MEGATRENDS IN AUTOMATION Capturing the winds of change · MEGATRENDS IN AUTOMATION FOCUS Automotive industry P. 36, 40 Machine tools P. 44 ROUND-TABLE Sensors for the future P. 32

VOL 06 | OCT-NOV 2013 | ` 100

A U TO M AT I O N & D R I V E S

MEGATRENDS IN AUTOMATION

FOCUS Automotive industry P. 36, 40

Machine tools P. 44

ROUND-TABLE Sensors for the future P. 32

www.AandD24.in

A&D - InterviewDr James TruchardPresident, CEO & Co-founder, National Instruments (p.30)

Capturing the winds of change

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ED I TOR I AL

Automation has the potential to be more objective, more repeatable, more

accurate and quicker to respond. But even then, the most obvious driver fuelling

automation remains the cost and availability of labour, especially in countries

like India. If we consider a pure cost analysis, any manufacturing plant needs to

weigh the cost to acquire, train and retain labour against the cost of purchasing

and maintaining automation systems. In industrialised nations where labour is

scarce and expensive, this analysis is increasingly favouring automation as the

preferred solution, but in case of developing countries such as India it may not.

With increasing globalisation activities, India too is feeling the need to have

global competitiveness, which is making Indian industry look for alternatives to

alleviate their reliance on operators while maintaining high product quality and

production line efficiencies. But to uphold a balanced proposition between the

labour cost and the automation cost, the automation technology is used in

Indian industry mostly in batches and not in a complete package.

With the speed and efficiency of communications today, the value of

maintaining high product quality has increased. At the same time the value of

automation is rising, but the cost of automation is falling. Thus, the equation is

rapidly shifting in favour of automation. So, manufacturers are developing new

technologies, starting with those that offer the greatest value and the fastest

payback for their customers.

A&D India has been reporting on not just the developments in the automation

and robotics sector, but also on new technologies and innovative solutions for

varied application needs of the industry. This issue comes again packed with the

contents that will help you get your wheels running.

Shekhar JitkarPublisher & Chief Editor

[email protected]

Driving automation

3A&D I n d i a | O c t -No v 2013

ED

ITO

RIA

L A

DV

ISO

RY

BO

AR

D Vijay SrinivasanPartner, Effectus Consulting LLP

Anup WadhwaDirector – AIA (Automation Industry Association)

P V SivaramMD – B&R AutomationMember – AIA

Anant MaheshwariManaging Director Honeywell Automation India

Ganapathiraman GVice President & GM (South and South-East Asia)ARC Advisory Group

Ravi AgarwalDirector, Pepperl+Fuchs (Factory Automation)

Raj Singh RatheeManaging DirectorKuka Robotics India

Jasbir SinghVice President – Electrical & InstrumentEssar Project Management Consultants

Dr KLS SharmaAdvisor Automation Education & Training

Mandar PhadkeCEO, Abhisam SoftwareFormer Head – Process ControlLanxess India Pvt Ltd

Arcot RajabahadurAutomation Consultant

Thampy MathewChairman, Fieldbus Foundation IndiaRegional Sales Director, Pepperl+Fuchs (Process Automation)

MICRO-EPSILON | 94496 Ortenburg / GermanyPhone +49 85 42/168-0 | [email protected]

Representative for India:IPS Integrated Process Systems | 600 004 ChennaiPhone +91 44 24981786 | www.ipsindia.in

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contents that will help you get your whe

CONTE N T S

Market Management

28 EMERGING MARKETS REMAIN THE KEY

INVESTMENT AREA

Interview with Dr James Truchard,

President, CEO & Cofounder,

National Instruments

Automotive industry

36 AUTOMOTIVE CARRIAGES ON THE MOVE

An article on a major automotive

manufacturer which used wireless

I/O and advanced control for its

EMS conveyor

40 SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AUTOMOTIVE

MANUFACTURING

A read into the various benefits of

using intelligent networked

automation for increased

profitability

Machine tools

44 MACHINE TOOL AUTOMATION

The article highlights machine tools

that have reached a very high

standard in terms of machining

power, accuracy, speed, robustness

and cost efficiency

Focus

10 NEWS

16 “ INNOVATION COMES FROM TARGETED

APPLICATIONS”

Interview with Somshubhro Pal

Chowdhury, MD, Analog Devices

India

18 “DEVICE MANUFACTURERS NEED

MULTI-CONNECTIVITY”

Interview with Umesh Sakle,

CEO & Country Manager,

Hilscher India

20 “CONSISTENT AND STRUCTURED APPROACH

TO DESIGN”

Interview with Mayur Agarwal,

Business Development Consultant,

Honeywell Process Solutions

Market Trends

22 THE FUTURE OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

An article discussing the roadmap of

the automation industry in the

future

Round-Table

32 SENSORS FOR THE FUTURE

Industry experts in discussion on

the technology developments and

trends in the sensor market

ROBOTICS & HANDLING

48 Moving towards a potential win

A brief insight into the market

forecast for industrial robotics

70 Showcasing new age

technologies

Event report on 11th annual NIDays

2013 held in Bengaluru

CONTENTS

Cover Story

26 CAPTURING THE WINDS OF CHANGE

The article analyses and suggests

measures to make the most of the

current trends in automation for a

sustainable and profitable future

ROBOTICS & HANDLING

52 Taming the robot

A development story on how B&R

boosted robot safety to a level that

allows humans and robots to work

hand-in-hand

56 Innovative milling robot

A case study on the development of

a milling robot as a special purpose

machine

MANUFACTURING IT

60 3D modelling

A look into the use of Siemen’s 3D

modelling software by Vishwakarma

Engineering Works

62 Shortening product

development time

A case study on how Tetra Pak CPS

uses CD-adapco’s STAR-CCM+ for

computer aided engineering

Technology

New Products

76 Spring loaded terminal blocks;

Output circuit protection relay;

Precision regulators; Power

supply units

77 Standardisation & automation

software; CAN repeaters;

Brushless motor; Industrial

wireless access point

78 Compact AC drives; Pressure

transmitters; Online colour

measurements; Frequency

inverters

Columns

07 Editorial

08 Contents

80 Highlights - Next issue

80 Company index

66 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Getting your humanware ready

The article stresses the need to build

human competency for future

automation & instrumentation industry

requirements

TECH TALK

72 Cabling solutions for automotive

applications

An insight into cabling solutions for

crane and drag chain applications

73 Protection from arc flash

The article deals with arc resistant

equipment that can help protect

employees working on or near

energised equipment

74 SENSORS & ENCODERS

Redefining the future

A look at the latest innovations

introduced in the Indian market by

leading sensor manufacturers

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MARKE T | NEWS

10 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

Tech Talk on Field Device Integration (FDI)

ISA Bangalore hosted a Tech Talk on 31 August, 2013, by Prasanjeet Padhy,

Senior Engineer, R&D, ABB. The five major automation foundations,

including the FDT Group, Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication

Foundation, PROFIBUS & PROFINET International and OPC Foundation have

developed a single common solution for Field Device Integration (FDI).

Implementation of the extended scope was supported by seven major

supplier companies — ABB, Emerson Process Management, Endress+Hauser,

Honeywell, Invensys,

Siemens and Yokogawa.

FDI technology is

expected to provide a

common solution for

managing information

of intelligent field devices for the various tasks associated with all phases

of its lifecycle, configuration, commissioning, diagnostics and calibration.

This makes different solutions for different devices obsolete. FDI is a truly

unified solution that addresses end user requirements across the spectrum.

It is focused on device integration for process automation. The goal of FDI

is to provide a common solution based on device integration technologies

EDDL (Electronic Device Description Language) and an FDT based DTM

(Device Type Manager).

wind regime, end-to-end solutions for extraction, transportation and use

of oil & natural gas, to various offerings in breaker solutions for the

electrification industry. The GE

appliances stall boasted a 3D printer

in action and GE Global Research

highlighted futuristic technologies

like contactless power transfer,

battery integrated and wind turbines.

GE ITC also took the opportunity to

showcase some of the great

initiatives at the centre, including

community service projects that are

engaged in, wellness initiatives rolled

out by GE’s corporate wellness

program Health Ahead and GE

Women’s Network for advancing the

careers of diverse employees. The

centre’s cultural club, DRC also

entertained the audience with a flash mob and a concert by the in-house

rock band.

> MORE@CLICK ADI03306 | www.AandD24.in

B&R & Alstom present POWERLINK

The Eleventh India Forum, hosted by the ARC advisory group in Hyderabad,

attracted over 230 delegates, including thought leaders and decision

makers from key industrial segments,

end users and technology solution

providers. As a technological leader

in the automation industry, B&R and

its customer Alstom were invited to

present on the topic of real-time

deterministic, redundant networking

for power plants using POWERLINK.

Alstom uses B&R technology and the

open Ethernet POWERLINK protocol

as a communication backbone to

optimise plant efficiency. Over the

years, the use of Ethernet in power

plants has evolved from shared,

bridged and switched networks to deterministic real-time Ethernet one

thousand times faster than traditional fieldbus technology. “As an open

communication protocol based on standard Ethernet, POWERLINK is well-

prepared for future evolutions,” said Rajeev Sharma, VP & MD, Alstom

Power Automation & Controls.


Rajeev Sharma, VP & MD, Alstom

Power Automation & Controls

addresses at the Eleventh India

Forum


Carnival of innovation

GE Technology recently hosted Tech Mela 2013, a two-day technology

extravaganza showcasing innovations, in Bangalore, from 5 to 6 October

2013. With an attendance of over

4,500 employees and family members

from the R&D centre it showcased

products and technologies from

various GE businesses located at the

John F Welch Technology Centre. It

varied from a ‘Tunnel of Innovation’

where GE Healthcare took the audience

through the different stages of life and

the healthcare needs associated with

each, the magnificent CF6 engine that

took pride at the GE Aviation stall, to

the demonstration of GE

Transportation’s railway signaling

solutions on a model track.

Energy businesses GE Power & Water,

Oil & Gas and Energy Management showcased their technologies in the

sectors that varied – from wind offerings customised for the Indian low

Tech Mela 2013 showcased products and technologies from various GE

businesses located at the John F Welch Technology Centre

MARKE T | NEWS

12 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

Control Techniques celebrates 40th anniversary

Control Techniques recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. The company,

which is headquartered in the UK, was originally founded as KTK on 4

October 1973. “I am proud to be

leading this fantastic company. I

would like to thank all employees,

past and present, for the hard

work that they have put in over the

past 40 years to make Control

Techniques the global success

story. Last year, Control Techniques

had launched Unidrive M, the first

family of drives that is dedicated

specifically to the manufacturing

automation market. I believe that

our ongoing commitment to

technical innovation will ensure

Control Techniques’ continued

success,” said Enrique Miñarro Viseras, President, Control Techniques.

Control Techniques has manufactured, engineered and designed centres in

the UK, the US, France, China and India, as well as sales operations in over

100 countries. Currently, the company employs about 1,971 people.


Control Techniques has manufactured,

engineered and designed centres in

the UK, the US, France, China and

India, as well as sales operations in

over 100 countries

Alstom inaugurates its competence centre

Alstom has recently inaugurated the digital substation automation

competence centre in

Pallavaram, Chennai. The

competence centre is a

cornerstone of Alstom’s

commitment to the development

of the Smart Grid in India and

will showcase its leading smart

grid technologies. It is expected

to strengthen Alstom’s know-

how in digital substation

automation technology and

support its strategy to develop the substations of the future.“Energy utilities

worldwide are experimenting with new smart grid systems, adding a new

layer of digital equipment into their existing infrastructures to interconnect

all assets. “The inauguration of the digital substation automation

competence centre is a milestone for Alstom from a global perspective, and

represents our commitment to pursue R&D and deployment of smart grid

technologies in India,” said Patrick Plas, Senior VP — Power Electronics &

Automation, Alstom Grid. The development of a fully digital substation is

vital to the transition from conventional electrical grids to smart grids.

in member services and support.” The Fieldbus Foundation and HART

Communication Foundation have worked extensively together in the past

and have a long history of cooperation. For

example, the two organisations have worked

together on the development of common

international standards such as Electronic

Device Description Language (EDDL) and

recently, the development of the Field Device

Integration (FDI) specification. The merger

offers significant potential to harmonise

many aspects of the two protocols, making it

easier for end users and suppliers to

implement the technology and obtain the full

benefits of each technology in plant

operations and maintenance. In preliminary

discussions, Richard J Timoney, Fieldbus

Foundation and Ted Masters, HART

Communication Foundation, added that many

synergies already exist and the decision will provide momentum for a

major step forward in the evolution of intelligent devices and the world of

industrial communications.



The competence centre is a will showcase

its leading smart grid technologies

Dr Gunther Kegel, Chairman & Board of Director; Larry

Obrien, Global Marketing Manager & Rich Timoney,

President & CEO, Fieldbus Foundation in FF Technology

Conference at Automation 2013

Merging plans

Fieldbus Foundation and HART Communication Foundation has announced

their willingness to merge the two organisations into a single industry

foundation dedicated to the needs of

intelligent device communications in the

world of process automation. The Chairmen

of these two organisations—Dr Gunther

Kegel, Fieldbus Foundation and Mark

Schumacher, HART Communication

Foundation—issued the following statement

on behalf of their boards of directors. “We

believe combining the resources and

capabilities of each foundation into a single

organisation that will provide significant

benefits to both end users and suppliers. For

end users, a single organisation that

combines the power of both Fieldbus

Foundation and HART Communication

Foundation would provide a full solution that

addresses every conceivable aspect of field communications and intelligent

device management for the process industries. For suppliers, a single

organisation would create efficiencies in resource utilisation, consistency

of processes and procedures, and would deliver significant improvements

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MARKE T | NEWS

14 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

VDMA engineering summit

The 2nd VDMA Engineering Summit was held on 30th September, 2013, at

Taj Vivanta, Bengaluru. Around 110 members attended this prestigious

event. After a successful debut in

Pune last year, the summit was

held in Bangalore offering a

platform for exchange in

engineering sector and expand the

network within VDMA members.

The summit started off with a

welcome message from Rajesh

Nath, MD, VDMA India. Nath

mentioned that the exports of

German machinery to India

touched 3.2 billion euros in 2012.

With this the exports of German

machinery to India have increased

by 7 times in the last 12 years. The

exports of machinery from India to Germany attained a figure of around

500 million euros indicating an increase of 5 times in the last 12 years.

The Chief Guest, Joern Rohde, Consul General, Federal Republic of

Germany, Bengaluru, reiterated the strengthening bonds between India

SPS confirms 2014 edition with 75% of booth space

SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou has officially confirmed its

2014 edition. The fair will be hosted at the China Import and Export Fair

Complex in Guangzhou from 3 to 5

March, 2014, where leading

domestic and overseas suppliers

will showcase the latest

advancements in automation

technology. At the 2013 edition, 448

exhibitors from 15 countries and

regions had participated. With the

increasing demand for automation

technology, especially in China’s manufacturing sector, the 2014 fair is

expected to achieve an even higher figure in exhibitor recruitment.

“We had reached some great heights for our niche sector in 2013, and I

believe we will continue this momentum into 2014. For the next edition,

we expect to attract over 500 exhibitors from around the world, and

utilise 35,000 sqm of exhibition space,” said Louis Leung, Deputy

General Manager, Messe Frankfurt. Approximately 75% of booth space

has already been reserved by top firms such as Autonics, Beckhoff,

Contrinex, Higen Motor, Kacon, Mecano, Sanyo Denki and Ushio.

Red Lion panel meters win control design

Red Lion Controls, the global experts in communication, monitoring and

control for industrial automation and networking, was recently recognised

for its industry-leading panel meters by Control Design Readers‘ Choice

Awards 2013. This is the 13th

consecutive year that the readers

of Control Design have selected

Red Lion as the top provider of

panel meters in the industry.

“Being recognised by our customers

for the 13th time in a row in the face

of fierce market competition reaffirms our determination to continually

develop the best industrial automation solutions in the industry,” said

Jesse Benefiel, VP - Product Management, Red Lion Controls. To

determine this year’s winners, Control Design had sent questionnaires to

approximately 15,000 magazine subscribers who work directly with

industrial automation and control products. The questionnaire included

an unaided ballot in which participants were asked to identify the

vendors that came to mind in response to the questions. Respondents

had to pull Red Lion’s name from memory or experience, further

validating the company’s products and services.

The 2nd VDMA Engineering Summit was held on 30th September, 2013, at

Taj Vivanta, Bengaluru

SPS – Industrial Automation Fair

Guangzhou will be hosted at the China

Import and Export Fair Complex in

Guangzhou from 3 to 5 March, 2014

and Germany and the increased bilateral trade between the 2 countries

that crossed 17 billion euros in 2012. This was followed by the address

of M Maheshwar Rao, Commissioner,

Industrial Development & Director,

Industries and Commerce, who

elaborated on the skilled labour

problem that India has been facing

and the measures that has been

taken by the Karnataka government

to counteract these problems.

Ulrich Ackermann, Managing

Director — Foreign Trade Division,

VDMA Frankfurt, elaborated on the

growth of Indo-German relationship

over the years. He stated that India

was Germany’s 20th largest trade

partner in 2011 (Statistisches

Bundesamt, 2012), the previous year witnessed India climbing up the

ladder finishing as 10th largest partner in the mechanical engineering

sector.

