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Faster Time to Market Pays Off. Some Machine Builders Swoop
JUNE 2010
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336 Volts of Green Engineering

MEASURE IT FIX IT
Developing a commercially viable fuel cell vehicle has been a significant challenge because of the considerable expense of designing and testing each new concept. With NI LabVIEW graphical programming and NI CompactRIO hardware, Ford quickly prototyped fuel cell control unit iterations, resulting in the worlds first fuel cell plug-in hybrid.
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Ford is just one of many customers using the NI graphical system design platform to improve the world around them. Engineers and scientists in virtually every industry are creating new ways to measure and fix industrial machines and processes so they can do their jobs better and more efficiently. And, along the way, they are creating innovative solutions to address some of todays most pressing environmental issues.
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2009 National Instruments. All rights reserved. CompactRIO, LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 2009 0834
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22 Cover Story Seize the Advantage

Faster Time to Market Pays Off. Some Component Choices and Clever Engineering
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Machine Builders Swoop in on New Business With Smart
Dan Hebert, senior technical editor
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FEATURES
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Volume 14, No. 6
30 Input/Output Systems OI Calculator Cards a Hole in One

Deep-Hole-Drilling Machine Builder Has a New Look With PC-Based Controls
22
Darrell Fiegenbaum, Kays Engineering
34 Product Roundup Vision Makes a Comeback

In Contrast to 2009, OEMs Are Ready to See the Light Again
COLUMNS
7 ControlDesign.com
Online Training
21 Embedded Intelligence
The Server Side of Thin Clients
9 Editors Page
Hard Training Realities
33 TechFlash
Global Regulations Improve Cable
30
11 Machine Builder Mojo

Future Engineers
42 OEM Insight
All the Eggs in One Basket
17 Live Wire
A Shovelful of Hydraulics HOT BUTTONS
12 Feedback 39
CONTROL DESIGN, (ISSN: 1094-3366) is published 12 times a year by Putman Media, 555 West Pierce Rd., Suite 301, Itasca, Illinois 60143. (Phone 630/467-1300; Fax 630/467-1124.) Periodical postage paid at Itasca, IL, and at additional mailing ofces. Address all correspondence to Editorial and Executive Ofces, same address. Printed in the United States. Putman Media 2010. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or part without consent of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Control Design, Post Ofce Box 3430, Northbrook, Illinois 60065-3430. SUBSCRIPTIONS: To apply for a free subscription, ll in the form at www.ControlDesign.com/subscribemag. To non-qualied subscribers in the United States and its possessions, subscriptions are $60.00 per year. Single copies are $15.00. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $60.00. Foreign subscriptions outside of Canada and Mexico accepted at $99.00 per year for surface and $199.00 for airmail. Putman Media also publishes CHEMICAL PROCESSING, CONTROL, FOOD PROCESSING, industrial networking, PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING and PLANT SERVICES. CONTROL DESIGN assumes no responsibility for validity of claims in items reported. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40028661. Canadian Mail Distributor information: World Distribution Services, Inc., Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9A 6J5. Printed in the United States.
18 InDiscrete 37 Real Answers
15 OEM Spotlight
CONTROL DESIGN EXCLUSIVES
39 InduSofts Contemporary HMI Visualization 40 Murrelektroniks Fieldbus I/O Module Simplies Wiring 41 Edwards Signalings Multi-Status Indicator Alternative
June 2010 Control Design
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PrESENT STATE AND A FUTUriSTiC ViSiON Of MOTOr DrivE TECHNOLOGY Learn Yaskawas role in the development and application of the inverter technology to ac motor drives. IPv6-READY ETHErNET SWiTCHES fOr INDUSTriAL NETWOrkiNG Experts foresee that the depletion of unallocated IPv4 addresses will become a major problem in the next two to three years, unless an alternative solution is found. Learn more. To download PDF papers, go to www.ControlDesign.com/ whitepapers.
Online Training
CONTROLDESIGN.COM
RECENTLY, I ADOPTED a dog
and couldnt be happier. He barks, he plays, and he seems to respond to my commands. Come. Stay. Sit Yet, there are so many other things I would like my dog to do. Ive been reading blogs and online training suggestions, and Ive found enough information for successful at-home dog training sessions. In a couple of weeks Ill have my dog fetching the newspaper, turning off lights and obediently walking unleashed. These online searches got me thinking about what training material is available online for machine builders. The current economic situation has forced the automation industry to cut personnel and budgets, and these cuts now require the remaining employed professionals to learn new skills. How do you train on a small budget? This is when online training material comes in handy. ControlDesign.com has training material, tips and techniques stored in our vault. Its available for the industry professionals at any time and at no cost. Year after year, the industry suffers from a shortage of young job candidates who have formal automation training. Senior Technical Editor Dan Hebert writes in How to Build an Automation Professional that the industry runs on professionals with two-year technical degrees or four-year engineering backgrounds. However, machine builders, system integrators and vendors get training through on-the-job hands-on practice. Visit www. ControlDesign.com/buildone to read the full story and see how different companies deal with on-the-job training. In our article How Should We Train? a reader was concerned that his company limits training and certification programs to EEs and MEs. As younger talent joins the industry, companies are concerned with the cost/time/benefit of various certifications such as the IEEEs Certified Software Development Professional program, ISAs CAP and CCST for technicians, and SMEs CMfgE. Which training programs should companies have for degreed and non-degreed employees? Our article at www.ControlDesign.com/trainingprograms explains how our industry experts tackled this question. If you are looking for training courses, dont forget to visit our Training & Certification Center at www.ControlDesign.com/training. Here you will find a compilation of educational opportunities and resources for the process instrumentation, control and automation community. Just check out upcoming sessions such as ISAs Understanding and Tuning Control Loops (www.ControlDesign.com/isaloops), June 21-23, in Houston. Hopefully ControlDesign. com is your No. 1 destination when it comes to searching for online training material and machine builder news. The Web is full of insightful information and most of it is available to you at no cost. Be like me, take advantage of the free training material and hone your skills.
June 2010 Control Design 7
Katherine Bonfante
SpeciAl to tHe WeB

FOCUS ON: REDUCiNG TimE TO MArkET Our video looks at the potential pitfalls different machine builder companies face today when reducing time to market. www.ControlDesign. com/timemarket FOCUS ON: GrEEN MANUfACTUriNG & SUSTAiNAbiLiTY Watch Greg Hyatt from Mori Seiki illustrate how his company has met the challenges of going green. www.ControlDesign.com/ greenmanufacturing FOLLOW US ON TWiTTEr Stay on top of all industry news as it happens. www.twitter.com/ Control_Design MACHiNE BUiLDEr JObS Visit the comprehensive job board at jobs.ControlDesign.com and nd listings tailored to your eld. Get that dream job today at Control Connection.
managing editor, digital media
kbonfante@putman.net
controldesign.com
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Hard Training Realities

EDITORS PAGE
controldesign.com
AS A FOLLOW-ON to my May
column about machine safety urgency (www.ControlDesign.com/ hardway), lets pursue the training issue that closed the piece. The tragic and fatal train-crossing accident that I wrote about spawned questions about the origins, amount and usefulness of the controls/safety training that machine automation designers, engineers, technicians and others receive from or through their employers or seek on their own. This would include procedures that must be followed and cant be subject to shortcuts, regardless of the situation at hand. Overall, it seems weve made good progress toward making ever-more complex and powerful industrial machinery capable of high-quality and flexible production in a very safe manner. Overall, however, is a dangerous word. Just like average, it usually includes some extremes of good and bad. Lately, with train crashes, deep-water drilling disasters, fast-moving Toyotas and more, the bad extremes show a troubling, high-impact frequency. This made me wonder if performance evaluation, and any subsequent reward, is tied to adherence to these learned skills and techniques. What unfolds when the prescribed training doesnt reflect what happens, what often has to happen, on the production floor? I had a flashback to my manufacturing days, and Im hardly alone when I recall stories about electricians and technicians bypassing mandated procedures to restore some breakdown quickly. Sometimes its self-initiated action. Other times its pressure from an equally beleaguered
floor supervisor. Some companies would view adherence to proper procedures in those circumstances unfavorably. The hard, unspoken reality here is the rewards are based on output, not procedural adherence. For machine builders its not as clear cut. With todays technology, your company can do everything right and build a highly automated machine that gives your customer a perfect harmony of productivity, flexibility and operator safety. Properly operated, that is. Machine builders have highly varied levels of after-sale support, so some of you dont know much about what happens after commissioning and startup. During installation, you might not get a clear picture of the training the operators and technicians will have.
555 W. Pierce Rd., Suite 301 Itasca, Illinois 60143 630/467-1300 Fax: 630/467-1124 EDITORIAL TEAM
EDITOR IN CHIEF
JOSEPH FEELEY jfeeley@putman.net

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JIM MONTAGUE jmontague@putman.net

MANAGING EDITOR
MIKE BAcIdORE mbacidore@putman.net

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

SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITOR
DAN HEBERT dhebert@putman.net

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
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COLUMNIST
JEREMY POLLARd jpollard@tsuonline.com DESIGN/PRODUCTION

