MEPCA February 2021

February 2021 www.mepca-engineering.com

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50 Years of Innovation

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CONTENTS

Editor Chris Callander chrisc@cimltd.co.uk Publication Manager Jon McIntosh jon@cimltd.co.uk 01795 509105

Classified Sales Executive James Davies jamesd@cimltd.co.uk 01795 509129

Design & Production Grant Waters grant@cimltd.co.uk James Taylor james@cimltd.co.uk 01795 509108 Credit Facilities Manager Natalie Murray creditcontrol@cimltd.co.uk 01795 509103 Sales Director Tom Woollin tom@cimltd.co.uk Chief Executive John Denning jdenning@cimltd.co.uk www.mepca-engineering.com © 2021 CIM Online Limited, The Goods Shed, Jubilee Way, Whitstable Road, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8GD. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical or physical – without express prior permission and written consent of the publisher. Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and addressed envelope. Manuscripts should be typewritten. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor’s hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographic or artistic, belongs to CIM Online Limited. The publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept liability for any loss arising from the late appearance or non-publication of any advertisement.

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February 2021

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ne thing that has become clear over recent months is that we cannot predict the future. In my comment piece in the last issue, written before the Christmas break, I suggested we might be heading on a positive path out of restrictions, and yet here we are back in a full national lockdown. Circumstances beyond our control are changing the landscape, and all of us are having to adapt, in all aspects of our lives.

So, what does this mean from a manufacturing standpoint?

Manufacturers also have to adapt; extremely quickly. To avoid succumbing to the significant challenges we are all facing, what manufacturing businesses do, and how they do it, also has to evolve based on the ever-changing circumstances they find themselves in.

However, it is important to recognise that this need for flexibility and adaptability is not something that will disappear once we finally beat the coronavirus pandemic. Manufacturing businesses that place flexibility and the ability to evolve at the heart of their operation – who adapt their offer and approach based on internal and external influences, and in particular quickly changing customer needs – will be the ones who are successful and have a healthy future ahead.

Fundamental to this adaptability is the adoption of automation and modern technologies. But for many organisations, knowing where to start can be daunting. This is where independent organisations such as the Government-backed High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapults come in. These organisations can offer product-independent advice and guidance to organisations of all sizes. They have expert staff who can work with manufacturing organisations to understand their business and identify opportunities for cost-saving and accelerating the introduction of technology and improving processes. And ultimately, they can help manufacturing businesses embed innovation and automation technologies that improve productivity and help reduce costs, all the while de-risking the use of new technologies.

In this issue, we hear more about the advantages of working with the HMV Catapults from The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), one of seven based in the UK. The organisation explains why adopting automation is important and how it can help manufacturing businesses.

So, whether you have been considering automation for some time, or the recent months have highlighted the need for flexibility in your organisation, now is a good time to reach out to the organisations that can help you start what could be a valuable journey.

Chris Callander, Editor @Mepcamagazine

CONTENTS Industry Partners:

CONTENTS 6 INDUSTRY NEWS All the latest news and updates

10 OPINION Manufacturing Technology Centre, Kuka Robotics and IOSH

16 COVER STORY Pepperl+Fuchs

18 PRODUCTION LINE TECHNOLOGY Omron

20 PACKAGING & INSPECTION

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Brillopack and Endoline Automation

22 IMAGING & VISION Edmund Optics

24 SENSORS & SENSING SYSTEMS SICK, Carlo Gavazzi, DCO Systems, ifm, Baumer and Titan Enterprises

32 DRIVES, MOTORS & CONTROLS STOBER, Beckhoff Automation and WEG

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Industry news

New CEO at LMI Technologies 3D scanning and inspection specialist, LMI Technologies (LMI), has announced that Mark Radford has taken over as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

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ark Radford takes over from outgoing CEO, Terry Arden, who will continue to serve as Chief Brand Officer in a part-time role, supporting the LMI Executive in product and business strategy development.

Alexander van der Lof, CEO of TKH Group, LMI’s parent company, said: ”It is, of course, a major step that Terry is making and we very much appreciate that Terry will continue to support LMI. I am excited about the opportunities that LMI has in the coming decade with its excellent products, expertise, and people and trust

Mark commented, “I am that everyone at LMI will honoured to be selected as fully support Mark.” the next CEO of LMI, and Mark, who was want to thank both Terry promoted to Chief and the TKH Executive Operating Officer in 2016, Board for the opportunity previously held the roles and confidence they have of Director of Operations placed in me to lead this since 2014, and Director strong organisation. I look of Technology since 2012.

Mark radford – forward to working with He joined LMI in 2006 CeO, LMI technologies the LMI Team to continue and has a broad range of delivering technology knowledge and experience leadership and industry-leading solutions with LMI’s products, services, operations to our customers.” and customers.

Online library of cobot content launched Universal Robots (UR) has established a free online knowledge bank to ensure more organisations can maximise the potential of the company’s collaborative robots (cobots).

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he content, containing on-demand webinars and articles created throughout 2020, is designed to help organisations automate processes more efficiently, effectively and with minimal investment.

The library of webinars and articles covers subjects from a wide range of applications

and industries, from how to automate specific processes, to more traditional manufacturing challenges – like health and safety. The repository also covers emerging sectors where automation is currently underutilised– like Coronavirus laboratory testing facilities.

Furthermore, many of the webinars have been produced in a range of languages to

accommodate the company’s global customer base.

Universal Robots originally conceived the extensive webinar schedule to ensure new and existing customers retain the same standard of support as pre-pandemic levels. But the library now serves as a comprehensive ‘how-to’ guide for common automation challenges.

New sales director for ATAM UK In what The Fluid Power Centre Group of Companies is calling a significant appointment, Steve Morecroft has been appointed to the position of Sales Director with encapsulated coil, industrial connector and sensor specialist ATAM (UK) Ltd.

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reviously Camozzi Automation’s OEM Midlands Key Account Manager, Steve brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having worked in various areas of the industry since embarking on a technical apprenticeship straight from school.

While looking to develop new market opportunities, Steve’s new position will see him building upon ATAM’s existing customer partnerships. He will also be responsible for sales across Scandinavia and Benelux.

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He commented: “ATAM is very strong in the UK connector market, but few current customers appreciate the breadth and capability of our solenoid valve coil range and I will be looking to expand ATAM’s presence in automotive and off-highway sectors amongst others.

“A key part of my brief will be to communicate

steve Morecroft, AtAM uK’s new sales director

the huge financial and productivity benefits that can be achieved through working in close partnership on finely tuned solutions.

We will be encouraging customers to look beyond off the shelf products and present us with application challenges that will allow us to demonstrate our capabilities.”

Industry news

BSI confirmed as an Approved Body for UKCA marking BSI has been informed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy that it is an Approved Body (0086) for the UKCA marking

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his new marking is required for placing relevant regulated products on the market in England, Scotland and Wales from 1 January 2021. BSI will also continue to be a Notified Body for the Northern Ireland market. The UKCA mark replaces CE marking in Great Britain (GB) countries. However, CE marking will continue to be recognised for products being placed on the GB market that have been certified by an EU notified body until

the end of December 2021.

As an Approved Body, BSI can work with organisations on the required conformity assessment procedures that will allow them to affix the UKCA marking on to construction products submitted to the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), personal protective equipment (PPE), gas appliances, pressure equipment, lifts submitted to the Lift Directive, measuring instruments and radio equipment.

Shahm Barhom, Group Product Certification Director at BSI, said: “We’re committed to helping organisations ensure that they can enable resilience and encourage trust in this new regulatory landscape. We’re pleased that our Approved Body status has been promptly obtained, and the team stand ready to help manufacturers demonstrate that their products comply with the relevant National, Regional and/or International standards.”

Manufacturers forecast 750 new jobs Manufacturers supported by Made Smarter are forecasting more than 750 new jobs from £12.6M of technology investment.

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ince launching two years ago, the North West technology adoption pilot, Made Smarter, has engaged with 1,131 businesses to help them introduce digital tools and technologies to help boost productivity and growth, and navigate the impact of Covid-19.

Some 542 manufacturers have received intensive support including expert, impartial technology advice, digital transformation workshops to help manufacturers take their first steps to transform their business, a

leadership programme, and funded digital technology internships.