> MORE@CLICK ADI03312 | www.AandD24.in > MORE@CLICK ADI03313 | www.AandD24.in


16

MARKE T | I N TERV I EW

A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 201316

‘Innovation comes from targeted applications’

Somshubhro Pal Choudhury, Managing Director, Analog Devices India, shares his insights on the

recent technologies emerging in the industrial automation and control industry, and

the challenges in automation & instrumentation, during an interview with Srimoyee Lahiri

What is the size & potential of the industrial automation and

control market in India?

In the process control and industrial automation space,

the hardware equipment market in India is approximately

$1.5 billion. It does not include electricity generation

automation equipment, which is captured under the energy

domain. The overall market includes turnkey projects.

Presently, the software market is larger than the equipment

sales. Opportunity for the process control

and industrial automation sector is huge, as

India has barely scratched the surface. The

market is likely to grow at 10-12% CAGR for

the next few years, almost double the rate of

GDP.

Which are the emerging market trends shaping

up in industrial automation and control

segment?

Innovation in this industry typically comes

from targeted applications and less from

application of latest technologies. Wide

ranging sensors for measuring various

ranging parameters in the field and touch

screen interfaces are growing. Another unique characteristic

of such automation is decades of reliability and shelf life of

the equipment. From a communication perspective, industrial

Ethernet is getting much more prominence compared to RS-485

that have been used for generations. Wireless MBus, SubGHz

Zigbee, 6LowPan and are other wireless sensor protocols are

emerging. With myriad of communication protocols in use,

conversion of one protocol to another is a major requirement

to make the system more flexible and evolve to work with

newer and more standardised protocols.

Another area where activity has been witnessed is the

machine vision technology in the shop floor to look and flag for

defects in production. Mounted digital cameras on the assembly

line can check a high resolution image of the unfinished or

finished product and compare against a known good image to

highlight and provide alert on defects during the production.

This can also be used as a screening tool. Improving energy

efficiency at the factory level, with accurate measurement of

energy in real time, power factor measurement and ways to

improve it, time of use metering, effective temperature control,

energy management systems and energy efficient machinery

are some of the latest trends in the industry.

Which challenges lie in the Indian manufacturing sector in terms

of automation and instrumentation?

Cost of automation is one big reason

why small to medium size Indian

manufacturers have slowed down to take

up automation and justify their ROI. The

good news is that Indian manufacturers,

who are adopting automation now, do

not have legacy systems in place like

their counterparts in more developed

manufacturing intensive economies.

Therefore, Indian manufacturers need

to go for the latest standard based

technologies.

What is your agenda for 2013-3014?

To help Indian manufacturers and designers go to market

faster, we are working on more ready solutions in the form

of reference designs and ‘circuits from the labs’. We are doing

regular and targeted webinars & seminars to educate our

customers on the technology and solutions available with us in

these domains. We are also doing matchmaking between the

customers and Indian design houses if they want to partner for

quick technology development to reach market faster.

In 2013-2014, our goal is to gain market share. We will

add field application engineers and sales staff to augment our

coverage with our customers, add system specialists as and

when required and leverage the large design team we have

in our Analog Devices India product development centre in

Bangaluru. ☐


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18


A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 201318

‘Device manufacturers need multi-connectivity’Umesh Sakle, CEO & Country Manager, Hilscher India, briefs on the strategic plans of the company

in India, technology trends in industrial communication and how Indian firms

are open to experimenting the hi-tech industrial communication technology with more

functionality. Excerpts from his interview with Shekhar Jitkar…

What are your strategic plans for the company, as you take over

as the CEO of the company?

Adaptation to the customer needs with swift expert response is

very important to succeed in India.

My aspiration is to help Indian people use hi-tech

industrial communication products. Unfortunately, India

being a very cost sensitive market, our strategy for the next

few years is not the profit, but penetration of our products in

the market so that Indian customers will benefit from our low

cost & technologically advanced gateways,

embedded modules, PC cards, net analysers

& other communication solutions.

Industrial communication technology is

going beyond the traditional industrial

automation solutions from fieldbus systems

to technologies based on the Ethernet. What

are the trends today?

From traditional discreet wired control

systems to de-centralised control systems

such as fieldbus, industrial communication

technology is moving towards distributed

intelligence using industrial Ethernet.

Fieldbus is still the dominating technology

but all network development and news are focused on industrial

Ethernet which is replacing common fieldbuses and there are

different standards in the world for Ethernet like Profinet,

Ethernet/IP, Modbus TCP, etc.

Hilscher deals with technologies that cover a very broad range

from CANOpen, CC-Link & DeviceNet to Profibus & Profinet.

Which are the fast-moving technologies in India?

As far as Hilscher is concerned, apart from the sales of our

standard protocol solutions, we also provide customised

solutions as per the customers’ requirements. With this, we

offer R&D, programming & customisation support as we want

to simplify technological maze for our clients to help them in

attaining results in a faster and smarter manner. The market for

industrial communication is very fragmented and there will be

no single standard protocol neither today nor in future.

Training is an important element in such hi-tech industrial

communication field. How does Hilscher take care of the training

for its customers, in India and globally?

Products, technologies and service at the leading edge of

industrial communication technology is our requirement.

We want to be measured by the success of our customers

with their competitive products. Being a world leader in hi-

tech industrial communication our staff

of R&D engineers, sales & application

engineers must have wide and deep

product knowledge. They always must be

prepared to support customers. For that,

we invest a lot in training and education

of our engineers. Together with our

customers we have to develop hi-tech

industrial communication solutions.

Therefore, a close partnership with our

customers is very important globally as

well as locally. We train engineers & sales

team from India at our headquarters

in Germany for technical support and

innovative use of our products. After this

traineeship they return to India and impart the same training

to our distributors & customers in India.

Do you find Indian firms open to experimenting hi-tech

industrial communication technology with more functionality?

How is your experience so far?

In India, device manufacturers need multi-connectivity to

serve a wide range of automation applications and vertical

market segments in order to grow business. Multi-network

connectivity being an entry ticket into the global automation,

Indian firms are quiet open to experiment our hi-tech

industrial communication solutions and this trend is increasing

day-by-day. ☐


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20


A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 201320

‘Consistent and structured approach to design’

Mayur Agrawal, Business Development Consultant, Honeywell Process Solutions,

discusses the various benefits of design solutions for the process industry,

during an interaction with Sumedha Mahorey

Please elaborate on the benefits of design solutions for the

process industry.

Today, every process industry needs to optimise their process

designs to achieve more reliable and stable operations. Such

companies should quickly identify optimum designs with

minimum risk of rework to remain competitive and maximise

business performance. At times, process engineers are

challenged with making timely decisions to meet the

business objectives of designing and operating efficient, safe

and profitable plants. Additionally, the industry also faces

challenges with regards to project cost

savings, risk management, engineering time

saving, reducing reengineering, etc. Design

solutions can help mitigate these challenges.

With process design solutions, users can

reduce engineering costs as it provides a

common environment to manage consistent

use of data and models. It also helps mitigate

risks associated with project execution and

reduce feedstock waste (or rework), resulting

in millions of dollars in savings. The design

solution saves 95% of an engineer’s time with

easy-to-maintain optimisation solutions as

well.

Which are the latest technology trends shaping up in this

domain? Lifecycle modeling solution is a powerful methodology that

demonstrates how an investment in simulation software that

can provide comprehensive coverage throughout the entire

lifecycle of a plant, from Front End Engineering Design

(FEED), to operator training, to operation optimisation can be

utilised for maximising the returns. A key enabler for sharing

process modeling information across disciplines is a set of well

integrated tools which allow users to seamlessly expand models

at each stage of the plant lifecycle to meet their specific needs.

The selection of compression system configuration is

also one of the key decisions made during the concept

design stage of new processing facilities. The compression

system configuration not only impacts initial project capital

expenditure but significantly influences the overall system

performance, availability, operating costs and flexibility

throughout the life of the facility.

Which demand trends are emerging in the design solutions

market for process industries?

Some demand trends identified through Honeywell Voice of

Customer program include the customers’

need to be able to select optimum process

and control design through use of steady

state and dynamic simulation; customers’

need of selection of unit operations that

enable them to efficiently construct models

of the required fidelity for the processes

under consideration; customers’ need

to design flare system facilities based on

industry and company standard protocols.

Please highlight the challenges and

opportunities for implementation of design

solutions in India.

Market opportunities by implementing

design solutions can be summarised by certain challenges that

the process industries face. These are project cost savings and

risk mitigation – assessing the effect of the different process

alternatives early in the project lifecycle will have significant

impact in the project economics.

Also, allowing engineers to quickly and easily determine

the cost implications of their process design choices will

reduce the number of hours spent on evaluating expensive

process configurations and validating data to support decision

trade-offs. ☐


HMS Industrial Networks India Pvt. Ltd.“Corporate Plaza”, Unit 1A & 1B, Ground Floor, Senapati Bapat Road,

Near Chaturshrungi Temple, Pune – 411016 (M.S.), INDIA.Email: [email protected], Mobile No:+ 91 83800 66578

URL: www.hms.se & www.ixxat.de

• Anybus® Gateways solutions. Stand-alone communication modules offering connectivity between a device and a network or network-to-network.

• Anybus® Embedded solutions are plugged into the customer’s device offering connectivity to any industrial network

• Netbiter® Remote Monitoring solutions which enable users to monitor and control their devices remotely.

• IXXAT solutions enable communication between industrial components and systems, especially within CAN-based networks.

Industrial Networking and Remote Monitoring Solution -

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22 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

MARK E T | TR ENDS

22

The future of industrial automation

Since the turn of the century, the global recession has affected most

businesses, including industrial automation. Here are the author’s

views on the directions in which the automation industry is moving

Because of the relatively small production volumes and

huge varieties of applications, industrial automation typically

utilises new technologies developed in other markets.

Automation companies tend to customise products for specific

applications and requirements. So, the innovation comes from

targeted applications, rather than any hot, new technology.

Over the past few decades, some innovations have indeed

given industrial automation new surges of growth. The

PLC – developed by Dick Morley and others – was designed to

replace relay-logic and generated growth in applications where

custom logic was difficult to implement and change. The PLC

was a lot more reliable than relay-contacts, and much easier to

program and reprogram. Growth was rapid in automobile

test-installations, which had to be re-programmed often for

new car models. The PLC has had a long and productive life,

since last three decades and has now become a commodity.

At about the same time, another surge of innovation came

through the use of computers for control systems.

Minicomputers replaced large central mainframes in central

control rooms, and gave rise to DCS, pioneered by Honeywell

with its TDC 2000. But, these were not really ‘distributed’ as

they were still relatively large clumps of computer hardware

and cabinets filled with I/O connections.

The arrival of the PC brought low-cost PC-based hardware

and software which provided DCS functionality with

significantly reduced cost and complexity. There was no

Jim PintoTechnology futurist, international speaker & automation industry commentator [email protected]

Imag

e co

urt

esy

- S

iem

ens

MARKE T | TR ENDS

23A&D I n d i a | O c t -No v 2013

TRENDS | MARKET

fundamental technology innovation here rather, these were

innovative extensions of technology developed for other mass

markets, modified and adapted for industrial automation

requirements.

On the sensor side were indeed some significant innovations

and developments which generated good growth for specific

companies. With better specifications and good marketing,

Rosemount‘s differential pressure flow-sensor quickly

displaced lesser products. And there were a host of other

smaller technology developments that caused pockets of

growth for some companies. But few grew beyond a few

hundred million dollars in annual revenue.

Automation software has had its day, and can’t go much

further. In the future, software will embed within products

and systems, with no major independent innovation on the

horizon. The plethora of manufacturing software solutions

and services will yield significant results, but all as part of

other systems.

So, in general, innovation and technology can and will

reestablish growth in industrial automation. But, there won‘t

be any technology innovations that will generate the next

Cisco, Apple or Microsoft.

We cannot figure out future trends merely by extending

past trends; it’s like trying to drive by looking only at a

rear-view mirror. The automation industry does not extrapolate

to smaller and cheaper PLCs, DCSs, and supervisory control

and data acquisition systems; those functions will simply be

embedded in hardware and software. Instead, future growth

will come from totally new directions.

New technology directions

Industrial automation can generate explosive growth with

technology related to new inflection points: nanotechnology

and nanoscale assembly systems; MEMS & this includes

nanotech sensors (tiny, low-power, low-cost sensors) which

can measure everything and anything; and the pervasive

internet, machine-to-machine (M2M) networking.

Real-time systems will give way to complex adaptive

systems and multi-processing. The future belongs to nanotech,

wireless everything, and complex adaptive systems.

Major new software applications will be in wireless sensors

and distributed peer-to-peer networks – tiny operating systems

in wireless sensor nodes, and the software that allows nodes to

communicate with each other as a larger complex adaptive

system. That is the wave of the future.

The fully-automated factory

Automated factories and processes are too expensive to be

rebuilt for every modification and design change – so they

have to be highly configurable and flexible. To successfully

reconfigure an entire production line or process requires direct

access to most of its control elements – switches, valves, motors

and drives – down to a fine level of detail.

The vision of fully automated factories has already existed

for some time now. Customers order online, with electronic

transactions that negotiate batch size (in some cases as low as

one), price, size and color; intelligent robots and sophisticated

machines smoothly and rapidly fabricate a variety of

customised products on demand.

The promise of remote-controlled automation is finally

making headway in manufacturing settings and maintenance

applications. The decades-old machine-based vision of

automation – powerful super-robots without people to tend

them – underestimated the importance of communications.

But today, this is purely a matter of networked intelligence

which is now well developed and widely available.

The large, centralised production plant is a thing of the

past. The factory of the future will be small, movable (to where

“The promise of remote-controlled automation is finally making headway in manufacturing settings and maintenance applications”Jim Pinto

24 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

MARK E T | TR ENDS

the resources are, and where the customers are). For example,

there is really no need to transport raw materials long distances

to a plant, for processing, and then transport the resulting

product long distances to the consumer. Today, those things

are available globally.

Hard truths about globalisation

The assumption has always been that the US and other

industrialised nations will keep leading in knowledge-intensive

industries while developing nations focus on lower skills and

lower labour costs. That is changed now. The impact of the

wholesale entry of 2.5 billion people (China and India) into

the global economy will bring big new challenges and amazing

opportunities.

Beyond just labour, many businesses (including major

automation companies) are also outsourcing knowledge work

such as design and engineering services. This trend has already

become significant, causing joblessness not only for

manufacturing labour, but also for traditionally high-paying

engineering positions.

Innovation is the true source of value, and that is in danger

of being dissipated – sacrificed to a short-term search for

profit, the capitalistic quarterly profits syndrome. Countries

like Japan and Germany will tend to benefit from their longer-

term business perspectives. But, significant competition is

coming from many rapidly developing countries with

expanding technology prowess. So, marketing speed and

business agility will be offsetting advantages.

The winning differences

In a global market, there are three keys that constitute the

winning edge:

Proprietary products: developed quickly and inexpensively

(and perhaps globally), with a continuous stream of

upgrade and adaptation to maintain leadership.

High-value-added products: proprietary products and

knowledge offered through effective global service

providers, tailored to specific customer needs.

Global yet local services: the special needs and custom

requirements of remote customers must be handled locally,

giving them the feeling of partnership and proximity.

To implementing these directions demands management

and leadership abilities that are different from old, financially-

driven models. In the global economy, automation companies

have little choice – they must find more ways and means to

expand globally. To do this, they need to minimise domination

of central corporate cultures, and maximise responsiveness to

local customer needs. Multi-cultural countries, like the US,

will have significant advantages in these important business

aspects.

In the new and different business environment of the 21st

century, the companies that can adapt, innovate and utilise

global resources will generate significant growth

and success. ☐

Real-time systems will give way to complex

adaptive systems and multi-processing


C O N T A C T U S

Renu Electronics Pvt. Ltd.

Survey No. 2/6, Baner Road,

Pune - 411045, India

Tel : +91 20 2729 2840

Fax : +91 20 2729 2839

Email : [email protected]

Website : www.renuelectronics.com

An ISO 9001 : 2008 and ISO 14001 : 2004 certified company

FACTORY AUTOMATION

Renu Electronics, a well Trusted and Respected name in the industry, offers

solutions for all Factory Automation applications. We are one of the pioneers in

designing & manufacturing of Factory Automation products like wide range of Text

and Touch Screen based HMI, HMI with built-in PLC, Technologies based Protocol

Converters, Analog and Digital Field I/O, SCADA, Signal converters and Repeaters,

Port Multiplexers, Flow products and many more.

Renu Electronics is an ISO 9001 : 2008 and ISO 14001 : 2004 certified company and

proud to be one of the few RoHS compliant manufacturing organizations in India.

Most of the products have CE, UL listings.

Our nation wide Sales and Support channel, helps

us to provide prompt & valuable support to our

esteem business associates.

®Back View of FlexiPanels

with Pluggable I/O Modules

HMI HMI + PLC ComboOR

FlexiPanels®

FP5043

4.3” TFT Color Touch Screen

FP4030MT

3" Multicolor Touch Screen

FP5070

7" TFT Color Touch Screen

FP5121

12.1" TFT Color Touch Screen

FP4030

3.1” Multicolor LCD

FP4020

16 x 2 Multicolor LCD

FP4035


FP4057


26 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

COVER STO RY | T ECHNOLOG Y

26

CAPTURING THE WINDS OF CHANGEWith the megatrends in automation sweeping across the global markets

and radically changing the business landscape, companies need to

adapt and modify their business processes to reap the benefits and

emerge as winners in the future

G Ganapathiraman Country Manager ARC Advisory Group, India [email protected]


A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

27A&D I n d i a | O c t -No v 2013

TECHNOLOGY | COVER STORY

27

Megatrends in automation are altering the way businesses

are conducted globally. The automation landscape is shaped by

a convergence of largely internet and IT-based enabling

technologies. This convergence is likely to remove many

existing constraints to help transform the way manufacturers

and other industrial enterprises operate and collaborate, both

internally and across their extended value chain. In 2011,

automation companies globally saw good growth, but the

subsequent eight quarters showed a decline in growth. This is

largely attributed to the global slowdown.

