opc ua: ready for realtime

The B&R Technology Magazine

11.16

OPC UA:Ready for real time

TSN field testing successful

mapp Technology Mastering options in machine software

openSAFETY meets OPC UA Safe Line Automation

Transparency aT your fingerTipwww.br-automation.com/factoryautomation

APROL factory automation – Smart factory solutions for your production

< aproL enMon – Energy consumption at a glance

< aproL conMon – Reduced downtime and maintenance costs

< aproL pDa – Line monitoring, manufacturing intelligence –Seamless data acquisition and analysis

publishing information

automotion:The B&R technology magazine, Volume 16www.br-automation.com/automotion

Media owner and publisher:Bernecker + Rainer Industrie-Elektronik Ges.m.b.H.B&R Strasse 1, 5142 Eggelsberg, AustriaTel.: +43 (0) 7748/[email protected]

Managing Director: Hans Wimmer

Editorial staff: Alexandra FabitschEditorial staff: Craig PotterAuthors in this edition: Eugen Albisser, Françoise Albasini (Emballage Digest), Franz Joachim Rossmann, Heike Henzmann, Stefan Hensel, Elmar Zimmerling, Franz Kaufleitner, Carmen Klingler-Deiseroth, Michaela Stern, Craig Potter, Raimund Ruf,Sebastian Sachse

Graphic design, layout & typesetting:Linie 3, www.linie3.comPrinting: VVA Vorarlberger Verlags- anstalt GmbH, DornbirnEdition: 100,000Published at: B&R Strasse 15142 Eggelsberg, AustriaCover photo: shutterstock

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editorial

0111.16

Dear Reader,

We live in a world of accelerating change. As more and more of the physical world is digitized and moves online, informa-tion now spreads to the global masses in a matter of sec-onds rather than days. People and devices communicate with increasing ease and efficiency, and the resulting deluge of data is filtered to provide each user with the relevant in-formation they need.

New technologies, unprecedented transparency and evolving sociocultural values are opening up new business opportunities – but new risks as well. Who could have pre-dicted, for example, that the success or failure of a company might one day hinge on the number of “Likes” it is able to attract on Facebook.

We can feel the impact of these transformations on our private lives, but they’re also influencing the way manufacturers design and automate their production processes.

B&R has earned its reputation as a pioneer in automation by carefully analyzing global trends and harnessing the combined potential of the absolute latest hardware and software technology to generate solutions that drive the digital industrial revolution. Our international teams of industry experts have the experience and insight it takes to infuse existing assets with the technology of tomorrow. Enabled by the convergence of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) and achieved through the OPC UA TSN communication standard – seamless connectivity is an essential fea-ture of these solutions.

With B&R at your side, you’ll experience the digital age as an era of new connections and transparent communication between your company, your people and your equipment.

Come join us at the SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg from November 22–24 (Hall 7, Booth 206) as we explore the digital world of automation. We look forward to seeing you there!

Happy reading,

Sebastian SachseTechnology Manager, Open Automation

Transparency aT your fingerTipwww.br-automation.com/factoryautomation

APROL factory automation – Smart factory solutions for your production

< aproL enMon – Energy consumption at a glance

< aproL conMon – Reduced downtime and maintenance costs

< aproL pDa – Line monitoring, manufacturing intelligence –Seamless data acquisition and analysis

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cover story

04 OPC UA TSN – Field-tested, field-proven OEMs and system integrators have high hopes for OPC UA TSN.

B&R and its partners have now confirmed that it meets com-munication requirements from the line to the ERP-level.

08 OPC UA is ready for real time New extensions are bringing real-time capability to OPC UA.

Matthias Damm (OPC Foundation) and Sebastian Sachse (B&R) tell us what this means for networked factories.

11 No access for unauthorized users The user role system in Automation Studio makes it easy to

manage OPC UA permissions and prevent unauthorized users from modifying data.

12 Safe Line Automation Industry 4.0 demands modular, flexible production lines. The

combination of OPC UA and openSAFETY is B&R’s answer for seamless safety throughout automated production lines.

report

28 Machines à la carte Blow molding specialist 1Blow offers a flexible portfolio of

compact, energy-efficient machines and comprehensive service it has developed with automation partner B&R.

36 The self-powered future Using control technology from B&R, Provitec developed an

innovative concept based on photovoltaic power that helped it achieve complete energy autonomy.

40 Standard vs. Proprietary Switching from proprietary to standard pays off. A flexible

B&R controller allows Blech-Tec to integrate new functions at considerably reduced development costs.

48 Don’t have a cow When controller failure brought a feed mill to a halt, Weibel &

Partner got it up and running again quickly with solutions from B&R.

54 The perfect atmosphere for innovation Energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly building auto-

mation based on the B&R APROL DCS allows MB Telecom employees to focus on their innovative R&D projects.

inhaltcontents

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32 48

featured topic: safety

16 One safety application, countless variations Batch-size-one construction of series-produced machines?

Modularity makes it possible, but has proved problematic when safety enters the picture. Until now, that is.

20 The key to keyless mode selection HMI-integrated safe mode selection is poised to replace

the conventional key-operated selector switch with a more efficient, more elegant solution.

24 Making time To handle increasing demands for speed and flexibility in

watchmaking, Lécureux equips all new developments with B&R automation technology.

technology

32 Maximum flexibility With scalable hardware and software, it’s easier than ever

for existing systems to grow and adapt without compromis-ing continuity.

44 6th generation of top performance Advanced automation demands flexible technology with

maximum performance. New Core i processors give B&R’s Automation PC 910 more computing power than ever.

58 Keeping auto production in the fast lane Together with experts from the automotive industry, B&R

has developed an innovative HMI device that offers signifi-cant improvements for day-to-day production operations.

62 Mastering options in machine software With market requirements changing rapidly and software

versions multiplying out of control, it’s time for a new ap-proach to options management.

interview

52 Converging the worlds of IT and automation Where is the overlap between Industry 4.0 and the Internet

of Things? Tony Shakib (Cisco), Stefan Schönegger (B&R) and Marc Ostertag (B&R) speak about the potential for synergy.

cover story featured topic report technology interview04

OPC UA TSN

Field-tested, field-proven

11.16 cover story featured topic report technology interview 05

OEMs and system integrators have high hopes for OPC UA TSN. So far, those hopes have been based on theoretical concepts and technologies still under development – but not any longer. Together with its partner companies, B&R has proven the ability of OPC UA TSN to meet communication requirements from the line level up to the ERP level under real-world conditions.

Over the past few months, B&R has performed intensive field test-ing together with TSN network specialist TTTech. “The results are impressive,” reports Sebastian Sachse, technical manager of B&R’s Open Automation business unit. “In some aspects, OPC UA TSN has even outperformed our expectations.”

Time-critical applications at the line level, such as synchroniza-tion of conveyor belts with various other equipment, require cycle times as low as two milliseconds. “We’ve gone even lower than that on our test installations,” says Sachse. With jitter measure-ments as low as 100 nanoseconds, the results were on par with the best fieldbus systems on the market today.

Networks without borders“The other impressive thing about our test installations is their stability,” emphasizes Sachse. “After all, we’re working with tech-nology so new that its IEEE specification hasn’t even been com-pleted yet.” B&R’s test installations will soon join those of other participants in the IIC’s TSN Testbed to examine the interoperabili-ty of components on a multi-vendor OPC UA network with TSN. Oth-er TSN Testbed participants included: National Instruments, Cisco, Schneider, Bosch, GE, Intel and TTTech.

Low resource intensityPivotal criteria for practical OPC UA applications will be its code size and resource requirements. “If OPC UA were only able to run on powerful industrial PCs and controllers, use in machinery and equipment would be out of the question,” explains Sachse. By im-


data to the network (publish) and every cli-ent can receive this data (subscribe). This eliminates the need for a permanent con-nection between client and server, which is particularly resource intensive.

B&R is actively participating in the OPC Foundation working group developing the specification for OPC UA’s publisher-sub-scriber model. “I expect the specification to be completed by the end of the year – and rapidly implemented by many manufacturers soon thereafter,” says Sachse.

OPC UA as a standardThe momentum behind the OPC UA move-ment is evident in the number of standards organizations basing their work on the ven-dor-independent protocol. EUROMAP, the leading developer of global standards for the plastics industry, recently defined OPC UA as the basis for two new EUROMAP inter-faces, and more are on the way.

The umbrella organization for the packag-ing industry, OMAC, will also be integrating

plementing OPC UA on a bus controller from its X20 system, B&R has clearly demon-strated the feasibility of I/O-level applica-tions for OPC UA servers and clients. “It proves that OPC UA is perfectly scalable to any conceivable task at the line-level and beyond.”

Reduced network trafficWith its bus controller implementation, B&R has also tested an important new fea-ture of the OPC UA specification. The pub-lisher-subscriber (pub/sub) model plays a key role in allowing OPC UA TSN to achieve the necessary performance.

Until now, OPC UA has used a client/server mechanism, where a client requests infor-mation and receives a response from a server. On networks with large numbers of nodes, traffic increases disproportionately and impairs the performance of the system.

The publisher-subscriber model, in con-trast, enables one-to-many and many-to-many communication. A server sends its

OPC UA into its PackML standard and is al-ready working on specific implementations. “It really is astonishing how quickly such well-established industry standards are now turning to OPC UA,” says Sachse. “The performance demonstrated by our field testing with OPC UA TSN confirms that they’re moving in the right direction.”

The IIC and its TSN TestbedThe Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) aims to enable the intelligent networking of ma-chinery, equipment and facilities. One of the primary goals of founders GE, IBM, Intel and Schneider is to accelerate adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT).

To identify which technologies are best suited to IoT applications, the IIC organizes testbed groups, where these technologies are evaluated on multi-vendor test instal-lations. B&R has been an IIC member since 2006 and is participating in the TSN Test-bed, where the combination of TSN and OPC UA is being evaluated for the first time in an industrial environment.

With a client-server mechanism, a client requests information and receives a response from a server.


OPC UA TSNFrom a technical standpoint, it would cer-tainly be feasible to add real-time capabil-ity to OPC UA itself, but doing so would in-volve considerable effort and would still have disadvantages. That’s why a large group of automation and robotics manu-facturers have joined forces to move in a different direction. OPC UA will take advan-tage of Time Sensitive Networking (TSN).

TSN is a set of extensions currently in de-velopment that will later be included in the IEEE 802.1 standard. The goal is to provide real-time data transmission over Ethernet. A significant advantage of the TSN stand-ard is that the automotive industry is be-hind it. That means that the required sem-iconductor components will be available very quickly and relatively inexpensively.

The amount of data being transmitted in automobiles has skyrocketed in the past several years. Conventional bus systems don’t have nearly the bandwidth to handle it. The first step for the automotive indus-

try was adoption of the 802.1 AVB (Audio Video Bridging) standard, which enables synchronized, prioritized streaming of au-dio and video files. This allows images from rear view cameras mounted on the back bumper to be transferred via Ethernet.

To pursue the goal of reaching new indus-tries and broadening the spectrum of ap-plications, the AVB working group became the TSN initiative. The automotive industry would also like to handle all control tasks and applications that require functional safety over Ethernet. For this to be possi-ble, they will need cycle times in the re-al-time range and deterministic network behavior. These are the exact same re-quirements faced in the automation of pro-duction lines.