ART DIRECTOR
DEREK CHAMBERLAIN SUBSCRIPTIONS

CUSTOMER SERVICE
888/644-1803 CIRCULATION AUDITED DECEMBER 2009

Air & Gas Compressors 738 Engineering & Systems Integration Services 8,959 Engines & Turbines 1,526 Food Products Machinery 1,542 Industrial Fans, Blowers, & Air Purication Equipment 596 Industrial Heating, Refrigeration, & Air Conditioning Equipment 1,322 560 Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens Machine Tools 5,561 Materials Handling, Conveyors & Conveying Equipment 1,594 Metalworking Machinery 3,555 Mining Machinery & Equipment 481 Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment 1,249 Packaging Machinery 808 Paper Industries Machinery 456 Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment 563 Pumps & Pumping Equipment 924 Rolling Mill Machinery & Equipment 151 Semiconductor Manufacturing Machinery 1,082 Textile Machinery 222 Woodworking Machinery 244 Other Industries & Special Industrial 7,886 Machinery & Equipment NEC TOTAL 40,019
he unspoken reality is T the rewards are based on output, not procedural adherence.
So, and Im not trying to hang this on you, what roleif anydo you play in designing a system that cant be defeated in a manner that has potential for big trouble? Does it sometimes have to go beyond a defendable risk assessment and all the due diligence that entails? I even hear a call to return to the use of proprietary control boards and code so the user cant disable critical sequences. I dont think thats the progressive answer were after, but we should talk more about this. Your turn.
Future Engineers
MACHINE BUILDER MOJO
WEVE ALL HEARD and read that the U.S. is
falling behind other nations in high school math and science, leading to a decline in engineering graduates. But theres a solution, and it starts at the grassroots level, often with just one family and one company. Back in early 2005, Rick Foleas 14-year-old son, Chris, asked his dad to start up a FIRST robotics team in Forsyth County, Georgia. FIRST is an acronymfor inspiration and recognition of science and technology (www.usfirst.com). Its a nonprofit company that inspires young peoples interest and participation in science and technology through a variety of programs. One of Ricks first steps was to get sponsors, and he started with AutomationDirect, headquartered in Forsyth County. Folea was familiar with AutomationDirect through his own company, Ricreations (www.universalscan.com), a designer of test tools for manufacturing. Fortunately for Folea, AutomationDirect had been looking for just such an opportunity, and it decided to become the sole sponsor. This was and is such a perfect fit for us, says Tina Gable, advertising manager at AutomationDirect. How often does a company get to sponsor and support an activity that is directly related to its own dayto-day business operations? Along with the volunteer efforts of the Foleas and many other interested parents and teachers in the county, the FIRST team was off and running for the 2005-06 season. Chris Folea volunteered for 3D CAD and animation duties, and he also pulled together the initial team of 11 students. The teams robot, dubbed Otto Mation or Otto for short, won the Rookie All-Star award at the Peachtree Regional and advanced to the World Championships in Atlanta. For 2006-07, AutomationDirect upped its sponsorship level as the Forsyth Alliance became an umbrella organization rather than just one specific team. The alliance also extended support into the elementary- and middle-school levels by giving seed money to more than 20 Lego League teams. The FIRST team performed extremely well at its regional competition, and AutomationDirect hired its first batch of summer interns from the team. Gable says the interns made significant contribucontroldesign.com
tions in many areas, including new product testing, Web development and video production. More progress was made during the 2007-08 season. In addition to the high school team, the program initiated support for 35 more elementary- and middle-school teams in Forsyth County. The county hosted the largest FIRST Lego League qualifier in the state. After the 2008-09 season, the FIRST program spurred the local Forsyth County Board of Education to action. Beginning in the fall of 2009, the board instituted an entire Engineering/Robotics Career Pathway in the four county high schools and created two engineering career academies. His main mentor job well done after the 200910 season, Rick Folea moved into an advisory capacity for the overall program. And what about Chris Folea, the impetus along with his dad for the whole Forsyth Alliance program?
Dan Hebert, PE
fter the 2008-09 season, the FIRST A program spurred the local Forsyth County Board of Education to action. Beginning in the fall of 2009, the board instituted an entire Engineering/ Robotics Career Pathway in the four county high schools and created two engineering career academies.
Chris now attends a prestigious university on scholarship and is studying 3D animation. The animation work Chris did during his summer internships at AutomationDirect directly contributed to his gaining admittance and a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design, says his dad. He was just so far ahead of the other students because of his practical work experience. As you dig deeper into FIRST, you find out that its not really about building robots, says Gable. Its about cooperating, building functioning teams and learning multiple engineering disciplines. It also teaches engineering methodologies, industry relations and community involvement. Managing Editor Mike Bacidore wrote about FIRST, its activities and the people and companies who participate (Whos on FIRST?) back in 2007. You can find his report and thoughts about the organization at www.controldesign.com/first.
senior technical editor
dhebert@putman.net
FEEDBACK
Through-Door Detection
In the Real Answers section of your March 2010 issue of Control Design (What Does NFPA 70E Allow? www.ControlDesign.com/nfpa70e), Jim White from Shermco stated, There are several companies selling through-the-door voltage detection devices and advertising them as a way around direct-contact testing. They are not. Our company provides through-door voltagedetection devicesnon-contact voltage portals and voltage indicators. We advertise our voltage detectors, but never suggest them as a substitute for direct contact testing with a voltmeter in electrical lock-out, tag-out (LOTO) procedures. Keeping personnel away from live voltage is foundational to electrical safety. Electrical safety demands a precise answer to the question: Is voltage present? Permanently mounted voltage indicators go a long way to provide a first answer to this question, while a voltmeter provides personnel with a second, redundant answer. Lastly, voltage indicators provide visibility of voltage from outside the enclosure without exposing personnel to voltage. A through-door voltage detector used in a safety program, must be written into the LOTO procedure [NFPA 70E 120.(C)(2)]. Employees must be trained in using voltage detectors [NFPA 70E 110.6(D)(4)(e)]. Workers performing mechanical LOTO procedures must isolate electrical energy. An externally mounted voltage detector provides a means to check voltage inside an electrical panel. Without these types of devices, a mechanic performing mechanical LOTO would be required to work in tandem with an electrician using a voltmeter to physically verify voltage inside an electrical panel. In this case, the electrician is exposed to voltage. Voltage is the common denominator in an electrical accident or an arc flash. No voltage means no accident and no arc flash. While performing electrical LOTO with a voltage detector installed, the electrician can pre-check the internal voltage state without opening the enclosure. Next, the electrician should replicate a zero voltage reading with his voltmeter as per NFPA 70e 120.1(5). This low-cost, redundant voltage-verification task reduces arc flash risk and increases electrical safety for electricians for around the $150 installed cost.
12 Control Design June 2010
Unlike a voltmeter, a voltage detector is a permanent part of an electrical system. A voltage indicator can continuously check voltage between each phase and ground, creating a safer environment for maintenance workers. A voltage indicator is maintenance-free because it receives its power from the line voltage, not from batteries. Permanent voltage detectors are less prone to damage because they cant fall out of a tool belt like a voltmeter. Under NFPA 70E, checking fuses or verifying system power requires workers to wear proper personnel protective equipment in addition to performing their LOTO procedure. Having fuse and power status information readily available with a voltage indicator on the outside of the electrical enclosure has proven to eliminate reasons for workers to access the enclosure. By wiring and labeling voltage detectors to every voltage source inside an enclosure, an electrician immediately knows the location and number of voltage sources feeding the enclosure. The NFPA 70E recognizes the danger of induced voltages or stored electrical energy [NFPA 70e 120.1(6)]. Since stored energy shows up as ac or dc voltages, a voltage indicator alerts personnel to it presence. For disconnects or circuit breakers without visible blades, a voltage detector is an indication that the blades are fully open. Wherever possible, visually verify that all the blades are fully open [NFPA 70e 120.1(3)]. Using voltmeters to check for voltage on incoming disconnects creates an opportunity for an arc flash. Safety is a natural byproduct when a voltage detector pre-checks voltage before an electrician performs his voltmeter check.
PHILIp ALLEN, president/owner, Grace Engineered Products, www.graceport.com
[Editors note: Weve also placed Phil Allens whitepaper on the subject in our library at www.ControlDesign.com/electricalsafety.]
Triple Redundancy
My comments about your April 2010 Live Wire column on redundancy (Unnecessary Redundancy? www.ControlDesign.com/unnecessaryredundancy) are about the definition of the term or actual use. To me redundancy suggests at least three identical systems monitoring/controlling a process, making a decision if and when one of the
controldesign.com
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

three did not agree with the other two and automatically disabling the differing unit. Conversely, the type of redundancy mentioned in your article seems to describe a backup consisting of two identical instruments. If one fails, the operator would have to take action and replace it, without disturbing the process. In other words, no automatic process.
OTTo FEST, president, Otek, www.otekcorp.com
HMI SCADAbility
I worked for Xycom for more than 20 years and saw much of the evolution you note in your April 2010 Embedded Intelligence column, SCADA, HMI Boundaries Blur, (www.ControlDesign.com/scadahmi). I want to note the transition weve made over the years. In the late 80s, a driver board (Modbus, DH , Siemens or Mitsubishi) for the T30 or Xycom 4800 series was about $1,500. By the mid 90s drivers were sold on 3.5-in. floppies for about $100 each. Eventually, drivers were included with the development systemessentially free. We pay close attention to making our product scalable. Most of the features run on Windows CE, Windows Mobile, Embedded XP and up to Windows Server editions. With our single development environment covering 150 to 512,000 tags, there almost never is a clear definition of whether its HMI or SCADA. When customers use InduSoft as an HMI, what might be thought of as just an HMI can have the horsepower, features, Web-based clients, VBScript for ability to run on Windows CE, data collection and database connectivity of a SCADA system. On a lighter note, I currently use the aluminum Zero case that the T30s tape backup systems came in as a travel case for my Xbox.
SCoTT KoRTIER, marketing communications manager, InduSoft, www.indusoft.com
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GIVE US A PIECE OF YOUR MIND

WE wELCoME your comments, suggestions, criticism and praise. Were particularly fond of the praise, but we really do value the criticism. EMAIL US at CDFeedback@putman.net or post a comment in our forum at www.ControlDesign.com/mbf.
Pepperl+Fuchs, Inc. Twinsburg, Ohio 330.486.0002
controldesign.com
Its the interplay that makes the difference
SIMATIC Controller
Tight integration between small controllers, HMI panels, networking and programming software requires a flexible control system that can perform multiple operations with minimal engineering and maintenance. Together, the new S7-1200 controller, HMI Basic panels, and Step 7 Basic engineering software provide an industry-first integrated automation solution specifically for the compact controller class. With an engineering software delivering a single user program for logic, HMI, and networking, you spend less time engineering the controller program and focus more on machine design - your competitive advantage. More information: www.sea.siemens.com/s7-1200 Setting standards with Totally Integrated Automation.
Answers for industry.
2009 Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
SIMATIC S7-1200
Builder Puts the Custom in Customer