Megatrends that are changing the direction of automation

and helping companies to succeed in a competitive market

include intelligent devices (ID) and the Internet of Things

(IoT); predictive analytics for big data; cloud computing and

services-based solutions; virtualisation 3D simulation;

mobility-enabled applications; and remote operations/asset

management.

As new technologies and new ways of doing things surface,

more companies feel the need to use the solutions and more

employees throughout the enterprise want more and better

decision-support tools. From top to bottom, the industrial

space is becoming much more dynamic. Manufacturers need

to recognise (or even better, anticipate) rapidly changing

situations in order to take appropriate measures in time to

make a difference. It is evident that in the competitive

marketplace, operations management is the battleground and

the winner is the one who provides better service.

Machine automation trends

Some of the major trends emerging in machine automation

include streamlining production processes and improving the

bottomline. Hardware is becoming ‘smarter’ and

self-configuring, with faster networking capabilities and

built-in diagnostics. This has reduced downtime and increased

productivity as well. Mechatronics is another emerging trend

which integrates mechanical hardware, electronics and

software, leading to more standardised machine sub-assemblies.

Meanwhile, PLM tools are revolutionising engineering with

their holistic approach to products, systems design and ability

to do simulation testing in a virtual environment. DCS

technology has also evolved and emerged as more flexible and

extensible with the merging of IT, increasing use of standards,

building the system around Ethernet and more collaboration

between business and production management functions.

Advanced process control and real-time optimisation are other

emerging automation trends. The range of APC applications

has increased and it has become more practical & adaptive,

and no longer needs an ‘expert’ to keep it tuned. Digital

networks have emerged, Ethernet has become

all-pervasive and process Fieldbus standards – Foundation

Fieldbus, Profibus-PA and HART have a market stronghold.

The demand for intelligent instruments and software to

manage assets (PAM, APM, EAM) is also projected to grow.

Today, most major automation suppliers are supporting

virtualisation in one form or another, predominantly for PC

and/or server virtualisation. Virtualisation also lowers cost of

ownership, empowers disaster recovery for critical production

processes and reduces hardware failures due to its

high-availability architecture. System deployment and disaster

recovery leverages virtualisation technology to quickly get

systems back up and running when computers fail. 3D virtual

technology allows plant engineering and operations groups to

create comprehensive and accurate virtual environments that

represent the complete physical plant/facility. These are used

to help plan operational procedures, train operators and

maintenance technicians and meet health and safety

requirements; all within a computer-simulated 3D environment.

Increasingly, planners also take advantage of this advanced

technology to improve their scheduling activities.

Another visible trend is wireless technology. The prospect

of adding wireless devices to the process automation

architecture is a compelling one from the perspective of

tangible business benefits and incremental operational

improvements. Process industry customers are increasingly

aware of the potential inherent in applying wireless to business

28 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013


challenges ranging from improved process performance,

reliability, and efficiency to conformance with government

mandates.

Cyber security

The fallout of rapid progress in automation is the threat to

cyber security. With organisations becoming more dependent

on network connectivity through mobile systems and other

emerging platforms, security of operations is critical for

business continuity and delivery of services. The growing

complexity of organisational operations, numerous applications,

global architecture, and all-pervasive nature of cyber threats

make security more difficult to achieve. The appearance of the

Stuxnet malware in 2010 dramatically changed the general

attitude toward cyber security for industrial automation

systems and equipment. Post-Stuxnet, it has been a

demonstrated fact that malware can be deployed by countries

as a weapon of war, as well as by hackers, malicious or otherwise.

Such weapons may be extremely difficult to develop, but are

also very difficult to trace to an individual, group, or country.

They may also prove widely effective against ‘soft targets,’

meaning industrial devices and systems that are relatively

insecure.

Industrial cyber security standards and regulations have

generally been developed by vertical industry organisations. A

wide variety of systems and equipment are deployed in critical

automation and control applications (DCS, safety shutdown

systems, PLCs, SCADA systems, drives, intelligent relays,

industrial Ethernet switches, etc). Vertical industry experts

have the specific domain expertise to comprehend how to

prioritise and protect their specific types of assets from cyber-

attack. Every industrial organisation needs to address the

growing challenges of protecting its plants and facilities from

cyber intrusions. Implementing a good security technology

infrastructure is essential, but not a complete answer. Persistent

hackers and cyber criminals will always find new vulnerabilities

and novel ways to exploit organisational weaknesses. A broad

strategy that anticipates change and includes ongoing vigilance

is the only real defence. To prevent cyber-attacks, automation

and IT need to be closely coupled.

Workforce mobility

The emergence of people-centric collaboration technologies

and social networking is an important trend as business

dynamics are changing and the workforce is getting better-

connected. Mobility has also blurred the lines between home

and office. The era of connected devices is already upon us. In

2012, there were more than 10 billion Wi-Fi-connected devices,

with projections for more than 50 billion devices to be

connected by 2020. This will include more than 5 billion

smartphone and internet users, most cars, and many home

appliances. Free or inexpensive mobile platforms will dominate

the market. Intelligent devices and IoT have broad ramifications

for industry, particularly for asset management, process

management, remote operations management, safety and

security, and supply chain applications.

This is just one side of the story. With the advancement of

technology and workforce mobility, another important angle

emerges – the retirement of the ‘Baby Boomers’ (those born

between 1946-62) and the entry of the Millennials. According

to an ARC report, “The Millennials are a generation of digital

natives that adapt quickly to new technology with a penchant

for experiential learning over extensive training and manuals.”

The retiring generation, the ‘Baby Boomers’, has certain

characteristics that will be missed when they leave the

workforce – mainly experience and knowhow. Due to this

impending loss of experience, companies will need to put a

combination of technologies, processes, and training in place

to allow the new generation, the ‘Millennials’, to be effective.

The middle generation, the ‘Gen Xers’, will also be impacted

and, in many organisations, will be expected to fill leadership

roles.

28

Hardware is becoming ‘smarter’ and

self-configuring, with faster networking

capabilities and built-in diagnostics

Co

urte

sy: H

anno

ver

Mes

se

29A&D I n d i a | O c t -No v 2013

TECHNOLOGY | COVER STORY

Cloud computing

Cloud computing is a new computing model that features

the intensive use of remote computing services (processing,

storage, networking, and software). Cloud architectures are

particularly useful for scaling up computing tasks that can be

parallelised. Though relatively new in the commercial/

industrial space, it already has tremendous industry patronage

as it has been developed to support internet applications of

major software and internet firms such as Google, Amazon,

Apple and Microsoft.

Cloud represents a new model for IT, challenging an

organisation’s established IT practices in every area; new

platforms, new services, new deployment, licensing, and

support models. Cloud forces an IT organisation to examine

each application within its portfolio and reevaluate the way the

application is currently deployed and supported. From a

business standpoint, the cloud model offers several potential

advantages over the traditional IT service model, including

rapid deployment, elasticity, reduced capital investment, and

increased access and mobility across a global enterprise.

The cloud model can form part of the answer to the huge

explosion of smartphones and tablet devices that now confront

IT organisations. Since cloud services are by nature external to

an enterprise, the gap that develops between internal and

external capabilities becomes less relevant for cloud-based

applications. While there are other solutions for mobility

problems, cloud-enabled location-independent support for

user mobility is one potential advantage of cloud services.

Information-driven companies

Today, there is a glut of information and companies who

can filter, record and easily access this information will succeed.

Information-driven companies are moving to a culture and

business model in which all decisions are made based on

analysis of process and business process data. Throughout the

organisation, these companies employ software to collect,

contextualise, visualise, and analyse data to gain new insights.

Armed with new insights, organisations can anticipate changes

and drive better business results. The culture of an

information-driven company is based on real-time analytical-,

data-, and information-based decisions.

Information-driven companies employ advanced analytics

throughout their value networks, business processes, and

decision-making to support corporate initiatives such as

energy management and sustainability programmes; global

growth initiatives; and innovation in product, process, systems,

and business models. They also employ advanced analytics

throughout the supply chain in design & engineering,

production, and with partners and customers. Interest in

analytics and business intelligence (BI) software has surged

over the last few years. Leading software providers offer full

analytics suites for enterprises to use to monitor, analyse, and

manage a wide range of business activities. Manufacturers use

analytics in a number of applications. They benefit by applying

analytic techniques to support continuous improvement

initiatives, plant performance monitoring, decision support,

predictive maintenance, generating KPIs, process control, and

quality control. Analytics can also be used to identify and

correct production anomalies, improve control, and make

continuous improvements.

With megatrends in automation sweeping across the global

markets, radically changing the business landscape, companies

which adapt to these winds of change will reap the benefits and

emerge as winners in the long run. ☐


CLOUD DEPLOYMENT MODEL

Private cloud

The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for exclusive use by a single

organisation comprising multiple consumers (e.g. business units). It may be

owned, managed, and operated by the organisation, a third party, or some

combination of them, and it may exist on or off premises.

Community cloud

The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for exclusive use by a specific

community of consumers from organisations that have shared concerns

(e.g. mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considera-

tions). It may be owned, managed, and operated by one or more of the

organisations in the community, a third party, or some combination of them,

and it may exist on or off premises.

Public cloud

The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for open use by the general public. It

may be owned, managed, and operated by a business, academic, or

government organisation, or some combination of them. It exists on the

premises of the cloud provider.

Hybrid cloud

The cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or more distinct cloud

infrastructures (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities,

but are bound together by standardised or proprietary technology that

enables data and application portability (e.g. cloud bursting for load

balancing between clouds).

SOURCE: NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY – USA

MANAGE ME N T | I N TERV I EW

A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 201330

‘Emerging markets remain the key investment area’Discussing at length, how cyber physical systems

have enabled integrated decision-making across

the enterprise, Dr James Truchard, President,

CEO & Co-founder of National Instruments

(NI), in this conversation with Sumedha

Mahorey, points out the roadmap & benefits of

open systems and NI’s focus on emerging markets

As per Industry 4.0, do you see cyber physical system as the backbone of the next industrial revolution? Presently, many technologies have converged. Today, we have

outstanding information technology infrastructure in terms of

the cloud, internet, computing power, etc available locally in

the form of servers. We have also added front-end capabilities

for data acquisition, analysis and control. So far, we can scale

across an enterprise, use big analog data that is required from

the systems to make better decisions, make more efficient

use of energy, initiate better components with less failure

rate, in other words, make the work processes more efficient,

adding value throughout the whole chain of manufacturing

till the customers’ end. These new age processes have also

enabled the flow of information from the customer in terms

of feedback which helps in integrated decision making across

the enterprise.

Can you elaborate on the evolution of cyber physical system since the incubation of Industry 4.0 concept?One of the key ideas based on the cyber physical system that

has been put forward in Industry 4.0 is that historically certain

advanced control algorithms, analysis and measurements

are accessible, within a small number of companies. Now,

with open systems, the availability of algorithm, technology,

software, and with a platform-based approach, for almost any

technical problem, we can develop algorithms as any specialist

somewhere in the world can apply his expertise to the platform

and make the right solution available.

This can really change the perspective on what’s proprietary

technology and what’s open & available across the globe. For

example, with this platform-based approach, iOS has enabled

1 million different applications. We see the same trend for

cyber physical systems. Engineers will use these platforms to

A&D I n d i a | O c t -No v 2013 31

I N TERV I EW | M ANAGEMENT

Basically, at the core we leverage Moore’s law to give us more

performance, capability, higher speed, acute measurement and

so forth. Our investment is to make technology available to

scientists and engineers. To do that we have to stay on the top

of the technology curve, stay up with Moore’s law and make

software space compatible as we scale it. In our demonstrations

during NI days in India, we have showcased how we have

moved from one processor to another, one operating system

to another in the customer’s application range. This is the

philosophy that we have and it takes a great deal of investment

to give customers the benefit of ‘convenient use’.

Any global investment plans in the offing?We are constantly looking at what we can do. We have done

quite a bit of expansion over the last couple of years and will

continue to be looking at where we need to expand and invest.

The emerging markets remain the key investment area as we

have seen the fastest growth for our products in these regions.

We will continue to invest in these emerging markets.

How is NI aligned to the future roadmap of Industry 4.0?Our first goal is to make certain that our technology addresses

some of the key needs in that space – Wi-Fi technology, ability

to work in the cloud with analysis and complication, the ability

to aggregate multiple sites, so that one can make decision to

control over distributed networks and also have the algorithm

available to address advanced complex needs.

As the leader at NI, what is your agenda till 2015?In the time frame till 2015, we will be very focused on educating

engineers and scientists on our vision for graphical system

design and cyber physical systems using our technology, and

how it can be applied for solving specific problems in R&D, in

testing of products, and in newer areas. ☐

create thousands of applications that serve a diverse range of

industries.

Which is the top trend that has emerged from the cyber physical concept?The top level is currently using information throughout the

whole process, from the front line, i.e. acquisition of material

to construction of the products throughout the backend

service, including bringing in the feedback from the customer

with real-time information integrated throughout the whole

process.

With over 700 attendees, how significant is NI Days for the Indian market?The most important thing that we do is to educate engineers on

the present opportunities that they have in solving problems.

That is why we work with over 7000 universities around the

world and around 600 in India. Education is a very important

part of our operations, and we want to make that information

available, train engineers on how to use these tools, so they can

be most productive. NI Days is one of the key initiatives where

we stress on education, and showcasing new solutions.

With new launches and new product portfolios in your domain, which demand trends are you witnessing globally?We have been quite successful as we have evolved our vision

from virtual instrumentation to graphical system design, where

we are doing some of the most advanced measurements for

RF & communication applications as well as general purpose

data acquisition. We are now getting into implementation of

next generation systems using our technologies as the base, for

example, CompactRIO, or BST PXI system for implementing

very complex next generation systems.

With innovation coming in with every product, how has been investment in R&D worked out?

“With open systems, any specialist somewhere in the world can apply his expertise to the platform and make the right solution available”Dr James Truchard


32

MANAGE ME N T | ROUND-TABL E


Sensors for the futureWith multiple sensor categories gaining traction amid the current

recessionary times, this feature analyses the various new age

applications and technologies that are making the rounds in

the Indian sensor segment and suggests the themes of future

developments in this domain.

As per recent reports, the Indian sensor market is growing

rapidly with the fastest growing segments being gas sensors,

image, accelerometers and position sensors. Continuous

technological innovation and increasing application areas for

these new age sensors are pushing their demand in the market.

With this in the backdrop, the sensors market is expected to

grow at the CAGR of 14% till 2018. Analysing the current

technology trends that are satisfying the need for innovative

products and futuristic technologies in the Indian market are

industry experts – Johann Salzberger, Managing Director –

Marketing and Sales, Micro-Epsilon; Ravi Agarwal, Director,

Pepperl+Fuchs (Factory Automation); Sunil Hasabnis,

Managing Director, Baumer India; Bipin Jirge, Managing

Director, ifm electronic India Pvt Ltd; Deepak Aran, Country

Manager – Sales & Marketing, Contrinex Automation Pvt Ltd;

Deenar Patil, Senior Manager – Key Accounts, Schmersal

India; and Vikrant Agashe , Sales Manager – Sensors &

Components, Gefran India.

Technology landscape

Globally, the sensor technology has changed from purely

electrical transducers to mechatronic-based systems.

Commenting on this, Salzberger notes, “This means, today

sensors are equipped with more electronics and integrated

intelligence, micro-computers and software. In terms of

measurement principles, the importance of optical, laser sensor

systems and vision technology is constantly increasing.” In

today’s scenario, every sensor company is also focusing on

smart & miniaturisation technology coupled with designs

amenable to modern production techniques that ensure least

human error and improve overall product reliability. There is

also a growing trend towards developing industry specific

sensors. Highlighting this, Hasabnis says, “Advanced sensing

technologies are offered for edge, positioning, profile

measurement & sensing applications at higher speeds &

accuracies which were not possible till date. Some latest design

Sumedha MahoreyDeputy Editor [email protected]

ROUND - TABLE | MA NA GEME N T

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MANAGEMENT | ROUND-TABLE

A&D I n d i a | O c t -No v 2013

throw challenges for manufacturing and automation.

Elaborating on the market factors that are influencing sensor

technology developments, Agarwal explains, “Speed, reliability

and consistent performance in an application are the governing

factors for proven solutions. The cutting edge designs are

pushing for detection and measurement.” On similar lines,

Aran says, “Major influencing factors are the latest

communication protocols of automation, environmental

conditions of sensing applications and the economy.

Technocrats want sensors which are compatible with latest

communication protocols, sensors with high accuracy, able to

work in high temperatures, pressures and all sorts of

environment like underwater, space, etc and at competitive

prices.” As per Agashe, the influencing market factors include

competitive differentiation. He notes, “Over the past few years,

a number of developments in the industrial sector have

facilitated low-cost sensor solutions. Reduced operating costs,

enhanced performance and a high return on investment all

drive technology development.” Summarising the factors for

new product development, Hasabnis says, “Product versatility

trends include Internet bus communication; analogue output;

modular & flexible designs and IP rating up to IP 69K.” Adding

to his thoughts, Agarwal points out, “There seems to be a

paradigm shift along two streams. Traditional domain of

industrial sensing is seemingly pushing for sensors to be

smarter and communicating. Not only are the sensors being

expected to measure absolute value of the parameter but also

to effectively communicate it into the network. This is also

impacting diagnostics, interoperability and machine/process/

network design and management. In the embedded technology,

MEMS which relates to motion and orientation sensing is

doing wonders.”

