Automation Technologies 4/2014

international
ONLINE Edition
4
October 2014
Shanghai
Chinese hub for automation
technologies and business
Exhibition
Shanghai and IAS
are waiting
Export Association
Turkey and USA –
future cooperation
Machinery Safety
Challenge with
economic potential
Quality Control
Thermal imaging
cameras at BMW
www.ate-magazine.com
in cooperation with

Editorial
read editorial
The future has begun
Dear readers,
Global competition and continuous market changes put pressure on the
production industry. Costs must be reduced and profits maximised.
This is also the case in China.
Dirk Schaar
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Andreas Wolf
Hannover Fairs International
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

COLOMBIA
SLOVAKIA
table of content
China is the place to be
with its strong position in
machine production
Shanghai and the IAS Show
2014 are waiting
The automation market
in China from Bernstein’s
perspective
Turkish Machinery to expand
in the US machinery market
like us on facebook
News and Markets
The importance of
photovoltaic for the
agriculture in Nicaragua
Connectivity at sea
Humans working together
with robots: safe and flexible
Columns
Editorial
Product News / Imprint
News and Markets
Big picture: Balloon Fiesta at IMTS show in Chicago
What do you expect from the Chinese automation market
in the next years?
The Automation Market in China from Bernstein’s perspective
Turkish Machinery to expand in the US Machinery Market
Plastics for longer life – a very special birthday tour
Industrial Automation IA Beijing: Comprehensive solutions
for intelligent manufacturing
Global Machinery Safety: Challenge with economic potential
sensors and measurement
High-performance 2D laser scanner with integrated
control interface
Smart Wireless Technology helps improve leak detection
control and drive technology
The importance of photovoltaic for the agriculture in
Nicaragua

www.escha.net
Bright prospects for Industrial
Automation North America
High-performance 2D laser scanner
with integrated control interface
robotic
Round connectors M12x1 | M8x1
Drag-chain adapted
10 million cycles
Backgrounds and perspectives of the
new USB 3.0 interface
INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION
Sercos and Rexroth help streamline servo-driven
case packers
Difficult conditions – Connectivity at sea
Components and Software
Working together with robots: safe and flexible
Enclosures: more than just a housing
Machine Vision
Thermal imaging cameras in automotive quality
control at BMW
Torsion-resistant
10 million cycles | 360°
Weld-field immune
IP67
See you at Industrial Automation Show
11-15 Nov. 2014 | Hall E3/B08
ESCHA Automation Connectivity (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
2060 Duhui Road, Building F, 2nd Floor, Minhang District
201108Shanghai |+862152968180| info.china@escha.net

News and Markets
WIN EURASIA Automation 2015 will
take place in March
The 2015 WIN EURASIA Automation
- World of Industry, the
international event for industrial
technology and capital goods in
Turkey, will take place from
19-22 March 2015 at the Tüyap
FairConvention and Congress
Center in Istanbul. The event that is organized by
Deutsche Messe AG in collaboration with
Hannover Messe Bilesim Fuarcilik A.S. combines
four trade fairs: Hydraulic & Pneumatic
EURASIA, Otomasyon EURASIA, Electrotech
EURASIA and Materials Handling EURASIA.
Highlights will be the Industrial Activities
Summit, company and product presentations,
panel discussions and matchmaking program. In
2014, 77,000 visitors attended the event and 1,950
companies exhibited their products and services.
www.win-fair.com
WIN INDIA will return to New Dheli
in December
This year’s WIN INDIA - World of Industry, India’s
international event for industrial technology and
capital goods, will take place from 10-13 December
2014 at the Pragati Maidan exhibition centre
in New Dheli. The event that is organized by
Deutsche Messe AG in collaboration with
Hannover Milano Fairs India combines four trade
fairs: MDA INDIA, Industrial Automation
INDIA, Surface Technology INDIA and CeMAT
INDIA. Highlights will be live demonstrations,
application parks, industrial forums, the
Purchase Managers’ Summit as well as an extensive
networking program. In 2013, when the trade
fair took place for the first time almost 11,500
visitors attended the event.
www.win-india.com
New accreditation for CSA Group’s lab in Turkey
CSA Group, a leading global organization in standards
development and testing and certification
services, is expanding local services with a new
accreditation for its lab in Turkey. The new accreditation
allows for testing of information technology
equipment, uninterruptable power systems,
machinery, lighting control systems, including LED
modules, lighting fixtures and non-metallic materials
under TS EN ISO/IEC 17025:2012. Since 2002,
the lab in Izmir has been offering product safety
tests and certification services for household appliances,
AV equipment and electrical equipment.
The lab plans to further expand its scope of services
to meet growing client needs in the areas of machinery,
LED Lighting, IT equipment and automotive.
www.csagroup.org
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

TKD Kabel expanding international
presence
Ready-to-install
cable carrier systems:
e-chains ®
For the first time, German-based cable specialist
TKD Kabel will generate more than 50 % of its
annual revenue in foreign markets. This achievement
was made possible by the company’s
expanded international presence. In the last two
years alone, TKD has established three new
national subsidiaries. This latest expansion began
in October 2012 with the launch of TKD Italia,
followed by TKD Cable Suzhou in China in the
middle of last year and TKD Mexico at the end of
2013. “Our three ‘youngsters’ have enjoyed strong
growth from the beginning – and turned into a
real fixture in their respective markets”, says
Dr. Wilhelm Engst, CEO of TKD Kabel.
+ chainflex ® cables
= readychain ®
www.tkd-kabel.de
Binder opens subsidiary in
Singapore
Having already established subsidiaries in China,
USA, France, UK, Sweden and the Netherlands
“Binder Singapore” opened this month. The
manufacturer of circular connectors continues
with its company philosophy of strengthening
the headquarters in Neckarsulm as the heart of
the company and expanding its international
presence. Managing shareholder Markus Binder
is fully convinced of Singapore as a hub: “From
there we can perfectly serve the local demands in
South East Asia, India, Middle East and the Asia
Pacific region with our broad portfolio.” Binder
has moved into office and warehouse premises in
the “Singapore German Centre”.
www.binder-connector.de
readychain ®
is a pre-harnessed system that is
ready to plug-and-play upon delivery. Available
from 24 hours! ... plastics for longer life ®
Request a free sample: Tel. +49 2203 9649-800
readychain@igus.eu www.igus.eu/rc
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014
Igus-englisch.indd 1 23.09.2014 15:12:23

News and Markets
Deutsche Messe expands its industrial
tradeshow portfolio in the U.S.
Deutsche Messe AG has organized Industrial
Automation North America in the U.S. since 2012
and launched MDA North America in 2014. The
success of these two events underscores the
ongoing re-industrialization trend in the U.S.,
where low labor and energy costs are spurring on
industrial production and filling manufacturers’
order books. Following this trend, in 2016
Deutsche Messe will organize three additional
events – ComVac North America, Industrial
Supply North America and Surface Technology
North America – which cover compressed-air
and vacuum technology, industrial subcontracting
and surface treatment, respectively. These
five trade fairs will run parallel to IMTS (International
Manufacturing Technology Show) from 12
to 17 September 2016 at McCormick Place in
Chicago. With more than 2,000 exhibitors and
110,000 trade visitors, IMTS is North America’s
leading trade fair for manufacturing technology.
www.ia-northamerica.com
Eaton intensifies cooperation
with SAE
Power management company Eaton and SAE
Schaltanlagenbau Erfurt GmbH (SAE) have finalised
a cooperation agreement which will see
them work closely together to build machine
control panels for export to North America, and
also for use in large scale projects. “The requests
from machine builders for support in exports to
the North American market have continued to
increase in recent years,” reports Martin Kram,
Sales Director Germany, Eaton Electrical Sector
EMEA. “The requirements that have to be met in
order to be allowed to supply machinery to the
USA and Canada differ in their complexity considerably
from the European IEC standards. The
extension of our partnership with SAE now puts
us in the position of being able to also offer our
customers the systems as well as the specialist
know-how.” Headquartered in Erfurt, Germany,
SAE has over 200 employees and has specialised
in the development and manufacture of switchboards
for automation technology and machine
building, as well as power and low-voltage power
distribution systems up to 5,000 A. The company
focuses on projects for export to the North
American market.
www.eaton.com
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

News and Markets
Eplan with three new subsidiaries
New Eplan subsidiaries have been founded in Japan, South Africa
and Turkey. Until now, the three countries have been supported by
co-operation partners. At the start of the year, Eplan Software &
Services K.K. was founded with its headquarters in Tokyo. In June,
the new subsidiary Eplan Software & Services (Pty) Ltd. started
trading in South Africa. The office was established in Edenvale near
Johannesburg. A further subsidiary was established in July in Turkey:
Eplan Yazılım ve Yazılım Hizmetleri A.S. trades in Istanbul. “As a
manufacturer of engineering solutions, we can market new products
and our comprehensive service portfolio better and much more
quickly”, explains Haluk Menderes (photo), Managing Director of
Eplan Software & Service. “Our customers, who are largely active in
international circles, profit from our extensive presence in the global
market and a uniformly high-quality level with respect to services.”
www.eplan.de
EtherCAT Technology Group: 1,000 th member in Asia
Two successful Ether-
CAT Plug Fests , along
with two Safety over
EtherCAT seminars in
Japan and Korea , highlight
the widespread
implementation of
EtherCAT and support
of the EtherCAT Technology
Group (ETG) on
the Asian continent.
Almost 80 participants attended this year’s Ether-
CAT Plug Fests, the developer meetings conducted
by the ETG, in Japan and Korea. ETG events in
Japan have seen particularly overwhelming growth,
with significant increases in member attendance
over the past four
years. Conducted for
the first time in 2010,
the EtherCAT Plug
Fest in Japan has reached
the same attendance
level as its
European counterparts.
Looking back at
the success of the
EtherCAT events in
Japan and Korea , the latest milestone of the ETG is
hardly surprising , given the recent welcome to the
organization ’s 1,000 th member in Asia.
www.ethercat.org
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

BARE IS
BEAUTIFUL.
BASLER’S NEW DART IS SIMPLY STUNNING IN ITS SIMPLICITY.
Sometimes you don’t need lot of bells and whistles. Or a fancy
wrapper. Just the basics will do. Like performance. Reliability. Flexibility.
And a price that makes sense for your system. Sometimes the stripped
down solution is the right solution. And now you can get it from Basler.
Basler’s board level dart camera is the smallest USB3 Vision compliant
camera in the world. It is available as bare board and also with S and
CS-lens mounts, weighing under 15 grams at 29 mm x 29 mm. The dart
consumes less power, produces less heat and fits easily into systems
with limited space. And Basler’s new dart hits the mark on both
performance and price, offering higher image quality than any
other board level camera and starting at just €99.
At Basler, we have a unique vision of value.
Learn more at baslerweb.com.

news and markets
big
our
picture
Chicago
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

news and markets
Balloon Fiesta at IMTS show in Chicago: If there is
one thing anyone who attended IMTS remembers,
it is the fantastic balloon that appeared on the front
lawn of McCormick Place and the exhibition halls.
Two of our editors stayed in Chicago to pursue the
latest trends in the American automation sector for
you. More in this issue…
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
The place to be
Gerald Scheffels
China is by far the biggest market for machines
– and the largest manufacturer of machines, too.
This means: The Chinese industry attracts the
global manufacturers of machines as well as
their suppliers.
hall plan

ead article
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Shanghai and IAS are waiting
Shanghai is not only the most important industrial city
of China but also one of the largest cities in the world.
The city is a major transport hub and an important
cultural and educational center with numerous universities,
colleges and research institutions. This also means that
there is an important location for the automation industry.
The trade fair IAS will be again the impressive proof.

