CEE_19_11 by Modiconlv

Control, Instrumentation and Automation in the Process and Manufacturing Industries November 2019

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Plug and work for simple electric movements

Industrial communications: Get smart but stay safe

Is industry embracing digital twins?

SPS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Smart Production Solutions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; exhibition preview

CONTENTS Next stop 2020!

Editor Suzanne Gill suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk Sales Manager Adam Yates adam.yates@imlgroup.co.uk Production Holly Reed holly.reed@imlgroup.co.uk Dan Jago David May G and C Media

Group Publisher Production Manager Studio Design

I was interested to read a Research and Markets report which stated that, by 2022, 85% of all Internet of Things (IoT) platforms will embrace digital twins and so I set out to see whether industry is actually on course to meet these figures. The resulting article is on page 8. Also in this issue we see how process control solutions are evolving to meet the need for more collaborative working practices (pg 10). We cannot ignore the fact that the SPS - Smart Production Solutions exhibition is upon us once more, and this issue outlines some of the highlights of this year’s event (pg 24). We will be putting together a more extensive review of the exhibition – with booth reports, exhibitor interviews and news of the most exciting show launches – in the February 2020 issue. So, it now only leaves me to wish you a peaceful and happy festive season, and I look forward to continuing to provide you with all the latest control technology news and comment in the coming year. Suzanne Gill Editor – Control Engineering Europe suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk

INDUSTRY REPORT

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

24 Automation technology providers will showcase their industrial automation offerings at the SPS - Smart Production Solutions exhibition in Nuremberg from 26 – 28 November

Digital twin collaboration discussed at ARC India Forum

DIGITAL TWINS 8

Is industry embracing digital twins?

ROBOTICS 28 Release your robots to increase productivity

PROCESS CONTROL 10 Can the process control system provide a reliable basis for collaboration? 16 Getting on board with a modern DCS solution

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS 18 The FDT integration standard is set to transition into an information exchange platform which will enable cloud-based asset monitoring for field devices

PG 18

PG 24

20 Find out more about CIP Security – an enhancement to Ethernet/IP technology to address cybersecurity 22 Food for thought on how the fieldbus choice is made PG 6

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November 2019

INDUSTRY REPORTS

Digital twin collaboration

Sharada Prahladrao, PR manager at ARC India, reports from the ARC India Forum.

t the ARC India Forum in July, Bentley Systems focused on digital twins, and its collaborative efforts. Tracing the digital journey, speakers from Bentley explained how industry moved from drawing boards to the computer 20 years ago; and then on to servers and now to the Cloud with unlimited computing power. Presentations by Anne-Marie Walters, industry marketing director, Oil and Gas and Manufacturing at Bentley Systems; and Amit Shrivastava, regional sales engagement manager at Bentley Systems, highlighted several areas: • Digital twins have emerged as a key focus area for infrastructure projects and assets. • Integration between information technology (IT), operational technology (OT), and engineering technology (ET) is vital to streamline business processes. • Bentley has developed technology partnerships with companies such as Siemens to help speed industrial growth. In previous years Bentley has focused on its going digital strategy and the connected data environment (CDE) at the forum. This year, it was all about digital twins. Walters began her presentation by explaining what a digital twin is and why it is now the company’s focus area. In simple terms, it is the digital representation of a physical asset, process, or system; which is continuously surveyed or synchronised from multiple sources to generate insights for predictability and performance optimisation.

November 2019

Walters also spoke about digital workflows and the huge benefits realised in terms of health and safety, operator training, planned shut-downs and maintenance after information verification. “Sharing information in a digital, 3D world enables greater collaboration and stakeholder engagement,” explained Walters. “Digital twins help simulate the work environment and perform status checks, predict possibility of failure, plan logistics, check progress and so on.” Shrivastava went on to talk about solutions to combat today’s challenges – the main one being data aggregation. Digital twins require data from information and operational technologies to understand the current state of the project or asset. Combining data from engineering technologies into a digital twin enables simulations so users can try out different scenarios or predict the performance of an asset, he explained. In this context he spoke about Siemens and Bentley Systems’ jointly

developed PlantSight. The two companies created the PlantSight digital twin solution to help customers improve the efficiency of their plant operations, with process plant operations being documented in data. Typically, this information is stored in multiple silos of information in various formats, making it difficult to access and verify. PlantSight brings all this data and information together, then contextualises, validates, and visualises it. It transforms data into one complete digital twin – an ‘evergreen’ digital twin that is continuously updated. It is hoped that PlantSight will help process plant owner-operators realise the benefits of digital twins, up-dated in real time for operations, without disrupting their existing physical or virtual environment. Shrivastava explained the company’s step-wise approach: • Create a 3D reality mesh from 2D photographs or scans. • Train the software to automatically recognise and classify components. • Visualise classified components. • Aggregate with other information into digital twins. Reality modelling is already being used to transform photographs into accurate 3D models to zoom in on the trouble spots (such as rusted parts) and fix them. Adding the element of time with continuous surveying,

PlantSight is a digital twin solution for process industries.

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Control Engineering Europe

Total set to open a digital factory Total will open a Digital Factory in Paris early in 2020 with the aim of bringing together up to 300 developers, data scientists and other experts to accelerate the Group’s digital transformation. The goal of the project is to leverage the capabilities of digital tools to create value in all of its businesses. The Digital Factory will be tasked with developing the digital solutions needed by the company to improve its operations, in terms of both availability and cost; offer new services to customers, notably in the area of managing and controlling energy consumption; extend its reach to new distributed energies; and reduce its environmental impact. Total’s ambition is to generate as much as $1.5 billion in value per year for the company by 2025 through additional revenue and reductions in operating or investment expenses. Commenting on the project,

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Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and chief executive officer of Total, said: “I am convinced that digital technology is a critical driver for achieving our excellence objectives across all of Total’s business segments. Total’s Digital Factory will serve as an accelerator, allowing the Group to systematically deploy customised digital solutions. Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G are revolutionising our industrial practices, and we will have the knowhow in Paris to integrate them in our businesses as early as possible. The Digital Factory will also attract the new talent essential to our company’s future.” The Digital Factory is a new step in Total’s transformation process. It follows the signature of major partnership agreements with Google on artificial intelligence and geosciences and with Tata Consultancy Services on Refinery 4.0.

November 2019

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Both Bentley speakers highlighted the benefits of employing digital twins

Digital twins merge the real (physical) and virtual worlds. Both presentations brought into sharp focus the importance of digital twins across industries and substantiated this with examples and case studies. What came across clearly was that when companies collaborate and complement their strengths, end users benefit. !

940 €

Digital twin benefits

which includes: • Efficiency: Improved data quality and security; up-to-date 2D and 3D plant documentation; continuous monitoring and optimising of plant assets. • Cost reductions: Faster operational readiness; direct and easy access to information. • Revenue growth: Faster and collaborative decision making.

from

the severity and speed of deterioration can be detected and predicted. A recent example can be found at Shell’s largest onshore construction project, the creation of an ethylene plant in the US. A drone surveying company is continuously creating reality models of the construction site on a bi-weekly basis. The drones take project snapshots and 3D models are created, providing an effective top-down view of how construction is progressing and what needs to be done. Everything on the site is located by an equipment tag; all the databases are connected, with accountability for three million documents and equipment tags.

On target.

INDUSTRY REPORTS

Innovative Infrared Technology

COVER STORY

Plug and work for simple electric movements When simplicity of pneumatics meets advantages of electric actuators

For simple applications and motion tasks, pneumatic actuators are the preferred choice, they combine simplicity in installation and control, and highly attractive investment cost in one. Festo as a leading supplier for both pneumatic and electric automation components, now brought the simplicity of pneumatics to the world of electric automation, with the new electric Simplified Motion Series.

ven if pneumatics is the preferred solution for applications requiring simple movements, the technology is more and more facing a digitalised world. Here, up to date information about actuator status is required to reduce commissioning times, enabling cost-efficient production and deal with shorter product life-cycles. Moreover, even if pneumatic actuators â&#x20AC;&#x201C; regarding investment cost â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are the most attractive technology, total cost of ownership must also be considered. Diagnostics and big data require a seamless flow of information from the workpiece to the controller and cloud. Traditional pneumatic systems struggle with this challenge, as the compressed air cannot transmit data. With these factors being considered, it is not surprising that machine builders see electric motion more and more as valid compliment or even alternative to pneumatics.

November 2019

Simple movements So, why has the move from pneumatic to electric not happened? Looking at the needs and trends it would be expected that the transformation would be far faster than it is. This might be explained by the evolution in new pneumatic technology, solving new demands with mature technology. However, the more obvious explanation is that most of the complex motion in machines is already solved with electric actuators and simple movements are easily solved with pneumatics. And in this field, existing electric actuators have some shortcomings: they are still too costly and too complex to commission. A pneumatic system can be put into operation with moderate expertise and a screwdriver, it needs higher training, electric expertise and software know-how to make electric cylinders run between two positions. Festo took this market

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demand for simple electric actuators and solved it in the new Simplified Motion Series.

Simplified installation Simplified Motion Series from Festo therefore is not only a new line of electric actuators, it is designed from the bottom up to offer simplicity in installation. The core component of the Simplified Motion Series, launched in September 2019, is a new integrated motor with a permanently attached drive unit, available pre-mounted to a range of mechanical actuators. This enables rotary and linear movements with a variety of formats for the actuator. This concept not only reduces installation space but also minimizes installation time and cost in production processes.

Simplified motion profiles A mechanical installation concept itself does not help close the gap to pneumatics, the deciding feature is

Control Engineering Europe

COVER STORY

functionality. Therefore, it is important to concentrate on reducing the motion complexity of the Simplified Motion Series actuator to build a real alternative. A simple movement between two mechanically defined end positions with a pneumatic actuator is done with a hard stop or cushioning and is not always 100% reproduceable in cycle time, Simplified Motion Series implements a fixed acceleration and deceleration ramp with a constant speed to realize a gently cushioned and reproduceable movement. Pneumatics has the wonderful functionality to switch from a dynamic movement to a pressing mode without additional cost. With electrics this can only be done with programming effort in traditional electric actuators but is solved in a smart way in the new series. Here the speedcontrolled distance can be shortened, transferring it smoothly in a force controlled pressing and movement with zero programming effort.

