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Machine Builders Draw a Bead on the Often Hard to Determine Needs of Their Customers
HARD TARGETS
Take Control of Operator Access Accessorize Your Encoders Why Do Elephants Wear Tutus?
JANUARY 2010
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32 Cover Story Hard Targets

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Machine Builders Draw a Bead on the Often Difficult to Determine Needs of Their Customers With New Levels of Collaboration
Jim Montague, executive editor
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Volume 14, No. 1
39 Drives & Motion Control Cut to the Market Chase

Builder of Waterjet Cutting Machines Reengineers Its Structural Framework to Provide Lower-Cost Performance in Global Markets
32
Joe Feeley, editor in chief
RD TARGETS
39
43 Product Roundup Smarter Power Prevents Downtime

Size, Noise and Stability Enhancements Upgrade Power Supplies
COLUMNS
7 ControlDesign.com
Customers Are Always ...
31 Embedded Intelligence
Find a Need. Fill a Need
9 Editors Page
As the Economy Turns
42 TechFlash
Operator, Get Me Access Control
21 Live Wire
The Elephant Is No Joke Part I
54 OEM Insight Encoders Solve Mechanical Puzzles
HOT BUTTONS
19
CONTROL DESIGN, (ISSN: 1094-3366) is published 12 times a year by Putman Media, 555 West Pierce Rd., Suite 301, Itasca, Illinois 60143. (Phone 630/467-1300; Fax 630/467-1124.) Periodical postage paid at Itasca, IL, and at additional mailing ofces. Address all correspondence to Editorial and Executive Ofces, same address. Printed in the United States. Putman Media 2010. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or part without consent of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Control Design, Post Ofce Box 3430, Northbrook, Illinois 60065-3430. SUBSCRIPTIONS: To apply for a free subscription, ll in the form at www.ControlDesign.com/subscribemag. To non-qualied subscribers in the United States and its possessions, subscriptions are $60.00 per year. Single copies are $15.00. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $60.00. Foreign subscriptions outside of Canada and Mexico accepted at $99.00 per year for surface and $199.00 for airmail. Putman Media also publishes CHEMICAL PROCESSING, CONTROL, FOOD PROCESSING, industrial networKing, PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING and PLANT SERVICES. CONTROL DESIGN assumes no responsibility for validity of claims in items reported. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40028661. Canadian Mail Distributor information: World Distribution Services, Inc., Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9A 6J5. Printed in the United States.
19 OEM Spotlight
Specialization With a Common Core
48 Real Answers
Should We Push for Safety I/O?
22 InDiscrete
Safety Offers Sustainability Benets
51 Product Showcase
January 2010 Control Design
NeW WHite PApers

PREVENT 24 VDC OVERLOADS FROM STOppiNG pRODUCTiON Switch-mode power supplies can cause problems. Learn about these and learn how to solve them. WiRELESS SENSOR NETWORk MODULE iNTRODUCTiON See the LabView wireless sensor module and all of its advantages. CHOOSiNG AN iNTEGRATED AUTOMATiON pLATFORM Learn how to integrate automation systems. To download PDF papers, go to www.ControlDesign.com/ whitepapers.
Customers Are Always ...

CONTROLDESIGN.COM
IF YOU DEAL with customers every day, be it face-toface, on the phone or through email, Im sure you have heard the phrase, the customer is always right. However, is this really so? Customer expectations dont always match your customer-service policies and many times the customer expectations are not met as promptly as customers would like them to be met. In this technological age, if your business technology is not current, many of your technology-savvy customers probably will not be pleased with the customer services you offer. In our machine builder world, end users are very pleased. Read Executive Editor Jim Montagues article, Greater Expectations. Here, Montague takes a look at how machine builders meet and exceed end users wants. Whats more, the article touches on how well machine builders meet end users needs. Read the entire article at www.ControlDesign. com/meetneeds. There are some occasions when those customer demands are hard to meet. It could be that the requests are unrealistic, the wishes require technology not available yet, or it might take longer than usual for a business to meet the clients demands. No matter what, the customer is always right and businesses should try to please consumers at all times. In January 2009, we published Get a Grip on Machine Performance. It discussed how machine builders sometimes have a hard time keeping overly inflated customer expectations under control. Yet, somehow machine builders help their customers dreams come true. Read this article at www.ControlDesign.com/getagrip. This promises to be the year when the current recession comes to its end. Many businesses know they survived the recession by offering exceptional products and customer service, and it is the customer service that will attract new business in the years ahead. Todays market is a buyers market, and companies compete for our business all the time by offering lower prices and promising excellent customer service, and they had better deliver on those promises. There is no greater satisfaction than receiving what was promised, better yet when the service is extraordinary. As a service provider, what are you doing differently this year to meet your customers demands? Join the Machine Builder Forum conversation at www.ControlDesign.com/ expectations and tell us how well you plan on herding your customers expectations. When it comes to ControlDesign.com, know that this year Im doing my best to offer you a remarkable online experience. When you come to our site just remember that on the other side of the screen, Im working hard posting videos, articles, news, whitepapers, product releases, blogging, tweeting, facebooking and answering your inquiries efficiently and quickly.
January 2010 Control Design 7
Katherine Bonfante
SpeciAl to tHe WeB

MARkET INTELLiGENCE REpORT: SENSORS & ViSiON Survey results are in. What type of sensing are you currently using in your machines? How are you connecting to I/O? What do you use machine vision for? Is wireless sensing a viable option for you? Watch this report at www. ControlDesign.com/mir0912. WiRELESS SENSOR NETWORkS This is an introduction to wireless sensor networks, including application areas and typical system components. This webcast explores technology considerations for wireless sensor networks, including network topologies, communication standards and power consumption. See how National Instruments Wireless Sensor Network products t into the NI platform. Access the webcast at www.ControlDesign.com/ wirelesswebcast.
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As the Economy Turns

EDITORS PAGE
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WHILE CBS DEcIDED to cancel

its long-running soap, As the World Turns, the economic world of 2010 will wobble on. Let me summarize a few forward-looking economic points made by Manufacturers Alliance/ MAPI economist Jeremy Leonard in his remarks at Rockwell Automations Manufacturing Perspectives media day in November. His companys most current forecasts indicated that, while metalworking machinery, pharma, electrical equipment and oil and gas machinery still showed accelerating declines in activity, industries such as HVAC equipment, industrial machinery in general, semiconductors and power transmission equipment began to decelerate their declines, as have material handling equipment and construction machinery. MAPI predicts a pretty flat 2010 for all these areas but, at this point, foresees double-digit growth in 2011 and 2012. Emerging markets, said Leonard, lead the rebound; western Europe and Japan will lag; and high debt and cautious consumers foretell a sluggish U.S. recovery. Leonard cautioned that, even as things get better, spending wont immediately follow since we still will have to restart more unused capacity than since the Depression. Nonetheless, American manufacturing remains an engine for growth in the global economy, he said. Productivity and wages consistently outpace the rates of other U.S. industries and foreign manufacturers, he pointed out. Manufacturing productivity more than doubled in the past 20 years, and thats about twice the growth of the economy as
a whole, he said. In addition, average wages and benefits in manufacturing are 25% higher than nonmanufacturing companies. Contrary to popular belief, the U.S. economy is not deindustrializing, he maintained. Leonard recognized what we all know: manufacturing has fewer employees. But its production volume that really matters, he argued. We produce more with less, and that is a good thing. It moves resources to other sectors important to the economy. The biggest risk to U.S. manufacturing, said Leonard, parroting cautions weve heard before, is not slow recovery, but higher structural cost than in other countries. There are a lot of policies here that make it difficult for U.S. manufacturers to compete, he
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JIM MONTAGUE jmontague@putman.net

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MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL MEDIA
editor in chief
KATHERINE BONfANTE kbonfante@putman.net

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COLUMNIST
JEREMY POLLARd jpollard@tsuonline.com DESIGN/PRODUCTION

ART DIRECTOR
DEREK CHAMBERLAIN SUBSCRIPTIONS

CUSTOMER SERVICE
888/644-1803 CIRCULATION AUDITED JUNE 2009

Air & Gas Compressors 759 Engineering & Systems Integration Services 9,122 Engines & Turbines 1,541 Food Products Machinery 1,565 Industrial Fans, Blowers, & Air Purication Equipment 621 Industrial Heating, Refrigeration, & Air Conditioning Equipment 1,335 578 Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens Machine Tools 5,313 Materials Handling, Conveyors & Conveying Equipment 1,611 Metalworking Machinery 3,288 Mining Machinery & Equipment 484 Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment 1,260 Packaging Machinery 831 Paper Industries Machinery 462 Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment 578 Pumps & Pumping Equipment 944 Rolling Mill Machinery & Equipment 162 Semiconductor Manufacturing Machinery 1,092 Textile Machinery 230 Woodworking Machinery 243 Other Industries & Special Industrial 10,993 Machinery & Equipment NEC TOTAL 43,012
e still will have to W restart more unused capacity than since the Depression.
warned. He identified the biggest burdens as corporate tax rates, health care costs, tort liability and regulatory compliance. Manufacturers are doing their parts, he said. Much is dependent on what happens in Washington. You cant build a sustainable economy around the principle of people giving each other haircuts, he said, summarizing the strong beliefat least within the manufacturing sectorthat a strong, resilient economy cant get along without a strong manufacturing base.
For all your Square D power and control solutions
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Specialization With a Common Core

OEM SPOTLIGHT
U.S.-Based ATW Provides Custom Equipment Across Global Facilities
ASSEMBLY & TEST Worldwide
(ATW, www.assembly-testww. com) is a privately held global assembly and test capitalequipment manufacturer headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with sites founded as far back as 1933. With about 550 employees at its design-and-build facilities in the U.S., Germany, Brazil and China and its engineering and support sites in the U.S., China and India, ATW has spent significant energy and effort to balance common processes, practices and tools with specialized products and technologies across its worldwide sites, which it calls, specialization with a common core. While ATW offers three standard productsthe Bodine high-speed chassis, the LogiTrack and its Flexi-Test leak test producteach site is focused on custom equipment. Worldwide, its 250 engineers, along with some software engineers, are cross-trained for industrial engineering. The majority of its sites, equipment and applications are PLC-based, but some equipment combines PLC and PC-based control. All of our sites have expertise to implement PC controls, many of which contain significant elements of data storage and communication links, explains Bill Budde, ATW president. As a ratio, we are probably 80% PLC and 20% PC. We do very little embedded control, although several of the control subsystems that we integrate into our total solution use embedded control devices. We have shifted very much
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ATW
MECHANICS AND CONTROLS

