togetherness - control design€¦ · togetherness integration and collaboration are two important...

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FIELD LOGIC

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togetherness

Integration and collaboration are two important job requirements for the robot workforce

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CONTENTS Volume 20, No. 12

FEATURES

MACHINE INPUT

Does the end effector justify the means?Standards organizations are keeping pace with the speed of robotic integration and the new attachments they bring Mike Bacidore, editor in chief

19COVER STORY

TogethernessIntegration and collaboration are two important job requirements for the robot workforce Dave Perkon, technical editor

24MACHINE CONTROL

Control at the edgeField logic controller solves a clean-in-place application at an Idaho dairy and provides a glimpse of the future IIoT edge devices Jason Clements, Landmark Industrial Service

36

PRODUCT ROUNDUP

Get with the programSoftware changes everything from design and configuration to control44

CONTROL DESIGN, (ISSN: 1094-3366) is published 12 times a year by Putman Media, 1501 E. Woodfield Rd., Suite 400N, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173. (Phone 630/467-1300; Fax 630/467-1124.) Periodical postage paid at Schaumburg, IL, and at addi-tional mailing offices. Address all cor-respondence to Editorial and Executive Offices, same address. Printed in the United States. ©Putman Media 2016. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or part without consent of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Control Design, Post Office Box 3430, Northbrook, Illi-nois 60065-3430. SUBSCRIPTIONS: To apply for a free subscription, fill in the form at www.ControlDesign.com/subscribemag. To non-qualified sub-scribers in the Unites States and its possessions, subscriptions are $96.00 per year. Single copies are $15. Inter-national subscriptions are accepted at $200 (Airmail only.) Putman Media also publishes CHEMICAL PROCESS-ING, CONTROL, FOOD PROCESSING, PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTUR-ING, PLANT SERVICES, SMART INDUSTRY and THE JOURNAL. CON-TROL DESIGN assumes no respon-sibility for validity of claims in items reported. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product Sales Agree-ment No. 40028661. Canadian Mail Distributor information: World Distribu-tion Services, Inc., Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9A 6J5. Printed in the United States.

December 2016 Control Design 5

MOTION

The birth of the medium-voltage driveA look at history offers a view of how product development can take place now and in the future

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controldesign.com December 2016 Control Design 7

9 Editor’s Page PLC ups and downs aheadMike Bacidore, editor in chief

11 Live Wire Smart devices lead to smart machinesDave Perkon, technical editor

13 Embedded Intelligence Leave the Barbie; take the dataJeremy Pollard, CET

15 Component ConsiderationsA place for text-based OIThomas Stevic, contributing editor

16 Technology TrendsDistributed control offl oads PLCs, PACsDan Hebert, PE, contributing editor

48 Real Answers Monitor vibration and corrosion

50 Automation Basics Installation tips for VFDsDave Perkon, technical editor

COLUMNS

ARC Advisory Group .....................51

AutomationDirect .........................52

AVG Automation ............................2

Beckhoff Automatin .......................4

Beijer Electronics ........................21

Bosch Rexroth .............................12

c3Controls ..................................33

Festo .........................................38

Maple Systems ............................41

Novotechnik ................................26

Pepperl + Fuchs ..........................17

Phoenix Contact .......... 3, 27, 29, 31

Ross Controls ..............................22

Schneider Electric .......................14

Siemens Energy & Automation ......10

SMC Pneumatics ...........................8

Telemecanique Sensors ................23

Universal Robots .........................18

Wieland Electric ............................7

Yaskawa America ...........................6

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Mike Bacidore • editor in chief • [email protected] EDITOR’S PAGE

DON’T CALL IT a comeback. Not yet,

at least. Programmable logic control-

lers (PLCs) are plodding through a

global economic swamp, but there’s

dry land on the horizon.

In 2015, the PLC market sank by

11.5%, and revenue slid to $8.3 billion,

according to the IHS Markit’s PLCs

Annual Intelligence Service. The path

ahead remains muddy because of

the unfavorable economic climate in

emerging economies, China’s eco-

nomic woes and overcapacity in heavy

industries, the report predicts.

“The estimates for 2015 and forecast

for 2016 are dependent on primary in-

formation collected from interviews,”

explains Rita Liu, analyst, manufac-

turing technology, IHS Markit (www.

ihsmarkit.com), a U.K.-based intel-

ligence organization. But the interna-

tional economic climate, especially

exchange-rate fluctuations, affects the

report statistics. “The EMEA (Europe,

Middle East and Africa) and Japanese

markets were estimated to have

contracted dramatically. The slower

growth of the Chinese economy and

overcapacity in most heavy industries

also impact the whole Asia-Pacific

market for PLCs.”

Despite the murky waters, there’s

drier ground and higher ground

ahead. Global revenue from PLCs and

associated software and services

should increase at a compound an-

nual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.8% from

2017 to 2020, rising up to $9.3 billion.

The largest regional market for PLCs

will remain EMEA, where one-third

of global revenue occurs, according to

the IHS Markit report. The Asia-Pacific

market will grow the fastest over the

next five years, especially from 2018

to 2020, thanks to the fast-growing

Indian and southeast Asian markets.

The American region is expected to be

the second-fastest growing market.

The real performance of the PLC

market however depends on growth

in the discrete- and process-manufac-

turing sectors where PLCs are used.

Machine tools, packaging machinery

and automotive sectors traditionally

have been the three largest markets

for PLCs. But these markets, especially

the machine-tool sector, are forecast

to grow more slowly than the market

average from 2015 to 2020. China and

the United States, the leading national

markets for machine tools, suffered

major machine-tool declines in 2015.

In discrete manufacturing, PLCs are

growing fastest in the robotic sector,

primarily in automotive manufactur-

ing and the electrical and electronics

industries. The global robot boom has

had a positive impact on PLC revenues

because they are core components.

“The faster growth of industrial PCs

(IPCs) has some impact on the PLC

market, but the impact is not big now

or in the following five years,” con-

tinues Liu. “Some of the PLC products

today have the same PC-based archi-

tecture. And some high-end modular

PLCs already have a good enough pro-

cessing ability and various functional-

ity. Additionally, PLCs perform better

than IPCs in industry areas on aspects

such as lifecycle, maintenance, reli-

ability and ruggedness and engineer-

ing workload, so lots of customers are

still happy with PLCs.”

The largest regional market for PLCs will remain EMEA, where one-third of global revenue occurs.

PLC ups and downs ahead


EDITORIAL TEAM

editor in chief

MIKE [email protected]

technical editor

DAVE [email protected]

digital managing editor

CHRISTOPHER [email protected]

contributing editor

DAN [email protected]

contributing editor

TOM [email protected]

editorial assistant

LORI [email protected]

columnist

JEREMY [email protected]

DESIGN/PRODUCTION

senior production manager

ANETTA GAUTHIER

senior art director

DEREK CHAMBERLAIN

SUBSCRIPTIONS

customer service

888/644-1803

CIRCULATION

audited June 2016

Air & Gas Compressors 561

Engineering & Systems

Integration Services 11,380

Engines & Turbines 1,047

Food Products Machinery 1,577

Industrial Fans, Blowers

& Air Purification Equipment 525

Industrial Heating, Refrigeration

& Air Conditioning Equipment 1,165

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens 463

Machine Tools 2,144

Materials Handling, Conveyors

& Conveying Equipment 1,514

Metalworking Machinery 2,595

Mining Machinery & Equipment 527

Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment 1,206

Packaging Machinery 901

Paper Industries Machinery 311

Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment 428

Pumps & Pumping Equipment 893

Rolling Mill Machinery & Equipment 157

Semiconductor Manufacturing

Machinery 821

Textile Machinery 169

Woodworking Machinery 276

Other Industries & Special Industrial

Machinery & Equipment NEC 11,360

TOTAL 40,020

1501 E. Woodfield Rd., Suite 400N

Schaumburg, Illinois 60173

630/467-1300

Fax: 630/467-1124

In Memory of Julie Cappelletti-Lange, Vice President 1984-2012

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THE JOURNEY TO smart devices, equipment and

machines is underway, but how do you implement

it? To start, Dan Throne, during Automation Fair in

Atlanta, Georgia, pointed out a few of the roadblocks

that need to be navigated to create smart machines.

As the North American regional OEM manager at

Rockwell Automation (www.rockwellautomation.com),

Throne understands how dif� cult it is for OEMs to

deliver value beyond the machine itself. “OEMs need

to address the needs of a large range of customers in

a global marketplace where competition is � erce and

innovation is raising the bar,” he said. “At the same

time, changes in the workforce are causing possible

talent shortages, making staf� ng operations dif� cult

for smart manufacturing. Then you have security risks

and machine safety that must be navigated.”

If you ask me, smart devices, machines and equip-

ment, in a way, have been around for years. A stand-

alone temperature controller, for example, is a smart

device. However, tying the physical plant to the virtual

world is where the real smarts are happening today,

but many manufacturers aren’t smart enough to make

it happen yet.

Throne talked about a study of 1,000 executives

and what they thought about the Internet of Things

(IoT). “Most of the executives, 84%, believe the IoT is

creating new income streams for their companies,

and 87% see it generating long-term job growth.

However, only 7% of the executives have created a

comprehensive strategy to get there.”

It looks like the decision makers are all on board

with the bene� ts of the IoT, but they are struggling to

tie it all together. Perhaps some smart examples along

with vendor and OEM support will help.

An example from the smart industry side—the big

view—is Wal-Mart predicting demand for produce.

The demand prediction feeds its entire supply chain

from the � elds to transportation and manufacturing.

Viewed from the OEM side—the smart machine—it’s

about production � exibility, such as adjusting capacity

or changing product type based on demand.

It makes smart people by enabling them to view the

real-time data, contextualized with analytics, so the

information can be used to optimize performance.

A good smart device example, at the smallest

scale, is an IO-Link sensor such as a photo eye. A

smart photo eye doesn’t just give on/off status; it can

provide diagnostic data, as well as the intensity of the

returned light. With the intensity data contextualized,

in a dusty environment and measured over time, it

can be predicted when to clean the photo eye before a

downtime event occurs. That’s a smart device, and it

has a memory of the current and historical data stored

somewhere and an outside intelligence, to analyze it

via an app, for example, is needed.

Above the smart device is the smart equipment, and

it is more self-aware. I saw one of the � rst Rockwell

Automation products that is truly self-aware at Auto-

mation Fair in November. It is the Kinetix 5700 servo

drive, and what makes it self-aware is its tuning ca-

pabilities. Its smarts start at commissioning, where it

automatically provides the optimal tune for the servo

application. The tuning feature automatically compen-

sates for changing loads during production, as well.

Optimization is also happening at the smart-ma-

chine or smart-system level. The Integrated Architec-

ture Platform exhibit at Automation Fair had an exam-

ple of a smart system—the MagneMotion independent

cart intelligent conveying system. It is a � re-and-forget

system. To move a cart, the control system just needs

to provide a destination location. The smart system

takes care of the rest using built-in programs to move,

track and accumulate carts and provide traf� c-control

functions at cart-merging points to prevent collisions

with little programming necessary.

How you get smart depends on what you are trying to

do. Start with the failures that would stop the machine,

and understand the architecture of the existing control

system. To determine the machine’s status from a

smartphone and access the related history, it may be

as easy as selecting a check box in your PanelView

con� guration. The control system may already have the

capability. If not, maybe the machine needs an upgrade

to expand the analytics. That technology is available.

FactoryTalk View SE and FactoryTalk Analytics for

Machines offer many of the functions to get you there.

Check it out and get smart.


Tying the physical plant to the virtual world is where the real smarts are happening today, but many manufacturers aren’t smart enough to make it happen yet.

Smart devices lead to smart machines

Dave Perkon • technical editor • [email protected] LIVE WIRE

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YOU JUST CAN’T make this stuff up. Remember Bar-

bie—that doll that is Wi-Fi-connected and can create

an open port on your home network just so she can

talk to your kid? That Barbie.

Well, the Internet of Things (IoT) has gone haywire,

and I think it deserves some face time. You may not

have heard about this Canadian court case, but it in-

volves a battery-operated device that can be controlled

and monitored from one’s smartphone.

The manufacturer of this device is being sued for

collecting, without the knowledge of the user, myriad

data points using the app called We-Connect. It states

that, given the nature of its products, security is of the

utmost importance.

The real issue here is not the fact that someone used

this device three times today for x amount of time, but

the fact that personal data was being collected and

disseminated without the person’s knowledge.

That has never happened before either, I suspect.

Gartner, the U.S. research firm, suggests that there

are more than 6 billion devices that are currently

sharing information over the Internet right now. IoT

will increase that number exponentially in short order.

