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November 2012Wireless Sensor Networks Here to Stay p. 38 Harley Davidson, GlobalFoundries Dish on Diagnostics p. 42 Optical Inspection of Pharmaceutical Labels p. 46 Industrial Software: Buy vs. Build p. 59 ALSO INSIDE Pharma's Supply Chain Serialization Mintchell: Who Says Engineers Can't Talk? Pinto on Industrial Cloud Computing Metal, Non-Metallic and Disconnect Enclosures We’ve got what you need to build your control panel. With direct prices, fast shipping and free tech support, you can count on us for the best value in automation. CHECK OUT JUST A FEW OF OUR PRICES Choose from over 1,600 Hubbell/Wiegmann enclosures across NEMA 1, 3S, 3R, 4, 4X, 6P, 12, 4/12, and 13 ratings, all at prices well below more traditional suppliers. 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Many other part numbers are available from all vendors. 1-800-633-0405 For complete information or to order online, visit: www.automationdirect.com/enclosures or www.automationdirect.com/wiring Also Available Enclosure Climate Control and Lighting Wire Duct Wire and Connectors Safety Eyewear Terminal Blocks Pushbuttons Air Conditioners Screwdrivers and Torque Tools Wireless Data Collection Temperature, Humidity, Barometric Pressure, and Process Voltage and Current Wireless Sensor System • New Feature Added: DC Power Option For Your Industrial Applications • High Power Transmitter • Range up to 1 Kilometer • Coordinator/Meter-Controller for Ethernet Connection • Web Server to Monitor and Record Data • Alarms by Email or Text Message • NEMA4/IP65 Enclosure Visit omega.com/zed-p_series zED-TC-LCD-DC-H2 Starts at $340 wi8 Series Starts at $395 zED-TP1-LCD Starts at $245 1 ⁄8 DIN High Performance Meter/ Controller with Universal Inputs and Ethernet Output Web Based Temperature Monitoring/Recording Chart Address http://192.168.1.200 DIN Rail PID Controller with Universal Inputs and Ethernet Output Readings High 70.0 / Low 39.0 Max. 65.1 / Min. 47.9 Chart Web Link Setup High 78.0 / Low 25.0 Max. 69.9 / Min. 30.1 Recording: ON Temperature 1 DP41-B Series Starts at $595 54.2 F 50.8 F Temperature 2 100 100 10.0 0 C/Div 10.0 C/Div 0 Thu Sep 16 08:00:00 PDT 2009 Data Source: Live X-axis: Y-axis (left): : 1 Hour/Div 1 Day Temperature 1 T Style: Bold Style: Bold 0 Thu Sep 17 12:05:07 PDT 2009 Save Chart Print Chart Alarm Relay Set Points: Bold Help[?] Y-axis (right): Temperature 2 axis iSD-TC Starts at $495 iDR Series Starts at $240 Visit omega.com/dp41b ® Visit omega.com/isd-tc Visit omega.com/idr © COPYRIGHT 2011 OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED omega.com ® Because of transmission frequency regulations, these wireless products may only be used in the United States, Canada and Europe. © COPYRIGHT 2012 OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED highly-efficient designs and superior power density allow these motors to satisfy industrial drive system demands for quality. . and efficiency.com/promat With new additions in its integrated drive technology. Scan the QR code to sign up for a personalized tour of our conveyor technologies demo at ProMat. Featuring SimogeAr High-efficiency geared motors usa. Our new SIMOGEAR geared motors incorporate advanced technology. You can also link to our ProMat website to obtain a free show pass and preview Siemens new SIMOGEAR geared motors prior to seeing them in person at Booth #635. Answers for industry. flexibility. The line’s finely-scaled size grading. We look forward to welcoming you into a new era of conveyor system efficiency.siemens.Raising the bar on end-to-end conveyor solutions. Siemens gives you new ways to save time and money while increasing the efficiency of your conveyor operations and equipment. that debate is over. networking and algorithms are streamlining the flow of diagnostic and prognostic data for Harley Davidson. instead of relying on memory and manual data entry. The benefits are smoother processes and higher product quality.www. November 2012 l Automation World 3 . If you take a look around.automationworld. knowledge can be transferred. Laricina Energy and others.com Contents November 2012 l Volume 10 Number 11 32 32 From Workflow To Knowledge Transfer Industrial software applications that have workflow built in enable operators to work a documented and proven process. GlobalFoundries. 38 38 Why Wireless Sensor Networks Are Everywhere [Almost] It seems like it was not so long ago that there was a serious debate over whether or not wireless sensor networks — and wireless communications in general — were a technology suitable for industrial applications. 42 On The Cover: Step by step. usefulness and availability of maintenance-related information. 46 Optical Inspection of Pharmaceutical Labels Small information labels and data carriers optimize logistics processes for pharmaceutical manufacturers and protect against damage caused by counterfeit products. A German maker of carton-folding machines uses an intelligent vision system to ensure every piece is exactly positioned. 42 46 Diagnostics: Why Worry About Maintenance? Advances in sensing. Technology is alleviating concerns over the amount. Boeing Help Veterans Get Advanced Manufacturing Jobs l Kennedy Space Center Gets Smart About Power l Italian Input Sculpts New Drive Family l Automation Is Becoming Increasingly More Mobile l EtherNet/IP Keith Williams at PARS International 212. Koelsch Contributing Editors a rt & production 312.9595 Ext.291.238.222.com 312.222.222. Media and Events Sue DaMario Director of Marketing Courtney Richards Hollowed Out What Industry We Had Left’ All-Digital Diagnostics Solves Problems l Fully-Automated Threaded Insert Installation l Pharma Trends: Fewer New Products. East.com 937.1010 x171 Jim Chrzan Publisher publishing Balancing Production and Security 11 AutomationWorld. including printed or electronic reproduction. Chicago.238. Jr.9315 dgreenfield@automationworld. c orporat E hE adquart Ers Web site: www.com Perspective l ‘NAFTA l Fieldbus: David Newcorn VP/Digital & Custom Media David Greenfield Director. Kenna Amos.com 312.3895 Chicago.222. Texas.com 312. Magazine and Web site editorial may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher..n ov Emb Er 2012 contents Columns 8 Who Says Engineers Can’t Talk? Gary Mintchell.207.1010 x 113 [email protected] 312.com 312/222-1010 ext 111 Promotion and Industry Events Manager Joan Jacinto e-Media Support Manager ggudino@automationworld. Endress+Hauser Think So l Survey: Process Engineers Are Some of the Happiest Workers in the U..925.com 312.com 312.221. IL 60611 Phone: 312.1798 rbassett@automationworld. Wabash Ave. Columnist Departments 6 jchrzan@automationworld. PE.7793 Chicago.222. Terry Costlow.1010 x145 ggerke@automationworld. Greg Farnum.1010 x147 [email protected] x117 Ad Services & Production Manager Industrial Automation and the Cloud Jim Pinto.222.1010 Fax: 312-222-1310 Circulation fax: 847.automationworld. Bruce Sprague Audience Development Manager Omeda Communications Circulation Fulfillment For a reprint quotation.com 312.222. contact c irculation 330 N. Southwest and West Coast [email protected] 312.com Industrial Software: Buying Versus Building Test Stand Replicates Extreme Personnel Conditions Integrator View 11 21 Overall Equipment Effectiveness: Benchmark Data by Industry Enterprise View Industry View Pinto’s Prose C.4816 Summit Media Group.1010 x118 Editorial Renee Robbins Bassett Managing Editor Grant Gerke Digital Managing Editor Jim Pinto Columnist jim@jimpinto. More Generics l Pharma Industry Faces Urgent Need for Serialization Planning l Biologics Production Growing l Food & Beverage Industry: ‘Growth Trickles’ l Virtual Reality Training for Coal Plant Operators l Wireless Technology Enhances Tank Gauging System crichards@automationworld. Co-founder and Editor In Chief 59 60 61 62 FeedForward IT View Gary Mintchell Co-founder and Editor In Chief gmintchell@automationworld. Inc.9315 [email protected] 312.com 708. Inc. 319 All Automation World editorial is copyrighted by Summit Media Group.com 49 Engineering School Innovations Wireless Automated Assembly 60 52 New Products 4 Automation World l November 2012 . South and New England Glen Gudino Associate Publisher Jim Powers Regional Manager s al Es 21 News 49 for Process Industries? ODVA. James R.222.1010 x120 Maybelle Pineda Art Director George Shurtleff Wireless Sensing Benefits from New Technology and Standards 64 gshurtleff@automationworld. Suite 2401.S l DuPont Lauds Profibus at PI NA Meeting l Wireless Shines at Emerson Global User Exchange l OpenO&M Demonstrates ‘Information Interoperability’ for Oil and Gas Applications l OMAC Machine Tool Working Group Hosts Meeting at IMTS l GE. 800 453 6202 . But.” Nieves says. but security policies are much slower to change. This statement resonated with me as I read in this month’s Industrial Ethernet Review’s feature article.ly/awslant026 Visit http://bit. Visit http://bit. don’t think about secure communication during product design.ly/primer029 6 Automation World l November 2012 www. manufacturing managers can more efficiently measure cost of goods sold. especially consumer vendors.” One way to lessen the security risk with smart phones and tablets is to limit them as just monitoring devices.odva. Automation World contributing editor Terry Costlow addresses security issues with tablets and smart phones. “Industry Interrupted: Tablets and Smart Phones Poised to Make a Big Impact” (http://bit. held in Atlanta. Some Automation World readers think they know the future of factory floor mobile communications. In it.ly/awvid099 Visit http://bit.ly/awfeat097).ly/awvid100 Digital Managing Editor Most Popular Stories by Taxonomy » Finance | AutomationWorld.com/video . an IT prof essional since 1996. Grant Gerke Visit http://bit. Any time you can increase access to inf ormation about the production system. As the article points out. Erik Nieves. “I’m very bullish on the role apps can play.Featured on Autom Ationworld. Anderla.AutomationWorld. cited in his presentation that business needs and technology are moving quickly. Find out what the core differentiators are to help narrow your decision. Anderla’s audience at the ODVA event was network industrial vendors and he emphasized that IT personnel would like to see more vendors thinking about secure communication when developing new products. Peter Anderla. and block downloading of information from devices.] and the need to educate them about security. Visit http://bit. Another great point Anderla made at the conference is that vendors. These apps democratize data and let users do anything they like with that data.com Balancing Production and Security At the recent ODVA (www. » Tidal Wave of DCS Replacement On the Horizon The cost of maintaining legacy DCSs is outpacing the cost of migration. you get a lot of benefits. Ga. In Terry’s article.ly/awvid098 The Automation Conference | nThe Food Safety Act’s Impact Visit http://bit. technology director f or the Motoman Robotics Division of Yaskawa America..ly/awvid101 Visit http://bit.” He mentions their lack of knowledge regarding USB drives and password management when connecting to machines on the plant floor. drives home that fact: “Tablets and smart phones work very well as a dashboard so people can look at live data Videos | Automation Alley Emerson Exchange | Smart Wireless Navigator remotely. this may require some upgrades to the existing network infrastructure.ly/slant102 Visit http://bit. titled.com DCS | IMTS 2012 | Multi-Touch Panels Proper Use of Standard Cost Methods Enhances Efficiency Using standard costing techniques. in order to block downloading. those attempting migrations discover that the piecemeal approach to retrofitting older systems is riddled with problems.org) annual conf erence.ly/slant101 » Asset Management | Is There an Industrial ‘Tabletphone’ in Your Future? » Emerson Exchange | Digital Valves Motion Control | How to Decide Between Pneumatic and Electric Actuators The debate surrounding the pros and cons of electric and pneumatic actuators has been raging for years and still no easy answer exists. said his most significant challenge is “my users [operations. and allow for more effective budgeting and price setting on future job. ITS consultant f or Kimberly Clark. phoenixcontact. • Infrastructure devices like managed and unmanaged switches – for basic device connectivity • Advanced security devices featuring firewall. To find out more information.One network. routing and VPN functions – to protect your network from unwanted traffic while allowing secure communications to your remote equipment • Ethernet radios that provide you with wireless band flexibility – for reliable and secure communication Our industrial Ethernet products meet the most demanding design specifications.com/etherneteasy © 2012 PHOENIX CONTACT . numerous options Simple and secure Ethernet-based automation solutions are at your fingertips thanks to an extensive range of rugged industrial Ethernet products from Phoenix Contact. call 1-800-322-3225 or visit www. ensuring reliable performance under the most adverse conditions. Picture a large hotel ballroom set up for lunch with about 2. A friend asked at dinner one evening what more could I do to help show young people what a great calling engineering in manufacturing and automation is. sees most things in terms of “black and white. And some engineers actually go into sales or senior management. engineers.Feed Forward Who Says Engineers Can’t Talk? Gary Mintchell Co-founder and Editor In Chief gmintchell@automationworld. What’s up. The noise and energy from the conversations occurring in the room made it difficult to hear at times. the truth is much messier. I remember when. If I could only bottle that energy and show it to high school and middle school classes. so many engineers have worked to develop the standard. Gosh. Dilbert: logical. er. I answered the questions. were f ull of the energy of people passionate about what they are doing. ready for lunch and an awards ceremony. I learned that something that can be answered in 50 words sounds better when you use 600. So much so that our Associate Publisher. Getting more productivity from assets is a driver for economic health of a country.com 8 Automation World l November 2012 . We were recently at the Emerson Global Users Exchange in Anaheim in just such a situation. She had just started working as an admin in an engineering department. In just the space of a couple of years. Visit http://bit.” and so on. Then there are the stereotypes of engineers exemplified by Scott Adams’ cartoon creation. 38) on wireless in manufacturing. I once had the ultimate engineer’s personality. leaned over and said to me. we were provided information that Emerson Process Management’s wireless sensor network instrumentation and sensors based upon WirelessHart have accumulated a total of 1 billion hours of operation.500 people. Figure it would be a pretty dull place. he said. with that education. So. The problem is that. I wish more went into senior management. Now she understood the people she worked with a little bet- This issue of Automation World contains a couple of stories about the results of the abilities of engineers to design and implement new automation systems that serve to make manuf acturing a more valuable part of the enterprise. as a freshman engineering student taking a history class. right? Wrong. a transfer of enthusiasm would take place that could transform lives and society.” she exclaimed. And that is just one vendor. Yes. which was going on at a hotel across the street. my first test results came back and I received a D. I described all of this to one of my sisters-in-law once. Glen Gudino. sharing ideas. There are many suppliers who are selling WirelessHart products. Predictive or condiON THE WEB The Company Ladder The ladder to a management career seems tougher to climb. 42) on diagnostics and prognostics shows how engineers—including Ph. can’t carry on a mundane conversation. I could have become a politician! Visit www. but automation engineers are the best possible candidates for management. dry. analyzes everything to death.com Ever hear the one about the extraverted engi- Engineers lead productivity neer? He looks at your shoes when he talks to you. Jim Koelsch’s article (p. points out inconsistencies in others. “Who says engineers can’t talk?” The halls at both the Emerson Exchange and the Invensys Sof tware Users Group. After Dave Greenfield finished his article (p. Yes. ha. I asked the graduate assistant. tion-based maintenance holds the potential to increase availability (which really means increasing productive capacity) while deploying maintenance resources in more efficient and effective ways. “Ah. but you didn’t explain them enough.AutomationWorld. I f illed two blue books with prose and got an A. and then implemented the systems that wireless technology has become mainstream.ly/awslant100 If I could only bottle that energy… a transfer of enthusiasm would take place that could transform lives and society. Next test. engineers are more analytical than the median person. engineering candidates and post-doctoral researchers—are working to f ind better ways to discover potential or actual machinery and process faults. and then the products.D. But that makes engineers excellent problem solvers. like all stereotypes. ter. robotics and motion control with integrated safety technology ` Easy implementation of machine options because of software compatibility across all drive technologies ` Supports all machine topologies through the use of centralized and decentralized drive technology ` Reduced hardware costs and simplified service cireneG lortnoC noitoM Perfection in Automation www.com .Technology by THE INNOVATORS Generic Motion Control ` Maximum system productivity through exceptional performance and system synchronization ` Supports advanced manufacturing technologies by integrating CNC.br-automation. why stack your own? Banner tower lights are built-to-order. Pre-assembled, ready to connect tower lights in your choice of colors and configuration. Banner TL50 Tower Lights are preassembled multi-segment indicators which provide highly visible operator signals and equipment status indication. • Prewired or quick-disconnect options for easy installation • Displays up to 5 lights in a single tower, 10 colors available • Audible versions Customers First Integrity Always Quality in Everything New Solutions – Every Day 1-888-373-6767 | bannerengineering.com © 2012 Banner Engineering Corp., Mpls, MN USA perspective Letters p. 11 l Technology p. 14 l Industries p. 15 l Applications p. 18 Reader Feedback: ‘NAFTA Hollowed Out What Industry We Had Left’ Letter to the Editor Re: The Myths of Manufacturing Jobs, AW September 2012 We can’t educate enough to make up f or giving away the f arm. NAFTA hollowed out what industry we had lef t where I live. My home town use to make ref rigerators, f urnaces, lawn equipment, sporting goods and so on. All those jobs went to Mexico. The day NAFTA passed, trucks started backing up to our docks to take tooling to Mexico. I find it best to take things to extreme to disprove or prove an idea. Let’s pay teachers a million dollars a year and have a teacher f or every pupil. Everybody graduates with a high school diploma. And let’s say that all this was done before NAFTA. Would it have keep the jobs here? No, of course not. Here’s why. The company I work f or was ready to build a plant in Mexico in order to continue supplying parts to Whirlpool— which by the way moved all our home town ref rigerator manuf acturing there. We were ready to break ground when the deal f ell apart. We were told by our Mexican consultant that the wage for the Mexican workers would be two dollars an hour. That two dollars included benefits. So should we pay our employee’s two dollars an hour to compete with Mexico? Oh wait, all the talking heads say we need to be more productive. So we automated. Productivity per employee is way up where I work due to automation and robotics. However, the shipping costs to transport parts to Mexico is fixed by locality. Every employee here could have a PhD and it would not make a difference in our competitiveness. Are robots and automation illegal in Mexico? Are they so sophisticated only people in the U.S. can use them? Productivity through automation can be increased for an employee in any country. NAFTA Continued on page 13 Costs can certainly be measured, and we expect them to be higher. The question is whether productivity, innovation and agility can be translated into [outcomes like] better vehicles and more sales.” — David Rutchik, partner, Pace Harmon Consultants, on GM’s decision to hire 10,000 IT workers instead of keeping them outsourced. Source: Reshoring News, www. reshoringmfg.com DID YOU HEAR? November 2012 l Automation World 11 Pers Pective LETTERS Reader Feedback: All-Digital Diagnostics Solves Today’s Problems Letter to the Editor Re: Field Device Diagnostics: Desire and Reality, AW September 2012 I read with interest the article by Peter Ebert on f ield diagnostics. To me and to many of us that deal with fieldbus technology on a regular basis, the diagnostics issue is really an information management problem that can be solved with the technology we have today, and there are key differences in how Foundation f ieldbus handles diagnostics versus HART and other protocols. Let’s start with NAMUR NE 107, which the Fieldbus Foundation has incorporated into our specif ication. NE 107 diagnostics have been part of our specif ication since 2010. Our Field Diagnostics specif ication was developed in close collaboration with NAMUR [a German process industry NAMUR NE 107 is extremely valuable. It creates standard symbols, terms for reporting diagnostic conditions and makes it easier to classify diagnostics. user organization]. Many of the requirements outlined in the NAMUR recommendations, such as support of alarms, were already included in the specification. In fact, all new devices that will be registered from this point on with Version 6 of our Interoperability Test Kit (ITK) must support NAMUR NE 107 graphics and diagnostic management capabilities. All of our host systems tested through our Host Prof ile Testing and Registration program must also conform—that’s especially applicable to our integrated DCS hosts. We are currently the only organization with this mandatory requirement for NAMUR NE 107 support for testing and registration of devices and hosts. NAMUR NE 107 is extremely valuable because it not only creates standard symbols and terms f or reporting diagnostic conditions, it makes it a lot easier to classif y diagnostics in terms of severity and root cause (i.e. is it a process problem? A sensor problem? An electronics problem?) Yes, both HART and Foundation fieldbus and lots of other protocols offer diagnostic information. However, when you go completely digital as you do with Foundation fieldbus, the volume and type of diagnostics that are available to you increase exponentially, as does the bandwidth to report these diagnostic conditions (all-digital, so you can transmit multiple process variables and diagnostic conditions across the network). The Foundation publish/subscribe architecture also means that diagnostic inf ormation is continuously pushed to the people that need it, when they need it, with no delay and no requirement for polling devices. All of a sudden you find yourself able to access thousands of diagnostic parameters at a time from many different devices across your fieldbus network. It’s like seeing television in high definition for the first time, and it goes way beyond the ability to detect a plugged impulse line. You need a common sense way to manage the information you are getting so that it is actionable, and people only get the right inf ormation to the right people at the right time. That’s the real beauty of NAMUR NE 107 and why our end user clients decided it was time to make these recommendations part of the Foundation fieldbus specification. Because we are an open standard guided by our end user council, we can make additions and improvements to the specification as they are required. The all-digital nature of our diagnostic capabilities also allow users take the whole diagnostics platform up a level, by looking at interrelationships between diagnostic conditions on dif f erent devices across the unit or the plant to create diagnostic profiles of the process itself and even plant equipment. This takes diagnostics into a whole new dimension, where it becomes part of your overall plant optimization strategy. I would be happy to write more about this topic, as I think it is one of the most misunderstood topics facing our industry today. Larry O’Brien, [email protected], is global marketing manager with Fieldbus Foundation Visit www.AutomationWorld.com 12 Automation World l November 2012 Click “launch” 3. Managers are essentially short-sighted.. That’s Pay one flat price for unlimited clients.com . Never again go through the hassle of tediously licensing or installing individual clients. However. Now those managers have discovered (duh!) that supply chain costs and risks outweigh labor savings. jstucki@wabashplastics. f actory.266. I remember building a complex assembly machine for a company that in mid-project decided to ship it to Mexico.. If all children got a college degree. Client screen appears instantly 4.com HMI • SCADA • MES Software 800. That was 1984. but our best vote is not in a booth but with our dollars.. don’t buy it. Download today at www..S.Pers Pective Letters NAFTA Continued from page 11 I’m picking on your first point “invest in education” because that’s everyone’s panacea for our bad economy.com Deploying multiple clients . If those two things happened. No easy answers. Here’s my answer to bringing things back around: If it’s made in a f oreign Productivity per employee is way up where I work due to automation and robotics. I picked NAF TA because it’s the trade agreement that I have seen and felt personally.) And you’re right about consumer choice. Yeah. the shipping costs to transport parts to Mexico is fixed by locality. We always wondered if the machine ever went into production. If we pay teachers more and have more of them. The cost of labor is almost always a small percentage of the selling price. Repeat as many times as you want . made goods. the sun would come out and all would be good again. the corporate world will respond with U. Open Ignition 2.inductiveautomation. 1. Remember when Wal-Mart touted made in America? Then suddenly switched to lowest price? And people f locked to the store. right. We were moving plants to Mexico in the 80s. (I spent 5 years doing cost analysis in a mid-sized manufacturing company as part of my job in product development. That single handedly drove quality down and jobs away.7798 www. If people demand U. Jock Stucki.S. but that’s always subject to debate.TryIgnition. that’s simple! Gary Mintchell responds: I tend to not agree with you on NAFTA.-made goods. perfect for applications involving large. can be found at www.but after the holes are tapped. is already there to machine the part. More details. sealing capability.AutomationWorld. ERI America. The user machines a part as they do today . Used by General Dynamics f or over a decade. and more. or where f ield service is needed. complex parts. Naval. Fully-automated installation of Fredsert threaded inserts using an electric nutrunner on a robot. robotic Fredsert installation provides the unique ability to f ully automate installation of a heavy duty threaded insert. a significant step toward Lean Production. This level of process control also ensures consistent and accurate installation every time.using either a CNC machine or a robot to deliver the necessary torque. def ense. This capability provides significant advantage over traditional inserts. Mich. Robot Vision Technologies. For low to medium volume applications. Aerospace. This report was authored by Jason Deters. robotic installation ensures proper placement regardless of variation in the workpiece. Atlas Copco. Incorporating this process requires relatively little investment. automotive. the ability to f ully automate installation also reduces overall process time and cost. a process & technology development specialist f or General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights.Pers Pective Technology Fully-Automated Threaded Insert Installation ponents and structures are assembled in aerospace. and design flexibility in the most challenging applications. Fredserts are unique in that they can be easily removed and replaced without drilling or rework .fredsert. Fully-automated threaded-insert installation could dramatically change the way aluminum com- Fully-automated installation of Fredsert threaded inserts using a torque adaptor in a CNC machining center. Development of the f ully-automated Fredsert installation process was achieved through the cooperation of General Dynamics. The CNC installation method uses an adaptor similar to a tension / compression tap holder to pull Fredserts f rom a tray and install them into tapped holes at a specified torque value. since the location and installation are precisely controlled by the CNC program. along with video footage of the automated process. General Dynamics has also developed a robotic installation cell. and customization that Fredserts of f er. which are difficult or impossible to fully automate due to the mechanical-clamping aspect of their installation.com. and Welker Engineered Products. Fredsert threaded inserts are designed by General Dynamics to deliver unparalleled strength. In addition to the superior strength. This capability enables users to combine machining and insert installation in one setup. Visit www. Fredserts are installed manually with a torque wrench. consisting of a robotic arm with an electric nut-runner that picks Fredserts from a tray and installs them into tapped holes. however. magnesium. Fredsert installation can be f ully automated . This approach allows installation into multiple surfaces in a single setup. the CNC machine.com 14 Automation World l November 2012 . For production volumes. and other industries. and Heavy Equipment industries now have an alternative that overcomes limitations associated with traditional threaded inserts. Guided by an on-board vision system. R&E Automation.great for applications with limited access. Design and Manufacturing Engineers in Def ense. they’ve only recently been of f ered to the commercial market. sealing capability. because the most expensive component. Kuka Robotics. Like the CNC installation process. or semi-automated with an electric nutrunner. the CNC program pulls the adaptor from the tool magazine and proceeds to install Fredserts. Fully automated threaded insert installation signif icantly improves high-volume fabrication of assemblies produced from aluminum. Miller Precision Industries. ” An ongoing trend Hintlian sees is the rise of generics. (www. he says. “Companies—Big Pharma—are not making the same level of investment in the small-molecule [pharmaceutical] area [as they once did].” Overall. he predicts.” he adds. More Generics Structural and other trends characterize pharmaceuticals now. A structural trend Hintlian sees is companies looking at their core competencies and differentiating themselves along strategic differences—for example secondary manufacturing’s filling.aspentech. he says. vice president for pharmaceuticals at Aspen Technology Inc. give an extra sense of quality and safety to consumers. ckamosjr@earthlink. Mass. Burlington. says Jamie Hintlian. “Over the next f our to f ive years or so. is an Automation World Contributing Editor.” But that’s’ not to say they’ve given up entirely.” He notes that this year and next year will see the highest level of patent expirees. Hintlian explains. This is symptomatic of drug pipelines also getting smaller. That’s driven Big Pharma to establish relations with generics companies.”Hintlian says. They’re more integrated.com). flatter organizations. it’s anticipated that $140 billion of branded drug sales will be f acing generic competition. “About half of today’s top products f ace generic equivalents. seen sometimes in emerging markets.com/d3v14 . “As recently as 2010.Pers Pective Industr Ies Pharma Trends: Fewer New Products. “It could be that half to two-thirds of prices go away. Another trend Hintlian sees is a decline in approvals for new products. BE PREPARED Safeguard Plant Personnel and Profitability D/3® Version 14 incorporates ANSI 18.2 Alarm Management and High Performance HMI graphics to keep operators informed . 