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Distributed Control Systems: TipsPLM: Embrace Complexity Semicon Packaging: Innovations

System 800xA Extended Automation The Power of Integration

Profitable collaboration. Operational excellence can only be achieved through collaboration between people and systems. ABB’s System 800xA Extended Automation platform provides the collaborative environment necessary for various organizations and departments to work as one. Utilizing System 800xA’s patented Aspect Object Technology, information is integrated from various plant systems, applications, and devices and presented as one plant-wide view enabling informed, real-time decision making. That’s the power of integration.

For more information visit www.abb.com/controlsystems

US_Adv_800xA.indd 1 2010-09-21 13.39

ENQUIRY NO. 173

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Rockwell Automation Southeast Asia Pte Ltd

Singapore Tel: +65 6510 6688 Fax: +65 6510 6699 Indonesia Tel: +6221 255 45200 Fax: +6221 255 45299 Malaysia Tel: +603 8997 6688 Fax: +603 8997 6699 Philippines Tel: +632 323 0588 Fax: +632 323 0561 Thailand Tel: +662 936 1500 Fax: +662 936 1510 Vietnam Tel: +848 6255 6400 Fax: +848 6255 6411 www. rockwellautomation.com/sea

2 industrial automation asia | June/July 2011

contentsjune/july 2011

ISSUES & INSIGHTS

20 Tips For Building A Reliable Distributed Control System Designing an optimised distributed control system is crucial for any plant or environment under its control. When planning for optimal control, there are some tips that one should follow. By Richard Chen, N-Tron

How Low-Power Solenoid Valve Technology Changes The Game

Process plants worldwide often place considerable reliance on low-power solenoid valves. A new generation of even lower-power valves is now changing the rules of the power consumption game. By Fabio Okada, Jack Haller, and Manny Arceo, ASCO Valve

32CONTROL POINT

SOFTWARE & NETWORKS

Success Is Simple – Embrace Complexity Great products depend on intelligent management of complex

configurations, processes and supply chains. By Bill Boswell, Siemens PLM Software

36

INSTRUmENTATION & mEASUREmENT

Systems DNA Simplified A plant’s automation systems impact productivity, regulatory

compliance, and safety. Each system and user interface is so complex that it can be compared to information in the DNA. By Chris Lyden, PAS

22

Case Study: Robots And MirrorsFor injection moulding, Magna Spiegelsysteme entrusts the

complex removal process to Kuka robots. By Stefanie Senft, Kuka Roboter

Architecture For Secure SCADA And Distributed Control System Networks

The capabilities of networking industrial control systems provides opportunities to improve productivity, reduce impacts on the environment, and help provide energy independence. By CK Lam, Juniper Networks

27

Managing Contracts In Aerospace & DefenceManaging Aerospace and Defence (A&D) contracts can be a

challenge but can be helped by adopting a PLM solution. By Samson Khaou, Dassault Systemes (Southeast Asia)

38

Semiconductor Packaging: Stacking The ChipsWith the semiconductor industry expecting good growth,

technologies such as 3D IC is expected to play a big part.

44

42


ENQUIRY NO. 248


SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

REGULARS8 Industry News

15 Profibus

16 CAN in Automation

18 EtherCAT Technology

19 Fieldbus Foundation

67 Products & Services

71 Calendar of Events

72A Product Enquiry Card

contentsjune/july 2011

IMPORTANT NOTICEThe circulation of this magazine is audited by bpa world wide. The advertisers’ association recommend that advertisers should place their advertisements only in audited publications.

INDuSTRIAL AuTOMATION ASIA (IAA) is published 8 issues per year by Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd 1100 Lower Delta Road #02-05 EPL Building Singapore 169206 Tel: (65) 6379 2888 • Fax: (65) 6379 2805Website: www.iaasiaonline.com Email: [email protected]

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Refer to pg

Advertisers’ for Enquiry Numbers

Industrial Automation2011

Manufacturing Expo 2011

Singapore International Water Week 2011

Hannover Messe 2011

RFID World Asia 2011

Leverage On Photovoltaic Technology Will See

Lower EmissionsThe alternative energy market is growing fast, in large part because of government assistance and the global focus on greenhouse gas reduction. By Dixon Tan, Belden Singapore

Fluid Dynamics Simulation Keeps

Aerospace Design Costs In TrimAerospace manufacturers, like most other industries, are pursuing cost-saving measures to deal with today’s economic and market realities. By Keith Hanna, Mentor Graphics EVENTS

60

ENERGy

Case Study: PC Control For Wind Turbine

ManufacturerExtreme climatic and environmental conditions result in complex demands for the control systems. By Dirk Kordtomeikel, Beckhoff Automation

48

FEATURES

Industrial Fibre Optics In Wind Energy Applications

More applications than ever are using fibre optic cabling and components as an efficient means of transferring information from point-to-point. Contributed by Alek Indra, Avago Technologies

50

An Eye For Industrial Wireless

IAA attended an event hosted by Yokogawa in which the company presented its industrial wireless solutions based on the ISA100.11a open wireless networking technology standard. By Mark Johnston

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coNTRIbUToRS Richard Chen, Chris Lyden, CK Lam, Fabio Okada

Jack Haller, Manny Arceo, Bill BoswellSamson Khaou, Stefanie Senft, Dirk Kordtomeikel

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With Singapore International Water Week fast approaching, all eyes will turn to the celebration and enrichment of our water sources and what effect this year's trends will have on our automation industry. Singapore is a country not blessed with natural resources, and so, any balance reached happens through investment and innovation. Diversification is key to the long term success of any sustainability intuitive. From the treatment of secondary effluent for the production of NEWater to desalination of seawater.

The systems and factories that carry out these processes require optimisation to run at optimal performance. Membrane treatment systems are replacing more traditional water treatment technologies, with heavy investments. With such rapid growth, the area is in need of efficient sensors, monitors and fully optimised water treatment plants. Further advances can be made, and are being made every day.

Automation is key to the smooth running of any procedure and guards against uncertainty in the environment and processes being monitored. Robotics is one example where the combination of sensors, control logic, constant optimisation and adaption happens on-the-fly. They serve our needs, from performing repetitive tasks in an automotive assembly line to performing dangerous tasks in bomb disposal or entering unsafe buildings or power plants.

Automation systems serve as our eyes and ears in places that require precise monitoring, repetitive tasks or places our eyes and ears cannot go otherwise. They contribute heavily to our understanding of science, construction and monitoring of engineering, and act as an experimental platform for the arts and humanities.

In this issue, IAA takes a look at robotics and wind energy. There is also a focus on issues relating to the aerospace industry and the usage and application of PLM, and the advantages of computer simulation in prototyping. Also, IAA's facebook page has been launched. Be sure to 'like it' and receive regular updates on the automation industry right to your newsfeed.

Mark JohnstonAssistant Editor

ENQUIRY NO. 264


Industry newsSick Opens Manufacturing Facility In Asia

Singapore: Sick Optic-Electronic, Singapore, a subsidiary of Sick AG, marks a milestone as it officially opens its manufacturing facility in Malaysia for the manufacturing of photoelectric and inductive sensors. Located just 20 km away in Johor, it serves as the manufacturing centre for all products designed in its Singapore ‘regional product centre.’ Markus Paschmann, a member of Sick executive board said: “This new facility in Asia provides a strong platform for expansion into the Asia regions. A new range of products, designed in Singapore and produced in Malaysia, has many complimentary advantages and benefits. This strategy of utilising key strengths of these two neighbouring countries clearly provides a seamless foundation for close cooperation

towards greater flexibility and cost effectiveness.” This 37,500 square ft (3,483 sq m) facility has already started production for its photoelectric and inductive products, and with many products scheduled to come on line in the near future, this facility is expected to double in size within the next few years. Thomas Bluemcke, chairman of the Malaysia factory, reflects the positive optimism of all participants when he said: “With the transfer of advanced technological know-how from the company, combined with the efficiency of local staff and economical cost structure, I am confident that this facility will contribute immensely to increase market share and secure a stable future for the Sick group in Asia.”

Jack Goh, MD, Sick Malaysia, said: “Headquartered in Germany, Sick is responding to the growing demand from Asia by having a local facility in Malaysia to facilitate closer collaboration with its customers and sales subsidiaries. And as it is staffed and managed by a local team, it is better adapted to local requirements and as such provides a closer match to customers needs. It indeed marks a fresh new chapter for Sick in Asia.” Alvin Tan, MD, Sick Optic Electronic, Singapore, added that in line with their strategy to be a strong industry player in Asia for Asian customers, this manufacturing facility together with the regional product centre, regional competence centre, sales and service centre in Singapore is another positive step in this direction.

June/July 2011 | industrial automation asia 9

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Enterprise Demand To Push Wi-Fi Equipment Market to 63 Percent Growth In Five Years

Singapore: The Wi-Fi equipment market is expected to see more than nine percent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2011 to 2016, with the enterprise segment contributing the bulk of the growth at more than 21 percent CAGR. “In volume shipment terms, the consumer segment is forecast to see more than 112 million units by 2016, representing more than 63 percent growth over 2010,” says Peter Cooney, semiconductors practice director at ABI Research. The growth rate of the Wi-Fi equipment market (which includes access points, routers, gateways, wireless controllers and NICs such as PCI adapters, PC cards and USB adapters) was slow in 2009 due to the unhealthy economy. However, the market saw strong growth in the last two quarters of 2010. Adoption of 802.11n products, including upgrades, has increased in tempo from 2010 to 2011. A major factor is the rising demand for mobile Internet access, with greater speed and bandwidth leading to the proliferation of hotspots in many countries, especially in major cities. This global trend should continue until 2015, says research associate Khin Sandi Lynn. “Netgear and D-Link have emerged as serious competitors,” she notes, “with TP-Link establishing a foothold in the consumer segment and becoming an emergent force in the Chinese market, posing a threat to market leaders such as Cisco and Aruba. Nevertheless, Cisco, the incumbent, remains an established leader in the enterprise segment.” In the consumer segment, competition will intensify and we will see greater pricing pressures for products such as USB adapters. On the other hand, greater demand for tablets, netbooks

and laptops with built-in Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth capability do not necessarily translate to higher demand for portable wireless products such as PCI and USB adapters. With the rising number of hotspots sprouting up in major cities, the demand for enterprise equipment will increase, rather than demand for consumer wireless adapters. Nonetheless, both

market segments will grow overall due to increased global demand. ABI Research’s 'Wi-Fi Equipment Market Data' provides clients with highly segmented market share and forecast data on a quarterly basis for Wi-Fi radio infrastructure devices (access points, wireless routers, and wireless residential gateways), external Wi-Fi NICs, and Wi-Fi controllers.

Industry news


Belden APAC’s Inaugural Hirschmann Mission Critical Network Design Seminar 2011

Intel & Micron Open Singapore NAND Flash Memory Operation

Singapore: To be held at Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand, from June 28 – 30, 2011, the event will have 12 breakout sessions. Participants can customise their schedule by selecting from 14 different technical sessions and six hands-on labs that will reinforce the topics covered while providing the opportunity to learn by doing. Participants will get to benefit from presenters at the seminar who will speak on technical topics ranging from isolating network traffic to implementing redundancy and network security. Each presenter will address current technology trends to designing state-of-the-art industrial networks for mission critical applications for a variety of industries including: oil & gas, petrochemical plants, transport automation for metro/subway/high-speed rail system, intelligent traffic system, wind farms, automotive plants as well as power generation and substation facilities.

Singapore: Intel Corp and Micron Technology have expanded their NAND Flash memory joint venture operations with the official opening of IM Flash Singapore. The US$3 billion facility is expected to employ about 1,200 and is currently ramping up produc t ion of the companies' 25 nm NAND Flash memory. The companies announced the opening of the 300 mm facility at a ceremony with Singapore government representatives, including prime minister Lee Hsien Loong. "In just five short years, Intel and Micron have successfully collaborated to become the industry's NAND Flash leader," said Steve Appleton, Micron chairman and CEO. "The opening of IM Flash Singapore marks another significant milestone in our partnership and complements Micron's Singapore operations that serve as our company's Asian hub." "The Intel-Micron partnership has been highly successful in developing innovative NAND Flash technology," said Dave Baglee, Intel VP and director of NAND Manufacturing and Operations. He continued: "The IM Flash joint venture has been able to create tremendous momentum and industry leading manufacturing capabilities. We look forward to adding IM Flash Singapore to our global manufacturing network." IM Flash has ramped up production of 25 nm NAND Flash memory at the Singapore facility since mid-2010. The facility is expected to be at full production levels later in 2011. "IM Flash Singapore was able to start up very successfully with its first wafer out a month ahead of schedule and with matching quality. This enabled an early shipment release to both Intel and Micron," said Chen Kok Sing, IM Flash Singapore MD.

ABB Acquires Mincom To Expand Enterprise Software Business Zurich, Switzerland: ABB has agreed to acquire Mincom to broaden its software portfolio in Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software and services. The company is acquiring the Brisbane, Australia-based company from Francisco Partners, a private equity group that invests in technology businesses, for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals. Mincom brings expertise and experience in a range of industries, and a set of solutions for applications such as EAM, mining operations and mobile workforce management. Mincom has nearly 1,000 employees and annual revenues of approximately US$200 million. With a distribution network in 19 countries, the company is a strong software player in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions, with customers

including 17 of the top 20 global mining groups, as well as businesses in the energy sector, defense and other asset-intensive industries. “The acquisition of Mincom is part of our strategy to continuously broaden our software offering, “ said Joe Hogan, CEO of ABB. “Mincom helps us to increase the depth of our enterprise asset management offering, building our position as a strong player in the key growth sectors of natural resources and energy. For our customers this means extending the life of their infrastructure, optimising asset management and reducing the overall cost of ownership.” To ensure continuity for customers, ABB will retain the Mincom management team and its operations will be added to Ventyx, ABB’s dedicated software business.

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Industry news


The Automation Federation And The American Small Manufacturers Coalition Sign Memorandum Of Membership

Marine Well Containment Company Opens Headquarters

North Carolina, US: The Automation Federation (AF) announced that, in March, the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC) signed a memorandum of membership, becoming one of the newest members of AF. AF is an association of member organisations providing awareness, programs and services that continually advance all facets of the automation profession. AF serves as the ‘voice of automation’ by providing advocacy and industry-wide strategic analysis and coordination through its member organisations. ASMC is a trade association of manufacturing extension agents working to improve the innovation and productivity of the US’s manufacturing

Houston, US: Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) announced that it has opened its headquarters in Houston. The offices house the day-to-day business operations as well as a dedicated emergency response centre in the event MWCC is called to respond to a deepwater well control incident in the US Gulf of Mexico. “Being strategically headquartered in Houston means that MWCC can immediately respond to a well control incident in the US Gulf of Mexico,” said Marty Massey, CEO, MWCC. He continued: “MWCC’s emergency response centre would play an important role in supporting the unified command in the event of an incident.” MWCC maintains it s interim containment system in a continuous state of readiness. The company holds

regular emergency response training and drills involving its 10 member companies and continuously evaluates equipment as technology evolves and members’ needs expand. Existing resources from MWCC member companies also could be rapidly mobilised to help augment the company’s existing response capabilities. In June 2010, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell committed to develop a containment response system for delivery in 2012 designed to operate in 10,000 feet of water and process up to 100,000 barrels of fluid and 200 million cubic feet per day of gas. An interim response system, available now, has been configured through a contribution of equipment from BP and through the pledge of mutual aid from the current MWCC member companies.

community. The goal of ASMC is to keep small US manufacturing competitive in a global economy. AF and ASMC have worked together in support of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), which has assisted manufacturers around the US. AF anticipates an increase in this work with MEP as a result of ASMC’s becoming a member of AF. AF and ASMC will be working together to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education (STEM) and the Automation Competency Model to improve the general public’s awareness of automation and technology, and to help small manufacturers around the country remain competitive.

Nelson Ninin, 2011 chair of the Automation Federation, said: “I am pleased that our initial collaborations with the American Small Manufacturers Coalition have led to ASMC becoming a member of AF. We look forward to working with the ASMC members in each state to promote the importance of automation for the future of small manufacturing.” Carrie Hines, ASMC executive director, stated: “I have seen the work the AF has put forth to promote the automation profession in Washington, DC and the respect that AF has achieved with Congress and NIST. I am pleased that ASMC is a member of such a respected organisation.”

Industry news


WirelessHART Achieves Global AcceptanceAust in , US: WirelessHART, an evolutionary communication technology built on the solid foundation of the HART Communication Protocol, is achieving global acceptance among end users and suppliers throughout the process automation industry. The technology has earned international standard status (IEC 62591Ed. 1.0, EN 62591) and has proven its ability to fulfill users’ requirements for simple, reliable and secure wireless communication in thousands of applications working in concert with millions of installed HART devices and systems worldwide.

“Enhancing the proven HART P r o to c o l to i n c l u d e w i r e l e s s communication capabilities greatly shortened the time required for industry acceptance,” says Ron Helson, executive director, HART Communication Foundation. “ W i r e l e s s H A R T b y d e s i g n provides the same familiar ease of use and complements the HART instrumentation already installed in users’ plants. Its secure backward compatibility, interoperability and reliability make it easy for both users and suppliers to support wired and wireless devices connected to the same automation systems, operating side-by-side and using the same tools.” Wil Chin, research director, ARC Advisory Group comments: “After

an auspicious start, WirelessHART has crossed the ‘chasm’ and is entering the ‘early majority’ phase of the technology adoption curve. The thousands of sites that have validated the value and performance of WirelessHART in pilot programs will accelerate its adoption in mainstream applications and drive healthy growth for the foreseeable future.” The technology standard supports star, point-to-point and/or mesh topologies and requires no specialised tools or expertise for deployment. The technology is easy to implement, provides built-in reliability in all industrial environments, and employs 128-bit AES encryption, mult i -tiered, always-on security to protect the network and the data being transferred at all times.

Sensors That Can Stretch

Würzburg, Germany: Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg have now developed sensors that can be integrated into the car seat, for example, where they detect not only if the seat is occupied but the position of the occupant as well. “The sensor films can measure stretch, as well as pressure,” says Dr Holger Böse, scientific and technical manager of the ISC’s Centre Smart Materials. “They are made of a highly stretchable elastomeric film, coated on both sides

with flexible electrodes. Whenever the sensor is stretched by changes in the shape of the seat, the sensor’s thickness and, as a result, its electrical capacitance also change, which we can measure,” Dr Böse adds. In contrast to conventional, rather inelastic strain gauge strips, the new dielectric elastomeric sensors can stretch by up to 100 percent in extreme cases – in other words, they can be drawn out to twice their size. Depending on the field in which the smart materials are applied, it might be necessary to coat the elastomer film with multiple electrode pairs. This is the case, for example, when measuring the distribution of body pressure to determine a person’s posture in a seat. Each pair of electrodes serves, in effect, as an independent sensor, measuring the local strain. “This is how we can say precisely where and to what degree the pressure has changed,” explains Dr Böse. In making the sensors, the researchers choose the material that best meets the specific requirements of each application. The elastomer film consists of a polymer in which the individual molecules are chemically bonded with one another. The better the network of molecules, the sturdier the material – similar to how a fine-mesh fishing net is stronger than one with a larger mesh. The degree of bonding in the polymer can be controlled by the scientists. “If the sensor is being used to measure high pressures, we produce a sturdier elastomer film as substrate; for measuring lower pressures, we use more pliant films,” says Böse. These sensors have numerous applications. For instance, they can be used to measure the pressure of gases. To do this, the elastomer film is stretched like a membrane across a ring. If gas exerts pressure on the sensor membrane, it deforms – which is detected by the sensor. Pressure sensors are also useful in safety technology: If someone enters an area too close to a hazardous machine, sensors embedded in the floor can detect this and set off a warning. These intelligent materials could even be integrated into clothing: Here, they might be used to analyse sequences of movement, thereby helping athletes to optimise their training. Because they are so flexible, sensors that are part of clothing are hardly noticeable at all.

