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FEATURES

cover story

The long arm of the futureRobots expand their in� uence into

surprising aspects of manufacturing

Forget the robot revolution; we’ve got other problems, E.J. Daigle, Dunwoody College of Technology

3 easy pieces: robot, HMI and PLC Dave Perkon, technical editor

18

machine control

How to streamline machine controlA better way might include more communication, better architectures

and less development

Dave Perkon, technical editor

28servos

Terminology makes a di� erenceKnow why bandwidth and loop gain don’t mean the same thing

Mark Holcomb, Celera Motion

33

control software

When a PLC isn’t enoughPlatform enables traditional automation to co-exist with high speed data

logging and analysis

Robert Ho� man, Signal.X Technologies

41CONTROL DESIGN, (ISSN: 1094-3366) is published 12 times a year by Putman Media, 1501 E. Woodfi eld Rd., Suite 400N, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173. (Phone 630/467-1300; Fax 630/467-1124.) Periodical postage paid at Schaumburg, IL, and at additional mailing offi ces. Address all correspondence to Editorial and Executive Offi ces, same address. Printed in the United States. ©Putman Media 2018. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication December not be reproduced in whole or part without consent of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to Putman Media, PO Box 1888, Cedar Rapids IA 52406-1888; SUBSCRIPTIONS: To change or cancel a subscription, email [email protected] or call 1-800-553-8878 ext. 5020. To non-qualifi ed subscribers in the United States and its possessions, subscriptions are $96.00 per year. Single copies are $15. International subscriptions are accepted at $200 (Airmail only.) Putman Media also publishes CHEMICAL PROCESSING, CONTROL, FOOD PROCESSING, PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING, PLANT SERVICES, SMART INDUSTRY and THE JOURNAL. CONTROL DESIGN assumes no responsibility for validity of claims in items reported. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40028661. Canadian Mail Distributor information: World Distribution Services, Inc., Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9A 6J5. Printed in the United States.

table of contentsVolume 22, No. 12

ControlDesign.com / December 2018 / 5

obsolescence

New strategies for old componentsObsolescence is a headache that can be avoided with proper preparation

Dave Perkon, technical editor

38

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9 editor’s page

The birth of a standardMike Bacidore, editor in chief

10 feedback

Improved monitoring; Control on the edge;

Accuracy vs. precision; Precision vs. accuracy;

Basic buttons; Get involved with FIRST; What

size wire makes the most sense?

12 live wire

The ‘notty’ list for OEMsDave Perkon, technical editor

14 embedded intelligence

SFC discussion remains alive and wellJeremy Pollard, CET

16 technology trends

A little collaboration goes a long wayRick Rice, contributing editor

44 product roundup

Software will eat the world

46 product showcase

50 automation basics

The modern, minimalist HMI displayDave Perkon, technical editor

COLUMNS

Allied Electronics and Automation ................6

AMK Automation ...............................................20

ARC Advisory Group ............................................8

Automationdirect .................................................2

AVG Automation ................................................52

Beckho� Automation .........................................4

Beijer Electronics ..............................................24

c3controls ...............................................................7

Measurement Computing Corp ....................32

MTS Systems ......................................................22

Novotechnik ........................................................35

Patlite .............................................21, 23, 25, 27

Phoenix Contact ........................................ 13, 15

SEW-Eurodrive .......................................................3

Telemecanique Sensors .................................11

TRC Electronics ..................................................51

ad index


table of contentsVolume 22, No. 12

CD1812_05_07_TOC.indd 7 12/11/18 12:09 PM

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CM

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PREDICTIONS SOMETIMES BEAR fruit. Three years ago, at NIWeek in Austin, Texas, IBM’s

IoT director, Greg Gorman, famously said, “Security isn’t a problem. It’s an engineering

solution waiting to be done.”

I’m sorry if I raised your hopes, but that’s not the prediction. However, it was during

that same roundtable discussion that Gorman warned his IIoT compatriots to avoid set-

ting cybersecurity standards too early because “we still have a lot to learn.”

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), an American construct, was a mere infant, just

learning to crawl. But its older cousin, Industry 4.0, was born in July 2010, one of the 10

“Future Projects” identi�ed by the German government as part of its High-Tech Strategy

2020. If standards for cybersecurity were going to be set, they would come from Germany.

Yes, that’s the prediction. And Siemens has delivered. “We are not alone in the world,”

explained Eva Schulz-Kamm, Sie-

mens’ global head of government af-

fairs, who spoke about cybersecurity

in Munich. “This is why we created

the Charter of Trust (www.contr-

oldesign.com/charteroftrust).”

Launched by Siemens earlier this

year, the Charter of Trust is now

signed by 16 companies. It contains

guidance that addresses 10 principles, namely, ownership of cyber- and IT security; re-

sponsibility throughout the digital supply chain; security by default; user-centricity; inno-

vation and co-creation; education; certi�cation for critical infrasctructure and solutions;

transparency and response; regulatory framework; and joint initiatives.

Siemens, the 170-year-old, $94-billion technology giant, which employs almost 400,000

people globally, paved the way for Enel electricity company, IBM, Munich Security Confer-

ence, NXP, AES power distribution, Airbus, Allianz, Atos IT services, Cisco, Daimler, Dell

Technologies, SGS testing laboratories, Deutsche Telekom, Total oil and gas company and

TUV to sign the document.

“The nucleus of the Charter of Trust came from my team,” explained Schulz-Kamm.

“My team works with governments all over the globe. Cybersecurity is a top-priority topic.

It’s the �rst initiative of its kind worldwide, and we’ve requested France to include cyber-

security as a topic for 2019 G7.”

The Charter of Trust has the potential to be developed into a global standard for cyber-

security. “Effective cybersecurity is a precondition for an open, fair and successful digital

future,” said Schulz-Kamm. “By adhering to and promoting our principles, we are creating

a foundation of trust for all.”

The birth of a standardeditorial teameditor in chief

Mike [email protected]

technical editor

Dave [email protected]

digital managing editor

Christopher [email protected]

contributing editor

Rick [email protected]

contributing editor

Tom [email protected]

editorial assistant

Lori [email protected]

columnist

Jeremy [email protected]

design/productionsenior production manager

Anetta Gauthier

senior art director

Derek Chamberlain

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Mike Bacidoreeditor in [email protected]

editor’s page

If standards for cybersecurity were going to be set, they would come

from Germany.

CD1812_09_Edit.indd 9 12/11/18 12:10 PM

Improved monitoringRick, These were interesting

observations, a cold shower

from the real world, beyond

the slick IIoT Powerpoint

presentations (“Get to the data

point,” Control Design, July 2018,

p14, www.controldesign.com/ar-

ticles/2018/get-to-the-data-point).

The key here is probably that the traditional vendors built a

machine, and it was an island with its own controller.

You seem to have experienced the impact of collecting

monitoring data, correlating them and presenting them in

a human understandable way. The nice thing is that this is

(mostly) doable without touching the machine controller; a

lot of sensors and data points are actually non-intrusive.

I guess this is improving on new machinery, where monitor-

ing and interconnectivity is improving (I hope). There is still a

huge installed base of older machinery that could do with some

monitoring, and relatively simple stuff using normal industrial

sensor can do magic, which brings us to IIoT.

The issue here is that most of these nice, clever, not-so-ex-

pensive sensors come with vendor lock-in to a dedicated cloud

service. Maybe a bit pointed, but the trend is there, which is no

better than the lock-in from the old machine vendors.

All this boils down to ownership of data and the freedom to

use it. Unless we are able to break the vendor coupling of hard-

ware and data processing, IIoT will be just another “same s***,

new wrapping.”

Odd R. Gilinsky, sales manager, CDP Technologies (www.cdpstudio.com)

Control on the edgeNice article (“2 controllers make bold leap to the edge,” Control

Design, July 2018, p11, www.controldesign.com/articles/2018/2-

controllers-make-bold-leap-to-the-edge). MQTT opens up a lot

of opportunities of communication between different systems,

not just “to the cloud.” If one looks beyond controllers, then

small generic devices are now powerful enough to run Linux;

the “controller” may be an application running in a Linux

container on an industrial router. We at cdpstudio.com have

implemented this on the INSYS icom range (the SCR); and the

new Cisco IR809 routers will be important, as security will be

an increasing challenge. Protocols such as MQTT and also OPC

UA are good to make layers, but still let devices communicate.

Odd R. Gilinsky, sales manager, CDP Technologies (www.cdpstudio.com)

Accuracy vs. precision In “What does your sensing application require?” (www.

controldesign.com/articles/2015/what-does-your-sensing-

application-require), if accuracy is the “fact” of being exact or

correct, then Figure 2, “Accurate not precise,” is not possible

unless the de� ned value of accuracy is all of the arrow target;

in other words, the tolerance of the de� ned value of accuracy

is all of the arrow target. If the tolerance is that big, the point

might be in any place and be exact or accurate. So the unique

accurate value is the bull’s-eye from the arrow target � gure.

Accuracy=”the fact” of being exact or correct. Precision=”the

quality (how good or bad something is)” of being exact, accord-

ing to the Cambridge Dictionary.

Fernando Campos, process engineering supervisor

Precision vs. accuracyI agree with “What does your sensing application require?”

(www.controldesign.com/articles/2015/what-does-your-sens-

ing-application-require), but I was confused by “accurate, not

precise.” I can’t speak to its accuracy (no pun intended), but I’ve

seen many explanations in many places, and I’ve never seen

one that looks like that.

Chris Ferrell, controls engineer, Palmer Associates (www.palmerassoc.com)

Basic buttonsWhy are operator buttons needed if an HMI can provide the

same function (“Do you actually need operator buttons?” www.

controldesign.com/articles/2017/do-you-actually-need-operator-

buttons)? Another reason that no one seems to have mentioned

it is that it is a good idea to have a few basic operator buttons

installed in addition to the required e-stops (such as Start, Stop,

Cycle-Stop, Hand-Off-Auto), in case the HMI goes south. At least

the machine can continue to be run in its last con� guration

until the HMI can be replaced.

Ed Oates, part-time consulting electrical engineer

Get involved with FIRSTRick, I appreciate your article (“How to develop the skilled

trades,” Control Design, September 2018, p20, www.controlde-

sign.com/articles/2018/how-to-develop-the-skilled-trades).

This actually was part of a professional development session

we participated in last week with our school district. Our

company � nds involvement in FIRST Robotics teams extremely

10 / December 2018 / ControlDesign.com

feedback

Simply easy!

Automatic machine shutdown safety has never been easier

...or more reliable.

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in hazardous industrial areas. The new XCSR is TÜV certified up to Cat 4, SIL 3, and PLe and has achieved the

highest machine safety level attainable.

The door to the secure area starts to open. The XCSR detects the door’s movement. The hazardous machine shuts down.

Available diagnostic tool provides easy identificationof which XCSR-monitoreddoor in a series has opened. For more information, go to:www.tesensors.com/XCSR

CD201812-Telemecanique.indd 1 11/16/2018 8:47:57 AMCD1812_10_11_Feedback.indd 10 12/11/18 12:13 PM

bene� cial in recruiting employees at Cy-

press Integration Solutions, a manufacturer

in Lapeer, Michigan.

Instead of paying a recruiter or paying to adver-

tise positions, the investment is in the time spent

working with teams. Volunteers from companies

can help to train students in a program that is highly

motivational for students and observe their work ethic

� rsthand. This allows us to hire students right out of high school.

Depending on their role with the company,

some continue on with college classes

while working; others get all the training

they need on the job. This strategy

has been effective. We recommend

others become involved in FIRST

robotics teams.

Elizabeth Lowe, marketing communication

director, Cypress Integration Solutions (www.

cypressintegration.com)

What size wire makes the most sense?For control logic wiring ,the general line of thought

here seems to be this is the way we’ve always

done it, and bigger is better, which would make

sense if we were still using mechanical relays (“Just pass-

ing through,” Control Design, May 2018, p22, www.controlde-

sign.com/articles/2018/what-size-wire-makes-the-most-sense).

14-gage wire, according to the NEC, is good for 35 Amps and

needs a 15-Amp overcurrent device. Most PLC outputs are 1/2

Amp, and most small solenoids are less than that.

Neil Flournoy, Western Machine

Give us a piece of your mind.WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS, suggestions, criticism and praise. We’re particularly fond of the praise, but we really do value the criticism.

EMAIL Chief Editor Mike Bacidore at [email protected] or post a comment on any article at www.controldesign.com.

Simply easy!

Automatic machine shutdown safety has never been easier

...or more reliable.

Introducing the new XCSR contactless RFID Safety sensor from Telemecanique Sensors, an easy-to-install, virtually tamper-proof solution that provides a high level of protection

in hazardous industrial areas. The new XCSR is TÜV certified up to Cat 4, SIL 3, and PLe and has achieved the

highest machine safety level attainable.

The door to the secure area starts to open. The XCSR detects the door’s movement. The hazardous machine shuts down.

Available diagnostic tool provides easy identificationof which XCSR-monitoreddoor in a series has opened. For more information, go to:www.tesensors.com/XCSR

CD201812-Telemecanique.indd 1 11/16/2018 8:47:57 AMCD1812_10_11_Feedback.indd 11 12/11/18 12:13 PM


live wire

Dave Perkontechnical editor

[email protected]

WELL, IT’S THAT time of year where, in the workshop, someone

is making plans and there had better be no pouting or crying

due to the results. I’ll tell you why. He made a list and checked it

twice, and it will make it real clear who on the plant � oor is be-

ing naughty or nice. There are some best practices of note � rst,

and then we’ll get to the list of what not to do—the “notty” list.

With Christmas and other holidays coming and all the excite-

ment of actual orders to be � lled in the new year, Gary H. Lucas,

director of design and innovation at Innovative Treatment

Products (www.innovatreat.com) in

Owings Mills, Maryland, thought it

might be a good time to go over the

notty list with me. This is a list you

do not want to be on. It’s a list of what

not to do to get jobs out the door. It’s

provided to avoid getting a skid full of

loot all tied up on the manufacturing

� oor and missing delivery dates.