So why would a personal-device manufacturer want

to know about someone’s activity? While it was not

mentioned specifically, the catch phrase in most cases

is that the manufacturer wants to know how the prod-

uct is being used.

Maybe the manufacturer simply thinks it isn’t

much different than a phone call, asking how often,

how long and who was operating the device. I don’t

think so.

So, I have been looking at smart home technology,

and of course Nest is owned now by Google, which

is the elephant in the room regarding data collection

from everything. What could a thermostat reveal

about me and my home that would be of interest?

In itself, probably nothing, but by correlating data

from outside sources, it may be very valuable to

marketing types. If my home temperature is 70 °F, and

it’s -20 °F outside, it makes sense to think that I like it

cooler than warmer. Internet banner ads now pop up

with couch blankets or snuggies when I am browsing.

But I use the Wink app, and it was very bothersome

to me that Wink publishes its API. What could go

wrong with that?

It is the control aspect, not reporting, that is of con-

cern. Embedded code in a Wink device, or any home

automation system, has the capability to cause havoc,

if it wants to.

Edge computing is part of it. Edge computing is de-

fined as a logical extreme of a network, which means

the device itself. Knowledge generation can and does

occur at the device and does not require any addi-

tional processing.

Having said that, I am seeing that myriad devices

are being developed and built using the representa-

tional state transfer (REST) architecture, which defines

constructs for device development. One of these con-

structs is code on demand.

A server can promote code to the device for execution,

which can include scripts of various natures. Hopefully

these scripts would not perform any nefarious duties.

But it can be controlled by a smartphone. While I’m

sure that no one will hack a personal device as such,

having some control on a smartphone has already

been shown to provide insights into the owner. If a de-

veloper tweaked virtual network computing (VNC), for

instance, and took control of the user’s phone, it could

have devastating effects.

We in the industrial world really are no different in

that we use commercially available things to create

our own devices. We need to be very careful in mak-

ing sure that our devices are not violating our process

privacy and our plant security.

It’s about trust. Can we trust the fact that most if

not all companies seek competitive advantage?

If the answer is no, then maybe we need an IoT

protocol sniffer to be sure we aren’t letting our usage

habits leave the building.

Trust with verification—we will need it. Be careful

out there.


Myriad devices are being developed and built using the representational state transfer (REST) architecture, which defines constructs for device development.

Leave the Barbie; take the data

JEREMY POLLARD, CET, has been writing about technology

and software issues for many years. Pollard has been

involved in control system programming and training for

more than 25 years.

Jeremy Pollard, CET • [email protected] EMBEDDED INTELLIGENCE

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AN OPERATOR INTERFACE (OI) may be a small

device mounted at a specific place on a complex ma-

chine. For example, it may serve as a local display for

a flowmeter or temperature controller. It may be the

only interface on a specific purpose machine such as

an air compressor or hydraulic power unit. An OI may

be used as an andon board or as a display to show cur-

rent production status. A programmable traffic sign,

variable-message sign (VMS) or matrix sign may also

be considered as a type of OI.

The sophistication of any interface device is lim-

ited only by the creativity of the designer. If using an

OI with a few lines of text and a few input buttons, a

number of operator selections should be limited. While

it may be possible to display dozens or even hundreds

of individual messages on an alpha-numeric OI, an op-

erator scrolling through multiple selections to find the

correct one for the task at hand may spend more time

pressing an up/down button than if presented numer-

ous options on a larger graphical interface. A designer

must always include the amount of time the operator

spends interacting with a piece of machinery as part of

the cost of ownership. When used as the primary in-

terface to a control system, an OI is usually associated

with a rather simple machine, such as a pumping sta-

tion, air compressor, motor switching station or other

systems with a minimal number of operator adjustable

functions and informational prompts.

On larger machines and systems, a small text-

based OI can be used as a local display or input-out-

put device at different locations around the machine,

even if larger, full-featured HMIs are also incorpo-

rated into the design.

If a certain section of the machine has several intel-

ligent sensing devices, each one may have different

methods to scroll through the available information.

Using a local OI, an operator, manufacturing engineer

or maintenance person can have access to all of the

information the different sensors supply to the control

device using a consistent method of access.

When selecting an OI, normal considerations

include the number of characters that are display-

able at any one time. A short message that is shown

without scrolling across the display takes less time to

read and understand. The physical size and color of

the characters should be selected to provide fast and

easy viewing from the normal distance the operator

views them. An excellent resource for determining the

optimal size of a display character is at www.contr-

oldesign.com/displaycharacter. The environmental

packaging of the electronics should follow the NEMA

or IEC ratings that are required for the location. Older

technology used for LCDs limited the operational tem-

perature of the displays due to the type of liquid crys-

tal fluid used and the voltage thresholds applied to

the display element. LED displays did not exhibit this

restriction and were used when the device operated

in extreme temperatures. Modern technology has re-

moved this disadvantage by using different LCD fluids.

Pure LED devices, not to be confused with LED-backlit

LCD displays, are still somewhat brighter, have a wider

viewing angle and are easier to see in bright ambient

light or sunlight. Because of advances in the technolo-

gies, this difference is now minimal. Newer technol-

ogy, such as organic light emitting diode (OLED), may

replace both LED and LCD devices.

Communication options can range from a simple

parallel interface to EtherNet/IP or even wireless

Bluetooth. Parallel interfaces are the most restrictive

as far as message display type. Typically, static mes-

sages stored on the OI are presented based upon the

bit pattern applied to the interface. If displaying static

status or fault messages is all that is required, a parallel

interface may be all that is needed. Using a lower-end

serial connection, such as RS-232/422/485, will allow

dynamically changing the messages to be displayed.

The complexity of creating or sending messages to

the display depends on how easily the control device

handles string data. Some PLCs do not handle this task

very well, while a PAC or PC may be a better device to

create serial message strings.

Manufacturers who offer lower-end, relatively

inexpensive operator interfaces will likely also offer

higher-end, more-expensive models that the manufac-

turer would rather sell.


A PAC or PC may be a better device to create serial message strings.

A place for text-based OI

Thomas Stevic • [email protected] COMPONENT CONSIDERATIONS

THOMAS STEVIC is a controls engineer at Star Manufacturing

(www.starmanufacture.com), an engineering and production

company in Cincinnati. Contact him at [email protected].

CD1612_15_ComponentConsider.indd 15 11/23/16 11:24 AM

16 Control Design December 2016 controldesign.com

Dan Hebert, PE • contributing editor • [email protected] TRENDS

WHEN AUTOMATION profession-

als hear the phrase “distributed

control system” or its acronym,

DCS, they usually think about the

huge, monolithic and expensive

control systems often used in big

process plants. Ironically, most dis-

tributed control systems in process

plants don’t distribute control at

all, but instead consolidate it into a

few centralized processors.

But, when it comes to machine

automation, distributed control

means something else entirely.

In this case, distributed control

means taking a real-time control or

data-processing task away from the

main controller and distributing it

to one or more cabinet- or � eld-

mounted controllers. The main rea-

sons for using distributed control

are to perform specialized tasks,

add redundancy, improve perfor-

mance and simplify programming.

Distributed controllers can be

used to perform tasks not easily

handled by the main controller,

particularly if the main con-

troller is a PLC, as opposed to a

more powerful PAC. Safety-rated

distributed controllers are perhaps

the most widespread use of dis-

tributed controllers.

Instead of upgrading the main

controller to a very expensive

safety-rated PLC or PAC to handle

hundreds of standard and a few

safety I/O points, it’s often much

more cost-effective to simply add

a safety-rated controller to handle

the safety I/O. The distributed

safety-rated controller can be a

simple smart relay if there are just

a few points of safety I/O or a small

safety-rated PLC to handle more

I/O. In either case, savings can be

signi� cant as compared to using a

safety-rated main controller with

its hundreds of I/O points.

Another specialized task often

handled by distributed control-

lers is motion control. Although

many PLCs and PACs can be pro-

grammed to control motion, it can

be more cost-effective to use one

or more motion controllers to per-

form this custom control activity,

instead of trying to make the main

controller do something a bit out-

side its main realm of capability.

Hydraulic motion control is a

good example of a task that could

be handled by a main controller

but may be better addressed with a

specialized distributed controller.

“Our motion controllers are capable

of optimizing machine func-

tionality via precise closed-loop

control of hydraulic and electric

servo position, velocity, pressure/

force or torque, enabling the main

controller to concentrate on other

functions,” says Bill Savela, direc-

tor of marketing at Delta Computer

Systems (www.deltamotion.com).

“If the main controller, such as

a PLC, were to perform the motion

control function in addition to

other functions, the system would

likely not be able to achieve as high

a degree of motion precision and/

or axis synchronization. This is

in part because a main controller

must divide its time among many

diverse tasks and may not be able

to close the control loop associated

with any one speci� c control func-

tion fast enough,” adds Savela.

“Our controllers can also per-

form custom processing of sensor

feedback. If multiple sensors are

Distributed control offl oads PLCs, PACs

(SO

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SYST

EMS)

CONSIDER DISTRIBUTED CONTROLMachines such as this metal press often require extensive control of hydraulic motion, a task that may be better performed by a distributed controller than by the main PLC or PAC.

The main reasons for using distributed control are to perform specialized tasks, add redundancy, improve performance and simplify programming.

CD1612_16_18_TechTrends.indd 16 11/23/16 11:26 AM

controldesign.com

highly sensitive to different ranges

of inputs, switching among them

can extend the range of feedback

sensitivity incorporated into the

control loop. Mathematical opera-

tions can also be performed on

sensor data before it is incorpo-

rated into the control loop. This

enables the motion controller

to perform precise control even

when the sensor responds to � eld

conditions in a nonlinear manner.

These capabilities expand on the

power of the distributed controller,

enabling greater precision and/or

reliability and of� oading the main

controller,” concludes Savela.

Another specialized task is data

acquisition and processing for

sensors and other input points

not needed for real-time control.

Although it’s possible to wire all of

these points back to the main con-

troller, it’s often not cost-effective,

particularly for retro� ts where new

sensors are being added. Although

this is not strictly distributed

control as real-time control is not

being performed, it is an important

part of the automation system, and

some control functions are usually

required to manage and massage

the sensor data.

“One major in� uence of the

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

is the rapid addition of sensors to

various machines,” says Mark Lo-

chhaas, product sales manager at

Advantech (www.advantech.com).

“Many end users are recognizing

the need to sense virtually every

operating parameter and bring

corresponding data to the cloud,

but this requires a component

between the sensor and the cloud.

There are various layers of data

collection, concentration, pre-stor-

age analysis and communication;

and distributed control in the form

of intelligent remote I/O can be

used to encompass these layers by

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performing the data-acquisition corresponding tasks.”

In the future, sensors will be used more widely and

become more intelligent, probably moving from hard-

wired connections and industrial protocols to more

IT-friendly protocols such as message queuing telem-

etry transport (MQTT), a publish/subscribe, extremely

simple and lightweight messaging protocol designed

for constrained devices and low-bandwidth, high-

latency or unreliable networks. “Remote I/O and other

edge computing platforms will become smaller and

more powerful with enhanced communication capa-

bility yet consume less power. Software development

will allow collaboration among devices and platforms

for signi� cantly more sophisticated distributed con-

trol. Centralized control will always be necessary, but

it will become more supervisory,” believes Lochhaas.

“One of the bene� ts of using a distributed controller

in place of a standard I/O device is that the distributed

controller can back up the main controller if it goes

down and take over and safely shut down the pro-

cess,” says Noah Glenn, product manager for � eldbus

technology at Turck (www.turck.us). Another bene� t

is of� oading the main controller from tasks that can

consume a signi� cant amount of processing power.

And, because control is local, it can often be much

faster than with simple remote I/O, which must com-

municate back and forth with the main controller.

“Distributed controllers can be used to enable local-

ized, � exible distributed machine control in applica-

tions such as conveying and other material handling

systems,” adds Glenn. “Other possible control applica-

tions are those in which things have to happen in a

certain order such as those utilizing RFID, grippers,

die protection, recipes, motor speed, counting, light

curtains and other components and functions.”

Distributed controllers can be programmed in a

variety of ways. Some are programmed with PC-based

software using ladder logic and other IEC-61131 lan-

guages such as � ow charts or scripting.

Whether they are called distributed controllers,

smart remote I/O or specialized controllers, these com-

ponents can be used to design better automation sys-

tems. Trends such as the IIoT often require the addition

of sensors, and it’s often more cost-effective to handle

these added input points with distributed control. In-

creased emphasis on safety along with new regulations

often require the addition of safety-rated I/O, another

task often best handled by distributed control.

