Control System World

Intel® Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation today announced a new collaboration to develop next generation Factory Automation (FA) systems with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and a pilot program at Intel’s backend manufacturing facility in Malaysia. The pilot demonstrates the benefits of the IoT in a factory setting. The pilot system will focus on delivering productivity enhancement through innovative functions, such as predictive failure, by combining Intel’s expertise developing solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) and Mitsubishi’s “e-Factory” automation capabilities. Intel realized a savings of nine million dollars over the course of the pilot.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

• Intel and Mitsubishi Electric are working together to advance Factory Automation (FA) Systems utilizing end-to-end IoT connectivity and big data analytics.

• The companies collaborated on a pilot at Intel’s manufacturing facility in Malaysia, demonstrating the benefits of IoT. The pilot resulted in improved equipment uptime, increased yield and productivity, the ability to conduct predictive maintenance and reduced component failures.

• As a result of the pilot, Intel realized nine million dollars in savings through cost avoidance and improved decision making.

• The companies are targeting product availability in 2015.

As an initial collaboration, Intel and Mitsubishi implemented the IoT and big data solution at Intel’s backend manufacturing facility in Malaysia. Using an Intel® Atom™ processor-based IoT gateway called the C Controller from Mitsubishi Electric, part of their iQ Platform, Intel was able to securely gather and aggregate data for the analytics server. Data was then processed using Revolution R Enterprise software from Revolution Analytics, an analytics software solution that uses the open source R statistics language, which was hosted on Cloudera Enterprise, the foundation of an enterprise data hub.

The solution has improved equipment component uptime, increased yield and productivity by minimizing misclassification of good units as bad, enabled predictive maintenance, and reduced component failures. Initial results include a savings of nine million dollars through cost avoidance and improved decision making.

“The data mining and analytics pilots done in Malaysia have demonstrated great value and benefits for Intel manufacturing using Intel based IoT products and technology,” said Robin Martin, vice president and general manager of Intel’s Assembly and Test Group. “Through this collaboration and pilot with Mitsubishi Electric*, we will bring the know-how, assets and technology of both companies to develop next generation factory automation systems with predictive analytic capabilities. This will allow other companies to reap the benefits of the Internet of Things for factory operations.”

“The collaboration between Mitsubishi Electric and Intel on this IoT project has enabled field data from semiconductor manufacturing lines to be collected and analyzed to improve operational performance, yet also contribute energy savings for a more sustainable society. We believe that other manufacturers can benefit from this joint Intel-Mitsubishi Electric solution which combines Big data analysis, optimized data capture and processing to deliver improved performance and optimized maintenance,” said Masayuki Yamamoto, Group Senior Vice President, Factory Automation Systems, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

The commercialization date for the product is 2015 and to the companies will show a live demonstration of the solution in Intel’s booth at the IoT Japan 2014 tradeshow, which will be held on October 15-17 at Tokyo Big Sight in Japan.

During Matrikon OPC Day Conference EMEA, MatrikonOPC will present the latest data connectivity and management solutions based on the OPC UA and OPC classic standards, today’s best practices for open connectivity, and provide some insight into tomorrow’s developments in OPC.

The conference is aimed at engineers, project managers, and control automation professionals and takes place November 10 in The Hague, Netherlands. The Matrikon OPC Day Conference is being held in conjunction with the Honeywell Users Group (HUG), which will take place November 10 through 14. Matrikon OPC experts will be on hand for individual conversations throughout HUG EMEA as well.

Attendees will learn about state of the art data connectivity and data security for control systems giving them the know-how needed to increase the performance, efficiency and safety in their projects. Featuring hands-on demonstrations of the latest OPC UA technology, one-to-one interactions with OPC product experts, and group discussions with other OPC users; this technical conference provides a unique opportunity to get the information needed to make the most of OPC.