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
IAS hall plan
read article

news and markets
“What do you expect from the
Chinese automation market in
the next years?”
China remains one of the world’s fastest growing economies and
the fastest growing market for manufacturing. China has also
experienced double-digit growth in many segments of automation.
The Data from National Bureau of Statistics showed: the main
business revenue of enterprises in industrial automatic control
system equipment manufacturing industry was CNY 0.1997 billion
in 2011, CNY 0.2450 billion in 2012, and up to CNY 0.2686 billion by
the end of November 2013, which exceeded the total of 2012.
Industrial automation industry has become one of the driving
forces to promote rapid growth of economy in China.
With the industrial transformation of China, more and more largescale
equipment require a control system with higher precision,
which means there will be more high-end products in the market in
future. For the purpose of precision, labor cost control and real-time
on site operation, there will be more robotic applications. The
Chinese government keeps supporting high-tech industries and
cultivating new economic growth area, the technology of domestic
brands has been substantially increased and local suppliers are
confident to compete with foreign technologies in some automation
segments now. The R&D and production target are highly
based on customer needs, which could lead to polarization of
automation products: one side are highly precise or customized
control systems, the other side are standardized products for
low-end users. Market for mid-end products is shrinking and
system integration is playing a more important role.
John Jiang, Managing Director, Lapp Kabel Shanghai Co. Ltd.

news and markets
For Harting, the Chinese automation market will represent one of the major growth
markets also in the future. At the same time, we can see that the market is in a
transition phase. If, in the past, it was characterised by a rather conservative
approach in terms of connectivity, which became visible in the high demand for
classic board-to-board connectivity, today it features not only innovative backplane
solutions but also mezzanine connectors.
Also in China, decentralisation further asserts itself through ethernet
communication. To this purpose, automation profiles are used. Interestingly
enough, a large number of profiles is required - not just regional
ones - in addition to CC-Link, also Ethernet IP, Profinet or EtherCAT.
Among market players, it is the globally established automation
manufacturers who make decisions regarding connectivity also at a local level, as
well as an increasing number of Chinese manufacturers. For us, a very special
highlight is represented by the fact that we have fitted with har-flex the internal
connection between two PCBs in the HMI of a renowned Chinese manufacturer. Thus
we will be continuing our growth path in China.
Andreas Huhmann, Strategy Consultant Connectivity & Networks at the Harting Technology Group
Visit us!
➔ Nov. 04.–08. 2014 · Shanghai
Hall W2 · Booth B112
Get connected
with innovative cables and systems for
industrial applications
The FieldLink product range offers:
Fieldbus cables for factory automation
Cables and cable systems for drive technology
The Quality Connection
Business Unit Industrial Solutions · www.leoni-industrial-solutions.com

news and markets
The Automation Market in China
from Bernstein’s perspective
Uwe Birnbaum, Nicole Steinicke
International safety is becoming more and
more important for the Chinese market.
Bernstein AG ranks among the world’s leading
providers of industrial safety technology
and has a Chinese subsidiary located in
Taicang. With its comprehensive range of
switches, sensors, enclosures, suspension
systems and other components for industrial
applications, Bernstein offers effective and
versatile solutions that address a range of
issues.
Bernstein products are designed to perfectly integrate
in individual system solutions, conforming
to rigorous international safety guidelines. In addition
to classic plant and machine construction,
Bernstein also works with customers in a range of
industries including lift construction, automotive,
agriculture, conveyor construction, automation
engineering, wood-working, renewable energy,
medical technology industries, AS-Interface and AT-
EX. In 2005 Bernstein established a branch and set
up a manufacturing plant in Taicang, situated 50 km
north from the business metropolis of Shanghai. The
expansion of the Chinese market offers significant
opportunities for industrial safety engineering.
Market development in general
Since early 2000, before the economic crisis in
2007/2008, the worldwide automation market developed
rapidly at an average annual growth rate of
8-9 %. China enjoyed annual average growth of up to
20 % at that time. Bernstein ’s Chinese subsidiary was
established just two years before the outbreak of the
global economic crash which seriously hit the whole
industry. While the world market took several years
to recover, the Chinese market recovered faster than
expected with growth in China remaining stable at
7-8 %. Export trade, an important part of the wellknown
Chinese success story of the last two decades,
continued to play a vital role in the country’s growth
whilst a new focus on the domestic market began to
gain increasing momentum.
Huge investment was made in the field of automation
for the automotive industry and machine building
for improvement of the production standards.
This was triggered by the market development in
general and also expressed in China’s 12th Five-Year
Development Plan of high-end equipment manufacturing
industry.
The plan pointed out the importance of upgrading
manufacturing, but also improving the production
efficiency, technical level and product quality. A
transition from “Made in China” to “Designed in
China” became the focus.
The aim is that China’s machinery products shall
be considered as an “intelligent generation” by 2030.
It is also forecasted that Power Generation in China
will double by adding 1,500 gigawatts of capacity in
the same period of time. Actually, this is not a new
industrial revolution, but rather an evolution already
started several years ago.
Impact of the daily business
Let us first consider product and production
related requirements: customers need better monitoring
and control capabilities than ever before
and the needs of respective product categories are
getting more complex. Large volumes of data
needs to be measured, transported via a bus system
and processed, resulting in more complex
products. The needs of machine builders are no
longer the same; they are interested in more customized
solutions rather than standard products

news and markets
and want to obtain an end-to-end solution from
the supplier.
High quality level and machine safety
In view of the rapid evolution of technology, Bernstein
has observed that safety aspects are getting
more and more important in China. On the one hand
this concerns the safety of humans, and on the other
hand the process safety management concerning
minimizing stand-still times of machines. Stable production
processes must be ensured. This goes along
with a growing demand on energy efficiency solutions
due to tremendous increases in energy costs.
Awareness of the importance of safety started with
CCC certification in 2002. Another important milestone
was China’s GB 22530-2008 safety standard for
rubber and plastic injection molding machines. 50
basic standards and regulations for safety related
applications have since been published in China.
The National Machinery Safety Standardization
Technical Committee, which was founded in 1994, is
responsible for ensuring these regulations and standards
are controlled and adhered to. However, the
National Standardization Management Committee
and the State Administration of Work Safety are also
organisations to be mentioned here.
View of automation technology
The high specifications demanded by the quality
guidelines and machine safety standards no longer
only concern products manufactured for export, but
also for domestic and industrial customers. This
change in quality awareness has resulted in a new
way of thinking in China – products at favorable prices
are no longer the main focus and it is now understood
that modern, high-quality products and services lead
to satisfied customers. Foreign brands were trendsetting
in the past. Today it’s just a question of time
that more and more domestic companies are raising
their standards of processes and products as well.
Of the 740 Chinese companies engaged in the
automation industry, about 50 % are located in
About
Company name: Bernstein Safe Solutions Co., Ltd
Headquarters: BERNSTEIN AG, Porta Westfalica, Germany
Employees: appr. 540
Products: Switches, sensors, enclosures, suspension
systems and other components for industrial applications
the area of Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang – already
catching up with international companies. The
competition for foreign companies is getting more
serious. Even so, China is still the most important
region of growth for international companies.
New evolutions and conclusion
The awareness of safety (human and machine)
aspects and the automation level is growing. Due to
the increasing complexity, the industrial market
requests more and more total solution providers and
system integrators. Component suppliers are
becoming less important. To be successful in the
future, it is compulsory to offer to customers high
quality products with absolutely competitive prices
and a service perfectly in keeping with the customer’s
requirements. Focusing on specific regional
needs is vital in order for companies to be able to
react quickly and remain flexible.
The whole world “goes smart”. So does the Chinese
Automation Industry. Sensors, switches, actuators
will be “intelligent” and can be connected to a bus
system. By using AS- Interface, Bernstein products
can be connected via a gateway to e.g. Profibus,
Ethernet, controlLogix, CANopen, CC-Link and other
bus and control systems. Bernstein is ideally prepared
to meet the future demands of the Chinese
market of controlling and monitoring applications in
different industries such as Automotive, Agriculture,
Transportation, Material Handling and Automation
Engineering industries, as well as Medical Technology.
www.bernstein.eu/en
Author: Uwe Birnbaum, Managing Director
of Bernstein Safe Solutions Co., Ltd., Taicang,
China;
Nicole Steinicke, editor, Automation
Technologies, Mainz, Germany

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Bright prospects for Industrial
Automation North America
Peter Becker
Robotics and mobile solutions. Only two of the growing
trends in automation that have been key topics at this
year’s Industrial Automation North America in Chicago.
But there was even more to discover as our editorial
team saw for themselves at the fairground.

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
video
Video review of the fair
video
Interview with Larry Turner
read article

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Turkish Machinery to expand i
in the US Machinery Market
The Industrial Automation North America fair in Chicago
marks a renewed interest in Turkish Machinery given their
recent expansion and market growth in Europe.
Since Turkish Machinery is on its way to strengthening its
position in the manufacturing industry in Europe, as well
as in many developing countries, it now plans to foster a
greater partnership with the US machinery and machine
tool industry.

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
read article
video
the turkish export association

News and markets
A very special
birthday tour
Iglidur on tour in Chicago
Plastics for longer life – that is the slogan of
Igus. To prove their point, the iglidur car
travelled around the world and inspired
engineers on
almost all
continents. Watch
our video of the
car in Chicago
Video
Peter Becker
If you read our magazine thoroughly, you
will already know: German polymer specialist
igus sent a Smart car around the world
– equipped with 56 of the manufacturer’s
bearings to prove their capabilities in every
possible climate and environment. Our
editorial team finally met the car and its
drivers at Industrial Automation North
America in Chicago.
Author: Peter Becker, editor,
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
About
Company name: igus
Established: 1964
Headquarters: Cologne, Germany
Turnover: € 427 million
Employees: 2,400 worldwide
Products: motion plastics, plastic components for moving
applications: energy chain systems, cables, polymer bearings,
linear bearings, low-cost automation
On October 18, Igus turned 50. We wish the specialist
for cables, energy chains, connectors and
bearings: Happy birthday! To celebrate this special
day and to promote their idea of motion plastics, they
had an unusual idea: the company equipped an orange
Smart car with 56 of its bearings made of plastics
and sent it on a trip around the world. The tour started
in India in January – followed by stops in China, Japan,
Brazil, Canada and the US, among others, and will
continue across Europe in the upcoming months.
With this ambitious effort, the company wants to
prove the resilience and durability of their bearings in
automotive and moving applications. And according
to Stefan Kombüchen, head of marketing and corporate
communications at Igus, to whom we spoke at
Industrial Automation North America in Chicago, the
results were impressive: “The car has driven 54,500 km
until our stop in Chicago and, so far, we hadn’t had
any problems at all despite the harsh climate conditions
in the deserts of India or the cold of Alaska.”
After its stop in Chicago, the orange car travelled to
Detroit and New York, before it returned to Germany;
to celebrate igus’ 50 th anniversary in Cologne.
We had the opportunity to take a look at the car for
ourselves in Chicago. Watch our video including
footage of the car in Chicago and a video interview
with Stefan Kombüchen.
www.igus.com

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
IA Beijing: Comprehensive
solutions for intelligent
manufacturing

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Industrial Automation Beijing 2014 is one of the
most significant shows in China’s northern area.
More than 200 leading automation enterprises
displayed high-grade products and solutions of
industrial automation. Read more about
the importance of this exhibition and
what are the demands of Chinese
customers? Watch our video
statements and find out.
read article

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Global Machinery Safety:
Challenge with economic potential
John McAuliffe
In a globalized economy, international companies are looking for ways to
standardize their production processes and associated machinery and plants.
A special challenge is the machinery safety, because depending on the
country, the requirements and provisions differ significantly. With its
International Service Group Pilz has adjusted to this challenge.

ead article
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
High-performance 2D laser
scanner with integrated
control interface
Arno Hagemann
The 2D laser scanners in the R2000
family of Pepperl+Fuchs are noted for
their exceptional detection performance
in distance measurement technology.
The latest device variant now makes it
particularly easy for users to benefit
from the system‘s facilities.

The Germany-China Business Association.
Exchange expertise.
Extend your network.
Since 1987, the German-Chinese Business Association (DCW) has made it its mission to work for
better economic relations between China and Germany. Our non-profit association has become a
valuable platform for members and partners to initiate and deepen long-term partnerships. DCW
members are united in a common goal: Create the right conditions for sustainable growth in trade
and investment between Germany and China.
As a member, you will join over 380 companies, organizations and private individuals in working towards
these goals. Members enjoy a range of privileges that include the following:
• Talk to us about your business plans in China
• Find new business partners on the online platform www.DeZhong.de
• Participate in our regional seminars to exchange experiences and gain new expertise
• Join business delegations to China, connect to member companies of European partner organisations
• Gain online access to our member-only information archive
• Benefit from discounts at professional conferences, trade fairs and other events
• State your views on fair investment and trade relations and help us draft our next position paper
• Present your company as a contributor for better economic relations between China, Europe, and
Germany
The advantages of a membership are available to both private individuals and businesses. They will be
granted to all employees of your institution or company.
We are excited about welcoming you to our network. If you have any question, please do not hesitate to
talk to us.
www.dcw-ev.de
German-Chinese Business Assiciation
Unter Sachsenhausen 10–26 · 50667 Cologne, Germany
Phone: +49 221 120370 · Fax: +49 221 120417 · E-mail: info@dcw-ev.de

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Smart Wireless Technology
helps improve leak detection
New regulations often demand changes in industrial
production sites. To meet the newly established
requirements by the government, BP had to ensure
continuous leak detection at its plant in Geel,
Belgium. A wireless transmitter network by Emerson
Process Management in combination with hydrocarbon
sensors was installed to enable continuous
monitoring of tanks, valves and pipelines.

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
read article
Providing unmatched precision.
Delivering Providing 360° unmatched performance.
precision.
Advancing Delivering intuitive 360° performance.
control.
Advancing intuitive control.
R2000 Detection
2DR2000 Laser Detection Scanner
2D 2D 2DLaser Scanner
R2000 Detection – Object detection as easy it can be
R2000 Detection – – Object – detection as easy easy easy it can it can it be can be be
Stable, wobble-free scanning axis for precise field monitoring
Stable, wobble-free scanning axis axis axis for for for precise field field field monitoring
Highest angular resolution on the market allows detection of extremely small objects
Highest angular resolution on on the on the the market allows detection of of of extremely small small small objects
User-defined detection fields make configuration simple, intuitive, and user friendly
User-defined detection fields fields fields make make make configuration simple, intuitive, and and user and user user friendly
www.pepperl-fuchs.com/A-distance-ahead
www.pepperl-fuchs.com/A-distance-ahead

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
The importance of
photovoltaic for the
agriculture in Nicaragua
Klaas Eßmüller, Dennis Kortstock
A school project in Hamburg is looking at the specific application
of photovoltaics in agriculture. The main focus is on the
development and sizing of solar-powered groundwater
irrigation systems. This is a learning process in
which control equipment and the Siemens
expertise also play a role.

ead article
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Sercos and Rexroth help streamline
servo-driven case packers
Brenton Engineering designed a new line of side-loading
case packers to exceed current “green manufacturing”
end user trends, featuring servo control to increase speed
and reduce energy costs within a compact footprint.

