www.controleng.

com
iÌޜÕÀƂE
w>Ì alliedelec.com
 Your Success is Our Success
AutomationDirect is your trusted source for cost-effective control solutions

Jesus Chavez
Service and Test Engineer
Vacuum Technology Inc. www.vacuumtechnology.com
For over 30 years Vacuum Technology
Incorporated has focused on developing
practical, affordable, and custom-tailored
“We found the CLICK PLC from AutomationDirect solutions for industrial vacuum/leak testing
to be a reliable, easy-to-use, I/O interface for our applications worldwide.
machines. We replaced our bulky, aging, relay
circuit boards and ribbon cable PC connections
with smaller, more affordable, Ethernet-capable
CLICK PLCs. Besides their PLCs, AutomationDirect’s
fast, same-day shipping and easy ordering are an
added plus for us.” - Jesus Chavez
At AutomationDirect, customer satisfaction is
priority one and we are continually expanding
our offering of low-cost industrial control
products to satisfy a wide range of applications.
Our CLICK PLC line was designed to provide
simple control solutions and is perfect for
small systems or even relay replacement. With
hardware starting at only $69.00 and FREE
straightforward software, CLICK PLCs will be
your go-to choice when time and cost savings
are imperative. www.CLICKPLCS.com

Order Today, Ships Today!

* See our Web site for details and restrictions. © Copyright 2019 AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA USA. All rights reserved. 1-800-633-0405 the #1 value in automation

input #1 at www.controleng.com/information
 Need Pneumatic Components?
Everything you need at great prices, in stock and ready to ship same day

AIR PREP COMPONENTS SOLENOID

STARTING AT VALVES
$14.00 $20.50
STARTING AT

(AF-223-M)
(AVS-3111-24D)

PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS
STARTING AT
$11.50
(A07005SN)

ALL COMPONENTS AS
SHOWN TOGETHER
$303.25

Pneumatic Air Preparation Solenoid Valves Pneumatic Cylinders

All pneumatic motion requires clean Solenoid valves are electrically The most popular style of pneumatic
and dry air with enough flow to provide controlled to direct air flow to actuator uses compressed air acting
the required pressure. The process of sequence operations in pneumatic on a piston inside a cylinder to move a
filtering, regulating and lubricating systems. Solenoid valves are used to load along a linear path.
compressed air is known as air prep. control cylinders, rotary actuators, • Round body cylinders available in
The NITRA family of air preparation grippers and other pneumatic devices. single-acting or double-acting styles,
components include: Use a manifold to simplify plumbing for with up to an 18-inch stroke and 2-inch bore.
a bank of valves. Modular systems even Also available in stainless steel. Magnetic
• Filters with 40 micron filter element pistons are optional.
(5 micron option) in sizes from allow networked control of valve group.
1/8” to 1” NPT port sizes • NFPA tie rod air cylinders come in
• Available as stand-alone units or as part of double-acting style, with up to a
• Regulators with adjustment from a compact modular valve system 24-inch stroke and 4-inch bore. All
20-130 PSI and 4-57 PSI • Stand-alone units can be used with optional include a magnetic piston. Adjustable
• Combination filter/regulators available manifolds to make system configuration simpler air cushions are an option.
with same options in one unit • Available in 3-port/3-way, and • ISO 15552 air cylinders are double-acting
• Lubricators in 1/8” to 1” port sizes 5-port/4-way styles cylinders with up to a 600mm stroke and
• Total air prep units that combine all • 4-way valves come in 2-position or 100mm bore. All include magnetic pistons
air preparation functions in one compact unit 3-position styles with center closed and adjustable air cushions.
or center open • Metric and Inch compact air cylinders as
well as dual rod guided air cylinders also
Also Available available.
Modular Solenoid NFPA Tie-Rod ISO Style
Valves Cylinders Cylinders

Research, price, buy at:

www.automationdirect.com/pneumatics

Order Today, Ships Today!

* See our Web site for details and restrictions. © Copyright 2019 AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA USA. All rights reserved. 1-800-633-0405 the #1 value in automation

input #2 at www.controleng.com/information
 Safeguard Your Facility
with Layers of Protection

Now Get Moore Industries

Alarm Trips with
Intrinsically-Safe Field
Connections
Moore Industries’ family of rugged and
reliable alarm trips now includes the SPA2IS
for process areas requiring intrinsically-safe
methods of protection. The newSPA2IS alarm
trip lets you directly connect temperature
sensors and transmitters in Class I, Div1 or
Zone 0,1 hazardous locations without having
to use intrinsically-safe barriers, cutting
wiring and maintenance expenses.

Add a layer of protection to keep your facility

safe and reduce costs with the SPA2IS with
intrinsically-safe field connections.

To learn more about the SPA2IS and Moore Industries family

of Programmable Alarm Trips, call (800) 999-2900
or visit: www.miinet.com/alarmtrips Demand Moore Reliability
input #3 at www.controleng.com/information
 Vol. 66
Number 10

OCTOBER 2019

ANSWERS
18 | Packaging system integration advice
from three case studies
24 | High-speed vision sorting technology
records rapid improvement with industrial
Ethernet
29 | Connecting I/O systems with the IIoT
32 | Decode hybrid AI system potential

18 34 | Improving automation safety with

self-taught industrial machines, robots
COVER STORY: Example of a
bag conveyor system that collects
inspected products towards case 38 | Teaching industrial robots with AI
39 | Choose the right industrial wireless
packers. From there, the case con-
veyor infeeds products towards a
robotic palletizing system. Courtesy: technologies for condition monitoring
41 | Applicability of wireless technology
NCC Automated Systems

for manufacturing
INSIGHTS 42 | Defining the details
4 | Safety tips on SCCR for industrial of a wireless network
control panels, industrial machinery installation
8 | Technology Update: PLC tag and 44 | New ways to increase
address naming conventions productivity with smart
16 | Think Again: Tips to help IIoT projects systems
Page 42: Wireless
Courtesy: Phoenix Contact
NEWS
14, 22 | Water/wastewater; Remembering INSIDE MACHINES
Leonard Moore,
M1 | Benefits of robotics-as-a-service
Headlines Online
for manufacturers
17 | International: Manufacturers need to M5 | Survey respondents offer motor
prepare for cyber threat drive advice

CONTROL ENGINEERING (ISSN 0010-8049, Vol. 66, No. 10, GST #123397457) is published 12x per year, Monthly by CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Jim Langhenry,
Group Publisher/Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/Co-Founder. CONTROL ENGINEERING copyright 2019 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved. CONTROL ENGINEERING is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used
under license. Periodicals postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional mailing offices. Circulation records are maintained at CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Tele-
phone: 630/571-4070. E-mail: [email protected]. Postmaster: send address changes to CONTROL ENGINEERING, PO Box 348, Lincolnshire, IL 60009. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40685520. Return undeliverable
Canadian addresses to: PO Box 348, Lincolnshire, IL 60009. Email: [email protected]. Rates for non-qualified subscriptions, including all issues: USA, $165/yr; Canada/Mexico, $200/yr (includes 7% GST, GST#123397457);
International air delivery $350/yr. Except for special issues where price changes are indicated, single copies are available for $30.00 USA, $35.00 Canada/Mexico and $40.00 Other International. Please address all subscription
mail to CONTROL ENGINEERING, PO Box 348, Lincolnshire, IL 60009. Printed in the USA. CFE Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions
in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever.

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 3

INSIGHTS
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
John Kovacik, UL; and Dan Neeser, Christy Rosati, Joe Pavia, Eaton’s Bussmann Division

Safety tips on SCCR for industrial

control panels, industrial machinery
How to determine short-circuit current rating (SCCR) and avoid misapplications. When the
industrial control panel or industrial machinery does not have an adequate SCCR for the available
short-circuit (fault) current, an electrical hazard exists.

A
short-circuit current rating (SCCR) Industrial control panels are listed in accordance with
for equipment is required by Nation- ANSI/UL 508A, the Standard for Industrial Control
al Electrical Code (NEC) 409.110(4) Panels, and covered by UL product category NITW
industrial Control Panels and 670.3(A) (industrial control panels) as factory-wired assemblies
Machine Nameplate Data. SCCR repre- of industrial control equipment, such as motor con-
sents the maximum amount of current the assembly trollers, switches, relays, and auxiliary devices.
can withstand safely under short-circuit conditions. The panels may include disconnecting means,
Additionally, the following general statement related power distribution blocks, motor controllers, and
to SCCR is included in NEC 110.10 Circuit Imped- branch-circuit protective devices. UL Listed prod-
ance and Other Characteristics: ucts installed and used in accordance with their
“The overcurrent protective devices, the total listing are considered by the NEC to meet these
impedance, the equipment short-circuit current rat- requirements. SCCR marked on the equipment pro-
ings, and other characteristics of the circuit to be vides the information needed to help ensure a safe,
protected shall be selected and coordinated to per- code-compliant installation. For UL 508A panel
mit the circuit protective devices used to clear a fault manufacturers, two options are available to obtain
to do so without extensive damage to the electrical the needed SCCR for a given panel:
equipment of the circuit.” First, apply the method described in UL 508A,
Understanding how an industrial control panel’s Supplement SB (determining SCCR based on the
SCCR is determined and what the markings on the components in the power circuit). If the industri-
product signify will help ensure the industrial control al control panel contains only control circuit com-
panel is adequate for the available fault current at the ponents, marking the SCCR is not required (also
point of installation. noted in NEC section 409.110(4) Exception).
Industrial control panels are defined by NEC sec- The other option is to test a panel to achieve rat-
tion 409.2 as an assembly of two or more power circuit ings higher than the value determined using Sup-
components, control circuit components or any com- plement SB.
bination of power and control circuit components. UL 508A Supplement SB is the preferred option
for nearly all industrial control panels. The overall
process of this is to:

1. Identify the lowest component SCCR and/or

component combination SCCR rating with an
overcurrent protective device (OCPD).

2. Increase the branch component SCCR and/or

component combination SCCR rating with a
feeder current-limiting OCPD.

3. Identify the lowest interrupting rating of over-

current protective devices in the industrial
control panel.
SCCR represents the maximum amount of current the assembly can
safely withstand under short circuit conditions. Courtesy: Eaton’s The lowest component SCCR (steps 1 and 2) and
Bussmann Division. the lowest interrupting rating of the overcurrent pro-

4 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

input #4 at www.controleng.com/information
INSIGHTS
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

tective device (step 3) results in the overall assem-

‘ The industrial control panel is
not rated for the available fault
bly SCCR. current, which could result in ex-
For step 1, power circuit components (compo-
nents that supply power to external loads such as tensive damage, creating danger

’
motors, lighting, heating, appliances, or convenience
receptacles): either the product markings or the
for anyone nearby.
instruction sheets determine the SCCR. If there are
no product markings, a default value can be used as amount of short-circuit (fault) current the assem-
indicated in UL 508A, Supplement SB, Table SB4.1. bly can safely withstand under short-circuit condi-
The SCCR of the industrial control panel must tions. When the industrial control panel or industrial
be adequate for the available fault current at the machinery does not have adequate SCCR for the
point of installation. In most applications, a default available short-circuit (fault) current, an electrical
SCCR of 5 kA is not adequate. hazard exists.
For these installations, UL 508A Supplement SB The IEEE 1584 standard is the method in cal-
allows the manufacturer of the industrial control culating arcing currents and incident energy level.
panel to achieve the required SCCR by using power When the upstream OCPD is the only device con-
circuit components tested by the component man- sidered when calculating the industrial control panel
ufacturer for a high fault rating and incorporating incident energy and, i.e., the industrial control panel
them into the industrial control panel manufactur- SCCR is not included in the calculation, a major
er’s UL report (procedure). hazard exists. OSHA section 1910.303(b), requires
It’s possible to raise the ratings of branch power equipment (new and existing) to be rated to handle
circuit components – those on the load side of the the available fault current without causing a hazard.
branch-circuit overcurrent device (the over- For example, a fuse or circuit breaker is feeding an
current device closest to the load). Any industrial control panel that has a 5kA SCCR.
M More
INSIGHTS
component or overcurrent device on the
lineside of the branch-circuit overcurrent
The available fault current on the line-side of the
industrial control panel is calculated to be 15kA. If
device is in the feeder circuit. the industrial control panel SCCR is not considered
KEYWORDS: Short-circuit
current rating, SCCR, When a current-limiting device (fuse or in the calculation, the incident energy is based only
industrial control panels circuit breaker marked current-limiting or a on the magnitude of the arcing fault and the time to
Determine short-circuit transformer) is located in the feeder circuit, clear the fault by the fuse or circuit breaker. A label
current rating (SCCR). it can be investigated to determine if it can will be generated based on the incident energy calcu-
Avoid SCCR misapplications. increase branch circuit component SCCR lated and placed on the inadequate SCCR industrial
Adequate SCCR for the ratings. When transformers are used, both control panel.
available short-circuit (fault) the branch-circuit overcurrent device inter- In other words, the industrial control panel is
current reduces electrical
hazards.
rupting rating and the component SCCR not rated for the available fault current, which could
can be increased. result in extensive damage, creating a dangerous situ-
CONSIDER THIS However, when current-limiting overcur- ation for anybody working on or near the panel.
Are your SCCR requirements rent devices are used, only the component In the above example, the arc flash warning label
meeting requirements and
avoiding hazards?
SCCR can be increased. It is not permitted should state “DANGER,” meaning no one should
to increase the branch-circuit overcurrent be allowed to work on or near the industrial con-
ONLINE device interrupting rating. trol panel when energized until the proper industrial
If reading from the digital The final step is verifying the lowest control panel SCCR is achieved.
edition, click on the headline
for more resources, including
interrupting rating of the overcurrent devic- The NEC and UL recognize the need to provide
a section on “Common es in the industrial control panel. If this is adequate protection against short-circuit events. This
misapplications in industrial lower than any power circuit component can only be achieved by understanding available fault
control panels” and links to after the steps above, the assembly SCCR is current, communicating protection requirements to
UL and Eaton’s Bussmann lowered to this value. personnel and equipment suppliers, and properly
division with more on:
Although the overall process may seem applying components in the industrial control panel.
• Determining SCCR of
industrial control panels simple and straightforward, understanding Execution of a proper equipment SCCR plan will
per the 3rd Edition of UL the rules of UL 508A Supplement SB and the help provide adequate protection for employees and
508A proper application of devices is a complex equipment. ce
• Avoiding common and challenging concept. This is especially
misapplications in true with regards to the use of current-lim- John Kovacik is principal design engineer, UL; Dan
industrial control panels
iting devices. Neeser is senior field application engineer, Christy
• Explaining differences
between arc flash and
Rosati is field application engineer, and Joe Pavia
SCCR. SCCR versus arc flash is field application engineer, Eaton’s Bussmann Div.
www.controleng.com/ How does SCCR relate to arc flash? Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control
magazine Equipment SCCR represents the maximum Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].

6 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

 SENSE
Is it cold in here or did your boss just walk in?

We have a sensor for that.

Shop Allied. It makes sense.

input #5 at www.controleng.com/information

1.800.433.5700 Get your A&C fill at alliedelec.com

© Allied Electronics & Automation, 2019
INSIGHTS
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Frank Lamb, Automation Primer

PLC tag and address

naming conventions
Tutorial: Learn about tag templates, common factory automation tag abbreviations,
process control tag abbreviations, and five tag and address naming tips.

P
rior to this millennium, programmable UDTs (User Defined Data Types) also have made
logic controller (PLC) addresses were the tags more complex by allowing “dotfields.” An
register based. Data was kept in regis- example might be “VFDrive2100.ActualSpeed” or
ters with addresses like MW210, B3:6/2, “pOP150.ToSCADA.SEvents.Call.ForSupervisor”.
N7:50, or DB5.dbx50.2. They’re not very Nesting UDTs allows for tags like the last example.
descriptive, are they?
These addresses could be assigned a “Symbol” or Tag templates
shortcut that would make them easier to program Larger companies and machine builders/system
or find, but symbol names were often limited in integrators usually create a template for program-
length. Symbols also were not kept in the PLC; only ming that lays out how tags will be named. Many
on the programming computer and in the software. common tags already will be created in a template
Descriptions also could be assigned to the program, and others will be automatically generated
addresses, but they also were only present in from a spreadsheet. The conventions used will dif-
the software. They provided extra information fer from company to company, but the intent is the
about the address and its purpose, but were not same: to make the program more readable and easier
searchable. to troubleshoot.
With the advent of tag-based PLC systems, There are two major divisions of tag naming phi-
the address became much more descriptive, and losophies. In the manufacturing industries such as
the register-based addresses were hidden automotive and other products, devices are often

M More
INSIGHTS
from view. Tag names have different rules
depending on the brand or platform of the
PLC. They can be 40 or more characters in
named by their function and location. They also
often include a number referencing a page and line
where the device is located in the electrical draw-
KEYWORDS: PLC tags, length and use alphanumeric characters. ings. An example of this might be “PalletPushCyl_
address naming convention Some platforms allow spaces while some ExtPX_4120”. This example indicates the Assembly
Tag name rules can vary by require an underscore instead. (Pallet Pusher Cylinder), the Device and its position
brand of programmable logic
controller (PLC) (Extended Proximity Switch), and the location in the
Factory automation, Tags are downloaded electrical drawings (Page 41, Line 20).
process control tag name Tags are actually downloaded into the
abbreviations PLC. They also can be organized alphabeti- Factory tagname abbreviations
Five tag naming tips will help cally or numerically in the tag database, mak- Devices in manufacturing often are designated by
when deciding. ing the naming convention important. Since abbreviations as listed below:
CONSIDER THIS so many characters can be used, tag names
What tag naming best can be quite descriptive and contain a lot • Photoelectric Sensor: PE, PEC, PER
practices will smooth your of information. At the same time, long tag • Proximity Switch/Hall sensor: PX, PRX
programming efforts? names with too many abbreviations can be • Limit Switch: LS
ONLINE hard to read. • Master Control Relay: MCR
If reading from the digital Common functions or terms such as • Pushbutton: PB, hPB (HMI)
edition, click on the headline AutoMode, AutoCycle, Fault or CycleStop • Switch: SW
for more resources. are pretty common in industry and don’t • Solenoid Valve: SV
www.controleng.com/ require a lot of extra information. Systems • Control Relay: CR, K
magazine
or machines might be divided up into zones • Motor Starter: MS.
See CFE Edu online course
on PLC programming basics
or stations and labeled Zone2, Cell15 or Sta-
http://cfeedu.cfemedia.com/ tion003, these tags could take a bit more doc- The second school of thought is from process
catalog umentation or description. control industries, such as petroleum or chemical

8 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

—
ABB servo motors
precise control in a
compact design

ABB’s AC servo motors were created for industrial, automated applications that
require precise control for positioning, speed and acceleration such as
packaging, labeling, wrapping, and cutting. Designed for durability, we also offer
a wide choice of inertia, winding, and feedback options.

More torque. Less cogging. Superior performance.

479-646-4711
new.abb.com/motors-generators
input #6 at www.controleng.com/information
INSIGHTS
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

• Limit Switch: LSL (Low), LSH (High)

• Loop Control: FIC, PIC
• Pushbutton/Switch: HS, HIS
• Photoeye, Proximity Switch: ZS
• Motor Starter: M
• Pressure Transmitter: PT, PIT.

The main consideration when creating tagnames

is to remember the technician or maintenance per-
son is the customer. The more
the programmer can do to help
someone find and understand the
code, the better.

Five tag and address

naming tips
Naming conventions for
device or unit tag names mat-
ter to aid understanding and
speed troubleshooting. Here are
five important things to consid-
er when deciding on tag names
templates or rules:

1. Make names as descriptive as possible as to

the function of the tag. Use standardized
Factory automa- processing. Their technicians depend on their pro- terms and abbreviations technicians will
tion and process cess and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs). Coding understand. Add descriptions if necessary.
control tag- guidelines for these are supported by ISA, but may
naming matters differ from company to company. 2. Tags will appear in alphabetical and numer-
for consistency, These drawings assign unit numbers to assem- ic order, so beginning tags with the same
understanding, blies like tanks or skids and loop numbers to the function or area letters/numbers is impor-
and troubleshoot- different control components like instruments and tant for organization.
ing. Courtesy: sensors.
Frank Lamb, Auto- Because device names are controlled, tag names 3. Use underscores or capitalization wherever
mation Consult- in the process industries only include the P&ID necessary to make the tag more readable.
ing, Automation number rather than the more descriptive method
Primer used in manufacturing. These designations are quite 4. If the software platform allows for local
different than those used in manufacturing. tags, assign all tags for a particular assem-
For instance, a flow transmitter might be desig- bly or program before copying it to dupli-
nated as 20-FT-1982-A, where the area is 20, FT is cate programs. This can save a lot of time.
the type of sensor, 1982 is the loop number, and A
means there is at least one other redundant device. 5. Use a spreadsheet to create tags. This is
Because tags can’t start with a number on many plat- easier than typing tags manually into a
forms, the order of characters may be changed, or a database. Tags can be incremented and
letter may be attached before the unit number. The duplicated more easily. PLC platforms allow
tag for the device above might then be FT_20_1982A for easy export/import of tags. This also
or d20_FT_1982A. This type of tag may not be as ensures programmers use the same names
descriptive as those used in manufacturing, but a as electrical and mechanical designers. ce
description might be attached reading “Flow Trans-
mitter A for Loop 1982 in Unit 20”.
Frank Lamb is the founder of Automation Consult-
Process tag abbreviations ing LLC, the creator of Automation Primer and is a
Devices might use designations like those listed member of the Control Engineering Editorial Advi-
below: sory Board, and Automation Consulting is a content
partner. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager,
• Flow Transmitter: FT Control Engineering, CFE Media and Technology,
• Valve: HV, FV [email protected].