Jerry Decker (left), mechanical technician at ATW, makes adjustments to a tooling package as Steve Gray, controls technician, measures for wireway.
toward digital networks for controlling our systems. Theyre mostly Ethernet-based solutions at this point, but we integrate and maintain expertise in practically all of the popular networks so we can accommodate the customers needs. Customer focus on throughput, uptime and traceable parts has driven ATWs use of more smart devices and increased connectivity in its systems, says Budde. Simultaneously, the move to a world economy increased competitive pressure and created a need to reduce costs in our systems, he explains. Once digital networks reached their current price point, they became a natural solution that addressed these two somewhat opposed objectives more functionality and a lower overall costso that has driven our control design philosophy. Additionally, he cites customers needs for more agility to respond to changing volumes and product mix. A building-block approach to our controls solu-
tions has become increasingly important, explains Budde. Digital networks helped in this area, too, along with products that allow us to interconnect the building blocks and tooling sets in a reliable fashion. ATW uses wireless technology to pass data along to control speeds, positions and routing in its electrified monorail product, and it also uses wireless networks to interconnect data PCs, printers and other non-machinecontrol devices. While it hasnt implemented a machine-control solution yet, the horizon looks very wireless indeed. Wireless control solutions are likely to have the most profound impact on equipment in the next few years if the technology continues to evolve, if a few hurdles can be overcome and if the solutions are priced attractively, says Budde. Wiring is labor-intensive and carries long-term uptime and maintenance implications, so wireless has huge potential to help with those issues.
Full Range of Motion
Baldors full range of motion control products provide unmatched quality, high performance, ease of use and superior reliability. From controls, drives and motors, to our Mint programming language and Ethernet capability, Baldor products install and operate seamlessly with each other. Simple applications or the most complex, available from stock or custom made, Baldor is your one source for a full range of motion products. baldor.com
Easy to Use Unmatched Quality Superior Reliability Quickest Delivery Available
2006 Baldor Electric Company
The Elephant Is No JokePart I

LIVE WIRE
WHAT DID TARZAN say when he saw the
elephant coming over the hill? He said, Here comes the elephant over the hill, of course. Often, the most profound truths are the simplest. And few platitudes are simpler than elephant jokes, even when theyre used as metaphors for the largest emerging economy on the planet. As we all walk around the giant elephant in the middle of the room, commenting periodically on its very existence and its enormous size, no one in the western hemisphere seems to know quite what to do with it. OK, just to make sure were all on the same page here, how do you know if an elephant has been in your refrigerator? The labels on everything in it read: Made in China. Ever since President Richard Nixon visited the Peoples Republic of China in 1972 and the world got a glimpse of the nation behind the Great Wall, we all have waited and watched its population swell to more than 1.3 billion. That is one very big market, requiring lots of machines to supply it with the products it demands. A recent report from IMS Research (www.imsresearch.com) predicts that China will become the worlds largest machine builder by 2011, largely due to its own needs. As the rest of the manufacturing world struggles through this global recession, Chinese machine builders cant keep up with domestic demand. So, how does the rest of the world figure into those needs for engineered equipment? The solution could lie in the answers to the very elephant jokes weve been telling since we were kids. This month and next, Ill explain the similarities. What weighs 6,000 lb and wears glass slippers? Just like Cinderelephant, the Chinese market is very attractive, but when the clock strikes midnight, youd better have your relationships intact. The Chinese machine-building industry is an attractive market with huge opportunity, says Felicity Wang, director of market research, Gongkong (china.gongkong.com), a Chinese company that facilitates industrial-control relationships between foreign and domestic organizations. And it is far from mature. Chinese machine building faces many challenges, such as low quality, low added value, low efficiency and high energy consumption. China might be a mere child in terms of its engineering skills and technology, but the opportunity to provide those wont last forever. It is
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even harder now than it was 10 years ago to enter into China because of fierce competition from all over the world, says Wang. Many companies have entered the Chinese market. Some have been successful, and some have not. Localization is the key to success in China, says Wang. The days of just selling products to China have passed, he says. You have to hire more local people, set up more local plants and even construct R&D centers. Low price is one of the most important advantages of Chinese products in international markets. But machines designed and built in China are facing challenges in international markets, says Wang, which leads us to our next riddle. Why do elephants lie on their backs with their feet in the air? Elephants obviously lie on their backs with their feet in the air to trip low-flying birds. Similarly, China is content to do what it does besthigh-volume production.
Mike Bacidore
managing editor
mbacidore@putman.net
hina might be a mere child, in C terms of its engineering skills and technology, but the opportunity to provide those wont last forever.
Chinese machine builders might take the lower-end volume market, but the high-end market still belongs to the well-established, branded companies, says Chaney Ho, managing director for greater China at Advantech (www. advantech.com), whose global reach continues to diversify, with the U.S. and Chinese markets each now accounting for 26% of revenues. Chinas machine builders still lag far behind developed countries in technical competence, business management and go-to-market ability, he says. Opportunities for foreign companies are in high-precision, multiple-axis CNC machines, semiconductor manufacturing and testing machines, and military-grade systems. The Chinese government has set machine building as the priority industry by offering tax incentives and monetary support in research. Assuming these opportunities dont cause a stampede, Ill reveal next month what the cat said to the elephant and how to make an elephant float. If you cant wait, visit www.ControlDesign. com/elephant for both parts.
Safety Offers Sustainability Benets

INDISCRETE
SAFETY IS ALWAYS critical,
but it also can go beyond itself, securing a home within larger productivity and sustainability efforts. Safety, sustainability and productivity are all weaving together, said Michael Douglas, senior manager for new technology and standards at General Motors (www. gm.com). He also is global leader responsible for implementing GMs global health and safety designs and programs, such as the companys Safety 21 effort throughout the lifecycle of its production systems. Douglas delivered his keynote presentation, How Safety Impacts Sustainability, at the second annual Safety Automation Forum the day before the opening of Rockwell Automations Automation Fair 2009 in November at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. To successfully implement a sustainable safety and productivity program, Douglas explained, participants must use a method to balance their efforts separately or together; use a tactical, staged approach for recommended solutions; employ a communication process for risk assessments; use a method for knowing at a glance where they are and where they need to go; and identify enabling technologies to support the tactical actions. Meanwhile, sustainability can include compliance with standards, reducing consumption of non-renewable resources in the supply chain, using eco-friendly products and implementing new business models or nextpractice platforms. Consequently, in 2005, GM developed a two-stage approach to capture the multiple actions required for safety applications. The first stage of GMs iterative approach seeks to eliminate hazards by changing tasks, functions or locations or by substituting materials. The second stage reduces risks to a safe and acceptable level by balancing a combination of actions in engineering controls; awareness, including warnings, signs and other devices; safe operating procedures; training of operators, maintenance staff and others; and personal protective equipment. Douglas added that the two-stage approach can be applied to everything from training to sustainability and productivity. Fortunately, engineers trained in the two-stage approach bring their experience to each of their next projects or programs, said Douglas. He added that GM has completed 14,000 risk assessments for itself and its suppliers since 1997.
INTEGRAL SAFETY
Safety, sustainability and productivity are all weaving together, said GMs Michael Douglas as he explained how the companys safety efforts have become an integral part of the companys culture in his presentation at Rockwell Automations Automation Fair 2009.
NOTEWORTHY
Seven U.S. colleges received in-kind donations of automation equipment and software from Siemens Industry (www.usa. siemens.com/automation). The Fond du Lac, Wis., and Hebron, Ky., operations of MAG (www.mag-ias.com) celebrated birthdays 150 and 125, respectively. R. Stahl (www.stahl.com) introduced a technical service department for intrinsically safe systems, which also supports remote I/O and HMI.
22
Control Design January 2010
controldesign.com
In Double-Digit Unemployment, Manufacturers Struggle to Find and Hire Highly Skilled Workers
AS EMPLOYERS ACROSS the country continue to shed jobs, many manufacturers face an ironic dilemma. As they eliminate positionsmainly repetitive, assembly type jobsthey still have unfilled job openings for highly skilled workers. According to a recent survey conducted by Deloitte, The Manufacturing Institute and Oracle, almost one-third of responding companies report some level of shortages today. These shortages of highly skilled workers are particularly acute within the most profitable companies, aerospace and defense and life science sectors, and among skilled production workers, scientists and engineers. This is certainly an employers market, but not as much with manufacturers, said Mark Tomlinson, executive director and general manager of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (www.sme.org). Manufacturers are looking for employees who are the opposite of the stereotypical factory worker doing repetitive, assembly-line work. They are in need of 21st century workers with specialized technical training, such as machinists, operators and technicians. The complete survey results can be found at www.deloitte.com/us/ peoplemanagementpractices.
TEENS TURN THUMBS DOWN ON MANUFACTURING CAREERS

Despite assertions from manufacturers that theyll need a new breed of highly skilled workers in the years ahead and job opportunities will abound for todays youth, U.S. teenagers in large numbers want to wear white collars, not blue, when they launch their careers, according to a survey sponsored by Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT, www.nutsandboltsfoundation.org), the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Assn. (www.fmanet.org). Most teens (52%) said they have little or no interest in a manufacturing career, while 21% said theyre ambivalent.
Why Teens Shun Manufacturing Careers 61% said they seek a professional career 17% cited pay 15% see few opportunities for career growth 14% dont want physical work 4016 East Tennessee Street Tucson, AZ 85714 (520) 748-7900 Toll Free: 1-877-BAR-OTEK Fax: (520) 790-2808 Email: sales@otekcorp.com www.otekcorp.com
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27
INDISCRETE
MHIA Predicts Rebound

MATERIAL HANDLING equipment orders are projected to grow 23.5% in 2010, according to the latest Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (MHEM) forecast released by the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA). We are in the middle of a contraction this year, but the worst appears to be over, said Hal Vandiver, MHIA executive vice president of business development. The decline in new orders now is forecasted to slow slightly in the last quarter of 2009 and hold the total year decline to 35-38%. We now believe that growth in the 2-3.5% range is possible in 2010. Material handling equipment shipments are forecasted to contract 35% in 2009 and 5.5% 2010. Domestic demandshipments plus imports less exportswill contract about 35% in 2009. Exports are forecasted to decline in 2009 and return to growth in 2010. Domestic demand will be down slightly in 2010. The MHEM forecast of material handling equipment manufacturing looks 12-18 months forward to anticipate changes in the material handling and logistics marketplace. The complete forecast can be downloaded at www.mhia. org/learning/marketresearch/ forecast.
MERGERS, ALLIANCES & ACQUISITIONS

