Technology Briefing June 2008

Technology Briefing June 2008

TECHNICAL PAPERS:

Photoelectric sensors, vision sensors or vision systems? This Cognex paper discusses how to determine when photoelectric sensors are appropriate, when to move to vision sensors, and when a machine vision system is the best solution: Read article

More Technical Articles:

National Instruments: Strategies for Maximizing Test System Efficiency ... MooreHawke: Installing Fieldbus ... Foster Wheeler: Improving refinery distillation options

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS:

Sustainable chemicals alliance

SusChem UK is the name of a newly launched alliance bringing together six UK chemistry and engineering groups to support industry in the drive for more sustainable products and services. It will focus on areas where innovation in science and engineering can bring about major advances in sustainability. Chairman, Dr David Brown, who is also chief executive at the IChemE said: “Our organisations’ collective knowledge and expertise will prove invaluable to both industry and academia. SusChem UK will work with these groups to set the research agenda for sustainable chemistry and the development of chemistry-based solutions that will contribute to a sustained quality of life for all.” SusChem UK comprises the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Chemistry Innovation and Bioscience for Business Knowledge Transfer Networks, the Chemical Industries Association, the Society for Chemical Industry, and IChemE. It is one of 14 national platforms in Europe that link with the EU Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry.

Energy regeneration drive

Regeneration to save energy In many industrial processes, for example when slowing or stopping a machine, kinetic energy is wasted by converting it into heat. The same can apply with potential energy in machinery such as inclined conveyors and lifts. Two new regenerative power supply modules from Lenze take that energy and put it back into the mains, reducing energy consumption and reducing costs. Read more

Glass implosion in US

Dorset, UK - Krysteline, based in Dorset, has secured a contract to install one of its glass processors employing a new glass implosion technique in a new recycling facility in Pennsylvania. The UK company's patented process renders glass sharp free, transforming a waste product normally destined for landfill into high value industrial products, such as grit blast abrasive, water filtration media and sports turf dressing. Read more

Korea startup for Shell glyol process

Shell has announced its first start-up using the new Shell OMEGA (Only Mono-Ethylene Glycol Advanced) process technology, which uses catalytic conversion of ethylene oxide to monoethylene glycol (MEG) as opposed to the traditional thermal conversion approach. The start-up at Lotte Daesan's chemical manufacturing facility in Daesan, Korea took place on 21 May without any major problems. "The fact that the Lotte 400 kta MEG plant, which is based on new first-of-its-kind Shell OMEGA technology, was started up within a week of its scheduled start-up date is a major achievement," said Ben Ramakers, global manager Ethylene Oxide and Derivatives Technology, Shell Global Solutions.

Polypropylene for laser sintering

3D Systems Corp. will unveil a a newly developed polypropylene-based material at the Design Engineering Manufacturing Solutions Expo, 25-27 June, in Tokyo. The US company is developing the new selective laser sintering (SLS) plastics jointly with TRIAL Corp. of Kanagawa, Japan. The SLS material is translucent, white in colour, flexible, and has good chemical resistance and elevated impact strength. Abe Reichental, 3D Systems’ president and CEO, said: "After more than a decade of laser sintering technology dominated by polyamide-based materials, we are very pleased to be the ones making a significant technology announcement regarding a truly breakthrough material for rapid manufacturing applications."

Nano getting bigger

Nanotechnology-based consumer products are hitting the market at a rate of 3 to 4 per week, which notes BHR Group, is putting increased pressure on practising engineers and scientists to not only formulate new products but also ensure safe, reliable and reproducible design, operation and scale up of processes for such products at large scale. BHR Group is actively encouraging interested companies to join its DOMINO industrial consortium, which is investigating the incorporation and dispersion of nanoparticles into liquids. Current members include: Akzo Nobel, Church & Dwight, GSK, Huntsman, Solvay and Ytron-Quadro. Sat Panesar, sales director at BHR explains: “The aim of DOMINO is to develop process design procedures based on experimental and numerical findings of the programme. It is anticipated that these will replace the ‘trial-and-error’ type of approach in process design”.

Crystal sensors grow

To meet the demand for its piezoelectric sensors, Kistler has commissioned a new crystal growing facility; the third since it began producing the artificially grown calcium gallogermanate crystal ten years ago. Quartz produces an electric charge when subjected to mechanical stress, but variations in the characteristics of naturally occurring quartz limit its suitability for accurate measurements. Kistler uses the Czochralsky process, which involves a number of materials being deposited onto a seed crystal pulled slowly out of a melt to extract a single crystal bars, which are generally 1,5 to 2 kg in weight, 150 mm long and 60 mm in diameter. The crystals are then sliced in appropriate directions to produce pressure and shear sensitive piezoelectric elements to form the heart of sensors measuring pressure, force, torque and acceleration.