10 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

 Honey, I’m home!
Tired of working nights and weekends
on motion control projects? It’s time
to contact an automation specialist at
SEW-EURODRIVE for help.

We provide a complete package from

start to finish, including project planning,
software, components, commissioning,
troubleshooting, and worldwide support.

Let our specialists be an extension of

your team.

seweurodrive.com | 864-439-7537
input #7 at www.controleng.com/information
input #8 at www.controleng.com/information
 OCTOBER 2019 Digital edition
The tablet and
digital editions
provide links to
®
additional article
images and text
online and links to
INNOVATIONS other related, use-
ful resources.
NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS
56 | Vote now for Engineers’ Choice finalists
The official ballot is open for voting for Control Engineering North Control Engineering eBook
American print and digital edition subscribers, for a limited time. series: Motors and Drives
Cast your vote using CFE Media’s New Products for Engineers Fall Edition
platform at www.controleng.com/NPE. Motors and drives
BACK TO BASICS make manufactur-
ing plants run and
62 | Control engineering: Basic terms explained keep them effi-
cient. Maintaining
NEWSLETTER: Machine Control motors and drives
• 5 enduring developments in electronic and keeping them cost-effective is
motion control crucial and requires knowledge of
many different aspects. This help-
• 2019 Motor Drives Study ful eBook will help readers learn
• Manufacturing, automation leaders inspire, about topics including what to
mentor consider when implementing a lin-
• Hybridization as a disruptive, profitable ear motion application and three
energy strategy for manufacturers steps to size motors.
Learn more and register
• Four ways industrial automation will evolve.
to download at
Keep up with emerging trends: subscribe. www.controleng.com/ebooks.
www.controleng.com/newsletters.

CFE EDU: Catapult your career forward

Earn learning units Oil & Gas Engineering
and discover exclu- helps maximize uptime and
sive content through increase productivity through the
videos, presentations use of industry best practices and
and access to experts new innovations, increase effi-
at CFE Edu, an on- ciency from the wellhead to the
demand education refinery by imple-
platform by CFE Media. menting automa-
tion and monitor-
Check out the course catalog today at cfeedu.cfemedia.com/catalog.
ing strategies,
Courses include: and maintain and
• IIoT Series: Part 3: Edge, Fog, and Cloud improve safety
• Data-Driven Maintenance for workers and
the work environ-
• Introduction to Cybersecurity within ment. Read the
Cyber-Physical Systems digital edition at
• IIoT Series: Part 2, Current Issues and Applications www.oilandgaseng.com.

controleng.com provides new, relevant automation, controls, and instrumentation content daily, access to
databases for new products and system integrators, and online training.

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 13

INSIGHTS Digital edition? Click on headlines for more details.
NEWS See news daily at www.controleng.com

Water, wastewater industry

is going digital and getting smarter
Technology updates in the water/ the water and wastewater Endress+Hauser’s booth at
wastewater industry flowed through industry,” said Alan Vance WEFTEC had several sen-
McCormick Place with the annual Water industry manager – envi- sors and tools designed to
Environment Federation’s Technical Exhi- ronmental, Endress+Hauser gather quick and accurate
bition and Conference (WEFTEC) con- Group. readings that could be sent
ference. The conference, Sept. 21-25, Updated digital systems, to a display for the user
highlighted many of the latest develop- properly used and config- so they know when some-
ments in instrumentation, digitalization, ured, can help address cyber- thing is wrong. Courtesy:
pumps, and other technologies. security concerns in ways Chris Vavra, CFE Media
Those in the water/wastewater indus- legacy systems cannot.
try are meeting challenges like any other
industry: Making products that are smart- Automation and safety regularly. Automating the data collection
er, faster, cheaper, lowering worker risk, Automation also is increasing in the process and alerting workers to problems
and improving cybersecurity. water/wastewater industry. According to remotely improves overall efficiency and
Clay Mallett, a water industry specialist for makes worker happier.
Information control ABB, that is a good thing. It’s also a good thing, in some cases,
One common theme running through- “I operated in the water and waste- workers don’t have to interact with some
out WEFTEC was the growing need to get water industry for 24 years, and the one of these pipes or pumps because they
information to customers. There is a lot of thing I learned is the more I could take could be funneling dangerous chemicals.
information users need from their pumps, out of the operator’s control and automate Smart technology on display at
pipes, filtration systems and more. How it, the better we could meet our goals and WEFTEC offers some hope for a brighter
can the information be securely accessed? improve treatment.” Increasing automa- and cleaner tomorrow.
Digital technology, particularly in the tion provides another incentive. Many of
form of process sensors, is becoming a the sensors and devices used to track per- Chris Vavra, production editor, Control
major tool. formance in water/wastewater are in loca- Engineering, CFE Media and Technology,
“The digital industry is upon us in tions most people would not want to go [email protected].

Founder of Moore Industries- Headlines

International passes away at 85 online
L
eonard (Len) W. Moore, P.E., founder and owner of
Moore Industries-International Inc. passed at the age Top 5 Control Engineering articles
of 85, according to information provided by the com- September 16-22
pany that bears his name. Articles include process control and instru-
Leonard W. Moore,
Starting with one signal isolating/converting instru- the founder of mentation productivity, control system tech-
ment, the SCT Signal Converter and Isolator, Moore and Moore Industries- nology, Leaders Under 40 winners, modern
manufacturing and electronic motion control
his employees designed, built and supported more than International,
developments.
225 products that isolate, protect, convert, alarm, mon- passed away at the
age of 85. Courtesy:
itor, control and interface with industrial or automation Moore Industries- Machine vision trends, food inspection
control and monitoring systems. International Machine vision inspections require lighting
Moore was born Nov. 26, 1933, in Hazelton, Iowa, and sensors for food to be properly imaged.
where he attended elementary through high school. At the age of 16 he
graduated high school and then attended Iowa State University where he Prolonging power plant life through
obtained a BS in Electrical Engineering. artificial intelligence
After graduating college Moore entered the Army in 1953 as a weapons A West Virginia University chemical engi-
guidance specialist and spent time at Fort Sill, Okla. and Fort Bliss, Texas. He neer is tapping into AI to help boilers.
then served time in Japan training and teaching soldiers how to operate, cal- Addressing digital migration challenges
ibrate and repair various guidance and artillery weapon systems. It was here Digital transformation programs are creating
where Moore realized he had a passion for instruments and control circuits. several challenges.
After his tour in Japan he left the Army and returned home to Iowa.
Continued on p. 22 Optical lace developed to heighten
robots’ sensors

14 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

The Plant Floor in Your Pocket
Get an overview of your process at a glance.
Control your SCADA with a swipe.

See the live demo now.

Scan this QR code with your phone
or visit demo.ia.io/engineering
input #9 at www.controleng.com/information
INSIGHTS
THINK AGAIN ®

3010 Highland Parkway, Suite 325, Downers Grove,

IL 60515. 630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504

Eight IIoT project tips Content Specialists/Editorial

Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager
630-571-4070, x2227, [email protected]
If you’re stalled with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) implemen- Jack Smith, Content Manager
630-571-4070, x2230, [email protected]
tations or haven’t begun, consider these eight expert tips. Kevin Parker, Senior Contributing Editor, IIoT, OGE

M
630-571-4070, x2228, [email protected]
ost industrial businesses art toolbox they know how to use, and Emily Guenther, Director of Interactive Media
630-571-4070, x2229, [email protected]
know they need to advance you’ll win,” said Don Pearson, Induc-
Amanda Pelliccione, Director of Research
productivity with Industrial tive Automation’s chief strategy officer. 978-302-3463, [email protected]
Internet of Things (IIoT), While his company offers paid training, Chris Vavra, Production Editor
Industry 4.0, or Smart Factory initiatives. experts there also spent more than 10,000 [email protected]

Choosing, migrating, updating, and inte- hours producing free videos online,
Contributing Content Specialists
grating related technologies may seem an where students can receive free educa- Suzanne Gill, Control Engineering Europe
insurmountable obstacle. tion and certification. System integra- [email protected]
If so, your inertia about technolo- tors in the company’s program get free Ekaterina Kosareva, Control Engineering Russia
[email protected]
gy upgrades may enable competitors to support. Developers can use the Ignition Agata Abramczyk, Control Engineering Poland
gain an unfair advantage. Tips Exchange to share templates [email protected]
follow from system integra- and projects. Lukáš Smelík, Control Engineering Czech Republic
[email protected]
tors and automation vendors 3. Use an intelligent data
Aileen Jin, Control Engineering China
at the 2019 Inductive Automa- hub to standardize industrial [email protected]
tion Ignition Community Con- data structures and add con-
ference in September. Among text to the raw data, said John Editorial Advisory Board
www.controleng.com/EAB
IIoT enablers discussed was Harrington, co-founder and Doug Bell, president, InterConnecting Automation,
Ignition software, described as chief business officer, High- www.interconnectingautomation.com
an industrial application plat- Mark T. Hoske, Byte. Industrial data opera- David Bishop, president and a founder
form for human-machine inter- Content Manager tions (DataOps) incorporates Matrix Technologies, www.matrixti.com
Daniel E. Capano, president, Diversified Technical Services Inc.
face (HMI), supervisory control the operational activities need- of Stamford, CT, www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-capano-7b886bb0
and data acquisition (SCADA), ed prior to data being used by Frank Lamb, founder and owner
manufacturing execution systems (MES) end applications. Software helps create Automation Consulting LLC, www.automationllc.com

and IIoT applications. intelligent industrial data, often unus- Joe Martin, president and founder
Martin Control Systems, www.martincsi.com
1. Don’t let the cost of updating auto- able because of missing or unknow data Rick Pierro, president and co-founder
mation or operations-related software kill tags, structures and context. “Industrial Superior Controls, www.superiorcontrols.com

a system integration or upgrade project. DataOps is focused on the challenges of Mark Voigtmann, partner, automation practice lead
Faegre Baker Daniels, www.FaegreBD.com
Steve Hechtman, Inductive Automation working with industrial data or data from
founder, president, and CEO was a system industrial automation and IoT devices,” CFE Media Contributor
integrator prior to founding the software Harrington said. Guidelines Overview
company. He said he was laughed out of a 4. Reconsider project functionality Content For Engineers. That’s what CFE Media
stands for, and what CFE Media is all about –
prospective customer’s office after quot- to move past traditional architecture defi- engineers sharing with their peers. We welcome
ing a system integration/upgrade project nitions, said Vikram Kumar, president, content submissions for all interested parties in
engineering. We will use those materials online, on
because of the high price of the software EZAutomation and AVG Automation. For our website, in print and in newsletters to keep
required for the project. After working example, a major automaker had to call engineers informed about the products, solutions
and industry trends.
with developers to write his own software controllers “health monitoring stations” www.controleng.com/contribute explains how
for automation projects, his system inte- to move around traditional purchasing to submit press releases, products, images and
graphics, bylined feature articles, case studies, white
gration project “close rate was close to agreement bias, take advantage of IoT papers, and other media.
100% after that point. Software should be capabilities and continue interacting with * Content should focus on helping engineers solve
problems. Articles that are commercial or are critical
easy, fun, and affordable,” Hechtman said. traditional PLCs to improve productivity. of other products or organizations will be rejected.
2. Ensure those integrating, install- Cybersecurity efforts and new industrial (Technology discussions and comparative tables may
be accepted if non-promotional and if contributor
ing and using software have appropri- data communication methods are helping corroborates information with sources cited.)
ate training and support. “Give those process improvement initiatives with IIoT * If the content meets criteria noted in guidelines,
expect to see it first on our Websites. Content for our
involved with a project a state-of-the- applications, Kumar said. e-newsletters comes from content already available on

M More
5. Get data where it needs to be our Websites. All content for print also will be online.
All content that appears in our print magazines will
when it’s needed to get the desired out-
INSIGHTS comes, said Benson Hougland, vice presi-
appear as space permits, and we will indicate in print
if more content from that article is available online.
* Deadlines for feature articles intended for the print
Click the digital edition headline for photos, dent, Opto 22. Using IIoT architectures magazines are at least two months in advance of the
links. www.controleng.com/magazine can democratize data on the plant floor. publication date. Again, it is best to discuss all feature
articles with the appropriate content manager prior to
See IIoT related webcasts under Online submission.
Training at www.controleng.com. Continued on p. 22 Learn more at: www.controleng.com/contribute

16 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

 iemens q
ce S u
en

ali
ri
Expe

ty
CO U P O N ! WITH C

ENCLOSED AM

e!
da

ric
tp

to
y at
the bes

ERIENCE
XP

E
Open up a world of possibilities CO

E
ODE
COUPONSECD
with Siemens LOGO! logic modules ENCLO IE

S
Y
EM

LIT
E N S Q UA

SI

automation24.com
Your online supplier for automation technology

H QUH
ALQHUQ U
L AQLUHAQL UHAQ
L UAL EPTIOEP
NTEIPOTNEIO
PTNIO
EPNTIEOPNTION EY B EY EBY BEY BEY BEY B
AH
IG IG IGIT IG IT IGIT IIGT IT IT XC XC XCA XC AXCA XAC A A ON ONAOCN OANC AOCNACONAC AC
PPLICAPPLIPCPALICPAPLICAPPLICAPPLICATI
E A E A TEI A E TAI TIE A TI E A TI 2 22 2 2 2
$ $$$$$
M
M
M
M
M
M

90 909090 90 90
K
K
K
K
K
K
E
E
E
E
E
E
L
L
L
L
L
L
H
H
H
H
H
H

YEAR
YEAR
YEAR
YEAR
YEAR
YEAR
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y

FRE

FRE
FRE
FRE

FRE

FRE
ON

ON
ON
ON

ON

ON

ING H INGING ING ING ING

SHIPPSHIP
S PIPSPHIPPSHIPPSHIPP
IN STOCK
ININ
STOCK
IN
STOCK
STOCK
IN STOCK
IN STOCK DAYS
DAYS
DAYS
DAYS
DAYS
DAYS
100 %

100 %
100 %
100 %

100 %

100 %
100 %

100 %
100 %
100 %

100 %

100 %

P R P R P R SP R PSR S P RS S S SU SUSU S T STU ST U T T GU G G EG U GE U E G UE

O D UOCDTOUDCO
UTD
C TUOCDTUOCDTU C T P R I C PI NRGIPCRIINCPGRI NI CGPI N
R IGCPI R P P O RPTPPOPU
ROPRP OPRP OPRP O R A R AUNATU
REA
E E O V O VO5V
0 EO$RV5 $0E R
O0V O0V 0
NIGC I N G ARNATAENRTAEN
ART EA A
NRT EA N T E ER $ER 5 $E5R $E5R $ 5

$
O D UC TS CI
PRI N G P P O RT GU
A R A NTE
OV
ER $ 50
PR SU E

800-250-6772 (toll-free) or 610-981-2900 [email protected] www.automation24.com

The perfect solution between contactor and PLC!

LOGO! logic modules: powerful and versatile

from Siemens

 Indispensable solutions for smaller automation tasks Did you know?

 Integrated Ethernet interface to form LOGO! Soft Comfort software makes
sophisticated communication networks the programming process incredibly
 Always have access to various areas of your user friendly with an easy-to-navigate
application via integrated web server user interface and included sample
 Diverse input/output configuration capabilities application programs!

How does the LOGO! logic module compare to the Micro810 from Allen Bradley?
The LOGO! logic module provides several advantages when compared to the Allen Bradley Micro810
programmable relay, making it the perfect solution for small automation tasks!

Siemens LOGO! Allen Bradley Micro810

Expandable I/O 24/20

24/20 DI/O, 8/8AI/O
DI/O, 8/8 AI/O 
Analog output 
Available 
4-20 mA input 
Available 
RTD input Available
 
Network compatible Yes
 
Max program size 8.5 KB
8.5 KB 2 KB
Expandable memory With SD card 
With SD card
Data logging Yes 
Web server

Integrated 
Integrated

Application examples

Agricultural Building technology/Home automation Pool or spa

› 7-day 24-hour timer functions for › Gate control › Pump control for energy efficiency
plant watering › 7-day 24-hour indoor/outdoor lighting › Timing control for water features
› Lighting control and shutter control such as splash pads
› Temperature and ventilation control › Cistern pump control › Dimming/timing control for lighting

FREE technical support before, 800-250-6772 (toll-free) or 610-981-2900

during and after your order!
 for example:
Expansion module Siemens LOGO!
DM16 24 - 6ED10551CB100BA2
Item number: 101754

$132.00 MSRP:
$139.00

Experience Experience
Siemens quality SIEMENS QUALITY
today at the today at the
best price! best price! for example:
ED!

ED!

Logic module Siemens LOGO!

CPU

ON ON 12/24 RCE - 6ED10521MD080BA0

OS

OS

L L
CODE ENC CODE ENC
P

Item number: 103710

$169.10 MSRP:
$178.00

Siemens
nce q
rie DISCOUNT*
ua
e
Exp

lity

COUPON Learn more about Siemens LOGO!

ENCLOSED! WITH COUPON CODE:
AM24-LOGO automation
automation24.com/siemens-logo
!
to

ay i
ce

a t t h b e st p r
d

*Not combinable with any other offers.

Valid through 12/31/19.

ce SIEMENS q PERIENCE
ien EX
er

ua

Siemens quality
Exp

lity

COUPON CODE ENCLOSED COUPON CODE

ENCLOSED
!
tod

ay
!
to

ic e

ay i pr
ce

r at t h
st p
d

at t h b e
e e b e st

HVAC Industrial Additional key applications

› Boiler sequence control › Elevating platform control › Bell system for schools or lunch/
› Two-point heating control › Motor speed control break alarms
› Control circulation pumps › Automatic conveyor sequences › Storefront light timing
› Energy consumption monitoring

[email protected]
24 www.automation24.com
 We stand behind our products and our support, too!

EY BAC
ON
EA
PPLICATI
2
Reliable support

M
YEAR KOMPETENTER 90

K
P PREISE ONE-STOP-SHOP
FRE

ON

ING
SHIPP
DAYS

100 %
AUTOMATION24 KUNDENSERVICE

100 %
MER GÜNSTIG
25% unter UVP Top-Marken before, during and after
inkl. Live-Chat your order
SU GU
P P O RT A R A NTE
E OV
ER $ 50
 Customer service team available from Mon–Fri 8am–6pm EST
 Free support from our Technical Support Engineers
 Live chat available on our webshop

H QUALIT TIO
CEP NA EY BAC
ON
Reliable products 2
IG X PPLICATI
EA

M
90

K
E

L
H

YEAR
Y

FRE

ON

ING
SHIPP
IN STOCK DAYS

100 %
100 %
from world-class manufacturers
PR SU GU
O D UC TS CIN
PRI G P P O RT A R A NTE
E OV
ER $ 50
 Continuously growing range of items
 Products hand selected from brand-name manufacturers
 Everything you need from sensor to control cabinet

EPTIONA EY BAC
ON
XC
Reliable
EA
PPLICATI
pricing 2
$
M

90
K
E

YEAR
FRE

ON

ING
SHIPP
available right on our website DAYS
100 %
100 %

SU GU
PRI N G P P O RT A R A NTE
E OV
ER $ 50
CI
 Average of up to 24 % off MSRP
 No minimum order quantity
 All pricing available online: no account required

ING
Reliable delivery
SHIPP
by the fastest means possible
OV
ER $ 50
 Free ground shipping on all orders over $50
 All products stocked in our US warehouse
 All stocked orders ship same working day

EY BAC
ON
Reliable warranty
M

90
K

ING
SHIPP
DAYS on all products in our portfolio
100 %
100 %

GU E OV
A R A NTE R$ E 50
 2-year warranty on all products
NEY90-day

O
BAC money back guarantee
2
M

90Not 100 % satisfied? Receive 100 % refund!