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
read article
video
Peter Lutz about the future of Sercos

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Connectivity at sea
Valentin Scheltow
The demands placed on products in the maritime markets
vary depending on the location, and are often extremely
high. The crucial environmental factors in this sector are
vibration, salt water mist and magnetic compatibility
with compasses. Connectors and Ethernet Switches by
Harting perform well even under these difficult conditions.

ead article
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Humans working together
with robots: safe and flexible
Peter Becker
According to Larry Turner, CEO Hannover Fairs USA,
robotics is one of the growing branches in automation.
Robot specialists Universal Robots presented the third
generation of its products, UR5 and UR10, at Industrial
Automation North America featuring advanced safety
functions and true absolute encoders.

ead article

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Enclosures:
more than just a housing
Michael Schell, Christan Moritz
Enclosure housings protect the electrical equipment housed inside them,
as well as the people who operate a switchgear or controlgear systems.
Protection requirements and safety procedures are defined by various
guidelines depending on the operating site, sector or application.
In order to comply with these guidelines, various tests are required.

ead article
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Camera change with potential:
USB 3.0 instead of FireWire
René von Fintel
How long will I be able to maintain my
FireWire camera system? When should
I switch, and which interface should I
pick? Users of FireWire cameras around
the world are wondering these things
at the moment. The new USB 3.0 interface
and its standard USB3 Vision are
an attractive successor due to the
technical proximity to FireWire. Basler,
a globally active developer of industrial
cameras, explains the backgrounds
and perspectives.

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
read article
video
USB 3.0

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Thermal imaging cameras in
automotive quality control
Chris Brown, Frank Liebelt
The BMW 5-Series, 6-Serie, 7-Series and 3-Series Gran Turismo are
produced in the Dingolfing plant in Lower Bavaria. Around 18,500
people work at the site. Basic functions from signal horn to enginespecific
performance are thoroughly tested. Thermographic
cameras are ideally suited for this type of quality control and
ensure the proper functioning of automobile production.

ead article
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES

imprint
Editor-in-chief:
Dirk Schaar; Email: d.schaar@vfmz.de
Editorial board:
Peter Becker; Email: p.becker@vfmz.de
Nicole Steinicke; Email: n.steinicke@vfmz.de
Small and fast – temperature
transmitter with IO-Link
Assistant editor:
Svenja Stenner
Design/Layout:
Sonja Schirmer, Doris Buchenau, Anette Fröder,
Conny Grothe, Melanie Lerch, Mario Wüst
E-Paper Designer:
Katja Rüdell, Mathias Göbel
Managing editor:
Winfried Bauer
Publisher:
Vereinigte Fachverlage GmbH
Lise-Meitner-Str. 2
55129 Mainz, Germany
Managing director:
Dr. Olaf Theisen
Publishing director:
Dr. Michael Werner; Email: m.werner@vfmz.de
Advertising sales director:
Beatrice Thomas-Meyer
Advertising sales manager:
Oliver Jennen; Email: o.jennen@vfmz.de
Sales representatives
Austria
Heinz-Joachim Greiner
Email: verlagsbuero-greiner@vfmz.de
Brazil
Carlos Frederico Graf Schaffgotsch
Email: datadress@vfmz.de
China
Oliver Jennen
Email: o.jennen@vfmz.de
France
Marc Jouanny
Email: marc-jouanny@wanadoo.fr
Great Britain
Rob Brewer
Email: rob.brewer1@btinternet.com
India
Oliver Jennen
Email: o.jennen@vfmz.de
Italy, Switzerland
Hermann Jordi
Email: info@jordipublipress.de
Poland
Dr. Miroslaw Bugajski
Email: premiummedia.mb@gmail.com
Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan
Natalia Hretschkova
Email: nhrethkova@ivdk.ru
Sweden, Finland, Norway
Malte Mezger
Email: verlagsbuero-mezger@vfmz.de
USA, Canada
Aryan Zandieh
Email: aryan@hfusa.com
Advertising disposition:
Helge Rohmund; Email: h.rohmund@vfmz.de
In cooperation with:
Hannover Fairs International GmbH
Messegelände, 30521 Hannover, Germany
Modular designed controls:
no cables, no batteries
Powerful ace USB 3.0 Cameras
with 2 and 4 MP CMOSIS Sensors
Monitoring energy consumption
with CC-Link IE
EKS Engel presents Industrial
Ethernet switch with Profinet
conformance class B
Additional Partner:
ZVEI - Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und
Elektronikindustrie e. V.
Moskauer Deutsche Zeitung
Internet:
www.ate-magazine.com
Second year (2014)

2. rubrizierungsebene I 1. rubrizierungsebene
China
November 4-8, 2014
Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), Shanghai
Discover International Industrial Intelligence &
Automation at
INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION SHOW
Your Exchange Platform for Innovation, Components and Applications
■ The Industrial Automation Show is China’s biggest industry
networking hub. It offers the following advantages:
▪ Ideal framework for successfully gaining new customers
▪ Enhanced opportunity to transact direct business deals,
since the 70,000 trade visitors at the show come armed
with concrete investment plans
▪ All the leading manufacturers appear as exhibitors here
▪ Presents an overview of all the latest innovations
▪ Affords you an opportunity to measure yourself against
the competition
■ Thanks to the official government support and corresponding
media attention, exhibiting companies benefit
from enhanced brand recognition, and their solutions are
presented to a large audience.
■ Government support of the event promotes direct contact
with decision-makers from government and interest groups
who hold the key to investments. This affords you a comprehensive
overview of planned investment projects and can
help significantly accelerate the decision-making process.
Mr. Michael Peng, Marketing Manager of Beckhoff Automation (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
“Beckhoff participates at IAS since 2005. We consider it as the best automation show in China,
widely viewed as a barometer of Chinese industrial development. We are satisfied with everything at IAS 2013, the topic,
the visitors’ number, the delegations and other supporting service, everything is amazing! We really appreciate that HMFS
provides such a platform for us to show our products. Best wish to IAS.“
www.hannovermesse.de/worldwide

1. Rubrizierungsebene I 2. rubrizierungsebene
Reach international markets.
New business is
just one click away.
52 Industrielle Automation online 4/2013
www.fh-intralogistics.com
www.mda-technologies.com
www.ate-magazine.com

Editorial
The future has begun
Dear readers,
Global competition and continuous market changes put pressure on the
production industry. Costs must be reduced and profits maximised.
This is also the case in China. Increasing acquisition and production
costs drive up demand for flexible and energy-efficient production with
modern automation systems. Innovations play a decisive role in the
land of superlatives, especially where the use of IT and software, or
production and industrial, facilities that are completely linked to each
other in a network is concerned.
These are the subjects on which everything is centred when the gates of
the open Industrial Automation Show IAS 2014 in Shanghai. In combination
with two other events, this one has in the meantime become one
of the leading trade fairs for tool machines and metal processing,
production, processing and Industrial Building Automation, as well as
conventional and renewable energies in Eastern China. If you visit IAS
in early November, you will see that the subjects of Industry 4.0 or
Smart-Automation are increasingly gaining in importance. The first
products are already subject to field tests or even in actual use. The
future of the smart factory has begun.
Many corresponding subjects or those that are a basic prerequisite for
the pioneering technologies can also be found in the current issue of
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES – from sensor to control technology to
industrial image processing: learn more about the potential of USB 3.0
instead of FireWire when using cameras, how the future cooperation of
man and robot can become safer and more flexible, how plug connectors
and Ethernet switches can be perfectly adjusted to rough environments,
and why machine safety poses a challenge with great economic
potential. Additionally, we have many new technologies
and products from the world of industrial
automation at hand.
Enjoy your read!
Dirk Schaar
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Andreas Wolf
Hannover Fairs International
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

News and Markets
The place to be
Gerald Scheffels
China is by far the biggest market for machines
– and the largest manufacturer of
machines, too. This means: The Chinese
industry attracts the global manufacturers
of machines as well as their suppliers.
two – have become the Asian “workbench” not only
for domestic manufacturers but also for many foreign
suppliers of, say, hydraulic systems, pneumatic components,
sealings, bearings and transmissions.
Though there will be growth rates in the future,
there are clouds on the horizon in form of increasing
cost pressure, mainly – but not only – for the manufacturers
of consumer goods.
There is no doubt: For the manufacturers of
hydraulic and pneumatic components, power
transmissions and automation technology like control
systems and robotics, China is the place to be –
the eastern regions of China, to be precise, because it
is here where many large and smaller manufacturers
of machines are located.
Impressive increase of the economy
The rise of China within the last ten years is embarassing
indeed, especially in the field of industry
and machinery. In the range of the top machine facturers,
China has achieved the number one position
with a production value of € 678 billion (2012). In
2008, it was just € 271 billion – an impressive increase
over just five years.
The number two, the USA, produced less than a half
with € 330 billion. Japan follows on position three,
while Germany is the world´s fourth largest machine
manufacturer with a volume of € 248 billion. In the
competition of machine exporting countries, China
has acquired the third position after Germany and
the USA.
Strong position in machine production
The strong position in machine production attracts,
of course, the world-wide suppliers of drive and control
and automation components. This is why fairs
like the Industrial Automation Show (IAS) Shanghai
are an important platform for building new business.
The eastern provinces and global cities of China –
including Shanghai and Guangdong, to name just
Best-in-class or “good enough”?
For the (domestic and foreign) machine producers,
these news bear a positive aspect. When cost issues
are concerned and wages are rising, industrial
automation seems to be the right answer, and this is
exactly what happens in the industrialized areas of
China. So there are good opportunities for the worldwide
automation industry and its suppliers.
Chinese and foreign manufacturers are competing
fiercely here, and both have learned from experience.
The Chinese companies have constantly raised the
quality, performance and productivity of their equipment,
whereas the European manufacturers have
realized that instead of best-in-class components and
systems, “good enough”-equipment often is the better
choice in many applications. With this strategy, they are
very successful: China has become the most important
market for German machine manufacturers.
Chinese machines with European
components
In tIn the course of the approximation of quality and
performance standards, many Chinese machine
manufacturers use components like motors, drives
and control systems hydraulic or pneumatic systems
from global leaders like Bosch Rexroth, Eaton,
Siemens, B&R, Beckhoff, Rockwell and Weidmüller.
Others have acquired European systems suppliers
like Linde Hydraulics and Fluitronics. And, of course,
the Global players are well established in China. Just
one example: Festo, a German-based specialist for
pneumatics and automation, has 42 locations in
China and employs more than 1800 people.
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

News and Markets
What will the next five-year-program
bring?
Specialists of investment good industry all over the
world are keen to know what the next five-yearprogram
will contain and in which way it will affect
the Chinese industry both as the most important
manufacturer of and the biggest market for machines.
It is expected that the plan, which will be valid from
2016 to 2020, is aiming at a yearly growth rate of 7 %,
putting a stress on sustainable industries and
avoiding an “overheating” of sectors like the building
trade. Furthermore, it is probable that the liberalization
of regulations will be continued. With the “China
(Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone”, the economic
administration has already a kind of “prototype” for
its upcoming reform projects.
Good reasons for optimism
Even if the yearly growth rates of the Chinese economy
will calm down a bit, there is no need for pessimism,
as far as the automation industry and, all in
all, the investment goods industry and their suppliers
are concerned. Seen from now, there will still be
significant growth, starting from a very high level.
Today, China is by far the biggest market for automation
technology including robotics. And as the
wages and the standard of living are rising, the need
for a higher degree of automation will continue. This,
in fact, makes the Industrial Automation Show (IAS)
Shanghai a place to be visited.
www.industrial-automation-show.com/EN
Author: Gerald Scheffels, specialized
journalist, Wuppertal, Germany

News and markets
Shanghai and IAS are waiting
Shanghai is not only the most important
industrial city of China but also one of the
largest cities in the world. The city is a
major transport hub and an important
cultural and educational center with
numerous universities, colleges and
research institutions. This also means that
there is an important location for the automation
industry. The trade fair IAS will be
again the impressive proof.
“Global competition and constant market changes
put nonstop pressure on the manufacturing industry
to cut costs and maximize profits. This is also true in
China, where increasing labor and production costs
are driving demand for modern, energy-efficient
manufacturing and automation systems”, says
Dr. Andreas Gruchow, Member of the Managing
Board, Deutsche Messe AG and organizer of the
exhibition. And he continues: “Accordingly, innovation
plays a crucial role in these industry sectors,
particularly when it comes to using IT and software
to build manufacturing plants and industrial facilities
that are completely networked and self-operating
– what we in Germany call Industry 4.0. “
And this is what the visitor will see, when coming to
the Industrial Automation Show 2014 (IAS) in Shanghai.
Organized by Deutsche Messe AG and Hannover
Milano Fairs Shanghai Ltd, the Metalworking and
CNC Machine Tool Show 2014 (MWCS), Industrial
Automation Show 2014 (IAS) and Energy Show 2014
(ES), three themed shows under China International
Industry Fair (CIIF) will open the doors from 4 to
8 November 2014. “Metalworking and CNC Machine
Tool Show, Industrial Automation Show and Energy
Show are eastern China’s leading trade fairs for
machine tools and metalworking, production,