The scope of the Electronic Device Description Language Cooperation Team (www.eddl. org) has been enlarged into the Field Device Integration (FDI) Cooperation project. ABB (www.abb.com) reorganized its automation and robotic business units into a discrete automation and motion division and a low-voltage products division. B&R Industrial Automation (www.br-automation) will offer HMI devices with preinstalled software from Wonderware (www.wonderware.com). Honeywell (www.honeywell. com) and National Instruments (www.ni.com) collaborated on test and measurement systems that offer plug-andplay compatibility between Honeywell sensors and National Instruments data acquisition instrumentation. Kepware Technologies (www. kepware.com) was selected as a communications supplier for Acromag (www.acromag.com).
MHEM FORECAST
40%
Annual Rate of Change
Forecast
USDOC, GLOBAL INSIGHT, MHIA
Shipments
20% 0% -20% -40%

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SIMATIC Controller
Tight integration between small controllers, HMI panels, networking and programming software requires a flexible control system that can perform multiple operations with minimal engineering and maintenance. Together, the new S7-1200 controller, HMI Basic panels, and Step 7 Basic engineering software provide an industry-first integrated automation solution specifically for the compact controller class. With an engineering software delivering a single user program for logic, HMI, and networking, you spend less time engineering the controller program and focus more on machine design - your competitive advantage. More information: www.sea.siemens.com/s7-1200 Setting standards with Totally Integrated Automation.
Answers for industry.
2009 Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
SIMATIC S7-1200
Find a Need. Fill a Need

EMBEDDED INTELLIGENCE
JOHN MAULDIN, a financial markets writer
of some reputation, stated, We will need 15-18 million new jobs in the next five years just to get back to where we were only a few years ago. Without the creation of whole new industries, that is not going to happen. Nearly 20% of Americans are not paying anywhere close to the amount of taxes they paid a few years ago, and at least 10 million now are collecting some kind of unemployment benefits or welfare. As I write this column, unemployment is above 10%. But wait, that means that more than 180 million of you out there still are working. This is good. Isnt it? But what are we working at? One of Mauldins assertions is that most of us are muddling through whatever the day brings us. It makes me think the lack of innovation is a result of this. There was a climate-change meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, last month that could have sealed the fate of generations to come. I write this in anticipation of its likely non-impactful outcome, but it brings to the surface a few opportunities. Id paraphrase one of the key attributes of the Copenhagen accord (COP15) to be that the rich need to give to the poor. It doesnt have to be money; it can come about by providing technology and functional climate-friendly processes to help the underdeveloped countries attain some level of life-changing improvement. Solar devices for power, hot water and sanitization; wind devices for power; and cable TV. OK, no cable, but the accord might force our hand, and to Mauldins comments, maybe a new group of businesses can be created. I think of it as technology for living. A small company such as Divelbiss (www.divelbiss.com) can start the ball rolling, albeit in its own small way. CEO Terry Divelbiss son, Daniel, chose to do volunteer work in Guatemala after he graduated from college. He was driven to use his newly minted mechanical engineering skills to design and build water purification systems for communities and taught others how to build them. Another need surfaced for hot water at a drugrehab facility in Guatemala City. The facility had a subterranean cistern that collected watervery cold water. We take hot water for granted. The facility wanted warm waterjust warm water.
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Daniel devised a solar black-hose coil system for water warming, a water pump and a 500-gallon water storage tank, elevated for gravity feed. He needed a controller for the pumping and temperature control, and of course he knew someone in the business. Dad delivered the goods. Now the facility has warm water for personal hygiene. And life as the residents knew it changed. Daniel says theres a water-heating system at a school nearby that cost 10 times as much and is less stable. We have the technologies to create communitybased solutions for climate-friendly utilities like warm to hot water, delivering 200 gallons a day. We can create wind-power solutions with an inexpensive charging system. What will the businesses of tomorrow be? The solutions dont have to be big. A farming community in an underdeveloped country only needs what it needs. We can develop solutions and provide them at very reasonable costs. Engineered solutions are what were good at. Where there is a need, we can fulfill it.
Jeremy Pollard, CET
jpollard@tsuonline.com
ngineered solutions are what E were good at. Where there is a need, we can fulfill it.
A colleague of mine in the late 70s observed that in a mine, the power to drive the hydraulics came from a central power grid. Thats 600 V over a cable length of many kilometers. He hypothesized about taking 4,160 V to a substation that could be moved, which meant less line loss, longer distances and safer because of the lower currents. The portable substation was developed, and the company has been very successful a community-based solution in a mine shaft. COP15 or its future ilk might force the issue, and new business models could arise in reaction. Necessity really is the mother of inventionand innovation. And kudos to Daniel for making a difference using our existing technology.
jeRemY POLLARD has been writing about technology and software issues for many years. Publisher of The Software User Online, he has been involved in control system programming and training for more than 25 years.
IN THE PAST, machine building followed the old

ready, aim, fi re scenario. Now its more like ready, aimlisten, discuss, collaboratefi re. However, the only catch is this newer more cooperative method must be done faster than the old way. For instance, there are only so many hands in two-man shops such as Pfeifer Industries (www. pfeiferindustries.com) in Naperville, Ill. As a result, consolidating its three-machine process into two is a pretty big deal. And then, getting one of the remaining machines to do its own inspections and run unattended is positively huge. Even though such giant leaps in productivity are rare in manufacturing, Pfeifers co-owners, Jim Donovan and Brian Nass, recently accomplished it by teaming up with machine builder Mori Seiki USA (www.moriseiki.com) in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Pfeifer make metric timing belts and pulleys that dont stretch over time and can go on any automotive, machine tool or other drive that uses chains or v-belts, which do stretch over time. To make its pulleys, Pfeifer formerly turned them on a CNC lathe, drilled bolt holes on a vertical machining center and hobbed the pulleys teeth on a gear hobber. To simplify this procedure, Pfeifer implemented Mori Seikis NL 2000 SMC gantry-loaded CNC lathe just two years ago. NL 2000 includes a multi-spindle, live tool and one standard axis, which eliminates the need for the machining center. And the good news didnt end there. Pfeifer added Mori Seikis first HydroGage automated gauging system to its NL 2000 just over a year ago. HydroGage works like an air gauge, but it replaces air with high-pressure, high-volume coolant (Figure 1) and then precisely
checks the fluids back pressure to inspect Pfeifers bore accuracy to within 0.0004 in. Another advantage is that Hydrogages 1,000 lb of outward pressure never allow it to get dirty like other instruments. We can even set up a low and high tolerance band, such as 0.00060.0002 in., and let our NL 2000 inspect its own parts, auto correct itself and run unattended overnight, explains Donovan. We no longer need a guy to stand in front of the machine and measure every part as it comes out. As a result, Mori Seiki saved us a lot of time and gave us a lot of confidence and peace of mind. Also, once Pfeifer was familiar with HydroGage, Donovan says he and Nass returned Mori Seikis favor by showing the builder where some real-world pitfalls might crop up. Mori Seikis guys, Greg Hyatt and Nitin Chaphalkar, really helped us with setting up HydroGage, and then took our suggestions for making it into a quickchange tooling device. Now, we can switch it in and out in 15 sec, instead of the 15-20 minutes it used to take, adds Donovan. Looking at it now, we should have added a y-axis because that would have eliminated the need for the hobber, and we then could do everything in one machine. Well probably do that in the future.
Zero In
Accurately identifying and meeting the needs of industrial-machine users was never easy, and its speeding up and getting a lot more complicated lately. Many machine builders that used to simply design, build, sell and provide basic support for their devices fi nd themselves in ever-closer, accelerated and often pricklier relationships with customers, and these longer-term arrangements, often based on
32
Control Design January 2010
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Machine Builders Draw a Bead on the Often Difcult to Determine Needs of Their Customers With New Levels of Collaboration and Capabilities
total cost of ownership (TCO), can span much of the lifetime of their machines. Of course, competition and economics always drive manufacturers and their machine builders to improve quality, offer more varied capabilities and do more and more with less and less. However, the recent global recession and continuing lack of credit for operating capital amplifies these forces and puts even more pressure on users and builders, especially those in automotive and related industries. Users in some industries have cut their short-term technology purchases, but many still need to produce new products that they cant make on existing equipment, explains Hyatt, who is Mori Seikis engineering vice president. In addition, energy and raw material costs are only going to rise, so aerospace manufacturers, for example, need to build more fuel-efficient engines. However, they cant handle many of these new materials, alloys, geometries and tolerances with their existing tools, so theyre going to need new machines. This is why experienced machine builders seek, implement and adjust strategies to meet users needs and develop new and better tools, as well.
about 30 years ago in response to demands from its customers in the plastics, home appliance and lighting industries, says Troy Richey, Buckeyes vice president of technical development. We started with small, stand-alone machines for drilling cutting and assembling parts and then slowly connected them into bigger and bigger assembly and materialhandling lines. We simply gelled from making parts to making complete systems. Likewise, Ehrhardt Tool and Machine (www. ehrhardttool.com) in Granite City, Ill., says it
by Jim Montague, executive editor
diversified over the past 15 years to give its HVAC unit manufacturers and automated appliance users the one-stop shopping they
demand. As a result, where Ehrhardt traditionally made metal-stamping dies and precision stampings, it now offers customized automated machines to help its customers assemble multiple parts into new HVAC models with far fewer operators. Similar to most others, our customers want to reduce labor costs, have operators do more value-added work, increase production and improve quality, and so weve been adding more automation over the past 10 years, says Andy Adams, Ehrhardts sales director. For example, the wrapper on our furnace used to be punched and notched and the flange was bent manually. Now we have an automatic, coil-fed production line that can automatically change over to six or seven different parts, which requires a lot fewer operators. Adams reports that Ehrhardts HVAC assembly systems use EtherNet/IP networking for remote troubleshooting and can access its machines at a users facility via its server and virtual private network (VPN). If
Builder Form Follows User Function

Many long-time builders report its the continually changing and diversifying needs of their users that pulled them into machine building in the fi rst place and now drives their evolution. For example, Buckeye Machine Fabricators (www.buckeyemachine.com) in Forest, Ohio, started as a metal and machining shop but began to design and build its own machines
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33
a users machine has issues, we can log in and view the steps that a particular machine is performing. In fact, weve been in one customers system about a dozen times this past year, adds Adams. This also is useful because some customers dont have as many highly trained technicians as they used to, so we can be more helpful when they have problems.
are designed and built to specific needs. People come to us when they cant buy a machine off the shelf. It still can be little scary for us sometimes, but many projects are similar to ones weve done before. It also takes lot of creativity to experiment and prototype, but this helps us get comfortable with what we can do. For instance, wed rather do a slower-moving wrapping or assembly machine than a high-speed packaging machine. Though requests from users have always ranged from simple to complex, Richey adds that Buckeye sees more demand lately for data-collection functions tied to quality-control systems, as well as more requests for partstracking capabilities.
MORI SEIKI
Understand the Needs

