PACE - Process & Control Engineering - March 2015

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MARCH 2015 | VOL.68 NO.2

Post Print Approved PP100008186

VEGAPULS 69 Focusing On The Essential

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How about cutting-edge technology How about cutting-edge technology for pressure measurement!

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(Second Line of Defense) ▪ Gas-tight thanks to encapsulated process module (Second Line of Defense)

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MARCH 2015 | VOL.68 NO.2

INSIDE PACE

Mining Automation

Wireless

Energy

Productivity underlies every action in the industry

The argument for automatic tank gauging is clear

High energy cost impacts profitability of all operations

Post Print Approved PP100008186

Real-time product quality analysis is critical

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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

IN THIS ISSUE 20

Group Sales Manager: Tim Richards Tel: (02) 8484 0829 Mobile: 0420 550 799 Email: tim.richards@cirrusmedia.com.au

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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

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Graphic Designer: Dave Ashley Email: david.ashley@cirrusmedia.com.au Production Co-ordinator: Tracy Engle Tel: (02) 8484 0707 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 Email: tracy.engle@cirrusmedia.com.au

News 7

Safety 25

Industry Updates MAR acquired by SCOTT; PACE Zenith Awards

Imaging Thermal imaging cameras help prevent fires in waste plants

Insight 9

Measurement Real-time product quality analysis is more critical than ever SUBSCRIPTION: $99 pa incl GST OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTIONS: NZ: $A109 pa & OS: $A119 pa CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1300 360 126

Viewpoint 12

Engineer’s Corner 30

Mining 14

New Products 32

Maintenance Data Factory can repair all types of servo drives

Technology Update 22

7 of the Best Linear position sensors. Custody transfer of natural gas. Miniature sensors for dynamic pressure measurements. No drip siphon fed atomizing spray nozzles. RTU and HART configuration suite. Small temperature transmitter with IO-Link. 4-in-1 remote I/O solution.

Wireless Operators have moved beyond automatic tank gauging to terminal-wide wireless solutions

Outlook Five tech trends you cannot ignore

Application 20

Environment EnviroPacific incorporates advanced safety features into a remediation system

The Last Word 34

ON THE COVER

Real-time product quality analysis is critical

MARCH 2015 | VOL.68 NO.2

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF: INSIDE PACE

Mining Automation

Wireless

Energy

Productivity underlies every action in the industry

The argument for automatic tank gauging is clear

High energy cost impacts profitability of all operations

Post Print Approved PP100008186

Real-time product quality analysis is critical

Average Net Distribution Period ending Sept ’14 5,725

Energy It is possible to provide an optimum supply of voltage to equipment

Shaun Loesch Technology architecture must be capable of moving large volumes of data Automation Automation is a solution to the current productivity problem

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, 2015

Operations 28

Just as accurate and reliable process variable measurements are critical for good process control, accurate chemical composition and other product quality measurements are critical for companies across a variety of process industries.

While the required frequency of measurements will vary based on the process time dynamics, “faster” is often better than “slower.” Off-line lab measurements can take hours or even days to complete, and at-line measurements can consume

precious minutes; but in-line and on-line analysers typically provide analysis measurements in real time or near-real time.

This enables operators and control systems to respond quickly to measurements that are varying from established parameters to minimise product rework, waste, and quality giveaway; and increase flexibility by reducing the time it takes to start up processes, make product grade transitions, or switch product recipes.

(See page 9) MARCH 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 5

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COMMENT

WHAT’S ON

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

Hazards Australasia 2015 26-27 May 2015, Brisbane www.icheme.org/hazardsaus2015

Hold on to engineering

National Manufacturing Week 2015 26-29 May 2015, Melbourne www.nationalmanufacturingweek. com.au

MANY readers would have seen a worrying statistic that was recently publicised.

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has 1113 fewer staff than it had a decade ago. The agency today has a headcount of 5387, down from almost 6500 in 2004. The flagship organisation has lost the equivalent of 787 full-time staff between mid-2013 and the end of 2014, 458 of them in the second half of last year.

This is an unfortunate message to be sending to the community in general and will adversely affect perceptions about careers in science and

Fundamentals of Process Safety 13-17 July 2015, Brisbane www.icheme.org/fpsbris APCChE 2015 Congress incorporating Chemeca 2015 27 September-1 October 2015, Melbourne www.apcche2015.org For daily updates visit www.pacetoday.com.au

Kevin Gomez Editor

Next Issue

• Motors & Drives • HMIs & Rugged Systems • Wireless Technology • Process Control in Food • Focus on Fieldbus

engineering. The after-effects will haunt the country for decades to come.

Meanwhile in the UK, the State of Engineering report released in January this year reveals that their engineering sectors contribute 27 percent to that country’s GDP. But the impact is much wider - for every £1 in gross value added (GVA) that is generated by engineering, a further £1.45 is generated elsewhere in the economy. Thus, an equivalent of 66 percent of UK’s GVA can be attributed to engineering.

The UK study also showed that every new engineering role

creates an additional two jobs in the economy.

All hues of this country’s political spectrum must come to the realisation that the best way to secure Australia’s economic future is to strengthen our engineering capabilities.

We are interested to hear your opinion.

Email us, follow us on twitter and sound off on Facebook. kevin.gomez@cirrusmedia.com.au

Like us on Facebook and join the conversation facebook.com/PACEtoday

INNOVATION

WA-based company optimistic about its monitoring sensors AUSTRALIAN company Structural Monitoring Systems (SMS) reports that its aircraft structural sensing system is progressing smoothly through its tests.

SMS is pitching its Comparative Vacuum Monitoring (CVM) technology as a cost-effective alternative to manual inspections of structural faults in commercial aircraft.

Currently, these manual inspections require engineers to disassemble the aircraft in order to access the area being tested.

CVM sensors are extremely sensitive, and when installed on a structural surface, are able to monitor the development of cracks in real time.

SMS is working with Delta Air Lines, the FAA Airworthiness Assurance Centre at Sandia National Laboratories, and Boeing to test the system in the US. In Q1 2014, the collaborators installed 70 CVM sensors on seven Delta-operated Boeing 737-NG aircraft, and are collecting and collating the monitoring data from the sensors, so regulatory bodies can certify the technology for installation on commercial aircraft.

The company and its partners are also pushing for CVM sensor technology to be included in the Boeing Service Bulletin as an approved application technology for the relevant centre-wing

section inspection which is the area of the aircraft being monitored, and inspected during these tests.

The SMS sensor technology is specifically designed to provide a technology-based solution to maintain aircraft safety and airworthiness, and to “keep planes in the air”, while allowing airlines to base their maintenance schedules on the actual condition of the aircraft, rather than fixed schedules and inspection routines.

After nearly a year of tests, virtually all of the 70 sensors have been performing as expected. Five of the sensors have returned error messages related to installation inconsistencies

caused by the lack of familiarity on the part of maintenance crews..

Sandia is also performing rigorous laboratory tests involving CVM sensors to simulate the multitude of complex stresses occurring on the various areas of an aircraft’s airframe while in flight.

According to Sandia’s Dr. Dennis Roach, the sensor technology provides certainty and mitigates against human error.

“You have the sensor in place, you know it works and it’s giving you a proper signal, whereas an inspector must manually orient the inspection probe properly each time,” says Roach. www.smsystems.com.au

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6 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

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NEWS

ROBOTICS

MAR acquired by Scott Technology MACHINERY Automation & Robotics (MAR) has recently been acquired by Scott Technology.

According to a media release, MAR sates it is an automation and robotics company that is aligned to SCOTT, with products and markets that are complementary.

This acquisition fulfils SCOTT’s expansion plans through a stronger presence in international markets and a strategy to move up the value chain by providing smarter, interconnected robotics and automation.

SCOTT Technology specialises in the design and manufacture of automated production and process machinery.

The company’s headquarters are located in Dunedin, New Zealand. The company operates in New Zealand from Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.

Its sales and service offices are located in Dallas, Bergamo (Italy), Shanghai and Qingdao (China) and Sydney, with recently acquired businesses of RobotWorx in Ohio, and Applied Sorting Technology in Melbourne.

SCOTT provides automation solutions and machinery in industries and applications including Appliance Systems, Meat Processing, Mining, Industrial Automation & Robotics,

Superconductivity, Sorting and Inspection, MilkTech, Fabtech, Enclosed Belts, and Service.

MAR’s strengths in electrical, programming, controls & vision guided robotics, complement SCOTT’s strengths in mechanical design and sensing.

The business will continue to trade as Machinery Automation & Robotics (MAR) as this brand is recognised in the marketplace.

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Chile and Brazil are all important strategic locations for both companies and MAR intends to remain there, as well as expand sales and support operations through existing SCOTT locations internationally.

Clyde Campbell will assume the role of Regional Director Australia, being responsible for both the Scott and MAR operations in Australia. The existing MAR organisation structure is likely to remain the same, with the addition of Sean Starling in an executive business development role.