Market demand-supply position by 2015

The demand is increasing for automation, safety & control

devices as users now demand more safe solutions. Asserting

this, Patil avers, “By 2015, the market demand will increase as

the machines are getting smarter with minimum wiring

between control system and field sensors. Now, control devices

for cranes/hydraulics press machines can be controlled

remotely, safely and efficiently.” Sharing his views, Hasabnis

avers, “Market demand and supply position address and meet

the changing customer profile. On one hand, demand for

automation & sensing products is increasing even under

difficult economic conditions in sheer volume terms. However,

other side of the same trend is increasing pressure on price and

number of ‘me too’ products offered at ridiculously low prices.

On the positive side, there is increasing trend towards global

standard suppliers by all the major global OEMs and end users.”

Adding further he says, “The trend towards 2015 is definitively

that technology gap among different manufacturers will

narrow and great companies will get more distinguished by

value addition they offer rather than just the product & price.”

Adding to this, Salzberger says, “The future market will need

more sensors in general and more sophisticated sensor

solutions in particular. In the field of displacement

measurement different sensor technologies will be required,

because there is no universal measuring principle which can

solve the whole variety of measuring tasks. There will be a

trend to more integration, more miniaturisation and more

intelligence.”

Factors influencing technology developments

New age industrial and consumer products consistently

“Speed, reliability and consistent performance in an application are the governing factors for proven solutions”Ravi Agarwal, Director, Pepperl+Fuchs (Factory Automation)

“By 2015, the market demand will increase as the machines are getting smarter with minimum wiring between control system and field sensors”Deenar Patil, Senior Manager – Key Accounts, Schmersal India

“The future trend will be towards more integration, miniaturisation and intelligence”Johann Salzberger, Managing Director – Marketing and Sales, Micro-Epsilon

“The future of wireless technology will much depend on the reliability they can offer in the field”Sunil Hasabnis, Managing Director, Baumer India

34

ROUND - TABLE | MA NA GEME N T


for different applications; compact size; low-cost manufacturing

cost; reliability & one box design; exactly engineered products;

better cost to performance ratio; shift towards robust

technologies such as magnetic; wireless technologies; and

user-friendly internet connectively for monitoring control and

configuration of the sensor, are the major factors influencing

the sensor technology developments.” Thus, as per Jirge, with

the Indian market accepting appropriate automation levels in

many industries, as the market develops further, the demand

or the acceptance for higher technology sensors will only

increase. This will lead to development of complex sensors at

more affordable price points with the growing market.

Sensors gaining market traction

So, with multiple reasons for new technology development,

which type of sensors will be gaining traction in the current

market scenario? Answering this, Aran points out that apart

from higher expectations from inductive and photoelectric

sensors, a lot of interest and thrust is seen on RFID Identification

sensors. Elaborating in brief on the topic, Agashe asserts, “The

future of sensors is highly dependent on sensor technologies

such as microelectromechanical system sensors, wireless

sensor, radar and many more. Hasabnis adds, “Inductive

sensors with extended sensing distance; smart vision sensors

with integrated programming and software; smart diffused

with background suppression photo electric sensors; advanced

measurement sensors; linear & inclination sensors used for

position sensing; position & speed sensing in one unit; and

programmable sensors in field of colour mark are some of the

sensors which are gaining traction in the current market

scenario.” Also, as per Jirge, position and fluid parameter

sensors are gaining more acceptance, while for Agarwal, photo

sensor and ultrasonic technologies are turning out to be more

coveted solutions in the current market scenario.

Future roadmap of smart technologies

With many companies introducing the ‘smart’ factor into

sensors and wireless sensor networks, how does the future

roadmap for these new age sensors look like? Answering this,

Agarwal suggests, “Although the adoption has been slow due to

inherent needs of such platforms, they are here to stay. Sensors

necessarily would need to and are already becoming smart.

Industry 4.0 and cyber physical systems are no more very

distant but are already a future in the making.” Aran notes,

“There is limited response to smart sensors due to various

reasons like adaptation to existing system, environmental

interference, etc. But the future of these sensors is definitely

bright. These sensors will eliminate many problems related to

hard wired connectivity when the technology is improved and

proven further.” On the other hand, Agashe believes, “High-

capacity wireless sensor networking is still an emerging

technology. The existing systems need enhancements in terms

of real-time performance. As the technology is new, the cost is

too expensive to adapt.” Making his point, Hasabnis suggests,

“The future of wireless technology will much depend on the

reliability they can offer in the field. Smart technologies such

as sensors without reflectors, tape encoders which offer easy

retrofitting and much accurate feedback are much in demand.

In other words, market prefers technologies that are advancing

in linear continuity over the past product line.” Adding his

thoughts, Jirge says, “As on today, we have not seen large scale

use of wireless sensors, but as the battery technology improves,

we will certainly see more and more sensors going wireless.”

With the sensor market rampantly scaling up on the

technology & innovation front, and the demand for various

categories of sensors going up amid sluggish growth in the

manufacturing sector, the growing momentum of the Indian

sensor market is likely to continue during the

2015-16 period. ☐

“Sensors are becoming more intelligent & capable of taking decisions locally ” Bipin Jirge, Managing Director, ifm electronic India

“The technology trend being adopted by the sensor industry is towards smaller, faster, and cheaper solutions”Vikrant Agashe, Sales Manager – Sensors & Components, Gefran India


“2015 will see more requirement of special sensors, though standard sensors will continue to enjoy the current status as automation basics will remain the same”Deepak Aran, Country Manager – Sales & Marketing, Contrinex Automation

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FOCUS | A U TOMOT I VE


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AUTOMOTIVE CARRIAGES ON THE MOVE

An article on a major automotive manufacturer that

boosted uptime and reliability using wireless I/O and

advanced control to ensure safe and productive operation

of its Electrified Monorail System (EMS) conveyor

36

AUTOMOT IV E | F OCUS


37

AUTOMOT I VE | FOCUS


optimise reliability and uptime of the EMS conveyor system

and deliver real-time communication with Programmable

Automation Controllers (PACs) and Inputs/Output (I/O)

modules for enhanced conveyor control.

Yantra Automation began the challenge of designing a

complex wireless communication system for the assembly

manufacturing line; an ambitious goal in a large-scale project

involving multiple carriers in continuous motion along the

overhead electric monorail system. Together, the team selected

a Rockwell Automation control solution supported by ProSoft

Technology wireless Ethernet communication. The challenge

was to create a seamless and reliable communication system

between each carrier and the controller as they move

throughout the plant.

Implementation

PARI was commissioned for the design and implementation

of the specific assembly line. PARI is a turnkey integration

company specialising in top-to-bottom conveyor system

design, controls & communication automation and robotics

for automotive industry in India.

PARI has designed the full vehicle assembly line to operate

in real-time on the EtherNet/IP control network, using several

Rockwell Automation ControlLogix PACs and supporting

peripherals on the shop floor, including I/O and variable

frequency drives. The decision to go with ProSoft Technology

industrial hotspot radios was made primarily because of their

industrial hardware and solid reputation for supporting

Rockwell controls and communication interfaces seamlessly,

in addition to the ease of operation.

Movement of the EMS carriers for transporting vehicles

through the different stages of assembly is handled over a

wireless EtherNet/IP network. The control system consists of

In the education capital of India, Pune, a market leading

manufacturer of utility vehicles built a modern Greenfield

facility from the ground up with state-of-the-art equipment.

At the heart of the plant is the Electrified Monorail System

(EMS) conveyor, designed to deliver reliable, safe, quiet and

efficient transportation of the vehicles from one work station

to another along the assembly line. The EMS runs throughout

the entire length of the Trim, Chassis and Final assembly

(TCF) line of the vehicle in the general assembly shop. The

light truck manufactured in this facility is transported by a

wireless EMS conveyor. The TCF line is considered the final

stage in production, where components are added to the

vehicle including ‘trim’ components such as windshield glass

and seats, as well as operational components such as the

engine and wheels before final vehicle testing.

Control and communication automation

For consulting, specifying and planning of this project, the

manufacturer worked with Yantra Automation, in conjunction

with their local Rockwell Automation Account Manager and

with system integration company, Precision Automation

Robotics India Limited (PARI). The team worked closely to

develop the best overall solution for this sophisticated

project.

This being a new system and a Greenfield plant, they were

not bound by constraints associated with some of the older

monorail systems found in manufacturing plants. Thus, they

were able to design a sophisticated system that easily

conformed to the goals of the project and the manufacturer’s

commitment towards flexible and lean manufacturing. Its

aims to eliminate communication issues and concerns

associated with rigid copper bus bars and brush collectors

commonly used for communication with EMS carriers. To

38

FOCUS | A U TOMOT I VE


The EMS runs throughout the entire

length of the Trim, Chassis and Final

assembly (TCF) line of the vehicle in

the general assembly shop

one ControlLogix PAC on the conveyor and one ControlLogix

PAC on engine decking system for body marriage. The

conveyor PAC is hardwired to two ProSoft Technology Master

radios while the Engine Decking PAC is hardwired to a third

Master radio. The conveyor PAC is wirelessly connected with

33 individual carriers along the EMS, while the Engine

Decking PAC is connected with 3 engine carriers. Each

independent EMS carrier has a local control panel with

Rockwell Automation I/O and a variable frequency drive

(VFD), with a ProSoft technology access point acting as

repeater to establish wireless communication between the

main control panel equipment and their respective PAC. The

carrier radios communicate with each other and with

Master radio.

This EMS application time is critical, so each repeater

radio is connected with its parent Master radio at all times to

avoid switching delays as communications change from one

Master radio to another while the carriers are in motion. The

Master radio in each conveyor PAC has two Omni antennas

with a splitter to deal with multipath fading effect. The

architecture fully supports seamless roaming by the carriers.

Benefits

After some initial challenges with line-of-sight issues

which were resolved by adding another Master radio and

elevating their locations, the system is now able to provide

real-time communication between the EMS carriers and the

PACs on the assembly plant floor, including real-time I/O

status for conveyor movement control. The system also

enables wireless synchronisation between the floor-mounted

engine trolleys and the overhead EMS carrier, for the smooth

decking of the engine.

The benefits that the manufacturer was able to avail were

the ability to control EMS conveyor and the engine decking

carrier in real time and synchronising the VFDs with the

Engine Decking Carriers. Eliminated complex wiring/cabling

and cat tracks for communication cable. It obtained seamless

and robust communication between the PACs and the I/O .

Conclusion

The project went live in November 2009. Since then, the

manufacturer has seen an increase in uptime, reliability and

consistency in production output, enhancing their

commitment towards lean manufacturing. With the success of

the Rockwell Automation control and ProSoft Technology

communication solutions, five similar applications consisting

of both EMS conveyor system and material handling in the

vehicle assembly shops are being installed. ☐

Courtesy: Rockwell Automation


40

AUTOMOT IV E IN D UST RY | FOCUS


AUTAUTOMOOMOT IVT IV EE IIN DN DUUSS TTRYRY || FO FOCUSCUS

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SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING

The automotive manufacturing industry needs to focus more on

the intelligent networked automation that creates a synchronised

environment for seamless production of vehicles on the

production line. This helps the industry continue operating

profitably against the changing economic backdrop

Nitin S NairChief Manager, Automotive VerticalSiemens [email protected]

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AUTOM OT IV E IN D UST RY | FOCUS


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FOCUS | AUTOM OT I VE INDUSTRY


Material flow to the line is synchronised; production

information available to the operator is relevant to the current

vehicle at his station, quality gates have the right check

parameters programmed for the incoming vehicle and robots/

machines have the right programs for the planned operations

on the incoming vehicle. All this ensures optimum interlinking

between all the different automation components within the

production process and maximises productivity through the

Siemens developed totally integrated (TIA) concept. With its

TIA Portal, in 2011, Siemens has created a central engineering

platform which is now being adopted by an ever increasing

number of key players throughout the automotive industry.

The TIA Portal concentrates all the relevant applications and

tools in a standardised and intuitively operated user interface.

Collation of all the relevant data in a standardised database

eliminates the need for multiple input and data matching.

Lesser time to market

Time is a key competitive factor in the launch of new

vehicle models and variants. Globalisation and social change

are speeding up the cycle of market trends. The response of

automakers is to extend their product ranges and target ever

shorter product launch times. The Siemens PLM software

allows product variants and their influence on production to

be simulated at the computer. In addition, processes which

have traditionally been performed in sequence are now

increasingly running in parallel. For instance, many

manufacturers are already busy planning their production

facilities while the product is still under development. Use of

the TIA Portal facilitates the increasing parallelisation of

product design, plant engineering and commissioning by

allowing virtual engineering on a single platform.

With this integrated plant engineering, the planning teams

can verify various manufacturing scenarios with multi models

in the digital factory, thus giving them the flexibility to

produce multi models in different mixed batches on the real

manufacturing line which is finally set up.

Also helping to improve flexibility in the automotive

industry is the Siemens industrial identification portfolio.

Using radio frequency identification (RFID), products and

components can be seamlessly tracked through the entire

procurement, manufacturing and shipping process. Assuming

Global Automotive experts have forecasted that the

attention of the automotive industry over the next ten to

fifteen years will be focused on the shift of automotive business

towards Asia (China & India), the global demographic change,

the demand for greater sustainability and the ever growing

proportion of alternative propulsion systems. If they are to

continue operating profitably against this changing backdrop,

automakers will have to continue to step up their endeavors.

The major challenges for automotive manufacturers are:

How to shorten the intervals between new model and

variant launches?

How to reduce the total cost of ownership?

How to have flexible manufacturing lines with short model

changeover times?

How to improve plant availability?

How to reduce energy costs?

Fewer hours per vehicle

The automotive industry has traditionally played a

trendsetting role in terms of improving productivity. With an

hour of production time in the automotive industry costing

up to $100,000, automakers still continue to concentrate their

efforts on driving down the number of operating hours needed

to produce a vehicle and on increasing plant availability.

This is achieved by continuous improvement in production

times on the manufacturing line by reduction in all types of

wastes on the line such as idle times, unnecessary material

flow, storage on the manufacturing line and other non-value

added work.

In order to achieve this reduction in wastes, it is necessary

that accurate information is available quickly at the point of

decision-making on the manufacturing line. This improvement

is brought about by intelligent networked automation on a

manufacturing line which is dynamically interlinked with

PLM & ERP systems.

The vehicle manufacturing schedule based on the incoming

orders is available from the ERP system. The process &

component bill of materials for various models and variants

are made available from the PLM system. With these inputs,

the intelligent networked automation creates a synchronised

environment for seamless production of vehicles on the

production line.

42

AUTOMOT IV E IN D UST RY | FOCUS


Siemens PLM software allows pro-

duct variants and their influence on

production to be simulated at the

computer

a key role in this process is the RFID data carrier which

remains with each vehicle through every one of its many

production stages. As part of a just-in-sequence production

process, this allows automakers to produce different vehicle

and equipment variants on the same production line without

problems, and to comply with individual customer

specifications.

Energy saving with a concept

Energy consumption is a significant environmental and

cost factor in automotive production. Added to this is the

need to comply with statutory requirements relating to energy-

efficient production and reduced carbon emissions. The ISO

50001 energy management system standard sets out to define

internationally applicable parameters for reducing energy

costs, greenhouse gases and other environmental impacts.

The energy management software B Data from Siemens is

tailored precisely to the implementation of wide-ranging

requirements. It records the status quo of all the energy and

material flows such as water, electrical energy, pressure or

steam required in production and in all ancillary processes.

The different consumption levels are allocated based on actual

usage, and documentation is drawn up. Using key performance

indicators (KPI), B Data delivers a solid basis for decisions

relating to energy optimisation. For automakers, even the

implementation of a few simple measures such as leak

detection or even load distribution will make use of the energy

management system worthwhile. In this way, energy savings

between five and ten per cent can already be achieved even

without any additional investment. This effect is compounded

by the implementation of additional measures such as the use

of modern energy-efficient motors from the Siemens

environmental portfolio which can reduce energy consumption

by up to 40 per cent, or alternatively by implementing electric

drives which can be used as required in conjunction with

Siemens frequency converters, permitting up to 70 per cent

reductions in the energy consumption of fans, pumps or

compressors. Additional energy saving potential can be

leveraged through the identification and compensation of

load peaks and the coordinated shutdown of plant sections

during idle periods using the PROFIenergy data interface.

By taking an integral approach, Siemens is able to keep a

watchful eye on the entire process and value chain, offering

not just products but also competent advice. On the subject of

energy saving, automotive customers may rely on a team of

experts ready to offer the benefit of their energy, automation

and technology-specific expertise.

Fit for the future

The world of automotive industry is fast changing,

alongside the development of combustion engine; the

emphasis is set to shift increasingly towards alternative

propulsion methods. Electric and hybrid vehicles in particular

are making rapid advances and will become an established

feature on our roads within the next ten to fifteen years. Three

focal challenges facing the industry will be to develop new

lightweight construction concepts, find ways of reducing the

cost of producing lithium ion batteries, and fine-tune the

manufacture of electric motors. Siemens is ready with a series

of smart concepts for the automation of new production

processes. Here too, the spotlight is on integral and efficient

solutions based on the Totally Integrated Automation concept.

