www.controleng.

com
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* See our Web site for details and restrictions. © Copyright 2018 AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA USA. All rights reserved. 1-800-633-0405 the #1 value in automation

input #1 at www.controleng.com/information
Learn How Industry Leaders
Are Improving Operational
Performance with IoT

Your peers are using Kepware solutions to:

• Optimize real-time data communications across the enterprise
• Improve process efficiency through enhanced asset connectivity
• Make more informed decisions, based on in-depth, data-based insight

Visit www.kepware.com/industryusecases to learn

more and read industry-diverse use cases.

input #2 at www.controleng.com/information
—
ABB Ability™ Smart Sensor
motors that let you know when
it’s time for a service.
ABB’s new condition monitoring solution revolutionizes maintenance for low voltage
motors. ABB Ability™ Smart Sensor monitors key parameters and sends the data
to a secure server for analysis. Users can access detailed status reports from their
smartphone or PC. The solution enables proper maintenance planning for longer
motor lifetimes, lower energy consumption and big reductions in downtime.
www.abb.com/motors&generators

input #3 at www.controleng.com/information
 Vol. 65
Number 12

DECEMBER 2018

22 | Temperature measurement with RTDs,

thermocouples
25 | The best cable management strategy
is foresight in selecting components
16
COVER IMAGE: Most modern ball valves have pre-drilled mounting holes for adding
28 | Analyzing DIN and Deutsch connectivity
options
actuators. Courtesy: Cross Co.

INSIDE MACHINES
INSIGHTS M1 | What is machine vision,
and how can it help?
5 | Research: Five findings on salaries,
end-user insights
INNOVATIONS
6 | International: New software helps with
industrial cloud, AI, microservices, IoT NEW PRODUCTS fOR ENgINEERS
8 | Legalities: Catch up with cybersecurity 35 | Safety integrated controller system;
Analog output sensor for flowmeters;
NEWS EtherNet/IP module with valve terminal,
10 | Four ways to encourage diagnostic details; Adaptive grippers for
manufacturing expansion collaborative robots; Industrial managed
PoE switch; Power distribution blocks;
12 | Research grant: Big Data sensing Integrated stepper motor package; IoT
analysis; Automation Competency gateway for machine and networking
Model: third update; Online headlines
14 | Think Again: Industrial robot safety, BACK TO BASICS
risk management 40 | Ladder Logic: Fault detection and
messages
ANSWERS ONLINE
16 | COVER: How to automate an existing • Review 102 Engineers’ Choice finalists; vote
manual valve if you’re eligible. Polls close in December.
www.controleng.com/NP4E
18 | Leveraging process simulation
• See the new website: www.controleng.com
throughout the plant lifecycle
• Need to catch up on learning?
21 | Control system simulator teaches www.controleng.com/webcasts and
operators how to fight hackers http://cfeedu.cfemedia.com

CONTROL ENGINEERING (ISSN 0010-8049, Vol. 65, No. 12, GST #123397457) is published 12x per year, Monthly by CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Jim Langhenry,
Group Publisher/Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/Co-Founder. CONTROL ENGINEERING copyright 2018 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved. CONTROL ENGINEERING is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used
under license. Periodicals postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional mailing offices. Circulation records are maintained at 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Telephone: 630/571-4070.
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Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Email: [email protected]. Rates for nonqualified subscriptions, including all issues: USA,
$165/yr; Canada/Mexico, $200/yr (includes 7% GST, GST#123397457); International air delivery $350/yr. Except for special issues where price changes are indicated, single copies are available for $30 US and $35 foreign.
Please address all subscription mail to CONTROL ENGINEERING, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Printed in the USA. CFE Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any
person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever.

www.controleng.com control engineering December 2018 • 3

Re-Route Your Temperature Measurements
Around Potential Roadblocks
The new THZ3/TDZ3 Dual Input Smart HART®
temperature transmitters can help you avoid costly
process interruptions and maintenance delays by
ensuring your measurements always make it safely
to your control system. Our Sensor Backup and
Failover protection feature means you will never
miss those critical readings - even if something
goes wrong with one of the sensors.

Plus, with Device Intelligence, a series of new and

advanced features that enable smarter control
and monitoring, the THZ3/TDZ3 gives you the
confidence that your temperature measurements
will get from Point A to Point B despite any potential
roadblocks.

Demand Moore Reliability

50
To learn more about our Dual Input Temperature
Transmitter, go to: www.miinet.com/THZ3TDZ3
Years of R
e li a b
ilt y
Or call 800-999-2900 input #4 at www.controleng.com/information
1968 - 2018
 Estimated expenditures
for VSDs INSIGHTS
Don't know RESEARCH
More than Less than $10,000
$100,000

9% 2018 CAREER & SALARY SURVEY:

17%
26% Five findings on salaries,
28%
end-user insights

I
20%
n addition to compensation details, and 14% are open to or actively seeking
$50,001 $10,000 respondents to the Control Engi- other opportunities. Job satisfaction is
to $100,000 to $50,000 neering 2018 Career & Salary Study most impacted by technical challenges, the
provided their insights on job sat- feeling of accomplishment, and financial
Figure 1: End users estimate an isfaction, stability of the manufacturing compensation.
average annual spend of $148,000 industry, and the skilled worker shortage: 4. Manufacturing industry: While
on ac/dc variable speed drives 1. Base salary: The average automa- 73% of respondents consider manufac-
tion engineering professional earned an turing to be a secure career, significant
(VSDs). Source: Control Engineer-
annual salary of $100,339 in 2017; 48% threats to manufacturing businesses
ing 2017 Motor Drives Study earned $100,000 or more, 44% earned include the lack of available skilled work-
between $50,000 and $100,000, and ers (37%), competition (36%), the econ-
8% earned less than $50,000. Three- omy (30%), and frequent changes to

75% of end users need their

human-machine interface (HMI)
quarters of professionals expect an
increase to their salary in 2018, 23%
don’t expect any change, and 2% antici-
codes, standards, regulations, etc. (20%).
5. Skilled worker shortage: Eighty-
two percent of respondents agree more
software to be easily scalable rang- pate a decrease. public, private, and/or academic partner-
2. Bonus compensation: Sixty-eight ships related to science, technology, engi-
ing from a few inputs/outputs
percent of automation engineering pro- neering, and mathematics (STEM) need
(I/Os) to thousands. Source: Control fessionals received non-salary compen- to be made to get more youth interested
Engineering 2018 HMI Software & sation in 2017—the average amount in engineering-related studies. ce
Hardware Study received was $10,091. Company prof-
itability and personal performance top
the criteria for bonuses being awarded, M More
RESEARCH
39% of end users report
their companies outsource control
followed by product profitability, safety
metrics, and sales increase.
3. Perspective: Forty-six percent of
View additional findings at
www.controleng.com/media-library/
research/2018-career-and-salary-survey.
survey respondents enjoy their current Amanda Pelliccione is the research director
panel build/wiring/fabrication to
job, 40% are just happy to be working, for CFE Media, [email protected].
third-party providers. Source: Con-
trol Engineering 2018 Career &
Salary Study Skilled worker shortage vs. budget

There wouldn't be a shortage

7 in 10 end users pur-

chase their programmable control-
if companies were willing to
budget enough for talent
21% 50%

lers from local distributors. Source:

We cannot get the talent we
Control Engineering 2018 Program- need at any price 6% 23%
mable Controllers Study Strongly agree
Agree
We cannot pay an adequate
More research about for talent because that 5% 24%
would make us uncompetitive
Control Engineering covers sev-
eral research topics each year. All 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
reports are available at Figure 2: Proper budgets—rather than lack of skills—for talented workers are
www.controleng.com/ a challenge for respondents’ companies. With an appropriate budget, new
media-library/research. talent can be hired and trained, if companies allocate the time and resources
accordingly. Source: Control Engineering

www.controleng.com control engineering December 2018 • 5

 INSIGHTS
international
Stone Shi, Control Engineering China

New software helps with

industrial cloud, AI, microservices
Control Engineering China: advantech announced its internet of things (iot) platform architecture
and solution ready packages (SrP) at the advantech iot summit in Suzhou, China.

A
dvantech’s Internet of Things (IoT) Co- design framework, reduce development threshold.
Creation Summit in Suzhou, China, is At the same time, there are flexible mechanisms for
intended to assist companies in the microservices such as service discovery, load balanc-
integration and integration of hard- ing, service management, and configuration center.
ware and software in various indus- KC Liu, chairman of Advantech, said that in view
tries and build a complete Industrial IoT (IIoT) of the diverse and extensive IoT applications and the
ecosystem and value chain. The company had a pair fragmentation of the market, his company will assist
of announcements at the event: their IoT platform industries to integrate existing hardware and soft-
architecture WISE-PaaS 3.0 and 30+ sets of solution ware to establish a complete industrial value chain as
ready packages (SRP) created by software and indus- an IoT industry. Key to a successfully implemented
try partners for the IoT industry. supply chain is the full cooperation and integration
WISE-PaaS 3.0 provides four functional modules between platform technology suppliers and industry
to assist with industrial upgrades: experts to form a standardized and reproducible soft-

‘
ware and hardware system product with SRP, Liu said.
SRP installs and performs subsequent mainte-
A successful IoT supply chain requires cooperation nance on-site to become a complete field solution to
form the industrial chain of IIoT. Based on the mem-
and integration between platform technology bership-based operation; the cooperation between
SRP software development and domain-focused
suppliers and industry experts to form a standardized solution integrators.ce

’
and reproducible software and hardware system. Stone Shi is executive editor-in-chief, Control
Engineering China. Edited by Chris Vavra, pro-
duction editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media,
• WISE-PaaS/SaaS Composer, which is a pro- [email protected].
cess visualization cloud configuration tool that can
import application scenarios into 3-D modeling
drawing and interaction.
• WISE-PaaS/AI Framework Service (AFS):
Artificial intelligence (AI) model training and
deployment service framework provides a simple
M More
INSIGHTS
Keywords: Internet of Things, IoT, SRP
drag-and-drop interface, allowing developers to
Advantech’s Internet of Things (IoT) Co-Creation
import industrial data combined with artificial intel- Summit in China is intended to assist companies
ligence algorithms to establish an effective inference integrate hardware and software.
engine that can automatically deploy to edge com- Advantech announced an IoT platform architecture and
puting platforms. more than 30 solution ready packages for IoT software
• WISE-PaaS/Asset Performance Management and industry partners.
(APM): This equipment networking remote opera- online
tion and maintenance service framework can inter- Go to the IIoT and Industrie 4.0 page on
face with many on-site industrial equipment control www.controleng.com for more information about
and communication protocols. potential benefits for manufacturers.
• Microservices development framework: The Consider this
microservices development framework is designed What other benefits can the IoT provide for a
to assist developers, quickly generate microservices company’s industrial chain?

