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editorial Vol. 09 | Issue 01 | august 31, 2009
Managing Director: Dr Pramath Raj Sinha Printer & Publisher: Kanak Ghosh Editorial Group Editor: R Giridhar Assistant Editor: P K Chatterjee
Looking Beyond the Downturn
Sr. Correspondent: Satish Chavan Sub-Editor: Reshmi Menon Design Creative Head: Kabir Malkani Art Director: Rohit A Chandwaskar Chief Designer: N V Baiju Illustrators: Shrikrishna Patkar, Chaitanya Surpur Photographer: Jiten Gandhi Sales & Marketing VP Sales & Marketing: Naveen Chand Singh General Manager: Nabjeet Ganguli National Manager - Events & Special Projects: Mahantesh Godi Business Manager - Engagement Platforms: Arvind Ambo (09819904050) Assistant Brand Manager: Arpita Ganguli Co-ordinator Ad Sales: Aatish Mohite Bangalore: Vinodh Kaliappan (09740714817) Coimbatore: D K Karthikeyan (09843024566) Delhi: Pranav Saran (09312685289) Kolkata: Jayanta Bhattacharya (09331829284) Mumbai: Sachin N Mhashilkar (09920348755) Production & Logistics Sr. GM Operations: Shivshankar M Hiremath Production Executive: Vilas Mhatre Logistics: MP Singh, Mohamed Ansari, Shashi Shekhar Singh office address Nine Dot Nine Interactive Pvt Ltd C/o KPT House, Plot 41/13, Sector 30 Vashi (Near Sanpada Railway Station), Navi Mumbai 400703 For any information, write to info@industry20.com For subscription details, write to subscribe@industry20.com For sales and advertising enquiries, write to advertise@industry20.com Printed and published by Kanak Ghosh for Nine Dot Nine Interactive Pvt Ltd C/o KPT House, Plot 41/13, Sector 30 Vashi (Near Sanpada Railway Station) Navi Mumbai 400703 Editor: Sujay Nair C/o KPT House, Plot 41/13, Sector 30 Vashi (Near Sanpada Railway Station) Navi Mumbai 400703 Printed at Silverpoint Press Pvt. Ltd, Plot No. A-403, MIDC, TTC Industrial Area, Mhape, Navi Mumbai 400709.
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R Giridhar editor@industry20.com
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he pessimism over the state of the economy appears to be gradually dissipating. The industrial output numbers are on the rise, and companies are beginning to re-examine shelved plans. There is renewed optimism in the stock markets, and corporate chieftains are less gloomy about the prospects for the year. However, we are still not out of the woods. The global economy is anaemic, and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) forecasts a slow recovery for 2013. Closer home, the monsoon has been lacklustre this year, and many consumer goods producers are worrying about the impact this will have on input prices, and buying power of the vast agrarian community during the festival season. Export driven industries are also not reporting any significant uptick in demand from large Western buyers in advance of the traditional holiday season. While there is adequate liquidity in the system, banks continue to be circumspect about lending. The RBI has already indicated that no additional interest rate cuts should be anticipated soon. All these signs indicate that manufacturing companies will continue to face challenges in the near term. However, this situation also represents an opportunity for organizations that have put their finances in order, and have cash on hand. This is the time to go on the offensive and capture market share from more vulnerable competitors. The reces-
industry 2.0
sion has also motivated many companies to revamp their operations, trim costs and improve efficiencies. Many companies have also re-sized their offerings to reduce prices and changed product mixes to meet customer demand. But, there are limits to how far you can push existing products and services. You need to keep innovating, even during a downturn, to grow. The present time is also an opportunity to evaluate and acquire new technologies, and companies with valuable patent portfolios. This is also when you should re-look at the pace and scope of your R&D, and ensure that funding keeps pace with your strategic objectives. This is certainly not the time to cut back on innovation. By the time this downturn ends, the structure and composition of many markets will have changed dramatically. Customers will have adopted new ways of doing business, many current suppliers may no longer exist, and new products and vendors may be in competition with you. As a manufacturer, you will need to make active efforts to keep yourself abreast with changes, and to arm yourself with information to make the right decisions. Ensure that your organization is restructured to operate—and succeed— in the new reality.
- technology management for decision-makers | august 31, 2009
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contents 10
Cover Design: Rohit A Chandwaskar
in conversation
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Indresh Batra
Managing Director, Jindal Saw 35 Enhancing Profitability through Energy Conservation
Energy cost can be significantly brought down by the application of advanced technologies.
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cover story 10 Joining it Seamlessly The growing use of composite materials has increased the importance of joining technologies.
12 Welding a Solid Joint
New trend in welding is to integrate different systems and develop hybrid welding technologies.
16 Making a Mark
Industrial adhesives are rapidly being employed in many industrial solutions.
18 Fasteners Make New Connections
Fasteners are now available in innovative designs, a variety of materials and an assortment of protective coats.
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manufacturing technology 20 Wireless Technology Delivers Value to the Process Industry
Modern wireless technology saves cost and facilitates real-time information exchange.
information technology 38 Understanding Motion Simulation Product designing can be enhanced with a comprehensive 3D CAD program, together with finite element analysis and motion simulation.
42 Boosting Productivity through Graphical Design
22 Dashing to the Future
Advent of devices such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays requires a higher level of abstraction in design techniques, which is possible only through use of graphical design tools.
management & strategy 24 Managing Capital Projects
supply chain & logistics 44 Accurate Asset Tracking
Manufacturing dashboards play a pivotal role in achieving agility across supply chain processes in an organisation.
Lessons from some Asian companies, who are better at executing capital projects than rivals elsewhere.
29 Lean Global Engineering
Leading manufacturers are employing global engineering practices to leverage innovation and foster agility.
facilities & operations 32 Saving Energy in Foundries
Improvements in energy use in foundry processes have the potential to cut direct costs.
- technology management for decision-makers
Deployment of automatic tracking and recording system, in locations where material movement is frequent, can dramatically enhance the productivity of the plant.
departments 01 Editorial 04 Industry Update 31 Advertiser Index 49 Product Update
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industry update Timken Distributes Spareage’s Oil Seals mining and geardrive market. The product range starts with the smallest size of seals to seals of four metre in diameter. “Introducing this range of oil seals is part of our strategy to bring a more complete line of friction management products to Sridharan Rangarajan (L), business controller, Timken the industrial distribution channel,” said Ajay Das, India and J. S. Sabharwal (R), director, Spareage managing director, Timken Seals while signing the marketing agreement. India. J S Sabharwal, director, Spareage Seals, said, “This imken India has signed a collaboration will bring greater marketing agreement with productivity and efficiency to our Spareage Seals to offer Spareend-customers.” age’s complete range of oil seals to The product line complements customers and distributors across Timken’s existing friction-manageIndia. The oil seals find applications ment solutions, and is expected to across a wide range of industries create value for both companies. n such as the metals, energy, cement,
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event update 4th Southern Asia Ports, Logistics & Shipping 2009
The exhibition-cum-conference will showcase latest container handling technology and services. Venue: Sheraton Park Hotel and Towers, Chennai Tel: +60-87-426022 E-mail: enquiries@transportevents.com Date: Website: www.transportevents.com 24 September 2009
to 25 September 2009
INMEX India
The event will showcase products and services catering to the maritime industry. Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai Tel: +91-22-4020 3348 E-mail: satyam.chopra@informa.in Date: Website: www.inmexindia.com 24 September to
26 September 2009
Maruti Gets Land for Research Unit
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aruti Suzuki India has been allotted 700 acres by the Haryana government for setting up a research and development (R&D) facility, in Industrial Model Township at Rohtak. The project, which includes a suppliers’ park on 100 acres, is estimated to involve an investment of Rs 1,000 crore. The R&D facility will provide a test course for high-speed and acceleration tests. It will also house a collision test area, emission laboratories and wind tunnel testing facility. n
Mahagenco, BHEL Sign MoU
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aharashtra State Power Generation (Mahagenco) and Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up a joint venture to build, own and operate a 2 x 660 MW thermal power plant with supercritical parameters at Latur in Maharashtra. The first unit of the coal-based power plant is expected to come up within 48 months of the order being placed, while the second unit is likely to be operational within
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54 months. The TG units would be manufactured at BHEL’s Haridwar plant, while the supercritical boilers, would be manufactured at the Tiruchy plant. The joint venture is expected to be set up with initial equity equally subscribed by both the partners. The equity is likely to be diluted subsequently, such that the stake of both the companies is limited to 26 per cent each and the balance equity of 48 per cent is subscribed to by financial institutions / banks and other partners. n
- technology management for decision-makers
Expo Rail 2009
The event will display products and services pertaining to the railway sector. Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi Tel: +91-124-4751605 E-mail: vivek.tyagi@iabex.com Date: Website: www.exporailindia.com 21 October to 23 October 2009
Excon 2009
The exhibition will display construction equipment
and parts. Venue: Bangalore International Exhibition Centre Tel: +91-44-42444555 E-mail: businessfairs@cii.in Date: Website: www.excon.in 25 November to
29 November 2009
LED Expo 2009
The event will display products and technology of LEDs and solid state lighting. Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi Tel: +91-11-26445191 E-mail: info@theledexpo.com Date: Website: www.theledexpo.com 18 December to
20 December 2009
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industry update National Instruments, Dassault Offer New Design Solution
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collaboration between different ational Instruments (NI) and engineering disciplines including Dassault Systèmes Solidmechanical, electrical and conWorks have collaborated trol,” said Jeff Ray, chief on a mechatronics tool. executive officer, DS The tool helps engineers SolidWorks. work together to lower The virtual prototypthe cost and risk of ing solution is expected motion system design. to easily deploy motion The new solution will applications to NI connect NI’s LabVIEW embedded control platgraphical system design The mechatronics tool forms, such as the NI software and SolidWorks will lower the risk of CompactRIO program3D CAD software. This motion system design. mable automation conwill enable engineers troller. Engineers and scientists can to design, optimize, validate and also use the new NI 951x C Series visualize the real-world performance drive interfaces—to achieve direct of machines and motion systems, connectivity to hundreds of stepper before making physical prototypes. and servo drives and motors from “The increasing complexity of NI and third-party vendors. n machine designs demands better
Dresser Opens EOU in India
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resser, manufacturer of process control and safety relief valve solutions, has set up an Export Oriented Unit (EOU) in Coimbatore. Dresser Valve India. The EOU is expected to provide Dresser with another manufacturing option for the company’s Masoneilan and Consolidated products. Dresser Consolidated is a service provider of pressure relief valve solutions, while Masoneilan products comprise process control valves, actuators, instruments and associated software solutions. The company has other manufacturing facilities in US, Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Japan and China. n
CTS Joins Hands with ZF TVS
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TS has entered into a marketing agreement with Madurai-based ZF Electronics TVS, manufacturer of electrical and electronic products. As per the agreement, CTS will market its range of automotive and electrocomponent products to new customers in India. CTS is planning to first target the 4- and 2-wheeler automotive markets, which are experiencing strong growth. It further plans to market its rotary and linear position sensors and ceramic fuel cards in
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various other market segments in India. The company is optimistic about its growth in India with the electronic content increasing in Indian automobiles, and emission laws being tightened through the implementation of Bharat Stage III and IV emission norms. “We look forward to partnering with ZF Electronics TVS to help support OEMs with advanced solutions, as they meet India’s growing transportation needs,” said Vinod M Khilnani, chairman and chief executive officer, CTS. n
- technology management for decision-makers
Berger Paints to Set up New Plants
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erger Paints is planning to set up a Rs 100 crore greenfield water-based plant, along with a supporting emulsion facility in southern India. Plans are also underway to establish an emulsion plant in Gujarat and a resin plant in Goa. The greenfield plant, likely to be set up in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, will have an annual capacity of 100,000 mt per annum. It is scheduled to be operational by mid-2011. The emulsion plant in Gujarat is expected to have a capacity of 2,000 tonne per annum. It is supposed to commence operations by April 2010. Meanwhile, the resin plant in Goa, will have a capacity of 500 tonne per month. Berger has earmarked a total investment of Rs 5 crore for the plant, scheduled to commence by December 2009. n
Lanxess Plans Madurai Plant Expansion
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anxess India is planning to expand its plant located in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. The company targets to achieve more than double the monthly production capacity for its material protection products. The expansion of the Madurai plant is considered to be part of the global strategy of Lanxess to solidify its presence in India. Lanxess is also planning to upgrade the plant by equipping it with state-of-the-art and world-class facilities to enhance quality standards of the manufacturing processes. “The expansion and modernization of the Madurai plant underscores our strong belief in the growth opportunities of the Indian market,” said Dr Joerg Strassburger, managing director and country representative, Lanxess India. “The expanded plant will help meet the increasing demand for material protection products in the Asia Pacific region,” said Dr Michael Gerle, Asia Pacific regional manager for industrial preservation, Material Protection Products business unit. n
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industry update BHEL Sets up New Captive Power Plant
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harat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has won a turnkey contract for setting up an energy efficient and environment friendly gas turbine-based captive power plant in Assam. Oil India (OIL) has placed the order of around Rs. 1,900 million for a 20 MW gas turbine-based captive power plant. BHEL will set up the
project on lumpsum turnkey (LSTK) basis at Duliajan in Assam. BHEL will design, engineer, manufacture, supply, erect and commission the complete captive power plant, in addition to the necessary civil works. The equipment for the project will be supplied by BHEL’s plants at Hyderabad, Bhopal, Jhansi and Electronics Division in Bangalore. n
Thermo Fisher Scientific Acquires Fiberlite Centrifuge
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anufacturer of centrifuges, rotors and accessories, Thermo Fisher Scientific, has acquired Fiberlite Centrifuge, a supplier of carbon fibre centrifuge rotors. Fiberlite will be integrated into Thermo Fisher’s laboratory products and services segment. “We have been offering Fiberlite rotors as an alternative to aluminium and titanium rotors in our Thermo Scientific laboratory centrifuges for several years, and we have seen customer demand for the technology continues to grow,” said Marijn E Dekkers, president and chief executive officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Fiberlite’s patented carbon fibre rotors will enhance our centrifugation offering and bring extra research and development capabilities,” said Dekkers. n
Madura Garments Adopts Lawson Fashion PLM Solution
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pparel and retail company, Madura Garments, has gone live with the Lawson Fashion Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution. The solution is a web-based suite of applications that facilitates management of products from design through production. The implementation of the solution gave Madura Garments an opportunity to re-engineer its business processes to gain greater efficiencies. The solution has helped structure processes, and provide better transparency of information across the company’s supply chain. Also, Lawson Fashion PLM enables product development activities to work in parallel, which helps in reducing product development timelines for new collections, enabling
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reduction of time-to-market. Prior to using Lawson Fashion PLM, key fabric information from mills was not captured effectively, so Madura was not able to easily re-use information between collections and seasons. The solution now allows the company to import this information directly into the PLM system, and use an advanced search capability to locate suitable fabric designs that may already exist. “We are already experiencing the benefits of implementing Lawson Fashion PLM. It has allowed us not only to capture fabric information from the mill, but also saves two to three weeks in the fabric sample request process,” said Natwarlal Bhattad, group manager for product development, Madura Garments. n
- technology management for decision-makers
BASF Plans to Launch Engineered Fluids
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ASF is planning to launch Magnetorheological Fluids (MRF) under the brand name Basonetic. MRF, with its adjustable flow behaviour, finds applications in fields where power has to be controlled and transmitted on a continuous and variable basis. The fluids consist of small iron particles (carbonyl iron powder) that are dispersed in oil. Using an external magnetic field, the flow properties of MRF can be varied from solid to liquid in milliseconds. The product will be marketed to companies in the automotive and automation industry that develop engine mounts, clutches or shock absorbers. “With Basonetic, we provide MRF that are versatile, safe, and easy to handle, and hardly show any sediment,” said Dr Christoffer Kieburg, project manager in the Business Management Metal Systems, BASF. n
Royal Adhesives Rolls out New Products
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oyal Adhesives and Sealants has launched a new line of Silaprene low volatile organic content (LVOC) contact adhesives and cements. The new product finds application in the transportation, assembly, foam and furniture, HVAC, recreational vehicles and marine industries. The contact adhesives and cements contain less than 250 gram per litre of VOC. Ted Clark, chief executive officer, Royal, said, “This new line of Silaprene brand LVOC adhesives and contact cements can be tailored to the application requirements of our customers without requiring large minimum orders— which allows us to work with customers on all sizes of potential applications.” Steve Zens, vice president, sales and marketing, said, “With this new LVOC adhesive technology, we have been able to address the needs of small to midsized companies that need to comply with the latest EPA VOC regulations without sacrificing product performance.” n
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Elanor Offers Vehicle Tracking Services
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lanor Tracking, a Bangalorebased company has launched a web-based vehicle monitoring service. The service will help vehicle owners monitor their vehicles for location, over speed and un-authorized stoppages. This will also lead to efficient usage of vehicles, reduce fuel expenses, ensure safer and quicker journeys.
