What’s New in Process Technology Nov 2012

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ON THE COVER

WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY NOVEMBER 2012

Control assemb and Safety Va lve led and supported s locally in Austr ali

a

CONTENTS

Long associated with the Consolidated range of safety valves and Masoneilan control valve portfolio, Powerflo Solutions has been reappointed the channel partner for these products, in Australia-Pacific. Powerflo believes that this

4

How to manage vaporisation in an analytical system

10

New products

clients in the region.

14

Hot products online

Powerflo’s service team are able to offer a wide

26

Leveraging virtualisation

42

Avoiding fractionation for accurate sampling

Achieving higher business continuity within industrial facilities

As I see it Extend your control: digitisation of the industrial world

strategic alliance brings many long-term opportunities for both companies, as well as their With MARC and GTC training under their belt, range of field support services including plant audits, product training and valve diagnostics.

Moreover, Powerflo is the only authorised repair company in the region, employing factorytrained and certified technicians.

Powerflo has embarked on an expansive ValvFAST program, assembling Masoneilan control valves in Australia. With increasing demand for a wide range of materials and fast delivery, this significant investment in ValvFAST will provide the platform to quickly provide a wide range of material options, pressure classes and connections, along with standard and multistage trims, in a wide range of alloys including NACE. For well over 100 years, Masoneilan has offered a wide portfolio of standard and engineered control valves in both reciprocating and rotary designs. Considerable investment continues to be made every year, to keep at the forefront of control valve design technology.

Consolidated provides unmatched technology in safety valve design. Considered an industry leader in power plant relief valves, Consolidated is now a major player in the oil, gas and mining sectors. A Consolidated ValvFAST delivery program, in accordance with ASME Section I and VIII, will commence in 2013.

Powerflo Solutions Pty Ltd www.powerflo.com.au

NOW in DIGITAL! Your copy of What's New in Process Technology is now available as an online eMag.

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HOW TO MANAGE VAPORISATION IN AN ANALYTICAL SYSTEM Doug Nordstrom and Tony Waters, Swagelok Company

AVOIDING FRACTIONATION FOR ACCURATE SAMPLING

4 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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© iStockphoto.com/HAYKIRDI

If the analyser in your analytical system requires gas but your sample is liquid, the only option is to convert the liquid to gas. This process is called vaporisation or flash vaporisation. The objective is to convert a sample of all liquid to all vapour instantly - without changing the composition.

I

t is not easy to vaporise a sample, nor is it always possible, so make sure it’s really necessary and possible before you try. You should always analyse a liquid in a liquid phase unless there are strong reasons for analysing in a vapour phase.

If you proceed with vaporisation, it’s important to understand the difference between evaporation and vaporisation. Evaporation occurs gradually with an increase in temperature.

Vaporisation occurs instantly with a drop in pressure. It’s not possible to vaporise a sample by increasing temperature. Heat causes evaporation and adding more heat simply makes evaporation happen faster.

In a mixed sample, evaporation will allow some compounds to evaporate before others, resulting in fractionation. Vaporisation, done properly, ensures that all of the compounds vaporise at the same time, preserving the sample’s composition.

However, it is possible for things to go wrong when vaporising. Instead of flashing the whole sample into a vapour, you could unintentionally cause a combination of vaporisation and evaporation, resulting in fractionation.

Once a sample of mixed compounds fractionates, it is no longer suitable for analysis.

With fractionation, a common scenario is for lighter molecules to evaporate first and travel on towards the analyser, while the heavier molecules remain behind in the liquid phase.

Even if at some later point in the process a fractionated sample appears to be all gas, the mixture will not be of the same molecular proportions as it was before fractionation. It will no longer accurately represent the product taken from the process line.

Let’s take a closer look at the process of vaporisation and how we can manipulate the variables - temperature, pressure and flow - to ensure proper vaporisation and an accurate analytical result.

Understanding vaporisation To vaporise a sample, one typically uses a vaporising regulator, also called a vaporiser, which is a pressure-reducing regulator with the capacity to transfer heat to the sample at just the right location.

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Vaporisation consists of a three-stage process (see Figure 1). First, the sample enters the vaporiser as a liquid. At this point, the liquid should not be bubbling or boiling.

Second, the liquid passes through the regulating orifice in the vaporiser, resulting in a severe and sudden pressure drop, which vaporises the liquid. At the same time, heat is applied, which enables the vaporised liquid to remain a vapour.

Third, the sample, now a gas, exits the vaporiser and travels to the analyser to be read. Due to the immediate transition to the vapour phase, the composition of the gas is unchanged from that of the liquid, ensuring an accurate reading.

In this delicate process, there are many variables or inputs that determine success or failure. For the purpose of this discussion, let’s say there are two main sets of inputs.

The first set of inputs concerns the composition of the sample. Depending on the composition of the sample, it will begin to bubble and finish vaporising at different pressures and temperatures. We’ll need to know what these pressures and temperatures are to successfully manage the process.

The second set of inputs concerns settings that you control in your sampling system: pressure, temperature and flow. Pressure and temperature are controlled at the vaporiser, while flow is controlled downstream at a rotameter (variable area flowmeter) and needle valve. We set these inputs based on what we know about the first set of inputs.

Proper vaporisation requires a delicate balance of all inputs.

Even when approaching vaporisation in a systematic manner like this, the process does require some trial and error, so we’ll also talk about how to diagnose and address problems.

Understanding your sample The best way to understand the first set of inputs is with a phase diagram. A phase diagram plots pressure and temperature, showing at any pair of conditions whether a substance will be vapour, liquid or solid.

The lines indicate the interfaces between two phases.

NOVEMBER 2012 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 5

Gases & fluids

Figure 1: The three-stage vaporisation process.

Phase diagrams for most pure gases are available on the internet, for example, at http://encyclopedia.airliquide.com. But diagrams for gas mixtures are very difficult to create without commercial software.

Figure 2 represents a phase diagram for 20% hexane in pentane. When the sample is above the bubble point (blue line), it’s all liquid. We want the sample to be all liquid when it enters the vaporiser. When the mixture is below the dew point (gold line), it’s all vapour. The sample must be all vapour when it leaves the vaporiser.

Between the bubble point and dew point lines is what we call the no-go zone. This zone is the boiling range of the sample.

Here, the mixture is in two phases, part liquid and part vapour. Once a sample falls into the no-go zone, it is fractionated and no longer suitable for analysis. The objective in vaporisation is to set the temperature, flow and pressure so that the sample skips instantly from the liquid side of the no-go zone to the vapour side of the no-go zone.

With pure and nearly pure samples, there is little to no boiling range or no-go zone.

The bubble point and dew point lines are on top of each other or nearly so. Indeed, pure and nearly pure samples will convert to vapour of the same composition, whether through evaporation or vaporisation. Some industrial samples approach this level of purity and convert easily.

On the other hand, some samples have such a wide boiling range or no-go zone that they cannot be successfully vaporised.

There is no way to skip from the liquid side of the no-go zone to the vapour side of the no-go zone. We are unable to manipulate the

Figure 2: Phase diagram showing 20% hexane in pentane, with temperature settings.

variables - temperature, flow, and pressure - in such a way as to avoid fractionation.

Most samples fall between these two extremes. For example, in Figure 2, the band between bubble point and dew point is narrow enough that with the proper settings we can enable the sample to effectively skip from the liquid side of the no-go zone to the vapour side. At the same time, the band in Figure 2 is wide enough that we cannot afford to be careless. Indeed, we will need to be skilful in our manipulation of the variables or we will end up with a sample in the no-go zone.

Setting temperature, pressure and flow Let’s continue to work with the sample in Figure 2 (20% hexane in pentane) and see how we can set our inputs to ensure successful vaporisation.

In general, at the inlet, we want high pressure and low temperature. At the outlet, we want high temperature and low pressure.

But there are limits as to how high and low these parameters can be, and not all of them are under our control completely. Vaporisation is basically a balancing act between the variables.

Here is a four-step process for setting your inputs:

Step 1: Determine the inlet pressure at your vaporiser This pressure, which is fixed, is your process pressure, provided your vaporiser is located close to your sample tap. In Figure 2, that pressure is 4 bar. Higher pressure is better because it allows you to keep the vaporiser temperature higher without boiling the incoming liquid.

6 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

Step 2: Set your inlet temperature, or the temperature of your vaporiser There are two objectives. First, the temperature must be low enough that when the sample enters the vaporiser it is entirely a liquid and isn’t bubbling. In Figure 2, the bubble point at 4 bar is 88°C, but we want to build in a cushion, so let’s choose 80°C, a round number far enough away from 88°C to be safe.

The temperature must be high enough to contribute to the complete flashing of the sample, because when you vaporise the sample, the temperature drops, in accordance with the laws of energy conservation. The sample temperature must be high enough at the outset so that after the pressure drop the sample is not in the boiling range or no-go zone. In Figure 2, the vapour temperature after the pressure drop is 60°C, just on the vapour side of the dew point line.

Step 3: Set the outlet pressure at the vaporiser Your objective is to drop the pressure below the gold dew point line. In Figure 2, the outlet pressure is set to 1.5 bar. If the outlet pressure were any higher in this example, the sample would fractionate.

Step 4: Set your flow Flow is set downstream at a valve and rotameter, not at the vaporiser. In a sampling system, high vapour flow is desirable because it moves the sample to the analyser faster. However, high flow can be problematic too, because high flow results in a greater drop in temperature at the time of vaporisation. In Figure 2, the purple line illustrates the temperature drop. As

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Gases & fluids

Figure 3: This steam-heated vaporising regulator features a low internal volume to improve the likelihood that all of the compounds vaporise at the same time, preserving the sample’s composition.

