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input #1 at www.controleng.com/information
When things
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input #2 at www.controleng.com/information
 MAY 2017

Vol. 64
Number 5

Features
24 Robots, humans collaborate on safety
Cover Story: A new age of collaborative robots put people closer
to technology, with risks, opportunities. 24
28 Robotic safety: What you don’t know COVER: While moving a collaborative robot’s arm to “teach” it a task is an
important part of collaboration, it’s not the same as hand guiding a robot, one
Cover story: With robotic safety, what you don’t know CAN hurt you. of the four methods of collaborative operation: Courtesy: RIA/Yaskawa
Get what you need to know about robotic safety, terms, and standards
affecting robotic implementations.

30 Four things to remember

about DCS migration
At a refinery, chemical plant, or other process-related facility, the pri-
mary control system must operate efficiently, safely, and economically.
If it doesn’t, perhaps it’s time for an upgrade.

33 IT, OT teams need to keep

manufacturing systems running
Security professionals in information technology (IT) and in operations
technology (OT) must the manufacturer’s systems running at all times.

34 How to navigate the future of IIoT systems 30

It’s critical to understand which IIoT connectivity technologies to use
for each application in the IIoT space.

36 Control Engineering Salary

and Career Survey
Control Engineering salary and career survey research shows an aver-
age salary of $96,045 in 2017, up slightly from the 2016 results; job
satisfaction continues among respondents. Lifelong learning remains
critically important. Invest more in science, technology, engineering,
and math education and in high-profile projects, respondents said.

43 Engineering advice: Get lifelong education,

consider workplace strategies
Control Engineering career and salary survey respondents offer advice
on education, workplace strategies, attitude, and more. 36
45 Top 4 job-hunting tips CONTROL ENGINEERING (ISSN 0010-8049, Vol. 64, No. 5, GST #123397457) is pub-
Finding a job in engineering takes skill, focus, and persistence. lished 12x per year, Monthly by CFE Media, LLC, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak
Brook, IL 60523. Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher /Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/
Co-Founder. CONTROL ENGINEERING copyright 2017 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
46 Defining and measuring project quality CONTROL ENGINEERING is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used under license.
Using a standardized methodology to define project quality ensures Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL 60523 and additional mailing offices. Circulation
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57 Digital Edition Exclusives Canada/Mexico, $180/yr (includes 7% GST, GST#123397457); International air delivery
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 Machine vision technologies boost warehouse efficiency, available for $30.00 US and $35.00 foreign. Please address all subscription mail to CON-
transparency TROL ENGINEERING, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Printed in the
USA. CFE Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for
 Learning tough lessons from ICS attacks. any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regard-
less of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever.

2 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

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input #3 at www.controleng.com/information
Re-Route Your Temperature Measurements
Around Potential Roadblocks
The new THZ3/TDZ3 Dual Input Smart HART®
temperature transmitters can help you avoid costly
process interruptions and maintenance delays by
ensuring your measurements always make it safely
to your control system. Our Sensor Backup and
Failover protection feature means you will never
miss those critical readings - even if something
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Plus, with Device Intelligence, a series of new and

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p Temperature
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900
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 ‘
MAY 2017
Namur sensors may have

Vol. 64 the opposite contact action

Number 5

of existing simple dry contact

position switches and require

’
inverted control system logic.
P1
Inside Process
Appears after page 48; Also, see the Digital Edition:
www.controleng.com/DigitalEdition

P1 Signaling considerations for control

system migrations
Not every analog field instrument can be wired to any given analog
input (AI) module, nor can any discrete output (DO) module be
wired to any given discrete final control element.

P3 Understanding upstream and downstream

pipe diameters for flow measurement
While there are some creative ways to get flowmeters piped,
certain installation best practices should be adhered to whenever
possible.

Products
Departments 60 ABOVE: Automated checkweigher
system; RIGHT: Differential measurement
8 Think Again
system; Also on page 60: Touchless rotary
Automation careers: Inspire, engage, teach.
angle sensor series; Data logger; Power
10 Control Engineering International supplies for automation, process control
Sensors have Industrie 4.0 capabilities.

Integrator Update
12 Your most valuable asset: Managing your system
integration business as an investment
14 The changing landscape for buyers and investors in
growing technology markets

64 Back to Basics
Six tips for testing motor insulation systems

61 ABOVE: Software package for

News schematic generation; RIGHT: Combus-
tion analyzer for hazardous conditions;
16 Roundup: Hannover Messe 2017 collaboration Also on page 61: Surface sensing tem-
perature measurement; Rugged dc/dc
18 Five positive IIoT impacts on manufacturing
converter; Ceramic chip resistors
18 Frank Lamb joins Editorial Advisory Board.

19 Events and online headlines

20 Faster automation and robots 62 LEFT: Radar level

22 Services for obsolete electronics transmitters with
diagnostics and
22 Cloud-based SaaS contact platform
instrument verification

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 5

 More resources posted daily at:
MAY
www.controleng.com

IIoT New Products Control Systems Process Manufacturing Discrete Manufacturing System Integration Networking & Security Info Management Education & Training

Manufacturers still not embracing IIoT Upcoming Webcast

There’s a lot more to read Series:
online. Go to
Enterprise Resources
www.controleng.com/news
Planning (ERP) is a suite
to read Control Engineering’s Webcasts
of applications for the
exclusive Web content. integrated management of core business
processes, from manufacturing to distri-
 Six questions to ask when
bution, finance and human resources, us-
choosing an open-loop or
ing a common process and data model.
closed-loop hydraulic system
This webcast series, starting in March
 Scientists develop method to 2017, will focus on topics such as critical
control water movement implementation, how ERP streamlines
 Shop floor marketplace emerges with Industrie 4.0 operations for the Industrial Internet of
Things (IIoT), and when to move ERP to
 IIoT security a major concern, according to survey.
the cloud.

Couldn’t catch a recent webcast?

See it on-demand at
Control Engineering provides unique automation-related research: See more on www.controleng.com/webcasts.
the salary and career survey in this issue. Read other research summaries and
sign up to download the full reports at www.controleng.com/ce-research. Oil & Gas Engineering
April issue
Oil & Gas Engi-
NEWSLETTER: MACHINE CONTROL neering provides

Matrix drives reduce industry-specific

solutions designed
energy consumption for to maximize uptime
and increase pro-
transporter system ductivity through the
Keep up with the latest industry news use of industry best
practices and new
by subscribing to Control Engineering’s
innovations, increase
16 newsletters at
efficiency from the
www.controleng.com/newsletters:
wellhead to the re-
 Motion controllers can adapt themselves finery by implementing automation and
monitoring strategies, and maintain and
 Proof of concept, testing for integrated vision improve safety for workers and the work
applications environment. Read the digital edition at
 Alliance for robotics in manufacturing will improve innovation, industry growth. www.oilandgaseng.com

Read this on your tablet

Point, click, watch
Tablet and digital editions
GAMS 2016:
of this publication have
How Maintenance and unique content for digital
Big Data Can Coexist subscribers. This month
The 2016 Global Automation and has digital exclusives on:
Manufacturing Summit (GAMS), Machine vision technolo-
presented by CFE Media, will gies boost warehouse
bring together experts from all efficiency, transparency;
areas of the Industrial Internet of Things (lloT) to look at not just the current state of lloT Learning tough lessons
Access
your data
don’t expose
your network

but also at the potential benefits of deployment for the manufacturing industry.
LEARN MORE

from ICS attacks.

cogentdatahub.com

www.controleng.com

www.youtube.com/user/controlengineeringtv.

6 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

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input #5 at www.controleng.com/information
THINK AGAIN career help
1111 W. 22nd St. Suite 250, Oak Brook, IL 60523
630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504

Content Specialists/Editorial

Automation careers:
Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager
847-830-3215, MHoske@CFEMedia.com
Jack Smith, Content Manager

Inspire, engage, teach

630-907-1622, JSmith@CFEMedia.com
senior contributing
Kevin Parker, Senior Contributingeditor,
Editor,IIoT,
IIoT,O&GE
OGE
630-890-9682, KParker@CFEMedia.com
Emily Guenther, Associate Content Manager
630-571-4070 x2220, eguenther@cfemedia.com
To develop a workforce for an automated future provide inspiration Amanda Pelliccione, Director of Research
631-320-0655, APelliccione@CFEMedia.com
978-302-3463,
about automation, engage youth and teach the next generation and oth- Joy Chang, Digital Project Manager
630-571-4070 x2225, JChang@CFEMedia.com
ers about how rewarding automation careers can be, including robotics, Chris Vavra, Production Editor
630-571-4070 x2219, CVavra@CFEMedia.com
said advanced technology professionals at Automate 2017 in April.

F
Contributing Content Specialists
Frank J. Bartos, P.E., braunbart@sbcglobal.net
Peter Welander, PWelander@CFEMedia.com
Filling the skills gap in manufac- talent shortage, citing an inability to recruit Vance VanDoren, Ph.D., P.E., controleng@msn.com
Suzanne Gill, Control Engineering Europe
turing requires inspiring potential candidates and hire personnel with the right skill sets to suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk
about automation, then engaging and teaching match hiring needs. Association of Manufac- Ekaterina Kosareva, Control Engineering Russia
ekaterina.kosareva@fsmedia.ru
youth and others about rewards in manufactur- turing Technology research points to opportu-
Wojciech Stasiak, Control Engineering Poland
ing automation. More can be done to inspire nities in computer, mechanical, and electrical wojciech.stasiak@trademedia.us
young people to pursue careers in science, engineering. In North America, the greatest Lukáš Smelík, Control Engineering Czech Republic
lukas.smelik@trademedia.us
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) need is for service technicians. Mechatron-
Aileen Jin, Control Engineering China
careers, including robotics and manufacturing. ics (combining computer science, mechanical aileenjin@cechina.cn
More than 300,000 U.S. manufacturing engineering, and electrical engineering) must Publication Services
jobs are unfilled for lack of qualified candi- be the foundation for the training, Rozier said. Jim Langhenry, Co-Founder/Publisher, CFE Media
dates, said Ted Rozier, engineering develop- Hot areas include system integration, 630-571-4070, x2203; JLanghenry@CFEMedia.com
Steve Rourke, Co-Founder, CFE Media
ment manager, Festo Didactic. mobile robots, highly flexible transport, intel- 630-571-4070, x2204, SRourke@CFEMedia.com
Bob Doyle, Association for Advanc- ligent products, wireless communications, Trudy Kelly, Executive Assistant,
ing Automation (A3) media contact, intro- mobile devices, simulation, and programming. 630-571-4070, x2205, TKelly@CFEMedia.com

duced the Automate 2017 conference session, Elena Moeller-Younger, Marketing Manager
773-815-3795, EMYounger@CFEMedia.com
“Developing your workforce for an automated Robotic coworkers save jobs Kristen Nimmo, Marketing Manager
future.” Doyle said robots increase the number Integrating robots as team members in 630-571-4070, x2215, KNimmo@CFEMedia.com
of jobs in manufacturing by increasing effi- plant-floor applications can add efficiency, Brian Gross, Marketing Consultant, Global SI Database
630-571-4070, x2217, BGross@CFEMedia.com
ciency, competitiveness, and market growth. increase quality, compete against low-cost
Michael Smith, Creative Director
Rozier, in charge of designing equipment, countries, fill the skills gap, fill vacancies for 630-779-8910, MSmith@CFEMedia.com
technical education, and competence devel- mundane work, and reduce human hazards Paul Brouch, Director of Operations
630-571-4070, x2208, PBrouch@CFEMedia.com
opment for technology education in North and injuries, explained Matthew Bush, co-
Michael Rotz, Print Production Manager
America, said: “It gives me goosebumps when founder of Hirebotics LLC, which provides 717-766-0211 x4207, Fax: 717-506-7238
I peer into the future of automation technol- robots to manufacturers as a service. mike.rotz@frycomm.com
Maria Bartell, Account Director,
Director Infogroup Targeting Solutions
ogy” and how it’s adding productivity. In addi- Communicating the right message within Infogroup Targeting
847-378-2275, Solutions
maria.bartell@infogroup.com
tion to training, Festo Didactic helps inspire companies about robots is important to allevi- 847-378-2275, maria.bartell@infogroup.com
Rick Ellis, Audience Management Director
STEM youth toward manufacturing by using ate apprehension, Bush said. Involve employ- Rick Ellis, Audience
303-246-1250, Management Director
REllis@CFEMedia.com
303-246-1250, REllis@CFEMedia.com
innovative educational materials. Festo Bionic ees early and often when bringing in robots Letters to the editor: Please e-mail us your opinions to
Letters to the editor: Please e-mail us your opinions to should
MHoske@CFEMedia.com or fax 630-214-4504. Letters
Learning Network displays fun technologies, to provide valuable insights into the benefits. MHoske@CFEMedia.com
include name, company, and or fax us at 630-214-4504.
address, and may be edited.
Letters should include name, company, and address,
such as automated animals, insects, and an Throughout the process, think again about Information: For a Media Kit or Editorial Calendar,
and may be edited for space and clarity.
email Trudy Kelly at TKelly@CFEMedia.com.
exohand controller that moves a robotic hand. how robots are introduced and used, Bush Information: For a Media Kit or Editorial Calendar,
Marketing consultants: See ad index.
“Parents think manufacturing’s dark and advised, along with related communications. email Trudy Kelly at TKelly@CFEMedia.com.
Custom reprints, electronic: Brett Petillo
gloomy, and there’s no future in it, but that’s Any replacement is best by attrition. Reprints
Wright’s Media, 281-419-5725, bpetillo@wrightsmedia.com
just not so,” Rozier said, noting that 84% of Seeing the need firsthand, Bush advocates For custom reprints or electronic usage, contact:

executives agreed about a U.S. manufacturing for the mechatronics program at his local high Editorial Advisory
Brett Petillo, Wright’s MediaBoard www.controleng.com/EAB
281-419-5725, bpetillo@wrightsmedia.com
Doug Bell, president, InterConnecting Automation,
MORE school. Manufacturing technology experts, www.interconnectingautomation.com