K

YEAR SHIPP
ING
DAYS
100 %
100 %

GU E OV
A R A NTE ER $ 50

We are happy to advise you personally! LIVECHAT

800-250-6772 (toll-free) or 610-981-2900 [email protected] www.automation24.com
LIVECHAT
INSIGHTS
INTERNATIONAL: INDUSTRIAL NETWORKING
Suzanne Gill, Control Engineering Europe

Prepare for cyber threats

C
Automation can increase productivity, efficiency, connectivity and cyber risks.
ybersecurity issues are the same of security due to long OT equipment lifecycles.
across all industry sectors. All indus- There is a growing sense of purpose among engineers
try sectors are increasing automation to better understand how legacy systems have been
to help increase productivity and effi- adapted to incorporate other elements of control.
ciency, and this requires greater con- Often engineers will find a lot of undocumented work
nectivity, which also can expose systems to attack. has been undertaken on installed systems and plant
The biggest differences among industry sectors is equipment. This is why an audit is a good place to
in the consequence of a successful attack. “We are see- start when considering cybersecurity improvements.
ing attacks taking place on a daily basis across all sec- New machine or equipment installations have
tors of industry,” said Paul Hingley, product security required integration of a new PLC or controller into
and solution officer at Siemens Digital Industries. an existing system. Most end users have relied on the
“Many are criminally motivated while some are competence of the solution provider for installation
sneaker hacks, from people trying to gain access using relevant compliance standards. The technical file
for their own entertainment. The criminal attacks that gets created usually relates to safety compliance.
are usually looking to create a denial of service and “Appreciation that one the biggest areas of com-
so ransomware is becoming more prevalent across promise of a cyberattack is denial of service is not
industry. This has resulted in hackers turning their widespread,” Hingley said. “So, while a new system
attention to the softer targets provided by the opera- will have been correctly applied from the perspec-
tional technology (OT) layer.” tive of the technical file, the bigger problem is that
Industrial OT investments can have anywhere if the safety system is affected by a security breach
from 10- to 20-year cycles, while information technol- it may result in a complete denial of service of the
ogy (IT) investment is more often in cycles ranging safety system and so it would, legally, become a non-
from one to four years. This means the IT infrastruc- compliant machine.”
ture will be better protected. A great deal of legacy It is for this reason the worlds of safety and security
OT equipment still in operation was not designed are moving closer together, and the HSE is becoming
for external connectivity and will never have been more involved with the requirements of security.
patched. That provides a softer target for cyber attacks. “There is a whole new world of systems starting

Denial of service attack

to appear because of the digital transformation that
many factories are starting to undertake,” said Hing-
M More
INSIGHTS
One attack instigated a denial of service, resulting ley. As a best practice, when it comes to security, he KEYWORDS: Cybersecurity,
in the plant being offline for two weeks, costing the advised gaining an understanding of existing architec- industrial OT
company billions of pounds in lost production. “To tures and networks and to develop a database of these Increased automation
regain control of production, it was necessary to strip systems. The next step is to develop an audit around in manufacturing leads
the software system and undertake ‘clean slate’ pro- the connectivity and what is happening in the system. to greater cybersecurity
cesses to bring the plant back into normal operational The next step is to aspire to follow the guidelines vulnerabilities.
activity. This involved looking at the installed software of IEC 62443, covering technical specifications and Industrial operations
technology (OT) has a longer
to find anomalies and apply the correct patches. maturity levels and processes required within the lifecycle than information
“We found that this particular attack was instigat- OT domain (such as passwords, and how to control technology (IT).
ed onsite, via a USB. On another site we identified an them). “These processes can be applied with technolo- There is a growing sense
attack as coming via a PC employed in the automa- gy, and when they work together, you will have created among engineers to better
tion layer, which had been used to download patch a defense-in-depth approach,” Hingley said. understand how legacy
systems have been adapted
updates, which at the same time had inadvertently The IEC Standard 62443 creates a defense-in- over the years.
installed a vulnerability,” Hingley continued. depth approach, looking at the technology that needs
“Such events often occur due to the lack of pro- to be applied to the automation layer, it also looks at ONLINE
tection originally installed on OT equipment — and the maturity of the processes themselves that have to Read more articles from
Control Engineering Europe
this highlights the importance of undertaking secu- be applied into that level of control. ce at www.controleng.com/
rity audits, so that engineers can understand what international.
their installed base actually is and what connections Suzanne Gill is editor, Control Engineering Europe.
CONSIDER THIS
they have. We find that many customers have remote This article originally appeared on the Control Engi-
What is the biggest
access connections in the plant that they didn’t know neering Europe website. Edited by Chris Vavra, pro- challenge your company
had been applied by their solution providers.” duction editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, faces when it comes to
In many factories, there will be no levels or depth [email protected]. cybersecurity?

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 17

ANSWERS
COVER: PACKAGING AUTOMATION
Kevin Mauger, NCC Automated Systems Inc.; Robbie Kerfoot, Stone Technologies Inc., Robert Herman, Avanceon

Packaging system integration

advice from three case studies
A vegetable processor packaging project integrated weighers, baggers,
robots, case formers and closers and conveyors. Packaging, records and raw
materials were updated and automated across eight sites. Seven bakery lines
converge in one packaging area that fills 20 cases per minute.

A
utomation and controls can help with various local and enterprise resource planning
packaging implementations, and (ERP) solutions to ensure that finished goods from
three system integrators offer insights eight productions facilities located throughout North
into recent projects. America were automatically labeled for distribution,
• Kevin Mauger, president, NCC all raw materials accounted for, and records updat-
Automated Systems Inc., discussed an automat- ed for track and trace purposes. Locally, we directly
ed vegetable processing and packaging line with interfaced with the existing packaging equipment to
robotics, palletizing and conveyors that runs mul- ensure the accuracy of automation was leveraged to
tiple products up to 320 bags per minute. Change- decrease any human data entry errors.
overs happen regularly. Herman: Over the past three years, Avanceon
• Robbie Kerfoot, client engagement noticed a trend in packaging projects addressing sys-

M More
ANSWERS
manager with Stone Technologies Inc.,
explained how packaging, records and
raw materials, were updated and integrat-
tem technology obsolescence. Packaging lines are
traditionally an area of the factory that has to run
24/7/365 days a year, and, as a result, there’s often a
KEYWORDS: Packaging
automation updates, case
ed and automated across eight facilities. feeling of “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” In recent years,
studies • Robert Herman, program manager technology obsolescence has driven manufacturers
The line packages a variety — senior engineer, Avanceon, explained to force packaging system upgrades. Common con-
of vegetable blends, meals how seven bakery lines converged in one straints and concerns are twofold.
and other items using robots, packaging area that fills 20 cases per min-
conveyors and palletizers; ute. Controllers needed replacing and pro- 1. There is never a good window of downtime.
changeovers happen regularly.
gramming and network needed updating,
Track and trace consistency
across eight production facilities over a three-day weekend. System integra- 2. The system needs to look and perform exactly
was needed. tors check and tested code as they went. like the system did before the outage to ensure
Packaging automation testing that the operators accept the system.
happened during and after QUESTION: Can you please describe
development; simulation wasn’t the packaging-related project? A recent bakery packaging upgrade addresses
an option.
those concerns. Avanceon helped upgrade legacy
CONSIDER THIS Mauger: NCC provided a turnkey, control systems that control and orchestrate the
Can next-generation fully integrated packaging system for a packaging area for a bakery. The packaging system
automation help your next vegetable processor. The system included a consisted of 7 lines running at over 20 cases per
machine or line redesign?
full range of packaging equipment includ- minute. Due to the high number of lines that con-
ONLINE ing multi-head combination weighers, verge into this packaging area there was no room
If reading from the digital VFFS baggers, robotic case loaders, case for errors in a very limited downtime window.
edition, click on the headline for formers and closers, robotic palletizing
more details, images, and links.
cell and approximately 1,000 feet of con- Q: What was the scope of the project and goals?
www.controleng.com/magazine
veyor. NCC project value was $7.5 million,
See related system integrator
capabilities in Global System
not including customer purchased combi- Mauger: Originally stated definition of success:
Integrator Report nation weighers and baggers. When this project is completed, NCC will have sup-
www.controleng.com/ Kerfoot: This project consisted of plied and commissioned a food packaging line that
Global-SI-Database hardware, software, and communications provides customer with an efficient and effective

18 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

 Robert Herman is
program manager
- senior engineer,
Avanceon. Cour-
tesy: Avanceon

Cover: Bag conveyor system collects inspected products towards case packers. Courtesy: NCC
Automated Systems

system producing all packages and cases at desired Based on the hardware and lack of human-
rates. The system will provide a safe operating envi- machine interface (HMI) screens, this type of project Robbie Kerfoot is
ronment for all employees involved on the line. could not be completely simulated for total testing client engagement
Reason for project/business value: The plant was before go live. To reduce risk to the startup, the proj- manager with
interested in installing a new packaging line for a ect team took special care in code conversion and Stone Technolo-
frozen vegetable product line. The new packaging with cross checking code and drawing reviews for gies Inc. Courtesy:
line will consisted of new processing equipment and quality throughout the project. Stone Technolo-
new packaging equipment (including palletizing gies
equipment). The line packages a variety of vegetable Q: What types of automation, controls, or instru-
blends, meals and other items. Multiple products mentation were involved?
are produced and changeovers happen regularly.
Previous state: Since this was a new packag- Mauger: Automated machines included:
ing line, the current state did not exist. Similar Bagger transfer conveyors to auto case packing:
lines next to where the new line was to be installed Frozen product is discharged from the customer
already were running the products, bags and cases. supplied freezer and onto the product distribution
New state: A new product distribution system, four system. Each bagger can discharge up to 80 bags per
baggers and four scales were installed. In addition, a minute (320 bags per minute, total). The bagger dis-
new packaging line was be installed simultaneously charge conveyors include a bag flipper to properly
to handle the bags produced by the bagger. The cases orient the bag (seal side down). Kevin Mauger is
produced from the packaging line were conveyed via Case forming and case transfer to auto case load- president, NCC
new overhead case conveyor that will be palletized by ing: Two case formers form carton blanks and dis- Automated Sys-
a new palletizing system. The existing stretch wrapper charge them onto NCC empty case accumulation tems Inc. Cour-
was used to wrap completed pallets. conveyors to supply four auto case loader stations. tesy: NCC Auto-
Kerfoot: The client’s goal for the project was to Auto case loading stations: Four auto case loaders mated Systems
standardize end-of-line (EOL) labeling/reporting will be supplied to pick and place bags into empty
across a variety of its sites. cases. Empty cases will travel into the case loader
Herman: The scope of the project was to replace from the opposite side the bags enter the case loader.
the PLC5/25 with 4 racks and over 60 modules con- The case loader uses two vision-guided robots in a
nected via remote input/output (I/O) and antiquat- single-pick configuration, thus allowing for correc-
ed data highway communication protocol to the rest tion of 360 degrees of bag miss-orientation.
of the plant. The old processor and system was to be Full case discharge to case closing: Full cases dis-
replaced with a programmable automation controller charge from each case loader and travel onto full case
and Ethernet-based I/O. The project included the soft- accumulation conveyors.
ware conversion, update to existing (and very tattered) Case closer discharge to incline spiral conveyor:
electrical design documentation. The goal of the proj- Sealed cases then discharge onto a case transfer con-
ect was to replace all hardware (the existing processor veyor prior to reaching the case lay down conveyor.
was so full that it no longer could be edited), test new Overhead case conveyor to decline spiral conveyor:
I/O and ensure existing functionality before a start- The cases will discharge from the incline spiral con-
up, without a ramp up curve. (Full production was veyor onto overhead case conveyors.
required at the “go live” point, Tuesday, 6 a.m.) Palletizing: The palletizing system consists of case

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 19

ANSWERS
COVER: PACKAGING AUTOMATION

conveyor to present the cases to the system, fork-style Herman: The main project challenge was the small
pallet dispenser, 3-strand empty pallet conveyor, two startup window (a three-day holiday weekend) and
robots to build the pallet pattern correctly, 3-strand the small margin for error after production began.
full pallet conveyors, powered roller conveyors to Based on the execution process and quality control
match with existing stretch wrapper roller conveyors, procedures, the project finished earlier than expected,
all safety fencing/guarding required and control panel. which left a buffer day for additional testing time.
Kerfoot: For this project, we provided some new
hardware (labeling equipment and servers), wrote the Q: How were those issues resolved?
interface coding required to interface between the
new hardware and the existing control systems, and in Mauger: By recognizing known risks up front, we
multiple cases modified the existing control system to put mitigation and contingency plans in place.
be more efficient due to the new systems put in place. Kerfoot: The key to overcoming this particular
Herman: Most controls [legacy PLCs] converted challenge was ensuring all expectations of stakehold-
were discrete inputs and outputs for photo eyes and ers, both corporate and local, were always communi-
conveyors as well as line speed references and added cated, discussed, and resolutions derived early when
communications over message instruction routines there were differences.
to upstream and downstream processors. Herman: The issue was resolved and mitigated
with a strong quality plan for the execution, a rigid
Q: What were particular project challenges? checkout schedule and detailed site-acceptance test
(SAT) checkout list.
Mauger: There were four challenges that came up
during the project: Q: Can you share some positive project metrics?

• How well the stand-up bags will run (new item) Mauger: We don’t have great access to the pro-
duction performance after install, but we were on
• Project delivery timelines time, on schedule and on budget.
Herman: Downtime window was the three-
• Very small case conveying and palletizing day Labor Day weekend. The electrical contrac-
tor team began wiring Saturday morning at 12:01
• Rework of existing control system. a.m. and finished Sunday at 5 a.m. On Sunday, the
controls team completed a I/O check out and then
Kerfoot: One of the largest challenges was work- moved into functional testing. Testing of the code
ing with a corporate team to develop the solution, went smoothly (due to quality control efforts), and
and then deploy that solution to a variety of local the team finished up after a long day. As a result,
sites that each had its unique obstacles to overcome Monday was left as a buffer for more testing and the
while still achieving the corporate team solution. chance for the team to take some rest.
The system was commissioned within the startup
ramp (0 to 60 mph in 2 seconds) with only 20 min-
utes of total downtime associated with the project.

Q: What were the resulting lessons learned

or advice you’d like to share?

Herman: The biggest lesson learned (typical for

obsolescence projects especially in packaging areas
where timing is everything) is to closely watch the
sequence timing. The new processor and communi-
cation protocols typically will run considerably faster
than the older processing speeds. The small down-
time that was experienced was a result of timing out
of phase from prior logic cycle times. This logic was
rewritten to address the faster processor. We spent
additional time focusing on the areas where timing
was important. As the line was run at full speed we
tweaked the timers and scans accordingly. ce

Cover: Case conveyor infeeds products towards robotic palletizing Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control
system. Courtesy: NCC Automated Systems Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].

20 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

What if your valve sensor could tell
you the seal is compromised?

Valve open Valve closed Alarm: check valve!

Valve failure may cause process contamination

or unplanned stoppages. These challenges
affect profitability.

ifm’s MVQ Smart Valve sensor continuously

monitors the actual position of a quarter-turn
valve in increments of 0.1 degrees. It is now
possible to have a reliable indication of valve
position in real-time.

The sensor also has predictive maintenance

functions that can indicate valve open to close
cycle time and deterioration of the valve seal.

Part No. MVQ101

List Price: $252.00
The MVQ Smart Valve
Sensor can be mounted
on any ISO Namur

2020 standard valve actuator.

Simple installation
reduces labor cost.

Warning of seal wear (valve

exceeds closed position) or
detection of obstruction or
deposits (valve does not fully
close) can be set via IO-Link.

In addition, the valve open

Experience ifm!
and closed time can be
monitored to determine Scan to learn more
proper valve operation.
Visit ifm.com/us
or call 800-441-8246

input #10 at www.controleng.com/information

 INSIGHTS
CONTINUED

IIoT tips ISA 88 Batch Control Systems extends

Continued from p. 16 well beyond batch software and should Leonard W. Moore dies
be considered for any flexible, modular, Continued, from p. 14
Using message queuing telemetry object-oriented control software designs. In 1968, he founded Moore
transport (MQTT), edge devices and ISA 95 Enterprise/Control System Industries-International Inc. in
database connectivity enable opera- Integration lowers the time and cost of North Hills, Calif. Starting out in
tions to look at problems differently, integrating operations with the enter- a small office with one employ-
cost effectively and in a way that can prise. It enables integration in weeks ee and a very small budget,
scale. Rip and replace isn’t always pos- instead of months or years and improves Moore set out to design the
sible, Hougland acknowledged. Risk can the changes. most rugged industrial instru-
be mitigated using I/O to cloud plat- ISA 99 Security for Industrial Auto- ment solutions that he knew the
forms with edge computing that sup- mation and Control Systems provides a industry needed. He used to say
ports familiar controls programming framework for lowering cybersecurity that at Moore Industries “we
languages and enhances security. Doing risk to acceptable levels. are an engineering company
so helps in the effort to get rid of pro- ISA 101 Human Interfaces for Pro- that solves customer’s problems
grammable logic controllers (PLCs) and cess Automation Systems explains how by manufacturing bulletproof
office computers on the plant floor in to design high-performance HMIs. solutions.”
favor of DIN-railed mounted industrial 7. Consider lifecycle costs when Moore often said, “The best
edge devices capable of data processing looking at hybrid operations technol- compliment we can get from
and real-time control, and even secure ogy (OT) and information technology our customers is that they for-
existing programmable controllers (IT) technologies for the edge and an got about our products or solu-
(PLCs) where necessary. Secure VPN organization’s digital transformation, tions because they performed
tunneling directly from the edge devic- suggested Rick Cedrone, the head of so well that they just plain for-
es can reduce communications risk and Americas field marketing for Stratus. got they were ever installed.”
enhances cybersecurity, Hougland said, Using available, rugged edge comput- This rugged design mentali-
and IT can help. ing resources creates setup and mainte- ty, which he mandated, can be
nance improvements and efficiencies. seen in most of the company’s

‘
Virtualized architecture helps reduce products that are enveloped in
costly IT involvement and makes solid aluminum cases instead of
Risk can be mitigated it a strong platform for oil and gas fragile plastic or polycarbonate
and other challenging environments, housings.
using I/O to cloud Cedrone said. More than 50 years after its
8. Ensure communications are inception, Moore Industries’
platforms with edge appropriate for the scale of the project. world headquarters remains in
Device-to-device communications can North Hills, Calif. The company
computing that bog down large IIoT systems. MQTT for continues to manufacture all its
industrial communications can provide products at this U.S. location,
an open-standard architecture and a something Moore insisted upon.
supports familiar cost-effective digital transformation and With two acquisitions, more
bridge the OT/IT gap, said Arlen Nip- than 19 industry associated pat-
controls programming per, chief technology officer, Cirrus Link ents, 200 employees and remote
Solutions. Cirrus Link provides MQTT offices located in the United
languages and centric software for industrial automa- Kingdom, The Netherlands, Bel-
tion and IIoT implementation, which gium, Australia and China, the

’
expand use of sensors, data and ana-
enhances security. lytics, on on-premise or off-site cloud
company continues to engineer,
design, manufacture and support
applications. In 2018, using MQTT existing and new products for
became less proprietary as Cirrus Link worldwide process control and
6. Use best practice automation donated its MQTT Sparkplug B com- automation customers.
standard templates to enable IIoT imple- munications engine to Eclipse Software In 2009, Moore was induct-
mentations, suggested Dennis Brandl, Foundation. It’s now an open, commu- ed as an ISA Honorary Member
chief consultant, BR&L Consulting. It’s nity-driven specification under the Tahu – among those whose sup-
faster to get from A to B by following working group. ce port, and/or contribute to, the
a pattern. Updating and creating new advancement of the arts and
assets can be more flexible and adaptive Mark T. Hoske is content manager, sciences of instrumentation,
by using tools available in established Control Engineering, CFE Media and systems, and automation. ce
standards, he said. Technology, [email protected].

22 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

 Looking for more?
You’re not alone
The way you look at suppliers has changed. Phoenix Contact’s Limited Lifetime
Warranty is our promise to you that the products you install in your control cabinets
are built to last. Your search is over — trust Phoenix Contact to build your confidence.

