www.controleng.

com

Now you can expect more

from your HMI!
MORE LOGIC

The C-more EA9 HMI software (just $99)

now delivers more functionality, usability
and value to our popular C-more touch
panels. Dozen of new features and
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New tag combinations allow simple logic with

multiple events
Combine up to four dierent tags to trigger
actions based on logical results

MORE MATH

New math functions let you create custom

formulas with constants or tag values
The Math Keypad provides both simple and
complex operations including log, sine, and
square root

MORE ACCESSIBILITY

The new Object Layer List Window shows

all the objects on the active screen and lets
you lock/unlock, hide/unhide objects or
quickly select them for editing
The Object Layer List allows access to
individual objects in a group; additional lists
for hidden, locked or overlapping objects
Recipe database supports 99 recipe sheets,
each with 1000 recipes of 256 possible tags
or values; operator can now modify and save
while the process is active
New menu options, customizable toolbars and
updated graphics for improved ease of use

MORE ALARMING OPTIONS

Enhanced Alarm List oers more options for

alarm customization
New alarm lters allow for dedicated alarm
summaries

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* EA9-PGMSW for use with EA9 series panels only;

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* See our Web site for details and restrictions. Copyright 2015 AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA USA. All rights reserved.

Get more than you paid for . . .

C-more.AutomationDirect.com
1-800-633-0405

input #1 at www.controleng.com/information

www.AutomationDirect.com

DO MORE WITH

YOUR DATA

Introduce real-time industrial data to your cloud-based business

systems with Kepwares industry-leading communications platform.

Kepware Technologies provides a portfolio of software solutions

that connect diverse industrial automation devices and software
applications. Established in 1995 and now distributed in more than
100 countries, Kepware has helped thousands of customers improve
operations and decision making.
Visit us online to learn more about our communications platform
thats enabling the Internet of Things.
input #2 at www.controleng.com/information

MARCH 2016
Vol. 63
Number 3

Features
26 Collaborative robots: safety, other benefits
Cover story: Collaborative robots are becoming more common on the
plant floor. Deciding if they should be used requires considering safety
and business goals. New guidance on safety is available.

30 Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT),

Industrie 4.0: World views

26

COVER: Fanuc Americas CR-7iA (left), ABBs YuMi (top), and Universal Robots
UR10 (right) are among collaborative robots available. Michael Smith, Control Engineering creative director, designed the composite cover using images courtesy of
the companies mentioned.

30 The advent of Industrie 4.0 in the Czech Republic

32 Industrie 4.0 is opportunity, challenge: China
33 Data analysis: a key requirement for IIoT: Europe
34 Quantified benefits of Industrial Internet of Things implementations
36 IoT gateways: Industrial automations path to Industrie 4.0
38 Use IIoT to improve operations

38

40 PC-based control drives global adoption of Industrie 4.0,

IIoT concepts
42 Enabling IIoT requires communication protocol translation

43 Digital edition exclusives

Cognitive computing delivering answers, new questions;
Technology developments for IIoT, real-time data

44 High-performance HMIs for increased

efficiency and overall process safety
Using high performance human-machine interfaces (HMIs) is a powerful way to streamline how operators manage processes and allows
them to react to process upsets as efficiently as possible.

46 Using programming standards

to leverage modern HMI solutions
Modern human-machine interface (HMI) solutions can benefit from
automation technology (AT) and information technology (IT) convergence solutions.

48 Using connectivity software to integrate

the IoT with existing systems
Open platform communications (OPC) and data distribution service
(DDS) provide two approaches to bridge the communication gap.

51 Hannover Preview
Hannover Messe preview: Reasons and examples show why
you should go to this show.

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

46
CONTROL ENGINEERING (ISSN 0010-8049, Vol. 63, No. 3, GST #123397457) is published 12x per year, Monthly by CFE Media, LLC, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak
Brook, IL 60523. Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher /Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/
Co-Founder. CONTROL ENGINEERING copyright 2016 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
CONTROL ENGINEERING is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used under license.
Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL 60523 and additional mailing offices. Circulation
records are maintained at CFE Media, LLC, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL
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USA. CFE Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for
any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever.

www.controleng.com

Reduce Operating Costs

With Wireless

Compared to leased land lines, wireless connectivity over Wi-Fi or cellular can be a much
easier and much more cost effective way to collect data from your sensors and equipment.
Moxas ioLogik 2500 Series brings open wireless communication standards to data
acquisition technology in a single, rugged unit. With options for wired Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 2G
GPRS, and 3G HSPA connectivity, its easier than ever to get more connected.

ioLogik 2500 Series

Smart Wireless I/O Modules

Ethernet Switches Wireless AP/Bridge/Clients Cellular Gateways

Secure Routers Gateways and Protocol Converters Media Converters
Serial Device Servers Multiport Serial Boards IP Cameras
Video Servers Remote I/O and Controllers Embedded Computing

input #3 at www.controleng.com/information

Re-Route Your Temperature Measurements

Around Potential Roadblocks
The new THZ3/TDZ3 Dual Input Smart HART
temperature transmitters can help you avoid costly
process interruptions and maintenance delays by
ensuring your measurements always make it safely
to your control system. Our Sensor Backup and
Failover protection feature means you will never
miss those critical readings - even if something
goes wrong with one of the sensors.
Plus, with Device Intelligence, a series of new and
advanced features that enable smarter control
and monitoring, the THZ3/TDZ3 gives you the
condence that your temperature measurements
will get from Point A to Point B despite any potential
roadblocks.

Demand Moore Reliability

input #4 at www.controleng.com/information

To learn more about our Dual Input

p Temperature
p
www.miinet.com/THZ3TDZ3
Transmitter, go to:
900
Or call 800-999-2900

Controller outputs

MARCH 2016

75
MV signal, percentage

Vol. 63
Number 3

100

50

25

Inside Process
Appears after page 57; If not, see the Digital Edition:
www.controleng.com/DigitalEdition

Plot area

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

P1

Time, seconds

P1 Neural networks in process control:

architecture, controls
Neural networks have been used in process control strategies
for years, but theyre still not commonly found in industry. This
technology has been applied in a number of fields with great
success. With proper training to lift the veil from the technology,
it can be more widely appliedwithout mysteryto solve some
of the most nagging process control problems.

P9 Filtration process improves

vermouth drinks
A food and beverage equipment manufacturer designs and builds
rotating dynamic crossflow filter systems to replace traditional
vacuum filters.

Departments
8 Think Again
Disruptive opportunities

10 Apps for Engineers

Control methods

12 Research
Information integration

14 Control Engineering International

Products

P9

70 Robot series
designed for fast,
repeatable movements; Programmable
alarm trips for process,
chemical applications;
Particulate monitoring
system with multichannel configurations

Creating a universal robot controller for Industrie 4.0

16 IT Insight
Why manufacturing software should be tested before updates

18 Technology Update
Understanding fiber-optic network technology for SCADA

72 Back to Basics
Ladder Logic 105: PLC scanning

News
22
23
24
25

Engineer a culture of service excellence

Open systems transitions; New robot sales record
Plant of the Year; Motor repair help; cyber security budget
Cloud-based IoT acquisition; Events; online; corrections

www.controleng.com

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 5

More resources posted daily at:

MARCH

Trending

www.controleng.com

New Products

Control Systems

Process Manufacturing Discrete Manufacturing

Planning algorithms for automatic

contingency planning
Theres a lot more to read online. Go to www.controleng.com/news
to read Control Engineerings exclusive Web content.
 Collaboration on time-sensitive
networking testbed announced
 Projects for improving manufacturing challenges receive funding
 Ladder logic 104:
Memory organization
 Benefits of using a process
historian
 IoT standards group formed to
unify companies, developers.

System Integration

Networking & Security

Info Management

Education & Training

Industrial Internet
of Things (IIoT)
2016 webcast series
Control Engineerings
webcast series on
the IIoT continues
in 2016. Learn more
about the upcoming
webcast in the series here
www.controleng.com/webcasts:

Webcasts

 IIoT Webcast Part One:

Effective change management
 Thursday, March 31, at 11 a.m. PT/1
p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET

Oil & Gas Engineering

February issue

Newsletter: Safety
and Cyber Security
Industrial cyber security: Learn from
the mistakes of others
 De-risk by design:
Maintaining safety at heights
 Protecting FPSOs from arc flash
 ICS security trends.
Keep up with the latest industry news
by subscribing to Control Engineerings
14 newsletters at
www.controleng.com/newsletters

New version
Global System
Integrator Database
CFE Media has launched the
latest version of the Global
System Integrator Database.
Find and connect with the
most suitable service provider
for your unique
application.

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

Oil & Gas Engineering provides industryspecific solutions designed to maximize

uptime and increase
productivity through
the use of industry
best practices and
new innovations,
increase efficiency
from the wellhead to
the refinery by implementing automation
and monitoring strategies, and maintain
and improve safety for workers and the
work environment. Read the digital edition at www.oilandgaseng.com.
OGE1602_COVER_4_KS.indd 1

Digital Edition
The tablet and
digital editions of
this publication have
unique content for
our digital subscribers. This month has
digital exclusives on:
Cognitive computing in a data-driven
age; and technology
development using
the IIoT.

www.controleng.com

www.controleng.com

1/28/2016 10:47:45 AM

Reliable Detection
For Your Application

You cant afford not to know. See it all at thinkallied.com/sensors

1.800.433.5700
Allied Electronics, Inc 2015. Allied Electronics and the Allied Electronics logo are trademarks of Allied Electronics, Inc.

input #5 at www.controleng.com/information

An Electrocomponents Company.

THINK AGAIN IIoT disruption

1111 W. 22nd St. Suite 250, Oak Brook, IL 60523
630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504

Disruptive
opportunities

Content Specialists/Editorial

Industrial Internet of Things and Industrie 4.0 models bring disruptive

opportunities to manufacturing and other increasingly automated industries, augmenting human productivity. Five years from now, will you be
grinding in first gear while your competitors innovate in overdrive?

For years,

automation end users and

system integrators have sought greater innovation through interoperability. For years,
many automation vendors have hesitated,
some, perhaps, fearing loss of market share.
Disruption and innovation opportunities
from the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
and Industrie 4.0 frameworks give automation and controls vendors an opportunity to
encourage connections and interoperability
in ways that will more quickly facilitate benefits, according to several end users and analysts at the ARC Advisory Group Industry
Forum in February.
Disruptive thinking, changes, and innovation are required for large leaps, noted Luke
Williams, New York University (NYU) Stern
School of Business, clinical associate professor of marketing, and executive director at the
W.R. Berkley Innovation Lab. Williams, speaking at the A3 Business Forum, in February in
Orlando, said to think disruptively: 1) Craft
a disruptive hypothesis; 2) define a disruptive market opportunity; 3) generate disruptive ideas; 4) shape a disruptive solution; and
5) make a disruptive pitch.

Models for disruption

See views on IIoT and Industrie 4.0 in this

issue representing disruptive opportunities
for greater investment in automation where
it makes sense, in more connectivity and realtime analytics to get useful information where
needed for smarter decisions, and in digital
manufacturing for greater simulation, collaboration, efficiencies, and optimization. How?

MORE

ADVICE
In this issue, see IIoT articles and the Digital Edition
article on computer cognitive learning.
Online see additional article links:
Automation vendors: Connect and interoperate, or
someone else will
Engineers: Be disruptive in thinking, innovation

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

Be the disrupter, Williams suggested, adding that never has there been a better time to
try new things and to re-arrange your business. Moving slowly can be hazardous, he said.
Ask Nokia, Motorola, and Blackberry about
smartphones. Ask Blockbuster about streaming video. Ask a taxi driver about Uber.
Traditional suppliers have to be nontraditional, or there are others who will help, said
Andy Chatha, ARC president. We critically
need innovation. If the automation industry
doesnt provide it, others will. Chatha said that
one-third of the ARC Forum audience was
there for the first time; many are trying to be
the disruptors in industry, where the money is.
Don Bartusiak, ExxonMobil Research and
Engineering, chief engineer process control,
said ExxonMobil is working with Lockheed
Martin and others to define a more open control system, with a plan to deploy in 2019. This
isnt a custom effort and should benefit all.
Sandy Vasser, ExxonMobil Development, facilities I&E manager added, We have to make
big changes; we have no choice. Working with
suppliers may bring about disruptive, beneficial changes more quickly.
Michael Carroll, Georgia Pacific, vice president innovation and operational excellence,
noted the need to not let prior knowledge be
the enemy of what may be next. He said theres
more at risk for those who choose not to participate than those who do.
Technology spending for IIoT and Industrie 4.0 are being accepted to a greater degree,
Bartusiak observed; its increasingly understood that related investments will pay off.
Most innovation of the next 10 years, Williams said, wont be driven by what drove the
last 80 years. Think again if you believe old
methods can suffice. ce

Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager

847-830-3215, [email protected]
Jack Smith, Content Manager
630-907-1622, [email protected]
Amanda Pelliccione, Director of Research
631-320-0655, [email protected]
Joy Chang, Digital Project Manager
630-571-4070 x2225, [email protected]
Chris Vavra, Production Editor
630-571-4070 x2219, [email protected]

Contributing Content Specialists

Frank J. Bartos, P.E., [email protected]
Peter Welander, [email protected]
Vance VanDoren, Ph.D., P.E., [email protected]
Suzanne Gill, Control Engineering Europe
[email protected]
Ekaterina Kosareva, Control Engineering Russia
[email protected]
Wojciech Stasiak, Control Engineering Poland
[email protected]
Luk Smelk, Control Engineering Czech Republic
[email protected]
Aileen Jin, Control Engineering China
[email protected]

Publication Services
Jim Langhenry, Co-Founder/Publisher, CFE Media
630-571-4070, x2203; [email protected]
Steve Rourke, Co-Founder, CFE Media
630-571-4070, x2204, [email protected]
Trudy Kelly, Executive Assistant,
630-571-4070, x2205, [email protected]
Elena Moeller-Younger, Marketing Manager
773-815-3795, [email protected]
Kristen Nimmo, Marketing Manager
630-571-4070, x2215, [email protected]
Brian Gross, Marketing Consultant, Global SI Database
630-571-4070, x2217, [email protected]
Michael Smith, Creative Director
630-779-8910, [email protected]
Paul Brouch, Director of Operations
630-571-4070, x2208, [email protected]
Michael Rotz, Print Production Manager
717-766-0211 x4207, Fax: 717-506-7238
[email protected]
Maria Bartell, Account Director
Infogroup Targeting Solutions
847-378-2275, [email protected]
Rick Ellis, Audience Management Director
303-246-1250, [email protected]
Letters to the editor: Please e-mail us your opinions to
[email protected] or fax us at 630-214-4504.
Letters should include name, company, and address,
and may be edited for space and clarity.
Information: For a Media Kit or Editorial Calendar,
email Trudy Kelly at [email protected].

Reprints
For custom reprints or electronic usage, contact:
Brett Petillo, Wrights Media
281-419-5725, [email protected]

Publication Sales
Patrick Lynch, ContentStream, Director of Content Marketing Solutions
630-571-4070 x2210
[email protected]
Bailey Rice, AR, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, NE, ND, OK, OH, SD, TX, WI,
Central Canada

630-571-4070 x2206

[email protected]

Iris Seibert, AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY,
Western Canada

858-270-3753
[email protected]
Julie Timbol, CT, DE, MD, ME, MA, NC, NH, NY, NJ, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT, WV, DC,
Eastern Canada

978-929-9495
[email protected]
Maggie Hatcher, AL, FL, GA, MI, TN,

Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager

[email protected]

classified, product mart, media showcase

630-571-4070, x2221
Stuart Smith, International
Tel. +44 208 464 5577

[email protected]
[email protected]

www.controleng.com

BOA Spot
TM

W
NE

Low Cost Integrated Vision Sensor

BOA Vision System Performance at Vision Sensor Affordability
Integrated light, lens and processing

Built-in factory communications

Easy-to-use application interface

100% automatic inspection

Embedded vision tools for

matching, counting, feature
nding and measuring

Low cost of ownership

View the BOA Spot Features Guide:

http://goo.gl/effIC9
input #6 at www.controleng.com/information

APPS FOR ENGINEERS data collection

www.controleng.com/appsforengineers

Mobile apps for

monitoring, control
Stop traveling on
site for support!
Lets stay Cosy!

Control and monitoring mobile applications have

potential to help engineers do their jobs better. CFE
Medias Apps for Engineers is an interactive directory of engineering-related apps for Apple iOS and
Android operating systems from various companies.
Apps are organized by category, company, and type.
These are listed in the app as of February 2016.

BOGE
iOS 4.2 +, Android 4.0+
Cost: Free
Company: Cybob Communication GmbH
Website: www.cybob.com
The BOGE app allows the user to check the status on BOGE compressors and
compressed air stations at any time. This app is designed to provide information on the components runtime, status, maintenance level, and other important
technical values.

CTC qMon
iOS 5.1+
Cost: Free
Company: Control Technology Corp.
Website: http://controltechnologycorp.com
The CTC qMon app is a tool allowing the user to gain access to your automation
systems, locally and remotely. With the app the user can monitor and configure
CTC controllers and connect wirelessly to any CTC automation controller. The
app can also write values to the controller and from there you can set outputs,
numeric registers, and flags.

Data Dashboard for LabVIEW

iOS 8.0+, Android 5.0+

Secure VPN
Remote Access
for machine builders

Cost: Free
Company: National Instruments
Website: www.ni.com/mobile
The Data Dashboard lets the user fabricate a custom rendition of NI LabVIEW
applications by showing values of network published shared variables and web
services on charts, gauges, text indicators, and LEDs.

Firewall friendly solution

3 Million VPN Connections

Energi Savr
iOS 6.0+

Free VPN service

Cost: Free
Company: Lutron Electronics Inc.
Website: www.lutron.com
Energi Savr allows the user to adjust the programming and configuration of a
Lutron Energi Savr Node (ESN) system over a Wi-Fi network with an iPhone or
iPod Touch.

www.ewon.us

Pittsburgh, PA|412 586 5901

input #7 at www.controleng.com/information

10

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

www.controleng.com

OPEN
THE
DOOR
TO
ASIA
INTERESTED?
Visit G2A.CCLinkAmerica.org
CLPA-Americas: [email protected]

Youve implemented the local open network technologies in your products. But now its time to look
further afield. Chances are these technologies leave a large part of the Asian market inaccessible.
So how can you also capture that? CC-Link is a market leading technology for open automation
networking in Asia. Adding this connectivity can lead to a significant business increase in critical
markets such as China. Our Gateway to Asia (G2A) program offers a comprehensive package of
development and marketing benefits to capture this additional market share.

TM

input #8 at www.controleng.com/information

Control system cyber

security threat levels
g
High

Severe

9%

research
2015 IIoT, INDUSTRIE 4.0, INFORMATION INTEGRATION STUDY:

Six key findings on

integrating operations

Respondents

to the Control
Engineering 2015 Industrial Internet
of Things (IIoT), Industrie 4.0, Information Integration Study identified six
high-level findings impacting control
systems today:
1. Integrated levels: Seventeen percent of organizations manufacturing
floors (Level 1) and advanced manufacturing control (Level 2) are highly integrated. Another 9% report Level 2 and
enterprise (Level 3) to be highly integrated, and 8% cite the same level of
integration between Levels 1 and 3.
2. Lack of integration: The most
popular reasons for low levels of integration at respondents facilities are an
unwillingness to assign resources/benefits are not recognized and the difficulty
and cost of implementation.
3. Benefits: Some benefits from
recent integration projects include better support for decision making (47%),
faster decision making (39%), and better control of resources (39%).

4. Challenges: One in four respondents have found a lack of budget to

be the top challenge when integrating operations, followed closely by
confusion over project scope and/or
benefits.
5. Information sharing: Internal
networks and weekly reports are popular methods for which corporate management receives information from the
manufacturing and enterprise levels of
organizations.
6. Integration tools: To establish
and sustain integration, respondents
take advantage of system integrators
(42%), customized software (42%), and
browser-based interfaces (34%), among
other methods. ce

View more information at

www.controleng.com/2015InfoStudy.
Amanda Pelliccione is research director at
CFE Media, [email protected].

Status of information integration over the next few years

Information integrationn
will slowly increasee

44%

Information integration should bee

improved, but its a low priorityy

18%
48%

Low

Moderate

Nearly half of control systems are

considered moderately at risk to
a cyber security breach. Source:
Control Engineering 2015 Cyber
Security Study

49%

of engineers admit
that they or their peers lack communication/presentation skills
necessary for advancing in their
career. Source: Control Engineering 2015 Career Study

15:

Average number of system integration projects worked

on or outsourced per year; 57%
work on/outsource 10 projects
or fewer annually. Source: Control
Engineering 2015 System Integration Study

3 in10

engineers
report a lack of integration
between the manufacturing floor
and enterprise due to an executive decision to restrict information
access. Source: Control Engineering 2015 IIoT, Industrie 4.0, Information Integration Study

25%

Improvements aree
currently underwayy
No change expectedd

25%

24%
15%

Forty-four percent of survey respondents believe that information integration within

their facilities will increase at a slow pace, while 24% are currently undergoing improvements. Courtesy: Control Engineering

More research
Control Engineering surveys its
audience on several topics each
year, including cyber security;
career survey; system integration,
and IIoT, Industrie 4.0, information
integration.
All reports are available at
www.controleng.com/ce-research.

www.controleng.com/ce-research FOR MORE RESEARCH INFORMATION

12

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

www.controleng.com

CFE Medias
!
ED

T
A
Global System
D
P

Integrator Database

CFE Medias Global System Integrator Database is an interactive community of

global end-users and system integrators hosted by Control Engineering, Plant
Engineering, and our global partners in Asia and Europe.
The newest version of the online database is even easier to use. Features and updates:
More search results can now be seen on the screen
Relevancy score indicates how closely an integrators qualifications
match a users search criteria
Users can now preview the most pertinent data of an SI before clicking
to view the full corporate profile
New feature allows an end-user to request a quote for a project directly
from the database site
The most relevant data about an integrators engineering services appear
on one page on their corporate profile other details are organized by tabs.