In 2014, MAR won the PACE Manufacturing Award for their automatic plastic bottle palletising and pallet handling system. www.machineryautomation.com.au www.scott.co.nz

Paul Gekas (R) of MAR receives the 2014 PACE Manufacturing Award from category sponsor Chris Vains, Business Unit Manager of Siemens.

MARCH 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 7

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PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2015 ENTRIES

AWARDS

Entering the 2015 PACE Zenith Awards?

N

OW is your opportunity to be recognised for your contribution to the automation, instrumentation and process control industries.

This is the 12th PACE Zenith Awards event and we are expecting record numbers at the gala dinner in Sydney on 11 June 2015.

The entry process is simple, and free; just log onto www.paceawards.com.au and our funky new website will make entering a breeze. The entry deadline is 27 April 2015, so hurry!

If you’re a supplier, nominating your customer is a great way to say ‘thank you’ for their business 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.

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

Finalists will be contacted by early May. Good luck! www.paceawards.com.au

8 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

Proud PACE Zenith Award winners from 2014. Nominate and join the honour roll.

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OPINION

MEASUREMENT

Real-time analysis Real-time product quality analysis is more critical than ever, writes Constanze Schmitz.

I

N THE process, batch, and hybrid industries, deviations in product quality determined by biological, chemical, or physical properties often take time to identify and, if the correct parameters are not maintained, can require costly product reprocessing, quality giveaway, or waste processing.

In general, the longer it takes to identify an off-spec product, the more costly the problem will be in time, raw materials, energy, quality giveaway, or waste. This makes it critical to be able to accurately measure and/or control both process variables (pressure, level, flow, temperature, etc.) and product quality parameters. (In cases where unmeasured disturbances are present, model predictive

control techniques can be employed to manipulate the process conditions to maintain consistent product quality).

While these approaches are wellestablished within the refining and petrochemical processing industries, in

Today, fast, accurate, and reliable analysis of raw materials, work in process, and finished product quality analysis are critical in both continuous and batch process manufacturing industries and will become even more

Measurements need to be executed without interrupting the process or increasing the risk of false alarms recent years the US FDA recognised the value of this type of science-based quality control, which it refers to as “Process Analytical Technologies (PAT)�, in the typically batch-style processing industries that it regulates.

important in Europe and elsewhere as Industrie 4.0-type imperatives gain increased traction.

Analytical measurement

Ideally, chemical composition or other

product quality parameters should be made with a frequency and an accuracy high enough to enable automated feedback control.

Generally speaking, the closer to the process these measurements can be executed, the less time passes between sampling, testing, and results; and the faster operators can react to unwanted deviations. These measurements need to be executed without interrupting the process or increasing the risk of false alarms.

Analysis approaches can be classified by many criteria, variables to measure, measurement methods, or even the placement of the analyser. All these aspects are interlinked. While opinions

MARCH 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 9

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OPINION

Benefits of real-time process analysis

may differ on this, different categories include off-line lab analysis, at-line analysis, and on-line/in-line analysis:

Just as accurate and reliable process variable measurements are critical for good process control (and, ultimately, process and business optimisation), accurate chemical composition and other product quality measurements are critical for companies across a wide variety of process industries.

While the required frequency of measurements will vary based on the process time dynamics, “faster” is often better than “slower.” Off-line lab measurements can take hours or even days to complete, and at-line measurements can consume precious minutes; but in-line and on-line analysers typically provide analysis measurements in real time or near-real time.

This enables operators and control systems to respond quickly to measurements that are varying from established parameters to minimise product rework, waste, and quality giveaway; and increase flexibility by reducing the time it takes to start up processes, make product grade transitions, or switch product recipes.

Off-line lab analysis

Historically, property and composition measurements for feedstocks, work in process, and/or finished products were executed on product samples in dedicated laboratories after being collected manually from the process and brought back to the laboratory for conditioning and analysis.

Skilled personnel in a clean, wellequipped lab environment can conduct a full range of measurements with high accuracy and reliability. The results allow the most comprehensive analysis of the quality and composition of the product and its compliance to applicable standards.

However, off-line analysis only reflects the specific conditions at the time of the sampling. Since lab measurements don’t provide information about the actual live process, they cannot be utilised directly for real-time control.

However, off-line techniques are still valuable for analysis that cannot be performed using other methods to complement and calibrate inferential or virtual measurements.

Limitations

At-line analysis

Automated analytical devices allow some measurements to be moved closer to the process. While most of the sampling is still done manually, the analysis can be executed on the plant floor by lessskilled personnel, thus freeing laboratory time and allowing for faster and more frequent results for certain chemical compositions or product characteristics.

The devices offer the option to analyse several samples at the same time. The physical proximity to the live process saves time compared to laboratory analysis, but collecting and transporting samples still involves a time delay.

On-line and In-line process analysis

Off-line and at-line analysis might be the only practical option for certain complex parameters. Yet for many measurements, suppliers offer a variety of on-line process analysers that minimise or even eliminate the time delays, yet provide appropriate accuracy and repeatability.

On-line analysers combine automatic sampling with direct access to automated measuring devices, bringing analysis right next to the process. In some cases, the on-line analysers take product 10 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

Without reliable systems in place to maintain and periodically calibrate analyzers their value will quickly degrade to nil samples through a bypass directly from the flow.

This method allows a whole range of results to be available in close to real time; delayed only by the time it takes the device to take the sample, prepare it if necessary, and execute the corresponding measurements. This method is also often more cost-efficient as the automated systems lower the need for highly skilled laboratory staff.

In-line analysis, in contrast, integrates analysers right into the process flow without requiring a bypass and the resulting additional complexity.

However, only a limited number of parameters can be measured in this manner and the analyzer can’t be allowed to interrupt or contaminate the process.

While measurements obtained from off-line and at-line analyzers often require manual intervention to deliver value, real-time on-line and in-line chemical composition and product quality analysis measurements can be incorporated into control loops to support closed-loop process control and, by extension, closedloop product quality control. Real-time analysis can also be used to support MPC or plantwide optimisation

As with most sophisticated technologies, technical and financial limitations apply when implementing real-time process analysis.

While the number of technologies and corresponding analytical measurements that have moved from the laboratory to the plant floor and into the process is growing; not all compounds and mixtures can be analysed in real time or near real-time. And even when the technology is available, installing these systems comes at a price.

Integrating the analysers and analysis results into real-time optimisation schemes could help take users to the next level, but also involve additional integration, model building, and support costs.

It’s also important to consider the benefits and drawbacks associated with performing these types of advanced applications in the DCS or in a separate platform.

Finally, it’s critical to recognise that without reliable methods/systems in place to maintain and periodically calibrate analysers (ideally in an automated manner), their value will quickly degrade to nil.

[Constanze Schmitz is Senior Editor, ARC Advisory Group.] www.arcweb.com

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OPINION

CONTROLLERS

Connected mining enterprises Organisations now require a technology architecture that is capable of moving large volumes of data and information across the many connected devices in the operation, writes Shaun Loesch.

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HE current Australian environment poses many challenges for mining companies.

Rising costs, lower resource grades, remote operations and falling commodity prices are leading to a squeeze on profitability and productivity in the sector. On top of this, the expected levels of safety and sustainability are continuously rising and increasingly under pressure.

These challenges mean that mining companies are now forced to find ways to lower costs whilst looking for ways to maximise operational performance.

One of the ways in which mining companies and process end users are looking to improve performance and overcome these challenges is by raising the productivity from existing assets and resources by making better use of the information available within their operations.

Within an organisation, information exists across the many devices, equipment, applications and systems that are required for a mining operation to operate. In the past, extracting this information required complex integration projects to be undertaken to tie together the various disparate and proprietary networks into some semblance of an integrated system.

However, today mining companies are taking advantage of the Internet of Things (IOT) technology trend whereby open IT standards have extended to the shop floor via the process control system (PCS). This trend has improved connectivity and interoperability and allowed organisations to become fully connected.

Although the connected enterprise means that data can now be extracted and moved easily, it also means that organisations now require a technology architecture that is capable of moving large volumes of data and information across the many connected devices in the operation. The PAC is at the centre of this technology architecture.

Role of the PAC

The traditional role of the Programmable Automation Controller (PAC) and its predecessor, the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), has been to monitor and control devices, equipment, applications and processes found within a mining operation.

In today’s mining technology architecture, the role of the PAC has been extended beyond monitoring and control. It is now responsible for handling increased connectivity to a number of devices as well as managing large amounts of available data and information within a mining operation. At the control level, process end users seek even more than this, expecting an increasingly flexible, expandable, interchangeable, and 12 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

Next generation PACs reliably help enable companies maintain strong productivity and profitability in a sector with a volatile future reliable control platform that covers the widest range of required applications.

In order to meet this increased responsibility a new generation of PAC is required.

New generation PAC

The new generation of PAC implements functions and services which support: • Secure and efficient process automation – the PACs

do this by integrating cyber security standards IEC62443 into the core of the product within a single common engineering tool.