Basic profile for movement between two end positions: with speed control

Simplified operation and control The concept of the simplicity of pneumatics with the advantages of electric actuators is extended to the control element, combining software free commissioning with state-of-theart control options for simple actuators: Digital I/O and IO-Link. The motor is equipped with just two standard connectors and is based on the „plug and work“ principle: no software and no need to parameterise. Providing the same ease of use, all adjustments can be set directly on the motor using 3 buttons and an easy to understand LED menu, the speed level and force level for the two directions can be set. In addition, the buttons are used to set the reference end position and the transfer point from speed to force control. Finally, all movements can be tested by Demo-Mode directly on the device. This enables all axis on a machine to be fully commissioned before the software engineer has even opened their laptop. At its simplest, the actuators are controlled using two digital inputs, similar to a 5/3-way pneumatic valve, allowing a low-cost installation. Using two digital outputs, it is also possible to detect if the end positions have been reached, like a cylinder switch – but without the additional cost. The most interesting feature though is IO-Link functionality integrated as standard, bringing the simple electric actuators into the world of Industry 4.0 and digitalisation. With IO-Link, all parameters can be adjusted remotely, copied on multiple drives or used as backup in case of actuator breakdown.

Moreover, many process parameters like travelled distance and cycles can be read out easily for predictive maintenance use or sending to the cloud. Finally, with IO-Link control it is possible to stop a movement at a defined position in the middle of the stroke, avoiding mechanical end stops like with pneumatics. This makes Simplified Motion Series even more flexible. As all actuators of the series are always containing Digital I/O and IO-Link in one, it´s also possible to use the advantages of both options, like commissioning with IO-Link and control with Digital I/O.

Simple electrical connection via M12 plug design for logic and power supply

Product overview With all these features of software, free commissioning and simple control by Digital I/O and IO-Link bundled in a compact integrated actuator unit, thanks to Simplified Motion Series the simplicity of pneumatics is now combined for the first time with the advantages of electric automation, enabling machine builders to use electric actuators also for very simple tasks, bringing their machines to a new level.

Expanded movement profile for simplified press-fitting and clamping functions: with speed and force control

A* B C

“Out” movement “In” movement Reference end position Operating position Start position “press”

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November 2019

DIGITAL TWINS

Embracing digital twins A Research and Markets report – Internet of Things (IoT) Digital Twinning: Market Outlook for IoT enabled Physical to Virtual Mapping and Management 2017-2022 – stated that, by 2022, 85% of all IoT platforms will embrace digital twins. Suzanne Gill finds out if industry is still on course to meet these figures.

enedikt Rauscher, manager Global IoT / I4.0 Projects at Pepperl+Fuchs AG, believes that we are definitely on course to meet these figures. He said: “Digital twins are one of the most important and interesting applications for IoT platforms. They are generating added value during the engineering process, during integration and also during operation of plants or machines. Nearly all industrial platforms now also host digital twins or hold the data which is needed for setting up a digital twin.” Steve Sands, product and marketing manager at Festo UK, pointed out that Digital twins have been available in different forms for several years. For example, Festo has implemented an identifier called a Product Key. Typing

November 2019

this code into the support portal or simply accessing it through a mobile device by reading a mini QR code the user can gain a detailed understanding of the product. They can draw down from the cloud the product description, images, drawings and connection diagrams, installation procedures and spare parts information. This contains information generic to the part and also individual to its manufacture such as its configuration, manufacture site and date, hardware, firmware versions etc. Industry 4.0 is driving this process further by standardising on a common format called the Administration Shell which enables data such as this to be digitally exchanged and understood in machine-to-machine communications. IIoT platforms will definitely embrace digital twins and this is already in

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practical use today. Work on the definition and demonstration of the Administration is intensively underway, describing the information content and providing it in UML diagram, XML, JSON and shortly OPC-UA and AutomationML formats. I went on to ask further questions: Q: What effect are you seeing digital twin technology having on different market sectors (machine builders, systems integrators and end users in manufacturing sector)? Sands: Standardised, digital twins will be essential in making many of today’s tasks faster, easier and more powerful. Machine builders will be able to configure and create powerful simulations of components, subassemblies and machines. Multiple

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devices will be self-recognising and configuring for faster systems build and programming will be fully supported by a new generation of function blocks. In operation, the digital twin will again be the key to fast, easy set-up of dashboards for condition monitoring and performance optimisation – whether that be quality, productivity or energy consumption. Information in the Administration Shell is intended to be transparent throughout the machine supply chain. Rauscher: Machine builders will offer digital twins to integrators and end users creating new business models and system integrators will use digital twins of machines to simulate a plant before it exists physically to shorten installation times. For end users, digital twins provide input data for predictive maintenance approaches or enable engineers to optimise the efficiency of their plants and machines. Q: Do you think the adoption of digital twin technology will affect the role of the manufacturing/process industry control engineer, and how? Sands: Control engineers will be using new software and cloud-based tools to make best use of these digital twin / cyber-physical assets. At the user level these will be more familiar to today’s IT professionals, honing the communication between pieces of plant, machine-tomachine and human-machine interfaces. There is already no shortage of data, the challenge is finding the productivity insights. Filtering, aggregating and effectively communicating information at the right time to the right people. Rauscher: Digital twins are becoming a powerful tool for control engineers and are going to have a big impact on the engineering process and on the operation of a machine or a plant as well. The digital twin needs data from the physical asset. Additional or already existing sensors have to be connected to the digital twin and the engineers Control Engineering Europe

DIGITAL TWINS have to set up this connectivity and integrate the additional data into the data platforms and the digital twins. Concepts like P+F Comtrol’s MultiLink implement additional data paths from sensors to digital twins on several data platforms. The data can be used completely independent from the critical communication between sensor and control unit. Q: How do you think the adoption of digital twin technology will affect the future relationship between machine builders/systems integrators and their end-user customers? Sands: The founders of Industry 4.0 recognised the profound impact on people that the achievement of the vision would have. It has been considered as integral to the journey – starting with the collaboration between service providers, system developers and component manufacturers. This next generation networking needs to continue between machine builders, system developers and end-users. Some collaborative networks will want to fully grasp the vision and potential of Industry 4.0, sharing data, providing new services and sharing in the benefits. However, this is a long leap from many of today’s purchaser / supplier relationships and therefore there is likely to be a whole spectrum of speed and degree of uptake of the new technologies as they become commercially available. Rauscher: Machine builders, integrators and end users have to work together more closely as data has to be provided to the digital twin from all of them. Further, they will all be using digital twins for different purposes. Providing digital twins offers an opportunity for automation vendors, machine builders and integrators to stay in close to their customers. This is important, as customer data is needed to continue to improve the digital twin. ! November 2019

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PROCESS CONTROL

Engineering on a global scale! Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engineering projects are executed by a variety of stakeholders. But, can the process control system provide a reliable basis for effective and efficient collaboration? Manuel Keldenich believes they can.

raditionally, engineering projects were carried out within a department of the operating company itself, maybe with support from a system integrator or a machine builder. This is now changing and sticking with familiar working methods, silo mentality and serial work will mean that plant owners and operators will no longer be able to compete. New forms of cooperation and knowledge transfer are necessary. One factor is web-based collaboration in engineering, which integrates all stakeholders and ensures that they can work consistently and in parallel. This need can be met with the Simatic PCS neo process control system. The system software is based on web technologies and has a consistent object-oriented data

model. It is no longer necessary to install software on specific workstations for administration, engineering, and plant operation. Thanks to HTML5, it is possible to have secure access to the system and to operate it efficiently, just requiring a common browser. To create an intuitive operating environment, Siemens has simplified the operating philosophy across all applications and implemented the concept of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;one workbenchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for all applications and tasks: An authorised user can toggle between an engineering view and a monitoring & control (operational) view with one single mouse click. Access to operating elements, control sequences, alarms, or interlocks is therefore directly achievable at any time from a single point of entry. Administration is integrated into this

Bulk data processing via spreadsheet engineering. By selecting a predefined query, all matching objects are displayed in a table form (center). Now similar attributes of different object types can be processed efficiently.

November 2019

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concept. License and user management is controlled from here as well as the administration of all software- and security-related procedures. As the applications are carried out via the browser, local installations, such as on-site updates, become increasingly redundant: The application is in the latest version every time it restarts.

