ROBOTIC SYSTEMS: How

robots are automating the

operations at a California
pizzeria. p.20
MACHINE SAFETY DATA:
Bringing safety data into a Connected Enterprise can help
INDUSTRY WATCH:IHow
raising Ontarios minimum
wage could affect
identify risks and enhance safety. p.18 manufacturers. p.10

Your resource for Canadas industrial automation news AutomationMag.com

PM 40065710

A COMMON
NETWORK
FOUNDATION
SEPTEMBER 2017

New Avnu Alliance document

presents a TSN-enabled system
architecture p.22
MAY17 AC Branding Front Cover Banner (MA).qxp_Layout 1 4/20/17 3:32 PM Page 1

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September 2017
Vol. 32, No.5

DEPARTMENTS

4 From the editor

5 Automation upfront
The latest industry news,
deal makers, and movers
and shakers

22
16 Centre stage
Ray Fagan, Heidelberg
Canada product manager

COLUMNS

10 Industry watch

CONTENTS
How raising minimum wage
could affect manufacturers
12 Going digital
Three ways digital
technologies can improve
machine safety COVER STORY
14 Machine safety
As the manufacturing 22 A common network foundation
industry gets increasingly New Avnu Alliance document presents a TSN-enabled system
automated, greater focus architecture
will be placed on moving By Eric Gardiner
parts and material more

18
safely
30 Backstory 18 Are you putting your safety
Taking Back Manufacturing data to work?
to Canada by adopting Bringing safety data into a Connected Enterprise can help
disruptive technologies identify risks and enhance safety
By George Schuster
NEW PRODUCTS
20 Thinking inside the box
25 Machine safety How robots are automating the operations at a California
26 Power supplies pizzeria
26 Connectivity By Treena Hein
27 Enclosures &

30
workstations
28 Machine tools
28 Motion control

MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION September 2017 AutomationMag.com 3

MA_Murrelektronik_Sept.indd 1 2017-08-23 11:38 AM
 FROM THE EDITOR
BY ALYSSA DALTON
NOTABLE Your resource for Canadas industrial
TWEETS automation news
EDITOR

@Centerline_Ltd
Pleased to
Embracing disruption Alyssa Dalton
adalton@annexweb.com

announce this PUBLISHER

T
exciting news for he robots are taking over. to 31 per cent, up a whopping 120 per Klaus B. Pirker
our company! New research from the cent from the previous year. kpirker@annexweb.com
Thank you to Association for Advancing In the future, we have to embrace VICE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER
our community Automation (A3) shows robotics. It allows us to reduce cost, Tim Dimopoulos
for 60 years of record numbers for robotics in North said Colin Parris, vice president at GE tdimopoulos@annexbizmedia.com
support America in the first half of 2017. Software Research in an interview
bit.ly/2vkAmuf. The report finds the North Amer- with TechCrunch. If I reduce cost, ART DIRECTOR

ican robotics market had its best open-
@ItrisAuto- ing half ever to begin 2017, setting new
mation records in order and shipment units,
Isolation is no and order and shipment revenue. In
longer a viable total, 19,331 robots valued at roughly
security solution US$1.031 billion were sold in North
for ICS. Now we America during the first six months of
I have more money that I can use for Graham Jeffrey
innovation. The more money I have, gjeffrey@annexweb.com
the more new products I can create. ACCOUNT CO-ORDINATOR
The more products I create, the more Debbie Smith
workforce I can hire. dsmith@annexbizmedia.com
Simply put, robotics is one of the
most significant disruptive technol- CIRCULATION MANAGER

need risk visibility 2017 the highest level ever recorded ogies manufacturers can and must Urszula Grzyb
and prevention to begin a year representing growth adopt. ugrzyb@annexbizmedia.com
buff.ly/2upFyix of 33 per cent in units and 26 per cent The time to embrace disruption COO
in dollars over 2016. is now, according to the results of TED MARKLE
Strong robot activity in recent KPMGs 2017 Canadian CEO Outlook. tmarkle@annexweb.com
months isnt limited to the North Three-quarters of survey respondents
PRESIDENT & CEO
American countries. say they see disruption as an opportun-
Mike Fredericks
In Germany, robotics generated an ity for their business, not a threat, and
8 per cent increase in sales year-over- 86 per cent say they are not waiting to CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
year reaching a total turnover of EUR be disrupted by competitors. Eric Esson, Eric Gardiner, Treena Hein, Paul
Hogendoorn, Jennifer Rideout, George Schuster,
3.6 billion, climbing to a new record This years Outlook emphasizes that Nigel Southway
high, according to VDMA (Verband disruption has become a fact of life for
@FairbanksS- Deutscher Maschinenund Anlagen- Canadian CEOs and their businesses
cales bau), an association representing the as they respond to heightened uncer- Manufacturing Automation is published seven
When Corey mechanical engineering industry. With tainty, said Elio Luongo, CEO and times a year by:
Farms an operational stock of about 189,400 senior partner at KPMG in Canada. Annex Business Media
established its industrial robots, VDMA forecasts a Canadian CEOs see disruption as an 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto,
ON M3B 2S9
#packing facility, sales increase of at least 8 per cent to opportunity to transform their busi- Tel 416-510-5187
we helped them EUR 3.8 billion for 2017. ness model, develop new products and Fax 416-510-5170
expand and save Meanwhile, the International services and reshape their business so
Printed in Canada
money. Federation of Robotics (IFR) recently it is even more successful than it was in ISSN 1480-2996
@Automation- announced that in 2016, industrial the past.
Publication Mail Agreement #40065710
Mag tells how: robot sales in China surged 27 per cent In todays evolving manufacturing
bit.ly/2urUg9Y. to 87,000 units. Its stock of industrial landscape, embracing disruption is a CIRCULATION
robots has reached 340,000 units, mak- fact of business prosperity. | MA email: lmalicdem@annexbizmedia.com
Tel: 416-510-5187
@WSN_News ing it the highest total in the world, it Fax: 416-510-5170
In the news: noted, adding that Chinese robot mak- Mail: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9
How supervisors ers have increased their market share
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izations safety
bottom line via CONNECT Occasionally, Manufacturing Automation will mail
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@Automation- @AutomationMag adalton@annexweb.com AutomationMag.com products and services we believe may be of interest to
you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please
Mag ow.ly/ contact our circulation department in any of the four
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XUfQ30cUhNR. EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
The contents of Manufacturing Automation are copyright
2017 by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. and may not
AL DIGGINS, President and General Manager, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, be reproduced in whole or part without written consent.
and Chairman and CEO, Canadian Manufacturing Network Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. disclaims any warranty
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contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in
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BILL VALEDIS, Vice-President, Precision Training, Products and Services Inc.

4 @AutomationMag
 AUTOMATION UPFRONT

CLOSURE
Siemens to close
wind turbine blade
manufacturing plant
Siemens Wind Power Limited, as
part of Siemens Gamesa Renew-
able Energy, will close the wind
blade manufacturing plant in
Tillsonburg, Ont., by early 2018.
The closure will affect 340 em-
ployees, and will be conducted
in phases through the rest of the
calendar year.
employees at the plant who have
produced quality work for the
last six years, and we sincerely
appreciate all their efforts. How-
ever, the harsh reality is that, in
order to remain competitive, we
must constantly evaluate our
global manufacturing footprint.
The plant began commercial
operation in 2011 to provide wind
blades for projects in Ontario and
beyond.
INNOVATION
HP, Deloitte join forces
for 3D printing
HP and Deloitte Consulting LLP
have announced a first-of-its-
kind alliance to help accelerate
the digital transformation of the
global manufacturing industry.
The companies will collab-
orate on the implementation
of HPs 3D printing systems in
large-scale manufacturing en-
vironments, applying their digit-
al operations experience to help
enterprises accelerate product
design and production, as well
as create more flexible manu-
facturing and supply chains,
and enhance efficiency across
the manufacturing lifecycle.
The parties say this can help
increase innovation, accelerate

Shuttered plant: The company

said the decision to close the
plant was a very difficult one.

The company said the decision

to close the plant is a result of
significant changes in the global
and regional markets, combined
with physical limitations at the
existing plant.
Todays market environment
requires significantly larger
blades, a critical requirement for
our business to remain globally
competitive. The Tillsonburg
factory cannot easily be adapted
to manufacture this product port-
folio. The significant investments
necessary to bring the plant in
line with current market require-
ments would result in costs that
could not be competitive in the
global markets, according to a
company statement.
As well, Siemens notes that
the market in Eastern Canada
has experienced a significant
PHOTO: WWW.SIEMENS.COM/PRESS

reduction in the demand for

blades in the last year.
This was a very difficult
decision that was taken only
after assessing all the options,
said David Hickey, head of the
Siemens Gamesa Business in
Canada. We have a great team of
MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION September 2017 AutomationMag.com 5
MA_Beckhoff_Sept.indd 1 2017-08-23 10:50 AM
 AUTOMATION UPFRONT

time-to-market, reduce costs and HONOURS

waste, and help large enterprises
compete more effectively. Canadas Top 10 Best
Places to Work in
New Ontario advanced Manufacturing 2017
manufacturing centre
now open Great Place to Work (GPTW) has
announced the 2017 list of Best
The Walker Advanced Manufac- Workplaces in Manufacturing.
turing Innovation Centre in Wel- The list is based on direct
land, Ont., has opened, providing feedback from employees of the
more than 15,000 square feet of hundreds of organizations that
lab space for applied learning, were surveyed by GPTW. The
innovation space for local busi- data has a 90 per cent confidence
nesses to work onsite, and office rating and a plus or minus 5 per
space. cent margin of error. Organiza-
The new Niagara College-af- tions must also be Great Place to Employer recognition: Best Workplaces in Manufacturing winners are
filiated centre will also aim to Work-Certified in the past year largely determined by direct employee feedback.
help small and medium-sized and have manufacturing facilities
manufacturers reduce produc- in Canada to be eligible for the
tion time and costs by providing list. LMI Technologies That MBFC has been recognized
access to equipment and research This years winners are: Mercedes-Benz Canada among 2017s Best Workplaces
facilities as well as the expertise Phoenix Contact Ltd. in Manufacturing is yet another
and business services of faculty 3M Canada Rittal Systems Ltd. sign that, as a company, we are
and students. Arcteryx Equipment SC Johnson heading in the right direction.
The Ontario government in- BASF Canada Vermilion Energy
vested $4.2 million in the centre. Kicking Horse Coffee INVESTMENT
Rittal Systems always remains
on the cutting-edge of tech- Two Quebec
nology, which makes us a great manufacturers score
career choice for skilled tech- $1.5 million in federal
nical people, said Tim Rourke, funding

