PACE - Process & Control Engineering - November-December 2015

PA1115_001

-

1

2015-11-09T10:39:39+11:00

Post Print Approved PP100008186

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 | VOL.68 NO.10 | Est. 1953

PA1115_000_FLU2

-

1

2015-11-05T11:05:48+11:00

Contact Fluke Australia:  www.fluke.com.au

+61  +61 2 8850 3333

auinfo@fluke.com

PA1115_003

-

3

2015-11-09T13:36:42+11:00

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 | VOL.68 NO.10 | Est. 1953

INSIDE PACE

Motors & Drives control

Cotton processing

Top 25 Products

SEW-Eurodrive enables faster and more economical turnaround for railways.

Cotton processing gets 24 x 7 control thanks to Schneider Electric.

The best process and control products for 2015.

EXCLUSIVE: YuMi the collaborative robot is here!

PA1115_000_BEC1

EC12__Australia.indd 2

-

2

2015-11-02T16:08:58+11:00

28.11.14 12:02

PA1115_005

- 5

2015-11-09T09:05:26+11:00

CONTENTS

Publisher: Martin Sinclair Email: martin.sinclair@cirrusmedia.com.au Editor: Branko Miletic Tel: (02) 8484 0976 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 Email: branko.miletic@cirrusmedia.com.au

IN THIS ISSUE 22

14

Group Sales Manager: Tim Richards Tel: (02) 8484 0829 Mobile: 0420 550 799 Email: tim.richards@cirrusmedia.com.au Graphic Designer: Louis Santos Email: louis.santos@cirrusmedia.com.au Production Co-ordinator: Tracy Engle Tel: (02) 8484 0707 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 Email: tracy.engle@cirrusmedia.com.au

SUBSCRIPTION: $99 pa incl GST OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTIONS: NZ: $A109 pa & OS: $A119 pa

18

News 7

The latest industry news Test & Measurement 8

CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1300 360 126

Measuring with IO-Link SCADA + MES 10

Controlling cotton processing Opinion 12 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

The digital shake up of manufacturing Women in Industry 14

We launch the 2016 Women in industry Awards Big Data 16

Big Data meets Minority Report Wireless 18

Leveraging wireless technology

Gearing up for quick changes

Motors, Drives & Motion Control 22

Developing an online plant model for a DC motor Robotics & Automation 24

YuMi lands in Australia New Products 26

The Top 25 Products for 2015 The Last Word 38

How an energy management plan helps your bottom line

ON THE COVER

It’s time for the robots to collaborate

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 | VOL.68 NO.10 | Est. 1953

INSIDE PACE

Motors & Drives control

Cotton processing

Top 25 Products

SEW-Eurodrive enables faster and more economical turnaround for railways.

Cotton processing gets 24 x 7 control thanks to Schneider Electric.

The best process and control products for 2015

Post Print Approved PP100008186

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF:

EXCLUSIVE: YuMi the collaborative robot is here!

Average Net Distribution Period ending Mar ’15 5,739

Motors, Drives & Motion Control 20

ABB Robotics has unveiled the world’s first truly collaborative dual-arm robot that promises to radically change assembly lines.

YuMi represents a breakthrough in the field of collaborative robots.

In recent years, progress in robotics has made it much easier to deploy robots on production lines: Installation has become quicker; programming and reprogramming have become simpler; and robots have become more versatile, enabling them to turn their hand to many more tasks than before.

What was missing, though, was a collaborative robot – one that could work beside a human, unconstrained by safety barriers, and be easily taught its task.

That has now changed. After years of research and development, ABB has unveiled YuMi, the first industrial robot that can truly be called collaborative. It complies with the safety standards and can to work hand-in-hand with humans on assembly lines. This groundbreaking robot ushers in a new era in manufacturing.

(See page 24)

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 5

PA1115_006

- 6

2015-11-09T11:42:28+11:00

COMMENT

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

Why collaborative robots are a game changer for everyone Branko Miletic Editor

& a happy new year from all of us at PACE

IN this issue of PACE, we feature YuMi, the world’s first collaborative robot. In many ways, YuMi is a trailblazer, as from now on, no longer are robots required to work in cages, separated from their human counterparts in the interests of worker health and safety.

Now with ABB’s YuMi on the scene, the shackles, (or should I say, bars) have well and truly been removed.

How does this bode for our future?

Well, for workers, this could be a doubleedged sword. According to a recent article in The Guardian, the “robot revolution will transform the global economy over the next 20 years, cutting the costs of doing business but exacerbating social inequality, as machines…”

Citing a 300-page report, revealed exclusively to the newspaper, analysts from investment bank Bank of America Merrill Lynch noted that “One major risk

off the back of the take-up of robots and Artificial Intelligence is the potential for increasing labour polarisation, particularly for low-paying jobs such as service occupations, and a hollowing-out of middle income manual labour jobs.”

According to others though, like many of our advertisers and readers, robots will prove to be an economic windfall for a range of control, automation, sensor and power peripherals.

Either way you look at it, robots are set to have a big impact on our lives, and even a greater one on the lives’ of our children and grandchildren.

This of course goes hand in hand with the latest developments in areas such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things.

According to ABB, YuMi “literally removes the barriers to collaboration by making protective fencing and cages a thing of the past.”

However sometimes when you pull down barriers, you end up with a whole series of other, unexpected issues. Think of what happened when they pulled down the Berlin Wall – while it was overall a very positive event, it took Germany some 20 years to fully recover from the shock of absorbing what was, a largely inefficient and sedentary population and turn it into something more like itself.

I wonder how long it will take for us to use Artificial Intelligence to turn the nextgeneration of YuMis into replicas of ourselves and replace our (relative) inefficiencies with the extreme precision and enhanced production outputs of future YuMis? I guess only time will tell. branko.miletic@ cirrusmedia.com.au Like us on Facebook and join the conversation facebook.com/PACEtoday

Implementing a calibration system?

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

Our calibration and IT expertise helps you face calibration process improvement projects that are typically complex and consume a lot of time and resources. Only 20% to 30% of a calibration system upgrade is tools and technology, the rest is business culture and process. Therefore, the success of a new calibration system depends especially on the implementation of the system and the ability to define and adopt a new calibration process.

Learn more at: beamex.com/CalibrationProcessImprovements

6 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

www.beamex.com info@beamex.com

PA1115_007

- 7

2015-11-09T09:09:31+11:00

NEWS ANALYSIS

CHIEF SCIENTIST

Alan Finkel announced as Australia’s new Chief Scientist ENGINEER, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Dr Alan Finkel, has been announced as Australia’s new Chief Scientist.

He will take over the role once the sitting Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, finishes his five-year stint in the job on December 31 this year.

Finkel was most recently Chancellor of Monash University, a post he has held since 2008. He is also the President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).

Finkel is an outspoken advocate for science awareness and popularisation.

He is a patron of the Australian Science Media Centre and has helped launch popular science magazine, Cosmos.

Dr Alan Finkel He is also an advocate for nuclear power, arguing that “nuclear electricity should be considered as a zero-

emissions contributor to the energy mix” in Australia.

The Australian Academy of Science (AAS) President, Professor Andrew Holmes, has welcomed the appointment of Alan Finkel to the Chief Scientist’s role.

“The Academy is looking forward to the government’s announcement, but Professor Finkel would be an excellent choice for this position. I’m confident he would speak strongly and passionately on behalf of Australian science, particularly in his advice to government,” he said.

“The AAS and ATSE have never been closer; we have worked together well on important issues facing Australia’s research community,

including our recent partnership on the Science in Australia Gender Equity initiative.”

Professor Holmes also thanked outgoing Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, for his strong leadership for science in Australia, including establishing ACOLA as a trusted source of expert, interdisciplinary advice to the Commonwealth Science Council.

“Since his appointment, Professor Chubb has been a tireless advocate of the fundamental importance of science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills as the key to the country’s future prosperity, and a driving force behind the identification of strategic research priorities for the nation,” Holmes said.

WHEN YOUR SYSTEM LETS YOU DOWN For fast, professional service from highly trained and qualified engineers; we work with all major brands; Siemens, Allen Bradley, ABB, Emerson (Unidrive and Unidrive SP, Mentor), Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Bosch, Yaskawa and many others.

Control Systems When you need an upgrade and / or retrofit...

Servo and VS Drives When you need repairs and / or retrofits...

Computer Touch Screen Panels When you need repairs and / or retrofits...

Call now: 03 9874 7737 www.datafactory.com.au

PLC Programming and Documentation

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 7

PA1115_008

- 8

2015-11-09T09:15:51+11:00

TEST & MEASUREMENT

Detecting and measuring with IO-Link

T

he automobile industry poses the greatest productivity demands, however supplier companies’ quality requirements are no less stringent. Brose of Coburg submits products and system components to the acid test: in a test system for spindle drives, installed Balluff RFID and position measuring systems help ensure that only perfectly-functioning components leave the factory. Thanks to IO-Link, the systems can be installed quickly and easily without time-consuming wiring and they offer many diagnostic possibilities.

A simple movement in the direction of the bumper is sufficient; the vehicle’s liftgate opens as if by magic: instead of conventional gas pressure springs, two spindle drives release their energy and press the weight of the hatch upwards.

Anyone who approaches a vehicle with full arms knows how to appreciate such comfort features. An integrated motor shuts the loading door; it

compresses the springs and stores the force until the door is next opened.

The German automobile supplier Brose equips a variety of different manufacturers’ vehicles with electric spindle drives. The company supplies approximately 80 automobile brands and 30 suppliers with mechatronic systems and electric motors.

Because the reliability of the spindle drives in everyday use is very important, Brose has developed and built a test system for these systems that is oriented toward everyday conditions. Each drive spindle is subjected to a series of defined

If a component that is not compatible with the chip data is inserted, the system would decline to start and issue an appropriate error message. function and quality tests. For this, an employee clamps the element into a special device: then the system checks whether the spring can be compressed as desired to the specified dimension, whether the piston moves out to the required length under its own power, whether the integrated motor works perfectly, and whether any disturbing vibrations and noises crop up.

The load, which varies according to the vehicle type and liftgate, 8 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

simulates a servomotor. “Depending on the vehicle model, the spindle drives possess different geometries, performance and load demands and travel lengths. The test system has to do the conditions justice,” said Alexander Gran, Director of the Equipment Technology, Software Development, and Electrotechnology Department at Brose.

