Automation World February 2021

FEBRUARY 2021 / www.AutomationWorld.com

27 CISCO AIDS DAIRY FARMERS OF AMERICA’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION 22 6 17 9 11 34

Automation Expectations in the Discrete Industries Crossing the Interoperability Chasm Augmented Reality: A Serious Tool for Manufacturing Bridging the Cybersecurity Gap Easing the Path to a Connected Workforce Digitization—A Case For Manufacturing

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2 CONTENTS AW FEBRUARY 2021

FEBRUARY 2021 | VOLUME 19 | NUMBER 2

17 22 27

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How Augmented Reality Became a Serious Tool for Manufacturing

Making monsters appear in games like Pokémon Go is not the only application for augmented reality these days. Industry is using the technology too, harnessing CAD data to superimpose virtual machines and other elements on the real world for training workers, standardizing workflows, and enabling collaboration.

Automation Expectations: Discrete Manufacturing

To help illuminate expected trends in the industrial automation market in 2021, Automation World conducted a survey of technology suppliers to better understand how they see end-user plans developing.

Cisco Aids Dairy Farmers of America’s Digital Transformation To optimize operations and workforce continuity in support of the nation’s food supply during the pandemic and beyond, Cisco and system integration firms are installing communication technologies to accelerate the advance of milk product production.

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4 CONTENTS AW FEBRUARY 2021

EDITORIAL

ONLINE 5

Exclusive content from AutomationWorld.com: videos, podcasts, webinars, and more

INDUSTRY DIRECTIONS 6 Crossing the Interoperability Chasm

BATCH OF IDEAS 7

ABB’s Adaptive Execution Takes a Leaf from Nature’s Book

PRODUCTIONS PERSPECTIVES 8 Bridging the OT Cybersecurity Gap

PERSPECTIVES 10

Smart Sensors for Moisture Measurement Easing the Path to a Connected Workforce Cobot Gripper Helps Automate Hydraulic Manifold Production

David Greenfield Director of Content/Editor-in-Chief dgreenfield@automationworld.com / 678 662 3322 Stephanie Neil Senior Editor sneil@automationworld.com / 781 378 1652 Aaron Hand Editor at Large ahand@automationworld.com / 312 222 1010 x1180 David Miller Senior Technical Writer dmiller@automationworld.com / 312 205 7910 Emma Satchell Managing Editor esatchell@automationworld.com / 312 205 7898 Jim Chrzan VP/Content and Brand Strategy jchrzan@automationworld.com / 312 222 1010 x1470 Kim Overstreet Content Strategist koverstreet@pmmimediagroup.com James R. Koelsch, Lauren Paul, Jeanne Schweder and Beth Stackpole Contributing Writers

ART & PRODUCTION

NEWS 13

Filippo Riello Art Director friello@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1200 George Shurtleff Ad Services & Production Manager gshurtleff@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1170

NEW PRODUCTS 30

Kurt Belisle Publisher kbelisle@pmmimediagroup.com / 815 549 1034 West Coast Jim Powers Regional Manager jpowers@automationworld.com / 312 925 7793 Midwest, Southwest, and East Coast

Edge Computing Gets a Platform Focus Honeywell and Wolters Kluwer Connect Worker Safety Technologies Network Portal Targets Interoperability PMMI News Last Chance for PACK EXPO Connects

ADVERTISING

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AUDIENCE & DIGITAL

David Newcorn Senior Vice President, Digital & Data Elizabeth Kachoris Senior Director, Digital & Data Kelly Greeby Senior Director, Client Success & Media Operations Jen Krepelka Director, Websites & Digital Design Strategy

INDUSTRY VIEW 33

PMMI MEDIA GROUP

The Digital Twin Drives Smart Manufacturing By Dick Slansky

Kurt Belisle Publisher kbelisle@pmmimediagroup.com / 815 549 1034 Jake Brock Client Success Manager jbrock@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1320 Sue DaMario Director of Marketing damario@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1710 Amber Miller Marketing Manager dmiller@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1130 Sarah Loeffler Director, Media Innovation sloeffler@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 205 7925 Janet Fabiano Financial Services Manager jfabiano@pmmimediagroup.com / 312 222 1010 x1330

ENTERPRISE VIEW 34

Digitization – A Case For Manufacturing By Alec Konynenburg

KEY INSIGHTS 36

All Automation World editorial is copyrighted by PMMI Media Group, Inc. including printed or electronic reproduction.

Magazine and Web site editorial may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

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ONLINE 5

AW FEBRUARY 2021

PODCAST SERIES Is the Cloud Beneficial for Small and Mid-Sized Manufacturers?

We connect with Brian Fenn, COO of Avanceon, to learn how manufacturers are actually using cloud computing today and how it can be leveraged for optimal application by smaller manufacturing organizations.

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AUTOMATION WORLD TV Watch the latest AW TV report on new automation technologies showcased at PACK EXPO Connects, including Lenze’s new i950 servo drive, Omron’s HD-1500 autonomous mobile robot, and Epson Robots’ IntelliFlex flexible feeder and C12XL 6-axis robot. Subscribe to keep up with our latest videos.

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THE AUTOMATION PLAYBOOK The Automation Playbook is a useful source of information as you look for guidance in how to approach the Industrial Internet of Things, communication protocols, controls implementation, safety, asset management, predictive maintenance, the mobile workforce, and much more.

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AUTOMATION WORLD E-BOOK 5 Key Applications for the Industrial Internet of Things

An inside look at present and future practical realities for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) from Automation World. Inside, you’ll learn about: The pros and cons of edge and cloud computing, designing a connected factory, cross-industry applications of the IIoT, and more articles that deliver insight into the world of IIoT.

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ON-DEMAND WEBINARS How to Reduce Downtime, Optimize HMI/SCADA, and Apply Virtualization with Edge Technology

Edge computing improves machine performance, increases OEE, and ensures higher availability and reliability. In this webinar, you will learn how to use edge computing to prevent downtime, break down silos, and monitor and control from anywhere, using real life customer case studies.

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Individual Process Automation— Distributed Plant Control for Safe Production

Only with precise and reliable process control and continuous monitoring can you ensure product quality, avoid rejects, and prevent production downtime.

This webinar covers solutions for constant diagnosis and control, timely fault identification, system integration, and commissioning to save you time and money.

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1/28/21 11:10 AM

6 EDITORIAL AW FEBRUARY 2021

INDUSTRY DIRECTIONS

Crossing the Interoperability Chasm

By David Greenfield

dgreenfield@automationworld.com Editor-In-Chief/ Director of Content, Automation World

D

espite the relative ease of digitally transforming manufacturing and processing operations due to technology advances and technology supplier cooperation over the past several years, effecting the change still requires a number of hurdles to be jumped. The ‘devil in the details’ aspects of the Industrial Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 is well illustrated in the rise of numerous groups designed to help smooth industry’s understanding and adoption of digitally connected industrial devices, systems, and networks.

Beyond the increasing support for opensource software use across industry, some of the more well-known groups working to advance the idea of connected industry and open systems include the Open Process Automation Forum, the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance, and the Industrial Internet Consortium, which recently incorporated the Open Fog Consortium into its operation.

Another such group, the Open Manufacturing Platform (OMP), whose members include BMW Group, Microsoft, Cognizant, Red Hat, ZF Friedrichshafen, and Cap Gemini, recently released a white paper titled, “Insights Into Connecting Industrial IoT Assets” (awgo. to/1127). This paper addresses the specific connectivity issues industry faces in the digital transformation, ranging from the connection of sensors, actuators, and machines to a central data center; lack of common standards and proprietary interfaces; and the gaps between operational technology (OT) professionals’ responsibility for the commissioning, operation, and maintenance of shop floor equipment and information technology (IT)

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personnel’s responsibilities for overall data processing, hardware and software infrastructure, and enterprise-wide IT strategy.

Members of the OMP group point out that the group was initially created to “harness the power of collaboration and openness so that raw equipment data can be collected, aggregated across multiple data sources, consolidated, and analyzed to create information.”

In the paper, the OMP explains that data sources such as shop floor machines, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, manufacturing execution systems (MES), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and distributed control systems (DCS) have historically been proprietary, thereby inherently limiting interoperability.

“Going forward, Industry 4.0 will necessitate the breaking down of these silos, and openness and interoperability will be essential to intelligent systems that persist into the future,” the authors of the white paper note.

A key point in the paper focuses on production asset level connectivity, specifically highlighting the prominence of OPC UA and MQTT. According to the paper: “At the OT level, there are many different protocols. Specialized real-time protocols (like Profinet or Powerlink) are often not compatible with the IT systems since the first group often has different ISO/OSI layers than the standard Ethernet protocol commonly used by IT systems.

For the connection between OT and IT levels, two standards have developed a wide adoption in the last years: OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) and MQTT (Message Queueing Telemetry Transport). Both protocols are seen as common factory standards since they are vendor and hardware independent. Most OT device manufacturers have included at least one of these two protocols in their state-of-the-art products. This is the reason why this working group mainly focuses on these two protocols.”

The authors advocate for the use of OPC UA and MQTT because of OPC UA’s “widespread use in the manufacturing sector, self-describing behavior, data semantic standardization groups, and support for modern

security standards. The OPC UA Foundation standardizes data exchange as a platformindependent, service-oriented architecture.

If the implementation of OPC UA is not reasonable or applicable, the use of MQTT as a transport protocol is a valid alternative. The choice of data formats and transport protocols should be considered based on the specific use case. For example, for a lightweight IoT sensor, a complex OPC UA implementation may not be possible due to hardware limitations. If OPC UA or MQTT is not natively supported, an adapter on the production asset level is a good solution to transform data from the proprietary asset interface to OPC UA or MQTT. An alternate solution is the installation of a software adapter at the edge level where the data is filtered, combined, and converted to the northbound edge protocol (MQTT).

The overall goal is to transform and harmonize the data as early as possible in the communication process.”

The bottom line here is that it is increasingly clear that OPC UA and MQTT are projected to be the key methods for open data communication on the plant floor and connecting with IT systems at the enterprise level and into the cloud for the foreseeable future.

“If the implementation of OPC UA is not reasonable or applicable, the use of MQTT as a transport protocol is a valid alternative.

The choice of data formats and transport protocols should be considered based on the specific use case.”

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8 EDITORIAL AW FEBRUARY 2021

BATCH OF IDEAS

ABB’s Adaptive Execution Takes a Leaf from Nature’s Book

By Stephanie Neil

sneil@automationworld.com Senior Editor, Automation World

T

he concept of biomimicry is fascinating.

Nature, after all, has solved so many sophisticated problems. So, it makes perfect sense to look to nature for inspiration when solving man-made engineering or ecosystem problems.