ADVICE robotics and automation need to work togeth- Publication

David Sales:
Bishop, president andSee ad index
a founder
Matrix Technologies, www.matrixti.com
er early and often. ce
Editorial
Daniel Advisory
E. Capano, Board
president, Diversified Technical Services Inc.
GO ONLINE of Stamford, CT, www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-capano-7b886bb0
www.controleng.com/EAB
See the career survey and advice coverage in this Frank Lamb, founder and owner
David Bishop, president and a founder
issue. Link to more on training, with photos, and more Automation Consulting LLC, www.automationllc.com
Matrix Technologies, www.matrixti.com
about robotics with this article online, search the Joe
Joe Martin,
Martin, president
president and
and founder
founder
Martin
Martin Control
Control Systems,
Systems, www.martincsi.com
headline at www.controleng.com. Also see Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager www.martincsi.com
Rick
Rick Pierro,
Pierro, president
president and
and co-founder
www.bls.gov, www.nam.org, and www.robotics.org. MHoske@CFEMedia.com Superior
co-founder
Superior Controls,
Controls, www.superiorcontrols.com
www.superiorcontrols.com
Mark
Mark Voigtmann,
Voigtmann, partner,
partner, automation
automation practice
practice lead
lead
Faegre
Faegre Baker
Baker Daniels, www.FaegreBD.com
8 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING Daniels, www.FaegreBD.com\
www.controleng.com
input #6 at www.controleng.com/information
 CONTROL ENGINEERING international

Sensors have Industrie 4.0 capabilities

A sensor’s process data and its metadata can be transferred directly to the Azure Cloud via
OPC UA without an intermediate gateway, after collaboration between Microsoft and Leuze
electronic, as explained by Control Engineering Europe.

T
The result of collaboration between
Microsoft and Leuze electronic GmbH has been the
creation of a sensor whose process data and metada-
ta can be transferred directly to the Microsoft Azure
Cloud via OPC UA from the OPC Foundation with-
out the need for an intermediate gateway.
A prerequisite for high data transparency is an
intelligent and standardized data interface. However,
from all publishers. Using this process, communica-
tion from data sources to data recipients is possible.
A data cloud can also retrieve data directly from the
data source. Communication in the opposite direc-
tion—from the cloud to the sensor—also will be
possible in the future.
Industrie 4.0 requires compatible communica-
tion and OPC UA can virtually “tunnel through”
this alone is not enough to be able to realize Indus- the layers of the automation pyramid and transport
trie 4.0 systems. The Reference Architecture Model data to the higher levels of the RAMI model. This
of Industrie 4.0 (RAMI) model of the Industrie 4.0 makes standardized communication of sensors and

‘
platform offers a representation for industry. actuators from various manufacturers directly with a
The lowest RAMI depicts the properties of Indust- cloud-based ERP system possible. With secure com-
rie 4.0 components in three dimensions. In the munication, even the exchange of data between dif-
level device product life cycle description, product data is ferent systems via public channels is conceivable.
collected. In the next dimension, a hierarchy is
can be recorded, while the third dimension is the informa- Microsoft Azure cloud
addressed tion technology (IT) representation. The provision of data from components via
Industrie 4.0 components need to be describable OPC UA communication alone is not enough for
from the using the RAMI 4.0 model, so a true Industrie 4.0 an Industrie 4.0 application. Additional mecha-
sensor must be able to communicate across IT levels. nisms are needed for data acquisition from the
cloud without This impossible for a sensor with a classic fieldbus cloud. To realize telemetry data without more com-
interface, which communicates with the control and ponents, such as an Industrie 4.0 gateway, Leuze
the need
does not pass data to the upper IT levels. electronic and Microsoft have collaborated on a
for another solution demonstrated at the SPS IPC Drives event
Moving data in November 2016.

’
gateway. Unlike classic fieldbus interfaces, an interface Sensor data from a barcode reader can be trans-
that is expanded with the OPC UA communica- mitted via the OPC UA Publish/Subscriber Com-
tion model can transport data to higher IT levels munication Model (PSCM) to Microsoft’s Azure IoT
MORE of the RAMI model. Hub. Data is recorded by the IoT hub for the Azure
ADVICE OPC UA includes a security implementation that Cloud Services for analysis and visualization.
consists of authentication, authorization, encryption The collaboration demonstrates how an embed-
KEY CONCEPTS and data integrity with signatures. Unlike commu- ded device can be controlled from the Azure Cloud.
Cooperation between Microsoft
and Leuze resulted in a sensor that nication methods typically used in industrial envi- Using the barcode reader as an example, Leuze elec-
communicates with the Microsoft ronments, it allows for secure communication. From tronic has shown how a device can be addressed
Azure cloud. the field level of the automation pyramid, OPC UA from the cloud on the lowest RAMI level without
Sensor-cloud-communications can communicate via two mechanisms—either via needing another gateway. The reading gate of a bar-
help enable the goals of Industrie 4.0 client/server communication or via a publisher pro- code reader can be controlled from anywhere in the
OPC UA helps with communication. cess. With client/server communication, an OPC world by any mobile device via the Azure Cloud.
GO ONLINE UA server is integrated in the data source—a sen- The sensor data recorded by the IoT hub also can
www.controleng.com/international sor that can deliver data to a data recipient. With be analyzed by analysis tools of the cloud according
The April 3 article, “A sensor solu- the publisher process, an OPC UA publisher is to predetermined criteria and this can trigger events
tion with Industrie 4.0 capabilities” integrated in the data source. This can then make its in the Industrie 4.0 total system. ce
has more information.
www.controlengeurope.com data available to various data recipients. If there is
more than one data source in the system, the data Edited from an April 3 Control Engineering Europe
CONSIDER THIS
How can your sensor communica-
recipient can decide which data it would like to post, “A sensor solution with Industry 4.0 capabili-
tions better enable Industrie 4.0 or receive from which publisher. This means that the ties,” by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control
Industrial Internet of Things? recipient does not always need to accept the data Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia.com.

10 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

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input #7 at www.controleng.com/information Find your local sales office: www.linear.com/contact

 INTEGRATOR UPDATE business value

Managing your system integration

business as an investment
There are many factors to consider to manage a business now, and for the future, to maximize value.

A
As a business owner who wears Different types of buyers are willing to pay
many hats, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to- different values for a company because each
day workings of the business. However, it’s criti- group is motivated differently and perceives
cal to the company’s long-term success (and any risk differently. Before selling, identifying who
retirement goals) to carve out time to look at the the buyers might be and what their expectations
business as you would any other investment. and concerns might be will position you to make
Whether there is a plan to sell the business in changes to maximize business value.
the coming years or pass the business on to the
next generation, knowing the value of the busi- Business valuation: It is not
ness investment and how that changes over time about a multiple
is critical. Once the value of the business is deter- Many business owners have a number in their
mined, it is then possible to increase value or to head that they need the value to be, but are left
know if management decisions are resulting in unsure how much the business is actually worth.
increasing value over time. So, in an effort to save time and/or money, some
owners will ballpark value with their accountant
Is the business going to attract buyers? using multiples of earnings or revenues. There is
Before getting into the details of business valua- so much more to a business than a number on
tion first determine if the business is “transferable,” an income statement multiplied times a baseless
meaning it would be worth more than liquidation number.
value and therefore attractive to a potential buyer. Since we should not just rely on multipliers of
There are two questions to consider: a number on an income statement, experienced
1. Are there profits available to the business business appraisers will look at three approaches
owner to provide a return on investment? Is the to value a business: the asset approach, the mar-
business profitable? ket approach, and the income approach. All three
2. Is the business too dependent on the busi- should be considered when determining a mean-
ness owner? ingful conclusion of value.
If the business is profitable after adjusting for
market compensation so the business owner can Creating a buy-sell agreement
earn a return on investment and the business can Protecting the ownership interest, or “share,”
continue without the business owner, the busi- of the business is critical. Don’t get into business
MORE ness would be considered to be transferable by with anyone without first defining how to get out
ADVICE appraisers. of business.
If the answer is “no” to the first question, or The way to define and document how to han-
KEY CONCEPTS “yes” to the second question, unfortunately the dle the buy-out of one (or more) of the owners
How to drive value to a business.
business is likely not transferable. It is possible is by creating a buy-sell agreement. The buy-sell
How to attract potential buyers.
to become a transferable business; however, this agreement outlines what happens to the shares of
Identifying what to consider when
potentially selling a business. takes time and investment. an owner who leaves the business, for any reason.
It is a legally binding agreement that is typically
GO ONLINE
For more about business valuations
Buyers for a system integration business? drafted by an attorney.
and links to parts 1 through 9 of this Once the business is transferable, it’s time to If you walk away with nothing else, take the
series, read this article online. In the think about the type of buyer who may be inter- time to review (or create if needed) the buy-sell
digital edition, click on the headline ested in the business. Again, whether there is a agreement if there is more than one owner in the
or search the headline for plan to sell now or in the future, understand- business. ce
www.controleng.com.
ing who the potential buyers might be and mak-
Read more online on how to drive
business value and creating a buy-sell ing sure they know about the business can help Catherine J. Durham is accredited senior analyst,
agreement. define how to transition out of the business principal, and president, Capital Valuation Group;
CONSIDER THIS
smoothly. edited by Emily Guenther, associate content man-
How often should a business valua- Interestingly, every privately owned business ager, Control Engineering, CFE Media,
tion be considered? has many different values depending on the buyer. eguenther@cfemedia.com.

12 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

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property of Schneider Electric SE, its subsidiaries and affiliated companies • 998-19598767_GMA
input #8 at www.controleng.com/information
 INTEGRATOR UPDATE automation business

The changing landscape

for buyers and investors
in growing technology markets
Due to controls and automation and Internet of Things (IoT) markets growing, buyers
and investors are taking advantage.

‘ The rapidly
evolving demand
for quality
T
The past four years have seen a rapidly
changing landscape for potential buyers and inves-
tors in the controls and automation and Internet
of Things (IoT) industry segments. The business
world continues to focus on methods to improve
productivity through the adoption of software,
robotics, and monitoring tools. The result has been
rapid growth in the controls and automation and
The rapidly evolving demand for quality tech-
nology offerings and engineering-driven technical
services segment is producing a non-traditional,
aggressive class of strategic buyers. These groups are
using acquisitions to redefine their overall strategy.
The enormous opportunities that the controls
and automation segment offers are motivating stra-
tegic buyers to redefine their strategy and consider
technology IoT markets, which is attracting a new group of any number of acquisitions, so they can stay ahead
private equity and growth equity investors, as well of the competitive business curve.
offerings and as industry, or strategic, buyers focused on taking
engineering- advantage of this growth. Internet of Things
The options available to business owners for The IoT emergence is driven by the market
driven technical growth capital and/or selling a business have demand for more information, gathered through
services segment increased substantially over the past few years. any manner of sensors, with the primary pur-
pose of maintaining and improving productiv-
is producing a Private and growth equity ity at the most basic level of a machine or piece
non-traditional, Private equity groups are private pools of capital, of equipment. Plamen Nedelrchev, IT engineer
managed by investment professionals, which typi- with Cisco, stated that there were “1,000 inter-
aggressive class of cally acquire a majority equity percentage, but not net devices in 1984, 1 million internet devices in

’
strategic buyers. 100%, of a company. Growth equity groups are sim- 1992, and 10 billion in 2008. Fifty billion devices
ilar in profile, but usually are focused on complet- are expected to be connected by 2020.”
ing minority equity investments, or a combination Nedelrchev highlighted that in 2011, the
of debt and minority equity, in high-growth compa- number of new things connected to the internet
MORE nies. Private and growth equity groups are focused exceeded the number of new users connected
on investing in growth markets and finding ways to to the internet. The IoT explosion also has been
ADVICE help management expand through organic growth driven by cloud computing and the technological
KEY CONCEPTS opportunities and add-on acquisitions. ability to store, access, and interpret data at any
Buying and investing in growing Within the past few years, a wave of private given time. Recognizing that we are still in the
markets.
and growth equity groups have entered the mar- early stages of the IoT market expansion, stra-
A business owner’s options for
selling the business.
ket, validating the controls and automation seg- tegic buyers and growth equity investors are the
What the growth in technology
ment as an attractive segment. A critical mass of key suitors for the burgeoning IoT technologies
means for business owners in the other private and growth equity groups are eager and companies currently in the market.
control and automation and Internet to break into the controls and automation market Increased strategic, private equity, and growth
of Things (IoT) industry segments. through a platform investment. equity demand for acquisitions and investments
GO ONLINE in the controls and automation and IoT markets
For related links about invest- Classical versus new strategic buyers lead to stronger business valuations, which plays
ing, read this article online. In the Strategic buyers have been active and con- to the advantage of shareholders and managers
digital edition, click on the headline or
search the headline for
tinue to be very relevant players in the con- active within these segments. ce
www.controleng.com. trols and automation segment. The legacy, or
classical, strategic buyers maintain a relatively con- Clint Bundy is a managing director with Bundy
CONSIDER THIS
Will business owners and inves- sistent acquisition strategy that focuses on obtain- Group. Edited by Emily Guenther, associate con-
tors be ready during the next market ing new market share and augmenting existing tent manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media,
plateau or slowing? capabilities. eguenther@cfemedia.com.