Learn more at www.phoenixcontact.com/warranty

© PHOENIX CONTACT 2019

input #11 at www.controleng.com/information

ANSWERS
I/O MODULES
James Figy, Beckhoff Automation

High-speed vision, Ethernet

yield rapid improvements
Case study: VMek enhances networking hardware for color sorting
with pluggable EtherCAT industrial Ethernet input/output (I/O) modules that
reduce costs, equipment footprint and time to market.

K
ent Lovvorn, general manager of
VMek Sorting Technology, has a sin-
gular vision that drives him: design
and perfect his own high-speed vision
systems. “I wanted to specialize in
some segment of high-speed machine vision,” Lov-
vorn said. High-speed machine vision requires
high-speed industrial communications to help real-
ize a 50% reduction in equipment assembly time.
Founded in 2014, VMek offers software and
hardware products for vision sorting. The com-
pany’s sorting machines leverage technologies to
meet the needs of customers in the agriculture
industry, which include the biggest seed producers
in the U.S.
The Metrix uses two full-color GigE cameras
and offers a throughput of 600 seeds per second,
while the Element has four full-color GigE cameras
with a throughput of 12,000 seeds per second. The
ability to provide valuable data on every seed in
real-time differentiates VMek systems from other
color sorters that only separate parts.
“VMek software performs composite analysis
using the front and back images of each item. The
software isolates each part and mates them togeth-
er to complete a 360-degree full-part analysis,”
Lovvorn said.
This data allows manufacturers and producers
to analyze why individual parts were rejected and
compare lab results with plant floor realities. They
also can use insights to plan for the future, Lovvorn
said. “The seed companies can plan accordingly for
the next grow cycle to either enhance or eliminate
specific traits.”

Continuous improvement with I/O

VMek continues to refine its systems to provide
The Metrix Analytic Lab Color Sorter, one of VMek Sorting Technolo- more granular data and transmit them using OPC
gy’s top hardware solutions, uses two full-color GigE cameras to sep- UA without increasing machine footprint. From the
arate and gather data on seeds. Images courtesy: Kevin Blackburn beginning, Lovvorn believed continuous improve-

24 • October 2019 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 The compact Beck-
hoff Automation
EtherCAT EJ boards
reduce footprint on
VMek hardware.
Standard LED lights,
which can be seen
through a window on
the Metrix and Ele-
ment machines, pro-
vide EtherCAT diag-
nostic information
for operators. VMek
sorting machines
include the Metrix
Analytic Lab Color
Sorter and Element
Analytic Production
Color Sorter.

‘360-degree color vision helps

find rejects and compare lab

’
results with plant floor realities.

ment of these systems would only be possible by

partnering with vendors: “When I started to lay the
foundations for VMek, I searched for hardware and
software partners that developed quality compo-
nents the right way.”
During a presentation on the EtherCAT indus-
trial Ethernet protocol, Lovvorn learned about the The top seed companies in the U.S. divide acceptable seeds from
network’s ability to use PCs as real-time machine those that do not meet color or size standards using software and
controllers and investigated using EtherCAT for hardware solutions from VMek.
high-speed vision machines. This led to the deci-
sion to standardize on EtherCAT input/ouput (I/O)
hardware. Pluggable I/Os saves space, time
During a 2017 redesign of several systems, Through discussions, Lovvorn found a fitting
VMek set out to reduce costs and space require- solution: pluggable EtherCAT I/O terminals. These
ments, but wanted to continue using EtherCAT terminals mount directly to custom-designed PCB
hardware. This effort did not need to increase reli- boards using predefined JST connectors, and the
ability, as the first machine that shipped in 2015 has entire board connects to the larger PC-based sys-
operated without major faults or failures. VMek tem via prefabricated cables or coded plug connec-
wanted to enhance its offerings and decrease time tors. Because the boards come prebuilt, this makes
to market by reducing the amount of hardware series production more efficient and cost effective
modules and point-to-point wiring. compared to wired terminals.

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 25

 ANSWERS
I/O MODULES

‘
“The core benefits were logical delivers benefits in terms of equipment
and came down to the ease of use that costs and just-in-time assembly.”
enables us to build distribution boards By implementing EtherCAT I/O Hardware adjustments
with the exact functionality, size, con- modules with printed circuit boards
nectors and labeling we need,” Lov- (PCB) for each sorting machine, VMek helped cut costs by roughly
vorn said. “Because the board for each was able to cut time to market signifi-

’
machine is customized for our designs cantly. “We estimate that we reduced
and processes, we can build machines our equipment assembly time by 50%,”
$700 per I/O segment.
prior to buying the components, which Lovvorn said. “We have also mini-

mized service time, if it’s ever needed.”

Small adjustments at the hardware level
helped VMek cut costs by roughly $700
Introducing the All-New per I/O segment, and the company rein-
vested these savings in R&D to continue

Box PC
to enhance its vision sorting machines
and software.
Lovvorn had two goals: to make the
best vision sorting software and hard-
ware possible and to collaborate with
Starting as low as $750 companies that work to lead in their
fields. “In our industry, every company’s
Looking for a powerful Industrial PC, but sorting technology has to be fast and
don't need a display? Our Box Industrial PCs
are the perfect combination of performance
efficient, but through our innovation
and sturdy construction at a low-cost. and partnerships, we offer more,” Lov-
vorn said. “As leaders in agribusiness,
our customers see our complex sorting
algorithms and ability to gather data on
every part as indispensable.”
As VMek continues to enhance its
vision sorting systems to better detect,
eject and report for the top seed compa-
Pair with a nies, he does not see this changing. ce

Display James Figy, marketing communica-

tions specialist, Beckhoff Automation.
With both an available HDMI and Edited by Chris Vavra, production edi-
VGA port, our Box PCs can be paired with an tor, Control Engineering, CFE Media,
Industrial Monitor for maximum flexibility. [email protected].

Wall Mount or M More

Din-Rail
Whether you need to DIN-rail mount or
ANSWERS
KEYWORDS: EtherCAT, I/O module
A sorting technology company looked to
improve speed with EtherCAT input/output
Wall Mount, with two models to choose (I/O) modules.
from, we have you covered. DIN-rail Implementing EtherCAT I/O modules with
printed circuit boards (PCB) for each sorting
mounting kit sold separately. machine, allowed the company to cut time
to market.
ONLINE
Storage & Memory Windows OS Expansion Kit Read this article online at
Configure your Box PC. Choose Windows Configure your Box PC www.controleng.com for additional stories
Choose from 32~512 Embedded Standard 7, with our Wi-Fi about EtherCAT modules.
GB SSD and up to 8 GB Windows 7 Pro, or expansion kit.
CONSIDER THIS
of onboard RAM. Win10 IoT Ent.
What benefits could your plant get from
EtherCAT I/O modules?

input #12 at www.controleng.com/information www.maplesystems.com 26 • October 2019

 Robust and vibrant LED
visual signaling

Stack lights now available

from PATLITE
LED light modules for long-lasting signals


Preassembled and modular units available


Robust construction for performance


in harsh environments
 Quick and easy “twist and lock” assembly

for modular units

-20 %
for example:
Stack light LR4-202WJNW-RG
Item number: 104159

$67.20 MSRP:
$84.00

www.automation24.com/patlite

www.automation24.com
24 – your online supplier for automation technology

H QHHUHQ U
HU UHLALU
QLAULAL EPTEEPIEPOTPTN
EITIO
OIEO
P TNNPINO
TINON EY EEBYEYNYBCBENABY YB
EB
Q
AQLA Q
A
IG IIGGIG IG IGIT IITTIT IT IT XC XXCCXCXCXCA AAA A A ONNOA
ONOON O ACACCACAC
PPLPIPCPPALLPIICLCPAIPCLPAIPCLAICA
E A EEAAE AE TAIE ATTIITI TI TI 2 2222
$$$$$
M
M
M
M
M

9090
9090
90
K
K
K
K
K
E
E
E
E
E
L
L
L
L
L
H
H
H
H
H

YEAR
YEAR
YEAR
YEAR
YEAR
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y

FRE
FRE
FRE
FRE
FRE
ON
ON
ON
ON
ON

SHIP P IN
SIP PPG
IPSIPHIN
IN GG
IN
PSIPH PIPG
INPG
ING
ININ
IN
STOCK
ININ
STOCK
STOCK
STOCK
INSTOCK
STOCK DAYS
DAYS
DAYS
DAYS
DAYS
SSHHH
100 %
110
100 %
100 %
100 %
100 %
0%
100 %
100 %
100 %

00 %
100

P RPPRPRRP RP R S SS S S S S USSUU
S S USTU TT T T T G UGGUGUUG UG U E EE E E E O VOOO O O 00 0 0 0
O DOOU UTU
ODDCD
O CCCTU
O TTCUTC T P RPIPRPRIRINPIR PIRN P PU
PPOPPRP
PO
O
O RPRPROPRO R EN EETNA
ETNET E EVREE$RERV5R$E0$VR
VV $55E5R$ 5$ 5
U D D C I CCIG CINN CGGIG
CNIGN G A RAAARARRATAA
NA NRAN
TTAR

$
O D UC TS CI
PRI N G P P O RT GU
A RA NTE
OV
ER $ 50
PR SU E

800-250-6772 (toll-free) or 610-981-2900 [email protected] www.automation24.com

input #13 at www.controleng.com/information
 Chinese Supply Chain Disrupted
Just in case you are not aware, most of Automation products sold
in U.S. are manufactured in China, now subject to unspecified
CHINA tariffs or even a ban. It’s advisable to find out Country of
Supply Chain disrupted manufacture before you specify.
UNPREDICTABLE
Future Availability & Price Unpredictable

PROUDLY
Supply Chain Security MADE Predictable & Stable

USA
Same Day Shipping IN THE Product Supply

Exceptionally SINCE 1968 Top Quality

Innovative Products
FactoryDirect Top Quality
@Great Prices Free Tech/App Support
Peace of Mind
It is time to come home ...
Come home and use Exceptionally Innovative, Made in America, High Quality Automation Products sold
FactoryDirect@Great Prices. No Supply Chain disruption since 1968

With all our 14 different types of

HMI+PLC controllers.
30 Exceptional Features
4” EZMiniTouchPLC, PROUDLY
MADE
The Engineering Marvel
IN THE
USA
SINCE 1968

3.5” Display

Specs: $299
• Patented Online-edit saves the • 8 Digital Outputs
user at least $2.5k in first • 4 RLY NO/NC, 5 Amp with
HMIs, PLCs, HMI+PLC Combo, Remote I/O, Industrial 3 months built-in Snubbers to increase
• 400 NITS 75K Hrs@55°C contact life by 10x
message displays, Sunlight readable products, DIN
• HMI with 23 unique features • 2 of 12 bit Analog In, 1 of 12
mount power supplies, Encoders, Soft HMIs, SCADA, like on-line edit bit Analog Out
Panel PCs, Time Delay Relays and many more • Advanced PLC, 32-bit Math +
Auto-tuned PIDs

www.EZAutomation.net • 12 DC Inputs
• 250 KHz Counter

1-877-774-3279 input #14 at www.controleng.com/information

Exceptionally
Innovative
Top Quality
Rugged Reliable
Terrific
Prices
ANSWERS
I/O SYSTEMS AND MODULES
Josh Eastburn, Opto 22

Connect I/O systems, the IIoT

Traditional wired input/output (I/O) connections is crucial for most
automation systems. The latest generation of I/O systems bridges the gap
to bring these connections into the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

I
ndustrial automation applica- Opto 22’s latest I/O modules, such as this forth-
tions are benefitting from the coming groov RIO, have software configurable
growing availability of smart point types and expanded data connectivity
devices. These intelligent com- options. Images courtesy: Opto 22
ponents, also known as Indus-
trial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices,
range in capabilities and sizes from Each DI/DO/AI/AO channel on
small, individual sensors to larger, pack- an I/O system module is rated for
aged control systems. One thing they have in certain voltage and current charac-
common is the ability to communicate extensive teristics. Modules can be distribut-
information via digital communication links. ed or standalone, expandable or
Based on the conversation around IIoT, one might rack-based. Field wiring connec-
get the impression these smart devices will all be tions traditionally were made using
wireless. The reality is traditional wired inputs and screw-clamp terminals; many users are
outputs (I/O) will continue to be in demand as a fun- transitioning to spring-clamp terminals for easier
damental automation need. Many devices, such as wiring and vibration resistance. Most I/O modules
relays, solenoids, switches and transmitters, still make must be installed in a protected environment. Some
sense as basic components with simple functionality. are connectorized for use in classified and other
This is especially the case for retrofit situations, but it demanding areas.
also applies to new installations.
Automation I/O systems take on new importance Flexibility, mix and match
when they consolidate basic signals to make many With many options to choose from,
existing hard-wired I/O points look like fewer IIoT
devices. Consolidation is crucial for reining in the
volume of data the IIoT produces and use classic
users often mix and match I/O types to
best fit the application. Some specific fea-
tures make it easier for users to connect,
M More
ANSWERS
wired signals in a modern networking architecture configure and power I/O systems. KEYWORDS: I/O systems, I/O
modules, Industrial Internet of
for IIoT applications. Organizations can use these
Things (IIoT)
I/O systems to attain their digital transformation and Form factor: From a physical standpoint,
Input/output (I/O) applications
IIoT goals. I/O systems with compact form fac- benefit from the rise of the
tors are easier to integrate into a system. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
I/O system basics Compact size can be achieved through Users have many options to
Traditional wired I/O connections are an estab- higher I/O density, or by designing nar- choose from and can mix and
lished technology going back many decades. row-width modules. Some trade-offs match I/O types to best fit their
applications.
I/O points are usually referred to as discrete (on/ need to be considered, however, since
The latest generation of
off signals) or analog (signals varying over a range), reduced size constrains permissible wire I/O systems offers greater
whether they are an input to an automation controller gauge and may make diagnostics more connectivity through Ethernet
or an output commanded by the controller. The terms difficult. Features such as removable ter- networks.
discrete input (DI), discrete output (DO), analog input minal block and wiring arm systems also ONLINE
(AI) and analog output (AO) describe traditional I/O. allow for quicker assembly and replace- Read this article online at
In the early years, one I/O module contained one ment of modules (Figure 2). www.controleng.com for more
input or output channel, and several single-chan- on I/O systems in the age of IIoT.
nel inputs or outputs could be installed on a chas- Signal options: Most I/O systems offer CONSIDER THIS
sis. Later, manufacturers increased the density of I/O signal levels at 24 VDC or 120 VAC for What other benefits can users
modules. One module may contain up to 32 chan- discrete points, and 4-20 mA or 0-10 gain from the IIoT connecting to
nels (Figure 1). VDC for analog points. Relay contact I/O devices?

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 29

ANSWERS
I/O SYSTEMS AND MODULES

DOs also are common. Thermocouple (TC), resis- Going the distance
tance temperature detector (RTD) and integrated Determining the communications link from the
circuit temperature detector (ICTD) are specialized I/O module up to a monitoring or control system
Figure 2: Space in versions of AIs. They’re often used to provide high is just as important. A communications adapter is
the field is always input density and to avoid the need for separate tem- sometimes needed to enable the I/O modules to
at a premium, so perature transmitters. Some manufacturers offer communicate with a supervisory system.
designers and more specialized I/O, including rate (Hz), resistance Regardless, I/O supervisory communications is
installers appreci- (ohms), or millivolts (mVs). another area where technology improvements are
ate I/O systems making things easier for designers.
with compact Mixed and multifunction I/O: Typically, all the Two concepts are important. The first is knowing
form factors like channels in one module are alike in basic format the difference between local and remote I/O; the sec-
this Opto 22 — all DI, all AO, etc. Some newer systems offer ond is understanding the scope of communication
groov EPIC shown modules containing discrete inputs and discrete possible for each I/O channel. Local I/O is directly
installed in a con- outputs, or a mix of all four basic types. In the connected with a controller, or quite close, often using
trol panel. past, the variety of typical signal levels has required a proprietary bus or serial connection. In contrast,
designers to plan for I/O allocations to match field remote I/O can be located anywhere in relation to the
instruments, made diffi- rest of the system and is connected using one of many
cult because field device networking or fieldbus technologies.
design details may not The earliest iterations of I/O systems consist-
be defined until later in ed of I/O adapters and modules that could only be
a project. interfaced with the controller (or PC) that mastered
To address this issue, them, whether they were local or remote.
many I/O system suppli- Standard Ethernet networking was introduced for
ers offer multifunction industrial I/O in the late 1990s; today it is common.
I/O modules that accept While it has some distance limitations compared to
related types of signals traditional industrial I/O fieldbuses, Ethernet using
on the same terminal industrial communications protocols, such as Mod-
points, using software- bus/TCP, EtherNet/IP, or Profinet, can provide capable
based configuration to and reliable I/O communications. Modern network
configure specific char- methods offer other benefits for I/O as well. Ether-
acteristics for each. These net is a well-understood, high-speed standard. It’s also
modules may be more the basis for corporate computer systems, facilitating
expensive, but they simplify the initial design and pro- interoperability. I/O adapters on Ethernet also can act
vide flexibility for future changes. as peers, publishing data to any number of devices.

Power distribution: Related to the discussion of I/O I/O gets upgraded

signal levels is how those signals are powered. Usual- Modern I/O systems can be networked using
ly, loop power is either sourced from the I/O location standard Ethernet, not limited to master-slave com-
or sinking from the field. Designers need to evalu- munications. New architectural possibilities can link
ate the I/O module isolation characteristics to ensure traditional wired and smart wireless, and I/O and IIoT.
there are no constraints on how to wire I/O points In a medium- to large-scale project, field wiring is a
sourced from various locations. Many I/O systems large cost, especially when wireless options aren’t fea-
use open Ethernet protocols instead of traditional sible. The latest remote I/O systems reduce the cost of
and proprietary industrial fieldbuses. This means integrating far-flung devices, using one Ethernet cable
some of these I/O systems can leverage commercial between controller and remote node (Figure 3).
power over Ethernet (PoE) technology to operate These systems also pair I/O control with embed-
remote I/O and power loops. Available power is lim- ded IT technologies to transform remote slaves into
ited, but PoE allows I/O systems to be installed with- distributed data nodes. Independent of the master,
out dedicated power supplies in some applications. remote I/O modules can communicate with a mes-
Figure 3: The lat- saging queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) broker
est generation of Software-based configuration: A final key I/O to enable peer-to-peer connectivity in the field. Such
remote I/O sys- system feature is software-based configuration of pairing means field data can be sent to cloud services
tems use Ethernet I/O modules and points. This attribute lets users or databases, integrating the network into the IIoT. ce
to replace expen- adjust, view and document I/O ranges and fea-
sive home-run tures. A well-designed user interface also provides Josh Eastburn is director of technical marketing,
wiring with one useful diagnostics. If the system includes a web- Opto 22. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor,
network connec- based interface, then this information can even be Control Engineering, CFE Media and Technology,
tion. accessed on a user’s PC or mobile device. [email protected].

30 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

input #15 at www.controleng.com/information
ANSWERS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Ashish Khushu, chief technology officer, L&T Technology Services Ltd.

Decode hybrid AI potential

New artificial intelligence (AI) software will contribute to the creation of more
competitive sensor systems. Hybrid AI helps robotics, other automation.

