermore, it enables easy deployment and software updates, as well as remote monitoring and analysis of the robots. Applying machine learning to autonomous navigation Fraunhofer’s NODE uses machinelearning methods with the aim of using the data collected by the fleet to improve mobile robot autonomy and efficiency. It can also reduce the manual set-up effort. In this context, the NODE team is currently working on three challenges. The first is the experience-based optimization of global route planning. For this purpose, virtual vehicles are driven first to determine available routes.

Many AMRs are equipped for specific processes, and large facilities may have multiple types of robots from different manufacturers. Many vehicles can communicate only with similar robots.

Then the data from real vehicles is used to adjust route costs based on operational data. In the second topic, the navigation experts let the software learn in a simulated environment how to control a vehicle to follow a route and at the same time avoid both static and dynamic obstacles. This takes vehicle characteristics such as the chassis or necessary safety distances during different driving situations into account. With the help of reinforcement learning — i.e., reward-based learning — the team can develop strategies for solving specific traffic situations efficiently. The lessons are then transferred to real vehicles. For the last autonomous navigation challenge, the NODE team is working on mutual detection and cooperative localization using machine-learning methods. As vehicles recognize each other and thus determine their relative position, localization will be more robust, and vehicles with less powerful sensors will benefit from sensors of other vehicles. This method is also helpful if sensor ranges are short and the environments are large or dynamic at the same time. Different versions of this software have already been implemented in machines ranging from vacuum cleaning robots to self-driving trucks. Autonomous navigation techniques are in continuous and successful use in industrial operations, and improvements should widen robotics applications. RR

| Fraunhofer IPA

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THE ROBOT REPORT

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The Robot Report

trends

in supply chain robotics From bigger platforms and more integrated software to increasing specialization, there are many signs of maturing technologies.

Eugene Demaitre • Senior Editor • The Robot Report

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chains around the world were under strain om competitive pressures, worker shortages, and the need to be more responsive to shi s in demand. The novel coronavirus has only exacerbated these challenges. In the past year, many large companies in the retail, supply chain, and logistics spaces have moved om tentative trials to deployments of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), said vendors around MODEX this spring. Maturing so ware, a better understanding of use cases, and accelerating consumer expectations have led to growing interest in automation, they said. “Some market estimates say that e-commerce could grow om $3 trillion, 4% of retail worldwide today, to 40%, or $17 trillion, by 2030,” said Vince Martinelli, head of product and marketing at RightHand Robotics Inc. The company recently expanded its European operations.

1 Warehouse robots add applications For the past few years, many AMR companies have focused on specific tasks — usually piece-picking for e-commerce order fulfillment — as a way to sell into warehouses, distribution centers, or third-party logistics (3PL) sites. While there are still plenty of companies le to target, a second wave of robotics systems is designed to address new processes and more customized offerings for early customers. For instance, several AMR providers are offering more processes for existing robot deployments. Locus Robotics is among the companies adding replenishment, returns, and put-away tasks to its robots. It has also partnered with RightHand Robotics. Goods-to-person automation is becoming more sophisticated, as vendors add cycle counting and inventory features to their so ware, enabling robots to conduct multiple tasks. In addition, robotics vendors are promising to provide a return on investment during non-peak times in addition to peak times. This also reflects the maturation of supply chain robotics. “We’re not a science project,” said Robert Sullivan, president and CEO of Chelmsford, Mass.-based AutoGuide Mobile Robots. “We did a demonstration for 150 people, and the system was operational in three and a half hours.” 64

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THE ROBOT REPORT

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“Often, when we talk to customers, they never want to invest in a system that they’re going to use one month out of the year,” said Lior Elazary, founder and CEO of inVia Robotics. “At peak, they basically don’t do as much cycle counting, and the robots are just concentrating on fulfilling the orders and getting them out the door as soon as possible. Then after peak in January, everything drops significantly by factor of 10, and they’re able to use the robots for cycle counting [and other tasks].” Customers are now identifying applications to automate and then thinking about how to do so, said a representative of end-effector maker OnRobot. “Users are working backwards from the gripper to programming the robot,” she said.

2 Suppliers begin to specialize Another part of this second wave includes companies developing robots and accessories to handle more specialized tasks. Before, AMR companies claimed that their platforms were useful for any environment. For example, Mobile Industrial Robots A/S (MiR) recently demonstrated a new AMR that is designed to fit in narrower corridors and can move at 2 m/ sec. (4.47 mph). The MiR250 works with a new cart, adapter, and top module from ROEQ. THE ROBOT REPORT

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Developers, vendors, and users of mobile robots are | AutoGuide Mobile Robots increasingly ready for rollouts.

Pick-and-place robots and mobile platforms are starting to | RightHand Robotics and Locus Robotics collaborate.

www.therobotreport.com

May 2020

4/30/20 8:06 AM

The Robot Report 6 River Systems recently announced enhancements to its Chuck robot. | 6RS

6 River Systems Inc. said its Autoloader is intended to free workers from moving boxes or totes onto and off of shelves. It has also announced enhancements to its Chuck mobile robots. Avidbots’ new “side sweeper” is an attachment for its Neo commercial cleaning robot that can clean and pick up items in hard-to-reach areas. And Seegrid is offering a new tow tractor with auto-charging capabilities. SnapFulfil’s latest SnapCart prototype was built with off-the-shelf components to increase goods-to-person capacity and reduce costs with “cellular picking,” said Don White, North America CEO at the company. Many of these designs are based on requests from existing customers. Waypoint Robotics’ new Kingpin accessory enables its Vector robot to connect to shelf carts for pick up and drop off. “There has been a lot of interest and feedback from customers,” said CEO Jason Walker. Among other announcements this year, Honeywell Intelligrated is discussing implementing robot for unloading tractor-trailers, which it unveiled at ProMat last year, with major 3PLs. At the same time, The Robot Report has observed less enthusiasm than last year about mobile manipulation. Industry observers noted that more use cases need to be justified. However, Agility

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Robotics’ Digit legged robot did win an MHI Innovation Award for “best new product.”

3 Bigger is better Over the past year, several AMR vendors have released larger mobile platforms for moving pallets or automotive parts as they expand past piece-picking processes into manufacturing. This trend was already in evidence at recent trade shows before the pandemic.

The OTTO 1500 heavy-duty mobile robot. www.therobotreport.com

Examples include heavy-duty robots from MiR, OTTO Motors, Fetch Robotics, and Waypoint Robotics. OTTO, which has active pilots at Hirotec and is expanding in Japan, now offers OTTO 750 and 1500 mobile platforms, as well as its Fleet Manager software. Fetch Robotics Inc. built its CartConnect500 system in response to customer requests to be able to move pallets, said Melonee Wise, CEO of Fetch. Unlike some other AMR companies, which have tried to move from warehouses into factories, Waypoint Robotics’ MAV3K was designed with manufacturers in mind. “A few years ago, we challenged Waypoint to build a mobile robot for heavy loads,” said Dan Hanrahan, CEO of Numina Group, which provides real-time coordination software for automotive OEMs. It has partnered with Waypoint for batch order optimization. Small can also be beautiful, as some suppliers offer robots designed to work in existing facilities. For instance, the MiR250 is faster and smaller than its predecessors.

| OTTO

THE ROBOT REPORT

4/30/20 8:07 AM

For throughput, companies such as OPEX Corp. claimed that automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) are more space-efficient and faster than shelves and automated carts. The company was recognized for “best innovation of an existing product.”

4 Software and data at least as important as hardware Even as they try to differentiate their hardware offerings, several AMR suppliers have been touting their software, from simulation for planning and deployment to systems meant to complement warehouse management systems (WMS). GreyOrange discussed its GreyMatter software and command center, which work with the Ranger mobile robots and sortation. “Every movement is a transaction,” said Samay Kohli, co-founder and CEO of the company. “Machine learning optimizes affinities of things picked together, maximizing SKUs per pull.” “Contrary to the conventional wisdom, the idea of robots as a commodity is a fallacy,” he added. “We’re building room for AI to grow in our robots in a softwarefirst design, like Tesla’s cars. We run our software on premise rather than in a public or private cloud, and we don’t want to go up the software stack.” GreyOrange won an MHI Innovation Award for “warehousing and fulfillment excellence” in March. RightHand Robotics co-founder Yaro Tenzer said his company’s dashboard analytics can enable customers or integrators to resolve exceptions in the field. Elazary demonstrated InVia Robotics’ PickMate tool and a “pick to color” system and noted that it’s important to utilize staffers for replenishment during nonpeak times. “Our systems guide people, who can be robot wranglers and use problem-solving skills,” he said. “This is how collaboration should happen with robots.” Fetch Robotics took a different approach with its cloud-based FetchCore fleet management software. That and its Workflow Builder product are designed to make it easier for distribution centers to integrate and customize their operations, said Wise. THE ROBOT REPORT

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The Robot Report CEO Samay Kohli said GreyOrange takes a softwarefirst approach to AMR design. | GreyOrange

In addition to other software releases, Fetch and Honeywell have jointly announced voice-directed workflows. In response to a question about where distribution centers are asking for more automation, Matt Wicks, chief robotics solution architect at Honeywell, said, “Across the board, wherever the labor pool isn’t, such as in sortation and unloading.”

5 AMR companies partner up Many AMR announcements in the past few months reflect an acknowledgement that not every robotics company can do it all, even with robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) models and integrator help. Providers of mobile robots, pick-andplace systems, and the software stack to connect them, as well as warehouse and inventory systems, are working together. So much so that one needs a scorecard to keep track. In addition to the partnerships mentioned above, Fetch’s mobile robots now work with Zebra Technologies’ FulfillmentEdge software and wearable systems. They can help warehouses retain workers by shortening onboarding times for workers from four weeks to a single shift, said Stefan Nusser, vice president of products at Fetch. The company is also working with reseller Körber Supply Chain. Swisslog has combined a KUKA robotic arm with a robotic gripper and vision system in the ItemPiQ system. “It’s 68

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integrated with AutoStore and is a dream team for improving goods-to-person picking,” said Markus Schmidt, president of Swisslog Americas. KUKA acquired Swisslog in 2014. “Integration is key to the whole system. We try to integrate all our technology from end to end,” he told The Robot Report. “There’s no reason why every second customer site couldn’t eventually have a mix of manual and robotic pick stations.” Honeywell is building a new robotics center in Pittsburgh and is working closely with Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center.

www.therobotreport.com

The company has also invested in Attabotics and Soft Robotics and partnered with Fetch. Not only has 6 River Systems partnered with RightHand Robotics, but it is also working with Packsize and Soft Robotics. Vecna Robotics extended its partnership with lift maker UniCarriers Americas Corp., which itself partnered with Brain Corp. on autonomous robots. In turn, software maker Brain Corp. is working with Dane Technologies on manufacturing autonomous delivery robots. As Amazon and Walmart hire tens of thousands of workers, supply chains large and small now have a wealth of options for augmenting their workforces, making processes more efficient, and scaling up with mobile robots. RR

Swisslog uses a KUKA robot arm in its ItemPiQ system. | Swisslog

THE ROBOT REPORT

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The Robot Report

BADGR mobile robot

learns to navigate on its own End-to-end, learning-based mobile robot navigation system can be trained with self-supervised, off-policy data gathered in real-world environments. Eugene Demaitre • Senior Editor • The Robot Report

A geometric approach to mobile robot navigation and obstacle avoidance may be sufficient for environments such as warehouses, but it might not be enough for dynamic settings outdoors. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, said they have developed BADGR, “an end-to-end, learning-based mobile robot navigation system that can be trained with self-supervised, off-policy data gathered in real-world environments, without any simulation or human supervision.” Field robots must be able to find their way through tall grass, across bumpy ground, or in areas without the lanes typical of indoor facilities or roads. The conventional approach is to use computer vision and train models based on semantic labeling. “Most mobile robots think purely in terms of geometry; they detect where obstacles are, and plan paths around these perceived obstacles in order to reach the goal,” UC Berkeley researcher Gregory Kahn wrote in a blog post. “This purely geometric view of the world is insufficient for many navigation problems.” However, a robot could autonomously learn about features in its environment “using raw visual perception and without human-provided labels or geometric maps,” said the study‘s authors, Kahn, Pieter Abbeel, and Sergey Levine. They explored how a robot could use its experiences to develop a predictive model.