NEW PROGRAMMABLE
president of Rittal Systems Ltd.
Above all, we value our employ- A $1,455,000 investment from

thru-bore encoder
ees in every department from the federal government will
our designers to our warehouse maintain 225 jobs and create 40
personnel, as we recognize that new ones for two manufacturers
The new Model 58TP Programmable Accu-CoderPro encoder is so it is their dedication and com- in Quebecs Lanaudire-region.
configurable, it will be the only compact, incremental thru-bore encoder mitment that enables us to keep A $1,260,000 contribution
you need. With the easy-to-use interface, you can program these specs: satisfying our customers. will allow plastics manufacturer
At LMI, we are committed Plastiques GPR Inc. to purchase
CPR any resolution from 1 to 65,536
to making our employees place two injection molding machines.
Waveform choose from 32 options
of work an environment that Our business is growing and
Output type 6 different outputs
they look forward to coming the volume of demand from our
The Model 58TP offers: to everyday, a place where they main clients has been rising
are respected and given all the steadily. To meet this demand
Thru or hollow bore options
resources they need to excel in and position ourselves within
Standard and metric bore sizes
their chosen profession, added our market, we are investing in
up to 5/8 and 15 mm
Terry Arden, LMI Technologies our equipment fleet in order to
Variety of mounting options
CEO. increase our production cap-
and connector types
The changes that we have been acity and remain on the leading
Operating temp of -40 to 100 C
implementing at Mercedes-Benz edge of technology. Hence the
Canada are founded on integrity importance of this project and
Call EPC today to learn how the Model 58TP can be your encoder solution.
PHOTO: GREAT PLACE TO WORK

and a sense of responsibility to our investment therein, said

our staff, said Brian D. Fulton, Dany Belleville, vice president of
1-800-366-5412 Mercedes-Benz Canada president Plastiques GPR.
www.encoder.com and CEO. They are informed Meanwhile, $195,000 in
by our promise to deliver the funding will help stainless steel
best possible customer service, products manufacturer Syri Ltd.
which starts with offering the acquire a laser cutting table,
best possible work environment. a bending machine, and ERP
6 @AutomationMag September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

MA_Encoder_Sept.indd 1 2017-08-10 1:02 PM

 software to improve its produc-
tivity, reduce costs and ensure
greater flexibility in its produc-
tion process.
EXPANSION
M&R Automation
Canada moves into
larger head office
This summer, Manufacturing
AUTOMATION attended M&R
Automation Canadas grand
opening of its relocated head-
quarters in North York, Ont.,
which offers 32,000 square feet
for sales, project management,
mechanical and electrical design
and assembly departments.
The festivities included
speeches from M&R Automation
Canada president Doug LoF-
PHOTO: A. DALTON
employees and guests. After
lunch, participants enjoyed some
friendly competition with a game
or two of foosball, mini-put, or
shooting hoops with a basketball
shooting game.
M&R Automation is a custom
automation machine builder
with design and manufacturing
facilities in Canada, Austria
and China. In operation for
nearly 30 years, it designs and
builds equipment to assemble
electromechanical parts in the
automotive, electronics, con- Taking the podium: M&R Automation Canada president Doug
sumer health and medical device LoFranco addresses employees and special guests.
industries.
to a recent report from Kaspersky cybersecurity incidents, with
CYBER THREATS Lab and B2B International. The 42 per cent of SMBs (50 to 999
report, Human Factor in IT Sec- employees), and 29 per cent of
Study: Employees urity: How Employees are Making VSBs (under 49 employees).
may not report Businesses Vulnerable from Within, The report also indicates that
cybersecurity incidents suggests that such behaviour oc- carelessness and lack of know-

ranco, M&R Automation CEO curs in 40 per cent of businesses. ledge is also a leading cause of
Bernd M. Sttz, and PIA Group Employees may be hiding IT sec- Forty-five per cent of enter- potential cybersecurity incidents,
CEO Johannes Linden, as well urity incidents from their bosses prises (over 1,000 employees) second only to malware.
as a BBQ lunch for all company to avoid punishment, according experience employees hiding The problem of hiding

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MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION September 2017 AutomationMag.com 7
MA_Gavazzi_Sept.indd 1 2017-07-27 10:59 AM
AUTOMATION UPFRONT
incidents should be communi-
cated not only to employees, but
also to top management and HR
departments, said Slava Borilin,
security education program
manager at Kaspersky Lab. If
employees are hiding incidents,
there must be a reason why. In
some cases, companies introduce
strict, but unclear policies and
put too much pressure on staff,
warning them not to do this or
that, or they will be held respon-
sible if something goes wrong.
Such policies foster fears, and
leave employees with only one
option to avoid punishment
whatever it takes. If your cyber-
security culture is positive, based
on an educational approach
instead of a restrictive one, from
the top down, the results will be
obvious.
INTERNATIONAL
CHINA
Beijing selected as the
home of Daimlers new
battery factory
Daimler says it will build its first
battery factory located outside of
Germany.
A project of Beijing Benz
Automotive Co. (BBAC) the
Sino-German production joint
venture between Daimler and
BAIC Motor the new Beijing,
China, facility will be an import-
ant step for the development
of a global battery production
network, says the automotive
company.
Building another premium
eBattery factory is the next
step in the implementation of
Electric strategy: Daimler and BAIC will invest roughly $996 million to
produce Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and in battery localization.
8 @AutomationMag
our electric strategy. Thus, we
have the first foreign location
in our global battery production
network, said Markus Schfer,
member of the Divisional Board
of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Produc-
tion and Supply Chain.
Daimler and BAIC intend to
invest roughly C$996 million in
the production of Battery Electric
Vehicles (BEVs) under the Mer-
cedes-Benz brand and in battery
localization at the site. According
to a company statement, the new
plant will combine the newest
industry standards and latest
production facilities with indus-
try 4.0 technologies.
GE closing Rochester
plant, moves work to
China
The Associated Press is reporting
that General Electric will close its
manufacturing facility in Roches-
ter next year and the work will be
moved to China.
According to AP, the company
didnt say how many people work
at the facility, but GE officials
estimate that less than 100 em-
ployees will be impacted.
GE officials say the work will
be moved to China, where it will
be done by Jabil, a GE partner
supplier.
DEAL MAKERS
Pilz Canada partners
with Manufacturers
Automation
Pilz Canada has appointed
Manufacturers Automation its
new distribution partner for the
South-Western Ontario region.
A done deal: Andreas Sobotta (left) of Pilz Automation Safety is
pictured here with Manufacturers Automations Brent Raynor.
Located in St. Jacobs, Manu-
facturers Automation specializes
in distribution of automation
parts and systems.
As Pilz Canada we continue
to follow our ambitious growth
plan for this and upcoming years.
Manufacturers Automation Inc.
will play a vital role in supporting
our customers in the South-West-
ern Ontario, said Andreas So-
botta, CEO and general manager.
IIC, ECC sign MoU
The Industrial Internet Consor-
tium (IIC) an organization
working to accelerate the Indus-
trial Internet of Things (IIoT)
and the Edge Computing Con-
sortium (ECC) an organization
that aims to drive edge comput-
ing industry development in the
Internet of Things (IoT) area
have signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) to partner
on shared interests of advancing
the industrial Internet and edge
computing.
Under the agreement, the
consortia will work together to
maximize interoperability and
portability for the industrial
Internet. Joint activities between
the IIC and the ECC will include:
Identifying and sharing IIoT
best practices;
Collaborating on test beds and
September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION
research and development
projects; and
Collaborating on standardiza-
tion.
We believe that an in-depth
exploration of edge computing
technology used in the industrial
internet area will better meet
the industrial customers end-to-
end needs to promote the global
industry digitization transforma-
tion, said Haibin Yu, chairman
of ECC.
Motion Industries
acquires Numatic
Engineering
Motion Industries, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Genuine
Parts Company, has entered into
a definitive agreement to acquire
Numatic Engineering.
Founded in 1955, Numatic
Engineering has more than 60
years of experience selling and
supporting automation compon-
PHOTOS: DAIMLER; PILZ AUTOMATION SAFETY
ents.
With annual sales of $4.6
billion, Motion Industries is
an industrial parts distributor
of bearings, mechanical power
transmission, electrical and
industrial automation, hydraulic
and industrial hose, and hydraul-
ic and pneumatic components,
industrial products, safety prod-
ucts, and material handling.
MOVERS & SHAKERS transmission Schneider Electric has Yaskawa
industry in announced the 2017 winners Motoman has
Siemens Canada technical support of its Global System Integrator promoted
has named Faisal role. Meanwhile, Alliance Partner Excellence Doug Burnside
Kazi president Mario Hartard Awards. Special congratulations to VP North
and CEO, has been to True North Automation from American sales
where he will named account Calgary, Alta., for being named and marketing,
be responsible manager/business development. the Global Telemetry Partner where he will establish and
for leading the Hartard brings 17 years of of the Year award winner. execute the strategic business
overall strategic direction of experience in the electrical direction to drive growth in the
the company. Kazi replaces power industry. For the first time North American market, as well
former president and CEO and in Pilz history, as leadership for all sales and
current chair Robert Hardt, who David Doyle has an international marketing activities.
departed the company in June been appointed exchange
to take on the role of Catalyst president and program Excellence in Manufacturing
Partner at next47, Siemens managing between the Consortium (EMC) has named
separate unit for start-ups director of subsidiaries Tonya Starr the field service
established in 2016. Heidenhain has been created. Pilz Canada advisor for Ontarios Brampton,
Corp., where he has invited Owen Tucker from Mississauga, Milton and
Lafert North will assume full responsibility for the Australian location to Orangeville regions. Shawn
America has customer-focused operations stay for a year and share his Casemore has joined the EMC
named Eric for Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. knowledge with the Canadian board of directors. With nearly
Cheung its Doyle offers brings more than team. According to Pilz, he will 20 years in manufacturing,
newest sales 25 years of experience in be developing and executing he has held leadership
representative. international capital equipment business strategies and roles in operations, supply
He brings seven business and technical support solutions for the Canadian team chain management, project
years of experience in the power management to his new role. and customers. management and sales. | MA

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MA_Aerotech_Sept.indd 1 2017-08-04 10:21 AM
 INDUSTRY WATCH Paul Hogendoorn is the co-founder of FreePoint Technologies,
Measure. Analyze. Share. (Dont forget to share!). He can be reached
BY PAUL HOGENDOORN at paulh@getfreepoint.com or www.getfreepoint.com.