Find and connect with the

most suitable service provider
for your unique application.

Start searching the Global System

Integrator Database now!

www.cfemedia.com/global-si-database

ROBOT CONTROL Control Engineering International

Creating a universal robot controller

for Industrie 4.0
A controller designed for independent robot developers aims to help the Chinese robot market
to continue to grow rapidly. See other robotic and Industrie 4.0 coverage in this issue.

Chinas robotics industry has gone

through a major period of growth thanks to the

approval and implementation of policies such as
Intelligent manufacturing and Made in China
2025. In 2014, the Chinese industrial robot market became the largest in the world with more than
56,000 robots sold and industry growth of 54%.
Robots continue to become more sophisticated
as intelligent controls develop. The accuracy and
stability of the robots controller are key factors in
influencing the robots performance.
MORE
Li Guozhong (Vincent Li), the business develADVICE
opment director for Advantech (China), discussed
with Control Engineering China how the company
GO ONLINE
is developing a robot controller designed to operate
www.controleng.com/international
like an industrial PC (IPC). Some users who used
www.cechina.cn
the low-cost controller at
the very start would find
the accuracy and stability of such controller cant
meet the requirements half
a year later, Li said. Currently, robot controllers are
mainly manufactured by
non-Chinese manufacturers, however, the four biggest manufacturers who
dominate about half of
the world sell high-quality
controllers with their robot
systems. More enterprises
are manufacturing robots
and must rely on others
due to the lack of a univerIndependent developers will benefit from
sal controller.
Advantechs RC2000 Robot Controller, according
Aimed at the demands
to Vincent Li, business development director for
of independent developmachine automation at Advantech (China). The
ment of users, a robot conRC2000 integrates the traditional robot controller
troller is being designed
into one PCI control card, which could be inserted
for independent develinto any industrial PC (IPC) that has a PCI interface
opers. It integrates a traand could run all development procedures in Micro- ditional robot controller
soft Windows. Li said Advantech has a competitive
into one PCI control card,
advantage in the field of robot controllers: The
which can be inserted into
integration of the Internet of Things and Industrie
any IPC with a PCI inter4.0 is the core advantage of Advantech. Courtesy:
face; development runs
Control Engineering China, Advantech (China)
in Microsoft Windows.

14

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

This is designed to make the hardware layer function an open and extensible architecture. It can
control industrial robots such as Delta, selective
compliance assembly robot arms (SCARA), and
6-axis robots. The open hardware architecture and
plug-and-play rapid development are designed to
improve the working efficiency of users who need
secondary development platforms and special flexible customizing functions.
Li said that when control functions are designed
for a 6-axis robot, an IPC with the robot controller
will suffice. Data collection or machine vision cards
can be added, if needed. The media board processor
can control vision without consuming CPU capacity. Li said that control system efficiency is improved
with a strong hardware design.
Help with integration

Knowledge about integration of the Internet of

Things (IoT) and Industrie 4.0 helps in designing a
robot controller, Li said. Advantech acquired LNC
in 2013, gaining expertise in control technology and
precision machining. Applying that knowledge to
robot control may make it easier for Advantech to
integrate robots into factories.
When robots appear in factories or the production line, it will not become an isolated island. We
can integrate robots with the Internet of Things and
Industrie 4.0 with a more complete plan from the
very start, Li said. Advantechs IoT plans are reflected in controller integration and in vertical industries such as metalworking. Advantech also has
entered into Industrie 4.0 memorandum of cooperation with Goodway Machine Corp., the largest
machine tool plant in Taiwan.
By preassembling new equipment or adding
modules or software in the old equipment, Advantech upgraded Goodway equipment for end users
to an Industrie 4.0 or Industrial Internet of Things
(IIoT) architecture, including uniform management
and system monitoring. The Goodway experience is
helping Advantech launch an Industrie 4.0 solution
to meet the needs of metalworking end users. ce

Aileen Jin is editor-in-chief, Control Engineering

China. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor,
Control Engineering, [email protected].
www.controleng.com

Learn about the latest engineering

trends and technologies.
Check out our Control Engineering
webcasts on topics like:

thernet (with 2015 research)

E
lloT
HMI
Cyber security for industrial
automation
System Integration case studies
lloT, Industry 4.0
and more
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are available!

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INSIGHT IT & engineering

Why manufacturing software

should be tested before updates
The way Microsoft is updating its Microsoft Windows 10 operating system, the ball is out of the users
court. Instead, Microsoft has installed an automated ball machine that fires when it wants, even if the
user isnt ready. This new update scheme may wreak havoc for many mission-critical systems.

It is vitally important to test

any updates or changes before committing them to production use, and there can
be consequences for not completely testing. There have been so many reports of an
untested update crashing a critical system
that it is common sense to test before committing an update. The typical manufacturing application relies on tens to hundreds
of underlying libraries, processes, services,
and operating system elements.
Expensive lessons learned

input #9 at www.controleng.com/information

The typical manufacturing facility uses

about 50 to 100 applications, ranging from
simple spreadsheets to a multimillion-dollar distributed control system (DCS) and
manufacturing execution system (MES).
Each application relies on tens to hundreds
of underlying elements. Clearly, there is a
lot to test in an update. The problem came
from failing to test the small applications,
especially those that are not mission critical
per se, but are ones that are important and
were always assumed to work.
The problem occurred on the Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1511 update.
With Microsoft Windows 7 and 8.1 it
was easy to setup a system so it wouldnt
automatically update. Microsoft Windows 10 changed the pattern and not for
the better. Microsoft considers Windows
10 a service, so they will decide when to
update, not the user.
The concept of patch Tuesday, when
all patches were released on the second Tuesday of the month, is also gone.
Patches can be pushed out at any time.
The Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1511
update was massive at 3 GB and seemed
to touch almost every part of the system.
Some Microsoft Windows 10 editions
will allow updates to be deferred for several months, but security updates will still
install. No one in the user community discovered that stop updating solutions provide a long-term answer, which is bad news

16

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

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for mission-critical manufacturing systems.

However, even security updates, which
cant be easily stopped, can cause problems.
On Dec. 30, 2015, Microsoft pushed
out a security patch that disabled Skype,
HP scanner software, and various other
systems, and in June 2015 a security patch
disabled some graphic card drivers and
multi-monitor support.
Microsoft Windows 10 is used for
office applications, document management, project management, program
development, test machines, and other
applications. The systems are set up to
delay installing the updates.
We carefully tested the 1511 update
on a few systems with quick confidence tests. These were faster and less
comprehensive than the full set of tests
used when Microsoft Windows 10 was
first installed.
After the test systems passed the
confidence tests, we allowed the other
machines to be updated. Then we discovered that the confidence tests didnt cover
the small applications and all of the supporting services. The update changed file

associations, removed shortcuts, removed

applications from the start menu, changed
the printer options, even crashed Microsoft Windows Explorer on one machine,
and caused a set of problems that collectively took days to resolve. Fortunately,
the systems it affected were not missioncritical, just annoyingly hard to fix.
Expensive lessons learned

The lesson learned is if you are using

Microsoft Windows 10 in a manufacturing environment for mission-critical, or even mission-important, systems,
then you have to disable automatic
updates. This requires using group policies and Windows Server Update Services
(WSUS). WSUS allows full control over
the internal distribution of updates using
existing management solutions such as
System Center Configuration Manager.
The most important point, however, is
to ensure that the operations group controls the updates for the mission-critical,
and mission-important systems. These
systems should never be updated using the
same rules as the business systems.

Dennis Brandl is president of BR&L

Consulting in Cary, N.C. His firm focuses on manufacturing IT. Contact him at
[email protected]. Edited by
Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control
Engineering, [email protected].

MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
Microsoft Windows 10 updates can be deferred, but
not security patches. Watch for unintended consequences
to mission-critical systems.
Disable automatic updates to allow testing.
GO ONLINE
The posted version contains Patch management
advice and other information.
At www.controleng.com, search Brandl for more on
related topics.
See other articles for 2016 at
www.controleng.com/archives.
CONSIDER THIS
Operating system updates are becoming more cumbersome and, in some cases, are being forced upon the user.
How will you ensure mission-critical systems are not
compromised?

Industrial Internet of Things,

Industry 4.0, Information Integration
Turning research into insights makes for better business decisions
The 2015 Industrial Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, Information
Integration study was conducted by Control Engineering to better
understand how companies have undertaken projects to integrate
multiple levels within their organization.
The top three technologies/trends that respondents believe
will change how they work over the next few years are 3-D
printing/additive manufacturing (43%), the Industrial Internet
of Things (41%), and Big Data (39%).
Access the full Control Engineering 2015 Industrial Internet
of Things, Industry 4.0, Information Integration report with
additional findings and insights.
www.controleng.com/2015InfoStudy

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE serial-to-Ethernet for IoT

Understanding fiber-optic network

technology for SCADA
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks have undergone significant
changes, and the technological developments have made fiber-optic technology a viable
solution for users looking to build a network or transition from serial to Ethernet.

Supervisory control and data acquisi-

MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS:
Fiber-optic networks are a good
choice for SCADA networks and
remote communications with the demand for more bandwidth and speed.
One of the biggest changes in
SCADA networking has been the
evolution from serial networking
protocols to Internet protocol (IP).
There are three main network
technologies to consider in building
a fiber-optic SCADA network: Coarse
wave division multiplexing, Multiprotocol label switching, and Ethernet
backbone networking.
GO ONLINE
See related stories about the IoT
and SCADA networks with this article
online at www.controleng.com.
CONSIDER THIS
What other networks could be
used in building a fiber-optic SCADA
network?

18

MARCH 2016

tion (SCADA) networks have undergone significant

changes since the start of the decade as companies
modernize systems, improve security, and reduce
networking costs. As networks need more bandwidth to support security, Internet of Things (IoT)
sensor data, and other application data traffic, many
organizations are considering moving to fiber-optic
networks for next-generation SCADA networks.
One of the biggest changes in SCADA networking has been the evolution from serial networking
protocols to the Internet protocol (IP), the widely
used network technology for enterprise networks.
Adopting IP for SCADA networks means equipment costs can decrease, and bandwidth can scale
up to 10 Gbps for end stations and up to 100 Gbps
for backbone networks. The move to IP can provide
a way to better integrate SCADA-based operational technology (OT) systems with information technology (IT) systems to set the stage for Internet of
Things (IoT), facilitate better and lower-cost tracking of network conditions, and provide access to
better data analysis tools for operations.
Not every organization has moved to IP. Some
still are cautious about the ability of a packet-oriented technology like Ethernet to replace deterministic
serial networks based on time-division multiplexor (TDM) technology with guaranteed data delivery. Most SCADA applications have real-time data
needs that require 99.999% network reliability and
low end-to-end delay. With the recent introduction
of ITU G.8032 (an International Telecom Union
standard) Ethernet has a 50 ms failover that delivers
levels of reliability to match serial protocols. Many
industrial network managers are just becoming
comfortable with this technology.
SCADA backbone networks are needed to support data flows from substation equipment. Substations increasingly require better physical security,
often with increased video surveillanceleveraging the SCADA backbone network to backhaul the
video data to a central location for monitoring.
In the near future, these networks will require
greater capacity to support sensors that monitor
a wide range of industrial processes as part of the
emerging IoT applications. Some predict that net-

CONTROL ENGINEERING

works could support thousands of sensors to monitor processes and equipment and report to a central
console over the network. IoT driving more bandwidth and consolidation of OT and IT systems to
better process valuable production data and enable
faster decision making with the information.
Moving to fiber optics

Even though fiber-optic networks provide bandwidth, transmission distance, security, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) advantages, it is
important to choose the right network technology.
Network technology decisions can provide
added reliability, manageability, and redundancy.
Each network implementation will have costs related to total capital costs to build the network and
ongoing operating expenses. Networks can be built
in a variety of topologies. Two main topologies for a
fiber-optic SCADA network are:
Ring: A ring topology is a network in which
each network node (remote facility) is connected to
its adjacent nodes in a logical ring fashion so data
travels around the ring until reaching its destination. Ring networks are the easiest to build and to
scale (a new node must connect to its peers in any
part of the ring) as long as the distance that packets
travel around the circumference of the ring is within the latency requirements of the network protocol.
Cable redundancy must be built into a ring network
to protect against node failures or cable breaks.
Mesh: In a fully connected mesh network, each
node is directly connected to every other node, and
data can be routed to any network node with very
low delay. Mesh networks are complex and costly to
scale though, because each new node added to the
network requires a quadratic increase in connections for every node in the network.
Consider three main network technologies in a
fiber-optic SCADA network design.

1. Coarse wave division multiplexing

With coarse wave division multiplexing

(CWDM), up to 16 wavelengths of light are transmitted in a pair of fiber cables; each wavelength is
an independent data channel for a separate data flow
up to 10 Gbps. CWDM networks use ring topology.
www.controleng.com

Example of
substation
data connectivity.
Courtesy: Transition Networks

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE serial-to-Ethernet for IoT

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CWDM is a passive technology that can

support transport of any protocol over the
link, as long as it is at a specific wavelength
(serial bit streams over fiber at 1,570 nm,
alongside 10 Gbps Ethernet at 1,590 nm).
This allows network managers to build
a backbone that can be upgraded as the
network evolves. If a new network type is
supported, 10 Gb Ethernet for example,
then any open channel can be configured
for this data. This is because the multiplexor simply refracts light at any network
speed, regardless of the protocol used.
CWDM networks, like any circuit-oriented technology, ties up backbone channels, meaning that if they are not being
used, bandwidth is unavailable for other
networks to use. Packet-switched networks
to not guarantee channels, but the full
bandwidth of the link is available.

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Multiprotocol label switching (MPLS)

encapsulates data into packets with a
label to switch the packet to its destination. MPLS is an open standard via the
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It
has been rapidly adopted by almost every
major telecommunications service provider as a platform for supporting thousands
of customers over a common infrastructure. It is heavily used in service provider
and enterprise networks and is a compelling choice for SCADA networks.
In MPLS, when the packet enters a network, it is assigned a route called a forwarding equivalence class (FEC). Each
router knows that packets FEC thanks to
its labela bit sequence that identifies the
FEC. The FEC indicate the path through
the network and tells the router how to
handle the data flow. The FEC appended to
video data packets, for example, will map
that data flow to a low-latency path.
Because of its design, MPLS can transport many payload types. In a SCADA
application, this could include serial bit
streams, IP packets, video data streams,
and others. This flexibility makes MPLS a
viable option for a modern network design
that also supports legacy data formats.
MPLS is a mature and reliable technology, proven in large-scale networks. It
offers a flexible network architecture that
supports the connection of remote substations either in redundant network rings or
in a linear structure where data flows in a
line between each substation. Most MPLS

20

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

networking equipment is considered carrier grade for telecommunications networks: high reliability, and more expensive
to build and operate.

3. Ethernet backbone

A third option is to create a routed Ethernet backbone network. Advantages of

Ethernet include flexibility, versatility, and
a very wide bandwidth range with standards from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps. Ethernet
can use copper or fiber-optic media, in a
mesh or ring topology, and many Ethernet
products have been hardened to provide
the ruggedness and wide operating temperature range (-40 to 75 C/-40 to 167 F)
for remote locations or outdoor use.
Most data protocols can be packetized
for an Ethernet network; with support for
50 ms Ethernet failover capabilities and
quality of service functionality, Ethernet
brings high-quality wide area network features to local area network technology.
Ethernet packets can be routed, based
on IP addresses (layer 3 address), key to a
well-controlled SCADA network. IP protocols broadcast data packets to all stations in
a broadcast domain. Each network device
must examine that data packet and discard
or accept it as appropriate. In larger broadcast domains each device has to process
more packets. Creating a reasonable layer
3 broadcast domain can help limit network
flooding and boost capacity.
The Power over Ethernet (PoE) standard allows power delivery over the same
Cat 5 or Cat 6 copper cable that transmits
Ethernet data. Devices such as IP cameras,
gas analyzers, and embedded computers
can operate without addional power.
IEEE 802.3af PoE delivers up to 15.4
W (good for a VoIP phone or WiFi access
point); IEEE 802.3at Power over Ethernet
Plus (PoE +) standard delivers up to 25.5
W and is backward compatible.
Any SCADA network that deploys Ethernet as an access network can benefit from
PoE or PoE+ even if another type of backbone network technology is selected. With
the steady demand for increased bandwidth and speeds, fiber-optic networks
are a clear choice for SCADA network and
remote communications needs. ce
Tony LeFebvre is director, product management, Transition Networks. Edited by Chris
Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, [email protected].
www.controleng.com

Need a System Integrator?

Outbound Technologies, Inc.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

These are just two of many service providers in

the Global System Integrator Database.
Find a System Integrator for your project today!

To search the Global System Integrator

Database, or to create your own System
Integrator Corporate Profile visit
www.controleng.com/global-si-database

Outbound Technologies
is a full-service Systems
Integrator specializing in
electrical controls, software
and networking. Our diverse
customer base includes
Automotive, Food & BeverChris Tury Jr.,
age, Consumer Products,
General Manager
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New Hudson, MI
other industries. We deliver
Telephone: (248) 735-5000
fixed price (design, build
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and commission) projects,
Email: [email protected]
turn-key special equipment,
Website: www.outboundtech.com
equipment validation and
hourly engineering services
Primary Industries
to leading manufacturers
Automotive
throughout the world. Over
Food & Beverage
150,000 engineering hours
Consumer Products
per year allows Outbound
to meet the high demands
of the manufacturing environment. Since 1994 our goal has always
been to develop long-term business relationships based on trust and
respect by delivering designs and services that exceed customer
specifications and expectations.

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Email: [email protected]
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Integro Technologies is a turnkey, machine vision company with offices and dedicated resources in NC, SC,
VA, MD, TN, AL, and IN. At Integro, we design and develop custom solutions utilizing a range of machine
vision systems, robotics, system integration, and 3D vision system applications.
Since its founding in 2001, Integro Technologies has cultivated strategic partnerships with recognized machine
vision suppliers, and we continuously provide superior solutions for the most challenging applications.
We are an Advanced Imaging Association (AIA)
Certified Integrator, 1 of only 8 internationally.
We are a Cognex PSI that is fully-trained and
authorized on Cognexs entire product line, and
we have been recognized as the TOP Cognex PSI
in North America. We are certified vision integrators for Keyence, Omron, Universal Robotics
(3D systems) and Microscan as well. Our other
partnerships include, Moritex, Kuka Robotics,
Universal Robotics, and Yamaha Robotics.
Our staff is well-trained, leveraging a combined 450+ years of hands-on industrial vision experience. Our
clients, including numerous Fortune 500 companies, rely on our expertise to solve their most demanding
vision applications on-time and within budget.
We also offer several training opportunities at our headquarters throughout the year including Cognex In-Sight
Spreadsheets training and Maintenance and Troubleshooting training.

Full Profile at www.cfemedia.com/global-si-database/IntegroTechnologies

INDUSTRY NEWS and events

When engineering a culture of service

excellence, demonstrate the message
Engineering firms need to instill service excellence in existing and prospective team members by living important
values, according to Dennis Snow, consultant and 20-year employee of Walt Disney Co. at the A3 Business Forum. Snow
said that demonstrating the companys
vision, engaging the minds of team members through involvement, and making
everyone accountable for expectations
are ways to create and expand a culture of
service excellence at engineering-related
companies.
Snow admitted to making up words
to emphasize the point, explaining the
need to inculturate service excellence
into their organizations by demonstrating important values. It doesnt matter
how much anyone tells a candidate how
much people matter in the organization,
Snow said, if that candidate doesnt feel
welcomed, interested, and positively challenged during the interview process.
A3, the Association for Advancing
Automation, is the umbrella organization
for the AIA, Advancing
Vision, Imaging, Motion
Control and Motor Association (MCMA), and the
Robotic Industries Association (RIA). A3 holds an
annual meeting Feb. 3-5,
this year, in Orlando, Fla.
Here are other Lessons
from the Mouse from
Snow, of Snow and Associates Inc.

thing like: I dont know

what youre talking about.
Thats just what we do.
What do you want customers to say about their
experience with your company? For Disney, Snow
said, three key points are,
It was magical, the attention to every detail, and
they made us feel special.
Disney knows if they do
that, people will return and
tell others about the positive experience.
The average guest at
Company culture is in the center of vision, involveDisney will carry a piece of
ment, and accountability, demonstrated daily. Dont
trash 27 ft before dropping
miss a teaching moment. Courtesy: Mark T. Hoske,
it. The average distance
Control Engineering, CFE Media
between trashcans is 26 ft,
and everyone, top to bottom, picks up trash (Snow showed a photo mortgage on his house to finish his first
of Walt Disney doing so).
film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
To keep and retain the best talent,
2. Understands the true product
ensure that the talent isnt ignored when offered. Disney creates happiness. Product is not the hamburger; its the happiness the hamburger creates.
Dennis Snow, consultant at
3. Understands whats expected. When
Snow and Associates Inc. and
employees see others doing what is need20-year employee of Walt Dised, thats worth much more than manuney Co., spoke at the A3 Busials or training. The vision should always
ness Forum, offering Lesbe there, alive. He also suggested having
sons from the Mouse about
a quarterly meeting to air out the barriers
improving company culture by
to excellence and then doing something
living the message. Courtesy:
about overcoming them.