In total, 126 businesses have secured £3.2M matched funding for 155 projects which are worth £12.6M after private sector investment.

These technology adoption projects are forecast to deliver an additional £118.9M in gross value added (GVA) for the North West economy over the next three years, create 761 new jobs, and upskill 1,585 existing roles.

Over 80% of SMEs working with Made

Juergen Maier CBe, Chair of Made smarter

Smarter to adopt cutting-edge technologies have seen a boost in productivity, and more than 25% reduced their carbon emissions.

Juergen Maier CBE, Chair of Made Smarter, said: “I am delighted to see the positive impact that Made Smarter’s adoption pilot is having on individuals, businesses, the environment, and the UK economy.”

Mitsubishi renews Special Olympics GB partnership Mitsubishi Electric has renewed its partnership with Special Olympics GB for a further two years.

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pecial Olympics GB is a non-profit organisation and the largest provider of year-round, sports coaching and athletic competition.

An official partner since 2018, Mitsubishi Electric has been active in supporting a wide variety of events, from last year’s Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi and the 40th Anniversary Games in Stirling in August 2018, to the smaller individual regional events with employees actively

encouraged to volunteer.

Moving forward, the partnership will focus on delivering a range of joint initiatives which underpin, promote and reiterate the values and objectives of both organisations. From unified sports events – both virtual and physical – to providing platforms for athlete’s stories to be shared, increased interaction and engagement with the Special Olympics GB Athlete Leadership Team, and various volunteering opportunities being offered, the

organisations will work together to deliver maximum engagement and purpose.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

New website for automation specialist Automation technology specialist, Beckhoff, has launched a new website. While the site has changed significantly from its previous form, the company says its commitment to supplying engineers and business leaders with solutions in four key areas – Industrial PCs, I/O and Fieldbus components, Drive Technology and automation software – remains the same.

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n the site available at www.beckhoff.com, new product pages have been created to provide a clear structure and help visitors easily navigate the world of Beckhoff products. While the new product finder enables visitors to filter and compare the company’s products.

The new website also dedicates more space to the diverse machines and systems that Beckhoff’s automation products help

make possible. They are illustrated in detail on new industry pages with application examples providing an overview of the company’s extensive achievements across a range of industries.

The company’s support services have also been bundled in a new section. In it, visitors can find all the

information they need on technical support, service, training courses and webinars.

Another new addition to the website is a personalised section for customers: the myBeckhoff portal. In this section, registered customers can save favourite pages, register for newsletters or manage downloads.

Fears over new relationship with EU cloud outlook Fears over the impact of the UK’s new trading relationship with the EU and the attractiveness of the UK for both investment and talent are clouding the outlook for manufacturers as they enter 2021, according to a major survey published by Make UK and PwC.

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owever, despite this, more companies believe the opportunities outweigh the risks for their businesses given significant investments in boosting productivity and agility, while manufacturers are also more confident about the prospects for their own companies than they are for either the global or UK economies.

The 2021 Make UK/PwC Executive survey, which was conducted between 11 and 30 November 2020, shows that a third of companies believe the investment prospects for UK businesses will decrease having left the EU with just 18% of companies believing they will increase. In addition, just over a quarter of companies (26%) believe exports to the EU will fall with just 16% believing they will increase.

Furthermore, a third also believe the UK’s ability to attract international talent will decrease with just 11% believing the UK will be a more attractive destination outside

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the EU. According to Make UK, this potentially puts at risk the ambition of the Government’s new immigration system, which is specifically designed to encourage the best talent to come to the UK. The survey also shows that customs delays are seen as the biggest risk to companies (47%) while concerns over national and local lockdowns were the second biggest risk (46%).

Furthermore, increased costs of regulation is reported as the biggest risk by just under forty per cent (39%) while over one in 10 companies (14%) also believe a relocation of a major customer out of the UK is their biggest risk.

Commenting, Make UK Chief Executive, Stephen Phipson, said: “The transition to new trading arrangements with the EU was

always going to be the biggest challenge facing manufacturers this year and the fact we have an agreement in place doesn’t alter that. However, just as the sector rose to the challenge of aiding the national effort at the start of the pandemic, it is clearly set to do so again as we re-build the economy and take advantage of the opportunities from digital technologies.

“To ensure we cement the role of industry in the future economy, we need to see a strategic vision from the Government for the whole economy across the UK. This must go way beyond short term tinkering and involve an industrial strategy that takes at least a decade-long horizon with the whole of Government putting its shoulder to the wheel to deliver it.”

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OpiniOn

An independent route to automation advice

The need to adopt automation is becoming urgent, with many companies now seeking to understand how best to progress. But many organisations are unsure where to start, and this is holding back the UK Manufacturing sector. There is help available, though, as Mike Wilson, Chief Automation Officer at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, explains.

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here are many reasons why companies should be considering the application of robots and automation. One of the most important being to ensure the labour force is utilised effectively and safely. To be truly competitive today, we need to give our workforces the tools to be productive. That means automating the dirty, dangerous, demanding and dull tasks, using our workforces where their skills and attributes add value.

The UK is out of step with the rest of the world with regard to the uptake of automation. The International Federation of Robotics calculates robot density data, which is the number of robots per 10,000 employees. This highlights that the UK has a robot density of 89, below the world average of 113. Other countries such as Germany at 346, the US at 228, Italy at 212, Spain at 191 and France at 177 are significantly ahead.

Although we have the 9th largest manufacturing sector, we only rank 24th for robot adoption. This lack of automation is having a major impact on our productivity.

The UK ‘output per hour worked’ grew by an average of 0.2% per annum between 2008 and 2017, compared with France at 0.6%, Germany at 0.8% and the US at 1% per year.

So why have we been slow to invest?

The reasons will be different for each business, but there are some common themes. A lack of understanding of what automation is, and what it can achieve, is common. There is often a perception that automation is not for us, either because it is too complicated, will not meet our needs, is too risky or too expensive. The easier route is to employ so-called ‘low-cost’ labour.

Automation, particularly robotics, is new to

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many businesses who have an understandable fear of engaging with automation vendors and not trusting the vendors to provide appropriate advice rather than trying to sell what they have.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is perfectly placed to assist in this area. The organisation can provide guidance on the most appropriate applications to automate. It can also assist with the development of user requirement specifications, preparation of the business case and supplier selection to ensure businesses receive the solutions they need. All of its advice is vendor agnostic and not driven by the need to achieve a sale. The centre has comprehensive knowledge of the 50 robot vendors and over 250 system integrators operating in the UK, which allows it to recommend the most appropriate delivery partners for your business.

As a first step, the MTC typically undertakes a line walk of a company’s operations to identify the best way forward.

In its team, the organisation has extensive years of experience across a range of technologies including automation and robotics as well as digitalisation and additive manufacturing and brings skills and experience in business transformation and technology implementation. Therefore,

it can look at the big picture to identify the optimum route forward for a business, which may not always be automation.

There is certainly growing interest in automation with major challenges such as Brexit and the COVID pandemic accelerating the need for UK businesses to upgrade their manufacturing facilities.

However, many companies have little experience of automation, and since these are often not small investments, there is an understandable caution. That is where the MTC can help. www.the-mtc.org

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OPINION

Why robots and automation matter Since the first industrial revolution, automation has boosted output, productivity, employment and national wealth. Robots and advanced automation, including artificial intelligence, have never been more accessible than they are now. And, as KUKA Robotics UK explains, arguably, they have never been more vital, either.

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ccording to a 2015 London School of Economics report, which studied the impact of robotics on productivity across 14 industries in 17 countries between 1993 and 2007, robots raised those countries’ average GDP growth rates by about 0.37% and productivity growth by about 0.36% respectively. Small numbers – but they add up. Over the 14-year period, additional growth amounted to 12% of total GDP growth and 18% of labour productivity growth in the countries studied.

McKinsey is even more positive. It believes that “automation could raise productivity growth globally by 0.8 to 1.4% annually”. If that is the impact across the whole economy, the transformation that could be achieved by individual businesses should be similar, and in many cases, greater.

The proof is already here There are ample examples of companies, especially SMEs, transforming their competitiveness, quality, productivity and profitability by investing in appropriate automation. Examples include cider brewers Thatchers, who cut forklift truck movements by 50% while improving consistency and output in its palletisation-depalletisation cell, and Odyssey Studios in Limerick and Dublin, Ireland, which automated the production of scaled and full-size models for film, theatre and TV, enabling it to win bigger contracts across the world.