That’s exactly the approach ABB took with its recently announced ABB Adaptive Execution offering. Designed for large capital projects in the energy sector that often exceed budget and experience extensive delays, Adaptive Execution is based on digitalization and collaboration at its core and is expected to reduce automation related capital expenditures by up to 40%, compress delivery schedules by as much as 30%, and lower start-up hours by 40%, according to the company.

For an example of how nature effectively executes a job with precision, agility, and efficiency, just take a look at a pod of dolphins.

Dolphins work as a synchronized team to create value without wasting time or energy.

When feeding, dolphins will swim together and hunt in groups, working together to encircle a school of fish and take turns feeding.

Similarly, ABB is focusing on effectiveness by standardizing processes, using application libraries, and employing cutting edge engineering tools to eliminate or automate repetitive steps to solve complex tasks. Many large projects have multiple teams spread across the globe. All of this needs to be organized and synchronized in one location. Much like

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a pod of dolphins will herd fish into a small space to effectively feed, ABB’s E-Base engineer tool is designed to handle and manage data coming from multiple sources, organizing it all into one space and connecting a set of standard hardware templates and software libraries to build control applications.

The engineering platform can also regenerate deliverables if there are any changes in design or project scope, allowing the system to adapt to new parameters.

When it comes to efficiency, look no further than a hive of honey bees which mobilize each other to do more work in less time while operating in a strong and reliable infrastructure. In an automation lifecycle, the elimination of customization and the use of simulation can deliver a similar effect. Using a digital twin of control systems, ABB Adaptive Execution can continuously test and build simulated control units and combine that with process and electrical areas to create a plant control system that efficiently works together.

With this, virtual commissioning can be applied to streamline installations. Using virtualization, Adaptive Execution removes the need for engineering on site and reduces the physical hardware required for a control and automation system. According to ABB, by decoupling hardware and software, Adaptive Execution lowers the time and overall setup costs, cutting the number of engineering hours spent on project installation, commissioning, and testing by up to 85%.

When it comes to collaboration, ant colonies are organized in a way that each ant performs its own special role so that the entire colony thrives. To that end, with a modular design combined with standardized, repeatable processes, and shared deployment of infrastructure, tools, and resources, the ABB Adaptive Execution approach centralizes collaboration across all project stakeholders — from a project’s inception through to its successful completion.

“Adaptive Execution will change the way in which customers, engineering procurement construction contractors, and vendors interact,” said Brandon Spencer, president of ABB Energy Industries. “We can create better business value for our customers by creating an environment where everyone can do his or her own part with confidence, empowering delivery teams to achieve more, in less time.

This is the key to overall project success.”

Given the past year, it is clear that all manufacturers are working in high-pressure environments that require agility and flexibility. Beyond survival of the fittest, this new normal requires what ABB calls a “survival of the smartest” as the industry continues its evolution.

“Much like a pod of dolphins will herd fish into a small space to effectively feed, ABB’s E-Base engineer tool is designed to handle and manage data coming from multiple sources, organizing it all into one space and connecting a set of standard hardware templates and software libraries to build control applications.”

1/28/21 11:10 AM

EDITORIAL 9 AW FEBRUARY 2021

PRODUCTION PERSPECTIVES

Bridging the OT Cybersecurity Gap

By David Miller

dmiller@pmmimediagroup.com Senior Technical Writer, Automation World

“Along with an increasing emphasis on the network technologies that make edge-to-enterprise data transmission possible, cybersecurity has become a growing concern. In particular, operational technology that was once seen as secure is now proving to be a potential vector for cyber attacks.”

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A

s digital transformation initiatives continue across industry, more and more data that would have once been relegated to local, isolated industrial control systems (ICS) is being shipped out via the internet to centralized cloud storage facilities, enterprise-level servers, and other remote sites. The benefits of this edge-toenterprise pipeline are numerous, ranging from allowing for higher-level analytics and decision-making to enabling the development of digital twin simulations. Moreover, with COVID-19 increasing the need for remote access, this trend is only expected to continue picking up pace.

Yet with these opportunities come new threats as well, and experts are taking note.

Along with an increasing emphasis on the network technologies that make edge-toenterprise data transmission possible, cybersecurity has become a growing concern. In particular, operational technology (OT) that was once seen as secure is now proving to be a potential vector for cyber attacks, as plantlevel devices such as sensors are becoming gateways to higher-level systems.

This shift is emerging as the Purdue Model, which firmly separates the OT and information technology (IT) environments with multiple levels of security and control, becomes less common. Whereas data once produced by a plant-level device would have had to pass through several layers of control hierarchy, it is now liable to be transmitted directly over the internet to an external server or other remote system.

Sometimes, plant operators may not even realize their devices are insecure.

To help address these issues, Claroty, a company focused on bridging the cybersecurity gap between IT and OT environments, has recently announced updates to its Claroty platform that reportedly enable users to seamlessly engage in remote incident management from any location. Claroty

notes that the update comes largely as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the shift to remote work, resulting in more interconnections between OT and IT, and an expanded surface for potential cyber attacks.

The updated platform seeks to aid customers throughout the entire incident lifecycle, which includes detection, investigation, and response.

In the detection phase, Claroty grants users the ability to identify and differentiate authorized remote activity from unauthorized activity. When an alert is received, it can be compared to similar events across Claroty’s customer base, allowing users to assess its potential impact. Once investigation begins, users are offered visibility into remote activity, as well as insights into how indicators of potential incidents have manifested in other areas. This greater context can ensure a more effective response, while also reducing the need for on-site staff to assess the nature of a potential breach. Finally, should a response be necessary, Claroty facilitates remote collaboration by allowing users to disconnect potentially harmful OT assets from any location.

These features are designed to assist users in deterring and responding to both assetbased attacks, in which equipment is targeted, and identity-based attacks, wherein sensitive information related to a business itself or individual personnel within it may be stolen.

“Receiving vulnerability alerts in realtime is a must-have,” said Thomas Leen, vice president of cybersecurity at BHP, a mining, metals, and petroleum company.

“The Claroty Platform allows us to quickly identify which of our assets have led to vulnerabilities and prioritize the actions we need to take in order to reduce and eliminate potential risks to the business.”

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10 PERSPECTIVES AW FEBRUARY 2021

Smart Sensors for Moisture Measurement

By David Miller, Senior Technical Writer, Automation World

Q

uality control is at the heart of good manufacturing, as inferior goods tend to result in sunk costs at best and disgruntled or unsatisfied customers at worst.

In the past, most quality control work has occurred after the fact, with finished goods being inspected in batches to ensure they meet certain standards. However, this approach has several drawbacks. For instance, should a quality defect result from a faulty production process, it may affect an entire batch of finished goods, meaning that they may all need to be disposed of so that the line can be run again.

Luckily, changes in technology are trending away from inspection after that fact and toward real-time, continuous quality assurance methodologies, which allow such prospects to be avoided. In addition to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms to size up production output in real time or even predict issues in advance, more sophisticated sensors also play a large role by providing the necessary input data.

Among the many metrics that manufacturers may track—particularly in process industries such as food and beverage, chemical, pharmaceuticals, or pulp and paper—is moisture. Limiting excess moisture is vital, not only to meet certain regulatory standards, but to ensure proper chemical reactions and drying for pharmaceuticals, as well as maximizing shelf life and deterring mold in the food and beverage space.

“Whether manufacturers are mixing, blending, homogenizing, or drying, non-contact, smart inline technology enables the rapid, automatic measuring of moisture in 100% of product or inputs, along with the ability to instantly fine-tune the process. This can optimize quality as well as minimize waste and corrective re-processing,” said John Bogart, managing director of Kett, a manufacturer of moisture and organic composition analyzers.

Kett provides smart sensors capable of calculating moisture quickly using onboard

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computing power, a capability made possible by the ever-expanding amount of capacity being packed into ever-smaller microprocessors. Kett’s sensors are also capable of transmitting data in real-time to smart phones, PCs, and other devices even if they are not connected to a plant’s network architecture.

In addition, these sensors can automatically send alerts to notify operators when certain parameters and limit conditions have been surpassed.

Continuous moisture monitoring by smart Moreover, storing this data technology allows for the tracking of can allow for the tracking of historical performance trends, historical performance trends. cyclical rhythms, and periodic which enables them to collect and transmit failures, helping plant personnel move from a several times per second, resulting in realreactive to a proactive approach. time metrics that save time, labor, and costs.

Perhaps just as importantly, by foregoing According to Bogart, NIR moisture meters conventional laboratory testing methods that can provide highly accurate measurements of often require bulky equipment replete with solids, liquids, and slurries without any need cords and cabling of various sorts, valuable for contact or sample penetration, meaning floor space can be saved. This is a growing there is no risk of contamination. In addition, concern across industry that’s driving numeronce the meter has been calibrated to typical ous trends ranging from modular conveyance laboratory production standards, the calibraoptions to the use of edge controllers to elimtion data can be stored inside the device so inate the need for control cabinets. that there is no need for excessive program“With typical testing, by the time results ming or configuration. Monitoring capabilities come back from the lab, any off-spec prodcan also be integrated with the accompanyuct can already be processed, packaged, and ing Kett Tracker data collection and analysis shipped. If manufacturers are not measuring in software to improve error detection, defect real-time, inevitably there will be some variaanalysis, and quality results. tion in inputs, process, and quality,” Bogart said.

“Ultimately, smart moisture measurement “Fitting inline testing equipment into space-retechnology translates into superior process stricted production lines can be difficult when control, quality, and production without the wires and cables must be run to a variety of peinherent drawbacks of slower, labor-intensive ripheral instruments. In such cases, the cost of lab or batch testing,” Bogart said. labor, installation, and system integration can be as much as the device itself.”

Kett’s approach works by using near-infrared (NIR) light as a non-contact measure,

1/28/21 10:34 AM

PERSPECTIVES 11 AW FEBRUARY 2021

Easing the Path to a Connected Workforce

By David Miller, Senior Technical Writer, Automation World

A

s digital transformation initiatives continue to bridge the divide between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), sending more plant-level data upward to the enterprise level is not the only concern at hand.

Equally important is allowing operations personnel to become more attuned to developments pertaining to equipment assets, fellow team members, and the broader organization by offering them the same overall visibility granted to other stakeholders.

The notion of a connected workforce means that OT personnel can move from being reactive to being proactive. Rather than prowling plants with clipboards searching for something to work on, predictive analytics systems help these workers better allocate their labor by directing them to more value-added tasks. This shift can lead to an assortment of benefits, including improving asset health and reliability, streamlining work processes, and even attracting a more modern workforce.