14 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

Call 1-800-322-3225 or visit: www.phoenixcontact.com/confidence_relays

input #9 at www.controleng.com/information
INDUSTRY NEWS and events

Hannover Messe 2017 collaboration

The robots are looking more like With Poland as the Partner Country, IIoT will be built with pieces from a
humans, and the humans are looking more the opening of the 70th Hannover Messe variety of hardware and software ven-
like robots. At the Opening Ceremonies (Hannover Fair, in English) was a consid- dors and driven by separate analytics and
of Hannover Messe 2017, the world’s larg- erably lower-key affair than the 2016 event, co-located on a series of cloud-based data
est industrial trade show, Schunk won the which featured President Obama lead- platforms. At Hannover Messe 2017, it
2017 Hermes Award for innovation for its ing the U.S. delegation. But while his suc- was clear that the pace of the partner-
intelligent gripper module for robots that cessor’s name was not mentioned by the ships between disparate companies is
interacts with humans. Its flexible jaws speakers, Obama’s name was mentioned accelerating.
can measure and learn the tactile strength on a few occasions as German Chancellor Schneider Electric and Microsoft
needed, and the module includes two cam- Angela Merkel and Poland Prime Minister announced a collaboration around

‘
eras so the gripper can “see.” Beata Szydlo opened mixed reality (what
The grippers were on display as part of the event. IIoT pieces from a variety company officials
the pre-show press tour preceding the gala Perhaps the most describe as a cross
opening ceremony. In the tour demonstra- spontaneous applause of vendors, driven by between augment-
tion, a human-looking robot was grabbing, of the night came ed reality and vir-
fastening and staging small toy cars, as part during the remarks separate analytics, will tual reality) even as
of a larger robotic application. of Professor Dieter be co-located on cloud- Schneider Electric
Attendees at the opening ceremony Kempf, president of was announcing its

’
reacted strongly to Swiss-based Noonee’s the Federation of Ger- based data platforms. new EcoStruxure
wearable leg exoskeleton, which allows a man Industries. for Industry, which
worker free movement while wearing the “Trade relations are a win-win situ- is a full suite of connected devices, edge
device can fully support the worker in a ation,” Kempf said. “They can benefit computing, and applications using the
seated position. The “Chairless Chair” everyone’s prosperity. In view of increas- Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Micro-
allows workers to switch between standing, ing attempts to support protectionism and soft announced its own collaborations,
sitting, and walking at the push of a button. isolationism on both sides of the Atlantic, with robotics manufacturer Comau and
the message from the former President of with end users such as Tetra Pak and Jabil.
the United States, Barack Obama, that we It also held a press conference Monday to
heard last year, was quite important. But tout its new Azure IoT Suite Connected
this is a task we must all rise to.” Factory that will collaborate as part of the
Kempf praised Merkel for her message OPC UA protocol from OPC Foundation.
supporting free trade discussions between Another innovation is Phoenix Con-
Europe and the United State during her tact’s PLCnext Technology, which offers
visit with President Trump last month in a collaborative environment. PLCnext
Washington. Kempf also called the deci- will enable open-source programming
sion of Great Britain to leave the Europe- for traditional PLC functions on a Linux
an Union “regrettable,” adding that he was platform. The product will be available
disappointed that “the British government in conjunction with the SPC show in
did not succeed in explaining that Europe Nuremburg in November, company offi-
is the solution and not the problem.” cials said; PLCnext will combine “classic
The Partner Country message of “Smart PLC programming and high-level lan-
is Poland” emphasized by Szydlo during guage programming and enables the cre-
her opening remarks. “The Poland you ation of modern applications within the
will see at Hannover Messe 2017 is a young context of Industrie 4.0.”
Poland, with new and innovative ideas.”
Poland’s high-tech, high-energy artis- Mexico is 2018 Partner Country
tic presentation honored the contributions Hannover Messe announced Mexico
of three major Polish scientists—Coperni- will be the 2018 Partner Country. Han-
cus, Marie Curie, and Jacek Karpinski, who nover Messe officials see Mexico’s emer-
Schunk won the 2017 Hermes Award for developed the first mini-computer with gence as a manufacturing power very
innovation for its intelligent gripper module an expandable memory—in an innovative differently than some political leaders in
for robots that interacts with humans. Its computer-generated opening number. the U.S. “Mexico is Latin America’s second-
flexible jaws can measure and learn the largest economy and has steadily grown in
tactile strength needed for its work, and Collaboration, hardware, software importance as a market and investment
the module includes two cameras to allow Just four months into 2017, if manu- location for companies in many European
the gripper to see its surroundings. facturing were to have a word of the year it countries, including Germany,” fair officials
Courtesy: Bob Vavra, CFE Media would be “collaboration.” said in a press release.

16 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 Digital edition? Click on headlines for more details. See news daily at www.controleng.com/news

HMI expands scope today, but get them better for the jobs of by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Con-
The human-machine interface (HMI) tomorrow. We need to use technologies to trol Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia.com.
has had a long and storied history in man- get those individual to work together.”
ufacturing, and its use as a simple way to Rob McKeel, vice president of automa- MORE
manage and control machine operations tion at GE, said: “Let the data flow, and use ADVICE
at the machine has dramatically improved technology to find the right answer,” he said.
plant floor efficiency. But with the increas- “In the absence of data, everyone will keep Read this story online at www.controleng.com for
more information including a story about how IHS
ing digitization of manufacturing and the doing it the way they’ve always done it.” Markit’s survey on how manufacturers still aren’t em-
use of tablets, smartphones, and hand- Bob Vavra is content manager, Plant bracing the IIoT and what this means for the industry
held devices, every device is now an HMI, Engineering, bvavra@cfemedia.com; edited as a whole.
among trends related to Industrial Inter-
net of Things (IIoT) and Industrie 4.0
observed at Hannover Messe 2017.
Once limited to the smarts inside the
HMI box, the device-driven displays can
pull real-time data from the system ana-
lytics in the cloud computing world or
via Wi-Fi and make everything about the
machines—its health, maintenance record
and full parts list—with the tap of a button.
Another major trend was the discus-
sion of opening the digital plant to outside
application developers. More download-
able apps for manufacturing are coming.
The Predix platform by GE is expanding,
and the OPC UA press conference touted
collaborative efforts among OPC Founda-
tion members to drive a more open plat-
form among users. The digital platform of
sensors and controls feed data to the cloud
for analytics and return the knowledge to
plant employees ready to act on that data.
In reality (another word used often at
Hannover Messe), manufacturing will use
many HMIs. But the HMI as we know it
will need to be reconsidered, as a tool and
as an offering from a supplier community
firmly embracing a digital future. Maybe
HMI will retire as a noun, and continue
as a verb.

IBM partnership announced

ABB and IBM announced a partnership
around IBM’s Watson cognitive computing
and ABB’s Ability digital platform. Dur-
ing that event, Harriett Green, group gen-
eral manager of IBM Watson, took a step
beyond the idea of artificial intelligence.
“We don’t talk about AI in this context,”
she said. “We’re talking about augmenting
intelligence-enhancing intelligence.”
Sanjay Ravi of Microsoft said, “We’re
able to augment new employees doing
machine learning modules.” Paul Brooks
of Rockwell Automation said, “The way
people work needs to change. We have to
make sure we are educating people for the
jobs they are doing today, but they need to
be not just good at the jobs they are doing

CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 17

input #10 at www.controleng.com/information
 Digital edition? Click on headlines for more details.
See news daily at www.controleng.com/news

CUSTOMAXI-
Headlines online
Industry events
At www.controleng.com, on the right side, click on the events box
MIZED!
and scroll by month to see related industry events including:
Sensor? Housing? Lens holder?
 Rockwell Automation TechED, Orlando, June 11-16
www.rockwellautomation.com/global/events/ra-teched/usa/overview.page Plug orientation? It´s your choice!
 Sensors Expo, San Jose, Calif., June 27-29 The uEye LE USB 3.1 Gen 1
www.sensorsexpo.com

 Process Expo 2017, Chicago, Sept. 19-22

www.myprocessexpo.com

 Pack Expo and Healthcare Packaging Expo, Las Vegas, Sept. 25-27
www.packexpolasvegas.com BOARDLEVEL SINGLE-BOARD OPTION: PLUG
VERSIONS CAMERA ORIENTATION MIC OPTION

 FABTECH, Chicago, Nov. 6-9

www.fabtechexpo.com/about

 2017 Global Automation and Manufacturing Summit, USB POWER OPTION: WIDE RANGE
USB TYPE-C
McCormick Place, Nov. 7 DELIVERY LENS HOLDER OF SENSORS
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/hannover-fairs-usa-fabtech-to-
partner-on-iana-event/0fa4780c3b5f4986b296b6ad14e2b8f9.html

Top five Control Engineering articles

April 17-23: The most visited articles included Ethernet benefits,
safety integrity levels, matrix drives, sensors and control system
inputs, and liquid level measurement sensors.
Reverse engineering reduced repair time,
costs for steel manufacturer
A steel manufacturer that needed two impellers repaired found
a solution through reverse engineering that was faster and more
cost-effective.
Estimate how safety pays a company
OSHA’s “$afety Pays” program is designed to help employers
assess the impact of injuries and illnesses on profitability and
find ways to mitigate those potential costs.
Shop floor marketplace emerges with Industrie 4.0
The shop floor marketplace is becoming a reality with Industrie
4.0 as companies are required to make products quickly and
cost-effectively, as well as make unique products that are tai-
lored to a specific user.
Graphene used to create cheaper semiconductor wafers
MIT engineers have developed a technique to reduce the overall
cost of wafer technology by using graphene as a copy machine
to transfer intricate crystalline patterns from an underlying semi-
conductor wafer to a top layer of identical material.
Manufacturers still not embracing IIoT
Seven manufacturing market trends for 2017, according to an
IHS Markit report at Hannover Messe, include more growth and
an attention shift from remote cloud-based analytics to local and
edge computing.
Seven benefits of modular project design
Modular project design provides engineers many potential ben-
efits such as saving time and money and also making custom-
ization much easier.
Energy company to collaborate with artificial intelligence ®
company to improve operations
Dover Energy Automation (DEA) and SparkCognition
announced the two companies would collaborate to bring pre-
dictive capabilities.
See webcasts at www.controleng.com/webcasts. www.ids-imaging.com/usb3.1

CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 19 input #12 at www.controleng.com/information

INDUSTRY NEWS and events
Digital edition? Click on headlines for more details.
See news daily at www.controleng.com/news