It is extremely important to establish an equipment delivery

date for each job and make sure everyone is 100% aware of the

that date. “How you pick the date is unimportant in reality, but it’s

clearly marked on the calendar,” says a jolly Lucas in his bright red

suit. “It is however the benchmark we need to judge how we are

doing. It’s a simple thing; every day you � nish early goes right to

the pro� t side of the ledger. Every day you are late is a day of costs

for things you haven’t planned for, and it’s lost forever.”

With the date, tasks and manager identi� ed, be sure to follow

this notty list for each job, and we’ll have a jubilee:

• Do not order any materials until all materials have been speci-

� ed for the entire job, so the ordering bill of materials (BOM)

accurately re� ects the whole job. This task must be � nished

completely � rst, or you are de� nitely being naughty.

• Do not order any materials until all the pick lists (for on-hand

parts) are completed by the shop, or you will hear some an-

noying rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums.

• Do not order materials before the scheduled order date. Deter-

mine the order date by using the delivery times documented

on the schedule or on quotes plus one week for problems, or

the parts may be coming to town at the wrong time.

• Do not order the materials, or curly-haired dolls that toddle

and coo, on the scheduled order date, unless the previous job

and this job are both on schedule. Adjust the date as needed.

• Do not make more parts than are required for this one job

except as a hedge against a failed or damaged part. Making 10

when nine are required is acceptable when there is risk the

project will be held up by a missing part, or if more stocking

stuffers are needed. Account for any extra parts and reduce

the next work order accordingly and consider re-gifting. This

is not elf production work this is build to order.

• Do not use up our very small inventory of excess material on

parts for another job that is not current. We may need it, and

that would cause delays resulting in

unhappy girls and boys.

• Do not place on the � oor, or in the

sleigh, any process skid that can-

not be completed in its entirety.

Check every BOM in every subas-

sembly before placing a skid on

the � oor.

• Do not place more than one skid on the � oor at one time. This

is a team effort not a production line, everyone works to get

this one skid (job) done every time. Make every mistake hap-

pen exactly one time.

• Do not let materials sit waiting to be checked in. All mistakes

must be discovered instantly.

• Do not use a vendor packing list as evidence of the correct

number of parts; count them.

• Do not use a vendor packing list to check part numbers;

use the part numbers or features on the actual part to de-

termine correctness.

• We do not receive materials to inventory. Materials are re-

ceived to a job subassembly bin, the work-in-process area or

directly to Santa’s sled. Excess materials then go, down the

chimney, to the inventory bins immediately.

• We will not ship anything incomplete just to make the

delivery date.

• We will not do in the � eld what should have been done in

the shop.

• We will not send our most skilled people out to the � eld to deal

with problems while our less skilled people continue to manu-

facture those problems; plus they will eat all the cookies.

• We will not be busy just being busy, except when wrapping

presents.

Well then, with the toyland built, ship it for goodness sake.

The ‘notty’ list for OEMs

Do not order the materials, or curly-haired dolls that toddle and coo, on

the scheduled order date.

CD1812_12_LiveWire.indd 12 12/11/18 12:15 PM

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CD1812_FPA.indd 13 11/28/18 3:36 PM


embedded intelligence

Jeremy [email protected]

IN MY COLUMN, “Back in the ’90s, there was this SFC,” (Control

Design, August 2019, p13, www.controldesign.com/sfc), and it

stirred Kim Ground of Falcon Labs to respond with a high de-

gree of detail and anecdotes, which I want to share with you.

There are philosophical differences and similarities, which

can lead to great discussions about system design, language

preference and proper implementation of software.

My main point of the column was that SFC control program-

ming was not properly implemented back in the 1990s. The

person who wrote the initial program

did not fully understand SFC, and

the fundamental fact, according to

my memory, is that all nonretentive

outputs are reset by default once the

step is deactivated.

In checking the speci�cation di-

rectly I could �nd no reference to that

claim as well in the multitude of books I have on the subject.

So I decided to do some more investigation by researching

an SFC editor. I reference Rockwell’s publication 1756-PM006I

of February 2018, where I was pleasantly presented with a

multitude of options of how to handle nonretentive outputs

once a step is deactivated.

The SFC implementation on the PLC-5 is rudimentary, to say

the least.

Ground contended that the programmer did not do his due

diligence on some basic machine safety functions, which is the

fact that nothing starts up automatically after a power reset or

emergency stop. But he also contends that retentive outputs

make programmers lazy. He asks, “Why do vendors in their

systems allow for retentive outputs period?”

He also contends that the programmer would have made the

same mistake using straight ladder logic. He may be right.

Yes, we can forget to turn them off at the appropriate time,

but that is caught at startup. In my programming, I use reten-

tion only when needed. I admit that I have run into trouble

when the system craps out and a restart is required, and I have

not pre-conditioned a retentive bit in my startup routine.

I also admit that, when something doesn’t work, we tend to

rely on the code as our troubleshooting tool, which is where we

discover that the retention has not been properly dealt with.

He suggests that programming standards be written and ad-

hered to, which would include a rule that no retention be used

so that all output instructions automatically reset on a system

cycle. We disagree on that point but agree that you must not use

retention for output devices.

We also agree on the fact that due diligence has to be done

on startup. This means making sure that the system is in a safe

but operable state.

Ground laments that PLC vendors are selective in their sup-

port for languages. They have their preferred languages. A

machine-control PLC vendor that he

is familiar with has built a robust

SFC implementation that he has

used and prefers, but the ladder

logic editor does not have a full

instruction set as such.

Rockwell Automation, however,

has a preference for ladder logic;

thus, its implementation is complete and then some.

He also suggests that as a senior electrical engineer with

multiple packing OEMs, he implemented ladder logic due to the

3 AM phone call rule. He suggests that, while multiple threaded

processors can be helpful for the designer, it may not be so cool

for the �oor electrician at 3 AM.

To that note, he, as the designer, was expected to support the

end product at the customer’s site. The advent of modern-day

control systems has made it harder for the �oor guys and gals

to maintain an OEM system, but remote access was not permit-

ted. And service revenue was a line item on the balance sheet.

Some responsibility lies at the feet of the customer, I think.

It should be up to the customer to determine whether it wants

self-reliance on the machine or not.

However, Ground suggests that having the customer monkey

around with the software may not be a good idea. It complicates

the support process when the machine builder is called to solve

a problem. He relates an incident where a �oor electrician down-

loaded the wrong HMI program to an OIT, which created havoc.

He contends that it is an either/or situation, but it can’t be both.

I would like to thank Kim for his feedback and thoughts.

SFC discussion remains alive and well

Having the customer monkey around with the software may not

be a good idea.

JEREMY POLLARD, CET, has been writing about technology and

software issues for many years. Pollard has been involved in control

system programming and training for more than 25 years.

CD1812_14_EmbedIntel.indd 14 12/11/18 12:16 PM

Jennifer FergusonProject ManagerHarrington Hoists, Inc.

Call 1-800-322-3225 or visit: www.phoenixcontact.com/confidence_heavycon

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technology trends

Rick Ricecontributing editor

[email protected]

I HAVE LAMENTED the struggles that pretty much every employer

seems to be facing these days—the lack of available people to �ll

positions on our production lines. For some employers, this issue

is hitting critical mass. A booming economy has forced companies

to ramp up production lines, and, for those that don’t have moth-

balled equipment, that means running more shifts or extended

hours to try and meet client demand. Behind all the good news

about reduced unemployment there are people in boardrooms try-

ing to �gure out how to meet expectations with an ever-dwindling

pool of available people.

As control designers, our tradi-

tional role of making things smarter

and faster appears to have taken a

backseat as manufacturers need to

�nd ways to produce more with the

same or fewer people operating the

equipment. For me, in my position as

controls engineer for a major co-packager, I am suddenly faced

with an ownership group that has switched gears from keeping

things running while investing some capital in upgrades to

�nding ways to consolidate production techniques so that we

can make more product with the same number of people.

The U-turn in manufacturing seems to have caught most

producers a little �at-footed. The ability to provide a ready work-

force has met many challenges, and the result is nothing short

of a panic to get control of supply and demand. The traditional

project timeline is greatly reduced, and the demand on designers

to get projects from concept to widgets out the door to the client

is highly charged. Some equipment vendors have risen to that

challenge and are ready and willing to �ll the needs in a well-

thought-out manner, and it is that vision that needs sharing.

As a producer of food products, my company has always de-

pended on a largely hands-on workforce to meet client needs for

products. During peak seasons we have traditionally been able

to reach out to the local area and bring in temporary employees

to meet the additional production numbers. A number of factors

have created a situation where people simply aren’t available.

The solution for us is to look at automating jobs, where possible,

so that we can use those same people to do other tasks. In the

past, the impetus to do such a thing was hard to fathom because

why would we spend capital on new machines or processes for a

temporary upswing in product demand.

Robots have had a place in the automotive and plastics indus-

tries for years, but my view of them has been these large, com-

pletely guarded work cells where dangerous functions such as

welding and fabrication took place. My earlier career involved

many such designs and installations. I always marveled at the

ability of a robot to manipulate large objects with great ease.

The primary difference between those early robots and those

we see in action today is the ability to interact in a manner that is

as intimate as physically handing a box to a robot that puts it on

a pallet. Gone are the heavy fences

and gates of physical barriers.

The robot of today uses technol-

ogy that senses the proximity of

objects and restricts or disables

function based on how close the

live object is to the robot work

envelope. This fact is key to the

consideration of collaborative robots (cobots) in a food produc-

tion plant such as the one where I work.

As with any emerging technology, there is much to sort out,

especially on the safety side of things. Two documents, ANSI/

RIA R15.06 and ISO 10218, de�ne safety protocols relative to

collaborative robots, but further re�nement will follow as the

technology continues to evolve.

Elaborate sensors are deployed to ensure the safety of people.

These come in the form of area scanners for the broad area,

which de�ne general areas of operation, further narrowed

down by more �nite sensors that use force feedback to detect

when the robot appendages come into contact with a person.

The latest technology involves tactile feedback that can

actually react to metal contact on skin. Some manufacturers

are using these sensors to stop the action of the robot entirely

whereas others are using that same sensing technology to

tell the robot to actually move back in the opposite direction

slightly before stopping. Imagine this to be much like what hap-

pens when we bump into a person in real life. The automatic

response is to pull back from the source of contact.

With the rapidly advancing technology with respect to

cobots, companies like the one I where I work are now consid-

ering cobots to be a viable solution to the problem of staf�ng a

production line. Our lines have been operating for more than 60

years, and, for the greater part of that time, we have relied on

A little collaboration goes a long way

Gone are the heavy fences and gates of physical barriers.

CD1812_16_17_TechTrends.indd 16 12/11/18 12:16 PM


physical labor to produce the �nished product.

As machines became more elaborate, the footprint required to

contain the operation has grown, but the building walls have not.

There is more and more in the same �nite space. Consideration

of a robot on a mature production line is most often eliminated

due to the lack of suf�cient space. Cobots answer this concern by

presenting automation in an envelope not much bigger than the

human that currently performs the same function.

One of the challenges facing any company that is hoping to

incorporate cobots in the work environment is to sort through

the myriad choices out there. This is a hugely competitive �eld

at the moment, and, while everyone tries to remain profes-

sional about it, it doesn’t take too much conversation with a

potential vendor to hear “cute” and “amateur” used to describe

their competitors’ product.

The bottom line is this is an emerging technology. Innova-

tion comes in many forms and can come from the strangest of

origins. Don’t be afraid to entertain many presentations before

jumping into the fray. One vendor, who was trying hard not to

slag a competing solution, actually saved us a pile of trouble be-

cause the competing vendor actually �led for Chapter 11 protec-

tion just a couple of months after giving us a great presentation

on their products and services.

Here are some guidelines to help with understanding the appli-

cation of cobots and how one might select a potential solution.

1. Size is relative. The attractive part of a cobot is the notion of

squeezing it into the same footprint as the human currently

doing a particular job. Other items on this list can quickly

make the size of the robot an issue.

2. Keep the payloads in perspective. The higher the payload—

weight of the object being manipulated—the larger the robot

will need to be to do the job.

3. Speed is everything. The automatic leaping-off point with the

use of automation is to make the function or process faster.

The downside is, the faster the object gets �ung around, the

bigger the robot needs to be to handle the load.

4. Be prepared to share the work. Proper studies by your vendor

will likely reveal that a robot sitting at the end of your line

might spend a fair bit of time twiddling its thumbs, so to

speak. Don’t be afraid to look at sharing a cobot between

adjacent lines to optimize the asset.

5. Look for a value-added solution. There are a couple of popular

cobots out there, and they are quite capable of being quickly

set up to run an application. However, some vendors have

taken a further step to add a layer over top of the basic pro-

gramming interface to make the installation even easier to

use. What you want to avoid is having to have your end users

become robot specialists. A good vendor will make your solu-

tion so easy even a manager can use it.

The key in selecting where to apply cobots is to stay fo-

cused on the goal. For most companies, the goal is to free up

people to use in other facets of the operations. Short of nam-

ing each robot after the person they are replacing, the objec-

tive should be to create a solution that takes up no greater

space than a person. The return on investment is, after all,

based on freeing up people to meet the demands of your cus-

tomers. The more elaborate the installation, the greater the

cost will be to install it. Bear in mind that we don’t want to

create a burden on another department, especially mainte-

nance, by installing something that shifts the use of resourc-

es from the operator to someone with a greater skill set that

might be even more time-constrained.

While we have yet to issue a purchase order, our company

has found the fact-�nding experience to be a great bene�t. We

set out with some speci�c areas of interest where we were sure

to make a quick return on investment, and, while this turned

out to be true for some, the deeper dive into our operations ex-

posed some unanticipated gems. Our list of potential solutions

has nearly doubled and we are excited to get the �rst system

or systems into place in our facilities. The more we think about

obvious areas to use cobots, the more we think about other

functions that once seemed completely out of consideration and

now seem to be great next steps in the process.

Finally, we can be easily convinced to go with the lowest-

cost solution when trying to supplement physical labor with

collaborative robot solutions. Our own research has revealed

that some vendors whom we thought would be on the high

end of our vendor list from a cost-per-installation point of view

turned out to be the most economical. The greater surprise was

the length to which these vendors have gone to fully divest in

this emerging technology. Their solutions are well-thought-out,

and the install base was much larger than we imagined. The

journey has just begun, but we feel like we are joining a great

fraternity of companies who have seen the light when it comes

to the use of robots with humans in our operations. We are

eager to see these solutions in action.