"The Matrikon OPC Day Conference EMEA is the perfect venue to interact directly with OPC experts and other users with hands on experience with OPC technology. In addition to showcasing our new OPC UA and OPC Classic products, we are also pleased to offer comprehensive training and workshops on OPC UA to ensure you have the knowledge to effectively plan and implement OPC UA projects successfully", says Jeff Gould, general manager, MatrikonOPC.

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate exclusively at MatrikonOPC Day Conference EMEA, or to register for the entire Honeywell Users Group Conference.

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National Instruments, the provider of solutions that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges, today announced a compact solution for high-speed vision applications. The NI CVS-1459RT is a small, rugged vision system with a quad-core Intel Atom processor and two dedicated USB 3.0 ports for USB3 Vision cameras.

“The NI Compact Vision System is my go-to solution for vision applications where reliability and uptime are key,” said Robert Eastlund, vice president of sales for Graftek Imaging Inc. “Now I can leverage the easy connectivity and high throughput of USB3 while taking advantage of new features for high-performance processing and HMI integration. The NI CVS-1459RT enables high-resolution, high-speed industrial vision solutions.”

The NI CVS-1459RT is programmed with either LabVIEW system design software or Vision Builder for Automated Inspection (AI). Engineers have the option of using LabVIEW FPGA to further customize the FPGA-enabled I/O and tightly synchronize vision inspection results with other parts of industrial systems, such as encoders and proximity sensors.

The NI CVS-1459RT is based on the LabVIEW reconfigurable I/O (RIO) architecture, an integral part of the NI graphical system design platform. A modern approach to designing, prototyping and deploying embedded monitoring and control systems, graphical system design combines the open LabVIEW programming environment with commercial off-the-shelf hardware to dramatically simplify development so engineers can combine powerful vision tools, I/O, industrial communication, data logging and human machine interfaces (HMIs) into a single environment.

Key Benefits:

• The rugged form factor is ideal for industrial applications up to 55 ºC

• Synchronization with automation devices for camera and lighting triggering via onboard industrial I/O

• High-bandwidth camera interface with dual USB 3.0 ports for compatibility with the latest low-cost USB3 Vision cameras; ability to use ports with peripherals such as external storage for logging data

• Processing power with quad-core Intel Atom processor and 64-bit NI Linux Real-Time OS

• Board-level versions available for OEM applications

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MYNAH Technologies, a leader in life cycle dynamic simulation, for operator training and certification and ProSys, a leader in Dynamic Alarm Management are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership to bring operator training and certification services to the process industries.

This new partnership will provide a unique offering of MYNAH’s Mimic Simulation Software and dynamic model engineering services with ProSys operations optimization and training services. This partnership will provide the process industries with unique offerings for certifying operators and improving operations effectiveness.

“With ProSys’ knowledge of process engineering and controls and MYNAH’s simulation platform and process modeling, we are now teamed to deliver operator training solutions that address today’s problems in the process industries”, said Dustin Beebe, President and CEO of ProSys. “Simulations allow us the opportunity to train operators for the operational situations they need most – critical modes of operation like startup, shutdown and process upsets. With this we can train a new generation of operators without having to re-experience all of the incidents of the past 30 years.”

In addition to using the Mimic Simulation Software for training purposes, ProSys plans to utilize Mimic Simulation Software for testing of alarm management within plants. ProSys will be able to utilize Mimic to better predict and eliminate errors in alarm management systems.

Kepware Technologies, a software development company focused on communications for automation, announced today that it was presented with the Governor's Award for Business Excellence. The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) has acknowledged deserving companies with the award on an annual basis since 1991.

Organizations that have been in business in Maine for at least five years are eligible to apply for the award, and applicants are judged on their commitment to employees, the community, customer satisfaction, and manufacturing/service excellence.

"We're thrilled to receive this award, and would like to thank Governor Paul LePage and the DECD," said Corky Ellis, Chairman and Founder, Kepware Technologies. "It's our goal at Kepware to make a positive impact not only on the global industrial Automation Industry, but also on our local community in Maine. This award confirms that we are making progress in achieving that goal."