With Elanor services, users can now track the movement of their vehicles, when driven by others. If the car deviates from its pre-defined route, the owner gets an alarm. Using this the service user can also make sure that his/her vehicle is not misused. According to Shakeel Sheriff, CEO—Elanor Tracking, “The activation of the service is very simple. Anyone can register with Elanor Tracking for a small fee. Experienced engineers will take care of the installation of GPS/GPRS-based tracking devices on their vehicles. After this, a username and password will be given to the car owner. Using that, he/she can log into the company’s website, and access his/her vehicle’s information from anywhere.” n
Mahle Filter Systems Inaugurates Second Plant at Parwanoo
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anufacturer and exporter of automotive filters in India, Mahle Filter Systems, has recently inaugurated the Parwanoo Plant – II, in Himachal Pradesh. The new plant will provide a product range utilising enhanced technology to meet the requirements of the company’s existing and new customers. Besides, it will also cater to the needs of the replacement market in India and also for exports. Mahle Filter Systems India is a joint venture between Mahle Group of Germany and Anand Automotive Systems, earlier known as Purolator
India. The company, established in 1966, manufactures a wide range of air, oil, fuel and hydraulic filters. The products find applications in the automotive, railway, aviation and earthmoving industries both for OEMs and aftermarket. “With the capital investment at about Rs 60 million in building and plant and machinery, the proposed installed capacity of the plant is expected to be 22 million filters per annum”, said Deepak Chopra, CEO designate, Anand Automotive Systems. The plant is likely to commence production by February 2010. n
Correction There was an inadvertent error in the the article ‘Getting a handle on moving materials,’ in the quote attributed to Josts Engineering’s Kannan Vishvanath on page 20 of July 2009 issue. The quote says, “Most FLTs are now battery operated, and there is a gradual shift from AC technology to DC technology.” The correct quote is “Most FLTs are now battery operated, and there is a gradual shift from DC technology to AC technology.”
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industry 2.0
ETSI Forms Wireless Factory Starter Group
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uropean Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), producer of globally-applicable ICT standards— including fixed, mobile, radio, converged and broadcast has set up a Wireless Factory Starter Group, aimed at identifying standardization needs and potentials in the growing domain of wireless factory automation (WIFA). Recent advances in the technology mean that rather than customers acquiring individual solutions, a wireless LAN backbone can provide access to diverse applications and data through one infrastructure. Thus, manufacturers can move from individual to architectural solutions in the factory itself. Marc Grant, an ETSI board member, says, “Discussions with various stakeholders confirm that the use of wireless communications in the automation domain, be it processing or discrete manufacturing, can improve efficiency and flexibility.” n
W R Grace Sets up New Plant
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. R. Grace has set up a new manufacturing plant in Chennai for the production of speciality chemicals, used in commercial, infrastructure and residential construction. The facility will produce cement additives that improve grinding efficiency, reduce the cost of cement production and enhance cement performance. The company will also shortly commence manufacture of admixtures for use in the production of concrete at the plant. “India is one of the world’s largest cement-producing nations and a natural location for us to invest in our global network,” said Greg Freeman, vice president of Grace Construction Products—Europe. Srinivasan Radhakrishnan, plant manager, said, “This facility was conceptualized with a focus on the environment. We have integrated green field and recycle concepts to reduce our footprint while also utilizing Six Sigma tools and training to increase our productivity.” n
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cover story
Joining it
Seamlessly The growing use of composite materials has increased the importance of joining technologies, which will continue to be the single biggest value adder in manufacturing industries.
by satish chavan
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oining technologies are rapidly moving to the top of the agenda as manufacturers strive to improve productivity, reduce waste and cut costs. To optimise material utilisation, a growing number of components and subassemblies are being constructed from multiple materials, engineering plastics are being substituted for metal, and composites are making inroads into many applications. These developments are posing a significant challenge for tradi-
- technology management for decision-makers
tional joining techniques. The demand is for joining processes and materials that deliver quick, problem-free and reliable production and can make fundamental contributions to the value addition of manufactured products. The joining industry is stepping up to developments to address these needs, and as a result there is growing rivalry between various joining processes, viz. welding, industrial adhesives, and mechanical fasteners. Thermal joining processes are
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competing not only with each other but also with lowheat and “cold” joining processes. All joining systems fall into one of these three general categories: Periodic joining methods, which attach two members by occasionally placing through-hole fasteners or other individual mechanisms. This is the most widely used joining technique for structures requiring high mechanical strength and a minimum of sealing or other non-strength functions. Linear processes, to provide a continuous or occasional edge bead attachment, such as welding. Area joining processes, where attachment is achieved by full-face contact and complete union between the two mating surfaces. Soldering, brazing, and adhesive bonding are examples of area attachments. The transportation sector is a major demand driver for joining technologies, especially the automotive industry that uses large quantities of fasteners and adhesives. Other industries in the transport segment, which drive demand for joining technologies include railways, ship building, and aerospace. The other big consumers of joining products are the fabrication industry, electronic and electrical assemblies, oil and gas, and industrial machinery. “Automotives is the biggest growth driver and accounts for almost 50 per cent of total fasteners consumption. The electrical and electronic equipment, and industrial machinery are also important OEM markets. Apart from these demand for aerospace fasteners is also expected to grow,” confirms Naveen Sharma, director at Acme Fasteners, a leading producer of
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mechanical joining products. The maintenance and repair segment is another source of demand for joining technologies. This segment cuts across all industry verticals. India is also a big source of exports for joining products, particularly fasteners. “After China (which is currently handicapped by anti-dumping duties in Europe), India has become an attractive source for European buyers. As the recession recedes, there is bound to be increasing demand for fasteners from different parts of the world,” says an optimistic Sharma. The increasing sophistication of joining technologies has also made it necessary for user industries to develop the required skills and competence to use them effectively and safely. While there is adequate skilled manpower available for industrial fasteners and adhesives, there is a paucity of qualified personnel in the welding industry. “There are hardly any engineering courses in India for developing skilled manpower in welding applications,” laments Dr S Bhattacharya, an industry consultant on welding technologies. As with other technologies, environmental concerns are also dogging joining technologies. Both adhesives and welding technologies generate pollutants and residues. Consequently, some of the main environmental challenges in joining technologies are economic handling of primary and secondary residues, conservation of raw materials, utilisation of reusable materials, and recycling processes for joined components. In the case of industrial adhesives, the major challenge is to control and reduce Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) content, and develop eco-friendly water-based adhesives. Also, adoption of measures for health and safety in joining technologies are becoming increasingly important. n
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- technology management for decision-makers | august 31, 2009
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cover story
Welding a
Solid Joint
Photo Courtesy: Jindal SAW
The new trend in welding is to integrate different systems and develop hybrid welding technologies that enable higher productivity. While gas-shielded metal arc welding dominates welding technology, resistance welding is slowly gaining ascendancy due to its higher productivity. by satish chavan
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- technology management for decision-makers
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Photo Courtesy: Atlantic Engineering
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elding is usually perceived as a highly skilled task, often needing considerable training and experience to achieve reliable results with high productivity. It is little wonder that companies are turning towards automation to boost quality and output. Confirms Lalit Tolwani, vice president of operations at SAW pipe maker MAN Industries, “Some of the latest technologies in our plant use automated systems with laser seam tracking, data logging, and 4-wire feeds to give enhanced quality and higher productivity.” According to welding technology consultant Dr S Bhattacharya, “The emerging trend in welding equipment is towards flexibility, of using one machine for different processes with the help of electronic controls.” While 40 to 45 per cent of welding jobs in developed economies employ Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), 75 per cent of welding jobs in India use Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW). According to Dr Bhattacharya, “We are still in the single wire GMAW stage in contrast to the highly productive multi-wire process used in developed countries.” The increase in productivity through the use of superior welding techniques is best illustrated in the ship building industry. Whereas the global norm (such as in Japan and Korea which use advanced plate welding methods) for delivery of a new vessel is about 18 months, Indian shipyards need almost three to four years to deliver a new ship because they don’t use advanced welding techniques. When more than 10 km of welding is needed to join the hull plates of a ship, the speed of welding (using multiple wire output) becomes a critical differentiator for productivity. Also, sophisticated electronic controls now give better accuracy in welding and the use of inverters has reduced energy consumption by about 30 to 40 per cent. However, the latest in welding technology is the Friction stir welding (FSW) process. Other emerging developments include—a motion control mechanical integration using multi-axis lathe system applications for laser and transferred arc welding. Most welding in India is in low-end, high volume mild steel, followed by low alloy steel. High-end welding jobs, especially nickel and titanium welding, are often sent overseas. While big companies in the organized sector use modern welding methods, SMEs which form the bulk in India’s manufacturing industries weld manually. Dr Manoharan, additional general manager at the Welding Research Institute says, “Around 70 per cent of the welding done in India is manual welding, only 30 per cent of welding is done by using modern welding techniques.”
According to Ador Welding, the size of the Indian welding industry is approximately Rs 3,000 crore, with welding consumables accounting for 70 per cent of the market. About one half of the market is dominated by organized, local suppliers. Between 8 to 10 per cent is accounted by direct imports, and the remainder is supplied by the unorganized sector. According to trade sources, almost 95 per cent welding consumables used in India are imported. The current CAGR of the welding market is around a meagre 2 to 3 per cent. Low penetration of modern welding technology, particularly among SMEs is partly responsible for this situation. “The fastest growing segment in industrial welding is the power industry, which utilises welding for making power plant equipments,” observes Manoharan. However, suppliers are optimistic that the situation will change. “We expect the fastest growing segment to be those driven by wires and fluxes for high deposition processes. This is due to the growing demand for higher productivity, more consistent quality, and increasing job criticality. From a customer perspective, we expect the primary growth drivers to be the oil and gas industry, power generation, and transport infrastructure,” says Satish Bhat, president of Ador’s welding business. The new definition of weld-ability is now focused on component properties and refining the concepts of welding possibility of the fabrication, suitability of the material, and welding reliability of the design. There is now an emerging need of using hybrid welding processes. n
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cover story
“The most important needs are reliability and consistency” Pipe manufacturers are among the most intensive and demanding users of welding technologies. Industry 2.0 spoke to Indresh Batra, managing director of Jindal Saw Ltd, a major supplier and exporter of submerged arc welding (SAW) pipes.
What kinds of welding techniques do you use in your SAW pipe operations? In our SAW pipe manufacturing operations, we use a combination of Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), and Submerged Arc Welding (SAW), processes. These offer high efficiency and digital control, along with continuous recording of welding parameters. SAW gives us high productivity while maintaining quality standards.
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Most of our line pipe operations employ multiple arc SAW systems. While the maximum number of arcs for a spiral pipe system is typically three wires in the same welding puddle, longitudinal systems can employ up to four wires in the same puddle. The use of multiple arcs enables us to achieve maximum welding travel speed, while maintaining the overlapping penetration required for pipe welding.
- technology management for decision-makers
Is that the only technology involved in the process? Another technology employed in SAW pipe operations is called the “two-run technique.” This technique uses only one pass on the ID weld and one pass on the OD weld, producing a 100 per cent penetration weld in only two runs. The two-run technique eliminates the risk of arc gouging, and dramatically improves the rate of production. The final major welding application and technique employed in pipe operations is the automated equipment—used to perform the SAW welds. While the ‘off-line’ method has long been a standard for welding longitudinal pipes, it is relatively new to the spiral pipe industry. In these systems the forming takes place separately from SAW welding to accelerate forming speeds. The pipe is first tacked into place using the GMAW process, and then the SAW takes place at the next station. The SAW is usually guided by a laser tracking system (or mechanical tracking), which automatically places the welding wire in the joint. This simplifies the operation of the automatic system, and leads to more consistent quality control. What are the trends in welding technology for SAW pipes? The use of higher strength base materials will continue to be the driver of welding consumable developments. The pipe industry typically uses a different sets of wires and fluxes, when compared to other industries, to achieve the required
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What is the role of the welding consumable manufacturers behind the technological advances? Welding consumable manufacturers are improving upon their existing fluxes by focusing on specific areas of improvement. Some of the areas of improvement include ID bead shape on spiral welds, maximum allowable welding currents (this ultimately determines the maximum number of arcs), or reduced undercut at higher travel speeds. On the equipment front you will see welding platforms like the Lincoln Electric Power Wave AC/DC 1000. This machine is a 1,000 amp inverter that uses waveform control to regulate its output. Waveform control technology is where software is used to optimize the welding output for a specific operation. The use of software allows the machine to use square wave technology, when welding in AC, instead of the
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Photo Courtesy: Jindal SAW
mechanical properties. That is because there is high amount of base metal dilution with two run welding. This means that the base material chemistry plays a far more important role than in other applications. Further, in multiple pass welding there is grain refinement that is taking place along the edges of each subsequent weld bead, resulting in improved impact results. With two-run welding, there is very little grain refinement (the grain growth is epitaxial in nature) since there is only one ID pass and one OD pass. This means that the wire and flux combination must achieve the necessary mechanicals in an all weld metal type situation. Adding molybdenum to the welding wire helps to promote acicular ferrite, which improves impact properties on two run welds. Additional alloying with titanium and boron helps minimize the amount of grain boundary ferrite. When using a titanium/boron wire it is critical that fluxes that maintain a low nitrogen level are used (up to X-80).
sine wave of a traditional transformer rectifier machine. Square wave AC allows the output to stay at the peak DC+ and peak DC- for longer periods of time, thus providing a more stable welding output. Finally, the machine communicates via a digital signal that allows for faster response and feedback times from the power source to the drive motors. This further helps in stabilizing the output and provide for smoother welding. Other welding companies are also developing pulse based technologies with digital controls, using software to enhance productivity. As an end user, what are your major expectations from welding equipment and consumables? The most common demand for welding equipment is reliability. In a pipe operation, the amount of arc on-time is one of the highest of any arc welding facility. Any time lost due to machine failure has a large impact on the throughput of the mill. Top tier pipe mills typically stick to well established brands of equipment and do not test unproven or low-end equipment. For welding consumables, the greatest demand is for consistency. When it comes to SAW wire the key measures of consistency
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include chemistry, wire diameter, and copper coating. Variations in wire chemistry lead to variation in the chemistry of the finished weld deposit. Wire diameter is also an important factor for a welding wire. If the wire increases or decreases in diameter from the published diameter, the cross sectional area of wire that is needed to melt off changes accordingly. If the diameter is larger than it should be, the amount of melt off, penetration, and arc stability may all be affected. Finally, the copper coating on a SAW wire has one main purpose—to provide better electrical conductivity. A consistent copper coating will enable consistent transfer, and therefore a more stable output. Additionally, if the copper is prone to flaking off, it will clog liners and tips, and lead to mechanical issues that result in weld defects. For SAW flux, the main measures are chemistry and grain size. Both of these must be consistent from one batch to the next to assure that the operating characteristics remain the same. If the chemistry is not constant, then the weld deposit can be affected as well as the bead appearance. Grain size variation can not only affect bead appearance, but also cause issues in the flux delivery and flux recovery systems. n
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cover story
Adhesives Make a Mark With new adhesive chemistries widening the range of materials that can be joined, industrial adhesives are rapidly being employed in many industrial situations. by satish chavan
A
lmost all manufacturing industries employ adhesives in some form, and their growing use is a direct outcome the drive towards greater efficiency, quality, and cost reduction. And unlike other joining techniques, adhesives barely add to the weight of a finished product. “The use of adhesives is still very nascent, and it will take some time before it becomes a substantial replacement for other joining technologies. However, we are seeing an increasing trend of adhesives replacing traditional methods of joining and sealing,� remarks Anil Hak, marketing manager at the Industrial Adhesives & Tapes Division of 3M India.