How raising minimum wage could

affect manufacturers

T
he province of Ontario sector exchanges value and the
is proposing to raise retail sector largely exports value,
minimum wage to the manufacturing sector creates
$15 per hour by 2019, value. Every hour of labour added
up from the current minimum to anything we produce increases
wage of $11.40. Predictably, the the value of the thing we produce.
announcement has caused instant Workers in manufacturing are not
and intense debate, along equally simply expenses or costs on the
predictable lines. companys accounting ledgers,
Since the same arguments they are value creators every
get replayed every time without hour they work on the product
changing anyones established creates additional value. The
opinion, I think its a good time thought that some manufactur-
to look at things differently, and ers may pay close to minimum
in particular, how they could or wage for value-creating activity
should affect manufacturing. astounds me.
First of all, there is an unappre- I know the push back I am
ciated underlying positive effect certain to get from some readers
that even opponents may like. in regards to that last statement,
Radically raising the minimum but let me continue to take this
wage for working people increases conversation in a different direc-
the gap between working people tion. Henry Ford, in my opinion,
and non-working people. I know created the middle class by paying
there will soon be a follow-on cry manufacturing workers nearly for how much time they spend better connecting the efforts of
from many folks in the non-work- twice as much as what workers on the job. The whole produc- the workers with the work they
ing community, but when it outside of manufacturing were tivity conversation is primarily a are doing. What gets measured
makes little difference to people making. Whether it happened management conversation; when gets improved, right? These are
whether they work or not, many by design or by consequence, the its brought up with the workers, typically the lowest paying jobs
choose not to work. Some would result is that it helped build a na- its usually as a measurement in manufacturing the closest
argue that decreasing benefits or tional economy that could afford of their lack of performance, or to minimum wage but they are
support to the non-working group the products being produced. the need for an increase in per- also the ones where the effect of
is the answer, but of Before we start arguing formance, or as a factor affecting engagement is the greatest.
the two possibilities, Id the pros and cons of the companys profit and loss, or As manufacturers, before
rather reward those that our societys reliance perhaps even the primary sustain- we start arguing the potential
choose to work rather Workers in on government and ability issue of the company itself. negative effects of an increase in
than penalize those manufac- government policies, But, those conversations have minimum wage to our industry,
who dont. Give people turing are lets examine the core nothing to do with creating value we need to first examine why we
a fair and legitimate not simply issue leading up to this through the work they do on an might be paying wages close to
opportunity to look after expenses or growing reliance: the hour-by-hour or day-by-day basis, minimum wage in the first place.
themselves and their costs on the failing or decline of the not directly anyway. Remember, ours is a value-creat-
families, and there will other institutions in My belief is that when we ing industry, unlike the service
companys
be less reliance on so- our society our fam- everyone in the plant put more industry or retail sectors. The
cietys safety nets. Even accounting ilies, our churches, our attention on the measurable value other sectors do not have the
Conservatives should ledgers, they communities, and yes, being created by the efforts of each advantage of adding real value to
like that! are value our companies. And its employee with the production of their product by applying human
From a manufactur- creators. that last one that we in the product, there will be more effort, but we do. We have more
ing point of view, this manufacturing need focus put on the value-adding options and opportunities to do
issue may be a wakeup to look at closely right activities of every job, and less on better, and engaging our people
call for many. Manufacturing is a now. If a raise in the minimum all the other things we associate in the value-adding process is
value-creating industry, the lar- wage threatens the viability of a with work. Sound too altruistic? one of them. Before we examine
gest single value-creating sector manufacturing company, there are My reply to that is that it does in and debate policy, lets be sure to
in our economy. It is the econom- other things that obviously need to fact work that way. In manual or examine ourselves. Our future is
ic engine that is responsible for be looked at. operator dependent operations, not in the hands of our govern-
the standard of living that North Lets start with value. Right we have seen value-adding activity ments, its in the hands of our
America has enjoyed for most of now, we measure peoples time (i.e. productivity) increase by often customers and our employees.
the last century. While the service and that is what we pay them more than 30 per cent simply by Lets work with them first. | MA
10 @AutomationMag September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION
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 GOING DIGITAL
BY JENNIFER RIDEOUT
Three ways digital technologies
improve machine safety
F
actories around the world are
becoming more automated,
intelligent and connected. The
outcome? As control seric es-
sonystem connectivity increases and ad-
vanced technologies become pervasive,
manufacturers are more productive, can
better utilize assets, and optimize oper-
ations. Machine safety is no exception.
When lives are at stake, nothing else
matters. According to the Association
of Workers Compensation Boards
of Canada (AWCBC), there were 177
fatalities in manufacturing across Can-
ada in 2015. This was second only to the
construction sector. The fact remains:
manufacturing is a dangerous industry.
Technology can help. With the right
application of digital technologies, floor
workers can trust that the operations
and the machines around them are safe.
Cybersecurity and access
control
Your factory requires a defence-in-depth
cybersecurity strategy to keep data
secure. Part of keeping that data secure
is ensuring your machines are protected
from the vulnerabilities inherent to leg-
acy equipment and industrial network
design. The problem is that 40 per cent
of manufacturers do not have a formal
security strategy, according to the Cisco
2017 Midyear Cybersecurity Report, nor do
they follow standardized security policy
practices. Implementing a formal secur-
ity strategy that includes your enterprise
and industrial network is essential in
protecting control systems and PLCs
from attackers. By securing the floor,
you can trust your data is accurate and
machines are operating as reported.
Access control should also be part
of your defence-in-depth strategy.
Digitally and physically, access control
solutions limit access to data, assets
and equipment based on a workers
responsibilities. With the right access
control policies in place, only properly
trained workers can use this machinery.
Continuous training and
development
More than ever before, it is critical for
organizations to plan for knowledge
retention. In a previous column, we
12 @AutomationMag
discussed how video solutions are
essential to the training and retention
of manufacturing employees. The same
technology can be used to keep employ-
ees up-to-date on machine operation
and safety. But continuous training via
video extends beyond machine oper-
ation employees can also be trained
remotely on health and safety policies,
industry trends, and standards.
The bottom line is that employees
with ongoing training are better pre-
pared, and better equipped, for the
factory floor. With advances in video
technology, employees can be trained
remotely, allowing manufacturers to
best utilize their resources. And make
no mistake remote training works.
According to Librestream Technolo-
gies, a developer of mobile collabora-
tion solutions for industries including
manufacturing, one customer was able
to train its field team 33 per cent faster
through remote mentoring.
Preventative maintenance
and equipment
troubleshooting
Video on the factory floor enables a
whole new element of communica-
tions. If your floor is already equipped
with Wi-Fi access, consider the differ-
ence that video technology for virtual
collaboration can have on machine
maintenance and safety. Through
handheld devices, employees are able
to view valuable information, such as
equipment status, output and even if
the machine is nearing a maintenance
check. Taken a step further, if machine
data indicates something may be amiss,
employees can immediately video call a
colleague or supplier and troubleshoot
Jennifer Rideout is the manufacturing marketing manager for Cisco
Canada. She is responsible for developing go-to-market strategies for
the manufacturing sector in Canada, including channel alignment and
content development. She can be contacted at jerideou@cisco.com.
a solution in real time.
All this means that machine defects
and potential signs of defects are
caught before something goes wrong.
The real-time data from your machines
is captured, made visible, analyzed, and
acted on immediately keeping your
machines and employees safe.
The manufacturing industry is
If Canadian changing. If Canadian manufacturers
manufactur- dont change with it, they will be left
ers want to behind. Digital solutions not only
stay relevant, improve machine safety by providing
they need the visibility, security, and training
to invest in necessary to keep production running,
they provide a foundation for manu-
digital tech-
facturers to compete globally. And if
nologies. Canadian manufacturers want to stay
But they relevant, they need to invest in digital
arent. technologies. But they arent.
The Business Development Bank of
Canada surveyed nearly 1,000 manu-
facturing entrepreneurs this year to
understand how many have adopted
digital technologies: only 3 per cent
have fully digitized; 42 per cent have yet
to begin planning for digital projects.
42% There is much work to be done, but
there is also hope. The same survey
showed the results experienced by
manufacturers who are utilizing digital
According to a technologies: 60 per cent experienced
recent BDC survey a boost in factory productivity; 50 per
polling Canadian
manufacturing cent reduced operating costs; and 42
entrepreneurs, 42% per cent improved product quality.
of respondents said Improved OEE. Lower operating
they have yet to
begin planning for costs. Improved product quality. There
digital projects. are many reasons to invest in digital
technologies. Machine safety is one a
darn good one. Are you ready? | MA
Librestream Technologies assisted with
this article.
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 MACHINE SAFETY
BY ERIC ESSON
Automated
barrier doors
are an ideal
light curtain
alternative
W
orking efficiently doesnt
mean safety needs to
be sacrificed. In fact,
more and more facility
managers are learning that the latest
technology actually improves safety
along with efficiency.
Machine guarding is one of those
areas that safety and efficiency dont
go hand in hand. Workers trying to get
around safety measures in an attempt
to increase throughput is why machine
guarding specifically related to
robotic welding 29 CFR 1910.212 is
always in the top 10 most frequently
cited OSHA standards violated every
year. Its also one of the most confound-
ing aspects of manufacturing plants
with risks in the interaction between
automated processes and employees
at points of operation. So where does a
facility manager start?
Determining risk
When performing a proper risk assess-
ment, which is now mandatory when
adding a new machine or process
thanks to ANSI/RIA R15.06, point-
of-operation guarding is probably the
most involved aspect. It is easy to place
perimeter guarding around the entire
process. However in most situations, a
machine operator needs to interact with
the process by loading or unloading
materials (components to be welded)
and running the machine.
This point-of-operation is where
things can get tricky. Many details
must be considered when it comes to
this area, including the layout or design
of the process, the limits of the system
and properly identifying all associated
hazards. Using the distance formula as
identified in OSHA guidelines can help
determine the best guarding device. Per
this formula, the safeguarding product
has a prescribed location based on a
number of factors, including secondary
hazards that might harm a machine
operator.
14 @AutomationMag
Eric Esson is the machine guarding global sales manager for Rite-Hite
(www.ritehite.com).
Presence-sensing devices
Light curtains, laser scanners and
other presence-sensing devices are a
commonly used and widely accepted
method of machine guarding in
manufacturing facilities from Tier 1
The elimina- automotive to small machine shops and
tion of acci- fabrication facilities. The automated
dental entry process ceases once the safety devices
into the cell infrared beam is tripped.
is another In many instances, these devices
benefit of provide acceptable safety. However,
theyre not always the best choice in
interlocked
all applications, especially after a risk
automated assessment is performed.
barrier doors.
Limiting hazard exposure
Light curtains may be the right choice
in some applications, as they can limit
exposure to the hazard and reduce risk.
But, a fast-acting automated barrier
door or roll-up curtain may be the bet-
ter choice because they can eliminate
exposure to both the dangerous move-
ment of the machine and secondary
hazards produced by the process, pot-
entially eliminating risk and the severity
of exposure.
R15.06
The ANSI/RIA R15.06
Coupled with safety interlocks (up to
PLe per EN ISO 13849-1 when integrat-
ed properly), automated barrier doors
standard provides and roll-up curtains offer increased
guidelines for the
manufacture and protection for point-of-operation
integration of guarding. Not only do they restrict
industrial robots and access to the process, they also contain
robot systems with
emphasis on their secondary hazards such as smoke, flash,
safe use. splash, mist or flying debris associated
with automated welding operations by
placing a barrier between the operator
and machine movement. These guards
are an ideal alternative to light curtains
and other presence-sensing devices.
September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION
Additional benefits of
automated barrier doors
Due to the nature of a properly inter-
locked automated barrier door, certain
aspects of OSHAs safety distance for-
mula become moot because there is no
depth penetration factor, allowing the
safeguard to be placed much closer to
the hazardous area. This correlates to
less space being dedicated to a safety
zone and directly results in reducing
the manufacturing cells footprint. This
space savings is a huge benefit in most
facilities and it means workers can
actually stand closer to the automated
operation than with light scanners.
The smaller safety zone may also
make for a better ergonomic situation
for the machine operator by limiting
required motion and help increase pro-
ductivity, which is essential in todays
competitive market.
The elimination of accidental
entry into the cell is another benefit
of interlocked automated barrier
doors. Because they provide safe-
guarding that can be seen unlike
invisible infrared beams the oppor-
tunity for accidental work stoppage
is greatly reduced. The physical sep-
aration they provide is a clear visual
indicator that the machine operator
needs to be on task.
Regardless of the safety device that
ends up being selected for machine
guarding, facility managers need to
remember to perform a proper risk
assessment. When it comes to materi-
al handling operations in industrial
facilities, physical barriers can offer
additional protection and are generally
going to improve productivity. | MA
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MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION September 2017 AutomationMag.com 15