On a larger scale, UK automotive has invested the most of all industrial sectors in automating production lines but headcount, in most cases, has increased – showing that robots do not always mean job losses. ZND in Rotherham, manufacturers of temporary

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fencing, installed robots, increased capacity and sales and hired more people in sales and engineering.

An opportunity for SMEs to grasp In 2018, NatWest-sponsored research by Cebr4 said that SMEs could add up to £57bn a year to the UK’s economy if they were as productive as similar-sized enterprises in Germany. The research shows UK SME employees generate £147k worth of output per year on average – less than half that of their German counterparts’ £335k/worker/ year.

Automation can help transform even the very smallest companies. A UK business with ten employees could increase annual turnover by £1.9m if they worked at the same productivity level as a German business; the figure rises to £4.7m for businesses with 25 employees.

Small is beautiful – and productive Automation need not involve large pieces of machinery or large investment. KUKA’s KR3 Agilus robots have payloads of just 3kg and operate in cells just 600 x 600mm.

It is ideal for businesses assembling small components that are tight on available space.

Even more simply, a palletisation cell can free up staff from repetitive manual labour to conduct more productive tasks, while a robot palletises perfectly, time after time, 24/7 and year-round. It never gets bored or takes time off sick.

Technological advance under the heading of Industry 4.0 has been a topic of discussion since 2011 when Germany’s federal government launched the term. It is high time

OPINION it moved off the lower reaches of the agenda and onto the shop floor. Although automation and Industry 4.0 are not the same thing, an automated connected process is a big part of it.

Archie McPherson, CEO of High Value Manufacturing Catapult at Warwick Manufacturing Group, asked a simple question: “If you don’t automate, where will you be in five years?”

If that question had been posed five years ago, it is doubtful that anyone would have forecast what has happened recently: COVID-19 dominated 2020. The pandemic has shown the vulnerability of globe-spanning supply chains and has stimulated discussion of reshoring or nearshoring – bringing manufacturing back from low-cost countries and closer to the marketplaces. Controlling labour costs and maintaining competitiveness requires automation. COVID-19 has accelerated what was a rising trend; Richard Wilding OBE, Professor of Supply Chain Strategy at Cranfield University, said that discussions were already underway: “We were starting to see increases in nearshoring; the current crisis has created the ultimate ‘burning platform’ and we have been seeing, in some organisations, the equivalent of five

Image courtesy of KUKA Platinum system partner DesignPro Automation.

years of implementation within a three-month period.”

Breakthrough technologies like 3D printing and automation of customised production are in their infancy. This provides British and Irish businesses with a golden opportunity to leapfrog a couple of generations of

automation and catch up with Germany and other competitors – but it must be done the right way. Wasting money on confusing and expensive ‘tool proliferation’ and what McKinsey describes as the ‘IT fallacy’ – the idea that sustainable automation can be driven by IT alone – must be avoided.

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OpiniOn

Making workplaces more COVID-secure James Quinn, President of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), looks at the role occupational safety and health professionals have played in helping businesses to continue operating through the coronavirus pandemic and shares details of a series of valuable resources available from his organisation.

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ocieties and health systems worldwide have been tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and are now facing new strains of the coronavirus. Industry and business have been trying to maintain production and trading as the pandemic has taken its human toll. It’s been anything but business as usual.

In just over a year since the first recorded death from COVID-19 in Wuhan in China on 11 January 2020, there have been almost 90 million cases of this coronavirus recorded in 191 countries or regions worldwide. These have resulted in a staggering 1.93 million deaths.

It has indeed been a year without precedent in modern times, causing global upheavals on a scale not seen since the twentieth century’s two world wars.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has also demonstrated people’s ability to learn about communicable diseases, adapt to new hygiene and personal protection measures, adopt new ways of working and take precautions in their daily lives to protect others.

An exceptional international collaborative scientific effort has made rapid discoveries about this disease and its variants and translated that into clinical advice, effective therapies and the development of vaccines in record time that now give the promise of widespread immunity, once mass vaccination programmes can be carried out successfully. Health workers and other essential workers have led efforts to care for many millions and keep supply chains functioning to meet populations’ needs.

Occupational safety and health professionals have proved to be vital facilitators, enabling businesses and

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organisations to risk-assess and control infection hazards and make sweeping adaptations that enable us to continue and help make a recovery possible.

For their part, manufacturers and engineers have taken steps to reorganise their workplaces, processes and systems so that they can operate more safely and healthily during the pandemic, especially during the various lock-down phases.

They have designed innovative uses for existing equipment, introduced automation in procedures to reduce unnecessary human interaction and developed new tools and methods to maintain production and distribution at the highest levels possible within the physical, legal and political constraints imposed by the pandemic.

Whether these changes have been big or small, they have all contributed to making workplaces safer. Taken together, they amount to a tremendous endeavour by all concerned and deserve to be recognised.

Throughout 2020, my own organisation, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), responded to the constantly changing situation by gathering, analysing and synthesising a huge amount of information and then producing guidance for our members, for employers and for the general public which we made freely available online. Often we worked with other organisations to research this guidance and then ensure that, once it was published, it could be shared as widely as possible.

The extensive set of resources we developed are available at www.iosh. com/coronavirus. IOSH is now reviewing, reorganising and updating these to focus on areas that help prevent the spread of infection, make workplaces more COVIDsecure and look after people and their

James Quinn, president of the institution of Occupational Safety and Health

wellbeing.

Over the coming weeks, we will add new content to these areas, giving additional support for businesses in all sectors to implement safer and healthier cultures and controls. We also have a growing series of case studies showing how businesses have adapted to COVID-19, and our ‘Caring through COVID’ series of webinars hears from health and safety professionals offering practical ways to make work better during the pandemic.

I’d like to invite you to use our resources and share them with your colleagues. I also encourage you, in turn, to share with your fellow professionals how you have used your own knowledge, expertise and creativity to enable your organisation or industry to overcome some of the obstacles that the pandemic has thrown up.

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COVER STORY

The heart of Industry 4.0 Almost every aspect of Industry 4.0 has sensor technology at its heart. MEPCA spoke to Dave Nield, Systems and Solutions Manager, and Jon Rudd, New Business Development Manager, at sensor specialist Pepperl+Fuchs, to find out how the company can support users as they embark on an Industry 4.0 journey.

Could you give us an idea of the different industries that Pepperl+Fuchs serves in the UK and some of the main products and technologies that you can offer to these industries.

As a leading manufacturer of automation products, we supply the whole spectrum of industry, from Food and Beverage, Automotive, both manufacture and tiered, and the current growth area for materials handling.

One of the products that we are really excited about is our new SafePGV system.

Which is a linear positioning system, ideal for use on overhead conveyors or for AGV guidance. It offers SIL3 PLe rating utilising ProfiSafe in one compact housing.

We hear a lot about IO-Link communication technology and its importance for Industry 4.0. Could you give us more information about IOLink, the latest technology developments, and what it might have to offer for both machine builders and end-users.

IO-link is an open communications platform which allows simple sensors to communicate greater volumes of information over their standard digital output wiring, to a higher-level platform. It is manufacturerindependent, and we have been using IOLink for many years. It is also bidirectional and enabling data to pass from the sensing device and also for data to be sent to the device to change its configuration. This means that we can make all kinds of sensors far more configurable and able to satisfy more application requirements with fewer product types or less engineering time.

So, If we look at the simplest type

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of sensor, the inductive, before IOLink the sensor had two states, on and off, now with IO-Link enabled additional information may be available.

This may include serial numbers, manufacturer details, running hours, temperature or date of manufacture.

Obviously, not all this information is required or even useful; however, it’s there to be used. So maybe for machine start-up cycle details could be checked to ensure the connected sensor is correctly calibrated to ensure safe start-up. Part numbers can also be used for automatic inventory control and hours of use.

Additionally, setting up a sensor used to require the creation of specific bracketry or lighting, where a sensor could be placed and operated around its particular attributes. This meant sometimes designing your machine around the sensor. With configuration through IO-Link, machine design and commissioning have become far more flexible as the attributes of the sensor are no longer fixed. This also means that you can now fit maybe one type of sensor in numerous applications and yet still have the perfect sensor for the job, cutting down on spares.