Faster automation and robots

Automate 2017 at McCormick Place in you can’t ship. Developments are all about Robots: smarter, safer
Chicago demonstrated plenty of advanc- keeping uptime.” Rethink Robotics’ Intera 5 software was
es in robotics, software development, and “Whatever we develop for companies on display with the collaborative robot,
other advances that are taking manufactur- is all about keeping the customers safe,” Sawyer, at Automate. Intera’s features
ing in places that seemed unthinkable just said Brian Hovey, chief marketing officer, include an embedded sensor and direct
a few years ago. As the technology becomes Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solu- interaction with an intuitive interface. It
more intertwined, the possibilities grow. tions (SPS). Honeywell and Intelligrat- allows the user to start a task from scratch
Highlights from the show floor follow. ed are focused on expanding operations and create a program that allows the robot
beyond North America and developing to pick-and-place items up to 5 kg. Saw-
Expanding into e-commerce sortation technologies, software, and sup- yer is already used for tending and inspec-
Honeywell’s 2016 Intelligrated acquisition port services, to improve productivity. tion applications and the updated software
has allowed both companies to look for “The industry has evolved from reac- allows it to work faster and perform more
new ways to expand in the material han- tive to proactive,” said Chuck Adams, chief intuitive tasks for pick-and-place jobs.
dling and packaging industries. There’s a commercial officer and general manager, It can be used in industries including
focus on helping companies in the e-com- Intelligrated. “It’s about maximizing uptime “automotive, electronics, and other indus-
merce business, dominated by Amazon. and being cost-competitive.” tries where you have human-scale repeti-
Other companies are looking to follow suit tive tasks,” said Mike Fair, customer success
and improve productivity. Robotics consortium goes global manager, Rethink Robotics. In another dis-
With fierce retail competition, “compa- ROS-Industrial (ROS-I), an open- play, Sawyer inspected spark plugs.
nies are trying to find new ways to capture source industrial robotic software and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR)
and retain customers in an industry where working group established by Southwest recently released the MiR200, an auton-
is a tremendous amount of growth,” said Research Institute (SwRI), has expanded omous mobile robot, and several of the
Chris Cole, chairman and general manager, with partnerships in Europe and the Unit- robots roamed the booth without help or
Intelligrated, at a press conference. ed States. In May 2017, it will become a assistance. When a person moved in front
There is a huge premium, Cole said, global outfit with the official launch of ROS of the robot, sensor helped the robot stop.
on efficiency and labor is becoming more Asia-Pacific in Singapore. Thomas Visti, MiR’s CEO, believes
expensive and harder to retain in the pick- “We will truly have a worldwide net- there’s a place for autonomous mobile
ing and packing industry. Downtime, he work, and we’re glad to have Asia-Pacific in robots in the workplace now and in the
said, is not an option. our group,” said Paul Evans, director, SwRI. future. “We see a trend where companies
“The relationship between the employ- Having a global entity that spans three redesign facilities to change to cell produc-
er and the employee is changing and it’s continents “allows each group to focus on tion and you need to have mobile transpor-
becoming more difficult.” Companies addressing regional manufacturing issues. tation to move items from place to place.”
developing their e-commerce business, It also allows each group to collaborate and Mobile robots, he said, offer flexibility.
Cole said, are realizing it is a 24/7 busi- deal with crosscutting issues. More people “You never know what next year will bring
ness. “In e-commerce, business stops if are supporting the leadership team from and having something fixed can cost you a
each side,” Evans said. few years down the road.”
Each entity also MiR robots have a basic core design
brings its own pri- that can be redesigned and retrofitted for
orities, which allows many manufacturing and medical applica-
the group to learn tions to give the user a greater amount of
and grow in an freedom in how they use the product.
open, collaborative TM Robotics’ president Nigel Smith
environment. admitted that collaborative robots have
While the U.S. been a strong trend in the industry the
is more focused on last five years. “The question is, though:
advanced appli- Do customers need it? It depends on their
cations, Europe is application and what they want to do.
more focused in TM Robotics’ focus remains on industri-
code quality, and the al robots by developing Cartesian, Selec-
issues feed into one tive Compliance Assembly Robot Arm
another, which cre- (SCARA) and axis robots for many appli-
ates a stronger over- cations across multiple industries.
TM Robotics moved golf tees and balls, and the robot all robot software Chris Vavra, production editor, Control
putted a ball into a hole. Courtesy: Chris Vavra, CFE Media that can do more. Engineering, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

20 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

Being knowledgeable of the proper safety
measures, codes, and regulations in both new
and existing facilities is an absolute necessity.
It just might even save your life one day.

Safety First: Arc Flash 101 is a new online and on-demand course CFE Edu is offering
for you to stay up to date on the latest electrical safety information. CFE Edu is an interactive
online platform taught by industry experts that offers exclusive, multi-media content on
engineering topics that are critical to your work.

Safety First: Arc Flash 101 will:

✓ Explain the importance of electrical safety
✓ Define codes and standards as they relate to electrical safety
✓ Explore arc flash and safety measures
✓ Summarize codes and standards for electrical safety (i.e. NFPA 70E)

Led by industry experts Lanny Floyd and Hugh Hoagland, this on-demand online course offers
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unit and one (1) HSW credit.

What’s included in all CFE Edu courses:

✓ Exclusive content--not found anywhere else--that includes research and expert knowledge
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* Contact CFE Edu Manager, Emily Guenther, at eguenther@cfemedia.com for more information
or with any questions about CFE Edu.
INDUSTRY NEWS and events
Digital edition? Click on headlines for more details.
See news daily at www.controleng.com/news

Services for obsolete electronics

Industrial processes have relied on but often with no reference material. This control inoperative, the power supply card
electronic controls for decades and as can prove to be quite a challenge. was missing and the components—such
the technology has advanced, these con- Since programmable logic controllers as the semiconductors—dated back to the
trols have also become more complex (PLCs) took on the mainstream role of 1990s.
and usually more compact. As compe- process control in the 1980s, their com- The scale of the challenge was
tition in this sector has increased, some plexity, size, and general design have increased by the fact that the OEM was
of the original equipment manufacturers changed immeasurably. However, some of no longer in business, leaving no spares
(OEMs) have gone out of business, leav- this pioneering equipment is still in ser- and no replacement products, while the

‘
ing end users with some considerable vice and the end users client needed the con-
challenges in the event of a failure. need to have spare A new controller trol panel back in
parts available in order service as soon as pos-
Keeping systems operational to minimize any down- created from modern sible. In many applica-
For many businesses, the easiest option time. One failed card tions a new controller
is to replace the control equipment with a could potentially pre- components offers could be created from
more modern equivalent that also offers vent a million pound modern components,
new features, improved efficiency, and machine from operat- more functionality offering more func-

’
takes up considerably less space. Although ing, so creating more tionality and reliability,
this may not always be the most cost effi- spare parts is a proac- and reliability. all from a more com-
cient solution, the long-term benefits and tive method of mainte- pact enclosure.
the improved availability of spares will nance management. As specifying new equipment for the
reduce the total cost of ownership. oil and gas industry can be a very drawn
However, some industrial sectors, such Re-manufacturing a solution out process, this meant the best solution
as nuclear, military, and oil and gas have This can be illustrated by a recent would be to re-manufacture the elec-
very strict protocols regarding the replace- example from the oil and gas industry tronic circuits, down to component level
ment of components, meaning that retain- where the control system for a recipro- and to the original specification.
ing proven systems and keeping them cating compressor had failed and needed The repair process can be used to gen-
operational is essential. In such situations to be repaired at the earliest opportunity. erate design drawings if they are unavail-
it is necessary to replicate existing compo- The initial inspection showed that a multi- able, source obsolete semi-conductors and
nents—ideally from existing drawings— ple card failure had rendered the sequence create test procedures for final testing.
The complete reverse engineering proce-
dure can replicate printed circuit boards
(PCBs) and if necessary, hand drawing the
Cloud-based SaaS contact platform complete circuit diagram for both design
CFE Media’s ContactStream is a software as a service (SaaS) cloud-based delivery plat- and future use.
form that provides engineering contacts who buy or specify products at all stages of the
Similar situations arise in the nuclear
industry as well as with military appli-
sales cycle. Through prequalification, ContactStream provides current and relevant contact
cations where there is a requirement to
data such as name, company, title, phone, and email address to the marketer. The prequalifi-
prove functionality at the beginning,
cation process also provides information designed to position the contact in a specific stage
document the whole process, and wit-
of the buying journey while identifying vendor preferences and preferred product character- ness functionality at the end, before
istic ratings. the new components are signed off and
“This is exactly the type of purchasing intent information that our customers have been accepted.
looking to acquire,” said CFE Media CEO Steve Rourke. “Marketers can now use a simple In this way, applications that require
online interface to identify and download contacts that can be used by their marketing auto- obsolete electronics to be repaired or
mation systems to generate marketing qualified leads and sales qualified leads.” replaced can be effectively maintained
With more than 13,500 contacts within the vertical industries and markets serviced by using a preventative servicing regime. In
CFE Media, ContactStream’s interface allows the marketer to refine and segment a pur- addition, for those industries that allow
chase intent search based on product category, purchase time frame, buying stage, indus- it, more modern technology and soft-
try, and other relevant criteria. Contacts can be imported directly into a marketing automa- ware can be incorporated into existing
tion system or a client relationship management system. Contacts also can be exported into control packages, increasing productiv-
local Microsoft Excel or .csv files for specific feeds, searches, and applications. ity and flexibility.
ContactStream also is designed to work in tandem with CFE Media’s ContentStream, a Brian Park, regional sales manager for
cloud-based platform designed to provide relevant engineer-centric content. Scotland, Sulzer. Edited by Chris Vavra,
Edited from a CFE Media press release. production editor, Control Engineering,
CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

22 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

WEBCAST SERIES

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a transformational strategy that is

revolutionizing manufacturing operations across the world.
CFE Media publications take an in-depth look at IIoT-related issues, strategies, and opportunities
in the 2017 IIoT Webcast series.

The 2017 Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Webcast Series:

Webcast One: Get your head into the cloud

Available On-Demand
This Webcast focuses on how emergent IIoT technologies change the way process and automation engineers execute projects and
sustain productivity in today’s, and tomorrow’s, cyber-physical world.

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Webcast Two: Take sensing and control to the edge

Thursday, June 8, 2017
This Webcast will focus on how better sensing leads to big data, and how in future, process control will be found—at the process.

Sponsored by:

Webcast Three: IIoT transforms predictive maintenance

Thursday, August 24, 2017
Connecting complex machinery and equipment to operations and enterprise systems enables machine learning, predictive maintenance
and secure monitor and alarm. IIoT addresses significant integration challenges posed by the unique data types generated by the many
kinds of machinery and equipment found in plant environments, from CNC machines to robotics.
Sponsored by: Bosch Rexroth, Deublin, GTI, Rittal

Webcast Four: How IIoT helps cybersecurity efforts

Thursday, October 19, 2017
Cybersecurity is a threat to enterprises large and small, at risk of being attacked from unexpected sources both inside and outside the
enterprise. IIoT can reduce the cybersecurity risks inherent in legacy automation, instrumentation, equipment, and devices.

Register for the IIoT series today at www.controleng.com/lloT

 COVER STORY robotic safety

Robots, humans
collaborate on safety
A new age of collaborative robots put people closer to technology, with risks, opportunities.

I
n 2008, collaborative robots were a mere Factoring in people
curiosity. In 2012, they were largely viewed “Traditionally, the design of automated sys-
as a fad. But just a year later, the indus- tems has not factored in people. But with robots
try began to take note. Now, collaborative becoming mobile and developing a greater capac-
robots are here to stay. Many would say ity to interact with humans, that design paradigm
they’re the future. is not the way of the future,” said Roland Menassa,
“Collaborative applications is that next new leader of GE’s Global Research Automation Center
frontier and it’s really going to drive business in Van Buren Township, Mich. “Now I can place a
and applications, and probably applications robot with fairly decent capability on the factory
we don’t even know yet,” said Roberta Nelson floor next to people and they can operate side by
Shea, global technical compliance officer for side,” he said.
Universal Robots, headquartered in Odense, The Global Research Automation Center
Denmark. focuses on four main areas: robotics, controls,
An ABI Research study predicts the collab- material handling, and work system integration,
orative robotics market will surge to $1 billion which tracks the flow of data on the factory
by 2020, populating manufacturing with more floor. GE has embraced the Industrial Internet
than 40,000 collaborative robots. As that pop- of Things (IIoT) and automation as a key ingre-
ulation grows, so does concern over robotics dient. It’s taking the lead on factory optimiza-
safety. tion, or what it calls Brilliant Manufacturing, to
One of the most anticipated technical optimize the flow of materials, people and pro-
specifications in the collaborative robotics cesses within the organization and across its
realm was released in February 2016. ISO/ global supply chain.
TS 15066:2016 Robots and Robotic Devices “When I came to GE, collaborative robots
— Collaborative Robots provides data-driven were starting to move on the market, so I vis-
MORE guidelines for designers, integrators and users ited different factories within GE to do an
ADVICE of human-robot collaborative systems on how assessment,” said Menassa. “We are either a
Key Concepts to evaluate and mitigate risks. low-volume manufacturer of very large indus-
Collaborative robots have gone Nelson Shea is convener for the ISO Techni- trial goods such as gas turbines that weigh
from being a novelty to a growing cal Committee 299 Working Group 3 (ISO/TC thousands of pounds, or human-scale, mid- to
force in manufacturing. 299 WG3) that was responsible for developing high-volume products like lighting fixtures and
Manufacturing companies and the new technical specification. circuit breakers, where you have hundreds of
standards groups are working on Nelson Shea has been involved with the SKUs on the line.
improving safety for collaborative
robots for human workers. robot safety standards since the first com- “We’re still going to weld and have robots
Risk assessments are a key aspect mittee meeting in 1982, and as convener for handling heavy equipment and performing
to ensure that human/robot interac- ISO/TC 299 she continues to hold an impar- very difficult processes,” Menassa added, “but
tion is safe on the plant floor. tial position in the standards community. She when you look at where robotics has gone in
GO ONLINE was chair of the ANSI/RIA 15.06 robot safety the last 55 years, we still see a lot of people on
Read this story online at standards committee for 23 years, and is now the assembly line. And that’s primarily because
www.controleng.com for more infor- chair emeritus. She says the initial idea of col- of the challenges in compliant material. When
mation about collaborative robots and laborative robotics was met by strong skepti- we make our circuit breakers or lighting fix-
links to additional stories from the
Robotic Industries Association (RIA) cism. “The premise about safety was to keep tures, there are wires and flexible materials that
people away from robots. But then the conver- are very hard to handle. The challenge becomes,
CONSIDER THIS
What else must be done to make
sation changed to say if the robot with its tool how do you interject automation in a manual
sure collaborative robots can work and part touches you and there’s no injury, why process to handle compliant parts?”
safely with humans? not allow contact?” Power and force limited robots are specifi-

24 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

cally designed to have safe contact with humans
by way of inherently safe features of the robot
or the control system. These types of robots are
typically made from lightweight materials, have
force and torque sensing in their joints, and may
have soft padded skins.