OPC UA TSN bridges the gap between the IP-based world of IT and the field of factory automation. OPC UA TSN is the perfect solu-tion for all applications in factory automa-tion. With sub-millisecond synchronization, it offers sufficient precision for tasks such

as line synchronization, SCADA system inte-gration, basic control tasks or even convey-or belt operation and I/O integration.

With OPC UA extending its reach to the level of line automation in the coming years, there will be some dramatic changes to the archi-tecture of machinery and equipment. It will likely mean the end of factory-level field-bus systems as we know them today.

With a publish-subscribe model, a server sends its data to the network (publish) and every client can receive this data (subscribe).

Sebastian SachseTechnology Manager, Open Automation

“OPC UA TSN has outperformed our expectations.”


Interview

OPC UA is ready for real time

Matthias Damm, head of the OPC Foundation’s pub/sub working group and Sebastian Sachse, technical manager of B&R’s Open Automation business unit,explain the advantages of the OPC UA pub/sub extension for industrial networking.


Matthias, what’s the reason for developing the pub/sub extension for the OPC UA specification?Matthias Damm: Today, OPC UA is fast – but not deterministic in terms of automation. For the applications where OPC UA is cur-rently being used, the emphasis is on deliv-ering data reliably without any loss of infor-mation. When it comes to communication between controllers, real-time capability becomes much more important. With the publish-subscribe model, data exchange is a lot closer to what you get with a real-time system. Combine the publish-subscribe

model with a real-time physical layer – Eth-ernet with the TSN extension – and what you get is real-time capable OPC UA.

What advantages does the pub/sub extension bring to OPC UA?Damm: Until now, OPC UA has used a client/server mechanism, where a client requests information and receives a response from a server. With this approach, data is ex-changed asynchronously and you run into problems when the network has a large number of nodes. The publish-subscribe model opens up the additional possibilities

Until now, OPC UA has had its limitations when it comes to complex processes with real-time requirements. That’s why the OPC Foundation is working on two extensions that will give the OPC UA communi-cation standard real-time capability: time-sensitive networking and the publish- subscribe model. We sat down with Matthias Damm, head of the OPC Foundation’s pub/sub working group, to find out what these extensions will mean for the future of industrial networking. B&R introduced its first pub/sub-enabled product in the spring of 2016. Sebastian Sachse, technology manager of B&R’s Open Auto -mation business unit, reveals the company’s underlying motivation.


of one-to-many and many-to-many communication. It allows de-velopers to define a fixed time window in which the data is to be exchanged – that’s one of the biggest advantages.

Sebastian, why has B&R chosen to get involved in the pub/sub working group?Sebastian Sachse: The OPC Foundation’s TSN and pub/sub working groups have greatly accelerated the spread of OPC UA into industrial applications. OPC UA is now entering into areas where cyclic com-munication with real-time requirements is fundamental. B&R has a lot of experience in these areas, so we saw a chance to make an active contribution. By pooling expertise with other partner compa-nies, we’re helping to create the best technology possible.

What impact will the OPC UA extensions have on the future of industrial networking?Damm: When you build a plant that includes machines with differ-ent automation technology and fieldbus systems, it’s historically been difficult to get them to work together at the control level. Today’s model of OPC makes it much easier to implement commu-nication across these multi-vendor lines.

So what’s the added benefit of the publish-subscribe model? Damm: When you have a very large, decentralized architecture, one-to-many and many-to-many communication gives you a huge advantage in terms of speed. This is a fundamental requirement for integrated systems such as packaging lines.

How far along is the pub-sub specification?Damm: At the moment we have a stable draft version that includes the majority of the definitions. In projects like this, it’s important to have pilot implementations occurring in tandem with development of the specification. At the Hannover Messe in April, we already had various manufacturers presenting the first demo applications. We expect the specification to be completed by the end of 2016.

And when will we be seeing the first products?Damm: With manufacturers already prototyping as we develop the specification, verification will go relatively quickly. I think it’s very likely that we’ll see products hitting the market by early 2017.

Sebastian, B&R introduced the first pub/sub-enabled field device for OPC UA at the Hannover Messe exhibition. Why are you working on a field device so soon?Sachse: As Matthias said, early implementation helps accelerate the specification process. The practical experience gained on testing equipment flows right back into the working groups and is incorpo-rated into the specification. Getting to market early also gives us a head start and allows us to serve our customers at a very early stage.

What kind of applications is the field device designed for?Sachse: The bus controller is perfect for factory automation and can be used there for almost any purpose. The new pub-sub model distributes data particularly efficiently and allows connections to the cloud via any Ethernet infrastructure. This is helpful whether you’re retrofitting an existing plant or building a new one.

What development goals has B&R set for itself with regard to OPC UA?Sachse: OPC UA has already had a significant impact on the indus-try and continues to spread quickly. In the short term, B&R’s prior-ities are completing the specifications for pub/sub and TSN and integrating them into relevant products. Beyond that, as OPC UA conquers new areas of application, B&R will play an active role in those developments as well. Essentially, we share the goal of the OPC Foundation itself: To establish OPC UA as the open standard for IIoT communication from the sensor to the cloud.

Are customers requesting additional OPC UA products?Sachse: Our customers are fully on board with OPC UA technology and are already designing machinery and plants accordingly. The many new possibilities and functions it offers are inspiring new ideas for potential applications. With our products, we’ll be help-ing them turn those ideas into reality.

How hard is it to upgrade an existing OPC UA system with the pub/sub extension?Damm: If you have an OPC UA hardware or software implementation without real-time requirements, the extension can be added by simply updating the library used for the implementation – so it’s relatively painless.


even possible to completely hide a node so that it is invisible to members of a specific role group. To make configuration even easier, the rights of a parent node can be inherited by its children.

User role systemA user is assigned one or more roles, with additional protection provided by an en-crypted password. The user role system can also be updated during operation. This includes, for example, assigning a user-name and password to a new system oper-ator. These functions are available directly

in the application program on the control-ler using function blocks.

Security with certificatesIn order to ensure secure and trusted data exchange, digital certificates in accord-ance with the X.509 standard can be used in the OPC UA system. The Transport Layer Security (TLS) subsystem in Automation Studio and Automation Runtime support the management of these certificates. Cer-tificates can be displayed, created and transferred to the certificate store on the OPC UA server.

Easily and securely manage users and roles in OPC UAThe new user role system in the B&R Auto-mation Studio software development envi-ronment simplifies management of OPC UA access rights. This feature prevents unau-thorized users from accessing an OPC UA system, modifying data or performing cer-tain actions.

Any number of roles can be defined, which can then be assigned individual access rights for each node. Typical access rights include reading, writing or browsing. It is

News

No access for unauthorized users

A user can be assigned one or more roles.


openSAFETY meets OPC UA

Safe Line Automation

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or individual components from the machine network without hav-ing to reprogram the safety application. “It would even be conceiv-able to create a self-validating line,” says Kaufleitner.

To allow the safety network to self-organize – while continuing to meet all the requirements for safety and security – there are a number of measures that need to be implemented. “This is where the particular advantages of OPC UA and openSAFETY really come to bear.”

How it worksWhen a new piece of equipment – be it an entire machine, an indi-vidual part or even a robot – is added to the machine network, OPC UA security mechanisms begin by establishing a secure connection.

“In theory it is certainly possible to join machines from different vendors in a single safety network,” explains Franz Kaufleitner, product manager for integrated safety at B&R, “but doing so re-quires an extensive amount of factory-floor programming.” Once the line is up and running, any time you add, remove or modify equipment, you would need to reprogram and recheck the safety application. “That’s just not a viable solution in real-world condi-tions,” says Kaufleitner.

High level of flexibility requiredThat’s why B&R is working on a concept that will open up a whole new realm of solutions: self-organizing safety networks based on OPC UA and the open source safety protocol openSAFETY. This technology will make it possible to add or remove entire machines

Industry 4.0 demands modular, flexible production lines. While these qualities are being implemented successfully at a functional control level, achieving comparable levels of flexibility in line-level safety technology has so far seemed an insurmountable hurdle. With the combination of OPC UA and openSAFETY, B&R aims to change that – providing seamless safety for production lines.

The combination of OPC UA and openSAFETY is B&R’s answer for seamless safety throughout automated production lines.

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Then the OPC UA discovery service and server capability identifiers are used to search for servers that offer safety func-tions, after which OPC UA browsing services identify the functions and corresponding attributes available on each server. In this way, any OPC UA server is able to obtain a complete map of the network without re-quiring a single line of code to be written. “This process can already be implemented using OPC UA,” notes Kaufleitner.

Automatic checkNext, the safety application checks whether the new component is already known, or if – with regard to safety – it matches a previ-

ously validated configuration. If so, there is nothing else for the machine operator to do.

If significant differences are identified, the user is asked to confirm via the HMI appli-cation whether the new configuration is correct. This input is saved, so the next time the same configuration will be recog-nized automatically.

Testing response times“This is where openSAFETY comes into play,” explains Kaufleitner. Each compo-nent checks the plausibility of the configu-ration. “This process is the same as the checks that are generally performed when

a machine is started up.” This includes a test of whether the response times and cy-cle times are fast enough to ensure relia-ble execution of the respective safety functions. Once these checks have been completed, exchange of safety-relevant process data via openSAFETY begins and the production line can resume operation.

Devices react automaticallyAs a minimum requirement for implementing safe line automation, each device needs to support openSAFETY’s E-stop profile. If an E-stop button is pressed, all devices in the openSAFETY network are notified automat-ically. Each of them decides independently whether to enter an E-stop state or if it’s possible to continue running. “This would be the case, for instance, if the event af-fected a different E-stop zone.”

A linear profile is currently in development that will allow individual components of the machine or line to communicate directly with their neighbors. If one machine com-ponent enters a safe state, its immediate neighbors decide autonomously whether they need to enter a safe state as well, or if they are able to continue running, possi-bly at reduced speed. “All the components, throughout the entire line, communicate with each other without any intervention from a higher-level system or operator,” says Kaufleitner.

How does openSAFETY communicate via OPC UA?The open source safety protocol openSAFETY can use any fieldbus or Industrial Ethernet network as its transport medium. The black channel principle ensures that openSAFETY data is transported completely independently of other traffic.

openSAFETY exchanges data using the OPC UA publish-subscribe model. As a result, openSAFETY nodes can communicate with each other directly and achieve extremely fast response times. Additionally, OPC UA method-calling functionality is used transfer openSAFETY data via OPC UA in order to check the plausibility of the safety application.

openSAFETY exchanges data using the OPC UA publish-subscribe model.

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SAFE APPLICATION

One safety applicatiOn,cOuntless variatiOns

Modular machinery has unique requirements in terms of safety technology. Master the multitude of options and variants with an integrated safety solution from B&R.

Agile safety technology

One safety application, countless variations

Batch-size-one construction of series-produced machines sounds like a contradiction. With a modular design, however, OEMs are able to offer each customer a machine tailored precisely to their needs at a competitive price. Unfortunately, this approach has proven problematic when safety technology gets involved. Until now, that is.


special requests. Instead, they meet their customers’ diverse requirements by offer-ing each machine series with a variable set of options. They’re able to do this by de-signing the machines with modular hard-ware and software.

