"See, decide, act and optimise!"

Industry-leading digital automation portfolio connects intelligent field to software-centric evolution of automation architecture

Leveraging decades of digital innovation and leadership across all automation categories, global technology and software company Emerson has announced the evolution of the Plantweb™ digital ecosystem to incorporate the AspenTech portfolio of asset optimisation software powered by industrial artificial intelligence, creating the most comprehensive digital transformation portfolio in the industry.

 

Emerson’s Plantweb digital ecosystem, optimised by AspenTech, enables industrial manufacturers across all industries to “See, Decide, Act and Optimise” their operations. Leveraging a robust suite of sensors, software and control technologies, Plantweb now enables companies to optimise the business and sustainability performance of their plants and enterprise through advanced asset and business optimisation software.

 

“With the vast amounts of data created by manufacturing, the world’s most essential industries have increasingly demanded robust automation that transcends boundaries to help empower safe, reliable operations across a facility or enterprise,” said Mark Bulanda, executive president of Emerson’s Automation Solutions business. “Our Plantweb digital ecosystem, combined with the asset optimisation leadership of AspenTech, gives organisations the ability to ‘see, decide, act and optimise’ every aspect of their operations to drive exceptional returns on automation investment in productivity, safety and sustainability.”

 

The new Plantweb digital ecosystem, now optimised with AspenTech industrial AI software, empowers companies with an unprecedented flexibility to generate, manage and use the rapidly growing body of data each plant operation generates. As every operator increasingly uses data and software to perform their jobs, Plantweb helps make data actionable by more personnel in the context of their role, regardless of location.

 

Plantweb powers world-class performance by enabling: sensing and visualization, predictive diagnostics and monitoring, precision control, modelling and AI-powered analytics. These technologies include:

• Sense & Measure: Providing the ability to SEE, sensing and measurement technologies create high-integrity data to drive all decisions. This portfolio helps customers eliminate blind spots in locations and applications previously out of reach, including modern edge computing that enables faster local response. Key capabilities include leak and corrosion detection, tank, safety and equipment monitoring, personnel awareness, process measurements, and liquid and gas analysis.
   
• Automation Systems & Software: Providing the ability to DECIDE, digital automation systems enable agility through intuitive analytics and improved visibility. Advanced software drives better decisions through on-demand access to expertise, while automated workflows empower personnel to focus on high-value activities rather than low-value tasks. Software includes distributed, batch and advanced control, SCADA and PLCs, safety systems, asset and alarm management, remote monitoring, AI, machine learning and digital twins.
   
• Act & Control: Providing the confidence to ACT, responsive, precision control helps maximise performance and optimise production to drive operational integrity and protect people, equipment and the environment. Technology capabilities include digital valve control, process isolation, pressure regulation, discrete, motion, fluid and drive control and air handling.
   
• Industrial Software: Providing the ability to OPTIMISE across the entire asset lifecycle, modular, AI-based software features performance engineering applications to optimise and create world-class facilities. Manufacturing and supply chain applications maximise operational performance, while asset performance management applications extract the greatest return on investment from equipment and facilities. Industrial software capabilities include capital estimation, facility modelling, economic analysis, reservoir modelling, planning and scheduling, process and dynamic simulation, process knowledge management, supply chain management, process and energy analytics, management execution, electricity grid management, operations and asset performance management and digital twins.

The industry has increasingly realised advanced automation is the greatest strategic lever available to boost operating performance, improve safety and achieve sustainability targets through emissions reduction and greater energy efficiency.

“Plantweb has remained a platform for continuous innovation in the industry since its introduction in 1997, including the world’s first integrated digital safety loop, machinery health monitoring and the pervasive deployment of wireless technologies,” said Peter Zornio, chief technology officer for Emerson. “Now Plantweb sets the software foundation for the future of ‘boundless automation,’ where the intelligent field, edge and cloud become a seamless architecture for world-class responsiveness and performance.”

•  See "Forward Focus..."  - the theme of the Emerson User Group Conference commencing 24th October 2022 in Grapevine (TX USA).

@EmersonExchange @EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @AspenTech @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #SCADA

Smart factory inaugurated.