In fact, the potential gains are so impressive that some have suggested the appointment of an “Automation and Data Exchange Engineer” to facilitate greater coordination between OT and IT. One primary enabler of a connected OT workforce has been the growing proliferation of wearable and mobile technologies, with simple consumer devices such as smart phones becoming potential windows into analytics, training materials, and other useful information. Moreover, wearables like Bluetooth earpieces and augmented reality (AR) headsets can allow workers to be guided through a procedure by a remote expert in real-time.

Yet, for workers to fully take advantage of these connected devices, software platforms are needed to integrate data from numerous sources, act as repositories of collected knowledge, and ease access for end-users.

To meet this challenge, Aveva, a provider of engineering and industrial software, has

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released its cloud-based Aveva Teamwork platform, which promises to foster communication and knowledge sharing on the plant floor by allowing documentation and training videos to be shared, as well as facilitating social-media-style interactions among employees about relevant workplace issues.

In essence, Aveva Teamwork treats human workers as the most valuable sensors within a plant, capable of gathering and sharing insights into productivity that can aid in process improvement across an organization.

By combing multimedia content, skills management modules, and communication features into a single application, Aveva Teamwork hopes to provide a continuously updated knowledge base of best practices and training content that can be quickly and automatically shared with workers who need it, even across shifts and global locations.

When using Aveva Teamwork, plant workers are able to use mobile devices to scan QR codes placed throughout a facility to be granted access to work instructions, trouble-shooting solutions, equipment key performance indicators, and other valuable information. They are also able to post important production updates and send out calls for assistance in a variety of multimedia formats such as text, photo, or video.

“Aveva Teamwork will enable organizations to capture experienced worker knowledge and create sustainable videobased learning content, thereby reducing training time and costs for new operators by up to 50%,“ said Rashesh Mody, senior vice president for the monitoring and control business unit at Aveva. “Industrial workers will now have the benefit of being able to learn continuously, while also contributing to collective knowledge and best practices, and likewise industrial organizations also now have the knowledge and tools they need to drive continuous improvement in productivity, waste, quality, and safety.”

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12 PERSPECTIVES AW FEBRUARY 2021

Cobot Gripper Helps Automate Hydraulic Manifold Production

By David Greenfield, Editor-In-Chief/Director of Content, Automation World

Moving stamped blocks from the cobot workcell at Tomenson.

T

he implementation of a collaborative robot with a flexible gripper at Tomenson Machine Works in West Chicago, Ill., is a prime example of how small to midsized manufacturers are embracing some of the newest automation advances and reaping their cost saving benefits.

Tomenson Machine Works is a third generation, family-owned manufacturer of hydraulic manifolds (which regulate fluid flow between pumps, actuators, and other components in a hydraulic system). Considering the difficulties the company faced in staffing positions to handle its most repetitive tasks, Tomenson decided to automate the engraving of parts in its pin stamper with a U3 collaborative robot from Universal Robots, outfitted with an RG6 gripper from OnRobot.

Kristian Hulgard, general manager – Americas at OnRobot, said Tomenson is a typical customer for OnRobot, i.e., a small company that had never really automated before. “But once they saw how cobots were installed and work, they quickly took steps to install a robot with a flexible gripper to automate the process of numbering metal manifold blocks,” he said.

The collaborative aspect of the robot and gripper was a major deciding factor for Tomenson. “We knew we were not going to get a gripper robot that might need guarding because we're working in a tight environment,” said Alex Roake, operations manager at Tomenson.

After conducting a risk assessment, it was determined that the robot arm and gripper could be placed on the line without safety guarding.

“The reason we chose pin stamping for our first application with robotics is because we saw it as basically the easiest and the most repetitive task on the production floor,” said Roake. “We like the OnRobot gripper for this application because we have many different part sizes and we knew that the RG6 could handle our biggest parts and our smallest parts going into the pin stamp.”

According to OnRobot, the RG6 can handle parts from ½-inch to 4 inches in size.

Roake explained that Tomenson programs the RG6 using the same lines of code for each

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part. “We start at the largest size the gripper can handle and then close it until it senses that it's closed around the part,” he said. “Programming the pin stamp is much harder than programming the gripper,” he added.

Currently, Tomenson has 20 to 30 different part numbers programmed into the RG6, with plans to run up to 100 different part numbers with the gripper. The company uses a 3D printer to print its own gripper pads for handling its larger manifold parts. Switching grippers to handle different parts takes between 5 and 10 minutes, according to Roake.

Manufacturing small blocks for hydraulic manifolds produced low margins for Tomenson before the implementation of the cobot and gripper. “Now when we see a small block order, we're not afraid to quote it because we know that the handling of thousands and thousands of these will be done by the robot,” said Roake.

“This allows us to focus on the more complex and longer cycle blocks that need more attention.”

Since the introduction of the cobot and gripper into the pin stamping application, Zach Roake, quality and post-production manager at Tomenson, said the company has seen “about a 40% reduction in misloads” caused by engraving the wrong side of the block or engraving in the wrong direction. “We’re calculating that we can now run our gripper on first and second shift to get a return on in-

vestment in roughly 6 to 7 months.”

Roake added that “everyone loves working with the cobot. We have employees bringing up other applications we could use the gripper on in post-production, shipping, or even loading the CNC machines.”

Because the cobot arm and gripper can run unattended for around 45 minutes, Tomenson can use the same person to run the line saw and the cobot, rather than needing two people for these operations. Roake said that the company’s previous pin stamp operator was “moved to a different department where she was able to do more meaningful work.”

Large manifold blocks that Tomenson workers can now focus more time on as the cobot and gripper handle the smaller blocks.

1/28/21 10:34 AM

NEWS 13

AW FEBRUARY 2021

Edge Computing Gets a Platform Focus

By David Greenfield

Editor-In-Chief/Director of Content, Automation World

F

or years now, edge computing technologies have been gaining in popularity as a means of onsite equipment data aggregation and analytics—a key component of industrial digitalization. More recently, edge computing has also been gaining wider use for virtualization and providing secure remote access to equipment.

Siemens and Stratus Technologies have announced two new edge computing offerings that extend the use of edge computing beyond the specific applications mentioned above.

Siemens announced the release of its Industrial Edge v1.0 platform which encompasses an edge management system, edge apps, and edge devices. The company describes this platform as a “scalable infrastructure for managing connected edge devices and

apps” which can be used to “remotely monitor the status of every connected device and remotely install edge apps and software functions on distributed edge devices.”

Essentially, Siemens Industrial Edge platform enables IT or plant floor personnel to manage distributed edge devices and centrally monitor their operating states. The company says this ability is key to securely rolling out new software applications company-wide on all connected edge devices. It also minimizes the maintenance and updating of distributed software.

Stratus Technologies’ announced its “Solution in a Box” process control architecture running Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx 5.0 (distributed control system) software on the Stratus ztC Edge device. PlantPAx uses a common automation platform to integrate process and discrete control with plant-wide information.

The “Solution in a Box” architecture includes: Rockwell Automation’s Process Automation System Server with FactoryTalk View (HMI software), FactoryTalk AssetCentre (central-

ized asset management), FactoryTalk Historian, FactoryTalk VantagePoint (enterprise manufacturing intelligence); Rockwell Automation Application Server-OWS, a ThinManager remote desktop server for remote, mobile, and tablet access; and Stratus ztC Edge 110i.

Stratus says the “Solution in a Box” supports up to 2,000 I/O points, five redundant Logix controllers, 10 clients, and 5,000 historian tags.

“With ztC Edge’s industrial-grade design, teams can now install redundant, virtualized edge computing on the DIN rail in the same cabinet as the PlantPAx DCS controllers, even in harsh environments,” said Frank Hill, director of Rockwell Partnership at Stratus. “In addition, ztC Edge’s built-in virtualization allows users to integrate multiple solutions—PlantPAx applications and Rockwell’s ThinManager that previously required multiple computers—into a single platform which delivers enormous savings for engineering, operations, and maintenance.”

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1/28/21 10:59 AM

14 NEWS

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Honeywell and Wolters Kluwer Connect Worker Safety Technologies

By David Miller

Senior Technical Writer, Automation World

W

hen it comes to worker safety in industrial environments, the COVID-19 pandemic has captured nearly all the headlines for much of 2020.

However, complying with other environmental health and safety (EHS) requirements remain a regulatory challenge for industrial companies of all types. One benefit of the pandemic is the concentrated focus on EHS factors it has brought to industry’s technology suppliers.

An example of this is a new partnership between Honeywell and Wolters Kluwer, which addresses industry’s new EHS operating realities by connecting Honeywell’s Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) connected devices and safety software with risk and EHS software from Enablon, a Wolters Kluwer business focused on software products that assist in managing safety and environmental performance, ensuring compliance, and minimizing risk.

In particular, the partnership is aimed at easing the difficult process of safely

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bringing workers back into plants amid the stringent social distancing requirements created by COVID-19.

“With companies concerned about making a safe return to their facilities, we are offering a solution that aims to provide peace of mind to management in terms of both safety and compliance to keep up with ever-changing health and environmental regulations,” said John Rudolph, president of Honeywell Process Solutions. “Our new reality requires innovative solutions that enable both business continuity and helps protect the health of their employees.”

After Honeywell’s Digitized Workforce Management software is deployed, the process of monitoring employee health begins before workers even enter a plant. The software sends personnel an electronic questionnaire, which provides them with an access code and notes their time of arrival. From there, intelligent connected devices at the facility’s entry perform a non-invasive scan for elevated body temperature, as well as ascertaining whether or not individuals are wearing the proper personal protective equipment required by safety regulations.

Once all of this data has been gathered, it is piped directly to Enablon’s EHS software, where management can monitor it in realtime to ensure compliance with safety and health regulations.

Beyond helping to slow the spread of COVID-19, the partnership can also assist companies in navigating ever-changing and increasingly complex environmental regulations. With some environmental permits containing hundreds of specific requirements, businesses need all the help they can get. To ease this burden, Honeywell’s software can be configured by operators to correspond directly to the local environmental and regulatory permitting conditions of specific jurisdictions.

According to Chirag Shah, senior director of product management at Enablon, by allowing data streamed directly from equipment and other assets to be integrated with data provided by workers and field contractors in real-time, Industry 4.0 becomes the driving force enabling companies to navigate this challenging landscape.

1/28/21 10:33 AM

PMMI NEWS 15

Last Chance for PACK EXPO Connects

By Sean Riley, Senior Director, Media and Industry Communications, PMMI

T

AW FEBRUARY 2021

manufacturing industries. You can also learn about the impact of the pandemic and how it is reshaping the industry; and get a better understanding of how management and labor uncertainties are driving a new look at increased use of automation.

