Perfection in Automationwww.br-automation.com

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The B&R Technology Magazine

Packaging

Breaking the mold

Electromobility

A tank full of sunshine

Software

Modular engineering for more efficient development

Technology

Boosting machine availability through

Condition Monitoring

automotion 03/12

Credits

CREDITSautomotion: The B&R technology magazine, Volume 11Online version: www.automotion.infoMedia owner: Bernecker + Rainer Industrie-Elektronik Ges.m.b.H., B&R Strasse 1, 5142 Eggelsberg, AustriaPublisher: Hans Wimmer, B&R Strasse 1, 5142 Eggelsberg, AustriaEditors: Werner Gropp, Agnes Hufnagl, Margit Mayrböck, Peter Kemptner, Franz Joachim Roßmann, Lukas Maier, Margarethe DopfTranslated from the German: Brian Bouscher, Dave Long, Craig Potter, Michael SchroederB&R Strasse 1,5142 Eggelsberg, Austria, editor@automotion.infoDesign: Lukas Maier, Cecilia Zimmerbeutel, B&R Strasse 1, 5142 Eggelsberg, AustriaPrint: Vorarlberger Verlagsanstalt GmbH, Schwefel 81, 6850 Dornbirn, AustriaPublishing address: B&R Strasse 1, 5142 Eggelsberg, AustriaFree subscription: To subscribe, visit www.automotion.info

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Editorial

Dear Reader,

Overall order volumes are promising, suggesting busy times ahead and giving rise to a very

positive outlook for industry in general. This is especially true in the area of machine manu-

facturing, which analysts expect to grow at a rate of four percent this year. Business leaders

are hopeful that the debt crisis currently engulfing the political arena will not slide over into

the real economy, becoming an uncontrollable wildfire in the process.

That's not to say that Europe isn't ailing, as many have expected. In some industries, potential

markets are already exhausted. At the same time, European companies are looking further

afield for increased growth opportunities, for example to the Russian Federation and the Far

East – in particular China and India.

Many of us still remember the hard-learned lessons and consequences of 2009: In addition

to restructuring, increased centralization and streamlined departments have played a key role

at many companies, placing cost awareness squarely at the fore. At the same time, focus on

sales and service has increased with an eye toward improving the bottom line. The buzzword

at every level has become "Efficiency".

Efficiency and investment security over the long term have taken their place at the front of

the line at B&R as well. This is unmistakable in light of our existing product portfolio and

many new product innovations. Providing our customers with a wide range of complete

solutions is our remedy for counteracting the present volatile business environment. Only in

this way can a company's success over the long term possibly be assured.

Yours,

Werner Gropp

Manager Marketing

2012 business cycle banking on machine manufacturing: B&R increasing efficiency through complete solutions

3automotion 03/12

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Contents

COVER STORY

NEWS

16 Boosting machine availability through condi-tion monitoring

Conserving resources and increasing overall efficiency

through predictive maintenance

15 Automation Studio: The most widely used engineering tool

23 New trends in machine and system manufacturing

29 POWERLINK synchronizes tripod robot

39 B&R UK: Grand reopening

43 B&R USER Meeting in China

51 Fast and stable: POWERLINK data transfer via slip rings

11 B&R illuminated keypad module Cool design, robust enough for industrial environments

30 Mobile automation: Shaken, not stirred! Functionality and component density for harsh outdoor

environments

44 Modular engineering for more efficient development

Providing the highest software quality and optimal use

of resources in machine and system manufacturing – all

with B&R

58 Safer in a group: System networking with openSAFETY

Transferring safety data across machines

62 Multi-core processors for demanding tasks Extreme computing power with the latest Intel® Core™

iX technology

TECHNOLOGY

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Contents

REPORT

64 Machine manufacturing in flux: The future is mechatronic

Software development with Automation Studio and EPLAN

Electric P8

52 Anybus adds POWERLINK HMS: Integration in POWERLINK-based systems

6 Breaking the mold Krones AG redefining exceptional performance

12 Smart metering for district heating Remote metering on the rise

20 Peace of mind comes standard in Alfa La-val decanters

Boosting uptime with B&R condition monitoring modules

24 Flexible filling processes B&R control solution increasing production efficiency in

the Chinese beverage industry

26 A tank full of sunshine Solar carports: The gas stations of the future

34 Boosting productivity with B&R motion control technology

600 blister packs per minute: Increased packaging out-

put with B&R technology at Hoong-A

36 A jack of all trades in the world of hy-draulic presses

B&R's compact controller technology – from a single source

40 Predictive safety for pedestrians State-of-the-art intelligent warning system for collision

prevention

48 Label it efficient with POWERLINK Gallus relying on B&R technology

55 Smoothly integrated labeling solutions Real-time, precision integration into packaging lines

TECHNOLOGY

INTERVIEW

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Report

Breaking the mold

This past fall, Krones AG shook up the bottling market with a newly developed PET stretch blow molding machine. The third generation of the Contiform series features astounding production output, in-creased precision and freedom in the stretch-forming process, all while still reducing power consumption significantly. The bottling special-ist achieved this development leap by switching from pneumatic and belt drives to an electric direct drive solution and an integrated drive solution based on B&R technology. In anticipation of the projected de-mand, Krones will be implementing assembly line production for the new Contiform machines – an absolute first in the company's history.

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Report

With up to 36 blow molding stations, the brand new

Contiform 336 rotary stretch blow molding machine can

achieve an output of 81,000 PET containers per hour. The

bottle preforms are heated to a temperature of 100 to

120°C in an infrared linear oven and then guided by a star-

wheel into the aluminum blow mold. As soon as the mold

closes, a stretch rod is inserted in the neck of the preform

to stretch it axially while applying up to 40 bar of blowing

pressure. This presses the sides of the preform against the

interior wall of the mold to shape the bottle, which is then

collected by an output starwheel.

This method is used to produce around 300 billion bottles

per year, and with this number growing rapidly, bottling

plants are demanding more and more performance from

their machines. Still, with environmental awareness and

Krones meets the constantly increasing demands on machine performance by setting a new record: The Contiform 336 can process 2,250 bottles per blow molding station per hour.

energy prices both increasing steadily, all this performance

must not come at the expense of sustainability.

Each station handles 2,250 bottles/hour

With this latest revamp of the Contiform series, first in-

troduced in 1997, the main challenge was balancing the

top priorities of maximum output and minimum power

consumption. Krones mastered this challenge in expert

fashion. They were able to further raise the bar set by the

previous generation, boosting the output of each blow-

molding station from an already impressive 2,000 bottles

to a record volume of 2,250 bottles per hour.

To achieve this jump, the engineering team led by Dieter Fin-

ger, head of electrical development at the Krones Plastics »

7automotion 03/12

Report

Mounting ACOPOSmulti65 modules directly on the ma-chine makes it possible for Krones to produce the stret-ching station in advance, test it and parameterize it.

B&R again showed their flexibility and com-

mitment by modifying the standard ACOPOS

firmware. As a result, we now have company-

standard tubular linear motors that combine very

homogeneous movements with minimal power

consumption.

Dieter Finger, Head of Electrical Development

Technology division, had to do some pretty heavy innovat-

ing. "Until now, belt drives have been sufficient for driving

the various wheels," he states. "With the new Contiform,

however, we're dealing with speeds where the belt stretch

inherent in this solution keeps us from achieving the preci-

sion needed for a smooth transition between the blowing

wheel and the transfer wheel."

The engineers solved this by replacing the belt drives with

direct drives. The third generation of Contiform machines

now uses torque motors that provide up to 2,300 Nm of

torque. "These are not only much more precise than belt

drives," explains Finger, "their sophisticated power man-

agement system allows them to share power in the event

of an outage or emergency stop, which means they can

quickly bring the machine to a stop without losing syn-

chronization."

These motors are controlled using Krones' SDC (Servo

Drive Control) solution based on B&R technology, which

the company has used across multiple divisions for over

five years. The SDC solution allows an unlimited number

of axes to be coupled via POWERLINK in a wide range of

topologies. The inverters come from B&R'S ACOPOSmulti

series, with an X20 CPU acting as the controller.

Electric direct drives supplant pneumatics

The great leap in performance seen in the new Contiform

generation isn't explained by the torque motors alone.

Only by combining this innovation with the move from

pneumatic to electromagnetic control of the stretch sys-

tem were the Krones engineers in a position to achieve

their formidable output. In place of pneumatic drives,

tubular linear motors now control the movement of the

stretch rods in the blow stations.

"Unlike conventional flat or U-channel linear motors, this

design has a permanent magnet slider rod that moves in-

side a stator tube, which holds the drive coils and a Hall

sensor," explains Krones' electronics expert. "The tubu-

lar linear motor eliminates the belts and play associated

with standard stretch rod drive solutions. Since the force

is translated directly into extending the stretch rod we can

also get by with much smaller bearings, resulting in a mo-

tor that is now greaseless and maintenance-free."

This custom motor was developed by NTI (LinMot) ac-

cording to Krones' specifications. "The specifications in-

cluded that the motor provide a maximum force of 2 kN

and achieve a top speed of 2 m/s, adds Finger. "We also

needed positioning precision of 0.2 mm while also being

able to integrate the motor seamlessly into the rest of our

drive solution."

Tubular linear motor with Hall encoder on a stan-dard ACOPOS drive

In order to satisfy these specifications, the motor was de-

signed for operation on a standard three-phase ACOPOS

drive from B&R with a DC bus voltage of 800 V. The B&R

ACOPOS drive also evaluates and linearizes the signal from

the Hall sensor. "The programming involved here is not

to be underestimated," Finger explains. "Yet B&R again

showed their flexibility and commitment by modifying the

standard ACOPOS firmware. As a result, we now have

company-standard tubular linear motors that combine very

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Report

The machine is operated using a customized B&R panel.

homogeneous movements with minimal power consump-

tion."

For the inverters controlling the linear motors, Krones se-

lected B&R's ACOPOSmulti65 with IP65 protection togeth-

er with a B&R X20 CPU to provide control for the blowing

module. To provide valve control and monitor the blowing

pressure, IP67 I/O modules are connected to the control-

ler's second POWERLINK interface. Finger is well aware of

the clear advantages this brings for machine manufactur-

ers. "Installing this inverter directly on each stretching sta-

tion enables us to produce the entire station in advance,

test it and parameterize it. We also only need one supply

line for each station. This not only fits right in with our

modular approach, it also fully supports the assembly line

production strategy we're using for the first time on these

machines."

Electric stretching: More output, faster change-overs, more flexible processing

Machine operators also profit from the switch to electric

stretching, which not only boosts output, but also gives the

operator considerably more freedom to adapt the stretch-

ing process. Finger illustrates what this means in practice:

"First of all, the bottle type can be selected with the push

of a button, eliminating the time-consuming task of manu-

ally switching out heads. The push of a button is also all it

takes to modify the movement profile of the stretch drive.

As a result, when switching from a small volume bottle to

a large volume bottle, it is no longer necessary to switch

out the curve."

But they didn't leave it at that. The curve can even be freely

configured to divide the stretching process into phases

with different speeds. The operator can use the additional

control freedom to produce the same bottle quality from

cheaper preform material or to achieve more complex

bottle designs that used to be impossible to create with

the necessary quality.

B&R ACOPOS: DC bus supply up to 70 meters

What's at least equally important for the operator is that

the new generation consumes significantly less power. This

was achieved in part by eliminating the pneumatic drives in

the stretching stations. Another contribution comes from

the ability of B&R's solution to extend the DC bus supply

up to 70 meters. Krones took advantage of this feature

to couple the DC bus supplies of the machine's stretcher

modules and drive modules. In the event of a power failure,

power can be diverted from the blowing wheel to bring

the system to a controlled stop and move the stretch »

9automotion 03/12

rods to a safe position. "If we didn't have our entire drive

system from a single supplier, we would have to work with

a variety of DC bus voltages. This would require DC/DC

converters, which have given us problems in the past,"

recalls Finger.

Power is fed back into the DC bus even during normal

operation. The energy generated by braking the stretch

rods (the compressed air in the bottles shoots them back

to their starting position at up to 650 N) can be utilized by

other stations, allowing each station to use an average of

only 250 watts.

Other measures implemented by Krones to further opti-

mize power consumption include the newly developed

intermediate blow stage and a perfected internal com-

pressed air recycling system, as well as further reductions

in dead space volume. All in all, the amount of compressed

air required by the machine was reduced by a third.

The advantages of Krones' new series of blow molding

machines are clearly evident. It comes as no small surprise,

then, that the new generation of Contiform machines was

met with heavy demand even before its official release,

or that it was a smash hit at the 2011 Krones Customer

Day. �

Industry: Beverages

Employees: Approx. 10,575 (2010)

Locations: Headquarters in Neutraubling (DE)

www.krones.com

Technology by THE INNOVATORS

Perfection in Automationwww.br-automation.com

GenericMotionControl

� Maximum system productivity through exceptional performance and system synchronization

� Supports advanced manufacturing technologies by integrating CNC, robotics and motion control with integrated safety technology

� Easy implementation of machine options because of software compatibility across all drive technologies

� Supports all machine topologies through the use of centralized and decentralized drive technology

� ��������������� � ���� ���������� �����

10 automotion 03/12

1 2 3 4

Technology

Mount, connect, and you're ready to go.

