Integrated manufacturing IT solutions are key role in the pharma factory of the future!

PAS-X User Group Meeting: Pharma experts from around the world discuss current trends in the field of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Source: Werum IT Solutions

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) - such as Werum's PAS-X - will take a key role for efficient production and packaging processes in the pharmaceutical industry. This was the main message of the 16th PAS-X User Group Meeting which was held at the invitation of Werum IT Solutions in Lüneburg (D) last month. About 120 experts from 50 pharma and biotech companies from 20 nations attended the meeting to learn more about current trends in the field of pharmaceutical manufacturing and Werum's product innovations.

The theme of the two-day user conference was "PAS-X: Tuned up. Moving forward": Together with the PAS-X User Community, Werum further improved the leading MES for pharmaceutical and biotechnological manufacturing. The presentation of the PAS-X innovations focused on the future product development strategy and PAS-X usability.

Speakers from internationally leading pharma and biotech companies such as Bayer HealthCare, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis/CIBA VISION and UNIGEN complemented the presentations by sharing their PAS-X experience. For the first time, Dividella, Mediseal, Rondo and Seidenader - the other Körber Medipak Systems companies - presented their business. The keynote presentations on "HMI 4.0 - What is the future of Human-Machine Interaction?" and "Innovation in Diagnostics, Pharma and IT" also attracted wide interest.

Intrinsically safe infrared temperature sensor!

The new ExTemp series of intrinsically safe infrared temperature sensors from Calex Electronics is designed for use in ATEX and IECEx explosive atmospheres up to and including Zone 0 (gas) and Zone 20 (dust), in conjunction with a suitable safety barrier or isolator. 

Ex II 1GD, Ex ia IIC T4 Ga (Gas), 
Ex ia IIIC T135°C IP65 Da (Dust)

This range of pyrometers is available with a choice of pre-set temperature ranges from -20°C to +1000°C. All models have a two-wire 4 to 20 mA output that may be rescaled via the optional USB interface and software. 

A choice of optics is available so that small or large targets may be measured at short or long distances. 

All ExTemp sensors are supplied pre-configured for general-purpose use and may be used in many applications without the need for additional configuration. However, all models are fully configurable: the emissivity setting, averaging, peak and valley hold processing and reflected energy compensation parameters may be adjusted if required via the configuration software. 

The robust stainless steel 316 housing is sealed to IP65 and is ideal for offshore applications. 

The sensor is available with factory-fitted cable lengths from 5 to 25 metres, and the cable may be extended even further (subject to safety requirements) if required. 

Optional accessories include mounting brackets, air purge collar and a UKAS traceable calibration certificate.

The ExTemp is ideally suited for applications in the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food, automotive painting, and gas cylinder filling industries, among many more. 

Sparking a revolution in electrical measurement!

Twenty years after shaking up the electrical measurement market with the DIRIS system, the first multi-measurement solution, SOCOMEC is once again leading the way with its latest technological innovation: DIRIS Digiware, a totally modular and flexible energy measurement and monitoring system.

Key points
- An innovative measurement system that is accurate, flexible, multi-circuit, plug & play and cost-effective
- Concrete benefits for installers, panel builders and end-users
- Implementation time divided by 4
- Up to 30% cost savings vs existing technology

DIRIS Digiware is a simple solution for building a modular measurement system. It comprises as a minimum a display unit, a voltage measurement module, multiple current measurement modules and current sensors.

More precisely, the DIRIS Digiware modular system is based on a centralised display and a single voltage measuring point for the entire system. DIRIS Digiware offers an effective function-sharing capability. It also includes current measurement modules that are interconnected via the Digiware bus (RJ45 cables) for measuring energy consumption at the closest point to the actual loads. Each module can monitor one or more circuits via the current sensors by means of independent current inputs (3, 4 or 6 depending on the modules). With 3 inputs, a current module can monitor a three-phase circuit or 3 single-phase circuits.