OEM SPOTLIGHT
Assembly Machine Maker Solves One-of-a-Kind Automation Problems
HAUMILLER Engineering
(www.haumiller.com) in Elgin, Illinois, has been in the custom assembly machine business for 45 years, serving consumer packaged goods, medical device and other industries. Our company is 100% employee-owned, meaning that everyone has a vested interest in our customers success, says Pat Phillips, engineering manager. Approximately 90 employees meet the needs of Haumillers globally installed machine baseprimarily high-speed, highly automated assembly machinesbut accompanying tasks often include testing, inspection, tube application, closing and processes such as die cutting, hot stamping and sonic welding. All inspections are automated and rigidly designed to ensure the highest possible quality to the end customer, explains Phillips. Our typical customer asks for equipmentpart-per-minute output often higher than what has been done before on similar equipment. This is where the custom part of Haumillers business comes in, and it makes up about 75% of the work we do. Were solving a one-of-a-kind automation problem that has never been solved before. The remaining 25% of our business is a standard line of automated assembly machines consisting of aerosol tippers, cappers and valve placers. Continuous motion is the method most Haumiller machines use for moving parts
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HAUMILLER ENGINEERING
CONTINUOUS MOTION
400 ppm continuous-motion, pump assembly and inspection are broken down into stages and accomplished over several synchronous, geared dials.
through the process. Unlike indexing, which uses a dial that stops and starts at each station in the machine, continuous motion never stops moving in a very smooth and calculated manner, which preserves both the machine itself and the parts that are moving through it, says Phillips. In continuous motion, multiple processes occur without interruption for every cycle, effectively overlapping. And because the tooling never loses contact with the individual components, part alignment is maintained during assembly. Engineers comprise more than a quarter of Haumillers workforce. The applications engineers are the link between our sales group and the concept engineers, explains Phillips. They develop the initial machine concepts that are used in the quoting process to determine feasibility and cost. The mechanical engineers are further broken down
into concept engineers and mechanical design engineers. The concept group develops a machine concept when we are initially given a new product, and the mechanical design group executes on that concept to achieve the final machine. The controls engineers work on everything from the electrical and pneumatic controls of our equipment to the development of all machine programs. Haumiller achieves motion control using three-phase ac motors, servos, steppers, pneumatics and robotics, says Dennis Fox, controls engineer at Haumiller. And Haumillers inspection controls include discrete sensors, vision, pressure/ flow, weighing/counting, torque and functional testing. Most of our machine controls are hardwired, explains Fox. There are some right now using digital networks through EtherNet I/P, Profinet or Modbus TCP, but currently no wireless controls.
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A Shovelful of Hydraulics
LIVE WIRE
MILWAUKEE-BASED BUCYRUS (www.bucyrus.
com) designed and built the steam-powered shovels that dug the Panama Canal. Its power shovels, tipping the scales at some 1,400 metric tons, are used to dig much of the iron ore that is used by steelmakers, providing challenges unparalleled in other manufacturing venues. Mine operators are risk-averse, especially technologically, due to the combination of physical and financial challenges. Historically, electromechanical mining shovels comprising wire rope and gears have had higher reliability and efficiency than the more mobile electrohydraulic units. However, hydraulic technologys potential to reduce necessary maintenance and make it more predictable, lower shock loading on the boom and the machine and improve safety by decreasing employee exposure to heights and weather risks piqued Bucyrus interest. So, the mining equipment builder took a new approach to the modern electric shovels crowd function, which pushes the bucket into the blasted rock in the bucket-loading cycle. We looked at the entire system, says Joseph Helfrich, vice president of engineering at Bucyrus. We didnt want to sacrifice the reliability of electrics in making the move. Our out-of-the-box approach brought together many best practices found in other industries, but not seen in mobile equipment, particularly in mining. After four years and two prototypes, we were successful. Bucyrus HydraCrowd replaces a complex, maintenance-intensive wire rope and gear mechanism with a hydraulic cylinder on the business end of the shovel. Fully enclosing the cylinder for structural strength and to buffer against the mines harsh environment was the first step. And the rod is coated using the high-velocity oxygen fuel thermal-spray process (HVOF) for greater abrasion resistance than conventional chrome-plated steel. Bucyrus expects a six-year life for the cylinder. The massive cylinder has 125-ton thrust, but its how Bucyrus finesses the control side thats the key to HydraCrowds success, as well as several granted and pending U.S. patents. We use longer-life Rexroth-A2FO fixed-displacement hydraulic pumps driven by variable-speed electric motors, explains Helfrich. Their marriage to insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) draws on Bucyrus long relationship with Siemens. IGBT
controldesign.com
provides high efficiency and fast switching, with system response of several hundred milliseconds. The system is coupled with AccessDirect, which allows complete, secure diagnostic and troubleshooting from anywhere in the world. Indeed, HydraCrowds instrumentation level is much higher than in conventional shovels and includes contamination monitoring. Moreover, its active-logic algorithms monitor the four pumps performance, and attempt to predict pump failure. When it senses that performance of a pump has crossed a threshold, it can take the pump off-line and shift load. This allows continued shovel operation, albeit on a derated basis. We took the complexity out of the hydraulic side and put it into the electrical circuitry, says Helfrich. Complementing Bucyrus instrumentation, power and control sophistication is its commitment to fundamentalskeeping the hydraulic oil clean and cool. The design, which is new to mobile equipment, has accommodated thermal expansion and innovative tankage, providing long dwell time to precipitate contaminants without high-pressure-side filtration and a kidney filtration loop following.
Mike Bacidore
managing editor
mbacidore@putman.net
We took the complexity out of the hydraulic side and put it into the electrical circuitry.
Oil cleanliness exceeds values attained via high-pressure filtration, says Helfrich. We went the extra mile in engineering manifold design to use a highly reliable, contamination-tolerant, long-life cartridge, instead of spool or valves. Helfrich adds shovel operators in some of the worlds toughest conditions, such as Canadas vast oil sands mines, prefer HydraCrowds speed and precision in loading the mines fleets of 363-metric-ton-capacity haul trucks, which cost around $5.25 million Canadian per truck. We wanted to ensure reliable operation in the extreme cold of northern Alberta, so we coldsoaked the prototype for four days in -50 C temperatures, says Helfrich. The innovative system for warming the hydraulic oil by heating and churning/recirculation was successful. The other six commercial shovels, both hydraulic and electromechanical, in the pit were unable to operate.
Technology Consumption Finishes Big Q1

INDISCRETE
MARCH U.S. manufacturing technology consumption (USMTC) totaled $258 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors Association (AMTDA, www. amtda.org) and AMTThe Association for Manufacturing Technology (www.amtonline. org). This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was up 58% from February and up 50% from the $173 million reported for March 2009. With a year-todate total of $549 million, 2010 is up 34% compared with 2009. These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTC program. The March increase in manufacturing technology orders is further proof that the recovery is accelerating, said Peter Borden, AMTDA president. The number is encouraging considering that bank lending is still anemic and that Congress has done little to help manufacturing, such as re-passing the bonus depreciation tax bill or R&D credits. We still expect some ebb and flow for the rest of the year because of the uncertainties in the world economy. The USMTC report, jointly compiled by the two trade associations representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides data on U.S. consumption of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology consumption provides an economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity. At $36 million, March manufacturing technology consumption in the Northeast Region was up 34% from February and up 11% more than the 2009 total at the same time. Southern Region manufacturing technology consumption in March rose to $44 million, a rise of 133% when compared with February and up 127% over March 2009. Manufacturing technology consumption in the Midwest Region totaled $77 million, up 82% over February and up 43% from the previous year. With a total of $64 million, Central Region manufacturing technology consumption in March was 20% higher than February and up 38% over March 2009. Totaling $37 million, Western Region manufacturing technology consumption in March rose 68% over the previous month and was 73% higher than March 2009.
GeAR DeMAND COULD CLIMB 5%

Global demand for gears and gear assemblies is forecast to climb almost 5% annually through 2013 to $170 billion. Market gains will be driven by rising motor vehicle production, ongoing economic growth, increased manufacturing output and a shift in the product mix toward more expensive, energyefficient units such as sevenand eight-speed automatic transmissions, according to World Gears, a study from the Freedonia Group (www. freedoniagroup.com). Demand in developing parts of Asia, Eastern Europe, the Africa/ Mideast region and Central and South America will outpace product sales in the U.S., Western Europe and Japan. China and India will register some of the strongest market advances, according to the study. China is expected to account for one-third of all additional gear demand through 2013 and will surpass Japan to become the second largest national market behind the U.S.
WORLD GEAR DEMAND (million dollars) % Annual Growth Item TOTAL DEMAND North America W. Europe Asia/Pacic Central & South America E. Europe Africa/Mideast 2003 97,850 29,900 27,200 30,900 2,910 4,670 2,270 2008 134,500 32,650 32,150 51,100 5,500 8,850 4,250 2013 169,500 40,450 36,200 68,350 7,090 11,800 5,610 2003-2008 6.6 1.8 3.4 10.6 13.6 13.6 13.4 2008-2013 4.7 4.4 2.4 6.0 5.2 5.9 5.7
FREEDONIA GROUP
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Control Design June 2010
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NOTEWORTHY
Vacon (www.vacon.com) kicked off its inaugural North American mobile product showroom and training center tour in May. Full tour details are available at www.driveaheadtour.com. The National Electrical Manufacturers Assn. (NEMA, www.nema.org) published MG 1-2009, its standard for ac and dc motors and generators. The Ethernet Powerlink Standardization Group (EPSG, www.ethernet-powerlink. org) unveiled OpenSafety, the foundation for an open safety-related data communication protocol for all areas of automation. Electrochems (www. electrochemsensing.com) line of wireless pressure, temperature and ow sensors attained certication for use in hazardous environments from CSA Intl. (www.controlsys.org).
innovation & global university relations, IBM Systems and Technology Group, will open the sessions at 9 a.m. on July 13 with his presentation, From Ghz. to Systems to Solutions: Our Industry in Transition.
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On July 14 at 1 p.m., Dr. Paolo A. Gargini, chairman, International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS), and Intel fellow, Technology and Manufacturing
5/10/2010
Group, will present Welcome to the Next Decade!

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San Francisco welcomes Semicon West July 13-15. Technologies from electronic design automation and device fabrication to final manufacturing will be featured along with technologies for emerging markets and technologies born from the microelectronics industry, including micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), photovoltaics (PV), flexible electronics and displays, nano-electronics and solid-state lighting.
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Red or Green? What if you couldnt tell?

Just like a driver approaching a busy intersection, a machine operator must make split-second decisions based on the color of a signal. The wrong choice could have serious consequences. The 125XBRi Chameleon Xtra-Brite Multi-Status Indicator, with Xtra-Safe Technology makes it easier for operators to differentiate machine status with a greater degree of confidence than with color-based indication alone. And if an operator has some degree of color vision deficiency, this is a critical distinction. Plus, the ultra-high output LUXEON Rebel LEDs that power the 125XBRi light engine are extra-bright, more efficient, reliable, and longer lasting than other LEDs. In fact, theyre as eye-catching as xenon strobes while lowering high current draw and high operational costs of frequent strobe tube replacement. The Future is Bright!
Three colors in one. The 125XBRi Chameleon multi-status LED indicator is available in your choice of Red/Amber/Green or Red/Amber/Blue. A quick and easy change to the 125XBRi dip switch settings instantly converts these flexible indicators for use with or without control from an external PLC, PAC, or control relay.
www.edwardssignaling.com/125XBRi
The Server Side of Thin Clients