From a safety standpoint, this unfortu-nately means that each variant represents an entirely unique machine that must be tested, maintained and certified separate-ly. This is both costly and time consuming. On top of that, every changeover process that is automated adds to the number of axes and I/O modules required for the ma-chine. “As you do this, the safety applica-tion grows more and more complex,” ex-

The trend toward product personalization is going stronger than ever. Automotive man-ufacturers lead the way, allowing their cus-tomers to pick and choose from a vast array of features and options until their car is virtually one-of-a-kind. Food and beverage as well as sporting goods producers are following suit with customization options of their own. Producing these goods requires machinery and processes with new levels of flexibility that place heightened de-mands not only on the hardware and soft-ware, but the safety technology as well.

Modularity makes it possibleOEMs can’t afford to go back to the drawing board for every machine just to satisfy

plains Franz Kaufleitner, B&R’s product manager for integrated safety technology. “For every machine function there is an un-derlying safety function.” To be successful, manufacturers of machinery and equip-ment must therefore find a way to ensure safety without undermining productivity.

Once-and-done verificationThe only way to achieve this is to make the safety application just as modular as the machine control software. B&R has devel-oped a solution that does precisely that – built around a set of certified safety com-ponents that includes user interface tem-plates as well as function libraries and services. The safety solution for a new


machine series begins in B&R’s universal engineering environ-ment, Automation Studio, where this set of pre-certified compo-nents is used to program a single, maximum configuration that covers all of the options available for the machine. “This configu-ration may include 100 safety nodes, even if any given machine will seldom have more than 30 safe axes and I/O modules,” notes Kaufleitner.

The safety application that corresponds to the machine’s maxi-mum possible configuration only needs to be tested and verified once. “This way, we cover all conceivable machine variants,” says Kaufleitner, emphasizing the key advantage of B&R’s solution over the traditional approach. He adds that “with conventional applica-tions, each new machine configuration must be tested and veri-fied individually.” The impact of this is particularly severe when it comes to maintaining a multitude of safety applications. “With the variety of options offered on today’s machines, maintenance costs can quickly take on monstrous proportions,” says Kaufleit-ner. In contrast, B&R’s solution leaves the OEM with only a single safety application to maintain for the entire machine series.

Easily enable or disable machine optionsNot only that, but working with this modular safety application could

hardly be easier. Machine options with safety functionality, such as light curtains or safe drives, are simply selected or deselected in the configuration file created for the machine’s maximum configu-ration. This can be done by the OEM prior to delivery, or set up by a service technician on the HMI screen during commissioning.

“Some of our customers have even integrated the generation of this XML file into their order management system,” explains Kau-fleitner. When the configuration file is copied to the safety control-

B&R’s modular X20 system facilitates the construction of series-produced machines with countless options and variants.

Safe communication with openSAFETYThe safety protocol is no exception. It, too, must support the machine’s modular architecture. That’s why B&R bases its safety communication on openSAFETY, which operates over the real-time POWERLINK network.


ler, the system knows immediately which machine configuration it is dealing with and which options are available. In this case, all the on-site service technician has to do is confirm via the HMI screen that the configuration matches the actual machine. “There’s no longer any need for a safety programming tool,” says the B&R safe-ty expert. “That’s unprecedented in our industry.”

Essential to this concept is the availability of a safety protocol that supports a modular machine architecture. “That’s why we base our safety communication on openSAFETY,” explains Kau-fleitner, “which operates over the real-time POWERLINK network.” To add a palletizer robot to a packaging machine, for instance, you would need only a single network cable to create a safe connec-tion offering up to SIL3 / PL e / Cat. 4.

Upgrade globallyWith this solution, new machine options and the associated safe-ty applications can be installed on site, anywhere in the world. B&R safety functions are certified through internationally recog-nized bodies such as TÜV Süd, Underwriter Laboratories (UL) and Germanischer Lloyd (GL). This makes machines more flexible and suitable for worldwide use, as well as reducing commissioning and changeover times.

All the service technician has to do is install the new mechanical component in the field and enable the corresponding configuration option via the machine’s HMI panel. Alternatively, the machine manufacturer can generate an updated configuration file and send it to the customer on a flash drive along with the mechanical com-ponents. The customer then simply installs the components and runs the software update. “A machine builder in Germany can in-stall a new function in India – safety technology and all – without ever having to send out a field technician,“ illustrates Kaufleitner. “With benefits like this, both OEMs and machine operators will find that B&R safety technology makes life a whole lot easier.”

Once the safety application has been tested, the results are valid for all variants of the machine.

Franz KaufleitnerProduct Manager –Integrated Safety, B&R

“Safety technology must not undermine the productivity of machinery and equipment.”


The key to keyless mode selection

HMI-integrated safety


Today’s machinery and equipment increasingly requires special operating modes for tasks such as setup, cleaning and troubleshooting. Conventionally, key-operated selectors have been necessary to prevent these modes from being misused. Integration of safe mode selection into the HMI application now offers a solution that is more efficient and more elegant.


that is by disabling certain safety func-tions,” notes Franz Kaufleitner, product manager for Integrated Safety at B&R. As a result, access to these operating modes must be restricted to employees with spe-cial training.

Adapting safety to special operating modes“Until now, the only way to guarantee that only authorized personnel are able to se-lect special operating modes has been with a key-operated switch,” explains Kaufleit-ner. To prevent special operating modes with reduced levels of safety from being misused for normal production runs, spe-cial operating modes generally involve re-duced production rates or single-step op-eration.

Today’s machinery and equipment fre-quently requires a variety of special oper-ating modes, each authorized for use by specific personnel. These solutions would traditionally require multiple key switches. “In larger plants, you also need to have each of these switches positioned in multiple lo-cations,” adds Kaufleitner. The time and cost involved in wiring the hardware – and later in managing the respective keys and authorization levels – multiplies quickly.

Integrated in the HMI application“A much more elegant approach is to inte-

Plant operators and service technicians use special operating modes to set up, test or correct the behavior of a system. Doing so requires them to open safety doors and covers without immediately stopping the machine. “The only way to do

Operating modes are selected conveniently on the HMI screen using the precoded and certified widget.


mapp TechnologyThe mapp software framework is comprised of modular blocks that handle basic machine functions. Software developers can implement user management, alarm systems or even control functions for motion axes with no more than a few clicks. Relieved of these repetitive, low-level programming tasks, they can instead focus their energy on implementing and optimizing the machine’s core value-adding processes.

mapp components are fully networked and exchange data automatically. The au-dit trail and user management components, for example, work together to log the who, what and when of any changes to the system – without the developer having to write a single line of code. Of course, the same now also applies to operating mode changes made using mapp SafeOPTION.

where key switches can be an unwelcome distraction. B&R has solved this problem elegantly by integrating mode selection into the HMI application.

grate mode selection into the HMI applica-tion,” says Kaufleitner. Until now, there hasn’t been a product on the market that would permit such a solution. With mapp SafeOPTION, however, B&R has finally made it possible to safeguard input via the HMI application without requiring dedicated safety hardware.

Certified and approvedmapp SafeOPTION consists of a mode se-lector widget for use in the HMI application and a corresponding function block for the safety application. “Both of these elements are certified and approved for use in safety- related applications,” says Kaufleitner. The secure data exchange and confirmation sequences this requires are completely precoded.

As part of the mapp Technology software framework, the widget is automatically linked to the application’s user manage-ment system. To integrate the widget into the HMI application, all that remains for the software engineer to do is link the operating

modes to text objects and the roles defined in the user management system. Machine operators can then authenticate their iden-tity using a password, RFID tag or fingerprint.

Seamless user management“The result is a seamless solution for con-trolling all access to a machine or plant, including its special operating modes,” summarizes Kaufleitner. The need for key switches is eliminated without any com-promise in safety. mapp Technology offers the additional option of logging and archiv-ing all mode changes along with an exact timestamp and user ID.

Technicians have to cover much less ground when servicing particularly large plants since they can set the operating mode at any terminal rather than having to walk all the way to the next key switch.

“These days you also can’t underestimate the design aspect,” adds Kaufleitner. Mod-ern machinery is more and more frequently being subjected to strict design guidelines

Safe mode selection via the user interface works independently of the specific hardware used. Users are free to choose whichever B&R Automation Panel best suits their needs.

The safety application runs on the SafeLOGIC con-troller, which also monitors safe mode selection.



From its home in Biel, Switzerland, Lécureux supplies the watchmaking industry with automated systems for the assembly of watch movements. To meet steadily increasing demands for speed and flexibility, the company equips every new development, including its modular AUTHOR assembly tables, with automation technology from B&R. Nevertheless, CEO Daniel Affolter is confident that manual watchmaking won’t be disappearing entirely anytime soon.

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Making timeWatch movement assembly


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What does an aquarium pump have to do with watchmaking? More than you’d expect, actually. Back in 1961, Bernhard Lécureux used an aquarium pump to build the first prototype of a power screw-driver – an invention that would soon become an indispensable tool for the watchmaking industry. The young watchmaker had the brilliant idea to convert the pump from his fish tank to function as a vacuum and connect it to a specially constructed screwdriver.

The suction holds the tiny screws used to assemble the intricate mechanical components of a watch – known as the movement – in place on the tip of the screwdriver. With the addition of a small motor, the electric screwdriver had been born. More than 50 years later, it is still the flagship product of the Lécureux company, which now has 100 employees around the world.

New AUTHOR table featuring B&R technologyIn addition to its trademark screwdrivers, the Lécureux portfolio includes complete lines able to assemble up to 1,000 watch movements per day. Many of these began featuring B&R automa-tion components in 2010.

Since 2014 this has included the AUTHOR series. This modular sys-tem of watch movement assembly tables can be installed individu-ally, as an island with multiple stations or as a complete assembly line. Up to six lifting tools per table – or three per table when installed as a line – bring the workpiece into position. Each year, Lécureux delivers between 15 and 100 AUTHOR systems around the world.

Small modules, strong supportPrior to the cooperation with B&R, Lécureux had used a controller

developed in-house for the AUTHOR table. As the demands on the controller grew in scope and complexity over the years, the com-pany decided to tighten its focus on its core competencies and seek an external controls supplier.

“When selecting the new controller, size was a decisive criteria for us,” explains Affolter. “The equipment used to assemble watch movements is very small, so we needed a supplier whose portfolio includes very compact modules. The X20 controller from B&R of-fers exactly that.”

According to Affolter, service also played a key role in the company’s decision. With the nearby B&R office, technical support is always close at hand. “At B&R, we’re not just a number,” says Affolter. “They take our matters very seriously as a customer.” The compa-ny’s positive experience with B&R dates back to an earlier project, where a B&R was used for a specialty machine. “The decision to head down this new path with B&R as our supplier for automation hardware was an easy one.”

More speed, precision, convenience and flexibilityThe transition to the new automation hardware went, well, like clockwork. “We started off by sending our programmers to a very well-organized seminar at B&R,” recalls Affolter. “They benefited greatly from that and were confident developing software for the new controller within a week. The few times we did run into trouble, we were able to rely on quick and competent support from B&R.”

Lécureux customers have enjoyed the advantages of the new B&R controller for several months now, with the new model offering a

The AUTHOR series of assembly tables built by Lécureux in Orpund, Switzerland can be installed individually, in an island, or – as pictured here – as a complete line for manual or semi-automated assembly of watch movements.

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considerable boost in speed and positioning precision as well as improved data traceability.