So the test system recognises which spindle type is being tested and which set of tests must be run, the system is equipped with the BIS-M industrial RFID system: the test equipment provides a special test head for each type, an RFID chip integrated there contains the appropriate information.

The corresponding read head reads the data and communicates it to the control level. It thus knows which is the spindle type in question and which tests must be performed. If a component that is not compatible with the chip data is inserted, the system would decline to start and issue an appropriate error message.

The BIS-M RFID system is suitable for many tasks in modern production facilities. It can read and write data; from these capabilities arise many possibilities for part tracing, for example in production processes.

Due to the variety of sizes, cases, and evaluation possibilities, the system can be used flexibly.

“Balluff’s RFID system is compact, robust, and easy to integrate. An advantage is that we can write to it ourselves and adapt it flexibly to our needs. Thanks to IO-Link technology,

PA1115_009

- 9

2015-11-09T11:44:18+11:00

TEST & MEASUREMENT

it is quick and easy to install, using a master via plug connector and with a simple four-wire standard cable,” emphasised Gran.

So that the test system can assess whether the stroke lengths correspond to the required values, Balluff’s magnetostrictive position measuring system Micropulse BTL6 Profil PF with IO-LINK is used.

If a measurement value does not fulfill the requirements, the test object is sorted out with an appropriate error message. Thanks to multimagnet technology, the contactfree transducers reliably detect the measurement position and ensure absolute and precise results.

Measurement lengths from 50 to 4570mm can be made, the position measuring systems tolerate a vertical and horizontal offset of the position encoder from the sensor profile of up to 15mm. The components distinguish themselves through their flat shape and their robust, shock-, vibration-, and contamination-proof nature in the IP 67 protection class.

“As at Brose, there is a preference for using the touchless position encoders where holistic IO-Link concepts simplify the configuration, speed up the installation, and reduce costs for cabling,” said Stefan Horcher, Sales Engineer at Balluff.

Thanks to the intelligent communication interface IO-Link, all measurement values and state data reaches the control level quickly and easily via M12 plug connectors,

standard sensor cables, and an IO-Link master. IO-Link is a universally applicable I/O interface below bus systems that is compatible with all fieldbuses.

As a digital and bidirectional pointto-point connection, IO-Link creates a high-performance communication

As a digital and bidirectional pointto-point connection, IO-Link creates a high-performance communication channel down to the actuator and sensor level. channel down to the actuator and sensor level. Thanks to IO-Link, the end results are streamlined and productive manufacturing solutions that permit automatic configuration during running operation and transparent diagnostics down to the process level.

“We have worked closely with and trusted in Balluff for many years.

Together we are researching additional fields of application for IO-Link that will make our production processes more efficient and our products more competitive,” noted Gran.

EtherCAT

Bus

EtherCAT

Terminals

Terminals

Box

(IP 20)

(IP 20)

(IP 67)

Servomotor 50 V, 4 A

W

50 V, 4 A, OCT

W

Stepper motor 24 V, 1.5 A

W

W

50 V, 5 A

W

W

24 V, 1 A

W

W

50 V, 3.5 A

W

W

DC motor

50 V, 5 A

W W

Balluff 03 9780 9200 www.balluff.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 9

PA1115_010

- 10

2015-11-09T09:19:46+11:00

SCADA + MES

Cotton processing gets 24 x 7 control

F

avourable weather conditions in the areas of northern New South Wales and the south of Queensland produce a cotton crop that has long fibres and is considered to be amongst the world’s best.

Auscott Limited is one of the big names in the business, with over 50 years experience in Australian agriculture.

Looking to expand their operations into the Hay region, Auscott Limited approached Schneider Electric at the end of 2013 to discuss the energy distribution and automation requirements for a new cotton gin to be built in the area.

With just 12 months to design and build the processing facility, Auscott was seeking one supplier which could provide the complete suite of energy management and automation products and solutions.

Long term solution required

Cotton is a seasonal crop which is generally harvested around autumn.

Once the buds are picked, growers want their crop processed as quickly as possible to ensure the quality is maintained and costs can be recouped. To meet this peak demand, the cotton gins generally run for 24 hours, seven days a week, for around 4-5 months of the year. With this in mind, the processing equipment at the new Hay cotton gin had to be robust to withstand this period of heavy workload.

Looking for advice and expertise to help them implement and manage the project, Auscott engaged Schneider Electric to work with them on the new build. A key requirement was longevity of the solution, with consideration for energy efficiencies.

“We wanted to invest in platforms and technologies which would remain effective and relevant into the long term,” Jamie Condon, Corporate Electrical Manager, Engineering Services, Auscott Limited said. “It was important to us that the technology, and the company behind it, would be around for many years to come.”

Auscott Limited and Schneider Electric worked together on the design phase of the project, developing the unique specifications for the facility.

During this design phase, Schneider Electric representatives from across the business worked with Auscott Limited to come up with the solution.

Communication was centralised and there was a focus on solving engineering issues unique to Auscott’s requirement.

Estimates and technologies were brought together into a seamless program.

“Certainly we had a few ideas from our side about what would be ideal for the new set up, but we were looking to Schneider Electric to provide us with expert advice on the technology,” Condon said. “Bringing everyone together meant we had a combined experience and knowledge that was very strong. I think this is what gave us such excellent results.”

Although energy efficiency wasn’t the number one priority for the solution, Condon said it was still a major factor when considering the proposal.

“Energy usage is by far our biggest cost, and with electricity prices increasing every year, we needed to have a system in place which would ensure we were not spending more on energy than we absolutely had to,” Condon said.

Another consideration of the project was the restricted energy available at the site. Only 6MW was available to the gin, with a 7km power line installed to connect the plant back to the power grid. Schneider Electric experts played a pivotal role in calculating the power load of the gin, ensuring it would not require more power than was available. The result is a solution which uses a load of around 5.5MW.

Energy & drives monitoring

Working with the information produced during the design process, Schneider 10 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

Electric put forward a solution that incorporated power distribution equipment, automation, CCTV and lighting. Energy monitoring equipment was also required, as was the Schneider Electric Weather Watch solution, which allowed Auscott to alter their manufacturing behaviour when adverse weather conditions were detected.

The nature of the project meant there were a large number of ongoing design changes along the way, which, if more than one supplier had been involved in the build, would have presented challenges in terms of coordination, management and implementation of changes. Working solely with Schneider Electric on the project, these challenges were quickly overcome.

With the power restrictions at the site, one of the most important parts of the project was ensuring the available electricity was being used as effectively as possible. Schneider Electric Power Factor Correction equipment, which works to correct supply inefficiencies while also reducing peak demand on the electricity network, was installed at the site.

“As we are limited in the amount of power that is available to us at this remote site, the PFC equipment ensures we are making the best use of every available amp. It also means that if we need to expand the plant for any reason, we know we have a little extra power available to us as a result of running the equipment. The system has reduced

our power usage by at least a quarter, saving us around 1200 amps, or roughly $10,000 per month,” Condon said.

There are 50 Variable Speed Drives at the site, which are used to regulate and control the feed of cotton around the plant. Drives are also installed on the gin stands that are used to process the cotton. The drives are monitored using Invensys Historian and Citect SCADA software. The data is then used

by Jamie to make small adjustments to the equipment so the gin can operate as efficiently as possible.

“The system provides us with a lot of information which we can use for ongoing monitoring and measurement,” Condon said. “It also captures data which gives us additional safety features to ensure that our workers are kept protected along with our machinery.”

“Information is key to improving any process, and I have found it very valuable to know what energy we are using with each machine. This level of data means that we can see what events are trending and how we can alter our behaviour to find efficiencies.”

The new system also includes a remote overload reset, so energy use can be properly managed and removes the risk from employees having to physically expose themselves to electrical hazards.

“When we are operating at peak times, we are often running close to the red line in terms of running at full capacity and full load. The remote reset means that any tripping caused by the

PA1115_011

- 11

2015-11-09T12:06:45+11:00

SCADA + MES

overworking of the machines can be reset from a safe distance.”

Monitoring at the site is used for two main purposes. One is the ongoing shift reports, which are used by those working on the site to see that they are keeping up with production rates, and the other use is for central office employees who benchmark the data against other gins. This information is also used to feed information back to stakeholders, including to growers who use the facility.

Keeping an eye on the weather

Schneider Electric Weather Sentry is installed at the site to alert workers of very high winds and possible lightning activity in the area. Strong winds can be particularly hazardous to cotton gins if a fire was to break out and control measures need to be put in place.

Lightning can also create issues if direct strikes are encountered.

“It is not uncommon to have a fire within the processing plant,” Condon said. “We have ways to minimise the

risk of this, and if there is a fire, we are able to extinguish it very quickly.

In the holding yard however, a strong wind of 50-60km/ hour can ignite a fire from a single ember which could result in millions and millions of dollars in damage.”

“Using Weather Sentry, we are able to monitor and understand what weather is coming. If there are high winds on the horizon from threatening directions, the gin can be shut down so that the risk is mitigated. Weather Sentry has been invaluable in providing a reliable and accurate weather forecasting for our target area.”

Lightning is another big concern for the growers, as again, the risk of fire increases as a result.

“Previously, we were very reactionary in our approach to weather conditions.

Now we use Weather Sentry to give us an early warning of what is to come.

It is a very powerful, very accurate tool. The sentry sends an alert to us in the form of an email, or via the actual software so we can prepare accordingly.”

Expertise leads to success

Building the gin from the ground up in 12 months was largely possible because of the fact that Schneider Electric was able to supply the entire solution.

“There was no need for us to manage the coordination of different suppliers, or to ensure that product was arriving on site at the correct time – all this work was coordinated by Schneider Electric,” Jamie said.

“The team that we worked with from Schneider Electric was absolutely excellent,” Condon said.

“From our first meeting together

I knew we were going to be able to successfully execute this project. I was blown away by the efficiency of the process – which is not something that would have happened had we engaged several companies to provide us with different parts for the project.

Each individual I worked with from Schneider Electric was able to bring their expertise to the project, and communication between all the team members was fantastic.”

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

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 11

PA1115_012

- 12

2015-11-09T09:22:23+11:00

OPINION

The digital shake up of manufacturing

By Mark Troselj, vice president and general manager of ANZ for NetSuite.

O

ver the past few centuries, there have been three major industrial revolutions that have completely shaken up the global manufacturing industry … and it seems that digitalisation is reinventing the industry once again.