75 percent of American prescriptions were filled with generics.” Already generics hugely af f ect consumers. the reduction in prices would be dramatic. Learn more online at: novatechweb.net. “The rise of contract manufacturing and contract research organizations is clear. “They’re being more efficient with modeling than during experimentation with chemicals.not overwhelmed. Kenna Amos. And he notes branded generics. C. packaging and distribution of final product. Label/Package Design. Imagine having dozens of lines with dozens of pieces of equipment. It will eventually stabilize near 4 percent. Inc. complex technology platf orms—PLCs. all feeding information to complex IT layers—at device. line. One contract packager worried aloud about making the investment to allocate and aggregate serial numbers. We have let the others pay the price to sample approaches and find what works. “IT is the blood and heartbeat of any serialization project. Who has the time? What else are they NOT doing now that they have been assigned to the serialization? You may have to hire extra personnel. grab a few samples. Marketing. define scope and schedule events throughout life cycle. Hollowell said you know when a project is in trouble during the initial assessment phase when you meet resistance at the plant level where people basically tell you they are not interested in doing anything differently. for example. said one speaker. totally focused on all possible impact points. Serialization requires input both at the planning stage and at execution including team members f rom IT. It’s a process. and CPOs must understand compli- ance is mandatory. director Barry-Wehmiller Design Group. offsite. This allows lower cost and more widely available linear scanners to be used. manage procurement and contracts. Remember. Rework stations have to be set up. jchrzan@ automationworld. Here management’s buy-in and the realization that serialization is a wide-impact corporate challenge goes a long way.com 16 Automation World l November 2012 .) But if they are not equipped with any electronic communication f ramework . according to Mark Hollowell. Older pilots now may be obsolete. most agreed. No wonder pharmaceutical companies have put it off for years.There are times where product is damaged and not readable. Just getting those drawings is an 80-hour exercise. Quality can no longer come out. but lagging behind has its privileges.” What is true now is if you are a pharmaceuticals company that has not started. define ROI. operations. Operators have to understand they can no longer take a carton off the floor to complete a case. You must balance resource allocation internally. plant. vision. Ellott Abreu of automation solution vendor Xyntek. you are going to miss deadlines for California—or be superseded by some Federal regulations.Pers Pective Industr Ies Pharma Industry Faces Urgent Need for Serialization Planning The complexity of serialization in the pharmaceuticals industry and its impact on organizations was the focus of the Pharma Exchange. sensors. a free. Supply chain partners.AutomationWorld. Who destroys what and where. and maintenance will not be happy to hear turning on a line set up for serialization will result in an initial 10 percent drop in OEE. “No doubt the U. the IT challenge is enormous. CMOs. Planning a complex project. Many life sciences companies have focused on the data matrix and may not be prepared to support a variety of data carriers. you will pay a higher and higher price for delay. procedures—even standard inf ormation dashboards—communicate clearly stated goals to measure progress. Supply Chain. they are going to have to make the investment to keep the business. Engineering. project ownership. from dozens of suppliers. encoding. You even have to factor in return logistics. involving complex processes must have a structured approach incorporating program governance and project management where all stakeholders are in from the beginning. Japan has recently updated its serialization requirements to replace the 2D data-matrix data carrier with the DataBar (a stacked linear bar code). the rest is an IT information challenge at the MES level. two-day seminar put together by Mettler Toledo. and management from every discipline. allow for flexibility and change. said. If a warehouse has to buy a special scanner to read the new Japanese government mandated code. The management of data tracked across an enterprise requires standards.” said Abreu. and enterprise levels. Engineering.S. but creating your own global supply chain serialization program is going to pay off with visibility into your operation like you have never had before. is Publisher of Automation World and Healthcare Packaging magazines. in a complex environment. Calif ornia is the catalyst. You have multiple. Jim Chrzan.com. A pilot test has to be “end-to-end” and provide an assessment for improvement before rollout. (This is all that should be happening at the plant level. Either way. but you never are as efficient. Whole facilities have to be altered in 20 percent of the cases to accommodate serialization-related space. Standardized policies. inspection and verification systems. And training. Visit www. At the event this summer. If you are not planning right now. starting now with available standards and assessing and planning strategy. and disappear back into the lab. is a move that will position you for success in the global market. they will have to turn to Cloud providers who are offering these data packages. is behind. and all partners. Quality. methodologies. how do you put an end to the “pedigree?” Clearly. is a terrific challenge. “As f or new products. Israel—the biologic received FDA approval at the end of August. says Jamie Hintlian. president and CEO of The Food Institute (www. biotechnology and. a 32-year veteran of the industry. There’s also smaller packages. all types of sarcoma. Todd states. The American Cancer Society says non-myeloid cancers include all types of carcinoma.aspentech.” The new products about which The Food Institute has been reporting are health-based ones—f unctional f oods that have health benef its. Teva adds. “But that’s not some ‘Lite’ extension of an existing product. supermarket and food-store sales have picked up since the f irst of the year. in more than 10 years. Kenna Amos. research and development (R&D) and production has never been greater.. is an Automation World Contributing Editor. the 100-calorie packages.S. “But it’s just slowed down so much over the past three years.f oodinstitute. he adds. melanoma. Burlington. “We’re waiting f or the economy to increase and waiting f or consumers to spend more.” He laments that the industry was used to much more steady growth than it sees now— and that’s whether it was a 3. according to Brian Todd. too. Manufactured by Vilnius. C. Growth trickles. The medicine reduces the duration of severe neutropenia in patients with certain types of cancer (non-myeloid malig- nancies) who receive chemotherapy that affects the bone marrow.J. tbo-filgrastim represents the first new granulocyte colony-stimulating factor to be approved in the U.net. 4 or 5 percent increase. in oncology. biologics make a lot of sense. he notes. Mass.” Also. or a new f lavor of a cereal. That decrease leaves patients more susceptible to potentially life-threatening bacterial infections.” Todd observes. is to maintain and extend human life. com). “This is some sort of return of an upward trend. “With biologics. lymphocytic leukemias and multiple myeloma. vice president f or pharmaceuticals at Aspen Technology Inc.Pers Pective Industr Ies Biologics Production Growing The biggest challenge life sciences—which includes biologics.” Manufacturers have had to become more creative. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved biologic used in treating cancer. Petah Tikva.” says Todd. According to Teva. ckamosjr@earthlink. Hintlian believes. unfortunately. Strategically. consumers are very hesitant to open up their pocketbooks. Teva says. Overall. Food & Beverage Industry: ‘Growth Trickles’ Economically. large-molecule therapeutics—faces now includes rapid growth.” Todd says. Lithuania-based Sicor Biotech UAB—part of Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. To cope with this. “biologics are facing tremendous growth. “Lots of manufacturers have had some success in producing more convenient packaging. ckamosjr@earthlink. companies are more aggressively looking f or true new ones. (www. C.” The goal of such biologics-based cancer-treatment medicines. still the biggest current challenge to the industry ties in with the economy.” Todd says. Upper Saddle River. for example. But. most of that is being eaten up by inflation.” he adds. N. exclusivity around products and the ability to command much more substantial margins.” he says.” Hintlian says. “Gluten-f ree products seem to be one of those new foods.S. is an Automation World Contributing Editor. f ood & beverage manuf acturers “may have gone to ondemand production where they can. f or instance. Tbo-filgrastim is one such example of a recently U.net. But. “This has probably impacted companies’ expansion plans. lymphomas. “Some of the newest and most important remedies are biologicsbased. November 2012 l Automation World 17 . The FDA explains that severe neutropenia is a decrease in inf ection-f ighting white blood cells called neutrophils.com). generally. Kenna Amos. coordinating their activities with control room operators and interacting as if they were in the actual facility. We can even train operators on diff erent coal and biomass feed stocks. The formal site acceptance test was completed on July 16. “Training IGCC operators require us to simulate the chemical process of coal-gasification with CO2 capture together with combined-cycle power generation.Pers Pective Applic Ations Virtual Reality Trains Coal Plant Operators Three-dimensional virtual reality simulation is being used to help train power plant control room and field operators at the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) Advanced Virtual Energy Simulation Training and Research (AVESTAR) Center in Morgantown. is Managing Editor of Automation World. Houston. mercury and other NOx emissions. sounds.com Power Sources Unlimited 800-966-7784 www. IGCC operators are effectively running both a chemical processing plant and a power plant. Ph. we can simulate almost any operating scenario.Va. Wearing a stereoscopic headset. Department of Energy (DOE) uses the SimSci-Esscor Eyesim virtual reality training solution from Invensys Operations Management.” Zitney added that the developments they’ve accomplished at the AVESTAR Center show the growing viability of IGCC power plants and “indicate the growing demand for a well-trained work force.psui.D. after a complete plant start-up. The solution combines stereoscopic 360-degree views with collision effects. monitoring and signaling • Active battery supervision for maximum system reliability www.com.tracopower. rbassett@automationworld. W. Zitney.powergatellc. including disturbances. High Performance DIN-Rail Power Supplies for Process Control and Industrial Applications With the TSP Series TRACOPOWER provides a modular line to configure high reliable UPS systems for 24 VDC and 48 VDC • 90 to 600 Watt • Compact rugged metal casing • Vibration proof design • Wide range of industrial safety and HazLoc approvals TSP-BCM Battery Controller Modules for harsh industrial environment • Controlling. and actions perf ormed in the control room change the information visible to the field operator.” The Eyesim solution is integrated with plant operating models built on Invensys Operations Management’s SimSci-Esscor Dynsim dynamic simulation software. so actions taken by a field operator aff ect the plant’s process.” said Stephen E.com POWERGATE LLC 866-588-1750 www.com/traco 18 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www. and director of NETL’s AVESTAR Center. A separate Eyesim virtual reality training system will be installed and commissioned at West Virginia University in Morgantown for student education. “No one has ever done that before.com . This unique operator-training simulator f or the U. while at the same time reducing sulfur.AutomationWorld. malfunctions and emergency shutdowns. integrated gasif ication combined cycle (IGCC) power plant field operators are immersed in a virtual environment with the ability to move throughout the plant. The IGCC process is extremely complex. IGCC with carbon capture technology captures 90 percent of the CO2 produced by traditional fossil-fuel burning processes.S. 2012. lighting and weather conditions to give the plant operator a realistic walkthrough environment and simulated hands-on experience with the plant’s physical operation. Renee Robbins Bassett. But now with help from Invensys. Announced in September 2012.Windows Embedded CE 6. Applications range f rom light products such as LPG. The tank gauging systems are custody transf er-approved and can be applied on many types of storage tanks. obsolete measurement instruments. or are not connected from the tank storage area. Retrof itting an obsolete gauging system is expensive and time consuming because the distance between storage tanks and the control room can be more than one kilometer. f aster and less costly with the integration of Emerson Process Management ’s Rosemount Raptor tank gauging systems with wireless technology. including fixed roof and f loating roof tanks. Many such tank storage f acilities that could benefit from modern. and maintenance ef f iciency throughout a plant. Create sophisticated applications with C++ or any . This can radically reduce material and labor costs. two-wire. with the added benefit of reducing implementation time as much as 60 percent. The resulting Raptor system f orms a network of digital intelligence that helps users improve inventory management. technical product manager for Emerson Process Management.SD Card Support .2” 7” 7” CUWIN6300 CUWIN5200 WIDESCREEN. RS-232/485 .Pers Pective Applic Ations Wireless Technology Enhances Tank Gauging System Tank farm automation became easier. as well as engineering and project execution time. non-contact gauging currently use obsolete signal wiring. Our wireless Raptor systems give them the flexibility and freedom to implement an eff ective modernization strategy. They can be changed out and wirelessly integrate new gauging systems one tank at a time. The combined communications technologies enable use of a wide range of standardized equipment.0 Touch Controller CUWIN5500 WIDESCREEN. and proprietary gauging systems. Audio Out . .Ethernet. Mikael Inglund. high-speed Foundation f ieldbus technology.USB. requiring extensive trenching and cabling.” Renee Robbins Bassett. says “Our customers struggle with costs of replacing aged wiring.0 November 2012 l Automation World 19 .NET language supported by Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional. 800 x 480 A flexible Windows CE 6. System installation costs can be reduced up to 50 percent by wirelessly connecting the tank farm to the control room. over f ill avoidance.0 touchscreen controller without the restrictions of a traditional HMI. rbassett@ automationworld. that use self -conf iguring. such as high precision radar gauges. the Raptor System with Smart Wireless technology f rom Emerson includes a range Rosemount tank gauging components.533MHz ARM CPU . LNG and gasoline.128MB SDRAM & Flash . to heavier products like crude oils and asphalt. Most upgrades are done without taking the tank farm out of service. loss control. is Managing Editor of Automation World.com. CUWIN 10. Wireless technology enables the radar-based Raptor system to be installed without new long distance signal wiring. 800 x 480 Windows CE 6. 800 x 480 SPLASH PROOF WIDESCREEN. 433. ‘Allied Electronics’ and the Allied Electronics logo are trademarks of Allied Electronics.000 products | Over 10.5700 © Allied Electronics. .You Have Big Ideas We Have a Big Catalog 2013 Allied Catalog Over 110. An Electrocomponents Company.000 new products | Over 300 world-class suppliers New suppliers include Siemens Corporation and FLIR Commercial Systems 1. Inc.800. Inc 2012. “We have also noticed that happiness definitely does not align with pay. Endress+Hauser Think So 21 Survey: Process Engineers Are Some of the Happiest Workers in the U. “and once someone’s basic needs are met.S.NEWS Ins Ide Th e n ew s EtherNet/IP for Process Industries? ODVA. the additional money on the job is a nice perk but is not what drives employee happiness. The happiest profession overall. As reported on Forbes.’ Clearly. compiled a list of the 20 h a p p i e s t jobs based on analysis f rom more than 100.” Golledge adds. company AutomationWorld.” “The roles that we did not expect to see were teller. managing director of Endress+Hauser. is software quality assurance engineer. the organization of f icially welcomed Endress+Hauser as a principal member and pointed towards a bigger process automation play f or EtherNet/IP and CIP technologies. Dr. respectively.S. CareerBliss. Nearly every person has a desire to feel valued and content. Raimund Som mer. with index scores of 4. company reputation. Ann Arbor-based ODVA (www. In April. org)  announced that Endress+Hauser became a new principal member of the networking group and this addition signaled a major push by the organization to include more EtherNet/IPenabled f ield instrumentation technology f or the process industries. an online job site.com/news culture.01. including one’s relationship with the 21 EtherNet/IP for Process Industries? ODVA.400 employee-generated reviews between February 2011 and January 2012. said. working with likeminded folks who share a love for calculators and numbers drive their happiness.odva. “Even though all three of these positions ranked low on compensation. Boeing Help Veterans Get Advanced Manufacturing Jobs 27 Kennedy Space Center Gets Smart About Power 28 Italian Manufacturers’ Input Sculpts New Drive Family 29 Automation Is Becoming Increasingly More Mobile boss and co-workers. Are you happy in your job? Apparently you are. The employees valued each factor on a five-point scale.” Renee Robbins Bassett November 2012 l Automation World 21 . Af ter Endress+Hauser was f ormally introduced in the general session meeting. Find news online at growth opportunities. Tied f or ninth place are process engineers and field service technicians with an index score of 4.24.13. not ideolEtherNet/IP Continued on page 22 Survey: Process Engineers Are Some of the Happiest Workers in the U. daily tasks. work environment.” Surveyed employees were asked to rate 10 factors that affect workplace happiness. according to CareerBliss. “Since we tend to spend more waking hours working than doing anything else. compensation. job resources. and control over the work one does on a daily basis. and a workplace or a career that provides that for its employees is key to not only happiness for the employees but the long-term success of the business. 22 DuPont Lauds Profibus at PI NA Meeting 24 Wireless Shines at Emerson Global User Exchange 24 OpenO&M Demonstrates ‘Information Interoperability’ for Oil and Gas Applications 26 OMAC Machine Tool Working Group Hosts Meeting at IMTS 26 GE. and also indicated how important it was to their overall happiness at work. they all ranked very high on ‘the company you work for’ and ‘the people you work with. accountant and financial analyst. CareerBliss Chief Executive Heidi Golledge said. Bank teller and warehouse manager round out the top five happiest jobs in America.” Golledge says. Endress+Hauser Think So At the recent 15th annual meeting to ODVA held Oct. Ga.. if you’re a process engineer or field technician. with a score of 4. our work happiness is a huge factor in our overall happiness.14 and 4. 16-19 in Atlanta. “The company has always had a strong commitment to openness and we offer products and solutions.com. so engineers should select wisely per design requirement. “Joint Stands. The event’s conference runs in parallel with the exhibition and offers 48 presentations. The project came in $5 million under budget and 2. two keynote speeches. executive director of ODVA. Gary Mintchell EtherNet/IP Continued from page 21 Dr. Demand for these devices are coming primarily f rom North America. someone had chosen Siemens PCS7 as the preferred DCS system. The company standard f or variable frequency drives was Rockwell Automation. managing director of Endress+Hauser. despite this being a Profibus conference. plant flexibility. and those According to Mike Bryant.” These hybrid industries include f ood and beverage. And. PI NA leaders. Prior to him. Measuring and Testing Technologies”.AutomationWorld. we do see a big opportunity to have EtherNet/ IP-enabled field devices in the hybrid process industries. both Profibus and Profinet network protocols are showing robust growth in North America as well as globally. Forty countries will be represented at the event. “Open Source meets Industry” and “Wireless in Automation. As of mid-September.com 22 Automation World l November 2012 . “ODVA will define its strategic market requirements for an EtherNet/ IP based process strategy starting with the next term of ODVA. For more information. Profibus DP or Modbus f or most of the rest. the 16th term—which officially started after the general session Visit www. However. with Germany in the top spot. reduced time for project execution and time for ongoing plant changes. So he used an Anybus connector from HMS to connect Profibus DP to DeviceNet. However. most down-to-earth implementation discussions I’ve heard in my 14 years as an editor. lif e sciences and environmental. so he stayed with that.ly/event026 27th29th devices talk DeviceNet.” Last year’s event attracted 56. “There are many. The result was Profibus PA for instrumentation (it worked well with the PCS7). in itself. but he decided to investigate them to see if they would help his controls implementation. but Europe will come on board soon. engineers should have to justify NOT using fieldbus on a project. believing that a market inflection point is upon it for Profinet. added.” Katherine Voss. the event has 388 international companies exhibiting at the Exhibition Centre in Nuremberg. That.” include “AMA Center for Sensors. says customers are asking for more EtherNet/IP-enabled devices.News DuPont Lauds Profibus at PI NA Meeting November 2 012 North America. Simmons had little knowledge of f ieldbus networks at the time. followed by Italy’s 73 companies and China with 44. AS-i for the block valves. His analysis began with looking at categories of devices—instrumentation. three tutorials and a trend session on “Sustainable Automation. automated block valves. Some of the benefits DuPont realized included advantages of initial installed cost. Raimund Sommer. He did a thorough analysis of potential networks.” Other pavilions called. Germany. executive director of PI The conference season is drawing to a close and the SPS IPC Drives 2012 event is getting bigger by the moment. Customers who have implemented Prof ibus and/or Prof inet are always f eatured speakers at PI NA’s annual meeting and Jim Simmons of DuPont presented one of the best. he was frank in his evaluations and wound up implementing a mixed fieldbus system.5 months ahead of schedule.” he deadpanned. is a miracle. Simmons concluded that there was not one perfect fieldbus for every possible application. ogies. so the organization will be undertaking a more aggressive marketing campaign for that technology in the next year.321 global visitors. visit http://bit. Simmons was doing controls at DuPont when the company wanted to build a facility at its Fayetteville works to produce PVF polymer in 2005. he said. analytical devices. Sommer added that customers in the hybrid industries have “different requirements and E&H’s North America customers are asking for more EtherNet/IP enabled devices. He then looked at the requirements for each category. motors/ drives and remote I/O. News Katherine Voss. stressed that products are “not being built with secure communication in mind and do not come with clear explanations on how a component can be ef f ectively secured against vulnerabilities.” ODVA’s “terms” are defined by 18-month intervals. executive director of ODVA. Middle East and East Africa. ODVA will create TAGs for individual countries in Europe. ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS—Customize a solution to meet more complex project needs. DESIGN YOUR STANDARD—Modify a standard enclosure to satisfy unique project requirements. ITS consultant f or MOSAIC. as is one in Brazil. given by Peter Anderla. “and the need to educate users about how easy security intrusions can happen. Anderla added. 17 percent in Germany and Japan.” Grant Gerke THE RIGHT ENCLOSURE AT THE RIGHT TIME Excelerate gives you three ways to get the broadest range of enclosure solutions on your terms and at the speed you need to make every project a success. Germany and Italy. STANDARD ENCLOSURES—Access more than 12.”  But. where she documented ODVA’s global distribution of membership by principal place of business. Voss added that growth in Europe was a key strategic driver in the group’s 15th term. 13 percent in other European countries.000 standard products immediately available through our extensive distribution network. Kimberly-Clark. called EMEA. These TAGs are currently in development. his biggest challenge is his operators.   The general session kicked of f with an update f rom Voss.  The general session also included multiple user perspective case studies from various integrators and end users. Now. specifically. and 9 percent for the rest of Asia. One presentation.com/excelerate .hoffmanonline. The organization used to have one umbrella group f or Europe. To learn more about Excelerate call 800-827-3291 or visit www. so it has now restructured its Territory Alliance Groups (TAGs) f or Europe. France. A slide documented 44 percent in North America. reveals that new Territory Alliance Groups (TAGs) for Europe will emerge. meeting this week. Aveva acted as a second EPC.” Karschnia predicted. 25-26 in Orlando. and it represents a coming out party of sorts for industrial wireless technology. held in Anaheim. It can store and link to an engineering Visit www. allowing for customer installation time before operation commenced.AutomationWorld. Bentley and Intergraph—were all involved with enabling export of design data to a standard interface. boiler and heater gas flow. Many of customers 0.com . “Many companies started out with small installations to prove the concept in their operating facilities.” So how long before Emerson hits 2 billion operating hours for wireless? “By the time we’re here next year. Emerson expects to have exceeded 100. have now achieved 1 billion hours of operating experience across more than 10. These include sugar bin motor monitoring. Karschnia said Emerson customers have been adopting the technology at such a rapid rate that installations are now measured by the number of gateways installed and the number of operating hours. Worley Parsons manager of Engineering Data Management for the Americas. Emerson lists dozens of others on its PlantWeb/Smart Wireless application site. showed inf ormation f low throughout all the f acets of a plant. to name just a few. Among the industries benefiting the most from wireless technology are upstream oil & gas producers.000 1 Renee Robbins Bassett have challenges that are odds compared to the general IT industry. The engineering procureAfter years of preparatory work. “You don’t get to 2 billion hours without going after broader set of applications. in October. he said.” he added. and control network bridging. NE S ment and construction (EPC) company f or the project was Worley Parsons. “We knew wireless technology offered substantial savings and it is gratifying to see its rapid and widespread adoption.News Wireless Shines at Emerson Global User Exchange Emerson Process Management’s Smart Wireless networks. “and we have. 000 nodes planned. One of the most important advances in the project was that the three major design sof tware suppliers—Aveva. steam flow accounting.” He cited projects in their early stages in which they’re installing 4. as well as full database of reports and data. we’ll have exceeded 2 billion hours.” Karschnia added. industry solutions consultant f rom Aveva.mimosa.” he said. “Some customers have even written practices where they look at wireless solutions before wired ones when evaluating new projects.000 wireless networks. This was some of the biggest news to come out of the Emerson User Exchange event. The total number of hours was calculated conservatively. The demonstration. explained the development of the P&IDs using Intergraph’s Smart Plant P&ID generator. duplicating the data with an object-based database behind the drawing. f rom design through construction to operations and management. OpenO&M Demonstrates ‘Information Interoperability’ for Oil and Gas Applications O&M Initiative (www. Cormac Ryan. Another with 6.” Bef ore end of the calendar year.” said Bob Karschnia. 