Collaboration Interdisciplinary collaboration of new project teams assembled from all parts of the world is already a reality for many. Simatic PCS neo tackles this trend with functions designed to enable global collaboration. For example, consistent, object-oriented data management with centralised data storage ensures that everyone involved in a project can access up-to-date data at any time. At the same time, they bring knowledge from their own working environment to the centrally administered project. A clear session concept with automatic consistency checks ensures that all data is always free of contradictions: A new session starts with each opening of a project and all user activities are recorded in their own change context. If several users access the public database, e.g. during concurrent engineering, it is clearly visible which changes the logged on user has made himself and where object processing is currently restricted due to the work of other users. Individual objects are locked automatically by the system and not manually by the user. If changes have been made and can be shared with other colleagues, they must be published. During the publish process, changed object sets are consistently and controllably introduced into the system automatically. On this basis, change tracking and versioning for the engineering data is also implemented. In this way, the various project statuses can be identified and restored at any time. These technical principles allow engineering and operational processes to be developed simultaneously. Project engineering that is not dependent on the hardware also offers an extremely high degree of flexibility. The following Control Engineering Europe

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oday’s automation projects the entire automation industry available have to be adapted dynamically to all users of the ecosystem, Phoenix to new conditions which Contact provides a selection of turnkey requires specialist knowledge software functions. These functions, because special software which are intended to run easily on, functions are having to be embedded in say, a PLCnext Control device, are called the automation solutions. This challenge PLCnext apps. To provide these apps with is evident in applications where the a suitable platform, Phoenix Contact has software architectures for automation given them their own presence on the tasks contain more than just logical Internet: The PLCnext Store programming instructions. (www.plcnextstore.com). Two years ago Phoenix Contact The PLCnext Store has been designed launched PLCnext Technology, an open as an open digital marketplace to ecosystem for automation. provide all users access to The ecosystem’s range the most comprehensive of applications reaches range of apps possible. beyond classic automation The store can be used applications and makes by all companies in the data (pre)processing for software and automation IT-related applications industry to market apps possible. The aim of that they have developed PLCnext Technology is to themselves. The PLCnext rethink automation and Store includes software to create a platform that functions in various responds to the advancing forms, including fullyThe PLCnext Store provides convergence of worlds of programmed turnkey software applications which enable the user to expand the automation and IT. solutions, modules that functions of PLCnext Control To make the expertise of devices directly and easily. help develop apps more

November 2019

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quickly, and apps that help customise the runtime environment of the controller. This means that, on the digital marketplace, users will find function libraries created in accordance with IEC 61131-3, firmware extensions for the PLCnext runtime system, and solution apps that can be used for automation applications without programming knowledge.

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Continuous expansion For software providers, the PLCnext Store opens up an additional distribution channel for PLCnext software functions. Phoenix Contact takes care of the licensing and sales process. The profit made from the sale of their apps is passed on to the contributors. As the operator of the PLCnext Store, Phoenix Contact will only retain a small commission for each PLCnext app sold. This revenue will be used to continue to expand the store functions. www.phoenixcontact.com/plcnext Daniel Buschatzky is team member in the PLCnext Technology department of the Automation Systems Business Unit, Phoenix Contact Electronics GmbH. Control Engineering Europe

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PROCESS CONTROL

Getting on board with a modern DCS solution Built in 1997, the LNG Portovenere and LNG Lerici are ships designed for the transportation of liquid natural gas. Having reached the middle of their lifespan, the ships needed to undergo a total renovation project including new distributed control systems.

n addition to revamping the boilers, pumps and turbines, the project included modernisation of all the control systems – from the central management system to the system used for the turbines and turbopumps. The design and implementation of the new automation system was assigned to the Safety Systems and Information Division of Italian company Leonardo. Dedicated to transporting liquid natural gas, the ships, which have a capacity of 65,000m3 each, underwent an extensive refit project, in which Leonardo was involved with automation control, sensors and field instrumentation. At the time of their construction, both the LNG Portovenere and the LNG Lerici were equipped with a Bailey Infi 90 system, which became a legacy system at the end of its lifespan, maintained by the Leonardo service department. The desire to replace the legacy system with a modern, high-performing system was at the heart of the project. In addition to the central system Leonardo was also tasked with modernising the turbopumps and turbine automation systems, which traditionally had been managed by separate systems. The replacement of all field instrumentation was also necessary, as it had become obsolete.

Stoppage time for the ships needed to be as brief as possible. This required good coordination with the other contractors, in order to proceed with installation of the hardware and software in parallel with the revamping of the boilers, turbines, pumps and other equipment – keeping the commissioning phase to a minimum. All internal inspection activities also needed to be scheduled within the upgrade time window. External certification by certifying bodies also had to be factored in as the ships have dual registry: specifically, RINA – Registro Italiano Navale (the Italian Naval Registry) and ABS – the American Bureau of Shipping. “In this context, with so many variables and rigid timetables, selecting the best solution and suppliers was a key factor,” said Stefano Baccelliere, homeland security & critical infrastructure LoB / project

manager at Leonardo. “On the one hand, our time was very restricted, but on the other we wanted take advantage of the occasion offered by these large-scale works to offer our client a solution that was decisively better than the incumbent solution, to allow for possible future developments. “We had to lean towards a solution that did not have hidden surprises. We also wanted a system that had high performance levels associated with the management of functional safety, while also being simple to implement, in terms of hardware and software, ultimately delivering fluid migration of the legacy system to the new system. We could not take for granted the importance of finding a supplier that could bring proven experience from three diverse markets – naval, oil & gas processing, and energy – and above all, one with the capacity to make these vertical skills a common

A big challenge The biggest challenge, however, was the short time windows given by the owners to complete the upgrade.

November 2019

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Control Engineering Europe

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UK INDUSTRY NEWS

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR DIGITALISATION

Government, Industry and the Trade Unions have come together to launch a new set of Guiding Principles for Digitalisation to help companies and the workforce make the most of the increasing drive towards a new digital era for manufacturing.

ccording to Made Smarter, by 2030 the UK will be the global leader in the creation, adoption and export of advanced digital technologies. These new technologies will enable faster, more responsive and more efficient processes to deliver improved productivity and higher quality products at a reduced cost. To help companies and workforces drive the take up of new technologies in a way that is not disruptive, but which also produces good jobs improved productivity and a clean footprint, Made Smarter has designed six guiding principles which it is asking companies to commit to themselves, as well as extending the relationship to their supply chains. The six guiding principles for digitalisation are: 1. Partnership at work: A strong partnership is essential to any process of change. Employers will share plans for and address any issues arising from the introduction of digital technology through cooperation, consultation and mutual agreement with the workforce including union representatives where they are present at the workplace. It is a shared ambition that digital technology delivers better jobs, on decent terms and conditions. 2. Health, safety, welfare and environment: Industrial digitalisation presents opportunities to improve safety and environmental impact in the workplace, throughout the supply chain and across society.

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Companies will assess any potential impacts on health, safety and sustainability arising from the use of digital technology and conduct appropriate training to mitigate any associated risks and to make the most of opportunities for improvement. 3. Developing digital skills for the future: Employers and employees have a shared ownership of skills development. This should be supported through organisational and personal development plans. Companies will ensure that people have access to the training they need. Government and employees (or their union representatives) will be part of the partnership on retraining. Employees and unions, where they are present, will be engaged in developing and agreeing retraining plans. 4. Respect at work: All workers are entitled to high standards of treatment. Job satisfaction, rather than job intensity, will lead to improved productivity. The sharing of data and trust in its use is critical. Companies should consider developing codes of conduct on data use, including within supply chains, drawn up in consultation with the workforce and their representatives. Companies need to demonstrate that employee data is secure and that they are in compliance with regulations. 5. Job security and enhancement: Growth generated by digital technology should be reinvested, where possible, into areas that provide more opportunities and

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better jobs within the organisation. Individuals should see their roles enhanced as a consequence of digital technology. This will require open and creative ways to generate ideas for new products and/or areas for investment. 6. Equalities, diversity and inclusion: Digitalisation can support inclusivity but issues, including new ways of working and working time, job design, job evaluation, access to training, retraining and progression, can all have equality and diversity implications. Equality impact assessments should be included within any organisations’ plans for digitalisation. Commenting at the launch of the principles, Andrea Leadsom, Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said: “Manufacturing plays a vital role in the UK economy and our manufacturers are leading the way in driving innovation, job creation and growth. Through the Made Smarter Commission the Government is working with industry to help manufacturers embrace digital technology and use it to further boost our competitiveness.” Professor Juergen Maier, chair of the Made Smarter Commission and Siemens UK CEO, said: “We have long said we need a workforce ready for technology disruption and one million existing workers need new digital skills. This partnership between Government, industry and the TUC is the first step in developing a detailed roadmap to deliver this.” ! November 2019

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WIRELESS CONDITION MONITORING

Wireless sensors can help discover maintenance issues before they happen by supplying real-time information, says John Bernet.

ondition monitoring is the best way to proactively determine when machines need maintenance. Collecting real-time data on an asset’s condition provides an accurate, up-to-date picture of asset health. Regardless of the type of asset, condition monitoring is the best solution to reduce unplanned downtime and production gaps. Machines monitored by wireless sensors can let a user know the machine needs to be inspected or maintained. When equipment is continuously monitored with wireless sensors, users are alerted to changes or deviations from the norm. Once installed, they monitor assets 24/7 and trigger alarms when conditions reach certain thresholds. Wireless sensors easy to install, even on assets in dangerous or hard-to-reach places and once in place they avoid the need for repeated trips to take measurements. The next steps are to diagnose the potential fault and its severity so users can plan the best corrective action. Numerous technologies can detect machine faults and their severity. By matching the asset and the company’s needs and budget with available technologies, users can boost reliability and maximise maintenance dollars and resources.

Condition-monitoring methods Predictive technology methods that detect potential faults early are not always the best choice. Striking a balance between the amount of warning about the fault and the time and money needed to spend to diagnose the fault is key. So, what condition-monitoring methods might fit the company’s needs?