DFI's new facility in Taoyuan (Taiwan) introduces multiple automated equipment. In addition to efficiency and precision, it features more rigorous manufacturing and inspection processes. Control of the manufacturing process has been enhanced, with output increasing by 30%, material mastery reaching 99.9%, and FPYR (First Pass Yield Rate) reaching 99.6%.

The global pandemic and severe labor and material shortages have recently plagued the international supply chain. Corporate automation and smart production have become keys to increasing future competitiveness. DFI has transformed the Taoyuan plant into a high-efficiency, high-quality, and high-material management smart factory by introducing new automation equipment.

Michael Lee, Vice Chairman of DFI, stated, "a wave of new infrastructure and IoT has swept the global industry in recent years. DFI has accumulated great expertise in the embedded field. We can help customers accelerate their integration of IT and OT to improve the deployment of smart functions to respond to the rapidly changing industrial environment. We will actively face the various impacts of the post-pandemic era and economic changes."

Alexander Su, President of DFI, further shared the company's management approach. "With the trend of corporate digital transformations, DFI will implement comprehensive production and quality management through the three operating strategies of 'smart new factory,' 'AIoT product lines,' and 'flexible and stable supply chain deployment.' We will provide integrated solutions and realize exceptional product performance and stable supply services to create maximum customer value."

The New Plant is the Face of Smartification

• Efficiency: DFI has expanded SMT production to 6 lines and has integrated high-efficiency AS/RS unmanned vehicles with an automated smart warehouse system. Results include improved material turnover efficiency by 20% and output by 30%.

• Accuracy: An automated X-ray component counter was introduced to accurately count and calculate the number of parts after mounting. The smart feeder provides two pathways of smart confirmation. A production traceability system provides complete material and product traceability, increasing mastery of materials and parts to 99.9%.

• Product quality: The correctness of finished parts and production quality is ensured by 2D & 3D automated optical inspection (Pre-reflow AOI/Post-reflow AOI) and X-ray inspection. A wide temperature burn-in chamber conducts aging testing according to customer needs. It can satisfy the tolerability required by various key applications, with an FPYR of 99.6%.

Creating ultra-small products and high flexibility, high stability supply chains.
In recent years, DFI has actively invested in the research and development of ultra-small motherboards and fully invested in developing Edge AI related products. We have expanded the deployment of vertical applications, such as industrial automation, Internet of Vehicles, and medical solutions. The supply of high-quality products requires a firm yet flexible supply chain for support. DFI has created a stable supply chain by enhancing smart production management capabilities.

This mart factory has successfully integrated the IT and OT systems. The production line's efficiency, accuracy, and quality have been enhanced. Hybrid cloud architecture has been established, and the connectivity and correctness of the information system has been improved. Sufficient production capacity and strong performance will drive the company's implementation of OT smart transformations.

 @DFI_Embedded @mepaxIntPR #Taiwan #PAuto 

Delivering clean energy.

The drive for a renewable, carbon-free energy transition reaches individual residences and consumers with small-scale hydrogen production and utilization.

A White Paper* describing how Emerson assisted Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) with a hydrogen microgrid project is now available.

Hydrogen use is growing rapidly worldwide to provide a clean source of energy in a variety of industrial applications, but until now the residential market has had limited use. This situation is changing as utility companies worldwide are exploring delivery solutions to enable their customers to use hydrogen for emission reduction.

SoCalGas, a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy, is working with Emerson to deploy digital technologies, software, and services to demonstrate the resiliency and reliability of a hydrogen microgrid for southern California utility consumers.

The [H₂] Innovation Experience is one of the first projects of its kind in the U.S., and it shows how this carbon-free gas made using renewable electricity can be consumed in pure form, or blended with natural gas to fuel clean energy systems of the future. Now operating, this demonstration project provides a path to reducing emissions from home energy use—another critical contribution to a cleaner energy future.

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*The white paper (pdf) may be downloaded here.

•  See "Forward Focus..."  - the theme of the Emerson User Group Conference commencing 24th October 2022 in Grapevine (TX USA).

@EmersonExchange @EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @socalgas #PAuto #Energy #USA

New management team announced.

L-R: Dr Nildeep Patel, President Engineered Products Division, Eric Haag, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development,Trexon; Gareth Phillips, Managing Director – Roy Phillips, retiring CEO, Intelliconnect.