000 wireless nodes. Jim Klein. blast furnace health.” Karschnia said. refineries and chemical facilities. The data were published in ISO 15926 format and made available to the rest of the team. It produced a traditional P&ID diagram. those starter systems are rapidly expanding to site-wide facilities.000 nodes. used a schema similar to the Intergraph one. “This is a milestone event revealing how engineers now consider this a proven technology. In addition to multiple ref inery/wellhead/pipeline applications. “and one 15. the Open 24 Automation World l November 2012 TWORK 1 BILLION which are based on WirelessHART technology. “Not just the number but the scope [of wireless sensor projects] is growing pretty dramatically.” but wireless communication is proving effective.000 wireless devices installed.org) organized a demonstration project of inf ormation interoperability run like a real project building a debutanizer. Calif. vice president of the Wireless business unit f or Emerson Process Management. Today. held during the ISA Automation Week Sept. You can subscribe to a tag. More than one thousand tags (1. which takes input from all three suppliers.D. Ph. For example. Next up Ken Bever. data is then accessible to maintenance management and operations management applications. see inf ormation from the upstream systems. His demonstration showed the actual live P&ID from the EPC. research f ellow at the Advanced Computing Research Centre at the University of South Australia.” There ore. assuring that information was mapped to the asset and then sent to IBM’s IIC application in a standardized way. with Assetricity and also CTO of MIMOSA. f rom IBM. All data references back to the ISO 15926 ontology. Information can communicate to a “MIMOSA cloud” server.092) were provisioned in this demonstration. explained a transform engine using Bentley Open Plant that was received in two formats—owl and ecxml. The information was then sent to OSIsof t PI historian. From PI. Gary Mintchell November 2012 l Automation World 25 . which then provisions tags in OSI PI server. Bruce Hyre.. It takes CCOM. These data go to the iniSA 15926 transf orm engine. George Grossmann. “But our f ocus is on the data supporting that P&ID—the tag list/model tree. clicking on a pump diagram can show specifications and other important design inf ormation. exports it in ISO 15926 format. feeds it into a model server. f the demonstration showed that data have gone end-to-end f rom design to the PI server to provision the tags with the live data f rom the design.News database that contains much more data. explained how the IIC application is a standardsbased platform that federates data and provides analytics. He added. discussed the transf orm f rom CCOM XML to the Assetricity iomog register. This data was published out to instantiate the object in a maintenance management system or to create new data as it gets revised during the engineering process. then transfers it to MIMOSA standard exports in CCOM XML. News OMAC Machine Tool Working Group Hosts Meeting at IMTS Representatives of three aerospace companies, two tool- ing vendors and three computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) vendors attended a meeting of the OMAC Machine Tool Working Group Sept. 13 at the IMTS Show in Chicago. Three additional aerospace companies and two additional CAM vendors expressed strong interest but were unable to attend on the day due to logistical problems. Attendees at the meeting reviewed the CAM data exchange business case. Business advantages o standardized data exchange f include f aster process planning, more data reuse and increased enterprise integration. The advantages apply particularly to communication with the supply chain where there will be more flexibility, less need for visits to suppliers to explain models, fewer data entry errors and more synergy between the engineers of different organizations because both sides will be able to access the data describing the current manufacturing solution. Leaders reviewed some of the new shop floor applications that will be enabled when standards-based process data can be delivered to intelligent machines there. These include adapting manufacturing operations for the setup changes that occur when the holding fixtures are adaptive and flexible; enabling the on-machine acceptance of parts to avoid the time, waste and potential errors that can occur when parts are moved to measurement centers; reduced tool wear by dynamically adjusting the manufacturing process for the Gary Mintchell current schedule of a plant; last minute changes to tooling to meet the current availability of machines, tools and fixtures; and more accurate cost modeling. Technology developed to support the implementation of CAM data exchange includes software libraries to make CAM data conform to the ISO 10303-238 STEP-NC standard; software tools to view the system-neutral CAM data on the desktop and in web browsers; and software tools to convert the neutral data into legacy M&G codes (for CNC programming). The meeting also reviewed the test parts that were developed during the testing phase of STEP-NC. They include 3 and 5-axis aerospace parts, power train parts and mold parts that were both machined and measured on multiple machines at multiple sites thus demonstrating the interoperability and portability of the STEP-NC data. Attendees agreed that the “Boxy” part, previously machined at Boeing, National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) and Scania should be used as the test part f or the CAM data exchange deployment. A 24-month schedule was adopted for the project with the CAM vendors each allocating half of a systems programmer to the project, and the end users each contributing the equivalent of a full time person to work on testing, verification and business development. GE, Boeing Help Veterans Get Advanced Manufacturing Jobs Manufacturing industry giants like General Electric, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Alcoa are collaborating to provide training and support to veterans wanting to pursue careers in manufacturing. The initiative, called “Get Skills to Work,” aims to match 100,000 veterans to manufacturing jobs by 2015. According to a report in the Washington Post, the coalition hopes to raise awareness about manufacturing opportunities for veterans who don’t know exactly what they want to do upon returning from service, said Kris Urbauer, program manager for GE veteran initiatives. On the blog, “Joining Forces,” U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense John Campbell, “Through a blend of business, digital, academic, and not-for-profit partners, “Get Skills to Work” aims to close the advanced manufacturing gap, bolster the talent pipeline, and enhance American competitiveness.” Get Skills to Work will be managed by the Manufacturing Institute and supported through financial and in-kind commitments from GE, Alcoa Inc., Boeing and Lockheed Martin. These initial investments will help 15,000 veterans translate military experience to corresponding advanced manufacturing opportunities and gain the technical skills needed to qualify for careers. The coalition is seeking additional partners to meet its goal of reaching 100,000 veterans by 2015. The initiative includes three main components: an accelerated skills training program; translation of military experience to civilian manufacturing job opportunities through an online “badging system”; and partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families to create an employer toolkit for expanded hiring, developing and mentoring of veterans. Renee Robbins Bassett Visit www.AutomationWorld.com 26 Automation World l November 2012 News Kennedy Space Center Gets Smart About Power NASA has taken delivery of data historian and analysis tools in order to increase operational efficiencies and monitoring of the Kennedy Space Center’s electric distribution system. The Kennedy Complex Control Systems (KCCS) include the two systems that control the entire electric distribution system including the Vertical Assembly Building, the fourth largest building by volume in the world, and launch pads 39A and 39B, which were used to launch the Space Shuttle. The electric distribution system provides power for the entire electric power system, and all Kennedy Space Center buildings, covering more than 219 square miles. Canary Labs, Martinsburg, Pa. supplied its Canary Enterprise Historian and TrendLink analysis software tools. The Canary Enterprise Historian and TrendLink applications transparently collect and log data for approximately 150,000 real-time data points from power quality meters, protection relays and PLCs throughout the complex, working in sync with the power distribution networks SCADA system. In the past, archiving this data into one system for long periods of time while making the data accessible to system users was a challenge for NASA. According to Ed Stern, vice president of Canary Labs, “Our solutions address a problem that NASA has had for years. Using the Canary Labs solutions, NASA’s users are able to access long-term data archives from one system, quickly and easily. In addition, our cost-effective solutions will provide historical data to users that do not have direct access to the KCCS, achieving lower operational costs and faster time to value.” Renee Robbins Bassett New historian software helps power Kennedy Space Center. Process Controllers HMIs & Panel Meters Visual Management Protocol Conversion Ethernet Switches & Wireless Devices better. together. A comprehensive portfolio of industrial automation and networking solutions to connect. monitor. control. Visit www.redlion.net/together for more information. +1 (717) 767-6511 I [email protected] www.redlion.net I www.sixnet.com I www.n-tron.com ©2012 Red Lion Controls Inc. All Rights Reserved. News Italian Manufacturers’ Input Sculpts New Drive Family This way, seven macro-groups of funcmain cities of the Old Continent, the Control tionalities, indicated as a priority by the Techniques European Roadshow finally landed interviewed, were selected. The f inal in Milan. Control Techniques is an Emerson result has been the development of a Group business, and the technical press was f amily of seven drives, each one f eaturinvited to a preview of the company’s newest ing high levels of performance and carefamily of drives, the Unidrive M, tailored to the f ully designed to meet the requirements needs of manuf acturing automation (‘M’ stays of , and improve productivity in, a specific area of the manufacturing ON THE WEB market. Energy Efficient? Read why manufacturers don’t take simple “Even if this new f amily money saving steps, such as adding efficient electric drives has the same name of one of and motors to their operations. Visit http://bit.ly/slant104 our ‘historical’ drive ranges, it is not expected to replace it, as it presents specif ic technical characteristics designed to meet the needs of a vertical sector of manuf acturing automation,” said Guido Colombo, marketing director f or Italy. The new top range product, the Unidrive M800, f or example, integrates a new breed of high perf ormance machine controller within the drive. The solution utilizes the industry-leading CoDeSys programming environment with standard IEC 61131-3 programming languages and standard Ethernet f or communication across drives, I/O, HMIs, PLCs and Italians got to preview the Emerson Group’s Control Techniques other industrial devices. Unidrive M family of drives. Separately, another important industrial player confirmed f or Manuf acturing). The products will be of fiits conf idence in Italy: the well-known cially presented to the market in November at German company Rittal decided to invest SPS Nuremberg 2012. by building a new production line in the “To develop these drives, f irst the company plant of Valeggio sul Mincio, near Verona. focused on its customers’ needs, asking important In the Valeggio plant the TopTherm Blue end users and main buyers about today’s and “e” family will be produced, a new solution tomorrow’s expectations, said Carlo Previderè, for industrial air conditioning which will general manager of Drive Centre Milan for Conbe more efficient and eco-compatible. trol Techniques. “Our company conducted more than 100 qualitative interviews with end users and Ilaria De Poli, ilaria.depoli@ fieramilanoedimachine builders and sent more than 800 custore.it, is an editor at “Fiera Milano Editore,” a tomized surveys to its main buyers to understand magazine covering automation and manufactheir feeling about the future.” turing in Italy. Last month, after reaching other News Bri efs Panduit , Rockwell Fo Rm alliance Industrial automation vendor Rockwell Automation and Panduit, a maker of wiring, network cabling and communication products, systems and accessories, have expanded their long-standing productreferencing relationship into a strategic alliance focused on accelerating adoption of the EtherNet/IP industrial network protocol. invensys acqui Res ReFine Ry s o Ftwa Re c om Pany Privately held Spiral Software of Cambridge, U.K. has been acquired by Invensys Operations Management to strengthen the company’s offerings in the hydrocarbon processing industry. Spiral’s software complements SimSci-Esscor offerings. s iemens Plm acqui Res FRench c omPany Kineo CAM, headquartered in Toulouse, France, is a provider of computer-aided motion software and has more than 200 customers worldwide. 28 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www.AutomationWorld.com . Chicago. more than 20 will feature vice presidents and C-level manufacturing controller units are to be f ound: touch executives revealing top strategies and tactics applied by screen displays. process management. Visit http://bit. Because of the increasing use of wireconnected and wireless networking. waterWestin River North in craft and others. This development sends a good message to automation manufacturers active in the field.AutomationWorld. Several parallel CAN as a competitive advantage. energy technology has become an important industry sector. The trend moves towards Ethernet. the event’s theme is “Real-World Solutions The best example f or the evolution from Design to Delivery” and will spotlight business of mobile automation might be tractors. We are just at the beginning of our journey. December 2 012 03rd05th 30 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www. emerging control strategies and general insight from Martin Buchwitz. Fendt is currently developing a solution that has a driverless tractor following a manned guiding tractor on a parallel path. Held at the fighting vehicles. steer by wire and telemattheir organizations to not only manage change. see them through. The driver is constantly informed about the guided vehicle’s status and is of course also able to operate it and ensure its safe status.ly/event027 installed.de.com .” the Martin Buchwitz. mbuchwitz@sps-magzin. This brings us to the next important topic: functional safety. Ill. and the growth prognoses for the next years are certainly optimistic. Interconnectivity is of very high significance in the field and takes precedence in the field. More than 500 people attend the event in total. they have become high-tech companies manage to control costs. The conference’s second day will predominantly cover those themes. more than 20 controller units are to be found. The beginnings of machine-to-machine communication (M2M) are interesting to observe as well.. with over 100 of them attending the aforementioned symposium The inaugural on mobile automation of work machinery. bus strings and several miles of cables are http://bit. as a speech given by John Deere improve new product introductions. product priorities. devices. EtherCAT is the most often named real-time solution. Drawing on a seasoned managers. fire companies. as is already established in the industrial automation sector. It takes place during a genEditor in Chief of SPS-Magazin in Germany. the field is much wider than facing global manufacturing that and includes municipal vehicles. safety goes hand in hand with access security. is first of its kind in Germany. Another field is evolving greatly without attracting much attention: automation of mobile machinery and special-purpose vehicles. For more information visit. Tracks will include how best-in-class Nowadays.ly/spsslant Inside a higher quality tractor. It is extremely fascinating observing how mobile automation for mobile engines and devices develops further. ON THE WEB International Perspective Find industry trends. Inside delivery. eral symposium on electronics in passenger cars.News Automation Is Becoming Increasingly Mobile Automation technology is currently find- ing its way into more and more areas of everyday life. and overall service at the conf erence made obvious. commercial vehicles and mobile machines. editor SPS magazin in Germany. Automation is becoming more mobile—we have an exiting future ahead of us. these sessions a higher quality tractor. railway vehicles. I’m currently attending a conf erence on “Electrical components and electronics in mobile machinery. and it is definitely worth it to keep an eye on the developments and. but to use it ics systems included. hopef ully. Manufacturing Industry Although the conf erence f ocuses on Summit pinpoints agricultural machinery and construction management challenges machinery. The market f or construction machinery and agricultural machinery has been developing well for years. process engineering and building automation. Next to industrial solutions. assembly. quality control. assembly and test/measurement solutions. Illinois USA North America’s Broadest Automation Solutions Event! Why Automate? Automation can help you improve quality and productivity while reducing costs. sensor. Chicago. Automate 2013 features automation solutions for every application and industry! How to Automate? System integrators show how to automate applications such as material handling. inspection. welding and more! Who can help you Automate? The world’s leading automation suppliers and integrators will be at Automate 2013 demonstrating the latest robotic. packaging. 2013 | McCormick Place. machine vision. material removal.automate2013.January 21-24.com BROUGHT TO YOU BY Your Automate badge also gets you into the collocated ProMat™ Show . Register online for a FREE show badge www. motion control. AutomationWorld. He says workf low product evolution follows the requirement of what customers require: “Pharma is compliance-oriented. Automation World Co-Founder and Editor in Chief anu acturing f execution system (MES) and manf acturing u operations management (MOM) applications automate manuf acturing workf low. a semiconductor manuf acturer and a pharmaceutical manufacturer. director of product marketing for AspenTech. [workf low sof tware] is an MES of f ering based on database.Industrial software applications that have workflow built in enable operators to work a documented and proven process. batch to batch or step by step. I ideal parameters n search of 32 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www. Such workflow software captures the knowledge of individuals and the data f rom sensors and shares it so processes are smoothed. A leading medical products manufacturer serving a growing demographic of aging baby boomers needed to rapidly expand production capacity to keep up with growing demand. while chemicals customers have fewer regulations on product and compliance.” To show the range of workf low sof tware applications and benefits. With limited space in its facility to add new lines. “Broadly based. execution. but need safety and health reporting. The idea is to turn data M into profit. product management. here are three stories: f rom a medical products manuf acturer.” says Jon Kadane. a Burlington. instead of relying on memory and manual data entry. The benefits are smoother processes and higher product quality. quality is improved and knowledge is transferred—shift to shift.com . the company needed to f ocus on improving cycle time and yield by gathering more data and establishing ideal operating parameters. By Gary Mintchell. supplier of advanced process control sof tware. Mass. But the paper trail was not always accurate. Since its implementation. while plant floor staffing has remained the same. “Control over the records was essential. They wanted to advance their technology. The challenge was how to maintain quality and grow 200 percent. the new in ormation system has f helped operators attain a 5 percent increase in equipment efficiency through better equipment utilization. Trying to find a piece of paper was becoming more and more dif f icult. processRecords.J. Monchinski continues.-based systems integrator. It’s a high quality GMP [good manuf acturing practices] company in an organic growth period. director. manufacturing IT at Automated Control Concepts (ACC). Many of their operations grew out of best practices developed internally. (Monchinski also volunteers as a co-chair of the ISA 95 committee.” says Chris Monchinski.” To address yield while operating under tight regulations and reporting requirements. Their products are pretty November 2012 l Automation World 33 . N.“Our customer had some challenges f or control on the f actory floor. In addition. the company needed to reduce or eliminate losses and shipment delays caused by reporting or quality issues. a Neptune. the manufacturer saw an increased productivity of 20 percent over the previous system. ACC designed and implemented an inf ormation system based on the FactoryTalk so tware suite f rom f Rockwell Automation and ACC’s own sof tware.) “They had been acquired and in the acquisition there was new capital available. Then we needed to streamline inter-department communication. it worked with Minnetonka.” The customer’s requirements were to get control of data f rom departments. “They had so much manual data entered into massive Microsof t Excel spreadsheets. f ault tolerance. Streamlining information flow was essential. In addition to the basic IT f unctionality. Another challenge was that production was a combination of discrete and process manufacturing. it helped determine what data needed to be collected and provideed the status of a part through production.Mistake proofing the process would deliver economic benefits with faster batch release times. Now they have all this historical data and can make decisions about tolerances and process improvement. operator acceptance and training. “They now have no paper on the f actory f loor.” explains Michael Blechman.” A U. machines and devices on the factory floor. Rockwell’s FactoryTalk Historian and FactoryTalk View SE gathered the data and gave visibility. The source would be either manually or automatically generated data. operating a 200. M semiconductors aking better Thousands of enclosures Hundreds of sizes Next-day shipping POWER DISTRIBUTION ENCLOSURES POWER DISTRIBUTION CLIMATE CONTROL IT CLIMATE CONTROL INFRASTRUCTURE . the medical products maker has seen the benefits. using Savigent’s Catalyst Workf low (workf low automation software) to take run-to-run control to new levels of efficiency.000 square f eet of cleanroom space f or waf er f abrication. To that end. based Savigent Sof tware. custom.S-based semiconductor manufacturer. via keyboard or by scanning a bar code. Now it’s all in one place. so that added complexity to the problem. less required labor. “processRecords basically presents forms for the operator or tester to f ill out either automatically. Since installing the system. Because ACC’s processRecords product is work f low-driven. Not to mention there is also a predictive maintenance tool. ACC also provided security. as well as data f rom the quality and order management areas. ACC president. was in pursuit of better control of its processes.” says Blechman. back up. and fewer quarantined or discarded batches. Minn.000 squaref oot f acility that includes 62. disaster recovery plans. routes. In this case. when the waf ers came back f or the second of the critical layers. when overlay control was initially becoming an issue here. The manufacturer recorded wherever that first critical layer went down on a particular step or lithography tool number. f eedback is based on metrology perf ormance metrics that company has for materials. metrology data Streamlining information flow was essential. Then.’ ” says a photolithography process engineer at the company. For a given lot of wafers. “About three years ago. The run-to-run controller is integrated to the manufacturer’s MES system. Later. the lithography tool (through the station controller) and metrology equipment. With these f abs. The layers need to overlay nicely to ensure high yield and device perf ormance. but not quite enough. adjustments are made to the lithography tool recipe for the next lot to be processed.” A station controller cues up the stepper job so that an operator can run a lot of waf ers through a lithography tool. they put down another pattern. we were looking to make adjustments from lot-to-lot. this semiconductor manuf acturer has the ability to process more than 4. So the company began working with Savigent to improve the process.” It was a move in the direction the manufacturer wanted to go. Integrating the f eedback inf ormation f rom the metrology tool to the process tool was critical to making these run-torun adjustments. This process achieved what is called “single tool overlay perf ormance. the company set up what it called a restricted aligner. “In our lithography program. providing the means f or real-time communication of critical data such as lot numbers. Semiconductor f abs put a pattern on a wafer using a photolithography process. the rest were considered non critical. engineers made sure that the automation system f orced the waf er back to the same lithography tool that had been used previously (hence the term “run-torun control”). based on that metrology inf ormation. SOFTWARE & SERVICES IT INFRASTRUCTURE SOFTWARE & SERVICES ENCLOSURES . On subsequent layers. maybe three were designated critical to have good overlay to each other. and to gain feedback inf ormation based on output. we f ound a ‘poor man’s solution.The semiconductor maker’s manufacturing facilities include a six-inch (150mm) and an eight-inch (200mm) waf er f ab.000 wafers a week.” says the engineer. Out of maybe 22 photolithography layers. That’s the principal technical challenge addressed by overlay control. Team members represented Operations. IT.” The manuf acturer is now able to take what were baseline numbers with no corrections applied and look at key output metrics f rom the overlay tool: registration maximum. Weigh and Dispense. presentation assistance. and the Security and Audit application modules. Emerson Process Experts (www. The manuf acturer had an existing manufacturing execution system (MES) at its various facilities. recipe-specif ic values. eliminate redundant work. relates a story f rom the pharmaceutical industry. “Now when a lot is coming to a particular lithography tool that’s about to do an align layer. and improve production efficiency. Plant Management. and mean values f or both the X and Y dimensions. and Validation departments. “With the Savigent technology. proof of concept criteria development. The prototype timeframe was three months and included the MES recipe integrated with their DeltaV control system. batch release times were not optimal due to the time involved with paper record reviews by M pharmaceuticals istake proofing leadership sponsorship. Engineering. operator text displays. Document Control and Archiving. A key part of the process was the delivery of a prototype to visually show how mistake proofing could be accomplished and how the requirements could be realized. the company has reduced a typical max/min value in the range of 100 nanometers into the range of 60 nanometers.and more. As a result. parameters.” says the engineer. That shows we’ve achieved a better overlay than without the run-to-run controller.” says the engineer. and proposal development for project implementation. not customize” for site validation. examples included data trending and recording as well as comments and e-signatures. inf ormation is shared by all the tools involved. the ef ort f involved in releasing a batch included many non-valueadded steps. The project team was comprised of representatives from key departments with overall site Jim Cahill. but we’re always trying to make them smaller. Definitions were developed for ISA88 unit operations. “Zero would be our ultimate goal f or the mean. “Once that information is handed off. Paper records were deconstructed with mapping all of the data entry and parameter fields in the MES and DCS. The Syncade MES applications in the prototype included Recipe Authoring. The existing method of operations included paper batch records and manual data transcriptions throughout the work process. Max and min won’t ever go to zero. the Quality and Production departments. This mistake proof ing approach required the inclusion of complex automated and manual processes with long residence times to be incorporated automatically into the batch records. emersonprocessexperts. Over 20 percent of the atypical events f ound were due to manual recording errors. Emerson’s Michalle Adkins shared a story of one pharmaceutical manuf acturer’s journey to justif y workflow technology to reduce deviations. Visit http://bit.com). Corporate Management. implementation & testing. Electronic Batch Records.com . Materials Management. The other major issue was the MES was customized for each site. The process to develop f unctional requirements grew out of an initial draft developed by the manufacturer. sequencing logic including ON THE WEB More MES Applications Find more case studies.” Since implementing the new system. columns and primers on MES and MOM. and the manufacturer’s approach is “conf igure. In addition. Achieving the desired level of mistake proof ing would require close integration between the MES and control system.ly/findmes 36 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www. writing in his popular blog. and f ewer quarantined or discarded batches. Automation. an improvement of 40 percent. but it was centered on the historization of simple automated processes. less required labor. The team followed the Operational Excellence process and involved members f rom the corporate automation and information technology (IT) teams.AutomationWorld. Some Now they have all this historical data and can make decisions about tolerances and process improvement. The system was minimally connected with the control system via OPC. Equipment Tracking. we’re able to drive those metrics to lower and lower numbers. Mistake proofing the process would deliver economic benefits with faster batch release times. registration minimum. news. The team included members of Emerson’s Life Sciences consulting team to provide system setup. a decision is made. Quality. Other tangible benef its included reduced inventory. storage. and deviations/event comments.” November 2012 l Automation World 37 . These f unctional requirements were reviewed and revised with stakeholders representing each of the functional departments. explains it this way: “Workf low is a layered-up IT word. the prototype was designed. who blogged (blog. data entry time. Minnetonka. This has people working to the process that’s documented. We’re making investments that use workflow as a pillar—as. Lots of applications have work sequencing or workf low built in. So. calculations and document rework. material losses. is all this workf low sof tware? If it improves the process and the transfer of knowledge. Honeywell’s director f or collaborative sof tware solutions in Phoenix. The benef its were quantif ied and return on investment (ROI) calculations were perf ormed f or overall project justification. vice president at Savigent. Minn. This approach better organized the information to spot improvement opportunities including the identif ication of situations to apply Process Analytical Technology (PAT) methods. 3 Does your product comply with Industry standards such as ISA95? 4 Will your product help me leverage my existing MOM (manufacturing operations management) investments? 5 Can you integrate with my other related systems? 6 Is your product scalable and ready to support my Enterprise? 7 Can I use your product or will I need to hire “a bunch of IT guys” to help use it? 8 How will your product help me drive actual improvement in my operations? How can I know that I am realizing results? 9 How long will it take to implement your product? Can the vendor’s product be implemented in a matter of weeks versus months? How will the product be implemented? 10 What questions haven’t I asked that I should be asking? 