• Ethernet transparency and distributed intelligence – this is possible as the PAC has the same network from control to field levels, including inside controller architecture to achieve unbeatable connectivity and performance across Ethernet.

• Links with business applications – the new generation PACs allow for more ‘plant floor’ information to be made readily available for analysis by decision makers higher in the business.

• Web integration – As devices are able to be accessed via the web they can be vulnerable to cyber attacks.

The work force is becoming more mobile and it is necessary that the technology allows for connectivity without sacrificing security.

• Interoperability – ODVA (Ethernet/IP) and Modbus

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OPINION

(Modbus TPC) comply with protocol standards allowing for more functional interoperability between a wide range of devices.

The new PAC has Ethernet built in to its core which allows the seamless flow of data and information from devices and equipment in the field, to the higher levels systems and applications that need it.

The next generation PAC model is unlike traditional PAC / PLC systems as it does not require large amounts of data mapping. With the extra functionality of truly integrated Ethernet, the new generation PAC has been designed with this requirement in mind from the start. This functionality ensures that the performance in monitoring and controlling the different applications and processes, for which it is responsible, are not compromised by the extra demands resulting from managing increased device connectivity and information throughput.

The new generation PAC ensures the high performance expected from the most demanding applications by being built on a new generation microprocessors designed specifically for industrial applications coupled with large and extensible memory.

The PAC also offers on board native time stamping of Input/Output (I/O), integration of additional networks and field busses such as HART and Profibus and the provision of weighing modules which ensures

that the PAC is equipped to cover the diverse range of applications found within a mining operation. From the specific requirements of underground mining through the often harsh environments found in many surface mining applications, the next generation PAC ensures continuous operations under such conditions by offering IECEx certification for hazardous

Deliberate or accidental breaches to system integrity have the potential to impact not only profits but people and the planet as well environments, as well as conformal coating and extended temperature ratings as required.

The new generation PAC with Ethernet at its core, not only ensures that its performance exceeds the demands placed on it, both now and in the future, but modern mining operations mean it has to achieve this while maintaining high levels of security.

Cyber security

Cyber security threats from external or internal sources are issues confronting all mining companies today.

Deliberate or accidental breaches to system integrity have the potential to impact not only profits but people and the planet as well.

The protection of vital data is increasingly important considering companies worldwide lose billions of dollars a year in efforts just to reduce cybercrime. Mining companies are increasingly considering how in-built safeguards can aid in reducing overall security costs.

The new generation PAC is designed with cyber security in mind and is not just added afterwards like many traditional PAC/ PLC systems. As a minimum, the new generation PAC must incorporate standards such as IEC62443 for implementing secure industrial automation and control systems.

Not only will the next generation PAC meet the future requirements of mining companies, it will also protect their investments by delivering high levels of performance, flexibility and reliability across many different applications found in the mining industry.

Mining in Australia is facing numerous challenges, next generation PACs reliably help enable companies maintain strong productivity and profitability in a sector with a volatile future.

[Shaun Loesch is PAC & PES Solution Manager at Schneider Electric Australia.] www.schneider-electric.com

IT'S A GOOD FEELING TO ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU CAN RELY ON.

Sensors. Systems. Network technology.

www.balluff.com MARCH 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 13

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IN FOCUS

The Pilbara has been a hub for automation implementation.

Automation in mining Rio Tinto’s Group Executive,Technology & Innovation, Greg Lilleyman talks to Cole Latimer about automation and its role in mining.

AS MINING rides the latest cycle of boom and bust its story appears to be done and dusted for many outside of the industry, but is this really the case?

The industry has reached the bottom of the current pricing trough with the state of commodities unlike to start trending upwards in the near future, forcing the majority of miners to look to change from its previous focus of simply moving as many tonnes through door as possible to moving as 14 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

many tonnes as efficiently as possible.

Productivity is now underlying every action in the industry.

Automation is being touted as the main driving force of this step change for the mining industry: the saviour of the resources sector.

But is automation alone enough to resuscitate mining and help it move into the next era?

Not according to Rio Tinto Group Executive and head of technology

and innovation, Greg Lilleyman.

“A well run mine that implements automation becomes a well run mine that is automated, while a poorly run mine that implements automation simply becomes a poorly run mine that has automation,” Lilleyman told Australian Mining (partner publication of PACE).

“Automation of the various processes of a mine helps to add incremental improvements, but if you don’t have that strong management team behind

it, and the talented and skilled workers to implement it correctly and makes the best of the technology then it won’t add much to an operation.”

So why are so many mines looking to automate their processes?

The productivity push

Automation has been viewed by some as the answer to the current productivity problem plaguing much of the mining industry.

Celebrating Excellence in Industry

Nominations NOW OPEN Employer of the year Excellence in Engineering Excellence in Manufacturing Excellence in Mining Industry Advocacy BDM of the Year Marketing/Communications Award Mentor of the Year Rising Star Award Social Leader

Awards Dinner: Time: Venue: Costs:

Thursday 25 June 2015 6.30pm – 7.00pm start The Ivy Ballroom Single tickets – $165 Inc GST Table of 10 – $1320 Inc GST

For further information please contact Samantha.gilroy@cirrusmedia.com.au (02) 8484 0944

Nominations close 5pm Thursday 9 April 2015

Nominate now at: www.womeninindustry.com.au

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IN FOCUS

Centres of excellence are increasing efficiencies.

Unfortunately, Australia is in a worse starting place than other nations mining industry, with a recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers report rating the country as one of the least productive regions in the world.

The report claims there is an inherent conflict between the productivity plans of the mining boom which were based on increased volumes, and plans based on cost reduction which are now coming to the fore of business strategy.

Across the globe, mining productivity has declined by 20 per cent over the past seven years, despite the push for increased output, and declining market conditions.

The report found productivity across Australian mines peaked at 104 points in 2007, and slumped to a rating of around 88 points in 2013.

Equipment and the way it is used is a key focus of the report, which shows that productivity differences between the best and worst performing mines are stark, with some of the best practice 16 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

outputs coming in at more than 100 per cent greater than the median performers.

“The popular tagline of the mining sector is that the miners are serious about productivity,” PwC states.

“We suggest that most are reducing costs and increasing volumes but there are precious few with legitimate claims to improving core productivity in their open cut operations.”

since 2007 [at the height of Australia’s reported resources productivity levels]; over the last eight years we’ve really aimed at increasing productivity – however to us it’s all about reducing input and increasing output, whether that’s through automation or better processes.

“When I was in the iron ore group with Sam Walsh, even then we were

Automation has been viewed by some as the answer to the current productivity problem plaguing much of the mining industry Lilleyman cited Rio Tinto’s Mine of the Future remote operations programs and its global centres of excellence as examples of how the miner is addressing core productivity issues facing miners.

Mining automation”We’ve been looking at improving productivity, and the development program associated with that such as the Remote Operations Centre and Centres of Excellence,

looking at what to do to stay ahead of the game and focusing on making our operations better, and ignoring the cyclical factor of commodities.

“We consider ourselves world class, and to stay that way we have to keep looking ahead at increasing our efficiency whether it be a time of boom or bust.”

However Lilleyman does not

discount the important role that technological advances are making in creating efficiency gains, whether it be full or partial automation, remote operations, the newly formed role Big Data is playing in development, total site visibility, or centralised skills centres.

Yet “with innovation and technology not all will turn the industry on its head, but they will improve efficiencies, even if it is just in an incremental way. Some improvements are just smaller than others”.

The tech on deck

So what kinds of technology is Rio Tinto using, and how, to gain efficiencies in this current slower mining cycle?

While its top tier Remote Operations Centre, run out of Perth, and its wider Mine of the Future program has drawn much of the attention, the miner is also working with its existing kills in developing Centres of Excellence – which provide additional help as remote collaboration centres, as well

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IN FOCUS

as integrating technological advances such as automation, drone technology, and the Big Data revolution to aid its operations.

Surprisingly, despite the hype around Remote Operations Centres, Lilleyman states Rio Tinto only has one, which runs its iron ore business, adding that while the model is successful for its Pilbara operations it may not be applicable right across its suite of mines.

“What makes them work is the interconnectedness of the site, and being able to run operations from the pit to the port, having that complete visibility and control,” he said.

Mining AutomationIn regards to its technology centres Rio Tinto has both a Processing Centre of Excellence, dubbed by some as ‘the excellence centre for excellent excellence’, and a Centre for Emergent Technologies, based in Brisbane and the UK respectively.