CENTRE STAGE
Heidelberg Canada product manager Ray Fagan discusses
automation in printing after its German parent, the worlds largest
press maker, introduced a new operating philosophy, Push to Stop.
MA: What is the state of
automation in the printing
industry?
RF: I would say in general print
shops are behind other industries
in automating their processes.
There is a trend toward getting
away from the craft of printing
more toward the manufacturing
of printing. And that is a bitter pill
to swallow for a lot of printers,
more so for the commercial
companies than in packaging.
Packaging companies have been
in a manufacturing mindset for a
longer period of time, because of
the nature of what they print.
MA: Are printers ready for Push
to Stop?
RF: We are learning very quickly
that most companies are not
in a position to take advantage
of Push to Stop automation.
The press ends up waiting.
There is a fellow who has joined
Heidelberg by the name of
Anthony Thirlby and he is head
of Prinect now, driving some of
these processes... He estimates
55 per cent of the time a job is
in a printing company is before
it even gets to the CTP. Its in
estimating, job costing and
prepress 55 per cent of the
time before it is even plated and
on the press. So if an average job
time takes three days to get out
the door, one and a half of those
days is spent just getting the job
ready to be plated.
MA: How does Push to Stop
look beyond just the printing
component?
RF: Push to Stop is part of what
we call the Smart Print Shop,
which is more holistic in the
approach, where Push to Stop
is the print processing element
of it. To have a Smart Print Shop,
you need to think about how do
I align my jobs so that I can truly
16 @AutomationMag
manufacture at an acceptable
operating equipment efficiency
or an OEE number for a new
press? How do I justify putting
this piece of equipment on the
floor?
MA: What is Heidelbergs
answer for creating an
OEE number for a capital
investment?
RF: You should only think in
terms of throughput and you
should only measure, in our
opinion, cost per thousand
sheets.
MA: Why has Heidelberg
focused on cost-per-thousand-
sheet manufacturing?
RF: We are launching a big data
platform this year in a couple
of satellite plants as a beta test.
We are going to be collecting
every single piece of information
from the press and any other
automation that is in front of,
or behind, the press that can
provide data. Then you can start
to do a few things like intensify
your colour management,
streamline your stock purchasing
by big data analysis. You can
September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION
determine a lot to drive your
cost per thousand sheets down.
But it is not only based on
capacity. If you can make every
thousand sheets more profitable,
a three-shift printer can become
a two-shift printer and be more
profitable even if they do not see
an increase in print volumes.
MA: What is big data telling you
about print?
RF: There are so many decisions
now where you can try to
remove the emotional element
and just focus on what is
happening. It is interesting to
see the look on a customers
face when you tell them their
overall operating efficiency [OEE]
is 18 per cent or 23 per cent.
They have these big pockets of
unexplained time.
MA: Is it common for printers to
have an OEE below 40 per cent?
RF: Most are below 40 per
cent for sure. A lot of people
are getting hung up on overall
operating efficiency. You can be
the most efficient printer in the
world but if you are a short-run
printer your [OEE] is not going to
reflect how efficient you are just
based on your total volume.
MA: Why is Push to Stop a
new operating philosophy for
printing?
RF: I do not think anybody has
ever gone from makeready
to good sheet before without
having a physical interference. To
be able to process multiple jobs
in sequence without interruption
of a person has never been
done before and now we have
the capability to do it at a press
level. What is new I would have
to say is the ability to queue up
multiple jobs from the prepress
department into the queue of the
press, all ready to go. | MA
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MACHINE SAFETY

ARE YOU PUTTING YOUR

SAFETY DATA TO WORK?
in areas outside of production.
Bringing safety data into a Connected This is especially true in the realm
Enterprise can help identify risks and of industrial safety management.
Today, many safety professionals in
enhance safety manufacturing use outdated data-col-
lection and reporting methods. They
BY GEORGE SCHUSTER must manually enter safety data for
incident reports, inspections, training,
audits and other processes, and then

M
store this data in systems that are
anufacturers are fun- As part of a modernization effort, isolated from the plant floor.
damentally changing the company moved to a standardized The Connected Enterprise upends
how they operate control and information platform that this old way of managing safety and
in a Connected included a new controller, HMI and replaces it with a more connected,
Enterprise. Theyre drive hardware, and new visualization efficient and data-driven approach.
gaining access to software. The platform gives users Its an approach that empowers safety