EMBEDDED INTELLIGENCE
IN MAY, I wrote about thin clients (Thin Down
Your HMI Apps, www.ControlDesign.com/thinclients). A touchscreen with a thin client is very attractive from an implementation point of view. But what about the server side of things? Server-based software creates a single point of failure. A plant operator who has a problem needs to be guaranteed immediate access. If your server is down or the network has failed and the connection to that server is down, youre in trouble. You have to design in some contingencies, such as server clustering, redundant network paths and even a mobile operator terminal, to be sure they can perform their tasks. Terminal services and server-based tools can guarantee 99.99% uptime. A server-based approach simplifies central data logging, alarming and reporting. Visual Basic/VB .NET is the most commonly used language on the planet. Most industrial solutions support VB scripting or have a scripting language similar to VB. It works for most stuff. VB is a statement-based language that has the support of many thousands of programmers and developers. ActiveX and .NET controls allow access to devices on the floor. OPC drivers have their API exposed to allow connections using VB. There are lots of graphics libraries out there. So the new HMI is born. Companies such as Maple Systems sell a touchscreen unit running Embedded XP for less than $1,000. You buy your controls once. You develop your application and reuse it many times, and you therefore have a dedicated HMI of your own flavor, inexpensively. A four-screen, conveyor-monitoring system uses an $8,000 dedicated HMIdont forget the cost of development. Using VB and a touchscreen computer, this application would cost less than $3,000. The applications running on this HMI could be the application itself, or it could be running remote desktop protocol (RDP) or a browser to access the server-based VB applications that youve written. You can selectively run from the server or locally, thus giving you a measure of redundancy. One issue with running an application from a server is deciding when to maintain the server. Many IT guys talk about clusteringto take one server down, perform upgrades and then bring the server back up. Depending on the application, you might need to do this. Having a realcontroldesign.com
time backup is important. The user has to be logged out in order to be upgraded. I have written most of my HMI solutions in VB for more than eight years. You also can use common standards and APIs without restriction. Runtimes are free when you use VB. Distribute the application to as many devices as you want. The under-the-hood stuff will take a little time and talent to develop, but once you are onto it, you can do most of the basic HMI functions very quickly. A thin client environment allows development of a rich application suite for your users. In two hours, you can write a small application to upload the timer presets from three PLCs, store them in a file and allow users to open them in Excel. They could change the data, and your application could detect the change and then reload them back down to the PLCs. Quick and easy, and the operator/user doesnt need a copy of any programming software to make those changes. The applications do not have to be big and bulky. Download free software from Microsoft to get started. Using SQL databases, graphics screens and
Jeremy Pollard, CET
jpollard@tsuonline.com
thin client and a TS environment A really allow for the development of a rich application suite for your users.
operator interaction is only a few clicks away. However, you have to become proficient in error handling on your own. You also will have to create your own scan list or addresses with variable names for your application to use. I use the PLC code and symbols to create a configuration file and import it. No sense putting in data twice. We also might want to get the IT group involved if it isnt too much trouble. Server-based solutions are what theyre used to. They can help. A server-based solution might not be the way for you. With all the benefits, there are drawbacks, and our own knowledge level could be one of them. If you dont want to venture into this arena, there are options. Tune in next month.
jeRemY POLLARD has been writing about technology and software issues for many years. Publisher of The Software User Online, he has been involved in control system programming and training for more than 25 years.
seems that its the only consideration. A machine OEMs customers need fast delivery for a variety of reasons. Our customers might have contractual obligations that put a lot of pressure to get equipment in place and in production, notes Kleeman. In other cases, the customer has calculated a payback for the investment and is anxious to start the clock. Spartanics builds machines for the printing and converting industry ranging from standard counting equipment and press-feeding equipment to full-custom, laser-cutting systems. They are faced with a common OEM machine and robot builder problemorders are off, and, when they do come in, customers want the machine right now. Likewise, Owens Design (www.owensdesign.com) in Fremont, California, builds automated manufacturing equipment for the semiconductor, hard-disk drive and solar industries. The company designs 12-15 systems a year, most of which require short delivery times. Bob Fung, director of engineering at Owens doesnt quibble when it comes to fast deliveries. Were not willing to commit to schedules we dont believe are achievable, and weve lost programs because of this, points out Fung. In a number of cases, the customer selected a supplier because of lead time and came back to us much later since the machine that was delivered on time didnt work months later.
elivery time is always important, says Tom Kleeman, CEO at machine builder Spartanics (www.spartanics. com) in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. On occasions, it
Fast Delivery Is a Competitive Edge

NC Electronics (www.omniturn.com), a builder of Omniturn CNC machines in Port Orford, Oregon, achieves quicker builds by modifying its basic machine to meet custom requirements. We build to a certain point and leave flexibility for quick customization, says CEO George Welch. This keeps the cost down. We also try to use off-theshelf automation from prior projects.
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AEMK Systems (www.aemksystems.com) in Waterloo, Canada, does the same. AEMK specializes in highspeed, vision-based robotics systems for applications in assembly and packaging. Our DeltaBot technology was designed specifically with short lead times in mind, notes Rick de Jong, AEMKs general manager. Our ability to minimize mechanical components, maximize resources due to inherent design features and provide the correct talent in the indirect labor segment greatly accelerates build time. However, if you cant modify existing machines or arent lucky enough to have no competition in your market, then you have to build on deadline and compete against other machine OEMs. In todays business climate, quick delivery is important, not necessarily to get higher payment for the product, but simply to land the order, adds Welch. Delivery lead time is often a significant factor in selecting a company to build a material-handling system, says Jeff Hanna, director of control and software development for Intelligrated (www.intelligrated.com) in Mason, Ohio. Its not always clear that well receive a premium for fast delivery, but its often a critical element in deciding who will get the order, he states. In systems that do not offer unique material handling features or software differentiation, lead time will be an especially important factor. AEMK Systems has a slightly different take. It is possible that customers will pay more when market demand outweighs supply in a specific robotic category, observes de Jong. But if you cant meet
delivery times, then customers will desert you. In our current economic climate, available supplies are still greater than demand, and buying decisions are less likely to be made on delivery times and more on price and technical performance.
Short Lead Times Increase Risk

When building a custom machine for fast delivery, something often has to give, such as features, testing or quality. And it usually costs more to build fast. We often have to write software with incomplete or not fully tested hardware, notes Fung. Material is selected to minimize design, build, integration and test timesometimes at a much higher cost. De Jong adds, In general it costs more to cut time to market because you need to increase resources to meet shorter deliveries. Additional costs can be quantified in increased labor rates due to overtime pay, additional outsourcing due to inadequate labor resources and potential increases in supply-chain cost to accelerate deliveries of raw components. Even if you can charge your customer a premium, it might not be worth it. The larger factor could be risk, explains Hanna. Despite the product strategy and type of sophisticated tools we use, the time to test the systems often is reduced to meet schedules. Added costs can be quantified, but the risk is much harder to quantify. Another problem is servicing the machine afterward. If the machine is a one-off custom solution, quick project turnaround could mean that were in a weaker position when field support is required, explains Spartanics Kleeman. Some of this is unavoidable. If we have limited time to build and test a system, then 12 or 18 months later, its more difficult to diagnose a problem. It might seem obvious, but reusing components and assemblies has great benefit. The particular pile of blocks might be unique, but if youve seen and used each individual block before, then you and your customer are in a much better position.
by Dan Hebert, PE, senior technical editor
Automation to the Rescue

Using modern, off-the-shelf automation instead of custom controls is one way to deal with fast delivery. For example, Owens Design built a photovoltaic (PV) process tool that separates fragile PV cells and sorts and places them into custom carriers for the next operation. The machine included 30 servo motors, 15 dc motors, 22 pneumatic actuators, five smart cameras and more than 200 I/O points. A startup solar manufacturing company ordered the machine and wanted it fast. The manufacturer successfully demonstrated its process manually and needed an automation system to quickly ramp up. Fung says Owens Design went with off-the-shelf automationa Mitsubishi Q series PLC, a PC running Windows XP, Ethernet communications, smart cameras and 30 servo amplifiers daisy-chained on fiberoptic cable to eliminate complex wiring harnesses. The mechanical system was designed using Autodesk Inventor 3D modeling software, and the electrical
design was created with AutoCAD Electrical, which provided automated reports, such as bill of materials and from/to wire lists to save time and errors. Owens completed the prototype in 18 weeks, and the fully automated tool now produces more than 5,000 parts per hour. Jerry Wierciszewski, owner of system integrator Wierciszewski Controls (www.wcontrols.embarqspace.com) in Annandale, New Jersey, also used off-the-shelf controls for a custom job. Wierciszewski updated a medical packaging machine and had to modify more than 50% of the previous vision inspection system. Wierciszewski selected a Beckhoff Automation panel PC to handle all automation, motion control, SQL database and HMI functions (Figure 1). He networked the systems I/O via Ethernet TCP/IP using bus couplers. Additional I/O was used for relay outputs, motor starters on the conveyor and solenoids. In the past, we were using separate analog outputs, thermocouple inputs and heating control units from various vendors,
Faster delivery can provide a competitive edge, but only if its accompanied by highquality and reliable machines.
STANDARD CONTROLs SPEED MAcHINE DELIVERY

Saber Engineering (www.sabereng.com) in Auburn, California, builds materialhandling workcells that use a variety of robotics, servos, PLCs, SCADA/HMI and vision systems to perform automated tasks. Its robotic wafer transport station loads, inspects and tracks glass wafers into pallets for amorphous silicon deposition. The transport station uses industry-standard PLC and SCADA packages to speed time to market. Saber needs to build high-quality machines fast to maintain a competitive edge. Cutting time to market means overtime on the design, modied component selection and expedited fees for equipment, says Bob Sullivan, vice president at Saber. It generally costs 15-25% more to expedite a schedule by 10%-15%. Most customers will pay for an expedited schedule. Using standardized equipment, components and software that are off-the-shelf helps reduce expediting costs, and that means more prot. With a reduced build time, selecting a common platform that is wellunderstood is the best choice, continues Sullivan. This reduces the spin-up time needed to become familiar with a new product, he states. Equipment delivery time is also a key factor to automation system component selection. Many times you need the equipment yesterday. Saber developed coding and graphical standards using Schneider Electrics (www.schneider-electric.com) SCADA/HMI and PLC products. This allows reuse of existing proven code and graphics, cutting development, testing and deployment time. We try to use more all-inclusive automation packages that have many of the functions and features required by our customers, says Sullivan. This cuts development time and ultimately time to market.
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SABER ENGINEERING
controldesign.com
Even with all of my experience in the industry, AutomationXchange provided opportunities for me to nd solutions to advance my machines that I was not aware of before. Dr. Thomas Pool Manager of Electrical Engineering KLIKLOK-WOODMAN
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SOLUTION PROVIDER PROFILE

AutomationXchange 2010 features Murrelektronik, a provider of control, measuring and monitoring solutions for machines, installations and production lines. From control cabinets and interfaces to simple passive distribution and exible bus systems, Murrelektroniks diversied line includes technologies for complex automated industrial systems and network protocols, including eldbus technologies and machine connectivity for valves and sensors. www.murrelektronik.com
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For more information on attending AutomationXchange, contact Andy Wuebben, Executive Director, at 952.224.7640
he notes. The 250+ count assortment of Beckhoffs I/O terminals covered these functions in one compact I/O system. From concept to finished machine, the tray erector took about four months. The accumulation table was even faster, and both new machines were programmed fully in just four days.
WIERCISZEWSKI CONTROLS
Supplier Solutions
Many vendors understand the problems machine builders face with fast delivery requirements and offer various methods to help.
COTS CooRDINAtEs I/O

Figure 1: System integrator Wierciszewski Controls used off-the-shelf PC-based controls to update this custom medical device packaging machine. From concept to nished machine, the tray erector took about four months. The accumulation table was faster, taking just two months to design and build. Both new machines were programmed in four days.
Autodesk advocates coordinating all of the elements of the automation system in one digital model called a digital prototype, says Seth Hindman, industry solution manager at Autodesk (www. autodesk.com). This enables
OEM Pressure Instrumentation
information about automation system components to be communicated to all teams involved in the design automatically, removing traditional communication barriers, he maintains. Machine builders know that redesigning the control system takes time, so they tend to use it as long as possible. Normally, changing automation systems increases lead times and technical risks, explains Marcus Schick, industry business development manager for Siemens Industry (www.siemens. com). When an end user forces OEMs to reduce build times, this further increases the technical risks, as there is less time to engineer and troubleshoot all the hardware and software changes. Once designed, a machine still has to be built. The delivery time for the electrical components on a machine or robot is becoming a more important part of overall
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OEM TRANSMITTERS - ASIC BASED Full Scale Pressure Ranges up to 15,000 psi Low Total Error Band Performance Over Temperature - 0.3% FS from 0...50C Several Mechanical and Electrical Congurations Outstanding EMI Resistance Low Power Consumption
OEM TRANSMITTERS - MICROPROCESSOR BASED Standard RS485 MODBUS Compatible + User Scalable Analog Outputs Superior Total Error Band Accuracy - <0.1% FS from -10...80C Application-specic Mechanical Desgins are Available 200 Hz Refresh Rate for Rapid Response Low Power Consumption
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UPDATING CONTROLS SAVES TIME AND MONEY

