DESIGN WORLD OCTOBER 2021

www.designworldonline.com

October 2021

inside: MOTION CONTROL: Provide design flexibility with dc drives

p. 68

MECHANICAL: How precision metrology is putting electric vehicles in gear

p. 88

THE ROBOT REPORT: Inflatable robotic hand gives amputees real-time tactile control

p. 56

Update

on linear feedback page 74

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Motion in sync is easier than you think with motion controllers from AutomationDirect PS-AMC Motion Controllers starting at:

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Flying cut-off The primary function of a flying cut-off system is to synchronize the speed of a servo-driven carriage, on which a cutting mechanism is mounted, with the speed of a continuously fed material to make a perpendicular cut without stopping the feed. The flying cut-off shown above employs four axes of motion, a rotating pipe cutter1, a continuous pipe infeed system2, carriage positioning drive3, and outbound conveyor4.

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Manufacturing vs. politicians At last month’s NFPA International Economic Outlook Conference, John Manzella, of the Manzella Report, spoke on “Labor, International Trade, and What’s Ahead,” an insightful talk to the 200-ish attendees, many of whom were manufacturing executives in the fluid power realm. Manzella had few kind words for politicians on either side of the aisle, and I found that his breaking of some stereotypes was quite interesting — and a reminder that manufacturers shouldn’t necessarily be beholden to ideas om either political party. The better bet is to look at the historical data when planning future policy. Here are four of his main points.

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1. We need more legal immigration. Manzella noted that we have job openings in this country like we really haven’t seen before: 10.1 million, “9 to 5” type jobs cannot be filled. That includes 1.9 million in trade, transportation, and utilities; 1.7 million in leisure and hospitality; 339,000 in construction; and 826,000 in manufacturing.

When it comes to manufacturing, it’s estimated that a 2.4 million shortage will exist between 2018 and 2028, and Deloitte thinks that will cost companies $2.5 trillion in lost revenues. Plus, there’s a 60,000 shortage of truckers and long-haul drivers.

Manzella said that we must recognize that knowledge is today’s only sustainable competitive advantage.

“One hundred-plus years ago, it was minerals and land,” he said. “Today, it’s knowledge and the ability of your workforce implementing technologies faster. That is today’s only sustainable competitive advantage ... it is so very important to accept more legal immigrants. The California Fresh Farm Association told me they needed two things; inexpensive water and cheap labor, and they can’t get either. This situation is only getting worse.

People talk about immigrants taking American jobs.

Statistically, they really don’t. They actually help fill the openings, which we can’t possibly fill, even if we increased immigration significantly more.”

2. “Buy American” programs aren’t all roses. Who doesn’t like “buy American programs?” Politically, they sound fantastic, and Manzella said that some actually

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work, but when you look at the statistics, you’ll find that when you reduce the competition, due to a whole series of supply chain issues, you’ll have less competition and less production.

“Almost every study I’ve seen results in higher prices,” he said. “What do consumers and industry do when you have high prices? They almost always buy less. In the long run, those same workers and constituents you are trying to help — you actually hurt them. Again, one study after another, the prices went up. Purchasing went down, production went down, and you actually hurt those workers you were attempting to help.”

Manzella stressed that it’s very important that these sorts of programs are implemented in a way where it actually benefits the workers at hand.

“Globalization is like fire. It can keep you warm, cook your food, but burn your house down. It’s lifted millions of people out of poverty, and boosted standards of living. I believe that globalization has benefited the U.S. more so than almost any other country, but it’s not impacted all of us equally. It has left many people behind,” he said.

3. Look to Europe for job retention ideas. Manzella explained that we’ve got to invest more in education, training, and engagement. Even employee recognition events and group activities are important — anything you can use to build rapport.

“Once you attract those workers, the key is to keep them, and we’re finding it’s more and more difficult to do that; we’ve got to create strategies that breed happier, healthier, better educated employees that are more productive, and feel valued; they’re more likely to refer friends as a result because friends lead to referral programs. Offering more generous daycare options, which has been a strategy used in Europe for years (although it’s being subsidized to a much greater extent) has worked. You’ll see that young women’s participation in Europe in the workforce is much, much higher than the U.S. In fact, I spoke with a company that actually purchased a daycare center, and I was told the results were just fantastic in terms of getting more younger people at the firm.”

“For the first time in my life, workers now are really in the driver’s seat as opposed to the HR department,” he said.

“Raising pay is always a great option, but for many companies it’s just impossible.

I recently spoke to a group that provided cleaning staff to hotels. You may not necessarily be able to raise the wages too much higher, but they have different incentives, so it’s not by the hour, but it’s by how many rooms you cleaned that day — the metric side is slightly different, and very often beneficial to both sides.

We’ve got to come up with a whole new set of strategies to appeal to this audience.”

“I know some companies have jets in the organization, and very attractive break areas, outdoor seating, walking trails, games, catered lunches,” Manzella explained.

“Sometimes they even gave employees a happy hour, which is a little risqué with liquor, but whatever you can do to keep your workers there longer is important.”

4. Trade agreements are good for us.

Manzella said that if he walked down the street and surveyed 10 people, the vast majority would likely tell you that free trade agreements are bad ideas. But he countered with the fact that the U.S. has 14 free trade agreements with 20 countries. Almost half of all our exports go to those 20 countries. He said that tells us when you implement trade agreements, and knock down foreign barriers, the U.S. comes out ahead.

“When you knock down a trade barrier, U.S. companies do exceptionally well. We don’t need fewer agreements. We need more free trade agreements because statistically, when we have these agreements, we do much, much better. Right now, there are more than 300 regional free trade agreements without U.S. participation. What is that doing to U.S. companies?” he asked.

Manzella said, that as an example, in joining the Trans Pacific Partnership, the U.S. could have helped create the rules in Asia.

Instead, by backing out, it created a vacuum, and the Chinese like that. “They’re going to sit back and wait for us to make our next move,” he said.

He also noted that countries such as Brazil and India are highly protectionist. They run persistent trade deficits. When you look at countries like Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore, they have very low protectionist instincts, and they almost always run trade surpluses.

“I looked at a study not long ago of 125 countries over a period of about 14 years,” he said. “Those with the higher tariffs generally had smaller surpluses. Protectionism has severe consequences.” DW

| Adobestock.com

Paul J. Heney - VP, Editorial Director pheney@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @wtwh_paulheney

DESIGN WORLD

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October 2021

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Teschler on Topic

The WTC collapse after two decades The 20th anniversary of the 9-1101 terrorist attacks has fostered a lot of media reflection on lessons learned. Less appreciated is the introspection the tragedy has brought about in construction engineering.

An example can be found in the Arizona State University classroom of Prof. Barzin Mobasher who teaches a senior-level course in structural steel design. For about the past 15 years he has used the World Trade Center collapse to illustrate principles of failure mechanics and to show why engineers must adopt conservative design practices.

Now, of course, most of Mobasher’s engineering students weren’t alive during the 9-11 attacks.

Nevertheless, he finds images of the WTC still have an impact. “It is a reminder that something you might dismiss as a boring subject in the classroom can become of paramount importance,” he says. “I use the WTC to show them that what we as engineers do, matters. We take pride in what we do, and this is why we are conservative in our designs.”

In recent years, Mobasher’s lessons have expanded to address spurious claims from 9-11 truthers who believe conspiracy theories about demolition of the WTC

buildings. “When you look at the amount of misinformation out there, engineers and people skilled in the discipline have a responsibility to argue on behalf of science. I tell my students they are obligated to speak the truth about the WTC if they find themselves in a discussion. They know the charts and graphs that explain steel’s behavior, so they have a responsibility as an engineer to not just be silent when somebody throws mud at scientific ideas.

Mobasher has had his own frustrating run-ins with 9-11 truthers.

“In the early years I was inundated by people sending video, disks, and email who wanted me to hop on the bandwagon. It got to the level of harassment. There were four or five people who wanted me to comment or support their theories. In those cases I would try to find out if they understood mechanics or materials. If they really didn’t understand, I would tell them they need to communicate in mathematical terms in ways people understand. There is nothing emotional about it. It is all about how the numbers work out,” he says.

Truthers, Mobasher explains, are trying to put together a puzzle by mismatching things. “There is a lot of data cherry picking. Science doesn’t work that way. The idea that

demolition was involved is total nonsense. The studies of WTC5 give a clear explanation of why that building collapsed,” he says.

That brings us to the 3,486 architects and engineers who signed a petition to re-open the 9/11 investigation because they feel “explosives … might have been the actual cause of the destruction of the World Trade Center Twin Towers and Building 7.” But consider: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the total number of civil engineers and architects in the U.S. at about 445,400. That means the petition signers comprise a little less than 1% of that total.

However, petition signers are not limited to civil engineers. A review of the list turns up electrical engineers, industrial engineers, chemical engineers, and those from other disciplines. A point to note is, at least where I went to school, it was possible to complete a fouryear degree in these areas with an exposure to static analysis that was limited to freshman and sophomore physics.

Perhaps a few petition signers could benefit from auditing a structural steel design course of the type taught by Prof. Mobasher. DW

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

6

October 2021 www.designworldonline.com

Lee.Teschler.Column.10-21_V3_LT.LL.indd 6

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Technology Forward How safe are your controls systems from hacking?

Several recent reports, one from industrial cybersecurity firm, Claroty, one from SANS, and one from HP Inc., should raise some flags. The Claroty Biannual ICS Risk & Vulnerability Report noted that in the first half of this year, “637 vulnerabilities affecting industrial control system (ICS) products were published, affecting products from 76 vendors.” By comparison, reports for the latter half of 2020 list the number of vulnerabilities as 449, affecting 59 vendors. The SANS 2021 OT/ICS Cybersecurity Report says that cybersecurity threats remain high and are growing in severity. And the HP report, HP Wolf Security Rebellions & Rejections, covers the security risks posed by employees working from home (WFH).

More than 70% of the published vulnerabilities for 2021 are considered critical or given a high severity rating.

No digital device is safe from cybersecurity threats. Devices such as OPC servers; PLCs and RTUs; HMIs and SCADA systems, and the engineering workstation are most often listed as hacking points of entry. The largest percentage of vulnerabilities disclosed during the first half of 2021 affected Level 3 of the Purdue Model: Operations Management (23.55%), followed by the Level 1: Basic Control (15.23%) and Level 2: Supervisory Control (14.76%), states the report by Claroty.

Most of the vulnerabilities were reported by third-party security firms, independent experts, and academics,

not by vendors. Adding to the vulnerabilities, the HP report notes that IT teams have been forced into compromising security for business continuity, and that their attempts to increase or update security measures for remote workers have often been rejected.

At least 61.38% of the disclosed vulnerabilities can be exploited in attacks from outside the IT or OT network, says Claroty. On the bright side, this number is lower than the percentage reported in the second half of 2020 when it was 71.49%. But local attacks rose to 31.55% in the second half of 2020; previously it was 18.93%.

Experts suggest the need for phishing and spam prevention, along with awareness techniques that help reduce ransomware and other potentially devastating attacks. Of course, they advise regular updates for all industrial control system software as one of the better protections against hacking. They also note that visibility and detection solutions are readily available to provide an awareness of hacking, but that many companies are not taking advantage of these tools. The SANS report notes that nearly half of this year’s survey respondents don’t know if they’ve been attacked.

Here are a few more statistics: • 25.59% of the 637 ICS vulnerabilities have no fix or only a partial remediation.

• Of the vulnerabilities with no, or partial remediation, 61.96% were found in firmware.

• Of the vulnerabilities with no, or partial, remediation, 55.21% could result in remote code execution, and • 47.85% could result in denial-of- service conditions when exploited successfully.

• 76% of IT teams admit security took a backseat to business continuity during the pandemic, while 91% felt pressure to compromise security for business continuity.

• Almost half (48%) of younger office workers (18-24 years old) surveyed viewed security tools as a hindrance, leading to nearly a third (31%) trying to bypass corporate security policies to get their work done.

• Of the 74.4% vulnerabilities with remediation, 59.49% require software fixes.

• 51.22% of the vulnerabilities affecting end-of-life products were found in firmware.

• 83% of IT teams believe the increase in home workers has created a “ticking time bomb” for a corporate network breach.

Experts continue to warn of ransomware and extortion attacks, such as the one that happened recently to Colonial Pipeline. The consensus among experts is that there will be more such attacks.

What additional evidence is needed before we all see that securing data is everyone’s business? DW

Leslie Langnau llangnau@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_3Dprinting

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October 2021 www.designworldonline.com

Tech.Forward.10-21_Vs2.LL.indd 8

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Green Engineering

The end of the old plastic bottle?

Paul J. Heney

• VP, Editorial Director

Eckes-Granini is making its packaging portfolio even more environmentally iendly with the help of the KHS Group. Since May, its one-liter hohes C juice bottle has consisted entirely of recycled plastic (rPET). KHS’ Bottles & Shapes experts in Hamburg were responsible for optimization of the bottle. The new containers will continue to be produced on the tried-and-tested InnoPET FreshSafe block. With KHS as its long-term partner, Europe’s leading uit juice producer is making a further relevant contribution to the expansion of the circular economy.

Eckes-Granini has been using 25% rPET in its hohes C PET juice bottles since 2018.

“Bearing the EU’s plastic strategy in mind and the increase in recyclate quotas this prescribes, we’ve now decided to switch to using recycled PET only. We want to be a pioneer as regards the circular economy and set a good example for the beverage industry,” said Hermann Naumann, plant manager for EckesGranini in Bad Fallingbostel, Germany.

“We aim to continue steadily reducing our carbon footprint in production and in our packaging. This means not only cutting down on the amount of material used but also closing the recycling loop.”

In Germany, beverage producers state their preferences regarding the weight, shape or stability of the container — and then, the systems supplier assesses the feasibility of the design through laboratory tests and simulation. For Eckes-Granini, the specifications were clear: switch to 100% rPET while maintaining the homogeneous quality of the container. According to the company, the changeover of the one-liter hohes C bottle 10

October 2021

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www.designworldonline.com

to rPET will save more than 4,000 metric tons of new PET per annum. This, in turn, means that the bottler will cut its carbon emissions by about 8,000 tons a year.

Finding ways of saving on resources was not the only focus of the ambitious project. The ability to do so on the KHS InnoPET FreshSafe block in operation at Eckes-Granini since 2017 also had to be investigated.

“One of the concerns was whether either the preforms or machine needed adapting,” said Dr. Matthias Kruse, head of PET Technology at KHS. “We thus assessed the quality of the recycled PET material. This is crucial, for large variances in color, molecular length and inhomogeneity quickly reduce the efficiency of production.”

The fact that Eckes-Granini procures its preforms om two different suppliers presented an added challenge, Kruse said. The geometry of the preform is essential for efficient processing, especially when a high percentage of rPET is used. Through extensive testing, it was established that both makes of preform function soundly on the block system. All that was needed for optimum bottle production were minor adjustments to the heater on the stretch blow molder.

KHS’ NIR or near in ared technology especially provides DESIGN WORLD

9/29/21 8:05 AM

In Germany, beverage producers state their preferences regarding the weight, shape or stability of the container — and then, the systems supplier assesses the feasibility of the design through laboratory tests and simulation.

Air leaks in my pneumatic system are wasting energy, and affecting the performance of my machine. I need continuous monitoring that can identify them quickly.

YOU CAN DO THAT

a wide processing window for rPET, allowing preforms to be heated prior to the stretch blow molding process with pinpoint accuracy, for example. No major changes to the machinery or geometrical properties of the preforms were required.

“This enabled us to achieve a very high level of process efficiency while retaining the container quality, thus fully meeting our customer’s requirements,” Kruse said.

Eckes-Granini will continue to benefit om FreshSafe PET barrier protection also a er converting to 100% rPET. The company has relied on the environmentally iendly system om KHS since 2006. The oxygen barrier of chemically pure glass, a wafer-thin coating on the inside of the PET bottle, not only effectively protects the juice om oxygen pickup, but is also fully recyclable. What’s more, the coating can be easily washed off bottles during the recycling process. The sustainable packaging alternative therefore permits pure-grade bottle-to-bottle recycling.

By the end of 2022 Eckes-Granini Deutschland intends to only use PET bottles made entirely of rPET for all brands, saving approximately 9,000 metric tons of new plastic per year by doing so. DW

KHS www.khs.com

DESIGN WORLD

Green.Engineering 10-21_Vs3.LL.indd 11

Emerson smart pneumatic solutions help to digitally transform your operations by providing actionable insights that improve machinery performance. By obtaining and analyzing compressed air pressure and consumption data from your pneumatic systems, we provide you with an immediate way of detecting leaks. This helps to increase maintenance efficiency and reduce machinery downtime, energy waste and emissions. To find out how our easy-to-implement scalable solutions enable you to address your issues immediately, visit: Emerson.com/AVENTICS

The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2021 Emerson Electric Co.

October 2021

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Altech spread 10-21.indd 12

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Contents 10 • 2021

•

vol 16 no 10

•

designworldonline.com

88 68 _MOTION CONTROL Provide design flexibility with dc drives

Low-voltage dc stepper and servo drives offer innovative and spacesaving options for many motion control applications traditionally handled by ac servo drives.

74 _LINEAR MOTION Update on linear feedback

Motion-system measurements can be incremental to express relative values or absolute to reference some fixed value. Here, we review these motion- sensor outputs as well as analog and digital values — and the specific case of linear-position sensing.

82 _3D CAD Waste Not

Engineering software helps products get greener.