1 2 manual steps. edited here for brevity: Tell me about your product. document review time. Dan O’Brien. and signature requirements.From Jay Mellon. you are seeking to understand the configurability and adaptability of the vendor’s product. part of the approval process or automatic notices. Intangible benef its included greater f ocus on true product quality. Where has it been implemented? How it is being used? Will your product fit my business? In asking this question. It also encompasses knowledge capture. greater availability of inf ormation and the empowerment it provided staff members at all levels. Prototype presentations were given to smaller groups by department to allow focused questions and f eedback based on the perspective of the department.. com) this Top 10 list. A justif ication based on the Operational Excellence process was developed and tangible benefits identif ied through value stream improvements in reduced document handling time. built and tested. instead of by memory—knowing they’re doing the right thing at the right time. Based on this iterative process. yes.savigent. say. Wireless monitoring of the open/close status of gates and doors in large warehouses and outdoor storage and service areas has also grown tremendously. easy troubleshooting and repair. and high levels of performance. The ABB transmitter the company installed uses energy-harvesting technology to make remote temperature measurements without the need f or a power supply connected to the transmitter. But what about other industry applications? T Robinson Brothers. a specialty chemical manufacturer in the West Midlands.com .K. where traditional wired communication is simply too costly when compared to wireless.It seems like it was not so long ago that there was a serious debate over whether or not wireless sensor networks — and wireless communications in general — were a technology suitable for industrial applications. By David Greenfield. In one example. which is driven by the temperature difference between the steam pipe and the ambient surroundings. and communicating with the plant’s control system via WirelessHART. like most industrial technologies. practical reasons..AutomationWorld. the temperature sensor/transmitter operates without the need for power or communication cabling. Powered by a microthermoelectric generator. If you’ve been f ollowing the adoption of wireless sensor networks in industry at any level. you’re bound to be aware of their prevalence in the oil and gas and water/wastewater industries—especially for use in tank farm and wellhead monitoring. that debate is over. Chief among these reasons is ease of implementation (no long cable runs). a Honeywell 38 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www. If you take a look around. U. ability to operate in harsh environments. Automation World Media & Events Director he increased adoption of wireless sensors across industry is due. to solid. Stories of wireless sensor successes in these applications abound. has deployed a wireless transmitter on the steam main supplying its plant. U.. Like the Robinson Brothers example above. you’ll see the number of wireless sensors grow by 50 percent or more.K. the adapters are used to: verify that the instruments are experiencing no system f aults. these adapters are energy harvesters and therefore require no external power or batteries. a major university has recently installed a wireless sensor that sends out a notification if a fume door is left open. Bristol. The switch automatically communicates the status of the entry gates to the facility supervisor.Gate Monitoring | Remote gates for storage areas or access to sensitive production equipment can be monitored with wireless switches like the Honeywell Limitless switch to provide reliable real time updates whether the gate is open or closed. Laf arge Plasterboard. chairman of the Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance November 2012 l Automation World 39 . Fume hood doors in f actories and research labs cannot be closed automatically due to safety concerns. A wireless switch placed on f ume hood doors communicates wirelessly to a receiver. Limitless switch has been installed on the entry gates of a storage yard used for train cars loaded with a variety of hazardous chemicals. “Over the next couple of decades.” Steve Toteda. In a step that can lead the way for numerous industry applications. These FieldKey wireless adapters harvest the energy they need from the existing 4-20mA loop. In this application. These adapters fit on existing 4-20mA HART devices to create a wireless means of communication with the devices. check calibrations. and make f ine-tuning adjustments. is using ABB FieldKey wireless adapters to monitor critical f ield instruments from the plant control room. In high-speed loops.ly/wifi-cell » Emerson Process Management Wireless Applications http://bit. vice president and general manager of the wireless business unit at Cooper Industries and chairman of the Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance (WINA).which then sends status data through an existing wired Ethernet infrastructure to a local server. A server program then facilitates cloud access.15. “but it’s just the ireless may be one of those technologies whose wide applicability range takes it seemingly everywhere. global wireless product manager for ABB. “Over the next couple of decades. According to Johnston. As with the high-speed loop issue.ly/UsWAF4 » WirelessHART Communication in Process Industries http://bit.” He adds. and Toteda believes that we’re still only at the very beginning of the wireless age in industry. Gareth Johnston.4. wireless sensors such as Honeywell’s Limitless switch hood monitors can also be used on high-performance. says such a relatively slow update period is not compatible with high-speed loops. the PID applications are also limited by the battery life/update period balance. But there remain some aspects of automation for which wireless sensors networks are not the best option. but machine controls have a different set of characteristics for which wireless is not as well suited in most cases.” says Steve Toteda. We have wireless products in the field in oil and gas that have been there for more than 20 years. text or smartphone app to notif y someone to physically close the open hoods. In many cases. trials are currently being conducted for PID control where wireless loops are involved. A cloud message of individual fume hood status is communicated via email. or water. says Steve Toteda.ly/Rq9a3e » Honeywell.11a and The Wireless Plant http://bit. a data update period of 60 seconds may be required. “A lot of people have looked at this. you’ll see the number of wireless sensors grow by 50 per- » ABB Fieldkey Wireless Adapters http://bit. variable air volume (VAV) hoods to reduce heating and air conditioning operating costs. Despite this issue. Machine control is not so hot for wireless.com . Whether its mining.ly/VvHccm » Cooper Bussman on the mix of wireless and cellular technologies http://bit.” Despite the enormous amount of installed wireless input/ output (I/O) points as a result of all the implementations going on f or more than two decades. “I’ve heard that acceptance of Wi-Fi in the home is what helped boost industry’s use of wireless technology.AutomationWorld. Toteda contends that “the only thing really new about wireless these days is that the standards bodies have f ormalized around the ultra lower power rating IEEE802. vice president and general manager of the wireless business unit at Cooper Industries and chairman of the Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance (WINA). use of wireless goes back a long ways because it was the only way to get things done. that using wireless to interconnect machines is a perfect application for the technology. reverse. And wireless is fast approaching that mark. In cases where battery life is expected to exceed five years.ly/TCJoaV » Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance http://linkd. he expects PID loops to include wireless instruments in the near future. Where the Wireless Networks Aren’t Well-established technology W For reasons ranging from safety to the high cost of lost production due to shut downs. PID control. however.to 100-year time span. the industrial community is a cautious one when it comes to implementing new technologies. the technologies commonly deployed on modern plant floors have often been proven over a 50. such as those used for flow and pressure control. one wonders why wireless is often treated by some in industry as a new technology.in/VkaJQC 40 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www. ISA100. battery-powered wireless instruments must balance battery life and data update rates. oil and gas. Air Hood Control | Like the factory and R&D fume hood door example in this article. Resources T he following links have information on industrial wireless communication applications and technologies.” The industrial wireless business continues to grow at 20 to 30 percent a year. At least not yet. is due to the prevalence of sensors have become.” he added. the overflow of liquid storage tanks. The wireless limit switch then sends a signal to the pump con. Visit http://bit. wireless sensor network applications are extremely a lot of work in Mexico now to monitor and maintain oil broad. and control network have achieved 1 billion hours bridging. wireless and celluare already installed. in most cases.ON THE WEB high-speed indoor operations. the latency remains. “[It] gets the 2. “We’re doing For now. Internet of Things (http://bit. the fluid level forces a change in the position of the limit switch (1 imagination going about all the and 2). “Some customers even to instrument all of its R&D have written practices where equipment.000 wireless netmanuf acturer recently decided works. and the number other applications of its Smart Wireless technology includes of operating hours. When the fluid level drops to a safe level. as wireless sensor networks is due they need to be moved around. don’t be surprised instrumentation on the pipeline itself to capture data and to see more developments push the boundaries even further in transmit it back to the control system via high-speed backhaul. wireless sensor networks. In more traditional automaCommonplace tion sectors like automotive or applications food and beverage. such as incubators they look at wireless solutions and cryo reezers. He estimates that Emerson’s Smart Wiresugar bin motor monitoring.but there are currently nearly vention application for wireless limit switch networks. but the challenge of lower the level. tems are based on technologies that “in an elegant way. which have If you’re working in a f acil. said that Emerson has you’re ef f ectively able to monitor hundreds of kilometers of seen its oil and gas and chemical industry customers adopting pipelines. assure Wireless limit switch networks are commonly used to prevent they’ll work in those environments. milliseconds.000 pieces of equipment on up. of operating experience across A major pharmaceutical more than 10. f requency-hopping wireless systhat they could be considered textbook application examples. industrial grade. but in new areas to get information to run lar—has really brought wireless to the forefront because you’re processes more effectively. steam less networks. Because much of industries. boiler and heater gas flow.” he said. but with fairly well defined boundaries.” he says. where. to name just a few. In addition to multiple ref inery/wellhead/pipeline the technology at such a rapid rate that installations are now application examples.the company’s R&D campus information that can be carried troller to start pumping out the tank to lower the level (3 and 4). but that is still too slow for robotic functions that The safety and security of oil pipelines is largely handled by operate in sub-millisecond range. The wireless limit switch then sends a make wireless sensors networks a more viable possibility in signal to the pump controller to start pumping out the tank to traditional manuf acturing environments. However.” mixing multiple technologies to monitor pipelines in 20 to Bob Karschnia. vice president of the Wireless business unit 30 kilometer segments. wireless sensor deployments that have become so common However. the coming years.ly/awvid098 any—wireless sensors in place. Their operation is simple: Wireless network advances like ISA100 (promulgated by As the tank fills up. which are based on WirelessHART technology. control systems f or 24/7/365 In discrete manu acturing f monitoring. to the rise in interest around the This project is still ongoing. the controller to turn off the pump (5 and 6). To help illustrate how ubiquitous industrial wireless The reason for this. the fluid level drops to a safe level. November 2012 l Automation World 41 . the f ollowing are a f ew examples of motors in these environments. it ment over the possibilities f or was dif f icult to wire them. and improve safety and production. “In these applications there is a hierarchy we’ve all seen the industrial application of wireless sensors of networking tools with sensor networks being used with exceed expectations over the past two decades. Tank Overflow Prevention | This image depicts a tank overflow pre. blast f urnace health. Toteda said excitethis equipment has casters. deployed are standard grades you may be suspicious about of Wi-Fi with connectivity this article’s position that wireless sensor networks are everybetween people and controls rather than sensors and controls. according to Toteda.” says Toteda. the switch then sends a signal to over an area of about 1. “And that’s not just in areas where sensors This combination of technologies—wired. and conf before wired ones when evalunect them to the company’s ating new projects. the fluid level forces a change in the posithe International Society of Automation) and WirelessHART tion of the limit switch. As you do this with several segments.5km. f low accounting. When equipped with wireless sensors back in real time. Emerson Process Management’s list of measured by the number of gateways installed. ity without a great deal—or the wireless networks of ten New Wireless Video New software tool allows you to handle up to 300 gateways and address battery problems. Latency in wireless networks is in the tens of switch then sends a signal to the controller to turn off the pump. f or Emerson Process Management.cent or more.” he says. just as pipelines. As the tank fills ly/IntOf Things). chips and motion of the machine make installing wired sensors extremely difficult. “We want you to have all the information available for making the right decisions. Besides looking for ways to add sensors for gathering prognostic and diagnostic data. An example is the work at the IMS Center f or installing a prototype of a wireless vibration sensor in the machine tools producing motorcycle engines at the Harley Davidson plant. They have been aiming both their individual and collaborative efforts toward the common goal of improving predictive maintenance. says.” This focus is indicative of an important trend among providers of diagnostic and predictive maintenance technology. Industrial robots have been a good application for this approach. “The sensor has to be turned on at specific times. This line of research is investigating how to extract more information from the signals and data that already exist in the machine and its controller.com . Not having any wires to connect it to an external power source. PhD and research associate at the IMS Center. give out a few lines of data. Researchers at academic institutions and commercial vendors alike have been busy marshalling advances in sensing. but it also permits offloading the computations to another computer on the network or even to the cloud. The cutting f luids.Does the potential f or f ailure somewhere in your automated process worry you? Will the unexpected downtime and spoilage cost you in money. Because the multi-axis motion and close quarters makes attach- 42 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www. Because spindle vibration greatly influences the quality of the engines. They turned to the IMS Center to solve the important problem of powering the sensor. perhaps you ought to consult with experts like those at the Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems (IMS Center) at the University of Cincinnati. Consequently. Edzel and his colleagues are also working on nonintrusive methods f or monitoring the health of automated equipment. energy conservation was a central concern for the project. networking and algorithms in holistic ways to streamline and automate the necessary flow of information.” explains Edzel Lapira. the manufacturing engineers at Harley Davidson wanted to monitor the health of the spindle motors so they could take corrective action early. the IMS Center’s program manager. Prof essor Jay Lee is concentrating research there on what he calls “the worry-free factory.” Patrick Brown. time and aggravation? If so. the sensor must store its own power. and go back to an idle state to conserve energy.AutomationWorld. Not only does the approach save the cost of adding sensors and other hardware. so the engineers decided to explore wireless technology. cavitations and misalignments. not only do they regularly report their status to the device manager software.. Canada. The latest of these tools uses a new technique called trajectorybased prediction. the GlobalFoundries Inc. Because the f ield devices are smart transmitters equipped with self -diagnostics. vendors are developing tools help users to track the health of their field devices from the control room and diagnose most problems before sending technicians into the field. most users could only react to problems in it when they lost communications.000 statistics throughout its processes for control and fault detection. automation project manager responsible for the AMS Suite and DeltaV startup. researchers at the IMS Center often analyze the torque signals coming from each axis.” notes Wenyu Zhao. for example.” notes Scheussler. “End users have embraced f ield bus technology in large part because of the added diagnostic inf ormation that they could get f rom their instrumentation. Ritchie reports that his counterparts in the mechanical group will eventually make use of the predictive maintenance capabilities of the asset-management software. the software can predict how much useful life is left in the mechanism. ran into this probf lem when it decided to develop a predictive model f or an electrostatic chuck on etching equipment. The tools can process various kinds of signals to detect faults. the IMS Center has been continuing to develop statistical-analysis and pattern-recognition tools f or its Watchdog Agent software. Its module ties into an asset-management system and sounds an alarm when it detects deviations f rom a known baseline. “By then.” Before the release of tools for monitoring this layer.ing sensors to these machines quite difficult. The IMS researchers used the data-analysis and parameterselection tools in its software to reduce the signals to a manageable set of about five. senior PhD graduate researcher. diagnose problems and even predict performance. or that there are too many variables. they were able to generate the prediction model. which released its Advanced Diagnostics module about five years ago. are monitoring and troubleshooting the f ield devices in the steam-and-solvent process that Calgary-based Laricina Energy Ltd. The release of such products has bridged a gap that had existed in monitoring programs f or a while.. Consequently. By picking the key signals and variables. Cali . The AMS Device Manager and DeltaV historian from Emerson Process Management. they turned to the IMS Center for help in sifting through all that information in a systematic way.” Vendors specializing in connecting f ield devices to distributed control systems (DCSs) like DeltaV are also offering tools f or monitoring the physical layer of networks and diagnosing developing problems on them.” GlobalFoundries Inc. can get back to a DCS or asset management system only if the physical layer remains intact. can look at the data from the control room before going into the field. and the plants are already wireless-capable. the torque signals change in predictable ways. a semiconductor manu acf turer based in Milpitas. This way. For example. engineering staf f was overwhelmed. With this intelligence. Technicians. it’s already too late. business development manager f or Pepperl+Fuchs’ f ield bus remote I/O and wireless Hart products.” says Russ Ritchie. the now-retired Laricina Energy Ltd. Among the f irst of these vendors was Pepperl+Fuchs of Twinsburg. is using to extract oil f rom bituminous-sand deposits in northeastern Alberta. November 2012 l Automation World 43 . the process is down. In the continuous process industries. the maintenance department can correct developing problems before they take the network down. so the user can schedule the necessary repairs. “It could be that the duration of the data set is too long. which matches a degradation pattern to previous patterns to determine how far along the degradation trajectory a developing problem is. such as in a heavily instrumented system.” says David Siegel. As components start to go bad. therefore. Other tools help the researchers to develop good predictive models when too much data exists. Ohio. They would have to send maintenance into the field armed with handheld tools for troubleshooting the problem. senior PhD graduate researcher.” explains Bernd Schuessler. “There is a lot of information in the patterns in these signals and in the relationships among them. however. “We on the automation side have put all the pieces in for them” says Ritchie. Because manufacturing was monitoring about 100 signals and calculating more than 1. “The challenge in these cases is to figure out which variables are the most relevant to the failure mode or to the overall health of the equipment. “This inf ormation. and developing the prediction model. To interpret what these changes mean for the health of the robot. they will be able to be proactive by performing such tasks as vibration analyses on pumps to look for wear. “The software and end devices run on the wireless [network]. but they also send alerts when they are having problems. “And they can take along what they need. they branch out to the field instruments with too little energy to ignite the vapors. S. He has installed several of the modules in a process producing purif ied terephthalate acid (PTA) f or making polyethylene terephthalate (PET). he specified a combination of high-power trunk lines and the Fieldbus intrinsically safe concept from Pepperl+Fuchs.” Remote access also cuts travel costs.” says Aaron Severa. Diagnostics modules can pay dividends in other ways. Not only did providing service online generate considerable savings in time and money.Tools like P+F’s Advanced Diagnostics Module. “This has allowed us to leverage our service delivery talent. but outside the hazardous area. While a growing body of users is installing diagnostics technology f or their own operations and maintenance staf f s. The portal seemed to be a way of making those cuts without sacrificing their ability to tap the vendor’s expertise in optimizing process performance. he says. “The first thing that vendors say is that you have a network problem. An example is a recycling plant making packaging material in South Carolina.” At startup. at the DAK Americas plant in Gaston. Ohio.” notes Starr. The tools automated the collection of data from process control systems. an electrical engineer in the Controls Technology Dept. Because the process involves various acids that eventually corrode instruments and cables over time.” he says. “You can see exactly what the signal looks like at all times before you send somebody into the field. “I simply show them screen shots of the oscilloscope traces and diagnostic f ault logs built into the advanced diagnostics module to prove that the field instrument is indeed the problem.AutomationWorld.” he says. others are installing the technologies for use by remote service providers. ABB specialists were able to monitor. He believes that ABB’s decision to buck the trend of completely automating preventive maintenance will reduce the risk of false positives—a risk that has led to the death of many service products. As part of its continuous-improvement program. evolving from the various service tools that ABB’s engineers had developed and refined for their colleagues who traveled from site to site troubleshooting problems on automated equipment. The installation was part of an expansion in which the company installed advanced instrumentation that used Foundation Fieldbus. The mill had been a user of ABB’s DCS for a while and had just installed some of the vendor’s advanced quality control systems (QCSs). yet permit having up to 16 instruments on each line running the long distance to the field. “We installed the diagnostics on our Foundation Fieldbus with the primary intent to catch failures in the cabling systems before they could affect our live instrumentation and process control. on the other hand. it also found corroding wires inside a device not sealed properly—long before the DCS was aware that there was a problem. To avoid the risk of igniting volatile organic vapors. the system has more than paid f or itself in other ways: It has been able to prove to instrument vendors and contractors that the DCS and Fieldbus lines are working well and that the problem lies with a field device. users set alarm thresholds higher and “then the inevitable happens: A failure does occur. Using a built-in oscilloscope. So far. the module caught some termination errors and crossed wires missed during the physical checkout of the system. after the process had been online for a few months. diagnostic applications and other services from afar.com 44 Automation World l November 2012 . we developed a common infrastructure that interfaces nicely with anyone’s DCS. if not months. The portal is a concept that grew over 15 years. jitter and framing errors on the line. in Wicklif f e.” he reports. From there. configuration tools. “In short.” notes Williams. troubleshoot and optimize the process remotely. engineers at the site consulted with their counterparts at ABB after installing the QCSs for help with cutting service costs. and no one gets notified. Williams installed a P+F diagnostics module on every four lines to monitor their health. Visit www. making it much more cost effective to offer these services more often on a regular basis. Later. Williams wanted the ability to monitor their health from the control room and streamline their replacement in the field with a quick-change method used by a sister f acility. the investment has not had a chance to pay for itself in this way because the cabling has yet to fail. To mitigate the risk of a bad line taking down all of the instruments on it and shutting down the process. “Rather than building unique hardware. according to Chris Williams. “this capability saves unnecessary trips. as well as its subsequent analysis. in the past. Although the software tools and associated hardware were originally designed to go to the job. To avoid wasting time on these alerts. a product engineer at P+F.C. What often kills them are the nuisance alerts triggered by false positives. and there are advantages of having an expert in the loop.5 and the average paper moisture level 2-Sigma is below 2). That site used a beta version of a new ServicePort portal f rom ABB Inc. to gain access to the automation vendor’s experts. the lines operate at full power until they reach a field barrier near the instruments. Through the portal. grow our knowledge base and resolve problems in days that could have taken weeks. senior optimization engineer for the Process Automation Service at ABB Inc. alert maintenance whenever a perf ormance parameter exceeds a limit—well bef ore a f ailure has a chance to occur. says Willams. With this design. engineers and technicians can look at segments of the network and take screen shots of noise. not the network. we put the human back into service. Besides preventing unplanned downtime. their developers realized that service technicians could access and analyze the data remotely just as easily if the hardware were left at the customer site. However. the plastic used for beverage bottles.” says Kevin Starr. but it also has helped the site to increase product quality by reducing variability (the average paper basis weight 2-Sigma is below 0. com Download the AW Real-Time app! AutomationWorld.” ServicePort can automate this kind of monitoring by dividing raw data into asset classes and aligning them with key perf ormance indicators connected to alarms that experts adjust based on historical perf ormance. more expensive than hardware failures. we can provide ROI-based solutions for thousands of control loops per day. or can be. Canada and India to format.emersonprocess. A 10-person ABB team worked together remotely f rom locations in the United States. The engineering staf f there wanted ABB’s help in identifying loop inefficiencies on two paper machines.abb.com IMS Center www. “Now. The team members also learned which key perf ormance indicators were stable and which were not. The performance problems found by the service team ranged f rom oscillations to interactions. NC. no need for network scanners Use software instead of hardware: PLC and Motion Control on one PC EtherCAT I/O Real-time Ethernet down to each I/O module Large. compile and scrutinize the data that they collected through ServicePort.imscenter. CNC TwinSAFE: Safety PLC integrated into I/O terminals IPC I/O Motion Automation . ultra fast control technology www.” he says.net Pepperl+Fuchs www.Starr says that automating the human being out of the loop through continuous monitoring is sometimes the right answer. and points to his company’s 800xA Asset Monitors.com/EtherCAT-System Beckhoff EtherCAT components: Fast.pepperl-fuchs. cost-effective selection for all signal types EtherCAT Drives Highly dynamic Servo Drives Integrated. flexible. a task that Starr notes was nearly impossible to do on large-scale automation.” he explains.beckhoff. precise and always cost-efficient Industrial PC: powerful PCs for any automation task EtherCAT Terminals: IP 20 I/O for all signal types EtherCAT Box: machine-mountable IP 67 I/O directly in the field TwinCAT: flexible automation software for multi-PLC. high performance – and – low cost! PC-based Control with EtherCAT Solid state IPCs and PACs with integrated Ethernet ports. “However. Hence. “Process degradation is.com/apps | EK11-04USA | Why pay more for lower performance? EtherCAT systems from Beckhoff are high speed. they were able to provide the mill’s engineering staff with action items for improving the process.com Emerson www. which uses ABB’s QCS. They gave ABB a list of control loops that they wanted analyzed on each machine. For More Information: ABB www. Starr points to a mill making fine writing paper in the Netherlands. there are other instances where degradation over time needs to be identif ied by human experts. DCS and drives and motors. An example is loop optimization. which are pharmaceutical stickers that can be partially or completely removed from the packaging. The company is a systems integrator working with Cognex.”). To ensure that every sticker is accurately in place.AutomationWorld. to assist companies in the design. The new machine can affix labels. KG of Aachen implemented the imagebased testing station for the machine. Artur Theis uses an intelligent vision system with integrated pattern matching technology to check the positioning. With one of its latest machines. development and operation of PCbased measuring and image processing systems and laser controls. and bollinos to up Automation World l November 2012 to 200 different types of folding cartons and check that they are in the correct position. as well as bollinos (Italian f or “coupon” or “trading stamp. stickers. maker of the vision system. genuine lettering and holograms.A 46 rtur Theis GmbH & Co. KG of Wuppertal. Germany has decades of expertise in the field of manufacturing folding cartons for pharmaceutical products. Zertrox specializes in measurement and control technologies. the company affixes the high-quality packaging with different identification and information carriers.com . These include labels with one-dimensional codes. Visit www. Zertrox GmbH & Co. The calibration of new products in Artur Theis’ new machine. Only the In-Sight Micro 1400 with PatMax was able to do the job at the speeds needed.com November 2012 l Automation World 47 . For more information. Photo source: Cognex Better than the human eye In the past. This process was made possible by the image-based Pat- The illumination of the testing station is provided by an LED ruby light.000 cartons per hour. It also offers particularly flexible mounting options. If the labels and stickers are not perfectly aligned to the central features of the folding cartons. then the additional information cannot be applied correctly.000 cartons per hour. is very simple and can be carried out In the past. For new products. guiding. product changes can be perf ormed in just a f ew minutes. The trigger pulse f or the In-Sight Micro is provided by a f luorescent sensor. The complete and f ully self -contained system is particularly well-suited to measuring. the increased level of automation in the pharmaceutical industry made it much more difficult to inspect packages for important information and data carriers. product and lot numbers. The In-Sight Micro 1400 provides extremely high repeat inspection accuracy within specif ied tolerances. Artur Theis performed the inspection of product characteristics with the human eye. sizes and shading. Lighting technology is key The illumination of the testing station is provided by an LED ruby light. The InSight Micro 1400 intelligent vision system had to orient itself to certain predefined geometric features of the cartons in order to set and precisely determine the position of the labels and stickers in relation to it. visit: www. One of the biggest challenges in this process was the identification of the labels at extremely high volumes—up to 40. inspecting. It helps the In-Sight Micro 1400 with PatMax vision technology accurately identify labels at volumes of up to 40.Max pattern matching technology that determines all of the important position values without errors—even under variable lighting and position conditions. and identif ies possible defective products so they can be reliably removed. In addition. it could not be assumed during the system design that all of the boxes would reach the testing station on the conveyor belt with the same position accuracy. Now the answer is an intelligent vision system. An important part of the intelligent vision system is the Cognex image processing library. Based on the stored master job. the packaging experts of Artur Theis were also impressed by its small size (30 x 30 x 60 mm). they simply set a characteristic feature of the packaging in relation to a characteristic f eature of the sticker using the Cognex In-Sight Explorer sof tware that comes with the In-Sight Micro. In selecting the In-Sight Micro 1400. for example. the operating sof tware can be used f or an extremely wide variety of image processing tasks. Using this library. affixing additional information on the packaging requires far greater precision than the human eye can provide. even f or completely new folding boxes. and despite changing angles. Due to the large variety of products with very different label shapes and colors. This sensor recognizes the outer edge of the f lat boxes using the f luorescent properties of the box in contrast to the non-fluorescent material of the conveyor belt. Photo source: Cognex by the machine operators themselves. However. The Cognex In-Sight Micro 1400 intelligent vision system with PatMax pattern matching technology is integrated into the new Artur Theis machine to check the exact positioning of the labels.cognex. counting and identifying products on fast-moving production lines. Artur Theis performed the inspection of product characteristics with the human eye. as well as information for healthcare providers such as health insurance funds. Pharmaceutical manuf acturer routinely need to include the use-by date. timely updates that will keep you informed…and a step ahead of the competition. or get sports results instantly? How about being among the rst to get crucial business intelligence? As an Automation World newsletter subscriber. .Get a jump on the news and gain a competitive edge! Industry’s leading journalists offer breaking news and analysis via a variety of Automation World newsletters. Go to Automationworld. see movies on the opening weekend.com/newsletters and get started today. you’ll get free. Subscribe to the editions that meet your needs! Do you like being the rst to master a new video game. Aaron Burns.  