Hycorr Machine (www.hycorr.com), a Kalamazoo, Michigan-based builder of corrugated-box-making machinery, wanted to improve the control system on its line of rotary die-cutters. A typical rotary die-cutter has four print stations, a dwell section and a die-cut section. The servo system and the total controls package needed upgrading with newer technology, says Fred Harrison, president of Hycorr Machine. Weve been building servo-driven rotary die-cutters for more than 10 years. We wanted a new system for a series of machines being built for new customers. Hycorr wanted a totally new system that would reduce servo drive system and related energy costs and integrate the PLC and HMI functions. By using servo drives and a motion controller with PLC functionality, Hycorr reduced its costs in both hardware and engineering time. They also cut the operating energy costs associated with these typically power-hungry machines. Overall, the assembly time savings for Hycorr was calculated to be approximately 50%. Perhaps more important was the reduction in build time. Working under a tight deadline, the rst rotary die-cutter was built and commissioned at the end users plant. Shortly thereafter, the second machine for another Hycorr customer was built on a production schedule Harrison calls a rst for the company based on its speed. The improvement in engineering, production and assembly time largely resulted from the Simotion Shaftless Standard, a free software solution from Siemens, which outlines a programming structure and provides a library of function including a motion task for each axis specic to the tasks of line-shaft replacement. This tool enabled Hycorr engineers to do a much more modular implementation of components, and it saved time interfacing the overall motion system to the controls architecture. By this process, Hycorr saved approximately 80% of its engineering time on the rst machine build. The entire engineering le for the rst machine was loaded from a single Compact Flash drive and, with minimal debugging, the engineering on the second machine was quickly completed.
Our superior process control instrumentation always shows its true colors.
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27
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build time as the degree of automation on such equipment increases, says Robert Muehlfellner, director of automation technology at B&R Industrial Automation (www.br-automation.com). Several technologies have come to market that speed delivery time, including plug-and-play motors and drives, IP67 remote I/O, I/O systems with separate quick-connect terminal blocks and auto-tuning for drives and temperature controllers. Rather than build sequentially meaning build it mechanically, then wire it and then test the control systemthis can be more of a parallel process, adds Muehlfellner. Testing the automation system in a virtual simulation environment is one way to cut build time, as the majority of the bugs in the code can be corrected before the machine is built, he says. Chris Radley, senior product line manager at Kollmorgen (www.kollmorgen.com), says a machine builder needs a reduced development time and ease of integra-
tion. Software that takes advantage of industry standards such as IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen means machine builders can learn concepts one time for applications across different platforms, says Radley. Integrated development environments that combine machine programming, motion programming and setup of key hardware elements such as drives, I/O and HMI functions into a single environment save time by eliminating the need to open multiple programs and transfer information between them. PLCs play their part in speeding time to market, and, to make life easier, you might want a wide-ranging product family. Scalable control platforms give customers options to match processing performance to machine requirements, explains Jeremy Valentine, product marketing lead for interface cabling at Phoenix Contact (www.phoenixcon.com). Scalable control systems range from small programmable relays to high-end PC-based control systems. You also can decide to switch to industrial PCs. For machine OEMs, managing fewer parts can be a powerful way to reduce lead times, observes Graham Harris, president of Beckhoff Automation (www.beckhoffautomation.com). This is one of the reasons why PC-based control is becoming more popular as systems with a multitasking, centralized PC need far fewer hardware components to automate the machine.
Testing the automation system in a virtual simulation environment is one way to cut build time, as the majority of the bugs in the code can be corrected before the machine is built.
COMPETITIVE EDGE
You arent lucky enough to have no competition, so building custom machines on deadline and offering quick delivery is critical to getting the order. Which of the practices described in this article have the most value to you? Tell us at www.ControlDesign.com/quickdelivery.
OI With Calculator Cards a Hole in One

Deep-Hole-Drilling Machine Builder Has a New Look With PC-Based Controls
by Darrell Fiegenbaum, Kays Engineering
THE NEED tO drill straight and true holes is a staple

of manufacturing. Ever since since the production of handguns and rifles began, the precision benchmark has been set high for deep hole drilling. Even today, these systems are called gun drills because of their origins gun and rifle manufacturing was one of the first applications to require ultra-high drill precision. Yet, this drill technology has moved into many other industries, such as automotive, aerospace and medicalbasically, any application that requires precision holes. Kays Engineering is a provider of high-precision, deep-hole drilling systems. With customers located in North America and around the world, Kays Engitechnology to meet the extremely high-precision requirements and diverse drilling needs of its increasingly international customer base. We manufacture two well-established deep hole drilling systemsthe Eldorado and DeHoff machine families. The main difference between the DeHoff and Eldorado lines is drill size. The Eldorado line is the smaller of the two, with drill diameters up to -in. The DeHoffs drill sizes have a much larger range. In contrast to Eldorado, DeHoff tightly incorporates control of the coolant system, fixturing system, automation system and many other optional components into the machine control, according to specifications required by the customer. In recent years, the Eldorado machine has been widely adopted in the medical field. These machines are used to drill holes in bone screws and other medical replacement parts. The DeHoff machines tend to be the machine of choice for gun-barrel manufacturing, engine part design and manufacturing, or in a cell of machines as part of metal extrusion processes. A major competitive differentiator with DeHoff machines is the use of flat-ground ways rather than linear guide ways. This provides stability and helps minimize vibration in the drilling process, which could otherwise cause many quality problems in the finished product. DeHoff machines also offer a range of spindle speeds to provide drilling flexibility. The primary customer requirement for our machines is that they be highly adaptable and flexible to every unique application. While Kays offers a job shop-oriented and standardized machine with the Eldorado line, the DeHoff line of drills is often subject to requests for customization, says Brandon Snell, controls engineer, Kays Engineering. Usually our customers already have finished the design and dimensions of their parts that are to be drilled. We must be totally flexible to adapt our machines to faultlessly drill parts that have nearly limitless variance in shape and size. The DeHoff gun-drill line has
30 Control Design June 2010 controldesign.com
KAYS ENGINEERING
neering must remain at the forefront of automation
SWInG Your Interface

Figure 1: The full-color control panel is an IP65-rated display and can be mounted on the machine via pedestal or a swingarm mounting conguration.
PUT ON YOUR FACE

Visualization software thats integrated with the control software allows Kays Engineering to customize the operator interface without worrying about the software elements functioning together. How important is a custom OI? Interface with us at ControlDesign.com/customoi.
OPER ATOR INTERFACE
standard elements such as the servo drives, motors and other standard motion components, but the machine is very application-specific.
control libraries, which saves a tremendous amount of programming time. Were able to drop in the standard blocks of code we need. We also have the flexibility to create our own HMI using TwinCat visualization software (Figure 2). This is all tightly integrated with the control software, so theres no worry about having the different software elements function perfectly together.
Ace in the Hole

Kays Engineering recently commitedd to using PCbased programming and control. The major reasons for this choice were programming flexibility, ease of networking and standardized interfaces. Previously, we used PLC-based controls from companies such as Rockwell Automation. However, the ability to have integrated motion control without a full-blown CNC control became very desirable. We compared solutions from different companies, including Rockwell, Beckhoff, Siemens and GE. We concluded that Beckhoffs direct-sale approach, pricing, excellent customer support and international market appeal would give us the competitive edge we were attempting to provide. We selected the CX1010 embedded PC with a 500 MHz Pentium MMX-compatible processor for both the Eldorado and DeHoff machines. This selection gave Kays Engineering flexibility, as well as a standard platform. The CX controllers use EtherCat. Another benefit of the embedded PCs is that they use Compact Flash for boot and memory, says Snell. One of the major benefits of the redesigned machines was the display upgrade and what the design allowed the interface to do. The previous grayscale, low-resolution displays were replaced with full-color 6.5-in. control panels with custom Eldorado logos and 12-in. panels with custom DeHoff logos. These control panels feature numerous function keys and a numeric keypad, adding to the flexibility of the new display. The panels connect to the CX embedded PCs via DVI/USB. The 6.5 in. panel is an IP65-rated display that does not require a control panel enclosure. It can be mounted directly to machines via a pedestal or swing-arm mounting configuration with all peripheral cables concealed and routed through the mounting tubes (Figure 1). The CX1010 runs TwinCat NC PTP software giving Kays Engineering integrated motion control functionality. The ease of use and configuration of the CX embedded PCs and TwinCat reduce our troubleshooting time, explains Snell. TwinCat also has built-in motion
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We must be totally flexible to adapt our machines to faultlessly drill these parts that have nearly limitless variance in shape and size.
Calculated Interface
The ability to choose structured text with the Beckhoff system has greatly streamlined our programming. While we still can use ladder logic, were not restricted to it, and can program in all the IEC 61131-3 languages, says Snell. That one line
of code can handle an entire complex equation really helped out. In the past, there were occasions when I had to code averaging calculations in ladder. Having addition in one rung and division in the next, and then storing it in another rung isnt as easy as typing out the formula that I know. The system we created includes a drilling parameters calculator that lets operators simply enter data on the material to be drilled, along with the required hole diameter. The system automatically generates the appropriate start-
BUILD IT YOURSELF
Figure 2: Visualization software, which is integrated with the control software, gives Kays the exibility to create its own HMI, with no concern about software elements functioning together properly.
KAYS ENGINEERING
OPER ATOR INTERFACE
ing point for the feed rate and spindle speed for the materials to be drilled (Figure 3). Job shop-oriented companies benefit most from the calculator. It makes it simpler to switch parts that are being drilled by saving the operator time on making the calculations needed to determine the best starting place for the feed rate and spindle speed. It is also very useful for customers just now getting into the deep-hole-drilling business because an operator can run a machine without a lot of those customers of ours who have been making the calculations by hand for years have been using it to check their numbers, and make it easy for them to load these parameters into the machine. Program storage and file saving has become much simpler with our new PC-based control system, says Snell.
KAYS ENGINEERING
previous knowledge about deep-hole drilling. Even
BY THE NUMBERS
Figure 3: A drilling parameters calculator lets operators enter data on the hole diameter and the material to be drilled and then generates the appropriate feed rate and spindle speed.
Drill for Details