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THE ROBOT REPORT

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BADGR is based on a Clearpath Jackal mobile robot and includes a six-degree-offreedom inertial measurement unit, GPS, a 2D lidar sensor, and an NVIDIA Jetson TX2 processor. | Greg Kahn, BAIR

The research was supported by the U.S. Army Research Labâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Distributed and Collaborative Intelligent Systems and Technology Collaborative Research Alliance (DCIST CRA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Assured Autonomy Program, and Berkeley DeepDrive. Kahn was supported by an NSF graduate research fellowship.

Building BADGR The team at Berkeley AI Research Lab (BAIR) developed the Berkeley Autonomous Driving Ground Robot, or BADGR, to gather data om real-world environments and essentially train itself how to avoid obstacles. It was based on a Clearpath Jackal mobile robot and included a six-degree-

BADGRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s path planning improves over time as it gathers more data. | Greg Kahn, BAIR

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www.therobotreport.com

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4/30/20 8:01 AM

The Robot Report of-freedom inertial measurement unit sensor, GPS, a 2D lidar sensor, and an NVIDIA Jetson TX2 processor. Rather than retrain policies with recently gathered data, or on-policy data collection, the Berkeley researchers decided to use off-policy algorithms, which can train policies using data gathered by any control policy. BADGR also used a time-correlated, randomwalk control policy so that the robot would not just drive in a straight line. BADGR autonomously collected and labeled data, trained an image-based predictive neural network model, and used that model to plan and execute paths based on experience, said Kahn.

Field robots must be able to find their way through tall grass, across bumpy ground, or in areas without the lanes typical of indoor facilities or roads. The conventional approach is to use computer vision and train models based on semantic labeling. BAIR gets results The researchers tested BADGR at the Berkeley Richmond Field Station Environmental site. With only 42 hours of autonomously collected data, BADGR outperformed simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) approaches, said the BAIR team. It did so with less data than other navigation methods, they wrote. “We performed our evaluation in a real-world outdoor environment consisting of both urban and off-road

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terrain,” stated the researchers. “BADGR autonomously gathered 34 hours of data in the urban terrain and eight hours in the off-road terrain. Although the amount of data gathered may seem significant, the total dataset consisted of 720,000 off-policy data points, which is smaller than currently used datasets in computer vision and significantly smaller than the number of samples often used by deep reinforcement learning algorithms.” For instance, a SLAM plus plannerbased system failed to avoid bumpy grass, while BADGR learned to stick to concrete paths. The mobile robot also avoided collisions in off-road environments more often. BAIR’s experiments also found that BADGR’s performance improved over time, as it picked a more direct route to a target. The system was also able to generalize its lessons to new environments. “The key insight behind BADGR is that by autonomously learning from experience directly in the real world, BADGR can learn about navigational affordances, improve as it gathers more data, and generalize to unseen environments,” Kahn wrote. The researchers acknowledged that the mobile robot still required human assistance, such as when it flipped over, but they noted that BADGR needed less data than other approaches. They said more work remains to be done with remote support, testing around moving objects and people, and gathering more data. “We believe that solving these and other challenges is crucial for enabling robot learning platforms to learn and act in the real world, and that BADGR is a promising step towards this goal,” the team said. RR

www.therobotreport.com

THE ROBOT REPORT

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Case Study

60AMRs

improve Ingram Micro’s productivity during peak season

A robotics-as-a-service model helps Ingram Micro flexibly deploy 6 River Systems’ Chuck autonomous mobile robots. Eugene Demaitre • Senior Editor • The Robot Report

Not only did recent walkouts at Amazon and Instacart warehouses highlight worker concerns about a lack of protection against the novel coronavirus, but they also provided a reminder of difficult working conditions in warehouses worldwide. At Ingram Micro, staffers had to push heavy carts long distances in one facility. The company recently turned to robots om 6 River Systems to improve conditions and productivity. Irvine, Calif.-based Ingram Micro is a major distributor of technology products. “Our mobility business touches two out of every three phones in the U.S.,” said Glen Sutton, senior vice president for the Americas at Ingram Micro Commerce & Lifecycle Services. “This includes forward and reverse logistics; repair and refurbishment; and support for AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.” Ingram Micro has more than 6,000 direct employees and international lines of business. It is no stranger to automation and uses automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS). “Historically, Ingram Micro has operated a number of automated facilities, using pick towers with conveyors that route through the facility to pack stations and out to transport nodes,” Sutton told The Robot Report. “We’ve recently invested in automation startups, as well as technology such as OPEX Perfect Pick, which we are using in a facility in Dallas.”

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THE ROBOT REPORT

4/30/20 7:58 AM

Challenge “Ingram Micro has worked with customers implementing other technologies in Louisville, Ky., such as supporting fashion retail B2C [businessto-consumer operations],” he said. “Manual picking carts were used in that building, and that retailer had 40,000 SKUs [stock-keeping units]. This used

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a significant amount of storage space spread across a large facility.” “With that profile and proliferation of SKUs, there was a lot of movement, and without robotic conveyance, a lot of people moving from Point A to Point B,” recalled Sutton. “Once full batches were picked, the carts were heavy, and like many warehouse operators, we had

www.therobotreport.com

Ingram Micro uses up to 60 Chuck autonomous mobile robots from 6 River Systems. | Source: Ingram Micro

May 2020

4/30/20 7:59 AM

Case Study Ingram Micro has invested in a variety of automation. | Source: Ingram Micro

Robotics partnerships signal maturity In September 2019, Shopi Inc. acquired 6 River Systems for $450 million, demonstrating the maturity of the mobile robotics market. “The acquisition had no impact, and it validates our decision to use Chuck,” said Ingram Micro SVP Glen Sutton. “Like DHL, we explored other technologies. 6 River has been very open to working with senior people at our site, and it has been very flexible as a company.” 6 River Systems has also partnered with robotic gripper makers So Robotics Inc. and RightHand Robotics Inc. for automated picking. At MODEX 2020, Packsize International demonstrated how Chuck works with its iQ3 on-demand packaging system. In another partnership, last April, Ingram Micro invested in HDS Global, which is testing so ware for warehouse robotics at its facilities in Southern California. “It’s going very well. Some companies want ‘lights-out’ operations, which is quite exciting,” said Sutton. “We expect to mix it up with a full suite of technologies, and there’s definitely an application for integration with Perfect Pick, Chuck, and HDS in the future.”

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worker attrition. How could we apply robots to help?” Deploying Chuck “From August to December, we implemented 6 River Systems’ robots,” Sutton said. “Chuck would come to the people at the pick face and tell them which SKUs to pick. Then, the robots would move to put walls.” “It was relatively simple to integrate into our pick wall, Accutech auto-bagger, and homegrown warehouse management system,” he added. “We originally tried 10 robots, and during the peak period, we

had 60, a good portion of which were leased.” Ingram Micro’s staff embraced Chuck pretty quickly, according to Sutton. “Pushing a heavy cart with product across long distances was not very efficient,” he said. “Asking people to stay in zones where robots would come to them got them pretty excited. Employees understand it’s about assisting them, and they get to learn how the technology works and be part of the solution with the robot.”

Case Study Breakdown Company

Ingram Micro

Location Distribution center in Louisville, Ky. Industry Logistics, supporting a fashion retailer Challenge Efficiently moving 40,000 SKUs in a large facility Partner 6 River Systems Robots 10-60 Chuck autonomous mobile robots Value Drivers Employee retention, flexibly dealing with peak and off-peak demand Results ROI

www.therobotreport.com

Kept labor at steady levels with RaaS 1.5 years

THE ROBOT REPORT

4/30/20 7:59 AM

Results at Ingram Micro “Operational efficiency is critical to providing an accurate and fast delivery experience, and the demand for this continues to grow,” stated Sutton. “Our solution from 6 River Systems enables us to increase our throughput and get more orders out the door and into customers’ hands.” “As we scaled up for deployment in August, we saw sizable increases in productivity that were better than anticipated,” he said. “Because of the quick learning curve, we needed less labor for the holiday rush than expected.” “By the low point of January, we had the same amount of labor as in the peak period, which had 10 times the volume, by making sure to use batch-picking technology and robots to move goods,” he said. “We had done a full business case, and the return on investment was pretty quick — a little more than a year and a half.”

In addition to labor savings, a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model helps with fluctuating capacity. “An interesting part of using 6 River is that we can add or reduce the number of Chucks in a leasing scenario,” Sutton said. Chuck gets enhancements 6 River Systems recently added larger and multilevel workspaces to its Chuck collaborative mobile robot. It can carry up to six levels, for a total of 43.5 cubic feet or 4 cubic meters, and a payload of up to 200 lb. or 90.7kg. Chuck also conforms to international safety and usability requirements, said 6 River Systems. Its patent-pending safety complies with safety standards including CE and UL 1740, and it uses standardized lighting, images, and prompts for usability. RR

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Robotics Robotics

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IKO International Inc. Industrial Robots Demand Versatile Crossed Roller Bearings Robotics and automated machinery demand highly versatile bearings. Not only must bearings carry diverse loads with high precision, robotic motion is also becoming more complex. Machine designers must also fit their bearings into shrinking mechanisms like articulating arms that position and rotate objects. Crossed roller bearings are designed to make line-contact with the raceway surface to give them their excellent rigidity and load handling ability while minimizing deformation and maximizing accuracy. The same construction that allows them to achieve heavyduty performance also gives them the versatility today’s robotic applications demand. For instance, IKO International’s crossed roller bearings are engineered to handle radial, thrust and moment loads at the same time, which makes them particularly suitable for applications with complex motion.

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Robotics Robotics

maxon Miniaturized Controller for Compact Designs A newly designed miniaturized controller measuring only 32 mm x 22 mm with a functionality that’s virtually identical to many larger units. It addresses cost-sensitive single- and multi-axis applications. It is suitable for use with both brushed DC and brushless EC motors (BLDC) of up to 120 W and has comprehensive feedback options such as Hall sensors, as well as digital incremental and SSI absolute encoders. State-of-the art concepts such as Dual Loop, Field Oriented Control (FOC), feed forward, and observer control allow optimal control in a wide variety of applications.

