09.16

The B&R Technology Magazine

Optimized azimuth control

Less wear,
more efficiency
Condition Monitoring High-availability wind power
Web-based HMI Lower maintenance costs with mapp View

editorial

Dear Reader,publishing information
As a carbon-neutral source of energy, wind power plays acentral role in efforts to hold global warming under the 2 °C
mark. Already, we’ve seen the cost of onshore wind power
drop below that of conventional technologies.

automotion:
The B&R technology magazine, Volume 16
www.br-automation.com/automotion
Media owner and publisher:

In many countries, conventional power plants are being replaced by wind farms to cover increasing demand. This willsecure the continued growth of this industry in spite of any
uncertainty in the economy at large.

Bernecker + Rainer Industrie-Elektronik Ges.m.b.H.
B&R Strasse 1, 5142 Eggelsberg, Austria
Tel.: +43 (0) 7748/6586-0
automotion@br-automation.com
Managing Director: Hans Wimmer
Editorial staff: Alexandra Fabitsch
Editorial staff: Craig Potter
Authors in this edition: Franz Joachim
Rossmann, Olivier Rambaldelli, Alexander Pil,
Stefan Hensel, Thomas Schmertosch,Peter Kronberger, Alexandra Fabitsch

Stable production quantities and continual improvements in efficiency promise to further reduce the cost of building and operating turbines. For this to be possible, however, wind power systems will rely on advanced engineering technology and innovative
new approaches to control and monitoring.
Solutions for implementing Smart Factories, condition monitoring, remote access androbust motion control for turbines are just a few of the ways we open up enormouscompetitive advantages for our customers.

Graphic design, layout & typesetting:
Linie 3, www.linie3.com
Printing: VVA Vorarlberger Verlagsanstalt GmbH, Dornbirn
Edition: 100,000
Published at: B&R Strasse 15142 Eggelsberg, Austria

Come see them first hand at WindEnergy 2016 from September 27–30 in Hamburg(Hall B6, Booth B 6.393). We look forward to seeing you there!
Happy reading!

Cover photo: shutterstock
All articles published in this magazine are protectedby copyright. Translation, reproduction andduplication are prohibited without the expressed
permission of the publisher. B&R assumes noliability for any errors they may contain.
Follow us

Peter Kronberger
Global Technology Manager – Energy

contents
inhalt16

10

28

interview

report02

Keep the turbines turning
Condition monitoring increases wind turbine reliability, prevents failures, and ultimately makes them both safer andmore profitable. But how does it do that?

06

A bright forecast for icy blades
Ice-encrusted wind turbine blades cause unscheduled
downtime. LEINE LINDE SYSTEMS offers a proactive solution
featuring B&R technology.

10

Substantial potential for optimizing azimuth control
Yaw systems subject wind turbines to mechanical stressand accelerated wear. B&R’s solution promises to increase
yield while extending turbine life.

16

Machine development with minimal risk
Increasing reliance on software calls for advanced engineering methods. mapp Technology helps make HAPA machines more flexible and reliable.

20

Life-saving quality
Fresenius researches and develops medical equipment forblood purification. When its spare parts supply dried up, alternatives were found at B&R.

24

High-speed bus for precision braking
Modern agricultural equipment demands powerful communication technology. enders turned to B&R for a protocol tohandle the industry’s unique demands.

28

Honing in on the physical limits
B&R technology helped KADIA improve usability and makehoning machines pay off even for smaller batch sizes.

32

The chicken or the egg
Prinzen has developed a machine able to weigh an impressive
30,000 of them per hour. The controller that runs it comesfrom B&R.

36

Uncorked – Restoring cork’s tainted reputation
Diam Bouchage has implemented a revolutionary purification
process based on B&R technology to spare wine-drinkers theunpleasant experience of “corked” wine.

technology
12

14

Minimizing maintenance costs
An effective way to keep software maintenance costs fromgetting out of hand, modularity can drastically reduce thetotal cost of ownership.
Product overview
Innovative solutions for the energy industry from your automation partner B&R.

09.16

01

Interview

Source: iStock

Keep theturbines turning

02

interview

reporttechnology

It may have taken a while, but condition monitoring has
made its way to the wind power industry. Condition
Monitoring Systems (CMS) increase the availability ofwind turbines, prevent costly and dangerous failures,and ultimately make them both safer and more
profitable. To find out how, we sat down with Bernd
Höring, co-founder of 8.2 Monitoring.

Bernd, can you begin by telling us about
the 8.2 Group and what it does?
Since it was founded in 1995, the 8.2 Grouphas grown into a network of 30 engineering
offices all around the world, the majority ofthem in Germany. With a total of around 50
employees, our location here in Hamburg is
the largest. We primarily deal with onshore
and offshore wind farms, although over time
our focus has widened to include all typesof renewable energy. Today we’re alsostrong in photovoltaics, biomass and grid
integration. As experts in the field, we provide services ranging from technical inspections and damage analysis to online
condition monitoring. We also offer a varietyof consulting services. Essentially, 8.2 covers the entire renewable energy value chain.
The cooperation between 8.2 and B&R goesback a number of years. What was it that
led you to B&R?
When we started working with B&R in 2013,
it was important to us that we find a partner

09.16

interview

reporttechnology

03

What is condition monitoring?
Dynamic loads and severe weather take their toll on a turbine’s drivetrain. If worn bearings, gearboxes orgenerators are not replaced in time, the result can be catastrophic failure and costly extended downtime.
To keep things running smoothly for maximum availability and yield, turbines are equipped with condition
monitoring systems (CMS) that provide a continuous stream of information about component healthbased on the vibrations caused by worn components.

where the chemistry is right. To me, thatmeans building the relationship on openness and honesty. When you have that –like we do with B&R – working together is apleasure. Equally important, the level ofquality is on par with our demanding requirements. B&R has developed condition
monitoring hardware that fits perfectly into
our portfolio, while our services and analytical software complement B&R’s portfolio.
Can you give us some background on how
you came to co-found 8.2 Monitoring andyour current role in the company?
Jochen Ziehmann, Dietmar Obst and I founded the company in 2010. Our skill sets complemented each other very well. I had always
been involved with online condition monitoring in various industries, from petrochemicals and steel to wind power. Jochen
Ziehmann is an outstanding software engineer, and had developed vibration analysis
software. Seven years ago, Manfred Lührs,founder of the 8.2 Group, offered me the opportunity to join the organization. Having
opened my own engineering office for condition monitoring in 2004, I felt that 8.2
would finally give me the chance to bringcondition monitoring systems, or CMS, to awider audience. Before, I had always dealt
with specialty machinery, like a brown coalexcavator or a tablet press for airbag explosives. In our role as independent experts
within the 8.2 Group, our goal was to establish a portfolio of products and services for

04

interview

reporttechnology

online monitoring. That included developing
our own hardware-independent analyticalsoftware for online condition monitoring, as
well as setting up an online monitoring
center. Previously only the offline variant
had been offered.
Why is condition monitoring so important
for wind turbines?
Until 2002, wind turbines were plagued by
unexpected failures – particularly in thegear teeth and bearings of their gearboxes
and generators. This was partially due to atendency to underestimate the highly dynamic loads and severe operating conditions, as well as the fact that they were
only equipped with fairly rudimentary control instrumentation. With such high failure
rates, insurance companies viewed turbines
as a poor investment and were threatening
to get out of the wind power business rather
than operate at a loss. To get a handle on
the situation, wind power companies leveraged existing condition monitoring expertise from industrial applications. In 2003,
the Allianz Center for Technology (AZT) –followed shortly thereafter by Germanischer
Lloyd (GL) – published guidelines for thecertification of condition monitoring systems (CMS). These systems allowed for early detection of wear so that components
can be replaced before they cause more
serious equipment failure. As a result, rather than €150,000 in repairs, a company
might only be looking at €10,000.