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

88 _MECHANICAL How precision metrology is putting electric vehicles in gear

Not only are electric vehicles (EVs) more prevalent on the roads, but many automotive companies are announcing plans for EVs to eventually dominate their product portfolios. As the shift from internal combustion (IC) to electric continues, the number of drivetrain components will dramatically lessen. So how does that impact the gear components necessary to convert the high-force torque from electric motors to the RPMs at the wheel?

Building on success during COVID:

INSIDE: • Inflatable robotic hand gives amputees real-time tactile control ......................................................................... 56

Q&A with Intuitive CEO Gary Guthart page 60

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55-67

92 _FLUID POWER Examining direct drive hydraulic maintenance

Hydraulic direct drives are engineered for longevity; however, preventative maintenance (PM) is often overlooked for this type of equipment until it is too late. When breakdowns occur, they can take valuable equipment off the line or even shut down operations.

ON THE COVER GOLD REGIONAL AWARD

Conveyor motion coordinates with a delta-robotbased pick-and-place operation through the use of | Dreamstime linear feedback.

asbpe.org

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DESIGN WORLD

9/29/21 3:09 PM

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Teschler on Topic

08

Technology Forward

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10 Green Engineering

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Design For Industry

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Design Notes

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Internet of Things

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MC2 Classroom

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Product World

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October 2021

DESIGN WORLD

9/30/21 1:31 PM

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

VP, Creative Services Mark Rook mrook@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_graphics Art Director Matthew Claney mclaney@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_designer

WEB DEV / DIGITAL OPERATIONS

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Design for Industry Medical

Precision motion for digital pathology When it comes to motion control, digital pathology requires top-end nanometer-level precise solutions to facilitate high-speed and high-quality scanning/imaging while maintaining a small footprint so as not to take up too much space in a lab/clinical environment.

Motion control in digital pathology is an enabling technology.

The xyz motion control stage moves the slides that are to be scanned underneath a fixed microscope or camera that captures images of the slides. The key is image capture at a high rate of speed with absolute focus on precision, which requires that the chosen motion control solution combine smoothness (meaning highest possible image resolution), flatness (controlling the z-axis meaning maintenance of focus), and straightness (reducing overlap between scanning “passes” and increasing throughput).

Digital pathology is increasingly used by biopharmaceutical companies and clinical research organizations (CROs) to help streamline drug development processes in discovery, pre-clinical, and clinical trials. It is also used for quantitative analysis of

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emerging companion diagnostics and novel theranostics (a combination of therapeutics and diagnostics). This opportunity has become especially relevant with the use of assays which are difficult to discern with the human eye, such as markers that exhibit diffuse staining characteristics across multiple cellular compartments of which, for example, only one may be clinically relevant.

The increasing complexity of such assays is driving the development of digital pathology solutions with advanced high-throughput image capture (brightfield, fluorescent or multispectral) coupled with pattern recognition to morphologically identi relevant tissue types and individual cellular compartments followed by the ability to quanti intensity of staining. DW

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Design for Industry O f f- h i g h w a y

Handle heavy loads on less current

Greater control is one of the main reasons motion control system designers may replace hydraulic systems with heavy duty electric actuators. It helps designers integrate equipment that draws less current. The added voltage capacity of this 48-volt option for the Electrak HD electric actuator gives motion control designers that flexibility when integrating heavy duty actuators with onboard electronic systems that draw less current.

The Electrak HD linear actuator platform can li up to 16 kN. It’s onboard electronics eliminates the need for standalone controls. It can reduce current draw through the wires by half when compared to 24 Vdc and four times less current when compared to 12 Vdc. Thus, designers can configure applications that can provide maximum power while drawing minimal current. It also reduces space demands for everything in the system, including wiring and transistors.

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In a typical configuration, instead of deploying one 48-volt battery, the designer might string two 24volt batteries, or a 24-volt and two 12-volt batteries in series. With the Electrak HD option, they have up to 48-volt capacity if needed and can also integrate accessories that might need only low-level power switching.

The 48-volt Electrak HD handles heavy duty applications such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs), forkli s, agricultural equipment, factory automation and any application with li ing requirements of up to 16 kN and a need to integrate other electronic equipment that requires low current. DW

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a step ahead of the competition Highly accurate electronic variable flow control of inert fluids and gases

The RFE 3200 Series of resilient angle sensors operate in demanding environments like off-highway equipment and other harsh environment applications where the ingress protection to IP69K, EMC immunity, decoupled sensor/magnet and other features/specs are essential.

The RFE Series measures om 0 up to 360° and can be ordered with one—partially redundant— or two fully redundant— channels. Shock and vibration tolerances are 50 g and 20 g respectively. Temperature range is -40 up to +125°C. These sensors are suitable for safety-related applications according to ISO 13849 upon customer validation.

Resolution of the RFE 3200 Series is 12— or 14— bits, depending on version and repeatability is ±0.1° or less. These devices meet or exceed 10 EMC standards, detailed in data sheet. MTTF is ≥ 397 years per channel. Outputs options are 4 to 20 mA, 0.25 to 4.75 V, 0.5 to 4.5 V, CANopen and CAN SAE J1939. DW

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Design for Industry Safety

Explosion proof contact blocks

IDEM hazardous area safety devices provide similar functionality to their general-purpose counterparts but offer explosion-proof switching in hazardous locations.

All of these devices are manufactured with ATEX Exd IIC T6 certified explosionproof contact blocks, which are encapsulated to contain explosions and prevent the ignition of hazardous materials.

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New IDEM explosion-proof safety devices include tongue interlock safety switches, safety limit switches, and safety cable-pull switches. These devices are suitable for use in the oil, chemical, pharmaceutical, and other hazardous industries. DW

AutomationDirect www.automationdirect.com/ hazardous-area-devices

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Safety

Rugged, small ultrasonic safety sensor USi-safety ultrasonic sensor is suitable for use in harsh environments and even for outdoor applications. This small but mighty sensor requires only a small amount of installation space. It follows safety certification in accordance with EN ISO 13849 category 3 PL d and as the only sensor of its kind in the world.

The USi-safety is a 2-channel ultrasonic sensor, featuring two transducers connected to a control interface. On each of the two independent channels, objects can be detected with an elliptical sound beam within ranges of up to 2500 mm. Two safe OSSD outputs are provided for signal output.

Due to the special “wide and shallow” shape of the detection field, the system can be successfully used just above the floor or close to a wall.

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sensors emit acoustic signals in the form of a radially symmetrical sound beam, the USi-safety does so in an elliptical sound field. Due to the opening angle of ± 17°/± 5°, a particularly wide detection range is generated in one plane and a narrow detection range in the other plane. DW Application Examples: • Reliably preventing collisions involving driverless forkli s • Machine safeguarding in the wood industry • Personal safety in lane-guided AGVs

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Design for Industry Semiconductor

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With their ultra-low power consumption, low-density PolarFire FPGAs (MPF050T) and PolarFire SoC (MPFS025T) additions exceed the performance/ power metrics of any low-density FPGA or SoC FPGA alternatives in the market, with fast FPGA fabric and signal processing capabilities, the most

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capable transceivers and the industry’s only hardened application class RISC-V architecture-based processor complex with 2 megabytes (MB) of L2 cache and Low-Power DDR4 (LPDDR4) memory support. Extending the portfolio with a 25K logic elements multi-core RISC-V SoC and a 50K logic elements FPGA opens new application possibilities.

They suit low-power smart embedded vision applications and thermally constrained automotive, industrial automation, communications, defense and IoT systems where neither power nor performance can be compromised.

The PolarFire devices are complemented by a suite of Microchip devices for complete systems solutions for applications including smart

embedded vision, machine learning, security, aerospace and defense, and embedded compute. They also provide plug-and-play solutions for power and timing designs. DW

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Design Notes

Brewing up DIY automation solutions Michael Hoffman, of Dragos and the SANS Technology Institute

Those already working in the

Figure 1: To demonstrate how a student PLC kit using AutomationDirect PLC and HMI components can be used to build an automation solution, the author used this setup to control a coffee bean roaster.

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industrial automation space are aware of the advances over recent years with controllers, communications, and other technologies used for projects of all sizes. Whether the automation task is a single machine or a factory, there are many options for creating practical, robust, and secure automation solutions.

My years of industry experience, and my involvement with the SANS Technology Institute, have highlighted that smaller home automation do-it-yourself (DIY) type projects are a great way to learn how to design, build, program, and protect industrial automation systems.

SANS provides training, certifications, scholarship academies, degree programs, cyber ranges, and resources — and it also offers courses relevant to manufacturing operational technology (OT) users. For example, the ICS612 course provides students with a programmable logic controller (PLC) and accessories, encouraging them to tackle small automation projects a er class.

As an example, I repurposed a student PLC kit om ICS612 to automate a home coffee roaster. This article describes my approach and how others can do the same.

Think big but start small So, what can be automated as a DIY project?

Almost any electro/mechanical system with variables that can be measured and devices that can be controlled. The real question is, can a DIY automation project bring value in the form of: • Better control.

• Remote visibility.

• Energy savings.

• Or simply improving one’s skills and knowledge.

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Figure 2: This coffee roaster project uses various products such as a CLICK PLC, C-more HMI, Rhino power supply, and other components available from the AutomationDirect.com website.

Small projects can be inexpensive to implement yet provide useful functionality and valuable lessons.

Some excellent examples of things in and around the home that can be controlled and automated include lights, ovens, BBQs, smokers, yard/garden sprinkler systems, water heaters, power distribution, small appliances, and more (Figure 1).

At SANS, students use PLC kits consisting of an AutomationDirect CLICK PLC, I/O cards, and HMI, along with an associated virtual machine (VM) loaded with the ee configuration so ware.

This is a solid platform with many connectivity options, and it is wellsuited for class projects and industrial automation solutions ranging om simple to complex.

In the spirit of education, I embarked on a project to automate a coffee bean roaster using these industrialgrade components. The following is a description of how I proceeded.

Coordinating caffeine creation Smaller-scale DIY automation projects share many elements with largescale industrial projects, and for best success, should address typical project management practices. A plan or scope should be developed with a realistic budget and schedule. Of course, any plan is subject to refinement along the way.

DESIGN WORLD

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Once underway, some basic project steps include: • Design (with security in mind at each step) • Build • Program • Secure There are other more detailed steps, such as documenting, communicating, and testing. Testing is quite crucial at every stage to ensure proper and safe functionality. Notice that the final step in the list above is ‘secure.’

Because many automation projects may be connected to a home network or the internet, it is critical to ensure steps are taken to secure any system against malicious activity.

Beyond the fact that I like eshly roasted coffee beans, the activity of automating a coffee roaster is a good example project because the parts don’t cost much, and the required automation is not overly complex.

However, it is possible to improve the basic functionality and add other advanced capabilities like data logging and remote connectivity.

One other note is that DIY automation projects sometimes require a little creativity due to budget constraints. The shrewd DIY-er may find low-cost parts on eBay or perhaps used equipment no longer

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Design Notes

Figure 3: PLC logic handled the five-step coffee roasting process, and the HMI was used to load settings, issue a start command, and monitor the operation.

• Drying cycle: At around 220°F to prep the beans.

• “First crack” Maillard: At around 420°F where body & sweetness are developed, and the beans are lightly browned.

• “Second crack” caramelization/ development: At around 460°F where acids are degraded, and the beans turn a dark brown.

• Cooling: Temperature is quickly lowered to 80 °F to prevent overroasting. needed by an employer to make the task more feasible.

The following steps happen in a mostly sequential manner, but there are times when iteration and rework are required. This is especially true as the process is learned and available technologies are applied to implement the automation.

Design The first step is understanding the workings of the equipment to be automated. In addition, the capabilities of automation components and how they can be applied must be considered.

For this example, coffee beans are roasted using heat and air. Here are the typical stages for a medium roast:

Build A er some research, a Fresh Roast SR540 appliance was found to have the suitable characteristics, with the feasibility to remove the factory controls and supersede them with an AC solid-state relay for the heater and a DC drive for the fan speed. A thermocouple was added to measure temperature, and all these devices were connected to PLC I/O using wiring and terminal blocks. While some may have found it hard to tear apart a working appliance to do a project like this, in many other cases, these types of projects can be created om used parts.

Safety is a top priority, so in this case, all devices like the PLC, power supply, relays, and more are installed in an enclosure and fuse protected (Figure 2).

Figure 4: The CLICK PLC includes standard PID control loop functionality, which was used to turn the heater on and off as needed to maintain the desired temperature.

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Temperature, time, and airflow at each stage are set to define a profile, and various profiles produce different flavors.

The code for this project was planned to encompass pre-set profiles for light, medium, and dark roasts, along with the capability to create a user-defined manual roast profile.

Program Based on an understanding of the coffee roasting process, how the roaster works, the PLC and HMI capabilities, and the

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Figure 5: The local C-more Micro HMI was configured so the user could easily visualize the system operation and status, and make any needed setting and control changes.

desired user functionality, it was time to develop the program. The PLC would execute five steps, and users would configure setpoints, a start command, and monitor the operation using the HMI. • Step 1: Start and heat to setpoint 0 (SP0) with the fan at 100% (Figure 3).

• Step 2: Ramp heat to SP1 for drying.

• Step 3: Ramp heat to SP2 and slow fan to 90% for ‘first crack’ (Maillard).

• Step 4: Ramp heat to SP3 for “second crack” (final roast).

• Step 5: Cool for 300 seconds or until a cool SP is reached.

• Whenever heating was needed in any step, PID controls (with time proportioned on/off heater output) would be used to control the temperature at SP (Figure 4). The PLC monitor mode was used to tune the PID loop, and the PLC’s real-time control functionality was then used to monitor the setpoint and actual process variable temperatures as the roasting process proceeded. This information was graphed and displayed on the C-more Micro HMI. For general operation, several local HMI screens were developed to indicate the running status, set the profile mode (and any associated setpoints), and indicate alarms (Figure 5).

of automation’ and be less susceptible to outside attacks. However, most modern automation systems include network connectivity, and many users desire remote access, so it is always necessary to consider the cybersecurity aspect.

In this case, a Raspberry PI v4 was configured as a router and a wireless network bridge, in conjunction with a Moxa firewall, and connected into an architecture with considerations for security monitoring (Figure 6).

The firewall enabled a secure remote connection between the engineering workstation (a Windows 10 VM with the CLICK PLC programming so ware installed) and the remote PLC. The firewall rules were configured

Design-Notes-10-21-Vs4.LL MS.indd 29

Grande results om a short investment Like the coffee roaster system described in this article, DIY automation projects are a great way to learn technical skills.

As a microcosm of much larger industrial automation projects, developing a DIY system shows the importance of following sound project management, design, build, and programming practices. Commercially available PLC and HMI platforms provide an excellent foundation, and they enable users to explore even more advanced topics like remote connectivity and cybersecurity. DW

Dragos dragos.com

Figure 6: This simplified network architecture depicts how a DIY PLC project can be connected to a network for providing convenient yet secure remote access.

Protect For a truly standalone system, it would be tempting to end the development right a er the programming was tested.

If only a PLC and local HMI is used, the system could effectively act as an ‘island DESIGN WORLD

to restrict connectivity between the VM and PLC over the configuration UDP port. Because coffee roasting can produce a fair amount of smoke, the PLC was located in the garage.

Therefore, having secure remote connectivity was a significant advantage for colder months.

The firewall also could restrict Modbus communications to the CLICK PLC down to the protocol function level for data reads and writes, ready to support a future remote HMI. The Raspberry PI was also set up with an additional Ethernet interface to monitor the PLC and external systems’ traffic. This allowed a future project to continuously capture network traffic via tcpdump and send those packet captures to Zeek or the Dragos community tool, Sophia, for network security monitoring.

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Design Notes

Creating a greener package design Mark Densley • Director Business Development Factory Automation • Emerson

Ultrasonic welding is also more compatible with biobased materials such as polylactic acid (PLA), than traditional heat sealing.

To make sealing applications greener, ultrasonic welding offers many advantages compared to traditional heat sealing. Its precise, reliable capabilities and efficiency allow end users to reduce energy consumption, confidently use biodegradable packaging, minimize product and packaging waste, and improve packaging recyclability and compostability. This sustainable technology can ultimately save energy by up to 25% and reduce carbon footprints by up to 75%.

Ultrasonic welding systems simply use less energy than conduction heat-sealing systems. Ultrasonic welding processes consume energy in short bursts compared to the continuous energy supply that conduction sealing processes require to complete the same production capacity. For example, to complete 100 welds/ min over two eight-hour shi s per day, a typical conduction sealing process needs four, 500-watt cartridge heaters (2,000 watts/hour

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or 32,000 watts/day) to constantly maintain its operating temperature, while an ultrasonic welder of the same capacity would be equipped with a power supply rated at 1,500 watts but would use power in short bursts (e.g., ~200 ms/weld) totaling about 20 seconds/min of total power consumption.

Ultrasonic welding is also more compatible with bio-based materials, such as polylactic acid (PLA), than traditional heat sealing. Because biopolymers contain significantly less polymer content, it can be difficult for the simple time, temperature, and pressure settings of a heat sealer to reliably bond this type of biodegradable, single-use packaging and achieve a commercial-

DESIGN WORLD

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In addition to creating a more reliable seal, an ultrasonic weld can reduce packaging consumption and eliminate seal failures due to contamination.

Empowering Automation

grade, hermetic seal. However, the precision and control inherent to ultrasonic welding offers far more capability to manage the narrower processing windows of bio-based resins.