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flexCoder MSAC200 - Rotary Absolute Encoder for Robotics and Handling Automation New developments in robotics, automation and many other rotative applications are aiming for increasingly compact designs and often cannot be implemented using the standard components available on the market. The new MSAC200 can be flexibly adapted to the customer’s design and provides precise absolute values with high installation tolerances at the same time. It is basically possible to adapt the encoder and the magnetic ring for precise fitting, for example in motors. An additional feature is the high reading distance ≤0.6 mm and axial tolerance of ±0.2 mm to facilitate the design of the overall system and enable use in dynamic applications. Profile flexCoder MSAC200: • customer-specific design • integration into small installation space possible • absolute resolution up to 21 bit • repeatability 0.01° - reading distance ≤0.6 mm • Interface BiSS C, SSI • optional analog real-time signal output sin/cos 1 Vss • industrial and medical applications e.g. motor feedback, handling automation and robotics

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Electric motor standards: where we’ve been and where we’re going

Daniel B. Jones • President • Incremotion Associates, Inc.

A survey of recent activities in three of the most important standards committees doing work in the area of electric motors shows continued improvement in energy efficiency and safety standards. While much work has been done to improve electric motor performance and safety, it’s been mainly focused on various types of induction motors. Recently new activities have been focused on permanent magnet motors. Three organizations, IEEE, UL and DOE, continue to work to extend or improve energy levels and safety issues in ever-widening motor topologies and applications. Electronic drives that both power and control motors have been targeted by all three technical organizations along with NEMA and some others. Regulations along with voluntary standards are being used to tackle overall system efficiencies. 82

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IEEE activities In 1963 the International Electric & Electronic Engineering (IEEE) Society was formed from the amalgamation of two engineering societies, the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) and American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE). With over 470,000 members worldwide it disseminates technical information in papers, conferences, and various publications. It also forms various committees and working groups to establish voluntary consensus technical standards to cover testing procedures and measurement

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Permanent magnet (PM) motors are the fastest growing motor type and they can achieve the highest efﬁciency of any motor. definitions. They cover many electrical devices and systems including various electric motor types. The IEEE 112-2017 consensus standard covers the updated testing procedures for the larger polyphase integral horse power (IHP) motors. IEEE 114-2010 consensus standard is aimed at testing various singlephase induction motor types. Both of these induction motor types have been the focus of the Department of Energy (DOE). Permanent magnet (PM) motors are the fastest growing motor type and they can achieve the highest motor efficiency of any motor. The PM motor became a potential target for a new trial use guide and ultimately a voluntary standard. The most recent IEEE standard activities involving motors have been the IEEE 1812 that is currently entitled a “Trial-Use Guide for

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Figure 1: UL general requirements for rotating electrical machines M o t i o n

UL 1004-1 — Rotating Electrical Machines - General Requirements UL 1004-2 — Impedance Protected Motors UL 1004-3 —Thermally Protected Motors UL 1004-4 — Electric Generators UL 1004-5 — Fire Pump Motors UL 1004-6 — Servo and Stepper Motors UL 1004-7 — Electronically Protected Motors UL 1004-8 — Inverter Duty Motors UL 1004-9 — Form Wound and Medium Voltage Rotating Electrical Machines UL 1004-10 — Pool Pump Motors UL 60034-1 — Rotating Electrical Machines - Part 1: Rating and Performance UL 60034-2-1 — Rotating Electrical Machines - Part 2-1: Standard Methods for Determining Losses and Efficiency from Tests (excluding machines for traction vehicles) UL 60034-5 — Rotating Electrical Machines - Part 5: Degrees of Protection Provided by the Integral Design of Rotating Electrical Machines (IP Code)—Classification Note: UL 60034 series are IEC identical adoptions that match the IEC number.

Testing Permanent Magnet Machines.” Committees from the two IEEE Societies, the Power and Energy and the Industry Applications Societies, sponsored the formation of Working Group P1812. It took over 5 years for the Working Group to develop the current form of IEEE 18122014, a 41-page, Trial Use Guide. It will undergo field testing by individuals and companies until it becomes a consensus standard with any necessary revisions. Work is currently going on to revise this standard, towards converting it into a consensus standard. The trial use guide is dedicated to various methods for testing PM motors. The guide was structured to cover surface magnet and buried magnet (IPM and spoke) configurations. Rare earth, ferrite and AlNiCo magnets all work with the various tests and equations described in the 1812 guide. Underwriter Laboratories (UL) activities UL tested its first electric device for safe operation during the 1893 World Exposition in Chicago where the 100,000 bulb Palace of Electricity kept having fires. Their task was to test wiring, sockets, connections and switches. By 1900 a distinctive label for approved product that became the UL mark was created and by 1907 UL was testing new appliances; one was a motor driven phonograph. By the mid-1900s UL developed a recognized 86

status for all motors used in a wide range of equipment. In 2018 UL employed over 5,000 people in a number of global locations. UL’s most recent electric motor standard is UL1004 and is still undergoing updates. The focus is still protecting the individual from fire and electric shock. A 1004 technical panel was originally formed in 2008 composed of 30 members from industry and interested government agencies and continues to work today. (Full disclosure; I am a member of this panel.) Figure 1 lists 10 individual standards under UL 1004. The first three standards covered issues that impact the safety of any motor type. UL1004-4 was focused on unique safety issues that generators possessed. UL1004-5 was aimed at a specific application for the fire pump motor. UL1004-6 was dedicated to step and servo

motors, which was the first time that these high performance motors appeared in any UL standard. UL1004-7 and UL1004-8 added electronics to the electric motor. UL 1004-7 covers Electronic Protected Motors whereby the electronics protect the motor from overheating and causing a fire. UL1004-8 looks at safety issues when the polyphase motor is driven by an inverter while UL1004-9 covers the copper windings wound in plastic forms. The latest UL 1004-10 looks at pool pump motors and a change from evaluating various motor types toward a specific application with its unique motor performance. One of the major activities is to harmonize or provide equivalency between US and European safety standards. UL has reviewed three IEC (International Electro-technical Commission) standards from the 60034 family of motor standards and accepted them as UL standards. (See Figure 1.) Recently, a new UL program allowed a number of electric motors above 5 hp to evaluate motor certification and, if this field installed motor meets the new special requirements, then they will be able to be certified. These listed motor types are covered under the motors PRGY designated product category. All other motor types featured in the UL 1004 family of standards receive a recognized status as they have since 1910. DOE activities The department of Energy (DOE) was created August 4, 1977 as the 12th cabinet-

Figure 2: Difference between EISA and the new Integral Horsepower Motor Rule Motor Type

EISA

Integral Horsepower Motor Rule

1 to 200 HP Subtype I

Premium Efficient NEMA MG1, Table 12-12

Premium Efficient NEMA MG 1, Table 12-12

1 to 200 HP Subtype II

Energy Efficient NEMA MG1, Table 12-11

Premium Efficient NEMA MG 1, Table 12-12

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Energy Efficient NEMA MG1, Table 12-11

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Figure 3: Standard motor efficiency vs. horsepower levels for 2-, 4- and 6-pole construction

Small Motor Rule standard energy efficiency levels for polyphase small electric motors Motor output power (hp/kW) Six poles (%) Four poles (%)

0.25/0.18 0.33/0.25 0.5/0.37 0.75/0.55 1.0/0.75 1.5/1.1 2.0/1.5 3.0/2.2

67.5 71.4 75.3 81.7 82.5 83.8 N/A N/A

69.5 73.4 78.2 81.1 83.5 86.5 86.5 86.9

Two poles (%) 65.6 69.5 73.4 76.8 77 84 85.5 85.5

Small Motor Rule standard energy efficiency levels for capacitor-start/induction-run and capacitor-start/capacitor-run small motors Motor output power (hp/kW) Six poles (%) Four poles (%) 0.25/0.18 0.33/0.25 0.5/0.37 0.75/0.55 1.0/0.75 1.5/1.1 2.0/1.5 3.0/2.2 level department. They were given the dual tasks of developing and commercializing nuclear energy and creating regulations for a comprehensive and balanced national energy strategy. The second task was to control and regulate the fast growing use of electricity and the need to build more power plants. Congress passed the EPact law in 1992 and it was assigned to the DOE who selected their EERE (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy) Office for implementation into enforceable regulations. However, it was not until 1997 that the electric motor efficiencies mandated by the law came into effect. A major target were electric motors, specifically the polyphase induction motors ranging from 1 to 200 hp. Full load efficiencies were significantly raised. For example, we look at a 4-pole, 5 hp design B, integral HP 3-phase induction motor before the 1992 Epact DOE rule was issued. Before the rule the motor manufacturer built the IHP induction motors using the cheaper magnetic materials to keep cost as low as possible. It

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62.2 66.6 76.2 80.2 81.1 N/A N/A N/A

68.5 72.4 76.2 81.8 82.6 83.8 84.5 N/A

Two poles (%) 66.6 70.5 72.4 76.2 80.4 81.5 82.9 84.1

had a nominal full-load (100%) efficiency of 82.5%. After the DOE rule (1997) the 5 hp motor efficiency was raised to 87.5%. The 2007 Energy Independence & Security Act (EISA) subsequently raised the 4-pole 60-Hz Design B 5 hp induction motor to a nominal 89.5% full load efficiency level. NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) developed a strong relationship with DOE. NEMA’s MG1 world famous standards tables 12-11 and 12-12 displayed the new premium (IE3) motor efficiency value for both Epact (12-11) and EISA (12-12). A final rule, the Integral Horsepower (IHP) motor rule, was mandated in 2016. It did not increase motor efficiency levels beyond the Premium Efficiency (IE3European equivalency) levels. This new rule extended coverage to many more types of IHP motors as shown in Figure 2. DOE focused first on the larger IHP 3-phase A, B & C design type induction motors because these larger motors used the bulk of the energy consumed by all motors. But then the DOE regulators began to focus on the smaller single and three

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phase induction motors. Efficiency standards are a new condition for small electric motors. DOE has limited the coverage to polyphase, capacitor start induction run (CSIR) and capacitor start and capacitor run types from 1/4 to 3 hp. The standard motor efficiency vs. hp levels and 2-, 4- and 6-pole construction are shown in figure 3 table. The auxiliary winding is switched out of the motor drive circuit about 80% of the small motor’s final speed. The Small Motor Rule was issued in June, 2010. One provision in the Congress EPACT Law is that the DOE must review each rule to ascertain what needs to be updated. Recently DOE regulators chose to visit small motor rule coverage testing. The EERE Office issued a preliminary rule covering small motors on November 2, 2017 for review by interested parties. They received 78 comments by manufacturers, agencies, utilities, consultants and others, with the submittal being extended to June 25, 2019. The DOE responded to each submitted comment with their comments and now DOE regulators are putting their finishing touches on the new rule. A new office called the Building Technologies Office opened in 2009/2010 and was dedicated to evaluating appliance applications including motors and control electronics for improving overall device

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Extended IE Levels: IE6, IE7 and IE8

100

M o t i o n

Efficiency in Percent

98 96

JP IE8 JP IE7 JP IE6 ABB SR2 Hitachi NovaTorque “IE5” est. IE4 IE3 IE2

94 92 90 88 86 84 82 80

John Petro

Motor Power in kW

Motors and Drive Systems, Orlando, FL, January 2015

efficiency. The DOE efficiency coverage has increased as their regulators continue to expand into new application areas. We are not finished Because the IHP induction motors consumed the most electricity, they were

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Making

synchronous belts quiet and balanced Here are ways to minimize synchronous belt noise as well as the importance of keeping belt drives balanced. Danielle Collins • Contributing Editor Lisa Eitel • Executive Editor

Synchronous belts are common in motion systems — providing smoother operation and better high-speed performance than chains and lacking the problems of slipping and stretching that can plague V-belts in precision applications. But one downfall of synchronous or toothed belts is the noise they produce. Although quieter than a chain drive, a synchronous belt can still generate noise that is unacceptable for some applications and environments. The noise from a synchronous belt is for the most part caused by the very feature that makes synchronous designs a better choice than chains or V-belts — the meshing between the belt and the pulley. First, the simple impact of the belt engaging with the pulley creates noise often compared to a slapping sound, which is especially prominent at lower belt speeds. Second, as belt teeth engage with pulley grooves, air is trapped between the two components and then evacuated, making a sound that can be likened to air escaping from a balloon. This phenomenon is a significant contributor to belt noise at higher speeds. 90

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Synchronous belts rely on tooth engagement between the belt and pulley to transmit power. Shown here is a synchronous belt drive that rotates a drum for the forming of chicken nuggets.