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

“It’s a fundamental paradigm shift in the way robots are viewed.”

Scan code to read case study and watch the video:www.universal-robots.com/case-stories/task-force-tips/

Find your distributor: www.universal-robots.com/distributors

CEO Stewart McMillan, Task Force Tips

Huge gains in productivity and quality34 days was all it took for fire hose manufacturer Task Force Tips to pay for its Universal Robots through productivity savings. Three Universal Robots tend CNC machines. A fourth is mounted to a table and wheeled between tasks. The application required no scripting and was created by a journeyman machinist with minimal training.

2 robots work in tandem on CNC milling. No scripting needed. 34-day payback from productivity savings.



INTEGRATION OF ROBOTS has become much easier due to advancements in technology and programming.

We’ve only just begun to develop grippers and end effectors to address the unpredictable robotic situations that

will continue to evolve. As a result of this evolution, OEMs need to be aware of standards and regulations from

ANSI, RIA and ISO, especially for the rising robot integration and plethora of new end effectors, but what else do

you need to know? With robotics playing such a pivotal role in the future of discrete manufacturing, we asked a

seasoned panel of industry veterans for their insights and predictions on the role of robots.

Can you explain some of the technical advancements that have made robots easier to integrate in equipment, cells or production lines?

by Mike Bacidore, editor in chief

Does the end effector justify the means?Standards organizations are keeping pace with the speed of robotic

integration and the new attachments they bring

MACHINE INPUT

Allan Hottovy business development manager at Telemecanique Sensors (www.tesensors.com).

ALLAN HOTTOVY: The biggest current improvement

is not in the advanced technology being implemented,

but in that these devices are fast becoming commodity

items and easy to implement. Our focus is on manufac-

turing very flexible, easy to understand, interchange-

able, standardized sensor components that can be

easily re-tasked after a production run or project. The

simpler and more standardized you make the robotic

sensor components, the easier they are to reconfigure,

use and repair. Sticking to international standards and

regulations while building your automation system can

ensure that your system is easy to understand, main-

tain and service. It’s one of our core beliefs.

George Schustersenior industry consultant for safety at Rockwell Automation (www.rockwellautomation.com).

GEORGE SCHUSTER: There are a variety of tech-

nological advancements contributing to increased

adoption of industrial robots. Robots and PACs are

increasingly integrated over open industrial Ether-

net networks. Those networks provide the ability for

automation controllers and robots to communicate

control, safety and process information at very high

speeds. Additional developments greatly improve the

ease with which these systems can be configured to

communicate by structuring data in more contextual-

ized ways that are meaningful for the application.

The use of this shared, contextualized data is im-

proving the use and maintenance of robotics within

complex work cells. The ability to share HMIs and show

data from a variety of sources can help to improve

machine troubleshooting and expedite machine debug-

ging and repair. This can lead to a systematic reduction

in mean time to repair and improved system yield.

Advancements in safety sensor technologies have

improved the ability to detect human approach and,

thus, have improved the way that robots and machin-

ery can respond. These safety sensors include laser

scanners and other “time of flight” technologies that

can better coordinate the motion of people with that

of the equipment under control. This improves the

integration of people and their tasks with robots and

other automation equipment in a work cell.

Additionally, the integration of advanced safety func-

tions into motor controllers and robotic systems pro-

vides new tools for system designers. Those tools allow

them to more precisely manage the behavior of ma-

chinery in the presence of operators and maintenance

personnel. These advanced safety functions include

safe stop, safe speed, safe direction, safe position and

other capabilities. When combining advanced safety

sensors, integrated communication and shared data,

CD1612_19_23_MachineInput.indd 19 11/23/16 11:31 AM

system designers are able to dramatically improve the

way that people and robot equipment interact, leading

to improved safety and system productivity.

Scott Mabiegeneral manager, Americas Division, at Universal Robots (www.universal-robots.com).

SCOTT MABIE: We constantly raise the bar for what

the term “collaborative” truly entails. The label not

only means humans can collaborate directly with the

robots potentially with no safety guarding between

them; the term also addresses ease of use. A robot is

not truly collaborative if it’s not easy to work with. Our

research-and-development team constantly works on

improving the robotics user interface. The out-of-box

experience should be less than an hour. That’s the time

it takes an untrained operator to unpack the robot,

mount it and program the first simple tasks. Program-

ming should be intuitive and be done by simply grab-

bing the robot arm to show it the desired movement or

by using the arrow keys on the touchscreen.

Alex Bonairerobot product manager at Mitsubishi Electric Automation (www.meau.com).

ALEX BONAIRE: The biggest advancements in recent

years that have aided robotic implementation are

with off-line robot simulation software. Complete

robotic work cells can now be created off-line, and

their operation can be simulated so that customers

and engineers can see exactly how the system will

operate. This greatly reduces the risk associated with

robotic automation because no physical hardware is

required, and, if there is a flaw in the design, it can be

found and fixed much more easily.

David Arenssenior automation instructor, certified TUV functional safety engineer, at Bosch Rexroth Drives and Controls Division (www.boschrexroth-us.com).

DAVID ARENS: Robots need two things to work prop-

erly—consistent incoming product quality and dimen-

sions, as well as consistent and periodic maintenance

to their operating parts. Unless these two parts exist,

the integration will be flawed and the production will

have a lot of losses. The other thing that has helped

in the integration of robots is the fact that there are

some basic common types that people now have ex-

perience with—six-axis with end effector and wrist,

Scara, Delta and Cartesian.

Many companies already offer a kinematic, in other

words a mathematical model that will provide the

motion needed. Integrated vision library systems that

show how it was done and repeatable performance

and speed are important.

Corey Ryanmanager—medical robotics, North America, at Kuka Robotics (www.kuka-robotics.com).

COREY RYAN: Human robot collaboration (HRC) has

been ongoing for many years. Over the past decade,

robots in the medical and entertainment industries

have interacted directly with people. Social accep-

tance of the idea that people and robots can work

safely together and heavy cost-reduction targets are

what have fueled the collaborative robotics market on

the industrial side. From a technical standpoint, the

integration of area sensors and vision systems has

made it possible to design HRC cells using standard

industrial robots. Because of the market demand,

companies have developed robots specifically for

human-robot collaboration with features such as

rounded edges, no pinch points, variable stiffness and

force control. Those robots designed for HRC have in-

tegrated force sensors and safety software that allow

for safe system design without a lot of the additional

effort required when using standard industrial robots.

Craig Souserpresident of JLS Automation (www.jlsautomation.com), a robotic packaging company in York, Pennsylvania.

CRAIG SOUSER: Pre-engineered application pack-

ages from robot suppliers also help.

Garrett Placeproduct manager, imaging technologies, at ifm efector (www.ifm.com).

GARRETT PLACE: One of the biggest challenges for

integrating a robot is the programming. Advance-

ments in this area include programming via a PLC

and touch/force sensitive programming. By adopt-


MACHINE INPUT


ing this type of programming structure, the speed of

implementation and the number of people capable of

performing the programming increases.

Regarding touch/force sensitive programming,

many cobots utilize a show-me type of programming

for simple applications. The user simply takes control

of the arm at a speci� ed location. They can then pull

or push the arm to the different way points of the

intended action. The robot then can repeat this task.

No traditional programming is required.

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The biggest growth in the robotics area seems to be with end effectors. How has the explosion in end-effector options and availability affected machine builder’s willingness to integrate robots?

DAVID ARENS: End effectors are still exploding. If

you want to see, just look up coffee ground grippers.

We don’t know the amount of biomimicry that we

might use in our physical environment. I just saw a

micro motor system on a microscope stage being used

to push micro crystal seeds into a waiting retriever

paddle. We have only just begun our process of devel-

oping grippers, and there are so many unpredictable

situations that will continue to evolve.

SCOTT MABIE: It has de� nitely had a very positive ef-

fect. As a manufacturer of the robot arm, it’s of course

imperative that our users quickly identify and integrate

the best end effectors for their speci� c applications.

COREY RYAN: The end effector is part of the robotic

system and must be considered carefully in the ap-

plication risk assessment. Historically, end effectors

have been attached to robots behind fences where

sharp edges, pointed corners and pinch points were

not a problem because people couldn’t interact while

the robot was moving. Once the robot is used in

a collaborative fashion, most standard end effec-

tors become unsafe, so an entirely new market has


opened up. Collaborative robots have also opened up

many new applications, and each of these requires

new end effectors with application-speci� c features

that prevent user injury.

What are the most important standards and regulations that machine builders should be aware of when designing equipment that includes robotic elements?

Carole Franklin director of standards development at Robotic Industries Association (www.robotics.org).

CAROLE FRANKLIN: ANSI/RIA R15.06:2012 is the

current industrial robot safety standard in the United

States. This U.S. national standard is based on the in-

ternational standard of ISO 10218:2011, parts 1 and 2;

if your industrial robot system is in compliance with

the R15.06, it’s also in compliance with ISO 10218. It’s

important to be aware of the requirements in these

related standards, because the new technical speci� -

cation, ISO/TS 15066 provides supplemental and sup-

porting information to ISO 10218 and is intended to be

used together with that standard. Effective use of TS

15066 assumes that the robot system under consid-

eration is in compliance with Part 1 and Part 2 of ISO

10218:2011, or with ANSI/RIA R15.06:2012.

Roberta Nelson Sheaglobal technical compliance offi cer atUniversal Robots.

ROBERTA NELSON SHEA: ANSI RIA R15.06 is a na-

tional adoption of both ISO 10218-1 and ISO 10218-2.

These standards are critical to the safety of robot sys-

tems. TS 15066 is needed for collaborative applications.

These standards reference other standards that are also

needed, such as ISO 13849, ISO 13855 and ISO 13857.

Chris Sorannosafety application specialist at Sick(www.sick.com).

CHRIS SORANNO: The � rst standard OEMs and in-

tegrators should know regarding robotic applications

deployed in the United States is ANSI/RIA R15.06:2012,

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addressing safety requirements for industrial robots

and robot systems. Along with this standard, three

technical reports coincide to help form a complete

picture of safety concepts: Risk Assessment (RIA TR

R15.306), Safeguarding (RIA TR R15.406) and Change

Management (RIA TR R15.506). However, most robots

do not work alone; they are often incorporated into

automated or semi-automated systems working in

synchronized operation with other industrial equip-

ment. In these cases, a number of other important

standards may also need to be considered.

• ANSI B11.20 addresses integrated manufacturing

systems—two or more industrial machines, one of

which is the robot, that are linked by a material han-

dling system and coordinated by an interconnected

control system.

• ANSI/ASME B20.1 deals with conveyors and related

equipment.

• ANSI/PMMI B155.1 covers packaging machinery and

packaging-related converting machinery.

• ANSI/SPI B151.27 encompasses robots integrated

with injection molding machines.

• AWS D16.1M/D16.1 is for robotic arc welding ap-

plications.

• SEMI S28 focuses on robots used with semiconduc-

tor manufacturing equipment.

SCOTT MABIE: ISO just published the long-awaited

ISO/TS 15066 on cobot safety. This is a big step for

collaborative robots. The world has accepted that

this is a class of robots that’s viable, that we can

have in the future.

DAVID ARENS: I’d recommend being familiar with

ANSI B11, UL 508C, RIA R15.06, NFPA79, PMMI machin-

ery standards and IEC 13849 and 62061.

COREY RYAN: ISO 10218: 1-2 are the standards that

cover human-robot collaboration and outline the vari-

ous accepted strategies required for collaboration, such

as speed and separation monitoring, power and force

limiting and safety-rated stop. Regarding risk assess-

ments and injury thresholds, additional details will be

covered by the new technical specification TS 15066.

MACHINE INPUT

...because just ONE workplace accident

is too many...For over ninety years, Telemecanique Sensors has developed quality sensor

products which help engineers ensure their machines are safe to operate and meet

all the industry’s applicable safety standards.

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togetherness

Integration and collaboration are two important job requirements for the robot workforce

COVER STORY


by Dave Perkon, technical editor

CD1612_24_34_CoverStory.indd 24 11/23/16 11:39 AM

Start with the unwantedRobots can help to make the

manufacturing process more ef-

ficient. If an operator is working on

a dirty, difficult, dull or dangerous

job, then a robot should be consid-

ered (Figure 1). “In order for manu-

facturing to thrive in the United

States, it needs to be competitive

in the global marketplace,” says

Bob Doyle, director of communica-

tions at Robotic Industries Assn.

(RIA, www.robotics.org). “The use

of robotics and automation helps

companies maintain that com-

petitive advantage by producing

higher-quality products, makes

them more productive and faster,

creates a safer workplace and

reduces costs all while creating

better, higher-paying jobs.”