Visit PACKEXPOConnects.com for free registration.

| AT11-18USA |

he clock is ticking to take advantage of PMMI Media Group's initial foray into the world of virtual trade events and video content, offering an unparalleled perspective from industry thought leaders as well as PMMI Media Group’s editorial team’s analysis. The streamlined search functionality enables quick and efficient identification of suppliers and access to a jam-packed slate of on-demand educational content.

March 31, 2021, brings PACK EXPO Connects to a halt, and missing potential connections or solutions could leave CPGs scrambling until PACK EXPO Las Vegas, Sept. 27-29, 2021, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. If nothing else, a rare look inside Amazon's e-commerce fulfillment and the packaging demands it creates is 30-minutes CPGs won't find anywhere else, along with insight from industry titans like Bumble Bee Foods, General Mills, L’Oréal and others.

Not sure where to start? Check out The Daily Download, a highlight reel of quick-hitting summaries by PMMI Media Group editors of mustsee technologies (awgo.to/1137).

Revisit the latest technologies from the packaging and processing industries' most inventive suppliers on the Innovation Stage.

These 30-minute sessions include The Secret to Food & Beverage Manufacturing Agility in a Changing World, Sustainable Packaging, Automation Requirements for Project Success and more (awgo.to/1138).

Explore brief conversations between prominent industry experts and PMMI Media Group editors at Trend Chats. These discussions include hot industry topics such as Cannabis Packaging, Food Processing Manufacturing Innovations, and more (awgo.to/1139).

Jumpstart Sessions feature inspiring sessions from industry visionaries offering a wide range of expertise on sustainability, workforce, robotics, remote access and monitoring, and more (awgo. to/1140). Sessions are also available in Spanish.

Finally, The Solution Room provides unique www.beckhoff.us/amp8000 answers to industry challenges with recordEliminate and shrink control cabinets while expanding dynamic motion control: The AMP8000 ings of what transpired during the live PACK Distributed Servo Drive System from Beckhoff integrates a servo drive directly into a servomotor.

EXPO Connects sessions (awgo.to/1141). Gain A unique benefit of the AMP8000 series is that servomotor power ratings* and installation sizes useful insights on the evolution of the industry remain virtually unchanged. Proven One-Cable Automation in the EtherCAT P standard delivers and your role in it, including how COVID-19 is real time communication and industrial power on one cable, and an innovative IP65-rated supply reshaping the contract packaging industry, and module powers multiple motors in the field. As such, the AMP8000 minimizes space requirements, how best to utilize LinkedIn for professional installation effort, material costs and motion system footprint in a big way. resources from the OpX Leadership Network, sizes remain almost identical to standard AM8000 servomotors from Beckhoff the Organization for Machine Automation no changes in existing machine designs required and Control, the Institute of Packaging Prosame high power ratings as before despite drive integration* fessionals and the Contract Packaging AssoTwinSAFE drive safety technology built into every servomotor ciation (CPA). In one example, research from *Compared with a combination of servo drive and servomotor the CPA’s 2020 State of the Industry report offers insights into the contract packaging and

The distributed servo system with One Cable Automation: AMP8000

2102_News.indd 15

1/28/21 1:59 PM

16 NEWS

AW FEBRUARY 2021

Network Portal Targets Interoperability

By David Miller

Senior Technical Writer, Automation World

A

s the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) continues to sweep across manufacturing, connecting disparate or dissimilar networks as well as facilitating data exchange between software and automation components that may be separated by multiple network layers and varying communication protocols continues to be a priority. As a result, interoperable network portals can play an important role in alleviating these connectivity concerns.

The struggle for interoperability can take many forms. Firstly, networks that need to be connected may employ different fieldbus protocols from one another. Even with experts estimating that network structures will be flatter and more Ethernet-based in the future, not all current communication structures will completely disappear, meaning that interfaces are needed to assist in

2102_News.indd 16

linking them together. In addition, vertical communication from field devices using different protocols will need to be passed on to upper-level systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP). Finally, controller-to-controller communication between devices from different vendors will also need to become more seamless. Even with the interoperability provided by OPC UA, this latter task will remain an ongoing project as long as legacy equipment remains in service and needs to be connected.

To address these issues, Parker Hannifin, a company focused on motion and control technologies, has released its PCH Network Portal—a product the company claims can minimize machine costs and shorten start-up time, while offering built-in features to help reduce equipment downtime.

The PCH Network Portal is as an Ethernet node, meaning it acts as a kind of translator between various fieldbus transmission protocols and enterprise-level Ethernet. In addition, it also features IO-Link master capa-

bilities for up to 12 ports to further ease connectivity and configurability. According to Parker Hannifin, the PCH Network Portal is ideal for flexible manufacturing applications where machine changes are common, PLCs are not always accessible, and obstacles on the plant floor may make set-up, configuration, and troubleshooting difficult.

“At Parker we understand the serious impact that lost time can have to the bottom line,” said Erick Rudaitis, senior market development engineer at Parker Hannifin’s pneumatic division. “The PCH Network Portal was designed with the machine builder, controls engineer, and maintenance technician in mind to improve efficiency at every stage of the machine lifecycle.”

Other benefits offered by the PCH Network Portal include fast and storable configurations, power in and out connectors with safe power capabilities, and built-in programming functions, according to Parker Hannifin.

1/28/21 10:33 AM

AUGMENTED REALITY 17 AW FEBRUARY 2021

Making monsters appear in games like Pokémon Go is not the only application for augmented reality these days. Industry is using the technology too, harnessing CAD data to superimpose virtual machines and other elements on the real world for training workers, standardizing workflows, and enabling collaboration.

By James R. Koelsch, Contributing Writer, Automation World

A

ugmented reality (AR) is not just about fun and games. “It also has a variety of uses in industrial automation,” notes Eran Nadel, director of innovation projects and rapid development manager for manufacturing engineering at Siemens Digital Industries Software. He should know because he and his colleagues are among the select group of engineers who have been developing AR technology for use in manufacturing. These

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engineers have been superimposing virtual elements constructed from CAD and other data onto views of real objects depicted on mobile devices, desktop computers, smart glasses, and headsets. It is this superimposition of the virtual upon the real that differentiates AR from virtual reality (VR), which immerses users in a completely virtual scenario constructed solely from digital elements.

Nadel reports that the focus at Siemens has been

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18 AUGMENTED REALITY AW FEBRUARY 2021

mainly on using AR to support various kinds of human-centered activities. An example is a maintenance application in which Siemens’ AssistAR product guides technicians through routine maintenance on a gearbox. The process begins after the technician uses a LiDAR infrared camera to generate the real-world image of the gearbox and establish its orientation in space. Then, AssistAR provides step-by-step instructions by highlighting elements, such as screws and faceplates, on a conventional computer screen in the correct order in the workflow. It also animates the elements to show how they are removed, replaced, or reassembled.

In its simplest form, AR is used to identify a component, machine, or area of a factory, and give the user some contextual information about it. “This information can be anything from documents, pictures, and videos to IIoT [Industrial Internet of Things] data,” says Peter Richmond, portfolio manager for XR and 3D visualization at Aveva. More advanced applications include 3D, real-time models, step-

by-step holographic animations of a task, and remote multi-user collaboration.

Four industrial uses

Industry is deploying AR in at least four ways.

The first is training new workers or even guiding more experienced workers through various workflows, like performing routine maintenance on the gearbox. “AR helps users to achieve faster upskilling and creates more confident workers by standardizing procedure execution and providing in-the-field training,” says Vineesh Kapoor, director of product management at Emerson Automation Solutions.

The second way industry is using AR is asset identification. “Augmented reality can help operators and technicians find assets quickly and easily—a difficult task when they must identify one device out of hundreds or thousands,” notes Kapoor. With a mobile device using augmented reality, a field worker can be guided directly to an asset that needs attention.

A third industrial use of augmented reality is knowledge transfer, particularly in the

field. Demand for this kind of AR application has grown partly because of the travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and partly because of the shortage of skilled experts. “Senior personnel often can’t travel to a site to help with solving a problem,” says Kapoor. With AR technology, however, these experts can see exactly what local engineers and field technicians see and collaborate with them from afar.

This ability to assist in remote communications and streamline collaboration also shows promise for process design and equipment layout—the fourth way industry is deploying AR. Users can place virtual equipment in the real world to check whether it will fit in the allotted space before actually spending the money and time to install it in real life. Users can also immerse themselves in a proposed manufacturing cell to see how robots will interact with other machinery, the workers tending the cell, and the surroundings.

For a long time now, manufacturing engineers have been able to construct such cells

Plantweb Optics AR provides field technicians with relevant IIoT data and situational awareness to locate assets quickly.

Source: Emerson Automation Solutions

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AUGMENTED REALITY 19 AW FEBRUARY 2021

AssistAR augmented reality software from Siemens highlights a bearing cover in yellow as it leads a technician through maintenance of a gearbox.

Source: Siemens Digital Industries Software

and populate them with robots and CNC machines built with CAD/CAM software like SolidWorks and Delmia from Dassault Systèmes. Indeed, the company’s Delmia software already contains prebuilt models of more than 1,400 robots. “We calculate the kinematic motion, so it’s a logical progression to put it all together in a timed sequence,” says Mike Buchli, senior SolidWorks product and portfolio manager. “It’s not that much different than a video game.”

These simulations have an important limitation, however. “Even though you have been able to put the robots in your computer model and move them around, you were not really immersed in that cell,” explains Buchli.

Now, with AR technology like his company’s 3D Experience platform, users can get the sense of standing next to a 6 ft robot as it reaches across the cell to load a machine.

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Making a mesh of things

Implementing augmented reality is usually harder to do than implementing virtual reality because an AR system needs a mechanism for determining where elements are in the real world so that it can overlay the virtual elements with precision. Because the computergame industry has already solved many of these problems, many AR developers serving the manufacturing sector have been borrowing technology from the game industry.

For example, some use a headset fitted with a video camera and a mixture of other sensors, such as infrared sensors and radar.

“Besides gathering a regular video image, it’s also measuring depth and establishing perspective,” says Arnav Mukherjee, development director for viewer and experimental technology at Dassault Systèmes. Meanwhile, the software superimposes a virtual grid on the image of the real environment. “We can plop a machine on top of that mesh, and it’s

going to be scaled appropriately in the view.”

Because game engines already generate such meshes and superimpose virtual objects on them, some AR developers are relying on them for this purpose. Dassault Systèmes isn’t among those developers, however. SolidWorks can generate these meshes and place CAD models on them. “Our users expect us, as suppliers of engineering software, to take care of all the headaches of creating images inside the headset,” explains Mukherjee.