A
rtificial intelligence (AI) platforms will construct viable robot programs to boost effi-
trigger disruptive innovations across ciency. The first system, the computer-aided
Industrial AI enterprises, from manufacturing to design (CAD) model interpreter, accepts a CAD
tools include consumers. It is imperative to look into model and determines the welds required. This
knowledge-based the widespread and complex issues AI data is fed to the program generator, which re-
systems, fuzzy can successfully tackle. In addition to capabilities in orientates the weld requirements in line with the
logic, automatic today’s software, AI is an amalgamation of several actual real-world orientation of the panel.
learning, neural concepts, which can align and produce greater results. The program generator sends any programs
networks, ambient In the industrial sector, AI tools have evolved sequentially to the robot (normally one program
intelligence, and to include knowledge-based systems, fuzzy logic, per weld line). Additional software systems could
genetic algorithms. automatic learning, neural networks, ambient be incorporated into the existing system at the
Courtesy: L&T intelligence, and genetic algorithms. The power point where the robot programs are sent to the
Technology and affordability of computing systems have made robot system. At that point, the communication
Services Ltd. sensensor AI applications more widespread. method is standard transmission control pro-
Hybrid tools may gain a tocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP), and any pro-
greater role. Additional techno- grams sent can be viewed as text files.
logical developments in AI will
impact sensor systems include Mixing sensor, logic systems
data mining, multi-agent sys- Researchers are mixing sensor systems and some
tems, and distributed self-orga- powerful new technologies; results include less use of
nizing systems. energy, space, and time, along with more output for
less cost. Machines read-in data from real objects and
Hybrid AI systems lay-down successive layers to build up an object model
The tools and methods from a series of cross sections. AI reduces costs and

M More
ANSWERS
driving hybrid AI have minimal com-
putation complexity and can be imple-
mented on small assembly lines, single
time in most applications.
AI can increase effective communication, reduce
mistakes, minimize errors, and extend sensor life.
KEYWORDS: Artificial robots, or systems with low-capabili- Over the past decade, industries have explored
intelligence, AI for sensor ty microcontrollers. These approaches various opportunities to make the shift towards
systems
use ambient intelligence and mix differ- developing and applying hybrid intelligent man-
Hybrid AI creates value more
quickly. ent AI tools to use the best of each tech- agement systems across various operations capa-
Automation, robotics, weld nology, encompassing a more advanced ble of using multiple AI techniques. It may take
programming are among AI framework when compared to tradi- another decade for engineers to recognize the
applications. tional AI mechanisms. benefits due to a lack of familiarity and the tech-
Computing power has helped Hybrid AI systems using elements nical barriers associated with using these tools,
AI advance. of different AI techniques can produce but this field of study is expanding.
CONSIDER THIS more strengths and fewer weaknesses. Hybrid AI systems can deliver long-term sus-
What AI applications do you An example is the neuro-fuzzy system, tainable business benefits throughout the industrial
need to reconsider? which combines the uncertain han- value chain. Company leadership needs to leverage
ONLINE dling of fuzzy systems with the learning available best-in-class solutions to transform legacy
If reading from the digital strength of artificial neural networks. systems into modern-day models. ce
edition, click on the headline for Hybrid AI can help with auto-
another diagram, more info. mation, manufacturing and robot- Ashish Khushu is chief technology officer, L&T Tech-
www.controleng.com/magazine ics, including weld programming. An nology Services Ltd. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, con-
See eBooks at existing system consists of two soft- tent manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and
www.controleng.com/ebooks ware systems working in series to Technology, [email protected].

32 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

 We understand how important it is to find the

KNOWLEDGE
right expertise for your industry application needs.

+ KNOW-HOWYou are assured to get the best-fit products,

solutions and services for your specific requirements.

Proline Promass A – The accurate lightweight single-tube Coriolis

flowmeter for lowest flow rates

• Highest accuracy for smallest quantities in all industries

• Space-saving installation – compact, lightweight sensor
• Highest product quality in hygienic and sterile applications
thanks to the unique self-drainable single-tube system
• Full access to all process and diagnostic data through freely
combinable inputs/outputs, fieldbuses or WLAN

Do you want to learn more?

www.us.endress.com/prowirl-f200

input #16 at www.controleng.com/information

ANSWERS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Tina Hull, Omron Automation Americas

Self-taught industrial
machines, robots lower risk
Future automation safety will involve machines that learn. Artificial intelligence
(AI) and machine learning (ML) advances can prompt robots and other indus-
trial machinery to learn from a massive pool of safety-related data.

T
he primary focus of industrial safety applicable to a risk reduction plan. The amount of
measures used to involve isolating the information can be overwhelming, and the mecha-
machines from personnel as much as nisms available to govern the decision-making pro-
possible. Technological advancements in cess are limited. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help
automation equipment have made it pos- overcome these limits with multiple options the auto-
sible for machines — particularly collaborative robots mation designer may not have considered. This qual-
— to work with human operators in close quarters. ity combined with its sheer number-crunching power
These technologies have features like rounded edges makes AI an essential part of automation systems.
and force-feedback sensors to reduce the likelihood of
an injury upon contact with an operator. Determining safety requirements
In addition, automation systems are transitioning The standard IEC 62061, which deals with safety-
from fixed to autonomous mobility. One manufac- related electrical, electronic and programmable elec-
turing solution poised to transform manufacturing tronic control systems, defines functional safety as:
involves connecting a collaborative robotic arm to “Part of the safety of the machine and the
a self-navigating mobile base. For control design machine control system which depends on the cor-
engineers to employ risk reduction measures for rect functioning of the SRECS (safety-related electri-
innovations like this, they need to understand the cal control system), other technology safety-related
requirements of the technology, its potential hazards, systems and external risk reduction failures.”
and the ways operators will be working with it. This definition makes more sense when re-
As systems get more complex, it becomes more framed as a goal, which is to design a system that, in
challenging for manufacturers to analyze all the data the event of a failure, will fail in a predictable man-
ner. The manufacturing industry has become pro-
ficient with hardware solutions. Safety standards
provide manufacturers, integrators, and end users
with a best-practice methodology to achieve tolera-
ble risk levels for these solutions. We also can draw
upon these standards to help determine the safety
requirements for developing technologies.
At present, there are no safety standards specifi-
cally for an industrial robot integrated with a mobile
platform. We can gather relevant information from
existing safety standards, such as ANSI B11.0 or ISO
12100 for risk assessments, ANSI RIA R15.06 or
ISO 10218-2 for industrial robotic systems, ANSI/
RIA R15.606 or ISO 15066 for collaborative robots,
ANSI/IT SDF B56.5 or EN 1525 (to be replaced by
ISO 3691-4) for industrial trucks, and ISO 13849-1
for failure prediction and validation. Sources of haz-
ards and recommended risk reduction measures
should be available in vendor manuals.
Autonomous mobile robots can self-navigate a facility using onboard After determining the applicable standards, the
mapping software. Images courtesy: Omron Automation Americas engineer needs to evaluate and design for things

34 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

 GRAYBAR
KNOWS
INDUSTRIAL
“We count on Graybar because they carry a wide
range of high-quality brands and their service
and support is unrivaled by the competition.”

Dave Rogers | Director of Engineering, Sunnen

1-800-GRAYBAR | graybar.com

input #17 at www.controleng.com/information

ANSWERS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The factory of the future uses artificial intelligence and mobile to incorporate the best approaches and stay as
manipulators to boost quality, flexibility, efficiency and traceability. close as possible to the desired solution.
AI is important for eliminating biases that could
hamper decision-making. Since memory is a large
that influence the space, such as workflow, obsta- part of how the brain makes decisions, experts’ per-
cles, accessibility, misuse and training. Technology ceptions of past experiences can create biases that
also plays a role, as feedback error can cause mea- affect how they deal with new situations. An expert
surement noise that affects position tracking, and also could either fail to recognize that crucial infor-
compliance in the joints can have inherently non- mation is missing or make the mistake of starting
deterministic behaviors. The engineers also should with an endpoint solution at the beginning of the
consider ways in which the system absorbs ener- decision-making process. ML algorithms reduce
gy, the methods used to limit forces, and the use of biases because they find patterns in the current and
safety functions. actual data that help solve a particular problem as
part of the process, using either a supervised training
Integrating artificial intelligence set or an unsupervised starting point.
The main challenge of ensuring the safety of near-
future technologies is not a lack of applicable infor- Data-driven challenges
mation, but rather an overabundance of it. When The driving force behind the introduction of
there are too many variables, the major limitations AI into industrial equipment is the sheer pletho-

M More
ANSWERS
of developing binary rules to represent past
experiences become more apparent. As tech-
nology advances while the development of
ra of safety-related information in today’s manu-
facturing facilities. There’s so much data out there
even experienced workers are having trouble learn-
KEYWORDS: Machine
safety, artificial standards lags, designers are often left with ing and retaining it all — not to mention the junior
intelligence, machine making future predictions. This causes them employees who are just stepping into their first man-
learning to overestimate or underestimate the neces- ufacturing job. By getting the machines to learn for
Artificial intelligence (AI) sary safety functions. themselves, companies can take advantage of a pow-
can help manufacturers Manufacturers can deal with this infor- erful risk-reduction tool that will offer both short-
analyze the data involved
with safety issues.
mation more effectively if they expand their term and long-term data on safety requirements in a
AI can help make robots
toolset supporting the data-crunching and changing environment.
and other equipment more decision-making processes. In particular, Everything being applied in safety solutions today
ergonomic and adapt to they can find a welcome solution in the form is based on things engineers, operators and manu-
specific workers. of AI and machine learning (ML) algorithms. facturers have learned from the past. In that sense,
ONLINE An AI system could recommend new system- AI isn’t all that different. Neither humans nor algo-
Read this article online at specific guidelines based on case studies and rithms start off knowing anything about industrial
www.controleng.com for research data as these become available. safety — we must all make connections using bits
discussion of AI, safety ML brings hidden correlations to light by and pieces from past experiences that we can apply
hardware, software with links analyzing large amounts of data to discover to new situations. We learn what works and what
to more from Tina Hull and
machine safety under topics underlying patterns and trends that aren’t doesn’t work, and we use this knowledge to make
and discrete manufacturing. readily visible using traditional statistical future decisions. AI works the same way. ce
tools. Humans can find abstract models from
CONSIDER THIS
these correlations and perform experiments Tina Hull is TUV Functional Safety Expert and prod-
How else can artificial
intelligence and machine to determine how well the models work. uct engineer, Omron Automation Americas. Edited by
learning help improve your Designers and engineers can rely on a Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering,
plant-floor operations? smart system to guide design, making sure CFE Media and Technology, [email protected].

36 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

Spreadsheets weren’t designed for
time series data analytics. Seeq is.

2018

Gold Award

Time series data analysis poses unique challenges.

With Seeq®, difficult and time-consuming work in spreadsheets is a thing of the past. Seeq’s
multiple applications enable you to rapidly investigate and share insights from data stored in
multiple enterprise data historians, such as OSIsoft PI, Honeywell PHD, and GE Proficy, as well
as contextual data sources such as SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL.

Seeq’s support for time series data and its challenges – connecting, displaying, interpolating,
cleansing, and contextualization – relieves you of hours and days of fruitlessly searching for
insights in your process manufacturing data. Seeq helps you get more value from the data that
you’ve already been collecting, and gives organizations data transparency and the ability to
execute on those insights.

Learn more at
www.seeq.com
Asset Situational Investigation & Operational
Optimization Awareness Troubleshooting Excellence

© 2019 Seeq Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

input #18 at www.controleng.com/information

 ANSWERS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, ROBOTICS
Robotic Industries Association (RIA)

Teaching industrial
robots with AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an efficient method of teaching an industrial
robot new skills and can streamline manufacturing processes.

H
igh-level planning is relatively easy bulk orders of parts. Through the use of simple
for humans, but for the industri- annotations and sensor technology, AI reduces the
al robot, it can be a struggle. Just as training process needed to teach industrial robots
manufacturers are always trying to to pick the correct objects out of a bin.
streamline the manufacturing pro- The conventional process would require train-
cess, engineers are always looking for new ways to ing the robotic automation system many rules so it
efficiently and easily train industrial robots. Arti- knows what parts to pick up — this involves run-
ficial intelligence (AI) is an efficient method of ning many iterations and experiencing a lot of
teaching an industrial robot new skills. trial and error. The time spent is especially cum-
bersome. Then, humans would have to teach the
Benefits of using AI to train robotic automation system when it made errors, in
industrial robots order to refine the robot’s training.
Making robots easier to train helps make AI-based tools let a human operator simply
automation more accessible to a wider range of look at a photo of parts jumbled in a bin, and tap
industries. In businesses where industrial robots on a few examples of items to be picked up. In this
are new, it’s harder to find engineers and skilled AI process, the robot matches images of example
human operators to train the robots. AI helps to parts with its vision sensors. Instead of developing
simplify the training process. With AI infrastruc- complex rules, it’s as easy as showing a child how
tures, a human can focus on what needs to be to sort toys. ce
done, not how the robot needs to do it.
This article originally appeared on the Robotics

‘
Online Blog. The Robotic Industries Association (RIA)
It’s harder to find engineers and skilled is a part of the Association for Advancing Automation
(A3), a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris
Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE
human operators to train the robots. AI Media and Technology, [email protected].

’
helps to simplify the training process.

AI can train several robots at once, so less time

M More
ANSWERS
KEYWORDS: Robotics, artificial intelligence
is spent on training. This is especially helpful to High-level planning is a challenge for industrial robots
industries experiencing labor shortages. It can compared to humans.
be difficult for a human operator to show a robot Artificial intelligence (AI) can help simplify the learning
how to move things the same way the operator process for robots.
would move them; AI technology lets the opera- AI-based tools allow a robot to match images of
tor teach the robot more intuitively. With AI, it’s example parts with its vision sensors.
easier for an operator to track the robot’s learning ONLINE
than it previously was with conventional training Read more articles from the RIA online at
methods. www.controleng.com/robotics.
For example, in bin-picking a robot is trained CONSIDER THIS
to pick objects out of a bin. This helps humans How could smarter software with AI help with
avoid tedious, time-consuming tasks like sorting teaching robot what to do and when?

38 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

 ANSWERS
WIRELESS
John Bernet, CMRP, Fluke Corp.

Wireless condition monitoring

Wireless sensors can help discover maintenance issues before they happen by
supplying real-time information. See four methods and four steps.

C
ondition monitoring is the best way to
proactively determine when machines
need maintenance. Collecting real-
time data on an asset’s condition pro-
vides an accurate, up-to-date picture of
asset health. This lets companies use resources more
efficiently instead of relying on a calendar for plan-
ning maintenance actions. For assets that often fail at
random, such as rotating machinery, calendar-based
maintenance is ineffective. Regardless of the type of
asset, condition monitoring is the best bet for reduc-
ing unplanned downtime and production gaps and
helping boost a company’s bottom line.
Condition-monitoring systems often start with
wireless sensors. Machines monitored by wireless
sensors can let a user know the machine needs to be 1. Oil analysis is capable of detecting faults early. Wireless sensors
inspected or maintained. When equipment is con- Monitoring lubricant, wear, and contamination are easy to install,
tinuously monitored with wireless sensors, users are offers a multifaceted look at asset condition and can even on assets
alerted to changes or deviations from the norm. Once alert users to potential issues before any actual dam- in dangerous or
installed, they monitor assets 24/7 and trigger alarms age occurs. Oil analysis can be useful for low-speed hard-to-reach plac-
when conditions reach certain thresholds. machinery (<5 rpm), where vibration analysis may es. Once installed,
Wireless sensors also increase safety and efficiency. be difficult. Oil analysis can save money by eliminat- maintenance team
They are easy to install, even on assets in dangerous or ing time and materials spent on premature oil chang- members can
hard-to-reach places. Once the sensors are installed, es. Obtaining oil samples and interpreting oil analysis avoid repeated
maintenance team members can avoid repeated trips data can be complex, and using a lab brings additional trips to such
to take regular measurements from these assets. costs. Not all assets have oil that can be analyzed. assets to take
The next steps are to diagnose the potential fault regular measure-
and its severity so users can plan the best corrective 2. Ultrasound analysis can discover things oil anal- ments. Courtesy:
action. Numerous technologies can detect machine ysis can’t, such as bearing wear or fatigue so early that Fluke Corp.
faults and their severity. By matching the asset and it is often too soon to replace the bearings, and they
the company’s needs and budget with available tech- should just be greased. Decibel readings reflect fric-
nologies, users can boost reliability and maximize tion, and increased decibel readings can indicate
maintenance dollars and resources. a potential fault resulting from too much friction.
Ultrasound can detect leaks — such as compressed air
Condition-monitoring methods or steam — by identifying sounds at frequencies that
Predictive technology methods that detect poten- wouldn’t be heard in a plant’s ambient noise. Ultra-
tial faults the earliest aren’t always the best choice for sound can be useful for low-speed machines.
each situation. Early detection technologies typically
required expensive diagnostic tools, and maintenance 3. Vibration monitoring analysis has been estab-
team training to use the tools and interpret data. lished for decades, so vibration patterns and anomalies
Striking the right balance between the amount of are well documented. They are easy to follow; exten-
warning a user has about the fault and the amount sive training or experience is generally not required.
of time and money needed to spend to diagnose the Vibration analysis also can identify the most com-
fault is key. The most advantageous time to act isn’t mon mechanical faults: imbalance, looseness, mis-
always the earliest possible time. alignment and bearing issues. It identifies faults 12 to
What condition-monitoring methods might fit 18 months in advance, which allows plenty of time to
the company’s needs? Here are some technical con- react while there is still life in the asset, but without
siderations for four common methods. the waste of replacing or repairing them too early.

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 39

ANSWERS
WIRELESS

Because faults can be detected before they an a small pilot program and grow it over time, rather
asset’s performance is impaired, there is time to diag- than attempting to change everything at once. This
nose the fault’s severity and plan the necessary main- allows the maintenance team and the organization’s
tenance action without impacting production. leadership to buy in as they see the positive impacts
of the changes.

M More
ANSWERS
4. Thermography can uncover electri-
cal hot spots, faulty connections, overheat-
ed bearings, pipe blockages, issues with
Condition monitoring provides warnings about
faults and makes it possible to schedule repairs with-
out unplanned downtime and lost production. Here
KEYWORDS: condition tank levels and other issues. Use vibration are four recommended steps:
monitoring, wireless sensors,
maintenance combined with thermography for rotating 1. Conduct a criticality analysis. It makes sense
Wireless sensors can provide machines to avoid asset damage. to keep the closest eye on the assets that have the
real-time information for condition most significant impact on the bottom line. If they
monitoring applications. Wireless sensors can communicate aren’t being continuously monitored already, these
Condition monitoring tools real-time information related to all of assets are good candidates for wireless sensors.
include oil analysis, ultrasound, these methods. By monitoring measur- 2. Identify probable asset failures.
vibration and thermography.
able conditions, such as capacity, temper- 3. Decide on the technology best suited to iden-
Steps to implement condition
monitoring include performing a
ature, pressure, or sound, and sending a tifying these failure modes, keeping in mind the
criticality analysis and identifying signal when the relevant quality changes team’s training and experience and the budget.
potential failures. or reaches a certain threshold, wireless 4. Trend and analyze the data from the wireless
ONLINE sensors make it possible to users to know sensors to plan and execute maintenance actions at
Read this article online at
about potential faults right away. the most advantageous times, reducing unplanned
www.controleng.com for an downtime and extending the life of the assets. ce
additional story from the author. Condition-monitoring steps
CONSIDER THIS Several steps can help establish a suc- John Bernet, CMRP, mechanical application and
What machines in your plant
cessful condition-monitoring routine. product specialist, Fluke Corp. Edited by Chris Vavra,
would benefit most from wireless When making changes to a maintenance production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media
sensors? program, a best practice is to start with and Technology, [email protected].

Simplify Machine IP Integration

Maintain your factory-set IP
addresses when integrating
with the customer’s IP network
by using a Skorpion IP Router.
• Reduce installation time
• Eliminate IP conflicts
• Easily comply with your
customer’s IP requirements
• Eliminate site visits with
RemoteVPN secure remote access
IP Routers

Learn more at www.ccontrols.com/machine

input #19 at www.controleng.com/information

ANSWERS
WIRELESS
Bryan Christiansen, Limble CMMS

Wireless applicability
Wireless manufacturing applications include machine-to-human and machine-
to-machine (M2M) communications. How can wireless add productivity?