Overall, the new Eldorado and DeHoff control systems have become more economical than the previous systems. In addition to the higher performance, energy use has been reduced by using more efficient servo drives. Today, theres a more compact motor controlling the gun drills axis slide that can generate the same level of torque as the larger motor in our previous system, says Snell. And the improved flexibility and efficiency didnt come with an increased cost. We saw a dramatic controls cost optimization with the DeHoff machine. The new control system with the CX1010 costs 50% less than the previous traditional PLC-based system, says Snell. On the improved entry-level Eldorado machines, the new control system permits slightly scaled-down PC-based hardware, but uses the same TwinCat NC PTP control environment. The Eldorado system costs 10% less than the lower-performing system it replaced. The savings did not stop at hardware cost. Using EtherCat and standard Ethernet cabling, we cut two entire work days from the required wiring time of our Eldorado and DeHoff control cabinets, says Snell. Customer reception for the new Eldorado and DeHoff machines has been equally positive and highly encouraging. As a result of the strong feedback for these redesigned machines, at least 90% of the Eldorado and DeHoff machines will be fully equipped this way going forward, adds Snell.
In addition, Kays Engineering has by no means reached the end of its PC-based control evolution. Over the past year, weve continued our push toward standards and ease of use for both our electricians and our customers maintenance personnel. One major change was using an EtherCat connection to the VFD for the DeHoff machines. This allows configuration and commands to be sent to the VFD without needing the additional Modbus/TCP library. Were also currently researching the possibility of an EtherCat-connected linear scale. This should help control the noise and simplify wiring. It also puts the conversion of signals directly into the scale, which simply provides us with an absolute position and rate of change. This simplifies programming, as well. The CX1020 and CX1030 embedded PCs provide even higher performance options and room to grow when we decide to add more axes of motion and further enhance the system features of the deep-hole drilling systems. We have the ability to simply scale up to the next controller in the CX family, explains Snell. Most of the existing programming and control design will remain the same for each new machine variant. Weve optimized our machine design flexibility today and well into the future.
DARRELL FIEGENBAUM is controls engineer at Kays Engineering (www.kays-dehoff.com) in Marshall, Missouri.
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While we still can use ladder logic, we are not restricted to it and can program in all the IEC 61131-3 languages.
Global Regulations Improve Cable

TECHFLASH
THE ELECtRICAL CHARACtERIStICS for cable
must meet or exceed performance standards set by a variety of organizations, including TIA/EIA and ISO/IEC, and Ethernet applications defined by IEEE, as well as safety codes by NEC and NFPA. Increased regulatory requirements rarely improve performance, but for wire and cable, innovation comes in very small lengths. With the changes to the NEC in the past 10 years, protective conduit or raceway is no longer required when running an exposed-run (ER) cable from the tray to the equipment or device, explains John Gavilanes, director of engineering, Lapp USA (www.lappusa.com). With the allowance of unlimited length, per NEC Article 336, theres a greater area of cable that is now susceptible to the exposure conditions in the industrial environment after installation. Tests are done to evaluate performance under crushing conditions of 1,000 or 2,500 lb and an impact force of 10 or 50 lb. To determine flammability, the typical flame test standard is the CSA FT4, where cables are loaded vertically in a tray and subjected to intense flame and heat conditions. When exposed to real-world conditions, cables can begin to deteriorate, split or crack, creating a potentially hazardous condition along with the potential for machine and production downtime. Under NFPA 79, the Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery, machine-tool wire (MTW) is one of the permitted types of cable, explains Gavilanes. Under the standard for MTW, UL 1063, oil resistance is mandated, as compliance to the Oil Res I test is required, and further severe testing such as the Oil Res II is optional, he says. Environmental resistance tests such as those per UL standards were implemented to standardize oil resistance requirements of cables used to build industrial machinery worldwide. Global awareness of environmental issues also affected cable manufacture. For several years manufacturers have been removing things from the products to make them more environmentally friendly, says Eric Bulington, chief engineer, U.S. Wire & Cable, Anixter Intl (www.anixter.com). In many cases, theyve moved to higher-performing compounds to meet the same requirements without environmentally hazardous materials.
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Unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable uses metallic conductors twisted in pairs to minimize electromagnetic interference, known as crosstalk, resulting from adjacent wire pairs and external noise sources, says Carol Everett Oliver, marketing analyst at Berk-Tek (www.nexans.us). A greater number of twists/ft increases noise immunity. Brian Shuman, RCDD, senior product development engineer, Belden (www.belden.com), adds, Weve seen the transmission capabilities of Ethernet cable more than quadruple. Impedance stability and reduced pair-to-pair coupling, or crosstalk, have been achieved beyond 500 MHz on unshielded, twisted-pair cables. While demand created the need for enhanced cable, improved manufacturing technology made it a reality. Impedance and resistance are factors that can affect a cables characteristics, such as attenuation. Attenuation is the measurement of signal loss from one end to the other, explains Oliver. The more attenuation there is, the poorer the signal will be at the receiver. Attenuation is a problem with UTP cable due to the cables inher-
Mike Bacidore
mbacidore@putman.net
While demand created the need for enhanced cable, improved manufacturing technology made it a reality.
ent lack of uniformity caused by differences in twist tension and rate, bends in the cable and other inconsistencies that could occur in manufacturing. UTP cable must follow precise specifications governing how many twists or braids are permitted per meter of cable. While laser measurement and other production quality-detection devices have allowed increased wire and cable performance, the major improvements have been made in the control technology of the equipment manufacture, says Lou Garriga, senior director, industrial business, Northwire (www.northwire.com). One example of these control technology advances would be gearless braiders, which operate with PLC control, he says. They are capable of preserving electrical performance by managing physical needs through tension control. Though the braiders are set up and run the same, the PLC control allows for a broader use of existing equipment.
Vision Makes a Comeback

PRODUCT ROUNDUP
In Contrast to 2009, OEMs Are Ready to See the Light Again
ADOPTION OF global standards for camera interfaces will give builders cost and time savings, says Ben Dawson, director of strategic development, Dalsa (www.dalsa.com). Low-cost smart cameras will get smarter, faster and easier to use, so they will be an inexpensive and easy way for builders to solve routine vision problems such as part location or gauging. Label inspection, whether to confirm label presence and position or to monitor label information, is a rapidly growing application in the vision system market, explains Gary Kocken, national sales manager at PPT Vision (www.pptvision.com). Labels and direct part marks (DPMs) are used in a wide array of industries from pharmaceutical and consumer goods to automotive and electronics, he says. As traceability increasingly becomes a critical strategy in all of these markets, proper label content is essential. Recent advances in LED technology, including substantial increases in power and brightness, have enhanced the effectiveness of vision lighting, says Dan Holste, director of vision products at Banner Engineering (www.bannerengineering.com). In a vision application, the user must establish optimal contrast between the target object and its background to ensure reliable, repeatable detection, so a more-effective lighting solution leads to a more accurate vision inspection, he says. In 2010, traditional markets have loosened the purse strings and now look to solve
vision problems by driving down the cost of the solution, says Francois Bertrand, vice president sales and marketing, Matrox Imaging (www.matrox.com/imaging). We see pent-up demand for machine vision from the Asian semiconductor market, including wafer fabrication, electronic packaging, LCD and LED lighting. This demand comes from factories as well as from equipment makers based in Asia or that have relocated to Asia. In North America and Europe, we note a strong demand for our products in the packaging industry.
MULTI-VISION
Multi-purpose VOS300 vision series combines a camera, illumination, digital outputs, process data and five evaluation methods in a single sensor housing. It provides a 100 mm sensing range when using
cdroundup@putman.net
EXPANDED VISION
Machine vision capabilities are available with CompactRIO and Single-Board RIO hardware devices. To acquire images, NI vision acquisition software has expanded to support Internet Protocol (IP) cameras, including internal illumination and a 500 mm sensing range when using external illumination, with 640 x 480 resolution. VOS300 vision sensors are configured via Ethernet using VOS3-Config software, and operate without a PC during automatic operation.
Pepperl+Fuchs; 330/486-0001; www.am.pepperl-fuchs.com
SMART VISION
Iris GT smart camera comes pre-installed with Windows XP Embedded. The cameras those from Basler Vision Technologies. To process images, engineers now can program and deploy image processing libraries to CompactRIO and Single-Board RIO deployment targets with LabView 2009 graphical system design using the Vision Development Module 2009 software.
National Instruments; 800/258-7022; www.ni.com
controldesign.com
offer a dust-proof, immersionresistant and rugged construc-
Small systems can now
tion. A choice of image sensors combined with an Intel Atom embedded processor makes the cameras suitable for a variety of machine-vision applications. Designed for deployment in custom applications, Iris GT has a PC-like development environment.
Matrox Imaging; 800/804-6243; www.matrox.com/imaging
Get more performance out of your small process machines with an incredibly priced, full-feature Nano PLC !
ACT BIG !
mm 3 form factor is designed for tight-fit machine applications, and a IP67-rated housing permits the camera to be deployed in harsh, washdown
ZFX ID
ZFX-CD vision sensors with ID verification capabilities read linear barcodes and two-dimensional bar codes. One- and two-camera models are available, and the vision sensors
environments.
Dalsa; 514/333-1301; www.dalsa.com
NINE TOOLS
Datasensor SVS vision sensors have a frame rate of 60 fps (60 images/sec), Ethernet communication, a teach button, 640x480 pixel resolution and nine inspection tools, including pattern match, positioning
on IE6, Firefox or Safari on iPhones
Nano-10
$129
The world's most powerful Nano-class PLC
provide real-time images on a built-in LCD touchscreen panel that enables setup, commissioning and production run changeover. The ZFX-CD models add 1D and 2D codereading tools to the existing ZFX inspection tools.
Omron Industrial Automation; 866/88-omron; www.omron247.com
combines unbelievable capability and cool AJAX Internet technology. Designed to be Internet-savvy, it allows users to easily create their own web page from which they can control their equipment without writing a single line of Internet program.
10/100 Mbps User-customizable to control I/O and data Max. 5 clients and 1 server RTU, ASCII & Native RS485 / Modbus 1 2 12-bit, 0-5 V Analog Inputs 4 24V NPN Digital Inputs Quadrature, up to 10 KHz High Speed Ctrs 2 Pulse Measure Freq, period or width 4 Interrupts 4 Rising, Falling or both edges 4 2x NPN, 2x Relays (5A) Digital Outputs Pulse/Direction <= 10K pps Stepper Motor 1 PWM Control 2 0.01% res. 50Hz to 50 KHz Battery-backed RTC Yes Optional FRAM-RTC Program Memory 8K Flash. Expand to 16K FRAM Data 11K Optional FRAM- RTC ETHERNET Web Pages Emails Modbus / TCP
1 Yes Yes Yes
Features
Qty
Remarks
verification, edge count, contrast comparison, 360 pattern match, contour match, width comparison, brightness check and character verifica-
SMART AND SMALL

BOA smart camera with iNspect Express software interface let users prototype and deploy solutions, and it is available with a fully featured emulator for off-line application development and debugging. The cameras 44
controldesign.com
tion. The smart vision sensors are available in two product lines. SVS1 models provide setup via handheld configurator, and SVS2 models can be connected to a PC and offer multiple controls.
IDEC; 800/262-idec; www.idec-ds.com
Triangle Research Intl, Inc.