Ultrasonic welding produces high-quality, consistent package seals without adhesives or consumables. The plasticto-plastic bond it creates not only simplifies package design, but, since there is no contamination within the seal surface, it also improves material recycling and/or compostability.

In addition to creating a more reliable seal, an ultrasonic weld can reduce packaging material consumption as well as eliminate seal failures due to contamination. To reduce packaging material consumption, ultrasonic welds require only 0.25-in. of total package length when sealing the ends of small snack bags, while conventional heat seals consume about 1.0-in. Comparably, ultrasonic welding returns 0.75 inches of package length.

To prevent seal failures, the high- equency, vibratory motion (usually 20, 30 or 40 kHz) of the ultrasonic welding process vibrates potential residue out of the seal area that conventional heated tools o en seal in. Because encapsulation of these residues results in contamination, leaks or failures, the clean weld that ultrasonic welding achieves reduces waste while improving seal quality and repeatability. DW

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Design Notes

Custom hose design helps aerospace test facility

Figure 1: Inlet manifold of expansion joint.

Few industries require more product validation and qualification than the military and aerospace sectors. Before any new technology is approved by the military’s regulatory agencies, they must undergo many levels of technology development, o en in a simulated environment. This test environment is designed to push products to their limits to ensure they hold up to real-world demands.

Above all else, these tests must be accurate and reliable, delivering boundary conditions for performance and modeling validation and verification. Engineers cannot guarantee the reliability of their products if the testing equipment itself cannot produce accurate, repeatable results. That is why designing functional test equipment is just as important as the products they test.

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Figure 2: Subassembly of U-loops that join the two manifolds.

TCH Industries, a specialist in custom hose and fittings, experienced this demanding environment firsthand when one of its customers designed an Advanced Propulsion Concepts test facility for the U.S. military. To validate a new concept, the military has to create a custom testing environment. This environment needed to simulate the high altitudes, fluctuating environments, and extreme pressures and temperatures that the concept would face during normal operation. There was an eight-in. inlet system that would deliver air into the propulsion system to allow for reliable thrust output results. Standard bellows expansion joint designs were not feasible, as they would impart a force under the testing conditions.

With the advanced nature of these challenges, the engineers at TCH Industries realized they needed additional resources to offer a complete design. That is why they partnered with Hose Master, a leader in metal hose and bellows expansion joints. Together, the two companies created a custom U-loop expansion joint design that met all of the requirements of the unique testing environment. By creating an expansion joint that would hold up to militarygrade functional testing, TCH and Hose Master enabled our military to validate its Advanced Propulsion Concept.

The High Demands of Mil-Aero Applications Functional tests in the military demand more om engines and propulsion systems than in other sectors such as the automotive or commercial aircra industry. Not only will these engines face challenging environments such as high altitudes and extreme temperatures, but they will also need to perform at top efficiency.

To become viable, the Advanced Propulsion Concept would need to go through tests that would push the design to the extreme limits it would face out in the field. The

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Figure 3: CAD rendering of expansion joint.

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design would need to face intense conditions such as: • High pressures up to 750 psi • A tremendous amount of flow through the eight-inch inlet pipe • High temperatures up to 1075 degrees Fahrenheit • Supersonic velocities • Axial compression up to 1-in.

Most importantly, the test apparatus could not apply additional forces on the load cell. If forces were not properly balanced, it would produce inaccurate performance results.

Design One: The Pressure-Balanced Bellows Expansion Joint To complete its testing design, the military reached out to TCH to develop a custom expansion joint. The initial design was a pressure-balanced bellows expansion joint. This expansion joint design would eliminate the end thrust forces of the input air by mechanically restraining the forces with equal and opposite force outputs.

However, this caused the system to act like a giant spring due to the compression of the bellows. The system would compress 1-in. due to thermal expansion, which would output tens of 1000s of pounds of spring force om the expansion joint on the test cell.

Within the bounds of the bellows-style design, there was no way to completely eliminate forces because of the design’s inherent limitations. While it solved the initial problem of unrestrained thrust, it le the massive spring force issue unresolved. This design would create skewed test results because the test fixture would impart force unrelated to the thrust being measured. Upon reviewing the design considerations with the military, the TCH team realized they had to pivot and go through another design iteration.

Understanding the limits of the bellows-style design of the pressure-balanced expansion joint, the engineering team realized they needed to think outside the box.

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Together, the design engineers at TCH and Hose Master knew that they needed an entirely different type of solution. A U-Loop Expansion Joint was suggested — Hose Master’s design experts brought it to life.

With direction om TCH, Hose Master developed a custom U-loop manifold design. This design used four U-shaped hose assemblies on the top and four U-shaped hose assemblies on the bottom of the manifold. The manifold design was essentially hose that also acted as an expansion joint, specifically a non-force-inducing expansion joint.

All of the forces equaled zero since everything that happened on the top occurred on the bottom, and all lateral forces were contained by the pipe.

Once the custom manifold design was finalized, the two companies went through multiple design iterations to get it right. Iterations include changing

the centerline of the hose spacings and changing the branch connections to increase weld efficiencies. These iterations required a high level of collaboration between Hose Master, TCH, and the customer, so that everything could be accounted for.

Creating a new expansion joint for the military’s testing equipment required a higher degree of expertise and a greater product offering than typical hose and expansion joint suppliers can provide.

Many traditional expansion joint makers only make bellows-style expansion joints, which would have been a never-ending design struggle to eliminate forces.

Since Hose Master was both a bellows-style expansion joint manufacturer and a metal hose manufacturer, it could use the design constraints of one to turn it into another.

Beyond the structure of the design, TCH and Hose Master also had the materials

expertise to speci a metal that could stand the 1,075° F temperatures of the testing environment. That is why they chose 316H stainless steel. The higher carbon content of 316H stainless steel makes it particularly useful for applications with elevated temperatures, making it the perfect choice for hightemperature testing. The viability of the final design was proven through tests such as: • Radiography • Dye penetrant testing • Pressure tests These tests gave the U.S. military peace of mind knowing that the Advanced Propulsion Concept would be validated in a secure and regulated environment. DW

TCH Industries tchindustries.com

cati.com || 888.308.2284

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Blue industrial lasers make it easier to work with reflective metals in

additive manufacturing

Jean-Michel Pelaprat, Founder & Chief Marketing and Scientific Officer Mark Zediker, Founder & Chairman • NUBURU, Inc.

The blue laser is a relatively new entrant into the additive manufacturing arena, and, as such, work has just begun to determine the optimum process parameters.

In 2017 the first high-power industrial blue laser reached the market. It rapidly demonstrated unmatched speed and quality for welding copper, aluminum, and many other industrially important materials. The same fundamental physical characteristics needed for welding reflective metals also suit additive manufacturing.

Continuing technological advances allow the blue laser to quickly produce nearer net-to-shape parts at high material density in copper, steel, Inconel, and other industrially important metals. The blue laser’s advantage over incumbent in ared technology in both powder bed and laser metal deposition make additive manufacturing even more attractive for automotive, medical, aerospace, and other applications.

Additive manufacturing for metals Additive manufacturing — 3D printing — started as a method to quickly produce prototype parts to check form, fit, and function. Many early 3D printers used photo resins to create a desired part.

The technology matured to offer a handful of different fabrication styles for a wider range of materials. For additive manufacturing of metals, two approaches dominate: powder bed fusion (PBF), covering about 95% of applications, and laser metal deposition (LMD), generally for larger parts.

Although alternative methods of energy deposition are available, lasers are the most flexible and straightforward mechanism.

In PBF a layer of metal powder is spread uniformly over a build plate prior to applying the laser power. A laser spot traverses the working area, causing the powder to melt and fuse in areas where the part is

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to be created. A er the targeted areas of powder have been fused on a given layer, another layer of powder is spread over the part and the process repeats as the laser fuses new raw material to the previously fused material. The maximum dimension of parts produced by PBF is generally limited to about 50 or 60 cm.

Larger metal parts can be produced with LMD. In LMD a laser beam is directed to a metal substrate, where it creates a melt pool. Metal powder entrained in a gas jet or a short length of wire feedstock is sent into the melt pool, fusing into it and incrementally adding to the part. LMD part size is limited only by the range of the in astructure — the delivery system that directs the laser and feedstock.

There’s a clear threefold logic driving growth in additive manufacturing. It

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In less than five years the blue industrial laser has brought qualitative and quantitative advantages to a variety of industries — and is now bringing those same benefits to additive manufacturing.

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Figure 1. Additive manufacturing can produce complex parts where needed, simplifying logistics and reducing costs.

reduces raw material waste; it replaces several (typically costly) assembly operations with a single fabrication step; and it simplifies logistics for complex operational support, bringing the “supply chain to the edge,” as illustrated in Figure 1. The logic of additive manufacturing only prevails, however, where performance of manufactured parts matches or exceeds that of parts or assemblies produced by traditional methods — and at a competitive cost.

For many reflective metals, the in ared laser cannot reach that goal.

The blue laser has proven it is better than IR lasers for welding copper

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and other industrially critical metals, producing defect- ee copper welds at speed. That ability is founded on fundamental physics: copper, aluminum, nickel, and other reflective metals absorb blue light better than they absorb other wavelengths.

Making “good” parts The fundamental measure of part quality is simply how closely the dimensions match design targets. Equally fundamental: the part’s mechanical strength must meet design requirements.

These are both inherent challenges for additive manufacturing.

For fabricating to design dimensions, additive manufacturing o en requires support elements that must be www.designworldonline.com

machined away, and the incremental addition of material leads to surfaces that usually require at least some degree of grinding and polishing. The goal is to reduce those post-fabrication operations to a minimum, that is, to achieve a near net-to-shape part.

Providing mechanical strength is also a challenge for IR-based additive manufacturing, first because the layer addition process itself is inherently prone to introduce voids in the finished part, and second because poor fusion of feedstock metals can diminish the fidelity of internal bonding. Compared to traditional IR additive manufacturing, blue provides a “quiet” fusion process.

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Figure 2. The build efficiency of the blue industrial laser already exceeds that of IR for most.

operation — the only option for IR processing of reflective materials. The keyhole IR process vaporizes the metal, creating defects, and consequently reduces finished part density. IR processing also ejects metal particulates, requiring expensive gas handling to get rid of them. Blue quiet mode means high metal densities close to that of the base metal can be achieved with a much simpler and lower-cost gas handling system.

Part density is a primary measurement of the efficiency of the bonding process. Once a process has demonstrated the ability to achieve a certain maximum density, it can be adjusted to create mesh structures that provide a high strength-to-weight ratio.

The voids in a mesh structure must, of course, be intentionally introduced by design, and not as a side effect of a poorly controlled process.

The blue laser is a relatively new entrant into the additive manufacturing arena, and, as such, work has just begun to determine the optimum process

parameters. Even at this early stage, the blue laser matches the high expectations set by its performance in welding. As seen in Table 1, the blue laser produces parts at rates comparable to or significantly faster than the incumbent IR technology, with improved quality. But quality is only part of the story. Any new technology must not only demonstrate its capability, but also show its readiness to step into a manufacturing environment, where stability and reliability are essential.

Stability and reliability Although the blue laser is relatively new to the additive manufacturing world, it benefits om its previous deployments in factory environments. The blue laser is being used for welding in battery fabrication, consumer electronics production, and electric vehicle manufacturing. From its inception, the blue industrial laser was designed specifically with the inherent robustness necessary to provide reliable, stable operation in challenging production environments.

Figure 3. The blue laser is absorbed far better than IR in a wide range of reflective metals.

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Figure 4. Poor IR absorption leads to poor weld quality, while high absorption of blue wavelengths is the foundation of high-quality, high-speed reflective metal welding.

In general, lasers require precise internal optical alignment, and the NUBURU high-brightness blue laser, in particular, requires extremely accurate alignment, but proprietary design and fabrication techniques maintain that alignment even in uncontrolled environments. For example, the measured power degradation is less than 0.4% per thousand hours of operation. In addition, the modular design is tailored to minimize downtime should a module need replacement, with plug and play operation that rapidly returns the laser to the required output power.

Initial results indicate the blue laser’s performance advantages in welding translate effectively to additive manufacturing. Even without full process optimization, blue laser additive manufacturing generally matches or exceeds IR laser performance in both quantitative and qualitative metrics. And the blue laser has the advantage of a history of reliable service in fabrication environments, so even though it’s relatively new to additive manufacturing, the foundational technology has maturity borne from practical applications in a number of industries. Those characteristics combine to create

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5A

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Figure 5. Additive manufacturing with the blue industrial laser is faster and more efficient than IR lasers, and the quality is quite evidently superior.

The images on the left show test blocks produced with the blue laser, while those on the right were made with IR. The top test blocks are of the GrCop alloy, and the bottom of pure copper.

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Building blocks of blue performance Table I. Blue Laser LMD Performance Comparison with IR Metal

Ti-64

Parameter

Blue

IR

Blue/IR Change

Build Rate (cm3/hr)

11.76

9.3

26%

Build Rate Efficiency (cm3/hr/W)

0.0653

0.0423

54%

Density (3rd Party)

97.8%

95.6%

2%

35

34

3%

5.35

2.6

106%

Build Rate Efficiency (cm3/hr/W)

0.0089

0.0013

576%

Density (3rd Party)

94.4%

92.75%

2%

59.0

49.1

20%

Hardness (36 for Titanium) Build Rate (cm3/hr)

Pure Cu

Hardness (3rd Party) (68 for annealed Cu)

a set of circumstances ripe for rapid advancement in blue laser additive manufacturing.

The fundamental physical advantages of the blue laser and the similarity between welding and PBF and LMD processes made it reasonable to expect that the blue laser would excel in metal additive manufacturing. But theoretical advantages do not always translate into real world performance, so it was essential to evaluate the blue laser’s capabilities in commercial equipment.

NUBURU partnered with an additive manufacturing company to perform tests in both the IR and blue using LMD with a variety of metals commonly used in additive manufacturing.

Titanium alloys are light, strong, and corrosion resistant, so they’re commonly

The blue advantage Materials processing applications are all about transferring energy om some external source into a target material.

When the external source is a laser, the efficiency of energy transfer depends upon how closely the energy of the laser light matches the energy levels of the target material. The energy carried by a photon is a function of the wavelength of light, while absorption of the target material is based on its energy levels, which depend on its constituent atoms, their chemical arrangement, and the material’s physical state.

For example, as seen in Figure 3, copper absorbs only about 5% of incident light at wavelengths around 1 µm — a common in ared laser wavelength. Thus, the IR laser welding process is inherently inefficient when compared to blue light lasers. When the IR laser delivers enough energy to melt the copper and start the weld, the melted copper now absorbs incident IR laser energy at a much greater rate. The result is a runaway process where the “extra” energy — the 95% that was reflected — is now absorbed. That extra absorption leads to rapid vaporization of the metal causing miniature explosions, sending particles of copper flying and leaving holes behind.

The blue laser stands in stark contrast.

Copper absorbs blue light more than 13 times better than it absorbs IR — and the absorption is almost the same when the copper melts. That allows for a wide process window — a large range of laser power settings and weld speeds capable of joining copper with none of the particle ejection or consequent voids om IR laser processing — leading to 3D printed part density that can exceed 95% as printed compared to the 80% achieved with an IR laser.

As seen in Figure 4, the comparison between IR and blue laser performance for copper welding illustrates the advantage of the blue laser, but it’s not the only one. The same description can be applied to nickel, aluminum, and alloys such as Inconel. And blue holds that advantage not only over IR, but over other visible wavelength lasers as well. For example, copper absorbs blue 20% more efficiently than it absorbs green.

The fundamental physical advantage has already brought benefits to a variety of industries, including energy storage, consumer electronics, and e-mobility, where the process improvements have led to production efficiencies and higher product quality. Now, that proven advantage is being turned to applications in additive manufacturing.

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used for high value parts. Ti-64, for example, is a non-magnetic titanium/ aluminum/vanadium alloy with excellent corrosion resistance, a high strength-toweight ratio, and good fatigue resistance.

Those qualities, along with an effective temperature range om cryogenic temperatures up to more than 800°F, make it a useful material in applications ranging om aircra structural members to prosthetic joints. A comparison of the production of one-inch Ti-64 blocks using both IR and blue lasers showed that the build rate for blue was more than 25% faster than the IR build rate, with better net-to-shape performance for blue. In addition, third-party testing showed the blocks produced with blue had both higher density and greater hardness.

Tests on pure copper — a material that has proven to be recalcitrant to incumbent additive manufacturing processes — demonstrated the blue laser produced one-inch test blocks at more DESIGN WORLD

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than twice the rate of IR. As illustrated in Figure 5, blue also provides significant qualitative improvements in net shape, surface quality, and the same third-party verified improvements in density and hardness.

These initial tests veri the expected blue advantage in speed and quality, but there’s an additional parameter of equivalent importance: efficiency.

For additive manufacturing this is conveniently expressed by the metric of build rate efficiency, here measured in cc/ hr/W or cc/J, as in Figure 2 — essentially, how much part volume you get for the power you put in. DW

NUBURU, Inc. www.nuburu.net

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CAE Solutions

Producing power, protecting fish with

a Darrieus Water turbine Alan Petrillo

Figure 2: An example of a Kaplan turbine rotor. | Reinraum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Netherlands employs coastal flood control structures that could also be used to harness tidal power.

Strict national and European regulations drive new turbine designs that are inherently safe for fish passage.

To develop such a rotor design for client Water2Energy, Physixfactor used simulation to adapt a Darrieus wind turbine for water use. Compared to conventional hydropower turbines, experiments show that the Water2Energy vertical-axis design reduces fish mortality rates from 20% to less than 1%.

