www.designworldonline.com
September 2020
inside: LINEAR MOTION: Multi-axis stages: Driving dynamics in one plane
p. 134
INTERNET OF THINGS: How to achieve end-to-end PLM by designing for IoT connectivity
p. 142
SENSORS: Lining up the right linear position sensing solution
p. 154
Achieve faster motion goals with EtherCAT page 128
SEPT 2020 DW COVER_FINAL2a.indd 1
9/15/20 7:47 AM
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Social change and the engineering world While this is an opinion column, I generally stay away om things of a political nature. Instead, here I mostly focus on engineering, manufacturing and management topics. But the social upheaval and protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd have surely caused many of us to think about these issues in our lives and our workplaces. Many iends have related to me how their corporate organizations are taking proactive measures, hosting live corporate chats where they discuss the systemic racism prevalent in our society, as well as the struggles of other groups, including women, LGBTQ people, and other minorities. Indeed, our publisher, WTWH Media, did just that, and we are actively discussing needed inward and outward facing strategies and changes. I hope your company is, as well. If it isn’t, I implore you to speak up. As a iend said recently, personal change is hard. Examining what you learned growing up and acknowledging that some of it may be flawed is a long, difficult process. It’s easier to just ignore and maintain the status quo, not realizing that such action in effect continues to downplay the value of people not like you. I realize that some people dismiss or find objectionable the ongoing debate about the privilege that comes om being white in this country. The word privilege itself seems charged. Some people get angry when hearing it, as though it’s an accusation being leveled at them. I understand how that must feel. But privilege doesn’t make you a bad person, subject to ridicule, or unworthy of your own perspective. It certainly doesn’t mean you haven’t faced your own hardships in life. It simply means you likely haven’t lived through the experiences that others with different skin do — and that when it comes to those topics, it is wiser to listen more and talk less. Corporate success stories prove that more diverse companies build better products, answer customer needs more effectively and make us all better people in the long run. It’s important to the generation of kids and young adults behind us that we start to get this issue right. In every workplace, we need white people speaking out on behalf of Black people, straight people being allies for gay people, men fighting for women, and so on — because, quite simply, we all deserve to be treated as equal, whether at home or at work. DW
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Teschler on Topic Does the world need engineers on Wall Street? There once was a lot of handwringing in the U.S. technical community about the number of engineering students who never practice engineering once they graduate. Much of this angst was directed at engineers who went into Wall Street finance jobs where the bigger paychecks were. An observation about the pay issue came om Columbia University Professor Emanuel Derman. Though his PhD is in particle physics, Derman now teaches financial engineering. Several years ago, he said that most students in the Columbia Master’s financial engineering program had engineering undergraduate majors. His graduates also commanded first-year salaries about 40% higher than the median wage of entry level Master’s graduates who focused on traditional engineering disciplines. Since then, the salary differential between finance and engineering disciplines seems to have narrowed somewhat. And financial engineers took a lot of heat for their role in dreaming up the derivative instruments that led to the 2008 financial crisis. So you might think the allure of finance had faded for engineering majors. But that’s not the impression you’d
get om Prof. Peter Adriaens, director of the University of Michigan Center for Smart In astructure Finance. Writing in a publication of the American Society for Engineering Education, Adriaens points out that almost 30% of new brokerage house employees have engineering or data science degrees. But rather than expressing alarm about graduates leaving the engineering field, it sounds as though educators have decided to get in on the trend. This helps explain why last year the University of Michigan launched a Master of Engineering in Smart In astructure Finance program. Adriaens says students in the program learn how data and digital financing inform design specifications and business models for in astructure systems. For example, an environmental finance course shows how climatechange data influences factors such as project finances, insurance, and blockchain financing. Adriaens partly justifies the new Masters program by explaining that graduating engineers who expect to make an impact in a digital economy will need an understanding of finance. But those of us with a more cynical view might see a hidden agenda behind this rationale: Engineering schools looked at the number of engineers getting finance jobs and wanted a piece of the action now going to finance schools such as Columbia.
Adriaens further explains the need for U of M’s new Master’s program saying finance “has become ‘a technology,’ driven by algorithms and insights gleaned om data. At the same time, the role of engineering has grown beyond a narrow technical focus. Engineers are increasingly expected to manage change, and place their skills and inventions in a socioeconomic context.� Cynics, and especially cynics with industrial experience, might say the last comment is exactly backwards. It is typically the people engineers report to, not the engineers doing the work, who et over intertwining social and economic factors. Thus if engineers holding U of M’s new Master’s degree think their financial background will help bring “a more equitable and sustainable future,� as Adriaens writes in his ASEE piece, they are likely to be disappointed. They more probably will find themselves in the same situation as the financial engineers who experienced the 2008 financial meltdown first hand. Says Colombia’s Derman, “The (financial) models that quantitative types came up with were used to justi what people wanted to do, not to tell them what they should do.� To a cynic, that sounds about right. DW
Leland Teschler • Executive Editor lteschler@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_LeeTeschler
6
September 2020
Lee Teschler Column 9-20_V2.LL.indd 6
www.designworldonline.com
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Technology Forward
Innovation in a crisis A dozen Boston area anesthesiology residents launched an eightweek hackathon hosted on GrabCAD.com to design a rapidly deployable, minimum viable mechanical ventilator for patients with COVID-19-related ventilatordependent lung injury. The CoVent-19 Challenge was open to teams and individuals anywhere, and finalists worked directly with Stratasys 3D printing experts and the CoVent-19 Challenge team to turn their designs into prototypes for testing. One of the finalist designs was the VOX Ventilator, developed by Jeremiah Robinson, founder and CEO of Cionic, and Daniel Zarem, senior industrial designer at fuseproject. This is a story of innovation in the face of a crisis. People coming together, collaborating and innovating for others was an important experience for the participants. Everyone worked om home. Designers and engineers very much wanted to take action to help solve the ventilator shortage for hospitals. Here are key takeaways om the experience for Robinson and Zarem. • The goal was to design a ventilator to help, but also to make sure it met everything needed to battle COVID, and then some. Robinson, Zarem,
and their team did not want it to become useless a er the pandemic was over. The ventilator had to be something respiratory therapists and ICU nurses would use and adaptable for all different hospital settings. • The ventilator was designed to run off of air tanks if needed, and on battery power for places that may not have full continuous power. • These needs drove decisions on modularity and the use of open source components. No PCB boards had to be designed. No operating system so ware had to be created. • Neither Robinson or Zarem had much experience with ventilators prior to this challenge. They had to learn on their own and without a suite of test tools, initially. • The challenge lasted eight weeks, but this time constraint made sourcing some components, like solenoids, motors, sensors, and so on, an issue. They pursued several parallel paths to make rapid changes and handle challenges with delivering the proper amount of pressure and volume into the lungs across the fully-featured ventilator support set. • Getting ahold of healthcare employees for information and research to make the right
decisions was a major challenge. • The design team went through many iterations. Various tubes were 3D printed and tested to ensure proper mounting of pressure sensors. This was not possible to do quickly without the aid of 3D printing. • 3D printing enabled the team to build, test, iterate within a matter of hours. • Testing, iterating and building and discussions were done over video. O en, the team was able to do two or three iterations a day. • The designs were put out onto the open source community as a reference that people can review. Noted Robinson, “I walk away and feel very proud of what can be done by people with great talents when faced with this external crisis. No one got paid. Everybody worked super hard to build something. When Daniel asked me if we could help put together a fully functional ventilator over the course of eight weekends, I was like, “Wow that’s just really impossible.” But, it’s a real story of innovation in the face of a crisis. And, I think in this time especially, when faced with something like this in the world, knowing that it is possible, knowing that people can come together, collaborate, and innovate for others, I just think is a really important learning for us and for everybody.” DW
Leslie Langnau • Managing Editor llangnau@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_3Dprinting
8
September 2020
Tech.Forward.9-20_Vs2.LL.indd 8
www.designworldonline.com
DESIGN WORLD
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Green Engineering Paul J. Heney
• VP, Editorial Director
Sustainable manufacturing: Recycle those robots!
Here’s a novel way to create more environmentally iendly manufacturing facilities across the world: remanufacturing robots. This practice, being instituted by manufacturer ABB, enables existing robot users to sell inactive or legacy robots with an attractive buy back service, rather than scrapping them or leaving them unused in a corner of the factory. Over the last 25 years, thousands of robots have been refurbished and upgraded by the company’s remanufactured robot teams, to give them a second life. As well as previously owned robots, peripheral equipment such as controllers and manipulators are refurbished to like-new conditions at one of ABB’s Global Remanufacture & Workshop Repair Centers. Before being labelled as a certified remanufactured robot, every secondhand unit undergoes rigorous checks, including a detailed inspection and a minimum 16-hour functioning test. Each remanufactured robot comes with a two-year warranty and buyers of refurbished equipment enjoy the same level of support om local service teams, including installation and training, as they would with the purchase of a new robot. “We completely remanufacture our robots using original ABB design plans, specifications and dimensional data. This
10
September 2020
Green.Engineering.9-20_Vs2.LL.indd 10
guarantees that the robots offer the same levels of quality, performance, durability and safety as a new ABB robot,� said Jan Borsky of ABB’s Global Remanufacture & Workshop Repair Centers. “We have one of the largest inventories of pre-owned and reconditioned robots across the world, with 400 robots of various types in stock for sale, and currently the demand for second life robots is so high that we have more than one robot leaving our Ostrava (Czech Republic) facility every working day.� A remanufactured robot can also be upgraded to the latest controller, which unlocks new functionalities such as ABB Ability Connected services or the latest version of RobotStudio, the simulation and offline programming so ware. Upgrades can also unlock the potential of collaborative robotics, with SafeMove so ware providing businesses with the opportunity to enable robots to work alongside operators without the need for www.designworldonline.com
extensive guarding, which helps to cut both the cost of an installation and the overall footprint, ideal for locations where space is at a premium. “Customers ‌ updating their robots with the latest technologies has helped boost flexibility and productivity, and by extending the lifetime of their robots, has helped maximize their return on investment,â€? said Borsky. “We’ve also helped existing robot customers who wanted to add additional robots to their existing production line but found that the specific model they needed had been discontinued. We sourced and installed a remanufactured model, so the business could continue to benefit om long-term efficiencies in maintenance, spare parts and staff training.â€? DW
ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation www.abb.com/robotics
DESIGN WORLD
9/15/20 8:23 AM
Keystone DWorld THiNK 9-20.indd Touch+SS_9-20prod.indd 11 1
9/10/20 8/12/20 1:50 3:10 PM PM
Contents 9 • 2020
•
vol 15 no 9
•
designworldonline.com
A Supplement to Design World - September 2020 www.designworldonline.com
How
we ported a project from ROS1 to ROS2
page 72
INSIDE:
• Five things ROS2 needs in 2020.....................60 • How ROS2 and AI can speed up robotics development......................................................64 • A history of the Robot Operating System ...68
ROBOT_REPORT_COVER_9-20_Vs2_ed.indd 57
9/12/20 8:23 AM
57-78
Medical www.designworldonline.com
134
Exceeding regulatory requirements: Beyond the checklist
Medical Tips cover 9-20_V1.indd 81
9/12/20 9:00 AM
81-93
128 _MOTION CONTROL
148 _ELECTRONICS
Using EtherCAT to accomplish motion control goals
Tips for designing embedded RFID readers
The challenges presented by highperformance motion control applications are readily handled by EtherCAT-based systems.
A Supplement to Design World - September 2020
Engineering September 2020
Public health concerns have put a new emphasis on credentials, now available in a variety of formats that complicate the task of reading and veri ing IDs.
A supplement of Design World
Lessons in manufacturing, adhesives, digitalization,
and more
COVER_FE 9-20_concepts_FINAL.indd 95
134 _LINEAR MOTION
154 _SENSORS
Multi-axis stages: Driving dynamics in one plane
Lining up the right linear position sensing solution
Having all of a stage’s driving dynamics in one plane can prevent problematic reaction torques on sensitive workpieces … and maximize machine performance for demanding motion applications. 142 _INTERNET OF THINGS How to achieve end-to-end PLM by designing for IoT connectivity
IoT is finally being recognized and flexibly integrated as an enterprise enabler, particularly for end-to-end product lifecycle management (PLM).
12
September 2020
CONTENTS.09-20_Vs3.LL.indd 12
9/13/20 7:03 PM
95-126 In the August 2020 issue, a photo was incorrectly attributed to Microsoft. It should be attributed to Kumovis.
Linear position sensing is a specific and common industrial automation need — with many options for solving application challenges. 160 _MECHANICAL Food grade seals for use around the world
Food production and processing requires a high degree of cleanliness and hygiene in industrial operations. The materials used in food processing equipment must be impervious to ingredient and flavor-absorption and prevent leaks and other malfunctions that could expose a product to contamination. www.designworldonline.com
ON THE COVER High-performance, multi-axis motion control applications, such as semiconductor manufacturing, can benefit from the tight synchronization of axes | Adobestock.com offered by EtherCAT communications.
A Z B E E S A S B P E Aw a r d s o f E x c e l l e n c e
A Z B E E S A S B P E Aw a r d s o f E x c e l l e n c e
A Z B E E S A S B P E Aw a r d s o f E x c e l l e n c e
ON THE COVER
DESIGN WORLD
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9/10/20 7/22/20 1:51 3:23 PM PM
9.20
• contents departments
Fasteners
04
Insights
06
Teschler on Topic
08
Technology Forward
10
Green Engineering
16
Design For Industry
30
Design Notes
38
CAE Solutions
48
Coupling Notes
50
Internet of Things
165
Quick alternative to nutand-bolt assembly.
Product World
168 Ad Index
Request a
550+ page
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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 Graphic Designer Allison Washko awashko@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_allison Graphic Designer Mariel Evans mevans@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_mariel
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Video Manager Bradley Voyten bvoyten@wtwhmedia.com @bv10wtwh Videographer Derek Little dlittle@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_derek
Senior Digital Media Manager Patrick Curran pcurran@wtwhmedia.com @wtwhseopatrick Front End Developer Melissa Annand mannand@wtwhmedia.com Software Engineer David Bozentka dbozentka@wtwhmedia.com
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Design for Industry Aerospace/military
Shielding the Solar Orbiter against
extreme heat with coating materials
Last February, the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter started a two-year journey to provide the first detailed pictures of the sun’s poles and insights about the never-beforeobserved magnetic environment that regulates the sun’s 11-year solar cycle. The challenge is to get the satellite close enough to the sun for images without burning. Of the famous six European-built spacecra , including the Ulysses, SOHO, and Cluster missions, the new satellite om ESA and NASA will fly the closest to the sun at a distance of 42 million km, just over a quarter of the distance between the star and Earth and well inside the orbit of Mercury. The mission will last seven years, and by the end of 2026, NASA should have close-up pictures of 180 km-wide solar landscapes to explore why glowing gas forms loops in the strong magnetic field. The Solar Orbiter measures 3.1 m x 2.4 m and carries a scientific payload of ten different instruments, weighing a total of 180 kg. Of these ten instruments, six are remote sensing, like imagers and ultra-sophisticated telescopes, which can be used to see the sun om a distance. The other four instruments are fixed to the Orbiter, measuring the environment surrounding the spacecra , including the solar wind plasma and the electric and magnetic fields. The Orbiter spacecra will be exposed to heat 13 times more intense than that on Earth. Even more dangerous, at its closest approach, 26 million miles om the sun, the spacecra will need to resist eruptions and explosions of energy caused by magnetic forces called solar flares.
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DESIGN WORLD
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The sunshield The solar orbiter is designed to always face the sun, so it is equipped with a sunshield for protection. This sunshield, also known as the heat shield, has the shape of a 3 by 2.4 m sandwich with a thickness of 38 cm. As the spacecra needs to resist temperatures up to 600 degrees Celsius, the selected materials are titanium and aluminum. The surface of the spacecra is covered with titanium foils as they can effectively reflect heat. The middle part is empty to disperse the radiations away, while inner layers of aluminum are used to insulate the inside and help the spacecra maintain a normal temperature. Coatings To make the titanium foils more heat resistant, materials engineers created two special coatings: SolarBlack and SolarWhite. SolarBlack and SolarWhite were developed by the mechanical engineering company ENBIO, in collaboration with ESA and Airbus Defence & Space. The black calcium phosphate that makes up SolarBlack gives this coat the property of high emissivity and high solar absorbance, helping to mitigate extreme solar radiations. SolarWhite, meanwhile, is an inorganic coating that handles electrical conductivity better and can help the orbiter prevent electrostatic discharges. Both coats can be applied to metallic substrates, including titanium, aluminium, copper, and steel. Materials search engine For engineers, these coatings breathe new life into existing materials, which renders the likes of titanium, aluminum and other materials more resistant and functional in many new applications. Today, it’s easier for materials engineers to find the right information about existing materials. They can use Matmatch’s database to find more than 26,000 materials and learn more about their properties at a touch of a button. As searching is fast and easy, materials engineers can come up with new ideas, find global materials suppliers, and work on their projects without delay. DW
Matmatch | www.matmatch.com
DESIGN WORLD
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Design for Industry Food & Beverage
Washdown ready planetary
gearheads
The Raptor-SS series are IP69K-rated precision planetary gearheads and are washdown ready and built with advanced heat-treated materials — with stainless-steel construction or a white epoxy coating. Raptor-SS gearheads are compact (with lengths om 3.39 to 7.63 in.) and have a captive input pinion; high-torque gear geometry; with good stiffness and loading characteristics. They can mount in any direction and accept input speeds to 6,500 rpm. Service life exceeds 15,000 hours. The IP69K-rated gearheads come in: • One, two, or three-stage configurations (with backlash of 4, 6, and 8 arc-min. respectively) to deliver speed-reduction ratios of 4:1 to 700:1 — with other ratios possible om the three-stage version • Standard NEMA and metric configurations — and with other features for quick installation • Versions with food-grade grease for food-related applications
Raptor-SS gearheads in 023RTX (NEMA) and 060RTX (metric) sizes deliver nominal torques of 17 to 45 Nm; maximum acceleration torques of 22 to 53 Nm; and peak emergency-stop torques of 81 to 107 Nm. Torsional stiffness is 15 arc-min. Raptor-SS gearheads in 034RTX (NEMA) and 090RTX (metric) sizes deliver nominal torques of 63 to 164 Nm; maximum acceleration torques of 80 to 207 Nm; and peak emergency-stop torques of 277 to 392 Nm. Torsional stiffness is 70 arc-min. DW
CGI Motion www.cgimotion.com
Efficiencies are better than 95% for single-stage gearheads, 90% for twostage gearheads, and 85% for three-stage gearheads in the Raptor-SS series. Operating range is -40° to +250° F.
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www.designworldonline.com
DESIGN WORLD
9/11/20 8:47 AM
Sensor reliably detects fluid levels through non-metallic containers
Here’s a block-style capacitive smart level sensor that uses IO-Link to accurately detect fluid levels even through non-metallic containers. These sensors suit applications with highly conductive fluids like acids and bases using smart level 50 technology to compensate for foam and deposit build up. And thanks to its IO-Link interface, it delivers expanded application and setting options. This capacitive sensor reliably detects fluid levels through nonmetallic containers up to 10 mm thick, making it well suited for a wide variety of industries including packaging, food and beverage, metalworking and general factory automation. IO-Link’s automatic parameter setting allow the user to see the upper and lower hysteresis values allowing easy and precise adjustments that aren’t possible with a potentiometer. Once unplugged, the sensor goes into standard I/O mode (SIO). Key features: • Detects levels through walls of nonmetallic containers up to 10 mm thick • For highly conductive media such as acids and bases • Compensates for foam and residues using smart level 50 technology • Operating modes: standard I/O mode (SIO), IO-Link mode DW
Balluff | www.balluff.com
DESIGN WORLD
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Design for Industry Food & Beverage
Control and motor cables safe for food and beverage
Equipment and machines for the food and beverage industry are required by the FDA to be sanitary, easy to clean, and safe for food contact. However, most industrial cables contain flame retardants and other harmful additives which do not meet food contact requirements. LUTZE SILFLEX FBP cables are an innovative patent-pending solution to this problem. The unique cable design complies with UL flame test requirements while meeting FDA food contact requirements outlined in 21 CFR. Food and beverage applications also require equent and thorough cleaning procedures. If a cable cannot withstand equent washdown, it is prone to degradation and may become a safety hazard. In order to ensure longevity in washdown environments, LUTZE SILFLEX FBP cables have been third party evaluated by Ecolab for resistance against commonly used cleaning agents.
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DESIGN WORLD
9/11/20 8:49 AM
LUTZE SILFLEX FBP cable line is currently offered in three configurations: shielded and unshielded control as well as shielded motor cable. The reduced diameter design allows for easy routing and installation in conduit. It may also make it possible to reduce stainless steel conduit size. DW
LUTZE Inc. www.lutze.com
DESIGN WORLD
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Design for Industry Packaging
Chain conveyors – reinvented for glass
handling
Chain conveyors are known for their heavy-duty construction, and the ability to tackle high load applications with ease. They o en operate in the most unforgiving environments, under extreme conditions. Chain conveyors, in all their various forms, are considered one of the most durable, versatile and dependable conveyors for heavy duty industrial and commercial applications. It is precisely these characteristics – durability, versatility and dependability – that make them suitable as a base conveyor for carrying sheets of glass. Now this may seem like an oxymoron – chain conveyors to carry glass. In this scenario it seems like the glass might be broken, or in the best possible case “only” slightly scratched. Conveyors that break or damage parts are unacceptable.
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DESIGN WORLD
9/11/20 8:50 AM
Power REVIEW THE POWER BRANDS IN POWER TRANSMISSION
Vol. 9 | No. 3 | 2020
www.AltraMotion.com
Follow Altra Motion on:
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Micron AquaTRUE™ Watertight Gearheads
Micron AquaTRUE™ Corrosion Resistant, Watertight Gearheads Scan to download the interactive version of the Power Review
Altra Industrial_#1_9-20.indd 23
Bauer Stainless Steel HiflexDRIVES for Washdown Applications
Get Connected with Altra’s Newsroom
Altra’s Application Profile Videos on YouTube
MEA Clutches & Periflex® VN Couplings for Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems
Power Transmission Solutions for the Metal Mills Market
9/10/20 1:53 PM
Micron AquaTRUE™ Corrosion Resistant, Watertight Gearheads Micron’s AquaTRUE gearhead combines the high performance and torque capacity of Micron’s TRUE Planetary gearheads with features specifically designed to meet the strict requirements of applications such as food and beverage handling, packaging and dispensing. The AquaTRUE’s IP66/IP67 and IP69K protection is able to handle caustic cleaning chemicals as well as high pressure washdown. Until now, manufacturers have been unable to use gearheads in many applications involving harsh environments because there was not a product available that met those needs. The AquaTRUE is engineered to be placed anywhere in the application’s design, regardless of environmental factors. This eliminates the cost of additional components such as enclosers, shielding or mechanical transmissions. The gearhead’s 304 stainless steel housing eliminates the concern for rust or any type of corrosion. The AquaTRUE has a laser etched permanent product label and a smooth, round external housing that is designed without any external seams or corners for bacteria to collect. This makes the AquaTRUE very easy to clean and a perfect fit in any washdown environment. • • • •
A L T R A
Frame Sizes: 60, 80, 120 and 160 mm Precision: 13 arc-min max Torque Capacity: up to 876 Nm Ratio Availability: 3:1 to 10:1 (single stage), 15:1 to 100:1 (double stage)
N M O T I O
® Planetary Micron TRUE Gearheads
For more information, download P-8741-BG from www.AltraLiterature.com
Bauer Gear Motor Stainless Steel HiflexDRIVEs are Specially Designed for Washdown Applications The stainless steel HiflexDRIVE design eliminates hygiene risks due to a highly suitable and sustainable design in areas that require routine intensive cleaning. The motor does not require a cooling fan or ribs, allowing for a completely smooth outer casing with a sealed non-drive end. This eliminates any dirt or particle traps on the motor casing and also prevents re-contamination of the processing environment caused by air movement from a fan. All geared motors are IP67/IP69K certified for high pressure, high temp washdown applications. The AISI 316-grade (CF8) stainless steel drives can withstand the commonly used cleaning solutions and disinfectants without affecting performance. Choose from 3 gearbox sizes and 7 possible motor designs to meet your specific application requirements. • • • • • •
AISI 316-grade (CF8) stainless gearbox and motor housing IP67/IP69K certified; CIP (Clean-In-Place) compatible; Washdown-Ready Smooth, non-ventilated motor for optimum hygienic design 316L stainless output shaft (solid or hollow) Face mounting standard; other options available Inverter-duty asynchronous motor or permanent magnet motor for highest operating efficiencies • Stainless watertight cable connection for motor power
• Chemical-resistant and watertight cable optionally available • Thermistor temperature safeguard • Fully-encapsulated brakes or encoders are available otion Altra M
Facilities Bauer Gear Motor Facilities Bauer Gear Motor Europe Europe Germany e 37 Eberhard-Bauer-Strass Germany e 37 Esslingen - Germany 73734 Eberhard-Bauer-Strass 3518 0 - Germany 711 +49 Esslingen 73734 711 3518 0 +49 Slovakia 49 Tovarenskå Slovakia - Slovakia 01 Zlate49Moravce 953 Tovarenskå 37 6926100 Moravce - Slovakia +421 953 01 Zlate 37 6926100 +421 United Kingdom Park Business LaneKingdom Nat United Cheshire Park Winsford, Nat Lane Business - United Kingdom 3BS Cheshire CW7 Winsford, United Kingdom +44 3BS -868600 CW7 1606 +44 1606 868600
North America America North Charlotte, NC Drive CarrierNC 701 Charlotte, NC 28216 - USA Charlotte, 701 Carrier Drive NC 28216 - USA 800-387-0130 + Charlotte, +800-387-0130
Asia Pacific Pacific Asia China Dabo Huan Zhen Road 18 Village China - BoGoang Dabo Zone Road Industrial 18 Huan Zhen - BaoAn District Town - BoGoang Village ShaJing Industrial Zone Province - BaoAn District Guangdong ShaJing Town City - China Shenzhen Province 518104 Guangdong27246308 755Shenzhen City - China +86 518104 +86 755 27246308
Customer Service Service Customer Belgium Groot-Bijgaarden 1702 Belgium 89372080 +32 17022Groot-Bijgaarden 2 89372080 +32 Finland Vantaa 01510 Finland 189700 207 +358 01510 Vantaa 207 189700 +358 France Groot-Bijgaarden 1702 France 89372080 +32 17022Groot-Bijgaarden 2 89372080 +32 Italy Padova (PD) 35020 Italy 8792327 (PD) 049 +39 Padova 35020 049 8792327 +39 6 Russia sh., 142, bldg Volokolamskoye 6 Russia Center „Irbis“ sh., 142, bldg Business Volokolamskoye - Russia Moscow„Irbis“ 125464 Business Center - Russia 495 6420468 Moscow +7 125464 +7 495 6420468
Bauer Stainless Steel HiflexDRIVE
Systems Engine Braking Systems BrakingSystems Engine Clutches & Brakes Jacobs Vehicle ems.com Heavy Duty Systems www.jacobsvehiclesyst Clutches & Brakes Jacobs Vehicle ems.com Heavy TwiflexDuty www.jacobsvehiclesyst ex.com www.twifl & Automation Twiflex Precision Motors ex.com www.twifl Stromag Motors & Automation Precision Kollmorgen www.stromag.com Stromag www.kollmorgen.com Kollmorgen www.stromag.com Svendborg Brakes s.com www.kollmorgen.com www.svendborg-brake Svendborg Brakes s.com Miniature Motors www.svendborg-brake Wichita Clutch Motors www.wichitaclutch.com Miniature Portescap Wichita Clutch www.portescap.com www.wichitaclutch.com Portescap Components www.portescap.com Gearing & Specialty Components Clutches & Specialty Overrunning Gearing Bauer Gear Motor Clutches www.bauergears.com Overrunning Formsprag Clutch Bauer Gear Motor www.formsprag.com www.bauergears.com Boston Gear Formsprag Clutch www.bostongear.com www.formsprag.com Marland Clutch Boston Gear www.marland.com www.bostongear.com Delevan Marland Clutch www.delevan.com www.marland.com Stieber Delevan Gear www.stieberclutch.com www.delevan.com Delroyd Worm Stieber Gear www.delroyd.com www.stieberclutch.com Delroyd Worm www.delroyd.com Nuttall Gear www.nuttallgear.com Nuttall Gear The operating www.nuttallgear.com sole discretion. and to change in itsThe company’s terms operating The buy, discretion. and may be subject factors. soleperson who may and in itsany the company to change and environmental subject apply toThe company’s terms guaranteed by conditions conditionsfactors. and may beand publication is installation,byoperating who may buy, the companyThese terms and environmental apply to any person contained in this conditions. is guaranteed operating conditions on the application, conditions of the informationvary depending products. tions/sales-terms-andinstallation,of these branded may contained in this publication These terms and nor completeness one of its affiliated on the application, of theseofproducts Motor GmbH or .com/terms-and-condi the informationvary Neither the accuracy a licensed distributor conditions. depending branded products. of Bauer Gear who buys from tions/sales-terms-andnor completeness one of its affiliated at http://www.altramotion performance characteristics products may and any person distributor of these exclusive property Motor GmbH or .com/terms-and-condi can be viewed oftothese Neither theofaccuracy sale characteristics from a licensedare the sole and herein, including of Bauer Gear conditions referred at http://www.altramotion this publication person who buys and performance exclusive property or use a product can be viewed to herein, including any All trademarks in acquire are the sole and conditions of sale referred All rights reserved. in this publication use a product All trademarks Gear Motor GmbH. acquire or ©2020 by Bauer All rights reserved. Gear Motor GmbH. companies. Archives ©2020 by Bauer Altra and Bauer Adobe Stock, companies. Archives Images: Fotolia, Altra and Bauer Adobe Stock, Images: Fotolia,
Altra Motion The Brands of Altra Motion The Brands of Couplings Couplings Ameridrives www.ameridrives.com Ameridrives ex www.ameridrives.com Bibby Turbofl ex.com ex www.bibbyturbofl Bibby Turbofl ex.com www.bibbyturbofl Guardian Couplings s.com www.guardiancoupling Guardian Couplings s.com www.guardiancoupling Huco www.huco.com Huco www.huco.com Lamiflex Couplings excouplings.com www.lamifl Lamiflex Couplings excouplings.com www.lamifl Stromag www.stromag.com Stromag www.stromag.com TB Wood’s www.tbwoods.com TB Wood’s www.tbwoods.com Linear Systems Systems Linear Thomson m www.thomsonlinear.co Thomson m www.thomsonlinear.co
Limit Switches Geared Cam Cam Limit Switches Geared Stromag www.stromag.com Stromag www.stromag.com Bearing Assemblies Engineered Bearing Assemblies Engineered Kilian m www.kilianbearings.co Kilian m www.kilianbearings.co & Brakes Electric Clutches Clutches & Brakes Electric Matrix al.com www.matrix-internation Matrix al.com www.matrix-internation Stromag www.stromag.com Stromag www.stromag.com Warner Electric m www.warnerelectric.co Warner Electric m www.warnerelectric.co Belted Drives Drives Wood’s TB Belted www.tbwoods.com TB Wood’s www.tbwoods.com
For more information, download P-8846-BGM from www.AltraLiterature.com
Get Connected with Altra’s Newsroom The Altra Newsroom is updated weekly with the latest brand, product, and market news. The Newsroom makes it quick and easy for you to get the news you need when you need it. From new literature releases to trade show schedules, the news is at your fingertips 24 hours a day. Browse featured stories on the home page and stay updated on the latest on tradeshows, articles, application profiles, news releases and innovation spotlights. PDFs of literature are available for download. Archived news stories are organized by month. Each archive includes a short description, product or application photo and related keywords for quick and easy browsing. Literature can be downloaded and shared via various social media platforms.
