< Previous10 www.cfpa.ca • Volume 5, Issue 1 benefits, over 70 per cent of manufacturers lack a data analytics plan and a clear blueprint for success. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Manufacturers can invest in plug-and-play smart pneumatic solutions that keep installation time and costs to a minimum. Manufacturers can take the first step toward digital transformation by taking a closer look at how these smart pneumatics save energy in areas where leakages and losses occur. Plants can improve compressed energy savings through digital transformation in two primary ways. ONE: DETECTING COMPRESSED AIR LEAKS IN NEAR-REAL TIME The most obvious way manufacturing plants lose energy in pneumatic systems is through leakage. Leaks cause the average manufacturing plant to lose about 35 per cent of compressed air annually. Some can lose more than $50,000 worth per machine, per year! A compressed air leak can also cause system pressure in machinery to fluctuate, affecting equipment efficiency and even production. As a result, a machine may have to work harder to compensate. This unnecessary cycling and increased run time can raise energy costs, decrease equipment service life, and increase maintenance. To detect and locate compressed air leaks, companies periodically bring in technicians with ultrasonic equipment to test for them. But leaks can often appear, persist, and grow in the time between visits. Canadian Fluid Power Association ❚ Spring/Summer 2023 ❚ 11 In comparison, smart pneumatics continuously monitor airflow. Some sensors can collect and provide real-time insights on flow, while also capturing pressure and temperature data in the feed line, enabling advanced diagnoses of the operating parameters. These solutions can often easily retrofit to existing machines with the use of edge gateways. Around-the-clock software monitoring can detect leaks in near-real time. The software identifies the machine in question and sends notification alerts directly to maintenance staff so they can further investigate. In this way, smart pneumatics can lower compressed air energy spend by 10 to 20 per cent and reduce a plant’s CO 2 footprint by 10 per cent. Addressing compressed air leaks earlier also reduces both planned and unplanned downtime and improves overall equipment efficiency (OEE). TWO: REDUCING AIR PRESSURE WHILE MAINTAINING CYCLE TIME Some manufacturers may not know the optimal consumption point of compressed air for their manufacturing process, and the air pressure in their industrial machines may be higher than it needs to be. Smart sensors, plus an edge computing device, can collect data about air pressure and airflow. By analyzing the edge analytics of the pneumatic system, plants can get a clearer picture of the relationship between air pressure and flow. By lowering the overall pressure of their pneumatic system, they can reduce the airflow to a certain point while maintaining the same cylinder cycle time. Finding the optimal ratio between pressure and flow can lead to a 10 to 20 per cent reduction of compressed air consumption and energy costs, as well as a 10 per cent reduction in CO 2 footprint, without affecting production. This allows manufacturers to maintain current cycle times in production but with lower energy consumption, costs, and CO 2 emissions. SMART ENERGY SAVINGS, BETTER SUSTAINABILITY Industrial manufacturers are setting ambitious targets to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. One reliable method they are using to reach these targets is compressed air monitoring. By monitoring pneumatic systems, manufacturers can determine how energy is used and address leaks and losses quickly. And, with the scalability offered by today’s smart pneumatic technology, they can also choose where and how quickly to digitally transform their facilities. By partnering with an automation and digital transformation expert, manufacturers can receive the best solution that addresses their unique sustainability goals and facility needs. Robert Brezni serves as a Global Account Manager for Fluid Control & Pneumatics at Emerson. Prior to his current role, Robert has held account manager positions in several global manufacturing companies. He earned his engineering degree from the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, where he studied energy and automation technology. 12 www.cfpa.ca • Volume 5, Issue 1 lectrical connections for pneumatic solenoid valve manifolds have evolved over the years from individually wired solenoids, to common cable solutions such as 25 pin D-sub connections, and then to fieldbus communications. This evolution has led to reduced installation time and reduced errors from incorrect wiring. Fieldbus communications have also enabled diagnostic feedback in addition to discrete and analog inputs common with valve communications. The next step in evolution is wireless communication. While there is the obvious advantage of not having to route and connect a communication cable, there are other advantages to be gained. It is not good practice to run a communication cable in parallel to high voltage power cables, as the noise induced can cause communication loss or even component damage. Not having to create a separate path / conduit for the communication