PACE - Process & Control Engineering - December 2013

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DECEMBER 2013 | VOL.66 NO.11

PACE marks 60 years For six decades now, PACE magazine has been an integral part of Australia’s process control and automation community. Tell us your story editor@pacetoday.com.au

INSIDE PACE

Automation

Energy Management

Profile

Virtualised process system provides the right mix for a food processing company

The concept of energy measurement has been around for a long time

Christopher Probst handles Business Development Major Projects at Omron

Introducing Foxboro Evo™ ect t o r P

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CONTENTS

Publisher: Martin Sinclair Email: martin.sinclair@cirrusmedia.com.au Editor: Kevin Gomez Tel: (02) 8484 0976 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 Email: kevin.gomez@cirrusmedia.com.au Group Sales Manager: Tim Richards Tel: (02) 8484 0829 Mobile: 0420 550 799 Email: tim.richards@cirrusmedia.com.au

IN THIS ISSUE

QLD Sales Manager: Sharon R. Amos PO Box 3136, Bracken Ridge, QLD 4017 Tel: (07) 3261 8857 Fax: (07) 3261 8347 Mobile: 0417 072 625 Email: sharon.amos@cirrusmedia.com.au Graphic Designer: Nicolle Lawson Email: nicolle.lawson@cirrusmedia.com.au Production Co-ordinator: Tracy Engle Tel: (02) 8484 0707 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 Email: tracy.engle@cirrusmedia.com.au

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News 5 Cirrus Media Tower 2, Level 3, 475 Victoria Ave, Chatswood, NSW 2067, Australia Locked Bag 4700 Chatswood Delivery Centre, NSW 2067, Australia Phone: 02 8484 0888 Fax: 02 8484 0633 ABN 80 132 719 861 ISSN 1329-6221 www.cirrusmedia.com.au © Copyright Cirrus Media, 2013

Manufacturing Adelaide-based designer and manufacturer of control valves finds export success Insight 6

Real-time analytics Understanding how variations impact quality while the batch is running can deliver benefits for processing plants

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In Focus 7

Case Study 21

Engineer’s Corner 12

IICA Corner 26

Overall Equipment Effectiveness As a metric OEE has enabled some companies to considerably improve their operations Manage supply pressure If a regulator’s SPE is too high the pressure change may impact the effectiveness of a system

In-pit crushing solution Quarry industry demands greater efficiencies as well as higher standards of safety and sustainability Technology Expos Expos can be an economical way to access prospective customers in an informal environment

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DECEMBER 2013 www.pacetoday.com.au 3

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COMMENT

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

WHAT’S ON

Safety Instrumented Systems 5 December 2013, Brisbane www.iica.org.au

Intelligent devices and remote management

Troubleshooting Motors & Drives 10 December 2013, Brisbane sales@fluke.com.au

2013 has been an interesting year for the industry. Lots of change and plenty of promise for the months ahead.

As we plan for 2014, it’s timely to look at some of the major trends that will shape the industry. There is much discussion around the industrial Ethernet and wireless network technologies within the production environment. These technologies offer advantages over dedicated automation solutions in many applications.

They also allow manufacturers to support the data transfer requirements inherent in IoT (Internet of Things).

In a positive move, the International Society of Automation recently formed a new standards committee, ISA108, to specify intelligent

Configure and Maintain Industrial Control System Networks 19-20 February 2014, Brisbane training@innotech.com.au

Kevin Gomez Editor

IChemE: Human Reliability and Failure 26-27 February 2014, Brisbane www.icheme.org/humanfactors

Next Issue For daily updates visit www.pacetoday.com.au

• Sensors & Analysers • Process Control in Power Generation • SCADA & MES • Water & Wastewater

device management in the process industries. The committee will define standard templates for best practices and work processes based on information derived from intelligent field devices.

These will include models and terminology, implementation guidelines, and detailed work processes. Once finalised, ISA108 will provide best practices that enable industrial organizations to derive maximum value from their intelligent devices.

Also, the traditional hierarchical SCADA systems used to monitor and manage remote operations are evolving into a new generation of more flexible remote operations management technologies.

Tighter production

specifications and the need to maintain supply reserves, plus more stringent process safety measures, cyber-security standards, and environmental regulations further challenge this dynamic environment.

We will explore these and other interesting technologies in the months ahead.

I must thank all our readers and advertisers who have supported and continue to support PACE. I take this opportunity to wish you and yours a safe and enjoyable holiday season. We will be back in the new year with several exciting developments. kevin.gomez@cirrusmedia.com.au

Like us on Facebook and join the conversation

DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEMS

Process safety systems have arrived at a juncture of transformation

BY JIM PINTO MOST process safety systems in use today were installed during the first wave of distributed control systems (DCSs) and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in the ‘70s. ARC Advisory Group estimates that the value of the installed base reaching the end of useful life could be in the neighborhood of $8 billion worldwide.

Conventional control systems are inherently limited in their ability to make cognitively complex decisions. Most operations are based on central operator consoles that require training and need close attention. They display too much data and too little relevant information.

In crisis situations, with many hundreds and even thousands of simultaneous alarms, physical cooperation and communications become overwhelming and human intervention is ineffective.

International safety standards, such as IEC 61511, require end users to conduct analysis of hazards and risks, in addition to allocating safety functions to protection layers. However, becoming just standards-compliant falls far short of proactive safety management.

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“Up to now, safety professionals have focused primarily on personnel and occupational safety. More focus is needed on process safety,” says Eddie Habibi, CEO of PAS, a company focused on industrial process alarms and operator effectiveness. “In the future, human operators will gradually be designed out of directly managing highly critical abnormal situations. Safety instrumented systems (SIS) embedded in designs will account for human factors.”

Alarms must be able to direct the operators’ attention to the most important problems that need to be acted upon, using priorities to indicate the degrees of importance, plus the corresponding corrective actions that must be taken. Improved effectiveness comes not from training the operator to use increasingly complex systems, but from developing systems that adapt effectively to maximize throughput with a minimum of operator involvement.

What’s needed are full process monitoring programs with diagnostics to provide not only early warning of accidents, but predictive maintenance that effectively prevents accidents before

they occur; operating controls that effectively ensure safety with use of automated systems to change cognitive demands on operators.

Current DCSs and PLC-based systems have received mostly incremental improvements since being built on 1970s technology. Decades-old deterministic architectures will likely give way to the non-hierarchical distributed networks of the industrial Internet — what the Germans term Industry 4.0. This is where the paradigm shift will occur. The next wave of safety system designs will be tied closely to these changes.

The steep decline of tethered (powered) PCs in industrial environments is caused by a major shift in the landscape: the use of mobile devices.

Today, every engineer and technician has a tablet and smartphone. Many companies allow BYOD (bring your own device) and others simply provide workarea tablets.

The use of mobile devices improves operating efficiency, boosts productivity, drastically reduces cost and increases throughput with existing people and resources. Key benefit: It allows

applications to be easily distributed to the right person, at the right location, at the right time.

Software recently introduced by Automation Control Products, provides significant new mobile functionality.

“Relevance software delivers itemised information content to selected individuals who have the right skillsets, are at a proximate location in the factory, and are available to perform the needed services,” says Matt Crandell, ACP’s president.

Mobile-device software has many wide-ranging applications in general factory and process environments. With safety systems, scheduling and priorities are handled by the system, not human supervisors who may be stressed by the real-time emergency. It’s a substantial shift in productivity and effectiveness.

Beyond the impact of mobile functionality in the factory, the impact on safety systems is enormous.

This represents a completely new paradigm in factory and process safety implementation. This is the future of process safety systems.

Jim@JimPinto.com

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NEWS

AWARDS

MANUFACTURING

Valve maker finds export success GLOBAL miners are among the client list for a niche Adelaide manufacturer which is celebrating its 50th birthday with record sales and exports.

While many small manufacturers struggle to get their products offshore, Maric Flow Control is tapping into growing world demand for its handcrafted water valve technology.

From its idyllic creek setting in the Adelaide foothills, the family-owned business has become a specialised producer of control valves which provide constant, pre-determined flow rates regardless of water pressure.

Maric is a supplier of various industries, particularly mining, water utilities, water treatment, pumping and irrigation. Aluminium producers in Australia and the US, including Alcoa World Alumina, are among the company’s biggest customers.

Over the past three years Maric has recorded a 10 percent increase in exports which now account for 40 percent of total sales. Turnover has surged 15 percent in the first four months of 2013-14. Director Grant Schroeder said recent investment in new production equipment is helping the business keep up with its expanding order book. But it is the company’s ability to tailor high quality, long-life valves to meet very specific customer requirements that is a key point of difference – and that’s achieved by hand.

“The fact that we can deliver hundreds of different configurations involving different materials, body specifications, flow rates and pressure ranges is quite unusual in the marketplace,” said Schroeder. “It’s why we’re now regarded as a leading manufacturer and supplier of flow control valves internationally.”

The original Maric flow control valve was developed by Schroeder’s father Eric who established the business in 1963 manufacturing instantaneous electric water heaters for the domestic market.

To improve the heater he needed a valve that could deliver a constant flow of water despite fluctuating water pressures. The only valve available was produced in the US and cost half the price of the heater – so he studied rubber chemistry and set about designing his own valve. Like all great inventions the solution was relatively

Entering the 2014 PACE Zenith Awards?

TOUGH: Super duplex stainless steels ensure that the valves can be used in more aggressive industrial environments involving high temperatures and potentially corrosive water supply.

CREATIVE: Eric Schroeder studied rubber chemistry and set about designing his own valves.

simple – a precision-moulded rubber control ring that varies in diameter depending on the pressure.

“The Maric Valve was born and because of its water saving capability but my father soon realised it had other applications far beyond water heaters,” Schroeder said.

Grant Shroeder joined the business in 1987 and invested in machinery upgrades and more concerted marketing.

“Eventually the valves became our major product and we’ve now reached the stage where we produce very few heaters.

New applications for the valves have prompted various adaptations to suit

different environments and recently we patented a non-return feature for use in the mining sector.”

The company is also using some of the latest high pressure rubber compounds, titanium and super duplex stainless steels so that the valves can be used in more aggressive industrial environments involving high temperatures and potentially corrosive water supply. Maric’s export markets include Europe, the UK, the US, South America, New Zealand, South Africa, the Middle East, China and Scandinavia.

NOW is your opportunity to be recognised for your contribution to process control industry.

This is the eleventh PACE Zenith Awards event and we are expecting record numbers at the gala dinner in Melbourne on 12 June 2014.

The entry process is simple, and free; download an entry form from www.pacetoday.com.au/awards or email us at editor@pacetoday.com. au. The entry deadline is 11 April 2014, so hurry!

If you’re a supplier, nominating your customer is a great way to say ‘thank you’ for their business and to showcase the unique application of your product or technology.

If you’re a team leader or business owner, entering is a fantastic way to boost staff morale and show off your company’s level of competence.