If we take a look back at each major technology shift that has transformed the manufacturing industry, the identification and harnessing of a new type of utility is at the core. We have seen how the power of water and steam has introduced mechanisation to the production process; how electricity has enabled mass production; and how the rise of electronics and computers has substantially increased production automation.

As digitalisation continues to disrupt the foundations needed to operate a successful manufacturing business today, cloud computing is proving itself as the new utility that is helping manufacturers to compete, innovate and survive in this constantly evolving industry. Not only is it creating new opportunities for business growth and innovation, cloud computing is improving everything from product design and creation, through to inventory management and supply chain visibility.

Redefining supply chains

By moving their entire operations to the cloud, Australian manufacturers have the opportunity to rethink and redefine their underlying supply chain operations. Instead of each factory and warehouse being separately managed and monitored like separate links in a chain, manufacturers can achieve a complete view of their entire operation by establishing an integrated, demanddriven environment.

Enabling new levels of flexibility and transparency, an integrated, demanddriven environment utilises a unified data set that fully integrates all supply chain business processes in the cloud, regardless of where they occur – whether entirely within a manufacturing plant; within the facilities of one or more partners; or initiated in one location and completed in another. This environment brings all those processes together and enables data to flow freely across the entire environment.

Manufacturers gain the ability to not

only manage their own operations, but also those of their partners. By doing so, they achieve control and insight into their entire supply chain, as well as the complete lifecycle of their manufactured products, from prototype through to finished product.

Moving towards mass customisation

We live in a customer-centric world – customer expectations for product design, quality and availability are set very high; there is growing interest in more personalised products; and the need for the latest products means the lifecycle for many is continually shortening.

While the focus of manufacturing has traditionally been on mass production, today it is shifting towards mass customisation, which combines the low unit costs of mass production processes with the flexibility of individual customisation, to keep up with these rising expectations. It is critically important for manufacturers to now have complete control and real-time visibility across their supply chain to meet customer demand.

As the manufacturing process continues to become increasingly

12 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

digitised, manufacturers will be forced to turn to new and emerging materials and technologies. They will have to collaborate more closely on innovation and design with a broader set of communities – partners, customers and potentially anyone with useful input and expertise – which means they will need to focus on the business processes that will help them achieve this.

Leveraging emerging opportunities to drive value

As technology becomes more entrenched into all facets of the creation of goods and material as a result of digitalisation, the Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D printing are emerging as two disruptive forces set to change the manufacturing process, as well as many business models and focus.

With more products now including embedded intelligent sensors, the IoT is creating new opportunities to drive manufacturing and supply chain performance. Other than making manufacturing operations more streamlined, efficient and faster, these smart technologies generate a lot of valuable real-time information that can be captured and analysed for actionable insights. We will begin to see components and finished products

digitally communicating critical data with manufacturers and with each other directly from the floor. If there are any issues or defects, for example, this will be immediately communicated to enable manufacturers to act quickly to dramatically rectify the issues and improve product quality.

3D printing is also disrupting conventional manufacturing and supply chains, offering improved product design, faster times to market and increased profits due to lower manufacturing costs. The shift towards 3D printing could see companies no longer needing large workforces or having to move offshore to produce cheap products, like so many Australian icons have done in recent years.

Today, manufacturers mainly use 3D printing to prototype products, but as the printers become commodity items, they may become a household fixture in the hands of many consumers in the future. Once that happens, some manufacturers may shift to focus purely on product design, while consumers “make” the products via their printers.

Responding to disruptive change

Sparked by cloud computing, the next evolution in manufacturing is upon us as manufacturers reinvent their businesses and processes to take account of mass customisation and emerging smart technologies.

By moving all core business processes into the cloud, manufacturers are positioning themselves to replace complexity with fluidity, and educated guesswork with real-time transparency and execution. This will enable them to be more agile and responsive to all the forces of disruptive change, while at the same time achieve optimum performance, reduced costs and improved efficiency.

Mark Troselj is vice President and General Manager of Australia and New Zealand for NetSuite. For more information, contact NetSuite Australia on 02 9464 6100 or visit www.netsuite.com.au.

FD_FP

-

1

2014-03-19T15:45:14+11:00

The easiest way to find the right products and suppliers

MANUFACTURING | MINING | INDUSTRIAL

8

ferret.com.au

(

1300 156 836

PA1115_014

- 14

2015-11-09T09:23:56+11:00

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS

The 2016 Women in Industry Awards The Women in Industry Awards have launched for another year, focusing on women excelling across a number of fields.

W

omen are consistently achieving greatness and excelling in their chosen fields within the mining, engineering, manufacturing and process control industries and we think their talent should be acknowledged.

The 2016 Women in Industry Awards recognises and rewards the achievements of women working in the industrial sectors, and aims to raise the profile of women within industry, as well as promote and encourage excellence.

Manufacturers’ Monthly has teamed up with PACE and Australian Mining to acknowledge women who have achieved success through their invaluable leadership, innovation and commitment to their sector.

The program aims to recognise women who are leading change in their chosen field and breaking down the barriers in what can often be male-dominated industries.

The awards seek to single out and reward women

who have created innovations, driven productivity, spearheaded change, and provided social and economic benefits through their fields.

The only awards program of its kind to encompass mining, manufacturing and engineering, it also encourages the industrial world to raise the profile of women working in the differing sectors by embracing diversity and flagging clear paths for the next generation to follow.

And with so many thought-leaders together in one room on the night of the awards, it provides a forum for women to meet and exchange information, ideas and solutions to problems and offers individuals an opportunity to expand personal and business networks, maintain awareness of industry developments and make a contribution to other women in the industrial sectors.

Editor of Cirrus Media’s industrial publication Australian Mining, Cole Latimer, said the program was important in recognising the contributions being made to the changing face of industry.

“Though female participation has risen across all industrial sectors in Australia, companies are still focusing on more innovative attraction and retention strategies to foster this growing talent and support young women working in the sector.

“Women already working in the sector make up a big part of these support programs.

“They are paving the way for others and achieving great success, and we thinks this needs to be recognised in its own right.”

Any women working in the industrial sector can enter the awards, with the event culminating with a cocktail event to be held next year.

So help us recognise the women making a difference today!

Event date: 23 June 2016 Nominations open: 8 Feb 2016 Nominations close: 22 April 2016

2016 Event date: Thursday 23 June 2016

NOMINATIONS OPEN: 8 FEBRUARY 2016 Nominations close: 22 April 2016

For more details and to nominate visit: www.womeninindustry.com.au Proudly sponsored by 14 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

PA1115_000_RSC

-

1

2015-08-13T10:51:14+10:00

BEHIND EVERY GENUINE PART

THERE’S A DISTRIBUTOR YOU CAN COUNT ON By partnering with 2,500 brands you know and trust, we make thousands of the latest products available to you every month. With our well-stocked range of electronics, automation and industrial products, you can count on us for all the parts you need.

au.rs-online.com

PA1115_016

- 16

2015-11-09T09:10:35+11:00

BIG DATA

Big Data meets Minority Report: Predicting crimes in real time Nathan McGregor, Vice President and General Manager for Australia & New Zealand at Hitachi Data Systems, shares his thoughts on how Big Data is changing the way we ensure public safety.

T

he way we connect with the world is rapidly evolving.

Businesses, individuals and governments must constantly innovate to keep pace with global and local trends, to manage disruptions and capture market opportunities. The biggest opportunity lies with the Internet of Things (IoT), in what many are calling “the next Industrial Revolution”.

In this highly pressurised environment, organisations not only need to innovate faster, make smarter decisions and build more successful businesses, but also assist the world around us.

The answer lies with data. From smartphones to wind turbines, and trains to farms, data is everywhere thanks to IoT and connected devices.

Although IDC estimated the big data market in Asia Pacific to be worth US$1.2 billion in 2014, it’s growing quickly with a CAGR of 32 per cent through 2018 when the market will reach US$3.6 billion.

The real value of data comes from identifying insights through analytics.

Although analytics’ solutions are not new, with big data we now have a much wider array of data sources that can drive valuable insights.

New data, new technology challenges and new opportunities – this is the world of big data.

Changing how we police

The world’s population has doubled over the last 50 years. We will reach around 8.8 billion people by 2030, with a majority of those living in urban areas by 2050. According to a report by Navigant Research, investment in smart

city technologies in Asia Pacific will amount to US$63.4 billion by 2023, with more than 100 smart cities planned in India alone.

These and other significant shifts in demographics will inevitably create challenges in sectors such as healthcare, innovations for smart city planning, sustainable energy, improved transportation and more effective infrastructure solutions.

New technologies for example, are delivering unprecedented volumes of data to public safety officials.

This information originates from a variety of sources, such as video surveillance cameras, that can aid crime investigations. Similarly, sensors on traffic systems, public transportation and other critical infrastructure have the potential to uncover equipment malfunctions, unsafe conditions and gridlock.

However, this flood of information is more than most public safety organisations can effectively assess with human resources alone. To act swiftly in the face of an emergency, public safety officials require more than fast and easy access to data from their surveillance systems. They need data compiled, analysed and delivered as actionable information in real-time – right at their fingertips.

Efficiently viewing and analysing data from numerous sources requires a new generation of tools. These tools run on top of existing systems and have the power to extend their reach and usefulness while providing deep insights.

They simplify the user experience by placing data from disparate systems on

16 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

a common platform and associating metadata with millions of evidence clips that can be retrieved for further analysis.

Hitachi Data Systems recently announced the newly enhanced Hitachi Visualization Suite 4.5 (HVS) with predictive crime analytics, called Hitachi Visualization Predictive Crime Analytics (PCA). HVS is a hybrid cloud-based platform that integrates disparate data and video assets from public safety systems – such as license plate readers or gunshot sensors – in real time, while presenting this information geospatially, in easily digestible forms such as heat maps. HVS provides law enforcement teams with critical information to improve intelligence, enhance investigative capabilities and increase operational efficiencies.

Blending real-time event data with historical and contextual crime data from record management systems and other sources, PCA’s powerful spatial and temporal prediction algorithms aid law enforcement agencies and first responder teams assign threat levels for every part of the city. These algorithms can also be used to create threat level predictions to accurately forecast where crimes are likely to occur or additional resources required.

PCA is the first predictive policing tool that uses natural language processing for topic intensity modeling.

It utilises social media networks with other public and private data feeds in real time to deliver very accurate crime predictions.