What are the potential downsides to using
a CMS?
There aren’t any. I do know a few farmers
who operate turbines, and their well-trainedears prick up immediately when something
isn’t running smoothly. Wear and tear is
generally accompanied by vibrations andnoise, after all. That’s the exception though.
These days, the operator is normally sittingin front of a computer screen at a big monitoring center and has only process data to
go by – so simply listening for damage is not
an option. Here, it’s the CMS that gives you
an ear on the machine.
Where is the market headed with regard tocondition monitoring?
We’re currently working primarily with standard CMS applications that operate independently of the turbine controller. This isgoing to shift in favor of integrated systems
now that the necessary automation hardware is available. By incorporating additional
process parameters and system-level monitoring, these solutions will deliver better
results. Controller-integrated systems will
likely also be able to meet the same quality
standards for cheaper. Industry 4.0-related
topics such as cloud computing, digitalization and big data are also important.
As requirements for availability and yieldstability grow more rigorous, the market
for condition monitoring will benefit. In
Germany, offshore wind farms are alreadyHow does condition monitoring work at B&R?
B&R’s easily configurable condition monitoring modules provide reliable and precise wear detection for efficient predictive maintenance. As part of the X20 control system, they can be used freely in any control topology. A special feature of these modules is that they
perform vibration analysis locally on the module – providing fully processed condition parameters for easy integration. In combination
with analysis software like VibraLyzePRO from 8.2, they allow effective online monitoring of complex systems. These results also provide
detailed insight into the system mechanics, allowing existing processes to be optimized with maximum efficiency.

required to be equipped with a CMS. Even
onshore, as turbines are built larger andlarger, the consequences of a failure become more serious. That’s why almost allwind turbine builders are including a CMS
as standard equipment on systems larger
than 2.5 megawatts. The international
market – in China, for example – is growing
as well. This will in turn ramp up the pressure on manufacturers to minimize lifecycle costs and eliminate risk factors. Pairedwith the corresponding independent
analysis service, a CMS can play a key rolein meeting these challenges.
Many companies approach topics likecloud computing with hesitation, worried
that they may pose a security risk. Where
do you stand?
It’s certainly an area we’re looking at. Our
own server is located here in Hamburg be-cause performance is a top priority for us –but our capacity is not unlimited. Far frombeing a liability, I think a cloud solution is
actually the more secure option. Often it’s
the in-house server that represents agreater risk in terms of data loss. In my opinion, the level of data security you get from alarger cloud computing service provider isgoing to be more advanced and kept up todate better than what a smaller company isable to manage on its own. Cloud performance is also constantly improving.
Is wind power going to develop into a
mass market for condition monitoring?
What’s your prediction?
For well-established CMS companies it already is a mass market – every turbine
manufacturer has a CMS supplier. Industrial
applications are still the bread and butter
for the majority of CMS suppliers, however.

They’ve been there for decades and haveplenty of satisfied customers. It really depends on how well controls suppliers like
B&R are able to gain a foothold in the wind
sector. If they are successful, the cost of
CMS hardware will drop and it will become astandard component of turbine automation systems.
The advantage that automation providers
have is that, since they operate all theinterfaces, they’re in a position to meetthe requirements of customers who wantto make information available to othersoftware systems. It will be another fiveto ten years before we see that happen,
however. With all its technical advantages and new developments, we mustn’t
forget that condition monitoring is still
an area where the experienced analyst
plays an important role.

Bernd Höring
CEO and Condition Monitoring Expert,
8.2 Monitoring GmbH
“It was important to us that we find a partner where the chemistry isright. That means building relationships on openness and honesty.
Our quality standards are as demanding as our technical specifications.
That’s why we needed a well-established supplier like B&R who canmeet these requirements all around the world.”

09.16

interview

reporttechnology

05

Wind power

A bright forecast
for icy blades

06

interview

reporttechnology

Germany gets more of its renewable energy from wind power than any other source. Both onshore
and off, wind farms have faced immense pressure to innovate. Systems need to be designed andbuilt to withstand dynamic loads and severe weather year after year without failure. Particularlyin the winter months, ice accumulation on the blades has been a notorious source of unscheduled
downtime. Accepting the challenge, LEINE LINDE SYSTEMS just needed to find the right partner toimplement its plans: B&R.

A fierce, cold wind sweeps in from the northwest carrying a payloadof valuable, renewable energy. Yet, the wind turbines stand motionless, their rotor blades encrusted with a layer of ice. The tendency of ice to accumulate on turbine blades depends on the atmospheric conditions. In-cloud icing can occur at temperatures of–10 °C to 5 °C. Add to that high humidity, fog or rain, and more substantial accumulation is not uncommon. If the iced-up blades wereto keep rotating, chunks that break off could be flung hundreds ofmeters, endangering anyone who happens to be in the area.

Source: iStock

Clean energy in any weather
LEINE LINDE SYSTEMS knows how this can be prevented. Foundedin 2012, the Hamburg-based subsidiary of Swedish LEINE & LINDE
AB has established itself as an expert consultant for applications
throughout the wind power industry. In addition to the products of
its parent group – including encoders, slip rings, sensors and motors – the company also offers systems engineering and project

09.16

interview

reporttechnology

07Ralf Düllmann
CTO, LEINE LINDE SYSTEMS“Our partnership with B&R has been built with long-term sustainability in mind.
We had a clearly defined goal of avoiding the use of multiple systems – instead
relying on a go-to partner for the entire solution. B&R has been a perfect fit since
the very beginning.”

management services for wind power applications. The most significant wind power
markets are currently found in Europe, China
and South America.
To develop its new IPMS ice prevention system, LEINE LINDE SYSTEMS needed to find a
supplier for a compact control solution.
Feedback from elsewhere in the parent
group reported very positive experienceswith B&R, and B&R controllers already offered interfaces for the group’s EnDat sensors, so the decision was quickly made.
During development of the IPMS, LEINE
LINDE SYSTEMS worked together closelywith the team at B&R’s Hannover location,from the preparation of the functional anddesign specifications to the selection of
the ideal B&R X20 controller and I/O modules. “Our partnership with B&R has been
built with long-term sustainability in mind.
We had a clearly defined goal of avoiding
the use of multiple systems – instead relying on a go-to partner for the entire solution. B&R has been a perfect fit since thevery beginning,” says Ralf Düllmann, CTO of
LEINE LINDE SYSTEMS.
When the conditions are rightThe IPMS system is designed to detect andprevent the accumulation of ice on wind

08

interview

reporttechnology

turbine rotor blades. The problems with ice
range from unevenly distributed weightthat brings the turbine out of balance tothe safety hazard known as “ice throw”
when blades shed their ice mid-rotation. To
counter these effects, the IPMS systemmonitors a specific set of meteorologicalparameters and alerts operating personnel
if the conditions pose a risk of ice accumulation. A network camera installed in thesystem allows operators to view the situation remotely using a smartphone or PC
and either shut the turbine down immediately or have an automatic shutdown triggered by defined alarm levels.
The key advantage of the IPMS system isthat it provides early detection of ice-causing conditions. Shutting turbines down before ice accumulates helps minimize lostyield because it is no longer necessary to
wait for the ice to melt before resuming operation. It also opens up options for reacting to different situations, such as stopping rotation to avoid collecting additional
moisture or switching on a blade heating
system in advance.
“In most cases, regulations or operating
licenses require a visual inspection to confirm that the blades are free of ice before
the turbine can resume operation. This is

typically handled by an employee on site,
but with IPMS the verification can be performed remotely. That saves time andmoney,” explains Matthias Finke, seniorproduct manager at LEINE LINDE SYSTEMS.
Trends in wind power
The industry trend is towards taller turbineswith longer blades. As wide open spaces
grow scarce, turbines are increasingly being placed in weak-wind areas, ports, industrial zones and woodlands – where
safety plays an even more prominent role.
Rather than simply building a scaled-up
version of an existing installation, new turbines are being completely redesigned withmore extensive sensor technology andmore efficient use of construction materials to maximize both availability and safety.
In 2015, Germany generated more electricity from wind power than nuclear power for
the first time in history. By 2025, the country aims to further increase the share ofelectricity generated from renewablesources to at least 40%. In the long term,
offshore wind farms alone are expected tosupply the grid with around 15,000 megawatts. Today, wind power accounts formore than 9% of the electricity produced inGermany.