Users of the new AUTHOR table also have access to a wider range of configuration options. The AUTHOR system offers intuitive oper-ation via a state-of-the-art HMI application running on a 7” B&R terminal. Still, there’s no need for customers using the predeces-sor model to worry: the generations are fully interoperable and can be combined seamlessly.

X20 system: The heart and mind of the AUTHOREvery station, whether manual, semi-automated or fully automat-ed, is controlled and monitored by an X20 controller with two giga-bytes of CompactFlash memory. The I/O modules are connected via POWERLINK. B&R also provides the stepper motors and the cor-responding controllers for the lifting tools. The stepper motor module allows the winding currents to be controlled independent-ly, which has a positive effect on energy consumption, thermal stress and service life throughout the entire system. Individually configurable values for holding, maximum and nominal current provide maximum flexibility. A CAN interface makes it possible to connect complex auxiliary devices.

Assembly still needs a helping handAlthough it would be possible to design a watch movement that could be assembled on a fully automated line, Affolter is convinced that the conventional design will continue to require human inter-vention. “If you look at the gear train,” he says, “you’ve got two gearwheels that don’t mesh, so they can be placed automatically. The third gearwheel has to mesh with the first two, so it and the

bridge that goes over it are assembled manually. This takes a kind of finesse that robots have so far been unable to imitate.”

Particularly in cases like this, where you have a direct hand-off between automated and manual processing steps, a well-de-signed safety solution is essential. A safety controller from B&R gives the AUTHOR table safe input channels that can be used to read digital signals in safety-related applications up to PL e / SIL 3.

The future of watch movement assemblyWatch movement assembly will continue to be shaped by the fac-tors of flexibility, modularity, multi-caliber capability, retrofitability and plug-and-play functionality. “B&R technology gives us the flexibility we need to master whatever challenges the future brings,” concludes Affolter. That’s why his company will be equip-ping future projects and products with B&R controllers. When it comes to installing the watch movement into the case, however, automation is still out of the question. Although the mounting of the face and hands could be automated with sufficient precision, the marriage between movement and case is a matter watchmakers prefer to take into their own hands.

With up to six different lifting tools per AUTHOR table, workpieces can be posi-tioned quickly and precisely as needed for each assembly step.

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Daniel AffolterCEO, Lécureux

“B&R technology gives us the flexibility we need to master whatever challenges the future brings.”

A safety controller from B&R gives the AUTHOR table the safe input channels it needs to read digital signals.

Blow molding

Machines à la carte

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The flexible portfolio of French blow molding specialist 1Blow allows custom-ers to select exactly the functionality and service options they need. The young company has earned rapid acceptance in markets around the world with a design philosophy based on compact dimensions, energy efficiency and comprehensive service – qualities it has developed with its automation partner B&R.

Imagine heading to the concession stand of a major sporting event to get a snack and getting to watch a custom PET bottle formed and filled with a new soft drink right before your eyes. This impressive marketing stunt is just one example of what you can do with a compact blow molding machine from 1Blow. The machine’s small footprint allows it to be moved with a forklift and in-stalled right where it is needed. Combined with a filler, a 1Blow machine could produce thousands of custom bottles each day of an event.

Global markets take noticeSince its founding in 2010, 1Blow has al-ready sold 52 machines all around the world. The blow molder’s compact dimen-sions and reliable operation have certainly contributed to its success overseas. The biggest advantage of the machines, how-ever, lies in their flexibility. With five stand-ard platforms that mold PET preforms up to 12 liters, the company offers machine functionality à la carte.

Big names in the beverage market have taken an interest in the innovative design concept. Danone, for example, uses a 1Blow machine at its R&D center in Evian. Coca-Cola uses 1Blow machines for its markets in Africa, and a large cosmetics group is currently exploring new packaging

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ACOPOS P3 servo drive. With a housing no larger than a convention-al single-axis drive, the three-axis P3 helps reduce the size of the control cabinet by two-thirds and make 1Blow machines even more compact.

“The central engineering platform allows us to reduce development times and lower costs throughout the whole project lifecycle,” adds Bernard, referring to the B&R Automation Studio software develop-ment environment, which provides universal access to everything from controls and drives to HMI and safety technology. “While ulti-mately helping us move toward autonomy,” says Bernard, “B&R has provided outstanding engineering support along the way.”

Green performance1Blow’s all-electric machines highlight the company’s emphasis on energy efficiency. Once a bottle has been blow molded, excess compressed air is routed to a tank that feeds other functions re-quiring lower pressure. Together with B&R, the company is cur-rently exploring a solution to retrieve energy from the stretch rods using the principle of regenerative braking. 1Blow machines also feature an Eco program – which sets the machine into sleep mode when there is no preform in position – as well as an ISO 50001-com-pliant energy consumption metering card.

Integrated B&R systems have clearly proven their benefits in terms of energy efficiency. At one customer, 1Blow ran a side-by-side comparison, molding 750-milliliter bottles with its own 2-cavity machine versus a comparable machine from a big-name compet-itor. “Seeing the 54% difference in energy consumption really hit home with that customer,” recalls 1Blow’s managing director Benoît Sanchez.

solutions with a 1Blow machine. To handle the growing demand, the company will be opening a testing lab for its customers by the end of this year. “This secure R&D cell will include a pilot machine for testing different molds and materials, as well as a grinder,” reveals 1Blow’s sales director Olivier Perche.

Flexibility and more1Blow machines already meet the primary demands of what has been called “Consumption 4.0” – namely proximity, customization and environmental friendliness. 1Blow’s versatile portfolio allows customers to design machines that can mold complex bottle shapes with handles or angled necks, bottles that can be filled with hot liquid or printed directly at the machine’s outfeed.

But the young machine builder isn’t satisfied offering variety alone. Looking to add ten-minute mold changeover times to its repertoire, the company set out to find a partner for automation and process control. At B&R, 1Blow found a specialist that shared its focus on technological innovation. As one of the very first com-panies to combine control, HMI and motion technology into a sin-gle device, B&R’s products offer higher speeds, better reliability and faster response times through seamless integration.

Integration and engineering“Given the output rate of our machines, B&R offers the technologi-cal benefits our customers are looking for,” says Fabrice Bernard, automation engineer at 1Blow. “Moreover, we can have complete control over every aspect of the automation system.” The fully inte-grated B&R solution allows 1Blow to control the communication of all machine components – a key factor when it comes to perfor-mance optimization. Further optimization came with B&R’s new

1Blow’s blow molding machines have such a small footprint that they can easily be moved with a forklift.

Step-by-step preventive maintenance via the touch screen uses pictures and color coding to unmistakably identify parts and their replacement intervals.


Flexible maintenanceB&R has proven its ability to anticipate future trends like the inte-gration of intelligent maintenance, fitting 1Blow molders with a to-tally secure maintenance solution. Spare parts are displayed on the touch screen in the form of photos, operators are guided through step-by-step maintenance and troubleshooting and can browse documentation using keywords and pictograms – features that shorten the learning curve for beginners and temporary workers.

By integrating the new B&R remote maintenance solution into its blow molders, 1Blow makes diagnostics and maintenance even easier still. “Customers with a secure remote maintenance connec-tion can choose to have us take over control or request preventive remote maintenance,” adds Perche. “Essentially, we’re now able to offer an á la carte service contract with our machines that accom-modates any maintenance needs our customers may have.”

A bright futureB&R solutions help 1Blow react more flexibly to changing market demands by making it easy to add options, such as a leak test fea-ture to ensure optimum bottle quality. At the moment, the two com-panies are working on a solution that will allow its machines to com-municate with other blow molders or other equipment on the same line such as secondary packaging machines or palletizing cells.

It is undeniable that the flexibility offered by B&R systems – which has already won over major industry players like Krones and Sidel – saves time and costs on the long term through more economical operation and maintenance. With export sales accounting for 80% of 1Blow’s turnover (€3.2 million in 2015), markets the world over are clearly taking notice.

Olivier PercheSales Director, 1Blow

“As our single source automation partner for 1BLOW PET blow molders, B&R’s expertise in every aspect of the automation system makes our machines reliable, fast and reactive – qualities our customers really appreciate. B&R’s worldwide presence builds customer confidence and contributes to the success of our export sales, which today represent 80% of our business.”

1Blow’s all-electric blow molding machines are equipped with a complete auto-mation solution from B&R, including servo drives and frequency inverters con-trolled via a POWERLINK network.



Scalable process control

Maximum flexibility

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Process control technology is notorious for its complexity and rigidity. Expanding or adapting an existing plant is often a costly and time-consuming ordeal. Systems with a scalable hardware and software architecture are able to adapt to changing requirements with much greater flexibility and without sacrificing system continuity.

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includes more than a hundred ready-to-use modules for a wide range of control functions.” The smallest APROL automation solution would consist of the system soft-ware, an industrial PC and a few I/O mod-ules. “Even with this minimal arrangement, you have access to the full range of APROL functions,” says Reichinger.

Since the price of the software license is based on the number of I/O modules, cost benefits can be achieved even on very small systems. “If you expand the plant or scale it up, you can carry over all the exist-ing hardware and software,” he adds. Any new hardware and corresponding I/O li-censes are simply added on. “This is con-siderably easier than the conventional ap-proach, where you need a different system at each step,” says Reichinger, highlight-ing the benefits of B&R’s scalable solution.

Open to all communication protocolsAPROL can also be coupled with existing DCS and SCADA systems in large plants. These plants generally incorporate compo-nents from various vendors and use a vari-

Ever-shrinking time-to-market constraints have many companies – particularly in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries – looking for new ways to make their plants more agile and responsive. “Traditionally, when a new product or changed recipe re-quires implementation of a new process,” explains Martin Reichinger, manager of the Process Automation business unit at B&R, “you find yourself at the beginning of a long journey.”

From bench-scale to full-scaleIt all starts with lab testing of the new pro-cess on a small, bench-scale version of the plant. This is then scaled up to a pilot plant, where the process parameters are optimized. Finally, the process is trans-ferred to a full-scale plant where the prod-uct can be mass produced.

“This process is essential to achieving op-timal utilization of the expensive full-scale plant, but consumes a great deal of time and money along the way,” explains Re-ichinger. One reason for this is that each of the three steps often requires its own au-

tomation and process control technology. “In extreme cases you end up rewriting the software twice and swapping out the con-trol hardware twice,” notes Reichinger.

The answer to this is a flexible hardware and software architecture that grows right along with the plant. B&R’s open APROL au-tomation platform is a perfect example of this. “With a B&R solution,” Reichinger ex-plains, “the automation technology in a lab system with only a handful of I/O channels can easily be scaled up for a demanding pilot plant and then again for full-scale production with well over 100,000 chan-nels.” Ultimately, this ensures maximum return on investment for the system soft-ware and hardware as well as for engineer-ing work.

Cost benefits even for small systemsThe APROL automation platform is based on the Linux operating system and offers all the functionality of a full-fledged dis-tributed control system (DCS). “In addition to core components like the alarm, graph-ics, reporting and trend systems, this also

B&R automation hardware integrates optimally with APROL systems.


via the open Industrial Ethernet protocol POWERLINK. B&R’s integrated safety tech-nology can also be incorporated in the APROL system to achieve safety response times under five milliseconds.