real-time insights, digitizing manual
processes, improving collaboration
through technology, and much more.
Agropur, a Canadian dairy processor,
provides an excellent example. The
companys Don Mills, Ont., plant was
hindered by aging automation tech-
nology that didnt provide production
intelligence. Instead, workers had to
manually collect data then analyze and
convert it into useful information. This
was a time-consuming and error-prone
activity.
18 @AutomationMag
access to real-time production data and
helped to automate and error-proof the
collection of production data.
Since modernizing, Agropur has
eliminated 2,500 hours of manual data
collection, improved OEE by 25 per
cent, and discovered more than 33 hours
of additional production time per year.
Success stories like this are increas-
ingly common, providing a strong case
for all manufacturers to get their equip-
ment connected. But a Connected En-
terprise also can deliver improvements
25 %
professionals with a better visibility
and understanding of their safety
compliance and performance, while
Dairy processor providing substantial opportunities
Agropur saw a 25% for improvement.
improvement of its
OEE as a result of its
modernization effort. Unearthing safety data
This begins with using contemporary
connected safety technologies. These
systems, which combine machinery
and safety control in one platform,
are less susceptible to nuisance shut-
downs than traditional, hardwired
September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION
safety systems. But they also can provide
access to safety-system data, including device
and operational statuses, event sequences,
fault and stoppage codes, event counters or
timers, and more.
Once this data is collected, its only a
matter of how an organization wants to use
it. They could, for example, use it to shine a
light on safety-system misuse or evaluate the
frequency of safety system demands.
Think about something as basic as an
emergency-stop (e-stop) button, which is
meant to be used in emergencies. In reality,
its often misused to stop production at the
end of a cycle or if a jam occurs. Plant-floor
workers may not think much of this misuse,
but it can lead to increased scrap, longer start-
up times, and dramatically reduced lifespan
and compliance of safety systems.
Today, data detailing these actions isnt
captured in most plants but it can be in
a Connected Enterprise. The collected data
could include the e-stop activations time
stamp, the resulting downtime duration,
and the line and shift associated with each
activation. Stoppage codes can be created to
describe why the button was pushed in each
instance.
Safety professionals can use the alarm-
and-events and metrics software they already
have in place to analyze the data and identify
if an e-stop is being used at an abnormally
high rate. They can then investigate the root
cause of any misuse, and determine if higher
activation rates are occurring with specific
production lines or shifts. This example holds
true for other safety functions of the machine
as well.
Safety transformed
Beyond safety-system misuse, greater data
and connectivity can help drive safety per-
formance improvement in numerous ways.
Some key opportunities include:
Better understanding of safety risks: Most
manufacturers rarely, if ever, use their
risk assessment data again after the design
stage. However, this data can be put to
good use in the form of a risk calculator.
Its a simple concept. Risk assessment data
is stored as the baseline for safety perform-
ance and then compared against actual-use
frequency data. Safety professionals could
use this tool to identify process changes
that result in higher-than-expected use
frequency or, conversely, to pinpoint safe-
guards that are being defeated and result in
lower-than-expected use frequency.
Improving safety performance: The very
action of connecting people, processes and
equipment can create new opportunities
to enhance safety and machinery perform-
ance. This could include providing visibility
into process states, such as in ovens or re-
frigeration systems, to help reduce worker
exposure to potentially harmful conditions.
It also could include using wireless and
mobile technology to deliver information
to workers in more convenient ways, which
could help reduce the physical strains put
on an aging workforce.
Reducing safety-related downtime: Safety and
production data can provide important
insights into safety-related shutdowns, in-
cluding their frequency, duration, time and
location. Safety and operations professionals
can then use this data and work together to
tackle recurring issues, which may be as
simple as having a discussion with a specific
production shift where an issue is most fre-
quent, or to implement best practices across
all shifts. Maintenance technicians can also
use safety-system data when failures occur
to simplify troubleshooting and speed up
downtime resolution. Or they can go one
step further and use the data as leading
indicators for predictive maintenance.
Alleviating compliance demands: Many
manufacturers use manual audits to collect
safety data for compliance and reporting
purposes. This takes up valuable worker
time and requires production downtime.
This process can also lead to human error.
These issues can be eased by integrating
auditing functions into the control system.
As an added benefit, any abnormalities that
might arise during auditing can be conveyed
in dashboards or reports to help workers
quickly spot and resolve potential issues.
Smarter safety
Industrial safety management need not exist
in isolation or in the confines of yesterdays
technology, especially as production becomes
smarter and more data driven. By capturing
and contextualizing data from safety systems,
manufacturers can get a clearer picture of their
safety performance, and make changes to help
improve operations and productivity. | MA
George Schuster is a TV-certified Functional Safety
Expert (FSExp) and Certified Functional Safety Engineer
(CFSE) at Rockwell Automation.

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MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION September 2017 AutomationMag.com 19

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MA_Harting_Sept.indd 1 2017-08-23 11:13 AM
ROBOTIC SYSTEMS

THINKING
INSIDE THE BOX
There are no storefront Zume stores, only
Automating pizzeria pizza delivered from a central facility, where
operations with the robots Pepe and Giorgio dispense the sauce,
Marta spreads the sauce, and Bruno puts the
help of robots pizza in the oven for pre-baking (after a human
puts on the toppings). A human transfers the
BY TREENA HEIN pizza to one of seven delivery trucks, each with
up to 56 onboard ovens. A software program
maps the routes to customer addresses and
In the process, Garden and his team discov-
ered there is an enormous selection of com-
panies and equipment out there for process
automation, and with todays CAD systems,
flexible manufacturing and our imaginations
to contend with, its really easy to engineer
a complex system that checks the box of so
cool but fails in production, he says. In our
experience, the best automations are the most

I
f anyone is a pioneer in the automation of
food processes, its Alex Garden. A Can-
adian ex-pat and now-popular conference
panelist, he founded Zume Pizzeria in
Silicon Valley, Calif., with Julia Collins in
June 2016.
My original idea was actually to create a
way to bake pizza enroute to your door and
didnt have anything to do with robots that
came later, Garden recalls. I developed the
idea for Baked On The Way technology after
sitting next to an owner of several pizza fran-
chises on a plane, discussing the downsides
of the business: weak unit economics, rigid
delivery structure, no room for flexibility with
ingredients, customer complaints from cold,
soggy pies, etc. From there, the idea sparked to
take on the $40 billion per year pizza delivery
market, but do it better.
A few years later in 2015, Garden and
Collins got together and fleshed out a pizza
company based on one founding principle:
high-quality food at a fair price.
We then developed our first team of ro-
bots, Garden says, to support that mission.
20 @AutomationMag
automatically coordinates baking times so simple.
that by the time the truck gets to your door Garden also notes that once they automate
brought to you by the driver your pizza will something, the real stamp of approval comes
have just finished cooking. Zume now delivers later from Zumes amazing food and delivery
more than 400 pies a day. workforce...when they tell us automation is
Garden says that instead of focusing on really making their lives easier and safer.
stunts (he points to the unsuccessful use of
drones and a cancelled plan to use reindeer Application challenges
in Japan, both by Dominos), they worked to Bruno, the robot which picks up a topped
develop a delivery process that would actually pizza from the conveyor and places it in the
improve pizza quality and taste. pre-bake oven, is an ABB IRB 2600. Nicolas
Automation exists to improve the quality De Keijser, assembly and test business line
of human lives, he notes. Before we start any manager for ABB Robotics North American
automation project, we must have the convic- division, says enabling Bruno to maintain a
tion that it will create a safer, more engaging pizzas round shape proved to be a significant
work environment for our employees and that challenge.
it will improve our margins so we can invest When transferring, dough can easily
even more in delivering high-quality food to stretch or ripple up, he explains. This was
our customers. addressed by developing an innovative gripper
Automation exists to improve the quality of human lives.
Before we start any automation project, we must have
the conviction that it will create a safer, more engaging
work environment for our employees.
September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

attached to the robot arm with a
built-in conveyor. De Keijser says
it was also a challenge to perfectly
synchronize the motion of the
robot and the gripper with the
movement of the main conveyor.
Marta, which spreads the
sauce, is an ABB IRB 360 Fl-
exPicker unit. This unit employs
both a camera and sensor to detect
a pizzas arrival in front of it and
its exact location. This allows
the robot to accurately spread
the sauce in a specific pattern,
De Keijser says. Depending on
the type of pizza, the spreading
pattern of the sauce varies.
He says the use of robots in
kitchens is very new, but that
robots are being used around
the world in similar applications
such as spreading sauce in a fro-
zen pizza plant and packing food
items. For ABB, De Keijser says
novel uses of robots in the service,
entertainment and retail industry
are definitely an increasing
trend.
Impact on human jobs
Zume has more than 130 full- and
part-time human employees,
and Garden says the use of the
four robots has provided several
amazing advantages. Labour
savings allow Zume to provide
an average hourly wage of $16.31,
and all employees are share-
holders with company benefits.
Savings from robot use have also
been reinvested in higher-quality
ingredients. In addition, Garden
says further automation of re-
PHOTOS: ZUME PIZZERIA
maining repetitive pizza-making
tasks will allow the replaced em-
ployees to get involved in areas
of the company that they are most
Treena Hein is an award-winning Ontario freelance science and tech writer.
MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION September 2017
SEW-MAXOLUTIONS-3.875x11-MAnAUTO.pdf 1 19/04/2017 1:45:13 PM
interested in. As kitchen staff is
eventually cut from six to two
with the two remaining humans
slicing and preparing toppings
and overseeing quality control
the four replaced workers will
move into what Garden describes
as more stimulating roles in the
company, like marketing or data
science. He adds that jobs that
require more advanced creative
skills, like tasting and recipe de- C
velopment, will always be done by M
humans. Jobs are sacred to us, so Y
we believe theres room for people CM
and robots to coexist.
Not everyone shares that view. MY
The topic of robots in restaurants CY
came up in a May 2016 interview CMY
on Fox Business with former K
McDonalds USA CEO Ed Rensi.
Commenting on a possible $15
minimum wage, Rensi stated
that its cheaper to buy a $35,000
robotic arm than it is to hire an
employee making $15 an hour
to bag French fries. Rensi went
on to call a $15 minimum wage
very destructive and predicted
it would cause a job loss across
this country like youre not going
to believe.
For its part, Zume continues to
automate. The firm has installed a
dough-pressing machine that can
turn out a pie every nine seconds,
four times faster than without it.
In terms of drones and self-driv-
ing cars, were always monitoring
the latest technology and there
may be room for those types of
developments in the future, says
Garden. He adds that eventually,
wed like to grow across the West
Coast, then the entire country,
then across the globe. Everyone
loves pizza! | MA
AutomationMag.com 21
MA_SEW_May.indd 1 2017-04-20 2:16 PM
COVER STORY
A COMMON
NETWORK
FOUNDATION
New Avnu Alliance document presents a
TSN-enabled system architecture
BY ERIC GARDINER
A
s awareness surrounding IoT
standardization continues to
grow, more eyes are being drawn
to the necessity of enabling
interoperability for distributed
measurement and control solu-
tions. To foster such interoperability at the
network level, the Time-Sensitive Networking
22 @AutomationMag
(TSN) task group in the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is producing
a set of standards to add time synchronization
and low-latency communication mechanisms
to standard Ethernet, creating a foundation for
advanced manufacturing and product models
where data can be shared more predictably and
flexibly between layers of the control system.
Avnu Alliance, an industry consortium
driving open, standards-based deterministic
networking, saw the opportunity to provide
the industrial market with a best practices
document that offers a system architecture
and implementation requirements for cre-
ating TSN-enabled systems and applications
in support of a broad range of industrial
use cases. Through member contributions
and collaboration, Avnu Alliance Industrial
Segment members published the Theory of
Operation for TSNenabled Systems Applied to
Industrial Markets (i.e. Theory of Operations)
best practices document. The technical
document describes the requirements for
several industrial use cases, including ma-
chine control and process automation, and
presents a TSN-enabled system architecture
that these applications can build on. The
document also explains the role of TSN and
related standards in the architecture, and
describes implementation considerations
for each component in the architecture,
including end stations, bridges and software
controllers.
As the application of TSN and related
standards to industrial markets continues to
evolve, the document will also evolve to add
new capabilities.
September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