Though most users know they want to improve or speed up their process, Richey says they often rely on their builders to turn ideas into reality. They dont say how to do it, so we have to invent it, says Richey. We mostly do case-bycase, one-of-a-kind projects that
TOO COOL MEASURING

Figure 1: Pfeifer Industries uses Mori Seikis high-pressure, high-volume HydroGage coolant-based gauge to automatically measure and inspects parts made by Mori Seikis NL 2000 SMC gantry-loaded CNC lathe for Pfeifers metric timing belt pulleys.
OEM Pressure Instrumentation
Richey adds that sometimes Buckeye has to refuse to tackle projects because there are too many unknowns and risks. We dont say that very often, he explains. But one end user came to us recently and asked us to quote repairing an audio-speaker assembly machine theyd bought in another country. We took a look at it and decided there was no way to put a price tag on it. We werent even sure if it was pos-
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Toll Free!
sible to make the system work. The original machine builder had actually given up on that machine, so we were reluctant to jump into a potential pitfall. Sometimes, smaller, less-experienced machine builders quote jobs they probably shouldnt do, and so many of them arent around very long.
www.kelleramerica.com
877-253-5537
sales@kelleramerica.com
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PUT END USeRS NeeDS IN THe CROSSHAIRS

When you get right down to it, aim is just another word for preparation. To hit the target on todays high-capability, quick-turnaround projects, veteran machine builders say they do a lot more to get ready for users requests and evaluate ideas before undertaking a project. Here are some of the most important ways they make sure that, as Elvis Costello sang, my aim is true. Have a clear-eyed awareness of your expertise based on your and your staffs experience, including what types of projects youre comfortable with taking on, and those that have more unknowns and risks perhaps to the point that it would be wiser to decline doing them. Secure and maintain qualied staff and tools for the projects youll likely be doing and ll in gaps in expertise as needed, especially when new technologies and software arrive. Listen, listen, listen. When approached with a project proposal, listen closely to the users ideas about what they want and try to pick up on unspoken but potentially important needs. Consult colleagues. Before deciding whether to take on a project, rst ask your staff if theyre comfortable with it. Ask them to compare its risks of failure to its chances for success, and ask if similar projects in the past went well. Design ahead of time. Develop standardized core components and accessories that can more quickly be put together and congured for individual machines.
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Collaborate and Plan Early

Once a machine builder knows what the machine user really wants and needs, an even closer working relationship needs to be established. This is essential, so the two partners can jointly solve issues and plan a machine that will be useful and efficient. The biggest struggle these days is that theres not enough upfront planning between builders and customers on projects, says Adams. I cant think of a project in which our customers havent changed parts multiple times throughout the build. The projects are getting more and more complex, and so the solution is to get involved much earlier in the design and even concept process, so we dont have customers drawing up 3D parts that cant be made or are far too costly.
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Ehrhardts engineers sit down with a customers product designer, guide them during the design process and come up with the least costly solution thats practical to manufacture. If an HVAC manufacturer asks us to build a machine, we try to have the specifications from a past machine, as well as safety and ergonomic data, already on hand, so we can use it as a foundation for the newer capabilities and machine devices.
Rearranged Lines and Common Components

Besides merely revamping designs and machines, some builders reconstruct whole work cells and production lines to better meet user requirements. For instance, to help engine block and transmission manufacturers operate
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faster and less expensively, Cinetic Automation (www. cineticusa.com) in Farmington Hills, Mich., recently developed its TruFlex work cell, which employs robots rather than the usual pneumatic slides and gantries for machine movement. Though it can use other major robot brands, TruFlex presently consists of a Fanuc robot guided by a Fanuc vision system and controlled by Siemens Industrys (www.usa.siemens.com) Simatic software and networked via Profibus-DP (Figure 2). usually employs six or seven. Our machine basically takes an engine block and adds engine components to it, says John Stencel, Cinetics controls manager. Weve already been able to run 1.8-, 2.2- and 2.2-liter turbos on the same line, but it was harder and more costly to changeover. Now, by using TruFlexs robot and servo motors, we have a lot more flexibility because theres less physical retooling, and more of it is done in software. Stencel adds that TruFlex is based on a standardized station onto which the robot is installed, while the robot
CINETIC AUTOMATION
The robot can accommodate up to 16 axes, but TruFlex
FLEXIBLE ENGINE ASSEMBLY

Figure 2: Cinetic Automation is installing 37 of its robotbased TrueFlex workcells at the General Motors plant in Flint, Mich., which is scheduled to begin making Chevrolet Volt electric cars soon.
can be equipped with one or several standard, endof-arm toolboxes. These include fastening spindles, liquid gasket applicators, pressing systems and material handling and loading tools. These flexible components let us reduce TruFlexs delivery time by 20%from 44 to 36 weeksfor a full system. This makes us competitive and makes our customers happy.
Conversely, Donovan says NL 2000 is supposed to be a high-volume machine, but Pfeifer turned the tables on Mori Seiki a bit and decided to use it like a low-volume, almost manual machine. We use this machine during the day to run our low-volume and custom parts. However, at night, we can use it to run any of our volume-production jobs, says Donovan. We didnt think we needed a lot of bellsand-whistles automation, but NL 2000 lets us satisfy the needs of both our low- and high-volume customers. Adams agrees that a true partnership philosophy means the machine builder must think as the user does. If a builder can help with a process change that increases productivity and quality, then the builder can save the customer a lot of money.
Become the Userand Vice Versa

Hyatt says Mori Seikis engineers typically spend so much time on their customers factory floors and are so familiar with many of these users own customers and suppliers that Mori Seiki can begin to see some users needs before they become
We no longer need a guy to stand in front of the machine and measure every part as it comes out.
aware of them. They also hire people whove worked in their users industries and similar applications. You have to not just listen, but also listen carefully enough to read between the lines to hear the unarticulated needs, explained Hyatt. This is hard to do, but I think were able to find even more beneficial requirements.
Virtual Design and Testing

To help embrace the customer mindset, another tool that some machine builders employ is computer-aided
HIT ThE BULL S-EYE ON END USER PROJECTS

Once youre fully prepared, successfully fullling users requirements might seem like no more than simple execution. However, experienced machine builders add there are many ways to meet users needs while a project is underway. Here are some of the best ways to meet users needs during a machine building project. Communicate constantly. Talk back and forth internally between machine builder departments and externally between the builder and end users organizations to nd and add any needed modications as soon as possible. Document all projects and processes. Adopt a formal documentation process for every stage of a project as it moves though your organization so all departments can communicate better and no tasks or problems are left undone. Expect to be exible. Whatever the industry or application, there will almost always be changes that users want to make as their machines are being built. Follow up. All of the initial discussions and exchanges before and during a project and the documentation that follows must culminate in a thorough policy for following up on outstanding tasks and issues. And this policy needs to continue after the machine is installed as part of its maintenance and overall total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) and/or lifecycle evaluation program.
design (CAD) software and, more recently, 3D CAD. As these programs grow more sophisticated, the resulting designs ever more closely reflect the machines to be built and the way theyll operate. Theres often enough data for builders to virtually test and simulate the machines long before theyre constructed. That means less need for physical prototypes, easier configuration, quicker turnaround and faster delivery. Richey says Buckeye recently worked on a six-axis robotic and vision system for unloading pallets of windshield glass. Because the company hadnt built this type of unloading system before, it used Autodesks Inventor 3D CAD software to design and virtually assemble its components. We had to manage pallets on a turntable, get them in the right location for a Motoman robot and include end-of-arm tooling to pick up the glass every few seconds, explains Richey. The robot and vision system then reads barcodes on the glass and sends it to the right conveyor where each line adds clips or weatherstripping before final inspection. Our 3D CAD tools helped get this project up and running in the limited time we had. Were currently working on a similar proposal to put auto glass back on a pallet. Donovan adds that NL 2000 gives Pfeifer 3D models of parts before making them. Until now, Brian had to visualize a part in his head and then type Gcode to make it, which could take one to two hours, he says. We do a lot of back-of-napkin design, but having a 3D model takes out any second guessing and just gives us much more confidence. Now, we can use Mori Seikis software to fully quote propos38 Control Design January 2010
als in half an hour, program jobs in 10 minutes and make parts immediately.
Streamline With Standards

Besides developing new tools and better collaboration with users, many builders are adopting standardsbased methods for their devices and processes to make them more consistent and efficient. To take on new and sometimes untried projects, Richey adds that Buckeyes engineers must sometimes take risks, but they try to be smart when they do. You have to stretch your neck out without getting it chopped off, he says. This means calculating risks, so when one department says lets take on a project, the others have to consider if were biting off more than we can chew. Our departments work hand-in-hand, so we can all get in trouble at the same time. But seriously, we talk early and at all stages of a project, and weve developed a formal, in-house quality control system based on ISO 9000 standards, which address how our departments work and communicate, establishes checks and balances for documenting all our designs and project quotes and describes how jobs should flow through our manufacturing facility. This documentation is crucial because, while being lean boils down to dollars, staying competitive comes down to how innovative you are and having better ideas. It isnt always the price that sells a project; its also the builders ability to convince a customer that you know what youre doing. Good people, tools and facilities can turn machines around more quickly and at less cost without sacrificing quality.
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We do a lot of backof-napkin design, but a 3D model takes out second guessing and gives us that much more confidence.
DRIVES & MOTI0N C ONTROL
Cut to the Market Chase

Builder of Waterjet Cutting Machines Reengineers Its Structural Framework to Provide Lower-Cost Performance in Global Markets
by Joe Feeley, editor in chief
TO ACHIEVE NEEDED performance, machine controls engineers quite naturally focus on the motion componentsbe they mechanical, electromechanical or electronic. Strict attention to the selection of servo motors, drives and their controllers, or even lineshafts and takeoffs in some cases, is where precision and accuracy of machine motion systems is optimized. For many applications, however, those same engineers and machine builders have to pay an equal measure of attention to the structural framework in which that motion system operates, particularly for machines and applications in which performance, speed and cost maintain a delicate balance. Thats the case with todays waterjet cutting technology supplied by machine builder Omax (www.omax. com), Kent, Wash. Once considered a specialized and expensive approach, it is now cutting nearly everything from stone and metal to food products and paper. Omax raised its global market competitiveness recently with a new linear motion and assembly design that resulted in introduction of a low-cost, price-conscious market, including China, where Omax exports and sells machinery.
OMAX
waterjet cutting machine economical enough for any
Broader Use
People still see waterjet cutting as a specialty technology, which it isnt anymore, says Dr. John Olsen, vice president of operations at Omax. Its easier to learn to use a waterjet than almost any other machine. Olsen says state-of-the-art waterjets now
MAX OUT THE DESIGN