News and markets
process and industrial building automation, and
conventional and renewable energies, respectively.
At this year’s events you will see that Industry 4.0 is
taking hold, and products and services are now being
developed with the smart factory of the future in
mind”, explains Dr. Gruchow.
This year, the 5-day exhibition will continue its
expansion with more exhibitors, debuts and innovative
services, receiving again more than 110,000 visitors
and buyers. In 2013, IAS gathered 503 top-level
enterprises to compete in the display area of
35,000 m 2 . ABB, Siemens and Schneider Electric,
three big global industry players attended. For the
current event big companies such as Beckhoff,
Pepperl+Fuchs, Rittal, Turck, Schmersal, B&R, Lapp,
Euchner, Kübler, Wago, ifm elctronic and Pilz are
expected.
“These three fairs are important to China’s industrial
marketplace because they provide an annual
showcase for the latest technologies and trends. We
organize these fairs according to the interests of visitors,
emphasizing the topics that are most important
in the key areas of precision manufacturing, industrial
automation, and energy conversion, distribution,
transmission, and storage, to create a platform where
companies can quickly find the products and
services they need to remain competitive”, says
Dr. Gruchow.
The three halls (W1-W3) are divided into specialized
display areas to demonstrate latest products
and technology in integrated solution, transducers,
embedded system, sensors, connectors, servo
motors, electric system, etc.
What‘s more? Lots of conferences, meetings and
lectures round off the event. Functional Safety and
Energy Efficiency Conference will take place for the
second time in the Chinese market, inviting professionals
from end users, exhibitors, government
agencies and academic institutions to present their
technology, service and energy saving solutions. And
again: In the German Pavilion, visitors will find a
large spectrum of high-tech products „Made in
Germany“. 30 exhibitors are waiting for dialogue and
exchange of experiences.
“China remains a booming market, and our fairs
provide access to it. I wish everyone much success
on the show floor”, Dr. Gruchow concludes.
Voices from exhibitiors and vistors
“We participate at IAS since 2005. We consider
it the best automation show in China, widely
viewed as a barometer of Chinese industrial
development. We are satisfied with
everything at the last show, the topic, the
visitor numbers, the delegations and other
supporting service, everything is amazing!”
Beckhoff China
“Compared with IAS 2012, both quality and
quantity of visitors during IAS 2013 have been
improved significantly. During the show, we
met some of our potential customers, and we
achieved pretty good results. Besides, the
organizer of the show, HMFS, has strong
ability to coordinate and execute, which
helped us a lot in booth constructing and
moving-out.”
Weidmüller Interface (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
“IAS 2013 attracted a great number of
manufacturing enterprises to show their
products and brands from several different
angles, especially those European companies.
During the show, we managed to know more
advanced facilities and learn the development
trends of automation industry. We would not
hesitate to visit IAS 2014, and we expect more
foreign exhibitors next year.”
Hitachi Elevator (Shanghai) Co.,Ltd.
www.industrial-automation-show.com
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

News and market
Bright prospects for
Industrial Automation
North America
Peter Becker
Robotics and mobile solutions. Only two of
the growing trends in automation that
have been key topics at this year’s Industrial
Automation North America in Chicago. But
there was even more to discover as our
editorial team saw for themselves at the
fairground.
The weather was great when our editors arrived at
O’Hare airport in Chicago. But there were not
only bright prospects regarding the weather. The
forecast for the second Industrial Automation North
America at McCormick Place was good, too. Industrial
Automation North America 2014 and the inaugural
Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA) North
America 2014 trade shows and conferences were
co-located with IMTS – The International Manufacturing
Technology Show – providing the events with
a well-known and established partner in North
America.
This co-location was one of the reasons for the fair’s
success. But for the organizers, there were even more
reasons to be happy as Larry Turner, CEO Hannover
Fairs USA, points out: “We doubled our size from
2012 and sold out the show six months before the
event.” Industrial Automation North America and
Motion, Drive & Automation North America together
attracted 194 exhibiting companies from 14 countries,
covering more than 50,000 ft² of exhibition
space in the East Building of McCormick Place.
Together with the IMTS, the show attracted more
than 114,000 total registrants.
Author: Peter Becker, editor,
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

News and market
Up-to-date and international
Addressing many of the current challenges of the
fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, Industrial
Automation North America 2014 focused on a
variety of core topics, such as flexible manufacturing,
network security, technology integration,
worker productivity, as well as data collection and
analysis. The show’s roster of global exhibitors
expressed excitement about the growth of the 2014
event since its founding in 2012 and acknowledged
that attending the show is a critical component of
their North American brand extension and end-user
marketing programs.
National pavilions from Germany, Taiwan and Italy
added to the internationality of the event. And the
organizers are expecting this trend to grow even
further. Turner paints a picture of the future of the
fair: “In 2016, we already got delegations coming in
from the Netherlands and South Korea. We see it
even expanding from an international standpoint.”
Exhibitor highlights
Among the exhibitors at Industrial Automation
North America were some of the leading companies
in their respective branches such as Beckhoff Automation,
Molex, Rockwell Automation or Weidmüller.
Beckhoff incorporated Google Glass in a demonstration
of a wearable Human Machine Interface (HMI)
Video review of the fair
Our editorial team captured the fair for you.
Watch our video impressions from
McCormick Place, Chicago.
Video
Interview with Larry Turner,
CEO Hannover Fairs USA
We had the
opportunity
to interview the
CEO of Hannover
Fairs USA at the fair
in Chicago. Watch
the full interview
regarding the
future of the event,
trends in the North
American market and the cooperation
with Hannover Fairs in Germany here.
for operation and monitoring. Its smart technology
solutions represent the fusion of the Internet and
automation technologies within the framework of
advanced manufacturing. Molex presented “quick
disconnect” connectors that enable the replacement
of motors in production lines, eliminating costly
downtime in the production process. Weidmüller
launched its “u-remote” distributed I/O platform
with IP 20, ensuring faster installation and setup and
improving machine performance and productivity.
Patty Roberts, Rockwell Automation Marketing
Manager, summarizes: “Industrial Automation
North America is the meeting place for advanced
manufacturing innovations, strategic partnerships
and product collaborations. The show gave us the
ability to expand our presence in discreet manufacturing
and to secure new business leads.”
A look into the future
The CEO of Hannover Fairs USA was pleased with the
event as well – and the organizers have big plans for
2016: “Overall, attendees were very satisfied with the
show and plan on returning in 2016. To that end, we
expect to double our space in the East Building at
IMTS 2016 and look forward to introducing additional
product and service categories.” The next
Industrial Automation North America and Motion,
Drive & Automation North America events will be
held from September 12-17, 2016.
www.ia-northamerica.com
Video
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Turkish Machinery to expand
in the US Machinery Market
The Industrial Automation North America
fair in Chicago marks a renewed interest
in Turkish Machinery given their recent
expansion and market growth in Europe.
Since Turkish Machinery is on its way to
strengthening its position in the manufacturing
industry in Europe, as well as in
many developing countries, it now plans to
foster a greater partnership with the US
machinery and machine tool industry.
Adnan Dalgakıran, President of the Board at
Turkish Machinery said “with rapid development,
Turkish Machinery sector is increasing its
export share in the Turkish economy and exports.
Turkey’s machinery exports, which were USD 3.0 billion
in 2003, have reached USD 14 billion in 2013.
The ratio of exports to imports in the machinery sector
has gone up from 29 to 45 % in the last 10 years.”
According to Dalgakıran, “Turkey currently exports
into more than 200 countries and is already expanding
into Latin America. Significant cooperation opportunities
exist for both the US and Turkey at this
time.” By participating in this international trade
event as well as targeted advertising, “Turkish
Machinery aims to expand awareness about the
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

News and Markets
Joint partnership: The board members of Turkish
machinery Sevda Kayhan Yılmaz (left) and Ferdi Murat
Gül (right) with the editor of automation technologies
Nicole Steinicke
quality as well as the recent technological developments
in their machinery sector and the benefits of a
strategic joint US – Turkey partnership.” The Turkish
machinery industry is growing exponentially due
much in part to a very strong partnership already
existing with Germany and the Netherlands.
Dalgakıran, ‘‘Given the success in the German market
and the knowledge gained from this relationship,
Turkey is now poised to enter the US market and
ready to build an equally profitable partnership.’’ Given
their rapid growth, enormous potential now exists
for the US market in terms of shared technology and
joint projects in research and development, increased
marketing opportunities, brand purchases, as well as
shared technical training and expertise. Dalgakiran
went on further to state that, “with an improved
mutual understanding and awareness, economic and
commercial opportunities abound for both countries.
International manufacturing standards
Turkey is a rapidly growing market and has shown
consistent stable growth in the manufacturing and
machinery sector. Its proximity to developing countries
also makes it highly attractive to the US since its
strategic location allows for strong economic and
trade relations with many countries. It has a young,
dynamic, creative and affordable highly skilled workforce
and a strong infrastructure with increasing
tools for government sponsored financial support. It
has shown rapid adaptation to international manufacturing
standards and has the highest quality of
machinery equipment. It has a strong domestic
supply of raw materials.
Foreign trade and exports are on the rise
Turkish foreign trade is equally on the rise. Exports,
which were 47billion USD in 2003, rose to 152 billion
USD in 2013. The Machinery and accessories industry
accounts for most of this growth, having almost
doubled its production in this sector in the past ten
years. Turkey is the sixth largest manufacturer of
machinery in Europe and is preferred by leading
countries throughout the world.
Turkish machinery exports comprise an average
annual growth of 20 %, while imports have shown an
average annual growth of 15 % in the last decade.
Due in part to their strategic partnership, Germany
and the Netherlands account for the largest shares of
this expansive growth. US currently has a 4.8 % share
in Turkish machinery exports and imports roughly
4 %. With the American manufacturing industry once
again on the rise, there are many opportunities surfacing
for a joint partnership and joint growth at this
time.
Turkish export association for machines
and accessories
The export association for machines and accessories
(MAIB) represents the machine exporters of Turkey.
The association took up its work in 2002 and coordinates
all activities that promote export of the industrial
area. It has more than 8,000 member companies.
The promotion group machinery (MTG) founded by
the association in 2007 has the objective of making the
Turkish engineering industry more widely known in
and outside the country. For this purpose, it participates
in international trade fairs, organizes delegation
travels and promotional campaigns.)
Photographs: teaser fotolia/ate
www.turkishmachinery.org
In conversation with Sevda
Kayhan Yılmaz and Ferdi
Murat Gül
The export association for machines and
accessories (MAIB, Makine ve Aksamları
İhracatçıları Birliği) represents the machine
exporters of Turkey. On the exhibition
Industrial Automation
and the Motion, Drive &
Automation North
America we met the two
board members and
talked about there
existing collaborations,
concrete future objectives and about
there specific expertise. Please take a
look at the video for an even better
impression at the button below.
Video
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

News and markets
IA Beijing: Comprehensive
solutions for intelligent
manufacturing
Industrial Automation Beijing 2014 is one of the most
significant show in China’s northern area. More than 200
leading automation enterprises displayed high-grade
products and solutions of industrial automation. Read
more about the importance of this exhibition and what
are the demands of Chinese customers? Watch our videostatements
and find out.

News and markets
James Fu, General Manager,
Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai
Rainer Glatz, Managing Director,
VDMA
Joerg Kersten, General Manager,
Murr Electronic Components
Florian Koch, Sales Director Asia,
item Industrietechnik
Volker Palm, General Manager,
Wago Electronic
Dr. Andreas Risch,
Managing Director, Turck
Eelco van der Wal,
Managing Director, PLCopen
Xin Ye, Managing Director,
ifm electronic
The Industrial Automation Beijing 2014, one of
Hannover Messe’s global industrial shows and
moreover the leading trade fair for process, factory
and building automation systems and solutions,
closed successfully at the Beijing Exhibition Center
on May 9th. The annual industrial event is making
progress on the basis of appropriate market positioning
and industrial development, said James Fu,
General Manager of the event organizer Hannover
Milano Fairs China Ltd: “We spare no effort to forge
Industrial Automation Beijing into the most influential
show in China’s northern area. It serves the market,
develops with the market and is in accordance
with the goal to revive and transform the industrial
sector, especially the equipment manufacturing
industry in Northern China, thus facilitating trade
cooperation between Chinese and international
enterprises, and promoting the development of
China industry. ”
After leading the industrial trend by 3D printing in
the last year, this year’s fair offered further solutions
and discussions on the progress of Industry 4.0.
Based on continuous research on market and accurate
analysis on demand of clients, Industrial Automation
Beijing focuses on the demand of market.
In contrast to the past, the show transformed from
solely product display to intelligent manufacturing,
setting up four sectors: robot/machine vision,
sensor/connector, motion control/electrical system/
transmission equipment and the German pavilion.
As the largest professional fair in this region, the
event attracts groups of industry leaders every year.
Since the inauguration of Industrial Automation
Beijing in the north market, its influence has been
increasing, creating easy access to this market for
domestic and foreign enterprises. More than 20
exhibitors from Germany, Japan, the US, Italy,
Switzerland, India, Denmark, and other foreign
countries and regions presented their products.
International exhibitors accounted for as high as 60
percent of all the participating companies. The
exhibition area covered 20,000 square meters and
the number of trade visitors and buyers hit 15,105 in
the three days of exhibition, up 10 percent compared
with the prior year.
Why is Industrial Automation Beijing such an
important fair and what are the demands of Chinese
customers? Watch our videos statements and find out.
www.industrial-automation-beijing.com/EN
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Global Machinery Safety:
Challenge with economic potential
John McAuliffe
In a globalized economy, international
companies are looking for ways to standardize
their production processes and associated
machinery and plants. A special challenge
is the machinery safety, because depending
on the country, the requirements and
provisions differ significantly. With its
International Service Group Pilz has adjusted
to this challenge.
Author: John McAuliffe, Head of
International Service Group at Pilz
The scale is enormous: hundred’s of machines, in
more than 20 plants on four continents. The task:
to carry out a safety-related assessment on the worldwide
plant and machinery of a US global player and
develop concepts for optimising that plant and
machinery.
Such international projects are the main area of
activity of ISG, the International Service Group of the
German based automation company Pilz. ISG coordinates
and supports international projects within
the Pilz group. This incorporates consulting, technical
implementation as well as training in the field of
machinery safety. Moreover, the international
machinery compliance services are an integral part of
the portfolio.
Regular training sessions held by the ISG and by
the Customer Support department based at the
company’s headquarters in Ostfildern played an
important role, as did the efficient transfer of knowledge
within Pilz.
The challenge is to provide and apply local knowledge
on a transnational basis and to operate across
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