Industry news


Endress+Hauser Conducta Rated Company With Best Customer Focus

Germany: Profound knowledge of markets and customers, implementing the marketing concept across all divisions, and consistent market orientation has earned the company the ‘Best Marketing Company Award’. Out of a total of 560 candidates in three categories, the liquid analysis specialists achieved the best result.

The award was first given in 2007, and rates companies, which are the best and most successful in focusing on the market, for instance when market information shapes strategic alignment and management decisions. In the 2011 rating, the company was well in the lead in the ‘major enterprises’ category (250 employees and more): the subsidiary Endress+Conducta of Gerlingen, Germany, received the trophy ahead of Henkel and Triumph-Adler. One of the cornerstones of the company’s success is “the close contact with customers in all-industrial sectors where the company’s products are in use,” it says in the report. “Regular meetings and workshops are held to discuss important joint developments. The results f low directly into product development.” A good example, the report says, is the successful market launch of the Liquiline transmitter platform. It will be capable of acquiring as many as

eight different measuring parameters in parallel and so helps to reduce complexity to a substantial degree. “The ‘Best Marketing Company Award’ confirms our market-focused strategy,” says Dr Manfred Jagiella, MD, Endress+Hauser Conducta. He continued: “For us, marketing has two aspects: first, making in-depth market analyses with the aim of clearly focusing our innovations towards market requirements. And, secondly, to present the advantages and benefits of our technically sophisticated products to our customers in a clear and transparent way.” The award is not decided by a jury. Instead, it is determined by the chair of innovative brand management at the University of Bremen based on a scientific model. Using 18 indicators with 64 variables, the department analyses and evaluates the orientation, implementation and the effect of marketing in a total of 560 companies and organisations. With a total of 564 points, the subsidiary of Swiss-based Endress+Hauser Group also achieved the best result across all categories.

Vestas Receives Orders From China Denmark: Vestas has initiated cooperation with a new Chinese customer, Inner Mongolia Guibang Shengtai Investment (GSI). The customer has placed a firm and unconditional order for 49 MW for a project in Huitengxile, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR), China, consisting of Vestas’ V80 turbines. In addition to this, both parties have also signed a frame agreement of another 250 MW of wind energy projects to be developed in the coming years. GSI is a privately owned company, whose business scope is focused on investment activities within the financial and industrial sector, and recently it has expanded its scope to include activities in the energy sector. Vestas has been chosen as GSI’s partner in its first endeavours into the wind energy business and the frame agreement indicates GSI’s ambitions within wind energy and their confidence in Vestas’ solutions. Jens Tommerup, president of Vestas China says: “I am very pleased to be able to announce yet another new customer and valued partner for Vestas in China, and I am encouraged by GSI’s confidence in our people, technologies and services.” He continues: “We have very strong capabilities of delivering the type of services that are critical to ensuring the profitability of wind energy projects, such as wind resource mapping, and this is exactly what new entrants are looking for. We will of course work very closely with GSI to ensure their success with wind energy.”

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Green Light For The World's Most Modern Train

Berlin/Potsdam, Germany: Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Siemens have signed the multi-billion euro contract for construction of up to 300 new long-distance trainsets. The chairman of the management board and CEO of Deutsche Bahn, Dr Rüdiger Grube, and Peter Löscher, CEO of Siemens, signed the contract. DB will immediately order 130 trainsets from the framework order agreement valid until 2030. An order of an additional 90 trainsets is planned. The potential order volume for the 220 trainsets totals some €6 billion (US$8.4 billion) DB can order the remaining 80 trainsets at any time. "This i s a good day for the Germany economy. The trainsets, from their body shells through their final assembly, will be made entirely in Germany. This order will safeguard thousands of jobs, including many in the mid-sized supplier industry," explained the Federal minis ter of Transport, Building and Urban Development, Dr Peter Ramsauer. The chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bahn, Professor Utz-Hellmuth Felcht, said: "We are

a result, the trains can be adapted to the volume of passengers and level of performance required. In addition, the platform concept ensures considerably lower maintenance and service costs. There will be two ICx variants. The first is a seven-part multiple-unit train with three driven power cars. It reaches a top speed of 230 km/h per hour and has 499 seats. This trainset will be used primarily in what is currently the IC network. Relatively few of the route sections in this network can be driven at over 200 km/h, meaning this top speed is fully sufficient. The second variant is a 10-part multiple-unit train with up to five power cars and 724 seats. It has a top speed of 249 km/h. These ICx trainsets can therefore replace the ICE 1 and ICE 2 fleet presently operating at a usual speed of 250 km/h. In terms of running technology, all ICx trainsets are able to run at 249 km/h. The existing fleet of ICE 3 trains is available for speeds of over 250 km/h. Each of the two ICx variants includes a fully equipped on-board restaurant with either 17 or 23 seats, as well as a bistro with a standing area. In addition, the trains have a family compartment and eight reservation-only bicycle storage slots. One focal point of the contract was specification of quality criteria. For the first time in Europe, two ICx trainsets will be put through 14 months of trial operation, 12 of those in passenger service, before series production begins.

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ensuring sustainable and successful further development of the company through the procurement of the new ICx trainsets." Dr Grube commented: "With the ICx, we are laying the cornerstone for the long-distance transportation of the future and setting new standards in terms of reliability, environmental compatibility and comfort. The rail system will benefit as a result. Our customers in particular can look forward to riding on the most modern trains in the world." The ICx will form the backbone of DB's long-distance transportation system in the future. However, i t a l so incorporates t r ied -and p r o v e n c o m p o n e n t s a l r e a d y succes s fu l l y u sed in a s sor ted fitting and equipment variants in other train series around the world. Despite technical standardisation of the vehicles themselves, the ICx provides a high level of flexibility for assembling up to 24 different train configurations. This is made possible by ‘power cars’, train cars equipped with all the components that drive units have. As

Industry updates

2011 Seminar Singapore

Accelerated Growth Of PROFINET And PROFIsafe

T h e P R O F I B U S / P R O F I N E T A s s o c i a t i o n S o u t h e a s t A s i a conducted i ts next seminar in Singapore. The event took place at the Petrofac Training Centre on Jurong Island, Singapore. A total of 60 participants joined to hear the latest news and updates on PROFIBUS and PROFINET technologies. Jurong Island is the home of many companies that are mostly involved in the petrochemical industry. For this reason, one of the associations main topics was process safety us ing F ie ldbus techno logy, a critical component for all these applications. The seminar was supported by Siemens, Pepper l + Fuchs, E n d r e s s + H a u s e r , P h o e n i x Contact, Leoni, Vipa and VEGA. These companies provided l ive demonstrations to showcase their products and solut ions at the micro fair. The seminar was spread in three parts: news and market updates with the latest number on installed nodes with PROFIBUS/PROFINET Technology; a PROFIBUS block with presentations on Installations and best practices as well as process safety; and a PROFINET block with presentations on industrial Ethernet solutions as well as the new features available in the automation market such as redundancy, shared devices and many more. The seminar was also hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 31, 2011, with the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand to follow.

In 2010 nearly twice as many PROFINET devices were installed as in the previous year. The numbers of PROFIBUS and PROFIsafe devices have also increased significantly over the previous year. This further extends the market leadership of the PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) with respect to PROFINET, PROFIsafe, and PROFIBUS. With 900,000 devices added in 2010, PROFINET has now reached an installed base of three million. PI is very pleased about this trend, which confirms that its decision to develop PROFINET for a wide range of applications was correct. “The completion of the ‘PROFINET for Process Automation’ profile is an important step towards a uniform communication concept for the process and manufacturing industries,” explained Joerg Freitag (PI Chairman). He continued: “The path has now been cleared for PROFINET in process automation, and this opens up many new prospects in this sector. We expect a further significant rise in the number of installed PROFINET nodes over the next few years.” The installed base of PROFIBUS devices increased by 4.2 million in 2010 to a total of 35.6 million. Considering the accelerated growth of PROFINET, this amount is very impressive and proves that user confidence in PROFIBUS remains very high. Of the total number of installed devices, six million have been added to process automation plants. As a result, PROFIBUS is taking on an important role in process automation, as well. With 300,000 PROFIsafe nodes installed in 2010, significantly more devices were sold than in the previous year (2009: 220,000). The installed base of PROFIsafe devices is now 1.15 million.

At the general members assembly of PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) Germany held on April 4, 2011, in conjunction with the Hanover Fair, Prof Dr Frithjof Klasen was elected to the board of the directors. Prof Dr Klasen replaces founding chairman Prof Dr Klaus Bender, who retired in 2009 and did not run for re-election due to age reasons. The board of directors is now made up of Joerg Freitag (chairman, Siemens AG), Klaus-Peter Lindner (Endress + Hauser Process Solutions), and Prof Dr Frithjof Klasen (AIT). Prof Klasen has served as director of the Institute for Automation & Industrial IT (AIT), Cologne University of Applied Sciences, since 2003. An expert on PROFINET technology, he has held an excellent reputation for many years. In addition, Prof Klasen has a great deal of experience in the field of industrial security. The AIT he directs, has been an active member of PI Germany since 1997 and an accredited PROFINET competence centre since July 2009. Prof Klasen has excellent industry contacts and has implemented numerous industrial automation projects both domestically and abroad.

ENQUIRY NO. 4103

ENQUIRY NO. 4101

Prof Klasen Joins The Board Of Directors Of PI Germany

ENQUIRY NO. 4102

15 industrial automation asia | June/July 2011 June/July 2011 | industrial automation asia 15

Newsdesk

16 industrial automation asia | May 2009

Newsdesk


In the CANopen test centre in Seligenstadt, Germany, more than 100 CANopen devices are waiting for a PLC implementing SoMachine V3.0 based on Codesys IEC 61131-compliant software version 3.4. They are connected to a 100 m CAN network running at 500 kbit/s and have been tested already with all PLCs manufactured by Schneider Electric. When the network scan is done, the PLC sends CANopen restore commands to all connected nodes. All devices by the company (developed in-house or brand-labelled) must be CANopen conformance tested and certified by CiA. “This procedure is not only mandatory for CANopen products, we do this also for other communication technologies – with other network consortia, of course,” explained Günther Wenzel, responsible for the test centre. The test engineers are under time pressure: The PLCs featuring SoMachine version 3.0 and CANopen connectivity should be released soon. Delays should not happen. “But interoperability between CANopen devices across the company needs to be provided,” said Heinz Schaffner, who is the CANopen interface owner in Schneider Electric. In order to have sufficient time for the interoperability tests, the engineers in the test centre have already proved the device specification before the

development starts. In order to make it as easy as possible for the device designers, the experts have written recommendations for the CAN physical layer as well as guidelines for the CANopen application layer and profile implementations.

T h e G e r m a n t e s t - t e a m also accompanies the entire development process, and inter feres whenever inter -operability or conformance problems are detected. Conformance to the CANopen specifications is nice, but not

Why A

Is Not

Sufficient

Simple Test

More than 100 devices are connectable to the CANopen test environment in Schneider Electric’s test centre in Germany; this includes several PLCs, motion-controllers, I/O modules, and sensors.

May 2009 | industrial automation asia 17June/July 2011 | industrial automation asia 17

sufficient. Conformance testing is like spell checking, it does not imply that the reader understands the text. On the other hand, understanding the text does not imply that the words are spelled correctly and the grammar is okay. This means interoperability tests are necessary.

Products From Around The WorldThe enterprise with around 7 , 5 0 0 R & D e n g i n e e r s i n Europe, North America, Far East, Australia and India, also develops products and solutions for industrial automation. More than 100 CANopen product families have passed the test laboratory successfully. Soon to be available products are already integrated in the test racks. An example is the modular I/O device family, which feature a shorter internal delay time asthe predecessors. Unusual compared with other network interfaces, the implementations are not realised with the modules by HMS. In some products, there are interface modules from the Swedish supplier used, which just provide the CAN transceiver chip. The controller and the micro-controller running the CANopen software are implemented in the product itself. The protocol stack comes usually from IXXAT. The ‘standardisation’ of suppliers reduces on the one hand the freedom of the devices designers, but improves on the other hand the interoperability of products developed in different parts of the world. B e s i d e s t h e C A N o p e n application layer testing, Mr Wenzel’s team stresses the Dev ices -Under -Tes t (DUT) physically, meaning they go to the theoretical limits of the CAN communication regarding the network length at given data-rates

(eg: 500 kbit/s, 250 kbit/s, and 125 kbit/s) and the maximal length of not terminated stub-cables. All the necessary cabling is pre-installed in the test-system. Another stress test is the increase of busload.

More Than Interoperability TestingThe test centre is not only responsible for the conformity and interoperability of CANopen devices offered by the enterprise headquartered in France. It also evaluates the configuration tools and other software products. In particular, the company’s CANopen experts check the Codesys implementation and the embedded FDT/DTM frame. They check if the software products support all relevant CANopen functions implemented in the company’s products. If not, they report this to the in-house or external suppliers. An example would be when the tested embedded DTM configuration tool does not support PDO inhibit time and synchronous transmission of PDOs. “This is our duty,” said Mr Wenzel. He continued: “We are responsible that our customers can use all functions and benefit from the best-in-class devices, which our colleagues have developed.” The PLCs to be released soon with the new firmware also provide FDT/DTM support. The company has developed the CANopen annex of the FDT specification. “FDT support for CANopen is a strategic decision in Schneider,” explained Manfred Brill. He continued: “We have already started to develop FDT 2.0.” The CANopen annex of FDT 2.0 is also under review and will be enhanced, when needed (eg: CANopen parameter specified in CiA 302). The next generation of software tools is close to be released. As the SoMove drive’s and motion

controller’s configuration tool, the SoMachine tool running on the PLCs with SoMachine 3.0 will support FDT/DTM. This tool hides the CANopen details to the user. The tool itself does the configuration, for example, PDO configuration and enabling the analogue inputs of CiA 401 compatible I/O devices. Of course, there is also an expert mode, in which the user has access to the CANopen dictionary level.

Never-Ending Story“In one year, we test about 10 new devices,” said Heinz Schaffner. He continued: “Of course, in the beginning it was more, but it is a never-ending story, due to software updates of already tested devices.” After the CANopen expert group within the company has released guidelines for the physical layer implementation including cabling, the number of detected problems has decreased dramatically. However, some dev ices submitted for testing these days work properly only at first glace. But under stress, this sometimes looks different. “That is why we test any devices 24 hours with a bus-load of 50 percent in average,” said Mr Wenzel. When he enters the laboratory early in the morning, he checks the records of the 24-hours testing. If a DUT is tested the first time, it is not unusual that it looses data or the data is internally corrupted. Then the device is sent back to the developers with a failure report. “We do not want that our customers test the devices. That is why we spend so much effort in the conformance and interoperability testing,” said Dr Ronald Schoop, CEO, Schneider Electric Automation (Germany).

ENQUIRY NO. 4104

EthErCAt Technology Group held an Industrial Ethernet seminar series in India, France, Italy and the UK. The seminars addressed both users and implementers of EtherCAT technology. Some of the events also included an Industrial Ethernet comparison, which can be downloaded from the EtherCAT website.

EtherCAT Booths At Automation World And SIAFT h e E t h e r C AT b o o t h s a t Automation World in Soul, Korea and SIAF in Guangzhou, China were well attended. Bin Fan, ETG representative in China, said: “The trade show went very well for us – we had a significant increase in contacts. Visitors are aware of the EtherCAT technology and are actively looking for our booth. Several co-exhibitors showed their EtherCAT products, and we demonstrated the capabilities of the network.”

Safety-Over-EtherCAT Development Package For VendorsSafety-relevant functionality is in big demand, but can be difficult to implement for users. With Safety-over-EtherCAT (SoE), not only does the technology itself help with the implementation, but so do several suppliers. A ‘care-free package’ to develop solutions is now available for automation system vendors. Suppliers complement the SoE with a convenient package: At a press conference held by the ETG, Dieter Hess, MD of 3S-Smart Software Solutions, announced the support of the CoDeSys Safety editors for this decentralised safety controller. As a result, CoDeSys customers can enhance their control systems with functional safety without having to develop

and certify their own safety controller. 3S-Smart Software Solutions will also implement SoE in the company’s own safety control package. Christian Schlegel, MD, IXXAT, announced the SoE protocol stacks for master and slave devices. IXXAT not only offers the protocol software itself, but also supports its customers with implementing and certifying their SoE devices.

Sample Code For Drives Simplifies DevelopmentIn order to provide ideal support to drive vendors within the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG), the EtherCAT Slave Sample Code (SSC) now includes the CANopen drive profile according to the ETG implementation guideline. With this update, the sample code becomes even simpler for drive vendors to utilise EtherCAT. The common code basis leads to unified interfaces and simplified setup, especially considering that the drive parameters have also been integrated into the EtherCAT conformance test tool.

The EtherCAT specifications cover not only the ‘How’ to commu-nicate, but also the ‘What’: Device profiles define the functionality and their parameters as well as the content and formatting of the process data. IEC 61800-7 specifies the drive profiles that EtherCAT uses: part 201 of the standard is the CANopen drive profile CiA402, while part 204 is the SErial Real-time COmmunication System (SERCOS) drive profile. The implementation guideline of the ETG for CiA 402 selects the cyclic synchronous communication modes among the various drive operation modes: they are not only the ones with the best performance, but also have the fewest parameters and provide the simplest interface as a result. The EtherCAT conformance test tool has covered these operation modes for some time. The new development is their implementation in the sample code for slave devices, which is shipping with the EtherCAT slave evaluation kits.