In the US, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department uses similar solutions that enable hundreds of personnel to view integrated video feeds, sensor data and information from third-party systems. All information is overlaid onto a map of relevant areas and analytics software can tap into information from public sources, such as social media and online news, to search for correlations and anomalies.

Changing how we think

For big data to truly have an impact on society, we need to understand all the areas of our lives that it touches, and shift our thinking to a big data mind-set.

The challenge will continue to revolve around ways to identify and analyse the data that matters, uncover patterns, and use the findings to make more informed and efficient decisions.

Through innovative technologies and total solutions for sustainable urban development, big data can help us address critical global issues such as public safety, improve businesses and cities. It could even save lives.

Hitachi Drive Systems 02 9235 3300 www.hds/com/anz/

PA0815_000_SEW

-

1

2015-07-15T16:07:26+10:00

Gearmotors \ Heavy Industrial Solutions \ Electronics \ Decentralised Systems \ Services

Always on the safe side SEW-EURODRIVE’s comprehensive portfolio of MOVISAFE® components, gearmotors and frequency inverters, offers a powerful drive engineering solution for your application, incorporating monitoring for safe motion, safe positioning and safe brake management up to PLe according to EN ISO 13849-1. The MOVISAFE® safety controller is flexible and easy to program with its integrated safety function for all crucial safe motion requirements. SEW drive packages also include accessories like prefabricated encoder cables that will minimise errors and reduce wiring efforts. To find out more contact an SEW product expert closest to you on 1300 739 287 or visit www.sew-eurodrive.com.au.

www.sew-eurodrive.com.au 1300 SEW AUS (1300 739 287) to be directed to your nearest office Melbourne (Head Office) I Sydney I Brisbane I Townsville I Perth I Adelaide

sew pace 8.15 fap Movisafe Movidrive.indd 1

3/07/15 1:20 PM

PA1115_018

- 18

2015-11-09T09:35:14+11:00

WIRELESS

How smart businesses are gaining a competitive advantage using technology

I

n a world where technology is constantly evolving, savvy businesses must leverage new, intelligent technologies to gain a competitive advantage. Deploying a Mobility-Defined Network that will allow your business to not only improve efficiency across everyday processes but also increase profits, remain cutting edge and offer the best service to your customers is crucial, said Mark Verbloot, Systems Engineering Manager at Aruba Networks.

Wi-Fi isn’t a new term for this space; in-fact warehouses were one of the first areas that required such a system that could aid in inventory control management. And now, it’s become more important than ever, providing companies with the ability to become smarter and more efficient.

In fact, at the beginning of this year, Gartner released the top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2015 set to infiltrate the workplace and significantly impact organisations over

18 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

the next three years. A robust Wi-Fi infrastructure is required to support these trends, including; computing everywhere, the Internet of Things (IoT), smart machines and advanced analytics.

Connection speeds between the Wi-Fi infrastructure and Wi-Fi devices have increased rapidly over the past five years. If fact it’s possible today for devices using the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard to connect to the network at speeds over 1GBps. These speeds will

further increase in the coming years, which really marks a turning point with the use of Wi-Fi as the primary network access method. Whilst such high speeds are often not required in this sector today there is little doubt that with the proliferation of media rich applications and Ultra High Definition video content (4K video) this will change.

So, what are the latest wireless innovations and how can the humble Wi-Fi connection allow businesses to

PA1115_019

- 19

2015-11-09T09:38:59+11:00

WIRELESS

industries within harsh environments.

Wireless hardware has come a long way with APs now designed to withstand extreme temperatures, persistent moisture and precipitation, and are fully sealed to keep out airborne contaminants. When installing a Wi-Fi network within the manufacturing, mining, automotive, or utilities sector, emphasis is placed on the specific environment the business operates within. For example, a company that stores products in large freezers at all times can install an AP that can withstand cold temperatures so staff can continue to maintain and update stock inventory in the freezer, improving accuracy and efficiency.

Installing durable purpose-built APs allows your business to benefit from consistent Wi-Fi, which ensures effectiveness when gathering data and maximises technology use anywhere, anytime.

Cutting the cord

enhance workplace productivity and overall competitiveness?

Connection in the toughest Aussie environments One of the latest wireless initiatives benefiting the industrial sector is purpose-built wireless Access Points (APs) that are suitable to specific

Another advancement in Wi-Fi that has not yet been fully embraced by the industrial sector is the notion of becoming entirely mobile by ‘cutting the cord’. The latest Wi-Fi revolution is cloud-managed wireless, driven by the use of mobile devices and in particular the smartphone.

This network advancement is of particular interest for industrial spaces as it’s simple to install and has low up-front costs.

Cloud-managed wireless is of particular interest for mining sites, the utilities sector and manufacturers that are generally characterised as multiuser environments with various connected mobile technologies. As IoT continues to infiltrate our world, optimising Wi-Fi and the cloud are integral to the fast delivery of information to and from a growing range of devices and machines.

IoT benefits manufacturers greatly, creating opportunities to capture and interpret data quickly, as well as streamline processes and increase efficiency. Production line monitoring and automation though the use of IoT applications allows manufacturers to make better use of resources and reduce unplanned downtime through predictive maintenance. Food company

King’s Hawaiian is a manufacturing and food production plant that has implemented a variety of connected machines in their bread production factories, allowing employees to monitor factory performance. The data collected by various machines has allowed the business to reduce potential downtime of machines and lower maintenance costs. Having a dependable Wi-Fi network that numerous machines and staff members can rely on is essential, especially in high-density environments within the industrial space.

Eliminating physical obstacles

Mobility continues to be a top priority for the sector, with a wireless infrastructure critical in assisting in the collaboration of staff and processes.

Wireless mesh networks are a solution that can provide staff with the ability to access information any time, anywhere.

Providing employees with the access to use mobile scanners, computers, label printers and arcade scanners no matter the location or obstacle is crucial. Mesh networks are resilient,

low-maintenance, and the one wireless solution that can overcome line-ofsight issues that may occur when a space is crowded with buildings or dense industrial equipment. Mesh networks are also utilised in spaces such as outdoor storage yards, ports and terminals, which are often difficult to network because of their geography.

Access to such a wireless offering will further support staff productivity and assist in maintaining a competitive advantage.

A simple and flexible Wi-Fi infrastructure will empower your business to run more effectively, and also increase profits, gain a pointof-difference and provide a unique offering to customers. Having a wireless system in place that supports the implementation of the latest technology will enhance performance and business outcomes. In an industry that is often complex, choose a wireless provider that is going to suit your business needs eliminate unnecessary time and effort.

Aruba Networks 02 8667 7810 www.arubanetworks.com

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 19

PA1115_020

- 20

2015-11-09T09:41:45+11:00

MOTORS, DRIVES & MOTION CONTROL

Gearing up for quick changes

They might not yet be matching the times of Formula One pit crews, but railway maintenance teams are set to do their work in record time.

This is due to new processes made possible by equipment developed specifically for the purpose.

D

riven by the flexibility and precision of the SEW-Eurodrive Movidrive B drive inverter, the latest exchange system enables faster, safer and more economical turnaround in railway maintenance sheds throughout Australia.

Changing bogies is a demanding business. According to Neil Boehringer, Project Manager at Andrew Engineering, the company that manufactures the bogie exchange system (BES), the new design halves the changeover time.

He said that when traditional methods are used, it takes a team of maintenance workers an hour and a half for each changeover. Using the new equipment, a single operator can remove

and replace a set of bogies and have the train ready to leave the shed within 45 minutes. This makes it easy to carry out maintenance on the wheels or other components away from the train.

Precise movements

The older methods rely on jacking the whole train up or working from below in specially constructed pits, but thanks to the precise movements controlled by the Movidrive B drive inverter, the car need only be lifted by 50mm. The bogie is then easily removed from the carriage and brought out sideways. This combination of movements requires a complex set of drives, motors and gears, working in all

20 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

three axial directions (x, y and z), with some of the lifting and positioning movements requiring great precision.

“When equipped with an absolute encoder feedback mechanism, the inverter can be configured for fine or coarse movements in any direction,” said Mauro Castiello, Sales/Application Engineer at SEW-Eurodrive.

“The absolute encoder gives us the ability to lift and position with a tolerance of 0.1mm, in real time,” he said. “In other cases, when we don’t need that level of precision, it’s more like manually operating a crane. You press the button and the motor runs, and then you release the button to stop it.”

Design support

During the system design phase, Boehringer and his team at Andrew Engineering enlisted their supplier to assist. “If it’s a complex design that you can’t do yourself, they support you,” he said.

The company employed its Workbench software in producing the designs. Castiello said that by feeding in parameters like the speeds of the movements, the weights to be lifted and the type of friction to be encountered the designers could easily select the appropriate motors and drives. To cater for the range of movements, the system design included a combination of helical bevel and helical worm gearboxes.

PA1115_021

- 21

2015-11-09T09:48:45+11:00

MOTORS, DRIVES & MOTION CONTROL

“After the equipment selection was made, we reviewed the calculations together with the Andrew Engineering designers. Once approved, a threedimensional CAD model of the system was provided and then used directly into their own design software,” said Castiello. “Their skilled designers could use this input to engineer a complete BES, with no additional information from us.”

Because the movements are sequenced when the bogies are changed over, the designers requested a single inverter to control the individual movement of four different motors. This resulted in considerable savings for the overall project.

“Rather than asking you to buy a Rolls Royce version, SEW-Eurodrive optimises its designs to suit our needs every time we work with them,” said Lincoln Oxer, Senior Electrical Designer at Andrew Engineering.

Fieldbus flexibility

Oxer said another major advantage of the design was the ability to control the motors and drives via a fieldbus, with

acceleration times, deceleration times and other parameters easily managed.

Similarly, any adjustments that become necessary as conditions change during the lifecycle of the machine can be carried out remotely or by the operator at the human-machine interface (HMI).

The complete system controls 15 different motors through seven drives. Some of the motors have brakes; some have absolute encoders for extra precision and others don’t.

Consequently, there are a wide variety of power and current requirements during the bogie changeover and it is essential that all the parameters can be switched simply.

“You get complete parametrisation and adjustability at your HMI without having to connect up a laptop to do the tweaks. You can limit the current if you need to do a soft stop. And it also has the grunt to lift heavy weights,” said Oxer.

Delivery time was an important factor in the success of the project.

According to Oxer, the industry norm is to deliver this kind of equipment in 12 to 16 weeks, whereas SEW-Eurodrive

was able to deliver in one week because their local operation holds stock.

