Control Engineering - Okt 2023

CONTROLENG.
COM
SCADA and IIoT | 19, 26, 28

Integrating machine systems | 30, 32,
IT/OT cybersecurity help | 15, 37
Motion, robotics after | 38
New products | 45
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| EC11-12USA |
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cloud your judgment
One controller can handle PLC, motion control,
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Vol. 70 • No. 9
Contents OCTOBER 2023
20-25 AI and ML
on the edge?
COVER: Companies that invest in cyberse-
curity and infrastructure at the edge can
optimize plant operations with improved
data gathering and tools such as artificial
intelligence and machine learning. (AI/
ML). Courtesy: Interstates
INSIGHTS ANSWERS
9 | Career Update: Is your change manage- 24 | Data analytics, machine learning on
ment up to par? the plant floor
10 | International: How to integrate process, 25 | How AI/ML are changing process
digital technologies manufacturing
13 | Market Update: Automation M&A, video on 26 | 3 ways visualization software align
p.26
motors and mobile robots, robot orders, AI operations
NEWS 28 | 7 ways SCADA advances IIoT, if you

do it right
15 | Pack Expo Las Vegas 2023: Developing
automation systems for facilities, Digital 30 | PLC standards, modern programming tools
twins, new servos, machine performance 32 | Turnkey automation for first-of-a-kind
advantages, Five pillars to improve opera- process: Before/after HMI
tional cybersecurity, Robots as a service,
learn from more interviews at www.contro- 36 | Improving efficiency through algorithmic
leng.com, ONLINE: Headlines, conference, production scheduling
p.32
shows; Dick Johnson dies
Best of Industrial Cybersecurity Pulse
19 | Think Again on Control Engineering 2023
37 | Taking IT/OT convergence from theory
research: SCADA as I say, not as I do
into practice
ANSWERS INSIDE MACHINES (after 38)

20 | Three things to consider when deploying M1 | How electric linear actuators improve p.M2
edge computing (including AI) material handling automation
23 | Control Engineering 2023 AI research: M4 | Four manufacturing concepts that benefit
and
Faster acceleration or hesitation? from under-rider AMRs Technology TM
CONTROL ENGINEERING (ISSN 0010-8049, Vol. 70, No. 9, GST #123397457) is published Monthly, except in January and November by CFE Media, LLC, PO Box 471 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Periodicals postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional
mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CONTROL ENGINEERING, PO Box 348, Lincolnshire, IL 60069. Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher/Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/Co-Founder. CONTROL ENGINEERING copyright 2023 by CFE Media, LLC. All
rights reserved. CONTROL ENGINEERING is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used under license. Circulation records are maintained at PO Box 348, Lincolnshire, IL 60069. Telephone: 630/571-4070. E-mail: ctle@omeda.com. Publications Mail Agreement No.
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Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever.
control engineering — www.controleng.com October 2023

| 3
Vol. 70 • No. 9
Contents OCTOBER 2023
INNOVATIONS uControl Engineering eBook series,

now available: Fall edition
45 | New Products for Engineers – See products in this issue.
Open operating system; Thermal cameras; Gearmotor; Bench scales; AI & Machine
Gage head sensors; Tool speeds chip development; Industrial cameras, Learning eBook
lighting, lens components; Radar level meter; Polycarbonate enclosures; Artificial intelligence
Seventh axis for robots; Advanced submeters, circuit monitors; IEC (AI) and machine
safety contactors, motor controls; Decentralized I/O modules learning are becom-
See more products in the New Products for Engineers Database. ing crucial to manu-
www.controleng.com/products facturing’s success.
A machine and an
industrial network
47 | Back to Basics: Securing OT with IT cybersecurity best practices
learn and adapt.
With digital transformation comes the need for robust cybersecurity
specific to the operational technology (OT) domain. The information
technology (IT) domain can help.
Security the IIoT
NEWSLETTERS ONLINE eBook
The industrial Inter-
Machine and Process Safety
net of Things (IIoT)
• Five steps for driving safety
offers manufacturers
culture; Safety, productivity
can be compatible a great deal of poten-
tial because it con-
Mechatronics and
nects many devices
Motion Control
to the internet that
• How electric linear actuators
improve material handling could not before. That connectivity, however,
automation; robots as a service comes with a potential drawback because it also
makes devices more vulnerable to cybersecurity
CE System Integration
attacks.
• Unified environment for control system integration benefits; Benefits
of legacy equipment upgrades Learn more at: www.controleng.com/ebooks
Stay ahead. Subscribe!

www.controleng.com/newsletters
uControl Engineering digital edition
uGlobal System Integrator Report (GSIR) Useful links to more
info, photos: In the
Watch for the next edition with the November/
digital edition, click on
December issue; until then, reference the last headlines to see online
edition. Have a story to tell about system integra- version with more text
tion? Integrator Giants. Contact: and often more images
kparker@cfemedia.com; and graphics. Down-
cvavra@cfemedia.com. load a PDF version.
www.controleng.com/GSIR www.controleng.com/
magazine

| 5
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Online Highlights
controleng.com
Hot Control Engineering digital VIDEO: AI improves

transformation articles in 2023 robot picking
u ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE improves robot
uControl Engineering most-viewed articles online about digital transforma-
performance, as explained in a video interview with
tion published in the last year include stories on new technologies impact on Richard Ankney, global account manager, robots
digitalization, digital twin simulations, digital transformation and system inte- and discrete automation, Robotics Business Unit,
gration and more. Also: See additional digital transformation stories. ABB, at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2023.
1. The impact of new technologies on automation and digitalization
system architectures
Digital telecommunication evolution has been rapid over the past several
years and is providing near real-time communication.
2. How digital twin simulations advance digital transformation in
manufacturing
By increasing visibility into a company’s manufacturing operations and Courtesy: Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering
testing an unlimited number of what-if possibilities in real-time, a digital Also online, see Pack Expo Las Vegas interviews
twin can provide factories a reliable way to save time and money. with automation experts from Emerson,
Mitsubishi, Siemens and Yaskawa. Search Pack
3. Digital transformation at Gibson, control system integration Expo Las Vegas at www.controleng.com.
for chemical, food and beverage
In this issue, see more from Pack Expo, pages 15,
2023 System integrator of the Year, Eosys, excelled in digital transforma- 16; and more on AI on pages 20-25.
tion, batch control, and other control and automation system project inte-
gration, with emphasis on mentoring and continuing education.
4. MQTT’s benefits for digital transformation
Control Engineering
Message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) addresses many of the hot topics, August 2023
challenges involved in today’s increasingly complex industrial networks u HOT TOPICS in Control Engineering, for
and can boost digital transformation initiatives. July 2023, for stories posted in the last three
months included:
5. How digital twins can enable optimization 1. PLC programming language fundamentals for
Digital twins are being used to achieve process design and operational improved operations, maintenance
performance improvements for manufacturers. ce 2. Is Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing
working for you?
– Chris Vavra is web content manager for CFE Media and Technology. 3. Automation upgrades reduce sortation
system wiring and lower costs
4. Edge controllers save money, lower risk
Tiny, shape-shifting for water pipeline, pumping, storage
robot can squish 5. SCADA’s role in Industry 4.0,
manufacturing applications
itself into tight spaces 6. How electrification of linear actuators improve
uCU BOULDER RESEARCHERS material handling automation
have developed the Compliant Legged 7. Are you making the most of PLC
programming standards from PLCopen?
Articulated Robotic Insect (CLARI),
which is designed to passively change 8. Motion control, ease of use, sustainability:
Pack Expo Las Vegas 2023
its shape to work in tight environ-
ments, which could make it useful in 9. Turning smart devices into valuable
IIoT devices
emergency situations. CLARI can passively change its shape from square
10. Are you prepared for the future
to long and slender or wide like a crab. Courtesy: Casey Cass, CU Boulder
of manufacturing?
https://www.controleng.com/articles/ David Miller is a Control Engineering content
tiny-shape-shifting-robot-can-squish-itself-into-tight-spaces manager, dmiller@cfemedia.com.

| 7
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INSIGHTS
CAREER UPDATE
Is change management working?

How to ensure your change management investments don’t go to waste
G
lobal corporate expenditures on change human contribution to workplace improvement.
management programs in 2016 were This approach does not impose change on employ-
$10 billion a year. At a 5% per yearly ees who are not given a voice. Rather, it empowers
increase, annual change management them as agents of change. It aligns workforce goals
expenditures exceed $14 billion dollars today. with management objectives. Placing employees at the
Despite this significant expenditure, 70 percent of center of the change strategy can alleviate apprehen-
these projects fall short of their objectives as they sion, fear of job loss and lack of trust.
fail to demonstrate any sustainable improvement
in performance. Key takeaways for management
consideration
Sometimes slow is needed Organizations can consider the following before
The speed at which change programs are imple- embarking on their next change initiative:
mented often jeopardizes the project's outcome. • Think about your senior team's management
Many result in a greater chasm between the work- style. Is it authoritarian? Participative? A hybrid of
force and management than before the change pro- the two? What type of organizational structure sup-
gram was initiated. As workers who are suspicious ports your management of the business? Are you
of management's intentions resist adopting work- organized around revenue streams or silos?
flow changes, morale, customer service and pro- • What would your employees say about your
ductivity often decline—sometimes irreversibly. working environment? Do they see it as benevolent,
Employee resistance to change reveals an under- benign or toxic?
lying trust problem between management and • How would your employees define the orga-
employees. It’s exacerbated by a constant flow of nization’s culture? We are not referring to whether
Online
change initiatives that create fatigue. If there’s no your culture is viewed as customer centric or a clan
analysis or learning from the last failed attempt, culture. These are manifestations of what you do u
controleng.com
companies risk launching an endless wave of change as an organization. We are interested in the inputs
initiatives that never deliver on their promises. that determine your culture. For example, which KEYWORDS: Change
values guide the organization? Unfortunately, most Management, Workforce
Development
Place employees at the center corporate cultures are by default, not by design.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Management is responsible for applying best Instead, culture should be shaped and cultivated by Learn why 70% of change
work practices, utilizing current technology and leadership. management projects fall short
of their objectives.
implementing efficient workflows. Given the dis- These human behavioral issues can no longer be
Explore how giving employees
appointing results of their change efforts to date, it ignored by management. They must be addressed agency in driving change
may be time for them to reconsider change strate- as part of the change process. Work has evolved initiatives can improve trust,
gies and adopt new methods that are inclusive and from labor intensive to knowledge intensive, and morale and overall outcomes.
transparent. This management re-think is critical is now becoming a creativity intensive effort. The Discover other techniques
for ensuring the success
for companies if they are going to succeed in our management of organizational structures that sup- of change management
hypercompetitive global economy. As a manage- port work must change significantly to complement initiatives.
ment consultant, I have participated in change proj- this evolution. ce ONLINE
This article online has twice the
ects with public corporations on four continents information. Click the headline
and 10 countries. What I’ve learned about organi- Peter Harlamon, senior consultant and associate, in the digital edition to see.
zational change is simple, but essential: manage- Daniel Penn Associates. Edited by David Miller, con- CONSIDER THIS
ment must approach change holistically. Successful tent manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and What strategies can you
implement to improve your
change programs incorporate both the human Technology, dmiller@cfemedia.com. Daniel Penn next change management
and the process sides of change. They elevate the Associates is a CFE Media content partner. initiative?

| 9
INSIGHTS
INTERNATIONAL
How to integrate process,

digital technologies to increase
petrochemical factory output
Automation and controls company and Chinese Bai Wei, president of Shenghong Petrochemical
Industry Group, said, “Honeywell is not only a sup-
petrochemical firm integrate technologies for smart plier of process control systems and a provider of
process technology.” Empowered with Honeywell
factory benchmarking. One plant reduced manual
digital intelligence technology, Shenghong connect-
operation more than 50% and increased propylene ed the process of procurement, production, sales,
logistics, human resources and finance, building a
yield by more than 0.1%. strong innovation empowerment platform for the
W
digital transformation of the industrial chain.
ith new technological advance- The project included Honeywell’s in-depth inte-
ments and rapid changes in new gration of its UOP refining process technology and
concepts, the construction of intel- expert insights.
ligent factories in the petrochem- Talking about project integration, Liu Maoshu,
ical industry has become more complex and vice president and general manager of Honeywell
diverse. How can petrochemical enterprises real- Performance Materials and Technologies Group in
ize digital transformation more effectively? Asia-Pacific, said: “Honeywell can fully and close-
Honeywell and Shenghong Petrochemical ly integrate UOP’s century-old process technolo-
jointly released the white paper June 28, “Dual gy with mature digital intelligence technology, and
Technology Integration, Operational Excellence: provide the process industry with the most effective
— Stone Shi,
Honeywell-Shenghong Petrochemical Smart Fac- and efficient way to optimize operations and make
Control Engineering China
tory Practices” during the 14th Summer Davos decisions by focusing on the safety of the enter-
Forum. Plant benefits include reduced manual prise's production, operation optimization and
operation of more than 50% and increased propyl- decision-making, providing innovative ideas for
ene yield by more than 0.1%. technological change in the process industry and
helping to build a new digital ecosystem in China.”
The core secret of
dual-technology integration Explore more digital technology
For many years, Honeywell and Shenghong application possibilities
Petrochemical have maintained a close strate- As early as 2019 in the refining industry, Honey-
gic partnership. For two years both discussed how well presented a forward-looking “future refinery”
to promote digital and intelligent transformation concept. To build a smart factory for the process
of Chinese petrochemical enterprises. Starting in industry, it is necessary to realize the digital con-
2021, they conducted comprehensive cooperation struction and transformation of the whole lifecy-
in intelligent factories and advanced control around cle from the vertical application layers (including
the Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) device of the perception and control layer, the production
the second phase project in Sierbang. Sheng- and operation layer and the enterprise management
hong is promoting the process of digital transfor- layer), as well as the horizontal implementation
mation through digital operation and intelligent process, such as making full use of the digital deliv-
production. ery results in the design phase.
10 | October 2023 control engineering — www.controleng.com

