Industry Asia Pacific 23

23 | J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 8

Industry

Asia Pacific THE INDUSTRY MAGAZINE FOR ASIA

KOLLMORGEN TALENTED ALL-ROUNDER NOW ACTING IN UNISON

4 ARC INFORMATIQUE IS AWARDED PATENT FOR ITS PCVUE SCADA/ HMI INNOVATION IN CONTEXTUAL MOBILITY

8 SECO TOOLS NEW STRATEGIES FOR ORTHOPEDIC COMPONENT MACHINING

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LEUZE ELECTRONIC RELIABLE DETECTION OF OBJECTS AND FILL LEVELS

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23 | Industry Asia Pacific | January 2018

THE INDUSTRY MAGAZINE FOR ASIA

BUREAU VERITAS

KOLLMORGEN

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INTERROLL

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5 ARC INFORMATIQUE

8 NORD

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SECO TOOLS

NORD

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LEUZE ELECTRONIC

LEUZE ELECTRONIC

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INTERROLL

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www.industry-asia-pacific.com

Contributing Editors: • Emmanuel AHOSSI • Nessren BAZERBACHI • Romain CLASS • Maria DE PABLOS • Anna HARDALOUPAS • Sofiane JEDIDI • Laura MUTTO • Marie RESPINGUE • Christophe VERGUET

Contact: Long WEI Editor in Chief: editor@industry-asia-pacific.com Send your press releases to: editor@industry-asia-pacific.com To receive Industry Asia Pacific magazine free of charge, please subscribe online at www.industry-asia-pacific.com Industry Asia Pacific is the English-language magazine for engineers, published by IPM (Industrial Portal Media) It contains the latest product and company news for industrial markets.

Industry Asia Pacific edits its articles with the greatest of care, however we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information presented in them. Our teams disclaim all responsibility concerning the content of this media or how it might be used.

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TALENTED ALL-ROUNDER NOW ACTING IN UNISON

Designed for sophisticated tasks and now also including slender single-cable connection technology: the S700 from KOLLMORGEN combines multi-functionality with maximum levels of freedom from programming to wiring.

KOLLMORGEN equips its S700 servo controllers with single-cable connection technology.

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he benefits of connecting drives using just one cable are obvious in machinery and plant construction: they include faster installation, space savings, reduced inertia, and lower costs to name a few. Following very positive experiences with the AKD and AKD-N servo drives, KOLLMORGEN is now also equipping the talented allrounder S700 with its pioneering single-cable connection technology.

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The KOLLMORGEN servo controllers from the SERVOSTAR series S700 are primarily designed to fulfill particularly complex drive tasks – with safety technology up to and including SIL3. The devices can be programmed freely with macro support in IEC 61131-3 based language. The S700’s features also include cogging compensation for excellent radial run-out characteristics.

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KOLLMORGEN is connecting the in-house developed digital resolver SFD or high-resolution Hiperface DSL encoder with one standard motor cable through the single-cable connection technology now available for the S700 controllers. The result is a cost-efficient and slender installation solution which reduces costs while also helping to increase machine performance - starting from space gains to more speed when positioning, as less cable needs to be moved at the same time. www.kollmorgen.in

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BUREAU VERITAS WILL ACQUIRE A MAJORITY STAKE IN MCKENZIE GROUP AS PART OF ITS GLOBAL BUILDING & INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY

Bureau Veritas, global leaders in testing, inspection and certification, announced today that it has completed a 65% equity stake in McKenzie Group Consulting Pty Ltd, a leading provider of building certification services to the Australian market.

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he addition of McKenzie Group enhances Bureau Veritas' offering to customers with a diverse and comprehensive portfolio of services, including; building surveying and compliance risk management, consulting services, building certification and accessibility services across Australia. Furthermore, it serves construction companies and developers as well as clients with property portfolios.

“Australia’s population growth is expected to nearly double by 2050, requiring strong construction investment, and creating attractive opportunities for both the public and private sectors,” continued Didier.

“As a market leader in Australia, we are at the forefront of the building certification industry and our priority is to maintain this position by ensuring the successful delivery of projects” said Mark Cogo and Stephen Natilli, Managing Directors of McKenzie Group.

“Our teams will be able to apply their expertise on an even wider scale and build solutions integrating Bureau Veritas services within the building and infrastructure sector throughout Australia.”

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“We look forward to welcoming the McKenzie Group and its teams whose reputation and performance are remarkable.

This company will complement our portfolio of services in Australia and responds naturally to our Building & Infrastructure Growth Initiative, said Didier Michaud-Daniel, Bureau Veritas Chief Executive Officer.”

The McKenzie Group provides a suite of integrated compliance based services. McKenzie Group was founded in 1988 as a provider of high -end building surveying services and has locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

www.bureauveritas.com

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DANONE WATERS OPTIMISES HANDLING ON THE LOADING PLATFORMS AT ITS EVIAN® PLANT

Danone Waters has opted to make handling pallets of Evian water on platforms —before they are loaded onto trains— safer and more streamlined, using Interroll heavy-duty gravity conveyors.