Add user functionsAPROL’s flexibility doesn’t end there. In ad-dition to its ready-to-use solutions featur-ing tested, documented and field-proven standard control modules, APROL also al-lows users to create their own copy-pro-tected functions. By providing users with the same development tool it used to pro-gram its standard modules, B&R ensures a consistent look and feel that gives users maximum flexibility for implementing their processes.

ety of communication profiles, fieldbus systems and Industrial Ethernet protocols. “That’s no problem for the APROL platform, since it has interfaces for all the commonly used communication protocols,” explains Reichinger.

This openness makes APROL particularly interesting for plant operators looking to implement special solutions such as ener-gy monitoring or condition monitoring. “For these cases we’ve developed the ready-to-use APROL EnMon and APROL ConMon solutions,” says Reichinger. Assuming all the necessary data can be obtained from existing sensors, the only additional hard-ware needed to set up a complete energy monitoring system is an industrial PC run-ning APROL. The reports, trends and alarm system are automatically included, so APROL EnMon and ConMon can be imple-mented alongside existing DCS and SCADA systems.

Modular functional expansionThe flexibility of B&R’s open automation platform comes not only from its scalabil-

ity, but also from its modular design. “Once you’ve set up an energy monitoring sys-tem, you can easily add new functions at any time – or even expand it into a full-fledged distributed control system,” ex-plains Reichinger, pointing to further ad-vantages of APROL when combined with B&R control hardware: “APROL users bene-fit from the performance, robustness and scalability of our control technology, which exceeds what you’ll find in most DCS com-ponents.”

B&R I/O modules have onboard intelligence that allows them to compute fast Fourier transforms directly and handle certain open and closed-loop control tasks re-motely in the field. The data is transferred

Martin ReichingerBusiness Manager – Process Automation, B&R

“APROL can be scaled seamlessly from a handful of I/O channels to well over 100,000 channels.”

An Automation PC 910 running the ready-to-use APROL EnMon solution is all you need to set up a full-fledged energy monitoring system.

Energy autonomy

The self-powered future

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When the new office and workshop complex opened for business, Provitec’s managing director Robert Endress suffered some sleep-less nights. Called “Die Energiefabrik” (The Energy Factory, or EnFa for short), the complex operates completely independently of the public power grid – thanks to the innovative energy supply system developed jointly by Provitec and builder-owner Friedhelm Wid-mann. The boldly futuristic design of this system was what had Endress on edge as the building began operation.

Yet, since the ribbon was cut in the summer of 2014, the building’s supply network has yet to experience a single shortage or outage. For both Widmann and the companies leasing space in the com-plex, it’s not only the reliable supply of energy, but also the cost savings that are decisive.

As low as 6 cents per kilowatt-hour“With our design, a self-sustained energy supply system like this has electricity production costs ranging from 6 to 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, depending on the constellation of energy sources used,” says Endress. “So in very many cases, it pays off even with-out government subsidies.”

The Energiefabrik’s 350 square meters of workshop space and 600 square meters of office space are supplied with electricity, heat-ing and cooling from 100% renewable energy sources. The energy supply system is designed so effectively that it has no need for backup from the public grid, making the energy not only environ-

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If you have enough space for solar panels, then – with the right design, networking and control – you can take your energy supply system off the public grid entirely and enjoy a permanent reduction in energy costs. Using B&R control technology, Provitec has done just that. Its innovative concept for electrically self-sufficient buildings is perfect for logistics centers, office complexes, retail stores and other less energy-intensive enterprises.


mentally friendly, but also extremely inexpensive. Building owners also avoid the fees and taxes that some countries charge for solar power systems connected to the public power grid.

The right blend of sustainable sourcesThe building owes its energy autonomy to a custom blend of ener-gy sources and storage media. The roof and facade are clad with solar panels that deliver a rated output of 112 kilowatts (under standardized testing conditions). Electricity that is not used im-mediately is stored in a battery bank with a capacity of 400 kilo-watt-hours. This covers approximately 80% of the building’s ener-gy needs and stabilizes the supply of power.

During periods of insufficient sunlight, a biogas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) unit with an electrical output of 40 kilowatts kicks in. Three heat pumps are used to heat and cool the building’s rooms. When the solar power runs low, thermal energy from the CHP unit can be used for heating.

Located just north of Stuttgart in Neuenstadt, this innovative en-ergy supply system produces enough surplus energy to feed three charging stations for its fleet of four electric cars – at under 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Forecasted energy requirements“Intelligent control of the individual components is essential to the efficiency and effectiveness of the system as a whole,” em-phasizes Endress. The ability to forecast energy supply and de-mand based on meteorological data plays a key role here. As does the evaluation of data from a project management system – which makes it possible to turn off the lights and reduce the tempera-ture in unused rooms. The system also uses business trip sched-ules to coordinate the charging cycles for the fleet of electric ve-hicles with the goal of optimizing utilization of the various energy sources and avoiding bottlenecks.

Convergence of disciplines“One of the biggest challenges of this project,” recalls Endress, “was bringing together data from disciplines as diverse as building automation, personnel management, weather forecasting and ERP systems.”

The higher-level controller that manages the system has to com-municate with numerous interfaces and data formats, allow data-base connections and be able to handle certain tasks from the control components. To solve these demanding requirements, Provitec called on its extensive experience from dozens of auto-

In the main control room, an IP65-rated Automation Panel 900 with 8.5” multi- touch screen serves as the operator interface for the Energiefabrik.

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Robert EndressManaging Director, Provitec GmbH

“We’re convinced that the B&R solution gives us more technical possibilities than we would have with the competition. Nevertheless, the biggest advantage is the quality of their service. With all the difficulties that you’d expect to run into in the course of such a complex undertaking, B&R never once failed to come through.”


mation projects as well as its experience programming and imple-menting the Prodaisi MES system, on which it based the new Proenergic energy management solution.

As the hardware platform for its database-intensive software, Provitec’s engineers quickly zeroed in on the Automation PC 910 from B&R, an industrial PC that packs immense processing power in a small form factor. For the higher-level controller, Provitec se-lected a top-hat rail mounted CPU from the modular X20 system, which manages various system components ranging from the heat pumps and charging stations to the lighting. It communi-cates via POWERLINK with three X20 substations that have a total of 440 I/O points distributed throughout the building.

The operator panel in the control room is pendant-mounted on a swing arm and is based on an IP65-rated Automation Panel 900 with 18.5” multi-touch screen and stainless steel housing. It is also possible to control the system remotely via the Internet.

The right controller for any situation“B&R’s control technology offers the openness and flexibility we need to accommodate all our different interfaces and data for-mats,” adds Endress. Yet that wasn’t the only reason B&R was able to establish itself as the clear choice so early in the planning phase. At least equally important was the effortless scalability of-fered by the fine-grained portfolio of fully interoperable industrial control modules. “It allows us to cover the full spectrum – from the very simple to the highly complex.”

The automation expert also praises B&R’s integrated engineering environment: “We’ve grown along with Automation Studio, so it might be easy to take for granted how powerful it is and how much it simplifies our work.”

Faster resultsEndress appreciates the many details that contribute to stream-lining the engineering process, such as an integrated web server and SQL interface that give the controller direct access to data-bases and ERP systems without the hassle of programming the access from the ground up or purchasing it separately.

“We’re convinced that the B&R solution gives us more technical possibilities than we would have with the competition. Neverthe-less, the biggest advantage with B&R is the quality of their ser-vice. With all the difficulties that you’d expect to run into in the course of such a complex undertaking, B&R never once failed to come through.”

Solar panels may be on the outside of the building, but they play a central role in Provitec’s Energiefabrik concept for autonomous building supply. (Photo: Pro-vitec GmbH)

Even on rainy days, the Energiefabrik’s energy supply system provides enough power for a fleet of electric vehicles.

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The control system based on B&R hardware uses weather forecasts to predict energy requirements and select an appropriate mix of energy sources.


Renowned panel builder Berker and other users of the BT-150 are able to produce prototypes and small batches of bent components faster and cheaper.

Standard vs. Proprietary

Flexible control

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Switching from a proprietary embedded solution to a control solution based on standard components pays off even in a price-sensitive market. Blech-Tec demonstrat-ed that with the second generation of its compact bending machine for intricate sheet metal workpieces. With its new controller – selected from B&R’s extensive portfolio of industrial-grade solutions – Blech-Tec benefits from considerably increased flexibility, is able to integrate new functions with considerably lower development costs and enjoys the support of a controls partner with a strong global presence.


“Adding functionality to an embedded solution is extremely expensive, if it’s even possible at all,” notes Ralf Beger, Blech-Tec’s founder and managing director. He learned this lesson the hard way, having selected a proprietary controller for the first generation of the BT-150 small parts bending machine back in 2005. At the time, the hardware costs for this solution were lower than for a standard PC-based con-troller. Typical of embedded solutions, however, the fixed functionality quickly be-gan impeding further development of the machine and generating unforeseen costs – making it difficult for Blech-Tech to enter new markets or even strengthen its position in existing ones.

Proprietary has lost its cost advantageMuch has changed since then. It is now possible to find standard components that combine low hardware costs with a high degree of flexibility. Leading the way is B&R with its fully scalable portfolio of modular, interoperable industrial control products.

Both the hardware and software elements of the control solution can be trimmed to fit the task at hand with no dead weight, and expanded effortlessly when the time is right.

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That’s why, in 2015, Blech-Tec turned to automation specialist B&R for the second generation of its controllers. According to Beger, the decision was influenced by more than just technical criteria. “B&R had been recommended to us emphatically by nu-merous friends in the industry, who praised their dependable hardware, reliable deliv-ery and outstanding support. That’s what ultimately tipped the scales for us.”

Maintenance-free controller with custom designDeveloped in close cooperation with B&R’s experts, the BT-150’s new controller was ready for action in no time. It is based on a C70-series Power Panel with a 10.1” analog resistive touch screen in portrait format. Like all devices in this series, it is equipped with an Intel Atom CPU, 256 MB DDRAM, 16 KB FRAM and a 2 GB onboard flash drive. With no hard drives, fans or batteries, C70-series devices are entirely maintenance free. The front side, featuring Blech-Tec’s custom overlay design, offers IP65 protection.

Four 2-axis ACOPOSmicro modules are used to control the machine’s eight stepper mo-tors. The drive modules communicate with the controller via X2X. “The new controller is a much simpler construction than our em-bedded solution,” Beger is pleased to report.

Even so, they have been able to integrate decisive new features, which had previously

B&R smooths market entryThe fact that Beger is now getting his con-trol components from a well-known suppli-er helps clear the initial hurdles when en-tering new markets. “Our users are happy to see an internationally renowned compa-ny handling our control components, be-cause it means they can expect ongoing innovations and a reliable supply of re-placement parts anywhere in the world.”

Blech-Tec also contributed its fair share to the international success of the BT-150. After all, it allows users to form light-gauge sheet metal without any specialty tools.

For prototyping and short-run production, manual lever presses are still the tool of choice. Typically, a separate tool insert is produced for each bend, which is rendered useless as soon as you modify the work-piece or changeover to a new product. Un-able to accommodate even minor adjust-ments, this can be a costly and time-con-suming way to produce small batches and substantially altered prototypes. The foot-print of the required machinery should also not be underestimated. After all, a sepa-rate manual lever press is frequently used for each bend so that each workpiece can be fully formed without having to swap out tools.