3x faster development.
Experience.
www.br-automation.com/mapp< More time for innovations< Increased software quality< Lower maintenance costs< Reduced investment risk
< Increased machine availability

www.br-automation.com/mapp

Interview

Substantial potential
for optimizing
azimuth control
Yaw systems that allow wind turbines to track wind direction subject them to unnecessary mechanicalstress and accelerated wear. B&R’s Peter Kronberger and Alois Holzleitner are convinced that a moresustainable approach is possible.

Yaw systems rotate turbines into the wind in order to maximize energy yield. This generally results in increased mechanical wear, but an intelligent servo drive likethe ACOPOS P3 can make a big difference.

10

interview

reporttechnology

The robust construction of B&R’s ACOPOS P3 servo drive makes it ideally suited for offshore applications.
The P3 also provides feedback about the system that can be used for remote diagnostics and predictive
maintenance. Printing

Yaw systems rotate turbines into the windin order to maximize energy yield. Peter,
you’ve called conventional approaches
outdated. What do you mean by that?
Peter Kronberger: The head, or nacelle, of awind turbine is typically rotated by four toeight motors. This is known as a yaw system, and the process is called azimuth
control. The motors are typically controlled
by a soft starter or a frequency inverter.
With the head of an offshore wind turbine
often weighing over 500 tons, the yaw system is subjected to substantial mechanical wear, which inevitably leads to downtime and costly service. Additional mechanical stress comes from the hydraulicbrake that holds the nacelle. This brake is
only partially disengaged during yaw adjustment to prevent uncontrolled movements in crosswinds.
What alternatives would you suggest?
Kronberger: Intelligent servo drives offer
substantial potential for optimizing azimuth control. Advanced torque control, forinstance, can reduce the levels of torqueexperienced by mechanical components.
Then you have backlash compensation,
which prevents the impacts that otherwise
occur between gear teeth when the turbinechanges direction. When you have theproblem of wear under control, you’re able
to re-adjust the nacelle more often. Thatmeans a boost in both availability and yield.

09.16

Are there servo drives that can handle theharsh offshore conditions?
Alois Holzleitner: Absolutely. Our new ACOPOS P3 servo drive is exceptionally rugged.
Variants are available to control from one
to three axes, and they are all designed tohandle the environmental conditions foundin a wind turbine. They’ve been tested forcontinuous vibrations up to 1 g, and thecircuit boards are fully coated to ensure
flawless operation even in humid, salty air.
Servo drives have some other very important advantages, though.
Such as?
Holzleitner: Our servo drives provide helpful
feedback about the system, which can beused not only for azimuth control, but also
for remote diagnostics. Temperature andcurrent values as well as error logs are
stored automatically and can be read remotely. Among other benefits, this allows

Alois
HolzleitnerTechnical
Manager –Motion, B&R“Using our ACOPOS P3 servo drive
helps increase yield, reduce wear
and improve availability.”Peter
Kronberger
GlobalTechnology
Manager –Energy, B&R“Intelligent servo drives offer
substantial potential for optimizing
azimuth control.”for optimized maintenance. And let’s notforget the aspect of safety. The P3 variant
featuring B&R’s safety technology provides
safe torque and position values up to PL e.
If you utilize this information, you no longer
need the cable twist sensor that is used ina conventional system.
How complicated is the process of converting to a servo solution?
Kronberger: It’s much easier than you might
expect. All the components are off-theshelf products, and the ACOPOS P3 can beused with any servo motor. Essentially, all
you need to do is replace the soft starter or
frequency inverter with a servo drive for therequired number of axes. With relatively little effort, you get a big payoff in terms ofyield and availability.

interview

reporttechnology

11mapp View

Minimizing
maintenance costs

The modular software architecture of the mapp View HMI solution lowers software maintenance costs for machinery and equipment.

“Over the course of a machine’s service
life,” explains Wolfgang Portugaller, headof B&R’s system architects, “you spend far
more on adapting and maintaining thesoftware than you did to develop it in thefirst place.” On top of direct costs for things
like on-site service calls, secondary costs
can quickly add up when a machine or an
entire line needs to be shut down, or when

12

interview

reporttechnology

a software update introduces new errors
into the system. In their attempts to lower
the total cost of ownership, OEMs are seeking ways to make software easier and lessexpensive to maintain.
Modern software architecture
Today’s more advanced software architectures make it possible to decouple the HMI

application from the machine’s control logic. “Conventional HMI solutions are tightlyinterlinked with the machine application,”
explains Portugaller. “That means that if
you make a change to the control logic,
you also have to update the HMI application. Conversely, if you redesign the userinterface to be more friendly, you also haveto adapt the control logic.”Once a machine and its HMI application are operational, even a minor adjustment canhave major consequences. Entire production lines are halted while the softwaredeveloper – who had to make an extra trip for the call – attempts to get the machine’s
software running again. An effective way to keep maintenance costs from gettingout of hand is with modular software. Applications whose functions are encapsulated
in modular elements are considerably easier and less expensive to maintain.

To display the value of a certain process
variable, for example, the variable itself
would often be linked directly to the corresponding UI element. And that’s no problem
at all – as long as the machine runs unchanged for 20 years. “Unfortunately, thatis hardly ever the case,” says Portugaller.
Process variables are renamed; UI screens
are rearranged; new users are added. Evena small adjustment can often call for a surprising amount of reprogramming.
One way to alleviate this problem is by following the software design principle of separation of concerns (SoC). In the context of
HMI software, SoC means maintaining a clear
separation between the layout of UI screens
and the data to be displayed on them.
Data exchange via OPC UA“We applied this principle rigorously toevery aspect of our new mapp View HMI
solution,” explains Portugaller. For communication between the control and HMI applications, mapp View relies on the independent OPC UA standard. To display atemperature value, for instance, the HMI
application doesn’t query the process variable in the control application, but rather
the value provided by the OPC UA server on
the machine’s controller.
Reduced potential for errors“The advantages of this type of architecture become particularly evident,” notes
Portugaller, “when it comes time to reuse
one of the components, build a new variant

09.16

of the machine or implement changes during maintenance.” To modify the range ofvalues for a process variable – even one
that is displayed on 10 different UI screens –you just have to make the change once on
the OPC UA server. This virtually eliminates
the potential for copy-andpaste errors oroverlooked instances.
There is also one very important benefit tousing OPC UA. Rather than simply raw data,it also provides contextual information in
the form of metadata. For a temperature
variable, this means that you get not only anumerical value, but also the physicalunits you need to interpret it, so there is nochance of conversion errors. The units canbe changed with a simple click or tap on
the UI screen, regardless of which units areused in the control application.
Change setpoints safely
The ability to transmit value limits is also
very helpful. The UI immediately alerts operators if they enter a setpoint outside of
the permitted range, so there is no need toquery the control application explicitly. If amaintenance technician adds a new coolant, the setpoints in the control application are adjusted automatically, and the
OPC UA server on the machine’s controller
automatically provides the changed data
to the HMI application.
Manage access easily“Access rights are another important topic
related to setpoint changes,” adds Portu-

galler. Information about which roles are
permitted to change which values is included along with the OPC UA metadata.
B&R’s role management system makes it
easy to define and manage roles, accesslevels and users. “At runtime, you’re free to
add users and assign them a role whenever
you want. There’s no need to make changes in the role management system itself.”
B&R first introduced mapp View at the 2015
SPS IPC Drives. The HMI solution is an optional component of the Automation Studioengineering software available with Version
4.2.5 LTS or higher. Pilot customers havebeen using mapp View for about a year now,and the first machines are already being
used and maintained. “Our customers arethrilled about how easy software maintenance is with mapp View,” says Portugaller.
“They are surprised to see just how large ofan impact the architecture of their HMI software can have on the total cost of maintaining their machinery and equipment.”

Wolfgang
Portugaller
Head of System
Architects, B&R“Our customers are thrilled about
how easy software maintenance iswith mapp View.”

interview

reporttechnology

13

Product overview

Innovative technologies
and products forthe energy industry
SIL 3 / PL e / CAT 4
Groundbreaking safety technology
B&R‘s extensive portfolio of integrated safety technology facilitates
streamlined, cost-optimized safety applications.