RICK RICE is a controls engineer at Crest Foods (www.crestfoods.com),

a dry-foods manufacturing and packaging company in Ashton, Illinois.

CD1812_16_17_TechTrends.indd 17 12/11/18 12:16 PM

of the

Robots are changing everything. From the work-

force to the human-machine interface, robots

are exercising their in� uence over all aspects of

manufacturing. Their ubiquitous integration is forthcom-

ing, and there’s almost no end in sight.

These two tales of the times give a taste of how robots are

impacting different components of manufacturing now.


cover story

Robots expand their infl uence into surprising aspects of manufacturing

CD1812_18_27_CoverStory.indd 18 12/11/18 12:18 PM

of theDESPITE WHAT YOU MAY HAVE SEEN in science � ction mov-

ies, we’re a long way from the machines taking over. I

recently toured a metal stamping and forming company

and then, a few days later, a local medical-device

manufacturer. Although these facilities have very dif-

ferent products and processes, they have one thing in

common: the human hand rarely, if ever, touches the

part. While that may seem like the � rst stage in robots

taking over the world, nothing could be further from

the truth. The more complex our machinery gets, the

more our manufacturing industries need highly skilled

21st century technicians able to keep up.

Unfortunately, the reality is that there simply aren’t

enough trained technicians to manage the machines that

are already commonplace, not to mention the more com-

plex production systems that will inevitably replace them

in the future.

Through a sequence of automation that includes part

probing, CNC machining, lasers, SCARA robotics, machine

vision, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and inspection,

the raw materials of production or manufacturing processes

enter one end of the building and leave the other end han-

dled solely by intelligent machines. This means that techni-

cians not only have to be highly trained, but also possess a

breadth and level of expertise that is higher than it has been

at any other time since the industrial revolution.

What then can and should be done? What do we need to

do and understand to safeguard manufacturing processes

while preparing our future workforce?


Forget the robot revolution; we’ve got other problemsBy E.J. Daigle, Dunwoody College of Technology


Flexible skill setsThe 21st century technician needs a

highly �exible skill set that includes the

ability to perform both preventive main-

tenance and corrective problem solving

in the moment. Technicians need to

think ahead and also react appropriately

when urgent workplace issues arise.

A recent example comes to mind. At

the local medical-device manufacturer

I mentioned, the facilities management

team had decided to change the �uo-

rescent lighting in the production area

and adopt more modern and ef�cient

LED lights to reduce environmental

impact and save money. They elected

to shut down production for just a few

hours while electricians changed out

the lamps.

cover story

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New skillsFigure 1: The new wave of technicians needs broad-based skills and the ability to access deep and spe-cialized knowledge and think critically in order to react appropriately to any issue on the production line or factory floor.


Unfortunately, when the system came back up, more than

50% of the work cells failed. The machine-vision-equipped

SCARA robots could no longer see the part. All of these cells

needed to be recalibrated for the change in lighting by tech-

nicians with the skill set to do it quickly in order to reduce

the downtime.

Larger, more complex manufacturing ecosystemsFacilities that utilize AGVs have an even bigger problem going

forward. Warehouses and ful�llment centers have quickly

become �lled with small robots moving around like bees in a

beehive. A delicate balance of interfacing and interacting smart

machines, all doing their jobs, is incredibly ef�cient but places

the entire operation at high risk if any one component mal-

functions or goes down.

The engineering involved in these kinds of systems has

created a supply chain where you can order dog food and have

it on your doorstep the same day. When drones �ll the skies,

as they soon will, the speed of delivery will become even

faster. As time goes on, however, the maintenance needed to

keep these systems operating at peak performance is critical.

Technicians require a comprehensive knowledge of electrome-

chanical systems in order to troubleshoot the myriad issues

that might arise. That skill set includes, but is not limited to,

electronic test equipment, ladder logic programming, electron-

ic sensors, �uid power and mechanical power systems.

Engineer techs in the classroomWith complex machinery, high-stakes production systems

and continuing advancements in intelligent automation, we

must evolve the way we teach our technicians to keep pace

(Figure 1). We need to prepare a new wave of technicians with

broad-based skills who are able to access deep and specialized

knowledge and think critically in order to react appropriately to

any issue on the production line or factory �oor.

This requires a blend of robust academic learning with

hands-on experience in workplace environments. Only this

will ensure that graduates and new technicians are ready the

�rst day on the job.

It’s important for colleges and institutes of technology to

work hand-in-hand with all kinds of industrial, engineering

and robotic manufacturing employers to design curriculum

that is experiential. The technologies and techniques that are

taught need to be up to date and immune to aging and obso-

lescence by the time students leave college. Lastly, it’s equally

important to ensure students have access to a broad base of

learning opportunities that foster creative problem solving,

critical thinking and analytical thought. Tomorrow’s very best

technicians are doers and thinkers. For all their sophistication,

robots still have to be told what to do.

E.J. Daigle is dean of robotics & manufacturing, Dunwoody College

of Technology in Minneapolis. He’s an expert in the teaching of

robotics and automation in manufacturing. Contact him at edaigle@

dunwoody.edu.

The mechanical design and manufacturing and the control design and programming sides are creating better and more ef�cient ways to design, build, install and program automated machinery.


TIME IS MONEY, so taking less time to de-

sign, program and integrate a system is

money in the bank. Inovatech Automa-

tion (www.inovatech.com) in Macomb,

Michigan, understands this as well as

any machine builder does, and it shows

in the well-thought-out machines it

designs and builds. Both the mechanical

design and manufacturing and the con-

trol design and programming sides are

creating better and more ef� cient ways

to design, build, install and program

automated machinery.

“In our business, everything is based

off of time—how long it takes to pro-

gram something,” says Travis Buset,

director of operations at Inovatech Auto-

mation. “It’s based on hours; hours mean

dollars. The same is true for how long it

takes to design and build the machines.”

Inovatech is known for its Modular

Automation Station System (MASS).

Available in several sizes, from tabletop

to a large free-standing work cell, these

systems are expandable and customiz-

able, with easy-to-change tooling. There

is also a robot version available in which

Inovatech can integrate a wide variety

of robots, depending on customer needs

and speci� cations (Figure 1).

About a machine builderIn business since May 2016, Inovat-

ech is an automation company that

makes modular systems. “Our � rst way

of thinking when we build a piece of

equipment is for it to last a long time,”

says Buset. “We don’t just want to de-

sign the machine to run a single prod-

cover story

POSITION SENSORS FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

RELIABLEMORE PERFORMANCEBACKWARDS COMPATIBLE

3 easy pieces: robot, HMI and PLCBy Dave Perkon, technical editor


uct—that will go obsolete. When we build a piece of equip-

ment, we build it to be modular with replaceable components

and �xtures (Figure 2).”

It also is good at improving the ef�ciency of packaging, such

as taking parts, putting them in a box and sending them out

the door, as well as reducing the cost relative to manpower.

While it doesn’t make the OEM packaging equipment to erect

the box, it integrates the equipment, adding robots, conveyors

and other handling equipment, such as robot end-of-arm tool-

ing (EOAT) for a turnkey solution.

Faster programmingAnother way Inovatech saves time is in programming. “I like

Pro-face’s ease of programming,” says Buset. “The software—

the HMI and PLC—is all in one, HMI plus control. What took

me eight hours with the competitor’s PLC usually only takes

me half the time and sometimes only a quarter of the time

using Pro-face.”

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Modular by designFigure 1: Inovatech Automation’s MASS machines are available in several sizes and are easy to expand and customize.

Components and �xturesFigure 2: Equipment is built to be modular, with replaceable components and fixtures.


The all-in-one program from Pro-face America, GP-Pro EX,

makes programming quick and easy, continues Buset. “Some of

the competitors out there have separate PLC and HMI program-

ming software—it’s separate programs,” he says. “The GP-Pro

EX software allows programming of the CPU/controller and the

HMI all in one.”

Much of the addressing is drag-and-drop, which reduces

programming time. “For example, if separate software is used

to program a button to turn something on, the controller

software is used to add the logic and addressing,” says Buset.

“Then the HMI software would be opened, the button would

be programmed and addressing checked. On the other hand,

the GP-Pro EX software allows a normally open contact in the

logic section of the program to be dragged and dropped into

the HMI graphics. Selection of a button, style of the button and

automatic addresses seamlessly follow all-in-one operation. It

makes programming a lot easier and quicker.”

The GP-Pro EX software combines the HMI and logic develop-

ment software in a single platform. It’s a PLC and HMI all in one

and with I/O expansion and more than 125 logic instructions.

Inovatech often uses the Pro-face PFXLM4301TADDC HMI +

Control with 20 inputs and 12 outputs, built-in. To expand the

I/O, it uses CANopen.

The Pro-face tools are very powerful, says Buset. “I actually

built a system with one PLC/HMI unit and it ran two Universal

Robots robot arms, eight conveyors and four different IO-Link

networks,” he says. “It’s very powerful. Why spend $3,000 on

an HMI and a PLC when I can spend less than $1,000, and it

does the exact same thing?”

The software platform is in the $300 range, and the tech sup-

port is free, says Buset. “I had technical questions, especially

when I started out,” he explains. “Although I learned the bulk


cover story

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It integrates the equipment, adding robots, conveyors and other handling equipment.


of it on my own with the help of YouTube, when I started to get

into addressing and integrating the Pro-face, I had a lot of ques-

tions. Tech support was able to answer them very quickly.”

See and controlMuch of Inovatech’s work is in the automotive and medical

industries, which uses a wide variety of automated machines.

“The Pro-face is my interface to all our machines,” says Buset.

“Whether I connect to a Universal Robot, a bowl feeder, a

conveyor or a camera, it all gets funneled through the Pro-face

unit. It also has a wide range of communication capabilities

using, for example, EtherNet/IP to connect to Cognex and Dalsa

cameras in vision applications (Figure 3).”

Inovatech integrates a lot of robot arms from Universal Ro-

bots (UR). “The Pro-face integrates well with UR with up to two

robots connected to one Pro-face unit,” says Buset. “It’s done

all through Ethernet. One wire, one click, and it works well. We

also use IO-Link.”

Inovatech uses ladder logic, function blocks and scripting in

the Pro-face for controlling a machine sequence, interfacing to

cameras and robots, and handling data. All the I/O is connected

through the Pro-face.

Buset describes an example application where a machine

is installing thermal inserts. “The Pro-face helps the operator

to operate the machine with access to functions such as cycle

control and machine functions,” he explains. “Under a normal

sequence, the machine may install 14 inserts. Through a

password-protected operator-interface screen, a graphic of the

part can be displayed, allowing the operator to select or de-

select positions, so only 10 inserts, for example, are installed,

simplifying machine con�guration. Similarly, recipes can also

be programmed.”

The Pro-face solution has many built-in function blocks. A

few examples included talking to a camera or robot. Inovatech

also programs its own function blocks depending on what it is

interfacing to.

Capable controlFigure 3: A wide range of communication capabilities are available—for example, EtherNet/IP to connect to Cognex and Dalsa cameras.

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1218_IWiM_FPA.indd 3 11/19/18 9:54 AMCD1812_FPA.indd 26 11/28/18 3:36 PM

cover story

HMI screens and graphicsInovatech considers pushbuttons and alarming two of the

big uses for an HMI. “Letting the operator know something is

wrong is one of the most basic requirements,” says Buset. “Dis-

playing part counts, such as good and reject, is also common.”

Pretty pictures, as Buset likes to call the graphics, is another

big use of an HMI. “Machine and sensor status are an important

part of this, and Invotech monitors all its sensors,” he says. “If

a �xture has multiple cylinders on it, lights are included on

the HMI for ease of troubleshooting. If a sensor is intermittent

or someone moved the sensor, the graphics helps inform the

operator. The user can actually see a graphical representation

of the cylinder and the actual sensor position, making trouble-

shooting much easier.”

Secrets to success“When I started the business, I did it all,” says Buset. “I was the

designer; I was the controls engineer; I did all the wiring; I did

all the PLC programming; everything.”

He even still cleans the bathrooms, when needed. As a mat-

ter of fact, if you come to Buset’s shop, it is very clean. “I get

compliments on the cleanliness,” says Buset. “A customer was

in the other day, and the �rst thing he commented on was how

clean and organized the shop was. That’s good, considering I

thought it was messy at the time.”

Previously, Buset had worked at an injection-molding

company, building all of the machines in-house. The company

didn’t have to outsource any machines. That certainly made

him quali�ed for injection-molding automation and machine-

tending applications. He’s also a RJG-certi�ed master molder,

so he can also process the molding machines.

It’s one of the customer bene�ts when Buset visits. If the

injection-molding machine needs to be automated, he can

automate it. Even with minimal customer input and guidance,

Inovatech can provide a turnkey project. And, of course, cus-

tomers with 30-page spec sheets are well served, as well.

For the customers who don’t have a spec sheet, Inovatech can

create one. “It’s the default design, if needed,” says Buset. “It in-

cludes a Pro-face HMI + Control, which is its standard PLC, as well

as standard relay, circuit breakers and related control hardware.

We can also create a spec sheet speci�cally for a customer.”

Put a robot on itThe Pro-face solution is actually used to change robot pick-

and-place points, instead of using the robot pendant. “The HMI

provides access to simple points used to place an insert,” says

Buset. “So, if we need to insert it further, the Pro-face can send

the set point data to the robot. If an insert is being placed, the

robot moves down to the insertion point until it sees a force

using a six-axis force sensor integrated into the robot end ef-

fector. The position of the force is recorded, and then the robot

moves down an addition 3 mm, for example. This technique

drives the insert to a �ush or below-�ush position, depending

on what the speci�cations require.”

The robot moves are programmed on the robot, but, through

the HMI, the positions can be edited or offset, continues Buset.

“That way, if adjustments are needed, such as a depth of only

2.5 mm, the operator can make a simple adjustment through

the HMI and not have to deal with the robot pendant,” he says.

“It’s mostly limited to linear moves, moving to a position, not

j-type moves, such as x-y-z and rotations.”

Much of the addressing is drag-and-drop, which reduces programming time.