For more information, visit www.AltraMotion.com/Newsroom
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MEA Clutches & Periflex® VN Couplings for Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems A leading designer and manufacturer of dynamic uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems needed a reliable clutch solution for its line of UPS systems. The systems range in size up to (18 kNm) 3300 kVA, to provide backup power in the case of main supply fluctuations or failures in a variety of critical applications including hospitals and data centers. When a power interruption or failure is detected, the system’s diesel engine automatically starts. Once the engine reaches 1500 RPM, the clutch engages/ connects the engine to a flywheel which takes over to supply power to the generator. In an emergency, the clutch is also used to start the engine if the starter is not functioning. The Stromag team worked closely with the OEM’s engineers to ensure that the clutch shaft connection could transmit the full amount of torque required. The level of magnetic flux that passes through the drivetrain components (including bearings) was also analyzed. Ultimately, custom MEA electromagnetic single-disc, dry running friction clutches were supplied. The clutches featured a modified flange on the engine side to align with the customer’s interface. The clutches were also modified to allow the friction linings to be removed/replaced without removing the entire clutch.
Application Profile
Product
Application
Highlights
• Custom single-disc, dry running friction clutches • High torque, backlashfree design • Highly flexible plug-in disc couplings also supplied
For more information, download P-8522-SG from www.AltraLiterature.com
MEA Clutches & Periflex® VN Couplings Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems A leading European designer systems needed a reliable and manufacturer of dynamic uninterruptible clutch solution for its power supply (UPS) up to (18 kNm) 3300 line of UPS systems. kVA, to provide backup The systems range in size power failures in a variety of critical applications including in the case of main supply fluctuations or hospitals and data centers. When a power interruption or failure is detected, starts. Once the engine the system’s diesel engine reaches 1500 RPM, the clutch engages/connects automatically flywheel which takes over to supply power the engine to a to the generator. In an used to start the engine emergency, the clutch if the starter is not functioning. is also The Stromag team worked connection could transmit closely with the OEM’s engineers to ensure that the clutch shaft the passes through the drivetrain full amount of torque required. The level of magnetic components (including bearings) was also analyzed. flux that Ultimately, custom MEA electromagnetic single-disc, supplied. The clutches featured a modified flange dry running friction clutches were customer’s interface. on the engine side to The clutches were also align with the modified removed/replaced without removing the entire clutch. to allow the friction linings to be Stromag electromechanical large diesel engine flywheel MEA clutches provide the highest torque possible to accelerate the depending on the frequency.mass from a standstill to operating speeds of 1500 or 1800 RPM, Stromag Periflex® VN disc couplings were also required based vibration calculation. on a completed torsional These highly flexible plug-in is not too high when the engine reaches operatingcouplings ensure that the alternating torque speeds.
Europe
+49 (0) 2303 102 0
stromag.com
US 1-860-238-4783
For a complete list of our global sales offices visit:
altramotion.com/contac P-8522-SG
6/20
tus
Altra's Application Profile Videos on YouTube Visit Altra Motion on YouTube to see our newest videos including our recently added Application Profile Video Series. The AP Video Series features success stories for a variety of industrial applications. We upload new videos routinely, so check back often. These micro videos comprise the Problem | Solution Playlist and are ideal for sharing with others. Share your favorite videos via email or various other social media sites. Videos can also be added to custom playlists or saved to a “Watch Later” list. For more information, visit Altra’s YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/AltraIndMotion
Scan to visit the Problem Solution Playlist on YouTube
Power Transmission Solutions for the Metal Mills Market As industry leaders in electromechanical power transmission products, the companies of Altra Motion have been helping metal mill equipment manufacturers, metal producers and metal processors worldwide achieve great success by increasing their efficiency while at the same time reducing their costs and downtime. Altra engineered power transmission products are installed in a wide array of mill applications from continuous casters, roughing mills and finishing mills, to annealing, pickling and coating lines, levelers, slitters, accumulators, cold forming mills, coilers and uncoilers. Altra companies provide a comprehensive offering of mill spindles, couplings, U-joints, gear motors, speed reducers, brakes, torque-limiting devices and backstopping clutches to meet the specific needs of the metal mill industry. Altra products are designed to withstand harsh mill environments including dirt, dust and high temperatures, while providing exceptional personnel safety and equipment protection. For more information, download P-8850-C from www.AltraLiterature.com
otion Altra M
W
Power Transmission
Ameridrives Bauer Gear Motor Bibby Turboflex Delroyd Worm
Gear
Formsprag Clutch Industrial Clutch
Nuttall Gear
Altra Headquarters & Service Centers Altra Engineering Facilities Altra Manufacturing
The Brands of
Stromag
Altra Motion
Couplings Ameridrives www.ameridrives.com ex Bibby Turbofl ex.com www.bibbyturbofl Guardian Couplingsgs.com www.guardiancouplin Huco www.huco.com Lamiflex Couplings www.lamiflexcouplings.com Stromag www.stromag.com TB Wood’s www.tbwoods.com Linear Systems Thomson om www.thomsonlinear.c
Solutions for the Metal Mills Market
Marland Clutch
to A Global Footprint Around Support Customers the World
Geared Cam
Limit Switches
Stromag www.stromag.com Engineered
Bearing Assemblies
Kilian om www.kilianbearings.c Electric Clutches
& Brakes
Matrix onal.com www.matrix-internati Stromag www.stromag.com Warner Electric om www.warnerelectric.c Belted Drives TB Wood’s www.tbwoods.com
Clutches & Brakes Heavy Duty Twiflex www.twiflex.com Stromag www.stromag.com Svendborg Brakes es.com www.svendborg-brak Wichita Clutch m www.wichitaclutch.co Gearing & Specialty Bauer Gear Motor www.bauergears.com Boston Gear www.bostongear.com
Components
Delevan www.delevan.com Gear Delroyd Worm www.delroyd.com Nuttall Gear www.nuttallgear.com
Systems Engine Braking Systems Jacobs Vehicle stems.com www.jacobsvehiclesy Precision Motors
& Automation
Kollmorgen www.kollmorgen.com Miniature Motors Portescap www.portescap.com Clutches
Overrunning Formsprag Clutch www.formsprag.com Marland Clutch www.marland.com
TB Wood’s Twiflex Warner Electric Wichita Clutch
Stieber m www.stieberclutch.co
www.AltraMetalProducers.com www.AltraMetalProcessing.com
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www.HucoDirect.com Beam Couplings • Bellows Couplings • Disc Couplings • Oldham Couplings • Double Loop Couplings • Jaw Couplings Universal/Lateral Offset Couplings • Clutch Couplings • Acetal and Aluminium Piston Air Motors
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Conveyors that carry glass sheets need to do so with a light touch, carrying the delicate parts safely om location to location, ensuring the integrity and finish of each product. mk North America’s Engineered Solutions department took on the challenge of designing conveyors for the glass handling industry, and they started with a chain conveyor platform due its durability and versatility. Using an attachment style chain, and standard conveyor components, the engineers designed a “brush conveyor” to carry sheets of glass. The brushes; which come in a variety of styles; and can be selected to best match the type of glass being conveyed; provide a low impact, scratch resistant, and minimal contact surface conveying platform for the transportation of glass sheets. TL Design World V1.pdf
1
6/17/19
This application called for a standard gearmotor with variable equency drive, however this unit could have easily been provided with a stepper or servo drive – should the application have required it. An attachment style chain is used, and the brushes are mounted on to the attachments. The spacing of the brushes is determined based on the size of the glass being handled. However, brushes can be added or removed om the chain as application demands change. The sizes of the conveyors were completely guarded to keep debris and human operators away om the chain. The chain conveyor platform provides a more forgiving conveyor option in the event of broken glass or glass dust entering the conveyor. The motor on this conveyor is tucked away underneath the conveyor, and the
brushes are the highest point on the conveyor – allowing for glass sheets wider than the conveyor (or narrower) to be conveyed – assuming proper product rigidity. DW
mk North America www.mknorthamerica.com
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Connect and discuss this and other engineering design issues with thousands of professionals online
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Design for Industry Semiconductor
Confocal sensors deliver precise
distance and thickness measurements Confocal chromatic sensor systems measure small distances and thicknesses according to the principle of chromatic aberration. The sensors measure fine structures because they project a very small spot onto the target. Confocal chromatic measuring systems can be used for distance measurement and thickness measurement of transparent materials. These sensors are being used in the semiconductor industry, glass industry, medical engineering, as well as plastics production.
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DESIGN WORLD
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POWER TRANSMISSION
RETAINING DEVICES & maintenance & assembly tools
The next generation confocal sensors precisely determine distances and the thickness of transparent materials. The confocalDT IFS2407-3 and the confocalDT IFS 2404/90-2 solve multiple measurement tasks involving curved surfaces and restricted installation spaces. Combined with the confocalDT controllers, confocal systems can measure at rates up to 70 kHz. State-of-the art technology with the confocalDT IFS2407-3 offers a high tilt angle up to ¹ 30°. Therefore, curved and structured surfaces can be detected reliably and precisely. Furthermore, the sensor offers a large measuring range of 3 mm, a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.43 and a high offset distance of 28 mm. Combined with a large tilt angle, these sensors also suit geometrical inspection tasks in coordinate measuring machines. Particularly when measuring surfaces such as gear wheels or external threads, stable and highly precise results are output. The IFS2404/90-2 is designed to detect displacement, distance, position and thickness in restricted installation spaces. It offers a measuring range of 2 mm with a resolution of 0.040 ¾m. The sensor has a beam path of 90°. This construction with radial beam path enables space-saving integration into restricted installation spaces with reduced mounting depth. Due to its excellent price/ performance ratio, the sensor is particularly suited to serial applications. If customer-specific adaptions are required to solve a measurement task, the sensors can be modified accordingly. This includes, for example, design modifications, different cable lengths, vacuum-suitable materials or special mounting options. DW
BEARLOK
SHOELOK
BEARLOK Shrink Disc
BEARHUG
CLAMPNUT
TANGENTLOK
PRECISION NUTS & WASHERS
INCH and METRIC THREADS LEFT HANDED as well as RIGHT -HANDED
ADAPTER SLEEVE ASSEMBLIES
Materials of: CARBON, ALLOY and HARDENED ALLOY STEELS Materials of: ALLUMINUM and CORROSION RESISTANT STEEL NUTS & WASHERS
HARDENED TONGUE WASHERS
SPLIT COLLAR
RETHREADING DIES
ADJUSTABLE SPANNER WRENCH
BEARING ASSEMBLY SOCKET
Micro-Epsilon www.micro-epsilon.com
W
HI
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Connect and discuss this and other engineering design issues with thousands of professionals online
WHITTET-HIGGINS manufactures quality oriented, stocks abundantly and delivers quickly the best quality and largest array of adjustable, heavy thrust bearing, and torque load carrying retaining devices for bearing, power transmission and other industrial assemblies; and specialized tools for their careful assembly. Visit our website–whittet-higgins.com–to peruse the many possibilities to improve your assemblies. Much technical detail delineated as well as 2D and 3D CAD models for engineering assistance. Call your local or a good distributor.
DESIGN WORLD
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33 Higginson Avenue, Central Falls, Rhode Island 02863 Telephone: (401) 728-0700 • FAX: (401) 728-0703 E-mail: info@whittet-higgins.com Web: www.whittet-higgins.com
9/11/20 9:01 AM
Design Notes
When the bolts come off: Custom
U-joint saves steel mill equipment Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor
Damage due to bolts coming loose on original U-Joint.
A large steel producer experienced failures in the U-joints on a plate mill leveler at its Indiana plant. The mill produces 160-in. wide plates that are then cut-to-length. The 350 mm U-Joints drive a series of six upper and seven lower rollers that level 2 to 6-in. thick steel plates as they pass through. The problem was that the original U-Joint design used bolts to connect the bearing blocks to the sha . Consequently, a er three years of service, the bolts started to come loose under the leveler’s high torque loads causing the U-joints to fail. The resulting downtime and costs associated with the U-joint replacement had become troublesome. The mill contacted the overseas manufacturer of the original U-joints
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and discovered that replacement units would not only be expensive, but there was a 50-week lead time. The mill then contacted local sources, including Ameridrives, for a faster, more costeffective solution. The challenge was that the mill operators wanted a drop-in replacement for the existing U-joints so they would fit seamlessly with the other units on the leveler. A er a careful examination of
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one of the failed competitor units, the Ameridrives’ engineering team determined that they could easily manufacture completely new drop-in replacement U-joints to meet the customer’s requirements. The new units would incorporate mill-proven cross and bearing design versus the bolt system om the previous configuration. The Ameridrives team also suggested that they could manufacture new blocks, integrate Ameridrives cross and bearings, and install the assemblies on the roll end of the customer’s existing competitor U-Joints. Both design solutions were approved, and the mill was back up and running at 100% in less than six weeks. The mill operators were pleased to learn that the new replacement U-joints cost 40% less than the old units. The overall cost savings for the two new replacement U-joints and one block repair was close to $250K. Additionally, the new units are manufactured in Erie, Pennsylvania, and only had a 20-week lead time while replacement bearing blocks could be manufactured in only 6-8 weeks. DW
one integrated module could easily divert, transfer and sort multiple package types?
Ameridrives ameridrives.com
Divert and transfer module
The new units would incorporate Ameridrives’ mill-proven cross and bearing design vs. the previous unit’s bolt system.
Very small packs? Polybags? Not a problem for ModSort® divert and transfer conveyor modules! The ModSort module can do left and right sorting on the fly for a wide range of package types and sizes. It is safe, quiet, versatile and cost effective. Let our experts support you choosing the right system for your application! Visit us at: ModSort.com Creating a better tomorrow™... Regal, Creating a better tomorrow, ModSort and System Plast are trademarks of Regal Beloit Corporation or one of its affiliated companies.
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©2019, 2020 Regal Beloit Corporation, All Rights Reserved. MCAD19047E • Form# 10307E
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Design Notes
How to make a Martian force/torque sensor
Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor
NASA scientists inspect the Adaptive Caching Assembly.
ATI Industrial Automation worked with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) to develop a custom force/torque sensor for Perseverance, the latest Mars 2020 Rover project. JPL is the leading US research entity for robotic exploration of our solar system and manages NASA’s Deep Space Network, the hardest-working telecommunications system on the planet. The Mars 2020 mission is a collaborative effort undertaken by NASA, JPL, and many other organizations commissioned to develop new technology to explore the surface of Mars. JPL needed an automated system for collecting and handling space material, and moving it through the indexing process. To accomplish this, engineers developed the Adaptive Caching Assembly, an application that resembles a pick and place operation commonly found on a factory floor. Developing the systems and components that would perform in the Rover mission was a huge challenge to overcome.
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The Sample Caching Subsystem consists of the Adaptive Caching Assembly, a large robotic arm with a drill, and an assortment of drill bits used to collect samples om designated areas on the surface of Mars. Once collected, a small robotic arm, known as the Sample Handling Assembly or SHA, inspects and seals the samples in the Rover’s onboard laboratory. An ATI Force/Torque (F/T) sensor integrated within the SHA end effector assembly provides enhanced responsiveness. With force-sensing om ATI, the SHA is equipped to maneuver easily through the tight workspace, DESIGN WORLD
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The Perseverance, with Adaptive Caching Assembly.
performing demanding tasks with acute accuracy. To deliver a robust force-sensing solution for the Perseverance project, ATI adapted their Force/ Torque Sensor technology to offset the wide range of environmental conditions. The SpaceRated Force/Torque Sensor om ATI boasts a new design that provides signal redundancy and compensates for temperature variation, ensuring accurate resolution of forces and torques throughout the mission. This sensor is thermally calibrated and proven to operate optimally in a spectrum of extreme temperatures. To develop and test these breakthrough features, the ATI engineering team designed specialized calibration equipment and conducted 24-hour surveillance of product trials. Components made of thermally stable, low-outgassing materials were added to forti the sensor against the
drastic environmental fluctuations. These materials also prevent crosscontamination of samples during the mission, which is one of the most important considerations of the Mars 2020 Rover project. A er years of development, the highly anticipated Mars 2020 Rover is fully assembled and ready to begin its mission. Perseverance is set to launch on July 30, 2020, om Cape Canaveral, Florida, and will arrive at Mars in February of 2021.
More on Mars 2020 The purpose of this particular mission, part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, is to learn about the red planet om firsthand experience. This project has a full agenda that includes searching for signs of ancient microbial life, categorizing climate and geology to identi potentially inhabitable conditions, recovering samples om the planet’s surface, and — arguably the most exciting objective of this mission — preparing for human exploration of Mars. The Perseverance Rover is an unmanned robotic vehicle about the size of a car; during its exploration, it will collect and index small samples of rock and soil om prime locations. Once onboard, sample tubes are cached inside the Rover for ATI’s Space Rated eventual return to earth. Force Torque Sensor. This subsystem emulates automated processes found in the agriculture and manufacturing industries, where robots are used to make repetitive operations more precise. Certain application settings
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such as foundries and refineries require unusual environmental considerations for which ATI has developed specialized sensors. However, nothing quite compares to the conditions expected om the Mars 2020 mission, where subzero surface temperatures and rugged terrain are typical. Before landing on Mars, the rover and its subsystems have to survive the initial Atlas 5 rocket launch. Beyond outer space applications, ATI’s Space-Rated Force/Torque sensor provides active force control for applications where repair opportunities are limited or in situations with high vacuum or extreme temperature variability. Through this project, ATI developed new technology that will be a part of NASA history and provide robust and reliable force sensing to applications here on earth. The temperature compensation, thermally stable components, and additional signal redundancy benefit users in industries such as radioactive decommissioning, oil and gas, metal casting and foundries, and other applications where conditions dictate continuous use in extreme environments. ATI looks forward to following Perseverance, the Mars 2020 Rover, during its mission and to the new applications that will feature this spacerated force/torque sensor. These force/torque sensors are o en used with robots in similar applications for greater process control and provide process verification, such as indicating that a pin is inserted properly into a fixture. Beyond outer space applications, the space-rated force/torque sensor provides active force control for applications where repair opportunities are limited or in situations with high vacuum or extreme temperature variability. DW
ATI Industrial Automation ati-ia.com September 2020
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Design Notes
How sensorless bottling impacts
competition
Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor
Parallel bottling lines.
To satis the demand for higher productivity and energy efficiency, Sacmi Filling chose the Danfoss VLT FlexConcept drive system to manage new bottling lines designed and installed at the new headquarters of the Brescian company, Fonte Tavina. This system has added value thanks to its almost non-existent use of sensors and photocells, thus guaranteeing long-lasting services. Over 100,000 bottles per hour, equivalent to a potential of 400 million per year, distributed in 25 countries, om Belgium to Russia, om the United States to Australia, om New Zealand to Japan and om China to Kuwait — This is Tavina, a bottling company for four mineral waters, Tavina, Linda, Allegra, and Novella, who made automation 4.0 their own in a new plant in Salo (BS). The water that flows om the glacial basin of the Lombardy foothills, inside the Natural Park of Alto Garda, then flows into a highly automated process. It is put into bottles (PET or glass), which are molded, labeled, packaged, and stored in an automated warehouse ready to be dispatched all over the world. The two new automatic bottling lines are PET leaders.
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Made-in-U.S.A.
North American & Japanese Plugs—
The Danfoss VLT AutomationDrives, with suitable dimensions for the transporter type’s requirements installed on the cabinet, are designed to control the variable speed of all permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motors. They are made to increase flexibility and optimize the process control for any industrial machine or production line.
Key to these results was the use of the Danfoss VLT AutomationDrive FC 302 and the high-efficiency VLT OneGearDrives installed at the end of the line. Sacmi Filling technicians have used the technological combination, known as the VLT FlexConcept, to the best of its abilities for the planned objectives. “This project has a challenging objective,� said Giorgio Frosi, Sacmi Filling Beverage Engineering Department. “We aim to meet the strict requirements for productivity and processing speed, as well as energy efficiency, so that we can be the most competitive over time.� “There are two twin bottling lines — explained Frosi — and they are interchangeable. One is for the production of 0.5 L bottles, and the other is for 1.5 L bottles.� The journey begins with the initial separate sourcing of caps and preforms, which then flow into the blower (that transforms the preforms into bottles), and finally go to the filler and capping machine. The next step involves the labeling of every single bottle before proceeding to the transport system. At this point, there is a split along a buffer. “Once the bottles have le the labeling machine — continued Frosi — they are sorted into alternate groups down two contiguous channels. These flows are then spaced out and distributed onto various pathways, where the bottles are ready to be put into bundles for final packaging.� By following the path of the bottles, the other 40 VLT OneGearDrives (per line) meet. The highly efficient permanent magnet and three-phase synchronous motors, (equal to 96%, superior to the IE4 standard), combine with optimized DESIGN WORLD
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WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
The 15A-125VAC Japanese plugs and the NEMA 5-15 plugs look similar. Mains power in North America is 125V while Japan runs 100V. The AC frequency cycles at 60Hz while Japan’s is 50 to 60Hz depending on location. That difference may cause motors to burn out or electrical shock. The Japanese approval mark has “PSE� on the plug, and in North America “UL� and “CSA� in combinations. Japanese wires range from 0.75, 1.25, and 2.0 mms, similar to AWG sizes 18, 16, and 13. If shipping to Japan, you must use a Japanese approved plug; if shipping to North America, you must use a North American approved plug.
bevel gearboxes to help improve plant productivity and reduce energy costs. “With only one motor type and three available gear ratios available,� explained Fabio Galletti, Sales Account Manager Danfoss Drives, and Emilia Romagna, Sacmi Filling client administrator, “this product covers all typical versions of conveyor drives commonly used in the food and beverage industry.� The reduced range of the physical configurations for these drives slashes costs and simplifies spare-part storage. Uniform mechanical dimensions reduce engineering and installation time and costs. The drive comes in two versions: Standard for dry and humid production areas (like the Fonte Tavina case), hygienic for humid and aseptic environments that require intense cleansing and sterile production areas. “Furthermore,� added Galletti, “the design that characterizes these gear motors allows them to be joined, head to head, without mechanical interference, as their diameter is only 76 mm and they are reversible.� Again, each line is equipped with 40 VLT OneGearDrives positioned along the transport system. Likewise, these correspond to the Danfoss VLT AutomationDrives, which are suitably positioned in the automation cabinet. They were designed for variable speed control of all asynchronous motors and permanent magnet motors, both with
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Design Notes View of the Danfoss VLT One Gear Drives, installed at the end of the line. IP 69K protection level fulfills requirements for the best hygiene and cleansing design.
closed and open loop (the latter have been chosen and adopted by Sacmi Filling specifically for this application). This design increases flexibility and optimizes the control of processes on any industrial machine or production line. The robust structure guarantees maximum functioning time. The items are also fitted with a large range of the sector’s standard characteristics, which can be expanded with other “plugand-play” options. The user- iendly and quick-use graphical control panel ensures the drive is easy to set up and operate, also saving commissioning and operating costs. These drives are used in Tavina, not just for the transport system, in combination with gear motors, but also to optimize the control of the process of various machines in the line. For example, on the blower, in the filler, on the mixer, for the labeling machine and, partially, on the palletizers, where there are no axis controls. The sensorless system, used by the Sacmi Filling technical team can manage almost all bottling lines without using control sensors or photocells, and can be used in a conventional manner for these applications.