‘
The plant integrated operating
windows, advanced control and
optimization, intelligent operation
management and digital twin and
’
interconnected applications.
Based on empowerment and focusing on the

construction goals of ensuring process safety, opti-
mizing plant efficiency, improving production
management, reducing operating costs and creating
a benchmark for intelligent plants in the propane HONEYWELL and Shenghong Petrochemical Courtesy integrate and optimize digitaliza-
dehydrogenation industry, Honeywell implemented tion and control optimization throughout plants’ lifecycles. Control Engineering China
seven sub-systems in the Sierpong plant using inte-
grated operating windows, advanced control and will face more difficult challenges in the face of
optimization, intelligent operation management market volatility and uncertainty. But the more dif-
and digital twin and interconnected applications. ficult the context, the more meaningful the digital
Doing so delivered considerable digital benefits. and intelligent transformation of the industry.”
Through the deployment, implementation and Through the digital transformation journey,
efficient operation of seven major subsystems, Shenghong has benefited. Taking the most intuitive
Honeywell helped Shenghong solidify its device level of plant automation for example, Bai Wei said:
performance, production costs and key carbon “the original operator daily flow, temperature, pres-
emission indicators. The PDH device in Sierbang sure of the operating habits, through the application
has become the first production device in China of Honeywell's automation, intelligent technology,
that combines process technology and intelligent to achieve the manual operation of more than 50%
technology applications to achieve comprehensive
intelligent production and digital operation.
reduction in the frequency and improve the device
self-control rate of more than 95%.” In addition,
u Online
controleng.com
In the modern central control room of the Sier- the solution “improves the device self-control rate
KEYWORDS: Digitalization,
bang factory, operators can use the large screen of to more than 95%, increases the propylene yield by process optimization
the Honeywell Experience PKS Orion Console to more than 0.1%, and successfully creates a model of LEARNING OBJECTIVES
clearly view the trend monitoring and real-time intelligent plant in the PDH industry.” Understand how Shenghong
key-performance indicators (KPIs) of multiple sets Enterprises can start with intelligent pilots of indi- Petrochemical and
Honeywell collaborate on
of operating data. Led by the successful practice of vidual devices (such as PDH, etc.), gradually expand integrating digitalization and
this smart factory, Sierbang reconsidered the appli- to enterprise-level applications and related organiza- plant optimization control
technologies to decrease
cation of digital intelligence technologies, expects tional support and explore the potential of the appli- manual operation and
to continue to deepen and promote digital tech- cation of technologies such as artificial intelligence increase output.
nology in the future and continues to explore and and process digital twins, to increase digital capabili- Consider how smart factory
unlock the wider application of new technology in ties. Liu Maoshu said that Honeywell has rich experi- optimization includes
digital construction and
more installations. ence in digital transformation, one-stop totalization transformation of the plant
and automation solutions and strong local research lifecycle from the vertical
Implement dynamic iteration and development team. These can tailor the opera- application layers and using
results in the design phase
of connected factories tion system according to the enterprise’s characteris- at other plants, dynamic
As one of the important pillar industries of the tics, help the industry to solve the challenges faced in iteration of connected
factories.
national economy, in recent years, the petrochem- the process of digital transformation and ensure the
CONSIDER THIS
ical industry has faced the opportunities of the smooth project delivery. ce Is digitalization helping
commissioning boom with more severe market design, integration and
uncertainty, operational safety, green dual-carbon, Stone Shi is executive editor-in-chief, Control Engi- implementation of controls
technologies?
human resources and other challenges. neering China. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content
ONLINE
Bai Wei said: “Petrochemical companies with manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and Tech- www.controleng.com/
heavy resource inputs and continuous operations nology, mhoske@cfemedia.com. international
control engineering — www.controleng.com Octoberr 2023

| 11
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INSIGHTS
MARKET UPDATE
Are you affected by September automation

mergers, acquisitions? Check here
uAMONG 17 automation-industry ly closed transaction (Bundy Group repre-
acquisitions reported in September were sented Ultimation in a sale to MCE), there
those involving Ultimation, Matrix, Bar- continues to be strong interest from stra-
coding, Ametek and United Electronic tegic buyers and financial sponsors in the
Industries, according to Bundy Group, an automation segment. Business sales include
investment bank and advisory firm. The Valstone’s acquisition of Matrix Industrial
firm provides an update on mergers and Control Systems, Graham Partners’ acquisi-
acquisitions and capital placement activ- tion of Barcoding, and Ametek’s acquisition THE BUNDY GROUP reported 17 automa-
ity for companies that address the man- of United Electronic Industries. This article tion transactions in September; see details
online. Courtesy: Bundy Group
ufacturing and plant management fields. online has more on the transactions. ce
While numerous industries are witnessing a
lower volume of closed mergers and acqui-
sitions transactions due to higher interest
Clint Bundy is managing director, Bundy
Group, a Control Engineering content part-
Online
u
controleng.com
rates and other macroeconomic challeng- ner. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content man-
https://www.controleng.com/articles/automation-
es, the automation M&A market shows ager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and mergers-acquisitions-capital-markets-analysis-
no lost momentum. Including a recent- Technology, mhoske@cfemedia.com. august-2023/
VIDEO on low-voltage Robot orders decline in 23Q2 after

motors, mobile robots record highs in 2022, 2021
reveals how to add flexibility
THE NORTH AMERICAN robotics market declined for the second consecutive quarter
THE ULTRA-LOW voltage motor mar- due to a sluggish U.S. economy and high interest rates, resulting in a 37% drop in robot
ket is projected to reach nearly $6.5 orders and a 20% decrease in value in Q2 2023 compared to the same period in 2022,
billion by 2027, driven by demand said the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). Companies ordered 7,697 robots
from battery-driven applications and valued at $457 million from April to July 2023, a 37% decline in robot orders and 20%
increased flexibility in manufacturing drop in value over the same record-setting period in 2022. Non-automotive customers
and logistics processes. ordered more robots during that timeframe than automotive customers. See more with
Strong growth is driven in part from this article online. ce
growth in the mobile robotics industry,
– Association for Advancing Automation (A3) is a CFE Media and Technology content
which is emphasizing greater flexibil-
partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, web content manager, CFE Media and Technology.
ity. In a video interview, Interact Anal-
ysis research manager Blake Griffin
and research analyst Brianna Jackson
discussed these trends, future outlook Edge AI market projecting strong growth;
and the industries impacted. ce can 5G and IT help?
– Chris Vavra, web content manager,
THE EDGE AI MARKET is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
CFE Media and Technology,
of 20.8%, according to a report by Future Market Insights. By 2032, the market is expect-
cvavra@cfemedia.com.
ed to be worth $39.61 billion, up from $5.9 billion in 2022, FMI said. Top organizations
u Online
controleng.com
use edge AI software to access data and respond in real time, projected to boost edge
AI market growth. Real-time data processing, efficiency and accuracy reduces work
time. Growing use of IoT, edge AI software devices and 5G will help. See more online.ce
Read more; see video:
https://www.controleng.com/articles/ultra-low- – Edited from a Future Market Insights press release by CFE Media and Technology.
voltage-motor-motor-drive-industry-growth-driven-
by-mobile-robotics-increased-flexibility/
Future Market Insights is a CFE Media and Technology content partner.

| 13
ADVERTISEMENT
Accessing Production Data vs
Cybersecurity? Why not both?
An in-depth white paper from Skkynet asks why you should have to
compromise between data access and security. Industry 4.0 and
IoT are forcing companies to pull data from production and feed it to
IT departments or the cloud. The question is, how to do that securely?
Industry experts and governmental agencies agree that the most

secure way to connect OT and IT is to segregate networks by using a
DMZ (“demilitarized zone”). NIST reference document SP-800- 82
describes zero-trust OT network segmentation like this: “The most
secure, manageable, and
scalable control network
and corporate network
segregation architectures
are typically based on a
system with at least three
zones, incorporating one
or more DMZs.”
Making connections
through a DMZ is not
straightforward, however. Neither MQTT nor OPC UA were designed for this. What is needed is the
ability to daisy-chain a connection across multiple zones, while keeping all inbound firewall ports closed
on both the OT and IT sides. The best way to do this is through secure tunnelling.
The white paper explains how tunnelling works and provides some helpful tips for securing a tunnel
connection. It also mentions some potential pitfalls in attempting to use OPC UA or MQTT across a
DMZ and explains why a VPN is not a good choice.
More than ever, companies need remote access to their process data. But there’s no need to
compromise on cybersecurity. Tunnelling technologies can connect OT and IT systems securely in real
time. It is possible to achieve a level of security comparable to an in-plant network, and still access the
production data you need.
SCAN QR CODE
CLICK to download
AT RIGHT FOR
the white paper. SMARTPHONE
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skkynet.com
INSIGHTS
NEWS
Pack Expo Recap:

Developing automation systems for facilities
uPack Expo returned to Las Vegas Making automation
and was full of interactive displays and simple, efficient
demos highlights many advances in Nicolas Garcia, vice president and gen-
the packaging and logistics industries. eral manager of Rotzinger Group, aims
Many of the advances displayed high- to give consumers in the packaging, food
lighted progress with the Internet of and beverage and other industries an all-
Things (IoT), smart manufacturing and in-one solution. “We’ve worked to com-
artificial intelligence (AI). Manufactur- bine everything to turnkey solutions, and
ers are trying to deliver products that we can manage a complete system,” he
go beyond their initial offerings because said, adding they want to supply a full
their customers need to resolve many packaging line to customers where there is
problems at once. Open IIoT OS connections one point of contact.
Design of Bosch Rexroth’s ctrlx Universal Robots’ booth was about
Comprehensive, easy to use Automation platform provides a com- emphasizing expertise with collaborative
Issues like the skills gap and high cus- prehensive IoT connection provides robots, which were picking up different-
tomer demand remain constant issues. As openness with the user’s hardware sized boxes and placing them on pallets.
a result, many of the manufacturers dis- and software systems. Courtesy: Chris Michael DeGrace, a UR+ ecosystem
playing at Pack Expo reported they were Vavra, CFE Media and Technology manager, said, “We’re all about working
trying to deliver solutions that are com- with our partners. We know automation
prehensive and easy to use. and robotics, but they know their indus-
Dan Barrera, sales and product man- the user’s hardware and software systems. tries. We’re here to make things as simple
agement for ctrlx Automation at Bosch For Pack Expo, Barrera said, “We’re as possible for our partners.”
Rexroth, described their goal as a “facto- trying to deliver virtual packaging solu- Kenneth Crawford, director of automa-
ry automation system.” Their platform is tions for factory automation,” to their cus- tion for Weidmueller, agreed. “Simplicity
designed to provide a comprehensive IoT tomers in the packaging and processing is a key aspect of what we’re doing.” Wei-
connection that provides openness with industries as well as others. dmueller’s emphasis was on transmitting
That’s not an uncommon refrain. Com- programmable logic controller (PLC) data
panies are expanding beyond their normal to an OS and ensuring everything is oper-
bounds of being a “controls” company or a ating under one piece of software.
“motor and drive” company and trying to Turck’s RFID gate demonstrated in a
expand their range across a plant facility. rather simple way how to track objects
using RFID tags and gates that can be
Matching vision and positioned throughout a facility. An auto-
automation software mated guided vehicle (AGV) carrying a
With Beckhoff Vision, engineers can pallet can go through the gate and when
see what’s possible when machine vision the scanner marks the object, a signal
hardware and automation software are is relayed to a tablet or PC or human-
perfectly matched. The line of Ether- machine interface (HMI) indicating it has
Integrated machine vision CAT-enabled industrial cameras, lighting gone through. ce
and lensing components are paired with
The Beckhoff Vision product family
TwinCAT Vision software to round out Chris Vavra is web content manager,
is designed to deliver high scalability
and long-term availability in a rugged,
their product portfolio. CFE Media and Technology,
sleek – and highly awarded – design. “We can actively control light, position cvavra@cfemedia.com.
Courtesy: Chris Vavra, CFE Media and and axes of motion,” said Todd Jarvey, a https://www.controleng.com/articles/
Technology machine vision and automation specialist pack-expo-recap-developing-automation-
at Beckhoff Automation. systems-for-facilities/

| 15
INSIGHTS
NEWS Digital edition? Click on headlines for more details.
See news daily at www.controleng.com
How to benefit from digital twins, new

servos, machine performance advantages
uThree major offerings at the Rockwell on-machine portfolio, ArmorKinetix Dis-
Automation booth at Pack Expo Las Vegas tributed Servo Drives are available as stand-
2023 were explained by Steve Mulder, North alone drives and as integrated motor and
American OEM manager, Rockwell Auto- drives. Plex MES software from Rockwell
mation. Emulate3D software, ArmorKinetix Automation offers a data-ready package to
Servos and Plex manufacturing execu- help OEMs visualize plant-floor data from
tion system (MES) software help packaging around the plant or around the world. A
machine builders, system integrators and display showed performance data from four
end-users, as well as those in other indus- machines at other locations. ce
Emulate a design in software
tries. The video explains some benefits.
Emulate3D software by Rockwell
Emulate3D software by Rockwell Auto- Mark T. Hoske is content manager,
Automation is providing value by
mation is providing value by emulating emulating designs as digital twins
Control Engineering, CFE Media and
designs as digital twins before a machine is before a machine is built, as explained Technology, mhoske@cfemedia.com.
built. It can take mechanical models, do a
Online
by Steve Mulder, North American OEM
digital twin of those and emulate operations, manager, Rockwell Automation at u controleng.com
testing how the model operates and interacts Pack Expo Las Vegas 2023. Courtesy:
Click headlines in digital edition to see more
with virtual and actual hardware and soft- Control Engineering online, including those below.
ware. Users can do a full test, debug and per- Dick Johnson, long-time Control Engineering,
formance test before a machine is built. It’s new machine designs and how new machines Plant Engineering senior editor, dies
being used for packaging and other original integrate with applications, saving time and Top 5 Control Engineering content:
August 7-13, 2023
equipment manufacturers to show customers rework. Part of the Rockwell Automation
How robotics-as-a-service can help manufac-
turers with operations challenges
Five pillars to improve operational SHOWS, CONFERENCES, EVENTS