Meet the next generation of decentralized

input devices. With the compact dimensions

of a mobile phone, this module requires very

little space for mounting. Its compact size and

encapsulated electronics mean that there's

no need for an additional protective housing.

IP65 protection makes it possible for the key-

pad module to withstand even the toughest

environments. The same I/O system technol-

ogy used in other B&R products allows the

module to be seamlessly integrated on a de-

centralized backplane – with extremely com-

municative features and a flexible connection

to open fieldbus systems. �

Highlights:

� Lightning fast, small footprint, single-screw mounting system

� All keys available with yellow, green, red and white illumination

� Suitable for hygienic applications

� Service life > 1,000,000 actuations

� Flexible labeling using legend strips

� Connection to open fieldbus systems

Mount, connect, and you're ready to go.

B&R illuminated keypad module Cool design, perfect for tough industrial conditions

11automotion 03/12

District heating is the most convenient, cheapest and most environmen-tally friendly form of heating available, especially in urban areas. With an output of approximately 6,200 GWh per year, Fernwärme Wien (Vienna's central district heating station) covers 36% of the heating needs of the Austrian capital. Increasingly, traditional heat meters are being replaced by district heat meters, with approximately 50,000 of these meters already in use throughout the city. Over many hours of continuous unmanned op-eration at district heating substations, B&R Automation PCs have proven their ability to handle the immense amount of data and remote metering tasks several times over.

Smart meteringfor district heating

12 automotion 03/12

Report

With a population of 1.6 million, the city of Vienna has approximately 6,222 commercial

customers and over 318,000 household customers who rely on Fernwärme Wien GmbH for

district heating, hot water and, increasingly, district cooling. To keep up with this demand,

17 power generating facilities at twelve locations feed hot water into the district heating

network, a system of pipes that, stretched out, would span over 1,150 kilometers. The most

well-known of these facilities is the Spittelau waste incineration plant located near the city

center, which was redesigned by architect, artist and environmental activist Friedensreich

Hundertwasser in 1992 after being destroyed by a fire.

Remote metering on the rise

Company headquarters is located next to this plant and also houses the new Wien Energie

customer service center as well as a large number of additional offices. It is from here that

Eike Ehrenreich oversees remote metering for the district heating network. "In 1997, we

started a long-term project with a few pilot installations for remote metering using M-Bus,"

explains the electrical engineer. "One of the goals was to eventually be able to do away with

the undesirable task of having to visit customers' homes to read meter values on each and

every heater."

There are now more than 50,000 meters installed in Vienna that can be read from a remote

location. They use the M-Bus standard (EN 13757), originally developed and defined by Prof.

Dr. Horst Ziegler at the University of Paderborn, as the standardized interface for gathering

consumption data. This makes it possible to use the heat meter to access other measured val-

ues such as temperature via remote metering. It is also possible to transfer gas and electricity

values, even though they cannot be used legally for billing purposes.

Heat values are recorded by individual meters at 15-minute intervals and collected at the

local district heating substation, where they are then taken over by the central IT system and

seamlessly logged. One of the things these values are used for is to calculate the amount that

must be paid at the end of a billing period. Constant plausibility checks ensure that unrealistic

values are detected immediately. These checks also make it possible to detect line defects

even before the affected customers notice anything out of place. It is also very important to

reliably prevent data loss while still being able to protect against unauthorized data access.

Automation PCs for data collection and communication

There is a great deal of intelligence in the data concentrator, which is connected via twisted

pair cables and one or more level converters (about 180 meters per level converter). It has

the task of ensuring that data is securely transferred to headquarters. The carrier used de-

pends on local conditions and ranges from slow dial-up modems to many different types of

broadband connections. "The standard PCs we used in the initial testing phase proved to be

unsuitable over time," explains Eike Ehrenreich. "After all, the computers will need to oper-

ate continuously for many years in an unmanned environment with high temperatures and

humidity and even be able to survive a few small water leaks."

As the supplier of the control systems that were installed in decentralized boiler houses in

the late 1980s, B&R was already well-known as a reliable provider of systems and compo-

nents perfectly suited to operation in these types of adverse environmental conditions. At the

beginning of 2006, initial tests were carried out using Automation PCs running the Linux »

13automotion 03/12

17 power generating facilities provide heat in Vienna's extensive (1,150 km) district heating network.

Industry: Energy

Employees: Approx. 1,200

Location: Vienna (AT)

www.fernwaermewien.at

operating system. At the current rate, Automation PCs from

B&R will be needed in approximately 45 remote metering

systems each year.

The suitability of these modular units for this purpose – with

their compact dimensions, robust housing design and con-

struction with no moving parts such as fans or hard drives

– has been proven in many other challenging industrial ap-

plications much like this one. Unlike standard office comput-

ers, these devices are designed for continuous operation. In

addition, the use of CompactFlash as storage media ensures long-term data

retention. They are also approved for use with Linux.

The power of soft factors

All of the facts listed above can of course also be presented by other industri-

al PC manufacturers. However, many of the factors that spurred Fernwärme

Wien to choose B&R products cannot be found on a data sheet. Software

drivers that have to work very closely with the related hardware, for example

in meter communication, are developed in-house. "I can't live with a device

that will suddenly respond differently after the next delivery because the

main supplier has decided to change subcontractors," says Eike Ehrenreich.

"Thanks to a very high level of in-house production, B&R has the entire pro-

duction chain under their control and can provide timely warnings regarding

any changes." When choosing which components to use, B&R considers

the importance of ensuring that devices remain unchanged for as long as

possible. And due to the widespread use of their systems, B&R can ensure

a level of continuity that cannot be provided by smaller niche companies.

"Being able to communicate with the supplier quickly and unbureaucrati-

cally, in addition to having them close by, are important factors for prevent-

ing problems," states the heat metering expert matter-of-factly. "This also

includes being able to take advantage of the technical infrastructure at the

manufacturer's plant as well as the experience of the employees who work

there." In fact, devices from other manufacturers have even been brought in

and subjected to temperature testing in the B&R climate-controlled chamber

to determine their suitability. Another advantage of having the supplier close

by is the fact that, despite having a buffer stock, it is occasionally necessary

to have B&R Industrial PCs or other components delivered within 24 hours.

"Everyone is talking about smart metering at the moment, but at Fern-

wärme Wien we've already been doing this for years," says Eike Ehrenreich

with just a hint of pride. "Over time, it became obvious that a great deal of

thought was given to the technical design of the B&R Automation PC and

its components. There are now literally thousands of these devices operating

continually as main data processing units for remote metering to ensure that

the heat that is used is actually being billed correctly." �

14 automotion 03/12

News

News

Automation Studio: The most widely used engineering tool

According to a recent study published by ITQ in co-

operation with universities and the trade magazine

Computer&AUTOMATION, 20% of all German ma-

chine and system manufacturers are already program-

ming their control systems using Automation Studio.

In other words, one in five German machine

manufacturers are currently working with this

B&R software tool. "Control system hard-

ware is now no longer the sole criteria when

choosing a supplier," explains B&R marketing

manager Werner Gropp about the study. "The

engineering software used by the manufacturer is

also becoming increasingly important." This indicates

a significant change for machine and system manufac-

turing as more and more companies place their trust

in integrated software development environments

such as Automation Studio to handle the increasing

complexity of industrial automation tasks.

Survey respondents listed factors such as intuitive

program operation, software quality assurance and

the ability to port existing software as having high

priority. 92% were adamant about the importance of

reusing existing software in light of the fact that com-

panies are now placing a very large portion of their

effort and expertise into the software they develop.

Efficient and sustainable development with Au-tomation Studio 4

With the latest version of Automation Studio, B&R of-

fers even more optimized development methods for

machine and system manufacturing in a single, fully

integrated software tool. Working simultaneously on

different tasks and dividing individual projects into

modules not only increases efficiency, it also reduces

time to market. Reusing software in subsequent ma-

chine generations also ensures a maximum return on

investment far into the future. �

More information about this study can be found on the

Computer&AUTOMATION website at

www.computer-automation.de

One in five German machine manufacturers already uses B&R Automation Studio.

15automotion 03/12

Boosting machine availability through

Condition Monitoring

Technology

From oscilloscope modules to sensor-equipped servo drives, from the mon-itoring chip inside every Automation PC to vibration analysis modules with embedded intelligence – B&R offers every possibility to keep your finger on the pulse of the machine without requiring any external units. Condi-tion monitoring is already an integral part of every B&R system and conse-quently of every machine that is auto-mated with B&R technology. Predic-tive maintenance based on constant condition monitoring helps avoid unplanned downtime and reduces the cost of stocking spare parts. Us-ing condition measurements as input for open and closed control loops can significantly increase the service life of a machine and contribute to substantially reduced unit costs.

The development efforts of mechanical engineers are paying off as the

power density and functional density of production machines continue

to increase. This means that fewer machines are required to produce

the same quantity and complexity of products, which lowers production

costs and makes machine manufacturering more competitive.

On the other hand, this increased efficiency also makes producers more

dependent on individual machines. The ability to produce more units per

hour means that each hour of downtime is more expensive. And anyone

who has ever operated a machine knows that downtime can never be

completely avoided.

Rethinking maintenance strategy

Traditional maintenance strategies have one thing in common: Those

last few percentage points in machine availability come at a high price.

This is true for reactive, damage-oriented maintenance, where a sys-

tem's components are driven to exhaustion and only replaced when they

fail. The only way to ensure machine availability in this scenario is to

maintain a stock of replacement parts and have qualified personnel and

the necessary equipment available on short notice. The most widespread

traditional strategy, however, is preventive maintenance at fixed inter-

vals based on experience. Although this approach has the distinct advan-

tage of making maintenance downtime more plannable, it is certainly no

cure-all and involves considerable financial risk. On the one hand, you

have parts being purchased and replaced although the originals are far

from the end of their useful life. On the other, you have no reliable pro-

tection against unplanned downtime, such as when asymmetric strain

causes certain parts to fail prior to the maintenance interval.

Minimizing downtime as much as possible and crafting a strategic plan

for maintenance that can't be avoided – these are the goals of any re-

sponsible manager who not only looks at the purchasing price when

evaluating new machines, but also at the overall costs over their entire »

17

Technology

useful life. The only way to significantly impact the total cost of owner-

ship is to maximize machine uptime while simultaneously minimizing

maintenance costs. This is more than enough reason to rethink mainte-

nance strategies in general.

A matter of interpretation

The best way to optimize the ratio of machine availability to maintenance

costs is to replace the fixed maintenance intervals with condition-de-

pendent, predictive maintenance. This involves scheduling maintenance

when changes in monitored parameters indicate impending failure. The

advantage of this is that components can continue to provide value until

much closer to the actual end of their useful life, which is typically much

later than the conservatively estimated maintenance interval. Yet there

is no sacrifice in plannability since the required maintenance can be

performed during regularly scheduled breaks in production. The risk of

maintaining a stock of replacement parts is also minimized since only the

affected components need to be replaced. This is also a way to reliably

avoid failures that result from neglected maintenance.

For any of this to be possible, condition parameters throughout the ma-

chine must be monitored constantly, and this data must be evaluated

correctly to determine which parts require maintenance. "This can be

based on simple signals and measurement values such as temperature

or pressure that are collected using X20 or X67 I/O modules," explains

Bernhard Eder, business manager at B&R. "On top of that, B&R also of-

fers specialized modules such as valve control modules with integrated

switching time detection or oscilloscope functions."

Countless other options for monitoring condition signals are natively

integrated in B&R automation systems. These include ACOPOS servo

drives with built-in motor monitoring, for example, as well as B&R Au-

tomation PCs, which are each equipped with an integrated circuit for

self-diagnostics. The latest addition to this selection is a new module in

the X20 series for vibration analysis.

"The sensor technology used to obtain the signals is indeed important,

but the sensors alone are not enough," explains Werner Paulin. Paulin

has gained years of international application experience since he joined

Measurement, evaluation and communication – all in one module! This compact all-in-one solution is only available from B&R.

18

Technology

the company in 1997 and is currently B&R's international sales manager

for China. "The key to scheduling maintenance intervals for replacing

components at the right time, but not too early, is correct interpreta-

tion of the recorded signals. That's the only way to accurately predict

developing problems."

An optional feature becomes standard

This is why condition monitoring – which in fact has been around for

decades – has been slow to take hold in traditional machine manufac-

turing. The complex mathematics involved have typically required large

and expensive dedicated computer systems, which in turn needed to be

programmed by experts in fields such as material science and oscillation

mechanics. Because of this, condition monitoring was limited to systems

whose failure would result in immense costs.

The shrinking scale of microelectronic components has since eliminated

the need for expensive external wiring. B&R's analog input module

X20AI2636, for example, comes standard with essential functions such

as a comparator with hysteresis. The X20CM4810 condition monitor-

ing module from B&R, which is currently being implemented at selected

pilot customers, converts signals read from the acceleration sensors into

more than 70 specific values. This allows even complex oscillation pat-

terns to be monitored on a single channel.

Developers can easily configure which factors should be monitored in

B&R Automation Studio without requiring knowledge of complex math-

ematical functions, which solves a lot of problems with regard to soft-

ware and interfaces. At runtime, significant values are sent to the system

CPU via POWERLINK and can then be used directly in the application

software. "For the first time, machine manufacturers are able to offer

condition monitoring not as a premium option, but as a fully integrated

standard feature," states Paulin emphatically. "As a result, they can give

their customers availability guarantees with considerably lower imputed

risk."