Introduction and scope
Standard Ethernet has evolved to enable next
generation control systems. Recent work
by IEEE 802, the Internet Engineering Task
Force (IETF), and other standards groups has
extended the ability to operate time-sensitive
systems over standard Ethernet networks,
supporting diverse applications and markets
including professional audio/video, auto-
motive and industrial. These standards, driven
primarily by the IEEE 802.1 TSN task group,
define new mechanisms for creating distrib-
uted, synchronized, real-time systems using
standard Ethernet technologies that will allow
convergence of low latency control traffic and
best effort traffic on the same network.
To enable interoperable use of a shared
TSN-enabled network, Avnu selects and cer-
tifies a set of underlying mechanisms to meet
a given markets requirements. Avnus focus
is to create a common network foundation so
that multiple industry group or vendor appli-
cations and protocols can share a TSN-enabled
network, as shown in Figure 1.
The intended audience for the Theory of
Operations document is developers of products
used to solve industrial control problems.
Because the document specifically describes
architectural reference models for bridges,
end stations, and bridged end stations, product
developers are given the knowledge they need
to implement TSN-enabled products.
Industrial use cases and
requirements
This section outlines the two industrial appli-
cations of TSN, noting that while the specific
requirements for these applications vary, they
share a common need for distributed sensing,
logic and actuation.
Industrial automation
The diagram in Figure 2 (page 24) outlines the
industrial process control use case, describing
four machine sections that work together to
comprise a single machine. In this example, the
end user has seven manufacturing sites around
the world, with 15 machines per site. Different
OEMs deliver each section of machinery to the
process, with each OEM specializing in the
portion of the process it controls.
Each section of the machine is synchronized
and coordinated to create a final product, with
TSN-enabled switches supporting concurrent
or translation between multiple IEEE 1588
time synchronization profiles, providing a
migration path for existing products and tech-
nologies to be included in the wider TSN value
proposition. At the router level, IETFs DetNet

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MA_Pilz_Feb.indd 1 2017-01-05 8:57 AM