According to Nadel, Siemens is also streamlining the generation of AR graphics. The company has integrated its AssistAR software with its product lifecycle management (PLM) software to automate the extraction of both the CAD data and the assembly, inspection, or maintenance sequence from the PLM software. As a consequence, the CAD data and work sequences are delivered as an electronic work instructions package that AssistAR can read to generate AR visuals

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20 AUGMENTED REALITY AW FEBRUARY 2021

Preparing your CAD data

Spatial computing is the backbone of augmented reality. It allows Plantweb Optics AR to give field technicians turn-by-turn instructions to find assets in the field safely. Source: Emerson Automation Solutions

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on PCs and screens typically found on production lines. Siemens is making these visuals available to integrators and users through an AR converter called JT2Unity.

“This integration of CAD data through PLM is unique,” notes Nadal. “In other cases, data conversion and extra process authoring are required.”

These extra steps to prepare the CAD models for use in AR visuals is necessary for a couple of reasons. First, “CAD models come in various forms from various vendors,” says Aveva’s Richmond.

“So, a typical first step is to translate the CAD files into a form suitable for a 3D modeling tool such as Blender,” an open-source toolkit for creating animation and 3D models.

Another reason for data preparation is that models built from CAD and other data are usually too big for most AR devices to handle in real time. “Whether geometry, textures, sheets, or information drawn from bills of material, most of this data is still created by tools that do not have real-time consumption at the top of mind,” explains Nicolas Fonta, senior product manager of augmented, virtual, and mix reality at Autodesk Inc. “CAD data, for example, is often represented in a parametric way that is not suitable for most real-time graphics.

When meshed, the amount of detail and resolution of the data is difficult for a phone, tablet, or AR glasses to ingest and render in real time.”

The data, therefore, need to be reduced somehow. “You can take away the screws and other details that are not critical for the AR experience,” offers Mukherjee at Dassault. You can also cut out and use only the relevant portion of a machine or production line.

Until a few years ago, most preparation of CAD data was done manually using tools like Autodesk 3ds Max, a process that required a measure of specialized knowledge, according to Fonta.

“More and more, however, partially automated solutions are emerging,” he says. “The best have been offshoots of the tools used to create video games and their 3D elements.” Also emerging are services for polygon reduction, level-of-details generation, texture remapping and compression, and streaming.

Even so, Fonta advises designers to create smaller and simpler CAD models from the outset, especially when they know that their

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AUGMENTED REALITY 21 AW FEBRUARY 2021

models will be likely to be used in AR visuals.

This means developing CAD models to have the simplest surfaces and fewest polygons possible. “It’s best to model efficiently from the start, rather than try to decrease the polygon count later,” says Fonta. Such reductions after the fact run the risk of erasing important details.

Preparation is also required for layering other, non-graphics data, like metadata or building information modeling (BIM) data, on top of graphics information. “BIM data, for example, can be shown on top of a visual representation of a building,” says Fonta. “Or BOM information can be shown on top of visual representation of a consumer product, or IoT data layered on top of physical industrial machinery.”

Augmenting your realities

Once the CAD and other data are properly prepared, they can be imported into AR authoring software for the creation of the final application. The latest generation of this software has 2D and 3D graphical editing tools, scripting tools, and visual editors designed to streamline the generation of applications customized for the hardware on which it will be deployed. Aveva’s Richmond says these tools can help automate parts of the process.

Still, generating AR applications requires a measure of skill and familiarity with the necessary tools and techniques. “Like any skill, though, it would be possible for automation engineers at user companies to learn how to use these applications,” notes Richmond. To help them do that, most AR-software devel-

opers have refined their visual editing tools to reduce the skill barrier and make the tools more accessible to what Richmond calls the “citizen developer.”

“For more advanced cases,” adds Kapoor at Emerson, “we recommend working with integrators and suppliers to create and maintain libraries in the cloud.” Storing libraries there not only streamlines access to files, but keeps them up to date with the latest AR software.

The investment of time and money in AR visuals doesn’t end with their creation.

“Like any software, AR solutions are not setand-forget applications,” explains Kapoor.

“Maintaining your AR visuals is a necessity to ensure that they continue to pay returns on your investment.”

Borrowing technology from the computer game industry, engineers at manufacturing companies are superimposing virtual elements upon the images of real objects depicted on the screens of headsets and mobiles devices.

Source: Autodesk

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22 AUTOMATION EXPECTATIONS AW FEBRUARY 2021

AUTOMATION EXPECTATIONS: DISCRETE MANUFACTURING To help illuminate expected trends in the industrial automation market in 2021, Automation World conducted a survey of technology suppliers to better understand how they see end-user plans developing.

By David Greenfield, Director of Content/Editor-in-Chief, Automation World

F

ew would argue that 2020 was a year in which our collective and individual visions of the present and future were not profoundly impacted. In light of this, several studies were conducted over the course of the year to obtain end user input on the effects of COVID-19 on industrial manufacturing and processing operations.

To provide a broader view, Automation World conducted a study in late 2020 of automation technology suppliers. We asked those suppliers an array of questions to better understand how they saw their customers—end users across the industrial spectrum—reacting to the economic and societal changes of 2020.

The results of this survey will appear in

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four feature article installments in 2021. The first of which is this article, exploring how the marketplace realities of 2020 are—or are not—influencing the direction of automation use in the discrete manufacturing sectors.

Following articles will look at trends in batch manufacturing and continuous processing, with the final article comparing trends across all three verticals.

Spending forecasts

The survey asked technology suppliers for feedback on how they gauged planned spending (based on activity with their end user customers) across more than 20 key industrial automation technology areas. Eleven of these technologies showed no signs of slowing (i.e., 0% of respondents expect to

see a decrease in spending) into 2021. Those technologies, along with the percentage of respondents’ projecting increases in spending in 2021 are: • cloud computing (90%) • collaborative robots (74%) • cybersecurity software (84%) • data acquisition and analytics (91%) • industrial networking (65%) • industrial robots (74%) • IoT platform software (84%) • motors, drives, motion control (44%) • product lifecycle management (33%) • sensors (76%) • vision systems (70%) The technologies around which respondents expect to see decreased spending in 2021 are: augmented reality, con-

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AUTOMATION EXPECTATIONS 23 AW FEBRUARY 2021

EXPECTED INCREASE IN SPENDING IN THE AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY AREAS WHERE NO SPENDING DECREASE IS FORECAST. Data Acquisition and Analytics

91%

Cloud Computing

90%

Cybersecurity Software

84%

IoT Platform Software

84%

Sensors

76%

Collaborative Robots

74%

Industrial Robots

74%

Vision Systems

70%

Industrial Networking

65%

Motors, Drives, Motion Control Product Lifecycle Management

44% 33%

Source: Automation World survey of industrial automation technology suppliers.

trollers, edge computing, ERP (enterprise resources planning), HMI/SCADA (human machine interface/supervisory control and data acquisition), I/O (input/output), MES/ MOM (manufacturing execution systems/ manufacturing operations management), remote access/monitoring, and simulation/ digital twin. However, expected spending decreases for these technologies are not significant. Six percent of respondents forecast a decrease in ERP spending, with all the rest indicating only 3% of respondents expect a decrease in spending.

Given these results, planned spending on automation looks to remain stable into the next year, with significant spikes expected for data acquisition and analytics, cloud computing, cybersecurity software, IoT platform software, and sensors.

Digital transformation: delayed or sped up?

“The number one concern I hear from midmarket manufacturers today, aside from sales, is labor, including cost, skills, and avail-

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ability,” observed Steve Bieszczat, chief marketing officer for Dassault Systèmes’ DelmiaWorks. “I would single that out as today’s digital transformation bottleneck.”

These labor factors are so impactful to small and mid-sized manufacturers because these manufacturers “don’t fit the mold of the highly automated manufacturing processes we envision when we think of a modern factory—with teams of synchronized robots welding a car frame together in one continuously orchestrated movement,” explained Bieszczat. “Instead mid-market manufacturers are built to be flexible. Produce 10,000 hub caps, and then stop and make 1,000 swimming pool ladders, and so on. That agility and flexibility are their core values, but this defeats total automation. If you’re going to change your job mix every day, you need people, and you need to be good at doing changeovers. Human labor is notoriously flexible. So, rather than complete automation, we’re seeing digital transformation take the form of having a connected, directed worker at each work center.”

Bieszcczat’s observation that the digital transformation is more about connecting and directing workers than it is about delivering widespread lights-out factories was echoed

by Josh Eastburn, director of technical marketing at Opto 22. “Increased productivity and reduced costs remain strong financial motivators for these [digital transformation] investments. In the short term, customers are seeking ways to maintain pace in spite of current economic pressures,” he said. “However, they are doing it with a long-term vision of developing data-centric infrastructure that generates insights into potential process improvements, increases in operating equipment effectiveness (OEE), and better maintenance of machines.”

This perspective on the digital transformation—that it’s more about gathering and analyzing data to optimize industrial work than it is about constructing a highly futuristic factory—is a key realization in terms of how industrial digitization should be properly viewed. Recognizing that the ideas behind Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things are

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24 AUTOMATION EXPECTATIONS AW FEBRUARY 2021

2021 SPENDING OUTLOOK FOR AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES Augmented/Virtual Reality for Maintenance or Training / 57% Increasing, 3% Decreasing, 40% No Change Cloud Computing / 90% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 10% No Change Collaborative Robots / 74% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 26% No Change Controllers (PLCs, PACs) / 56% Increasing, 3% Decreasing, 41% No Change Cybersecurity Software / 84% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 16% No Change Data Acquisition and Analytics / 91% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 9% No Change Edge Computing / 67% Increasing, 3% Decreasing, 30% No Change ERP Software / 45% Increasing, 6% Decreasing, 48% No Change HMI/SCADA / 48% Increasing, 3% Decreasing, 48% No Change Industrial Networking (Ethernet, fieldbus) / 65% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 35% No Change

Planned spending for automation technologies in the discrete manufacturing sectors (e.g., automotive, aerospace, electronics). Source: Automation World survey of industrial automation technology suppliers.

aimed at realistic, achievable improvements enabled by new levels of connectivity and insights helps smaller manufacturers understand that digital transformation is not something solely reserved for the largest players in industry. Instead, it is the means through which manufacturers can get a better handle on the labor and operational issues that drive their day-to-day activities and decision making. This realization can be even more impactful for small and mid-sized manufacturers given that making the digital transformation does not require a big bang type of rollout.

In fact, most technology suppliers advise

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manufacturers, regardless of their size, to approach the digital transformation in bitesized chunks to better assess and adapt their approach based on achieved results as well as real and projected returns on investment.