The use of new approaches opens up scope for simple, cost-

efficient and modular-based vehicle production. ☐


44

MACH IN E TO O LS | F OCUS


MACMACMACH INH INH IN E TE TE TO O LO OO O LS S | F OCUS

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MACHINE TOOL AUTOMATION

This article highlights machine tools that have reached a

very high standard in terms of machining power, accuracy,

speed, robustness and cost efficiency which has led to high

productivity

44



Shriniwas VidwansArea Manager — SalesGüdel [email protected]

45

FOCUS | M ACH INE TOOLS


Selection

Rigid automation: Generally used for custom-engineered,

special-purpose equipment to automate a fixed sequence of

operations. It is mainly used for high production rates and

inflexible product designs.

Recoverable automation: Equipment designed to

accommodate a specific class of product changes and is

particularly used in batch production and medium volume.

Flexible automation: It is designed to manufacture a

variety of products or parts used mainly for low production

rates or varying product design and demands.

Need for automation

The requirement for automation includes economic

advantage through increased productivity with reduced labour

uncertainty and costs. Automation initiates improved accuracy

& repeatability with consistency of quality parameters; it is

suitable for mass production with better material handling

and also helps to reduce WIP.

The potential areas of automation consist of loading and

unloading of parts; in-process gauging (to enhance quality

assurance); deburring of parts machined; adhesive dispensing

requirements (3-axis manipulation); assembly operations and

Machine tool analysis is the result of common evolutionary

efforts made by generations of engineers to understand the

manufacturing of machines from a more scientific point of

view, i.e. to consider the main factors influencing the

productivity of manufacturing cells and to gain mathematical

models to describe performance with suitable precision. In

this way, concept optimisation and trouble-shooting for

existing machines can be realised with more sophistication

than by trial-and-error strategies. Manufacturing cells are

combinations of machine tools, industrial robots and transfer

devices for efficient and automatic part production with a

high degree of precision and reliability.

Features

The features of manufacturing cell include gantry robots

to generate relative movements between part and tools or

storage devices. Part and tool transfer requires high-path

velocities with moderate accuracy, while processing requires

slower but very precise movements. The control units generate

the set-point commands for the gantry robots, it helps to

communicate with other cell parts (e.g. via fieldbus or cell

bus) and the operator (via human-machine interface – HMI).

The graphical user interface (GUI) is used to control virtually

the position of end-effector of the gantry mechanism.

Automation has provided the

desired and extended system

functionality well beyond

existing human capabilities

46



Manufacturing cells are

combinations of machine tools,

industrial robots and transfer

devices for efficient and automatic

part production with a high degree

of precision and reliability

replace human labour in hazardous conditions. Gantry robots

are an efficient alternative for the automation of machine

tools. Access to the machine is maintained loading from the

top. This will make the shop floor space free for other activities

with the help of utilising the space above the machine. The

linear axes support operating, programming and training at

the machine. This is of particular importance to set up the

processes and observe the activities.

Challenges

Automation involves machines, or integrated groups of

machines, that automatically perform required machining,

forming assembly, handling and inspection operations within

the cell. Through sensing and feedback devices, these systems

automatically make necessary actions.

The integration of automation system into cellular

arrangements with machine tools to process families of

component parts where the system performs tasks right along

with one or more human beings is very efficient. The

automation can perform part loading and unloading, as well

as material processing (like joining).

The real mechatronic challenge is the machine tool

manipulator. While almost all other parts are bought from

specialised suppliers, the design and optimisation of the

manipulator remains the key competence of machine tool

manufacturers. It is still the physical feasibility of the

manipulator that defines the level of productivity which can

be reached by a manufacturing cell. In order to prevent

time-consuming and ruinous trial-and-error prototype

developments, suitable analysis methods like feasibility study,

proper cycle time calculations etc are required which optimise

design as far as possible in the concept phase and identify

problems in the running system for effective trouble

shooting.

In most of the cases, automation has provided the desired

and extended system functionality well beyond existing

human capabilities. The role of human operator has changed

dramatically. Instead of performing tasks, the job has turned

into monitoring over the system.

Also the robot manipulator design is becoming challenging

due to the increasing need for path accuracy and velocity. To

craft appropriate automation for the machine tools that will

result in maximum yield includes terms like accuracy —

related to target manufacturing deliverance; consistency —

related to part orientation as per process sequence, in line

gauging processes etc and repeatability — related to

part positioning. ☐


TURNKEYSOLUTION

SENSORS SYSTEM & COMPONENTSFOR AUTOMATION

MOTIONCONTROL

48

Ro bot ics & H andl ing | m arke t

a&d i nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

“The robotics industry is looking into a bright future!” stated Dr Shinsuke Sakakibara, President, IFR, on the occasion of the publication of the study ‘World Robotics 2013 - Industrial Robots’. “In 2013, global robot sales will increase by about 2% to 162,000 units. The IFR Statistical Department expects that between 2014 and 2016, worldwide robot sales will increase by about 6% on average per year. In 2016, the annual supply of industrial robots will reach more than 190,000 units.”

2013: Demand will vary among the regions and the industries

In 2013, the demand of the automotive industry will start to slow down in certain markets after three years of continued increasing robot installations in the traditional as well as the

48

Moving towards a potential win The recently released IFR study ‘World Robotics 2013 - Industrial Robots’ estimates that by 2016 the annual supply of industrial robots will reach more than 190,000 units. A brief insight into the market forecast…

emerging markets. The electrical/electronics industry will increase robot investments in production automation as well as in retooling for new production processes. A further increase of robot orders from other industries is also expected, particularly from pharmaceutical, food & beverage, metal and machinery industries.

Growth of robot sales is expected in North America, Brazil, the Republic of Korea, China, in most of all other South East Asian markets as well as in most of the Central and Eastern European markets, and in Turkey. Robot sales to Japan will decrease due to the continuing weak economic position of its electrical/electronics industry. Also, in Germany a decrease in robot sales is likely after the significant robot investments of the automotive industry over the past three years. The United Kingdom is in a similar situation and will also have a reduction

HANNING MOTORS INDIA Pvt. Ltd. · E-115/A GIDC Manjusar Savli · Vadodara 391 775 · Gujarat · India · Tel +91 2667 264820 Fax +91 2667 264819 · [email protected] · www.hanning-hmi.com

Your requirementis our driveHANNING pumps, motors and drives perfectlymeet the growing demand within India forcustomer-specific designs, software orinterfaces. Our drive systems are speciallydeveloped for winding applications, textileor plastic industry as well as for elevatorapplications. Regardless of the nature of yourrequirement, our components increase yourmachine performance and decrease theenergy consumption of your entire system.

Our engineering knowledge combined withlocal presence and German expertise ensurethe perfect product.

Anzeige India_Allgemein_210x134_1.QXD_Anzeige India_Allgemein_210x134 11.09.12 11:25 Seite 1

49

market | Rob ot ic s & Handl ing

a& d i nd i a | O c t -N o v 2013

Industrial Robot Suppliers Group. “These technologies are opening doors to completely new applications for robots. Impressive for me are the developments regarding human-robot cooperation and opportunities that are provided in new fields for automation, especially in areas where no robots are currently used.”

The challenges and opportunities include cost-efficiency requirements which drive higher levels of automation globally; energy-efficiency and new materials requirements, e.g. carbon-composites, require retooling of production; growing consumer markets require expansion of production capacities; decreasing life-cycles of products and increasing variety of products require flexible automation; technical improvements of industrial robots that will increase the use of robots in the general industry and in small & medium-sized companies, e.g. easier to use robots for simple applications, collaboration of

in robot installations in 2013. Due to the continuing tight economic situation, robot sales will either decrease or stagnate in Italy, France and Spain. However, due to the more complex robot systems entering the market, the increase in turnover might be higher, just as in 2011 and 2012.

Promising prospects for 2014-2016

The IFR Statistical Department estimates a further growth of robot installations between 2014 and 2016 by 6% on average per year. “The growth is based on huge potentials of further penetration of the industrial segments like electronics or food and on the on-going industrialisation of the emerging countries. But there are even additional growth potentials in the future based on breathtaking advanced and innovative technological developments”, commented Dr Andreas Bauer, Chairman, IFR

HANNING MOTORS INDIA Pvt. Ltd. · E-115/A GIDC Manjusar Savli · Vadodara 391 775 · Gujarat · India · Tel +91 2667 264820 Fax +91 2667 264819 · [email protected] · www.hanning-hmi.com

Your requirementis our driveHANNING pumps, motors and drives perfectlymeet the growing demand within India forcustomer-specific designs, software orinterfaces. Our drive systems are speciallydeveloped for winding applications, textileor plastic industry as well as for elevatorapplications. Regardless of the nature of yourrequirement, our components increase yourmachine performance and decrease theenergy consumption of your entire system.

Our engineering knowledge combined withlocal presence and German expertise ensurethe perfect product.

Anzeige India_Allgemein_210x134_1.QXD_Anzeige India_Allgemein_210x134 11.09.12 11:25 Seite 1

50

ROBOT ICS & H AN D L IN G | M ARKE T



robots with human workers; improved quality requires

sophisticated high-tech robot systems; and robots improve the

quality of work by taking over dangerous, tedious and dirty

jobs that are not possible or safe for humans to perform.

“Whilst these challenges are not insignificant, they are also

far from insurmountable. In fact, our industry and governments

around the world have already made significant progress in

addressing them. They represent exciting opportunities for us

and should be embraced to the fullest extent,” stated Per Vegard

Nerseth, Head – ABB Robotics, Switzerland.

Booming robot market: China

Between 2005 and 2012, sales of industrial robots to China

have increased by about 25% on average per year and reached

23,000 units in 2012. This supply does not include sales of local

Chinese robot manufacturers. At the joint event of the IFR and

the Chinese Robot Industry Alliance (CRIA), the IFR-CRIA

CEO Round Table at the CIROS trade show in July 2013 in

Shanghai, it was reported that in 2011, local Chinese robot

suppliers sold about 2,000 units and in 2012, 3,200 units.

The Taiwanese company, Foxconn Electronics (enterprise

Hon Hai Precision) is producing robots for their own use in

their manufacturing plants in China. These robots are not

counted in the statistics because the information on the

installed number of the so called ‘Foxbot’ robots installed in

mainland China is rather vague. The numbers differ between

total 10,000 and 30,000 units over the last years.

Taking into account the above mentioned information, the

total number of robots installed in China in 2012 was between

28,000 and 35,000 units. Hence, China was already the largest

robot market in 2012.

China will continue to have a substantial economic growth

rate in the coming years. Strong investments in automation

will continue in order to increase productivity and to establish

more eco-friendly production processes. China is one of the

most rapidly growing and largest consumer markets in the

world with an emerging middle class escalating the demand for

consumer goods, medical care and high quality lifestyle, all

great reasons for pushing the manufacturing sector to automate.

Besides modernisation of the existing production sites, various

types of industries are building new production sites in order

to gain market share in this huge consumer market.

The potential for automation in the Chinese manufacturing

industry is still huge. Compared to highly automated countries

like Japan, Korea and Germany with robot densities in the

manufacturing industry between 270 and 400 industrial robots

per 10,000 employees, the robot density in China is comparably

low with about 20 robots. To reach such a level of robot density,

about one million new robots would have to be installed in the

coming years in China.

In China, the faltering economic growth in 2013 may

somewhat affect robot investments. In 2013, the robot supply

of foreign companies will increase by about 5% to 10% to about

25,000 units. And from 2014 to 2016, robot sales from non

local robot suppliers will again gain momentum and increase

between by 15% on average per year reaching about 38,000

units in 2016.

Chinese robot manufacturers will increase their robot

production in the near future, and robot suppliers from abroad

will increase assembly of robots in China. Taking in account

that China is already one of the biggest markets but is still in

the beginning phase of utilising robotics, the Chinese market

will offer huge potentials for installation for local and foreign

robot suppliers in the coming years. ☐

Courtesy: IFR (International Federation of Robotics)

“While the automation challenges are not insignificant, they are also far from insurmountable. In fact, our industry and governments around the world have already made significant progress in addressing them” Per Vegard Nerseth, Head – ABB Robotics, Switzerland

“There are even additional growth potentials in the future based on breathtaking advanced and innovative technological developments”Dr Andreas Bauer, Chairman, IFR Industrial Robot Suppliers Group

© 2013 Schneider Electric Industries SAS. All trademarks are owned by Schneider Electric Industries S.A.S. or their affiliated companies. • 998-1211487_IN 35 rue Joseph Monier, CS 30323, 95506 Rueil Malmaison Cedex (France) • Tel. +33 (0) 1 41 29 70 00

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52

ROBOT ICS & H AN D L IN G | APPL I CAT I ON


Following the footsteps of their machine colleagues,

industrial robots are assuming more and more responsibility

in modern production lines. The most widely used type is an

articulated arm robot with six electromechanical axes of

movement. B&R has taken it upon itself to make industrial

robots so safe that they can work hand-in-hand with humans,

liberated from the confines of safety gates and enclosures.

The safety requirements for industrial robots and robotic

systems and their integration in workplace environments with

human workers are defined in ISO 10218. Among other things,

these standards specify the maximum strain to which the

human body is permitted to be subjected. These defined upper

limits ensure that humans working alongside robots are not

exposed to any serious danger. As a general guideline it can be

said that a safe limited force of up to 150 N, a reduced speed of

52

Taming the robotIndustrial robots have witnessed increasing usage in automated

production lines. Until now, these have been isolated in cells to

ensure the safety of those working in the proximity. Using

TÜV-certified function blocks, B&R has now boosted robot safety

to a level that allows humans and robots to work hand-in-hand

up to 250 mm/s and automatic stop capabilities ensure that any

collisions will be harmless.

TÜV-certified safety

The traverse paths followed by the tools and grippers used

by industrial robots to perform their tasks are the product of

highly complex axis movement patterns of multi-jointed

machines. It is important that safe monitoring of speed

accounts not only for each individual axis, but also for the

robotic system including the tool center point.

The first step towards B&R’s goal of expanding robot safety

was taken in 2011 with the creation of the function SLS at TCP

(Safely Limited Speed at the Tool Center Point). This

SafeROBOTICS library contains TÜV-certified parameter and

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54

ROBOT ICS & H AN D L IN G | APPL I CAT I ON


A TÜV-certified function block provides monitoring of the tool centre point. The parameters used to do this are standardised and loaded from a table containing the respective values. This is a versatile solution that can easily be used with different kinematic systems without requiring recertification

standardised parameter blocks that can be applied to any

conceivable kinematic chain with up to 11 revolute and

prismatic axes, regardless of the specific values they contain.

Transformation parameters also permit modeling of mixed

configurations where the robot itself is mounted on a linear

portal axis or rotary table. The parameters can also handle

constructions where multiple axes are coupled mechanically.

In these cases, rotating Axis 4, e.g. changes the orientation of

Axis 5. One of the advanced features of SafeROBOTICS is a

new function block designed to manage the additional degrees

of freedom in complex systems. This function block verifies

the plausibility of stored parameters. All of this makes SLC at

TCP an easy-to-use safety block, especially when users take

advantage of the preinstalled parameter blocks for standard

robot types provided by robot manufacturers.

Users are optimally supported

Users are free to select whatever type of control works best,

be it the robot controller from the manufacturer of the

kinematic chain or integration in an overall control system.

This is possible thanks to the open and bus-independent safety

protocol, openSAFETY. The only requirement is providing

safety-related position data and the ability to drive, safe to

handle responses. Users of SafeROBOTICS do not need to

know how the path curves and velocities are calculated. This is

handled by integrated transformation functions. With this

optimal support, they are free to focus on their core activities.

Since the invention of the electro-mechanically driven six-axis

articulated robot, 40 years ago it has never been so easy to let

man and machine work together safely. ☐

function blocks for use in B&R’s safe programming environment.

These function blocks are used to program safety control

applications that run on SafeLOGIC controllers. Safety

applications read data regarding the status, position and

velocity of individual axes and apply transformations to

calculate the actual velocity at the tool centre point, which in

turn is compared with the specified safe values.

Safe motion control

SafeMC is an integrated standard component of all

ACOPOSmulti servo drives from B&R. These drives boast a

typical error detection and response time of 7 ms – about a

tenth of the time possible with relay safety circuits – which

shortens the stopping distance by a factor of 100.

On drives equipped with B&R’s safe motion control feature,

both the reading of the safety-related data and the execution of

the safety functions are performed directly on the drive. Data

is carried safely over the fieldbus-independent, safety-oriented

transfer protocol known as openSAFETY.

A highly efficient solution

In the first version of the SafeROBOTICS solution, the

software module in charge of monitoring utilised a kinematic

model parameter block, which can be configured for all

commonly used types of robots. This had a significant

disadvantage, however, as the resulting safety application had

to be certified separately for each type of robot.

To spare its customers this expense and inconvenience,

B&R developed a more efficient solution based on a standardised

block of kinematic modeling parameters. Its advantages include > MORE@CLICK ADI03325 | www.AandD24.in

56

ROBOT ICS & H AN D L IN G | T E CH N OL OG Y


If a company that specialises in manufacturing customised

machinery goes for an alternative solution, then it will have a

valid reason – in this case, the Stäubli RX170 hsm. This

innovative milling robot, working away within a cell supplied,

by plant manufacturer Riexinger, ensures abundant flexibility

in the complete machining of large plastic parts. The five-axis

robot also scores in terms of maximum availability and short

cycle times.