IN A MIXED SAMPLE, EVAPORATION WILL ALLOW SOME COMPOUNDS TO EVAPORATE BEFORE OTHERS, RESULTING IN FRACTIONATION. VAPORISATION, DONE PROPERLY, ENSURES THAT ALL OF THE COMPOUNDS VAPORISE AT THE SAME TIME, PRESERVING THE SAMPLE’S COMPOSITION.

Figure 4: This electrically heated vaporising pressure-reducing regulator has an integral temperature controller and features a heating element that is in direct contact with the process fluid for maximum thermal efficiency.

flow increases, the purple line angles more sharply to the left.

Watching out for time delay While fractionation is one problem in vaporising samples, another is time delay.

Time delay - the amount of time it takes for a sample to travel from the process line to the analyser - is always a challenge when employing a vaporiser. The industry standard for time delay is one minute, but it can take many times longer if you’re not careful with your vaporiser set-up.

Time delay can be an issue on both the liquid and vapour side of the vaporiser. On the liquid side, the difficulty is caused by the sample’s degree of expansion when it is vaporised. A small amount of liquid creates a large amount of vapour. For example, the volume of methane increases about 600 times when it flashes from a liquid to a vapour. Hydrocarbons expand about 300 times.

With such a dramatic difference between the liquid and vapour volume, it’s easy for liquid on the upstream side of the vaporiser to be sitting around for a while before it is vaporised. For example, with a vapour flow of 600 mL/min, the liquid flow may be less than 2 mL/min.

If your vaporiser is located near the tap, the best solution to this problem is to install a bypass on the liquid side of the vaporiser, so the sample being vaporised is always fresh. In addition, try to minimise the volume of the probe and tubing preceding

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the vaporiser. Less volume results in a faster response.

To address time delay on the vapour side of the vaporiser, you may be tempted to increase flow, but as explained above, high flow in combination with insufficient heat at the vaporiser could result in fractionation, with liquid passing through the vaporiser to the downstream side.

A better way to reduce time delay on the vapour side is to minimise volume.

For example, move the vaporiser closer to the analyser or build a fast loop on the liquid side.

Heat transfer in the vaporiser Another variable influencing the temperature drop is the heat transfer capability of the vaporiser. Some vaporisers are constructed in such a way that heat transfers more efficiently to the sample. When the liquid sample converts to a vapour and its temperature drops, it draws heat from the stainless steel surrounding it. The critical question is: how efficiently can the vaporiser replace that heat and keep it flowing to the sample? The more heat the sample can draw, the less its temperature drops during vaporisation.

In some instances, it is possible for the vaporiser to be hot to the touch on the outside but cold at the core inside. That’s because the vaporised sample is drawing lots of heat and the vaporiser cannot transfer enough heat to keep up. The best solution is to reduce the flow.

In sum, the angle of the purple line in Figure 2 is a product of the flow rate and the heat transfer capability of the vaporiser. With a good vaporiser and low flow, the line will become more vertical.

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to calculate the location of the purple line, and it is not generated by any known software program. As a result, vaporisation involves some approximation. As a rule of thumb, keep the flow rate as low as possible without causing an unacceptable delay in the sample’s travel time to the analyser. It’s better to start with a low flow rate and experiment with increasing it than to start with a higher flow rate.

Troubleshooting Phase diagrams will enable you to approximate temperature, pressure and flow settings, but some troubleshooting will still be required. One sure indication of a problem is poor repeatability in analyser results.

There are two possibilities when the sample is fractionating instead of vaporising, with Problem 1 being the more common:

Problem 1: Only part of the sample is being vaporised Liquid is passing through the vaporiser and sitting in the tubing on the downstream side. Eventually, it evaporates. When it does, it draws heat from the surrounding tubing, making the tubing cold to the touch or causing frost or ice to form.

NOVEMBER 2012 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 7

Gases & fluids

• Signs of the problem: Vaporiser outlet and downstream tubing is cold to the touch or has frost or ice on it. (Note that in many cases, liquid on the downstream side of the vaporiser may pass beyond the area of the vaporiser and into other components, such as flowmeters and filters, where it can cause considerable damage.)

• Solution: In the approach above, your best option would be to reduce the flow rate. Another option would be to lower the vaporiser outlet pressure, if that is possible. A third option would be to increase the heat to the vaporiser, but in this case you risk causing Problem 2 (see below).

Problem 2: The sample is boiling at the inlet to the vaporiser It is fractionating before it can be vaporised.

Lighter molecules evaporate and create a ‘vapour wall’, which pushes the liquid back into the process. A portion of that vapour wall then cools and condenses. Finally, the liquid sample moves again towards the vaporiser, where the lighter molecules evaporate, starting the cycle all over again. Meanwhile,

the heavier molecules move on towards the analyser for an inaccurate reading.

• Signs of the problem: The inlet tube to the vaporiser twitches, sometimes violently, and the measurement values oscillate.

• Solution: Lower the vaporiser temperature.

Conclusion Vaporising a liquid sample is challenging. In many sampling systems around the world, vaporisers are fractionating samples and sending unrepresentative samples to the analyser every minute of every day. You can dramatically increase your chances of success by researching a phase diagram of your system’s particular mixture of compounds.

You can further increase your chances of success by understanding what is occurring in the process - specifically, by knowing what the variables are (temperature, pressure and flow) and their role in influencing the process outcome. With this framework in place, you can come very close to the right settings, making adjustments in accordance with the signs and symptoms you observe.

NEW PRODUCTS

Doug Nordstrom is market manager for analytical instrumentation for Swagelok Company, and he focuses his efforts on advancing the company’s involvement in sample handling systems. He previously worked in new product development for Swagelok and earned a number of Swagelok patents for products including Modular Platform Components (MPC) and the Swagelok SSV series stream selector system.

Nordstrom graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and has a master’s degree in business administration.

Tony Waters has 45 years’ experience with process analysers and their sampling systems. He has worked in engineering and marketing roles for an analyser manufacturer, an end user and a systems integrator. He founded three companies to provide specialised analyser services to the process industries and is an expert in the application of process analysers in refineries and chemical plants. Waters is particularly well known for process analyser training courses that he has presented in many parts of the world.

Swagelok Corporation Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R769

WIRELESS DRY CONTACT SENSOR INTERFACE The Banner Engineering SureCross Q45

PANEL PC

Remote Device (RD) wireless sensor

The iBase iPPC12A7-RE is a fanless modularised

is capable of interfacing with isolated

12″ industrial panel PC. It features a dual-core Intel

dry contacts or PNP outputs, allowing

Atom D2550 processor as well as flexible expansion

the RD to interface with almost any

capabilities. It has two Gigabit LAN interfaces, a 10/100

digital sensor. It also features a mode

LAN interface, four USB 2.0 ports, an RS232/422/485

where it interfaces directly with NAMUR

port and two SMA connectors. It also has connectivity

inductive proximity sensors.

for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HSDPA.

In addition to flexibility, the RD model

The iPPC12A7-RE is a rugged solution for many

delivers the longest lifetime of all Q45

different industries. It can function in temperatures

sensors. The Q45 RD model operates

from 0 to 45°C, and can be stored in temperatures of

on less than 100 µA of current, allowing

-10 to 60°C. Rated IP65, it is protected from dust, water

the battery to last up to five or more

and other liquids. The screen also has a front dimming sensor for auto brightness adjustment.

years depending on the application.

The RD model is part of Banner’s SureCross Q45 wireless sensor family,

The iPPC-12A7-RE can be deployed into various

which is a self-contained, wireless standard photoelectric sensor solution

work environments and interactive applications including

designed for control and monitoring applications. The self-contained battery,

POS, public advertising, kiosk and factory automation,

radio and sensor solution replaces wired solutions with simple deployment

a flexible VESA mount design supports wall-mount,

and untethered communications, improving efficiency by monitoring and

desktop or rackmount installations.

coordinating multiple machines and processes.

Backplane Systems Technology Pty Ltd

Micromax Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R531

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R680

8 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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NEW PRODUCTS

INLINE CO2 SENSOR Mettler Toledo Process Analytics has launched the InPro 5500i for inline CO2 measurements for beverage production applications. Using thermal conductivity technology, the sensor provides highly accurate and stable CO2 measurements. Immunity to background gases such as oxygen and nitrogen means CO2 measurement is highly selective. Measurements are also comparable to well-known references methods.

The device can be installed easily with a choice of process connections including Varivent, Tri-Clamp and 28 mm or M42. Its hygienic and simple membrane design reduces maintenance efforts, while the absence of moving parts ensures a reduced failure rate and high operational uptime.

Mettler Toledo’s Intelligent Sensor Management technology is installed on the InPro 5500i: advanced diagnostics tools, plug-and-measure feature and precalibration routine support troublefree and fast start-up and operation. The membrane integrity detection function informs operators of a drop in membrane reliability. This feature allows operators to perform a membrane change before measurements and product quality are affected. The dynamic lifetime indicator and adaptive calibration timer inform operators when the sensor will need servicing. Maintenance shifts from a regularly scheduled or reactive process to one where tasks can be planned in advance. Calibration of the device is a simple operation and can be conveniently performed inline.

The device protects itself from damage during SIP/CIP cycles or when the purge gas or sensor membrane fails, and therefore helps provide long sensor lifetime.