6 • December 2018 control engineering www.controleng.com

 Automation &
Control Freak?
Same here.

We carry more automation & control brand names

than any other distributor in North America.
It’s true – we checked.
input #5 at www.controleng.com/information

© Allied Electronics & Automation, 2018 Get your A&C fill at alliedelec.com 1.800.433.5700
 INSIGHTS
LEGALITIES
Mark Voigtmann, Faegre Baker Daniels

Playing catch-up with cybersecurity

Cybersecurity risks need help from contracts and insurance beyond technologies, policies, and
people. Pretending cybersecurity risks aren’t there isn’t on any list of best practices.

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8 t December 2018 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

little whether you can push the contract responsibil- The larger lesson is more basic: at present, contracts
ity to the “other guy” if the “other guy” has no way of and insurance can only do so much. The cyber
paying for the liability or insuring it. “front line,” for now, is in your own company’s ways
Putting aside for the moment the coverage that of doing things. ce
current insurance products provide and that the
insurance industry is still playing catch-up like the Mark Voigtmann leads the automation practice at
rest of us, end users might begin their analysis of risk Faegre Baker Daniels, a law firm with offices in the
by considering what those insurers are looking at. U.S., the U.K. and China. Voigtmann is a member of
An examination of applications for cyber insur- the Control Engineering Editorial Advisory Board.
ance coverage can be helpful as a guide for curtailing Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control
potential exposure, according to suggestions from Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].
my partner Patrick O’Connor.
Among the questions asked:

• How much of the information technology (IT)

M More
INSIGHTS
KEYWORDS: Cybersecurity risk mitigation, legalities
is outsourced?
Cybersecurity considerations extend beyond
• How many names can be found in databases technologies to contracts and insurance.
under your control? Contract wording can limit liability without sounding
• Do you have a third-party endorsement of your ominous.
privacy processes and practices? Ask these questions to broaden understanding of
• What is your encryption strategy? cybersecurity risk.
• What physical security strategies are in place to CONSIDER THIS
control human access to the servers? Beyond technologies, do your contacts and insurance
• Do you have a chief security officer? address cybersecurity risk?
ONLINE
I am not the one to tell you how the actuaries
If reading from the digital edition, click on the headline
take all that information and turn it into a premi- for more resources. For other discussion of engineering-
um, but I do know the people who figure out that related legal issues, search “Faegre” at
equation will be the insurance heroes of tomorrow. www.controleng.com.

input #6 at www.controleng.com/information
INSIGHTS
NEWS

Four ways to encourage

manufacturing expansion
Harting announced a $6 million In return, manufacturers try to negoti-
expansion in its existing Elgin, Ill., facility, ate a positive set of incentives for locating
with an Oct. 26 ribbon cutting involving or expanding in an area.
company, state, local officials, and others. Harting, a family-owned company
Cooperation to facilitate faster start-up of founded in 1945, manufactures prod-
new lines helped in addition to more than ucts for the connector industry for use Harting products help make Harting
$1.5 million in incentives offered. in mechanical and plant engineering, products: A Harting Ethernet gate-
Harting’s latest investment is expected broadcast and entertainment, factory way (left-center) on the manufactur-
to add 50 or more jobs to 112 already automation, power generation and dis- ing cell reports workcell information
employed at the Illinois site, along with a tribution, and industrial electronics and at Harting’s Elgin plant.
lab, showroom, and expanded injection telecommunications.
molding and die-casting processes for the Harting North America president and Educational partnerships: The city also
connector and industrial communications CEO, Jon DeSouza, praised the workforce works with area schools to improve job
manufacturer. The manufacturing expan- and strategic location, saying the compa- skills through the use of certification pro-
sion is targeted for completion in January ny was looking to “build upon our cur- grams and the “National Career Readiness
2019 and other work is to be finished by rent successes within the North American Certificate.”
October 2019. market.”
Manufacturers bring value to local 3. Educational institutions
and state governments such as: 1. State incentives Community colleges offer man-
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said the state ufacturing-related course, certifica-
• High-paying jobs with good has worked with Harting on expansion tions, and workforce development
benefits details since early 2018. programs. They encourage students to
• Developing clean, high-technolo- Incentives: Illinois Department of consider available jobs at expanding
gy facilities that support other area Commerce and Economic Opportunity manufacturing locations, like Harting.
jobs and suppliers has Edge incentive agreements to encour- Elgin Community College includes stud-
• Adding to the tax base age relocation and expansion in the state. ies in computer integrated manufactur-
• Adding critical mass to an area’s State tax credits of $1,534,645 are tied to ing, energy management, and machine
posterity and talent pool. creation of 50 jobs and retention of 112 (or tool operations; and nearby Harper
about 150, including sales and other sup- College includes electronics engineering
port positions, Harting said). A 28-page technology, maintenance technology, and
Oct. 26 State of Illinois Edge document manufacturing technology.
said Harting had also considered Char-
lotte, N.C., and Mexico City, Mexico, for 4. Area and national
the expansion. chambers of commerce
Visits: Rauner visited Harting facilities Encouragement and networking con-
in Espelkamp, Germany, in April and saw nections about area benefits, business
the company at Hannover Fair and visited development resources, and programs are
IMTS 2018 in Chicago in September. Inter- offered by chambers of commerce, such as
sect Illinois, the state’s jobs agency, coordi- the German American Chamber of Com-
nated the April trade mission to Germany merce of the Midwest and Elgin Area
and Poland to enhance the state’s Foreign Chamber of Commerce.
Direct Investment (FDI) strategy.
Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control
2. Local incentives Engineering, www.controleng.com CFE
Streamlined permitting: To help speed Media, [email protected], with more
Partial factory view of Harting manu- manufacturing startups and expansions, information provided by Harting and state
facturing’s Elgin plant shows space Mayor Kaptain told CFE Media that Elgin of Illinois.
along the back wall for part of the helps business expansion by expediting
expansion. Outside these walls, a
10-year expansion plan includes land
to double manufacturing at the Elgin
permitting and inspections and ensuring
the right people are available to help avoid
startup delays and related manufacturing
M More
Online
Read this story online, www.controleng.com,
site. Images courtesy: CFE Media revenue. for more images and information.

10 • December 2018 control engineering www.controleng.com

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INSIGHTS Digital edition? Click on headlines for more details.
NEWS See news daily at www.controleng.com/news

Research grant: Big Data sensing analysis

Rochester Institute of Technology is a need for more reliable data analy- • Develop software solutions to reflect
(RIT) researchers are taking on Big Data sis. Intelligent systems rely on data col- the new processing capabilities
to reduce the negative impact of faulty lected across diverse sensing modalities • Allow the development of proto-
measurements in data collected from (such as time, frequency and 3-D space) types that use the new algorithms
complex sensing systems. and organize them in multi-dimensional for social network analytics to train
“Based on tremendous developments arrays, also referred to as “tensors.” How- machines on how to understand dif-
in hardware, and we can now collect, ever, many existing methods of data anal- ferences between different classes of
store and process very large amounts ysis are sensitive to faulty measurements data and computer vision.
of data across many different sensing and may provide false conclusions, Mar-
modalities. However, for these data to kopoulos explained. Corruption-resistant analysis
be useful, we have to learn how to pro- “These applications have their foun- “There is not much research in cor-
cess them efficiently and reliably, to get dations in signal processing algorithms,” ruption resistant analysis of Big Data
as much knowledge out of them as pos- he said. “Our work is about taking large sets. This project will set the theoretical
sible,” said Panos Markopoulos, an expert data sets, analyzing them and extract- and algorithm foundations for this work,”
in signal processing and data analysis. ing knowledge. It is inevitable that some Markopoulos said. He will be working
The assistant professor is developing of this data will be faulty, noisy or cor- with Andreas Savakis, RIT professor of
more reliable data analytics by building rupted and will not represent the system computer engineering and researcher in
new system algorithms that can automat- we are trying to understand. Our analy- computer vision, and Vagelis Papalexakis,
ically decrease the emphasis placed on sis should be robust against such faulty a professor of computer science from the
corrupted or faulty data through a three- data. This is the real problem this proj- University of California at Riverside, who
year, $499,236 grant from the National ect tries to solve—to do data analysis in specializes in data mining.
Science Foundation’s Office of Advanced a reliable way.”
Cyberinfrastructure. The team’s approach is three-fold: Michelle Cometa, Rochester Institute of
With the increase in data collected Technology (RIT). Edited by Chris Vavra,
from applications such as social networks, • Improve current algorithms to better production editor, Control Engineering,
health care, and computer vision, there assess data across the tensor arrays CFE Media, [email protected].

Group completes third review and update of Headlines

the original Automation Competency Model online

A
review team of automation experts convened in Research Triangle Standards group names leaders
Park, N.C., for the third critical review of the Automation Competency ODVA’s board of directors announced Dr. Al
Beydoun, the vice president of technology
Model (ACM). The Automation Federation (AF) was invited by the U.S.
and standards, appointed as president and
Department of Labor (USDOL) in 2007 to be the first industry-related techni- executive director of ODVA.
cal society to create a competency model using the National Institute of Stan-
dards and Technology (NIST) pyramid framework for advanced manufacturing. Four challenges for aerospace robots
Robot users and integrators face challenges
Team leader Steve Huffman, AF chairman of government relations and the
such as increased human-robot collabora-
driving force within AF behind the original creation of the model, remarked tion and the constant demand for precision
that this activity “was the best review of this important work yet thanks to the and efficiency in aerospace applications.
passion, attention to the details, respectful deliberation, and diversity of pro-
Machines learn language like kids
fessional perspective.”
MIT researchers developed a semantic
The group consists of five professional engineers, three Certified Automa- parser to learn by observation, which could
tion Professionals (CAP), two technology fellows, a doctoral degree holder, greatly extend computing capabilities.
two senior educators, and four ISA Fellows. All team members expressed con-
Top 5 Control Engineering
fidence the improvements made to the ACM are consistent with the latest articles Nov. 5-11
trends in the automation industry. Articles about process tuning, Engineers’
The primary task remaining is for all automation professionals to use the Choice finalists, pharmaceutical manufactur-
model to improve their own skills and to gain recognition by all for the inher- ers, machine metrics, and functional safety.
ent value of automation for production safety, efficiency, and capacity. Industrial Ethernet specification with TSN
- Edited from an Automation Federation press release by CFE Media. CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) com-
pleted the CC-Link IE TSN specification.