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“The application of the sensorless system,” added Frosi, “was made possible thanks to the accurate and timely feedback om the VLT OneGearDrive permanent magnet motors, concerning current absorption and torque. This information, interpolated om our control algorithm, based on the calculation of the current and torque that the motor is absorbing in certain conditions, allows for optimized process management by facilitating maximum productivity. The information also facilitated the layout during the device design phase.” Moreover, the system, for example, is authorized to control the entrance of the bottles into the shrink wrapper in a limited space of no more than three linear meters. Normally, it would be necessary to have almost triple this distance for the bottles to be fed in a correct, homogeneous, and balanced process. Distributed, constant and continuous performance “It was certainly a huge challenge t to compress the layout in this manner, without a sensor or photocell to restore DESIGN WORLD
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HMI for transporter automation where Sacmi replicated the LCP programming of the frequency converters to potentially modify the parameters of each device without needing to open the electrical cabinet.
information required for the process, such as the number of containers at that line section,” underlined Frosi. The operational approach is carried out both on the transport section of the unpackaged bottles and on the entire conveyor section of the packages that are ready. The evolved automation system that Sacmi Filling was able to implement, thanks to the VLT FlexConcept drive system, not only avoided the direct use of sensors and related wiring, but provided even more significant added value. “The sensorless system” — observed Frosi — “guarantees services that are equivalent, if not superior, to those obtained by managing flows in a more conventional manner, using sensors and photocells. As there had been requirements for a field inverter rather than a panel inverter at the end of the line, the Danfoss team provided the VLT Decentral Drive FCD 302 equency converters to be positioned near the motor, eliminating the need for long cables. “This option,” explained Galletti, “does not require any change to control and management communications. This means the system is modular and will remain so for future operational integrations or new devices. It always DESIGN WORLD
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maintains its global output (Drive + motor + gearbox) that is greater than 89%.” Key automation 4.0 Sacmi Filling technicians also used other drives on these bottling lines, namely the VLT Micro Drive FC 51, for the final part of the line, the palletization. At this stage, the wrapped bottle packages then go to shuttles, in a fully automated manner, are conveyed by the pallet to the storage warehouse (20-m high and able to store 11 thousand pallets), and are ready to be dispatched. “This process,” concluded Forsi, “is in line with the specifics of Industry 4.0 and it can be managed and controlled via tablet and PC at all phases, for which progressive controls are planned. Any bottle that does not conform can be detected and removed without interrupting the cycle and, therefore, productivity.” Today, this productivity amounts to over 200 million bottles per year (80% produced by the plastic lines), a number that could be doubled at this rate. These numbers, along with the energy savings generated by new devices amounting to no less than 20%, are significant and are obtained thanks to the technologies used. These figures are required to ensure that Fonte Tavina remains a competitive mineral water producer and distributor. DW
Danfoss danfoss.com/en-us/
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CAE Solutions
ProgeSoft has built its ProgeCAD 3-D CAD software on the IntelliCAD engine. The low-cost, customized CAD system can be used for a number of design and modeling options.
Buying into the CAD Consortium Much like a food coop, membership in a CAD cooperative comes with perks and some drawbacks. Jean Thilmany • Senior Editor
ProgeSo bills itself as a low-cost CAD alternative, similar to other two- and three-dimensional .dwg-file-based so ware though it is one-tenth the cost. The company’s membership in the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC) helps keep costs low, says Damiano Croci, ProgeSo ’s chief operating officer. The 21-year-old consortium functions somewhat like a farm cooperative, only for so ware. Individual member companies share in the development of a baseline CAD platform that they can then customize to reflect their own needs. Companies build upon the IntelliCAD platform to create CAD applications for surveyors, architects, and engineers, even police officers, says Dave Lorenzo, ITC president. “By sharing the cost of development for complex projects, ITC members can develop solutions at far less cost than a single company
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could do on its own,� he says. Consortium members came together in 1999 to create ITC and to upgrade its IntelliCAD engine. IntelliCAD—based on the .dwg direct library om the Open Design Alliance—reads and writes the .dwg data file format widely used in CAD applications to store graphic and text information. DESIGN WORLD
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IntelliCAD depends on the ODA Platform for its core database to open, visualize, edit, and save .dwg and .dgn files such as this one. IntelliCAD One and IntelliCAD 2
Essentially, IntelliCAD is a CAD package run by committee. As a founding ITC member, ProgeSoft, of Chiasso, Switzerland, has backed the project from the consortium’s inception. The company recognized that by foregoing basic platform development and relying on IntelliCAD, it could focus on the bells and whistles that make ProgeSoft unique, Croci says. “Joining ITC was a hazardous, fascinating, and rewarding experience, all at the same time,” he says. “IntelliCAD gave us an excellent CAD product. After putting the finishing touches to it, we brought progeCAD to the cutting-edge of low-cost CAD technology. Architects, engineers, drafters, artists, and designers who use an AutoCAD download to create precision drawings
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or technical illustrations can do the same with ProgeCAD, he says. The ITC offers two membership levels. The royalty-free commercial membership is $69,000 the first year and $62,000 subsequent years; the royalty-based commercial membership fee is $39,000 the first year and $32,000 subsequent years with a $15-per-copy fee for new licenses. The fees help employ programmers to update the software. In exchange,
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CAE Solutions Leica Map360, an IntelliCADbased product, is used by police and other investigators to to reconstruct accident and forensiccrime scenes. Investigators use the tool to map data they’ve collected from a range of devices, such as laser-based point clouds. One of the new updates was the capability to attach digital signatures to .dwg files and to validate them. Another was the Block Editor that makes it easier to create and edit blocks.
members get the code and sell it as they wish: as a straight CAD package, as part of a vertical application, or for in-home use, Lorenzo says. IntelliCAD is updated annually. Today, the consortium has around 50 members located in more than 130 countries. A timely alternative To understand IntelliCAD’s role in the industry, know that in 1999—when ITC came into existence—the CAD landscape looked quite a bit different than it does today. Only a few, strong players dominated the industry. “IntelliCAD was originally created to stop Autodesk om a complete CAD monopoly, eeing millions of users to edit billions of engineering data files outside of Autodesk products,” Lorenzo says. “Today, IntelliCAD DNA runs through every major AutoCAD alternative,” he says, including popular programs such as ZWCAD, BricsCAD, ActCAD, FrameCAD, Trimble, and MicroSurvey. ITC members choose to work with the cooperatively created CAD platform to keep costs low. But they also become members to ensure a safe spot in the marketplace. Member companies know that by controlling their CAD platform they need not rely on another so ware maker for survival, Lorenzo says. “Many of our members came to the ITC a er Autodesk decided to compete with them,” he says. “Imagine being an Autodesk partner for decades and then suddenly they decide to compete with you. You spend years creating a valid market only to have the platform you built your business on decide that it’s time for you
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to go. But how else can Autodesk grow its revenue?” Because ITC is a non-profit cooperative it has no shareholders to demand continued revenue growth, Lorenzo says. “The ITC also has no end-user products that might compete with members, as our only funding comes om members who also direct our mission,” he says. “This keeps the ITC focused on creating core technology and services. We can’t compete with our members because we literally work for our members.” The ITC offers tools and expertise that members can integrate slowly into their business to improve their development processes over time, he adds. “Looking back to when I was a small, third-party developer, the insights om a consortium like ITC would have been invaluable,” he says. “I didn’t really learn large-scale development processes until I worked for larger companies like Visio and Microso .” Drawbacks include the time members must spend customizing the ITC so ware for their own use and the need to translate it into non-English languages. A run-in with the FTC IntelliCAD itself has a complex history that winds its way through So desk, Autodesk, Boomerang, Visio, and, finally, the ITC, according to Ralph Grabowski, a longtime writer covering the CAD community. In 2004, Grabowski was www.designworldonline.com
editor at up ontzine.com and was asked to contribute his thoughts at the first IntelliCAD Technical Consortium’s user conference, held in September of that year. In 1994, a company called So desk held the rights to IntelliCAD. Then, in December 1996, Autodesk moved to acquire So desk. This came as no surprise because Autodesk usually bought out its competitors or started its own competing product, Grabowski writes. The surprise in this case was that Autodesk didn’t know So desk had developed its own AutoCAD clone, perhaps to keep Autodesk at bay or to have its own so ware in the hopper. That clone was IntelliCAD. The matter triggered a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into the status of AutoCAD as a potential monopoly. In 1997, AutoCAD accounted for 70% of the installed base of about 1.4 million users, according the FTC statement. In March 1997, the FTC announced an antitrust settlement with Autodesk over the So desk and IntelliCAD acquisition, according to FTC filings. The move gave the go-ahead for Autodesk’s $90 million stock-swap merger, but IntelliCAD could no longer be part of the deal. The FTC found that the purchase of So desk’s IntelliCAD so ware would have created an uncompetitive environment. Autodesk agreed to divest the CAD technology without a formal request om the FTC. DESIGN WORLD
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The investigation was unusual for the time. Before the Autodesk investigation, FTC and Department of Justice had challenged only a handful of mergers with hardware and so ware companies, according to Howard Morse, an FTC spokesperson at the time. “There may be numerous mergers in this industry, but only a handful are thought to lessen competition,” he said a er the investigation. So desk, as part of the agreement, transferred all rights for IntelliCAD to Boomerang Technology, which in turn sold the rights to Visio, according to a March 31, 1997 CNET article. The divestiture to Boomerang occurred because the FTC wanted more information on the So desk acquisition and looked at IntelliCAD as potentially being anticompetitive, according to the article. Grabowski notes that Visio, which
made a diagramming and vector graphics application, first sold IntelliCAD for 10 percent of the price of AutoCAD and eventually gave it away ee in the early days of the ITC. In July 1999, Visio set up the ITC to be run by an independent board of directors, Lorenzo says. IntelliCAD went on to be used as more than an AutoCAD clone. In 2004, the ITC announced its IntelliCAD technology was a critical component of the DWGEditor functionality incorporated into the 2004 release of SolidWorks CAD so ware. The SolidWorks DWGEditor gives users the ability to edit 2D DWG files in their native format without conversion or data loss. The tool is ideal for design engineers who use 3D design so ware but still need to edit and maintain legacy DWG data, according to a 2004 ITC statement. “When a user of SolidWorks 2005 opens a DWG-based drawing, the
IntelliCAD technology is invoked to provide editing capabilities in an AutoCAD-like interface,” according to the statement. Beyond typical While some members of the ITC members don’t come as a surprise, others take something of a mental leap to understand. ZWSo , a Chinese maker of 2-D and 3-D CAD technology, definitely falls into the first category, using the IntelliCAD platform to develop its ZWCAD and ZW3D technology. Companies like Quality Life Tech in Dongguan, China, use ZWCAD for design. Quality Life Tech makes a variety of medical products including motorized wheelchairs, nebulizers, and aspirators. It calls on ZW3D to create CAD models for the mechanical and electrical parts it designs. QLT engineers o en need to modi history- or the third-party data. To do that, they use ZW3D’s translator, which can read the internal or external data in different
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CAE Solutions mainstream formats, Lorenzo says. On the other hand, Leica Map360 is “not your typical CAD application,” he adds. The IntelliCAD-based product is used to reconstruct accident and forensic-crime scenes. Investigators use the tool to map data they’ve collected om a range of mapping devices onto the same scene. Data can include aerial and point cloud imagery as well as information om global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). In that way, investigators can digitize, analyze and visually communicate the details of a scene with details, diagrams, and courtroom exhibits. Map360 turns data into a diagram, Lorenzo says. “It’s a way to make efficient use of all the data captured at the scene and a way to give visual guidance to those studying the evidence.”
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The analysis so ware is om Leica Geosystems and was designed and developed by ITC member MicroSurvey So ware Inc. Both Leica Geosystems and MicroSurvey are part of parent company Hexagon. Lorenzo points to the tool as an example of the way ITC members can bundle IntelliCAD with their own solutions so their customers don’t have to purchase AutoCAD separately. “Do you think police officers want to purchase and learn AutoCAD?” Lorenzo asks. What’s next? Over the last few years, the consortium has evolved to meet additional member needs, Lorenzo says. “And why not? Members are in control so why not change the consortium to
better meet their evolving needs?” he asks. The ITC has funded special interest groups to tackle new emerging technologies that stray om its typical .dwg roots. “We’ve also expanded our services to provide offshore contract developers for member’s proprietary development,” Lorenzo adds. “As a nonprofit, cooperative platform, which is directed by our members, our job is to make members successful. And they create the definition for success,” he says. “They set our vision, our membership pricing structure, and determine our services and components. They provide vision and funding and we implement.” DW
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CAE Solutions
Volume Graphics V3.4 includes Scan-to-CAD reverse engineering
The Reverse Engineering Module in VGSTUDIO MAX 3.4 makes it easy to convert CT scans into CAD models that can be used in any CAD system without the need for a CAD designer or reverse engineering specialist.
Digital analysis and physical testing are increasingly integrated with the pursuit of optimized product design and development across a wide swath of industries. With the release of its VGSTUDIO MAX version 3.4 so ware, Volume Graphics has added and augmented important functions that help designers and manufacturers capture and interrogate product data to improve final quality. When there’s no 3D CAD model of an object available, VGSTUDIO MAX 3.4’s Reverse Engineering Module provides a suite of capabilities in one automated package. The Module can generate surfaces om a CT scan, or any voxel model converted om a closed mesh/point cloud scan, using an autosurface function that is fast and accurate. This new function allows manually generated design models to be available digitally—without the need for a CAD designer or reverse-engineering specialist. An important benefit is the ability to generate and archive 3D CAD models of legacy parts, as well as update those models in which the actual part or tool deviates om the master CAD model. This automates the creation of digital twins of individual parts and allows for validation of the modelto-part relationship. The recreated or newly validated CAD model can be exported as a STEP file to any CAD system. The so ware also enables CAM systems to mill on CAD instead of meshes. Compare components or samples over time to detect damage and calculate strains with DVC.
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Displacement between two datasets acquired during an in-situ test on a fiber-reinforced polymer, as visualized in VGSTUDIO MAX 3.4 software. Data provided by the Institute of Applied Materials at Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) in Germany. Measuring strain and quanti ing and visualizing defects in material samples due to external loads are key tasks for materials scientists. The new Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) Module in VGSTUDIO MAX 3.4 helps users to quanti displacements and strains simply and intuitively between multiple states over time. It enables a precise insight into the material at hand, e.g., to detect cracks and to measure the local strain. This is particularly useful for gaining a deeper understanding of foams, fiber composite materials, or additively manufactured (AM, aka 3D-printed) porous samples or components. Voxel-based, three-dimensional volumes are automatically correlated by the so ware, allowing for before-and-a er comparisons of in-situ experiments. Results are visualized in extreme detail, making it easy to pinpoint exactly where defects or damage have occurred. The user can quanti and visualize problems like cracks and pores, which can be missed by the naked eye, by comparing datasets at different states over time with the initial undamaged data. Results are visualized via color overlay, vector fields or strain lines. The equivalent strain or single components of the strain tensor can be shown as a color overlay and mapped directly on a volume mesh to validate the results of FEA simulations. VGSTUDIO MAX also allows for mapping microstructure information such as fiber orientation, fiber-volume content, or matrix porosity on the same mesh that is used for the FEA. This allows the user to consider all significant microstructure information within a mechanical model and validate it by comparing FEA and DVC results. DVC is not only helpful in the laboratory—it is also a powerful tool to detect internal damage for maintenance of composite materials, like those in a helicopter blade, by comparing a scan acquired a er manufacturing with DESIGN WORLD
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Coupling Notes Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor
When to look beyond bellows and spider couplings
Zero-Max ServoClass Couplings have misalignment advantages for increased cycle times and machine throughput. Nineteen sizes are available for immediate shipment.
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Zero-Max ServoClass Couplings provide important reliability and misalignment advantages in servo motor and stepper motor driven applications. Demanding applications require a coupling that holds up to shock loads caused by rapid acceleration and deceleration, start/stop conditions, and torque reversals in these servo-driven systems. According to testing and field experience, ServoClass Couplings provide the durability and reliability necessary for longer life and increased machine uptime in these applications compared to other coupling styles. “Misalignment between sha s on equipment exists in the form of angular, parallel (radial) and axial misalignment,” reports a Zero-Max spokesperson. “No matter how careful two sha s are aligned, they are never ‘perfectly’ aligned. Further misalignment can also creep in over time om deflection due to torque loads and forces on the machine, machine wear, and eventual settling of the machine base. The ServoClass coupling, within its ratings, handles these types of misalignments readily and easily.”
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“The ServoClass coupling’s misalignment advantage over bellows couplings will provide for a longer lifetime where the misalignment exists,” says the Zero-Max spokesperson. “The reason is that, in most cases, the ServoClass Coupling is not as radially stiff as a bellows coupling, which reduces the reaction loads on the connected components and stresses within the coupling itself. The ServoClass Coupling is designed to optimally handle torque, rotation, and misalignment simultaneously, thus providing longer life.” ServoClass Couplings have lower reaction loads and higher durability than jaw/spider couplings. “Jaw/spider couplings do not perform as well as ServoClass Couplings in demanding applications,” says the Zero-Max spokesperson. “The reason is that the coupling’s spider element can
deteriorate over time om heat and fatigue, shortening its lifetime. Also, jaw/ spider couplings experience torsional windup in higher torque applications and have longer settling times when stopping higher inertial loads. This scenarios result in increased cycle times and reduced machine throughput. The ServoClass Coupling’s misalignment capacity and high torsional stiffness avoids these issues.” These benefits make the Zero-Max ServoClass Couplings a better choice over jaw/spider and bellows style couplings in many demanding applications. They have a sleek, compact, and robust design that performs reliably in 24/7 servo motor applications. There are nineteen sizes of standard off-the-shelf ServoClass Couplings. These couplings are suitable for automation applications, printing and packaging equipment, semi-conductor
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Internet of Things
Precision molding and the Internet of Things The Internet of Things (IoT) has far reaching ramifications for industry in general and for precision molding in particular. While most analysis of the IoT is in respect of its positive influence on manufacturing processes, the growth in the IoT also opens up huge possibilities for micromolding as there is increasing demand for new and innovative micro devices. Aaron Johnson • VP of Marketing and Customer Strategy • Accumold
There is no doubt that when manufacturing highly complex micro-molded components, data can help to ensure a maximum level of repeatability in the micro-injection molding process, create consistent quality, and mitigate defects. Data also provides the general benefits of reduced downtime through preventative maintenance and machine upkeep. Terminology is interchangeable in this field. When discussing smart manufacturing many use terms such as IoT, Industrial IoT (IIoT), or Industry 4.0. The actual term IoT was first used by Peter T. Lewis in 1985 to describe as he stated it “the integration of people, processes, and technology with connectable devices and sensors to enable
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remote monitoring, status, manipulation, and evaluation of trends of such devices.” So, while the term has been around for a few decades, the concept continues to develop and evolve as technology continues to advance through new hardware, and through the collection and analysis of data. For precision micro molders in particular, the IoT allows for gains in production efficiencies, improved production quality, and reduced time to market. Machines can communicate failure points and collect data that can be used to improve predictive and preventative maintenance, which in the long run improves uptime. Data analysis is used to predict and prevent failure; it indicates when intervention is required and recommends the necessary corrective actions. Troubleshooting is more efficient, which benefits both manufacturers and customers. The drive to glean more – and better – data om industrial equipment and systems will continue to improve productivity in the micromolding sector as technology, sensors, and systems continue to evolve, to the benefit of the molders and their customers. But there is something else that micro molders understand when looking at the IoT. The innovative hardware and components that enable smart devices or wearables represent a huge, dynamic and growing market as o en these devices are small, intricate, and their manufacture is driven by weight, cost, and time-to-market considerations. OEMs making components that drive IoT devices must engage with highly qualified and experienced micro molders to ensure the efficient and costeffective manufacture of safety critical precision and micro components. Engaging with a qualified micro manufacturing partner early in the design cycle for new product development is vital to avoid multiple (and costly as well as time-consuming) design and tooling iterations. Devices that drive the IoT To see whether something fits under the IoT umbrella, you need to look at interconnectivity. Does one product work with another product? If you lock a window, does a door lock
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automatically as well? Are light controls connected with the thermostat? As you walk up your garden path, do lights turn on and curtains close as you hit the remote control to unlock the ont door? These examples probably get us closest to a workable definition of the IoT. An IoT is a coordination between multiple devices, and it involves fitting devices with an on/off switch that is connected to the internet. We have seen over the last few years that the number of connected devices has ballooned into the billions, and this exponential growth in the IoT will be driven by the so ware and hardware that make it all possible. Governments are deploying IoT applications to alert them to failed street lights, leaks in water systems, and full trash cans etc…. The IoT will also very likely have a major role in traffic control, and forest fire and landslide detection and the like. Remote sensing is already mainstream in many industries, office buildings, and in the energy supply. However, it’s the consumer applications that get the most attention, because they involve almost every industry and platform: health systems, home energy use, hardware, home building, electronics, and the entire category of wearables, including clothing. So ware-wise, interconnectivity is driven by the use of Bluetooth, devices wirelessly communicating with each other and thus making them intrinsically linkable. Hardwarewise, the key is sensors, or to be accurate “micro-sensors” without which there would be no IoT. Micro sensors detect and measure temperature, vibration, and the effectively “see and hear” for devices. As we analyze the sensors used on many devices that make the IoT, we are looking into the area of MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems), tiny components — sometime less than a thousandth of an inch in size — which are critical for IoT functionality. O en, MEMS are manufactured in much the same way microprocessors are manufactured, through a lithography process. These sensors can be paired with an
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application-specific integrated circuit or “ASIC.” The application of MEMS sensors to the IoT-enabled markets will require sensors to shrink further and be more power-efficient. Today, MEMS are intelligent technical systems or subsystems with advanced functionality, which bring together sensing, actuation and data processing, and informatics/communications. Therefore, these systems not only sense, they also diagnose, describe, and manage any given situation. They are highly reliable and their operation is enhanced by their ability to mutually address, identi , and work in consort with each other. Such smart systems are the hardware basis for the IoT.
From a technology point of view, these smart systems are not limited to silicon–based technologies but integrate polymer-based technologies, printing technologies (for printed antennas, printed sensors, displays or batteries), different nanotechnologies (spintronic devices, CNT-based devices or devices based on embedded nanoparticles), and even embroidering technologies for sensors. DW
Accumold www.accu-mold.com
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Internet of Things
IIoT-enabled network blocks for digital industrial transformation
IO-Link Masters are IIoT-enabled network blocks. They feature an embedded web interface and OPC UA for full remote access and control of the IO-Link master and connected devices. The Y Series is available in two housing styles, the YL212 for machine installation has an encapsulated IP67 housing for use in harsh environments and integrates the L-coded M12 power connector for higher current in more compact dimensions, compared to the 7/8 in. standard. The YN115 DIN rail version for control cabinet installation includes pluggable/removable push-in and screw terminal connectors for a quick and error-proof installation of the IO-Link devices and module. YL212 and YN115 support leading Ethernet protocols such as EtherNet/IP, PROFINET IO, and MODBUS TCP. In addition, the integrated OPC UA protocol allows simultaneous access to the data of the attached smart devices om the PLC and OPC UA clients with a reliable, continuous, and transparent data flow om the sensors into cloud-based systems. The integrated web server, available in seven languages, and the IODD interpreter enable easy access, configuration and diagnostic of the module, along with the attached IO-Link devices, through a web
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browser, even remotely om PCs, tablets or smartphones and without the need for any additional so ware or a PLC. The IO-Link Masters main technical features include: • Eight configurable ports that can operate as standard Digital Input, Digital Output or as IO-Link signals • One additional Digital Input on each port • OPC UA protocol to have simultaneous access to the data of the attached smart devices om cloud-based applications via OPC UA clients • Dual Ethernet ports • IO-Link v1.0 and v1.1 compatible and IO-Link COM1, COM2 and COM3 support • Integrated multi-language webserver and IODD interpreter for remote configuration and diagnostics • Data storage and device validation for plug-and-play and error-proof replacement of IO-Link v1.1 devices DW
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Internet of Things
Single pair Ethernet system takes to the skies
The Mini-ETH single pair Ethernet system for commercial aircra offers substantial weight savings, more bandwidth and simpler installation and maintenance by using proven technologies om other markets. As designers search for greater efficiency onboard aircra , the system offers up to 73% weight savings in cables and up to 41% weight savings in connectors. Using Ethernet over single pair protocols derived om the automotive market, the Mini-ETH system delivers its weight savings through a two-wire cable design, which was recently standardized under the ARINC 854 cabin equipment network bus standard. Two-wire cables and corresponding 369 connectors help reduce termination time by up to 50% compared to standard quadrax connectors. The reduction in wires within TE’s Mini-ETH system can also simpli maintenance when compared to quadrax connectors. These efficiencies come in a package that is qualified to 100Mb/s with the ability to support up to 1Gb/s in future applications. The Mini-ETH system is currently designed for use in In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) systems, seat power and lighting controls. DW
TE Connectivity www.te.com 56
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A Supplement to Design World - September 2020 www.designworldonline.com
How
we ported a project from ROS1 to ROS2
page 72
INSIDE:
• Five things ROS2 needs in 2020.....................60 • How ROS2 and AI can speed up robotics development......................................................64 • A history of the Robot Operating System ...68
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Editor’s Page
The Robot Operating System gets ready for prime time Not only is the Robot Operating System, or ROS, important for training developers, but it is also increasingly relevant to commercial robotics. Since 2007, the open-source platform has been part of academic programs and the basis for numerous autonomous mobile robots coming out of Willow Garage. Last year, Microso Corp. announced support for ROS in Windows 10, marking increasing industrial interest. In fact, more than half of commercial robots shipped in 2024, or over 915,000 units, will have at least one ROS package installed, according to ABI Research. The global market for ROS applications could expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2% om 2019 to 2027, reaching $438 million in 2027, predicts Transparency Market Research. Absolute Market Insights is similarly bullish, forecasting a CAGR of 8.7% om $203.99 million in 2018 to $430.92 million by 2027. More than 50 mobile and service robots now use ROS, noted Absolute Market Insights. It cited providers including ABB, FANUC, KUKA, iRobot, Omron Adept, and Yaskawa Motoman. ROS offerings to engineers are also growing. PickNik Inc. said earlier this year that the MoveIt 2 Beta of its open-source so ware works with ROS 2 for faster, more reactive planning through real-time control. This summer, ADLINK Technology Inc. announced partnerships with chipmakers Intel Corp. and NVIDIA Corp. for its ROScube controller for applications involving sensors, actuators, and artificial intelligence. Earlier this month, Clearpath Robotics Inc. extended ROS support to Boston Dynamics Inc.’s Spot quadruped robot, which is now commercially available. The companies said this will help developers take advantage of the robot’s capabilities and create innovative applications. In this month’s issue of The Robot Report, a supplement to Design World, we focus on how ROS is evolving. Ricardo Tellez, co-founder and CEO of The Construct, describes the history of ROS since two researchers at Stanford University got tired of “reinventing the wheel.” If you are planning to move om ROS 1 to ROS 2, be prepared, notes Lukasz Mitka. He explains the steps his team took at Husarion, which makes the ROSbot development platform. Also, see my conversation with Joe Speed, field chief technology officer at ADLINK, about how ROS 2 and AI could accelerate commercial robotics development. One of the benefits of community support is that there are always opportunities to improve ROS. Michael Ferguson, director of research and development at Cobalt Robotics, as well as an alumnus of Willow Garage and Fetch Robotics, discusses five things he would like to see added to ROS 2. Whether you are a student, a developer, or a robotics vendor, learn how ROS 2 can advance the state of robotics. RR Eugene Demaitre • Senior Editor The Robot Report edemaitre@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @GeneD5
| Source: Husarion
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The Robot Report
Five
things ROS 2
needs in 2020 ROS 2 has many capabilities, but we need more examples and questions answered.
Michael Ferguson
I’ve been using ROS 2 quite a bit over the past several months. There aren’t too many real robots running the latest version of the Robot Operating System yet. We have a bit of a chickenand-egg problem where the tools are not yet fully ready for real robots, but until people start using ROS 2 on real robots, nobody knows the real pain points. There are many, many things that could be done in ROS 2. But there is limited time to implement them all, so we need to focus on those that enable robots and their developers to “survive.” I o en get asked if ROS 2 is “ready for prime time.” My answer for a long time was “No.” At this point, I’m going to upgrade it to “Maybe; depends on what you’re doing.” Here are five things that I think would make the answer “Hell, yes!” for most roboticists. I actually hope this artcle ages poorly and that all these things come to happen in ROS 2. 1. Automatic QoS for rviz, rcl2cli Quality of service (QoS) is probably the biggest change between ROS 1 and ROS 2. It’s also the one that causes the most headaches om what I can tell. The ROS 2 Foxy Fitzroy release adds a “--verbose” option to the “ros2 topic info” command, which is a huge step in the right direction. This lets you quickly diagnose when a publisher and subscriber are using incompatible QoS. rosbag2 got a huge upgrade in ROS 2 Foxy. It automatically determines the proper settings for QoS so that it always connects to the publisher you’re trying to record. Note: If multiple publishers are publishing to the same topic with different QoS it may not work -- but really, who does that? Now we need that feature in rviz2 and the command-line utilities (CLI). These are debugging tools, so they need to be able to “just work” in most scenarios.