Progressive stamping tools, on the other hand, are only economical at higher produc-

not been possible due to the lack of flexibil-ity and high development costs associated with the embedded solution. Some of the new features include remote maintenance and data transfer via Ethernet and USB. The ability to interact directly via the touch screen rather than with hardware keys makes the machine noticeably easier to use. “Entering text is something that has improved considerably,” says Beger. “Not to mention that we’ve made controlling the bending process itself more convenient.”

Language support for more effective internationalizationBlech-Tec uses the graphics capabilities of the Power Panel C70 to guide the user through the bending process. The various bending stations are displayed, showing the user how the tools are installed and which tool should be used for the next bend. Other new features include monitor-ing functions, such as an operating time counter and an alarm history.

The greatly expanded language support made possible with the new B&R solution is a decisive advantage for the BT-150 on the global market. “We used to have a limited number of languages, which directly af-fected the regions we were able to make sales in,” explains Beger. Luckily, that is no longer an issue. Blech-Tec has even begun implementing Japanese and Chinese ver-sions of its user interface.

The BT-150 is designed to form intricate workpieces out of sheet metal. A Pow-er Panel C70 from B&R with a customized design provides control and HMI func-tionality. (Photo: Blech-Tec)

Since the eight stepper motors in the BT-150 are controlled by four 2-axis ACOPOSmicro modules, there is no longer a need for homing after a disruption or product changeover. (Photo: Franz Rossmann)


tion volumes due to their high price. These tools are also extremely inflexible, and can only be used effectively once it is absolute-ly certain that there will be no further modi-fications to the shape of the product.

Prototypes and small batches without high tooling costsWith the BT-150, parts can be produced using standardized toolkits, eliminating the preliminary step of making custom tools. Changes in length and angle can be fine-tuned, and even changes to the gauge of metal being processed can be accommodated without switching tools. The BT-150 allows most bends to be per-formed sequentially with no changeover. It also ensures an extremely high level of re-peat precision. Once a program has been created, it can be reused quickly, easily and reliably.

Berker is one of a growing number of inter-nationally renowned companies that use the Blech-Tec machine in their R&D depart-ments. Manufacturers of power switches used to have to die-bend their prototypes in quantities of 1 to 250 out of stainless steel and nonferrous metal in thicknesses of 0.2 to 2 millimeters on a knuckle-joint or screw press.

Today, around 75% of all bent components can be created with a BT-150, and the costly and time-consuming use of auxiliary

tooling is largely obsolete. That is also what has made it an indispensable mem-ber of Berker’s R&D team. Judging by the large amount of interest that has already

been expressed in the machine with the new controller, there will soon be many more companies who can no longer im-agine life without the BT-150.

The touch screen on the Power Panel C70 helped Blech-Tec simplify operation and greatly expand the range of supported languages. (Photo: Franz Rossmann)

With its new controller, the BT-150 is now able to show the user which station should be used to make the next bend. (Photo: Krinner engineering office)

Ralf BegerFounder and CEO, Blech-Tec GmbH

“B&R had been recommended to us emphatically by numerous friends in the industry, who praised their dependable hardware, reliable delivery and out-standing support. That’s what ultimately tipped the scales for us.”


Automation PC 910

6th generation of top performance


An industrial PC is much more than just a consumer PC in metal housing. With its ro-bust construction, it is designed to oper-ate 24/7 in a harsh industrial environment. “These are precisely the requirements we had in mind while designing our Automa-tion PC,” says Raimund Ruf, manager of B&R’s HMI business unit. “Robust, reliable performance and guaranteed long-term availability are our top priorities.”

With the integration of Intel’s latest Core i technology, the Automation PC 910 is more powerful than ever. The 6th generation of Core i-series processors are all multi-core processors and have the graphics unit di-rectly integrated in the processor.

Increased performance“The fully modular design of the Automa-tion PC 910 made integrating the latest generation of processors nearly effort-less,” explains Ruf. The initial rollout will

include a fanless Core i3 and a Core i5 pro-cessor. The Core i5 now has four processor cores and outperforms all of the Core i7 processors of the preceding generation, while simultaneously offering reduced en-ergy consumption. Up to 32 gigabytes of DDR4 SDRAM provides fast exchange of data between CPU and memory.

Modern HMI applications place high de-mands on graphics performance. “In the past, this has increasingly required instal-lation of a graphics card in the industrial PC,” reports Ruf. These drive up costs and frequently need to be cooled by an addi-tional fan. The graphics system integrated in the new Core i processors is powerful enough that a graphics card is frequently no longer necessary.

Fully customizableThe specific features that a given OEM is looking for in an industrial PC can vary dra-

Today’s most advanced automation solutions demand flexible PC technology with maximum performance. Industrial applications depend on robust hardware, reliable operation and guaranteed long-term availability. With the addition of 6th-generation Core i processors to its Automation PC 910 portfolio, B&R now offers machinery and equipment builders even more computing power for their most demanding applications.


matically, so the devices need to be highly customizable and configurable. The Auto-mation PC 910 is available in three sizes offering from one to five PCI/PCI Express slots. Optional interface cards offer count-less possibilities, whether you want to add a third Gigabit Ethernet interface, connect a fieldbus like POWERLINK or include an in-tegrated UPS.

The Automation PC 910 also offers maxi-mum flexibility when it comes to data stor-age, offering solid-state drives, conven-tional hard drives or compact CFast cards easily accessed behind the front cover. “We give the user 100% freedom to opti-mize data storage,” explains Ruf. This al-lows them to do things like isolate the op-erating system from the process data.

Optimized cooling systemFans are moving parts subject to wear, tear, dirt and grime. A fanless device offers huge advantages in an industrial environ-ment. “By optimizing the convection cool-ing, we have managed to offer the majority of our Automation PC 910 variants without fans,” says Ruf. Only the high-end systems at the top of the performance spectrum still require fan-cooling.

Here, the fan directs a stream of air right through the integrated cooling fins to en-sure maximum efficiency. As processors

shrink in size, heat is generated on a smaller and smaller surface area. To deal with this, heat pipes are the best way to provide maximum heat dissipation. These are hollow tubes filled with a liquid that uses the processes of evaporation and condensation to efficiently transfer large amounts of heat away from a small sur-face area. Heat pipes are very light and take up very little space within the PC housing.

Simple cablingMore and more often, groups of machines are being integrated to form complex pro-duction systems. These systems need solutions in place that allow workers to op-erate them efficiently and ergonomically. This creates two challenges for machine builders: Not only must data cover longer distances between PC and operator panel, the cables must also be compact enough to be routed through swing arm systems. B&R’s Smart Display Link 3 (SDL3) offers the optimal solution to this challenge.

SDL3 transfers all the data over a single cable. The ability to span up to 100 meters allows for optimal placement of Automa-tion PCs and operator panels, even in more expansive systems. The standard CAT6/CAT7 cables used for SDL3 data transfer are particularly advantageous during ca-bling. The slender RJ45 connector is easy

to feed through very tight spaces. This is especially helpful when swing arm systems are involved.

Like SDL, SDL3 transfers not only display data, but also the communication chan-nels for the touch screen, LEDs and keys as well as service data such as the backlight brightness setting. In addition, thanks to the increased bandwidth of the integrated USB connection, SDL3 now also transfers USB 2.0 data. The SDL3 transmitter can be integrated as an modular option with the new Automation PC 910. The type of touch technology being used doesn’t matter; SDL3 supports both projected capacitive multi-touch panels and analog resistive touch screens.

Easy access to system information“Automation PCs are open systems that provide the user easy access to a wide range of information,” explains Ruf. For ex-ample, it’s possible to evaluate the tem-perature behavior of B&R’s new box PC as early as the implementation phase. It pro-vides both internal component tempera-ture values as well as measurements from additional sensors. It’s easy to update the firmware or software, or to upgrade the PC or any connected Automation Panels.

Ruf also points to the interesting potential for pairing B&R hardware with a unique ID.

The Automation PC 910 is available in three sizes offering from one to five PCI/PCI Express slots.


The ID can be checked to verify that the software is installed on the intended hard-ware and prevent unauthorized duplica-tion. “This is a simple, yet highly effective way to safeguard intellectual property,” says Ruf.

Future-proof operating systemsMicrosoft’s current operating system for industrial devices is Windows 10 IoT Enter-prise. IoT stands for ‘Internet of Things’, and highlights Microsoft’s approach to comprehensive connectivity, manageabili-ty and easy maintenance.

The Enterprise version offers the same ba-sic functionality as the consumer variant, but with fewer restrictions with regard to activation. Windows 10 will run perfectly fine on an Automation PC 910, even without an Internet connection to activate it. “This simplifies things considerably for the user compared to Windows 8. Exchanging hard-ware in the field goes a lot quicker,” ex-plains Ruf.

Preinstalled and activatedAs always, B&R delivers its Automation PC 910 with the operating system preinstalled and activated. While Windows 7 still came in special embedded variants, Microsoft has been using a different structure since Windows 8. Windows 10 IoT Enterprise no longer offers the scalable design of the

embedded variants that allowed them to be adapted perfectly to the hardware for very streamlined images. The memory re-quirements have therefore increased to a minimum of 32 gigabytes. “However, since inexpensive CFast cards and MLC-based SSDs are readily available for industrial use,” continues Ruf, “we don’t view the Windows 10 memory requirements as a se-rious obstacle.”

Although the word ‘embedded’ has disap-peared from the name, Windows 10 IoT En-terprise continues to offer all of the most important features you’re familiar with from the old embedded versions, including Write Filter, USB Filter and AppLocker. Win-dows 10 also continues to support mul-ti-touch panels without any additional drivers.

Alternatively to Windows 10, B&R Automa-tion PCs are also available with the Linux Debian 8 operating system. In cases where the Automation PC 910 is used as a power-ful control system, the user can choose between two versions of the real-time Au-tomation Runtime operating system: Auto-mation Runtime embedded or Automation Runtime Windows. The multi-core archi-tecture of the processors makes it possi-ble to dedicate one core to execution of control tasks while the rest run Windows or Linux.

Raimund RufBusiness Unit Manager - HMI, B&R

“The specific features that a given OEM will be looking for in an industrial PC can vary dramatically, so the devices need to be highly customizable and configurable.”

In addition to the interfaces already integrated in the Automation PC 910, modular interface cards add a wide range of other options. Whether you want to add a third Gigabit Ethernet interface, connect a fieldbus like POWERLINK or include an integrated UPS – the options are virtually endless.



After many years of operation, controller failure brought a feed mill at Swiss animal feed producer Landi Unterwalden to a grinding halt. The engineers at Weibel & Partner found themselves tasked with an emergency retrofit to get the mill back up and running as quickly as possible. Equipped with solutions from B&R, the mill is now more productive than ever.

Don’t have a cow

Emergency retrofit

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that this would require. With the first, the customer takes the time to define what they want the new system to offer – things like entirely new functions or a modern user interface. This involves meetings between retrofitter and customer to evaluate all the possibilities.

The second approach is the route you take when under time pressure to replace the controller as quickly as possible. “On top of the problem that there were no replace-ment parts for the old controller genera-tion, what you can’t underestimate is the time-consuming task of getting existing code to work with the new generation,” ex-plains Baumann. Another challenge would be getting the controller to harmonize with essential equipment such as inverters and closed-loop controllers, which would have required too much additional programming or simply been too expensive to replace.

Active in both food and non-food agriculture, Landi Unterwalden produces animal feed at its facilities in central Switzerland.