Maintaining uptime is critical. Traditionally, a change in product being produced may mean physically moving a sensor or bracket to detect the new product on the line.

However, it is now possible to send a new configuration directly to the sensor from the control system.

IO-Link could also be used in the maintenance cycle when a sensor is replaced, and the configuration is automatically re-downloaded to the new sensor. Sometimes you may just want to be able to understand what one sensor is seeing at any stage in the process and so, using Bluetooth technology, it is possible to monitor that sensor and adjust it from your phone or tablet.

What IO-Link products can Pepperl+Fuchs offer today?

We offer the whole range of IO-Link enabled sensors, from standard inductive sensors with extra diagnostics via the IO-Link, to ultrasonic sensors, rotary encoders, high-

COVER STORY end laser distance sensors, RFID systems and IO-Link masters.

As well as industrial network connectivity, our latest IO-Link master features the addition of an OPC-UA channel. This is an exciting addition which now opens up IoT and cloud-based solutions.

LiDAR is another interesting technology.

Could you explain more about this sensing technology, where it is being employed and its benefits over alternative sensing techniques?

LiDAR stands for light detection and ranging, at its simplest, it uses a single pulsed laser to measure the distance to an object. Moving the laser allows a series of points to be measured, these individual measured points can then be recorded and assembled into a detailed 2D or 3D map.

There are three main areas of use, detection, measurement and navigation.

In detection mode, a zone, or several zones, are defined within the sensing field (up to 360°). This type of application is perfect for detecting overhang or trailing parts on automated production systems.

The technology is often used to detect something that shouldn’t be there in situations where it is not possible to know precisely where it might be, for example, a single broken plank on a pallet.

The measurement of production items or material flow is well suited to LiDAR, especially when the object being measured is not always in the same position. The 2D single plane scan can be easily mathematically analysed to give relative measurement values, for example, the measurement of the width of a vehicle body.

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are becoming increasingly common in the factory environment, and the use of LiDAR technology allows the routing and control of an AGV to be more flexible and responsive.

For detection applications, LiDAR is often solving issues that previously went unsolved.

For example, an overhang in an automated high bay warehouse would have resulted in a collision requiring downtime and clean up at best, and damaged machinery and stock at worst. Where detection applications had been solved, the solutions were often expensive, involving arrays of sensors which can now be replaced with just a single unit,

saving installation expense and reducing points of failure.

Similarly, for measurement applications where previously a simple signal giving a ‘go/ no go’ command would be used, LiDAR is now offering users digital mapping and positional data so detailed that new performance and quality standards can be set.

For navigation LiDAR is an enabling technology; it is the eyes of the automated vehicle. It is allowing companies to implement AGV solutions into the factory with little or no infrastructure changes, meaning the AGV can fit in around the existing production layout and not vice versa.

When it comes to collaboration, do you think there is a need to collaborate more closely with your customers and the end-users of your solutions?

Yes, of course, collaboration is key to success, not just for us but also for our partners. A good example is AGV manufacturing. Pepperl+Fuchs don’t build robot chassis or motor drives or write navigation software. Likewise, AGV manufacturers are not experts with LiDAR technology. So that’s where collaboration at the highest level at the early stages of development enables both parties to work together, to their own strengths, to produce the required end goal.

Some of our readers may still be unsure about embarking on Industry 4.0 projects and about the sensing and positioning technologies that are available to help them.

What advice can you offer and where can our readers go to get more inspiration and advice?

Industry 4.0 is a broad term used to describe a fledgeling concept. Anyone looking to start their journey should clearly define their

requirements first, to determine the level of information sharing they require. For example, do they just need a web-based dashboard showing how many widgets their production line has built over a specific time frame, or do they need to drill down to line level to know the hours of use or number of cycles for a particular machine/actuator, for predictive maintenance purposes?

This sounds relatively easy; however, during the initial stages of a project, you will find that everyone with an input will have different requirements or different wants. All won’t be able to be achieved in the first instance but should be planned for implementing in the longer term. So, defining the requirement at an early stage will then enable those implementing Industry 4.0 principles to focus on what equipment/ processes they need and to filter out what they don’t need while keeping an eye on the future requirements. www.pepperl-fuchs.com

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ProduCtIon lIne Control

Production line control advances Omron has taken human-machine collaboration to a level previously unseen on the factory floor, with its breakthrough Intelligent Cell Production Line concept.

and information system supporting efficient and high-quality production where highmix and variable-volume manufacturing is required.

Consistent quality and control During each step of the production or assembly process, sensors and automated visual tools ensure consistent product quality.

Any mistakes or skipped processes are detected in real time, maintaining the pace of assembly. Cobots check the quality of the assembly and correct errors for zero defect production. This also provides support, correction and training that improves the skills of employees without the need for intervention from human line managers.

Far-reaching benefits

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ntegrating sensing, vision and robotics, the Intelligent Cell Production Line, an example of an advanced production line control solution, enhances the performance of both humans and robots as they learn from one another. Accelerated employee training and knowledge transfer, zero defect production and enhanced workflow efficiency are just three of the direct benefits that many manufacturers, including high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) operations, will glean from implementing this new line control approach.

The brand-new production line control platform has been tested and deployed at Omron’s flagship manufacturing factories in Japan and China with impressive results.

At the Kusatsu factory in Japan, assembly time was reduced by half and productivity improved by between 25% and 200% in high-mix and variable production.

Antonio Farras, General Manager at the Omron Automation Centre in Europe, explains the thinking behind the new line control concept: “Skilled worker shortages, social distancing measures and economic pressures are making it increasingly difficult

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to improve productivity and maintain quality when focusing on high mix, low-volume manufacturing. In this context, technological innovations such as AI and IoT offer huge potential for solving some of the problems faced by companies operating in this industry.”

Fast-track and reinforced training Antonio continues: “We have harnessed these technologies to visualise a new manufacturing environment that combines the strengths of humans and robots.

Employees can be trained in almost no time and real time work checks, through sensors and automated visual tools, rapidly improve their skills while guaranteeing product quality. We believe this control solution has the potential to transform the performance of production and assembly lines the world over in terms of quality control, training and productivity.”

Omron’s Intelligent Cell Production Line concept uses smart sensing and integrated control to enable dynamic optimisation of assembly lines. In an HMLV production scenario, the line is an innovative control

Omron’s Intelligent Cell Production Line can also enhance materials handing efficiency; intra-logistics can be improved through the use of autonomous robots that are capable of feeding production lines with just-in-time materials and many more benefits. These include reducing work-in-progress inventory and mistakes, identifying the worker and order type for optimised machine adaption, coaching for multi product orders in small batches and tracking and tracing for sustainability and serialisation

Virtual exhibition The concept was previewed at Omron’s virtual exhibition (industrial.omron.eu/en/tours/ virtual-exhibition), where visitors can take a virtual tour of a line that executes multiproduct manufacturing in small quantities flexibly and efficiently, focusing on human and machine collaboration. The line demonstrates how process efficiencies can be achieved by combining the strengths of humans with mobile and collaborative robots working safely together in assembly, machine tending and inspection tasks.

Antonio concluded: “With the demonstration of our Intelligent Cell Production Line, we show how innovations such as IoT and AI can be put to practical use to create a collaborative factory with huge gains for the manufacturer and workforce. This approach is neither human dominated nor fully automated but flexible and safe, with people and machines complementing each other’s strengths to support highly efficient assembly and production.” www.omron.co.uk

PAckAging & insPecTion

Robotic packer at the core of apple producer’s automation Kent apple producer, Adrian Scripps, is leading the sector in terms of automation – and Brillopak’s award-winning UniPAKer robotic crate packing cell is the cornerstone of its intrepid approach.

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drian Scripps’ unwaning commitment to automation has been key to building and maintaining its market-leading position as Tesco’s largest apple supplier. Few apple packing facilities have adopted robotics, as they haven’t found solutions that enable high-speed packing without damage to fruit, so instead they elect to stick with manual methods. However, by putting its trust in Brillopak’s pioneering UniPAKer technology, Adrian Scripps has seen a threefold improvement in productivity per person.

Adrian Scripps decided to invest in two completely new fully automated packing and palletising lines and upgrade the end-of-line kit on two existing lines, following an investment in new flow wrapping equipment. Its existing mechanical layer crate packing systems were

limiting output, as they could not keep pace with the flow wrappers.