The DIRIS Digiware system: multiple current modules with a centralised display and a common voltage module.

These four elements (centralised display, voltage measuring point, current measurement modules, current sensors) constitute the heart of the system. For applications without local display, the DIRIS Digiware C-31 system interface centralises all of the system’s data. The data from the Digiware modules and remote units is centralised on one or more DIRIS G communication gateways. Each gateway includes a WEBVIEW web server for monitoring electrical parameters in real time and for analysing energy consumption data.

An optional touch-screen tablet completes the system. It can be panel-mounted and is connected by Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi (via a router) for providing information to energy management software such as VERTELIS Suite.

For remote monitoring points, the user can also use the DIRIS B-30 measurement units with wireless or RS485 communication.

Advanced technology … made easy
The apparent simplicity of the concept is the result of SOCOMEC’s expertise in electrical measurement and communication technologies, as well a clear vision of what the measurement systems of tomorrow should be: accurate, flexible, multi-circuit, plug & play and cost-effective.

Concrete benefits
For contractors and panel builders:
• DIRIS Digiware is a plug & play solution: its RJ45 and RJ12 connections means that the modules can be very quickly integrated, as well as enabling the automatic configuration of the connected current sensors.
• DIRIS Digiware is above all a very cost-effective solution: implementation in a quarter of the time normally required, the compact design of the modules frees up more space in electrical equipment cabinets, and the common voltage measurement, display and communication functions offer up to 30% savings compared to existing metering technology.
For end-users:
• The accuracy of the system over a wide range of loads means it has unequalled precision in terms of energy measurements, thereby optimising any energy efficiency initiatives.
• DIRIS Digiware enables the identification of major loads and constantly monitors multiple electrical parameters for any anomalies. With its capacity to keep a check on the quality of electrical energy, the system can more easily anticipate network malfunctions.
• DIRIS Digiware is extremely flexible and is suited to the most space-constrained installations. The system can be easily retro-fitted in an existing facility thanks to the split-core current sensor options.

Compliance with standards: measurement accuracy is in accordance with standard IEC 61557-12: class 0.5 for the global measurement chain from 2 to 120% of nominal current (with TE current sensors).

New member for wireless body!

HIKOB, based in France, has joined the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute. This company specialises in building and supporting wireless autonomous multi-points data acquisition systems.

HIKOB systems are provided as fully integrated hardware and software platforms, built to collect complex data and support advanced data processing algorithms. The systems are quick and easy to install, and able to be deployed in all contexts and field types, such as road operations, traffic and parking, civil engineering structure monitoring, industrial machine condition monitoring, live coverage of sporting events and inertial measurements and positioning systems.

“HIKOB products add a multiplication of measurement points and reduce installation and maintenance costs over traditional wired installations,” said Guillaume Chelius, CEO, HIKOB. “ISA100 Wireless will help make our products even more efficient and, ultimately, help us deliver a better, more cost-effective system to our customers.”

Panel feed-through aids installation of PushPull connectors

Harting has extended its established PushPull connector family with a new panel feed-through component in robust plastic for mounting the Han® PushPull Power 4.0 connector in round panel cutouts with IP65/67 protection class. The round panel feed-throughs can be screwed into wall openings with M25 threads or mounted in circular wall openings with a diameter of 25 mm.

Round panel feed-throughs offer decisive advantages in situations where existing devices require a quick and simple conversion of a (non-pluggable) cable entry into a pluggable energy supply entry, while at the same time avoiding mechanical reworking of the housing wall.

In addition, round panel feed-throughs with PushPull locking offer advantages where an additional interface is required for an existing housing. In many cases the production of a round wall cutout requires less work.

The Han® PushPull Power 4.0 connector is suitable for power transfer at ratings of up to 690 V and 16 A. Wire gauges from 0.25 mm² to 2.5 mm² can be connected either without tools, using Harting's Han®-Quick Lock rapid termination technique, or with crimp technology. Five contacts are available in each insulated insert.