The ability to source all of the components from a single supplier was also important said Boehringer, who has selected gears, motors and drives from the company for complex projects over many years. It simplified the design process and there were no concerns about different suppliers arguing over warranty responsibilities.

Safer, cheaper and faster

While the cost, speed and laboursaving advantages of the BES are clearly important, improved safety is the number one benefit. The two traditional methods of exchanging bogies, that is, working from an underground pit beneath the train car or working beneath the jacked-up train, require special precautions. This is not the case with the new system.

When a pit is installed in a maintenance shed – an expensive civil construction exercise – special work practices must be put in place to maintain the trains. Working in a pit beneath the train means working in a

confined space. Occupational health and safety (OH&S) regulations for confined spaces include requirements for quick and easy exit in case of emergency. At the same time though, the maintenance crews are working at height to change the bogies, and there is a requirement for scaffolding to ensure their safety.

“These two requirements are fighting against each other, and maintenance might be delayed because the issue is too hard to resolve,” said Oxer.

He said that working under a heavy jacked-up train is not pleasant either, regardless of the safety precautions in place. “It always makes me nervous,” he said.

In stark contrast, the new Andrew Engineering BES, powered by the Movidrive B drive inverter, overcomes this safety dilemma. In railway maintenance sheds around Australia, it is now possible for a single operator to carry out the bogie exchange in a safer, faster and more cost-effective manner.

SEW Eurodrive 03 9933 1000 www.sew-eurodrive.com.au

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 21

PA1115_022

- 22

2015-11-09T12:08:33+11:00

MOTORS, DRIVES & MOTION CONTROL

Developing an online plant model for a DC Motor

By Karthik Srinivasan, MathWorks

M

ost control algorithms are usually developed based on a nominal plant model. Design criteria such as gain and phase margins can ensure acceptable performance when there are slight changes in plant dynamics. However, if plant dynamics change significantly due to a component or sensor failure, the result can be suboptimal or even catastrophic.

To ensure that such failures do not produce such a result, it is important to detect failures as they happen. An online model lets you compare plant

measurements with predictions from the model and detect failures when the difference exceeds a certain threshold.

DC motor is operating. To do this, we will program an Arduino Uno board to perform online estimation.

Problem setup

Online fault detection

The setup for our example is a hobby DC motor connected to an Arduino Uno board.

We command the DC motor to track a square wave reference angle.

After 20 seconds we introduce a disturbance to make the motor stop tracking the reference angle.

We want to be able to detect this change in motor behaviour while the

22 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

To program the Arduino Uno we build a simple two-part model in Simulink using blocks from System Identification Toolbox.

The control algorithm part of the model uses motor angle measurement and a simple PID controller to calculate a voltage request to the motor to track the angle position reference.

The lower part of the model

implements online parameter identification and fault detection. It is built using the Recursive Polynomial Estimator block in System Identification Toolbox.

We provide the voltage commanded to the DC motor and the measured motor angle as inputs to this block.

Since an ARMAX model structure lets us model noise and dynamics independently, we configure this block to estimate an ARMAX polynomial model of the DC motor.

Selecting the right number of parameters is part science, part trial and

PA1115_023

- 23

2015-11-09T12:09:51+11:00

MOTORS, DRIVES & MOTION CONTROL

error. Since DC motors are typically modelled as second-order systems we choose 2 for the number of poles (A(q) terms), and for B(q) and C(q) we choose 2 and 1, respectively. We choose the input delay by observing how long it takes the DC motor to respond to a step input and dividing this number by the estimator sample time. The result is a value of 2 for the Input Delay (nk).

The Recursive Polynomial Estimator block gives us the option to enable or disable parameter estimation.

We will use the Enable port to perform online parameter estimation for the first 10 seconds of the experiment— long enough for the estimated parameters to converge to their steady-state values.

After 10 seconds we will disable the estimation. With the estimation disabled, the block does not update the DC motor parameters; instead, it outputs their previously estimated values. We can use these estimated parameter values to predict the motor angle for a given commanded voltage under normal operating conditions of the motor, and compare this prediction with the measured motor angle.

To compare the predicted and measured motor angle we enable the Error port, which outputs the one-stepahead prediction error (the difference between the measured motor angle and the angle estimated from the block).

We pass the low pass filtered version of the one-step-ahead prediction error to the fault detection algorithm, implemented as a two-state Stateflow chart. The Stateflow chart sets the fault flag to 1 when the filtered error is greater than the threshold and resets the fault flag to 0 when 10 seconds have passed and the error is less than 1.

We deploy this Simulink model onto the Arduino Uno board using the Run on Target Hardware feature of Simulink.

Results

We are now all set to detect changes in DC motor dynamics while the motor is running.

We let the online parameter estimation algorithm estimate the nominal DC motor dynamics for the first 10 seconds. About 20 seconds into the simulation, we introduce a

disturbance into the DC motor. As soon as the disturbance occurs, the prediction error shoots up and the algorithm sets the fault flag to 1. When the disturbance is removed, the algorithm resets the fault flag to zero.

Extending this approach

In this example, we used online estimation to detect faults in a physical system as they occurred. Common applications of online estimation also include adaptive control, where it is used

to estimate a plant model to modify a controller based on changes in the plant model, and soft sensing where you generate a “measurement” based on the estimated plant model for feedback control or fault detection.

After validating the online estimation in simulation, you can generate code for your model for deployment to the target hardware MathWorks 02-8669-4700 au.mathworks.com

NULON PRODUCTS CONVICTED OF LICENCE BREACH IN MOOREBANK Nulon Products Australia Pty Ltd (the Company) has been convicted in the Land and Environment Court of NSW under section 64 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 for breaching a condition of its environment protection licence.

The Company, located in Moorebank, engages in oil and lubricant production.

On 4-5 February 2014, an environmental incident occurred

at the Company’s factory in Moorebank. A heater inside a blending tank was left switched on and the gear oil in the tank overheated. This led to some employees at nearby premises temporarily falling sick, and complaints being made by community members.

On 28 September 2015, the Company was ordered to pay a total of $120,000 to the Environmental Trust for general environmental purposes.

The Company was ordered to pay the EPA’s legal costs in the amount of $64,530 and investigation costs of $674.82.

The Company was prosecuted by the NSW Environment Protection Authority in relation to the offence and pleaded guilty to the charge.

This notice was paid for by the Company as a result of an order of the Land and Environment Court of NSW.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 23

PA1115_024

- 24

2015-11-09T09:50:22+11:00

ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION

Australia, say hello to YuMi

ABB Robotics has unveiled the world’s first truly collaborative dual-arm robot that promises to radically change assembly lines.

Phil Crowther reports.

I

n recent years, progress in robotics has made it much easier to deploy robots on production lines: Installation has become quicker; programming and reprogramming have become simpler; and robots have become more versatile, enabling them to turn their hand to many more tasks than before.

What was missing, though, was a collaborative robot – one that could work beside a human, unconstrained by safety barriers, and be easily taught its task.

That has now changed. After years of research and development, ABB has unveiled YuMi, the first industrial robot that can truly be called collaborative.

It complies with the safety standards and can to work hand-in-hand with humans on assembly lines. This

groundbreaking robot ushers in a new era in manufacturing.

Few production arenas are changing as quickly as that of smallparts assembly.

The electronics industry, in particular, has seen demand in this arena skyrocket past the supply of skilled labor. As conventional assembly methods diminish in value, manufacturers are finding it strategically and economically imperative to invest in new solutions.

ABB’s market introduction of YuMi – a play on words that means “you” and “me” – is a groundbreaking solution for human-robot collaboration in the smallparts assembly environment.

First, safety

YuMi literally removes the barriers to collaboration by making protective

24 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

fencing and cages a thing of the past.

Its design is based on a revolutionary integration of motion control software, speed-limited hardware, reduced weight, a compact frame and 14-axis agility.

The lightweight, padded, magnesium arms can stop the robot’s motion in milliseconds if necessary – in the event of an unexpected collision, for instance.

Like the human arm, YuMi has no pinch points, so there can be no crushing between two opposing surfaces as the arm flexes. The padded arms enclose the cabling and air connections, which eliminates snagging, reduces maintenance requirements and makes it easy to keep the robot clean and dust-free.

The combined effect of these features is the ensured safety of human coworkers on production lines and in fabrication cells.

Productivity

ABB designed YuMi to become productive very quickly as an all-in-one solution, with integrated arms, hands, torso, control technology and a partsfeeding system.

In designing YuMi, ABB’s global presence brought the benefit of an overview of manufacturing trends in 53 countries, many – such as those in north Asia – with high-growth forecasts for electronics. Foremost among these trends is the rapid merging of consumer, computer and communication devices (3C convergence).

This has led consumers to expect constant innovation at affordable prices, further straining production processes.

For manufacturers, the consumer market has changed the rules of production

PA1115_025

- 25

2015-11-09T09:51:12+11:00

ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION

in ways that can be addressed effectively only by automation. Today’s expectations of small-parts assembly involve higher product volumes, shorter product life cycles, shorter lead times and a growing trend to customise goods – particularly electronics – close to the final markets.

This new world of small parts assembly requires robots to be very flexible and easily trainable in new tasks. With YuMi, the operator simply has to activate a “record” program, manually guide YuMi through the desired movements and, while doing so, log waypoints and gripper actions on a paired tablet running the YuMi app.

The app then turns those movements into the underlying code for the controller.

Best of all, no special operator training is required. Known as leadthrough programming, this is the future of robot programming, and is so easy anyone can use it. For tasks too complicated for this leadthrough approach, ABB’s high-level RAPID

programming language can be used to train the robot in a more traditional manner.

Stock feed

Small-parts assembly is about more than dexterity – supplying the parts for a given task effectively is also key to an efficient operation. To address this, ABB developed the sophisticated parts-feeding FlexFeeder system for parts delivery.

The FlexFeeder stores a large number of parts, ranging from 3 mm to 30 mm in size, in a bin. Picking parts directly from the bin is a very complicated three-dimensional problem, so the FlexFeeder turns this into a much easier two-dimensional picking operation by placing parts from the bin onto a flat surface, where YuMi’s integrated gripper cameras can easily locate the parts and pick them up.

Creating an automated future

With the introduction of YuMi, ABB is pushing the boundaries of robotic

automation fundamentally altering the types of industrial processes that can be automated with robots. YuMi is the result of years of research and development and heralds a new era of robotic coworkers that are able to safely work side-by-side with humans.