Successful ETG Seminar Series

ENQUIRY NO. 4105

18 industrial automation asia | Dec 2010/Jan 201118 industrial automation asia | June/July 2011

Fieldbus Foundation

Delivers More Information

ENQUIRY NO. 4106

The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the latest progresson its Wireless and Remote I/O (WIO) technology, including a suite of solutions to assist automation suppliers in deve-loping WIO devices. WIO will enable the utilisation of an open, interoperable fieldbus automat ion in f ras t r ucture incorporating both Foundation fieldbus High Speed Ethernet (HSE) and industrial wireless applications. WIO Development The WIO development is part of the Fieldbus Foundation’s continuing initiative to design and deploy an infrastructure that will accommodate evolving wireless standards inclusive of WirelessHART and ISA100.11a. The foundation’s WIO gateway provides an interface to both technologies and uses Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL) and function blocks to provide interoperability with the other WIO gateways. WIO continues to broaden the automation infrastructure capabi l i t ies of Foundation t e c h n o l o g y b y p ro v i d i n g interoperable gateways for wired and wireless HSE devices. Wi t h i n t h e F o u n d a t i o n fieldbus automation architec-ture, H1 (31.25 kbit/s) and HSE (100 Mbit/s) provide a distributed function block capability with HSE serving as a larger pipeline with increased speed and throughput based on industry standard Ethernet technology. WIO technology expands these

capabilities by establishing open, non-proprietary specifications for a wired HSE backhaul network, a wireless HSE backhaul inte-grating various wireless gateways, and an interface to wireless field device networks. Tools and resources now avai-lable to support the development of WIO devices include:

hSe WIO Specification: Defines a series of interoperable gateways to bring control I /O (both analogue and discrete) back to plant automation systems over an international standard, high-speed network.

hSe Interoperability Test Kit (hSe ITK): Tests the functionality of an HSE device and its conformance with the Foundation fieldbus function block and transducer block specifications. The HSE ITK’s test cases have been updated to Device ITK Profile 6.0 and now supports the VC++ 2008 (v9) standard. The test kit also employs an intuitive user interface and updated HSE test function device application. The WIO Solution The WIO solution encompasses the existing HSE-RIO specification, allowing industrial plants to access high data requirement devices directly in the fieldbus host system via HSE. Utilising gateways functioning much like a smart remote terminal unit (RTU), it brings all forms of conventional I/O into the native fieldbus environment easily. This solution makes discrete-in, discrete-

out, analogue-in, analogue-out and Foundation H1 available over a common Ethernet network. At a WIO Validation Team meeting in November 2010 at the Fieldbus Foundation’s facility in Austin, Texas, the first WIO gateway interconnecting WirelessHART devices to a wireless backhaul network was successfully tested. The WirelessHART process parameters were mapped into transducer blocks in the gateway according to the specification, and communicated over the wireless backhaul network using the HSE protocol. As part of the proof of concept testing for WIO, the foundation’s HSE ITK system successfully tested the WIO gateway over a 300 Mbit/s wireless Wi-Fi backhaul network. Laboratory prototypes of WIO gateways from several automation suppliers are currently under test.

The Next Step The next steps in the WIO program include final validation of the wired HART and WirelessHART interface specifications. This development will give automation suppliers the opportunity to develop full WIO gateways initially running on a wired HSE backhaul. At the same time, the Wire-less Sensor Interface Team and Fieldbus Foundation/ISA Cooperation teams will work to finalise the first draft of the wireless backhaul specifications and address key requirements such as security.



issues & insights

One of the reasons why organisations choose to i mple me nt D i s t r ibu te d

Control Systems (DCS) is that network uptime is maximised by eliminating single-points-of-failure. To eliminate these single points, network designers and project engineers must plan system topologies carefully and consider only components that are ideally suited for the application. Here are some tips to consider when planning your DCS project.

Performance VariablesPower supply ava i labi l i t y, component grounding and network switch configuration are a few of the important variables that can affect the performance of an Ethernet-based topology.

Giving special consideration to design techniques, such as port-by-port addressing of network switches, can significantly reduce the time required to replace field devices by eliminating the need for maintenance personnel to manually input IP addresses.

Choosing Network MediaChoosing the appropriate network media is essential to a successful DCS design. This decision affects expected data rates and even how much electrostatic, induction or radio frequency interference the network can tolerate.

I t a l so deter m ine s t he vulnerability of the system in case of high-voltage pulse events such as lightning strikes.

Copper MediaCopper cable media should be restricted to indoor, low noise areas with lengths running less than 100 m. Four twisted pair CAT5, CAT5e, or CAT6 should be used for 10/100/1,000 Mbs Ethernet networks. In most industrial installations – or in high noise areas such as AC drive, welding, and robotics applications – shielded CAT 5e cable should always be used.

Design a layout that prevents excessive pulling and tying of media. Twisted cables tend to unwind when pulled too much

and outer casings can be damaged from exaggerated wrapping. For maximum reliability, install twisted pair cables in separate IT wiring trays and avoid running them parallel to high-voltage lines. Also, plan to test cable performance after installation. Isolating any problems at this point can save a lot of trouble-shooting headaches later in the process.

Fibre Optic MediaFibre optic media should be used in installations requiring runs over 100 m, areas of high electrical noise, and any time electric isolation is required. Multimode fibre optic cable can be used in cable runs up to 2 km at 10/100 Mbs; at 1,000 Mbs the maximum cable length will be between 330 m and 500 m depending on the cable specification (50/125 micron cable = 500 m, 65/125 micron cable= 330 m). Single mode fibre optic cables can be used for Ethernet networks with communication rates of 10/100/1,000 Mbs, which requires cable runs up to 80 km.

Optical isolation using fibre

Streaming IT Solutions Factories

A Reliable Distributed Control System

BuildingTips For

Designing an optimised distributed control system is crucial for any plant or environment under its control. When planning for optimal control, there are some tips that one should follow. By Richard Chen, marketing manager, Asia-Pacific Region, N-Tron

Marin Myftiu, Tirana, Albania


optic cables should be used in larger networks. This will prevent voltage pulses – caused by lightning or other unplanned disturbances – from damaging the entire network by providing optical breaks in the copper network topology. Fibre optic cabling should be placed by fibre professionals since it has properties which make it a trickier installation.

Power SuppliesEliminating single-points of failure makes the use of redundant systems an important design element of your master topology plan. One of the most common components in the arrangement will be power supplies for all network resources.

Let us look at an example of how power supplies are used in the topology. In this illustration, we look at how power in supplied for network switches. In a redundant configuration, network switches are typically powered through diode-blocked redundant power inputs from two redundant power supplies. This is necessary because most power supplies have very low Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) rates

when compared to the MTBF of an industrial Ethernet switch.

There are generally two scenarios when configuring switch power. When the network is not required during a utility power outage, two 24 VDC power supplies are used in a redundant configuration.

In some applications the network must operate during utility outages. These applications require a battery backup configuration using one 24 VDC power supply and one 12 VDC battery with battery charger connected. The power supply will provide current through blocking diodes during normal operation.

The battery will supply current to the switch whenever the voltage from the power supply drops below 12 VDC. Most industrial Ethernet switches accept input power in a range from 10 - 30 VDC, and automatically use the higher power input. So in this scenario, the switch will normally use the primary 24 VDC power input and automatically switch to the secondary lower voltage 12 VDC input in the event of a 24 VDC power interruption.

Working With Network SwitchesChoosing the right network switch for the DCS is critical. If an industrial Ethernet switch malfunctions in any way, then the control system is compromised. For this reason, the network switch should have the highest MTBF possible. The MTBF of the network switch should be higher than that of the connected field devices and should have environmental specifications that exceed those of the field devices connected to it.

MTBF ratings are often a key difference between commercial switches and industrial switches. Relatively low MTBF components such as cooling fans are commonly used in commercial switches, but should be avoided in industrial applications.

Industrial DCS networks have many demands beyond those of traditional business networks. With careful design, planning, and the use of industrial-rated components, Industrial Ethernet provides harsh environments with a cost effective, high performance and reliable network solution.

ENQUIRY NO. 4201


issues & insights

Systems DNASimplified

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A plant’s automation systems impact productivity, regulatory compliance, and safety. Each system and user interface is so complex that it can be compared to information in the DNA. By Chris Lyden, president, PAS

Unlike natural organisms, automation systems evolve daily and a change in the ‘DNA’

of one automation system can often have a significant impact to other systems to which it is integrated. The uses automation Genome is used to refer to the collective configurations within and among all automation systems in a plant. The automation genome of today’s plants is a complex mix of disparate systems, measurements, and applications, which often interact in unique ways. As the interconnectivity between systems, the number of integrated measurements, and the number of applications all increase, the

automation genome of the plant becomes incredibly complex. Mapping and managing changes to this complexity becomes nearly impossible without assistance. Recognising this problem, a solution was developed to map the automation genome of plants – including Distributed Control Systems (DCSs), Programmable

Logic Controllers (PLCs), Historians, Instrument Databases, Advanced Process Control Systems (APC), Safety Instrumented Systems (SISs), and Automation IT assets. In doing so, it enables configuration management and system documentation within and between over 50 automation systems.

June/July 2011 | industrial automation asia 23May-2011-CtrlEngAd.indd 1 5/11/2011 1:41:55 PM

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The framework enables the user to aggregate and contextualise data, as well as capture and archive explicit knowledge from plant information sources. With this framework, the sof tware’s asset hierarchy organises data from the individual automation systems into a more manageable structure while allowing the user to drill down into increasing levels of detail. By mapping con f ig u re d interconnections between auto-mation systems, the software enables users to understand the complex interdependencies between them through a graphical depiction. In service of continual production improvement, auto-mation systems are modified almost continuously. This presents a challenge in terms of tracking, reporting on, and validating the multitude of changes made to them daily. Automated management of change workflow processes is possible, allowing which allows users to propose, approve, track, and display modifications across the automation systems. Configuration changes are highlighted and time stamped for auditing purposes. Errors, such as mismatched connections between controllers and I/O, are automatically detected. Due to DCS migration, automatic documentation of systems, and the retention and recall of practica user knowledge, information would otherwise be lost due to the aging workforce.

DCS MigrationStudies have shown that modern plants have as much as 25 times as many points of measurement as they did before the advent of the modern DCS. Each time that a price or technology breakthrough occurs with measurement technologies, more points are added to the plant. Adding points of measurement

is often justified by the use of additional applications that improve production. This trend is likely to intensify as wireless instrumentation, lower-cost sensors, field device networks, and service oriented architectures gain acceptance in the process industries. According to the ARC Advisory Group, US$65 billion of DCSs globally are nearing the end of their useful life, and as such require replacement. Due to the increase in measurements and applications, the replacement systems tend to be larger than their predecessors and are more likely to be integrated with other sub-systems. Therefore, the need to manage these interoperable systems is even more crucial than ever before. Very often, the configuration and the integration among systems is poorly documented. Manual

validation is typically performed during the migration project to identify configuration mismatches and ensure that all of the legacy system’s data is transferred to the system. This is a time consuming task due to the large amount of data involved and the troubleshooting that must be performed when an error is found. The system configuration can be validated through the use of control maps, management of change, and defect finder f u n c t i o n a l i t i e s , e n s u r i n g that important configuration information contained in the legacy DCS is not lost. As an integral part of any migration strategy, the software package maps the configuration from legacy systems to modern DCSs for a variety of vendors,


issues & insights

including Invensys, Honeywell, ABB, Emerson, and Yokogawa. The example in figure 1 shows a medium-sized automation system (~4000 hard-wired I/O) based upon a DCS that replaced an older system. This upgrade added over 30 workstations and servers together with a complex, multilevel network architecture and several third party device interfaces. While certainly more flexible and capable than the system it replaced, the complexity of this new system is dramatically greater as well.

A Safety Imperative As automation systems become la rger and more complex , maintaining up-to-date system documentation is imperative for safe and profitable operations. Along with their increasing complexity, daily changes made to the configuration of plant automation make it nearly impossible for plant employees to keep track of the state of their systems. Not fully understanding the interdependencies of a plant’s automation systems can be costly. With turnaround times being

extended in many process industry plants, personnel are often required to test interlocks online to maintain the required safety integrity level. In this example, plant employees were testing interlocks in a SIS. The procedure called for them to bypass the output of the SIS so that when they activated the safety logic, it would not actually trip the plant. However, they were unaware of operator start-up assistance logic in the DCS that was designed to sense when that specific interlock tripped in the SIS. The start-up assistance logic then put all the controllers on the unit in manual and set all the valve outputs at zero, as if a real interlock trip had occurred. This oversight shut the unit down and caused a major flaring event, which resulted in lost production and regulatory fines. The plant had no documentation of this interaction between the DCS and SIS, and therefore was reliant upon the control system engineers to remember that this start-up assistance logic existed. The reality is that many a u t o m a t i o n s y s t e m s a r e interoperable, so changes made

to any one may affect the other systems it is connected to. Each vendor provides the ability to map the configuration within its own system; however, none are able to cross the boundaries into other vendor’s systems. The software package not only maps the configuration within individual systems, but also crosses the boundaries between systems to provide the full signal genealogy. In the example above, if the engineers had access to the software, they would have been aware of the operator start-up logic in the DCS prior to their SIL test, and averted this costly incident. This example is proof that proper management of automation configuration is an important aspect of safety and compliance.

Retaining Ageing Workforce KnowledgeA significant challenge facing the process industries today is the loss of knowledge resulting from the retirement of experienced plant personnel who as they retire, take with them a lifetime of practical knowledge gained through their experiences. One US re f iner recent ly reported losing 2 ,500 man-years of operator experience through retirement at a single site in a single year. A similar problem exists when plants are commissioned and the engineers who built them hand over the plant to new personnel. To ensure that the practical knowledge of experienced workers is not lost, it must be captured, made accessible, and presented in context with the current task and situation so that others may benefit from it in the future. The software package addresses this problem by capturing, archiving, and presenting practical knowledge in the context of the current operational situation. It has the ability to derive

Figure 1: New DCS Configuration


Emerson ad (full page)

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issues & insights

situational context from the automation system, and provide only appropriate information to the user. For example, an operator may need to start a pump. By right-clicking on the pump in the DCS operating graphic, menu options will appear providing access to such items as archived emails concerning that specific pump and the plant Wiki, where others have shared practical information about it. In plants today, a tremendous amount of practical knowledge is exchanged via email. For example, an operator and a rotating equipment engineer may have an email dialogue concerning the above pump. Only those two individuals are privy to that dialogue even though this information may be valuable to others. Furthermore, if those indi-viduals were to retire, that email and the associated dialogue would normally be lost. The software package provides the ability to tag emails and archive them in its database, from which they may be presented in context in the manner described above. The software also provides a plant Wiki capability to facilitate the capture, archive, and recall of practical knowledge. Like email capture, user knowledge entered into the Wiki is archived and available for retrieval in context. As with a ll Wik i’s, information should be vetted by knowledgeable individuals be fore commit ted to f ina l archive. In addition to emails and the Wiki, appropriate documents, such as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), maintenance histories, manufacturer’s pump curves, and material safety datasheets, may also be included in the software’s database for retrieval. Only those documents relevant

to the specific piece of equipment or the task being performed are ‘pushed’ to the user. Older automation systems are ageing and are being replaced by larger, more complex, and more highly integrated systems. The complexity and the ever-c ha n g i n g nat u re o f t he se newer automation systems is nearly impossible to manage without assistance, yet proper management of the configurations of plant automation systems is a safety related issue. Additionally, the process industr ies are losing many e x p e r i e n c e d i n d i v i d u a l s who embody a generation of practical knowledge. A solution for capturing, archiving, and recalling practical knowledge in context, and thus preserving it for future use, is essential for safe and profitable operations.

A North American petrochemical plant

was performing a migration of a very old

Westinghouse DCS to a new DCS. The

native documentation capability of the

Westinghouse system was very limited

and extracting configuration information

required a high degree of system knowledge

combined with sophisticated database

manipulation skills.

This plant had only one engineer with

the ability to understand and extract the

needed information and put it into a useable

format for import into the new DCS.

Unfortunately, he went in for surgery

and passed away suddenly over a weekend,

leaving the plant without that critical skill set.

The project team turned to the new DCS

vendor who surprisingly could not supply

that skill set. This caused significant delays

and added cost to the project.

In today’s process plants, most people do not consider safety and

environmental incidents to be related to documentation of automation

systems. A major US Gulf Coast petrochemical facility was performing a

hot cutover of a new interlock system.

As part of that procedure, they needed to update the ranges on several

DCS transmitters to match the new interlock system transmitters, so

that different ranges on the same measurement point would not confuse

the operators. Most of the DCS transmitters provided indication only

measurements.

However, there was one transmitter that was configured to a controller.

Due to poor documentation of the control system, the individual performing

the work did not realise that configuration link existed. When he made

the range change, it caused a compressor to trip, which in-turn caused a

significant unit upset and an environmental compliance excursion.

In this world of zero tolerance for environmental excursions, lack of

access to up-to-date control system documentation can be costly.

ENQUIRY NO. 4202 ENQUIRY NO. 4204

ENQUIRY NO. 4203

Gaps In Control System Documentation

The Cost Of Lost Knowledge


Mic

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Architecturefor Secure SCADA and Distributed Control

System Networks

The capabilities of networking industrial control systems provides opportunities to improve productivity, reduce impacts on the environment, and help provide energy independence. By CK Lam, enterprise solutions manager, APAC, Juniper Networks

Systems controlling critical infrastructure for generating, transmitting, distributing,

storing, and utilising energy as well as for processes in manufacturing are no longer isolated. The drive towards networked industrial control systems is due to several factors.

Integration of geographically distr ibuted assets through centralised control improves agility in responding to supply and demand fluctuations, reduces cost of operations and enables process efficiencies unachievable in the past. For substations and pump-houses located in remote regions, network-based access reduces

operational costs by enabling remote monitoring, debugging and maintenance.

The ability to perform data gather ing and audit- report generation from headquarters is central to keeping overhead costs of regulatory requirements in check. A fundamental need in many industries including power and Oil and Natural Gas (ONG) industries is for instantaneous access to current operational data.

This could be the specific gravity of oil flowing in the pipeline at any instant or the amount of power being generated by a hydroelectric power plant. Access to such data in real time enables energy brokers

to trade commodities based on the latest production numbers and can save billions of dollars for utilities and ONGs.

Electric utilities are also required to provide real-time generation data to Independent Service Operators (ISOs) and other market entities. Many industries are also gravitating towards reducing the cost of physical security using IPTV and Voice over IP (VoIP) to remotely monitor premises.

Industrial control systems were created as independent islands of networked devices. Over the past 10 years, such control networks have been adapted to provide access to and from corporate networks.

While the mantra of ‘from the


issues & insights

shop-floor to the boardroom’ has created opportunities for process efficiencies and reduced overall costs, many industrial control system networks are now vulnerable to Internet-based threats. Remote access for employees, contractors and vendors is increasingly becoming the norm for industrial control system network management, further exposing these systems to Internet-based exploits.

Industrial control devices are designed with significant consideration for hardening aga inst env ironmenta l and physical threats. They are also designed with extensive forensics for physical parameters. However, since these devices were originally created to be deployed in non-networked environments, they have inadequate security protection against Internet-based threats and few cyber-related forensics.