The categories are: Manufacturing; Food & Beverage; Machine Builder; Mining Minerals & Exploration; oil & Gas; Power & Energy Management; Lifetime Achievement; Transport, Power & Infrastructure; Water & Wastewater; Young Achiever; Best Fieldbus Implementation.

All finalists automatically receive two free tickets to the gala dinner and extra tickets are available for purchase.

Finalists will be contacted by early May. www.pacetoday.com.au/awards

www.maric.com.au DECEMBER 2013 www.pacetoday.com.au 5

PA1213_006.pdf

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OPINION

MANUFACTURING

Understand real-time analytics Understanding how variations impact batch quality can deliver benefits, writes Janice Abel.

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OMPANIES that utilise batch manufacturing processes for specialty chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, biotech products and other products can utilise data that are already being collected to make real-time decisions and take appropriate actions.

Real-time batch analytics can help companies gain a better understanding of their processes, minimise variations, and know where to make improvements to the process instantaneously.

Historically, batch processes have been difficult to control and analyse because each batch is unique: batches are not the same length; time lags differ; raw materials can differ, and there are often differences in equipment, operating conditions, and process activity. Advanced batch controls can be complex. Understanding how these variations impact batch quality while the batch is running can provide enormous benefits.

Manufacturers use batch analytics software to compare batches to help un-cover potential problems in real time. One analytics solution of which ARC is aware enables users to compare ideal, “golden” batches to other batches to help better understand how variables affect the current batch.

The supplier calls this “dynamic time warping” (DTW). DTW aligns the data and can compare many batches’ parameters and accommodate for variable timing differences. The technology helps align the data accurately between batches and match parameters from historical batch data to the variations found in the live batches. The data analytics software can be used to determine how the batch is progressing and predict if a batch will meet specification or have to be re-worked, modified, or even discarded.

Significantly, the batch analytics software expands the range of processes that can take advantage of advanced process control. The solution can be used to interpret data to help

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optimise the process in real time. The software analyses comparisons of batch trajectories across different batches to other parameters and variables.

The primary multivariate methods employed include principal components analysis (PCA) and projections to latent structures (PLS).

PCA provides a concise overview of a data set. It is used to recognise patterns, including outliers, trends, groups, relationships, etc. PCA helps detect abnormal operations. PLS establishes relationships between input and output variables and develops predictive models of a process for quality predictions.

In addition, the included model predictive multivariable analysis (MVA) software enables users to adjust batch trajectories and predictions for control

from multiple batches to align batch parameters to determine how a batch is doing.

During the data extraction and model building process, data for the selected batches are automatically aligned with the correct parameters using dynamic time warping.

By generating models and using the dynamic time warping screens, the manufacturer can determine if a parameter is different from batch-tobatch. In the past, it was not easy to access, visualise, and compare data; or generate models to compare parameters “on the fly,” while the batch was running. This technology makes it far easier to do so.

The included model-building application tools can enable workers who are familiar with their process to

During the data extraction and model building process data for the selected batches are automatically aligned with the correct parameters using dynamic time warping using a comparative model. MVA helps the engineer look at the batch parameters holistically to be able to identify the interaction of the variables and uncover what is contributing to a particular condition.

The real-time analytics can help determine how all the variables affect the batch.

By drilling down on individual parameters, an engineer can determine if something is out of range or “not quite right,” make decisions about the process, and take appropriate actions.

The software can also help predict when problems are beginning to develop so that corrective measures can be taken.

The analysis can examine conditions and measurements that impact product quality. By visualising the data, the engineer can determine if the batch should be used for model generation. It’s critical to compare data

step through the process.

Users can generate models by selecting which batches should be used to generate models. They can also compare the results with other models and check predictions.

Lab analysis data can be used to validate the models and determine when the model is working well. The analysis can help determine what is working well and what needs to be improved.

A major brewing manufacturer is using this batch analytics software as part of a beta trial to identify process problems. According to one of its engineers, the brewing company used the software to model its Briggs Lauter Tun — a unit that separates extracted wort (sugar from grains) — to identify the critical quality parameters during production runs.

The brewing company runs 60 to 80 batches a week on this tun and the

company loses money if it deviates from the standard operating procedures.

The company chose this unit because it was already collecting a lot of data on it. The batch analytics software is used to build a model for the batch process or unit and executes alongside a running batch process.

The models aid in predicting quality parameters, identifying variables that are affecting the process, and help detect faults early on in the process. The model was built to compare the running real-time batch against historical batches.

The model enables users to drill down on individual parameters and compare with other batches to determine if something is out of range or otherwise not right. The company used the software to build a model and then used the model’s advanced statistics to determine that the steam pressure solenoid was plugged.

According to the plant engineer, “Creating batch process models can be particularly challenging for batch applications because of the inherent time variability from batch to batch. Batch lengths vary because of equipment, operating conditions, faults in one stage of the batch, time lags, and raw material variations.

The analytics can be used to compare the current batch against what we consider to be a good batch to find the cause of a problem.”

The multivariate analysis built into the model showed the parameter outliers and helped identify potential parameters that might be an issue.

The company was also able to use the DTW feature that overlays different batches and matches the parameters to identify abnormal conditions with their pH meters. The company corrected this problem to increase efficiencies and is now using the technology to identify other challenges.

[Janice Abel (jabel@arcweb.com) is Principal Consultant, ARC Advisory Group.] www.arcweb.com

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IN FOCUS

To OEE or not to OEE OEE can be a valid metric for industries where process back-up and redundancy are part of the basic design and where clear constraints cannot be easily determined, write Gerhard Greeff and Kobus van der Merwe.

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HE OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) metric has been applied within most industries in the past few years.

As a metric, it makes perfect sense and it has assisted some companies to improve their operations considerably.

It has been so successful that most Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) software vendors have an “OEE calculator” as part of their product offering.

OEE however does have a specific “sweet spot” and that is discrete manufacturing and packaging lines. Here throughput, quality and

machine availability have a direct impact on the profitability of the production line and can be measured in real-time.

In some other industries, the OEE calculation needs to be modified and distorted to such a degree that it becomes almost unrecognisable.

The issue with OEE OEE is a great metric where individual good and bad quality production units can be counted easily through a specific production line (typical to discrete manufacturing and packaging).

OEE presents, however, limitations

The optimum state can take many forms depending on the strategy and state of the influencing process variables at a specific point in time

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when applied to continuous processes.

Figure 1 illustrates that OEE typically attempts to report performance across multiple “functional” units of a continuous process.

The units are effectively all placed in a ‘black box’ and OEE is measured across the positions signified by the red arrows (similar approach used in discreet industries where OEE is measured only on the “constraint” in the process). It is thus unable to measure these units individually.

The specific issues with OEE are as a result of continuous process industry design principles and production philosophies. Such plants are designed

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IN FOCUS

for instance to have parallel processing (for instance distillation columns) or process lines that split and then merge again later in the process. A simple example is shown in Figure 1.

These plants are also sometimes designed such that some of the critical equipment in the process have a back-up in case of breakdown or other non-availability. It is also quite normal for continuous processes to have buffer storage areas or tanks between dependent processes, so that minimal process disruption occurs when equipment breaks down.

In a lot of these continuous processes the optimum throughput is not a static number based on the product being manufactured, but rather a dynamic number that change depending on the feed quality of one or more raw materials. Due to the continuous nature of the process, the buffer design and the spare capacity (outside the bottleneck) of the process, it is possible that some whole sections of the plant can be shut down for a period of time without affecting the overall plant throughput.

In measuring product quality, it is also not as straight-forward, as one cannot just install a counter to count good and bad quality, but the output typically have to go to a laboratory and the result is only available one or two days later.

Most OEE calculators struggle to accommodate late quality data.

For some process industries, having a product quality from the process say at 99.90 percent purity is actually bad for business if the minimum acceptable purity is 99.00 percent.

As result of the above issues, it is difficult if not impossible to determine the optimum throughput, the actual plant availability and the real product quality within a continuous process plant.

On average, OEE correlates to financial performance but fails to facilitate effective management of the individual units. OEE also only work for individual lines, it cannot be rolled up to (or averaged to) for instance Area level (as defined by the ISA-88 and ISA-95 standards) as it becomes a meaningless measure.

Continuous processes What is required for continuous industries is a metric that takes into 8 www.pacetoday.com.au DECEMBER 2013

account the specific issues related to processes that are not necessarily related to a specific availability, throughput or quality. This metric should rather be aimed at the quality of control related to factors influencing for instance yield and recovery, such as feed quality, process parameters, reaction times and recycle ratios.

In the absence of this specific metric, most continuous plants use breakdown data (mostly for tracking for breakdown reasons), total plant throughput and assume 100 perecnt quality to determine a performance metric (OEE). Figure 2 illustrates that performance of a continuous process is a function of multiple units’ performance against specific process variables (Key Influencing Factors).

Those continuous plants that do actually attempt to calculate an OEE in most cases have distorted the metric to such a degree, with so many additional rules, that it does not bear any resemblance to the OEE metric calculated for discreet industries.

For instance, only if a process is off-line for more than three hours does it influence the down-stream process and as such should be classified as “Not available” or only if downstream buffer tanks are below 10 perecent full then throughput below the theoretical is counted as “Reduced Speed or Throughput Loss”.

So if the normal OEE metric does not work or is ineffective for process industries, what metric should be used in its place?

MESA International is currently working on the development and review of a metric that takes into account the specific issues related to continuous industries. This metric would be used to determine the time a process is in a finite state as defined in the draft ISA-106 standard – Procedure Automation for Continuous Process Operations.

Time in state metric The Time in State Metric (TISM) takes into account all the issues raised previously for continuous process industries. The metric does not look at throughput in isolation, but it looks at throughput in relation to those factors in the process that influence the yield, quality and equipment availability.

FIGURE 1: Inability to manage individual units using OEE.

FIGURE 2: Performance hierarchy (KIF or Key Influencing Factor).

FIGURE 3: Time-in-state – Intervals when baseline state is met.

This is done at unit level (as per ISA95 definition). For example, the Time-in-State Metric is reported for Blending, Top Approach Flow and Bottom Approach Flow individually (refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2).

The TISM principle is that units must be controlled in an optimum state. A unit’s optimum state depends on various factors within the process such as feed quality, feed rate, recycle ratios and a range of process measurements that can influence the performance of the specific unit.

This optimum state can change frequently and without prior planning or warning. The TISM is thus a dynamic measure that makes provision for the changing nature of the process and/ or changes to the business strategy and objectives.

The optimum state can take many forms, depending on the strategy and state of the influencing process variables at a specific point in time.

For instance, the business objective may be to maximise production throughput while sugar cane supply is abundant. As soon as the supply reduces, the objective may change to maximise sucrose extraction.

This calls for different “ideal” operating conditions on individual units (e.g. different residence time in the “diffuser” chambers, different temperature profiles, and/ or water flow rates).

In addition, the TISM can be rolled up to Production Unit or even Area level, depending on the actual inter-connectivity and relationships between Units and Production Units within Areas (as defined by ISA-95).

What does TISM measure?