While YuMi is specifically designed for small-parts assembly and has significant benefits in its own right, it is the first solution from ABB that is designed with a new era of human-robot collaboration

Introducing the new XM700!

- Portable and compact engraving machine - Built-in control unit - Touch screen is used for easy programming

in mind. The benefits of this type of collaboration are clearly not limited to a single industry – in fact, almost any industry stands to reap the benefits of collaborative robotic solutions.

[Phil Crowther works for ABB Robotics, Shanghai. This is an edited version of an article which first appeared in ABB Review, 3/15] ABB Australia 1800 222 435 www.abbaustralia.com.au

Portable marking solution.

Full mobility Deep marking Easy programming

Better traceability!

- After surface treatment (painting, galvanising, grinding, sanding) to obtain readable marking is ideal

Excellent results at your fingertips!

Scan here for more details

XM700 – The new generation of portable and independent marking solutions.

It has a large marking area and designed for use in difficult to access places.

To find out more information about the XM700, contact us at sales@gravotech.com.au.

gravograph.com.au | 02 9684 2000 SYDNEY • MELBOURNE • BRISBANE • ADELAIDE • PERTH

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 25

PA1115_026

- 26

2015-11-09T10:03:23+11:00

PRODUCTS

TOP

PRODUCTS FOR 2015

This year has been seen hundreds of new products released for the process, control, test and measurement sectors. While all the products that we featured in 2015 are worthy and have critical industry uses and were featured across both Pace magazine and its online version, pacetoday.com. au, we have picked what we consider are the 25 best products for this year. Whether you agree or disagree about our choices, these are the products that we have deemed as requiring further exposure due to their technical attributes such as robustness, connectivity, cross-industry of uses, or just simply for being new and unique.

Protective cable coatings for industrial control The igus e-skin and e-shell offer new options for affordable and flexible cable guiding, to make moving energy easier.

Corrugated hoses are lightweight, versatile and can guide energy, media and data at very low costs. They are used in a variety of applications, particularly where the demands on the energy supply system are not high.

The e-skin is a compact, simple-to-open hose for unsupported lengths. Consisting of an upper and lower shell, the e-skin can simply

be clipped together and opened for easy maintenance and inspection of the cables, with igus providing an additional tool for ease. As it is abrasion resistant, dust proof and waterproof, it can also be used in clean room environments.

Due to its oval design it allows more space, and the cables can be guided in carefully using interior separation modules.

Treotham Automation 02 9907 1788 www.treotham.com.au

Ethernet switch

Power supply boxes OFF-grid and mobile water disinfection is now possible thanks to water disinfection specialists, UV-Guard. A PLC operated controller packed with integrated features, including the ability to operate on 12V and 24V DC power supplies, now gives UV-Guard’s off-grid and mobile customers the ability to disinfect water via UV treatment.

The 12V and 24V DC PLC controller can control UV-Guard’s UV systems up to a power of 40W.

CONTROL Logic has unveiled the Red Lion 1000 Series hardened Gigabit Ethernet switch.

It boasts a high vibration of 200g, wide operating temperature range of between -40°C and +85 °C and high reliability of over two million hours Mean Time Between Failure. This ensures zero down time for mission critical data transfer.

The switch complies with IEEE 1613 for Electric Utility Substations and NEMA TS1/TS2 for Traffic Control.

UV-Guard 02 9631 4900 www.uvguard.com.au/

Control Logic 1800 557 705 www.control-logic.com.au

Compact PLC with IoT features RS Components (RS) has introduced the latest Mitsubishi FX5U compact PLCs, which extend the capabilities of the FX PLC platform with increased CPU performance and extra built-in functions including sophisticated position control.

New built-in features enhance support for IoT and Industry 4.0 applications, including an Ethernet port that

simplifies connectivity and allows remote maintenance, advanced security, and an SD Card slot for data logging and program updates.

Other built-in features, such as eight channels of high-speed pulse inputs and 4-axis pulse outputs, allow developers to create more powerful systems for applications like controlling packaging

26 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

machinery, using fewer modules.

Configuration using the familiar GX Works3 environment is also easier, with enhancements such as tablebased parameterisation, motion setup tools and extra positioning instructions.

RS Components 1300 656 636 www.au.rs-online.com

PA1115_027

- 27

2015-11-09T10:04:31+11:00

PRODUCTS

Lightweight flow hood TESTO has introduced a new Bluetoothenabled flow hood weighing less than three kilograms for use by HVAC technicians and other professionals.

The Testo 420 is equipped with a volume flow hood and 16 measurement points that record differential pressure, temperature, humidity and absolute pressure readings.

The flow hood is engineered for convenience, with the design meeting the needs of HVAC specialists who

often have to register air flow readings at inconvenient or even hazardous places.

Two ergonomic handles have been integrated to the sides of the Testo 420, allowing users to tilt the instrument to easily read the display.

Another useful feature enables HVAC technicians to reach vents in highceilinged industrial facilities.

Users can attach the volume flow hood to a tripod and remove the flow hood

from the main device. The tripod is then extended to cover the vent with the technician receiving the readings remotely.

The Bluetooth-enabled Testo 420 also allows easy app integration. Technicians can quickly download the app from Google Play or the Apple Store, and view real-time measurements on their smartphones.

Testo 1300 837 861 www.testoaus.com.au

Diaphragm valves with integrated pneumatic actuators million closing cycles over its service life.

The actuator housing can be opened quickly for service due to the central housing nut.

The connection with the valve body is plastic without any metal parts.

Therefore all materials have the same temperature expansion coefficients, which

GF Piping Systems has added the diaphragm valve type 604/605 with integrated pneumatic actuator to its product range.

The valve’s compact design fits standard installation lengths. Its integrated pneumatic actuator with quick opening and closing times enables more than one

prevents leakages and avoids re-torqueing of screws.

The valves also feature unique QR codes on the product leads to installation manuals, online training videos and certifications.

George Fischer Pty Ltd Ph: 02 9502 8000 www.gfps.com

Automation for a Changing World

Active Power Quality Solutions $FWLYH 3RZHU )LOWHU $3) ƒ 6WDWLF 9DU *HQHUDWRU 69* THDi Harmonics Suppression 5% Improves equipment reliability Reduces harmonic interference

Load Balance 3UHYHQWV ¿UH DFFLGHQWV Improves grid voltage stability

PF 0.99

Reactive Current Compensation ,PSURYHV SRZHU HI¿FLHQF\ WR DYRLG SHQDOWLHV Releases more capacity to the transformer

Standard 3 year Australian warranty Standard Ethernet and MODBUS TCP Communication Standard IP31 enclosure (IP54 optional) High resolution 7” HMI TFT LCD display Data logging and Real-Time monitoring functions

Delta Energy Systems Australia - Industrial Automation www.delta-es.com.au

Authorised System Integrator

Phone 1300 00 7243 to arrange a Power Quality Site Audit today.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 27

PA1115_028

- 28

2015-11-09T10:05:42+11:00

PRODUCTS

Versatile HMI for food manufacturers Rockwell Automation has released its new AllenBradley PanelView Plus 7 Performance graphic terminal to simplify and streamline visualisation in large, complex applications including food manufacturing.

The PanelView Plus 7 Performance terminal expands on the recently released PanelView Plus 7 Standard model with a larger screen option, more processing power, expanded connectivity and greater software support.

The 19-inch screen offers machine builders and end users more display area on which they can design, control and monitor large applications. .

The terminal also has expanded mobile connectivity.

Remote desktop services enable a plant manager, maintenance technician or support provider to securely access the HMI from a remote location to troubleshoot a problem, walk through setup procedures, review alarming and more. In addition, plant operators can monitor HMI data within the plant using a tablet, smartphone or other mobile device.

The PanelView Plus 7 Performance terminal also retains the benefits introduced with the PanelView Plus 7 Standard terminal. This includes the ability to save projects and critical machine information on an SD card. For example, machine builders can save a single machine’s configuration on an SD card and re-use

it for multiple similar machines, while operators can archive machine data for faster terminal replacements and easier troubleshooting.

Rockwell Automation (03) 9757 1111 www.rockwellautomation.com

Pump & HVAC controller range The Modicon M171 controller series is at the centre of Schneider Electric’s comprehensive offering of solutions for HVAC and pumping applications, focused on building automation.

The controller can be either DIN rail or wall-mounted and is equipped with up to 27 integrated inputs and outputs, having different combinations of discrete and analogue inputs and

28 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

outputs, depending upon the type.

Additional Modicon M171 controllers can also be networked.

The AFBs reduce energy consumption and help to improve system efficiency.

The Modicon M171 optimised class offers a more streamlined unit, free of superfluous and expensive extra functionalities, for users who want to

develop simple to moderately complex solutions without requirements for BMS architecture integration. A Modbus SL or LAN expansion bus interface is integrated into the controller to allow setup of a simple communication network.

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

PA1015_000_PHO

-

1

2015-09-29T09:31:49+10:00

ELECTRONIC DEVICE CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR EVEN GREATER SYSTEM AVAILABILITY

Maximum functionality, minimum overall width, high level of safety Protect your circuits in the event of overload and short-circuit current with the multi-channel electronic device circuit breakers.

The four and eight-channel devices can now be installed quickly and tool free and can be easily set.

The active current limitation limits the danger of a switched-mode power supply unit overload, if an error occurs in a connected circuit.

Electronic device circuit breakers are ideal for protecting relays, programmable controllers, motors, sensors, actuators, and valves, as examples.

For additional information call 1300 786 411 or visit

phoenixcontact.com.au

PA1115_030

- 30

2015-11-09T12:11:49+11:00

PRODUCTS

Wireless machinery analyser

Harsh environment HMIs THE UniOP eTOP Series 500G HMIs are a suitable choice for all demanding HMI applications including factory, energy and marine applications.

The eTOP510G features a high-brightness, contrastenhanced ruggedised 10.1” TFT widescreen display with LED backlight. The product has been designed for use in harsh environments and outdoor applications.

Glass bonding assembly and glass surface treatment provide for superior optical performance resulting in a sunlight-readable product.

The durable glass touchscreen requires the human touch, eliminating false activations, and offers high reliability and durability; it will continue to work even when surface is scratched or contaminated.