Industrial control system dev ices typica l ly use non-hardened networking stacks, common operating systems (DOS, Windows NT/2000, and Linux) and applications that are seldom patched after their initial deployment. As a result, such systems can easily fall prey to viruses, worms, and trojans.

It is important to realise the distinction between safety and security. While machines are built with several fail-safes to ensure safety, these fail-safes are designed against circumstances that have realistic probabilities of occurrence under normal operation.

A cyber attack can skew the probabilities severely or mislead

the operator into taking inappropriate actions by presenting false information. Such an attack can cause failures in areas that may never have been construed as practical issues.

Securing Control NetworksTo address the security needs of control networks, it

is essential to begin with a layered defence-in-depth approach that enables administrators to monitor the network at every level. Primary concerns for a control system network manager include:

• Assuringtheintegrityofthedata• Securingremoteaccess• Validating and authenticating

every device and user on the control system network

A systematic approach to security begins with reducing the vulnerable surface of the industrial control system network. The first step is the creation of control system-specific policies that detail; which devices, what protocols and which applications may run on the network, who has access to these devices and from where, and what are the types of operations a user (or a role) is allowed to perform.

The next step is to identify the appropriate locations to implement the policy. This could be through the appropriate configuration of controls on devices already present on the network, and by adding various network elements.

Such network elements are required to create a security perimeter, provide additional enforcement points and segment the network for fault containment. The third step is to monitor the implementation of the policy to ensure these controls are effective, locate any violations and then feedback into the policy any corrections based on observed network behaviour.

Security is a continuous process that requires diligent monitoring,

reviewing and adjusting to be effective. The following sections explain each of these steps and discuss existing technologies that can be used for securing typical control networks.

Policy CreationPolicy creation begins with identifying assets that need protection and the requisite level of protection. On a control system network these are real-time servers, data historians, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) systems, Remote Terminal Units (RTUs), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), field devices, and peripherals such as printers and network switches.

The primary vector of most concern is the compromise of communication that can alter the operation of field devices. In order to gain a foothold behind a firewall, attackers typically target non-essential appliances that are most vulnerable. Hence any network-enabled device on the control network must be considered critical for security.

Since most servers on the control network run standard operating systems and applications, they must be guarded against common cyber threats. Such threats include intentional as well as unintentional Denial of Service (DoS) attacks through packet floods, irregular packets, protocol anomalies, buffer overflows, worms, trojans, and spyware.

The policy must also ensure that malicious persons cannot easily tamper with controls they are not authorised to access. The probability of such incidents can be reduced significantly by ensuring access is restricted by user role.

I n o r d e r t o c r e a t e a comprehensive policy, the network administrator (typically a role performed by a control systems engineer) needs a tool that can collate information from all subnets. Since a majority of the PLCs are vulnerable to active scans from tools like Nessus, passive scanning

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Security is always a top priority


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and identification is the only viable option to discover and identify all devices seen on the network.

Through rule-based policies, an administrator can create policies tailored to the type of devices being protected on a particular subnet or VLAN. Such tailored policies improve efficiency while reducing the number of events an administrator has to address.

Policy EnforcementEstablishment of a security perimeter, layered defence-in-depth, segmentation, authentication and authorisation are essential components of an effective security policy. Industrial control system networks often lend themselves to segmentation by function.

The industrial control system network must be segmented to isolate it from other less secure plant or substation networks, the corporate network, and other less

secure networks, individual control centres, regional control centres, and possibly remote stations.

Firewalls must be deployed to enforce a mutually untrusting policy at these subnet perimeters. Segmentation using subnets and firewalls helps in limiting the extent of damage caused by any cyber event.

A firewall alone, however, is not sufficient, as has been shown by actual events and laboratory demonstrations. In order to protect applications, application-aware network devices must be deployed. Since each application represents an attack vector, disallowing non-essential applications such as point-to-point, instant messaging, and video streaming improves the security posture of the industrial control system network.

S u c h a p p l i c a t i o n l e v e l restrictions also require network enforcement elements that are

application aware. Further, as applications and protocols become port agnostic, application-aware deep inspection devices complement and augment the firewall’s ability to allow only permissible traffic.

A prerequisite to enforcing an access policy on an industrial control system is to have mechanisms for authentication and authorisation. These mechanisms must verify a user’s identity, provide access to devices based on that user’s role and privilege level, and log all access attempts in order to audit any infringement.

Most control system field devices such as RTUs and PLCs fall short on most of these basic security requirements. Industrial control system protocols such as OPC, MODBUS, and DNP cu r rent ly have ver y we a k authentication mechanisms. Further, such systems seldom

Hollysys (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd.200 Pandan Loop, #08-01,

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issues & insights

provide adequate administration capabilities including granularity w i t h r o l e - b a s e d a c c e s s (identifying specific users).

A user has access to perform all operations with no restrictions once authenticated. Due to limited memory, most control devices do not keep or maintain logs of cyber events. This lack of logging has prevented actual cyber incidents from being analysed and also keep electric utilities from meeting several of the NERC CIP logging and event monitoring requirements.

The policy must provision methods for secure remote access, and role-based access to assets and operations. An important requirement for incident forensics as well as regulatory compliance is the ability to establish the identity of users who made changes to the control systems. Knowing that it was the user named ‘supervisor’ or ‘shift operator’ is not sufficient.

Perimeter SecurityGiven the need to access control networks from the corporate network or in some cases from the Internet, it is essential to create a strong defence perimeter. A perimeter firewall must create at least three security zones – a secure zone for the control system network elements, a DeMilitarised Zone (DMZ), and an insecure zone.

Even if all access to the control network is through the corporate

network, the perimeter firewall must treat the corporate network as insecure and have a mutually non-trusting policy. The DMZ contains secure access authentication devices, workstations, and servers that are accessible from the insecure network.

Any device in the secure zone should be accessible only through one of the DMZ devices. By ensuring that the devices in DMZ are properly protected and continuously monitored, a control network administrator can significantly reduce the probability of a network-based attack.

As previously mentioned, it is key that the perimeter device not only provides security zones and flow-based firewalls, it must also be aware of protocols and applications it is protecting.

Identity Management And Rogue Device MitigationThe most likely vector for an intrusion in a control system network is unintentional though inappropriate use. An employee or contractor may plug in his laptop to perform routine tasks without realising that it has picked up a worm or spyware.

The worm may then start scanning the control system network, and cause outages on devices such as PLCs due to unexpected traffic. This scenario is even more likely with the proliferation of wireless access points. Control over access points through authentication of every user and device is essential to ensure security within the perimeter.

One of the primary concerns in augmenting control system networks is to ensure there are minimal devices inline that may reduce the availability of the network.

Remote AccessRemote access is enabled for several reasons: a plant operator/engineer may remotely monitor equipment status, an ISO may need to collect current production data, or a vendor may have to diagnose and fix operational problems. In

order to minimise the probability of unintentional misuse or tampering, users should be limited only to functions for which they are authorised.

For example, a vendor logging in to update a patch must not be able to run any control system commands. If a contractor’s laptop contains spyware, or his antivirus is not up to date, that contractor should not be allowed access to the control system network.

MonitoringOnce access policies are defined, firewalls, switches and intrusion prevent ion dev ices act a s enforcement points as well as monitoring stations for flagging any policy violation.

For example, a point-to-point connection initiated to/from the control system network, or an IRC command being sent to a machine designated as a real-time data collection server could automatically trigger an alert and notify the control system network administrator of these policy violations.

ConclusionProtection of control system networks is essential for maintaining or improving the reliability of the nation’s critical infrastructure. This includes power and energy industries, water, chemical plants, manufacturing facilities, and transportation.

It is no secret that the cyber security measures in place for most of these control system networks are inadequate. This has resulted in intentional and unintentional cyber incidents. Cyber events, such as unintentional denial of service attacks have caused loss of property and life.

As control system networks are expanded to use the latest networking technologies for improving operations such as the Smart Grid, it is essential to keep in step with the appropriate security methodologies and technologies that ensure continued reliability.

ENQUIRY NO. 4205

Cur

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Thor

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, US

Establishing a security perimeter is one way to protect your data

ENQUIRY NO. 223


control point

The first class of truly reliable mid power (5-10 watts) solenoid valves was introduced in the 1960s. Many valves of this type are still used

today, in less power-sensitive applications. But over succeeding decades, as electronic controls began spreading throughout the process plant, users and manufacturers realised the benefits of decreasing power consumption.

The first truly low-power solenoid valves were intrinsically safe designs debuting in the mid-1980s. They actually reduced power draw to about 0.5 watt – like today’s most advanced models. However, they were difficult to manufacture, featured low flow and low-pressure ratings.

At this point, users had a choice of mid power valves or Intrinsically Safe (IS) valves. The IS valves, although operating at 0.5 watts, required costly IS safety barriers in the installation.

Some end users realised that they could use IS valves in non IS applications at a greater power

consumption of 1.5 watts. This offered them a power reduction compared to mid power valves, but they still faced limitations on flow and pressure.

By about 1995, the performance level was improved by the introduction of a higher flow, higher pressure rating cartridge type valve that delivered acceptable performance at around a 1.5 watt rating.

Efforts toward even greater efficiency and energy conservation – plus the popularity of bus networks and backup power schemes – have increased downward pressure on the power curve. Designs are again approaching the magic 0.5 watt mark, with the newest generation of low-power solenoid valves rated at 0.5 to 0.75 watt. However, not all low-powered valves are created equal.

The Trouble With IntegrationMany OEM designers and end users have gravitated toward so-called ‘integrated’ solutions that feature

Process plants worldwide often place considerable reliance on low-power solenoid valves. A new generation of even lower-power valves is now changing the rules of the power consumption game. By Fabio Okada, director of marketing, ASCO Valve, Jack Haller, engineering manager electronics & magnetics, ASCO Valve, and Manny Arceo, principal engineer, ASCO Valve

How Low-Power Solenoid Valve Technology Changes The Game


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a low-power solenoid valve built into a position indicator as a single unit. This offers a cleaner package and eliminates the need to source the indicator and valve separately. Unfortunately, integrated solutions suffer some glaring disadvantages.

First, their ‘black box’ nature makes them difficult to stock, troubleshoot, and maintain. If performance lags or fails, it is often not apparent which component is at fault, or how repairs or adjustments should be made.

In fact, maintenance staff may simply discard the entire package and buy a whole new unit at the first sign of trouble. This adds obvious expense compared to troubleshooting and replacing a single component.

Designers or users forced to use integrated products must discuss the valve component with the vendor. Was it a buy-out item? From which manufacturer? What tests were conducted to ensure that the product would not fail in the field? What is the recommended maintenance schedule? What are its orifice size, pressure rating, reliability record, and other critical characteristics? How do these match the intended application?

Clogging And Other Sticky QuestionsOEMs and users alike report that integrated solutions—and in fact some non-integrated, separately available valves—may also suffer from other reliability issues. A chief worry: clogging.

Most valves designed around a 1.5 watt or higher power rating easily comply with the ANSI/ISA 7.0.01 1996 quality standard for instrument air. This calls for clean, dry air or inert gas filtered to a particle size of 40 µm.

However, many newer solenoid valves designed for lower power achieve this partially by limiting orifice size. Unfortunately, the smaller the orifice, the greater the chance of operational difficulty or failure due to the entrance of foreign matter into the valve.

Most models try to compensate via more complex filtration. Instead of the standard 40 µm variety, they utilise nonstandard five or 10 µm filtration. These special filters demand more complex air line installation. They add substantially to system cost, and increase operating expense due to more frequent maintenance – and shutdowns. Yet all this cannot guarantee that their smaller orifices would not still encounter clogging over the course of time.


control point

Clogging – or any other issue that threatens long-term reliability – represents a serious threat to solenoid valve users. In many industries, the larger process valves that these small pilot valves control may remain in the same position (open or closed) for days, weeks, or even months. Yet when required, the valves must operate with unfailing reliability. If not, the consequences could be serious for process integrity, plant investment, or personnel safety.

Basically, redesigning any valve to use less power can mean a series of tradeoffs, with at least a minimal ‘performance hit.’ Here these tradeoffs may involve decreases in factors such as orifice size and maximum allowable pressure. (For instance, buyers should confirm that a valve has a pressure rating high enough to avoid the need for add-on pressure regulators.)

However, in valves, designed with generous parameters from the start, performance decreases are negligible. And lower power consumption means less heat, for longer life of coils and power supplies – which also means less strain on associated equipment. Since product life cycles may roughly double with every 10 deg C decrease in operating temperature, these advantages add greater dependability.

Point-To-Point SavingsTraditional point-to-point wiring schemes often incur greater expenses for a valve’s installation (labour, cables and conduits, fittings, connectors, I/O, and plant real estate) than for the valve itself. Solenoid valves configured around the emerging half-watt standard can reduce these installation costs.

Their lower current draw eliminates the need for additional power isolation relays. They permit the use of smaller, less expensive wiring gauges. They also allow the use of downsized, less costly power supplies.

In addition, power is a limiting factor in how many valves may be driven off a single PLC or DCS output card. Using valves that require only 0.5 watt to replace models drawing 1.5 watt, 1.8 watt, or more can double or triple each card’s valve carrying capacity. Result: fewer output cards needed. So

planners save on card purchase costs – as well as on the costs of associated power supplies and/or batteries.

The Advantages Of Taking The BusPlants considering retrofits or new construction can take advantage of the automation benefits of bus networks to find even greater utility in new low-power valves.

In an older point-to-point arrangement using valves with conventional power limits, a single valve plus installation and equipment might cost US$2,400. By contrast, experience shows that the latest low-powered valves arranged on an optimised DeviceNet or ASI bus can cut materials and labour costs alone by close to 50 percent. So that figure of US$2,400 per valve and accessories would shrink to US$1,200 instead.

Greater efficiency and ‘fit’ can also be achieved. For DeviceNet, ASI, and other bus network applications in which input and output devices are powered directly from the network, low-power valves may require only a third the current of their predecessors.

So replacing older 1.5-watt-plus valves on a DeviceNet bus with models at around 0.5 watts can allow users to ‘fit’ more valves. This maximises the number of input and output devices on each bus segment, while making the most of the limited current credit available.

Savings And Future FlexibilityFor both point-to-point and bus-based configurations, the new low-power solenoid valves offer economies in everything from PLCs, DCSs, and other control devices to the use of easier, less expensive, smaller-gauge wiring.

Yet they are available at the same price as the previous low-power generation. And even more savings accrue due to smaller plant footprints. Finally, planners gain the flexibility of being able to add, subtract, or otherwise reconfigure devices and wiring whenever necessary.

Remote PossibilitiesThe valves also present fresh opportunities for process control systems in remote locations. Examples include oil pipelines and remote gas extraction stations. There, planners must choose every device with an eye to minimising power usage. Low-powered solenoid valves are an ideal fit.

Designers of remote installations can choose from different savings paths. The lower power drain of the valves can allow the system to be specified with a smaller battery bank. Alternatively, designers may hold batteries to the same size, but rely on decreased

Lower current draw eliminates the need for additional power isolation relays. They permit the use of smaller, less expensive wiring gauges. They also allow the use of downsized, less costly power supplies.


power consumption to optimise the system for longer operation without sunlight.

Planners must also consider environmental needs. For instance, when the local temperature range includes extreme cold, standard low-power valves may require heat tracing or protection. This necessitates added power plus a larger, more costly battery/charging system. Instead, site designers should specify available low-power models rated for -40 deg C.

Some less remote sites actually on the grid may still deploy backup power arrangements (generators or batteries). These locations include pharmaceutical lines and critical petrochemical lines where the loss of costly consumables, feed stocks, or in-process materials due to line interruption would be especially serious. The latest low-power solenoid valves help ensure less drain on these backups.

Finally, the advent of SCADA systems has enabled monitoring of distant locations via remote terminal units. These communicate back to the production office, saving time and money – and eliminating what once was routine onsite maintenance calls.

There Is Safety In StandardsIndustrial standards constantly evolve. Engineers who specify critical equipment for process plants must acquire and apply knowledge of all relevant standards, both current and future.

For instance, process industries worldwide are fast adopting the newer Safety Integrity Level (SIL) requirements described in documents such as IEC 62061:2005 and IEC 61508. SILs provide uniform gauges of risk factors so that designers may rationally allocate equipment purchase costs.

The higher the SIL number (from SIL-1 up through SIL-4), the better a device’s safety performance, and the safer the system or the safety control loop. Specifically, a higher SIL indicates a lower probability of safety function failure on demand.

Not all manufacturers rate their solenoid valves higher than SIL-2. Knowledgeable designers and users may seek out the exceptions, where a SIL-3-level-capable valve best suits their critical application.

Even manufacturers that offer SIL-3-capable valves can lack other standards. For instance, European makers may not offer certification to US standards such as UL or FM. Designers and users should ensure that all necessary standards such as ATEX, IECEx, FM, CSA, and UL have been met for any valves on their approved product lists.

High-Performance Low-Power SolutionsAs mentioned previously, the newest low-power models from several manufacturers have approached

igus Singapore Pte [email protected]

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CF140.ULCF130.UL

2011_01_07_Low cost CF130.UL/CF140.UL_Layout 1 21.01.11 11:02 Se

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the magic 0.5 watt mark.Such valves represent a comprehensive

reengineering of design, supply chain, and manufacturing elements from previous low-power lines, decreasing their ratings from 1.4 watt to 0.55 watt. Valves in this class may be externally identical to their predecessors. However, they incorporate internal improvements including tighter tolerances, greater efficiencies, and other mechanical and magnetic optimisations.

ConclusionChoosing low-power solenoid valves for process industry applications presents several challenges. Designers and users must carefully consider such issues as orifice size and clogging potential, pressure rating and other physical characteristics, bus compatibility, backup power needs, and relevant industry standards before selecting the right valve for the given process industry task.

Fortunately, the newest generation of valves offers candidates that combine low power with reliable performance to suit more applications than ever before.

ENQUIRY NO. 4301


software & Networks

Great products depend on intelligent management of complex configurations, processes and supply chains. By Bill Boswell, senior director, teamcenter marketing Siemens PLM Software N

iels

Tim

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, Har

en, N

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s

Success Is Simple– Embrace Complexity

Some people might ca l l me cheap. I prefer to think of myself as a long-term

consumer. Either way, I tend to keep the cars I buy for a long time. On-star vehicle diagnostics, in-vehicle navigation, Sirius XM satellite radio, safety systems, traction control, remote start, fuel economy engine modes, and with my mobile phone, combined with ever-evolving mechanical functionality, create millions of possible option combination in just one vehicle. Of course, these options and variants all depend on where you are in the world. There are millions of different buildable combinations and perhaps trillions of theoretical combinations. And that is just ‘the outside.’ Now think about the dozens of computers and millions of lines of software in today’s vehicles. Embracing Complexity With PLM Best PracticesSo, what is a manufacturer to do with all this complexity? Embrace it! Manufacturers around the world are using Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software to create an infrastructure to manage

product and process complexity. The rapid expansion of software in vehicles is creating a problem with dealerships when it is time to replace or repair Electronic Control Units (ECUs) that has a software issue. Using PLM, a vehicle manufacturer can now trace the ECUs to an individual customer’s vehicle by the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and do things like track every software component by vehicle program, series and variant of those programs. As a result, ECUs can usually be reprogrammed rather than replaced if there is a problem in the field, helping Ford to avoid more than US$100 million worth of module replacements over a three-year period. When implementing PLM to address complexity, there are certain practices that can maximise the effectiveness of this technology:

• PLM system as a single source of product knowledge for data and processes across domains

To serve as a single source of knowledge, the PLM system must support all relevant product data (mechanical CAD data, ECAD data,

software components and so on). With all of this information in one place – the PLM system – all product team members know where to find the information they need. And having a shared view of the overall product helps breaks down the walls between groups, and guides each domain in implementing its part of the product.