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- technology management for decision-makers
Driving Demand
Amongst the available joining techniques, the adhesives segment is clocking the highest growth rate. According to a major adhesives manufacturer, the approximate size of the Indian market was about Rs 180000 crore in 2008, and the market clocked a compounded annual growth of 11 per cent. The MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) segment is among the biggest drivers of demand fro demand for adhesives. Other major users of industrial adhesives include surface transportation (automotives, railways, and shipbuilding), aerospace, construction, woodworking and furniture, infrastructure, industrial
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Choosing an Adhesive S
electing the right adhesive is very important to ensure effective bonding and faster curing times to reduce the production cycle, and to control costs. Anaerobics: These adhesives cure without any contact with air. Specific applications include thread lockers, retaining compounds, and pipe sealants. Cyanoacrylates: Popularly known as superglues, these adhesives cure by reacting with traces of moisture on the bonding surfaces. They are best used for rubber and most plastics. Toughened Acrylics: These are structural adhesives for high strength applications. They come in one and two part systems, and work well on a wide variety of surfaces. They are versatile, work with minimal surface preparation, and are flexible upon curing. Epoxies: These adhesives can be applied on a variety of materials to form strong and durable bonds. They come in one and two part systems. Polyurethanes: These come in a range of stiffness, hardness, and densities. These include flexible foam, low-density rigid foam, and soft solid elastomers, and hard solid plastics used in electronic instruments and structural parts. Silicones: While these adhesive are not incredibly strong, they are quite flexible and resistant to high temperatures. Two-part silicone products are more effective than one-part products. Phenolic: These require heat and pressure to be cured. They are ideal for bonding metals to wood. Polyimides: These are based on synthetic organic chains and come in liquid and film form. They are employed in electronics for flexible cables, while solid forms can be applied with a heat gun.
machinery, electronics, utilities, labelling and packaging, leather goods, disposables, textiles, and medical applications. Currently, the greatest demand is for radiation and UV cured adhesives because they cure rapidly and cut process time.
Emerging Technology Trends
In-situ application of adhesives is the most important trend when it comes to dispensing. Physically hardening cures are the most popular. These include hot melt, organic solvent, plastisols, and water based adhesives. Chemically cured adhesives are increasingly used in high-end applications. These include single components adhesives like anaerobic, cyanoacrylates, and heat, moisture, and radiation cured silicones. Among two component types, epoxies, methyl methacrylates, silicons, and urethanes are in favor. There is also growing use of cold forming adhesives due to their energy saving and rapid curing properties.
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Another significant trend is the development of urethane structural adhesives systems, which are predominantly used in fibreglass reinforced plastic (FRP). Urethane adhesives exhibit good adhesion, and excellent chemical and environmental resistance. Their electrical properties make them an excellent choice for coating, bonding and encapsulation applications in the electronics industry. Electrically conductive epoxies are also finding increasing applications in electronics. Pressure sensitive adhesives—formulated from natural rubber, synthetic rubbers, and polyacrylates—are being coated in a pattern to provide bonded and unbonded areas, such as in assembly of membrane switches. Another new trend is of green adhesives that have a very low volatile organic compounds (VOC), content. However, the most important technological developments will flow from nanotechnology, which has the most promising potential to develop innovative adhesives. n
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cover story
Fasteners Make
New Connections Ideal for joints and assemblies that may need to be taken apart during use, fasteners are now available in innovative designs, a variety of materials and an assortment of protective coats. by satish chavan
steel and stainless steel products,” says Naveen Sharma, director at Acme Fasteners. Fasteners can be broadly classified into high tensile and mild steel varieties, based on their tensile strength. While high tensile fasteners often customised for specific applications, mild steel fasteners follow standard grade specifications for use across industry verticals (such as screws, bolts, and nuts). Carbon and stainless steel are the most commonly used materials for
the deflection of Belleville washers. It solves material expansion and vibration problems, and serves as a grip washer. l Assembly qualifier is suitable for error-proofing single or multiple fastener assemblies. The device verifies fastener installation and fastener count by monitoring pressure differentials during the fastening cycle. l Self-clinching nuts, studs, and standoffs designed for stainless-steel assemblies. These promote thinner and lighter designs for thicknesses as small as 0.30-in. l Steel inserts, with a thick head and heavy wall to resist torque out in high-load applications. In sheets, panels, or closed-end structures as thin as 0.10-in, these inserts provide strong metal threads as an alternative to tapped holes, weld nuts, rivets, and self-drilling or self-tapping screws.
making fasteners, though versions are available in alloy steel, inconel stainless steel, titanium (mostly aerospace grade), and aluminium (for lighter loads). Fasteners are being produced in plastic also. Fasteners, come with protective coatings for improved performance, especially corrosion resistance. Common coating materials are cadmium, zinc, phosphate, chromium, silver, and nickel. Some recent trends in fasteners include functional permanence and new surface mounting capabilities, compact models, hybrid and multi-functional designs. l CloverDome is a clover-shaped disc that is side-stressed (cone-shaped) in its flat condition to perform multiple functions. It replaces coil springs where space is at a premium, provides double
Industry Dynamics
T
he delivery of the much-anticipated Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been delayed due to problems with fasteners. Problems detected during a qualitycontrol inspection have forced the airline maker to replace thousands of improperly installed fasteners. This incident serves to underline the critical role fasteners play in making a product. Without industrial fasteners many products would have been impossible. That’s because they can hold together most forms and combinations of materials, are highly resistant to high temperatures, are easy to repair, and can have built-in provisions to resist loosening, or corrosion. Often, fasteners do not require any post-processing after installation or assembly, except the occasional re-tightening during service. The only drawback with fasteners is that they are prone to failure from fatigue, and have poor sealing properties.
New Materials, Designs in the Fray
Fastener manufacturers are focusing on innovative designs, and use of new composite materials, alloys, and plastics. “Many changes are happening in the quality of raw materials as well as finished fasteners, mainly in alloy
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While mild steel fasteners of standard grades are produced largely by the unorganised sector, high-tensile fasteners that require a relatively superior technologies are produced by the organised sector. According to the Fastener Manufacturers’ Association of India, the Indian fastener market is valued at Rs 15,000 crore, and has a CAGR of 10 per cent. Nearly half the total production of fasteners in India is exported. The biggest demand is for threaded fasteners. Automotives accounts for half of total fastener consumption. “The automotives sector is the biggest generator of demand for fasteners,” confirms J N Sharma, director of N S International, which exports fasteners to global automotive OEMs. n
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manufacturing technology
Wireless Technology Delivers Value to the Process Industry Modern wireless technology has created a new era in the field of process plant communication. Not only it saves cost, but also it facilitates real-time information exchange, even with the most hazardous areas in the plant, which helps in better monitoring and control of devices and personnel across the plant floor—leading to increased productivity and higher standard of safety. by amol chaubal
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ireless technology has revolutionized the network connectivity in the IT world, as well as the commercial and consumer markets. The substantial growth in wireless solutions is driven by standardization, industry investment and (R&D). Modern wireless applications and sensors deliver powerful new capabilities enabling end users to improve operational performance. These systems not only provide advanced sensing, but also help users make decisions positively impacting their overall business objectives. Despite arguments concerning the use of wireless in process plants, there is little doubt that the technology is here to stay. The
- technology management for decision-makers
path forward still has question marks, but a growing number of process facilities recognize the potential of wireless systems to reduce costs and improve efficiency across their plant and business enterprises. The benefits of wireless go far beyond saving on installation and wiring costs. Wireless helps plant operators gather field data more easily, increase asset life through continuous monitoring, and improve the safety of their most important assets—their people. The technology also enables improved plant availability, reduced downtime, and increased productivity. As this technology gains greater acceptance, the wired world is slowly fading into
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the background. Protocols such as Wi-Fi represent the future— not only for traditional wired IT network requirements, but also for monitoring and control applications across the plant floor. In order to take advantage of all the benefits wireless technology has to offer, process plants must adopt sound policies mitigating risks and ensuring adequate security for processes, people and the environment.
Applications for the Process Industry
Modern wireless solutions improve productivity by enabling the right people to be at the right place at the right time. Process and asset information can be extracted, viewed and processed, where the data resides to enable more accurate and timely decisions. Access to the right process data can significantly enhance operational efficiency, and extend access to critical process information beyond the control room. A wireless system can include anything from a network of transmitters monitoring a single, specific application, to a full-scale wireless network deployed across an entire site to handle multiple applications—including monitoring and supervisory control. In the evolution of wireless technology, the first generation of products was sensor-specific and not designed to cover entire plants, which resulted in smaller implementations. Today’s generation of products is more appropriate for wider plant deployment. For example, wireless mobility tools provide a fully functional PC environment that personnel can interact with directly from a handheld device, while performing maintenance rounds, data collection and inspections. These solutions are optimized for specific end user applications, ranging from read-only access over
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the intranet by multiple casual users, to secure system access for mobile operators. This wireless collaboration can improve decision-making, production uptime and process monitoring, and incident avoidance. Handheld access to process data allows technicians in the field to view the latest plant information—to help identify failures and causes that may previously have gone unrecorded, and can open the door for further investigation of a system’s reliability. Users can integrate field data with data from multiple other sources, including production, control and work management systems. They also provide mechanical and engineering data and support calibration of instrument databases.
Benefits for the Process Industry
Process industry operations can now benefit from a wireless solution that satisfies the multiple conflicting demands of redundancy, distributed communications, flexibility and reliability. Furthermore, self-configuring, self-healing wireless mesh networks are inherently less expensive to install and maintain—as radios and microprocessors become cheaper. A significant barrier to low-cost connectivity has been removed. To get started with wireless and unlock the possibilities of this innovative technology, it is important to view your wireless implementation as a partnership between the plant operator, com-
Self-configuring, self-healing wireless mesh networks are inherently less expensive to install and maintain—as radios and microprocessors become cheaper. On-site computing helps management improve the tracking and reporting of inspections, tests, and repairs for pumps, actuators, valves, vents, pipes and other plant process equipment. The new breed of wireless transmitters enables employees to obtain data and create information from remote and hazardous locations without the need to run wires, where running wire is cost prohibitive or the measurement is in a hazardous location. There are countless remote applications in process plants that can benefit from wireless technology. Some of these include: l Supervisory control and data acquisition l Emissions monitoring l Flame sensing with transmitters or even a remote wireless video l Monitoring the health of rotating assets
pany IT department, and wireless supplier. Each party has a share in determining the outcome of this effort. Also, it is best to manage your infrastructure as a single network. Think strategically about your wireless deployment and select a universal network—meeting all of your needs. Experience has shown how a ‘piece-meal’ system is a nightmare to manage. Finally, always consider safety first. If you can’t install wireless safely, it’s better not to do it at all. Fortunately, with the right technology and support, you can enjoy all of the advantages of wireless—while protecting your plant information and ensuring safe operations. n A Chaubal is the product manager of Wireless Solutions at Honeywell Automation India Limited, www.honeywell.com.
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manufacturing technology
Dashing to the Future with Dashboards With global recession and the liquidity crunch, today it is becoming absolutely essential to have agility across supply chain processes, and work as a real-time enterprise. Manufacturing dashboards play a pivotal role in making this a reality. by milind joshi
D
ashboards are still in their infancy in India as compared to their use in the manufacturing industry across the globe. Most dashboards remain at tactical level in many industries and often are suboptimal in performance or return on investment (ROI). The steps required to be taken to improve their effectiveness are often difficult, and involve a large number of players across functions. This has hampered the growth of usage of dashboards in India.
Operational Level
Dashboards can be classified into two major categories— operational and strategic. At the operational level, they cover the entire gamut from the reporting type—simple process step completion to more sophisticated alerts or early warning systems. Responding to bottlenecks and alerts post facto has its place in maintaining control over your processes, but real value can be derived only through forecast and early warning dashboards. Increase in efficiencies in pro-
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Dashboards showing production status in a modern workshop. cesses can be achieved through proper and timely controls. For example, in a housing material company, mobile devices keep track of wood cutting as per plans and help in maintaining the inventories in the supply chain. The planning manager can actually see the amount of wood cut, and as per the process lag decide the changes on a shift basis based on further production schedules. In a chemical manufacturing company, based on the yields the process is delivering, the shift supervisor is able to make changes in the input feeds, and optimize the costs.
Achieving Optimization
Operational dashboards are of a great help to steer the course
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of operations by enabling smooth flow of information. Typically, all dashboards, which lead to actions to adjust the inputs / process in real time achieve optimization in a good way. An elevator company keeps track of repair technicians’ availability and locations through mobile devices and optimizes the scheduling to achieve reduction in down time and travel costs. Further enhancement is done by a business intelligence dashboard, which has a look-ahead feature and analytics to help decide peak staffing and predict it before it happens. In typical process operations, a leader has dashboards to show bottlenecks. He can intervene and debottleneck the same. A
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CPG company uses this very effectively for managing promotions and launch of new products. Each promotion process workflow gets tracked against the targeted dates, and the product manager is able to solve the issues in the process by getting alerts and visibility. In another case, a company could successfully track and trace the movement of their promotion material (point of sale material for promotions) through a combination of radio frequency identification (RFID) and other systems. In process industries, dashboards showing input parameters and changes in environment have been successfully used to finetune the yield and output for ages. These dashboards typically coupled with a set of business rules allow a real time correcting system performance for process plants. In a specialty steel manufacturing plant, a dashboard linked to the people attendance system and their skill data helps determine the optimum production schedule and line loading.
Common Mistakes The common mistakes observed in the manufacturing industry in dashboards are: l Designing and creation of dashboards on unreliable data l Incomplete master data management efforts leading to mistakes l Measuring the availability of dashboards but not monitoring the business value generated by its usage l Using Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) tools for transaction alerts l Investing a lot in the initial design and data ELT phase, but not funding the essential phases of cleansing and master data management
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Strategic Level
At a strategic level, dashboards that report enterprise wide performance metrics, both from business planning performance as well as business process performance perspective are important. At the CXO level, the dashboards—that report on the status of critical enterprisewide programmes—make it easy to monitor the progress of strategic initiatives. In addition, competitive activity and intelligence dashboards offer a quick avenue for business strategy review process.
needed and where it is needed. Despite having it connected to the computers, it makes a huge difference to have it on the mobile or the Blackberry. And many companies are realizing this now. The push kind of features that can be built into dashboards that are deployed on mobile devices demand immediate action. And if these dashboards are further equipped with response enablers then you come pretty close to the realtime response. This means to be able to run certain what-if-kind of scenarios to determine the
The push kind of features that can be built into dashboards that are deployed on mobile devices demand immediate action. Orthogonal Nature
One of the fundamental aspects that the manufacturers need to consider, while deploying the dashboards is the orthogonal nature of the dashboard deployment and usage. There are different dimensions to this orthogonality. One dimension is the industry segment they operate in. The other is the usage in terms of level of the user in the organization hierarchy. The dashboards at the chief information officer level will be different from those that would be of interest to users at other levels. Another dimension to consider is the function within the business. Yet another dimension—that is often overlooked is the state in which the organization exists in the overall lifecycle. The dashboard needs of a chief executive officer (CEO) of a startup are likely to be different from that of a CEO of an established company. The other important consideration is the matter of availability of dashboard when it is
right response to the situation highlighted by the dashboard, and the other is the ability to actually trigger the action needed to execute that response.