Figure 1: About 15-ft long by 7-ft wide, the Maxiem waterjet is a three-axis machine with a bridge gantry that holds the waterjet cutting head as it travels back and forth across three axes of motion.
can do precision cuts and produce fine shapes, while maintaining high speed and throughput, making these machines entirely competitive with other traditional cutting methods. With waterjet cutting, you achieve great material savings over milling because nesting is possible. Its faster than laser with materials thicker than 1 in., and it can machine copper, stone and other materials not cut by laser, says Olsen. It might be slower than plasma cutting, but theres no slag and heat-affected edges, and while its slightly less precise than wire EDM, its much faster.
SORT IT OUT
Does your automation and control design responsibility include sorting out structural and mechanical issues like Omax did with this new machine? Make sense to you? Find folks who share your position on this issueand probably some who disagreeat www.ControlDesign.com/structure.
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39
Omax, states Olsen, is the only fully integrated waterjet company that designs and produces its own pump, high-pressure plumbing, machine controller, software and tables. Machine control is accomplished via a standard PC with all computation done in the PC. The motion profi le follows a drawing made on the PC, and the PC manages all acceleration and velocity profi les to ler anticipates the taper in the cut and tilts the head to produce square edges. Data sent via USB to a realtime microprocessor in turn sends timed signals to motors. Motors are either pulse and direction servos or stepping motors. In newer machines, says Olsen, the motion is provided by a traction drive, like a railroad, with position held by feedback from a linear tape. This, he says, gives the accuracy of a linear motor at greatly reduced cost. the Maxiem waterjet is a three-axis machine with a
BOSCH REXROTH
control the jet geometry, states Olsen. The control-
STANDARD AND EASY

Figure 2: Precise linear motion using standard modular components allowed Omax to build custom-length linear units in minimum time using simple hand tools.
So, Whats the Problem?

The conventional approach to making cutting machines involves a lot of machining labor, says Olsen. The key is to design a machine that has good precision but doesnt require a lot of skilled labor to produce it, he explains. In China, youre competing with machine builders who have as low an overhead and labor cost as anybody and virtually all of the buyers there focus primarily on price. So between reducing labor requirements and some of our proprietary technology features weve developed, we saw we could offer good performance, but at a lower cost. As noted, the Omax control system is PC-based. PC prices are quite low now, says Olsen. Chinese machine builders, on the other hand, tend to use standard machine tool controllers, so they dont interface with PCs. So if we build our machine structure in China and bring over the automation and controls, we can compete in that market. Through extensive R&D, Omax developed a new Maxiem line of machines to provide proven technologies in a highly productive, cost-efficient package, adds Olsen. He says Omax focused on reducing its timeto-build, material costs and the need for specialized assembly methods, all the while maintaining machine throughput, accuracy and durability. Measuring approximately 15-ft long by 7-ft wide,
40 Control Design January 2010
bridge gantry that holds the waterjet cutting head as it travels back and forth across the x-axis, with the cutting head moving side-to side and up-and-down along the y- and z-axes (Figure 1). To help reach their target price point, Omax machine designers made the cutting head as light as possible without sacrificing performance, says Omax design engineer Brian Guglielmetti. The challenge was to fi nd an economical linear motion framework designed for lighter loads, but strong enough to resist even slight bending to ensure accuracy, and robust enough to withOmax focused on stand friction, vibration and harsh reducing its time-tobuild, material costs and abrasives from the water stream. the need for specialized A New Framing Approach assembly methods, all Omax designers already were fathe while maintaining miliar with products to meet these requirements, but in a different conmachine throughput, accuracy and durability. text. Aluminum structural framing from Rexroth (www.boschrexroth. com), often used for guarding, assembly stations and machine support in other industries, appeared easy to configure into a linear motion solution where the linear components are built-in directly to the aluminum profi les, says Guglielmetti (Figure 2). The framing-turned-linearmotion products used in this application include a stout piece of Rexroth extruded aluminum structural framing coupled with the DGE dynamic linear
controldesign.com
DRIVES & MOTI0N C ONTROL
elements to allow the cutting head to move side-to-side for the y-axis. Four Rexroth eLine compact ball bushings and seal kits on the z-axis complete the framing lineup. Quite often the DGE elements are used with our bearings to provide linear motion for various applications and industries such as gantry or pick-and-place that require x-y-z movement, says Steve Kirnig, Rexroths district distribution manager. What is unique is that they are being implemented into the actual design of the machine motion. Omax knew the framing could provide the strength-to-weight ratio and the durability we needed. The Omax design team also knew that these products were simple to use and install, providing reduced assembly and labor costs, he adds. The anodized extruded aluminum components required almost no machining, drilling or re-engineering and could be assembled quickly using standard hand tools, and that fit in nicely with the Omax lean manufacturing process. Guglielmetti says the versatility of the framing makes it easier for us to create different Maxiem machine variations for cutting larger sizes of material. The framing is a standard product, so it can be ordered from a catalog in custom lengths. In Omaxs higher-end machines, the supporting structure is provided by machined circular tubes upon which linear bearings and ball screws are mounted, says Olsen. Positional errors are of the order of 0.001 in. with the high-end machines and 0.005 in. for the Maxiem.
controldesign.com
Normal framing construction usually means welded steel or aluminum. Weldments require a number of tools, floor space and environmental requirements about painting, says Kirnig. Weldments dont offer any flexibility, and if a change is necessary it is much more timeconsuming to modify a weldmentto drill and tap a new hole or a cutting torch to change the length of the machine frame or beam, for example. Kirnig claims that the strength-to-weight ratio is very good when compared to weldments. The same strength can be obtained with less weight, he says. That reduces shipping and other costs.
Market Splash
The new Maxiem waterjet is wellsuited for Omaxs target markets. It cuts large sizes of material with speed and precision, and it also meets the Omax goals for quality and performance at a cost-effective price, summarizes Olsen. For our end users, the Maxiem offers expandabilitynew components can be attached quickly to the T-slot framing without machining. As a result, concludes Olsen, the Maxiem has penetrated the Chinese market, thanks in part to an innovative new design. Best of all, machines like the Maxiem promise to be instrumental in driving more widespread adoption of waterjet cutting technology in the future.
Small Wonder
Imagine Non-Contact Rotary Sensors Measuring Just 13 x 20 mm
Novotechnik has them. Utilizing a vertical Hall sensor with a unique cross-structure affixed to a silicon chip, Vert-X 1300 sensors measure changes in the magnetic field as the shaft is turned to provide a 360 measurement range with 12-bit resolution. Designed for robotics, medical devices and scientific instrumentation where small size has to be combined with high precision, Vert-X 1300 sensors are available with a wide range of options including: analog, incremental, SPI, SSI, and PWM outputs; custom shaft designs; and customer specific cabling. Key specifications include: Life >350 million turns Independent linearity to 0.3% Repeatability to 0.1% of signal range Maximum rotating speed of 10,000 RPM Sample rate of 10 kHz Sealed to protection class IP 65
For complete information, visit www.novotechnik.com/vx13 Novotechnik U.S., Inc. 155 Northboro Road Southborough, MA 01772 Telephone: 508-485-2244 Fax: 508-485-2430
Operator, Get Me Access Control

TECHFLASH
AS DISCRETE MaNUFaCTURING companies
employ lesser-skilled machine operators, technology allows them to limit access to controls, minimize security breaches and automate an operators interaction with the machine for fault diagnostics. But no standardized method exists for access control, and many systems now do more than just alert and alarm. Many manufacturers use Windows security throughout their operations, explains Lorenzo Majewski, product manager at Rockwell Automation (www.rockwellautomation.com). The same login used to access email is used to gain access to machinery or controls systems, he says. However, when used on its own, Windows does not provide the granular security model that manufacturing requires. By using software tailored for use on the plant floor, in conjunction with Windows security or as a stand-alone option, manufacturers can define who has access to certain assets, who can view specific controllers and who can modify their programs. These software solutions more consistent and fewer screens. RFID systems often are used in machine access and maintenance tracking, says Tim Cicerchi, product manager, industrial bus & ID systems, Pepperl+Fuchs (www.pepperl-fuchs.com). To access the machine, a person will take out a creditcard-style or key-fob RFID tag and swipe it over the reader, he explains. If the person has authorization, that person will be granted access. RFID can do more than just control access, says Cicerchi. RFID systems can record the helpful data for future retrieval and reference, including the maintenance persons name, the time he or she accessed the machine and the amount of downtime, he says. Many companies have key fobs with different colors, which can be a very helpful tool for visually inspecting a persons authorization level. RFID systems provide an automated trail of information that can analyze and address situations, such as why a machine wasnt fixed properly or was down for too long. Advanced audit-trail-security features provide configurable reporting for monitoring operator behavior, says Cone. These features include time/ date stamp on value changes, switch and button activity, along with reports on screen navigation sequences, he says. While some machines are simple and require no interaction, others might need displays for on-the-spot diagnostic information, explains Cicerchi. If a machine fault happens, machine operators should be allowed to correct the problem, he says. More difficult problems should be taken care of only by skilled operators. The golden rule of troubleshooting a system is to know what changed, explains Majewski. The ability to quickly determine who changed what on the system and when potentially can save thousands of dollars of downtime, he says. Because software solutions provide audit logs, manufacturers can obtain detailed version control information. Coupled with the ability to limit who has access and the ability to make changes to specific assets, companies can prevent unauthorized changes that can create issues within the system. Moreover, if a problem does arise, they can see where changes that would cause the problem were made and more quickly and easily restore the system to a healthy state.
controldesign.com
Mike Bacidore, managing editor
mbacidore@putman.net
hile some machines are simple W and require no interaction, others might need displays for on-the-spot diagnostic information.
also provide in-depth audit logs to track who made changes to the system, which can help identify the cause of problems. In addition, software from an automation vendor developed specifically for the plant floor is going to be deployable globally, which significantly reduces the amount of time manufacturers need to set up and manage their security systems, says Majewski. HMIs also can enable the same plantwide Windows login policies to be applicable on manufacturing equipment, explains Alan Cone, HMI product marketing manager, Siemens Industry (www.usa.siemens.com/automation). As a result, supervisors can set up operator security profiles consistently on any computer in the facility. Advanced HMI hardware and software products now include security features to the level of each individual graphic object, not just password protection at the screen level, he says. Operators and supervisors can work from one screen, with different accessibility rights, and benefit from
Smarter Power Prevents Downtime