Established half a century ago, Riexinger GmbH & Co KG

operates on a global scale, specialising in plant and machinery

for the processing of all types of plastics.

When one of their customers, plastics and piping specialist

Kubra GmbH, enquired about plant for the production of

drainage chamber bases, Riexinger’s initial idea was to construct

a special purpose machine. In the case of the deep-drawn parts

made of polyethylene which have a diameter of

1 m, machining the external contour and the pipe connections

is part of the process. Reliable and consistently reproducible

processing of these chamber bases is essential for their

56

Innovative milling robot

A case study on the development

of Stäubli RX170 hsm, a milling

robot by Riexinger GmbH to

satisfy the plastics and piping

specialist Kubra GmbH’s

requirement of a special purpose

machine for the production of

drainage chamber bases

subsequent use in drainage and sewage systems.

In the search for appropriate alternatives, Otto Angerhofer

(former CEO of Manz and now a consultant for Riexinger)

came up with a persuasive concept – the robotics specialist

knew of the new Stäubli RX170 hsm milling robot and informed

the Riexinger designers about this innovation.

The job in terms of flexibility

“In fact, the robotic solution turned out to be just the job,”

says Markus Theobald, Managing Director, Riexinger. “With

its operating range of nearly 2 m and the freedom of movement

afforded by a five-axis model, the Stäubli robot can easily reach

any working position on the large plastic parts. So, we had

found the perfect machine for this application and now only

had to supply the system peripherals.”

The realisation went smoothly and quickly, and soon the

machining centre for chamber bases proved its worth in terms

of flexibility and easily met all other customer specifications

58

ROBOT ICS & H AN D L IN G | T E CH N OL OG Y


RX170 hsm milling robot is intended precisely for

applications such as fast and accurate processing of

plastic and composite materials

Although Riexinger actually specialises in special-purpose

machinery, Theobald is excited about the use of the milling

robot. “In the Stäubli RX170 hsm, we have a turnkey plug-and-

play solution that works absolutely reliably. By contrast with

the time-consuming and expensive construction of a dedicated

machine, the robot solution makes huge savings in terms of

engineering costs. In addition, we have an integrated system

with a significantly more manageable level of complexity,

which in turn means higher availability, plus we also benefit

from almost unlimited flexibility.”

Milling with a robot

Stäubli’s newly developed RX170 hsm milling robot is

intended precisely for applications such as fast and accurate

processing of plastic and composite materials. It introduces a

new element of freedom and flexibility into the production

line and is able to process large workpieces rapidly with facility.

In terms of performance too, the RX170 hsm is ideal for

machining plastic parts: its repeatability is ±0.04 millimeters,

which falls well within the requirements for the processing of

the chamber bases.

The Stäubli robot operates reliably in any working position

within its two-metre range. A lot of professional expertise has

gone into the making of this robot. The entire power supply as

well as the spindle cooling and lubrication are contained within

the arm. This represents a compact and highly reliable solution.

Stäubli engineers also designed a new upper arm and a special

wrist in which the sixth axis is replaced by a milling spindle.

Here, Riexinger opted for the exceptionally high-quality

Fischer Precise milling spindle. As the end customer operates

the robot cell on a three-shift system around the clock,

Riexinger quite logically uses only the best components

available on the market. ☐

Courtesy: Stäubli

with regard to cycle times and quality. The machining centre is

currently handling chamber bases in various versions with

pipe connections of between 110 mm and 315 mm but all with

an outer diameter of precisely 1.0 m.

The chamber bases arrive at the machining centre as

deep-drawn parts made of polyethylene or polypropylene, with

their outer contours and pipe connections as yet unformed.

The job of the milling robot is to remove excess plastic material

and thereby ensure a consistent outer radius. The five-axis

robot is further tasked with the precise machining of the

different pipe connections. The switch from one variant to the

next is performed by the plant operator pressing a couple of

buttons on the robot control console.

Because the plastic material is easy to cut, the milling robot

can go about its work in dynamic fashion. The Stäubli machine

is equipped with a high-precision milling spindle supplied by

Fischer Precise. To facilitate uninterrupted complete machining,

the cell is equipped with an automatic tool changing station.

Operating the robot is easy to learn and can be a lot of fun.

No matter how many new variants may follow, the end user is

well equipped for all eventualities with the Riexinger system.

“The system is set up for maximum variation,” adds Theobald.

“Loading and unloading of the robot cell takes place manually.

The Stäubli RX170 hsm milling robot then takes complete

charge of machining the chamber base. Thanks to its enormous

range, the five-axis robot readily copes with all the many

possible designs and - by comparison with a CNC machining

centre - guarantees almost unlimited flexibility.”

Here, the RX170 hsm autonomously selects the optimum

cutter for each machining process. The quality of work done by

the robot is in no way inferior to the result that might be

expected from a machining centre handling this same

application. Because the plastic material is easy to cut, the

RX170 hsm can go about its business in dynamic fashion,

thereby reducing the cycle time for machining a chamber base

to less than two minutes. The machined surfaces pass all tests

in terms of fit and quality, ensuring that no rework is required. > MORE@CLICK ADI03326 | www.AandD24.in

60

MANUFACT UR IN G I T | T ECH N OL OG Y


Although 2D drawings had been the primary design

deliverable for many years, Vishwakarma Engineering Works

(VEWorks) found that there were drawbacks to a 2D approach.

If there was a design change, 2D drawings could not be easily

updated in a timely manner. Changing complex assemblies

involved considerable drafting hours. Engineers faced pressure

to revise the drawings, which was not only time-consuming, but

also arduous. Moreover, VEWorks often is tasked with producing

a prototype to be approved by customers before getting the go-

ahead for production. “The conventional way of designing in

2D was an impediment. It was time-consuming & often human

errors would surface during the manufacturing stage. Our

production orders are usually for small batches in varying sizes.

Any change in dimension requires updating the entire assembly.

This is more common when we are manufacturing process

equipment,” says Jay Patel, CEO, Vishwakarma Engineering

Works. The solution was to convert to a 3D design process.

Choosing Solid Edge

VEWorks chose to implement Solid Edge® software, with

synchronous technology, from Siemens PLM Software, a

specialist in product lifecycle management. The synchronous

technology of Solid Edge® software enables a company to

accelerate design, make changes faster and improve the re-use

of imported data.

Patel elaborates, “One meeting with Siemens PLM Software

was sufficient for our management to understand the advantages

Solid Edge had to offer. The biggest advantage with Solid Edge

is that it offers far better editing and updating capabilities than

any of its competitors.

It is backed by support that is among the best in the industry.

Siemens PLM Software also offers a comprehensive range of

product development solutions that can be easily integrated

into our growing organisational structure.”

3D MODELING An application story on the use of 3D modeling software — Solid Edge by Vishwakarma

Engineering Works to make design changes quickly and easily

61

TECHNOLOGY | M ANUFACTUR ING I T


Making changes is easy

The company’s objectives included a faster design process

that would allow for changes to be made rapidly without

extensive time spent updating 2D drawings. This would help

VEWorks produce sample parts or components as quickly as

possible, enabling the company to provide samples to customers

for review and approval. VEWorks’ objectives were met.

The synchronous technology functionality of Solid Edge

enables designers to make changes quickly ‘on the fly’ without

concern for modeling history. This helped VEWorks eliminate

the time-consuming and error-prone problem of having to

constantly revise 2D drawings. VEWorks now designs more > MORE@CLICK ADI03327 | www.AandD24.in

from a conceptual standpoint. Patel explains, “Using Solid Edge,

we design products based on mere concepts and client input

without any specific drawings or samples, then we manufacture

the designed assembly in the volumes required by our customers.”

The organisation’s staff received software training and shortly

after implementation, the software was being used for all of

VEWorks’ design and drafting needs. “We expect to be able to

manufacture products faster than our competitors & look

forward to upgrade our engineering solutions to further

improve our products,” says Patel. ☐

Courtesy: Siemens PLM

62

TECH N O LO GY | MA NUFACT UR I N G I T


Specialised engineering and simulation software are

important innovation tools. At Tetra Pak Cheese and Powder

Systems (CPS), basic engineering (collecting key data from a

process) and detailed engineering (designing and optimising

the pipelines and individual components of a plant) are carried

out via computer-aided engineering (CAE). The result is a

digital representation of the plant, ideally as a 3D CAD model.

With CAE, it is now possible to virtually perform

experiments that previously required elaborate laboratories or

pilot plants, making it easier to compare alternatives, perform

marginal analyses and therefore, support the optimisation

process.

CAE at work

The fact that CAE offers an efficient and cost-effective way

Hans-Jürgen Bittermann Dipl-Ing (qualified engineer) Freelance specialised journalistLambsheim

Shortening product development time

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a proven tool for the

detailed design of equipment and plants. The main advantage of

numerical simulation is the three-dimensional flow information

that can be generated to explore optimisation possibilities. Here

is a case study on how Tetra Pak CPS uses CD-adapco’s STAR-

CCM+ to carry out this process.

63

MANUFACTUR ING I T | TECHNOLOGY


to optimise equipment and plants proved decisive in convincing

Tetra Pak to use this tool. This is because their customers, who

are operators in the food industry, place a great deal of value on

continual improvement — their goal is always to produce better

products in increasingly smaller plants while reducing their

production, operating and service costs.

One of the tools Tetra Pak CPS relies on is STAR-CCM+

from CD-adapco. “We actively use STAR-CCM+ for design

optimisation, troubleshooting & research and development

projects,” said Alfred Jongsma, Manager — Research &

Development, Tetra Pak CPS.

The company had a very good experience using this tool in

a wide range of areas, such as investigating non-newtonian

fluid flow in evaporation, minimising the loss of pressure in

falling film evaporators, optimising the separation efficiency in

separators, optimising the air flow in a spray dryer and analysing

the recovery of waste heat at the dryer outlet, among many

other applications.

Spray dryer — the goal is dry milk

The spray dryer is based on the principle of surface

enlargement in which liquid products, such as milk or whey,

are atomised into fine droplets through a flow of hot air, whose

temperature ranges between 150°C and 250°C. The droplets,

which are dried during their falls, are only exposed to the

airflow for 0.5 to 1 second.

The operator can only achieve a high-quality solid product

64

TECHNO LO GY | MA NUFA C TUR I N G I T


objective here was to optimise the spray dryer output and

minimise fouling. Fouling limits the running time of a spray

dryer; after several weeks it needs to be cleaned. It appeared

that the factors that minimise fouling also favourably affect the

capacity. The factors that were optimised are the air flow into

the system and the way the liquid is introduced (by high-

pressure spray nozzles).”

The benefits to the customer include improved production

capacity, powder quality and a longer period of time between

necessary cleaning of the spray dryer.

STAR-CCM+

STAR-CCM+ provides the world’s most comprehensive

engineering simulation inside a single integrated package. More

than just a CFD solver, it is an entire engineering process for

solving problems involving flow (of fluids or solids), heat

transfer, and stress.

While this might sound complicated but it is actually very

functional and easy to learn, confirmed Jongsma. “It is

demonstrated time and again even on the basis of relatively

simple models, computer-controlled simulation leads to

astonishing results. The unique way in which STAR-CCM+ is

set up means the learning curve is really short. Creating a mesh,

performing the simulation, and analysing the results take place

in a single interface. The fact that post-processing can be

carried out while the simulation is running, is very helpful in

arriving at a converged solution.” ☐

retaining a small particle size with the smallest possible droplet

size distribution. Its size depends on the drying time (fall time)

and the desired size of the droplet/particle. “A typical spray

dryer has a volume of 700 m3 (diameter: 8.5 m; height: 20 m),

processing 5 t milk or whey an hour and using 5 MW of power.

The energy efficiency lies between 40 and 65% – that makes

every step towards optimisation worthwhile,” said Jongsma.

The significant parameters of a spray dryer are chemical

composition and the initial concentration; the temperature of

the hot air flow; mixing properties of the droplets and air; flight

path and the agglomeration properties.

The quality of a simulation relies on the accuracy of the

model; how realistic the relevant physical, chemical and

technical processes are numerically described. In addition, to

ensure a quick turn-around, the simulation set-up and execution

should be easy, intuitive and efficient. STAR-CCM+, with its

unrivaled meshing technology, high-fidelity physics and

user-friendly interface, meets all these requirements. “I could

not put a scale to it, I am very satisfied with the package itself,

the workflow and the support that is given. There are of course

limitations in what one can describe (in terms of physics)

through CFD at the moment, but I see a steady growth in

capabilities of the STAR-CCM+ solution. The increased

capabilities are made possible by the research efforts of

numerous institutes around the world and it seems this trend is

not coming to an end any time soon,” said Jongsma.

“In general terms, I can state that by actively using CFD we

have greatly improved our understanding of the complex

physics in spray dryers. We now know more about the

conditions that are favourable for spray dryer operation. The > MORE@CLICK ADI03328 | www.AandD24.in

STAR-CCM+ provides the world’s most

comprehensive engineering simulation

inside a single integrated package

66

EDUCAT IO N & T RA IN IN G | T E CH N OL OG Y


Manufacturing has had its share of innovation with the

introduction of industrial automation systems that brought

about speed, agility, efficiency and productivity. If one

compares the decade prior to 80’s with 90’s and now, the

growing dependence on the need for productivity, growth,

sustainability and the need to be lean & competitive is clearly

seen.

Productivity levels are at an all-time high, and in the 2000s,

with the convergence of IT, productivity growth, peaking was

faster than that in the 1990s. We are close to that moment in

66

Imag

e co

urt

esy

: H

ann

ove

r M

esse

Getting your humanware ready Suggesting measures to build the knowledge base for the

automation industry, this article deals with the current status of

educational infrastructure and hiring methods while stressing

on the need to build human competency to cater to future

automation and instrumentation industry demands.

manufacturing history when we will perhaps be able to talk to

our machines and our machines will understand our

instructions and even carry them out. We will see some

amazing innovation and big advances which will include

improvements in vision; sensing systems, fine motor control

and more autonomous robots.

As some advanced economies recover from this Great

Recession, hiring in manufacturing may accelerate, and some

nations may even raise net exports. Manufacturers will

continue to hire workers, both in production and non-

Debashish GhoshRetired Industry Marketing [email protected]

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TECHNOLOGY | EDUCAT I ON & TRA IN ING

A& D I n d i a | O c t - N o v 2013

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production roles (such as design, after-sales service including

logistics). But in the long run, manufacturing’s share of

employment will remain under pressure as a result of ongoing

consumer focused products, like in food and health care

products; global competition, will push advanced economies

to specialise in activities requiring more skill and efficiency.

Automation and its role in modern day manufacturing

Man’s quest to improve on efficiency, earn more money

and save energy has driven technology innovation to enable

manufacturing with new instruments which has pushed him

beyond barriers to an age where automation plays an integral

part in the life of a manufacturer. Today, we find automation

in homes, workplace and in manufacturing units. It is

understanding information on measurements, sensing and

controlling speed, controlling process variables within a

production, or manufacturing area, detecting foreign objects

in beverage bottles, picking up steel bars from open hearth

furnaces managing inventory, detecting and preventing

machine downtime and performing many other critical

functions on the production floor.

Humanware: Critical for growth

The discipline of instrumentation and automation

engineering branched out of the streams of electrical and

electronic engineering sometime in the mid 80’s. It is a multi-

disciplinary stream and covers subjects from various branches

such as chemical, mechanical, electrical, electronics and

computers. With the growth and scale of manufacturing and

process units in India the requirement of humanware along

with hardware & software has become critical. To induct the

right candidate has become a compelling need.

How some organisations hire?

What some organisations have done and are still doing is

to hire candidates whom they believe have requisite education,

intelligence and personal characteristics to become successful

revenue producing employees. Other organisations prefer to

start with a blank canvas, in the sense they hire college

graduates with the intent of teaching everything they need to

know about the company’s offerings, adoption patterns of

vertical markets, etc. We have seen that compared to the lucre

promised by IT outfits the automation industry is left wanting

in terms of salary and work life balance. As a result, some

automation companies lure college graduates by power points

stressing on the magic of global brand presence and pick up

laggards as GITs from reputed colleges. These graduate

trainees somehow tend to get disillusioned with their

companies and usually do not last more than two years. For

the automation companies, the search begins once again and

the net result, wastage of time and money. There are other

automation companies who poach and some hire rejects which

have been let go from large companies. They hire without any

due diligence, as a result, unethical practices gets transferred

from one company to the other.

The pattern of induction differ from industry to industry,

job profiles, its needs, immediacy, expectations on its RoI

cycles and market competitiveness. Sometimes, indoctrination

Some automation companies lure college graduates by power points

stressing on the magic of global brand presence and pick up laggards

as GITs from reputed colleges

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EDUCAT IO N & T RA IN IN G | T E CH N OL OG Y


A typical automation lab

This happens to all fresh graduates who join the automation

industry without any hands-on knowledge hardware, software.

No end-user buyer wants to talk to a solution seller who does

not have industry/application knowledge, least of all the

delivery expertise. There is a need to be able to offer appropriate

solution for a machine, manufacturing line or a process across

the table and close the sale. Today, salesperson must be the

beacon light for his customer. He needs to be ready with value

propositions that can impress his customer and vendors can

get him to pay any price premiums they demand. He must be

able to steer his customer with the trust quotient and help

customers gain in productivity improvements in his

organisation. The gestation time for these engineers is long

before they become application savvy.