12 • December 2018 control engineering www.controleng.com

M o n i t o r, c o l l e c t , e x c h a n g e , a n a l y z e a n d d e l i v e r p re d i c t i v e m a i n t e n a n c e a n d d a t a
m o n i t o r i n g w i t h C o m t ro l ’s I O - L i n k M a s t e r . W i t h O P C - U A a n d M Q T T embedded, it
can be deployed anywhere in the factory to collect and deliver valuable sensor data
s t r a i g h t t o t h e c l o u d w i t h a P L C , o r w i t h o u t . T h a t ’s r i g h t , n o P L C n e e d e d .

comtrol.com

input #8 at www.controleng.com/information
INSIGHTS
ThInk agaIn ®

3010 Highland Parkway, Suite 325, Downers Grove,

IL 60515. 630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504

Industrial robot safety, Content Specialists/Editorial

managing industrial risk

Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager
630-571-4070, x2227, [email protected]
Jack Smith, Content Manager
630-571-4070, x2230, [email protected]

Five ways to lower robotic system risks: Industrial safety, while a Kevin Parker, Senior Contributing Editor, IIoT, OGE
630-571-4070, x2228, [email protected]
widely used term, is a misnomer; nothing is without risk. Emily Guenther, Associate Content Manager

W
630-571-4070, x2229, [email protected]
Amanda Pelliccione, Director of Research
hen something is declared project. Should in-house staff be used for a 978-302-3463, [email protected]
safe in an industrial set- robot integration project or should an out- Chris Vavra, Production Editor
ting, those involved should side integrator be hired? Without adequate [email protected]

think again about risk capabilities and safety standard knowledge,

Contributing Content Specialists
assessment and determine if the risk is consider a robotic system integrator, Salva- Suzanne Gill, Control Engineering Europe
acceptable. Five topics on robot risk reduc- laggio suggested. [email protected]
tion from the International Robot Safety Ekaterina Kosareva, Control Engineering Russia

Conference follow. 3. Standards for whom? [email protected]

Seweryn Scibior, Control Engineering Poland
Standards target different groups and [email protected]
1. Design safer motion functions; know which address manu- Lukáš Smelík, Control Engineering Czech Republic
[email protected]
Robotic safety shouldn’t be a reaction- facturers, system integration, and users,
Aileen Jin, Control Engineering China
ary afterthought, said Jeff Pratt, advised Roberta Nelson Shea, [email protected]
Crown Equipment, senior cor- global technical compliance offi-
porate EHS Engineer (and cer for Universal Robots and Editorial Advisory Board
www.controleng.com/EAB
vice-chair on the RIA R15.08 convener of working group 3 for Doug Bell, president, InterConnecting Automation,
standard development commit- an update of ISO 10218-1,2. www.interconnectingautomation.com
tee), and César Reyes Núñez, David Bishop, president and a founder
Crown Mexico, EHS coordina- Matrix Technologies, www.matrixti.com

tor. A Crown risk assessment 4. Help for mobile Daniel E. Capano, president, Diversified Technical Services Inc.
of Stamford, CT, www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-capano-7b886bb0
team works to ensure safety is Mark T. Hoske, industrial robots Frank Lamb, founder and owner
designed into the process. In Content Manager An RIA standard, expect- Automation Consulting LLC, www.automationllc.com

examining a workcell where a ed in 2019, will cover R15.08: Joe Martin, president and founder
Martin Control Systems, www.martincsi.com
robot gripper dropped a large Industrial Mobile Robot Safety, Rick Pierro, president and co-founder
fabricated fork after it came out of an said Michael Gerstenberger, chair for the Superior Controls, www.superiorcontrols.com

oven, nine outcome branches were identi- R15.08 committee, in part because many Mark Voigtmann, partner, automation practice lead
Faegre Baker Daniels, www.FaegreBD.com
fied to ensure that accident wouldn’t hap- available products don’t fit in automated
pen again. A proximity sensor was applied guided vehicle (AGV) categories; they’re CFE Media Contributor
to the gripper and the robot was repro- mobile robots. The scope covers industrial Guidelines Overview
grammed to not rotate the fork in a shear mobile robots in semi-structured environ- Content For Engineers. That’s what CFE Media
stands for, and what CFE Media is all about –
(weak) position for the magnet. No fork ment with trained personnel (no members engineers sharing with their peers. We welcome
has been dropped since. of the public), ground-based, on indoor or content submissions for all interested parties in
engineering. We will use those materials online, on
outdoor applications, on tracks, wheels, our website, in print and in newsletters to keep
2. Get help with robots and/or legs and with or without a robot engineers informed about the products, solutions
and industry trends.
Craig Salvalaggio, vice president of arm or a non-actuated attachment. www.controleng.com/contribute explains how
sales and engineering, Applied Manufac- A flow chart in the standard will help to submit press releases, products, images and
graphics, bylined feature articles, case studies, white
turing Technologies (AMT), co-chair of guide which standard to use. papers, and other media.
the RIA robotic integrator committee, said * Content should focus on helping engineers solve
end users and machine builders have to 5. Beware the effectors problems. Articles that are commercial or are critical
of other products or organizations will be rejected.
consider resources when starting a robotic A bump from a slow-moving robot arm (Technology discussions and comparative tables may
be accepted if non-promotional and if contributor
may not injure, but the end-effector, with

M More
corroborates information with sources cited.)
a welding tip, gripper, paint tip, grinder, or * If the content meets criteria noted in guidelines,
INSIGHTS
INSIGHT knife, could cause serious harm regardless expect to see it first on our Websites. Content for our
e-newsletters comes from content already available on
If reading from the digital edition, click on of robot design, said Carolann Quinlan- our Websites. All content for print also will be online.
All content that appears in our print magazines will
the headline for related images and more Smith, CRSP, Workplace Safety and Pre- appear as space permits, and we will indicate in print
information. vention Services. System integrators must if more content from that article is available online.
www.controleng.com/magazine perform a task-based risk assessment for * Deadlines for feature articles intended for the print
magazines are at least two months in advance of the
www.controleng.com/CE-research the lifecycle of a robot with its effectors, she publication date. Again, it is best to discuss all feature
articles with the appropriate content manager prior to
www.controleng.com/discrete- said, including considering potential con- submission.
manufacturing/machine-safety/ tact situations and human interactions. ce Learn more at: www.controleng.com/contribute

14 • December 2018 control engineering www.controleng.com

New Look. New Feel.

Same GREAT,
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Five reasons to appreciate the

new Control Engineering website.

1 ∠ More logically organized

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5 ∠ Integrated access: Multiple

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www.controleng.com
ANSWERS
COVER STORY: PROCESS ACTUATORS
Ronnie Moore, Cross Co.

How to automate an
existing manual valve
Automating an existing valve instead of replacing it can save
time and reduce costs.

S
ometimes process requirements change Know what you’re working with
and it becomes necessary to replace an To start, identify the size, make, and model of
existing manual process valve with an the valve. Consult the valve manufacturer’s litera-
automated on/off or control valve. Instead ture or consult with a manufacturer’s representa-
of pulling the old valve out of service and tive for the torque (rotary valves) or thrust (linear
replacing it with a new valve, users should consider valves) requirement of the valve. Ask the manufac-
automating the existing valve. If the valve is in good turer or the representative if it is recommended to
condition and has the means to mount an actuator, automate the valve.
automating it can save time and money. Make sure the valve has an actuator mounting pad
or body bolts that can be used to mount the actua-
Safety first tor without compromising the integrity of the valve.
The preferred method is to remove the valve from Most modern ball valves have pre-drilled mounting
the line and automate it in the maintenance shop, but holes for actuation (see Figure 1). If using body bolts
that is not always possible. If you choose to automate to mount the actuator, make sure the bolts are long
the existing valve inline, make sure the valve is not enough to engage the bracket and valve body when
under pressure and follow the plant’s lockout tagout they are reinstalled. Ask the valve manufacturer for
(LOTO) procedures before working on the valve. its recommendations for length and grade of bolts if
existing bolts need to be replaced (see Figure 2).

Selecting an actuator
Determine the additional safety factor you want
to add to the manufacturer’s recommended torque
and add it to the manufacturer’s torque. This safety
factor will ensure the valve will operate even if the
air supply drops slightly or if the mounting kit binds
slightly and increases the required torque. Also, as
an actuator wears and air bypasses the pistons, the
torque output will start to decrease.
Determine the desired function of the actuator
and make sure it is the proper size. After choosing
an actuator, consult with the valve manufacturer or
rep and obtain the proper mounting kit to adapt the
actuator to the valve. Please note, there are custom
bracket manufacturers that will adapt just about
any brand actuator to just about any brand valve
so don’t worry if the valve and the actuator are dif-
ferent name brands (see Figure 3). The important
thing is to make sure you are using a rotary actua-
tor on rotary valves and linear actuators on linear
valves. The actuator supplier can help obtain the
correct mounting kits in most instances.
Figure 1, cover image: Most modern ball valves have pre-drilled Before installing the actuator, make sure the
mounting holes for actuation. All images courtesy: Cross Co. valve position matches the actuator. If the actuator

16 t December 2018 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 Figure 2: The valve is a pressure vessel and
death or serious injury can occur if you use the
incorrect bolts or if the existing bolts do not
engage the body properly.

‘Some linear actuators

require the user to add low-
pressure air to slightly open Figure 3: An actu-
ator with a valve
the actuator before attaching mounting bracket
is shown. There

’
the stem clamshell. are custom brack-
et manufacturers
is a fail-closed actuator, make sure the valve is in the that will adapt
closed position. When an actuator is mounted on a most actuators to
rotary valve, leave the mounting bolts slightly loose most valves.
and stroke the actuator a couple of times. This will
ensure the mounting bracket is properly aligned and
is not binding.
Torque the bolts to the proper tightness. After
the bolts are tightened, stroke the actuator fully
open and fully closed a few more times to make Figure 4: A clamshell stem coupling is shown.
sure nothing is binding and the valve opens and Most linear valves and actuators use a two-
closes smoothly. Most linear valves and actuators piece clamshell stem coupling.
use a two-piece stem coupling (clamshell coupling).
The linear actuator will include a yoke that attaches
to the valve.
Some linear actuators require the user to add
low-pressure air to slightly open the actuator
M More
ANSWERS
before attaching the stem clamshell (see Figure 4). KEYWORDS: process actuator, automated
This will preload thrust to hold the valve tightly in control valve
the closed position. Consult the valve and actua- If the valve is in good condition and it has the means
to mount an actuator, you can save time and money by
tor manufacturer. automating it.
Finally, add any controls such as solenoids, Determine the additional safety factor you want to add
limit switches, or positioners to the assembly if to the manufacturer’s recommended torque and add it
they are needed. Attach it to the plant air and wir- to manufacturer’s torque.
ing and test one more time before returning the Before installing the actuator, make sure the valve
valve to service. ce position matches the actuator.
CONSIDER THIS
Ronnie Moore is resident valve expert working in Can your plant save time and reduce costs by
inside sales and support at Cross Co., a CFE Media automating existing valves instead of replacing them?
content partner. This article originally appeared on ONlINE
Cross Co.’s process instrumentation and valve blog. Link to additional online resources, process actuators
Edited by Jack Smith, content manager, Control and related content at www.controleng.com/archives,
Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected] under December 2018.

www.controleng.com control engineeering December 2018 • 17

ANSWERS
SIMULATION FOR TRAINING
Scott Michel, Honeywell

Lifecycle process simulation

Using simulation for plant design, process automation system validation,
and operator training will help optimize plant operations.