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Here are some technical considerations for four common methods: 1. Oil analysis is capable of detecting faults early. Monitoring lubricant, wear, and contamination offers a multifaceted look at asset condition and can alert users to potential issues before any actual damage occurs. Oil analysis can be useful for low-speed machinery (<5 rpm), where vibration analysis may be difficult. Obtaining oil samples and interpreting oil analysis data can be complex, and using a lab brings additional costs. Not all assets have oil that can be analysed. 2. Ultrasound analysis can discover things oil analysis can’t, such as bearing wear or fatigue so early that it is often too soon to replace the bearings. Increased decibel readings can indicate a potential fault resulting from friction. Ultrasound can detect leaks by identifying sounds at frequencies that wouldn’t be heard in a plant’s ambient noise. Ultrasound can be useful for low-speed machines. 3. Vibration monitoring analysis is well established, so vibration patterns and anomalies are well documented. Vibration analysis also can identify the most common mechanical faults. It identifies faults 12 to 18 months in advance, which allows of time to react while there is still life in the asset. 4. Thermography can uncover electrical hot spots, faulty connections, overheated bearings, pipe blockages, issues with tank levels and other issues. Use vibration combined with thermography for rotating machines to avoid asset damage. Wireless sensors can communicate realtime information related to all of these methods. By monitoring measurable

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conditions, such as capacity, temperature, pressure, or sound, and sending a signal when the relevant quality changes or reaches a certain threshold, wireless sensors make it possible to users to know about potential faults right away. When making changes to a maintenance program, a best practice is to start with a small pilot program and grow it over time, rather than attempting to change everything at once. Recommended steps include: 1. Conduct a criticality analysis. It makes sense to keep the closest eye on the assets that have the most significant impact on the bottom line. If they aren’t being continuously monitored already, these assets are good candidates for wireless sensors. 2. Identify probable asset failures. 3. Decide on the technology best suited to identifying these failure modes, keeping in mind the team’s experience and the budget. 4. Trend and analyse the data from the wireless sensors to plan and execute maintenance actions at the most advantageous times, reducing unplanned downtime and extending the life of the assets. ! John Bernet, CMRP, is a mechanical application and product specialist at Fluke Corp. This article originally appeared on www.controleng.com

Wireless sensors are easy to install, even on assets in dangerous or hard-to-reach places. (Image courtesy: Fluke Corp) Control Engineering UK

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The ultra-compact performance class: ultra-small and ultra-powerful

C6015

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www.beckhoff.com/C60xx Beckhoff opens up new applications with this generation of extremely compact and flexible Industrial PCs, from the C6015 entry-level model to the powerful C6032 with extended interfaces. Which ultra-compact model suits your application? Ultra-compact: C6015, C6017 processor: Intel Atom®, 1, 2 or 4 cores C6015 interfaces: 2 Ethernet, 2 USB, 1 DisplayPort C6017 interfaces: 4 Ethernet, 4 USB, 1 DisplayPort main memory: up to 4 GB DDR3L RAM Ultra-high performance: C6030, C6032 processor: up to Intel® Core™ i7 with four 3.6 GHz cores C6030 interfaces: 4 Ethernet, 4 USB, 2 DisplayPort C6032 interfaces: 4 Ethernet, 4 USB, 2 DisplayPort, 2 PCIe compact module slots main memory: up to 32 GB DDR4 RAM

C6032

DATA ANALYSIS

GAINING INSIGHT FROM DATA Michael Risse believes that there are three main trends driving faster insights from manufacturing big data.

ig data is the raw material used by analytics tools to extract value or insight. Today, the pressure to gain insight from data is so pervasive that ‘analytics’ has become a throw-away term in marketing material for all types of software: visualisation, spreadsheets, business intelligence, and dashboards – and always along with the promise of ‘actionable insights’. And analytics comes in many forms: descriptive, predictive, diagnostic, interactive, prescriptive, basic, real-time, historical, and root cause as examples. However, research on the state of analytics within manufacturing organisations shows a gap between the current and desired state of adoption. Simply put, organisations do not have timely access to the insights they need to drive improved business and production outcomes. With data volumes increasing, this gap will widen as the data rich but information poor (DRIP) problem gets worse over time. There are, however, three trends in analytics with the potential to keep up with the innovations in data creation and storage associated with IIoT and big data in general.

Process Industries – has the following explanation of the opportunity from new insights in data. ‘Analytics can improve performance tremendously while reducing costs: the value, spread over thousands of opportunities, can be worth tens or even hundreds of millions of euros across a company’s site network… Manufacturers must therefore embark on an analytics-transformation effort that reaches all the way from the shop-floor operators (who steer processes) to process engineers (who use deep insights that will drive the next wave of improvements) to managers (who constantly oversee performance).’ Applying data science innovation to analytics may also be referred to as ‘augmented’ or ‘accelerated’ in the sense that the user experience is improved through innovations that improve the time to outcomes. A number of scenarios come into focus with the deployment of advanced analytics solutions. For example, predictive analytics on equipment can warn of impending failure. By taking a deeper look into near real-time data, engineers can make small adjustments and shave 10 minutes off a batch cycle time, increasing the annual number of batches by hundreds. Management can receive near real-time alerts about

commodity pricing, allowing them to make decisions to boost plant profitability.

The cloud The second change is the application of massive amounts of analytics capacity within the manufacturing sector using the cloud. For the first time, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft all had a significant presence at IHS’s CERA Week event in March Amazon Web Services (AWS) presently has 50 job openings for employees with oil and gas expertise, to add to a roster of existing employees with experience at GE, AVEVA, and other industrial automation vendors. Microsoft and Google are similarly recruiting from across the automation ecosystem. What this means for manufacturing organisations is more cloud-based options to provide faster time to implement analytics solutions via an elastic infrastructure that can grow and shrink according to customer requirements, along with greater agility and the promises of lower computing costs. While cloud deployment is not a requirement for advanced analytics deployments and many customers either choose or are tethered to on-premise deployments, it brings another opportunity to organisations. This will mean a change > UK5

Three trends The first of these is advanced analytics as a new and distinct set of offerings. ‘Advanced’ is the term of choice of industry analyst Gartner and management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Their definitions for advance analytics focus on the integration of innovations in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data science into analytics products. The McKinsey report on advanced analytics, for example – Buried Treasure: Advanced Analytics in

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Advanced analytics empower engineers to interact directly with the data of interest to quickly drive insights and improve outcomes.

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Control Engineering UK

SOMETIMES THE CHOICE IS DIFFICULT …

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ADJUSTMENT 80 GHz radar sensors can be adjusted wirelessly with a smartphone or tablet. Did you know? All VEGA level sensors since 2002 can also get Bluetooth. Just click-in a new PLICSCOM display and adjustment module and it’s done!

More information: www.vega.com/radar Phone +44 1444 870055 | E-mail info.uk@vega.com

DATA ANALYSIS

to big data storage models in process manufacturing, which today are mostly on-premise, historian-based, and proprietary. Specific benefits of a cloudbased model for data storage and aggregation includes examples from the pharmaceutical industry where cloudbased data lakes combine data from sensors, batch systems, quality systems, and laboratory information management data sets. This allows these organisations to provide a comprehensive view of the manufacturing process to IT-based data scientist and frontline process engineers seeking insights. From a management perspective in any industry, the ability to see data collected from across plants to implement consistent best practices and compare KPIs for production metrics is another cloud-enabled benefit.

Empowering experts One thing that does not change in an

advanced analytics and cloud-enabled organisation is the importance of domain expertise. Subject matter experts – the process engineers and other employees with expertise in the data, the assets, and the processes of the plant or facility – remain a critical component. These employees have been analysing data for 30 years with spreadsheets. Putting these employees and their expertise together with advanced analytics and current innovations of data science is vital for improved outcomes. An example of reducing the time to insight is an end user company that was able to improve time to insight by their engineers from two weeks to one hour by using advance analytics software. This increased production by 100 barrels a day, resulting in a $2 million-dollar improvement per year. Beyond the bottom-line improvements from improved analytics, there is also the opportunity to simply have time for analytics and investigation.

As an example, an asset root cause analytics scheduled to take 400 hours and requiring the efforts of five engineers was instead solved by one engineer in less than one hour. The surge in data volumes within manufacturing organisations is increasing the difficulty of finding insights. Yet the pressure to find insights and be ‘analytics driven’ is higher than ever, putting pressure on plant executives and SMEs alike, but changes are afoot to address this issue. Advanced analytics integrates data science innovations and the cloud model brings new opportunities for data storage, collection, and context. Together, these advancements will enable SMEs to find insights that enable decisions to improve business results and profitability. ! Michael Risse is the CMO and Vice President at Seeq Corporation.

Flexible production through human-machine collaboration Intelligent, integrated and interactive factory automation systems

How can manufacturers increase efficiency with the help of artificial intelligence and robotics? The combination of precision control together with mobile and collaborative robots enables the highest levels of manufacturing line flexibility to address consumer demand for increased customisation, without the need to reconfigure a line. In summary, you can do more with the same space. Contact us for proof-of-concept testing!

+44 (0)1908 258258

uk@eu.omron.com

industrial.omron.co.uk

ROBOTICS

COBOTS ARE NOT JUST FOR THE BIG BOYS! A collaborative robot has been successfully employed as part of a ‘lights-out’ robotic cell to help a UK-based engineering company increase productivity.

hrough its recently-created Automation Division, Mills CNC has supplied Coventry-based Arrowsmith Engineering, part of the AS.G Group, with a Doosan collaborative robot as part of a wider investment made by the company to help it increase its productivity levels and maintain its competitive edge. The robotic cell is being used to ramp up production of a precision engine part through the adoption of ‘lights-out’ production, the cell operates 24/7 enabling the company to manufacture and supply 200 components every month. The robotic cell comprises a new Doosan DNM 4500 vertical machining centre equipped with a 4th-axis unit and a M0617 cobot with a 1.7m reach radius and 6kg payload capacity equipped with a Schunk Co- act EGP-C electrically-driven two finger parallel gripper. Integrating a collaborative robot into the process has had a dramatic impact on productivity and machine shop efficiency and has negated the need for Arrowsmith to invest in a second machine tool. Commenting on the automation projection, Jason Aldridge, managing director at Arrowsmith Engineering, said: “The cell has significantly increased our capacity levels – by up to 50% – and is helping us capitalise on the 20% growth we have experienced over the last 12 months. “Some manufacturers, especially here in the UK, are reticent about investing in automation and believe that it has a negative impact on jobs. I don’t subscribe to this view. If

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anything, automation makes us more competitive and successful, enabling us to recruit more people into skilled jobs.” The cobot cell is Arrowsmith’s first investment in robotics and is also one of the first installations of a Doosan M0617 cobot in the UK. Operating around the clock it has made the machining process for the engine parts less labour-intensive as an operator is no longer required on standby to load and unload parts into and out of the machine.