< Digital and counter inputs< Digital and relay outputs< Switching potential groups< Analog and temperature inputs for PT100/1000 and temperature sensors
All modules have been certified to comply with the highest safety levels: SIL
3 per IEC 61508 and PL e per ISO 13849. Situation-dependent safety reactions with ultrafast response times in the 10-millisecond range help to
optimize processes and mechanical components and save costs.
Remote access features allow for remote maintenance and restartauthorization to be performed from a service center.

With mapp Technology, B&R shortens softwaredevelopment times by an average of two-thirds. Thisis made possible by intelligent software blocks that
encapsulate frequently occurring basic functions.
Your software engineers will be able to dedicate much
more time to optimizing the core process. Since B&R
takes on the responsibility for ongoing maintenanceof these blocks, you‘ll enjoy both improved software
quality and reduced maintenance costs.

14

interview

reporttechnology

Alarm

Audit

User

Recipe

Files

RecorderWeb XSOEEData management and O&M
APROL Process Data Acquisition (PDA) is a ready-to-use solution forreal-time acquisition of operating data.
The flexibility of APROL PDA makes it possible to connect many different
data sources in a variety of topologies. At the same time, the control
computer is able to execute logic.
Open interfaces allow 3rd-party integration and help future-proof thesystem by making it easy to adapt and expand.
The unprecedented scalability accommodates systems ranging from 50 to
500,000 data points.

Robust control platform
B&R‘s robust X20 control platform satisfies
all of the environmental requirements typicallyencountered in the energy industry.
The series offers an expanded temperature range from -25°C to +60°C and is certified by Germanischer Lloyd for maritime use in accordancewith environmental categories D and EMC1.
Coated versions of X20 modules are available
for situations where they will be exposed tocondensation, corrosive gases or salt air.

Telecontrol
IEC 60870-5-101, -104
IEC 61850*, IEC 61400-25**in development

Full redundancy
The many different redundancy options satisfy
the heightened requirements of high-availability
systems. Optimal solutions can be tailored to specific requirements using cost-effective standard
components.

09.16

Open interfaces
The only future-proof solution is an open solution. Openness allows you to work with thetools you are most comfortable using. It allows
machines to communicate effortlessly withexternal systems, and by facilitating the reuseof existing software for future solutions, it
frees up valuable time to get your product tomarket faster. B&R offers openness on alllevels and in all products.

interview

reporttechnology

15

Printing

Machine developmentwith minimal risk
As software comprises a larger and larger share of each new generation ofmachinery, OEMs are encountering challenges that can no longer be solved
efficiently using conventional approaches to software engineering. Swiss printingpress manufacturer HAPA found a successful answer to these challenges withtechnology from B&R. Using mapp Technology, the company has substantiallyreduced the time it takes to develop and test the control application for its
presses, while at the same time making them more flexible and more reliable.

16

interview

reporttechnology

Even without all the talk surrounding the Internet of Things andIndustry 4.0, most machine builders are well aware of the contribution that software technology can make to the success of theircompanies. After all, as software plays an increasingly dominantrole in each new generation of machines, so too grows the impact
of programming errors, overly complex software structures and incompatibility. The total cost of developing, testing and maintaininga software solution escalates quickly with every change – whether
the result of customer-requested modifications, integration into a
production line or supervisory-level software system or even justnormal upgrades over the lifecycle of a machine generation.
Machine variants caused excessive overhead“In the past – whether due to insufficient modularity, custom adaptations or different approaches taken by different programmers –each machine solution behaved somewhat differently, despite
having the same core technology, such our printhead,” recalls
HAPA CTO Jean-Luc Devenoge. “That inflated development costs
and made user training and machine maintenance more complicated.” As Devenoge has experienced, even firmware can become
problematic over time. When a hardware component is replaced,conflicting software versions can even bring down a machine.
“We need to take a cue from the field of IT and use advanced software engineering technology to minimize the risks faced by manufacturers and users of machinery during development and operation,” Devenoge has long been convinced. “That means working
with frameworks and creating reusable software. It also means
doing unit testing and managing the firmware of lower-level components centrally on the controller.”
Minimizing risk during machine development
Kicking off development of its first dedicated film and label printing

09.16

interview

reporttechnology

17

The HAPA 862 film and label printer uses advanced software engineering, including mapp Technology, to allow industrial users to react quickly and flexibly
to changing market and regulatory conditions.

Based on a custom B&R panel – the award-winning HMI is exceptionally intuitive
to use. In the background, an Automation PC 910 from B&R provides a powerfulhardware platform able to handle the most complex image processing tasks
with easeJean-Luc Devenoge
CTO, HAPA AG“mapp Technology and B&R’s complete portfolio of automation products make it possible to design
machines that are both more flexible and easier to use. At the same time, they help minimize the risks
involved in developing and operating new machines.”“Our goal was to make the machine more flexible and user friendly,
while at the same time minimizing risks for both ourselves and ourcustomers,” summarizes the CTO. That explains the long list of
specifications on which Devenoge’s team based its evaluation ofpotential automation partners.
Like its predecessor, the new controller would need to be able to
distribute firmware to connected components at startup in orderto prevent malfunctions due to version conflicts. “We had all the
big name suppliers on our list, but this was one of the criteria that
only B&R could deliver on,” recalls Devenoge.
Minimizing risk with well-tested mapp components
The automation specialist also scored favorably in HAPA’s evaluation with its software framework, mapp Technology. “In the past,
we have generally written our own code for many of the low-level
requirements such as error handling and communication between

18interview

reporttechnology

blocks,” reports Devenoge. “With the introduction of mapp Technology, B&R has taken this work off our hands, allowing us to devote our time to implementing functions that are specific to ourmachine.”
HAPA is among the first users to implement components such as
mapp AlarmX. This component provides central management andconfiguration of every alarm in the system – even alarms frommapp components added to the project later on. Alarm notifications can be sent via text message or email, or used to trigger certain actions – such as playing a video or opening a PDF help file.
Unit testing prevents unexpected errors“One of the decisive aspects of mapp its use of state-of-the-art
development methodology. Each component is subjected to module testing as well as being accompanied by diagnostic functions
that allow it to be checked again in the context of unit testing,”says Devenoge.
Not only does this make the software more reliable, it makes it
easier to meet GAMP 5 requirements. This is a key point for HAPA,

Source: HAPA

system in mid-2013, the Swiss printing specialist left no stone unturned. From the housing and machine frame to the controller, HMI
panel and printing module – everything was developed from scratch.

The integrated “redcube plus” module prints up to four spot colors or CMYK. A POWERLINK interface ensures optimal connectivity.

since many of its printing machines are purchased by pharmaceutical companies. “If you use an unmodified mapp component morethan five times, it already meets the requirements of GAMP 4,” Devenoge explains. “That greatly simplifies the GAMP 5 process,since all that’s left to validate is the higher-level state machinethat controls all the mapp components.”

ing on cartons, blister foil or capsules. It is also scalable up toseven spot colors. The integrated control electronics feature a
POWERLINK interface for easy integration into the automation
solution. “Thanks to the FPGA solution and the open source code,
implementation of the interface only cost us two days of work,”
notes Devenoge.

Distributed development and know-how protection
Yet, mapp Technology has much more to offer, as HAPA’s CTO
points out: “Another huge advantage of this technology is that, byencapsulating functionality and providing uniform communicationand error handling among the mapp components, it allows multiple developers to work concurrently on the same project.” This
also allows certain programming tasks to be outsourced without
revealing the inner workings of the machine in unnecessary scopeor detail.