Sept. 26-28, Ignition Community Conference,
cybersecurity: Do you need essential help? Oct. 17-19, The Industrial Transformation Event,
LNS Research, https://www.theixevent.com/s/
The-IX-Event-2023/home
HAVE YOU DONE ENOUGH to thwart avoid a cybersecurity Oct. 23-25, Process Expo, Messe Frankfurt,
breach? Constantine Antoniou, cybersecurity business consul- Chicago,
tant, Schneider Electric, spoke at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2023 in https://process-expo.us.messefrankfurt.com/
us/en.html
a presentation called: “Cybersecurity essentials too many CPG
Oct. 23-26, Aveva World, San Franciso
firms overlook.” He also talked to Control Engineering about how https://events.aveva.com/aw-st-2023
greater cooperation between information technology and oper- Nov. 6-9: Rockwell Automation’s all-new Automa-
ational technology experts can lead to greater success when tion Fair - Rockwell Automation Inc. opened regis-
applying five pillars to improve operational cybersecurity. Anto- tration for Automation Fair 2023. The annual event,
Greater cooperation hosted by Rockwell and members of its global Part-
niou discussed how the cybersecurity threat landscape is between information nerNetwork program, is at the Boston Convention
becoming more sophisticated. Worst cases have to deal with technology and oper- and Exhibition Center this year. Organizers expect
injuries, death, damage, property loss and long downtimes. ational technology to attract more than 10,000 participants globally to
“Discover What's Possible” (the theme), with inno-
Average downtime is 21 days, average fee for ransom in 2021 experts can lead to
improved cybersecurity
vations, experts and strategies. It has more than
was $200,000, with the largest payout at $40 million. With this 325 sessions in multiple tracks, 26 off-site tours,
says Constantine Anto-
article online, see more details and a video. audience summits, and 20 hours of advanced train-
niou, cybersecurity busi-
ing with opportunity to earn more than 20 profes-
ness consultant, Schnei- sional development credits. https://www.rock-
Mark T. Hoske is content manager, Control Engineering. der Electric. Courtesy: wellautomation.com/en-us/company/events/
www.controleng.com/system-integration/cybersecurity Control Engineering in-person-events/automation-fair.html

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INSIGHTS
THINK AGAIN ABOUT SCADA RESEARCH
®
3010 Highland Parkway, Suite 310, Downers Grove,

IL 60515. 630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504
Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering
Content Specialists/Editorial
Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager
630-571-4070, x2227, MHoske@CFEMedia.com
Many wait too long to upgrade software
David Miller, Content Manager,
312-481-5068, DMiller@CFEMedia.com
Upgrades for SCADA software should be implemented sooner for better
Emily Guenther, Director of Interactive Media results, says SCADA software buyers, specifiers and integrators.
W
630-571-4070, x2229, eguenther@CFEMedia.com
Amanda Pelliccione, Director of Research
978-302-3463, APelliccione@CFEMedia.com hen upgrading supervisory con- ple allowed), in a statistical tie for first, were:
Gary Cohen, Senior Editor
GCohen@CFEMedia.com trol and data acquisition soft- Easier data sharing 53%; Universal connectivi-
Chris Vavra, Web Content Manager ware, it’s “SCADA as I say and ty (for I/O readiness, Industry 4.0, smart man-
CVavra@CFEMedia.com
not as I do,” said Control Engineering sub- ufacturing) 52%; Easy conversion from prior
scribers who buy, specify or integrate software 50%; Analytics 50%; Easier program-
Contributing Content Specialists
Suzanne Gill, Control Engineering Europe SCADA software in an August survey. ming 49% and Automated transfer of screen
suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk
Among respondents, 79% said SCADA design to other devices, such as tablets, smart-
Agata Abramczyk, Control Engineering Poland
agata.abramczyk@trademedia.pl upgrade should happen before the soft- phones 49%.
Lukáš Smelík, Control Engineering Czech Republic
lukas.smelik@trademedia.cz
ware is not supported, though only half said Tied for second place at 37% and 36% were
Aileen Jin, Control Engineering China they actually upgrade before then. Similar- automated tag updates and programming
aileenjin@cechina.cn
ly, only 13% said SCADA software should object libraries. Integration of AI/ML capabili-
be upgraded after the software is not sup- ties was farther down the list at 27%.
Editorial Advisory Board ported, though, remarkably, 39% said that’s A related question put ranked traits or fea-
www.controleng.com/EAB
Doug Bell, president, InterConnecting Automation, when they upgrade. tures to value of an upgrade, “What are key
www.interconnectingautomation.com
David Bishop, chairman and a founder
More concerning, 64% said SCADA soft- traits, features or justifications of SCADA
Matrix Technologies, www.matrixti.com ware should be updated before unexpected software packages (some may be considered
Daniel E. Capano, senior project manager, Gannett Fleming
Engineers and Architects, www.gannettfleming.com downtime that could have been prevented by platforms) that make an upgrade worth the
Frank Lamb, founder and owner advanced software, though only 35% actually investment?” Leading replies were consistent:
Automation Consulting LLC, www.automationllc.com
Joe Martin, president and founder
upgrade SCADA software by then. About half Built-in communications and easier connec-
Martin Control Systems, www.martincsi.com said SCADA should be upgraded before tal- tions to other devices, software and systems
Rick Pierro, president and co-founder
Superior Controls, www.superiorcontrols.com ent leaves, and only 27% do so. A later question 67%; Better integration with distributed control
Mark Voigtmann, partner, automation practice lead noted that an updated SCADA platform has system (DCS), process control software or other
Faegre Baker Daniels, www.FaegreBD.com
considerable value or is very valuable in upskill- systems 59% and Analytics 53%.
ing and in efforts to attract new talent, accord-
ing to 64% of respondents. Benefits suggest earlier upgrades
CFE Media and Technology Given these results, think again about when Given usefulness assigned to SCADA soft-
Contributor Guidelines Overview
Content For Engineers. That’s what CFE Media stands
your organization upgrades SCADA software. ware, it is surprising that many respondents
for, and what CFE Media is all about – engineers sharing
with their peers. We welcome content submissions for all
were not upgrading as soon as they should.
interested parties in engineering. We will use those materials How do you use SCADA? Respondents were asked to finish this sentence
online, on
our website, in print and in newsletters to keep engineers Respondents explained how they use (with the following supplied answers and sever-
informed about the products, solutions
and industry trends. SCADA software and were allowed to select al others): “SCADA is helping my organization
www.controleng.com/contribute explains how to submit
press releases, products, images, feature articles, case
more than one reply: SCADA software enables with....” Leading replies were: Preventive/pre-
studies, white papers, and other media. automation and control applications 71%; dictive maintenance 64%; Avoiding downtime
* Content should focus on helping engineers solve problems.
Articles that are commercial or are critical of other products SCADA is another word for human-machine 60%; Greater return on investment (ROI) 39%;
or organizations will be rejected. (Technology discussions and
comparative tables may be accepted if non-promotional and interface (HMI) software 47%; SCADA oper- Sustainability 38%.
if contributor corroborates information with sources cited.)
ates mostly process-related applications 45% ; See more survey results online. See more on
* If the content meets criteria noted in guidelines, expect to
see it first on our Websites. Content for our e-newsletters 45% SCADA operates in hybrid applications; SCADA on pages 26 and 28. ce
comes from content already available on our Websites. All
content for print also will be online. All content that appears SCADA operates mostly discrete-related appli-
in our print magazines will appear as space permits, and
we will indicate in print if more content from that article is cations 21%; Other 10%. Mark T. Hoske is content manager, Control
available online.
* Deadlines for feature articles for the print magazines are at
Another question asked: What features do Engineering, CFE Media and Technology,
least two months in advance of the publication date. It is best you want in your next SCADA software that mhoske@cfemedia.com. Amanda McLeman is
to discuss all feature articles with the appropriate content
manager prior to submission. you don't have (or are inadequate) in current the research director and project manager of
Learn more at: www.controleng.com/contribute
SCADA software? Leading responses (multi- awards programs for CFE Media.
and
Technology
| 19
TM

ANSWERS
COVER: EDGE COMPUTING, AI
Jackson Cates, Nick Malott and Tiati Thelan, Interstates
Three things to consider when

deploying edge computing
Edge computing is changing manufacturing However, it adds a layer of abstraction impact-
ing processing efficiency and introducing latency.
in many ways and companies can take Physical devices allow low latency and substantial
process power, but they lose flexibility in resource
advantage of the benefits it involves. See allocation and are often procured for a single
application.
three aspects of edge computing The utilization of edge computing provides a
spectrum of advantages, such as quick response
to consider, including AI. times (low latency), efficient use of internet
E
resources (bandwidth efficiency), the ability to
dge computing is changing analytics, handle data in real-time (real-time analytics scal-
artificial intelligence (AI) and machine ability) and efficient application scalability. Local-
learning (ML) applications. Substantial izing applications removes the need to send data to
investments in libraries and frameworks a central server, reducing the logical distance from
have provided a new frontier for engineers and data generation and data processing. When prop-
operations specialists to integrate these capabili- erly applied, this approach can result in near real-
ties alongside process control. While the possibil- time solutions; applications gain the capability to
ities for valued applications are endless, security, make quick decisions and deliver rapid responses.
management and scalability must be carefully Scaling edge infrastructure is crucial for increas-
considered during design. ing demands and maintaining performance and
Online
u
controleng.com
Companies looking to deploy edge solutions responsiveness. Scaling is done by adding an edge
need to consider three primary pieces: the applica- device to the infrastructure. The distributed work-
KEYWORDS: edge tions running at the edge, the infrastructure sup- load limits bottlenecks, increases node manage-
computing, virtual machines porting the edge and the security and orchestration ment and improves load balancing.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES of edge appliances. Applications running at the edge are use-case
Learn how edge computing
is changing manufacturing Edge computing refers to the execution of appli- specific and often purpose-built. Some examples
applications and making cations near controls processes or machinery. An include analytics or models to optimize process
artificial intelligence, edge device generally lives on the same network as control such as reducing scrap, improving yield,
machine learning (AI/ML)
and analytics better. operational technology (OT) devices and exhibits reducing utility consumption, predictive mainte-
Learn about the three low-latency communication in data collection and nance and more. Data is brought locally to the edge
aspects manufacturers need response. An edge device may be a physical appli- device to be processed. Raw or aggregate data may
to know when deploying ance; however, a virtual machine (VM) with low be pushed up to enterprise servers or the cloud for
edge computing in their
facility. network latency to process equipment also can be further analysis; aggregating the data reduces data
ONLINE considered at the edge. transfer and storage costs in the cloud.
See additional edge One trade-off between physical devices and
computing stories at https:// VMs is the preference for processing power or flex- Edge computing infrastructure
www.controleng.com/ ibility. The decision simplifies down to having edge The supporting infrastructure for edge appli-
edge-cloud-computing/
virtual machines or edge physical devices. Virtual cations is often one of the most unknown aspects
CONSIDER THIS
How can edge computing machines can be spun up or down as needed pro- when integrating edge applications. Detailed scope
improve your facility? viding flexibility in resource allocation. of the edge application is required to understand

‘ Functional requirements of
an edge application are used
to specify the security require-
’
ments for processing data.
what process parameters need to be collected, what

the application's output is, and what defines success
in the process.
Additional considerations, such as readiness of
the process for data collection and advanced ana-
lytics, can be derived from an analytics maturity COVER: Companies that invest in security, orchestration and infrastructure at
model. Advanced process analytics require invest- the edge can optimize plant operations and improve their ability to gather data.
ment in data collection, cleansing, contextualization Courtesy: Interstates
and storage are supported through complemen-
tary infrastructure. Not all organizations are ready updating application versions, pushing new analyt-
for advanced process analytics. Work with analytics ic models or security patching.
experts to ensure these solutions can be supported. Building solutions on an orchestration platform
As devices are deployed and applications begin accelerates the development and scalability of an
to scale, the network load also increases. Under- application. A small proof of concept or pilot solu-
standing where data is being transferred over tions can be evaluated and deployed to the fleet of
the network is crucial to minimizing load issues edge devices working alongside the process. The
with the current infrastructure; upgrades of net- speed of innovation on an orchestration platform,
work switches to support larger data sizes may be alongside the built-in security, affords developers a
required to minimize network interruptions from powerful tool to focus on delivering solutions over
bandwidth contention. Consultation with plant managing deployments and architectures.
floor network integrators during the planning Edge computing, embedded with AI/ML, opens
phases can identify and provide solutions to miti-
gate network contention.
doors for new possibilities and challenges in con- u
trols engineering. Applications at the edge allow for
Insights
low-latency communications and can be tailored to Edge computing
Edge computing security and target various business goals. Understanding and insights
orchestration investing in the supporting infrastructure is nec- uEdge computing,
integrated with AI/
The security of edge devices should be consid- essary for analytic and network readiness at scale. ML, offers low-latency
ered first in the design process. Functional require- Security and orchestration, with a security-first communication and
ments of an edge application are used to specify the mindset and robust orchestration platform, ensure tailored applications,
revolutionizing controls
security requirements for processing data. Com- edge devices are managed and protected endpoints. engineering. Proper
mon examples of these security requirements may Investing in security, orchestration and infra- infrastructure investment
ensures analytic readiness
include data encryption in transit and/or rest, structure can pave the way for AI/ML solutions at and network scalability.
transport level security (TLS) communications and the edge to optimize plant operations. ce u Prioritizing security,
system patching. Orchestration platforms also can utilizing orchestration
secure edge devices and manage their lifecycle as Jackson Cates, business analyst; Nick Malott, tech- platforms,and investing
in infrastructure are vital
well as update devices and their respective appli- nology analyst; Tiati Thelen, business analyst II; all for successful AI/ML
cations. An orchestration platform also can oper- with Interstates, a CFE Media and Technology con- implementation at the
ate at scale, providing these services to a large fleet tent partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, web content edge, optimizing plant
operations and ensuring
of deployed edge devices. Management actions can manager, CFE Media and Technology, managed and protected
be performed across the fleet of devices, such as cvavra@cfemedia.com. endpoints.