Longevity is part of the package

Machine operators can also benefit from the integration of condition

monitoring with a company's internal logistics systems. When the ma-

chine identifies the need for maintenance, for example, it

can automatically trigger a reminder to the maintenance

or purchasing department for the required parts. This

prevents orders from being overlooked or placed incor-

rectly and ensures that the right part is on hand when it

is needed without having to maintain a large stock on

site.

Maintenance isn't the only area where having live, pre-

processed condition data opens up new possibilities,

however. Recorded condition data can also be fed into

the automation software to provide additional function-

ality. "This allows you to adjust the speed in order to

extend the time before maintenance, for example, or

to compensate for slack or switching delays in order to

maintain optimal operating conditions," says Eder. "This

kind of adaptive operation can further contribute to in-

creased availability and a longer service life – which in the

end means more efficient resource utilization and lower

unit costs." �

You pay a high price for those last few percentage points

in availability if you stick to traditional maintenance strate-

gies. This price can be drastically reduced using predictive

strategies based on permanent condition monitoring.

Bernhard Eder, B&R Business Manager

19automotion 03/12

Report

Peace of mind comes standardin Alfa Laval decanters

As the leading manufacturer of decanter centrifuges, Alfa Laval has al-ready been offering condition monitoring features to extend the service life of equipment and improve process stability for quite some time. Due to the high cost of add-on equipment for processing vibration signals, however, these features were only available as premium options. When the company revamped its control electronics to use B&R X20 series PLC hardware, they were able to integrate this functionality in the form of a custom X20 condition monitoring module. Now every Alfa Laval de-canter comes fully equipped for predictive maintenance straight off the factory floor.

B&R condition monitoring module boosts uptime

20 automotion 03/12

Report

To most of us, a decanter is a carafe-like vessel in which

wine is allowed to "breathe" before it is poured into a

glass. To fruit juice makers and waste water purifiers, how-

ever, decanters are heavy machinery that utilizes centrifu-

gal force to separate liquid and solid matter. The main ele-

ment of these machines is the central drum, which at the

end of the process contains a dry cake-like mass after the

juice or water has been drained out. Power consumption

plays a decisive role in this, which explains the market's

enthusiastic response to Alfa Laval's groundbreaking new

decanter generation, Aldec G3, which cuts power con-

sumption by 40 percent. As the power added to the sludge

also has an influence on the separation process, the Aldec

G3 also boasts improved overall performance.

With these features, it's not difficult to see why Alfa La-

val's third-generation decanter is helping companies cut

operational costs. Following its debut in September 2010

at the IFAT ENTSORGA wastewater trade show in Munich,

Germany, it was an immediate bestseller. An order from

the world’s largest wastewater treatment plant in Chicago

weighed in at just short of 28 million euros – the largest

order ever received in the company’s 128-year history.

Condition Monitoring – more than just a term

To the predominantly communal operators, operational

costs are not the only load burdening their tight budgets.

Fluid separation by decanter can only be truly profitable if

lifecycle costs are kept calculably low, which means ensur-

ing nearly 100% uptime. Unexpected failures are clearly

out of the question. "At rotational speeds in the range of

3,000 rpm, anything but the most perfectly smooth mo-

tion can be detrimental to the machine's life expectancy,"

says Peter Bloomberg, automation manager at Alfa Laval's

Copenhagen plant, where all Alfa Laval decanters are de-

signed and manufactured. "Consequently, we've offered a

condition monitoring system as an optional feature of our

decanters for many years."

What he's referring to is "Cosmos", Alfa Laval's

add-on vibration monitoring system, which was de-

signed to get maximum output from customer pro-

cesses by preventing unexpected stoppages and making

necessary maintenance work more plannable and less fre-

quent. To achieve this, it was not enough to simply record

and track vibration signals. Without integrating knowledge

about the entire machine and process, the acquired data

would be difficult to interpret.

"From a technical standpoint, this system was very good,"

states Bloomberg. "On the down side, it came with con-

siderable effort and expenses." Not only did that solution

mean installing accelerometers and data acquisition mod-

ules, it also required a dedicated computer to compress

and pre-process the information before sending it for

off-site analysis. This made it too pricey to be integrated

as a standard feature of the machine. It also required

experts to handle the system.

Lowering entry barriers

"In an attempt to

lower entry barriers for

Alfa Laval customers

to implement predictive

maintenance, we took

advantage of the Aldec G2

and G3 decanter development

process to evaluate alternative solu-

tions," explains Blomberg. "As there is a »

Alfa Laval is the leading manufacturer of decanter centrifuges separating solid mat-ter from liquid using a rotating drum.

21automotion 03/12

Report

Condition monitoring for all!

The result is a two-channel vibration monitoring

module in double-width X20 format that converts a

multitude of input data from the accelerometers into

Cosmos-compatible output files that can be trans-

ferred to the central analysis unit. First delivered in

early 2011, they have already started revolutionizing

Alfa Laval decanters. "Condition monitoring and pre-

dictive maintenance used to require an extra invest-

ment that not every customer was willing to make,"

explains Blomberg. "From now on, every Alfa Laval

decanter comes equipped for condition monitoring at

no extra cost." And – thanks to the flexibility of the

X20 series – this capability can easily be upgraded to

create increasingly refined systems by simply adding

extra modules.

The simplicity of condition monitoring using cus-

tom B&R X20 vibration modules paves the way for

many more sophisticated options. Now that series

production has begun on equipment with integrated

condition-based maintenance, Blomberg has shifted

his focus to future issues. "To limit condition moni-

toring to vibration alone would sell it far short of its

potential," he says. "Temperature, pressure and a

multitude of other criteria can be brought into the

calculations for a more comprehensive result." This,

in turn, will promote what is both the ultimate goal of

condition-based predictive maintenance and the guid-

ing principle of Alfa Laval's automation engineers:

Peace of mind as a standard feature. �

sizable customer base currently outfitted with the older product, one

of the most important requirements for this was compatibility, in

particular with regard to identical output files."

As part of a project initiated in 2007 and aimed at redesigning the

control electronics to enable direct mounting on the frame of the

machine without the need for external control cabinets, Alfa Laval's

goal was to integrate vibration sensing as well. While the oscillation

data acquisition modules from a Swedish manufacturer were indeed

an improvement over the previous situation, they fell short of the

ultimate goal by requiring an external computer for data conversion.

"During close discussions with B&R, who was already supplying our

control hardware at the time, the subject was raised at a 2008 meet-

ing," Blomberg recalls. "We were drawn to the compact design of

the B&R X20 modules."

We were drawn to the compact

design of the B&R X20 modules.

From now on, every Alfa Laval

decanter comes equipped for condi-

tion monitoring at no extra cost.

Peter Blomberg, Automation Manager

22 automotion 03/12

News

New trends in machineand systems manufacturing

Innovative solutions for increasing efficiency and productivity

in the machine manufacturing industry are once again front

and center at this year's HMI exhibition in Hanover, Germany.

Boasting eight flagship trade fairs with exhibitors and trade

visitors from all over the world, this year's HMI being held

from April 23-27 once more offers a platform for major play-

ers from every area of industrial technology.

B&R will also be in attendance – this time with a stand measur-

ing 650 m² – to showcase a wide variety of solution-oriented

concepts, for example the bus-independent safety standard

openSAFETY and important motion control safety functions

all grouped together under the heading "Smart Safe Reac-

tion".

Integrated hardware and software modularity allows ma-

chines and systems to be completely adapted to individual

customer requirements. With this in mind, B&R is excited to

present the latest generation of their integrated development

environment – Automation Studio 4 – at this year's exhibi-

tion. This software ensures complete compatibility through

comprehensive support of the entire B&R hardware portfolio

across every system generation – from PLCs and servo drives

all the way to Industrial PCs.

Another product that will be highlighted at the exhibition is

the motor-mounted B&R ACOPOSmulti65m servo actuator,

a modular drive concept distinguished by its compact size

and easy commissioning. Users can take advantage of its IP65

protection to develop and implement the best possible safety

concepts and production strategies.

B&R will also be presenting visitors a new X20 solution for

monitoring energy efficiency. This new X20 energy measure-

ment module can be used to measure the amount of power

being used by machines and systems in order to optimize the

overall energy balance.

Customers will also be shown another way to gain a competi-

tive edge with B&R's new multi-touch panel. Its combination

of traditional operating methods and new touch gestures

provides the operator with an advanced user interface that

integrates the best possible ergonomics.

Feel free to drop by and learn more about recent product

innovations and complete solutions in all areas of industrial

automation in Hall 9, Stand F25. �

Phot

o:

Han

nove

r M

esse

AG

Hall 9 / Stand F25!

23automotion 03/12

More than two years ago, Tech-Long began development

of a new hot shrink packaging machine called the DBZ-

SB45. Compared to its predecessors, this new machine

type is more flexible and can be quickly and easily adapted

to a wider range of processing requirements, allowing us-

ers to adapt quickly to new market conditions and main-

tain production efficiency in a demanding global market.

Central B&R control platform improves efficiency

The core of the innovative Tech-Long machine is a B&R

Power Panel, which unifies control, visualization and

drive technology into a single, compact operator panel.

Equipped with DRAM for memory-intensive programs, as

well as an eight gigabyte CompactFlash card, the Power

Panel is a high-performance hardware basis for precise

motion control, intuitive HMI and consistent management

of recipe and production data.

Flexiblefilling processes

In 2009, China consumed more than 40 billion liters of beverages. In light of this enormous vol-ume, the Chinese beverage industry is increas-ingly interested in boosting production efficien-cy. As a major supplier of packaging systems, Tech-Long has been using competitive control solutions for years to continuously improve its worldwide productivity. Today, its customers include some of China's most well-known beer distributors such as Snow, Tsingtao, Zhujiang, Huiquan and Budweiser.

24 automotion 03/12

Report

A key standard feature provided by

the new Tech-Long machine is remote

maintenance, which can be imple-

mented easily thanks to the Power Pan-

el. An integrated VNC or Web server

gives customers complete freedom to

monitor their systems or update pro-

grams over great distances via the In-

ternet. For the user, this means greatly

reduced maintenance costs. And the

best part: every aspect of this powerful

functionality can be easily configured

using Automation Studio.

Precise motion control from B&R

Shrink packaging demands optimal axis

synchronization in order to ensure that

the film is fed and received accurately.

This is provided by B&R ACOPOS servo

drives, with a virtual master axis per-

fectly coordinating the two systems.

The B&R ACOPOS master is connected

to the individual drive axes via POWER-

LINK. With a cycle time of 400 μs, the

master axis sends data simultaneously

to all slave axes. This cross-communi-

cation maximizes the performance of

each axis while minimizing the load

on the controller – even when han-

dling dynamic movement profiles. As

a result, the system is able to achieve

optimal movement curves with minimal

mechanical shock. What is more, the

control system automatically reacts to

changes in the length of the foil feed

by continuously adjusting the electron-

ic gear ratio on the fly.

The machine can also cut the foil au-

tomatically thanks to the registration

mark detection capabilities of the

B&R ACOPOS system, improving both

response time and cutting precision.

"The B&R system makes complex mo-

tion control simple, giving us complete

freedom to implement the most elabo-

rate processes," explains Zeng Guoyou,

engineering manager at Tech-Long.

Clearly structured, efficient project development with B&R Automation Studio

When planning its new machine, Tech-

Long knew how important it was to se-

lect the best software solution. "With a

given hardware configuration, an op-

timal software design can significantly

expand the range of features provided

by the machine," explains Guoyou.

In order to be competitive, a packag-

ing machine needs to have perfectly

coordinated hardware and software

elements. Automation Studio provides

ideal support throughout every de-

velopment stage – from design and

programming to commissioning and

beyond, including remote maintenance

and diagnostics. "B&R's integrated

development environment unifies con-

trol, visualization, drive technology and

communication, which enabled us to

significantly increase the productivity

of our new DBZ-SB45 while reducing

life cycle costs at the same time," says

Guoyou.

Tech-Long engineers were able to fo-

cus on designing standardized, modu-

lar software elements that they can

easily integrate into various machines.

B&R Automation Studio supports pro-

gramming in ANSI C, which allows

process algorithms to be created and

implemented quickly.

"Our cooperation with B&R is not lim-

ited to the products they deliver," ex-

plains Luo Wenhai, managing director

of Tech-Long. "Above all, we value the

mutual exchange of innovative ideas

and the optimal support at every step

along the way. We have profited from

the combination of advanced technolo-

gy and efficient product design, which

has clearly enhanced our position on

the competitive global market." �

Programming in Automation Studio is supported by an intuitive user interface.

Industry: Packaging

Employees: 700

Location: Guangzhou (CN)

www.tech-long.com

25automotion 03/12

Report

A tank full of sunshineElectromobility is a technology that everyone is talking about. With a mature generation of electric vehicles already rolling off the assembly lines, we're all looking forward to a future of reduced traffic noise and cleaner air. But what will gas stations look like in this future? We're accustomed to filling up our cars in a matter of minutes, no matter where we are in the world. Current electric car technology does not (yet) offer such a dense network of refueling stations, but it might not even have to. With proper placement of solar charging points, you could be charging your electric car whenever it's convenient for you: in your garage, at work or while shopping. That's why it's good to know there are companies like Belectric developing exactly this sort of technology to help bring the sun straight into your tank.