W
ireless technology has become little error, every sequence to deliver quality products.
one of the fastest growing and Application examples include control of conveyors,
adopted platforms businesses use wrapping machines and coating machines at painting
today and is beneficial to all cat- stations. Wirelessly controlled robots can help with
egories of organizations, includ- automatic assembly, machine tool control, packaging,
ing manufacturers. Wireless is finding applications in labeling, inspection testing and other areas.
every stage manufacturing workflow, from develop-
ment to production, warehousing, and distribution. 3. Wireless maintenance management
With the collaboration of the Internet of Things With the advent of wireless sensors, it is now fea-
(IoT) coupled with LPWAN (a WAN subcategory), sible to monitor different parameters (temperature,
wireless system use will continue to expand. vibration, pressure, noise, and others) in real-time in
Industrial wireless networking is attractive because more applications without cables.
it can provide cost-effective deployment, usefulness Wireless sensors also mean equipment can be
in hazardous environments, and overall operational moved from one location to the other, if necessary,
convenience. Areas where manufacturers commonly with fewer problems. Even mobile equipment like
use wireless are machine-to-human communication, cranes and forklifts can be monitored on this plat-
machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and form. For critical assets that require non-stop moni-
maintenance management. toring from remote stations (power lines, oil fields, gas
lines, etc.), these M2M applications are supported with
1. Machine-to-human communications video streaming surveillance products, which allow
Worker safety and the drive to achieve zero inci- maintenance personnel to take immediate action.
dents remains a challenge in manufacturing com- Other applications continue to evolve for mainte-
panies. Wearable devices, first popular as a trendy nance management. Workers can wear smart glasses
fashion accessory, are helping to improve safety. Wear- with augmented reality (AR) support, which allows
able wireless devices are fitted with smart sensors them to receive maintenance instructions from
that connect through wireless to the internet.
Hazardous work in the industry is now being
managed through the practice of connecting per-
experts while in the field. For better inventory man-
agement, radio frequency identification (RFID) can
identify individual assets for tracking.
M More
ANSWERS
sonal protective equipment (PPE) to a network that Wireless maintenance management benefits from KEYWORDS: Wireless
remotely monitors workers’ interaction with their a robust wireless infrastructure. Frequent downtime, technology, maintenance
working environment. Plant managers can track excessive production stoppage, and escalating main- Wireless use is expanding
for manufacturing with
workers’ exposure to toxic gases, low oxygen, radia- tenance costs are indicative of reactive maintenance, greater use of automation.
tion, and use similar technology to avoid collisions which is repairing or servicing equipment after it fails. Wireless ommunications
between humans and moving equipment, such as Plant managers should consider switching to more can be between humans
robots. Other products include smart helmets that proactive maintenance strategies like preventive, pre- and machines or between
monitor fatigue and how long a wearer’s eyelids are dictive, or reliability-centered maintenance (RCM). machines.
closed, radiation-blocking underwear, and smart Manufacturers need to consider energy manage- Maintenance can benefit
from wireless technology.
safety shoes. Wearable tech is becoming a staple, ment. The U.S. industrial sector accounts for almost
rather than a luxury, on the factory floor because of one-third of national energy consumption. Wireless ONLINE
its safety and productivity benefits for workers. sensors can measure and generate actionable insights Read this article at
to manage energy use. ce www.controleng.com to
2. M2M communications see “Potential wireless
dangers” to consider and
In manufacturing, wireless communication allows Bryan Christiansen is the founder and CEO at Lim- links to other wireless
plant owners to reinvent several aspects of manufac- ble CMMS. Limble is a mobile CMMS software com- stories.
turing through automation integration to convert pany that helps managers organize, automate, and CONSIDER THIS
factories into intelligent and unified systems. streamline maintenance operations. Edited by Mark What wireless
Several industry organizations use wireless signals T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, applications can add to
to monitor every stage of production and control, with CFE Media, [email protected]. your productivity?

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 41

ANSWERS
WIRELESS
Justin Shade, Phoenix Contact USA

Defining details of a
wireless network installation
When starting to design a wireless network, it is important to define
the who, what, when, where, and why of the installation.

W
ireless networks can provide great wireless network, it is important to know who will
value and cost savings in industri- be financing the project, as well as who will be using
al installations. The ability to pro- and maintaining the network. These could be two
vide information from point A to different groups of people who have different views
point B with the same reliability on how the network will be implemented.
and accuracy as a wired network while saving money, Is an engineering group funding the project or an
is a huge benefit — so long as the implementation is executive group? Each of these groups has different
thought through and designed correctly. Designing a goals. The engineering group is looking for the best
wireless network has many variables and unknowns: solution to solve a problem.They will not necessar-
those involved cannot “see” everything in the air. ily focus on the cost of the system, as long as it solves
With wired networks, those involved know where the problem. An executive management leader may
data is going, what else is “on the wire,” and can pre- be more focused on the ROI and cost of the system.
dict network performance. The same can be said for To make the design process more manageable, it is
wireless systems if the correct steps are taken during important to know which of these groups is involved
the design and validation process. When starting to (and it could be both) and how to satisfy their con-
design a wireless network, it is important to define the cerns with a reasonable solution.
who, what, when, where, and why of the installation. From the day-to-day side of the installation, oper-
ations technology (OT) engineers focus on the data
Who are the network stakeholders; coming from the network that relates to the applica-
who will maintain the network? tion. They want to get the data in a visual, readable
When first discussing the implementation of a way so they can efficiently interpret it, for example,
a human-machine interface (HMI) screen or web-
pages for the Ethernet devices. Information tech-
nology (IT) engineers also are interested in the data
but more in the raw format. They want to be able to
manage, maintain, and configure the wireless system
but with the tools they use daily. Using a command-
line interface for these types of functions is more
native to an IT engineer than a web manager.

What is the expectation of

the network? What is the use case?
The “what” question is probably the most over-
looked and underappreciated question in the wireless
design process. What is the user’s expectation of the
network? It isn’t enough to ask, “What do you want
it to do?” What the user wants the network to do and
what is possible are two completely different things.
For example, if a customer expresses need for
remote access to a programmable logic control-
ler (PLC), it sounds like a simple application. Other
Figure 1: Engineers on the operational technology (OT) side of an “what” details could make a difference: What if this
application want to get the data in a visual, readable way so they PLC is 5 miles away, without wireless infrastructure,
can efficiently interpret it. Images courtesy: Phoenix Contact and data must be available 24/7? Digging deeper and

42 • October 2019 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

understanding the customer’s needs and expectations
is important. Getting all requirements upfront makes
it easier to provide a suitable solution.
With these details, the design engineer can accu-
rately discuss options with the customer. Discuss
what can and cannot be achieved and give a realistic
estimate of how much it costs to do what they want
the way they want it done, or provide an alternative
approach, which might cost less, but have some limi-
tations. The design engineer can evaluate, test, and
validate the design based on those expectations.

When are the deadlines

for each installation milestone?
Knowing the project timeline is important
because it can help define what wireless solutions
are possible. Some projects have long cycles, which
include specification, bid, design, test, installation
and validation. These projects can take months or Figure 2: The “where” of an application has a very large impact on
years to complete. Other projects could be just days the design. For example, a wireless network on a factory floor will
from idea to installation. Knowing the user’s time- differ from one in a remote refinery.
line will help the company plan time accordingly and
help communicate what is and what is not possible to
the customer in that time frame. tem because they have extra budget at the end of the
If the customer needs a quick turnaround but also year, they will have a fixed budget. The proposed sys-
requires installation of some infrastructure — such tem design needs to be considered based on a fixed
as antenna towers, permits, or renting vehicles — let budget. On the other hand, if it is a mission-critical
the user know if the requested time frame is possible upgrade because the company is losing communica-
or not. tion to assets and every minute they are down they
lose thousands of dollars, the design may be different
Where is the system and demand a premium.
being installed? The why is most important understand. Have good
Knowing where the system is going to be installed and open communication with the user throughout
is important. The design engineer needs to know every step of the design process. If the “why” changes,
what infrastructure is available for the new wireless the design might change as well.
system. Is conduit available? Are equipment rentals
needed to install new equipment? Are antenna tow-
ers already erected, or will new ones be needed?
Second, are there any existing wireless systems or
Thorough planning
prevents heartache
Understanding the who, what, when,
M More
ANSWERS
KEYWORDS: wireless networks,
planned wireless systems in the same area? In today’s where, and why aspects of a system design wired networks, operations
world, wireless is everywhere, but it cannot be seen. is crucial to a successful wireless installa- technology
Knowing the location of the new installation allows tion. Gather all the details from the user Wireless network installation
the designer to evaluate and research wireless sys- in the beginning and keep an open line requires a great deal of planning
from the design engineer and the
tems already in the area. Involve the owners of those of communication. If changes occur dur- customer.
systems in the conversation, so the new design can ing the project, discuss them with the cus- The design engineer needs
coexist with existing installations. tomer, and explain how those changes will to gather as much information
affect the overall system from a cost, func- as possible before beginning a
Why are they installing tion and reliability standpoint. project.
a wireless network? Do not be afraid to ask for more Open communication and
a willingness to ask as many
Why is the customer installing a wireless system? explanation from the user. More often questions as possible will spare
Why not run a cable? Why install a wireless sys- than not, if it’s being asked in the first both sides trouble later.
tem in general? Are they installing the wireless sys- place, that means the user hasn’t thought
tem to solve a problem? Is that problem costing the about it, either. Asking those questions ONLINE
Read this article online at
user money? Do they have extra budget they need to now could save a lot of heartache later. ce www.controleng.com for more
spend before the end of the year? Are they trying to stories about wireless networks.
comply with a new process specification required or Justin Shade, senior product marketing
they get fined? These questions help give the design- specialist — wireless, Phoenix Contact CONSIDER THIS
What was the biggest
er an idea of the importance of the installation and USA. Edited by Chris Vavra, production consideration or challenge when
how to design based on that knowledge. editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media your company installed a wireless
For example, if the user is installing a wireless sys- and Technology, [email protected]. network?

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 43

ANSWERS
ADVANCED PNEUMATICS
Sandro Quintero, Festo

New ways to increase

productivity with smart systems
Intelligent pneumatics offer flexibility for Industry 4.0; cyber-physical systems
(CPSs) can help valves achieve greater connectivity and intelligence.

I
ntelligent pneumatics combine standardization tion integration, such as greater system adaptability
with flexibility, which is propelling pneumat- and standardization. This results in system improve-
ics into the age of Industry 4.0. The technol- ments and optimizations all along the value chain
ogy behind intelligent pneumatics unites the because fewer components have to be selected, pro-
benefits of traditional pneumatics with those cured, assembled and wired. Digital communication
of controlled and complex electrical motion. Despite provides additional benefits, because for example the
the simplicity, it integrates more functionalities than influence of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) on
conventional technology. The trend in automation analog values, which helps rule out system faults.
towards networked, decentralized, and intelligent
systems with optimum function integration is hap- Mechatronics lack flexibility
pening because technical and economic require- Despite the benefits of modular mechatron-
ments are increasing. ic systems, flexibility can improve. Retrofitting sys-
The demand for additional features, such as inter- tem adaptations during the design and engineering
preting environmental information, is also on the process or parameter changes required for format
rise in the age of Industry 4.0. The communication changes during operation are only possible with
opportunities, including the ability to have compo- expensive and time-intensive modifications.
nents communicate with each other, are opening up A modular design offers some flexibility, but only
new areas of activity. This permits more specific pre- within the limits of the particular module. The gen-
ventive maintenance and clears the way for autono- eral rule is any parameters that could change must
mous production with self-regulating systems. already be taken into consideration at the design
stage. According to the rule of 10, costs for subse-
Status quo, mechatronics quent adaptations increase by a factor of 10. It makes
Conventional mechatronic systems bring togeth- no difference whether the changes are needed to
er mechanical systems, electronics, control technol- adjust the sizing to a change in loads, or to add new
ogy and information technology and enable them functions requested by the end customer.
to interact in actual automation
applications. They are the Flexibility, networking
only way to ensure pneumat- Although numerous definitions exist for cyber
ics can be integrated in elec- physical systems (CPSs), there isn’t a commonly
tromechanical applications accepted definition. However, what is certain is CPSs
and are essential for precise will play a pivotal role in Industry 4.0 applications.
positioning of pneumatic CPSs, in terms of basic structure, are mechatronic
drives. systems. They also have integrated smart sensors and
Modular mechatronic sys- greater software intelligence. One possible applica-
tems facilitate extensive func- tion is predetermining external influences using data
recorded internally without the need for additional
sensors, and then sharing this information internally
The Festo intelligent valve
and externally with other systems via suitable com-
has industrial Ethernet, a con-
munication interfaces.
troller for flexible function via app,
Such systems can be adapted without the need
valves with sensors for closed-loop con-
for new or additional hardware because the function-
trol, analog and digital inputs, and integrated
al adaptations are executed using software and apps,
supply-pressure and temperature sensors.
or the system auto-tunes itself, or via control system
Images courtesy: Festo
instruction.

44 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

 Implementing requirements for Industry 4.0
such as system-wide data usage depends on the sys-
tem, and the product and can be limited as a result.
The reason is simple: the data recorded in the device
by sensors is not shared with other stations because
there is no data interface. For example, the temper-
ature data measured in proportional valves is only
processed in the valve itself. No other diagnostic
functions are carried out, even though this would
provide the means to determine, for example, if there
is a defective fan in a control cabinet.
The factory of the future the industry needs prod-
ucts with integrated sensors and an Industry 4.0 inter-
face. It is essential this interface meets international
standards for data management and communication.
The software interface standard OPC Foundation’s
Unified Architecture (OPC UA), published as part of
Thanks to fast activation of new functions via software apps, machine
the IEC 62541 series of standards, is a good example.
developers can create a basic machine type and then, depending on
which apps are selected, equip it with different functions and features
Flexible technologies, Industry 4.0
as per the application requirements.
Actuators used in the pneumatic parts in the form
of a bridge circuit are one of the new technologies
driving Industry 4.0 forward. The four 2/2-way piezo overall economic benefits compared with “hard-
pilot and diaphragm poppet valves with integrated wired” conventional systems are much greater.
smart sensors offer huge flexibility. In contrast to Since changing parameters in systems such doesn’t
conventional mechatronic systems, these smart sen- necessarily mean the hardware needs to be adapted,
sors are embedded directly in an intelligent valve ter- the rule of 10 no longer applies. Adaptation costs
minal. This means pressure measurement sensors are kept within tight margins, even if changes are
no longer act as a separate module that needs to be made during phases well after the design phase.
selected via the configurator. The range of tasks is
also expanded as the pressure measurement sensors New dimensions in automation
can be used for tasks such as diagnostic functions. Digitization will have a major impact on pro-

• Four 2/2-way valves (diaphragm poppet valves)

are connected in series to form a full bridge
duction. For the first time, CPSs are enabling solu-
tions that combine mechanical systems, electronics
and software and also get systems ready for Indus-
M More
ANSWERS
try 4.0 applications, including pneumatics. Com- KEYWORDS: pneumatic
• Each diaphragm poppet valve (gray) is pro- pared with modular mechatronic systems, they valves, Industry 4.0
portionally piloted and controlled by two offer an impressive combination of maximum stan- Intelligent pneumatics
combines standardization
piezo valves (blue) dardization and a high level of flexibility. Since the with flexibility, which is
intelligent pneumatic valve uncouples pneumatic propelling pneumatics into
• The digitally controlled piston can take on the functions from the mechanical hardware and makes the age of Industry 4.0.
functions of a wide range of mechanical control them available via apps, a wide range of pneumat- Cyber-physical systems
pistons found in common directional control. ic motion tasks can be performed with one valve (CPSs) will help connect
type. This offers many measurable benefits along pneumatic valves to other
applications for greater
Motion apps replace hardware the value chain. connectivity.
Thanks to downloadable motion apps, the intel- CPS solutions enable complex movements like Intelligent valve terminal
ligent valve terminal offers the traditional valve gentle retraction into the end position as well as vari- technology allows a wide
functions of 2/2-way, 3/2-way, 4/2-way or 4/3-way ous speed profiles or positioning tasks that were only range of pneumatic motion
valves as well as proportional technology and servo- possible with servo-pneumatics or electrical automa- tasks to be performed with
just one valve type.
pneumatic functions in one device. All these func- tion. They also make it easy to realize a wide range of
tions can be implemented in a CPS using motion functions, condition monitoring, preventive mainte- ONLINE
apps. This is special because it all can be done with nance and it reduces energy consumption. Any high- Read this article online
one valve of the same design. er purchase costs for CPS for simplified processes at www.controleng.com
for more information about
This valve combines the benefits of pneumatic compensate OEMs and end customers, increases pneumatic valves in the age
and electric automation technology. The intelligent productivity and process reliability. ce of Industry 4.0 and what it
pneumatic valve integrates complex movements, means for manufacturers.
variable positioning, condition monitoring and Sandro Quintero is the product manager — valve CONSIDER THIS
other functionalities into one component while terminals & electronics at Festo. Edited by Chris What benefits could your
consuming less energy. Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE facility get from smarter
The flexibility, implementation speed and the Media and Technology, [email protected]. pneumatic valves?

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 45

 advertisement

Turn Remote Sites Into Smart Remote Sites -

Cellular Networking Solutions to Connect,
Monitor and Control Remote Assets
Red Lion Controls

Every business strives to protect revenue, as well as ensure uptime and

availability for customers. The oil and gas, alternative energy, power, utilities,
water and wastewater spaces face unique challenges when working toward
these goals. They must achieve seamless connectivity, regardless of expansive
territories, asset age and types of communication technology.

Using cellular networking to

build smart remote sites over-
comes many infrastructure,
financial and safety barriers.

Today’s energy and

utility companies operate
in competitive, closely
scrutinized business
environments. These
organizations must adhere
to stringent regulatory requirements to prevent downtime for customers. When equipment fails, the resulting
downtime leads to immediate financial and safety consequences. As competitive forces grow and business
demands intensify, companies can capitalize on the benefits of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to improve
their processes and data assets.

Companies require more consistency, better visibility of networks, reduction of waste and loss, and
increased compliance with regulatory requirements. Smart technology has the ability to connect all devices and
control systems. It also delivers the visibility to collect and analyze data from both new and legacy devices.

High-availability smart sites can:

• Minimize or eliminate unscheduled downtime
• Reduce time to repair
• Provide continuous operation, regardless of communication
• Increase visibility of equipment and sites
• Prevent unsafe conditions
• Comply with increasing regulatory conformity [email protected]
www.redlion.net

Register to download the paper at:

https://marketing.redlion.net/acton/media/34560/smart-remote-connected-sites-white-paper

input #20 at www.controleng.com/information

 advertisement

Why M12 Connectors Are The Right Fit For The IIoT
Joe Amato | Director Of Sales And Business Development - Binder USA

Though M12 connectors were available decades before the With backwards compatibility,
IIoT was even a concept, they have become the preferred replacing older and less robust
connector for industrial Ethernet. For data transmission, they technology like RJ45 connectors is
are used on the device side – pulling data from devices and relatively simple and cost effective.
transmitting it to the application where data is aggregated to
provide useful information to the user. Manufacturers of M12 connectors
continue to innovate, adding new features to meet the
They make the connections between the PLC, sensors, and the quickly changing needs of the robotics, automation, food and
I/O blocks, as well as to wireless access points. M12 connectors beverage, alternative energy, and cellular communication
are also used to transmit high levels of power supplies for industries. Positionable, lockable, field-wireable connectors,
extended time periods in applications such as AC motors and capable of transmitting impressive amounts of data and power,
drives, motor control switches, and low-voltage applications ensure that the M12 will continue to be an essential component
like fieldbus Ethernet components and network devices. of Industry 4.0 and beyond.

M12 technology continues to evolve. Machine designers and

OEMs are incorporating M12 connectors into new machines, [email protected]
as well as updating existing infrastructure. www.binder-usa.com

Register to download the paper at: https://bit.ly/2lEkXFB

ce201910_whitePprHLF_binder.indd 1 input #21 at www.controleng.com/information 9/25/2019 9:20:41 AM

input #22 at www.controleng.com/information

ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES: ROBOTICS
Tanya M. Anandan, RIA

Robotics-as-a-service benefits
Robotics-as-a-service helps with tighter global competition, allowing short-term
robot without a long-term investment. One application reduced costs by 30%.

R
obotics-as-a-service (RaaS) is an emerg- Ready Robotics, which are easy to use and easy to
ing trend in manufacturing. Rising labor deploy, are among RaaS options.
shortages, competitive global markets, “The TaskMate is a ready-to-use, on-demand robot
and automation are changing tradition- worker that is specifically designed to come out of its
al business models. Whether it’s a short- shipping crate ready to be deployed to the production
term need, companies wanting to try before they buy, line,” said Ready Robotics CEO Ben Gibbs, noting
forgoing a capital expenditure (CAPEX), or lower- manufacturers without the time to undertake custom
ing the cost of entry to robotic automation, RaaS can robot integration are looking for out-of-the box auto-
be useful for companies. RaaS provides robots on mation. Rental options make the foray easier.
demand, when and where needed. “Time is their most precious resource,” Gibbs
More users are seeking flexible automation said. “They may have to do a little fixturing or put
implementations. More suppliers are offering rent- together a parts presentation hopper. Besides that,
al and leasing options to satisfy the demand. Some it’s something they can deploy pretty quickly. We’re
are mature companies answering the call; oth- driving towards providing a solution that’s as easy
ers are manufacturing industry startups. This is to use as your personal computer.”
a major turnaround from even several years ago The system consists of a collaborative robot
when the manufacturing industry was wary of the arm mounted on a stand with casters, so it can be
idea of cage-free robots rubbing elbows with human wheeled into position on the production floor. The
coworkers. Now every major robot manufacturer ease of portability suits high-mix, low-volume pro-
has a collaborative robot on its roster, and a slew of duction where it can be relocated to different man-
startups add more options. RaaS, like human-robot ufacturing cells. Two varieties each have robot
collaboration, is helping make more robots more arms, equipped with a force sensor and a universal
available to more applications. interface that allows different robot grippers to be
hot-swapped onto the end of the arm.
On-demand robots Contributing to the system is the proprietary
Out-of-the-box offerings like the TaskMate by operating system, the Forge operating system (OS)
software. A simple flowchart interface (pictured)
controls the robot arm, end-of-arm tooling (EOAT)
and other peripherals. No coding is required. Run-
ning the Forge/OS software, the controller pro-
vides the same easy programming interface but is
designed as a standalone system for other robots.