Once the colors are selected.com Watch a video of the machine in action along with an explanation of its components at http://bit. Brad Harriger (team advisor) and Kelley VanBuskirk (Phoenix Contact mentor). The students then f abricated and assembled everything according to their designs. Team members Derek Andrews and George Hinote are not pictured. November 2012 l Automation World 49 .11 wireless radio. from left) David Burroughs. the user submits his order using the submit button. 2 Engineering School Videos 2. The customer can choose one of three colors to be applied on the head of the hammer head (black. Second row: Mike Harrington. or you know an engineering school student whose work should be spotlighted. a pneumatic robot device retrieves the finished product from the assembly fixture and delivers it to a tray where the customer can take possession of the product safely. Faculty Advisor: l Professor Brad Harriger Wireless Automated Assembly 1 The Purdue Automated Assembly project team has developed an auto- SCHOOL Purdue University EQUIPMENT Phoenix Contact 802. or white).  These segments are separate units that communicate wirelessly through a Phoenix Contact 802. The programming of the project was completed using Phoenix Contact’s PC Worx software and combined several different programming techniques including ladder logic.ly/ awesi001 for all the Engineering School innovations highlighted in Automation World. The assembly machine is designed to produce a plastic souvenir hammer based on customer input to a human machine interface (HMI). Purdue’s Automated Assembly Team includes (front. Order entry can also be done via an iPad app. Jason Wintz. or grey). Ethernet switch and power supply l Bus coupler with two 16 channel input and two 16 channel output modules l Two touchscreen human machine interfaces l Four SMC pneumatic cylinders l SMC multiport pneumatic valve pack l PC Worx programming software l Autodesk Inventor software l 1 mated machine to assemble two-piece. fixtures and feeders to the complete layout of each mechanical component.  Users interact with one of two touchscreen HMI devices (one located in the controls cabinet and the other located on the assembly machine). sequential f unction charts. The machine then positions the pneumatic f eeders holding the hammer heads and hammer handles so that two pneumatic cylinders can push the hammer handle into the hammer head.  Next. pneumatic device and control module.11 wireless radio l Phoenix Contact ILC 150 PLC l Phoenix Contact safety relay. 1. and structured text. the students designed each piece of the machine. customized. Ryan Streu.ly/esi015 Also. Automation World’s director of media and events at dgreenfield@automationworld. The machine is comprised of a controls cabinet and the assembly machine. Using Autodesk Inventor computeraided design modeling sof tware. from the frame/cart system.Engin EEring School in no VATion S STUDENTS Members: l Jason Wintz l Ryan Streu l David Burroughs l Mike Harrington l Aaron Burns l Derrick Andrews l George Hinote. f unction block. as well as one of three colors on the hammer handle (gold. designed and analyzed the injection mold. The wireless radio connects to the Ethernet switch.  Once the hammer is assembled. visit http://bit. green. contact: David Greenfield. Engineering School Innovations Call for Entries If you would like to have your engineering school project profiled in Automation World’s Engineering School Innovations. the team f irst designed the hammer head and handle. plastic injection molded Purdue hammer souvenirs. blue. videos and more! Now on your iPad and iPhone. Inc. Inc..S. users will get continuously updated articles. Similar to the widely acclaimed USA Today app.com/apps © 2011 Summit Media Group. ©2012 Summit Media Group. new products. news. . registered in the U. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. and other countries.for enjoying Automation World on the go! Now you can read Automation World’s digitial edition on your iPad or mobile device via our free Automation World Magazine app. automationworld. iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc. 2 free apps Enjoy our free Automation World Real-Time for the iPad app. Manage your issues and share content via email and popular social media platforms within the app. respectively.794.opto22. position sensors and speed regulators in a single integrated unit. The company’s Crimson 3. the IVAC is installed quickly and simply. making it suitable for food or beverage handling where frequent washdowns are required.net 717. and a standard TCP/IP interface is used with software development kits and developer toolkits. pilot and control valves. while delivering faster response times. and EtherNet/IP. With just one electrical and one pneumatic connection. The units support multiple Ethernet protocols including OptoMMP. the IVAC reportedly reduces the energy costs of compressed air by up to 50 percent.2611 Operator Interface Panels with Multiple Communication Options Two additions to the G3 Kadet series of operator interface panels provide complete human machine interface (HMI) functionality for PLCs. management and control. allowing it to communicate with an unlimited number of disparate devices simultaneously. motor drives and other communications-capable devices. simpler installation and maintenance. Opto 22 www. and can be included as part of a control program running on the company’s programmable automation controller (PAC) or as part of a custom software application running on a PC. improves aesthetics and simplifies cleaning. The 4-in. The high-definition display supports 32K colors to provide superior clarity for detailed user interfaces. Actuator Control Solves Pneumatic System Problems Reduced energy consumption. The IVAC can be used as a retrofit or installed in existing designs with no mechanical changes.com 800. The panel supports up to four Ethernet and three serial protocols simultaneously. Upgrading a legacy I/O system like this is an economical strategy that preserves the investment of time and money made over many years in the I/O and field wiring. the company developed a modular motion control unit that combines the cylinder. comes standard with either model.com/us 303. When upgraded with a new I/O processor. or “brains. Red Lion Controls www. which includes access to over 220 communications protocols.Products Integrated Valve.321.6786 November 2012 l Automation World 51 . The processors are upgrades for legacy G4D32RS and B4 digital I/O processors.” used in legacy mistic and Pamux digital I/O systems. The “cleanline” version of the IVAC has switches and valve inside a smooth casing and an ingress protection rating of IP 67. digital I/O points on the I/O system can be accessed over a standard Ethernet network.767. The 7-in. G304K2 includes an Ethernet port (10 base-T/100 base-TX) and supports up to four Ethernet protocols from a list of over 70 supported protocols.6961 Upgrade Legacy Digital I/O Systems to Ethernet The G4D32EB2-UPG and G4EB2 I/O processors allow automation professionals to upgrade a legacy mistic or Pamux G4 digital I/O system on a serial network to operate as part of an Ethernet/TCP-based control system using existing I/O or field wiring. Working within the same footprint as a standard actuator.redlion.0 software. Modbus/TCP. and easy washdown are the key advancements of a new integrated valve and actuator control (IVAC) cylinder. wideformat screens of the new G304K2 and G307K2 panels drive productivity in industrial environments through improved visibility. The high-resolution.norgren. G307K2 offers a WVGA wide screen with a resolution of 800x480 for organizations who require a larger display. Eliminating tubing also saves space. Two serial protocols – chosen from a list of over 150 – may also be assigned to the unit’s RS232 and RS485 ports. By eliminating the tubing and remote valve islands typical of pneumatic operations. Norgren www. with Unity Pro software. Red Lion Controls www. This eliminates the need to order additional products to meet changing application requirements. tabular and summary data is provided for analysis and data can be viewed in °C. including acknowledged data transmission.com 847. 670. color zones and display mnemonics. A dual-line tri-color display provides at-a-glance visual representation of up to 16 changing alarm conditions with seven programmable color zones.net 717. Graphical. Omega Engineering www. DIP switches that allow users to select one of eight defined I/O mapping configurations to automatically map inputs to outputs. Using the software.AutomationWorld. voltage. this solution was created to ensure high operational availability of processes and improve data flow . Suggested applications are in lab.373. The unit accepts current. packaging.826. it initiates communication with the wireless Q45 sensors and controls timing and configuration for the entire network via: two sourcing discrete outputs. and the ability to detect lost RF links and set relevant outputs to user-defined conditions. ultra high speed download. Part of the company’s PlantStruxure collaborative and integrated automation architecture. With the embedded ports. water and food industries. and operates on AC or DC power regardless of power polarity.6767 Controllers Gain Ethernet Capability The Modicon Quantum Ethernet I/O (QEIO) system adds Ethernet capability to the company’s line of automation control solutions. energy. Suggested applications include food & beverage.com 888. it is free of the limitations of traditional proprietary network topologies. HVAC and R&D in the chemical. The storage medium is nonvolatile solid state memory. The controller’s field installable plug-in option cards simplify configuration by enabling users to use different cards seamlessly to build their own controllers.000 reading storage capacity. temperature and process signals. stopping and downloading from the unit is simple and easy. Additionally. The data can also be automatically exported to Excel for further calculations. °F.BannerEngineering. resistance. they will also have the ability to optimize their architecture by connecting an HMI screen on a remote I/O drop. heat treating and glass processing. An optional password may be programmed into the device to restrict access to configuration options.Products Embeddable Wireless Gateway Module The SureCross B2Q embeddable gateway module is designed for use in building out a wireless sensor network to coordinate multiple machines and processes.2600 PID controller The PAX2C is designed specifically for process and temperature control applications. A real time clock ensures that all data is time and date stamped. With the additional flexibility of Ethernet.com . gas. annunciators. a site survey that analyzes the network’s strength and reliability and conveys results through a bi-color LED indicator.omega.767.6961 Precision RTD Temperature Data Logger Other features include multiple start/stop function. The network design is made easier with optimally sized modular drops and six times more I/O capacity per I/O drop when compared to a well established proprietary S908 network. Banner Engineering www. Operators can stay connected remotely through the embedded service ports on the CRA/CRP modules. Schneider Electric www.com 888. providing maximum data security even if the battery becomes discharged. K or °R . memory wrap and programmable high and low alarms. Network processes remain optimized at every stage of network development. Data may be read out without the password. Programming firmware and software upgrades are done using a standard built-in USB connector and the company’s Crimson software to support both current needs and future requirements.key issues for most industrial control systems today. transceivers that provide bi-directional communication between the gateway and Q45. plastics.redlion. The display is customizable to allow users full access to bar graphs. starting. including adding I/O modules or additional racks of I/O without stopping the CPU. Designed for use with the company’s Q45 wireless sensor network. operators can easily perform maintenance or modification of their installation.397.6243 52 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www.schneider-electric. CE and UL/cUL Class 1 Division 2 Zone 2 hazardous location approvals are pending.4-in.com 888. Sec. 400 cd/m2. Thermocouple units accept eight different sensor types (J. These isolated transmitters are PC/Windows-programmable via USB for conversion of temperature. K.0 ports. S.1/2. water and accidental contact. protects the display from dust.80 processes and control regulations requirements in the manufacture of consumer packaged goods. 1000:1 models. Acromag www. along with the stainless steel or aluminum bezel. 700:1. voltage or current input signals to a 4-20 mA output. BDF200 Video 888. N).Products USB Configurable Transmitters The TT230 series of transmitters and feature universal sink/source 4-20 mA output for easy installation. HDD and CF card are both easily accessible for installation and maintenance. Inc. 15-in. 1x VGA port. www.496. precise configuration using Windows software. and surge protection. The I/O configuration offers flexible design.acromag.aispro. All wiring is done internally giving users the simplest form of connection to the machine control — while the slim design mounts seamlessly to the door frame for a clean look. BDF200 FLEX-MOUNTABLE MACHINE-GUARD CONTROL The Schmersal BDF200 machine door control station helps reduce time of installation and assembly costs with a completely integrated design. RTD units accommodate 2-. B. and 4-wire 100 ohm platinum sensors or 0-900 ohm linear resistance inputs. and 4-20 mA DC input signals. 3-. as well as ±100 mV inputs. When combined with a safety interlock switch. cosmetics and personal care products. 700:1. electrical noise immunity. 2x USB 1. The BDF200 with an E-Stop actuator is available with up to 3 positions for multiple pushbutton or pilot light combinations. 400 cd/ m2. they feature a lower power Intel ATOM 1.6688 10/23/12 6:15 PM Page 1 To Build. Not To Build. and 17-in. Voltage models convert bipolar signals from ±10 mV to ±150 VDC with multiple selectable ranges. RTD. Units are available with LCD displays with high brightness and contrast ratio in 10. voltage and current inputs to sink/source-compatible 4-20 mA control signals.5 mm wide for high-density mounting on DIN rails and provide a convenient USB connection to a PC for simple. Models are available to isolate and convert thermocouple. 2. 350 cd/ m2. 0-20 mA. 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports. or IP65/ aluminum.214.6267 Stainless Steel Front Operator Interface Computers These ruggedized stainless steel front operator interface computers with IP66 stainless steel front bezels have been designed for use in: food and beverage.5144 Turning Workplaces Into Safe Places ® schmersalusa. R. The units meet federal regulations Title 21.com Schmersal_AutoWorld_ToBuild 877.com . With housings of IP66/stainless steel. the BDF200 gives operators and maintenance personnel enhanced guard door control at the point of entry. American Industrial Systems. A ruggedized design features -40 to 80 °C operation.66 GHz N455 processor in a fan-free system. pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging industries. 110.485. The trueflat screen and complete overlay in front of the touch panel. The current units are widely adjustable to support ±20 mA. with a combination including 2x RS232/422/485 ports COM1. They measure just 12. T. E. These two-wire instruments are loop-powered and support both source or sink output wiring connections on the current loop with a 12-32 VDC supply. INMETRO and IECEx requirements. allowing the signal to reach longer distances without fear of instability or degradation. Exele Information Systems. while the robust metal housing and protection class IP67 provide excellent durability.3ae 10GbaseR. and Blackberry. Google Android.baumer. making it suitable for petrochemical oil and gas applications. and a sensor with an extended measuring range upon a minor temperature drift.8 W on AC. Since it is non-contact it will not leave scratches or pressure points on delicate finished products. A heated optics feature allows constant operation even in extreme environments. 50 or 60 Hz.765. and desktop access to tag data and alarms.229. and the unit has been tested and certified to meet CSA.9740 Inductive Sensor with 4 nm Resolution The IPRM 12 inductive sensor offers improved measuring resolution of up to 4 nm. SFP plug and play modules are sold separately.Products Carbon Dioxide Detector for Harsh Offshore Environments This infrared fixed-point carbon dioxide gas detector is wellsuited for monitoring CO2 to detect a loss of containment.9336 Point-to-Point Fiber Connection for Long Distances Offering two SFP+ ports and supporting 3R optical signal regeneration.937. With all electronics integrated in its 90 mm short M12 housing.com 800. there is no app to install on each device. Because it targets the mobile browser.3665 54 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www. Released with the company’s TopView 6. Microsoft Windows Phone. and consumes just 4. the FCU-5002-SFP+ provides a point-to-point fiber connection for long distance deployment with a reliable and stable link over 10 Gigabit devices. complies with IEEE 802. filter by alarm category. This noncontact inductive sensor has been redesigned for finer resolution.3473 Access to Alarms from Mobile Devices The TopView Mobile Web App lets users monitor alarms and data values. leaf springs and levers. The unit comes with a five-year warranty.3 W on DC or 5. Baumer www. Support for any platform with a modern browser allows phone. The sensor features a measuring speed of 1 mm/s. This media converter’s 3R signal regeneration relays or regenerates the optical signal that may have been degraded during the transmission. it will work on most modern mobile devices including Apple iOS (iPhone. The unit comes with LEDs to show link and power status.385. a high resolution.aaxeon. tablet. and is compatible with the company’s FCURack16 Series. relays and HART. And because the app is not specific to the device. and its non-intrusive calibration helps to reduce maintenance costs and improve uptime. Inc. Aaxeon Technologies www. ATEX.14. a user can be up and running in less than 5 minutes. Det-Tronics www. fiber transmission systems can be affected by many factors such as noise. iPad).com 585. and can reach up to distances of 40 km. When transmitting long distances. and its high linearity and temperature stability allow extremely precise measurement. The app runs within the mobile browser but appears and operates like an installed mobile application. Three versions are available: a high resolution and high linearity sensor. acknowledge alarms.com 800. making it suitable for monitoring concentricity and vibration of shafts and for highly precise measurement of manufacturing tolerances and deflections in shafts. etc.AutomationWorld. Since there is no external web server configuration and nothing to install on client devices.exele. crosstalk. the new app provides access to TopView alarms and all monitored data values from mobile devices.com . www.com 877. the unit is easier and less costly to integrate into compact machines than measuring systems with external evaluation units. can run on 5 VDC or 100-240 VAC. It is designed to operate effectively under the rapidly changing temperature and pressure conditions that occur during a CO2 release.det-tronics. It features multiple communications options via 4-20 mA. dispersion. long-range sensor. and examine tag details. Modbus. and visibility into client/server conversations without the need for packet capture and port spanning.3 °C between 10 ° and 40 °C.5% RH or less. and automatic data analysis to accelerate processes. It is based on a 2D machine/plant layout. Humidity measurements range from 0 to 99% with accuracy of ±2. the system can add a to-scale network of routes to this layout and display the possible cable laying routes. The Network Navigator draws a line to the server or other device to logically and physically show the connections and allow drill down for further for additional details. EPLAN Software & Services LLC www.2. with automatic atmospheric pressure adjustment for the measurement location.1% RH per degree of difference from 25. The new Network Navigator capability reduces the time it takes to understand network issues by instantly and simply displaying network topology and problems.eplanusa. It gives a clear view of who is plugged into what in the network. At temperatures other than 25 °C and = 0 °C. This means connections between controller and field components can be planned efficiently and permanently documented. whereby data from all three channels can be simultaneously viewed in graph or table form.5 °C at all other temperatures. the software generates comprehensive cable reports.tandd. Temperature and Humidity The TR-76Ui-H is a three-channel recorder designed to simultaneously measure and record CO2 concentration. TandD Corporation www.com 518. and ±0. add ±0.669. The unit can store up to 8000 data sets and is supplied with software which enables the user to download recorded data to a PC via USB connection. 0 to 10% or 85 to 99% RH). The unit has a CO2 range up to 9999 ppm with accuracy of ±(50 ppm + 5% of reading) (at 5000 ppm or less). database-assisted management of cable routes. and ensure highly efficient system planning.5% RH (at 25 °C. The new version of OptiView XG also includes new in-line testing that eliminates the need for an external tap or span port when observing conversations between clients and application servers. for example. The overall range is -30 to 80 °C.375. simplify assembly and servicing. Based on routing information. The new software is a field cabling add-on module for EPLAN Platform 2.2668 . temperature and humidity. Humidity hysteresis: ±1. which can be read into the software in DWG or DXF format. Within the platform. 10 to 85% RH) ±4.9227 Cable Planning Software Works from Controller to Field Level FieldSys software allows cable laying routes to be configured exactly to scale. graphical view of network infrastructure to help speed root cause problem identification and resolve issues fast.com 888. Temperature measurement accuracy is ±0. Fluke Networks Data Logger for Carbon Dioxide. This delivers fast and exact insights into real time traffic flows. and includes routing.0% RH (at 25 °C.Products Instant Network View for Fast Problem Resolution A new version of the OptiView XG v9 network analysis tablet provides an intuitive. Static touch sensors also work through glass. Both power levels comply with MIL-STD-810F for vibration and shock.1993 Capacitive Touch Sensor KT Series capacitive touch sensitive sensors are designed to be used as machine start/stop buttons in the industrial automation. The polycarbonate housing is durable. point level and temperature measurements into a multi-variable solution. lead acid. the output signal is actuated for 300 ms. while the 1000-W unit carries additional safety certifications per the medical EN60601-1 specifications. and provides discrete and independent outputs of each measurement for interface with the plant control room and alarm systems. impact and scratch resistant and carries an IP69K NEMA rating. layers of ice.2324 56 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www. The units are intended for small to medium emergency backup systems that use rechargeable batteries with a nominal voltage of 24 V or 48 VDC. Fluid Components International www. Static touch sensors detect hands and objects for as long as the sensing face is damped. The sensor uses thermal dispersion technology. wastewater treatment.com 800. etc. multiple point level wet/dry indication and alarms.526. www. The units are CE marked and the 600-W unit carries UL. etc. and are available with one of two sensing principles: dynamic and static.854.fluidcomponents. Models with the dynamic capacitive measuring principle detect a hand or finger for actuation. and water temperature sensors.Products Monitoring System for Nuclear Power Plants The 1E qualified CL86 Plus spent fuel pool (SFP) multi-monitor system integrates continuous level. Designed for both new and retrofit SFP installations.com/us 800. EN55022-B and FCC-B for conducted and radiated EMI as well as EN61000-4 immunity and EN61000-3-2 Class A power factor and harmonic distortion specifications.ifm. oil resistant. Sensors operate independently from one another to aid in the reliability and accuracy. EN60950-1 and EN50178 safety approvals. mobile and building automation industries.-used in emergency power backup systems. and the sensor wires and electronics interface junction box are housed in a rugged metal enclosure that is water-tight and resistant to falling debris.8246 Power Supplies for Charging Secondary Batteries The HWS-L/BAT series of supplies are designed to charge secondary batteries-Li Ion. The system features integrated continuous water level. the sensor will trigger. Sensors use capacitive technology for start and stop actuation. The electronics are remote mounted up to 1000 feet (300 m) away in a stainless steel NEMA rated enclosure for installation wire-up to power and to provide the outputs to the control room.AutomationWorld. Even if the operator is wearing a glove. TDK-Lambda www. Switching status LEDs provide optical feedback. This is particularly useful in twohand control or anti tie-down applications. All models conform to EN55011-B. ifm efector inc.com 800.us. CSA.com . the system consists of a unified probe assembly that is immersed in the SFP and manufactured to the exact length specified for the depth of the application. They can also be used in applications that require a constant current source such as UPS battery charging.tdk-lambda. or particles that can stick to the sensor face. This principle allows the sensor to ignore build-up on the sensing face.441. Dynamic touch sensors suppress interference such as water. electrolysis. even with suppliers that don’t use this software.com 866. In addition. secondary feedback.com/plm 800. and seamless commissioning in a cost-effective package.16 N-m to 28 N-m. single or three phase. reduces costs to the supplier base by providing a low install. The platform provides a single source of data and streamlined processes across the extended enterprise. Part of the company’s Teamcenter product lifecycle management (PLM) software.5 kW. and motor power rating of 50 W to 4. this package enables OEMs to efficiently share CAD design data with suppliers who do not have the same software package. Torque ratings range from 0.7554 AUTOMATION CONFERENCE 2013 PLAN NOW TO ATTEND THE Driving Manufacturing Efficiency with Automation M A N U FA C T U R I N G • P R O C E S S I N G • PA C K A G I N G Exchange CAD Design Data Briefcase Browser aids information exchange for product design and validation by globally dispersed teams. Additional features include STO (Safe-Torque-Off). 16 bit analog input. PWM manipulation and more.com . Siemens PLM Software www. allows fast onboarding of suppliers for design data exchange to minimize lead times. max speed to 6. The series comes with ServoStudio GUI software. low overhead tool for CAD design data sharing with OEMs. adaptive feed forward feature.siemens. CANopen. which includes a setup wizard for simple drive-motor configuration.servotronix. encoder simulation.561.5351 2013 Sponsors and Content Partners May 14 -15 • Chicago Marriott O’Hare www. The series incorporates a new current loop design that achieves a frequency response of up to 3 kHz.Products Servo Drives with AC Servo Motor The HD Series servo system solution features a highperformance digital servo drive with a high-precision AC servo motor. Profinet connectivity is planned. The combined servo drive and motor are optimized for performance.000 rpm.TheAutomationConference. The software enables companies to efficiently manage and exchange product and cost data with their supply chains. Servotronix Motion Control www. high power density. fault relay. and an auto-tuning function that performs optimal configurations and minimizes position error and settling time. Connectivity to controller is through analog command. Input voltage can be 120/240 VAC. Pulse & Direction. to 400/480V three phase. and reduces administration overhead at OEMs thanks to automatic import and export of product data. an active nonlinear anti-vibration algorithm eliminates vibration in highly flexible resonant systems. offering advanced functionality. and EtherCAT.498. The latest addition to the company’s line of wireless sensors.56 MHz read/write heads with an IO-Link master port. www.543. valve manifold or I/O access/control provides a solution for many types of RFID applications. such as height and thickness or surface roughness with scan rates up to 32 kHz (10 kHz for the 1100 series). an integrated IO-Link master port for connecting discrete or analog I/O. with no additional hardware required to generate decisions.com .lmi3d. 3R.373. Banner Engineering www. LMI Technologies www. Class 2m. and integrated laser and optics that deliver measurement out of the box. It provides a functional display.com 888. intelligent power plug option for saving parameters on the device.8390 Smart Displacement Sensors The Gocator 1100 and 1300 series are aimed at automating non-contact distance measurement processes and real-time closed loop control. High Frequency Using a new generation of RFID processors. status LEDs and a USB service interface.Products RFID Processors Combine Low. industrial IP 65 rated metal housing. The sensors perform high speed dimensional measurements.com 604. and the units use web based interface found in the company’s Gocator Profile Sensors. The BIS V system also allows users to draw on a single processor family with a wide array of read/write head and RFID tag options for both manufacturing and logistics solutions.636. which make them suitable for real-time closed loop control. They measures at high resolution over ranges up to 2 m.1011 Wireless Sensor The SureCross Q45 Remote Device (RD) model operates with isolated dry contacts. Combining up to four-head capability on both frequencies with local analog. the BIS V RFID system maximizes flexibility by providing a single device for both low frequency 125 KHz and high frequency 13. Balluff. They provide laser measurement and data processing in one unit. this unit is capable of interfacing with isolated dry contacts or PNP outputs. Scalable to a multi-sensor system.AutomationWorld. 