WHEN IT COMES to industrial machine control, there are often

10 or more ways to do it, and they all work, to varying degrees.

Some may take a long design path, but it works great. Others

may know the shortcuts, but, while missing a few things, they

know they are on an ef�cient design journey.

There are many ways to streamline machine control design.

Certain must-have design features will age gracefully, even

with some future expansion and change of machine scope.

To start, there is the need for proper documentation. You

must have the lines on paper—the design package—before

the parts are ordered or the chips and insulation starts �y-

ing. “Good documentation is incredibly important to main-

taining and upgrading controls,” says Gary H. Lucas, direc-

tor of innovation at Innovative Treatment Products (www.

innovatreat.com) in Owings Mills, Maryland. “I think the cost

of large nonvolatile storage is now low enough that docu-

mentation could be stored right in the devices. Not only does

the design documentation drive the purchasing and manu-

facturing processes when building the equipment, it’s critical

for its operation and future support.”

The on-device documentation can certainly streamline ac-

cess to the design, and so can system architecture and easy,

safe communication. “Future control systems need to be

Internet-capable,” says Doug Putnam-Pite, director of soft-

ware development at Owens Design (www.owensdesign.com)

in Fremont, California. “Tool owners will want to be able to

connect to their tools from anywhere and see how the tool is

performing. Tools conversely need to be able to connect to serv-

ers both in-house and in the cloud. All this connectivity needs

to be done in a manner that is secure. Too often today, tool

developers are either unaware of tool security or just ignore the

issue. We will only see more Stuxnet attacks in the future. Tool

developers will need to learn how to build secure systems in

addition to their existing skills.”

The documentation and system architecture will de�ne

and connect to a more independently controlled, modular

machine that streamlines operation. “I don’t think today’s

machine controls can age gracefully any more than a Modicon

984 or Allen-Bradley PLC-2 has aged well two or three decades

later,” says John Kowal, director, business development, at

B&R Industrial Automation (www.br-automation.com). “And it

seldom makes sense to put new controls on an old machine,

because machine design has become less mechanical and

more electrical or mechatronic. Machine design for the next

generation of control is becoming less sequential in operation

and more �exible with independently controlled shuttles and

tracks. By individually controlling products being processed,

the term ‘changeover’ will become irrelevant. By modularizing

work stations, the term ‘recon�guration’ will be rede�ned by

replacing one modular operation with another to produce a

different product on the same line.”

Streamline the communicationCommunication is a big part of the discussion when talking

about streamlining machine control. Communication buzz-

words that should appear in the machine user’s manual include

OPC UA, TSN, IO-Link, MQTT and others.

“One of today’s standards that should help to future-proof

control concepts is OPC UA TSN,” says Kowal at B&R Industrial

Automation. “I also can’t believe that more consumer goods

companies aren’t publicly demanding ISA-TR88.00.02, aka

PackML, for its ability to make OEE, M2M and machine-to-cloud

easier to implement. If they don’t support the standard, even

though they are using it, OEMs won’t pick up on it.”

by Dave Perkon, technical editor

How to streamline machine controlA better way might include more communication, better architectures and less development


machine control

CD1812_28_32_Streamlined_featr1.indd 28 12/11/18 12:22 PM

The communication standards must

be in place to get to the needed infor-

mation; it should simply become part

of the design. “More and more, every

piece of the automation stream is be-

ing asked for more information, from

a simple proximity switch all the way

up to a high-end machine controller,”

says Allen Tubbs, product manager, IoT,

at Bosch Rexroth (www.boschrexroth.

com), a member of the Control System

Integrators Association (CSIA, www.

controlsys.org). “Using open standards

will prove to be the way of the future.

We can see this already with open com-

munication standards like OPC UA. “A

proprietary system, controlled by one

entity, is not as open for improvement

and innovation as an open-body solu-

tion. Being open allows for the needs of

the industry to be met, rather than the

needs of a vendor. This increases the

longevity of the standard, ultimately

also reducing the need to re-engineer as

technology improves (Figure 1).”

Distributed intelligence, which the

communication connects, is another

building block to help to streamline

machine control. “Technology such

as IO-Link is helping here by making

even simple devices, such as a pres-

sure switch, deliver information past a

4-20 mA signal,” says Tubbs. “IO-Link is

allowing device manufacturers to build

intelligence into their products because

now they have a cost-ef�cient way to

deliver that data to a central control.

Now I can know the manufacturing data

of the pressure switch and get diagnos-

tics, like a health index, of the switch

itself. This allows a more modular ap-

proach to machinery because manufac-

turers can build valuable features into

their products that previously might

have needed extensive programming.

It isn’t necessary for a programmer to

write code to know or detect something

about the device. Now the devices are

talking themselves.”

The smarter a device can be, the more

modular it can be, which will stream-

line design and programming. “For

example, if a motor or drive can monitor

itself, adjust itself and compensate for

real-world conditions on its own, it isn’t

necessary to write code or communicate

extra data with a central controller,” says


Must be open to communicationFigure 1: Systems designed to communicate using open standards

allow for excellent visualization and fast corrective response to irregularities in production.

(SO

URC

E: B

OSC

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EXRO

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Tubbs. “This reduces engineering time to

con�gure systems since communication

paths and data transfer rates don’t need

to be considered for those functions.

And, as a bonus, the devices work better,

as well, since sensing and reacting are

all local to the device.”

Software discovery standards“On the software side, auto-discovery

of tags and structures has made a big

difference in development time in recent

years, along with standardized face-

plates and logic,” says Kevin McClusky,

co-director of sales engineering at

Inductive Automation, (inductiveauto-

mation.com), a member of CSIA. “On the

PLC side, standardizing on data struc-

tures for common elements creates reus-

able code. For sensors that are mainly

needed for monitoring, newer devices

that handle sensor standards such as IO-

Link can have OPC UA or MQTT built in,

eliminating the need to con�gure RIO or

use �eldbus to bring values back into the

visualization software. Ef�cient, reus-

able design and centralized con�gura-

tion provide for �exibility, allowing for a

single visual design to apply to multiple

different machines, streamlining pro-

gramming and deployment.”

For future-proo�ng communications,

software-to-PLC communication over

standard protocols such as OPC UA and

MQTT will have signi�cant bene�ts long-

term. “One important feature OEMs will

need to consider going into the future is

the ability to monitor deployed systems,”

says McClusky. “More customers are

demanding a cloud-based monitoring

system, and that demand will grow. As

machine builders, you’re in the best po-

sition to be able to identify issues early

or suggest maintenance based on live

feedback coming from the machine, and

that’s a service customers are willing

to pay for. Plumbing in the ability for a

machine to send data to the cloud today

will help future-proof any investments

going forward, even if you don’t have

any cloud services currently in place. If

you use the right software, this con�gu-

ration can also be extremely simple.”

Streamlined architectureA streamlined machine control system

design shouldn’t be just boxed into the

control cabinet; it’s distributed through-

out the system. “A consistent and

�eld-proven methodology to streamline

machine control is the combination of

scalable centralized control with dis-

tributed I/O and drive technology,” says

Aurelio Banda, president and CEO, North

America, at Beckhoff Automation (www.

beckhoff.com). “This uncovers immedi-

ately apparent bene�ts such as hardware

consolidation and reduced wiring. The

approach also reduces programming and

installation for all kinds of control hard-

ware. For example, it is possible to do all

drive hardware setup and tuning in the

centralized controller instead of having

to go to each individual drive and handle

it locally. Depending on the size of the

machine or plant, this can save count-

less hours of engineering work.”

Newer technological advancements

such as One Cable Automation further

streamline systems. “It is now possible

to transmit data and power for all man-

ner of industrial devices on a machine,

including motors, drives, HMI hardware,

sensors, actuators and much more,” says

Banda. “A speci�c example of this is

EtherCAT P technology, which acts much

the same way as power over Ethernet

(PoE) but ramps up the functionality to

accommodate industrial-strength power

and industrial Ethernet performance.”

All talk of machine control and

automation must include Industrial-

Internet-of-Things connectivity. Omron

Sysmac Platform highlights the compo-

nents needed to build the system from

sensor information gathering to cloud

communications and back, says Danny

Weiss, senior product manager, at New-

ark Element14 (www.newark.com). “It

takes foresight by the end user to create

a machine speci�cation that allows

future �exibility.

For each automation component,

simple or complex, they must feature

open connectivity to multiple types and

brands of products; they must be �eld-

upgradable in case of improvement op-

portunities; and they must allow for data

to be harvested and leveraged as needed

for future optimization (Figure 2).”

Another way that industrial machine

control can be streamlined is by the

use of open nontraditional tools and

methods of con�guration, programming

and HMI. “For example, Opto 22’s new

Groov Epic system gives users the option

of shell access to the Linux OS, so they

can run a custom application or develop

their control code in the higher-level

programming language of their choice

including C, C++, Python and others,”

says Arun K. Sinha, engineer with Opto

22 (www.opto22.com). “Besides provid-

ing �exibility for both the machine

builder and the user, this approach helps

systems age gracefully. Vendor-speci�c

operating systems and programming

software can become obsolete as new

generations of product are released,

which often limits future expansion and

change of scope, so this type of �exibil-

ity is an advantage.”

Also, to help to streamline machine

control, OEMs and machine build-

ers should get the automation vendor

involved in the design process early.

“In today’s world, information is at our

�ngertips, and engineers can research


machine control


products and solutions online,” says

Sinha. “But they often do not contact the

automation vendor until very late in the

design process. If a vendor is brought in

early, they can help the machine builder

to take advantage of advanced function-

ality in ways that may not be apparent to

the designer.”

Information ownershipBringing the teams together and using

the information is critical for better

control. “Today, we are past the stage

of individual machine control and are

increasingly dependent on good process

control over machines that are sourced

from different vendors,” says Sanket

Amberkar, senior vice president of mar-

keting at Falkonry (falkonry.com). “To

streamline this, the process control can-

not be the work of individual vendors,

but instead must be owned and adjusted

by plant personnel, based on informa-

tion provided by the machines and

intelligence systems. At the machine

level, the must-have feature is the ability

to incorporate and learn from external

data. Recognizing that they are part of

a larger process will allow machines to

adapt more robustly to changing condi-

tions and requirements.”

One of the best examples of expansion

and change of scope in machine control

can be seen in semiconductor fabs that

are keeping up with node changes and

design changes, continues Amberkar.

“Their approach to predictive analytics

and automation combines the knowl-

edge of tool vendors, control design

experts and plant/process teams.”

Modular checklistWhile some may think that every design

is custom, a modular approach, even if it

includes unused capabilities, reduces the

need to reinvent the wheel each time.

“From the design level, engineers should

use a modular programming methodol-

ogy and object-based design,” says Chris

Como, portfolio manager, motion control

business, Rockwell Automation (www.

rockwellautomation.com). “You can

think of your system as building blocks

and design them with a very clear un-

derstanding of how they interface with

each other. This design approach can

eliminate the need to constantly revisit

the how of machine control and instead

focus on the what and what’s next. It

also opens the designer up to ways to

allow new work�ows during design and

development.”

For example, a machine sales engineer

can now have an electronic checklist

of the machine that they are selling

on a tablet, explains Como. “Whatever


Streamline the connectionsFigure 2: A streamlined control platform provides system connections

from the sensor to the cloud and back.

Source Newark Element14 and Omron


they select can then auto-generate the

system for a near-perfect creation of

the system design, down to the code

and hardware selection,” he says. “With

prebuilt components and a modular

format, this is very much possible and

will continue to streamline the overall

system design.”

Increasing compliance to standards

will also streamline machine control.

“The way data is formatted and ex-

changed is being driven with compliance

to standards,” says Como. “This can help

to streamline the understanding of how

a machine communicates with other sec-

tions of the enterprise. Over time, more

companies will include analytics within

their offerings, and, in many ways, it will

become table stakes for selection.”

A smart machine recipeStreamlining industrial machine

control for the end user is key,

says Simone Gianotti, EcoStruxure

industry business development

manager at Schneider Electric

(www.schneider-electric.com). “Of

course, machine builders also need to

optimize their internal processes to

build machines more efficiently, but

what will inevitably win business on

a consistent basis is delivering smart

machines that are intuitive to use,

simple to monitor and f lexible for

future enhancements,” he says.

According to Gianotti, the must-have

features for a truly streamlined indus-

trial machine control system today are:

• compliance to local safety standards

• high-quality components to ensure long

life and reduced maintenance time

• �exible design to accommodate future

enhancements or re-designs

• user-friendly interface, alerts, sup-

port documentation and maintenance

procedures

• embedded sensing devices and

analytics software for preventive

maintenance.

“Developing streamlined industrial

machine control will be an ever-evolv-

ing chase that machine builders should

always look to lead in their industry,”

says Gianotti. “The players that stay

ahead of the pack by building the most

intuitive and ef�cient machines will

surely remain successful as technology

advances.”

machine control

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servos

“SERVO BANDWIDTH” IS a very common

term used in the motion control industry.

The value is often used as a speci�cation

to characterize a servo loop’s perfor-

mance. But not all servo loops are asked

to do the same job, causing confusion as

to which servo-loop metric accurately

de�nes the requirement. First, the com-

ponents of a servo loop need to be de-

�ned to set the stage for a discussion of

bandwidth vs. loop gain. Also, a descrip-

tion of the open- and closed-loop transfer

functions will help us to fully grasp

the fundamental differences between

bandwidth and loop gain. Bandwidth and

loop gain can be used to characterize

performance of servo loops. An example

can show how two systems with identi-

cal bandwidths reject a disturbance fre-

quency with different degrees of success.

But bandwidth and loop gain can be used

incorrectly when discussing aspects of a

servo system.

Servo loopBefore we dive into bandwidth and loop

gain, let’s start with the basic word

“servo” and what it means. Engineers

will often use the term “servo loop” to

describe any type of closed-loop control

system, whether it be a dc motor and

encoder or a piezoelectric stack actuator

and capacitance probe. In this case, the

word is typically used as a noun. An ex-

ample might be: “The servo is stable and

performed the move within its allotted

time requirement.”