Bieszczat said, “Today, in most parts of the country, the pool of available hourly manufacturing workers is stagnating. Immigration has slowed, many workers are choosing service and distribution jobs over manufacturing jobs, and some people are just removing themselves from the work force. Higher pay would draw people back into manufacturing, but the business model the mid-market is

fighting to maintain is built around $16-perhour workers. Manufacturers fight to maintain that business model because higher wages tend to push business offshore.”

He said this business model “brings us back to digital transformation and the concept of orchestration, which started with MRP (materials requirements planning)—to orchestrate materials, and progressed on to ERP—orchestrating end-to-end manufacturing operations, and to MES —orchestration at the work center.” Bieszczat explained that’s why the concept of the connected and directed worker is becoming so popular. “The idea is to cre-

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AUTOMATION EXPECTATIONS 25 AW FEBRUARY 2021

Industrial Robots / 74% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 26% No Change IoT Platform Software / 84% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 16% No Change I/O / 50% Increasing, 3% Decreasing, 47% No Change MES/MOM / 58% Increasing, 3% Decreasing, 39% No Change Motors, Drives, Motion Control / 44% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 56% No Change PLM / 33% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 67% No Change Remote Acess/Monitoring / 73% Increasing, 3% Decreasing, 24% No Change Sensors / 76% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 24% No Change Simulation/Digital Twin / 58% Increasing, 3% Decreasing, 39% No Change Vision Systems / 70% Increasing, 0% Decreasing, 30% No Change

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26 AUTOMATION EXPECTATIONS AW FEBRUARY 2021

ate digital work center consoles that guide, record, and inform the worker so they can quickly step into a work center, know what to do and how to do it, and take whatever manual actions might be necessary to complete a particular production run. With the rapid turnover in job mix and in the hourly labor performing these jobs, the ability to quickly and digitally direct a worker to take the exact steps related to a particular job creates faster changeovers, requires less training, and significantly increases labor flexibility.”

Eastburn noted that, generally, labor reduction and retasking aren’t “a direct part of our customers’ project goals, but we expect it to be an outcome of the resulting process improvements. Likewise, we expect these kinds of technology investments to increase the appeal of the manufacturing industry for incoming generations of automation professionals.”

COVID-19 effects

Responses to the survey indicated that the biggest boost COVID-19 delivered for automation technologies was for remote access.

Bill Dehner, automation specialist at AutomationDirect, said “Health risk to employees and unpredictable lockdowns are factors that weigh heavily on a production facility during a pandemic. The remote visibility provided

by IoT (Internet of Things), cloud computing, and associated technologies allows facilities to operate with a skeleton crew if needed to ensure minimal risk to employees and continue production during lockdown conditions.”

Opto 22’s Eastburn added, “With the shift to remote work, there is a renewed emphasis on remote connectivity to equipment with a keen focus on cybersecurity, without which some equipment is no longer securely accessible. Applications indirectly sustaining manufacturing during the pandemic, like contact tracing and workplace hygiene, are also triggering some new investment [in automation technologies].

“The challenges brought by COVID-19 have created a newfound appreciation for the role of ERP in business continuity,” noted DelmiaWorks’ Bieszczat. “Many of our customers have been adding modules or seats to manage remote workers and spikes in demand, particularly in medical products, consumer goods, and packaging.”

According to Bieszczat, some of this is “certainly related to COVID-19 social distancing, but the longer-term trend is the

2102_F2.indd 26

attractiveness of jobs in the service sector over those in manufacturing. Manufacturers’ only real choice for attracting and retaining the workforce they need is to pay more and offer more compelling work environments.

Digital transformation has two immediate impacts: It automates previously manual tasks and it eliminates some of the more mundane work on the shop floor. The result is lower labor costs and a more interesting or challenging working environment.”

Bieszczat also noted that “we’re seeing manufacturers use a combination of ERP and MES to minimize their onsite shop floor staff by precisely scheduling work; dispositioning materials; and monitoring equipment for output, quality, and maintenance issues in real time. In other words, manufacturers are managing the shop floor by exception rather than rote supervision. Those employees who can work remotely have been accessing their ERP systems from their mobile phones or tablets to, for instance, track which jobs are running, determine the inventory stock on hand, or check on order status and completion progress within seconds.”

He also noted that DelmiaWorks has seen the term “rapid” take on new meaning in the wake of COVID-19. “Whether responding to rapid changes in market demand or shifts in the supply chain, manufacturers have relied on real-time data to quickly make informed decisions,” said Bieszczat. “Real-time process and production monitoring have been instrumental in giving manufacturers insights into capacity that have allowed them to take on additional business, as well as identify potential issues before they affect product quality or delivery times. Manufacturers are also using real-time production monitoring in combination with MES and quality management software to run lights-out manufacturing shifts.”

Obsolescence

Several respondents to our survey indicated that the approaching obsolescence of installed technologies is driving the discrete manufacturing industry’s interest in advanced, IoT-related technologies. Based on the responses we received, we wondered if those making significant automation investments are doing so not just to replace existing technologies, but to leapfrog ahead of their competition.

John Gaddum, U.S. service sales manager at Bosch Rexroth, said the trend in today’s environment of uncertainty is to look at

applying IoT technologies wherever applicable to provide more transparency to existing, aging equipment to meet the operational efficiencies or goals set by production. “For example, many of our customers are holding back on large capital expenditures, such as new equipment, and looking at maximizing profits, with as little investment as possible, in order to collect data from existing equipment. The equipment may have been installed 20 to 30 years ago and was not designed with the current IoT technologies available today.

The additions of a single gateway often can meet most of the needs, yet the customer can do this with as little as a couple thousand dollars versus upwards of a million or more.”

He explained that these connectivity technologies are often focused on data analysis for production purposes, such as improvements surrounding OEE practices or providing predictive maintenance capabilities with the goal of improving the operational efficiency of aging equipment. “The benefits, which were non-existent on the equipment approaching obsolescence, can make a big impact on operational efficiencies and, in turn, the company’s profitability.”

Opto 22’s Eastburn added: “The goal is to aggregate operations technology (OT) data, combine it with data from other sources, and transport it into supporting systems, regardless of the age of the technology. Existing technologies are mature and functional, so often it isn’t worth the risk or expense to modify code or upgrade hardware directly.

It’s easier to layer on newer, connected devices that can harvest the data from old and new systems alike.”

DelmiaWorks’ Bieszczat explained that, over the last few years, he’s seen an uptick in manufacturers investing in upgrading their existing machinery with IoT sensors or buying new smart, connected machines. “More recently, there’s been a bigger push to buy new, smart equipment. The driver for this can be as simple as monitoring the number of cycles on a machine and predicting maintenance needs rather than having maintenance staff walk the floor looking for machine issues,” he said. “Or, it can be part of a more complex digital transformation, like measuring critical dimensions with digital scanning devices and alerting for issues through statistic process control-type process monitoring intelligence.”

1/28/21 10:21 AM

CASE STUDY 27 AW FEBRUARY 2021

Cisco Aids Dairy Farmers of America’s Digital Transformation To optimize operations and workforce continuity in support of the nation's food supply during the pandemic and beyond, Cisco and system integration firms are installing communication technologies to accelerate the advance of milk product production.

By David Greenfield, Editor-In-Chief/Director of Content, Automation World

D

airy Farmers of America (DFA) is a cooperative composed of more than 13,000 family farmers from across the United States. DFA helps its farmers operate plants to process their milk, find outlets for their products, and invest in new business opportunities. If you’re not aware of DFA, you likely know the brands they represent, which range from nationally recognized

2102_F3.indd 27

names such as Borden and Breakstone’s to specialty brands like Plugrá and La Vaquita.

The cooperative, which has adopted a number of automation advances to its production operations over the years, operates more than 85 manufacturing facilities producing milk and dairy products throughout the United States. Like any producer of goods today, DFA members have seen their opera-

tions’ safety and productivity impacted by COVID-19. In response, Cisco has donated an array of collaboration technologies to DFA to help it develop more flexible manufacturing processes, enable workforce continuity, and increase its ability to collaborate in real time.

Funded by Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program, which is active in 34 countries, Cisco has supplied Cisco Webex room

1/28/21 10:16 AM

28 CASE STUDY AW FEBRUARY 2021

Supplies warehousing at the Portales, N.M., DFA plant.

Source: DFA Multiple cold milk separators supplied by Tetra Pak enhance final milk powder properties and allow for 24/7 production. Source: Katina Reist Photography

kits, DX-80 video conferencing kits, Webex Teams and Webex Expert-on-Demand software, and RealWear HMT-1 hands-free “headmounted tablet” devices to help DFA connect its teams across the country in multiple manufacturing facilities.

Cisco says the collaboration equipment and services it is donating will provide manufacturing workers with secure, remote access to experts and first-line support teams working from home or at other plants. Specifically, DFA will now have real-time visibility into operations through hands-free video devices, which will enable DFA’s workforce to remain productive while adhering to physical distancing guidelines.

Carlos Rojas, global manufacturing lead for Cisco Industry Solutions Group, said the access to experts these technologies facilitate will help DFA “shift production, optimize resources, and increase resolution time as it adapts to changing demand.”

The first phase of this donation, which was completed on June 22, 2020, is being

2102_F3.indd 28

deployed to four sites across DFA’s operations, including its largest processing facility in Portales, New Mexico, which can process the most milk (roughly 69 million gallons) of any DFA plant each day. Other DFA plants included in this first phase are located in Ventura, Calif.; Zumbrota, Minn.; and Schulenburg, Texas.

The second phase is expected to be completed in August and will “focus on accelerating machine data over the secure Cisco Webex Teams platform for remote diagnostics,” said Rojas.

Team collaboration

Malisko Engineering, a St. Louis-based system integration firm, is involved in the implementation of the Cisco technologies at DFA. Automation World recently interviewed Dan Malyszko of Malisko Engineering for an episode of the “Automation World Gets Your Questions Answered” podcast series exploring how COVID-19 is impacting industrial automation decisions and implementations

(awgo.to/malisko). Following that interview, Malyszko explained how DFA will be using the technologies donated by Cisco to address manufacturing issues related the pandemic.

To enable real-time communication between DFA co-workers, Cisco Webex Teams technology is being used to provide workers with access documentation using Realwear HMT-1 head mounted devices for routine process evaluations, maintenance, and training. With everyone using Cisco Webex Teams, users don’t need to rely on disconnected methods such as text messaging, phone calls or emails to connect. Instead a quick Teams message in a project space allows for collaboration between the necessary resources and keeps all the related data connected and retrievable.