Most customers look at just

the technical data sheets when

considering robots, notes Chris

Blanchette, account manager for

assembly robots at Fanuc America

(fanucamerica.com). “What is the

reach, speed, precision and price?”

asks Blanchette. “But probably

almost as important as those

attributes are the robot OEM’s sup-

port infrastructure and product

integrated features. Some primary

reasons to choose a robot for a

manufacturing solution are to add

flexibility in the process, improve

throughput, reduce ergonomic and

safety challenges and improve

product quality. A robot OEM who

has skilled application engineer-

ing resources, product specialists

and customer support specialists

available, not only in your region

but the customer’s region, reduces

your risk in defining a workable

solution and increases the prob-

ability that you will understand

the robot, the options and how

to apply them more effectively in

your automated solutions.”


MORE ROBOTS, PLEASEFigure 1: Robots are an excellent choice for dirty, difficult, dull or dangerous jobs.

A robot’s flexibility

makes it suitable

for use in many

applications. Whether

you’re starting or expand-

ing the use of robotics,

there’s a lot to know when

it comes to selection, safety

and collaboration.

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The robot reach, speed, preci-

sion and price are important, but

full utilization of the robot is gen-

erally up to the integrator. “A qual-

ity simulation can help with this

and would be the recommended

starting point when beginning a

project,” says Aaron Brown, senior

controls engineer at AeroSpec

(www.aeropecinc.com) in Chan-

dler, Arizona. “Keep in mind that

a simulation is great for robotic

motion analysis and an amazing

help with trying to maximize cycle

time. However, in order to be truly

representative, the simulation

needs to be designed around the

mechanical design. Most simula-

tions will be directed to cycle

time or just a sales tool to give the

customer a visual representation

of what the cell may look like. It’s

difficult to fully understand how

the mechanical design, product

variations and robot implementa-

tion will affect the cell, thus mak-

ing many simulations inaccurate.

Settling times of robot systems

and other tool motion delays can

add up quickly, and they often

take longer than planned.”

Undenied flexibilityWatching a robot used in an auto-

motive paint or body-shop welding

application dramatically highlights

the robot’s flexibility in motion

and handling. “Although custom

automation will always have its

place, there are several reasons

why robots are often the preferred

solution,” says Leon Krzmarzick,

controls engineering manager at

Delta Technology (www.deltat-

echinc.com) in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Robots provide a degree of versa-

tility that, in some cases, simply is

not practical with custom automa-

tion.” Complex manipulation of

parts, for example, often requires

an elaborate custom-engineered

solution, whereas a robot can be

programmed to perform the same

part handling with relative ease. If

an application changes, the custom

solution may require substantial

redesign, but a robot may only re-

quire programming modifications.

Robots offer greater flexibility

in adapting to changes in the

product or process over time.

“Efforts to modify robot program-

ming and end-of-arm tooling

typically provide the benefit of

reduced development time, lower

cost to implement and shorter

ROI realization when compared to

custom automation,” notes Todd

Best, director of business develop-

ment at Delta Technology. “Also,

if the process becomes obsolete

or changes considerably, a robot

should be considered a redeploy-

able asset that has a high degree

of potential reuse elsewhere in a

customer’s production process. In

contrast, hard-tooled custom au-

tomation often is written off when

the process becomes obsolete.”

Robots provide flexibility to

adapt to product changes, both

planned and unplanned. “A robot’s

application program can quickly

be adjusted to correct for product

changes,” notes Douglas Tangye,

controls engineering supervisor—

welding systems at Fori Automa-

tion (www.foriauto.com) in Shelby

Township, Michigan. “Dedicated

automation may require mechani-

cal design changes, which would

require more time, resulting in lost

production.”

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COVER STORY

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It’s the automation that makes

the robotic application flexible.

“Most industrial robotic ap-

plications do indeed require an

entire automation system that

is engineered and installed by a

qualified system integrator,” notes

RIA’s Doyle. This includes the ro-

bot, end effector and surrounding

automation—the robot system.

The Robotic Industries Assn. of-

fers a Certified Robot Integrator

program to help the user to iden-

tify qualified integrators to select,

design, program and integrate

robot systems.

Robot selectionThere are many things to consider

when selecting robots for a new,

multi-station assembly applica-

tion, for example, some of which

may include possible human

collaboration. “There are a large

number of factors to consider

when selecting robots for auto-

mation,” notes Matt Wicks, vice

president, product development,

manufacturing systems at Intel-

ligrated (www.intelligrated.com)

in Mason, Ohio. “Cost and func-

tionality are at the core of these

factors. Collaborative robotics

generally have a lower cost point

but lack the functionality in terms

of reach, payload and speed that

more traditional arms provide.”

The reach and payloads are ca-

pability requirements, notes Frank

A. Loria, vice president at Harry

Major Machine (www.harrymajor-

machine.com) in Clinton Town-

ship, Michigan. Meeting cycle-time

requirements and multitasking are

important elements for selection

of proper robot applications, as

well, he says. “The project applica-

tion type, such as part handling,

palletizing, machine tendering or

welding, as well as any assembly

task—whether it’s totally robot-

independent or collaborative with

operators—are key takeaway deci-

sions for determining best utiliza-

tion of robots,” says Loria.

When designing a robotic work

cell, the machine builder should

ask a few key questions. “What

is the required cycle time of the

machine to get sufficient ROI?”

asks Ryan Weaver, automation

engineer with Axis New England

(www.axisne.com), a Universal

Robots distributor. “Speed and

safety can often compete in an

application, but it’s important to

consider the benefits of removing

guarding and allowing for greater

operator involvement.”

As a machine becomes closer

to 100% automated, the overall

cost tends to rise exponentially,

continues Weaver. “Certain

tasks can be very challenging to

automate, which adds significant

cost,” he says. “Those types of

tasks include anything subjec-

tive, such as bin sorting, or com-

plex inspection tasks. By slowing

down the process so that you can

consider a collaborative robot,

you allow human operators to be

involved in the more challeng-

ing portions of the task, reducing

automation cost.”

Overall there are many differ-

ent items that need to be verified

before a robot can be ordered. “As

a machine builder you would need

to look at many different aspects

of the project to select the best

robot,” notes Shane Dittrich, PE,

principal/CEO at House of Design

(www.thehouseofdesign.com) in

Nampa, Idaho. “The environment,

such as a foundry or clean room,

must be considered. Also, the

overall area of the application and

where the robot needs to reach is

a big consideration (Figure 2). The

payload of the robot must also

be analyzed and verified that it

matches the application.”


COVER STORY

GOT THE SPACE?Figure 2: Robot applications vary widely so reach and available area are important decisions.

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Set the goal“The machine builder needs to

take into account the true end goal

of the project and what is needed

to best accomplish that goal,”

says Arnar Thors, president at

Fitz-Thors Engineering (www.fitz-

thors.com) in Bessemer, Alabama.

“Most projects can see a sharp

increase of project scope, espe-

cially on very tough applications,

if the process deliverables are not

clearly defined up front. Major

items to consider are takt time,

part presentation to the cell, part

consistency and required fixtur-

ing. With this information you can

begin to plan and simulate your

multi-station layout to verify that

the tasks can be accomplished

with a 20% robot utilization buffer

for future expansion.”

When considering the possibil-

ity of automating any new manu-

facturing processes, there are a

gamut of robotic or automation

choices that boil down to looking

closely at each application, says

Chris Elston, senior controls engi-

neer, Yamaha Robotics USA (www.

yamaharobotics.com). At Yamaha

Robotics, engineers become inti-

mate with each project engineer

by asking application questions:

• What is your desired cycle time?

• What is the robot work payload?

• How far do you need to move the

object?

• What is the desired repeatability

of your process?

“The final parameter to be con-

sidered has to do with precision,”

says Arturo Baroncelli, robotics

business unit manager at Comau

(www.comau.com). “Generally

speaking, industrial robots are

able to manage elements that need

to be processed and located in a

definite geometrical position, with

adequate and reasonable toleranc-

es. Then the surfaces and reference

points need to be sufficiently pre-

cise for correct handling, and the

functional tolerances of the piece

to be processed need to be consis-

tent with the technological opera-

tions to be performed. The word

‘precision’ is key in the approach,

but also the word ‘adequate.’” It’s

unnecessary to require extremely

tight tolerances when lesser ones

would be sufficient. “Costs of such

extreme precision would be be-

come unreasonable,” he explains.

Integrator must ensure safetyA robot is as only as safe as the

system design, says Fori’s Tangye.

“Robots by themselves are de-

signed with all required safety

functionality, but the integrator

must take the necessary safety

precautions when integrating the

robot into any system (Figure 3).”

Krzmarzick from Delta

Technology comments that, in

collaborative applications, a

full-risk assessment is required

to determine if the application is

suitable for a “cobot” (collabora-

tive robot). Payload/end-of-arm-

tooling (EOAT) mass, velocity

and elevation are some of the

important factors that may rule

out a collaborative robot.

Many of the robots available

have extensive safety functions

built in, but safety also depends on

the application—the robot system.

“When designing for safe human-

robot collaboration, there are two

things to consider: the robot itself

and the application,” notes Weaver

from Axis New England. “Univer-

sal Robots offers a collaborative

robot that is certified by third

parties to meet the current cobot

safety standards. The second thing

to consider is the application itself


COVER STORY

HARD-WORKING ROBOTSFigure 3: While the robots are completing auto-torque on the suspension modules, the humans are performing difficult-to-automate work.

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and the safety hazards that may

present. For example, the robot

may be picking up a part with

sharp edges and moving it quickly

at head-height. In that case, the

integrator should consider what is

safe if the tool or product were to

hit a person.”

It’s a common mistake to con-

sider that the use of a collaborative

robot can solve all issues, agrees

Comau’s Baroncelli. “In general,

one has to focus not only on the

robot, but on the whole applica-

tion,” he says (Figure 4). “A robotic

cell is composed, first of all, by the

robot itself. There are clear inter-

national rules to be fulfilled, which

the robot manufacturer is aware

of and fully responsible for. But

then there is the gripper, which

can be awkward and dangerous in

terms of its behavior when there

is potential contact with a person.

Here the responsibility is generally

connected with system integrator

if the robot manufacturer does not

supply the gripper. And then there

is the part that, when handled

by the robot, becomes part of the

extended robot. Last but not least,

a robotic cell is also composed of

other pieces of equipment such as

fixtures, conveyors, presses and

furnaces, which are not intrin-

sically safe. A risk assessment

should therefore be done for the

whole robotic cell where the nec-

essary safety of the cooperative

robot may not be enough to grant

a sufficient level of safety to the

entire cell. For example, it is one

thing to manipulate cookies with

soft grippers and another thing

to handle red hot iron pieces with

hard metal-end effectors. And,

once again, the role and respon-

sibility of the system integrator is

key in the assessment.”

Speed killsIn general, there are applications

that have a requirement for opera-

tor interaction and others that do

not. “Most of the very high-speed

assembly applications are best

built with physical safety guard-

ing,” says Rick Brookshire, senior

manager—product development

and marketing, Epson Robots

(www.epsonrobots.com). “This is

the most safe solution and will

protect from the unexpected.”

Most of Epson Robots’ custom-

ers continue to prefer safeguard-

ing even though discussions of

collaborative robots are certainly

a hot topic in the industry, says

Brookshire. “Usually, the problem

COVER STORY

CAREFUL WITH THAT MASERATIFigure 4: Not only must the robot successfully perform the work, but it must do it in a manner safe for the personnel and the end products.

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with true collaborative robots is

that they need to run slowly and

then can’t meet throughput re-

quirements for high-speed, high-

throughput applications,” he says.

“However, a compromise solution

is to use zone safety devices such

as laser area scanner sensors to

map an area around a robot to de-

tect the presence of humans or ob-

jects moving into the robot space

and adjacent space. These devices

allow high-speed operation when

operators are not near the robots

and then detect approaching

operators and slow down or stop

when operators get close and their

safety is in question.”