In a Rio Tinto statement, it said “the aim is to develop and deploy leadingedge technology to create safer working

...and these innovations and productivity improvements continue to be rolled out across the Group Key innovation

Where deployed

Value delivered

Future applications

Productivity programmes

• Group wide

• Improved asset reliability • Reduced operating risk

• Continue to roll out across the Group

Equipment automation

• Pilbara • Hunter Valley

• Improved safety • +14% truck utilisation • -13% load and haul operating cost • x3 drill labour productivity & real time ore body data

Autonomous drills: • Coal Australia 2015 • Other Iron Ore 2015 AutoHaulTM commissioning during 2015

Mine automation systems (‘Big Data’)

• Pilbara • Hunter Valley • Kennecott

• +2% high grade ore at West Angelas through RTVIs TM

• Full Pilbara roll out 2015 • Coal, Copper, Boron and other sites underway

Operations & Processing Excellence Centres

• Perth Operations Centre • Brisbane Processing Excellence Centre (PEC) • Pune Analytics Centre

• PEC: +US$80m cash flow

• Hunter Valley Coal Operations Centre 2015 • Canada PEC 2015

The table demonstrates how Rio has benefited from automation. operations, improve environmental performance and increase the productivity of mining operations.”

Professor Sam Kingman, Research

Director of the Rio Tinto Centre for Emergent Technologies, said “this truly multi-disciplinary partnership with Rio Tinto will enable the delivery of

26 – 29 May 2015

significant tangible outputs that have the potential to provide a step change in the performance and productivity of Rio Tinto’s operations”.

And it is with these centralised skills centres that Lilleyman sees the future of mining and the development of new efficiencies.

“There are likely to only be a few more remote operations centres in the future, but there will be more focus on these centres of excellence,” he explained.

“These centres are about looking at combing people roles with Big Data, and world class expertise, and seeing how we can provide actionable outcomes, such as making tweaks in how we are processing down our ore or how control systems operate for better movement – this is why we are likely to see more of these excellence centres because, while like automation they are linked to sites, they are not physically wed to a single operation.

“We see real value in these centres as you can put your experts with a network

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IN FOCUS

of other companies experts and really pool that talent.”

Big Data, the new buzzword in industry, is also on Rio Tinto’s radar for its ability to aid efficiency.

“We’ve just started dipping our toe in to Big Data,” Lilleyman told Australian Mining, “we’re really starting to understand how this concept can best apply to our business”.

“For us Big Data is about knowing how to ask the right questions before we start using it, as its different to standard analytics, it’s predictive.

“Previously, to get an understanding of our operations, we looked at the prior month and saw how sites performed and then change the operations from there whereas now Big Data allow you to identify patterns to predict operations in the future to where there might be a safety issue, or where equipment failures may occur, or how operations may perform in into the future.

“There’s a lot of opportunity, but it is still a bit of ‘watch this space’.”

Lilleyman went on to discuss

additional technology such as drones and 3D printing.

“In regards to UAVs and drones, these are just tools and it’s more a matter of what you do with it; it’s not a game change but it is a useful tool for jobs such as checking areas that may be unsafe or far away such as using them to check issues along distributed power

People power

He outlined how Rio Tinto looks through four lenses to work towards efficiency consisting of people, energy, the asset itself, and how these factors work together. ”It’s these four aspects we look through to improve our operations, whether its people and the asset itself to

The popular tagline of the mining sector is that the miners are serious about productivity networks in the Pilbara instead of using manned helicopters.”

When it came to 3D printing however Lilleyman was less enthusiastic.

“We have seen 3D printing in action in Japan and China, where groups are showing us what they are capable of; at this point it is not that likely to be used but may at some point in the future, however it is not scalable for our purposes now,” he said.

understand how to better ready the ore through process centres, or how to gain fuel efficiencies on rail cars etc.”

For Lilleyman, it comes down to what technology, automation, and the increasing interconnectedness of operations can add to an already strong management and people focus.

This was echoed by Honeywell Process Solutions’ principal consultant for mining and metals, Neil Freeman, who said: “Automation requires

Calibrations under control

careful planning and scheduling with implementation over a considered timeframe to ensure the smooth and efficient running of operations. It is critical that the right systems are in place to ensure the viability of the technology, and more importantly, the safety of all workers: the technology is the enabler; the people make it happen; and the right systems and processes keep operations safe and viable.”

“In regards to my job most people like to look at the big, sexy high tech stuff, and it sells newspapers, yet a lot of gains are actually in the grunt, and the good hard work. It’s about working with people to understand how to work better,” Lilleyman said.

“Even with our remote operations centre in Perth, 90 per cent of our focus is on management process in work; it’s about what sits behind the screens in place such as these, and it’s in working with our people that we get the biggest gains for our operations.” www.honeywellprocess.com

AMS AMS INSTRUMENTATION & CALIBRATION PTY LTD Unit 20, 51 Kalman drive Boronia VIC 3155 AUSTRALIA Phone: +61-3-9017 8225 Fax: +61-3-9729 9604 E-mail: sales@ams-ic.com.au Internet: www.ams-ic.com.au

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MARCH 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 19

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Cleaning contaminated soil EnviroPacific has incorporated safety features into a remediation system beyond what is required by a strict interpretation of the Australian Code.

E

NVIROPACIFIC handle contamination problems throughout Australia, performing remediation, water and vapour treatment, thermal treatment and other services. They can handle a variety of contaminants, such as hydrocarbons (diesel, oils, gasoline) and they have technical expertise in assessing, handling and processing liquid and solid waste from contaminated sites.

Back in 2012 they were appointed as a remediation contractor for the clean-up of the former fire training area at the Williams RAAF Base in Point Cook, which was one of the most complex remediation projects in Victoria. Due to fire-fighting and other activities, the underlying soil and groundwater of the area were contaminated with organic hydrocarbons, requiring preventing potential risks to the environment and to human health.

Among the technologies used for soil remediation, treatment by thermal desorption technology is becoming more common, being a quick and reliable method to remove or destroy contaminants on site. EnviroPacific applied direct fired thermal desorption technology, installing and commissioning the Direct Thermal Desorption (DTD) plant, with the soil processing line from the USA. The line included a Desorber to dry the soil and drive off organic contaminants, and an Oxidiser to render the contaminants harmless and suitable for discharge to the atmosphere.

The Desorber and Oxidiser were each supplied complete with a burner, each burner capable of an output exceeding 50Gj/h. In order to ensure compliance with Australian Codes and to meet Energy Safe Victoria approval, the fuel trains and the burner management panels were sourced in Australia.

Hurll Nu-Way has been involved in several large energy saving projects and has expertise in burner controls. The company was awarded the contract to design, manufacture and supply the gas trains and the local burner panels for 20 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

The burner systems are monitored and controlled by the plant’s PLC control system, but the burners’ ignition and safety system is hardwired as required by current Australian codes.

Australian code

The burner systems are monitored and controlled by the plant’s PLC control system. each of the burners. They also installed the gas trains and were responsible for liaising with Energy Safe Victoria over the system approval and carrying out the burner commissioning and start-ups.

Possible relocation

The plant is constructed allowing for the possible relocation in the future; the gas trains and panels were designed to allow their transport by road to new sites, while the burners, currently running on LNG, can operate with natural gas, LPG or oil.

One of the difficulties in the construction of the plant was its location – near the coast of Port Philip Bay, opened to harsh weather conditions (heavy winds and presence of salt in the air), and under an active airfield.

These conditions put limitations on the construction of the plant’s components, including the gas trains, which had to be rugged, reliable and repeatable.

To meet these demands, Hurll Nu-Way supplied the equipment with the following features: • Filters and pressure regulating equipment with over pressure shut-offs (OPSO). Independent pilot gas rate

regulators with OPSO’s were installed in the pilot lines to ensure reliable pilot ignition on start up.

• Pneumatically operated double block safety shut-off valves were included in each gas train with a valve proving system to check their effectiveness prior to each start up and after each shutdown.

• Self-checking ultraviolet flame detectors are fitted to each burner to operate in conjunction with the panel mounted Siemens LGK ignition and flame detection programmers in a system designed to operate 24-hours per day, 6 days per week.

• Control of the firing rate of each burner is performed through motorized linked valves – a butterfly valve in the air line and a square port valve in the gas line assembled in tandem and positioned by a Honeywell motor.

• The linked valves option control the burners at a fixed air/gas ratio and so are less flexible than alternative schemes using independent actuators but they offer reliable and repeatable control which is very important with this application.

EnviroPacific has incorporated safety features into the system beyond that required by a strict interpretation of the Australian Code. Hurll Nu-Way assisted in interlocking two burners by the overall control system.

Although the burner systems are independent of each other, the overall control ensures that the Oxidiser burner is started first and its chamber reaches a pre-set minimum operating temperature before the Desorber burner system can be started.

Products of combustion together with water vapour and volatiles from the soil are drawn from the Desorber and through the Oxidiser. The temperature in the Oxidiser chamber is maintained between a minimum of 7500C and a maximum of 11000C with excess oxygen present in the process stream to ensure the total destruction of the contaminants.

The pressure inside the processing line is maintained below the atmospheric pressure to prevent any leakage of the process stream to the atmosphere.

Exhaust gasses being delivered to the stack are continuously monitored for oxygen, carbon monoxide, NOx and SOx to ensure complete destruction is achieved.

Additionally, NATA registered testing was regularly carried out to analyse the gases for a comprehensive suite of parameters including VOCs, SVOCs including Dioxins and Difurans, metals, acid gases, and particulate matter.