Visitors to the Belectric research department in Dresden immediately find them-

selves in a sea of bustling activity, with a team of young, highly-motivated en-

gineers and researchers busy developing the technology of tomorrow. They are

pursuing a common goal of the solar power industry, which is to achieve world-

wide grid parity through climate-friendly photovoltaic systems. This involves de-

veloping, planning, building and in some cases even operating new solutions on

their own. Prime examples include PV systems that offer shade while generating

power on parking garages and greenhouses as well as the development and pro-

duction of an intelligent charging infrastructure. The results speak for themselves:

In 2010 alone, the team built 47 solar power stations that provide a total output

of 313 MWp. During this time period, they also patented more than 60 solutions

for solar modules, ranging from cable connectors with short circuit protection to

innovative sub-structures and cleaning robots.

It's no wonder that ideas and concepts for environmentally friendly "refueling"

methods for electrical vehicles are also being born here. One such project is a solar

carport with a PV system installed on the roof that captures the sun's energy and

makes it available for charging a vehicle's battery. This may sound simple enough,

but the devil is in the details. For example, what happens when the sun isn't

shining or a vehicle is connected after sunset? Collected power must be stored in

a battery buffer for cases like these. With this system, Belectric has included an

additional mains connection to ensure a continuous supply even during extended

periods without sunshine.

This basic concept forms the foundation for the seemingly simple design of the

carport battery Charge Box system. Thin film cells on the roof of the carport col-

lect the energy from the sun. A PV inverter then generates the AC voltage needed

Whether from the sun, battery buffer or energy grid, the Charge Box provides ex-actly the right amount of power needed to charge the vehicle.

26 automotion 03/12

Photographer: Christian Seeling; Photo: Solperis GmbH

to charge the car and sends it to the Charge Box. A parallel battery inverter

precisely controls the flow of power to and from the battery buffer. As a

result, the power needed to charge the vehicle is always available, whether

it comes directly from the sun, the battery buffer or, if necessary, the power

grid. Power can even be returned to the grid whenever the sun offers more

energy than can be stored.

The key is intelligent management of these resources with the goal of con-

suming the least amount of electricity from the grid while maximizing the

service life of all of the components involved. This is particularly dependent

on how the battery buffer is managed, which is one of the main focal points

of the Dresden-based development team. "We have to continue improving

the cycle stability of the stationary battery and advancing the use of alterna-

tive and environmentally sound materials," explains Lars Fallant, who deals

with this topic every day as project manager of modular energy storage sys-

tems. The research team is very conscious of the fact that they still use bat-

teries containing lead. "Unfortunately, we still rely on this cost-effective and

well-proven technology as a means of lowering our investment expenditure.

Nevertheless, we are able to offset this ecological disadvantage by ensuring

the lead batteries we use are nearly 100% recyclable."

It is little wonder, then, that the controller's main task is to collect as much

data as possible about operation and customer behavior. By comparison, the

high-precision temperature management of the battery and surrounding air

is almost an afterthought even though it has a decisive effect on the service

life of the components. »

The carport battery Charge Box system design.

PV cellscharge box

electriccar

PV inverter battery inverter public power grid

battery buffer

27automotion 03/12

Report

Industry: Solar technology

Employees: 2000

Location: Kolitzheim (DE)

www.belectric.com

We must all realize that an

electric car can only be considered

environmentally friendly when it is charged

using renewable energy. Though this technology is still

in its infancy, our job is to reach this goal as effectively

as possible.

Lars Fallant, Project Manager for Modular Energy Storage Systems

The recorded data is sent directly to Dresden for analysis in addition to being

output for the customer to view on a B&R Power Panel in a well-designed HMI

application.

While some screens provide the customer with information about the technical

state of the system and battery charge level, others go much further. Custom-

ers can view their refueling behavior, how much PV power has been refueled

and/or fed back into the grid and, most importantly, what this all means for their

actual carbon footprint. Not only can customers view this information on their

local display, they can also access it from a PC or smartphone via the Web server

integrated in the controller.

"The data binding to the inverter, which runs using a fully independent program,

was implemented quickly thanks to the frame driver integrated in Automation

Studio," explains software developer Johannes Wintermantel. "After a brief train-

ing course at B&R's local technical office and a short phone call, we were able to

proceed on our own. The cost-effective, modular design of the X20 System was

another key factor in our decision. In the end, the entire development process

was completed in record time, and the prototype system was ready for its first

exhibition in France."

This system is expected to generate a great deal of interest for Belectric since the

values being achieved today are already quite impressive. The prototype solution

is capable of charging electric cars around 3,000 times total. Assuming an average

of one refueling per day, this means an approximate time span of eight years. The

amount of time needed for a return on investment depends only on the future

price trend of fuel and the efficiency of the vehicles. With the current state of

technology, a distance of up to 100 km per day can be fueled using 100% renew-

able energy – a true breath of fresh air for millions in smog-filled cities!

"The solar carport is just one element in our smart-grid system," states Marie-

Kathrin Kaiser, the project manager of the solar carport system. "Mass prolifera-

tion of electromobility will spread this technology to multi-story car parks, parking

garages and company parking lots." This will also drive down investment costs

and improve system integration – a goal that the Dresden-based developers are

rapidly approaching and which we will be following in our daily lives with great

interest. �

The overview screen of the HMI application shows the status of stored energy throughout the entire system.

28 automotion 03/12

News

News

POWERLINK: Synchronizing three different drive systems with a single protocol

Tripod robots are primarily used in high-speed

pick-and-place applications – applications where

high demands on dynamics and accuracy make it

essential for all three servo motors to be perfectly

synchronized.

That's exactly what the Ethernet POWERLINK

Standardization Group (EPSG) demonstrated

at the latest SPS/IPC/DRIVES trade fair held in

Nuremberg. But there's a catch. In this case, the

tripod robot being showcased was outfitted with

servo motors and drives from three completely

different manufacturers. Using POWERLINK to

connect drives from KEB, Yaskawa and B&R was

the perfect opportunity to present the flawless

real-time synchronization and exceptional dynamic properties that

are crucial to achieving the high level of precision required.

"This multi-vendor tripod robot highlights the excellent dynamic ca-

pabilities of POWERLINK as well as its ability to be freely integrated

into any system," explains Stefan Schönegger, managing director of

the EPSG. "Using POWERLINK is a simple way to assure vendor inde-

pendence, broadening the choice of available components for even

the most challenging applications." �

With its mix of drive components from three different manufacturers, the tripod robot's high-speed, synchronous behavior is a perfect demonstra-tion of the speed, precision and hardware independence of POWERLINK.

29automotion 03/12

Technology

Mobile Automation:Shaken, not stirred!

The requirements for automating special-purpose vehicles and machines are quite similar to those for general machine and systems manufacturing. There are, however, significant differences with regard to installation and operating con-ditions. The integration of MONDIAL electronic into B&R's company structure has now made it possible to combine general automation expertise with experience in the field of mobile automation. This was the background that enabled B&R to unveil their new mobile automation product line at the 2011 SPS/IPC/DRIVES trade fair in November.

30 automotion 03/12

Technology

If you have recently been to a fire department, construction site, trucking company or even a

farm or ski slope, you will have noticed that the cabs of modern special-purpose vehicles are

unmistakably trending towards electronic controls and visual display systems that would even

impress James Bond. This is due to the increasing amount of automation involved in controlling

work processes as well as in collecting, calculating and controlling process data and move-

ments. Ergonomically designed workplaces also tend to make life must more comfortable for

machine operators.

In industrial applications, the majority of the electronics are safely protected in control cabinets.

In vehicles or outdoor machinery, however, automation equipment has to deal with much

harsher environmental conditions, including extreme mechanical stress due to shock and vibra-

tion as well as heat, cold and moisture. Stringent demands on availability and short startup

times in addition to frequently fluctuating supply voltage for onboard electrical systems repre-

sent a significant challenge for system developers. As a result, solutions depend greatly on the

interaction between system electronics and mechanics. »

31automotion 03/12

Technology

The best of both worlds

"With over 30 years of experience and a continually growing

list of innovations, B&R is a leading partner in the industry for

efficient process automation and motion control applications

used in industrial machines and systems," says B&R marketing

manager Werner Gropp. "As a leader in innovation and tech-

nology, our goal is to supply the industrial market with com-

plete, modular and fully integrated solutions. It was only logical

that B&R at some point would add mobile automation to our

already extensive range of products and solutions."

In 2010, MONDIAL electronic was integrated into B&R's com-

pany structure. This company was one of the first to invest in

the development of components and solutions for automating

tasks in vehicles and mobile machinery, helping their customers

become market leaders in their fields. Since 1992, MONDIAL

has been developing and manufacturing HMI and control units

built to master the harsh operating conditions these types of

applications face.

B&R will be gaining access to this promising industry from an

ideal position and will be able to benefit from a product devel-

opment strategy geared towards meeting modular standards.

Mobile machines and automated outdoor systems will there-

fore benefit from the advantages provided by this technologi-

cally advanced, modular industrial automation system.

Complete solution from a single source

Products based on these synergies have already been developed

and were the highlight of B&R's new

mobile automation product

line first introduced at the

2011 SPS/IPC/DRIVES trade

fair. These products range

from operating and monitor-

ing devices using remote CPU

and I/O units for cabs and out-

door machines to powerful

control system computers

with PC architecture. The

product line also includes

all of the components re-

quired to implement complete

solutions for mobile automation, allowing

B&R to put their expertise as a provider of

complete solutions to use in this field as well.

Newly developed units like the MA120 for use in vehicle

cabs and the MA170 for use in outdoor applications and

engine compartments set new standards when it comes

to modularizing vehicle automation systems. These com-

ponents come equipped as distributed control nodes with

a B&R X20-compatible CPU and up to 16 I/O modules.

They are available as analog, digital or supply modules in a

number of different variations and are ideal for optimizing

individually designed systems.

Maximum functionality in a compact design

The experience gained in developing similar modules for

industrial applications was put to good use to give the

decentralized MA120 and MA170 control nodes maxi-

mum functionality and an extremely compact design. This

compact design and use of real-time POWERLINK as a

communication channel ensures flexible deployment and

reduced cabling costs when developing complete auto-

mation systems.

The integration of additional communication standards

such as CAN, commonly used in the automotive sector,

with the ISOBus and J1939 protocol standards makes it

easier to ensure compatibility with third-party compo-

nents and upgrade existing systems. Greater comfort and

extensive diagnostic possibilities also result from taking

advantage of many different aspects from the field of in-

dustrial automation.

32 automotion 03/12

Technology

Fully integrated software

Automated tasks in mobile machines have the same func-

tional requirements as those in industrial automation. For

this reason, the software for mobile automation systems

is also written, tested and configured for use on specific

hardware in the same development environment as all

other B&R solutions – B&R Automation Studio. This allows

HMI, operation, control and logging programs to be devel-

oped as part of a complete project without having to use

multiple project development tools. B&R's standard oper-

ating system, which has already proven its value over many

years, runs directly on the devices themselves.

After more than 15 years of service, the Automation Studio

development and runtime system is a product in its prime

as a result of the accumulated experience and customer

feedback from all areas of industrial automation. These

same advantages are now also available to developers of

mobile automation solutions, whether it be the extensive

set of function libraries or the comprehensive simulation,

analysis and diagnostic tools.

The future has arrived

Future upgrades, such as openSAFETY-based security tech-

nology for providing protection against injury or damage

in hazardous work areas, were already taken into consid-

eration when developing the product line unveiled at the

SPS/IPC/DRIVES exhibition.

B&R's mobile automation products continue to focus on

construction and agricultural machinery in addition to

municipal and emergency vehicles. Nevertheless, it is ex-

pected that this product line will very quickly find use in

other mobile automation applications as well. The number

of products available for industrial automation has also

increased. This is because B&R mobile automation takes

control electronics that used to be limited to the control

cabinet and places them at the center of the action. This

opens up entirely new possibilities for automating indus-

trial systems in harsh environmental conditions. �

The new universal solution for any mobile automation task.

MA170 - The new standard for modularity

1. Housing base 2. Inserting modules 1, 2 and 3 3. Mounting the connector circuit board

6. Finishing the housing 5. Inserting the CPU or bus controller 4. Inserting modules 4, 5 and 6

33automotion 03/12

Report

Boosting productivity withB&R motion control technologyHigh-speed, precise product throughput in a packaging process requires a control system that is both powerful and reliable. By integrating B&R technology into their latest line of blister pack machines, Hoong-A enjoys continuous reliability while achieving production speeds of up to 600 blister packs per minute.

Based in Bucheon, South Korea, Hoong-A Corporation special-

izes in the manufacture of blister pack and cartoning machines

for pharmaceutical use as well as a wide variety of in-feed and

automated packaging machines for confectionery, household

and health care products.

Precision motion control with B&R drive technology

With a product output of 600 blister packs per minute, the new

HM600R blister pack machine is one of the Korean provider's

most innovative machine generations yet. Featuring a lateral

punching speed of 300 cycles per minute, dual lane architecture

and the latest B&R servo technology, these machines combine

exceptional productivity with incredible precision. Fast format

changeovers are possible by selecting preset parameters for spe-

cific formats using advanced PC technology, allowing the ma-

chine to handle a wide selection of blister packaging materials

such as PVC, PVC/PVDC, PVC/ACLAR, PP and COC in addition

to aluminum for cold forming.