FIGURE 4: Recovery Improvement on a metallurgical beneficiation process (after adjusting for feed grade changes).

The TISM looks at a specific Unit or Production Unit and measures the actual time the unit is within the optimum/ ideal state where ideal state can be associated with high efficiency, reliability, stability, predictability, yield, etc.

This amount of time is then expressed as a Percentage over any specified period. Figure 3 shows the intervals between April 2012 and May 2012 when this specific unit was within a defined optimum state. In this period, the unit spent only 19 percent of time within the optimum state and so the TISM for this unit for this period would be 19 percent.

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IN FOCUS

Case studies has shown that process units spend typically only around 20 percent to 40 percent of time within the optimum state.

TISM reports the performance of individuals units and can be rolled up to report performance at Production Unit and/ or Area level. When rolled up, the TISM value reports the time that all units remained in ideal state at the same time.

For instance, if the output from “Blending Unit” is not within the ideal parameters, “Top Approach Flow Unit” can still be controlled within an optimum state given the specific input.

However, this optimum state (for the specific circumstance) for “Top Approach Flow Unit” may be sub-optimal for the area as a whole.

Only when ALL units are in an optimum state at the same time will the whole area operate in an optimum state.

The rationale for this is that within continuous industries, the

MESA International is currently working on a metric that takes into account the specific issues related to continuous industries

output from one unit (e.g. Blending) is typically the input into the next unit (e.g. Top Approach Flow). Also, operational personnel have direct control over individual units i.e. process parameters can be adjusted to effect the state of the specific unit.

The objective for operational personnel is to manage each unit within its ideal state using TISM – in other words, maximise the “time in ideal state”.

Managing each unit in the ideal state will, by default, contribute towards realising overall performance. Figure 4 illustrates how improving the TISM by 2 percent contributed toward increasing recovery in a metallurgical beneficiation process.

TISM is applied to Production Process monitoring as well as Equipment Performance monitoring.

These two TISM values can then be reported together to ensure that a balance is being maintained between operating the plant/ area/

unit in an optimum production state and ensuring that the process is controlled in such a way as to not excessively wear equipment down.

Flexibility exists to also deploy TISM for energy efficiency, environmental condition, operating cost and/ or quality management, amongst others.

Conclusion Measuring the Time-in-State for Continuous Processes as opposed to OEE will for the most part be a far more useful metric for both plant personnel and management as it takes into account the changing nature of continuous processes and the effective reaction to adverse factors influencing the process.

[Gerhard Greeff (Gerhard.Greeff@ bytes.co.za) is Divisional Manager, Bytes Universal Systems and Dr Kobus van der Merwe (Kobus@imeSolutions. biz) is Owner, Industrial Management Enhancement.] www.bytessi.co.za

DECEMBER 2013 www.pacetoday.com.au 9

PA1213_010.pdf

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OPINION

Conveyor monitoring can cut downtime Monitoring conveyor health enhances equipment effectiveness says Neil Freeman. By Kevin Gomez.

CONVEYOR belts play a central role in the mining, processing, storage and transportation of bulk materials. They need to operate efficiently with maximum availability and with a minimum of downtime.

This is because at operations, such as mines, ports, cement plants and iron & steel mills, material handling constitutes a major component of the production and maintenance costs.

Bulk material transportation is tough on conveyors, resulting in continual maintenance and parts replacement, and significant production and financial losses.

It is often labour intensive or difficult to monitor online all areas associated with conveyors. This can result in inadequate maintenance strategies and possible catastrophic production losses.

The Honeywell BeltAIS solution suite allows mining, minerals and metals facilities and other production sites to minimise the impact of conveyors on their overall equipment effectiveness.

With visibility into the actual health status of conveyor equipment, users from operations, maintenance, reliability and other departments gain a consistent understanding, enabling effective planning and execution of maintenance.

Neil Freeman, principal consultant for Honeywell’s mining, minerals and metals business talks to PACE about the technology and promise of BeltAIS.

What is the concept behind BeltAIS? Through talking to many conveyor users, service companies and manufacturers, we understand the need for a holistic view of the entire conveyor system.

There is a need for a single view into the health of the conveyor assets, including drives, belt, pulleys and idlers, which is likely to incorporate a number of different measurements. Our BeltAIS, pronounced ‘belt ace’, is a Belt Asset Inspection System and suite of products, incorporating a number of our existing solutions together with some unique monitoring technologies. Additionally we are able to integrate existing 10 www.pacetoday.com.au DECEMBER 2013

measurements from any source and meld all of the data for a unified view of the conveyor system’s health. The BeltAIS product suite is being developed to include: Cover Defect Monitoring, Idler Monitoring, and Belt Wear Monitoring.

For Cover Defect Monitoring, we have taken technology that we used in the pulp and paper industry for monitoring paper production utilising video recognition technology, and we’ve applied that to conveyor monitoring.

As far as we’re aware, it’s the first of its kind to do that. The belt is basically a big loop that keeps going round. We need a starting point so that we can relate the distance from that starting point. We can embed an RFID tag in the belt or we can paint a white line across the belt.

From that reference point we measure the distance and that’s how we can zero in on specific regions of the belt. We store all of the video on the computer allowing you to look back at a particular region over time and see how problems are progressing. The purpose of cover defect monitoring is to assess that belt’s surface and then be able to determine the maintenance requirements.

So, if you like, it’s designed to be a decision support to aid the maintenance team determine what they need to do for the next maintenance shut-down.

What is the installation time?

One of the key requirements is to make sure the camera has good vision of the belt. That can take a little bit of time, as in a day or so, to determine the best position. Once that’s done, it’s really a matter of a mounting bracket and just zooming in on the belt.

So it could be anything as little as two or three days to a week.

What about ongoing maintenance, particularly with a dusty environment?

Our camera is quite a smart piece of equipment. It has got an on-board computer and will provide diagnostics in terms of faults with communication and with the camera. Since it’s a vision-based system, if the window gets really caked

with material, you’ll be able to notice that. However, our camera is rated to IP65 and it’s actually got an air window across the front. Dust should be kept off the camera in the first instance.

We can also pulse air across the front to clean it and pulse water as well if required. In most circumstances it’s going to stay clean with all these measures. Additionally the camera is rated up to 100°C using an air cooling system. Air is pushed through the camera keeping it cool, preventing the ingress of material and keeping the viewing window clean.

So basically it will require the minimum amount of maintenance.

How do you use the system?

BeltAIS Cover Defect Monitoring examines the belt surface in real time and using video analytics it determines problem areas. Information relating to the problems such as location, rating and images are stored for further analysis, reporting or comparison. Thus a particular fault can be tracked over time to determine if it is getting worse and what sort of repairs may be required.

The images for the particular area of the belt can be examined, compared over time and zoomed in on to determine the extend of the damage. We also have a pseudo 3D capability to further assess the damage to the belt.

What are synthetic 3D images?

In order to do proper 3D imaging with perspective and depth, you actually need a stereoscopic camera or two cameras.

Since we’re only using one, it is pseudo 3D. That means it’s as good as you can get with the video technology and the video algorithms and it’ll give you a good perspective on 3D. But we can’t guarantee that the depth is a millimetre or one-and-a-half millimetres. So from a maintenance point of view, the 3D perspective will allow you to make a good assessment of the problems that you see with the surface of the belt and then schedule the maintenance accordingly.

How can users derive the best benefit?

BeltAIS stores a log of all the information, but users may be interested in how to manage all of this data associated with their conveyor systems including operational data. The best approach is to look at BeltAIS as part of an overall equipment effectiveness regime, which can provide a holistic picture of everything going on with the conveyor system as opposed to just looking at individual bits. That is, BeltAIS can integrate with other systems they might also have on site, for instance internal cord damage monitoring devices Some sites will also want the system to be integrated to their SCADA or control system to allow operators to monitor alarms and enable the belt to be stopped at the correct location for maintenance.

Once implemented, what kind of savings can users expect?

If a belt fails, then there can be some massive spillages. One operation in Latin America runs their conveyor belts down a mountain through tunnels. At one stage they lost a belt and it filled up the tunnel. It actually took them a week to dig that out again. Now that’s not to say that was necessarily a week’s worth of down-time, but what we’re aiming to do is to help prevent that sort of accident happening. If we look to iron ore or some of the coal operations, their conveyor belt can be running at five thousand tonnes an hour.

The material on there is worth $100 per tonne; if the conveyor belt goes down, they could lose many hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour.

Is it targeted at the mining industry?

This particular solution is targeted at any industry that uses heavy duty conveyors Certainly in my assessment from a global perspective, I’d say that the majority of those are in mining or mining related activities.

So mining, steel operations, cement plants are all heavy users of conveyor belts as is the coal-fired power industry. www.honeywellprocess.com

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Flexibility is key to productivity NI now has the tools to control the smart grid says Brett Burger. By Kevin Gomez.

AS Senior Product Manager at National Instruments, Brett Burger works on the management and strategies of embedded systems used to measure and control the smart grid. This global role involves constant contact with customers, the field sales team, and R&D to ensure future products continue to help scientists and engineers discover and innovate. He was in Sydney recently to NI Technical Symposiums to host sessions on ‘Exploring the RIO Architecture and Introducing the Newest Member of the CompactRIO Family’ and ‘Integrating .m, .mdl and Real-Time Hardware for Math, Signal Processing & Control’. He took time out from the session to speak with PACE.

Can you talk us through the cRIO9068 move to Linux and the benefits this brings?

The key benefit that Linux RT operating system is going to bring us is the Linux community. There’s hundreds of thousands of Linux users.

A lot of people are writing applications for it because of the open nature of the community. Customers designing control systems on CompactRIO based on Linux will now be able to leverage or borrow a lot of the existing programmes that are out there.

For example, instead of designing their own database and writing it, users can grab one from the Linux community. It’s the same with network hosting, web services or VPN-type clients, that we do not provide direct out of the box with CompactRIO. But our customers can take those from the Linux community and integrate it within our system. One immediate lift is just the wealth of programmes out there already based on Linux.

The other is using the Eclipse development environment. Our customers can now hook into CompactRIO with C and C++ programming. Customers that have existing code on C and C++ don’t have to rewrite that in LabVIEW. They

can bring that into the CompactRIO controller and run that as their core control software.

The ability to now double productivity – is that because of the speed?

That is because of the speed of development. A lot of focus is on the cost of the product we’re building. But what is the cost of the control system?

If you look at the return on investment, you absolutely have to include development cost. There’s no point in spending a million dollars developing a project if you’re going to sell one of them for $15,000. That’s not a very good investment.

When we talk about doubling productivity, that is from research that we’ve done from one of our UBM surveys. We found that embedded designers using the LabVIEW architecture are getting their projects done in half the time and with smaller design teams. So the whole do more with less or do more with what you’ve got, that message is really resonating.

Why am I making money? It’s because I have a new idea and I don’t have to spend my programming and DMA transfer mechanism between my FPGA and my processor. I don’t have to spend time doing glue logic between my analogue to digital converter and my FPGA pre-processing unit.