10.1” TFT colour display, resolution 1280x800 pixel, 64K colours Features include: • LED backlight dimmable to 0% • Projected capacitive touchscreen with true glass design • 2 Ethernet ports with switch function • 2 USB Host ports

• • • • • • •

SD Card slot Plug-in modules for system expansion IO69K Rating IECEX approval (as of Dec.2015) Extended Temperatures -20 to +60 High Brightness Sun-readable screen @ 600 Cd/m2 The eTOP Series 500G HMI panels have been designed to run the JMobile software.

Tecno Platform 0401747403 www.tecnoplatform.com.au

EMERSON Process Management has enhanced its portable CSI 2140 Machinery Health Analyser with a wireless interface to laser shaft alignment tools.

This advance reduces two burdens: equipment and time for operators performing vibration analysis and corrective tasks in the field.

The CSI 2140 offers four-channel plus phase data collection to save time and effort, advanced vibration analysis that embeds expertise in the tool, and multiplane balancing to correct imbalance in industrial fans. By adding a wireless link to laser fixtures, Emerson further streamlines the work process. Using the CSI 2140, personnel can perform route-based vibration data collection; analyse the root cause; and align the machine all in one trip. At the same time, they can identify and solve machinery faults to prevent any unplanned downtime.

Rugged handheld tablets The new Panasonic 5” Toughpad can be used in heavy gloves, in the rain or in direct sunlight to fulfill a wide range of applications across transport and logistics, retail and hospitality, manufacturing and aviation, utilities, field services, government and emergency services.

The Toughpad FZ-E1, powered by Windows Embedded 8.1 Handheld, and the Toughpad FZ-X1, running on the Android 4.2.2 operating system, are designed to replace multiple devices such as traditional tablets, handhelds or smartphones.

As well as delivering rugged performance in extreme operating environments where other devices would fail, features include the combination of large-screen

design and full enterprise-grade Windows functionality; voice and data connectivity; long-life hot-swappable batteries, and configuration options such as an integrated 1D/2D barcode reader and an attachable magnetic stripe reader.

The FZ-E1 and FZ-X1 handheld tablets go beyond MIL-STG-810G specifications and are designed to resist drops of up to 3m onto concrete, submersion in up to 1.5m of water (IP68 certification), temperatures ranging from -20°C to 60°C (thanks to a built-in heater) and are certified against dust, impact, shock, vibration, altitude and extreme humidity.

Panasonic Australia 132 600 www.panasonic.com/au/

Emerson Process Management 03 9721 0309 www.emersonprocess.com.au

Variable area flowmeter KROHNE’s H250 variable area flowmeter features modular design that allows it to be adapted to the needs of any application. Incorporating the M40 indicator, the new flowmeters are suitable for the flow measurement of liquids, gases and saturated vapour in the process industry. Unlike traditional variable area flow meters, the H250 M40 is available for use in both horizontal and fall pipes as well as in the standard installation upright in rising mains.

30 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

These flowmeters are designed to be either intrinsically safe or supplied in an explosion-proof casing, meeting the compliance requirements of different regional explosion protection strategies with just one device. The sturdy design of the flowmeter also ensures high resistance to pressure, temperature and media, with the H250’s ability to withstand extreme application and environmental conditions ensuring high reliability for the customer at an affordable

price. The H250 flowmeters can be upgraded with one or two limit switches (NAMUR, Transistor or Reed), a 4...20mA signal output with HART, a graphical LCD with totaliser and pulse output or a digital, bus-powered communication interface according to FOUNDATION Fieldbus or PROFIBUS PA standard onsite without process interruptions.

Krohne Australia 02 9426 1700 www.krohne.com.au

PA0815_000_NORD

-

1

2015-07-30T10:21:59+10:00

ANTRIEB

DER

n Reliable n Versatile n Global

The

n n n

Gear Unit Strong bearings High power density High corrosion protection

The

n n n

Motor

The

Drive Electronic

n Compact design High efficiency n Easy commissioning Global Standards All operating conditions n Protection class up to IP69K

Wide power range – Versatile system solutions – High overall efficiency

DerAntrieb.com NORD Drivesystems (AU) Pty Ltd 18 Stoney Way, Derrimut , Victoria, 3030 Australia Phone: +61 3 9394 0500, Fax: +61 3 9394 1525, www.nord.com.au National Customer Service 1300 00 NORD (6673), au-sales@nord.com Member of the NORD DRIVESYSTEMS Group

AU_PCE_235x297.indd 1

DRIVESYSTEMS 29.07.15 14:40

PA1115_032

- 32

2015-11-09T10:09:39+11:00

PRODUCTS

Remote control and monitoring of automation RS Components has announced availability of the new groov box industrial appliance, which enables maintenance engineers, facility and automation managers, as well as service companies, to easily and securely monitor and control just about any automation system or equipment from devices such as smartphones, tablets, PCs or smart TVs. Developed by Opto 22, groov is a webbased way to build and view operator

interfaces to monitor and control automation systems and equipment, and requires zero programming or coding.

It allows access to system data from anywhere a network is available and also allows users to receive real-time notifications based on configurable events.

The system is also secure, as all communications are encrypted over HTTPS and all connections need to be authenticated with username and password.

Developed as an Internet of Things tool for the Industry 4.0 paradigm for smart factories, the appliance is a hardware/software solution that means a PC is not required on site.

The appliance has a rugged and solidstate fan-less design, operating across a 0 to 70° C temperature range, which makes it well suited for deployment in harsh industrial environments. Offering a compact footprint with dimensions of just 106 x 171 x 33mm, it also features

Linear position sensors

Servo drive

Proximity sensors are quite often used to detect a linear moving target. 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.

Machine builders that use separate servo drives to meet high axiscount and power requirements for large custom machines can now consolidate to the new AllenBradley Kinetix 5700 servo drive.

The servo drive offers dual-axis servos, a large 1.6 to 60 kilowatt power range, and time-saving tuning technology.

Used in place of multiple servo drives, platform can help machine builders reduce cabinet-space requirements by up to 70 per cent, reduce wiring requirements by as

ADM 03 9551 6922 www.admtech.com.au

gigabit Ethernet interfaces and USB expansion for wireless LAN interfaces.

RS Components 1300 656 636 au.rs-online.com

much as 60 per cent, and achieve easier commissioning.

Once a machine is operational, the servo drive uses Tracking Notch Filter technology to detect and remove resonant frequencies, and automatically make tuning adjustments over time to help optimize machine performance.

This can reduce the need for regular tuning maintenance and help prevent machine failures.

Rockwell Automation 03 9757 1111 www.rockwellautomation.com

Small temperature transmitter with IO-Link The new temperature transmitter of the TA series features a spacesaving 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 efector 1300 365 088 www.ifm.com

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 32 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

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

PA1115_000_OCE

-

1

2015-11-06T10:13:47+11:00

PA1115_034

- 34

2015-11-09T12:13:12+11:00

PRODUCTS

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 eight 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

Precision moisture analyser

High pressure sensors

MICHELL Instruments has launched its new precision moisture analyser – the QMA401 – featuring the latest generation of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors and designed to provide consistently accurate measurements of trace moisture.

This consistency is achieved via a selfcalibration system which adjusts the analyser against an internal moisture generator.

According to the company, long term stability of these measurement corrections is guaranteed, as the moisture generator is supplied with a calibration traceable to NPL and NIST. Typical applications for the QMA401 are those which require trace moisture

In response to a growing need for sensors that can withstand high pressure applications, TURCK is introducing an extension to their CRS series with a new offering of high pressure inductive sensors. This extension offers customers an enhanced offering for applications regarding cylinders with a operating pressure rating of 3000 psi, whereas the previous offering allowed for only 1500 psi. The new high operating pressure CRS series come with embedded LEDs, providing a easily visible indication of the sensor. The high operating pressure CRS offering comes equipped with a 7/8” male connector, measures 12.7 mm in diameter and comes in a stainless steel smooth barrel housing with a special high pressure sealing ceramic active face; this allows it to withstand high pressure and demanding applications.

measurements in gases with high accuracy and fast response – such as verifying the purity of semiconductor plasma etching gases, monitoring polymer drying for plastic bottle manufacture and monitoring hydrogen cooling systems for power generators.

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

Turck Australia 1300 132 566 www.turck.com.au

Strain gauge measuring amplifier GLOBAL test and measurement specialist HBM has released the MX1615, a strain gauge measuring amplifier which is designed to provide exact results for stress loading.

The device is part of HBM’s QuantumX measuring system. It features universal strain gauge inputs, which enable it to cover the full range of tasks in strain gauge measurement.

The high channel density means 16 strain

gauge channels can be connected to it in a various configurations including fullbridge, half-bridge or quarter-bridge, in a 3-wire and patented Kreuzer 4-wire circuit.

And all channels can be used to record standardised voltage signals of ± 10 V as well as temperatures with a Pt100 sensor.

HBM 02 9889 8070 www.hbm.com

You’re at the top of our world...now stop right there Software Toolbox wants to turn you upside down with our excellent products and service. We may sound funny, but we talk sense.

Learn how our software connects your devices and applications. Put the right data in front of the right people at the right time and feel free to contact us and discuss your needs. At the end we are here to help you establish the best connections!!!

For all your needs, call Wonderware Australia on 1300 138 825 or info@wonderware.com.au

Australia

34 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

MA1115_000_SIE

-

1

2015-11-02T14:35:28+11:00

Available On Demand

www.siemens.com.au/webinar

The Future is now: Industry 4.0 A free Siemens webinar now available on demand at www.siemens.com.au/webinar

Our world is becoming increasingly digitsed, from personal devices to complex systems in industry. The increasing convergence of the physical and virtual worlds offers boundless opportunities, however like all things, it requires understanding, and investment before the benefits can be realised.

Join us for an informative webinar as Siemens experts: • Debunk some of the myths surrounding Industry 4.0 and digitalization • Look at real Industry 4.0 solutions along the product and process lifecycle to increase competitiveness • Discuss pathways to a digital future for Small & Medium Enterprise engineering organisations in Australia.

Join Chris Vains, Siemens General Manager for Factory Automation, and David Thomason, Siemens General Manager for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), as they explain the proven software and solutions including Totally Integrated Automation and Digital Enterprise Software that can enable Australian industries to maximise the benefits and opportunities of Industry 4.0, as well as increase flexibility, reduce time-to-market,and reduce energy and resource consumption.

Visit www.siemens.com.au/webinar to watch the webinar today.

Available on demand until 31 December 2015.

PA1115_036

- 36

2015-11-09T10:17:13+11:00

PRODUCTS

PC data explorer ibaPDA-PLC-Xplorer is a suitable entry-level solution for PC based data acquisition, recording and analysis.