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t the Publier site in the Haute-Savoie department of France’s Amphion-les-Bains region, the largest natural mineral water bottling plant in the world has had a makeover! This historic Danone site spans 130,000 square meters. At the end of the line, the largest privatelyowned railway station in France manages 65 percent of production, with the rest loaded onto the many trucks lined up in front of the plant. Every day, seven million bottles are shipped on the equivalent of 7,000 pallets. It takes robust and well-oiled logistics to maintain this pace. No malfunction can be allowed to interrupt this constant flow.

A simple solution to a complex problem At the end of the production line, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) transport pallets weighing up to 1,200 kg to the railway loading platforms. These ultra-modern AGVs can move two pallets at once. This is where Interroll's solution comes into play. Accurate to the nearest millimeter, the AGVs place the pallets of water bottles onto heavy-duty gravity conveyors. Sixteen lanes, holding up to 27 pallets, can easily handle the pace. The gravity lanes direct the pallets to the forklift trucks which pick these up four by four to be loaded onto waiting trains. Despite its apparent simplicity, this solution boasts advanced technologies and Interroll's extensive expertise. Firstly, to ensure the safety of the installation, operators and goods, Interroll's MSC 80 Magnetic Speed Control rollers maintain a constant pallet speed of 0.3 meters per second. At the end of the line, and for enhanced operator safety and comfort, a mechanical separation solution enables four pallets to be picked up simultaneously for efficient loading.

A flexible, cost-effective and green solution Preparing for this project required Interroll to operate its testing zone in La Roche-sur-Yon at full capacity. In fact,

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EVIAN® uses no fewer than 12 different types of pallets for its global markets. The Interroll solution was technically assessed using a series of tests (e.g., the speed of the idler rollers, the number of brake rollers required, the position of the separators); Interroll's expertise also enabled the company to work with pallet manufacturers to optimize pallet construction and design, to ensure that the pallets rolled optimally on Interroll's heavy-duty gravity conveyor solution.

www.interroll.com

The fact that the design of the conveyor solution uses gravity means that the installation does not need to be powered. Apart from a few wear parts, it is also impressively maintenance-free. The operating costs for EVIAN® are almost zero. Interroll's gravity conveyors generate no carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which is important for a site which in 2017 became Danone's first carbon-neutral site.

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Everything is flowing smoothly — naturally One year after commissioning, and after a few adjustments, Interroll's solution has already been tested by some 520,000 pallets. Danone Waters and Evian in particular now appreciate the simplicity and flexibility of Interroll's application in a very high-tech environment subject to very demanding industrial working conditions. The gravity pallet conveyor — which may have seemed rather rustic at first glance — ultimately provided EVIAN® with a cost-effective and long-term solution for the future development of the brand!

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ARC INFORMATIQUE IS AWARDED PATENT FOR ITS PCVUE SCADA/HMI INNOVATION IN CONTEXTUAL MOBILITY

Leading SCADA/HMI provider ARC Informatique has been granted a patent for its innovation in Contextual Mobility.

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he company designed the patented systems and methods for location-based control of equipment and facility resources. It is particularly important for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) including Building Management Systems (BMS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquistion (SCADA) and Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) as described by Patent No. 9,819,509.

The massive adoption of smart mobile devices by field engineers and operators is creating new opportunities and also new challenges for mobile workers. Today, automated systems in the plant and facilities generate large amounts of information that must be intelligently presented as relevant information and controls, given the much smaller screen size of mobile devices when compared to control rooms. ICS users have demanded innovative approaches to monitor, diagnose, maintain and control industrial and building assets from their mobile device.

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The patented systems and methods are now incorporated in PcVue Solutions. Via a mobile device, location information of a user, in or near a facility, is detected using a position sensor.

The location information is communicated wirelessly from the user’s mobile device to a server. One or more actions are determined as being available to the user based on the location information and user role - where actions represent those available in an ICS application. Instructions are communicated to cause the mobile device to display the determined available actions in a user interface. This enables the user to receive messages and interact with equipment or facility resources located in proximity to the 23 | Industry Asia Pacific | January 2018

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user by interacting with the one or more actions displayed in the user interface without any need to navigate on their mobile device!

“We listened carefully to our customer’s needs to provide a creative solution to fit their changing work processes and help them achieve their goals more efficiently,” explained Pierre de Bailliencourt, CEO of ARC Informatique.

PcVue Solution’s Contextual Mobility will be presented at trade shows around the world, including the SPS IPC Drives exhibition for electric automation in Nuremburg, Germany on November 28th-30th ,the DistribuTECH Conference in San Antonio, USA, January 23rd-25th, and the IoT World Paris, France, March 21th-22th Please visit PcVue Solutions’ website for the schedule of exhibitions showcasing this exciting new technology. www.pcvuesolutions.com

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NEW STRATEGIES FOR ORTHOPEDIC COMPONENT MACHINING

Numerous factors drive a growing demand for orthopaedic replacement and repair devices. The medical parts include artificial joints as well as plates, rods and pins used to repair or reinforce areas of the body after accidents or disease.