D
igital transformation is rapidly influenc- Management can use high-fidelity simulation
ing the hydrocarbon processing indus- throughout the plant lifecycle to yield the greatest
try. Up to 60% of refining operations return on investment by treating the simulator as a
are spending more on digital technolo- digital copy of the physical plant not limited to narrow
gies in 2018 and 67% believe a lack of use-cases. Advancements in computational technol-
digital solutions would reduce their competitive edge, ogy have filled the gap between design and opera-
according to a research report by Accenture. While tions so a full plant model of the highest fidelity can
new software and hardware are being developed to be used simultaneously for engineering studies and
address this demand, established strategies also stand operator training. In bridging this gap, a much larger
to play an important role in the digital revolution. The percentage of the plant lifecycle comes into scope and
change will be in how these tools, such as operator unlocks the potential of the process simulator as a tool
training simulators, are implemented, deployed, and that covers the plant from design to operation.
used to achieve optimal plant performance.
Process simulation has been a key tool in the Static and dynamic simulation models
hydrocarbon industry for decades. Simulators have Static process simulation software is heavily relied
been used in two key phases of the plant lifecycle. upon during the front-end engineering and design
During the initial design phase, steady-state models (FEED) phase of brownfield and greenfield projects.
enable engineers to design and size key equipment and Comprehensive plant models provide engineers with
Figure 1: A diagram ensure that heat and material balances are satisfied. a complete view of heat and material balances for lim-
shows a plant life- Later, when the plant is online, the operations staff iting design cases and other operating conditions.
cycle’s key phases uses dynamic operator training simulators (OTS) to Additionally, simulation software is used to perform
and where simula- train new personnel and refresh experienced workers’ feasibility studies, assess different process configura-
tion can be used. skills in phase 3 and part of phase 5 of the Figure 1 tions, and identify risks. Engineers can leverage this
All graphics cour- plant lifecycle. This leaves many phases of engineering information to ensure designs are safe, meet environ-
tesy: Honeywell and operations without simulator interaction. mental regulations, and maximize the operational and
business performance of the asset (see Figure 1).
Generally, static simulation is a tool used most
often during this stage of the plant lifecycle. Howev-
er, dynamic models can be useful for feasibility stud-
ies. Mature simulation software allows the end user to
seamlessly migrate from a static to a dynamic model.
In this case, services required to build the initial model
are performed upfront, during the FEED phase. Simu-
lator benefits can be realized in the downstream life-
cycle phases with minimal services investment.

Simulation for plant design, validation

While static models ensure operation at defined
steady-state conditions, a dynamic simulator allows
engineers to validate that the plant can successfully
operate at every point from black start to full capac-
ity. Once the plant design has been finalized, engi-
neers can use the simulator to ensure the design is fit
for purpose and all equipment can meet the demands
of the startup procedures and operational sequences.
By adhering to process and mechanical datasheets
during the model development phase, end users can
be confident all equipment in the simulation matches

18 • December 2018 control engineering www.controleng.com

its physical counterpart in the field. With this knowl-
edge, engineers can scrutinize every piece of equip-
ment in plant from individual piping segments to
complex, multi-pass heat exchangers. With the ability
to pre-program model scenarios, engineers can con-
tinuously run the plant through defined operational
procedures and examine the process responses using
incremental changes in the plant design.
While the benefits of examining the plant process
with a simulator are immense, much of the value is
realized upon integration with the control system.
After the design and testing the controls, the simulator
can provide an additional layer of process automation
insight. Most modern control systems can simu-
late values so rudimentary testing can be performed
on control loops. However, a high-fidelity simulator
provides realistic process responses that are almost
impossible to replicate with empirical correlations. Figure 2: Screenshot: An operator training simulation environment is
Sophisticated modeling software is based on available in Honeywell UniSim Operations.
first principles, thus providing meaningful insight
into countless “what if ” scenarios. The controls will and controlled manner. For example, vCSU provides
be exposed to more advanced testing that is more engineers an opportunity to test the detailed startup
closely aligned with the actual plant response. This procedure, fully exercise the distributed control sys-
allows engineers to identify potential problems early tem (DCS) human-machine interface (HMI), validate
in the design phase before they become expensive and alarm suppression, and tune vital control loops. Many
time-consuming to correct. of these activities are often crowded into an already
The safety system’s validation and design is a vital tight startup schedule leaving little room for error.
part in the commissioning of any new facility. All pro- This second layer of validation ensures the assets
duction companies aim to minimize the number of handed off to operations have been validated and
safety incidents that occur onsite. However, safety sys- tested in an environment that mirrors real life.
tems are exercised so infrequently it may take years for
a flawed design or procedure to be recognized. Plant operation, maintenance
A simulator provides real-time process responses Traditional custom-built plant simulators help
to allow users to scrutinize and dissect safety schemes train operators. Many plants implement programs
during abnormal operating conditions. Using defined that require employees to follow extensive, simula-
operating scenarios, users can run the plant through tor-based training regiments to maintain a certain
various upset conditions such as: compressor surge, level of training. The best practice is to track and
depressurization/flaring events, and total plant shut- record the performance of board operators using
down. This allows for an iterative process wherein training scenarios to evaluate key performance indi-
safety systems are constantly tested and upgraded to cators (KPIs) against plant standards. Management
account for all possible outcomes. Once changes have can track plant performance and see the
been proposed, the hazard and operability (HAZOP) efficacy of the hands-on training program
team can use the simulator to support studies and
investigate the integrity of planned designs.
in real-time (see Figure 2).
Recent improvements to augmented
M More
ANSWERS
reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tech- KEYWORDS: Operation training
Virtual plant commissioning and startup nologies have extended simulator-based simulators (OTS), augmented
While a simulator will not aid in constructing a training to field operators. Workers can reality (AR)
new facility, the engineering staff can continue to use practice non-routine tasks in the safety of Enhance personnel and plant
operator training with simulators
the simulator during this time to ensure commission- a virtualized or mixed reality environment
Extend the plant lifecycle with
ing and startup (CSU) is as smooth as possible. Many with instructors. Hands-on training leads training simulation environments
pieces of the plant, from process equipment to con- to a safer and more competent workforce. Support the plant lifecycle with
trols and alarming, are being exercised to full func- By viewing a process simulator as a plant’s simulation.
tionality for the first time. Many unforeseen issues are digital clone, users can explore new ave-
COnSiDER thiS
uncovered during this time that require immediate nues to support the plant lifecycle. ce
How can training simulation
attention to avoid lengthy and expensive delays. software improve the lifecycle?
Issues faced during the CSU can be addressed Scott Michel is senior product mar-
much earlier by performing the CSU in a virtual keting specialist, Honeywell. Edited by OnLinE
environment. A virtual commissioning and startup Emily Guenther, associate content man- Read more online with this
article at www.controleng.com,
(vCSU) that involves all key stakeholders will expose ager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, on operations, virtualization, and
many flaws and allow them to be rectified in a timely [email protected]. cloud-based project execution.

www.controleng.com control engineeering December 2018 • 19

 Engineering is personal.
So is the way you use information.
CFE Media delivers a world of knowledge to you.
CFE Media is home to some of the Personally.
most trusted names in the business.

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MAY 2017
Inside:
 Technologies and
technicians p8
 The signal processing
perspective p12

Supplement to Periodicals Publication

IFE1705_MAG_Cover_V2msFINAL.indd 1 4/26/17 4:35 PM

ANSWERS
SIMULATION TRAINING
John Toon, Georgia Tech University

Control system simulator teaches

operators how to fight hackers
Georgia Tech university researchers developed a simulator designed to help
operators of chemical processing plants better understand security issues.

A
simulator that includes a virtual explo-
sion could help the operators of chem-
ical processing plants—and other
industrial facilities—learn to detect
attacks by hackers bent on causing
mayhem. The simulator developed by researchers at
Georgia Tech university will also help students and
researchers understand better the security issues of
industrial control systems (ICSs).
Facilities such as electric power networks, manu-
facturing operations and water purification plants are
among potential targets for malicious actors because
they use programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to
open and close valves, redirect electricity flows and
manage large pieces of machinery. Efforts are under-
way to secure these facilities, and helping operators
become more skilled at detecting potential attacks is Screen capture shows a chemical processing plant in which critical
a key part of improving security. parameters are rising due to false process data and control com-
“The goal is to give operators, researchers and stu- mands injected by an attacker. Courtesy: Georgia Tech University
dents experience with attacking systems, detecting
attacks and also seeing the consequences of manip-
ulating the physical processes in these systems,” said
Raheem Beyah, the Motorola Foundation professor
in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineer-
more the operators know the process, the harder it will
be to fool them,” he said.
The GRFICS system was built using an exist-
M More
ANSWERS
ing at Georgia Tech. “This system allows operators to ing chemical processing plant simulator, as Keywords: simulator,
learn what kinds of things will happen. Our goal is to well as a 3-D video game engine running on chemical engineering,
PLC, cybersecurity
make sure the good guys get this experience so they Linux virtual machines. At its heart is the soft-
Georgia Tech researchers
can respond appropriately.” ware that runs PLCs, which can be changed developed a simulator to
The simulated chemical processing plant, known out to represent different types of controllers help chemical processing
as the Graphical Realism Framework for Industrial appropriate to a range of facilities. The human- plant operators.
Control Simulations (GRFICS), allows users to play machine interface also can be altered as needed Operators can better
attackers and defenders—with separate views provid- to show a realistic operator control panel monitoring understand and prepare
ed. Attackers might take control of valves in the plant reaction parameters and valve controller positions. for attacks by hackers.
to build up pressure in a reaction vessel to cause an GRFICS is available as an open source, free down- Future versions are
planned to simulate
explosion. Defenders have to watch for signs of attack load for use by classes or individuals. An online ver- electric power grids,
and ensure security systems remain operational. sion is planned, and future versions will simulate the treatment facilities, and
Of great concern is a human-in-the-middle attack electric power grid, water, and wastewater treatment manufacturing facilities.
in which a bad actor breaks into the facility’s control facilities, and other manufacturing facilities. online
system—and also takes control of the sensors and “Several years ago, we talked to a lot of process Read this story online at
instruments that provide feedback to the operators. By control engineers as part of the NSF’s I-Corps pro- www.controleng.com for
gaining control of sensors and valve position indica- gram,” Beyah said. “We’ve seen changes, and lots of more about cybersecurity
tors, the attacker could send false readings that would people are now taking system security seriously.” ce threats against
manufacturing.
reassure the operators—while the damage proceeded.
“The pressure and reactant levels could be made John Toon, Georgia Tech. Edited by Chris Vavra, pro- Consider this
to seem normal to the operators, while the pressure is duction editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, Would these simulated
building toward a dangerous point,” Beyah said. “The [email protected]. programs help you?

www.controleng.com control engineeering December 2018 • 21

ANSWERS
PROCESS SENSING
Gary Prentice, Moore Industries

Temperature measurement
with RTDs, thermocouples
The most common process sensor measurement is temperature. Resistance
temperature detectors (RTDs) and thermocouples are widely used sensors for
industrial temperature measurements. See 11 summary tips for sensor selection.