The use of B&R ACOPOS servo drives and a powerful PC-based

control system ensures fully automatic operation and a maxi-

mum degree of usability. Even the machine's operating manual

is stored for the operator's convenience. In addition, the new

horizontal punching system results in perfect blister discharg-

ing and easy integration of in-line blister pack production. "A

powerful B&R servo drive provides extremely precise positioning

on the discharge conveyor," explains Kang-Sun Lee, application

34 automotion 03/12

Report

manager at Hoong-A. "This allows the punched blister packs

to be transferred via the discharge wheel and positioned onto

the discharge conveyor with the highest speed and accuracy."

Compliance with international standards

An important requirement for the new HM600R was that it be

built in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)

standards for the pharmaceutical industry. An important feature

implemented with B&R's help is the machine's balcony-style

structure that allows complete visibility for inspection in addition

to easy maintenance and cleaning.

Complete solution provides increased performance

Cooperation with B&R has allowed Hoong-A to equip several

machine series with B&R's PC-based control system, eliminating

the need for additional control systems that can easily compli-

cate the overall process. Programming, simulation, commis-

sioning and maintenance of all the different machine types is

handled using a single software tool, Automation Studio. "B&R

hardware, wiring and programming are all handled in the same

way," explains Lee, "and the ability to add optional machine

components in a single project has considerably simplified series

production and the software engineering that goes along with

it."

High-performance synchronization of up to 13 servo axes in

Hoong-A machines is the most important requirement for

ensuring high productivity and top quality when packaging

pharmaceutical products. It is also important that the axes are

able to be synchronized differently when changing over to dif-

Complete line with blister packaging and cartoning machines. The implementation of a B&R com-plete solution increased production to 600 blister packs and 300 cartons per minute. Customized panels (left) depict the entire process.

ferent products on the fly, especially when options such as "No

product, no foil" are enabled. Hoong-A also takes advantage

of features such as registration mark control and foil tension

control, which are integrated in the powerful B&R drive system

and implemented using dedicated and flexible PLCopen func-

tion blocks. Many of these function blocks are executed directly

on the drive itself, improving response time substantially.

The perfect balance between hardware and software allows

Hoong-A customers to profit from a customized packaging so-

lution. "The ability to reuse customized software libraries made

it possible for us to drastically reduce development time," says

Lee. "In addition, we chose POWERLINK as our real-time com-

munication protocol to ensure optimum drive synchronization

and to increase the overall performance and precision of the

machine. This turned out to be a huge advantage in handling

our complex motion applications." �

Industry: Packaging

Employees: 102

Location: Bucheon (KR)

www.hoonga.com

35automotion 03/12

Report

A jack of all tradesin the world of hydraulic presses

Langzauner GmbH has been designing and building presses since 1936. Today, the Austrian company is the leading international pro-ducer of presses for manufacturing skis. At the Composites Europe trade fair in September 2011, Langzauner presented a methodological paradigm shift rivaled only by the industry's movement from the screw press to the hydraulic press. Using variable speed hydraulic drives, their newly developed laboratory press sets new standards in precision while also reducing energy consumption significantly. B&R's single-source compact control technology eases development and assembly for the manufacturer and simplifies operation for the end user.

36 automotion 03/12

Report

A surprising number of the products we

use every day has passed through a press

at some point along the way. "This trend

has risen sharply with the increasing pop-

ularity of composite materials," states

Michael Laufenböck, marketing special-

ist at the machine manufacturing com-

pany Langzauner, headquartered in the

Austrian town of Lambrechten.

Founded in 1924 with an initial

focus on sawing and sanding

machines for wood and metal-

working, the company began

manufacturing presses in 1936.

While early production dealt

primarily with screw presses for

veneer production, Langzauner

has also been building hydraulic

presses for composite materi-

als since the 1970s. "When it

comes to presses for manu-

facturing skis, we are the un-

disputed world market leader,"

explains Laufenböck with justifiable

pride. "Over the last two decades, we

have also been manufacturing compo-

nents for the aerospace and automotive

industries."

Upgraded technology to increase flexibility

While order quantities for these seg-

ments are not particularly high, suppliers

must be able to quickly and easily react

and adapt to changing requirements.

In addition, the demands for precision

are extraordinarily high not only for the

parts themselves, but for the individual

forming steps as well. "This was also re-

flected in the technical specifications for

our upcoming series of presses, particu-

larly in regard to the hydraulics," reports

Gerhard Mayrhofer, the mechatronics

engineer heading up Langzauner's Elec-

trical Engineering department. "Control

technology was a central aspect from

the very beginning since some of today's

The star of the Composites Europe Trade Fair was the Langzauner labora-tory press, the first member of a new product series featuring variable speed hydraulic drives. This extremely compact, high-precision machine is easy to program and can handle all pressing methods perfectly.

market requirements are nearly impos-

sible to achieve using the separate hy-

draulic controllers of the past."

A turning point in the development of

the new product series was the decision

to move away from the conventional

solution that uses proportional valve

technology for the hydraulic unit. "The

traditional method not only contrib-

utes to energy waste with a pump that

runs at constant full capacity, it also

involves extremely complicated control

elements," states Mayrhofer. "Not only

that, but the proportional control valves

are not exactly cheap and are far from

being maintenance-free." Rather than

accept these disadvantages, he chose to

go with a variable speed hydraulic drive,

where an internal gear pump – driven by

a servo motor – always generates just

the amount of pressure needed at any

given moment. "All we use now are cost-

effective, maintenance-free switching

valves," explains Mayrhofer. This brings

several advantages. "We no longer need

an extra controller on the hydraulics side

because we're now able to handle all

open and closed loop control tasks elec-

trically," he says. On top of that, there's

also the energy savings of over 70% and

a noise level that can barely be perceived.

Faster development with libraries

The first machine in this new generation

is a laboratory machine. Unlike most se-

ries production machines specified for a

narrow range of applications, practically

all the parameters and functions in this »

37automotion 03/12

Report

Industry: Special-purpose machines

Employees: Approx. 75

Location: Lambrechten (AT)

www.langzauner.atHydraulics make operation much easier than proportional valve components: a Power Panel handles the control tasks and speeds up development.

machine can be configured individually –

from the pressing power and the closing

speed to the strength and duration of

heating. The newly designed laboratory

press is the first of its kind available on

the market that is capable of handling

all pressing techniques including RTM,

prepreg and injection molding. This

places extremely high demands on both

the controller and usability. "The real

challenge has to do with the control al-

gorithms themselves, however" explains

Mayrhofer. "This is where B&R's devel-

opment environment, Automation Stu-

dio, really helped us out. We were able

to implement all of the control-related

tasks, including the hydraulics, in record

time thanks to the native software librar-

ies." It was this approach that allowed

Langzauner to proceed from initial de-

velopment in February of 2011 to a fully

mature machine in September, sending

shockwaves through the industry.

User friendliness as priority #1

The technicians at Langzauner were able

to utilize the extensive features offered by

their automation software to completely

revamp the user interface and provide

their customers with significantly more

options. In the past, it was only possible

to define and save parameters. They are

now able to easily put together entire

programs from predesigned modules us-

ing pull-down menus and store them for

later use. Up to 1,000 such programs can

be saved as CSV files on the nonvolatile

memory card and transported via USB

flash drive.

Eliminating unnecessary hard-ware

The new hardware is pretty straightfor-

ward: Control tasks are handled primar-

ily by a Power Panel PP480 with a 15"

touchscreen, which also records operat-

ing data to CSV files – a function that

used to require a separate computer.

"Last but not least, B&R's perfectly har-

monized hardware and software prod-

ucts enabled us to develop this jack-of-

all-trades among hydraulic presses within

record time, which brought throngs of

visitors to our exhibition stand at the

Composite Europe trade fair," reports

Laufenböck happily. Mayrhofer adds,

"The fact that Automation Studio already

provides all of the libraries needed for the

latest variable speed hydraulic motion

control technology shortens our develop-

ment time dramatically." �

38 automotion 03/12

News

News

B&R UK: Grand reopening of regional headquarters

With the grand reopening of UK regional headquarters in Peterborough, B&R

is continuing its steady trend of expansion while creating additional space for

even further growth. Many visitors seized the opportunity to view the new

premises during the official open house. After a presentation by Simon Good-

win, manager of B&R UK, visitors were offered insight into B&R's latest product

innovations and activities around the world. In addition to longstanding cus-

tomers and members of the press, the subsidiary also welcomed John Crane,

the previous UK manager, who decisively shaped the development of B&R in

Great Britain for over 15 years.

The new headquarters now boasts advanced application workstations and

training facilities that allow both customers and employees alike to become

familiar with the absolute latest automation technologies.

Proximity to the customer counts

A second office in Andover gives B&R a foothold in the south of England, allow-

ing customers to benefit from quick on-site support and local assistance when

developing their latest machine generations. In light of this positive growth,

B&R will be continuing its expansion in Great Britain in the years to come. �

Meet the UK team. B&R UK managing director Simon Goodwin greets his pre-decessor, John Crane.

39automotion 03/12

Report

Predictive safetyfor pedestrians

The future of the automotive industry is being shaped by developments such as predictive pedestrian protection. Yet before the first models can actually be equipped with intelli-gent systems to prevent collisions, the necessary sensors must first be tested in realistic conditions. To do this, a pedestrian dummy installed in a test rig is pulled out of danger at the last second with a force of over 14 g. These test rigs are developed and built by 4a engineering GmbH and rely on control and drive technology from B&R.

An Audi races down the road, approaching

a crosswalk at full speed. The driver knows

that a pedestrian is about to step onto the

road. He evens knows that the pedestrian will

proceed to the center of the road, pause for

a moment and then turn around. Yet his foot

makes no movement toward the brake pedal.

Instead, he remains in his lane and speeds on

as if trying to run the pedestrian down. Warn-

ings from the Audi's obstacle detector fall on

deaf ears. A mere three meters remain, an

absurdly close distance at 80 km/h. Collision

is unavoidable, and yet the driver shows no

intention of braking. Suddenly, as if by some

miracle, the figure skyrockets into the air,

barely avoiding collision at the last moment.

This is not a scene from a movie; it's part

of an experimental program for testing and

improving obstacle warning systems at the

Audi testing grounds in the German town

of Neustadt an der Donau. Everything here

is real, with the exception of the crash test

40 automotion 03/12

Report

tured by an affiliated company and is now being used in

approximately 15% of all mobile phone speakers worldwide.

Nearly 50% of revenue generated by 4a engineering comes

from the automotive industry, with the remaining share

coming from the fields of aerospace, electronics, consumer

goods, sporting equipment, medical technology and me-

chanical engineering. Their expertise in plastics engineering

and materials science is particularly sought after in these

industries.

Hidden magic

It was this expertise in the field of polymer materials that

helped 4a engineering win the contract to design the new

test rig for active pedestrian protection. The detection sys-

tems installed in vehicles are often based on radar, and one

requirement was that the test rig be virtually invisible to these

systems. To achieve this, 95% of the rig is constructed »

dummy pedestrian. Still, the test drivers must first learn to

suppress the natural reaction to brake or swerve out of the

way, instead continuing to move toward the "pedestrian".

Hoisting the dummy up and out of danger protects it and

the vehicle from harm and is one of many technological chal-

lenges in this sophisticated experimental design. The system

itself was designed and built by 4a engineering, a technol-

ogy-oriented R&D company based in the Austrian town of

Traboch that specializes in developing and optimizing new

products and procedures through a profound understanding

of physical and mechanical processes. Hence, the 4a motto:

"In physics we trust". The company's employees, the major-

ity of whom have academic backgrounds, contribute exper-

tise from diverse areas ranging from method development

and simulation to end product development. One example

of the innovation made possible by this diverse team is a

metal-plastic laminate that was developed here, manufac-

41automotion 03/12

Report

from special composite materials that

minimize radar echo. In addition, the

color of the test rig was also designed to

blend into the surroundings. The result

is that the vehicle's sensors register only

the crash test dummy and nothing else.

The test rig resembles a gantry crane

with a dual-rail track and trolley system

that moves the dummy at speeds of up

to 25 km/h. "In the initial task descrip-

tion from 2007, implementation time

was limited to just 11 weeks," reports

engineering director Martin Fritz. "This

meant that we had to make a few com-

promises, which were later replaced with

more permanent and technologically

advanced solutions during a subsequent

upgrade." This included the mechanism

used to hoist the dummy out of danger

in just 100 milliseconds. The result-

ing acceleration exceeds a force of 14

Dummies that seem realistic both to the human eye and the radar device (2nd from left) are fastened to a support pole and are launched upward with a force of over 14 g on a crossbar driven by two synchronous servo motors to prevent damage to the dummy and the test vehicle.

The compact size and low power con-sumption of B&R's ACOPOSmulti put it ahead of the pack.

g, which a human would not survive.

In initial testing, this was achieved by

harnessing the dummy to a pre-loaded

elastomer band that was then released

when triggered.

Minimal power consumption

This design was not ideal due to the ac-

celeration curve and the

inability to effectively

control the process. In

the meantime, it has

since been replaced by

a pole-mounted dummy

connected to a motor-

ized drive. This pole is

fastened to a crossbar,

which is moved up and

down by two synchro-

nized servo motors.