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Rviz motion-planning plugin for MoveIt.
Since most of the time you’re using rviz2 to connect to sensor data, which is often published with a non-default QoS (the sensor data profile), it’s absolutely bonkers that rviz uses the default QoS on everything (which is incompatible with sensor profile). Even something as simple as latched topics won’t work by default. This is not an easy ask. It will involve significant changes to rviz, as well as changes to lower-level packages like message_filters, but I’m pretty sure this is the single biggest bang-for-yourbuck improvement that will make ROS 2 work better for robot developers. 2. Documentation OK, I’m sounding like a broken record or the squeaky caster on your 8-year-old mobile manipulator, but this is really important. I’m
THE ROBOT REPORT
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The Fetch mobile manipulator runs on ROS.
| Source:PickNik
| Source: Fetch Robotics
not just talking about the lack of tutorials here. One of the things that made ROS great for new developers from 2011 to 2014, when it experienced huge growth in the community, was a very polished and up-to-date wiki. If you wanted to find out about a package, you could go to wiki.ros.org/package_name, and the documentation was right there. If it wasn’t, you had a pretty good idea this package wasn’t ready for prime time. With ROS 2, we don’t have a centralized place for documentation yet, and I think that is holding the community growth back. There is also the issue of “user documentation.” Nearly everything for ROS 2 is written assuming an expert programming background -- even more so than ROS 1 documentation. Reading the source code is not how you’re supposed to learn how to run a ROS driver for a laser scanner.
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The Robot Report Building out a community is superimportant. The best way to get a bug fixed is to find a developer who needs it fixed. I’ve only been using ROS 2 on and off for a couple of months, and in that time, I’ve fixed half a dozen bugs across multiple ROS 2 packages. I’ve even taken on maintaining the ROS 2 port of urg_ node and the related packages. 3. Subscriber connect callbacks Now we’ll jump into a super-technical issue -- but the impact is huge -especially for those doing perception, which is generally a big part of robotics. When creating a publisher in ROS 1, you could register a callback that would get called whenever a subscriber connected or disconnected. This feature doesn’t exist yet in ROS 2, but I think it is essential for real robotics systems. Here’s why: Robots can generate lots of sensor data, especially when you add processing pipelines into the mix. Sometimes you might need a high-resolution point cloud with color and depth information. Sometimes you need a low-res colorless point cloud. This is especially true when the robot system does multiple tasks. For instance, imagine a mobile manipulator robot. For navigating the environment, it wants that high frame rate, low-res point cloud for collision avoidance. When the mobile manipulator gets to the destination, it wants to switch to a high-res point cloud to decide what to grab. Sometimes you literally cannot be publishing all the data streams possible because it would overwhelm the hardware. For instance, saturating the USB bus if you were to pull depth and color and IR from most RGBD sensors at the same time. In ROS 1, you could create “lazy publishers” so that the creators of these intensive data types would only create and publish the data when someone was listening. They would be alerted to someone listening by the connect callback. The lack of lazy publishers throughout various drivers and the image_proc and depth_image_proc packages is a real challenge to building high-performance
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Eclipse Oxygen with ROS 2 and rviz2.
urg_node ROS wrapper.
| Source: ROS Index
| Source: GitHub.com
Steps to establishing a Publisher connection in ROS.
www.therobotreport.com
| Source: ROS Answers
THE ROBOT REPORT
9/12/20 8:16 AM
perception systems. When people ask me, “Is ROS 2 ready?” my first question these days is, “How much perception/ vision are you doing?” To be clear, workarounds are available in some cases. If you’re creating a publisher yourself, you can:
•
Create a loop that “polls” whether there are subscribers (using get_ subscription_count) as I did in the openni2_camera package.
•
Use parameters to dynamically reconfigure what is running. While this might work in some cases -- and may even be a preferred solution for some use cases -- it likely leads to a more brittle system.
•
Re-architect your system to never need lazy publishers by hard-coding exactly what you need for a given robot. While some of this is more likely to happen in a production environment, it doesn’t lend itself to code reuse and sharing, which was one of the major selling points of ROS 1.
• • •
How to unsubscribe om a topic? Why should we use destory_node in Python What Does set(node_plugins) actually do?
ROS 2 developers, please take note: There are lots of great features in this system, so please help your users learn to how to actually use them -- maybe they’ll even help contribute back. In the month that I took to write this post, a number of questions have been answered, so we’re already getting there! 5. Your robot on ROS 2 There’s probably a bunch of other bugs, issues, etc. hiding in the weeds. Your robot is probably not exactly the same as mine -- and your use cases are going to be different. We need more robots running ROS 2 to dig into things. The good news is you can install ROS 1 and ROS 2 on the same system and switch back and forth pretty easily. RR
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Connect and discuss this and other engineering design issues with thousands of professionals online
Note that I said, “If you’re creating a publisher yourself.” There are lots of packages that are widely relied on in ROS 1 whose ROS 2 ports are crippled or broken due to the lack of subscriber connect callbacks: • message_filters • image_transport • image_proc • depth_image_proc You can find more under “ROS 2 publisher callback on subscription match” on answers.ros.org. 4. Developer involvement I remember folks joking that ROS Answers was misnamed because there were no answers there, just questions. It’s actually not true -- unless you search for the ROS 2 tag. There are a lot of really good questions there, stuff that’s not anywhere in the documentation and is probably relevant to a large number of users. Here are a few examples: • Are rmw_serialize and deserialize thread safe?
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About the author: Michael Ferguson is director of research and development at Cobalt Robotics, a leading provider of robotic security services in San Mateo, Calif. He was previously the chief technology officer of Fetch Robotics, leading the development of so ware and electronics for the Fetch and Freight robots. Ferguson began working with ROS in 2010 as a so ware engineer at Willow Garage. He was also co-founder of Unbounded Robotics, a spin-off of Willow Garage. To follow Ferguson’s musings on robotics, visit his Robot & Chisel blog.
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How ROS 2 can speed up robotics and AI development A new controller demonstrates how ROS 2 can help commercial robotics applications, says the field CTO of ADLINK.
Eugene Demaitre • Senior Editor • The Robot Report
Both startups and established technology companies are rushing to develop delivery robots, disinfection systems, and autonomous vehicles. To succeed, their engineering teams must maximize productivity amid pandemic and business constraints. New so ware and hardware platforms put artificial intelligence at the edge to facilitate robotics innovation and speed to market. For instance, ADLINK Technology Inc. said its Edge AI portfolio automates edge computing processes to ee developers om the need for advanced knowledge of data science and machine learning models.
The ROScube controller. | Source: ADLINK
In June, ADLINK released the ROScube-I, a new controller using Intel processors that it said supports a wide variety of sensors and actuators to enable faster, easier, and scalable development of open robotics applications.
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ROScube-I Starter Kit.
| Source: ADLINK
The Taiwan-headquartered company also launched the ROScube-X, which uses the NVIDIA Jetson AGX module for robotics applications requiring AI and minimal power consumption. Both controllers are built on ROS 2, the latest version of Open Robotics’ Robot Operating System. “The difference between autonomous machines such as an iRobot Roomba and an autonomous passenger vehicle is a matter of scale,� said Joe Speed, field chief technology officer at ADLINK. “It is a difference in the scale of the sensor suite, the in-vehicle compute, complexity, and risk.� “Many passenger-carrying programs are stalled because of the coronavirus, but AMRs [autonomous mobile robots], AGVs [automated guided vehicles], cleaning robots, and autonomous cargodelivery efforts are hugely accelerated,�
ROScube-I Starter Kit.
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he told The Robot Report. “There’s a 20x increase in robot orders in some cases, with companies accelerating two-year programs to delivery within six months.� Defining the edge and sharing machine vision R&D “We don’t use the mangled definition of ‘edge computing’ that mobile network operators use,� Speed said. “We’re not just talking about the edge of mobile networks; we’re moving compute to where sensors are and data is generated -- not the office or the data center. These controllers are for computer vision and robots in industries like aerospace and vehicle manufacturing.� “ADLINK’s technology and so ware partners enable things like optical inspection, hand-eye coordination for robots, and rugged industrial applications,� he said. “Cameras with
| Source: ADLINK
www.therobotreport.com
edge AI compute can be built right into the end of the robot arm.� “There are people doing a lot with computer vision with hardwareaccelerated machine learning for object detection and SLAM [simultaneous localization and mapping], but not enough of that work gets open-sourced and contributed upstream to ROS,� Speed noted. “With ROS, we have a solid amework to accept such work, and some university work is published. But not enough machine learning work is contributed back to ROS/ROS 2 Github repos for perception, navigation, etc.� “Intel has done well in ROS with its CPUs and OpenVINO, enabling the MoveIt path planner, and for perception, adding Movidius support for the RealSense cameras in ROS,� he said. “With its Keem Bay modules, Intel claims it has achieved Xavier-level performance on a fi h of the power budget.� “NVIDIA historically hasn’t done a lot of direct contributions to ROS, but I think that’s going to change with Jetson GPUs [graphics processing units] and contributions to ROS/ROS 2,� Speed said. ADLINK relies on global network “Unlike random box builders, ADLINK has so ware labs around the world,� said Speed. “We’re big contributors to ROS 2, along with Amazon Web Services [AWS], Bosch, iRobot, and Open Robotics, as well as contributing to the Eclipse Foundation Eclipse IoT and OpenADx and the Autoware Foundation’s open-source autonomous driving for ROS/ROS 2.� “ADLINK has 1,800 people and its own factories,� he added. “We do a lot of manufacturing with Intel and NVIDIA, as well as NXP and Qualcomm.� Speed said he expects big hardware and middleware players to increasingly support ROS. “Arm recently adopted the Eclipse Cyclone DDS [Data Distribution Service] ROS middleware and plans to work on profiling, optimization, and building in its TrustZone hardware security into its DDS Security,� he said. “Eclipse Cyclone DDS is popular Tier 1 middleware built into ROS 2 and Autoware. It is easy to use, quite small, very fast, and extremely efficient and reliable.� “It can move data using half as many
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The Robot Report CPU cycles — this has implications for the battery life of mobile robots,” said Speed. “Its open-source contributions have come om many developers, including ones at ADLINK, Rover Robotics, Ekumen, Canonical, and AWS.” ROS 2 is designed for commercial developers ROS was widely viewed as not robust enough for commercial applications, but the Foxy Fitzroy build presents new opportunities, Speed said. “A lot of people may have tried ROS in the past and didn’t like it,” he acknowledged. “ROS ‘classic’ was very much perceived as a tool for academics, so companies would harden it and add to it as they built their own products on it. They didn’t advertise it, but many things like Cruise Automation were originally built on ROS.” “It’s not obvious to outsiders, but ROS 2 has a heavy investment om big technology corporations,” said Speed. “There are dozens of contributing engineers at AWS, Samsung, LG, and others contributing daily. Most are not roboticists but are systems architects, so ware engineers, and testing and QA [quality assurance] people with serious
| Source: ADLINK
skills. This is why we’re seeing such rapid and constant improvements in the ease, performance, and reliability of ROS 2.” “We knew what is needed for ROS 2. It has to be fault tolerant, real-time, and functionally safe,” he said. “The ROS community re-architected ROS to be built on DDS, which is used by industry, the military, and aerospace. ADLINK-contributed DDS is in every Fujitsu Internet backbone fiber switch,
the ship-defense systems of 18 navies, autonomous vehicles, and industrial and farming robots.” “By building robots on a solid foundation with open-source middleware, we can all get to autonomy faster,” Speed claimed. “Engineers can get to bigger, heavier things that move faster, with more valuable cargo including people.” “If you were on the fence about trying
Robotics collaborations for good “There is a multiyear program to automate Changi
#AccesibleOlli is an autonomous shuttlebus applying edge IoT to transportation. | Source: ADLINK
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General Hospital in Singapore,” Speed said. “It’s a heterogenous environment in which robots must integrate with hospital systems and multiple robots. A robot can summon an elevator, roll into it, and make way for another robot. These robots are already sharing space with humans, doing everything om resupply to bedside care, all working together.” “ADLINK got me to join in large part because of its support for assistive technologies,” he recalled. “My first effort upon joining ADLINK was delivering #AccessibleOlli, an open-source, self-driving bus for elderly and disabled. This was a #tech4good community effort with contributions om MIT, Princeton, AARP, IBM, the Mayo Clinic, and many more.” “My team of P-TECH kids chose Stevie Wonder as their design persona,” said Speed. “So it was pretty great when our iend Mike May brought Stevie Wonder to experience what my kids had designed for him.” www.therobotreport.com
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open robotics or ROS 2, now is the time with Foxy,” he said. “This release has the contributions of 115 engineers. If you look at the development and testing for this open-source release, it would have been an $8 million commercial software effort.” “I challenge you to find more than 10 robotics startups that are not using ROS or ROS 2. Most are using it,” said Speed. “ROS is coming to robot arms, too. Trajekt Sports has developed a robot that can accurately replicate any baseball pitch thrown in a MLB game -- everything from curveballs to 105+ mph fastballs.” Pandemic accelerates robotics demand “While autonomous passenger vehicle programs have slowed a bit or are stalled, delivery robot programs have sped up,” said Speed. “For example, Damien Declercq at Spring Mobility told me how at Neolix has seen a 20x increase in delivery robot orders in 90 days because of COVID-19. The trends remain the same, but the pandemic has changed the timelines, elongating some and compressing others.” “I have friends at Box Robotics in Philadelphia who have 36 years of experience in warehouse robots,” he said. “They say COVID-19 has not only accelerated the shift from retail stores to e-commerce, but it has also put a real strain on warehouses and supply chains.” “We’re working with Ouster and SICK on using ROS 2 perception to make a warehouse vehicle drive twice as fast safely. This would save 30% of the cost and get more throughput,” Speed said. “Most things move at 2 m/sec. but really at 1 to 1.5 m/sec., but they should really be able to move the speed of a human or forklift at 5 m/sec.” “Box Robotics, ADLINK, and AWS RoboMaker are working with Ouster and SICK on using ROS 2 perception to make autonomous warehouse vehicles drive twice as fast safely,” said Speed. “This would save 30% of the cost and get more throughput. Most autonomous things in warehouses move at 1 to 1.5 m/sec., compared with a human-driven forklift at 5 m/sec.” ADLINK’s customers include a major aerospace manufacturer that requires any robots that it buys to support ROS,
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A robot that can replicate any MLB pitch.
| Source: Trajekt Sports
Speed said. “ROS Industrial is starting to be built into the procurement requirements of big manufacturers,” he said. ADLINK is also working with providers of autonomous delivery, AMRs, and selfdriving vehicles, but Speed declined to name any partners. “With the Autoware Foundation developing support for autonomous cargo delivery, a robot could pick up parts in one building of a car factory and navigate onto a street and into another building to deliver parts to the manufacturing line at the moment they’re needed,” he said. “This combines indoor and outdoor navigation and operating in areas with other robots and humans.” RR
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A history of the
Robot Operating System
ROS has gone from being a personal research project to an open-source enabler of commercial robotics development.
Ricardo Tellez • The Construct
The Robot Operating System, or ROS, is now very popular among roboticists. Researchers, hobbyists, and even robotics companies are using it, promoting it, and supporting it. However, it was not always like that. Do you know the history of ROS? In the early days, ROS was an unknown, only used by a bunch of robotics eaks. How did ROS reach its current state as a robotics standard? Let’s take a look at the evolution of ROS.
| Source: The Construct
The Stanford Period ROS started as a personal project of Keenan Wyrobek and Eric Berger while they were at Stanford University, as an attempt to remove the reinventing-the-wheel situation om which robotics was suffering. Those two guys were worried about the most common problems of robotics at the time: • Too much time dedicated to re-implementing the so ware in astructure required to build complex robotics algorithms (basically, drivers to the sensors and actuators, and communications between different programs inside the same robot) • Too little time dedicated to actually building intelligent robotics programs that were based on that in astructure Even inside the same organization, the re-invention of the drivers and communication systems was re-implemented for each new project. This situation was beautifully expressed by
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Most of the time spent in robotics was developing the wheel. | Source: Wyrobek and Berger
Wyrobek and Berger in one of their slides used to pitch investors. In order to attack that problem, Wyrobek and Berger in 2006 created a program called the Stanford Personal Robotics Program, with the aim to build a framework that allowed processes to communicate with each other, plus some tools to help create code on top of that. All that framework was supposed to be used to create code for a robot they also would build, the Personal Robot, as a testbed and example to others. They would build 10 of those robots and provide them to universities so that they could develop software based on their framework. NOTE: People more versed in ROS will recognize in those the precursors of ROScomm libraries and the Rviz, rqt_tools and the like of current modern ROS distributions. Also, the Personal Robot was the precursor of the famous PR2 robot. Similar frameworks at the time The idea of such a system for robotics was not new. Actually, there were some other related projects already available for the robotics community: Player/ Stage, one of the most famous in the line of open source, and URBI in the line of proprietary systems. Even Open-R, the system developed
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by Sony which powered the early Aibo robots of 1999, was a system created to prevent that problem. It’s a shame that Sony canceled that project, as it could have become the leader by now. Ironically, Sony recently launched a new version of the Aibo robot that runs ROS inside! Finally, another similar system developed in Europe was YARP. One of the leaders of the Player/Stage research project was Brian Gerkey, who later went to Willow Garage to develop ROS and is now the CEO of Open Robotics, the company currently behind the development of ROS. On its side, URBI was a professional
system led by Jean-Christoph Baillie. It worked very well, but it could not compete with the free-ness of ROS. That is an important point to discuss: URBI was at least as good as ROS. I used it for many research tasks while doing my Ph.D., such as code from 2005 to make Aibo walk, dance, and do some other tricks using neural networks. But URBI failed when competing with ROS. The software platform had as many tools for debugging and as much documentation as ROS. So why did it fail against ROS? The fastest readers will jump to the point that URBI was not free. Actually, it was quite expensive. Was the price what killed URBI? I don’t think so. In my opinion, what killed URBI was the lack of community. It takes some time to build a community, but once you have it, it acts like changing gears. URBI could not build a community because it relied on a paid fee. That made it so the only people who could buy it were those accessing the framework. That limits the amount of community you can create. It is true that ROS was free. But that is not the reason -- many products that are free fail. The reason is that they built a community. Being free was just a strategy to build that community. Switching gears While at Stanford, Wyrobek and Berger received $50,000 of funding and used it to build a PR robot and a demo of what their actual project was. However, they
| Source: The Construct
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The Robot Report realized that in order to build a really universal system and to provide those robots to the research groups, they would need additional funding. So they started to pitch investors. At some point around 2008, Wyrobek and Berger met with Scott Hassan, investor and the founder of Willow Garage, a research center with a focus on robotics products. Hassan found their idea so interesting that he decided to fund it and start a Personal Robotics Program inside Willow Garage with them. The Robot Operating System was born, and the PR2 robot with it. The ROS project became so important that all the other projects of Willow Garage were discarded, and it concentrated only on the development and spread of ROS.
technical questions about ROS. 3. In 2010, it built 11 PR2 robots and provided them to 11 universities for robotics software development using ROS, following Wyrobek and Berger’s original idea. At that point, the PR2 robot was for sale, so anybody in the world could buy one -- if they had enough money. 4. The first edition of the ROSCON was in 2012. ROSCON became the official yearly conference for ROS developers. 5. Simulation started to become very important. More precisely, 3D simulation. That is why the team decided to incorporate Gazebo, the 3D robotics simulator from the Player/Stage project, into ROS. Gazebo became the default 3D simulator for ROS.
Willow Garage takes the lead ROS was developed at Willow Garage for around six years, until Willow Garage shut down in 2014. During that time, many advancements in the project were made. It was this push during the “Willow time” that skyrocketed its popularity. It was also during that time that I acknowledged its existence (I started with ROS C-turtle in 2010) and decided to switch from Player/Stage to ROS, even if I was in love with Player/Stage. In 2009, the first distribution of ROS was released: ROS Mango Tango, also called ROS 0.4. As you can see, the name of the first release had nothing to do with the current naming convention for reasons unknown to this author. The 1.0 release of that distribution was launched almost a year later. From that point, the ROS team decided to name of the distributions after turtle types. Hence, the following distributions, by release date: • Box Turtle, in 2010 • ROS C-Turtle, in 2010 • Diamond Back, in 2011 • ROS Electric Emys, in 2011 • ROS Fuerte Turtle, in 2012 • ROS Groovy Galapagos, in 2012
As ROS was evolving, all the metrics for ROS were skyrocketing: the number of repositories, the number of packages provided, and, of course, the numbers of universities using it and companies putting it into their products. Another important event that increased the size of the ROS community was Willow Garage’s 2011 release of Turtlebot, the most famous robot for ROS developers. Even if PR2 was the intended robot for testing and developing with ROS, its complexity and high price made it non-viable for most researchers. Instead, the Turtlebot was a simple and cheap robot that allowed anybody to experiment with the basics of robotics and ROS. It quickly became a big hit, and it is used even today in its Turtlebot 2 and Turtlebot 3 versions. In 2013, Willow Garage “announced” that it would dissolve that year. I
Around that time, other events also happened: 1. In 2009, they built a second version of the Personal Robot, the PR2 2. Willow Garage launched ROS Answers, the channel to answer
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| Source: Willow Garage
remember when we received the news that Willow Garage was closing. I was working at Pal Robotics, and we were all very worried. What would happen with ROS? After all, we had changed a lot of our code to work with ROS. We removed previous libraries like Karto. Karto is software for robot navigation and is free now. But at that time, we had to pay for a license to use it as the main SLAM and path-planning algorithms of our robots. The idea was that the newly created Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF) would take the lead of ROS development. Many of Willow Garage’s employees were
| Source: Willow Garage
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absorbed by Suitable Technologies, a spinoff that ironically doesn’t use ROS for its products. The customer support for all the PR2 robots was absorbed by another important company, Clearpath Robotics. Under the Open Source Robotics Foundation umbrella Under the new legal structure of the OSRF, ROS continued to develop and release new distributions, including the following. • ROS Hydro Medusa, in 2013 • ROS Indigo Igloo, in 2014 • ROS Jade Turtle, in 2015 • ROS Kinetic Kame, in 2016 • ROS Lunar Loggerhead, in 2017 • ROS Melodic Morenia, in 2018 The reports created a er each year are publicly available here under the tag “ROS Metrics.” Having reached this point, it is important to state that the last distribution of ROS was released this year. ROS Noetic is based on Python 3 instead of Python 2 as all the previous ones were. No more ROS 1 distributions will be released, and the full development has been taken for ROS 2. ROS 2.0 Around 2015, the deficiencies of ROS for commercial products were manifesting very clearly. Companies cited the roscore as a single point of failure, a lack of security, and no real-time support as reasons for not supporting ROS in their products. If ROS was to become the standard for robotics, it clearly had to reach the industrial sector with a stronger voice than that of the few pioneer companies already shipping ROS in their products. In order to overcome the objections, the OSRF took the effort to create ROS 2.0. It had already reached its fourth distribution in June 2020 with the release of Dashing Diademata.
• Open Robotics recently opened a new facility in Singapore and established a collaboration with the government there for development. • Local ROS conferences have been launched, including ROSCON France and ROSCON Japan. • In the past few months, big players like Amazon, Google, and Microso have started to show interest in the system with support for ROS. That is definitely a sign that ROS is in better health than ever and that it has a bright future. Sure, many problems will arise, such as the problem of creating a last ROS 1 distribution based on Python 3, but I’m 100% sure that the ROS community, will solve them and build on top of them. I expect a long and strong life for ROS. #GoROS! ROS is the most mature, open-source robotics project in the world. So if you are planning to get into robotics, you need to master it. In my blog, we’ll look at the challenges of learning ROS, which is complex and takes time. We’ve also built a ROS online academy to help you learn how to optimize your time. RR
About the author: Ricardo Tellez is CEO and co-founder of The Construct, a company that provides Web development tools for programming, testing and deploying robots using ROS. Previously, he worked at Pal Robotics developing so ware systems for humanoid robots. Tellez is also an instructor at the University of LaSalle Barcelona, where he teaches ROS, and he has written four books on the subject. In addition, Tellez delivers a weekly ee ROS Live Class on his YouTube channel.
Recent movements in the ROS ecosystem • In 2017, the Open Source Robotics Foundation changed its name to Open Robotics, in order to become more of a company than a foundation, even if the foundation branch still exists/.
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How we ported a
-res):
project from
ROS 1 to ROS 2 Porting this project from ROS 1 to ROS 2 was quite challenging due to the variety of tools and components used. Lukasz Mitka
At Husarion, we have developed an open-source graphical user interface for managing autonomous mobile robot destinations. It is Web browser-based and allows a user to set a single destination or a set of destinations as a sequence or loop. Everything was packed under a user-friendly and intuitive GUI and out-of-the-box experience without the need to write a single line of code. The project is named Route Admin Panel, or RAP for short. It was initially created for ROS 1 and was successfully tested with Kinetic and Melodic. RAP is a pre-installed Web user interface on ROSbot 2.0 providing a very handy way to start using the robot with no coding involved. Although it was developed using ROSbot, you can use RAP with the following: • Gazebo simulator with ROSbot model or other model of your choice • AWS RoboMaker • Install RAP on any mobile robot
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| Source: Husarion
The Robot Operating System community has increased its efforts around ROS 2 development. That and questions from our users convinced us to provide a dedicated ROS 2 image for ROSbot. It comes with ROS Dashing with all desktop tools. The communication middleware of our choice is Cyclone DDS, as we consider it stable and effective. Moreover, from a developer perspective, we find its documentation to be complete and comprehensive. Images are prepared for ARM architecture, with ASUS TinkerBoard as a supported device and Intel architecture with UpBoard as a supported device. We decided that because the default software is also a showcase for ROSbot capabilities, it will be RAP, and thus it needed to be ported to ROS 2. Here are the experiences we gathered and challenges we faced during the process.
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Architecture RAP is a nodejs application, which consists of a back-end server and front-end Web browser app. Communication between the server and the browser is ROS-agnostic, and we are using JSON structure for this part. This means that there is no need to make any changes in the browser app, and the user experience will stay the same. Translation to ROS messages is handled on the server side, RAP for ROS 1 is using rosnodejs for interfacing between ROS and server. There is no rosnodejs for ROS 2. The replacement package is rosnodejs, and it provides roughly the same functionality with interfaces adjusted to ROS 2. RAP is subscribing TF messages to update ROSbot position on a map and Image with map through CompressedImage transport plug-in. Furthermore, ROS 1 used /move_base action application programming interface (API), which was replaced with nav2 stack.