“For example, if a production manager notices that a line is not operating at full health, he or she can directly connect with the plant operator via Cisco Webex Teams to discuss steps to remediate the issue,” said Malyszko. “Likewise, a maintenance manager

1/28/21 10:15 AM

CASE STUDY 29 AW FEBRUARY 2021

looking for status updates on a motor control center issue can be notified by field personnel with pictures, videos, or annotated files showing their progress.”

Hands-free remote expert access

The combination of a retiring skilled workforce and the social distancing and travel issues created by COVID-19 means that plant personnel will not always have the available experience on hand in every situation. Malyszko said Cisco’s Expert on Demand technology, accessed using the Realwear HMT-1, can close this experience gap by connecting workers from the plant floor to plant management or experts at other locations while allowing them to keep their hands free to work, rather than having to hold a smartphone or tablet.

By turning the augmented reality glasses in the Realwear HMT-1 into a voice-activated collaboration headset, the Webex Expert on Demand application can connect frontline workers to knowledgeable experts. Cisco says this technology allows workers to “sig-

2102_F3.indd 29

nificantly enhance their productivity through multi-party video calling, providing the ability to annotate images, and share these annotations between the expert and frontline worker, as well as share key documentation, all in real time.”

Capabilities of the Expert on Demand technology combined with the Realwear HMT-1 include: • Launch two-way or multi-party video meetings hands-free and collaborate with remote experts to resolve problems at the source without requiring workers to be onsite.

• Request and receive a call back from an individual expert or an entire team.

• Search the company directory to find the right expert or teams to resolve an issue immediately.

• Access resources such as documentation for common troubleshooting steps.

• Share screens to more easily see what’s being discussed and give an expert the ability to share content live.

• Frontline workers and experts can aug-

ment live streaming with annotations to help resolve problems faster and provide guidance for day-to-day activities.

Malyszko said these capabilities “provide a solution without the need for costly travel or trial and error. For example, if an operator notices a deviation in a critical process control point and is unsure of what to do, with a few short voice commands the operator can request help or call directly to the necessary resource to assist in resolving the issue.”

Remote Expert technology can even be used to cross the IT (information technology) and OT (operations technology) divide. “If plant engineering and maintenance personnel are installing new hardware from corporate IT and need all hands available to rack the equipment, with guidance from either Malisko Engineering or corporate IT, they can safely and properly execute the job with the hands-free assistance of the Realwear HMT1,” said Malyszko.

1/28/21 10:16 AM

30 NEW PRODUCTS AW FEBRUARY 2021

Multi-Axis Motion Controller

Galil Motion Control, galil.com The DMC-21x5 is the latest addition to the Econo family and is an upgrade path from the long running DMC-21x3 series, as the DMC-21x5 uses nearly all of the same peripherals as the DMC-21x3 controller. The main difference between the DMC-21x5 and its predecessor is a state-of-the-art ARM-based processor that places its communication, command processing, and memory capabilities on par with Galil’s line of current generation motion controllers, while still remaining at the Econo series price of the DMC-21x3. The DMC-21x5 is available in one through eight axis formats, where each axis is user-configurable for stepper or servo motor operation. Standard programming features include PID compensation with velocity and acceleration feed forward, multi-tasking for simultaneously running up to eight programs, and I/O processing for synchronizing motion with external events.

Unmanaged Industrial Ethernet Switches

Antaira Technologies, antaira.com Antaira Technologies’ LNX-1600 series of industrial-grade equipment is Ethernet ready to fulfill various markets’ edge-level networking applications in harsh and outdoor environments. These devices support high-density Ethernet port connectivity, DIN-rail mount installation, and have a high reliability factor. LNX-1600 series unmanaged Ethernet switches offer 16 Ethernet ports with each port supporting up to 100Mbps. This product series has an IP30 rated metal casing design that can support DIN-rail and wall mountable orientations. Operating temperature options include a standard (-10°C to 65°C) model or an extended (-40°C to 75°C) model.

Integrated Servo Gearmotor and Drive

Maxon, maxongroup.com The new IDX compact integrated gearmotor and drive combines a brushless EC-i motor and an EPOS4 positioning controller, which can be complemented with a Maxon planetary gearhead when required. This integrated motor features high torque density, high efficiency, maintenancefree components, and a high-quality industrial housing providing IP65 protection. The IDX also features configurable digital and analog inputs and outputs, and software for commissioning and integration into master systems. Maxon IDX integrated servo motors are suitable for use across the entire speed range (from standstill to maximum speed) and have a high overload capability. Together with their internal positioning controller and integrated single turn absolute encoder, absolute positioning is standard.

Heavy-Duty Bearings for Sanitary Applications

Emerson Bearings, emersonbearings.com Emerson Bearing has added new bearings to its product line—the IP69K series bearings. These bearings are useful in a variety of applications in which durability, safety, and cleanliness are paramount. Applications include food manufacturing, poultry and meat processing, as well as bottling and canning operations. Composed of corrosion-resistant stainless steel, the IP69K series bearing is a specialized heavy-duty bearing engineered specifically to withstand close-range sanitizing procedures that require frequent temporary submersions and employ high temperatures, high pressures, and harsh chemicals. The IP69K series is compatible with all major housing configurations and come in sizes ranging from 0.5-in. to 1.5-in.

2102_Products.indd 30

2/2/21 8:37 AM

NEW PRODUCTS 31 AW FEBRUARY 2021

Power-Off Engaged Brakes for Conveyor Applications Miki Pulley, mikipulley-us.com Miki Pulley’s latest model BXW power-off engaged brakes offer multiple conveyor line applications. These spring-actuated electromagnetic brakes are designed to provide dynamic braking when conveyor power is disengaged and ensure performance for longer-term holding requirements for staging, loading, and unloading conveyor operations. BXW brakes work by using internal compression springs to provide power-off, fail-safe braking. The primary moving part in this design is the armature plate. When actuated, the brake’s compression springs push the armature plate into the friction disc when power is disengaged. This feature provides fail-safe braking and allows the brake to maintain position over long periods of time, thus preventing a conveying system from “coasting” when powered off.

Proximity Sensors for General Industrial Applications

AutomationDirect, automationdirect.com The new Prosense Basic series of proximity sensors offer a low-cost option for general industrial applications. Starting at $9.75, these IP67-rated sensors also come with a lifetime warranty. The sensors are made from nickel-plated brass and are offered in barrel sizes from 8mm to 30mm. Flush and non-flush mount styles are available in sensing distances up to 15mm and offer an LCP (liquid crystal polymer) active face. PNP logic models are available with either a N.O. or N.C. output; NPN logic is also available with a N.O. output. In addition, M12 quick-disconnect or 2m pigtail termination styles are available for all sizes.

Plug-and-Play De-Chlorination Analyzer

Electro-Chemical Devices, ecdi.com The DC80 De-Chlorination Analyzer uses a “zero-shift” methodology to provide accurate measurement and protect chlorine sensors from damage, which occurs when the water samples measured contains near zero or zero levels of chlorine. Using this method, some chlorine is metered into the sample, shifting the zero from a near-zero chlorine concentration to a measurable value. The analyzer’s offset feature allows the metered value to be subtracted from the measurement. The DC-80 monitors chlorine from 0.05-20 ppm. In addition, it features advanced panel pressure regulators and rotameters. Built-in automatic pH compensation for samples between 4 and 12 pH eliminates the need for expensive reagents to reduce maintenance and life-cycle costs.

Large Aperture Hollow Core Voice Coil Motor Moticont, moticont.com The HVCM-095-038-051-01 voice coil linear motor has an open aperture of 2.00 in. (50.8 mm). This brushless servo motor is low cost, clean room friendly, and is available off-the-shelf. Additional features include high acceleration and deceleration, high speed, zero cogging, and lack of backlash when connected directly to a load. The open aperture of the HVCM-095-038-051-01 linear motor allows for optics, illumination, laser beams, or cables to pass through. This servo motor is capable of high precision when used in closed loop application, as well as having a continuous force rating of 10.0 lbs (66.7 N) and a peak force of 47.5 lbs (211.0 N) at a 10% duty cycle.

2102_Products.indd 31

1/28/21 10:14 AM

32 NEW PRODUCTS AW FEBRUARY 2021

Scalable Integrated Motion Drives

Rockwell Automation, rockwellautomation.com Rockwell Automation’s new Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5300 servo drive is an integrated, CIP motion component for machine builders looking to increase performance and leverage a single-design environment for control and motion.

The Kinetix 5300 servo drives are designed for diverse machine applications such as electronics assembly, packaging and converting, printing and web. Like other Kinetix integrated motion drives, Kinetix 5300 leverages Studio 5000 as a single design environment. Using a single family of servo drives allows machine builders to program all their drives in this one design environment and reuse code across drives to streamline the design and commissioning process.

Bargraph Meter

Otek Corp, otekcorp.com The NTM-9 meter is a form, fit, and function drop-in replacement for popular analog meters such as the GE/Yokogawa 180, Weschler VX252/252, Dixson BB101, and Sigma 1151. With a vertical 6-inch bargraph meter able to accommodate up to 2 channels, the NTM-9 carries an industrystandard housing of 2.16-in. width x 6-in. height x 3-in. depth and is available in either plastic or metal. Fully customizable, this meter can meet nuclear and military grades in addition to commercial standards. The meter incorporates ultra-bright LED technology to offer an automatic tricolor bargraph with intensity control and four digits at 0.3-in. measuring at 0.1% accuracy.

Edge AI System

Axiomtek, axiomtek.com The AIE100-903-FL-NX is a compact edge artificial intelligence (AI) system powered by the Nvidia Jetson Xavier NX module, which has a 6-core Nvidia Carmel ARM v8.2 64-bit processor and 384-core Nvidia Volta GPU architecture with 48 Tensor cores. In addition, it integrates Allxon device management for remote management capabilities. The system also supports the Nvidia JetPack 4.4 for development in AI computing and deep learning applications. I/O connectivity includes one USB 3.1 Gen2 port, one USB 2.0 port, one Micro USB port, one GbE LAN port, one GbE PoE port, and one HDMI 2.0 port supporting 4K2K. It also has one recovery switch, one reset button, one power button, one 12V DC power input and two SMA-type antenna openings.

AC Power Variant Linear Actuator

Rotork, rotork.com Rotork has updated its PAX range of actuators by adding an AC power variant of the PAX1 linear actuator. The wider PAX range is made up of a variety of linear actuators and motorized regulators. PAX1 units are low-voltage actuators for use in remote explosion-proof locations and reduce power use while maintaining position. They offer a thrust output of up to 2,890 N (650 lbf), enabling control of most regulators, small valves, and pumps. The addition of an AC power variant allows for longer cable runs without degradation of the power supply. This allows PAX series units to be installed within existing installations where DC power does not exist or is too expensive or difficult to run. Existing field-proven features, such as reliable fail-freeze and manual operation, help ensure uninterrupted service.