• UsePLMtocommunicateandmanage product requirements across domains

To day ’s comple x pro duc t requirements must cover intelligent mechatronics features, which often include the use of electronics and software as differentiators in the marketplace. These features often result in added electronics, increased embedded software, and smart manufacturing processes, resulting in requirements that must be communicated and managed. PLM provides product teams with visibility into each requirement, as well as the knowledge behind it. In addition, by supporting cross-domain systems definition, PLM makes it possible to understand how key characteristics (such as performance, maintainability


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and ergonomics) are affected by given requirements. In addition, it enables the traceability of requirements all the way to the product’s implementation.

• Use PLM for dependencym a n a g e m e n t a c r o s s mechanical hardware and software components

The advanced functionality in many of today’s products comes from embedded software and electronics. Although it is less expensive to innovate this way (compared to adding new mechanical components), the growing role of software is challenging many manufacturers. Every bit of embedded software must be proven to function correctly, as well as to work flawlessly with the computers, wiring, sensors, actuators and other electro-mechanical content in every product configuration. Using a PLM system to manage embedded software is a way of capturing the complex interdependencies between software, computers, product configurations and other hardware that come together in each product configuration. By managing software as it would a mechanical ‘part’, the PLM system makes it possible to quickly view and manage these dependencies.

• UseaPLMsystem to includesuppliers, partners, and vendors directly in your processes

The complexity of the design chain has been a topic of conversation for years, ever since companies started outsourcing more of their product development work and setting up their own operations in other countries. PLM’s value here is that it constitutes a single, virtual, integrated system that allows

m a nu fac t u re r s to i nc lu de suppliers, vendors, and partners d i re c t ly i n t he i r pro duc t development processes. This has definite advantages for managing complexity, including the creation of a complete product definition that incorporates supplier data as part of the BOM. In addition, vendor management capabilities

within a PLM system can keep t rack o f per t inent vendor information including environ-m e n t a l c o m p l i a n c e d a t a . With PLM’s ability to manage all of these factors, today’s manufacturing companies need not fear product complexity.

ENQUIRY NO. 4401


software & Networks

Managing Contracts In Aerospace & Defence

Managing Aerospace and Defence (A&D) contracts can be a challenge but can be helped by adopting a PLM solution. By Samson Khaou, GM, Dassault Systemes (Southeast Asia).

Mic

helle

W, S

t A

nn, J

amai

ca

A push for more cost-effective components has enabled Asian countries to surface as strong

resources for local sourcing and engineering projects. Regardless of location or project, A&D companies face the same challenges – just at different levels of complexity. Issues such as finding skilled staff, adding production infrastructure quickly while ensuring quality has kept OEMs and suppliers concerned. Supply chain bottlenecks in the new global marketplace continue to frustrate these companies. M a n a g i n g mu l t i - m i l l io n dollar contracts in the industry is difficult because of a lack of adequate visibility into the contract specifics. Thousands of data sources residing on standalone systems dispersed globally create a chaotic environment of inefficient and complex business processes

that lack integration and accuracy. Without an integrated solution that delivers a ‘single version of the truth,’ A&D companies face project delays, cost overruns, regulatory compliance headaches, and loss of profitability. Faced with increased scrutiny by the public and their own governments, A&D companies can meet these challenges by adopting a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution that encompasses contracts management. This solut ion enables a shared understanding across organisational boundaries by delivering a single version of the truth. The integrated capabilities available through the solution enhance compliance and mitigate risk, leading to increased profitability. PLM works effectively with Contract Lifecycle Management

(CLM) strategies. Incorporating contract management provides a m e a n s f o r p e r f o r m i n g day-to - day execution of the development, certification, and production of complex, leading edge and regulated products. By safeguarding all the contract a r t i f a c t s a n d s u p p o r t i n g documents, PLM creates a manageable solution for contract administrators.

A&D Industry Contract ChallengesIn 2005, it was reported that a US jet fighter took 14 years to build, from contractor start to initial operational deployment. Long development lead times are only one of the hurdles that that the A&D companies must overcome when managing a contract. A&D programs include some of the most intricate, detailed


p ro j e c t s e v e r d e v e l o p e d . Technolog ica l complex it ies and a global manufacturing environment play distinct roles in the program management and execution challenges these companies face. Extended lead times and globally dispersed manufacturing sites, combined with outdated and inefficient business processes, all affect time to market, cost goals, and contract adherence. Effectively managing a contract with a l l these var iables is becoming even more complex as the new A&D manufacturing supply chain model evolves into a global, major systems model. With more contract wins in extended regions of the globe, A&D companies will require better program performance to offset manufacturing delivery delays. Changing roles is adding to the complexity facing A&D companies. Every day A&D companies must learn to collaborate on one program with a partner that may be a current or future competitor on another program. The size and length of these contracts requires companies to understand clearly, who is a supplier, a partner, or a competitor – and when that title applies. Successful A&D manufacturers and integrators must be as innovative in their business processes as they are about the aircraft they are designing and building. Relying on standalone proprietary legacy systems is outmoded. One of the many aspects of a program is the contracts that drive it. The details in contracts are one type of requirement (along with product and regulatory requirements) that must be met for successful program completion. Today many A&D companies s t r u g g le b e c au se o f p o or visibility into contract terms and conditions by the program

team members. Fragmented procedures with information stored on standalone systems have created communication silos that fail to connect deliverables, and the people that generate them, to requirements. I nadequate systems for capturing data and updating

the information routinely exist in many A&D sites. Knowledge loss is prevalent because when employees exit over the course of a contract, their program knowledge leaves with them. Wit hout a ce nt ra l data repositor y to capture the contract knowledge and ‘flow

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software & Networks

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Managing large amounts of information can be made easier with PLM

PLM works effectively with CLM strategies. Incorporating contract management in PLM

provides a means for performing day-to-day execution of the development, certification,

and production of complex, leading edge and regulated products.

The PLM approach safeguards all the contract artifacts and supporting documents,

creating a manageable solution for contract administrators. Users find they can manage

the deliverables against a contract over the life of the program because PLM enables

cross-organisational communication.

As a business integration solution, PLM provides the visibility, access, and

supporting data for the contracted products. This integration into one enterprise activity

increases predictability and reliability by identifying the requirements for satisfying the

contract sooner.

By integrating the program execution tools during the product lifecycle, PLM serves

as a positive force for profitability over the life of the contract. Improved performance

occurs when users integrate CLM capabilities with PLM and the entire team can share

the changing contract details from a secure, single, accurate database. With PLM,

contract management personnel can:

• Ensurepredictabilitybystandardisingbusinessprocessesglobally

• Empoweremployeesandsupplierstoaccessaccuratedataforunfettered

crossorganisation communication and collaboration

• Meetdelivery,regulatory,andcostgoalsthroughunhamperedvisibilityintothe

contract status

• Replaceconsumer-basedsoftwaretoolswithrobustoptions

• Accuratelytrackphysicalitemsfromconcepttodelivery(traceability)

• Decomposecontractandprojectdata

• LeverageandprotectcorporateIntellectualProperty(IP)

Users can access the full spectrum of product and business processes – from small

scale teams to extended enterprises with thousands of users globally. An expanded

PLMapproachenablescontractadministratorstointegrateContractLineItems(CLIN),

WorkBreakdownStructures(WBS),relatedprogramschedules(tasksforexecuting

WBS),andworkproduct(reports,data,BillOfMaterials[BOM],etc).

down’ modifications quickly and accurately, employees maintain personal record keeping systems. These personal systems are subjective, anecdotal, and inject more chaos into the system because the information only reflects that individual’s specific concerns.

Integrating Contracts Management With PLM

• Scope and Complexity

The customer and the contractor

must agree to contract requirements

that reflect what the industry can

achieve realistically

• Change Management

The contractor must adopt change

rapidly and cascade those changes

quickly and effectively throughout

the organisation and supply chain

• Uniform Business Practices

For conformance across the

enterprise, product data must

link to various quality standards,

manufacturing specif ications,

documenta t ion necess i t i es ,

materials sourcing, and so on,

require a link to product data

• IP Security and Export Control

The national security nature of

manyA&Dcontractsrequirestight

security specifications

• Narrow Customer Base

The majority of customers are

government defense/aerospace

agencies and airlines

• Limited Number of Qualified

Vendors

Very few companies globally can

take the financial risk, absorb the

liability, and produce the product

or service required

Unique Characteristics Associated With A&D Contracts


ENQUIRY NO. 4402

The answer to the fragmented communication concerns is not to hire more people; the answer is to improve communication and collaboration by enabling all users to access a central, consolidated ‘single version of the truth.’ With a ‘single version of the truth’ approach, A&D companies can access accurate, real time data related to contract specifics such as terms, condit ions, deliverables, schedules, test requirements, and so on. Contract managers working from reliable, real-time, up-to-date information can use that content to improve demand planning and program management. Better decision-making capabilities improve performance, customer satisfaction, and profitability.

Managing Contracts More Reliably With PLMSuccessful execution of an A&D program means managing volumes of information to meet all contractual obligations efficiently. Programs succeed or fail on their ability to communicate very reliably with all the team members over long periods. A solution is required that both integrates all of the critical data and program information into one consistent whole to make it more understandable and provides a permanent reference and program ‘memory’ to inform new team members. PLM is a business process strategy that enables a shared understanding by delivering the ‘single version of the truth,’ regardless of location. It extends beyond the ‘traditional’ design engineering scope and integrates all the functions associated with operating a program, eg: legal, program management, purchasing, and finance. By integ rat ing the data from contracts with the other relevant data from the program, EN

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PLM can provide the visibility necessary to manage a contract effectively. The result is the ability to aggregate a ll the product, regulatory, and contract requirements necessary to reliably and efficiently complete programs. It integrates the execution tools in the program, enabling

creat ion, te st product ion, delivery, and support of the products and services detailed in the contract. The integrated capabilities enhance compliance and mitigate risk, leading to increased profitability.


instrumentation & measurement

Mirrors

For injection moulding, Magna Spiegelsysteme entrusts the complex removal process to Kuka robots. By Stefanie Senft, Kuka Roboter

AndRobots Case Study:

At Magna Spiegelsysteme, everything revolves around mirrors. Located in the tranquil

village of Assamstadt in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the company produces interior and exterior mirrors for the premium manufacturers of the German automotive industry. A total of 14 million plastic parts leave the plant every year. The complex removal process for the plastic mirror housings is entrusted to the robots that are designed for this process. Magna Spiegelsysteme in Assamstadt belongs to Magna

Mirror Systems, a subsidiary of the global automotive supplier Magna International. The range of products developed and manufactured by Magna Mirror Systems includes interior and exterior mirror systems, electrochromic glass, actuators, camera vision systems and door handle systems. The company has relied on robots for demolding and packaging operations: shelf-mounted robots are adapted to the removal process with their optimised reach, weight and acceleration. Degrees of freedom – the top argument for the jointed-arm robot

removal, weighing, cutting and packaging – this is the complicated constellation of tasks to be handled after the injection molding of a mirror housing. The decision-makers in injection molding had the idea of using jointed-arm robots for the complex removal operation. Previously, the parts were demolded in twos or fours using a linear robot and set down on a conveyor system. The automation solution gives more degrees of freedom than conventional handling equipment. “That is a big advantage, especially when switching products,” says Ralf-


ENQUIRY NO. 4501

Peter Hericke, head of injection molding. “The onl ine monitor ing, the weighing check, and the possibility of implementing any reworking of the parts within the creation process itself – all this is accomplished by the robots,” says Gerhard Leutwein, process engineer in injection molding.

Solution For Complex ProcessesFor the production of a mirror housing, plastic granulate is first melted in the screw chamber of the injection molding machines and injected into a closed mold. The product must then cool in the mold. The ejectors move the part into the removal position, at which point the robot comes into play: equipped with a removal gripper the robot demolds the product, moves it out of the machine area, cuts off the various sprues and sets the mirror housings down in pairs on the scales. After the weight check, defective parts are separated out straight away. If the product passes the quality check, it is immediately packed in a box by the robot. Where necessary, the robot also inserts a slipsheet to protect the high-quality mirror housings during transportation. “With a linear robot, it would not have been possible to implement the entire process,” says Mr Hericke.

Of Time & SpaceThe limited space available was a major consideration. “We save a huge amount of space because we can install the robots as shelf-mounted robots on the non-operator side of the machine,” explains Mr Leutwein. This compact mount ing arrangement allows the injection molding machines to be installed c lose together ; the space requirements for the peripheral

equipment on the non-operator side of the machine have also been optimised. These applications could only be implemented with lightweight robots – other automation solutions would have been much too heavy. To ensure correct handling of the company’s robots, Its personnel were trained by the company’s

system partner SAR. Injection molding plants like Magna Spiegelsysteme today face tough global competition. To meet this need, flexible automation solutions were supplied, to provide cost-effectiveness through minimised removal times.

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The year 2010 was a record year for Singapore’s semiconductor industry and the strong growing trend is continuing through 2011. The optimism is

partly supported by the total semiconductor materials spending in Southeast Asia. It is touted to reach US$7.5 billion and US$7.7 billion in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Packaging materials account for US$5.8 billion of the spending this year and fab materials spending is forecasted to reach US$1.7 billion. Singapore’s manufacturing sector is positioned for higher economic growth with advanced packaging manufacturing capabilities such as Through-Silicon Via (TSV) and Wafer Level Packaging (WLP), technologies that enable higher performance and functionality in 3D-IC and MEMS applications. This is an emerging trend that will continue to develop globally. In addition, Singapore continues to contribute significantly in these technology developments given the strong and established semiconductor R&D capabilities,” said Professor Dim-Lee Kwong, executive officer of IME.

Other ForecastsSemi, the global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chain for the micro- and nano-electronics industries, predicts the fab spending in Southeast Asia to grow 43.8 percent year-on-year.

Semiconductor Packaging:

ChipsThe

Stacking

ENQUIRY NO. 4502

Industry forecasts for semiconductor revenue growth for 2011 is expected to reach a range of 5 to 10 percent.

With positive demand in the electronics sector, especially for mobile devices, the organisation expects the semiconductor industry to keep continued growth. Terry Tsao, president of Semi Southeast Asia said: “In Southeast Asia, we are looking at almost 17 percent growth in fab capacity this year which surpasses the global growth at nine percent. This includes over 28 percent increase in installed 300 mm fab capacity.”

The global semiconductor equipment spending in 2011 is expected to increase by 16 percent with current estimation of three percent increase for 2012. At 16 percent growth, 2011 would see the second highest level in equipment spending for the semiconductor industry, second only to the US$48 billion spent in 2000.

In the Southeast Asia region, total semiconductor equipment spending is expected to reach US$4.3 billion and US$4.9 billion in 2011 and 2012, respectively. For 2011, about US$2.6 billion to US$2.8 billion will be spent on fab equipment, US$900 million for test equipment, and US$600 million on packaging equipment.

With the semiconductor industry expecting good growth, technologies such as 3D IC is expected to play a big part.

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In a fast-moving arena such as the semiconductor industry, precision and performance are big factors. To meet these growing demands major enhancement is needed in precision & processes for IC packaging. It is therefore imperative to embrace automation.

“When you look at new technologies, they place demands on the packaging process. These requirements pertaining to thermal, mechanical and even optical performances result in complex integration and higher cost,

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3D Is The Way Forward Automation has an important role to play in the packaging of IC as more are now looking to go 3D. By Joson Ng

both in R&D and manufacturing. It has been a major concern and the way to improve performance at lower cost is to have < 1 micron accuracy through automation. For example, when stacking chips together, we have to pick and place them. This requires high precision technology related to automation,” said Prof Dim-Lee Kwong executive director, Institute of Microelectronics.

The rapid evolution of technology in the semiconductor industry has resulted in

many of today’s research for demanding technologies of tomorrow. One example Prof Kwong revealed was 3D IC.

“The technology that stacks chips together would be significant. Precision optical vision technologies are used to simply stack chips together to achieve better performance. This would be viewed as a next generation technology, which has tremendous potential both in the front-end and back-end processing. The industry sees this as a technology that will revolutionise the semiconductor industry,” he said.

Though the positives are clear for all to see, there are however challenges as well. Prof Kwong said: “The 3D stacking technology today faces a challenge, that is cost. There is also a lack of tools and equipment to support this process. Once again, automation has a part to play. As such, equipment vendors have to step in and commit to the development of next generation equipment.” Finally with the 3D IC market projected to create revenues close to US$8 billion by 2015, Prof Kwong said it is one of IME’s focus in its R&D efforts.

ENQUIRY NO. 4503

Prof Dim-Lee Kwong

igus Singapore Pte [email protected]

15 Shaw Road #03-02Singapore 367953

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IAA: May is probably a good time to take

stock of the happenings in the first half of

the year. Can you give us your take on the

year so far?

DW: While there are many factors in which

their impact to the global economy is not clear

such as the Japan tragedy, the semiconductor

market is poised for moderate growth after a

strong rebound in 2010. According to Gartner,

the semiconductor industry rebounded in 2010

with 32 percent revenue growth from the low

base in 2009.

For 2011 they are forecasting moderate growth rate of 6.2 percent. PC growth continues but at a lower rate forecasted and the cannibalisation of the portable PC market by the explosive tablet market needs to be watched.

Both UBS and Gartner are estimating over 200 percent growth in the tablet market

Q & A With David Wilhoit, president and CEO, Siltronic Samsung Wafer

Semiconductor Industry: The Arrows Are Pointing UpThe semiconductor industry is expecting growth in the near future. By Joson Ng

Recent happenings in the semiconductor industry seem to suggest the industry is on the up. On the technology front, Intel and Micron recently introduced the industry’s smallest NAND flash process technology at 20 nm. This advancement according to Rod Morgan, co-executive officer of IM Flash Technologies has a certain effect in the automation industry.

“NAND flash is being used in almost everything today. For example, the navigation system in your vehicle obviously takes a great deal of memory in order to function. The applications, which automation would be tied to, would probably see NAND embedded in it as well. On a broader scale, what it might enable is creativity, people might be able to store more information in devices and also create more automation capability in the future,” said Mr Morgan.