News and markets
borders with the same level of quality. However, that
doesn’t just apply to machinery safety. Even in general
automation tasks a holistic approach to retrofit
projects, for example, ensures that productivity and
energy efficiency are increased.
Passport for machinery
International services are not only of interest for
major international corporations but also for machine
builders wishing to export their machines abroad. For
example, a renowned European press manufacturer
was recently faced with the task of exporting its
machinery to South Korea.
The strict requirements of KOSHA (Korea Occupational
Safety and Health Agency) apply in this case. If
the specifications of the Korean certification body
are not met, the machines may not be imported into
Korea. An international team with experts from
Germany, Korea and the ISG followed the prescribed
conformity assessment procedure to draw up the
necessary documents, which certify the safety of
presses in accordance with KOSHA specifications. By
producing these “passports for machinery”, Pilz is
opening up access to new markets for machine
builders.
Internationally certified training
program
Pilz provides an international training and qualification
program for companies wishing to build up or
update their knowledge, because they want to
relocate machinery themselves for example. One
component illustrates its international orientation
particularly well: with the CMSE, Certified Machinery
Safety Expert, Pilz has worked with TÜV Nord to
implement the first internationally certified training
program in the field of machinery safety. It covers
general knowledge of plant and machine safety as
well as information regarding country-specific
standards.
Economic benefits
International work on standards is important not
only because it sets uniform product standards, but
because it also creates the market transparency that
suppliers and users need. So a plant or machine used
within the European Union must meet the specifications
of the Machinery Directive – irrespective of
where it was developed or manufactured, where it
was imported from, or where it was assembled or put
into service (again). Similar regulations also apply
for other regions. Even when these are not legally
binding everywhere, international corporations are
increasingly working in conjunction with an experienced
partner to define their own internal safety
Pilz has worked with TÜV
Nord to implement the
first internationally certified
training program in the
field of machinery safety.
John McAuliffe
standard, which is then binding for all suppliers. An
industrial company only needs one or two machine
designs for all its production facilities worldwide. It
can reflect its machine and safety standards towards
new markets and produce there with the same standardized
and controlled processes.
However, such safety standards do not only generate
value for the companies, because although the
protection objective, safe work place’ should be the
same all over the world, the situation is very different
in different countries. Among others, the social
consensus differs on how large in the respective
country the acceptable residual risk can be. With
their in-house safety standards global players also
contribute to the fact that in the emerging countries
the knowledge about machine safety is built up and
the safety culture is filled with life.
www.pilz.com
About
Company name: Pilz GmbH & Co. KG
Headquarters: Ostfildern, Germany
Employees: about 1,700 worldwide
Products: Automation technology and a total solutions
supplier for safety and control technology
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

sensors and measurement
High-performance 2D laser
scanner with integrated
control interface
Arno Hagemann
The 2D laser scanners in the R2000 family
of Pepperl+Fuchs are noted for their exceptional
detection performance in distance
measurement technology. The latest device
variant now makes it particularly easy for
users to benefit from the system‘s facilities.
Author: Arno Hagemann, Business
Development Manager at
Pepperl+Fuchs in Mannheim,
Germany
Typical tasks in the 2D laser scanner‘s area of
application include area monitoring and collision
avoidance, as well as, in particular, detection of
objects close to surfaces. However, detection performance
is only one side of the coin, so that customers
can resolve these and comparable tasks quickly and
cost-effectively. An efficient overall concept also
includes simple parameterization options and a
standardized interface to systems. In the new model,
therefore, Pepperl+Fuchs has combined remarkable
properties and functions to cope with all aspects.
These include, inter alia, pulse ranging technology, a
360° rotating sensor system including an interactive
all-round display, as well as a powerful control interface
with switching outputs.
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

sensors and measurement
01 Detecting small overhangs
next page
True light run-time measurement with
light pulses
Like all scanners in this series, the current R2000
variant is based not on one of the frequently used
indirect measurement methods such as phase correlation,
but the innovative pulse ranging technology
(PRT), a true light run-time procedure. The laser
diode does not send a continuous light, but rather
individual light pulses, so that the scanner can calculate
the exact distances of the destination points from
the time until their reflections arrive at the receiver
element. Because the energy density of the discrete
light pulses is up to 1000 times higher, this procedure
is far superior to other commonly used methods. The
R2000 scanners are characterized by a detection
range and operational reliability previously unknown
in this device class. Even in a strong extraneous light
and dark, poorly reflective destination objects, they
always deliver clear results.
In the R2000 laser scanner, the developers at
Pepperl+Fuchs have combined the benefits of pulse
ranging technology with a rotating 360° measuring
system. In conjunction with the very small beam
diameter of just a few millimeters, the clever design
allows not only complete all-round visibility, but also
realizes at the same time an angle resolution of up to
80 millidegrees. At rotational frequencies up to
30 Hz, measuring rates of up to 45 kHz are achieved.
By its high speed and precision, the 2D scanner is
able to safely detect even moving objects and the
smallest of objects such as thin wires, and even at a
distance of five meters it still achieves a resolution of
about 7 mm. The rotating measurement module
ensures a precisely level scan area and guarantees a
high degree of repeat accuracy. The mirror optics
used also play their part: they do not use lens optics
or mirror mechanics, so a typical source of imprecision
has been eliminated.
Freely programmable monitoring fields
Through the integrated control interface, the R2000
is now able to assess the measurement data independently
and provide the results at up to four
switching outputs as yes/no or good/bad information.
The binary switching signals can be further processed
without any problems by any controllers or other
decentralized intelligent automation components. In
particular, the user no longer has to engage in tedious
programming to analyze and interpret the individual
measurement data.
The monitoring fields are conveniently defined
with the help of a device type manager (DTM). This
DTM can be used, for example, in an FDT frame
application such as PACTware, so that graphically
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

sensors and measurement
02 The 2-dimensional sensor
R2000 for reliable detection
Company name: Pepperl+Fuchs Group
Headquarters: Mannheim, Germany
Turnover: € 500 m
Employees: more than 5,600
Products: industrial sensors, process interfaces
About
supported parameterization of monitoring fields
takes place on the PC screen. Any geometric shapes
can be handled, so that any room or subarea—including
of setup objects—can be represented, such as
lounges with planters, elevator cars, parking or
storage areas, locks, etc. A monitoring field can
extend over a full 360°, but likewise may only include
a subarea. Up to four fields can be configured.
Control functionality with logically
linkable I/O ports
During operation, the scanner constantly compares
the current measurement data with the defined
monitoring fields. As soon as it notices deviations or
detects objects that should not be present in the
monitoring field, the system sets the associated switching
output. As the fields and inputs can logically be
linked in virtually any way with the outputs, the laser
scanner additionally provides simple flexible control
functions. Configured I/O ports are used as input to
remotely activate - or occasionally deactivate - the
scanner, for example when loading and unloading.
In collision avoidance applications, switching
between different-size monitoring fields is conceivable:
if a driverless transport system moves at a
reasonably high speed, a larger monitoring field is
required to bring the vehicle to a halt in good time in
front of an obstacle, while if the vehicle is moving
more slowly a smaller field would suffice.
Another special feature is the interactive all-round
display. On the back of the rotating measurement
module 24 LEDs are arranged such that they use a
predestined semi-transparent housing area as a
projection surface. Any text or graphics can be
displayed such as status, warning, or diagnostic
messages during operation. During commissioning,
however, the interactive, fingertip-controllable display
serves as a medium for device configuration
with menu navigation; a PC or notebook is then no
longer required. The R2000 works with visible red
light and can be aligned by the visible light beam
without auxiliary aids. It fulfills laser class 1 and
requires no special eye-protection measures. The
compact sensor can always be suitably installed
even under very cramped conditions. It can be aligned
in any way, even overhead and close to floors or
surfaces. The detection range on natural surfaces is
10 m, and 30 m on reflectors.
Numerous application
possibilities
Pepperl+Fuchs has equipped the latest variant of the
2D laser scanner in the R2000 Series with a powerful
measurement data analysis feature. The device independently
completes the field monitoring tasks with
which it is entrusted and provides one or more results
at up to four switching outputs as a yes/no or good/
bad answer. The system combines high detection performance
with simple handling and impresses with
low response times and high immunity to extraneous
light. There are numerous application possibilities in
area monitoring, as well as in overhang, gap and compartment-occupied
checks. On driverless transport
systems, stock feeders, suspended conveyor systems
or freely navigating platforms, the R2000 provides a
valuable service in the avoidance of collisions.
www.pepperl-fuchs.com
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

The Germany-China Business Association.
Exchange expertise.
Extend your network.
Since 1987, the German-Chinese Business Association (DCW) has made it its mission to work for
better economic relations between China and Germany. Our non-profit association has become a
valuable platform for members and partners to initiate and deepen long-term partnerships. DCW
members are united in a common goal: Create the right conditions for sustainable growth in trade
and investment between Germany and China.
As a member, you will join over 380 companies, organizations and private individuals in working towards
these goals. Members enjoy a range of privileges that include the following:
• Talk to us about your business plans in China
• Find new business partners on the online platform www.DeZhong.de
• Participate in our regional seminars to exchange experiences and gain new expertise
• Join business delegations to China, connect to member companies of European partner organisations
• Gain online access to our member-only information archive
• Benefit from discounts at professional conferences, trade fairs and other events
• State your views on fair investment and trade relations and help us draft our next position paper
• Present your company as a contributor for better economic relations between China, Europe, and
Germany
The advantages of a membership are available to both private individuals and businesses. They will be
granted to all employees of your institution or company.
We are excited about welcoming you to our network. If you have any question, please do not hesitate to
talk to us.
www.dcw-ev.de
German-Chinese Business Assiciation
Unter Sachsenhausen 10–26 · 50667 Cologne, Germany
Phone: +49 221 120370 · Fax: +49 221 120417 · E-mail: info@dcw-ev.de

About
Company name: Emerson Group
Headquarters: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Turnover: $24.7 bn (2013)
Employees: 132,000 worldwide
Products: process management systems, measurement
and analytics, …
Smart Wireless Technology
helps improve leak detection
New regulations often demand changes in
industrial production sites. To meet the
newly established requirements by the
government, BP had to ensure continuous
leak detection at its plant in Geel, Belgium.
A wireless transmitter network by Emerson
Process Management in combination with
hydrocarbon sensors was installed to enable
continuous monitoring of tanks, valves and
pipelines.
Leak detection on large sites can be both difficult
and expensive. BP is using Smart Wireless technology
from Emerson Process Management as part
of a leak detection system that helps enhance safety
at its chemical production centre in Geel, Belgium.
The wireless technology provides a reliable way to
gather information from hydrocarbon sensors that
continuously monitor storage tanks, valves and pipelines
throughout the plant, and to deliver that infor-
mation to the control system so operators can be
notified of any leaks. This automated monitoring
system has enabled BP to meet the latest government
regulations for storage and handling of flammable
liquids.
New regulations
“BP is committed to reducing waste, emissions and
discharges and ensuring that production facilities
like the one in Geel meet the highest standards of
health, safety and environmental performance,” said
Bob Karschnia, vice president, wireless at Emerson
Process Management. “By combining Emerson’s
wireless technology with hydrocarbon sensors, BP
has been able to expand the view the operators have
and enhance its existing leak detection practices,
helping to improve site safety.”
BP operators were making twice-daily inspection
rounds using portable leak detectors, but new and
stricter government regulations required continuous
monitoring. To meet these regulations, sensors that
detect liquid hydrocarbons were integrated with
Emerson’s smart wireless technology installed at
Geel to enable cost-effective liquid hydrocarbon leak
detection even from remote locations with the site.
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Sensors and Measurement
Wireless transmission
The installation was user-friendly. Based on
IEC 62591 WirelessHART communications, Emerson’s
proven Smart Wireless technology eliminated
the need for new instrumentation cabling and associated
trenches and ducting, saving an estimated
50 % of the cost and 90 % of the time required to
install a conventional wired system.
The leak detection system uses Emerson’s Rosemount
702 Wireless Discrete Transmitters in combination
with Pentair (formerly Tyco) Fast Fuel Sensors
and Trace Tek Sensor cables. When one of the
sensors detects xylene or benzene, the associated
Rosemount 702 wirelessly transmits an alarm signal
to a Smart Wireless Gateway that relays it to the
control room, where operators monitor and record
the status for accurate incident reporting and time
stamping in the host control system.
Leak detection for large sites
The sensor cables are attached to the concrete base
surrounding tanks so that leaks from the tank wall
can be detected. They are also laid underneath connecting
piping and draped around the tank flanges
and manholes. The sensors have been installed to
detect hydrocarbons in sump wells and pump skids.
“Combining Emerson’s wireless technology with
hydrocarbon sensors provides an ideal leak detection
solution for large sites such as production plants and
tank farms,” said Karschnia. “It’s another example of
how users are taking advantage of this technology to
gain business benefits – including enhanced safety
and regulatory compliance – in applications beyond
the process itself.”
Photographs: Teaser/oranaments fotolia
www.emersonprocess.com
Providing unmatched precision.
Delivering Providing 360° unmatched performance.
precision.
Advancing Delivering intuitive 360° performance.
control.
Advancing intuitive control.
R2000 Detection
2DR2000 Laser Detection Scanner
2D 2D 2DLaser Scanner
R2000 Detection – Object detection as easy it can be
R2000 Detection – – Object – detection as easy easy easy it can it can it be can be be
Stable, wobble-free scanning axis for precise field monitoring
Stable, wobble-free scanning axis axis axis for for for precise field field field monitoring
Highest angular resolution on the market allows detection of extremely small objects
Highest angular resolution on on the on the the market allows detection of of of extremely small small small objects
User-defined detection fields make configuration simple, intuitive, and user friendly
User-defined detection fields fields fields make make make configuration simple, intuitive, and and user and user user friendly
www.pepperl-fuchs.com/A-distance-ahead
www.pepperl-fuchs.com/A-distance-ahead