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L i n e a r

M o t i o n

Belt pulleys and sprockets need tight dimensional and geometrical tolerances to deliver top performance. Even narrow pulleys for tight enclosures can use shaft locks (such as the Shaftloc from SDP/SI shown here) because their engineered dimensions transmit more torque than comparably sized clamp or setscrew connections.

Another factor that contributes to synchronous belt noise is belt tension. Synchronous belts are typically operated under high tension and, therefore, easily resonate like a plucked guitar string. Belt and pulley materials can also play a role in noise. For example, polyurethane belts typically exhibit more noise than neoprene (rubber) materials, and polycarbonate (thermoplastic polymer) pulleys tend to be noisier than metal pulleys. Noise generated by pulleys is also related to the dimensional accuracy of the pulley, which determines the smoothness of meshing between belt teeth and pulley grooves. Add together the effects of these various factors, and you can easily end up with a belt driven system that produces uncomfortable or even detrimental amounts of noise — especially when multiple belt systems operate in close proximity. But there are ways to reduce the noise produced by synchronous belts. From a sizing and design standpoint, the noise generated by a synchronous belt is directly related to the belt width and 92

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belt speed. Belts with larger widths tend to resonate more, and higher belt speeds generate not only more noise but also higher frequency noise. Noise is also inversely related to the diameter of the pulley. Therefore a few easy ways to reduce noise — if the application allows — are to reduce the

belt speed, use a smaller width belt, or use larger-diameter pulley. From a mounting and operating standpoint, noise can be reduced by ensuring the pulleys are properly aligned, since angular misalignment (parallelism of the pulley shafts) can lead to contact between the belt and the pulley flanges. And if the belt isn’t properly tensioned, there can be unnecessary interference between the belt teeth and pulley grooves, which is another factor that contributes to unnecessary noise.

PITCH (CIRCULAR PITCH) BELT PITCH LINE OUTSIDE DIAMETER PITCH DIAMETER SPROCKET PITCH CIRCLE

Angular misalignment of pulleys can cause belts to track to one side.

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M o t i o n

With an offset double helix pattern, the noise generated by teeth on one side of the belt is 180° out of phase with the noise generated by teeth on the other side ... so the noise is cancelled. The ContiTech SilentSync belt shown here has a double helical-offset tooth design for progressive meshing between belt and pulley — and minimal noise and vibration.

Some manufacturers offer synchronous Pulley balancing belts that are designed to be low-noise for belt drive systems options. From a manufacturing standpoint, As a pulley rotates, centrifugal forces act noise can be addressed by applying a nylon on the pulley. So its mass is not evenly covering to the toothed side of the belt, distributed around the axis of rotation which reduces noise that occurs during … that is, if it is unbalanced … these meshing. And cutting grooves into the centrifugal forces will also be unbalanced pulley provides a low-pressure path for air and cause the pulley to vibrate. to escape as the belt and pulley mesh. Side note regarding centripetal Another low-noise modification is to versus centrifugal: Of course there is alter the geometry of the tooth profile to much debate in science, physics, and improve the rolling action as the belt teeth engineering circles about which is the mesh with the pulley. correct term to use when discussing One such design uses what is referred forces on a rotating body. Here we use the to as an offset double helix pattern for the term centrifugal for reasons outlined at belt teeth. In this design, the belt has two motioncontroltips.com. sets of teeth side-by-side but offset by 180° so the frequency of noise generated by one set of STATICALLY Centerline belt teeth (one side of BALANCED PULLEY of mass the belt) is 180° out of phase with the frequency Weight of noise generated by the other side, effectively canceling the noise.

Weight Center of gravity

Note that uneven mass distribution can be due to imperfections in machining or inconsistencies in the material structure. Pulley vibrations can transfer to the support bearings and other components of the machine, causing premature or even catastrophic failure. This is why pulleys used in belt drive systems almost always undergo some form of balancing. Virtually all pulleys undergo static balancing — also called one-plane balancing after manufacture. This method ensures that the pulley’s weight is equally distributed around its center of rotation. As its name implies, static balancing can

Centerline of rotation is centerline of mass.

DYNAMICALLY BALANCED PULLEY

Weight

For a statically balanced pulley, weight is evenly distributed around the center of rotation, but the center of mass does not coincide with the center of rotation. For a dynamically balanced pulley, the center of mass coincides with the center of rotation.

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be done while the object is at rest and is relatively easy to demonstrate through a simple experiment. Rotate the pulley by hand and let it come to rest on its own. Mark the point at the very bottom center of the pulley. Rotate it again and let it come to rest. If it stops with the same point at the bottom center, then its weight is not balanced — the pulley is heavier at that point. Correcting this is typically done by one of two methods: • By removing mass from the “heavy” point (which is commonly achieved by drilling a small hole in the pulley) • By adding mass to a point 180° from the “heavy” point. Static balancing is typically sufficient for pulleys that travel at 6,500 ft/min. (33 m/sec) or less. For speeds above this, or when the pulley diameter is less than seven to 10 times the face width, dynamic balancing is recommended. Dynamic balancing — also called twoplane balancing — goes one step beyond static balancing and ensures that the pulley’s center of mass is on the same axis as its center of rotation. It is possible for a pulley to be statically balanced but dynamically unbalanced (although the reverse is not true), so dynamic balance must be measured while the pulley is turning. Because it involves forces in two planes, dynamic balancing requires that masses be added in two planes to counter the imbalances and prevent pulley vibration. The measure of unbalance is given in units of g-mm (oz-in.) based on the mass of the pulley and the eccentricity (the distance between the center of mass and the center of rotation). The Mechanical Power Transmission Association provides guidelines for both static (one-plane) and dynamic (two-plane) balancing in their standard MPTA-B2c-2011: Standard Practice for Sheave/Pulley Balancing. DW

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bringing

point-of-care tests

from lab to life

A look at best practices in the design and development of microfluidic devices for point-of-care diagnostics. Microfluidic devices are used to enable rapid results at the diagnostic pointDave Franta Global Business Manager 3M Medical Materials and Technologies Jake Eldridge Senior Manufacturing Technology Engineer 3M Medical Materials and Technologies

of-care around the world. The results give healthcare providers and patients the ability to get answers and explore treatment options outside the physical setting of a hospital or clinic. As demand for point-of-care tests (such as infectious disease or blood glucose tests) increase, stakes are higher to consistently design and manufacture reliable devices in large volumes. A challenge, however, is how to scale production while ensuring test accuracy and effectiveness is balanced with overall cost. Many considerations and decisions need to come together to make the device. The following best practices can help when designing and producing microfluidic point-of-care devices without compromising reliability.

• Ask detailed questions to understand the end-user and their environment • Before starting to design and prototype, it’s important to see the big picture. • Posing questions about the end-user and their environment helps construct proper requirements that will serve as guard rails. Iterative feedback will also aid during design.

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• • • • •

In terms of understanding the environment, temperature may play a key role, requiring specific resilient and versatile materials. Thus, it will be important to determine how the device and consumable will be stored.

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When looking to understand the application, consider questions about microfluidic functionality, such as: What fluids does the device need to move? How can it move them? Are there specific speeds or dwell time requirements for reactions? What level of sensitivity is required and how does this impact design parameters? To enable good stability and a reliable, scalable deposition process, how do reagents need to be deposited on the device? With what precision? How can we seal the device without affecting sensitive device reagents or components?

• • • •

| AdobeStock.com

Below are some examples. Who will administer the test using the device – a healthcare professional or patient? How will the sample need to be handled, protected and processed before analysis? Will the system be robust, intuitive and safe to use by a nonprofessional in a home environment? What design choices can be made (e.g., self-checks, automations, information displays, etc.) that will make it easier for the end-user to operate? What controls or features does the device need to incorporate, such as different reagent types, deposit locations and reaction mixing requirements?

Almost every bioanalytical application introduces specific technical demands that play into material and manufacturing process selection and scalability. Knowing these requirements early in the development cycle should decrease the amount of design iterations and revisions. Such

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M e d i c a l

research will deliver data on what functions, characteristics and nuances the device requires, as well as the end-user expectations. Material considerations Material selection and formats, such as sizing, can have a huge impact on scalability. Material attributes, roll sizing, splicing options and traceability requirements are all considerations. In early development, two challenges are accurate functioning and selecting the right materials. Ideally, select similar or the same materials, if available, for product prototypes of devices when practicing the first miniaturized tests. Prototypes may be constructed from various materials such as glass, polycarbonate, polystyrene and others.

There are obvious trade-offs for some design choices. For example, glass has the best chemical resistance and can perform effectively as a prototype. However, it may not be the best material choice for massproduction or use at the point-of-care due to its fragility. As you select materials, think beyond the prototype youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re building. Consider material compatibility and resilience, temperature resistance, the manufacturing process and budget. Material compatibility: The surface-tovolume ratio in miniaturized tests is higher than conventional laboratory equipment, potentially creating stronger interactions between sample, material and reagents with the substrate materials used in the

Almost every bioanalytical application introduces specific technical demands that play into material and manufacturing process selection and scalability.

device. Material compatibility, therefore, is important because it can affect both the deviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s integrity and assay performance. Temperature resistance: Consider the

thermal properties of materials such as thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, heat capacity and modulus changes. The device may need to withstand extreme temperatures or large temperature gradients either during storage or required for assay performance or reaction speed. Manufacturing processes: Consider materials that are compatible to desired manufacturing process. Materials may need to withstand friction or abrasion associated with the chosen manufacturing process. Certain materials will cut better or offer better precision in rotary, laser or die presses during transformation processes. Budget: Specialized materials and manufacturing technologies can be expensive and often canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be justified beyond prototyping. Select materials that are versatile and provide good value and performance characteristics so that you achieve and maintain a competitive price point.

The pros and cons of various manufacturing processes There are multiple techniques to produce microfluidic devices. A common element of all manufacturing processes is that each can greatly affect material properties.