Many colleges in India have taken cognisance of the role

automation in manufacturing and have in the past few years

shown interest in wanting to invest in automation education.

These colleges have seen how industries are able to save

precious rupees by sheer management of energy. With the

government adding new Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT)

and National Institutes of Technology (NIT) to the existing

list in tier-II cities, and with the birth of more private institutes,

we will perhaps see the emergence of newer centres of

engineering excellence in cities such as Indore, Jodhpur, Jaipur

and Bhopal, Baroda. Aside many popular courses being

offered, inclusion of appropriate automation education and

knowledge of automation application will help the

manufacturing units source prospective candidates who are

automation aware and ready to deliver faster and able to

shorten the ROI cycle time. This will help better prepare and

deliver ‘the soldiers’ to face the manufacturing battle of

tomorrow.

South and West continue to be the hub of machine building.

There are colleges coming up in states like Uttar Pradesh,

sessions can range from a few days to few months depending

on the complexity of product basket, technology and

candidate’s ability to absorb quickly and convincingly. But can

you afford to slowdown your manufacturing or sales with this

outdated indoctrination process?

The answer is a plain ‘no’. No one can wait, not at least your

customers. We need a ‘ready to deliver’ model. Candidates will

be required to hit the road running. Today, there are world-

class players in the country and some more savvy than the

other. The enterprise must be equipped with relevant

sustainable industry knowledge in order to give them that

cutting edge with customers, and one that can garner

productivity and efficiency in the customer’s or manufacturing

organisation. Today’s learning models should begin early

because both the automation vendors and manufacturers

cannot wait. They must in turn respond to their customers on

time and at the right place.

How do we change and respond?

In an era of choices, engineering still dominates as a

favoured discipline. India is now home to 3,393 engineering

colleges that have 14.86 lakh seats across 36 courses approved

by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE). Of

the total number of colleges, 65% are in the south and 35% in

the north. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,

Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have about 70% tech institutes.

Somewhere between a fifth to a third of the million students

graduating out of India’s engineering colleges run the risk of

being unemployed because either their college does not offer

the desired curriculum required by the manufacturing or

automation vendors; hence, falling short of the desired

expectation of the prospective employer to hire the right talent

relevant for his industry.

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A& D I n d i a | O c t - N o v 2013


69

Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Also, since electrical is a

popular choice, implementing automation education can

create a differentiation and help students become competent

for the automation industry.

Need to incorporate automation education

Almost all process and manufacturing industries such as

steel, oil, petrochemical, power and defence production, have

a separate instrumentation department, which is manned and

managed by instrumentation engineers. Automation is the

main driver in the process industry, and it is the core job of

instrumentation engineers. Hence, the demand for

instrumentation will always be there in pharma, food,

petrochemical, chemical or any continuous process plant. The

growth in avionics, aeronautical and space science sectors has

also increased the scope for automation. Skilled in automation

engineers can also fit in both software and hardware sectors.

Nature of work of an automation/instrumentation engineer

ranges from designing, developing, installing, managing and

supporting automation systems that are used to monitor and

control machinery and processes.

In addition to the standard engineering degree, many

colleges today are offering 2-year or 4-year degree programmes

in engineering technology. These programmes, which usually

include various hands-on laboratory classes that focus on

current issues in the application of engineering principles,

prepare students for practical design and production work,

rather than for jobs that require more theoretical and scientific

knowledge. Graduates of 4-year technology programmes may

get jobs similar to those obtained by graduates with a Bachelor’s

degree in engineering.

About 1,830 programmes at colleges and universities offer

Bachelor’s degrees in engineering that are accredited by the

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET),

Inc, and there are another 710 accredited programmes in

engineering technology.

Curriculum @ present

Out of the multitudes of engineering colleges, a few have

started implementing Industrial Automation in their

curriculum in Coimbatore and the College of Engineering,

Pune, have established labs showcasing architecture of various

products integrated with one another. In these labs, 20-30

students can develop PLC programs on 10-15 stations. Once

the PLC program is ready, they download the program to PLC

through a communication network. Multiple PLCs, HMI and

SCADA are connected to this network (Ethernet). A screen

developed in the individual stations can be downloaded to

HMI and SCADA through Ethernet.

Competency development

Enhancing employability and skill development should be

the responsibility of various manufacturing associations and

the automation industry – the two single largest consumers of

the end product. They should provide cross-border

collaboration with colleges and institutes all over the country.

Automation industry should keep aside a promotional budget

for university programmes and scholarship grants for

encouraging students to undertake research projects and build

careers in this industry. They should also donate or sell

hardware at subsidised prices and assist in setting up labs for

the benefit of students. India will indeed benefit by the private

sector’s participation in transforming the skills’ landscape

of India. ☐

Many colleges in India have taken cognisance of the role automation in manufacturing

and have in the past few years shown interest in wanting to

invest in automation education

70

EVENT | R EP ORT


Showcasing new age technologiesTo highlight the impact of latest technologies for solving

engineering challenges in India and introduce futuristic

technologies, National Instruments recently held the

10th annual NIDays 2013 in Bengaluru. A report…

National Instruments, a worldwide leader in the test and

measurement industry, recently hosted the 10th annual NIDays

2013 in Bengaluru. The event was attended by more than 700

engineers, researchers, scientists and witnessed participation

from NI customers & alliance partners across a range of

industries including healthcare, semiconductor, aerospace,

automotive, life sciences, robotics and telecommunication.

The keynote during the event was delivered by Dr James

Truchard, President, CEO & Cofounder, NI. Addressing the

conference, Dr Truchard said, “It is extremely rewarding to see

our Indian customers solve some interesting challenges with

NI tools. We are seeing the idea of ubiquitous computing and

real-time systems becoming center stage to the next industrial

revolution. We feel like we have got the technology that can

really help redefine how industry works to continue solving

the world’s grand challenges.” Adding further on the importance

of NIDays for the Indian market, he noted, “The most

important thing that we do is to educate engineers on the

present opportunities that they have in solving problems. That

is why we work with over 7000 universities around the world

and around 600 in India. Education is a very important part of

our operations, and we want to make that information available,

train engineers on how to use these tools, so they can be most

productive. NI Days is one of the key initiatives where we

stress on education, while showcasing new solutions.”

Addressing the conference, Victor Mieres, Vice President,

Emerging Markets, Asia/Rest of World, said, “NI leads the

revolution in the instrumentation field with a software-defined

approach to building systems. Being a global organisation, NI

has some region specific programmes including ‘Planet NI’.

The mission of ‘Planet NI’ is to empower engineers in emerging

countries to achieve sustainable prosperity by providing

Sumedha MahoreyDeputy [email protected]

71

REPORT | EVENT


The various pavilions at NIDays 2013

showcased the latest NI technologies for

the power, renewable and manufacturing

sector, among others

Do engineering

National Instruments (NI) and the NICE (Nurturing

Innovation and Creativity in Education) Committee also

hosted the 12th Annual Educator’s Day 2013 in Chennai. The

conference showcased the latest tools and best practices in

engineering education. It was a compelling success with

participation of over 500 researchers, professors and eminent

academicians across the country. It emphasised the necessity

of hands-on learning in making engineers industry ready.

National Instruments also announced NI myRIO, an

embedded hardware device to help students design real,

complex engineering systems more quickly and affordably

than ever before.

Based on the same powerful technology as the popular

NICompactRIO platform, NI myRIO is smaller and more

student-friendly than its industrial counterpart. NI myRIO

includes the latest Zynq® all programmable system on a chip

(SoC) technology from Xilinx, which combines a dual-core

ARM Cortex-A9 processor and an FPGA with 28,000

programmable logic cells. Using the power of the NI LabVIEW

graphical programming environment, students can program

the FPGA and evolve their systems in real time, giving them

the flexibility to prototype and quickly iterate on their

designs.

“NI believes in inspiring the next generation of innovators

to solve the world’s engineering grand challenges. By giving

the students of today access to hands-on learning, students

have the opportunity to do engineering and gain valuable skills

that prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Dr Truchard

during the event. ☐

increased access to NI technology.”

According to Jayaram Pillai, Managing Director, NI (India,

Russia and Arabia), “NIDays 2013 brought together LabVIEW

developers from all over India to share best practices. The

annual Graphical System Design Achievement Awards aimed

to highlight efforts by engineers, scientists and researchers for

their innovative test, measurement and embedded control

applications. With the large pool of knowledge in India, NI’s

open platform provides an opportunity to quickly bring ideas

to reality and, through the LabVIEW Tools Network, gain

market access around the world.”

The conference at Bengaluru highlighted the impact of NI

technology on solving engineering challenges in India. The NI

Application of the Year was awarded to the team from VSSC

Trivandrum (ISRO), AERO Department, for their application

titled ‘Development of 1 m hypersonic wind tunnel control,

networking, data acquisition system and graphical display

system.’

Highlights

During the NIDays 2013, the company introduced the

latest version of LabVIEW system design software, LabVIEW

2013, that utilises the most current and powerful technologies

to make the design of complex systems more intuitive than

ever. It facilitates the management, documentation and

debugging of increasingly complex systems. It adds support for

the Linux Real-Time OS, giving developers access to dynamic,

community-sourced libraries. LabVIEW 2013 focuses on three

primary areas – integrating access to the latest technologies

that make systems better, enhancing the environment so

developers are more efficient, and providing access to an

ecosystem of training and partner tools. > MORE@CLICK ADI03330 | www.AandD24.in

72

TECHN O LO GY | TA LK


The automotive industry is one of the

most rapidly growing industrial sectors in

the country. With the cumulative FDI

inflow into the market, India is becoming

the magnet for car makers. The industry

is highly competitive with a mix of Indian

and foreign players and is also one of the

most important sectors from the economic

point of view. India‘s passenger car and

commercial vehicle manufacturing

industry is the sixth largest in the world,

with an annual production of more than

3.9 million units in 2011. The production

of passenger vehicles in India was

recorded at 3.23 million in 2012-13 and is

expected to grow at a compound annual

growth rate (CAGR) of 13 per cent during

2012-2021, as per data published by

Automotive Component Manufacturers

Association of India (ACMA).

The automotive industry has been

facing the challenge of maximising

efficiency due to the extreme pressure of

the market demands and expectations.

Automobile manufacturing involves

managing several large and complex

processes. Hence it is imperative to

maintain the health of the machines. Thus,

it is very important to install proper

cabling to ensure operations do not come

to a halt.

Lapp India recently catered to a

leading automotive manufacturing

company that is popularly known for

making conscious efforts in

implementation of several environmentally

sensitive technologies in the

manufacturing process. The company

SOLUTIONS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONSSuggesting the right cabling solutions for crane and drag chain applications, here is a case

study on the customised solutions provided by Lapp Cables for the automotive industry

uses some of the world’s most advanced

technologies for emission check and

control.

Cabling requirements

Flexible and long lasting cables for

crane and drag chain applications include

data communication cables for

transferring data from one part of the

plant to another; cables for critical

applications on the factory floors;

automation cables for remote monitoring;

flat cables for space constrained

applications and power cables for

supplying power to the machines.

Cabling solutions

Lapp India has provided flat cables for

cross travel and crane operations that

need less space than round cables. These

cables are resistant to abrasion and are

able to withstand harsh environmental

conditions. For data transfer purposes it

has supplied communication cables that

are ideal for locations with space

constraints with an added advantage of

low-loss data transmission between the

control panels and the factory floor.

Depending on where the cables would be

used, Lapp India has provided specific

type of cables. It has supplied robot cables

for welding division, for powering and

controlling its gun welding equipments.

These cables are HFFR compliant, flame

retardant and can withstand temperature

load upto 1200o C. These are made up of > MORE@CLICK ADI03331 | www.AandD24.in

extra-fine strands of bare copper wire

and a twisted core thereby making the

cables ideal for flexing and torsion load

application. For body shop division, it

has supplied cables which adhere to space

constraint factors and are capable of

withstanding mechanical stress. Because

of their high durability and flexibility

these cables are ideal for power and

control solutions in drag chains. The

company has provided cables for paint

division that are chemically inert and are

highly temperature resistant. They are

silicon-free cables with high current

carrying capacity and offer enhanced

resistance to oxidation and PWIS. ☐

Courtesy: Lapp Cables

Flexible and long lasting cables for crane

and drag chain applications include data

communication cables for transferring

data from one part of the plant to another

73A&D I n d i a | O c t -No v 2013

TALK | TECHNOLOGY

An electric arc flash is the result of an

arc fault that superheats the air around it,

expanding and creating a pressure wave

within an electrical enclosure. This arc

plasma vaporises everything it comes in

contact with, such as copper, insulating

materials, bolts and steel enclosures. This

massive heat and energy wave can inflict

serious injuries, including severe burns,

damaged hearing from the powerful

sound waves, impalement from projectiles

and impaired eyesight from the high-

intensity flash.

Arc resistant equipment can help

protect employees working on or near

energised equipment. IEEE codes set

standards for protective equipment and

‘limits of approach’ focused on

withstanding an arc flash. These and other

guidelines include technical specifications

to help companies choose appropriately

rated equipment with proper protection

levels.

Arc resistant equipment & accessibility

Arc resistant equipment is electrical

equipment designed for controlling the

exposure and/or release of the dynamic

elements associated with an internal arc

flash. The equipment is defined by the

level to which these elements are

extinguished or controlled, or prevented

from seriously injuring personnel or from

propagating. Generally, the protection

applies only when all equipment doors

are closed and latched; the manufacturer

must test the equipment to validate the

level of protection.

A fundamental approach to arc flash

safety must include all personnel, whether

IEEE codes set standards for protective

equipment and ‘limits of approach’

focused on withstanding an arc flash

PROTECTION FROM ARC FLASHThe article deals with the arc resistant equipment that can help protect employees working

on or near energised equipment

electrically qualified or not. For

equipment to meet the IEEE C37.20.7 arc

resistant standard, all doors and covers

must remain closed during an arc flash

incident. No parts can be ejected from

the equipment, and the arc does not burn

any holes in the exterior of the test

structure. The grounding connections

must remain effective through the entire

test cycle. Per IEEE C37.20.7, levels of arc

resistant accessibility are defined in three

types. The Type 1 includes equipment

shields personnel from arc exhaust

materials only when in front of the

equipment. This equipment does not

provide any specific level of protection

outside the protected zone, and all doors

must be closed and latched. The Type 2

offers equipment shields personnel from

the arc dynamic components on the front,

sides and rear of the equipment. Doors

must also be closed and latched. A third

level of protection, Type 2B, shields

personnel from arc exhaust materials on

the front, sides and rear of the equipment,

even when the low-voltage control

compartment door is open.

Rating choice and selection

Equipment is determined to be arc

resistant based on applied voltage, source

impedance and the duration of the arc

event. The duration of the arc can be

specified in time or by relying on a

specified upstream protective device. A

duration rating is strictly based on

quenching the arc in a maximum amount

of time. This rating is independent of

other protective devices. Device limited

ratings use a tested protective device to

limit the duration of an arcing fault. In > MORE@CLICK ADI03332 | www.AandD24.in

device limited rating, no specific time

duration is stated. In arc resistant

equipment that has been duration rated,

the vendor name plate will include

accessibility type, the standard or guide

used for validation testing, and the

maximum short circuit current and

duration. The vendor nameplate for

equipment that has a device limited rating

includes accessibility type, maximum

short circuit current and a list of tested,

protective devices.

When buying arc resistant equipment,

it is important to consider the overall

system requirements to purchase exactly

what the system needs. The system short

circuit current at the point of the

equipment’s use can help determine the

correct rating for the system. Operators

will also need to consider how long their

system can sustain an arcing fault. The

longer the time, the greater amount of

energy is released and the higher degree

of internal damage is sustained to

equipment. ☐

Courtesy: Rockwell Automation

SENSO RS & E N CO D E RS | I N N OVAT I ON S

74 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

REDEFINING THE FUTUREOpening up a world of possibilities, the new age sensors have completely changed the way

automation was perceived in this decade. A look at the latest innovations introduced in the

Indian market by leading sensor manufacturers…

Innovation: Mini Mini Sensor – the world’s smallest inductive sensor

Technical details: The enormous reduction in size was made possible by using the latest

mixed-signal ASIC technology. This technique combines analog signal processing with digital

computing power on a single chip, making it particularly suitable for all applications where

signals are recorded in analog form, but must be digitised for transmission. Another advantage

is that, by eliminating the need to use analog components, device reliability is increased.

Applicability: ASIC technology in sensors which gives a

high level of accuracy, repeatability, and reliability.

Advantage: The sensor is in the size range of 12 mm length and diameter 3 mm having

inbuilt sensing including amplifier and processing circuits. It also impresses with its high

switching frequency of 8 kHz and excellent temperature stability from -25° C to +70° C.

Alongside the standard version with a plastic cap.

Innovation: SmartReflect light barrier

Technical details: With the SmartReflect light barriers, the light beam – in contrast to a

retro-reflective or through beam sensor – is set up between the sensor and a machine part. An

object interrupts the light beam and triggers the sensor. The only condition is that there must

be a background, for example, any machine part, in the sensing distance of the sensor. In this

way, the separate reflector becomes superfluous and a common weak point is rectified.

Special SmartReflect variants can use the same principle to detect transparent objects like

bottles, trays or even foils.

Applicability: It can be used for diverse industrial environments to address the need for a

robust light barrier solution, which would not have the disadvantages of conventional sensors.

Advantage: The product is capable of enabling a very high ROI due to savings in maintenance

costs. No need to replace reflectors, downtime is reduced and productivity is improved. It not

only ensures substantial reduction in operating costs, but also cost savings due to easier

installation, commissioning and alignment.