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Figure 1: The Netherlands, highlighting the province of Zeeland and its major flood control facilities. | Original image of Zeeland in the Netherlands by TUBS, CC BYSA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The original work has been modified.

“Here in the Netherlands, we are pretty close to the sea,” says Helger Van Halewijn, who then smiles at his understatement. The North Sea and the Dutch are inseparable. From this intimate and turbulent relationship, the people of the Netherlands have learned to be resilient, and also flexible. Rather than fighting with the water, it has long been wiser to negotiate a wary truce. The famous Dutch landscape of dykes, canals, and polders does not stop the sea, so much as it redirects water flow into something manageable — and useful.

This resourcefulness lives on in modern Dutch infrastructure projects and in the people who make them possible. “We not only want to use our dykes for flood protection. We can also use them to address the need for energy and to protect fish and the environment,” says Van Halewijn, the director of engineering design consultancy Physixfactor. To achieve these goals, Dutch company Water2Energy turned to Van Halewijn to support the modeling of their vertical-axis water turbine (VAWT) for use in flood-control structures. Using multiphysics simulation, he optimized the Water2Energy VAWT to produce more electric power while minimizing potential harm to sea life.

The technology of this tidal power project may be modern, as is its emphasis on environmental protection,

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but its roots run deep into the vulnerable (but carefully guarded) Dutch soil.

Zeeland and the Delta Works: protecting a precarious place If any region of the Netherlands can be considered closest to (and most affected by) the sea, it may be the section with “sea” in its name: Zeeland. The westernmost and least populated Dutch province is also a river delta, where the Scheldt, Meuse, and Rhine all flow into the North Sea. More than one third of Zeeland’s total area is water. Its Latin motto of luctor et emergo, or “I struggle and emerge,” is illustrated on Zeeland’s coat of arms by a lion rising out of the waves.

Even by Dutch standards, Zeeland is especially vulnerable to North Sea storms, and the 1953 storm known today as Watersnoodramp permanently reshaped the region. A combination of winds, tides, and storm surge caused the sea level to rise more than 4 meters above average, breaching dykes and inundating 165,000 hectares of land.

More than 1800 people were killed and tens of thousands were forced to flee the area. The Netherlands responded by building a sophisticated system of dams and barriers throughout the delta region.

In the Dutch tradition, these Deltawerken, or Delta Works, did not completely wall off the sea from www.designworldonline.com

the land. The need for protection against periodic storms had to be balanced against the region’s everyday needs, including fishery and river access to the major ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, Belgium. Therefore, the Delta Works combined some fixed barriers with other semi-open structures, closing only when there is a threatening storm surge.

Feedback loop: the evolving priorities of the Delta Works As would be expected from such a large and complex project, construction of the Delta Works has lasted for decades (Figure 1). The project’s priorities have continued to evolve over the 70+ years since it began. Along with providing protection from sea storms, the Delta Works have also changed the regional ecosystem — not always for the better. “In the 1950s and ‘60s, when the project was designed, it was completely new. Nobody in the world had done this type of waterworks before,” explains Van Halewijn. “Concern for the environment was not like it is today.”

Aside from the semiopen barriers mentioned above, the original Delta Works included dams that blocked off some estuaries. This created new boundaries between salty seawater and freshwater from the rivers. Behind the dams, areas that had previously been subject to tidal action instead became freshwater lakes.

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CAE Solutions Figure 3: A Darrieus rotor schematic. | Saperaud~commonswiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The original work has been modified.

“Nowadays we see that was a mistake,” Van Halewijn says. Since the 1970s, sluices have been installed in a number of dams. These controlled passages are kept open under normal conditions and are closed only during storms. By reintroducing tidal cycles to the basins behind the dams, the sluices have restored the salty conditions preferred by oysters, mussels, and other coastal sea life.

ENCORE and Water2Energy: renewable energy om vulnerable places While Zeeland’s circumstances are unusual, rising sea levels caused by climate change are threatening coastal regions worldwide. The in astructural expertise of the Netherlands, learned om many centuries of bargaining with the sea, is more globally relevant than ever before. In this context, it is no surprise to see the Dutch lead crossborder initiatives like Energizing Coastal Regions with Offshore Renewable Energy (ENCORE).

Figure 5: Fluid flow through the Water2Energy water turbine.

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A joint project funded through the Interreg 2 Seas program and led by marine renewable energy expert MET/ SUPPORT, ENCORE recognizes the North Sea region’s vulnerability to climate change, as well as its potential as a source of energy production. The project, with partners om the U.K., France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, affirms that 25% of European energy demand could be met with offshore renewable sources by 2050. Three participating companies are developing offshore solar power, wave energy technology, and a river turbine. The third company, Water2Energy, seeks to produce power om the tidal flows through Delta Works sluices.

The Darrieus Rotor: adapting a wind turbine for water A place defined by the restless movement of water seems like an ideal setting for hydroelectric production.

However, while tapping into the potential of tidal power seems simple, actual conditions present many challenges.

Conventional hydroelectric technology (Figure 2) is not well suited to installation in Delta Works sluices. “The most common design for water turbines is the Kaplan-type rotor,” explains Van Halewijn. “It looks like the propeller used to power a ship. It turns very fast and if you place it in a confined space, like the sluices in our dams, it could damage fish and other sea life,” he says. To address www.designworldonline.com

Figure 4: Illustration of the Water2Energy water turbine design.

Rotor mechanism, including vertical blades, illustrated in white.

these issues, Water2Energy has instead developed a vertical-axis water turbine (VAWT) that incorporates a Darrieus-type rotor (Figure 3).

Named a er Georges Jean Marie Darrieus, who patented the Darrieus rotor for wind turbine use in 1926, this design offers potential benefits for water applications as well. From Water2Energy’s perspective, the most significant advantage of a Darrieus rotor is that its open structure and motion would be far less dangerous to fish than that of a Kaplan-type rotor. Would it be able to meet the ambitious power production goals of the ENCORE project? To balance the need to maximize electrical output while minimizing ecological harm, a number of challenges inherent to the Darrieus design had to be addressed.

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Plots of the flow (left) and torque (right) around the turbine blades, modeled in COMSOL Multiphysics.

Go with the flow: turbine blades selfoptimize their angle of attack For Water2Energy’s tidal power turbine, the most significant design decisions involved optimization of the rotor’s vertical blades (Figure 4). By testing and refining both the design of the blades and a mechanism to adjust their angle, Van Halewijn tackled two technical challenges.

First, a Darrieus rotor is not always selfstarting, even in an environment where water flows continuously. The second challenge? A spinning turbine installed in a contained passage, such as a sluice through a dam, is subject to more turbulence than one that spins eely in open air or water.

Both of these challenges can be met by continuously adjusting the turbine blades’ angle of attack. With the correct orientation toward water flow, a Darrieus rotor’s blade will start moving even at very low water speeds. The problem is that the optimal angle for starting the blade will be inefficient once the turbine is already moving. Similarly, a blade’s angle can be optimized to move smoothly past the wall of its enclosure, but that angle will be inefficient when the blade is at other points of its rotation. Van Halewijn used the COMSOL Multiphysics so ware to model the effects of different blade positions on performance.

DESIGN WORLD

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“Up to now, there has been no optimal design solution for this application.

Water2Energy had some ideas for how to do it, and together with our simulation, we came to an even better solution,” says Van Halewijn. “We were able to test several ideas in the so ware to demonstrate an optimal approach.”

To do so, Van Halewijn modeled just one blade of the turbine in order to find the optimal angle of attack. To model the turbulent flow around the turbine blade, he tried out different computational methods for fluid flow in the COMSOL so ware. The standard k-ε model was not well-suited for the problem and did not lead to an optimal power output. The so-called SST model combines the k-ε model in the ee stream and the k-ω model close to the walls, which led to good results, but made the model take too long to converge.

Therefore, the k-ω model suited both the needs of the project balanced with the computational resources.

A er modeling the turbulent flow around the turbine blade, Van Halewijn was able to find an optimal blade profile for the project. “I always explain to customers that simulation so ware is a decision tool for research and development. I am not selling mathematics. With simulation, I am able www.designworldonline.com

to move a project in the right direction, without as much trial and error. Really, what I am providing is better decisions based on the sound principles of physics,” says Van Halewijn.

“Once we had modeled a profile for the blade, we could run simulations of its motion past the walls of the channel (Figures 5, 6). This meant we had to adjust the mesh of the blade’s surface to account for every step of its 360 degrees of rotation,” Van Halewijn explains. “I was able to add a special note in the so ware to maximize energy generation in the design phase.

And of course, we had to simulate the passage of fish through the turbine, to convince people that sea life would not be harmed, not even by our prototype testing.”

Efficient and fish iendly: Live tests confirm new design’s potential Water2Energy performed live testing of its adjusting-blade VAWT mechanism inside a Delta Works sluice channel. The tests demonstrated that, in terms of power output, the redesigned turbine outperformed an existing fixed-blade design by more than 40%.

Just as importantly, the Darrieus rotor turbine proved that it could turn tidal currents into electricity October 2021

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CAE Solutions

Gearmotor Replacement Made Easy

while protecting sea life. In turbines using Kaplan rotors, up to 20% of the fish flowing past it are typically killed by the fast-spinning blades. The Water2Energy turbine, as optimized by Van Halewijn’s modeling efforts, reduced the mortality rate to less than 1%. Cameras installed in the sluice channel vividly show the vertical adjusting blades working as intended, as trout swim safely past.

Having established the efficacy of their design, Water2Energy is now working to commercialize its potential. A consortium called Climate Power Plant Zeeland proposes to build a tidal power plant inside Zeeland’s Grevelingendam. One of the solutions proposed could use up to 6 Water2Energy turbines, totaling 1.6 MW of output, to generate electricity for an estimated 1000 households.

A poetic (but pragmatic) engagement with the rising sea Although he is happy to share the particulars of his tidal power turbine project, Van Halewijn also reminds us to take a broader view: “This story is not just about simulation,” he says. “You have to put it in the context of the problems we face nowadays.”

From this perspective, we can see the larger significance of this work being done by small companies in a small country. The wellbeing of the world may now depend on our ability to negotiate with natural forces, whether those forces are as vast as a North Sea storm, or as small — but significant, and even inspiring — as a trout swimming safely out with the tide. Says Van Halewijn, “We are looking for a win–win situation.” DW

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Internet of Things

Entry-level serial-to-Ethernet device servers

The EKI-1511 series of serial-to-Ethernet device servers are industrial grade, entry-level serial-to-Ethernet device servers that support widely adopted RS-232/422/485 serial modes for serial-to-Ethernet protocol conversion. Their compact size and affordability are suitable for limited space applications, and projects requiring partial serial device digitalization.

The EKI-1511 entry-level serial-to-Ethernet device servers are equipped with 1 x serial port and 1 x Ethernet port. This series enables protocol conversion between serial and Ethernet protocols while easing serial device internet connection. The EKI-1511L leverages common RS-232 standard interfaces to connect to computers and displays. Alternatively, EKI-1511X, delivers RS-422/485 standard interfaces and improved anti-interference performance. In sum, the varied selection of EKI-1511 devices accommodates diverse applications.

The EKI-1511 series adheres to EMC and UL certification standards. These compact devices are encased within an industrial-grade, ruggedized metal housing capable of withstanding impacts. The EKI-1511IL variant supports broad operating temperatures of -40 ~ 75 °C (-40 ~ 167 °F) and, like all of the EKI-1511 series, is an excellent solution for applications within harsh, limited-space environments.

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Recent increases in malicious cyber threats have brought OT security to the fore ont of customer concerns. Congruously, the EKI-1511 series has several management mechanisms that ensure safe data transmission. One mechanism — Secure Access IP — leverages a whitelist that grants communication access to devices with authorized IP addresses exclusively. Users can exploit this feature to define/update IP whitelists according to the security needs of individual devices.

Serial device IP-ization is the first step into the world of industry 4.0. The EKI-1511 series is aimed at the entry-level device server market, providing an affordable solution capable of connecting PLC, meters, sensors, barcode scanners, and other serial devices to an IP-based Ethernet LAN using RS-232 or RS-422/485 interfaces. DW

Advantech | www.advantech.com DESIGN WORLD

9/28/21 11:38 AM

Bluetooth module for low-budget applications The BL5340 Series of Bluetooth 5.2 and 802.15.4 modules is based on Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF5340 system-on-chip (SoC).

The Series delivers a secure dual-core MCU wireless solution.

Leveraging the user accessible dual-core Arm Cortex M33 microcontroller, the BL5340 is for wireless connectivity. It allows wireless product designers to reduce the inevitable tradeoffs of how to efficiently support a network processor and a powerful performance processor to enable complex applications; one core can look a er the more simplistic Bluetooth LE so ware operation and tasks, eeing up the application processor to be clocked as their application needs between 128 or 64 MHz. Each processor core supports their own power management systems so ware,

eliminating stack and application code contention. Additionally, the support for Bluetooth 5.2, Isochronous Channels and LE Audio provides next generation Bluetooth audio capabilities, opening up new use cases for product designers with stereo streaming and broadcast audio applications.

The BL5340 Series brings out all the key nRF5340 hardware features and capabilities including USB access, power supply om 1.7V to 5.5V, and a true industrial operating range of -40 to 105°C. The BL5340 also has hardware support for NFC and 802.15.4 (Thread and Zigbee) and programing options for the Nordic nRFConnect SDK or Zephyr RTOS for maximum development flexibility.

So ware is available to examine a variety of example use cases that highlight the capabilities of the BL5340 hardware and its supporting development kit (DVK). This includes their core out-of-box (OOB) application that ships on every DVK enabling rapid testing of Bluetooth LE capabilities, Ethernet and cloud connectivity to AWS IoT. Further sample code, detailed documentation, and videos support a host of additional use cases such as condition-based monitoring, cold chain, and machine learning.

Modular FCC, ISED, CE, RCM, MIC, and Bluetooth SIG approvals extend to an OEM’s design with no new testing, enabling faster time to market and reduced development risks. DW

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Internet of Things NEWS

These IoT products quali for AWS IoT Core

PROVEN SHOCK, VIBRATION & NOISE REDUCING SOLUTIONS

MATE

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Banner Engineering expanded its range of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions by quali ing multiple products to be compatible with Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT Core. AWS IoT Core lets connected devices easily and securely interact with Cloud applications and other devices.

The quali ed sensors and wireless solutions will be available in the AWS Partner Device Catalog, offering users more options for sensor-to-cloud solutions.

These qualified solutions include Banner’s DXM series wireless controller and sensors for vibration monitoring on pumps and motors. The solutions can be expanded for other monitoring applications like temperature, tank level, current consumption, and more.

The sensors and industrial wireless communication tools will provide customers with a broad range of solutions for their plant floor, whether they need an initial condition-monitoring application, or are undertaking a full digital transformation. Likewise, Banner’s existing customers will have new options for managing their device data using AWS Cloud services and rapidly expanding offerings. DW Banner Engineering www.BannerEngineering.com

INNOVATING SHOCK & VIBRATION SOLUTIONS

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| Dynatect

Mary Gannon

Mike Santora

Cable Carriers Motion control systems can vary om straightforward single-axis direct-drive systems with little wiring to large and complex multi-axis robotic systems with an abundance of cables. Cable carriers are essentially structures designed to house cables.

The structures themselves can be made of many materials such as plastic, steel, or a metal alloy. Cable carriers are used to protect cables and hoses on moving machinery. They prevent tangling and increase safety by not having cables susceptible to getting caught in the moving parts of a machine. Applications for cable carriers can range om machine tools and robotics to cleanroom applications and large industrial equipment like cranes and other construction machinery.

Carriers can house a large volume of cables and wires and support the weight of them all without sagging or putting stress on the cabling. They also make managing and routing the cables through a machine or factory much simpler and provide easy access for troubleshooting or maintenance as well.

Selecting the right kind of cable carrier for an application starts with a few simple guidelines. The most important

points to consider are the specifics of the application.

These include the length of travel, the number of cables or hoses, the size and weight of the cables, the required speed and acceleration, and environmental factors such as exposure to any debris, excessive heat, or chemicals. Knowing the weight of the cables ensures that the carrier won’t fail by snapping in two.

Cable carrier styles can be either open or closed.

Open varieties allow for easy access to the cables and visible access as well, whereas closed carriers seal off the cables om the environment to protect om environmental contaminants such as metal filings.

Read more on this cable management topic (and access other MC2 installments) by visiting designworldonline.com/MC2.

This educational installment sponsored by:

DESIGN WORLD

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

Building on success during COVID:

INSIDE: • Inflatable robotic hand gives amputees real-time tactile control ......................................................................... 56

Q&A with Intuitive CEO Gary Guthart page 60

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The Robot Report

Inflatable

robotic hand

gives amputees real-time tactile control

A computer model relates a finger’s desired position to the corresponding pressure a pump would have to apply to achieve that position.

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www.therobotreport.com

THE ROBOT REPORT

9/29/21 12:48 PM

The smart hand is soft and elastic, weighs about half a pound, and costs a fraction of comparable prosthetics. | Credit: MIT

Steve Crowe

Editorial Director, The Robot Report

For the more than 5 million people in the world who have undergone an upper-limb amputation, prosthetics have come a long way. Beyond traditional mannequin-like appendages, there is a growing number of commercial neuroprosthetics — highly articulated bionic limbs, engineered to sense a user’s residual muscle signals and robotically mimic their intended motions.

But this high-tech dexterity comes at a price.