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Roll-to-roll laminate processing Each layer of a laminate microfluidic device is combined using this method in one or a series of unwind, lamination, cutting and rewind steps. The process typically starts with designing the finished device using CAD software. From there, strategies are selected to bring the required materials together in the proper device geometry. Additional steps can include inspection, steering, alignment or registration techniques. The process accuracy depends on the chosen processing methods, device tolerances and the material properties, such as thickness or adhesion properties if using tapes. DESIGN WORLD

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M e d i c a l

Laminate methods are compatible with a range of materials. They are also scalable in volume and offer benefits in alignment, registration and material tracking. This is because the parts are controlled in a web format until such time as they are singulated later in the process.

Material selection and formats, such as sizing, can have a huge impact on scalability.

Hot embossing As a relatively easy process to tool-up for and execute, hot embossing is a popular one. It can also achieve excellent replication with high-aspect-ratio microstructures. Special consideration should be taken when using this process during scaling to large volumes as feed rates may impact process performance. Molding Injection molding is highly developed for macro-replication and is increasingly available for the microscale. With multiple

MEDICAL MOLDED CABLE ASSEMBLIES

cavities and fast cycle times, it caters well to producing large volumes. Be aware, though, that it requires more costly and complex tooling investments. Powder blasting or jet cutting or lasering techniques These processes fall within the planar processing category. They are used to create fluidic channels and interconnections and involve a particle jet to remove material. They are viable for small to large volumes, but it is critical to manage potential contamination and keep the finished parts clean. Casting Similar to injection molding, casting requires a mold to serve as the template for your microfluidic device. To create the actual device, PDMS is poured – or casted – into the mold and then cured.

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Unlike injection molding, it’s best for small volumes, and it typically does not scale well. Critical material properties include: Optical properties, such as fluorescence, transmission and refraction Mechanical properties, such as modulus, density and thermal or electrical conductivity Thermal properties and stability Surface energies and requirements, such as hydrophilicity Surface properties, such as roughness or chemical modifications Bio and assay compatibility Stability and overall chemical inertness

• • • • • • •

Designing and bringing a microfluidic device to market may include several

iterative cycles. Performance must be confirmed every step of the way, making every decision critical. The most effective way to ensure your device will perform as intended is to partner with a knowledgeable materials supplier with technical abilities to support you from design through manufacturing and beyond. DW

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I n d u s t r i a l

•• •• •

C a b l e s

•• •• •

•• ••

The importance

of standardizing industrial bus cables

As bus products evolve to faster and more environmentally-friendly products, the need for backward compatibility is important. Neal Allen • Vice President of Engineering • Helukabel USA

Despite the move towards Ethernet-based protocols, controls manufacturers continue to avoid standardization and create their own proprietary bus cable. This article will explore how the industrial marketplace has addressed the bus network cable solution. After working in both the manufacturing and marketing sectors for two types of serial data cables — computer bus and industrial bus — it is interesting to note that the computer industry has had greater success in achieving non-partisan, industry-wide standards such as SCSI, Fiber Channel, Ethernet and USB, where the industrial side tends to be a more independent and produce cable products specifically for their brand names. The fact that the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the independent governing body for local area network (LAN) is one main reason the protocol continues to be successful many years later and generic products can be purchased very conveniently. More often than not, the products used in modern industrial controls are generated through established organizations that create products to benefit a specific manufacturer. The organizations usually consist of the connector and cable manufacturer, and in some instances, the software manufacturer. The problem is that 104

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this dependence on the demands of each manufacturer creates specific products and limited commercialization to make them readily available and accessible to the end user. In the industrial world, there are numerous variations due to different speed and/or impedance requirements, ranging from 100 to 150 ohm. The interface has become so diversified that cable manufacturers sometimes design a hybrid cable for automotive manufacturing plants that has components using PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, Ethernet and INTERBUS protocols all in one cable. This allows them to be able to connect their PLC logic to whatever controls line happens to come in on the next machine or contract. DESIGN WORLD

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PROFINET Industrial Ethernet cable can be used in static (Type A), flexible (Type B), continuous-flex (Type C) and robotic (Type R) applications.

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•• •• I n d u s t r i a l ••

C a b l e s

Some common bus types and affiliated sponsors for the industrial bus network are: Bus Type

Governing Body

Afﬁliated Sponsors

AS-Interface

AS International

Balluff, Festo, IFM Electronic, Leuze Electronic, Pepperl+Fuchs, Sick, Siemens, Turck, Visolux (now part of the Pepperl+Fuchs group) and Swiss (Baumer and Elesta) companies

CC-Link

CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA)

ABB, Beckhoff, GE Mitsubishi and Schneider Electric

CAN bus FOUNDATION Fieldbus

Bosch The International Society of Automation (ISA)

INTERBUS

Phoenix Contact

Modbus

Modbus.org

ControlNet, EtherNet/ IP & DeviceNet

Open DeviceNet Vendors Omron, Rockwell Automation, Square D and Association (ODVA) Westinghouse Cutler-Hammer

Square D, Schneider Electric

PROFIBUS/PROFINET Process Field Bus

Siemens

Sercos (Serial Realtime COmmunication System)

ABB, AEG, AMK, Robert Bosch, Indramat, and Siemens

Sercos International

Protocol standardization With the acceptance of Ethernet in the front office and the need for plant-wide system compatibility, the industry wants to provide a more open architecture interface. Ethernet (100 ohm) protocol seems to be a good choice for the industrial workplace. Additionally, the higher information speed requirements (up to 10 Gig), added diagnostic feedback of controls, and interest in motor feedback for both servo and VFDs, makes Ethernet a good choice to offer for the performance required. Unfortunately, the requirements are still driven from the controls manufacturers’ system trademark. PROFIBUS is now PROFINET, CC-Link is now CC-Link IE, DeviceNet is Industrial Ethernet, Sercos is Sercos III and Foundation Fieldbus is Foundation Fieldbus HP, to name a few. Many systems on the shop floor are gravitating to the faster office-based Ethernet architecture as systems become

more compatible with companywide operating systems and architecture. The compatibility is a little less commonly known, probably for marketing reasons. The plug-and-play aspect also plays a part in the manufacturer’s needs to avoid commoditizing the product. Independent special interest groups have started to recently appear and are working to shed exclusivity for system compatibility of conventional Ethernet. Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization

Group (EPSG) has developed a formidable product offering with data transmission speeds of 100 Mbit/sec. They are finding component manufacturers willing to adopt their standard Ethernet protocol into their systems. Connector standardization As the Ethernet protocol interest grows, so does the standardization of connectorization being accepted in the industry as major device vendors gravitate to metric-type connectors typically known as DIN style, e.g. M-8 Micro, M-10 and M-12 mini. The RJ45 is also used but it is modified to provide larger gauge compatibility, harsh environment and shielding capabilities. Market-based bus interest The servo market has also seen a move to the Ethernet-based architecture as it further develops the feedback and network interface. Sercos III has been an acceptable interface to network servo interface applications for some time, and Siemens uses the Drive-Cliq Ethernet-based system to provide feedback for their servos. Many other servo drive manufacturers continue to slim down the servo feedback side of the drive system to a 100-ohm Ethernet-type design.

HELUKABEL currently stocks over 19 different bus designs in 77 different variations to meet the needs of customers who may use multiple bus types in their industrial operations.

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Take Your Factory to the Edge Emersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true edge controllers, like the PACSystems RX3i CPL410, enable you to make better decisions by bringing together real-time data and advanced analytics captured at the edge of your machines and delivered to your control rooms. Our edge control solutions incorporate safety, security and reliability to give you peace of mind while helping you realize higher performance in your operations. Work with experts who can help you maximize your industrial processes, generate opportunities, and improve results by bringing you to the edge of Industry 4.0. Turn to the machine control experts who can help you find the edge you need. Visit www.emerson.com/industrial-automation-controls or reach out to at ContactUs@Emerson.com to learn more.

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•• •• ••

•• •• I n d u s t r i a l ••

C a b l e s

As you can see, Ethernet-based architecture is a good choice for serial bus networks since the compatibility and standardization of Ethernet from the computer side found in the front office drives the manufacturing side to generic products. The marketing side of the controls and drives industry still continues to produce proprietary products (protocol tested) to help with their exclusivity. The members of the organizations that write the standards develop the cable requirements that are exclusive to the brand. Having a diversity of protocols allows cable manufacturers to offer many different cable systems. Configurations also help the bottom line as each architecture has unique conductor configurations and electrical requirements. As a point of comparison, non-factory, marketbased bus development can look to the agricultural industry for how to standardize a certain protocol. The Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) was founded because of the incompatibility between tractor and implements, which required the need to standardize on a protocol. ISOBUS, especially

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Type

ISO 11783, is the worldwide standardized communication interface between tractor and implements, and is a similar architecture to the CAN bus protocol derived from IEEE 802.3. This is a better approach to the problem of industry protocol standardization since it allows for common bus requirements for the industry to be homogenized and not diversified. Moving forward The goal of the various bus products and designs developed over the last 50 years was to find a cable product capable of fast computer speeds that could withstand electrical noise and applications in harsh environments. The technology continues to be developed and is moving into the fiber optic space due to their lower noise performance. As bus products evolve to faster and more environmentallyfriendly products, the need for backward compatibility is important. Similar to Ethernet, backward compatibility from higher categories must be used in equipment with a lesser category level rating, which will allow more standardization of the cable product and better availability. Large volume cable manufacturers continue to provide numerous bus products to their customers since they tend to be members of many of the bus organizations. The major suppliers from a private label perspective tend to be job-based suppliers and are not common names in the distribution/integrator/MRO marketplace. High-volume manufacturers deal with many customers and their applications, and find it very dynamic with little effort to unify the industry under a single, accepted protocol. With the exception of the automotive and agricultural industries, there is not much market-based development for standardization either. Ethernetbased protocol appears to be the eventual standard of choice given the volume and performance advantages it offers. Until then manufacturers should continue to provide bus cable products in order to service the needs of industrial customers. DW Helukabel USA | helukabel.com

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E l e c t r o n i c s

•• ••

•• •• •

What the future holds for switching power supply technology

Though advances will continue, you probably won’t see the same degree of efficiency improvements that characterized the previous two decades. Over the past 40 years, the switching power supply has evolved from a 60-Hz Prof. Dr. Werner Wöﬂe Traco Power Solutions

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transformer to a sophisticated high-frequency device. The evolution was primarily driven by the development of ever-faster semiconductor switches. Switch technology advanced from relatively slow-switching thyristors to bipolar transistors, first with a small and later with a high blocking voltage. Improving bipolar technology allowed the realization of switching frequencies up to the 60-kHz range. Field-effect transistors were technically sophisticated in the 1980s and had a decent price/performance ratio. Their availability made it possible to raise switching frequencies again, this time to several hundred kilohertz. Of course, the continual rise in power supply switching frequency does not serve as an end in itself; the physical properties of magnetism lead to use of ever-smaller power transformation devices and correspondingly smaller switching power supply designs. On the one hand, power transformation devices must be insulated from the dangerous mains voltage; on the other hand, they adapt the output voltage to a level safe for the consumer. But a higher switching frequency leads to higher switching losses which may force the use of additional cooling methods, thus working against smaller designs. For this reason, today’s switched supplies use more complex switching topologies where the switching elements are switched on and off either in a voltage- or current-free state. Where the switching technology makes zero-voltage or zero-current switching impossible, extremely fast-switching gallium-arsenide (GaAs) or silicon-carbide (SiC) switching elements are also used. Compared to MOSFET technology, these components are still rather expensive; however, their prices are slowly trending downward and are thus increasingly suitable for industrial applications. www.designworldonline.com

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E l e c t r o n i c s

Power supplies through the years illustrate how ever more efficient switching power supply technology has made it possible to reduce supply volume. Top, an dc/dc switching power supply on a Eurocard from the year 1977. This supply put out 80 W and occupied a 160x100mm footprint. It also required a power transformer which is not shown here. Next, an ac/dc switching power supply in a metal package from the year 1990. It put out 100 W and occupied 160x93 mm. Next, an openframe ac/dc power supply from the year 2005. It put out 100 W and sat in a 101x51-mm space. Finally, an openframe ac/dc switching power supply from the year 2015.It produces 100 W and occupies 76x51 mm.