With the help of his team and B&R products, Weibel programmer Oswin Baumann (right) got the feed mill up and running again quickly.

Machines have a way of breaking down when we need them most. That’s how it seemed to Landi Unterwalden when its an-imal feed production line suddenly ground to a halt. The leaves were changing, and livestock was embarking on its ceremonial journey from alpine pastures back down to the valley for winter – where it would ur-gently need a reliable supply of fodder.

“It was the worst possible time for a failure,” recalls managing director Albert Amschwand. “Farmers from the area and surrounding dis-tricts rely on us for fodder,” he explains. “Failure to get the mill running again would have forced them to look elsewhere, and we would have taken a big hit financially.”

Turning to its suppliers for replacement parts, Landi came up empty handed. The mill had been built in the 80s and the parts were simply no longer available.

B&R partnership based on qualityThe engineers at Weibel & Partner are spe-cialized in automation and process control systems. Several of them have been work-ing with B&R components for over 25 years and have developed an exceptional level of expertise.

“B&R does an outstanding job of managing their components, and they’re the only au-tomation specialist that offers the support that I need as a programmer,” praises devel-oper Oswin Baumann. “They’re also excep-tionally innovative – it seems like they have a solution ready and waiting for every new technology that hits the market.“

Retrofit under pressureBaumann faced the challenge of getting the system up and running without access to original replacement parts. There are two possible approaches for the type of retrofit


a smaller footprint in the control cabinet, and the software can be developed significantly faster. “Since the components have gotten smaller, we were able to install the new con-troller without having to adapt the existing wiring,” says Baumann. “Another huge ad-vantage is that the new components have full availability, so if we have another failure, a replacement is immediately available.”

750 I/Os replaced in only 2.5 daysTo minimize cost and effort, Weibel devel-oped a converter based on B&R’s Automation Studio software. Automation Studio provides an integrated environment for every aspect of a development project – from machine and motion control to communication and HMI – with a sophisticated architecture that provides optimal support for users during programming.

The converter allowed the majority of the legacy software to be reused by converting it from Instruction List to C code. “It reads the existing program and translates it into executable code,” says Baumann. The C files generated by the converter can then be added directly to the Automation Studio project. This tool allows even first-genera-tion B&R controllers to be replaced by new ones quickly and easily. For Weibel, it meant being able to replace and test 750

Compact powerhouse: the B&R solution saves considerable cabinet space.

I/O points and have them back up and run-ning in only two and a half days.

Fit for the futureWhen a customer needs an old control sys-tem replaced with identical functionality as quickly as possible, the answer is a retrofit. In addition to the financial benefits this of-fers, the new controller generation also has

Oswin BaumannProgrammer, Weibel & Partner AG

“B&R does an outstanding job of managing its components. They’re also the only automation specialist that offers the support that I need as a programmer. They’re also exceptionally innovative – it seems like they have a solution ready and waiting for every new technology that hits the market.”

have important roles to play. The goal of Germany’s Plattform In-dustrie 4.0 project is to conduct a very detailed examination of the manufacturing process, to describe it – and ultimately to improve it. This is some very important groundwork that will serve as a foundation for many long-term improvements.

Tony Shakib: That’s actually the crux of it: Industry 4.0 deals pri-marily with theoretical concepts, whereas the Internet of Things is focused on practical applications. The testbeds operated by the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) are a perfect example. There you’ll find companies like B&R, Cisco and National Instru-ments experimenting – under real-world production conditions – with ways to implement technologies for the smart factory of the future.

Marc, as president of the American subsidiary of a European auto-mation supplier, where do you feel more at home: in the Internet of Things (IoT) – shaped largely by the U.S. – or in the primarily German- speaking world of Industry 4.0?Marc Ostertag: First and foremost, I’m at home where my custom-ers are. I think OEMs on both sides of the pond are driven by com-mon ambitions – to optimize their processes, to expand into new markets and to find new ways to solve their customers’ toughest requirements, such as batch-size-one production. As an automa-tion provider, what we’re concerned with are the nuts and bolts of how to turn those ambitions into realities.

That’s where the concepts of Industry 4.0 and IoT come in.Stefan Schönegger: Yes, and from our perspective, both certainly

Although Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) have long existed in relative isolation, efforts to align the two concepts are now rapidly gaining traction. We sat down with Tony Shakib of Cisco and Stefan Schönegger and Marc Ostertag of B&R to discuss the two approaches’ similarities and differences – as well as the potential for synergy between them.

Interview

Converging the worlds of

IT and automation


Was it this focus on the practical aspects that led B&R to join the IIC and participate in the TSN testbed?Schönegger: It was definitely a key factor. After all, we want to offer our customers solutions that they can start using right away. The other reason we got involved is that what we’re talking about is a revolutionary transformation in manufacturing, and it’s not one we want to wage on separate fronts in every region. A global market demands global solutions – and of course global standards as well. If we want to be part of creating these things, we have to be active in the groups all around the world who are working on them.

Shakib: I couldn’t agree more. Whether it’s through Industry 4.0 or IoT, our goal is to facilitate flexible new manufacturing solutions with intelligent machinery. That was one of our motivations to help form the IIC in the first place. We also agree that a transatlantic approach is the best way forward. That’s part of the reason we – an American company – opened an innovation center in Berlin last year with a focus on Industry 4.0 and IoT solutions.

Stefan, you mentioned a need for open standards. What form might those standards take?Schönegger: Well, the first one is already here. OPC UA will be the vendor-independent communication protocol for the factory of the future. It will provide seamless communication from individual sensors and actuators up to ERP systems and the cloud – and it won’t matter who makes the hardware.

Tony, so far we’ve concentrated on manufacturing. Yet there’s more to the Internet of Things than that, isn’t there?Shakib: There certainly is. Industrial production is of course a very important aspect, but the influence of IoT technology will be far more pervasive. The networking of household appliances, intelli-gent energy distribution systems (smart grids) and networked transportation systems (smart mobility) are only a few examples. The core focus in all these areas is connectivity that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. That’s the only way the digital transformation will succeed.

Do these topics have any relevance for B&R?Ostertag: Though we surely won’t be entering the networked appli-ances market, the idea of cross-disciplinary connectivity is abso-lutely relevant to industrial applications as well. One of the many benefits is that, as semi-conductor components are produced in high quantities for consumer products, we’ll also be able to use them in industrial production.

It seems we’ve come full circle to understand how two companies as different as B&R and Cisco ended up sharing a table here today…Schönegger: Exactly right. To realize the smart manufacturing solutions of the future, we must succeed in converging the worlds of IT and automation. That’s precisely what we see reflected in the cooperation between our two companies.

Tony ShakibVice President, IoT Vertical Solutions Unit, Cisco

Marc OstertagPresident, B&R North America

Stefan SchöneggerInternational Marketing Manager, B&R


Building automation

The perfect atmosphere for innovation

At MB Telecom’s new headquarters in Bucharest, an APROL building management system provides a comfortable atmosphere so employees can focus on their innovative projects.


MB Telecom is the only two-time winner in the 44-year history of Geneva’s International Exhibition of Inventions.

If you’ve ever traveled by airplane, especially in recent years, you’ve had your entire body and all your luggage scanned as you pass through airport security. It would seem, in fact, that the only thing in the air that hasn’t been scanned is the airplane itself. MB Telecom is changing that – and revolutionizing the field of aviation security – with Roboscan Aeria. This boom-mounted x-ray scanner featuring B&R control technology is able to identify narcotics or explosives, even if hidden in cavities of the fuselage or wings that would otherwise be practically inaccessible to inspectors. Not only that, but a single operator can complete the job in minutes.

As one of Romania’s largest system integrators, MB Telecom (MBT) designs, develops and installs high-tech security solutions at borders, airports and seaports, as well as being deeply involved in a range of national and international research projects. Award-win-ning breakthroughs like Roboscan Aeria and Roboscan 1MC for trucks and containers highlight MBT’s intense focus on R&D and innovation, as well as the success of its collaboration with con-trols partner B&R.

Green building for maximum comfort and minimal costsIn 2009, it was time for the quickly growing company to expand into spacious new headquarters. The project would also include construction of an interdisciplinary research facility – the largest in Eastern Europe – to house MBT’s newly established R&D direc-torate. MBT had ambitious plans for its new headquarters from the start. It wanted a building that would serve as an outward expres-sion of the organization’s culture of innovation while providing a comfortable, efficient atmosphere for its employees to focus on their demanding work.

To solve the primary goals for the new facilities – high levels of en-ergy efficiency and personal comfort – MBT planned to use the lat-est geothermal and photovoltaic technologies. These systems fea-ture a complex assembly of sensors, meters and actuators used to

When a company with a reputation for award-winning innovations builds a new headquarters, it’s no surprise that the facilities will feature the latest in building automation technology. MB Telecom optimized energy costs and minimized environmental impact with a building management system (BMS) based on the B&R APROL distributed control platform. The building’s sophisticated climate control allows employees at the Romanian R&D powerhouse to focus on revolutionary projects equipped with B&R control technology.


measure and control ambient conditions such as temperature, pressure, humidity, CO² and lighting.

For the various building services to function with optimal efficien-cy and provide the benefits that MBT was looking for, they would need to exchange data, share functions and monitor one another. In other words, what they needed was an advanced building man-agement system – or BMS – to monitor and manage multiple sys-tems from a central location. A BMS would also allow those sys-tems to interact for more efficient control strategies and open up the possibility for advanced functions like remote service.

Three systems, one solutionHaving identified the need for an integrated hardware and soft-ware platform, one potential partner immediately sprang to mind. “After the success of the Roboscan and other projects using B&R control solutions, B&R was the first choice among our engineers,” says MBT’s founder, Mircea Tudor. The decision was sealed when evaluations confirmed that B&R’s APROL DCS platform would in-deed provide the necessary flexibility the building management project required.

The core of the BMS architecture consists of 3 X20 controllers, each dedicated to one of the building’s subsystems for electrical power, climate control and security. The controllers are connected via POWERLINK to the APROL system at the main workstation, which runs on a powerful industrial PC from B&R’s Automation PC series.

Minimal utility costs and environmental impactOne controller integrates the electrical power management sys-

Temperature, lighting and air quality can be adjusted per office, accounting for factors such as occupant preferences and weather forecast.

Three B&R X20 controllers connect the building’s subsystems to the APROL BMS system running on a powerful B&R Automation PC.

With CO² sensors in every room, the APROL BMS is able to supply meeting and conference rooms with fresh air on demand.


tem, consisting of a mains supply, the 100-kilowatt photovoltaic system and a backup power generator. To monitor energy supply and consumption, the system uses energy measurement modules from B&R’s X20 I/O-system. Intelligent utilization and monitoring of power helps reduce the utility costs of the MBT headquarters while at the same time minimizing its environmental impact.

Maximum flexibility and comfortAnother controller is dedicated to the heating, cooling and ventila-tion (HVAC) system. The HVAC system integrates four heat pumps and one air handling unit that provides fresh air throughout the building. Thanks to APROL’s flexibility, integrating the disparate 3rd-party technology involved was no problem at all.

The APROL BMS solution provides intelligent distribution of fresh air, so that spaces that are occupied on temporary basis, such as meeting and conference rooms, receive fresh air on demand when room sensors report an increase in CO² concentration. Modules distributed on each floor measure and control the various climate parameters. Temperature, lighting and air quality can be adjusted per office, taking into consideration factors such as the number of occupants, their comfort preferences and the weather forecast.