The industry has done well over the course of

2010, posting impressive growth. Though some of the growth can be attributed to a rebound from 2009, most of them as far as Mr Morgan is concerned, were actual growth. He pointed out a few projects happening in the industry to support his view.

“The growth was fairly significant. If you look at the memory sector, they are building new factories. The NAND industry has also been growing steadily. Likewise, the foundries have invested tremendously as well,” he said.

IM Flash has invested US$3 billion in a facility in Singapore slated to run up to 100,000 wafers a month when operating in full capacity. Having shipped their first batch of wafers in January this year, the 22,000 sq m facility is expected to reach 75 – 80 percent of its capacity by September or October 2011.

Business In Singapore

The company’s investment is no doubt a vote

of confidence in Singapore’s work force and infrastructure. However, cost according to Mr Morgan is one of the greatest challenges in doing business in the island state.

“The cost of power and water has weighed into our cost structure. Power for instance can cost nearly four times more compared to certain places in the US. Also another element that came into play recently that has eliminated some of the advantages we had is the currency exchange rate. When we first started exploring Singapore, the rate was about S$1.65 to US$1.00. Today, it is about S$1.24. So that really leveled the playing field with regard to the cost of the workforce. Coupling that with the economy in Singapore, you do not see the advantage you may have used to see in the labour side of things,” he concluded.

in 2011. As a material supplier, our focus is on capacity increase which SEMI forecasts to be up to nine percent in 2011. With the doubling of investment in semiconductor equipment spending seen in 2010, we are optimistic of future business opportunities as this capacity comes to fruition.

IAA: What are the future business and technical

trends in the semiconductor industry?

DW: The MACRO trend remains the same:

faster, cheaper and smaller. This relates

to both end products and semiconductor

manufacturing. Consumers wish to purchase

the latest mobile phones and computers

packed with the latest features and capabilities

but want to pay the same price or less for them.

In Singapore, this trend is even stronger as the

smart phone adoption rate is far above the

global average.

In order to support the consumer’s

appetite, the semiconductor industry must

continue to push for cost reductions, which

can be achieved by moving to a smaller design

rule, converting to larger diameter wafers, or

through improving operational efficiency.

IAA: Looking at rising cost, do you think in

10 years, the manufacturers will be looking

to move out of Singapore and into other

nations?

DW: I think this question can be answered

by referring to the strong investment in wafer

manufacturing in Southeast Asia (SEA), which

Singapore is the largest portion. According to

Semi, US$4.3 billion will be invested this year

in SEA which is a 44 percent increase over

2010. This level of spending is forecasted to

continue into 2012.

One recent example of commitment to Singapore is IM Flash Technologies (a joint venture between Micron and Intel) who just opened a US$3 billion factory in Singapore. Such level of investment into this region would not be done if there were not both short and long-term advantages to be located here.

ENQUIRY NO. 4504

ENQUIRY NO. 4505

IM Flash has invested US$3 billion in a facility in Singapore

ENQUIRY NO. 261


energy

The control systems for all Vensys wind turbines are developed and manufactured

in Diepholz, Germany, by Vensys Elektrotechnik in cooperation with Beckhoff. This is where the pilot production for the control cabinets and systems takes place before the licensees and/or their manufacturing partners commence series production. Wind turbines must be suitable for the locational conditions found in central European lowlands and climatically extreme conditions, as they occur in China, for example: Deserts naturally present different conditions than coastal locations or mountain regions. In order to be successful internationally, wind turbine ma nu fac tu rers ne e d h igh -performance and flexible control systems: Rapidly changing system states under different, and in some cases extreme climatic and

environmental conditions, complex demands for the control systems result. The control systems must withstand heat, cold, humidity, sand, extreme wind forces, turbulence and other demanding influences and respond reliably. It must always face the right way relative to the wind; data must be collected and evaluated; state or error messages must be exact and meaningful; grid feed-in must be correct and grid-supportive. All this requires a high-performance and adaptable control system.

Integrating Standard & Safety I/O In A Single SystemThe system design, which is based on just a few components, is matched by the ‘lean’ Beckhoff control concept with a single PC. The master computer is an embedded PC to which two bus

terminal stations in the tower base, two stations in the nacelle and the pitch controllers in the hub are connected via PROFIBUS. The central embedded PC collects and processes the operational management and pitch controller data, controls the grid feed-in and communicates with the control room via Ethernet. Compared with conventional solutions, the PC-based control system has the advantage that only one PC is required for control purposes and data interfaces. The bus terminals are attached directly to the Embedded PC, so that PC technology and modular I/O level form a cohesive unit. The safety functions are also directly integrated in the bus terminal system. TwinSAFE terminals are distributed to the different I/O stations. A central KL6904 TwinSAFE logic terminal serves as the link unit

PC Control For Wind Turbine Manufacturer

Case Study:

Extreme climatic and environmental conditions result in complex demands for the control systems. By Dirk Kordtomeikel, business manager, wind energy, Beckhoff Automation


between the safe input and output terminals. The logic terminal integrates safety function blocks, which are configured accordingly. In the Vensys wind turbines, the overspeed relay, vibration sensor and the emergency off button are integrated in the safety circuit. Robert Müller, wind power expert from the company’s branch office in Lübeck, Germany explains the benefits of the integrated safety technology: “The merger of standard and safety I/O into a single streamlined system simplifies project planning, programming, c a b l i n g a n d d i a g n o s t i c s significantly. The TwinSAFE bus terminals permit the connection of all common safety sensors and actuators. The TwinSAFE protocol is used for secure communication. This enables safety-related data to be transferred via any media. In the case of Vensys systems, PROFIBUS is used for transferring the safe signals.” The use of TwinSAFE technology makes multi-wire copper cabling between the nacelle and the tower base, which is required for a conventional hard-wired safety chain, unnecessary. The safety chain is integrated in the optical fiber used for system automation.

Compact Pitch Controllers And Flexible IEC-61131 ProgrammingThe pitch controllers are coupled with PROFIBUS via slip rings. Each rotor blade features the company’s BX3100 bus terminal controller with various bus terminals. The pitch box with integrated controller automatica l ly col lects and analyses the ambient data, decides independently and communicates with the other pitch boxes in order to coordinate the initiated actions. At the same time the data is transferred to the embedded PC in the nacelle. The rotor blades are pitched via external toothed belts. Technology In DemandThe increasing demands for efficiency and energy yield have resulted in strong growth for high-performance wind turbines: 1.5

MW systems are currently the standard in China. “The control algorithms for the systems are getting more and more complex,” said Dr Yuwen Bo, deputy director of Goldwind wind energy technology centre. The company’s main activities include the development, manufacturing and sale of wind turbines. He continued: “In order to cope with difficult geographic and climatic conditions and varying requirements, the performance of the main controller – which represents the ‘brain’ of the wind turbine – must be able to ‘grow.’” The embedded PCs from Beckhoff are able to process very complex algorithms, which means all wind turbine control tasks can run on an integrated platform.

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PAS’ Integrity software exposes new possibilities for processing plants by providing comprehensive

configuration management and system documentation within and among over 50 automation systems.

MAP YOUR PLANT’S AUTOMATION GENOME.

ENQUIRY NO. 4601

The PC-based control system has the advantage that only one PC is required for control purposes and data interfaces. Bus terminals are attached to the embedded PC to form a cohesive unit.


energy

Industrial Fibre Optics InWind Energy Applications

Wind turbine energy has become a popular alternative to meet fast-growing energy

demands. Unlike fossil fuels, which are a limited and diminishing resource, wind energy is limitless and readily available. Conversion of wind energy into utility grade AC power requires power electronics, such as rectifiers and inverters. In a high power generation system, galvanic insulation becomes very important to ensure the quality and reliability of the power generation. Fibre optic components offer protection by providing insulation from high-voltage glitches and unwanted signals into power electronic devices. Key applications for industrial fibre optic components in a wind turbine system include: power electronic gate driver for rectifiers and inverters; control and communication boards; turbine control units; condition monitoring systems; wind farm networking.

Power GenerationWind turbine power is used to convert k inetic energy into electrical energy through use of a generator. As wind conditions vary, the electrical energy created from the generator needs to be converted for usability. A rectifier, inverter, transformer and filter are needed within the wind turbine, in order

for utility-grade AC power to be transmitted over long distances. A transformer is usually installed at the bottom of the tower to provide voltage conversion from the low voltage generated by the wind turbine, to medium/high voltage for transmission.

Rectifier And InverterThe rectifier and inverter are key components in the wind turbine system. The rectifier converts noisy AC power to DC power, while the inverter converts DC power to clean and reliable AC power. The switching of these devices is usually controlled by a DSP embedded controller via a fibre optic link, to provide efficient and reliable switching control with high galvanic isolation capability. Fibre optic components are commonly used to control a high voltage and current switching device, with reliable control and feedback signals.

Condition MonitoringMost modern wind turbines have intelligent features to monitor and control the system to accommodate varying wind conditions. For example, atmospheric sensors detect wind speed and direction. Other sensors monitor the condition

and strength of the turbine’s parts to avoid run-to-failure. Wind turbines need to withstand extreme weather conditions, such as storms and lightning. In these types of conditions, it is important to ensure that the turbine’s monitoring system is designed to provide high voltage and current isolation. Fibre optics becomes a preferred choice of medium as it offers much higher voltage and current isolation properties compared to optocouplers and other similar components.

Networking With FibreData collected from the condition monitoring systems, with the use of short-link Plastic Optical Fibre (POF) links in individual wind turbines, are typically multiplexed into Hard-Clad Silica (HCS) or multi-mode fibre cables. The longer link distances of HCS and multi-mode fibre may be needed if wind turbine towers are greater than 100 metres in height. Fibre cables are robust, offer greater resistance to harsh environmental elements and are lightweight. All of these are requirements for vertical cabling in wind turbine towers.

More applications than ever are using fibre optic cabling and components as an efficient means of transferring information from point-to-point. Contributed by Alek Indra, APAC marketing manager, Avago Technologies

ENQUIRY NO. 4602

BOOK NOW! online www.terrapinn.com/mfgasia | email [email protected] | phone +65 6322 2771 | fax +65 6223 3554

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Innovation

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Peter CauwelierExecutive VP, Asia OperationsEssilor International

Aditya Roy ChoudhuryVP, ProcurementTata Steel

Srinivasan RamabhadranGlobal Leader – Process Safety & Risk ManagementDuPont

Mario BolanosDirector, Equipment EngineeringTexas Instruments Malaysia

David MushinskieRegional IT Director, Asia Pacifi cAvery Dennison

David CabelloGlobal Director, Operational ExcellenceBoart Longyear

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Innovation


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sector spotlight

The discipline of software-based modelling in its many forms is proving to be the salvation of manufacturers working under pressure to deliver

end products of proven quality at lower cost, and in less time.

Almost every aspect of product design, from mechanical housings to printed circuit boards, has its own dedicated modelling toolset to aid engineers with basic layout, ‘what if’ trials and more. Not surprisingly, modelling is an enabling tool for today’s aggressive efficiency strategies.

Fluid Dynamics – the study of the flow of gases, liquids, or heat within a system – is one challenging area that has been tamed by modelling technology. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a technology that has become a cornerstone of aerospace mechanical design, supporting the development of components as diverse as hydraulic valves and cockpit ventilation ducts.

Within the larger arc of CFD, there are variants and derivatives including easy-to-use tools aimed at Mechanical CAD (MCAD) users who need to incorporate fluid analysis into their design flow.

Modelling, Simulation & MCADModelling and simulation processes are used almost universally in the aerospace industry’s mechanical design establishment. The tools, used for designing large-scale systems and structures, have helped engineering organisations compress their development schedules while improving the quality of their finished products.

These MCAD tools have also reduced the need for ‘over-design,’ saving weight and cost on critical parts without sacrificing strength or reliability. Engineers can cost-effectively test numerous concepts and alternatives in virtual form to arrive at designs that are stable and proven.

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Fluid Dynamics Simulation Keeps Aerospace Design Costs In Trim

Aerospace manufacturers, like most other industries, are pursuing cost-saving measures to deal with today’s economic and market realities. By Keith Hanna, product line director mechanical analysis, Mentor Graphics


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An important step in aircraft design – fluid flow analysis, studies the aerodynamics of structures including the body, wings, engine nacelles and thrust chambers under both subsonic and supersonic flow conditions. This is the obvious application, but there is much more.

Today, designers perform flow analysis on a broad range of components and subsystems, from engine intakes and exhaust systems to valves and ventilation. Almost any aircraft element that comes into contact with liquids or gases, or conducts heat from a device or process, is a candidate for fluid flow analysis.

Flow analysis, like MCAD itself, can help engineers save cost, time, and weight in their aerospace system designs. Like MCAD, design-centric flow analysis minimises over-design and reveals hidden weaknesses.

Doing The Financial MathThe technical rationale for using modelling and simulation (whether fluid or mechanical) for aerospace design is well understood. But this is only the beginning.

Cost matters. Irrespective of the ups and downs of a fickle economy, the bottom line for the procurement of almost any engineering development tool – hardware or software – is the universal cost/benefit equation: can the solution save time and money?

This is not an issue where importance is limited to the aerospace community, but it has special urgency because that industry builds some of the world’s most complex products. Consequently it must deal with some of the longest product development cycles and highest engineering costs of any business enterprise.

Producers of aerospace systems and components are constantly seeking new and improved design tools, often with the objective of reducing the cost of prototype development. Both MCAD and CFD tools minimise the need for costly physical prototypes.

The object of simulation and modelling is to inform and confirm important decisions about an emerging product, and to do so as early as possible in the design process. These benefits are especially critical when the product in question is complex.

Most aerospace-related products are considered to have either ‘high’ or ‘very high’ complexity levels. The latter category encompasses systems containing up to 100,000 individual parts, or more. The development process can span weeks or years, depending on the complexity of the end product, and with each passing day, costs mount up.

Table 1 summarises the savings that can be gleaned by following the example of the top-tier companies as opposed to the lower-tier performers. The latter used a mean of 1.1 more physical prototypes over the EN

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course of a project, and both the time and cost entries in Table 1 reflect this.

Product Complexity

Time Saved by Simulation

Cost Saved by Simulation (US$)

Low 14 days $8,360

Moderate 26 days $63,800

High 51 days $143,000

Very high 109 days $1,320,000

Table 1: These figures reflect the savings achieved by best-in-class companies using MCAD-based design processes when compared with companies that worked with physical prototypes exclusively. Source: Aberdeen Group study

Fluid Analysis: Theme And VariationsIn the past, CFD was the province of highly trained fluid analysis specialists whose rarified tools were by no means optimised for CAD-based design processes. The technology underlying CFD is quite convoluted and traditional tools required experts to fine-tune the mesh and solver settings before converging on a solution.

Today, many companies have brought CFD processing into the mainstream in the form of powerful tools that can be deployed without disrupting the process or methods of products design. As a result,


sector spotlight

CFD benefits are now easily accessible to small- and mid-sized enterprises.

Mechanical design engineers – not just CFD ‘gurus’ – can use their existing engineering skills to successfully perform flow and heat analyses. Importantly, these CFD packages accept MCAD data, typically through a conversion tool that bridges the two environments and simplifies data transfer.

Concurrent CFD is a new approach to CFD, which uses the same mathematical foundation as CFD. Concurrent CFD simplifies the process by allowing the designer to analyse and optimise designs directly in the MCAD environment; saving up to 75 percent of the time previously required for conventional CFD development.

These breakthrough solutions for fluid flow analysis have implications well beyond their purely technical features. An increasing number of engineers will do more modelling and analysis ‘up front’ simply because Concurrent CFD tools are easy to use and accessible,

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Bell Helicopter manufactures helicopters designed for a broad range of

commercial and military applications. The latter class of aircraft includes

defensive features designed to protect the helicopter and its occupants

in the most adverse situations. The company needed a cost-effective

evaluation solution that would give reliable results and guide the design

of these and other complex features.

Engineers were tasked with reviewing and refining a system that

injects nitrogen gas into the helicopter’s fuel tank to displace oxygen as

the fuel is consumed. This makes the tank less likely to ignite if it is hit

by an incendiary projectile. The incoming nitrogen must fill the tank’s

recesses rapidly since, after all, the assumption is that the helicopter

is under hostile fire and needs to escape as quickly as possible.

How long must the pilot wait before taking off from the ‘hot’ landing

zone? When can he or she be confident that air in the fuel tank will not

jeopardise the aircraft’s safety? It is a question of time, and seconds

matter.

Historically the question has been answered by running physical

tests with actual hardware components – pumps, valves, and the tank

itself. This method of testing is very expensive and time-consuming.

And in the company’s case the costs are multiplied because a

subcontractor in Europe builds the venting system, and personnel from

the other companies involved must travel to the test site with expensive

equipment to set up and run the test.

Solution

The engineer responsible for the evaluation chose the Mentor Graphics

FloEFD Concurrent CFD Analysis tools to examine the internal flow

characteristics of the gases in the helicopter’s fuel tank. She referred

to Bell’s own detailed work procedures and best practices in examining

the tank’s geometry. She obtained the initial conditions from the

company’s integrated product team and used them as boundary

conditions for the solid model. After creating the mesh in FloEFD she

performed a sensitivity analysis to verify that the solution was not

mesh-dependent. This extra degree of care is important in critical

applications such as characterising the fuel tank behaviour. The mesh

must be built with sufficient resolution to reveal small imperfections

in the fluid flow.

With the mesh defined and analysed, the engineer solved the model

and generated the visualised output diagram. The tool also produced a

chart that shows oxygen concentration in the tank over time.

Results

The isosurfaces of oxygen concentration resulting from the simulation

revealed that several areas in the tank were not being adequately

vented. Consequently a potential problem was identified and solved

at very low cost compared to physical testing. Among the design

changes included were adding a second redistribution nozzle. Had

this issue remained undetected until the prototype phase, it would

have been far more expensive to correct the problem and moreover,

might have delayed the project.

Here analysis tools made it possible for a staff-level engineer to

evaluate and correct a suspected problem without the intervention of

a specialised fluid dynamics analyst. Concurrent CFD is perfect for

situations such as this. The timely and accurate analysis saved the

cost of late-cycle hardware revisions. Equally important, the simple

fact that a design engineer was able to solve the problem spared the

expense and time of calling in a specialist with dedicated analysis

tools.

unlike some of the CFD solutions that preceded them. Because thoroughly analysed designs tend to go

through validation quickly and with fewer issues, end products can come to market sooner, with well-proven reliability. These are exactly the business benefits that most enterprises are looking for these days.

The trend among design tools is toward ‘democratisation’ of once-rarified applications such

Bell Helicopter Improves Safety, Saves Cost On Fuel Tank Design Requirements


as CFD. Now the same engineer who designs a valve or housing can quickly check its air, heat, or product designs.

CFD Fluid Flow Analysis Is Shaping The Next Generation Of AircraftMCAD modelling is a standard operating procedure in the aerospace industry and now flexible CFD tools are opening the door to similar benefits when fluid analysis is needed. Aerospace requirements encompass hundreds of applications for fluid dynamics modelling and simulation during the development process.