Robot standardsWith regard to robot safety stan-

dards, OSHA compliance is a legal

requirement in the United States

and should be the � rst stop for

an integrator, says Bill Edwards,

manager, Technology Advance-

ment Team, at Yaskawa America’s

Motoman Robotics division. “From

there, they should move on to the

voluntary consensus standards,

� rst and foremost being the ANSI/

RIA 15.06 2012,” he explains. “This

speci� cation is essentially identi-

cal to ISO 10218, parts 1 and 2, and

takes a global approach to robotic

safety standards with manufac-

turer requirements found in Part

1 and the system integrator’s/end

user’s requirements found in Part

2. A good working knowledge of

ISO 13849, Safety of machinery—

Safety related parts of a control

system, and ISO 12100, Safety of

machinery—General principles

for design—Risk assessment

and risk reduction, is also very

helpful. Additionally, there were

three technical reports created by

the RIA to help to � ll the gaps in

information no longer addressed

in the revised 15.06. These are TR

R15.306, Task-based risk assess-

ment methodology, which relies

heavily on ANSI B11.0, TR R15.406,

Safeguarding, and TR R15.506,

Applicability of ANSI/RIA R15.06-

2012 for existing industrial robot

applications. If the system design

calls for a collaborative solution,

then ISO/TS 15066:2016, Robots

and robotic devices—Collaborative

robots, would also be useful.”

When implementing a robot

system, collaborative or otherwise,

the integrator and end users must

take safety into consideration. “Just

because the arm is collaborative

does not give the integrator/end

user a free pass; the system must

still be assessed for safety,” says

Intelligrated’s Wicks. “Is a knife-

wielding collaborative robot safe?

No, of course not, so steps must be

taken to protect individuals in this

environment. ANSI/RIA R15.06-

2012 and ISO/TS15066 are industry

standards that should be under-

stood when considering any robotic

deployment. Some popular uses of

collaborative robotics have been in

machine tending, worker assistive

functions and light manufacturing

or packing.”

Collaborative appsCollaborative robots actually refer

to a robot system, rather than a

particular type of robot, says RIA’s

Doyle. “With a collaborative robot

application, humans and robots

can occupy the same workspace

at the same time while the system

is in automatic mode,” he says.

“There are still safeguards and a

risk assessment required, in ac-

cordance with the robot system

safety standard ISO 10218-1 and

-2:2011. For now, the collaborative

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workspace will most likely be a

small de� ned space with familiar

fencing or other safeguards sur-

rounding the rest of the robot.”

The RIA updated robot safety

standards and de� ned some con-

ceptual applications of collabora-

tive robots including:

• hand-over window

• interface window

• collaborative workspace

• inspection

• hand-guided robot.

“Each of these applications of-

fers its own speci� cations of safe-

guards that must be met, which

are now categorized into four

collaborative modes of operation,”

says Yamaha Robotics’ Elston.

Those modes are:

1. Safety-rated monitored stop:

Operator may interact with

robot when it is stopped. Auto-

matic operation resumes when

the human leaves the collabora-

tive workspace.

2. Hand guiding: Operator is in

direct contact with the robot,

using hand controls.

3. Speed and separation moni-

toring: Robot/hazard speed is

reduced the closer an operator

is to the hazard area. Protective

stop is issued when operator is

in potential contact.

4. Power and force limiting: Inci-

dental contact between robot

and person will not result in

harm to person.

“Typically, robots are guarded

with machine guarding and

controlled via a safety supervi-

sory system or hardwired safety

contacts,” says Elston. “From a

safety standpoint, seeing a robot

behind a fence or a guard just puts

most people at ease. It’s easier to

understand that the robot is over

there and I am protected over here

in a safe environment, divided by

a safety barrier.”

To be clear, integrators must

perform a risk assessment and

consider the robot system as a

whole. “What dictates whether

or not a particular collaborative

mode can be used depends on a

comprehensive risk assessment

and applicable safety speci� ca-

tions,” says Yaskawa’s Edwards.

“The risk assessment should take

into account the entire system

including the robot, part, end ef-

fector and adjacent machinery.”

While the technology has

been available for some time to

perform all of these tasks, the

speci� cations previously did not

allow for its use or provide ad-

equate guidance on how it could

be used safely, explains Edwards

(Figure 5). With knowledge of the

relevant standards, a compre-

hensive risk assessment and use

of current robotic technology, it

is no longer a foregone conclu-

sion that robots and humans

can’t work together safely on the

manufacturing � oor.


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COVER STORY

SAFE ROBOT HAND GUIDINGFigure 5: Hand guiding is just one of the collaborative modes discussed in the RIA robot safety standards.


Stay ahead of the technology that matters most to your business

STATE OF TECHNOLOGYGet individual reports at:

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CD1612_FPA.indd 35 11/28/16 5:05 PM

MACHINE CONTROL

WHEN A DAIRY has an issue with an intermittent

controller, it can cause imbalanced chemical applica-

tion during the backflush period of its process. When

one of our customers found itself in this situation, we

decided to replace the failed controller with Turck’s

TBEN field logic controller (FLC) to get the dairy’s

backflush-cleaning process back on-line (Figure 1). The

controller includes ARGEE software and pushes reliable

control to the edge devices by adding logic to compat-

ible I/O blocks without a PLC.

The FLC concept is every bit as revolutionary as IO-

Link. Turck took what was once just a discrete I/O distri-

bution block and gave it a brain—the ability to solve logic

and make decisions. Giving a

dumb edge device the ability

to solve logic and communi-

cate with other devices is an

up-and-coming trend. This is

an important step on the path

to the Industrial Internet of

Things (IIoT).

Our goal was to open

our doors as an industrial

distributor and get back on

the road, knocking on doors

with a boots-on-the-ground

mentality. Doing that, we al-

ways asked a question to our

customers: What do you need

fixed? The customer wasn’t

used to that.

They started telling us

their problems, and we used our knowledge to come

up with solutions to help them to fix their problems.

It turned into the customer asking us to help them

specify the hardware and then asking us to design

it and so on. We slowly turned into a value-added

distributor. From there, we developed some of our own

products and became an integrator.

Our specialties are in dairies and breweries. It’s

how we got started in our integration business. A lot

of the automation in dairies is also found in brewer-

ies. There are many similarities in keeping the milk

cool or the beer cool.

Don’t irritate the cowsIn this application, we worked with DeLaval Direct

(www.delaval-us.com), a dairy service provider in Je-

rome, Idaho, and Glanbia Foods (www.glanbiausa.com),

which supplies raw milk

product to Glanbia’s three

processing operations located

near Twin Falls, Idaho. It was

a team effort to correct the

backflush problem.

The backflush process is

a critical element in every

dairy operation. The pipes

that transport the milk

from the vats to the siloes

go through a clean-in-place

(CIP) process to clean the

pipes of any old milk for

sanitary reasons. During

CIP, several flushes of water,

air and chemical cleaner

run through the pipes and

udder assemblies.

To avoid contamination of the milk, irritation to

the cow and potential bacterial infection, the control

sequence must be correct, allowing the proper amount

of cleaning agent to flow through the assembly for the


by Jason Clements, Landmark Industrial Service

Field logic controller solves a clean-in-place application at an Idaho dairy and provides a glimpse of the future IIoT edge devices

WHERE’S THE COW?Figure 1: A common feature of all dairies is the milk parlor; cleaning the equipment is a critical process.

CD1612_36_38_CaseStudy_featr.indd 36 11/28/16 5:10 PM

required amount of time. Run time

is critical to a successful clean-

ing process. The control sequence

must also ensure the proper

amount of water and air is used to

remove the cleaning chemicals.

Depending on the size of the

dairy, you can typically milk

from 16 to 170 cows. Each dairy

has a similar process—when the

cows are done being milked, the

operators in the dairy switch the

controls from “cows-to-vat milk

collection” to the cleaning pro-

cess. With the backflush control-

ler working intermittently, the

cows were irritated, so the dairy

needed it fixed right away.

A smarter edgeOne of the things that brought

the Turck TBEN field logic control-

ler into play is the dairy needed

something that had the brains of

a PLC, was small and compact and

was very robust. The dairy envi-

ronment is very harsh. Turck’s FLC

design includes an IP69K rating,

which is very high, and it is wash-

down capable with an extended

temperature range (Figure 2).

Something that makes the TBEN

field logic controller unique is

that it isn’t just a digital block-I/O

module; it has a brain—hence

the field logic controller name. It

has the appearance of a standard

field-mountable I/O distribution

block. Turck added a controller and

added the ARGEE program to it,

turning it into a small, rugged PLC.

With ARGEE software, a small

program was written in a struc-

tured text type of program by Turck.

A single FLC I/O block was added

with eight configurable inputs and

outputs. This single block solved the

dairy’s problem.

Although the Turck FLC uses

multiprotocol technology, which

is basically Ethernet gateways for

Profinet, Modbus TCP or EtherNet/

IP, simple digital I/O was used

to interface to the dairy’s main

controller. A button press on the

main PLC’s HMI digitally triggered

the cleaning process in the FLC.

The field logic controller controlled

the pumps and valves using digital

outputs, and a digital output noti-

fied the main PLC when the clean-

ing process was complete.

In a few hours, the dairy told

us what it needed over the phone.

We understood the process, which

included a number of timed cycles

and counters. Chemicals, water and

air all needed to flow in the proper

sequence, for a period of time and

the correct number of cycles.

The customer defined the

sequence and Landmark wrote

the program, assigned the I/O

and worked with and trained the

installation team. With quick-

disconnect cable connection to the

FLC, the installation was completed

quickly. In a couple hours it was

done and the backflush cleaning of

the milking parlor was operational.

A little program and trainingThe ARGEE program is a big benefit

in the FLC. You start programming

ARGEE by using a flowchart, which

resembles ladder logic. It’s simple

to understand and learn. Once the

flowchart/ladder logic-like pro-

gram is accepted, it is converted

to a structured text format such as

AND, OR, IF, THEN.

It was made even simpler by

providing dropdown menus in the

appropriate locations of the logic,

which are helpful hints to flow the

program together. This simplifies

the ladder logic further. If a pro-

gram can be accomplished via this

flowchart, it keeps things straight-

forward for any user.

ARGEE keeps the visual feel of

ladder logic and adds dropdown

boxes across the ladder rung.

More complex functions are typi-

cally added once the structured

text program is automatically

created keeping all levels of pro-

grammers happy.

The ARGEE programming en-

vironment is accessed using an

HTML5-compatible Web browser,


THE SMART I/O BLOCKFigure 2: The field logic controller is at home in a control enclosure or out in a harsh environment.

CD1612_36_38_CaseStudy_featr.indd 37 11/28/16 5:10 PM

MACHINE CONTROL

which eliminates the need for additional software.

The software is already in the � eld logic controller,

and it’s free. To access the ARGEE software, a Google

Chrome browser is used to log on. No need for Inter-

net, just the Chrome browser, which it is designed for,

but other HTML5-compatible Web browsers will work.

A smarter edgeThe FLC provides a great way to add logic at the edge

without investing in a PLC or installing a fragile smart

relay in an enclosure. The FLC can operate stand-

alone and out in the open, without a need to com-

municate with a PLC. It can also monitor a machine or

edge sensors and interface with a PLC where needed.

We have also used this FLC to add I/O to existing

PLCs in other applications. We did this in a mobile

cart application where the PLC had only one spare

input available. However, to operate properly, there

were six sensors that had to be monitored and deci-

sions made based on the sensor’s state and functions

being performed. More I/O was needed and program

logic was required to monitor the sensors before turn-

ing on the output to the existing PLC. With the � eld

logic controller, it was easy to add extra I/O and a little

logic to applications that didn’t have the spare space.

These TBEN � eld logic controller blocks also work well

in agriculture applications, especially on farming equip-

ment. People who may currently be using smart relays

for control applications often have problems if just a

little vibration, water, mud, dirt or dust is added to the

control panel. With the TBEN FLC and its IP69K rating,

environmental conditions are not an issue. It’s nearly

immune to shock, vibration and the elements, which

makes it a great replacement to the fragile smart relay,

and it doesn’t need to be placed in a enclosure to do it.

For this dairy application, the following morning

after installation, veterinary samples showed that the

critical metrics were accurate and working well, and

the dairy received perfect marks for cow health.

Jason Clements is vice president at Landmark

Industrial Service (www.landmark-is.com), an

integrator in Boise, Idaho. Contact him at

[email protected] or 855/322-2425.

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CD1612_36_38_CaseStudy_featr.indd 38 11/29/16 8:55 AM

MOTION


PETER HAMMOND IS the father of the Perfect Har-

mony topology—a medium-voltage (MV), variable-fre-

quency-drive (VFD) design that changed the industry.

With the U.S. patent now expired, the Perfect Harmo-

ny cell-based topology is the most imitated MV VFD

topology globally. More than 30 companies provide

similar cell-based solutions. In fact, a large fraction

of all MV VFDs produced globally are similar to the

original Perfect Harmony topology.

Hammond’s career coincides with the emergence of

the power electronics market. This market was minis-

cule until several years after the thyristor or silicon-

controlled recti� er (SCR) was invented in 1957 by GE,

because the initial voltage and current ratings were

too small. The thyristor followed a path similar to the

transistor, which was invented in 1947, but did not

mature enough for wide application for several years.