initiative will inform how deterministic
communication happens between sep-
arate layer-3 networks.
Machine control
Companies creating industrial machin-
ery used for fabrication, assembly and
testing are constantly upgrading their
machines capabilities. Increasingly,
these upgraded capabilities depend
on free-flowing data both within the
machine and between machines, from
the machine to the users enterprise, and
on to the remote machine builders re-
mote facilities. This flow of information
reduces the cost of machine customiz-
ation, enables increases in machine
availability, and can provide the end
user with simpler integration into their
facility and logistics systems. It allows
the machine builder to take greater
ownership of operating efficiency,
support servicing, and consumables
management.
To meet the stability and reliability
requirements of the high-speed motion
control subsystem within a modern ma-
chine, a network needs to consistently
deliver the control packets between the
drives/sensors and the controller with a
latency of <100 s. The motion axes also
need to be coordinated, requiring time
synchronization between the nodes of
<1 s. Without TSN enhancements,
achieving these performance require-
ments with standard, shared Ethernet
24 @AutomationMag
requires a high level of technical com-
petence and can result in prescriptive
network architectures. Using TSN en-
hancements to standard Ethernet, ma-
chine builders can offer convergence,
performance and cost optimizations
when compared to existing solutions.
TSN fundamentals
Avnus TSN architecture for industrial
systems presently focuses on three
classes of mechanisms for creating
The real TSN-enabled systems: time synchron-
potential ization, quality of service, and network
for IoT is a configuration. The Theory of Operations
foundational document acknowledges that as the
common IIoT continues to evolve and new foun-
network dational mechanisms are introduced,
this system architecture will change to
infra-
comprehend those mechanisms.
structure. Achieving precise time synchroniza-
With open tion is crucial for distributed industrial
standards, control applications to facilitate event
manufactur- coordination and data correlation.
ers are not Instead of sharing timing signals
reliant upon directly, controllers in the system can
one company periodically exchange synchronization
and their information over a network, adjusting
proprietary their local timing sources to match
technology. each other. Using mechanisms defined
in IEEE 802.1AS-2011, a profile of
IEEE 1588, industrial controllers can
establish and maintain tight time syn-
chronization using standard Ethernet
networks.
Quality of service is necessary for
September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION
the proper operation of time-sensitive
systems, since a bridged network
connecting industrial controllers with
sensors and actuators must ensure that
high-priority traffic can predictably
meet bandwidth and latency require-
ments, especially in the presence of
same-priority or best-effort traffic.
Using mechanisms defined in IEEE
802.1Qbv, a bridged network can
schedule traffic such that high priority
communication is guaranteed, with
the lowest possible latency, even in the
presence of best-effort traffic.
TSN systems require dynamic
configuration based on application
requirements. Using network config-
uration enhancements defined in IEEE
802.1Qcc, and borrowing concepts
from Software Defined Networking
(SDN), bridges and end stations in a
TSN-enabled industrial systems can be
configured in a manner that does not
add significant cost or complexity and
takes advantage of intelligence found in
a centralized network controller.
Conclusion
For industrial markets, TSN and re-
lated standards support the ability to
simplify development and deployment
of distributed, synchronized control
systems commonly found in a variety
of industrial applications including
machine control, factory automation,
power generation and distribution, oil
and gas exploration, etc.
The real potential for IoT is a founda-
tional common network infrastructure.
With open standards, manufacturers
are not reliant upon one company and
their proprietary technology. Avnu Al-
liance defines the technical foundation
and certifies for interoperability. TSN
allows all vendors in the industrial
space to build on top of the common
foundation.
In the future, the Theory of Operations
will include additional technologies in
support of a broader set of applications
and markets as Avnu Alliance mem-
bers continue to develop new ways
for manufacturers looking to expedite
advanced networking implementations
and standard Ethernet continues to
FIGURES: ANVU ALLIANCE
evolve. | MA
Eric Gardiner is the chief engineer at National
Instruments, Avnu Alliance Industrial Seg-
ment. For a copy of The Theory of Operations
document, email admin@avnu.org.
NEW PRODUCTS
MACHINE SAFETY
Heavy duty safety switches with
integrated surge protection
Power management company Eaton has
launched its heavy duty safety switches with
surge protection, the latest in its expanding
portfolio of switching
devices. Combining
the safety switches
with integrated surge
protective devices
(SPD) courtesy of the
Eaton SP1 and CVX
series, this packaged
solution is designed
to provide end-users
and contractors with
significantly better
performance than
externally mounted
devices, resulting in a completely wired,
UL-listed solution and better protection
for connected equipment. Eatons heavy
duty safety switches with surge protection,
available in switches ranging from 30 to
1,200 amps, offer protection at the service
entrance and/or branch circuit level. Other
features of the solution include: integral
SPD wired to the load side of the switch,
which can be isolated from line-side power
should the SPD require replacing; external
viewing window and enhanced visible blade
components for visibility over each pole;
and modified safety switch with NEMA
Type 12/3R and 4/4X enclosures, as well as
a choice of Eaton Type SP1 or CVX surge
devices.
www.eaton.com
Single-application remote
racking system
CBS ArcSafe says its RRS-3 GMI single-ap-
plication remote racking system is designed
to operate the Siemens Type GMI and Type
3AF vacuum circuit breakers without having
to make any modifications to existing
electrical equipment, thanks to its magnetic
latching system. Described as lightweight
and portable, RRS-3 GMI allows technicians
to remotely install and remove a breaker
while standing up to 300 feet away. The
MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION September 2017
Its about
RRS-3 GMI is compatible with Type GMI
and Type 3AF vacuum circuit breakers with
time!
ratings of 1200-3000 A, including 5-GMI,
7-GMI, 15-GMI, 5-3AF, 7-3AF and 15-3AF.
Typical applications for the GMI and 3AF
breakers include commercial, industrial and
service entrance applications to protect
and switch main, feeders and incoming
lines. According to the company, the RRS-3
units are portable, fast and easy to set up;
offer mechanical and/or electrical safety
protection; are adjustable to fit unique
electrical equipment configurations; reduce
Time to save
the requirements for personal protection
equipment; and help customers with NFPA Time is money. Time saved in
engineering can lower costs or be
70E arc-flash safety compliance. Optional
used to generate more revenue.
features include 25-foot extension cables, Switching to EPLAN Electric P8
24 V DC LED light, wireless video camera from CAD software typically reduces
system with LCD monitor, and rugged project time by 40% or more right
protective case assembly. out of the box as much as 80%
when using the feature-rich EPLAN
www.cbsarcsafe.com
portfolio to its fullest.
Motor protection relay offers
wireless monitoring and control Time to create
EPLAN automates time-consuming
data creation and verification
functions CAD users must perform
manually, and often repetitively.
And EPLAN has virtually unlimited
scalability for managing the
increasing demands of designing for
the IIoT/Smart Factory environment.
TIme to switch
EPLAN is the future of engineering.
Its freedom to concentrate on what
matters most engineering so
you or your team can quickly create
The Littelfuse MP8000/MP8100 series
high-quality machinery and plant
Bluetooth enabled motor protection relay designs and documentation.
promises to enhance worker safety while al-
lowing for faster, easier control and trouble-
shooting. According to the company, the
MP8000/MP8100 series allows maintenance
personnel to communicate with the relay
For more information or for a free
from up to 30 feet away using an app on 30-day EPLAN trial, contact us at
an iPhone or Android smartphone or tablet 1-847-240-4667
computer. A worker can set up the relay, www.eplanusa.com
view real-time data and troubleshoot fault
codes while the panel door remains closed,
info@eplanusa.com
helping to minimize potential shock and
arc-flash hazards and help create a greater
level of safety, says the company. Littelfuse
says the MP8000/MP8100 is the first fully
programmable motor overload relay to offer
integrated Bluetooth capabilities; earlier
types required the purchase and installation
of separate Bluetooth modules. If the relay
is located in an outdoor cabinet, workers
can interact with it while remaining warm
and dry in their vehicles during inclement
weather, notes Littelfuse.
www.littelfuse.com
AutomationMag.com 25
MA_Eplan_Sept.indd 1 2017-08-22 11:40 AM
NEW PRODUCTS
POWER SUPPLIES
DIN rail mount power
supplies boast 94.5%
efficiency
Traco Power has released its TIB
family of DIN rail mount power
supplies boasting industry-lead-
ing efficiencies up to 94.5 per
cent. According to the company,
this generation of DIN-rail
power supplies combines the
most efficient circuit topology
with optimized cost/perform-
ance ratio for industrial environ-
ments and control cabinets.
The unit boasts a slim package
design with a DIN rail clip that
can be mounted on either the
rear (typical installations) or side
(flat panel installations) of the
power supply with DC-OK LED
indicators on both the front and
side panels. Its reduced heat
dissipation enables a -20 to 60
degrees C full load operating
temperature range and up to
70 degrees C with 20 per cent
de-rating, notes Traco Power.
The company says the power
supply offers 150-per-cent
boost power for a minimum of
four seconds to support stepper
motors, solenoids or actuators
with power-back immunity (no
voltage over/under shoot). The
TIB family is available in four
power ranges of 80, 120, 240
or 480 W with 24 VDC outputs
(adjustable from 23.5 to 28
VDC). All models are approved
to meet UL/EN60950-1 and
UL508 listed with compliance to
EN61000-6-2 and EN61000-6-
3 EMC Standards.
www.tracopower.com
DC power supplies
B&K Precision, a designer
and manufacturer of test and
measurement instruments, has
launched its multi-range DC
power supplies, models 9103
and 9104. The power supplies
operate in constant voltage
26 @AutomationMag
(CV) or constant current (CC)
mode and can deliver up to
320 W in any combination of
its rated voltage and current
42 V/20 A (model 9103)
and 84 V/10 A (model 9104),
the company notes. Boasting
a lightweight, compact form
factor, these models can replace
multiple power supplies on a
bench, making them suitable
for a variety of applications
in electronics manufacturing,
engineering, service and repair,
and education. According to
B&K Precision, the supplies can
provide any combination of
higher voltage or higher current
along a maximum power curve,
adding that the 9103 and 9104
promise to save bench space
while eliminating the purchase
of unnecessary power. The front
panel provides a dual four-digit
LED display, On/Off control,
and keypad and rotary control
knobs for voltage and current.
The front panel triple binding
post output terminal connects
CONNECTIVITY
Wireless, battery-less
command switches
Steute Industrial Controls says
it is now offering a wide assort-
ment of wireless pushbutton
and selector switches featuring
internal electrodynamic energy
generator with no battery
required. Steute says actuation
sends a unique, coded telegram
to one or more compatible
receivers. The receiver then
sends confirmation of the
received telegram. If the push-
button actuator does not receive
the confirmation signal within
15 ms, it transmits a second
telegram. According to Steute,
the receiver accepts up to 10
to double banana plugs or wires.
The power supplies also feature
three user-defined voltage and
current presets for quick recall.
Configurable square, triangular,
or trapezoidal waveforms are
available in transient operation
mode. Both models offer
adjustable voltage and
current limits, built-in
overvoltage protection
(OVP), overtemperature
protection (OTP), overload
protection (OLP), and keylock
function.
www.bkprecision.com
DC-AC sine wave
inverters
Absopulse Electronics has re-
leased the CSH-400-F6 series of
heavy-duty, high input voltage
DC-AC sine wave inverters.
The units use microprocessor
controlled, high frequency PWM
technology to deliver 400VA
pure sinewave output voltage,
says the company, adding that
they convert 600Vdc industrial
discrete telegrams per channel.
Other features of the switches
include: available for operation
at 915 MHz or 868 MHz; push-
buttons with six colour plates;
bidirectional communication
with receiver; an operating
temperature range of -20 to 65
degrees C; as well as one, two,
and three-position housings.
www.steutewireless.com
Promising to deliver
rapid vibration-proof
connection
The Harting M12 PushPull
promises to offer rapid vibra-
tion-proof Ethernet connection
with just one click. The company
says the M12 PushPull brings the
benefits of the Harting PushPull
September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION
input voltage (450V to 800V
operating range) to an isolated
sine wave output of 115Vac
continuous at 60Hz or 400Hz,
or 230Vac continuous at 50Hz.
The design topology allows
for input
voltages
of up to
1200Vdc.
The CSH-
400-F6 inverters,
according to Absopulse,
are designed for industrial
applications that require clean
sine wave AC-output voltage
and are suitable for industrial
automation and control,
transportation, power plants and
electrical utilities. Absopulse says
the high frequency conversion
enables high efficiency, compact
construction of 210 x 64 x 365
mm and low weight, noting
that the inverters are cooled by
conduction via baseplate and by
natural convection through the
cooling slots.
www.absopulse.com
in the form factor of an M12,
adding that the connectors
housing and reliable locking
system makes it perfectly
suited in harsh, heavy vibration
environments. An audible click
indicates when connection
is made and assembly that
requires no special tools means
installation in the field is quick
and easy. As well, Harting says
the M12 PushPull saves space by
eliminating the need for addi-
tional access space for screwing
the connector into position. The
design also includes knurling
on the side of the connector
ensuring easy handling, it notes.
The M12 PushPull boasts an IP67
rating and is suited for temper-
atures ranging from -40 up to
85 degrees C. It is available in A,
D, and X-code versions and is
suitable for Class EA up to 10 GB
for the 8-poles X-coded version.
It features 360 shielding and
uses crimp termination.
www.harting.ca
 ENCLOSURES & WORKSTATIONS
Height-adjustable
workstation
Newcastle Systems describes
its latest product, the APEX
series mobile workstation, as
a height-adjustable mobile
cart that provides flexibility for
employees working in various
manufacturing industries, such
as aerospace, automotive and
electronics. The company says
the unit is an essential com-
ponent to any organization that
is implementing or enhancing
its paperless process, as it
gives operators and managers
full-screen access to ERP, MES
and other information systems
while on the move. Manufac-
turing floor associates can go
from standing to sitting with the
touch of a button enabling them
to complete their tasks quicker
and safer, says Newcastle Sys-
tems. The workstation features
an integrated power system that
allows associates to leverage
their wireless facility. Mean-
while, its 30 to 40-inch height
range (from floor to top shelf)
promises to accommodate all
employees. Typical applications
include visual work instruction,
asset tracking, quality assurance,
on-demand label printing/
scanning and more, notes the
company.
www.newcastlesys.com
Access system lets
users create work
platforms, crossovers
and stairs
Wildecks LadderLink modular
access system promises to
MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION September 2017
provide a rugged framework of
five core bolt-together com-
ponents that will allow users
SEPTEMBER 25 28, 2017
THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE,
to create a customized access
TORONTO, ONTARIO
solution for manufacturing
operations, distribution centres
and warehouses. According to
EXPERIENCE
Wildeck, the LadderLink system
utilizes a framework of five
CUTTING-EDGE
pre-engineered steel compon-
ents that combine to create
MANUFACTURING
virtually endless configurations
of work platforms, crossovers
and stairs. Continuous toe-
board/kickplate and handrail CMTS is Canadas national stage for manufacturing
on platforms, ladders, and
stairs improve safety while
technologies, best practices and industry connections.
standardized components
reduce delivery time, are easy to
assemble, and increase produc-
REGISTER FOR FREE with
tivity and efficiency, describes promo code AUTOMATIONP
the company. The system allows
customers to re-configure their cmts.ca
access needs in response to
facility changes and growth.
www.wildeck.com
Non-metallic
enclosures for portable Featured Conferences
control applications
Stahlin says its non-metallic CF
and F series enclosures are ideal
for compact or portable control
or simply as a small junction
box. Both Strategic Event Partners
series boast
a slim style
with flush
sidewalls;
the F series
also features
an overhang Official Media Partners
cover style
and adds
back panel
mounting capabilities. Both
series promise unobstructed
sidewalls, captive stainless steel
cover screws and a full range
of sizes. The two series are
designed with Stahlins patented
fiberglass reinforced polyester
and feature a continuous poly-
urethane gasket that provides a
complete environmental seal.
According to Stahlin, the CF
and F series have been tested to
meet the International Electro-
technical Commission (IEC) IP
ratings.
www.stahlin.com
AutomationMag.com 27
MA_SME_Sept.indd 1
COMPANYB
2017-08-04 10:27 AM
NEW PRODUCTS
MACHINE TOOLS
Horizontal machining
centres
Doosan Machine Tools has
introduced the NHP horizontal
machining centres series,
which it says was built from
the ground up for rapid metal
removal rates. Designed to meet
the manufacturing demands of
industries including automotive
and aerospace, the 400-mm
pallet NHP 4000 and 500-mm
pallet NHP 5000 promise to be
feature-rich yet configurable
for a range of applications,
according to the company. The
NHP machines come standard
with a 15,000rpm spindle with
40 horsepower and 169 ft-lbs
of torque. For heavy cutting,
a high-torque 15,000rpm
spindle with 223 ft-lbs is
available, and a 20,000rpm
spindle is in development for
customers with higher speed
precision applications. Up to
1G acceleration/deceleration
on X, Y and Z-axes promise
to significantly enhance
productivity, delivering
productivity increases of up to
25 per cent over the previous
model. Ball screw shaft and
bearing cooling systems claim
to keep the temperature of fast
moving axes stable, ensuring
precision machining. The
three point levelling design
makes machine installation
and maintenance much more
convenient, notes Doosan,
adding that centre-through bed
28 @AutomationMag
chip management evacuates
large volumes of chips quickly
for enhanced efficiency.
www.doosanmachinetools.com
Quality monitoring
option for crimping
machine
Schleuniger has debuted
SmartDetect, a quality
monitoring option for
Schleuniger CrimpCenters.
The sensor-controlled system
monitors the complete
stripping process in real time
and detects any contact of
the stripping blade with the
conductor. This allows for
improved production quality
without sacrificing performance,
says the company, adding that
individually adjustable system
parameters allow the user to
set the perfect combination for
optimal detection and minimal
scrap. Tolerance settings refer
to percentages and physical
units, such as millimeters or
inches. During production,
SmartDetect improves the
quality of the machines output
while maintaining optimal
production rates, says the
company. During setup, it gives
the operator direct feedback
that the stripping parameters
are properly set. Handling
of the blades and blocks are
the same as the standard
machine so standard blades
and procedures can be used. All
connection cables are hidden
and fully protected eliminating
the chance of damage during
normal operation, adds the
company.
www.schleuniger-na.com
Dot peen marker
Kwik Mark says its new line
of X series dot peen markers
which strive to improve overall
operation and streamline every
aspect of product marking.
According to Kwik Mark, the
smarter design boasts high
performance for the most
demanding applications, noting
that the cantilevered marking
head promises to deliver a
clear open line of sight while
the marking head can retract
back to clear other tooling and
equipment. Up to six axes are
motion control ready and no PC
or control box is required. For
custom integration with logic,
additional I/O is available. The
marker boasts machine-tool
quality construction with twin
rigid upright column leadscrew
and ball slide design, brushless
servomotors and non-contact
limit home sensors and large
t-slot table for fixturing. It is also
available with programmable Z
axis (full column height).
www.kwikmark.com
September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION
MOTION CONTROL
Direct drive linear
motors with integrated
encoders
The Moticont SDLM-019-070-
01-01 direct drive linear motor is
the latest addition to the series
of zero backlash, zero cogging,
high acceleration, high speed,
high resolution, long life linear
servo motors. Also known as
an electric cylinder, the direct
drive linear motor is 0.75 in.
(19.1 mm) in diameter and 2.75
in (69.9 mm) long. Protected
inside the motor housing, the
linear optical quadrature encoder
is directly connected to the
shaft for the greatest possible
accuracy, explains Moticont.
The direct drive linear motor
features 1.25 m (0.000049 in.)
in of resolution, stroke length of
0.500 in. (12.7 mm), continuous
force rating of 9.7 oz. (2.7 N),
and peak force of 30.7 oz (8.5
N). Suitable applications for the
model include: assembly and
inspection equipment, sorting
and packaging, semiconductor
handling, medical equipment
and instruments, antenna
positioning, dampers and valve
actuators. The unit is also
available as a plug-and-play
linear motion system with a
matching motion controller.
www.moticont.com
Rotary electric
encoders
Netzers Rotary Electric Encoders
claim to provide exceptionally
accurate, high resolution,
absolute position with miniature
to wide diameter hollow shaft.
Available with Analog Sin/Cos,
Digital SSi, Digital AqB+I outputs,
the rotary encoders feature up
to 20 Bit Resolution (with 12
bit A/D) and accuracy to <0.01
degrees. The Electric Encoder
non-contact technology relies
on interaction between the
measured displacement and a
space/time modulated electric
field, offering a blend of features
unequalled by optical or
magnetic encoders, says the
company. Other features of the
Electric Encoders include: ring
shaped, hollow shaft with a range
of diameters; default operation
range from -55 to 125 degrees
C; absolute position output over
360-degree rotation range; dual
and triple redundancy options;
and no magnetic signature.
www.electromate.com
New compact load pin
for aerospace and oil
& gas
Omega describes its LCP series
as a compact load pin with the
ability to measure up to 30,000
lbs. Designed for tension and
compression measurements,
the load pins can easily replace
existing shear pins, clevis bolts,
clevis pins, shear axles and many
other types of pinned joints, says
Omega. The LCP series can be
applied on clevis pin shackles,
loading cranes, lifting fittings,
hydraulic presses, sprockets,
pulley axles and more.
According to the company,
ideal industries for the series
include aerospace, construction,
ADVERTISER INDEX
Aerotech, Inc. 9
Allied Electronics Inc. 1,15
AutomationDirect 2 Murrelektronik Canada
Beckhoff Automation Ltd. 5
Bosch Rexroth Canada 13
Carlo Gavazzi
(Canada) Inc. 7 Siemens Canada Ltd.
CMTS 2017 27
Eaton Canada 11
Encoder Products
Company 6 TO ADVERTISE
EPLAN Software
& Services LLC 25
MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION September 2017
and oil and gas. The LCP load
pins boasts 0.50 per cent high
accuracy, an all stainless steel
construction and a standard
connector.
www.omega.com
Absolute encoder for
October 30-31, 2017
harsh environments Hilton Mississauga Meadowvale, Ont.
CALLING ALL
ERP SOFTWARE
BUYERS
Encoder Products Company
(EPC) says its new model MA58H
Gain the tools you need to lead
absolute encoder is designed
for harsh factory and plant floor
a successful ERP project
environments. Describing it as
heavy duty, rugged and reliable,
the hollow-bore absolute
encoder is available in both
single and multi-turn resolution.
Participate in intimate, hands-on
As an absolute encoder, it is software demos from
suitable for applications where an
encoder needs to retain position
information after power-off
scenarios. The absolute encode
features: multi-turn resolution
up to 39 bits; up to 14 bits of
single-turn resolution; SSI and
CANopen communications;
58-mm diameter housing; bores
sizes up to 3/8 in. or 14 mm; and
an operating temperature range
of -40 to 85 degrees C.
www.encoder.com
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 WHAT MA
BACKSTORY PUBLISHED
IN...