"Synchronizing this pro-

cess was also a considerable challenge

for the drive technology," recalls Fritz.

"Synchronization is absolutely essential

to ensuring that the dummy will be lifted

2 meters in just 160 to 180 ms." The

horizontal trolley is also driven by a B&R

servo motor, with the vertical mechanics

controlled using drives from B&R's ACO-

POSmulti series.

Sequential control is handled by a CPU

and I/O modules from B&R's X20 con-

troller series, which – like the ACO-

POSmulti servo drives – are extremely

compact and energy-efficient. These

compact devices made it possible to

build a low-profile control cabinet and

further reduce radar echo. The active

attenuation required to hide the control

cabinet from radar becomes consider-

ably more difficult with larger cabinets.

In addition, the exceptionally dynamic

movements can cause sudden motor

currents of up to 170 A. The power

supply on remote testing grounds can

be relatively weak and, in some cases,

a mobile generator is even required to

power the system. The technicians from

4a engineering worked together with

B&R to design the system so that reliable

operation could be guaranteed even if

42 automotion 03/12

News

News

B&R USER Meeting in China: The future belongs to complete solutions!

What are some of the latest products and trends putting their mark on

the fast-paced field of industrial automation? More than 140 experts ac-

cepted B&R's invitation to this year's USER Meeting in China to find out.

Dr. Xiao Weirong, General Manager of B&R China, got right to the point

in highlighting some of these changes in his presentation concerning the

current and future state of the industry. "The only way for machines to

stay competitive is if they can demonstrate a perfect balance between

hardware and software," he explained. "B&R Automation Studio – a fully

integrated development platform that can handle every aspect of a ma-

chine's service life – is the perfect tool for developing and implementing

customized automation solutions." This is a major difference between

B&R and the competition that has allowed B&R customers to maintain

an enduring competitive edge. Franz Enhuber, director of the B&R Au-

tomation Academy, then took the stage to discuss the current state of

global competition. His view is that competition is a constant factor that

has little to do with location. The only way to gain an advantage in this

environment is to maintain a global perspective. At the same time, he

underlined the continued need to train the next generation of engineers

to secure a future advantage. A series of presentations were then given

by Werner Paulin (International Sales Manager), Anton Meindl (BU Man-

ager - Controls), Raimund Ruf (BU Manager - HMI) and Martin Reichinger

(BU Manager - Process Automation) stressing the advantages of complete

integrated solutions that focus on system flexibility, increased productivity,

energy efficiency and cost effectiveness.

The event culminated in a top-notch panel on the topic "Reducing Time to

Market with Industry Solutions". In addition to Dr. Weirong, who moder-

ated the discussion, several leading academic and industry experts took

the opportunity to talk about how the increasing dynamics of the Chinese

market can be enhanced by the pioneering approaches to software engi-

neering that are currently being developed. �

the power supply is weak. "The robust ACO-

POSmulti units proved themselves once again

by running reliably even with voltage dips

down to less than 300 V," praises Fritz.

The system sends live data to the vehicle via

WLAN about the positions of both the ve-

hicle and the dummy. The driver is provided

with a terminal that displays the pre-defined

scenarios and that can be used to begin the

sequence. A system of symbols was also de-

signed to ensure that the driver can quickly

identify the respective scenario. "Once we

developed the concept, Visual Components

in Automation Studio made it easy to imple-

ment a graphical representation of each sce-

nario."

There is still a long way to go before vehicles

demonstrate sufficient intelligence to antici-

pate pedestrian behavior and reliably avoid

collisions. Nevertheless, predictive safety

systems that pre-activate the brakes when

danger is detected (to dry the discs and im-

prove braking performance) will soon be

much more common. Whether we're behind

the wheel or on the crosswalk, with testing

made possible by advanced polymer technol-

ogy from 4a engineering and state-of-the-art

automation technology from B&R, we're well

on the road to a safer future. �

Industry: Special-purpose machines

Location: Traboch (AT)

www.4a.co.at

43automotion 03/12

Experts agree – the future of automated machine and system control lies in software. Yet as an increasing share of the overall solution is placed in the hands of software, the solution itself is becoming more and more complex. Add to this the fact that series machine manufacturing – as we have come to know it over the last few decades – no longer exists. Hardly any two "series machines" are exactly alike. To meet specific customer needs, each machine or system is customized in one way or another, or is custom-assembled from series modules. If we are to maintain a high level of software quality amidst growing complexity and shrinking development times, there is only one an-swer: Modular software development.

Modular engineering for more efficientdevelopment

44 automotion 03/12

Technology

"Divide et impera"

Divide and conquer – this strategy helped ancient Rome

prevail over seemingly insurmountable challenges by

splitting them into smaller, more manageable units.

Though it may seem a stretch to compare the control

algorithm of a printing machine, press brake, or chemical

processing plant to a horde of Germanic warriors, this

ancient principle holds true for the technology of today

and tomorrow.

"Breaking down the overall software solution into

manageable pieces not only improves structural clarity

– and thereby software quality – it also adds a signifi-

cant amount of flexibility and makes machine develop-

ment more efficient," explains Philipp Wallner, who is

in charge of strategic product development at B&R. An

immediate benefit of this approach is simplified work-

flow between development teams. Individual software

engineers can even collaborate on a project from dif-

ferent locations without sacrificing quality or efficiency.

Standard software modules are developed once and can

then be assembled in various configurations for different

customers or future machine generations – a key ele-

ment in sustainable development processes.

Structure is everything

Structure is a fundamental aspect of modular software

engineering and is essential to the success of any de-

velopment project. While the conventional approach

to developing machine software allows you to "jump

straight to the programming", and may indeed produce

a satisfactory result if you can live with the sacrifices in

quality, following the principle of modular software de-

velopment leaves no room for skimping when it comes

to defining a clear specification of structures and inter-

faces. The content of the modules themselves as well as

the interfaces for communication between them must

be specified unambiguously – and this needs to happen

before the first line of code is written.

A modular software architecture can be modeled from a

number of perspectives. With a completely modularized

machine or system – as is often encountered in the print-

ing industry, for example – the software modules can

closely mirror the physical structure of the machine. In

other cases, it may make more sense to derive the archi-

tecture from how the system is organized functionally.»

45automotion 03/12

������� �������

���� ���� �������

Technology

This would result in software modules for data

acquisition, for controlling core processes,

for central processing and for many other

tasks. Choosing the right model at this stage

is the key to ensuring the long-term reusabil-

ity of the resulting modules. As long as the

initially specified modular structure is applied

consistently, the modules can be arranged

to accommodate whatever architecture best

reflects the end user's software requirements,

machine type or organizational structure.

It is equally imperative that the communica-

tion interfaces, which must reliably transfer all

types of data between the individual modules,

are also well-defined. This is the only way to

ensure that the overall solution is perfectly

orchestrated, despite each individual module

being developed separately by different soft-

ware engineers.

Modularity down to the controller

When applied consistently, modular software

engineering doesn't end with the develop-

ment of the machine software. This is why,

when working with Automation Studio, the

modules are stored in separate areas of mem-

ory on the PLC or industrial PC. Individual ele-

ments of the application are linked via the in-

terfaces that were defined in the specification

phase. On one hand this is simply the natural

result of consistent modular software engi-

neering. On the other, this approach opens

up exciting new possibilities with respect to

life cycle engineering. As early as the commis-

sioning phase, application engineers reap the

benefits of being able to operate each module

separately from the rest of the machine soft-

ware and thoroughly test it with the appro-

priate testing modules. This eliminates delays

caused by unfinished application components.

At the same time, tests tailored specifically to

each individual module significantly increase

the quality of the software. Over the course

of the machine's life cycle, you can easily ex-

change software modules on the fly – to add

new features, for example – without affecting

the rest of the control software or having to

Modular software engineering perfectly facilitates team-oriented development. The divi-sion of application modules into separate areas of memory guarantees maximum flex-ibility for machine manufacturers.

Multiple controllers on a modular machine that communicate over physical connections can be replaced by a single controller containing software modules that communicate via defined interfaces.

Modular software development optimizes engineering over the entire life cycle of a machine or system.

46 automotion 03/12

shut down the system. This is possible thanks to a clearly de-

fined modular structure and the consistent application of the

specified interfaces. Another possibility would be to provide

the end user of the system with the source code for specific

application modules. They could then modify these modules

– within the restrictions of the specified and documented

interfaces, of course – while the core modules and valuable

know-how remain protected in the form of binary data on

the controller.

The key to a future of efficient and sustainable development

Machine manufacturers face increasingly demanding specifi-

cations, and the role played by software in the overall control

solution continues to grow. The result: increasingly complex

machine applications. Modular software development is one

of the most promising ways to continue meeting the high-

est standards in software quality while making optimal use

of resources, both today and in the future. This is why B&R

has equipped Automation Studio with all the tools necessary

to divide extensive projects into clearly structured, perfectly

orchestrated application modules – not only during develop-

ment, but in the runtime environment on the controller it-

self – allowing innovative machine manufacturers to conquer

even the most complex engineering challenges and move

confidently into the future. �

Structure is a fundamental aspect of modular

software engineering and is essential to the suc-

cess of any development project.

Philipp H. F. Wallner, B&R System Architect

Highlights: � Increased software quality through reduced complexity

� Maximum support for application development teams

� Flexibility throughout the entire life cycle of the machine

or system

� Clearly structured application modules ensure maximum

reusability

� Software modules reflect the modular structure of the

machine or system

47automotion 03/12

Report

Label it efficientwith POWERLINK

To cut production cost per unit for commodity labels without making compromises in print quality or machine uptime – this was the goal Gallus set for themselves when developing the new ECS 340 label printing press. With the help of B&R technology, they achieved this goal with flying colors. Combining the latest controller and drive tech-nology with a granite machine core provides a stable foundation for the machine's impressive performance data and low operating costs.

48 automotion 03/12

Report

Lithography is the oldest form of planographic printing,

and in the 19th century this stone-based method allowed

printed materials to be mass produced for the first time.

The Swiss printing press manufacturer Gallus is once again

utilizing stones for the production of color prints. This

time, however, rather than serving as a print substrate, the

stone forms the base of the Gallus ECS 340 inline label

printing machine, thereby ensuring extraordinarily smooth

operation. The Gallus ECS 340 was specifically developed

for the production of self-adhesive commodity labels –

stickers created using multi-color flexographic printing

that achieve outstanding results without complex finish-

ing methods such as foil stamping, etc. Typical examples

include labels on the backs of shampoo bottles or on the

fronts of products made for the foodstuffs, household

goods and pharmaceuticals industries.

"These segments are generally characterized by high cost

pressures, and manufacturers are forced to operate within

tight margins," explains Stefan Heiniger, COO of the Labels

division of the Gallus Group. "In spite of these constraints

– or perhaps precisely because of them – they are not will-

ing or able to go without the high level of print quality or

system availability offered by the Gallus machines. This is

the only way for them to gain a competitive edge." He

continues, "We followed the motto 'Reduce to the max'

when de-

veloping the

Gallus ECS 340 so

that we could provide a

solution for these particularly cost-sensitive applications."

Radically reduced operating costs

The balancing act between high printing quality and low

operating costs was mastered through the use of state-

of-the-art solutions, including ACOPOS servo technology

from B&R.

"Gallus was the first manufacturer of label printers to in-

troduce a machine that makes exclusive use of individually

operated axes," highlights the Gallus division manager.

"The tough demands placed on label printing machines

can only be met with servo technology. These demands

include short setup times, quick machine startup after re-

tooling and minimum waste – all with consistently high

print quality. B&R's servo technology has delivered on all

of these points."

Used together with the high-performance POWERLINK

bus, single-axis technology based on servo inverters from

the B&R ACOPOS series allows up to twelve inking units »

Impressive performance and low operating costs with the Gallus ECS 340 label printing machine.

49automotion 03/12

Summary

The Gallus ECS 340 features minimum waste and very

short setup times with low operating costs, thereby

allowing extremely cost-efficient production of high-

quality commodity labels. In light of the many advan-

tages offered by the new label printing machine, it is

little wonder that Gallus has already delivered more

than 70 machines equipped with high-performance

B&R technology.

on the Gallus ECS to be set up quickly and adjusted dy-

namically – taking process deviations and speeds of up to

160 meters per minute in stride. This makes it possible to

change label types and materials quickly, produce press

proofs in record time and apply a wide range of colors

with high precision, thus avoiding misprints and waste.

"What this means for label printing companies is a strong

competitive edge and environmentally friendly operation,"

explains Heiniger.

Full control of process costs

Due to the vital role that drives play in the overall solution,

Gallus performed an extensive review of potential suppliers

in 2006 before starting development of the Gallus ECS.

"The design specification called for a supplier that could

offer a central control platform as well as the correspond-

ing drives," recalls the Gallus division business manager.

"Maintaining high quality standards, which we based on

failure rates, was also a key requirement."

The high level of quality plays a major role in the low operat-

ing costs of the Gallus ECS 340. Decision makers at Gallus

were also happy to hear that B&R ACOPOS dual-axis modules

are available as series products and that the drives can easily

be installed and switched out during operation – a consider-

able advantage in a system with up to 50 axes. The drives are

configured automatically when registered on the controller,

and there is no need to connect an extra service computer or

install software manually. The system does not even have to

be rebooted after a drive is replaced. "These features reduce

the process costs for the machine manufacturer as well as the

machine owner," explains Heiniger.