Hammond received his MSEE from Cleveland’s Case

Institute of Technology in 1966, about the time the

thyristor matured enough to build a drive that could

handle 100 hp. After graduating, he worked for several

small companies designing ac drives.

“In 1977, I joined a company called Robicon, now

part of Siemens,” says Hammond. “Back then, we made

‘me-too,’ low-voltage drives, at 600 Vac or less, using

thyristors. Our competitors were making similar drives.

Everyone knew there was a big market if we could get

beyond the low-voltage range into the medium-voltage

range—4,160 Vac, for example—with power in the

thousands, not the hundreds, of horsepower. We were

looking for ways to scale up our existing low-voltage

circuits, but there were lots of drawbacks.”

One drawback: “If the semiconductors in a typical

low-voltage circuit have the highest voltage ratings

available, it’s still not possible to achieve 4,160 Vac,”

says Hammond. “A second drawback is that, as you go

up in horsepower, the power quality becomes more

critical,” he says. “Just scaling up the existing circuits

doesn’t give you any improvements in power quality.”

Hammond was looking at ways to connect semicon-

ductor devices in series for higher voltages, but that

was very dif� cult, because the series devices needed

to turn on and off at exactly the same moment. If one

device turned off too soon, the other device would

need to support the entire voltage and would fail.

by Dave Perkon, technical editor

MEDIUM-VOLTAGE DRIVE BIRTH CERTIFICATEFigure 1: This fi rst disclosure memo to managers at Robicon outlined the drive’s benefi ts, including effi ciency, cost savings, unity power factor and reduced harmonics.

MEDIUM-VOLTAGE DRIVE BIRTH CERTIFICATE

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A look at history off ers a view of how product development can

take place now and in the future

CD1612_39_43_feature4.indd 39 11/23/16 11:52 AM

MOTION

Birth of the Perfect Harmony driveOver a weekend in 1993 Ham-

mond had an idea for a new

approach for medium-voltage

drives. “Mulling over the difficulty

of connecting switching devices

in series, it suddenly dawned on

me that it would be easy to put

complete converters in series, and

that there would be many collat-

eral benefits.” says Hammond.

His disclosure memo to managers

outlined the benefits, including low

harmonics, absence of torque pulsa-

tions, quiet operation, near unity

power factor and reduced stress

on the motor (Figure 1). “These

benefits would allow a medium-

voltage drive to be installed without

a special motor, without worry-

ing about torsional resonance and

without worrying about harmonic

distortion,” he says. “Management

approved the project, and we had a

prototype drive running in a year.”

Hammond started working on

the Perfect Harmony project with

himself and one technician and

later added a draftsman. “We were

designing as we went along,” says

Hammond. “The converters—we

call them ‘cells’—were actually

easy because once you decide

to put a number of low-voltage

converters in series to get the me-

dium-voltage you need, the power

required from each converter

comes down. For example, if the

number of converters, or cells, is

12, each cell only needs to supply

one-twelfth of the power.” With

12 cells, 1,000 hp can be produced

with individual cells that are only

rated at 84 hp (Figure 2).

“Not only were the circuits

familiar from our low-voltage ex-

perience, but the devices were also

familiar.” says Hammond. “You

don’t need high-voltage devices if

you are building low-voltage cells.

You get the voltage you need by

stringing cells in series like batter-

ies in a flashlight. All the devices

and the circuits we were using

were old-hat to us.”

The only thing new that Ham-

mond’s team had to deal with

was connecting the cells in series

with each other. “The cells needed

to be electrically isolated”, says

Hammond. “That required three

things. The physical structure

supporting the cells had to be

non-conducting, so fiberglass or

other insulating materials were

used. The power for each cell had

to come from a dedicated and

isolated winding of a transformer.

And the command signals to the

devices couldn’t travel over wires;

so we had to use fiberoptics. All

these electrical isolation concepts

were easily manageable.”

The first customer was a uni-

versity in Texas. The university

ordered two drives for its campus

air-conditioning system to operate

chillers. Without a VFD, the chillers

had to run at full speed, whether it

was needed or not. The university

saved money by slowing the chill-

ers down on cool days, when the

full capacity was not needed.

Quick growth“Before we had even shipped the

first order, an engineer from an oil

company visited to witness the

testing of an existing order for 20

low-voltage pulse-width-modula-

tion (PWM) drives, to be installed

on an oil platform in the ocean,”

says Hammond. “These drives were

going to operate submersible pumps

located in wells drilled into the sea

floor, a mile or more away from the

platform. The customer understood

that it wasn’t feasible to transmit


PERFECT HARMONY TOPOLOGYFigure 2: A special transformer and multiple cells in series is basis for the Perfect Harmony medium-voltage variable frequency drive.(SOURCE: PETER HAMMOND)

Power Circuit for a Perfect Harmony Drive with 12 Cells.


low-voltage power that distance, so

he planned to step up the output

from the low-voltage drives through

transformers, before he sent it to

the subsea pumps.”

Unfortunately the transform-

ers also stepped up the harmonics

and voltage steps from the drives.

“If your wave form has steps in

the voltage, each of those steps

launches a traveling wave down

the cables, and, when it reaches the

subsea pump motor at the far end,

the wave is reflected back, which

doubles the voltage step.” says

Hammond. “With a step of several

thousand Volts, you really stress

the insulation in the motor, and, if

the subsea motor fails, it is very ex-

pensive to retrieve and replace it.”

The customer’s engineer saw

the prototype Harmony VFD and

canceled the low-voltage order,

in spite of penalties, explains

Hammond. “Instead he ordered 21

Perfect Harmonies, even though

we had none running in the field,”

he says (Figure 3). “That was our

second order. Our sales group had

estimated selling only two Har-

mony drives in the first year, but

we ended up selling 47. We knew

we had a hit at that point.”

Although the ideal output volt-

age is a perfect sine wave, the

Perfect Harmony comes close

because it synthesizes the output

voltage from many small steps, to

be a good approximation to a sine

wave, notes Hammond. “This was

the feature the oil company liked

best,” he says. “Additionally, the

sources of power on oil platforms

are diesel generators, with high

impedance, so they don’t tolerate

harmonics well. The Perfect Har-

mony has very low harmonics on

the input as well as on the output.”

A third benefit the oil company

didn’t take advantage of was cell

redundancy. “Because we divide

the power circuit up into many

identical cells, we can afford to lose

one, and the drive will still operate,

if we add a simple cell-bypass fea-

ture,” says Hammond. “Although

there is some minor degradation

of the output voltage waveform, it

is far better than not being able to

run at all. The failed cell can then

be replaced when convenient.”

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The path of least resistance“The key event in my life that

pointed me toward electrical

engineering occurred when I was

in eighth grade in 1954,” says

Hammond. “I lived on a farm and

went to school in a small town.

Local merchants had problems on

Halloween, when their windows

would get soaped or painted with

graffiti. They decided to have a

contest where students painted

Halloween scenes on the windows,

and I won. The prize was to go to

the library and pick out one book.

I picked a book called, ‘A Boy and

a Battery,’ which had a bunch of

simple electrical experiments a

boy could do. I think that first got

me interested.”

Hammond won a National Merit

scholarship, so he was able to go to

California Institute of Technology

in Pasadena and received a BSEE in

1962. “I worked for a year and then

went back to graduate school at

the Case Institute of Technology in

Cleveland, Ohio, where I received

my MSEE in 1966. I then went into

the power electronics industry

and have stayed there ever since,”

says Hammond.

Hammond landed at Robicon in

1977, when they had just decided

to get into the ac drive business.

Robicon was a late comer to the

market and chose to use a current-

fed inverter design using SCRs. “I

got in on the ground floor there,

where my boss and I designed

most of the drives in that low-

voltage family. Soon after I joined

Robicon, President Carter pushed

legislation through Congress to

fund municipal sewage upgrades

all over the country. This created

a large market for variable-speed

drives. The joke was that we got

started by pumping manure.

These were low-voltage drives, but

we learned a lot from the sewage

lift station installations.”

When it rains, it pours “The motors and pumps in a sew-

age lift station must be sized for

worst-case flow during a thun-

derstorm,” explains Hammond.

“During normal conditions, the

flow is significantly less, and if the

motors and pumps continue to run

at full speed they are very inef-

ficient. With variable-speed drives

the speed can be optimized for the

actual flow, saving a lot of energy.”

The sewage lift stations are

distributed throughout the neigh-

borhoods they serve, so that they

receive power from the same util-

ity grid as the residents. “The early

low-voltage drives drew significant

harmonic currents from the grid,

causing harmonic voltage distor-

tion,” explains Hammond. “Resi-

dential neighbors were complain-

ing about their TVs flickering and a

humming noise on the telephones.”

To reduce these problems, Robi-

con tested phase-shifting between

drives, using small transform-

ers. This cancelled some of the

harmonic currents and reduced

the distortion. “This was the first

piece of the puzzle that we later

put into Perfect Harmony—cancel-

ing harmonics by phase-shifting,”

says Hammond.

Another drawback of the early

drives was that, when the motor

speed was reduced, the power fac-

tor on the input decreased. “The

drive drew more current than

was needed, because some of the

current was reactive—current was

flowing that didn’t do useful work


FIRST OF ITS KINDFigure 3: Peter Hammond, the father of the medium-voltage variable frequency drive stands next the first prototype unit.

(SO

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N/S

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MOTION

“ So far, 20 years down the road, the Perfect Harmony is still competitive, and it’s still the same circuit. The topology still has a lot of life left in it.”


because it was out of phase with the voltage,” says

Hammond. “Utilities have penalties for poor power

factor, so Robicon developed filters that both reduced

harmonic distortion and corrected the power factor.”

In the beginning, there were so few variable speed

drives in operation that the harmonic issue wasn’t

critical, notes Hammond. There were very few

complaints. However, as more and more drives were

installed, it became important. The IEEE issued Stan-

dard 519 to limit the harmonic distortion allowed.

By the mid-1980s, almost every drive order required

minimizing harmonics and power factor correction.

“The ac drive sales at Robicon went from zero in 1977

to about $20 million in 1993,” says Hammond. “Then,

when the Perfect Harmony came along, sales just ex-

ploded. By 1997 we were pushing $200 million in sales.”

The path to Perfect HarmonyA simple description of a Harmony drive would be a

group of cells with rectifiers that take three-phase ac

voltage from a special transformer and convert it to dc

voltage. The dc voltage is then converted within the

cell back to ac voltage at a different frequency, using

a PWM inverter. The inverter is a little more compli-

cated than the rectifier because the output switches

need to be controllable—in this case, using insulated

gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). The cells in Perfect

Harmony contain the rectifier, a bank of capacitors to

filter the dc and the inverter devices.

In a Harmony drive, the number of cells is always a

multiple of three, to generate the three-phase output

voltage. The number of cells per phase depends on the

required maximum output voltage. Because the cells

contain capacitor banks, they don’t need to switch

simultaneously. Switching these cells at slightly dif-

ferent times reduces the step size in the output volt-

age and increases the number of steps. By controlling

the timing of many small steps, instead of a few large

steps, the output voltage can become a good approxi-

mation of a sine-wave.

Later years“Our early experience was all low-voltage,” says

Hammond. “We had a lot of learning to do when we

got into the medium-voltage market. Fortunately,

we erred on the side of caution. The first drives were

built like tanks but were expensive and bulky. As

time went on, the enclosure was trimmed down a bit,

but still got the job done. Now we are at the third or

fourth generation of drives.”

In 2005, Robicon was acquired by Siemens. The only

product Siemens wanted was the Perfect Harmony.

All other products were sold off. Hammond retired at

about the same time but continues to work part-time

as a senior consulting engineer for Siemens.

“When the Perfect Harmony first appeared, our

expectation was that a new product would only last

10 years and that we needed to start working on a

replacement immediately.” says Hammond. “But, so

far, 20 years down the road, the Perfect Harmony is

still competitive, and it’s still the same circuit. The

topology still has a lot of life left in it, and it’s still

made in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sooner or later,

there will be a new medium-voltage drive design or

concept that will beat out the Perfect Harmony. We

just haven’t seen it yet.”


MEDIUM VOLTAGE BUT LARGE PLASMA ARCSTo highlight the need for arc flash protection, start by considering most voltage levels above 30 V as dangerous, but at medium-voltage levels (600 V to 69 kV), the danger present increases and so does the plasma arc’s energy. For example, with a plasma arc, the breaking point is 600 V between low voltage and medium voltage. Below 600 V, if an arc does start, it often goes out by itself, as the alternating voltage goes to zero, the arc stops unless perhaps it is an arc welder. Above 600 V, that doesn’t happen. Now you have the potential for a meltdown, sometimes an explosive one. This adds requirements to the medium-voltage world such as arc-proof enclosures.