A new senior management team has been unveiled by Intelliconnect (Europe) following their recent acquisition by Trexon Global. Gareth Phillips is now Managing Director and Steve Groves takes the role of Sales & Marketing Director.

Gareth and Steve were already in place as part of the planned retirement of Roy Phillips, founder and CEO, to ensure continued smooth running of the company in line with Roy’s belief that people are the most important resource of any organisation. He will be staying on in an advisory role for a period to make his wealth of experience available to the new team.

Roy Phillips says, “So after nearly 20 years of fun, frustration, fantastic people, hard work and the utter joy of watching my baby grow from an embryo in the corner of a warehouse to the multi-national, multi-million-pound business it is today, it is time to hand over the reins of Intelliconnect to my fantastic new management team under the ownership of the Trexon Group.” 

Commenting on the acquisition Phillips says “Trexon very much have a ‘hands off’ approach to running their businesses and are about investment and growth, factors which were decisive in making our choice of acquirer. I would like to assure all of our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders that this move will only benefit all concerned. The tremendous growth that we have achieved over the past few years will continue, while retaining the unique essence of Intelliconnect.”

Commenting on the changes, the new Managing Director, Gareth Phillips, says, "I am delighted to be taking on the role of Managing Director and working with our amazing team and new owners to keep exceeding our stakeholders’ expectations. The Intelliconnect business has been built on quality and service, none of which would have been possible without its fantastic people and supply chain. Roy brought me in three years ago not only to help get this business ready for the future but because like him, I believe that we are nothing without our team and we already have some really exciting plans for the future."

Steve Groves, Sales and Marketing Director, adds, Intelliconnect have been on a fantastic journey under the guidance of Roy for many years now. Being part of the Trexon group opens up many more exciting opportunities with great synergies across the group, within the customer base and product range

@Intelli_Connect @proactivefleet #Pauto #Trexon

Fork sensors.

The new fork sensors of the GS 04B and GS 08B series from Leuze detect even the smallest objects with absolute reliability. They are ideal for reliable detection in high speed applications

Even the smallest objects can be reliably detected - as proven by the new Leuze GS 04B and GS 08B series fork sensors. They detect objects as small as 0.05 mm in diameter. Due to their high switching frequency of up to 10,000 HZ, they are well suited for use in fast automation processes. Users benefit from a wide choice of different variants: the sensors of the GS 04B series are available in 14 different fork widths from 5 to 220 mm. The GS(L) 08B series offers four fork widths from 30 to 120 mm. This makes them suitable for a variety of industries - for example in the packaging sector or in assembly and handling technology.

The new GS 04B series fork photoelectric sensors with red light LED are also available with extra-wide fork widths of 170 or 220 millimeters. Using these, applications with larger components can also be solved with fork sensors

Quickly mounted and configured.

The compact fork shape of the sensors combines the transmitter and receiver in one device. This enables simple and quick mounting without the need for alignment and offers a high level of operational reliability. Due to their very compact design, Leuze fork photoelectric sensors can also be integrated into areas where space is limited. The extrawide fork widths of 170 or 220 mm, also allow larger objects to be detected.

The cleanroom-compatible V4A stainless steel housing of the GS(L) 08B series is ECOLAB-certified and therefore ideal for industries with high demands on hygiene and resistance to cleaning agents

The sensors of the GS 04B and GS 08B series can be configured either via IO-Link or manually via a potentiometer. Sensitivity adjustment and light/dark switching ensure maximum reliability. When it comes to high demands on hygiene and resistance to cleaning agents: the GS(L) 08B series offers a robust, resistant, and cleanroom-compatible V4A stainless steel housing. It is ECOLAB-certified and meets the high standards of protection class IP67.

@LeuzeUK @LeuzeUSA @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Manufacturing

Machine reduces risk of assembly errors.

The Danfoss Power Solutions' WalformConnect machine, With an array of digital features, data tracking, and cloud connectivity, enables simple and safe hydraulic tube forming within the Walform® system — a leading cold forming metric tube fitting system — driving reliable performance and optimized production processes.