The connectors can be coded without loss of poles, in order to avoid faulty mating or confusion between several connectors. Further accessories include IP65/67 protective caps.

Technical note on new methodology for high speed imaging!

IDS Imaging Development Systems  has published a new technical note entitled ‘Multi integration mode: Multiple exposures within one image’. This explores how the multi integration mode of the 2 MP CMOS sensor from e2v used in the USB 3 uEye CP family of industrial cameras allows high sped imaging to be obtained without the need for a specialist high speed camera.

Click to download (pdf)

This new technical tip is available for download and shows how the Multi integration mode allows multiple exposures to be made on just one image for motion blur reduction and visualising speed. Full set-up details for the new mode are described.

The Multi integration mode is especially suitable for use in ITS for automatic number plate recognition as well as in the sports and medical fields or particle analysis/tracing. It can also be used to superimpose multiple exposures of a positional state in one shot for extremely short exposures and dark images associated with these. This allows summing to be carried out on dark images in cyclical processes to improve signal to noise.

New vortex flowmeter for advanced energy measurement.

OPTISWIRL 4200 vortex flowmeter for the measurement of conducting and non-conducting liquids, gases and steam has been introduced by Krohne. The new device is targeted at auxiliary and supply applications in various industries, such as internal monitoring of energy flows for saturated and superheated steam or hot water, and heat metering applications. Areas of usage also cover steam boiler monitoring, burner consumption measurement or compressed air network monitoring, including FAD applications.

Based on the experience gained with the predecessor OPTISWIRL 4070, the new flowmeter comes with some advanced features: in addition to gross heat calculation for steam, the OPTISWIRL 4200 now includes net heat calculation for steam and condensate (hot water) as well. With one temperature sensor integrated as standard, the device can be installed as heat meter in the feed line directly connected with an external temperature sensor in the return line. The gross and net heat calculation can be fed into a DCS to support advanced energy management.

As established with the predecessor, temperature and pressure compensation options are also available for the new OPTISWIRL 4200 to enable calculation of standard flow volume under fluctuating pressures and temperatures (online density compensation). Both compensation functions are based on the standards of NIST (for gas) respectively IAPWS (for steam). Another advantage is that by combining three measurements (flow, temperature and pressure) in one 2-wire-device, the line has to be opened only once for installation.

In addition to the standard sensor range, a version with integrated reduction of nominal diameter up to two sizes is now available for space-saving installations and large measuring spans. About 90% of all vortex flowmeters are ordered one size smaller than line diameter in order to increase the flow speed and to get a wider measuring range. Here, the line has to be reduced before and widened after the sensor, typically including 20 DN inlet and 5 DN outlet. With the reduction and widening of nominal diameter included in the sensor, this is no longer necessary. To compensate for no straight inlet between reduction and the vortex bluff body, these devices are specially calibrated and linearised.

The remote version OPTISWIRL 4200 F with field housing converter is now available with connection cable up to 50 m/164 ft. As with the predecessor, a dual version with two independent sensors and two signal converters is also available for multiproduct pipelines, redundant measurement or increased safety demands.

Enhancements have also been made on the electronics side: equipped with new AVFD function (Advanced Vortex Frequency Detection), the newly developed signal converter VFC 200 of the OPTISWIRL 4200 features advanced signal processing and filtering: interferences and disturbances in the pick-up signal are suppressed, and signals apart from the relevant frequency band are filtered out. Redundant data management prevents loss of calibration and configuration data when changing electronics or display.

By default, all OPTISWIRL devices are wet-calibrated at factory (traceable to international standards) and pre-set to match customer specifications. OPTISWIRL 4200 also comes with an installation wizard to ease installation; e.g. in a steam application it will only show related settings.

• Krohne products are marketed in Ireland by DWN Instrumentation.