Each of the four UniPAKer crate loading cells houses two delta type robots, each performing a single pick. A single pick’s benefit is that it eliminates the need for accumulation.

To maximise packing speed, the crate is dynamically loaded as it is moving; working alongside each other, the robots take it in turn to partially fill the crate, picking individual packs off the infeed conveyor and positioning them deftly and precisely in the crate at the programmed orientation. The robots perform this task with a degree of dexterity and rotation that would not be feasible with a layer-based automated handling system.

Many robotics suppliers shy away from applications involving delicate fruit such as

apples, due to product damage. The speeds required to achieve target paybacks cannot be met without unacceptable levels of damage, rendering some automation projects unfeasible.

Brillopak overcomes these challenges through innovative end-effector design and unrivalled motion control experience. www.brillopak.co.uk

Case packing technology for snacks A new, fully automated case packer system, launched by Endoline Automation, is assisting snack processors and packers to automate within compact spaces.

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he Case Packer, from Endoline Automation, which combines case erecting, packing, and sealing technology within one system, has been engineered to pack a range of different snack products – from pillow bags to flat bottomed bags/pouches and PET bottles.

An all in one system, the Case Packer is a cost-effective alternative to installing a trio of individual machines, and has been engineered in response to rising demand from snack manufacturers who are increasingly looking to automate their packing lines, to reduce footprint, and to move away from manual labour.

With precise product handling at speeds of 12 cases per minute, the Case Packer

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receives single products from an infeed conveyor, groups them according to the programmed pattern on a loading platform, before lowering them into a formed case below, the filled case is then automatically closed and sealed on the top and bottom with tape.

Suitable for the packing of multi-bags

of crisps, pouches of dried fruits and nuts, and PET bottles of drinks – the Case Packer system can be customised to suit specific demands, and reprogrammed for the packing of different products, formats, and quantities.

Industry 4.0 compatible technology integrated within the Case Packer can capture and make data readily available for use in live decision-making scenarios.

The compact design also makes it the ideal solution for production areas with limited available space. The full system is in one frame, rather than having three separate machines, drastically reducing its footprint. www.endoline-automation.com

ImagIng & VIsIon

Lens specification and selection Understanding and choosing the right imaging lens has become more important than ever.

Edmund Optics explains some of the key parameters to consider and things to look out for during the selection process.

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maging and machine vision are becoming more integrated into our daily lives. From autonomous vehicles to advanced medical diagnostics, camera and lens systems are now commonplace. As sensor technology advances, pixel sizes on cameras have been getting smaller, and sensors have grown

larger. In the past, cameras were once the limiting component for an imaging system’s performance. Today, lenses have become a critical component in many applications. Even the latest smartphones have had to overcome this limitation by implementing a multiple lens solution.

Resolution is the specification that gets the

most attention as megapixels are increasing and pixel sizes are getting smaller. It is helpful to understand how resolution is specified and tested. Simply put, resolution is the smallest feature size on an object an imaging system can resolve. Resolution is usually specified in line-pairs per millimetre (lp/mm) at a contrast percentage. The resolution of a lens is its

an example mTF curve for a 12mm lens on a sony IXC625 sensor. at higher spatial frequencies, the maximum contrast reduces

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ImagIng & VIsIon

Both images are of a star target positioned at the centre of the field of view. Images are taken with the same lens, sensor, and f/#. Wavelength is 660nm (red) on the left and 470nm (blue) on the right.

ability to reproduce object detail onto a sensor.

The more line-pairs in a millimetre a lens can resolve, the smaller the resolvable feature size, and the higher the resolution of the lens.

Contrast can be thought of as the “crispness” or “sharpness” of the line-pair or feature, and it’s usually specified as a percentage. The modulation transfer function (MTF) curve is a mathematical representation of how a lens reproduces contrast as spatial frequency (or lp/mm) varies.

Resolution can be affected by other specifications such as f/# and wavelength.

F/# increases as the aperture is stopped down, usually by closing down the iris. A smaller f/# typically means higher resolution since the diffraction limit of the MTF increases.

The diffraction limit can be thought of as the highest performance a lens can achieve according to the laws of physics. The logical assumption would always be to use the smallest f/# possible all the time. But as the f/# decreases, lens performance becomes less limited by the diffraction limit and more affected by optical aberrations. At some point, decreasing the f/# will stop improving the resolution and start reducing the resolution as performance becomes dominated by optical aberrations. This point of diminishing return on performance can vary depending on the lens’s optical design. The design f/# of a lens is often not published by lens manufacturers and can significantly impact the performance, size, and cost of the imaging lens.

There are a great number of optical aberrations that lens designers have to

contend with. There are many levers that designers and engineers can push and pull to achieve the desired performance. One of these levers is wavelength, and a large contributor to this is chromatic aberration.

Axial colour (chromatic focal shift) occurs when different wavelengths of light have different focus positions along the optical axis. Lateral colour occurs when different wavelengths of light focus to different points on the sensor, causing the image to appear blurry. This effect occurs irrespective of whether a colour or monochrome sensor is used. Whenever possible, using one wavelength of light is best, as monochromatic systems eliminate the issues of chromatic aberrations. In addition, the specific wavelength of light chosen can be important. Similar to how f/# can affect MTF, the wavelength can as well. Using shorter wavelengths of light, such as blue instead of red, can provide higher resolution since they diffract less.

Another drawback to smaller f/#s is a reduced depth of field (DoF). DoF refers to the object distance or depth through which an object can still appear in focus. If the object placement can’t be well controlled, like in many barcode scanning or logistics applications, a higher DoF may be necessary.

A trade-off is made between resolution, f/#, and DoF in these cases. Understanding how different optical specifications affect each other is important for properly specifying an imaging system.

All of the specifications and performance criteria discussed above have been in

reference to nominal design performance.

Nominal design performance can differ greatly from the real-world performance.

Nominal design performance does not take into account manufacturing and assembly tolerances. It assumes every component in the lens has been manufactured perfectly. Usually, lens suppliers do not publish their real-world performance data. Because it can vary depending on the sensor size, wavelength, working distance, field of view, and many other parameters, it can be difficult to present a complete view of a lens performance for all applications. Understanding that nominal design performance can be different from toleranced design performance, which can be different from tested performance, is important when discussing specification requirements with a lens supplier. It is much easier to supply a well-performing lens one time than it is to supply multiple wellperforming lenses consistently each time.

Making sure your lens supplier understands how to design for manufacturability and how to test critical specifications ensures a successful project.

Selecting the best lens for your application is not as simple as it may seem. There are many factors to consider and often compromises to make. This article covered some of the main points but is by no means an exhaustive list, to maximise performance, it is always best to consult with an expert. www.edmundoptics.eu

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SenSorS & SenSing SySTemS

Open service for IO-link function blocks A pioneering open software service, that creates ready-made IO-Link function blocks to integrate data from any IO-Link device into a wide range of common PLC control systems, has been launched by the sensor manufacturer SICK.

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he SICK Function Block Factory is the first web-based service of its type that enables users to create function blocks automatically from any IOLink device with an I/O device description (IODD), no matter what the device type or its manufacturer.

Creating function blocks from scratch can be a laborious task, and errors can easily creep in and be repeated. Using the SICK Function Block Factory service, users without specialist IO-Link knowledge can configure and create their own function block libraries and reuse them in their PLC programs as often as needed. The new 24/7 service offers to save time and cost, for example, when setting up an IO-Link device for the first time, replacing a device, or adjusting parameters during operation.

Charlie Walker, Smart Sensor Specialist with SICK UK, explains: “Machine builders, integrators and end-users have come to value the additional automation benefits that IO-Link devices can bring, such as smart functions, diagnostics and edge applications. But anyone who wants to integrate IO-Link devices and read/write IOLink device parameters to the PLC control must program many acyclical requests and deal with many different devices, parameters and complex data types.

“With the SICK Function Block Factory, you can have a fully-tested function block ready to use in your code in a matter of minutes. Not only is development time and cost dramatically reduced, but there is no opportunity for errors to creep in.

“You don’t need to be experienced in IO-Link, and there’s no need to start searching for parameters, indexes and data formats. You can download a library with all of the software you need to install the function block as well as the full supporting

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documentation.”