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The shrinking size of power transformation devices In the 1970s, switching power supplies with large and heavy 60-Hz transformers were still in use. A 250-W power supply weighed over 20 lb and was larger than a shoe box. The power transformation device continues to be a significant component in every power supply, greatly affecting switching overall supply size. The transferable energy in a power transformation device primarily depends on the cooling, the transformer core volume, the winding and rate-of-change of the magnetic field, and the transfer frequency. Thus, the transfer frequency must rise to increase a transformer’s transferable power or reduce its size while maintaining the same power level. Disregarding the insulation requirements, a power transformation device can transfer power, in first approximation, at a level inversely proportional to the transfer frequency’s square root. This is the reason modern switching supplies first rectify the 60-Hz mains voltage and then generate a higher frequency alternating voltage by means of electronic switches. For example, if the frequency of this alternating voltage is 60 kHz, the required power transformation device is about 30 times smaller than at 60 Hz, which naturally also affects the volume and weight of the switching supply. At frequencies of 600 kHz, the size of a power transformation device can further drop to a third. This means any additional rise in frequency can only lead to a moderate reduction in the size of the power transformation devices. Capacitors are used in switching power supplies to buffer voltages during breaks in the current flow, to smooth the residual ripple of currents and voltages, or to filter out high-frequency interference. The size of these capacitors can also drop linearly with frequency which, in turn, leads to smaller switching supplies. However, the buffer capacitors at a switching power supply’s input generally won’t shrink because they operate at 120 Hz. This is also the reason why the size of switching power supplies cannot be reduced arbitrarily, DESIGN WORLD

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unless buffer times are omitted. One factor frequently ignored is that the maximum transferable power of a switching power supply frequently depends on the maximum permissible operating temperatures and the component cooling. Manufacturers often make ambitious statements that can lead to problems for the user if sufficient cooling is unavailable. So when selecting a supply, it is best to consult the efficiency specs or the power loss indicated by the manufacturer. One manufacturer may list a significantly higher nominal power than another, simply by allowing higher operating temperatures. However, the higher operating temperatures may reduce operating reliability. In general, it can be said that switching power supplies today are optimized to such a degree that any further volume reduction can only come by adding cooling via heatsinks or forced

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air. But additional cooling adds costs, and the use of forced air, in particular, is problematic because of noise and potential contamination. So the more promising approach for reducing supply size is to make the supply more efficient at converting power. In the 1980s -- the early days of switching power supplies -- industrial switching supplies were about 70% efficient. By the 1990s they had improved to more than 80%. In the past ten years, switching power supplies in the 90% range have become the technical standard. Today, power transformation in switching power supplies mainly comes via resonantly switched FETs. These semiconductors are inexpensive and have a low rate of loss because they switch on or off at the point of zero voltage or zero current. They are well-suited for power supplies handling about 800 W.

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Boost converter topologies are regularly used on the input side of switching power supplies over 100 W, providing a significantly higher power factor (over 95%) than is possible when only using a rectifier. This topology requires an additional inductance. To keep it as small as possible, supply designers may employ fast-switching semiconductor switches based on GaAs or SiC. The transit frequency and switching processes of these switching elements is about ten times higher than that of traditional silicon semiconductors. GaAs and SiC switching elements still cost more than silicon MOSFETs; however, their price is dropping. Topologies Modern switching power supplies over 100 W usually have a two-stage design. A converter generates a pre-regulated

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direct current while maintaining a high power factor such that the converter input current is nearly sinusoidal. A second stage, usually designed as a resonance converter, transforms the voltage to a lower level and separates the input voltage from the output. Switching power supplies will continue shrinking to a moderate degree, and the power density will continue to rise, albeit not to the same degree seen during the past 10 to 20 years. More than in the past, the limiting factor will be the amount of power lost as thermal energy. Continuing reductions in size will make it increasingly hard to dissipate wasted heat. As a final bit of advice, users are well advised to consider the performance data of switching power supplies, in particular the power loss information, in light of the physical volume of the supply. Potential difficulties should always be clarified

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and questioned in the interest of reliable application. The phrase â&#x20AC;&#x153;Small is Beautifulâ&#x20AC;? only applies when the resulting power loss during operation is correspondingly small as well! DW Traco Power Solutions | tracopower.com

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Headless HMIs: Less is More

Headless human-machine interfaces can be the best choice for integrating large-format and mobile visualization options into industrial automation applications. Bill Dehner

•

Technical Marketing Engineer

• AutomationDirect

Designers and end users of industrial automation applications are working to offer more visualization options than ever, driven in part by a world of consumer electronics with touchscreen displays on almost everything. Traditional all-in-one panel-mount human-machine interface (HMI) displays are still the norm. Many industrial HMI devices have the ability to interact with distributed PCbased options and mobile clients. However, for some cases it turns out that a “less is more” approach is the best way to provide enhanced HMI options. Conventional HMIs are built for the industrial environment and are compact enough to be located almost anywhere on a machine or the factory floor. But sometimes end users need to drive much larger displays visible from a distance. It is also increasingly popular to supplement or replace the classic stationary HMI experience with a purely mobile alternative using smartphones or tablets. Some end users are finding they need external displays or mobile access for their automated systems, but don’t need the standard local HMI experience. In these cases, an HMI device without a local display can be less expensive and easier to install, while providing the required functions. Here are some tips for and benefits of using headless HMIs to support industrial automation user needs for more effective visualization.

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: Next step in HMI progress The earliest generations of graphical HMIs introduced in the 1990s were relatively crude, although still a huge upgrade from traditional panel-mount buttons, lights, and gauges. End users found these digital HMIs enabled them to quickly create useful indications and easily adjust functions. Over the years, HMIs progressed in many areas, making them ever more useful for industrial applications. The displays became larger and brighter, with more colors and finer resolution. While most displays still require a level of protection, many are designed for use in harsh environments. Keypads transitioned to reliable touchscreens in many designs, increasing ease of use (Figure 1). Beyond basic graphics and touch links, HMIs gained the ability to display animations, handle alarm logs, “historize” data, show trends, communicate using various

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protocols, and manage events. Ethernet and USB technologies made it simpler to configure and connect HMIs to other automation system components, and to each other. In recent years, two more consumer electronic trends have affected how HMIs are perceived. One is the wide availability of high resolution, lightweight, large-screen consumer displays. Not only has this LCD technology trickled into industrial HMI devices, but now end users may sometimes prefer to use these types of displays in conjunction with the HMI. The second trend is the proliferation of mobile connectivity and handheld mobile devices, to the extent that many users prefer these smart devices as their HMI of choice.

Headless HMIs are ideal for driving large displays on the factory floor and for displaying key process indicators easily visible from a distance.

HMIs go big Conventional HMI display diagonal sizes typically www.designworldonline.com

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Traditional HMI touchscreen installed on a factory floor. Conventional HMI touchscreens, like this AutomationDirect C-more, provide extensive automation monitoring and control functionality on the factory floor.

A u t o m a t i o n

span from around 6 to 15 inches, which is a practical and usable range. However, there are good reasons for end users to prefer other sizes and types of displays in their HMI applications. One case is where field equipment is installed at an environmentally harsh or outdoor location, but there is a protected control room type environment nearby. If it is possible to install the display portion of the HMI in the office environment, there is no need to pay extra for an industrialized HMI. In fact, when possible it is often better to design a system to locate the HMI displays in protected environments, instead of trying to specify a unit subject to UV or chemical degradation in a harsh area. Even when tough installation conditions are not present, it is becoming more popular to install HMIs in office areas of manufacturing businesses as a convenient always-on way of delivering plant floor data to operations supervisors and even the board room. An alternate version of this is when end users need large displays, often using inexpensive 55-in. TVs operating at 720p (1280x720 standard HD). These can be “scoreboards” providing information such as current alarms for plant floor workers in a production area, or sometimes the performance of a machine or equipment operation boiled down to key process indicators (KPIs), providing a quick way for workers to see system status (Figure 2). When a consumer-type remote display is used the preferred connection type is usually HDMI because it can transmit sufficient resolution along with sound. Users can even connect the HDMI signal through splitters, boosters, and other video management systems to extend the display connections to multiple displays.

HMIs go far The best HMI display may not be a unit designed for fixed installation on the factory floor, but instead is often a mobile device, such as smartphone or tablet. The use of mobile HMI connectivity is increasing throughout industry, enabled largely by HMIs able to natively support remote access through browsers or dedicated mobile devices. Operators and maintenance personnel often appreciate the flexibility of monitoring and even controlling their systems from a handheld interface (Figure 3). Therefore, there is often less of a reason to have a local HMI display. Or, designers can include one local HMI display for use if needed, but otherwise design their systems with one or more headless HMIs designated to support remote locations. Depending on the control system network architecture, a headless HMI can be located almost anywhere. Many times this would be right at a machine and protected within a control panel, but it could also be any other convenient factory floor location or computer server room.

Fo fo

W du m ne

W ex yo fa sa

Headless HMIs, like this AutomationDirect device, are easier to install, save money, and can support external displays and mobile HMIs.

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•• •• •• Headless HMI benefits For the preceding remote display and remote access cases, headless HMIs are often the preferred solution (Figure 4). The HMI unit itself is optimized for installation within a control panel almost anywhere. It should maintain all common HMI functionality, but just without the display portion. Headless HMIs still need Ethernet, USB, serial, and SD card abilities. As compared to traditional HMIs, there are many additional benefits of using headless HMIs, beyond letting designers select their own displays or enabling operators to use mobile devices: • Lower cost since the display is not on-board • Compact footprint within a control panel • No control panel cutouts needed, preserving the enclosure NEMA rating • Less power consumption and heat generation • Users can change the display size/type in the future economically

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The AutomationDirect C-more HMI units, whether they have a display or are headless, support remote and mobile display connections.