| 21
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ANSWERS
AI FOR AUTOMATION
Mark T. Hoske and Amanda McCleman,
CFE Media and Technology
Research:
Integrating AI, industrial automation
More than half of survey respondents were challenged when trying to
integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and industrial automation. See advice.
M
ore than half of respondents (57%) to a
Control Engineering and Plant Engineer-
ing survey of use of artificial intelligence
(AI) for industrial automation have had
a challenge or obstacle when integrating AI technolo- RESEARCH respondents to a Control
gies into existing industrial automation systems; 14% Engineering and Plant Engineering AI
have not, and 29% have yet to implement AI. Inter- for industrial automation survey were
nal champions for increasing use of artificial intel- equally divided (withing margin of error)
ligence (AI) in respondents’ facilities are found in in saying they were somewhat confident,
various departments and titles. Among leading titles very confident and too early to tell.
are end-user engineer, director and project manager, About 1 in 10 expressed no confidence.
according to the September research, “Artificial Intel- Courtesy: “Artificial Intelligence in Indus-
ligence in Industrial Automation.” Results showed a trial Automation” research from Control
three-way tie when deciding about AI use, consider- Engineering, Plant Engineering
ing margin of error for the research.
• Same level of scrutiny as they would any Operational technology system integrators have
other new technology. no knowledge in machine learning (ML) and AI to
• Take a closer look due to lack of AI experience.
• Great deal of scrutiny given AI’s potential issues.
understand how it works as the following: 1) What is u
an ML model? 2) What is an ML algorithm? 3) What
Online
controleng.com
is ML training and inference? 4) What are the critical
KEYWORDS: Artificial
Why use AI for operations? data, information and outcomes for selected topics? 5) intelligence for industrial
When asked what factors are considered when How to define the valuable topic and return on invest- automation
deciding whether or not to implement AI-based auto- ment (ROI)? 6) What are labels and features? 7) How LEARNING OBJECTIVES
mation solutions in industrial processes, the lead- to store time series data of data sources from industri- Implementing AI in industrial
automation has challenges,
ing responses were: Operational efficiency gains; cost al field to information technology (IT) systems, data- according to respondents
and return on investment (ROI); and availability and base (DB) or data lake. who also provide advice in a
quality of data. Other important factors (about half IT workers have no knowledge in physical world Control Engineering and Plant
Engineering survey.
or more of respondents also checked off) technologi- and industrial automation. Be the consultant to inter-
CONSIDER THIS
cal infrastructure as well as workforce impact and skill view the C-level and plant manager for valuable topics Have you integrated AI
requirements. from managing matrix then collect the field data from and automation, yet? Or
Some survey respondents explained how to over- PLC tags to OPC [Unified Architecture] server to DB maybe you have, and it’s so
embedded, you didn’t know.
come those AI integration challenges in a write-in then import as data source for ML utility training. ce
ONLINE
question, lightly edited below. With this article online, see
Acceptance by management without technical Mark T. Hoske is content manager, Control Engi- more about feature selection,
methodology and review
skills. neering, CFE Media and Technology, mhoske@
other findings by downloading
Lack of client knowledge regarding AI. It takes a lot cfemedia.com. Amanda McLeman is the research the full report.
of training and educating clients before deployment, director and project manager of awards programs for www.controleng.com/
even before owner engagement. CFE Media and Technology. research

| 23
ANSWERS
VIDEO INTERVIEW
David Miller, Control Engineering
Video interview:
Data analytics, ML
Matt Ruth, president and CEO at Avanceon, discusses benefits
of data analytics and machine learning on the plant floor.
D
ata analytics is the process of gath- ference between descriptive, diagnostic,
ering information pertaining to a predictive and prescriptive analyt-
particular problem, and using it to ics. “Most people have some form of
explore and model the potential outcomes descriptive analytics, some of it is gath- IN AN INTERVIEW with Control Engineering,
of various approaches to solving that prob- ered by hand and written on the wall and Matt Ruth, president and CEO at Avanceon,
lem. In an exclusive interview with Con- some of it is on KPI boards being dis- discussed plant floor application of data
trol Engineering Matt Ruth, president and played in the break room or a supervisor’s analytics and machine learning. Courtesy:
CEO at Avanceon, discussed the application office. As you go up the food chain, it gets Control Engineering
of data analytics to the OT space and gave more and more rare,” he says. According
examples of specific applications, including to Ruth, while over 90% of plants have View the video interview online. ce
control loop analytics, alarm rationaliza- some form of descriptive analytics, less
tion and management, process sequence than 10% are deploying prescriptive ana- David Miller, content manager, CFE
and flow analytics, scheduling optimiza- lytics. As such, there is significant room Media and Technology, dmiller@cfemedia.
tion and product cost management. for most manufacturers to better leverage com. Avanceon is a Control Engineering
Ruth walked viewers through the dif- their data. content partner.
LEAN MANAGED SWITCHES
Complete with dashboard for instant visualization of network

health and topology maps for quick troubleshooting. These
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www.wago.com
/us/lean-managed
-switches
ANSWERS
VIDEO
Chris Vavra, Control Engineering
How AI/ML are changing process manufacturing

Manas Dutta of Honeywell discusses the process industry changes future impact of AI/ML.
M
anufacturing has gone through many chang- costs. They're looking for solutions to reduce
es in the last several years and artificial intel- greenhouse gas emissions and optimize costs
ligence/machine learning (AI/ML) has the and AI/ML use cases are helping companies
potential to change it more. Manas Dutta, a gener- explore potential solutions.
al manager for Honeywell’s Workforce Excellence • Asset management. Dutta said compa-
Growth Initiative, discussed changes happening nies are looking to extend the lifespan of prod-
and what he thinks the future of AI/ML is in pro- ucts and equipment. Predictive maintenance
cess manufacturing. Dutta did a recent interview can help reduce maintenance and repair costs. PROCESS manufacturing
in May and a webinar in February with CFE Media • Human reliability improvement. The collabora- is changing and AI/ML will
and Technology on the connected worker and digital tion between people and the machines they work with impact the industry in many
ways. Courtesy: CFE Media
transformation. is critical, Dutta said, because workers, with the right
and Technology
Dutta said process manufacturers are looking to tools, can make better decisions daily.
overcome several challenges. "The utmost challenge • Sustainability. "Every process industry is looking ONLINE VIDEO: https://
is process optimization. The production, cost opti- for sustainability, and they all have their own sustain- www.controleng.com/
articles/how-artificial-intel-
mization and increasing the efficiency of the produc- ability goals," he said. ce
ligence-and-machine-learn-
tion," he said. He listed several other challenges: ing-are-changing-process-man-
• Energy management. Dutta said costs are ris- Chris Vavra, web content manager, CFE Media and ufacturing/
ing in the industry and it is impacting production Technology, cvavra@cfemedia.com.
MEDIA SHOWCASE FOR ENGINEERS
October 2023
| 25
ANSWERS
SCADA, IIOT
Doug Warren, Aveva
3 ways visualization
software can align operations
across enterprise layers
Obtaining a clear high-level perspective of Obtain a 360-degree overview for
manufacturing, processing companies
operations throughout an organization calls 1. 360 views: Relevant data takes many forms
and originates from an exceptionally wide range of
for a consolidated software environment able sources and systems across all levels of a business,
sometimes even external to the business. Three
to unify OT, IT and ET, providing corporate examples spanning various organizational areas
include:
users with one-pane-of-glass visibility.
• OT sources: process data, quality data, alerts/
events, key performance indicators (KPIs) and
I
energy consumption
t is common sense for any manufacturing or
processing company to strive for maximizing • IT sources: Enterprise resource planning
efficiency on the production floor, including (ERP), including financials, orders, ship-
Online
u
controleng.com
the operation of all field equipment. There also ments, suppliers, bills of material and oth-
are gains to be made at the site-wide operational ers; analytics; weather and environmental
KEYWORDS: SCADA, HMI, and at the enterprise-wide corporate tier. But what data; market and commodity information and
digital transformation, is the best approach for coordinating and optimiz- video surveillance
manufacturing visibility
ing gains from all functional areas?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand how a
Implementing digital technologies is a key ele- • ET sources: 3D modeling, map and GIS inte-
360-degree visualization ment for helping companies maximize operator gration, engineering schematics and mainte-
overview is possible effectiveness and operational efficiency. Human nance documentation
for manufacturing and
processing companies to machine interfaces (HMIs), supervisory control
derive intelligence from and data acquisition (SCADA) and other manu- Process data is needed to inform analytics
software integrating multiple facturing and enterprise software can help. But efforts. Alerts and events are associated with immi-
enterprise levels.
addressing company needs across the entire enter- nent maintenance work. Energy and commodity
Consider how visualization
software can improve prise requires more than common HMI/SCADA pricing can prompt decisions about how much and
consistent information across visualization and analytics or business intelligence when to run. Yet it is all too easy to see how such
applications.
tools. varied data can remain siloed, trapped in special-
CONSIDER THIS To obtain complete enterprise operations per- ized and sometimes proprietary systems.
Are people across your
organization seeing what they formance visibility in real time, companies need Relating numerous disparate data with proper
need to see to make best software enabling them to fully unify operations. context is a challenge of its own. But reducing the
decisions when they should?
Enterprise visualization converges field operations effort for users to deploy such software, while deliv-
ONLINE
technology (OT) and corporate information tech- ering valuable understanding when and where it is
https://www.controleng.com/
articles/more-automation- nology (IT), supporting analysts and other users needed to support effective action, demands capa-
software-more-productivity- over the engineering technology (ET) life span of bilities spanning all layers. Effective convergence
expert-interview-series-john-
krajewski-aveva
the systems in their realm of responsibility. is the key to delivering a full 360° view of the com-

ONE PANE OF GLASS: The Aveva Unified Operations Center is an enterprise
plete enterprise and requires a solution that can be solution for enabling intelligent operations spanning OT, IT and ET, delivering
deployed flexibly for diverse consumers of organi- single-pane-of-glass visibility and contextualized information to all user levels.
zational data. Courtesy of Aveva
Visualize operations with Occasional users, web-based
‘
software at multiple levels interface views
Personnel working at the operational edge rely Even the largest organizations will Connect with assets,
on panel-based visibility, and increasingly on have executive and strategic analysts,
handheld devices for mobile and off-site viewing. ranging from just a few to perhaps hun- processes and opera-
At the supervisory level, workstation and process dreds, pursuing independent projects.
control room (PCR) visibility become more rele- These projects often require investiga-
tions to effectively
vant to support control and execution efforts. The tion of operations activities, key per- produce information
enterprise may have several categories of users, formance indicators (KPIs) and other
’
each with unique visualization needs. topics in the pursuit of optimization and for the right people.
reporting. Users in these areas require
Command center integrates access to the information, preferably though a web-
disparate IT/OT/ET systems based experience.
Many large companies use a centralized Connecting with assets, processes and oper-
approach to view the supply chain end-to-end ations to effectively gather data and produce
so they can optimize activities on a macro-lev- information, and then get it to the right person-
el regionally or globally. An integrated operations nel, requires an integrated and layered software
Insights
center (IOC) can integrate disparate systems to approach (Figure).
underpin controlling and sustaining activities, u
or a centralized operations center (COC) may Delivering data-derived intelligence
SCADA for IIoT
be more focused on converging IT/OT/ET data Digital transformation technologies have revo- insights
across the business value chain for command and lutionized all levels of enterprise operations, super- A 360-degree
u
dispatch decisions. vision and management. While addressing each visualization overview
of these areas individually is good, complete visi- is possible for
manufacturing and
Remote operations center bility is better, but only possible if all operational processing companies
for distributed organization levels are fully unified. Organizations should look to derive intelligence
from software integrating
Distributed organizations often find it difficult for a consolidated software environment that goes multiple enterprise levels.
to staff subject matter experts (SMEs) at all sites. beyond traditional HMI/SCADA by incorporat- Visualization
u software
In these cases, a center of excellence (CoE) is typi- ing analytics, advanced visualization, and multiple can improve consistent
cally the best way for SMEs and other experienced deployment models to support users in all roles. ce information for a
command center
groups to handle performance and other issues and disparate IT/OT/
spanning many sites. Local site-based personnel Doug Warren is the Aveva monitoring and con- ET systems, remote
can engage the CoE team as needed, and the team trol business lead; Edited by Mark T. Hoske, con- operations center
and occasional users
can work to solve complex problems across the tent manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and providing web-based
business and fleets of assets. Technology, mhoske@cfemedia.com. interface views.