ConclusionPowerful and flexible CFD simulation tools have joined MCAD modelling solutions in supporting the fast, efficient design processes today’s aerospace market demands. Many if not most aircraft assemblies can benefit from some level of flow analysis, whether the ‘fluid’ is aviation fuel, supersonic airflow, or the heat from a radiator.

The value of simulation has been demonstrated time and again. One important facet of simulation’s cost benefit is easy to summarise with a simple statement: The cost of a design error increases by an order of magnitude with each advancing step in the development and distribution of a product.

This axiom holds true whether the technology in question is an integrated circuit or an avionics subsystem. Simulation reduces the risk of perpetuating errors.

Design errors are the result of human fallibility and/or miscommunication. When an engineer detects his own error and corrects it before handing off the design, it may cost just a few minutes, equivalent to a few dollars, to solve the problem.

Very likely he has all the information he needs to make the necessary changes, and can rectify the mistake with just a few keystrokes. Even if the error persists into the validation phase, the cost of correcting it may be relatively low.

But suppose the error escapes the designer’s notice and finds its way into the first prototype. This amplifies the cost of correcting the problem by a factor of 10 (an order of magnitude) at the very least. The prototype will need revisions, or might even have to be scrapped. Suddenly an issue that could have been resolved for a few dollars costs 10 times as much to repair.

If, somehow, the error persists into production the cost multiplies by another factor of 10 (at least). Finished products – not just prototypes – might need to be scrapped or modified at great cost.

Now the same problem that could have been solved for just a few dollars costs hundreds of dollars to fix. In addition, the schedule delays are painful, especially if EN

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the product is aimed at a market opportunity whose duration is brief. Market share can be seriously diminished if a product misses its market ‘window.’

And finally, the unthinkable: the error goes undetected all the way through manufacturing and products get into the hands of end users. Following the magnitude curve, costs increase by another factor of 10 – into the thousands of dollars. It may be necessary to issue a recall where massive costs are made even worse by the damage to the company’s reputation. A design problem that reaches the end-product stage is almost certain to diminish the profitability of that product, and perhaps the company itself.

Simulation helps designers avoid these multiplying costs by giving them the information needed to make the right design decisions at the right time. Simulation applies rules that prevent design errors in the first place, and can detect errors before they ripple through a series of costly prototypes and into production. It provides an in depth understanding of the product when it is least expensive to address problems.

Getting simulation and modelling involved at the beginning of the design process means getting crucial answers about the emerging product as early as possible, and having that information ready to use when it is most needed.

ENQUIRY NO. 4701

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so that it fits your material and machine perfectly.

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features

ENQUIRY NO. 4801

The measures taken to deal with the greenhouse effect may be technical, legislative or even

economic. The construction of power plants with low intensity emissions and the implementation and application of technologies that will deliver increased energy efficiency are some of the definitive steps taken by governments and relevant organisations as well as non-governmental organisations. Considerable benefits for the environment with leverage on the use of photovoltaic technology will see the reduction of emissions in the medium to long term, not only in Europe. The EU has played a leading role in defining the Kyoto Protocol, but also in developing countries through the transfer of such technology. The combustion of lignite has been a conventional source of generating electricity. However the world has caused a number of environmental problems and issues, which includes an increase in the average temperature of the earth. Competitive eco -

technologies are needed to meet the challenges of climate change. The use of Photovoltaic is an example of competitive eco-technology to meet the challenges posed by climate change.

Linking Solar PanelsThe solar cables that link the solar panels together are designed to support renewable energy initiatives and should be of UL Type PV approved (UL 4703 USE-2 Rated) for use as the interconnection wiring of grounded and ungrounded photovoltaic power systems. The solar cables link together the solar panels found on solar farms, making the cables key to the transmission of electric energy from the solar panels to the transformers at the local energy storage substation and ultimately to the power grid and its commercial and residential electricity users.

The Future Photovoltaic IndustryWe should fully support today’s clean and ‘green’ technology

goals, including the goal to expand the proliferation of solar energy, wherever feasible. The photovoltaic industry can expect to see ongoing plans to develop and bring to market additional green technology products over the coming months. All alternative energy solutions should duly reflect the industry’s long-standing commitment to quality and consistency in product design and manufacturing. Significant contributions by major industry players to the photovoltaic market will see reliable and maintenance-free, low-loss conductivity in all of the photovoltaic installations globally. In the foreseeable decade, developments in the photovoltaic sector will see significant benefits for the environment and the society. The photovoltaic industry will continue to deliver these benefits at reducing cost and increasing performance.

Leverage on Photovoltaic Technology Will See Lower Emissions

The alternative energy market is growing fast, in large part because of government assistance and the global focus on greenhouse gas reduction. By Dixon Tan, regional marketing communication manager, Belden Singapore

ENQUIRY NO. 262


features

IAA attended an event hosted by Yokogawa in which the company presented its industrial wireless solutions based on the ISA100.11a open wireless networking technology standard. By Mark Johnston

W ireless technology offers many benefits in industrial and process automation,

and is seen to be following a trend that is becoming commonplace in the technological sphere, ie: convergence. What makes things difficult is that the industry traditionally has used many different protocols in their wired networks, ie: Modbus, Foundation Fieldbus, HART, Profibus, and many more. Each wired protocol is separated from the next and only operates in the confines of its copper wire, and network assigned to it. This way, one protocol does not have to know or care if another protocol exists or not. This luxury of separation of protocols and architecture is not possible in a wireless implementation as each communication protocol shares the same space, ie: air.

The ISA100.11a StandardThe ISA100.11a standard was developed by the International Society of Automation (ISA) under the description: ‘Wireless Systems for Industrial Automation: Process

An Eye For Industrial Wireless

Left: Toshi Hasegawa, Middle: Neil Hankey, Right: Sng Hee Meng

Control and Related Applications.’ The company further empha-sised the importance of having strong end-user representation in the development of ISA100. “ ISA10 0 committee f i rst d e v e l o p e d t h e e n d u s e r requirements into coherent w i r e l e s s c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s : monitoring to control to safety. Once these were defined, it then looked at the available wireless te ch nolog ie s a nd mapp e d them against the above user classifications. As the scope of the ISA100 standard is wider and all user requirements have to be addressed, the process of achieving consensus was slow. Ultimately, ISA100 fulfils the end user requirements while being neutral towards manufacturers,” said Neil Hankey, marketing manager, Yokogawa Europe. The standard is holistic by nature and addresses a number of important user centric concerns, including monitoring, control and safety. “ISA100 addresses the full wireless potential for users, from wireless sensor networks, to a fully integrated WiFi backhaul

infrastructure with a clear path forward to all existing industrial communication protocols such as Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, Modbus and HART. As such, we believe that there is strong commitment from all of the members to ensure that ISA100.11a is fully endorsed as an IEC standard,” said Mr Hankey. The standard has a number of advantages over the WirelessHART standard. For one, the former is based on a mature group of wireless standards (IEEE802), and with a Medium Access Control (MAC), the benefits are robustness in an industrial environment. Another advantage is that it uses IPv4/6 addressing, which enables efficient management of larger networks. The standard also supports the use of the available radio frequency spectrum by assigning flexible time slots depending upon the requirement of the devices. In addition to the native ISA100 protocol, tunnelling is also built-in to the standard to ensure transparent communication for non-native protocols. Finally, coexistence with other WiFi solutions is assured with


ENQUIRY NO. 4802

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2 – 4 November 2011Suntec Singapore • www.asiasmartgrid.com.sg

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channel black listing, which serves to avoid potential interference with existing wireless networks.

The Wireless Compliance InstituteThe mission of the Wireless Compliance Institute (WCI) is to decrease the time, costs, and risks associated with developing and deploying standards-based, industrial wireless devices and systems. Primarily a collaborative industry based program with users, suppliers, and other related parties. When asked to explain the role of the WCI, Toshi Hasegawa, district leader, ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute, said: “The WCI is a non-profit consortium that provides marketing, technical support and certifies compliant ISA100.11a products. This ensures

interoperability between the various vendors’ gateways and devices.” When asked if control and safety applications could be achieved with the current technology, Mr Hasegawa said: “Not yet. The ISA100.11a standard fully supports this goal. Today, open loop control is already possible. In the future, supervisory and regulatory control will be executed wirelessly.”

Looking To The FutureThe company was the first to bring ISA100.11a compliant products to the market, just ahead of Honeywell, and concurrently became a contributing member along with Honeywell and GE to the ISA100 wireless standardisation committee. The company plans a phased approach to bring more ISA100.11a wireless capable products to market, extending to most of their

product range over time. In terms of technolog y investment, Sng Hee Meng, executive VP, Yokogawa Engineering Asia said: “We are a technology company, so R&D is key to our success and future growth. We invest something like nine percent of our revenue in R&D.” In looking to the future, Mr Hankey said: “We consider it important that a focus on user requirements continues to be the most important driver. Examples are product portfolio enhancement, redundant systems, integrated gateways for field instruments and WiFi applications (eg: cameras, laptops, PDAs, VOIP), total wireless solution including level three and four integration. Those are some of the key developments for the future.”


EVENT PREVIEW

ENQUIRY NO. 4901

IndustrIal Automation (IA) 2011 will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convent ion Centre (KLCC), KL, Malaysia, from July 20 – 23, 2011. The show aims to attract an array of market leaders both local and international as the profile of this industry in Malaysia continues to grow from strength to strength. The event is organised by the Malaysian Exhibition Services, with the support of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia (MOSTI), and is endorsed by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) as well as the Automation Technology Industry Group (FMM-ATIG). The minister of Science, Te ch nolog y & I n novat ion , Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili, Jp said in his message: “ I A 2011 wi l l gather major players from the sector that will have the chance to network, exchange knowledge and form par tnerships a nd business

ventures. I believe this event will contribute positively towards the growth of the region’s automated manufacturing capability.” Malaysia’s manufacturing sector attracted RM47.2 billion (US$15.9 billion) in investment in 2010 compared to RM32.6 billion in 2009, said minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. Based on UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2010, the minister said global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows are expected to pick up to between US$1.3-US$1.5 trillion this year and head towards US$1.6 -US$2 trillion in 2012. Given this scenario, he said the FDI inflows into Malaysia are expected to further increase in 2011 and beyond. With the ma nufactur ing industry expected to grow in 2011, especially in the Asian region, it is anticipated that most of the IA series exhibitors will be repeating their participation

this year. Some of these industry players include KVC Industrial Supplies, Harting, DMC Solution, I -Linear Automation, Siemens and many more. At IA 2009, some 5,876 trade visitors from 21 countries and regions were able to meet, network and interact commercially with the 431 exhibitors from 25 countries. At this year’s show, the organisers are expecting a repeat presence of trade visitors who comprise of business senior management and industry professionals that have the purchasing power. Further on that, the event will again be held in conjunction with Asean Elenex 2011 – the biennial show for Transmission & Distribution and Electrical Eng ineer ing, which wil l be featuring Renewable Energy.

July 20 – 23, 2011Kuala Lumpur Convention CentreKuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Industrial Automation 2011


ENQUIRY NO. 4902

Manufacturing Expo 2011Manufacturing Expo 2011 will be held from 23 – 26 June, 2011, at BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand. The show is expecting over 38,000 to be in attendance, with 1,500 exhibitors from 30 countries who will be unveiling their newest technologies and innovations. T h e s h o w c o n s i s t s o f international exhibitions on machinery and technologies for key manufacturing sectors; namely ‘InterPlas Thailand’ for plastics and rubber, ‘InterMold Thailand’ for mold and die, ‘Automotive Manufacturing’ for automotive parts, and ‘Assembly Technolog y ’ for industr ia l automat ion a nd a sse mbly technologies. M o r e o v e r , t h i s s h o w w i l l pre sent t wo fe atu re d pavilions: Composites Thailand, a n d I n d u s t r i a l E n e r g y & Environment. This year’s show will be co-located with NEPCON Thailand 2011, Industrial Components &

Subcontracting 2011, and INDEE Bangkok 2011.

Show Highlights:

automotive SummitA look at the future direction of the automotive manufacturing se c tor, u nde r t he b a n ne r “ R e c o v e r y S t r a te g y f r o m Japanese Automotive Industry.” It is supported by Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and co-hosted by Thai Auto Part Ma nufactur ing A ssociat ion (TAPMA).

robot Demonstration ZoneGet hands-on experience with high-speed, high precision and functional industrial robots.

Business Matchmaking ProgramAn online business-matching program for buyers, sellers, or business partners aiming to arrange face-to-face meetings at the show.

BuiLD MarketplaceA ime d at c aptu r ing t rade opportunities in Thailand and ASEAN, organised by Thailand’s Board of Investmen for Industrial Linkage Development.

composites thailand 2011L i v e d e m o n s t r a t i o n s o f comp osite s ma nu fac tu r ing technologies.

composites ShowcaseA zone display ing varieties of composites end-products for possible new busine ss opportunities.

Manufacturing galleryA uto - p a r t s m a nu fac t u r i n g technologies and machinery in all production processes and fuel-efficient vehicles.

Mold & Die guruL e a r n a b o u t M o l d & D i e product ions concepts with insights from experts.

June 23 – 26, 2011BITECBangkok, Thailand

Show At A Glance:

• Fourspecialisedtradeshows

formanufacturingsectors

• 1,500exhibitors,30countries

• 38,000buyersfromThailand

andASEAN

• AutomotiveSummit2011

• Industrialpartssourcing

opportunity

• 200conferences&seminars


EVENT PREVIEW

ENQUIRY NO. 4903

T h i s y e a r ’s S i n g a p o r e International Water Week (SIWW) has a broad focus, beyond urban water solutions, to incorporate other important issues that affect the urban environment such as climate change and the management of watersheds and river basins. More than half of the earth’s population already lives in cities, and this trend is set to accelerate in the coming years. According to the United Nations, the world’s population will reach around nine billion by the year 2050, of which 70 percent is projected to live in cities. This growing global population, rapid urbanisation and emerging economies will place even more strain on precious resources such as water, food and energy. It is against this backdrop that the SIWW enters its fourth year. Never before has it been more apparent that governments and industry need to come together to achieve solutions to some of the world’s most pressing water and urban challenges. That is why the focus of SIWW 2011, which runs from July 4 – 8 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre,

has been broadened, beyond urban water solutions, to incorporate other important issues that affect the urban environment such as climate change and the management of watersheds and river basins. Themed ‘Sustainable Water Solutions for a Changing Urban Environment’, the 2011 event will reinforce the event as a platform to address the latest and most pertinent water issues amid a rapidly changing world.

The SIWW 2011 flagship programs are:

• Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize• Water Leaders Summit• Water Convention• Water Expo• Business Forums

These programmes provide a p l a t f o r m t o s h o w c a s e water so lut ion s inc lud ing the latest products, services and technologies relevant to professionals, engineers and purchasers from across the entire water value chain, including the automation industry. Indeed, we recognise that industrial automation products and solutions

have a fundamental role to play in reducing the strain on precious resources such as water, and in increasing efficiency across a broad spectrum of industries. This year sees the inaugural R&D Innovation Booth, which showca se s the late st R& D projects spawned in Singapore, and TechXchange, a platform c o n n e c t i n g r e s e a r c h e r s w it h inve stors to e x plore commercialisation opportunities for these R&D projects. A n obser v at ion i s t hat opportunities for the two groups – researchers and investors – to converge are far and few between. So, among the delegates invited to this year’s Water Week are venture capitalists that will have an opportunity to meet with the researchers face to face. SIWW 2011 aims to deliver value to delegates, trade visitors and exhibitors, as the global platform for water solutions.

July 4 – 8, 2011Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition CentreSingapore

Singapore International Water Week 2011


Hannover Messe showcased over 5,000 exhibits in the 220,000 sq m exhibition grounds from April 4 – 8, 2011. With a line-up of 13 trade shows, more than 6,500 companies from 65 countries participated with approximately half of them from foreign countries. The top five participating countries other than Germany were China, Italy, France, Turkey and Switzerland. Attract ing over 230,0 0 0 visitors, it represents a growth of 10 – 15 percent over the recent comparable 2009 event. Moreover, 60,0 0 0 of these visitors were from abroad, which is over a third more than in 2009. In particular, one in every three visitors was a member of top management, marking a 20 percent increase. The theme ‘Smart Efficiency’, referring to the interplay of cost, process and resource efficiency, was the common thread running through the majority of the displays. It was also addressed during lectures, congresses, forums as well as seminars and workshops. A total of over 60 forums drew greater attendance,

30 percent up from 2009. Met rop ol i ta n S olut ions , EnergyEfficiency in Industrial Processes, WoMenPower, Hermes Award, Job & Career Market, TectoYou and Global Business and Markets augmented the 13 international flagship fairs. Energy and automation topics were at the heart of v isitor interest. Major emphasis was placed on the energy mix for the future as well as on energy efficiency. Renewable energy exhibitions covered topics such as bio - energy, photovolta ic

technologies and solar and geothermal energy. Another highlight in Hall 27 was the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell pavilion. Visitors showed interest in means of decentralised energy supply using stationary fuel cells and fuel cell powered vehicles. A c r o s s t h e s h o w, t h e automation sector demonstrated its key importance in each and every field of industry. Exhibitors featured mobile robot solutions for use in manufacturing and processing, the public sector and the services industry. Flying

Hannover Messe 2011EVENT REVIEW

EVENT REVIEW


robots, automatic cleaning systems for photovoltaic plants and driverless transport systems were some of the stand-out displays. Beckhoff was one of the participating companies and was represented at eight booths. Customers and visitors were

invited to the international automation meeting with over 200 employees from 25 countries. Furthermore, the company’s range of products for PC-based control technology was displayed in the 1,000 sq m main booth in Hall nine. Highlights included innovations for machine and

safety technology and extension of scientific automation. B e s id e s B e c k ho f f , A B B displayed products, systems and solutions that help consumers use energy more efficiently, improve industrial productivity and make an important contribution to climate protection. In line with its motto ‘We m a k e c l i m a te p r o te c t i o n possible’, some of the company’s displays included a distribution transformer that does not need insulating oil, a 320 kV high-voltage direct current cable, and two packages featuring low-voltage synchronous motors with innovative motor technology and variable speed AC drives. Germany’s federal chancellor and the French PM opened the event a day earlier to an audience of 2,400 invited VIPs, among whom were over 120 political delegations from abroad. France has presented its profile not only as an innovative industrial nation, but also a strong partner for the German economy. I nde e d , more t ha n 2 3 0 exhibitors represented France with displays dedicated to ‘ Innovat ion for susta inable growth’. The main emphasis of the French presentation was on energy, mobility, energy efficiency, industrial supply and R&D. The next Hannover Messe, which will be staged from April 23 – 27, 2012, will cover an additional show, ‘IndustrialGreenTec’. It will serve as a platform for industrial environmental technology and include solutions for recycling, waste disposal, and clean air and water at every link of the industrial value chain.