Designed as an in-house industrial printing solution, the HAPA 862
relies on a B&R X20 control platform – regardless of whether it’s
the top-mounted (inline), stand-mounted or roll-to-roll (offline)
variant. HAPA selected B&R solutions for every other automation
task as well – from stepper and servo motors to ACOPOS-multi servo drives and X67 stepper motor modules to a SafeLOGIC safetycontroller, an Automation PC 910 and a custom-designed Automation Panel.

mapp Technology also makes it easier to implement customerspecific solutions, since the software automatically adapts tomatch the configuration of the machine. “All that remains is tocompile the application, and the machine is up and running without having to write or modify a single line of code,” praises Devenoge. “As mapp Technology is used in more and more applications,the mapp components can even be reused for different machines.”
HAPA is currently taking advantage of this in the development of
its brand new blister printing machine.
Integrated B&R solution prevents problems
HAPA has made its latest machine so modular that the same printing module, called “redcube plus”, can be used whether it is print-

09.16“Having such a broad spectrum of products at our disposal from asingle source was important to us,” explains Devenoge. “It gives
us the assurance that we won’t have any issues with interfaces orwith the interaction between the controller and drives when we go
to develop or modify a machine. It also ensures that project responsibilities are clearly defined.” High-quality support was also amajor criteria for HAPA. “When you’re developing something fromthe ground up, like we did with the HAPA 862, and using various
technologies for the first time, being able to rely on the support ofyour automation partner is absolutely critical,” emphasizes the
HAPA manager in conclusion. “We asked a lot of other companies
about their experiences with controls suppliers. The clear consensus was that B&R does support right. And they certainly provedthat over the course of our project.”interview

reporttechnology

19Biomedical engineering

Life-saving
qualityFresenius Medical Care researches anddevelops medical equipment used to
extract harmful substances from theblood of critically ill patients. In searchof a state-of-the-art new control
solution for its inline steam sterilizer,
Fresenius found what it was looking
for at B&R.

20

interview

reporttechnology

09.16

interview

reporttechnology

21

The adsorbents that Fresenius Medical Care produces are the key to the apheresis procedure.

Just in time, a heart attack patient arrives at the hospital and receives emergency care that saves his life. Following his initial recovery, however, efforts to treat his elevated cholesterol with dietand medication are unsuccessful. To minimize the risk of a subsequent heart attack, doctors would have to extract LDL, commonly
known as “bad cholesterol”, from his blood using a process calledapheresis. Similar to the more familiar dialysis procedure, apheresis
is used to remove LDL cholesterol and other harmful substancesfrom the blood of patients suffering from severe lipid metabolism
disorders. The process of cleansing the blood outside the body relies on adsorbent materials that selectively bond pathogenic substances as the patient’s plasma is passed through the device.
Life-saving blood cleansing: Maximum correction of a risk factor
A specialist in this type of therapy is Fresenius Medical Care. At its
location in Krems, Austria, the company develops adsorbent materials for LDL apheresis, medical devices for renal replacement
therapy and treatment of autoimmune disorders, as well as performing research into innovative new therapies.
New Fresenius Medical Care partner: B&R
To continue meeting the strict requirements of medical equipmentwith outstanding quality and performance, Fresenius Medical Caresought an absolute state-of-the-art control solution for its filling

22

interview

reporttechnology

station and inline steam sterilizer – equipment that had been custom-designed for the production of adsorbents for LDL apheresis.
After evaluating numerous systems engineering companies,
Fresenius awarded the task of replacing the control and logging
system to Geminos. The selection of B&R for the control technology was based on Geminos’ history with B&R as well as positive
reports from Fresenius’ sister companies.
B&R tool shortened development time
The requirements were clearly defined – the production processneeded to be designed so that the automation system could both
ensure fully automated production and make the lifecycle traceable to keep the supply chain running. Prior to implementation, theJohannes Durhofer
Production & Logistics, Fresenius“Our decision to go with B&R was
based on their history with oursystems engineering partner,
Geminos, as well as the very positive experiences ofour sister companies.”

Fresenius relies on B&R for state-of-the-art control components.

new system would also have to be validated by an external company in order to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s strict
quality standards. For this, Fresenius selected the company Anapur, who possesses the necessary resources and know-how forrisk analysis and other requirements.
In June of 2015, the control and logging systems were retrofittedwith B&R technology. The processing technology and pipeline system were in good condition and remained largely unchanged,
whereas the software, control electronics and pneumatic systems
were completely rebuilt from the ground up. B&R’s APROL and Automation Studio software solutions were used. The APROL trend
system provides long-term data archiving, while the seamlessly
integrated business intelligence suite from Jaspersoft provides
batch-level reporting and analysis. To improve data security, thetamper-proof databases that hold the collected process data are
stored on an external network, which in turn is linked with the
APROL archiving system.
“In the instrumentation cabinet, a network of 65 temperature andpressure sensors communicate with the main controller via POWERLINK using external bus nodes from B&R. This decentralized layout minimizes wiring between sensor and I/O module. And, with
APROL operated via a conventional network interface, you don’t

09.16

need a dedicated network for data transfer and can instead use
the existing IT infrastructure,” explains Geminos engineer Martin
Morgenbesser.
Tight schedule for project implementation“The project started in January of 2015, and needed to be completed only six months later. Any longer, and there would be production
delays. Already operating at full capacity, we wouldn’t have beenable to make up for the lost output by the end of the year,” explains
Durhofer. “Our primary goal was to complete the project in six
months, but another big topic for us was long-term support.”
With B&R and Geminos, Fresenius now has two reliable partners at
its side.

Martin Morgenbesser
Engineer, Geminos Anlagenbau“The tools that B&R offers help
drastically reduce development times.
That allows us to dedicate moretime to optimizing the source code and performing moredetailed, extensive testing.”

interview

reporttechnology

23

Agricultural equipment

High-speed bus
for precision braking

24

interview

reporttechnology

Today’s agricultural equipment is so heavily automated,the cab of a modern tractor might almost be mistaken
for a high-tech control room. The volumes of data being
processed demand a level of performance that traditional
bus systems are no longer able to offer. For its newly
developed load car, enders was looking for a communication
protocol able to meet the special demands of agriculturalequipment – and they found it.

Nearly every automobile manufacturer istinkering with some form of self-driving
technology, and the first rounds of realworld testing have made headlines
throughout the industry. For agricultural
vehicles, on the other hand, autonomous
driving technology is already a well-established reality. As a modern tractor moves
across the field, it is often steered by the
implement it is towing – requiring the driverto do no more than supervise the process.
A potato harvester, for example, detects
the ridges in the field with integrated sensors and sends commands to the tractor
so that it follows them automatically without any steering on the part of the driver.
The harvester also calculates how fast it
needs to move in order to optimize its capacity utilization and passes this information on to the tractor. The speed of theentire assembly is automatically adjusted
according to the implement’s current rateof production 1. This is all made possible bya standard called Tractor Implement Management (TIM) developed by the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF).
High-performance fieldbus essential
The TIM standard currently defines ISOBUS
as the communication infrastructure forexchanging commands between tractor
and implement. This allows implements tocontrol certain tractor functions, such as
the power take-off, linkage system, driving
speed, steering angle and hydraulic valves.
The advantages for the farmer are clear.
Intelligent equipment automatically finds
the most efficient way to complete its
tasks, leaving considerably less work forthe driver 2.

09.16

interview

reporttechnology

25

Typical machine system architecture 3 : Various components communicate with different protocols, which requires extensive cabling. Since POWERLINK handles
everything with a single protocol, cabling is simplified immensely.

Faced with ever-increasing requirements,
the CAN-based ISOBUS system has reachedthe limits of its potential. The situation is
not made any easier by the fact that a
growing number of manufacturers are installing distributed electric drive technology
in heavy equipment and agricultural vehicles. To alleviate the performance bottleneck, the AEF is currently working on a highspeed ISOBUS based on standard Ethernet.
The full scope of the challenge facing mobile equipment, however, extends beyond
the matter of bus performance. A typicalsystem architecture in these applications
may involve up to 30 control devices, multiple operator terminals and over 100 sensors, all communicating on seven different
fieldbus networks. This requires over 3,000
meters of cable, weighing in at over 100
kilograms. A reduction in cabling alone
would yield huge rewards in productivity, reliability, serviceability and fuel consumption.
POWERLINK ideal as high-speed backbone
The demands that vehicles and mobile
equipment place on a fieldbus are not substantially different from those of industrial
machinery. The fundamentals are maximum bandwidth, real-time capability with
sub-millisecond precision, multi-masterarchitectures and free choice of topology.
Then there are features like hot plugging

26

interview

reporttechnology

and transmission of safety-relevant signals up to SIL 3 / PL e.
Where mobile applications differ are theheightened requirements for harsh operating conditions, such as extended temperature range, moisture resistance and
ESD protection. That’s why support for the
BroadR-Reach standard is also essential.
With its single twisted pair construction, it
plays a decisive role in the reduction of
cabling weight. Each and every one ofthese requirements is met by POWERLINK,
making it the ideal solution for mobile
automation 4.
Load car demonstrates POWERLINK’s
potential
With its newly designed load car for tractor
testing, Bavaria-based development service provider enders has demonstrated
what a mobile automation solution featuring POWERLINK might look like. ‘Tangible development results’ is the enders promise –referring to the fully functional prototypes
the company develops and builds from theground up to customer specifications. “Ourmany years of working with leading manufacturers of agricultural equipment andcommercial vehicles has earned us valuable expertise in this field,” says Thomas
Rogalski, who heads the company’s embedded systems business unit.