SATELLITE DATA LOGGER

Mettler Toledo Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R081

Halytech has announced a low-cost, low-power solution for remote monitoring and data logging which uses the Iridium satellite network Short Burst Data (SBD) service for automated data delivery.

The microSpider Satellite is suitable for applications such as environmental, industrial or infrastructure monitoring where other forms of communication are not possible.

To reduce the cost of remote site data acquisition to an affordable level, Halytech has developed a highly compressed data format that enhances the performance and reduces the cost of data delivery using the Iridium SBD service. With data plans starting from $8 per month (based on hourly reading of one input transmitted once per day), remote data via satellite now costs about as much as that offered by mobile phone networks.

The microSpider Satellite’s configurable I/O combined with Modbus and SDI-12 compatibility provide flexibility for use with a broad range of instruments. All products include an onboard web server that allows the user to view and configure all parameters without special software or licences.

Halytech Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R705

10 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

THERMAL IMAGERS The Fluke Ti105 and TiR105 thermal imagers both offer Fluke’s IR-Fusion picture-in-picture capability, which helps users identify and document problem areas by overlaying a PIP infrared image over a digital image.

The Ti105 helps plant technicians, HVAC/R professionals and electricians maintain and inspect electrical and mechanical equipment and components, which lets them save time and money by finding potential problems before they become costly failures. With the Ti105, technicians can troubleshoot in seconds, reducing the likelihood of unplanned downtime and allowing regular inspections from a safe distance.

The TiR105 lets building inspection and energy audit professionals evaluate and report insulation problems, air leakage, moisture issues or construction defects. This provides a competitive advantage by helping them work faster and more efficiently. The TiR105 quickly documents visible proof of problems so repairs can be made and then verifies those repairs have been made correctly.

Fluke Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R780

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NEW PRODUCTS

UPDATED DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM National Instruments has introduced NI LabVIEW 2012, the latest version of its system design software for engineers and scientists. Users gain ready-to-run starting points for a breadth of LabVIEW applications and access to updated training options that help improve the quality of their systems. These features demonstrate NI’s ongoing commitment to provide a platform that accelerates the success of any measurement or control system and ensures that users can innovate with confidence.

The software provides recommended application architectures designed to save time, ensure scalability and lower maintenance costs. It also includes stability improvements and environment enhancements derived directly from customer feedback designed to increase productivity. A large portfolio of updated hardware products are supported, expanding platform capabilities and enabling the development of cutting-edge systems.

LabVIEW 2012 also features many templates and sample projects, self-paced online training, new tools for high-performance analysis and advanced image processing, productivity enhancements and mobile apps for display and control on an iPad. National Instruments Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R075

12 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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NEW PRODUCTS

VISION SENSOR Sick has launched a vision sensor in the Inspector family that allows OEMs and vision integrators who have high demands for flexibility and machine integration to easily build their own interfaces, as well as operate the vision sensor from any computer or operator panel that contains a standard web browser.

The Sick Inspector PI50 vision sensor is suitable for applications such as solar wafer alignment and damage detection, fiducial alignment in electronics, calibrated robot guidance in the automotive industry, positioning control in commercial goods production and integrated quality control in packaging machines.

Due to its integrated web server, a user can operate the Inspector PI50 from a computer or operator’s panel that contains a standard web browser. Advanced users can completely build their own operator interface with the sensor’s web API. The product includes an expanded toolbox for object location and positioning, and also provides tools for quality inspection such as blob, pattern, edge and pixel counting inspection.

The sensor supports extended results and control handling over EtherNet/IP and TCP/IP. This enables easy communication with dedicated PLCs, or simply a PC host using value-based results for machine control and customised trend design, image triggering, external teach and reference object selection for centralised device control and parameter modification for customised configuration handling.

The product is available in a white or IR ring light option. Both are designed with the company’s ‘Flex’ housing, providing a fast method to exchange lenses, filters and dome accessories for different optical needs.

Sick Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R601

PRESSURE SENSOR Due to its environmental compatibility, CO2 is increasingly establishing itself as a refrigerant in industrial applications.

The model R-1 pressure transmitter from WIKA now offers complete compatibility with the requirements of CO2 refrigeration plants.

With this instrument, designed specifically for refrigeration systems, pressures from 100 to 160 bar, which are typical for CO2 applications, can also be covered.

The hermetically welded measuring cell reduces the likelihood of leakage to zero.

Its thin-film sensor, made using sputtering technology, offers high long-term stability and high overpressure safety.

WIKA Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R847

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NOVEMBER 2012 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 13

HOT PRODUCTS

ON WWW.PROCESSONLINE.COM.AU THIS MONTH

>

TEMPERATURE CONTROLLERS The SC58 and SC64 digital controllers are designed for a measuring range of -80 to +400째C. WIKA Australia

>

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UPDATED HYGIENIC VALVE RANGE B체rkert has expanded its line of Element series valves to include new drive sizes up to 130 mm.

B체rkert Fluid Control Systems

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LASER GAS MONITOR The LGIII uses TDLS technology and provides non-contact and interference-free measurement of a wide range of gases.

>

B-R Controls Pty Ltd

>

WF.NET.AU/R924

WIRELESS CONDITION MONITORING

The wireless sensor network (WSN) strain node and C Series DAQ module can be used for predictive maintenance National Instruments Australia

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>

to predict faults and analyse fatigue.

SOLID STATE FLASH STORAGE Advantech has released reliable flash modules with advanced security features and extended temperature support.

Advantech Australia Pty Ltd

WF.NET.AU/R583

14 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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NEW PRODUCTS

TRANSPORTABLE HYDROCARBON DEWPOINT ANALYSER Michell Instruments has developed a transportable version of its hydrocarbon dewpoint analyser. The key function of this version will be to enable engineers to provide a fast response for investigations into the quality of natural gas, wherever it is needed.

The Transportable Condumax II measures hydrocarbon and water dewpoint (key indicators of the quality of natural gas) in the same way and to the same accuracy as the online version. The analyser is fitted into a robust transport case with rudimentary sampling system suitable for performing supervised measurement sequences.

A typical application for the Transportable Condumax II would be investigations into the performance of hydrocarbon reduction processing by natural gas producers. The analyser can be brought into operation quickly at any point in the process to help resolve issues.

Gas pipeline transmission operators usually have online hydrocarbon dewpoint analysers installed at the entry and delivery points of their pipeline network; however, the Transportable Condumax II allows for checks of quality to be made at any point within the pipeline.

Electricity-generating companies that operate gas turbines need to be sure of the superheat margin between the dewpoint and delivery temperature of the fuel gas to avoid damage caused by liquid condensate in the gas, as well as avoiding environmental levies on emissions.

The Transportable Condumax II is certified for use in hazardous areas around the world,

including ATEX, IECEx, CSA and GOST, with specific local certification available.

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R306

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Invensys Operations Management has released an updated version of its Wonderware MES software.

The newest version expands existing operations and performance management functionality by adding quality management for sample data collection, statistical process control and quality results monitoring, helping to improve operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and product safety.

Wonderware MES Software 2012 with Quality reduces the cost of quality management while improving regulatory and product safety compliance by capturing complete product, equipment and process-related quality data for both automated and manual operations. The software monitors quality data in near real time so plant operators can respond faster to non-conformance conditions, quality trends and deviations, as well as to take corrective actions that minimise variations and bring quality closer to specifications. It complements existing enterprise quality management systems with sample plan execution automation, higher accuracy in shop-floor quality sample data, integrated statistical process control (SPC) and enhanced work order and operational execution context.

The software now enforces manual and automatic data collection and integrates structured sampling plans, as well as includes rigorous SPC. The updated software also allows sampling plans to be dynamically generated, according to current work-order status for products, equipment and operations. Execution of the sample plans can be done according to system quality specifications and the samples themselves can be automated, from equipment, control systems or instrumentation. SPC trending and charting are available for near real-time quality monitoring, and include notifications of

VALVE MOTOR DRIVE PROCESS CONTROLLER The West 6170+ valve motor drive process controller incorporates advanced tuning algorithms, with selectable pre-tune and selftuning for easy set-up. The self-tune also reduces output activity to an absolute minimum without compromising control quality, thereby reducing wear and tear on mechanical components such as valves, contactors and relays.

West’s plug-and-play technology allows the user to easily add to the 6170+ controller’s features including communication by installing additional plug-in boards. Inputs, outputs, alarms and communications are all field upgradeable.

The controller has dual 4-digit LED displays and is provided in a 1/16 DIN panel mount (also available in 1/8 DIN and ¼ DIN). It has a universal input for thermocouples, RTDs, DC and linear mA/V/mV, all user selectable, and supports Modbus communication.

Automated Control Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R714

violations of control and specification limits.

Invensys Operations Management Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R854

16 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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Virtual plant planning, retrofitting and maintenance

Process plants have useful lives of 30 to 50 years, during which time they are routinely retrofitted. Virtual reality software simplifies and helps keep track of retrofit planning and testing. Fraunhofer researchers and BASF SE are jointly developing VR solutions for the plant life cycle.

With over 110,000 employees, BASF is the world’s largest chemical company. At its headquarters in Ludwigshafen, the company runs over 160 production facilities, two steam crackers, two gas and steam turbine power plants and one sewage treatment plant. Virtual technologies are helping make information and data on every plant on the premises available digitally to planning engineers, process engineers, assembly coordinators, safety experts and asset managers. A virtual copy of a plant displays every possible view, whether in graphics or figures, in drawings or simulations. This expedites and improves the planning and implementation of new plants or additions and retrofits.