T
emperature measurements comprise the use of the best materials and manufacturing tech-
largest segment of all process measure- niques for that operating range.
ments and their accuracy and reliabil- Operation: RTDs operate on the principle that
ity can often have a significant impact the electrical resistance of their metal elements
on the efficient operation and safety of increases as temperature increases.
a facility. Selecting the most appropriate sensor type Construction: Common resistor materials are
can improve the accuracy, repeatability, and stabil- Platinum (Pt), Nickel (Ni) and Copper (Cu). Because
ity of temperature measurements and can decrease platinum is more stable, more linear and covers
operating and maintenance costs. wider temperature ranges, it has become the indus-
Resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) and try standard today. While nickel and copper may be
thermocouples handle 90% or more of the temper- found in existing builds, most new installations will
ature monitoring within industrial facilities, which use platinum throughout.
means specific details on each detector can help with High purity platinum is often used to manufac-
informed decisions regarding selecting the best sen- ture an RTD sensing element in either a wire-wound
sor for various applications. design (platinum wire is wound around a substrate
spool) or thin film design (pure platinum is deposited
RTDs at-a-glance onto a ceramic substrate). Modern RTDs can be used
Temperature ranges: RTD are recommended for at higher temperatures because the substrate materials
measurements from -200 to 850°C (-328 to 1,562°F). used today are stable at elevated temperatures.
When purchasing a new sensor, inform the supplier Suggestion: Use thin-film sensors from -40 to
of the operating range for the sensor to encourage 850°C (-40 to 1562°F) and wire-wound sensors when
dropping to temperatures near -200°C (-328°F).
RTDs with 2, 3 or 4 wires: RTDs can be built with
2-wire, 3-wire and 4-wire construction.
Suggestion: Use RTDs instead of thermocouples
(T/C) whenever possible for superior accuracy, repeat-
ability, and stability.
An RTD only functions properly when the element
is insulated/isolated from the protective sheath sur-
rounding it. Typical insulating materials are Magne-
sium oxide (MgO) or Alumina oxide (Al2O3). Should
the insulation break down due to moisture and con-
tamination, the RTD must be replaced. As an RTD
must be insulated, using a measuring circuit that is not
isolated could provide cost savings.
When a close coupled temperature transmitter is
In addition to various RTD and thermocouple sensors, different sen- not used with an RTD, the RTD is connected to the
sor construction types also are available: standard solid sheathed measuring circuit by copper wire. Things to keep in
elements (top and middle) or a flexible trim-to-length sensor with a mind when preparing to select an RTD include:
shorter sensor capsule (below), designed for quicker response times
and better resiliency to vibration, such as the Worm from Moore • The sensor’s name indicates its resistance at 0°C
Industries. Courtesy: Moore Industries (32°F). Example: 100Ω Pt RTD measures 100Ω

22 • December 2018 control engineering www.controleng.com

 at 0°C; 500Ω Pt RTD measures 500Ω at 0°C, etc. Table 1: RTD accuracy values
• Modern measuring circuits use a constant cur- RTD temperature range on
rent source to generate excitation current. validity oC (oF)
• High impedance voltage measurements factor in Tolerance values Wire-wound Thin film Error at
Class
to RTD performance. (High impedance means | t | in oC resistor resistor 482°C/ 900°F
there is no current flow through the voltmeter ± (0.1 + -50 to 250°C 0 to 150°C
AA
and its leads.) 0.0017 | t |) (-58 482°F) (32 to 302°F)
• Resistance is calculated using Ohms Law: ± (0.15 + -100 to 450°C -30 to 300°C 1.11°C/
A
V = IR or R = V/I 0.002 | t |) (-148 to 842°F) (-22 to 572°F) 2.00°F
± (0.3 + -196 to 600°C -50 to 500°C 2.71°C/
B
RTD sensor accuracy 0.005 | t |) (-320.8 to 1,112°F) (-58 to 932°F) 4.88°F
It is best to use RTDs over T/Cs when possible. The ± (0.6 + -196 to 600°C -50 to 600°C 5.42°C/
C
0.01 | t |) (-320.8 to 1,112°F) (-58 to 1,112°F) 9.76°F
best RTDs are built to the IEC 60751 standard, which
calls for accuracy values as shown in table 1 below.
Premium/special-grade RTD sensors: When Table 2: Premium or special grade wire reduces
RTDs are aged by the manufacturer, it minimizes drift thermocouple uncertainty
once they get into the field. RTDs that are temperature Sensor special
Accuracy spec greater of: 482°C / 900°F
cycled for 1,000 hours at 0 and 600°C and will main- tolerance
tain higher accuracy for 5+ years. Typically, only Class Type E 0°C to 870°C: ±1.0°C or ±0.004 * | t | ± 1.9°C / 3.5°F
A sensors are thermally aged.
Type J 0°C to 760°C: ±1.1°C or ±0.004 * | t | 1.9°C / 3.5°F
Premium-grade T/C wire helps with thermocou-
Type K 0°C to 1260°C: ±1.1°C or ±0.004 * | t | ± 1.9°C / 3.5°F
ple measurements; upgrading to Class A RTD sensors
also helps by cutting uncertainty in half. Type T 0°C to 370°C: ±0.5°C or ±0.004 * | t

Thermocouples at-a-glance ungrounded (insulated from the sheath). A ground-

Thermocouple (T/C) technology is based on the ed T/C will respond more quickly but the T/C is
Seebeck effect wherein two dissimilar metals fused then in contact with the process voltage. For this
together at both ends will generate an electric cur- reason it is important that the measuring circuit be
rent when one junction is at a different temperature isolated to block the formation of a ground loop
than the other. and resulting measurement error.
Temperature ranges: Various combinations of Within a temperature assembly, the T/C is usually
dissimilar metals are used to construct T/Cs. The embedded in magnesium oxide (MgO) and a metal
finished products are referred to as the T/C type. For sheath. Then it’s inserted into a thermowell or pro-
each type, mV vs temperature tables exist and are tection tube. This helps protect the sensor from envi-
included in this reference manual (all mV vs temper- ronmental contamination. Even an ungrounded T/C
ature tables are created with the T/C cold junction at will eventually go to ground when the
0°C (32°F)).
Operation: A T/C sensor has two junctions.
The measurement junction (sometimes called the
MgO becomes contaminated with mois-
ture and salts.
Suggestion: Measure the T/C with an
M More
ANSWERS
hot junction) is where the two metals connect. The isolated measuring circuit. KEYWORDS: Temperature
sensor selection, RTD,
reference junction (also called the cold junction) is Thermocouple sensor accuracy: It is thermocouple
the open circuit end that connects to the measuring best to use thermocouple sensors that are Measure temperature with
circuit. built to the ASTM E230 standard, which RTDs rather than T/Cs.
When a temperature difference exists between governs thermocouple accuracy for types Premium wire T/Cs should be
the hot and cold junctions, an mV signal is gen- E, J, K, and T. used, if T/Cs are needed.
erated that is proportional to the temperature dif- Thermocouple reference tables are 11 tips help with temperature
ference. The mV value increases with the rising provided in ASTM E230/E230M-12 sensor selection.
temperature. The relationship between the mV and Standard Specification and Tempera- CONSIDER THIS
temperature is non-linear. ture-Electromotive Force (emf) Tables Is it better to spend nominally
In a real world T/C measurement, the measuring for Standardized Thermocouples. more for a better sensor or
circuit will likely be any temperature but 0°C (32°F). replace them more often?
The measuring circuit must measure the tempera- Special thermocouple wire ONLINE
ture of the cold junction and reference that tempera- Thermocouples can be constructed If reading from the digital
ture back to 0°C (32°F). This electrical compensation with premium or special grade wire which edition, click on the headline for
is called cold junction compensation (or reference reduced uncertainty by half. The premi- more resources.
www.controleng.com/magazine
junction compensation). Most T/C measuring cir- um/special designation essentially indi-
See related New Products for
cuits perform this operation. cates that this wire has a higher purity Engineers under the sensors
Construction: T/C junctions can be built with alloy mix. product category at
the hot junction grounded to the external sheath or Suggestion: If an application requires www.controleng.com/NP4E

www.controleng.com control engineeering December 2018 • 23

ANSWERS
PROCESS SENSING

T/Cs instead of RTDs, use a premium error generally increases to a point necessi- Class A RTD sensor is calibrated in a bath
grade T/C; the cost difference is negligi- tating sensor replacement. to calibrate it to the transmitter or remote
ble and premium wire provides greater input/output (I/O) measuring device. This
stability. Sensor trimming for process eliminates the final “as-built” offset
Wire contamination is a consistent high accuracy error that exists in every sensor. The sen-
problem with thermocouples. Accuracy After considering the sensing element, sor should include a traceable calibration
chart values assume wire has not been con- consider the application. If it demands the report from the National Institute of Stan-
taminated by the chemicals in the process best accuracy possible, a temperature mea- dards and Technology (NIST) that indi-
or environment. As contamination occurs, surement system with bath calibration. A cates the combined sensor and temperature
transmitter uncertainty is typically better
than ±0.01°F.

Sensor selection: 11 tips

To optimize measurement performance
and minimize long-term maintenance

A TRAY SOLUTION
expenses, use the following tips as a practi-
cal guide for temperature sensor selection.