For a tractor manufacturer, enders recently
developed a new generation of load cars,
which are used to simulate complex load
scenarios during testing. While the previous generation was restricted to manualadjustment of fixed load settings, the newload car offers seamless and automatedload adjustment to simulate the behaviorof towed implements in real time. This is
made possible by a 500 kilowatt eddy current brake, which is mounted along with acomplete infrastructure on a self-contained towed vehicle. The data generated
during testing can be used to optimize all
aspects of tractor performance.
User interface with full access toall systems“When selecting the fieldbus, one of ourmain concerns was to ensure that thetechnician in the cab has access to all of
the relevant measurement and control parameters provided by the load car,” explains Rogalski. Other considerations included the direct integration of safety-relevant data, such as the E-stop signal, as
well as the flexibility to position additional
sensors wherever they are needed.
POWERLINK will also make it easy to integrate the backup camera enders plans to
add. The camera’s data packets, which aresent in the protocol’s asynchronous phase,Gunnar Gubisch from B&R (2nd row from left) with the enders team. Not even the rainy weather could dampen the team’s spirits upon seeing the load car in action.

can be displayed as a video stream on thesame display using mapp Technology.
There is no need for an extra display or extra cabling. As this example clearly demonstrates, a single high-performance fieldbus like POWERLINK can drastically reduce
the number of devices and amount of cabling required in mobile applications.

Thomas Rogalski
enders“What brought us to POWERLINK is its openness andits ability to integrate both safety-relevant andasynchronous data.”

Sources:
1 Horstmann, Jan: Moderne Kommunikationssysteme in der Landtechnik. In: Frerichs, Ludger (pub.):
Jahrbuch Agrartechnik 2013. Braunschweig:
Institut für mobile Maschinen und Nutzfahrzeuge,
2014. – p. 1–7; http://www.digibib.tu-bs.de/?
docid=0055002, (retrieved 2016-02-21)
2 ISOBUS in Functionalities; www.aef-online.org/
AEF_handfan_EN_10-15_lr, (retrieved 2016-02-23)
3 Caterpillar, VeCo12_5_HeavyDutyVehicle_2_
Weck_Lecture; Typical Machine System Architecture; http://www.vector.com/portal/medien/cmc/
events/commercial-events/VectorCongress 2012/
VeCo12 5 HeavyDutyVehicle 2 Weck, (retrieved
2016-02-23)
4 High speed for mobile equipment, automotion
3/16

09.16

For communication with the load car, enders relies on POWERLINK. (Source: enders)interview

reporttechnology

27Precision machining

Honing in on thephysical limits

Source: KADIA

High-precision honing has traditionally been the domain of high-volume
producers with highly trained personnel. Using B&R technology, KADIA
has made groundbreaking improvements to honing machine usability.
These machines are now more efficient to use and begin to pay off forsmaller batch sizes.

28

interview

reporttechnology

The rise of direct fuel injection is good news for Formula 1 drivers
and fans – and great news for KADIA. The company’s highly specialized honing equipment is what gives the cylinder bores in theinterior of the fuel injection system the final polish, helping thepistons and cylinders meet the extreme levels of surface quality
and trueness to shape needed to achieve operating pressures of
up to 500 bar.
“We’re talking about sub-micrometer precision – approaching thelimits of what is physically possible to do with mechanical machining,” notes KADIA’s managing director, Henning Klein. “Manymanufacturers require a defined clearance between the pistonand the inside wall of the cylinder – for example 10 micrometerswith a tolerance of less than 1 micrometer.” To meet such tighttolerances requires the use of statistical measures of process capability and ultimately demands precision to within only a few
hundred nanometers.
The ultimate challenge: match honing
The key to getting parts to fit together as perfectly as needed forfuel injection pumps is a machining process called match honing.
This process involves measuring the outer diameter of the finished

09.16

interview

reporttechnology

29

Honed fuel injection pumps significantly reduce fuel consumption and CO² emissions.

Roland Regler
Chief Designer, KADIA“The SPT functions and POWERLINK cross-communication have been key to the performance ofthe new HMC100 controller. These mechanisms allow the B&R drives to handle control functions
remotely and to communicate directly with one another without going through the controller.“(Source: F. Rossmann)

Previous solutions with severe restrictions
Until recently, KADIA had been operating its ultra-precise machines with a controller tailored to standard machine tool requirements. “There are some significant differences compared to traditional machining processes like milling and turning, such as thenumber of spindles and the volumes of data being exchanged
between the honing and measurement stations,” notes Klein. “We
had to make extensive modifications to the controller before we
could use it in our honing machines.” KADIA faced similar difficulties adapting the HMI application that came with the controller.
“Despite our best efforts, the limitations of the HMI system left us
with an unintuitive user interface that took operators some time to
get used to,” says Klein.

30

interview

reporttechnology

Intuitive operation for an efficient workflow
The switch to a new automation partner and the complete redesignof the control and HMI solutions have brought substantial improvements. “Based on B&R technology, the terminal’s new smartphone-inspired user interface is especially intuitive to operate,”says Klein. The juries of the Red Dot and IF Design awards agreed,honoring KADIA with multiple distinctions. Under the terminal’s custom-tailored aluminum housing there is an industry-grade HMI device with a scratch-resistant, oil-resistant 19” touch screen. It
communicates with the B&R Automation PC 910 that serves as theplatform for both machine control and the HMI application.
POWERLINK cross-communication frees up resources
With its Intel Core i5 processor, the Automation PC 910 has plentyof capacity to handle the huge volumes of data generated by theconstant measurement and readjustment of the honing process.
“The B&R solution offers numerous technical details that reallywork to the advantage of the new HMC100 controller,” says KADIA’s
chief designer, Roland Regler. “POWERLINK cross-communication
has been key. It allows B&R drives to handle control functions remotely and to communicate directly with one another without going through the controller.”

Source: KADIA

piston and passing it on to the honing controller along with theworkpiece identification data. The honing controller then calculates the final dimensions of the bore to be honed, taking the desired clearance into account. Then the housing bore passes
through up to six honing stations, each preceded by in-process
gaging, until the final dimensions are achieved. Finally, the workpiece is clearly marked and permanently assigned to the corresponding piston.

Winner of multiple design awards: the new R-series rotary honing machine from
KADIA features cutting-edge control technology and a swing arm mounted control panel from B&R.

Inspired by smartphone design, the elegant styling and ergonomic handling of
the HMC100 operator terminal make controlling KADIA’s new honing machines
exceptionally easy and intuitive.

Depending on the configuration a given machine, the R-series isequipped with a POWERLINK network of up to 28 liquid-cooled
ACOPOSmulti servo drives. As many as five of them control the
stroke movement of the LH2 / LH3 honing tools KADIA developed
along with the new control system. Equipped with B&R’s safe motion control solution, the drives ensure that operators are safeguarded during setup. Operating on a common DC bus, the drives
are able to share excess kinetic energy that would otherwise go
unused, offering clear benefits for the machines’ thermal economy, energy consumption and operating costs.

tions using configuration files,” explains the chief designer. “Thisway, we’re able to represent countless potential machine configurations in a single software project with no extra programming.”
Later on, there’s no need for commissioning technicians to use asoftware development tool or do any programming on site. KADIA’s
efforts to future-proof the HMC100 are additionally supported by
the CNC and robotics functions provided in Automation Studio.