Cloud robotics and RaaS

A common element in the RaaS rental model is
cloud robotics. Ready offers customers the ability to
remotely monitor its robotic system or others con-
nected to its controller.
“We can set them up with alerts, so when the
production cycle is completed or the robot enters
an unexpected error state, they can receive an email
notifying the floor manager or line operator to
check the system,” Gibbs said.
Users also can save and back up programs to the
Figure 1: An out-of-the-box collaborative robot solution on wheels cloud, and deploy them from one robot to anoth-
is easy to redeploy as production needs change. A rental option fur- er. If an operator inadvertently lost a program, they
ther enhances return on investment (ROI). Courtesy: Ready Robotics/ could drop the backup version from the cloud onto
Robotic Industries Association the system and be up and running again in minutes.

M1 • October 2019 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 “We provide a menu to our customers of how
they might want to consume our products and ser-
vices,” Gibbs said, including traditional CapEx (cap-
ital expenditure) purchase or “they can rent the
system with no contract for however long or short
of a duration they want.”
For an additional charge, the company can man-
age the entire asset.
“We set it up, we program it, and we remotely
monitor it to make sure it’s maximizing its uptime.
We can come in and tweak the program if it’s run-
ning into unexpected errors.” The systems have cell Figure 2: Intuitive software interface with a flowchart design and
modems for remote software updates.” We handle compatibility with multiple robot brands makes programming easier
all of the maintenance, or it’s handled by our chan- and faster. Courtesy: Ready Robotics/Robotic Industries Association
nel partners.”

No-term rental; easy first robotic use

Gibbs said flexibility is the biggest advantage to
their rental option. Even with the 3-month trial rental,
customers are not required to keep it for the full term.
“We have a no-term rental. That’s even more
appealing because it can come entirely out of your
operating expenditure (OPEX) budget. Instead
of going through a lengthy CAPEX approval pro-
cess, we’ve had some customers just run their cor-
porate credit card, because the rental is below their
approval level for an OpEx purchase. They can eas-
ily set up the system and use it for a few months.
That alone provides them with a much stronger jus-
tification for moving forward with CAPEX if they
want, or just continue to expand their rental. At the
end of the first month, if they decide that it’s not
working out,” Gibbs said, they can just send it back. Figure 3: Autonomous mobile robot navigates production floors to
If the customer chooses to continue renting, transport pallets and heavy loads via the most efficient route, while
Gibbs said it’s more cost-effective to sign a contract. safely maneuvering around people and other obstacles. Courtesy:
This reduces the risk for everyone, so there’s often a Mobile Industrial Robots A/S, Robotic Industries Association
financial incentive.
“The primary way we differentiate ourselves is that By deploying one robot system to multiple pro-
we offer that no-term rental with a fixed monthly fee, duction cells, Attwood was able to spread its return
which allows these factories to capture the traditional on investment (ROI) across multiple product lines
value of automation. We don’t have a meter running and realize up to a 30% reduction in overall manu-
that says you ran it 22 hours this day, so you owe us for facturing costs.
22 hours of work. We encourage them to run it as long
as they want. The expectation is the longer you run it,
the cheaper it should be.”
Small- to mid-sized businesses and
large multinationals can use the robot for
machine tending CNC lathes.
M More
ANSWERS
KEYWORDS: robotics, robotics-
“Multinationals may have robot pro- as-a-service, RaaS
High-mix, low-volume flexibility grammers on staff, but usually not RaaS allows companies to use
Attwood Marine in Lowell, Mich., is one of the enough of them,” Gibbs said. “Automa- robots on a short-term basis.
world’s largest producers of boat parts, accessories tion engineers are in high demand and Some RaaS is pay-as-you-go
and supplies. They make thousands of different parts, very difficult to come by. Any technology model; others offer subscriptions.
but cater to a small marine market. The challenges of that makes it faster and easier for people Technology advances and ease of
high-mix, low-volume production in a competitive to set up robots is a tremendous value.” use are helping RaaS gain traction.
market had them looking for flexible automation. Some large multinationals “like to be ONLINE
Attwood deployed the TaskMate to a half-dozen asset-light and do a rental, but everyone Read this at www.controleng.com
cells on the production floor performing computer loves the ease of programming.” for more on mobile robots, leasing,
numerical control (CNC) machine tending, pick- and renting a work cell.
and-place tasks like palletizing, loading/unloading Pay-as-you-go model CONSIDER THIS
conveyors, case packing, and repetitive testing, such Business models under the RaaS What applications in your plant
as actuating a switch or pulling a cord 250,000 times. umbrella vary and are evolving. Startups would benefit from RaaS?

www.controleng.com control engineeering October 2019 • M2

 BRING YOUR ANSWERS
MACHINE INSIDE MACHINES: ROBOTICS
TO LIFE WITH AN
AUTOMATION
CONTROLLER
Aerotech’s standard controllers are flexible
enough to handle almost any application.
From the simple motion of this mechanical
wasp’s head, to coordinating multiple axes
in your machine, Aerotech automation
controllers are the answer. Users can program
in G code, .NET (C#, VB.NET), C, MATLAB®, or
LabVIEW®. Aerotech will also customize the
controller for your needs. Contact us today to
get started.

Figure 4: On-demand material handling robots come in all

sizes, payloads and reaches for rental by the week. Cour-
tesy: RobotWorx/Robotic Industries Association

Ad van like Hirebotics and Kindred leverage cloud robotics to monitor

c
A l go r e d Co robot uptime, collect data, and enhance performance using AI.
ithm n
s t ro They charge by the hour, or even by the second. Users pay for
only what they use. Each service model has its advantages.
l

Some RaaS companies offer subscription-based models. Some

took a page from the sharing economy, emulating companies like
Airbnb and Lyft. For some, pay as you go is preferred to the over-
Ethernet
Connectivity
head and infrastructure with a long-term commitment.

Mobile robots for hire

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are available via RaaS
model also. RIA members Aethon and Savioke lease mobile
Intelligent Drives
robots for various applications in healthcare, hospitality and
manufacturing. Startup inVia Robotics offers an RaaS subscrip-
Automation tion for its warehouse “Picker” robots.
Controller
AMRs, part of the logistics robot market, have advanced to
serve an always-on supply chain. In the last two years, proto-
types and beta deployments have turned into full product lines
with significant investor funding. Major users like Amazon,
Custom DHL, Walmart and Kroger are adding to their mobile fleets.
Software Vision Europe-based Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) began in
North America two years ago. After seeing comparable North
American growth, MiR has launched a lease program.
Custom Motor Responding to customer demands for larger payloads,
Design MiR introduced its 500-kg mobile platform in June 2018. The
MiR500 (pictured) features a pallet transport system that lifts
pallets off a rack and autonomously delivers them. ce

Tanya M. Anandan is contributing editor for the Robotic Industries

Association (RIA) and Robotics Online. RIA is a not-for-profit trade
association dedicated to improving the regional, national, and global
competitiveness of the North American manufacturing and service
sectors through robotics and related automation. This article origi-
Visit aerotech.com or Call 412-963-7470 nally appeared on the RIA website. The RIA is a part of the Associa-
tion for Advancing Automation (A3), a CFE Media content partner.
Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE
Media and Technology, [email protected].
AH0319A-CSG

M3 • October 2019 control engineering

input #23 at www.controleng.com/information
| FB11-14USA |

Slash cabling costs

with EtherCAT P
Ultra-fast communication and power on one cable

www.beckhoff.us/EtherCAT-P-Box
EtherCAT P integrates EtherCAT communication with system and peripheral voltage supply in one 4-wire
standard Ethernet cable. The I/O system for EtherCAT P with IP 67 protection takes full advantage of One
Cable Automation: material and installation costs, as well as the required installation space in drag chains,
cable trays and control cabinets are significantly reduced. The compact and robust I/O modules cover a
wide signal range, from standard digital I/Os to complex analog signals and measurement technology.
More than 100 additional EtherCAT P components are available. Find out more now!

input #24 at www.controleng.com/information

ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES: DRIVES
Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering

Survey offers drive advice

Motor drive advice was offered in a write-in question in the Control
Engineering motor drive research, summarized in the September issue.

T
he 2019 Control Engineering Motor Correct drive sizing
Drives study asked respondents, “Based As efficiency standards change for induction
on your experiences and knowledge, motors, watch for inrush currents and breakdown
what’s the best advice you can offer?” torque and breakdown current changes. Inrush cur-
Some responses follow, lightly edited for rents are rising and can cause challenges with elec-

M More ANSWERS
style. See more online.

Drive application advice

tronic overloads. Know your application, particularly
high friction and/or high inertia starting. To get the
full use of your available motor torque, the drive must
KEYWORDS: Motor Check for temperature rise on motor, how be correctly sized. For very large motors performing
drives, servo drives,
variable-speed drives, harmonic contents spread into the grid, and the heavy-duty cycle work, be certain that the transformer
medium-voltage drives overall efficiency at partial load. and conductors do not cause large voltage drops when
Motor drive survey It doesn’t matter which brand of drives you the application is at its greatest demand. For large
respondents advise. choose for your application. Most important are hammer mills using wound rotor motors and liquid
Lowest price might not quality of the product, availability, and standard- rheostats, we target <5% voltage drop at the motor at
be lowest lifecycle cost. ization. Standardization can reduce the stock of 200% full load amps (FLA). It’s very common for engi-
Filtering and harmonics spares required and helps support personnel neers unfamiliar with the application to undersize the
are important.
understand the drives used. transformers and conductors.
CONSIDER THIS Know the specific details of your applica-
Is it time to upgrade tions requirements before specifying the drive. Products, parts, support
motor drives or install For example, know peak velocity usage, not just Buy from someone with good technical knowl-
additional drives to
save energy and reduce
average velocity. Similarly, know the maximum edge and a lot of hands-on experience. Hire and kept
motor wear? torque that the application demands. Consider good technical support people on staff.
all of this with the motor’s performance in light Check compatibility before ordering, if you’re not
ONLINE
of the specific drive to be used. Failing to do the using similar products.
If reading from the
digital edition, click on
pencil-work prior to specifying the drive is almost Double-check specs and requirements for motor
the headline for more a guarantee of disappointing performance later. and drive selection.
info, resources. Know the application before selecting a drive.
Drive pricing, quality
Buy the best you can afford. Keep your equipment
in good shape. All machines will break down at some
point (mostly at the worst possible time).
Cheap stuff usually doesn’t work well, breaks
down easily, and/or has bad technical support.
Do not get hung up on bells and whistles. Most
settings will remain factory default and work fine.

Design, maintenance, retrofit

Don’t think you can delay or skip preventive
maintenance
Read drive manuals before installation.
Keep an open mind, standardize as much as pos-
sible, make sure you keep up with your manuals. ce

Survey managed and data compiled by Amanda

Pelliccione, CFE Media and Technology research
director. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manag-
Position, speed and torque control are most important with servo
er, Control Engineering, CFE Media and Techology,
drives. Courtesy: Control Engineering 2019 Motor Drives Study
[email protected].

M5 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

NO NODES...
LIKE OUR NODES.

The WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM
The System that Started the Modular I/O Revolution
r Fieldbus independent – supports 16+ protocols
r 500+ digital, analog and special function I/O modules
r Compact – up to 16 DI or DO in just one 12 mm wide module
r XTR Series for eXTReme temperature, shock and vibration
r Add-on instruction library for RSLogix 5000® software

www.wago.us/IOsystem

input #25 at www.controleng.com/information

56/RJL[‹LVDUHJLVWHUHGWUDGHPDUNRI5RFNZHOO$XWRPDWLRQsQRHQGRUVHPHQWRUDƱOLDWLRQLPSOLHG
input #26 at www.controleng.com/information
INNOVATIONS
ENGINEERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
Amanda Pelliccione, Research Director

Vote now for Engineers’

Choice Finalists
The official ballot is open for voting for Control Engineering North American print
and digital edition subscribers, for a limited time. Cast your vote using CFE Media’s
New Products for Engineers platform at www.controleng.com/NPE.

V
ote now! For a limited time, the official Informed voting, an important responsibility: Vot-
Engineers’ Choice ballot is open for ing on this ballot is only open to qualified* subscrib-
voting for Control Engineering North ers of Control Engineering products. One ballot per
American print and digital edition qualified subscriber will be accepted; multiple bal-
subscribers. lots from the same qualified subscriber will be invalid.
At www.controleng.com/NPE, vote for the best Ballots received from non-qualified subscribers will be
Engineers’ Choice finalists of 117 entries across 29 invalid. (*Employees of product manufacturers with a
categories. Based on your experience, please vote finalist in the current program and their properties,
in as many categories for which you feel qualified agencies, vendors, and representatives — even if Con-
based on technological advancement, service to the trol Engineering subscribers — are ineligible to vote.)
industry, and market impact. Details and photos are
available for each product. Winners and honorable Amanda Pelliccione is CFE Media’s research
mentions will be featured in more detail in the Feb- director and manager of awards programs,
ruary 2020 issue of Control Engineering. [email protected].

• Simatic IPC847E industrial rack PC, • In-Sight 9000 vision system, Cognex,
Hardware – HMI, Operator Interface, Thin-Client
Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com www.cognex.com
• RXi industrial flat panel display, Emerson • Sinumerik MCU-1720 motion control unit, • Geva 400 multiple camera vision system,
Automation, www.emerson.com Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com Teledyne DALSA, www.teledynedalsa.com
• EZTouch EZ7 HMI/PLC operator interface, Motion Control
Industrial Internet of Things Connectivity – Edge
EZAutomation, www.ezautomation.net
Controller
• GT25 rugged HMI, Mitsubishi Electric Automation, • IntelliPress electric bench top press, Bimba,
https://us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en • groov EPIC edge programmable industrial www.bimba.com
controller, Opto 22, www.opto22.com
• Graphite 12.1-in. outdoor HMI, • CytroBox hydraulic power unit, Bosch Rexroth,
Red Lion Controls, www.redlion.net • Sinumerik Edge machine tool application, www.boschrexroth.com/en/us
Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
• Simatic HMI IWP700 Industrial Web Panel, • XM-42 embedded controller, Bosch Rexroth,
Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com www.boschrexroth.com/en/us
Industrial Internet of Things Connectivity –
• Simatic IFP Basic industrial flat panel display, Gateway • Kinetix VPH hygienic servo motor, Rockwell
Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com
• Wise-710 Industrial Internet of Things gateway,
• TP700 Comfort INOX projected capacitive touch Advantech, www.advantech.com • NP planetary servo gearbox, Siemens,
panel, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com www.usa.siemens.com
• Simatic PN/J1939 Link gateway, Siemens,
• Touch Panel 600 operator interface, www.usa.siemens.com • Simogear KS adapter, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
Wago Corp., http://wago.us
Machine & Embedded Control – PLCs Motion Control – Drives
Hardware – Industrial PCs, CNCs
• EZTouch mini.PLC compact touch screen controller, • Unidrive DFS free-standing drive,
• MIC-770 compact, fanless industrial PC, Advantech, EZAutomation, www.ezautomation.net Control Techniques, www.controltechniques.us
www.advantech.com • Altivar Process ATV6000 medium-voltage drive,
• PLCnext programmable logic controller,
• C6032 ultra-compact industrial PC, Phoenix Contact, www.phoenixcontact.com/us Schneider Electric, www.schneider-electric.us
Beckhoff Automation, • Sinamics G120X drive, Siemens,
www.beckhoffautomation.com • Unistream PLC, Unitronics,
https://unitronicsplc.com www.usa.siemens.com
• CX7000 embedded PC, Beckhoff Automation, • GA800 variable-speed drive, Yaskawa America,
www.beckhoffautomation.com • Micro PLC, VIPA ControlsAmerica,
http://vipausa.com https://yaskawa.com
• Simatic IPC1047 industrial PC, Siemens,
www.usa.siemens.com Machine Vision, Code Readers Motion Control – Drives, Servo

• Simatic IPC627E compact industrial PC, Siemens, • DataMan 370 fixed-mount barcode reader, Cognex, • FlexPro FE060-25-EM pcb mount servo drive,
www.usa.siemens.com www.cognex.com Advanced Motion Controls, www.a-m-c.com

56 • October 2019 control engineering www.controlengineering.com

 Cast your vote at
www.controleng.com/NPE. PE

• i950 servo inverter, Lenze, www.lenze.com • Tosibox Lock 150 industrial router, Process Control – Process Sensors,
Tosibox Oy, Transmitters
• Kinetix 5100 servo drive, Rockwell Automation, www.tosibox.com
www.rockwellautomation.com • Rosemount 5300 level transmitter, Emerson,
Power – Energy, Power Protection www.emerson.com
• Sinamics S210 servo package, Siemens,
www.usa.siemens.com • Prowirl 200 multivariable vortex flowmeter,
• High Density rack power distribution unit,
Eaton, www.eaton.com Endress+Hauser, http://us.endress.com
Motion Control – Linear Transport
• Pow-R-Line XD switchboard, Eaton, • Hot Tap digital flowmeter, Exair, www.exair.com
• XTS linear transport system, Beckhoff Automation, www.eaton.com
www.beckhoffautomation.com • MVQ101 smart valve sensor, ifm efector,
• Pow-R-Trak busway, Eaton, www.ifm.com/us
• MagneMover Lite transport system, Rockwell www.eaton.com
Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com • Sitrans P320/420 pressure transmitter,
• FR-XC multi-functional regenerative converter, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
Motion Control – Pneumatics Mitsubishi Electric Automation,
https://us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en Process Control Systems
• BPGS pneumatic gripper system, Bimba,
• PTV terminal block, Phoenix Contact, • ControlEdge PLC R151, Honeywell Process
www.bimba.com
www.phoenixcontact.com/us Solutions, www.honeywellprocess.com/en-US
• PA NFPA actuator, Bimba, www.bimba.com
• TeSys Island load management system, • Simatic PCS neo V3 distributed control system,
• Sipart PS100 electropneumatic valve positioner, Schneider Electric, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com www.schneider-electric.us
Safety – Machine Safety
Motion Control – Robots, Robotics • MD high-density sub-metering platform,
Siemens Smart Infrastructure, • Hazardous Location NEMA 4 Cabinet Cooler,
https://usa.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies Exair, www.exair.com
• VT6L all-in-one 6-axis robot, Epson America,
https://epson.com • Varitector PU II UL surge protection device, • Data Access Port, Panduit, www.panduit.com
Weidmuller, www.weidmuller.com
• RG2-FT intelligent gripper, OnRobot,
www.onrobot.com • PSRswitch RFID-coded, non-contact safety switch,
Power Supply, UPS Phoenix Contact, www.phoenixcontact.com/us
• Robotiq Sanding Kit, Universal Robots,
www.universal-robots.com • 5P lithium-ion uninterruptible power system, • outdoorScan3 outdoor safety laser scanner,
Eaton, www.eaton.com Sick, www.sick.com
Network Integration – Data Acquisition • Simatic RF1000 access control badge reader,
• SSG-RP-1H extreme temperature UPS,
Falcon Electric, www.falconups.com Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
• ELM314x Economy EtherCAT measurement
module, Beckhoff Automation, • PROtop high-end range power supply, Safety – Process Safety, Intrinsic Safety
www.beckhoffautomation.com Weidmuller, www.weidmuller.com
• DA30D protocol converter, data acquisition system, • RSA-224 remote switch actuator, CBS ArcSafe,
• Broome10 power supply, Woehner, www.cbsarcsafe.com
Red Lion Controls, www.redlion.net https://woehner.de