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The Robot Report We tested it with NodeJS Version 10.18. Porting process Knowing the architecture, we can determine that main change is to replace rosnodejs with rclnodejs. Many interfaces in both libraries are the same, so switching TF topic was mostly a matter of replacing the library name and reformatting messages. We encountered the first significant issue while switching Image topic. In order to save the bandwidth, map is transferred to browser as a PNG compressed image. In ROS 1, there was a dedicated node that subscribed /map topic with nav_msgs/OccupancyGrid message type and republished it on the /map_img topic with use of image_transport plugin. The server side subscribed the CompressedImage from image_transport and transferred it directly to browser app. For ROS 2, it was necessary to implement node for conversion of nav_msgs/OccupancyGrid to sensor_msgs/CompressedImage. This process is described in section Map to image converter. Also, there was an issue with parameter declaration for CompressedImage transport plugin. The parameter declaration issue is described in CompressedImage transport plugin issue. The most breaking change was setting the destination for navigation stack, as it was redesigned in ROS 2. Details of switching to navigation2 stack are in Path planning and destination setting.
| Source: Husarion
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ROSbot unboxing.
| Source: Husarion
Map to image converter Node for converting nav_ msgs::msg::OccupancyGrid to sensor_ msgs::msg::Image was rewritten for ROS 2 compliance. Task for this node is pretty straightforward, subscribe /map topic, convert occupancy grid into image and publish it. First, initialize subscriber to /map topic: map_sub_ = this>create_subscription<nav_ msgs::msg::OccupancyGrid>(“/map”, 1, std:: bind(&MapAsImageProvider::mapUpdate, this, std::placeholders::_1)); Initialize /map_image publisher as ImageTransport plugin: image_transport_ = new image_transport: :ImageTransport(static_cast<rclcpp::Node::S haredPtr>(this)); image_transport_publisher_full_ = image_transport_->advertise(“/map_ image”, 1, true); Then, in subscriber callback function, process the map and publish it as an image: tmp_image_data = *cv_img_full_. toImageMsg(); image_transport_ publisher_full_.publish(tmp_image_data); When initializing image transport, there is no possibility to choose image format or compression ratio. The plugins are loaded at runtime when node is launched, exact configuration depends on image transport plugins available in the system.
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CompressedImage transport plugin issue RAP is subscribing map image as CompressedImage with PNG compression. Image_transport_plugins does support PNG compression, but in the first try, it was constantly publishing as JPEG, which is the default format, even when format: png parameter was set. It turned out that since Dashing, the parameter declaration had changed as described in documentation. Unfortunately, the declaration API was not implemented in the ROS 2 branch of image_transport_plugins. We have prepared a forked repository with required changes, and the corresponding PR is pending. Parameter declaration So how are parameters declared now? We will discuss it on compression format example: rcl_interfaces::msg::ParameterDescriptor format_description; format_description. name = “format”; format_description.type=rcl_interfaces::ms g::ParameterType::PARAMETER_STRING; format_description.description = “Compression method”; format_description. read_only = false; format_description. additional_constraints = “Supported values: [jpeg, png]”; config_.format = node->declare_ parameter(“format”, kDefaultFormat, format_description); We begin with ParameterDescriptor structure, which will contain all relevant
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information regarding a parameter that we want to set: rcl_interfaces::msg::ParameterDescriptor format_description; Set a name for the parameter. This is a string that identifies the parameter; the same name is to be used when setting value for the parameter, such as in parameters .yaml file. format_description.name = “format”; Choose the parameter data type. It could be one of the following:
• PARAMETER_NOT_SET • PARAMETER_BOOL • PARAMETER_INTEGER • PARAMETER_DOUBLE • PARAMETER_STRING • PARAMETER_BYTE_ARRAY • PARAMETER_BOOL_ARRAY • PARAMETER_INTEGER_ARRAY • PARAMETER_DOUBLE_ARRAY • PARAMETER_STRING_ARRAY`
| Source: Husarion format_description.type = rcl_interfaces::ms g::ParameterType::PARAMETER_STRING; Provide the parameter description. This should explain what could be set or how the parameter affects node operation. format_description.description = “Compression method”; Determine if the value can be changed
after it has been initialized, if true, the value will not be overwritten. format_description.read_only = false; Describe the parameter constraints. ParameterDescriptor provides floating_ point_range and integer_range fields that can be used to limit numeric values set in parameter.
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The Robot Report In our case, they do not apply because we are using string parameters. For the purpose of determining possible values, we can use the additional_constraints field. This should be plain-English description of constraints that cannot be expressed with the available constraints. format_description.additional_constraints = “Supported values: [jpeg, png]”; Finally, declare the parameter: config_.format = node->declare_ parameter(“format”, kDefaultFormat, format_description); Return value of declare_parameter method is parameter resulting value. If, at runtime, the user has provided an initial value, then it will be set in this method, otherwise the given default_value will be set. Path planning and destination setting Path planning in ROS 2 was almost redesigned om scratch. This allows it to implement new workflows while keeping functionality. For more details on the implementation, please refer to Navigation 2 docs. Although the changes are fundamental, they refer mainly to navigation stack internal issues. When using Rviz, default settings allow us to set destination for ROSbot and drive toward it smoothly. Setting the destination and monitoring its progress is available via the actions interface. Their implementation changed greatly starting om the basic concepts. In ROS 1, actions are implemented as a separate library, while in ROS 2, they should be included in client library. When we started the process of porting RAP to ROS 2, rclnodejs did not have support for actions interface. We decided to make our own implementation of actions interface and eventually created a pull request. During our development, the other team was concurrently working on the same functionality. The status as of this article is that rclnodejs has implementation of actions available for ROS 2 Eloquent. Since we want RAP to be compatible with ROS Dashing, we will keep with our custom fork.
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As defined in actions design, their support is already implemented in rcl library. To add actions support in rclnodejs, it is required to add appropriate language bindings between JavaScript in rclnodejs and C in rcl. Also, according classes to process actions needs to be implemented. The last thing to do is to provide a data type generator for actions. Every ROS message, service, or action is defined in .msg, .srv, or .action accordingly. Each of them can also be defined with use of universal.idl file. Both methods are not directly usable in Node.js, so they need to be converted to according JavaScript classes prior to usage. Furthermore, actions must be converted during the installation on user machine to provide support for user-defined actions. Conclusion Porting the project om ROS 1 to ROS 2 was quite challenging due to variety of tools and components used. It was also as much valuable experience, which is why we decided to share it. We have discussed usage of image_ transport plugin, parameter declaration and integration of Node.js library with ROS 2 interface. RAP is an open-source project, and code for ROS 1 and ROS 2 is available as separate branches on GitHub. I hope that the description of our experiences during porting om ROS 1 to ROS 2 will be helpful for the ROS community. RR
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About the author: Lukasz Mitka is a graduate of AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland. He is passionate about robotics and works mainly with mobile robots. Husarion provides hardware, so ware, and connectivity for building autonomous robots based on ROS and ROS 2.
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A Supplement to Design World - September 2020
Exceeding regulatory requirements: Beyond the checklist
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Root cause analysis:
3 common mistakes and strategies for medtech success Using root cause analysis to identify the source of a medical device malfunction is often slow and unproductive. Here are three common errors and strategies to improve results.
Don Baumgarten Product Creation Studio
When a medical device fails to function as intended, the stakes can be high, potentially affecting patient safety and brand reputation and even lead to a recall. Malfunctions that rarely occur can be the most difficult to resolve and engineers are often directed to rapidly implement a solution. If the reason for the issue is not clearly understood, attempts to fix the problem wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work. Root cause analysis (RCA) is often the best approach, because it can help determine the specific underlying cause for a malfunction. Here are the typical RCA steps:
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• Clearly describe the device failure. • Examine the device design, manufacture, and instructions for use. • Identify potential causes of the failure. • Analyze potential causes until the root cause is discovered. Simple, right? Deceptively so. Here are common reasons that root cause investigations fall short, and strategies for success: Unfocused effort When a significant medical device malfunction occurs, quick corrective action is needed. But engineers are typically already juggling multiple projects, and managers are busy, too. Fixing the problem often falls to one or two engineers with no timeline for action or adjustment to their other responsibilities, and little management support. The result is a cursory RCA effort with little chance of success. To truly tackle the problem, formally create a project team as would be done for any other R&D project. Prioritize the RCA project relative to other projects according to business impact and resource it accordingly. Include the RCA project in regular management project review meetings. Avoiding vital work If a device failure is harmful, the need to resolve the problem is urgent. Pressure to move quickly can cause the RCA team to neglect critical thinking and planning and to avoid crucial but time-consuming analyses. The hurried effort is inevitably haphazard and superficial. Despite the urgency, a systematic approach is critical to success. A systematic approach is thoughtful and efficient, with investigations of the most likely root causes conducted simultaneously to quicken the pace. A number of well-known problem-solving tools, including the fishbone diagram and process flowchart, are recommended for root cause investigations. Familiar techniques including dimensional inspection, microscopy, oscilloscope signal analysis and debugging tools are essential to analyzing potential root causes. Faulty conclusions An assumption might seem smart: The injection molding process was validated, so that can’t be the issue. A single data point can be convincing: The circuit board worked after the capacitor was replaced, so the capacitor was the problem. But assumptions and conclusions based on scant data are often wrong, and that can be disastrous to an RCA effort. To avoid erroneous decisions, gather compelling data before ruling out a potential cause or declaring that the root cause was discovered. Conduct controlled
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experiments and use statistical analysis when needed. Avoid overinterpretation of data, and conclude only what the data supports. Conclusions can rarely be made with absolute certainty. Seek strong evidence to make sound decisions. For intricate systems, there may not be a single root cause. Instead, several contributing factors occur simultaneously to produce the malfunction. Usually two or three dominant factors cause the issue. The best way to show that the root cause was actually discovered is to reproduce the problem. Deliberately build devices that include the identified root cause and demonstrate that the devices fail. Such evidence will give you confidence that implementing
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changes to prevent the identified root cause will greatly reduce the failure rate. M
Don Baumgarten is the director of mechanical engineering for Product Creation Studio. He has participated in the design and manufacture of medical devices for startups to Fortune 500 companies, including Philips, Boston Scientific, Pathway Technologies and Intellectual Ventures.
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Biomedical engineer Jeffrey Karp in his eponymous lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston. | courtesy of Brigham and Women’s Hospital
How a top research lab
pivoted to fight COVID-19 A top medtech research site, the Boston-based Karp Lab has responded to COVID-19 with a virus-fighting nasal spray, better mask straps and much more.
Nancy Crotti | Managing Editor
COVID-19 COMPLETELY DISRUPTED the work at Jeff Karp’s medical engineering lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. One company that was planning to do research with Karp and his students pulled out; Canadian undergraduate students were called home by their government and couldn’t finish their experiments; postdoctoral students whose work was scheduled to end in June and couldn’t finish had to move on to other commitments. Undergraduate summer interns couldn’t start work because the hospital had imposed a hiring freeze.
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Karp has chosen to look on the bright side. “There’s a lot of challenges that we face but at the same time there’s a lot of opportunities that are arising,” said the Canadian-born bioengineer based at the Brigham and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “There are multiple new projects that have come out of this.” The urgency to help patients and healthcare providers during the
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pandemic has enabled the Karp Lab. The Massachusetts General Hospital affiliate has launched several companies over the years, to churn out technology that normally would have taken years to reach patients. “With the pandemic here, everybody understands what the problem is and there are many aspects of the problem that need to be addressed and there’s an immediate need,” Karp said. “There’s been a loosening up of how quickly you can move things forward. It’s a big motivator to help people. “There’s a lot of energy and passion. It’s easy now to find collaborators and bring people in and develop momentum on projects,” Karp added. “As problem solvers who have a lot of access to resources and incredible collaborators, we’re trying to think of everything we can to help in many different areas.” For example, Karp and his team were already working on developing a nasal spray to create a physical coating that can deliver therapeutics. They pivoted that work from a different formulation to one that can kill SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Made of materials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list of materials, the spray would form a hydrogel barrier on the nasal mucosa to capture the virus and release viricidal agents to deactivate it. Unless they’re wearing an N95 mask, which filters out nearly all airborne particles, people could use the gel to neutralize virus particles that enter their noses through gaps that form between their masks and their faces, Karp said. As a bonus, the gel would hydrate the nasal lining to help people breathe through their noses rather than through their mouths, leading to less fogging of glasses and perhaps more mask-wearing. “We’re still in the process of putting together the data and will file a patent soon,” Karp said of the virus-
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killing gel research. “We envision this can have a relatively quick trajectory to get into use.” The nasal spray research attracted $200,000 in funding from the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma and Innovation at the Brigham. Plans are for it to be sold over the counter, so it wouldn’t need to undergo clinical trials, Karp said. The lab does, however, need a commercial partner to launch it. Earlier in the pandemic, the lab team worked with athletic shoe manufacturer New Balance to fix the straps on 50,000 donated masks for use by frontline workers at the Brigham and its sister institution, Massachusetts General Hospital. Karp is now on different teams working on a COVID-19 detection approach, on how to re-purpose
FDA-approved drugs to reduce the severity of COVID infections, and on developing a better non-medicalgrade mask. The team has also begun to plan for normal lab activities to resume and to launch new, nonCOVID research projects. “I think it’s one of these things where people, in the front of their minds, are kind of hopeful that COVID will be gone in 6 months,” Karp said. “Probably — realistically — we’re going to be dealing with COVID for several more years to come.” M
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Exceeding regulatory requirements: Beyond the checklist
Many manufacturers run into issues as they adjust their devices and testing plans to meet updated regulatory requirements. Using a risk-based approach to predict and mitigate risks can help prevent costly setbacks. Between the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) delay and other regulatory Sherry Parker WuXi AppTec
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bodies shifting priorities due to COVID-19, manufacturers are scrambling to stay up to date on regulatory changes and keep their products on track for compliance. Simply working toward the current requirements checklist could potentially lead to regulatory complications, which is why experts recommend taking these requirements further.
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A thoughtful, risk-based approach can help ensure that nothing in the testing plan slips through the cracks and threatens submission success. Following certain steps below can help manufacturers gain confidence in their testing plan. Documentation longevity Device documentation and testing information must be thorough and transparent enough for someone removed from the testing altogether to understand what was done and how it was done. Assuming that the next person to reference the documentation of completed testing will have adequate background knowledge and experience to understand it could cause significant issues.
Teams change, and it is crucial to set future colleagues up for success by providing a road map of past decisions regarding the device, the materials used, the testing history and more. Testing partners can help ensure your document includes the appropriate details, regardless of personnel changes. Device classification It is vital to be proactive when it comes to device classification. The new MDR guidelines have proven this to be an element of medical device testing that can change quickly and send a manufacturer back to the drawing board. Manufacturers must have a thorough understanding of their deviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classification. The potential
classification offers a guide to what non-clinical testing work might be needed, along with possible steps for submission. For example, Class II devices generally require more testing than Class I devices, which can set manufacturers on a different trajectory and ultimately lead to delays if done insufficiently. It is also essential to test the final finished device, which may not be addressed by only testing materials and/or components. Additionally, Class I (reusable) devices, such as surgical instruments, are under higher levels of scrutiny than ever before with MDR guidelines. It is essential to understand what it takes to prepare devices for submission to meet these regulations. Staying ahead of classification regulations requires thorough
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research and a team of qualified experts. Consider what the regulatory landscape may look like for the entirety of the device’s lifecycle and work with the mindset of exceeding regulatory expectations now for more leeway later. Post-market considerations Strategically prepare for post-market successes and challenges when planning beyond regulatory submission. Surveillance throughout product life cycle is not an area to cut corners. For example, if postmarket monitoring reveals an unforeseen color change/chemical reaction, be sure to diligently investigate this. Working with a testing partner can help determine the next steps. The work is not over when a regulatory body gives the stamp of approval. Listen to the end-users — patients and physicians — for feedback on how the device is operating outside the testing lab. Continuous monitoring will help improve the device and provide insight for future projects. Packaging & labeling While not high on the priority list, packaging and labeling must be considered early in the process to meet regulatory requirements and avoid submission delays. Ensure that the intended clinical uses and instructions are not only documented well in study data but also prioritized for packaging. Bringing in the marketing team early can help with this process. Also, don’t forget to test the device from its final packaging to detect any leachables transferred to the final finished device. It might seem unnecessary now, but planning packaging and labeling during device testing can expedite the process and keep the device on track to meet the submission timeline. M
Sherry Parker is senior director regulatory toxicology at WuXi AppTec Medical Device Testing (St. Paul, MN). Parker also serves as a member of ISO TC 194, WG 11 and is U.S. co-chair of the ISO TC 194 Mirror Committee.
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5G TECHNOLOGY WORLD Delivers the Latest 5G Technology Trends
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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
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Lasting businesses endure disruptive changes. This phrase is from an old business and economics college textbook. Our class assignment at the time was to define and solve potentially disruptive changes that could affect a company. This year would’ve certainly made that list, given the ongoing pandemic. Although our instructor preferred to call it “innovative change.” This, she said, is because the companies that endure such challenges are typically flexible, creative, and innovative. Diversity is also a key ingredient. On one level, diversity reflects a company’s range of products or services. And in disruptive times, it’s the ability to become innovative. Diverse and novel ideas are the catalyst for growth and perseverance. Several fastener businesses are proving good examples of this so far this year, with many supplying products that support the fight against COVID-19. Case-in-point: Advance Components, an industrial fasteners master distributor, now offers what it calls “a new kind of fastener.” Unconventional perhaps, but these new fasteners (called Face Mask Comfort Straps by ARaymond) address the discomfort associated with wearing a mask and are currently in high demand. Additionally, PennEngineering’s Heyco division is supplying face-shield frames to the health care sector. (The frames are etched with the words, “Helping People…Saving Lives,” as a thank you to the workers wearing them.) Several other manufacturers are also supplying much-needed components that support essential services. Turn to the article, “Working through COVID,” for lessons from essential manufacturers about working through the pandemic. The overarching theme: it’s imperative to embrace change and learn how to do business differently. On a much deeper level, diversity is also critical in the workplace. It reflects how well a workforce represents equality in regards to race, gender, age, physical abilities, and other characteristics. Statistics repeatedly show that companies with higher-than-average diversity perform better and support higher innovation revenues. But shouldn’t this be obvious? Diversity is expansive, exposing new information and perspectives, which paves the way to better decision-making and problem-solving (ideal for overcoming disruptive changes). Essentially, diversity makes businesses smarter. To this end, Women in the Fastener Industry (WIFI) deserves full credit for providing support, opportunities, education, and mentorship for women in fastening — and for more than a decade now. However, it takes more than one organization to make lasting changes. How is diversity reflected in your business? AT WTWH Media, we’ve had several recent discussions about how to best ensure inclusion, equality, and innovation in the workplace. What is your company doing?
| AdobeStock.com
Why diversity matters in business
We’d love to hear from you! Write us at fasteners@wtwhmedia.com.
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What new business practices have essential manufacturers learned? Michelle Froese • Editor As more businesses resume operations after months of shutdowns, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are undoubtedly mixed feelings of unease and cautious optimism. Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer or ideal protocol to ensure a safe and successful re-opening. However, there are business owners that can offer a suggestion or two based on what they’ve learned during the past six months. That’s because these companies never shut down. Several manufacturers and distributors in the fastener industry were deemed essential — supplying components to critical sectors, such as the medical, energy, food and water industries, and others — and simply stepped up to the challenge. Through trial and error, these companies found a way to work safely during the pandemic and have lessons (and accomplishments) to share. “You know, when people used to ask me what I do for a living, I would sometimes joke: ‘When you open that car door, you kind of depend on us. You steer and use the brakes of your vehicle, and our products hold everything in place,’” shares Craig Slass, the co-president of Rotor Clip, a global manufacturer of retaining rings, springs, clamps, and other components. “Now I say: ‘I save lives.’” Craig Slass, the co-president of Rotor Clip This is because several Rotor Clip products are also used in ventilators and important medical devices and supply equipment. “It’s interesting because we never paid as much attention to this area of our business before,” he adds. “We simply filled the orders. But now when customers call and say, ‘I need it,’ my first question is ‘Okay, how is it used?’” 98
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PEEK, or polyetheretherketone, is a high-performance plastic, making the material ideal for fasteners in many critical or demanding applications.
Rotor Clip’s production hall, which continues to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Slass says it was eye-opening to recognize just how many critical sectors depended on the components that his company manufactures. “I help hold together the oxygen machine…[our products are] on the brushes that hold cleaning equipment together and on important sterilization equipment.
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Also, we’re used for the automatic faucets, soap dispensers, and in the automatic door openers at hospitals,” he says. “This changed our minds and helped us recognize just how significant our work is in the world and why we do what we do.” This realization was particularly important during the pandemic www.fastenerengineering.com
for two reasons: it helped motivate employees and created a new approach to business at Rotor Clip. “I mean how do you motivate people that are coming into work and they’re nervous or scared… and rightly so?” he asks. “First of all, you have to create a comfort factor and make sure they’re feeling safe.” This, of course, meant readjusting September 2020
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Gail Friedberg, the CEO of ZAGO Manufacturing
schedules to ensure physical distancing and following the CDC guidelines. For Slass, it has also required a positive mindset. “I told our team how we’re still driving sales and buying machinery through this pandemic. And I told them all of the positive and helpful things we’re contributing to,” he says. Empowering the efforts of employees is powerful. “We’re also trying to find new opportunities to grow. So, we’ve talked a lot about how to enhance our product lines and going into newer industries or different ones that we never paid as much attention to before,” he adds. Slass says thinking of this time as a challenge is also quite motivating. “It’s imperative to learn how to do business differently. Figure out how to create new opportunities and look at this as not just a time for savings, but look at it
ZAGO’s factory floor, with social distancing and hygiene rules in place to ensure employee safety.
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as a challenge.” Case in point: when the sales team used to do three or four calls a day, visiting customers by car, now they can do 15 or 20 WebEx or Zoom meetings in that time. “Use the technology to your advantage,” says Slass. “If you think we’re going back to the oldline selling or past ways of doing business that’s not going to happen. So, my advice: start figuring out how to approach customers differently. Everybody’s time is very valuable, so get the engineers and the right people involved from the start.” In other words, be mindful and get creative. According to Gail Friedberg, the CEO of ZAGO Manufacturing, flexibility is also key. “What looks good on paper, isn’t necessarily what’s going to work out in practice. If it looks like something isn’t working, it’s not,” she says. “Come up with new ideas, have different alternatives…keep at it until you find something that works for your employees and the management of the company.” ZAGO is a New Jersey-based global manufacturer of hightech, custom ceiling solutions and components. The company has remained open during the pandemic and serves several industries, including the medical device sector. Friedberg says the company had to play with several different schedules to ensure the safety guidelines and to figure out what worked best for everyone. “This took time,” she says. “You may not hit it at first, so keep working at it.” It’s also led to a couple of pleasant surprises: “A year ago, I never would have thought that so much of our team could or would work from home. Even the assembly people are working from home — these are people who I never thought could work remotely. Now, we have no intention of changing it.” DESIGN WORLD
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In some ways, ZAGO was fortunate. Over the last couple of years, the company gradually automated some of its equipment so that it can be run by just one person. “Well, we certainly didn’t have something like this in mind,” says Friedberg, referring to COVID. “But we did have efficiency and lean production in mind. We also adopted an ERP system that allows us to work from the cloud.” ERP, or enterprise resource planning, is a business management software system. Such a system, including a secure server and digital access to important documents and information, is a must for employees who may continue to work remotely. “Overall, I think the most important thing for a company is information and communication.” Friedberg says it’s imperative to stay informed, share insights with your team, and keep everyone connected. “I’m always trying to gather information about the disease and its economic ramifications, and then communicating that information to our employees so that they have an understanding of what the long-term implications might be and so they can plan their lives accordingly.” Of course, the practice of good communication also extends to vendors and customers so that they can properly plan and manage their orders and expectations. “For us, our vendors are local and our supply chains are short, which makes us a much better supplier to our customers.” Friedberg said this setup was particularly helpful when it came to supplying components to Ventech, a long-term customer that partnered with GM a few months ago to help make the much-needed ventilators. “To be honest, I really wish we didn’t have to do that business and that the ventilators weren’t needed,” she shares. “But we’re a good partner. We know how important these relationships are.” Friedberg’s final words of wisdom: “I hope that any manufacturers who are on the fence about getting started again, please get back to work! The best jobs are manufacturing jobs and it’s been that way for a long time,” she says. “We were deemed essential but I think all manufacturing is essential manufacturing.”
Redefine Your Swaging and Staking Capabilities What if your swaging and staking processes could do much more? Now they can, with Branson™ PulseStaker technology from Emerson. PulseStaker tips deliver and vary temperatures instantly to heat, form and cool strong, aesthetically perfect part-to-part bonds without sticking or burning. The PulseStaker process handles curves and contours, closely positioned part features, heat-sensitive PCBs or circuits, and high glass-filled or chrome-plated plastic parts. Learn more at: Emerson.com/Branson
To find interviews with Slass and Friedberg, and for more insights from others working through the pandemic, please visit fastenerengineering.com/ category/covid-19.
The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2020 Emerson Electric Co.
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DA and CD:
what you should know about weld studs Colin Shaw • Mill Department • Brighton-Best International A weld stud is a specially designed bolt or stud that’s attached directly to a base material or workpiece via a welding process. Weld fasteners allow one side of the connection (the stud or bolt) to permanently and firmly attached to the base material. This type of welding is typically done in one of two ways: 1 Drawn arc (DA): Joins the base metals via a controlled electric arc process. The most common DA applications include large construction projects, such as bridges, parking structures, and high-rise buildings. DA is also used in automobiles where appearance is not critical, such as for the mounting of hydraulic systems and suspension. 2 Capacitor discharge (CD): A form of resistance welding that uses stored energy. CD stud welding is typically used in the electronics and appliance industries where the metal is a light gauge. One of the first large-scale applications of stud welding was on Henry Ford’s assembly lines. With one side of a joint firmly and permanently affixed to the material, the assembly process was sped up dramatically. A closer look at DA The drawn arc process is used when larger diameter studs or bolts are welded to thicker, uneven, or dirty base materials. DA works on materials as thin as 18-gauge steel and in arc times of less than 0.1 second. For thicker base materials and larger studs, longer cycle times are needed to ensure a sufficient melt depth. September 2020 www.fastenerengineering.com 102
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PEEK, or polyetheretherketone, is a high-performance plastic, making the material ideal for fasteners in many critical or demanding applications.
Weld stud with ferrule. Let’s consider the use of DA in bridge construction as one example. During this process, the fastener is placed against the workpiece and a current is applied. The weld gun then pulls the fastener away from the workpiece, allowing an arc to form. The arc melts the tip of the fastener and the workpiece for a pre-determined length of time. The machine then plunges the fastener back into the molten metal on the workpiece to form the bond. Typically, the DA process is done in large, open, and uncontrolled
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spaces so the fastener will have a flux tip and the use of a ferrule is necessary. The ferrule is a ceramic ring that’s placed around the fastener before welding. It has teeth on one side that rest against the workpiece, creating a shield around the molten metal. This keeps the molten metal in place, preventing contaminants from getting into the weld pool by holding the flux close to the melt pool. The teeth also provide space for the expanding heated gasses to escape, preventing an explosion.
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After the weld is cooled, a hammer is used to break the ferrules off the fastener and base material joint. However, it’s important to first ensure the ferrule properly fits the location of the installation. Common types of ferrules include: Flat ferrule – used when welding to a flat, horizontal surface. Inside angle ferrule – used when mounting the stud to the inside of a 90-degree angle, such as the inside corner of heavy angle iron. September 2020
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The capacitor discharge stud welding process.
CD is typically used in processes where the appearance of the sheet metal is important, such as for automobiles or appliances.
Outside angle ferrule – used for the opposite side of the inside angle ferrule. Thru-hole decking ferrule – used when attaching weld studs through steel decking to the underlying steel beam. These ferrules have wider teeth. This allows more atmosphere to reach the weld, making it burn hotter and through the steel decking to the base material.
The drawn arc stud welding process.
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Vertical ferrule – used when attaching a weld stud to a vertical surface. These ferrules only have teeth on one half of the circumference and the other half is solid. The solid portion is placed on the lower side of the weld to hold the melt pool in place. This prevents it from running down the workpiece or leading to an insufficient weld. A properly executed DA process will create a joint that’s stronger than the stud itself.
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A closer look at CD The capacitor discharge process allows small-diameter items to attach to a thinner-gauge base material. CD works on materials as thin as 25-gauge steel with cycle times as quick as 0.01 second. The short cycle time means thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less heat created in the workpiece, which prevents burn-through, distortion, and discoloring of the backside of the material. CD is typically used in processes where the appearance of the sheet metal is important, such as for automobiles or appliances. When using a CD machine, the fastener is pressed onto the workpiece and the capacitor instantly discharges, causing an extremely brief moment of heating of the surface of the material. This short cycle time means that melting only occurs on the surface of the sheet metal, without creating a deep weld pool. As a result, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less opportunity for impurities to get into the molten metal and a ferrule is unnecessary. However, given the shallow melt pool, a smooth and clean workpiece is critical to ensure a consistent bond.