Mastering machine options in Automation Studio
To future-proof its HMC100 solution and allow new systems to be
added down the road, KADIA designed it to accommodate up to 40
axes. Since the number and type of honing and measurement stations also varies from machine to machine, the KADIA team has awhole spectrum of variants that it needs to cover with the control
software.
“This is where another highlight of the B&R solution comes intoplay. Their integrated development environment, Automation Studio, allows you to create custom-tailored control and HMI applica-

Full support from B&R
KADIA will only be able to enjoy all the potential that it has designed
into the HMC100 for as long as it has access to the corresponding
hardware. “That’s why, beyond all the technical requirements, longterm availability was one of the key criteria in our selection of an
automation partner,” reports Klein. “B&R met this requirement andgave us full support throughout the entire project.”
The collaborative efforts have certainly paid off. All the leading
producers of fuel injector pumps have since been convinced of
the advantages of the new controller, and the HMC100 has established itself as KADIA’s most popular control solution. Concludes
Regler enthusiastically: “What we’ve achieved here is absolutely
revolutionary in the field of honing equipment.”

Henning Klein
Managing Director, KADIA“Beyond all the technical requirements, long-term availability was one of the key criteria in our
selection of an automation partner. B&R met this requirement and gave us full support throughout
the entire project.”

09.16

interview

reporttechnology

31

Dynamic weighing

The chickenor the egg

32

interview

reporttechnology

While many eggs are destined to be fried, scrambled or poached, those that meet the weightrequirements are selected to be incubated and hatched. Prinzen, the Dutch egg-handlingspecialist, has developed a machine able to weigh an impressive 30,000 eggs per hour. The
controller that runs it comes from B&R.

Prinzen’s Ovograder weighs 30,000 eggs perhour – twice the speed of its predecessor,
the Elgra 3. The primary market for Prinzen’s
Ovograder is the broiler industry. The machine performs fast, linear grading of freshlaid hatching eggs, and has been on themarket for nearly two years now. “Equipment for processing hatching eggs is oneof our strengths,” says Willy Groot Zevert,
product manager at Prinzen. “These are
eggs that will be incubated, hatched andthe chicks raised for consumption. We packthe eggs in trays or brood frames for convenient transport to the hatchery.”
A good egg
Only eggs weighing in between 50 and 70
grams are acceptable for hatching. Chicks
from lighter or heavier eggs don’t meet thestandards of poultry farmers, whose feed
calculations depend on them having a relatively uniform weight. Eggs that don’t meetthese criteria will go on to be sold for consumption or processed into animal feed.
Although the Ovograder was developed for
hatching eggs, the system can also handle
eggs bound for consumption. This segment deals in larger volumes, yet Prinzen

09.16

believes it is able to cover a significant
portion of it. The Ovograder has three outfeed channels for hatching eggs. “OK”, “Toosmall” and “Too big”. Consumption eggs,
however, are graded into four different
weight classes: S, M, L and XL.
“In reality, all the eggs produced by a given
poultry farm are very close in size,” explains Zevert. “The vast majority of themfall in the M and L categories, so each ofthese gets its own outfeed. Sizes S and XL
can land together in the third tray,” says
Groot Zevert. Since sizes S and XL come insuch small quantities – typically no morethan 5 to 8% – most users choose to sortthese by hand.
The electronic testing egg
The Ovograder is one part of a highly automated system that begins directly at thenests, where the freshly laid eggs immediately roll out onto the first conveyor. Carried by a network of conveyors, the eggs
converge at the packaging line at the frontof the stall. Before they reach the Ovograder, they pass through the inspection table,
where an employee sorts out cracked orirregularly shaped eggs. “We’re currently

interview

reporttechnology

33

The dynamic weighing process makes Prinzen’s Ovograder twice as fast as its predecessor. Prinzen
achieved this performance leap using automation solutions from B&R.

working on an automation solution for thisstep,” reveals Zevert.
A row of vertical wedges arranges the eggs
into six columns on the conveyor, sliding
carefully forward and backward to create
space and prevent bottlenecks.
“An egg is strongest at its ends,” notes
Groot Zevert. “We use this property to ouradvantage by ensuring that any jolts theegg does have to endure are absorbed by
its ends.” On the whole, of course, the goalis make each egg’s journey through themachine as smooth as possible. “Each stepin the process bears the risk of cracking theshell,” says Prinzen software engineer Gerben Kuenen. That’s why the company uses
soft materials wherever possible. “We also
first test every system with an electronic
egg. The test egg is packed with electronics
to measure the g-forces. This way we findout exactly where fine tuning is needed.”
Precise measurements with
B&R software filters
The eggs are carried in six columns on a roll-

34

interview

reporttechnology

er conveyor. The rolling motion naturallyaligns the eggs side-ways for more efficient
handling. Next, a guide bar sends six eggs
at a time down a slight incline, where theyexperience a brief moment of free – yetguided – rolling. This offers the perfect opportunity to weigh them.

“For a businesses dealing in very large
quantities, this level of precision is a very
big deal,” says Kuenen. Prinzen even goesso far as to re-zero the scales between
measurements. This quickly compensates
for any debris or egg mass that might accumulate on the scale.

The previous-generation Elgra 3 weighedeach egg statically. With the goal of increasing output to an impressive 30,000
eggs per hour, Prinzen realized static
weighing would no longer be an option. Instead, they developed a concept that allows the eggs to be weighed dynamicallyas they roll. Each egg rolls freely across ascale that is connected to a load cell.

POWERLINK and remote diagnostics
from B&R
When it comes to controlling the Ovograder, Prinzen relies on B&R, who also provided the control solution that served themso well on the Elgra 3. “When we introduced the Elgra 3 in 2006, we were the firston the market able to perform linear electronic measurement. From a control perspective, that was significant in a numberof ways. Our partner at the time wasn’t
able to offer us the solution we had envisioned. What we needed was a partner
able to give us a PLC with integrated loadcell cards – and not only that, but six ofthem, side by side.”“We take measurements every few milliseconds,” explains Kuenen. “With all the jostling that goes on at these speeds, we needmultiple samples to get a reliable measurement. We do this using B&R software filters,
complemented by a few that we’ve developed ourselves. The results are accurate to
the tenth of a gram, although the specifications allow a tolerance of half a gram.”

Prinzen also wanted to have one central
operator terminal. “POWERLINK allows us toThe Ovograder’s controller comes from B&R.

Eggs being transported by Prinzen’s Ovoset Pro, which also features B&R technology.

connect all our systems linearly and run
them from a single screen – it really works
great,” says Kuenen. “No other supplier
was able to offer us this combination. Of
the numerous programming languages
B&R offers, we chose to use Structured
Text and found it very easy to work with.
The remote diagnostics are a great help,
because the level of training varies greatly
between operators around the world. B&R’s
solution ensures they get the help theyneed quickly and reliably.”“Prinzen was looking for an automation
partner to participate actively in the solution. B&R also had the hard-ware Prinzen
needed to integrate the load cells. We wereable to process all the samples in a single
automation object. This data if then fed
into the calculations of the B&R controller.
When you begin a project like this, you also
look at all the other components in the machine that are going to be automated. We
don’t see the sense in getting more suppliers involved than necessary,” says Wico

Gerben Kuenen
Software Engineer, Prinzen“POWERLINK allows us to connect all our systems linearly and run them froma single screen – it really works great. No other supplier was able to offer
us this combination. The remote diagnostics are a great help, because thelevel of training varies greatly between operators around the world. B&R’s
solution ensures they get the help they need quickly and reliably.”

09.16

The Ovograder weighs 30,000 eggs per hour – twice
the speed of its predecessor, the Elgra 3.