Instead, I’m spending time on the algorithm, on the methods, on my advanced control scheme which is what I do different to everyone else.

Can you use just C++ for programming a CompactRIO? The answer to that is two parts, similar to the two programming parts on the CompactRIO. There is the core processor and on CompactRIO that could be Intel, Freescale, or ARM9 running on Zynq. Then you have the FPGA fabric. Those are the two processing units and historically you would program LabVIEW for each one of them and target them separately.

With this latest CompactRIO

running Linux, you can use C or C++ entirely to program the processor part.

That’s because there are a lot of C programmers out there and there’s a lot of C code that already exists. Now, having to copy C code into any other programming language including G code from LabVIEW, takes time.

We’re trying to speed development, so now you can take that existing C code and target it straight to your processor.

Looking at the FPGA, there’s not nearly as many FPGA programmers out there as C programmers. In fact, there are a lot of C programmers that are self-taught. Hardware design languages for FPGA requires usually university training, experience to get proficient at it and there’s just much fewer of those engineers and scientists.

For the FPGA, there is tremendous value in being able to use this highlevel function block to program the FPGA, so CompactRIO still uses LabVIEW to program the FPGA. But then you can generate the dot H files which will communicate with your C code running on your controller.

Is it a fact that NI would give away the source code if requested?

Absolutely. The uses for rebuilding a source code are almost infinite. Because you’re looking at the kernel level and that’s someone that really has that advanced Linux knowledge that maybe they want to install a different driver for some hardware that they’re connecting over a USB port. So they need a specific driver that will communicate with that. Maybe they want to change the way network traffic is handled over the Ethernet port.

All of these things are typically handled by the operating system and they come off-the-shelf from NI with one particular personality. If the customer wants to change that, they have the capability to do that. The product is fairly new. It’s been out since August and we’re pretty excited to see how our customers are going to add to it and change it with the Linux community.

What are some key application areas?

There’s been a lot of interest from heavy machine industry, like power generation for instance. If you walk around a power plant, it’s constantly moving. There’s a whole bunch of motors for fans, for pumps, for conveyer belts, grinders for coal — if it’s a coal-fired plant.

One particularly exciting application is the ability to monitor these highvalue assets and take them down for maintenance before they break. This prevents power outages or loss of revenue for the utility companies. Today that’s done with a human operator — someone walks around the plant or multiple plants and takes measurements.

With the advanced power and the 4X performance improvement in the 9068, customers can now stream high-speed data, process that into vibration data and flag it when the data goes out of spec.

Another interesting area is further down the smart grid — into applications that monitor the power flowing onto a utility grid. With the growth of renewables, that power is not constant.

If you’re solar powered, the sun’s not always shining. If you are wind powered, the wind is not always blowing.

Power companies are transitioning from the hub and spoke model where you have a large power gen facility that just generates power downstream to a more distributed model with power not only spread about across the grid but intermittent.

Imagine people come home in the evening, and plugging in their cars, you’re going to see big demand increases.

To control and automate that takes a lot of intelligence throughout the grid.

We’re seeing customers start to build intelligent electronic devices out of CompactRIO because they can change that control system as quickly as the grid can change with addition of renewable resources or additional plug in power.

That’s because the processor and the FPGA are completely programmable.

They can change it with LabVIEW or they can change it with C. australia.ni.com DECEMBER 2013 www.pacetoday.com.au 11

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Managing supply pressure effect It is best to minimise supply pressure effect or SPE. If a regulator’s SPE is too high, the pressure change may impact the effectiveness of a system, write Michael Adkins and Wouter Pronk.

S

YSTEM operators running a process from a gas cylinder source may sometimes observe a puzzling phenomenon – on the downstream side of a pressure-reducing regulator, the outlet pressure increases for no apparent reason. As the cylinder drains, inlet pressure to the regulator will decrease. Simple logic suggests that the outlet pressure would also decrease. But, in fact, the outlet pressure rises, leading many an operator to think the regulator is malfunctioning.

This phenomenon may have a number of possible causes, but the most likely one is not a malfunctioning regulator. The most likely cause is supply pressure effect (SPE) – which is sometimes referred to as “dependency.”

It’s best to minimise SPE. If a regulator’s SPE is too high, the pressure change may impact the effectiveness of a system.

Fortunately, you can manage SPE by selecting the right regulator – or combination of regulators – for a given application. In rare cases, you may be able to reduce SPE by manually adjusting the regulator’s set pressure.

More likely, you’ll need to make some changes in your system configuration. If possible, it’s best to make these changes at the outset, when you are designing your system, rather than in an existing system, where you may encounter challenges such as space limitations and extra costs that may limit your options.

Understanding SPE SPE is defined as the change in outlet pressure due to a change in inlet (or supply) pressure. If inlet pressure decreases, there will be a corresponding outlet pressure increase. Conversely, if inlet pressure increases, outlet pressure will decrease. Inlet and outlet pressure changes are inversely proportional to each other.

SPE is not a periodic phenomenon in gas cylinder applications. It occurs whenever there is a change in inlet pressure. You may only notice it, however, in situations where inlet 12 www.pacetoday.com.au DECEMBER 2013

pressure has changed significantly, such as when your gas cylinder has drained and pressure has dropped from, say, 2200 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) (153 bar) to 500 psig (34.47 bar).

The degree of outlet pressure variation for a regulator may be estimated with this formula: ΔP (outlet) = ΔP (inlet) x SPE. In other words, if the regulator’s SPE is 1 percent (0.01), the variability in outlet pressure is 1 percent of the change in inlet pressure. For example, as a cylinder empties from 2200 psig (153 bar) to 500 psig (35 bar), the regulator’s outlet pressure will increase by 17 psig (1.2 bar). Remember, SPE is an inverse relationship – if inlet pressure goes down, outlet pressure goes up.

SPE values vary among regulator models and are typically provided by the manufacturer. This value can be published as either a percentage (e.g., 1.0 percent) or as a ratio (e.g., 10:1000).

To understand why SPE occurs, you need to look inside a regulator.

Figures 1a and 1b show the inside of a springloaded pressure-reducing regulator. This is a basic design with an “unbalanced poppet.”

A regulator works by balancing forces (Figures 1a and 1b). One set of forces pushes up on the diaphragm and the poppet. These forces close off the downstream flow, thereby decreasing the outlet pressure. These forces are from the system media pressure – both at the inlet (FI) and outlet (FO) of the regulator – as well as the poppet spring (FS2).

Another force – the regulator’s set spring (FS) – pushes down on the diaphragm, which will open the poppet and increase outlet pressure. The amount of spring force is determined by the operator, who dials in the set pressure.

In Figure 1a, both the inlet pressure (FI), acting on the poppet over the entire seat area (A1), and the poppet spring (FS2) push the poppet closed.

The outlet pressure (FO) acts upon the underside of the diaphragm, pushing the diaphragm up, which in turn forces

FIGURE 1a: Springloaded Pressure-reducing Regulator with an Unbalanced Poppet. Inside this regulator, the system media pressure – both at the inlet (FI), acting on the poppet area (A1), and outlet (FO), acting on the diaphragm – as well as the poppet spring force (FS2) keep the poppet shut when downstream valves are closed. As flow is initiated downstream (Figure 1b), the outlet pressure (FO) drops, causing the set spring force (Fs) to flex the regulator’s diaphragm downward, opening the poppet to enable flow through the regulator.

Avoid the common mistake of using a twostage regulator at the gas supply source and a single-stage regulator at the point of use

the poppet closed against the seat. In Figure 1b, spring force (FS) pushes the poppet open. As these forces change, the others act to keep the balanced equation in equilibrium.

In an unbalanced poppet design (Figures 1a and 1b), the inlet pressure (FI) pushes up on the poppet, applying pressure to a portion of the poppet equal to the seat area (A1).

As a result, a decrease in inlet pressure means less force (FI) is pushing up on the poppet. With this decrease in force (FI), the poppet will move away from the seat, which in turn increases downstream pressure (Figure 1b).

At the same time, that rise in outlet pressure (FO) is not strong enough to counterbalance the set spring force

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FIGURE 1b: With an unbalanced poppet, inlet pressure (FI) pushes up on the entire area of the poppet (A1). Because the pressure acts on the entire surface area of the poppet, these regulators typically experience a greater degree of SPE than ones with balanced poppets.

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FIGURE 2: Springloaded Pressure-reducing Regulator with a Balanced Poppet. A regulator with a balanced poppet features an orifice in the poppet and a balancing O-ring, both of which reduce the poppet surface area in contact with inlet pressure (FI) to minimise SPE. Inlet pressure acts on only a small area, which is determined by subtracting the poppet base area (B2) – the balanced area – from the poppet area (A2), or A2 - B2. The orifice allows outlet pressure (FO), which is much lower than the inlet pressure (FI), to act on the bottom of the poppet (B2), minimising and balancing the inlet pressure closing force (FI) applied to the poppet.

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Tacho & Speed Meter (FS) to push the diaphragm up to close the poppet at the same outlet pressure. It will be closed at a higher pressure. This is what SPE looks like inside a regulator.

Balanced poppets For many applications, a common method for reducing SPE is to use a regulator with a balanced poppet design (Figure 2). The objective of this design is to allow the inlet and outlet pressures to control the poppet more evenly.

In a balanced poppet design, there is an O-ring around the lower stem of the poppet. This O-ring prevents inlet pressure (FI) from acting on the bottom

of the poppet (B2). In addition, there is an orifice in the poppet, running vertically from top to bottom. This orifice enables the outlet pressure (FO), which is much lower than the inlet pressure (FI), to act on the bottom of the poppet (B2). The resultant force is due to the inlet pressure over the unbalanced area (A2 - B2).

With these design changes, both inlet and outlet pressure push up on the poppet to close it when system pressure is too high. The inlet pressure (FI) can push up on the unbalanced area, while the outlet pressure (FO) can push up on the bottom of the poppet.

Now, let’s return to our SPE scenario and again imagine that inlet pressure has decreased as a gas

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cylinder is depleting. Inlet pressure (FI) will have less effect on the poppet because it acts on a smaller area (A2 B2). With this balanced poppet design, the outlet pressure has sufficient leverage to close the poppet and restrict pressure, correcting the rise in pressure downstream. Outlet pressure pushes up on the diaphragm and spring force (FS) and, at the same time, up on the bottom of the poppet.

An additional benefit of balanced poppet regulators is their ability to reduce lock-up – or the tendency for the poppet to snap shut as downstream flow is decreased to zero. Excessive lock-up is undesirable, as it may cause a brief spike in outlet pressure when the poppet rapidly closes.

Two-stage regulation A balanced poppet regulator is suitable for lowering SPE in many applications, especially high-flow applications.

For lower-flow and other feasible applications, an alternative method of regulating SPE is to use two-stage pressure reduction.

This can be accomplished by using two single-stage regulators installed in series, or the two regulators may be combined into one assembly.

A two-stage setup manages inlet pressure variations in two steps. The firststage regulator controls that variability to some degree, and the second-stage regulator controls it further. Together, the two regulators bring outlet pressure very close to the target.