The importance of photovoltaic
for the agriculture in Nicaragua
Klaas Eßmüller, Dennis Kortstock
A school project in Hamburg is looking at
the specific application of photovoltaics in
agriculture. The main focus is on the development
and sizing of solar-powered
groundwater irrigation systems. This is a
learning process in which control equipment
and the Siemens expertise also play a role.
Author: Klaas Eßmüller, Industry
Automation, Siemens AG;
Dennis Kortstock, Industry Automation,
Siemens AG, Germany

There are a few things you have to know about Nicaragua:
The country is rich in natural resources and
has a huge potential to produce agricultural products.
But local farmers have to live under climatic
conditions that are defined by extreme rainfall on the
one hand and several months of drought on the othcontrol
and drive technology
Topic of a Hamburg school project with its partner city
León in Nicaragua is the practical application of solar
powered groundwater irrigation systems in agriculture
next page
Robert Heiden, a physics teacher at a school in
Blankenese, a suburb of Hamburg, has recognized
the signs of the times. “Renewable energy will
become a major issue for the generation growing up
now” Together with Clemens Krühler, his colleague
from the technology department, and Kirsten
Ahrncke who teaches social studies, Robert Heiden
is supporting the EduaRD (Education and Renewable
Energy and Development) project at his school.
Photovoltaic project in Nicaragua
It is offered as a series of electives and looks not only
at the interactions between economic productivity
and how societies develop. It also wants to offer practical
insights into the interaction between physical
and biological processes. And it looks at the growing
importance of future technologies to make use of
renewable energy.
A partnership between the city of Hamburg,
Germany, and the city of Léon in Nicaragua is helpful
in this respect. The three dedicated teachers realized
that they could use this connection for a practical
photovoltaic project as part of EduaRD. And so the
first project group traveled to Nicaragua in 2003 to
demonstrate the practical use of solar power in agriculture
on-site. A solution that was so successful that
the project still exists today and 20 additional plants
have been implemented since then.
er. The existence of an entire family could easily be in
danger if one of the two rainy seasons were to fail.
During the drought period, farmers have a hard time
to supply their fields and plantations with water. In
rural areas without any electricity, they can only
pump the groundwater manually to water the
parched soil. This means productivity is low; so low
that Nicaragua cannot support its own population
sufficiently despite its huge areas of arable land.
The problem is not water which is available in
abundance even during the drought period. The
problem is simply to bring this water to the surface.
Solar power as solution
This is where EduaRD comes into play. Robert
Heiden and Clemens Krühler discovered rather
quickly that there was a crucial connection. The same
sun that dried out the soil and made plants wither
also supplied energy in abundance. This means it
makes sense to use exactly this energy to provide
plants with the water that is available in large quantities
underground.
At the start of the project, students were asked to
calculate the biological and physical correlations of a
project and to use these insights to determine the
technical key figures of a solar powered irrigation
Shortage despite abundance
01 Students from Hamburg use solar energy to
operate irrigation systems to pump groundwater
to the surface during drought periods so that it
can be used to water the fields
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

previous page
plant. More specifically, the question is how much
water specific plants need to grow, how much of it
evaporates and how much water must be supplied to
adequately irrigate a field of a specific size.
Realization of a solar powered
irrigation plant
Because they had to cover a lot of new ground, the
two teachers hired outside experts to assist them
with the project. For example, an electrical engineer
from Nicaragua who lived in Hamburg and quickly
seized the opportunity to build a company which uses
solar power in his native country. Since then solar
powered irrigation plants have been implemented
with his support on-site; these plants are a big step
forward for the farmers in Nicaragua and offer important
insights here in Germany.
“Such a project takes about two years from the first
calculations until we install the plant on-site,”
explains Clemens Krühler. „The students learn a lot
from these practical objects. They gain decisive
insights into the use of one of the most important
energy sources of the future. And they learn firsthand
about the potential of photovoltaics to sustainably
change the economic and social conditions in
many regions around the globe.“
„It is interesting to see that about half of the
students stay in touch with this topic as they move
on,“ adds Robert Heiden.
And the last project went even a step further: “We
wanted to compare the efficiency of different pumps.
And we wanted to know exactly how much water is
needed for how many hours of sunshine,” explains
Krühler. “This means we are constantly measuring all
decisive parameters with our latest project, such as
sun exposure, voltage and current flow of the electrical
system as well as quantity and pressure of the groundwater
pumped from the well.”
Data in transatlantic dialog
Siemens was consulted to help with the realization of
this job. The company has more than just a consulting
role in the project today. Siemens donated the
TeleControl Basic telecontrol system to control and
About
Company name: Siemens Industry Sector
Headquarters: Nuremberg, Germany
Employees: more than 100,000
Products and systems: motion control system Simotion,
CNC automation system Sinumerik, drives family Sinamics,
industrial automation systems Simatic and customer
services
02 TeleControl Basic telecontrol
technology from Siemens is used
to monitor and control the
remote systems in Nicaragua

control and drive technology
monitor remote substations using wireless GPRS
technology. TeleControl Basic uses the TeleControl
Server Basic control center software to connect the
control center with two substations that each consist
of one SIMATIC S7-1200 controller with CP1242-7
communication processor. A Simatic HMI operator
panel of the type KP300 is used for operation on-site.
The system, including sensors and back-up battery,
was installed by students during their project trip in
the summer of 2013 in a research area used by the
agricultural institute of the university in Léon, Nicaragua.
The system is installed in a control cabinet
right next to the groundwater pump and is supplied
with power by its own photovoltaic system. It
currently records the performance data of two
pumps from different manufacturers which are
directly transmitted to Blankenese via GPRS. A server
is installed there to collect the constantly transmitted
data and store it in a database.
The benefits of the telecontrol system are the costefficient
connection of the substations by means of
the public GPRS network and the encrypted data
transmission. Several thousand data values can be
buffered in the communication processor to bypass
any downtimes of the transmission path. Fully automatic
time stamps are used to correctly archive the
process data in the control system later.
Photovoltaic ensures farmers an
economical harvest
“We not only want to collect practical data about
the performance of the different pump models. We
also want to use the data for a variety of calculations
and for more insights into the amount of water
required depending on the weather,“ describes
Kühler the system and adds: „Someday we should
be able to determine, based on the size of a field
and the fruit grown there, how much groundwater
is required for irrigation and what size pump is
needed for the job.”
03 The two Remote Terminal Units in Nicaragua each
consist of a Simatic S7-1200 controller with CP 1242-7
communication processor; the values measured on site
are directly transmitted to the “control center” at the
school in Hamburg via GPRS
Then the farmers in Nicaragua will not only grow the
fruits and vegetables as permitted by Mother Nature.
For the first time, they will not be impacted by weatherrelated
uncertainties. And they will be able to actively
market their products and produce exactly when it
fetches the highest prices in the market.
Local farmers who are already using solar powered
irrigation systems as part of the EduaRD project are
experiencing the benefits associated with it even
today. Lost harvests which almost destroyed their
families are now a thing of the past. Even during the
dry season, they are now able to bring in additional
harvests. This situation has a tremendous impact on
economic prosperity and the living situation of the
people in Nicaragua.
It is no wonder that photovoltaics are on the verge
of a breakthrough in Nicaragua. It all started with two
dedicated teachers and a handful of inquisitive
students in Hamburg-Blankenese.
www.siemens.com/telecontrol
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Sercos and Rexroth help streamline
servo-driven case packers
Brenton Engineering designed a new line of
side-loading case packers to exceed current
“green manufacturing” end user trends,
featuring servo control to increase speed
and reduce energy costs within a compact
footprint.
Brenton Engineering, a large provider of packaging
and palletizing equipment located in Alexandria,
MN, USA, spent months consulting with customers
and vendors before designing the next generation of
its BrentonPro Series of case packer machines.
“Customers wanted a faster and simpler all-servo
machine,” said Mike Grinager, VP of Technology for
Brenton Engineering. “Our design reduces the
complexity of the machine. We took out the pneumatics,
which was the most expensive aspect of the
About
Company name: Sercos International e.V.
Headquarters: Süssen, Germany
Membership: More than 90 member companies worldwide
Products: SERCOS-enabled products for any automation
application
machine, and our engineers removed more than
200 moving parts, reducing costs by one third. Plus,
the integrated servo motors and drives that we now
use require less space than even the smallest
motors we used previously,” said Grinager.
As a result, the BrentonPro Mach-2 case packer is
an all-servo-driven, side-load case packer featuring
an IndraDrive Mi motor integrated drive system with
Sercos distributed I/O, an IndraMotion MLC motion
logic controller and the IndraControl VEP40 human
machine interface (HMI) all from Bosch Rexroth,
Illinois.
According to Grinager, the multi-axis machine
reaches speeds of up to 25 cases per minute and can
accommodate a variety of cases, including RSC,
HSC, tray, wrap-around, knock-down and harness
for cartons, bottles, cans and tubs. During operation,
an empty case blank is picked by vacuum and set in
the machine. The case is moved through loading and
sealing sections of the machine, which are powered
by servo-driven flap traps. After loading, the full case
is indexed through a compression and sealing area.
The completed case is then discharged on the customer’s
takeaway conveyor.
Cost-effective and simple solution
Brenton developed the Mach-2 case packer to minimize
the environmental impact of packaging operations
through the appropriate use of electric servo drives,
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION
Rexroth’s motor integrated drive system helped Brenton
Engineering cut out more than 200 moving parts,
reducing component costs by a third
resulting in lower energy consumption, zero air consumption
and less product and packaging waste. On average,
the Mach-2 is expected to generate energy savings
of up to 25 % compared with the first generation machine.
The company worked closely with local Bosch
Rexroth distributor Motion Tech Automation,Oakdale,
Minnesota during this phase of the development.
“We recommended Rexroth’s IndraDrive Mi motor
integrated drive system, which is an cost-effective
and simple solution,” said Shawn Nelson, sales engineer
at Motion Tech.Nelson said that Rexroth’s
IndraDrive Mi system combines each servo motor
and drive amplifier into one compact unit mounted
directly on the machine, outside of the control cabinet.
A single cable running from the cabinet is daisychained
to each motor/drive unit and provides both
power and communication. As a result, Rexroth’s
design has the potential to reduce a machine’s
cabling needs by more than 80 %.The IndraDrive Mi
is also 50 % smaller than a traditional servo system,
which uses a separate servo drive and motor. This
architecture also eliminates the need for an air conditioning
unit from the control cabinet and the need
to maintain or replace expensive filters. “Our machine
has a cleaner appearance without all the wires
running to and from the electrical cabinet,” said
Grinager. “Because of the small motor integrated
drive units and fewer cables, the machine allows
easy access for the operator to maintain it.”
“The motor integrated drive units help reduce the
size of the electrical cabinet,” added Nelson. Because
the drives are integrated directly with the motors outside
of the control cabinet, the size of the Mach-2
control cabinet is reduced by 25 %. Up to 20
IndraDrive Mi units can be connected from one power
supply without additional distribution boxes. The
IndraDrive Mi accommodates the multiple functions
of the Mach-2 case packer without increasing the size
of the electrical cabinet. In addition, integrating the
drive control and motor into one component provides
a more flexible “plug and play” capability. More motors
can be installed for machine upgrades or other machine
configurations such as unique infeeds.
Another advantage: versatility. Although the
IndraDrive Mi system allowed to design a machine
with a smaller footprint, the space in the machine’s
The Future of Sercos
We interviewed Peter Lutz,
Managing Director Sercos
International, and talked about
industry trends and their impact on
Sercos. Additionally, Lutz gave as
an idea of their most important
markets and their plans for the
future of the interface.
case compression area was too compact to accommodate
any integrated motor/drive unit. The solution
was Rexroth’s near motor drive system IndraDrive
Mi with inverter KMS: a distributed drive
unit that can be mounted on the machine near a servo
motor and seamlessly connected with the Indradrive
Mi cables. Brenton Engineering’s controls
tea also used the IndraDrive Mi distributed input/
output system (I/O). Having four I/O outputs directly
on the motor eliminated the need for extra wiring.
Simplify the design
Motion synchronization and control are handled
through Sercos digital communication to each servo
drive. The case packer utilizes synchronous, electronic
camming technology provided by Rexroth’s system
solution IndraMotion MLC. The controller hardware
IndraControl L40 features FlexProfile functionality,
combining synchronous and time-based steps into a
single data function which optimizes system performance
and recovery and the changeover time. In addition,
Rexroth’s IndraControl VEP40 HMI, which was
mounted to the frame, integrates with the rest of the
machine components via OPC communications. The
HMI is an embedded terminal with a Windows CE operating
system and a 12-inch TFT touchscreen display.
“The Mach-2 has become a standard for Brenton
Engineering,” concluded Grinager. “Rexroth technology
allowed us to simplify the design of the Mach-2
case packer and reduce extraneous parts and energy
consumption in the machine. The ability to daisychain
servo motors led to less wiring and contributed
to a smaller electrical cabinet and ultimately an
overall smaller machine footprint.”
www.sercos.com
Video
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION
Connectivity at sea
Valentin Scheltow
The demands placed on products in the
maritime markets vary depending on the
location, and are often extremely high. The
crucial environmental factors in this sector
are vibration, salt water mist and magnetic
compatibility with compasses. Connectors
and Ethernet Switches by Harting perform
well even under these difficult conditions.
About
Company name: Harting Technology Group
Brands: Han, Ha-VIS
Headquarters: Espelkamp, Germany
Turnover: Author: Valentin €484 m Scheltow, (2013) Industry
Employees:
Segment Manager
more
Shipbuilding
than 3800 worldwide
at
Harting in Espelkamp, Germany
Products: electrical and electronic connectors, Ethernet
switches, …
The shipbuilding market is extremely vigorous:
each year some 6,000 cargo ships are under construction,
with the estimated lifetime of vessels being
some 20-25 years. Harting products have a long
history of utilization in marine applications. The
company’s products are known for their long service
life under harsh environmental conditions and have
proven their durability.
Demands in shipbuilding
Resilient components that feature encapsulation
against environmental influences while offering the
same properties as conventional devices and applications
are in demand in the shipbuilding sector.
Connectors should be easy to handle, flexible and
provide maximum performance at sea as well. Their
reliability – also under extreme conditions – should
not fall short of their performance in conventional
applications.
Certified technology
Certifications prove that components by German
manufacturer Harting are up to the task in harsh
maritime conditions: Classification society Germa-
Author: Valentin Scheltow, Industry
Segment Manager Shipbuilding at
Harting in Espelkamp, Germany