Design reviews are an integral part of the planning process - a virtual model for design reviews realistically reproduces every component with the information related to it. The spatial representation makes hidden components or components aligned behind one another easily viewable.

“We reviewed the design of a process plant retrofit together with BASF experts,” reports Sabine Szyler, virtual reality specialist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF. “The space in the plant can be determined far more easily. What sounds so obvious is really a giant leap in perception.”

18 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

The design was reviewed in the Elbe Dom of the Fraunhofer IFF’s Virtual Development and Training Centre VDTC in Magdeburg.

“After all, the 6 m high, 360° projection surface projects a level of a plant which is virtually identical to the original. This gives viewers the sensation of standing directly in the plant,” explains the researcher.

The three-dimensional data from BASF’s planning tools, including the metadata of the plant’s individual components, were exported into the Fraunhofer IFFresearchers’ special virtual reality software - the Virtual Development and Training Platform. This enabled plant operators, plant planners and their colleagues, such as piping contractors, equipment and instrument engineers, steel building contractors or safety supervisors to view details of the plant faithfully reproduced at full scale in the virtual model and clarify many questions such as whether all of the operating elements are easily accessible or all the safety valves are easily operated during an inspection.

“We are so impressed by the design review with virtual reality that we have set up two VR stations in Ludwigshafen. That enables our planning teams there to review designs of other plants any time,” says Axel Franke, Senior Engineering Manager at BASF. A retrofit plant performs differently than it did previously and, in the worst case, incorrect operation could bring all plant operation to a complete standstill. Continuous safety training is therefore a top priority in chemical plant engineering. A virtual interactive learning environment is already being used for training in Ludwigshafen.

Fraunhofer experts designed a scenario for the retrofit of a nitric acid plant, which enabled the team of operators to inspect and get acquainted with the plant before its commissioning. The Fraunhofer experts set up a mobile VR training station directly in the control room. The training module presents the complete 3D model of the plant. All of the metadata such as serial numbers, temperatures, pressures and media as well as training materials can be viewed.

Workers were able to familiarise themselves with its new operation, identify new access points and learn new safety regulations.

The experts from BASF and the Fraunhofer IFF agree that plant engineers will be unable to operate internationally in the future without virtual technologies. BASF is working on intensifying its use of virtual technologies in the future in order to maintain its leadership among chemical plant operators. The Fraunhofer IFF will continue providing conceptual support.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft www.fraunhofer.de

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NEW PRODUCTS

GIGABIT ETHERNET SWITCHES Hirschmann has added two unmanaged gigabit ethernet switches to the Spider family.

The Spider II Giga EEC Pro, available with either five twisted pair ports or two additional SFP slots for fibre-optic transceivers, supports QoS compliant with IEEE 802.1d. This allows prioritisation of data packets and means that the switch can be used for Profinet applications.

The Spider II Giga EEC Jumbo is also available in two different 5-port versions, with or without SFP slots. Because both versions can handle Jumbo Frames with up to 9014 bytes of user data, they are particularly suitable for video applications. All switch versions conform to relevant industry standards for shock and vibration resistance as well as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and are built to comply with cUL508 safety requirements.

Further features include 12/24 V power supply, IP30 protection rating, fanless cooling and an extended temperature range of -40 to +70째C. The switches can be cascaded as often as required, permitting implementation of locally structured networks with short transmission paths to the terminating equipment. The twisted pair ports have RJ45 sockets and support autocrossing, autonegotiation and autopolarity.

The fibre-optic transceivers can bridge distances of up to 0.5 km (multimode) or 120 km (singlemode) and support autonegotiation and full-duplex mode.

The switches are designed for mounting on DIN rails, and LEDs on the front panel indicate the device and network status.

Daanet Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R842

IPHONE COMPATIBLE PORTABLE PH METER Sensorex has developed a mobile accessory for pH measurements. Compatible with Apple iPod, iPhone and iPad devices, the PH-1 pH meter accessory measures and records pH values in the lab or field for use in environmental, educational and industrial applications.

The PH-1 accessory plugs into the standard Apple dock connector and uses a Sensorex pH electrode to measure pH with accuracy to 0.01 pH. The free Sensorex app displays pH, millivolts, ambient temperature and solution temperature in real time. The CE-marked device supports one, two, three or more calibration points and sends readings by email for later analysis. When used with a GPS-enabled device, the pH meter app will record measurements with both timestamp and geographic coordinates, eliminating transcription errors and improving efficiency.

Powered from the Apple device, the PH-1 requires no supplemental energy source. Its pH measurement range is 0-14 pH and it operates in ambient temperatures of 0-40째C, in solutions of 0-100째C. Data history can be grouped by date or location and exported individually or in .csv format via email.

Envirosensors Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R115

20 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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Make the unpredictable totally predictable.

© 2012 Swagelok Company

Swagelok® Pressure Regulators are now an even better choice for all your pressure regulator needs. Why? Well, alongside our proven experience and expertise, our range now covers sizes from 1/8 to 4 in. and all your regulator needs – high-flow capability, two-stage, back-pressure and vaporizing models. With our regulators you get accuracy, sensitivity and pressure stability. In short– total predictability. Exactly what you would expect.

Visit swagelok.com/pressure.

SINCE 1937, PUTTING OUR CUSTOMERS FIRST HAS MADE US THE WORLD’S NUMBER ONE* 2000

1990

Electrocomponents PLC joins the FTSE 100 Index of the UK’s largest companies.

International expansion into Asia and Europe begins.

1937

1998 1937 JH Waring and PM Sebestyen establish Radiospares in London.

WHEN THE WORLD COUNTS ON ENGINEERS, THEY COUNT ON US

Our fully transactional B2B website – a UK industry first – supports fast, 24/7, hassle-free orders of electronics and maintenance products.

Transforming imagination into reality One of the world’s leading film effects companies, New Zealand-based Weta Workshop has partnered with RS Components for over a decade. The effects specialists behind the Lord of the Rings, Avatar and the upcoming trilogy, The Hobbit, Weta Workshop is a multi-award-winning conceptual design and physical manufacturing facility that serves the world’s entertainment and creative industries.

Jon Ewen, Purchasing Officer at Weta Workshop, says, “The main reason we turn to RS Components is that they have such a wide range of products all in one place.” What’s more, RS Components’ quick delivery times means that most orders arrive the next day, which is vital in the film industry.

The nature of Weta’s work means that they have a wide and varied requirement, as no two projects are ever the same. With an unrivalled range of electronics and maintenance products, RS Components is perfectly placed to meet this need.

“WITH SUCH A WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS, RS CAN OFFER ALTERNATIVES THAT KEEP US MOVING FORWARD.”

Jon Ewen Purchasing Officer, Weta Workshop Wellington, New Zealand

2002 We are first to market with a free e-Procurement tool, RS PurchasingManagerTM, saving businesses time and money.

2012 RS Components wins Britain’s most coveted business award, the ‘Queen’s Award for Enterprise’.

2012

2011 Now dispatching one parcel every two seconds, we receive the ‘Operational Excellence Award’ at the prestigious Supply Chain Distinction Awards.

Innovative solutions for forward-thinking businesses Through an enduring commitment to exceptional service, RS Components enables companies like KK Electrical to work smarter and more efficiently. The New Zealand-based electrical contractor relies on us to supply its specialist automation requirements. Owner Ken Sullivan says the benefits RS Components brings to his business are absolute supply certainty and quick next-day delivery#.

“My local wholesaler just can’t compete with that. They might promise overnight delivery but that is rarely the case and while I might save a few bucks, it’s nothing compared to the cost of having my guys stand around idle waiting for parts to materialise,” says Sullivan.

“WHEN I ORDER THROUGH RS COMPONENTS, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I’M BUYING AND WHEN I’LL GET IT. THAT ALLOWS ME TO PLAN PROJECTS WITH CERTAINTY AND MEET MY COMMITMENTS.”

Ken Sullivan Owner, KK Electrical Christchurch, New Zealand #

* RS Components is the trading brand of Electrocomponents, the world’s leading high-service electronics and maintenance distributor with sales revenue of £1.27 billion as of 31 March 2012.

As the leading high-service distributor of electronics and maintenance products globally, we provide:

Widest range online & in stock Same-day dispatch, on-time delivery Expert local language support Smart search, tools & platforms Latest leading technologies Flexible order quantities

Win tickets to the FA Cup Final with our 75th Anniversary Share Your Story competition at www.rs-components.com/75

FOR ALL YOUR ELECTRONICS AND MAINTENANCE NEEDS, VISIT www.rsaustralia.com www.rsnewzealand.com

Please refer to your local RS online site for local delivery terms and conditions.

WE HELP ENGINEERS KEEP THE WORLD RUNNING

NEW PRODUCTS

COMPACT HARMONIC GEARHEAD The Nexen compact harmonic gearhead directly replaces much larger, high-ratio planetary gearheads utilising the latest harmonic, strain wave gearing technology. In addition to its extremely short, compact size, the harmonic gearhead offers high torque, true zero backlash and extremely precise positional accuracy.

Nexen’s gearing-forward design overlaps components and allows the gearing to be integrated into the same plane as the bearing, resulting in an extremely short and rigid gearhead. This narrow, rigid design is combined with a large, rugged, crossed-roller output bearing, designed to handle all combinations of radial, axial and overturning moment loads in a single, compact envelope.