Neuroprosthetics can cost tens of thousands of dollars and are built around metal skeletons, with electrical motors that can be heavy and rigid.

Now engineers at MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have designed a soft, lightweight, and potentially low-cost neuroprosthetic hand. Amputees who tested the artificial limb performed daily activities, such as zipping a suitcase, pouring a carton of juice, and petting a cat, just as well as — and in some cases better than — those with more rigid neuroprosthetics.

The researchers found the prosthetic, designed with a system for tactile feedback, restored some primitive sensation in a volunteer’s residual limb. The new design is also surprisingly durable, quickly recovering after being struck with a hammer or run over with a car.

The smart hand is soft and elastic, and weighs about half a pound. Its components total around $500 — a fraction of the weight and material cost associated with more rigid smart limbs.

THE ROBOT REPORT

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The Robot Report “This is not a product yet, but the performance is already similar or superior to existing neuroprosthetics, which we’re excited about,” said Xuanhe Zhao, professor of mechanical engineering and of civil and environmental engineering at MIT. “There’s huge potential to make this soft prosthetic very low cost, for lowincome families who have suffered from amputation.”

Zhao and his colleagues have published their work today in Nature Biomedical Engineering. Co-authors include MIT postdoc Shaoting Lin, along with Guoying Gu, Xiangyang Zhu, and collaborators at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China.

Big Hero hand The team’s pliable new design bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain inflatable robot in the animated film “Big Hero 6.” Like the squishy android, the team’s artificial hand is made from soft, stretchy material — in this case, the commercial elastomer EcoFlex. The prosthetic comprises five balloon-like fingers, each embedded with segments of fiber, similar to articulated bones in actual fingers. The bendy digits are connected to a 3-D-printed “palm,” shaped like a human hand.

The smart hand is soft and elastic, and weighs about half a pound. Its components total around $500 — a fraction of the weight and material cost associated with more rigid smart limbs.

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Rather than controlling each finger using mounted electrical motors, as most neuroprosthetics do, the researchers used a simple pneumatic system to precisely inflate fingers and bend them in specific positions. This system, including a small pump and valves, can be worn at the waist, significantly reducing the prosthetic’s weight.

Lin developed a computer model to relate a finger’s desired position to the corresponding pressure a pump would have to apply to achieve that position.

Using this model, the team developed a controller that directs the pneumatic system to inflate the fingers, in positions that mimic five common grasps, including pinching two and three fingers together, making a balled-up fist, and cupping the palm.

The pneumatic system receives signals from EMG sensors — electromyography sensors that measure electrical signals generated by motor neurons to control muscles. The sensors are fitted at the prosthetic’s opening, where it attaches to a user’s limb. In this arrangement, the sensors can pick up signals from a residual limb, such as when an amputee imagines making a fist.

The team then used an existing algorithm that “decodes” muscle signals and relates them to common grasp types.

They used this algorithm to program the controller for their pneumatic system.

When an amputee imagines, for instance, holding a wine glass, the sensors pick up the residual muscle signals, which the controller then translates into corresponding pressures. The pump then applies those pressures to inflate each finger and produce the amputee’s intended grasp.

Going a step further in their design, the researchers looked to enable tactile feedback — a feature that is not incorporated in most commercial neuroprosthetics. To do this, they stitched to each fingertip a pressure sensor, which when touched or squeezed produces an electrical signal proportional to the sensed pressure. Each sensor is wired to a specific location on an amputee’s residual limb, so the user can “feel” when the prosthetic’s thumb is pressed, for example, versus the forefinger.

www.therobotreport.com

Good grip To test the inflatable hand, the researchers enlisted two volunteers, each with upperlimb amputations. Once outfitted with the neuroprosthetic, the volunteers learned to use it by repeatedly contracting the muscles in their arm while imagining making five common grasps.

After completing this 15-minute training, the volunteers were asked to perform a number of standardized tests to demonstrate manual strength and dexterity. These tasks included stacking checkers, turning pages, writing with a pen, lifting heavy balls, and picking up fragile objects like strawberries and bread. They repeated the same tests using a more rigid, commercially available bionic hand and found that the inflatable prosthetic was as good, or even better, at most tasks, compared to its rigid counterpart.

One volunteer was also able to intuitively use the soft prosthetic in daily activities, for instance to eat food like crackers, cake, and apples, and to handle objects and tools, such as laptops, bottles, hammers, and pliers. This volunteer could also safely manipulate the squishy prosthetic, for instance to shake someone’s hand, touch a flower, and pet a cat.

In a particularly exciting exercise, the researchers blindfolded the volunteer and found he could discern which prosthetic finger they poked and brushed. He was also able to “feel” bottles of different sizes that were placed in the prosthetic hand, and lifted them in response. The team sees these experiments as a promising sign that amputees can regain a form of sensation and real-time control with the inflatable hand.

The team has filed a patent on the design, through MIT, and is working to improve its sensing and range of motion.

“We now have four grasp types. There can be more,” Zhao said. “This design can be improved, with better decoding technology, higher-density myoelectric arrays, and a more compact pump that could be worn on the wrist. We also want to customize the design for mass production, so we can translate soft robotic technology to benefit society.” RR

THE ROBOT REPORT

9/29/21 12:49 PM

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The Robot Report

Building on success during COVID:

Q&A with Intuitive CEO Gary Guthart

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THE ROBOT REPORT

9/29/21 12:50 PM

CEO of surgical robotics leader discusses how Intuitive coped with COVID, what must be done to maintain market dominance, and what keeps him up at night.

By Joanne Pransky

Gary Guthart is CEO at Intuitive (formally Intuitive Surgical) and a member of the board of directors, roles he has held since 2010. Under Guthart’s leadership, Intuitive, the world’s most successful medical robotics company, has grown to more than 8,000 employees and sold nearly 6,000 da Vinci Surgical Systems. The company’s stock is up more than 600% during his tenure.

Guthart is also on the board of directors for Illumina, and a member of the board of directors for the Silicon Leadership Group. Guthart received a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from University of California, Berkeley. He earned an MS and a PhD in engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

Why did you decide to leave SRI International, one of the world’s best nonprofit research institutes, and go work for this new corporate spin-off called Intuitive Surgical Devices in 1996?

It was not an obvious decision for me to join Intuitive Surgical when I was offered a position. I am not a roboticist by If we can help surgeons using training; I was formally trained in nonlinear mathematics. physics and some of the new I was introduced to robotics at SRI International when Ajit technologies to illuminate disease Shaw, who ran the SRI Medical Robotics Lab, asked me to as well as the things that surgeons work with their group. My introduction to that work was suturing a femoral artery of a rat, first by hand, and then should not injure during a procedure, using their robotic prototype. I was skilled at assembly such as nerves or deep blood vessels, from building models and other projects that filled my we can substantially improve safety garage growing up. However, it was the first time I was and surgeons’ guidance. exposed to anything medical.

I tried suturing by hand, using loops and Castroviejo | Credit: Intuitive needle holders, and it was really difficult. I then tried it on their robotic system and immediately fell in love with the technology.

THE ROBOT REPORT

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The Robot Report Intuitive’s da Vinci Surgical System set up in an operating room.

The challenge then for a company like ours, is not a question of where do we find opportunity to work on, but how do we choose a productive pathway? How do we advance as a company and remain as dedicated, passionate and committed as when we were a small company?

Larger companies do not have a problem with hiring intelligent people, or securing financing and resources. But sometimes they forget their mission, and mediocrity creeps in. I worry a great deal about keeping focused, vibrant, and continuing to strive toward excellence.

| Credit: Intuitive

I loved working on the SRI team and initially declined the job offer from one of the three founders of Intuitive. Thankfully, Rob Younge, the founder who was recruiting me said, “Let’s have another conversation. Talk to the other founder, John Freund, a venture capitalist and a brilliant man.”

John came out and we sat down at a local coffee shop. I was about 28 at the time and I knew nothing about the startup world. John, on the other hand, was quite experienced. He said the following to me, and it really stuck, “Regardless of whether you want to be a commercial technology person or not,” (I was just quite happy with the view of myself as an applied researcher) “you’ll be a better researcher if you see what it really takes to try to make these prototypes commercial.

Succeed or fail, you’ll be better for it and SRI will still be there, but you will be more valuable to them having seen what the process really is.”

I went home and I talked to my wife Dawn about it. Dawn’s an adventurer and she said, “He’s right. Go for it!” So I said yes and thankfully, I listened to them both.

When you made that transition, was it on your mind to become a CEO? I joined Intuitive in April 1996 as a controls system analyst, and I met the CEO of Intuitive, Lonnie Smith in early 1997. Lonnie is a spectacular human being as well as a fantastic businessperson. Those two attributes are not always found in the same person, and fortunately, he is both.

Lonnie had a lot of diverse experiences. He was an electrical engineer by training (BSEE) and then went to Harvard Business School (MBA), then went to the BCG (Boston Consulting Group) … a classic business leader background.

A couple of years in, Lonnie said to me, “Gary, I think you have skills and attributes beyond what

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you think you might.” Lonnie planted the seed in me that I might be capable of doing more, even though I hadn’t aspired to at that time. I loved seeing the direction of Intuitive, but I did not feel like I had to be the person leading the company, and I did not have a burning ambition to be the CEO. I still don’t. But Lonnie invested his personal coaching and drive in me.

As CEO of the world’s most successful medical robotics company, what keeps you up at night?

Two different things. In a pandemic year, there have been a lot of “up-at” nights. At Intuitive, we have had both a massive challenge and a sacred obligation to being both healthcare experts and technologists. The obligation has been, how do we help our customers? How do we help our staff be safe and productive? How do we help our supply chain stay fresh, whetted and full?

How do we help communities?

At Intuitive, we have manufacturing and healthcare capabilities. We do not traditionally make personal protective equipment (PPE), but when demand was lacking for our products because of COVID, we converted our factories to create PPE and we donated it. There is no sense in having medical device factories idle when you can make something that people need. These activities and others kept us busy in 2020 and I think it aligned our company toward our values.

Outside of the pandemic, I think the opportunity for better healthcare is just massive. Our generation and the next generation will continue to work on it. www.therobotreport.com

For years, Intuitive’s position in the marketplace has been protected by patents that have now come to an end.

Do you think that this has encouraged Intuitive to push technical boundaries even more?

For one thing, competition is natural.

If we were at this for 25 years and did not have competition, you would be worried that we were not doing something of interest or importance.

We have not stopped innovating at Intuitive. While it’s true that our early systems are off-patent, we continue to invent new technologies, along with several thousands of new patents and patent applications.

I do not think [competition is] robot versus robot. I think it’s about ecosystem versus ecosystem. The technologies and services that deliver better outcomes and experiences for the patient, and better experiences for the care teams, with lower total treatment costs.

If you could solve one technical problem today, what would it be?

I think there are two places that are really interesting. One is that there has been enormous variability between care teams.

Surgery has a large standard deviation between its care team of four or five people – surgeon, physician’s assistant, anesthesiologist, circulating nurse – who are orchestrating that procedure.

The variance between the good ones and the less good ones is quite high due to factors such as experience, training and level of competency. I believe imaging, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), sensing, and machine learning can really start driving closure of those gaps.

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The difference between a lowest quartile care team versus the upper quartile care team in complex procedures can result in about two to three times the likelihood of patient complications or readmissions to the hospital. That’s an enormous opportunity for improvement and I think imaging, machine learning and cloud computing can make a powerful difference.

The second technical need is a collection of sensors that can construct a view of the world that allows for successful surgical navigation. In most cases, surgeons cannot see a cancer when they’re doing cancer procedures.

They have a preoperative image that guides them, but some cancers are totally invisible to the unaided human eye.

If we can help surgeons using physics and some of the new technologies to illuminate

Intuitive’s da Vinci Xi surgical system. | Credit: Intuitive

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disease as well as the things that surgeons should not injure during a procedure, such as nerves or deep blood vessels, we can substantially improve safety and surgeons’ guidance. These are two massive opportunities, [that if addressed will] change the conversation and outcomes.

What is the greatest lesson or largest mistake you have made?

There are plenty of lessons and mistakes. My mom was a high school science teacher and my father was an electrical engineer who later in his career became a startup leader for a small defense company. Science is in my blood.

Literally. The Physics of Fluids was a magazine on my parents’ coffee table.

When I came out of school, I was really excited about technology first. Then I learned pretty quickly that healthcare is a “human-first” endeavor. If you go ask the surgical experts and do the workflow analysis, it’s about 60 human beings who have to do the right thing the day of surgery for that patient to have an optimal chance of a good outcome.

Approaching medical challenges as human first, and anchoring on patients’ needs with technology as an aide, was really something that was super important. My most challenging lessons were viewing through the eyes of the patient first, then viewing through the eyes of the care team and then viewing through the eyes of the healthcare organization. If we invert that order and fall in love with a particular technology, we find that it actually carries us a little bit in the wrong direction.

Hospitals have to look at the overall costs of treatment, reducing length of hospital stays, and reduction in complications as the major selling point for robotic technologies. What can be done to reduce the cost per operation of using robotics like the da Vinci surgical system?

I think the core economics that matters most to the healthcare system www.therobotreport.com

is the total cost-to-treat per patient episode.

In terms of the hierarchy of costs, it turns out that the robot itself is the part that everybody focuses on, but actually is not the costliest item on a per procedure basis.

The cost of the parts, service and capital allocation for the robot are a small fraction, about 10% of the total cost expenses.

Furthermore, over time, we have had a chance to refine our design and manufacturing prowess. We have used advanced manufacturing techniques to create lower costs for our instrumentation. We have recently also implemented some scale advantages in terms of our supply chain and our manufacturing capabilities that likewise lower costs.

The highest cost is human staff, the second highest is the time in the OR, and the third is the operating room consumables.

Single-use sterile instruments, used once and thrown out, are typically more expensive, not less expensive.

Sometimes you can get higher performance in something that is used only once, but in general, it is not a great idea. It increases costs, medical waste and transportation costs, and also leaves a carbon footprint. In general, reuse is a better idea than single use, with the exception of very few things where waste costs can be managed.

Is it possible for hospitals to do two operations a day every day of the year?

How much downtime should they assume for routine maintenance?

What drives utilization has little to do with the robotic system and almost everything to do with the kind of surgery. We have hospital customers who do benign surgeries, such as gallbladder surgery or hernia repair. They can do seven to eight per day, every day. On the other hand, if you are performing a complex colorectal cancer procedure, you may only do two a day because of total surgical time and the uncertainty of the procedure.

In general, the amount of time the system is decommissioned for maintenance is less than 2% of the total operating time available to it in a year. Reliability is quite high. In industrial settings, people talk about mean time before failure, but it is somewhat different in our setting. In our setting, the assistant is right on top of the robot, right there with the patient. It is not automation in that sense. System availability to complete a case is greater than 99.9%. RR THE ROBOT REPORT

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It’s not a web page, it’s an industry information site So much happens between issues of R&D World that even another issue would not be enough to keep up. That’s why it makes sense to visit rdworldonline.com and stay on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

It’s updated regularly with relevant technical information and other significant news to the design engineering community.

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environments, human safety applications, and other scenarios.

Provide design flexibility with dc drives

Low-voltage dc stepper and servo drives offer innovative and space-saving options for many motion control applications traditionally handled by ac servo drives.

Kevin Wu | Product Marketing Manager | Siemens Industry In the not-so-distant past, industrial facilities were limited in the motor types they could deploy on production lines. Today, their choices have been widening quickly, however, empowering engineers to specify motors and drives particularly suited to each application.

Alternating current (ac)-driven motors are no longer the only reliable option for industrial motion control, with advances in direct current (dc) stepper and servo motors and drives providing robust alternatives.

Across many plant floors, ac power is readily available for drive supply, though that is not always the case. When applications require low-voltage dc instead, there are available motor and drive options. While many traditional extra-low-voltage dc drives cannot handle the rigor of hostile plant environments, modern high-performance drives are changing this situation for the better.

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• Can typically be run open-loop, so no encoder or resolver is required • Provide means for safe-torque off (STO) safety control • Cost less than comparably sized servos • Produce notable amounts of heat and vibration at high speeds

The F-TM StepDrive and ServoDrive snap right into a PLC rack, consuming minimal cabinet space, and they may be safely wired to their motors directly.

Stepper vs. servo drives The application gap is closing quickly between stepper and servo motors and drives, as advances in stepper drive accuracy are greatly increasing their usability. However, key differences between the two still rule out the use of steppers in the most demanding applications.

Some key features of stepper motors are that they: • Contain many poles • Are driven by current running through stator windings, generating a magnetic field to apply turning force to the rotor • Provide high torque at low speed, but it decreases substantially as speed increases

Though technically discrete due to their incremental movements with each consistent pulse, the many poles per revolution of modern steppers approach the performance of analog continuous positioning and speed. This makes steppers a viable alternative to servos in many applications. Additionally, including a gearbox alongside the motor can often alleviate torque concerns, although this increases the system cost and maintenance requirements, reducing two chief benefits of steppers.

On the other hand, some common servo motor features include that they: • Contain lower pole counts than steppers • Require an encoder, providing precise positioning feedback

DC stepper drive applications organized by the relationship between safety and power requirements.

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• Can overcome inherent zero-torque at low speed when properly sized for an application • Deliver higher speed, acceleration, and accuracy than steppers • Maintain consistent torque across the motor-speed spectrum, making them excellent for executing safety functions—such as safety-limited torque (SLT) and speed (SLS) • Can perform active braking Unlike stepper motors with fixed-length pulses, servos enable true continuous positioning and speed because their encoders or resolvers modulate the pulse-length and current applied to the poles, providing high-precision motion control. While servos are often recommended for use in high-stakes applications, the high reliability of modern industrial steppers makes them a viable choice in many demanding applications as well.