| 27
ANSWERS
SCADA BENEFITS
Tom Burke, Iconics
7 ways SCADA can advance IIoT

Latest trends in supervisory control and data bility usually means the inclusion of BACnet, SNMP
or operating system services connectors to collect and
acquisition (SCADA) software are helping monitor data from those sources.
industrial internet of things (IIoT) implemen- 3. Northbound integration: Modern SCADA
tation, including with more integration, infra- systems are vast repositories of data and layered ana-
lytics. This information is integrated into other sys-
structure monitoring and three other areas. tems, specifically manufacturing execution system
S
(MES) solutions that are either local or remote as well
upervisory control and data acquisition as cloud analytics and dashboards to involve a wider
(SCADA) software was initially designed to audience in performance tracking and improvement.
aggregate information from distributed sourc- SCADA solutions are now equipped with modules
es and provide operators with the information that can package data into contextualized transac-
needed to best control processes. Today, with SCADA tions, as appropriate for the information systems these
being so easy to implement and taking on more ana- are feeding. SCADA solutions are often called work-
lytic functions, it has become the staple for every seri- flow or bridge modules that not only create aggre-
ous manufacturer. Although the market is mature, gations of data, but transact the datasets with other
SCADA technology is evolving and improving. Below systems for genealogy tracking, order processing,
find 7 key SCADA developments critical for manufac- work in progress tracking, scheduling and dispatch-
turers to know today. ing, maintenance management and other functions.
SCADA software have become enhanced with web
Online
u
controleng.com
1. Southbound integration: SCADA applica- services, MQTT publishing, OPC UA server, and pur-
tions continuously grow and tend to integrate with pose-built interfaces for key industry needs.
KEYWORDS: Modern SCADA more industrial data, thereby enabling owners to
benefits, SCADA upgrades build additional value into their existing SCADA sys- 4. Database integration: Modern SCADA soft-
LEARNING OBJECTIVES tems. Where in the past, the SCADA was installed to ware platforms are more than industrial solutions,
Understand how modern
SCADA software upgrades
improve the performance of primary processes, today, with ability to integrate with all other plant systems,
bring advantages. these systems are collecting far more data, especial- feeding and extracting data for display and analytics.
Learn how SCADA integration ly distributed and previously difficult to access data This means SCADA graphics are enhanced for more
and applications have which is now available through internet and cellular database- and forms-oriented applications, in addi-
improved with tighter and
faster configuration and
connections. tion to the capability to deliver objects for tradition-
connections. The biggest change in connectivity below the al operator interfaces. When thinking about SCADA
See how software has SCADA is the introduction of IoT protocols, the three displays, users should consider the data in inventory
improved using available most common being a Web Services client, an mes- systems, asset management systems, and even cus-
and emerging standards
for better design and
sage queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) broker tomer relation management (CRM) systems as poten-
implementation, including and client, and an OPC Unified Architecture (UA) cli- tial sources of valuable information to be integrated
with 3D representations ent. These Internet-ready protocols offer high perfor- with SCADA dashboards.
where appropriate.
mance and security and are ideal for use in collecting
CONSIDER THIS
Are you using modern data from remote sensors. 5. Rapid development: Time is money, and the
SCADA software to your best path to a more cost-effective SCADA implementation
advantage? 2. Infrastructure monitoring is another key area is a simpler and more intuitive configuration. While
ONLINE of development, tying SCADA to building infrastruc- developers are always getting smarter with the use of
In this issue on p. 19
and online, see Control tures and network infrastructures and other areas for software development tools and technology, in the
Engineering SCADA research. the benefit of improving system reliability. This capa- end, the SCADA is the property of the end customers,

and it is important to have some autonomy in sup- able to communicate with information sources (such SUPERVISORY control
porting how SCADA is applied. SCADA systems are as SCADA), will automatically discover information and data acquisition soft-
trending to more canned solutions with configurable models of machines and processes, and will be config- ware platforms of today
functionality over the need for custom development ured at the press of a button. SCADA software should offer many more capa-
and scripting. SCADA is being delivered with rapid support information models (asset definitions) and bilities and advantages
development tools to enable high degrees of scal- follow standards like ISA-95 for enterprise to control compared to platforms
ability through importing, exporting, and automat- system integration. of 20 years ago. Shown is
ed replication functions for cloning and multiplying an Iconics Genesis64 High
configurations. 7. 3D graphics: Process graphics that are 2D in Performance SCADA view
design are common. The focus is on the simplifica- of a chilled water cooling
6. Information models: One of the biggest indus- tion of operator screens to deliver progressive dis- system. Courtesy: Iconics
trial changes in progress is the drive toward Industry closure when more information is needed and to
4.0, smart manufacturing and digital transformation. leverage muted colors to remove eye fatigue, with
The idea is to make optimal use of all data to improve graphics becoming bolder when conditions require it.
performance and quality and reduce costs. Optimiz- This trend is called high performance graphics and is
ing data use is a lofty goal that may seem out of reach embodied in a standard called ISA-101.
for most, outside the best and the brightest or the But technology is delivering the capabilities for
largest corporations. To improve data use, the indus- 3D animations, based on real-time process data.
try will be relying on and integrating future stan- Depictions of robot positions can match real world
dards. That includes not just data transfer standards, conditions. 3D is especially valuable in depicting
such as MQTT or those from OPC, but data structure information in building information/management/
standards for equipment and processes (information automation systems (BIM - BMS – BAS). SCADA sys-
models). If data exists in standard forms, then appli- tems also are improving to leverage 3D models from
cations can be developed to consume these models, computer-aided design (CAD) software offerings to
configuring automatically benefitting users. Users can animate these with real-world information. ce
create data models to deliver incremental improve-
ments within an organization (a unified namespace) Tom Burke is director of strategic marketing, Iconics;
or users can leverage industry standard data models (a edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control
relatively new development). Engineering, CFE Media and Technology,
The future where value-added applications will be mhoske@cfemedia.com.

| 29
ANSWERS
COVER: EDGE COMPUTING, AI
Jackson Cates, Nick Malott and Tiati Thelan, Interstates
Three things to consider when

deploying edge computing
Edge computing is changing manufacturing However, it adds a layer of abstraction impact-
ing processing efficiency and introducing latency.
in many ways and companies can take Physical devices allow low latency and substantial
process power, but they lose flexibility in resource
advantage of the benefits it involves. See allocation and are often procured for a single
application.
three aspects of edge computing The utilization of edge computing provides a
spectrum of advantages, such as quick response
to consider, including AI. times (low latency), efficient use of internet
E
resources (bandwidth efficiency), the ability to
dge computing is changing analytics, handle data in real-time (real-time analytics scal-
artificial intelligence (AI) and machine ability) and efficient application scalability. Local-
learning (ML) applications. Substantial izing applications removes the need to send data to
investments in libraries and frameworks a central server, reducing the logical distance from
have provided a new frontier for engineers and data generation and data processing. When prop-
operations specialists to integrate these capabili- erly applied, this approach can result in near real-
ties alongside process control. While the possibil- time solutions; applications gain the capability to
ities for valued applications are endless, security, make quick decisions and deliver rapid responses.
management and scalability must be carefully Scaling edge infrastructure is crucial for increas-
considered during design. ing demands and maintaining performance and
Online
u
controleng.com
Companies looking to deploy edge solutions responsiveness. Scaling is done by adding an edge
need to consider three primary pieces: the applica- device to the infrastructure. The distributed work-
KEYWORDS: edge tions running at the edge, the infrastructure sup- load limits bottlenecks, increases node manage-
computing, virtual machines porting the edge and the security and orchestration ment and improves load balancing.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES of edge appliances. Applications running at the edge are use-case
Learn how edge computing
is changing manufacturing Edge computing refers to the execution of appli- specific and often purpose-built. Some examples
applications and making cations near controls processes or machinery. An include analytics or models to optimize process
artificial intelligence, edge device generally lives on the same network as control such as reducing scrap, improving yield,
machine learning (AI/ML)
and analytics better. operational technology (OT) devices and exhibits reducing utility consumption, predictive mainte-
Learn about the three low-latency communication in data collection and nance and more. Data is brought locally to the edge
aspects manufacturers need response. An edge device may be a physical appli- device to be processed. Raw or aggregate data may
to know when deploying ance; however, a virtual machine (VM) with low be pushed up to enterprise servers or the cloud for
edge computing in their
facility. network latency to process equipment also can be further analysis; aggregating the data reduces data
ONLINE considered at the edge. transfer and storage costs in the cloud.
See additional edge One trade-off between physical devices and
computing stories at https:// VMs is the preference for processing power or flex- Edge computing infrastructure
www.controleng.com/ ibility. The decision simplifies down to having edge The supporting infrastructure for edge appli-
edge-cloud-computing/
virtual machines or edge physical devices. Virtual cations is often one of the most unknown aspects
CONSIDER THIS
How can edge computing machines can be spun up or down as needed pro- when integrating edge applications. Detailed scope
improve your facility? viding flexibility in resource allocation. of the edge application is required to understand

‘ Functional requirements of
an edge application are used
to specify the security require-
’
ments for processing data.
what process parameters need to be collected, what

the application's output is, and what defines success
in the process.
Additional considerations, such as readiness of
the process for data collection and advanced ana-
lytics, can be derived from an analytics maturity COVER: Companies that invest in security, orchestration and infrastructure at
model. Advanced process analytics require invest- the edge can optimize plant operations and improve their ability to gather data.
ment in data collection, cleansing, contextualization Courtesy: Interstates
and storage are supported through complemen-
tary infrastructure. Not all organizations are ready updating application versions, pushing new analyt-
for advanced process analytics. Work with analytics ic models or security patching.
experts to ensure these solutions can be supported. Building solutions on an orchestration platform
As devices are deployed and applications begin accelerates the development and scalability of an
to scale, the network load also increases. Under- application. A small proof of concept or pilot solu-
standing where data is being transferred over tions can be evaluated and deployed to the fleet of
the network is crucial to minimizing load issues edge devices working alongside the process. The
with the current infrastructure; upgrades of net- speed of innovation on an orchestration platform,
work switches to support larger data sizes may be alongside the built-in security, affords developers a
required to minimize network interruptions from powerful tool to focus on delivering solutions over
bandwidth contention. Consultation with plant managing deployments and architectures.
floor network integrators during the planning Edge computing, embedded with AI/ML, opens
phases can identify and provide solutions to miti-
gate network contention.
doors for new possibilities and challenges in con- u
trols engineering. Applications at the edge allow for
Insights
low-latency communications and can be tailored to Edge computing
Edge computing security and target various business goals. Understanding and insights
orchestration investing in the supporting infrastructure is nec- uEdge computing,
integrated with AI/
The security of edge devices should be consid- essary for analytic and network readiness at scale. ML, offers low-latency
ered first in the design process. Functional require- Security and orchestration, with a security-first communication and
ments of an edge application are used to specify the mindset and robust orchestration platform, ensure tailored applications,
revolutionizing controls
security requirements for processing data. Com- edge devices are managed and protected endpoints. engineering. Proper
mon examples of these security requirements may Investing in security, orchestration and infra- infrastructure investment
ensures analytic readiness
include data encryption in transit and/or rest, structure can pave the way for AI/ML solutions at and network scalability.
transport level security (TLS) communications and the edge to optimize plant operations. ce u Prioritizing security,
system patching. Orchestration platforms also can utilizing orchestration
secure edge devices and manage their lifecycle as Jackson Cates, business analyst; Nick Malott, tech- platforms,and investing
in infrastructure are vital
well as update devices and their respective appli- nology analyst; Tiati Thelen, business analyst II; all for successful AI/ML
cations. An orchestration platform also can oper- with Interstates, a CFE Media and Technology con- implementation at the
ate at scale, providing these services to a large fleet tent partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, web content edge, optimizing plant
operations and ensuring
of deployed edge devices. Management actions can manager, CFE Media and Technology, managed and protected
be performed across the fleet of devices, such as cvavra@cfemedia.com. endpoints.

| 31
ANSWERS
SYSTEM INTEGRATION TIPS
Kendon Jacobson and Wayne Noblin, Gray Solutions
Turnkey approach for

automating first-of-a-kind red
sorghum extract process
A
Redleaf Biologics is a manufacturer fter several years of product development,
the RedLeaf Biologics team had reached
producing botanical extracts from the red a point where extract from its unique red
sorghum plant was commercially and eco-
nomically viable for various markets, including food,
sorghum plant. The company worked with beverage and cosmetics. Until then, the process had
only been validated on a pilot or laboratory scale.
system integrator Gray Solutions to move its Not only was the product first of a kind, but the
dried sorghum required custom designed extraction
operation from the pilot and laboratory scale equipment. As a result, space for primary extraction
and subsequent downstream processing required
to full-scale industrial production. fitting out an existing industrial facility. A system
integrator was solicited for process and automation
Read the case study below. integration services to support the effort.
Initially, the RedLeaf team relied on internal
resources to begin the build-out. The system inte-
FIGURE 1: Traditional
HMI animation example
is shown. See a high-per-
formance HMI in Figure
2. Courtesy: Inductive
Automation.

gator was able to provide gap assistance in other
key areas including contract documentation, power
The RedLeaf team provided a vision regarding
the future of the plant size and broke it down into
u Online
controleng.com
distribution, compressed air systems and process three phases. The first phase was a low capacity, ini-
KEYWORDS: Scalability, Case
design. Ultimately, however, the project consisted tial launch followed by proof of concept of the pro- Study
of automation design, programmable logic con- cess. The two remaining phases were tied to plant LEARNING OBJECTIVES
troller (PLC) and human machine interface (HMI) capacity benchmarks. As part of this, both teams Explore the process of
development, process integration, installation and worked on scope development early to identify key scaling up from an R&D
environment to an automated
commissioning for the new production process. It customer requirements for the automation systems, food-grade production facility.
provided the customer a solution to move from the both from scale and functionality perspectives. Learn how pre-existing
R&D environment to an automated food grade pro- One of the challenges faced by the integration team hardware, field devices and
other equipment can be
duction facility. The process included receiving of was implementation of pre-existing hardware, field
integrated into a new plant or
raw material, material handling, process, packag- devices, switch gear and equipment skids with facility.
ing, CIP, data collection, quality, traceability and the new systems. Part of the scope would there- Discover how open
interfacing with other OEM control systems. fore include evaluation of needs for such devices. architecture can be used to
ease future scaling efforts.
New process valves and instruments were selected
ONLINE
Formalizing knowledge transfer to support potential developments in process con- https://www.controleng.com/
for automation functional design trol and monitoring. Considerations were made for articles/improving-flexibility-
When kicking off a project with a key process preferred automated sequencing of liquid extract performance-for-carbon-fiber-
manufacturer-with-control-
control scope, the state of the art of the process transfers between each of the processing steps. Dig- system-upgrade/
technology should be as well known by the team ital communication buses were considered, but Improving flexibility,
as possible. Prior knowledge from the system inte- ultimately not required to support future phases. performance for carbon fiber
grator of plant-based extraction and drying tech- Devices were discrete or analog, excluding drives. manufacturer with control
system upgrade
nologies were used to facilitate knowledge transfer The selected drives were installed with EtherNet/IP
https://www.controleng.
workshops with the customer. The RedLeaf team ODVA protocol for all three-phase equipment. com/articles/the-time-is-
had spent years correctly identifying and specify- The functionality of running each extraction now-for-system-integrators-
ing parameters that were unique to its operation was essential to the process. The batch is time and manufacturers/
including special solvents or co-solvents, plant rhe- pH sensitive, and both parameters require control The time is now for system
integrators, manufacturers
ological behavior, desired and undesired reaction and timing. The addition of water was necessary
CONSIDER THIS
data, preferred dewatering technologies and issues through two piping inlet locations, which the oper- How can you lay the
pertaining to safety and quality. ators would be given the option of quantities to add groundwork for future scaling
efforts in your facility?
FIGURE 2: High-perfor-
mance HMI animation
example. See traditional
HMI in Figure 1.
Courtesy: Inductive
Automation.