Common Platforms
The most common platforms and software products used are in the business intelligence space. Extract, transform and load (ETL) tools help to get data from transaction systems to the dash boards. Common tools used are Business Objects and Cognos. The delivery is on desktops and Blackberry as needed. Typical usage, however, has remained limited to plant capacity utilization and inventory figures. In conclusion, we can say that dashboards are a very essential tool for decision making. In the current state of economy, there is a need for an agile and a real time enterprise. This can be achieved by putting in place proper dash boards. n M Joshi is the vice president (Manufacturing) of Patni.
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management & strategy
Managing Capital Projects
Lessons from Asia
Some Asian companies are better at executing capital projects than are rivals elsewhere. What lessons can others learn from them? by navtez singh bal, subbu narayanswamy and anil sikka
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round the world, the resources needed for big new capital projects are scarce. Shortages of everything from commodities (such as steel plates and cement) to engineering, procurement, and construction personnel are delaying projects significantly and generating cost overruns for new factories, refineries, and mills. Nowhere is the pressure greater than in Asia, where more than 50 per cent of the world’s capital investment is projected
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to take place over the next seven years. As many Western companies tap into the region’s rapid growth, they are finding that the best Asian companies enjoy more than just a home field advantage. Indeed, these formidable competitors have out-performed not only their Asian rivals, but also the global heavyweights both in costs and in construction times for major industrial facilities. Reliance Industries, India’s largest private-sector enterprise, for example, built a world-class oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Jamnagar with 20 per cent less capital than similar plants elsewhere require, and its time to commission was 30 per cent lower. Increasingly, Asian companies achieve such gains while meeting the developed world’s quality and safety standards. Such successes will strengthen the
- technology management for decision-makers
hand of these companies as they branch out to compete for capital projects in the West. To get a better idea of how some Asian companies have completed projects so quickly and inexpensively, we examined six greenfield and four brownfield projects in a representative sector—oil refining—and compared Asian refineries with those built in the West and in the Middle East. We found that roughly half of the cost and time difference was due to local Asian conditions, such as land costs, taxes, and regulation, and to practices that were neither common nor transferable elsewhere. Other strengths of the Asian companies are already global best practices (such as using standard designs for a number of facilities and processing different project components
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at the same time rather than in sequence), though Asians may push them further. The rest are innovative practices that break with the conventional wisdom of many Western companies.
Set Aggressive Goals
When most companies start projects, their in-house teams and consultants typically recommend safe and realistic targets for costs, quality, and execution times. These targets typically include a number of buffers to offset potential delays in the availability of personnel, equipment, and resources. While that approach may seem reasonable,
it also increases costs and creates expectations of and tolerance for delays. In contrast, best-in-class Asian CEOs typically set high, even unrealistic, targets for project teams, making explicit trade-offs between time and cost. In practice, that means overinvesting in equipment and labour, which form a relatively small part—typically, 2 to 3 per cent of overall project cost. This approach can greatly expedite construction by allowing companies to work on a number of projects simultaneously, preventing downtime when equipment breaks, and encouraging healthy competition among
teams. The value of completing projects more quickly usually more than compensates for the incremental cost of the additional workers needed to do so. In this way, a leading Indian power company is on track to complete its world-class thermalpower plant in three and half years rather than the five such projects usually take. A top Asian metal company, which reduced its production costs by about 20 per cent in four years, is now the world’s third-largest base metal producer, moving steadily to create a capacity that will make it the second-largest base metal producer by 2010.
Making Trade-offs Investing up front can lead to lower overall costs—and a faster route to generating revenues.
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management & strategy Invest Broadly
Many global companies outsource almost everything related to the building of any large project, reducing their role to awarding contracts and setting cost and time targets. This approach lets them maintain fewer in-house capabilities, but also limits their control over the execution of projects, as well as their ability to address changing circumstances (such as regulations or market conditions) flexibly and to ascertain a project’s status. By contrast, Asia’s best players regard project management as a core competence. They may outsource various parts of a project but retain an active role as its overall integrator and manager. Moreover, they rarely hand out lump-sum turnkey contracts that award all engineering, procurement, and construction work for a whole project to a single contractor. Instead, they adopt a hybrid approach, managing the most critical parts themselves and out-
sourcing only standard equipment on a turnkey basis. The best Asian companies therefore invest heavily to build in-house project-management capabilities. In one extreme example, an Asian oil company employs a massive team of 7,500 engineers who support day-today operations and can also be drafted to work on future projects. Since experienced engineers are virtually impossible to find in such large numbers, the company has no choice but to hire many recent graduates and to develop their skills by giving them active coaching from veteran managers. Not every company can go to such extremes in its home market; that depends on labour costs and the availability of the necessary expertise. Yet most companies won’t need to do so. In our experience, for a typical billion-dollar project, they can extract most of this system’s benefits with only 15 to 30 skilled managers. The investment
is small compared with the value at stake. The companies we studied— not only build their internal capabilities, but also take steps to prevent suppliers from falling behind schedule. Less effective managers of capital projects typically rely on monthly status reports from contractors, highlevel communications between CEOs, and occasional visits to sites; otherwise, the principals have little contact with the process or the professionals working on projects. Best-in-class Asian companies, by contrast, spend significant time and energy upfront, during the contracting stage, to minimize the cost of interaction with vendors from contracting to execution. A major Indian power company, for example, gives them only input, output, and technology specifications, allowing them to develop the details of the design and to suggest design options. Another player, after having done the
Low-cost Suppliers Sourcing critical equipment from global suppliers can unlock substantial value.
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negotiation ground work, managed to close the negotiation for all the bid bundles with selected vendors in three days flat. Other best-practice Asian companies continually look ahead for potential difficulties, treat a vendor’s problems as their problems, and commit their own resources to achieve a resolution. A top Asian metals company, for instance, has a large team of 30 to 40 procurement expeditors working directly with many key vendors. This team, looking for ways to improve their processes, monitors their orders and the fabrication status of the equipment they build.
Reconsider Low-cost Suppliers
While many companies extol the advantages of purchasing supplies from low-cost countries like China and India, they typically do so only for noncritical items—for instance, low-pressure
pumps used in refineries; simple fabricated structures, such as trusses for buildings; and peripheral items, such as elevators and fire protection systems. These companies aim to avoid the risk of using unfamiliar vendors for critical equipment, which they source from their existing networks of approved suppliers. By contrast, Asia’s leading capital project managers obtain lower costs and faster service by aggressively sourcing even critical equipment from promising vendors—that have developed strong capabilities and reputations in their home countries, but that may lack extensive experience in global markets. A leading Asian metals company, for instance, eliminated 40 per cent of its overall project cost by procuring more than 60 per cent of its requirements, including the equipment for an entire power plant, through low-cost Chinese engineers.
To mitigate the risk that a vendor in a low-cost country might have limited knowledge of the importing country’s regulations, labour conditions, or safety standards, leading Asian companies deploy their own experienced engineers and technicians to oversee the erection and commissioning activities that such vendors undertake. They also invest in programmes to strengthen the technical and execution capabilities of these contractors and suppliers.
Avoid Gold Plating
Less effective managers of capital projects seldom question the rationale for many of the specifications and redundancies in the materials, supplies, and equipment they procure. As a result, overengineering and excessive redundancies often add considerably to a project’s cost. But the Asian companies we
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management & strategy Trust but Verify Companies challenge all design specifications to eliminate unnecessary waste and ensure optimal performance.
studied believe in challenging all assumptions and in understanding the reasons for designs and specifications—by subjecting them to the rigorous and systematic tests of value engineering—the organized application of technical knowledge to find and eliminate unnecessary costs. Using that approach, a major Indian engineering, procurement, and construction player aims to reduce the cost of developing and building the equipment it supplies by 10 to 15 per cent. Similarly, a national oil company pushed the cost of its pipelines 60 per cent below global benchmarks by redesigning their specifications to eliminate overengineering.
Flatten the Organization
While the concept of flat organizational structures is not unfamiliar, in practice its use reflects managerial preferences or organizational history rather than necessity. Moreover, Western companies tend to have cumbersome and bureaucratic procedures and systems that reduce the speed of decision making. But the companies we investigated for this study think that the intense, fast-paced nature of capital projects makes a flat organizational structure essential. Such a project-management organization typically has just two layers between the line staff and the project managers, who report
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directly to the CEO or a board member. While the CEO is involved in all critical discussions, project managers have full authority to supervise support functions and manage resources and as a result can make quick decisions themselves—unless the budget is threatened. Decisions are reviewed as they are made, so the review doesn’t delay decision making. Clear processes and strong incentives that encourage construction teams to meet project deadlines support this structure—a necessity given the aggressive performance expectations and stretch targets of these companies and their intense scrutiny of the process. To ensure success, they use detailed planning and motivational tactics: activities are planned down to the microlevel (for example, day-to-day delivery plan for each vendor), and the planning function ensures that all project teams stick to the plan and report any deviations from it. Detailed instructions cascade down to specific individuals, who have clear targets and responsibilities. Project managers, for example, must take charge of a project from start to finish, coordinate their work with the line functions, and minimize capital expenditures. Less effective managers of capital projects prepare only high-level schedules, and though project managers are responsible
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for end-to-end project delivery, they are not responsible for minimizing capital expenditures. To motivate people, the companies we studied use carrots and sticks. The CEO conducts weekly reviews with all functional heads to monitor costs and adherence to timelines. Employees are evaluated on clear and simple performance metrics, of which the most common is spending per day at the project level, which is then broken down to individual managers. Project managers are assessed by several criteria, each weighed by its importance at different stages of a project, including speed and energy (20 per cent), willingness to learn (20 per cent), and openness (10 per cent). Employees may be fired or moved to noncritical positions for failing to meet targets, but those who do meet them receive significant benefits. A leading oil company, for example, offers a 15 to 20 per cent increase in the annual compensation of the members of project teams for every month gained during project execution. n Navtez Bal is an associate principal in McKinsey’s Delhi office, where Anil Sikka is a consultant; Subbu Narayanswamy is a partner in the Mumbai office. This article was first published in McKinsey on Finance Number 28, Summer 2008 and is also available on the McKinsey Quarterly Website, www.mckinseyquarterly. com. Copyright © 2008 McKinsey & Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.
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management & strategy
Lean
Global Engineering Execution
G
lobally, manufacturers are struggling with several challenges. Financial crisis, escalating commodity prices, fast changing customer expectations, fast emerging technological developments, ageing workforces and stringent environmental regulations are some of them. Given this grim scenario, organizations have no room for systemic inefficiencies. Product development, being a core function to manufacturing organizations, deserves utmost attention from all levels for effective and efficient execution by ‘doing the right things right’. As a matter of fact, about 80 per cent of major product characteristics such as cost, quality and reliability are committed during the early stages of product development, and hence the so called ‘fuzzy front end’ warrants even more attention. Historically, research and development (R&D) spending has been targeted by many organizations for improving the return on investment (RoI). For well over a decade ‘global engineering’ has been adopted as a popular strategy for achieving better Rol, and for improving product development effectiveness.
Initiatives Lack Effectiveness
‘Global engineering’ is most often misunderstood to ‘engineer-
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ing offshoring’ leading to wrong focus and flawed strategies. This is mainly focused on scaling up the innovation potential of organizations by engaging global teams for engineering better products, faster and smarter. Successful global engineering initiatives leverage the synergy between global teams of varying levels (and types) of expertise for continuous value ascendency and agility. Many ‘global engineering’ initiatives fail due to the excess focus on labour arbitrage benefits. Innovation cannot be commoditized, and realizing higher value through ‘global engineering’ largely depends on the innovation potential of the engaged teams—along with the engineering eco-system in which they operate. As the saying goes ‘if you throw peanuts, you get monkeys,’ and quite obviously, that is not the option for realizing higher value. It is also important to note that many global engineering initiatives are delivering sub-optimal results due to various reasons. Organizations looking for continuous value ascendency and innovation should enable global teams to ‘think out of the box’. Legacy processes and methodologies should be amenable for questioning and simplification. Cross-pollination of ideas from multi-industry backgrounds should
Effective product development is the leading factor determining a product’s success. As the competitive pressure is constantly building up for launching a wide variety of complex products quicker, better and smarter, leading manufacturers are transforming to global engineering for leveraging lean, innovation and agility advantages. by valmeeka nathan, muthuvelan st
be encouraged. An engineering partner with manufacturing pedigree or familiarity to their customer’s processes not necessarily be the best suited for global innovation. During the initial phases of an engagement, this familiarity may provide a comfort feeling but in the long run, it could lead to sub-optimal relationship since other influencing factors are ignored. Also, during the early stages of the initiatives, it is crucial to share the ‘know-whys’ and ‘knowhows’ quite openly to enable the global engineering team to jump start on the product knowledge for maximizing the innovation potential. Global teams ‘re-inventing the wheel’ (due to various reasons like customer’s IP concerns or unwillingness to share knowledge etc.) cannot succeed in the long run.
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management & strategy Major Elements for Planning the Right Things Externally focused dimensions like: l Impact analysis of the current operating
environment (economy, regulations, tax sops, geo-political etc.) l Benchmarking ‘global engineering’ partner supply bases l Risk-reward analysis of geographical/partner choices
Internally focused dimensions like: i. Global Engineering Assessment l Arriving at existing scenario of the engineering
organization—consolidated ‘as-is’ model l Arriving at potential ‘waves’ for transformation l Consolidated ramp-up plan (near term, medium
term and long term) l Identification of effectiveness measures l Risk assessment and mitigation plan
ii. Detailed Blueprint l Transformed engineering organization-consolil l l l l
dated ‘to-be’ model Governance model Definition of key stakeholder responsibilities Communication strategy and planning Relationship scorecard and metrics Optimized resource model - transformed, consolidated resource model reflecting varying skills, experience levels
iii. Transition Methodologies l People related transition plan (knowledge
transfer, competency development, training, behavioural and cultural transformation) l Process related (re-engineered work flow definitions, IP security, communication, key responsibilities definition) l Technology and infrastructure related (H/W & S/W, data transfer infrastructure, physical infrastructure and security, establishing Dash boards / Visual Controls for easy tracking and control) iv. Pilot Execution l Validating the robustness of workflow pro-
cesses of the transformed ‘global engineering’ model through pilot execution of work packages from various areas (business units, divisions and departments/groups) is a must. This will ensure the process effectiveness and also early resolution of issues (if any)
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However, the natural tendency of IP leakage concerns can be negated by: l Mandating the partner organization to plough back the learning into its customer’s organization, continuously enhancing the IP balance sheet l Choosing an engineering partner who has no stated interest in manufacturing operations (no risk of becoming a potential competitor) l Choosing a partner who has long-standing reputation and organizational values l Fostering long-term, strategic, value focused, win-win relationships
Lean Global Engineering Transformation
‘Global engineering’ involves globally distributed teams that are multi-site, multi-organizational, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, located at multiple geo-political environments with multiple time zones to deal with. These characteristics provide immense opportunities to improve the product development process effectiveness. For example, multiple time zones are leveraged by many leading organizations for achieving faster time to market through ‘global engineering’ teams that are empowered, enabled and wellcoordinated for effective global collaboration. In the absence of robust planning and effective execution model, these advantages can turn into potential ‘wastes’ (systemic inefficiencies). Naturally, new entrants embarking on the global engineering journey have several apprehensions. Some of the nagging questions the board rooms have included: lWhat should be our vision and long-term strategy towards meeting market challenges and improving engineering effectiveness? l What should be the road map
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for realizing ‘global engineering’ vision? What are the best practices? l How do we enroll internal and external stakeholders towards this vision? l What is the effective and agile model for this? l How can we achieve ‘lean, innovation and agility’ through its results? l What are the characteristics to look for in ‘global engineering’ partnerships? l What are the risks involved and how to mitigate them? l How do we enrich the IP balance sheet of our organization through ‘global engineering’? To be successful, any proposed model should address these nagging questions right at the beginning of the engagement itself through a ‘structured transformation’ process. The main objectives of the proposed ‘lean global engineering’ model is to define a sound metric-driven road map upfront by leveraging best practices and lessons learnt from past experiences. Quickly aligning people, processes and technology dimensions of the partnering organizations for robust and continuous value ascendency is the recipe for success. Any relationship providing only low-value, commoditized offering is a lost opportunity— as it is incapable of leveraging the full potential of ‘lean global engineering’. Delivering high value ‘global engineering’ requires an engineering ecosystem with systems engineering focus, multi domain expertise, global lean execution processes, best-in-class engineering talent and metric driven continuous value ascendency.