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emand for the parts is expanding as life spans lengthen and aging results in arthritis and osteoporosis. Worldwide trends towards higher body weight and obesity put additional strain on skeletal joints.

Changing lifestyles, from a lack physical activity for some to increased sports participation for others, further fuel demand for renewed body parts. Growth of emerging economies is giving greater numbers of people the resources to afford orthopedic devices. The Global Market Insights consulting group predicts that the global orthopaedic devices market will grow to â‚Ź50B ($53B) by 2024.

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Competition Prompts Tooling Development Approximately five major suppliers claim 85 percent of the highly-competitive orthopaedic component market, with more than 200 other companies vying for the rest. In the light of such intense competition, device manufacturers continually seek ways to make the parts more quickly, costefficiently. By applying new materials, implants are stronger and lighter and able to perform in the human body for up to 25 years. In addition, orthopaedic devices are part of the overall consumer goods trend towards personalization; medical device manufacturers seek ways to custom-tailor 23 | Industry Asia Pacific | January 2018

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their products to individual patient physiognomy and other preferences. Product diversity has become a key competitive edge. As a result, machine tool makers are under pressure to develop ways to machine complex contours quickly, and toolmakers are focusing cutting tool technologies on speed and flexibility. Advanced manufacturing technology initiatives include 3D printing and advanced cooling technologies for machining operations.

Typical Components Orthopaedic devices include hip and knee replacement components, artificial elbow and ankle joints, trauma repair instruments, spinal bone plates and various repair pins, rods and fasteners. Joint reconstruction makes up over 40 percent of the market, with the majority of that in hip and knee replacement. The key requirements for these parts are strength, reliability, light weight and biocompatibility.

Machining Challenges Orthopaedic components are typically machined from bar stock, castings or forgings and then ground and polished.

For hip and knee implants, the most common workpiece material is cobalt-chrome alloy, with the use of titanium

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on the increase. A typical cobalt chrome alloy is similar to CoCr28Mo6, and the Ti6Al4V titanium alloy is most common.

Both materials are biocompatible and very strong and stiff, making them excellent for application in orthopaedic components. However, those same properties also make the alloys difficult to machine. Cobalt chrome is hard and abrasive, has high elasticity and conducts heat poorly.

The alloys may contain hard, abrasive elements that cause severe abrasive tool wear, and the chips produced are tough and continuous, requiring special attention to chip control cutting edge geometries.

Coolant Required Because machining the materials used in orthopedic implants typically generates excessive heat, use of coolant is required. However, in many cases use of traditional coolants is either prohibited extremely limited to prevent contamination of the parts. Otherwise, time-consuming and

Developed by Fusion Coolant Systems, the process provides the capability to machine parts without oils, emulsions or synthetics. When carbon dioxide is pressurized above 74 bar (1,070 psi) and 31Âş C, it becomes a supercritical fluid. In this state, it fills a container like a gas, but with a density similar to a liquid. When delivered to the cutting zone, scCO2 expands to form dry ice, though it does not create a cryogenic substance like liquid nitrogen. The end result is an incredibly effective coolant solution that often outperforms existing systems that incorporate high pressure water/oil, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), liquid CO2 and liquid nitrogen.

3D printed components Another nontraditional manufacturing technology is seeing increased application in orthopaedic device production. The process of 3D printing uses titanium and cobalt-chromium alloy powders to produce complex, near-net-shape parts.

In the medical industry, selective laser melting (SLM) melts the powders to build components layer by layer. The process allows medical manufacturers to generate special part contours and dimensions custom-tailored to individual

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Titanium is very light and strong. It also work-hardens when machined and is a poor conductor of heat. The heat concentrates on the cutting edge and the tool face. The combination of high temperatures, high cutting forces and friction from the passage of the chip causes crater wear and tool failure. The material’s low modulus of elasticity, a benefit in some implant applications, causes material to spring back from the cutting edge, demanding close attention to cutting tool sharpness.

expensive post-machining cleaning processes are needed.

In addition, coolant itself poses environmental issues in regard to employee health and safety and disposal policies.

An alternative coolant technology involves the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCo2) dry-cutting technology. this supercritical Co2 acts as a vehicle to deliver dry and enhanced lubrication to a cutting zone.

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patients. The process can also produce consistent micropore surfaces that expedite bonding between the part and living bone. For finish machining, parts produced via 3D printing maintain most of the machining characteristics of the metals they are made from. However, parts may have to receive post-printing treatments to relieve uneven stresses generated during processing. In addition, for postmachining, fixturing can sometimes be a challenge due to the parts’ near-net shapes and complex contours.