Limitations of ac While medium- to high-voltage ac variable frequency drives (VFDs) and servo drives fulfill many needs on a typical plant floor, ac power is sometimes unavailable or unacceptable for certain applications. A few scenarios where this applies include: • Battery-driven applications • Basic systems, as designs involving high voltages require significant overhead for safety planning and design • Compact machines requiring small, high-performance motors where motor acceleration and efficiency is critical • Human-contact applications for safety reasons The increasing role of cobots, robots, and machines in human-contact systems is of particular interest. In the medical field, robots are providing health scans and assisting with surgeries as they maneuver in the same space as humans. Grocery automation DESIGN WORLD

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A magnetic resonance imaging facility deployed a low-voltage F-TM StepDrive and an S7 PLC for motion control to ensure patient safety throughout the imaging process.

and driverless delivery systems, such as pizza delivery, run automated-guided vehicles in spaces where people walk.

And many other industries are also incorporating similar machines with close human interactions.

These and other issues make it essential to control machine motion safely and precisely, while limiting electrical voltage on these systems.

Additionally, some applications benefit from low-voltage dc drives and motors, even in the absence of humancontact or the other aforementioned conditions. Traditional ac drives can be complicated to configure, and many are relatively large. Furthermore, ac motors are not as efficient as dc motors, even at full speed.

But many dc drives on the market do not offer the reliability of traditional industrial ac drives. Regardless of the power configuration, plant personnel cannot settle for consumer-grade electronic components because robust industrial drives are required to ensure maximum uptime.

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Motion control with dc steppers and servos For plant personnel facing these concerns when selecting a motor and drive, modern low-voltage dc stepper and servo drives are often the best solution. When used in single or multiaxis applications with 24 to 48 volt dc motors, these drives are safer for operation in close proximity to humans than higher voltage ac alternatives, and they provide fast acceleration and deceleration. They can also be used in applications with a battery supply, and unlike consumer-grade drives, they are industrially hardened to withstand extreme temperatures, vibration, and electrical noise.

These compact drives are simple to set up, even for non-experts, with step-by-step wizards in their integrated automation software suites for configuration alongside PLCs, HMIs, and other automation devices. A PLC in communication with the drive controls motor motion through softwareembedded technology objects for seamless integration with the rest of the automation system. www.designworldonline.com

When used in safety systems, engineers can take advantage of low-voltage stepper drives’ hardwired STO functionality to directly cut torque- or force-producing energy from being supplied to the motor. Plus, dc servo drives are safety-ready with configurable SLT and SLS. These low-voltage dc drives provide a motor data collection interface, enabling compatible controllers to process and act upon motor status as configured in the programming environment. Data exchange takes place over the drives’ native communication protocol, such as PROFINET, and the drives can use this data for motion control commands directly in a PLC or transmit it elsewhere for additional analysis.

Modern low-voltage stepper drives have a power delivery capacity of 100 to 1,000 W, and they are suited to a wide range of variable speed, positioning, synchronous axis, and gearing applications. A few examples include: • • • • • • • • •

3D printing equipment Textile machines Printing machines Labeling machines Medical imaging machinery Robotics CNC Milling machines XY positioning tables Belt conveyors

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Also, dc stepper drives and motors contain relatively few components, keeping maintenance simple.

Electronically commutated dc servo motors possess the advantage of no wear parts, like fans or brushes, helping them hold up over long periods of time with low required maintenance, even when used with an encoder or resolver.

Design examples One example of a successful use of dc drives comes from a magnetic resonance imaging facility, where DESIGN WORLD

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engineering staff deployed a lowvoltage dc Siemens F-TM StepDrive to provide precise, safe, and automatic positioning of the patients’ bed to move them slowly and safely into the imaging chamber. During operation, the system collected and processed motor data— such as current and torque—ensuring patient safety throughout the imaging process.

One of the main factors leading to the imaging facility’s selection of the StepDrive was its low-voltage requirement for safe and reliable operation due to close proximity to patients. Pre-verified motion control technology objects in the Siemens S7 PLC reduced development time for the application, while use of the PROFIsafe communication protocol plus built-in STO functionality increased confidence

in the entire system’s integrated safety functions.

In another application, a paper product manufacturer installed an F-TM ServoDrive at its facility on the sorting line to control robots placing products on appropriate palettes for storage or truck loading. The drive worked well in this application due to its low power draw, along with its precise torque and speed control for accurate and efficient product placement.

Using the Siemens TIA Portal integrated automation software suite, the manufacturer designed and programmed the entire conveyance and sortation automation system— including drive, PLC, HMI, and network hardware—with safety integrated functions. The manufacturer then added cloud data analysis to the

picture, easily transmitting raw data to the Siemens MindSphere cloud because all system components were programmed together in a common software suite. With motor data from the robots’ encoders available, the manufacturer set up a schedule to automatically generate reports containing recommended maintenance and operations-enhancing actions. DW Siemens Industry www.siemens.com

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Update

on linear feedback Lisa Eitel • Executive Editor

Motion-system measurements can be incremental to express relative values or absolute to reference some fixed value. Here, we review these motion-sensor outputs as well as analog and digital values — and the specific case of linear-position sensing.

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All sensors in machine designs and automation at their core are transducers — devices that transduce or convert one form of energy (typically electromagnetic or mechanical) to another.

Transducers qualify as sensors when their primary function is to detect some physical condition in space, transduce electrically or mechanically collected information about that condition into some other electrical signal, and then send that signal onward to a controller.

Process-automation sensor technologies generally include those to track temperature, pressure, and flow. Discreteautomation sensor technologies generally include those to track speed, angle, torque, force and torque (F/T), vibration,

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acceleration, object presence or proximity, and (the primary focus of here) distances. All these sensor types have advanced over the last two decades … as has their programmability and connectivity to support IoT functions.

After all, sensors are core to the IIoT so very reliant on data collection and systems monitoring for predictive maintenance and integration with enterprise-level operations. No matter their format or special features, sensor measurements can be: • Relative or incremental — expressing values that relate to a floating or arbitrary start point • Absolute — expressing values in relation to some fixed reference.

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2 Some sensors allow both digital and analog signals — as illustrated by this M12 connector pin-out arrangement.

What’s more, sensor output can be analog (with an electrical signal format that’s continuous and proportional to the measured condition) or digital (with an electrical signal format that changes incrementally value in response to the measured condition).

Discrete-automation sensor technologies specific to motion are further classified by what exactly they track. Sensing rotary speed is usually via tachometers, sensors, or rotary encoders. Sensing linear speed is usually via rotary encoders (employing controls capable of estimating position based on motor-shaft actions) or the direct measurements of linear encoders. Sensing rotary or linear position is usually via encoders or position sensors. These devices track axes or objects in translational (linear) planes by indicating positions related to a reference … and position at any given time depends on the distance traversed by an object or axis. Also called linear displacement, this is a vector value, as it defines both a distances quantity and a direction of movement.

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Analog linear-position sensors report axis position in interminable granularity to a motion controller (usually via some continuous voltage signal) for nuanced system responses.

Discrete sensors (or sensors capable of outputting discrete signals) support the use of precise setpoints to trigger actions related to axis location — including workpiece positioning, measuring, cutting, and assembling tasks.

Sensors that accept programming of these setpoints provide the most flexibility of all.

Encoder and sensor technologies applied to track linear position — whether based on optical, capacitive, inductive, or magnetic operation — are the focus here.

Difference between linear-position sensors and encoders Note that automated industries differentiate linear encoders and linear position sensors in a few ways. In many contexts, linear encoder refers to any component employing a gradated tape or marked scale. After all, the meaning of encode is to convert some message or other information into a coded format that the receiver (in automation, a controller) can understand.

There are all sorts of encoding processes related to other industries beyond ours of automation — including the encoding of data related to audio and video (in the film industry) and programming systems.

It’s particularly common for linear encoders to encode position as a quadrature signal pairs — whether analog (sinewave) or digital www.designworldonline.com

For axes only needing a signal at a given position, switches are the suitable feedback choice. However, if the axis stroke occasionally changes or requires tracking along its whole length, linear position sensors are required. Linear position sensors (whether analog or digital) can report the location of an axis’ carriage or other reference element from various points.

They also let end users adjust the response location if (for a machine changeover) an axis needs to trigger feedback at a new position.

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(squarewave). Because the positiondata-conversion process essentially takes place within a linear encoder’s scale-reading subcomponent, it’s logical that such technologies are called encoders.

In contrast, the term linear position sensor often indicates some device employing an analog or digital signalgenerating assembly based on electromechanical potentiometric, electrolytic, capacitive, inductive, or magnetic operation — with the latter including various magnetoresistive, Hall effect, and magnetostrictive permutations. Where the term linear position sensor is used without any other context, it usually implies a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) — one particularly common and useful technology.

Elsewhere, the term linear displacement transducer (abbreviated LDT) is used. This usually refers to magnetostrictive-based linear sensors that compete with potentiometricbased sensors in the machine tool, office automation, and paper-printing industries. That said, some technical sources use LDT to also refer to linear potentiometers as well as draw-wire linear transducers containing rotary potentiometers.

In fact, most suppliers of linear position sensors for industrial applications also supply sensors to track angular position, acceleration, object tilt, and (relative to process control) fluid-level sensors. That’s because these components leverage many of the same core technologies (based on induction, magnetism, and so on) as linear-motion sensors.

There are variations in how specific industries (such as packaging and 3D printing) use the terminology described above. Where motion system design isn’t core to an industry’s systems, engineers may simply consider encoders (especially incremental encoders) to be a subtype of position sensor specifically relating to motion DESIGN WORLD

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WAYS TO EXPRESS SENSOR SIGNAL-OUTPUT LINEARITY

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Linearity in the context of linear-position sensors shouldn’t be confused with some quantification of a physical element. Rather, linearity quantifies how steadily proportional the sensor’s output signal is to the position it’s tracking.

control. That’s especially true for autonomous designs also employing vehicle-position sensing based on light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (laser) and light detection and ranging (lidar) technologies with time-of-flight, triangulation, or other forms of tracking.

Elsewhere, engineers use encoders to refer to those components associated with a given motor or linear actuator in the design … and position sensors to refer to feedback components associated with functions at the furthest reaches of the design’s axes.

Note: Linear-position sensors and linear encoders always add to the cost of linear systems, but it’s usually a justified expenditure. For example, adding linear encoders to ballscrew-driven axes can often let design engineers specify screws of a lower accuracy class. After all, the linear encoder feedback on such an axis can help the controller compensate for any ballscrew positioning errors.

The top benefit of linear-position feedback though is how it vastly improves the quality of cutting, dispensing, and other positioning-related machine operations. For example, without linear-feedback components, many laboratory-automation installations today wouldn’t be able to successfully employ the low-cost stepper-motor actuators so common to this industry. In these designs, linear-position sensors aid in precise positioning and prevent damage to the machine as well as expensive (and often irreplaceable) test samples.

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Difference between linear position sensors and switches Another linear-motion feedback option besides linear-position sensors are limit switches. At their core, switches on linear axes (such as limit switches on electric actuators or reed switches in pneumatic cylinders) are devices that essentially predetermine the control response to a given axis or load position. That response may take the form of automatically triggering the axis to stop driving or return to a home position for the next machine cycle.

Mechanical limit switches on actuated axes are the simplest — usually closing electrical contacts on a control circuit when a moving carriage pushes into its lever. But note how that switch function contrasts with the continuous-feedback function of a position sensor — which may prompt

controls to command a whole host of machine behaviors based on the location of the axis’ end effector, carriage, or other payload being tracked.

Difference between linear position sensors and proximity sensors Linear-position sensors also have a bit in common with proximity sensors used in so many industrial and manufacturing applications.

After all, proximity sensors detect the positioning of objects or materials into a monitored volume in space … and then trigger some action or simply confirm the objects’ presence via feedback to the controller. Key is their noncontact operation that doesn’t require physical touching with the tracked axis elements or objects.

In addition, some of the applied

physics of linear-position sensors and encoders (photoelectric, ultrasonic, capacitive, and inductive) are common to those employed in many proximity sensors. As we’ll explore in more detail, photoelectric sensors monitor light levels in a given volume.

Capacitive sensors track the dielectric constant between its detector and nearby objects. Inductive sensors employ electromagnetic induction to track metallic objects. Though the technology is relatively rare for linearpositioning uses, ultrasonic sensors emit and then scan for the return of high-frequency sound waves.

Despite their operational similarities, note how the eventfeedback proximity-sensor function contrasts with the continuousfeedback function of position sensors.

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L i n e a r

M o t i o n

Quantifying industrial linearposition sensor performance One of the most important factors for selecting a linear-position sensor is the stroke length of the axis in question — whether that’s measured in nanometers, millimeters, or meters. Of course, all sensors have some extra length (to accommodate electronics, mounting flanges, and other subcomponents) not included in the readable stroke range.

This might add a few dozen millimeters to the design.

Besides stroke length, other important factors for selecting a linearposition sensor or encoder include the application’s requirements for: • Sensor-subcomponent alignment requirements if applicable — as in feedback components with a read head that rides above a scale at some distance away • System power supplies available for the sensor — such as 15 Vdc or (more common) 24 Vdc, for example • Feedback accuracy and resolution — and maximum allowable hysteresis • Repeatability and linearity • Maintenance-free design life • Design size as well as sensor- installation restrictions • Linear position-sensor output type — whether analog (0 to 20 mA, 4 to 20 mA, or 0 to 10 V) or digital For the latter, additional output formats that a system’s PLC or other controller may require from the linear encoder or sensor include serial synchronous interface (SSI), bidirectional serial synchronous (BiSS-C), and IO-Link signals. Otherwise, the sensor may need to connect to EtherCAT, CANopen, DeviceNet, or Profibus DP network.

Generally speaking, linear-position sensors capable of outputting highprecision signals are costlier than those capable of moderate precision. That’s why knowing an application’s actual required precision is key to incurring reasonable (not excessive) design costs.

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Automation of previously mechanical designs has increased use of linear position sensors.

Challenges for which to account when specifying a linear position sensor or linear encoder include: • Environmental factors such as exposure to water, chemicals, and extreme temperatures • Electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio-frequency interference (RFI) • Unavoidable axis movement (including lateral movement) that may necessitate pivoting sensor attachments • Unavoidable machine vibrations For particularly challenging settings, linearposition sensors and encoders that embed into the linear components they monitor — whether fluid-power cylinders or electric-motor-driven actuators — are a top choice. Otherwise, linear-position sensors and encoders with ruggedized housings are in order. In some cases, modular sensor cartridges let end users swap out portions of the sensor assembly if they get damaged. In linear-position sensors and encoders bolt to a machine axes, extrudedprofile housings are common. DW

Linear Motion Tips | linearmotiontips.com

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Waste Not Engineering software helps products get greener.

Jean Thilmany • Senior Editor

For at least the past decade, the makers of design software have been touting the role their products play in sustainable design. New United States’ environmental regulations mean that conversation isn’t ending anytime soon. In fact, designers have found software can help them cut waste, aid sustainable design efforts, and boost budgets all at once, something they’d once thought impossible.

In August, Oregon passed the nation’s second extended producer responsibility law (EPR) law for packaging. Maine had voted in favor of an EPR law one month earlier. Under these laws, most product manufacturers must reduce packaging waste and become a member of a producer responsibility organization. In Oregon, PROs will need to submit an EPR plan to the state’s department of environmental quality by March 2024 and begin implementation of the plan the following July.

While environmental design—also called sustainable design—is driven by much more than rules and regulations, environmental design considerations will continue to grow, say the makers of computer-aided design and other types of engineering software. In response, they’ve added more sustainable design features to their systems.

But will the makers of products that range in size and complexity from refrigerators down to button batteries change their designs in light of new laws and increased public 82

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Alice is a zero-emission, all-electric aircraft under development at Eviation Aircraft, which expects the plan to make regional flights more affordable. | Eviation Aircraft

emphasis on environmental design? Possibly, finds past research from the Resources for the Future, a Washington D.C. nonprofit with the mission to improve environment, energy, and natural resource decisions. Cause and effect—law and design changes—are hard to link, the report found.

But even without legislation, manufacturers are heeding customers’ cries for greener goods.

“The extent to which EPR policies lead to design for the environment is an open question,” wrote Margaret Walls, then a researcher at Resources for the Future, in a 2006 report. The term “extended producer responsibility” was coined when the original German packaging takeback law was passed in the early 1990s, Walls wrote. “Although EPR means slightly different

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things to different people, a core characteristic of any EPR policy is that it places some responsibility for a product’s end-of-life environmental impacts on the original producer and seller of that product.

“The thinking behind this approach is that it will provide incentives for producers to make design changes to products that would reduce waste management costs. Those changes should include improving product recyclability and reusability, reducing material usage, downsizing products, and engaging in a host of other socalled design for environment activities,” she wrote.

Her report set out to find whether the early EPR laws had led to design changes. At the time, documentation was sparse on “real-world changes made in response to policies.” www.designworldonline.com

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Designers at Bresslergroup Innovation, literally designed a better (at least from an environmental standpoint) Victor Mousetrap from the Woodstream company. | Woodstream

While environmental design—also called sustainable design— is driven by much more than rules and regulations, environmental design considerations will continue to grow, say the makers of computer-aided design and other types of engineering software.