First for polymer particle research

German researcher Andreas Walther has won first prize in the DSM Science & Technology Awards (South) 2008 for his work in developing new classes of polymeric materials with unusual properties based on so-called Janus particles. These particles, named after the two-faced Roman god, are characterized by surfaces with distinctive properties, which enable specific and different interactions with other materials. They form an ideal toolbox for nanotechnology applications and materials science, paving the way for the construction of novel types of advanced biochemical sensors, drug-delivery vehicles, multi-component storage and release devices, or highly surface-active particles. Looking to the future, a multitude of current problems in biomedicine, materials science and other disciplines can efficiently be tackled by the materials enabled by Walther’s research, which may prove useful in the medical area or in the development of new photovoltaic devices.. The judging committee said: ‘He has not only synthesized the basic building blocks but also assembled these into various 1-, 2-, and 3-dimensional structures, which he then characterised physically and functionally. In this way he has made a major breakthrough in a highly competitive field, based on an innovative new concept.’

NEW PRODUCTS

Control and Automation

Siemens / Softnet PN-IO Linux : Software controller makes it is possible to set up open control solutions on standard PC hardware and offers an inexpensive link-up to field units in industrial Ethernet networks. Up to 64 I/O devices can be connected to the controller; additional communication hardware is not necessary. Operation of the devices via wireless LAN is also possible.

Moeller Electric / EasyHMI MFD4: A 5.7-inch multifunction display unit with built-in PLC functionality and support for its easySoft-CoDeSys programming system. Combining the HMI and PLC functions in a single unit saves money and space and simplifies programming, as the HMI can access PLC variables directly, so avoiding the cumbersome tables of variables that are often needed when separate devices are used. Suitable for use in demanding industrial applications, the unit has a full-colour touch screen that is protected to IP65.

Drives

Olsen Engineering / Tritex series of servo linear actuators: Roller screw actuators are winning market share from ball screw, pneumatic and hydraulic actuators due to their accuracy, robustness, load capacity and compactness, says Olsen. The Tritex range, which features a patented inverted roller screw technology, incorporates a brushless servo motor, servo amplifier and position controller in a single industrial grade enclosure. The design, claims Olsen, eliminates the expensive and failure prone inter-connections normally associated with typical servo system as well as concerns over component selection, compatibility, installation problems and de-bugging.

Nord Drivesystems has launched a new version of its Nordac SK500 frequency inverter drives incorporating new position control capabilities. Called Posicon, the new functionality supports closed-loop applications with motion control features such as the ability to program relative or absolute positioning, synchronising, gearing and S-ramp movement profiles. Posicon is claimed to facilitate implementation of a range of common industrial automation applications such as feed to length, indexing, precise positioning, and synchronising/locking.

Measurement and instrumentation

Burkert / 8201 pH measuring system: Fit-and-forget design enables the sensor to stay in process, even during CIP purification, saving time and cost by removing the need for sensor removal, cleaning and recalibration. The non-breakable sensor also avoids the problems of fracture with glass sensors; while its enamelled stainless steel finish provides the highest levels of non-stick performance for maximised hygiene whilst pH values are measured. The unit is suitable for use in high- end hygienic processes; for example, in the production of foods and active ingredients where the pH value of liquid mediums - including those which are viscous or contain solids - is measured.

HBM / API interface for its QuantumX universal amplifier: Users can programme functions with their own customized set ups if needed. The interface provides full access to all QuantumX functions and works in addition to QuantumX Assistant, catmanEasy, catmanAP and LabView. API is used with programming libraries in .NET or COM technology. The libraries enable customised applications to be programmed in different languages, for example Visual Basic, C++, C# or Delphi. The libraries also include functions such as establishing communication links, configuring the channels for measurement, taking measurements and debugging.

Quality control system migration

Honeywell / Quality Control Systems (QCS) migration services: Suite designed to help paper mills upgrade to the latest measurement and control technologies cost-effectively. The services allow mills to keep existing scanners, sensors and cross-direction (CD) actuators in place while upgrading signal processing hardware, application software and server technology.The migration services include Precision Measurement, CD actuator and scanner and multivariable control upgrades. “Older QCS systems are becoming more difficult and costly to support, so Honeywell designed a broad range of services as step-by-step upgrades of the most critical components,” said Andrew Hird, global leader for Honeywell Process Solutions’ pulp and paper business.”