The harmonic gearhead can fit virtually any machine with key applications in products and machinery requiring a minimal footprint, such as machine tools, robots and robotic arms, medical equipment, rack and pinion systems and numerous general industrial positioning and motion control applications. It is also very easy to integrate with a standard ISO 9409 output flange that fits most standard components and end effectors.

Norman G Clark Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R405

PRESSURE TRANSMITTER The Mercoid Series 3200G smart pressure transmitter is performance transmitter which has

RELAY REPEATER MODULE

flexible pressure calibration, push-

The SRM Safety Relay

button configuration and is program-

Module from Moore In-

a microprocessor-based, high-

mable using HART communication.

dustries is a versatile relay

The Series 3200G is capable of being configured with

repeater module that has

the zero and span buttons, so a field calibrator is not

been certified by exida for

required for configuration.

single use in Safety Instrumented Systems up to SIL2.

The transmitter software compensates for thermal

The SRM is part of the Moore Industries’ FS Functional Safety

effects, improving performance and an EEPROM stores

Series and accepts single contact closure inputs from logic solver

configuration settings as well as sensor correction coef-

trip outputs including Moore Industries’ STA Safety Trip Alarm and

ficients in the event of shutdowns or power loss.

the SPA2 Programmable Limit Alarm Trip. With three contacts per

The Series 3200G is FM approved for use in hazard-

alarm input, the SRM allows for the addition of alarm contacts to

ous locations and offers ±0.075% accuracy with 100:1

safety processes without special installation or configuration. Unlike

rangeability, making it suitable for many applications.

many other interposing relays, the SRM is a force guided relay,

Dwyer Instruments (Aust) Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R472

avoiding the possibility of having contacts become stuck in both Normally Open (NO) and Normally Closed (NC) positions at the same time and avoids potential problems caused by issues such as welded contacts.

Moore Industries Pacific Inc Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R295

24 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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WE KNOW WE CARE WE CUSTOMISE FOR YOU‌

ELECT R DRIV ES & IC MOTOR S SO CONT ROL & FT START ER AUTO MATIO S N

TOSHIBA INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION PTY LTD NSW Toshiba International Corporation Pty Ltd 2 Morton Street, Parramatta NSW 2150 Tel: (02) 9768 6600 Fax: (02) 9890 7546

QUEENSLAND Toshiba International Corporation Pty Ltd UNIT 4 / 20 Smallwood Place, Murarrie QLD 4172 Tel: (07) 3902 7888 Fax: (07) 3902 7878

VICTORIA Toshiba International Corporation Pty Ltd 411 Fern Tree Gully Road, Mt Waverley VIC 3149 Tel: (03) 8541 7960 Fax: (03) 8541 7970

NEWCASTLE Toshiba International Corporation Pty Ltd UNIT 1 / 18 Kinta Drive, Beresfield NSW 2322 Tel: (02) 4966 8124 Fax: (02) 4966 8147

MACKAY Toshiba International Corporation Pty Ltd 1st Floor 41 Wood St, Mackay QLD 4740 Tel: (07) 4953 4184 Fax: (07) 4951 4203

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Toshiba International Corporation Pty Ltd 10 Anderson Pl, Perth International Airport WA 6105 Tel: (08) 6272 5600 Fax: (08) 6272 5601

Reliable products from reliable people!

LEVERAGING VIRTUALISATION ACHIEVING HIGHER BUSINESS CONTINUITY WITHIN INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES

© iStockphoto.com/Oleksiy Mark

Jim Frider, Product Marketing Manager, Invensys Operations Management

Virtualisation

Virtualisation offers the promise of lower IT costs and higher levels of business continuity for industrial companies. This article provides a basic introduction to virtualisation and how it can specifically benefit industrial companies. High availability and disaster recovery scenarios are presented along with expected system performance targets for system downtime after an event or system failure.

T

oday, many of the world’s top companies are using software virtualisation technology to deliver significant cost savings, improved efficiency, greater agility, enhanced system availability and improved disaster recovery capabilities.

The typical industrial facility, including manufacturing plants, utilities and processing companies, has many important software applications that can be virtualised. Software like HMI applications, process data historians and manufacturing execution systems (MES) along with other analytical and reporting applications can all be virtualised.

What is virtualisation?

In simple terms, virtualisation is the creation and employment of a ‘virtual’ (software emulated) version of an ‘actual’ version of something. Broadly speaking, virtualisation can apply to physical devices, operating systems, network resources, device drivers or any actual thing for which a virtual equivalent can be substituted. Virtualisation is a form of software abstraction, which allows users to manipulate the virtual versions of things in ways which would be impossible for their physical counterparts. It is this fundamental ability to manipulate the virtual versions of things that provides the power and flexibility to derive so many benefits from the use of virtualisation technology.

Hardware virtualisation Hardware virtualisation employs software technology, like that offered

by Microsoft and VMware, to transform or ‘virtualise’ a computer to create a virtual computer that can run its own operating system and applications just like a physical computer. With virtualisation, several applications and their required operating systems can run safely at the same time on a single physical computer with each having access to the resources it needs when it needs them. Today, this is all possible with commercial off-the-shelf computer hardware and operating systems.

At the heart of the virtualisation process is a software component called the ‘hypervisor’, a term first coined during the early IBM mainframe days. There are two general categories of hypervisor.

Type 1 hypervisors run directly on the physical host hardware and manage ‘guests’ or virtual machines so their operating systems can run concurrently on the physical host hardware. This is achieved by intercepting instructions from the guest operating systems and resolving them so that the guests function properly in their virtualised environment. VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V are examples of type 1 hypervisors. Conversely, type 2 hypervisors run on top of the host operating system and are not as commonly used with PC-based systems.

system resources are contained within a VDI and accessed from a network server. As none of the software runs on the user’s local machine, less costly computer equipment can be used. IT support responsibilities are reduced and the burden of data backup can be removed from the user. Besides the many IT-related benefits, VDI users have the added benefit of being able to access their virtualised desktop from a variety of other devices including their smartphone, tablet or home computer.

Virtualisation platforms Many companies are now using virtualisation at the enterprise level to create entire virtualised computing infrastructures that allow IT departments to automatically deploy computing resources when and where they need them, with a minimum of manual IT intervention.

Cloud-based implementations promise even more flexibility and economy by outsourcing computing resources to other vendors such as Microsoft with its Azure platform or Amazon and others. Virtualisation platforms are already providing businesses of all kinds with tremendous IT cost savings and improved infrastructure utilisation.

History of virtualisation The high cost of mainframe computers in the 1960s led IBM engineers to develop ways to improve the efficiency of their equipment.

By logically partitioning their machines they were able to offer multitasking. For the first time multiple applications could run at the same time - significantly improving utilisation.

As low-cost, PC-based client-server architectures became the computing standard in the 1980s and 1990s the focus shifted to exploiting this new architecture by delivering more computing resources and applications to more users. Virtualisation was not a technology considered by most IT departments. However, by the late 1990s the sheer number of servers and desktop machines reached the point where virtualisation technology became viable as a cost reduction strategy.

In 1999, VMware released its first virtualisation products and by 2005 processors became available that directly supported virtualisation. Today, a majority of large corporations are using virtualisation to reduce their IT costs.

Phases of adoption Industrial companies often adopt virtualisation technology in two phases; we will call them Virtualisation 1.0 and Virtualisation 2.0.

Virtualisation 1.0

Besides the virtualisation of industrial applications, another area of virtualisation that is gaining momentum is the virtual desktop interface (VDI). Commonly used desktop applications and their required

In this first phase the emphasis is on IT and how virtualisation can be used to lower IT costs, improve IT staff efficiency and improve hardware utilisation. IT works on creating virtual machines of key applications and consolidating them on corporate servers. This first phase of virtualisation allows companies to reduce their hardware

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NOVEMBER 2012 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 27

Desktop virtualisation

Virtualisation

Figure 1: Supervisory HMI system using virtualisation for high availability.

Figure 2: High availability architecture using virtual machines for automated failover.

costs, improve their server utilisation and improve their ability to operate and maintain a wide range of software applications. IT service improves because IT takes on the responsibility for managing applications which have been reluctantly managed by the groups directly using the applications, like operations or maintenance.

HMI applications, process data historians and web report servers are examples.

of applications since fewer applications reside on local servers. Fast deployments can be achieved as self-contained virtual machines can be easily deployed without having to install the required operating system, prerequisite software or the application itself on a dedicated server. Corporate standard libraries of virtualised applications allow the creation of standardised application configurations that deliver maximum value to the business.

3. Support: The implementation of virtual desktops allows much more efficient management of desktop machines, and since application software doesn’t reside on each desktop machine, new applications can be rolled out to a large number of users much faster. This also allows for more effective backup procedures, since all data stays on corporate or cloud servers, effectively eliminating data loss.

Virtualisation 2.0 During the second phase of virtualisation, companies often deploy multiple instances of the same application to ensure business continuity or to improve application performance via load balancing.

For business continuity, multiple instances of an application, and the data servers furnishing it with data, are run simultaneously so that if the primary application or data server fails, the secondary application instance and data servers automatically take over and downtime is minimised.

If simultaneous application instances are run on servers located in different physical locations, disaster recovery is much easier.

Some applications can be run in load balancing mode when the processing load is shared across two or more virtual machines, improving the overall performance of the application without having to invest in a second physical server.

Benefits to IT, operations and engineering Virtualisation of industrial applications can benefit many groups within a business. Let’s explore the benefits gained from virtualisation based on business function, namely IT, operations and engineering.