Currently, the plant is operating remediating 20-25 tonnes of soil per hour, with circa 60,000 metric tonnes of contaminated soils and 18 ML of contaminated groundwater successfully treated and reused on site.

Hurll Nu-Way 1300 556 380 www.hnw.com.au

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IN FOCUS

Levelling up with wireless While some terminals still rely on manual processes for level measurements the argument for automatic tank gauging is clear write Vibhor Tandon and John Joosten.

F

OR terminal operators, storage is at a premium, and making the best use of it on a terminal is what the business is all about.

As a result, level measurement equipment is arguably the most important instrumentation for large storage tanks.

And while some terminals still rely on manual processes for level measurements, the argument for automatic tank gauging is clear.

Benefits include: • A better business, with accurate tank inventory and availability contributing to improved profits from better utilization of the storage; • Increased safety and efficiency through prevention of spills and leakage to improve compliance with health, safety and environmental requirements, as well as reduced waste; • Benefits to productivity from cutting the man-hours devoted to rounds collecting manual readings; and • A better understanding of the value inside a tank and how much has been loaded or unloaded (since in several countries, the tank gauge is used for custody transfer).

Fuel spills

Blasts caused by overfilling at facilities in Jaipur in India, Texas City in the US and Buncefield in the UK and fuel spills such as one in Caltex Terminal in Sydney in 2013, have focused regulators’ attention worldwide on the importance of reliable level measurement.

That focus is manifested in standards, which incorporate the lesson learned, most notably in API 2350 (US), M B Lal recommendations (India) or the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (OHS) in Australia.

Wireless promises increased efficiency and lower maintenance.

Both regulatory pressure and a desire to increase return on investment, therefore, promote adoption of automatic.

In fact, operators have moved beyond simply

automatic tank gauging to embrace terminal wide wireless solutions. These systems allow a typical terminal (medium to large size tank farm) $1.5 to $2.0 million savings per year in materials, labor, engineering

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costs and improvements in productivity and efficiency.

The benefits come partly through the adoption of wireless tank gauging, which adds to the existing benefits from automated solutions. As with automatic gauging, there are clear benefits in operating expenditure from the move to wireless, but capital expenditure savings are also realized to deliver an enhanced return on investment. Moreover, the benefits are achievable at almost any stage of a terminal’s lifecycle.

First, for new plants, wireless offers much lower installation costs, all but eliminating wiring costs, other than for power, and giving greater freedom in the design and layout of the tank farm. Similarly, for expansions, particularly where existing infrastructure or features such as water or railways make wiring difficult, that increased flexibility is valuable.

Lower maintenance

ISA100 Wireless (IEC 62734) networks offer significant potential range for wireless gauges. For existing terminals, wireless promises increased efficiency and lower maintenance by eliminating problems such as corrosion of wiring and deterioration (or even theft in some regions), and expands the possibilities when it comes to placing gauges.

The result is cheaper, more efficient and more accurate level measurement.

Wireless, however, reaches far beyond just tank gauging. The lessons from level measurement and overfill protection are applicable elsewhere, and establishing an integrated plant-wide wireless network multiplies the return on investment.

The impact on project schedules alone is difficult to overstate. Wireless projects can be implemented much

Operators have moved beyond simply automatic tank gauging to embrace terminal wide wireless solutions faster than those using a wired system. Once the site assessment is completed, there is little coordination to be done, and bringing in additional I/Os down the road takes a couple of hours as opposed to days with wired solutions.

By taking a broader view of wireless, operators move beyond cost savings in wiring and man-hours to achieve a transformation of the terminal operation.

Benefits for productivity can be achieved not only from eliminating manual rounds, but also by equipping operators with mobile devices and intelligent applications. This enables them to complete their tasks more efficiently and be a stakeholder in the site’s operational and maintenance excellence program. The result is greater asset reliability, with improved asset availability indexes, lower maintenance costs and a more profitable operation.

There are similar savings across safety and security for the plant and personnel. Leveraging wireless’s flexibility and lower cost, operators can implement CCTV cameras to monitor remote areas and critical assets and processes that may not be otherwise feasible.

Likewise, floating roof monitoring could prevent vapour build up and potential explosions as a result of stuck roofs or serious damage from roof collapses.

Automatic warning

For personnel, safety benefits need not be restricted

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IN FOCUS

to a reduction in tank climbs. Console operators can be automatically warned when the wireless portable gas detectors worn by mobile operators detect high concentration of hazardous gases. The same wireless portable gas detectors also allow them to quickly locate mobile operators at risk and take the necessary actions in an emergency situation.

Finally, the regulatory incentives that have helped make the case for automated tank gauging are present for wider adoption of wireless too. Wireless promotes enhanced detection of not just leaks and overfills, but H2S, other hydrocarbon gas emissions and baby fires too, with reliable data and alerts communicated to control rooms to improve compliance, aid responses and avoid regulatory sanctions.

The result is savings in both CAPEX and OPEX that have a profound impact on the operation. Savings on wiring, labor and commissioning time, reduced downtime for setups, and reduced maintenance compared with wired installations are as much as between 60 and 70%; time savings over wired installations between 55 and 80 percrnt; and overall system cost savings of between 60 and 75 percent.

Furthermore, because it is an integrated, plant-wide system, funding for establishing the infrastructure for a wide range of applications can be spread over several departmental budgets. Taking a wider view of opportunities of wireless means the investment no longer has to be purely allocated to field devices or gauging.

Operators exposed

The potential benefits will not be fully achieved by every wireless system, however. Much depends on the technology used to implement it.

For a start, solutions should be genuinely wireless.

Solutions that rely on separate gauges, hubs and antennae, remain dependent on wiring to connect the gauge at the top of the tank, the hub, often at the bottom of the tank, and the antenna, again, at the top.

This leaves operators exposed to traditional problems of wiring deterioration through corrosion, while using a system with multiple elements adds to the complexity of diagnostics and maintenance.

Moreover, the extent to which wireless results in a simpler and cheaper installation will vary according to the approach taken.

Commissioning becomes easy by allowing local commissioning and over-the-air provisioning, especially for units in which everything needed for commissioning is housed within the body of the gauge. An integrated screen and keypad means necessary measurements and entries can done, checked and adjusted in place.

Without such a display and keypad to enter the data, however, adjustments and readings need to be verified with the central control room, either requiring trips between the two, or twice the man-power during set up.

Similarly, firmware upgrades can also be done over the air, enabling operators to keep the gauges at the latest standard and allowing for improved algorithms for improved accuracy to be loaded into the gauges.

24 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

With a wired network, these updates and upgrades take significantly longer. With an ISA100 wireless network – WirelessHART does not support this approach – updates and upgrades take only minutes.

Cost savings

Terminal operators today are no longer simply faced with evaluating the cost savings and efficiency that can be achieved by automatic tank gauging; nor the cost savings achieved through the move to wireless gauging,

There are clear benefits in operating expenditure from the move to wireless or even the benefits of a wider wireless portfolio of solutions that are now open to them. The case for all these capabilities is so well made, it should be accepted already.

With those advantages well established, assessments will focus on the savings that can be achieved by competing wireless solutions. Many applications provide functionality beyond instrumentation and use Wi-Fi to do so. A single wireless network for Wi-Fi and instrumentation (ISA 100 Wireless) not only provides flexibility and ease of integration, but also offers approximately 25 percent cost savings against a solution with separate wireless networks and infrastructure for Wi-Fi and instrumentation.

Flexible wireless

Finally, in examining the potential for savings, it

not just current requirements and likely uses of the network that are important; the potential for further development and deployment is equally relevant.

An open, flexible wireless infrastructure will tightly integrate traditional applications such as gauging, overfill protection and leak detection with wider offerings such as video and personnel tracking, but it also gives plants the flexibility to add new applications as they become available. Plants are already pushing the boundaries in combing different wireless applications.

Fire trucks mounted with PTZ cameras, mobile computers and streamers to enable “contextual” video monitoring and coordination with central control rooms for better response to events are just one example of the ways operators are harnessing wireless technologies.

As wireless becomes ever more tightly integrated into the plant, the possibilities and variety of applications will continue to grow. Those with the correct infrastructure already in operation are best positioned to harness the benefits from today’s technology, but will also be better placed for tomorrow.

In applying these approaches, customers need solutions and providers with turnkey experience for the wireless solutions. This expertise and experience not only allows seamless integration of new infrastructure and applications into existing work-processes and culture, but also allows the customer to focus on the core operation of the terminal rather than the technology.

[Vibhor Tandon is Global Product Marketing Manager and John Joosten is Product Manager, Honeywell Process Solutions.] www.honeywellprocess.com

PA0315_025

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IN FOCUS

Prevent fires in waste plants Thermal imaging cameras combined with intelligent waste bunker monitor software offers smart waste monitoring solution.