Live the message

hiring. Most people interviewing focus on

skills and knowledge and dont observe talent (the hardest thing to teach) during the
interview. If a position requires someone to
be friendly, for instance, dont hire someone whos grumpy during the interview.
Study your best people. Who would
you like to clone? Learn what makes them
tick and look for those attributes to be
demonstrated during interviews. Training
and positive communication need to happen throughout a career. Ensure the team
member is:
1. Proud of the organization. I didnt
know Walt Disney had to take a second

Whether its the 3 p.m. parade in a Disney theme park or your next big engineering project, the magic that goes into
any experience is because of the employees involved. How can 60,000 people get
it right most of the time? To inculturate
service excellence means living the important values of the company, every minute of
every day, from the top down in the organization in everything team members do,
as second nature.
You know behaviors are ingrained and
working when you ask an employee: How
does that happen? and the reply is some-

22

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering, CFE Media

Hold people accountable

Accountability is often the reason

things dont happen. I didnt say this and
couldnt find out who did, but its true:
Intolerable service exists because intolerable service is tolerated. Never let a coaching moment go, but coach in private.
Ensure people know why theyre appreciated and recognized.
Snow quoted Tom Peters while showing a photo of Walt Disney picking up
trash: The problem isnt that your people dont know what youre doing. Its that
they do know what youre doing.
Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control
Engineering, [email protected].
www.controleng.com

Reading the digital edition? Click on headlines for more details.

See news daily at www.controleng.com/news

Your Global Automation Partner

Industry in transition
transformed by open systems

manufacturing plant that is open and connected is at the core of what ARC Advisory
Group president and CEO Andy Chatha sees as an industry that is in transition overall.
Chatha addressed about 700 attendees at the 20th annual ARC Industry Forum in
Orlando on Feb. 9. If an open, connected plant seems to run contrary to the way plants operate today, that was one of Chathas main points: Industrial plant operations are adapting to
new rules and new technology.
We see the world changing, Chatha said. The aerospace industry is being transformed,
the automotive industry is being turned upside down. And we know what fracking companies
have done to the oil and gas industry. Industry after industry is being transformed by companies from outside the industry. To accomplish this, Chatha said manufacturers have to adopt
new, open architecture control and operation systems to augment or replace the proprietary
systems of today. We believe process plants are ripe for next generation digital transformation, Chatha said. Most plants are aging, and most of the plant assets are 30 years old. If
you want to see the most highly automated plants, go to China. Old plants are prone to failure
and are very difficult to operate. Because plants are so expensive and so complex to upgrade,
many companies dont upgrade; they just keep existing plants up as long as they can. We
believe todays proprietary systems dont provide a good foundation for future plants.
The new model points to the use of connected assets: a connected supply chain, connected workers, connected machines, and connected finished products. You need some
sort of an open system to do that, he said. The open architecture and smart machines provide a framework to allow a full, interactive manufacturing process. It has to be an end-toend process, from the time you design the product to the time you decommission the line.
Information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) are converging. We believe
you need to have your experts working together, Chatha said. I know many companies
are integrating IT and OT and others are trying to get there. Thats a very important thing our
industry has to do. ONLINE see: five traits of innovation-driven companies.
Bob Vavra is content manager, Plant Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].

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Robot sales in North America

set record for 2015
Robot orders and shipments in North
America set records in 2015, according to
Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the
industrys trade group. A total of 31,464
robots valued at $1.8 billion were ordered
from North American companies in 2015,
an increase of 14% in units and 11% in dollars over 2014. Robot shipments set new
records, with 28,049 robots valued at $1.6
billion shipped to North American customers in 2015. Shipments grew 10% in units
and 9% in dollars over the 2014 records.
The automotive industry was the primary driver of growth in 2015, with robot
orders increasing 19% year over year. Nonautomotive robot orders grew five percent
over 2014. The leading nonautomotive
industry in 2015 in terms of order growth
was semiconductors and electronics at 35%.
The fastest growing applications for
robot orders in North America in 2015
www.controleng.com

your application challenges.

were coating and dispensing (49%), material handling (24%), and spot welding
(22%), according to Alex Shikany, RIA
director of market analysis. Recent record
performance by the robotics market in
North America is concurrent with falling
unemployment. Last month, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics announced that the U.S.
unemployment rate reached 4.9%, its lowest level since February 2008.
Today there are more opportunities
than ever before in the robotics industry,
said Jeff Burnstein, RIA president. The
continuing growth in robotics is opening
many new job opportunities for people
who can program, install, run, and maintain robots....automation is helping to save
and create jobs. A lot of companies tell us
they wouldnt be in business without robotics and related automation.
Edited from an RIA press release.
CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 23

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INDUSTRY NEWS and events

Nominees being accepted

for Plant of the Year award

The FieldComm Group is seeking qualified nominees for the 14th annual Plant of
the Year Award. End users and manufacturers from all world areas are encouraged
to enter their plant or customers plant. The
FieldComm Group Plant of the Year is presented to end user companies in the process automation industry to recognize the
exceptional and valuable application of
Foundation Fieldbus and/or HART Communication technologies. Nominations
will be accepted until May
...recognizing
16, 2016.
capabilities of
Selection
of the Plant
Foundation Fieldbus,
of the Year
HART-, or WirelessHART- is based on a
plants use of
enabled instruments
our field communication
beyond configuration
and integration
technologies
and calibration.

not on the size or location of the installation. We are seeking a plant that has taken
the capabilities of Foundation Fieldbus,
HART-, or WirelessHART-enabled instruments beyond configuration and calibration, said Ted Masters, FieldComm Group
President and CEO. Or, the plant that is
using real-time device diagnostics and process information integrated with control,
information, asset management, safety systems, or any other system to lower operating costs, reduces unplanned downtime
and improves operations.
This award has been expanded to
include all communication and integration technologies supported by the
FieldComm Group. Previous recipients
include Nucor Steel, Dow Chemical,
Monsanto, Shell, Mitsubishi Chemical,
Statoil, Sasol, and DuPont.

Edited from a FieldComm Group press

release by CFE Media.

TMPS series for energy

efficiency in low power mode.
AC/DC power modules
3 to 5 Watt for PCB mount.

Motor repair standards

for increased efficiency
and reliability updated

n updated edition of the repair of

motors and generatorsANSI/EASA
AR100-2015: Recommended Practice for
the Repair of Rotating Electrical Apparatuswas recently published for use
by the repair industry and its customers.
The standard describes industry best
practices for the repair, rewinding, and
testing of electrical apparatus in order to
maintain or enhance the energy efficiency
and reliability of both ac and dc motors
and generators.
The revision introduced new requirements, added or tightened performance
tolerances in several critical areas, and
expanded testing procedures. The standard now includes requirements relating
to the machining of commutators and
slip rings and establishes temperature
limits for the process of removing motor
windings. Additional performance tolerances were added for balancing motors
rated above 2,500 rpm. Finally, testing
procedures were established or clarified
relating to bearing insulation, winding
surge comparison and resistance, no-load
performance, and vibration.
Edited from an EASA press release by
CFE Media.

Administration asks for

more for cyber security

Reliable. Available. Now.

tracopower.com

input #13 at www.controleng.com/information

The White House allocated more than

$19 billion in the proposed 2017 budget for
cyber security, more than 35% above the
2016 enacted level. Resources are designed
to enable agencies to augment cyber security, improve private-sector protection,
disrupt and deter adversary activity, and
incident response. The Obama Administration is implementing a Cybersecurity
National Action Plan (CNAP) to help with
long-term strategies to enhance cyber and
digital security awareness, protections, and
public safety. Department of Homeland
Security is collaborating with industry to
develop a cybersecurity assurance program
to test and certify networked devices for
Internet of Things (IoT).
Edited from a White House press release
fby CFE Media.

24

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

Reading the digital edition? Click on headlines for more details.

See news daily at www.controleng.com/news

Your Global Automation Partner

More headlines online

Industry events
At www.controleng.com, on the right side,
click on the events box and scroll by month
to see related industry events including:
 MODEX 2016, Atlanta, April 4-6
www.modexshow.com
 4th USA Science & Engineering Festival,
Washington, DC, April 15-17
www.usasciencefestival.org
 CSIA Executive Conference,
Puerto Rico, April 19-22
www.csiaexecutiveconference.org
 Hannover Messe 2016,
Hannover, Germany, April 25-29
www.hannovermesse.de
 The AIA Vision Show, Boston, May 3-5
www.visiononline.org/mvo-content-adv.
cfm?id=247
 Offshore Technology Conference and Exhibition,
Houston, Tex., May 2-5
http://2016.otcnet.org
 Rockwell Automation TechED,
Orlando, Fla., June 12-17
www.rockwellautomation.com/global/events

Top 5 Control Engineering articles

Feb. 8-14: The most visited articles included
the 2016 Engineers Choice Awards winners,
Microsoft Windows XP Embedded, Learning
from past cyber security mistakes, Wireless
for closed-loop applications, Process models
and feedback control.

PMI steadies itself in January reading

The Institute for Supply Managements
(ISM) Purchasing Managers Index (PMI)
rose for the first time in six months to 48.2%
in January to start 2016 on a somewhat
positive note.
Process mapping with a purpose
Process maps are lean tools to be used for a
purpose. Use the lean tool to help you solve
problems.
Remote support update advice
and best practices
When a controls programmer has make a
live update to an already running process, it
is best to follow strict procedures and best
practices to mitigate risks and ensure success when making these changes.
Falling oil prices impact on pump and
compressor suppliers
While they face many tough challenges,
innovation and intelligent manufacturing
initiatives are still driving forces in these markets; IHS believes they will greatly reduce
the full impact of the ongoing oil price crisis.
Added protection through virtualization
Network virtualization is the process of
combining hardware and software network
resources and network functionality into a
single, software-based administrative entity,
and it is essential that preventive measures
be taken to protect the network from potential breaches.

WARNING

Not suitable for repairing

crummy sensors
(or your reputation).

Rugged, reliable
industrial automation
products from Turck are
built to perform in the
toughest conditions, and
our engineered solutions
are customized to meet
your application challenges.

Cloud-based IoT company to be acquired

Cheap knock-offs cant

compare. Turck works!

isco announced its intent to acquire Jasper Technologies Inc., a privately held company
based in Santa Clara, Calif., that delivers a cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) service
platform designed to help enterprises and service providers launch, manage, and monetize IoT services. Under the terms of the agreement, Cisco will pay $1.4 billion in cash and
assumed equity awards, plus retention-based incentives. The proposed acquisition intends
to allow Cisco to offer an IoT solution that is interoperable across devices and works with
IoT service providers, application developers, and an ecosystem of partners. Cisco will build
on the Jasper IoT service platform and add services such as enterprise Wi-Fi, security for
connected devices, and advanced analytics for better device usage management. Jasper
develops and provides a software as a service (SaaS) platform with an IoT business that
manages and drives a wide range of connected devices and services for more than 3,500
enterprises worldwide, working with 27 service provider groups. The acquisition is expected
to close in the third quarter of fiscal year 2016, subject to customary closing conditions.
Edited from a Cisco press release by CFE Media.

QR24 Rotary Inductive Sensors

An expanded line of noncontact inductive
rotary position sensors with optional
stainless steel housing.
Wide variety of
outputs includes
HTL Incremental,
SSI, CANopen and
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CORRECTION
IEC 61131-3: Whats the acceptance rate of this control programming standard? (posted online at www.controleng.
com on Feb. 16) is a revised online version of the Control Engineering, January 2016, print and digital edition cover story:
More intelligent and efficient PLC programming. The online version clarifies previously approved edits. See the corrected article under January 2016 at www.controleng.com/archives.

www.controleng.com

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 25

Call 1-800-544-7769
or visit info.turck.us/sensors

input #14 at www.controleng.com/information

COVER STORY collaborative robots

Tips for improving safety,

ROI for collaborative robots
Collaborative robots are becoming more common on the plant floor. Deciding if they should be used
requires considering safety and business goals and return on investment (ROI). See new safety guidance in a technical specification, ISO/TS 15066:2016 Robots and robotic devices collaborative robots.

MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
A collaborative robot is an operation between a person and a robot
sharing a common workspace.
With collaborative robots, its important to determine if it is profitable
to change the process for a robot.
Understand what kind of automation a company needs.
GO ONLINE
See more linked with this article at
www.controleng.com.
Watch the Changing ROI for Industrial Robotics webcast on-demand at
www.controleng.com/webcasts
CONSIDER THIS
What applications and industries
would benefit the most from collaborative robots?

ollaborative robots have gone

through major developments over
the last few years as the myth of
robots and humans working together in a defined workspace have now
become a reality. As the technology continues to
evolve, this will become standard on many plant
floors for a variety of applications in manufacturing and automation.
Jeff Fryman and Rick VandenBoom examined
the attributes of collaborative robots and what
they mean for a companys process and automation development in the Dec. 17, 2015, Webcast
Changing ROI for Industrial Robotics. Robotic safety for collaborative robots and return on
investment (ROI) for robotics were among topics
covered. A collaborative robot technical specification released in February offers more details.
Fryman, a principal consultant for JDF Consulting Enterprises and a retired director with

the Robotic Industries Association (RIA),

defines a collaborative robot as A special kind
of operation between a person and a robot sharing a common workspace.
Safety, collaborative robots

Furthermore, collaborative operations need

to follow specific criteria:
They can only be used for pre-determined
tasks.
Theyre only possible when all required
protective measures are active.
Theyre only for robots with features specifically designed for collaborative operation complying with ISO 10218 Part 1.

The primary feature is safety-rated soft axis/

space limiting, which consists of software that
provides defined limits to robot motion. The
software uses space limiting that is used to
define any geometric shapes that define where
the robot may do the work. Fryman said that this
feature is only available for new robots, and the
customer must ask when purchasing the robot
for this feature. It is not a standard feature.
Other features mentioned include optional
safety-rated speed controls that meet ISO standard 13849-1. Fryman explained that the speed
of the tool center point (TCP) does not exceed
the limit set for reduced speed and that a protective stop is immediately issued when a fault
occurs.
Collaborative robots can be designed with
human-like dimensions and movements to improve
safe interactions with humans, and some are fitted
with lightweight elements wrapped in soft padding
to absorb potential impacts for increased safety,
like this ABB YuMi robot, which also has integrated
machine vision. Courtesy: ABB

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MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

www.controleng.com

Packaging, consumer
electronics, and small
parts assembly are some
of the applications that
benefit from collaborative robots. ABBs YuMi is
shown. Courtesy: ABB

Risk assessment, said Fryman, is a key element of robot safety because each robot system is unique. There are special considerations
to make, especially for power- and force-limited robots, and the assessment, as such, must
be comprehensive. Fryman said there are many
important things to consider, such as the plant
floor and workspace layout design, limits of the
robot system, hazard and task identification,
and risk reduction.
Fryman stressed that workspace requirements need to be clearly defined so the operator knows where he can directly interact with
the robot. It may be good to paint the floor,
but its not said in the standard, he said.
The workspace design needs to be flexible
so the operator can easily perform all tasks
while maintaining a clearance of 500 mm from
any trapping or pinch point, which is unique
to collaborative robots. When it comes to collaborative operation, one or more of the safety features shall be appropriately selected to
ensure a safe work environment for all personnel exposed to potential hazards. Any detected failure of the selected safety features shall
result in a protective stop.
These safeguards are directed toward the
integrator and toward how the collaborative
application is designed, Fryman said.
This is especially true, Fryman said, when
trying to discern the direction of the robots
movement against the human and its possible
movement. It is unsafe if the robot is able to
strike the human above the neck, he said. Anything below that has a number to it, but anything
above the neck must be corrected.
www.controleng.com

Some collaborative robots are designed to help

manufacturers solve ergonomic challenges that are
physically demanding for humans. Fanuc Americas CR-35iA
can lift 35 kg (77.2 lb). Courtesy: Fanuc America

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 27

COVER STORY collaborative robots

The challenge with power and
force limitations for collaborative
robots is that they arent well understood. It is a relative issue compared to
speed controls, which can be easily measured
and defined.
The ISO/TS 15066:2016 (TS stands for technical specification) Robots and robotic devices
collaborative robots, was published in February 2016 and provides additional information
and guidance on collaborative robots.
Understanding automation,
process strategies

Rick VandenBoom, automated system group

manager for Applied Manufacturing Technologies (AMT), said any particular company needs
to deterimine if collaborative robots are useful.
He said that its important to determine whether or not it is profitable to change the process

Collaborative robots are designed to work

alongside operators in small spaces without the
need for safety fences in applications such as small
part sorting and assembly, inspection, machine
tending, and part delivery. This Fanuc America CR7iA collaborative robot is based on Fanucs popular
LR Mate 200iD series of mini material handling
robots. Courtesy: Fanuc America

to accommodate a robot and what needs to

be considered in return on investment (ROI)
calculations.
Automation, VandenBoom said, is valuable
because it can:
Improve throughput
Reduce direct labor costs
Improve product quality
Improve worker safety
Reduce overall footprint.
While there are many good reasons to use
automation, VandenBoom warned against getting caught up in automation just because the
competition is doing it or because collaborative
robots are the hot new trend at the trade show,
and you have money to spend.
You should clearly understand which of
these factors are driving your decision process
and what their relative importance is, VandenBoom said. When you automate for the wrong
reasons, you end up with failed automation.
VandenBoom also said companies should
identify the business requirements of a proj-

Injection molder Dynamic Group has installed three collaborative UR robots to tend
two injection-molding machines and a kitting application. The collaborative robot enabled
the Minnesota-based contract manufacturer to quadruple production in those applications
resulting in a two-month payback for the robot investment. Courtesy: Universal Robots

28

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

www.controleng.com

ect, understand the process needed, and

determine the appropriate level of automation
when deciding on whether or not to incorporate collaborative robots.
With business requirements, VandenBoom
said that its important to meet the production
milestones and part volumes. And that means
being realistic. Every company, he said, wants
the shortest schedule, highest quality, and
lowest cost.
You can be fast, good, or cheap. Sometimes
you can do two, but never all three. Pick two and
aim for that as your goal, he said. Be realistic
within your own team and your suppliers.
Determining the appropriate level of automation changes demands a strong understanding of the current process being employed on the
plant floor. Knowing where you can improve and
where youre already efficient goes a long way.
Among the things to consider with a process are
the number of processes, the number of operators, types of equipment being used, current
cycle time, and current footprint.
The better you understand the current process the better you can achieve your goals, mitigate risks, and make intelligent trade-offs and
achieve synergistic results, VandenBoom said.
Understanding what kind of automation and
how much is needed on the plant floor is also

crucial. What applies to one company doesnt

necessarily apply to another, and each challenge
is unique. VandenBoom argues that if a company wants to improve its automation through
robotics it should find an expert with a breadth
of experience across many industries and applications and mine their knowledge.
Leverage the experts in these situations, he
said. Dont try to re-invent the wheel.
Regardless of what the company ends up
deciding, VandenBoom said that the options that
are being considered should be the result of a
structured empirical approach that has removed
the guesswork out of the potential choices.
It begins with gathering the right data, following a structured analysis, and presenting
multiple fact-based solutions, he said. ce

Determine the
appropriate level
of automation
when deciding
on whether
or not to
incorporate
collaborative
robots.

Chris Vavra is production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].