Standard Parts. Winco.
Stainless Steel 800-877-8351 sales@jwwinco.com
www.jwwinco.com Inch and metric sizes available â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Explore our full product range online
What the future holds As with many products, advancements in materials and applications will continue and the market will change. Smaller, more portable welding machines are already available with increasing reliability. New materials are also in use. More precise controls mean these products will be available to new industries and applications, as the fasteners move from big and bulky steel construction to the nano realm with materials that have yet to be considered.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Connect and discuss this and other engineering design issues with thousands of professionals online
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A guide to choosing and using threadlockers Simla Ay • Technical Marketing Writer • Hernon Manufacturing Threadlockers are adhesives designed to lock, seal, and hold threaded fasteners in place after tightening. They have a wide range of applications including for industrial equipment, engine, pumps, generators, electronic devices, and many others. Any threaded assembly expected to encounter vibration will need a threadlocker to meet best-practice standards. A variety of mechanical fasteners are also used to lock threaded assemblies in place. Some of these conventional methods are double nuts, split washers, nylon nuts, or toothed flanged bolts. These mechanical fasteners are simple and effective but require manufacturers to inventory additional or specialized parts. One challenge with using mechanical fasteners is that they add weight to an application and are typically more difficult to apply on an industrial scale or assembly line. Unlike chemical threadlockers, which offer several unique features, mechanical fasteners may rust if the metal quality is low and this can damage product functionality and aesthetics. Threadlocker adhesives circumvent these challenges by forming a bonded thermoset plastic to fill the gaps between threads of assembled parts. 106
This filling seals a leak pathway, ensuring unwelcome liquids stay out of the threads and prohibit any penetration of the bolt hole. Threadlockers adhere to the male and female threads across an entire surface area of the mating parts, using all of the space to maintain a powerful bond. In addition to holding the assembly in place, the cured thermoset plastic provides some flexibility to tolerate thermal and cycling while offering an inert barrier that resists galvanic corrosion. How do threadlockers work? Threaded assemblies keep a tight joint by maintaining tension between the male and female threads. The friction of the threads resists the loosening of the assembly. However, exposure to vibration and shock will lead to assembly loosening. Between threads of the nut and bolt, there’s an approximate range of 15% metal-to-metal contact. This is the area of friction and the remaining 85% of the threads are not in contact.
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PEEK, or polyetheretherketone, is a high-performance plastic, making the material ideal for fasteners in many critical or demanding applications.
Several different types of threadlockers.
Threadlockers fill this gap, bonding to the surfaces and significantly increasing the area of friction between the mated surfaces. Before the application of a threadlocker, the male and female threads should be clean, dry, and free of corrosion. After cleaning the threads, a very small amount (often just a single drop) of threadlocker is applied on one side of the first three threads of the bolt. When the fastener is tightened, the rotation of these threads spreads the threadlocker on them. It will also coat the female threads as the bolt screws into the nut. DESIGN WORLD
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As the assembly tightens, the threads bear down on one another, excluding oxygen and leaving only a small amount of liquid threadlocker. This anaerobic environment â&#x20AC;&#x201D; meaning the absence of free oxygen â&#x20AC;&#x201D; triggers threadlocker curing and the threaded assemblies are locked into place. How to choose a threadlocker? There are several factors to consider when choosing a threadlocking adhesive including strength, size, and formulation. Strength. Threadlockers are available in a variety of strengths. Each strength is www.fastenerengineering.com
denoted by color. Low-strength threadlockers are purple or have a purple stripe on their bottle. Medium-strength is typically blue and high-strength is red. These color associations are so strong that longtime threadlocker users will often refer to their desired product by color rather than strength, grade number, or even brand. Size. Fastener size is an important consideration in relation to the strength and viscosity required for use in an application. September 2020
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Sealing bolted joints with threadlockers.
Pre-applied self-sealing fasteners.
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For example: • Screws that are less than onequarter inch in diameter, such as calibration screws or gauges, are typically locked by low-strength formulations. • Fasteners up to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, such as those used in pumps or compressors, are generally fastened by medium-strength formulations. • High-strength threadlockers are most often used on fasteners between three-quarters of an inch, up to one inch in diameter — and usually used with heavy equipment. Formulation. The formulations offer different features. Low-strength formulations, for instance, are easy to remove. They provide low-strength bonds that can be disassembled by hand or with basic tools. If disassembly is routinely required, low-strength threadlockers should be used to minimize the wear on the bolts and effort required from an end-user. Medium-strength grades can be removed using hand tools such as a wrench or vise-grip. High-strength threadlockers are used for permanent bonds, offering the highest bonding capabilities. If users want to disassemble a bonded fastener, high heat and power tools are necessary. The application The application method is also a significant factor when selecting a threadlocker. If applied during the assembly, either low, medium, or high-strength grades are used. However, if a project requires a threadlocker to be applied to parts that are already assembled, wicking grades avoid the need to disassemble and reassemble all the fasteners. A wicking threadlocker is a lowviscosity liquid for penetrating and
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locking pre-assembled parts. Wicking capabilities are used where penetration into fastener connections is required and disassembly is undesirable or not an option. The product moves between fastened threads by capillary action. This unique application method is associated with the color green to differentiate from the other common threadlocker varieties. Localized heating and hand tools are needed for disassembly. Automatic dispensing systems are regularly used to apply generic threadlocking adhesives on parts for immediate assembly. But some manufacturers may want to hold treated parts for assembly later or at an alternate location, such as at a job site. For this capability, manufacturers should look for pre-applied threadlockers. Pre-applied threadlocker products incorporate a chemical activator into their makeup through a process called microencapsulation. The microencapsulation process is a method in which tiny amounts of an activating agent is stored within a shell or bead. The core material is isolated during storage and released during the assembly process. Due to the micro-beads and inactivated material, pre-applied threadlockers offer a high-viscosity paste-like consistency. To apply this material, it’s necessary to wipe the paste onto the male threads. Once a small amount evenly coats the male threads, parts can be transported or stored for months before use. To learn more about pre-applied threadlockers and epoxies, please visit https://tinyurl.com/Threadlockers.
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How digitalization can lead to smarter fasteners Michelle Froese • Editor
Several studies suggest that at least one to two hours are lost in productivity every day because workers are searching for or gathering important documents — many of which are still paper documents. A report specific to the construction industry found that 35% of workers spent time on non-productive activities, including looking for or detailing project information or dealing with related errors. These statistics directly affect the fastener industry. “Anchor instructions, which come with each box, can often get misplaced or damaged prior to installation,” shares Scott Rutledge, business unit manager – Anchors at Hilti North America, a commercial construction-focused technology, software, and services company. Granted, experienced contractors are typically well-versed in those installation instructions and may think that they have little reason to keep or reread such papers. However, the documentation of components is becoming more common for construction projects. It’s also mandatory in sectors where precision and safety are critical. The structural integrity of bridges, buildings, or a power plant, for example, means every anchor, screw, and bolt must be accounted for. This ensures the proper choice and correct installation method of each component. It’s also an important practice for traceability and insurance purposes so that each fastener can be monitored for reliability, maintenance, and replacement data. Typically, documentation has meant paperwork and recording every fastener detail by hand — a time-consuming process. Digitalization is changing that. September 2020 www.fastenerengineering.com 110
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PEEK, or polyetheretherketone, is a high-performance plastic, making the material ideal for fasteners in many critical or demanding applications.
Traceability “A portion of our customers document nearly every single aspect of procurement, including an anchors’ installation, longevity, and more,” says Muthu Manohar, senior director of Fastening & Protection at Hilti North America. “Historically, there is no easy way to look at an individual anchor and say: ‘I know everything necessary about that specific anchor.’” Now, that’s possible and much easier. Thanks to a unique data matrix code or DMC, such fasteners are identifiable with the simple scan of a smartphone. “It’s similar to a QR code. If you scan the top of one of these
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fasteners, it will give you a string of numbers that includes the item, batch, and sequence numbers for that product,” explains Rutledge. “So, every single anchor is uniquely identifiable and comes with its own installation instructions.” Essentially, each 25-digit DMC serves as an identification code that provides all relevant information, including the instructions for use, certifications or approvals, and technical data. The batch number means the fastener can be traced back to its manufacturing origin. Users simply need to download a free app on a smartphone to scan the code and view the details. The Hilti Connect app significantly www.fastenerengineering.com
Use the Hilti Connect App to check if the correct fastener has been installed. The Tracefast management system lets users document every anchor, screw, or bolt installed in an application.
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Intelligent tools Advances in manufacturing mean tools are also becoming smarter. Digitalization typically allows for faster, easier, safer, and more accurate toque or installation settings. This reduces the likelihood of errors and provides a record of measurements for audit. Here are a few examples of how tools are becoming more intelligent. HYTORC’s LION Gun’s precision bolting system offers built-in data and recording capabilities. This means users can set the desired torque output on the tool’s display and pull the trigger to get precise, repeatable torque without excessive noise or vibration. They can also track and log completed bolting jobs for later reference.
Norbar’s EvoTorque 2 is an electronic torque tool designed for applying precise torque to threaded fasteners. A unique “intelligent joint sensing” technology continually measures the joint during tightening and, according to the company, employs dynamic braking when necessary to avoid torque over-shoot due to motor inertia.
PROTO’s Smart Torque Wrench offers Bluetooth connectivity to ensure accurate torque settings. For advanced features, users can also download an app for additional product support and to record measurements.
decreases the need for paperwork, making the process simpler, more accessible, and far less timeconsuming. This can lead to several hours of gained productivity, depending on the job. What’s more: “We know that better installations, documentation, and traceability of fasteners will ultimately lead to better structures,” says Rutledge. Advantages Time is of value at every job site to meet budget constraints and project 112
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deadlines. However, the ability to digitally scan a fastener and quickly attain data about it has several other important benefits. Safety. Improper installation is one of the key reasons that fasteners fail prematurely. In safety-critical applications, there’s zero room for such errors. “If a contractor forgets what torque an anchor is set at or how deep to drill a hole, he or she now has immediate access to that information simply by connecting to the app and scanning the anchor,” says Rutledge. “The app will display the instructions, which lets the installer verify the torque setting to ensure the anchor is not overtorqued, or for that matter, undertorqued.” The app also indicates if there are specific part requirements associated with the installation method to ensure the proper fit and mount. Another benefit occurs post-production. For example, even months after a project is complete, it’s possible to scan each fastener used in an application to learn when it was installed and last checked. “The long-term goal is to give users an ability to wave a smartphone over the top of a fastener to receive important details from the app,” he says. It could read: ‘Check back every 18 months to ensure adequate torque’ or ‘Anchor requires replacement.’ “This provides an additional safety measure with far less effort. It also requires virtually no paperwork to find or sort through,” adds Rutledge. Productivity. There are challenges relating to skillset and labor productivity, particularly in construction. Although training exists that’s specific to fasteners, there’s little guarantee every contractor at a job site has achieved a high level of skill. DESIGN WORLD
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“So, in terms of training, simply scanning a fastener for the proper installation documentation has a big advantage,” says Manohar. It supports workers who want to double-check their installation plans, diminishing the likelihood of errors. “We want these fasteners to be easier to integrate into our customers’ workflow. So, if they have to check or document components for critical applications, it’s easily available in the app,” says Rutledge. There’s no fumbling with papers, which are subject to the dirt and dust at a job site or getting lost. “We want people to install fasteners right every time. Now that task is much easier.” Quality assurance. Quality assurance and control are necessary for any industry where fasteners are used for construction, manufacturing, or assembly. It helps ensure reliable products and the meeting of industry standards. “For example, to ensure the structural integrity of a building, there are requirements on how the material and the fasteners that go into the construction are sourced, poured, and whether it was properly mixed and installed,” says Manohar.
“Now such instructions and records can all be documented and viewed via a smartphone.” Insight. For contractors or companies routinely documenting fasteners, there’s an inherent advantage of going digital. The accumulation of data can provide months of insight into how certain components or applications are completed. “With ongoing use, contractors can build an actual dataset,” he says Manohar. “This includes data sets on how the anchors were installed, which were installed properly, where there were challenges, and so forth.” Ultimately, this can provide a form of predictive analytics. “Over time, contractors will begin to monitor the data and understand that certain types of installations will need to be inspected more or less,” he adds. “This is an invaluable insight.”
A Hilti traceable fastener.
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How women-owned company,
Advanced Components,
has changed the culture of fastener manufacturing Michelle Froese • Editor
In 2006, Doug Berry sat down with his two daughters, Suzy Cravens and Pam Berry, and shared some unhappy news. His health was failing, and he was ready to turn over control of the company he founded, Advance Components, to his family. Advance has been a top U.S. distributor of specialty fastening products since 1972. “He sat us down and said, ‘I think you both should work for the company. Now…who wants to be president?’” says Pam Berry, the younger daughter. Since then, she has worked as VP of marketing at Advance, and her sister, Suzy is CEO. “I had an established career in a totally different industry,” says Cravens. “I didn’t know the first thing about fasteners.” At the time, she worked at the corporate office for Michaels Arts and Crafts, and Berry was working as a staff photographer at The Boston Globe. “We were both quite artsy and, though proud of our dad, we were never interested in joining his company,” admits Cravens. “It was always his thing. Plus, he started it when we were very young and I don’t think he ever considered hiring us either — at least not until he did!” 114
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Suzy Cravens and Pam Berry, sisters and owners of Advance Components.
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Inside Advance Components’ warehouse, which is based in Texas.
Today, Advance Components distributes products for several industries including aerospace, automotive, power, electronics, medical, military, farming, appliance, construction, and others.
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“Suzy and I didn’t even live in the same state at the time but, somehow, it felt like the right thing to do,” adds Berry. She convinced her young family to move from Boston to Austin to be closer to the company. Advance Components is located about 20 miles outside of Dallas, in Carrollton, Texas. “Austin is the closest I could get them to Dallas,” she laughs. Doug Berry passed away in 2006 and the sisters’ transition in running the company began later that year and early in 2007. It was anything but easy. The longtime Advance employees were, understandably, concerned about their jobs and the future of the company. “We had to overcome a lot of hurdles in the office at first, including apprehension from the employees because they were well aware of the fact that we knew next to nothing www.fastenerengineering.com
about fasteners,” says Cravens. “Also, walking into my dad’s workplace was like a time warp. It may have been 2006 but it looked like 1996.” The technology was outdated, and the team had long-ago outgrown the space and were overcrowded. “There was a lot to change but, fortunately, our dad left us a solid company that enabled us to make some important, tangible changes,” says Berry. One of those changes was the purchase of a much-needed, larger office and warehouse facility. “We went from 13,000 to about 64,000 square feet in 2009 and designed a spacious, welcoming place for our team.” Despite their initial fears after the sisters took over, most Advance employees were extremely grateful that the company wasn’t sold to an DESIGN WORLD
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outsider and welcomed the changes that were made. Case-in-point: Terri House, who became an advisor to Cravens. “When I first started with Advance, Terri had worked here for several years already and she became an important mentor to me,” shares Cravens. “She’s now retired, but she had so much wisdom for us. She always said, ‘I’d wake up at night thinking about fasteners because they’re so interesting and fun.’ I didn’t believe her at first, but she was right!” Some employees who began working for Doug Berry still work for Advance Components, including Michael Baughman, VP of Operations, who began in the warehouse back in the early 80s. “Occasionally, during college, I would go in and work for dad in the warehouse to earn a few extra dollars. I’d work with Michael,” says Cravens. “He had long hair and played in a punk rock band. He still plays music with his brother Mark, who works in sales at Advance. Now, every Friday night, they jam at our facility. It’s really cool.” Today, Advance Components distributes products for several industries including aerospace, automotive, power, electronics, medical, military, farming, appliance, construction, and others. It’s also been an essential supplier during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company maintains the highest standards with ISO 9001:2015 certification for quality management and continues to improve distribution practices. “We recently completed an expansion in our bagging area,” says Berry. “We now have four state-ofthe-art bagging and sorting stations and are able to provide customers with customized solutions, including custom picking, kitting, bagging, barcoding, labeling, and shipping.”
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“We are a small giant,” adds Cravens. “We may have a small staff, but our reach is global.” The sisters have also made some significant cultural changes at the company. Advance is a proud diversity partner as a certified Women-Owned Business and a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. Those are not easy certifications to achieve. For example, to receive the Women-Owned designation, the organization must annually prove that the business is at least 51% owned, operated, controlled, and managed by a woman or women. “You’d think they’d know us by now, but every year I get grilled with questions to prove our validity,” says Cravens. “It’s for a good reason though.” Women entrepreneurs face several challenges, such as getting fair access to business support and capital. For instance, only about four percent of the total dollar value of all small business loans goes to women business owners. When the sisters attended their first Fastener Expo more than a decade ago, they were surprised how few women were at the event. “It was a bit of a culture shock and reminded me of my early years as a photographer because there weren’t very many female photojournalists at that time either,” says Berry. This didn’t sit well, so she began seeking out women who worked in the fastener industry. She found one: Mary Lou Aderman, who’s now retired, but was president of The Aderman Group, which served to support manufacturer distribution. Together, Berry and Aderman decided to offer support for other females in the industry. “At first, I created a LinkedIn group in hopes of simply connecting with other women in the fastener industry,” explains Berry. “That’s www.fastenerengineering.com
where Mary Lou found me and said she always wanted to do the same thing. So, soon afterward, we decided to incorporate as an organization because of how much it was clearly needed in the fastener industry.” Women in the Fastener Industry (WIFI) is the result, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education, mentorship, and encouragement of women in the fastener industry. Along with educating members through workshops and webinars, WIFI also offers annual scholarships to help improve members’ skills and connections. “It’s been quite a journey,” says Cravens. “I never imagined working as a career at our dad’s company. And we’ve faced challenges. I mean, we took over at the end of 2006 and then in 2008, the big recession hit and that was another shock. But we learned from it. We’ve learned to plan ahead, and we’ve learned success as sisters and women in this industry.”
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J o i n i n g
Building a family business with JW Winco Michelle Froese • Editor
Standard parts — meaning those that conform to an established industry standard — might seem like an easy find in most industries, but this wasn’t always the case. Before the 1980s, finding the ideal fastener or component for an automobile or a kitchen appliance in North America might have required a new design template or an order from overseas. “My father, John Winkler, noticed there was a market niche for standard products in America as he sold high-speed labeling machines for the food and beverage industry. It was common to order standard parts for such equipment in Europe, but not in America,” shares Robert Winkler, CTO, with JW Winco. So, in 1978, John Winkler and his wife, Anne started a company to find replacement components for the bottle-labeling equipment business. Headquartered in New Berlin, Wisconsin, JW Winco began sourcing and distributing standard machined components, and truly became a family business. Within a couple of years of launching, the Winkler’s eldest son, John Jr, joined (and recently retired as the company CEO). Robert and his brother Mark joined shortly after. 118
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The family behind JW Winco. The original founders, Anne and John Winkler (center), with sons Mark, Robert, and John Jr. (from left to right).
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Standard parts —
meaning those that conform to an established industry standard — might seem like an easy find in most industries, but this wasn’t always the case. Before the 1980s, finding the ideal fastener or component for an automobile or a kitchen appliance in North America might have required a new design template or an order from overseas.
“When my older brother, John, first started, he began questioning if other industries, aside from food and beverage, could also benefit from access to standard parts,” says Mark Winkler, CFO. JW Winco began to build its product offering, providing different standard (and custom) parts for different markets. “Eventually, there were handles and knobs, drawer slides, indexing mechanisms, casters and wheels, and metal as well as plastic standard parts,” adds Mark. “As the company grew, the number of products grew.” Today, J.W. Winco offers more than 25,000 standard machine components and industrial parts — in inch and metric sizing. The company also offers secondary machining of standard machine
components and custom manufactured parts. JW Winco continuously adds new products to its range every week. “Even though standard parts were a new concept in the ‘80s, there was a learning curve in the market. Customers no longer needed to mold or manufacture these parts because the products were readily available,” says Mark. “This meant they could buy two pieces if that’s all that was required for an application and not invest in a production line of 10,000 parts or what have you,” explains Robert. “That’s the beauty of standard components.” JW Winco’s attributes part of its growth and flexibility to its co-owner Otto Ganter and Co. GmbH KG (referred to as Ganter), a standard
A small sample of the components JW Winco offers.
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parts manufacturer that’s in its fourth generation of ownership. The companies partnered in 2009. “My dad was at a food and beverage convention in Germany when he first met the owners of Ganter and they quickly developed a very good working relationship,” says Robert. “We are both family-owned businesses and appreciate being part of an international organization with their support.” Ganter’s global reach became instrumental in supporting JW Winco’s expansion. The company now has satellite offices and distribution centers in Canada and Mexico, and a network of stocking distribution companies across North America. The Ganter company offers three main brands — one of which is JW Winco, meaning the Winkler’s company has a well-known brand named after it. Additionally, there’s Otto Ganter, which manufactures one of the widest selection of components of metal products for industrial machines. “Currently, Ganter is in 60-plus countries and we’ve become part of that global enterprise. There’s synergistic cooperation between us, where we work together and share in the responsibility. It’s quite successful,” says Mark. “If you’d asked us 10 or 12 years ago where we’d be, I don’t think we’d have predicted such a global reach.” Aside from growing the company into an international organization, the ownership team has been able to support essential manufacturers in America, Mexico, and Canada. “It’s certainly been a challenging time for everyone with the current pandemic,” says Mark. “We’ve been grateful that we could provide much-needed standard parts to some of the companies that have
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been building the COVID-related testing equipment. There have also been opportunities for our products to be used in ventilators and mobile hospital walls.” “We’re supporting as many diverse and unexpected areas of business that we can,” adds Robert. “We just want to help. People rarely ever stop to think about our products and what they do, but without these standard parts, so many projects and applications would not be possible.” Mark and Robert give full credit to their parents and older brother John for the success and values JW Winco holds. “We’re currently evolving and our corporate management team is developing. It’s a learning experience as we go, but I attribute our founding parents and John for their experience and the incredibly strong business they built. Robert and I, along with the Ganter team, are proud to carry the torch of success forward.”
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J o i n i n g
Why “Made in America”
matters to S&W Manufacturing Michelle Froese • Editor
What began nearly 40 years ago as a general job shop company has since developed into a well-known U.S manufacturer of precision machined products. S&W Manufacturing has grown from a single shop that once served the gaming industry of the 1980s to a multi-facility company that serves several global industries — including aerospace, automotive, electronics, and others. “Back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the gaming industry was big business. So, the shop began making a few of the components that went in arcade games and such machines,” shares Don Secor, VP with S&W Manufacturing, which is located in Bensenville, Illinois. These included the roller that served to control the Centipede arcade game, for example, or the spring levers used to shoot that silver ball around a pinball machine. Secor began with S&W in 2000 but the story, as he’s heard it, is that after receiving enough requests, the company realized they were onto something. “Eventually, the light bulb went off, so to speak, and the company realized there was a demand for this kind of product line — and that we could make it for half the cost or less than just about anywhere else,” he says. That’s when S&W officially became a 122
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S&W Manufacturing Company is located in Bensenville, Illinois.
manufacturer of leveling feet, knobs, spring-loaded devices, tooling components, and other parts. Today, S&W is known for its “Made in America” manufacturing commitment but that wasn’t always the case. “About 20 years ago, close to when I started with the company, a lot of our products were made overseas because we were growing so fast. At that time, we just didn’t have the capabilities here to keep up with it.” Before long, however, William J. Burr — the CEO of S&W for more than 30 years now — decided to make a change. “Essentially, he said, why don’t we give our steel suppliers and our platers more business? Why don’t we offer more jobs and hire locally? And that’s when we bought our second building,” explains Secor. There are several advantages to manufacturing locally. Along with contributing to the American economy and local jobs, one of the key benefits for most customers is time-savings. “Lead times are critical in many DESIGN WORLD
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applications and clients are unable to wait 10 or 12 weeks to get parts, which is typical if sourcing overseas. Then, there is the quality. Costs might be less expensive overseas but there’s a reason for that. Sometimes you get what you pay for.” Secor says one of his customers buys parts from S&W and overseas. But the latter typically comes with a 50% reject rate. “It’s not feasible for many,” he explains, “And especially when we can guarantee quality products that are manufactured within a timely manner right here in the United States.” Experience also counts. “Our two buildings are now five buildings,” he says. “We’ve grown and been successful with our Made in USA brand…and a lot has to do with our experience.” This makes sense, adds Secor. “For example, if I’m looking to do modifications on a brand-new car that I’ve saved up for, I want the guy who’s been doing that type of work for 10 or 20 years already. He knows www.fastenerengineering.com
what you need and is going point you in the right direction — without selling you unnecessary products. That’s what we offer.” Although fasteners are a niche market for S&W, they often serve the industry. “We also manufacture spring-loaded devices, such as ball and spring plungers, which are similar to set screws,” he says. Over the last decade, S&W has also focused on expanding its line of leveling products to become one of the top companies offering leveling and vibration control mounts, worldwide. “You can find our products in chip manufacturing, aerospace, packaging, electronics, gaming, and pharmaceutical industries throughout North America, Europe, and Asia,” says Secor. This includes standard and custom products. “It’s great to see how much we continue to grow.”
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FASTENER FASTENER 124
Selecting the Optimal Washer Flat: Generally used for load disbursement Tab/Lock: Designed to effectively lock an assembly into place Finishing: Often found on consumer products Wave: For obtaining loads when the load is static or the working range is small Belleville: Delivers the highest load capacity of all the spring washers Fender: Distributes a load evenly across a large surface area Shim Stacks: Ideal for simple AND complex applications
Boker’s Inc. 3104 Snelling Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55406-1937 Phone: 612-729-9365 TOLL-FREE: 800-927-4377 (in the US & Canada)
bokers.com
Branson PulseStaker from Emerson Offers Unique Temperature Control With the new Branson™ PulseStaker™ technology from Emerson, you can now swage and stake plastic parts with exceptional precision and outstanding aesthetic results. Unlike conventional heated swaging tips that offer only one temperature setting, PulseStaker tips can vary their temperatures, delivering instant heating or cooling pulses that melt, form and solidify strong part-to-part bonds without the risk of sticking or burning. The unique temperature control offered by the PulseStaker process enables you to swage and stake parts with complex curves and contours, closely positioned or delicate features, heat-sensitive PCBs or circuits, and even high-glass-fill content or chrome plating.
Learn more at Emerson.com/Branson
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FASTENER FASTENER
Adjustable Levers with Special-Tipped Threaded Studs from JW Winco Adjustable levers have proven to be ideal wherever parts have to be clamped in a confined space or with a particular lever position. The series WN 306 with plastic lever body and GN 306 with zinc die-cast lever body are available with various special-tipped threaded studs. The brass and plastic tips help to avoid damage to the workpiece being clamped whereupon the hardened tip provides an oval point-shaped pressure point. The swivel thrust pad can easily be clipped on and taken off.
Find out more at www.jwwinco.com.
JW Winco, Inc. Phone: 800-877-8351 sales@jwwinco.com www.jwwinco.com
Going Standard - Why Limiting Fasteners Can Lead to Better Designs If you’re an engineer with the freedom to create any design you’d like, but can only use two types of fasteners, would that limit or simplify your design? At Mudge Fasteners, the answer is easy - designing with limited, standard parts is brilliant, because it provides significant time and cost savings. “Going standard” minimizes problems with inventory management, eliminates risk of dead stock related to project design changes, reduces procurement delays and facilitates easy stock replenishment. Additionally, utilizing stock fasteners mitigates “stock out” occurrences because of limited product range, ultimately saving time and cost. Want to learn how standard fasteners can best be used in your application? Contact Mudge Fasteners to find out.