To create a function block, users simply sign in to the web service, select the IODD file for the IO-Link device and the chosen PLC system. The name of the function block can be edited to suit naming conventions.

Then, the IO-Link parameters and key features of the function block are selected.

With a click to finish and an easy e-cart payment, the function block is ready to go.

The function block created can be used to read and write parameters and service data for any IO-Link device. It handles the entire acyclic IO-Link communication including data interpretation, index and sub-index resolution as well as byte-swapping if required.

As part of the library provided, the data structure already contains all required variables, so the need for manual variable declaration is eliminated. The scope and content of libraries can be defined individually through free selection of the available device parameters and can be

adjusted at any time.

In addition, process data parser functions can be generated, simplifying and speeding up PLC programming considerably, as well as helping to avoid errors. The process data parser function makes it possible to systematically access any individual piece of information in the IO-Link process data without having been previously informed of its structure and contents from manuals.

“In a typical factory or logistics operation, dozens of sensors could be performing the same function,” continued Charlie. “So, the ability to create function blocks quickly and easily, at any time, will save time, cost and prevent production delays.

“The SICK Function Block Factory also makes customising diagnostics easier, supporting ongoing condition monitoring, as well as allowing device parameters to be adjusted while a machine is operating, e.g. to change to a new product or batch.” www.sick.co.uk

SenSorS & SenSing SyStemS

Flight Attendant Time-of-Flight laser sensors can reliably detect objects of various colours and materials based on the time difference between the emission of light and its return to the sensor. Martin Wyatt, Business Development Manager at metering, controls and automation specialist Carlo Gavazzi UK, outlines some of the benefits and applications for these compact devices.

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ow do you detect objects of varying sizes and colours on a conveyor if it is difficult to wire-in a light beam emitter on one side of the belt and a receiver on the opposite side? The easy answer is to use a single Time-of-Flight sensor.

Laser Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors measure the actual time for a single laser pulse to leave the sensor and be reflected from an object back to the sensor’s receiver.

Because light travels at a constant speed, the time lapse between the emission of the light pulse and its return to the sensor enables both the presence of an object and its distance from the sensor to be detected and measured. And, because the time taken for the light pulse to be reflected will be either longer or shorter for different sized objects, ToF devices can be used to sense the size of objects on a conveyor, for example.

In addition to stationary production plant applications, ToF devices can also be used as a cost-effective alternative to ultrasonic devices on automated guided vehicles (AGVs), or service robots, where they can detect objects in the vehicle’s path. Similarly, ToF sensors can be used for automatic door control and other proximity sensing applications. ToF sensors can even be used in car tyre manufacturing plants. Unlike standard photoelectric sensors, the ToF laser sensing technology is virtually unaffected by the tyre’s matt black surface finish. In fact, because laser-based ToF sensors work regardless of the object’s colour or surface characteristics and because the sensors are unaffected by humidity, air pressure and temperature they are ideal for use in food and beverage production facilities.

ToF technology has developed rapidly in the past decade. ToF chips are increasingly used for motion sensing in gaming devices and to aide the autofocus feature of many mobile phone cameras. Consequently, the controls industry is now reaping the benefits

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of rapid technological improvements and large-scale chip production.

The laser technology used in many ToF devices has advanced significantly too. For example, Carlo Gavazzi’s LD30 Time of Flight photoelectric laser sensor uses a low power Class 1 infrared laser light source driven by a modulated pulse. This makes it safe under normal use conditions because the maximum permissible exposure cannot be exceeded when viewing the laser with the naked eye. The laser enables the LD30 sensor to detect objects of any colour, material and surface finish at distances from 50mm up to 1000mm in a single, compact, cost-effective device.

A major benefit of Carlo Gavazzi’s LD 30 sensor is that it can operate in standard I/O mode and, when connected to an IO-Link master, it then switches automatically to IOLink communication.

IO-Link is an open standard communication protocol that allows for the

bi-directional exchange of data from the ToF sensor to the IO-Link master device and from the master to the sensing device.

Communication is point-to-point, not on a network, so each ToF sensor talks directly to the IO-Link master controller. This master can then transmit the sensor’s data over various networks or field-buses to make it available for immediate action or to save it for long-term analysis in the future.

In IO-Link mode, the LD30 sensor becomes an intelligent device, which is easily customisable to meet an OEM’s requirements. Once the sensor is connected to the IO-Link port, it enables access to a multitude of configuration parameters and advanced functionalities. These settings can be stored in the master controller and can always be changed if the need occurs, or they can be smoothly transferred to a new sensor in the case of sensor replacement. www.carlogavazzi.co.uk.

The Future of Background Suppression – Redefined by SensoPart

The all new FT55-RLHM range of sensors takes background suppression to a new level.

• We can identify between a double or single sheet of standard printer paper from 300 mm away – you must see it to believe it.

• Ask us for a demonstration on your applications and talk to your sales contact about the introductory offers !

Tel: 01664 561539 Email: sales@sensopart.co.uk

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www.sensopart.com

03.09.2020 09:53:39

SenSorS & SenSIng SySTemS

Benefits of energy harvesting sensors Compared to plug-in or battery-operated sensors, energy harvesting sensors offer multiple advantages. As manufacturers implement the Industrial Internet of Things, self-powered sensors are becoming a key component. The benefits are immediate, and their impacts are felt through the entire sensing system.

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he main intention of equipment sensors is to harness accurate and continuous data. Many vendors claim their sensors possess extravagant battery lifetimes. However, batteries are finite. This means that to get long life, battery powered sensors achieve less. Set battery capacity means all design decisions are a zero-sum balance of capability versus consumption.

Design decisions for sensors end up prioritising battery life over functionality. Simultaneously, radio transmissions are relatively energy intensive, and common low power techniques encounter limitations in industrial settings with interference, limited lines of sight and extended range. As a result, battery-operated sensors transmit data less frequently, providing timed snapshots or puzzle pieces of your process.

In contrast, energy harvesting creates the conditions for more frequent data reporting with an always-on, real-time connection of your equipment and assets. Data is captured at the source and sensors continuously transmit the data collected to a cloud-based software.

This allows engineers to access updates, diagnostics, and predictions wherever they are and whenever they want.

Energy harvesting sensors can adapt, measuring their harvesting and dynamically adjusting power use to suit the operational and reporting constraints you set. Furthermore, self-powered sensors also store extra energy, ensuring uninterrupted data reporting. With continuous monitoring, energy harvesting sensors move you into a high-definition world.

Your picture gets bigger even as the detail in the picture becomes sharper.

Simplification & ease of use To implement plug-in sensors, manufacturers are confronted with the immediate limitations of location and infrastructure. Either there are

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plug-in sources near the machine, or you will need to install wired power. Upfront costs for implementing plug-in sensors include contracting an external resource for electrical installation, using in-house resources and opportunity costs. Ongoing costs include the energy usage from the number of sensors that are tapped into your power source, thus adding to your bottom line. Further constraints include restrictions on where power sources can be installed which is dependent upon infrastructure and the safety hazards of additional wires within your plant.

Alternatively, energy harvesting sensors have a simple plug and play installation. They are easily and safely mounted to the machine and in any location. Energy harvesting sensors eliminate the need to install additional power sources and are ready to harness data immediately.

Battery-free and maintenance-free All battery-operated sensors will need their batteries changed. This creates a timeconsuming additional task for engineers to perform routine maintenance. In comparison, battery-free, energy harvesting sensors minimise routine maintenance and they work non-stop without battery changes. Combined with the simplicity of installation, self-powered sensors an ideal choice for remote monitoring in hard to access locations and sites with limited existing infrastructure.

Impact on the environment Wired sensors rely solely on an installed power source and use energy. Also, unless your plant is fully powered by renewable sources, the energy needed to run additional equipment will generate waste and add to carbon emissions.

As for sensors that run on batteries, most of the waste is in the supply chain. There is

an impact of how batteries are produced and used batteries on the environment.

Batteries are developed using non-renewable resources and rely on recycling programmes for the billions of batteries discarded every year. Worldwide, less than 5% of lithium-ion batteries are recycled.

Alternatively, energy harvesting sensors harness energy from their surrounding environment, something that is already there, and using it generates zero waste.