Replacement Parts A total knee replacement typically consists of three basic components: A contoured metal (cobalt chrome or titanium) element called the femoral component is attached to the knee end of the femur, the large upper leg bone. A metal component called the tibial tray is affixed to the top of the tibia bone of the lower leg and consists of a short shaft or keel that supports a flat surface with raised edges. A plastic bearing insert between the metal parts permits motion of the joint.

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Similarly, a hip replacement has three main parts: A metal femoral stem topped with a femoral cap or head is inserted into the top or hip end of the femur. A metal acetabular cup or socket set in the pelvis accepts the ball. The new alinea bearing insert in the knee and the plastic cup in the hip typically are machined in UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene).

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Combining Manufacturing Methods The metal alloy components of orthopedic implants must possess excellent surface finishes to minimize wear of any plastic parts and permit the joint to function for its projected lifetime of 20 years or more. In a knee replacement, for example, both the femoral component and tibial tray must be absolutely smooth to protect the plastic bearing insert against wear.

Accordingly, manufacture of orthopaedic components typically requires that grinding operations follow the milling process in order to achieve a sufficiently fine finish.

Grinding, however, is time consuming and impact overall manufacturing efficiency and flexibility. Equally important, grinding generates high temperatures and stress in the ground components, leading to component dimensional errors and affect the product’s strength and performance.

Grinding can be supported or in some cases replaced with the application of advanced cutting tools and high-speed milling strategies. The goal of the milling operations is to achieve a burr-free outside profile and a superior surface finish that offers the exact required surface quality, integrity and dimensional accuracy. If there is a post treatment such as polishing, the time for that task can be minimized because of the defined surface roughness and structure achieved in the milling process. On the tooling side, parallel goals are long, reliable tool life and maximum productivity.

NEWS In a representative application, a cast cobalt-chrome femoral component was finished using a ball-nose end mill on a 5-axis milling machine. High-speed copy milling strategies and use of a high-performance end mill enabled elimination of a grinding operation. The resulting cycle time of 11 minutes per part represented a 50 percent time reduction compared to prior method. The change from grinding to milling the condyle surface eliminated the generation of scrap parts. The solid-carbide end mills employed featured a dedicated tough solid-carbide grade and a hard, polished TiAlSiN coating and were engineered to provide high metal removal rates and smooth cutting action to achieve superior finish and minimize polishing time.

Multiple Operations The complex contours of orthopaedic components often necessitate use of specific sequences of specialized tools.

The tibial tray, for example, typically can require up to seven separate machining operations. Those operations can include roughing, tray base roughing, tray base finishing, chamfer milling, t-slot undercut machining, wall finishing/ chamfering, and undercut deburring. The challenge is to achieve superior surface finishes with minimal manual intervention as well as reliable tool performance with the best combination of productivity, cost and quality.

Traditionally, carrying out these sorts of multiple operations dictated the use of separate special tools developed to produce each required contour, dimension and surface finish. Special tools require investment in design and development time and expense, and due to their low production volume may have extended lead times and availability constraints.

A new approach involves the development and use of tools that are standardized for productive use in these applications but retain flexibility that enables enable them to be used in a variety of similar parts in the orthopedic industry. (See sidebar) Conclusion Global demographic and economic trends strongly indicate that the demand for sophisticated orthopedic components will grow. At the same time, consumer desires and the determination of medical parts manufacturers to differentiate themselves from competitors are combining to promote development of orthopaedic components that are personalized to meet the requirements of individual patients. Surprisingly, variable part specificity can be achieved with tools that are less specialized, more flexible and more cost-efficient than the custom tools previously applied to produce the parts.

www.secotools.com

Some design details of orthopaedic devices differ greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer, but the products also share many generic features simply because all human bodies are basically the same. Although manufacturers traditionally have machined the parts with custom tools, there is there is wide and productive middle ground for tools can that can efficiently machine the generic features in multiple materials necessitated the need to generate a full suite of custom tools.

Seco has closely analysed the medical component manufacturing processes and employed more than a decade of medical part machining experience to develop a standardized range of end mills for machining cobalt chrome orthopaedic components. The goal was to convert specialized tooling solutions into a more flexible, standardized range. The tools offer performance characteristics that allow them to be applied across a wide range of parts and materials.

Standardizing the tools offers multiple benefits. Significant time is saved in eliminating the design, prototyping, and testing of custom tools. Because the tools are standards, they are presented in our Catalogue and available around the world through SECO’s distribution centers. They are also produced in high-volume production that lowers cost per tool.

The new range of tools includes nine different geometries and a total of 39 items. The relatively small selection is expanded with different sizes, radii and dimensions.

The tools are engineered to produce specific features that are common to a variety of orthopaedic components, including knee and hip parts, but are also applicable to bone plates, spinal parts, and other components.

Each of the nine geometries has a specific function or application area.

Individual focuses range from roughing and finishing to t-slot undercutting to production of fine finishes on complex contoured parts.