www.tri-plc.com/cd.htm 1 877 TRI-PLCS
Another
TR i LOG I PLC
by
PRODUCT ROUNDUP
GIDDY FOR GIgE

TXG cameras with PoE over Cat. 6 Ethernet cable, up to 100m, eliminates the need for a separate power cable. Frame rates to 90 frames/sec provide resolu-
MorE, MorE, MorE

Find more machine vision systems and component information from suppliers such as Banner Engineering, Cognex, Pleora, and Sick at www.ControlDesign.com/roundupsarchive.
expansion units to either side of the base controller creates a solution without added PLC
OPeN SOURCe LIBRaRY

Open source program library OpenCV is adapted for VC smart cameras to increase their application range and includes many algorithms
tions from VGA to 5 megapixel. Standard functions include gain, offset and exposure time. A generic programming interface facilitates integration into an application, and SDK software provides camera control and development.
Baumer; 800/937-9336; www.baumergroup.com
programming or wiring. New algorithms detect foreign objects or burrs on irregularly shaped profiles and filter out glare or enabling movement detection, facial recognition, object tracking, contour processing and image segmentation.
Vision Components; 603/598-2588; www.vision-components.com
FAST HIGH-DEF
CV-5000 vision system has a 5-megapixel camera for transferring ultra-high-definition images in 61.2 msec. Connecting extra lighting controllers or camera
background noise. The controllers have built-in statistical functions that let the user view the inspection results in real-time.
Keyence; 888/539-3623, x70703; www.keyence.com/cv5
CLASSIFIED
EQuipmEnt
ADVERTISE?
Contact: Polly Dickson pdickson@putman.net 630-467-1300 ext.396
LOOKING to
36
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Can PLCs Versatility Be Replaced?

reaL answers
WE USE A micro PLC to control our metal-cutting
machines with good results. When customers see that we use a PLC, they want to specify brand, causing us multiple headaches in design, programming and after-sales support. Theres very little variability in the operating parameters from machine to machine, so were actually thinking of switching to a preprogrammed relay that would be set up and delivered by the vendor ready to go with its own part number. If a machine needed something a little different, we would order it preprogrammed accordingly. Are we mortgaging future versatility for fewer headaches right now?
from April 10 CONTROL DESIGN
be automatically accomplished during the powerup checkout of the machine before shipment.
PAUL RULAND, product marketing manager, automation systems, Siemens Industry, www.usa.siemens.com/industry
Quantity Over Quality

Feel good about your decision and reduce costs by working with a manufacturer with a depth of both engineering services and manufacturing resources, as well as a willingness to work with you to design and develop a specific engineered solution. Volume is the first consideration. If this is a high-volume opportunity, your experienced supplier is more likely to absorb the added cost of special handling and help you and your customers get a winning custom solution that is both scalable and cost-effective. On the other hand, if the purchased quantities are small or the number of variations large, the efficiencies gained by scale are lost and you could end up with a more costly solution. When you select a manufacturer, it is important to make sure they have the technology that meets your requirements. A smart relay can meet your current needs, while allowing for future versatility. With common hardware and soft-
RealAnswers@putman.net
ANSWERS How Do You Compete?

There is the possibility of mortgaging future versatility when changing a controller platform. This possibility often is application-dependent and influenced by future plans for the machine design. Any decision in controller-platform selection should be market-driven. Consider how you plan to compete against other machine builders in satisfying your customers requirements. If the market youre serving wont require much automation, then a programmable relay is a good migration. If not, then the scalability of a PLC is a better choice. In either case, the decision should consider evaluating a supplier that understands both controller categories. Programmable relays generally do not receive as much customer brand loyalty as PLCs. That can be a significant benefit to the OEM. By having a commodity type of controller, machine builders can reduce engineering costs and software maintenance if they stay with the same programmable relay for all customers and markets. These relays could also offer easier program loading, program protection and configurable access through a built-in keypad and LCD for basic end-user maintenance. For example, our industry-original programmable relay includes know-how-protect technology with a variety of memory cartridge choices, enabling program loading and configurable protection on power-up. This could alleviate the additional cost for part number customization and vendor pre-loaded software because this can
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AUGUsTS PROBLEM
FOr OUr CUSTOM process skids we have to provide precise measurement of pressure, temperature and ow. To this point weve not used multivariable transmitters, mostly because of our parts-stocking responsibility for our installed customer base. Are there any practical reasons why we shouldnt switch? Cost, wiring and time all seem to favor a multivariable approach for new builds. The vendors we talked to suggest were dumb not to switch. SEND US YOUR COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS OR SOLUTIONS FOR THIS PROBLEM. Well include it in the August 10 issue, and post it on ControlDesign.com. Send visuals if youd likea sketch is ne. Email us at RealAnswers@putman. net. Please include your company, location and title in the response. HAVE A PROBLEM YOUD LIKE TO POSE to the readers? Send it along, too.
37
REAL ANSWERS
ware platforms, an off-the-shelf smart relay has implementation flexibility for custom applicationslimiting headaches and costs for everyone involved. Working with your suppliers technical services, an intelligent relay can be programmed for standard applications and saved to a memory module. This memory module can be used to quickly and easily configure each intelligent relay during commissioning. Changes can be made to the configuration/program of the intelligent relay and saved to other memory modules for unique applications. By taking this approach, a library of possible solutions can be developed for a spectrum of requirements; you can specify individual, customized solutions as you need them.
MICHAEL FOLEY, product manager, programmable logic products, Eaton, www.eaton.com
process. This will provide valuable statistics that could help justify the costs or risk involved. What is the impact on lead time and costs for the preprogrammed devices? The costs and lead time might increase as a result of preprogramming. Understanding how this could impact you will let you determine the amount of variability you can offer. How much involvement would you like to retain? The amount of technical knowledge and support that you pass along to your vendor might leave you with limited expertise in the future. When minor modifications are needed, your involvement could be necessary to help avoid many other unforeseen headaches. There might be many other questions to consider when determining what the costs and benefits are for procuring a preprogrammed relay instead of internally developing the programs. A well-developed plan will hopefully alleviate your headaches, not cause more of them.
DAN ZARNICk, design engineer, c3controls, www.c3controls.com
Enter the Gateway

It can be frustrating when a customer attempts to get you to switch to a specific PLC when they see what you currently use in your system. However, going from the functionality of a PLC to a programmable relay seems like a step back in time. Most programmable relays have very simple programming capabilities and limited retentive memory available. If you are accustomed to using a PLC, you could be very disappointed in what you actually get with a relay. Perhaps a better solution would be to use a programmable gateway product that is not a fullblown PLC, but gives you the flexibility to grow and expand as you need to. This solution gives you an alternative to the PLC situation, without giving up functionality, and it could be purchased as a preprogrammed unit.
KARIE DAUdT, senior product manager, Turck, www.turck.com
The Other Side of the Control

I was one of those pesky specifiers, telling OEMs which PLC to use, and for good reason. As a system integrator company, we often wrote the specifications and were the gatekeepers for our clients control platforms. Keeping the cats and dogs to a minimum reduced maintenance costs and made system integration less expensive and far easier. When we diversified and started a custom equipment manufacturing company, I found life as an OEM conflicting. We respected our customer standardsheck, we wrote several of them. The issue was that some of these standards would require using more-expensive and less-capable control platforms when our clients wanted lower cost and greater performance. The correct solution depends on the problem. If there is a performance or capabilities problem with a specified control platform, then be honest and set a reasonable price and reasonable reduced capabilities. They will not like it. The specified hardware provider will probably argue. If it is truly important, then it is worth the premium. The client always can hire someone to convert the system and take over responsibility.
TOm SCHWIETERs, president and CEO, Automation & Control System Solutions, www.acss-inc.com
controldesign.com
Modication and Revision

The decision to change a significant process is not an easy one. When you weigh the cost vs. benefits, you might want to consider the following questions. How much versatility is expected in the future? It might be difficult to predict, but designing a scalable and flexible product is crucial to the product lifecycle and evolution of your products. What is the modification and revision process? When the need does arise to vary the program, it is important to identify and clearly document the
Contemporary HMI Visualization

DURING THE WINdOwS NT, 2000 and XP era,
most HMI/SCADA development software looked much like the Microsoft Office products of the period. Now that Windows 7 and Office 2007 and soon Office 2010are integrated into the market, the industrial marketplace expects visualization capabilities to keep up. In response to that expectation, InduSoft is updating its HMI/SCADA development environment to look like Office 2007 or Office 2010, with a Ribbon interface. Developers used to have to hunt through various menus and dropdowns just to find the tools they needed. The advent of the customizable toolbar helped, but now the Ribbon interface corresponds to how people work within the product. An easier, more intuitive interface means reduced development time and higher productivity. Indusoft Web Studio Version 7.0, currently in beta-test by more than a dozen customers, with an expected launch of July 2010, is the next generation of the companys HMI and SCADA software. Continuing more than 12 years of forward compatibility, Version 7.0 represents a major update to the user interface of our flagship software, says Marcia Gadbois, vice president of business development. The Ribbon interface brings a modern look and feel and reduces the number of steps for many actions, resulting in greater productivity for application developers. Our beta-site test customers tell us they appreciate that we kept tools in familiar, intuitive groupings while we gave the product an updated look. Gadbois says Version 7.0 is fully compatible with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (32and 64-bit), including the new jump list feature in Windows 7. Applications developed with Web Studio also can be deployed on Windows CE and Windows Mobile, including Smartphone, Windows Vista, XP and XP Embedded and Windows Server 2003, she adds. The same development environment creates applications that can be scaled to a wide range of devices. The number of products to learn and maintain is kept to a minimum to allow developers to finish projects and ship machines more quickly. Along with OPC support and more than 200 built-in drivers previously included, Indusoft adds that Version 7.0 provides new or updated drivers for Eaton ELC, Siemens, Opto 22, CAN and BACnet.
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EXCLUSIVE
FOR MORE INfORMATION

Call 512/349-0334, email info@indusoft.com or browse to www.indusoft.com.
Turning raw data into actionable information can improve efficiencies. Key performance indicators (KPIs) and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) are metrics best collected and calculated automatically. Collected data can be stored either locally or remotely in an SQL database, and, if needed, redundancy can be implemented. Data trend presentation in Version 7.0 has been enhanced, states Gadbois. Trends optionally can be area-filled below the pen line to make data easier to understand at a glance and almost effortless to see from a distance, she says. The new trending support includes transparency, text annotations and superimposed graphics. Version 7.0 has online, automatic, multilanguage translation. A single click translates the entire project, says Gadbois. Support for Unicode fonts, including Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic and Japanese, helps to ensure applications can be understood and used in almost any country, since our customers always find new places to sell products and services. They can offer their screens in any local language, and make them easier to understand for those who dont speak English fluently. Version 7.0 also introduces a revamped runtime security system that can share settings among multiple stations to improve system robustness or integrate with Microsoft Active Directory to reduce the burden of network administration.
Fieldbus I/O Module Simplies Wiring