To calculate the variability of outlet pressure for a two-stage regulator setup, the inlet pressure difference is multiplied by the SPE of each regulator, as illustrated in the following equation: ΔP (outlet) = ΔP (inlet) x SPE1 x SPE2 Remember that SPE is an inverse relationship. As a gas cylinder empties and inlet pressure decreases, the first-stage regulator will experience an increase in outlet pressure. That increase will result in a subsequent decrease on the outlet side of the second-stage regulator. However, because the first-stage regulator experiences the majority of SPE, the relative pressure decrease after the second-stage regulator is minimal.

Let’s return to our example of a cylinder emptying from 2200 psig (153 bar) to 500 psig (35 bar) and assume that each regulator has a 1 percent SPE. With a 1700 psig (118 14 www.pacetoday.com.au DECEMBER 2013

FIGURE 3: Domeloaded Regulator with External Feedback to a Pilot Regulator. External downstream feedback enables the domeloaded regulator in this setup to make precise adjustments – based on the true downstream system pressure – to control outlet pressure and minimise SPE in a large-volume gas cylinder application where high flows are required. bar) inlet pressure drop, the first-stage regulator will experience a 17 psig (1.18 bar) increase in outlet pressure.

As a result of that increase, the secondstage regulator will experience a 0.17 psig (0.0118 bar) decrease in outlet pressure. The net result is a minimal pressure decrease that is only 0.01 percent (0.0001) of the initial cylinder pressure drop (0.17 psig (0.0118 bar) = 1700 psig (118 bar) x 0.01 x 0.01).

Once the cylinder pressure drops below the first-stage setting, the SPE of this regulator is no longer applicable and only the SPE of the second-stage regulator is taken into account.

In terms of controlling SPE, a two-stage regulator setup will typically achieve a better outcome than a single pressure-reducing regulator with a balanced poppet design. In a plant using one gas cylinder source to feed multiple operations that all use the same outlet pressure, either regulation

Excessive lock-up is undesirable as it may cause a brief spike in outlet pressure when the poppet rapidly closes

option may be feasible. However, if the application requires that the gas cylinder service multiple operations and at least one operation requires a different pressure, you will need to use two-stage regulation. In this case, the first-stage regulator is located near the gas source, and a second-stage regulator is located on each of the process lines.

In any system, be sure to avoid the common mistake of using a two-stage regulator at the gas supply source and a single-stage regulator at the point of use. This setup is overkill, as it amounts to three-stage regulation.

Domeloaded regulators A single domeloaded regulator can also be employed to control SPE. This is most practical when regulating pressures from large-volume gas cylinders where high flows are required. A domeloaded regulator operates in much the same way as a springloaded regulator, except in

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lieu of the spring there is a pressurised dome that exerts force down on the diaphragm and poppet.

Figure 3 shows a setup for controlling SPE with a domeloaded regulator. Note that in addition to the domeloaded regulator, this setup requires a pilot regulator and three tubing loops. The first loop connects the pilot regulator to the dome of the domeloaded regulator so it can make adjustments in dome pressure in response to system pressure.

The second tubing loop allows excess dome pressure to bleed back into the downstream system media. And the third loop is for external feedback.

It enables the pilot regulator to take an accurate read on downstream gas pressure and make quick adjustments in dome pressure. Because this system is making adjustments based on actual downstream pressure readings, it can effectively minimize SPE. In the case of a pilot-operated domeloaded regulator, the SPE of the pilot and the dome are added together to provide the SPE of the system. With the external feedback loop installed, this will compensate for pressure changes and will further minimise SPE.

change in outlet pressure.

It is only noticeable – or it only becomes an issue – in certain situations, for example, when regulation of the outlet pressure must be very precise, or when inlet pressure has changed significantly, such as when a gas cylinder is emptying. You can minimise the effects of SPE for many applications by using a single regulator with a balanced poppet design or by using a two-stage regulator. But if your gas source is servicing multiple operations with different pressure requirements, you may need multiple single-stage regulators – one near the gas source and another on each process line – to enable two-stage regulation at each point of use.

You can minimise the effects of SPE for many applications by using a single regulator with a balanced poppet design

Manual adjustments It is also possible to manage SPE by manually adjusting a regulator based on the reading of a downstream pressure gauge. However, this method is impractical in most situations. If a gas cylinder is servicing an application that requires a continuous supply of gas, the outlet pressure will always be changing. This means someone will have to check the downstream pressure gauge frequently, and the cost of labor may far surpass the cost of introducing one of the system configurations described above.

One of the few applications where manual adjustments may make sense is a lab in which the demand for cylinder gas is limited to short intervals and is not continuous. When gas is needed, the lab technician can make the occasional adjustment to the regulator’s set pressure.

Final thoughts With a regulator controlling outlet pressure from a gas cylinder, SPE is a phenomenon that is always at play.

Whenever there is a change in inlet pressure, there will be a corresponding

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Also consider a domeloaded regulator with feedback to a pilot regulator for high-flow, large-volume gas cylinder applications. In addition, you can consider managing SPE manually for certain applications.

Regardless of the style, you should always try to find a regulator that is specified for only the particular range of pressures your system will be regulating. As a rule of thumb, regulators with broader pressure ranges have higher SPEs than those with lower ranges. You should choose the regulator configuration with the inlet pressure and control range as close to the application parameters as possible.

[Michael D. Adkins (Michael.

Adkins@swagelok.com) is Manager, Field Engineering and Pressure Regulators, Swagelok Company and Wouter Pronk (Wouter.Pronk@swagelok.com) is Senior Field Engineer, Pressure Regulators, Swagelok Company.]

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Phased array flaw detectors

Precision pressure calibration Fluke Corporation is broadening its suite of precision pressure calibration products with the addition of 14 700G Series Pressure Gauges and two models of pressure calibrators: the Fluke 719Pro and 721 Dual Range Pressure Calibrator.

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Its internal 24 loop power supply can power a transmitter under test. The Fluke 721 Dual Range Pressure Calibrator with dual isolated pressure sensors lets technicians take simultaneous static and differential pressure measurements in a single tool for gas custody and transfer applications. It can be configured by selecting either a 1.1 bar or 2.48 bar low pressure sensor and then add any of seven high pressure ranges including 6.9, 20, 24.5, 69, 103.4, 200, 345 bar.

Fluke Australia 02 8850 3333 www.fluke.com.au

The newest member of the OmniScan family of phased array (PA) flaw detectors, the OmniScan SX, has been introduced to the Australian market by Olympus. PA technology uses multiple ultrasonic elements and electronic time delays to create beams that can be steered, scanned, swept, and focused electronically for fast multiple angle inspections. They also provide full data storage for further analysis. The OmniScan SX features a 21cm touch screen for displaying the software interface. The touch screen can be set to full-screen mode that maximises visibility, essentially converting many menu functions into touch-screen operations. The intuitive interface provides smooth menu selection, zooming, gate adjustments, cursor movements, and text and value input.

Olympus 1300 132 992 IBDinfo@olympus.com.au

Magelis optimise HMI panels The Magelis GTO HMI panel helps users build machines and systems that improve operator efficiency. These screens come with TFT LED backlighting, providing a high clarity display and energy savings for users’ machines.

With embedded serial, Ethernet and USB ports, the Magelis GTO allows for connectivity to a variety of automation devices, variable speed drives, printers, and the new range of plug-and-play USB connected HMI accessories — including USB tower lights, USB biometric switches and USB alarm panels. Remote monitoring and control can be achieved using the built-in WebGate function via Ethernet or with any IOS or Android mobile devices and the new Vijeo Design’Air app. The range also comes with a simplified design using the same cut-out as the previous offer, enabling immediate installation when the existing panel requires replacement. The Magelis GTO is also available in stainless steel conforming to the standard DIN EN1672-2.

Schneider Electric 1300 369 233 www.schneider-electric.com.au

Pharma vision inspection Mettler-Toledo’s Pharmacontrol Electronic (PCE) business unit has been pioneering and designing such customised solutions for more than 20 years. PCE introduced the Tablet Inspections stations as intelligent image processing systems in a comprehensive product portfolio to effectively tackle the areas of reliable product mix-up controls and blister inspection.

While the Tablet Inspection Kit covers the product mix-up sector, the Blister Inspection Kit finds its application in the identification of colouraveraged values of tablets. The Tablet Inspection Kit can simultaneously monitor 6 to 12 stainless steel lines of a vibrating sorter with a total width of 40 cm. All products are identified not only by their colouraveraged values but also standard values for shape while a wide range of parameters is available for classifying products.

Mettler Toledo 1300 659 761 www.mt.com

Dual port Ethernet with embedded switch and DLR The latest addition to the Allen-Bradley offering is the 842E with Ethernet/IP interface.

This encoder comes standard with dual port Ethernet and M12 connectors and includes an embedded Ethernet/IP switch to connect additional E/IP capable product in series and/or support a Device Level Ring for Ethernet media redundancy.

Targeted for use in harsh industrial environments, the 842E Ethernet/IP encoder provides high resolution absolute positioning.

16 www.pacetoday.com.au DECEMBER 2013

Available in single-turn 18 bit resolution and multi-turn 30 bit resolution, this highresolution absolute encoder is suitable for automotive, material handling, general factory automation applications.

It features an embedded switch, protection class up to IP67 and RSLogix 5000 add-on-profile.

Rockwell Automation 1800 762 593 au.rockwellautomation.com

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Control system provides right mix When a dairy processor rolled out a new generation of flavour-enhancer products in five production facilities management saw an opportunity to improve analysis and reporting of manufacturing data across the enterprise.

I

N AN industry where margins are often razor thin, it’s critical that food manufacturers have access to real-time, plant-floor data so they can quickly make adjustments to the production environment.

Manual reporting practices at one manufacturer of cheese and dairy ingredients for the global food industry were hindering management’s visibility into operations and its ability to make changes necessary to maintain profitability. Manually recording production data was both time consuming and error prone, and data was often days old by the time it reached management.

COMPREHENSIVE: Virtualised FactoryTalk View SE, Historian SE and VantagePoint EMI provide a detailed control and information system.

Improve analysis When the company rolled out a new generation of flavour-enhancer products in five of its production facilities, management saw an opportunity to improve analysis and reporting of manufacturing data across the enterprise. The company wanted the ability to simultaneously gather data from plant historians and SQL servers across its facilities and use this data to create reports and real-time dashboards through a centralised Web interface.

To achieve this goal, the food processor first needed a platform that would support a multiplant, realtime interface to a central point for

analysing manufacturing information.

The manufacturer worked with Malisko Engineering, a control, process and information systems integrator and member of the Rockwell

Automation PartnerNetwork program, to implement a virtualised PlantPAx process automation system from Rockwell Automation.