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• Supports external monitors with

touchscreens or other input devices • HDMI can transmit sound via the display sound system • One mobile HMI can access many headless devices, providing a common interface • Easily and inexpensively add advanced features including data logging and email capability Of course headless HMIs will typically cost less than versions with built-in displays. Looking past the hardware cost, the most fundamental technical feature of headless HMIs is their small size and minimal footprint within a control panel. Because no control panel cutouts are needed, installation effort is reduced, and there are no issues with impacting the enclosure NEMA rating. Reduced power

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requirements and heat generation make them easier to include in a design. Physical displays used with headless HMIs can be industrial types, but in many cases consumer-grade displays are fine. Since they are located on desktops or wall mounts, it is easy and economical to replace these displays in the future or even change the size. Most types of external touchscreen displays, or other input devices like common keyboards and mice, can be easily integrated with headless HMIs using USB connections. HDMI connections transmit video and sound in one connection, so designers can create HMI configurations that broadcast alarm and event notification sounds to call operator attention to the display. Installing the HDMI cable can require some effort, and there are distance limitations for HDMI and for USB connections. However,

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many end users will find it convenient to locate the headless HMI a short distance from the display, so long as a network connection and power are available. For mobile HMI applications, a good plan is to install enough headless HMIs to provide dedicated support for however many concurrent remote sessions are expected. Or, several identical machines may each have their own dedicated HMIs. Operators could then use a single mobile device to access any of the individual machine HMI devices as needed. A final point is that a headless HMI can be used to add other advanced functions not necessarily requiring an HMI display. The best examples are data logging to an SD card, or generating notification alarms and emails. These features may be included with a new automated machine or retrofitted into any existing system.

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Comprehensive HMI capabilities have become not just commonplace but necessary for any industrial automation system. Headless HMI devices are a relatively recent development, giving designers more options. They can locate headless HMIs almost anywhere, use any size external display, enable mobile HMI connectivity, or even choose to implement advanced HMI features without incurring the expense of a display. The reduced cost and added flexibility mean that for headless HMIs, less really can be more. DW AutomationDirect www.automationdirect.com

About the Author

Bill Dehner has spent the majority of his fourteenyear engineering career designing and installing industrial control systems for the Oil and Gas, Power, and Package Handling industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with an associate’s in Avionics from the USAF and is currently working for AutomationDirect as a technical marketing engineer.

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Don’t blame it on the bearings

Stamping a low-quality metal with a high-quality machine tool probably won’t result in success. But how many operators, unaware of the low-grade material, still blame the machine tool? This event serves as a reminder that pinning the blame on the wrong factor, in any scenario, isn’t helpful. Chris Johnson, managing director of SMB Bearings, explains how this is a common issue with bearings as well. Edited by Mike Santora

As a bearing rotates, one ring usually experiences load at all points of its circumference. Depending on the application, this could be the inner ring or outer ring. In this case, the inner ring will have a tendency to rotate around the shaft, or the outer ring will rotate inside the housing and cause wear to both the bearing and the shaft or housing. This movement is also known as “creep.” The right fit The shaft or housing must be machined to the correct tolerances to ensure an appropriate fit to prevent this from happening. A tight shaft or housing fit is also needed where excess vibration exists — this prevents the vibration from causing the bearing to move within its mountings. Tight fits are also often used to provide extra support to the inner or outer ring if the bearing is subjected to heavy loads. Also, tighter than standard fits are recommended where accurate rotation is needed. Where a tight fit is used, the act of pressing a bearing onto a shaft, or into a housing, will smooth the surface of the shaft or housing by removing a small amount of surface metal. This has the effect of either making the shaft slightly smaller, or the housing slightly larger.

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Ground surfaces are affected less by the pressing process. Turned — or lathed — surfaces are affected more as the initial surface finish is rougher. A hollow shaft may be compressed more easily, which means that the resulting fit is not as tight as with a solid shaft. A thin housing will be stretched more easily than a thick housing — the resulting housing fit may be looser with a thin housing. All of these factors must be considered by the bearing user before deciding on the shaft and housing tolerances. If a tight fit is required, the shaft or housing tolerances must be carefully checked against the internal clearance of the bearing. For example, an “interference” shaft fit is where the shaft is actually bigger than the bearing inner ring. Significant force is required to fit the bearing on the shaft, which stretches the inner ring around the shaft. This slight increase in the

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size of the inner ring causes a reduction in the bearing’s internal clearance. If the bearing’s internal clearance is not large enough to cope with this reduction, the bearing may not be able to rotate after fitting and will fail quickly. In these cases, a larger internal bearing clearance — or radial play — should be specified. A tight fit in a housing has the same effect. Temperature can also affect the shaft or housing tolerance. A shaft may expand more than a bearing ring because the shaft material expands more at high temperatures. This could happen with an aluminum shaft and a steel bearing, due to the differing material

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Significant force is required to fit the bearing on some shafts, stretching the inner ring around the shaft. This slight increase in the size of the inner ring causes a reduction in the bearing’s internal clearance. If the bearing’s internal clearance is not large enough to cope with this reduction, the bearing may not be able to rotate after fitting and will fail quickly.

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•• •• M e c h a n i c a l •• properties. If this happens, the internal clearance is reduced just as it is with a very tight interference shaft fit. If the housing expands more than the bearing’s outer ring, the housing fit becomes looser.

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Case in point Bearings are made with tight tolerances so fitting problems usually occur when the shaft or housing tolerances are wrong. Bearings are often returned to the factory several times for inspection, only to find that they are within tolerance. Bearing manufacturers use air gauges to check bearing dimensions. These are accurate to half of one-thousandth of a millimeter or better. If the shaft or housing manufacturer does not have measuring equipment to the same accuracy, the shaft or housing dimensions are likely to be less accurate than the bearing dimensions, and problems will likely occur. Shaft and housing tolerances also control roundness. The roundness of a bearing ring is strictly controlled. If a bearing is fitted to an out-of-round shaft or housing, the bearing ring could be distorted from its initial “round” state and assume the poor roundness of the poorly made shaft or housing. A bearing relies on good roundness to run quietly so, when this happens, the bearing becomes noisy. The shaft or housing roundness is even more important for thin section bearings, as the thinner rings are distorted more easily. Measurement matters Imagine the following scenario: a design engineer is developing a new power tool. They decide on shaft and housing sizes and tolerances and submit an order for 500 bearings to suit these dimensions. The bearings arrive and are installed into the new power tool — the design engineer has high hopes that this product will go to market within a year. However, these hopes are soon dashed as testing trials of the product are not successful. The business concludes that the bearings had caused the failure. The design engineer writes a strongly worded email to the bearing supplier. The letter explains that the batch of bearings is “no good” and they are disgruntled by the delays in bringing this product to market. The bearing supplier sends a complaint to the bearing manufacturer and returns

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•• •• •• bearings for inspection. The factory checks the bearing dimensions and reports that the bearings are well within tolerance. On receipt of the tolerance report, the customer re-checks the shaft and housing tolerances and finds that they are not within specification. The problem is then corrected, but several weeks have been wasted. A design engineer must carefully define the tolerances of the shaft and housing dimensions. The tolerances of each must be equally as tight as the tolerances of the bearing. Even the most consistent and precise bearings will be unable to contend with inconsistent shafts that have wide variation. The bearing factory can give guidance on shaft and housing tolerances. The design engineer should be able to provide information such as radial and axial load, which bearing ring rotates, rotating speed in rpm, which bearing ring is loaded at all points, installation and operating temperature, shaft and housing material (turned or ground), solid or hollow shaft, and the thickness of the housing. This information allows the bearing factory engineers to recommend shaft and housing tolerances for best performance. The design engineer would then need to accurately check the shaft and housing tolerances to make sure they are to specification. This should be done with the most precise measuring equipment: air gauges, ring gauges, or plug gauges. While not all businesses will have an air gauge on hand, outsourcing parts inspection to a third party could pay dividends in the long run — particularly as it ensures the bearings are a perfect match for the tool. Removing human error Air gauging is a high-resolution, noncontact, measuring system that uses air jets to provide fast and accurate dimensional measurements. It’s highly adaptable to measuring bearings and shaft sizes to ensure both are made to the correct tolerance levels. Shaft and housing suppliers may already use this equipment in quality control, but it is worth checking how measurements were obtained.

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A design engineer must carefully define the tolerances of the shaft and housing dimensions.

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The bottom line is engineers must choose their measurement methods carefully. They should pay as much attention to shaft and housing tolerances and roundness as they put on bearing tolerances and roundness. This is not to say that it is never the bearing manufacturer’s fault. As with all product markets, some bearings aren’t made to high manufacturing standards. If engineers take a more holistic approach to bearing performance when testing products, they should save valuable time and effort, especially if trials don’t go to plan. The use of improved measurement methodologies can save time that would otherwise be wasted on returning and reordering bearings in cases where other components are at fault. DW SMB Bearings www.smbbearings.com

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Designing sensification systems for personal healthcare: The factors that matter Sensor Tip cover 5-20_FINAL.indd 131

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S e n s o r

T i p s

Sensification of personal healthcare requires specific components— A holistic approach

Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

When developing sensiﬁcation systems for personal healthcare, monitoring, and diagnoses, designers need to consider many factors that contribute to the integrity of a sensed signal and to the ability of a system to operate reliably, regardless of the environment. The sensors themselves need to be non-invasive and comfortable to wear while being accurate and stable across a range of temperature and humidity conditions, particularly as the user gets more active. At the same time, cables, terminals, and connectors need to be able to reliably transport low-level analog signals from the sensor to be conditioned, digitized, and sent to the main processor for analysis. Much depends upon the integrity of the data as decisions will be made based on the data analysis. To achieve the highest level of integrity, designers need to take a holistic approach to system design, not just the sensing circuit itself. The device must be highly immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI), structurally robust, and as moisture-proof as possible so it can be cleaned regularly without concern about moisture ingress. Once the core components of the sensification system have been determined and their performance requirements defined, it’s critical to look at component vendors and suppliers. These play a crucial role and can be evaluated and differentiated based on their proven ability to deliver high-quality components globally, with knowledgeable

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Figure 1: The AD-101 air-bubble detector uses ultrasonic technology to non-invasively detect air bubbles as small as 70% of the tubing’s inner diameter. | TE Connectivity

technical support, and fast response times. Ideally, one qualified supplier could provide all, or most, of the components to ensure consistent quality and delivery, and simplify inventory management. Often it pays to connect early in the design process with such a supplier and partner with them before making the final design choices, as their experience across multiple applications and customers can help refine and optimize the system and avoid errors upfront.

Sensification components Of the many components required, sensors are ones that initiate the chain of events. They measure heart rate, blood oxygen levels and flow rate, temperature, humidity, and pressure and patient weight distribution. They also detect anomalies such as bubbles in intravenous fluid feed lines. While sensors vary in what they may be detecting, and assuming they are qualified to operate in medical environments, the performance requirements are similar across the board: simplicity, accuracy, reliability, and ruggedness, all while being minimally invasive. An example of a sensor that meets these requirements is the AD-101 air bubble detector (Figure 1). Air bubble detection is vital in applications such as infusion pumps, hemodialysis,

Figure 2: The AD-101 air bubble detector integrates all the electronics for both sensing and sensor self-test into a single package with a simple four-wire interface to simplify implementation. | TE Connectivity

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and blood flow monitoring, as an undetected bubble in the bloodstream can cause a heart attack, stroke, or respiratory failure. Ideally, detection would be done non-invasively to avoid sterility and fluid compatibility concerns, and without interfering with the intravenous flow itself. The AD-101 meets these requirements using ultrasonic technology and its accuracy allows it to detect a bubble as small as 70% of the inner tube diameter. As it uses ultrasound, it is inherently immune to EMI and radiofrequency interference (RFI), and to simplify design, it has all required electronics within the package (Figure 2). The four-wire interface comprises the supply (5 to 24 Vdc), ground (GND), and two binary outputs: signal output (bubble = logic “1”, liquid = logic “0”), and a self-test output (test OK = logic high, test fault = logic 0). For any sensor measuring a critical parameter, built-in self-test is

Terminals for sensor wires The AD-101 is but one example of a sensor for personal healthcare, there are many others, and they

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essential to ensuring sensor reliability and data integrity, but it can add circuit complexity. Having both the sensor electronics and self-test in one sealed package simplifies sensor implementation. The cable comprises the four 28 AWG conductors and measures 350 mm long, with non-integral jacketing that conforms to UL 2725 such that it tolerates temperatures up to 80˚C. The AD-101 itself operates across the range of 0˚ to 40˚C and it has a response time of just 0.22 ms, which can be critical for fast-moving fluids. The sensor accommodates standard tube sizes of 4 mm and 6 mm but can be customized to tubing outer diameters of between 3 mm and 10 mm. This results in variations of the tube holder assembly dimensions, but the footprint of the AD-101 remains constant: 16.51 mm x 43.18 mm.