W

ASTE management is a key industry in most industrially developed countries throughout the world and is currently undergoing significant modernisation and an increase in the use of waste energy. The whole cycle for the storage of waste, through sorting and recycling, up to the effective conversion to electricity in some cases, carries a high risk of fire, causing possible hazard for both personnel and the environment.

To counter this, the company Workswell has developed a complete thermal imaging solution, called Waste

Bunker Monitor, designed for the continuous inspection of solid waste using FLIR Systems’ thermal imaging cameras.

Workswell is a Czech technology development and trading company.

Its main activities include solutions delivery in non-contact temperature measurement in many industries such as glassworks, foundries, cement plants, municipal waste incinerators, and thermal power plants.

Waste management

The amount of waste worldwide continues to increase. Currently in

Two thermal imaging cameras, installed in a protective housing, monitor the storage tank for hotspots that indicate the possibility of a fire starting.

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the Czech Republic, 75 percent of the municipal waste is stored in landfills.

Approximately 400,000 tons of that waste is thermally processed in municipal waste incinerators, amounting to a total heat supply of about 2.3 million Gigajoules and a gross electricity production of about 18,000 Megawatt hours.

The advantage of thermal treatment of waste is, in addition to energy gains, the dramatic reduction in waste volume (approximately 10 to 15 percent of the original weight). The ZEVO plant at Malešice has been operational since 1998 and takes care of the transformation of waste into thermal and electric energy. The acquired energy is used as heating of domestic water and residential buildings.

Fires are a genuine threat in waste plants, and this is also true for ZEVO Malešice. The most common causes of such fires are spontaneous chemical combustion of waste; heat from vehicles that collect the municipal waste; and fire or devastating explosion due to the increased concentration of methane released from the waste during the decay process. In order to reduce the risk of fires, the ZEVO Malešice plant decided to invest in the Waste Bunker Monitor system from Workswell.

The waste at the ZEVO Malešice plant is imported into a storage tank, used for the homogenization of materials and to ensure sufficient reserve of waste so that the plant can be operated continuously. In this case, Workswell opted for two FLIR A615 cameras with a resolution of 640x480 pixels and with

The waste bunker monitor system combines noncontact measurement technology with proprietary software which presents operators with the critical areas that have an increased risk of fire an 80° lens. These cameras monitor the storage tank for hot spots that indicate the possibility of a fire starting.

The Waste Bunker Monitor system from Workswell combines the non-contact measurement technology from FLIR Systems with proprietary software which presents plant operators with the critical areas that have an increased risk of fire.

“The whole system is scalable and can consist of several thermal imaging cameras with high spatial resolution and with thermal sensitivity greater than 0.05°C,” comments Jan Kovář, Managing Director at Workswell. “We have found that the FLIR A315 or FLIR A615 cameras are the best fit for our system. We always determine the number of cameras, their resolution and visual field of view in function of the smallest detectable temperature difference.”

Control room monitoring

The monitored area is divided into zones The monitored area is divided into zones in which the temperatures are evaluated several times per second.

Waste fires are a genuine threat in waste incineration plants.

26 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

in which the temperatures are evaluated several times per second. Consequently, the automatic system reports any area with an increased surface temperature to the crane operators.

At the head of the thermal imaging system is a control and visualisation software that displays the images and temperatures coming from the FLIR thermal cameras. The software also provides operator visual and audio alerts whenever the temperature exceeds a certain value. Next to the thermal image, the software presents operators with an area map, divided into sectors making it easier for operators to pinpoint the exact location of a hotspot.

“Luckily, we haven’t witnessed any fires yet at the ZEVO Malešice plant,” says Jan Kovář of Workswell. “But we are very confident that the system and the thermal imaging cameras from FLIR will do a good job.

“We performed several tests before the actual deployment of the system and the results were much better than we expected. Next to that, the thermal cameras are very affordable, and thus they contribute to the overall cost-effectiveness of the Waste Bunker Monitor system.”

FLIR SYSTEMS Australia 1300 729 987 www.flir.com

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IN FOCUS

Cut energy costs The high cost of energy is impacting the profitability of most operations. Plus, the adverse effect of climate change is forcing industry to reduce carbon emissions. Matt McDonald looks at one way to deal with these issues.

W

HETHER you ‘believe’ in climate change or not, cutting energy is a smart move. Doesn’t matter if you’re an environmentalist or a climate change sceptic – cutting energy use will save you money.

And one way of cutting energy use is investing in voltage optimisation technology.

PACE caught up with Dr Alex Mardapittas, Managing Director of EMSc (UK) which makes the Powerstar voltage optimisation system.

A world authority on the technology, Mardapittas explained that voltage optimisation is a way to bring the voltage supplied by the grid in line with what is actually required to run electrical equipment and machinery.

How does it work?

By installing a device in series with the mains electricity supply, it is possible to provide an optimum supply of voltage to equipment.

The statutory electricity supply range for Australia is 230V +10 percent to -6 percent. This means electricity suppliers must provide a voltage level between 253V and 216V. Suppliers actually distribute electricity at 253V. Over distances, the voltage decreases, so on average, it is received from the grid at 247V. However, most electrical equipment used in Australia works best with 220V to 230V. In other words, the grid provides more voltage than is needed.

This is where voltage optimisation can be brought into play. It can be used to bring incoming mains supply into line with what equipment needs to run most effectively.

Who should use it?

“In theory, anybody who uses electricity.

In practice, the payback increases with the more [electricity] consumed,” said Mardapittas.

28 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

Dr Alex Mardapittas, Managing Director of EMSc (UK) which makes the Powerstar voltage optimisation system.

He recommends the technology for those who use more than $50,000 worth of electricity a year.

Organisations using that much can

manufacturers use a lot of inductive motors. We save significantly more energy on inductive loads,” added Mardapittas.

Voltage optimisation can be used to bring incoming mains supply into line with what equipment needs to run most effectively expect a payback period of two and a half years. And those using more will have a shorter payback period.

“Manufacturing is ideal for the product. The reason is that

He also pointed out that, because in Australia we have higher voltage than in the UK (where the Powerstar technology was created), average savings in this country are higher. On average,

UK users can expect savings of 12 percent, while their Aussie counterparts can get about 15 percent.

Those figures also refer to carbon emission cuts. If you are saving 15 percent in energy kilowatt hours, you are cutting carbon emissions by 15 percent.

EMSc established its Australian office two years ago. Asked if he was pleased with Powerstar’s introduction to the local market, Mardapittas was positive.

“In every territory where awareness is low, we have to educate the people first.

But in Australia we found it easier to educate the people than, for example, in the USA,” he said. “In Australia we are

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IN FOCUS

Voltage optimisation can be used to bring incoming mains supply into line with what equipment needs to run most effectively to educate the people than, for example, in the USA,” he said. “In Australia we are very happy to have 66 systems installed in two years and I’m sure it is going to increase dramatically as time passes.

“We have 6,500 systems installed around the world so we don’t see any reason why Australia shouldn’t be 100-200 units a year.”

When the local office opened, the plan was to establish partnerships with energy consultants and third party distributors to help promote and sell Powerstar.

Today, there are four Australian distributors representing Powerstar in various states (and in New Zealand) – Liberty Saver in SA; Ecocentric Energy in WA; Maser in Vic, NSW and NZ; and Corospark in Vic. However, not as many energy consultants have come on board.

“They are our ideal partners, but we need to educate them in the same way we educate the manufacturers and the commercial organisations,” Mardapittas explained.

At this time, he said, energy consultants tend to concentrate on simple solutions – “low hanging fruit”. For example, they are more likely to suggest

that businesses switch to LED lights than employ voltage optimisation.

The politics Some say Australia has dropped the ball on climate change. The Government did its best to avoid the issue at the G20 Summit and the jury is still out on what effect (if any) its Direct Action policy will have on emissions.

Mardapittas declined to be drawn on the issue.

“We sell a solution that saves energy.

Regardless of the political aspects of any country, we don’t see any negative aspects,” he said.

“We save money for people. We save energy. We save tons of CO2.”

“Some of our clients don’t care about the tons of CO2. They only care about the money. But others care about the tons of CO2 more than the money.”

Complaining about energy prices has become a bit of a national pasttime.

Mardapittas signed off with a point that many Australians may not be aware of.

“To put everything in perspective, you pay less than half the cost of energy that we pay in Europe,” he pointed out.

And, he added “...things can only get better for the future of our system in terms of payback¬because everywhere on the planet energy prices are expected to rise.

“So the quicker people install our product the better for their pockets.” And the better for the environment.

The radar sensor for bulk solids Level measurement with bulk solids radar, making the impossible possible: The most modern radar level technology and a frequency range of 79 GHz has made the new VEGAPULS 69 radar the sensor of choice for bulk solids industries. This sensor is capable of measuring poorly reflecting bulk solids over long ranges, in narrow, or even segmented vessels. ϶ Measuring range: up to 120 m ϶ Very good focusing: simplifies the setup ϶ Encapsulated antennas: reliable results even with buildup ϶ One device for all bulk solids

www.vega.com/vegapuls69

EMSc (Australia) 1300 659 463 powerstar.com/au MARCH 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 29

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Fixing faulty drives The number of companies making electronic variable drives and servo drives has decreased dramatically. This raises the problem of what to do when they break. Matt McDonald reports.