Approach for the Transformation
Evidently, ‘global engineering’ is not a cookie-cutter solution that could be applied in the same way
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for all scenarios. Well planned, strategic partnerships result in continuous value ascendency. On the contrary, lack of proper planning could lead to lots of ‘wastes’ (inefficiencies) during later stages of the partnerships. For example, organizational silos, hidden overheads, lack of trust and collaboration, reinvention, bureaucracy, mediocre quality, missed timelines, budget overruns, process complexity, lack of visibility and control could be some of these inefficiencies. The approach to ‘lean global engineering’ transformation consists of three distinct phases for ensuring ‘effectiveness’ and ‘efficiency’ of the transformation: l Strategy alignment and roadmap l Planning the right things for global engineering (for ensuring effectiveness) l Doing the things right in ‘global engineering’ (lean execution—for ensuring effectiveness and efficiency)
Strategy Alignment and Roadmap
Establishing a strong alignment with organizational vision and strategy should be the primary focus of companies embarking on ‘global engineering’ transformation. Long-term success can be ensured only through a well defined road map with measurable performance milestones, robust key performance indicators (KPIs) and built-in early warning mechanisms for corrective actions. Mandating behavioural change in the organization towards the shift by aligning and integrating various echelons of the organization—through shared vision is an absolute must for success. The impact of the shift on multiple organizational dimensions such as—financial, customers, internal processes and learning & growth
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should be focused and tracked through goal flow downs and KPls across the organization (corporate, business units, department, group and individuals). Sound roadmap for transformation can be formulated through strategy alignment workshops at early stages with key stake holders of the organization leveraging industry benchmarks, best practices and case examples.
Plann ing the Right Things
Continuous value ascendency during ‘global engineering’ execution can be ensured only through a detailed near term, medium term and long term planning with identified measurable milestones and KPls. Major elements of the planning would involve the items given in the box in the previous page.
Doing Things Right in Lean Execution
Effective and efficient lean global engineering execution is fundamental for continuous value ascendency. As is known, product development is a continuously converging decision-making process. Unlike a manufacturing process, it is quite complex to track the information and knowledge flow in an engineering value stream. Lean engineering methodologies mapped to ‘global engineering’ environment enhances execution effectiveness resulting in reduced engineering effort, shortened lead times, first-time-right engineering solutions and superior innovation along with many other benefits. Some of the most powerful ‘lean global engineering’ methodologies have been listed out in the box (this page). n
Some of the Most Powerful ‘Lean Global Engineering’ Methodologies l Leveraging ‘trade-off curves’ and analytical models for aggressively learning the ‘know-whys’ (deep product knowledge) for building superior technical competence and generating usable knowledge l ‘Set based concurrent engineering’ (SBCE) approach for ‘front loading’ the systems engineering process - additional engineering bandwidth requirements of ‘set based’ approach for faster exploration of multiple design alternatives is well complemented through lean and agile ‘global engineering’ model l ‘Leveled execution plan’ and ‘multi-skilling’ for creating ‘flow’ in ‘global engineering’ execution l ‘Value stream mapping’ (VSM) to identify ‘value added’ (VA)/ ‘non-value added’ (NVA) activities in ‘global engineering value stream’ towards continuous improvement l Organized for leveraging learning across product lines l Parametric assemblies, digital simulations, automated templates to validate designs early and thoroughly l ‘Error proofing’ through engineering checklists for (i) error prevention, (ii) capturing and leveraging lessons learnt for continuous improvement and (iii) percolating organizational knowledge and expertise to lower levels l Design automation and ‘knowledge based engineering’ (KBE) for capturing and reusing engineering knowledge l Effective global collaboration enabled through robust PLM frameworks and proven ‘lean global engineering’ work flows l Developing and sustaining continuous improvement culture
Valmeeka Nathan is the vice president and head of Product Lifecycle and Engineering Solutions (PLES), Infosys Technologies. Muthuvelan ST is the principal consultant with PLES.
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facilities & operations
Saving Energy in
Foundry Operations
Foundries are extremely energy-intensive manufacturing processes. Any improvements in the energy use in foundry processes not only have the potential to cut direct costs, but also generate additional revenues through the trading of carbon credits. by s h arjunwadhar, prosanto pal and girish sethi
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ndia is one of the leading producers of ferrous and non-ferrous castings. The recent surge in the internal castings market has contributed to a steady growth of the foundry sector in India. However, in order to maintain the brisk pace of growth the industry needs to improve its competitiveness. Hence, cost reduction and quality improvement are two key priorities for Indian foundry units today. Melting is one of the most important foundry operations. However, it is usually one of the
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most neglected areas. Improvements in the energy efficiency of the melting furnace not only save the cost of energy, but also lead to improvements in castings’ quality. This is because an efficient melting furnace would result in more consistent molten metal quality and uniform molten metal temperature, which leads to lesser defectives. However, in recent times, apart from the lowering its cost of production cost through energy efficiency improvements, foundries may even seek additional revenues by selling the consequent reduction in carbon emissions in the carbon markets. Thus, energy efficiency improvements can translate to be a win-win option for Indian foundries, if they prepare a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project and sell its Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). In this article, we are highlighting some of the major options to reduce energy consumption in melting furnaces. We are also putting an overview of what carbon credits are, and how the foundry unit may seek additional income by selling the carbon saved by reducing its energy consumption. Finally, we will discuss an actual CDM project for foundry units located in Belgaum in the state of Karnataka and a few barriers to imple-
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menting similar projects among foundry clusters elsewhere.
Energy Efficiency in Furnaces
Two types of melting furnaces are predominantly used by foundry units—cupolas and induction furnaces. A few examples of energy savings in these melting furnaces are discussed briefly below.
Coke Saving in Cupola Melting It is possible to save a substantial quantity of coke in a foundry unit using cupola furnace—by converting it to divided blast operation. A divided blast cupola (DBC), as the name suggests, has two rows of tuyeres connected to two separate wind belts. One of the tuyeres supplies air just above the reduction zone, whereas the other supplies air in the oxidation zone. The possibility of CO formation in the reduction zone, due to inadequacy of air, is taken care of by supply of secondary air through a second row of tuyeres in a DBC. It is possible to achieve a coke savings between 20 to 40 per cent by conversion of a conventional cupola to DBC. Additional benefits of a DBC, include higher metal tapping temperature and an increase in melting rate. The investment in a new DBC is typically recovered within a year or two, based on savings in coke alone. Since carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas (GHG) is
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emitted when coke is burnt; it is possible to seek carbon credits when an energy-inefficient cupola is converted to a more efficient one—like DBC.
Reducing Power Consumption in induction furnace Typically, the amount of electrical energy required in induction melting should be in the vicinity of 500 to 550 kWh/ tones, for an optimally designed and operated furnace. However, most of the foundries record much higher specific energy consumption figures. Although, there may be several ways to save electrical energy while melting using induction furnace, two important ones are discussed below. Online monitoring of melt temperature: It has been observed during energy audits in quite a few cases, that the power tap setting is manoeuvred based on visual assessment of melt temperature. Whereas the general engineering practice is to use optical pyrometer for monitoring surface temperature of the melt, which in turn should influence the power tap setting. Burdened with the problem of lack of instrumentation, the operators generally tend to overheat the melt in order to maintain safety margin. Online monitoring of melt temperature could significantly reduce the specific energy consumption. Duplexing of cupola and induction furnace: The largest amount of energy is consumed in melting the iron, while a much small amount is needed for superheating of the metal. Hence, it is feasible to save a substantial amount of electrical energy by ‘duplexing’ of a cupola and induction furnace. In duplexing, the cupola is used as the primary melter. The molten metal is then transferred to an induction furnace, where it is superheated and further treatment (if required) is carried out.
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The amount of electrical energy saved in an induction furnace can be converted to carbon savings by the foundry unit. Now, we will describe the phenomenon of climate change and international agreement, which lead to the development of an international market for carbon in recent years.
The Kyoto Protocol and Clean Development Mechanism
International negotiations under the UNFCCC gave birth to the Kyoto Protocol. This international agreement, which came into force in February 2005, defines greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets for Annex I Parties. Six GHGs are recognized under the Kyoto Protocol viz. carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluorides (SF6). These six GHGs may be emitted from various sources. The developed countries or Annex I parties have to reduce their GHG emissions to about 5 per cent below their 1990 emissions levels between the commitment period 2008-12. The Protocol has established three market mechanisms, so that Annex I parties can reduce their costs of meeting their commitments by trading emission certificates or undertaking corrective actions
abroad rather than domestically. These are: Joint Implementation (JI), Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and International Emissions Trading (IET). CDM is the only Kyoto Mechanism, which is directly of relevance to non-Annex I parties like India. Under CDM, Annex I parties, which have ceiling for GHG emissions, assist non-Annex I parties to implement project activities to reduce GHG emissions, and the credits are issued based on emission reductions achieved by the project activities. The credit from CDM is called the Certified Emission Reduction (CER). The initial step to start a CDM project activity is preparation of a Project Design Document or PDD. The PDD can be prepared either by the company’s own technical staff or by an external consultant. The PDD, once ready, needs validation by a third-party designated as Designated Operational Entity or ‘DOE’. Once the project has been validated, it is ready for registration with the UNFCCC. While sending any project for registration, host country approval is also required. In India, host country approval is granted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). After registration with EB, the company can start the project implementation, as per the plan
Categories of Possible CDM Projects Common project types l Renewable energy (hydro, wind, solar, biomass etc.) l Energy efficiency l Demand-side management l Recovery of methane (landfill, coalmine, wastewater etc.) l Destruction of HFC (HFC-23) and N2O l SF6 (electricity transmission/distribution lines) l Fuel switching l Transportation l Afforestation and reforestation
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facilities & operations they have provided in the PDD. Keeping record of relevant data necessary for calculating GHG emission reductions is key during the implementation of the project. This record should be strictly in accordance with the monitoring plan given in the PDD. The GHG emissions reductions in the project will need independent verification by the DOE, before issuance of CERs by the UNFCCC.
The Carbon Market
The CER issued for a project activity may be traded, in a similar way as company shares, in the market. The international carbon market is large, and there is a big demand from CERs. During 2006, the carbon market worlwide was worth $ 22.5 billion (Rs 88,000 crore) and transactions of about 1.6 billion tones of CO2 equivalent (CO2 e) took place.
renewable energy projects with a capacity of up to 15 MW, or any other projects that both reduce emissions and directly emit less than 15 kilotons of CO2 annually, qualify to be in the small-scale project category. Bundling of several project activities to form a single CDM project activity is possible, provided the project activities in the sub-bundle are of the same type. A PDD for a bundled CDM small-scale project activity was prepared for foundries in Belgaum in cooperation with the Belgaum Foundry Cluster. We are now going to describe a brief overview of this CDM project proposal.
CDM in Belgaum Foundries
Energy saving, by adoption of DBC, was demonstrated by TERI, with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and
The real benefit of an energy efficiency project usually is the saving in energy cost, additional revenues generated by sale of CERs could help in improving the project’s rate of return. India is a key player in the carbon market. Out of over 2000 CDM projects under development all over the world, the highest number of projects (about 650) is located in India. However, in terms of the actual volume of carbon credits or CERs traded, India ranks second with a current potential of 323 000 CERs by 2012, far behind China (1 015 000 CER). This is because China has a few very large projects. A firm may prepare and register a CDM project in a number of areas. UNFCCC has recognized the need to simplify the procedures to promote small-scale CDM projects. Energy efficiency improvements projects, which reduce energy consumption up to the equivalent of 15 GWh, or
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Cooperation (SDC), among Indian foundries in 1998. A demonstration plant was installed at a foundry unit located in Howrah in the state of West Bengal in East India. The energy savings achieved in the demonstration DBC was about 40 per cent compared to conventional technology. Encouraged by the results, several foundries from many parts of India have replicated the same. In order to introduce the DBC technology among foundry units at Belgaum, the Belgaum Foundry Cluster (BFC), organised an awareness workshop for the foundries, in October 2006. The benefits of DBC were well appreciated by all foundry owners present there, who also expressed their willingness to adopt the DBC
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technology—if a CDM project was formulated. The BFC agreed to act as the bundling agency, on behalf of all the local foundry units, who agree to participate in a CDM project aimed at conversion of conventional cupolas to DBCs. A CDM project proposal or PDD aimed at achieving energy savings with consequent reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions by adoption of cleaner and energy efficient iron-melting furnaces was developed by TERI for BFC. The National Centre for Technical Services (NCTS), of IIF at Pune, which is providing technical support to BFC, was closely involved in the project meetings in Belgaum and the PDD preparation process. The project proposes to change 28 conventionally designed melting furnaces (cupolas) of foundry units at Belgaum to energy efficient designs of DBC. The baseline data used is collected through a survey of the foundry units there. It identified 22 foundry units, which consume about 7,300 tonnes of coke and emit about 20,200 tonne of carbon dioxide per annum. Installation of energy efficient DBC furnaces in these units will result in coke savings of at least 20 per cent and reduction in CO2 emissions by about 4,000 tonne per year.
Challenges ahead
Seeking carbon credit by improving energy efficiency is a win-win option for Indian foundry units. While the real benefit of an energy efficiency project usually is the saving in energy cost, additional revenues generated by sale of CERs could help in improving the project’s rate of return. n S H Arjunwadhar is the chairman of National Centre for Technical Services, The Institute of Indian Foundrymen (www.iifnets.org). P Pal and G Sethi are from The Energy and Resources Institute (www.teriin.org), New Delhi. Courtesy: World Foundrymen Organization (www.worldfoundrymen.org).
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Illustration: Chaitanya Surpur
facilities & operations
Enhancing Profitability through
Energy Conservation
A
and Management
s cost of energy stands as one of the major components of the total cost in any manufacturing industry, it is of paramount importance to save energy through deploying proper energy management techniques. Not only it reduces the energy bills—leading to less cost of manufacturing products, but also it helps in conserving scarce resources of a nation. Let us have a quick look at the actual energy consumption scenario in our country, in the next few paragraphs. Manufacturing sector is the largest consumer of energy. It is believed that 18-20% of the total manufacturing cost comprises the energy cost with the highest of up to 40% in many industries.