Four methods of collaborative operation

Under the ANSI/RIA 15.06 and ISO 10218
harmonized robot safety standards and the new
TS 15066, there are four methods, or types, of
collaborative operation:

 Safety-rated monitored stop

 Hand guiding
 Speed and separation monitoring
 Power and force limiting.

These tend to be the most misunderstood

aspects of human-robot collaboration. To avoid
confusion, Nelson Shea suggests manufacturers

‘
The annex contains
guidance on how to
establish pain threshold
limits for various parts

’
of the body.
think of each of the four methods of collabora- close, the robot stops, effectively becoming just COVER: While moving a
tive operation as scenarios rather than distinct like the first scenario (safety-rated monitored collaborative robot’s arm to
modes. stop). In power and force limiting, there can be “teach” it a task is an impor-
In every instance, there is a shared space contact between the person and the robot, but tant part of collaboration, it’s
between a robot and a human operator. In a the robot is power and force limited and suffi- not the same as hand guiding
safety-rated monitored stop, the premise is that ciently padded or otherwise, such that if there’s a robot, one of the four meth-
in a shared space with a human a robot does not any impact, there’s no pain and no injury.” ods of collaborative opera-
move at all. With hand guiding, a common mis- She said it’s also possible to have any mix of tion: Courtesy: RIA/Yaskawa
conception is that this method is used for teach- the four methods of collaborative operation rep-
ing. Nelson Shea says that’s not the case. resented in one robot system, even all four of
“When you’re moving the robot’s arm around them. The new TS 15066 standard includes for-
to teach it certain tasks, this is not hand guid- mulas for calculating the protective separation
ing in the collaborative sense. It’s not running distance for speed and separation monitoring.
in automatic when you’re doing that,” she said. But perhaps the most interesting part of
When used to describe collaborative opera- the technical spec is the annex, which contains
tion, hand guiding indicates a condition where guidance on how to establish pain threshold
a robot and a person occupy a shared space and limits for various parts of the body, particu-
the robot is only moving when it is under direct larly for power and force limiting applications.
control of the person. The data can then be extrapolated to determine
“In speed and separation monitoring, both speed limits for the collaborative application.
the robot and the person can be moving in that “Although there is information about the
space,” said Nelson Shea, “but if the distance four modes of collaborative operation, the
between the robot and the person becomes too more interesting stuff is for power and force

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 25

COVER STORY worker safety

Industry leaders say

the addition to collabora-
tive robots on the plant
floor are designed to
achieve more productivity
and flexibility while creat-
ing a safer workplace for
humans. Courtesy: RIA/
Robotiq

limited robots,” said Jean-Philippe Jobin, CTO Start with a risk assessment
at Robotiq, a manufacturer of adaptive grippers Both Nelson Shea and Jobin stress that the
for collaborative robots in Lévis, Quebec, Cana- bottom line for any collaborative robot integra-
da. “More types of these robots are on the mar- tion is a risk assessment.
ket now, but there was no clear guidance except “The risk assessment is the most important
ISO 10218 to help people safely install those aspect,” said Jobin. “If your application requires a
robots in their factories.” little bit higher force or power than what is stated
in the document, it does not mean it is not safe.
The data we have from this technical specification
is relative to pain, while what is required from
ISO 10218 is that no injury should occur.
“There’s a difference between pain and injury,”
he added. “A user could do tests to show that even
if they are a bit above what it states in ISO/TS
15066, it’s still safe because they can prove that the
robot cannot hurt or injure the people in those
specific circumstances.”
Jobin said it’s very important to note that the
application is the main concern, not the robot,
when assessing risk.
“If you look at the document, it rarely states
‘robot,’” he said. “It states collaborative work cell
or collaborative application. It involves the cables,
jigs, clamps, the robot and the gripper, every-
thing which is inside that cell.”
He said it’s a common misconception that if
the robot is “inherently safe” then the operation
is safe. For instance, if your robot is manipulat-
ing sharp objects, then it is not safe to have a
human beside it without protective safety mea-
The bottom line for any collaborative robotic installation is to conduct a risk sures. Another case is if the robot is handling
assessment. Courtesy: RIA/GE a heavy object, which could cause injury if it’s

26 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 Collaborative robots
safely work side by side
with humans on a pro-
duction line assembling
street light fixtures.
Courtesy: RIA/GE Global
Research

dropped or become a projectile at a particular

rate of speed.
Safety was a major factor in the robot adoption
process at GE Lighting and for instilling work-
‘ Understand what the robot is doing,
the shape of the end effector, if anything is
er confidence in the new collaborative robotics sharp, and if anything that could eventually

’
paradigm.
“At GE, safety is our overriding priority,” hurt someone.
Menassa said. “With any application it’s not about
if the robot is safe, it’s about ‘is the task safe?’ So
we do the task assessment risk-based analysis. We NUMBERS: 2017 Control Engineering salary
observe all the rules and all the RIA standards. We
brought people in from RIA to train us. We make survey respondents said 54% had a mature
sure we understand what the robot is doing, the
shape of the end effector, is there anything sharp,
safety program; 24% developing; 15%
and is there anything that could eventually hurt underway; and 4% had none.
someone?
“If we feel there is a need for protection beyond
just the force or torque limiting capability of the More research: www.controleng.com/CE-research.
robot, then we’ll place the appropriate safety
device, such as a light screen or laser scanner, so
we can mitigate the risk,” he added. Tanya M. Anandan is contributing editor for the
The ANSI-registered technical report, RIA TR Robotic Industries Association (RIA) and Robot-
R15.306-2016 Task-based Risk Assessment Meth- ics Online. RIA is a not-for-profit trade associa-
odology, describes one method of risk assess- tion dedicated to improving the regional, national
ment that complies with requirements of the 2012 and global competitiveness of the North American
R15.06 standard and was updated in 2016. manufacturing and service sectors through robot-
“RIA publishes the method by which we do a ics and related automation. This article originally
task assessment. We go through the steps of the appeared on the RIA website. The RIA is a part of
process, and we use their methodology to assess the Association for Advancing Automation (A3),
if there’s any risk and how severe it is,” Menassa a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris
said. “We try to do any of the engineering designs Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering,
around it to mitigate that risk.” ce CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 27

 COVER STORY robotic safety

Robotic safety:
What you don’t know
With robotic safety, what you don’t know CAN hurt you. Get what you need to know
about robotic safety, terms, and standards affecting robotic implementations.

W
ith robotic safety, the adage, Importantly, U.S. and international safety
“What you don’t know won’t experts worked on ISO 10218-1 and -2 of 2011,
hurt you” doesn’t apply, which two parts legally required in Europe. Part 1 is
is why the Robotic Industries harmonized; by law, original equipment manu-
Association (RIA) continues to facturers must produce a safe machine. The U.S.
teach about applicable robotic safety standards and adopted Part 1 and Part 2 of the ISO standard;
risk mitigation strategies. At the A3 Business Forum R15.06 2012 fully incorporates both parts of the
in January, Jeff Fryman, RIA director emeritus of international standard, with introduction and
standards development, offered a day-long “Robot bibliography; “national deviations” are limited to
Safety Standard (R15.06 2012) & Robot Risk Assess- spelling and formatting only. The standards speak
ment Training Seminar.” to the supply chain and do not tell users how to
Complying with existing standards and guide- run robots or even how to turn them on. Cana-
lines, training, documentation, and using experts, da did add value by offering user-directed infor-
like Certified Robotic Integrators—which RIA mation in annexes to its standard rather than in
offers—are among Fryman’s suggestions for reduc- separate technical reports like in the U.S. version.
ing risk and staying safe. Machine builders know that if they’re produc-
In 2016, Fryman gave similar training 33 times. ing a machine for use in the EU, documentation
Education is particularly relevant, even as the update must use ISO and IEC references, rather than U.S.
cycle for R15.06 has begun, with possible comple- or Canadian references.
tion in 2018 or 2019, Fryman said. The committee
can target a one, two, or three-year update timeline. Must do a risk assessment
A recently available technical report (TR) offers Those familiar with the R15.06 robot safety stan-
the U.S. national standard version of the TR606 dard from 1999 will recognize that a major change
MORE technical specification for collaborative robots. in the 2012 standard includes the need for a risk
ADVICE Note about standards: TRs are voluntary, mean- assessment for robot safety. Previously an option, a
KEY CONCEPTS
ing a TR shall not use “shall” in its language, staying risk assessment is now required. It’s mentioned in
Robot Safety Standard (R15.06 only with advice, using the word “should,” instead, clause 4 in parts 1 and 2. Any task-based methodol-
2012) is a unified international Fryman said. That specification is expected to be ogy will do, but the TR R15.306 from the 1999 stan-
standard. updated in a future international standard for col- dard will work. In the standard, Table 2 provides a
It requires a risk assessment, unlike laborative robotics. risk level decision matrix.
the 1999 version in which it was Control reliability is a term used in North Amer-
optional.
Unified robotic safety standards ica and refers to the steps needed to make some-
GO ONLINE Fryman has been involved as chair to the inter- thing unreliable into something reliable. In Europe,
With this article online, see more
about a robotic risk assessment, more
national robotic safety and secretary to the U.S. categories have been used instead. Control reliable
definitions, more help for robot safety, national committee and is among those who advo- is understood as greater than Category 3 and less
and working group information, with cated and helped unify national and international than Category 4. Functional Safety language in the
links to related resources. robotic safety standards, which simplifies compli- international standard overlays “Performance Level
Also see the Control Engineering ance. He is among the RIA trainers for robotic d” (PLd) with “Structure Category 3.”
robotics page under the discrete safety, drawing on the 2012 R15.06 standard, three Why were the changes made? Control reliable
manufacturing pull-down menu at
www.controleng.com. technical reports written since the 2012 standard, is only a concept and cannot be quantified. ISO
and his experiences. Information Fryman offered 13849-1 provides performance metrics. Math for-
CONSIDER THIS
If time or money is preventing
in the January class includes the information below. mula proves level requirement with a look up chart.
creation of a low-risk safety culture, The Canadian standard is interchangeable with A controls engineer can prove requirements are
have you calculated the all the costs the U.S. standard, with some cleanup edits offered met. Related terms are functional safety, Perfor-
related to a major injury accident? two years after the U.S. standard’s release. mance Level (PL) and category.

28 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

Robotic safety responsibilities
Stakeholders are identified in the R15.06 stan-
dards. Part 1 talks to robot manufacturers. Part 2
talks to the rest of supply chain, integrators, con-
sultants, installers and suppliers. But, the user is
ultimately responsible for the safety of industrial
robot installations.
User stakeholder responsibilities are informa-
tion for use (ensure safeguards are in place and are
used, and training and safe work practices are in
place); compliance with all codes and regulations
(such as OSHA lockout/tagout); and risk assess- Jeff Fryman, Robotic Industries Association director emeritus of standards devel-
ment: Participation in risk assessment and main- opment, gave a day-long “Robot Safety Standard (R15.06 2012) & Robot Risk Assess-
tenance of related risk-assessment documentation. ment Training Seminar” at the A3 Business Forum in January. Images courtesy: Mark
Do these things early in the process. By wait- T. Hoske, Control Engineering, CFE Media
ing until delivery of the robot or machine, it’s often
only possible to enclose the robot or system with voluntary; Normative
safeguards. Often it’s easier to design hazards out. means shall; Informative
Note that if a user makes modifications, the user means should; Notes are
qualifies as a system integrator and is responsi- generally explanatory; tate-
ble for Part 2 of the standard. See the related table ments and permission dif-
about the hierarchy of safeguarding controls. fer; Can means there’s a
possibility; and May is
Robot safety retrofits permissive.
While R15.06 began in 1986, those involved According to the stan-
often ask if older robots or systems require compli- dard, what qualifies as an
ance. A robot and system should be compliant with industrial robot requires
the standard in effect on the date of manufacture. answering five bullet points
New robots should comply with the latest affirmatively.
R15.06 or ISO 10218-1:2011 standard. If any answer is no,
Rebuilt robots, if equal to their original configu- it might be useful to use
ration, should comply with the standard in effect on R15.06 anyway, which helps
the date of manufacture. for any highly automated machine, although other Provided with the Robotic
A remanufactured robot with a new configura- standards may apply. Industries Association Robot
tion should comply with the new standard, includ- An industrial robot: Safety Standard (R15.06 2012) &
ing if the robot gets a new controller. (A software Robot Risk Assessment Training
upgrade doesn’t count.) ◾ Is automatically controlled Seminar is a table showing the
A moved robot system or cell must comply ◾ Has a reprogrammable multipurpose hierarchy of safeguarding con-
at least with the 1999 standard. TR R15.506 pro- manipulator trols, showing the most to least
vides guidance and includes a flow chart of circum- ◾ Is programmable in three or more axes... effective safeguards: elimination
stances. It is possible to have a fully compliant 1999 ◾ ...which can be either fixed in place or substitution, engineering con-
standard robot without a risk assessment, but for or mobile trols, awareness means, training
compliance to the 2012 standard, a minimum risk ◾ Is for use in industrial automation and procedures, and personal
assessment must be performed as outlined. applications. protective equipment, with
OSHA General Duty Clause requires employers examples of each.
to provide a safe workplace. OSHA looks if industry Review of R15.06 is likely to start later this year,
standards exist, such as R15.06, and others. with possible revision in 2019.
Language is important. R15.06 is written in ISO
English, which might not be the words many peo- The RIA Robot Safety Conference is Oct. 10-12
ple normally would use. English is not precise, but in Pittsburgh. ce
ISO English is, which is important, because France
and Germany use one word for safety and security.
Mark T. Hoske is content manager, CFE Media,
Robot standards Control Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia.com. The
To help in understanding standards, know that: RIA is a part of the Association for Advancing Auto-
American National Standard Institute (ANSI) is mation (A3), a CFE Media content partner.