Boosting capacity “The cell has made us 15% quicker and has given us a 50% capacity boost already which, in anyone’s book, is a fantastic return on investment,” continued Aldridge. It is against this backdrop of improved productivity and efficiency that Arrowsmith has

recently approached staff at Mills CNC Automation to investigate the potential for automating more and different processes at its facility. Discussions to date have included the feasibility of investing in a Doosan cobot to serve two machine tools to create an autonomous and flexible automated manufacturing cell, and the potential of a cobot to undertake part inspection operations. This cobot cell provides ample evidence of the significant benefits component manufacturers can expect to achieve from automated machine tool tending operations. In conclusion, Aldridge said: “We are keen advocates of automation. It shouldn’t be seen as something that only the big boys do… SMEs can access it cost-effectively and we need to ‘grasp the nettle’ in order to bring the UK’s productivity up to, and in line with, our international rivals.” !

Arrowsmith Engineering has invested in a Doosan collaborative robot cell.

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Control Engineering UK

Forward-thinking solutions. sdrawkcaB .ytilibitapmoc

Like you, we understand the vital importance of interoperability with legacy systems. That’s why the forward-thinking range of industry-leading automation solutions we’ve been supplying to the UK for over 35 years now, are all backwards compatible. Our PLCs, HMIs, Inverter Drives, Industrial Robots, Switchgear, Servo / Motion Controllers and Software solutions are all designed to address the requirements of end users, systems integrators and OEM businesses to help improve productivity, efficiency and quality. So don’t hold back in seeing what the future could bring for your company contact us on automation@meuk.mee.com or call 01707 276100. gb3a.mitsubishielectric.com

@meukautomation

mitsubishielectric-automationsystemsuk

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Robots

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Advanced HMIs

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Programmable Controllers

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Variable Speed Drives

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Servos & Motion Systems

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Low Voltage Switchgear

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Software Solutions

NEW PRODUCTS

Ultrasonic liquid flow meter The Badge Meter Dynasonics TFX-5000 ultrasonic clamp-on flow and energy meters are now available from Bell Flow Systems. Designed for non-invasive, ultrasonic transit time flow measurement of liquids, the flow meters are suited to use in water and wastewater treatment, HVAC and oil and gas applications, offering a versatile solution for measuring volumetric flow and heating/ cooling rates in clean liquids as well as those with small amounts of suspended solids or aeration, such as surface water or raw sewage. The flow meter is available in a variety of configurations and can be selected with features suitable to meet particular application requirements. Because it clamps onto the outside of pipes the ultrasonic device does not contact the internal liquid which offers the advantage of reduced installation time and cost, no limits on pressure or fluid compatibility. The meter is available as a flow meter

Industrial wireless network solution Emerson is partnering with Cisco to introduce an industrial wireless networking solution that, it says, will fundamentally transform data management to improve plant productivity, reliability and safety. The Wireless 1410S Gateway, with the Cisco Catalyst IW6300 Heavy Duty Series Access Point, combines the latest in wireless technology with WirelessHART sensor technology to deliver secure data, even in the harsh industrial environments. The wireless access point provides enhanced wi-fi bandwidth for realtime safety monitoring, including Emersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Location Awareness and wireless video. These applications enhance personnel safety practices, improve plant security and help ensure environmental compliance.

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for water delivery, raw sewage, cooling water, sea water, deionised water, waterglycol mixtures, alcohols, chemicals and many acidic or caustic fluids; or as a heating/cooling energy flow meter for use in conjunction with dual clampon resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) for temperature measurement in hydronic processes and HVAC systems Users can select up to eight parameters to log, including flow rate and total, signal strength, and alarms. A diagnostics tool takes the guesswork out of isolating process or application problems. Users are alerted to out-ofspecification flow conditions and can access a history with the most recent alarm, error and event codes.

Compact analogue transmitters Delta Mobrey has introduced the D22 pressure transmitter and the D32 differential pressure transmitter, the first new products since starting to trade as Delta Mobrey. The compact transmitter is said to provide a cost-effective solution for the measurement of pressure, gases, vapours and liquids in a range of applications. It is suited to use in wellhead control panels where space is at a premium. Both products are ATEX and IECEx certified for use in hazardous areas. The D-Series analogue transmitters offer adjustability. The output signal can be adjusted through an internal zero/span potentiometer, accessible on the electronic board. The transmitters have high levels of standard accuracy, from 0.2%, with even better accuracy available upon request.

Rugged DIN signal isolator The UL Approved ECT-DIN 2-Wire Isolator from Moore Industries is now available in a narrow 15mm aluminium housing. The thinner ECT-DIN 2-Wire Isolator with 15mm width retains the same general and hazardous area approvals as the rest of the ECT family of isolators and has the same RFI/ EMI protection and -40Â°C to +85Â°C operating temperature range. The ECT-DIN 2-Wire Isolator can be installed in hazardous locations and does not require installation in climate-controlled environments, making it perfect for more extreme locations. The 15mm ECT DIN 2-Wire isolator and converter with 4-20mA, 1-5V and 0-10V inputs and 4-20mA output, allows more isolators to fit in cabinets and field enclosures where installation space is limited, saving space and money. An

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optional externally-mounted flange provides a secure mount, which ensures secure installation in high vibration environments. The ECT is UL approved Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C & D T4. A variety of the isolators are available to match the type of AC or DC power available at each location. ECT-DIN 2-wire Output-Loop powered models, ECT 2-wire Input-Loop powered models, or 4-wire (line/mains) powered isolators/ converters and splitters are also available.

Control Engineering UK

PROCESS CONTROL thread throughout the project.” In light of all of this, Leonardo chose Rockwell Automation and its PlantPAx DCS which made it possible to combine all of the control systems in a single platform. Now the central control system for the ships is managed by the Automated Integrated System (AIS), as are the turbines and turbopumps. Leonardo’s technicians were already familiar with the hardware elements of the PlantPAx solution, meaning that the migration project could be completed without the need for any field rewiring. In collaboration with the Rockwell Automation team, an identical mock-up of the software solution destined for the ships was created on land. This allowed for in-depth functional tests to be undertaken to check that the new system’s functionality was identical to previous levels, making it possible to study possible improvements in the solution and new functionalities

Visit us at SPS! 8.11.2019 Nuremberg, 26.-2 1 Hall 9, Booth 23

with the help of Rockwell Automation specialists. The land-based inspection phase made it possible to arrive at the commissioning phase with the onboard software operationally ready and it also overcame the problem of working with two ships located in two different shipyards. For the LNG Portovenere, commissioning took place in January 2016 at the Navantia shipyard in Ferrol, while the commissioning of the software on the LNG Lerici took place in 2018 at the Keppel shipyard in Singapore. The decision to use the PlantPAx DCS also made it possible to include the emergency shutdown system for safe functioning. A remote service line was installed with a satellite internet connection, to deliver continuous support during navigation. It also gave Leonardo the opportunity to offer continuous assistance during operations, along with support for

troubleshooting to maintenance personnel. “Energy consumption has also been reduced thanks to the new generationcontrol system. Basically, using the PlantPAx DCS, we enjoy double advantages: in addition to progressing from a legacy system to a modern one, today we also have a single system instead of three separate systems, with improved performance and speed,” said Baccelliere. Having combined all the systems into a single platform also means having a single supervision and control system – in this case based on FactoryTalk – a faster solution in respect of refresh times for the graphic pages and more intuitive for operators. From an assistance and maintenance standpoint, the ships are now equipped with a remote service system with a satellite internet connection. !

WHILE OTHERS THINK ABOUT THE IIOT … we are already there.

Networks and computers for a smarter industry. Powerful computers designed for your needs Secure and reliable networks – anywhere, anytime Vertical intergration from SCADA to field device Moxa. In the middle.

www.moxa.com

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS

ASSET MANAGEMENT MOVES TO THE CLOUD FDT is transitioning into an information exchange platform which will enable cloud-based asset monitoring for field devices. Suriya Selvaraj reports.

oday ‘smart’ field devices have become the eyes and ears of automation. They provide ever more information and transmit it, via bus systems, to other components in the control network. However, the failure of a device can quickly lead to a malfunction of production equipment. Traditionally, asset performance monitoring approaches involved monitoring devices for evidence of incorrect operation, pending failure or the need for calibration. This was undertaken with asset management programs or custom-written programs hosted on a desktop or client/server architecture based within a single facility. Today’s IIoT-based asset management solutions typically include condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, asset integrity management and reliability-centered maintenance, and often involve technologies such as asset health data collection, visualisation, and analytics. They improve upon traditional asset management through deeper integration with ERP and computerised maintenance management systems (CMMS) – driving efficient and accurate maintenance work orders. Accessible from smart mobile devices, IIoT-based solutions provide immediate awareness of performance/health issues. The tools also make documentation and diagnostics immediately available. The collection of data at a central point in the cloud has key benefits for the transparency and analysis of asset performance information. By establishing a single infrastructure to support multiple facilities, organisations can leverage global expertise, spread

November 2019

costs between different stakeholders, and improve overall system availability. Centralised data access allows users to run various statistics to offer a comparison/benchmarking of individual production lines or plants. This allows an expert at one location to provide more value by being able to consult with other facilities. In addition, the use of mobile devices for viewing data allows operators to react quickly to unexpected events, changing environments, and continually optimise their bottom-line results.

Optimising assets The specialised equipment required for industrial manufacturing has become a focal point for concerns about operational efficiency, preventive maintenance, and costly failures. This explains why cloud-based asset management solutions are becoming an essential tool for operating companies of all sizes.