Size, Noise and Stability Enhancements Upgrade Power Supplies
POWER SUppLY enhancements
include reduced component count, weight and size, more stringent EMI and stability requirements, or efficiency across the whole output power range and low standby consumption. Lately we see a growing demand for smarter industrial control components that benefit the bottom line, says Dan Armentrout, product manager for industrial components, Omron Electronics (www. omron247.com). Customers are beginning to realize real cost savings from components that prevent unplanned downtime or reduce troubleshooting. Michelle Goeman, product managerterminal blocks & electronic interface, Wago (www.wago.com), says her company receives requests for more compact, cost-effective supplies and also for advanced power supplies that provide reliable 24 Vdc power and reduce the number of components required, while providing improved stability and greater efficiency. Efficiency or low-power consumption calculations play a main role for control system designers when theyre designing power backup systems and could determine overall wiring costs in a project, says Tobin Robertson, portfolio marketing manager for electronics, Weidmller (www.weidmuller.com). We dont see or hear about someone wanting fewer components in a supply. That might indicate that a manufacturer is cutting corners and costing the customer with failures and replacements in the end.
controldesign.com
PRODUCT ROUNDUP
Reliability is high on the customer demand list, says Herm Harrison, vice president, Foster Transformer (www.fostertransformer.com). After all, if a piece of industrial equipment isnt running, its not making its owner any money, he says. David Norton, vice president marketing, TDK-Lambda Americas (www.us.tdk-lambda.com/ lp), says his company has received so many requests for efficiency across the whole output power range and low standby consumption that it will roll out new products in 2010. Vdc, 15 A modules plug directly into a three- or six-position chassis/backplane for maximum capacity of 45 A or 90 A, respectively. The devices have external field connectors, LEDs and alarm outputs for quick diagnostic evaluation and natural convection cooling. They are certified for Class I, Div. 2/Zone 2 ATEX Zone 2 mounting.
Pepperl+Fuchs; 330/486-0002; www.pepperl-fuchs.com
cdroundup@putman.net
SWITCHED-MODE POWER
RNB130 primary switched-mode power supply for field instruments includes a 1.2-in-wide housing and input 100-240 Vac
INDUSTRIAL GRADE
With 20 A output at 12 Vdc, Quint SFB industrial-grade power supply includes selective fuse breaking (SFB) technology for supplemental branch circuit protection on the dc bus. On sensing a fault condition, the SFB
nominal voltage with connection to mono-phased ac networks or to two-phase conductors of three-phase supply networks. Output is 24 Vdc, with 30 V maximum in the event of a fault. Power reserve includes a power boost of up to 2 A.
Endress+Hauser; 888/endress; www.us.endress.com
technology delivers a short peak of current, up to six times nominal current, to the faulted load. It incorporates diagnostic feedback elements and offers early warn-
N+1 REDUNDANCY
PS3500 power supplies have a modular design and selectable wiring configurations including N+1 redundant mode. These 24
ing diagnostics through a local PowerBoost yellow LED and a PowerBoost dry contact.
Phoenix Contact; 800/322-3225; www.phoenixcontact.com
PRODUCT ROUNDUP
OPEN AND SHORT

787 Series ECO power supply line offers provides open- and short-circuit protection and a constant current mode. Guarded by a DIN-rail-mount metal housing, all ECO power supplies carry two status indication
BI-PHASE OPERATION
Series of ac-dc DIN-rail-mount power supplies with outputs rated 120-480 W operates off three-phase line input from 340575 Vac. DPP120 series
FIELDBUS CONNECTION
Status information can be read at any time via a fieldbus connection on this dc power supply device. Operation close to the power limits can be detected by the central control system. Output voltage range covers 36-
has 12 Vdc and 24 Vdc outputs, rated at 120 W, and DPP240 and DPP 480 power supplies have 24 Vdc and 48 Vdc LEDsone indicating overloads and one indicating dc OK. It has accessory modules, including UPS and batteries, buffer modules, redundancy modules and electronic circuit breakers.
Wago; 800/din-rail; www.wago.us
80 Vdc, and additional 24 Vdc output supplies other automation components with current requirements up to 2 A. This module is designed for continuous power output of 1 kW.
B&R Industrial Automation; 770/772-0400; www.br-automation.com
outputs. These units include bi-phase operation and under a dropped-phase condition, they operate with the output power derated to 80%.
TDK-Lambda Americas; 619/5754400; www.us.tdk-lambda.com/lp
EXTENDED TEMP RANGE

Pro-M Series power supplies have an extended temperature range of -25 C to 70 C, are available in six single-phase and four three-phase models with 24 Vdc output voltages
SINGLE-OUTPUT ADAPTERS
PSC75U Series single-output adapters, available in 48 and 56 Vdc, are compliant with mandatory energy-efficiency legislation. It meets Class B EMI standards and features overvoltage and short-circuit protection, as well as overcurrent protection with auto-restart,
GUARDS AGAINST SPARKING

PSG series is a general-purpose family of power supplies to cover the majority of 24 Vdc control applications. With an operat-
ing temperature range of -20 C to 75 C, PSG series includes and up to 40 A output currents. They have integrated overvoltage temperature protection, available diagnostic output, external shutdown ability, a power OK signal and remote on/off functions.
Weidmller; 800/849-9343; www.weidmuller.com
eight DIN-rail-mounted power supplies with input and output ratings ranging 2.5-20 A. Class I, has no-load power draw of less than 0.5 W, and bears cUL/ UL 609501, IEC60950-1, and CE safety markings and approvals.
Phihong; 510/445-0100; www.phihong.com
Div. 2, protection guards the PSG from sparking. It includes surge protection against transient and internal surges.
Eaton; 800/386-1911; www.eaton.com
controldesign.com
MORE RHINO
Rhino power supplies include NEC Class 2 plastic-housed low-profile switching supplies in 5, 12 and 24 Vdc adjustable output models. PSC series includes eight models with output of 0.340 A. In addition to 100120 Vac input, the single-phase units can accept up to 200500 Vac input.
Schneider Electric; 847/397-2600; www.schneiderelectric.com
deactivate the faulted path while maintaining supply power to remaining loads. With a range of 22-30 V, the module has adjustment potentiometers for each circuit with multi-color status LEDs for maintenance and individual load troubleshooting.
Siemens Industry; 770/751-2000; www.siemens.com/sitop
PRODUCT ROUNDUP
THREE-PHASE EVOLUTION
Evolution three-phase power 1290 W and features universal 85264 Vac input voltage, adjustable dc output and output current limitation. They are UL508-listed, UL1310recognized for NEC Class 2 compliance and CE-marked.
AutomationDirect; 770/889-2858; www.automationdirect.com/ class2-dc-power-supplies
100 W AC/DC POWER

Top-100 Series ac/dc power supplies have a 2x4-in. industry-standard footprint, supply up to 100 W of output power using convection cooling over an operating range of 25 C to 50 C. Approved for Class I and Class II applications, they include efficiency of greater than 90%, low-leakage current,
supply units in models 540 A with adjustable output voltages 2224 Vdc have an extra-power function to sup-
UPS PROTECTION
Bulletin 1609-U uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) in 750, 1,000 and 1,500 VA models are
ply up to 50% additional power for 4 sec. The power supply includes a wide nominal input voltage range from 3 x 360520 Vac or 480745 Vdc.
Murrelektronik; 770/497-9292; www.murrinc.com
over-voltage protection and compliance with EN 61000-3-2.

Power Sources; 800/966-7784; www.psui.com
SLIM IS IN ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSTICS

Sitop PSE200U electronic designed to protect PCs, PLCs, servers and data networks with improved surge protection to reduce downtime of critical process applications.
Rockwell Automation; 414/328-2000; www.rockwellautomation.com
PS5R-SB 10 W and 15 W Slim Line power supplies range 10240 W, available in 5 V/10 W
diagnostic module is available in 0.5-3 A and 3-10 A versions capable of monitoring four separate 24 Vdc load circuits. The modules recognize overload or short-circuit faults on 24 Vdc circuits and selectively
and 12 V/15 W or 24 V/15 W. They are UL 508 listed, designed for hazardous locations and are NEC
AUTOMATION ENERGY
Phaseo switch-mode power supplies are designed for 24 Vdc
controldesign.com
Class 2-rated.
IDEC; 800/262-idec; www.idec.com/usa
PRODUCT ROUNDUP
HIGHER VOLTAGES
WL9 low-profile switching power supplies are available in outputs to 135 Vdc with an output power rating of 720 W. Some have slot output voltage ranges 1 Vdc from the nomia metal enclosure with four M3 inserts for attaching to a chassis or heat sink. Twelve models offer 100 W output with input ranges 1836 Vdc or 3675 Vdc and outputs 548 Vdc to 348 Vdc. nal; others have adjustment ranges 05 Vdc to 0135 Vdc. All models can provide constant voltage or constant current.
Acopian; 610/258-5441; www.acopian.com Traco Power; 866/588-1750; www.tracopower.com
dant modes. Integrated power factor correction (PFC) reduces harmonic currents. DIN-railmountable, these 240-960 A, three-phase power supplies have integrated input and over-
load protection, surge voltage and current protectors.
OUTPUT VARIETY
Primary-switched power supplies with pluggable screw, screw or spring terminals
Lutze; 800/447-2371; www.lutze.com
DC/DC CONVERTERS
TEP-100 isolated dc/dc converter modules are used where PCB mounting is not an option. It has
have 5 V, 12 V, 15 V, 24 V or 48 V outputs. Three units can be connected in parallel mode and some units have redun-
POWER CONDITIONER
Diagnostic power conditioner (DPC) for Foundation fieldbus has an integrated diagnostics module that provides statistics to help diagnose problems associated with the fieldbus physical layer. It can aid in
commissioning and maintenance of the fieldbus system.

Turck; 800/553-0016; www.turck.us
FIELDBUs POWER
Trunkguard TPS400 Fieldbus power supplies have 350 mA for non-isolated, energy limited applications or 500 mA for high-current-demand applications of isolated, conditioned simplex, non-redundant, or duplex, redundant, power to up to four segments. It has a high availability, modular design that is hot-swappable
controldesign.com
tion allows the power supply to shutdown automatically if the outputs are shorted or if there is excessive current flow in the output. All models have a universal input 100-240 Vac. with load-sharing in redundant pairs, a metal housing, optional pluggable surge protection and multi-segment H1 connectors.
Moore Industries; 818/894-7111; www.miinet.com Omron Electronics; 866/88-omron; www.omron247.com
stage provides near-zero inrush and a low-input current when energized. Other features include active power factor correction, paralleling with load sharing, dc-OK contact, remote shutdown and a temperature range from 25 C to 70 C.
Puls Power Supplies; 630/587-9780; www.pulspower.us
PRODUCT ROUNDUP
VISUAL DIAGNOSTICS
SDN-C DIN-rail power supply in 20 A, single-phase 24 Vdc has visual diagnostic LEDs to
600 W SWITCHER
Mean Well HRP-600 Series of 600 W switching power supplies claim up to 89% efficiency. For no-load power consumption, an optional remote on/off control
3-PHASE DIN-RAIL MOUNT

CSG2400C three-phase input DIN-rail-mounted power sup-
show status at a glance and has active power factor correction and comes equipped with standard screw terminal con-
ply provides 24 Vdc power. 12 in. wide, it provides 100 A continuous at 45 C and a 150 A peak rating, short circuit, overload, over temperature, input/ output overvoltage protection and is UL508-listed.
ASI; 877/650-5160; www.asi-ez.com
with 5 V/0.3 A standby output is available. The family consists of eight single-output models with nections. Its metal case allows the unit to deliver full power in a wide temperature range from -25 C to 60 C.
SolaHD; 877/999-7652; www.solahd.com
wide adjustment ranges to cover voltages ranging 3.355.2 V.