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Mudge Fasteners, Inc. 3050 Palisades Dr. Corona, CA 92878 (800) 634-0406 www.mudgefasteners.com
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NBK Suggests and Supplies Solutions with Specialty Screws NBK’s history and craftsmanship date back to 1560 when the company first began. Our predecessors were proud to offer their advanced knowledge, state-of-the-art technology and using this today, we have developed various products. One of NBK’s strengths in the high-tech sector is our Specialty Screws such as vacuum application screws, anti-galling screws, specialty metal screws such as Inconel and Hastelloy, and more. Furthermore, NBK deals with unique functional screws like low-profile screws, small head diameter screws, captive screws, miniature screws (less than M2), ball transfer screws, ball plungers, clamping screws, and more. We are proud to support our customer’s projects with NBK’s Specialty Screws and their unlimited matching applications. We also offer customized screws!
NBK America LLC 307 East Church Road, Suite 7 King of Prussia, PA 19406 Phone: 484-685-7500 https://www.nbk1560.com/en-US/
Industrial 3D Printing Würth’s Industrial 3D Printing Delivers: • Decades of experience in C-Parts and supply chain management lower your purchasing costs, and produce significant cost savings so you can concentrate on your core business. • Engineering expertise during the design phase, saving you time and money with more efficient fastening solutions. • Reducing component count and increasing installation efficiency adds to your bottom line. • Qualified sourcing team to take your printed part, verify dimensions, and provide that to our suppliers. A model in hand, with exact dimensions, means efficiency is increased and down time risk is lessened. • Knowledgeable sales team ready to discuss the different materials and printing capabilities available. • Printing resources from value-oriented to the highest specification available, we can accommodate your needs.
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Würth Industry North America www.wurthindustry.com info@wurthindustry.com 1 (877) 99-WURTH
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NEW GENERATION
You’ve never seen
a solenoid valve like this before. TM
High Flow, Low Power, Low Leakage Across an Extensive Cycle Life The Lee Company is excited to announce a new generation of versatile and innovative 3-port solenoid valves. In a miniature 10mm package, the genvi™ solenoid valve platform features high flow capacity, low leakage and ultra-low power consumption. Designed using innovative manufacturing techniques, this new valve offers not only unmatched reliability, but also an economical price point suitable for molecular diagnostics, respiratory therapy, compression therapy, environmental analyzers, breath analysis and other applications where performance and reliability are paramount. When designing portable or stationary instruments, OEMs are often challenged with meeting aggressive size, power, and weight limitations, all without sacrificing the remaining elements of system-level performance. Each subcomponent is therefore pushed to offer improved performance within a smaller footprint. Featuring high flow and low power consumption, genvi solenoid valves are the solution. An extremely tight leakage rating reduces compressor demand and further underscores the valve’s ability to provide consistent long-term operation across an extensive cycle life. Custom valve solutions, supported by The Lee Company’s engineering experience in microfluidics, are also available to meet specific application requirements.
Innovation in Miniature ®
The Lee Company
2 Pettipaug Rd, Westbrook CT 06498-0424 8 6 0 - 3 9 9 - 6 2 8 1 | 1 - 8 0 0 - L E E - P L U G | w w w. t h e l e e c o . c o m W E S T B R O O K
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Using
EtherCAT
to accomplish motion control goals Andrew Hines
Senior Application Engineer & Team Lead ACS Motion Control
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The challenges presented by high-performance motion control applications are readily handled by EtherCAT-based systems. Designing high-tech manufacturing equipment creates diverse and complex challenges, which require high-performance motion control solutions to achieve best results. EtherCAT allows users to interface a variety of components under a single master to meet those demanding requirements. An EtherCAT-based motion control platform simplifies the development process by allowing a single EtherCAT master to handle the configuration and tuning of all servo axes. It also enables use of multi-axis drive modules to leverage multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) control algorithms on mechanically coupled axes and achieve superior results, compared to simpler kinematically coupled designs. EtherCAT provides extremely tight synchronization between motion axes and specialized I/O devices for precise motion-toevent triggering. When starting a new high-precision automation project, selecting the right components to accomplish the task at hand can be challenging. Different tasks require varying levels of precision, speed and power. There are typically many different inputs and outputs to manage, and many processes must be synchronized. For example, a precision measurement system often incorporates (X, X’, Y, Z, θ) stages, loaders/unloaders, and many measurement and safety related I/O. Integrating all of these components requires a number of different motor drive and I/O devices. The easiest way to manage all these different devices and keep them in sync is to control them all under a single network master. EtherCAT is uniquely well-suited to address these challenges and provides the real-time performance engineers need while leveraging standard network components to simplify the integration process of all subcomponents in the system. DESIGN WORLD
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Ball & Crossed Roller Linear Slides
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An EtherCAT-based control platform allows an engineer to select the best component for each individual task and brings them all under a single controller. Consider this scenario: the measurement system consists of four high precision axes with (X, X’, Y, θ) on a granite base and the Z axis on a bridge, as well as a separate robot to handle loading and unloading of parts. The (X, X’) axes are a gantry pair with the Y axis coupled between them. The (X, Y) axes must move a large load at high speed with minimal velocity ripple while the (Z, θ) must hold position with very tight standstill jitter. Mounted to the Z axis are measurement devices which must be triggered at the precise (X,Y) locations. The robot’s tasks are less precise, only responsible for moving parts in and out of the measurement system. Behind the scenes, limit sensors, temperature sensors, and interlocks are all monitoring the conditions in and outside the system to catch any faults. An EtherCAT-based control platform allows an engineer to select the best component for each individual task and brings them all under a single controller. Selecting a single type of high-power drive might meet the (X, Y) motion specs, but the (Z, θ) stage jitter could end up too high. A drive designed for direct control of Cartesian axes might not be well suited for a kinematic robot arm. Individual components that service the needs of each subsystem are a better approach. EtherCAT is an open technology that has been adopted by many different vendors of motor drives and I/O devices. This allows users to find the best components for each task and synchronize them under a realtime master, while leveraging standard
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System diagram image with various components
network components. Proprietary networkbased control platforms require effort on the machine builder’s side to integrate everything together. This adds cost in both time and labor to commission the system.
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EtherCAT uses standard Ethernet hardware infrastructure and standard cabling for network connections. This greatly simplifies the integration process. Another advantage of EtherCAT is it
allows the network master to implement the servo tuning of all axes in the system under the same interface. Many off the shelf servo drives require their own setup and configuration software. In our
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EtherCAT background
The MP4U from ACS is an 8-axis modular EtherCAT drive module that lets system designers tailor the specific drive for each axis. Different drives can be selected for each pair of axes as well as the power supplies.
example, this would entail three different motor drives, possibly from different brands. Using different solutions requires the engineer to become an expert in each manufacturer’s software package to optimize the performance of each drive. With EtherCAT, the master can assign variables and receiving feedback in real time. With this capability, it is possible to perform time-domain tuning on any drive from a single user interface. Additionally, if the drive supports it, it is even possible to perform system identification and frequency domain tuning. This approach requires the engineer to become an expert in a single software interface to optimize performance of every axis in the system. Once the tuning of the servo axes is complete, the next task is to develop the application code that runs the system. This involves motion trajectory planning, data acquisition and analysis, safety, and any number of other tasks needed on the final machine. Some processes, like turning lights on and off, do not strictly need to be executed deterministically. However, determinism is vital in other tasks, such as output triggering of the measurement device(s) and data acquisition. It is especially important when managing active isolation systems. These systems take in analog signals proportional to the load’s current position and commanded acceleration in order to eliminate motion induced stage oscillations. When the analog signals are provided in sync with the position and acceleration, these systems allow for extremely aggressive trajectories DESIGN WORLD
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that can significantly increase the throughput of an application. When out of sync, they will significantly decrease system performance, so synchronization is key to their proper operation. EtherCAT again provides the solution to this requirement. Process data on the EtherCAT telegram is guaranteed to be exchanged every network cycle. EtherCAT uses distributed clocks on each node device to ensure that the data exchange happens with less than 1 µs of jitter. With this guarantee, the application developer does not need to worry about synchronization of processes – EtherCAT can be relied upon to manage it for them. EtherCAT masters and nodes are equipped with error registers that detect losses in synchronization. As long as these errors are not triggered, the developer can assume that all components in the network are running in sync and the process will be carried out as designed. EtherCAT is well suited to handling the challenges presented in high precision measurement applications. When fully used by a motion control platform, it provides the flexibility to select the best components for each task, simplifies the integration of these components and the tuning of the servo axes, and guarantees synchronization of data exchange to ease application development. While the application discussed was in measurement, many of these challenges are encountered in many other applications. EtherCAT-based motion control platforms offer a solution to overcome these challenges that is both simple and robust. DW www.designworldonline.com
EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology), introduced in 2003, was developed by Beckhoff and is now managed by the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG). Like EtherNet/ IP, EtherCAT is built on the Ethernet physical layer. But instead of using TCP/IP for transport and routing of messages, EtherCAT uses a “processing-on-the-fly” (also referred to as “communicating-on-the-fly”) approach. In this approach, the EtherCAT master sends a telegram (data packet) that passes through each node (typically a drive or I/O device). A unique feature of EtherCAT is that the networked nodes can read, or extract, only the relevant information they need from the telegram and can add data to the telegram before it travels to the next node. The telegram travels through all the connected nodes and then returns to the master. Reading and writing to/from the telegram is enabled by a special ASIC on each EtherCAT node. This hardware-based approached means that each node introduces minimum latency (delay) to the process, and collisions are not possible. Network commands on an EtherCAT network can be processed at speeds that rival those of analogbased systems. EtherCAT provides deterministic, real-time communication and is well-suited for synchronized, multi-axis motion control “out of the box,” without the need for additional hardware to achieve synchronization between multiple axes. The EtherCAT protocol, with data transmission speeds up to 100 Mbit/sec, has been widely adopted for automation and process control applications. In 2018, Beckhoff introduced a major performance boost to EtherCAT, in the form of EtherCAT G and EtherCAT G10 — new versions of the EtherCAT protocol that operate at 1 Gbit/sec and 10 Gbit/sec, respectively.
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Having all of a stageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driving dynamics in one plane can prevent problematic reaction torques on sensitive workpieces â&#x20AC;Ś and maximize machine performance for demanding motion applications.
Multi-axis stages: Driving dynamics in one plane
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This new motion platform called Vega from linear-motionsystem company PM B.V. is a stage featuring all the optimized design features described in this article — a rigid granite base, linear motors and linear bearings for each axis, and a Zθmodule in the center of the XY-axes. Wafers ride on a black circular plate on top of the Zθ-module. Interdependent design elements were concurrently optimized. Case in point: Analysis of the stage’s thermal (as well as dynamic) stability inform the locations of its optical encoders.
Mathys te Wierik • Lead system engineer Jan Willem Ridderinkhof • Manager of R&D and engineering PM B.V. High-end mechatronic motion solutions have proliferated as various industries have come to demand more precision and throughput than ever. But the development and production of such motion stages isn’t usually a core competency of OEMs and end users … so is something typically outsourced to motion-component and system suppliers. That’s especially true for OEMs in the semiconductor, medical, optical, and analytical industries … as here, engineering is more focused on specialized production processes. One new option for these specialized OEMs and end users is next-generation motion stages with dynamics to future-proof operations.
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Design objective one: High throughput Consider an example application — a semiconductor-wafer inspection process with one axis’ stroke exceeding 300 mm … but needing mechanical accuracy in X and Y better than 1 µm. Assume accelerations to 2 g and speeds to 2 m/sec in the horizontal plane. Also assume vibrations in the horizontal plane must remain below 25 nm — and that the stage runs in a cleanroom with a floor held to VC-C vibration specifications.
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TRADITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS STACK AXES FOR A CONVENTIONAL LOW-SPEED STAGE SOLUTION.
THIS HIGH-THROUGHPUT STAGE PUTS ALL CENTERS OF GRAVITY ON A COMMON PLANE.
The new motion platform called Vega from linear-motion-system company PM B.V. takes the form of the squatter stage arrangement shown here. The stage is suitable for demanding high-precision tasks such as optical wafer inspection.
Vibrations in the vertical direction — the direction used to move the wafer into the optics’ focal point — cannot exceed 10 nm. Quick accelerations and short settling times are crucial to get throughputs for sufficient profitability. Having the inspection stages’ driving dynamics in one plane ensures the motors cause no detrimental reaction torques on sensitive system parts. Such dynamics require aligning the centers of mass for all moving bodies … as well as the linear bearings and motor forces’ positions. In fact, keeping all dynamics in one plane
also minimizes the out-of-plane loads on the linear bearings for longer-lasting mechanical assemblies that exhibit fewer inaccuracies over time. Designing all the dynamic components in one plane is relatively easy for a singleaxis system. But beyond that, the usual approach is to stack the second axis on top of the first … for movement orthogonal to the first. Any third axis then stacks on top of the second.
The problem with such axis stacking is that the center of gravity (CoG) of the moving mass is compromised for each axis … so reaction torques occur when accelerating or decelerating. Such reaction torques create yaw, pitch, and roll errors. In contrast, stages with a horizontal box-type frame supported by a linear bearing on each side exhibit better dynamics. Linear bearings with recirculating ball elements (when correctly mounted) are sufficiently accurate for the support of such stages, even in optical wafer-inspection equipment. In such a square frame, a second axis mounts coplanar with the first axis. Then a Zθ module (for rotations and vertical movements) integrates into the second axis. Only short-stroke vertical movements are made, so the centers of mass and actuation remain mostly in one plane. This means that the moving masses exhibit no lever-arm behavior ... which in turn boosts positioning accuracy.
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Design objective two: Topology optimization Beyond optimized kinematics, wafer-inspection stages must also have lightweight frames with high structural stiffness. Aluminum frames are a top choice here — especially when optimized with CAE tools. Consider one box-shaped frame optimized for good dynamics and manufacturability. Constant material thickness for cross members allows for cost-effective and accurate manufacturing.
Shown here are a side view, top view, and C-shaped cross-sectional view of the Vega stage’s X-axis cross members. MATLAB-generated topology analyses shows displacement under gravitational and acceleration loading ranging from small (blue) to large (yellow).
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A large C-shaped profile for main cross members maximizes the overall stiffnessto-weight value and can do double duty as the linear-bearing mounting surface.
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Design objective three: Strategically mounted actuators Next the stage drive type and arrangement are considered. Here it’s best to look for options making optimal use of the bearing stiffness and minimizing the number of surfaces needing expensive grinding tolerances. Certain fully optimized stages based on ironless motors (with moving coils) do this with a somewhat complex construction — but one that ensures the motor, linear bearing, and encoder all mount on the lower part of its C-shaped profile.
Having the inspection stages’ driving dynamics in one plane ensures the motors cause no detrimental reaction torques on sensitive system parts. Such dynamics require aligning the centers of mass for all moving bodies … as well as the linear bearings and motor forces’ positions.
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These are three options for stage drive type and arrangement as viewed perpendicular to the stage X axis. (All incorporate the C-shaped profile described in the article’s first section on topology.) Surfaces requiring expensive grinding tolerances are in red. Left: An iron-core motor force aligns with the plane of the linear bearings and the stage’s CoG … but the motor’s attraction force loads the bearings. Middle: Dual iron-core motors’ forces align with the bearings and stage CoG ... and the attraction forces cancel each other out. Right: The motor forces align with the linear bearings and CoG … and subject the assembly to no attraction force.
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Design objective four: Quick settling time High throughput of delicate semiconductor wafers requires stages having predicable frequency-response functions. Reconsider our stage structure at hand having rigid base plate, linear bearings, and array of machined metal cross members. Complicating the collection of accurate transfer-function predictions are the linear-
bearing dynamics. Conventional bearingstiffness models based on ideal Hertzian contact theory significantly overestimate the stiffness of real-world bearings in use. That’s why it’s better to combine Hertzian contact theory and component-based testing — and apply experimental modal analysis to a bearing with a rigid dummy load. Extensive testing reveals that enriched bearing models are much more realistic than conventional idealized Hertzian contact theory models.
Demanding requirements of residualvibration mitigation necessitates a vibration-isolation system. High acceleration requirements in particular put high lateral forces on the stage’s granite base … so the vibration isolation system must be active. The use of a balance mass to eliminate vibrations is nonviable here because such designs are excessively bulky. Optimization of the stage’s vibration isolation necessitates the balancing of
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conflicting design requirements. Settling times benefit from a stiff setup, but a compliant vibration isolation system can minimize residual vibration … and the transmissibility of floor vibrations to the stage quickly diminish above the first eigenfrequency of the isolation system.
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Design objective five: Good thermal management Thermal management is required for all motion applications. However, in the precision applications we consider here, thermal management is most important for meeting stringent accuracy requirements. After all, any thermally induced changes in the machine dimensions can prove disastrous in wafer inspection. The tool point’s location — at the site of interest on the wafer — must be known with an accuracy of a single micrometer, even when the system is operating at its maximum throughput cycle and the actuators are generating considerable heat. So stages for these designs necessitate consideration of thermal effects from the initial-concept design phase
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Vibration analysis can take the form of hammer-impact testing of the bearings. That reveals their stiffness in the relevant degrees of freedom. Finite-element analysis of the Vega stage assembly (including that of bearing stiffnesses) by PM B.V. engineers yielded open-loop transfer functions. These in turn revealed that the Vega stage’s first observable eigenmode was comfortably above the target bandwidth. Then the PM B.V. engineers modeled the stage’s feedback control loops around these transfer functions to predict the stage’s settling times (including its control). This settling-time prediction along with the complete motion profile (based on a wafer inspection cycle) was then simulated to verify the machine’s maximum throughput.
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This is a schematic representation of the Vega stage on an active vibrationisolation platform. Compliant springs prevent transfer of floor vibrations to the stage. Skyhook damping and an advanced floor feedforward algorithm (green arrows) further address vibration. The stage forces on the granite (red arrow) are counteracted by feedforward control (orange arrow). As the vibrationisolation system has a strong influence on the stage settling times, PM B.V. engineers also incorporated its dynamics into their settling-time simulations.
— ideally with comprehensive thermalnetwork models for understanding of all design choices’ thermal implications. Precision semiconductor manufacture often precludes the use of liquid cooling that might leak coolant onto expensive payload or require detrimental stops during critical production steps. Precision manufacture often precludes cooling fans as well, because of how forced airflow can induce stage and payload vibrations. In contrast, passive cooling (while limited in efficacy) can shed sufficient motor heat … especially when the finned heatsinks are large enough to prevent and thermal expansion of the stage subcomponents. Consider stages having such heat sinks that are structurally connected but thermally isolated from the
rest of the system by means of thermal barriers. These see increased stiffness without any sacrifices in accuracy. FEA confirms that thermal barriers do indeed help heat shedding … though further improvements are necessary to sufficiently minimize thermally induced stage deformation. One option here is structural components of invar — a nickel-iron alloy with a low coefficient of thermal expansion. This option is costly … and the stiffness-to-weight ratio of invar is lower than that of alternative materials. A better option is strategically placed aluminum flexures that allow the stage structure to expand freely. Then a few invar components at centers of thermal expansion keep the components’ centers
position-independent of temperature variations. This makes the best use of expensive invar. DW M B.V. | www.pm.nl
Convective heat-transfer analysis of the Vega Zθ module’s finned heatsinks (assuming the assembly moves at a uniform speed) indicates temperatures from 35 °C to 55 °C. In fact, PM B.V. engineers used convective heat-transfer analysis assuming airflow through the heatsink to optimize the fins’ thickness, height, and spacing.
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How to achieve end-to-end PLM
by designing for IoT connectivity IoT is finally being recognized and flexibly integrated as an enterprise enabler, particularly for end-to-end product lifecycle management (PLM).
Keith Higgins VP of Digital Transformation Rockwell Automation Dave Duncan Vice President of Product Management PLM Digital Engineering Solutions PTC
The marriage between physical and digital worlds now is more apparent than ever. Phones can make purchases at real-world cash registers thanks to digital wallets, watches can track fitness and workout progress by using biometrics and GPS triangulation, and cars can automatically report real-world collisions and traffic data. However, the marriage between digital and physical doesn’t stop with consumers. Many industries, from manufacturing to medical to virtually any industry, are realizing the advantages of merging physical and digital realities– specifically, those provided by internet of things (IoT) technology. Early IoT concepts and capabilities were discussed and put into action as early as 1982. However, the adoption of IoT on an industry scale wasn’t truly considered as a feasible option until around 2008, due to limitations on internet availability and the cost and scale of the sensors needed. Thanks to recent advances in webbased technology and applications, as well as the reduction in cost and size of
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IoT sensors, IoT is finally being recognized and flexibly integrated as an enterprise enabler, particularly for end-to-end product lifecycle management (PLM). In fact, McKinsey estimates the impact of IoT technology on the global economy will be as high as $6.2 trillion before 2025. How IoT Improves PLM The broad range of uses for IoT technology concentrates around collecting data and information from the real world and transferring it to the digital world for research and analytics purposes. Data collected by IoT sensors can provide information surrounding the machine
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or system on which the sensor is placed. Over time, the collective insights pulled from multiple different IoT sensors can be analyzed to uncover larger insights about the organization as a whole, such as where improvements must be made and operations must be adjusted. Just as an athleteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s individual statistics can provide insights into the ways their strengths can be used to the overall teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advantage, IoT sensor data can provide granular insights into the role and performance of a particular machine or system within the context of overall operations. Not only does IoT data provide insight on where the product needs more
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investment to improve quality, but it also provides cost-saving opportunities. For example, a part designed for a 1,000 kg load may in fact only bear a maximum 500 kg load, offering significant part cost savings with an engineering change order. When used from a PLM perspective, IoT provides the data organizations need to continuously improve products and/or processes, while saving costs. Designing for connectivity Connected products have limitations on the amount and types of data collected. While sensors can and have been retroactively applied to machines and systems to generate valuable data-driven insights, limitations
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still exist on the capabilities of IoT sensors. In addition, once pre-existing sensors are connected, they can be creatively leveraged to provide new information. For example, machines can flag issues without needing a worker to check on it, allowing problems to be addressed in real time before unplanned downtime or a full fledge break down. It’s more difficult for an organization to fully realize the value of IoT when the systems being measured were never designed with IoT functionality in mind. Designing products considering the data they need to collect and the analytics organizations want to obtain enables end-to-end product lifecycle management along with a host of added benefits. This is done by recognizing the unique nature of smart connected products, expanding the roles and departments leveraging the data provided by connected products, and taking a systems engineering approach to PLM. Connected products can provide a continuous stream of data when connected to an application built to communicate with other systems and applications. By developing and deploying effective smart connected products, organizations will have tackled two significant challenges: First, the connected product will adequately carry out its real-world purpose in the field and/or on the shop floor; and Second, the organization has a monitoring tool to track the performance of machinery and provide data to be analyzed for other tangential areas of improvement within the organization. In keeping with the metaphorical comparison of the athlete, this would be equivalent to a professional sports team drafting a first-round pick that can also coach themselves and systematically analyze their own performance. Further, it would even be as if the athlete could not only track their own performance, but offer suggestions regarding how the rest of the team could improve based on their singular experience. The data provided by smart connected products holds immense value, not only for the host organization, but also the organization’s network of trading partners and suppliers. When developing and designing connected products, all internal stakeholders affected by the product must be involved. All organizational departments and leaders must be involved in the design if they are to reap the full benefits of connected products. The stakeholders will be the ones defining the IoT strategy for the product to ensure it serves the needs of the business and 144
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will be needed to adequately customize the data streams needed to support their selected strategy. With the IoT strategy in mind, the stakeholders must define the product’s subsystems, interfaces and desired data streams prior to beginning the product design process. This requires each affected department – from marketing to sales to finance to product management to quality and compliance – to work with one another. In reality, no stakeholder, department or role exists in isolation when it comes to connected products. When developing smart connected products, a systems engineering approach is necessary because so many systems and departments depend on the product’s capabilities to provide valuable information. By using model-based system engineering (MBSE), organizations can leverage an industry-standard framework to organize their initial ideas surrounding the most effective ways to drive value from smart connected products. The predetermined means of value will inform the product’s design. IoT sensors must be properly integrated into the design process from the beginning. This allows IoT sensors to be strategically placed and leveraged for maximum added value and to power digital threads throughout the organization. PLM as a collaboration platform for concurrent engineering In designing products optimized for IoT connectivity, organizations no longer need to rely on manual services to identify potential issues. IoT provides a holistic view of real-time operating conditions and performance. This helps enable a digital thread that allows for company-wide access to data which improves speed, agility and product/operational efficiency (versus siloed legacy approaches). The digital thread enables enterprises to anticipate and effectively communicate bi-directionally up and down stream of where the product is in its lifecycle, ensuring all participants use the most current data and can react quickly to changes or new insights. Organizations can develop digital models of physical products, operational processes, or a person’s task by leveraging business system data from
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virtual manufacturing simulations (digital twin), fed with real-time insights from IoT sensors. Connected products also enable engineers and product managers to improve end-to-end PLM by connecting products to networks throughout their lifecycle. Gone are the days when product teams would have to wait until a maintenance service request is received to identify long-term product issues and failures. Thanks to network connectivity, machines can be monitored in real time – enabling product teams and engineers to not only quickly identify root causes for field or production line failures, but continuously improve design processes to combat unexpected failures with predictive and preventative maintenance. These maintenance insights add another opportunity for added value, as they can be shared with customers and partners. The benefits of connectivity also extend to the end-user. Analyzing usage data can enhance how customers experience and use a product. Understanding how, why, when and where a product is being used is equally as important as simply understanding how, why, when and where a product breaks. This allows businesses to understand how customers use products and continuously improve them based on real-world feedback and insights collected directly from the product. By replacing design assumptions with facts collected by connected products, organizations can better meet the specific needs of their customers. When an organization succeeds in designing products for connectivity and deploying them to the field to automatically collect data to inform future product engineering decisions, they have successfully achieved end-to-end PLM. By designing connected products optimized for IoT, organizations can accurately track their product throughout its lifecycle – enabling them to collect valuable information surrounding the product’s performance and use cases. In addition, having access to IoT data and advanced analytics allows organizations to leverage connected products at lower service costs, maximize uptime and improve product development. DW Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.com PTC www.ptc.com
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designing embedded RFID readers
Public health concerns have put a new emphasis on credentials, now available in a variety of formats that complicate the task of reading and verifying IDs. Kiran Vasishta • ELATEC, Inc.
Contactless credentials can be divided into two categories: soft credentials that include mobile phone apps transmitting data via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) or NFC (Near Field Communication), and hard credentials that typically include low-frequency (125 kHz) and highfrequency (13.56 MHz) passive RFID transponders. Security concerns are also fostering interest in these sorts of credentialing. Consequently, OEMs and system integrators increasingly must understand subtle aspects of how to choose an appropriate RFID reader. One concern is that readers be “future proof” or built to sustain technical advances and shifts in market forces. Additionally, customers have varied needs and requirements, particularly those who use contactless credentials. For example, a university will have different security needs than a federal office. Not only do the credentials differ but so, too, does the level of security. For these reasons, a lot of contactless credentialing installations demand some of level of customization. Such efforts often involve changing or adjusting the output format, adapting hardware to read multiple technologies, and providing a means to update the reading 148
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The carrier frequencies of widely used soft credential technologies range from the 2.4 GHz of Bluetooth to the 125 kHz used by ordinary RFID cards.
Different parts of the world tend to use different soft credential technologies built to a variety of different standards. Unfortunately, the standards are often incompatible with each other. DESIGN WORLD
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E l e c t r o n i c s Anatomy of a wall reader: Visible in this assembly view is the TWN4 Palon Compact Wall. It is a multi-technology reader/writer supporting almost all 125 kHz/134,2 kHz and 13.56 MHz contactless technologies, including NFC. Antennas are integrated into the housing for HF and LF bands, and the device includes an integrated Bluetooth Low Energy module.
technology after installation. Another common area of customization involves ensuring the system can accommodate future upgrades in security algorithms and data integrity checks, necessary because cryptosecurity methods are rapidly evolving. The TWN4 Palon Compact Panel is an example of a panelmount reader for integration into third-party products and devices. It has an IP65 protected housing and supports almost all 125 kHz/134.2 kHz and 13,56 MHz contactless technologies, including NFC, and has an integrated BLE module. Antennas for HF and LF are also onboard.