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 29

4
PROCESS migration

Four things to remember

about DCS migration
Whether it’s a refinery, chemical plant, or other process-related facility, the primary control system
must operate efficiently, safely, and economically. If it doesn’t, perhaps it’s time for an upgrade.

P
lant and operations managers don’t safely, or cost-effectively. Jeff Morton, a sales
wake up one day and realize their dis- manager at Cross Company Integrated Systems
tributed control systems (DCSs) and Group, wrote in an article that appeared in the
programmable logic controllers (PLCs) January 2017 issue of Control Engineering titled
may be approaching obsolescence and “Six action items for an aging DCS/PLC”: “Bud-
a plan of action should be formulated. Unfortu- gets are always a constraint and capital expendi-
nately, the realization that a process plant’s con- tures may be tight, especially for full distributed
trol platform is becoming ineffective typically control system (DCS) or programmable logic
comes too late, speaking from practical and eco- controller (PLC) replacements, which are often
nomical perspectives. multi-million dollar investments.
When that realization comes, it’s time to do That investment, though, is nothing com-
some type of control system upgrade. Whether pared to the cost if the production facility went
piece by piece replacement over time or a full down and could not recover for a week or more.
rip-and-replace migration is in order, there are What’s even more concerning than that is
four things to remember about DCS migration: there are many facilities that are unprepared for
system failure or obsolescence, which can have
◾ Decide that DCS migration necessary catastrophic consequences. Operations, facili-
◾ Decide the appropriate justification ty, or engineering managers need to begin pre-
◾ Plan the migration path paring for migration of your control system
◾ Implement the migration plan. from a legacy system to current and supported
architectures.”
MORE The necessity of migration
ADVICE John Rudolph, vice president of Lifecycle DCS migration justification
KEY CONCEPTS Solutions and Services at Honeywell Process According to Rudolph, when it comes to
Even though a legacy control sys- Solutions, wrote in an article that appeared in keeping automation technology up to date,
tem may still work well after 30 years the July 2016 issue of Control Engineering titled proactive is the new normal. Companies that
or even longer doesn’t mean that it is
operating efficiently, reliably, safely,
“Surviving a control system migration project”: migrate to a newer, more effective control sys-
or cost-effectively. “In its 2015 report, ‘Distributed Control Systems tem gain a key advantage over competitors that
Companies that migrate to a newer, Worldwide Outlook,’ the ARC Advisory Group wait for assets to reach end of life. The “doing
more effective control system gain a estimated that $65 billion worth of installed pro- nothing” option is no longer viable.
key advantage over competitors that cess automation systems in the world today are In a Control Engineering article titled “Dis-
wait for assets to reach end of life. nearing the end of their useful lifecycles, which, tributed control system upgrades for process
Although the initial decision to in many cases, can exceed 25 years. Many of control systems,” Aneel Shahzad Baig, senior
upgrade and justifying the migration
project are necessary, the actual these systems—as much as $12 billion worth— project manager at Intech Process Automation,
project planning is probably the most are some of the original distributed control wrote that reasons to upgrade a DCS include:
point to consider so far. systems (DCSs) installed in the late 1970s. Iron-
ONLINE EXTRA ically, many manufacturers treat their business ◾ End of life
Read this story online and find more systems and email servers very differently than ◾ End of support
information about distributed control their process control systems. Companies make ◾ Lack of knowledge or skilled resources to
system (DCS) migration at a concerted effort to keep IT infrastructure cur- support legacy systems
www.controleng.com.
rent. The same level of emphasis is not yet com- ◾ Performance issues
CONSIDER THIS mon practice for plant automation.” ◾ Lack of openness for expansion or integra-
How old is the distributed control
system (DCS) running your critical pro-
Even though a legacy control system may still tion with newer systems
cess? If it is approaching 30 years old, work well after 30 years or even longer doesn’t ◾ Lack of features required for enhancing the
do you have a migration plan in place? mean that it is operating efficiently, reliably, control philosophies

30 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 ◾ Maintenance costs. upgrading to new I/O, and re-engineering Oil refineries and other
the current control software process plants rely on control
Emerson’s Laurie Ben, director of glob- ◾ Removing the control system—including systems that must operate at
al modernization business development, and I/O—and completely re-engineering all of peak performance. Courtesy:
Aaron Crews, director of global modernization the control software. Emerson
solutions, offer additional reasons for a control
system modernization project. Their article, Ben and Crews suggest three behaviors for
“Using automation modernization for business achieving success in a DCS modernization:
success,” appeared in the April 2017 issue of
AppliedAutomation. 1. Begin with the end in mind

‘
2. Actively manage project risk
◾ Expense—the automation system is 3. Use a forward-engineering philosophy.
expensive to keep healthy. There are many
◾ Decreasing value—the automation sys- When planning any kind of DCS migration,
tem has few tools and technologies to help one must not leave out the training aspect. things to consider
meet current business needs and market “A DCS migration, particularly one in which
pressures. a new platform is introduced, requires much when faced with
thought and can unleash a variety of problems
Plan the migration path if not executed well. Training is a significant an aging DCS,
Although the initial decision to upgrade and issue and should be approached carefully,” wrote
justifying the migration project are necessary, Peter Welander, contributing content specialist but they can be
the actual project planning is probably the most for Control Engineering, in an article titled “DCS
point to consider so far. There are so many deci- migrations: Opportunity for improvement, or summed up into
sions to which the classic engineering answer is operational disaster” in the July 2016 issue of the
applicable: “It depends.” magazine. these four things
Rudolph suggests the following upgrade pos-
sibilities for a legacy DCS: Implement the migration plan to remember:
There are many things to consider when faced
◾ Technology refresh involving replacement with an aging DCS, but they can be summed up necessity,
of legacy electronics into these four things to remember: necessity, jus-
◾ Technology upgrades involving replace- tification, plan, and implementation. By the same justification,
ment of existing equipment token, there are many challenges to consider as well.
◾ Intellectual property upgrades transitioning “If properly planned and implemented, con- plan, and

’
to more advanced technology. trol system migrations enable industrial organiza-
tions to migrate legacy control platforms at their implementation.
Typical migration alternatives, according to own pace, allowing new controllers to be added
Rudolph, can include: at any time and integrated with existing equip-
ment,” Rudolph said. “A well-executed strategy to
◾ Moving control to the current hardware to address technology obsolescence delivers signifi-
preserve the installed inputs/outputs (I/O) cant operational and business benefits through
and all of the existing engineering seamless integration of new and existing automa-
◾ Moving control to the current hardware to tion assets.” ce
preserve the installed I/O and re-engineer-
ing the current control software Jack Smith is a content manager, CFE Media,
◾ Moving control to the current hardware, Control Engineering, jsmith@cfemedia.com.

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 31

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IT, OT manufacturing

IT, OT teams need to

keep manufacturing
systems running
Security professionals on the information technology (IT) and the operations technology (OT)
sides of the house have to truly understand the main goal, which is keeping the manufacturer’s
systems up and running at all times.

S
ecurity professionals on the informa- OT side. You have to get the two groups togeth-
tion technology (IT) and the opera- er so they understand the packet that is going
tions technology (OT) sides of the through does not brick the system. Now, they
house have to not only be able to work both understand they have a common enemy—
together, they have to truly understand the and (that enemy) does not care what they do.”
main goal. That goal is keeping the manufac- Attackers really don’t play by the rules, they
turer’s systems—from the IT enterprise to the don’t follow standards, but they know what they

‘
OT processes—up and are. Instead, their goal is very
running at all times. single minded, they want to
“You have to understand As cybersecurity get into a system and they
the business outcome,” said want to get in via the easiest
Caglayan Arkan, general attacks ratchet up, method as possible.
manager of Microsoft’s “We monitor threat land-
worldwide manufactur- manufacturers need to scape daily,” Rotoloni said. RESEARCH

ing and resources sec- “Bad guys try to use the 30% of end users are seriously
tor enterprise and partner elevate their ability to most basic attack, whatever
concerned about the cybersecurity
of wireless communications devices
group during a panel dis- is the easiest. As the devic- and protocols within their facilities.
cussion at the Automation
monitor and adjust to es get more hardened, they Source: Control Engineering 2016

’
Perspectives conference just get more sophisticated. Cybersecurity Study
at Rockwell Automation’s
what they are facing. Advanced persistent threats www.controleng.com/CE-Research
Automation Fair in Atlanta. are more advanced and
The panel, hosted by Sujeet Chand, senior vice attackers are more sophisticated.”
MORE
president and chief technology officer at Rock- While some end users understand the secu-
well Automation, featured major IT companies rity threat and are doing something about it, ADVICE
Microsoft and Cisco and a leading university there are others, however, that are aware, but KEY CONCEPTS
focused on security, Georgia Tech. not moving forward with a security program. Information technology (IT) and
“It is about humans working together,” said Either way, attackers will continue to probe and operations technology (OT) need to
work together to prevent possible
Jeff Reed, senior vice president and general when the time is right jump in and take what cyber attacks.
manager, Enterprise Infrastructure and Solu- they want. That is why as attacks ratchet up, Management needs to work to
tions, Cisco. “It is really about getting the teams manufacturers need to elevate their ability to bridge the divide between IT and OT,
together and ensuring security. IT and OT need monitor and adjust to what they are facing. which have very different focuses
to work together, and manufacturing needs to “There are more sophisticated ways to moni- when it comes to work.
help bridge that divide.” tor security,” Reed said. “Networks (can end up Manufacturers need to elevate their
ability to respond to potential attacks
In talking about IT and OT working used to) identify behavior and use the network as they become more sophisticated.
together, Francis (Bo) Rotoloni, deputy director as a sensor.” ce
of research and principle research engineer GO ONLINE
Read this story online at
for the Information and Cyber Sciences Gregory Hale is the editor and founder of Indus- www.controleng.com and see other
Directorate, Georgia Tech Research Institute, trial Safety and Security Source (ISSSource.com), stories from EASA.
likened it to dogs and cats getting along. a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris CONSIDER THIS
“You get to start them young and they get Vavra, production editor, CFE Media, Control What else can manufacturers do to
along well. Enterprise IT didn’t understand the Engineering, cvavra@cfemedia.com. ward off potential cyber threats?

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 33

 IT/OT convergence

How to navigate
the future of IIoT systems
It’s critical to understand which IIoT connectivity technologies to use for each
application in the IIoT space.