Cage-free safety, different than collaborative

robotics, is accomplished
with an area sensor and
the robots built-in safety.
This allows operators to
quickly and easily interact
with the robot without
entering cages. Courtesy:
Mitsubishi Electric

In trying to meet demand on laborintensive, high finish loudspeakers, Paradigm

Electronics in Toronto has now implemented a
UR10 robot from Universal Robots in polishing
applications. The collaborative robot delivered
significant increased production output, eliminating bottle necks while improving the work environment. Courtesy: Universal Robots

www.controleng.com

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 29

INDUSTRIE 4.0 Underway in the Czech Republic

The advent of Industrie 4.0

in the Czech Republic
The core topic and trend in the Czech industrial market is Industrie 4.0. Many recent investments
in computer systems are evolving manufacturing in that direction, and more specific instructions are
yet to come. There is risk in moving too slowly, explains Control Engineering Czech Republic.

f you were looking for one core topic and

trend in the Czech industrial market [and
perhaps the world], its Industrie 4.0. Each
conference of experts, press release, or technical article suddenly looks much better if
it includes the all-encompassing subject of new
industrial revolution. Should these changes really be called a revolution? And at what progress is
the heart of Europe making?
Like a Shakespearean play,
many say that Industrie 4.0 is
much ado about nothing. In
the Czech Republic (and in Slovakia) Industrie 4.0 is more like
the mythical Mrs. Columbo from
the old detective television show:
Logo is shown for the Prumysl 4.0,
someone everybody talks about,
a national initiative defined first by Jan
but never sees in person.
o

Mldek, Czech Minister of Industry and

Trade, who also introduced the white
paper in September 2015 summarizing
the issue. Courtesy: Control Engineering
Czech Republic

MORE

ADVICE
Key concepts
Industrie 4.0 implementations are
happening now, even if theyre not
ideal.
Those using Industrie 4.0 concepts
are adding value now, helping with
the skills gap, even if people arent
necessarily calling it Industrie 4.0.
GO ONLINE
See related IIoT and Industrie 4.0
coverage in this issue and linked to
this article at www.controleng.com.
CONSIDER THIS
Industrial connectivity can offer
benefits no matter what you call it.

30

MARCH 2016

Many names, one flavor

There is a general consensus that Industrie 4.0 is primarily an effective marketing

name that works very well to
promote changes in the name of technical
progress. Although industry decision makers
often hesitate to implement something called
Industrie 4.0, under closer examination of the
technical side they discover that many recent
investments, mainly to computer systems, have
launched this process already. Conversely, no
one would likely believe the assertion: From
now on we will manufacture in line with the
Industrie 4.0 trends.
How could anyone say that, when nobody
knows exactly what such a perfect manufacturing model should be? This is the moment when
the higher authority should chime in. Good
news is that the first step to define Industrie 4.0
implementation was taken by the Czech Republic too, although a little bit late. The Prmysl
4.0 national initiative was defined for the first
time by Jan Mldek, Czech Minister of Industry
and Trade, who also introduced the white paper

CONTROL ENGINEERING

in September 2015 summarizing the issue. Luckily, it was compiled under expert group supervision, so it covers much more than just a fancy
Czech mascot Lion 4.0. The question that
remains is: When and in what form we will see
the announced Industrie 4.0 implementation
action plan?
Changes underway now

Industrie 4.0 already is gradually changing

the manufacturing industry. There is a huge
risk that we will respond too slowly and lose
the valuable competitive edge, because decisions about where to manufacture tomorrow
are being taken today. This is confirmed by the
recent survey conducted among more than 270
companies in Czech. Results indicate that online
interconnections of value-adding processes are a
decisive or very important factor for more than
half of companies. Large players are realizing
this rapid development more than small- and
medium-sized companies do. Commenting on
the current situation, three quarters of respondents described the digitization in their companies as fully (10%), well (39%), or sufficiently
(28%) implemented.
The survey results may lead to a conclusion that Czech companies perceive Industrie 4.0 efforts positively. Based on discussions
with market players, the reality isnt as bright.
Vendors are prepared, for the most part. Their
solutions are capable of integrating the Industry
4.0 concept into the Czech plant environments;
however, they are not that much interested in
doing so yet. Unfortunately, there are still a number of cases (typical in the Czech way of thinking) of unwillingness to make any change.
Where does the hesitation originate? As with
many prior developments, misunderstanding is
the culprit.

Revolution vs. evolution

A frequent and philosophical question

remains: Is this a revolution? Technologically
www.controleng.com

speaking, these changes are generally considered resulting from industrial systems evolution in recent years. This school of thought tends
to promote the term evolution rather than revolution. However, the pace of such changes (if
Moores Law is to blame) really intensifies.
Mobile technology development and the ability of machines to talk to each other, combined
with the advent of the Industrial Internet of
Things (IIoT) or Internet of Services (IoS), are
changing the face of manufacturing. Moreover,
competitive globalization forces profit-hungry
companies to take the advantage of all the benefits coming from deployment of automated and
robotic workplaces.
This vision wont fully materialize anytime
soon. Despite the wishes of many, just having
technologies readily available will not be reflected in the massive influx of investments.
Remember, the first industrial revolution was
not achieved in one day either. Future generations will likely claim the revolution status as
they implement 4.0 factories.
And this might be the core issue. Why do
these changes occur? Whether deemed a cause
or effect, the underlying factors are human
behavioral changes. Industrie 4.0 relates to
advances in technology, but humans still must
have a place in the factory of the future.
How much for machines?

Mobile

technology
development
and the ability
of machines
to talk to each
other, combined
with the advent
of the Industrial
Internet of Things
(IIoT) or Internet
of Services (IoS),
are changing
the face of

Its a justified claim that machines should

take on work that is difficult, repetitive, and can
be harmful to health, the workers of the future
are expected to handle mentally more demanding tasks. Although advances in construction
and control of machines will play a role (mostly
in simplification and to accommodate habits of
the future generations of workers), the changes
must begin now.
Actually, the Czech Republic already faces a
lack of experienced workers (not to be discussed
publicly due to the rate of unemployment). Generation X is to be replaced with Generation Y,
and it appears there is a serious lack of them.
Without some n-th revolution, mainly in education, and if we fail to get the future generation
excited about technical matters, it might be inevitable for machines to substitute humans abilities and handle it all by themselves. And then,
what purpose will be left for us humans?

Boleslav can spot the technology elements of the

smart factory: automated warehouses, robots
cooperating with humans, and digitization of
the manufacturing process, along with elements
of the Internet of Things concept. The same
applies for the Bosch Diesel plant in Jihlava,
where an Industrie 4.0 project aims to monitor
vibrations in machine tools and report deviations that can indicate upcoming faults.
However, all of this can be found in other
plants, without necessarily being named Industrie 4.0. This doesnt necessarily mean that the
fourth industrial revolution isnt in progress,
although, as a matter of semantics, we should
rather call it the industrial evolution. Thus,
Industrie 4.0 is not like Mrs. Columbo who
everyone talks about but no one ever sees. More
likely, weve met her already. Maybe we even
know her well. We just have not been introduced to her real name. ce

Digital plant progress

Luk Smelk is managing director of Control

Engineering Czech Republic. Edited by Mark T.
Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering,
CFE Media, [email protected].

Czech Republic enterprises owned by German companies are deploying Industrie 4.0 the
most. Any visitor of the koda plant in Mlad
www.controleng.com

manufacturing.
Luk Smelk is managing director of Control
Engineering Czech Republic. Courtesy: Control
Engineering Czech Republic

CONTROL ENGINEERING

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| 31

INDUSTRIE 4.0 94 projects in China

Industrie 4.0 is
opportunity, challenge

Aileen Jin
Editor-in-chief,
Control Engineering
China

China is pushing ahead with Industrie 4.0 with 94 intelligent manufacturing

efforts in China Manufacturing 2025; challenges remain.

ndustrie 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution,

the general orientation, transformation, and
upgrade of the manufacturing industry, and an
unprecedented opportunity for development in
the industrial automation industry. Whether
large-scale application of robots or wise use of factory Internet, it will bring huge changes to the global manufacturing industry.
2015 is the first year for Industrie 4.0 in China.
On May 8, 2015, the State Council released the
strategic planning of China Manufacturing 2025,
which symbolizes the formal implementation of
the Chinese blueprint for Industrie 4.0. After that,
the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology introduced 94 special projects of intelligent manufacturing, initiated more than 30 pilot
intelligent manufacturing demonstration projects,
and released a package of policies to promote and
implement the China Manufacturing 2025 strategy.
For a while, publicity about Industrie 4.0 and
intelligent factory demonstration projects was overwhelming, boiling the manufacturing industry of
China overnight. After more than a half year, people tend to have calmer thinking about Industrie
4.0 after following it blindly at the start and finding
few shortcuts on the road of transformation leading
to intelligent manufacturing. Instead, it calls for a
more down-to-earth craftsman spirit.
Transformation, upgrades

MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
Industrie 4.0 is being demonstrated
in 94 projects in China.
Investments and efforts may produce
few recognizable benefits initially.
Security of off-site data analysis is
a concern.
GO ONLINE
www.controleng.com/international
www.controleng.com/webcasts
www.controleng.com/ce-research
CONSIDER THIS
When will you be implementing the
best practices from Industrie 4.0?

32

MARCH 2016

Developed countries are speeding up the implementation of reindustrialization, and developing

countries are also speeding up the industrialization
process. China is confronting dual challenges from
the advanced technologies of developed countries
and low-cost competition of developing countries,
so it is extremely urgent to accelerate industrial
transformation and upgrade.
Different from developed countries stepping
into Industrie 4.0 based on Industry 3.0, China not
only needs to keep up with Industrie 4.0, but also
needs to make up missed lessons in Industry 2.0
and Industry 3.0, said Li Keqiang, premier of the
State Council.
In spite of very bright prospects, Industrie 4.0, is

CONTROL ENGINEERING

a long-term process to implement. At earlier stages, no effects may be obvious after great amounts of
spending and effort. In moving from Industry 2.0
and Industry 3.0 to Industrie 4.0, there will be huge
challenges.
Industrie 4.0 needs powerful hardware support
to complete the functions such as data collection
and acquisition, network connections, computational analysis, visualization, and more, while the
hardware investment cost is rather high.
To obtain more information about machine
efficiency and health, more sensors will need
to be installed. After a data connection is established, massive amounts of data will come out of
the machine in real time, although data transmission speed and transmission quality are affected by
hardware quality. The analysis, cleansing, and storage of big data also need support from high performance computers and mass storage memory media.
At present, many factories have no such hardware
or data connections, and a digitalized analysis platform will require additional investments.
Safety, security

Another challenge comes from safety and security. Industrial data often contains many trade
secrets. Risk of divulging secrets increases with data
transmission and analysis. With industrial big data
analysis, a factory may cooperate with a third-party
data analysis company, which separates the analysis
algorithm or software of intelligent data from a factorys internal data environment. Safely securing a
connection between data in a factory and an analysis platform outside the factory becomes difficult.
Industrie 4.0 needs to be implemented. Future
engineers will no longer focus on just one field.
Instead, they need to grasp multidisciplinary
knowledge. At present, lack of comprehensive talents in the industrial circles and the gap in human
resources are challenges in the realization of
Industrie 4.0. ce

Aileen Jin is editor-in-chief of Control Engineering

China; Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager,
Control Engineering, [email protected].
www.controleng.com

GLOBAL IIOT improving data analytics

IIoT requires data analysis

Data analysis can help industry benefit from the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), said Suzanne Gill,
editor-in-chief for Control Engineering Europe, from the 27th Honeywell User Group EMEA event.

he dramatic change in fortunes of the

oil and gas sector in the past few years
has had a wide-ranging impact across
many industry sectors, resulting in an
increasing requirement for engineers to
show a good return on any technology investment.
This has led many to consider doing things differently, with automated solutions becoming more relevant and easier to justify. At the annual Honeywell
User Group (HUG) in Madrid in November 2015,
Honeywell emphasized data analysis solutions.
Our customers run some of the most complex
industrial operations in the world, and they require
better knowledge to improve process safety, reliability, security, and sustainability, said Vimal Kapur,
president of Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS).
He said new engineers replacing those now reaching retirement age do not have the same wealth of
experience relating to the often aging control technology in use at many process plants; more intuitive
control solutions are required to help inform decisions on process efficiency improvements.
More rapid updates are needed

The pace of technology change is much faster today, said Kapur. Systems traditionally would
have become obsolete every 5 to 10 years. However,
the underlying operating system technology used
today is changing much more rapidly so there is a
need to update systems more regularly.
There is also increasing interest in cyber security
issues and the IIoT. At this point the IIoT is throwing up more questions than answers, said Kapur.
Customers will not be throwing away their existing systems to implement IIoT, so we need to help
them unleash the power that they already have. I
believe that control systems will become the heart of
the IIoT, which will rely on process data for operation, maintenance, and optimizationand that data
comes from the control system.
Kapur said the IIoT will give engineers the
ability to host applications in a more centralized
environment. With different source applications
becoming centralized in the cloud, it will no longer be necessary to maintain the same application multiple times, and upgrades will be much
easier to achieve. It will also allow less skilled
engineers to manage applications. I believe that
www.controleng.com

the IIoT will allow for

Vimal Kapur, president of Honeygreater efficiencies and
well Process Solutions (HPS), at the
increased uptime. It
annual Honeywell User Group (HUG),
offers nothing new, just a
in Madrid in November 2015,
way of doing things difexplained the importance of data
ferently, he said.
analysis to improve process
Kapur said Honeywell is enabling cussafety, reliability, security,
tomers to leverage the
and sustainability. Courtesy:
benefits of cloud-based
Control Engineering
applications and this,
Europe
he says, is helping to
lower engineering costs
and optimize scheduling during the front-end
engineering design (FEED) stage, where time savings of up to four months have been achieved along
with up to 30% reductions in engineering costs.
We have seen an increase in projects executed in
the cloud environmentalmost 2,000 projects since
April 2015.
Bruce Calder, chief technology officer for Honeywell Process solutions, said the process industry
has been doing [IIoT] for decades....We already
have the capacity to make use of this information
to benefit plant performance....the next big change
will be how this data is managed.
One-third of process and manufacturing industry executives from around the world surveyed by
Honeywell said that they already are using data analytics to improve business performance. Two-thirds
MORE
said that they are using data analytics capability to
ADVICE
monitor assets to drive a proactive maintenance
KEY CONCEPTS
program. Two-thirds also said they were investData analysis was widely discussed
ing heavily in IT infrastructure to collect more data
at the Honeywell User Group.
from their facilities or remote assets.
Cloud-based applications can save
There is a huge interest in data, said Calder.
up to four months in engineering
design and lower engineering costs
Data aggragation solutions can be used to
up to 30%.
monitor applications and identify potential safeData analysis helps monitor applicaty and performance issues.
tions and identify potential safety and
To securely enable an increasingly connectperformance issues.
ed world, accurate instrumentation is needed,
GO ONLINE
from field devices to gas measurement control,
Read more in this article online and
Calder said. ce
at www.controleng.com/international
Suzanne Gill is editor-in-chief of Control Engineering Europe. Edited by Joy Chang, digital project manager, Control Engineering, [email protected].

CONSIDER THIS
Are you keeping up with data
analytic opportunities to improve
processes?

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 33

IIoT implementation savings

Quantified benefits of
Industrial Internet of Things
Automation experts already have been implementing Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
architectures for years, prior to calling it IIoT; benefits of digital manufacturing including less
downtime, fewer defects, and more new product introductions, as explained by Douglas Bellin,
Cisco Systems Inc., at the A3 Business Forum, the day after Cisco spent $1.4 billion for a
cloud-based service company, Jasper Technologies Inc.

I
Douglas Bellin,
senior manager, industry lead, Cisco Systems
Inc., presented at the
A3 Business Forum
Feb. 4 in Orlando.
All images courtesy:
Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering, CFE
Media

34

MARCH 2016

mplementations of Industrial Internet of

Things (IIoT) architectures and the benefits of digital manufacturing deliver real
benefits, including 48% less downtime, 49%
fewer defects, and 23% increase in new product introductions, according to Douglas Bellin, senior manager, industry lead, Cisco Systems
Inc. Bellin made the comments at the A3 Business Forum Feb. 4 in Orlando, the day after Cisco
spent $1.4 billion for a cloud-based service company, Jasper Technologies Inc.
A3, the Association for Advancing Automation,
is the umbrella organization for the AIA, Advancing Vision+Imaging, Motion Control and Motor
Association (MCMA), and the Robotic Industries
Association (RIA). A3 helds its annual meeting
Feb. 3 to 5, this year, in Orlando, Fla.

Realities of IoT, less pain

Bellin offered other pieces of advice about the

IIoT and what it means for engineers. In a poll of
the room, just a few admitted to liking the information technology (IT) department, yet operational technology (OT) and IT personnel will
need to work together more closely, Bellin said.
Weve been doing IoT (Internet of Things)
for years, Bellin said, pointing to machine-tomachine (M2M) communications and other
information integration efforts.
The IIoT resolves pain points that we all have
suffered with for years, such as rising energy
costs, aging and remotely located workers, globally distributed operations, customer support
across time zones, world competition, product
proliferation, asset optimization, and others.
The Internet of Everything (IoE) brings
people, processes, data, and things together to
make better business decisions. While almost
every machine has a controller with a lot of
data available, data driven manufacturing is

CONTROL ENGINEERING

not the norm, Bellin said, citing that 86% of 64

million U.S. machines are completely unconnected. Some say 40% of businesses wont be
the same or exist as we move forward if they
dont do IoT.
Disruptive trends

Disruptions changing manufacturing include:

IT and OT are converging
Industrie 4.0 and Industrial Internet
Consortium (IIC) are advocating IoT
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
have an increased focus on services, such
as offering machines as a service, similar to
software as a service (SaaS)
An increase in data-driven manufacturing
There are more secure operations and
machines.

Implementations of digital manufacturing have

delivered benefits including:
48%
49%
23%
16%
35%
18%

less downtime
fewer defects
increase in new product introductions
gain in overall equipment effectiveness
improved inventory
less energy use.

Cisco Systems offers networking tools, so we,

like many others advocate that networking is an
important part of the answer, Bellin said.
Challenges are many, he acknowledged, including the skills gap, but supply chain visibility is the
largest challenge, according to research.
www.controleng.com

Mazak, a machine tool manufacturer, tested a data-collection box retrofitted outside its
machines, which connects to algorithms that
allow predictive maintenance.
Cisco, Fanuc, and Rockwell Automation are
working together in the robot space capturing stranded data and pushing it into the cloud
(remote servers) in a capable form, he said. This
provides predictive maintenance with a twoweek lead-time on failures. Bearings failures and
resulting unplanned downtime and related costs
and fines are falling dramatically as a result. The
goal is to have 3 to 5 weeks of failure prediction.
Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliances, based in Madison, Wis., opened an Arizona factory. After an
engineer often flew back and forth, an interface
offering online video eliminated most troubleshooting, unnecessary trips for the engineer.
The interface allows collaboration among the
designer, factory worker, and supplier to resolve
issues and get back up and running, reducing
downtime.
Applied to oil rigs, such technologies could
save millions of dollars in a
short time by getting things
fixed without loss of translation issues.
See what youre saying to
better understand, Bellin said.
Wheres the IoT going?
The connected journey
means rapid commissioning
of machines, greater security,
start-up templates, a machine
integration platform, OEE
monitoring, data offload via
MTC and OPC interfaces,
scaled factory data acquisition, and advanced
security.
Then IIoT will enable machines as a service, a
security framework, machine-to-cloud communications, secure bi-directional communications, and
remote access. Finally, IIoT will deliver advanced
machine automation, time-sensitive networks
(TSN), high-speed standards, advanced controls,
and human-machine interface (HMI) integration
with analytics. Digitization creates foundation of new
applications and outcomes. Fanuc has found tremendous savings with problem prediction, he said.
Real-time analytics

In another example, a high pressure casting

machine offers real-time analytics, performance
projections, real-time data collection, with all sensors connected. A 5% revenue increase resulted
with continuous real-time measurements and analwww.controleng.com

The five waves of connectivity are connectivity foundation, business,

people, things, and convergence. They are designed to be the framework of the
IIoT, according to Bellin.

Digital manufacturing drives

business outcomes with benefits
such as 48% less downtime,
49% fewer defects, and 23%
increase in new product introductions.

The connected journey for the IIoT starts with

proprietary serial islands and expands to connected
machines, machine integration, machine as a service, and advanced machine automation.

ysis, inline quality inspections, and instant rework.

This accelerated the journey to value-added
services. If softer U.S. economy results in 2019,
as some economists predict, offering services will
keep machine builders ahead of the curve.
Manufacturing is moving from product-centric to services-centric, led by a digital transformation where services and the digital journey
converge. This delivers deeper insights into product and customer needs, Bellin said.
To capture value, digital manufacturering builds a hyper-aware organization, makes
informed decisions, executes quickly, and outpaces the competition. Adding artificial intelligence
algorithms can improve decisions and prevent
failures. IoT breaks down IT/OT silos. ce
Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].

MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
Implementations of IIoT architectures and digital manufacturing deliver
less downtime, fewer defects, and
more new product introductions.
Disruptive trends in manufacturing
change how companies capture value.
GO ONLINE
Read more advice with this article
online, linking to an article about a
recent Cisco transaction with Jasper
Technologies.
CONSIDER THIS
What future developments will
involve digital manufacturing and the
IIoT and how might they benefit?