Integration challenges mastered with easeThe power and climate control systems, as well as the access control, smoke detection and fire protection systems integrated via a third controller, all come together in the APROL BMS solution at the main control station. “Achieving interoperation between equipment from different suppliers using different technologies was a challenge,” recalls Tudor, “but the versatility of APROL allows

us to exchange data efficiently between all of the building’s sub-systems.”

The APROL system provides a process automation library (PAL) containing standardized modular control functions, including a subset for building management systems. In the course of imple-mentation, it became evident that a cascade control loop would be needed to increase the energy efficiency of the overall system. MBT engineers were able to solve this by implementing a custom software library that runs on the APROL platform along with a com-plex algorithm to compute optimum parameters for each heat pump controller.

“The APROL building management system makes our facilities a real pleasure to work in,” concludes Tudor. “And it’s so easy to integrate I/O modules via POWERLINK that we’ll have no problem scaling up with even more exciting functionality in the future.”

With B&R technology controlling its scanner and robotic tug, MBT’s Roboscan Aeria is revolutionizing the field of aviation security.

Mircea TudorFounder, MB Telecom

“Achieving interoperation between equipment from different suppliers using different technologies was a challenge, but the versatility of

APROL allows us to exchange data efficiently between all of the building’s subsystems.”


Automobiles have always counted among the most quality-intensive and technologically sophisticated products on the market – and the requirements of auto-mobile production lines are equally demanding. All equipment must meld seamlessly into the production process for its entire service life. So

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Industry-specific HMI

Keeping auto production in the fast lane


Automobile production lines have little tolerance for errors – after all, an outage of only a few minutes can be very expensive for the manufacturer. That makes it all the more astounding that the operator panels currently being used there are hardly fit to meet this requirement. Together with experts from the automotive industry, B&R has developed an innovative HMI device that offers significant improvements for day-to-day production operations.

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The automobile has always been a highly technical product. Accordingly, the associ-ated development and production process-es are extremely resource-intensive. Con-sidering the enormous cost impact of a single production outage, plant availability is a top priority. Particularly in terms of maintenance, technical systems must be efficient to service and recover quickly from any downtime.

Countless operator terminals in the fieldIn stark contrast to these exacting de-mands, what you find in the field is a con-tinued reliance on operator stations with outdated designs. Typically, these consist


of a standard control cabinet with a built-in panel PC and below it an arrangement of buttons, lights, key switches and an E-stop. These electromechanical controls are hooked up to I/O assem-blies mounted on a top-hat rail that communicate with the as-signed PLC via a bus controller.

Rather than providing reliable support for the production process, these stations represent a weak link in the chain and are slow to recover from service and maintenance.

Fast startup, fast maintenanceHaving seen this situation time and again, B&R decided to develop an innovative new operator terminal tailored to the specific needs of automobile production. Development was aided by input from maintenance experts and the real-world experience of users. In automobile production lines, only a few minutes of down-time can rack up tens of thousands in costs, so the most important speci-fication was that the new devices and their components be quick and easy to replace for service.

B&R took a modular approach, dividing the new operator panels into two independent units: a Panel PC and an operating element module. The Panel PC consists of a touch screen display with an industrial PC mounted on the back. The operating element module features an E-stop, key switch and B&R’s illuminated ring keys. Safety functions are also integrated.

Replace devices independentlyTo access the display or the PC, the service technician simply opens four quick-release captive screw connectors on the front. The cables are easy to disconnect thanks to the generously di-mensioned access panel on the back of the housing, the inside of which features an illustration of the wiring layout.

The strict separation of the supply voltage for the Panel PC and operating element module ensures that replacing the panel has no

The innovative operator terminal from B&R is tailored to the demands of auto-mobile production. It is divided into two independent units: a Panel PC and an operating element module. This allows the PC to be upgraded over the ma-chine’s service life without affecting the operating elements.

“B&R worked closely with users to develop an operator panel that targets the unique requirements of automobile production,” says Thomas Rienessl, B&R’s head of business development for industries. “The result is a highly flexible device that can easily be adapted over its entire service life.”


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effect on the operating element module. Even the safety circuit from the E-stop to the safety controller remains intact. If it’s the operat-ing element module that needs to be replaced, the process is just as simple. It, too, is held in place by four quick-release connectors.

Integration of the Panel PC and operating element module into a sleek profile housing saves valuable space for the operator. With a display size of 15”, for example, the outer dimensions of the entire assembly are only 442 × 511 × 86 millimeters. The swing arm flange can be installed on the top or bottom to allow for either pendant or pedestal mounting. This can easily be changed on-site at any time.

LocalizableAutomobiles of a given brand are produced at various sites around

the world according to uniform standards. Production workers in each country must be able to easily understand and operate their equipment. That’s why it is possible to label the B&R operator panel in the local language in addition to using customizable colors and symbols.

The user keys are identified with customizable slide-in labels pro-tected by a transparent overlay that prevents wear.

Extended operating optionsSome applications require additional functions, such as extra control elements or an RFID reader. B&R’s operator panel features placeholders – hidden behind the overlay – that can be pressed out of the front panel to add two more electromechanical controls at any time. Wiring the new controls to open I/O terminals is easy thanks to the large access panel.

On the top of the device, a four-channel signal light can be mount-ed on either the left or right side. Room is left on the other side for the customer to add on equipment, such as a WLAN module or barcode scanner. The internal 24 VDC power supply can also be routed to the exterior.

Sustainable auto productionThe service life of production equipment used in the automotive industry can vary greatly. Equipment used to construct the chas-sis and body has a much shorter lifecycle than the painting equip-ment, which can be up to ten years or longer. In this time, it is therefore not uncommon for the operator panel to require perfor-mance upgrades.

The computing power of the B&R device can be quickly boosted to meet future demands by simply switching out the industrial PC unit on the back of the display. In this way, the modular construc-tion of B&R’s solution helps automobile manufacturers operate with greater long-term sustainability.

Designed specifically for use under industrial production conditions, B&R’s compact, fanless Panel PC 2100 is the perfect match for the HMI panel.

The more costly the downtime, the more vital it is to ensure production availability.


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Versatile variants

Mastering options in machine software


tions and variables are to be accessed via mapp CodeBox. All of the machine’s special features and options are then added in ladder logic via CodeBox. The only time you ever need to go back and change the pri-mary application is if there are changes to the machine’s core functionality.

Manage variants with ease“Having the software for individual options decoupled from the primary application gives you a number of advantages,” Trappl points out. For one thing, it ensures that you’re not introducing errors into the sys-tem when you implement new options or customizations. It also greatly simplifies the task of managing all the different vari-ants of your machine.

If you want to equip an existing packaging line with a conveyor belt, for instance, mapp CodeBox makes things very easy for you. When you add the necessary I/O mod-ules, B&R’s Automation Runtime environ-ment recognizes them automatically. Then you just go into CodeBox and program the desired functions in ladder logic. You don’t need to reopen the original project, and you don’t need to use a development tool. The same approach can be used on an in-jection molding machine to integrate a ro-bot with a standardized EUROMAP interface.

“Making changes to an existing machine is always a lot of work,” explains Christoph Trappl, B&R’s product manager for mapp Technology. The OEM has to reactivate the development process to modify the ma-chine software. “Not only does that cost time and money, it also opens up the door for potential errors.”

OEMs whose customers need multiple ma-chines of the same type with different op-tions face an even bigger challenge. For each configuration of the machine there is a different version of the software to be maintained. “Things can grow unwieldy pretty quickly,” notes Trappl, “and there comes a point where the challenge is sim-ply insurmountable.”

Hardware-independent“It was clear to us that machine builders need a way to add machine options modu-larly, or make minor adjustments to exist-ing options, without having to touch the main automation project,” says Trappl. “That’s exactly what we’ve created with mapp CodeBox.”

“They still use the development environ-ment to program their machine’s basic functionality,” explains Trappl. In the pro-cess, they can define which data, func-

The days when an OEM could offer the same standard machine with the same standard configuration – year in and year out, often for decades – are long gone. The accelerating rate at which markets and processes are evolving calls for a new class of machinery with versatility designed in from the ground up. These new machines leave OEMs with a multitude of software versions and no long-term solution for maintaining them. If they hope to tame the jungle of machine variants, what they urgently need is an entirely new approach to options management.


Flexibility through web technologymapp CodeBox is an HTML5 application that can run on any browser-enabled device. “To make access as easy as possible, we made a conscious decision to have machine functions programmed in ladder logic,” notes Trappl. A powerflow visualization provides support for diagnostics and main-tenance. Ladder programs can be saved, subjected to version control and trans-ferred to other machines. If necessary, they can also be imported back into the original automation project.

mapp CodeBox drastically simplifies the task of managing machine options. “With mapp CodeBox, OEMs are once again able to master the multitude of options their machines offer,” says Trappl.

An easier way to measure energy consumptionMachine operators can also use mapp CodeBox to add new functions. Since it has been defined in the original machine appli-cation exactly which variables and func-tions can be accessed via mapp CodeBox, undesired changes are prevented from the start. CodeBox also allows you to configure mapp components. It’s very easy, for exam-ple, to link newly added consumers to the mapp Energy component, which automati-cally collects and visualizes energy con-sumption data to provide operators with a clear overview.

Configuring, not programming“You can really see the advantages of mapp Technology paying off here,” praises Trappl. The many different mapp compo-nents are all connected by what are called mapp Links. “The mapp Link is responsible for tasks such as automatically sending each drive’s energy consumption data to the mapp Energy component.” Throughout the entire process, the developer never has

to write a single line of code. “mapp Code-Box even allows you to equip an existing machine or plant with a full-fledged condi-tion monitoring or energy monitoring solu-tion without having to interfere with the machine application itself,” adds Trappl.

mapp CodeBox is platform-independent and can just as easily run on a tablet or a remote PC terminal. Alternatively, it can be incorporated in the machine’s HMI applica-tion. With B&R’s mapp View HMI solution this is as easy as drag and drop.

Develop machine software 67% fastermapp Technology reduces the time it takes to develop machine software by an average of 67%. With mapp, software developers no longer have to spend time programming ba-sic functionality and instead are free to fo-cus on their primary task: creating applica-tions for processes that are unique to the

given machine. New machines are devel-oped faster and with less investment risk.

Drag-and-drop mechanisms save OEMs time when implementing their require-ments. Communication between the mod-ular mapp components occurs automati-cally via their mapp Links. Not a single line of code is needed to manage the flow of data. The components themselves are configured and diagnosed via an easy-to-use web interface.

In developing its mapp components, B&R draws from experience gained from hun-dreds of thousands of automation solu-tions implemented all around the world. This makes them extremely reliable. Using mapp also reduces the complexity of an application by up to 83%. Machine availa-bility goes up – maintenance costs go down.

Christoph TrapplProduct Manager – mapp Technology, B&R

“With mapp CodeBox, OEMs are once again able to master the multitude of options they offer for their machines.”

Program machine options easily in ladder logic with B&R’s HTML5 tool – mapp CodeBox.


www.br-automation.com/mapp

3x faster development.Experience .

www.br-automation.com/mapp

< More time for innovations< Increased software quality< Lower maintenance costs< Reduced investment risk< Increased machine availability

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