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1/28/21 10:15 AM

INDUSTRY VIEW 33

How the Digital Twin Drives Smart Manufacturing

By Dick Slansky Senior Analyst, ARC Advisory Group

M

ultiple technologies have emerged in recent years that are instrumental in driving the advancement of smart manufacturing and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). While all these technologies are changing the face of manufacturing today, ARC Advisory Group research suggests that the IIoT, connected smart assets, and especially the digital twin are having the most immediate and significant impact on how companies implement smart manufacturing.

The basic concept of the digital twin is not new. It involves merging virtual engineering models with the physical product or equipment in an environment that allows for change and optimization of the as-designed and as-built product. However, due to the advancement and evolution of enabling technologies, we’re seeing renewed focus on the implementation of the digital twin and associated benefits that can be gained. Using digital twins that represent the product and production systems, manufacturers can reduce the time and cost associated with assembling, installing, and validating factory production systems. Additionally, implementing digital twins for asset management typically provides quantifiable benefits for maintaining equipment in the field.

In manufacturing, the digital twin is a virtual representation of the as-designed, asbuilt, and as-maintained physical product; augmented by real-time process data and analytics based on accurate configurations of the physical product, production systems, or equipment. This is, in essence, the operational context of the digital twin needed to support performance optimization. While virtual models are conceptual in nature, the

2102_IndustryView.indd 33

real-time and operational data is a digital representation of real physical events. CAD models represent the virtual fit, form, and function of the digital twin’s physical counterpart. However, real-time operational and asset data are required to execute analytics applications that define the state and behavior of the performance-based digital twin and allow optimization and process improvement.

How the digital twin is being implemented today

One of the initial areas of focus for implementation of the digital twin has been asset lifecycle management (ALM). Maintaining assets in the field has traditionally been a time-consuming and costly task, but critical to equipment and system uptime. Today, maintenance technicians can leverage technologies like augmented reality (AR) that allows them to access virtual engineering models and overlay these models over the physical equipment on which they are performing maintenance using specialized AR goggles or glasses. This enables them to use the most accurate and up-to-date engineering, helping ensure that the correct maintenance and performance specifications are performed efficiently. These same maintenance methods, based on merging of virtual and physical environments, can be applied to factory production systems, machines, and work cells.

In addition, products, production systems, machines, and work cells can be simulated virtually to test and validate physical systems prior to assembly and installation. Moreover, the virtual commissioning of production automation—an established technology and process—is merging with the more expansive scope of the digital twin. Virtual commissioning is typically a one-time validation of an automated production system. In contrast, the digital twin represents an ongoing analytical and optimizing process that takes place in real time.

It is becoming clear that digital twins will be used throughout the product and process lifecycle to simulate, predict, optimize, and maintain products, assets, and production systems in lieu of developing physical prototypes and test equipment. Today, a significant

AW FEBRUARY 2021

percentage of companies and organizations implementing IIoT already use, or are planning to use, some form of a digital twin as an important component of a predictive analytics strategy.

The need for contextual configuration

A CAD model, virtual simulation, or engineering bill of material alone do not define a digital twin. A digital twin is only created when the product has been manufactured and its serialized parts and components are recorded as data representing the physical asset. This becomes the operational data required for a digital twin to function.

When implementing, companies need to include context within the digital twin configuration. For predictive analytics or IIoT to be effective, the context (physical configuration) of the asset and system are required to know exactly what is needed to collect the relevant operational and performance data. Companies implementing any digital twin project should begin by capturing and managing the actual physical configuration of the asset.

The operational element of the digital twin aligns closely with concepts and technologies associated with IIoT. While virtual CAD models define the fit, form, and function of the product; the real-time and operational data is the digital output of the physical assets in operation. The information isn’t created through a process of abstraction, but instead captured through sensors, IIoT endpoints, and intelligent edge devices. This connects the digital twin to physical reality.

Combined with the various forms of contextual data, this knowledge provides a foundation for insightful and timely decision-making, leading to process improvement and optimization.

1/28/21 10:13 AM

34 INTEGRATOR VIEW AW FEBRUARY 2021

Digitization – A Case For Manufacturing Alec Konynenburg Managing Director, Nukon

S

oftware is a multi-billion dollar industry, creating new jobs and driving indemand skills that we didn’t see coming.

And now we have found new ways to consume these applications of software, commonly referred to as ‘software as a service’.

This revolution in how software technology is delivered enables businesses to deploy rapidly.

It also allows them to innovate at a pace and risk profile we once could only dream of, even as recently as five years ago. Today, this system is as mainstream as having food delivered to your door via an app. Businesses have never had a stronger case and mandate for change.

There are many ways to deploy advanced technologies when embracing Industry 4.0 opportunities and smart manufacturing.

Customer focus as part of your Industry 4.0 strategy

Having a customer focus is a much larger priority today than ever before—and that’s what Industry 4.0 is. It’s about streamlining your operations around this customer-focused goal in order to meet it. One of the best ways to get started is by digitizing.

Digitizing is not about outplacing people, but rather is about increasing your productivity and competitiveness by growing workers’ skills and connecting them in a digital value chain.

Industry 4.0 initiatives don’t ask manufacturing facility workers to leave their brains at the door, but rather engages their minds more fully with greater analytical and critical thinking responsibilities.

To remain competitive, your company needs a culture of continuous improvement through innovation and employees who are ready to challenge the norm. Your business is setting the compass and commencing the journey to a digital destination—one you will never stop seeking. The energy you put into this transfor-

2102_IntegratorView.indd 34

mation is as important as the technologies you will utilize to realize your vision.

First, you need to lay the foundations for your digital future by getting control of your business data. This groundwork creates the opportunity to apply smart solutions, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

Opportunities for AI and machine learning

Gartner believes that, in the next two years, 50% of midsize enterprises will improve their productivity and growth by adopting artificial intelligence into their core business operations.

Adopting AI can lead to positive impacts in: • Product quality; • Maintenance and machinery life cycle; • Speed of design; • Waste reduction; and • Customer service For companies that operate across multiple production sites, or with different shifts, the ability to compare operational conditions and draw insights from the comparison is hugely valuable. You need business intelligence solutions in place to gain this insight, as they capture performance data that AI technologies use to identify patterns. These solutions capture a wider business picture— allowing insight not just into equipment, but the efficiency of the production line. You can derive comprehensive insight into product quality metrics and begin combining other sources of data such as customer feedback and supply chain efficiency.

We’ve used this approach in food and beverage projects through the application of smart models. With one of Nukon’s clients in this industry sector, we used this approach to improve their quality process. We implemented TilliT, a digital tool that orchestrates the entire quality process from generating work orders to assigning tasks, while generating digital quality records.

After implementing TilliT, our client saw their labor input decrease and efficiency increase. Some of the results the client achieved include: • Vastly improved process adherence, as important tasks are claimed and confirmed done in a timely manner.

• Identified where skip rates went up on

particular lines, indicating additional training is required.

• Reduced the number of pre-start and in-process quality checks needing to be completed by more than 25%, thereby reducing the average time to completion.

The client also gained valuable data around labor input, enabling them to build a case for future areas of improvement.

Advancements in machine learning, pattern recognition, and Big Data analysis tools are now making digitization more accessible, cheaper, easier to configure, and more powerful.

This capability crosses many industries and is now becoming commonplace among manufacturing businesses for root cause analysis, anomaly detection, asset performance, predictive maintenance, and other areas. The ability to detect quality issues through image recognition tools can dramatically reduce the risk of a reputation damaging (and costly) recall.

The capability to continuously improve and optimize operations is more than enough reason to investigate whether it makes sense for your organization to trial these technologies

Digitizing is not about outplacing people, but rather is about increasing your productivity and competitiveness by growing workers’ skills and connecting them in a digital value chain.

2/2/21 8:39 AM

ADVERTISER INDEX 35 AW FEBRUARY 2021

COMPANY

TELEPHONE WEBSITE

PAGE

AutomationDirect

800.633.0405 www.automationdirect.com/motor-controls Cov-2

Beckhoff Automation

952.890.0000

www.beckhoff.us/amp8000

17

CIMON, Inc.

800.300.9916

www.cimon.com

11

Digi-Key Electronics

800.344.4539

www.digikey.com/automation

Galco Industrial Electronics

888.526.0909

www.Galco.com

Hammond Manufacturing

716.630.7030

www.hammondmfg.com

Inductive Automation

800.266.0909

www.demo.ia.io/automation

Opto 22

800.321.6786

www.opto22.com

PACK EXPO Connects

312.222.1010

www.packexpoconnects.com

7

Telemecanique Sensors

800.435.2121

www.tesensors.com/XXSonic

13

TruTech Specialty Motors, Inc.

763.432.7195

www.TruTechMotors.com

25

3

Cov-4

29

Cover wrap, 1

Cov-3

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36 KEY INSIGHTS AW FEBRUARY 2021

The technology to see information outside of the main plant has existed, but the food industry has been very reluctant to allow data outside the firewall.

That’s prohibited a lot of this technology. What we’ve seen more and more is that customers are recognizing it’s inevitable. Their IT departments have begun providing a means by which things like this can be done.

Aaron Hand on the use of remote access to keep food sanitation workers safe. awgo.to/1130

Available applications currently connected to the Industrial Cloud focus on predictive maintenance of machines and systems. At the Chattanooga plant, the use of a shop floor reporting system is being tested, which is expected to enable the factory to increase machine utilization by recognizing potential disturbance variables before they occur.

David Greenfield on Volkswagen’s extension of Industrial Cloud Initiative to North America. awgo.to/1131

According to a 2019 Deloitte poll, when asked how confident respondents were that their organization’s connected products, devices, or other “things” were secure, only 18% said they felt very confident, while 51% said they were somewhat confident, 23% said they were uncertain, and 8% said they were not confident at all.

David Miller on the need for greater cybersecurity education across industry. awgo.to/1132

The combination of Hexagon’s plant design and engineering software for industrial facilities and PAS’s technology for real-time situational awareness, asset management, and operation technology cybersecurity risk management gives manufacturers a holistic approach to managing the entire industrial lifecycle of the plant.

Stephanie Neil on the Hexagon’s acquisition of PAS Global. awgo.to/1133

Often, the result of this full-frontal assault from technology vendors is that a manufacturer will take the plunge on a technology point solution that makes significant promises but may not capture all the details of their true need.

Consequently, they fall well short of realizing the potential of the solution that they thought would cure their pains.

Matt Ruth of Avanceon on technology resources for small and mid-sized manufacturers. awgo.to/1134

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