| 33
ANSWERS
FIGURE 3: Raw and dried red

sorghum extracts. Courtesy:
RedLeaf Biologics.
per location. There was further discussion regard- tions were still prevalent, and the team did evalu-
ing batch sequencing, and it was also acknowledged ate components to prioritize when putting out an
that a hybrid automatic-manual approach to step order schedule. the system integrator specified
progression would be needed. Operators would be a CompactLogix 5069-L320ER PLC with 440C-
required to issue commands back to an automation CR30 Safety Relay from Rockwell Automation.
system to acknowledge the change in batch state. The CR30 allowed the safety zones to be divided as
There were handshakes to needed throughout the process. Then, if it were to
‘
be made between unit opera- be decided to change the zoning, only minor pro-
Prior to specification of tions that operated in batch gramming changes would be needed. Some of the
mode (e.g., pH adjustment features of the PowerFlex 525 from Rockwell Auto-
hardware, a series of work- steps) and continuous modes mation used on this project were the safe torque off
(e.g., dewatering). Again, fol- (STO) and auto device configuration (ADC). The
shops included identifying lowing the hybrid approach STO feature reduced the time of design and pro-
’
to batch progression, hold gramming of the safety system, while allowing the
field devices. time prior to dewatering is a VFD to remain powered during a controlled safety
key parameter. Hold time was stop. It was designed such that there would be no
counted down automatically and alerted operators need to disconnect the line power. The ADC allows
that dewatering may commence. However, operator the parameters of the drive to be stored in the PLC,
intervention would be required for eventual change providing a major time savings if the VFD ever
in state from holding to transferring. needs to be changed out. It helps prevent acciden-
Product dewatering equipment had been previ- tal misconfiguration of the parameters and restricts
ously selected prior to project commencement. The access. Therefore, drive replacement could be sim-
system integrator evaluated the third-party technol- plified with little to no configuration required
ogy for integrability, as well as other OEM features. depending on the type of switch being used. The
It was then determined that the core operation PLC would automatically download the parameters
would remain with the existing equipment, especial- to the drive.
ly as it included custom ramping programs to drives.
Discrete status signals from the equipment skid were Leveraging an open architecture
available to provide potential operability handshakes. framework for product and process
For example, if the signal indicated a “running” state, commercialization
raw product could be transferred accordingly. Beginning with an ISA 95 model for defining the
After the series of workshops that included plant system, each layer required a degree of flex-
identifying field devices, final hardware selection ibility and agility to support the project. During
proceeded. This did require swift attention and the scoping phase, it was understood the quality
decision turnaround times. Supply chain disrup- systems would still need further definition in the

future, as it pertained to record-keeping and data
security. It was generally preferred to utilize the
same system for plant level control as accessibility
to historians. Although no manufacturing execu-
tion system (MES) was selected as of this writing,
there was consideration for a platform to support a ization, but the intent was to allow the operator to FIGURE 4: Two-tier
potential seamless integration. see any alarms or abnormalities at a glance. Exam- navigation pane adds
The system integrator ultimately chose to use ples compare traditional HMIs versus high-perfor- efficiency. Courtesy:
Ignition for HMI and supervisory control and mance HMIs. Inductive Automation.
data acquisition (SCADA) services from Induc- To provide a more efficient navigation method,
tive Automation. The SCADA decision was primar- the SCADA’s multi-tier tab strip fit was used. The
ily based on future considerations. The scalability, customer asked if quality data could be included,
unlimited licensing model, cross-platform compat- and the SCADA made the addition seamless. We
ibility, web-based deployment, open-source tech- were able to quickly add batch IDs, product IDs,
nology and development efficiencies were major chemical IDs, bale IDs, pH levels, leaf weights,
advantages that overcame the alternatives in this water weights and other product weights through-
particular application. The SCADA open-source out the system. This data was stored in the SQL
platform allowed ease of data collection from other database and displayed for the customer to meet its
controllers, systems and field devices to store the traceability and mass-balance needs.
data in a SQL database for historizing, trending,
reporting, alarming and traceability. For purposes Launching future potential
of verification, the customer wanted the ability to After physical and digital architectures were
see who made changes and modifications or start- put in place to satisfy the immediate project needs,
ed a process. The SCADA includes a built-in audit- considerations were made for scalability. Although
ing system to support this feature, where it records specific production targets were part of the discus-
actions such as user login/logout, tag writes, data- sion, the hope was for continued growth and inno-
base writes, query and script execution, alarm noti- vation beyond. While the emphasis was placed on
fications, report execution and so on. This was leaf processing and extract recovery, the RedLeaf
displayed on a power table that could be filtered team has established a vertically integrated pro-
to quickly find a tag or action. Ignition simpli- duction model. This included an on-farm presence
Insights
fies database programming with its named queries, with associated sorghum selection and develop-
transaction groups and query builder. Specialized ment program. Such improvements add a layer of u
database programming training was not neces- complexity to traceability and integration.
System Integration
sary to build tables, modify columns, or to read/ While manufacturing execution systems (MES) Insights
write, create or modify. The SCADA has access were not included in the project, the SCADA offers uWhen kicking off a
to an extensive library of training videos and user a platform for either creating or integrating poten- project with a key
process control scope,
manuals, which were used during the develop- tial systems for RedLeaf. There are modules such as the state of the art of
ment phase. Another beneficial SCADA feature was overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), track and the process technology
brought forth when performing the factory accep- trace, statistical process control (SPC), batch pro- should be as well known
by the team as possible.
tance test (FAT). The team completed this virtually cedure, and MES enterprise. As RedLeaf integrates
uBeginning with an ISA
with the use of the SCADA’s Web-based platform. the operations from multiple locations, industrial 95 model for defining
On this project, the system integrator worked Internet of Things (IIoT) integration will become the plant system, each
with the customer to develop a high-performance key as well. ce layer required a degree
of flexibility and agility to
HMI by adopting ISA 101 concepts. Some benefits support the project.
to the ISA 101 approach include consistency, navi- Kendon Jacobson is senior process engineer, Gray After
u both physical and
gation efficiency, reduced distractions, minimal Solutions. Wayne Noblin is manager, automa- digital architectures were
glare and, most importantly, the ability to highlight tion, Gray Solutions. Edited by David Miller, con- put in place to satisfy the
immediate project needs,
abnormal situations. As with many HMI develop- tent manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and considerations were also
ment projects, there are varying levels of visual- Technology, dmiller@cfemedia.com. made for scalability.

| 35
ANSWERS
Joshua Montoya and Brandon Brock, Polytron
Improving efficiency through

algorithmic production scheduling
Beginning in 2017, food and beverage manufacturer Farmer Brothers began its shift
to Industry 4.0 by integrating a manufacturing execution system (MES) platform.
F
armer Brothers embarked on their (routing options, staged materials, equip- Resolving issues migrating to software
Industry 4.0 journey in 2017 after ment status, etc.), weighted priorities (due
selecting as their manufacturing date, longer running jobs, how to mini-
execution system (MES) platform mize number of changeovers, etc.), change-
to provide actionable insights into asset over times between SKUs, planned line
performance and optimization. Upon suc- throughput and more to create an optimally
cessful completion of these initial phases, sequenced schedule that will maximize effi-
Farmer Brothers turned to production ciency. The newly created/adjusted optimal STAKEHOLDER buy-in and alignment was
achieved by a comparison of the old scheduling
schedule optimization as its next phase to schedule is then pushed back to the ERP/
methodology and the new scheduling meth-
optimize their complex scheduling pro- SCADA system for execution. odology to bolster new-system confidence.
cess, further improve production through- TrakSYS manufacturing execution system
put and meet client commitments. Q: What were project challenges? (MES) platform was used.
Most schedulers leverage experience and
Q: What was the project scope? tribal knowledge in creating their produc- The project helped define criteria to cre-
The scope of the project was to config- tion schedules, often having to do this mul- ate an optimal schedule and create align-
ure the algorithmic production scheduling tiple times a day as conditions and priorities ment among stakeholders. Schedulers can
(APS) component of MES software to opti- change. This becomes more of an art than work as a collective team to continuously
mize scheduling of all manufacturing assets a science. Due to lack of clarity with what is refine the scheduling approach and develop
at Farmer Brothers new Northlake, Texas, considered a best practice process, getting best practices across shifts instead of each
facility. Production schedule optimiza- stakeholder buy-in becomes more of a chal- scheduler operating independently. The
tion was deployed in two phases. The initial lenge. This makes it difficult to define the schedule can be generated multiple times
phase included dump station, roasters and appropriate rules and criteria, required to daily as needed for changing conditions and
packaging lines. The second phase includ- codify the appropriate algorithm. priorities (previously too time consuming).
ed incorporating additional assets such as The schedulers need to be consulted often
packaging lines, flavor line, grinders, dump Q: How were those issues resolved and to identify known scheduling components
stations and sack line. what were positive metrics? and create stakeholder alignment early. This
Creating early stakeholder alignment helps ensure the schedule produced via APS
Q: What automation was used? with the scheduling team was critical to is optimally sequenced and realistic and the
The software downloads the production obtaining their input into best practices and team is engaged. ce
orders, routing options and product attri- help ensure buy-in. A side-by-side com-
butes from the existing enterprise resource parison was developed so that the schedul- Joshua Montoya, MES and supply chain
planning (ERP) and supervisory control ers can compare the old way and new way IT manager, Farmer Brothers. Brandon
and data acquisition (SCADA) systems then to build confidence with the results from Brock, senior system architect, Polytron.
runs these through an algorithm in order the new system. Once confidence was estab- Edited by David Miller, content manag-
to develop an optimal production schedule lished, the duplicate system was no longer er, Control Engineering, CFE Media and
sequence. The algorithm takes into account used, and the focus turned to further fine Technology, dmiller@cfemedia.com. Poly-
multiple factors, such as floor constraints tuning of the algorithm in the new system. tron is a CFE Media content partner.

ANSWERS
BEST OF INDUSTRIAL CYBERSECURITY PULSE
Dino Busalachi, Velta Technology
Taking IT/OT convergence

from theory into practice
Building a strong relationship between information technology and
operational technology teams can help improve efficiency, enhance
operations and harden your organization’s security posture.
I
nformation technology (IT) and operational is its own kingdom and operates independently
technology (OT) convergence continues to be a of corporate governance groups, such as IT. This
topic of conversation among industry experts. means there’s no standard approach to IT/OT con-
Theoretically, it’s a good idea [for reasons vergence, and therefore a one-size-fits-all solution
including cybersecurity], however, IT/OT conver- doesn’t exist. IT and OT departments don’t operate
gence isn’t as simple as one may be led to believe. the same, and they shouldn’t. However, to improve
Fundamental organizational challenges need to be functionality between IT and OT departments
addressed to achieve convergence, from political within organizations, it’s essential to encourage
and cultural barriers to technical complexities. deeper conversations and collaborations between
IT/OT convergence is about building the rela- the disciplines to help bridge the gap.
tionship between information technology and Instead of pointing fingers or continuing to fos-
operational technology to gain clear insights to ter a culture of indifference, there should be a shared u Online
controleng.com
improve efficiency, enhance operations and met- commitment to determine where they are and how
rics, and harden a business’ security posture. In they can come together to secure the overall busi- KEYWORDS: IT/OT
reality, one of the groups is overhead and admin- ness. One way to foster this newfound culture is convergence, digital
safety, manufacturing,
istrative and relies on operational expenditures through educating each other regarding process, critical infrastructure, OT
(OPEX), and the other defines why the business people and technology. They should work together cybersecurity
exists, is revenue generating and relies heavily on on joint technology decision-making and determine LEARNING OBJECTIVES
capital expenditures (CAPEX). which group has ownership as well as responsibil- Understand the cultural
reasons IT and OT teams
These groups are siloed, working with minimal ity and governance of people, process and technol- remain separate
communication, creating a political and cultural ogy. Whether it’s purchasing maintenance support or Build strategies to foster
indifference toward each other. The key is defin- planning for digital security, a combined perspective collaboration and enhance
ing and aligning the needs of OT, the revenue- with well-rounded expertise will benefit the business cybersecurity
generating side of the business, by collaborating and begin to move the needle toward convergence. Learn how tabletop
exercises can help identify
and creating seamless communication and trans- Being proactive with convergence offers signifi- vulnerabilities and bring
parency. OT, with the assistance of IT, will need cant security benefits. In an increasingly digital man- teams together.
to lead the party out of the OT cybersecurity wil- ufacturing world, businesses can’t afford to keep a ONLINE
derness to create a more seamless and secure plant line drawn in the sand between the two departments. https://www.
industrialcybersecuritypulse.
floor. It also needs to be understood that IT cannot own com/it-ot/taking-it-ot-
the plant floor industrial control systems (ICS), for convergence-from-theory-
Being proactive with IT/OT convergence obvious reasons including safety, operation and pro- into-practice/
Every business and plant is unique, with its own duction. When it comes to risks and threats, cyber CONSIDER THIS
How will greater collaboration
set of challenges, priorities, equipment and tech- crime now has an $8 trillion price tag, according to lower cybersecurity risk in
nology. In most instances, each manufacturing site a recent Security Intelligence report. That’s another your organization?

| 37
ANSWERS
BEST OF INDUSTRIAL CYBERSECURITY PULSE
Additionally, a tabletop exercise can help elimi-

nate the “not invented here” syndrome often found
in business. It’s common when a preference exists for
an established approach or way of doing things, even
when it may not be the best approach across every
department within the business.
Businesses may see the need to standardize their
practices, but if a company has a large number of
plants, it can be a challenging task to create a plan
that will work for everyone. Often, each individu-
al plant may have different equipment and separate
management teams. A standard approach may not
be practical or work for all of them. By having an
open dialogue about unique solutions, this problem
can be resolved.
FIGURE: Shared expe- reason why IT/OT convergence is imperative. Working together for IT/OT convergence
riences can help break When IT and OT work together, businesses can Another way to foster collaboration between IT
down barriers between gain a comprehensive view of their operations that and OT departments is through hands-on
the departments and can help identify security risks and vulnerabili- experience. By working together on the manufac-
nurture an environment ties. This visibility is crucial, as key manufacturing turing side or spending a little time on the plant
where information industries continue to be a target for cyberattacks floor, IT can gain a deeper understanding of the
technology (IT) and and ransomware due to a variety of issues from challenges of physical equipment directly from
operational technology software misconfigurations to unknown assets on engineers. This shared experience can help break
(OT) are aligned with pri- the plant floor. Being proactive with collabora- down barriers between the departments and nur-
orities, goals and ways tion across disciplines creates an opportunity to get ture an environment where IT and OT are aligned
to accomplish them, safer sooner rather than waiting until it’s too late, with priorities, goals and ways to accomplish them.
lowering cybersecurity which can result in lost data, costly downtime and IT/OT convergence better prepares businesses for
risk, suggested Dino physical safety hazards. the continuously evolving manufacturing landscape.
Busalachi of Velta Tech- By prioritizing convergence and a strong digital safe-
nology. Image courtesy How can tabletop cybersecurity ty and security posture, businesses can get ahead
Brett Syles exercises help IT, OT of the curve and be ready to take advantage of new
A tabletop exercise can improve collaboration and developments in manufacturing as they emerge.
identify vulnerabilities in an organization’s ICS envi- As Industry 5.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT)
ronments. The tabletop exercise includes step-by- continues to evolve and shape the manufacturing
step methodology that displays how vulnerable an space, IT and OT must prioritize working together.
organization is to an adverse cyber event. This exer- By working as equal partners and leveling the play-
cise typically involves the C-Suite, risk management ing field, they can improve processes, increase oper-
and employees from the IT and OT disciplines. ational efficiency and achieve well-defined metrics
A tabletop exercise is vital and beneficial in estab- that are in alignment. They may also uncover secu-
lishing ownership of ICS security. A defined plan rity issues that previously have gone undetected. By
and ownership over digital safety and security can having an open mind with IT/OT convergence and
offer much-needed clarity. By facilitating this com- making it a priority within their business, businesses
prehensive conversation and bridging the gaps can effectively position themselves for greater digital
between the two groups, improvements can be made and cyber safety and security. ce
to internal communications and ownership of secu-
rity across the organization. This ultimately can help Dino Busalachi, Velta Technology. Edited by Gary
with convergence by breaking down the silos that Cohen, senior editor, Industrial Cybersecurity Pulse,
have historically kept the departments separate. CFE Media and Technology, gcohen@cfemedia.com.