3B laser options are optimized for different types of applications The housings are rated IP67 for industrial environments.com 800.000 ft (1 km). using less than 100 µA of current for battery life of five or more years depending on the application. The BIS V offers these additional functions: four asynchronous 125 KHz and 13.4 GHz ISM Band radio and meet world-wide standards. the unit delivers the longest lifetime in this series of sensors. they connect to PLCs using industry standard protocols. or valve manifolds. In addition.BannerEngineering.balluff.6767 58 Automation World l November 2012 Visit www. while an open source SDK provides user specific custom application development –software development is not required. with a range of 3.56 MHz read/write antenna channels. The sensors operate in the 2. Inc. Units are pre-calibrated. flexible mounting options for hard-point or DIN rail. allowing the unit to interface with almost any digital sensor. LCD display with control buttons for setting and displaying the network address and data carrier/tags UID. It also features a mode in which it interfaces directly with NAMUR inductive proximity sensors. software packages for accounting/financial. or do you achieve value on how the system is used as opposed to how you get it? l Are you prepared to divert resources from your core business to the development and maintenance effort (and it isn’t just technology people—the business must be fully engaged)? l Have you analyzed the total cost of ownership of custom vs. purchasing.IT VIew Industrial Software: Buying Versus Building The question of whether to purchase commercial of f -the-shelf (COTS) sof tware or to build a custom solution often arises. your manufacturing operation will still need to be modeled against your MES requirements. Ontario. So when it comes to choosing between buying versus building an MES solution. how should you evaluate whether to go custom or COTS? My advice is to clearly understand what is available in the marketplace before embarking on a custom development effort. do they see broader marketplace value? l Are your requirements going to remain static or change in the future? Scalability. Kitchener. Prior to that. I know it sounds simple but are there solutions commercially available. were available on just about every mainf rame or minicomputer out there. sales order entry and other commercial applications l What Organizations that make their choices of suppliers/partners based on completeness of vision and overall commitment are experiencing success.com.” if the needs could be met. Canada. small armies of computer programmers needed access to large data centers in order to deliver what are now standard business applications. MES will never be implemented by checking a tick-box or through simple configuration. the idea of developing software packages to address the needs of common commercial applications across industries started to take hold.” It comes down to how an organization would respond to the following questions: ON THE WEB Multiple MES Systems This case study examines how to harmonize disparate MES systems after a merger or acquisition. To me it boils down to a few basic criteria: l Is what you are doing from an MES perspective truly unique. Visit http://bit. And the world changed—instead of custom development as the norm. better yet. is Chairman of the MESA International Board and co-CEO of Brock Solutions. making choices becomes difficult and certainly not obvious. The difference today with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manuf acturing execution system (MES) sof tware is that one all-encompassing automation and/or MES solution does not exist. Influencing outcome is key. inventory. the answer (as you would expect) is “it depends. With no dominant player in the MES space. John Southcott. In the late 1970s through early 1980s. jsouthcott@brocksolutions. products are still evolving. the trend changed to “buy” rather than “build. and it’s important that you are committed to guiding the process with your partners.ly/awapp006 is your MES strategy? What is your roadmap? What is the timing for delivery? l Is there an enterprise standard that the organization is following? l Is the application under consideration strategic? Unique? If so are the resources (financial and people) available to provide support/enhancements over the long term? l Are there collaboration opportunities with existing partners/ vendors? If so. If COTS is the route you choose. Then. In those days. COTS? l Does building a custom solution give your organization a competitive advantage? Be practical in your evaluation—although COTS MES is much f urther along than years past in terms of reliability and multifunctionality. only large-scale enterprises could af f ord the cost of custom developing systems to support standard business applications. Marketplace rationalization took place and a company out of Germany f ounded by five former IBM engineers called Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung (“System Analysis and Program Development”)—better known as SAP—became the market leader in enterprise software. November 2012 l Automation World 59 . be prepared to stay engaged with your selected partner and to drive your program toward success. standardization and roll-out requirements need to factor into the decision. l And. are there choices? Organizations that make their choice of suppliers/partners based on completeness of vision and overall commitment are experiencing success. But. They realize that COTS MES software is an evolution and is not fully baked. com. A fluid conditioning module must maintain the desired water output temperature— at multiple setpoints—regardless of the ambient temperature or the actual cooling load. which is circulated to a tube-lined garment worn by the user. repeatable ambient temperature environment f or the FCM. based on a vapor compression cycle and a miniature rotary compressor. and deployed to support changing test requirements or experimental testing. The test Setpoint profiles can be quickly created. Setpoint prof iles can be quickly created. the conversion was quickly implemented: change the sensors. turns on the FCM. at the rated load. and starts the PID controllers. contains a small DC motor for variable operation of the compressor to meet the load demand. edited. Complete snapshots of all test results are time-stamped and written to the Excel results file using the dBaser toolkit. The miniature refrigeration unit chills a heat transfer liquid (usually water). Range of conditions Aspen Thermal needed an automated test stand f or its personal cooling system f luid conditioning module (FCM) that would demonstrate the actual performance of each FCM at the rated load over a range of operating conditions. At the end of the sequence. the LCL. Aspen is now able to test a completed FCM automatically under all desired operating conditions to ensure compliance with performance specifications. and gathers the test results. jac@viewpointusa. the FCM. which specializes in automation and control of measurements and is a member of the Control System Integrators Association. it turned to Viewpoint Systems. measurement. Jim Campbell. A thermal test enclosure provides the stable. The final hardcopy test report with a graph is created by Excel and shipped with each completed FCM. and reconfigure the device and channel model parameters in the Excel worksheet. Aspen Thermal develops microclimate conditions systems.com 60 Automation World l November 2012 . When a developer of personal cooling systems needed an automated test stand to test their products in harsh environments. This file contains all the specif ic inf ormation while allowing for a high degree of application flexibility. The MVC architecture provides the necessary perf ormance. and deployed to support changing test requirements or experimental testing. analysis and reporting. application starts the LCL pump and heater. A tab-delimited text file drives the setpoint auto sequencer. including miniature cooling systems that circulate water inside protective clothing and keep the body’s core temperature within saf e limits during exposure to extreme temperatures.ly/slant103 the temperature control systems built into the protective clothing that makes working in extreme conditions possible. waits for each setpoint to stabilize. Viewpoint Systems built a custom application using National Instruments’ LabView and its own toolkits to perform automated sequencing. Visit www. saf ety and f lexibility required f or demanding test applications. energizes the FCM condenser fan. directly into native LabView data types. A setpoint sequencer begins the test sequence.AutomationWorld. Aspen Thermal’s miniature cooling system. Viewpoint Systems’ dBaser database toolkit reads test stand configuration data from a Microsof t Excel worksheet. swap hardware I/O modules. edited. control. A custom digital control system maintains the circulating liquid temperature at the user-specif ied setpoint by varying the compressor speed. and prints the final test report. No code changes were required. A liquid circulating loop (LCL) provides the variable cooling load f or the test stand. Visit http://bit. The FCM test stand is designed to gather cooling perf ormance. When the client decided to switch from thermocouples to resistance-temperature detector (RTD) sensors. The application was developed and implemented by using NI LabView and a layered model view controller (MVC) architecture f ramework was tailored to Aspen’s specif ic test stand requirements.Integrator VIew Test Stand Replicates Extreme Personnel Conditions Firefighters and fighter pilots’ lives depend on ON THE WEB Integrator Insights Find more integrator view columns on the changing role of integrators in today’s manufacturing environment. Sof tware proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control loops maintain the enclosure temperature at the desired ambient setpoint by controlling the pulse-width modulation (PWM) and maintaining actual heat load at the desired setpoint. over a range of operating conditions. is president of Viewpoint Systems. the test application shuts down the PID controllers. For now. Matthew Littlefield. 2012 we have now benchmarked over 350 companies across a number of different strategic objectives.com. OEE measures how close the asset is producing to it’s theoretical maximum. At LNS Research. As with aerospace and def ense companies. and Cost of Quality. Semiconductor also has a low median but a much tighter distribution. Through this portal. for those products that are produced. Here are a few important observations by industry: Aerospace and Defense has the lowest median performance but also has a broad distribution. There is also an impressive distribution of performers well into the top and bottom tails in performance. with performance well above the median in the middle two quartiles. but also some impressive performance out of the top quartile. Efficiency. However there aren’t a lot of companies performing at the median. process. littlefield@lnsresearch. On Time and Complete Shipments. there is lots of room f or improvement among some automotive companies. so it is important to be precise in this regard. There is lots of room for improvement on average. but our guess is that it has to do with maturity around systems managing quality and change control.Ent Erpris E ViEw Overall Equipment Effectiveness: Benchmark Data by Industry OEE. the chart on this page shows the distribution of performance in OEE across a number of different discrete manufacturing industries. metrics and technology. Automotive performance with regard to OEE is surprisingly low compared to all respondents. l Third. OEE measures how often an asset is available when it should be producing product for a customer.000 companies by the end of the year and make this data available to our clients through an interactive benchmark data web portal. resulting in the OEE formula of Availability % x Efficiency % x Quality% = OEE The dif f erences between OEE f ormulas lie in how each of these three terms are measured. l Second. all semiconductor companies could improve profits by improving asset utilization in OEE. Our goal is to benchmark over 1. Massachusetts. Medical Devices is the real surprise This shows the distribution of performance in OEE across a number of different discrete of this analysis. but it is largely understood to be a composite metric based on three different areas of a particular assets’ performance. or overall equipment effectiveness. is an important metric for many companies’ initiatives in operational excellence. Source: LNS Research since it is a highly regulated industry with high margins that ef f iciency is low. Our analysis shows otherwise. November 2012 l Automation World 61 . which has issued a research report on Taking Overall Equipment Effectiveness beyond the Plant Floor. matthew. it is helpful to think and talk about OEE in the following way: l First. OEE measures the percentage of products that are produced within quality specifications. Many people assume manufacturing industries. when an asset is producing product f or a customer. is president and principal analyst for LNS Research based in Brookline. we have been collecting data f rom our industrial client base on people. There are many different definitions of OEE. More analysis is needed to determine why performance is so strong. An impressive share of respondents is in the top two quartiles and is performing above 90 percent. as well as to some of the other performers. Electronics is dead even with the median for the overall population. Companies in this industry are at a severe competitive disadvantage if performance isn’t well above the overall average. Industrial Equipment is a leading industry in OEE and it impressively outperforms other discrete industries like aerospace and automotive. At a high level. and Quality. As of September 10. clients will be able to compare their performance to their peers’ using metrics such as OEE. As an asset-intensive industry. These three areas are: Availability. Successful New Product Introductions. metrics and operational excellence capabilities. rather there are large groupings around 90 percent and 70 percent. most commercial WSN applications have used non-standard medium access (MAC) rules to optimize the performance of their own networks.11a. acquired in late 2011 by specialist Linear Technology Corp. wireless communication continues to grow much faster than the overall automation market. WSN has also grown technically during the past year. Greater WSN industry maturity has come through a steady series of acquisitions. The most important development is the completion of the “e” revision to the IEEE 802. It will give the IEEE standard greater value and a much longer lif e. enable a much larger set of customers to be well served.ly/awinnovation TDMA network properties used in industrial low-power applications (e. ZigBee and IPv6 sensor networks all depended on a customized MAC layer to achieve low power consumption and reliable endto-end message delivery. almost all the pioneering sensor-networking ventures have been acquired by much larger companies. ISA100. Looking at the changes in wireless sensor networking (WSN) during the past year.4 standard. notably including Siemens.to f our-year-long IEEE standards development process. It creates a standard and fully defined MAC that can support diverse types of networks. this provides an “energy surplus.Industry VIew Wireless Sensing Benefits from New Technology and Standards Wireless sensing is the most important new technology in process measurement to appear in decades. At present. enable greater interoperability among WSN silicon and network stacks. WirelessHART and ISA100.15. with extensive and enthusiastic contributions from many major suppliers.4e makes important changes to the def ined MAC layer. IEEE 802. the list of WSN suppliers no longer represents an exceptional risk to the supply chain of global giants like Emerson.4 standard has been ON THE WEB Technology Trends From Wireless Sensor developments to the future of industrial computing. Dust now employs its most recent chip design (which conf orms to 15.11a). it is a very active development area within Linear Technology Corp. Honeywell and Siemens. We believe that both will spur market growth because they published f or years. Visit www. N. Hayward. While growth of wireless measurements in industrial applications has proven to be slower than most forecasts. Finally.-based Dust Networks has become one of the most recent.4e is a big benefit for industrial customers.” enabling devices to have longer life and/or to serve in applications that previously consumed too much battery power. since it helps drive down power consumption by roughly 50 percent with each new generation.AutomationWorld.com.15. so that these diverse networks (as well as future ones) can extend the standard MAC without violating the standard itself.4e accommodates extensions. Though energy harvesting represents an ongoing technical challenge. Another area to watch may be energy harvesting. Today. because applications needed their own specialized MACs. ARC is most impressed by the greater maturity of the industry along with significant new technical achievements.com 62 Automation World l November 2012 . 15.. Most of the acquirers are well-established semiconductor suppliers. This decouples WSN development f rom the three. since it helps drive down power consumption by roughly 50 percent with each new generation. Mass. This limits the value of the IEEE standard.Y. Fortune 1000 companies must carefully manage the technologies they employ if they are to meet their customer expectations. and enable future WSN technologies to leverage an existing and fully standard MAC. Harry Forbes. This includes 6LoWPANcompressed IPv6 networks. GE. of Manhasset. WirelessHART. Using the latest chipset is a big benefit for the WirelessHART (industrial) customers.4e) in both WirelessHART and IPv6 products. Recent events help illustrate how these developments have changed (and will continue to change) the wireless sensing market. In battery-powered industrial devices. is senior analyst at ARC Advisory Group in Dedham.15. The new standard was developed largely from Dust Network’s technology. A technology that is sourced from a group of venture-stage fabless semiconductor firms represents a major supply chain risk to global firms whose customers expect product support for many years going forward. Visit http://bit. For this reason alone it has attracted the sustained attention of ARC Advisory Group and other industry analyst organizations. It also supports the synchronized Using a chipset that conforms to IEEE 802. Though the 15.g. Calif . hforbes@arcweb. and virtually all the f abless WSN firms have now been snapped up. stay informed on the latest technology developments. November 2012 Supplement to Automation World Tablets and Smart Phones Poised to Makea Big Impact Industry Interrupted Building a Better HMI • Industrial Networking Desires Revealed • Products . Two CPU options are available: H2-DM1E $399 H2-DM1 $299 (1) USB port for programming...Do-more Designer software. 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These devices are migrating into our plants and factories whether management and information technology departments endorse it or not.ly/awfeat070 Devices are migrating into our plants and factories whether management and information technology departments endorse it or not. Tony Perkins started a Website/company dubbed AlwaysOn predicated on the supposition that people were “always on” the Internet. And they can get out of the control room or maintenance building and into where the action is. That can only make things better for productivity. We can check email. LinkedIn. Speaker asks. Visit http://bit. so management is better served figuring out how to make best use of the phenomenon than trying to bar the doors. Combine those. But now. most of us are always on. “How many of you have a smart phone?” Almost everyone. and workers are more empowered with information than ever before. The enabling factor in the enterprise is WiFi—a technology that connects devices to the Ethernet network wirelessly. The other enabling factor is cellular—mobile phone technology. Twitter. flight status. About eight years ago. messaging. Gary Mintchell Co-founder and Editor In Chief Recipe for Ethernet | This feature article surveys the basics of an Ethernet TCP/IP network and whets your appetite for further learning. Contents 5 Industry Interrupted: Tablets and Smart Phones Poised to Make a Big Impact 10 Building a Better HMI 12 Industrial Ethernet Products Desires Revealed 14 An Automation World Survey: Industrial Networking supplement to automation world November 2012 INdustrIal EthErNEt rEvIEw 3 . The same thing happened with PCs in the mid ‘80s and throughout the ‘90s. “How many have a tablet?” About two-thirds. people are doing it. any place.Mobility Disruptive to the Way We Operate I ’m sitting at another industry technology conference. sports scores at almost any time. He was early. Facebook. Like many technologies. multiple applications and seamless data communication is driving the convergence of automation systems and enterprise IT networks under a single Ethernet platform.Belden. performance.Your networks are evolving.Belden.Belden. high availability line of Industrial Ethernet network devices and systems from our globally known brands .com/blog . GarrettCom. Choose the right Industrial Ethernet partner. ® www. From the factory floor to the control room to the data center and everywhere in between – Belden is your trusted partner to support all your network needs of availability. Who will you trust to transform your network? You can Be Certain with Belden.com @BeldenInc Scan to visit www. Belden offers a high quality. integrity and security. The demand for increased productivity. To support the proliferation of these mission-critical applications. Hirschmann and Lumberg Automation. ” Many information technology teams are likely to rail against the use of personal devices.” says Erik Nieves. Temecula. whether tablets will advance beyond data collection to take over control of equipment remains uncertain. but its reach is extending into many factories.Industry Interrupted: Tablets and Smart Phones Poised to Make a Big Impact Industrial IT teams are likely to rail against the use of mobile devices. Productivity will ultimately determine which side will win. “Bring your own device has become a hot topic. so companies need a set of programs and rules so this can happen without creating big problems. By Terry Costlow. technology director at the Motoman Robotics Division of Yaskawa America. “The robotics industry isn’t large enough to drive technology.” says Ben Orchard. you might as well start with an hMI that has a factory-grade IP rating. it’s done. Automation World Contributing Editor pple isn’t likely to become a player in harsh industrial environments. supplement to Automation world A Miamisburg.” comments one machine builder. these handheld devices are expected to continue the trend that began when users started toting laptops around. we have to use advances made in other areas. Ohio. Tablets and smart phones are becoming a part of the control and monitoring technologies in a growing number of plants. Many predict that equipment operators and technicians will hasten the advance by using their own devices instead of waiting for management to acquire tablets or phones. the many Android suppliers or other manufacturers. Productivity will ultimately determine which side will win. but many equipment makers feel they are fighting against the tide to ignore them. And if you add enough protection. But many equipment makers feel they will be fighting against the tide. “Automation companies that adopt consumer electronics technologies early will have an edge. Whether they’re from Apple. Photo source: Phoenix Contact INdusTrIAl EThErNET rEvIEw November 2012 5 . The latest generation of handhelds makes it even easier for operators and technicians to gather data when they’re right next to the equipment. systems engineer at Opto 22.” Suppliers throughout the industrial automation field predict that handhelds will see significant growth. Calif. “It’s inevitable that people will bring these devices in. Companies that embrace the use of tablets and smart phones feel they’re continuing a trend that took off when companies started using Ethernet. “If someone spills solvent on one. then run back to the controller to see if everything was working right. “Other threats. Some equipment vendors are already offer apps written for automation engineers and technicians.” One way to avoid problems like this is to ensure that users can’t download information that could cause problems if it is stolen. “One way to protect this data is through virtualization. To be in the field using the tablet as a calibration device and check the wiring is very helpful.” Tablets and smart phones can bring many benefits. “Many products have remote wipe and remote lock if they’re lost.” Brooks says. Rockwell Automation’s business development manager for networks in Milwaukee. and a sane security policy in the environment should mitigate the risks. “If it’s banned. providing a way for companies to pick software that has gone through some testing. it’s done.” The latest generation of handhelds will augment existing systems. Even if you put a tablet in a nice case. people will say they can’t be as productive as they’d like. vice president at Opto 22. data security comes into the picture. These apps democratize data and let users do anything they like with that data. for example fault tolerant wireless LANs with no dropouts. We do not expect smartphones and tablets to completely replace traditional mobile computers. such as the employee who is angry and wants to get back at his boss. warrant attention. likely that app stores that focus on industrial environments will pop up soon. proteCting the network henever new devices come into industrial environs. Companies will also have to figure out how to let employees work freely to improve their efficiency. Tablets and smart phones have many of the conventional security issues related to wireless networking and portable devices. not store it.” says Benson Hougland. you might as well start with an HMI that has a factory-grade IP rating. One technique is to dedicate handhelds only to data monitoring. “If someone spills solvent on one. the loss or theft of a tablet that’s been connected to the corporate network. companies should encourage it. Some proponents feel that it will be difficult to use the latest handhelds in harsh environments unless or until a company figures out how to ruggedize equipment without adding much cost. it’s not IP protected.” Changes to networks and poliCies T o realize productivity gains. others will be written by employees. MAC address filtering. It’s security policies must be expanded when employees use their personal equipment. Many also have ways to track the device if it’s Wireless networks with uninterrupted coverage will have to be linked tightly with the Ethernet backbone. control and software marketing specialist at Phoenix Contact. we find that employing virtualization requires an upgrade to the infrastructure. It will be interesting to see if something like two-way authentication happens in industrial environments. “Tablets and smart phones work very well as a dashboard so people can look at live data remotely.