FDT is the industry’s most widely deployed asset management solution, with tens of millions of FDT/DTMenabled devices in use and hundreds of thousands FDT/FRAME-enabled host/ systems installed worldwide. Experience has shown that FDT/DTMs are a universal tool for lifecycle management of any device/network in the process and discrete automation markets. Indeed, they are intended for smart devices providing data-driven business intelligence. The emerging FDT IIoT Server (FITS) standard – set for release as part of the FDT 3.0 offering – will further empower the intelligent industrial enterprise with native integration of the OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA), as well as Control and Web Services interfaces for mobile applications. FITS encompasses a robust security solution to safeguard critical automation information and operating data. The standard provides enhanced protection measured via robust multilayered security, and leverages industry standards such as Transport Layer Security (TLS), Web Sockets Secure (WSS) and Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). Platform independence allows FITS to be utilised in a host of operating within the .NET Core framework. This results in an FDT Server that is deployable on Microsoft, Linux or iOS based operating systems. The solution enables cloud, on-

FITS Architecture – FDT Server deployed in the cloud with cloud-based FDThub DTM repository access.

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Control Engineering Europe

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS premise, edge and desktop deployment methods meeting the needs of the process, hybrid and discrete sectors. The FDT Server is built around a Core Server, which serves as a center point for range of client/server interactions. It includes an OPC UA Server providing access to DTM data with authenticated OPC UA Clients, and a Web Server enabling the use of web user interfaces on remotely connected, browserbased clients and mobile devices. The solution also supports the use of apps that improve workforce productivity and plant availability. Users can connect an FDT Server in the cloud to one or more plants with a secure virtual private network (VPN). A key feature of the FITS platform is a cloud-based DTM repository, which enables all certified DTMs (based on FDT 3.0) to be automatically downloaded from the cloud for use in on/ off premise and desktop applications. The repository provides DTM/App storage and device management, as well as secure data transfer and messaging with proactive user alerts when DTM updates are available. The repository eliminates the headache of distributing DTMs.

Operational advantages With the FITS solution, industrial asset management becomes more empowered, thanks to better diagnostics and easier access to device information, reducing downtime improving meantime to repair (MTTR) performance. Users will be able to take advantage of secure and seamless data exchange/ interrogation from sensor to cloud and achieve new levels of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) integration. All DTMs based of FITS comply with the NAMUR NE-107 recommendation, which stipulates that operators need a view of the process including the status of the instrumentation in a simple and uniform way – regardless of source device – to support predictive maintenance strategies. Its platform-independence means that FITS will benefit companies that operate plants with a diverse array of automation systems and devices. It supports real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance applications requiring uniform access to field devices across platforms. With FITS, field device data and information can be automatically provided for transport into cloud-based applications. This opens up the way for condition monitoring functions to be realised as cloud-based applications – independent of the automation system. The collected data can also be transferred for further processing in monitoring systems. Going forward, adoption of the FITS platform will also create opportunities for asset management as a service, with service providers completely managing the cloud environment and implementing a variable cost model based on the number of users and assets to be covered. !

Consistent quality Guided Operator Solutions: strengthen your productivity. Mitsubishi Electric’s new automation system helps eliminate picking mistakes in manual assembly processes. Operators are actively led through each assembly step using LED indicators or with automatically opening shutters that require acknowledgement following a successful pick. Based on versatile terminals which can be easily connected to ERP and production systems, the application supports you in achieving your specific manufacturing objectives. See our Guided Operator Solutions in action:

eu3a.mitsubishielectric.com

Suriya Selvaraj is VP of Technology at FDT Group. Control Engineering Europe

November 2018

Hall 7, Stand 391

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS

GET SMART BUT STAY SAFE Find out more about CIP Security – an enhancement to EtherNet/IP technology to address cybersecurity – which allows devices to defend themselves using industry standard, widely adopted technology.

evice level security is a crucial component in industrial digital transformation as Ethernet continues to take over from traditional fieldbus networks. Indeed, HMS Networks estimates that industrial Ethernet now makes up 59% of new nodes installed on the factory floor today. Ethernet will become commonplace in process plants as well with the current work being done on the Advanced Physical Layer for Ethernet, also known as Ethernet-APL, which will be capable of installation in all zone and division locations with 1,000m cable lengths. The benefits of having Ethernet down to the device level and up to the cloud include economies of scale, fewer gateways, streamlined commissioning, and quicker error resolution. Ultimately, ubiquitous Ethernet will drive cost effective operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) convergence, cloud connectivity, and device analytics. However, as soon as a formerly isolated industrial network is connected externally, security becomes an imperative because it is not a question of if, but when an attack will come. This is where CIP Security, the security layer for the EtherNet/ IP industrial communication network, comes into play. CIP Security is the last level of defence that is designed to keep workers, assets, and intellectual property safe and secure.

strong policies, physical protections, network infrastructure, and equipment security. Multiple layers of defence can slow down a bad actor enough to allow it to be noticed before serious damage is done and such a system can also reduce the desirability of a network as a target. Note that there is no such thing as an impenetrable security system. The goal is to create a system that is hard enough to break into relative to the value of what is being protected to motivate a bad actor to simply move on.

CIP security CIP Security – the enhancement to EtherNet/IP technology to address cybersecurity – allows for devices to defend themselves using industry standard, widely adopted technology. CIP Security was designed using Transport Layer Security (TLS), the same secure communication standards used in online banking, and is intended to be applied in industrial automation and control systems. The IEC 62443 family of standards are the leading cybersecurity standards recognised worldwide and

contain minimum requirements for building secure automation systems. CIP Security addresses some of the hard-tomeet system-level requirements in those standards, such as: • Identity: Is the sender actually who they say they are? • Integrity: Is the data complete? Has the data been changed? • Authenticity: Did the data originate from the expected sender and in a complete, unchanged format? • Confidentiality: Is an unauthorised party viewing the communication? CIP Security allows a certificate to be embedded into the device to identify itself. The certificate provides a verifiable root of trust. When a network connection between devices is initiated, a ‘TLS handshake’ is used to exchange the certificate. This is similar to how web browsers work. These certificates are used to identify the device and determine if trust should exist between the devices. At the end of the process, the devices share a secret key that can be used for secure communications and

Defense in depth A best in class security strategy focuses on creating multiple hurdles instead of a single fortification that is difficult, but not impossible, for attackers to get past. This defense in depth concept includes

November 2019

FITS Architecture – FDT Server deployed in the cloud with cloud-based FDThub DTM repository access.

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INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS to authenticate that each message has been sent from the correct device and that the data has not been modified. The CIP Security standard uses the Hashed Message Authentication Code (HMAC) which is commonly used with TLS and DTLS communications. If an imposter device tries to send the data, or a man-in-the-middle tries to modify the data, the HMAC will not be valid. Not all automation data on the network needs to be encrypted, so to avoid overhead on the communication process, encryption is optional. If confidential process information or secret recipes are being sent, every packet can be secured with the TLS and DTLS encryption. CIP Security has recently been enhanced to allow devices to perform certificate enrollment directly for easier initial commissioning of devices. In contrast to the practice of pushing certificates out from a configuration tool, this ‘pulling’ functionality will

allow devices to actively request certificates, resulting in improved productivity. The enhancements allow for increased efficiency with timeout responses, increased protection by allowing for a mandatory CIP Security connection for changes, and expanded behaviours for certificate verification. Work is ongoing for the next phase of development of CIP Security, which will add support for user authentication, non-repudiation, and device authorisation. The ultimate roadmap of CIP Security development is to enable EtherNet/IP devices to become autonomous, taking responsibility for their own security and effectively securing themselves from attack.

Conclusion

improvement. Other parts contain critical intellectual property. Still others include control of machines that workers interact with regularly and could be hurt if improper signals were sent. Finally, there are areas where incorrect commands could lead to significant product loss or even environmental catastrophe. Some parts of the network are so critical that they are closed off from other areas or are located behind a firewall, but even these areas are still vulnerable to determined attackers. It is clear that the most sensitive areas of a network require the highest level of protection. It I here that CIP Security controllers and devices are a must have to provide a crucial final layer of defence. !

Understanding where to add extra layers of security in a factory is critical. Portions of the industrial network are opened up the cloud to enable predictive maintenance and quality

A CIP Security Demonstrator will be on display on the ODVA stand in Hall 5, stand 338 at the SPS event in November.

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INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS

FOCUSING ON BUS TECHNOLOGY The communication network is one of the most important technological components of a machine or plant control system. Martin Rostan offers some food for thought about how the fieldbus choice is made.

he network will ultimately determine the entire control architecture – a relatively slow network requires closing of the faster control loops in decentralised devices, while a highperformance network enables engineers to freely decide whether to use centralised or decentralised architectures. A well-accepted network should provide the freedom to select components from a large variety of vendors while a network dominated by a single automation giant will often reduce choice. So, how do control system integrators or machine builders select their communication network? I do not believe that the majority of users actively select their fieldbus at all – they select the control system vendor and assume that whatever bus system this vendor provides will ‘do the job’. But how about those users that start their control system evaluation by taking a closer look at the bus technology itself as the key component of their system? Many users that compare technologies in detail find the functional principle of EtherCAT compelling. With EtherCAT, the Ethernet packet is no longer received then interpreted with process data copied at every device. Instead, field devices read the data addressed to them while the frame passes through the node. Similarly, input data is inserted while the datagram passes through. With this ‘processing on-the-fly’ technique the frames are hardly delayed at all. As a result, an EtherCAT frame

November 2019

of measurement tasks within the same network. Increasingly, system integrators and machine builders want to integrate functional safety in their control architecture – and not just to reduce wiring. Conventionally, safety functions have been realised separately from the automation network – either via hardware or using dedicated safety bus systems. Safety over EtherCAT, however, enables safety-related communication and control communication on the same network.

comprises the data of many devices both Flexible and open in ‘send’ and ‘receive’ direction within EtherCAT also offers flexible topologies one Ethernet frame and the usable data that can simplify planning and rate increases to over 90%. installation. EtherCAT networks have Husky, an injection moulding machine no practical limitations regarding the manufacturer, reported that by using topology – line, star, tree, redundant EtherCAT it was possible to reduce ring and all those combined with a part weight variation which helped practically unlimited number of nodes reduce the wall thickness of plastic cups per segment. Even wireless technologies produced on the machines. This has can be integrated and the ‘hot connect’ resulted in material cost savings of over feature which allows users to connect $180,000 USD per machine, per year for and disconnect nodes or entire network Husky machine users. segments during runtime. It is not just closed-loop controls that To address issues of migration from benefit from faster communications: in a legacy bus system a large selection many applications there are so called of EtherCAT fieldbus gateways are ‘transitions’, where one has to wait for available to help integrate existing the part to arrive, the cylinder to reach devices with a legacy fieldbus connection its end position, or the pressure to into an EtherCAT network and establish reach a certain threshold. With a faster interfaces to ‘neighbouring’ or highernetwork, waiting times are reduced and level systems. ! the throughput of the machine or plant is increased – increasing efficiency a few Martin Rostan is executive director percentage points can be easily achieved at EtherCAT Technology Group. this way. EtherCAT is not only fast, it is also precise: thanks to the distributed clock mechanism, measurement values can be sampled and outputs set in a synchronised manner network wide – and with a jitter smaller than one microsecond. This accuracy makes it well suited for use in synchronised motion control applications Process data is inserted and extracted on the fly: the unique and for the integration functional principle of EtherCAT.