Stainless Steel housed Ultrasonic Clamp-On Flowmeter

FLUXUS® F/G 705 for Liquids and Gases p Highly accurate and reliable bidirectional gas and liquid flow measurement over a wide turndown ratio

E

LECTRONIC variable drives are devices used to vary the speed of electric motors. They come in many sizes and are used to operate everything from satellite dishes to CNC machines in a factory.

“They are obscure, very complex systems that do a lot of things most people are not aware of,” Darius Kowalewski of Data Factory told PACE. This complexity means that they are not easy to fix.

And, like all electronic components, it is a sure bet that they will occasionally need fixing.

So who can fix them? According to Kowalewski, Data Factory can, but not many other people can.

“We are weird,” he proudly stated. “That’s the upside of the business. There’s no competition because no one is crazy enough to compete. You can’t make a profit unless you really know what you are doing.”

The company consists of Kowalewski and just

two other employees, an electrician who evaluates the problems with the drives and a technician who does the repairs.

All operations are overseen by Kowalewski who makes sure all work is meticulously planned and that all plans are followed to the letter.

While most repairs are carried out in the company’s Melbourne lab, there are occasional site visits. In such cases Kowalewski makes sure his team members “don’t become additional staff members for the client. They go there like a commando team with a very precisely defined task.”

He explained that this is the approach that has made it possible for the business to exist. And this is why Data Factory is the only business of its kind in the country.

“We are unique. We are good people to know,” he said.

“We are like a private hospital emergency ward –

p Extremly rugged and corrosion resistant stainless steel housing for the harshest environments - including Offshore (ATEX / IECEx and FM approved) p Very cost efficient: - No pipe work - No process shut-downs - Virtually no maintenance p Highly zero point stable, drift free and independent of pipe size, material, line pressure and the medium

Oil & Gas exploration and processing I Refineries (up to 400 °C and beyond) I Oil & Gas Storage & Transport I Chemical industries

www.flexim.com A textile machine at Bekaert Textiles, where Data Factory upgraded several servo drives.

30 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

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BEHIND THE SCENES

you hope you will never need it but if you have an accident it’s better to be in the emergency ward than on the side of the road.”

The obvious question is - Don’t the manufacturers of electronic drives offer repair services?

Not really, said Kowalewski.

“The world has changed. The manufacturers of this stuff are only in a very few geographic locations. That’s where they keep their expertise. It used to be distributed,” he said.

While manufacturers may be able to send an engineer to fix a problem, there are just not enough to cover the planet and the waiting time could be unacceptable for any company wanting to make money.

Therefore, he explained, most of the support is done online or over the phone. But the helpdesk model doesn’t usually work for complex electronics.

the business – “Electronic parts are not commonly used in Australia so we have supply chains in the states, the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong, where we can virtually deliver it in 48 hours.”

“We have a window of two weeks to evaluate, bring the parts in, repair and test. Otherwise customer goes to a plan B.”

Repair costs

Services offered

Data Factory can repair all types (AC or DC) of servo drives and electronic variable speed drives, as well as complex electronic boards.

Though the company serves the whole of Australia, by necessity most work is done at the company’s lab in Melbourne.

“Our strength is our workshop, our lab,” explained Kowalewski. “We have spent a lot of money over the past four or five years – close to $80,000 retrofitting our lab. We have put in a lot of diagnostic equipment, some sophisticated soldering systems.”

In other words, the workshop is the best place to do the repairs because that is where all the equipment is.

Clients send Data Factory their defective devices along with any user manuals, photographs and documentation that may help with the diagnosis and repair.

Given Australia’s first world postal and courier networks, the lab will receive these items from anywhere across the country within two or three days.

And within 48 hours Data Factory can assess the devices and offer the answers that their owners need – “Is it repairable? If so, how much will it cost?

If it’s not repairable, can it be retrofitted with something available off the shelf?

And again, how much will it cost?”

Kowalewski explained that another critical part of the process is testing.

“If you know that the thing has been

A typical high power servo drive.

If you have an accident it’s better to be in the emergency ward than on the side of the road working for five or 10 or 20 hours here it’s very likely that it will work on site.

Otherwise there’s a problem on site unrelated to the drive,” he said.

Apart from the Australian market, data factory has on occasion undertaken

projects from as far afield as China, Indonesia and Vietnam.

In addition, the company has a lot of suppliers from Asia.

Kowalewski emphasised that a good supply is an important part of

Textile giant Bekaert Australia is one company that has employed the services of Data Factory. The company sees this as a way to keep repair costs at its 16 acre Dandenong site to a minimum.

Production Manager, Cedric Deleu related an example - “We had a dying machine go down. The drive had failed and it contained a lot of information needed to run specific pumps etc.

“We could have bought a new drive but the original machine’s manufacturer had gone out of business and we would have had to redesign the whole system.

“It would have taken weeks or even months, starting from scratch at a cost of more than $25,000 not to mention the cost of lost production.

“We sent the drive to Data Factory and a week later it was back in operation. Darius had also been able to retrieve all of the data so we were extremely lucky.”

Originally from Poland, Kowalewski has spent most of his life in Melbourne.

As he put it – “When I came to Melbourne dinosaurs were grazing where the MCG now is.”

“I’ve been [running this business] for thirty years and we’ve kept a very low profile. But now with the fragmentation of the market and the way things are going we need to up our profile a bit.”

Data Factory doesn’t only serve manufacturers. It also works on elevators and escalators, as well as electric trams and trains. And there are also customers which Kowalewski likes to call hobbyists – small businesses, such as guitar makers which wouldn’t really call themselves manufacturers but still have CNC machining.

“They buy it on eBay or second hand and when it packs up they are really helpless,” he said.

And, chances are, they call Data Factory to fix it.

Data Factory 03 9874 77737 www.datafactory.com.au MARCH 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 31

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SPOTLIGHT

Linear position sensors Proximity sensors are quite often used to detect a linear moving target. The driver behind such a solution is cost. Technically, it is rather basic with the proximity sensor only being able to indicate if the target has reached one of the proximity sensors or not. In some applications it may be more beneficial to know exactly where the target is at any given time.

For example, if there has been a power interruption the user may want the controller to know exactly where the target is when the power has been restored and the system restarted. Linear position sensors are sometimes considered too expensive.

There are some low cost solutions that do not compromise the reliability of the system. The linear potentiometer is an example. These low cost devices come in measuring ranges of 0~10mm thorough to 0~300m. When detecting a distance of travel up to 2m, then a wire drawn transducer may be more suitable. The cost of such a device in production quantities may not be significantly more than the cost of proximity sensors.

7best of the

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

ADM 03 9551 6922 www.admtech.com.au

Miniature sensors for dynamic pressure measurements KELLER’s M5 series are suitable for for static and highly dynamic mpressure easurements (up to 50 kHz). Those sensors are unique when high operating temperature range (up to 180°C), measurement accuracy (±0,1 %FS), installation size (M5 connection), and the remote, precise signal conditioning (0…10 V) are important.

The key to measuring highly dynamic pressure variance is to achieve a direct connection between sensing element and medium. KELLER has therefore devised a micromechanical solution without media isolation diaphragm, capillary tubing, sealants or adhesives. In the M5 series, the rear of the silicon sensor is soldered to a supporting element designed for good fluid dynamics, which in turn is secured flush at the front of the pressure connection. This design enables dynamic measurements with a bandwidth of 0 - 50 kHz and offers a number of additional benefits. These include good decoupling of mounting forces and structure-borne vibration, wide media compatibility and the durability offered by the anti-oxidation coatings. Other features of the M5 series are its overpressure protection of up to five times the measurement range and its pressure connection with an external thread of Ø 5 mm for installations in space-limited locations.

Bestech Australia 03 9540 5100 www.bestech.com.au 32 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

Small temperature transmitter with IO-Link The new temperature transmitter of the TA series features a space-saving compact design and a short response time of T05 / T09 = 1s / 3s. Therefore, it is suited for fast industrial processes and limited space. The transmitter can be integrated in the installation in almost any position. With integrated process connections, the compact design as well as a multitude of installation lengths (25...150 mm) enable flexible and simple installation. A high level of accuracy is achieved using a class A accuracy Pt1000 sensor element and factory calibration. The IO-Link 1.1 interface simplifies the parameter setting. Additionally, the newly integrated LED signals when the unit is sensor is ready for operation. The user can immediately determine whether the sensor is supplied with voltage. ifm’s film technology ensures good dynamic response times and is suitable for a wide range of applications in hydraulics and mechnical engineering.

ifm efector 1300 365 088 sales.au@ifm.com

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Email your product news to editor@pacetoday.com.au

4-in-1 remote I/O solution Moxa has released a 4-in-1 data acquisition solution, the Moxa ioLogik 2500 series, which integrates I/O functionality, an Ethernet switch, serial/Modbus connectivity, and 32 GB of data logging into a single remote I/O device. This integrated 4-in-1 remote I/O solution reduces the required numbers of components and connections, and eliminates the need for extensive rewiring. The ioLogik 2500 provides both a wired and wireless remote I/O total solution and uses a unique I/O expansion design that lets users connect more than 100 different I/O channels under a single IP address to ensure efficient data acquisition at a lower cost. In addition, the Click&Go Plus control logic supports up to 48 rules with further upgrades to 8 conditions/actions.