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 35

IIOT gateway connections

IoT gateways:
Industrial automations
path to Industrie 4.0
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industrie 4.0 connect industrial automation devices and
equipment, or things, with cloud-based systems to harvest information faster and to drive
business value by providing new services to customers.
MORE

ADVICE
Key concepts
Industrial Internet of Things
(IIoT) improves connectedness
for processes, factories,
and building automation.
IoT gateways connect to
cloud-based computing and
analysis.
Information should connect to
existing systems for the best
value.
GO ONLINE
Link to related production
information with this article
online, under March at
www.controleng.com/archives.

he ever-expanding Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), sometimes

referred to as IoT for applications
beyond industrial automation, brings
a vast communications infrastructure
to the process, factory, and building automation industries; one that is far beyond anything
these industries have typically used. With cloud
communications services available from several companies spread across the planetincluding Microsoft, Amazon, and othersit has never
been easier or more cost-effective to connect
even the smallest and least expensive devices to
a networkand not just to a local network, but
to one that spans the globe.
IoT carries vast amounts of processing power
to the process, factory, and building automation

industries. This processing power, which can also

be found in the cloud, is scalable from one central processing unit (CPU) with limited memory
and disk space to a large array of CPUs or servers. If used effectively, this processing power can
be applied to monitor and analyze data, to report
events and results, and to solve problems that
could never have been solved before.
Scalable software

Many organizations embarking on their

IoT initiative seek off-the-shelf, scalable software applications to enable monitoring, visualization of data, real-time analytics, and much
more. Because of the openness and standardization in emerging communications protocols,
many of these applications are serviceable with

CONSIDER THIS
Does your human-machine interface (HMI) software promote
easier mobile connectivity?

Create, save, and load

self-service dashboards
via MobileHMI for use
with Iconics Genesis64
HMI/SCADA software on
any smartphone, tablet,
web browser, or webenabled device by using
KPIWorx from Iconics.
Users can drag and drop
data, configure widgets,
and split screens to add
new widgets with several
preconfigured gauges,
process points, trends,
alarms, and grids in KPIWorX. Courtesy: Iconics

36

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

www.controleng.com

minimal configuration and with little

or no middleware.
Achieving these benefits requires the
availability of low-cost bridging devices called IoT gateways. IoT gateways
communicate to the exiting sensors
and automation controllers called edge
devices and provide the bridge between
an on-premise communications network
and cloud-based computing power and
visualization. IoT gateways must have
the ability to interface with industry
standard protocols such as OPC Unified
Architecture (UA), BACnet, Modbus,
Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP), or web services, but can sometimes use proprietary communications
protocols as well.

in the form of cost reduction, new revenue streams, or an improved customer

experience. ce
Oliver Gruner is the director of cloud
business development at Iconics. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager,
Control Engineering, CFE Media,
[email protected].

Connect edge devices

from behind firewalls and
securely publish data to
cloud-based applications

for better analytics.

IoT gateway

Connectivity is key. Without being

able to connect edge devices from behind
firewalls and securely publish data to
cloud-based applications, organizations
will not be able to achieve the promises
of advanced analytics through computing power in the cloud.
A premium IoT gateway, for instance,
should be able to communicate with
Microsoft Azure or third-party applications using the most popular transport protocols. After the IoT gateway is
online, it can register with the Microsoft
IoT Hub in the Azure cloud through a
secure Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) so that it can authenticate,
send, and receive data. Acting as a secure
message broker, the hub can allow for
remote device management, provisioning, and configuration.
The IoT gateway should be able to
work with enterprise resource planning
(ERP), manufacturing execution systems
(MES), and other enterprise applications
running in private or public clouds other
than Azure using Representational State
Transfer (REST) and Message Queuing
Telemetry Transport (MQTT) as established IoT transport protocols.
IIoT and Industrie 4.0 represent the
advent of connecting industrial automation devices and equipment, or things,
with cloud-based systems to harvest
hidden information faster than ever
and to drive business value by providing
new services to customers. The benefits
to organizations, line of business applications, and customers may be attained

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 37

Advance to the IIoT.

Connect devices and ignite productivity.
Give your existing infrastructure a brighter future.
Red Lion has been connecting devices and igniting productivity for years. From plug-andplay Ethernet switches to HMIs and visual management systems with built-in protocol
conversion, our industrial automation and networking solutions will enable you to connect,
monitor and control virtually anything, anywhere at any time to meet todays Industrial
Internet of Things (IIoT) requirements. Visit www.redlion.net/IIoT and discover how to
extend equipment lifespan, improve process visibility and push control to the edge.

input #15 at www.controleng.com/information

+1 (717) 767-6511 I [email protected] I www.redlion.net
2016 Red Lion Controls, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

IIOT data analytics

Use IIoT to
improve operations
More data is just more data: data analysis software is the key to extracting insights and creating
value from the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) opportunities in production facilities. See an
implementation example. Online, see another example and the four needs of data analytics.

T
Figure 1: Getting the
most from available
information requires collecting data, transmitting
it via wired or wireless
methods, analyzing it with
software, and making it
available to engineers via
smartphones, tablets,
and computers. Courtesy:
Seeq Corp.

38

MARCH 2016

hanks to a new generation of wired and

wireless sensors, data can now be economically generated and gathered in
quantities never previously available
and then sent to process control and
monitoring systems via plant networks or through
the Internet. Data can then be used to improve
automated real-time control and to help plant engineers and operators make better decisions regarding operation and maintenance. It also is available
to data analysis software, which can be used by
plant personnel to increase efficiency, diagnose
equipment problems, and improve safety.
As a result of this opportunity for new insights,
terms such as the Internet of Things (IoT), the
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), big data, and
Industrie 4.0 are now common. Recent advances
in sensors, connectivity, and data analysis software
combine to make it easier and less expensive to
acquire, send, store, and analyze information. The
objective is to get better insights faster.
IIoT, to choose one of the terms, can improve
plants in brownfield, greenfield, and service-related
applications. All three can be described independently, and can co-exist within the same plant.
Brownfield refers to existing plants and operations where new sensors are added to existing
control or plant networks. Common brownfield
scenarios include adding a wireless system and sensors to expand operator visibility and asset monitoring capabilities or adding sensors to replace the eyes

CONTROL ENGINEERING

and ears of engineers being transitioned to centralized remote monitoring centers or integrated operations facilities. Greenfield scenarios are plants or
facilities just coming online with IIoT projects. This
is the most common scenario for smart city or public sector projects, and its where the association of
IIoT with cloud-based monitoring systems originates because the project isnt designed around an
on-premise control and monitoring system. Greenfield deployments may lack a control system infrastructure. Examples include monitoring remote
tank farms, pump stations, and vehicles as a complementary system for an existing facility.
Cash in on services

Finally, servicization is one of several monikers describing the inclusion of a remote monitoring capability for an asset. Vendors of pumps,
valves, and many other asset types are introducing subscription services for monitoring equipment
installed on customer promises. The business benefit is asset reliability and uptime, but the real driver
is the opportunity for the vendor to provide expertise in asset performance and management.
Each model follows a common architecture
of sensor, communications network, and analysis that is very familiar to the process industry
and noted by many prominent industry speakers.
There are new opportunities for improved plant
performance enabled by these new technologies
and at drastically lower price points.
The key question for manufacturers with existing plants then becomes: How do we bring our
facilities forward into a smarter state? The answer
should always be framed in the context of the end
benefit: better insights faster.
Sensors are the starting point in the data collection process. They monitor operation of the
things in the IIoT: pumps, valves, and other assets.
Their cost of implementation and use is dropping
rapidly, making it cheaper to acquire more data.
Plant personnel were once limited to 4 to 20 mA,
HART, or various fieldbus protocols to connect
www.controleng.com

Figure 2: Wireless transmitters eliminate the need

for cables, conduit, power supplies, and safety
devices. This makes it easier and less expensive
to acquire data from pumping systems and other
process equipment. Courtesy: Emerson Process
Management

these sensors to control and monitoring systems

and software. But today, they can use many types of
wired and wireless data connection methods, often
employing multiple networks simultaneously in one
plant (see Figure 1).
Sensors and connections enable new data from
new sources to be accumulated quickly and inexpensively, and theres a wide range of modern networking options for deployment. Battery-powered
transmitters require no signal or power wiring
infrastructure, so they can be installed in locations
far away from a process units wired signal termination points. They also can operate safely for years in
hazardous and other areas.
Wireless instrumentation enables monitoring of
a wide variety of equipment and systems previously
too difficult or expensive to reach with wires.
Brownfield IIoT: using pump data

Retrofitting a pump with sensors, a network,

and pump analysis software makes it possible for
process plants to monitor pumps and detect problems long before a pump fails and shuts down, and
it is an example of a brownfield IIoT solution.
A few years ago, high cost of installing a dedicated online monitoring system limited use to the
most critical pumps. With the relative ease of adding pump condition monitoring using wireless sensor technology, online monitoring can be done on
all important pumps (see Figure 2).
A pump monitoring system gathers data on
temperature, pressure, level, and other variables
in real time and transmits via a wireless mesh
network to a gateway, which sends it to the control room via a hardwired link, usually Ethernetbased. There, pump monitoring software analyzes
data from dozens or hundreds of pumps and alerts
operators when it finds potential problems. At
www.controleng.com

Figure 3: A scatter chart can be quickly and easily created by process plant personnel for data analysis. Seeq data analysis software can give process experts
first hand insights to data, enabling them to customize analysis and improve production outcomes. Courtesy: Seeq Corp.

one 250,000 bpd refinery, pump monitoring systems were installed on 80 pumps throughout the
complex. The annual savings was over $1.2 million after implementation, resulting in a payback
period of less than six months.
Similar results have been accomplished across a
range of asset types: valves, steam traps, and others.
Cost/benefit ratios continue to improve because of
ongoing downward cost pressure on components.
IIoT last mile: data analysis

Delivering better insight faster is a good goal,

but the last mile of IIoT unlocks value. To deal with
the challenges of data from IIoT deployments, specialized data analysis software is required to handle
the high data volumes and provide the integration
platform for data from disparate sources.
Data analysis software should enable rapid
insights for employees who know the process,
assets, and operations (see Figure 3). The software
must also be easy to use so as not to require the
intermediate and time consuming step of programming by developers or translation by data scientists.
The value of insight degrades quickly if developers and data scientists need to become involved
as they introduce time lags to the data analysis
process. If changes cant be found and implemented in time to impact production outcomes, they
have little value.
For example, if a pump monitoring system
sends data to software designed to analyze problems inherent to pumps, maintenance engineers can
use the information to understand exactly what the
software is telling them. ce

Michael Risse is a vice president at Seeq Corp. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control
Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].

MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
IIoT in action: Data acquisition is
easier than ever, with many wired and
wireless networks available.
Important assets, such as pumps in a
refinery as well as valves, steam traps
can be monitored for maintenance
prior to failure.
Ingredient tracking improves
product quality.
GO ONLINE
Longer online version has more
advice, including 4 needs of data
analytics. Search on the headline at
www.controleng.com.
CONSIDER THIS
Information integration works best
when information is put to use within
an appropriate period of time.

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

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IIoT automation, information technologies

PC-based control
drives global adoption
of Industrie 4.0, IIoT concepts
PC-based control systems are at the front lines of automation technology and information
technology convergence (AT/IT) as businesses find ways to funnel data into a useful, actionable
form designed to empower decision makers as they look to stay competitive.

E
MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
PC-based control systems are at the
front lines of automation technology
and information technology convergence (AT/IT).
PC-based control systems and IIoT
software can establish a seamless
connection between the Internet of
Things (IoT) devices.
PC-based control is becoming the de
facto system for companies seeking
to benefit from the rising tide of the
Smart Factory.
CONSIDER THIS
What else can PC-based control do
for Industrie 4.0 and the IIoT?
GO ONLINE
See additional stories about the
IIoT, Industry 4.0, and Big Data at
Control Engineerings Networking and
Security channel.

40

MARCH 2016

veryone has been talking about the

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
and Industrie 4.0 for quite some time,
but there are very good reasons it has
stayed on our collective radar. The key
themes behind the smart factory concept revolve
around establishing high connectivity and managing the critical mass of data generated every
day in manufacturing facilities around the world
to gain valuable insight to optimize businesses
and processes.
Regardless of methodology, the business
needs that motivate companies to embrace big
data and cloud-connected communication continue to grow unabated. This will be a subject
of discussion for a long time to come. This is
because there is a business case at the center of
the constructive conversations about these subjects. Manufacturing operations produce vast
amounts of data, and finding ways to funnel that
data into a useful, actionable form becomes paramount to empower company decision makers
with the information they need to stay competitive and innovative.
However, storing and conveying this data is
just the tip of the digital iceberg. Heightened levels of integration with plant operations minutiae
enable companies to achieve a superior degree of
operational knowledge as well as facilitate cuttingedge methods to streamline and optimize processes. Concepts such as predictive maintenance,
machine downtime reductions, and control solution optimizationminimizing cycle times or
energy peaksoffer companies previously unseen
clarity towards increased manufacturing efficiency
and driving down production costs.
Though implementation of these concepts can
be achieved in many ways, PC-based control systems provide an efficient means to build this type
of functionality by relying heavily on standards.

CONTROL ENGINEERING

In addition, PC-based control systems are at the

front lines of automation technology and information technology convergence (AT/IT).
This convergence is occurring almost everywhere in the world of automation and controls,
but it has been developing far longer, with the
greatest level of integration in PC-based control.
Cloud-connected industrial databases, objectoriented manufacturing processes, and control
system notifications pushed to mobile devices
are just a few of the exciting things on the horizon for forward thinking companies.
Connectivity and big data

IIoT and Industrie 4.0 have a strong hand

in connectivity, but the data derived through
that connectivity are the valuables being mined.
Seamless, cycle-synchronous data acquisition
and storage are prerequisites for effective production/throughput analysis and correction of
processing errors in machines.
To this end, Internet of Things (IoT) software includes the ability to store all process-relevant data in a cycle-synchronous manner and
in a standardized data format. This data can be
stored either locally in the controller, in a cloudbased solution on a server in the company network, or in a public cloud, depending on the
needs of the company. The platform provides
a complete temporal image of the manufacturing process and the production data, offering an
ideal information baseline to assist in the event
of an error, to enable comprehensive condition analysis of the machine, and other valuable
functions.
The recorded process and production data
can be analyzed online or offline, and machine
cycles can be examined for minimum, maximum, and average values of the cycle times.
Features such as online and offline condition
www.controleng.com

Integration with plant operations via the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enables companies to achieve a superior degree of operational knowledge and facilitates cutting-edge methods to streamline and optimize processes. Courtesy: Beckhoff Automation

analysis, predictive maintenance, pattern recognition, machine optimization, and long-term

data archival are designed to help companies
that seek complete business intelligence covering the finest details of their operation.
Another new feature deals with moving vital
data from point to point, ensuring that authorized personnel can access this data, regardless
of time or their location in the world. This feature supports standardized protocols for cloud
communication such as MQTT, AMQP, and
OPC-UA for smart device integration.
The extension of conventional control tasks
through applications such as big data, pattern
recognition, or condition and power monitoring
in the cloud, can result in major improvements
to production throughput, equipment efficiency,
and time-to-market with new products precisely
tailored to rapidly changing demand.
Through the use of a PC-based control system and IIoT software, establishing a seamless connection between the IoT devices and
the Internet of Services becomes a simple matter of configuration via the software graphical
user interface (GUI). Corresponding services
can be affordably hosted in public cloud systems
or within private, local networks. Using these
platforms and services in combination with
advanced PC-based control systems, which support native connections to these services, offers a
www.controleng.com

Seamless, cycle-synchronous data

acquisition and storage are prerequisites
for effective production/throughput
analysis and correction of processing

errors in machines.

solution that is quickly configured; process data

can start being captured and analyzed.
The value of data in any manufacturing operation cannot be oversold, and the ability to mold
that data into the means to streamline plant
operations, reduce operational downtime, and
cut costs has become todays gold standard for
the modern enterprise. This is really what Industry 4.0 and the IIoT discussions should be about.
PC-based control is becoming the de facto system for companies seeking to create measurable
and compelling business results off the rising
tide of the smart factory. ce
Daymon Thompson is automation product specialist, Beckhoff Automation. Edited by Chris
Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering,
[email protected].
CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 41

IIOT, INDUSTRIE 4.0 implementations begin

Enabling IIoT requires

protocol translation
As implementations of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industrie 4.0 frameworks begin, Hilscher
is providing network gateways and other communications from the plant floor to the enterprise and
cloud for manufacturing data analysis, company executives told Control Engineering, recently.

I
MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
Hilscher is helping enable
connectivity the IIoT requires.
Plant floor can connect to the
enterprise and cloud for analytics.
IIoT and Industrie 4.0 test cases and
demonstrations are underway.
GO ONLINE
See more details with this article
online at www.controleng.com.
CONSIDER THIS
IIoT can connect and derive value
from islands of automation.

mplementations of Industrial Internet of Things

(IIoT) and Industrie 4.0 frameworks are progressing, and translations of major industrial network communication protocols enable the flow
of data that becomes actionable information with
analysis. Hilscher is among companies providing
network gateways and other communications from
the plant floor to the enterprise and cloud for manufacturing data analysis.
Hilscher representatives said the company
devices aim to make it easier for end users, device
manufacturers, and machine builders to access the
benefits of Industrial Internet-connected manufacturing. Enabling technologies extract data in parallel with current control networks and deliver it to
cloud-based analytical services without compromising existing systems or services.
Armin Phringer, Hilscher business development manager, said products are designed to help
make industrial cloud benefits a reality today.
Hilscher North America CEO, Phil Marshall, also
addressed the benefits of connectivity, providing
communications for fieldbuses and industrial Ethernet protocols, he said. The goal is to get machine
builders, system integrators, and end users out of
the network wars, and allow them to connect easily
to as much as they need, Marshall said.
Devices help IIoT get data off the wire. Products are vendor independent and legacy proof,

A Hilscher demonstration showed vibration monitoring for drives, with strain

gauges, and transfer of data from the edge into the cloud and analytic services.
Hilscher plans to be the enabler of field data in Industrial Internet-based architectures. Courtesy: Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering, CFE Media

42

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

Marshall said. You dont have to retrofit the control system to get data to the cloud, for existing and
future PLCs, without touching or adding communications responsibilities to PLCs.
Phringer said customers can use existing
infrastructure in plants; deploy reference architectures from Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC)
and Industrie 4.0, vetted for all implementations;
use cyber-physical systems as a virtual twin; and
leverage standards and start again, in a cycle of
continuous improvement.
The IIC Reference Architecture includes an
edge tier with devices, such as actuators, scanner,
sensors, motors, controls; a platform tier; and connections to the enterprise and cloud. Field includes
existing real-time infrastructure, Phringer said,
and the edge bridges information technology (IT)
and operational technology (OT), then connects to
higher level systems. This is valid model, laid out
in great detail for all test beds, Phringer said.
Industrie 4.0 uses a three-dimensional RAMI 4.0
model; functional layers are in line with plant floor
people, and physical objects enable IIoT functions.
Installations: Flatter, faster

Pilot installations underway are moving to dissolve hierarchical control architectures, Phringer
said, flattening structures and connecting the plant
to enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
A cyber-physical system holds the model to simulate process behavior. Models can be put on existing wire in the plant without disturbing the PLC,
using presently available protocols and time sensitive network (TSN), an emerging Ethernet standard
designed to bring one real-time Ethernet structure
to the many-flavored protocol soup of today.
Phringer said companies are moving beyond
prior concerns about safety, security, and privacy
risks. For a major IBM pilot installation, expected to
be announced at Hannover Messe, Hilscher is supplying network protocol translators. A bottle-filling
application was shown at SPS Drives in Nurnberg,
Germany, fall 2015. ce

Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].

www.controleng.com

More resources posted daily at:

www.controleng.com

digital edition
Exclusives, Online Extras: Benefits of the Control Engineering Digital Edition include
tablet-friendly viewing (HTML5), exclusive content in every issue; headlines link to the
longer version posted online; links are live where a URL is provided; and an email link
arrives when ready. In addition, link to additional Online Extra articles.
DIGITAL EDITION EXCLUSIVES

DE1 Technology developments using IIoT,

real-time data to help workers in the field

Automation and controls designed to benefit manufacturers in the field were among
topics discussed at the 20th Annual ARC Industry Forum.

DE5 Cognitive computing delivers answers, asks new questions

In a data-driven age, taking advantage of collective knowledge can be done with very little
jeopardy. Just ask Watson. Humans in many industries are taking advantage of cognitive learning
and massive data analysis, including 10% savings in aerospace industrial maintenance.

ONLINE EXTRAS

(Click on the headlines or search www.controleng.com.)

Projects for improving manufacturing challenges receive funding

The Energy Department announced $3 million for 10 new projects for the High-Performance Computing
for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) Program, which is designed to enable private-sector companies to use highperformance computing resources at the departments national laboratories to tackle major manufacturing
challenges.

Planning algorithms for automatic contingency planning

Researchers at MIT and the Australian National University (ANU) have developed a planning algorithm that
also generates contingency plans for logistics and control applications that can help guide autonomous robots
and determine control policies for the power grid.

Changing the narrative

Rethinking ways to attract and retain African-American women in academic engineeringwhile understanding the intersection of race and genderhas never been more important. These women are showing the way.

Following selective coordination best practices

Design engineers must coordinate electrical systems so that the protective device closest to the fault opens
first, and quickly enough, to prevent the upstream devices from tripping.

Augmented reality is essential

for the next generation of skilled workers
Newport News Shipbuilding is constantly seeking new technology and innovative ways to improve safety,
quality, cost, and schedules. Since 2007, they have explored augmented reality as a means to shift away from
paper-based documentation in the work environment.