“Rather than discouraging personal devices. but they also bring additional challenges. It will be hard for IT people to win that argument. November 2012 supplement to automation World W 6 INdusTrIal EThErNET rEvIEW . Any time you can increase access to information about the production system.” says Dan Fenton. make it a thin device that can only display information. senior product marketing manager at Honeywell Scanning & Mobility. Wireless networks with uninterrupted coverage will have to be linked tightly with the Ethernet backbone. you get a lot of benefits. says Lisa London. One is to deal with an almost inevitable occurrence.” Orchard says.” Whether tablets will advance beyond data collection to take over control of equipment remains uncertain. network designers and plant managers will have to make changes to their networks as well as their corporate policies. “I’m very bullish on the role apps can play. not displace them. Companies will probably want to establish some vetting for programs from individuals.” says Nieves. “You need something with an ingress protection (IP) rating. Very frequently. and notebooks should continue to see use in applications that demand more capabilities than tablets can provide. “Instead of a device being a thick device.” says Paul Brooks. where some applications will stick with a traditional mobile computer/handheld device and other applications will use a tablet coupled with additional software and enterprise sleds that provide protection and added durability. lost. these changes may require some upgrades to the existing network infrastructure. We foresee mixed environments. “We’ve created an Android app that helps with wiring. Sometimes.” Some apps will come from suppliers. Human machine interfaces will continue as the mainstay of controls. someone would wire something in a panel. That’s doable because most portables have a virtual client. “Potential loss of a device can be a big concern. as some companies will need a more robust solution. “In the past.” Nieves says. If you add enough protection. Password rotation. . These devices bring a much different challenge. “Regardless of what happens there. “When you’re putting industrial information into the ether with wireless. Passwords have become only a part of the security process. you lose the security that comes with a company-owned laptop that’s equipped with security.” Building in the necessary security isn’t something to be taken lightly. will have to be watched closely. Companies need to figure out how to control information going into and out of the facility. It takes a different set of skills to put together a secure wireless network. In this era of open networks that go throughout ON THE WEB Future of Industrial Computing In this video. ponders industrial computing and thin clients. due to different architectures. IT personnel have typically been involved in wireless communications and handheld devices for a fair while. Gary Mintchell. “It’s not absolutely bulletproof but most include protocols like Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2). “You also need security. they must be governed by the protective schemes that prevent users from straying into areas that are outside their purview. you first need a mission critical wireless infrastructure so you can be confident that a critical message will arrive in a timely manner. “If you use tablets in the HMI. Visit http://bit.These security policies must be expanded when employees use their personal equipment. managers must ratchet up the level of protection. it’s increasingly important that IT departments get in on the act. Viruses written for Apple or Android platforms generally won’t impact other operating systems. These handhelds can be set up so they are limited to viewing data. “One of the best situations you can have is to provide security by using a virtual private network (VPN). so they will usually have a fair amount of experience and knowledge in these areas. “Many of the threats from common mobile devices won’t transfer to PC operating systems.ly/awvids080 the enterprise. When tablets are used to actually control equipment on the floor. not changing any parameters on the equipment. network developers need to make sure that their wireless links meet all the requirements necessary for devices that manage equipment. “Industrial folks often create their own networks so IT is not involved. “If the tablet is simply providing insight into published data. “That provides a single point of entry and it provides secure http traffic. such as the case of Windows 8. security plays a major role in the design considerations.” Hougland says. and it may change as tablets and PCs begin sharing more technologies.” Others note that phones and tablets usually use their own operating systems. Managers who are traveling or at home can easily tap into corporate networks to check on things or troubleshoot problems. some sort of training for operators to prevent social engineering attacks will have to be undertaken. “There’s a lot of security built into wireless networks. At the same time. Companies will have to figure out how to let employees work freely to improve their efficiency. Co-founder and Editor in Chief.” Once employees start using tablets and phones inside the facility.” Network developers must integrate security plans for tablets into existing security systems. Those steps must be taken even when handhelds are used only to monitor devices. the security requirements are far lower.” o November 2012 supplement to automation world 8 INdustrIal EthErNEt rEvIEw . you shouldn’t let tablets and smart phones take command. Many aspects of security are already built into network schemes. assuming companies don’t make public information they don’t want seen.” Brooks says. “Security is a huge issue. “Not so much virus protection. security is not an issue. Of paramount importance is to ensure that these personal devices can’t get into the network unless they are carried by authorized users.” While developers stress the need for high levels of security. so it’s important to get IT involved.” Hougland says.” Fenton says. so users don’t have to do a lot beyond setting up their parameters. so many viruses and other maladies won’t move onto industrial architectures. Another thing people can do is to use https if you’re going to use http at all. it’s more security of intellectual property. The need for and importance of failsafe authentication is more important than ever. When they’re only used as monitors. Once these users are in the network. That prevents snooping. if you’re not employing encryption and other security steps at all times. multiple device management software and signature tokens are important to the security of mobile devices. many note that the job may not be as daunting as it can sound. they’ll doubtless want to use them when they’re in other areas. Whether this will change as the two combine. Perhaps even more importantly.” Brooks says. security is always a potential stumbling block. But it takes some planning to grant access only over secure connections.” Orchard says. Firewalls. But that’s a general rule. “For tablets to take control of equipment. these devices can easily be removed from the facility without any safeguards to protect information that’s going outside corporate walls.” Nieves says. If someone uses a personal tablet.” The necessary level of security can also be lowered by limiting the access level of tablets. That’s beneficial for network designers who might look at the many facets of protection and decide it’s easier to just skip it completely. Privately-owned handhelds typically won’t be authorized nor will they run only companysanctioned software. Typically. London says. eaton. Knowledge Is Power. SmartWire-DT™ from Eaton reduces wiring time and allows efficient connection to motor control components within minutes: • Motor Starters & Contactors • Pushbuttons & Pilot Devices • Selector Switches • Control Relays • Digital & Analog I/O Modules Now. integrate the Eaton XV Series HMI-PLC with an embedded SmartWire-DT master as your controller. Discover more possibilities at www.The more you know… the more efficiently you can connect to your control components.com/smartwiredt . so that the HMI is more tightly integrated into the system. P ortable equipment is transforming the way industrial workers monitor equipment and gather data. “Many HMIs offer shortcuts. the move to develop all aspects of a system simultaneously. www. but changing how the button looks sure is. This ensures that the HMI operates with maximum efficiency. “We’re seeing a lot more Web-based technologies. It’s kind of like an app store. it can create confusion instead of simplifying operation. it can be even more confusing. rather than tacked on at the end. Developers are taking many different paths to help operators create these shortcuts. vice president at Opto 22. some developers feel that the capabilities of these ON THE WEB All About HMI Find the latest news. the human machine interfaces (HMI) that are tightly linked to industrial machines. However. control and software marketing specialist at Phoenix Contact. like PCs. displays have been overused. Milwaukee. using color displays. Pa.automationworld. “Hiding a button because ‘it clutters your screen’ might not be possible. reliable. These HMIs are advancing rapidly. the drive to connect the mobile market. and secure connection between the user and the machine the user is controlling.” Fenton says. Making an HMI that’s easier to use is Opto 22’s number one R&D project. But for the foreseeable future. “High brightness. Harrisburg.com  November 2012 supplement to automation world 10 INdustrIal EthErNEt rEvIEw . these handhelds will augment.” One way to reduce confusion is to let operators set up functions that are specific to their jobs. http://bit. navigation history and other elements people are familiar with from Web browsing.” HMI creators are also following another industry trend. As they’ve done with the Ethernet communications that link systems together. Many companies are working on the controls while the equipment is being designed. ranging from the microprocessors that work in the background to displays and inputs that operators see whenever they use the machine. not replace. but I think what is holding this back more than anything is the knowledge of how to create a solid. smart phones and tablets.”o Terry Costlow is a Contributing Editor to Automation World. trends. Higher resolution displays make reading and fitting a higher level of detail in graphs and images much easier.Building a Better HMI Web-based technologies and interface design are just two areas in which consumer electronics technology is driving changes in industrial machine interfaces. Calif. touch input.” HMIs also utilize commercial hardware. This makes certain the operator can always use that button if need be. students and businesses. “The software engineers who work on this code understand both the need for personalization and the requirement for reli- software engineers who work on this code understand both the need for personalization and the requirement for reliability. When HMIs and portable equipment use imagery that isn’t identical. “There is. “We’re working on techniques that make it easier for engineers to create screens that have different targets. and multi-touch displays are certainly making operator’s lives easier. One of the most dominant trends in these controls is their utilization of commercial technologies. product marketing manager at Rockwell Automation. enhanced programmability and other technologies to make it easier for operators to set up and use complex machines.” Fenton says. “HMI screens have gotten so colorful and complex that they’re difficult to use. in Temecula.” says Benson Hougland. If there are too many options or too much information on the screen.” says Gordon Daily. as opposed to hiding it and then being unable to find it just when it’s needed. high contrast.ly/findhmi ability. of course.” says Dan Fenton.The code that works behind the scenes lets them make changes without impacting reliability. developers are utilizing the huge volumes and vast knowledge base of electronics used by consumers. Improvements in low-cost flat screen displays continue to help operators get more input without sacrificing readability. case studies and all things HMI here. “Companies need to focus on the back end code. If you want to add your choice of connectors to an all-inclusive Anybus brick.anybus. More about the new Anybus concept on www. If you want to plug in a complete Anybus communication module. • High performance industrial communication supporting motion and sync applications.Integrate Anybus® CompactCom™ into your product to gain access to any industrial network. • M12 connector option enables IP-rating up to IP67. M������� �� ������� ���’� �� ����� www.com .com. More than two million automation devices already use Anybus to get connected to fieldbus and industrial Ethernet networks. • Connect to safety networks together with Anybus Safety modules. The new Anybus CompactCom concept: • One CompactCom integration — access to all networks! • Access all networks through Anybus CompactCom in various formats.anybus. Your access pass to any network! Choose your CompactCom solution: If you want a fully integrated Anybus CompactCom solution. com/ea 800. Most importantly. And for best in class motion controls and pneumatics. including 16 inputs and 16 outputs and an eight input/output station. It’s a unique operating system allows more than one Ethernet protocol to be embedded on the device. the station features the company’s multiprotocol technology. the  flexible nature of the aPaX series I/O allows for high-speed communication backplane to be extended over Ethernet.advantech. a single aPaX-5071 coupler can be used to interface aPaX I/O for multiple distributed locations into the Profinet network. yet only allows one Ethernet master to control the outputs while the input and diagnostic data is available to the other protocols.6889 12 INdustrIal EthErNEt rEvIEw November 2012 . Turck www. 68.544. It is available in rugged IP67-.  this allows for I/O nodes to be connected in a line (bus) topology. For maximum modularity and flexibility with remote I/Os. It features an integrated 2-port Ethernet switch. instead of dealing with the complexities of configuring the station based on the Ethernet host system. which was developed to simplify Industrial Ethernet for distributed I/O.800.com/us/cpx-ia Global manufacturer of process control and factory automation solutions Profinet Coupler for APAX I/O the aPaX-5071 Profinet Coupler enables the popular Profinet networking interface to be used with aPaX series I/O modules in remote and distributed applications.us 800. in fixed I/O applications in environments where conditions may not be conducive to traditional I/O.festo. Modbus tCP and Profinet—in a single device. allowing for a daisy-chain style of Ethernet networking between multiple distributed couplers.or 69K-rated housing. instead of a traditional star topology. It provides isolated power for inputs and outputs and several I/O configurations. For more information: Call: 1-800-Go-Festo 1-800-463-3786 www. Advantech www.turck.  In addition. therefore reducing the effort required for wiring and saving installation costs. which provides customers the flexibility of identifying a single part number. thus requiring only one IP address on the network.7769 Integrated automation for the 21st century: CPX.industrial ethernet products 40 CPX years I/O Module Station for Industrial Ethernet Advancing Automation The future today: the FGEN advanced I/O Module (aIM) station for Industrial Ethernet is designed for use in on-machine. It combines multiple Ethernet protocols— EtherNet/IP. this design is appropriate for applications such as railway. the switches are compliant with EN50155/50121-3-2/50121-4 (railway applications). Aaxeon www. with eight 10/100tX ports. www. the unit’s integral web server presents a detailed record of all events.aaxeon.0) adds major new features and enhancements: up to 32 GB of user-accessible onboard flash memory.Unmanaged Industrial Switches with M12 Connectors the company’s newest 8-port unmanaged switch models are the lNX800-M12. can be offered as wide temperature models (-40° C to 70° C) and are enclosed in a rugged IP30 aluminum case for harsher environments.3af compliant PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) ports. 16 data-log groups to facilitate required test reports for emergency power systems.cyber-sciences. or other mobile applications that require tight and secure connections in order to overcome high vibration and shock while sustaining reliable network service. the latest update (version 2. time-stamped to 1-ms resolution-all available over an Ethernet network using a standard web browser. the unit also ensures easy integration into supervisory systems through Modbus tCP. making them suitable for a variety of industrial applications. the switches come with M12 screw-in type connectors instead of the traditional rJ45 connectors.com 877. and more.com 615. support for dCF77 time-sync protocol. and the lNP-800-M12.3665 the sEr-3200 enhances electrical power monitoring systems in missioncritical facilities.229. Inc. sQl database and web technologies. Cyber Sciences. heavy industries.6709 Sequence of Events Recorder November 2012 INdustrIal EthErNEt rEvIEw 13 . operations counters for all 32 high-speed digital inputs.890. with eight 10/100tX ports and four IEEE 802. l Connecting work cells and machines to form a SCADA/ MES system. e first started seeing demonstrable proof of this in the Automation World Innovation survey conducted in late 2011 (See the January 2012 issue for results. Full results will be published in the December 2012 issue of Automation World and online at www. co-sponsored by industrial network vendor Moxa. and electronics to food & beverage. nearly half of respondents said the incorporation of Ethernet into plant floor systems was the most innovative advance to occur in automation over the past decade. In addition to quantifying our belief that plant managers and engineers are not only open to the use of Ethernet. in readers’ opinions. but actively evaluating and installing it for specific applications (see charts). l Increased support for Power over Ethernet by more vendors.) In that survey. l Development of a complete wireless network connecting plant cameras. oil & gas. Automation World Media and Events Director W 14 INdustrIal EthErNEt rEvIEW November 2012 supplement to automation World . l Remote switching of power distribution networks. Ethernet’s advance onto the factory floor was recognized as the clear innovation winner. l Real-time instrument data feeds over Ethernet. We asked respondents to identify their unfulfilled industrial networking desires. With so many readers citing this development as being more innovative than any other. we conducted another survey to obtain insight into current engineering and management applications and opinions surrounding the use of Ethernet and wireless networks across industry. l Converting process control operator stations to Ethernet.com.Industrial Networking Desires Revealed In the last few years. and l Implementing IEEE 1588 precision time control. o By David Greenfield. l Connecting servo drives with Ethernet.000 readers from a variety of industries—ranging from automotive. l Connecting dedicated safety controllers with Ethernet. and machinery/ equipment OEMs—responded to this survey.automationworld. Here’s what they had to say: l Connecting to the factory with a smart phone. one open-ended question caught our eye. voice. Nearly 1. data and control systems. chemicals. we at Automation World have seen a noticeable shift in attitude among industrial automation professionals about Ethernet and wireless network technologies. Recently. 5301. We can also deliver advanced design and engineering solutions based on these technologies. In the area of industrial networking. And you can attach a great value to that! Supported Real-Time Ethernet Systems • EtherCAT • EtherNet/IP • POWERLINK • PROFINET • SERCOS III • Modbus TCP Supported Fieldbus Systems • CANopen • CC-Link (Slave) • DeviceNet • PROFIBUS • Serial Low-cost Gateway Full-featured Gateway IP 67 Gateway PROFINET to I/O Link Fieldbus Card Real-time Ethernet Card S7-3/400 SCADA Website S7 MPI to Ethernet Converter For more information.com/usa or call 1.hilscher. Hilscher is the most flexible vendor there is. gateways and proxies for most popular communication protocols.This is why the automation industry has become so attached to us. Inc. We offer converters. We’re the connect-convert-control-visualizeintegrate-and-adapt networking specialists.630. All trademarks are the properties of their respective companies. including fieldbuses.505. serial buses and Industrial Ethernets. ©2012 Hilscher North America. or to receive our catalog visit our website at www. . Standalone/Modular DIN-Rail Switches .Fanless design 500 for Ed Switches ge-toco Solutio re ns Over Moxa is introducing a comprehensive portfolio of edge-to-core switches. including high performance.Flexible modular design . Tel: 1-888-669-2872 Fax: 1-714-528-6778 usa@moxa. high capability.Up to 4 10GbE ports . 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We Asked the Experts To get this information we went right to the experts themselves. but it comes at a cost – steeper competition. this paper will help inform them on the latest technologies and trends that are shaping the future of the integration field. The New Control System Integrator 2 | 3 © 2012 Inductive Automation Manufacturers & Integrators With so much riding on successfully charting a manufacturing company’s course for the future. consider when choosing a control system integrator to hook up their machines. We asked them two basic questions: 1. The highly competitive manufacturing industry is especially affected by this new global business landscape. For your benefit the results and responses of our survey have been analyzed and summarized in the form of this paper.000 integrators from various industries around the world. The pool was comprised of a wide cross-section of integration firms. and what the future holds for the industry. Top quality control system integrators can be a huge part of helping manufacturers stay ahead of their competition. What skill set will be the most valuable in the future for control system integrators? We found the results of our survey to be informative. The new business world is more competitive now than ever. they can be the key difference. Smaller because it’s so much quicker to communicate with a global audience and bigger because it has opened up entirely new markets that never would have been within reach before. This kind of connection can be a boon for businesses. One of the major catalysts for technological change has been the Internet because of the way it facilitates the rapid distribution of data around the worldwide community. devices and software. At Inductive Automation. Which new technology has most changed the role of control system integrators in the industry today? 2. As part of that effort we have investigated this topic to help prepare manufacturers in knowing what to .It seems that much of the world has simply gotten used to the rapid change of technology and has even come to expect it. the Internet has made the world both a smaller and bigger place at the same time. ranging from smaller operations to some of the largest and most successful integration firms in the world. part of our mission is to inform and educate in ways that will help move the industrial automation market into a productive future. insightful. and that makes the cost of not staying ahead of the curve for new technology and trends that much higher. it’s important to know what to look for in a control system integrator. and even surprising. Our hope is that this information can be a help to you in making informed decisions moving forward into the future. A top quality integrator is one who keeps their feet firmly rooted in the solid foundations of their discipline’s past. Manufacturers have to look for every competitive edge they can get and often have to do more with less in order to compete on a global scale. We surveyed a pool of more than 6. but with an eye fixed on the future. A forward-thinking control system integrator doesn’t only give their clients the control system they need that moment – they give them the system that can take their client into the next decade and beyond. in fact. For businesses. For integrators. 7798 www.inductiveautomation.266. It’s vitally important to understand what technologies have most changed and continue to change the field of control system integration in order to see what direction the field is moving. 1: The Internet 2: SQL Databases 3: OPC UA 4: Mobile Devices 15% 14% 13% 49% 5: Server Centric Applications 9% % = Represents what percentage of integrators responded to the question with that answer.The New Control System Integrator Question 1: What Technology has Most Changed Control System Integration? In order to know where you are going you have to know where you have been.com . 800. For this reason we asked our pool of integrators the question: Which new technology has most changed the role of control system integrators in the industry today? The results and the analysis of each answer are below. The most efficient and secure way to share data across multiple sites is a WAN. data is the lifeblood of their business. and then that data can be accessed by connecting to the cloud server through an Internet connection. At 49%. It’s unclear what the future of the cloud will be in the industrial automation market and how it will affect things. even if they are on opposite sides of the world. adhere to security protocols and get connected. regardless of their size. Thanks to the Internet. For most companies.1: The Internet – 49% Is there anything the Internet didn’t change? Clearly the expert respondents of our survey felt that the Internet has had a vast transformative effect on the field of control system integration. Fortunately the Internet has also made it easier for integrators to search for support topics and immediately connect with vendors. These LANs consist of computers and devices that have been networked together on a local level. That’s a game changer. You just need to plug into the Internet. It has also greatly widened the reach of integration firms. The cloud is an Internet technology that integrators simply must be aware of because of its potential impact on the industry and because many of their customers are moving their information to the cloud. The “cloud” is one of the buzziest of buzzwords in business today. Remote Access Easy remote access is another major reason the Internet changed the integration field. The Cloud The cloud is a concept entirely born out of the Internet. Having the ability to connect from anywhere means that integrators can now develop a new SCADA project. such as an office. and why are those changes important? Wide Area Networks Wide area networks or WANs were around before the Internet. decisions can’t be made and things don’t get done. However today – because of the Internet – setting up a WAN is easy. the Internet was the overwhelming choice by integrators as the technology that has most changed the field today. WANs were reserved for only the wealthiest and most technically savvy companies. Remote access allows any integrator to offer customers real-time assistance. It’s the idea of using large arrays of remote Internet-based servers to store and handle data and server applications. The Web makes it possible for integrators to link multiple sites together into a WAN. The ease at which this can be done has literally changed the way most companies do business. Customers have come to expect this kind of access to their data. regardless of location. An operations manager in California can check the status of a production line in a facility in India through a secure WAN right from his desk and see data in real time. it is an essential skill for integrators to know how to provide remote access to clients. in large part because of the potential it holds. So what have those changes been. When several LANs are connected across a large area they form a WAN. update old ones and even troubleshoot systems for customers around the world – all while sitting in their own office. having a huge in-house library of user manuals is no longer necessary because it is fast and easy to find support documentation for new and old products. but one thing does seem clear: For better or worse. The cloud concept is that a company has its server applications and data saved off-site. A WAN is made up of connected local area networks (LANs). no matter where they are. Giving them the ability to access their control systems from another facility. but before the Internet. The Internet also gave integrators the ability to offer remote access to clients. but they were much more difficult and expensive to create. their home or the field. The New Control System Integrator 4 | 5 © 2012 Inductive Automation . and as a result. The ability to remotely access a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system through Internet technologies such as virtual private networks (VPNs) have opened up new possibilities to integrators. on the servers of a third-party hosted cloud service. the handling of more and more data and software is heading into the cloud. which makes it easier to find solutions for their customers. communications and ideas around the company. It’s now a standard for companies to have connected networks that facilitate the rapid sharing of data. without it. It could take multiple applications.7798 www. Now. SQL databases are less expensive. not because it has to be. SQL is a standardized structured query language for databases. used to store information of all types in every industry you can imagine.inductiveautomation. flexibility and most of all their ability to quickly query related data. which can make it difficult for other systems to easily communicate with them. but are much more powerful and accessible to multiple users at the same time. Simply put. SQL was built to quickly answer complex questions about large amounts of data. a significant number of the integrators we surveyed felt that SQL databases have had a big effect on their role and the field at large. ease of connectivity. A process historian is an application specifically created to deal with time-series data. which are structured like a large spreadsheet with rows. it is very well supported so troubleshooting isn’t nearly as time-consuming. but relational SQL databases offer a compelling alternative. Since SQL is so widely used. According to the integrators we surveyed. The ability to ask questions of your data is extremely empowering. Before SQL databases. easily accessible and more easily scalable than storing historical data in a dedicated historian. There are any number of facts that can come to light when data is questioned – facts that can inform important decisions that affect a company’s bottom line. As a result. time-series data has been stored in a process historian. This is especially true for enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Logging Historical Data Traditionally. Using an SQL database allows integrators to break away from the use of expensive proprietary process historians and use a solution that any IT department can easily support. columns and cells. and it can be used endlessly to find important answers that can positively affect the profitability of a company. 800.com . SQL is not a type or brand of database. Most historians use proprietary technology to compress and store data. Connecting to Enterprise Systems The business world on the whole has fully embraced SQL databases and as a result most standard enterprise systems use SQL databases. The real power of SQL for analyzing data is in its ability to relate data together across multiple tables and multiple databases.The New Control System Integrator 2: SQL Databases – 15% Coming in with 15% of the vote.266. The primary function of SQL is to create a query (or question) and run it against your data to retrieve an answer. getting it to work with the databases of other MES applications is a simple process because both systems speak the same language. one of the most common requests they receive from their customers is to connect the data from their SCADA systems to their ERP systems. A historian is made for the storage and analysis of time-series data and as such is designed with an emphasis on the compression and speedy retrieval of large amounts of data. Data Analysis SQL was created with the specific intent to make it easy to ask questions of data. connecting SCADA systems with other manufacturing execution systems (MES) was a real challenge. SQL databases compare favorably to process historians and even offer the major advantage of making historical data more accessible to other enterprise systems. SQL databases are relational databases. SQL databases are popular for their simplicity. but because historians make it difficult for other systems to work with. if you use SCADA software that utilizes SQL databases. Having controls data easily accessible in a SQL database makes it easier to ask and answer important questions of data. time-series data is often kept totally separate and detached from the rest of the enterprise data. running on multiple operating systems and an untold amount of hours and support just to get data to and from the plant floor and back to corporate planners. SQL-compatible databases are the most popular databases in the world. OPC is the method used to connect with devices like programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and programmable automation controllers (PACs). It also means that control systems don’t have to be tied to a specific type of operating system because of the PLCs. an OPC-UA server can be used to connect to any PLC or PAC. OPC-UA is also open and platform independent. This has increased the choices and flexibility for integrators when putting in new control systems. The result is that integrators now have more options to choose from in order to create the systems their clients need. a proprietary Microsoft technology that has become deprecated. which has opened the field for new products and software. It’s the next generation of OPC standards created to provide a more uniform and reliable framework for accessing real-time and historical data. It’s easy to see why. Integrators are always asked to make controls data more accessible and more available. creating a bridge from legacy products to new devices. devices just aren’t able to understand each other and work together. OPC-UA was selected as the next technology that has had a great effect on the integration field. OPC-UA was also designed to work with older devices and new state-of-the-art ones. Connecting to the Enterprise An underlying benefit to all of this is that OPC-UA makes it easier and more secure to connect data coming from PLCs on the plant floor to other systems in the rest of the enterprise. which gives integrators a great deal more freedom The New Control System Integrator 6 | 7 © 2012 Inductive Automation to put a system together how they want. OPC-UA is one of the key technologies that allow the modern integrator to do accomplish this. Instead of having to install different drivers for each type of PLC to get everything connected. Integrators who help their clients do this effectively are a huge asset to manufacturing companies. instead of being locked into a specific setup by proprietary technology. Interoperability OPC-UA is a unified architecture for OPC. The focus of OPC-UA is interoperability. Any change to OPC has a large effect in how integrators connect the plant floor to the rest of the enterprise. Without it. Fast Implementation One of the major benefits of OPC-UA for integrators is that it has greatly simplified the process of connecting devices. This can be a real time-saver and allow integrators to focus on other parts of the system. Unlike the OPC technology of the past. Manufacturers that employ integrators who can do this will reap the benefits of having real-time process and analytics of the data from their plant floor. In the automation industry. . This means that control systems that utilize UPC-UA no longer have to be tied to a specific brand of device or operating system. OPC functions similarly to how printer drivers function on a personal computer. OPC-UA is not dependent on DCOM.3: OPC-UA – 14% Coming in right behind SQL databases. to make it easier to connect to more diverse types of devices as well as different brands of them. which are the foundation for most industrial automation systems. inductiveautomation. 