This system provided the

framework necessary to produce and gather plant-floor data from each facility. As part of the control system upgrade to the PlantPAx system, Malisko implemented FactoryTalk

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SNAPSHOT

Challenges Manual Recording and Reporting • Manual recording of production data was time consuming, error prone and delayed, hindering the ability to make changes necessary to maintain or improve profitability Solutions Manufacturing Intelligence • FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI, Historian, View SE and AssetCentre software provide realtime, secure access to web-based critical production data PlantPAx Process Automation System • The Rockwell Automation PlantPAx process automation system provides a unified solution for process, discrete and information control Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork Solution Partner • Malisko Engineering provided design, consulting, programming and integration

View Site Edition human-machine interface (HMI) software.

The team designed user-friendly screen layouts and functionality to offer consistency across all facilities.

Sophisticated alarms and events save the food processor time in troubleshooting.

The company can use associated tags to include process data with event information and alarm messages.

This means operators automatically receive relevant information that describes what the system’s environment looked like when the alarm was triggered. The software also interfaces with Specter Instruments WIN-911, so specific alarm notifications can be sent to stakeholders via email when they need to respond immediately.

Virtualised process The system upgrade also made it possible to run the process system and HMI from a centralised server that can be accessed virtually via remote desktop connection in the food processor’s other facilities. No longer tied to specific hardware, virtual HMIs can extend the company’s software lifecycle.

Additionally, virtualising frees up server space and IT maintenance time needed with the previous approach.

18 www.pacetoday.com.au DECEMBER 2013

The virtualised process system will allow this food processor to take hardware offline for maintenance or future upgrades while the system is up and running, migrating the application between servers without interrupting production to improve uptime or speed disaster recovery. With the virtualised

Historian software. Because data always remains at its original source, whether in the controller, the historian or a SQL server, the operators, maintenance and plant managers and business executives can more easily and quickly share information while maintaining one version of the truth.

The virtualised process system will allow the food processor to take hardware offline for maintenance while the system is up and running

PlantPAx process automation system in place, the company was ready to implement a manufacturing intelligence strategy to better gather and analyse the production data.

Leveraging FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI software, the company can now access federated data from all its plants in one screen for centralised viewing and analysis.

Historical process data from a variety of sources on each facility’s plant floor can be retrieved for dashboards and reports in real-time.

Data is archived by FactoryTalk

Flexibility Using the FactoryTalk VantagePoint software, Malisko organised each plant into areas using commonly referenced industry and business terms, rather than cryptic equipment serial numbers, and assigned user groups so plant managers and maintenance personnel could access data specific to their individual facilities and roles.

The integrator also set up production reports within the application that allow management to view hourly, daily, monthly or annual data online. Managers also can view

Results Improved Data Collection and Visibility • Centralised source for viewing process data improves visibility across the enterprise • Easy-to-understand operator reports and dashboards identify sources of downtime • Elimination of manual reporting saves time and improves accuracy • Access to production data helps management pinpoint sources of inefficiency in real time

trends by month, allowing them to analyse specific events, such as the effect of a cold spell on dryer efficiency.

“The ability to see, in real time, which side of the profitability line a plant is operating has been a game changer,” said Steve Malyszko, Malisko Engineering president. “Virtualising the system gave the customer the added bonus of reducing risk and improving future flexibility. They now have crucial production data available to managers and corporate personnel to monitor, without the need for manually generated reports.” www.rockwellautomation.com.au

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Focus is on energy efficiency Demands to save energy and reduce waste have lead suppliers to develop energy monitoring and management systems for longer than we might think, writes Sarah Falson.

W

ITH the country’s first carbon tax introduced last year and energy prices rising by the month, there has never been a better time to assess factory equipment running costs.

And, with the sheer focus on energy efficiency by the government and consumers today, you could be excused for thinking it a new idea.

However, just like the act of reducing material waste, energy efficiency – or using less power to perform the same tasks – has been a desirable means to reduce plant running costs and ‘do more with less’ for decades.

According to Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) pacific director, Garry Mahoney, the concept of measuring industrial energy usage has actually been around for 40 years.

“In the mid-1970s, the advent of microprocessor-based technology enabled a step-change in real-time control, reporting and management of site electrical maximum demand,” he told PACE. Mahoney has been working in the instrumentation and automation fields for over 35 years, starting off his career in the minerals processing and smelting industry before joining HPS in 1981.

He claims though microprocessors allowed more control and reporting of the energy used in industrial environments, companies didn’t really begin to focus efforts on becoming more ‘energy efficient’ until the last couple of decades.

“Energy monitoring and management have become a major focus for our customers, which wasn’t the case at all 10 or 15 years ago. Now, nearly 50% of Honeywell’s products are linked to energy efficiency,” he said.

According to Mahoney, the energy monitoring and management products and systems on the market today are significantly more sophisticated than offerings from even 10 years ago, reflecting how focused on this area

ORIGINS: The ability to monitor energy load use actually dates back to the early 1970s, with the advent of the microprocessor. This Intel 3002 2-bit Arithmetic Logic Unit slice from 1974 used bipolar Schottky transistors; each component implemented two bits of a processor function, and packages could be interconnected to build a processor with any desired word length. industry has become.

“An example of such a solution is Honeywell’s Energy Management Systems – a portfolio of hardware, software and services to help improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in energy intensive industrial processes,” Mahoney explained.

“This can be tailored to meet the customer’s needs, allowing them to benefit from better energy reporting and management throughout their operations to deliver increased profitability.”

Better management ABB Australia senior product engineer, Ian Richardson, believes the concept of energy measurement has actually been around for even longer – since the 1800s – though he agrees it wasn’t until much more recently that industry truly embraced the idea.

“William Thompson, 1st Baron Kelvin, known as Lord Kelvin (1824–

Energy conservation was always seen as a good thing to do and in certain market sectors having a green policy towards energy was given some importance

1907) is considered the father of electrical measurement and once stated ‘to measure is to know’. This phrase is a cornerstone of modern energy conservation for, without measuring consumption, we cannot determine if the energy efficiency concepts that are implemented are truly effective,” he told PACE. “Energy management and energy efficiency gained greater focus around the time of privatisation of the energy markets in Australia. Energy conservation was always seen as a good thing to do and, in certain market sectors, having a ‘green’ policy towards energy was given some importance.

“As the energy market developed, and following global trends, energy prices began to increase, which presented the economic argument for consumers to be more aware of their energy usage.

“In the 1990s businesses began to become interested in measuring their energy consumption with the view of understanding their load profile and having the ability to manage their demand.”

Richardson, who has been involved in the manufacturing, automation and process control fields for over 35 years, agrees energy monitoring and management systems have advanced dramatically over the last couple of decades.

“Once simple, energy meters can now provide a vast array of information, including load profile data, time of day usage, power quality analysis and numerous electrical parameters from a single inexpensive device,” he explained.

“In the early times we could measure consumption relatively easily and make decisions on our demand profile in a fairly manual way. Today, we can have preset parameters for an automated system to operate and manage a load profile including automatic load shedding of non-priority loads or adjusting loads to slightly reduce demand under a DECEMBER 2013 www.pacetoday.com.au 19

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RANGE: A typical line-up of electricity quality (EQ) meters on the market today. This range from ABB – designed for modular enclosures and DIN rail – help users identify areas where energy consumption is too high, and where investments need to be made.

load threshold, while still maintaining production or building comfort levels, depending upon the application.”

Richardson believes the key to modern energy management systems is the ability for greater control in a fullyautomated way.

“In a building application it is possible to reduce illumination levels by a small percentage that is often undetectable, or lower a building temperature setpoint by 1 degree during a peak demand cycle. A one degree change of the setpoint could translate to a 6 percent energy saving of the air conditioning plant consumption on some systems,” he said.

Rise of consultants Though you’d be hard-pressed to find a manufacturing or processing plant in Australia today that isn’t focused in some way on reducing costs through finding efficiencies, energy efficiency technologies are still fairly immature, according to Schneider Electric (Australia) energy consultant in professional services, Eric Xu. Xu began his engineering career in an electrical vehicle R&D company in China, and has spent over 11 years working around the manufacturing and processing industries. He believes he witnessed an important event – the beginnings of a new wave of energy efficiency consulting services – when he joined Schneider Electric in 2005.

“I can still remember my first job in Schneider Electric China; it was to commission an energy monitoring system that also supported the data uploading and remote analysis. Despite the internet-access difficulties of that time, we successfully delivered a two-year project reporting quarterly energy consumption analyses with European colleagues,” Xu told PACE. “This could be deemed the start of the evolution of energy consultancy services Schneider Electric offers today, which include energy procurement services, consultancy and advocacy, and software solutions.”

Xu says improved data visualisation and analysis capabilities, and cloud-based technology, have both contributed to the development of energy management systems.

“The ability to capture aggregated data from disparate systems, and analyse raw energy data against the process, provides a more enhanced 20 www.pacetoday.com.au DECEMBER 2013

EARLY DAYS: The beginnings of energy conservation can be traced back to the late 1800s, when Lord Kelvin, a British mathematician and engineer, claimed ‘to measure is to know’.

This image shows a historical control room from 1898. (Image courtesy ABB.)

Energy meters can now provide a vast array of information including power quality analysis and numerous electrical parameters from a single inexpensive device

view into the operations and efficiency of the plant. This information can be tailored to specific users such as from site engineers to C-level managers who may have limited knowledge of the electrical system,” he explained.

“The other development is the introduction of the cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) concept.

This advancement results in reduced implementation and operation costs, scalability and future proofing, but also allows interaction with energy consulting services.

“Energy monitoring to produce reports is no longer a sufficient outcome by itself. Energy monitoring at the sub meter level in a manufacturing or processing plant will remain the backbone of

energy efficiency and will provide the necessary discrimination to integrate both process and energy data.

“The shift to specialised energy services and practical outcomes is more evident than ever before.

Industry end-users are engaging with consultants and knowledge experts around verification and international and local standards.”

According to Xu however, there is still a knowledge gap, with many end-users not aware how to utilise the data gathered from energy monitoring systems to actually save costs.

“In most cases the energy monitoring and management products are not used effectively as the there is a gap between the raw data and the useful, or the understandable, information that is required by decision-makers,” he said.

“Thus, professional consultancy services are both necessary and valuable, filling the gap and assisting end-users build-up their own capabilities. The energy monitoring and management products themselves should take more critical roles in the site’s daily operation, and are able to bring more benefits to the site/ facility management.”

[This article is part of the PACE 60-year anniversary special and could not be accommodated in that issue.]

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Unique in-pit crushing solution The Australian quarry industry’s demands for greater efficiencies as well as higher standards of safety and sustainability are driving the move towards in-pit crushing.

F

OLLOWING an extensive design consultation process for its Peppertree Quarry, Australia’s largest building and construction materials supplier, Boral, is now leading the way in world’s best practice for in-pit crushing.

Boral has implemented an in-pit crushing solution at its new Peppertree quarry, situated at Marulan South in the NSW Southern Tablelands, around 180 kilometres south west of Sydney.

Due to become fully operational in 2014, the new quarry will supply the Sydney metropolitan area and greater NSW building and construction industries, with up to 3.5 million tonnes of aggregate products per annum.