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION
nischer Lloyd (GL) has approved connectors from
Harting Technology Group for almost all shipbuilding
areas. The company’s Ethernet switches have
been successfully certified by Norway‘s Det Norske
Veritas (DNV) for use on ship‘s bridges as well as on
offshore platforms.
On- and offshore applications
Han-Inox and HPR connectors are already in use on
open decks and on offshore cranes. Thanks to their
high vibration resistance, connectors from the Han
family of products are also deployed in the controls
for dual-fuel engines, which are built to the highest
environmental standards. Here, the connectors are
mounted directly on the engines, with associated
heavy exposure.
Harting Ethernet switches are ideally suited for
monitoring, control and automation systems on
vessels. These switches have also been successfully
tested by the BSH (German Federal Maritime and
Hydrographic Agency) to determine if they exert
influence on the magnetic compass on the bridge.
Connector on MAN Diesel monitoring and control system
In conclusion, the certified products by Harting are
more than fit for use in numerous locations onboard
ocean-going vessels.
Photographs: MAN Diesel & Turbo SE, teaser fotolia/ate
www.harting.com

Esben Østergaard, CTO of Universal Robots, explains
the patented new safety concept: “When a human
enters the robot’s work-cell, the robot arm can opercomponents
and software
Humans working together
with robots: safe and flexible
Peter Becker
According to Larry Turner, CEO Hannover Fairs USA, robotics is
one of the growing branches in automation. Robot specialists
Universal Robots presented the third generation of its products,
UR5 and UR10, at Industrial Automation North America featuring
advanced safety functions and true absolute encoders.
huge picture of one of the manufacturer’s robot
A arms greeted the visitors of the company’s
booth at Industrial Automation North America at
McCormick Place in Chicago. The Denmark-based
company entered the market in 2008 with the idea of
providing a user-friendly and flexible lightweight
robot for dull or harmful jobs that can run potentially
without safety cages. Since then, the company has
seen substantial growth and sells its products in
more than 50 countries.
After initial risk assessment, the collaborative
Universal Robots can operate alongside human
operators without safety guarding. This makes it easy
to move the light-weight robot around the production,
addressing the needs of agile manufacturing
even within small- and medium sized companies. If
the robots come into contact with an employee, the
built-in force control limits the forces at contact,
adhering to the current safety requirements on force
and torque limitations. At the fairground in Chicago,
near the shore of Lake Michigan, Universal Robots
had set up several robot arms and control units to
demonstrate the latest features of its newly developed
third generation of UR5 and UR10 products.
The focus was on safer operation of the collaborative
robots and humans as well as on optimized startup
time.
Safety first
Author: Peter Becker,
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES

next page
And the target group may widen even more thanks to
the user-friendly programming of the products made
in Denmark. Operators with no programming expeate
in reduced mode, and then resume full speed
when he leaves again. Or, the robot can run full speed
inside a CNC machine for example, and then reduced
speed when outside.” To achieve a switch
between normal and reduced safety mode, eight
safety functions are monitored by the new patented
safety system: Joint positions and speeds, TCP positions,
orientation, speed and force, as well as the
momentum and power of the robot. The settings can
only be changed in a password protected area.
Another innovation is the true absolute encoders,
allowing faster start-up because the robot’s position
is recognized upon power-up. “With the integration
of the true absolute encoder, our robotarms can be
integrated easily into other machineries while startup
also becomes faster and simpler for all applications”,
says Østergaard. Unlike most other industrial robots
with incremental encoders that work like absolute
encoders, until the battery runs out, the encoders in
the UR robots are not battery driven, therefore named
“true absolute encoders” eliminating the need to
frequently reinitialize the robot arms since their
position in space is known despite the robot not
requiring battery power to achieve this function.
Based on user feedback
But inside of the robot arm itself, as well as in the
controller, are more hidden surprises; Sixteen additional
digital I/Os doubles the number of built-in
I/Os which are easy to configure either as digital signals
or as safety signals. The control box has a revised
design and a rebuilt controller to further improve the
01 Robot arms and control units at the booth
in Chicago
possibilities for connecting equipment to the control
boxes. “We are the only manufacturer of lightweight
robot arms with a long lasting experience in a wide
variety of industries. Our R&D department worked
hard in order to integrate input and feedback from
end users into our product development,” comments
Enrico Krog Iversen, Universal Robots CEO, on the latest
development from Denmark. “With our flexible
robot-arms, we address a broad target group – whether
it is (un-)loading of CNC machines in a ten-man
firm or a gluing-process at an automotive manufacturer,
everyone benefits from our robots. Because they
perform the dull or harmful jobs that needed to be done
by humans before,” says Iversen.
Addressing a bigger audience
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

components and software
The future of Universal Robots
We talked to Edward Mullen, National Sales Manager for
Universal Robots in North America, at Industrial Automation
North America in Chicago. He gave us an overview over the
company’s plans in North America as well as for its future in general.
Watch the full video interview here.
Video
rience are able to work with the robot. “We have a
user interface that is easy to set up. You can give it to
any level employee and they can take it and program
the robot themselves”, elaborates Edward Mullen,
National Sales Manager for Universal Robots in
North America. The user only has to move the robot
arm to desired waypoints or touch the arrow keys on
a tablet PC. According to Mullen, this approach
opens up a large amount of different fields for the
robot to be used in: “By empowering people to program
the robot themselves, we get into some unique
applications of companies that have never even
thought about using robotics before.”
About
Company name: Universal Robots
Headquarters: Odense, Denmark
Turnover: € 17,9 m (2013)
Employees: 110 (2014)
Products: lightweight robot arms UR5 and UR10
Plans for the future
The development of Universal Robots has not come
to an end, yet. The company’s global sales target for
2014 is 2,000 robots followed by a doubling of sales
every year from 2014 to 2017. Mullen states more
ambitious goals of the Danish manufacturer: “We are
committed to becoming the leader in this industry
with this product and there will be more version of
the UR robot with more features in the next two or
three years.”
www.universal-robots.com
02 Edward Mullen explaining the new features of the
robot arms
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