FOR ANY OCCASION 1. Use an RTD when measuring in

ranges between -40° and 850°C
(-40° and 1,562°F)
2. For temperatures as low as -200°C
(-328°F), use a wire wound RTD
3. Best practice is to use 4-wire and
Class A RTDs
4. Make sure the sensors are tempera-
ture cycled and “aged” for long term
POWER & DATA INDUSTRIAL stability
SERVO & VFD
CONTROL COMMUNICATION ETHERNET
5. When applying RTDs below 0° and
above 600°C, you want to know
the process conditions in order to
optimize the build: Temperature
range, cycling, pressure, flow, media,
vibration and surrounding envi-
LAPP’s tray-rated cables play a critical
ronmental conditions (chemicals/
role in a variety of industries and operating
atmosphere)
environments. No matter your application—
6. When highest accuracy is needed,
whether power and control, servo/VFD,
use sensor trimming
fieldbus or Industrial Ethernet—we have a
7. If using 3-wire RTDs with long wire
tray solution for you.
runs, and you cannot convert over
to 4-wire RTDs, replace the 3-wire
FEATURES AND BENEFITS: RTDs with 1,000Ω Platinum RTDs
• Temperature, oil and UV 8. If monitoring temperatures above
resistance 850°C (1,562°F), use thermocouples
• Superior bending radius 9. If using thermocouples, use premi-
• No conduit required um grade thermocouples and exten-
• Direct burial capabilities sion wire
10. If using long thermocouple exten-
• UL TC-ER/PLTC approvals
sion wire, be sure it is noise
• Low capacitance
protected
• Continuous flex options 11. Replace contaminated TC extension
wire with remote I/O. ce
To learn more, visit:
lappusa.lappgroup.com/tray-cable.html Gary Prentice is vice president, sales, Moore
Industries. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content
manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media,
[email protected].

24 • December 2018
input #9 at www.controleng.com/information
ANSWERS
INDUSTRIAL CABLE MANAGEMENT
Sree Potluri, Beckhoff Automation

The best cable management

strategy is foresight in
selecting components
Reduce or eliminate unnecessary cables through pluggable I/O terminals
and one-cable strategies in control cabinets and machines.

W
hen designing a new machine result, this requires more hardware to config-
or retrofitting a legacy system, ure the system and introduces additional points
cable management is typically of failure. Similar issues arise when supplying
an afterthought. It’s possible to machines with power.
bundle wires and add a conduit When attempting to improve a system’s cable
to keep them in place, but ignoring the effects of management, it is important to identify the avail-
required cabling until the end of the design pro- able fieldbuses and individual components that
cess increases expenses and overall equipment require fewer cables to get the job done. Engineers
footprint. Engineers will likely spend more time should first consider fieldbus and I/O systems and
wiring a system during the commissioning phase, give preference to those that provide flexibility in
tracing wires during troubleshooting, and adding topology and eliminate switches.
costs by not having the correct cable lengths.
Assessing the impact of cabling before commis-

‘
sioning provides significant benefits beyond cre-
ating better-organized enclosures and a cleaner The most effective cable
plant floor. Strategic cable management planning
in the design phase can result in a cleaner system
that reduces cable count and eliminates potential management strategy starts with
errors and points of failure.

’
The most effective cable management strategy
starts with selecting intelligent components. Engi-
selecting intelligent components.
neers should implement input/output (I/O) termi-
nals, fieldbus systems, motion control devices, and
other machine components that minimize cabling The EtherCAT industrial Ethernet system
requirements in the application. offers flexibility in topology without using addi-
tional nodes. EtherCAT also integrates a wide
Reducing cable requirements range of third-party devices, from drives to I/O
It is important to remember that most cabling in and field devices, and shares data to the main con-
factory settings provides either power or network- troller. Also, gathering data from legacy devices on
ing signals. Although these are not minor tasks, other protocols without running cables back to the
having a tangle of wires connecting sensors, control controller is easy to accomplish over EtherCAT.
cabinets, and other equipment isn’t necessary. System-integrated hardware and software gate-
In most cases, the excess cables are due to the ways can bring data from all manner of fieldbuses
shortcomings of industrial devices and networks, and industrial Ethernet systems into the EtherCAT
not the control engineers. For example, traditional network.
Ethernet-based fieldbuses, such as EtherNet/IP or Choosing a fieldbus based on these concerns
Profinet, require multiple managed switches. This is the first step, but the network provides the best
often makes it impossible to run cables directly results when paired with cable-reducing compo-
from control cabinets to components in the field nents. One-cable technology (OCT) and pluggable
without using cascading switches or hubs. As a I/O terminals are two important pieces.

www.controleng.com control engineeering December 2018 • 25

ANSWERS
INDUSTRIAL CABLE MANAGEMENT

Providing power and data

with one-cable technology
While it may be difficult to eliminate all cables in the field,
it is possible to significantly reduce the number of cables; OCT
provides an important tool to accomplish this.
Various products have been introduced over the years to pro-
vide power and a signal through one cable. Power over Ethernet
(PoE) has been an IEE 802.3-IEEE Standard for Ethernet stan-
dard since 2003, and the technology has been used in indus-
trial applications. Other cable types combine power with USB
2.0 and a DVI signal for human-machine interface (HMI) hard-
ware. There are also types that provide power and feedback from
servo drives to servomotors or directly from the control cabinet
or a distribution module to servomotors with integrated drives.
Because these cables can span up to 100 m, they must offer a
rugged wire jacket to ensure they withstand wear and tear in
industrial environments and reduce the chance of damage and
potential points of failure.
Figure 1: One-cable technology For example, EtherCAT + Power (EtherCAT P) can supply
(OCT) minimizes cabling concerns power to applications from 24 to 400 Vac or 600 Vdc and carry
by providing both power and sig- currents up to 64 amps, as well as provide two voltages for both
nal for HMI hardware, servo sys- EtherCAT slaves and connected sensors or actuators. In this
tems and other field components case, the two voltages—US for system and sensor supply and
through a variety of connector UP for peripheral voltage for actuators—are electrically isolat-
types. All graphics courtesy: ed from each other and can each supply up to 3 amps to con-
Beckhoff Automation nected components.
Streamlined motion architectures, such as distributed servo
drive systems, can be daisy-chained, but may require a sepa-
rate distribution module. However, some distribution mod-
ules can supply a signal from the control cabinet to as many as
five drives. EtherCAT I/O modules with an IP67 rating can be
installed outside the enclosure and closer to the machine, so the
cable run is confined to a smaller area while providing signal
and power for multiple EtherCAT P slaves.
EtherCAT P (EtherCAT Ethernet communications with
power, ECP) technology supports multiple connector families,
including ECP (EtherCAT with integrated 24 Vdc power sup-
ply) and ENP (EtherCAT Ethernet with no power, ENP, without
integrated 24 Vdc power supply). The designs are very similar
with a trapezoidal power core element for the power supply and
several points for a signal. ECP cables work in EtherCAT envi-
ronments with high voltage demands. ENP cables work with any
Ethernet-based protocol, such as EtherNet/IP or Profinet, as an
open solution. Both types reduce cabling efforts when used with
components powered through OCT.

Pluggable I/O terminals

reduce cabling in cabinets
Beyond eliminating cables and switches in the field, simpli-
fying the control cabinet cabling also promotes a cleaner sys-
tem with fewer points of failure. When numerous I/O points are
involved, cabinets become crowded, which complicates wiring
and increases the likelihood of errors. A wireless I/O terminal
that plugs directly into the signal distribution board is an impor-
tant advancement.
input #10 at www.controleng.com/information
Using prefabricated cables with application-specific plug con-
nectors and power and control signals are distributed from the
routing circuit board to the plug-in terminals. The approach

26 t December 2018 CONTROL ENGINEERING

‘ Beyond eliminating cables and
switches in the field, simplifying
the control cabinet cabling also
promotes a cleaner system with

’
fewer points for failure.

offers an especially good return on investment (ROI) for produc-

tion machinery integrated in series. This method is designed to Figure 2: Some pluggable I/O terminals are half the size of
eliminate point-to-point wiring within cabinets through a com- traditional hardware, and by eliminating point-to point wir-
pact, application-specific electromechanical design. By embed- ing, they reduce points of failure while minimizing footprint.
ding the I/O system into the machinery, machine builders and
end user manufacturers also minimize cable management efforts,
labor costs, and potential wiring errors. The automation industry is quickly churning out streamlined
These pluggable terminals are often more compact than products for each step in the engineering design and implemen-
DIN rail-mounted I/O—as much as 50% smaller in some cases. tation processes. Cable management should not be an area that
Combined with the wiring reductions, this makes reduced gets tangled up in hindsight. ce
equipment footprint an additional benefit of the plug-in ter-
minal approach. Sree Potluri is an I/O application specialist at Beckhoff Automa-
This demonstrates how effective fieldbus and I/O technology tion. Edited by Emily Guenther, associate content manager, Con-
can mitigate cable management concerns in electrical enclosures. trol Engineering, CFE Media, [email protected].
However, circuit board-based I/O systems are best suited for
new installations rather than retrofits. Reducing cables in the
field via OCT is just as amenable to brownfield and greenfield
applications.

Smart cable management

and smart machine design
Innovative networking technologies eliminate extraneous
cables. By considering these factors during the early phases of
a retrofit or new machine design, engineers are far less likely
to face cable management issues later on. Many of these cable-
reducing strategies are still emerging technologies. While they
already offer numerous benefits, their capabilities will increase
as the technologies mature.
Plug-in I/O terminals and one-cable solutions empower engi-
neers to build control cabinets with drastically reduced cabling
and to design fieldbus architectures with power and data in sin-
gle-cable runs.

M More
ANSWERS
KEYWORDS: One-cable technology (OCT), EtherCAT
The benefits of OCT for machine design
Exploring cable management strategies
Reducing cables and smart machine design
CONSIDER THIS
How could one-cable technology clean up your plant floor?
ONLINE input #11 at www.controleng.com/information
Read more online about cable management at
www.controleng.com.

control engineering December 2018 • 27

ANSWERS
CABLE MANAGEMENT
Paul Badowski, Cross Co.

Analyzing DIN and Deutsch

connectivity options
It’s important to evaluate DIN and Deutsch connector types
for each application.