The word “servo,” however, is some-

times used as verb. For example, an

engineer might say, “The stage ‘ser-

voed’ to the �nal position without any

problem.” The word “servo” is common-

ly meant to represent the entire closed-

loop system, meaning the actuation

device, the sensing device, the drive

and control electronics and the control

algorithm.

Figure 1 shows the basic servo-block

diagram applicable to most electrome-

chanical servo systems. There are �ve

main elements to the servo system:

• controller

• drive electronics

• actuation device

• plant

• sensor.

The controller is the brains behind the

servo system. It is regulating the direc-

tion and magnitude of control effort that

is needed to arrive at the desired goal.

The desired goal in all servo systems is

to reduce or minimize error. The drive is

the component that converts low-voltage

electrical signals from the controller into

high-power current or voltage signals

that deliver power to the actuation

device. Common actuation devices for

electromechanical servos are dc motors,

linear and rotary, and piezoelectric ac-

tuators. These devices are often built into

by Mark Holcomb, Celera Motion

Terminology makes a di�erenceKnow why bandwidth and loop gain don’t mean the same thing

Servo loop diagramFigure 1: The basic servo-block diagram is applicable to most electromechanical servo systems. The five main elements to the servo system are the controller, drive electronics, actuation device, plant and sensor.

1In1

metersKsense Kadc

counts

Amp3 Amp6

Constant

+

+0

Command

Feedback

Controller

voltsControl

errorManual Switch

2In2

3In + Cntrl

++

2error

1Out1

volts or counts

voltsvolts or amps

volts or amps

Force/ Torque

amps or volts

Drive Actuation Device

Plant

Input Position (m)

meters

measured output

volts or counts In

Sensor

Control Input

CD1812_33_37_CaseStudy_featr.indd 33 12/11/18 12:24 PM

or coupled with more complex devices

such as valves, gear boxes or bearings.

The fourth component is the plant. The

plant is the structure that supports

the actuation device and the sensor. It

includes the moving load that the actua-

tion device is connected to.

The last component is the sensor. This

component converts a physical metric,

such as position, velocity, pressure or

�ow, into a signal the controller can use

as an input—voltage or counts.

Closed-loop transfer functionThe closed-loop transfer function (CLTF)

is the most common way to describe

the control system in the frequency

domain. The data is taken while the

loop is closed, thereby capturing the

closed-loop dynamics in the transfer

function. The gain of the CLTF is very

close to unity at low frequency and rolls

off at high frequency, with some ampli-

�cation in between, depending on the

phase margin of the system. The phase

of the CLTF is near 0 at low frequency

and more negative than -180° at high

frequency. This curve is typically used to

state the system’s bandwidth.

Open-loop transfer functionThe open-loop transfer function (OLTF)

is representative of all the frequency-de-

pendent blocks that make up of the servo

loop, meaning the control, the drive, the

plant and the sensor. The OLTF for some

systems can be taken with the servo loop

open, but, in many cases, it must be either

derived from models or taken with the

loop closed using the test point in Figure

1. The OLTF can be found from the closed

loop using the formula, CLTF/(1-CLTF),

where CLTF is the complex representation

of the closed-loop transfer function. Refer-

ring to Figure 1, the CLTF can be measured

by driving the system with random or

swept sine at In2 and measuring Out2/In2.

The OLTF can be found by driving with In2

and measuring Out2/Out3.

Loop gainA servo gain is attributed to each com-

ponent in the servo loop. The gain may

simply be unity or may be much lower

or higher by many orders of magni-

tude. There are many types of gain in a

servo loop. Some gains are frequency-

dependent and some gains are constant

at all frequencies. The most notable

servo gains are control gain, drive

gain, motor gain, plant gain and sensor

gain. Every servo gain gets multiplied

together to create the overall loop gain.

Changing any one component will af-

fect the closed-loop stability. Some gain

examples are component-speci�c:

• For an encoder, the gain would be

counts per micron.

• For a capacitance probe, it would be

volts per micron.

• For a rotary motor, the motor gain

would be Newton-meter/Amp.

• For a current drive, it would Amps/Volt.

BandwidthServo bandwidth describes the maximum

frequency at which the control system

will exert bene�cial effort into a control

system. Electrical engineers who deal

with low pass �lters, such as Butterworth,

elliptical or Chebyshev, will often quote

the -3 dB magnitude frequency as the

�lter’s bandwidth. The equivalent for

servo systems would be the -3 dB point

of the closed-loop transfer function. This

de�nition, however, is not universal. Many

controls engineers will refer to the 0 dB of

the open-loop, or loop, transfer function

as the control system’s bandwidth.

Be clear by what you mean. Are you

quoting the -3 dB point in the closed loop

or 0 dB in the open loop? Ask what others

mean when they use the word, so there

is no miscommunication that results in

overdesigning a control system or having

one not meet its intended performance.

In control textbooks, bandwidth (BW)

is described as a characterization of a

system’s response time. BW = 0.35 * TR,

where TR is the rise time, is the most

commonly quoted formula, but it’s also

the most commonly misused formula

when describing closed-loop mechanical

systems. This formula is for �rst-order

systems; and closed-loop motion-control

systems do not act like �rst-order sys-

tems. Using the formula can absolutely

steer one in the wrong direction.

There are many variations of the

bandwidth formula that consider the

system’s damping ratio zeta. Zeta for

a closed-loop system is related to the

phase margin of the system.

Almost all the formulas you will �nd

equating bandwidth and response time

for second-order systems are based on

linear systems that are not in saturation.

If one compares response times from

actual step-response data to the calcula-

tions made via bandwidth formulas,

they will rarely be equivalent; and the

most likely reason is from voltage or

current saturation. Drive systems have

a limited amount of voltage or current;

and, if the step values chosen in combi-

nation with the proportional and inte-

gral gain are too large, voltage or current

saturation will occur, slowing down the


servos

Bandwidth and loop gain can be used to characterize performance of servo loops.


system’s response versus the formula’s

predicted response time.

Bandwidth vs. loop gainBandwidth is frequently used incorrectly

to state the control system’s ability to

track, reject or attenuate error. The most

common misconception is that, the

higher the bandwidth, the better the

performance. For tracking, attenuating

or rejecting disturbances, loop gain is

what matters, not bandwidth. Loop gain

is frequency-dependent. Two systems

can have the same bandwidth but very

different low-frequency gain. Both sys-

tems will have the same mathematically

calculated response time, but one will

track or reject low-frequency disturbanc-

es more so than the other.

Related to this concept is understanding

the limitations of disturbance rejection,

or tracking, as the frequency nears the

bandwidth frequency. If we use the 0 dB

crossover in the OLTF as our bandwidth

frequency, this means that the loop gain

just before the bandwidth is above 0 dB

but is also very small, say just a few dB.

Loop gain is what drives disturbance

rejection, and, if loop gain is low, so is

your disturbance rejection or tracking

ability. This means is one cannot expect

the same performance at frequencies

just before the bandwidth, as compared

to frequencies that are more than two

times lower than the bandwidth fre-

quency. This is a key concept to under-

stand when writing and responding to a

control system’s requirements.

Another common misconception

is that systems with large masses or

inertias cannot have high servo band-

widths or cannot move and settle at high

speeds. This statement is simply not

correct. The mass or inertia of a system

is just another gain in the loop. The more

mass or inertia there is in a system, the

lower the gain is for the plant. To com-

pensate for low plant gain, the control

gain can be increased to achieve the

maximum bandwidth, provided stabil-

ity rules are met. The limiting factor,

however, in large mass servo systems,

is the available power to move the load

or reject disturbances. This is where

confusion comes in. A large mass system

might be stable with a 100 Hz band-

width, but, when the mass is accelerated

or subjected to the disturbance input,

the dissipated power becomes so large

that either the motor heats up or perfor-

mance is limited due to lack of current or

voltage from the drive electronics.

A motor with a larger motor constant

will heat up less, and higher avail-

able current or voltage will eliminate

saturations. The limiting factor for large

mass or inertia systems is not servo

bandwidth; rather, it is the components

selected to drive the mass—the motor

and drive electronics.

Example of loop gain vs. bandwidthHow can increased low-frequency (inte-

grator) gain be used to improve current

loop performance? Figure 2 shows a

simpli�ed picture of the workings of a

linear motor.

Forces are created from the interac-

tion of the current running through

motor phases A, B and C and the cor-

responding magnetic �eld due to the

individual magnets. This interaction of

current and magnetic �eld is captured in

the motor parameter Kf (N/Amp). Each

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individual magnet, however, has slightly

different magnetic strength, causing

the magnetic � elds to correspondingly

vary in strength. This in turn causes

the motor’s Kf to vary in strength as

a function of position and ultimately

causes the forces Fa1 through Fc2 to

vary in strength with position. Other

contributors to position-dependent force

variability are magnet spacing, motor

coil-to-coil spacing and motor coil-turn

spacing. All of these combine to create a

varying Kf with position.

The motor parameter that captures

this conversion of applied current to

force is the force constant of the motor

(Kf). When using SI units, the back emf

constant is numerically the same as the

force constant. So, as the coil moves

through the varying magnetic � eld,

the back emf constant also � uctuates,

thereby creating a � uctuating back emf

voltage. The varying loss of voltage as a

function of position is subtracted from

the bus voltage, and the remainder is ap-

plied across the coil to make current.

Figure 3 shows where the back emf loss

is accounted for in relation to the current

loop and a simpli� ed RL motor model. The

current loop’s job is to keep the desired

current correct while any voltage distur-

bances are taking place. In this case, as

the coil moves through the varying mag-

netic � elds, there is a voltage disturbance,

in the form of back emf (Bemf) that the

current loop must correct for. In the block

diagram, this is captured through at the

sum block just before the coil model.

The frequency of the voltage distur-

bance is critical. For slow speeds, the

frequency is also slow, as the frequency

is the linear speed in mm/sec divided by

the magnetic pitch.

The units here become electrical cy-

cles per second or Hz. At the low speeds

and low frequencies, the loop gain is

very high. In these regions, it may be dif-

� cult to see any bene� t of optimal inte-

grator tuning because the gain is so high

that improvement may be in the noise of

the measurement. At higher speeds and

frequencies, however, maximizing I gain

could lead to a signi� cant improvement

in current ripple from varying Kf.

For this example, a 200 Hz sinusoidal

signal was injected into the voltage sum-

mation block. The amplitude of the sine

wave was set using a Ke value of 10 Volts

per m/sec, at a speed of 0.5 m/sec and a

variation of 10% of that value. What this

means is that Kf or Ke will vary +/- 10%

at a frequency of 200 Hz.

This is used to represent how a linear

coil moves through a motor track with

varying magnet strength. The varying

Ke will cause a � uctuation at 200 Hz of

the back emf component of coil voltage.

This � uctuation will act as a disturbance

to the voltage being applied to the coil.

Increasing low-frequency gain—In-

tegrator gain—typically reduces phase

margin of the servo loop. The amount of

acceptable phase margin is not the same

for every application. The higher level

takeaway from this discussion, however,

is that, when tuning a control law to

reject tonal frequencies, gain is what is

important, not bandwidth. Two systems

with the same bandwidth perform much

differently against a tonal disturbance.

When servo terms are incorrectly

bundled together, confusion can quickly

occur. Here are some good examples of

how “bandwidth” and “loop gain” can be

used incorrectly.

• “The servo rate is 2 KHz.” In this

example the user is mixing up two key

elements of the servo loop—the servo

sample rate and the servo bandwidth.

These are two very different terms. The

servo sample rate (Fs), sometimes called

the update rate, is the rate at which the


servos

Linear ironless motorFigure 2: In a linear motor, forces are created from the interaction of the current running through motor phases A, B and C and the corresponding magnetic fi eld due to the individual magnets.

3 Phase Motor CellBack Iron

Magnets

Magnet Fields

Fa1A

Fa2

Fb1

Fb2

Fc1

Fc2B C


controller samples the feedback sensor

and outputs a control action. Typical

sample rate will vary between 1 and 10

KHz. As described previously, the servo

bandwidth is the maximum frequency

at which the control system will exert

bene�cial effort into a control system.

• “The motor resonance is 100 Hz.” Mo-

tors typically do not have resonant fre-

quency, per se, but the servo loop does

have a servo bandwidth frequency and

is likely to have plant resonant frequen-

cies. In this example it is not clear if 100

Hz is the bandwidth frequency or a plant

resonant frequency. A clearer statement

would be: “The servo bandwidth is 100

Hz,” or “The plant has its �rst resonance

at 100 Hz.” The housing supporting the

motor can have a resonant frequency.

The back iron and magnet track for a

linear motor can have a resonant fre-

quency, and the coil for a linear motor

can have resonant frequency. Typically,

these resonances, or modes of vibration,

are perpendicular to direct which force

is created and are not strong contribu-

tors in the plant transfer function.

• “My servo loop bandwidth is 100 Hz, but

I am not getting good attenuation of the

disturbance frequency at 90 Hz.” In this

case, the person has used the term “servo

bandwidth” correctly but is incorrect

in the expectation of how much distur-

bance rejection is achievable for a given

servo bandwidth. Disturbance rejection,

or tracking, is 100% dependent on loop

gain; and loop gain near the bandwidth

is typically low, so it is expected that lim-

ited performance will be achieved. The

takeaway here is that bandwidth is not

a good indicator of a servo loop’s ability

to track or reject disturbances. Loop gain

is a much more direct value to specify

rejection or tracking performance.

• “Will the bandwidth double if I

doubled the encoder resolution, going

from 1 count = 0.5 μm to 1 count =

0.25 μm?” This is a commonly asked

question, and the answer is no. The

reason is that the maximum loop gain

is always conserved and is limited by

stability. This means that components

within the loop can change their gains

up or down, but stability rules govern

the maximum loop gain.

• “If higher-resolution encoders do not

provide higher bandwidth, what is the

bene�t?” The answer is repeatability, not

to be confused with accuracy. The servo

will move the load into position with +/-

1 count of error, assuming some amount

of integral gain. The higher-resolution

the encoder, the more precise the �nal

position will be. In this case, accuracy

is not improved with higher resolution

because it is governed by the runout of

the encoder scale markings and other

factors, and not based on how the mark-

ings are interpolated.

Mark Holcomb is senior

engineer, motion control

specialist, at Celera Motion.

Contact him at mark.

[email protected].