cable saves money and time. One of the largest benefits comes from tooling, where the solenoid valve manifold must be moving. A common application is on the end of arm tooling of a robot. Routing the cable up through the robot arm has two issues. One, the pathway through the arm is often narrow and difficult to install the cable through on initial build. Two, of most concern to end users, is the tendency of the cable to fail from repeated flexing as the arm moves. This is sometimes difficult to troubleshoot the intermittent nature of communication loss. Of course, once diagnosed, the time involved in replacement is also extensive. This additional downtime is a larger burden for an end user to overcome. One may ask if the communication is wireless, how about the power? Power still needs to be wired in a traditional method. The difference is power cables are much more flexible and robust if robotic or “hi-flex” types are specified. They do not break easily from repeated bending. Another common application where wireless communication is advantageous is a rotary dial or turn table. To place the manifold onto the table where tubing can be shortened, and reaction time of the actuators be reduced, traditionally communication and power were both routed through a slip ring. Although slip rings are reliable methods of transmitting power, quality slip rings to pass communications through are expensive and still sometimes unreliable. With the wireless valve manifold, only power needs to be supplied through the slip ring and air through a rotary union. A third industrial application for wireless solenoid valve manifolds is tool changers. Plugging and unplugging communication connectors shortens their life and these connections can also be a source of noise. Reducing the connection to only power and air increases the robustness of the system. There is even the possibility of using battery power to maintain the unit’s communication at all times. SMC Corporation was approached by a customer wanting a solution to these problems. A wireless transmission system was developed for this customer. Testing in the actual factory (automotive welding) environment proved the robustness of the system and the customer has now standardized on the EX600 wireless system for both solenoid valve control in addition to using the remote units simply for I/O. Skepticism for new technology (especially industrial wireless) was addressed with thorough testing by SMC in labs and the customer beta test site. The architecture of the EX600 wireless system is relatively simple. Standard wired industrial Ethernet (such as Ethernet/IP™ and PROFINET) is connected to the base unit. The base unit can be bus connected to standard EX600 I/O modules and/ or solenoid valves or even standalone. The base then communicates through SMC proprietary 2.4 GHz ISM band radio frequency transmission to remote devices up to 10 meters away. One base has enough capacity to operate 127 remote units, although the recommendation is a maximum of 15 due to bandwidth. I/O capacity for one base is 1280 inputs/1280 outputs, with each remote having up to 128 inputs/128 outputs. Traditionally, one of the largest concerns for wireless systems in Solutions to Wiring Problems By Mark Arnold, Electronic Product Sales Manager, SMC Corporation of America feature Wireless Pneumatic Solenoid Valve Interfaces: SMC’s EX600 Wireless’ communication is reliable and stable through use of 2.4GHz ISM frequency band and frequency hopping every 5 ms. Canadian Fluid Power Association ❚ Spring/Summer 2023 ❚ 13 an industrial system is reliability and resistance to electromagnetic noise. Operating at 2.4 GHz places the frequency above most common industrial noise such as AC and DC welding, motor starters, heater contacts, etc. 2.4 GHz is used for Bluetooth, wireless LAN, and some RFID devices. To avoid potential interference, SMC uses 79 channel frequency hopping around the 2.4 GHz range. The channel is changed automatically every 5ms to prevent being interfered with or interfering with another device. If, for some reason, there is interference, or the signal is blocked by a large ferrous object, the units continue to retry communication automatically. If the number of retries exceed 31, an alarm bit can be set. Once whatever interference is removed, the unit automatically reestablishes communication. A question could be asked, why not use 5.8 GHz instead, where there is even less chance of interference with the more common 2.4 GHz frequency devices. One of the differences is range. The 2.4 GHz signal will travel further at the same power rating. It is also better at diffracting around solids. Even so, we do recommend trying to maintain line of sight as much as possible. This involves putting the base in a centralized location, usually higher up in the machine for best visibility. Another reason that 5.8 GHz frequency is not used is some countries require the end user to have a license to operate 5.8 GHz equipment. Security is another concern. IT departments tend to worry when an unknown wireless network is brought into their facility. These factors should reduce that concern: • The system is encrypted between the base and remote. • Because of unique pairing between the base and remote, they ignore all