T
here are benefits to using and ordering Option #1: Deutsch
Deutsches Insitut für Normung (DIN) Buy pre-wired two-pin Deutsch connectors with
style cables pre-wired, however, there cables. A 6- or 15-ft-long cable is standard and would
is growth in Deutsch-style connectors. cover most requirements. Plug in the cable and ter-
While both types of connectors have their minate the two wires. These can be ordered with an
benefits, it’s important to evaluate them both depend- additional cable installed on the opposite end for a
ing on the application. complete plug-and-play system.
These cables are available unlit or with an indica-
Selecting DIN or Deutsch connectors tor light, solenoid valve, and pressure switch. With
Over the last few years, mobile machine products the solenoid style indicator, the indicator glows when
have seen a rapid growth in the Deutsch-style connec- there is power to the solenoid. With the pressure
tor. The smaller size, improved environmental seal- switch style indicator, the indicator glows when the
ing, and push-to-lock connection are an improvement switch contacts are made. A variety of ac/dc or com-
over the DIN-style plug. bination voltages are available with a 10-amp rating.
A pre-wired Deutsch two-pin connector is great
because many smaller origi- Option #2: DIN
nal equipment manufacturers A pre-wired DIN to Deutsch adapter allows the
(OEMs) don’t want to purchase Deutsch technology to be used on applications that
the special crimping tools and already have the DIN-style connector in place or in
supplies required to use the applications where there is not an option to change the
Deutsch-style connectors. product to Deutsch connectors directly at the source.
Figure 1: A standard pre-wired One major difference in the Plug in the adapter to change the connector style to
Deutsch cable. All graphics courtesy: DIN and Deutsch connectors Deutsch. Either DIN and Deutsch connector types
Cross Co. is the requirement for multiple will save time for more important functions other
parts and special tools. An un- than wiring connectors. ce
wired DIN connector comes
with all of the parts necessary to Paul Badowski is an OEM account manager at Cross
wire the connector disassemble Co, a CFE Media content partner. This article originally
the connector, insert the wire, appeared on Cross Co.’s website. Edited by Emily Guen-
strip back the individual wires, ther, associate content manager, Control Engineering,
Figure 2: A pre-wired Deutsch cable and install into the terminals. CFE Media, [email protected].
with Indicator. With the Deutsch connec-
tor, several parts need to be specified. Depending on
the wire size and connection type (male or female),
the socket or pin type needs to be ordered. The user
M More
ANSWERS
KEYWORDS: DIN connectors, Deutsch connectors
also needs to determine whether to choose a solder or
The difference between DIN and Deutsch connectors
crimp type, the connector body, a wedge, and the con-
Selecting DIN or Deutsch connectors.
nector cover and seal.
Once the wires are attached to the connections, the CONSIDER THIS
connections are pushed into slots until positively seat- What type of connector is best for your application?
ed and then the wedge, connector cover, and seal are ONLINE:
installed. As a result, the electrician can spend their Read more about selecting connectors online at
time doing more meaningful tasks. www.controleng.com.

28 • December 2018 control engineering www.controleng.com

ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES
Frank Lamb, Automation Consulting LLC

What is machine vision,

and how can it help?
Understanding how machine vision works will help you see if machine vision
will clear up specific application difficulties in manufacturing or processing.

P
eople are often confused about what vision systems can inspect hundreds or even thou-
machine vision can and cannot do for a sands of parts per minute, and provides more con-
manufacturing line or process. Under- sistent and reliable inspection results than human
standing how it works can help people inspectors.
make decisions about if it will resolve By reducing defects, increasing yield, facili-
problems with the application. So exactly what is tating compliance with regulations and tracking
machine vision, and how does it work? parts with machine vision, manufacturers can save
Machine vision is the use of a camera or mul- money and increase profitability.
tiple cameras to inspect and analyze objects auto-
matically, usually in an industrial or production An analogy for machine vision
environment. The data acquired then can be used to A discrete photoeye is one of the most basic sen-
control a process or manufacturing activity. A typi- sors in industrial automation; the reason we call it
cal application might be on an assembly line; after “discrete” or digital is it only has two states: on or
an operation is performed on a part, the camera off (Figure 1).
is triggered to capture and process an image. The The principal idea behind a diffuse photoeye is
camera may be programmed to check the position it emits a beam of light and detects if that light is
of something, its color, size or shape, or whether the being reflected off of some object. If the object is not
object is there or not. It also can look at and deci- present, no light reflects back into the
pher a standard or 2-D matrix barcode or even read
printed characters.
After the product has been inspected, a signal
photoeye’s receiver. An electrical signal,
usually 24 V, is connected to the receiv-
er. If an object is present, the signal turns
M More
ANSWERS
KEYWORDS:
is usually generated to determine what to do with on and can be used in a control system to Machine vision, automation
it. The part might be rejected into a container or make something happen. If the object is tutorial
an offshoot conveyor, or passed on through more removed, the signal turns back off. MachinE viSiOn baSicS
assembly operations, tracking its inspection results A diffuse photoeye also can be analog. Vision system components and
through the system. In any case, machine vision sys- Rather than only having two states, off and factors for selection
tems can provide a lot more information about an on, it can return a number signifying how Units and communications for
object than simple absence/presence type sensors. much light is returning into its receiver. In machine vision.
Typical uses for machine vision include: the case of the photoeye shown in Figure cOnSiDER ThiS
2, it can return 256 values, from 0 (signi- Complex sensing applications
• Quality assurance fying no light, dark or black) to 255 (sig- may be simpler with a machine
• Robot/machine guidance nifying lots of light, or white). The left side vision system.
• Test and calibration photoeye is returning a value of 76, or dark OnLinE
• Real-time process control gray. This is about 30% of the maximum If reading from the digital
• Data collection value of 255. If a lighter object is placed in edition, www.controleng.com/
• Machine monitoring front of the sensor, it will return a higher magazine, click on the headline
• Sorting/counting. number. If it produces 217, which is about for more resources, including a
85% of the full range of 255, this indicates link to the sensors and machine
vision page.
Many manufacturers use automated machine a much lighter shade of gray.
Register and view a related
vision instead of human inspectors because it is bet- Imagine if thousands of tiny analog digital report on machine
ter suited to repetitive inspection tasks. It is faster, photoeyes could be arranged in a square vision at www.controleng.com/
more objective, and works continuously. Machine or rectangular array and pointed at an DigitalReports

www.controleng.com control engineeering December 2018 • M1

ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES

The lens captures the image and presents it to

Diffuse photoeye the sensor in the form of light. To optimize the
vision system, the camera needs to be matched with
the appropriate lens. Although there are many types
of lenses, machine vision applications typically use
a lens with a fixed focal length.
Three factors are an important part of the selec-
tion process:

1. Field of view

Figure 1: A discrete diffuse photoelectric sensor says if a value is mea- 2. Working distance
sured or not. All images courtesy: Frank Lamb, Automation Primer
3. Sensor size of the camera.
Analog diffuse photoeye There are many different methods of apply-
ing lighting to the image. The direction the light
comes from, its brightness, and its color or wave-
length compared to the color of the target are all
important elements to consider when designing a
machine vision environment. While lighting is an
important part of getting a good image, there are
two other things that affect how much light expo-
sure an image gets. The lens has an adjustment
called the aperture, which is opened or closed to
Figure 2: An analog diffuse photoelectric sensor can provide a range let more or less light enter the lens. In combination
of measurements. with the exposure time, this determines the amount
of light on the pixel array before lighting is even
applied. The shutter or exposure time determines
object. This would create an image of the object in how long the image is imposed onto the array of
black and white, based on the reflectivity of wher- pixels. In machine vision, the shutter is electronically
ever the sensor was aimed. controlled, usually on the order of milliseconds.
The individual sensed points in these images are After the image has been captured, software
referred to as “pixels.” Of course, thousands of tiny tools are applied. Some are applied before analysis
photoelectric sensors aren’t used to create the image. (pre-processing) while others are used to determine
Instead, a lens focuses the image onto a solid-state the properties of the object being examined. In the
matrix of light detectors. A charge coupled device pre-processing stage, effects can be applied to the
(CCD) or complementary metal-oxide-semiconduc- image to sharpen the edges, increase contrast, or fill
tor (CMOS) array of light sensitive solid-state devic- spaces. This is done to enhance the ability of other
es are used in the matrix. The individual sensors software tools.
within the matrix are the pixels.
The series of images in Figure 3 is only a small Machine vision target
section of the image captured by the camera. This The following is a list of some common tools
area is considered to be the “region of interest” for a that can be applied to obtain information about the
particular inspection. target:
Machine vision can use color sensing pixels and
often use much larger pixel arrays. Software tools • Pixel counting: Counts the number of light or
are applied to the captured images to determine dark pixels in an object
dimensions, edge locations, movement, and the rel-
ative positions of components to each other. (Figure • Edge detection: Finding object edges
4 shows a CCD image.)
• Gauging/metrology: Measurement of
Four main vision system components object dimensions (such as pixels, inches, or
Lenses and lighting, the image sensor or cam- millimeters)
era, the processor, and a method of communicating
results, whether by physical input/output (I/O) con- • Pattern recognition or template matching:
nections or through other communications, are the Finding, matching, and/or counting specific
four main parts to a vision system. patterns. This may include location of an object

M2 • December 2018 control engineering www.controleng.com

input #12 at www.controleng.com/information
 Bring Your Machine ANSWERS
To Life With INSIDE MACHINES

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Aerotech can accommodate your custom
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our plug-in architecture for specific
algorithms such as 2D bar code, interfaces Figure 4: The image shown was captured with a 640x480
to non-standard sensors, signal outputs charge coupled device (CCD). It is from an inspection of
synchronized to servo sample time, and glass syringes with a plastic cap on it, the purpose of the
more. If you have a need for custom hardware application is to determine if the cap is on tightly.
or firmware in your drive package, contact
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that may be rotated, partially hidden by another object, or
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color, assess quality and isolate features using color.
www.aerotech.com • 412-963-7470
AH0518C-CSG M4 • December 2018 control engineering
input #13 at www.controleng.com/information
3 WAYS TO WIRE =
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input #14 at www.controleng.com/information

 ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES

The purpose of acquiring data in inspections is Machine vision communications

often to use for comparison against target values After extracting the information using the pro-
to determine a “pass or fail” or “go/no go” result. cessor and software tools, the information can be
For example, with code or bar code verification, the communicated to the control system using many of
read value is compared to the stored target value. the standard industrial communication protocols.
For gauging, a measurement is compared against EtherNet/IP, Profinet, and Modbus TCP often are
the proper value and tolerances. supported by major machine vision systems. Serial
For alpha-numeric code verification, the OCR RS232 and RS485 based protocols are also common.
text value is compared to the proper or target value. Digital I/O often is built into the system for trigger-
For inspection for blemishes, the measured size of ing and simple result reporting.
the blemishes may be compared to the maximums Machine vision communication standards also
allowed by quality standards. are available. Understanding the physics and capa-
bilities of machine vision systems can help qualify if

‘
an application is appropriate for camera-based sys-
tems. In general, whatever a human eye can see is
With code or bar code verification, what a camera can see (sometimes more or less),
and deciphering and reporting the information can
the read value is compared to the stored be tricky. Using a vendor knowledgeable in the sys-
tems, lighting, and techniques can save a lot of time
and money in the long run. ce
target value. For gauging, a measurement
Frank Lamb is the founder of Automation Consult-
is compared against the proper value and ing LLC, the creator of Automation Primer, a CFE
Media content partner and is a member of the Control

’
tolerances. Engineering Editorial Advisory Board. Edited by Mark
T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE
Media, [email protected].