When the arc occurs, it’s almost like an explosion, as an enormous amount of power is being pumped into the arc. This is a potential problem with all medium-voltage applications. The gas or plasma must be vented to keep the cabinet from rupturing. This requires rupture disks and possibly duct work to route the plasma to a safe area. Another issue is radiation. There is so much power concentrated in the area where the arc occurs that significant radiant heat and ultraviolet light is emitted causing a full body sunburn in a split second. Flash-proof suits and helmets are required. Wear arch flash protection equipment with the proper ratings as it may just keep you from reaching vaporizing temperatures during an arc flash incident.


SCADA SOFTWARE AND INTELLIGENT DASHBOARDWebAccess 8.1 SCADA software also is an HTML5

business intelligent dashboard that can be viewed

from anywhere on any HTML5-compatible browser.

The dashboard analyzes data and helps managers

make immediate decisions; provides developers with

tools to design their own widgets and applications;

and integrates Microsoft Excel reports. Through

HTML5, as many as 1,024 clients with varying ac-

cess levels can read information and make changes

from wherever they are using either the Internet or

intranet. The software’s front end is the dashboard

and, through the HTML5 GUI, users can monitor and

diagnose issues with their end devices.

Advantech; 800/205-7940; www.advantech.com/ea

REMOTE WORKSTATION SHADOW SUPPORTVisuNet RM Shell 4.1.0 now supports a management

tool that enables shadowing of multiple workstations

from a single remote PC or notebook. The HMI software

has been retooled to support the new VisuNet Control

Center, which centralizes the control and management

of multiple virtualized

RM systems. In addi-

tion to shadowing, the

Control Center enables

remote functions such

as setup, downloads,

restarts, shutdown and

real-time monitoring.

The user-friendly dash-

board permits shadow-

ing of multiple operations from anywhere in the world.

The software also supports Raritan KVM profiles and

includes new security features such as restricted Web

browsing to preconfigured websites.

Pepperl+Fuchs; 330/486-0002; www.pepperl-fuchs.us

HMI/SCADA SOFTWARE WITH SITUATIONAL AWARENESSThis fourth-generation HMI/SCADA software is de-

signed to help operators to spend less time navigat-

ing, find critical data faster, improve alarm resolution

success, identify relevant screens for an alarm and in-

crease usability. It features a

context-rich HMI that chang-

es as users move through the

system. Navigation is derived

from a structured asset

model. Using the model, the

software provides operators

with the most relevant infor-

mation and minimizes time

to response, and the structured asset model mapped

to the SCADA database speeds configuration. Modern

technologies such as HTML5 and Web HMI allow for

centralized development and deployment, as well as

accessibility anywhere in multiple form factors.

GE Digital; www.ge.com/digital

PLC PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE WITH IOT CAPABILITYVersion 8.2.2 of the WindLDR PLC programming soft-

ware provides IoT capability by custom Web pages,

which can be configured for remote monitoring and

control. Web pages are created with the built-in Web

Page Editor using drag-and-drop functionality with no

HTML programming

required. When used

with the MicroSmart

FC6A PLC, these Web

pages are stored in the

PLC, which functions

as a Web server when

its built-in Ethernet

port is connected to

the Internet. These

Web pages can be accessed via any Web browser

running on any Internet-connected device such as a

remote PC, a tablet or a smartphone.

IDEC; 800/262-4332; www.idec.com

CLOUD COMMUNICATIONSTwinCAT IoT supports standardized protocols for cloud

communication and for sending push notifications to

smart devices. The software combines with an embed-

ded PC or industrial PC as the IoT controller, provid-

ing a connection between the IoT and the Internet of

Get with the program

[email protected] ROUNDUP


Software changes everything from design and configuration to control

CD1612_44_47_Roundup.indd 44 11/23/16 11:54 AM

Services. Collected data

are filtered, further pro-

cessed and interpreted

via TwinCAT Analytics.

Comprehensive analyses

help to enable predictive

maintenance, machine

downtime reductions

and control solution opti-

mization. The upgraded

software platform offers

users a range of func-

tions for exchanging process data via standardized

communication protocols such as AMQP and MQTT,

as well as accessing special data and communication

services offered through cloud service providers.

Beckhoff Automation; 877/twincat;

www.beckhoffautomation.com

ROBOTIC SYSTEM CONFIGURATIONMapp RoboX can be used to control

any kinematic system with up to

15 axes. The robot is designed for

simple parameterization, with

visualization and diagnos-

tics already on

board. Mapp Teach

provides intuitive

teach-in functionality to define and manage the robot’s

movement sequences and get it up and running; Mapp

technology consists of individually encapsulated

blocks that streamline development of new applica-

tions. The components provide basic functionality that

can be configured graphically, cutting development

times. All Mapp components are connected via Mapp

links. Each Mapp component retrieves the data it needs

from other components using a client-server model.

B&R Industrial Automation; www.br-automation.com

HMI + PLC SOFTWARE WITH SQL CONNECTIVITYUniLogic HMI + PLC software version 1.18 introduces

features that extend the application

reach of the UniStream all-in-one HMI

+ PLC controller.

Features include

SQL connectivity

to enable program-

mers to build SQL

queries and execute

them via ladder functions, including data transfer

between UniStream’s data tables and remote SQL da-

tabases, and conversion of HMI screens to Web pages.

Programmers also can create HMI custom controls and

then drag and drop them from the Solution Explorer,

export and import them between projects as .uluce

files or add them to the library. They also can define

tags that are local to a specific custom control.

Unitronics; 617/657-6596; www.unitronicsplc.com

DATA INVESTIGATION SOFTWARE UPDATESThe release of R15 delivers easier-to-use search, cus-

tomized trending views and asset comparisons. It in-

cludes end-user improvements such as data cleansing

and regression functions for modeling multi-variate

analysis, as well as improved

variable and operator function-

ality for process calculations.

It expands process historian

support to include Honeywell

PHD, Wonderware Historian,

Yokogawa Exaquantum Histo-

rian and GE Proficy Historian. It

also simplifies integration with

relational database offerings such as Microsoft SQL

Server and its open-source alternative MySQL, as well

as CSV file formats, to create batch and state context

from manufacturing applications and adds improved

support for data export via an OData interface for

reporting and dashboards.

Seeq; www.seeq.com

ALL-IN-ONE DRIVE, CONTROL, I/O PROGRAMMINGCombivis Studio 6 combines drive control, application

development and an HMI designer into an all-in-one

environment for programming KEB

drives, control and I/O. The new Config-

urator provides a visual tool to lay out

a project and create a bill of material.

All of the information including the

layout drawing can be exported for

proposals or tracking of a project.

The Configurator also can be used to

create a project with all objects exported

and arranged as connected. The software

simplifies the simulation and visualization of motion

processes in office environments, as well as on-site

startup and equipment optimization.

KEB America; 952/224-1400; www.kebamerica.com



PRODUCT ROUNDUP

ENHANCED DIGITAL ENTERPRISE FUNCTIONALITIESVersion 14 of the Totally Integrated Automation (TIA)

Portal includes new functionalities for the digital

enterprise. Cloud-based engineering now is included.

From their private cloud, users can access the plant

controller with the new TIA

Portal Cloud Connector or

use MindSphere, the Siemens

cloud solution for industry,

for additional digital services.

PLCSim Advanced has inter-

faces to simulation software

such as Plant Simulation and

Process Simulate, and Team-

center, a data collaboration

platform for design, planning

and engineering, has a new

interface. This version extends motion control func-

tionality and applications within the S7-1500 control-

ler family, and a multi-user function has been added

for decentralized work concepts.

Siemens; www.usa.siemens.com

FLOWCHART-BASED VISION SOFTWAREThe release of the Matrox Design Assistant 5 soft-

ware features a more image-centric approach to

project configuration whereby measurements are set

up directly on the image itself rather than through

configuration panes. The update streamlines flow-

chart creation by allowing the logic for specific events

and actions to be placed in separate

sub-flowcharts, decluttering the main

flowchart. A newly added ready-to-go

communication structure simplifies

the interface between the

vision system and a pro-

grammable logic/automation

controller. A project-specific

operator interface can be

accessed from any HTML5-

based Web browser, enabling access not just from PCs,

but also from tablets or smartphones.

Matrox Imaging; www.matrox.com

DELTA ROBOT CONTROLMotionWorks IEC 3.3 automation control software

enables delta robot users to configure and control

robots without the need to learn specialized robot

programming languages. This means that almost

any type of robot, from

articulated robots and

gantry systems to delta

robots and custom

robotic mechanisms,

can be programmed

through PLCopen part 4

function blocks. The software package is designed to

run on any Yaskawa MPiec controller, from the single-

axis MP2600iec, to the MP3200iec that offers up to 62

axes of motion control. Its function is optimized for

the MP3300iec, which offers four, eight, 20 or 32 axes

of motion control.

Yaskawa; www.yaskawa.com

SMART WIRING SOFTWARE APPLICATIONEplan Smart Wiring is a Web-based software application

that helps installers wire switchgear systems quickly

and with few, if any, errors. The product provides in-

stallers with a clear understanding in visual form and

with step-by-step in-

struction. The touch-

optimized interface

is suitable for mobile

devices, so it always

is ready for use right

at the cabinet. The

application visualizes

the mounting layout,

devices, connec-

tions and routing tracks. It can be based on a 3D layout

created by engineering in Eplan Pro Panel or from data

such as connection and wiring lists prepared in other

systems and then processed in this application.

Eplan Software & Service; www.eplanusa.com

AUTOMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENTThree new applications in the Studio 5000 environ-

ment help engineers to speed automation system de-

velopment as they design the Connected Enterprise.

The Architect application is where users can view the

overall automation system; configure devices such as

controllers, HMIs and EOIs; and manage communica-

tions between devices. The View Designer application

is the design and maintenance software for Allen-

Bradley PanelView 5500 graphic terminals. It helps

users to build contemporary systems and enhances

integration between the control system and operator

interface to improve programming efficiency and run-



time performance. The Application Code

Manager helps users to build libraries of

reusable code that can be managed and

deployed across an entire enterprise.

Rockwell Automation;

www.rockwellautomation.com

COMMUNICATION SOFTWARE WITH SCOPE, TUNER CAPABILITIESThe Design Kit, which provides easy

communication with the company’s mo-

tion controllers and PLCs, now includes a

scope and a tuner. The scope is designed

to emulate a traditional digital oscillo-

scope. It provides intuitive measuring and

zooming tools, trigger tools and autoscale.

Trigger modes include scan, auto and

normal, which allow users to customize

the waveform viewing experience. The

tuner is designed to assist in optimizing a

system’s performance. It provides a single

interface for editing filter parameters such

as pole, notch and PID. Users can edit the

controller’s torque limits, voltage offset

and feedforward parameters.

Galil Motion Control; 800/377-6329;

www.galil.com

SERVICE PACK FOR HMI SOFTWAREService Pack One of InduSoft Web Studio

v8.0 improves existing HTML5 and cus-

tom widget capabilities, introduces an

add-on conversion tool for FactoryTalk

applications and enhances IoTView. The

HTML5 capabilities have expanded to in-

clude horizontal trends. The custom wid-

gets now allow users to host third-party

applications within the InduSoft Web

Studio environment without necessitat-

ing Microsoft-specific Active/X and .NET

controls. Engineers can create custom

widgets using HTML/Jscript. Support for

the new Import Wizard for FactoryTalk

ME/SE reduces the engineering time

required for migrating applications from

FactoryTalk to InduSoft Web Studio. The

scalable, platform-agnostic IoTView run-

time also has been enhanced to improve

data and connectivity.

InduSoft; www.indusoft.com

AUTOPILOT MODE FOR 3D MODELING SOFTWAREArtec Studio 11 is designed for use with

handheld 3D scanners and a range of

sensors. The software includes Autopilot

mode to create 3D models of any size. This

feature guides users through questions

related to the characteristics of the object

being scanned and the type of 3D model

that is desired. The software then deletes

any unwanted captured data, auto aligns

the scans with one click and selects the

most effective 3D algorithms for the data

at hand. Those who prefer to have more

control over the processing experience

can enter manual mode to access the plat-

form’s data manipulation tools.