The JH770 end mill, for example, is engineered for roughing operations and is available in 4, 5, and 6 flute styles that enable variations of the tool to rough from solid or perform near-net-shape operations. The tool features a short overall length to maximise rigidity during heavy metal removal. Also part of the standardized offering is the JH780, a 4 flute tapered ball nose (TBN) for 5 axis finishing of tight component details such as the box feature of a femoral condyle.

The standardized tools are manufactured in a tough solid-carbide grade (12% Co) and have SECO’s in-house developed polished TiAlSiN HXT coating.

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About the Authors: Jan-Willem van Iperen (Medical applications Engineer) and Ruud Zanders (Jabro Product manager) were part of the SECO development team and can assist you in finding your best-fit standardized solution in milling medical components. Support for CAM programming is also available.

Standardized Tools and Application Support Provide Multiple Benefits

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INSTALLED ON THE FLY

The designated installation space for safety and sorting systems for baggage logistics at Victoria Airport was very limited.

Standardized, plug-in IE4 drives for baggage handling systems.

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ne baggage handling system OEM came to greatly appreciate certain features of the NORD DRIVESYSTEMS products they had chosen to include: encoder connectivity, positioning capability, and plug-in connectors that ensure fast and safe installation and commissioning. In addition, versatile interfaces enable efficient networking and remote monitoring of the devices in the field as well as the use of drives as distributed I/O nodes. On top of that, they were able to benefit from a variant reduction that greatly simplified spare parts management.

Though passenger numbers and luggage volume at Victoria Airport in British Columbia, Canada, are nowhere near the numbers at large international hubs, it was exactly for this reason that the baggage handling system (BHS) posed major challenges to the handling system OEM. This airport did not have a lot of room to accommodate all the usual modules – from check-in through security screening to sorting. The airport company commissioned Glidepath, a manufacturer specializing in baggage conveying, parcel sorting, and freight logistics technology.

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Lots of technology in little space The new handling system has a capacity of 750 pieces of luggage per hour. “The baggage handling system is made up of 85 conveyors with a total length of some 250 m,” says Jason Williams, project engineer at Glidepath. “It comprises two in-line screening CT machines. It has two decision points for sortation, and it has two separate infeed lines. It has fourway sorters, spiral power curves, bag alignment devices, a luffing conveyor, and Glidepath’s proprietary ploughs and power curves.”

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Luggage is screened before it can be admitted onto a plane.

NORD AC vector drives consisting of an energy-efficient geared motor and a distributed frequency inverter power the conveyor modules.

All in one All drive tasks are carried out by IE4 AC vector drives from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS. Each drive unit consists of an IE4 permanent-magnet synchronous motor, a motor-mounted NORDAC FLEX frequency inverter, and a two-stage gearbox.

The hollow shaft gearboxes are secured on the drive axis with a Gripmaxx bushing. This attachment ensures safe, easy-maintenance fitting without keys. The drive systems achieve excellent efficiencies even in the partial load range and at low speeds. They therefore pay for their initial cost within a few years or even only months, and total expenses over the product lifespan are significantly reduced. The frequency inverters are configured exactly to Glidepath’s specifications – with plug-in connectors for power, communications, encoders, and sensors. They feature an internal EtherNet/IP interface and are designed for easy feed-through installation.

The AC vector drives integrating an Industrial Ethernet interface enable remote control of the application.

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Easy, intelligent networking The pluggable drives saved Glidepath a lot of time during installation and commissioning. The coded connectors enable speedy, error-free networking. Williams appreciates the versatile interfaces: “Thanks to the field I/O capability of the NORD drives, we were able to connect the majority of our field devices directly to the frequency inverters.”

Featuring Industrial Ethernet communications, the drives enable not only remote monitoring and control of all drive axes, but also seamless monitoring of connected sensors and actuators. For Williams, this was a crucial factor: “The real

NEWS All connections are made with coded connectors; the inverter directly connects motor encoders and other sensors, enabling remote monitoring.

Connecting the photo eyes to the inverters (wall-mounted) significantly reduces the cabling effort for Glidepath.

advantage here is, the drives support high-speed Ethernet, which allows for reliable bag tracking on our system.”

Positioning function a welcome bonus The drive systems take on various tasks at the conveyor modules. They move luggage at different speeds from one belt to the next. They ensure accurate height adjustment when conveying diagonally. Glidepath only came to realize the full potential of the integrated positioning function of NORDAC FLEX inverters once the drives were commissioned.

As they gathered parameters for various applications, NORD engineers soon found that the positioning function was the optimal solution for the luggage sorters. “On our four-way sorters, we took advantage of the NORD positioning system.

We are very happy with the result.”

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Great service ensures smooth processes Glidepath project engineer Williams is more than satisfied with the professional service. A NORD specialist for their industrial sector provided significant support to Glidepath through efficient standardization. “On this project, we have just five different gear ratios for a job that has 90-odd motors in total and three different motor sizes”, Williams says. “That is a huge advantage. As a consequence, we need only one spare drive per gear type and engine size.” The high service level was maintained throughout the project. “We did not have any issues with commissioning NORD products. They were probably the best thing to commission on the whole job, to be honest. We did pre-commissioning on our own, but 23 | Industry Asia Pacific | January 2018

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we also had the benefit of getting a NORD commissioning engineer on-site with us over the four-day commissioning phase, and he was just fantastic. He was very knowledgeable and very happy to share information, teaching us how to use the NORD CON software and the hand-held programmers.