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INNOVATIONS
NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS
Your Global Automation Partner
Safety integrated controller system
AutomationDirect’s ReeR Mosaic M1 safety control-
ler system is modular, expandable, and configurable
for managing all safety functions of one machine or
an entire plant. As a stand-alone controller, the master
module has eight inputs, two safety outputs, two status
outputs, and two inputs for start/stop interlock (RST)
and external device monitoring (EDM). By adding up
to 14 expansion modules, the safety controller system can have up to 128 inputs, 16
safety outputs, 16 RST/EDM inputs, 32 status outputs, and EtherNet/IP or Modbus
TCP/IP connectivity.
AutomationDirect, www.automationdirect.com Input #200 at www.controleng.com/information

Analog output sensor for flowmeters

AW-Lake’s FAC-S analog output sensor is designed to hardwire with any
flowmeter to provide voltage, current, or Bluetooth reading connectivity.
The FAC-S produces a scalable voltage or current output for download to
a programmable logic controller (PLC) or other control system. The sen-
sor also supports a Bluetooth interface for remote programming and flow
monitoring from a smartphone. The microprocessor-based FAC-S sensor
supports process monitoring, data acquisition, and signal conditioning. A
Bluetooth-enabled mobile app connects to the FAC-S, enabling wireless
setup and troubleshooting from a mobile device. The mobile application
also supports basic scaling and advanced functions, allowing for remote correction of
non-linear flow meters to keep a linear analog output.
AW-Lake Company, www.aw-lake.com Input #201 at www.controleng.com/information

EtherNet/IP module with valve Reduce Costs – One

terminal, diagnostic details
The Festo CPX-FB36 EtherNet/IP module is Sensor Detects
designed to provide valve terminal health and diag-
nostic details with Shelby, its FactoryTalk Analyt- all Metals
ics for Devices platform. When combined with the
MSE6-E2M intelligent energy efficiency module,
Shelby creates a dashboard that provides the pneumatic response of a system with up Detect all metals at the same
to a six-month look-back. The CPX-FB36 diagnostic data also is accessible by Facto- range with inductive sensors
ryTalk TeamONE mobile app users via the Action Deck. The CPX-FB36 allows the
Festo VTEM digital pneumatic valve terminal to change functionality based on Festo
from Turck – no position
downloadable apps from Festo. These flexible valves can potentially replace up to 50 adjustment required. These
pneumatic components. non-contact, durable inductive
Festo Corporation, www.festo.com Input #202 at www.controleng.com/information
sensors help you reduce the
number of sensors needed
Adaptive grippers for
for detecting the position or
collaborative robots
Robotiq’s 2F-85 and 2F-140 grippers are designed for col- presence of metal parts. Plus,
laborative robots. They are designed to be less exposed to our IP68-rated versions stand
factory air, dust, and fluids. Their finger bases have been
redesigned to simplify fingertip changeover and ensure a up to challenging washdown
reliable grip. The overall design is smoother and rounder, environments.
with every sharp edge removed. Each one also includes an accessories holder near the
base. The 2F-85 is ideal for applications involving heavy objects and high pinch force.
The 2F-140 is ideal for picking objects of almost any size and shape. input #15 at www.controleng.com/information

Robotiq, www.robotiq.com Input #203 at www.controleng.com/information

CONTROL ENGINEERING December 2018 t 35 1-800-544-7769

www.turck.us
 INNOVATIONS
NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS

Industrial managed PoE switch

At 3:25 a.m. a problem Korenix’s JetNet 7310G industrial managed Power over Ethernet
(PoE) switch is equipped with 8 Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 ports and 2
occurred in your factory. Gigabit Ethernet SFP ports. It is compliant with IEEE 802.3at/af stan-
dards with 1- and 2-event behaviors. It can perform well on power
PLANTREPLAY saw it. feeding to devices with high power consumption such as IP camer-
as. The JetNet 7310G also supports Layer 3 network routing proto-
And now, cols including static/dynamic routing, VLAN routing, and multicast
you can too. routing. With the various routing features, the data streams will be
routed in an efficient way and accelerate data streams as well. It also car-
ries Layer 2 network performance such as IEEE802.1Q VLAN, trunk, packet filtering,
DHCP server/client, traffic prioritize, and rate control.
Korenix Technology, www.korenix-usa.com Input #204 at www.controleng.com/information

Power distribution blocks

Phoenix Contact’s PTFIX potential distribution blocks
are a flexible, modular with a push-in connection
designed to minimize the need for additional tools or
accessories, saving valuable time and space. Distribu-
tion blocks offer a flexible range of mounting configura-
tions, including horizontal and transverse positioning on
PLANTREPLAY lets a standard 35-mm DIN rail and a “mini” 15-mm DIN rail. It is also available in other
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sive mounting. These flexible options ensure that there is a solution for a vast array
plant engineers go to any HMI of applications.
client and replay exactly what Phoenix Contact, www.phoenixcontact.com Input #205 at www.controleng.com/information

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ce2014_digitlEditn_6th.indd 1
www.controlengineering.com 2/24/2014 11:44:33 AM
control engineering December 2018 • 37
INNOVATIONS See more New Products for Engineers.
www.controleng.com/NP4E PE
NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS

Integrated stepper
motor package
Applied Motion Products’ STM/SWM inte-
IoT gateway
grated stepper motor package combines for machine and
drive and control in one package and networking
incorporates an encoder with capabil- Bosch Rexroth’s IoT Gate-
ities for automatic stall detection and way software V2 is designed
prevention. The built-in encoder pro- to network new and existing machines. The hardware allows
vides feedback to the integrated con- for an adjustable and scalable concept for one or more
troller on the motor’s actual position machines and can be used for existing machines as well as
and closes the feedback loop to avoid directly at the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). To
limitations associated with stepper systems. The Q Program- evaluate status and processes more completely, the user has the
mer motion control software incorporated into the STM/SWM option of connecting additional sensors, third-party controls
integrated stepper motor package enables easy configuration and higher-level information technology (IT) systems. The
of motor operation to match requirements of different con- gateway also allows users to quickly network new and exist-
veyor applications. On-board EtherNet/IP communications ing machines in just a few easy steps. For access to produc-
of the integrated stepper motors replace noisy analog control tion and machine data, the web-based configurable tool can
signals with a digital signal, eliminating the need to run long be connected to a wide variety of sensors, servers, and controls
signal wires from as many as 100 motors to a central program- using the configurable device apps.
mable logic controller (PLC) while allowing the conveying Bosch Rexroth, www.boschrexroth.com
equipment to perform at high speeds with high precision not
Input #207 at www.controleng.com/information
affected by noise.
Applied Motion, www.applied-motion.com
Input #206 at www.controleng.com/information

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go to www.controleng.com/mediainfo.
Marketing consultants: See ad index.
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www.controleng.com control engineering December 2018 • 39

INNOVATIONS
Back to Basics: LaDDER LoGic
Frank Lamb, Automation Primer LLC

Ladder logic, fault detection, messages

in ladder logic, faults are used to capture abnormal circumstances and each cell or station
in a program will usually have its own fault routine and can send messages to a human-machine
interface (HMi) or programmable logic controller (PLc).

I
n ladder logic, faults are used to capture abnor- cycle, unlike if the message were to be displayed by
mal circumstances such as an actuator not com- value or placing a number into the message register.
pleting its motion within a prescribed period of The background color of the message can also be
time. Each cell or station in a program will usu- configured so that fault messages and warnings or
ally have its own fault routine. There is usually other informational text can be displayed in the same
one fault for every motion (extend, retract, raise, lower banner. This is especially helpful if the HMI is small
and so on). Other faults may include lack of air pres- and doesn’t have room for more than one message dis-
sure, emergency stop actuation, guard door switches play. Besides faults and messages, these displays can
and drive or overload alarms. A system fault disables be used as multi-state indicators to show the mode of
the timer on the fault rung. It serves two purposes: a machine or station status. Other properties of the
1. Only the fault that happens first is enabled. message display can also be configured such as its
This prevents subsequent faults that may have been visibility.
caused by the initial fault from occurring. If air is
removed from the system several pneumatic actuators Bits versus values
may fault within the same event. There are advantages and disadvantages to using
2. After the fault occurs the timer resets allowing bits versus values. Using bits allows several “states” or
a new countdown. This allows physical correction of messages to exist at the same time, whereas a value
the cause of the fault by maintenance or an operator. allows only one message to be called. If the HMI does
There are a couple of methods of resetting the not have the ability to cycle through messages with
fault. One is to clear the register word that contains several bit triggers active at the same time, it will be
the faults, in this case word 10. This fault word may necessary to write code in the programmable logic
be for only this cell allowing the system reset signal controller (PLC) that cycles through the messages.
to reset faults in sections if desired; word 10 for cell 1, Another method that is sometimes used for mes-
word 11 for cell 2, etc. Another method is to reset or sage displays is to simply place a string display on
unlatch faults individually. the screen. While this is simple on the HMI end, it
These reset signals can also be individually con- requires the PLC program to cycle through the strings
ditioned this way on each rung. Faults can also be and place them into the message register, which of
used in a permissive rung to prevent actuation of an course must be of the STRING data type.
axis. Fault bits are also used to activate messages on This technique has advantages and disadvantages.
a touchscreen or human-machine On the plus side, the PLC programmer can change
interface (HMI), for instance, bit string messages dynamically. As a matter of fact, the
M More
INNOVAtIONs
INNOVAt
10.0 might bring up a message that
says, “Axis SV1.0 Failed to Extend;
Correct Fault and Press Reset.” The
programmer can give access to the user of the touch-
screen by placing links to the locations of the string
registers on a screen. This allows the messages to be
Keywords: Ladder logic, fault
detection message would be cleared when the configured without using the HMI software.
In ladder logic, faults are used to fault is corrected and the fault reset On the minus side, it is difficult to manage back-
capture abnormal circumstances within button pressed. ground or text colors using strings. The background
a prescribed period of time. There are several ways to dis- would have to have a color register assigned to it,
Faults can display many ways on a play fault messages on an HMI. which would be managed separately. ce
human-machine interface (HMI).
Most HMI software allows the user
online to make a list of faults and then call Frank Lamb is the founder of Automation Consulting
Read this story online at them by number to display in a ban- LLC, and is a member of the Control Engineering Edi-
www.controleng.com for more ner or other type of text display. torial Advisory Board. This article originally appeared
information about ladder logic.
Another option is to configure on Automation Primer’s blog in two parts. Automa-
Consider this the trigger to display the message by tion Primer is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by
How can better fault detection bit number. This also allows multiple Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering,
programming help your processes? messages to be displayed on a timed [email protected].

40 • December 2018 control engineering www.controleng.com

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