800. In some ways it’s like the Internet boom all over again. clicking. and they have become accustomed to getting information on-demand in the palm of their hand. With the success of smartphones it has become commonplace to access information ranging from social media sites. Customers want to be connected to their data. Customer Demand The effect that mobile devices are having on integrators is pretty easily summed up in two words: customer demand. In today’s economy. All you have to do is walk down a crowded street or step into a restaurant to notice people swiping. cloud services and enterprise systems – so why not control systems? The fact is that people have begun to see it as a requirement. Access Data Anywhere The demand from companies to access their control system data from mobile devices doesn’t just come from higher expectations based on other industries. Integrators overwhelmingly told us that the request they hear most from their customers is the ability to access their SCADA systems with their mobile device. Quite literally. mobile devices are changing the way HMI screens look as integrators are designing screens that are more effectively formatted to device requirements. banks. manufacturing companies are especially in need of getting every advantage possible. It’s based out of the very real need to compete. but this time with mobile devices. Using a mobile device to connect to HMI / SCADA systems can be a valuable asset in these instances and can even be the difference in averting a serious problem. and they want that connection on-the-go. To do this. the workforce today needs to be mobile in order to cover more ground effectively. Often in the field.7798 www.The New Control System Integrator 4: Mobile Devices – 13% Smartphones and mobile devices seem to be taking over the world. from their home. People interact with their systems differently on a touchscreen device than on a desktop computer. Today’s companies need access to their data from anywhere and at any time – from the field.com . to access their data from their mobile device. This means that manufacturers are often forced to do more with less.266. It seems that expectations for instantly-accessible data haven’t gone unnoticed in the industrial automation field. and integrators and SCADA software vendors have struggled to keep up with the demand. the only Internet access that can be achieved is through the network of a mobile device. Dynamic Data Presentation Another change for integrators with the rise of mobile device popularity is the shift in how their customers see and interact with their data. not a convenience. listening and sometimes even making a call on their smartphone. Smaller screen sizes and touchscreen technology have a largely affected how HMI screens are seen and used when accessed on a mobile device. People use their phones all the time. 13% of the integrators we surveyed said that mobile devices have a huge effect on them and on the demands of their customers. New projects can now be concurrently developed by multiple people at the same time. Another huge benefit of server-centric applications is the ability to launch an unlimited number of clients. in our list of the most transformative technologies on the field of integration. This is also a huge advantage when developing new HMI / SCADA projects. days. This makes it easy for integrators to give access to people who need it and facilitates the effective flow of data throughout the enterprise. The New Control System Integrator 8 | 9 © 2012 Inductive Automation development all happens in the same place – on the server.5: Server-Centric Applications – 9% With 9% of the vote. a technology like server-centric applications has made a big difference in how integrators get the job done. This can save an untold amount of time. Instead of updating each installation of the software. giving them time to focus on other things – such as developing new HMI / SCADA projects. Fault-tolerant systems can be created by joining two servers together via a gateway. but certainly not least. server-centric applications came in last. With SCADA software being a major piece of the puzzle in the job of integrators. . so if one goes down the other keeps running and users don’t even notice a difference. it’s a fairly straightforward process to back up the information with another redundant server or in the cloud. This is due in part to the fact that it’s easier to set up redundancy. Server-centric applications are installed on a server. No Installation One of the biggest benefits that server-centric applications offer is how greatly they reduce the work and time needed to install SCADA software. and application clients can be launched to any machine connected to the server without individual installations. application clients can be deployed from the server in a matter of seconds via the network or Internet. Instead of the time-consuming task of installing software on every machine that needs it. Traditionally software is installed on local machines and runs only where it is installed. Since everything is stored in one place. Instant Updates Since the application is located in one place – the server – the process of making updates to SCADA systems has been greatly streamlined. even weeks of time for integrators. making development much quicker. Server-centric applications have caused a shift in how SCADA software is deployed across an enterprise and have greatly affected the way in which integrators go about installing SCADA software. This can save hours. updates can be made at the server level and instantly deployed across entire networks in seconds. The process is seamless because Reliability Server-centric applications also have the advantage of being more stable. but servercentric applications are different. In an effort to help you stay ahead of the curve we asked the integrators we surveyed the following question: What skill set will be the most valuable in the future for control system integrators? The results and the analysis of each answer are below.com . 1: MES 2: PLC Programming 3: SQL Databases 24% 4: Networking 23% 5: Software Programming 20% 6: SCADA System Security 16% 12% 5% % = Represents what percentage of integrators responded to the question with that answer. integrators must continue to change and grow in order to keep up with the demands of their customers and stay one step ahead of the competition.The New Control System Integrator Question 2: What Skills Will Be the Most Valuable for Integrators in the Future? All of the technologies discussed in this paper have had a big effect on both the role of integrators and the kinds of services they can offer their customers.266. Like technology. With the speed of technological advancement showing no signs of slowing down. it is important to keep up with all of these changes in order to stay relevant and prosperous as an integrator today. A huge part of this growth is continuing to learn the skills that will allow integrators to keep pace with the industry. 800.7798 www.inductiveautomation. MES is a large area for growth for integrators because many manufacturers are still stuck in the past when it comes to MES data. The potential of integrating MES. MES software is designed to bridge the communication gap between the plant floor and the management and executive levels. many often track MES data manually on paper. Companies can become more profitable by using MES tools to become more efficient. which is the equivalent of finding free money right on the plant floor. MES software is used for tracking and improving such things as unplanned downtime. and MES software offers that solution. usually on a factory floor. Of course you can’t improve a process unless you track it. scheduling. and it’s likely something that they don’t already have. However. For this reason it’s not surprising at all to see PLC programming come in as the second most important integration skill to know. Customers Are Demanding It There are some people who may be surprised that the ability to work with MES came up in our survey as the number one essential skill for integrators to know in the future. which can greatly increase the profitability of the client and the integrator. Making their process more efficient is a cost-effective way of doing that. it’s no surprise to those integrators we surveyed for one specific reason: their customers are continuing to demand more integration between their control system and MES and ERP systems. ERP systems is enticing because the cross-analysis of all that data can result in immediate and impactful insights into what’s actually happening in each system. For integrators who offer MES services. Being able to offer that service greatly increases an integrator’s value to their customers and it’s a great setup for growth in the future. PLCs are used to capture data and control machinery. control and Still a Foundational Skill PLC programming is a foundation skill for integrators because it serves as the basis for most control systems. In a sense MES can be the gift that keeps on giving because it can increase efficiency. and how they can be improved. recipe management. The New Control System Integrator 10 | 11 © 2012 Inductive Automation . designed with reliability and durability in mind. how they affect each other. Automated data collection is much faster. Most PLCs are programmed with basic ladder logic because of its apparent simplicity.1: MES – 24% A manufacturing execution system (MES) is an information technology for the monitoring and management of work-in-process on a factory floor as well as historical production data. more accurate and can give manufacturers the edge they’re looking for. PLCs are relatively simple computers. they have the potential to deliver their clients a huge return on investment. MES gives manufacturers the chance to really see what is happening with their process. In a challenging economy many companies have been forced to do more with less. and it facilitates a sense of accountability for making the process better. genealogy and many more functions. track and trace. Huge Potential for Growth Integrators who have the knowledge and expertise to integrate MES software with SCADA and ERP have a real opportunity to set themselves apart from the pack by offering their clients something that they really need. It is used to keep track of real-time data in the manufacturing process as well as analyze and present it in the form of actionable information. Improving Processes With MES MES solutions offer manufacturers the tools necessary for continued improvement of their processes to make them more efficient and ultimately more profitable. 2: PLC Programming – 23% A PLC or PAC is a digital computer used for the automation of electromechanical processes. quality. and PLCs are the best devices suited to this task. and cells. most IT professionals don’t have to deal with it and don’t know much about it.266. data has to get from the plant floor to a database. Most of the data that companies have is stored in SQL databases. While most integrators just update and maintain a previously-installed SCADA system.com . and integrators who can add SQL to their toolkit will be able to offer a more complete package of services to their clients in the future. 3: SQL Databases – 20% As mentioned earlier in this paper. A Skill Only Integrators Possess The second reason is that while IT (information technology) departments already handle many of the other skills on this list. Simple PLC logic is still the language of choice for interfacing with machines and has proven to be a solid time-tested solution for industrial controls.The New Control System Integrator In order for a SCADA system to be of much use. which makes PLC programming an indispensable skill for integrators now and in the future. Every true database requires a database management system (DBMS). It digitally stores any variety of information you can imagine. A relational database is one that stores information in the basic structure of tables 800. Integrators who have strong PLC programming skills will continue to be valuable in the future. As a result of the wide use of SQL and its increasing prominence in the industrial automation field. and even if the industry does migrate to a new technology. IT departments are much more likely to give their seal of approval to SCADA systems that use standard information technologies like SQL than those that are built on proprietary technology. The reasons for this are twofold. PLC programming is still foreign to most of them. so much so that they pretty much define what the word “database” means.inductiveautomation. This makes an integrator with deep knowledge of how to work with PLCs totally essential. SQL Skills Open a New World Possessing a SQL skill set also increases the kind of work an integrator can do. columns. Since PLC programming isn’t used much outside the manufacturing industry. This means that PLCs will be around a long time. SQL is perfect for this application. This service offers a higher value to a manufacturing company. just way more flexible and powerful. SQL databases are the most commonly used database in the world and are already in use by most MES and ERP systems. you are more or less thinking of a relational database. which can make a huge difference. This skill set opens a new potential for greater growth in the future. it won’t change quickly. When you think of a database. A database is a central clearinghouse for information. made up of rows. and a relational DBMS is the most widely used. it will be a slow process that will still require the expertise of integrators with strong PLC programming skills. Databases are not defined by what kind of information they store. That is not likely to change anytime soon. Relational databases are extremely popular. The integrators we surveyed told us that their clients are always asking them to get more data into the hands of more people. SQL is a standardized structured query language for relational databases. and SQL is the most common query language for relational databases. especially because many companies already have a SCADA system in place. but rather the structure in which they store data. even as new technologies emerge.7798 www. Manufacturers value reliability above all and are slow to make changes to new technologies until they are proven. which requires integrators to know SQL in order to work effectively with that data. The first reason is that PLCs are at the heart of control systems for almost all manufacturers and even if that changes. SQL is also being increasingly used to manage the data in SCADA systems. You can think of it like a big spreadsheet. it has become more important than ever for integrators to broaden their skills in working with SQL databases. the modern integrator can offer more services to customers by leveraging the data that customers already have and relate it to data from other enterprise systems. especially when trying to win new clients. Databases Are Friends of IT Departments Integrators who know SQL also have the added advantage of being able to communicate more effectively with IT departments. debugging and maintaining the source code for software programs. As the network of the World Wide Web grows larger and companies expand their reach even further. 5: Software Programming – 12% Software programming is a broad term that generally describes the process of writing. Coding for the Future There are many programing languages out there. The components of a network are connected together by communication channels – governed by communication protocols – that facilitate the sharing of resources and information. Integrators who know how to write custom code are highly valuable. SCADA Software is Not Enough One thing many of the integrators we surveyed told us was that customers were always asking for more functionality from their existing SCADA software. instead of the other way around. This makes sense. network servers and other devices. Many companies are often unsatisfied with the outof-the-box functionality of their SCADA software package. Integrators with this skill will be able to say ‘yes’ to client’s requests much more than saying ‘no’. but many integrators we surveyed stressed the importance of using programming languages like Java and Python that are based on open standards and are easily supported. which have given integrators more possible solutions to communication problems. Companies often have to change how they do things to fit the way their software is preconfigured. and networks have become larger and more complex. Strong networking skills are important in delivering scalable solutions that will grow with companies as they expand. The New Control System Integrator 12 | 13 © 2012 Inductive Automation . They want integrators to make the software conform to their processes and ways of doing things.4: Networking – 16% A network is a collection of interconnected computers. The Internet is itself a network made up of the connection of millions of other networks. especially for manufacturing companies that have spent years refining their process to work for them. Simply put. Integrators with software programming skills can offer clients custom-made solutions. Integrators who have developed their networking skills will be better equipped to handle new challenges moving forward. and they want a customized solution to fit their customized process. They can often extend the usefulness of a given piece of SCADA software. An Ever-Growing Skill Communication technologies have continually improved over the years. That could make all the difference in winning new jobs in the future. There are more ways now to set up system architectures than ever before. Networking is important to integrators because without communication there is little integration. a network is how information gets from point A to point B through standard communication protocols. This also means that there are also more variables to consider than ever before. and this will likely increase in the future. which often eliminate the need for more add-on software and can increase the functionality of existing SCADA systems. A huge part of integration is getting all the different systems and pieces of software to talk with each other. they will need to deliver data to the right people. to a wide area network that can consist of thousands of computers spanning the globe. which is an essential role of an integrator. Having knowledge of some of the more common programing languages gives integrators more flexibility when working with a SCADA system. networks can range from a local area network that can consist of as few as two connected computers. This kind of skill can make an integrator endlessly valuable to their clients because they can offer innovative new solutions to problems that other integrators can’t. Networks connect people with data. testing. no matter where they are. Often classified by size. this new integrator is rising to meet the challenge. protocols and procedures that ensure the safety of the controls and data of a SCADA system. Who is the New Control System Integrator? A new integrator has emerged. mobile devices and other changes have not held him back. – they can maintain their system without too much hassle. and even more essential for the future. retires. As customer demands continue to evolve and technology advances. integrators should take an active role in SCADA system security. and lay the groundwork for building newer skills such as working with MES and SQL databases as these technologies have grown in importance. Many IT departments are unfamiliar with SCADA. A lack of security can open a system up to virus attacks that can cripple processes. integrators must be ever prepared to help facilitate the success of their clients with the latest tools and a rock-solid basis of past experience. potentially costing a company a lot of time and money. and will continue to shape their future. SQL databases. A big part 800. but also increased risk. and may not give it the time and attention needed to ensure its security. An integrator with these skills is an attractive choice to manufacturers.7798 www. Open standard languages don’t trap a company into using only the original code author to maintain and update the code over the longhaul. With so many devices going online. but have propelled him forward to greater heights in service to his customers. making system security an important skill for modern integrators now. Strong system security expertise can set an integrator apart from the competition. The subject of SCADA system security is growing more important every day as the Internet continues to further connect everything together. etc. The Internet. because he has leveraged these new technologies to benefit his customers.266. He can offer solutions to his customers that were never possible before. As customers continue to demand more connectivity for their data and systems. He has merely added to it. Steve’s frustrations with the limitations of legacy SCADA software led him to start Inductive Automation in order to create SCADA software solutions for the future. Security threats to SCADA systems posed by the Internet only seem to be increasing.The New Control System Integrator Integrators who offer custom code based on open standards are looking out for the best interests of their customers. the founder and CEO of Inductive Automation has more than 30 years of experience as a control system integrator and is a widely respected innovator in the field. Modern technologies and associated customer needs have changed the role of integrators. Security Isn’t Just For IT Departments While network security is well within the realm of IT departments. But the new integrator has not forgotten his foundation. Embracing the Future Steve Hechtman. With the Internet came great technological changes. This is important to manufacturers because they need to know that if for some reason their original integrator is no longer available – moves.com . Integrators need to have enough security knowledge to bridge that gap. The reality for today’s manufacturers is that even if a piece of plant equipment is in the dark depths of a facility. Foundation skills such as PLC programming remain as important as ever. He is a champion of the latest technologies. especially those with highly-sensitive processes and data. it doesn’t mean it’s not easily accessible electronically. 6: SCADA System Security – 5% The term “system security” in our survey referred to the safeguards.inductiveautomation. even machinery on the plant floor is being connected to the Internet. modern web-based SCADA software that fully utilizes SQL databases opens up new possibilities for integrators that would have been impossible before. Steve explained: “The Internet is amazing. We just wouldn’t have been able to do it without these new technologies. You can never lose that. not machines. You need to have that sense. “This was all possible by virtue of the fact that we could put the PLCs on the Ethernet along with all the servers. they’re old-school so they just stay away from technology that’s unfamiliar to them. you can never replace that common sense and intuition that a good integrator can bring to the table. They need to see you and talk with you in order to build a relationship of trust. It would be foolish to throw out the wisdom of the past for the promise of the future. but you have to be willing to embrace it. it really is amazing. and makes them a valuable and essential part of the automation industry. you can never lose it. but also have their feet firmly grounded in the past.” New. The future has all kinds of new possibilities. for how to make things work.” said Steve. This really defines who the new control system integrator is and what qualities companies should look for when choosing an integrator that will stand the test of time. What they don’t know is that the ceiling isn’t really there. It’s a real thrill as an integrator to be able to do that. there will always be a place of the plant floor for guys who can fix stuff and make it run – always. “There are some integrators who just stick with what they know. They were all linked together and all logging data to a central server from which reports from any of the sites could be generated. everything on the same WAN. You can walk right through it if you are willing to expand your comprehension and learn new things. “These guys are encountering a glass ceiling they think they can’t get through. you can’t fake it. We can also maintain everything remotely. always. Something like this just wasn’t possible before the Internet. The trust is so important. that skill for how to get the job done. It will always be the most important one to have as an integrator. For this reason it’s important to remember the foundation that makes integrators special. many tomorrows to come. “You have to remember that at its core. no matter what new tools are invented. We have these great tools. but your skill as an integrator to solve people’s problems and to give their control system a human face – one they can trust – that skill is invaluable. If you give your customers the service they are entitled to. On one project we used a corporate WAN to combine sites all across the country. Remote connectivity is no replacement for human connection. You have to be able to be one-on-one with your customers. The New Control System Integrator 14 | 15 © 2012 Inductive Automation . Integrators who have a solid foundation of problem-solving and an open mind for future technological advancements in the field will position themselves for success today and for many. to see it all come together and to be able to offer that value to your customers. what they deserve. always.of Steve’s success has been to embrace new technologies and the possibilities they offer in solving today’s problems. but you can’t let it become a crutch. “The Internet is great. the job of integration is to work with people. Steve explained what skills integrators must never lose: “No matter how technology changes.” Grounded in the Past As exciting and as bright as the future may be. it is important for integrators to remember how they got to where they are in the first place.” The new control system integrator should embrace the future. then you will be a good integrator – now and in the future. 7798 www. Unlimited Licensing Everything you need for one affordable price. when you need it. 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Wabash Avenue.3291 800.1175 Web s ite pAg e n u mb er 20 29 31 57 Cov-2 50 9 10 45 19 Cov-4 55 13 5 15 1 23 7 18. eaton Festo Corporation h ilscher n orth America h ms industrial n etworks moxa Americas.arcweb.543.wago.com/app www.htm 16 7 2 13 4 9 12 15 Automation World™ (all rights reserved) is a trademark of Summit Media Group. IL 60611. block-storage architectures that cannot provide instant snapshots of machine images will be prone to all sorts of failures. The insightf ul Jeremy Pollard writes: “Def inite-purpose devices have populated our software and hardware toolboxes for decades. cloud/ IoT restructuring will overthrow many assumptions about who the industry’s leaders will be and how they will establish and maintain leadership. It offers services on demand at the infrastructure. Big data.com. use open communication standards.ly/awcloud Already in industrial automation. Cloud computing is the enabler. the cloud and analytics combine to offer breakthrough productivity solutions. think in terms of services and not discrete products. The cloud might change it all. it becomes outdated and useless. For example. Visit http://bit. The cloud is the missing link. There is minimal need for discrete servers that perform functions for only a few manufacturing processes when those can be operated more effectively as cloud services. In the last issue of Automation World (October 2012). I discussed how the Internet of Things (IoT) would generate the next huge leap in industrial productivity.com improved the perf ormance.Pinto’s Prose Industrial Automation and the Cloud Jim Pinto jim@jimpinto. Cloud services are becoming inexpensive and widely available. The cloud pushes away from fixed client-server architectures to a distributed architecture with local and global intelligence. Without a way to utilize accumulated data. quality and productivity of manuf acturing and process systems. Integrate the cloud Cloud/IoT restructuring will overthrow many assumptions about who the industry’s leaders will be and how they will establish and maintain leadership. and as easy to setup as accessing remote email. with production plant monitoring.com Visit www.” They store Over the past two decades. But IoT certainly won’t bear fruit without ways to analyze all the data. technology futurist and angel investor.” As the saying goes. the catalyst for that inflection point. a major change-driver. Use of “the cloud” is a transformative approach that provides more than just the conventional data center model. we’re seeing applications of cloud computing to f acilitate preventive and predictive maintenance.jimpinto. You can e-mail him at: jim@jimpinto. information that is important. Or review his prognostications and predictions on his Web site: www. which is beyond the capability of existing systems.com 64 Automation World l November 2012 . Further improvements demand more data in real-time. writer. automation has ON THE WEB Cloud Meets Manufacturing Find more articles on how accessible cloud computing is becoming to manufacturing operations. the ability to share development of application sof tware with a distributed team f rom many locations was previously possible only in very f ew systems. Software architectures and tools created in previous decades will no longer f it the new cloud inf rastructure. It fundamentally changes how masses of data can be stored for interaction. Development of both private and public cloud systems has become a priority across a broad spectrum of commercial suppliers and users. David Greenf ield wrote. Also in the October issue. The problem is that it is not truly exploited. In addition to creating new markets and opportunities. Automation suppliers can simplify the integration of cloud services into their products and systems in several ways: eliminate complex and/or proprietary architectures. this is not possible with only real-time analysis. but automated systems are becoming available to dynamically allocate resources for optimization in a wide range of applications. Data center management still remains somewhat manual. Jim Pinto is an industry analyst and commentator. For cloud-based IoT systems.AutomationWorld. but only some of the data is used. and make sure that systems architecture properly scales into the cloud. and enterprises can move or migrate workloads within and between their own data centers. clear targets are manufacturing execution and production planning systems. Now distributed access and versioning should be built-in. “Databases are the ref rigerators of the industrial world. Cloud-computing technology is now at a maturing phase. In industrial applications. This requires every possible machine parameter to be collected historically and analyzed to drive intelligent decisionmaking. But perf ormance remains at a plateau. you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. platform and software levels. Those failures will grow more pronounced in the industrial automation world when a five-second failure could result in the loss of many millions of dollars worth of time-specific information. psui. double insulation Short circuit protection and overload protection EMC compliance for commercial.newark.powergatellc.com/traco NEWARK 800-463-9275 www.com www.com Power Sources Unlimited 800-966-7784 www.tracopower. residential and industrial applications • 3 year product warranty POWERGATE LLC 866-588-1750 www.com .Low Profile AC/DC Power Modules for Chassis and DIN-Rail Mount TMP Models: 15. and triple output models UL508 and UL60950-1 safety approvals Fully encapsulated plastic casing Easy connection via screw terminal block (15 – 60 Watt models) Universal input 85 – 264 VAC or 120 – 370 VDC Output voltages from 3. 30 and 60 Watt • • • • • • • • • Single-. dual-.3 VDC up 48 VDC Protection class II. com/workbook Our safety experts talk safety. 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