Ambient energy exists naturally and includes heat, light, movement, and other ambient sources. Energy harvesting sensors are vital for reducing a plants overall energy usage. Furthermore, there is no continuous environmental waste generated.

DCO Systems are providing manufacturers with cost-effective and economic energy harvesting sensors. Sensors for specific applications are already available with extensive customisation through options (sensing, communications and energy harvesting) to fit your process and needs.

Equally important is that all sensors can easily be installed by the customer. DCO have extensively evaluated the practical needs of installers and included coordinated connectors, adapters and fittings for many different requirements, with installation videos that lend additional support if needed. The ease of installation and use means that these energy harvesting sensors can be up and running immediately.

DCO System’s energy harvesting sensors provide benefits that pay-off immediately. They provide complete information, tap into a free, zero-waste source that is reliable and eliminate the need for energy sources and continuous battery maintenance. The advantages are clear, isn’t it time you made the switch. www.dcosystems.co.uk

SenSorS & SenSing SySTemS

New IO-Link input/output modules Combining convenience with economy and flexibility, the new IO-Link input/output modules from ifm electronic offer eight multifunctional input/output ports, each of which can be freely configured as a digital input or output.

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he new IO-Link input/ output modules are available in PerformanceLine and StandardLine versions that support the connection of an external auxiliary supply to power sensors, and as line-powered versions that derive power from the standard IO-Link connection and require no additional power source.

Output capacity for the PerformanceLine versions is 2A per channel, for the StandardLine versions it is 1.8A per four channels, and for the line-powered version, it is 1A per eight channels.

In the PerformanceLine versions, the ports can additionally be configured as analogue inputs. This means that the modules can be matched to an application’s exact requirements, eliminating the need to buy, for example, a separate analogue input module

when only one analogue channel is needed in a particular location.

The PerformanceLine and StandardLine modules, with auxiliary supply option, provide full isolation between the sensor and actuator supplies, which means that the actuators can be switched off while leaving the sensors powered. In addition, to provide maximum versatility, PerformanceLine types support both cyclical and acyclical operation allowing the port function to be changed dynamically.

The ifm configurable multiport IO-Link input/output modules are available in housings with IP ratings to suit all industrial environments. The PerformanceLine modules are best suited to the industrial environment where IP65, IP67 and resistance to coolants and oils are required.

The StandardLine versions are available in versions to suit both industrial and

washdown environments with protection ratings up to IP68/69K. All incorporate full short-circuit protection along with individual status indication for each channel and additional diagnostics available at the PLC. www.ifm.com

Simplified double sheet detection Double sheet detection, which requires consistent and reliable detection of one or more layers of materials, can present complex challenges. The latest addition to sensing and instrumentation specialist, Baumer’s, range of ultrasonic sensors, the U300, U500 and UR18, represent two product families which offer effective and flexible solutions for double sheet detection across a wide range of materials.

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he new sensors from Baumer offer functions and adjustment options which mean they can be adapted to suit many double sheet detection applications, the most important of which is a through-beam sensor. The receiver of the through-beam sensor is equipped with two binary switching outputs as well as an IO-Link interface and is designed to reliably detect the most common materials in the standard setting.

However, if critical material thicknesses occur, the sensor can be adjusted for these more challenging demands through parameter configuration. In either IO-Link or switching mode, the sensor reliably detects one, two or more layers of materials such as

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foil, paper, cardboard, labels or thin metal sheets.

In addition to double sheet detection, the sensors can also be used for film tear detection, bonding surface detection and also label detection which is where more diverse materials and varied thicknesses occur as well as more varied installation conditions.

Thanks to the IO-Link interface the application parameters can be quickly and easily adjusted to suit the soundabsorbing materials. This ensures reliable detection with the process values related to

the material being displayed to enable the switching thresholds to be set accordingly. www.baumer.com/ultrasonic

SenSorS & SenSing SySTemS

Maximum flexibility with IO-Link Y Series

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Digital rate and total indicator

arlo Gavazzi has launched the IO-Link Y series of IIoT-enabled network blocks which allow up to eight smart devices to connect to the higher-level control system.

IO-Link Y master YL212 allows the connection of all sections of a plant into a single industrial network, from the management level (ERP) right down to the field level (sensors and actuators). Using the embedded web server and IODD, Y series IO-Link masters can provide complete integration, communication and direct data exchange between different fieldbuses using communication protocols such as Ethernet/IP, Modbus/TCP, OPC UA or Profinet IO. The integrated web server is available in seven languages, and the IODD interpreter provides easy access, configuration and diagnostic of the module and the attached IO-Link devices via a web browser. www.carlogavazzi.co.uk

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he Pulsite Solo from Titan Enterprises is a low cost, digital rate and total display indicator that is adaptable to suit almost any flow and rate measurement application across the manufacturing sector.

Requiring no external power, the compact Pulsite Solo has multiple mounting possibilities and can be configured to any flow element.

Designed to indicate a variety of pulse inputs, such as coil, reed switch and logic, the Pulsite Solo will take frequencies up to 2KHz and scale them to display rate or total.

When solely powered by the replaceable battery, the Pulsite Solo can operate for more than five years when used as a flow totaliser.

As a digital flow rate measuring instrument, the battery life of the Pulsite Solo depends on the duty cycle but will still provide several years of operation. www.ratetotaliser.com

Are you spending too much time on your existing pump?

Is maintenance long winded? Are you replacing parts regularly?

Are process pauses causing damage? Do operators have to manually intervene? Yes? Then try our AODDs… A Simple maintenance – only 30 parts vs 72 on a typical AODD A Long life diaphragm – designed to run for 50 million cycles A Dry runs without damage – unaffected by being left running A Anti-stall device – pressure drop requires no manual action

To find out how you can give your engineers more time with our AODD range, get in contact with us today: T. +44 (0)1773 533 283 | E. sales@castlepumps.com | W. castlepumps.com

www.mepca-engineering.com

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Drives, Motors anD Controls

Taking control of automated fabrication Drive engineering specialist, STOBER, explains how it helped create a new multiple screwing unit that joins profile rails, and monitors screw depth and tightening torque for ROMA, the international manufacturer of roller shutters, venetian blinds and textile screens.

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orking with machine manufacturer SOGA Gallenbach, STOBER supplied automation technology that includes planetary gear units, rack and pinion drives and drive controllers for the LeanMotor driven multiple head manufacturing system.

Prior to the new fabrication system design, ROMA drilled and screwed up to three aluminium or plastic profile rails using an unmonitored screw-fed unit. Frequently, the drill screw created chips between the screw head and the profile rail, meaning that the system had to be reworked manually.

STOBER’s Martin Preece explained: “ROMA’s brief to the design team was for a system that, as well as eliminating the need for manual intervention and reworking, enabled them to process pre-drilled profile rails in lengths from 710mm to 5.7Mtrs. A further requirement was that the new system needed to be sensitive to plastic’s torque properties in the final tightening process. The design was also to be equipped with two drawers for loading the profile rails for processing, either separately or synchronously.”

The new drive solution now feeds the profile rail screws automatically and inserts them pneumatically.

It also includes one PE series planetary gear with a belt and ballscrew drive combined with an EZ synchronous servo motor for each drawer, enabling them to move automatically using two Y-axes.

The unit is also equipped with five mounting heads that move independently of each other in the X direction on a gear rack.

Each head was equipped with a Z-axis and drilling axis, as well as providing ZV_PE series rack and pinion drives with EZ synchronous servo motors for the X-axis. EZ-motors with ballscrew drive are also used for the Z-axis.

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To ensure that the five heads do not collide with each other on the gear rack, STOBER engineers implemented threefold collision protection that included controller monitoring of the positions in relation to each other; software limit switches that were parameterised with the permitted travel range for each X-axis; and a mechanical safety switch located on each head.

The lightest possible compact motor was installed for the drilling spindle, which allowed rapid positioning for the five axes.

In addition to drilling, countersinking was made possible by integrating STOBER’s encoderless LeanMotor (LM), which is significantly lighter and more compact than an Asynchronous motor. With the same output, it is more cost-efficient and more rugged than a servo drive and uses a single, standard power cable.

This made it possible for ROMA to set speed and torque to any point, from

standstill to maximum speed, with full torque control.

Each head has three motors located as closely as possible and reach the energy efficiency class IE5 with up to 96% efficiency, which gives the added benefits of lower energy consumption and long service life.