Varying Kf (Ke)Figure 3: The back emf loss is accounted for in relation to the current loop and a simplified RL motor model.

KeVar

Current Cmd

+

+

0

2PID Out

1Out1

Add

Error PID Out+

+

Ke

Periodic Disturbance Signal

Velocity (m/sec)

0

untiy sine wave

KeVariation

Ke (v/m/sec)

Product

x

Sinusoidal Bemf voltage loss

voltage across coil

Motor Coil Model

current in coil1

L1• s + R1

LPF

s + LPF

Current Sens Filter

Current Loop PID


MOST MACHINE BUILDERS and integrators get to experience the

joy of supporting obsolete machines and control hardware. What

was easy to support and understand in the past is often dif�cult

and somewhat annoying, if not impossible, to support today—10

years later. Much time is spent searching spare part shelves, old

PCs and the Internet for the hardware and software needed.

Starting now, gather all the machine and program history,

both on paper and digitally, and keep it in a locked, controlled

�le cabinet and server. Keeping good documentation such as

the schematic and program descriptors, spares on the shelf and

those old software �oppies and CDs is good practice. While the

internet and online depositories are helpful, detailed plans for

the replacing, designing, programming and upgrading of obso-

lete components are a must.

Proactive strategies for obsolescence“Hearing that your components are obsolete is never good news

in any type of manufacturing industry,” says Jerry Flynn, prin-

cipal engineer at Concept Systems (www.conceptsystemsinc.

com), a member of the Control System Integrators Association

(CSIA, www.controlsys.org), headquartered in Albany, Oregon.

“For most, the �rst thing that comes to mind is always, ‘How

much is this going to cost me?’ Depending on the situation,

it can be a lot. It isn’t just the cost of new components, but

the downtime associated with replacing them. Fortunately in

today’s world most manufacturers are rather proactive about

informing their customers when components will be going

obsolete.”

This is all well and good, but what if you have a breakdown

and only then learn that your failed component went end-of-life

�ve years ago? asked Flynn. “Fortunately there are choices out

there,” says Flynn. “A simple Google search will reveal a large

number of companies that make their living off of refurbish-

ing and remanufacturing old and obsolete parts. Sometimes

you can even �nd parts on sites like eBay. The downside to this

is that the parts rarely come with any type of warranty; they

can be extremely expensive; and at times they are even broken

upon arrival (Figure 1).”

A common strategy is a manufacturer stockpiling parts

they know are obsolete. “This can work for a time, but, in most

cases, it is more of a delay tactic,” says Flynn. “This strategy

makes sense if the end product is going to be obsolete itself

soon and the machinery mothballed. However, in most cases

the parts and those with the ability to install them will eventu-

ally be gone.”

There are those who have held on to old equipment and want

to keep it running until they have no choice but to replace the

entire system. “I have personally witnessed some scenarios

along these lines, usually related to older PLCs and program-

ming languages that are no longer in use,” says Flynn. “The big

manufacturers don’t want to support these systems, but often

times they do still have the ability to do so—for a steep price.”

Plan for obsolescence“Many control system suppliers drive change and, subse-

quently, obsolescence without a good plan,” says Craig Souser,

president/CEO at JLS Automation (www.jlsautomation.com) in

York, Pennsylvania. “However, the big challenge is when the

form factor that you used on one system changes. For example,

maybe you bought a drive with an integrated power supply, and

now it’s a modular con�guration with separate components

that have a completely different orientation, interconnects,

connectivity or all the above.”

Most parts, or only the most important ones, will become

obsolete, and that includes the part number itself. “Every pur-

chased part we buy gets our unique part number,” says Gary H.

Lucas, director of innovation at Innovative Treatment Products

(www.innovatreat.com) in Owings Mills, Maryland. “We never

use the manufacturer or vendor part number as our own; they

too frequently change. When we are alerted that a part is no

longer available it is immediately marked as inactive in our MRP

system. This means it can’t be put on purchase or sales orders

but is still in our system for reference when a customer calls. The

new and different part gets a new part number in our system,

along with the new manufacturer’s part number.”

Engineering should be involved with part number changes.

by Dave Perkon, technical editor

New strategies for old componentsObsolescence is a headache that can be avoided with proper preparation


obsolescence

CD1812_38_40_Featr2.indd 38 12/11/18 12:25 PM

“Nearly every obsolete part change

elevates the process from purchasing

up to engineering for review, says Lucas.

“Our system tracks every part in every

job so we know exactly which customers

have the obsolete part.”

Dealing with obsolete components in

a plant has several risks and associated

costs, says Swapnil Adkar, global prod-

uct manager at Honeywell (www.hon-

eywell.com), a member of CSIA. “Plant

operations and maintenance teams

need to carefully plan their activities

and approach toward managing control

systems,” he says.

Examples include ensuring the right

inventory of obsolete parts is main-

tained until migration of these systems

is completed. It also requires carefully

planning any modi�cation to hardware

and software with the right mitigation

plans. The plans should include ensuring

expertise and knowledge of obsolete

systems at the site is retained. If not, a

migration to new, state-of-the-art PLC

technology, not only will ensure system

operation, but improve plant availability

and reliability.

Hardware and softwareIt is not uncommon to search the

Internet for the obsolete components, es-

pecially to support existing equipment.

“We are forced to do this all the time as

the plants we build are frequently quite

old and operate 24/7. Moving to a new

PLC would be an enormous task,” says

Lucas at Innovative Treatment Products.

“Unfortunately customers don’t seem to

understand that PLC parts should have

critical spares just like pumps. If the

PLC doesn’t work, it is likely none of the

pumps will either.”

There will often be times when you

will need obsolete components for jobs

you are currently working on, says Mark

Teed, controls program manager at

Applied Manufacturing Technologies

(www.appliedmfg.com), a CSIA mem-

ber, headquartered in Orion, Michigan.

“This often happens when a customer,

typically a second- or third-tier supplier,

wants a duplicate machine, and a period

of time has gone by,” he explains. “In

this case during the quoting process, you

will need to inform the customer of a

potential problem in this area. If the cus-

tomer still wants identical components,

then the search is on.”

Software should be part of the obso-

lescence discussion, as well. “When I

think of programming, I think of PLCs

and HMIs,” says Teed. “It seems like

every month or two manufacturers come

out with new ‘rev’ levels (revisions) of

software. Some of these new rev levels

are so speci�c that even the reps for the

product can’t keep up with them.”

We have a rep for one of the major

PLC/HMI manufacturers come to our

of�ce quarterly just to try to keep us

up to date on these changes, explains

Teed. “So, remember, if you choose to

use an obsolete PLC/HMI, the software

you currently have in your computer

may not program it,” he says. “I have in

the past needed to �nd and purchase an

old laptop with a Windows XP operating

system, a PCMCIA (Personal Computer

Memory Card International Association)

slot and an RS-232 port to have the abil-

ity to program old equipment, and I still

have it. So, when thinking about using

an obsolete PLC/HMI, take into consid-

eration the amount of time and effort it

will take just to have the capability to

communicate with it.”

Why not just upgrade?It is not easy to just upgrade the design

before obsolescence occurs. “The say-

ing, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t �x it’ applies


Messy obsolescenceFigure 1: Those ugly, obsolete components are not good—unless you have one that is needed.

(SO

URC

E: C

ON

CEP

T SY

STEM

S)

CD1812_38_40_Featr2.indd 39 12/11/18 12:25 PM

here,” says Russ Bullmer, director of

technical product support at Allied Elec-

tronics & Automation (www.alliedelec.

com). “If the customer is an OEM ma-

chine builder that designed in various

control components, they invested a lot

of time and money and resources to get

the equipment running and approved.”

If the customer is a user of machin-

ery that contains control components,

oftentimes, upgrading equipment means

downtime, so why change if the current

machinery is running? “There is also

an inherent risk if a user changes parts

that are not the same,” says Bullmer. “If

the component change results in a piece

of equipment not functioning properly,

who is responsible for the lost produc-

tion time? Our experience is that most

maintenance people will not change a

component until it is their only option

and they have exhausted all other op-

tions for an ‘exact cross.’”

Ease of design and programming neededThere are ways to minimize design and

programming time needed when replac-

ing obsolete components. “Cost, risk and

time for migration can be minimized by

selecting a control system with suf-

�cient tools and documents to simplify

the process,” says Swapnil Adkar at Hon-

eywell. “Replacing obsolete components

involves careful planning and execution.

Reverse engineering of design and ap-

plication programs requires signi�cant

engineering effort. Planning for replace-

ment starts as soon as the decision for

replacement is made, and every step in

the process needs to be supported with

documentation. Leveraging a migra-

tion tool with the ability to document

information right from the site survey to

conversion of the design and application

simpli�es reverse-engineering efforts.”

Select hardware and software

platforms with a proven track record

of long-term availability, support and

service. “PC-based control technology

is inherently well-suited to combat-

ing obsolescence for machine builders

because of platform openness and the

use of standard hardware built from the

deepest pool of commercially available

components on the planet,” says Eric

Reiner, industrial PC product specialist

at Beckhoff Automation (www.beckhoff.

com). “By strategically sourcing com-

ponents from companies like Intel and

ARM, PC-based control manufacturers

can ensure lengthy product lifecycles

and extended service that can go for

decades.”

If a machine builder has the viable

option to stick with what it has for a

longer period of time, it naturally means

less engineering costs in the long run,

continues Reiner. “This is another point

where a wise choice of suppliers is criti-

cal—you can lower your cost of engi-

neering by working with the suppliers

that help you handle migration easily,

and only when necessary,” he says.

Deal with the challenge“The focus here should be on avoiding

the challenge of obsolescence alto-

gether,” says John Fryer, senior director,

industry solutions, Stratus Technologies

a member of CSIA. “Companies should

retro�t the infrastructure with longer

shelf-life technology from vendors that

have longevity and set-and-forget solu-

tions with automated diagnostics and

component failure mitigation.”

Some vendors would rather claim

non-obsolescence. “One of the key fac-

tors contributing to industrial-control-

system obsolescence is the fact that

most manufacturers are dependent

on third-party semiconductor suppli-

ers,” says Albert Rooyakkers, founder

and CEO of Bedrock Automation (www.

bedrockautomation.com). “Because

chips tend to have shorter life spans

than industrial control systems, vendors

are likely to obsolete the whole system

based on its components. A variety of

embedded components may become

obsolete sooner and cause the vendor to

obsolete a system sooner.”

Bedrock Automation is in a somewhat

unique situation, in that, being owned

by a large semiconductor company,

Maxim Integrated, it manufactures

almost all of its own chips and thus has

total control of when to obsolete a com-

ponent, if ever.

Perhaps Flynn at Concept Systems

sums it up best. “In short, the best way

to deal with obsolete components is to

be proactive about it—examine what

lifecycle phase your components are

in,” says Flynn. “If they are approaching

end of life, contact the manufacturer or

integrator about a plan to bring things

up to date. There are many options for

doing so, and going forward can give you

many advantages you hadn’t initially an-

ticipated, such as increased production,

digital copies of your electrical schemat-

ics and less maintenance requirements.

The best strategy for dealing with

obsolete components is replacing them

before they become obsolete.”


obsolescence

There are those who have held on to old equipment and want to keep it running until they have no choice but to

replace the entire system.

CD1812_38_40_Featr2.indd 40 12/11/18 12:25 PM


control software

SINCE 2004, SIGNAL.X TECHNOLOGIES

(www.signalxtech.com) in Northville,

Michigan, has provided software and

systems integration for complex end-of-

line test systems and industrial automa-

tion. Controlling a production test system

requires a multi-disciplinary team that

brings together electrical, mechani-

cal, hydraulic and controls knowledge.

Done correctly, end-of-line test systems

operate reliably day in and day out, while

maintaining the level of �exibility needed

to add new models, facilitate trouble-

shooting of components and provide the

correct level of insight into the machine

performance and health.

STAX platformPLCs have traditionally been the

primary solution to meet this require-

ment and are still the right choice for

many machines. However, as these

test systems become more complex,

Signal.X has found that PLCs do not

always satisfy the needs for high-speed

data acquisition, signal processing and

database interaction. In lieu of simply

placing a PC next to a PLC on the pro-

duction line, Signal.X created the STAX

manufacturing test platform, built on

the National Instruments CompactRIO

hardware (Figure 1).

When we began deploying automation

and control systems using NI hardware

and LabVIEW, we wanted to create a

con�gurable platform that was easily

understood by a controls engineer who

was used to working with PLCs but did

not necessarily want to learn LabVIEW

to modify how the machine worked. The

result of that effort is the STAX platform.

At its core, the STAX platform turns

NI hardware, speci�cally the Compac-

tRIO, into a PLC, but with the power of

LabVIEW to acquire and log high-speed

data and communicate to devices. STAX

by Robert Ho�man, Signal.X Technologies

When a PLC isn’t enoughPlatform enables traditional automation to co-exist with high speed data logging and analysis

More than a PACFigure 1: As test systems become more complex, PLCs do not always satisfy the needs for high-speed data acquisition, signal processing and database interaction.

(Sou

rce:

Sig

nal.X

)

CD1812_41_43_CaseStudy2_featr.indd 41 12/11/18 12:26 PM

contains a ladder-logic emulator that is

used to program the behavior of the con-

trol system, with editing and monitoring

tools very similar to a PLC (Figure 2).

Hutchinson Antivibration Systems

(www.hutchinson.com), which special-

izes in vibration control, �uid manage-

ment and sealing technologies, located in

Grand Rapids, Michigan, recently put the

STAX platform to work on a test system

that required automation, communica-

tion with a line PLC, sophisticated control

and data acquisition. The STAX controller

is testing active mass dampers as part of

the assembly line to ensure the products

are assembled correctly and meet cus-

tomer requirements (Figure 3).

Destructive interferenceThe active mass dampers are called

active tuned mass modules (ATMM)

and are used to counteract unwanted

vibration in automotive applications

to improve customer perception and

comfort. As emissions-reduction initia-

tives such as cylinder deactivation

and engine downsizing become more

commonplace, active mass dampers are

critical to achieving noise, vibration and

harshness (NVH) performance targets

for customers.