other signals. • The communication used is NOT wireless LAN or Bluetooth, so devices listening for those type signals will not see the SMC network. • The frequency hopping occurs every 5ms, so locking on to one frequency is more difficult. • Because the signal range is limited to 10 m, someone “listening in” from outside the facility would likely not be able to listen in to the network traffic. A very powerful transmitter would have to be used to influence a base or remote even if it could be determined how to communicate with. • Most industrial control systems have a firewall of some sort between the PLC and any PC based information. • It would be much easier to steal or disrupt data from inside the facility than outside. No system is 100 per cent safe from hacking or disruption, but this would not be an easy accomplishment for someone with malicious intent. Mark Arnold is the Electronic Product Sales Manager for SMC Corporation of America. Mark has around 30 years of experience in the industrial automation sector, 16 of which have been with SMC in various technical and sales roles. In his 30 years, Mark has played the role of an end user, a design engineer, and currently, a sales specialist; gaining these differing perspectives has helped him to bridge the gap between end users and engineers.14 www.cfpa.ca • Volume 5, Issue 1 A Report from the CFPA’s Board of Directors Know: In the he Canadian Fluid Power Association (CFPA) Board of Directors is looking forward to welcoming 2023 with enthusiastic optimism and The Power of Positivity! Last year was a year of growth for the CFPA in many ways: membership grew, meetings and programs got stronger, we even grew financially stronger. We were very pleased when our AGM, held in Whistler, British Columbia, was back to its former glory. Our speakers were truly first rate, and we had participation from many companies, some of whom had multiple delegates in attendance. Social activities included our opening Mountain Top Dinner, “Minute-to-Win-it” reception, e-biking, and a golf tournament. In 2023, we will be heading to one of Canada’s most luxurious and legendary resorts, the Algonquin Resort in beautiful St. Andrews by the Sea, New Brunswick, from June 7-10. This event will continue our theme of positivity with Gary Gzik, a long-time favourite CFPA speaker, opening with “The Playful Culture, How Fun at Work Leads to Innovation and Progress.” As usual, we will provide updates on the economy, green energy, and developments in vertical industries, and host member workshops helping to forge future CFPA programs. Networking is a key benefit of association membership, and this is the perfect opportunity to form new relationships with senior leaders in the fluid power industry, from both manufacturing and distributor companies. Not only will we have fantastic ocean side receptions and dinners but, by popular demand, we have brought back “Minute to Win It.” We will also introduce the CFPA Amazing Race and welcome some of Yuk Yuks best comedians to keep you entertained! This is a great way to unwind after an intense day of meetings. We have expanded the AGM to Saturday this year as the location has so much to offer. Delegates will have the choice of whale watching or a golf tournament at the award-winning Algonquin Golf Club. With the right mix of business topics and networking you will leave the AGM better informed, connected, and engaged in a host of new ideas. We are also excited to share that we have further expanded our relationship with Centennial College, which will be sponsoring and hosting our 2023 Toronto School Challenge. This has spurred a great deal of interest in Toronto-based feeder schools and we already have 30 school applications. We look forward to working with them to introduce a new generation to the many opportunities in fluid power careers. We will be offering our Advanced Hydraulics course this fall in conjunction with Centennial College. This will be a hybrid course involving online lectures and a “hands on” lab component. Our courses will culminate in a CFPA digital badge, and we hope all members will participate to ensure your team is up to date on cutting edge technology. The market insight committee greatly expanded the compensation survey, which was published in November, providing management with the knowledge to attract and retain talent. We are looking forward to introducing more granularity into our statistical program, and are working on partnering with an economist who can provide insight into our main end user industries. As members, you are part of an organization of people with the common purpose of advancing the state of the fluid power industry in Canada. We encourage you to contribute your voice to the advancement of our industry by volunteering some of your time and expertise to one of our committees. Canadian Fluid Power Association ❚ Spring/Summer 2023 ❚ 15 Join CFPA at their AGM in New Brunswick in 2023! June 7-10, 2023 The Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews by-the-Sea CFPA’s AGM has become a “must attend” event, and provides a unique opportunity to form new relationships with the senior management teams of both manufacturer and distributor members. https://cfpa.ca/cfpa-events The Power of Positivity Next >