Company: Contrinex Automation

Innovation: efector pmd 3d – the first industrial 3D sensor that can detect objects in three dimensions at a

glance

Technical details: The measurement and the evaluation of the time of flight are integrated on one chip.

The dimensions of the extraordinarily compact sensor housing are just 60 x 42 x 35 mm. The resolution of

the sensor is 64 x 48 pixels. Each pixel of this matrix evaluates its distance to the object. This results in

3072 distance values at the same time. The image of the object on the matrix and the respective distance

values correspond to a 3D image. The geometrical characteristics of the object result from these values.

Applicability: The award-winning PMD technology enables the evaluation of geometrical characteristics

such as volume, distance, level or surface area. Irrespective of the distance between sensor and object, the

volume is determined from a top view.

Advantage: By means of the 3D sensor, the measurement of distances to uneven surfaces is no longer a

problem – a clever alternative to ultrasonic measurement. Levels can also be determined on the basis of a

defined background and search zone.

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Company: Baumer

I NNOVAT IONS | SENSORS & ENCODERS

75A&D I n d i a | O c t -No v 2013


Innovation: 360° high speed rotating scanner

Technical details: The company has successfully developed a very futuristic 360° high

speed rotating scanner on a platform that measures the time of flight of a pulse of light

and delivers a highly fast and very accurately scanned 360° view of the area around it.

Applicability: The excellence of this technology is in its high scanning frequency of up to

50 Hz and the sampling rate of 250,000 measurements which allows a gapless vision of

360° and ensures that the scanner has a direct view on the environment at any

measuring angle.

Advantage: The equipment simulates an on-board beautiful, highly visible multi

directional display through which status reports can be displayed or application-specific

information like distance values, measuring profiles etc can be easily displayed.

Innovation: High precision high speed triangulation sensor optoNCDT 2300

Technical details: The measurement principle of laser triangulation is simple: the sensor

operates with a laser diode, which projects a visible light spot onto the measurement target. The

reflected light is imaged by an optical receiving system onto a position sensitive element. If the

light spot changes its position, this change is imaged on the receiving element and evaluated.

Applicability: The sensor can be used to monitor vibrations on difficult, uneven surfaces.

Advantage: This new series offers adjustable measuring rates up to 49 kHz. The sensor is

offered as a set of 5 models with measuring ranges between 2 mm and 100 mm. With the entire

electronics integrated, the sensor is very compact and measures 80 mm x 75 mm.

Innovation: The BNS series

Technical details: The sensors have high-quality stainless steel, making it

resistant to corrosion and cleaning liquids; it meets ECOLAB test requirements for

wash down with acid and alkaline-based cleaning agents.

Applicability: The switch and matching coded actuator are IP69K rated for use

in high-temperature (176°F) and high-pressure (1450 psi) wash down

applications. The sensors have more tolerance to misalignment, individual coding

to avoid bypassing of the switches by the operator.

Advantage: Many other variants are available for installation in hazardous area

in petroleum, refineries industries with ATEX approved products for compliant to

Zone 1 & 2.

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Company: Schmersal Group

Innovation: New Performance Level ‘c’ version pressure sensors

Technical details: The Melt pressure filled sensors with an extensimetric technology have been

enriched by new versions specifically designed to increase the safety level of machinery imposed

by current international standards.

Applicability: The product is an ideal solution for increasing the safety of extruders.

Advantage: This version features smart electronics with auto-diagnostics that detects all possible

fault conditions. Additional safety is ensured by an integrated relay that changes state in case of

over-pressures or passing of the set limit in conformity to the requirements of Namur NE21 and

NE43. The benefits are tangible and immediate – lower risks for operators, higher safety levels for

the machinery and complete respect of the environment.

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Company: Gefran Group

TECHN O LO GY | NEWS

76 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

Spring loaded terminal blocks

Connectwell’s spring loaded feed through terminal blocks come with

springs below the clamps. These terminal blocks are preferred for

connections that involve safety

requirements of the electric

supply industry (ESI) standards,

British CEGB regulations and

NTPC applications. In addition to

high torque screws, these blocks

have a built-in spring loading

feature. It is recommended to use

hook type lug / ferrule for

terminating wires in such

connections. These terminal

blocks have specially designed

current bar for the right location &

placement of wires crimped in hook type

lug / ferrule, thus preventing loosening of

the wires even when the screw clamps

are not tightened. The terminal pitch

includes CTS4USC-6 mm, CTS6USC-

8 mm and CTS10USC-10 mm.

Precision regulators

Janatics India has recently launched its light weight, compact, diaphragm

operated, relieving type (exhaust)

precision regulators. These

regulators are designed to provide a

constant output pressure with high

degree of accuracy to ensure that

the output pressure is maintained

precisely irrespective of

fluctuations in the inlet pressure.

The company has offered

precision regulators in 1/4” port

size, with supply pressure of

maximum 10 kg/cm² and

regulating pressure range of 0.1

to 8 kg/cm². The sensitivity of the

precision regulator is ≤ 0.02 kg/cm and

repeatability is within ± 0.04 Kg/cm²,

with a flow 1100 lts/min.The precision

regulator has wide use applications like

metrology gauging systems, printing,

textile, packaging and medical

equipments and many more.

The terminal blocks are

preferred for connections that

involve safety requirements

of the electric supply Industry

(ESI) standards, British

CEGB regulations and NTPC

applications

The precision regulators are

designed to provide a constant

output pressure with high

degree of accuracy to ensure

that the output pressure

is maintained precisely

irrespective of fluctuations in

the inlet pressure

Output circuit protection replay

Finder Relays has recently introduced the new Master Plus series that is

equipped with a fuse module at

the contact side, for a standard

20x5 mm glass fuse. This gives

the relay interface a complete

modularity along with the

pluggable relay which can be

mounted over a DIN Rail base/

socket. Optional fuse bypass

switch allows the user to

operate the relay even without

a fuse module due to the internal

electrical link. This provides an

advantage to use the relay and in

turn the complete system without

affecting the signal continuity, if required. Condition of the fuse is easily

visible through a window. The features of this series include complete

output protection with unique replaceable glass fuse; reliability in wiring

and is equally cost and time saving. It offers advantages like pluggable

electromechanical or solid state relay, plug-in jumper links (for looping) in

red, blue and black colour and protection for leakage current suppression.

Power supply units

Phoenix Contact has recently offered power supply units for AC to DC

conversion, DC to DC conversion, redundant module and design to fulfil

the requirements of various different sectors. Compact power supply units

from the QUINT POWER ranges

maximises the availability of the

system. Even standard circuit

breakers can be tripped quickly with

the SFB (Selective Fuse Breaking)

technology. Comprehensive

diagnostics are provided through

constant monitoring of the output

voltage and output current. The

preventive function monitoring

visualises critical operating state and

indicates them to the controller

before errors can occur. In order to

trip standard circuit breakers

magnetically and quickly, power supply units must be able to supply

several times the nominal current for a short period. With SFB technology,

which supplies up to six times the nominal current for 12 ms it ensures

the reliable tripping of the circuit breakers as a result of the availability of

dynamic power reserve.

Optional fuse bypass switch allows the user

to operate the relay even without a fuse

module due to the internal electrical link

Compact power supply units from

the QUINT POWER ranges maximises

the availability of the system





NEWS | TECHNOLOGY

77A&D I n d i a | O c t -No v 2013

Standardisation & automation software

Eplan Platform has launched Version 2.3 that focuses on standardisation

& automation and opens up new opportunities for users for standard-

compliant design & handling safety values. Simple macro editing and

extended search functions for system settings

guarantee highly productive engineering for

users. Another benefit is the central

administration of phased-out devices and

associated test runs to give transparency and

safety to existing projects. The latest version

is characterised by standardised and largely

automated engineering across a consistent

database. There is a comprehensive support

for new standard-compliant designations

based on EN 81346 and the safety values

focused VDMA 66413 exchange format. The

central administration of phased-out items and a new search function for

system settings are additional new features of the CAE software to allow

interdisciplinary cooperation and configuration. Version 2.3 offers

extensive options for handling macros/partial circuits and their variations.

These macros can be edited and if required can be updated across the

entire project within a clear table view.

Eplan 2.3 focuses on

standardisation & automation

and opens up new opportunities

for users for standard-compliant

design & handling safety values

CAN repeaters

HMS Industrial Networks has launched a range of CAN repeaters under

the IXXAT brand. These products enable coupling of two or more CAN

network segments, provide them with galvanic

isolation and eliminate the effects of EMI

(Electromagnetic Interference). The CAN

repeaters are offered under HMS’s recently

acquired IXXAT brand and enable machine

builders and system integrators to use extended

CAN topologies including tree or star

topologies. Furthermore, the integrated

galvanic isolation provides a built-in protection

against over voltage and the anti-noise circuit

of the units eliminates the effects of EMI.

IXXAT repeaters are especially designed for

use in industrial environments, meeting high

demands for robustness, temperature ranges

and safety. With the use of a repeater, it is possible to build independent

electric segments that can be optimally terminated in terms of signals.

The repeater substantially increases system reliability, partly because it

increases the signal quality and it makes it possible to isolate

malfunctions – keeping the remaining CAN-system fully operational.

IXXAT CAN repeaters enable

coupling of two or more CAN

network segments, provide

them with galvanic isolation and

eliminate the effects of EMI


Industrial wireless access point

ProSoft Technology has released the 802.11n industrial wireless access

point/bridge/repeater with fast roam technology. The

802.11abgn fast industrial hotspot is an advanced,

high-speed wireless Ethernet solution designed for

plant-floor automation, SCADA systems, mobile worker

Wi-Fi infrastructure and process control systems. The

hotspot offers a broad range of industrial wireless

capabilities including unique features such as fast

roaming and has excellent packet-per-second

performance and robust communications in

demanding industrial environments. These new

capabilities provide seamless high-speed Ethernet

connections for moving machines and vehicles

traveling long distances in assembly plants, crane

systems and mining. The secure, high speed wireless

network reduces project costs, while improving

productivity by eliminating mechanical festooning,

rails and slip rings for economical and reliable mobile

applications. The radio’s fast roaming technology

uses less than 50 msec time between access points and provides full

device bridging. The module provides secure 802.11i and 128-bit AES

Encryption and operates securely in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands.

The 802.11abgn fast

industrial hotspot is an

advanced, high-speed

wireless Ethernet solution

designed for plant-floor

automation, SCADA

systems, mobile worker

Wi-Fi infrastructure and

process control systems


Brushless motor

Portescap has recently introduced the 22ECS brushless motor. Designed

to deliver exceptional efficiency in high speed applications, the 22ECS

runs up to 30 per cent cooler than

similar motors, at speeds greater

than 50K RPM. As a result, the

brushless slotless motor stays much

cooler and offers greater power

density than equivalent models at a

given operating point. The 22ECS also

uses unique high performance lubrication

and ball bearings to extend motor life

and maximise performance at high

speeds. Due to its high power, efficiency

and low rotor inertia, the 22ECS can

change speed and accelerate rapidly.

The superior efficiency not only enables

cooler operation at high speeds, but also

offers battery capacity and life

advantages. The motor’s superior

efficiency allows battery operated applications to run longer between

charging cycles and can reduce the size of the battery.

gi

uses

a

u

The 22ECS brushless motor is

designed to deliver exceptional

efficiency in high speed

applications, the 22ECS runs up

to 30 per cent cooler than similar

motors, at speeds greater than

50K RPM


TECHN O LO GY | NEWS

78 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

Flexible compact AC drives

Rockwell Automation has recently designed PowerFlex 520-series of

compact AC drives, including the new, economical PowerFlex 523 AC drive,

with flexible features that help users be more competitive. Ideal for

builders of simple, stand-alone machines, the PowerFlex 523 AC drive

balances user needs for control with a

design that lowers the cost, to develop and

deliver machines. To make configuration

easier, machine builders can use a standard

USB connection for uploading and

downloading drive-configuration files. They

can also program the drive through its

built-in human interface module (HIM), which

displays data on the drive’s LCD with

scrolling QuickView text and detailed

explanations of parameters and other codes.

The HIM has multiple language options to

address global needs. Unique to the

PowerFlex 520-series AC drives, app view

and custom view tools help speed up

configuration by providing groups of parameters for common applications

and by allowing users to save their settings to new parameter groups.

PowerFlex 520-series help

speed up configuration

by providing groups of

parameters for common

applications and by allowing

users to save their settings to

new parameter groups

Pressure transmitters

Keller AG has introduced a complete range of pressure transmitters for

use in hazardous areas. These intrinsically safe transmitters offer

measurement ranges between 0.2 bar and 1000 bar, so they can be used

for measurements of all types in areas subject to explosion hazards in

Group II (Gas), and as per the relevant

ATEX directive. Individual types from the

product range are also approved for

Group I (mining) respectively Group II

(dust). Common features of all Y-line

pressure transmitters include a very low

temperature error, with correspondingly

high measurement accuracy. Thanks to

the integrated temperature sensor and

an additional digital circuit, the range of

envisaged operating temperatures can be

divided into as many as 120 sections with

a width of 1.5 K. During factory calibration,

a mathematical model is used to calculate

individual compensation values for TK zero

point and TK amplification for each of these sections; the values are then

stored in the transmitter.

Frequency inverters

Nord Drivesystems has introduced SK 180E which is mounted on

asynchronous motors, just like its larger counterparts. Featuring proven

ISD vector control, the SK 180E is more cost-effective than the currently

available range of

decentralised units. The new

inverter focuses on the core

requirements of speed control

and efficiency. Featuring two

analog inputs and integrated

process and PI controller

functions, it can autonomously

manage simple drive

applications. It is suitable

both for stand-alone variable

frequency drives and for

synchronised operation with several units. It can save upto 30 % energy

by automatic magnetisation adjustment under partial load. Providing class

C1 radio interference suppression and a discharge current below 16 mA,

the SK 180E can be operated in residential and business buildings. For

use in mobile pumps, shredders, or mixers, variable frequency drives are

available with a conventional mains plug.

The pluggable series is an

excellent solution for creating

wire harnesses which ease field

wire connections

The new inverter focuses on the core

requirements of speed control and efficiency



Online colour measurement system

Micro-Epsilon Eltrotec has introduced colorCONTROL ACS 7000 with a

ΔE < 0.08. The innovative colorCONTROL ACS 7000 colour measurement

system is used where colour

sensor measurements are not

accurate enough. The

measurement system provides a

number of operating modes. The

users can employ one of several

methods to perform simple

measurements between colour

distance ΔE and the reference

value: ΔE(CMC), ΔE99, ΔE94,

ΔEDE2000. The measuring spot is

9 mm with a measurement

accuracy of ΔE < 0.08. All modes

support measurement speed up to

2 kHz. It can be used for both production line measurements (inline) and

for laboratory or sample measurements (offline). The measurement

system is suitable for automotive paint inspection, interior colour

measurements, forensics, foils, injection moulding, wood, veneers, textiles,

printing, medical technologies, and coating technology.

The innovative colorCONTROL ACS 7000

colour measurement system is used

where colour sensor measurements are

not accurate


80 A&D I nd i a | O c t -No v 2013

Highlights - Dec’13-Jan’14

H IGHL IGH T S | CO MPAN Y INDEX | IMPR INT

COMPANY INDEX

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page

Analog Devices India. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Alstom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 12

AIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

ARC Advisory Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

B&R Industrial Automation . . .Cover, 8, 9, 10, 52

Beckhoff Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Baumer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 76

Connectwell Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 76

Control Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Contrinex Automation . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 32, 76

Delta India Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

EPLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57, 77

Fieldbus Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Festo Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Finder India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 76

GE Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Galil Motion Control . . . . . . . .Back Inside Cover

Güdel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Gefran India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 47, 77

HART Communication Foundation. . . . . . . . . 12

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page

Hilscher India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Hummel Connector Systems . . . . . . Back Cover

Hilscher India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Honeywell Process Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Hanning Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

HMS Industrial Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 77

IFR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

ICP Das . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Ifm electronic India . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 43, 76

ISA Bengaluru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Janatics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 76

Keller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53, 78

Katlax Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Kubler Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Lapp India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Mitsubishi Electric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Micro-Epsilon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 32, 78

Nord. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

National Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 70

Omron Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page

Pepperl+Fuchs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 77

Protescap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Prosoft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Red Lion Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Rockwell Automation. . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 73, 78

Renu Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

SPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Siemens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Stäubli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Siemens PLM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Schunk Intec India . . . . . . . . .Front Inside Cover

Schmersal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 32, 77

Schneider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Tetra-Pak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Kirpekar Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Mifa Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Phoenix Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63, 76

VDMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Machine Vision »Machine vision technology is used in a variety of different industries to automate the production, increase production speed and yield, and to improve product quality. This industry is a knowledge driven industry which experiences an ever increasing complexity of components and modules of machine vision systems. The next edition of A&D India will present case studies on the use of new machine vision systems in various applications.

Industrial Computers »An equipment optimisation of the industrial computers targeted at ‘increased system availability’ is one of the easiest possibilities of improving productivity by minimising downtimes, even though the ambient conditions in the industrial sector are much harsher than in offices. A&D India will provide the technology trends in industrial computers in the next issue.

Food & Beverage Industry »The food & beverage industries are as diverse as the global consumer base they serve. There is a continuous demand for a greater variety of packaged products to satisfy a wide range of demographics. Faced with these challenges, producers still need to improve the bottomline and grow. The next issue will highlight the advanced automation solutions in the food & beverage industry.

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