IT benefits There are three main areas of benefit from virtualisation for the IT organisation: 1. Cost reduction: Through consolidation of physical servers, virtualisation allows much greater utilisation of server hardware so fewer servers are required and a reduction in the energy is consumed in data centres. Virtualisation also extends the life cycle of applications because they are insulated from hardware or software technology shifts, generating more ROI for the business.

2. Management: Fewer hardware upgrades are required over time, reducing capital expenditure requirements and IT workload, and the use of virtual machines facilitates centralised management

28 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

Operations benefits For operations, business continuity can be achieved because multiple instances of the same virtual machine can run in an automatic failover mode. If the failover instance is located in a separate physical location, disaster recovery is also enhanced. The reduction in physical server footprint leading to a higher return on capital and a reduction in the mean time to recover (MTTR), lowering operational cost, and thin client PCs on the plant floor running virtual desktops reduce the support burden.

Engineering benefits For engineering, development costs are reduced since fewer physical servers are required with fewer modifications needing to be made over time to keep applications running properly. Virtualised instances of object-based applications, like WonderWare ArchestrA System Platform, can be developed and deployed faster than conventional applications; and since multiple instances of a virtual machine can run at the same time, developers can work in a more collaborative and efficient manner.

Levels of availability When we speak about a ‘high availability’ solution we typically mean a solution with redundant software and/or hardware components that ‘fail over’ to an unaffected system to enable a predefined level of availability over a specific time frame.

Levels of availability are detailed in Table 1.

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Virtualisation

Figure 3: Disaster recovery architecture using virtualisation located in geographically separated locations.

Figure 4: High availability and disaster recovery architecture using virtualisation techniques.

Table 1: Levels of availability for different architectures.

Availability

Description

Expected failover

Details

Level 0

No redundancy

None

No redundancy built into the system architecture.

Level 1

Cold standby

Availability: 99% Downtime: 4 days/yr

Primary and secondary systems, manual failover to secondary system, data periodically synchronised.

Level 2

High availability

Availability: 99.9% Downtime: 8 h/yr

Virtualisation used for primary and secondary systems.

Disaster recovery via virtual machine systems located in geographically separate locations.

Level 3

Hot redundancy

Availability: 99.99% Downtime: ~52 min/yr

Full synchronisation of primary and secondary systems.

Level 4

Fault tolerant

Availability: 99.999% Downtime: <5 min/yr

Fault tolerant hardware, lock step failover to redundant application instance.

Implementation scenarios

High availability combined with disaster recovery

High-availability implementations

The goal of a high availability and disaster recovery (HADR) solution is to provide a mechanism to automatically shift data processing and retrieval for a critical industrial application to a standby system; for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;normalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; failure scenarios to a standby system in the same facility or, in the event of catastrophic events, to a standby system located in a different geographic location.

By combining HADR architectures, industrial applications can be made highly available and able to quickly recover from a disaster.

It is possible to achieve Level 2 or even Level 3 availability for applications like HMI and supervisory control using two, preferably identical, hardware servers (bought at the same time) each loaded with an identical virtual machine. Identical hardware and virtualised applications help ensure that if a failover occurs there are no deviations in system performance resulting from differences in hardware or software.

To achieve Level 4 availability usually requires an investment in fault tolerant hardware, including servers, disk systems, power supplies and network cards. At this availability level, downtime is reduced to very low levels; less than 5 minutes per year, for example.

The performance of any high availability (HA) solution is dependent on the quality and implementation of the HA architecture.

Disaster recovery implementations With the risk of natural disasters and a growing threat from terrorism, many industrial companies are exploring ways to recover faster from possible catastrophic disasters. Virtualisation provides a realistic and practical way to recover critical applications and their associated data more quickly and economically. Like high-availability implementations, if identical physical servers and identical virtual machines are run together in failover mode, but located in different geographic locations, a Level 2 or Level 3 availability can be achieved.

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Summary Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s virtualisation software solutions from Microsoft, VMware and other vendors provide a cost-effective way to improve the availability and disaster recovery capabilities of critical, industrial applications such as HMI and supervisory systems. Standard, off-the-shelf computer hardware and software can be used to lower costs and reduce the level of expertise needed to implement these types of solutions. Any manufacturer, processor or utility needs to evaluate these new approaches so that they too can mitigate risks and ensure continuity at their facilities.

Invensys Process Systems (Australia) Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R782

NOVEMBER 2012 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 29

NEW PRODUCTS

CRYOGENIC VORTEX MASS FLOWMETER Sierra Instruments has introduced a cryogenic version of its InnovaMass 240 multivariable mass vortex flowmeter for advanced, more reliable measurement of liquefied gases, including liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), at temperatures down to -200°C. Historically gauged by inexact turbine flowmeters, liquid gas flow can now be calculated with greater precision, since the InnovaMass contains no moving parts that will wear out or require service - an advantage that provides stable readings and an increased service life.

The cryogenic version has undergone extensive testing and field validation over the last several years, proving that the meter is preferred versus traditional turbine meters for measuring mass flow rates of cryogenic fluids down to -200°C. Using a special cryogenic temperature RTD, mass calculations are done with the latest density equations of state for liquid oxygen, nitrogen, argon and carbon dioxide, and it can provide direct readings of mass flow rate, volumetric flow rate, temperature and density. Smart electronics extends the range down to a Reynolds number of 5000.

The flowmeter can be loop powered with power in, a programmable analog output and a HART or Modbus signal riding on the same two wires. Field-configurable ranges, alarms, outputs and displays can be configured via six push-buttons or via a magnet through an explosion-proof window.

Procon Instrument Technology Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R305

LARGE-CHARACTER PRINTER/LABELLER The Linx IJ355 and IJ375 high-definition case coders are two new large-character printers from coding and marking specialist Linx Printing Technologies. Claimed to be able to cut production costs while maximising line uptime and print quality, the printers provide a cost-effective, easy-to-use alternative to other largecharacter printers, and to the labelling or pre-printing of secondary packaging.

The printers use ReFresh ink recirculation system, have a robust design and printhead protection technology which result in reduced downtime and savings on consumables.

The ink recirculation system’s technology provides good print quality and also avoids wasted ink during printhead cleaning, thus saving time and money ordinarily wasted on purging procedures. Ink and dust that collect on the nozzles is removed with an air knife, an ink purge takes place, then ink from this procedure is collected, passed through a high-performance filter to remove impurities from the system and recirculated. Operators only need to perform quick, simple maintenance on a regular basis in order to keep the printer in optimum operating condition.

The tough stainless steel nozzle guard protects the printhead from possible damage, caused by impact with the boxes on the line, while remaining close enough to the packaging to ensure print quality is maintained.

The robust stainless steel lower casing and printhead protection mean the Linx IJ355 and IJ375 are robust enough to cope with the most demanding production lines, delivering savings on consumables and minimising downtime.

The printers come with a full-colour LCD interface and touch-screen operator controls, with print preview and icon-based message selection. The control unit is detachable for handheld use or for mounting in a more convenient location. A set of robust accessories is also available from Linx to provide simple and accurate mounting of the printer onto the production line.

Matthews Intelligent Identification Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R471

30 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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NEW PRODUCTS

COMPACT PRESSURE SENSORS Suitable for pneumatic applications in robotics and handling, ifm efector’s PQ compact pressure sensor series is now equipped with NPN circuit. Using a sealed measuring cell, these sensors detect the pressure in the vacuum and overpressure range.

The piezoresistive silicon cell measures, depending on the selected unit, between -1 and 10 bar or -1 and 1 bar. Due to the special sealing of the measuring cell, the pressure sensors are insensitive to liquids such as condensed water and deposits that might occur in the system.

The sensors have good overload resistance and an accuracy of less than ±0.5%.

The sensor’s slanted 4-digit display can be electronically rotated by 180° and read at a distance, from the front or from above. The display colour is selectable, with a green display colour for the acceptable range and red when the switching point is exceeded or not reached.

Two programmable switching outputs or one switching output and one diagnostic output provide flexible use.

The sensors are easy to install by means of integrated mounting holes

UPDATED SIMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT TOOLS MathWorks has introduced Release 2012b with major updates to MATLAB and Simulink that significantly improve use and navigation. The Simulink Editor features tabbed windows, smart signal routing and simulation rewind while the MATLAB Desktop now includes a toolstrip that offers quick access to frequently used features and a MATLAB apps gallery. In addition, Release 2012b includes a redesigned help system with improved browsing, searching, filtering and content organisation.

The Simulink Editor simplifies modelling through capabilities such as tabbed model windows for improved window management; an explorer bar for navigating model hierarchy; smart signal routing to determine optimal signal line path; and debugging capabilities that rewind simulations and set conditional breakpoints on signals.

R2012b also introduces Simulink Projects for managing project files and connecting to source control software, and support for running models on target hardware such as Arduino, Lego Mindstorms NXT, BeagleBoard and PandaBoard.

New capabilities in Stateflow also simplify modelling. The Stateflow Editor is now unified with the Simulink Editor and includes smart guides and transition indicator lines.

MathWorks has also updated the MATLAB Desktop with two major enhancements. The MATLAB Toolstrip displays icons for the most frequently used MATLAB features, such as selecting the best plot type for data, and the apps gallery presents apps from the MATLAB product family to allow users to perform common tasks without writing code.

MathWorks Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R534

and a range of mounting accessories is available. ifm efector pty ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R426

MULTICHANNEL ANALYTICAL TRANSMITTERS Liquiline CM444 and CM448 multichannel analytical transmitters have a rugged plastic NEMA4X/IP66/67 housing that is leak-proof and corrosion-resistant, suitable for non-hazardous applications in water, wastewater, oil, gas, chemical and power industries.