2008
The study found
that although
the countrys
manufacturing 2010
labour force is The reality is that automation has
critical to the allowed us to be as efficient as we can
future prosperity possibly be.
of the sector,
manufacturers
are facing major
human resources
challenges,
including a
flood of early
retirements,
a reduced
ability to attract
young workers
and a need to
keep up with 2017
changing skill Businesses in every industry are
requirements. currently undergoing massive digital
transformation...these are not just
2010 flash-in-the-pan technologies
The report they are long-term shifts in the
reveals that way we use technology, requiring
talented workers a strategic approach if they are to
capable of provide bottom line benefits.
supporting
innovation is
the key factor
driving global

Taking Back Manufacturing

competitiveness Many new industrial technology de-
at manufacturing velopment organizations are emerging

to Canada by adopting
companies. in Canada to provide such solutions,
which with early adoption may provide
2013
disruptive technologies
an opportunity to change our competi-
Technology, tive game and level the global playing
creativity and field. But, much more needs to be done

H
ow the Canadian economy
with an ailing resource sector
and a diminished manufac-
turing base will stack up
in this future of more nationalistic and
shorter, but hopefully more sustainable,
supply chains will depend on political
will to drive a directive to make much
more of what we consume.
We will have to embrace effective
industrial policies, new and yet to be
defined trade agreements, maintain a
stable currency, reduce legislative and
regulatory overhead, redevelop a social
focus on manufacturing artisanship
and industrial learning systems, and
drastically improve many other national
competitive factors to take back manu-
facturing.
Our industry leaders need to ensure
their management teams are ready
to improve our local plants with a problem solving
reinstalled mindset for continuous
improvement and lean thinking. Many
experts have agreed this has been competitive in
dissipated due to the many years of the
distracting offshoring focus on cheap
labour and long supply chains.
An important and emerging competi-
tive factor will be the incorporation of
so-called disruptive technologies and
cyberphysical automation solutions into
our future factories.
Future products that could return
for local manufacturing will not be the
products that were offshored. They will
have new technology in both the prod-
ucts and the manufacturing process,
and will demand new facilities, capital,
knowledge, skills and getting on board
what is now deemed Industry 4.0 the
next industrial revolution.
to support the development of these
are paramount technologies and educate the industries
to staying on how they may be applied.
The other disruptor is the globalization
21st century of ideas via collaborative and connected
manufacturing. platforms that allow remote interaction
and is breeding a Cloud-based mental-
2017 ity and hopefully constructive crowd
The use of smart sharing of resources/skills/knowledge
machines by and funds in an interactive manner. IP
enterprises can control will be an issue but in principal,
be transformative the globalization of moving ideas around
and disruptive. is far more sustainable than the globaliz-
Smart machines ation of moving products and materials
will profoundly around the globe.
change the way Continue reading this article and learn
work is done how these disruptive technologies will
and how value is impact the future at bit.ly/2rrB62L. | MA
created.
Nigel Southway is an advocate for Take
Back Manufacturing. He can be reached at
nsouthway@bell.net.

30 @AutomationMag September 2017 MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

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