Reineman, sales representative for B&R.
That’s why B&R also provides the Power
Panel 65. “It’s a controller and an HMI system all in one,” says Reineman. The Power
Panel 65 also generates helpful management-level information, which can be accessed easily via USB or viewed in a web
browser.
Prinzen has especially demanding requirements for speed and precision. “For the
Ovograder, we had to adapt the hardware
to get where they wanted to be,” says
Reineman. “The egg industry works in mysterious ways. Prinzen uses a load cell able
to weigh up to three kilograms. This cell isused to measure quickly-rolling eggs withan average weight of 64 grams – to thetenth of a gram. This is a level of speed andprecision you don’t encounter very often.”Prinzen expects to see several hundred
Ovograder installations in the coming years.
Reineman and Kuenen are convinced, thatthe next big step – up to 40,000 eggs perhour – could yet be achieved with the current hardware setup.

interview

reporttechnology

35

Process control

Source: Diam Bouchage

Uncorked –Restoring cork’s
tainted reputation

36

interview

reporttechnology

Despite its long tradition, romantic flair and functional
advantages, the cork stopper’s reputation has been marredby one unpleasant side effect. In a small percentage of
bottles, the phenomenon known as cork taint leaves somewine drinkers with a bad taste in their mouth – and has led toincreased use of synthetic closures and screw caps.
To restore cork to its rightful place among stoppers, Diam
Bouchage has developed the first ever cork purification
process based on supercritical fluid extraction – featuring
B&R automation from field-level to supervisory control
as well as integrated safety.

Wet dog, moldy cardboard, grandma’s cellar – the telltale aromas of cork taint alter
the taste of wine and render it unenjoyable. As one of the most common faults afflicting bottled wine, the risk of cork tainthas played a role in the increased relianceon alternative closures. However, aside
from the emotional reactions of wine lovers
appalled to find their favorite wine now has
a screw cap, the alternatives may also beprone to other types of aroma taint, as well
as being functionally unsuited for wineswith long-term aging needs.
State-of-the-art technology forauthentic wine taste
To retain the functional and aesthetic advantages of cork without the risk of unpleasant side effects, Diam Bouchage,leading French manufacturer of cork stoppers, found a way to extract trichloroanisole (TCA), the primary source of cork taint,
along with 150 other undesirable aromatic
molecules. The answer is Diamant, a revolutionary process based on supercriticalfluid extraction (SFE) using carbon dioxide.
Supercritical carbon dioxide is also used todecaffeinate coffee and to extract fra-

09.16

grances or essential oils, yet the Diamant
process represents the first ever application of SFE to cork purification.
The success of this innovation has led
Diam Bouchage to dramatically expand
production, adding a new cork purification
plant at its Céret headquarters to the two
already existing in Spain. Using the Diamant process, this plant purifies an additional 3,600 tons of cork granules, upping
Diam Bouchage’s overall capacity to twobillion stoppers per year, or about 10% ofworldwide cork closure production. A crucial aspect of developing the purification
plant was to ensure that it integrates perfectly with subsequent steps performed at
the site – from molding and shaping tomarking, coating and finishing. For its
solution, Diam Bouchage called on longtime partner Natex, an Austrian system integrator and plant builder specializing in
SFE process implementation.
Flexible plant automation with APROL
From the APROL process control softwareto the X20 field-level control systems, Natex automated the entire plant with B&R

interview

reporttechnology

37

Harald Huber
Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation and Controls, Natex“We always had close contact with B&R’s development and support teams.
In addition to that, we had quick and direct access to B&R for spare parts
supply, which is a major advantage compared to other suppliers.”

Supercritical fluid extraction requires accurate monitoring and control of process data from the system’s 50
control valves and 300 analog sensors. The Natex solution features four X20 controllers and 450 X20 I/O
modules distributed across 32 POWERLINK network nodes. (Source: Diam Bouchage)

Four X20 PLCs control 32 POWERLINK nodes in a ring
topology, while X20 safe PLCs execute SIL2-compliant safety functions. (Source: B&R)

all the process analysis and logging features APROL provides, like TrendViewer, AuditTrail and ShiftLog, just to name a few.”

ious sections of the plant. The plant includes a total of 50 control valves androughly 300 analog sensors. To collect theprocess data, Natex integrated four X20
controllers, one for each line, and 450 X20
I/O modules distributed across 32 POWERLINK network nodes.

technology. As a highly specialized company, Natex needed a flexible automation
solution allowing fast process implementation for its customer. “Having equipped
two smaller pilot plants with APROL in thepast, we knew B&R systems would meet
our flexibility and reliability needs for thislarge-scale project,” explains Harald Huber, a Natex executive technician responsible for electrical engineering, instrumentation and control systems.
The APROL system implemented by Natexcovers the whole SFE plant, comprisingaround 2,500 I/O points. It consists of threemain operating stations with quad screening, one engineering station and two redundant runtime servers. Additionally, up to five
remote operating stations can be connected
via Diam Bouchage’s local network. “Feedback from our plant operators has beenvery positive regarding user friendliness,”
reports Huber. “They especially appreciate

38

interview

reporttechnology

Supercritical CO² under control with
450 X20 modules
When a liquid is heated above its criticaltemperature and compressed above its
critical pressure, it enters a supercriticalstate with unique, and very useful, properties. In this state – neither entirely gaseous nor entirely liquid – it is able to dissolve and selectively extract unwantedmaterial. As the supercritical fluid for the
Diamant process, carbon dioxide – a chemically inert and non-toxic gas, as well as agreen solvent that leaves no residue –proved to be ideal.
As a high pressure batch process, Diamant
purification requires accurate monitoring
and control of process variables such aspressure, temperature and flow rate at var-

Nearly all sensor signals are processed by
X20 HART input modules. Temperature signals have their own X20 PT100 temperature
module. Coupled with X20 HART output modules, control valves with electro-pneumatic
positioners precisely control the working
pressure, adding or removing carbon dioxidefrom the purification cycle as needed. HART
data is transferred to the X20 controller via
the real-time POWERLINK network and forwarded to the APROL operating stations.
Despite the complexity of the application,
project implementation was pleasantly uncomplicated. “We always had close con-

Eleven operator terminals from B&R are positioned throughout the cork purification plant implemented by Natex – Diam Bouchage’s system integration partner and specialist in supercritical fluid extraction processes. (Source: Diam
Bouchage)tact with B&R’s development and support
teams,” reports Huber. “In addition to that,
we had quick and direct access to B&R for
spare parts supply, which is a major advantage compared to other suppliers.”
Centralized and distributed –Control where it’s needed
The DTM server in the X20 controller provides
easy and full access to all HART field devices used in the plant, enabling better diagnostics and easy configuration. This permits
high positioning precision in highly dynamic
servo applications. In addition to the equipment controlled via POWERLINK, the APROL
system also integrates the variable-speed
drives used for the pumps and compressors, which are based on PROFIBUS DP.
For local operation and maintenance work,
eleven of B&R’s Power Panel T30 operator
terminals are positioned around the plant.
Besides offering distributed supervisory

09.16

Besides offering distributed supervisory capabilities, the B&R operator terminals allow plant operators to perform a range of important tasks, from opening
and closing the high-pressure quick-acting closures to starting the subsystemthat empties or fills each extractor with cork. (Source: Diam Bouchage)capabilities, they allow plant operators to
perform a range of important tasks, suchas opening and closing the high-pressure
quick-acting closures or starting the subsystem that empties or fills each extractor
with cork. They also assist the maintenance team in testing the compressors
following service.
Fail-safe control for a high-pressure
process
The Diamant process needs to be continuously operational for long periods of time.
To satisfy the very high availability requirements, Natex took advantage of the many
redundancy options offered by B&R systems. In addition to the redundant APROL
runtime servers and redundant Ethernet-based process bus, the SFE plantbuilder was also able to implement a redundant control network using a POWERLINK bus in a ring topology. This solution
not only maximizes the operational reliabil-

ity of the plant, but also allows hot plugging in the control cabinet, which makes
maintenance more efficient.
Because of the high pressures involved in
the process, and in response to a HAZOP
risk analysis, Natex made certain components compliant with SIL 2 – including thehigh-pressure quick-acting closures on
the extractors. Among other measures,
they ensured the extractor is pressurelessand isolated from the rest of the plant before opening.
Natex implemented these and other safetyfunctions using safe PLCs and safe I/O
modules from B&R’s X20 series, giving
them the added advantages of integrated
safety, such as reduced wiring and easier
maintenance. They also relied on X20
NAMUR input modules and the X20 safe
PLCs to connect the proximity switches
needed for safety relevant valves.

interview

reporttechnology

39