Network Integration – Ethernet Hardware,

Switches

• PROmesh P20 Ethernet/Profinet switch,

Indu-Sol GmbH, www.indu-sol.com
How to Cast Your Vote
• P2M industrial Ethernet node, Parker Hannifin - VOTING FOR the Control Engineering 2020 Engineers’ Choice
Motion Systems Group, www.parker.com
Awards program opens Oct. 10, 2019, and is hosted within the New
Network Integration – I/O Systems
Products for Engineers platform, www.controleng.com/NPE. Voting
• ioThinx 4510 IIoT modular remote I/O, is only open to qualified subscribers of Control Engineering products
Moxa, https://moxa.com
• Flex 5000 discrete safety I/O module, Rockwell
(magazine—print or digital, enewsletters, white papers, etc.). Quali-
Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com fied subscribers are encouraged to vote in as many categories for
• S7-1500 CM 8xIO-Link V1.1 communication which they are qualified based on technological advancement, service
module, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
to the industry and market impact. Read more about voting eligibility
• Simatic DP ET 200eco PN distributed fail-safe pe-
ripheral module, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com via the program’s Official Rules,
• Simatic ET 200SP analog output module, www.controleng.com/EngineersChoice.
Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
• IO-Link master module, Weidmuller,
www.weidmuller.com
1. Qualified voters, please register for a new user account or sign
in to your existing user account within New Products for Engi-
Network Integration – Signal Conditioning
neers: www.controleng.com/NPE
• DT dual-channel transmitter, Acromag,
www.acromag.com
2. Select “Product Voting” from the menu bar to arrive at the
• ECT-DIN 2-wire output-loop powered isolator,
converter, Moore Industries, www.miinet.com
“Product Award Voting” page. Select “Control
Control Engineering 2020
Engineers’ Choice Awards” to view the finalists in their catego-
Network Integration – Wireless
ries and cast your votes.
• Digi WR54 router, Digi International,
www.digi.com
3. Review, submit and/or edit your votes by Friday, Dec. 20, 2019.
• Simatic RF615 compact UHF-RFID reader,
Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com

www.controlengineering.com control engineering October 2019 • 57

INNOVATIONS Cast your vote at
www.controleng.com/NPE. PE
ENGINE ERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

• Rosemount 628 electrochemical toxic gas sensor, • iQ Monozukuri Converting development software, Software – HMI Software
Emerson, www.emerson.com Mitsubishi Electric Automation,
https://us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en • InduSoft Web Studio V8.1 + SP4, Aveva,
• Vanguard WirelessHART toxic, combustible www.indusoft.com
gas detector V1.2, United Electric Controls, • Connected Components Workbench V12 machine
www.ueonline.com development software, Rockwell Automation, • DeltaV Live HMI, Emerson Automation,
www.rockwellautomation.com www.emerson.com
• SCS 24Vdc P1SIL3 I safety relay, Weidmuller,
www.weidmuller.com • Simatic Automation Tool Software Development Kit, • Movicon.NExT V3.4 SCADA, HMI software,
Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com Progea North America Corp., www.progea.com
Software – Asset Management, Reporting
• Simatic Industrial OS V1.3 Linux-based • ThinManager V11.0 thin client management
• Wise-PaaS/DeviceOn IIoT device operations operating system, Siemens, software, Rockwell Automation,
management application, Advantech, www.usa.siemens.com www.rockwellautomation.com
www.advantech.com
Software – Data Analytics Software – Industrial Internet of Things
• PRiSM Predictive Asset Analytics asset Connectivity
management software, Aveva, www.aveva.com • TwinCAT 3 Scope software with OPC
UA integration, Beckhoff Automation, • Prophecy IoT software, Godlan,
• AMS Inspection Rounds software, www.beckhoffautomation.com www.godlan.com
Emerson Automation,
www.emerson.com • Loop-Pro PID controller tuning software, • Honeywell Forge for Industrial enterprise perfor-
Control Station, mance management software, Honeywell Process
• Dream Report V5.0 analytics software, http://controlstation.com Solutions, www.honeywellprocess.com/en-US
Ocean Data Systems,
http://dreamreport.net • Movicon Pro.Lean V3.4 analytics software, • KEPServerEX V6.7 industrial connectivity software,
Progea North America Corp., www.progea.com Kepware, www.kepware.com
• SmartMonitoring field instrumentation
management application, Siemens, • Seeq R21 advanced analytical software for
Software – Mobile Apps
www.usa.siemens.com process manufacturing, Seeq Corp.,
www.seeq.com
• XLReporter V14.0 reporting software, SyTech, • CFSWorX connected field service mobile
www.sytech.com • Siplus CMS1200 condition monitoring software, application, Iconics, www.iconics.com
Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
Software – Control Design • Simatic Notifier mobile application, Siemens,
www.usa.siemens.com
• Smart Commissioning savings calculator, • WIN-911 V4.19.17 alarm notification mobile
Emerson Automation, www.emerson.com application, WIN-911 Software, http://win911.com

READ MORE about the 117 finalists for 2020, see images, and, if eligible, cast your vote responsibly at www.controleng.com/NPE.

AZ Series
Hybrid Control Systems
AZ Series Family of Products

Rack & Pinion Systems Compact Electric Cylinders Electric Actuators Rotary Actuators

Open loop performance.

Now With
Closed loop control.
input #27 at www.controleng.com/information EtherNet/IP is a registered trademark of ODVA, Inc.

orientalmotor.com
[email protected]
800-468-3982
Get digital. Now!
Engineering with the Handling Guide Online

Finding the right handling system

couldn’t be quicker or easier:
Configure and order your standard
handling system in just three steps
with the Handling Guide Online. All
systems are delivered fully tested
and assembled.

Try out the new software tool today!

www.festo.us/hgo
input #28 at www.controleng.com/information

Finally, an I/O solution we

can milk for all it’s worth.
Sealevel is an American-owned designer and manufacturer of critical The SeaLINK® 2402 USB
communication products, I/O and industrial computers. With more than serial I/O adapter provides
30 years of experience and over 250 standard products, our forte is using USB connectivity to legacy or
non-USB compliant devices.
in-house engineering to create custom adaptations for our partners,
precisely matching their application requirements.

Industrial automation. It’s where Sealevel got its start. Let’s start something together. SEALEVEL.COM

input #29 at www.controleng.com/information

MEDIA SHOWCASE FOR ENGINEERS
Your place for new products, literature, Apps, Videos, Case Studies and White Papers.

Signal Conditioning &

Remote I/O Solutions The Unlimited SCADA Platform
We have the experience to help you solve of the Future is Here
your monitoring and control challenges.

Get your new product guide today • Unlimited high-performance tags

4-20mA Isolators & Splitters • Instant web-deployment
Ethernet, Modbus, Profibus I/O • Build pure-web applications

Ignition 8 will revolutionize the way

you control your industrial processes.

Discover more at:

877-295-7057
inductiveautomation.com/ignition
Acromag.com/CE
Input #100 at controlengineering.hotims.com Input #101 at controlengineering.hotims.com Input #102 at controlengineering.hotims.com

Input #103 at controlengineering.hotims.com Input #104 at controlengineering.hotims.com Input #105 at controlengineering.hotims.com

60 • October 2019 control engineering www.controlengineering.com

O&GEng-CE 2017-06_TRGuide_MediaShowcase2x4_MII.indd5/17/2017
1 2:23:54 PM
MEDIA SHOWCASE FOR ENGINEERS
Your place for new products, literature, Apps, Videos, Case Studies and White Papers.
FIBER
OPTIC
SOLUTIONS

Factory Automation:
RS232/422/485/Profibus/Modbus/Bacnet/Tnet
Industrial Ethernet (LAN): 10/100/1000 Mbps
SCADA: Modem/Multiplexers/Point to
Point/Multidrop
Video/Audio/Data: CCTV Systems/Robotics
Optical Hubs & Repeaters
USB Modems
Extended Temp. Range & Ruggedized Products

Toll Free 866-SITech-1

Phone 630-761-3640
Fax 630-761-3644
www.sitech-bitdriver.com

Input #106 at controlengineering.hotims.com Input #107 at controlengineering.hotims.com

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation

1. Publication Title: CONTROL ENGINEERING
2. Publication Number: 813-430
3. Filing Date: 9/27/19
4. Issue Frequency: 12x, monthly
5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 12
6. Annual Subscription Price: USA $165 CAN $200 MEX $200 INTL $350
7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not printer): CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515
8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer): CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515
9. Publisher: Jim Langhenry, CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515, Editor-in-Chief: Mark Hoske, CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515
Editor: Chris Vavra, CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515
10. Owner: CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515, Jim Langhenry and Steve Rourke, CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515
11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None
12. Does not Apply
13. Publication Title: Control Engineering
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 2019
15. Extent and Nature or Circulation
Average No. Copies Each Issue Actual No. Copies of Single Issue
During Preceding 12 Months: Published Nearest to Filing Date:
a. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run): 34,763 34,581
b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 00 00
(1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541. (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies) 34,247 34,167
(2) Paid In-County Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541. (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies) 0 0
(3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other, Non-USPS Paid Distribution 0 0
(4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS 58 58
c. Total Paid and/ or Requested Circulation [Sum of 15b, (1), (2), (3), and (4)-** 34,305 34,225
d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) 0 0
(1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541 0 0
(2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 0 0
(3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS 260 206
(4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means) 0 0
e. Total Nonrequested Distribution [Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4) 260 206
f. Total Distribution [Sum of 15c and 15f] 34,565 34,431
g. Copies not Distributed 198 150
h. Total [Sum of 15f and 15g] 34,763 34,581
i. Percent Paid [15c divided by 15f times 100] 99.24% 99.40%
16. Electronic Copy Circulation
a. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies 34,353 36,536
b. Total Requested and Paid Print Copies (Line 15c) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) 68,568 70,761
c. Total Requested Copy Distribution (Line 15f) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (16a) 68,918 70,967
d. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both Print & Electronic Copies) (16b divided by 16c x 100) 99.62% 99.71%
17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Publication Required. Will be printed in the October 2019 issue of this publication.
18. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anoyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanc-
tions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalities). James M. Langhenry (signed), Owner

www.controlengineering.com control engineering October 2019 • 61

INNOVATIONS
BACK TO BASICS
Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering, Kevin Parker, Plant Engineering

Control engineering:
Basic terms explained
Understand the terminologies that comprise control engineering
and what they mean for engineers.

U
nderstanding basic terms helps when interface (OI) help humans monitor, change, con-
investing in processes and technolo- trol and manage the state of a process.
gies related to control engineering and Product lifecycle management (PLM) software
the design, integration, implementation, evolved from computer-aided design. PLM can
maintenance, and management control, automa- update information through a product’s life, aiding
tion, and instrumentation systems, components, control design.
and equipment. Manufacturing IT (information technolo-
gy) and manufacturing execution systems (MES)
Control systems improve production and bridges production plan-
Control systems help factories produce qual- ning systems and the plant floor.
ity goods safely and efficiently. Open-loop control Industrial PCs (IPCs) are personal computers
includes a human. Closed-loop control is auto- hardened for use in industrial environments.
mated. A control loop involves a measurement
(sensors), decision (logic device), and actuation IIoT, Industrie 4.0
(changes the process), which is repeated until opti- Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Indus-
mized. Networks and software connect the three. try 4.0: IIoT brings IT standards to industries.

‘
Industry 4.0 uses advanced technologies to make
manufacturing smarter.
Control systems help factories produce Mobility: Portable and handheld comput-
ers allow humans to make mobile decisions more

’
quality goods safely and efficiently. quickly and efficiently and safely at an appropriate
distance.
Asset management enables more effective main-
Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and tenance on a wide range of devices and systems.
programmable automation controllers (PACs) are Virtualization, cloud, analytics: Virtualization
industrial computers to control production systems. segments computers. Cloud architectures run apps
Edge computing and embedded systems con- or storage separate from the source computer. Ana-
trol machines and processes and help humans make lytics software turns data into info.
smarter decisions.
Dedicated controls or single-loop controllers Discrete manufacturing
make a specialized set of decisions about a control Discrete manufacturing makes individual
system. things of a certain number.
Proportional, integral and derivative (PID) are Mechatronics combines mechanical and elec-
process tuning parameters; advanced process control tronic engineering.
(APC) software improves decisions about processes. Machine safety uses devices, systems, and pro-
Distributed control systems (DCS) and supervi- cedures to lower risk to humans, equipment, and
sory control and data acquisition (SCADA) are types products in a production environment.
of control systems. Motors and drives: Motors transform electrical
and magnetic energy to motion. Drives control the
Information management motion of motors and other actuators.
Info management is the translation of data into Discrete sensors and machine vision: Discrete
information, and its delivery to people who need it sensors measure presence, proximity, distance,
at the right times. vibration, direction, motion, and other parameters.
Human-machine interface (HMI) and operator Machine vision uses sensors and software to see.

62 • October 2019 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 Robotics: Industrial robotics use sensors, actua-
tors, programming, and networks to perform dull,
dirty and dangerous work with precision, repeat-
ability and speed.
Computerized numerical control (CNC) and
‘ A control loop involves a measurement (sensors),
decision (logic device), and actuation (changes the
motion control: A CNC uses special computers process), then it repeats until optimized. Networks
and software to control and manage machine tools.

’
Motion control decides movement. and software connect the three.
Networking and security
Networking and security: Industrial networks System integration
runs software protocols over physical media to System integration connects devices and sys-
connect sensors, computers, actuators and sys- tems, often with computers, software and net-
tems. Security lowers industrial risk. works, to optimize throughput.
Cybersecurity uses technologies and proce- System integrators for automation and con-
dures to protect devices, computers, systems and trols design and integrate computerized control
networks from unwanted intrusion. systems for industrial machines, manufacturers or
Ethernet is an IEEE standard that defines com- facilities.
munication protocol and medium. Ethernet has Project management: Work processes are often
multiple standard variants for industrial network- organized into projects that can be planned and
ing of devices, computers and systems. coordinated.
Wireless technologies and methods: Commu- Energy efficiency: Measuring and optimizing
nicating though the air may enable lower-cost net- energy use is important in a time of constrained
working than wired connections. Many wireless resources.
standards serve various applications. Energy and power are essential to all forms of
Other networks: Associations and manufac- work and require attention to technologies, safety,
turers have created many sensor networks, device standards and best practices.
networks and computer networks for industrial Workforce development teaches human
communications. resources with in-person or online training. Engi-
Input and output (I/O) devices communicate neers require frequent training to remain useful
measurements about the state of a process. and up to date in their professions. ce

Process manufacturing Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engi-

Process manufacturing makes (often fluid or neering, [email protected]; Kevin Parker, con-
gaseous) products in a continuous flow or batch tent manager, Plant Engineering, CFE Media and
process, of a certain amount. Technology.
Data acquisition (DAQ) can gather measure-
ments that can be analyzed to help understand
a process.
Simulators and optimizers use computer
M More
INNOVATIONS
KEYWORDS: Control engineering, basic terms
programs to improve processes without the com- Control engineering is more easily understood when
mitment of physical resources. related terms are defined.
Diagnostics and asset management: Diag- Smart investments in control engineering processes
nostics assess the current state of a process and and technologies help with optimization.
may involve the identification of root causes. It Efficiently integrating technologies helps.
helps with predictive maintenance of assets. CONSIDER THIS
Process safety uses devices, systems, and Engineers often have multiple names for similar things.
procedures to lower risk to humans, process or Has your organization agreed-upon terms to help new
batch equipment and products in a production hires?
environment. ONLINE
Process sensors and actuators: Process sen- If reading from the digital edition, click on the headline
sors measure temperature, pressure, level, flow, for more resources.
and other parameters. Process actuators (valves, www.controleng.com/magazine
pumps, heaters, fans, mixers, and others) change See articles organized under topics at
a process. www.controleng.com.

www.controleng.com control engineering October 2019 • 63

 Advertising Sales Offices
ContentStream
Patrick Lynch,
Director of Content Marketing Solutions
630-571-4070 x2210
[email protected]

® AR, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO,

ad index
MS, NE, ND, OK, OH, SD, TX, WI,
Central Canada
Bailey Rice
Company Page# RSN Web (630) 571-4070 x2206
[email protected]
ABB Motors & Mechanical . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . .www .new .abb .com/motors-generators
AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT,
Allied Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1, 7 . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . .www .alliedelec .com NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY,
Western Canada
Automation24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16A-16D, 27 . . . . 13 . . . . . . .www .automation24 .com
Iris Seibert
AutomationDirect . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2, 1 . . . . . . . 1, 2 . . . . . . .www .automationdirect .com (858) 270-3753
[email protected]
binder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 . . . . . . . . 21 . . . . . . .www .binder-usa .com

CONTEMPORARY CT, DE, MD, ME, MA, NC,

CONTROLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 . . . . . . . . 19 . . . . . . .www .ccontrols .com/machine NH, NY, NJ, PA, RI, SC, VA,
VT, WV, DC, Eastern Canada
Digi-Key ELECTRONICS . . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . .WWW .DIGIKEY .COM Julie Timbol
DIGI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . .WWW .DIGI .COM/WR54 (978) 929-9495
[email protected]
Endress + Hauser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . .www .us .endress .com/prowirl-f200
Account Manager
EZAutomation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 . . . . . . . . 14 . . . . . . .www .EZAutomation .net
Robert Levinger
Festo Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 . . . . . . . . 28 . . . . . . .www .festo .com 630-571-4070 x2218
Graybar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 . . . . . . . . 17 . . . . . . .www .graybar .com
[email protected]

ifm efector, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 . . . . . . . . 10 . . . . . . .www .ifm .com International (outside U.S., Canada)
Stuart Smith
Inductive Automation . . . . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . .http://demo .ia .io/engineering
+44 208 464 5577
Maple Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . .www .maplesystems .com [email protected]
Moore Industries - Intl . Inc . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . .www .miinet .com

OPTO 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . .www .opto22 .com

Publication Services
Jim Langhenry, Co-Founder/Publisher, CFE Media
[email protected]
Oriental Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 . . . . . . . . 27 . . . . . . .www .orientalmotor .com
Steve Rourke, Co-Founder, CFE Media
Phoenix Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 . . . . . . . . .11 . . . . . . .www .phoenixcontact .com/warranty [email protected]

Laura Prochaska, Marketing Services Manager

RADWELL
(773) 818-7771, [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL, INC . . . . . . .Bellyband . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .Radwell .com
Kristen Nimmo, Marketing Manager
Red Lion Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 . . . . . . . . 20 . . . . . . .www .redlion .net [email protected]

Brian Gross, Marketing Consultant, Global SI Database

Sealevel Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . . 59 . . . . . . . . 29 . . . . . . .www .sealevel .com 630-571-4070, x2217, [email protected]

SeeQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . .www .seeq .com Michael Smith, Creative Director

630-779-8910, [email protected]
SEW-EURODRIVE, Inc . . . . . . . . . 11, C4 . . . . . .7, 31 . . . . . .www .seweurodrive .com
Paul Brouch, Director of Operations
[email protected]
spiroflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . .www .spiroflow .com
Michael Rotz, Print Production Manager
Yaskawa America, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . C3 . . . . . . . . 30 . . . . . . .www .yaskawa .com 717-766-0211 x4207, Fax: 717-506-7238
[email protected]

Maria Bartell, Account Director, Infogroup Targeting Solutions

Inside Machines 847-378-2275, [email protected]

Rick Ellis, Audience Management Director

Aerotech Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M3 . . . . . . . 23 . . . . . . .www .aerotech .com 303-246-1250, [email protected]

Beckhoff Automation LLC . . . . . . . M4 . . . . . . . 24 . . . . . . .www .beckhoff .com Letters to the editor: Please e-mail us your opinions to
[email protected] or fax 630-214-4504. Letters should
Maverick Technologies . . . . . . . . M7, M8 . . . . . . 26 . . . . . . .www .mavtechglobal .com/the-graveyard-shift include name, company, and address, and may be edited.

Information: For a Media Kit or Editorial Calendar,

WAGO Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M6 . . . . . . . 25 . . . . . . .www .wago .us go to www.controleng.com/mediainfo.

Marketing consultants: See ad index.

Custom reprints, electronic: Marcia Brewer,

REQUEST MORE INFORMATION about products and advertisers in this issue by using Wright’s Media, 281-419-5725, [email protected]
the http://controleng.com/information link and reader service number located near each.
If you’re reading the digital edition, the link will be live. When you contact a company
directly, please let them know you read about them in Control Engineering.

64 • October 2019 control engineering www.controleng.com

Always the Right Move

One Choice for All

Controlling a robot arm, a servo axis, a VFD drive
or a custom robotic mechanism is all the same
task for an MP3300iec machine controller. It uses
familiar IEC61131-3 and PLCopen programming
to operate them all, and will even allow you to
substitute one motion device for another without
reprogramming.

Looking for motion control that can change and

grow as readily as your machines do? Move to
the MP3300iec by contacting your Yaskawa
representative.

Yaskawa America, Inc. Drives & Motion Division 1-800-YASKAWA yaskawa.com For more info: http://go.yaskawa-america.com/yai1335

input #30 at www.controleng.com/information

 Stressed out?
Juggling too many motion control
projects while trying to keep up with new
technology can be overwhelming! It’s time
to contact an automation specialist at
SEW-EURODRIVE for help.

Using the latest innovation, we provide a

complete package from start to finish,
including expertise, project planning,
components, software, commissioning,
and worldwide support.

So relax . . . we got this!

seweurodrive.com / 864-439-7537

input #31 at www.controleng.com/information