In particular, he helped us with setting up the position control with which we were not yet familiar. All of that was so valuable… it was really good. And the service did not cease with installation and commissioning. I know NORD is just a phone call away, and they have folks close-by in Seattle who can come to the airport quickly when we ask them to.” After several months, Williams expanded on the drive performance in regular operation: “We are very happy with the NORD products. There is nothing I can say that is negative about them. Everything is running. We have not had any problems with drives. We have not had to replace anything. It has been a very good project, showing proof of a great collaboration between Glidepath and NORD.” www.nord.com

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FASTER EMC-COMPLIANT DEVELOPMENT OF DRIVE ELECTRONICS

NORD has extensive testing capacities for rapid, efficient product development, including an EMC cabin.

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS is equipped to fast-track in-house electronic drive developments to seriesproduction readiness.

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uring prototype development, the drive manufacturer conducts comprehensive tests with frequency inverters and motor starters in an EMC cabin at the company's HQ location in Germany.

These documented tests significantly accelerate the CE certification process.

NORD is able to examine the EMC behavior of electronic drives on their own as well as in combination with a motor, including specific setups as requested by a customer.

This enables checks of circuits and installations, which helps speed up subsequent inspections by accredited laboratories.

Electromagnetic compatibility or EMC testing examines two different aspects: on the one hand, drive electronics are checked for their own emission of electromagnetic energy, which must not exceed specific limit values. On the other hand, these test objects must also be confirmed to be immune to interference from other emission sources.

The drive technology manufacturer also runs climate unit tests to ascertain resistance to cold, heat, moisture, and temperature changes, and can perform temperature monitoring to ensure that products stay within their designated operating temperature range.

At a glance: Cabin for EMC testing CE-compliant development of drive electronics Tests of: - frequency inverters up to 160 kW - motor starters - drive electronics connected to a motor - complete customer-specific installations

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Using the in-house EMC cabin, NORD is able to detect potential problem sources at an early stage and efficiently resolve any such issues well in time. The latest product family of field distribution systems, including all-new size 2 inverters (5.5 and 7.5 kW), was recently classified using this testing facility, and development of another product series is already in full swing as well.

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RELIABLE DETECTION OF OBJECTS AND FILL LEVELS

Capacitive sensors for a reliable detection of objects and fill levels Author Martina Schili Corporate Communications

Whether solid, liquid or granular – capacitive sensors are able to detect a multitude of different objects in a contactless and reactionless manner regardless of their material and shape. With its portfolio of optoelectronic and inductive switches, which now includes capacitive proximity switches, Leuze electronic can provide users with complete solutions for virtually all detection requirements in automation from a single source.

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apacitive proximity switches enable a wide variety of different objects and media to be detected in a contactless manner irrespective of their shape. The huge range of capacitive sensors mirrors the many different detection requirements of users in the automation sector.

For example, apart from fill levels of liquids, it is also possible to detect bulk material in direct contact with the medium or even through a non-metallic container wall. In addition to pure object positioning, other important areas of application include material flow monitoring, fill level monitoring, overflow protection and leak detection. Capacitive sensors are also particularly well-suited for monitoring the edges of plastic webs and for scanning stacks of paper. They are used to check for breakages of drive belts and conveying belts and act as transducers for counting tasks in the packaging and food industry and in the timber and plastics processing industry.

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The operating principle makes the difference The unique feature of capacitive sensors: These proximity switches demonstrate their strengths wherever other measurement principles no longer function. These strengths include in particular their high sensitivity as well as their ability to detect both electrically conductive and non-conductive objects. From a technical viewpoint, a capacitive sensor operates by detecting changes to the electrical field in the area around its active zone. If the capacitor plate behind the switching surface is supplied with current, an electric field is generated which reacts to changes in capacitance caused by an approaching object.

In this way, measurement variables which are interesting from a production-related point of view (such as fill levels or distances) can be transmitted to the control system.

Capacitive proximity switches are contactless sensors which are free from wear. This means that the detection process itself has no effect whatsoever on the product.

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Embedded sensor with linear electrical field scans without contact.

Non-embedded sensor with spherical electrical field scans at its active surface.

Filling level measurement, overflow protection and leakage detection are typical areas of application.

Furthermore, because there are no mechanical loads, the life expectancy of the sensor is completely unaffected by its switching frequency. Capacitive sensors are also immune to electromagnetic influences as well as to interference and pollutants in the air. They are therefore ideal for applications in contaminated and dusty environments where other sensors would be susceptible to interference.