Kepware Technologies develops a wide range of communication and interoperability software solutions for the Automation Industry. Its flexible and scalable solutions help customers connect, manage, monitor, and control disparate automation devices and software applications. Kepware only delivers industrial strength solutions that are designed and tested to meet the demands of industrial automation applications for vertical markets like Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Building Automation, and Power Distribution.

Kepware's efforts have previously been recognized both by local and industry-specific organizations. The Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resources has selected Kepware four years in a row as one of the Best Places to Work in Maine, ranking the company 5th in 2013. In addition, the company was recognized for its outstanding Technical Support team with a 2014 Bronze Stevie Award for Customer Service Department of the Year.

Governor LePage presented the award in a ceremony on Friday, September 19th at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland. Additional information about the award can be found on Maine.gov.

Rosemount Tank Gauging System from Emerson has been certified for functional safety by Exida, the global leader in functional safety certification for the process industries, ensuring that it meets the functional safety requirements for Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 3 capability per IEC 61508: 2010.

“Emerson has clearly demonstrated a very high quality design process that meets the rigorous IEC 61508: 2010 requirements, “says John Yozallinas, exida Evaluating Assessor. “They have a thorough development process which helps ensure the delivery of products that achieve high levels of functional safety.”

“The tank gauging market is rapidly moving toward the use of IEC 61508 certified devices,” says Christian Skaug, Senior Technical Product Manager at Emerson. “We are confident choosing exida as our Certification Body because their program provides our customers with the necessary information, and the third party assurance of our high design quality.”

The Rosemount solution integrates easily with your existing network, DCS or host computer system. It features emulation possibilities of other vendors´ level devices, so independent of measurement technology, a system upgrade is easy.

A Rosemount Tank Gauging system can be based on IEC 62591 (WirelessHART), be traditionally wired, or integrate both system design types.

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Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, kicked off its 2014 Software Global Customer Conference in Orlando, Fla., today by showcasing a stronger combined operations management software portfolio, bolstered by the Invensys software product lines the company acquired earlier this year.

“Acquiring Invensys technology and people has reinvigorated and strengthened Schneider Electric’s position in the industrial automation and operations management software market,” said Daniel Doimo, executive vice president of Schneider Electric’s global solutions business. “Bringing Schneider Electric and Invensys technology together enables the delivery of proven innovation, world-leading brands and powerful new solutions that improve efficiency, manage risk and drive higher levels of customer value. We will continue to take the lead on providing the game-changing technology our customers need today.”

For Avantis, SimSci and Wonderware software customers, the combined company means stronger innovation, development and delivery capabilities and a broader network of industry partners that will enable new systems, applications and technologies to be brought to market faster. Schneider Electric customers will benefit from a comprehensive portfolio of operations management software that spans the entire value chain of manufacturing and industrial plants. New mobility, next-gen visualization and next-gen simulation offerings will provide the agility, context and assurance users need to navigate changing business demands, as well as the ability to manage the increasing volume and complexity of their industrial operations.

“Combining existing Schneider Electric software offerings with newly acquired Avantis, SimSci and Wonderware software offerings allows us to deliver the broadest, richest and most flexible set of industrial software solutions on the market today, one that spans the design, commissioning and ongoing operations of manufacturing and industrial plants,” said Ravi Gopinath, Ph.D., executive vice president, Schneider Electric software business. “For example, we now offer a fit-for-purpose operations management software portfolio for greater historical archiving, increased mobility, stronger analytics, better reporting and improved workflow, and we’re also able to provide end-to-end value chain solutions for the oil and gas, M3 and food and beverage industries. Together with our stronger, broader partner network, we will be offering a wider, richer portfolio of scalable solutions that empower our customers to manage the increasing volume and complexity of their industrial operations, while tapping the power of the Cloud, Big Data, the Internet of Things and other emerging trends.”

The company will demonstrate several “proofs of concept” at its annual Software Global Customer Conference, designed to illustrate the value and power of a stronger software portfolio. Examples of these proofs of concept include:

SimSci operator training simulators and optimization software will help customers in the metals, mining & minerals, power and utilities industries reduce operating costs and improve risk management.