They accept inputs from up to eight Memosens digital sensors, recognising any combination of sensors and starting operation immediately. All sensors can be precalibrated in the laboratory and are recognised automatically by the transmitters.

The transmitters can be field-upgraded to accept additional inputs by plugging in additional modules. Optional current inputs are available for processing signals from other process devices such as flow, level or pressure sensors.

Outputs from the transmitters include up to eight 4-20 mA current outputs with HART, as well as ethernet, Profibus and Modbus TCP or 485 networks. An integrated web server provides remote access via any web browser.

Additional outputs include up to four relay outputs capable of switching 24, 115 or 230 VAC. The relay outputs can be used to sound alarms, start or stop cleaning functions, activate a controller or perform other functions.

In addition to actual process values provided by the sensors or analog inputs, mathematical functions can be used to calculate a maximum of six ‘virtual’ process values.

The transmitters have backlit graphic displays that alert users to errors and display load curves, as well as drop-down menus for monitoring values. The data logger can maintain up to eight separate data logbooks. It has an adjustable scan time of 1 s to 6 h and a logbook that keeps track of up to 75 calibrations.

Endress+Hauser Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R428

32 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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NEW PRODUCTS

EMBEDDED CONTROLLER National Instruments has introduced the NI PXIe-8135, which features the quad-core 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processor and USB 3.0 connectivity.

The NI PXIe-8135 helps engineers achieve shorter test times and increase automated test throughput, further advancing PXI instrumentation for highperformance test, measurement and control applications.

The use of the 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processor with up to a 3.3 GHz clock provides improved performance (up to 85% higher than previously) and next-generation I/O technologies to help meet the intensive processing demands of the latest automated test and control applications.

USB 3.0 connectivity offers up to 10 times faster instrument communication for transferring and storing data externally. Four PCI Express x4 Gen 2 links interface the embedded controller to the chassis backplane providing up to 8 GBps of system throughput for high-bandwidth streaming applications.

National Instruments Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R853

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NEW PRODUCTS

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SLEWING DRIVES Motion Technologies slewing drives are gearboxes that can safely hold radial and axial loads, as well as transmit a torque for rotating. Slewing drives or drive slew rings (DSRs) are made by manufacturing gearing, bearings, seals, housing and auxiliary components into an assembled finished gearbox.

DSRs are suitable for solar applications, industrial applications such as man lifts, hydraulic machinery, telescopic handlers, digger derricks, lifts, cranes, drilling equipment and military equipment. Modular input flanges easily accommodate hydraulic, DC and servo/stepper motor inputs.

DSRs can be single or dual axis, enclosed or open, and there is a range of male drive input configurations. High-speed versions and precision geared or low backlash options are available.

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Motion Technologies Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R527

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CLOUD-BASED SIMULATION PLATFORM Autodesk, Inc has announced Autodesk Simulation 360 - a set of tools delivered securely in the cloud with a pay-as-you-go pricing model that enables any company to make simulation part of their everyday design and engineering processes.

Autodesk Simulation 360 is the latest offering to build on the Autodesk 360 cloud-based platform. By performing computationally intensive simulation tasks in the cloud, designers, engineers and analysts can test multiple ‘what if?’ design scenarios in parallel. The computational power of the cloud also eliminates the need for specialised hardware, thereby removing previous limitations and helping to increase productivity.

The Autodesk Simulation 360 software portfolio includes a wide range of cloud-based mechanical, fluid flow, thermal and plastic injection moulding tools. Additional benefits include direct geometry exchange; robust meshing tools; extensive material libraries; and proven solver technology to improve simulation accuracy in the areas of greatest concern.

In contrast to traditional perpetual licensing, Autodesk Simulation 360’s pay-as-you-go model simplifies access and offers better flexibility.

Autodesk Simulation 360 is now available in English and is planned to be available in other languages in the near future. For additional information on how to access Autodesk Simulation 360 and take part in the Simulation Liberation event, visit www.autodesk.com/simulationliberation. Additional resources such as simulation experts, on-demand videos and tutorials are available at www.autodesk.com/simulation-360.

Autodesk Australia

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Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R532

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NOVEMBER 2012 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 35

Reliable stormwater measurement In the course of modernisation of one of its stormwater basins, the wastewater treatment plant Waiblingen-Hegnach decided to implement radar measurement technology from VEGA. The basin, which is 5 kilometres away from the treatment plant, is monitored reliably by three radar sensors.

The employees of the sewage treatment plant at Waiblingen-Hegnach, Germany, certainly cannot be accused of not being close to nature. Yet they do have mixed feelings about spider webs!

Spun beneath the ultrasonic sensors, spider webs used to cause measurement uncertainties again and again. But animals and insects were not the only culprits: foam and even sunlight also had adverse effects on

The shaft of the sewage pumping station is located in the middle of a floodendangered area, so the radar gauges were designed with an IP68 protection rating.

the ultrasonic measurement. Indeed, the Waiblingen staff has really had enough of foam. Once, the wastewater discharge from a nearby shampoo manufacturer caused major problems for the ultrasonic measurement due to the huge amounts of foam generated.

While planning the new instrumentation for the stormwater basin, plant manager Frank Sura knew exactly what he wanted. “As a matter of principle we use non-contact methods for wastewater wherever possible.

Because of the oil, dirt and debris in the water, ultrasonic technology was often deployed, accompanied of course by the very well-known difficulties of using that method.” That is why, in the course of modernisation of the stormwater basin, Vegapuls WL 61 radar level sensors were used instead, at three different measuring points.

Since May 2011, the instruments from VEGA have been delivering reliable and stable readings. “It is certainly not a particularly difficult application, but it has to function reliably,” explains Sura. “Beside their reliability, what really convinced us about radar instruments was their price, which was hardly different from that of ultrasonic devices.”

All plant components are connected via a control system, so the team working at the sewage treatment plant has access to all functions at all

times. This is important because such mid-size treatment plants tend to be minimally staffed and many different areas have to be monitored. A remote control system provides security, setting off an alarm in case of damage or contamination by toxins or other hazardous substances.

The stormwater basin, one of a total of 13, is 5 km away from the treatment plant and situated directly on the banks of the river Rems.

The measurement data is transmitted every half hour to the control system via a mobile phone network, and the radar sensors are deployed at three measuring points. All units have Ex certification, a necessary precaution since fuels or solvents can also be present in the wastewater.

Location Number 1 is directly in the open stormwater basin. There, the sensor monitors the level in the basin and, if necessary, puts the discharge pumps into operation.

In the nearby sewage pumping station, another radar sensor is installed in the pump shaft. Previously, this measurement was achieved via a pressure measurement. The entire facility is located in a flood-prone area - the Rems has a small channel, but a large drainage area, and as a result, the water level can rise substantially within a few hours. That’s why the measuring instruments have an IP68 protection category, which allows them to be immersed in floodwaters.

The third instrument is located some distance away, hidden in the middle of a meadow. There, a vortex valve regulates discharge into the sewer line. Most of the water generally flows past the basin. Only when there is a heavy rain, for example, and the rainwater runoff increases to a multiple of the normal wastewater flow, do the stormwater basins come into play.

They buffer the dirty water and take the load off the treatment plant. The tank contents stored during the heavy rain are forwarded to the sewage treatment plant little by little after the rain event. To ensure proper control of this process, the vortex valve has to work flawlessly.

“Very few people have an idea of what can be found in sewage. We’ve already had to remove boulders, two-by-fours and flashlights. A large tree branch can block the vortex valve very quickly,” continues the plant manager.

In the past, someone from his team always had to go and check if there was really a blockage or if it was just another industrious spider that had built its web under the ultrasonic transducer! This is no longer necessary, since a radar level gauge is keeping watch there now. Further upgrades, including additional stormwater basins within the catchment area of the wastewater treatment plant, are planned for the future.

VEGA Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R611

Check out this magazine’s sister website.

36 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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NEW PRODUCTS

LOW-COST SERVOS Based on the G5 series, the G5 Lite servos from Omron are a cut-down version, with a number of advanced features removed to reduce cost.

G5 Lite servos accept a single-phase 200 V source and output between 100 and 1500 W to a servomotor. Ready-made cables with moulded plugs are available for plug-and-play functionality.

The matching servomotors have an optional holding brake, to maintain position when power is removed.

The motorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in-built encoder resolution is 20 bit, equivalent to 1,048,576 PPR, and the drive accepts a pulse train input for direct replacement of stepper motors.

Both positioning and fixed value speed control modes are supported, along with eight inputs and three outputs, all with configurable functionality.

Optimum motor performance is achieved by the real-time autotuning facility, which can run continually. Vibration can also be significantly reduced by the enabling one of several adaptive or notch filters. Damping control is also provided and is suitable for keeping liquid loads level during movement to avoid spillage.

Omron Electronics Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R604

At element14, we stock the best tools from leading brands such as CK Tools, Duratool, Fluke, Knipex, Lindstrom, Stanley, Wera and Wiha, all available for same-day despatch. Our selection includes cutters, precision screwdrivers, pliers, wire strippers, measuring tapes, wrenches, tool bags and more.

And, our handy online tool selector makes it easier for you to kit out your bag and bench.