ANSWERS
MOTION CONTROL
Travis Gilmer, Thomson Industries
How electrification of linear

actuators improve automation
Electric actuators help connect digital and physical worlds. See three factors
impacting industrial motion and seven linear actuator advances.
E
lectric linear actuators are helping raise 1. Physical properties. Material handling auto-
material handling application to new mation developers must consider the shape, weight,
heights. As digital transformation extends size, position and direction stability of packag-
the scope of automation to more axes and es moving along a plant or conveyor system. They
electric linear actuators handle increasingly heavier also must consider how the package materials affect
loads, more material handling system designers are their rollability, slide-ability, stack-ability, surface
converting hydraulic and pneumatic motion control sensitivity and stiffness.
to electric, especially in new projects. Linear actuator 2. Environmental parameters. Material han-
suppliers are developing innovations that extend the dling equipment designers must consider param-
scope of material handling automation in load man- eters such as room layout, machine size limitations
agement, sizing, intelligence, durability, energy effi- and available degrees of freedom.
ciency, safety and ergonomics.
Material handling automation

Electric linear actuators now offer sophisticated,
advanced capabilities for material handling automa-
tion. Whether it be the peripheral intralogistics of
conveying and transporting or support for produc-
tion processes such as feeding and filling, material
handling is increasingly vital to industrial operations.
(Figure 1) In an assembly operation, for example,
linear actuators might feed materials, manipulating
them to optimize access to work surfaces or divert-
ing objects from one conveyor to another. In another
example, setting up can consume up to half the work
cycle in food packaging operations. Linear actuators
might reduce the time by automating the unfolding of
cardboard or cutting film.
Electric actuators also can expand the control-
lable working radius, carrying materials toward or
away from processing. They might support motion
on forklifts, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), FIGURE 1. Forward-thinking factories incorporate multiple of interconnected
telescopic lifting units or overhead conveyors. machines and devices that take advantage of advanced actuator features to enable
a fluid, synchronized and safe manufacturing process. These uses can include fork-
Industrial motion: 3 factors lifts, assembly/control stations and fixtures, AGVs, and components that can be
Automating material handling motion sequences easily and quickly adjusted on the fly. All images courtesy: Thomson Industries Inc.
requires close consideration of the following:

| M1
ANSWERS
MOTION CONTROL
had previously dominated. Electric linear actuators

had previously been limited to 300 or 400 mm per
stroke; they now can span up to 1.2 m.
3. Compact design for confined spaces. Actua-
tors are often designed into confined spaces. On
a packaging line, for example, feeding and cutting
systems may compete with other units for space.
On an AGV or forklift, space is always at a premi-
um, and actuator size can also impact energy usage.
Actuators with housing the size of a passport can
now handle loads up to 2000 N (450 lbs.) They fit
into small spaces that previous-generation actua-
tors would be either too large or too weak.
FIGURE 2. The inte- This compactness and simplicity are a major dif-
gration of onboard ference from hydraulics and pneumatics, which
electronics into elec- require an imposing infrastructure of equipment
tric actuators enables 3. Motion parameters. Like most motion con- such as pumps, hoses, valves, reservoirs and com-
enhanced control trol applications, material handling applications pressors. Electric actuators simply plug into a
functions that were pre- consider weight and inertia of the payload as deter- power supply and connect to a network. Integrat-
viously external, such mined by speed and acceleration within cycle times ing a programmable logic controller (PLC) with
as switching, position and the required accuracy. an electric actuator allows for more efficient and
feedback and system Material handling applications may require spe- seamless control, resulting in reduced downtime,
diagnostics, directly into cial attention to kinematic factors such as drift, increased productivity and cost savings.
the actuator. Thomson overshoot, stabilization time and interchangeability, 4. Improved intelligence and network integra-
smart actuators incor- with particular attention to the drive, power trans- tion. Electric linear actuators are now available with
porate microproces- mission system, position measuring system and modular onboard controls that enable simple on/
sor-based printed circuit bearings. Friction can lead to play in the bearings, off switches, low-level switching, position feedback
boards with comple- poor resolution of the position measuring systems and CAN bus network integration. They can moni-
mentary software that and structural static deformation. Dynamic flex- tor and control, diagnose, read position and oper-
allows communication ibility can contribute to neural weaknesses, which ating statistics in real time, and be fine-tuned on
between remote net- can lead to errors and failures. Equipment design- the fly. (Figure 2) As factories become more digital-
works. ers must address all these factors within the context ly advanced, designers will integrate material han-
of maintenance, safety and durability. dling capabilities into more sophisticated operations.
Loads will move more intelligently, enabling pro-
Electric linear actuators: 7 advances grammed motion sequences, remote system opera-
Electric linear actuators have been used in material tion and synchronization across multiple actuators.
handling operations for years. During that time, there 5. Longer operating life. Material handling appli-
have been many advances, optimizing them for sup- cations often run 24/7 in set-and-forget applica-
porting new industrial operations. These include: tions. Production line applications, such as an arm
1. Heavy load handling. Electric actuators can that diverts items from one conveyor belt to anoth-
now handle heavy duty loads up to 25 kN, which er, have high-duty cycles and are subject to wear and
had been relegated to hydraulic or pneumatic cyl- tear. AGVs, forklifts and other mobile equipment may
inders. These improvements are due in large part to be deployed in those applications and usually run on
component material improvements and advance- batteries. (Figure 3) Equipment used outdoors or in
ments in ball screw technology, such as implemen- hazardous environments, and subject to ingress from
tation with ball bearings. moisture and dust can require long life.
2. Extended stroke lengths. Electric linear actu- Linear actuators using brushless motors can have
ators are now also capable of longer strokes, tack- duty cycles of 100% and up to 600 km of mainte-
ling applications that hydraulics and pneumatics nance-free life. This is a major advantage over hydrau-
M2 | October 2023 control engineering — www.controleng.com

FIGURE 3. For AGVs without human involvement,
remote control over radio, WiFi, satellite and other
communications is vital. In addition to their remote
benefits, electric actuators reduce maintenance and
environmental concerns thanks to sturdy designs.
This all-in-one actuator package makes it possible
for AGVs to move goods over larger areas no matter
how demanding the conditions.
lic and pneumatic technologies, which require almost

constant maintenance. Lubrication technology has
advanced to the point where some actuators are fac-
tory lubricated for life. Adherence to IP standards of
IP65, IP66 and IP69K prevent particulate, moisture
and other ingress that can shorten an actuator’s life.
6. Safety and ergonomics. Material handling
equipment constantly puts humans at risk. For FIGURE 4. Assembly/control stations and holding devices are experiencing an
example, a machine that loses power may drop its increase in automation. The individual adaptation of workstations facilitates work,
load faster than a human can get out of the way. increases operator comfort and reduces the risk of injury, while securing material and
There might be ergonomic challenges resulting from other equipment during the assembly process.
repeated movements or awkward workpiece posi-
tioning. Electric linear actuators aid in these situ-
ations with electromechanical and static holding
Manufacturers often can meet these needs with minor
modifications to standard offerings, but on occasion
u Online
controleng.com
brakes, which hold the load in place in case an appli- they may have to design something from the ground
cation loses power. They also can make work safer up. Actuator suppliers with the broadest offerings are KEYWORDS: Linear
actuators, motion control
by raising, lowering, or tilting worktables to com- most likely to adapt standard lines or have the exper-
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
fortable, more ergonomic angles. tise to design something from scratch. Their flexibility Learn the advantages of
Automated picking helps avoid long feeder routes and willingness to augment their standard offering is a electric linear actuators
and relieves the operating personnel from the work factor. Customization capability is a significant advan- over their hydraulic and
pneumatic alternatives.
cycle of the machine as much as possible, keeping tage of most new designs for electrified equipment.
Learn about the most
ergonomics and safety a priority. (Figure 4) Replacing This equipment is often more modular than earlier important factors to
hydraulic cylinders also removes the risk of slipping generations, and changes can be made by modifying, consider when automation
material handling motion
and falling on leaked fluid as well as product contami- adding or removing axes. Electric designs reduce the
sequences.
nation from solid fluid leaks. need to redesign to larger components of a system. ce
ONLINE
7. Customizing linear actuators for competitive With this article online, read
advantage. While the range of available technologies Travis Gilmer, product line manager – linear actua- more about ROI details.
is growing, application diversity is driving the need for tors, Thomson Industries. Edited by David Miller, CONSIDER THIS
How can automation
custom solutions. Designers are increasingly requir- content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media
optimize motion
ing components and systems to fit unique needs. and Technology, dmiller@cfemedia.com. applications?

| M3
ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES: AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOTS
Chris Mercurio, Bosch Rexroth
Four manufacturing
applications that benefit from
under-rider AMRs
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and the
software that makes the machines operate
can help them thrive in many manufacturing
applications. Four applications for under-
rider AMRs are highlighted.
T
FIGURE 1: Under-rider AMR in a factory, which can
maneuver seamlessly underneath the payload to
he autonomous mobile robot (AMR) is pick it up and transfer it from point A to point B.
becoming a critical part of modern facili- Images courtesy: Bosch Rexroth
ties, offering its users greater productivity,
safety and efficiency with its ability to auto-
mate routine tasks. AMRs also offer facilities con- While localization types have their strengths
Online
u
controleng.com
sistent labor since they show up and do their task
daily without process interruptions. While many
and weaknesses, laser-based, SLAM-based technol-
ogy is more flexible because it uses algorithms that
AMRs can fit any given application, an under-rider allow the AMRs to localize in a variety of chang-
KEYWORDS: autonomous
mobile robot, AMR, robotics
AMR can be valuable. They are designed to seam- ing environments without external infrastruc-
lessly maneuver underneath the payload to pick it ture. However, all laser-based SLAM technology
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand how up and transfer from point A to B. isn’t made equal, so research is critical. Some key
autonomous mobile features of a reliable software that determines the
robots (AMRs) can help
manufacturers.
Localization software guides AMRs position and orientation of a wide range of vehicle
Learn what an under-rider
Before diving into where an under-rider AMR types in a fast-paced environment include:
AMR does and the tasks it can be used, take a step back and look at how they
can perform. work. Unlike alternatives like automated guided • Automatic map updates as the environment
Learn about the four vehicles (AGVs), which require predefined routes, changes
applications where under-
rider AMRs can be especially
markers or guides, an AMR can navigate through
beneficial. an environment without human intervention. • Ability for fast and easy map extension
ONLINE Since it is critical for an AMR to understand its
See additional robotics own location within this environment, we consid- • Dual laser and wheel odometry fusion
stories at https://
www.controleng.com/ er the localization software to be the “heart” of an capabilities
mechatronics-motion-control/ AMR solution and one of the most important con- • Reference alignment, reflector and QR code
robotics/ siderations when evaluating an AMR. Among mul- support for challenging environments
CONSIDER THIS tiple types available on AMRs to consider – the
What role do AMRs play at
your facility, and how are they most common being simultaneous localization and • Easy to use graphical user interface with
evolving? mapping (SLAM), using lasers or vision. guided live mapping.
M4 | October 2023 control engineering — www.controleng.com