Designed to help customers ensure correct forming of high-performance hydraulic tubes, the WalformConnect machine features an array of digital capabilities and connectivity options. The new machine reduces the risk of assembly errors with a barcode scanner that verifies the correct tooling to use. In addition, the machine automatically indicates the compatible clamping jaw part number and tube parameters.

The WalformConnect machine enables in-depth production monitoring by capturing a range of real-time data, such as cycle times, machine temperature, and tool clamping status. Operators and supervisors can easily access information on what proportion of a production lot is complete, the cycle time per order, and more. The ability to monitor multiple machines in the cloud enables easier operational planning. In addition, historical production data and information on past orders can be saved on an individual machine or in the cloud, enabling easy local or remote analysis to further improve production. The machine can be fully integrated into a customer’s manufacturing process, allowing for paperless production with orders sent directly from an enterprise resource planning system.

To maximize WalformConnect machine uptime, real-time monitoring can automatically provide maintenance teams with information to support error resolution, while remote software updates and failure analysis further reduce the risk of production delays.

“Customers around the world rely on the Walform system for dependable, leak-free performance when it matters most,” said Christian Kuenstel, global product management leader, Connectors, Danfoss Power Solutions. “Our new WalformConnect machine will help make it even easier to ensure fast and safe tube assembly through its suite of digital capabilities. With complete visibility into production data, supervisors can enhance efficiency, ensure quality, and minimize the risk of unplanned downtime. WalformConnect is a win-win for anyone that wants streamlined production and absolute tube-fitting reliability in high-pressure and high-vibration applications where safety is crucial.”

The WalformConnect machine enables easy and safe forming of steel and stainless steel tubing in 6 to 42 millimeter sizes. The Walform system is widely used in demanding industry applications throughout agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transport, oil and gas, and more.

@Danfoss @NapierPR #Maunfacturing #PAuto 

Simple SCADA-based Software.

Modular, scalable Movicon.NExT 4.2 built on open framework improves performance, reduces deployment costs, features modern graphics and more.

Delivering the next level in plant performance, visibility, connectivity and usability, Emerson has released its advanced automation platform, Movicon.NExT™ 4.2. The software is designed to easily interface with any field device and control or enterprise system, connecting users and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with the data and insights needed to achieve operational excellence across a wide range of applications, including discrete and hybrid manufacturing, such as food and beverage and packaged consumer goods, as well as energy, infrastructure, building automation and machine automation.

Movicon.NExT 4.2 is a flexible, modular platform that provides local HMI, supervision and analytics that scale from small IIoT or WebHMI applications on embedded Linux devices to large Windows® server systems, allowing users to achieve sustainability and performance improvements, one step at a time, easily and cost-effectively.

“OEMs and industrial users today face new challenges, including skilled labour shortages, demands for higher productivity and production speed, and energy reduction goals,” said Jeff Householder, president of Emerson’s machine automation solutions business. “Movicon.NExT 4.2 provides the scalable, easy-to-use technology they need to develop advanced plant automation solutions that can improve productivity, decrease downtime and reduce development time.”

The Movicon.NExT 4.2 platform enables customers to develop solutions faster and securely through an array of new capabilities, including better performance, IEC 62443-3-3 certification for increased cybersecurity, and new flat objects for higher efficiency. In addition, the platform allows rapid application development without the need for specialised skills or customised configurations.

Improvements have also been made to each of the Movicon.NExT modules, Movicon WebHMI, NExT.AR and Pro.Lean, including connectivity enhancements to strengthen communications, new options to make licensing easier, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR - USA) Title 21 support for recipes for greater usability, and alarm notifications to reduce infrastructure cost. Among the expanded WebHMI visual capabilities is the addition of various customisable objects to further enhance ease-of-use for developers.

The NExT.AR augmented reality solution now includes new zoom functionality that allows personnel to access previously unreachable plant assets, reducing maintenance costs. The Movicon Pro.Lean productivity analytics module now includes a number of advancements that make it easier to navigate OEE metrics, manage schedules and improve scrap management.

•  See "Forward Focus..."  - the theme of the Emerson User Group Conference commencing 24th October 2022 in Grapevine (TX USA).

@Progea_srl @EmersonExchange @EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #SCADA