“STOBER combined the motors with new double-axis controllers from their SI6 series.

This highly dynamic solution also makes challenging movements possible, with enhanced safety aspects provided through the integration of STO (Safe Torque Off) and SS1 (Safe Stop 1) safety functions, certified in accordance with EN 13849-1 (PL e, cat.

4),” added Martin.

The result for ROMA is that it now operates with significantly more process reliability and has removed the need for costly reworking. www.stober.co.uk

Pallet Handling Systems Modular construction Compatible with existing systems Versatile use

www.mkprofiles.co.uk

mk Profile Systems Limited a company of the mk Technology Group

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Drives, MoTors & ConTrols

Compact and robust drive technology Beckhoff UK has integrated servo drives with higher performance and functionality directly in the EtherCAT I/O system, as MEPCA found out.

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he new ELM72xx EtherCAT Terminals from Beckhoff are fully functional servo drives in a robust metal housing that deliver an output current (Irms) of up to 16A at 48V DC for the power supply. They expand the Beckhoff portfolio of compact drive technology in I/O terminal format and offer all of the current technology features together with increased performance and functionality compared with comparable EL series I/O designs.

The ELM72xx modules’ metal housing provides optimum heat dissipation even at high output power and optimal shielding against electrical interference. The new servo terminals can be directly connected to other EtherCAT Terminals and form an integrated component of the Beckhoff I/O system. The comprehensive functionality includes the direct connection of the motor,

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feedback and brake via the convenient connector front end, an integrated absolute value interface and One Cable Technology (OCT). Additional I/Os enable latching of position values. In addition, the integrated brake chopper control allows a braking resistor to be connected directly. In addition, the system also integrates programmable TwinSAFE Logic for direct implementation of the safety application in the terminal and safe drive technology either as STO/ SS1 via Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE) or as a comprehensive package of Safe Motion functions for safety-relevant drive technology via TwinSAFE. Five different ELM72xx models are currently available. These are equipped with either STO/SS1 or Safe Motion: • ELM7211: 1-channel servo terminal with 4.5 A (Irms) • ELM7212: 2-channel servo terminal with 2

x 4.5 A (Irms) • ELM7221: 1-channel servo terminal with 8 A (Irms) • ELM7222: 2-channel servo terminal with 2 x 8 A (Irms) • ELM7231: 1-channel servo terminal with 16 A (Irms) In contrast to the established EL series, the ELM72xx wiring level utilises a pluggable design. Matching motor and sensor cables further simplify installation. The drive design – ELM72xx combined with AM8100 Servomotors – is implemented using the familiar TwinCAT 3 Motion Designer software (TE5910) while the electronic nameplate and the TwinCAT 3 Drive Manager 2 software (TE5950) ensure effortless commissioning.

www.beckhoff.com

IndySoft Europe Ltd Linford Forum, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 6LY, United Kingdom

+44 (0) 1908 904 116 sales@indysoft.co.uk www.indysoft.com

NEW KRUK generic Benchmark.pdf

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Setting the benchmark...

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Faster, compact, energy saving and affordable...

Kawasaki’s latest robots increase one of the largest robot ranges available today. They are more compact, provide smooth control and give increased all round performance.

For assembly the new collaborative duAro; for palletising the CP Series; the general purpose CX Series and the high-speed spot welding BX Series. Check out the new robots and see just how affordable they can be....

info@kawasakirobotuk.com kawasakirobot.co.uk +44 (0)1925 713000

Kawasaki Robotics (UK) Ltd www.mepca-engineering.com

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Drives, Motors & Controls

Geared motors: The application considerations When procuring a geared motor, technical buyers at machine and plant manufacturers must consider numerous aspects to ensure that the purchased technology ultimately guarantees high plant availability and an optimum cost-benefit ratio. Marek Lukaszczyk explains how to ensure a gear unit best suits your application.

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atching a geared motor closely to the specification is a must and the more clearly defined the specification, the better. After all, if the wrong gear is selected, the cost-benefit ratio will be sub-optimal. Similarly, the geared motor will not meet the application requirements efficiently if it is oversized or undersized, or simply cannot survive the longevity of the application.

From a technical point of view, two factors are critical when selecting a gear unit: the application requirements and the available space. This always depends on the location of the gear unit. Only once these two factors are fully known can the right gear unit be selected. A good purchasing decision will prove itself in practice, with a long lifespan

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and unwavering reliability.

Depending on where the geared motor is used – for example in the offshore sector, the cement industry or steelworks – appropriate designs must be carefully considered.

These include different coating systems, in particular a multi-layer coating structure, the protection class, as well as the type of shaft seal rings and shaft material.

Extremely robust and torsionally stiff systems are required for very high torque applications, especially for demanding applications with large loads and high accelerations. During operation, this also results in radial and axial impacts that the gear unit must absorb, for example, during start-up or uneven loading of conveyor belts.

Another example of special conditions is an application in hazardous areas. In these cases, the use of suitable integral motors

that complies with Directive 2014/34/EU (ATEX) is essential to ensure safe and legal operation.

The available space of the application and the installation dimensions of the geared motors are also key factors, especially when retrofitting. This is so that when purchasing a gear unit, no design changes should be necessary to the company’s own machines or systems. For example, the input and output shafts of parallel shaft gears are offset as parallel as possible. As a result, they have a very flat design which allows them to be installed in a space-saving manner.

The output shaft is usually hollow, allowing the gear unit to be mounted on an existing machine shaft. If the axial installation space is limited, a bevel gear is typically used. www.weg.net

“

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One Range. No Limits: www.HARTING.com/UK/en-gb/connectors-food-industry

CONNECTIONS Anti Vibration Products, Mounts & Bushes Fibet Rubber Bonding (UK) Ltd Unit 9 Dale Mill, Hallam Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 8AN T: 01282 878200 E: sales@fibet. co.uk W: www.fibet.co.uk

Control Systems Beckhoff Automation Ltd. The Boathouse Station Road Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 1AZ T:+ 44 (0)1491 410539 E: info@beckhoff. co.uk W: www.beckhoff. co.uk

Displays & Sensors MMS Electronics Ltd Unit 3, Whiteley Court Pool Road, Pool in Wharfedale, Leeds LS21 1FR T: +44 (0)1943 877668 E: sales@ mmselectronics. co.uk W: www. mmselectronics. co.uk

Dust & Fume Solutions Impact Technical Services 3 Kingsley Street, Leicester, LE2 6DY T: 0116 244 8855 E: enquiries@ impactts.co.uk W: www. impacttechnica lservices.co.uk

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Electronic Filters

Machine Tools, Factory Automation & Laser Processing

Kemo Limited Unit 1, Dene Yard Green Street Green Road, Dartford, Kent, DA2 8DH T: +44 (0)1474 705168 E: uk@kemo.com

Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd Badgeworth Drive, Worcester, WR4 9NF T: 01905 755755 E: sales@mazak. co.uk W: www.mazakeu. com

Flow Meters iCenta Controls Ltd Unit 3 The Woodford Centre, Lysander Way, Salisbury, SP4 6BU T: +44 (0) 1722 442 307 E: sales@icenta. co.uk W: www.icenta. co.uk

Industrial Communications Brainboxes T: + 44 (0) 151 220 2500 E: sales@ brainboxes.com W: www. brainboxes.com

Industrial Fasteners & Components SD Products Ltd Unit 1, Fulwood Road South, Fulwood Industrial Estate, SuttonIn-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 2JZ T: +44 (0)1623 655 265 E: sales@ sdproducts.co.uk W: www. sdproducts.co.uk

Sensors Carlo Gavazzi UK Ltd 4.4 Frimley Business Park, Frimley, GU16 7SG T: 01276 854110 W: www. carlogavazzi.co.uk IFM Electronic Efector House, Kingsway Business Park, Oldfield Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2HD T: 020 8213-0000 E: enquiry.gb@ifm. com W: www.ifm.com Monitran Monitor House, 33 Hazlemere Road, Penn, HP10 8AD T: 01494 816569 E: info@monitran. com W: www.monitran. com

Stainless Steel Fittings Nero T: 0121 665 3900 W: www.nero.co.uk

Water & Chemical Storage Drayton Tank & Accessories Ltd T: 0871 288 4213 E: enquiries@ draytontank.co.uk W: www. draytontank.co.uk

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