One gripper for
all purposes
At Industrial Automation North America, Universal Robots and
Empire Robotics showcased the cooperation of the robot arms
UR5 and the gripper developed by the young American company.
The Versaball gripper quickly adapts to a variety of manufacturing
tasks with a fraction of the engineering time and effort.
Historically, robot integrators have spent a great
deal of engineering resources designing specialized
and varied grippers for industrial production.
Empire Robotics’ Versaball delivers a solution that
easily adapts to a variety of tasks. The product is a
squishy balloon membrane full of loose sub-millimeter
particles. The soft ball gripper easily conforms
around a wide range of target object shapes and sizes.
Using a process known as “granular jamming”, air is
quickly sucked out of the ball, which vacuum-packs
the particles and hardens the gripper around the object
to hold and lift it. The object releases when the
ball is reinflated. In a matter of minutes, the gripper
can be programmed or reprogrammed to pick and
place parts that vary and parts with varied orientations
such as objects that fall randomly on a conveyor.
The demo
Company name: Empire Robotics
Headquarters: Boston, MA, USA
Employees: 6
Products: Versaball gripper
About
Video of the demo
Empire Robotics‘ CTO
John Amend explained
the operating principle of
the gripper. Watch the video
of the joint demo
with Universal
Robots here.
For the demo at the fair, the gripper was mounted on
Universal Robots’ UR5 robot. The demonstration
illustrated how the Versaball attached to a UR robot
arm offers an optimal choice for safe, collaborative
robot applications with humans working in close
proximity to robots. Unlike hard grippers, the
balloon-shaped gripper by Empire Robotics conforms
to and grips a wide range of objects – even
lightbulbs – without reprogramming.
Mutually beneficial cooperation
“Empire Robotics’ Versaball is one of the most
unique gripper technologies on the market,” said
Ed Mullen, National Sales Manager with Universal
Robots in North America. “We foresee the gripper as
having the same, positive impact on collaborative
robotics as our robot arm has had. The fact that the
gripper is soft between grips and can be deployed on
the fly further extends the safety and flexibility benefits
of our robot arms.” Bill Culley, President of
Empire Robotics, added: “Our gripper compliments
the flexibility of the UR5 and UR10 robots with a
solution that has minimal impact on the bottom line
and shrinks time between product cycles, pushing
robotics into small- and medium-sized manufacturing
facilities.”
www.empirerobotics.com
Video
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Components and Software
Enclosures:
more than just a housing
Michael Schell, Christan Moritz
Enclosure housings protect the electrical
equipment housed inside them, as well as
the people who operate a switchgear or
controlgear systems. Protection requirements
and safety procedures are defined by
various guidelines depending on the operating
site, sector or application. In order to
comply with these guidelines, various tests
are required.
Author: Engineer (UAS), MBA Michael Schell, Head of Product
Management Power Distribution at Rittal
Christan Moritz, state certified technician, Product Manager
Power Distribution at Rittal
The most well-known requirement of an enclosure
housing is the IP protection class IEC 60529. The
directive specifies the protection measures against
the penetration of solid objects, dust and water. In
addition, there are many other requirements for
enclosure housings, such as resistance to corrosion
or the protection of individuals during electrical
faults. These requirements, as well as their testing
and verification, are specified in several standards.
It should be noted that, depending on each market
segment (e.g. North America, Europe or Asia), additional
approvals are needed. In many regions worldwide,
the IEC standard or a translated standard
thereof in a national version is directly recognised. In
North America, Nema standards or UL approvals are
required to verify protective functions instead of the
IEC standards. The field of application can also entail
additional requirements - for example, additional
provisions apply for ships or railways.
112 AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Components and Software
next page
Accredited test laboratory
In order to receive approval from some organizations,
such as UL, Lloyds or DNV, in addition to the
initial testing, manufacturing sites are also regularly
checked. If auditing is successful, these classification
societies grant the right to provide enclosures with
their approval mark until the next inspection. Therefore,
we can expect constant quality of enclosure
housings from manufacturers who have their manufacturing
processes regularly checked by such organizations.
As one of the world‘s leading system providers for
housings and enclosure technology, Rittal has an
accredited laboratory for various tests at its company
headquarters in Herborn, Germany. In addition to
the necessary initial testings of new products, the
01 A standardised manufacturing process ensures an identical structure for enclosure housing,
even for a wide variety of sizes
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Components and Software
previous page
02 Dipcoat priming of enclosure frame scaffolding at the plant in Rittershausen
manufacturer regularly checks the different features
of the enclosure. This ensures a high quality standard
for the enclosure systems in the long run. Thanks to
the platform concept and the company‘s standardized
manufacturing, this also applies to single special
constructions that may differ greatly from mass produced
components.
About
Company name: Rittal GmbH & Co. KG
Brands: system enclosure SE 8, system platform TS 8,
switchgear system Ri4Power, …
Headquarters: Herborn, Germany
Turnover: € 2.2 Bn
Employees: more than 11 000 worldwide
Products: enclosures, power distribution, climate control,
IT infrastructure, software and services
Protection against corrosion
Modern enclosure housings meet cutting-edge technology
requirements and comply with the applicable
standards. Hence, protection against corrosion is no
longer to be performed with a simple coating of the
metal insert. In order to ensure long-term protection
against corrosion, a defined process with different
process stages, ranging from cleaning to powder
coating of the primed housing, is needed. Long-term
protection against corrosion is essential in order to
ensure protection for staff and equipment when operating
electrical switchgear and controlgear systems
thanks to their housing, even after many years.
For electrical enclosures, protection against corrosion
is stipulated by the IEC 62208 or the IEC 61439
standards. The related required corrosion test is
performed in accordance with the IEC 60068-2
standard. Based on the standard for testing, a differentiation
is made between indoor and outdoor
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Components and Software
installation, depending on the installation site of the
housing. In order to verify resistance to corrosion, a
salt spray test is performed to simulate, over the
course of a few days, the actual year-long corrosion
process.
Rittal‘s enclosure housings spray-finished sheet
steel plates for indoor use and are corrosion-resistant,
as prescribed by requirements, thanks to a
standardized coating process. When the primary
manufacturing of the housings has been completed,
the first work step involves cleaning and de-greasing
the housings to ensure long-term adhesion of the
subsequent coatings. Immediately after de-greasing,
the first protective coating is applied using a nano
ceramic pre-treatment. For the second coating, the
housings are completely immersed in a dip tank and
receive an electrophoretic dipcoat primer. The last
step for protection against corrosion involves powder
coating, which gives the outer layer of the enclosure
its structure. If, during subsequent operation of the
system, the upper layer is damaged, two further
layers can be provided to protect it against rust
formation.
Safety for people
A further requirement for enclosures is the safety of
people in the proximity of, or that operate, electrical
switchgear and controlgear systems. It is regulated
by the IEC 61439 standard. This standard contains
several requirements that describe the mechanical
properties of housings. During electrical faults, the
enclosure housings are heavily loaded due to an
internal increase in pressure or due to a magnetic
effect during a high short-circuit current. The internal
increase in pressure occurs, for example, in the
case of a short-circuit cut-off by larger circuit breakers,
which generate an electric arc during switch off.
Furthermore, the magnetic field produced by a
copper busbar, especially during high short-circuit
The new IEC 61439 standard will
be valid from 1 November
The IEC 61439 standard defines the basic
requirements and verification for the manufacturing
of electric switchgear and controlgear
systems for low voltage applications. Here,
great attention is paid in particular to the
mutual influence of different electrical
equipment and the mechanical requirements
for housing, which have been recently incorporated
in this standard. The European version of
the IEC 61439 standard, the EN 61439 standard,
and also the German version, the DIN EN 61439
standard, will only be valid starting from
1 November 2014, since on this date, at the
latest, the previous EN 60439 standard will
be withdrawn.
currents, as well as the effect of neighbouring copper
busbars, also have an effect on housing components,
such as the mounting plate. The housing must ensure
that an enclosure door does not open during a
short-circuit cut-off or that a busbar system remains
firmly attached even during a short circuit. A control
enclosure door that opens or flying debris may injure
people in the proximity of the switchgear and controlgear
system.
Therefore, it is important for enclosure housings to
maintain their mechanical strength even after many
years, as it was at the beginning of the installation,
and to not lose their strength due to rust or other
factors. In order to ensure this in the long-term, and
with constant quality, a standardised manufacturing
and spray-finish process is crucial.
www.rittal.com
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Machine Vision
Camera change with potential:
USB 3.0 instead of FireWire
Basler ace USB3 Vision cameras are available in resolutions from
VGA to 14 MP; they have attractive prices and are easy to integrate
René von Fintel
How long will I be able to maintain my FireWire camera system?
When should I switch, and which interface should I pick? Users of
FireWire cameras around the world are wondering these things
at the moment. The new USB 3.0 interface and its standard USB3
Vision are an attractive successor due to the technical proximity to
FireWire. Basler, a globally active developer of industrial cameras,
explains the backgrounds and perspectives.
Author: René von Fintel is Team
Leader Product Management at Basler
AG in Ahrensburg, Germany
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Machine Vision
next page
FireWire doubtlessly is one of the most successful
camera interfaces in the world. However, their life
cycle is slowly coming to an end. Users of FireWire
cameras will be facing the question of how to continue
with their camera system in future and which
interface to switch to in the medium term. Generally,
they have several to choose from. The most important
interfaces that are currently an option are USB
3.0, Gigabit Ethernet and Camera Link. Each interface
technology has some specific benefits. Gigabit
Ethernet is limited to a bandwidth of 100 MB/s, but
offers benefits because it can use very long cables
(up to 100 m) and makes it easier to set up multicamera
systems. Camera Link Full is based on a
frame grabber setup, but offers a bandwidth of up to
850 MB/s. Generally, the closer the interfaces are to
each other in their technical principles, the easier it
will be to switch. This specifically applies when
switching from USB 2.0 or FireWire to USB 3.0.
The reason for this is that FireWire is no longer
supported.
There are various reasons for switching from
FireWire to another interface. The most relevant ones
most certainly are:
n FireWire hardware is growing more and more
expensive and more and more difficult to procure. It
will no longer be available in the medium term.
n Changes to the software or transfer to any other operating
system require a change. Windows 8 no longer
offers natural FireWire support, while the 3.0
Host Controller can be used at once without even
installing any drivers.
n The bandwidth has grown insufficient for current
and, particularly, future requirements to the Vision
system, such as higher frame rates, higher resolution
and a different pixel format.
n Savings in the overall system justify the one-time
integration effort quickly.
The technology: FireWire versus USB3
Vision
It is often said that USB 3.0 and its standard USB3
Vision are the most logical and recommended
replacement due to the very similar technical
properties. The two interfaces are not only similar,
but USB 3.0 also offers true added value, as the table
makes clear (see figure 1).
Two other important properties should be mentioned:
CPU-load and real-time capability. Even data
rates in excess of 350MB/s will hardly put any strain
on the CPU using USB 3.0, due to its direct memory
access on the host computer. Blocks are reserved
before image transfer to enable the mechanism to
01 Technical data by FireWire and USB3 Vision in
comparison
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Machine Vision
previous page
cope without any copying process. The resulting
overhead is very low, i.e. there is only a small difference
between the gross and net data rates.
Speaking of real-time capability of Vision systems
usually refers to different points in the system where
latency times and time-related jitter may occur. The
latency time includes the averaged absolute time,
while jitter is the time-variation from each same
sensor to minimise the change effort. Alternatively, a
deviating sensor of the same or similar sensor size
and sensitivity is an option. The housing size of the
USB 3.0-camera should be similar, but never larger
than the previously used FireWire-camera (figure 2).
The setup behind the camera usually is a little
simpler: The camera is connected to the PC via a
FireWire-cable and plugged either into a PCIexpress
FireWire is slowly but steadily losing support in the PC world.
It will disappear from the market in the medium term.
process step to the next same process step. The timerelated
jitter is the more important aspect for determining
in advance when the next process step that
depends unconditionally on a previous one may
happen. When performing measurements for
real-time capability, it turned out that USB 3.0 has
shorter latency/jitter times than FireWire does, and
is the more beneficial interface in the sense of
real-time capability.
Replacement effort: changes to
hardware…
In case of replacement, changes arise to the hardware
and software. As an example, we are looking at
a single-camera system for classic object inspection.
The complete mechanics in this system are adjusted
to this object, i.e. the distances are coordinated with
the lens used, the chosen sensor format and its resolution.
The specific lighting may also be adjusted to
it. If this setup is to be equipped with USB 3.0, it is
beneficial to select a USB 3.0-camera with the same
card or the sockets directly connected to the mainboard.
For precise triggering, another cable may be
used for hardware triggering at the camera. On the
PC-side, the cable and either the entire PC hardware
or the PCIexpress card must be replaced.
… and software
The integration effort for software may vary much
more strongly. Two extremes can be differentiated.
n Version 1: Proprietary, DCAM-based software
environment. The proprietary software supports only
DCAM-compatible cameras and cannot be used as
easily for cameras with newer interface standards
such as the USB3 Vision. The software interface must
be reprogrammed for the GenICam standard. The
good news is that porting to GenICam is only required
once to be ready for other current and future Machine
Vision software interfaces as well. GenICam is the
standard that all interface technologies have to meet.
n Version 2: GenICam-based software environment.
Only slight adjustments are required. Ideally, the
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

Machine Vision
03 Amortisation of the investment: Switching to USB 3.0
pays off purely from the point of view of procurement
02 Hardware and software changes are required when
switching from FireWire to USB3.0; the figure shows a
single-camera system for classic object inspection
software environment has all drivers for USB3 Vision
and camera control included in an update.
A look at economic efficiency
The calculation example in figure 3 shows how the
change to USB 3.0 will pay off from the point of view
of procurement. Switching to a USB 3.0-model with
the same sensor, mainly expenses in the software area
are required to adjust the software interface to the new
camera interface. A smaller share is additionally
required for hardware to attach the camera and install
USB 3.0 with cable and ports. Using the same sensor
means that no adjustments to the lenses,
machine mechanics or lighting are required. The comparison
shows that the break-even point will be
reached within the first year. From the second year
onwards, savings in the larger five-digit area are
possible. The example is based on a number of 100
cameras. The costs for cables and hardware have not
been considered, with savings expected here as well
(USB 3.0 hardware setups tend to be cheaper by 20 %).
Photographs: lead fotolia
www.baslerweb.com
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

machine vision
Thermal imaging cameras in
automotive quality control
Chris Brown, Frank Liebelt
The BMW 5-Series, 6-Serie, 7-Series and
3-Series Gran Turismo are produced in the
Dingolfing plant in Lower Bavaria. Around
18,500 people work at the site. Basic functions
from signal horn to engine-specific
performance are thoroughly tested. Thermographic
cameras are ideally suited for
this type of quality control and ensure the
proper functioning of automobile production.
New vehicles are subjected to a number of individual
and automated quality control measures
including analysis in one of ten separate roller dynamometers.
Basic functions from signal horn to
engine-specific performance are thoroughly tested,
as is the BMW Night Vision System, based on a Flir
detector. The entire process just takes a few minutes,
during which each correct function has to be confirmed
either automatically or by an inspector who
sits in the vehicle monitoring displayed inspection
data. The tests vary in both type and duration according
to the specification of each model and are
programmed to be conducted in an automated
sequence.
Author: Chris Brown, Business Development
Manager EMEA, Flir Systems Limited, UK;
Frank Liebelt, journalist, Frankfurt, Germany
Simple, fast and reliable testing
Whilst cost- and time-efficient testing is the common
goal, identifying the optimum procedure for each
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

machine vision
next page
The BMW plant in Dingolfing, Germany,
is using thermal imaging cameras for
electro-thermography of switch cabinets
and rooms and for quality control
inspection task needs individual consideration. This is
the case, for example, when testing the exhaust flaps on
the dual exhaust system. Twin tail pipes are a feature of
the high performance BMW vehicles with large,
8-cylinder engines. On the BMW M5 model the
requirement is different again, as the exhaust flap on
the second tailpipe is only activated at a specified RPM.
The reason for this may be at first surprising as it’s
all about acoustic design but the sound of a powerful
engine should be impressive. Therefore a BMW M5
only opens the second tailpipe exhaust flap when it is
really needed. Of course this feature has to be
inspected which is more complicated than it appears
at first glance.
To check the efficiency of this operation thermal
imaging cameras – a different brand to FLIR – were
initially specified for each dynamometer rig. Their
purpose was to visualise the thermal profile of the
respective tailpipes in the dual pipe exhaust system.
Thermal imaging cameras
check exhaust flow
Each system comprised two thermal imaging cameras,
mounted to inspect the left and right tail pipes
from above and the side. The solution was not only
expensive to buy but costs also increased with time
as the cameras required frequent repair. After eight
years the viability of a new system was therefore
evaluated.
Robert Halbritter of Flir Systems’ sales partner and
integrator Topa GmbH, offered a very attractive
solution that would halve the cost of new camera
hardware. He recommended the use of a single,
fix-mounted Flir A310 with a 45º lens for each dynamometer.
The advantage: that which was previously
inspected using two cameras mounted on the sides
could now be visualised using a single centrally positioned
Flir camera. This is possible as the field of view
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

machine vision
previous page
01 Thermal images of the rear end view as you can see by the left: the exhaust flaps open at a higher rpm –
the inspector can see if the flap is functioning properly from changes in the thermal profile
of the camera with 45º wide-angle lens is capable of
showing the entire end of the vehicle from a distance
of approximately 2 m. As a result comprehensive
inspection could be conducted by just 10 cameras,
one for each dynamometer, instead of the 20 units
required by the previous system.
Simple solution – huge potential
The Flir A310 generates an analogue thermal imaging
video signal with a frame rate of 30 Hz. This model is
particularly suited to recording exhaust flow as it is
simple to integrate and provides easy access to PAL
video.
Chris Brown explains: “The camera also provides
multiple connection options.” He is responsible for
fixed thermal imaging cameras for automation applications
at Flir Systems GmbH. “The Flir A310 has a
digital output for alarms and for controlling external
devices. Additionally the data can be transmitted via
TCP IP or Ethernet and the Flir A315 even supports
the GigE Vision standard as well as the GeniCam
protocol.”
Careful monitoring
The performance of the exhaust system is checked on
a monitor in front of the vehicle which displays a thermal
image. From this the inspector can see if the flap
is functioning properly from changes in the thermal
profile. Even though the Flir A310 can visualise heat
distribution using various colour palettes, the simplest
and clearest option is used here: black and white.
The reason for this is the irregularity in air flow of
the exhaust streams. A relatively high amount of air is
displaced and the exhaust stream does not remain
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014

machine vision
02 Fix-mounted thermal image camera Flir
A310 with a 45° lens for each dynamometer
constant. The flow rate also has to be taken into
consideration. These are all factors that could be be
visualised using a wider colour spectrum but could
serve to confuse the inspector. In the final analysis all
that is required of this test is confirmation that the
flap is opening and closing correctly.
autumn of 2011 and have been in operation, around
the clock, since then.
Photographs: background and ornaments fotolia
www.flir.com
Global market leader
BMW’s decision to switch to the Flir camera solution
suggested by Topa was based on the companies good
reputation for quality service and post-sales support.
The technical implementation of the solution also
played an important role. “We were often on site and
able to support BMW with the installation and
calibration of the cameras,” says Robert Halbritter of
Topa. The reliability of the Flir A310 speaks for itself.
The first camera systems were installed in the
About
Company name: FLIR Systems, Inc.
Headquarters: Wilsonville, Oregon, USA
Turnover: $ 1.5 billion (2013)
Employees: 2,800 worldwide
Products: thermal imaging systems, visible-light imaging
systems, locator systems, measurement and diagnostic
systems, and advanced threat detection systems for all
industries
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2014