Artec 3D; www.artec3d.com

controldesign.com

REAL ANSWERSREAL ANSWERS

PUBLISHING TEAM

group publisher & vp, content

KEITH LARSON [email protected]

vp, sales & publishing director

TONY D’AVINO [email protected]

630/467-1300 ext.408

director of circulation

JACK JONES [email protected]

SALES TEAM

northeastern and mid-atlantic regional manager

DAVE FISHER [email protected]

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

24 Cannon Forge Dr.

Foxboro, Massachusetts 02035

midwestern and southern regional manager

GREG ZAMIN [email protected]

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



digital sales specialist

JEANNE FREEDLAND

[email protected]

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

inside sales specialist

POLLY DICKSON [email protected]

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

EXECUTIVE STAFF

president & ceo

JOHN M. CAPPELLETTI

cfo

RICK KASPER

vp, circulation

JERRY CLARK

vp, creative services, production

STEVE HERNER

REPRINTS

FOSTER REPRINTS www.fosterprinting.com

RHONDA BROWN

[email protected]

866-879-9144 ext. 194

is the only magazine exclusively

dedicated to the original equipment

manufacturing (OEM) market for

instrumentation and controls—the

largest market for industrial controls.



630/467-1300

Fax: 630/467-1124


A CONTROL DESIGN reader writes: As remote moni-

toring has become a reality, traditional process vari-

ables—pressure, temperature, level and flow—have

become obvious candidates for measurement. But

monitoring capabilities continue to expand through

wireless capabilities, PoE and energy harvesting for

low-power sensors. One of our customers has a factory

that’s awakening to the economic benefits of avoid-

ing equipment downtime and mitigating the risk of

environmental impact.

The ability to measure vibration and transmit that

dense data and wireless accelerometers that enable

balancing are major benefits to plants with rotating

equipment. And efforts to protect vessels, vats, pipes

and pumps from corrosion have accelerated the de-

velopment of monitoring capabilities, as well. It seems

the only limit to data is the device that collects it. What

technology developments have expanded the abilities

to monitor vibration, corrosion and other variables?

ANSWERS

Always-on dataRecent developments in vibration sensors, data acqui-

sition and analysis technologies are making vibration

analysis cheaper, easier and more widely available. We

have a vibration meter, for example, that in a couple of

seconds can measure a wide range of frequencies—10

to 1,000 Hz and 4,000 to 20,000 Hz—covering most

machine and component types.

Plus, vibration spectra can be uploaded to a smart-

phone and transmitted to always-on data centers

where the information can be accessed from anywhere.

Weishung Liu, product planner,

Fluke Industrial Group, www.fluke.com

The fourth revolutionInnovations in sensor technology occur constantly.

High-resolution cameras, microelectromechanical sys-

tems (MEMS) technology and other advanced technolo-

gies are being incorporated into smart input and output

devices all the time. These advances allow for devices

that can predict their own failures or report a need for

calibration or other adjustments. The sheer volume of

information that these devices can provide could over-

whelm the computing power of a centralized control

system. Instead of increasing the computing power and

cost of the central control system, distributed control

with lower-cost devices allows systems to handle and

act on the large amount of data provided by these

smart systems. As we move into the era of the 4th

Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0, these distributed

control devices will be critical in implementing highly

configurable and reconfigurable systems.

Tim Senkbeil, product line manager,

Industrial Connectivity Division,

Belden, www.belden.com

Reduced costWireless sensors and smart sensors that are able to

measure, analyze, compress and communicate measure-

ment and diagnostic information greatly increase the

ability to monitor vibration and other parameters thanks

in large part to the reduction in the installed cost.

Jason Tranter, founder and managing director,

Mobius Institute, www.mobiusinstitute.com

Cloud storageNowadays cloud storage transcends the traditional

memory limitations of measurement devices such as

data recorders and data acquisition systems. Today’s

products provide users with continual monitoring and

analysis functions, intelligent signal processing and

versatile fieldbus connections, all in a single device.

All measured values can be transferred to online stor-

age and will work on PCs or servers.

Stew Thompson, technical writer,

CAS Data Loggers, www.dataloggerinc.com

Limitless computing capacityFew things need to be processed onboard the measur-

ing devices. If data can be transmitted to a remote

location with high speeds leveraging technologies

like IoT, the compute capacity available over cloud is

virtually limitless. With the development in the space

of mobility and IoT, small devices with huge compute

capacity are easily available at very affordable prices.

Complex sensing like vibration, acoustics and vision,

which were once a luxury to have, are now making

their way into every possible application. Research

in advanced sensing is making complex measuring

possible. A lot has been discussed about the ability

to detect fatigue stress in mechanical components

with minimal sensory devices attached to it. This has


Monitor vibration and corrosion

[email protected] ANSWERS

CD1612_48_49_RealAnswers.indd 48 11/23/16 11:56 AM

huge potential in industries such as aviation or asset-

intense operations such as oil and gas.

Corrosion is another important area where sensing is

possible. Today large and expensive equipment can have

the ability to have built-in corrosion sensing. Alterna-

tively, people use measuring devices for test purposes. A

lot needs to improve, so that it will be possible to include

built-in capability in a wide variety of applications.

Development in these areas are eased with the

advent of edge-computing technology, but this also

needs help from fundamental research around the

physics and science of the phenomena being mea-

sured. Techniques for measuring corrosion potential,

hydrogen flux monitoring or other forms of chemical

analysis are commonly used in crafting non-intrusive

corrosion detection, but this needs further develop-

ment for sensors to be versatile.

Mitesh Patel, head of Internet of Things,

manufacturing industry solution unit,

TCS, www.tcs.com

Potent portablesPortable vibration data collection devices that, in addi-

tion to triaxial vibration readings, allow audio and visu-

al recording into an onboard database and synchronize

that database with the cloud platform are a very power-

ful tool. Other very effective enhancements available

are refined automated diagnostics systems that con-

sider all machinery readings and surrounding systems

in producing the diagnosis. Devices that provide for

live interaction between specialists and the technician

gathering the readings and sharing of the data via the

cloud with other plants or areas in the enterprise are

very powerful tools in condition monitoring.

Joe Van Dyke, vice president of operations,

Azima DLI, www.azimadli.com

Data into informationInformation-driven manufacturing increases require-

ments for sensor-based data from manufacturing

assets, resulting in a trend toward increased function-

ality at the sensor level, specifically increased signal

processing capability, energy management, self-

monitoring and miniaturization.. The simple sensors

of the past have morphed into increasingly integrated

and intelligent sensor systems, boasting hardware

with ever greater capabilities. Sensors are increasingly

able to perform correction computations, compen-

sate for cross-sensitivity, provide application-specific

algorithms, perform self-monitoring and contain their

own communication interface. Faster signal process-

ing with lower noise levels and higher resolution

consumes less energy and is suitable for operation in a

wider range of ambient conditions. Of course, wire-

less communication technology enables installation

of sensors in remote areas that have historically been

cost-prohibitive to monitor.

Paula Hollywood, senior analyst,

ARC Advisory Group, www.arcweb.com

Digital highwaysMEMS technology for accelerometers has created self-

diagnosing sensors for calibration verification. This

allows for permanent continuous monitoring that le-

verages trending instead of requiring high-level train-

ing and skill in difficult physic theory. Access to digital

highways enables transportation of information to

concentrated skilled centers. The digital revolution is

now surpassing humans as the interface, as machines

will interact directly.

Bob Drexel, product manager, process sensors,

ifm efector, www.ifmefector.com/us

More processing powerThere can be several limitations when it comes to get-

ting data for diagnostics. From the sensor and acquisi-

tion standpoint, the ever-increasing processing power

is helping to drive more data and information collection

from machines. High-speed sensors and measurement

equipment coupled with processing at the edge means

the benefits of high-speed data can be coupled with ex-

isting network bandwidth and storage restrictions. This

is helping the transition from route-based strategies to

permanently online strategies and ultimately provide

better coverage of expanding asset fleets.

The growth of platforms are expanding the sensing

capability of diagnostic measurement systems. If you

were to take apart a system designed to measure vi-

bration, one for motor current and one for shaft align-

ment, you would find many similar—not identical, to

be sure—components. The platform approach looks at

these solutions as dozens of discrete functions, rather

than three unique devices. The common functions are

grouped and shared to form the core of the platform

while the unique functions are designed as modular

hardware and software components. This makes it

easier to expand systems with new measurements

and capabilities because new design is reduced to the

unique segmenting elements of the new capability,

rather than a whole new design.

Brett Burger, principal marketing engineer,

National Instruments, www.ni.com


CD1612_48_49_RealAnswers.indd 49 11/23/16 11:56 AM

Dave Perkon • technical editor • [email protected]

STARTING AND STOPPING a motor can be done with

three common methods: a motor starter, soft start or

variable frequency drive (VFD). As of late, the use of

a VFD is becoming more popular than ever due to its

claimed ef� ciency bene� ts, but be sure it is needed.

And, once speci� ed, it must be properly installed to

ensure reliable operation.

To start, take a step back and be sure you need a

VFD for the application, as many users don’t realize

real bene� ts. Do you need to vary the speed of the

motor or change the motor’s acceleration? If neither, a

motor starter is simple and will work great. Just want

to soften the motor starts? Consider a soft starter. For

all the above, a VFD may be the best choice.

The VFD, often called an ac drive or inverter, takes

a single- or three-phase signal and varies the speed of

a three-phase ac induction motor. This is its main ben-

e� t. Running a motor more slowly can save signi� cant

energy, and speed changes may be useful to the appli-

cation. Another bene� t is adjustable acceleration and

deceleration. Less acceleration softens the mechanical

forces at motor start and reduces inrush current.

There are both physical and electrical installation

basics to be aware of when using a VFD. When mount-

ing the VFD on a back panel, be sure to check the

speci� cations. It is common for multiple devices to be

installed in one location, but all VFDs need proper air

� ow, so check the installation instructions carefully

when laying out a control panel. Mount the drives

vertically. Some drives can be mounted with no clear-

ance, but it’s common to have a minimum side-to-side

spacing of 50 mm or more and to have vertical clear-

ance above and below the drive of 100 mm to 150 mm.

It’s not uncommon to hear about noise problems

in VFD applications. However, proper shielding and

grounding and the use of � lters or line reactors can help.

If multiple VFDs are installed in a single location, don’t

daisy-chain the ground wire; it creates ground loops.

Connect each ground to a single ground point. The line

reactor can help to protect from transient voltages and

reduce harmonics to or from the drive. Keeping the load-

side wiring less than 75 ft between the drive and motor

helps to reduce the potential insulated-gate bipolar

transistor (IGBT) re� ective wave damage.

Electrically, proper run/stop control of the VFD is

important. Many manufacturers do not recommend

using contactors or disconnect switches on the line or

load side of a VFD for run/stop control of the ac drive

and motor, except for emergency situations. Opening

a contactor at the line or load side of a VFD while the

motor is running can cause failures in the inverter

section of the drive or reduce its life. Even if it doesn’t

cause failure, it can take several seconds for a VFD to

power on once power is applied.

A VFD is typically controlled via start/stop digital

inputs and a speed-control signal, using a 0-10 Vdc, 4-20

mA or potentiometer analog input signal or a speed

preset programmed into the drive. However, a proper

risk assessment will likely show a safe-stop function is

required as well. This functional safety capability, often

called safe torque off (STO), as de� ned by EN IEC 61800-

5-2, is an option on many VFDs that should be speci� ed.

With any motor control circuit, proper overcurrent

and ground-fault protection is required at the input of

the device. A typical VFD accepts single-phase voltage,

but it is not intended for use with single-phase motors.

Although a standard three-phase induction motor works

with a VFD, a three-phase inverter duty motor should be

used. The inverter duty motor is more energy ef� cient

when used with a VFD. It is also not susceptible to over-

heating at low motor speeds and has more low-speed

torque compared to a standard induction motor.

There are two basic types of VFDs: the original scalar

control type and the newer vector control type. The sca-

lar control is open-loop using a voltage-frequency ratio

and, although it provides great speed regulation, ~0.5%,

it does not have a fast response nor is it very precise. The

vector control can be open- or closed-loop and uses cur-

rent control of two vectors, torque and magnetizing � ux

for more responsive and precise control of the motor.

There are many more factors, features and func-

tions to consider when using a VFD, so study the

catalogs and manuals and then get with your vendors.

With constant-torque or constant-speed applications,

such as conveyors, compressors or mixers, there may

be simpler options. However, whether replacing a dc

motor or varying the speed and acceleration of your

conveyor, fan, blower or pump, go with the VFD op-

tion. It’s often the best choice, if installed properly.


Installation tips for VFDs

Although a standard three-phase induction motor works with a VFD, a three-phase inverter duty motor should be used.

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CD1612_50_AutoBasics.indd 50 11/23/16 11:57 AM

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