T
he Industrial Internet Consortium understood, so it’s not analyzed here. MQTT is
(IIC) recently published the Industri- also examined because of its wide awareness, even
al Internet Connectivity Framework though it doesn’t qualify as an IICF “core connectiv-
(IICF) after two years of analyzing ity standard” because it doesn’t have a standard typ-
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) ing system required for interoperability.
technologies. The IICF includes the insights and
strong opinions from many experts, including DDS
those from the top industry consortia, many com- DDS is the standard that defines a databus. A
panies, and most important standards. databus is data-centric information flow control.
The most surprising conclusion: the IIoT is big. It’s a similar concept to a database, which is data-
It’s so big that the technologies don’t really overlap. centric information storage. The key difference: a
Designers may think to choose any standard, database saves old information that can be searched
including the data distribution services (DDS from by relating properties of the stored data. A databus
the Object Management Group), OPC Unified manages future information by filtering by proper-
Architecture (OPC UA), MQ Telemetry Trans- ties of the incoming data. Both understand the data
port (MQTT), or oneM2M and succeed. But this contents and let applications act directly on and
implies the IIoT connectivity solution space over- through the data rather than with each other. Appli-
laps, as shown in Figure 1. cations using a database or a databus do not have a
The reality is very different. The IIoT covers direct relationship with peer applications.
many industries and with very different use cases. With knowledge of the structure, contents and
In fact, the IIoT space is so big that the technol- demands on data, the databus can manage the data-
ogy options rarely, if ever, overlap. Today’s archi- flow. The databus can control Quality of Service
tecture challenge in the IIoT space is therefore (QoS) like update rate, reliability and guaranteed
not one of choosing among overlapping technol- notification of data liveliness. It also can discover
ogies that may each be able to reasonably solve a and control and secure data flows, offering them to
MORE
problem. The challenge is understanding the tech- applications and generic tools alike. This accessible
ADVICE nologies, comparing the intended use to the appli- data greatly eases system integration and scale.
KEY CONCEPTS cation, and choosing the one that best addresses
Understanding the IIoT space and the particular challenge the applications faces. If OPC UA
IIoT systems. you look at a more realistic map of the situation, OPC UA technology targets device interoper-
Determining which technology to it looks more like the sparse Venn diagram shown ability. Before OPC UA (or its predecessor OPC),
use for each application/project. in Figure 2 than the overlapping one in Figure 1. applications simply accessed devices directly
How to choose the right technology The real problem isn’t choosing between sim- through proprietary application program interfaces
for the IIoT space.
ilar options, it’s understanding the very different (APIs) provided by device vendors. Unfortunately,
GO ONLINE options and overcoming biases. The IICF directly this meant that applications became dependent
For related links about IIoT
technologies, read this article online.
addresses this. on the particular device they controlled. Worse,
In the digital edition, click on the higher-level applications such as human-machine
headline or search the headline for How to choose technology for the IIoT interfaces (HMI) had no easy way to find, con-
www.controleng.com. Let’s take this process a bit further. It’s possible nect to, or control the various devices in factories.
Read more about IIC use case to ask a few questions for each technology option OPC UA divides system software into cli-
examples and choosing technology for and quickly narrow the choices. These questions ents and servers. The servers usually reside on a
the IIoT online.
may somewhat oversimplify the problem, but device or higher-level Programmable Logic Con-
CONSIDER THIS they are a great starting point. The IICF identifies troller (PLC). They provide a way to access the
Once the proper technology is
chosen, what is the next step in
four potential “core connectivity standards” DDS, device through a standard “device model.” There
implementing a true IIoT solution in OPC UA, oneM2M, and RESTful HTTP. The first are standard device models for dozens of types of
the industrial space? three are analyzed below. RESTful HTTP is well devices. Each manufacturer is responsible for pro-

34 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 Technology appropriateness: Overlapping choices

Choose B

Requirement 2, e.g. fan-out

Your application:
viding the server that maps the generic device Choose A Choose B or C
model to its particular device. The servers expose
an object-oriented, remotely-callable API that
implements the device model.
X
Clients can connect to a device and call func-
Choose B
tions from the generic device model. Thus, cli- A or B
ent software is independent of the actual device,
A C
and factory integrators are free to switch manu-
facturers or models as needed. So, OPC UA pro-
vides the connectivity needed to drive the system.
Note that the device model also provides a level Requirement 1, e.g. latency
of “semantic” interoperability, because the device
model defines the generic object APIs in known Figure 1: This diagram shows a common misconception: that many tech-
units and specified reference points. nologies meet requirements in the IIoT connectivity space. The choices, given
each application (X marks the spot), are B or C. If these technologies in fact
OneM2M overlapped, either B or C would work. All graphics courtesy: Real-Time Inno-
OneM2M results from cooperation among vations, Industrial Internet Consortium
many mobile wireless providers. It targets net-
works of mobile devices that communicate
mostly or only through the base-station Technology appropriateness: Get close and make it work
infrastructure.
Choose B
The core design of oneM2M is to define ser-
vices that mobile devices can use to cooperate and Your application:
Choose B; it’s the
Requirement 2, e.g. fan-out

integrate. If you are going to use those services, best you’ll get
plainly, you need to connect to them. They will be
Choose A
running in the platform layer (cloud) connected B X
mostly through the cellular data infrastructure.
Other technologies also use the IP traffic over the
cell network, but they usually also heavily leverage
LAN, local wireless, or WAN networking technol-
ogies in their designs.
A Nothing C
MQTT fits well
MQTT is a simple protocol designed mostly
for the “data collection” use case. It does not qual- Requirement 1, e.g. latency
ify as a “core connectivity standard” per the IICF
guidelines, because it has no standard type system. world for component device vendors. Wireless 5G Figure 2: This diagram is
Thus, it can communicate only opaque data types, systems will interoperate with freeway controllers closer to reality. The con-
not typed data structures. Without a type system, and autonomous vehicles. Wireless 5G may even nectivity technologies turn
it cannot offer a standard ability to interoperate at directly control factory devices, eliminating wiring out to not overlap. Most
the “syntactic” data-structure level. in manufacturing. applications can only logi-
Nonetheless, MQTT enjoys significant aware- However, designers should consider the vastness cally use one technology.
ness. Because of its simplicity, simple questions of the space. Today, there are few concrete needs to The challenge is often
about your system will help determine if it’s bridge the light years between connectivity systems. choosing something imper-
appropriate. That doesn’t mean the industry isn’t responding to fect and making it work.
the obvious need. Long term, these integrations will
Working together allow bigger systems to combine technologies. For
Much of the IICT is dedicated to an architecture now, designers must understand the vast differences
for integrating these technologies. This is critical for between technologies and choose the one that best
the emergence of the “Internet” part of the IIoT. The fits their problem space. ce
reference architecture requires standards-based core
gateways between core connectivity standards. Stan Schneider, PhD, CEO of Real-Time Innova-
Someday, there will be integrations, such as tions Inc., and member of the Industrial Internet
manufacturing systems integrated with transpor- Consortium Steering Committee. Edited by Emily
tation and power. Sophisticated autonomy soft- Guenther, associate content manager, Control Engi-
ware will reconfigure workcells, creating a bold new neering, CFE Media, eguenther@cfemedia.com.

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 35

2017
CAREER UPDATE

Control Engineering
Salary and career survey
Control Engineering salary and career survey research shows an average salary of $96,045 in 2017,
up slightly from the 2016 results; job satisfaction continues among respondents. Life-long learning
remains critically important. To get youth interested in engineering, more investments in science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and high-profile projects need to be made,
respondents said.

T
he average salary for respondents of Worker shortage, cyber-insecurity
the 2017 Control Engineering Salary The survey asked for opinions related to the
and Career Survey increased less than continuing concern about lack of skilled workers.
1.4% to $96,045, from $94,747 in 2016, Among responses 33% “strongly agree” that:
about 5% more than the average salary  More public, private, and/or academic part-
of respondents in 2015. Data analyses of engineer- nerships related to science, technology, engineer-
ing salaries and career-related topics here include ing, and math (STEM) need to be made to get more
tables showing compensation by eight criteria for youth interested in engineering-related studies.
benchmarking: age, education, years with current  More inspirational, high-profile STEM-relat-
employer, years with current industry, business, job ed investments need to be made to get more youth
function, number of people supervised, and loca- interested in engineering-related studies (such as
Image across the top cour-
tion in the U.S. space exploration and colonization, big science,
tesy: Bosch Rexroth Technical challenge and feeling of accomplish- advanced energy projects, Manufacturing USA
Above: NexDefense ment top the next two factors for job satisfaction— Innovation Institutes, etc.).
financial compensation and relationship with Similarly, 17% strongly agree that their compa-
colleagues—by more than 20 percentage points. ny needs to be more involved in STEM activities.
More than 80% were satisfied with their jobs, and Just 9% of respondents felt they personally
46% love going to work. Among the biggest threat should be more involved with STEM activities.
MORE
to manufacturing business remains the economy at
ADVICE 19% (down from 29% last year), with lack of avail- Also among respondents:
KEY CONCEPTS able skilled workers a statistical dead heat at 17%.  14% strongly agreed there wouldn’t be a
Most engineers like their jobs, and
technical challenge and feeling of
accomplishment rank higher than Expected change to 2017 Expected change to 2017
financial compensation. See engineer-
ing salaries by various benchmarks. base annual salary non-salary compensation
GO ONLINE Increase more than 6% Decrease Increase more than 6% Decrease
In the digital edition, click on the Increase 4% to 6% Stay the same Increase 4% to 6%
headline to get to more analysis
online, or click in at
www.controleng.com/CE-research. 9% 4%
4 2%
2 4% 6% 11%
Online see more including respon- 29% 17%
dents’ businesses, primary job func-
tions, size of employers, management
responsibilities, growth expectations, 56% 62%
process evaluation, maturity levels in
four areas, and Industrial Internet of
Things (IIoT) level of understanding
and implementation plans. Increase 1% to 3% Increase 1% to 3% Stay the same
CONSIDER THIS
Figure 1: Among respondents, 69% expect a salary Figure 2: Among respondents, 27% expect more
How do you document your value?
increase in 2017; 29% expect the same salary; and just nonsalary compensation in 2017, 62% expect about
See advice on p.43; job hunting
tips, p.45; and project management 2% expect less. All figures courtesy: Control Engineer- the same, and 11% expect less.
help, p.46. ing 2017 Salary and Career Survey research report.

36 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

shortage if companies would pay enough. Compensation statistics
 12% strongly agreed greater investments in
Compensation statistics
time and resources need to be made in standards to
Average of 203 respondents $96,045
enable interoperability and easier system integra-
tion to more easily get by with fewer workers. Minimum $25,000
 11% strongly agreed greater investments in Maximum $216,513
time and resources need to be made in advanced Non-salary compensation
technologies so we can more easily get by with Average (all respondents) $9,594
fewer workers (like in many agriculture industries).
Percentage of respondents that receive bonus 67%

And in the 3% to 5% strongly agree range: Average (respondents that receive bonus) $14,216
 We cannot get the talent we need at any price. Figure 3: Average salary is $96,045, and average nonsalary compensation is
 We cannot pay an adequate amount for talent $9,594 among all respondents, with $14,216 among the 67% of respondents
because that would make us uncompetitive. getting any extra.
 Immigration policy needs revising so we can
get the talent needed to remain competitive.
 H1-B worker visa policies need revising so we Criteria for non-salary compensation
can get the talent needed to remain competitive.
Despite consistent warnings and related cov- Company profitability 59%
erage on the topic, 14% of respondents said no Personal performance 43%
cybersecurity program was in place at their site,
Safety metrics 23%
no better than last year. (See a separate cybersecu-
rity research report from Control Engineering at Product profitability 21%
www.controleng.com/CE-Research.)
Quality metrics 18%

Online, methods Plant or line productivity 17%

See related articles on engineering advice, job- Reducing plant costs 14%
hunting tips, and on project management, one of
the skills identified as important for success in this Uptime/downtime 12%
survey. More information and graphics appear Energy efficiencies 6%
with the online version of this article; search on the
headline at www.controleng.com or, if reading the Other 6%
digital edition, click on the headline.
Thank you to survey respondents; with 218 in 2017, and among all respondents, the average is Figure 4: Company
responding between March 13 and April 10 via a $9,594. In 2017, 38% of respondents expect more profits and personal per-
web-based survey, the margin of error is plus or nonsalary compensation, 11% expect less, and 62% formance were the lead-
minus 6.6% at a 95% confidence level. A gift card expect the same (see Figures 2 and 3). ing criteria for nonsalary
incentive was used. A larger majority of survey takers, 59%, said compensation, followed
bonuses are tied to company profits compared to by safety, product profit-
Salary increases 80% last year. Among criteria, personal perfor- ability, quality, plant or
The average base annual salary for the 2017 mance was 43%, down from 59%, and safety at line productivity, plant
set of respondents to Control Engineering Salary 23% compared to 31%. Other criteria were prod- cost reduction, uptime/
and Career Survey was $96,045, up from $94,747 uct profitability at 21%, quality at 18%, plant or line downtime, and energy
in 2016, and up from $90,367 in 2015. In 2017, productivity at 17%, reducing plant costs at 14%, efficiencies.
69% expect a salary increase about the same as uptime/downtime at 12%, and energy efficiencies
2016. Among respondents, 56% expect a 1% to 3% at 6% (see Figure 4).
increase, 9% expect a salary increase of 4% to 6%,
and just 4% expect a more than 6% increase. About Salary benchmarks
29% of respondents expected salaries to stay the Figure 5 tables show totals for each bench-
same, and only 2% expect a pay cut in 2017 (see mark area by age, sample sizes, and with additional
Figure 1). The salary expectations are similar to trends, graphics, and analysis; download the salary
2016, although year to year those answering the survey report at www.controleng.com/CE-research.
survey differ; this year’s demographic information Showing upward pressure on engineering sal-
is provided in text later. aries for younger respondents, salary averages
The nonsalary compensation average among under 30 years of age increased significantly to
the 67% of respondents getting a bonus was $14,216 $66,924 from $58,376 in 2016. Average nonsalary