Modern cars and trucks use a variety

of closed-loop technology. An active sus-

pension is one example. Level switches,

air shocks and compressors are used

to level a truck under load. Another

example is engine cylinder deactivation

technology. The engine will switch from

eight-cylinder operation to four-cylinder

operation to improve ef�ciency. A

problem with this technology is that

undesirable engine vibration can be felt

through the �oor and seats when only

four cylinders are �ring.

The 2019 Ram 1500 truck uses cylinder

deactivation engines, the HEMI multi-

displacement system, but uses ATMM to

counteract the vibration, which makes

the truck smoother. The ATMMs can

be thought of as active shake weights.

These solenoid-activated weights are

mounted to the outside of the frame

rails on both sides of the truck, near the

front passenger area.

The ATMM technology is similar to

noise-canceling technology, which is also

used on the Ram. Sensors under the hood

detect the engine vibrations, which acti-

vate the ATMMs, shaking them to create

a vibration that is 180° out of phase of

the undesirable vibration, canceling it.

The vibration the ATMMs create is called

destructive interference. The tuning of

this interference varies, depending on

the length of the truck frame.

These active mass dampers are

sophisticated components resembling

a linear voice coil. They are required to

be 100% tested at the end of line. The

test consists of controlling the com-

mand to the coil at various frequencies

and measuring the response of the

component through load cells to verify

the correct forces are being generated.

By utilizing high-speed measurement

of the voltage, current and load to the

part, the test system can accurately

detect defective parts before they are

shipped to the customer.

Advanced controlSTAX implements a user-con�gurable,

logic-based execution system that lever-

ages multi-threaded embedded software

development in LabVIEW. By utilizing

a de�ned data space from each thread

of the application, STAX creates a logic

engine that makes decisions based on

the state of the system, sets outputs and

sends commands to each thread.

Hutchinson utilizes STAX to sequence

the test, communicate to the line PLC,

acquire data and analyze the data for

pass/fail determination. Signal.X cus-

tomized the STAX controller for this sys-

tem to send a high-speed waveform to a


control software

CompactRIO PLCFigure 2: The STAX logic editor includes a ladder-logic editor with editing and monitoring tools similar to a PLC.

(Sou

rce:

Sig

nal.X

)


power ampli�er to drive the coil inside

the damper, leveraging the power of the

�eld programmable gate array (FPGA) in

the CompactRIO.

STAX incorporates concepts that are

familiar to ladder-logic programmers.

STAX is con�gured to evaluate decisions

based on inputs and command actions

when a rung evaluates to a true condi-

tion. It can be structured to support

various modes and evaluate actions in

sequence or in parallel, accommodating

continuous limit checks and sequence

control in manual or automatic mode or

as a global check.

This provides the customer with a

sophisticated and �exible tool to serve

testing needs while allowing an engineer

with limited or no LabVIEW knowledge

to con�gure the test system to future

needs. However, the modularity of the

architecture allows experienced devel-

opers to modify the threads of a custom

application that provides data to the

STAX logic engine. STAX systems can

scale from a simple durability test appli-

cation to controlling a re�nery through

this modularity.

Meanwhile, the STAX controller is

also acquiring and analyzing the signa-

tures from the test itself. The platform

includes tools that help engineers to

process, visualize and improve the

pass/fail decision. STAX builds on

Signal.X’s experience in metric-based

decision making for manufacturing test

systems. Hutchinson Antivibration Sys-

tems not only gets a pass/fail decision

at the end of line, but can also archive

the data using our Trove data collabora-

tion server. Trove retrieves data from

the tester and archives the data �le, as

well as enters metadata and test results

in a SQL database.

The ability to view, mine and repro-

cess data from the test stand enables

Hutchinson to understand its manufac-

turing process, adapt to changing re-

quirements and improve the test system

as the process matures (Figure 4).

Historically, manufacturing plants

have not been receptive to LabVIEW

and National Instruments as part of the

production process. Many plants believe

maintenance of the systems requires

LabVIEW experts. Asking a controls

engineer who is an expert ladder-logic

programmer to also learn LabView is an

unrealistic expectation in most plants.

STAX enables controls engineers and

technicians to maintain and manage so-

phisticated test systems using program-

ming that is familiar and intuitive.

Hutchinson Antivibration Systems

has leveraged the STAX platform suc-

cessfully to implement a single test

system that previously would have

required either custom hardware or

a combination of control, function

generators and data acquisition. From

controls engineers to NVH manag-

ers, this system can be monitored and

maintained by Hutchinson Antivibra-

tion Systems personnel and is a reliable

platform that can survive the demands

of the plant �oor for years to come.

Robert Hoffman is business

development manager at

Signal.X Technologies, a

provider for software

products, services and technology for test

and measurement applications. Contact

him at [email protected].


Active mass dampersFigure 3: Active tuned mass modules are sophisticated components similar to a linear voice coil.

(Sou

rce:

Sig

nal.X

and

Ram

Tru

ck E

ngin

eerin

g)

And the results areFigure 4:The controller also acquires and analyzes vibration signatures from the test that can be viewed, mined or reprocessed.

(SO

URC

E: S

IGN

AL.

X)


PID loop autotune featureThe e!CockPit programming tool

for Wago’s PFC controllers includes

a feature that offers several

methods of autotuning PID

loops. In the control engineering

�eld, being able to tune the pro-

cess parameters of control loops

quickly and accurately is neces-

sary. Process values continuously are calculated by the using P

(proportional), I (integral) and D (derivative), simply known as

PID. Autotune allows users to adapt their processes based on

the type of loop that is used in the application.

Wago / www.wago.us

Secure process data transfer to mobile devicesThe TwinCAT IoT Communicator enables PLCs to communi-

cate with mobile devices by connecting the PC-based TwinCAT

controller directly and securely to a messaging service through

TLS encryption. For

smartphone and tablet

users, the associated

IoT Communicator

app ensures that

process data can be

represented on all mo-

bile devices in a clear

overview. Alarms are sent to the device as push messages. Data

is exchanged using a publish/subscribe mechanism. Because no

special �rewall settings are needed, integration into an exist-

ing IT network is easy. Information is exchanged via a message

broker that uses the standardized MQTT protocol and acts as a

central messaging service in a cloud or local network.

Beckho� Automation / 877-twincat / www.beckho�automation.com

Historical data import utilityVTScada simpli�es replacing aging SCADA software by allow-

ing users to retain a complete view of their process history.

This utility imports historical data from applications based on

other brands of SCADA software. Users export the data from

the outgoing application to a .csv �le, format the �le as de-

scribed in the Help �les and drop it into the VTScada root fold-

er. The Historian

imports the data

on restart or when

triggered by the

Source Debugger.

No user interface is

required. The utility converts I/O databases and communicates

with existing PLCs and RTUs. This integrated design means

that all core features can be upgraded inde�nitely in lockstep.

Trihedral / www.trihedral.com

Integrated PLC programming and support softwareThe Omron CX-One is a comprehensive software package that

integrates PLC programming software with support software

for setting up networks, programmable terminals, servo sys-

tems, inverters and temperature con-

trollers. Its CPU bus units and special

I/O units can be set without concern for

memory addresses and without relying

on operation manuals. Support soft-

ware for CPU bus units and special I/O

units can be started from the I/O tables.

An integrated simulation improves

design and debugging ef�ciency.

Newark element14 / www.newark.com

Intelligent transport system softwaremapp Trak ensures that shuttles do not collide, cross virtual

barriers or violate con�gurable speed limits. FDA-compliant

tracking also can be

implemented. The

software links the

product data with the

respective shuttles,

making the manu-

facturing process

traceable. The track

system application is

Software will eat the worldProgramming and updates �nd new roles to �ll in industry


product roundup CONTACT US [email protected]

CD1812_44_45_Roundup.indd 44 12/11/18 12:27 PM

created using process-oriented programming. Software engi-

neers de�ne shuttle behavior rules, which become active when

shuttles pass virtual trigger points. Integrated simulation

options enable developers to run tests to identify the optimal

number and speed of shuttles to maximize productivity. The

same system software is used in both the simulation and the

real plant, making it possible to switch between simulation

and real operation at any time.

B&R / www.br-automation.com

High-density I/O network creation protocolThe Backplane Ethernet Extension Protocol (BEEP) allows a net-

work of as many as 33 devices (one master and 32 slaves) or 480

bytes of data to appear to the PLC as a single device on a single

connection using a single IP address. By reducing the number

of connections the PLC sees, users can create high-

density I/O networks and still use their PLCs. The

technology makes the �rst device in the

line a BEEP master. The BEEP master

then can scan the entire network and

create a new data map that includes

all of the downstream devices,

with all device con�guration

options saved in the master.

Turck / 800-544-7769 / www.turck.us

Remote access serviceWeintek’s EasyAccess 2.0 remote access service enables users

to access remote HMIs worldwide. It is designed to be easy to

use, like instant message software. There’s no need to memo-

rize the HMI’s IP address or spend time set-

ting up a router, con�guring port mappings

or investigating every network layer when

abnormal connections appear. It supports

more than 300 drivers.

Motion Industries / 800-526-9328 / motionindustries.com

Integrated development softwareThe Studio 5000 integrated development environment offers

updates including a modern user interface. Logix Designer has

updates to several programming languages and a modernized

structured text editor to help optimize design time. The text

editor’s updated features include collapsible code segments and

inline value monitoring. Logix tag-based alarm functionality

allows engineers to

add alarms to struc-

tures and manage

them in a single envi-

ronment. The update

also includes drive

safety instructions in

accordance with IEC

61800-5-2 and motion instructions for expanded kinematic sup-

port. View Designer includes data logging and trending for easier

troubleshooting. The Architect application supports systemwide

capabilities that can reduce design complexity and time.

Rockwell Automation / www.rockwellautomation.com

T-slot aluminum design architect toolThe T-Slot Aluminum Design Architect enables users of any

skill level to design products from Parker T-slot aluminum

framing components quickly and easily. The standalone system

requires no CAD access or previous engineering experience.

Users download and start creating in minutes. The system is

preloaded with Parker components and guidelines and has

on-the-�y bill-of-

materials (BOM)

with quick quote

capability. Advanced

features and outputs

are available, includ-

ing .stp �les and

native CAD output to

Dassault SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor and PTC CREO.

Parker Hannifin / www.parker.com

Bridge to IIoTThese gateway models can connect existing devices to IIoT

without the need to modify system architecture. The cMT-

G04 can function as an Ethernet switch. By connecting the

upper layer device (HMI/SCADA) and the

exiting device (PLC) with its SW ports, it

bridges the upper layer-to-device connec-

tion while being completely transparent to

the system and ensures that the existing

operation is not affected. The compact,

power-saving product features the same

data analysis functions as an HMI.

Weintek / www.weintek.com


CD1812_44_45_Roundup.indd 45 12/11/18 12:27 PM

Integrated granite motion systemMachine components such as bearings, encoders and drive

mechanisms are engineered and assembled directly on the

granite base and bridge structures in an integrated granite mo-

tion (IGM) system. IGM systems can be designed with mechani-

cal or air bearings, ball-screw or linear-motor drives as well as

a variety of feedback elements ranging from encoders to laser

interferometers. Additional axes of motion,

such as rotary, lift or piezo stages or even

galvanometer scanners can be integrated

onto the IGM axes, all of which can be

controlled from the A3200 uni�ed

control platform.

Aerotech / www.aerotech.com

Tower lights with custom display capabilityTL50 Pro Tower Lights with IO-Link are multisegment indica-

tors with the capacity for custom indication and improved clar-

ity in communicating status. They use bright, multicolor RGB

LED lights, enabling millions of color options in each light seg-

ment. IO-Link provides full control of seg-

ment color, �ash, rotation and intensity.

Segments can be con�gured individually

for simple or complex displays. They also

can be con�gured for advanced animations

with all light segments presenting a uni-

�ed display of a dynamic condition, such

as machine run mode or high-low levels.

They are available in standard, compact and beacon models.

Banner Engineering / www.bannerengineering.com

High-density process signal conditionersProSense SC6 series signal conditioners are housed in a narrow

6-mm-width package that allows high-density mounting on

a 35-mm DIN rail to optimize panel space. Models are avail-

able for conversion of standard dc voltage and current signals,

bipolar signals, thermocouples and RTDs. Isolation eliminates

ground loop problems. The series includes single-channel, two-

channel and signal splitter models.

Power options include an in-rail

power bus, loop-powered output

and models powered directly from

the input signal. Application-spe-

ci�c models have �xed con�gura-

tion requiring no set up; DIP switch-con�gured models provide

�exibility for use in a variety of applications.

AutomationDirect / 800-633-0405 / www.automationdirect.com

IP67-rated HDMI cables and couplerThese IP67-rated HDMI cables feature a waterproof

coupling that allows the HDMI connec-

tors to survive harsh environments

by preventing the ingress of water

and �ne particulates such as dust that

typically would debilitate standard HDMI

connectors. The cables offer support for 4K

and 1080p resolutions and have rugged molded

backshells and gold-plated contacts that stand up to repeated

mating cycles. An IP67-rated HDMI panel-mount coupler is of-

fered that can be used with the cable assemblies. The VHC00023

features a standard female HDMI Type-A connector on one side

and PC tails on other side for termination to wire or a PC board.

L-com Global Connectivity / www.l-com.com

VFDS to integrate with PLC and HMI controllersThese VFDs integrate with Unitronics’ existing lines of PLC +

HMI All-in-One controllers—UniStream, Vision and Samba. Op-

tions are available for both single- and three-phase VFDs from

0.4 kW to 110 kW. Features include EMC built-in �lters; wall,

�ange and rail mounting options; extended operating tem-

perature range; Modbus RTU �eldbus; built-in braking units;

sensorless vector and torque control; safe

torque off (STO); and heavy-duty over-

load capacity. The VFDs are

UL-listed and CE and TÜV-SÜD

safety-marked.