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Of the commercial sources of energy, coal and lignite contribute about 57%, oil and natural gas 33%, hydroelectric power 3%, nuclear power 0.2% and other sources 6.8%. Generally, six-seven industries account for the 70% of the total industrial energy consumption. Indian manufacturing industries can be classified into three categories, viz., heavy energy consumers (like steel, cement, automobile), medium energy consumers and low energy consumers (like food). Many industries use both thermal and electrical energies. According to a recent study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the share of energy consumption by major indus-
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Energy cost is one of the major components in the cost of any product manufactured, which can be significantly brought down through application of advanced technologies. But where is the starting point for any new strategy? by subodh kumar singh
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facilities & operations tries comprise glass & ceramics (40%), cement (34.9%), aluminium (34.2%), pulp & paper (22.8%), fertilizers and pesticides (18.3%), iron & steel (15.8%), chlor-akali (15.0%) and textile (10.9%) respectively. Thus, there is a good opportunity to lower the energy consumption in our manufacturing industries, which needs rethinking or a paradigm shift, because very often higher energy consumption is mostly because of either lack of awareness, or loopholes in the management’s adopted planning and policy. A well-designed energy management programme can definitely improve the prevailing situation in the manufacturing organizations. Each such orga-
Adoption of New Technology
Companies have to adopt or explore new technologies for efficient use of energy. And in the process, they need to stringently focus on low consumption of energy through buying technology after thorough evaluation.
Focus on Alternate Sources of Energy
Conventional sources of energy are fast depleting, hence it’s time to think of alternative source of energies that are cheaper and eco-friendly. Development in the fields of renewable energy sources has opened up new vistas, where companies can have many alternative choices as per their requirements.
A well-designed energy management programme can definitely improve the prevailing situation. nization has its own problems, policy or process lags, however, a few simple steps can do better for all, which will ultimately have a considerable effect in their product-costing and improve competitiveness.
Awareness and Policy
Companies have to plan on the awareness methods to be adopted in their factories and plants. It may be in-house projects, competition between departments, award for suggestion, external audits and implementing their suggestions. As energy audits are mandatory now as per Energy Conservation Act 2001, companies have to spell out clear cut policy on account of energy with goals and objectives known to all in the organisations. Although, most of the companies have an independent manager for energy conservation and savings project, they may opt for external agencies’ support too.
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Some Practical Strategies for Manufacturing Units
Office: Large corporations or factories have bigger administration offices like accounts, sales, purchase, human resources, production planning, canteens, rest rooms, common rooms etc. Each department or section has certain utilities like air conditioners, photocopiers, fans, air washers, lights etc. Cost reduction in energy bills can be achieved through proper monitoring and optimization of these equipment. Plants: Any manufacturing unit will consume energy for its production purpose. However, with proper monitoring and efficient utilization of equipment, a substantial reduction in energy cost can be achieved. Motors: As far as possible, replace higher rating (horse power/watt) motors by lower capacity motors, where applica-
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tion of variable frequency drives is often too effective. Use of geared motors in place of gear box drive is a better choice. Air Conditioning: Setting the temperature to the requirement, coupled by use of timers and temperature controllers, help to a considerable degree in bringing down the energy consumption. A periodic insulation check on all cooling water lines ensures notransfer of heat, thereby provides a good energy saving. Cooling Towers: Use of plastic blades, instead of metal casting blades, for fan motors adds to energy saving. Recirculation of hot water through heat exchangers help in recovering and reusing the heat from the refrigeration or air-conditioner circuit. Alternative Fuel: Wherever possible, use gas as fuel instead of high speed diesel or low diesel oils. Other Areas: A considerable amount of energy saving can be achieved through replacing plant lights with energy efficient lamps and luminaires. Use of capacitor bank improves power factor of electrical distribution, which reflects in the energy bill.
Need for Awareness Generation
Energy auditing is a good approach to improve energy efficiency in manufacturing plants and factories. However, any solution can be effectively implemented for better energy management and improved energy saving—only after the realization comes into the people’s minds. Otherwise, even the sensors from an automated integrated energy solution may be by-passed for personal comfort or ease of working. Thus, generating awareness among the company employees is the first step to start with. n Subodh Kumar Singh is an independent energy management consultant (www.shumaonline.com).
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information technology
Understanding
Motion Simulation Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a numerical technique for structural analysis of firmly supported elastic objects. Simulation helps in determining the motion of a mechanism. As far as product designing is concerned, a comprehensive 3DCAD program together with FEA and motion simulation can create wonders. by manoj mehta
T
he finite element method (FEM), which is also sometimes referred to as finite element analysis, is a numerical technique for finding approximate solutions of partial differential equations (PDE) as well as of integral equations. The solution approach is based either on eliminating the differential equation completely (steady state problems), or rendering the PDE into an approximating system of ordinary differential equations, which are then numerically integrated using standard techniques such as Euler’s method, RungeKutta, etc., informs Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. To put it simply, take the case of Tigercat. Tigercat (www.tigercat.com), a leading manufacturer of such forestry equipment as skidders, forwarders, and fellerbunchers, used 3D CAD to design the feller-buncher head. The company’s engineers then simulated its functions with finite element analysis (FEA) and motion simulation software. Tigercat
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Software helps you evaluate how assemblies move. reports that simulation of the motion, dynamics and stresses of this complex mechanism reduced empirical testing requirements to a single prototype. Prototype testing fully confirmed the simulation findings. How exactly did Tigercat achieve this? Well, in this article I’ll explain that—describing the role and benefits of finite element analysis combined with motion simulation in the design process using 3D CAD. Since the 1980s, when computer-aided engineering (CAE) methods first became available in design engineering, finite element analysis (FEA) became the first widely adopted simulation tool. Over the years, it has helped design engineers study the structural performance of new products, and replace many timeconsuming, costly prototypes with
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inexpensive computer simulations run on CAD models. Today, because of the growing complexity of mechanical products, and increasingly fierce competition to bring new designs to market faster, engineers feel the mounting pressure to extend the scope of simulation beyond FEA. Simulating structural performance with FEA, engineers also need to determine the kinematics and dynamics of new products before making the physical prototypes. Motion simulation, also known as rigid body dynamics, offers a simulation approach to solve those issues. Its use is growing fast, and as it does, design engineers want to know more about it, asking: What is it? What problems can it solve? How can it benefit the product design process? Let me address some of these issues, and focus on sample prob-
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lems that motion simulation can solve. I’ll also present a few real life applications of motion simulation used as a CAE design tool.
Mechanism Analysis and synthesis
Suppose an engineer is designing an elliptic trammel meant for tracing different ellipses. When he has defined mates in the CAD assembly, he can animate the model to review how the components of the mechanism move. Although assembly animation can show the relative motion of assembly components, the speed of motion is irrelevant and timing is arbitrary. To find velocities, accelerations, joint reactions, power requirements, etc., the designer needs a more powerful tool. This is where motion simulation comes in. Motion simulation provides complete, quantitative information about the kinematics— including position, velocity, and acceleration and the dynamics— including joint reactions, inertial forces, and power requirements, of all the components of a moving mechanism. Often of great additional importance, the results of motion simulation can be obtained virtually at no additional time expense, because everything needed to perform motion simulation has been defined in the CAD assembly model already, and just needs to be transferred to the motion simulation program. In the case of the elliptic trammel described above, the designer needs only to decide the speed of the motor, the points to be traced, and the motion results he wishes to see. The program does everything else automatically, without the user’s intervention. The motion simulation program uses material properties from the CAD parts to define inertial properties of mechanism components, and translates CAD assembly
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mating conditions into kinematic joints. It then automatically formulates equations that describe the mechanism motion. Unlike flexible structures studied with FEA, mechanisms are represented as assemblies of rigid components and have few degrees of freedom. A numerical solver solves the equations of motion very quickly, and results include full information about displacements, velocities, accelerations, joint reactions, and inertial loads of all the mechanism components, as well as those necessary to sustain the motion.
CASE STUDY Benefits: Both in Terms of Money Saving and Enhanced Performance The Company Ward Machine Tool (www.wardcnc.com) designs and manufactures custom lathe chucks for aluminium wheels, rotary actuators, and specialty machining fixtures.
The Practice Ward’s engineers design custom products that have never been built before, and find simulation to be indispensable for verifying whether or not a new design will work—before sending it to be manufactured.
Simulation of the motion
Take for example—an inverted slider mechanism presents an exercise, commonly found in textbooks, on the kinematics of machines. Here, the objective is to find the angular speed and the acceleration of the rocking arm, while the crank rotates at a constant speed. Several analytical methods can solve the problem, and the complex numbers method is perhaps the most frequently used one by students. However, solving such a problem by hand requires intensive calculations, and even with the help of computerized spreadsheets, it may take a few hours to construct velocity and acceleration plots. Then, if the geometry of the slider changes, the whole thing has to be repeated—making this an interesting assignment for undergraduate students, but completely impractical in real life product development. Motion simulation software makes it possible to simulate the motion of the inverted slider practically instantly, using data already present in CAD assembly model. Motion simulation also checks for interferences, and this is a very different process from the interference checking available
Designing a Special Lathe Chuck The company developed and tested the dualactuated/multi-range aluminium wheel lathe chuck, without testing any physical prototypes.
Benefit Ward reports that through the use of a comprehensive 3D CAD program and motion simulation technology, it realized an estimated $45,000 in cost savings, and reduced testing time to just 10% of its former build-and-test process.
with CAD assembly animation. Motion simulation conducts interference checks in real time, and provides the exact spatial and time positions of all mechanism components as well as the exact interfering volumes. Even more, when the geometry changes, the software updates all results in seconds. Each and every result pertaining to motion may be presented graphically or tabulated in any desired format. Engineers can represent simple mechanisms, such as the elliptic trammel or inverted slider—described before as 2D mechanisms. Although, these are difficult and time consuming to analyze by hand, they do possess analytical solution methods. However, for 3D mechanisms, even for simple mechanisms, they
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information technology
Software helps analyze mating properties of components.
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have no established method of analytical solution. But motion simulation can solve these problems easily in seconds, because it is designed to handle mechanisms of any and every complexity, both 2D and 3D. The mechanism may contain a large number of rigid links, springs, dampers and contact pairs with virtually no penalty in solution time. In addition to mechanism analysis, product developers can also use motion simulation for mechanism synthesis by converting trajectories of motion into CAD geometry, and using it to create new part geometry. For example, for a design featuring a cam that should move a slider along a guide rail, the designer uses motion simulation to generate a profile of that cam. The user expresses the desired slider position as a function of time, and traces the slider movement on the rotating blank cam. Then he converts the trace path into CAD geometry to create the cam profile. Designers can also use trajectories of motion, for example, to verify the motion of an industrial robot, and test the tool path to obtain information necessary when selecting the size of robot needed, and to establish power requirements—all without the need for any physical tests. Another important application for motion simulation relates
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to motion induced by collisions between moving bodies. Even though certain assumptions must be made about the elasticity of such impacting bodies, motion simulation produces accurate results for mechanisms with components that may experience only temporary contact.
Using motion simulation with FEA
To understand how motion simulation and FEA work together in mechanism simulation, we need to go through the fundamental assumptions on which each tool is based. FEA is a numerical technique for structural analysis that has come to be the dominant CAE approach for studying structures. It can analyze the behaviour of any firmly supported elastic object, such as the bracket. By elastic, we mean the object is deformable. With the application of a static load, the bracket acquires a new, deformed shape, and then remains motionless. The application of a dynamic load causes the bracket to vibrate about the position of equilibrium. FEA can study displacements, strains, stresses, and vibration of the bracket under static or dynamic load. In contrast, a partially supported object, such as the flywheel hinged on the bracket can rotate without having to deform. The flywheel can move as a rigid body, which classifies the device as a mechanism rather than as a structure. To study the motion of the flywheel, we use motion simulation. Strains and stresses cannot be calculated when treating the flywheel as a rigid body. The difference between a structure and a mechanism may not be obvious at first sight. Both have swing arms connected to an immovable base by a hinge. While one has a spring connecting the
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arm to the base. The second without a spring is the mechanism, because the swing arm can rotate freely. Whether it spins about the hinge or oscillates about the position of equilibrium, no part of the device has to deform during the arm movement. The arm demonstrates rigid body motion, classifying the device as a mechanism. Designers can study its motion with motion simulation. The addition of the spring changes the nature of the device, because now the arm cannot move without deforming the spring. The only form of continuous arm motion is vibration about the position of equilibrium. Deformation in the spring accompanies arm motion and this classifies the device as a structure. FEA can analyze the arm vibration, and, if desired, can go on to calculate strains and stresses in the spring, and in other components which are treated as elastic bodies. If, having completed motion simulation studies, the design engineer wants to perform deformation and/or stress analysis on any mechanism component, the chosen component needs to be presented to FEA for structural analysis. Motion simulation results supply the input data, consisting of joint reactions and inertial forces that act upon each link of the mechanism, required for structural analysis conducted with FEA. Motion simulation always calculates these factors, whether or not followed by FEA. Joint reactions and inertial forces are, by definition, in balance, and mechanism components subjected to a balanced set of loads can be submitted to FEA, and treated by the analysis program—as if they were structures. While the engineer can transfer that data from motion simulation to FEA manually, he
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can be sure of the best results—if the motion simulation software can export results to FEA automatically. When used in such a way, motion simulation and FEA perform what’s termed as ‘coupled’ simulation. This offers the advantage of defining FEA loads automatically, eliminating guesswork and possible errors common to manual set up.
Combine Motion Simulation and FEA
Let me describe now the steps to be followed to combine motion simulation and FEA: First of all, use motion simulation to find displacements, velocities, accelerations, joint reactions, and inertial forces acting on all components within the range of motion selected for study. In this step, all the mechanism links should be treated as rigid bodies. Then find the mechanism position that corresponds to the highest reaction loads on the joints of the connecting rod. Analysts most often look for the highest reactions, because the analysis under the maximum loads shows the maximum stresses experienced by the connecting rod. If desired, however, any number of positions may be selected for analysis. After that, transfer those reaction loads, along with the inertial load from the CAD assembly, to the connecting-rod CAD part model. The loads, which act on the connecting rod isolated from assembly, consist of joint reactions and inertial forces. According to the d’Alambert principle, these loads are in balance, making it possible to treat the connecting rod as a structure under a static load. A connecting rod subjected to a balanced set of static loads is assigned elastic material properties and submitted to FEA for
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structural static analysis. FEA performs structural analysis to find deformations, strains and stresses.
Motion simulation and test
Motion simulation is capable of importing time-history data from a test. This way a motion of an existing mechanism can be easily reproduced, and fully analyzed including all joint reactions, inertial effects, power consumption etc., using inexpensive computer models rather than time consuming and expensive tests. In a similar way, a mechanism can be analyzed under input defined by an analytical function. Take for example, in the case of a car suspension; motion simulation answers such typical questions as: How soon after a wheel hits a curb will the oscillation caused to the suspension die out? What is the required damping in the strut? What stresses are induced in the control arms and its bushings?
Integrated CAD, motion simulation and FEA
Both motion simulation and FEA use a CAD assembly model as a pre-requisite for analysis. A common, integrated environment for all three tools facilitates the data exchange among CAD, motion simulation and FEA. Integration avoids cumbersome data transfer via neutral file formats, typical to stand-alone applications. In addition, the use of motion simulation integrated with CAD, and not interfaced with it, greatly reduces the effort required to set up motion simulation models. As discussed above, material properties and CAD assembly mates can be ‘re-used’ when creating a motion simulation model. Motion trajectories, which are results of motion simulation, can be turned back into CAD
geometry. This, however, is only possible in an integrated software environment. Additionally, integration with CAD eliminates a need for maintaining a database for motion simulation models—by storing the simulation model data and the results of simulations together with the CAD assembly model. Last but not the least, any CAD changes are fully associative with motion simulation as well as with FEA. A comprehensive 3DCAD program together with FEA and motion simulation as add-ins represents the state-of the-art in integrated simulation tools. Full integration has been made possible because some of the most advanced software in these technologies are all native Windows applications. All were developed specifically for the Windows operating system and not just ported from other operating systems. Full compatibility with Windows also assures compatibility with other applications running in Windows. Motion simulation is here to stay. It has become an important allied technology, while deploying 3D CAD to meet the various requirements of design of manufacturing organizations. n
The results of motion simulation enable designers improve the functioning of products.
M Mehta is the country manager of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation (India and SAARC Operations).