PowerGate; 866/588-1750; www.powergatellc.com
4-in-1 UL508-LISTED
S8VS Series switching power supplies are UL508-listed and have a built-in display. The single-phase, single output ac-dc power supplies have displays on models ranging 60-480 W. It has overvoltage protection and an overload protection funcage and current modes. Two auxiliary outputs with fixed current of 36.5 V/3 A and 815 V/1 A are provided. It has short circuit protection, a power cord and four pairs of test leads.
Extech; 781/890-7440; www.extech.com
controldesign.com January 2010 Control Design 47
Quad Output dc power supply
40 A POWER SUPPLIES
Dimension QS40/QT40 is a series of 40 A, 24 Vdc DIN-rail switch-mode power supplies offered either in three-phase, 380-480 Vac or single-phase 208-240 Vac input. The input
has two 030 V/05 A outputs with selectable constant volt-
Should We Push for Safety I/O?

reaL answers
THE SAFEtY SYStEM we include on our
machines has been a combination of a programmable safety controller with some regular distributed I/O to achieve a baseline SIL 3. Are we missing the boat by not trying to push the idea of safety I/O for better fault detection and diagnostics despite the cost hit?
from November 09 CONTROL DESIGN
for the overall system. In other words, a safety system is no better than the weakest link. You should also consider the probability of dangerous failure per hour (PFHd) for the overall control system. Both EN ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061 can help you define your requirement for the design and rationalization of your complete control system.
CHRIStINE FRANK, safety products marketing manager, Sick, www.sickusa.com
RealAnswers@putman.net
ANSWERS Get on the Boat

You are missing the boat by not offering safe I/O with your system, as the benefits of using safe I/O on a safety network like DeviceNet or EtherNet/ IP Safety do outweigh the costs from an enduser perspective. As mentioned in the question, the main benefits are better fault detection and diagnostics. Also, the solution likely cannot truly be considered SIL 3 with the use of non-safe I/O. This is because safe I/O has redundancy features typically not found in non-safe I/O.
MICHAEL FRAYNE, product manager, Molex, www.molex.com
Total Cost of Ownership

Ive seen OEMs struggle with the new IEC 62061 and ISO 13849 safety standards. Calculations on which SIL or PL level can be achieved depends heavily on the components being used in the entire safety chain from sensor to input module to safety PLC to output module to actuator, as well as the connectivity and implementation of these devices. SIL 3 being the highest safety category for machinery, you have to use components with integrated diagnostic functions that reduce the amount of otherwise undetected faults. This is called diagnostic coverage and is used among other parameters to determine the SIL of a safety system. In the past using standard redundant inputs and outputs with feedback monitoring might have been sufficient to achieve a Category 4 rating, but you now have to use safetyrated devices to get to SIL 3. Safety-rated components, such as safety I/O modules, have built-in redundancy and diagnostic features designed into the hardware and firmware and have been certified by agencies such as TV. You are missing the boat by not using safety I/O to design a safety circuit that meets SIL 3. Aside from being compliant with the new safety standards, safety I/O offers a lot of additional benefits. Diagnosing wiring issues during commissioning and regular operation can greatly improve startup and downtime. A tight integration of the safety PLC and the machine controller can annunciate any detected fault directly to the operator via the machine HMI without running wires to additional machine I/O or troubleshooting safety loops that arent connected to the machine control at all. The cost of standard vs. safety-rated hardware alone is not a valid measure for deciding which way to go, as it only represents a small percentage of the overall system. The cost of implementing and commissioning a safety system can quickly
controldesign.com
Dig a Little Deeper

The cost to implement a safety system with safety products can seem high, until you dig below the surface. Safety products are tested, documented and certified by the manufacturers and governing bodies (TV, UL cUL). When properly applied, they meet the highest integrity level they are rated for, and eliminate a lot of the guesswork for additional engineering, documentation, rationalization, proof of concept and time. A safety system can be designed with non-safety controls, but do you have the all the knowledge, expertise and time factored in? If your system fails, everything you dofrom the wiring to the documentationwill and can be scrutinized. Many safety products offer redundancy, fault detection and dual channel with testing. As for the safety diagnostics and fault detection costing more, that is questionable. The ability to find faults in a minimal amount of time can be crucial for companies. The longer the downtime, the more money and productivity they lose. Remember, the lowest SILCL for a subsystem limits the maximum achievable safety integrity level (SIL)
outrun the purchase cost. Look at total cost of ownership of safety I/O along with a safety PLC tightly integrated with your machine controller, yet is flexible and can be added to any control system architecture. You will find that these systems will be a lot more economical.
ROBErT MUEHLFELLNEr, director, automation technology, B&R Industrial Automation, www.discover-automation.com
and standard PLCs. Using an integrated network would reduce labor time and costs associated with purchasing additional I/O and wiring the networks. Also, if you wire safety devices in series and run them into a single pair of safety PLC inputs, you lose the ability to diagnose which of those devices are tripped. Use additional safety I/O, one pair of each device, and you will be able to tell exactly which device is causing your machine issues and get the machine back into production sooner. If you are using standard I/O with your safety PLC as part of the safety system, then you are not achieving SIL 3. Interpretation 2: You use an integrated controller that handles safety and standard control functions for your machine. This control architecture delivers value by its ability to perform safety and standard control with a single controller in a single application environment and often with a single network that supports the safety and standard data and communication. The value that the safety portion of the control system delivers is to help ensure the controller will respond to a demand with a lower probability of dangerous failure than a standard implementation. The higher the SIL or performance-level capability of the controller, the lower the probability the system will fail to
REAL ANSWERS
Maybe Its Your Distributed I/O

Assuming that the distributed I/O is part of an overall control system required to meet a targeted SIL rating, I would be more concerned that the regular distributed I/O is compromising the SIL 3 rating of the controller and, therefore, the complete control system. If the distributed I/O requires SIL, but the I/O has not been properly certified to IEC 61508 or another standard under this safety umbrella standard, depending on the industry, the designer must document the calculations that determined the SIL value of the distributed I/O chosen, as well as the SIL value of the overall control system. If the calculations were never done, or if properly certified distributed I/O was not used, then there can be no documented proof that the control system meets the targeted SIL.
MIKE GArrICK, product marketing specialist, Phoenix Contact Interface, www.phoenixcontact.com
Open to Interpretation
Standards such as the common industrial protocol (CIP), which is independent of the physical network, provide a set of common services for control, configuration, collection and sharing across CIP networks. Given these integrated networking capabilities, the answer to your question depends on how it is interpreted. Interpretation 1: You have a safety PLC with safety devices wired to it, and each safety component has a third contact wired into a standard I/O point for machine diagnostics and annunciation. You also might have several components wired in series and connected to a single pair of safety PLC inputs, which means you probably do not have enough safety I/O to go around. If this is the case, you are missing the boat. Rather than receiving information about which door is open or which light curtain is interrupted via additional standard PLC inputs, it would be much more cost-effective to receive this information across a network between the safety
controldesign.com
MARCHS PROBLEM
WE THINK IT makes sense to have zero tolerance for energized work in the panels and MCCs in our new machine designs, since our technicians are more involved in customer-site troubleshooting. NFPA 70E is tough to work through, but it appears we can do things such as restrict high voltage to one enclosure access and employ non-contact test points through the enclosure door and have everything else at 24 V. It seems we then can lock out panels without the technician having to do live-dead-live tests in full PPE. What can somebody tell us about this?
SEND US YOUR COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS OR SOLUTIONS FOR THIS PROBLEM. Well include it in the March 10 issue, and post it on ControlDesign. com. Send visuals if youd likea sketch is ne. Email us at RealAnswers@putman.net. Include your company, location and title in the response. HAVE A PROBLEM YOUD LIKE TO POSE to the readers? Send it along, too.
49
REAL ANSWERS
danger. While a safety system including safety I/O does have higher diagnostics coverage and fault detection than standard I/O to achieve a SIL or performance level, these capabilities are used internally to detect faults and shut down the device, rather than provide additional status information to the operator. Using safety I/O where its not required will add unnecessary cost and not deliver the incremental capabilities you mentioned. If this interpretation is accurate, your system already should provide good diagnostics to identify device faults on the standard side, depending on the system you specified. In this case, take full advantage of your integrated safety controller to implement safety where its needed and standard control where its not.
TIM ROBACK, marketing manager, safety systems, JEFF GELLENDIN, product manager, safety PLCs, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com
are paying for this by having to run individual wires, resulting in a high level of complexity during the design-and-build phase, not to mention the increase in possible failures at all those connection points. Safety networks do more than provide better diagnostics. AS-Interface Safety at Work technology is designed to reduce the overall cost of ownership by addressing all aspects of the installation. Users do not need a safe-rated PLC to get SIL 3. Also, if an installation is designed to be controlled by PLC A and later needs to be switched to PLC B, the only piece of hardware swapped out is a gateway. The safety function remains untouched and works exactly the same as before; no changes to the safety configuration are needed. Diagnostics is a strong aspect of this technology. By connecting the safe devices to the network, the PLC will receive data concerning the state of the individual contacts; working with aux-contacts is finally a thing of the past.
HELgE HOrNIS, manager, intelligent systems, Pepperl+Fuchs, www.pepperl-fuchs.com
Its About the AS-Interface

You already have identified the added benefit of getting some diagnostics information, but you
Everything You Need to Move Your Business Forward
February 911, 2010