Unitronics / www.unitronics.com

Flow transmitter with digital signal processingThe Tricor line of Coriolis mass �owmeters includes transmit-

ters that incorporate digital signal processing (DSP). The TCM

Classic series meets general industrial requirements out of

the box, while the TCMP Pro series offers environmentally

hardened units with advanced performance speci�cations and

diagnostic capabilities for operation in challenging environ-

ments. The Classic series includes TCE 8000 transmitters with

an easy-to-use interface, standard calibration and optional


product showcase CONTACT US [email protected]

CD1812_46_49_Showcase.indd 46 12/11/18 12:28 PM

custom-calibrated

meters with high

performance

speci�cations. The

Pro series includes

TCD 9000 transmitters with DSP and advanced diagnostics,

strong logging and traceability functions and �exible I/O

con�gurations (one to four channels fully con�gurable with

programmable I/O options).

AW-Lake / www.aw-lake.com

Auto-generated schematicsThis eSchematic CAE solution

offers automatically generated

schematics with only a mouse

wheel. The technology de�nes

and creates the circuits, texts,

explanations, part selections and other parameters. Features

include full automatic panel design; Eplan P8 macro import;

Eplan P8 project import/export; automatic PLC projects;

integrated symbol libraries; multilanguage interfaces; and au-

tomatic device and PLC connection plans, terminal connection

plans, cable plans, manufacturer lists, device lists, purchase

order lists, article lists, wire lists and bill of materials.

Cofaso / www.cofaso.com

Aluminum oxide moisture transmitterThe AcuDew two-wire, loop-powered moisture transmitter

has a linear 4- to 20-mA output corresponding to the mea-

sured moisture content. Its high-capacitance aluminum oxide

sensing element provides excellent sensitivity, especially at

low moisture content, as well as high speed of response and

repeatability. The transmitter can be factory-con�gured to pro-

vide an output corresponding to various moisture parameters,

including dew/frost

point temperature,

parts per million by

volume or parts per

billion by volume.

Locally and remote-

ly mounted display and power supply devices are available. The

�eld span veri�cation (FSV) feature allows users to ensure the

transmitter’ accuracy between annual factory recalibrations.

Edgetech Instruments / www.edgetechinstruments.com

Magnetic mounts for inductive couplersThese magnetic mounts are designed for Q40- and M30-style

inductive couplers. They connect through the use of strong

earth magnets and can be attached or disengaged easily, allow-

ing for quick tool or die changes. In addition to offering a quick

connect feature and signal reliability, the magnetic mounts

also protect the couplers from impact or abrasion

in a demanding industrial environment. With-

out physical and mechanical connections to

break or forget to disconnect, the magnetic

mounts offer clean and reliable connectivity.

Ballu� / www.ballu�.com

Electro-hydraulic motion controlThe RMC200 controls and synchronizes as many as 32 axes with

a single unit. The electro-hydraulic motion controller extends

Delta’s high-performance motion control product line, which

includes the RMC75 (one- or two-axis) and RMC150 (up to eight-

axis). For example, if an RMC150 con�guration is fully loaded and

more axes are needed, using an RMC200 may

be a practical option to add additional control

capability. The controllers provide precise

closed-loop position, velocity and pressure/

force control, with built-in capabilities to man-

age simultaneous multi-axis motion via syn-

chronization or gearing. They execute complex

motion pro�les precisely, using features such

as feedback switching and second-order control algorithms.

Delta Computer Systems / www.deltamotion.com

Multilink frame grabbersThe Rapixo CXP series of multilink CoaXPress

2.0 frame grabbers offers boards that

support data rates of up to four times 12.5

Gbps, with a PCIe x8 host computer interface to

match, as required in high-speed, high-resolution

machine vision applications. The frame grabber features up to

four connections and further simpli�es integration with support

for Power-over-CoaXPress (PoCXP) that combines power, com-

mand and data interfaces onto one cable. The boards also offer

custom onboard image processing using their �eld-programma-

ble gate array (FPGA) device and can host the license for Matrox

Imaging software, avoiding the need for a separate hardware key.

Matrox Imaging / www.matrox.com/imaging



Robot for high-pressure water-jet cleaningThe IRB 6790 Foundry Prime robot is designed for high-pressure

water-jet cleaning applications. The robot’s �exibility allows

cleaning of different part geometries in the same cell with zero

changeover time, which supports mass customization for auto-

motive manufacturers as well as original equipment manufac-

turers and their tier suppliers. This solution provides increased

speed and, on average, 5% faster cycle time. The third-gener-

ation robot can work in an environment

that normally is not suitable for industrial

robots, with enhanced protection from

heat, cleaning pressure, chemicals and dirt

typically found in harsh and wet environ-

ments. IP69-rated protection

prevents against water

and dust ingress.

ABB / www.abb.com

Modular power supplies with low acoustic noiseQM8 modular power supplies are rated at 1,200 to 1,500 W.

These models are available with up to 18 outputs and low

acoustic noise. With industrial safety certi�cations, the power

supplies are suitable for use

in test and measurement,

communications and broad-

cast equipment. Accepting an

input range of 90 to 264 Vac,

47 to 440 Hz, the supplies can

deliver 1,200 W at low line and

1,500 W with a high line 150-

to 264-Vac input. With its modular construction, the series can

be con�gured using a simple online con�gurator to provide one

to 18 independently regulated outputs and include individual

output good signal and remote on/off functions.

TDK-Lambda / www.tdk-lambda.com

Redesigned MIN size III cordsets These 1-1/8-in MIN size III series circular connectors have been

redesigned to deliver

better connectivity

and stability in harsh

factory environments.

The coupling nut has

been enlarged to make

the installation process easier by giving a wider knurl area for

better gripping and to provide a more stable connection. The

coupling nut material has changed from anodized aluminum to

nickel-plated brass. The brass coupling nuts are corrosion-, salt-

and weld slag-resistant and are more durable to withstand harsh

conditions. Because of brass’s high melting point (1,600 to 1,700

°F), the coupling nut is more resistant to high temperatures,

making them more resistant against warping and deforming.

Mencom / www.mencom.com

Optical encodersSeries 62AG, 62NG and 62SG optical encod-

ers feature optical switching technol-

ogy for high operational life, and they

provide tactile feedback to users. They are

engineered with single PCB assembly and

patented light pipe design. Output options

include absolute or quadrature 2-bit binary

code. Custom shaft and threaded bushing sizes are available, as

well as other customized features such as detents and tactile

feel, termination and cabling and mounts.

Grayhill / www.grayhill.com

Compact electronic actuatorThe compact AC-EM 05 electronic actuator helps to simplify the

upgrade from mechanical to electronic access. When connect-

ed to an electronic access control device, the actuator can be

used to actuate a mechanical latch to open or unlock a door or

panel remotely. With its small pro�le design and ef�cient gear

motor operation, it is suitable for con-

cealed applications in which

physical space constraints

are a challenge.

Southco / 610-459-4000 / www.southco.com

Controller for IIoT applicationsThe NX1 machine automation controller series is designed to

improve productivity through integration with information

utilization, quality management and safety. It uses multicore

technology to collect synchronized data from sensors, servo

motors and other devices within the same �xed cycle time.

The controller then sends all collected data to the host IT

system while keeping control performance at the ideal level.


product showcase


Three industrial Ethernet

ports—EtherNet/IP and

EtherCAT—along with an

OPC UA server interface

for industrial automation

and information tech-

nology are housed in a

compact 66-mm-wide

design. This connectivity enables data usage

at production sites and provides a secure

connection to host IT systems.

Omron Automation / omron247.com

UL 1449-listed surge protectionVAL-US surge protection is listed to UL

1449 and is available with up to 80 kA surge

capacity. This line was developed speci�-

cally to conform to North American-centric

voltage values and

includes a variety

of U.S.-based circuit

con�gurations. It

provides a UL-listed

alternative to tra-

ditional hardwired

SPDs, allowing for

fewer installation steps and easy integration

into almost any system. The series offers re-

mote status indication, which allows users to

monitor SPD status. The series’ high-capacity

plugs are robust enough to protect devices

either over time or in moments of high tran-

sients. Additionally, the plug’s key alignment

prevents the plugs from being inserted into

the incorrect voltage systems.

Phoenix Contact / 800-322-3225 / www.phoenixcontact.com

Electric gripper for robotsThe Hand-E Adaptive Gripper is the �rst elec-

tric gripper for e-series Universal Robots. The

gripper’s accuracy and 50-mm parallel stroke

make it suitable for precision assembly tasks,

and its sealed design ensures reliability in

tough manufacturing conditions. Like the 2F-

85 and 2F-140, it connects to the e-series wrist

and operates with the same intuitive pro-

gramming software, giving users full control

over the gripper’s position, force and speed. It

integrates seamlessly with the wrist camera

and FT 300 force torque sensor. It comes with

three different �ngertip kits so automation

engineers can integrate the gripper. Its com-

pact and ergonomic shape makes collaborative

robot hand-guiding safe and easy.

Robotiq / robotiq.com

SCARA robot with predictive maintenance functionsThe i4 SCARA robot is designed to save space

during installation and allow easier con�gura-

tion into existing production lines. It is fast,

repeatable and �exible for multiple con�gura-

tions and applications. The robot line commu-

nicates through EtherCAT, enabling synchroni-

zation between other automation devices. This

facilitates advanced

assembly, insert-

ing and mounting

processes that

require high accu-

racy and demanding

throughput, as well as

ensured quality control with vision

integration. It visualizes working

data and supervises its status with built-in

signals for preventive maintenance, allowing

users to mitigate unplanned downtime. The

SCARA line allows manufacturers to produce

high mixes of products at low volume.

Omron / www.omron247.com

publishing teamgroup publisher & vp, content

Keith Larson [email protected]

vp, sales & publishing director

sales teamnortheastern and mid-atlantic regional manager

Dave Fisher [email protected]

508/543-5172 Fax: 508/543-3061

24 Cannon Forge Dr.

Foxboro, Massachusetts 02035

midwestern and southern regional manager

Greg Zamin [email protected]

704/256-5433 Fax: 704/256-5434

1501 E. Woodfield Rd., Suite 400N

Schaumburg, Illinois 60173

western and mountain regional manager

Jeff Mylin [email protected]

847/516-5879 Fax: 630/625-1124

digital sales specialist

Jeanne Freedland

[email protected]

805/773-4299 Fax: 805/773-0451

classified manager

Lori Goldberg [email protected]

630/467-1300 Fax: 630/467-1124

executive staffpresident & ceo

John M. Cappelletti

cfo

Rick Kasper

vp, creative services, production

Steve Herner

reprintsFoster Reprints • www.fosterprinting.com

Jill Kaletha

[email protected]

866-879-9144 ext. 194

The only magazine exclusively

dedicated to the original equipment manufactur-

ing (OEM) market for

instrumentation and controls—the

largest market for industrial controls.

1501 E. Woodfield Rd., Suite 400N

Schaumburg, Illinois 60173

630/467-1300

Fax: 630/467-1124


THERE ARE MANY functions in an HMI re-

lated to machine status, process variables,

manual controls and alarms. However, too

much of a good thing, with numbers and

different colors all over the screen, is a

common occurrence—the developer and

programmer overwhelm the operator in-

stead of providing quick access to the 20%

of information that is important.

Some basic things to consider in an

HMI are animation, use of colors and dis-

play of machine status and variables. Too

much information or a poor presenta-

tion of it fails to provide an operator the

information needed at a glance. A pretty

picture isn’t the goal; quick discovery

and understanding of information is.

In the past, vendors loved to market

the animation capability of an HMI which

led to its overuse in real applications.

While animation is attention-grabbing,

its use should be limited for that exact

reason. There is nothing wrong with a

boring display unless there is a problem

needing attention.

The HMI doesn’t have to be beautiful

or aesthetically appealing, but it doesn’t

hurt. However, a dozen roses are almost

always enough, so no need to give three

dozen to get your point across; and some-

times a single rose is all that is needed.

The creative developer may go over-

board with animation showing parts mov-

ing, conveyors running, pumps rotating

and � uid � owing, yet it shouldn’t be used

to show normal operation. Animation

should highlight problems and catch an

operator’s attention. While tank levels

are good to show, that alone is a poor use

of animation. Sure, the color can change

when it’s in an alarm condition, such as

high level, but consider including simple

graphics to show acceptable ranges, limits

and trend information.

Information overload can occur quickly

when a machine diagram, status indica-

tors, process values, alarm banners and

the states of motors, valves and actua-

tors are all shown on an HMI. Add to that

additional status information conveyed

as green, red, yellow, orange and blue of

many graphical devices, some � ashing.

Then there are the actual process values

and what is the acceptable range for each;

and why is that square box � ashing?

That’s too much info, too many graphics

and too many colors.

One of the common items discussed is

to tone down the use of colors. Start with

a light gray background. It’s okay to have

a boring screen, with little color, when

things are operating properly. The use

of green, red, yellow and orange should

be limited. A simple mode indicator,

illuminated green when in auto mode

and running could be the only green

illuminated indicator on the screen. The

use of red, yellow and orange should

be limited to indicating alarms, warn-

ings and attention noti� cations directly

within a graphic.

Modern, minimalist graphics, used

for position, � ow, speed or level process

variables, can indicate a zero point, low

range, normal operating range, high

range and maximum value. It provides

basic process variable indication, all gray

scale, until an alarm or warning due to a

maximum or minimum value changes a

portion of the rectangle to red or yellow.

Because most of the display is a muted

gray, any yellow or red will be easily seen

with immediate high or low indication.

If color-blind operators view the graphic,

the arrow pointing to a scaled point on

the rectangle will give the same status

The goal is to quickly show conditions

and catch the operator’s attention only if

there is a problem. Additionally, looking

at the graphic should tell the tale with

little additional information needed. The

graphic shows low level; it doesn’t need to

show a message unless the operator looks

for it in the alarm history. It can show just

a symbol such as a square or rectangle.

For example, a red triangle pointing up

and overlaid on the graphic can indicate

a high level. Adding a number to the

graphic could indicate a critical alarm

as well. The color, shape, position and a

value in the graphic should tell the story

with little need for interpretation; such is

the goal of any smartphone app, as well.

A graphic can just be an outline,

as well. There’s no need to render the

picture of a machine. An outline of a ma-

chine frame, actuators and part nest that

blend into the background instead of pre-

senting a color brochure of the machine

provides supporting information without

overwhelming the operator.

The modern, minimalist HMI display


Dave Perkontechnical editor

[email protected]

automation basics

Modern, minimalist graphics

Oven 1290ºC

Oven 280ºC

Oven 3305ºC

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