The localization software is a key technology
FIGURE 2: Example of an
component of an AMR that plays a vital role and
under-rider AMR mov-
resolves the challenge of localizing AMRs with
ing a pallet, which can
maximum flexibility and usability.
help consumer packaged
goods (CPG) operations
Four key applications for
improve their palletizing
under-rider AMRs
systems.
Under-rider AMRs are not an uncommon sight
in facilities and can help companies in many ways.
In particular, companies should consider these four
applications where this style of AMR makes the when they’re all connect-
most sense in many industries. ed to one control system
that can use data from
1. Palletizing the production floor to
Autonomous mobile robots can help consumer respond to disruptions
packaged goods (CPG) operations improve their or optimize flows.
palletizing systems by moving finished pallets to Robots differ in functionality. Packaging lines
shrink-wrapping stations or storage areas, which that require maximum flexibility need AMRs that
has often required an operator with forklift. can handle a variety of payloads and can operate in
One consideration is looking for an AMR that a variety of spaces and changing production floors.
features sophisticated software that lets the robot Some AMRs can that meet these requirements,
independently determine its position and the best with capacity to handle payloads up to 1,000 kg and
path to move the pallet to the next station. No 360-deg obstacle detection. Some AMRs can inter-
tracks need to be laid, and no expert robotics pro- face with other equipment like conveyor systems or
grammers need to be engaged, simplifying a criti- collaborative robots (cobots).
cal intralogistics function and freeing personnel to
‘
handle more demanding tasks.
Software can help the robot independently
2. Intralogistics within manufacturing
AMRs are a valuable tool to improve critical determine its position and the best path to
intralogistics functions — moving raw materials,
’
finished goods, and work in process between ware- move the pallet to the next station.
houses/storage areas, production lines and ship-
ping/receiving. These AMRs feature simplified
programming, compact designs for tight turning
spaces and versatile load capacities.
4. Assembly line
Using new intralogistics technology, mobile
u Insights
They provide an efficient and safe option for robots can help save time in delivering parts to AMR insights
moving material from plant storage racks to the manual workstations and production cells. AMRs Autonomous mobile robots
u
production line; this can be helpful in areas with are faster and easier to implement than more static (AMRs) can play a key role
in manufacturing because
labor shortages and can help reduce maintenance delivery systems and don’t require delivery person- of their name: They’re
costs associated with fork trucks and pallet jacks. nel with powered industrial trucks to move materi- autonomous and do not
al to production lines. require constant human
intervention the way an
3. Packaging line AMRs can be used to move pallets or shelves so automated guided vehicle
Robotics play an increasingly important role fully filled flow racks can be delivered to manual (AGV) would.
in packaging environments. As systems become workstations. Tasks can be manually triggered via An under-rider AMR, which
u
sophisticated enough to handle a wider range of a wireless button, tablet or automatically through a is designed to pick payl
oads from the bottom, can
tasks, they can provide the flexibility operations programmable logic controller (PLC) or a connec- be valuable in palletizing,
need to address labor force shortages. Technologies tion to an upstream enterprise resource planning intralogistics, packaging
like AMRs have a big role to play in improving effi- (ERP) system, manufacturing execution system and assembly lines, which
often have a lot of moving
ciency and safety in warehouse automation. They (MES) or warehouse management system (WMS) parts and cannot afford
can improve flexibility in systemwide processes via an applied program interface (API). downtime.

| M5
ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES: AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOTS
FIGURE 3: AMRs are

playing a much larger
role to play in improving
efficiency and safety in
‘ Automated map updates
and lidar-based navigation tech-
warehouse automation. nology enables mobile robots to
be more adaptable in rapidly
’
changing environments.
into setting up a fleet that yields a strong return-

on-investment and fits a company’s application.
Don’t move into the next phase of factory automa-
tion with AMRs alone. Partner with a vendor who
Automatic map updates and lidar-based naviga- will provide support, technical expertise and indus-
tion technology enables mobile robots to be more try knowledge to help ensure a successful AMR
adaptable in rapidly changing environments with- implementation. ce
out the need for special tracks or other fixed navi-
gation aids. Chris Mercurio is product manager, AMR/Robot-
Finding the right application for an AMR isn’t ics, Bosch Rexroth. Edited by Chris Vavra, web con-
as simple as pulling a task out of a hat. Numerous tent manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and
environmental, cultural and technical factors go Technology, cvavra@cfemedia.com.
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation

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14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 2023
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Preceding 12 Months: Published Nearest to Filing Date:
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15,119 15,402
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Keep your finger

(3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS 92 85
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e. Total Nonrequested Distribution [Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4) 92 85
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g. Copies not Distributed
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15,329
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15,591 industry news
i. Percent Paid [15c divided by 15f times 100] 99.40% 99.45%
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a. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies 58,189 55,971
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Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a)
c. Total Requested Copy Distribution (Line 15f) +
Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (16a)
73,427 71,483
WWW.ICSPULSE.COM
d. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both Print & Electronic Copies)
99.87% 99.88%
(16b divided by 16c x 100)
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2023_ICSpulse_Sixth.indd 1 1/26/2023 11:51:09 AM

Innovations See more New Products for Engineers
www.controleng.com/NPE
NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS
Open operating system for automation, IIoT

Weidmuller USA introduced a new open operating system, u-OS, engineered for Indus-
trial IoT and automation applications. The new OS is said to be made for maintenance
with easy cloud-based diagnostics and fleet management for remotely deployed devic-
es. It has seamless integration with ability to easily merge proprietary and third-par-
ty applications using containerization. It is built on open standards like Linux, OPC-UA
(Unified Architecture) and Docker. It integrates the CodeSys APP, an IEC 61131-3 pro-
gramming tool. Weidmuller USA, www.weidmuller.com/en
Thermal cameras Next-generation gearmotor has IP69

The focus-free Flir E5 Pro and rating, keeps same dimensions
Flir E6 Pro cameras provide a The Bison new Gen 2 SaniMotor maximizes through-
larger 3.5-inch touch-screen dis- put and reduces lead times while maintaining the
play along with access to Flir Ignite robust features. It maintains original exterior dimen-
Cloud connectivity within the same sions, performance specifications, certifica-tions,
mounting holes and power cable connections. It has IP69K
point-and-shoot, pistol-grip form fac-
rating, and exterior components are manufactured from 304 stainless
tor as legacy Ex-Series thermal cam-
steel. The output shaft also is 304 stainless steel and support-ed by sealed
eras. The versatile cameras are designed primarily ball bearings. The gearmotor’s laser-marked permanent nameplate meets
for close-up, professional-grade mechanical, build- extreme washdown rating.
ing and electrical thermal inspection scenarios. Bison Gear & Engineering Corp., www.bisongear.com
Flir, www.flir.com
Easy-to-clean bench scales
Hardy Process Solutions announced a new 24 x
24-inch addition to its line of HIBSX Series bench
scales, which are easy to clean, low-profile and fea-
ture a stainless-steel construction, adding to the 12 x 12-inch size. These
scales offer simplicity and robust performance for food processing, chemi-
cal, consumer packaged goods and other industrial manufacturing weighing
Gage head sensors
applications. With an internal “X” design, the scales reduce cleaning time and
NewTek GAR Series Spring-loaded Gage Heads offer a low profile at 2.02 to 2.95 in.
are used in automated dimensional gaging appli-
Hardy Process Solutions, www.hardysolutions.com/hibsx
ca-tions as part of the inline inspection process-
es, when it is ideal for the sensor probe to move
out of the way between readings. The probes Tool simplifies, speeds hardware
of these linear variable differential transform- development with high-level synthesis
ers (LVDTs) ex-tend when taking dimensional Bluespec Inc.’s new Accelerate-HLS tool simplifies and
measurements, and then retract to the original speeds the development of hardware using high-level syn-
position to avoid damage to the sensor or next thesis (HLS) by offloading complex functionality that RISC-V
conveyed product. In manufacturing conveyor processors can more effec-tively implement. Memory management, includ-
lines, these air extend/spring retract gage heads ing address translation, coherence and protection, is a complex, perfor-
conduct tolerance checks as part of quality assur- mance-critical requirement that is outside the expertise of the average
ance measures. design-er and problematic for HLS designs.
Newtek Sensor Solutions,
Bluespec Inc., https://bluespec.com
www.newteksensors.com

| 45
Innovations See more New Products for Engineers
www.controleng.com/NPE
NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS
EtherCAT-enabled industrial cameras, lighting, lens components

With Beckhoff Vision from Beckhoff Automation, engineers can see what’s possible when machine
vision hardware and automation software are perfectly matched. This comprehensive line of Ether-
CAT-enabled industrial cameras, lighting and lensing components are paired with proven Twin-
CAT Vision software to round out a complete product portfolio. The new Beckhoff Vision hardware
in-cludes area scan cameras, C-mount lenses, multicolor LED illumination and complete vision units.
Beckhoff Automation, www.beckhoff.com/en-us/products/vision
Seventh axis for collaborative robots

Radar level meter concentrates
The rack-and-pinion module is a linear motion device com-
posed of linear guide rails, racks and aluminum extruded pro- energy for greater reliability,
files connected to the motor, reducer and gears. The HNT 70 m range
series rack and pinion driven linear axis SUP-RD909 Radar level meter from Supmea Auto-
from TPA Robot are made of hard mation adopts a recommended industry emis-
extruded aluminum profiles and sion frequency of 26 GHz, so it has beam angle is
equipped with multiple sliders. Even under small, with concentrated energy for stronger anti-in-
high load conditions, it can still maintain high drive terference ability and better precision and reliabil-
stiffness and motion speed. To cope with a variety of use envi- ity of measurement. Measurement range of up
ronments, it is available with a dust-proof cover to block dust to 70 meters, covers a large reservoir water level
from entering or escaping the module. It can withstand higher measurement.
loads and has unrestricted stroke while having high accuracy
Supmea Automation, www.supmeaauto.com
of ±0.04mm and is very suitable for use in automated work-
shops as the seventh axis.
TPA Robot, www.tparobot.com
Low-profile polycarbonate enclosures
solve application challenges
Advanced submeters, 24-circuit Stahlin Enclosures PolySlim low-profile polycarbonate
enclosures are designed for original equip-ment manu-
branch circuit monitors
facturers (OEMs) and installers to solve application chal-
Leviton recently lenges. The enclosures accom-modate existing panel
announced the expan- designs, eliminate unneeded depth and material, optimize installations
sion of the VerifEye and save space and cost. The low-profile designs work well in tight spaces.
Series 7000 family line
Stahlin Enclosures, https://stahlin.com/2023/09/07/polyslim
with advanced 3-phase submeters and 24-cir-
cuit advanced branch circuit monitors to meet
additional applications. The 3-phase subme- IEC safety contactors,
ters provide a versatile power metering solution
for commercial and industrial applications, suit-
motor controls
able for high density and branch circuit monitor- AutomationDirect has added a wide assortment of qual-
ing applications in new construc-tion and retrofit ity WEG electric contactors and motor con-trol devices
applications for real-time power monitoring, ener- to an offering of motor controls and safety equipment.
gy allocation, energy manage-ment, load moni- The CWBS series IEC safety con-tactors provide a safe
toring and other applications. They can monitor and reliable way to control electrical power in industrial and commercial ap-pli-
current, voltage, instantaneous power, demand cations. Available in ratings up to 80A, the contactors comply with IEC and UL
and energy consumption of each monitored standards, providing mechanically-linked and mirror contacts.
circuit. Leviton, www.leviton.com/verifeye AutomationDirect, www.automationdirect.com/safety-contactor

Back to Basics CYBERSECURITY HELP
Securing OT with
IT cybersecurity best practices
With digital transformation comes the need for robust cybersecurity specific to the
operational technology (OT) domain. The information technology (IT) domain can help.
A
longside plant digitalization comes a need to consid- plugging external devices into enterprise systems or having ded-
er cybersecurity at every step. Information technol- icated scanning environments for removable media are often
ogy (IT) staff have traditionally been responsible for not understood to be critical to OT professionals.
the cyber protection of a business but as operation- Cybersecurity for OT is a complex and never-ending jour-
al technology (OT) systems begin communicating with enter- ney, encompassing a growing list of solutions, products and
prise-wide software, that responsibility is now placed on every approaches. OT professionals are often over-stretched, and
member of the team, if not more directly on OT. Studies show their workload is expanding as digital transformation advances.
manufacturing is being targeted at a high- Adding the same strain IT feels to the full
er rate than any other sectors because of the
new vulnerabilities that are presenting them-
selves in OT technology.
‘ Achieving a secure OT is
almost impossible without
OT plate may seem like overkill, especial-
ly when considering IT has specific train-
ing and has been in this space for all their
’
Traditionally, the OT environment was expert help. working lives. Finding a viable approach
"air-gapped" to wider enterprise systems. to cybersecurity for OT is a lot like digital
While outdated, this approach did help protect systems as transformation; it requires buy in from all levels of a business,
OT technology was harder for hackers to reach. Fast forward input from multiple sources and a collaborative approach that
through Industry 4.0 and the digital transformation of the stays up to date with the latest products and services.
sector, much of that OT technology remains in operation. Achieving a secure OT is an almost impossible task without
The issue is that many OT systems were never designed with expert help. To alleviate the strain for the already busy OT pro-
enterprise-wide communications in mind and today’s open fessional often requires a partner organization. OT profession-
communication between OT and IT highlights the differenc- als need to address their cybersecurity concerns and having a
es in the two environments, but also why a shared approach partner to remove the complexity can be helpful. The chosen
to cybersecurity is needed. OT environments traditionally partner needs to have a deep understanding of digital transfor-
focus on safety. mation and must work closely with the organization to navigate
Physical systems that can put workers in harms way the products in the crowded market, and create a cybersecurity
require complete control and availability, removing that with approach to align OT schedules.
a ransomware attack, for example, puts a company at risk. There is no one-size-fits all u Online
controleng.com
Not only will downtime be costly for everyday the company approach to cybersecurity for OT,
isn’t in control, but in some extreme cases, OT profession- it’s about working closely with KEYWORDS: cybersecurity,
als and the general public may be put at risk. While IT cyber partners to meet industrial regula- operational technology (OT)
incidents may be more frequent and quicker to solve, OT tory and compliance requirements LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand the importance of
incidents can cause serious damage. and to achieve peace of mind. ce merging operational technology
(OT) and information technology
Ensuring OT is cybersecure Lee Carter is cybersecurity product (IT) teams together.
Learn how to get everyone on the
The starting point for a secure OT setting is to align manager at SolutionsPT. This origi- same page in terms of objectives
approaches in standards, practices and tools. One example of nally appeared on Control Engi- and priorities and developing a
this is how quickly IT systems are updated to ensure ongoing neering Europe. Edited by Chris shared plan.
cybersecurity. The same cannot always be said for OT systems. Vavra, web content manager, CFE CONSIDER THIS
What is the biggest challenge
This sees many OT systems remaining vulnerable for longer Media and Technology, you face in developing a
than they have to be. Even simple best practices such as never cvavra@cfemedia.com. cybersecurity plan?

| 47
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CONTROLENG.

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NEWS 28 | 7 ways SCADA advances IIoT, if you

ANSWERS INSIDE MACHINES (after 38)

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