Minimal downtime after the machine is stopped

The power regeneration capabilities of the ACOPOS drives

bring the machine owner additional savings with regard

to their operating costs. The width of the machine – 11

meters with eight inking units (up to twelve units are pos-

sible) – is no problem for the B&R solution because the

DC bus can be extended using expansion modules. How-

ever, the ability to regenerate braking power is not the

main highlight of the Gallus ECS. Much more important

is the ability – in the event of a web break, power fail-

ure or emergency – to use the kinetic energy to bring the

machine to a safe and defined state without requiring a

separate UPS, thereby ensuring that the machine can be

restarted quickly. Here the system operator benefits from

the integrated safety technology provided by B&R, which

enables a fast and effective logical link with the standard

controller. Users also benefit from the fact that B&R ACO-

POS drives use filters and choke modules to avoid drawing

reactive current, which prevents energy suppliers from de-

manding additional power compensation units or charging

extra electrical costs. �

B&R Switzerland managing director Paolo Salvagno (left) with Stefan Heiniger (right), COO of the Labels division of the Gallus Group.

Industry: Label printing

Employees: 565

Location: St.Gallen (CH)

www.gallus-group.com

50 automotion 03/12

News

News

Fast and stable: POWERLINK data transfer via slip rings

Machine modularization is imperative for economic efficiency and

requires a decentralized architecture for automation solutions.

Control and drive components therefore frequently need to be in-

stalled on moving machine parts and sometimes on rotating parts.

These components rely on slip rings for both their power and data.

At the Nuremberg SPS/IPC/DRIVES trade fair, the Ethernet POW-

ERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG) presented a system with

ACOPOSmulti65 drives on a rotating machine component. Using

a Cobham slip ring, the team demonstrated how to connect the

24 V power supply, the 750 VDC feed and the control data using

nothing but POWERLINK and openSAFETY.

This was the first time ever that data at a rate of 100 Mbit/s and the

DC bus voltage were transferred simultaneously via a slip ring in an

industrial application. "Our engineers were very impressed by the

stability and EMC properties provided by POWERLINK", explained

Martial Favrat, head of the engineering department and product

quality manager at Cobham. "We also performed an assortment of

comprehensive tests in order to guarantee the transmission qual-

ity of our slip rings." Because POWERLINK uses individual frames

instead of the summation frames used by other protocols, the reli-

ability of the data transfer is considerably higher.

Comprehensive testing con-firms the stability of high-speed data transfer via POW-ERLINK and slip rings.

POWERLINK and openSAFETY are keeping the automa-

tion world turning with series production applications us-

ing slip ring data transfer together with drive and safety

technology from B&R.

Company background

The Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG)

is an independent organization founded in 2003 by lead-

ing companies from the fields of motion control and

automation technology. Its aims are the standardization

and further development of the POWERLINK protocol

first introduced by B&R in 2001. This high-performance

real-time communications system is an advanced proto-

col based on the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard that is

designed to ensure real-time data transfer in the micro-

second range. The EPSG cooperates with leading stan-

dardization organizations such as CAN in Automation

(CiA) and the IEC. Anton Meindl, B&R's Business Man-

ager for Controls, is the organization's CEO. �

51automotion 03/12

Interview

POWERLINKaddsAnybus

Interview

52 automotion 03/12

Interview

Based in Halmstad, Sweden, HMS is the market leader in communication inter-face products for industrial applications. Their Anybus modules make it easier for engineers to develop automation technol-ogy that is compatible with a wide variety of fieldbus systems and Ethernet-based field networks. The recent addition of the POWERLINK standard to Anybus mod-ules, first introduced at the 2011 SPS/IPC/DRIVES show, illustrates how Anybus con-tinues to live up to its name. For HMS CEO Staffan Dahlström, this is the beginning of a close cooperation with B&R and the

Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG), with this innovation

further improving the availability of prefabricated POWERLINK

products.

HMS Industrial Networks AB was founded in 1988 by Nicolas Has-

sbjer (HMS = Hassbjer MicroSystems) and has since been at the fore-

front of communication technology development, especially in the

area of machine manufacturing. With Anybus, the Swedish company

introduced a network card onto the market that can connect practi-

cally any device with any network.

21 years later, several hundred HMS employees develop and manufac-

ture hardware that helps device manufacturers ensure compatibility

with a wide variety of fieldbus systems and industrial Ethernet-based

networks. The main product families are the Anybus CompactCom

series of plug-in interfaces, Anybus Master/Slave embedded modules

and Anybus-IC DIL-32 PCB-mount piggy-back network interfaces,

all of which are designed to be integrated in industrial automation

devices. The HMS catalog is rounded off by the Anybus Communica-

tor protocol converter and the Anybus X-Gateway for network-to-

network communication. In short, HMS is the world's leading source

of industrial communication solutions, offering the hardware and

software needed for data translation between the many industrial

devices and networks currently available on the market.

Leading up to the 2011 SPS/IPC/DRIVES trade fair, HMS CEO Staf-

fan Dahlström sat down with automotion to answer some questions

about HMS products in general and the addition of POWERLINK in

particular.

automotion: Why would a company that designs and manufactures

industrial automation equipment buy Anybus-embedded products in-

stead of integrating the network or fieldbus technology themselves?

Dahlström: Customers see benefits in a number of areas. Using Any-

bus technology, HMS customers can relieve their design engineers »

B&R's outstanding commitment to supporting POW-

ERLINK helped us decide in favor of integrating that

standard," says Staffan Dahlström, CEO of HMS Industrial

Networks AB (left). Stefan Schönegger, manager of Open

Automation Technologies at B&R and managing direc-

tor of the Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group

(EPSG), is also pleased that "Anybus integration makes an

additional 900 more outstanding automation hardware

products available for easy integration in POWERLINK-

based systems."

Interview

53automotion 03/12

Interview

of what generally is a rather demanding task outside of

their main area of expertise, allowing them to concentrate

on their true design goals. With Anybus, a single design

iteration is all it takes to establish multi-protocol fieldbus

and industrial Ethernet connectivity for automation equip-

ment. And with off-the-shelf Anybus modules ready to be

plugged into customer hardware, this integration is even

feasible at low volumes. Of course, a faster time to market

thanks to the greatly shortened design cycle is a strong

motivator for companies trying to retain their edge in com-

petitive markets.

automotion: In which applications do you see the greatest

demand for POWERLINK compatibility?

Dahlström: Our customer base includes a wide range of

industrial device manufacturers. Currently, more than 900

different product types include Anybus integration. When

it comes to POWERLINK, we see a demand for industrial

automation applications in general, especially on high-

performance machines since these require network tech-

nology that combines high reliability and fast data transfer.

automotion: In which geographical markets do you expect

to see the most POWERLINK applications?

Dahlström: Industrial automation is an increasingly global

market, and we have requests for POWERLINK coming

from customers as far east as China and as far west as the

USA. The biggest demand, however, is still within the cen-

tral European market with its strong position as the global

leader in sophisticated machinery.

automotion: What's the time frame for availability of Any-

bus with POWERLINK?

Dahlström: Our first product that supports POWERLINK –

Anybus CompactCom – was introduced at the 2011 SPS/

IPC/DRIVES show in Nuremberg. Initial prototypes will soon

be delivered to the first group of customers.

"This is great news for POWERLINK users, and we are very

happy to be building this strong relationship with HMS,"

adds Stefan Schönegger, manager of Open Automation

Technologies at B&R and managing director of the Eth-

ernet POWERLINK Standardization Group. "Anybus mod-

ules for POWERLINK will instantly give the OEM machinery

market a choice of 900 additional POWERLINK-compatible

products from a wide variety of automation equipment

manufacturers. �

Interview

54 automotion 03/12

Report

Modular Packaging Systems was founded in 1965 and evolved into a trusted expert in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. In 2000, the company began manufacturing their own packaging machines. To-day, this systems integrator offers a broad spectrum of bottle filling, elec-tronic counting and labeling machines. »

Smoothly integrated labeling solutions

55automotion 03/12

Report

For more than five years, Modular Packag-

ing Systems has been relying on automation

solutions from B&R. The latest success to

come out of this collaboration is the EC-12

line of electronic counter controls, which fea-

tures state-of-the-art motion control tech-

nology and custom HMI panels that ensure

maximum reliability at top speeds. Customers

also benefit from seamless product control

throughout the entire bottle filling process.

Simple integration in packaging lines

After years of rapid growth, Modular Pack-

aging Systems found that production space

was becoming a limiting factor. "We had

outgrown our facilities and decided to move

to our new headquarters in Randolph, New

Jersey, where we have laid a foundation for

continued growth." explains Andy Smith,

sales manager at Modular Packaging Sys-

tems. "The new 27,000 square foot facility

now provides plenty of room for our innova-

tive new projects. Having the larger facility

gives us the ability to offer new product

lines, like our labelers, and integrate end-

of-line equipment into our systems."

As resources for investing in modern produc-

tion technology become more constrained,

especially in the pharmaceutical industry, the

ability to integrate machine components in

packaging lines has taken center stage. "What

we offer are fully integrated turnkey filling and

packaging systems," says Smith. We equip

them with OEE (Overall Equipment Effective-

ness) tracking and centralized monitoring sys-

tems to guarantee our customers high-quality

results. OEE function tracking uses sensors on

the line to collect data and determine where

bottlenecks occur, which allows our machines

to provide maximum productivity."

Real-time capability and high precision

The expanded technical possibilities at the

new location has allowed Modular Packag-

ing Systems to add a labeler – the MBL-200

– to its latest product line. A particular ad-

vantage of the new machine is the ease with which it can be integrated in

Modular's bottle filling machine. The new labeler applies pressure sensi-

tive labels to the bottles and also inspects labels for proper batch, date

and barcode data as well as ensuring that they have been applied to the

bottle properly.

A Power Panel with a Windows operating system provides powerful real-

time control and an integrated image processing system running Acuity

vision software in one compact unit. The system architecture is based on a

POWERLINK network, which provides high-speed data exchange between

the X20 I/O modules and ACOPOS servo drives, and VFDs connected via

X2X Link. "B&R technology reduces hardware costs for our customers

and streamlines integration into existing lines," says Smith. "As a result,

we can now offer faster and more reliable processing of critical data."

B&R's latest drive technology has helped Modular Packaging Systems

improve the speed and accuracy of their filling and labeling systems con-

siderably. The output quality and accuracy of each component has also

been increased, resulting in an overall boost to the productivity of the

line as a whole.

A second Power Panel provides centralized line control and monitoring, is

It's easy to integrate the new labeling solution into the bottle filling line from Modular Packaging Systems.

56 automotion 03/12

capable of performing serialization and OEE tracking and

also runs training videos. Larger pharmaceutical companies

are getting on board with serialization, and momentum

is building toward defining a standard. "We've had more

and more requests for serialization in the past two years,"

says Smith. "The Power Panel is ideal because it is powerful

enough to handle the required Windows applications and

vision systems needed for this upgrade. That's why we are

taking the next step to a central monitoring system, which

can also be used as the server for serialization."

"Today, our customers benefit from simple integration of

individual machine components into their existing filling

and packaging lines," Smith continues. "Another benefit

is reduced cost of ownership thanks to the sophisticated

hardware solution. B&R's Automation Studio software

platform allows us to handle machine control, motion

control, HMI and communication, all within a single devel-

opment environment. This saves us integration time and

reduces maintenance costs." �

Industry: Packaging

Employees: 15

Location: Randolph, New Jersey (USA)

www.modularpackaging.com

JustPOWERLINK

Technology by THE INNOVATORS

Perfection in Automationwww.br-automation.com

� Extremely fast response times – even for complex, highly dynamic systems

� Reduced costs with increased performance through �������������� ������

� Maximum operational security for machines and � ��� ������������������ ������ ������� ������������redundancy

� Safe machines and systems through the use of the international openSAFETY standard

automotion 03/12

Technology

Safer in a group:System networking with

When it comes to transferring safety data within individual machines, Ethernet-based fieldbus networks have become today's standard. Not only do these types of networks ensure reliable safety for personnel and machinery, they also increase overall productivity and offer many more possibilities for troubleshooting errors. Making it possible to achieve seamless protection throughout entire production areas with production systems made up of different machine types is the goal of a uniform protocol interface currently being defined by the Organiza-tion for Machine Automation and Control (OMAC).

58 automotion 03/12

PROFINETEtherNet/IPModbusSERCOSPOWERLINK

Machine 1 Machine 2 Machine 3 Machine 4 Machine 5

Technology

Safety systems that can safely transfer sig-

nals over Ethernet-based networks such

as POWERLINK enjoy advantages in many

different areas when compared to their

hardwired safety circuit counterparts. These

advantages include money saved by reduc-

ing the overall amount of cabling required.

Extensive cabling is a well-known source of

errors, particularly in complex modular ma-

chines. It also negatively affects the time it

takes to put a system into operation since

conventional safety wiring requires that all

of the options that will be used are known

in advance. Using safety systems that can

communicate directly without having to be

routed through the controller make it pos-

sible to comply with the standard at con-

siderably higher line speeds, thus increasing

productivity across the board. Drive compo-

nents with Smart Safe Reaction directly on

the motors shorten stopping distances and

optimize safety clearances. This makes it

possible to build machines that are smaller

and cost less.