The IOxpress configuration tool can be used for offline/ online configuration, allowing users to configure every I/O parameter offline and then upload the settings to online devices, reducing the time and cost needed to manage and configure the I/O system. asia@moxa.com www.moxa.com

Custody transfer of natural gas The OptiPEAK TDL600 moisture analyzer from Michell Instruments has a measurement accuracy of ±1% of reading. For transmission companies, this accuracy ensures that the international standards of gas quality for transport and use are met. It is important that gas quality is maintained within the requirements of the main international natural gas quality harmonization guidelines. These guidelines include moisture content and in Europe, the EASEEgas Common Business Practice – 2005-001/01 – Harmonisation of Natural Gas Quality sets a water dew-point limit of -8°C at 70 barg, equal to a moisture content of ~49 ppmV (based on ISO18543).

Taking advantage of the latest developments in laser spectroscopy, the OptiPEAK TDL600 has an accuracy of ±1% of the reading or 1ppmV verified by calibration traceable to NPL (UK) and NIST (US).

Michell has developed a laser lock system to ensure the laser remains locked to the correct water absorption signal, maintaining a high integrity measurement at all times. With D-MET, the TDL600 is able to measure moisture in natural gas with varying compositions.

No drip siphon fed atomizing spray nozzles Siphon Fed Atomizing Spray Nozzles require no liquid pressure and can be used with gravity fed liquids or lift liquids from a siphon height of 91cm. Siphon fed nozzles can be used on liquids up to 200 centipoise. These nozzles work in the same way as the standard atomizing nozzles do, but have the added benefit of positively stopping liquid flow when compressed air is shut off. When spraying any type of liquid, post-spray liquid flow can cause problems. Unwanted drips can ruin product function on sealing or mating surfaces. Drips can also ruin the appearance of painted or coated finishes.

EXAIR’s No Drip Atomizing Nozzles are suitable where no post-spray drip is permissible. When the compressed air supply is shut off, the no drip nozzle positively seals off the flow of liquid eliminating the possibility of drips. The nozzles are available in a round pattern and a flat fan pattern and are suitable for non-pressurized liquid applications that don’t require independent air and liquid control. Applications include painting, coating, rinsing, cooling, quenching, wetting (moistening), humidification and dust control.

Compressed Air Australia 1300 787 688 www.caasafety.com.au

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration 03 9017 8225 www.ams-ic.com.au

RTU and HART configuration suite Emerson Process Management has introduced OpenEnterprise Field Tools, a Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) and HART configuration suite that enables local and remote configuration and real-time HART device monitoring in remote oil and gas applications such as wellhead automation, flow measurement, and tank overflow protection. The software suite streamlines servicing and maintenance of multiple RTU platforms and HART transmitters across remote sites, helping improve operations and field personnel safety. The single software toolkit enables the configuration of Emerson’s family of Remote Terminal Units, flow computers and presets including

products under the ROC, FloBoss, and ControlWave brands. Additionally, OpenEnterprise Field Tools is a fully-functional HART communicator that supports configuration, troubleshooting, and maintenance of all wired HART and WirelessHART transmitters.

Field Tools enables the seamless commissioning of HART devices by leveraging HART pass-through via Emerson RTUs and flow computers. HART pass-through enables tunneling over complex SCADA infrastructures using native Emerson RTU communication protocols.

Emerson Process Management 03 9721 0200 www.micromotion.com MARCH 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 33

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THE LAST WORD

INSIGHT

5 tech trends you can’t ignore Bruce Minty takes a look at the technologies that will help lead us to the future.

T

ECHNOLOGY is transforming the industrial sector. According to GE Capital’s latest Mid-Market Report, technology is a $78.8 billion industry in Australia. Here are five of the key technology trends influencing the Australian industrial landscape.

manufacturers develop alliances with universities to allow them to access the best and brightest talent so their robotic workforce is leveraged to its full potential.

3D printing is coming of age

Big data, smart data

Big data has been a trend for some time now. But in recent years, there has been a shift in the way organisations think about the information at their fingertips.

Having substantial amounts of data is not enough. It’s how businesses analyse and give their staff access to that information that really matters.

I like to refer to this as ‘Smart Data’.

We’re going to see more businesses invest in systems that help drive informed business decisions and allow employees to operate at their peak. This will give these companies substantial competitive advantage in the market.

When businesses implement analytics into their operations and combine existing information with the insights from data provided, intelligent future actions can be identified.

For instance, insights pulled from predictive analytics can significantly improve planning and procurement decisions for plant owners, helping them make more informed choices about how and where they invest their capital.

Mobility

It’s easy to think that the shift to mobility is less important for manufacturers than other industries. After all, their assets, such as factories and warehouses, are static assets.

But the most forward thinking companies are already ensuring the digital revolution is making their work more efficient and productive. Leading companies are using digital devices to control plant and equipment. Within industrial facilities they are often being used by staff to enable communication.

Most industrial companies also have a sales team on the road and mobility is enabling them to access critical business 34 www.pacetoday.com.au MARCH 2015

information, wherever they are, from the device of their choice. Enhancing customer relationships through mobility extends to after-sales service for manufacturers, by enabling field technicians to be fully informed when conducting maintenance activities and warranty expirations.

cloud. his will allow companies to more safely store critical business information, in a cost effective fashion. It is worth noting that managed services delivered through a cloud agreement not only optimises software upgrades, but also reduces security risk and disruption to the customers business. It also reduces the

Research suggests businesses need to invest more in skills development to help manage their robotic workforce For example, having the access to customer service history easily from mobile devices helps technicians understand the customer’s history with the company before the call-out.

Additionally, technicians can instantly refer to predictive Q&A responses approved by HQ when responding to customer enquiries on-site.

Finally, following a service, technicians should be equipped to schedule the next appointment for a routine maintenance check from their mobile.

Software as a service

We’re also going to see more businesses migrate to the cloud. Many are already hosting their mail and data in the cloud.

But increasingly, they will also house other essential businesses systems such as CRM and finance information in the

need for companies to invest heavily on hardware, resourcing and infrastructure.

The robotics revolution

According to a report by professional services firm PwC and The Manufacturing Institute, 59 per cent of all manufacturers are currently using some form of robotics in their operations.

This trend will only continue as robotics transforms the manufacturing sector, making it more efficient and productive.

That won’t be news to most players in the manufacturing sector. But what’s really interesting about the robotics revolution, according to the report, is that it won’t necessarily mean a reduction in headcount for many businesses. Research suggests businesses need to invest more in skills development to help manage their robotic workforce. We’ll see

The transformative potential of 3D printing is at its height in the manufacturing sector. It makes it much easier for businesses in this space to produce prototypes for new products, generate short-order runs for clients and to drive innovation in the sector.

As the price of 3D printers becomes more commoditised we’re going to see manufacturers begin to explore the potential for this game-changing technology to genuinely drive new ways of operating.

While many will be familiar with some of these trends, it can be daunting to work out how to incorporate them in day-to-day business activities. So what’s the best way to build a business culture where there is an ongoing commitment in the enterprise to adopt new ways of thinking? I’m reminded of the old joke: Q: What’s the best way to eat an elephant? A: One bite at a time. It’s the same with new technologies. The idea is to build processes in the business so that new technologies are constantly being examined and assessed on a cost-benefit basis for their ability to add value.

It’s also essential to work with trusted service providers that, rather than take a one-size-all approach, are prepared to build bespoke solutions that suit the business’s unique circumstances, while taking consideration of legacy systems.

It’s a fascinating time in the industrial sector. Over the next few years we’re going to see the trends described above become deeply embedded in leading industrial operations. This will secure these agile, forward thinking enterprises’ position at the core of the Australian economy.

[Bruce Minty is Business Development Manager at Pronto Software].

Pronto Software 03 9887 7770 www.pronto.com.au

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NOMINATIONS CLOSING SOON A total of 12 awards will be up for grabs on the night, highlighting innovation and excellence in engineering and technological projects.

All finalists will receive free publicity in PACE magazine and two free tickets to the gala dinner where the winners will be announced.

Categories for the 2015 PACE Zenith Awards include: • • • • • •

Manufacturing Best fieldbus implementation Food and beverage Lifetime achievement Machine builder Mining and minerals processing

• • • • • •

Oil and gas Power and energy management Water and wastewater Young achiever Project of the year Transport, power and infrastructure

For more information visit www.paceawards.com.au

PA1114_000_RSC

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