EXCLUSIVE
A KEY ELEMENT in efficient machine design is
minimizing the overall machine footprint as well as the space requirements and complexities for actuator and sensor connectivity. Toward that end, Murrelektronik recently released Impact20, a new fieldbus I/O station for IP20-rated environments that aims to reduce material in control wiring and simplify connections to field products. Introduced to the European market at the April 2010 Hannover Fair in Germany, Impact20 will be available for sale in North America in the third quarter of this year. The new interfaces compact size makes it well-suited for applications in terminal boxes and control panels The module is designed to handle applications with high-density I/O connections such as materials-handling systems and logistics or any other market requiring the use of small I/O control in a small space. The modules are approximately 56 mm wide and 117 mm tall and can hold up to 16 points of I/O, reducing cabinet size and making it ideal for remotely mounted installation on long runs of conveyors or difficult to reach locations. Impact20 is the next step in our development of fieldbus systems that combine the wiring benefits of centralized I/O with decentralized I/O products increasing the efficiencies of our machine builder partners, says Markus Keller, president, Murrelektronik USA. The module provides for 16 input or output signals. As a result, installation requires attaching 18 wires in the field compared to as many as 48 wires from discrete input wiring to sensors or actuators, says Keller. This reduction in wire termination reduces the size of the junction box, eliminates extra terminal strips and reduces the number of wires that need to be passed through the junction box. He says the modules printed circuit board is installed horizontally to minimize height requirements. Keller says a significant design feature of the Impact20 product series is the ability to use the devices in a linear topology. This is accomplished by the incorporation of a network switch that allows for easy transfer of the fieldbus connections in a linear topology, thus increasing the effectiveness of fieldbus proto40 Control Design June 2010

Call 770/497-9292, email 2info@murrinc.com or browse to www.murrinc.com.
cols over long distances, he states. Using the built-in switch allows for continuous connections of other serial bus devices or additional Impact devices without the need for additional drops from a main cabinet or switch. Impact20 aims to connect actuators and sensors in a cost-effective manner. The fieldbus I/O station is strictly oriented to the requirements of modern machine installations and includes predefined inputs and outputs, portrelated shutdown in case of failure and group diagnostics via the bus, says Keller. Additionally, the modules pluggable, spring-clamp terminals feature integrated status LEDs for single-channel diagnostics. Murrelektronik engineers expect machine builders to realize a 30% savings in their wiring efforts with this product. Thats based on the success we have had with our Cube20 product, a similar but more-modular device, and they should expect a 40% savings in space requirements compared to similar products on the market now, states Keller. Impact20 supports CanOpen and DeviceNet fieldbus protocols. The company says that compact modules for ProfiNet, EthernetIP, EtherCat and Profibus are in development. Modules are available as output only (16 outputs total), input only (16 total) or mixed (eight inputs and outputs each).
controldesign.com
Multicolor Status-Indication Alternative

TRADItIONAL StACK LIGHtS work great in
many factory-floor and machine-mount applications. However, there are times when their height can be an issue with limited machine space availability and compact machine footprint designs. Their location sometimes makes them vulnerable to damage and expensive to maintain. Edwards Signaling thinks its new 125XBRi Chameleon LED indicators are an ideal alternative to stack lights and other vertically oriented multicolor machine-status indicators. Due to their compact, 3-in.-high, singlebeacon form factor, these devices are only half the height of our main competitors multi-color status indicator, says Barry Donahoe, general manager of Edwards Signaling. Not only are the ultra-high-output Luxeon Rebel LEDs that power the 125XBRi light engine extra-bright, theyre more efficient, more reliable and longerlasting than other LEDs. These LED multi-status indicators are as eye-catching as xenon strobes, but they reduce high current draw and lower the high operational costs that come with frequent strobe-tube replacement. In addition, LEDs are inherently immune to vibration-related failures that can occur with other light sources. The new 125XBRi indicators offer an extra, patent-pending layer of safety not found in other manufacturers products, claims Donahoe. Customers who have been given a sneak preview of these new devices have been impressed by the brightness and color vibrancy achieved with our high-output XBR Rebel Light Engine, he states. But what I believe customers will find most exciting about these devices is the added layer of protection our Xtra-Safe technology delivers. Donahoe says these devices deliver three different colors from one device to indicate status; (red/amber/green or red/amber/blue). Plus Edwards Signaling added unique color-keyed flash rates that correspond with each color (red: 240 FPM, amber: 120 FPM, green or blue: steadyon). This Xtra-Safe redundant status indication makes it easier for machine operators to differentiate operational status with a greater degree of confidence than with color-based indication alone, adds Donahoe. An estimated 7-10% of the male population has some degree of color vision deficiencyred/green color blindness being the
controldesign.com
EXCLUSIVE

Call 800/336-4206 and select option 2, email signaling. techsupport@fs.utc.com or browse to www.edwardssignaling.com/125XBR.
most commonso this is a safety issue we all need to take very seriously. The durable textured base of the new 125 Class devices are formed from a specially selected glass-reinforced polyester. Available in gray or black, Donahoe says these bases exhibit high strength and stiffness at elevated temperatures with good chemical resistance and dimensional stability. 125XBRi Chameleon indicators can be either conduit- or surface-mounted. A unique doublethreaded (internal/external) integral mounting nipple accommodates in. (19 mm) or in. (13 mm) conduit mounting. The devices are available in 24 Vdc and 120 Vac, are indoor- and outdoorrated, are housed in NEMA Type 4X enclosures and are UL 1638- and cUL-listed. This new multi-status indicator is more chameleonlike than ever, says Donahoe. With its new adaptive design, one device now does it all. A quick and easy change in dip-switch settings converts the indicators for use with or without control from an external PLC, PAC or control relay. Regardless of the application, users will have the right device for the job with only half the inventory. For multi-status indication in Class I, Div. 2-rated hazardous location applications, Edwards Signaling offers the same technology in its new 105XBRi Chameleon indicating devices.
All the Eggs in One Basket

OEM INSIGHT
ALL IS QUIET at a sprawling and highly automated production facility. Production lines are running smoothly. Its a good day. At this facility, PLCs and graphical control stations are distributed everywhere, communicating with each other via an extensive and modern controls network, built on Ethernet, ControlNet and DeviceNet. Production uses this network to remotely monitor and adjust processes. One control room operator can control hundreds of machines located throughout this giant building. Maintenance uses the network to access controllers remotely to troubleshoot and diagnose machine and production line issues. The Ethernet portion of the controls network shares the same commercial-grade network switches and switch-to-switch cables as the business network, but controls-network traffic is isolated from the business-network traffic using VLANs. With this shared configuration, most of the controller-tocontroller communications and controller-to-graphics-station communications are routed through the could not use his graphical control stations to change the behavior or settings of any production machines. The production machines were flying blind, controlled by their local controllers running the existing programs and settings. Humans could stop the machines by using local controls e-stop buttons or switchesbut remote control and setting adjustment was not possible. The electrical-maintenance team used communication software tools on two different computers attached to different parts of the network to troubleshoot the problem, and discovered that all of the controllers on the network appeared unresponsive. This symptom indicated a major network failure, so the information-services team was contacted. The information-services team restored the original network configurations, and the behavior of both networks returned to normal after about one hour. If the situation had persisted any longer, it is highly likely that all production lines would have been manually shut down locally, leading to extensive and costly downtime. Very few highly automated facilities like this are staffed, so operation of machinery via local controls is not easy or fast. The lack of controller-to-controller interlocking signals could have led to some major incidents. For example, if one of the factory effluent pumps had stopped, production machinery would not have automatically stopped, likely leading to effluent overflows and backups. As another example, consider the interlocking with the steam and refrigeration systems. Lack of communication with those supply systems could have led to product quality issues due to improper cooking or improper freezing. This is why we need to physically separate the controls network from the business network, minimize connections between the two networks, and implement tight restrictions on the traffic across those connections. On the new physically separated controls network, ensure that network hardware and software changes are always thoroughly tested and evaluated, preferably in a lab environment, and prior to implementation. Also, consider implementing a redundant network design, such as a ring structure for switch-to-switch communications.
STEVE PERRY is manufacturing engineer at Barber Foods (www.barberfoods.com) in Portland, Maine.
controldesign.com
Steve Perry Steve_Perry@barberfoods.com
inimize the number of connections M between the two networks, and implement tight restrictions on the traffic across those connections.
same Ethernet network switches that service office computers, servers and printers. Problems with the shared network hardware would likely affect the controls network. The information-services team is responsible for maintaining this shared network hardware, but they arent aware of how this hardware forms a critical communication backbone for the controls network. As a result, the information-services team changed the routing configuration on the shared network switches, inadvertently routing all network traffic out through the Internet. Data flow through both networks became very slow, making graphical-control stations and maintenance-troubleshooting stations unresponsive. This also blocked some controller-to-controller communications, which in turn prevented the transmission of automatic interlocking signals between some machines. Upstream machines could not automatically start or stop based on downstream machine status. The control room operator discovered that he
THE NEED FOR SPEED
Need to take command of your control system fast? The Yaskawa Sigma-5 servo amplier with EtherCAT provides for fast and easy transfer of critical data. That's because our unique EtherCAT allows for high-speed deterministic communications between the amplier and host controller. Plus, the EtherCAT bus is designed for use with standard off-the-shelf ethernet hardware making installation simple. Get connected quickly and easily. Call Yaskawa today.
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Weve got what you need to build your control panel, in stock and ready to ship. With direct prices, fast shipping and free tech support, you can count on us for the best value in automation.
MTW, THHN, and TFFN in a variety of colors Wire duct and exible tubing
Portable cord, plugs, connectors
Choose from over 1,600 Hubbell/Wiegmann enclosures across NEMA 1, 3S, 3R, 4, 4X, 6P, 12, 4/12, and 13 ratings, all at prices well below more traditional suppliers.
Signal and sensor terminal blocks and power distribution blocks
CHECK OUT OUR PRICES

AutomationDirect Hoffman
Price/Part Number
Enclosures
NEMA 1 wall mount 24 x 24 x 08 NEMA 12 wall mount 20 x 16 x 08
Hubbell/Wiegmann
Price/Part Number
$158.00 N1C242408LP $214.00

N12201608
$347.70 A-24N24BLP $450.50 A-201608LP $698.40 A24SA2608LP $584.50 A-20H20ALP $1,412.00 A-20H2006SSLP
Hole saws, drill bits, taps, punches
NEMA 12 DISCONNECT wall mount (24 x 25-3/8 x 8) NEMA 4 wall mount 20 x 20 x 06 NEMA 4X wall mount 20 x 20 x 06
$372.00
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$660.00 SSN4202006
*All prices are U.S. published prices. AutomationDirect prices from March 2010 Price List. Hoffman prices are taken from www.hoffmanonline.com 2/1/10 .Prices may vary by dealer. Many other part numbers are available from all vendors.
Universal signal conversion
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For complete information or to order online, visit: www.automationdirect.com/enclosures or www.automationdirect.com/wiring
1-800-633-0405

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