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Walls found that, in Germany, packaging volumes and materials use had declined after the EPR regulations went into effect. In Japan, Honda increased the proportion of materials within their vehicles that can be recycled in response to a law mandating auto shredder residue—the mixed material left over for disposal after vehicle parts have been recycled—meet specified recycling rate targets.

Manufacturing makes the mix Today’s sustainable design practices go beyond the actual products themselves to encompass manufacturing methods.

CAD helps here because manufacturing decisions begin with product design, researchers say.

The term environmentally conscious manufacturing process (ECMP) refers to the integration of environmental thinking into new product development, say researchers at institutions in France and Tunisia.

“ECMP has become an obligation to the environment and to the society itself, enforced primarily by governmental regulations and customer perspective on environmental issues,” writes Raoudha Gaha in a 2015 paper published in the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology.

“This is especially true in the CAD phase, which is the last phase in the design process. At this stage more than 80% of (manufacturing) choices are made.”

Gaha is a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Technology of Compiègne in Compiègne, France. He teamed with researchers at the National Engineering School of Monastir in Tunisia and at Ecole Centrale in Paris on the study.

Engineers should take a product’s geometry and machining information into consideration as they work within CAD software, Gaha writes.

The researchers propose an ECMP approach to eco-design that calls upon CAD technology.

Yakima engineers redesigned their company’s ForkLift roof-rack bike with the help of software that alerted them to areas of material waste they could trim. | Yakima

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what are

modular Will it fly in Earth-friendly style?

Elsewhere, engineering technology providers have introduced solutions intended to aid with the design of products that are themselves specifically billed as environmentally friendly.

Take the example of the zero-emission, all-electric aircraft under development at Eviation Aircraft of Israel, which introduced a prototype of the plane, named Alice, in 2019. With a proposed cruising speed of 280 miles per hour, the ninepassenger airliner will be an affordable and sustainable option for air travel, says Omer Bar-Yohay, Eviation Air chief executive officer. Because electric engines offer higher propulsion efficiencies and lower maintenance costs, the plane’s flight costs are reduced by around 90% as compared to similar, traditionally made aircraft “which makes flying regional distances affordable,” Bar-Yohay says. Because the plane is electric, it’s quieter than a traditional plane.

Once commercialized, Alice will be capable of carrying two crewmembers and nine passengers on a single charge for 650 miles at 10,000 feet, he adds.

Engineers at Eviation Air where able to create the Alice prototype in two years with the help of “Reinvent the Sky” engineering software, which sits on the cloud-based 3DExperience platform from Dassault Systèmes, Bar-Yohay says.

The platform integrates 3D design, composite design, and flow simulation.

More than 160 suppliers and partners located all over the world collaborated on the project.

“The propellers are made in the US, the plane’s molds in Indonesia, the landing gear in Italy, other components in France,” Bar-Yohay says. “The engineering technology allowed us to collaborate and go from concept to prototype very quickly.”

Sustainable by choice Environmentally friendly needn’t be the size of an airplane.

The new era of innovation will come from sustainable solutions, proudly declares a director of innovation at a company that could be said to manufacture a rather fusty, noninnovative product.

While the door locks and access-controls Assa Abloy makes are not quite as alluring as an electric aircraft, they’re of even greater necessity.

Recently, the manufacturer sought to introduce sustainable design practices for its products. In order for these systems to be included on green-building designs, the company needed to provide an Environmental Product Declaration to its customers.

Builders need the EPD information to attain environmental certification, says Markus Bade, Assa Abloy’s director of innovation for central Europe.

For the first step toward gathering the information, the manufacturer conducted a baseline sustainable engineering study on an existing product. This was done to assess and DESIGN WORLD

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compare the environmental impacts of existing and modified designs. For the study, the company’s engineering team in the Netherlands used the sustainability solution that can be included with SolidWorks 3D CAD software, Bade says.

Although SolidWorks Sustainability estimates the carbon footprint, energy consumption, and water and air impacts associated with a particular design, the construction industry requires additional environmental data for an EPD. Nevertheless, by providing these figures, the software gave engineers a trusted starting point for sustainable design, Bade says.

The Assa Abloy designers then used the environmental impact assessment tools within SolidWorks to design a new door-locking mechanism that cut the existing product’s environmental impact and also reduced manufacturing costs by 15%, Bade says. In fact, those two results were connected on one another, he adds.

The re-designed product proved the “traditional business view of sustainable design” wrong, he says. Sustainable design practices can improve processes and save money.

“We were pleasantly surprised to learn that by evaluating the environmental impact of a product, we can cut costs and protect the environment,” he says.

Analysis of the existing product found it to be overly strong, so engineers felt confident enough to go ahead with changes to material weight and thickness, Bade adds. The team cut the number of materials used and replaced custom nickel- and chromeplated materials with stainless steel, and redesigned the latch tail.

Other changes included closing the lock case, riveting the cover, and screwing on the front plate.

“The material savings are quite dramatic,” Bade says. “When you cast nearly a million metal parts each year, every gram that you can cut from each part means less impact on the

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environment and lower cost.

Another developer, Sustainable Minds, makes software intended to give engineers pertinent supplier and material information, which allows them to weigh each design decision from an environmental standpoint.

Take Yakima. The customers who buy a ForkLift roof-rack bike mount made by the company are, for the most part, already environmentally conscious. The fork-style roof rack bike mount fits nearly every bicycle crossbar right out of the box without adjustment. To make the product even more environmentally appealing, Yakima used the Sustainable Minds software to find places environmental improvements could be made to its forklifts, says Chris Sautter, advanced development manager at the company.

The sustainability software highlighted the areas where engineers could make material substitutions that significantly improved sustainability and also improved cost and performance, Sautter says.

Reduce the wrappings When it comes to retail products, sustainable packaging and manufacturing processes don’t necessarily need to be separate, designers have discovered.

The product development firm Bresslergroup Innovation, headquartered in Philadelphia literally designed a better mousetrap—and its packaging—with help from Susainable Minds software. When Woodstream learned its Victor Mousetrap may have a place in the aisle at Walmart, the supplier knew a high score on the retailer’s environmental scorecard would further the mousetrap’s chance of acceptance.

To boost the rating, Woodstream called in Bresslergroup Innovation, which kicked off redesign using the Sustainable Minds evaluation process, says Mathieu Turpault, director of design and managing partner at Bresslergroup. www.designworldonline.com

“The software enabled us to create a benchmark, a starting point that we could iterate around and improve upon.

We could quickly test assumptions, evaluate how shipping environmental impact compared to material environmental impact, and figure out where our design time and effort should be spent,” Turpault says.

After improving on the product’s design, Bresslergroup turned its attention to packaging. Designers were able to eliminate the plastic blister pack and minimize the amount of cardboard the mousetrap had been packaged in.

The designers discovered early that the environmental impact of shipping the mousetrap to retail locations was fairly minimal. Material selection was a more important element for sustainable packaging.

“It became clear that removing material from the packaging design would yield significant environmental gains,” Turpault says. “Sustainable Minds helped guide our design process throughout.”

Maybe the mousetrap maker is leading the way, showing manufacturers in Oregon and Maine that they can reduce packaging waste to meet the new environmental legislation in those states. It may also demonstrate that sustainable design practices don’t need to increase costs while raising the changes the product could appear on retailers’ shelves or as a construction material within certified green buildings.

And the practices will give the environment a break as well. DW

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Connect and discuss this and other engineering design issues with thousands of professionals online

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5G TECHNOLOGY WORLD Delivers the Latest 5G Technology Trends

5G Technology World is EEWorldOnline’s newest site covering 5G technology, systems, infrastructure, and wireless design and development.

Get caught up on critical 5G information, check out the following articles on 5GTechnologyWorld.com: Massive MIMO performance testing: Emulate the channel Performing MIMO testing using real-world conditions is critical for successful 5G deployments. www.5gtechnologyworld.com/massive-mimoperformance-testing-emulate-the-channel

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

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

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

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

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How precision

metrology

is putting electric vehicles in gear

Not only are electric vehicles (EVs) more prevalent on the roads, but many automotive companies are announcing plans for EVs to eventually dominate their product portfolios. As the shift from internal combustion (IC) to electric continues, the number of drivetrain components will dramatically lessen. So how does that impact the gear components necessary to convert the high-force torque from electric motors to the RPMs at the wheel? Here, we explore some manufacturing options.

Edited by Mike Santora

Two factors of a vehicle’s operation are related to the new gear packs for electric cars

Example of hypoid planetary gear grinding, becoming typical in EV transmissions.

— efficiency, or “rangeability,” and gear noise. To appeal to consumers, electric vehicles will need to reach similar mileage as their internal combustion counterparts. Accomplishing this will require gears with lower surface texture, where surface friction is reduced, thereby increasing the vehicle’s overall range. Second, the sound from an IC engine typically masks the noise from the drivetrain. Efforts to dampen sound in the passenger cabin were designed into the vehicle frame and the passenger compartment. Yet, with the shift to electric engines, gear noise could again become prominent if it does not change to new manufacturing processes. With recent processing developments and tighter specifications on EV gears, precision metrology can play a fundamental role in EV manufacturing development.

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Example of non-planar stitching over a hypoid gear flank, from root to tip.

Processing of data for waviness allows engineers to visualize small fluctuations which may occur in part processing.

Gear flank roughness plays a crucial role in lubricant film retention as well as making surfaces more durable.

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The design and manufacture of gears can take many paths, leading product design engineers to evaluate different methods to achieve stringent surface texture, waviness specifications, and high production volume demands. Contingent on the production method, fabricating accurate gear tooth form and flank texture can be a balancing act. But when achieved, specific techniques can produce gears in high quantities while attaining the required form and surface texture demands. One such method is continuous generating grinding which uses threaded wheels remaining in constant contact with the developing gear tooth structure (see figure 1).

This method, among others, has been proven to produce the essential gear texture and waviness specifications to improve gear tooth interaction while reducing contingent noise.

To ensure the surfaces on the gears are optimized, it is essential to use metrology tools to analyze, understand, and characterize.

With high-value gears, it is highly preferable that non-contact metrology solutions are used, which will not compromise or damage the post-processed gears. As gear surfaces become smoother, tactile and other analysis methods will become more challenging to use.

They may result in surface scoring or might not reach the critical inspection areas. This creates a need for a suite of 3D non-contact optical profilers. At the heart of ZYGO’s optical metrology solutions is its coherence scanning interferometry (CSI), which uses specialized optical microscope objectives that provide the imaging and magnification of a surface and measure the 3D topography of the surface.

CSI profiling is entirely non-contact and, in contrast with other microscope-based 3D topography techniques, the height resolution of the measurement is consistent across all magnifications, whether the magnification is 1x or 100x. This presents a unique opportunity for CSI-based systems as the shape and size of the gear may limit the types of objectives able to gain access to the area of interest.

With other technologies, the use of a long working distance objective may limit the vertical resolution of the measurement.

ZYGO’s internally developed objectives lose neither vertical resolution nor measurement precision. Additionally, the extreme stability of the measurement, ease of gaining access to the measurement area, and the assortment of DESIGN WORLD

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•• •• •• objectives are required for meeting onthe-floor production metrology.

Another critical area of focus is field stitching. With some similarities to panoramic photography, a user can set up a measurement to capture more area than the installed objective. This creates a matrix of overlapping measurements that are “stitched” together to form a larger overall measurement. Where this is advantageous in gear metrology is the acquisition of surface texture along a gear flank, from edge to edge, or stitching from the gear root to the tip, traversing over the involute shape. The ability to perform these stitched measurements over nonplanar surfaces, such as hypoid-shaped surfaces, should be emphasized.

By programming the start and end positions of the measurement sequence, a user can re-measure a hypoid gear with continuous high

precision.

Combining the stitching and measurement methods with long-and super-long working distance objectives, software ease-of-use, and internal Python scripting provides users with a complete solution for measuring many different gear types.

The growth of the EV market is inevitable. It places significant challenges in front of manufacturers as they wrestle with the need for technological advances in the real nuts and bolts of vehicle engineering. Top of the list at the moment is the requirement for advanced finishing and grinding technologies that are used to produce extremely complex and precise surface features in gear teeth to enhance efficiency and reduce noise, thereby improving customer satisfaction.

As is often the case in advanced design and manufacturing, metrology’s

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role moves from a necessary evil to enabling technology when pursuing innovative technological advancements.

In the area of gear manufacturing for EVs, it is vital to accurately, quickly, and easily characterize the precision surface features.

Optical metrology is a versatile inspection method and has an essential role in verifying gear quality and design intent achievement. Today, it has become the “go-to” metrology solution, benefitting from the fact that it is non-contact, non-destructive, fast, highly sensitive, and has exceptional resolution and accuracy. DW

Zygo | zygo.com

Fastener Engineering This area has long been one of the most read and sought after by our engineering audience! From screws to bolts and adhesives to springs, these critical but often overlooked components are the key to every successful design.

FastenerEngineering.com will serve readers in the mechanical design engineering space, providing news, product developments, application stories, technical how-to articles, and analysis of engineering trends. This site will focus on key issues facing the engineering markets around fastener technology, along with technical background on selected components.

Engineering September 2019

A supplement of Design World

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

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

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Examining direct drive

hydraulic maintenance

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Timothy McCrea | Market Segment Manager – Aftermarket | Hägglunds – Bosch Rexroth Corp.

ydraulic systems are proven, versatile and dependable technologies used in mining operations on equipment such as auger drives, drilling machines, mobile crushers, apron feeders, breakers, belt conveyors, and more. In particular, radial-piston, direct drive hydraulic motors are well-suited for these applications because of their low-speed/high-torque (LSHT) capabilities, their space-saving design, and technology engineered to deliver reliable, long-lasting performance and reliability for moving heavy loads under difficult operating conditions.

As with any system in a harsh environment, routine service is critical to maintaining the uptime of radial piston motors. Hydraulic direct drives are engineered for longevity; however, preventative maintenance (PM) is often overlooked for this type of equipment until it is too late. When breakdowns occur, they can take valuable equipment off the line or even shut down operations.

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Value of hydraulic direct drives Large LSHT hydraulic direct drive systems are often used to power demanding mining applications where heavy masses of materials need to

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be moved under variable speeds.

Mining equipment such as fixed or mobile crushers, bucket wheel drives and augers have specific needs in equipment design and flexibility. These include the ability to withstand rugged environments and shock loading, two of the most common operating conditions.

In addition, hydraulic direct drives must be able to resist wear and tear without adding bulk and weight.

LSHT radial piston motors meet these challenges, producing extremely high torques in a small compact package. The radial piston motor mounts directly on the machine’s driven shaft, while other hydraulic drive

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components can be located away from the machine. For mobile equipment, all the hydraulic components may be distributed on the machine platform itself.

Some of the better radial piston hydraulic drives are designed to prevent equipment damage via set points and limits that prevent over-torque in case of upstream or downstream equipment failure. Diagnostics and machine health indicators are additional advantages available on these types of radial piston hydraulic drive systems. Given the central role hydraulic direct drives play in the smooth operation of mining equipment, they should be included in any effective maintenance strategy.

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| Courtesy of Bosch Rexroth Hägglunds

Implementing a few effective maintenance and service best practices can prevent major breakdowns — plus it saves time, money, and effort compared to allowing equipment to deteriorate, then shipping it off to a repair center.

More importantly, these best practices can help mining operators ensure that the drives powering vital equipment provide the years of operation they were engineered to deliver.

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In addition, if a facility or location generally follows breakdown maintenance, failures in multiple pieces of equipment can happen right on top of each other. These types of failures typically have longer repair times if systematic neglect forces repair of surrounding components and equipment as well as the hydraulic direct drives.

Radial piston direct drive hydraulic motors (shown here in orange) are well-suited for mining operations because of their low-speed/high-torque capabilities, long-lasting performance and reliability for moving heavy loads under difficult operating conditions.

Mining equipment such as fixed or mobile crushers, bucket wheel drives and augers have specific needs in equipment design and flexibility.

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Risks of “breakdown maintenance” When periodic predictive maintenance practices are not in place (or only performed intermittently), even the best, most well-engineered hydraulic system will break down. “Breakdown maintenance” follows with serious impacts, such as: • Equipment deterioration is a direct result of neglect, increasing energy costs and reducing efficiency.

• Small issues — such as fluid leaks from worn-out seals — become big issues when preventable fixes are overlooked.

• Safety incidents and injuries occur more often due to sudden failures or jams on conveyors and other systems moving loads over long distances.

• Maintenance teams are under pressure to complete fixes on a time crunch, thus potentially overlooking standard safety practices, and • Emergency repairs are more difficult to schedule, often incur higher costs and can take technical personnel away from regular duties to support removing and transporting damaged direct drive equipment.

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Best practices for maintaining hydraulic direct drives There are several essential maintenance practices that, if followed consistently, can prevent many potential hydraulic direct drive failures and keep you from operating in breakdown maintenance mode.

Periodic inspection and maintenance checks: This lays the foundation for maintenance best practices. Equipment inspections should follow a standard schedule. Standard intervals should be monthly at a minimum, whereas some of the best facilities conduct weekly inspections. Inspections should document danger signs, such as main pump pressure changes, fluctuations in desired motor speed, increased oil temperatures compared to standard operating levels, increased case drain flows, hydraulic oil leaks and oil reservoir levels.

Large-scale operations in industries, such as mines and paper mills, use these inspections not only to prevent breakdowns but also to capture data about machine performance to improve both their maintenance and production processes.

Hydraulic fluid selection and condition: As with other hydraulic systems, be sure to use the manufacturer’s recommended fluid with the viscosity level the hydraulic direct drive is engineered to use.