Six trends for the field service industry in 2016

As manufacturing shifts to a service-based economy, many businesses are beefing up their product support
departments in order to stay competitive. Six trends and technology developments will impact the field service industry in 2016.

www.controleng.com

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 43

DIGITAL EDITION exclusive

Technology developments
using IIoT, real-time data
to help workers in the field
At the 20th Annual ARC Industry Forum, industry professionals and experts discussed
and provided demonstrations on the latest manufacturing trends and ideas designed
to benefit manufacturers in the field. See related articles in this issue, pages 30 to 42.

MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
Companies are looking to leverage
the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
to improve worker efficiency.
Balancing connections among
things, services, and people will
add value beyond the IoT to other
industries.
Some of the developments include
enhancements to real-time data
processing, asset performance monitoring, and improvements for mobile
applications.
CONSIDER THIS
What other IIoT benefits do you see
that werent mentioned here? (See
related articles in this issue.)

t the 20th Annual ARC Industry

Forum, from Feb. 8-11 in Orlando,
industry professionals and experts
discussed the latest manufacturing
trends. They touched on many subjects including the Industrial Internet of Things
(IIoT), Industrie 4.0, increased plant efficiency, synergy, and delivering real-time data. Click
on the headlines for each section to learn more
about the latest developments as well as additional images from each press conference.

Connecting manufacturing assets

to enterprise systems

Fred Yentz, president and CEO of Telit IoT

Platforms, talked about the Industrial Internet
of Things (IIoT) and the formation of Telits IoT
Factory Solutions business unit as well as how
its working on helping customers to take advantage of the IIoT. The business units goal involves
multiple paths to deployment from one scalable
platform designed to provide secure, robust shop
floor access to the top floor and a connected ecosystem of original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers, and customers.
Yentz said Telit is working
to simplify connections with
deviceWise, an industrial automation platform that seamlessly
Peter Terwiesch, president, ABB
Process Automation, discussed
how the Internet of Things, services, and people (IoTSP) is delivering tangible results in a number of
industries at the 20th Annual ARC
Industry Forum in Orlando, Feb.
8-11. All images courtesy: Mark T.
Hoske, Control Engineering.

DE1

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

connects any manufacturing asset to any enterprise system, vertically and horizontally, without
programming. deviceWise is designed for manufacturing verticals such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, machinery, oil and gas, electrical
power generation, water, and other industries.
Companies recognize the value of the Industrial IoT, sometimes referred to as Industrie 4.0,
Yentz said. The challenge has been securely
connecting high-value production equipment to
enterprise systems as well as to the information
consumer outside of the enterprise.
This focus is a key component part of
Telits vision of connected factories, connected
machines, and connected consumers and ties
directly into its core IoT business.
Increased efficiency and productivity
through the IoTSP

The Internet of Things, services, and people

(IoTSP) is bringing tangible benefits in multiple
industries, explained Greg Scheu, president, ABB
Americas, and Peter Terwiesch, president, ABB
Process Automation, at the 20th Annual ARC
Industry Forum on Feb. 8 in Orlando.
Scheu opened the presentation with a brief
company overview since its inception in 1883
and some of the products the company has provided, such as gearless motor drives, turbochargers, industrial robots, extended control systems,
and variable speed motor drives. Scheu said ABB
offers power and automation, which account for
40% and 60% of company revenue respectively.
Terwiesch discussed ABBs initiative on delivering the IoTSP. He gave a brief overview of the
prior industrial revolutions and the progression
to Industrie 4.0:
Industry 1.0-1712: Mechanical production
powered by steam in England
www.controleng.com

Satoru Kurosu (left) and Simon Wright from

Yokogawa discussed creating customer value and
cloud-based solutions at the ARC Industry Forum.

Industry 2.0-1870: Assembly lines powered

by electricity in 1870
Industry 3.0-1969: Electronics and software-based control powered automation
Industrie 4.0-Today: The IoT connects
things, services, and people.
Terwiesch also discussed a growing shift
in automation as industrial products become
smaller while still delivering increased productivity. Key drivers include affordable sensors, increased computing power, and more
sophisticated software algorithms that can process data in new ways. The benefits, he said,
include higher uptime and product quality
while increasing safety from a worker and process standpoint.
Terwiesch also discussed the plant of the
future involving IoTSP and what this means for
information technology/operational technology (IT/OT) integration. Whether its infrastructure, industry, transportation, or the home,
everything will become more integrated and
more connected with one another. Terwiesch
used several examples from ABBs recent operations involving the IoTSP including a mine
facility in Sweden, a paper mill in Brazil, and
a plant in Ohio.
Terwiesch also emphasized focusing on
customer outcomes by improving operations,
maintaining assets, and transforming projects
to increase efficiency and improve worker safety as a whole.
www.controleng.com

Terwiesch said balancing connections

among things, services, and people will add
value beyond the IoT to other industries. He
cited benefits to mining, pulp and paper, oil
and gas, and other applications. Its a great
time to be in automation. Create it.
Delivering real-time data to
companies in the field

Honeywell Process
Solutions (HPS) showed
how Pulse mobility software can add productivity
to users of Honeywell
Dynamo or Uniformance
software at the ARC
Forum.

Don Pearson, chief strategy officer of Inductive Automation, and Travis Cox, co-director
of sales engineering, along with Arlen Nipper,
president of Cirrus Link Solutions and coinventor of MQTT, demonstrated the addition
of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) functionality to the existing human-machine interface/
supervisory control and data acquisition (HMI/
SCADA) functionality to Inductive Automations
Ignition industrial application platform. The
modulesMQTT Engine, MQTT Injector, and
MQTT Distributorare designed to accelerate
organizations ability to leverage the IIoT.
Pearson said companies arent getting the data
they need for decisions. Coupling devices with
CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| DE2

DIGITAL EDITION exclusive

applications stops innovation because systems take
too much time to set up and change after that.
Nipper explained that Inductive Automation
and Cirrus Link Solutions are taking a fundamentally different approach by combining Ignition software from Inductive Automation with
all the efficiency of MQTT, a translator used in
oil and gas successfully for 10 years. MQTT is
a pub/sub messaging transport thats perfectly suited to the IIoT. MQTT provides fast, bidirectional communication in a very simple
manner, so it requires minimal network bandwidth. And the speed of the new solution is
groundbreaking. The modules with Induction
technology are designed to connect hundreds of
devices in just minutes.
Synergy and customer value through
cloud-based solutions, integrated data

Cloud-based solutions and how to create customer value, were among discussions
from Satoru Kurosu and Simon Wright of Yokogawa, also at the 20th Annual ARC Industry
Forum in Orlando. Kurosu, director and executive vice president, head of solutions service
business headquarters, discussed creating customer value beyond the plant. Simon Wright,
CEO of Yokogawas industrial knowledge business
unit, discussed cloud-based, customer-connected advanced solutions. Wright was formerly CEO

The IIoT is designed to deliver real-time

operating data as well as cloud-enabled
software for greater connectivity to unify
systems and process more data for

enhanced decision making.

of Industrial Evolution, a provider of cloud-based

plant data-sharing services, a company that Yokogawa acquired in January 2016.
Kurosu said the new Yokogawa business unit,
formed after acquisition of Industrial Evolution,
aims to provide synergy and customer value creation through integrated data and analytics. It provides a secure cloud platform, data as a service
(DaaS), and business applications on top of that.
Wright said the DaaS effort began in 2000 for
oil and gas utility companies. It is built on Osisoft
PI and structured query language (SQL), moves
data to a data center, a private cloud, and adds
analytical value. It is scalable to millions of data
points, proven, secure, reliable, and is data source

DE3

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

agnostic for data type, application vendor, and service provider. Both discussed the business strategy of advanced solutions that integrate OT and IT
to enable industrial organizations to create value,
foster sustainable business growth, and build synergies that contribute to a companys effective
transformation.
Industrial Internet, mobility applications
for increased connectivity

Mobile software is available to help users of

process software be more productive using smartphones and tablets. Honeywell Process Solutions
discussed Honeywell Pulse and the Honeywell
IIoT network, called iiOT, at the 20th Annual ARC
Industry Forum in Orlando.
Mara Weber, global business communications
and investor relations, Honeywell Process Solutions, explained that the digital transformation
connects people, processes, and assets. The IIoT
is designed to deliver real-time operating data as
well as cloud-enabled software for greater connectivity that also is designed to unify systems
and process more data for enhanced decision
making. It also uses data analytics to predict
future events that can help prevent abnormal situations and reduce downtime.
Hilary Gwisdala, global marketing communications, Honeywell Process Solutions, demonstrated Honeywell Pulse mobility software,
showing simple setup in just a few minutes, easily pulling information from Dynamo or Uniformance software from Honeywell Process
Solutions. Honeywell Pulse is a mobile application designed to provide immediate notifications
and real-time plant performance data and analytics to plant operators and managers.

Technology converging for asset

performance monitoring

Bentley Systems CEO, Greg Bentley, discussed the convergence of IT and OT and engineering technology (ET) also at the 20th Annual
ARC Industry Forum. Bentley discussed how
this convergence is enabling owner-operators to
go beyond asset performance monitoring to asset
performance modeling, and thereby achieve
demonstrable improvements in asset performance. He also explained why digital engineering models are critical to realizing the benefits of
the IIoT and how new breakthroughs in reality
modeling (enabled by way of unmanned aerial
vehicles [UAVs], digital imaging, and innovative
software) are making the continuous creation of
as-operated digital engineering models possible
for every infrastructure asset.
Bentley also suggested that digital engineering model integration is a logical benefit of IT
www.controleng.com

and OT convergence. He gave an example of a

south Australia gas utility that is adding weather and events to track, optimize, and control
consumption with its portfolio for asset performance monitoring. Schematics, 3D models,
functional components and specifications, analysis, and network models all feed digital engineering models to create the digital DNA of the
organization.
Bentley said that IIoT success requires sensors, big data analysis, information mobility
3D, global positioning system (GPS), and other
information for asset performance modeling.
Mobile technology also can be used to expedite issue resolution in the field when site and
field workers can collect and share field feedback. For example, Bentley said, Western Power,
in the U.K., is using 3,500 Apple iPads in field
with maps software from Bentley. ce

A gas utility is adding weather

and events to track, optimize, and
control consumption; schematics, 3D
models, functional components and
specifications, analysis, and network
models all feed digital engineering
models to create the digital DNA of

the organization.

Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, CFE

Media, [email protected], with press release
information from Yelit, ABB, Inductive Automation,
Cirrus Link, Yokogawa, Honeywell Process Solutions
(HPS), and Bentley Systems with additional information from Mark T. Hoske, content manager,
Control Engineering, [email protected].

Want to receive your Control Engineering

magazine as a digital publication?

Update your subscription, and get

our digital edition, on a more
interactive and user-friendly platform,
in your email in-box.
Update now at

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DIGITAL EDITION exclusive

Cognitive computing delivers

answers, asks new questions
In a data-driven age, taking advantage of collective knowledge can be done with very little jeopardy.
Just ask Watson. Humans in many industries are taking advantage of cognitive learning and massive
data analysis, including 10% savings in aerospace industrial maintenance.

he importance of IBMs Watson

computer beating two human contestants in a game of Jeopardy!
five years ago was better demonstrated the day after the televised
event when cancer researchers called to ask if
Watsons computing capabilities could be harnessed to help in that area.
That idea evolved into IBM for Oncology,
one of more than 500 partnerships, including
industrial and maintenance-related applications,
developed around the idea of cognitive computing demonstrated by Watson on a game show
can be used to help solve the complex problem of
complex data in an increasingly complex world.
Thats the potential of cognitive computing, according to Rob High, vice president and
chief technical officer for the
IBM Watson project. As he told
the annual ARC Advisory Group
forum in Orlando on Feb. 10, the
need for such computing power
is essential to take full advantage
of the knowledge humans are
creating. Cognitive computing
comes down to data. Theres been
an enormous growth of data,
High said. We are going to generate 2.5 exabytes of data today.
Thats 2.5 billion, billion bytes. By
2020, were going to generate 44
zetabytes of data.
The problem with that, High
noted, was not the data itself.
We cant read it all; we only can
Rob High, IBMs vice president
and chief technical officer of its
Watson computing project, said
cognitive computing is essential for
humans to make better use of the
massive data being created each
day. Courtesy: CFE Media

DE5

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

get a small sliver of it, he said. The disparity is

between the information and our ability to consume it. We want to tap into that massive volume
of information to make decisions, but to do that,
we need cognitive systems. High said there were
four main characteristics of cognitive systems:
They are able to learn their behaviors
through education.
They support forms of expression that are
more natural for human interaction.
Their primary value is their expertise.
They continue to evolve as they experience new information, new scenarios and
new responses.
Our human condition is far too complex to
represent mathematically, High said.
We dont look up each individual word to
create meaning. We derive our understanding
through pattern recognition and through those
signals gain meaning.
High said the questions are more daunting as
humans and the cognitive systems keep learning.
He posed three questions for consideration:
How do we use cognitive systems to
amplify human cognition?
How do we make it possible to think about
a problem you might not have thought
about it before?
How do you make decisions in a way you
didnt before?
If that sounds a little too mechanical, some
of the new cognitive systems under development also will include contextual, linguistic
and even emotional analysis, such as robots
www.controleng.com

that can evaluate body language and cognitive

systems that can recognize puns and innuendo.
Those latter skills were important for Watsons
foray into Jeopardy!
We had to interpret the context in which the
question was intended, but use that context to
look for information, High said. They also loaded
about 200 million pages of literature into Watson
to help prepare the computer to play the game.
While the demonstration was a cultural phenomenon (Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings
famously wrote, I for one welcome our new computer overlords, for his Final Jeopardy! question at the end of the second game).
High said the real breakthrough was demonstrating the potential of cognitive computing.
The real breakthrough was that we could tackle
problem of human reasoning, he said.
Today, that concept that evolved into 530
business partnerships, including more than
100 universities, and 80,000 developers using
cognitive services on IBMs Bluemix platform.
That includes Austin, Texas-based SparkCognition, which works with aerospace companies to resolve maintenance issues more

The cognitive system sifts

through the information to
find what is most important
to us and helps inform our

decisions.

MORE

ADVICE

quickly based on the context of the problems

faced. High said this effort has lowered maintenance costs by up to 10%.
Cognitive systems do the research for you so
you can do your thinking better, High said. On
our behalf, the cognitive system sifts through the
information to find what is most important to us
and helps inform our decisions. It changes the
way we as humans think. ce

KEY CONCEPTS
Cognitive computing demonstrated
by Watson can be used to help solve
the complex problem of complex data.
Cognitive systems can learn through
education and evolve as they gain
more information.
The challenge going forward will be
using cognitive computing to amplify
human cognition.

Bob Vavra is content manager, Plant Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].

CONSIDER THIS
What other applications could cognitive computing be used for?

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HMI high-performance design

High-performance HMIs,
efficiency, process safety
Using high-performance HMIs is a powerful way to streamline how operators manage
processes and allows them to react to process upsets as efficiently as possible.

efore computers were widely available

in manufacturing, operator interfaces
consisted of lights, rotary readouts, and
control charts. These components were
mounted on a wall in the control room
and required operators to physically interact with
them to run the process. Early computer graphics
were used to shrink the operator interface to fit on
a monitor but were rudimentary and made it easy
for the operators to be overwhelmed with data.
As computer graphics progressed, and the
world at large became familiar with general business computing, industrial graphics followed
suit, leading to the 3D rendered process environments common in most
human-machine interface (HMI)
marketing materials over the past
few years. While these graphics look great in a brochure,
they can get in an operators
way leading to confusion and
additional productivity losses
during process upsets.

MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
High performance HMIs can make
operators more effective and reduce
overall downtime and time spent on
troubleshooting.
High performance HMIs can also
be helpful under normal operating
conditions by using trends embedded
into process object graphics to show
conditions over time.
Many companies are implementing
high performance HMI applications
in their facilities as they see gains in
their process efficiency.
GO ONLINE
See more information about high
performance HMIs at
www.controleng.com.
CONSIDER THIS
What other applications and
industries could benefit from high
performance HMIs?

44

MARCH 2016

Process control system

complexity

On a parallel path to the advancements in computer graphics, process control systems have become more complex over the past
few decades. The amount of data collected from
a manufacturing process is constantly growing, and the industry push towards continuous
improvement places more responsibility on process operators.
High-performance HMIs are a relatively new
design methodology designed to combat the confusion present in HMI applications with enhanced
graphics by focusing on situational awareness as a
primary motivator behind design decisions. Situational awareness is an operators ability to understand the information critical to his job at any
given time, derive the correct actions, and reduce
information overload through the use of simplified graphics by using color and animation only to
convey process upsets.

CONTROL ENGINEERING

The major hurdle in designing high-performance HMI systems is that high-performance

graphics are not conventionally attractive for use as
marketing collateral and are not as easy to advertise.
Sound the alarms

In non-high-performance applications, normal

process conditions are usually some combination
of green and red for running or stopped motors,
open and closed valves, and so on. There might be
flashing animation to show items moving down a
conveyor belt or fans spinning. Colored lines are
used to show the different process connections, usually based on the processs piping and instrumentation diagram
(P&ID) drawing. When something
goes wrong, there might even be a
flood of alarms, leaving the operator a pile of information to sort
through to find out what the
problem is before he can take
steps to fix the issue.
Even for someone who is
familiar with the process, finding
out the root cause of an upset can be a time
consuming task. High-performance HMI applications are designed to reduce the amount of time
spent looking for the root cause. This is accomplished by simplifying the graphics, removing animation, flashing, and color under normal operating
conditions. This even extends to accessibility concerns by not relying on color as the sole source
of information. In the case of an alarm, different
shapes and symbols can be used to indicate the
equipment that is not running normally.
When a process upset occurs, the offending portion of the process can be highlighted,
immediately drawing the operators attention to
it, and increasing his or her situational awareness
to reduce the amount of time it takes to troubleshoot the problem.
High-performance HMIs can also be helpful
under normal operating conditions by using trends
embedded into process object graphics to show
conditions over time. They can use standardized
www.controleng.com

scales to see if a large number of different

devices with different operating ranges are
in or out of spec at a glance.
High-performance
development, benefits

One benefit to more complex HMI

architectures is the introduction of objectoriented programming techniques. This
approach allows developers to create templates for graphics, scripting, alarms, and
communication structures.
Using a template approach to developing high-performance HMI applications can reduce overall conversion time
by building templates for the graphics
and scripting that can then be placed in
the application along with parameters for
each instance of the graphics. If changes need to be made to any of the objects
after the application has been developed,
they will automatically be applied to all of
the objects, saving time and hassle during
commissioning and operation.
Many companies are now implementing high-performance HMI applications
in their facilities. As they see gains in their
process efficiency, other companies are taking note. In the past 18 to 24 months, the
tide has started to turn, with high-performance HMIs making their way back to the
system vendors and in marketing materials; the major vendors also are offering
graphics, scripting, and even control logic
as out-of-the-box templates to further
reduce the complexity and learning curve
required to implement high-performance
HMI applications at any facility.
High-performance HMIs are a powerful tool that can make operators more
effective, reduce overall downtime and
lost-time spent on troubleshooting, and
reduce the stress involved in handling
process upsets.
By reducing the graphic interfaces complexity, high-performance HMIs have the
added benefit of being able to convey more
information than a typical HMI application
because it takes less work for the operators
to get their bearings with the increased
focus on situational awareness. ce
Alex Marcy, P.E., is the owner and president of Corso Systems, a system integration firm based in Chicago. Edited by Chris
Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, [email protected].
CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 45

Graphics, scripting, and even control logic

are available as out-of-the-box templates to

reduce the complexity and learning curve.

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input #16 at www.controleng.com/information

HMI high-performance interfaces

Using programming
standards to leverage
modern HMIs
Modern human-machine interfaces (HMIs) can benefit from automation technology
(AT) and information technology (IT) convergence solutions.

T
MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
Programming standards have been
a major reason for the convergence
of automation technology (AT) and
information technology (IT).
Companies are leveraging IT
standards such as Microsoft Visual
Studio for engineering, HTML5 for
design, and WebSockets and HTTPS
for secure communication instead of
proprietary systems.
HMI logic can be implemented on
the client side in JavaScript or as a
server extension, which opens up the
possibility of writing extensions in
.NET or C++, which can protect and
enhance intellectual property.
GO ONLINE
See additional stories about the
IIoT, Industrie 4.0, and Big Data at
Control Engineerings Networking
and Security channel.
CONSIDER THIS
What other developments are possible with todays HMI solutions and
what future developments are likely?

46

MARCH 2016

he rapid adoption of programming

standards has been a core driver
of the convergence of automation
technology (AT) and information
technology (IT). Significant advancements in control and automation technologies
have been developing this way for years, combining traditional programmable logic controller
(PLC) code with standards from the computer
science realm. Controls vendors have been careful to capitalize on IT standards for automation
without losing the confidence of the average PLC
programmer and controls engineer. Humanmachine interfaces (HMIs) can benefit from this
kind of balanced AT/IT interplay.
Instead of the traditional, proprietary systems for HMI engineering and communication that industrial engineers are most familiar
with, companies are leveraging IT standards
such as Microsoft Visual Studio for engineering,
HTML5 for design, and WebSockets and HTTPS
for secure communication. It is also possible to
connect HMI projects to a source code repository tool such as Team Foundation Server, GIT,
or Subversion. This means engineering teamwork and collaboration can be simpler and easier to comprehend as well. It also takes the best
standard technologies, proven by a wide range of
innovative companies in the business and consumer tech industries, and applies them in new,
exciting ways for industrial HMI purposes.
HTML5 is designed to provide simple, highperformance and globally available technology for webpage design. Many major webpage
developers and tech companies use it to mitigate
many of the previous issues with living webpages. Of course, not all controls engineers are
well versed in website programming and design,
so the HMI programming environment should
go well beyond being user friendly.