It caters for Ethernet based signal acquisition without the need to program the PLC and connects to an ever growing range of control systems (e.g. SIMATIC S7, Codesys, AllenBradley etc.). It is a troubleshooting and commissioning tool and is equally well suited for long term analysis and process optimisation. It provides

the complete functionality of ibaPDA and is able to record 64 signals from up to 16 independent PLCs. Different recording profiles can be defined for different applications and used simultaneously. The generated historical data is analysed flexibly according to different criteria using the free of charge included ibaAnalyzer software. The system can

Digital panel meter

Multi-node multiplexer

be converted to a complete ibaPDA system with an upgrade license if 64 signals are no longer sufficient. www.iba-oceania.com

Miniature inductive sensors

London Electronics have just released a compact, low cost panel meter which can be configured with a USB connection.

Being graphical, it allows users to create a digital and bar graph representation of your measurement. The front panel is a sealed IP65 making it suitable for installation in wet areas. All configuration settings can be saved to a file, which also stores the meters serial number, which is ideal for QA traceability. The Model N21 accepts 24V DC, 24V AC, 110V AC or 230V AC power as standard and has the capability to give a 24V DC output at up to 30mA to power your 4-20mA loop. A configurable alarm relay is also provided and the N21 can customise the units of measure to suit your requirements. The Model N21 is suitable for the following applications: temperature measurement; tank contents measurement; pressure measurement; DC current measurement via shunt; weight indication; tidal height indication; borehole water table indication; humidity measurement and alarm.

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

Turck has added the Q4.7 series of rectangular inductive sensors to its range of miniature sensors. The miniature sensors in the new design (16mm x 8mm x 4.7mm) have been specially developed for applications in which they have to be fully embedded in metal, such as in the stamping and metal forming industry.

These kinds of applications not only require robust sensors with large switching distances, but also very small housings to reduce the amount of surrounding metal to be removed for the recesses.

The Q4.7 meets all the requirements mentioned with a two millimetre sensing range, a robust metal housing, a highly flexible two metre connection cable

with an oil-resistant sheath and the capability of being fully flush mounted. TURCK has managed to house the status LED in the active face so that this, in contrast to side mounted LED sensors, stays visible even when fully flush mounted.

In order to meet a wide variety of application conditions, the Q4.7 has a temperature range from 0 to 85° C and is IP67 rated.

Turck 1300 132 566 www.turck.com.au

Ethernet Australia has released the EOTec 2000 Multi-Node MX Multiplexer from Ultra Electronics. Designed to transmit up to 16 input channels, it has unlimited output channels from two nodes up to 256 nodes over a pair of fibre optic cables with input/output module selections that include 4-20mA, 0-10Vdc and contact closure.

It supports multiple nodes, so users can build daisy chain or self-healing ring topologies, which provide fault tolerance and greater network reliability.

The base unit connects directly to the fibre optic cable via Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) transceivers and provides visual indicators for power, global alarm, and module status as well as the fibre link status. Input/ output configuration is derived via a one-time dip-switch configuration with power supplied through redundant external 24VDC power supply terminals.

Ethernet Australia sales@ethernetaustralia.com.au www.ethernetaustralia.com.au

Satisfying your Food and Beverage manufacturing needs When it comes to the Food and Beverage industry, NHP offers the ultimate partnership to achieve project success. How? Put simply, we’re easy to do business with.

NHP ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING PRODUCTS PTY LTD

1300 NHP NHP | nhp.com.au | 36 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

EASY TO DO BUSINESS WITH

MA1115_019_END_2

-

1

2015-11-06T11:29:00+11:00

2016

EVENT DATE NOMINATIONS OPEN NOMINATIONS CLOSE

THURSDAY 12 MAY 2016 18 JANUARY 2016 18 MARCH 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

ENDEAVOURAWARDS .COM.AU

PA1115_038

- 38

2015-11-09T10:00:27+11:00

THE LAST WORD

How an energy management plan helps your bottom line

A

n effective energy management plan can add value for energy intensive industries, such as chemicals, refining, manufacturing, pulp and paper and metals, by enabling them to manage and optimise their energy and utilities usage. While many companies have created in-house tools to monitor and optimise the supply and use of energy and utilities, these do not enable the economic integration of all business processes. AspenTech’s Peter Caro talks to PACE about the best ways to optimise your processes with the lowest cost operations, while also maximising profitability.

PACE: What are the key considerations when implementing an energy consumption audit of a manufacturing plant? What are the possible outputs?

Peter Caro (PC): An effective energy management plan must be tackled holistically and integrated across all aspects of the business. To be truly energy efficient, a clear action plan elevates the importance of energy management, defines the targets and timelines, tasks the workforce to execute the plan efficiently and maintains controls for the operation. Essentially, the key areas of consideration are as follows: • Overall operating conditions to limit energy costs • Maximising production (i.e. not just increasing quantity, but also producing the right product like petrol or diesel) • Staying within operating constraints (i.e. CO2 emissions, water temperature, gas or electricity consumption) Equipping key stakeholders with leading-edge software delivers long-term benefits to help reduce costs and improve the overall performance of the plant. In today’s dynamic and competitive market, energy management is a key way to ease the squeeze on profit margins. The

Peter Caro consequence of ignoring energy costs could be the difference between being commercially robust and profitable, and not being in business at all.

Manufacturers must capture opportunities to reduce energy use and emissions and at the same time increase bottom line profitability. Up to 30 per cent of capital equipment impacts some 90 per cent of energy used in most oil refining and petrochemical processes.

Major savings are possible, however, by using appropriate analytical and design software alongside suitable energy-saving

38 www.pacetoday.com.au NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

technologies. This strategy should form best practice for plants wanting to optimise economic performance through production efficiency utilising recovered energy.

Improving operational energy efficiency saves operating costs and most initiatives will have discernible business benefits. An effective energy management plan must be holistic, addressing both sides of the energy equation effectively by monitoring and optimising the supply and demand sides simultaneously. The most effective programmes should include a rigorous model of the utility system, as well as continuous improvement capabilities. By implementing an energy management programme with elements focusing on both supply and demand, organisations can achieve significant returns - sometimes over 15 per cent of their annual energy costs with attractive payback on capital invested.

PACE: To what extent can an energy management plan be implemented in an existing working plant?

PC: Effective energy management is not a one-off project or one area of the

business. It needs to be an integral part of managing and operating the plant to achieve optimum levels of energy, while meeting production goals. However, many existing refineries and chemicals companies fail to recognise that energy management needs to be an on going commercial priority. The ability to visualise and analyse actual plant performance in real-time is essential to understanding energy usage and emissions and take necessary action. The notion that energy costs are fixed is a myth. They are a variable entity that can eat away profit margins and even affect plant performance.

By adopting a sustained approach to energy efficiency supported by integrated processes and managed by leading-edge process optimisation software, companies can control and reduce energy expenditures. Efficient savings made across the enterprise will positively impact plant profitability and, when margins are squeezed, this could mean the difference between success and failure.

For many existing plants, energy is the highest operating cost, second only to raw materials. Most chemical or refining processes experience

PA1115_039

- 39

2015-11-09T14:03:13+11:00 PA0 4 1 5 _ 0 0 0 _ VEG

variability in energy efficiency because of changes in process conditions, different operating strategies, poor control and visibility issues over wasteful practices. When designing the plant, engineers expect specific conditions.

However, during the life of the plant the conditions will vary, so establishing the right operating parameters is vital to optimising this process.

Plant energy management itself can be divided into two key areas: first, the reduction of energy demand and consumption in production processes; second, the reduction of the supply costs of the energy used to meet the energy demand. An effective energy management plan must address both sides of this equation simultaneously and from the initial planning of the operations to the minute by minute safe operation of the plant. Energy management must be performed by all key stakeholders and these should, in turn, be given the right tools and procedures for the job.

Planning systems can help define both the optimal energy use of a plant and also schedule the utility system’s operation to closely match the requirements of the production units, thereby reducing costly and unnecessary standby operations and ensuring the lowest cost purchase of external utilities.

During plant operations, real-time software systems can monitor the operation against target, highlighting any deviation. These can also provide timely advice on optimal changes and the value of making these changes on user-friendly interfaces, such as DCS screens or web browsers.

For energy-intensive process manufacturing sites, such as an oil refinery, petrochemical or chemical plant, investment in software should not be seen as a cost barrier. In fact, companies of all

-

1

2 0 1 5 - 0 6 - 0 9 T1 6 : 0 6 : 1 4 + 1 0 : 0 0

sizes have experienced enormous energy cost reductions by using software solutions for energy optimisation.

PACE: How can an energy optimisation solution help manage the consumed energy across the plant? Does it take into account energy cost per source and calculate utilities forecast based on actual and future production demand?

PC: Energy reduction and energy efficiency is increasingly a priority for process industry companies working on driving enhanced profitability and protecting the environment. Together, these developments are adding complexity to the industry and driving demand for solutions that can deliver process optimisation and operational efficiencies. For petrochemical and refinery plants, investment in software tools is essential to manage and optimise the operation.

Many companies have successfully implemented AspenTech’s aspenONE process optimisation software to achieve best practices for optimising their engineering, manufacturing and supply chain operations. aspenONE Engineering is a leading suite of software products focused on process engineering and design optimisation.

Various process modelling analysis and design tools, such as Activated Energy Analysis, Economic Analysis, Rigorous Heat Exchanger Design and Rating and Aspen Fireheater, are integrated and accessible through process simulators Aspen HYSYS and Aspen Plus.

By applying aspenONE solutions to the lifecycle of production assets, clients can typically save 10-30 per cent energy cost while reducing 10-20 per cent capital cost investment.

“ A real alternative to ultrasonics at an amazingly reasonable price.”

New from VEGA: Radar level measurement specifically for the water and sewage sector.

The radar sensor VEGAPULS WL 61 is ideal for any applications involving distance, level and flow measurement in water preparation and sewage treatment. Completely unfazed by weather or surface conditions, radar technology delivers precise monitoring of water levels, ensuring reliable measurement data and maintenance-free operation. www.vega.com/au/innovation Phone: 1800 817 135

AspenTech www.aspentech.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 www.pacetoday.com.au 39

PA1115_040_ZEN

-

1

2015-11-09T14:09:21+11:00

2016

Nominations open 1 February 2016 Nominations close 15 April 2016

For more information visit www.paceawards.com.au