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EXHIBITION PREVIEW

Welcome to Smart Production Solutions Around 1,650 automation technology providers from all over the world will showcase their latest industrial automation offerings at the SPS - Smart Production Solutions exhibition, which takes place in Nuremberg from 26 – 28 November 2019.

he event will once again focus on the digital transformation of industry, with exhibitors demonstrating a wide variety of products, applications and

services. With the focus moving onto topics such as big data, cloud technology, 5G and artificial intelligence (AI), every year the event attracts more Information Technology (IT) providers. There is also a growing presence at the show of topic-related showcase stands – with automation vendors working together to illustrate digital transformation in the manufacturing industry. Siemens is using the event to present a series of industry-specific applications and future technologies for digital transformation in the manufacturing and process industries. Under the slogan ‘Digital Enterprise – Thinking industry further!’ the stand will feature products, solutions and services from the company’s Digital Enterprise portfolio. A newly developed system for industrial operation and monitoring will be introduced. The web-based visualisation system comprises Simatic WinCC Unified visualisation software and a new generation of Simatic HMI Unified Comfort Panels. Sinumerik One is said to offer a CNC system for the digital age. By seamlessly combining the virtual and real world, this system makes machine tools more productive, reduces time-to-market and increases machine performance. Siemens will also present new CloudConnect products which enable data to be transferred quickly, easily and securely from plant to cloud.

November 2019

Siemens will also introduce CloudConnect products which enable data from each plant to be transferred quickly, easily, and securely to the cloud. It will also demonstrate PlantSight, a cloudbased portal for all plant information. With this solution, data can be efficiently consolidated, contextualised, validated and above all visualised to create a seamless digital context across a range of information sources and data formats. Plant operators can benefit from the resulting increase in operational availability and reliability of their plants. Siemens will introduce a newly developed system for industrial operation and monitoring – a webbased visualisation system which initially comprises Simatic WinCC Unified visualisation software and new generation Simatic HMI Unified Comfort Panels. The new system provides the user with a solution for HMI and SCADA applications and in the future also for industrial edge, cloud and augmented reality scenarios. Softing Industrial Data Intelligence will present its dataFEED OPC Suite with Store And Forward functionality which is able to temporarily store affected data in the event of an interruption of the OPC UA connection. dataFEED OPC Suite is a modular

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user interface with intelligent, practiceoriented pre-settings and an intuitive user interface which enables easy and fast configuration of the data exchange. The new version V5.00 of dataFEED OPC Suite automatically detects any interruption in the connection to an OPC UA Client and ensures the recording of the data can be transmitted for up to one hour. As soon as the OPC UA connection has been re-established, the data is transferred to the OPC UA Client with a correct time stamp. This new functionality is fully integrated in dataFEED OPC Suite. It can be used with any OPC UA Client and does not require a special OPC UA Historical Access Client for data caching. Using Store And Forward does not affect the security features supported by the OPC UA technology. Softing will also show smart gateways for multi-protocol process control and a mobile plug & play solution for configuration and maintenance of field devices. Control Engineering Europe

> p26

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EXHIBITION PREVIEW

Mitsubishi Electric’s motto for the show will be ‘Your solution partner for smart manufacturing’. On the stand the company will be demonstrating its latest range of automation products and technologies including predictive maintenance, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and collaborative robotics. Help in handling big data using edge computing will feature prominently on the stand, in addition to the wider application of AI for improved machine and systems intelligence. The realisation and application of these technologies is aided through collaborations with e-F@ctory Alliance partners. There will also be a focus on machine building, with several product developments offering improvements in performance and integration. Distec GmbH will introduce new compact TFT display modules – POS-RP (-PRO), POS-4K-PRO, and POS-IQ-PRO for the Internet of Things (IoT) – designed to meet the needs of applications in harsh environments. The plug-and-play TFT display solutions are installed in a milled aluminum front frame with a stainless-steel chassis and offer front-side IP65 protection against dust and water jets. They can be integrated easily and quickly into various applications, says the company. The POS-RP series is controlled by the Raspberry Pi based Artista IoT TFT controller with the latest Compute module CM3 or CM3 +. Users can easily program their own applications or use one of the many operating systems supported by Raspberry Pi. WEG will demonstrate a new gateway for industrial-scale condition monitoring and will show its expanded automation portfolio. The Motor Scan condition monitoring solution was first shown last year as a retrofit option. It enables real-time monitoring of WEG electric motors for predictive maintenance purposes. The collected data can now be transferred to a secure cloud using gateway technology, in addition to the previous option of using a smart device app with Bluetooth. Users can access the data in

November 2019

the cloud through the app or the WEG IoT Platform web portal. This enables detailed analysis of the monitored motors. The gateway complements the existing mobile app and acts as a router that captures all installed sensors within a range of approximately 30m in an industrial environment. Other stand highlights will include the updated CFW500 and MW500 variable speed drives. The new CFW500 IP66 in frame sizes A and B covers motor power ratings from 250 W to 15 kW. These variable speed drives can operate over a wide voltage range and can be deployed at ambient temperatures from -10°C to +40°C and in demanding environments. The MW500 variable speed drive, which is designed for decentralised deployment, has also been updated. It is now available for lower power levels in the range of 370 W to 2.2 kW and is being launched for 380 to 400 V mains voltage in frame sizes A and B. A sturdy housing design with protection rating IP66 or NEMA 4X allows the variable speed drives to be mounted directly on the motor terminal box or on the wall using an adapter plate. This eliminates the need for a motor feed cable and switch cabinet, reducing complexity and costs for installation and commissioning. A wide range of smart digital automation solutions will be shown by Beckhoff. Innovations will include the XPlanar transport system with freefloating movers for intelligent product transport. These planar movers offer jerk-free motion without contact at up to 4m/sec over planar tiles which can be arranged in an arbitrary layout. Travelling magnetic fields provide for exact and highly dynamic positioning. Also on show will be a machine optimisation solution in the form of TwinCAT 3 Machine Learning, Beckhoff now integrates machine learning (ML) into the overall

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control system. A trained model can be exported in a standardised format (ONNX) and executed in the TwinCAT runtime. This opens up optimisation potential and new possibilities in predictive maintenance, process control or automated quality control. TwinCAT Analytics One-Click Dashboard will be abother focus on the stand. With just one click this makes it possible to achieve dramatic time savings. Where previously several hundred clicks and work steps were required for HMI design, the new TwinCAT Analytics One-Click Dashboard (OCD) reduces this to a single click. The Analytics configuration automatically generates PLC code for continuous machine monitoring and the dashboard showis the analysis results in an individual design including specific controls and language switching. Drawing on a long heritage of expertise in analogue, mixed-signal and digital semiconductor technology, Analog Devices (ADI) will launch an industry-first portfolio of Industrial Ethernet solutions to address communication challenges within Industry 4.0, Smart Factories, and the digital transformation. This new portfolio will encompass a range of Industrial Ethernet technologies for building robust, scalable Ethernet connectivity solutions. Designed both today’s industrial networks and for tomorrow’s TSN-based systems, this portfolio is said to offer flexibility, scalability and speeds to support any topology and network architecture in the factory. !

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INDUS T R Y- L E A DING S C A L A B L E E T H E R N E T. TIMED TO PERFECTION. We Turn Your Vision of Connected Factories into Reality. ANALOG.COM/ Analog Devices´ new family of compatible and interoperable industrial INDUSTRIAL-E THERNE T ethernet connectivity products enable best-in-class industrial automation solutions for the connected factory of tomorrow. From complete Time Sensitive Networking solutions for high-performance motion control to innovative 10Base-T1L concepts for robust field instrument connectivity – our market-leading and industry-first ethernet portfolio of software and hardware are scalable and timed to perfection. Designed from ADI’s rich factory expertise and system design knowledge, ADI’s ethernet solutions pave the way for intelligent industrial connectivity to turn your vision of the connected factory into reality. VISIT US AT SPS, Nuremberg, Germany, 26-28 November – HALL 5, BOOTH 129

A N A LO G . C O M / S P S

ROBOTICS

RELEASE YOUR ROBOTS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY There are thousands of industrial robots used in manufacturing, processing and packaging applications that take-up a great deal of floor space, simply because of outdated safety provisions. Moving to proximity-based safety can release space and improve production efficiency by allowing more freedom of movement on the shop floor, says Oliver Giertz.

hysical cages with safety interlocks and frames with light curtains take-up valuable floor space and obstruct the movement of personnel and equipment around them. While a robot will increase productivity by performing repetitive tasks quickly without stopping, the space around them is holding back potential logistical efficiencies. Releasing the value in existing manufacturing floor space clearly requires investment. Hence, there is a balance to be struck between the added capacity and logistical efficiency to be gained, and the cost of updating the robot cell. For users of Mitsubishi Electric’s MELFA Series of articulated arm robots it is possible to move away from physical cages without needing to

change the robot. A complete stop of the robot is required for service and maintenance work, it is also required when personnel are working in close proximity to the robot’s reach of movement. Often for loading and unloading tasks or checking individual processes and inspecting work done after a changeover. A full cage is helpful to the operator, because the robot is effectively shut down as the barrier is broken. However, the startup time after the person has left the area can be significant, so time is lost and another opportunity to improve efficiency presents itself. By using dedicated proximity sensors, it is possible to slow the robot down to a safe speed while personnel work close by, and then bring the robot to

a controlled stop quickly if the person enters the same physical workspace as the robot. In this way tasks such as inspection and loading can be carriedout next to the robot, while the robot moves slowly and can stop if necessary. Service and maintenance full stops can be achieved easily from the robot controller, for this reason a cage is not required. The major advantage – apart from removing the cage and freeing up floorspace – is that using this methodology, the robot can return to full-speed quickly after a period of safer low-speed operation. The transition takes seconds; rather than the minutes required to restart an entire production process if a robot cell has to be stopped by entering a safety interlocked cage or hitting an e-stop button.