CONTROL ENGINEERING

HTML5 also helps designers create modern

and ergonomic HMI pages and enables numerous browser types to display these webpages.
This means that HMI solutions can be highly adaptable: Web-based HMI solutions based
on HTML5 and JavaScript can modify the display to best suit the screen in use regardless of
the operating system, browser, or device. The
same HMI software used in a factory can be
deployed across multiple machine types, viewed
on numerous industrial display screen formats,
including multi-touch displays, and can even be
scaled to facilitate comfortable viewing on tablets and smartphones.
Secure communications

The client or the browser also can communicate with the HMI server and helps bridge the
gap between Web-based clients and industrial control technology hardware. Familiar standards such as HTTPS and WebSockets Secure
are designed to help guarantee security from the
client to the server. The HMI server, on the other
hand, can connect to the respective controller(s)
via the appropriate protocols. As an example,
the OPC UA protocol could be used for HMI
to communicate to a wide range of industrial controllers, along with communication with
PC-based control software platforms using a
protocol such as Automation Device Specification (ADS), BACnet, and IEC 61850.
Powerful HMI architectures facilitate numerous application scenariosfrom local HMI
panel solutions to multi-client, multi-server, and
multi-runtime concepts. ce

Daymon Thompson is automation product specialist, Beckhoff Automation. Edited by Chris

Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering,
[email protected].
www.controleng.com

Integration of human-machine interface (HMI) with

tools such as Visual Studio and HTML5 enables feature-filled HMI concepts to be directly configured in a
familiar engineering environment with little or no programming. Courtesy: Beckhoff Automation

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input #17 at www.controleng.com/information

INFORMATION INTEGRATION TOOLS OPC and DDS

Using connectivity software

to integrate the IoT
with existing systems
As the number of Internet of Things-enabled devices grows, connectivity becomes the biggest
hurdle. Open platform communications (OPC) and data distribution service (DDS) provide two
approaches to bridge the communication gap by reducing the complexity required to integrate
with new devices. (See IIoT section of articles in this issue.)

T
MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
OPC and DDS are designed to connect devices that use any number of
protocols by implementing a standard
set software interface.
OPC is a client-server-based architecture whereas DDS has a decentralized
architecture that distributes messages
in a peer-to-peer fashion.
Easier integration with the industrial world will benefit manufacturers
everywhere and speed up the return
on investment.
GO ONLINE
See more information about open
platform communications (OPC) and
data distribution service (DDS) online
at www.controleng.com.
CONSIDER THIS
What other technologies or
concepts could be used to integrate
with the IoT?

48

MARCH 2016

he difficulties of integrating the

Internet of Things (IoT) with existing systems are similar to radio and
television. Both radio and television
use radio waves to transmit their signals, with hardware on either side to encode and
decode the signals into audio and images. While
the overall concept is the same, the results are
very different.
This is analogous to configuring a device from
one manufacturer that uses one type of communication protocol to communicate with a system
from a different manufacturer that uses a different protocol. Unless specific translations are present, the two devices wont be able to effectively
communicate with one another. This is where
connectivity software like open platform communications (OPC) and data distribution service
(DDS) comes into play.
Reducing complexity

While their technical details differ, OPC and

DDS are similar in their ultimate goal, which is
making it simple to connect devices that use any
number of protocols by implementing a standard set software interface. This not only simplifies the lives of industrial automation companies
that supply control system hardware and software
by building support for these protocols, but also
makes it easy for new device and instrumentation
companies to integrate with existing systems that
were developed prior to the concept of the IoT.
One example of this type of integration
between new technology and existing systems
is the concept of geo-fencing and beacons. Geofencing is where a software system uses specified locations on a map to track when people are
in a particular area; beacons are similar, using

CONTROL ENGINEERING

hardware combined with location-aware devices

to track how far away people are from the beacon itself. This technology has been widely used
in consumer retail applications to send customers relevant coupons or notifications when they
are near a store or restaurant. This concept can be
applied to the industrial world for safety and/or
emergency alert systems.
For example, with a geo-fencing system in an
industrial facility combined with location tracking of operators, alerts can be sent to the control
rooms human-machine interface (HMI) when
operators enter a specific area of the plant. In the
event of an emergency, it is easy to track down
the exact location of everyone in the facility using
this information. This data can also be integrated with the control system when using mobile
devices for data collection. As an operator moves
throughout the facility, his or her device can
automatically load the correct data entry screens
to collect readings as the operator moves to different process areas.
Using the geo-fencing example, integrating
a technology not built with the industrial world
in mind can require a huge amount of effort,
requiring development work and testing with a
large number of systems architectures. Instead,
if the geo-fencing vendor designs its system to
integrate with the control systems using OPC or
DDS it only needs to develop one or two integrations to open itself up to communicate with any
control system that uses OPC or DDS. This can
immediately increase a vendors potential market
share without any additional work.
Safety is the number one priority

While OPC and DDS are similar in theory,

they have different technical backgrounds. OPC
www.controleng.com

Object Management Group on Data Distribution Service

he Data Distribution Service (DDS) from Object Management Group (OMG) is a protocol for the
IoT that enables network interoperability for connected machines, enterprise systems, and mobile
devices, according to the OMG website. DDS provides scalability, performance, and quality of service
required to support IoT applications. DDS can be deployed in platforms ranging from low-footprint
devices to the cloud and supports efficient bandwidth usage as well as agile orchestration of system
components. It provides a global data space for analytics and enables flexible real-time system integration. It lets software developers focus on the purpose of applications rather than the mechanics of
passing information between applications and systems.
www.omg.org

is a client-server-based architecture where the

OPC server communicates with clients, typically
industrial control systems. DDS has a decentralized architecture with devices using the protocol
and creating a type of network to distribute messages in a peer-to-peer fashion.
OPC has a long history of being developed
for and used in industry, with many protocols
offered by a variety of OPC solutions, along
with database integrations, serial device communications, and hooks for Web-based system
integrations. DDS, on the other hand, was initially developed from more IT-centric applications simplifying communication across
networks and is moving into industry as broader scope technologies are adopted into control
system architectures.
Both OPC and DDS act as middleware
between end devices or overall systems and other
systems and enable standardized communication configurations to transfer data to where it
needs to go. The choice between the two will likely be dictated by the systems and end devices in
place, and what integrations are offered by each
of the solutions. A final system design will likely
include both as the IoT becomes more and more
prevalent in manufacturing.
Integration benefits

OPC and DDS can be great tools to increase

the overall capabilities of industrial control systems (ICSs). They can help integrate new devices into a facility, providing more information and
context about a process and enabling operators
and staff to make more informed decisions about
how to operate.
The main questions to ask are what information would be most useful to have, where does
that information come from, and what is the easiest way to get it to where it needs to go? This
might mean using some combination of standard
protocols within a control system and both OPC
and DDS to integrate nonstandard devices.
www.controleng.com

OPC Foundation
on OPC Unified Architecture

he OPC Unified Architecture (UA), released in

2008, is a platform independent service-oriented architecture that integrates all the functionality
of the individual OPC Classic specifications into
one extensible framework, according to the OPC
Foundation website. OPC UA provides the necessary infrastructure for interoperability across the
enterprise, from machine-to-machine, machineto-enterprise and everything in-between. This
multi-layered approach accomplishes the original
design specification goals of:
 Functional equivalence: all COM OPC
Classic specifications are mapped to UA
 Platform independence: from an embedded micro-controller to cloud-based
infrastructure

The choice
between OPC
or DDS will likely
be dictated by
the systems and
end devices in
place, and what
integrations
are offered by
each of the
solutions.

 Secure: encryption, authentication, and

auditing
 Extensible: ability to add new features
without affecting existing applications

 Comprehensive information modeling:

for defining complex information.
www.opcfoundation.org

One of the main benefits of the IoT is the ability to integrate with any number of new technologies, some which have not yet been imagined.
Making it easier to integrate with the industrial world will speed up the return on investment
(ROI) in this technology and benefit manufacturers everywhere. ce
Alex Marcy, P.E., is the owner and resident of
Corso Systems, a system integration firm based in
Chicago. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, CFE Media, Control Engineering,
[email protected].
CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 49

Where decision makers go

Come to Hannover Messe 2016 and meet the people who can say, Yes.

The worlds most important industrial

trade fair attracts more than 6,500
exhibitors from 70 countries
representing the entire industrial
value chain. Nearly 70 percent of
those attending will be decision makers.
No other industry event can deliver
that kind of business-to-business
saturation. Join them all in Germany.
Phoenix Contact will be there, too,
with our wide range of electrical
engineering, electronics, and automation
systems, components, and solutions.
Hannover Messes 2016 partner
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To learn more:
www.phoenixcontact.com/GoMesse
input #18 at www.controleng.com/information

THE ROAD TO

HANNOVER MESSE2016
American manufacturing
on a global stage

or nearly 70 years, Hannover Messe has been the worlds leading

industrial trade show, bringing manufacturing innovation from
around the world to Hannover, Germany, each spring.
The United States takes center stage at Hannover Messe 2016 as
this years Partner Country. The event takes place April 25-29, providing an
opportunity to bring American manufacturing strategies to a global audience.
In the months leading up to this years show, well look at the key trends
in global manufacturing and offer insights as to how U.S. manufacturers
can benefit from attending Hannover Messe in 2016.

Getting the right data helps

company decide to exhibit
By Bob Vavra
Content Manager, CFE Media

Frontier Technology Inc. (FTI) is a company well-known in the federal

government for being able to assist its customers in making data-driven
decisions. In an era of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), FTIs skill
set seemed like a great match for the manufacturing sector.
The U.S. Commercial Service approached FTI officials about exhibiting at Hannover Messe April 25-29 in Germany as part of the Partner
Country USA pavilion, and the potential was clear. We have a lot of
Internet of Things technologies around predictive analytics, said Michael
Weatherly, PhD, direct of data analytics for FTI.
Energy is a really interesting market for us. We do a lot with training, and we have some really unique and innovative products. FTI was
looking to expand its business beyond the work it has done with the
Department of Defense (DOD) and other agencies. The play into the
IIoT was clear, and incentive packages from Virginia, where one of FTIs
six U.S. offices are located, and from the Commercial Service, will give
the company its first entry into Hannover Messe.

The message around data

An employee-owned business based in Santa Barbara, Calif., FTI provides information and research methodology for complex system analysis. Its Operational Decisions Solutions tool helps transform data into
actionable information and point users toward solutions.
Weatherly said the data-management lessons it has learned over the
years translates very well to a global audience thats learning more about
IIoT and its European parallel strategy, Industrie 4.0.
We are swimming in data, but what are we doing with it? Weatherly
said. Weve got tons of information, and were trying to get to the data
that makes sense. The big trick is not just telling where we are and where
weve been, but also getting into the predictive side through data.
A lot of time youre only as good as the data you get, he added. Were
trying to help customers determine the failure of a system before it fails.
The move to Hannover gives FTI exposure to discuss how its datamanagement offerings play on a global basis. The chance to get in front
of some of the worlds top manufacturers is an exciting one for Weatherly
and his team. Were really looking forward to show, he said. Were
looking to diversify into other markets, and we have some really smart
folks on our team. Its fun to be around other innovative folks.
www.controleng.com

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 51

HANNOVER MESSE
25 29 April 2016
Hannover Germany
The USA will be highlighted at the worlds largest industrial
technology trade fair. To explore opportunities at HANNOVER
MESSE, call +1 (773) 796-4250 or visit www.hannovermesse.de.
Sign up for free tickets: www.hannovermesse.events/cfemedia

Get new technology first

input #19 at www.controleng.com/information

NEW

THE ROAD TO

HANNOVER MESSE2016

Frontier Technology Inc. director of data analytics Michael Weatherly called

Hannover Messe 2016 a great opportunity for the company to expand globally and into new manufacturing markets. Image courtesy: FTI

The interest in the U.S. pavilion at Hannover provides companies such as

FTI a captive and curious audience. Because 2016 is the first time the United
States has been the Partner Country at Hannover Messe, it also provides many
small and mid-sized manufacturers (a group the Germans call mittelstand) a
week-long introduction to U.S. opportunities.
That means additional exposure and a prime location for U.S. companies,
institutions, and economic development organizations, particularly those exhibiting in the U.S. Pavilions, said Daniel Gaines, senior international trade specialist
for the U.S. Commercial Service. It means that manufacturers of any size will
stand out prominently.
Among the opportunities offered by the Commercial Service are:
Pre-show educational webinars that help companies prepare for the event.
Pre-show company promotions to potential overseas partners, helping U.S.
exhibitors get maximum exposure to the potential buyers, partners, and
investors at the show.
Onsite executive marketing counseling with commercial experts from U.S.
embassies from across the globe, helping U.S. exhibitors create custom strategies for approaching key global markets.
Post-show follow-up support to make sure U.S. exhibitors know how to take
the next step with the new connections they make at the show.
Its a great opportunity, Weatherly said. Between the U.S. Commercial Service and the state of Virginia, we have meetings already set up with potential
business partners. We already have a good network overseas, so were definitely
looking forward to the show. PE
www.controleng.com

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| 53

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THE ROAD TO

HANNOVER MESSE2016

Rittal helps spur global

revolution around IIoT
Manufacturers with long histories in both Germany and the
United States are especially excited about the U.S. having Partner
Country status at the 2016 Hannover Messe on April 25-29. Rittal
is one such company, with a long association with the show, and
a expanding footprint in the U.S.
Glenn Wishnew, senior product manager at Rittal Corporation,
discusses both the historic ties Rittal has with Hannover Messe
and the new prospects surropunding the Industrial Internet of
Things (IIoT) and its potential impact on global manufacturing.
CFE MEDIA: Rittal has had a long association with Hannover
Messe. In this year with the U.S. as the Partner Country, why
should Hannover Messe be important to the U.S. market?
How is that market different than its German counterparts?

customers. The underlying concept is an outgrowth of a variety

of production processes made possible by new technologies.
The focus is no longer simply on optimizing individual
engineering, production or logistics stages separately but rather
on integrating them to establish efficient, cost-effective processes with maximum flexibility and high customer benefit.
Customer requirements need to be understood and applied
at the engineering stage to keep product and production data
consistent.
By linking people and information with design and production equipment, IIoT tools provide Rittal and its enclosure
customers enormous advantages:

WISHNEW: Germany, where Rittal is headquartered, has a

long history as a center of machine technology and for industrial innovation. Hannover Messe is where the whole Industrie
4.0 concept was born, which has had a particularly profound
effect on Rittal in the United States because Rittal embraces
manufacturing on a global level.

They make it easy to modify enclosure designs to meet

customer requirements precisely and know what all the
ramifications of a design change will be quickly. That
includes changes to costs, production timetable, impact
on other aspects of the manufacturing process, etc., long
before production of the enclosure begins.

With the worlds largest economy, the United States has been
experiencing a manufacturing resurgence in a few areas. From
our perspective, Industrie 4.0 is part of whats making that resurgence possible, by making us more responsive to emerging
customer needs and eliminating rework and waste.

They allow for faster design and production turnarounds

for significantly shorter delivery and commissioning times.
That allows Rittal customers to get the new equipment they
need to support their own operations in place faster, and
have greater confidence about meeting their own deadlines.

CFE MEDIA: Weve seen a surge of interest in IIoT and Industrie 4.0 in Germany. Our research shows a lot of interest,
but not a lot of awareness of specific benefits. What is Rittals message about IIoT and its importance to the future of
manufacturing?

They allow engineers to predict how a design will perform

in the field before the enclosure is ever built so design
modifications can be incorporated early and inexpensively.

WISHNEW: The IIoT is the next step in the evolution of

integrated design and production. It will impact how all manufacturers build their products, as it is already affecting the way
Rittal designs and builds customized enclosure solutions for its

They ensure greater energy efficiency of the completed

enclosure.
To remain profitable, all manufacturers need the ability
to integrate data from a growing array of sources to gain
a big picture of operations. Although commercial tools

The IIoT concept goes well beyond real-time condition monitoring and fault
diagnosis. Tools for peer-to-peer comparison and factory health information gathering from systems and their components will allow triggering
maintenance activities and process adaptation. IIoT will ultimately link all
aspects of production from engineering to manufacturing in one valueadded chain.
Glenn Wishnew, Rittal

54

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

www.controleng.com

Visit Beckhoff at Hannover Messe 2016

in Hall 9, Booth F06!
input #21 at www.controleng.com/information

THE ROAD TO

HANNOVER MESSE2016
have long been available to provide
overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
information to factory management,
they tend to be focused on finding root
causes for problems that have already
happened rather than on providing
predictions that managers can use to
prevent problems.

PDM MONITORING SERVICES

The IIoT concept goes well beyond

real-time condition monitoring and fault
diagnosis. Tools for peer-to-peer comparison and factory health information
gathering from systems and their components will allow triggering maintenance
activities and process adaptation. IIoT
will ultimately link all aspects of produc-

Visit Us 25-29 April

US Pavilion, Digital Factory
Hall 7 | Stand E12

tion from engineering to manufacturing

in one value-added chain.
In essence, IIoT is all about data, software and interfaces and the ability to use
them to model and simulate the final
product in a virtual environment to optimize the design and eliminate errors prior
to actual manufacturing. Rittal is bringing
IIoT technology to electronic enclosure
and panel manufacturing by integrating
the offerings of several sister companies
to create a seamless value chain.
A seamless value chain can make it
possible to slash engineering/production
costs by up to 50%. Some manufacturers have also been able to shorten design
times by up to 60% by reducing delays
caused by repetitive rework involved in
design changes.
CFE MEdia: What should U.S. manufacturers, regardless of size, be focused
on today to get stronger?

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WishnEW: Embracing the principles

of Industrie 4.0 and IIoT and making
the investments needed to make them a
reality are critical. They especially need
to focus on making the capital improvements necessary to make that happen
now, when the cost of borrowing for
these improvements in the United States
is at historic lowsinterest rates are only
going to go up from here.
CFE MEdia: Manufacturing has faced
challenges in the early stages of 2016.
Whats the message to your customers
today about why its still important to
continue to invest in manufacturing?
WishnEW: A big part of the challenges
in terms of investment in manufacturing has really been driven by the drop
in the oil and gas market. With gasoline
now at less than $2.00 per gallon and a
lot of supply on the market, this has put
a damper on investment for that sector.
Fortunately, it appears that drop has bottomed out, and its limited to a single sector. But from our perspective, improving your manufacturing capabilities and
integrating your systems to serve your
customers better and faster is always a
good investment. PE

56

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

Pritzker: Largest delegation to Hannover

shows U.S. is open for business
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will lead
the largest-ever U.S. delegation to Hannover Messe April
25-29, in Hannover, Germany. For the first time in the
Fairs history, the United States will be the Partner Country,
which provides the more than 270 businesses and economic
development organizations (EDOs) in the U.S. delegation
an unprecedented opportunity to be prominently featured
in U.S. exhibition halls and during special events.
President Obama will also participate in this years event,
themed Integrated IndustryJoin the Network.
The United States is home to the most innovative and
forward-thinking companies in the world. But in todays
global economy, it is not enough to simply be the best. We
must also let the world know that America is open for business, said Secretary Pritzker. Hannover Messe is a unique
opportunity for American companies to showcase their
products and capabilities to thousands of global advanced
manufacturing representatives.
The U.S. manufacturing industry has strong bonds to
Germany and our countries have been vital partners in

many geopolitical priorities. The 2016 Hannover Messe

will be a milestone in our trans-Atlantic trade relations and
an example of the Obama Administrations commitment to
strengthening the U.S.-Germany economic partnership,
Commerce department officials said in a press release.
The Department of Commerce also will host the U.S.
Investment Pavilion, a centerpiece of the fair and host to
state and local EDO exhibitors. The International Trade
Administration will have international trade specialists
available on the show floor to provide insights into global
industry trends, identify the best market opportunities for
U.S. products, and facilitate introductions to international
buyers, distributors, and investors. PE
To learn more and register for the event, visit
http://export.gov/hannovermesse/.
A list of all exhibitors in the delegation can be downloaded at http://export.gov/hannovermesse/exhibitors.

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INSIDE PROCESS advanced process control

Part 1: Neural networks

in process control
Neural networks have been used in process control strategies for years and have been applied with
great success. This two-part series examines the process of producing a neural network. Part 1 covers neural network architecture, control space, model range, data types, and dataset selection.