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PRODUCTS
PCS PROVIDE VALUE
ValueLine industrial PCs are available in a wide range of models, screen sizes and CPU choices. It has a fanless
Duo processors so Windows XP and the real-time operating system can run parallel to each other on separate processor cores. With the integrated smart display link, up to four automation panels can be connected over a distance to 160 m. Real-time communication between the PC, I/O and drives occurs on the standard Powerlink interface.
B&R Industrial Automation; 770/772-0400; www.br-automation.com
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
stainless steel probe connected to a polypropylene watertight transmitter housing ready to install and operate with the push of a button and
cdproducts@putman.net
HARSh IMAGE
design, large 15- or 17-in. TFT touchscreens, fast Core2 Duo 1.5 GHz or Celeron M1.0 GHz CPUs, up to 4 GB DDR-RAM and 64 GB solid-state hard drive (SSHD) option. Dual, independent 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports also are supplied. Extended temperature range models are available for special applications.
Phoenix Contact; 800/586-5525; www.phoenixcontact.com
is available with or without 3-A approved thermowells for CIP applications. It includes free software that converts your PC into a multi-channel temperature monitor, chart recorder or data logger.
Omega Engineering; 203/359-1660; www.omega.com
EVS-1464RT embedded vision system with multicore
RELAY COMpLIANcE
controller processes images from multiple IEEE 1394 and GigE Vision cameras. It has an extended temperature Family of 25 safety relays is certified according to the new Machine Directive EN ISO 13849-1 for 2010 and offered with a range of safety
POWERFUL PC
The Acoposmulti PC in a drive offers maximum performance in minimum space. The PC uses high-performance Core2
range, real-time operating system, solid-state hard drive and fanless design for use in harsh industrial environments and can be configured with NI Vision Builder for Automated Inspection (AI) to build, benchmark and deploy machine vision applications without programming.
National Instruments; 800/258-7022; www.ni.com/whatisevs
switches and coded magnets in various sizes, materials and configurations for
RTD FOR CIP

New wireless RTD probe/ transmitter assembly has a
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contact-less solutions.
Elobau Sensor Technology; 847/615-0828; www.elobau-st.com
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
SOFTWARE
ALL ADDS UP
Add-On instructions for RSLogix 5000 allow A-B PLC users to implement control logic that supports the functionality of Wago-IO-System distributed I/O modules and adapt standard analog, digital and specialty
MORE READING
Release 8.5 of Impact software reads three times more barcodes than the previous version. The software reads ECC 200 DataMatrix 2D barcodes and UPC-A, EAN-13, Code 128, Code 39 Full
motion and related components for packaging machinery.

Thomson; 540/633-3549; www.thomsonlinear.com
LOTS OF CURVES
New 145-page catalog of motion-systems products and peripherals has eight product segments detailing SmartMotorT specifications, fieldbus
ASCII, GS1 Databar Omnidirectional (RSS), Pharmacode, UPC-E, JAN-8, GS1-128 (UCC/EAN-128), Interleaved 2 of 5, GS1 Databar Limited (RSS), EAN-8, JAN-13, Code 39, Codabar and GS1 Databar Expanded (RSS) 1D codes. module I/O functions into Logix controllers. Specialty functions include motor control (dc and stepper), serial communications, vibration monitoring, HART device monitoring, threephase power measurement and AS-Interface gateway.
Wago; 262/255-6333; www.wago.us PPT Vision; 952/996-9500; www.pptvision.com
protocols, brake options, connectivity, peripherals, power supplies, gear heads and software. Torque curves are presented at three different input voltages with superimposed power curves, and application examples, design guides and conversion charts are included.
Animatics; 408/748-8721; www.animatics.com
RESOURCES
LINEAR SOLUTION
Guide to Motion Solutions for Packaging Applications has design and build information for optimized packaging and related
ENHANCED SERVERS
TOP Server v. 5.1 for custom applications broadens the range of devices TOP Server connects to HMI/SCADA systems. It has OPC-A&E Server Interface, new drivers for Automation DirectProductivity 3000 Protocol and Mettler ToledoContinuous Output Protocol, Custom Interface Driver Solution. It supports GE, Mitsubishi, Modbus, Siemens, Industrial SNMP, Triconex, User Configurable (UCON) and Yokogawa protocols.
Software Toolbox; 704/849-2773; www.softwaretoolbox.com
material handling machines
SAFE GUIDANCE
Guidelines for Safe Machinery Six Steps to a Safe Machine illustrated guide contains 116 pages of safety requirements and guidelines for North America and briefly outlines laws, regulations and standards for the U.S., Canada and Mexico and then details six steps to designing a with 3D application renderings for pick-and-place/palletizing, label printing/scanning, stretch wrapping, carton packing, PET bottle manufacturing and filling machines. The guide provides an overview of the companys linear safe machine, including risk assessment, safe machine design, engineering controls, administrative measures, machine validation and operation.
Sick; 800/325-7425; www.sickusa.com/safetyguide
controldesign.com
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53
Encoders Solve Mechanical Puzzles

OEM INSIGHT
I ENJOY DEVELOPiNG new and innovative
control system concepts. The most challenging projects involve physical measurement because there are many things to consider: total length, resolution, response speed, mounting and more. The electrical and software considerations are the easy ones compared to the mechanical factors. Most applications require that a measurement be taken with a zero starting point and account for movement in both directions. A quad-phase or quadrature encoder fulfills those requirements. It has two signals 90 out of phase. Most of them are optical. Mounted inside the device is a wheel with a pattern of boxes going around the wheel. The number of boxes determines the resolution. A quad-phase encoder connected to a highspeed counter is a good solution. Most brands of PLCs have high-speed counter modules capable of doing the job. Zero the counter at one point, move to the desired position and stop. Simple, right? Well, there are a few things to overcome. The first problem is to get it to stop at It was easy to mount with Unistrut metal framing. The encoder was wired to a Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley CompactLogix high-speed counter module. No external power supply is required. Read the encoder signal and compare the length measured to the setpoint length less the early-cut-off lengththe distance traveled until the clamp is fully engaged, plus the width of the saw blade. When the length measured exceeds the desired net length, then initiate the clamping mechanism and make the cut. When the cut is finished, release the clamping mechanism and move the saw assembly backward to get ready for the next operation. A check is made before cutting to verify that the length of the piece is within tolerance. Records of each cut were collected into Excel spreadsheets on an existing PC via an Ethernet connection, and errors were flagged. Accounting for the width of the saw blade can be done in one of two ways. It can be added to the calculations for the early cut-off. The preferred method is to preload the width of the saw blade as a negative value when the counter is reset. It requires less math and the position of the cut is simply the counter display in the desired units. When the saw assembly was moved backward after each cut, it would crash into the stop and bounce all around like a train wreck. This would cause the encoder wheel to come off the panel and throw the count off. It took some adjusting of the air-powered pistons valves to get it right. It had to be fast enough to move back for the next cut and still be able to slow down before hitting the stop. The encoder path must be kept free of the cuttings from the saw. A small brush mounted in front of the encoder sweeps the cuttings to the side. It also must press against the panel with enough force to keep it from slipping. Originally there was no support of the panel below the encoder. The span across the saw assembly was about 5 ft. The encoder would rise and fall to near the limit of the spring on the encoder arm. We built platforms below the panels path and used a pair of rollers to hold down the panel as it passed through the saw assembly.
N. LEWiS BODDEN is a control systems consultant in Houston, with 35 years of practical experience in system integration and control system design.
controldesign.com
N. Lewis Bodden nlbodden@engineer.com
hen the saw assembly was moved W backward after each cut, it would crash into the stop and bounce all around like a train wreck.
the right place, as they say on The Price is Right, without going over. Telling it to stop does not cause it to stop immediately. Inertia causes a big problem. An early cut-off method can be used to compensate, effecting a stop at the desired point. IIS in Pattison, Texas, manufactured insulated construction panels on steel frames in 2006-2007. The buildings were designed for use in cold climates as everything from living quarters to doghouses. IIS manufactured Styrofoam panels 4 in. thick by 4 ft wide with sheet metal on the top and bottom. The sheet metal is glued to the Styrofoam to make an insulated construction panel and extruded in a continuous process. Twenty ft from the extruder, an assembly clamps the manufactured panel and cuts it with a saw. Its easy enough to mount an encoder on the saw assembly to measure the length of the panel as it goes by. A list of panel lengths and quantities are entered using the HMI. We bought the encoder as an assembly complete with a rubber wheel, mounting bracket and cable.
Okay. So were not in the wedded bliss business.

But how about a series of one-on-one problem-solving sessions, designed specifically to address your most pressing automation needs? In the weeks leading up to AutomationXchange, our editors will put you through a rigorous needs evaluation process, identifying solution providers best suited to your particular automation priorities. Network with your peers, share best practices, and hear ideas for solving your specific automation problems-all in a first-class setting. Come to AutomationXchange and find out why, for a growing number of industry leaders, its how the business of automation gets done.
SOLUTION PROVIDER PROFILE

Among the industry leading solution providers featured at AutomationXchange 2010 is B&R, a full-line provider of machine automation systems, solutions and components. Todays economy has brought about new challenges, says Marc Ostertag, president, B&R USA. U.S. machine manufacturers and end users recognize they need to focus even more on efficiency and profitability in order to stay competitive. They demand a long-term, homogeneous automation solution that is flexible, scalable and offers cost and energy savings. With B&R USA and our nationwide Automation Partners you receive exactly this: integrated solutions featuring cutting edge technology and a complete range of support services. www.br-automation.com
AUTOMATIONXCHANGE
AUGUST 8-11, 2010 PARK CITY, UTAH

For more information on attending AutomationXchange, contact Andy Wuebben, Executive Director, at 952.224.7640
Perfection in Automation
HARDWARE HIGHLIGHTS
TOP 10
SOFTWARE HIGHLIGHTS
Productivity3000, the latest industrial controller from AutomationDirect, saves you time from start to nish! The high-performance CPU has 50Mb memory, fast scan times and industry-leading seven communication ports for just $599. It's the heart of a system with so many time-saving features, we could only list the top 20 here! ProductivitySuite software FREE ($495 value) We want you to see just how productive this new controller can make you. Thats why were offering the software for FREE (downloadable online) right now - check out the tools, instruction set and programming/debug environment that will let you configure and program a system in less time than you can imagine.
LCD display aids troubleshooting
TOP 10
Auto Discover the hardware Tag name database programming Task management Advanced fill-in-the-blank instructions Seamless database connectivity Graphical HTML-based Help File Run-time editing Project file and user documentation stored in CPU USB data logging on the CPU Tag database export to C-more HMI
all in an intuitive Windows-based programming environment
High-performance CPU with 50Mb memory, fast scan time, and USB & Ethernet Programming ports for quick and easy connectivity Modular rack-based footprint with 36 discrete and analog I/O option modules, up to 115,000 I/O Unmatched built-in communications capabilities, including local and remote I/O ports and networking Integrated drive communications over Ethernet LCD display on CPU and Remote Slave for configuration and diagnostics Patent-pending LCD display on ALL analog modules - helpful in troubleshooting and reading process values Hot-Swappable I/O for advanced troubleshooting and system repair No module placement restrictions any module in any slot, any base No power budget limitations Optional I/O terminal blocks or easy ZIPLink plug-and-play wiring
and a two-year warranty to boot!
www.automationdirect.com For complete information or to download software, visit: www.automationdirect.com/p3000
1-800-633-0405

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