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NOVEMBER 2012 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 37

NEW PRODUCTS

LED OPEN FRAME MONITOR

The IDS-3110 is a 10.4″ SVGA industrial LED open frame monitor. The open front bezel design enables flexible and customised face plates for easy re-engineering and is suitable for any embedded application. The versatile mounting methods include rear and VESA mounting (75 x 75 mm or 100 x100 mm). The IDS-3110 comes in two versions: IDS-3110 standard and IDS-3110E. IDS-3110 standard provides 400 nits brightness and -20 to 60°C wide operating temperature with dual VGA and DVI signal interfaces.

IDS-3110E is a more economic version which supports 230 nits brightness and 0 to 45°C operating temperature with VGA signal interface only.

The IDS-3110 incorporates a simple 2-piece metal frame structure for a slim design 30 mm thick (non-touch solution) while most models are over 40 mm thick. This is a space saving of 20% and a weight reduction from 2 kg to 1 kg for non-touch solutions.

Compared to traditional CCFL backlights, LED backlights allow for thinner panel designs and low power consumption. The IDS-3110 comes with an industrial-grade panel and LED backlight which saves 20-30% on power consumption and reaches higher brightness.

The 400 nits brightness and 700:1 contrast ratio together brings much better visibility than common monitors, particularly in environments with strong ambient light. The wide viewing angle of 160° horizontal and 140° vertical provides a wider range viewing area for end users. In addition, IDS-3110’s wide range operating temperature of -20 to 60° C makes it suitable for harsh environments.

Advantech Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R068

DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM The Dewetron DEWE2 data acquisition system allows for mutliple simultaneous sampling Trion plug-in modules, combining the modularity of PXI with a larger front panel capable of containing eight RJ45 connectors for strain gauge sensors, six or eight IEPE sensor connectors, or four or eight isolated high-voltage inputs on a single Trion module.

The modules are inserted from the front of the DEWE2 chassis.

Each module can be combined and exchanged directly by the user in seconds. They plug in and out using the same locking/ejector mechanism made popular by the PXI standard. This allows the adaptation of DEWE2 instruments for every sensor and every application quickly.

The function of each measurement channel as well of the connected sensors can be proofed easily via a system check. This results in a reduction of user errors, which saves valuable time. Different chassis, most with a battery pack for independent power supply, are available.

The series is ruggedised and provides a high channel density.

Analog, digital, CANbus, GPS, counter and video signals are hardware synchronised already during the measurement, due to the built-in Sync-Clock technology.

There are instruments offering from 4 to 18 Trion slots, with or without a built-in computer. The DEWE2-A4 is an all-in-one platform with four slots for any combination of Trion modules, and features an Intel i7 processor running Windows 7, and a built-in display and keyboard.

Metromatics Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R224

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NEW PRODUCTS

INTEGRATED PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS Norgren has launched a high-performance range of cylinders, designed to significantly reduce energy usage and operating costs for OEMs and end users in a range of processing applications.

Conventional pneumatic control involves an arrangement of valves or valve islands, actuators, flow controls and sensors, along with connectors and accessories. In typical applications, up to 13 different components can be required for each actuator function. This complexity presents some intrinsic disadvantages and performance constraints. Norgren has developed IVAC (integrated valve and actuator control) - an integrated unit which combines the valve, flow controls, cushioning and sensors in a single actuator package.

IVAC is a weight- and space-optimised actuator, suitable for a range of bore sizes from 40 to 80 mm, featuring an integrated valve and magnetically operated switches for complete actuator control.

Able to be retrofitted or integrated within new systems, each unit requires only one pneumatic and one electrical connection, eliminating the need for multiple valve islands, components, tubing and accessories.

A number of options and varieties are available including cleanline versions for industrial cylinders, industrial slave cylinders and easy washdown, helping OEMs comply more easily and cost effectively with hygiene regulations.

The design of the integrated actuator is based on modularity to allow all components to be easily assembled and disassembled. The IVACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modular concept includes a special pilot module which is placed directly at the end of the actuator barrel, and the integration of a pneumatic interface, position sensing, display for status and electrical connection.

Norgren Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R843

LEAK TESTER The Furness FCO770 leak detector is designed for inline production leak testing of automotive components, pharmaceutical products, safety pressure devices, plumbing fittings, gas appliances, medical equipment and many other categories of products. It uses the Furness flat diaphragm differential pressure transducer, and the leak test specific spool type valve block with spool position monitoring.

The detector has a full colour graphical touch-screen display. Automatic storage of test graphs and other data and test recipes, or preset test sequences, for up to 300 different products is standard.

Each test recipe may include a conventional leak test and also automatically sequenced tests for blockage, ramp and dump (sealed component test) for the one product. The user can program the detector via its front panel or with a laptop or PC via its RS232, RS485, USB or ethernet interface.

The I/O for communication with external devices, such as PLCs and PCs, may also be programmed via the front panel touch screen or externally via a computer.

The leak detector can be set up by the user to test with vacuum or positive pressure. The maximum negative pressure range is -100 kPa (0 kPa absolute) and the maximum positive pressure range is 3 MPa (30 bar). Integral manual or automatic pressure and vacuum regulators are available.

Depending on the application, an internal vacuum generator option is also available. If an external vacuum or positive pressure source is needed then the user can connect an external pressure source.

Bestech Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R404

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NEW PRODUCTS

HMI/SCADA REPORTING SOFTWARE Ocean Data Systems and independent SCADA provider InduSoft, Inc have teamed up to offer new reporting options for InduSoft Web Studio users. With seamless access to the Dream Report application, InduSoft users gain the ability to create sophisticated reports that include tables, bar charts, pie charts and screen shots.

The option to integrate Dream Report into InduSoft Web Studio lets users easily access history data such as alarm history, trend history, OEE data and process data to generate a variety of reports in formats including, but not limited to, Microsoft Excel and Adobe PDF. Users can also automatically publish reports via a secure web portal on the internet or via an internal company intranet, using a built-in interface. This integration solution enables users to browse reports, access entire report history, generate reports on demand, configure per-report user access, save reports locally and print reports from a web client.

In addition, Dream Reportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s configurable end-user interface simplifies exporting files to professional databases, such as Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle. By offering check-box configuration tools and other features, the need for programming or database development skills to communicate with database applications is eliminated.

InduSoft Web Studio with Dream Report capabilities is a highly scalable solution that can grow from simple batch reporting for a single unit to reporting for the entire enterprise. By combining report information from multiple databases into one consolidated site reporting system without duplicating the source data locally, enterprise reporting becomes faster and more reliable.

A native driver was developed by Ocean Data Systems for seamless communication with InduSoft Web. Dominion Electronics Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R855

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NOVEMBER 2012 - WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 41

AS I SEE IT A.B.N. 22 152 305 336 Head Office Cnr. Fox Valley Road & Kiogle Street, (Locked Bag 1289)

EXTEND YOUR CONTROL: DIGITISATION OF THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

I

n today’s real-time and highly connected world, digitisation is radically changing day-to-day life. The digital world pervades our every waking moment and sometimes our sleeping moments too (check out the popular snoring app!).

The world’s volume of digital data more than doubles every two years (Source: Discovery Institute’s Technology and Democracy Project, January 2008). By the end of 2012, 20 typical broadband households will generate more traffic than what flowed across the entire internet in 2008 (Source: AT&T). The majority of businesses (83%) believe they will be doing more than 50% of their services on the cloud.

These statistics are indicative of the digital wave that has flooded our personal world and is now impacting our industrial world. The industrial automation space has traditionally been conservative, with a focus on reliability and high availability. Today, with these principles common across the digital world, many production plants, facilities and industrial businesses are expecting the same real-time, connected and mobile digital experience combined with the traditional principles of data resilience and availability in order to meet their production needs.

Technology streamlining processes Complicated, multiple workflows of different roles in an industrial business can be managed in the digital domain but the seamless interoperability across the entire process control system enables the rapid identification of production losses and root cause, and immediate rectification of the fault - all minimising process downtime, the key contributor to profitability. These integrated solutions featuring enterprise-wide centralised control, mobile technologies and industrialised PCs at local control stations form the backbone of industrial digitisation. Put simply, with industrial digitisation, that which used to take hours (if not days) now takes minutes.

The first critical piece of the industrial digitisation architecture is enterprise-wide centralised control. This can be achieved through the consolidation of disparate sitebased monitoring, control and operations intelligence solutions into one holistic production

management system that operates across all sites in the demand chain.

Centralised control embeds standardisation in automation across the demand chain - emphasising the need for common visualisation and control standards.

The second critical piece of industrial digitisation leverages the strength of mobility solutions, such as tablets and smartphones, which provide the flexibility necessary when consolidating operations for centralised control.

The third key piece of industrial digitisation architecture is the use of localised, industrialised PCs (iPCs) in local stations. This is critical to centralised control and the strength of the industrial digitisation model. It is also important for production processes requiring high-maintenance activities (a physical presence) together with the need for digital visibility (SCADA).

Building blocks for industrial digitisation Enterprise-wide centralised control combined with mobility solutions and local control station (iPC) architectures are the fundamental building blocks for industrial digitisation. With these in place, industrial businesses are leveraging the rapid paced digital world - effectively combining the real-time, connected and mobile, digital experience with traditional industrial automation principles of data resilience and high availability.

Industrial companies that take up the industrial digitisation challenge drive more effective, agile and ultimately profitable businesses as their workflows are streamlined across their operations.

With over 15 years’ experience in industrial automation and MES, systems engineering, consulting and business d e v e lo p m e n t , A li s o n Koh is currently the S ol u t i o n s Ma r k e t i n g Manager responsible for the life cycle management for Schneider Electric’s automation solutions offerings in Australia.

42 WHAT'S NEW IN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY - NOVEMBER 2012

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