Sydney Aggregates Project Executive Manager David Bolton, explained the significance of the new development.

“We have over 80 million tonnes of proved resource at Peppertree and over 1.8 billion tonnes of inferred resource on land owned by Boral in the Peppertree area. This puts us in a great position for sustainable long term supply of high quality construction materials into Sydney and the surrounding areas,” he said.

In addition to the Peppertree quarry, the $200 million Sydney Aggregates Project includes new rail infrastructure in and around the quarry, a new manufactured sand plant at Boral Cement in South Marulan and a new rail transfer terminal at the Boral Maldon Cement Works near Picton in NSW.

Mobile in-pit crushing Construction of the new facilities at Peppertree started in July 2011 after more than a decade of planning. A risk assessment of the crushing process led to the selection of in-pit crushing as the safest and most efficient option for the new plant.

Boral Site Manager, Steve Parsons said that the use of in-pit crushing for quarry applications has been a trend in Europe for some time but is relatively new in Australia. “Boral is now looking to optimise its quarrying process and get away from the traditional load and haul

team prior to design finalisation and manufacture has produced the most sophisticated machine of its kind, with a number of innovations not seen on a mobile machine before.

One of the major challenges was to customise the LT160 to meet Boral’s strict safety requirements, which are even more stringent than either Australian or European standards.

To achieve this, Boral put together a team of designers, engineers, operators and OHS personnel to review the LT160 design and to identify any potential hazards and improvements before accepting the final design.

Regular video conferencing between the Boral and Metso teams was carried DISPLAY: The dedicated operator interface is integral to the machine’s automation system.

methodology where you have a large number of trucks and people moving between the blast site and the fixed crushing plant.”

The mobile crushing solution implemented at Peppertree has allowed Boral to reduce its mobile fleet.

Boral Sydney Aggregates Project’s Senior OHS Adviser, Natalie Constantine, said the mobile crushing solution suits Boral on a number of fronts.

“From a health and safety as well as an environmental perspective, it’s a really great solution – but most importantly, from an operational perspective it does everything we need it to do,” she said.

Research into finding a crusher that could handle the planned production volume at the Peppertree plant led Boral to select Metso’s Lokotrack LT160 together with the company’s patented Lokolink mobile conveyor system.

Weighing in at an amazing 285t and measuring 12m high by 25m in length, the Lokotrack LT160 at Peppertree is the largest mobile crusher in the southern hemisphere.

Extensive design consultation between Boral’s technical staff and Metso’s design DECEMBER 2013 www.pacetoday.com.au 21

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SIZE: Boral’s Lokotrack LT160 at their Peppertree Quarry is the largest mobile crusher in the Southern hemisphere.

out over a six month period and allowed various improvements to be made, with about 50 safety related and general design changes compared to the machine’s previous design.

3-D models were used to conduct a virtual “walk through” of the plant. Risk assessments were carried out at each design stage. As part of the selection and design process, the Boral team also reviewed an LT160 that has been operating at Swindon in the UK for around 10 years.

As well as ensuring that the crusher conformed to Boral’s stringent safety requirements and was easy to operate and maintain, minimising noise was also an important outcome.

“At Peppertree we have to meet certain noise criteria,” said Boral’s Environmental Adviser Sharon Makin. “We modelled the noise impact using real time data from a similar operating crusher to make sure that the new machine and its controls would work for us.”

Design solutions As a result of the design consultation process, the LT160 at Peppertree has a number of features which make the machine unique with regard to current safety practices.

Some of the solutions, such as guarding and using stairs rather than ladders for maintenance access, are Australian standards requirements whereas others are unique requirements that arose during the design consultation phase including: ¬ Shrouds around the crusher to reduce both dust and noise ¬ Rubber wear liners on the hopper to

reduce noise ¬ A service crane installed for jaw liner changes to eliminate the need for a mobile crane ¬ Walkways that extend the full length of the Lokolink conveyors on both sides (rather than one side).

Effective solutions Some of the solutions are extremely simple but very effective. For example the exterior lights on the crusher have magnetic mounts so operators can move them around to ensure the best lighting of their work areas at night.

“Another thing that’s really interesting

is the segregation of the electrical switch room,” said Natalie Constantine. “It appears to be all one structure but, when you put the crusher in situ, the electrical switch room has its own legs that jack up to slightly separate it from the rest of the structure so it isn’t affected by vibration when the equipment is operating.

“That’s a very neat solution and will reduce maintenance resulting from wear and tear on that part of the building. It’s another one of those really clever solutions that Metso put in place.”

Ensuring that the machine met Australian standards as well as Boral’s requirements before delivery, brought the

3 Find

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Evaluate

Select

company cost savings by avoiding the need for site re-work and retrofits along with associated loss of production.

Truckless system In a conventional crushing plant, a drill and blast team blast the shot and develop a muck pile. A front end loader at the muck pile loads haul trucks which transport the rock to a fixed primary crusher. With the in-put crushing solution at Peppertree, an excavator located on the muck pile loads material directly into the Lokotrack’s hopper. The rock moves along a grizzly feeder that passes undersized rock directly onto the machine’s outbound conveyor.

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Only the large rock that needs to be crushed passes through the jaw crusher, which is capable of processing rocks up to one metre in size. In this way, energy isn’t wasted on passing small material through the crusher. Crushed rock is then transported to the fixed, in-pit belt conveyor via two mobile Lokolink conveyors. The fixed conveyor carries crushed rock from the Lokotrack to the fixed plant for further processing.

A patented swivel mechanism on the Lokolinks ensures crushed material flows freely at all conveyor angles.

Safe distance The Lokotrack LT160 can crush 1150t of rock per hour and needs to be relocated every few hours – a process which can be done in minutes by an operator via a remote console worn around the operator’s waist.

The Lokotrack is moved to the next loading position and the technology of the Lokolink conveyors allows them to follow. When blasting is performed, the Lokotrack and Lokolink conveyors move to a safe distance around 70m away. After the blast, a wheel loader cleans the quarry floor and the Lokotrack moves to the new muck pile. Operation resumes with minimal production downtime. When the time comes to move to a different pit location, the Lokolink conveyors are disconnected from the field hopper using hydraulic actuators. The Lokotrack and Lokolinks can also move from one level to another along a normal ramp.

The LT160 is a fully self-contained electrical machine. The track mounted

drive of the machine is hydraulic while the grizzly feeder and the 200kW crusher motor are driven electrically so there is no environmental impact from diesel fumes. However, in case electrical power is unavailable the machine has a reliable, on-board CAT diesel generator which can be used to run the Lokotrack’s hydraulic system and Lokolink conveyors.

The Lokotrack’s start up and crushing process is automated by a Metso IC900

the LT160 is connected wirelessly to an Ethernet port on the field hopper and then cabled to the site’s control room.

Feed rate control to the crusher is a crucial parameter for process optimisation.

Operating in automatic mode, the IC900 system can make adjustments to the feed rate or if necessary, stop the feed altogether. As well as showing on the IC900’s display, process parameters are sent wirelessly to a human-machine

The rock moves along a grizzly feeder that passes undersized rock directly onto the machine’s outbound conveyor

PLC-based system designed to protect, control and operate the machine.

Hydraulic oil pressure and temperature sensors as well as conveyor and feeder speed sensors are located around the machine and wired to decentralised I/O modules that are connected back to the IC900 system via CAN bus.

Critical machine parameters provided by the sensors can be monitored at the user interface, which is also connected to the control system via CAN bus.

If any of the process parameters move beyond their range limit, a warning or alarm is given at the display.

The IC900 is connected via the Metso Gateway to Boral’s Distributed Control System (DCS) and SCADA system so that all operation can be monitored remotely.

The Modbus-based Gateway interface on

interface panel located in the operator’s cabin of the Hitachi EX1200 excavator.

Cameras on the LT160 show the excavator’s operator what is happening within the feed process on the Lokotrack.

If necessary, the operator can take over to fine tune the feed rate via the humanmachine interface panel in his cabin.

A belt weigher incorporated in the first Lokolink continuously monitors product output which is displayed by the IC900 display on the LT160. A separate, specific belt weigher display is located in the excavator next to the human-machine interface panel.

The automation system controls the entire crusher start up process. The operator only has to start the LT160 then press the process start up button and the IC900 sequentially starts the entire system

beginning upstream with the field hopper pan feeder, the Lokolink conveyors, additional devices (water spray system), the Lokotrack’s main conveyor, the crusher, the grizzly feeder and then the LT160 pan feeder.

Perfect template After the machine was delivered to the Peppertree site in late 2012, the LT160 went through a three stage commissioning process (static, dry and wet) and achieved practical completion in the middle of August this year.

David Bolton explains: “We believe that the outcome of the design process will result in overall lower costs of operation.”

“One of the key learning’s for Boral from this project is that when importing plant and equipment there are a number of opportunities to adjust the design and capability of the equipment. These opportunities are rarely taken up by Australian industry. We’ve found that the need to partner with offshore suppliers is critical – and it’s achievable.”

While there were challenges with adapting the LT160 to Boral’s rigorous standards, Steve Parsons said the project ran extremely well due to Metso’s commitment as well as the trust and rapport between the Metso and Boral teams.

“The whole thing worked very well.

It was the understanding of what was required and the ability of both teams to communicate seamlessly that delivered the result. It’s the perfect template for a project.” www.metso.com

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DECEMBER 2013 www.pacetoday.com.au 23

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SPOTLIGHT

7best of the

PACE showcase of the best engineering technology releases of the month.

Intelligent surge protection Cost effective particle sizing Malvern has recently extended their Mastersizer family with the addition of the Mastersizer 3000E. This is an entry level addition to the Mastersizer product family based upon the design of the Mastersizer 3000 but with more basic performance and software functionality. With a measurement range of 0.1 to 1000 microns, the system is offered with either manual or automated wet dispersion units. Not every company requires all the functionality that the Malvern Mastersizer 3000 offers, hence its performance can be extended over time. When required, add-on software packages provide Mastersizer 3000E users with access to the advanced analysis and method development support capabilities of the Mastersizer 3000.

With a dynamic range spanning 0.01 to 3500 microns, the Mastersizer 3000 delivers precise, wet and dry particle size measurements tailored to the operator’s application needs. It features a small footprint, good dry dispersion capabilities and intuitive software designed to ease user workload.

ATA Scientific 02 9541 3500 www.atascientific.com.au

The Plugtrab PT-IQ-5-HF surge protection is arange of intelligent arresters for data interfaces. The switching options are characterised by the safe transmission of higher data rates and are therefore suitable for the protection of bus systems such as Profibus, RS 485, RS 422, Interbus, Canbus, or Modbus. The Plugtrab PT-IQ product family offers continued monitoring of the voltage-limiting components of a protective circuit. Preliminary damage due to highenergy surge voltages are immediately recognised and indicated. A yellow status signal indicates that the performance limit has been reached as a result of frequent surge voltages. At this time, the arresters are still functional and the system is still protected.

Replacing the component at that point prevents unnecessary servicing. An overload of the protective devices is indicated with a red signal. This also means that the system is no longer protected.