April 4 – 8, 2011Exhibition Grounds Hannover, Germany

ENQUIRY NO. 4904

Deu

tsch

e M

esse

, Han

nove

r, G

erm

any

The Igus booth at this year’s trade fair

Kuka demostrating their robotic solution at Hannover Messe


RFID World Asia 20112011 Event At A Glance

• Over6,800attendees• Frommorethan50countries• 8,000sqmofexhibitionspace• Over200exhibitors• 43freeon-floorseminars• 8co-locatedeventsin3days

RFID is picking up pace in the global conscience as the technology reaches a tipping point to mass adoption globally. It is in this backdrop that RFID World Asia is held, back for its eighth annual edition at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre from April 13 – 15, 2011. Re se a rch f i r m Frost & Sul l ivan recent ly issued a report estimating that the Asia Pacific RFID market revenues could surpass US$2 billion by 2016. Wider implementation of RFID is now found in many e-government services such as national identity cards, travel documents, driver’s licence, among others. In Singapore, host country to RFID World Asia 2011, GS1 Singapore sized up the local

RFID market to up to S$20 million (US$16 million) a year made up of sales of RFID tags, readers and software integrators. T here were over 6 , 8 0 0 attendees from more than 50 countries in an exhibition space of 8,000 sq m, with over 200 exhibitors.

This Year’s TrendT h i s y e a r ’ s t r e n d w a s almost certainly Near Field Communication (NFC), a subset of the R F ID solut ion. The implications of such a technology will have an impact on the automation industry, especially where security is concerned, and a machines social knowledge. The RFID solution is a tagging te ch nolog y, wh ich ga i ne d traction due to the wide strides

in improving its implementation. When compared to traditional tagging solutions, like barcodes, the advantages are clear. Using RF technology means l i ne - o f - s ig ht i s no lon ger necessary, picking up a signal within much larger distances. One can see how this could be used in animal/baggage tracking or in an automation environment, tracking cargo in an automated plant. Many companies demonstrated such solutions at this year’s show. On the other hand, NFC limits its range of communication to within 10 cm or 4 inches. This has implications where security is concerned, as transmitting information over longer distances has a greater possibility of interception. NFC tackles this by cutting the information transfer


EVENT REVIEW

ENQUIRY NO. 4905

Lots of hands-on opportunties

A chance to make connections

down to the near field. Other techniques like ‘shielding’ have been employed to try to further limit the chance of other people reading the information. Currently, major traction of NFC is seen in the mobile arena, being built into mobile phones with implications for a ‘cashless society,’ using the phone for cash transactions. Other implications include inducing personalised advertising initiatives, with targeted information being transferred by waving the phone at an advertisement. Further implications are centred on social and personalised interactions, enabling machines to know ‘you’ better. The implications for automation are clear.

RFID AwardsAmong the show’s highlights were the three awa rds in recognition of RFID excellence: the RFID Champion Award for an individual who is recognised as a leader, innovator, and pioneer of RFID technologies in the Asia Pacific region; the Best RFID implementation Award, given to end-user companies in Asia Pacific for successful implementation of the technology in business operations; and the Most Innovative RFID solution, given to RFID manufacturers who released the most effective product or solution. The winners were Michael Oh, founder & director, TCM RfiD; Dongfang Electronics/

Changyu Wines; and TCM RfiD respectfully. Next Year’s ShowRFID World Asia 2012 will be held from April 25 – 27, 2012, again at Suntec Singapore with co-located events Cards Asia 2012, NFC World Asia 2012, and Retail World Asia 2012.

April 13 – 15, 2011Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition CentreSingapore

LHT Holdings explaining their RFID solution for pallet tracking

RFID provides identification and security solutions


products & services

Adlink Technology, a supplier of industrial building blocks, debuts the NuPRO-E340, a PICMG 1.3 full-sized System Host Board (SHB). The SHB utilises the second-generation quad-core Intel Core i7 processor at core speeds up to 3.4 GHz integrated with the Intel Q67 Express Chipset PCH, and supports high-speed data transfer interfaces such as USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s (SATA III). It is equipped with dual-channel DDR3 1066/1333 MHz memory up to a maximum of 8GB in two DIMM slots and is suited to applications requiring multi-tasking capabilities, high computing power and high-speed data transfer rates such as industrial control, machine vision and automation.

Enquiry no. 4909

Enquiry no. 4908

Enquiry no. 4907

Enquiry no. 4906

Basler: GigE Camera

products & services

Advantech:Remote I/O Modules

Advantech has released four modules in the BACnet I /O module series, the BAS-3018BC, an 8-ch Universal Input Module,BAS-3024BC, a 4-ch UI, 4-ch AO, 4-ch DO Module, BAS-3050BC, an 8-ch DI, 8-ch DO module, and BAS-3051BC, a 16-ch DI Module. The BAS-3000BC series can serve as BACnet MS/TP remote I/O modules through an RS-485 network to be integrated with BACnet DDC Controllers. Featuring 24 VDC or 24 VAC input and 3,000 VDC isolation protection, the BAS-3000BC series are BACnet MS/TP remote I/O modules with RS-485 interfaces that can be expanded as remote I/O modules for 3rd party BACnet MS/TP DDC controllers.The BAS-3000BC series provides I/O models with predefined BACnet objects and services.

Autotronic:Heat Meter Calculater

Adlink Technology: Second Generation SHB

The ABU series is a stand-alone heat meter calculator designed for precise measurement of heating and cooling systems. The device calculates the energy consumption of the system by the measured flow volume and temperature difference. Different types of flow sensor inputs, including pulse, open collector, sine wave, and 4~20 mA, can be accepted by the meter. Temperature measurement can be taken from PT100, PT500 or PT1000 sensors. Two output modules with multiple output functions are embedded, output function can be selected from pulse, open collector, relay contact, and 0~20 mA /4~20 mA current loop. Remote metering and data management can be achieved by Modbus-RTU protocol over RS485 transmission module on the device. Designed with multiple input sensor types and output function capabilities, the series provides flexibility of usage.

Basler has started production of its aviator area scan camera models with a GigE interface. The camera models feature one, two(4:3 and HDTV), and four megapixel resolutions in mono or colour. The GigE interface offers data transport at over 100 frames per second at one megapixel resolution (100 MB/s) over distances of up to 100 metres. The company uses sensors by Kodak. Due to their four tap readout technology, the new generation of Kodak sensors used in aviator cameras is up to four times faster than comparable CCD sensors.


products & services

Baumer:Optical Absolute Encoders

Enquiry no. 4913

Enquiry no. 4912

Enquiry no. 4911

Enquiry no. 4910

The optical absolute encoders GE404 are made of resistive V4A stainless steel of class 1.4404 or 1.4435. The Viton sealings provide high resistance against chemical agents and high temperature and aging properties.

The encoders are leak-proof and IP 67 compliant. This results in maximum resistance and lifetime even at regular cleaning cycles with aggressive agents and allows for top-grade hygiene levels with minimised cleaning time. The robust ShaftLock bearing construction prevents machine downtime due to vibration and high shaft loads, which occur in production and during cleaning.

Emerson: Wireless Sensor System

Emer s on P r o ces s M a n a g e m e n t h a s developed the Roxar Downhole Wireless PT Sensor System – Annulus B at OTC 2011. The instrument will measure online and in real-time previously inaccessible pressure and temperature information behind the casing in subsea production wells, providing operators with a tool for well integrity monitoring.

With online pressure monitoring, the wireless system can provide positive confirmation of the pressure barrier’s integrity. The tool will also negate the sometimes excessive and expensive over dimensioning of casings that can take place to compensate for worst case scenarios and will also potentially provide operators with cost savings previously incurred in shutting in wells, due to their lack of ability to verify barrier integrity.

E2S:LED Array Warning Beacon

E2S, the manufacturer of audible and visual warning devices, has developed another version of its L101 family of physically compact 86 x 86mm beacons, the L101H.

Featuring an array of 24 high output LEDs as the light source, the robust L101H is suitable for fire, security, industrial control and general signalling applications. The versatile unit is available with or without mounting lugs, it can be stacked to create multi-signal arrays and it can used in conjunction with the company’s SONFL1 and the A100 sounders to make combined audible-visual warning devices.

Fluke Corp:Test Leads With Adjustable Tips

Fluke Corp has developed the TL175 TwistGuard test leads, the only test leads in the world with a manually adjustable test tip guard for use in changing measurement situations. By simply twisting the test lead, the user can change the exposed probe tip length from 4 mm to 19 mm.

When the tip guard is fully extended, the test leads are safety rated for CAT III 1,000 V and CAT IV 600 V use. When the tip guard is retracted, the test leads are safety rated for CAT II 1,000 V use. The test leads are also the company’s first leads with WearGuard insulation.


products & servicesproducts & services

The fully managed NETernity GBX460 rugged 6U OpenVPX data plane switch module featuring GE’s OpenWare switch management capability has been developed by GE Intelligent Platforms. The switch is the company’s offering in a range of high-density 10GigE solutions targeted at demanding High Performance Computing (HPC) and networking applications such as communications, ISR and radar. The GBX460 with OpenWare supports high throughput Interprocessor Communication (IPC) between 10 GigE-enabled processing nodes for deployed network-centric defence and aerospace applications. Its non-blocking 10GigE ports provide performance throughput across the VPX backplane; the non-blocking feature means that the switch can pass traffic across all 10 GigE ports at wire speed without bottlenecks.

Enquiry no. 4917

Enquiry no. 4916

Enquiry no. 4915

Enquiry no. 4914

GE Intelligent Platforms: Ethernet Switch For HPC Applications

Kuka: High Payload Robot

The flow sensor by IFM is based on Faraday’s principle of induction. The conductive medium flowing through a pipe in a magnetic f ield generates a voltage, which is proportional to the flow velocity or flow rate. T h e s e n s o r i s suitable for conductive media from 20 μS/cm, flow rate up to 100 l/min, and has an EPDM O-ring for drinking water applications. Different process connections are possible by using adapters, and with flow rate, totalising and temperature indication. Analogue, binary and pulse outputs offer various possibilities to process the measured data. Due to the flexible programming by means of pushbuttons the flow sensor can be adapted to different conditions.

Industrial Video And Control: Rapid Deploy Video System

The I VC RD-MZ-3630-01 is a lightweight, portable, wireless, all weather manual zoom IP camera system that can be placed anywhere, at any time. The rapid deploy wireless video solution by Industrial Video and Control ( IVC), consists of a high definition colour camera as well as an internal wireless radio. The camera is capable of transmitting over 30 frames per second of video in 1,280 x 1,024 resolution. It also comes equipped with an IR illuminator, allowing for clear, high-resolution images from over 200 feet in complete darkness. The rapid deploy camera system can be placed anywhere for security surveillance purposes, to monitor a process system, or to watch over a machine, remote pumping station, pipeline, power substation or anywhere there is an immediate need for video monitoring.

IFM: MID Volumetric Flow Sensor

With the QuanTec robot series, Kuka has a single robot family that covers the entire high payload range from 90 to 300 kg with reaches of up to 3,100 mm. The customer can select exactly the robot they need from the 15 coordinated robot types. With the KR C4 controller, the maker has developed a clearly-structured and easy-to-understand system architecture that concentrates on open and powerful data standards. In this architecture, all integrated control modules have a joint database and infrastructure, which they use and share intelligently, and communicate directly with one another.


products & services

Schneider Electric:Variable Speed Drives

Enquiry no. 4921

Enquiry no. 4920

Enquiry no. 4919

Enquiry no. 4918

Schneider Electric announced the launch of the Altivar 212 (ATV212), a dedicated HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) variable speed drive for pumps,

fans and compressors. The company’s Altivar 212 variable speed drive is designed especially for Building Management Systems (BMS) with central air-conditioning systems (heating or cooling), intended for

3-phase asynchronous motors from 0.75 kW to 75 kW, between one to 100 horsepower. The product is integrated within the building supervision network using four embedded protocols, and is capable of instant detection of system failure, such as belt breakage, pumps running dry, phase failure, and so on.

SolidCAM:Functional Adaptive Technology

Oriental Motor:Standard AC Motors

To keep up with the market demands, Oriental Motor has developed a range of standard AC Motors – the World K Series for Asia. Conforming to CE and CCC safety standards, this series includes a wide range of induction, reversible and electromagnetic brake motors with output power from 6 to 90 Watts.

With this design, the maker is able to offer a more affordable price and, at the same time, deliver the quality standard with no minimum order quantity required.

Raytek has developed the CS210 process imaging system for cement kilns. This fully integrated kiln shell scanning system enables cement manufacturers to continuously monitor rotary kilns to detect hot spots due to refractory loss, damage and wear, and as a result, avoid costly damage and unscheduled downtime. Using the CS210 infrared (IR) linescanning solution, cement plant operators can determine the effectiveness of kiln refractory material. Any fallen bricks will be detected and appropriate action may be taken to prevent further damage. Scheduled maintenance can also be planned to replace the refractory with a minimum of downtime. Thus, the refractory life can be extended to provide economic benefits, and emergencies can be averted.

Raytek:Process Imaging System

The basic goal of the iMachining strategy by SolidCAM is to use ‘ideal’ cutting conditions and to keep the tool cutting angle within limits, resulting in a constant tool load as much as possible. When it is not possible, especially in lead in and lead out from cut, the algorithm of the CAM software modifies cutting conditions according to the tool path.

The user can select from eight levels of machining aggressiveness in order to take full advantage of the state of his CNC machine and set up, realising his full productivity potential. Recommended values for cutting are calculated and shown to the user – these values can be modified by the user.

2011Calendar Of Events 2011Calendar Of Events20 – 22 ASEAN Elenex

Kuala Lumpur Convention CentreKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaMalaysian Exhibition ServicestEmail: [email protected]: www.aseanelenex.com

20 – 23 Industrial Automation

Kuala Lumpur Convention CentreMalaysiaMalaysia Exhibition ServicesEmail: [email protected]: http://www.asean-ia.com

31 – 3 Sep Taipei International Industrial Automation Exhibition

TWTC Nangang Exhibition HallTaiwanChan Chao InternationalEmail: [email protected]: http://www.chanchao.com.tw/show/Automation/en/

08 – 10 Thailand Oil & GasIMPACTBangkok, ThailandFireworks Media (Thailand) Co LtdEmail: [email protected]: www.oilgasthai.com

21 – 24 Oil & Gas Indonesia

JIExpoIndonesiaPT Pamerindo IndonesiaWeb: http://pamerindo.com

june 21 – 22 Energy Harvesting & Storage and Wireless Sensor Networks & RTLS Europe

Holiday Inn Munich City Centre GermanyIDTechEx LtdEmail: [email protected]: http://www.idtechex.com/energy-harvesting-and-storage-europe-11/

21 – 24 CommunicAsia

Marina Bay Sands SingaporeSingapore Exhibition ServicesEmail: [email protected]: http://www.communicasia.com/

23 – 26 Assembly Technology

BITECBangkok, ThailandReed Tradex CompanyEmail: [email protected]: http://www.assemblytechexpo.com

27 – 30 The Manufacturing Show Asia

Raffles City Convention CentreSingaporeTerrapinnEmail: [email protected]: www.terrapinn.com/2011/mfgshow

4 – 8 Singapore International Water Week

SUNTEC Singapore SingaporeSingapore International Water Week Pte LtdEmail: [email protected]: http://www.siww.com.sg

5 – 8 MTA Vietnam

Saigon Exhibition & Convention CenterHo Chi Minh City, VietnamSingapore Exhibition ServicesEmail: [email protected]: www.mtavietnam.com

july

october

august

november

01 – 03 Oil & Gas AsiaKuala Lumpur Convention CentreMalaysiaMalaysian Exhibition ServicesEmail: [email protected]: http://www.oilandgas-asia.com

01 – 04 Pumps and Valves Asia

BITECBangkok, ThailandUBM Asia (Thailand)Email: [email protected]: http://www.pumpsandvalves-asia.com/

07 – 09 Sensor + Test

Nürnberg Exhibition CentreNürnberg, GermanyAMA ServiceEmail: [email protected]: http://www.sensor-test.de/

09 – 12 Electrical Building Technology Guangzhou

China Import and Export Fair Pazhou ComplexGuangzhou, ChinaMesse FrankfurtEmail: [email protected] frank furt.comWeb: http://www.building.messefrankfurt.com.cn/

15 – 18 Eco 5

BITEC Bangkok, ThailandBangkok Exhibition ServicesEmail: e5@@besallworld.comWeb: www.e5thailand.com

15 – 18 ProPak Asia

BITEC Bangkok, ThailandBangkok Exhibition ServicesEmail: [email protected]: http://www.propakasia.com/

september

13 – 15 3P Malaysia International Industrial Machinery Expo

Danga City Hall Expo HallJohor, MalaysiaFireworks EventEmail: [email protected]: www.3pexpo.com

18 – 21 SCM Logistics World

Marina Bay Sands Convention CentreSingaporeTerrapinnEmail: [email protected]: http://www.terrapinn.com/2011/scm-logistics-world/index.stm

31 – 4 Nov Singapore International Energy Week

Suntec Singapore SingaporeReed ExhibitionsEmail: [email protected]: http://www.reedexpo.com.sg

02 – 04 Asia SmartGrid

SUNTEC SingaporeSingaporeReed ExhibitionsEmail: [email protected]: www.asiasmartgrid.com.sg

22 – 25 CIASuntec SingaporeSingaporeSingapore Exhibition ServicesEmail: [email protected]: http://www.cia-asia.com

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ONLINE @ www.iaasiaonline.comORsUBsCRIpTION RATesAIRmAIL (1 YeAR – eIGHT IssUes)

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Automation

I/O

IPC

| AT1

1-08

E |

Motion

www.beckhoff.com.sg/AX5000 New standards in Drive Technology: AX5000 in single- or multi-channel variants: AX51xx (1-channel): from 1.5 A to 170 A (315 A in preparation) AX52xx (2-channel): 2 x 1.5 A, 2 x 3 A, 2 x 6 A AX-Bridge: quick power connection system for multi-axis applications Wide voltage range for easy use worldwide: 100 V AC -10 %…480 V AC +10 % Active Current Sensing: automatic adaptation of the current resolution Flexible motor selection: synchronous, linear, torque and asynchronous motors Multi-feedback interface: Resolver, Encoder, BISS, EnDAT, etc. High-speed EtherCAT: short cycle time, synchronicity/simultaneity Integrated safety: restart lock, TwinSAFE

EtherCAT drives for highly dynamic positioning tasks.The AX5000 series from Beckhoff.

up to12 A

up to2 x 6 A up to 40 A up to 72 A up to 170 A

Beckhoff Automation Pte. Ltd.Phone: + 65 6635 [email protected]

ENQUIRY NO. 267

Visit us atMTA Vietnam 201105 - 08 JulySaigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City Booth AK5-6, Singapore Pavilion

ENQUIRY NO. 278

iaa junejuly 2011

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