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information technology
Boosting Productivity through
Graphical Design Contrary to to the previous paradigm that advocated a more software-oriented perspective for fast product design, advent of the concept of parallelism of devices, like Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), is giving rise to the demand of a higher level of abstraction, which is possible only through use of graphical design tools. by jayaram pillai
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o be successful in today’s global economy, new products must reach the market faster than ever before, forcing a compression of the design cycle. At the same time, silicon gate costs continue to decline as densities increase. So, heterogeneous devices with multiple processors and FPGAs are becoming more common, resulting in design with greater complexity and longer development cycles.
Parallelism Raises Complexity
For years, designers have hoped that approaching product design from a more software-oriented perspective would improve productivity. But any improvement so far has been modest at best, due mostly to increased computer performance. Traditional software development tools haven’t improved productivity at anywhere near the pace that design complexity is increasing, let alone enough to shorten the design cycle. Traditional software development using a text-based sequential programming language may
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be sufficient for a single small processor, but it’s poor at exploiting parallelism. Adding threads for parallelism greatly compromises the semantics of the language and increases complexity. In the end, it’s a poor model for highly parallel devices like FPGAs. The Von Neumann model, which is the foundation of sequential programming languages, simply isn’t appropriate for parallel, distributed, heterogeneous devices. What’s needed is an order of magnitude improvement in productivity, and the key to that is working at a higher level of abstraction. This level must naturally represent parallelism, in addition to timing and synchronization. It also must be equally appropriate for implementation on processors and FPGAs in systems, where they are tightly coupled as well as in a distributed environment.
Way to Enhance Productivity
The only way to achieve this type of productivity increase is through the use of graphical tools. It’s obvious how much the graphical user interface has made computers more accessible and users more productive. The same benefits are available to designers using graphical design tools. Graphical dataflow programming lets engineers and domain experts rapidly develop and iterate designs, reducing the time from idea to prototype. Graphical programming also is a highly interactive and responsive process, which facilitates greater exploration, leading to a more optimized design. Ideally, one would work at a higher level of abstraction for
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the entire design. But it may be necessary to gain access to finergrained details for the critical portions of the design that require the highest performance. Graphical programming is well suited to represent system components at different levels of abstraction.
A Sound Approach
Dataflow is a powerful model of computation. It’s Turingcomplete like any text-based language, but more flexible and inherently parallel. It’s also a natural model for distributed systems. With the addition of a timed-loop structure, it can elegantly represent distributed multirate systems. Graphical tools typically include a rich library of user interface components for displaying-data in many forms. Being able to probe and modify design parameters interactively through the user interface, while the model runs, is a very effective way to develop intuition about the design and explore alternatives quickly. The unique combination of an interactive front-panel user interface and graphical structured dataflow diagrams has led to dramatic productivity gains. The continued refinement of graphical design tools, supported by computers with high-speed graphics engines, will be how design engineers achieve the high productivity levels required to reduce time-to-market with more complex designs in our highly competitive world. n J Pillai is the managing director of National Instruments, India (www.ni.com)
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Illustration: Chaitanya Surpur
supply chain & logistics
Increasing Profits and Productivity through
Accurate Asset Tracking and Management Deployment of automatic tracking and recording system in locations, where material movement is frequent, can dramatically speed up the process of data acquisition, and noticeably enhance the productivity of the plant. by andrew tay
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E
ven today, a look in many Indian manufacturing companies, especially in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), reveals that inventory management is either completely or to a great extent dependent on physical stock verification, where the process itself opens up the gateway to error, inaccuracy and delayed information. Any manager operating through such a situation is always under tremendous pressure, and often fail to procure the right material at the right time to the right place, which ulti-
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mately affects the pace of production. CEOs of such companies fail to fulfil their shipping (date/time) committment, which spoils their market reliability, and put red-mark on their names as a supplier. What’s the way out?
Technology as an Enabler
Automatic identification and data collection (AIDC) technologies and techniques that have proven their value in the supply chain are readily adaptable to help optimize asset levels. Bar code and smart label technology can make it
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simple and convenient to gather and manage asset information in a timely and efficient manner. These technologies can record asset movements automatically, and provide the data in real time to asset management software applications. Computerized systems provide up-to-date, accurate data that enables an organization to manage its assets with information instead of physical inventory. The result is a lower overall asset base, improved asset utilization, increased productivity and more efficient purchasing and maintenance, which all contribute to bottom line improvement. These outcomes provide a sustainable improvement in profitability without burdening employees with excessive controls or reporting responsibilities. Effective asset management ensures employees always have equipment, tools and other resources whenever they need them. This can be accomplished either by tightly controlling assets through meticulous record keeping and control procedures, or by purchasing and maintaining spare materials to provide sufficient safety stocks. Of course, it is much more cost effective to ensure asset availability by managing information instead of physical goods, but this approach relies on consistent data collection and is vulnerable to human error or indifference. If information is inaccurate or out of date, assets will unexpectedly be out of service, leading to costly productivity and replacement losses. With competition and the economy making it difficult to acquire new revenues, companies have renewed their focus on return on assets (ROA), and have aggressively sought to improve it through increased outsourcing, equipment leasing and supply chain management activities. A good asset management program
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improves ROA, and other metrics by helping to lower and control the enterprise cost structure.
Barcode and RFID for Asset Management
The first step to any asset management program is to identify and record (inventory) all assets. This initial step may be very time consuming, but must be done thoroughly—to provide an accurate foundation that enables future improvements. Identifying and recording all assets provides a snapshot that gives the organization an accurate view of its assets for a brief period of time. For asset management to be effective, organizations need to create
insurance purposes, organizations can expand their asset management programs to collect additional information. Monitoring assets regularly, which can be done efficiently with automatic identification, can improve asset utilization and the total cost of ownership (TCO) by providing the information needed to optimize capacity planning and preventive maintenance. Bar code and RFID can play an important role in these applications. For example, consider a cutting machine that requires oiling and other periodic maintenance based on hours of use or the nature of the jobs processed. Traditional asset management
Bar codes and RFID simplify the recording process, and help ensure that information is entered accurately. and use consistent processes to record changes in asset location, condition and availability. Bar code and RFID simplify the recording process, and help ensure that information is entered accurately.
Reduction of the TCO
Asset management programs vary by the frequency that materials are identified, and the amount of information that is recorded. For example, a conference room table might be checked every few years with a simple location audit. The same company might monitor the usage, maintenance and performance issues of important production equipment every shift. Regardless of the audit frequency or data content, automated data entry is beneficial, because it collects information much more quickly and accurately than manual methods. Beyond scanning fixed assets annually for inventory, audit or
would probably require the machine’s location and condition to be verified once a year, a requirement that could be met with a simple bar code scan. By creating procedures to require workers and maintenance personnel to record the amount of time they used the machine and any maintenance performed, the company could build a service record to support its asset record. Collecting the additional data could be accomplished by scanning the asset label and scanning or key entering a job code. Collecting data regularly provides information that is invaluable for risk management and defending against liability claims. Supplies such as oil and blades could also be bar coded and scanned when they are loaded into the machine. Scanning would automatically associate specific materials and quantities with specific machines. Database
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supply chain & logistics and maintenance management software applications could use the information to monitor asset efficiency, schedule preventive maintenance, or send alert messages if the machine is using an inordinate amount of supplies that may indicate a performance problem. The documentation would also support service agreement and warranty claims. For maintenance operations, an RFID tag could be used to identify the equipment, date of installation, and then updated whenever service or inspections were performed. Workers who service the machine could read the tag to learn the most recent work performed or ser-
appears normal to the naked eye but contains authentication materials that can only be detected with specialized readers. The materials may contain a simple pattern that is verified for authenticity, or may carry variable data such as a serial number or expiration date. Various types of overt and covert secure media have existed for a long time, but only very recently became available for use with demand label printers that are commonly used in business.
Recording the Asset Movements
Asset movements can be automatically recorded with mobile data collection equip-
A bar code or RFID reader can be added as a peripheral device or integrated into the computer to automatically identify items in the field. vice history, which is extremely advantageous for remote asset management—where personnel may not have access to enterprise databases and service records.
Easing Authentication of Materials
Materials authentication is another complementary asset management application. It provides a way to detect counterfeit products and can ensure that only authorized parts and supplies are used with equipment. Now companies can take advantage of their existing labeling systems to further protect their products against counterfeiting and enable easy authentication in the field. Product nameplates, UL and CSA marks, and many other types of asset and product labels, can be produced on secure media that
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ment or automated dispensing machines. These machines function like vending machines for tools and supplies. Employees present their ID cards (usually sporting a bar code or RFID tag for automated processing) to the machine, which reads the badge automatically to identify employees and verify their authorization to receive the requested equipment. When the equipment is released, the machine records the item serial number (often by a bar code scan) and stores it in a record with the date and time of release—and the employee it was dispensed to. Every item disbursement is tracked objectively with no human data entry required. Materials can be logged back into the system with a bar code scan that automatically applies a time and date stamp
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to the transaction to document their return. Tool crib, depot, storehouse, library and other operations can be managed in a similar manner by having employees scan out their own items, or by using a material clerk in place of the dispensing machine. Creating supermarket-style equipment checkout operations enables organizations to manage more assets than dispensing machines, which can hold items of limited sizes and quantities. However, self-checkout and clerk-checkout operations are not as accurate because they rely on users to scan both their ID and each item every time. Moveable assets, which include files and samples in addition to tools and equipment, are more commonly tracked with mobile data collection equipment. The asset database and other desired data or usage rules are loaded into a mobile computer, which may be a handheld, laptop, tablet, or vehicle-mounted model. A bar code or RFID reader can be added as a peripheral device or integrated into the computer to automatically identify items in the field. A leading pharmaceutical company reduced data recording time from two to three minutes per test to five to ten seconds by integrating mobile bar code label printers, RFID employee ID badges and bar coded sample slides to facilitate scan data entry. Between one and three hours of transcription time per shift was also eliminated, which has improved productivity and shortened the drug discovery and approval cycle. Scanning can also help preserve clean room environments by eliminating the need for paper.
Optimal Way to Iidentify Assets
Regardless of the environment, asset management begins with uniquely identifying each asset.
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supply chain & logistics This concept is easy to understand but is often challenging to execute. Finding the optimal way to identify assets is a three-step process. First you must determine how much information the asset identifier must contain. The identifier is usually a serial number, but it could also contain configuration or service data. The choice of data content will dictate the second decision, which is to choose a data carrier. Data carrier refers to the method the data will be expressed. It may be in text, a traditional bar code, twodimensional (2-D) bar code, or an RFID tag. After the data carrier is determined, you can choose which label material will perform best in
can hold more information than license plates or other common identifiers, lookup architectures are favoured for most asset management applications. Because items must be uniquely identified, the U.P.C./ EAN bar codes that are applied to most consumer products cannot be used as identifiers in asset management programs. U.P.C./ EAN numbers identify the product and its manufacturer, but do not uniquely identify each individual item. For example, every can in a case of cola has exactly the same U.P.C./EAN number; in fact, every can of that size and brand ever produced should have been marked with the same number.
The label must identify the item from the time it is put into service until the time it is retired. your usage environment.
Determining the Content
Asset tags do not need to carry actual data, but must at least clearly and uniquely identify each asset. The most common situation is to use the asset tag as a serial number that corresponds to a record in a database, where the actual asset information is stored. The license plate on your car is a good example. Vanity plates notwithstanding, no one, including law enforcement officers, can determine your identity simply by reading your license plate. Patrolmen use the plates to learn your identity and relevant driving history from a database they access by radioing to the station or using a wireless computer in the field. In industry, users may conduct database lookups through a wireless or wired LAN connection, or by accessing files stored on a mobile computer. Because databases
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This is not a problem for inventory operations, where quantity is the chief concern, but is problematic for permanent asset management when service, maintenance and warranty history must be tracked for each item.
Selection of Data Carrier
Most industrial, lab and office asset management programs have sufficient database access to use simple serial numbers for bar code identification. Database records can be accessed through a wired or wireless connection to a host computer, or stored in a mobile device. If database records are too large or access is unavailable, additional information must be included in the asset label. The primary options are to encode a 2-D bar code or an RFID smart label. Data from smart labels is gathered wirelessly using RFID. In addition to being able to hold more data than linear bar codes,
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currently up to 2K, smart labels can be read if they are covered in dirt, grease or other contaminants and do not require a direct line of site between the label and reader. Read/write RFID tags are available, which could be updated with usage, inspection, service or other data in the field using a mobile read/write device.
Selection of Technology
The desired data carrier and the conditions it will be exposed to (temperature extremes, sunlight, dirt, chemicals and moisture are among the factors that must be considered) will dictate the range of acceptable label materials. The label must identify the item from the time it is put into service until the time it is retired, so durable materials and permanent adhesives are required. Thermal transfer printers can produce long-lasting bar codes and smart labels on paper, polyester, polypropylene and other synthetic materials that resist temperature extremes, condensation and moisture, blood, oils and chemicals and other contaminants.
The Parting Shot
Effective asset management requires timely, accurate information. Gathering the information must be convenient, otherwise operators will tend to skip the step, and hence data integrity will be compromised. Even the temporary unavailability of lowvalue items can have a surprising impact on a company’s productivity and profitability. Therefore, once an asset management program is established, organizations should seek to include as many assets as possible in the program to maximize their ROI. n Andrew Tay is president of Zebra Technologies, Asia Pacific.
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product update Personal 3D Printer
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esignTech Systems has launched uPrint, a personal 3D printer from their Dimension series. Designed for the desktop, the printer requires a 25 x 26 inch footprint and features an 8 x 6 x 6 inch build envelope. The printer provides automated support removal system. The device uses Dimension’s FDM technology. It prints models with Stratasys ABS plus, a material considered on an average 40 per cent stronger than the company’s previous ABS material. The printer is targeted for testing form, fit and function of models and prototypes. Dimension Tel: +1-952-9373000 Website: www.dimensionprinting.com
troughs for heating or cooling, sanitary finishes, choppers used to break up agglomerated powders, liquid spray bars and more. The model is available in many sizes from ½ through 515 cu.ft. Ribbon blenders are most often used for dry and fluid blending applications in the chemical, food, pharmaceutical and plastics industries. Charles Ross & Son Tel: +1-631-2340500 E-mail: mail@mixers.com Website: www.mixers.com
fixtures are suitable for 3 x 14 watts, 4 x 14 watts and 2 x 28 watts T5 fluorescent lamps. The product is designed for applications like CAD/CAM offices, airport lounges, bank and commercial offices, departmental stores and large open plan offices. Havells India Tel: + 91- 120- 4771000 E-mail: marketing@havells.com Website: www.havells.com
Direct Drive Pump
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Lighting Fixtures
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avells India has introduced a new series of energy saving commercial lighting fixtures, Equilibro and Ivy Mirror Optics. The decor lighting fixtures are eco-friendly. Both lighting systems have options with dimmable control gear.
low International has introduced the HyPlex Hybrid pump, a high-pressure direct drive pump, rated at 60,000 psi. The pump features PAC-V technology and provides automatic pressure control.