Phoenix Contact 1300 786 411 www.phoenixcontact.com.au

Multi-touch in a compact design With the compact CP26xx Panel PC series Beckhoff has increased the scalability of its range of devices with integrated multi-touch functionality. Equipped with an ARM Cortex A8 processor, the fanless series of Panel PCs is designed for use in numerous PLC and Motion Control applications and in small to medium-sized machines and plants. The CP26xx Panel PC features a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU with access to 1 GByte internal DDR3 RAM memory. The standard operating system is Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7. A 256 MB Micro SD card is included as standard and optionally up to 4 GByte are available.

A 128 kbyte NOVRAM ensures fail-safe storage of TwinCAT process data. An on-board 10/100BASE-T Ethernet adapter, an EtherCAT adapter with RJ-45 connector, an RS-232 interface and two USB-2.0 ports are also available. In contrast to the existing ARM9 architecture, the ARM Cortex A8 processor has a hardware-based floating point unit. This makes floating point operations (Real, LReal) significantly faster. It means that the CP26xx Panel PC series can also be used for Motion Control applications. In combination with TwinCAT automation software from Beckhoff, the Panel PC becomes a high-performance PLC and Motion Control system for small and medium-sized machine applications.

Beckhoff 03 9912 5430 www.beckhoff.com.au 24 www.pacetoday.com.au DECEMBER 2013

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Contactless position detection

Low voltage DC servomotors The DCX range of servo motors contains a 10mm diameter DC motor with a length of 25mm that has today been joined by a 10mm motor with a shorter length of 17mm. The motor has a high power to density ratio with over 1mNm and 1400mW. It also features quiet operation, running below 36dB. It is available with standard winding voltages including 1.5V, 3V, 4.5V, 6V, 9V and 12V making it suitable for battery driven applications. Conversely, the larger 22mm DC motor with a length of 34mm has also welcomed a larger version. The 22mm x 47mm motor, which has power capability of almost 50W, representing power to weight gains over even larger diameter maxon DC motors. There is a large variety of windings available. The standard operating voltages are 6V, 9V, 12V, 18V, 24V, 36V and 48V DC. Both new motors are customisable to suit robotics, medical and aerospace type applications allowing engineers to select from different brush types, bearing types, mounting flanges and even shaft dimensions. They are available with various encoder resolutions and gearhead ratios. In particular the 22mm gearhead is now available in two new formats including a ceramic planetary version and a low dB version. maxon motor 02 9476 4777 www.maxonmotor.com.au

The QR24 provides contactless position detection and wear-free performance in a variety of industrial applications ranging from solar energy plants and harvesters to crane vehicles and AGVs. Rotary feedback is critical in nearly every installation, and most rely on their mechanical bearings to provide proper tolerance and position of the internal system.

After time, this results in mechanical wear, vibrations, potential leaks and requires spring elements. The QR24 provides superior performance without the need for contact or bearings, allowing it to successfully execute the same functions as an encoder or potentiometer, while eliminating wear and extending sensor longevity. The QR24 is part of Turck’s Q-track family of sensors, which utilise resistance inductive capacitance (RLC) measuring technology. Unlike potentiometric or magnetic technologies, the sensors incorporate precisely manufactured printed emitter and receiver coil systems. The emitter coils are activated with a high frequency AC field and produce an inductive RLC circuit with the positioning element.

TURCK 1300 132566 www.turck.com.au

USB plug and play comes to NI LabVIEW RIO National Instruments has announced four R Series boards (USB-7855R, USB-7856R, USB-7855R OEM and USB-7856R OEM) with USB connectivity.

These will help engineers add FPGA technology to any PC-based system using one of the most widely adopted buses on the market. These products, based on the LabVIEW RIO architecture, are a result of the company’s continued investment in the R Series product family. A modern approach to designing, prototyping and deploying embedded monitoring and control systems, graphical system design combines the open NI LabVIEW graphical programming

environment with commercial off-the-shelf hardware to dramatically simplify development, which results in higher-quality designs with the ability to incorporate custom design. Key features: Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA: Implement tasks like custom timing and triggering, synchronisation, multirate sampling, high-speed control and onboard signal processing; Improved I/O: Take advantage of analog input and analog output rates of up to 1 MHz for closed-loop control tasks, as well as digital I/O (DIO) rates of up to 80 MHz; Selectable Logic Levels From 1.2 to 3.3 V: Adjust DIO levels to meet specific application requirements; Selectable Gain for Analog Input Ranges: Get more resolution at lower voltage ranges; OEM Options Available: Get the same power in a board-only form factor with the flexibility to create your own I/O interface.

National Instruments 02 9491 4000 australia.ni.com

Oxygen analyser monitors own heartbeat The XZR200 Oxygen Analyser from Michell Instruments features a built-in early warning system that alerts operators of any faults with the unit. A 3.3V DC logic output acts as a ‘heartbeat’ and enables operators to check on the health of the sensor preventing incorrect measurements. False oxygen measurements may result in a faulty combustion process causing higher fuel costs, and leading to loss of revenue or penalties. The XZR200 sensor is highly reliable with up to 7 years life expectancy in clean gases and up to 1 year in very aggressive conditions such as coal fired combustion.

It is capable of measuring percentage oxygen to better than 1% of span (or 0.5% O2) with ranges of 0-25% and 0-100% available. The analyser offers four configuration options, with two choices of probe length and two temperature ranges (+250°C/+400°C). The lower temperature range (up to +250°C) is suitable for low-temperature applications such as food and drink packaging, while the higher temperature range of up to +400°C serves combustion control. The product has been designed to integrate seamlessly into existing systems, as no specialist software is required and the RS232 output can be accessed via a PC. AMS Instrumentation & Calibration 03 9017 8225 www.ams-ic.com.au DECEMBER 2013 www.pacetoday.com.au 25

PA1213_026.pdf

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CONNECTIONS

5

minutes with...

Christopher Probst, Omron How did you come to be in this industry?

After studying law for a year I realised it wasn’t for me, and moved into studying engineering. From there I gravitated towards engineering and sales.

My greatest challenge is translating new technology into innovative business opportunities

What’s the greatest challenge in your job?

On a day to day basis, I would have to say the greatest challenge is keeping up with the rapid change of technological advancements and translating new technology into innovative business opportunities.

On a broader perspective, the industry must face the challenge of lobbying for government support to enable forward thinking individuals and organisations to implement new-age business plans to realise green technology, growth industries and jobs for our nation.

Another challenge for me in my job is the ongoing need for skills training and professional development to enable

organisations and individuals to remain competitive in an ever-changing global environment — of which Australia is a part. This requires the investment of time and money which can be a scarce resource.

What’s the best business idea you have that you will never use?

That would be a TattsLotto winning number predicting service. Send me your $10 now ... allow 10 days for delivery.

What do you see are the biggest opportunities for our industry?

The biggest opportunities revolve around green technologies — enabling waste products to be recycled and reused by utilising new-age automation technologies and innovatative processes. Yesterday’s trash is tomorrow’s profits. We can do all this whilst looking after our planet.

If you could be anything else, what would it be and why?

Superman. I love the idea of x-ray vision.

Santa Claus. I only have to work one day a year and make everyone happy. And with a bit more padding, I could almost fit into that red suit.

Professionally, a lawyer. People are way more unpredictable than machines.

On a personal level, a few years ago, when my first daughter was younger, I used to manage her basketball team and later became club president. I gave this away when she no longer had the desire to play. I enjoyed enabling kids to develop and participate in a great sport that keeps them fit and healthy.

Now that I am blessed with two more children, I would thoroughly enjoy taking on the role of a coach again.

[Christopher Probst (cprobst@ap.omron. com) handles Business Development — Major Projects at Omron.] www.omron.com.au

IICA

Technology Expos for 2014 announced Expos are an economical way to access prospective customers writes Cathie Tynan.

IICA Technology Expos are a cost effective way for companies involved in the Instrumentation, Control & Automation areas to showcase their products to a range of people from managers and engineers to apprentices and students.

IICA Technology Expos are run Australia-wide in capital cities and regional areas providing a one-stop shop and are an economical way to access prospective customers in a friendly, relaxed environment over a drink or nibbly.

For Exhibitors, various booking rates are applicable dependant on the type of IICA Membership, the number of Events booked and whether the early bird discount is taken advantage of. Non Members are encouraged to join to take advantage of the discounts 26 www.pacetoday.com.au DECEMBER 2013

for IICA Members. A saving can be made on booking for just one Event.

Technology Expo entry for visitors is free.

Here is just a glimpse of what you can expect to see at a Technology Expo: I = Instrumentation (Sensors): Flow, Level, Pressure, Temperature, Water Analysis, Speed, Linear Displacement, Vibration, Weight, Torque, Ambient Air & Stack Analysis C = Control: Controllers (PID & simple), Signal Conditioners (Isolators & Converters) & Transducers, Switches A = Automation: PLCs, Variable Speed Drives, Servo Motors, HMI (touch screens), DCS & SCADA Systems (Distributed Control System & Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition)

Other: Test & Measurement Equipment, Gauges (Pressure & Temperature), Data Loggers, Safety Systems (Switches, Guards, Process Control & Automation), Power Supplies Keep an eye on your inbox for the IICA 2014 Event Booking Form or on the Networking page of the IICA website at www.iica.org.au. Please be aware that many of the Events book out quickly so please do not delay in placing your booking. A sliding scale of discounts is available for those companies that book and pay in full by 1 February 2014.

Bookings can also be made early with payment dates scheduled closer to the time of the Event. No discounts apply in this case.

Continuous Education today is

a must-have part of any career path and the IICA strongly believes this as part of its mandate. In conjunction with the ISA and others we offer practical training courses in many of the fields that Members consider important. Other courses are being added when available. All Instructors are IICA/ ISA approved. Details on courses being run by the IICA and our partners can be found on the Education page of our website.

The IICA/ ISA Professional Development Training Courses and other training may be recognised by Engineers Australia in accordance with their CPD Policy Guidelines.

Any queries regarding any IICA matters can be made to Cathie Tynan on 03 9036 0166 or admin@iica.org.au www.iica.org.au

PACE_AWARDS_FP_V1.pdf

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Nominations are now open for the 11th Annual PACE Zenith Awards 2014, to be held in Melbourne on Thursday 12 June 2014.

A total of 11 project and people awards will be up for grabs on the night, highlighting innovation and excellence in Australia’s engineering community.

All finalists will receive coverage in PACE magazine, on www.pacetoday.com.au and associated social media platforms.

Finalists will also receive two free tickets to the gala dinner where the winners will be announced.

For more information visit www.pacetoday.com.au/awards Sponsors

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Instrumentation for Precision Measurement Universal Testing Machine Plane Frame with Strain Gauges

Wind Tunnel

Engine Performance

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Advanced & Fundamental Electronics Training Packages

Structures Engineering

Military Training Equipment

PH: (03) 9540 5100 Email: enquiry@bestech.com.au www.bestech.com.au