MORE

ADVICE
KEY CONCEPTS
Neural network models can be
beneficial in industrial processes.
The choice of architecture depends
on the application.
An important aspect of developing
neural network models is the concept
of measurement and control space.
It is possible to do some historical
data mining to acquire a data set for
training.
GO ONLINE
Link to additional online resources,
neural networks, advanced process
control, and related content at
www.controleng.com/archives, under
March 2016.

s the name implies, neural networks are composed of a network

of neurons programmed to produce a response from external
stimuli. The neuron is the basic
building block of the network. It gets its name
from its biological namesake. But in this case,
the neuron is modeled by a small segment of
computer code called a perceptron. Several
neurons are interconnected in a network that
is taught how to respond to stimuli by training. Its an iterative process: present the stimuli,
compare the response to a reference, and make
the correction. The ability to learn gives neural
networks great flexibility to capture the underlying function of a process, even with attributes
that are not readily obvious, such as installation, age, fouling, or some other unmeasured
parameter.

The purpose of using neural network models stem from their ability to:
Model a linear or nonlinear process
Model a process that is difficult to
understand
Model a process that is difficult to model
using first-principle equations
Model a process based on indirect
measurements
Shorten model development time for a
complex process.
There are several cases where neural network
models may be beneficial for industrial processes.

CONSIDER THIS
Understand how the abstract
concepts of neural networks and advanced process control can be applied
to real-world control scenarios.

Figure 1: The diagram

shows a simplified view
of a four-input, approximate-function, neural network with three neurons
in the hidden layer. All
images courtesy:
Process2Control LLC

P1

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

www.controleng.com

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The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. 2016 Emerson Electric Co.

input #24 at www.controleng.com/information

INSIDE PROCESS advanced process control

Record #

Target

Input 1

Input 2

Record 1

25

42

62

Record 2

65

25

31

Figure 2: The shape of the control space depends on the point vector distribution of the data records used for training. Assume
two inputs for this example: two data records used for the model (table), the point vector formed from record 1 (left), each record
forms a point vector (middle), and the point vector distribution takes form (right).

Applications where a model can be substituted

for an unreliable measurement can impact profitability. In some cases, a controlled process may be
manipulated only at discrete intervals due to lag in
obtaining a control measurement. For example, a
process may use lab analysis as feedback. The lab
measurement has an inherit lag time. The neural
network may be trained with the lab data to produce a virtual instrument the process can use for
control on a continuous basis.
Model-based controllers can use neural network models in place of first-principle models. This can shorten development time and still
allow control of multiple control variables where
simultaneous setpoint and trajectory control are
needed. And theres always the case of the process that is poorly understood, too complicated,
or rapidly changing to apply first-principle models. Neural networks excel at finding the underlying process response from input stimuli.
Neural network architecture

and analyzed. The choice of architecture

depends on the application. In industrial control
applications, generally speaking, models seek to
mimic the function of some process variable; the
target, based on the process conditions; and the
inputs surrounding it. The simplest architecture
for this task is the multilayer function approximation network architecture (see Figure 1). The
number of neurons in the hidden layer depends
on the complexity of the target function, but in
general, they range from three to nine.
Control space

An important aspect of developing neural network models is the concept of measurement and control space. Measurement space
is the multidimensional limits defined by the
measurement range of each input representing
one dimension. An array of inputs is called the
input vector. Control space is within measurement space, and its limits and shape depend

Since the 1980s, different types of learning

neural network architectures have been designed

Figure 3: The graphs show a valid control space (left), an invalid control space (middle), and the target range (right).

P3

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

www.controleng.com

input #25 at www.controleng.com/information

INSIDE PROCESS advanced process control

Inputs

Temperature

Control system

Transport delay
Distance

Inputs

Mode
Flow rate

Noise

Temperature

Mode

Level

Flow rate
bpc

Target

Target

dp
Flow rate

Percent open

Mixing

Valve position

Percent
open
Valve position

Figure 4: The fishbone diagram on the left shows all possible influences that could affect the target measurement. The goal is to
reduce the variables to those that have significant influence on the target as shown in the fishbone diagram on the right.

Figure 5: This neural

network significance
analysis graph shows
significant inputs above
zero. Inputs below zero
are either insignificant or
in the noise band.

Model inputs
should
be robust,
independent
variables that
have the most
influence on
the target.

P5

MARCH 2016

on the point vector distribution of the input vector data records used for training. For example: There could be a number of independent
inputs, p1 pk, into a model, and each would
form a dimension in control space. For simplicity, assume only two inputs (see Figure 2).
The control space coverage is determined by
the point vector distribution in Figure 3 (left).
If the inputs form a point vector outside the
control space as shown in Figure 3 (middle), a
neural network model may not be valid. This is
because no training existed in that space.
Dataset selection

Of primary importance when selecting

records for training a neural network is to
ensure the record set covers not only the range
but also the target response throughout the
input range. Figure 3 (right) shows an example

CONTROL ENGINEERING

of how the target response to the inputs reveals

its range and function.
Steps in acquiring a dataset suitable for training a neural network include choosing the target variable, selecting the input vector elements,
handling of data types, historical data mining,
and/or parametric testing.
Data types: Binary, integer, and floating
point are the primary data types recommended for the function approximation architecture.
Enumeration and string-type data are special
cases but may be used if broken it into individual binary inputs.
Selecting target variable model input elements: Arguably, the most difficult task in creating a neural network model is selecting the
process variables that make up the model input
vector data elements, p1 pk. Model inputs
should be robust, independent variables that
www.controleng.com

have the most influence on the target.

Experience is usually enough to perform the selection when the process
is simple. However, in some cases, the
process may have more than a few variables, and choosing the right ones may
be challenging.
In addition, care must be given to
minimize the number of inputs because
every unnecessary input used in a
model reduces the models robustness,
adds noise, and increases cost. Several
tools exist to help exclude less significant inputs.
Figure 4 (left) shows a fishbone diagram with all possible influences that
could affect the target measurement.
Strive to reduce the variables to those
that have significant influence on the
target as shown in Figure 4 (right). A
reduction of this kind can result in significant savings in modeling cost and
instrumentation needs. In addition, it
simplifies the model.
There are commercially available programs that perform analysis
of variances (ANOVA) to determine
each variables significance to the target. However, generating an ANOVA
becomes much more difficult as the
number of variables increases.
Another commercially available
program uses neural networks to
determine an inputs significance. This
method allows the user to use a shotgun approach. That is, as shown in
Figure 5, the program uses a dataset
containing all the inputs as shown in
Figure 4 (left) and identifies the significant inputs as in Figure 4 (right).
Historical data and parametric testing: It is possible to do some historical datamining to acquire a data set
for training. However, process conditions and the state of the system arent
always known from when the data was
generated. It is highly recommended to
create a measurement and control baseline before acquiring a data record set.
To create a measurement and control
baseline:
Calibrate all transmitters used as
inputs into the model.
Check that valves, drives, and heaters are in good working order.

CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| P6

Some prerequisites to consider

before parametric testing include:
Perform a hazard analysis prior
to manipulating the process.
Define the limits of valves, speed
controller, and so on, used in performing the test.

Have a safe condition to place

the process in case of an unusual
event.
Record any noise filter settings.
Define settling time after each
parametric test maneuver.

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input #26 at www.controleng.com/information

INSIDE PROCESS advanced process control

Controller outputs
100

75
MV signal, percentage

Figure 6: For
new processes
or retrofits,
datasets are
usually generated during system parametric
testing after
startup. These
graphs show the
manipulation of
two valves (top)
and three flow
measurement
responses from
three flowmeters (bottom).

C1

50

C2

25

Plot area

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250

Time, seconds

Flow rate
40

Mass flow rate, kg/min

30
F1
F2

20

F3
F3 SP

10

0
0

10 20

30 40 50

60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250

Time, seconds

Start time

12:00:01

Stop time

23:59:59

Timestamp

Date

Target
tagname

Input 1
Tagname

Input 2
Tagname

...

Input N
Tagname

6
7

12:00:01

1/6/2012

20.2

12.6

22.8

70.170

12:00:03

1/6/2012

20.4

12.5

22.6

70

3
4
5

Figure 7: A training record set was extracted from a historian to this partial spreadsheet.

P7

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

www.controleng.com

Know safety limits and constraints when

executing the parametric test.
Note any expected measurement lag or
transport delays.

Ensure the historian records all data points

and that operations is aware of and agrees

to any test procedures.

Make sure all data points are being

recorded by the historian.
Make sure operations is aware of and
agrees to the test procedure.
For new processes or retrofits, datasets are
usually generated during system parametric testing after startup and tuning (see Figure 6). Experience has shown the best data for the model is
collected after a variable has reached steady-state
after a parametric test maneuver.
Realize that datasets are coupled to the current equipment and process configuration; consequently, datasets acquired prior to a retrofit or
process change may not live up to expected performance. If the performance degrades a parametric test may be required again.
Acquiring training dataset records: Now that
the parametric test is complete and the data is
stored in the historian, the objective is to obtain

a record dataset for training the neural network.

There are several historian software packages
available on the market. Many have plug-ins for
spreadsheet software packages. Figure 7 shows a
predesigned spreadsheet.
Part 2: Neural networks in process control
will focus on preparing the dataset for training, neural network model training and validation, implementing a neural network model on a
control platform, and human-machine interface
(HMI) requirements. ce
Jimmy W. Key, PE, CAP is president and owner
of Process2Control, LLC in Birmingham, Ala.
Edited by Jack Smith, content manager, CFE
Media, Control Engineering,
[email protected].

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input #27 at www.controleng.com/information

INSIDE PROCESS case study: beverage filtration

Filtration process
improves vermouth drinks
A food and beverage equipment manufacturer designs and builds rotating dynamic
crossflow filter systems to replace traditional vacuum filters.

n Italian food and beverage processing equipment manufacturer,

TMCI Padovan, uses distributed
drives on rotating dynamic crossflow filter systems. These machines
feature a calibrated back-pulse system and a new
filtration method for the wine and juice industries that allows a low-energy, low-labor, and
continuous system for turning pressed wine
or fruit juices into clear liquids with optimum
results. This method, which uses mechatronic
drives, does not require the use of filtration aids.

Vacuum filter challenge

The customer, a well-known Italian producer of vermouth-fortified wines, needed to

replace a traditional vacuum filter, which typically has a low-cycle cleaning requirement that
hindered the processes they wanted to perfect.
Due to the large volumes processed, a reliable
and low-energy machine was required to operate an average of 8 to 10 hours per day, 24/7.
A particular filter was identified as a possible solution to the problem, and the customer
asked the equipment manufacturer to test the
filter system in its production plant.

MORE

ADVICE

Crossflow filtration solution

KEY CONCEPTS
A customer of an equipment manufacturer needed a rotating dynamic
crossflow filter system.
The equipment builder tested a
possible solution in its plant.
The customer selected a system
equipped with mechatronic drive
units.
GO ONLINE
Link to additional online resources,
process filtration, mechatronic drive
systems, and related content at
www.controleng.com/archives, under
March 2016.
CONSIDER THIS
Understand the requirements of the
process or application before selecting system components.

P9

MARCH 2016

After successful testing at TMCI Padovan,

the customer selected a rotating dynamic crossflow filter system equipped with mechatronic
drive units. The customer chose this solution
because the flexibility of the systems software
allows operators to select the appropriate operating parameters to ensure product quality. In
addition, the compactness and cleanliness of the
crossflow filtration system allows hygienic operation and reduces the overall footprint.
Because the system operates without filtration
aids and modifiers, product quality is improved,
there is less environmental impact, and less
waste. In addition, energy consumption during
filtration is decreased compared to conventional models, the process temperature rise is negligible, and the closed system ensures that product

CONTROL ENGINEERING

oxidation is almost zeroimportant factors for

making great tasting wines and juices.
Rotary crossflow filter operation

The rotating dynamic crossflow filter used

is the first with a calibrated back-pulse system for evacuating the filtrate. This design has
been hailed as one of the most valid technologies for filtering must and wine groundsand
other liquids that have high levels of suspended
solidswithout filter aids or modifying agents.
The rotation dynamic crossflow filtration system consists of a sealed chamber fed
by a peristaltic pump and a series of spinning
porous ceramic disks. Spinning membranes are
responsible for the filtration instead of a forced
liquid flow used in conventional crossflow filtration systems.
This low energy consumption process prevents lockups and allows easy cleaning. It also
enables long filtration cycles of up to 72 hours
without interruptions, with high flow rates
between 25 l/m 2h to 50 l/m2h with lees. The
available models are compact, easy to operate,
and are supplied with filtration membranes
with total surface areas between 1 m2 and 80
m2 and multiples thereof.
The filtered product can be bottled directly
as is the norm with traditional crossflow filters.
However, the absence of red color reduction
and the low oxygen absorption make the process especially interesting to the industry.
Maximizing mechatronics

Filter system can be developed and produced

competitively due in part to the selected mechatronic drive units. Depending on the size, each
model contains several parallel shaft-geared
motors. As they rotate the filtration disks, their
number varies as a function of the number of
disk-holding shafts; one machine can hold from
one to 16 shafts. In addition, the machines have
one or two tanks for the product, and each tank
has four drives, each of which includes a motormounted decentralized frequency inverter. The
www.controleng.com

sensorless inverters ensure tight speed control and maintain the high quality process. The
drive speed is adjusted through the machines
programmable logic controller (PLC) via fieldbus communications. Finally, a separate motor
drives the circulation pump.
The aforementioned distributed inverters are available as models either for installation close to the motor or integrated within
the motor. In addition to offering an overload
capacity of 200%, the distributed inverters can
be placed close to the application for compact
and efficient operation with less wiring than
conventional panel-mount solutions.
Relative, absolute positional

Relative or absolute positional values can

be controlled by binary values from the PLC
entered through the inverters inputs and
stored in the drive. As an alternative, they can
be set through a choice of fieldbus systems.
Position feedback can be provided through
incremental encoders with the standard level
of supply including an onboard reference
function for this purpose, or it is possible to
directly set positional values with an absolute encoder via CANopen. For the alternative control options, configuration requires
only few parameters for commissioning and
optimization.
Various features of the drive products contributed to the successful implementation of the
filtration machines. The high rotation accurawww.controleng.com

cy directly influences the quality of the systems

overall performance.
The energy saving function adjusts consumption to a fraction of the rated power during partial-load operation. Their compactness
makes mounting the distributed drives particularly easy. The local storage of programming
data on removable EEPROM facilitates commissioning. In addition, the optional matching
of safety standards such as EN 61508, SIL3 was
fundamental to this application.
The ability to communicate with the PLC
through fieldbus specified by the customer
using a single node for multiple users resulted in cost savings by allowing the drives to
interface with the CANopen-based fieldbus.
A smaller main control cabinet and simplified
machine commissioning, which resulted from
using decentralized geared motors and separate
motors, saved additional costs.
Other features include the configuration
options that are available through the distributed inverters. The customer was able make use
of simple solutions for addressing the distributed nodes and benefitted from the status LEDs
and the diagnostics that can be read via EIA-232
both on inverters and on distributed nodes. ce

TMCI Padovans
Dynamos systems
employ a gentle filtration method for musts,
wine grounds, and other
liquids with high levels
of suspended solids.
The system uses mechatronic drive units from
Nord Drivesystems.
Image courtesy: Nord
Drivesystems

Jrg Niermann is marketing manager at Nord

Drivesystems in Bargteheide, Germany. Edited
by Jack Smith, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].
CONTROL ENGINEERING

MARCH 2016

| P10

MEDIA SHOWCASE FOR ENGINEERS

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| 69

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Information Integration Research .17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com/2015InfoStudy
Control Engineering Webcasts. . . .15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com/webcasts
Dataforth Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . .www.dataforth.com
eWON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 . . . . . . . . . 7. . . . . . . .www.ewon.us
EZAutomation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bellyband . . . . . . . . . . .www.EZAutomation.net
FORCAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 . . . . . . . . 23 . . . . . . .www.forcam.com
Global System Integrator
Database Featured Integrators . . .21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com/global-si-database
HANNOVER MESSE . . . . . . . . . . . .52 . . . . . . . . 19 . . . . . . .www.hannovermesse.events/cfemedia
iDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 . . . . . . . . .11 . . . . . . .www.ids-imaging.com/usb3
Kepware Technologies . . . . . . . . . .1 . . . . . . . . . . 2. . . . . . . .www.KEPWARE.COM
Load Controls Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 . . . . . . . . 17 . . . . . . .WWW.LOADCONTROLS.COM
Moore Industries - Intl. Inc . . . . . . .4 . . . . . . . . . . 4. . . . . . . .www.miinet.com
Moxa Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 . . . . . . . . . . 3. . . . . . . .www.moxa.com
Phoenix Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . .www.phoenixcontact.com/GoMesse
Red Lion Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . .www.redlion.net/IIoT
Sealevel Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . .19 . . . . . . . . 10 . . . . . . .www.sealevel.com
SEW-EURODRIVE, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .C4 . . . . . . . . 29 . . . . . . .www.seweurodrive.com
Teledyne DALSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 . . . . . . . . . . 6. . . . . . . .https://goo.gl/efflC9
TRACO POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 . . . . . . . . 13 . . . . . . .www.tracopower.com
Turck Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23, 25 . . . . 12, 14 . . . . . .www.turck.com
Yaskawa America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .C3 . . . . . . . . 28 . . . . . . .www.yaskawa.com
Inside Process
Emerson Process Management. . .P2 . . . . . . . . 24 . . . . . . .www.emersonprocess.com/operationsperformance
Maple Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . .P6 . . . . . . . . 26 . . . . . . .www.maplesystems.com
WAGO Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P4 . . . . . . . . 25 . . . . . . .www.wago.us
Winsted Corporation . . . . . . . . . . .P8 . . . . . . . . 27 . . . . . . .www.winsted.com

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MARCH 2016

| 71

BACK TO BASICS tutorial on PLCs

Ladder logic 105: PLC scanning

Understanding how scanning works in a programmable logic controller (PLC) is something
that needs to be addressed for a user regardless of the program being used.

Almost all

Figure 1: Example
of a programmable
logic controller (PLC)
scan with a requested
packet interval (RPI).
Graphics courtesy:
Automation Primer

programmable logic controllers

(PLCs) worldwide handle scanning in the same
way. First, the CPU reads the physical inputs into a
memory table, usually called the input table. This
table is then used as the program is evaluated. There
are different types of registers that are used in different platforms; these registers are updated as the
logic is processed left to right on each rung and top
to bottom within each routine. This includes updating an output table, which will later be used to drive
the physical devices connected to the PLC.
The program might call different subroutines for
different purposes; order can be important. Depending on where memory registers and output tables are
updated, the physical outputs could be delayed by up
to two scans. In either case, the program meanders
through different routines as they are called before
returning to wherever they were called from and
eventually ends up at the end of the original cyclic
routine. Most programs use an initial cyclic routine
used to call all other routines. Some programs run
periodically instead of continuously. Most use a continuous program that runs as fast as it can.

1. Write physical inputs

to input table

2. Solve logic left to right,

top to bottom, updating all
tables
B

3. Write output table

to physical outputs

Example scan
Time = 56ms

A - 20ms

B - 40ms
C - 60ms

Output
utput 1
S

MORE

ADVICE

Output 1

KEY CONCEPTS
Almost all programmable logic controllers (PLCs) handle scanning the same way.
The length of a PLC scan depends on the platform and whether
it is for a machine control project or a process control project.
GO ONLINE
See more stories from Frank Lamb at www.controleng.com.
CONSIDER THIS
What programs do you use for a PLC scan and what challenges
have you encountered that arent mentioned in this article?

72

MARCH 2016

CONTROL ENGINEERING

Output
utput 2
Output
utput 1
R

Figure 2: Example from

a training manual that asks
whether Output 2 will ever
turn on.

After executing all code, evaluating the logic, and

updating all of the tables (except for the input tables,
which were written at the beginning of the scan), the
resulting output table or register contents are written
to the physical outputs (Figure 1).
How long depends on the platform (speed of the
processor), how much code is in the program, and
the types of instructions used. Sometimes programmers will use loops in the program or make repetitive calls to the same routines. All of this effects total
scan time. Documentation usually is available indicating the execution time for different instructions,
but theres no point in trying to add them to estimate
length. It is simply available for reference.
Scan time can take as long as 80 ms. If the scan
time is longer than about 50 ms (for a machine control project) then the user should seek a more powerful processor or ways to make the code more
efficient. Beyond 50 ms, the effect on output reaction for a machine control project starts to be noticeable; for process control, this may not matter.
In Figure 1, the scan time is shown as 56 ms in
this rather large program. While scanning works the
way described for every platform, this is an exception (shown by A, B, and C). This platform works on
a producer-consumer model where input cards produce information for CPUs, and the CPU produces
information for the output cards. The CPU can then
be said to consume information, and the output
cards consume information from the CPU. The production and consumption of information is scheduled within each input/output (I/O) card by setting
what is known as a requested packet interval (RPI).
RPI is set at 20 ms (A) in Figure 1; the program
will get a couple of updates from the physical inputs
each scan and will update the physical outputs twice
per scan also. This is typical for digital I/O; analog inputs are usually set at 100 ms or more and
also usually are updated more slowly than digital.
Updates happen at different points within the scan
cycle, which varies in duration quite a bit.
Figure 2 is from a training manual that asks:
Will output 2 ever turn on? There are three common answers: It will never turn on, it will always be
on, or it will briefly flicker every scan. See this article
online to find out the answer. ce
Frank Lamb is the founder of Automation
Consulting Services Inc. Automation Primer is a
CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra,
production editor, [email protected].
www.controleng.com

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