The capacitive proximity switches in numerous variants extend the existing portfolio of optoelectronic and inductive switches from Leuze electronic. They provide users with customized complete solutions for virtually all detection requirements in automation from a single source – including the matching accessories. This ranges from cables in various versions to mounting clamps and quick-change adapters.

Author: Martina Schili Corporate Communications

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The installation situation determines the version used Basically, the ability of a sensor to detect an object is primarily determined by the size of the object, the dielectric constant and the distance to the active surface. Temperature-related influences as well as the speed of the measurement object also play a role. The installation situation often differs depending on the application. For this reason, the capacitive sensors from Leuze electronic are available in two versions – embedded and non-embedded. Embedded sensors with a linear electrical field scan at a distance and, if required, can also scan through a non-metallic barrier of up to 4mm thick, e.g. wafers, components, cardboard, plastic blocks or stacks of paper. They are even suitable for solids with a low dielectric constant, liquids and granulates. Non-embedded designs with a spherical electrical field, however, are predominantly used as contact sensors, i.e. their active surface comes into direct contact with the object to be scanned. Up to a certain point, material stuck to the active surface does not impair sensor performance. Like the embedded variants, the nonembedded designs are also suitable for e.g. the detection of bulk material and liquids. The only difference is that the non-

embedded sensor can make direct contact with the material to be detected. The capacitive proximity switches are available in cylindrical and cubic form. Cylindrical designs are particularly suitable for completeness monitoring in the packaging industry and for detection in rough and soiled environments. Owing to their shape, cubic sensors can be attached to, for example, the outside of containers, thereby enabling the reliable monitoring of fill levels or leaks.

www.leuze.de

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LOGISTICS IS A COMPETITIVE FACTOR FOR US Bürkert's new, fully automated container warehouse currently has a capacity of approximately 27,000 storage spaces in three aisles with double-deep storage.

Very satisfied with what has been accomplished thus far are (from left to right): Christian Hausner, Marc Steffen Dahlheimer and Josef Apfelbeck.

Bürkert Fluid Control Systems automates the supply process for assembly.

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ith the relocation of production and logistics to the new “Campus Criesbach” location, the Ingelfingen-based system manufacturer Bürkert Fluid Control Systems has significantly increased the degree of automation in the production processes. Also used in the intralogistics portion of the project, planned and implemented by general contractor SITLog, are various Leuze sensors.

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It was a decision for the future – and a commitment to Germany as a business location: At the end of 2016, the Bürkert Fluid Control Systems company brought into operation its new plant at the Campus in Criesbach, not far from the company headquarters in Ingelfingen. The manufacturer of measurement and control systems for liquids and gases invested a total of 30 million euros in the new building. “Our primary goal was to reduce the lead times in assembly to strengthen our competitive position for the long term,” says plant manager Marc Steffen Dahlheimer. “For this reason, we decided to significantly increase the degree of automation in intra-company logistics processes for supplying assembly operations and simultaneously maintain the flexibility in production.” In this regard, managing the many different variants is one of the greatest challenges in daily operation. This is because Bürkert primarily supplies complete solutions for customers, some with highly customized configuration. It is therefore necessary to keep a range of different parts on hand and to efficiently bring them to the assembly line. For this orderrelated production, automated logistics is a great advantage.

The intralogistics general contractor SITLog executed the control technology and visualization of the system under

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From the automated small-parts warehouse, empty containers are fully automatically fed to the order picking workplaces, filled with merchandise and then fully automatically transported on to shipment.

The assembly processes at Bürkert are fully automatically supplied with parts by the intra-company logistics system.

Used in the high-bay warehouse with pre-storage zones and order picking area are the BCL 348i, AMS 348i and DDLS 500 product solutions from Leuze.

its own direction. “We realized the steel construction for the automated small-parts warehouse, the mechanics for the high-bay storage devices and materials handling, the fire-protection gates, the platform for the front zone of the automated small-parts warehouse, the manual pallet warehouse as well as the delivery of the workbenches to the individual workstations through additional purchases,” explains Christian Hauser, project manager at SITLog. The main challenge here was the management of the different types of storage and transport containers already in use by Bürkert. “During the project, we concentrate on our core competencies of control and IT – all other components we procure from our partners, some of whom we have worked with for many years,” says Hausner. “We thereby simply achieve the best result for our customers.”