Self Test

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TRANSMITS VISIBLE LIGHT 450-900 nm and above Figure 3: Terminal options for sensor cables vary, but all must ensure strong physical connections and come from a supplier that can provide the necessary coatings and jacket colors for coding connections. | TE Connectivity

invariably need a terminal to form electrical connections to a system. Terminal options vary as much, if not more, than the types of sensors. However, for designers of personal healthcare subsystems, robust and electrically pure connections with high pull tolerance are essential parameters, as are multiple coating options and jacket color-coding capability. Having one supplier that can meet all these sensor connection requirements through offthe-shelf standard components or custom solutions, can greatly simplify the selection and design-in process. In the case of the AD-101 sensor, for example, its 28 AWG cables can be matched to the AMPLIVAR ring 22 to 29 AWG 10 TPBR terminal (Figure 2, again). This has a ring tongue with a size 10 stud. The ring tongue is advantageous in that it helps ensure a physically strong connection, but it requires the screw to be completely removed to remove the terminal. In situations where the sensor may need to be detached intermittently, there are various spade options (Figure 3).

Advanced concepts in connectors In many instances, spade or ring terminals can provide placement flexibility for sensor wiring, but as the number of sensors increases, tidy harnesses with connectors to boards or other cables may be a preferred option. There are many connector options, but designers need to look first for stability, reliability, and durability. Some connectors provide both physical and audible “snap” features to ensure it has been placed correctly. For example, the GRACE INERTIA connectors with 2.5 mm pitch have an inertia locking mechanism that prevents defective products resulting from half-mated connections (Figure 4). The mechanism also prevents connectors from being disconnected due to movement or transportation, both of which are usage patterns in personal healthcare monitoring systems and devices. DESIGN WORLD

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T i p s

Figure 4: The GRACE INERTIA 2.5 mm-pitch connectors prevent product defects due to half-mated connections and also prevent connectors from being disconnected due to movement or transportation, both of which are factors in personal healthcare monitoring. | TE Connectivity

SENSORS

The GRACE INERTIA connectors come with four keying methods and colors, are rated at 3 A (max), 50 Vac/ Vdc, and meets GWT requirement per IEC 60335-1, 5th edition (750˚C, without flame), and UL 94 V-0 flammability. Signal integrity from sensors to the central processor is critical if designers are to create systems capable of executing upon the promise of personal healthcare. However, as shown, achieving optimal signal integrity and system reliability requires close attention to every stage of the

signal path, as well as an appreciation of the value of a component partner that can provide insight at every level to optimize the system and prevent re-designs. However, it’s important to connect with a suitable supplier early in the design process, rather than later, to take full advantage of its market and design expertise. With its position at the heart of enabling sensification in personal healthcare devices, TE Connectivity is one such supplier. It has a broad product portfolio that includes the connectors, sensors, and

5G-ready solutions needed to take personal healthcare devices to the next generation of innovation. It has also demonstrated a track record of developing world-class partnerships to ensure its customers are always close to the solutions they need. One such partnership is with Heilind Electronics, a distributor of electronic components that was built on a foundation of deep inventory, flexible policies, responsiveness, and a commitment to customer service and satisfaction. DW

TE Connectivity | te.com

CUSTOM MAGNETS FOR SENSORS FROM BUNTING At Bunting, we combine design expertise with advanced manufacturing capabilities to deliver you custom magnets for sensors. Our engineers work with you directly to design a custom solution for your application, and offer rapid prototyping so you can see how a piece will look and perform well in advance of regular production. Bunting is the world’s most diversified manufacturer of magnets, magnetic assemblies, and magnetic equipment. We have over 60 years of experience in the industry—experience that serves you. No matter how challenging your application is, we have the knowledge, expertise, and production capabilities to provide you with the custom magnetic assembly you need. Contact us to learn more today.

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SENSORS

Underfill Epoxy Offers Thermal Conductivity and Electrical Insulation Master Bond EP29LPTCHT is a two component, low viscosity epoxy compound that can be effectively utilized for underfill and encapsulation applications. It does not need excessive heat for curing and has a long working life at room temperature. This system is electrically insulative and thermally conductive with very fine particle size filler material. EP29LPTCHT can be easily dispensed into tiny gaps and when used as an adhesive, it forms thin bond lines from 5 to 15 microns, resulting in a significantly low thermal resistance of 12-15 x 10-6 K•m2/W. EP29LPTCHT features excellent flow properties with an initial mixed viscosity of 5,000-15,000 cps. It offers a long working life after mixing, for example a 100 gram batch at 75°F will yield an open time of 10-12 hours. EP29LPTCHT has a thermal conductivity of 9-10 BTU•in/(ft2•hr•°F) and a volume resistivity of more than 1015 ohm-cm, both measured at 75°F.

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Liithium batteries that last up to 40 years Tadiran offers bobbin-type thionyl chloride (LiSOCl2) batteries that can power remote wireless devices up to 40 years. Common applications include AMR/AMI, electronic toll tags, RFID, mil/aero, wireless mesh networks, SCADA, data loggers, environmental, oceanographic, structural stress, and more. These batteries feature the highest energy density (1420 Wh/l), highest capacity, and widest temperature range (-85°C to 125°C). These cells also feature incredibly low self-discharge (0.7% per year), up to 4X lower than competitors. If periodic high pulses are required to power two-way wireless communications, PulsesPlus™ batteries are available combine a standard LiSOCl2 cell with a patented hybrid layer capacitor (HLC) that delivers pulses up to 15 A. PulsesPlus batteries also feature a unique end-of-life voltage plateau that can be interpreted to deliver ‘low battery’ status alerts.

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Product World “Smart Capping” actuators SMAC smac-mca.com In Capping applications an improved method of screwing on, or crimping caps onto bottles/vials/ test tubes, is now available. This technology allows the manufacturer to: • Verify the location of the top of the container. • Match the cap thread with the container to prevent cross threading • Turn the Cap and measure the number of turns and the linear distance traveled downward. • “Snug” the cap then apply a precise closing torque.

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over 125,000 units to date). There are a number of versions including: Thin rectangular LBR series for stacking and round CBR series. Both have IP versions available. Both have standard motors as well as motors with large center holes to accommodate current grippers used to hold caps.

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Dynamometers with Positorq oil shear load brakes Force Control Industries forcecontrol.com These dynamometers feature Positorq Oil Shear Load Brakes to absorb extreme torque at low speed (down to zero rpm). This helps them capture data at these critical junctures, when dynos equipped with traditional load brakes cannot. Oil shear technology can provide instant load spikes and static lock-up of up to 3-times the continuous load rating. High cycle counts (up to 300 torque changes per minute) allow tests with a hammering effect on the tested product. Quick, controllable response allows virtually unlimited test capabilities, while their extremely quiet operation allows gearbox, transmission, or final drive noise testing. High-torque, low speed testing is commonly used for testing life cycles, shock loading, overall machine life/performance and more for snowmobiles, forklifts, 2-wheel/4-wheel/6-wheel drive tractors or tracked vehicles, commercial truck axles, helicopter transmissions, gun turrets, winches, hoists, and more.

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Omron automation.omron.com E2EW Series metal face proximity sensors are designed to minimize downtime with durable construction and a long sensing range. These highly durable, metal face proximity sensors have the longest sensing range in their category to date, and they have been optimized to withstand the harsh conditions of typical automotive welding processes with a fluororesin coating that provides increased spatter resistance. The sensing range of the E2EW Series is approximately twice as long as previous models for ferrous metals and six times as long as previous models for aluminum, making them a suitable solution for mixed-metal production lines. As the sensing ranges for both metals are now equivalent, the sensors support a common design for position detection in such lines. They also reduce unexpected facility stoppages by minimizing false detection for unsteady objects. Features: • World’s longest sensing distances for both iron and aluminum. The equivalent sensing distances enable common design for position detection in mixed production lines containing both iron and aluminum components. • Increased spatter resistance. The E2EW sensors last 60 times as long as previous models in typical automotive welding applications. • IIoT-enabled with IO-Link. Support for IO-Link makes it possible to gather data on the detection level and temperature changes of proximity sensors from a single location in real time.

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AutomationDirect automationdirect.com These line reactor models and VTF (voltage time filter) series output filters protect ac motors and variable frequency (VFD) drives from electrical disturbances. The LR2 line reactor series adds seven new frame sizes to match all GS, DURApulse and WEG drives. The LR2 Series can also be used with a variety of other VFD brands. Line Reactors are used on VFD line inputs to protect the drive from current spikes created by the VFD. On VFD outputs, line reactors protect motors, allow cooler running, and are recommended for operating VFD’s with “non-inverter-duty” motors. They are also recommended for for any motors where the length of wiring between the ac drive and motor is less than or equal to 100-ft. For wiring distances over 100 feet, the VTF series output filter is recommended.

For precision automated medical systems, motion needs to be repeatable, safe, and reliable. In that effort, NSK is the partner

Precise, repeatable, reliable linear motion control: NSK motorized ball screw actuator

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HMIs that can be used in extreme and hazardous conditions, including outdoor applications. Combine the 7-in. or 12-in. SP5000X-wide sunlight readable display — made with an aluminum die-cast, stainless steel bezel — with the SP5B90X box unit to create an overall eXtreme solution. This combination offers operating temperatures ranging from -30 to 70º C, a high brightness liquid crystal panel displaying screens at 1000 nits, and a UL 50E Type 4X outdoor use rating. The SP5000X series is suitable for multiple applications under harsh environmental conditions (3C3), including use in vehicles such as fire trucks, trains, and construction equipment; parking lots and gas stations; and the oil and gas industry. Connect a J1939 communication module to Engine Control Units (ECU) to monitor and control electric generators, highway trucks, agriculture machines,

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Designing sensification systems for personal healthcare: The factors that matter

May 2020

Mike Caruso

Courtney Nagle

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Bunting Magnetics ................................ 135 Master Bond ............................................ 135 Tadiran ....................................................... 133

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The Robot Report CGI Inc. ....................................................... 63 Festo ........................................................... 67 GAM ............................................................. 59 IKO International, Inc. ............................ 69 maxon ......................................................... 73 SIKO ............................................................. 57

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