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The reader The reader itself is typically just a small piece of the puzzle. Usually, the embedded product connects to a host that runs its application which interacts with a back-end system or database. Some instances require a matching of credential IDs that are already part of the end-user database or active directory. In systems where the host application cannot manipulate the reader data, the reader must be able to format its output to help match the credential ID stored in a database.
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There are numerous RF standards and technologies that apply to RFID. Examples include ISO14443A/B, which defines contactless 13.56 MHz cards used for identification and their transmission protocols; ISO 15693, which applies to vicinity cards, cards which can be read from a greater distance as compared with ISO 14443 standard-based cards, and low frequency cards also widely referred to as “Proximity cards” or Prox cards that may use different modulation schemes such as FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) and ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying). Here the reader typically provides power to the card via a wireless connection. Examples of RF technologies used in this area include NFC HCE (NFC Host Card Emulation, where an electronic appliance such as a smartphone behaves exactly as a contactless smart card), ordinary passive EM4x02 and Prox tags which operate at 125 kHz, and HITAG tags that also operate at 125 kHz but are memory based. The reader must be able to DESIGN WORLD
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The TWN4 Palon One LEGIC PCB is an example of an OEM module designed for integration into third-party products and devices. It is a multi-technology reader/writer supporting almost all 125 kHz/134,2 kHz and 13.56 MHz contactless technologies, including NFC. Visible in this image are the on-board antennas for HF and LF cards.
fully support all such transponders. RFID readers must not only detect these varying card technologies but also read their data and interact with them. For example, a UID (unique identification number) may serve as a credential ID and in some instances. Memory-based transponders may store the credential ID in their memory. Here the reader must read not only the UID but also the memory segments of the transponder. The flexibility to change the firmware or configuration is important when the reader is integrated as a subsystem. Firmware updates accommodate scenarios such as adding a new credential to the customer’s fleet or upgrading a credential with better security. Clearly, over-the-air or contactless RFID configuration capabilities save time by eliminating the need for making physical connections. The host application, that is, the software component that directly interacts with the reader, can have subtleties that may not be apparent initially. Typically, the reader either communicates with the system either as a keyboard or as a serial device. There are instances wherein the host application expects the reader to work as a PC/SC (personal computer / smart card) device. Thus the software specifications of the host application directly affects the functioning of the reader. Problems to look out for include whether appropriate drivers are available and whether the reader will be able to interact with the host via standard software communication protocols. These DESIGN WORLD
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factors impact the software development necessary when setting up the reader. Any embedded design project involves creating software for a specific purpose. In RFID readers, the end goal might be to
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complete a secure transaction or exchange information under time constraints. In some situations, the reader may simply send data over a serial line. In others, the task might be to perform operations based on inputs captured by the embedded host application or hardware. An example of such a scenario would be when the host expects the reader to detect transponders only when they transmit a particular character. Another example might be having the reader execute a sequence of commands based on a GPIO signal (General Purpose Input/Output) that the host initiates. Such tasks can be easier to implement if the reader can run a custom protocol under the embedded host. Encryption Typically, it is desirable to have widely used encryption standards such as AES, DES, or 3DES be part of the reader firmware. Doing so helps embedded designers more readily implement encryption. But there are cases where the host system uses a HashMap
Modern RFID reader/writer modules can be squeezed onto extremely small circuit boards. An example is the the Elatec TWN4 MultiTech Nano, a 31x17.8x2.5 mm / 1.22x0.7x0.12 in RFID/NFC module. Its small size allows integration into machines with limited space such as handheld readers, tablets, displays, terminals and POS systems. It supports than 60 transponder technologies.
based algorithm. (As a quick review, a HashMap or hash table is a special data structure that allows a fast retrieval of its individual elements. Elements get stored as a key-value pair; to look things up, you give the HashMap a key that lets it find the right value.) In such a scenario the reader should be able to implement the algorithm and produce the right output. There are scenarios where the host system also expects CRCs (Cyclic Redundancy Checks) to be part of the data stream as a way of verifying the integrity of the data. It is extremely helpful for the reader to run applications and custom algorithms that let the host decrypt the data as well as verify data integrity Finally, it’s important that developers be able to modify the reader’s or physical behavior to handle customer needs. Some customers expect the reader to
blink a green LED when an RFID card is presented. Others expect the reader to beep and transition its LED color from red to green. The control of such basic feedback mechanisms in response to user actions is frequently a key operating point. DW References Eleven Considerations for Embedded System RFID Readers Selection, https:// elatec.me/37XKWvx
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An example of transponder readers designed for integration is theTWN4 family. They allow users to read and write to almost any 125 kHz and 13.56 MHz tags and/or labels. The device uses an external antenna.
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S e n s o r s
Lining up the right linear
position sensing
solution Andrew Waugh | AutomationDirect
Linear position sensing is a specific and common industrial automation need â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with many options for solving application challenges. Industrial equipment and machinery usually involve a good amount of rotating and actuating parts. Effective automation of these elements calls for sensors to reliably detect the position of actuators and associated mechanisms. This can be quite simple if it is only necessary to detect the presence or absence of hardware at a fixed end-of-travel. Even rotary position, while more difficult, still permits a rotary encoder sensor to be localized at a shaft. More challenging, however, is the need for detecting linear motion and position over a much longer operating distance or with greater accuracy. For instance, a gantry crane can span great distances and may be installed and operating in harsh outdoor or factory environments but require Âą1-in. accuracy. On the other hand, a material handling machine may be more compact and protected but require much more accurate feedback for the location of multi-axis X-Y-Z carriers.
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There are several linear position sensing options available, ranging from simple classic technologies all the way up to advanced devices. This article reviews some linear position sensing technologies and discusses where each method is best used for accurate and reliable detection. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get it straight Linear positioning is used for an extremely specific, but highly deployed, subset of motion geometries, with multiple design considerations for sensing, Figure 1. Rotational motion is readily sensed with rotary encoders. Sometimes rotary motion is translated to linear motion using gears or other mechanisms. In either case, it is
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possible to infer the linear position based on how much rotation has occurred. However, if there is any failure in the mechanism, then the rotary sensor and the linear position lose their relationship and the sensing will not be correct. Limit or position switches are simple and reliable but can only detect a linear position at the point where they are installed. These sensors may be based on mechanical, optical, proximity, or ultrasonic methods, but only provide a binary position, or perhaps relatively crude resolution. Position switches of this type are usually installed at the end of travel for the mechanism, but it is possible to put a target
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Figure 1. Linear position sensors, such as the one indicated with a red arrow in this image, are used for detecting the location of machinery and equipment parts so they can be tracked and automated. (All figures courtesy of AutomationDirect.) September 2020
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Figure 2: Linear potentiometers like these Gefran sensors are a fundamental method for detecting equipment position.
the equipment and arrange many position switches along the path of travel. Still, the sensing only occurs at those points, so if the equipment moves away from a switch, its position is indeterminate. The best true linear position sensing technologies will provide a continuous analog output signal, or a digital signal via Ethernet connectivity, to accurately report the target position in real-time with sufficient resolution. Available technologies Following are the leading linear position sensing technologies, with a brief look at the advantages and potential problems of each. A linear potentiometer is a tried-andtrue configuration consisting of a wiper that moves along a resistor as the equipment moves through the full length of stroke, providing a variable resistance related directly to position, Figure 1. Signal conditioners can
convert this reading into other electrical output levels. Linear potentiometers are simple, inexpensive, and easy to work with, Figure 2. However, as a physical device subject to constant mechanical swiping, they wear out over time and need to be replaced. They may not be resistant to liquids and contaminants, and the form factor must be large enough to accommodate the fully extended and retracted rod stroke, which sometimes limits use due to installation space constraints.
Magnetostrictive linear position sensing technologies may look similar to potentiometers, but they employ a magnet travelling along a rigid linear housing. The magnet can be arranged on the surface of the housing or as a ring around it, providing a great deal of mounting flexibility and more importantly avoiding mechanical wear issues. These sensors usually have on-board circuitry to condition the output to various desirable signal levels. Magnetostrictive technology is more costly than potentiometers or linear inductive solutions, but the added benefits often offset the extra cost, especially in challenging applications. Linear inductive position transmitters reside in a middle ground between potentiometers and magnetostrictive devices, both technically and commercially. They look like a potentiometer but use inductive technology to monitor the rod stroke of an armature. These non-contact devices with onboard electronics avoid the wear and tear of physical sensors and provide a range of output signals. Like magnetostrictive, linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) technology also uses an armature to identify variable positions. The armature is free floating, and may be captively connected to the target,
Figure 3: Linear inductive position sensors look like the potentiometer type but are non-contact, so they avoid the wear and tear of physical sensor technologies.
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DESI
or may be spring loaded so they actively push the armature into contact with the moving target at all times. These sensors use a magnet in the armature whose position is electrically referenced to primary and secondary windings in the main housing which it passes through. LVDT’s are similar to linear inductive sensors in many ways, but a key distinction is they can also be designed for AC voltage circuits allowing greater installation flexibility. Draw wire sensors are actually a rotary device, operated as a cable is mechanically pulled into or out of the device. The cable is attached to the moving equipment, with the draw wire sensor housing in a fixed position. This is somewhat like a tape measure, but with a rotary pot or encoder on the winding device to make the measurement. These are often used for long-distance positioning where a stroke-length device cannot be feasibly installed. For certain physical configurations, linear position sensing can be accomplished by installing a scale along the length of travel. The linear encoder, which may be optical, magnetic, or even capacitive, is arranged to “see” this tape as it travels by it during motion. Optical units are historically more common and provide a good linear signal by using an enclosed through-beam sensor to read coded gaps using light pulses. Magnetic versions use a coded-magnet scale, which is more durable and can be installed for longer lengths. They also provide better resolution and have greater immunity to negative environmental impacts. When accuracy is important and the installation environment can be suitably protected, a laser-based linear position sensor often provides the best solution. Laser devices provide excellent resolution and responsive feedback, but only if the line-of-sight remains unobstructed and the target is properly prepared. These devices are completely non-contact, but this technology may not work if the environmental conditions, surface reflections, or even physical interferences obscure the signal.
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Field installation Many of the preceding position sensor devices come in similar housing styles and form factors, making them easy to work with, replace, and upgrade — with specific solutions selected based on the needs of the application. Cylindrical housings in ½-in. and ¾-in. are common, as are rectangular units. Practical installation practices for many linear position sensing devices are often quite similar, with a sensor housing mounted to a fixed surface and the shaft portion connected to the moving or travelling object to be measured. Some mounting attachments pivot to provide a degree of freedom of motion, while still tracking linear movement along a single axis. Sensors may be positively attached to their targets or may be spring loaded to track movement while accepting a degree of sliding. Linear position solutions Linear position measurement is commonly needed to monitor and control the operation of machinery and equipment. The correct configurations will reliably detect the position of target hardware with sufficient precision for a given environment. Users can choose from many technologies, ranging from simple to advanced, to obtain the best solution for their applications. When questions arise, suppliers offering a wide range of solutions can be consulted for recommendations and best practices. DW
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Food grade seals
for use around the world Food production and processing requires a high degree of cleanliness and hygiene in industrial operations. The materials used in food processing equipment must be impervious to ingredient and flavor-absorption and prevent leaks and other malfunctions that could expose a product to contamination.
Dr. Robert Rotzoll and Christian Geubert • Freudenberg Sealing Technologies Edited by Mike Santora
Standards regulating which material ingredients are approved for food and beverage applications have been established throughout the world. These “positive lists” — lists of approved ingredients for food contact materials — can differ from country to country, however, and can limit the ability of food and beverage producers to use universal seals in the equipment they are using in different regions. This complicates equipment production and procurement and also introduces new cost and quality concerns across the industry. In response to this challenge, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has tested new EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber) materials, as well as other proven elastomer materials, for global use in the food and beverage industry. The GB 4806 and GB 9685 standards that have been enforced in China for food and beverage applications since 2016 deviate considerably from relevant U.S. and EU regulations. In particular, the ingredients that may be contained in a seal in contact with a product, as listed in the GB 9685 standard, differ significantly. The list of chemical ingredients permitted for use in China — the positive list — does 160
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IMMERSION RESULTS IN CLEANING MEDIA Acidic CIP (HNO3) 2%, +80 °C / 168 h 30
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Alkaline CIP (NaOH) 5%, +80 °C / 168 h
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not include many chemicals that are compliant with FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and EU regulation 1935/2004 for elastomers.
For example, the positive list for China does not list the wide choice of crosslinking chemicals and antioxidants the material developer is used to
IMMERSION RESULTS IN STEAM
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choosing from when targeting U. S. and European markets. This exclusion reduces options for developing global material recipes. Although it is possible to get a chemical ingredient added to the positive list, the requirements to do so are onerous. The immense effort that toxicological testing of each raw material would require represents a major hurdle that is not readily overcome by elastomer manufacturers alone. Therefore, for global food applications, new and existing compounds must be developed and tested for conformity using chemical ingredients allowed in China.
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•• •• •• Challenge for material developers EPDM offers outstanding resistance to hot water, steam, acids and bases, and accounts for 70% of all food production and processing material applications currently in use. To provide customers with EPDM materials that meet global food standards, material chemists at Freudenberg first compared the individual chemical ingredients of proven U.S. and EU-compliant materials with the Chinese positive list. The chemists identified several chemicals in use in the U.S. and Europe that had not been tested and approved in China. Using the existing EPDM formula as a baseline, the chemists developed an alternate formula that included only chemical ingredients approved for use in China, the U.S, and the EU. Material characteristics like resistance to aggressive media, as well as material longevity in a variety of operating environments were important to the development of a global material solution. The outcome of this development is new compounds that are, indeed, compliant for food and beverage use throughout the world. New EPDM high-performance materials with global approval The three new material compounds, 70 EPDM 382, 75 EPDM 386, and 85 EPDM 387 offer, high resistance to aging and media that are comparable to the proven food-compatible elastomers. 70 EPDM 382 is specifically optimized for injection molding of uniquely engineered components developed upon request. 75 EPDM 386 and 85 EPDM 387 are suited for use in as O-rings or other standard machined seals and accommodate the need to quickly produce sample parts or small-series runs for customers to help them avoid costly downtime. The portfolio of materials also includes two existing diaphragm materials, 60 EPDM 217952 and 70 EPDM 217937, that were found to be compliant with Chinese standards with no ingredient changes required. All five of these material options have been tested and successfully meet sensory and migration requirements for food contact in China, the U.S., and Europe. Also, all of these premium elastomers meet the stringent requirements of the food industry when evaluating resistance to aggressive processes and cleaning media.
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IMMERSION RESULTS IN STEAM EPDM 291 30
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(Fig 3.) Even if the competitor’s material was tested at 20 °C lower temperature, the new Freudenberg compound’s results show smaller changes.
Conformity of proven VMQ silicone rubbers Despite its versatility, EPDM is not the optimal material for all food applications. Foods that contain fat, such as dairy products, must be processed in equipment that uses fat-resistant seals. Again, to offer globally compliant seals for these applications, the Freudenberg team tested two existing materials against Chinese food safety standards. The two VMQ silicone rubbers, 70 VMQ 117055, and 60 VMQ 117117, have been successfully used in numerous customer applications for years and meet requirements in every respect. In addition, the materials demonstrate a significantly low level of migration, with a result of < 1 mg/dm² for both silicones, which is far below the specified limit of < 10 mg/dm² in the migration measurement. They also have good resistance to CIP/SIP media and can be used in a high-temperature range. Behavior in aggressive cleaning media and water vapor In addition to the tests required to verify conformity with U.S., EU, and Chinese standards, additional application-related tests are performed in Freudenberg laboratories. These tests are designed
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to ensure that the respective materials meet the requirements of the food industry concerning resistance to process and cleaning media. Cleaning media based on acids, bases, and peroxides sometimes present a greater challenge for sealing materials than the product medium itself. For storage tests, the test specimens are exposed to various media over one to four weeks and then examined for their properties. In comparing the existing U.S.- and EUcompliant 70 EPDM 291 with the two new globally-compliant materials 75 EPDM 386 and 85 EPDM 387, only moderate changes in mass and volume — as well as minor changes in the mechanical characteristics elongation, modulus, and tensile strength — are observed when exposed to basic and acidic cleaning media. (See figure 1) The same results are obtained under the influence of steam at 160 °C and the results of the globally compliant materials 75 EPDM 386 and 85 EPDM 387 are comparable to U.S.- and EU-compliant 70 EPDM 291 at 180 °C. (See figure 2) This difference of 20 °C, against the backdrop of www.designworldonline.com
the limited selection of ingredients, is a very good result. When comparing the new materials, tested at 160°C, to a competitor’s Chinacompliant material tested at only 140°C, the results are even more impressive. Despite the competitive materials exposure to a 20 °C lower temperature, the new compounds outperformed the competitive material with smaller changes in key performance measures. (See figure 3). Broad portfolio and customized seals The sealing materials tested provide the market with materials for worldwide use in the food industry. They comply with the relevant standards and have often proven long service life and good media resistance. Both EPDM and VMQ materials are available as O-rings, diaphragms, and customerspecific parts. EPDM materials are also suited for the lathe-cut manufacturing of products. DW Freudenberg Sealing Technologies fst.com DESIGN WORLD
9/13/20 9:02 PM
Product World Stainless steel assembly pins JW Winco jwwinco.com Stainless steel assembly pins from the GN 2342 series are available in all
The third type of washer offers a fastening tab with an
common diameters from 8 to 20 mm and various standardized lengths. Three
elongated hole. This simultaneously secures the assembly pin
different end washer forms, and the selection using a specific code number
axially, which restricts rotation and is attached without play
between assembly pin with and without transverse spring cotter pin holes,
using a countersunk screw.
diversify the series even further.
All washers are non-detachable because they are fastened to
On one end washer is a simple, turned stainless steel collar washer which
the assembly pin via their axial countersunk hole. This design
holds the axially inserted assembly pin in the correct position in the hole. The
favors the implementation of solution-specific special lengths
eyelet washer version, having a hole in which a retaining cable or a ball chain
that are available upon request in comparatively low quantities.
can be attached, protects the assembly pin from getting lost, as well as the matching spring cotter pin, which secures the assembly pin axially through the transverse hole.
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Product World 5-Axis stage with closed-loop motors PI pi-usa.us This is a compact 5-axis stage for precision alignment and positioning required in fields such as fiber-optics and photonics. The modular, 5DOF motorized stage consists of a 3-axis linear module and two goniometers. A multi-axis controller and software with automated alignment functionality are also available. Sub-micron precision is guaranteed by highly accurate mechanical components and encoder feedback for closed-loop operation. PI provides a variety of multi-axis motion systems, including dedicated parallel-
Automatically focusable boardlevel cameras IDS Imaging Development Systems en.ids-imaging.com With its practical autofocus function, uEye LE AF industrial cameras deliver perfectly focused images even with frequently changing object distances. IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH now offers additional camera variants with 2.1 and 3.1 MP Sony sensors which provide more flexibility in application design and camera integration. For the first time, the company also offers models with upright USB Type-C alignment in this product family. In addition to the previously available uEye LE AF cameras with 6.4 MP (IMX178, 58 fps) and 18.1 MP (AR1820HS, 20 fps) sensors, customers can now also purchase models with 2.1 (IMX290, 120 fps) or 3.1 MP (IMX265, 80 fps). All cameras have a USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface, USB Power Delivery â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which can be used, for example, to power an LED light source or a photoelectric sensor â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and allow the use and control of liquid lenses.
kinematics-based high-speed photonics alignment systems with up to 18 axes.
GT Series allows easy conversion from DIN to Deutsch connection Canfield Connector canfieldconnector.com The 2- and 3-pin GT Series of rugged, connectors are fully molded, eliminating the need to purchase expensive crimping tools and reducing the labor required to assemble former fieldwire versions. With the addition of the 5JGT DIN to Deutsch adapter, any solenoid valve DIN connection can easily convert to Deutsch-style connection. The rugged GT Series is an all-in-one molded connector assembly proven to work in the harshest environments with an IP67 rating resistant to dust, vibration, shock, and moisture. The connectors are over molded to enhance connection performance and ensure that high stress or vibration will not cause unintentional disconnection.
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For further information about products on these pages visit the Design World website @ www.designworldonline.com
Miniature strain sensors measure large forces in confined spaces
Medical grade epoxy with thermal conductivity and electrical insulation
Baumer baumer.com
Master Bond masterbond.com
The miniature-format strain sensors DST20 add a compact and cost-efficient solution for measuring large forces above 10,000 N even in confined spaces.
EP42HT-4AOMed Black is a new two-part epoxy
With its dimensions of 28x12x10 mm, the DST20 miniature strain sensors offer
created for medical device manufacturing. It is
greater space than any other screw-on strain sensor on the market. At the same
biocompatible and non-cytotoxic, passing both USP
time, their stainless-steel housing and a certification for the IP 65 degree of
Class VI and ISO 10993-5 certifications. This epoxy
protection make them well-suited for use in rough production environments and
withstands aggressive chemical sterilants, radiation,
a large range of applications, such as mechanical and equipment engineering, as
and repeated cycles of autoclaving.
well as process automation. The DST20 strain sensor can be integrated into a
EP42HT-4AOMed Black offers both cryogenic
machine with minimum engineering effort and offers a lasting solution that can
serviceability and heat resistance with a service
serially replace cold bonded strain gauges in limited installation spaces, based on
temperature range from 4K to 400°F. Its thermal conductivity measures 9-10 BTU•in./(ft2•hr•°F) and its volume resistivity is greater than 1014 ohm-cm. The system contains a filler, which contributes to its high strength profile and dimensional stability. This adhesive bonds well to metals, composites, glass, ceramics, rubbers, and plastics and has a tensile modulus of
initial tests in the experimental laboratory.
Hollow socket shaft design NORD nord.com
500,000-550,000 psi, a compressive strength of 24,000-26,000 psi, and a tensile strength of 7,000-
The hollow socket shaft design for
8,000 psi.
NORDBLOC.1 single-reduction gear units
This epoxy can cure at room temperature, yet faster
mounts directly to a pump without the need
cures can be achieved by heat curing. An overnight
for couplings. This significantly reduces
cure at room temperature, followed by heat curing at
installation time and maintenance, greatly
150-200°F for 2-3 hours, is recommended. The mix
extending the operating life of the unit, and
ratio is 100 to 40 by weight. Once mixed, this versatile
drastically reducing revenue loss as a result
adhesive has very good flow properties, making it
of unexpected downtime.
suitable for bonding, sealing, and coating applications.
Couplings have always been a challenge, and they are a common failure point within drive systems. Keeping shafts aligned not only eliminates vibrations, but also prevents additional load and wear-and-tear on drive units. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done as even the most seasoned technicians are required to adjust and shim, sometimes for hours, to get as close to perfect alignment as possible, knowing that even the slightest misalignment will ultimately shorten the lifecycle of the gear unit. Add to that the growing scarcity of qualified technicians and it’s clear the time for a new way is now, and NORD is paving the way.
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Ad Index ABB Motors & Mechanical ..................9 Accumold ..............................................153 AllMotion ...................................................4 Altech Corporation .................... 17,19,21 Altra Industrial Motion Corp. .................23,24,25,26 Anchor Fluid Power ........................... 53 Aurora Bearing Company ..............140 Automation24, Inc. ................................ 7 AutomationDirect ................................... 1 Beckhoff Automation ....................... 131 Binder USA ..........................................159 Bishop Wisecarver ............................ 137 Bison Gear and Engineering .......... 42 CGI Inc. ................................................... 55 Del-tron .................................................130 DeviceTalks ...........................................80 Diamond Wire Spring .......................140 Digi-Key ................................................... 13 Dura-Bar ................................................ 49 Elesa USA Corp .................................... 15 Emerson ASCO .................................... 51 Encoder Products Company .........139 Exair Corporation ..................................5 FAULHABER MICROMO ..................IBC, ..................................................... Bellyband Fixtureworks .......................................... 14 IDEC Corporation ................................ 79 Interpower ............................................. 35 Keystone Electronics Corp. ...............11
SALES
KNF Neuberger ..................................146 Master Bond ........................................ 45 Miki Pulley U.S. .................................... 46 Moog Animatics .................................144 Neugart .................................................. 45 Novotechnik ........................................158 NSK .......................................................... 52 Pave Technology ................................ 39 Peninsular Cylinder ..........................163 Pyramid Inc. .........................................165 R+W America .......................................138 Regal Beloit Corporation .................. 31 Regent Controls ................................. 37 SEW Eurodrive .....................................BC Siemens Industry, Inc ...................... 147 Smalley Steel Ring .............................. 41 Smart Products USA ......................... 43 Sorbothane .........................................158 Spartan Scientific ............................... 151 The Lee Company ............................. 127 THK America, Inc ................................ IFC Tormach ................................................ 157 Trim-Lok ................................................. 27 TTI, Inc. ......................................................3 Ultra Motion ......................................... 132 Wago USA ............................................145 Whittet-Higgins ................................... 29 Yaskawa America, Inc. ...................... 47 Zero-Max, Inc. .........................................2
The Robot Report FAULHABER MICROMO ........................ 59 Honeywell Intelligrated ........................ 77
Bansbach Easylift .............................................. 84 Bunting Magnetics ............................................ 87 Cadence ................................................................ 89 New England Wire Technologies & New England Tubing Technologies ....... 85 Nippon Pulse Americas, Inc. ........................... 83 Nitto Kohki USA .................................................. 90 Qosina .................................................................... 93
Engineering September 2020
A supplement of Design World
Lessons in manufacturing, adhesives, digitalization,
and more
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jbrownlee@wtwhmedia.com 224.760.1055
Mike Caruso
Courtney Nagle
cseel@wtwhmedia.com 440.523.1685 @wtwh_CSeel
mcaruso@wtwhmedia.com 469.855.7344
Bill Crowley
bcrowley@wtwhmedia.com 610.420.2433
Jim Dempsey
jdempsey@wtwhmedia.com 216.387.1916
Michael Ference
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LEADERSHIP TEAM
Publisher Mike Emich
memich@wtwhmedia.com 508.446.1823 @wtwh_memich
Managing Director Scott McCafferty
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Mike Francesconi
mfrancesconi@wtwhmedia.com EVP Marshall Matheson 630.488.9029 mmatheson@wtwhmedia.com 805.895.3609 Neel Gleason @mmatheson ngleason@wtwhmedia.com 312.882.9867 @wtwh_ngleason
Jim Powers
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A Supplement to Design World - September 2020 www.designworldonline.com
How
we ported a project from ROS1 to ROS2
page 72
INSIDE:
• Five things ROS2 needs in 2020.....................60 • How ROS2 and AI can speed up robotics development......................................................64 • A history of the Robot Operating System ...68
ROBOT_REPORT_COVER_9-20_Vs2_ed.indd 57
Medical Tips Supplement
Jami Brownlee
9/12/20 8:23 AM
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A Supplement to Design World - September 2020
Exceeding regulatory requirements: Beyond the checklist
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Fastener Engineering Supplement Boker’s Inc. ................................................ 96 Emerson .................................................... 101 J.W. Winco, Inc. ........................................ 105 Würth Industry North America .......... 109 Mudge Fasteners ................................... 105
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9/15/20 7:40 AM
Fully Integrated Speed Controller, within 6.2 mm
The FAULHABER BXT Flat brushless DC servo motor family has grown; now available in all sizes with a diameter-compliant, integrated speed controller. With an additional attachment length of just 6.2 mm, the combination of the BXT H motors with the integrated speed controller is the ideal solution for space-confined applications, particularly if speeds need to be controlled precisely, and high torques are also required. Typical applications are medical devices, pumps, hand-held instruments, optics systems, and robotics & end-effectors.
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