Wonderware System Platform software, combined with Schneider Electric’s Aquis advanced decision-support software, will improve water network behavior forecasts, water quality, what-if scenarios and information integrity between measured points for customers operating water distribution networks.

Wonderware Corporate Energy Management software combined with Schneider Electric Power Monitoring Expert software will improve reporting coverage for a broad range of users within any manufacturing enterprise.

“All of this is truly game-changing technology, and it’s an exciting time for our customers, partners and employees,” Gopinath said. “With a dedicated, focused Software business and more robust development and delivery capabilities, we will continue to provide a hardware-agnostic approach to meeting our customers’ needs, no matter where they are in the business and operation. Since we’re not tied to any specific system, our customers will more easily unify their islands of automation and create next-gen operations management systems for enterprise-wide visibility and standardization. Our mission is to empower our customers for success, and we look forward to helping them achieve new levels of value, performance and profitability.”

Siemens today officially opened the company's new remote diagnostics center for wind turbines, located at the company's global headquarters for wind service in Brande, Denmark. The facility offers some of the most advanced wind turbine remote diagnostic and monitoring capabilities in the world and has been designed to accommodate the continued and rapid growth of Siemens wind service. It currently hosts diagnostic operations and monitoring services for more than 7,500 installed Siemens wind turbines worldwide to proactively keep the units operating at their optimum levels of performance.

More than 130 experts closely monitor the entire Siemens global fleet on a 24/7/365 basis and can detect and often remotely solve potential issues before they occur. This proactive approach can lead to extended service intervals and increased uptime, helping to contribute to lowering the costs associated with wind energy.

Siemens draws from its extensive database and over 15 years of experience. Since 1998, Siemens' remote diagnostics team has been monitoring an ever growing number of wind power plants. Each day over 200 gigabytes of new data is collected from more than 7,500 turbines worldwide. Twenty four million turbine parameters are monitored on the fleet and investigated constantly to provide dynamic optimization of turbine operations with more than 300 million diagnostic calculation results currently being performed every week.

"This new state-of-the-art remote diagnostics center further reinforces our commitment to providing our customers with the very best in remote monitoring and diagnostics," said Tim Holt, CEO of Siemens Service Renewables. "We've been monitoring longer than anyone else in the industry and are leveraging the data into value-added decision-making tools that help our customers operate at maximum efficiency."

Since 1998 the company's expert team in Brande has continuously developed and improved the technology. Automatic Root Cause Identifier is a program that automatically detects and suggests the most likely parameter to cause deviation in turbine systems performance. Automated Surveillance based on Dynamic Linear Models is a system that constantly compares turbine systems performance with learnings and predictions of normal performance. These are just two examples of Siemens patented technologies and are part of Siemens' remote diagnostics portfolio designed to detect deviations, and react fast and proactively in order to avoid downtime and lost production.

Remote diagnostics is an important part of Siemens' portfolio of value-added services. Monitoring experts can solve and remotely fix more than 85 percent of all alarms remotely without a service team doing trouble-shooting onsite. Reduced downtime and fewer turbine visits result in a higher energy output. With vibration diagnostics Siemens can find even the smallest indicator that something may not be operating normally and follow up by recommending proactive solutions before the issue becomes serious.

Furthermore, Siemens can analyze the data collected to draw trends on individual turbines as well as the overall fleet. Experts can look to see how certain locations, operating conditions and length of service are impacting the turbines and make recommendations based on this and other data. The results contribute to enhanced turbine performance over the long term, thereby lowering the cost of energy. "What we are learning and seeing today, combined with historical data from the past, can provide valuable insights and play an important role in our future research and development," added Holt.

In establishing this new, state-of-the-art remote diagnostics center, Siemens has further advanced its monitoring and diagnostic capabilities, bundling expert knowledge in one place. The new building also includes a dedicated customer area where customers can meet with Siemens experts, observe the center's operations firsthand, and work together for a proactive approach to managing service and maintenance.