From the machine to the produc-tion line

In industries such as printing or packaging, a

high level of production automation is achieved

using linked machines and handling equip-

ment. Branches like these therefore have

a strong interest in extending network-

integrated safety technology across entire

production lines and applying its advan-

tages to all the machines involved. Up until

now, however, organizational and techni-

cal obstacles have always prevented safety

signals from being exchanged between

machines and handling equipment via in-

dustrial Ethernet.

The organizational problem has to do with

the fact that no machine manufacturer can

anticipate and plan for all of the poten-

tial connection requirements for external

equipment, let alone foresee how they

should be implemented. Independent safe-

ty equipment "on the outside" of a par-

ticular machine is also not able to trigger

safe reactions deeper within that machine.

The technical obstacles result from incom-

patibilities between the individual safety-

oriented control systems. With the excep-

tion of openSAFETY, they are only able

to work together with control hardware

or fieldbus systems from that particular

manufacturer. That's why it's still com-

mon today to wire linked machines with a

shared E-stop circuit. »

With openSAFETY, safety data can be transferred across several machine lines regardless of the fieldbus being used.

59automotion 03/12

POWERLINK 11%

Others 5%

EtherCat 4%

Modbus TCP/IP 22% Ethernet/IP 30%

PROFINET 28%

Technology

A safety interface means in-teroperability

openSAFETY is the only network-inte-

grated system available for transferring

and processing safety-related signals

regardless of the system bus being used

to transfer data. And this is the rea-

son why it's so easy to outfit an entire

group of machines with a single safety

technology even if the individual ma-

chines come from different manufac-

turers or come equipped with different

safety features.

Despite this system independence, it is

still improbable that a uniform safety

standard will be established and ac-

cepted by every machine vendor.

"For this reason, it's necessary for in-

teroperability between different safety

standards to be handled on the network

layer so that it's possible to take advan-

tage of its full functionality within the

network," explains Miodrag Veselic,

technology manager for openSAFETY

at B&R. "Together with OMAC, B&R is

working on a specification for an inter-

face protocol that allows safety-orient-

ed system networking to be easily set

up despite the different systems being

used on the individual machines."

Machine profiles are the key

The central element of a safety-oriented

network of machines and systems is a

uniform profile that describes the basic

design of the safety-related elements

on each individual machine or piece of

handling equipment. "This pertains to

a clear set of status signals including E-

stop, setup mode, limit value violations,

etc. that spans across systems and ma-

chines," explains Veselic. "For each of

these signals, the machine profile speci-

fies whether it can be delivered by the

Market share: openSAFETY can handle 91% of all industrial Ethernet applications.(Source: IMS Research Q3/2009)

device or if the device needs it for its

own safe reactions."

The simple structure of the data in the

profile allows network-integrated safe-

ty systems from different manufactur-

ers to be assembled into a network

where every bit of basic safety-related

information is available everywhere

else on the network. This makes it

possible for each individual machine

to react to safety-related operating

modes set at other locations, increas-

ing the availability of machines and

systems as a result. Since transferring

safety signals via openSAFETY using

the "black channel" principle relies on

the network's communication layer,

this type of network can be built using

any Ethernet topology. An important

aspect of the universal safety inter-

face specification is the ability to add

or remove devices without having to

stop or even shut down the rest of the

network.

The main objective? Easy imple-mentation

The interface protocol and the way the

machine profile data is handled have

not yet been ultimately determined.

Nevertheless, the specification is still

expected sometime in 2012. "Whether

the interface is successful or flops will

be determined by how easy it is to im-

plement," explains Veselic. "As a result,

the configuration data set will have to

be converted into software to make in-

tegration as easy as possible for safety

system manufacturers. For simple de-

vices or equipment without built-in

safety control, B&R will be furnishing

adapters that feature this functionality,

something that other manufacturers

will more than likely offer as well."

Once the structure of the standardized

interface profile for Ethernet-based

safety data transmission has been re-

60 automotion 03/12

Technology

Full coverage: openSAFETY is a uniform safety solution for all industries.

leased, then the only thing that ma-

chine manufacturers need to complete

in order to ensure compatibility is one-

off development of the machine pro-

file. In addition, they can concentrate

on the safeguards within individual ma-

chines and do not have to constantly

take the ever-changing customized

features included with the handling

equipment into consideration. Since

development and certification only

have to take place once, the result is a

shorter time to market.

Networked safety increases productivity

Another benefit for customers is the

availability of machines, robots and

handling equipment that can then serve

as building blocks to easily create com-

plex production systems with a sophis-

ticated universal safety environment.

The configuration of such systems can

be modified whenever needed with a

manageable amount of work, making

it easy to increase productivity in a way

that used to be impossible with con-

ventional technology.

Smart Safe Reactions such as "Safely

Reduced Speed" (SRS), which can be

active on multiple machines simulta-

neously and that provides a safe state

without having to bring the system to

a complete standstill, is one way to

increase productivity. Productivity is

also enhanced by the ability to protect

a whole group of systems by employ-

ing a comprehensive safeguarding

mechanism for the entire line. This

not only reduces transport routes and

times, it also saves space because the

safe response of neighboring machines

eliminates the need for a separate

maintenance walkway for each part of

the system.

"An additional advantage of safety-

related system networking based

on the network layer is the

high-quality, uniform

diagnostics that can

be carried out for all machines," notes

Franz Kaufleitner, product manager of

Integrated Safety Technology at B&R.

Ethernet-based safety technology is al-

ready standard in individual machines.

With openSAFETY and the standardized

safety interface definition being devel-

oped by OMAC and the EPSG, it will

soon be possible to apply these advan-

tages to entire groups of machines. �

61automotion 03/12

Technology

Intel multicore processorsfor the most demanding tasks

Maximum performance

The APC910 has the latest Intel® Core™ iX technology at its

heart. By further reducing the size of structures on the chip

and implementing a new microarchitecture that now inte-

grates graphics directly into the CPU, Intel® has been able

to improve performance by leaps and bounds over their first

Core™ iX generation and Core™2 Duo systems. The rest of

the PC infrastructure has also been streamlined for maximum

computing performance and optimal data throughput. The

APC910 now has a serial ATA-based CFast card to replace

the previous CompactFlash. And just like the APC810, hard

disks and solid state drives are connected to the PC system via

the high-speed SATA interface. These devices are also well-

The APC910 is based on the latest Intel® Core™ iX technology and offers maximum performance for demanding tasks such as those that involve vision systems. The proven standard design of the Automation PCs has been retained while adding many new details to keep up with the advance-ments being made on the PC market. Robust de-sign for use in industrial applications around the world and long-term series availability continue to define the Automation PC series, a trend now continued with the APC910.

62 automotion 03/12

Technology

Intel® Core™ iX

The latest Core™ iX processors are built as multi-core processors that integrate the graphics

unit directly into the processor. In addition to the graphics, the processors include the cores,

the memory controller and cache memory. The memory controller continues to support

DDR3 RAM. Assembled using the most advanced methods, Core™ iX CPUs contain over 500

million transistors on the processor. Intel's hyper-threading technology makes it possible to

process two tasks simultaneously in each processor core. Additional improvements in CPU ar-

chitecture, for example in cache memory, contribute to substantially increased performance

at the same clock rates as their predecessors.

CFast technology

New CFast cards combine the shape and dimensions of CompactFlash cards with the

faster SATA interface while retaining the key advantages of CompactFlash technology,

such as their robustness. Behind its front cover, the APC910 offers an easy-to-access

CFast slot so that the CFast card can also be used as removable media for transferring

data or performing upgrades. The APC910 uses the proven approach of combining

compact removable media based on CFast with standard PC solid state drives and hard

disks. This gives users all the freedom they need to store data the way they want, for

example by separating operating system and process data. Compared to CompactFlash,

CFast cards offers considerably faster transfers, shorter boot times and the ability to

store data faster. CFast cards are based on SLC (single level cell) flash technology, which

ensures a high degree of data consistency and maximum write procedures when used

in industrial applications. In addition, by distributing data optimally on the flash cells,

intelligent wear leveling technology ensures a much longer service life. �

equipped when it comes to interface options. Two gigabit Ethernet ports, USB ports and onboard as well as modular serial ports round

off the extensive capabilities of the ACP910.

Availability and reliability for many productive years

Automation PCs are built for continuous operation over a period of many years. This starts with the robust welded housing that shields

the electronics from the external environment, easily withstanding rough conditions. The industrial-grade paint can endure even the

most aggressive environments so that even a well-seasoned Automation PC might be mistaken for new. Components have also been

selected to provide many years of reliable service. These components were designed specifically for use in industrial environments,

can withstand high ambient temperatures and have guaranteed long-term availability. In addition, Automation PC generations are

produced in excess of 10 years – quite the exception in the otherwise fast-paced PC sector and a significant advantage for the user.

The third generation of Automation PCs, represented by the APC910, proves once again that innovation and product continuity are

not inconsistent goals. From the ease of connecting cables to the ports on top of the device to the location of mounting holes, many

details have stayed the same. For the many thousands of panels in the field – whether customized or in the standard design – there is

always the proven SDL interface for easily connecting the PC to its display.

63automotion 03/12

100011100100100010101

100011100100100010101

Technology

Machine manufacturing in flux:The future is mechatronicDeveloping with Automation Studio and EPLAN Electric P8

A new approach to development is evolving in the machine manufac-turing industry. Traditionally, mechanical, electrical and software ele-ments have been strictly separated and developed in a rigid sequence. Today, these disciplines are merging into a more integrated mecha-tronic approach. This not only paves the way for more efficient parallel development, but also simplifies coordination between mechanical, electrical and software engineers.

64 automotion 03/12

Technology

Open interfaces encourage interdisciplinary cooperation

As boundaries between these domains continue to blur, open interfaces

are becoming an essential element of development strategy. This is why

B&R integrates existing expert tools into the Automation Studio develop-

ment platform via interfaces that ensure full transparency and functional-

ity. Automation Studio provides all the functions needed to develop and

configure an automation solution – such as those for creating control and

HMI applications, linking motion control components, safety technology

and much more. Expert tools are integrated via open, transparent inter-

faces to provide specialized functionality – such as EPLAN Electric P8 for

electrical planning.

Seamless interaction facilitates parallel development

The seamless interaction between EPLAN Electric P8 and Automation Stu-

dio allows development to occur in parallel processes. "Our users can

easily carry over hardware configurations and I/O mapping tables from

B&R Automation Studio, reducing the time and cost of development by

avoiding unnecessary input repetitions and redundant workflow," ex-

plains Rainer Burgard, key account manager at EPLAN. For the engineers

involved, working with these two tools couldn't be easier. In the past, the

hardware configuration had to be set up manually in the automation en-

vironment even though it already existed in its entirety in the ECAD tool.

With Automation Studio and EPLAN Electric P8, engineers can generate

both the hardware tree and the I/O mapping table at the push of a but-

ton. The corresponding process variables are automatically aligned and

merged with existing variables directly in Automation Studio. An intel-

ligent comparison feature provides a clear overview of which components

were configured in the Automation Studio hardware tree and which B&R

components are used in the electrical plan. The user can then synchronize

the projects with only a few clicks of the mouse. B&R provides all the

EPLAN macros needed to accommodate the various hardware compo-

nents.

Synchronization through round-trip engineering

Intelligent import and export mechanisms streamline day-to-day work-

flow when using multiple software tools. B&R and EPLAN go a step fur-

ther, however, using round-trip engineering features to fully synchronize

the electrical plan and automation project and ensure that both projects

are always kept up-to-date. The advantage is clear: "Automated data

exchange prevents errors that might otherwise occur in the course of

interdisciplinary communication, thereby improving the quality of the end

product. This contributes to reduced maintenance costs later in a system's

life cycle," explains Heinz Fürnschuss, the technical manager at B&R in

charge of developing the EPLAN interface. "Modifications can be made

more quickly, more easily and more inexpensively since the system docu-

mentation and software are always current and synchronized." »

65automotion 03/12

Philipp H. F. Wallner, B&R System Architect

Technology

The next generation of mechatronic tools

The fields of mechanical, electrical and software engineering are becom-

ing intertwined in the pursuit of optimal efficiency. As a result, there is an

urgent need to rethink conventional approaches to development tools.

While tools of the past stood alone, with no means of communicating

with each other but through simple import/export functions, future gen-

erations will interact transparently across open interfaces using intelligent

synchronization mechanisms. This is the key step for machine manufac-

turers toward mastering interdisciplinary development and significantly

reducing time and costs.

In the fields of electrical design and automation, B&R and EPLAN have set

an impressive example of how two development tools can work together

harmoniously – something made possible by a well thought-out concept

and close cooperation between the two companies. �

The electrical plan and automation project are fully synchronized and always up-to-date thanks to round-trip engineering features.

Highlights:

� Hardware configurations imported directly from EPLAN Electric P8

� Automatic alignment of I/O mapping data

� Consistent project synchronization provided by round-trip enginee-

ring

66 automotion 03/12

SmartEngineering

Technology by THE INNOVATORS

Perfection in Automationwww.br-automation.com

Perfection in Automationwww.br-automation.com

� Investment security through openness and compatibility

� Shorter development times by allowing teams to collaborate on modular software engineering tasks

� Reduced engineering costs made possible by the ability to reuse software

� A single, fully integrated tool for the entire life cycle of the system

www.br-automation.com

MM

-E01

206.

951