With the SafePlus option it is possible to slow the robot down to a safe speed while personnel work close by or come to a controlled stop if the person enters the same workspace. (Image Source: Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V)

November 2019

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ROBOTICS

Making it possible There are several innovations that make this possible, among them are Mitsubishi Electric’s MELFA SafePlus option, for example, ensures the robot will respond to the new safety regime. With no physical barrier, the safety sensor has to work with additional safety measures to ensure contact is avoided, and if it happens while the movement is slowed down, then the robot stops immediately. Safe Limited Speed (SLS), Safely Limited Position (SLP) and Safe Torque Off (STO) form the basis of achieving the progressive shutdown process.

The proximity sensor allows for an adjustable zone system to be created around the robot, this provides feedback that can be used to limit the position, torque and speed of the robot as the human approaches. Safety light curtains and lasers can also be used as secondary feedback options, improving the failsafe modes. The aim is to make a robot cell as small and compact as possible with optimum safety provision. More activity can happen around a robot and the space allows for far more efficient production area logistics. The robot goes from high-speed to

slow-speed and back again quickly, allowing both the robot and the human to work quickly and efficiently without stops. Better robot safety and interaction solutions allow for a continuous work process, maximising the robot’s potential for speed, accuracy and repeatability, while maintaining safe human access and interaction to achieve optimum overall productivity. ! Oliver Giertz is product manager for Servo/Motion and Robotics, Factory Automation EMEA, Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V.

Ford Dagenham automates operations with robots Ford Dagenham in the UK has invested in UR10 Universal Robots from RARUK Automation to automate a manual task – applying fasteners to engine blocks. Today the fasteners are applied automatically to engines that arrive on the production line every 30 seconds, across a 24-hour, three-shift operation by seven robots. Until recently, the task of securing exhaust manifolds to engine blocks using M8 studs and nuts, as well as different types of barrel nut, was performed manually using an electric screwdriver. However, to improve cost efficiency and reduce RSI, the company identified the process as a suitable candidate for automation. As up to six studs and nuts require application on each engine block, the potential savings were notable.

Hall 7a Booth 330

A vibratory bowl feeder is deployed to offer up individual fasteners, which are blown through a tube using compressed air to an escapement. From here, a dedicated screwdriver tool bolted the flange of the robot picks up the fastener and runs it down the thread in the engine block to secure the exhaust manifold in position. Development of the process and application was fully supported by RARUK Automation, including training. The UR10s at Ford Dagenham are currently being deployed as ‘cohabitant’ robots rather than true cobots. This has avoided the need to reorganise and recertify the production line from a safety perspective, saving time and cost.

Modernizing plants. Reducing installation space. Improving operational efficiency. LB PROFINET-Gateway – Opening the Door to IIoT Cost efficient connection of analogue sensors and actors to modern DCS

Seamless integration of device and process data Real-time communication with the control system increases transparency and plant availability

Ethernet-based gateway handles large amounts of data at high speeds

HART-IP supports asset management www.pepperl-fuchs.com/profinetgateway

PRODUCT FORUM •

www.controlengeurope.com to read the full story

Alarm systems management Complex industrial systems require complex control systems – but carefully thought out alarms systems EEMUA is the acknowledged leader in the field, with EEMUA 191, ‘Alarm systems - a guide to design, management and procurement’, being regarded as the benchmark in alarm systems management. The EEMUA Alarm Systems e-learning module provides an introduction to EEMUA 191 and is positioned at the awareness level. It offers simple and practical guidance to managers, designers, supervisors and operators on how to recognise and deal with typical human-factor problems involving alarm systems. Its scope covers many sectors, including the energy, process and utilities industries. The e-learning is recommended for both discipline and project-focused engineers from a variety of backgrounds who want to gain an introduction to the fundamental principles for design, management and procurement of alarm systems. The course is also relevant to engineers and managers from operating companies as well as specialist contractors and equipment suppliers. Visit the EEMUA website for further details. www.eemua.org

Creating a successful control environment Know what you want, plan what you’ll get, check that you’ve got it! power stations and oil refineries. The e-learning will benefit anyone with an interest in process plant control rooms and control desks using Human Machine Interfaces. It is especially relevant to control engineers, control room console (and HMI) designers and vendors, control room operators, engineering consultants, engineering contractors, engineering managers, facilities managers, graduate engineers, plant operations managers, process safety managers, SCADA engineers and systems support managers. Visit the EEMUA website for further details. The e-learning is positioned at the awareness/introductory level and is an optional precursor to working through EEMUA 201, ‘Control rooms: A guide to their specification, design, commissioning and operation’. The EEMUA Control Rooms e-learning module provides guidance to engineers and the wider teams involved in the design of control rooms, control desks and consoles. It will help during new-build and modification projects, as well as evaluating existing set ups where people operate industrial processes and activities on facilities such as chemical plants,

November 2019

www.eemua.org

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PRODUCT FORUM •

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Diamond Processing Industry Goes Digital • Thanks to a partnership with relayr, Coborn is adding new digital services to their diamond grinding machines which will improve product performance and therefore increase asset utilisation for the customer. • The long-term strategic alliance will also add an innovative pay per use model which will make financing Coborn grinding machines easier for UK and European customers. Romford based Coborn Engineering Company Limited, a global provider of engineered solutions for the diamond industry, and Berlin located relayr, a specialist for industrial solutions in the field of Internet of Things (IoT), have formed a strategic alliance. The purpose of this long-term partnership is to develop Coborn’s diamond grinding machines into smart equipment by installing digital services in their products. Thanks to anomaly detection through relayr’s AI-based analytics, data collected from Coborn’s machines will allow them to determine and resolve failures in advance. Delivering pre-emptive service to each diamond customer will enable Coborn to offer machines with guaranteed performance and availability targets. Each machine will also

come with an insurance policy to support these guarantees. As an additional feature, Coborn will be offering a pay per use business model for its equipment, also known as an Equipment as a Service (EaaS) model. Partnering with relayr will enable Coborn to deliver business solutions to their customers through a unique blend of technology, finance, and insurance offerings. This unrivaled approach will provide a distinct level of tailored customer support and services whilst guaranteeing the uptime of Coborn’s Intelligent Machines. In turn, Coborn customers will be able to increase their productivity and receive exactly the services they need. www.relayr.io/coborn/

CK Atronik increases integral control versatility of Rotork modular electric valve actuators Rotork has increased the versatility of the CK range of modular electric valve actuators with the introduction of the CK Atronik, an intermediate level integral control option, providing a ready-to-operate actuation solution. The CK Atronik control module houses a reversing contactor starter with mechanical and electrical interlocking, a proven and reliable Rotork design for electric actuation. Connection to a suitable power supply is all that is required for local operation of the actuator. Digital microprocessor driven functionality delivers motor control for isolating, regulating or modulating valve duties. Configuration is simply achieved with on-board dual inline switches. Integral local control selectors are provided,

TO BE FEATURED IN THE CEE PRODUCT FORUM Control Engineering Europe

together with clear LED status indication of valve open, valve closed, valve moving and alarm. Mechanical valve position indication is also provided on the actuator gearcase. Options include analogue control for positioning, analogue feedback, additional relay and network bus connectivity. All CK modular actuators are environmentally sealed to IP68 (8 metres for 96 hours) as standard for reliability in harsh operating conditions. Plug and socket connections for power, control and between modules assist swift site wiring and maintenance. www.rotork.com/en

Contact Adam Yates on 01732 359990 07900 936909 or email Adam.Yates@imlgroup.co.uk

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November 2019

Safeguard Your Facility with Layers of Protection

Now Get Moore Industries Alarm Trips with Intrinsically-Safe Field Connections Moore Industriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; family of rugged and reliable alarm trips now includes the SPA2IS for process areas requiring intrinsically-safe methods of protection. The newSPA2IS alarm trip lets you directly connect temperature sensors and transmitters in Class I, Div1 or Zone 0,1 hazardous locations without having to use intrinsically-safe barriers, cutting wiring and maintenance expenses. Add a layer of protection to keep your facility safe and reduce costs with the SPA2IS with intrinsically-safe field connections. To learn more about the SPA2IS and Moore Industries family of Programmable Alarm Trips, Call 44(0)1293 514488 or visit: www.miinet.com/alarmtrips

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CEE_19_11

Articles inside

The FDT integration standard is set to transition into an information exchange platform which will enable cloud-based asset monitoring for field devices

Is industry embracing digital twins?

Can the process control system provide a reliable basis for collaboration?

Digital twin collaboration discussed at ARC India Forum

Release your robots to increase productivity

Getting on board with a modern DCS solution

Automation technology providers will showcase their industrial automation offerings at the SPS - Smart Production Solutions exhibition in Nuremberg from 26 – 28 November