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Automated small-parts warehouse is the heart of the system This comprehensive approach convinced Bürkert as well.“We selected SITLog because we see the technical requirements in areas such as the number and design of the storage spaces or the connection via the materials handling system met here in the best possible way,” says Dahlheimer. “And, by integrating external partners who have a high level of specialized know-how in their respective fields of business, we were able to realize a solution that was optimized for us in all regards.” After all, no Bürkert customer is willing to pay for logistics services, but rather for the quality of the products and services. Fast, error-free delivery is something

that is simply assumed today – and that with a guaranteed standard delivery time of five days worldwide for products from the main product line. “This is not something we could afford without a functional, efficient intra-company logistics system. Furthermore, the products would be unaffordable for our customers,” says Dahlheimer. “For this reason, we view logistics as a true competitive advantage.” Bürkert's new, fully automated container warehouse currently has a capacity of approximately 27,000 storage spaces in three aisles with double-deep storage. Used are two different container sizes with dimensions of 600 x 400 mm and 465 x 315 mm and a load capacity of up to 20 kg. Multiorder picks can be performed at the total of four order picking workplaces, i.e., picking of the same components for multiple, parallel orders – a decisive time advantage in the highly competitive market. Also available are two conveyor lines for the production connection, twelve primary packaging workplaces and three outgoing goods lanes. The handling capacities of the automated small-parts warehouse are impressive: 285 double cycles per hour, 400 containers per hour in both order picking and production as well as 600 containers per hour in both primary packaging and empty container return.

Solutions from mid-size companies for the mid-size market Important tasks for smooth material flow are performed by optoelectronic products. Used in the high-bay warehouse with pre-storage zones and order picking area are the 23 | Industry Asia Pacific | January 2018

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“Our primary goal was to reduce the lead times in assembly in order to strengthen our competitive position for the long term.” Marc Steffen Dahlheimer, Bürkert plant manager.

“During the project, we concentrate on our core competencies of control and IT – all other components we procure from our partners, most of whom we have worked with for many years.”

Christian Hausner, SITLog product manager.

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BCL 348i, AMS 348i and DDLS 500i product solutions from Leuze electronic. The BCL 348i stationary bar code reader with integrated Profinet interface, together with the AMS 348i optical distance measurement system, performs very complex tasks in this project. The bar code reader reliably performs the bar code identification of the containers and their content, and the AMS laser positioning system ensures the positioning of the high-bay storage devices. The DDLS 500i is the first optical data transmission photoelectric sensor with integrated web server for worldwide, locationindependent remote diagnostics. It makes it possible to wirelessly transmit the data in industrial networks from moving system parts in conveyor systems, such as high-bay storage devices, gantry crane bridges or side-tracking skates, and to do so without interference over longer distances, too. The data transmission photoelectric sensor is used for the optical data transmission of all Ethernet-based data protocols – such as the Profinet system used at Bürkert – with a real-time transmission speed of up to 100 Mbit per second.

“From this project, it is clear that warehouse automation absolutely makes sense, even for mid-size companies,” says Josef Apfelbeck, key account manager at Leuze electronic.

“It doesn't always have to be large applications with tens of thousands of items in the product range.” And of course, it is certainly no disadvantage that the participating partners – Bürkert, SITLog and Leuze – are all mid-size companies as well as owner-managed. “This considerably simplifies the

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“From this project, it is clear that warehouse automation absolutely makes sense, even for midsize companies.” Josef Apfelbeck, key account manager at Leuze electronic.

mutual understanding in certain matters and definitely played a role in the success of the project,” says Apfelbeck.

Bürkert gives positive interim assessment Bürkert is fully satisfied with what has been accomplished thus far. “Our customers order products with increasing frequency but in smaller quantities,” says Dahlheimer.

“With the solution now implemented, we have significantly reduced our lead times and shortened the delivery times to the customer.” We are particularly proud of the fact that the move to the new location was successfully completed during running operation and without significantly affecting delivery quality – that, too, is an achievement of the participating logistics partners. www.leuze.de

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RELIABLE DETECTION OF OBJECTS AND FILL LEVELS

Signing ceremony (left to right): From Interroll: Mr. Jaruk Youngsri, Director - Mr. Grisorn Nakapong, Managing Director.

From Amata: Mr. Chackchai Panichapat, Executive Director - Mr. Viboon Kromadit, Director and Chief Marketing Officer Ms. Chattrakarn Tumpakorn, Marketing Executive.

The rising demand from Southeast Asia for material flow solutions gives Interroll momentum to increase business activities with Thailand as a regional hub.

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nterroll announced today that production and office capacities in Thailand will be expanded within the next 15 months by moving from the existing production site in Amatanakorn Industrial Estate, Phase 8, to a new location in Phase 10. Construction on the new location will start in the first quarter of 2018 and is scheduled to be finalized at the beginning of the second quarter of 2019.

The new location will provide a shop floor of around 4,800 square meters as well as a 700-square-meter office space.

Ralf Garlichs, Executive Vice President Products & Technology at Interroll adds: “The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) so far has had a very positive impact on trade and logistics in the region and gives us an extend market base to grow upon. The new location enables us to produce a much larger range of our solutions in proximity to our target markets.” www.interroll.com

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“We look forward to run a state-of-the-art location with improved capacities. The move enables us to increase our productivity significantly by introducing product lines with One Piece Flow,” says Grisorn Nakapong, Managing Director of Interroll Thailand. “Growth markets in Southeast Asia— especially Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Myanmar— are showing a good demand for our products. For our customers and end users, the move means upgraded services and faster delivery times. For our current and future employees, this means a top work environment.”

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