Environmental factors can influence this selection. Mining operations will have temperature extremes based on their locations, especially in high-temperature environments. If equipment manufactured for use in Canada is shifted to use in New Mexico, double-check the hydraulic system DESIGN WORLD

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specifications as to whether a change from a moderate viscosity fluid, such as ISO 46, to a denser viscosity, such as ISO 68 or 100, is advisable.

Equally important is regular monitoring of hydraulic fluid conditions for contaminants, discoloration or particles — along with other sensor data that the direct drive may offer.

Oil condition is a critical warning sign that there may be components in the motor that are wearing or damaged. This is particularly important in pits and quarries for example, with their high level of dust, gravel and other contaminants.

Servicing filters and seals: Filter changes at specific intervals are important to reduce contamination buildup and, in turn, reduce wear in all hydraulic system components.

Direct drive manufacturers will specify the type of filter their system should use, and they may provide more detailed recommendations — filter medium and micron level, for example — depending on the level of dust and contaminants present in the operating environment.

In addition, most hydraulic systems have fittings that use O-rings to prevent leakage; however, due to the shock loading, vibration and nature of leaking in aggregate operations, these O-ring seals may tend to wear out more frequently. Periodic maintenance inspection will find those leaks so you can replace used and worn O-rings, tighten loose fittings or replace any damaged fittings.

Use OEM parts: With radial piston motors, it may be assumed that a local repair shop has the expertise to complete a repair to OEM specifications. However, to achieve OEM-level it is critical to ensure the right parts are used.

It’s quite common to see motors repaired with used parts taken from a scrapped component, or with aftermarket parts not necessarily designed to perform under the harsh conditions of high shock load equipment. In addition, sometimes motors have parts that require a special proprietary coating which may improve service life or efficiency. These coatings are used on internal wear parts designed specifically for high shock load applications where there is a risk of cavitation.

Cavitation can cause a reduction of oil film between the metal wear parts. In addition, these proprietary coatings were developed to deliver long life in applications requiring extremely slow and extremely high motor

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Maintenance inspections can capture data about machine performance to improve production processes. Weekly inspections should document danger signs, such as main pump pressure changes, fluctuations in desired motor speed, increased oil temperatures compared to standard operating levels, increased case drain flows, hydraulic oil leaks and oil reservoir levels.

The specialized design and operating characteristics of hydraulic direct drives call for a higher level of expertise and resources, which usually can only be supplied by OEM-certified facilities that concentrate on this equipment.

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F l u i d

P o w e r

speeds where oil viscosity levels can be reduced. This detailed knowledge may not be available from third-party local repair shops working on a wide range of industrial hydraulics equipment.

It’s important to specify that any repairs should use original OEM parts supplied from the manufacturer and not those pulled from a scrapped motor.

In fact, some hydraulic direct drive manufacturers do more than repair their equipment: They can provide fully remanufactured drives and radial piston motors with “like new” warranties to ensure long-term performance.

Choose OEM-certified service suppliers: The specialized design and operating characteristics of hydraulic direct drives call for a higher level of expertise and resources, which can only usually be supplied by OEM-certified facilities that concentrate on this equipment. Third-party repair facilities

will not have the original manufacturer specifications to properly repair, calibrate and test the motor to new condition — and in fact, will not typically be able to perform a fully warrantied remanufacture.

They are also the kind of facility that can provide the most effective and upto-date PM programs and technicians factory-trained to inspect, service and maintain the OEM’s equipment. Certain proprietary components that cannot be duplicated or obtained from scrapped drives and motors may only be available from OEM-certified facilities; in addition, there may be specific equipment tolerances that only the factory or OEM service shop are equipped to work with.

Preventative maintenance programs: Many of the best practices described here can be incorporated into comprehensive PM programs that identify risks and correct issues before

they lead to failures or downtimes.

Effective PM programs include annual major inspections and quarterly minor inspections carried out in the field by factory-trained and certified technicians.

Good PM programs include detailed inspections of all accessible equipment, oil temperature, pressure and non-intrusive motor temperature inspections, pump settings, speed and motor parameter setting inspections and validation against operating specifications, case drain flow measurement, oil analysis as well as shaft coupling and O-ring inspection and replacement. An effective PM program will also supply a detailed report of findings, recommended maintenance, spares and follow-up actions. DW

Hagglunds--Bosch Rexroth www.boschrexroth.com

MOTION DESIGN GUIDES A collection of key motion control technology topics available for download

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Product World Devices for edge of network computing WAGO wago.us The Edge Controller and Edge Computer are devices for edge of network computing and provide low latency control and simplified connection with Cloud-based services. They provide multiple interfaces for connection to field devices and monitors.

The Edge Controller (752-8303/800-002) is suitable for edge of network applications where deterministic PLC control can be combined with machine learning, data aggregation, Cloud services, predictive maintenance, and other analytic algorithms. It allows users to run high-speed and complex applications with its quad-core processor and applications through Docker Containers with its Linux-based real-time operating system. This controller supports e!COCKPIT runtime for industrial control and visualizations via onboard HTML-5 webserver and industrial protocols such as MODBUS, Ethernet/IP adapter, EtherCAT, and BACnet. IIoT protocols such as MQTT, OPC UA, and Sparkplug are also supported.

LVIT miniature inductive linear position sensor Alliance Sensors Group alliancesensors.com The LZ-13 series LVITs are contactless devices designed for OEM, factory automation, or assembly machinery applications where space is a premium.

These miniature LVITs are offered in nominal full scale ranges from 2.5 to 300 mm (0.1 to 12-in.) with their electronics built into the sensor body, eliminating the need for separate signal conditioning. The sensor has a 12.7 mm (0.50-in.) outside diameter stainless steel body with a 1-m long axial cable for I/O connections. The 4.75 mm (0.187-in.) diameter through-bore of an LZ-13 provides clearance for its 4 mm (0.156-in.) diameter stainless steel target rod and also means that these sensors will not be damaged by mechanical overstroking.

LZ-13 Features: • LVIT Technology (Linear Variable Inductance Transducer) • Contactless operation prevents wearout from dithering or rapid cycling • Excellent stroke-to-body-length ratio • Full Scale ranges from 2.5 to 300 mm (0.1 to 12-in.)

• Through-bore design eliminates mechanical overstroking damage • DC in / DC out operation with built-in electronics • Proprietary SenSet field adjustable range scaling DESIGN WORLD

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Product World Micro brakes for small, precise equipment applications Miki Pulley mikipulley-us.com Fast braking response in small, precision torque applications is the primary benefit of these Micro Brakes. Where high-performance braking for small motion control applications is required, these Micro Brakes provide the solution.

The ultra-compact brake design has a stator with integrated mounting flange, proprietary composite friction liner, and armature complete with ring plate spring and hub. Field proven, these Micro Brakes halt rotation mechanically by using an electromagnetic field to connect friction surfaces, thus creating mechanical resistance. With a fast response, the brake’s armature engages the stator when the coil is energized. A constant-force plate spring transfers torque to the rotating brake body halting all motion.

Larger stepper motors AutomationDirect Automationdirect.com AutomationDirect has added new SureStep motors, now available in NEMA 42 frame sizes. Six new motor sizes are available with single or dual shafts.

These twelve models extend the torque range of the SureStep line up to 4532 oz-in. The mating extension cables are available in 6, 10, and 20-ft lengths, and an encoder adapter plate option allows the attachment of CUI Devices AMT132/AMT332 encoders and US Digital E6 encoders.

The online Stepper System selector has been updated to include these new NEMA 42 models and will guide users through the selection of a stepper motor and all the compatible system components.

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Flexible feed-throughs for M12 & M12 power connectors binder binder-usa.com binder USA has introduced control cabinet feed-throughs for their M12 and M12 Power connectors (Series 713, 813, 814, 823, and 824). These flexible feed-throughs enable the dependable flow of signals, data, and electrical power between modules in the control cabinet and automation components in the field. The combination of plug or socket and coding on each connection side supports various configurations, including the complex implementations found in Industry 4.0 smart factories. binder’s M12 and M12 Power connectors allow signal, data, and supply cables to be connected using circular connectors of the same series. The feed-throughs are equipped with an M12 locking thread and an M16 mounting thread. Compact, rugged, and cost-effective, they are indispensable components for robust M12 connectivity.

Highlights:

• binder M12 series: 713, 813, 814, 823, and 824 • Coding: A, S, K, L, and T • Pins: 3 to 8, depending on the coding • Degree of protection: IP67

Photoelectric sensor family with IO-Link Carlo Gavazzi GavazziOnline.com This new sensor series offers the most functionality in a single photoelectric sensor on the market. Endless configurations, preventative maintenance capabilities, and special application functions provide users with unparalleled and groundbreaking flexibility for their applications.

These sensors now have four special application functions preprogrammed into them, Speed and Length, Pattern Recognition, Divider/ Counter, and Object and Gap Monitoring functions. Each has been developed to optimize common industry applications through design simplification, flexible configurations, and ease of maintenance/troubleshooting.

The new PD30 IO-Link Series of photoelectric sensors were specifically designed for flexible and intelligent sensing allowing accurate detection of objects with various sizes, shapes, and surfaces. With a wide range of sensing modes (diffuse-reflective, retro-reflective, polarized reflective, retroreflective PointSpot, background suppression, background suppression PointSpot, and foreground suppression), emitters (infrared or visible red), and housings (plastic or stainless steel), these sensors are ready for any industry.

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Product World Helix and wedge conveyors Dorner dornerconveyors.com The FlexMove flexible chain conveyor platform is designed for effective horizontal and vertical product movement on a continuous run driven by a single gearmotor when floor space is limited. FlexMove Helix Conveyors allow for tight turns and a small footprint, providing facilities with greater flexibility in layout for applications such as accumulation, buffering, cooling product, and more. The FlexMove Helix Conveyor’s infeed and outfeed can be positioned at any height or angle; custom infeed and outfeed lengths allow the conveyor to extend beyond the spiral, reducing the number of conveyors required.

When a product needs to be held in place with more security while moving up and down steep inclines, the Helix Wedge is the answer. The Helix Wedge conveys product by gripping both of its sides to move it in a smooth, efficient manner. Helix conveyors feature continuous 360° turns for moving product up or down in a vertical space.

Four axis YY’ZZ’ linear motor-driven stage H2W Technologies h2wtech.com The Four-Axis Gantry (YY’ZZ’) is a four-axis positioning stage that consists of two SRS-007-03-006-01 brushless linear motor stages, each vertically mounted to two independently moving horizontal linear axis. It is suitable for applications that require multiple independent motions on a single travel plane.

Each horizontal linear axis uses a BLDM-D04 H2W brushless linear motor to generate a continuous/peak force of 16.5 lbs. [73.6 N]/49.0 lbs. [220 N] with each moving table capable of a total stroke length of 47.1-in.

[1196 mm]. Each moving table has an independent non-contact 1.0-micron resolution encoder head reading a single encoder scale allowing for precise positioning and is guided by a rigid recirculating ball linear bearing block sharing a single linear bearing rail.

Each vertical axis (SRS-007-03-006-01) uses a BLDM-B04 H2W brushless linear motor to generate a continuous/peak force of 6.2 lbs. [27.8 N]/18.7 lbs. [83.3 N] with a total stroke length of 7.0-in. [177.8 mm]. The non-contact 1.0-micron resolution encoder allows for precise positioning. A rigid recirculating ball linear bearing guides it.

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3D camera IDS ids-imaging.com The Ensenso S10 D camera is equipped with a 1.6 MP Sony sensor and operates on a laserbased 3D process. A narrow-band infrared laser projector creates a high-contrast dot pattern — even on objects with difficult surfaces or in low-light environments.

The camera’s laser point triangulation is accelerated by a neural network and enables reliable mapping of the captured pattern points to the hard-coded positions of the projection. This results in robust and geometrically precise 3D data with high depth accuracy. At object distances of 50 cm, the maximum deviation is only 0.6 mm. At full projector power, the Ensenso S10 3D system achieves up to 20 point clouds per second with consistently high quality and resolution.

With a rugged zinc die-cast housing, a 60° field of view, and a working range of 0.5 to 3 meters, the 3D camera can be used universally and is suitable for industrial applications with high-cost efficiency.

HSMT spring-loaded pins Mill-Max mill-max.com/PR702 These horizontal surface-mount (HSMT) spring-loaded pins are designed for making low-profile connections parallel to the board surface.

These spring-loaded pins have plunger travel in line with the board surface, making them suitable for end-to-end board connections in assemblies with restrictive height requirements.

This family of HSMT spring-loaded pins offers rated travel options from .0195 (0.50 mm) to .059-in. (1.50 mm) with associated maximum travel options of .039 (1 mm) to .118-in. (3 mm), meeting a wide range of interconnect requirements. The 0986-X and 0988-0 spring pins have an above-board height of only .070-in. (1.78 mm) with a .035-in. (.9 mm) plunger centerline while the 0968-0, 0967-0, and 0987-0 spring pins sit slightly higher at .100-in.

(2.54 mm) and .050-in. (1.27 mm) plunger centerline. The low profiles are critical when working with a limited overall package height or in applications where vertical board stacking is not an option and PCBs are daisy-chained together, such as in LED lighting systems.

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Product World OEM pressure sensors NOSHOK noshok.com These high-volume OEM pressure sensors include switches and transducers that provide reliability, durability, and repeatability at a costeffective price.

These industry-proven OEM pressure transducers are robust and dependable and are available with a wide selection of measuring ranges, output signals, and process and electrical connection options.

The upgraded mechanical pressure switch program is engineered to address a wider range of applications and provide a significantly expanded selection of process connection options and electrical connection options including, spade terminals, Hirschmann, Packard, Deutsch, M12 x 3-pin, flying leads, terminal screws, and both Weatherpack Tower & Weatherpack Shroud. NOSHOK mechanical switches offer vacuum, low pressure, and high-pressure options and are RoHS compliant.

“Pick & Hold” solenoid driver modules OES oewincorp.com This compact, PWM, high-performance Pick-and-Hold Solenoid Driver Module, the PH-ET series, is designed to energize one or two solenoids independently. It avoids overheating of the energized solenoid coils even for indefinite hold times. By design, after applying an initial higher voltage to the solenoid coil to provide the necessary force (torque) to seat the plunger, the voltage then drops down to a level sufficient to maintain the plunger in the seated position without overheating.

Using the onboard potentiometers, the pick voltage timing and hold voltage are easily adjusted for a specific application without compromising performance.

This Eco-Friendly module is based on a micro-controller that can easily be reprogrammed for your application. Available off-the-shelf, this Pulse-Width Modulated “Pick and Hold” module operates on a single supply voltage from +9 VDC to +50 VDC. The “Holding” current is up to 4 Amps RMS with a peak or “Pick” current of 15 Amps for high force or acceleration. The snubber or fly-back diodes are incorporated to suppress voltage spikes. The module accepts a TTL command voltage of 0 to 3 VDC or 4 to 20 mAmp signals.

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Modular linear motion units Robotunits robotunits.com The standard Linear Motion Unit includes 50-millimeter aluminum extrusions and a common 14-millimeter T- slot, making it compatible with other Robotunits systems. These key elements — along with the company’s proprietary fastening technology — enable the Linear Motion System to work in combination with Robotunits’ conveyors, material handling components, safety fencing, and machine frames.

The unit is available with a single or double carriage, and the system allows the energy chain to attach directly to the carriage without the need for additional components. For advanced applications, the Omega Linear Motion Unit can be used as an individual device or x-y-z gantry to move and position parts with precision.

Features:

• • • • •

An integrated belt return inside the extrusion. Three sides of the extrusion can accommodate additional attachments.

The use of single or double idlers, depending on the load. The idler extrusion has a special captive design for high strength.

Durable construction, including large rollers.

Single and multiple guide rails are available.

Limitless combinations and complexity.

Slit couplings for robotic systems Ruland ruland.com These slit couplings for robotic systems are zero-backlash, lightweight, and manufactured with intermittent slit cuts, making them a suitable starting point for designers of robotic systems. While they are visually similar to Ruland multiple-beam couplings, the slit cut design gives them higher torque and torsional stiffness capabilities and multiple length options in the same outer diameter, allowing coupling performance to be tailored to system requirements.

Slit couplings have torque comparable to a single disc coupling, torsional stiffness similar to a stainless-steel beam coupling, and misalignment consistent with an aluminum beam coupling.

This combination of features allows a slit coupling to be used in place of one of these styles, which all have limitations such as no parallel misalignment in a single disc coupling. The proprietary slit pattern with radiused (as opposed to squared) edges reduces stresses that build up during misalignment and under torque loads, increasing effective service life and allowing for better performance when compared to other slit couplings available in the market. Along with low mass and inertia, these characteristics make slit couplings a good choice for robotic systems.

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Ad Index

SALES

Accumold ........................................ 81 Allied Moulded Products,Inc. .......................... 79 AllMotion ...........................................4 Altech Corporation ................ 12,13 Automation Direct .....................IFC Automation24, Inc. ....................... 9 Bay Associates Wire Technology, Inc. ..................... 25 Bison Gear .................................... 73 Bodine Electric Company ........48 Boker’s Inc ...................................... 21 Canfield Connector ..................... 21 Clippard ......................................... BC Computer Aided Technology .............................. 35 Del-tron ........................................... 71 Digi-Key ........................................... 15 ebm-papst .......................................3 Emerson .......................................... 11 Ewellix ............................................. 34 Fact NA LLC .................................49

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