LED Spotlight
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lacialTech has launched a 60W LED spotlight, which ranges in luminous flux between 2,450 lm in the warm white (3000K) light version to 3,450 lm in the cold white (6000K). The lifespan of the LED lamps is 20,000 hrs. The predicted power saving rate of the spotlight is 85 per cent. They are similar to traditional mercury spotlights in appearance and size. The dimensions include 405 mm X305 mm X 135 mm. The input voltage is 100 to 240V AC, and the operation temperature lies between -20 °C to +40 °C. The net weight of the product is 7.6 kg. The unit is CE, FCC and RoHS certified. Besides, the product is fully recyclable. GlacialTech Tel: +886-2-22441227 E-mail: pr@glacialtech.com Website: www.glaciallight.com
Ribbon Blender
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oss has launched a new ribbon blender, viz., 42NSD. The product is made available in virtually any material of construction and with options to suit the process. The optional features of the product include vacuum construction, jacketed
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The Equilibro series has dual diffused reflector for indirect lighting, 4 x 14 watt and 2 x 24 watt energy efficient T5 lamp combination with low brightness. The fixture has a white coated body and diffuser, which is perforated with internal polycarbonate foil combined with Bess 4 aluminium louvre. The product is usable for open-plan interiors, executive offices, meeting rooms, technical offices, halls, specialized stores, departmental stores and banks. The Ivy Mirror Optics series includes iridescence free MIRO aluminium reflector; polycarbonate louvre optics and parabolic aluminium cross louvre with batwing optics. The
The product uses cone aperture technology to automatically maintain a true pressure signal, regardless of the orifice size or pressure setting. The unit allows users to switch between orifice sizes without having to change anything on the pump to accommodate the increased or decreased water flow. Flow International Tel: +1-253-8503500 E-mail: info@flowcorp.com Website: www.flowcorp.com
Nosebar Tail
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C Industries’ new automation series low profile belt conveyors are now available with a nosebar tail, which improves transfer of small parts between two conveyors or other integrated machinery. The mechanisms are targeted for application in packaging, automation, assembly, medical product, device manufacturing and material handling. The tail offers a 11 mm outer belt diameter, that, when placed end to end, reduces the gap between conveyors, making it easy for small parts to pass without being trapped. The product is fully compatible with the company’s standard MAE white urethane belt, as well as additional belts with special capabilities such as high friction or accumulation. A nosebar tail can also be added to an existing conveyor without removing the belt. The unit is available for all standard automation series conveyor widths ranging from 2 inch to 24 inch. QC Industries Tel: +1-513-7536000 E-mail: sales@qcindustries.com Website: www.qcindustries.com
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product update Resin Technologies
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ABIC Innovative Plastics has launched Ultem composite, fibre and foam technologies. The new products are based on the company’s Ultem polyetherimide (PEI) resin. Ultem composite-based materials provide flame-smoke-toxicity (FST) performance, low-moisture uptake, thermoformability and
laminate materials, potentially eliminating adhesives and other secondary operations. The technologies find applications in flame retardant fabrics, ultra-lightweight aircraft interiors, radomes and communications equipment, and other high-end products. SABIC Innovative Plastics Tel: +1-413-4487110 E-mail: productenquiries@sabic-ip.com Website: www.sabic-ip.com
Thickness Gauge
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strength retention. This enables the composite systems to deliver light-weight performance to eliminate the use of aluminium and thermosets that require long cure cycles. The fibre delivers FST performance without the use of halogens or other flame retardant additives. The product provides resistance to extremely high temperatures, chemicals and ultraviolet light. This material can be dyed using a typical polyester dying process. Using melt spinning, it can be produced as monofilaments, multifilaments or staple fibres. Ultem foam is up to 20 times lighter than Ultem resin. This thermoformable, rigid foam with a uniform cell structure is considered ideal to be the structural core in multi-layer systems. The product, which meets Ohio State University performance levels below 50 / 50, offers low moisture absorption and low dielectric loss. The foam is transparent to radar and compatible with metals and thermoset
YK-Gardner has launched an updated version of the Byko-test 4500 thickness gauge. The updated, pocket size gauge includes features such as automatic substrate recognition, which allows measurements to be taken more quickly; extended measuring range to 120 mils (3000 µm) for NFe substrates and increased size of graphics display with backlight. The product maintains previous features such as no cable or calibration needed when changing from ferrous to non-ferrous substrates; precise measuring range from 0-120 mils for Fe substrates and integrated, nonwearing ruby probe tip to protect the probe and the surface of the measured area. The instrument includes a carrying case with zero plates, calibration certificate, operating instructions and batteries. BYK-Gardner USA Tel: +1-301-4836500 E-mail: info.BYK.Gardner.USA@altana.com Website: www.byk.com
Transducers
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ovotechnik has launched TMI non-contacting transducers, which are designed for continuous use at operating pressures up to 350 bar. The products can be integrated into hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders, and are targetted for application in fluid power valve position, leveling jacks, off road agriculture, construction and other mobile equipment. The transducers use Novostrictive measuring process to provide direct measurements from 100 to 4,500 mm with single or multiple position markers. There are no limits to the transverse speed and acceleration of the markers. The TMI series features standard analog, SSI and start / stop interfaces. The products also provide DyMoS serial interface, which helps combine output data integrity using data transfer monitoring with an update rate of 16 kHz (62.5 μsec). The transducers are resistant to shock and vibration—up to 100 and 12 g respectively. The other key specifications of the device include sealing to IP 67, linearity to 30μm, resolution to 2 μm regardless of stroke length and compression peaks to 530 bar. Novotechnik US Tel: +1-508-4852244 E-mail: info@novotechnik.com Website: www.novotechnik.com
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Dry-scrubbing Media
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urafil has launched a dry-scrubbing media, Odorcarb Ultra. The product has the ability to remove 0.30 grams of hydrogen sulphide per cubic centimetre of media. This is the primary media in the company’s odour control systems for wastewater treatment applications. The new product contains media life indicator pellets, which offer a visual indication of remaining media life, by changing from blue to white when the media is spent. The dry-scrubbing media is UL classified and landfill disposable. Purafil Tel: +1-800-2226367 E-mail: purafil@purafil.com Website: www.purafil.com
Magnetic Flocculators
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riez has developed flocculators, which increase the settling rate of magnetic solids in liquids and slurries. The products contain Erium 25, a magnetic material that enhances peak recovery and separation.
The flocculators, manufactured for any standard pipe size, are available in three standard strengths. Standard units can accommodate pipeline volumes from 4 to 24 inches in diameter. The units allow simple installation around any suitable hose, pipe or duct. Several installation options are offered such as mount on floor, wall or ceiling, for either horizontal or vertical flow. The flocculators can be custom engineered for any new or existing applications to meet specific requirements. Design variables include the magnetic strength, retention time in the magnetic field and the overall size of the flocculator. The products are suitable for iron ore processing, blast furnaces, BOF shops, pipe and tube mills. The device finds application in any place where ferrous particles are suspended in water. Eriez Tel: +1-814-8356000 E-mail: eriez@eriez.com Website: www.eriez.com
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Safety Light Curtain
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anner Engineering has introduced a Type 4 safety light curtain. The new EZ-SCREEN Low Profile (LP) provides continuous protection for the entire length of the screen, with no dead zones. The product has a two-piece design (emitter and receiver) with integrated controls, which eliminates the need for a separate controller. The curtain is designed for use in a wide range of industries like automotive, electronics and semiconductor, materials handling and metalworking. The screens are available in safety yellow, brushed anodized aluminium and a nickel plated ESD (electrostatic discharge) safe housing for semiconductor applications. Units are available with 14 mm resolution for finger detection or 25 mm resolution for hand detection. Protection heights range from 270 to 1810 mm with detection range up to 7 m and response times are 8 to 43 ms. The 28 x 26 mm housing profile helps the product to fit on small machines with minimal protrusion. This includes brackets for end or side mounting, with rotating fasteners for fine alignment. The unit also comprises additional mounting hardware to accommodate any machine configuration. The curtain can be set up without a PC, using DIP switches and a seven-segment LED display and a bar graph indicator showing diagnostic information. Contiguous beams can be blanked for situations where part of the machine would block the curtain. The unit is certified to Type 4, Category 4 PLe and SIL 3. Banner Engineering India Tel: +91-20-66405624 Website: www.bannerengineering.com
Bar Screen
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ranklin Miller has launched an automatic bar screen, the Screenmaster CS. This front clean / front return unit fits into new or existing rectangular channels. The product is fabricated fully in stainless steel and is available with a special pivoting stand, so that the unit can be conveniently positioned horizontally for maintenance. The unit may be custom built for channel widths up to 78 inch wide (2 m) and for a lift height of up to 33 ft. (10 m). The design features a continuous rotary motion. As the rake head passes through the bar slots collecting debris, it travels up the unit’s dead plate until it reaches a special
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scraper supplied with a dash pot for smooth operation. The screenings then drop out from the unit’s discharge chute. The screenings are then processed by a Spiralift SC screenings conditioner / wash or be deposited in a bin or auxiliary conveyor.
Flow Meters
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ountz has introduced a new model of it’s PTT torque analyzer, designed for critical bolt auditing applications. The torque tester operates with the HSD sensor controlled hand torque multipliers. The analyzer facilitates the process of setting up and running auditing tool tests, the transfer, analysis and storage of test data for quality control documentation purposes. The unit is designed for checking / auditing pipe flanges, pressurized connections and other critical fastened joints for the oil and gas industry and other industries such as automotive, aerospace and wind energy. The analyzer enables operators and engineers to ensure product quality, safety and reliability in a variety of manufacturing and maintenance environment.
luid Components International has launched ST51 and ST98 flow meters, which determine flow measurement in green electric power co-generation and pollution monitoring / control applications. The ST51 flow meter is designed specifically to measure biogas, digester gas and all methane composition gases including natural gas. The product features a thermal mass, insertion-style flow element with flow accuracy to ±1 per cent of reading over a broad flow range from 0.3 SFPS to 400 SFPS (0.08 MPS to 122 MPS) and repeatability of ±0.5 per cent of reading. The flow element is available for use in line sizes from 2 inches to 24 inches diameters. The unit operates over a wide turndown range of 100:1, at temperatures from -18°C to 121°C. It withstands pressures up to 500 psig. The ST98 flow meter includes a thermal mass flow sensor in an electronic package. The product operates over a wide flow range from 0.21 to 172 NMPS in air with a standard flow accuracy of +1 per cent of reading and +0.5 per cent of full scale. The flow meter is ideal for a wide range of air / gas flow measurement applications such as natural gas or methane monitoring.
Mountz Tel: +1-408-2922214 E-mail: sales@etorque.com Website: www.etorque.com
Fluid Components International Tel: +1-800-8541993 E-mail: fcimarcom@fluidcomponents.com Website: www.fluidcomponents.com
Franklin Miller Tel: +1-973-5359200 E-mail: info@franklinmiller.com Website: www.franklinmiller.com
Torque Analyzer
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Formtester Line Software
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ahr has launched the software EasyForm Version 3.0 for MMQ Formtester line. The software is available as standard on all new MMQ 100 and 200 Formtesters, and as an upgrade for a variety of older systems. The solution provides a touchscreen interface that guides operators through measurement setup and operation. A teach-in mode remembers every step taken and combines steps to perform repetitive multi-feature measurements. Measurement results are displayed on the screen, including 3D representation with colour or grid lines. Results can be printed, saved in file formats such as PDF, or exported for analysis in ASCII or optionally in QS-Stat formats. The software includes the ability to interactively exclude certain trace data after measuring or analyzing part features. This facilitates inadvertent data from dirt, or from recurring features such as splines or grooves, to be removed from consideration without re-measurement. The software has a number of options for output formatting to enhance the usability of the results for different users. For manufacturers of high precision parts interested in harmonic analysis, the software offers a variety of analysis methods including basic Fourier analyses, input of multiple bands, and generation of tolerance curves for the histogram. Mahr Tel: +49-0-55170730 E-mail: info@mahr.com Website: www.mahr.com
industry 2.0
- technology management for decision-makers | august 31, 2009
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product update Chemical Reactors
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upercritical Fluid Technologies has launched the HPR series of pressure chemical reactors, which help in investigating the feasibility of pressurized chemical reactions or processing problems. The products range in size from 50 ml to 8 litres. They may be operated up to 10,000 psi and 350°C. Two standard pressure vessel types are available. Bolted closures may be operated up to 2350 psi and 350°C. Hand-tight closures may be operated up to 10,000 psi and 200°C. Besides, other custom vessels are also available for specialized applications. The reactors are equipped with magnetically coupled impellers for optimal mixing. The laboratory bench top models are ideal for applications such as catalytic studies, polymerization, hydrogenation, oxidation, isomerization and dehydrogenation. All size reactors are supplied as readyto-use instruments requiring only utility connections prior to operation. The products are compact instruments that fit easily into a fume hood. The products carry out functions such as closed loop temperature control, closed loop speed control, pressure indication, over-temperature limit control, ramp / soak programming of temperature and mixer speed. All functions are controlled by an integrated processor with a colour touch screen. An RS232 communications port provides the ability to export data to an external computer.
The options available for the HPR series reactors include vessel windows, additional ports, cooling coils, sample loops, baffles and reagent addition modules. Supercritical Fluid Technologies Tel: +1-302-7383420 E-mail: info@supercriticalfluids.com Website: www.supercriticalfluids.com
Smart Shakers
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he Modal Shop has launched the SmartShaker models K2004E01 and K2007E01, which are four and seven pound force exciters, respectively. The products eliminate the bulk, weight and aggravation of the traditional companion 19 inch rackmount power amplifiers by integrating solid state power amplifier electronics inside the shaker package. The models fit compactly in a 3 x 3 x 0.75 inch (7.5 x 7.5 x 1 cm) footprint beneath the shaker. The integrated power amplifier design concept follows the PCB piezotronics tradition of simplifying the test and measurement process by integrating the needed electronics. The product acts as a portable solution for university test laboratories and benchtop vibration studies. The unit is powered via a small DC power supply and can be run directly from any 12-21 VDC supply. The Modal Shop Tel: +1-800-8604867 E-mail: info@modalshop.com Website: www.modalshop.com
ICP Emission Spectrometer
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hermo Fisher Scientific has added a new product, viz., the iCAP 6200 inductioncoupled plasma (ICP) emission spectrometer to its iCAP 6000 series of spectrometers. The new product provides an analytical solution for routine analysis of liquids in laboratories with standard sample throughput requirements. The device includes analysis-ready hardware parameters and software method templates. The unit is based on iCAP 6000 series technology and shares the sample introduction design, optics and the CID detector. The instrument also includes analysis ready sample introduction, which enables simple operation for rugged and consistent day-to-day sample analysis. The product also incorporates future-proofed technology with field-upgradeable hardware and software specifications. Thermo Fisher Scientific Tel: +1-800-5324752 Website: www.thermofisher.com
Palletizing Cell
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chneider Packaging Equipment has launched a stack and wrap palletizing cell, which combines two or more lines into one centralized automated palletizing station.
Portable Fume Exhauster
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ent-A-Fume has launched Place-A-Vent portable fume exhauster. The product helps remove and ventilate fumes produced by welding, brazing, soldering, laser cutting, plasma cutting and similar operations. The fume exhauster is a self-contained portable unit, which can be wheeled into a location where at-the-source fume removal is required. The operator needs to plug in to a standard electrical supply, direct the discharge hose to the desired exhaust outlet and adjust the collection hood to the fume area. The device features a high pressure fan unit fabricated with 14-gauge steel housing; a self-cleaning, cast aluminium radial wheel; 25 feet of flexible discharge hose and 10 feet of flexible intake hose. The unit also includes a galvanized steel intake hood with a 20-inch long flexible gooseneck arm connected to a magnetic base for ease in mounting at the fume source. The product is mounted on a 4-wheel dolly. The 1/2-HP model (PFE-350) has a standard 4 inch x 8 inch hood and inlet / outlet diameter of 4 inches. The 1-HP model (PFE-750) has a standard 8 inch x 8 inch hood and inlet / outlet diameter of 6 inches. Vent-A-Kiln Corporation Tel: +1-877-8768368 Website: www.VentAFume.com
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august 31, 2009 | industry 2.0
- technology management for decision-makers
The cell integrates stretch wrapping and builds the unit load on the stretch wrapper enabling the load to be wrapped while it is stacked. The product is configurable and has the ability to simultaneously palletize different lines with different size and type products. The use of the company’s FANUC robotic arms help in consolidation of case, tray or bag lines onto one central palletizing system. The product finds application in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, paper, replication, industrial and personal care industries. Schneider Packaging Equipment Tel: +1-315-6763035 E-mail: sales@schneiderequip.com Website: www.schneiderequip.com
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