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 37

2017
CAREER UPDATE

Salary and non-salary compensation benchmarks

Average compensation by age Average compensation by primary business
Average base Average non-salary Average base Average non-salary
Current age Primary business
annual salary compensation annual salary compensation
Under 30 $66,924 $4,291 Agriculture or construction $184,000 $0
30 to 39 $93,447 $8,547 Oil, gas, and petroleum,
$119,075 $23,456
40 to 49 $91,671 $11,455 including refining
50 to 59 $99,316 $9,957 Chemical manufacturing $110,529 $14,262
60 to 69 $104,007 $10,908 Plant/facilities engineering
$107,333 $1,000
or maintenance services
70 or over $87,444 $3,528
Computers, communica-
tions, consumer electron-
Average compensation ics, and electronic product
$106,167 $13,000
by highest level of education manufacturing

Highest level of Average base Average non-salary Electrical equipment,

education annual salary compensation appliance, and component $106,040 $13,682
manufacturing
High school diploma $65,000 $333
Pharmaceutical
Trade/technical school $105,975 $5,833
$80,175 $1,389 manufacturing
diploma
Automotive and other
College attendance $79,729 $7,922 transportation equipment $102,583 $14,857
Associate’s degree $87,882 $6,313 manufacturing
Bachelor’s degree $98,591 $10,880 Other $102,083 $4,217
Dual bachelor’s degree $102,860 $13,833 Wood, paper manufactur-
ing, and related printing $101,483 $8,789
Master’s degree $101,854 $13,005 activities
Doctoral degree $109,114 $5,379 Instrumentation, control
systems, test, measure-
$100,273 $9,770
Average compensation ment, or medical equip-
ment manufacturing
by number of years with current employer
Number of years with Average base Average non-salary Average compensation by primary job function
current employer annual salary compensation
Average base Average non-salary
Fewer than 5 $85,097 $6,454 Primary job function
annual salary compensation
5 to 9 $93,116 $8,103
General or corporate
10 to 14 $90,675 $4,573 $104,415 $20,159
management
15 to 19 $95,729 $14,288 Operations or
$88,994 $10,814
20 to 24 $105,677 $7,937 maintenance
25 to 29 $120,903 $19,442 Other engineering, includ-
ing evaluation, QC,
30 to 34 $108,700 $6,725
standards, reliability, test,
35 to 39 $109,125 $33,313 $102,495 $7,991
project, software, plant,
40 or more $82,000 $2,100 electrical, mechanical, or
electronic engineering
Average compensation Process, production, or
$92,768 $9,695
manufacturing engineering
by number of years in current industry
System integration or
$87,993 3,814
Number of years in Average base Average non-salary consulting
current industry annual salary compensation
System or product design,
Fewer than 5 $85,486 $12,888 control or instrument $94,602 $8,836
5 to 9 $83,328 $8,256 engineering

10 to 14 $91,403 $3,189 Other $119,933 $9,659

15 to 19 $84,349 $8,714
Average compensation by number
20 to 24 $99,630 $10,355
of employees managed/supervised
25 to 29 $101,922 $8,513
Number of
30 to 34 $99,464 $8,824 Average base Average non-salary
employees managed/
35 to 39 $104,102 $11,506 annual salary compensation
supervised
40 or more $97,168 $12,554 0 $94,581 $8,174

Figure 5: Benchmark salary and other compensation by age, 1 to 5 $93,801 $7,300

education, years with employer and in current industry, primary 6 to 25 $98,539 $17,185

business (see 15 more online), primary job function, number of 26 to 100 $111,380 $20,860

employees supervised, and U.S. location (see page 41). More than 100 $120,000 $0

38 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 Job satisfaction factors compensation for this age group decreased to
Technical challenge
$4,291 in 2017 from $7,211 in 2016.
Salary averages increased to $93,447 for those in
Feeling of accomplishment
their 30s (up from $86,113 in 2016), nearly $91,671
Financial compensation
for those in their 40s (down from $96,939), $99,316
Relationship with colleagues for those in their 50s (up from $94,928, perhaps
Benefits trying to dissuade talent from early retirement),
Job security 2017 $104,007 in their 60s (down from $106,100), and
Relationship with boss 2016 $87,444 for 70 or older (down from $105,592).
Location More education resulted in more salary. Com-
Feeling of recognition pared to last year, however, those with a trade/
Advancement opportunities
Figure 6: Leading job sat- technical school diploma received significantly
isfaction factors are techni- more, an average of $80,175, compared to $71,906
Company's financial health
cal challenge and feeling of in 2016. Those with a high-school diploma had
Workload
accomplishment in a statisti- the highest level decrease, to an average of $65,000
Leading a team from $77,916 in 2016. While sample sizes for
cal tie, followed by financial
Managing people compensation, and relation- cross-tabulated results are smaller and have a high-
Physical or ergonomic environment ship with colleagues, tied for er margin of error than general questions, these
Company size second, closely followed by trends do match greater expressed need for tech
Travel a tie between benefits and school education beyond high school training.
Relationship with subordinates job security. Average salaries by number of years with cur-
Other
rent employer seemed designed to reward those
with tenure in the 5 to 9 year group at $93,116, up
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% significantly from those in the fewer than five year
group, $85,097.
Those with under five years in their current
Areas of operations industry received the largest average non-salary
compensation, even topping those with 35 or more
Automation and controls
years of industry experience. While sample size is
Operations
small, it is in line with hiring pressures.
Safety
Best three industries for overall compensa-
Training, education
Highest emphasis
tion (salary plus non-salary compensation) were:
Equipment upgrades 1) agriculture and construction at $184,000; 2)
Should have
Systems
highest emphasis Oil, gas, and petroleum, including refining at
Maintenance $142,531; 3) Chemical manufacturing at $124,791;
Instrumentation Figure 7: The area getting the 4) Electrical equipment, appliance, and component
Energy highest emphasis was opera- manufacturing at $119,722; and 5) Computers,
Manufacturing IT tions, but automation and controls communications, consumer electronics, and elec-
should have had that top spot. tronic product manufacturing at $119,167.
Human Resources
Highest total compensation for primary job
Other
functions in named categories (other than general
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% “Other”) were “General or corporate management”
at $124,574, and “Other engineering, including
evaluation, QC, standards, reliability, test, project,
Highest level of education software, plant, electrical, mechanical, or electronic
High school diploma 2% engineering” at $110,486.
Doctoral degree Trade/technical school diploma Compensation increased with numbers of
Master's degree College attendance employees managed, except for those who manage
7% 5% 7% no one (higher that those who manage one to five
19% 11% employees, perhaps reflecting pressure to attract
new engineers. For salary by regions, see Figure 12.
46%
Job satisfaction
Dual bachelor's Associate's degree Job satisfaction remains high, at more than 80%;
degree 3% Bachelor's degree
37% responded that they thought their jobs were
Figure 8: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees are the two most common. satisfactory, and 46% reported that they love going

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 39

2017
CAREER UPDATE

to work; 15% are tolerating it and are willing to con- Engineering disciplines studied
sider a change; only 2% said they’re leaving soon.
The survey found that the top five factors con- Electrical (EE) or
electronic
tributing to job satisfaction were technical chal-
lenge, 46% (up from 39% last year), about the same Controls
as feeling of accomplishment, 45% (up from 33%). 2017
Financial compensation, 25% (down from 37%), Instrumentation 2016
tied with relationship with colleagues, 25% (same 2015
as last year). Benefits at 21% was nearly a tie with Mechanical (ME)
job security at 20% (both about the same as last
year). Job security, relationship with the boss, and Figure 9: Electrical or electronic
Industrial
location were statistically equal, also, at 16%, 15%, engineering remained the largest
and 14% respectively. See Figure 6 for other factors. group of engineering discipline
Chemical
The large majority—73%—considered manu- studies, more than twice that of
facturing secure, about the same as last year. controls, solidly in second; instru-
Civil
Control Engineering subscribers often have mentation and mechanical engi-
different views about what areas should get neering were tied for third.
Other
emphasis compared to areas that actually get
emphasis. According to respondents, the three 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
areas that should get the highest emphasis are oper-
ations (29%), automation and controls (23%), and
safety (15%). Just 12% of respondents said opera-
Skills needed to advance
tions should get the highest emphasis; 27% (the
highest) said automation and controls should get
Engineering
the highest emphasis; 17% said safety should get
the highest; and training and education is the most Project management
neglected area, getting 2% of the emphasis, when it
should get 13%, respondents said (see Figure 7). Computer
2017
Education, skills Communication/ 2016
presentation
Survey respondents are well-educated. When 2015
asked about their highest level of education, 46% Team-building
have one bachelor’s degree (another 3% have two),
Language
19% have a master’s degree, and 7% have a doc-
Figure 10: The top five skill sets
toral degree. Other responses included associate’s
Finance/accounting needed to advance are: engineer-
degree (11%), some college (7%), trade or technical
ing, project management, computer,
school diploma or certificate (5%), and high school Marketing/sales communication/presentation, and
diploma (2%) (see Figure 8).
team-building.
Among engineering disciplines studied by Other
respondents, electrical and electronic were the
most popular by far, followed by controls, instru- 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
mentation, mechanical, industrial, and chemical,
all in double digits (see Figure 9).
Among skills needed to advance, respondents Outsourced functions
not surprisingly agreed that engineering skills are
most necessary, 67%, with project management at Maintenance
Figure 11: Nearly 40% of
56%, computer at 45%, communication and pre- System integration
respondents said there’s no
sentation skills at 44%, and team building at 38%, Human resources/
recruitment outsourcing at their location;
rounding out the top five (see Figure 10).
Logistics/procurement among those that do out-
System management source, maintenance and sys-
Outsourcing and why
tem integration are the func-
When outsourcing was needed, maintenance Asset management
tions outsourced the most.
and system integration were the two most com- Other
mon functions, statistically equal, at 20% and 19% None
respectively; 40% didn’t outsource. See Figure 11.
Reasons for outsourcing were better cost 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

40 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 Average compensation by location within U.S.
$91,250
$96,177
$99,929
$96,267

$17,825
$107,139 $76,202
$7,798
$14,519 Middle Atlantic
$6,107
East North
Central
West
West North New England
$3,282
Central
$92,979
$9,100 Mountain

Pacific $102,429
$123,915

$5,817 $82,857

South Atlantic
$4,857
$20,056
East South $10,012
Central
West
West South Based outside
Central
Centra of the U.S.

management (45%), better focus on core compe- 14 years, 12%; 15 to 19 years, 9%; 20 to 24 years, Figure 12: Looking at
tencies (34%), and lack of skilled staff (28%). Other 12%; 25 to 29 years, 9%; and 30 or more years, 12%. salary among regions,
factors, such as competitiveness at 8%, and quality Similarly, the large majority of respondents, West South Central (AR,
control 4%, were considerably less important. 75%, reported having been in their industry for 15 LA, OK, TX) had the high-
In a question about threats to manufacturing years or more, about the same as last year. The larg- est average base annual
business, just 4% chose outsourcing or downsiz- est five-year-period for respondents in their indus- salary, $123,915, and high-
ing or lack of investments for equipment software try was 30 to 34, 18%. est average non-salary
upgrade/replacement, all significantly behind the For hours of work per week, the most common compensation, $20,056,
economy at 19%, lack of available skilled workers range is 40 to 44 hours at 41%, 45 to 49 at 29%; 50 perhaps reflecting petro-
at 17% (up from 13% in 2016), inadequate manage- to 54 at 17%. Just 4% worked 55 or more hours per chemical industry competi-
ment at 9%, government or political interference at week and 9% worked fewer than 40 hours per week. tion for engineering talent.
8%, and regulations, codes, standards, etc., at 7%.
Region and salaries
Age, experience, hours The region where the most respondents work is
Among respondents, the largest 10-year age East North Central at 22%. Reported next was out-
period is 50 to 59 at 34%, down from 40% in 2016 side the U.S., 15%, and South Atlantic, 13%, Pacific,
and 37% in 2015. The largest five-year age period 10%, Mountain, West South Central, Middle Atlan-
is 55 to 59 at 18%. In 2016, 50 to 54 was the largest tic all were 8%, New England and West North Cen-
group at 23%. The 50s decade had more respon- tral each with 7%, and East South Central, 3%.
dents (34%) than everyone under 45 combined Looking at salary regionally, West South Central
(28%); and 40% of respondents are 60 and older. had the highest average base annual salary, $123,915,
An aging workforce may increase pressure to find and highest average other compensation, $20,056,
enough engineers with the desired skill sets. perhaps reflecting petrochemical industry compe-
Again in 2017, more than half of respondents tition. The Pacific region was next (Figure 12). ce
reported working for current employers for more
than 10 years, the largest single group. Respon- Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engi-
dents who have been with their current employer neering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com, with
less than five years is now 31%, up from 27%. Con- data from Amanda Pelliccione, CFE Media research
tinuing up the scale, five to nine years, 16%; 10 to director, apelliccione@cfemedia.com.

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 41

 CFE Media’s
New Products for
Engineers Database
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Look no further!
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provides an opportunity for engineering and
technical professionals to access the latest NEW
product information for the manufacturing,
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2017
CAREER UPDATE

Get lifelong education,

consider workplace strategies
Control Engineering career and salary survey advice is offered by survey respondents. Education-
related advice was the biggest topic for engineering advice, then workplace strategies, and attitude.

I
mportance of lifelong learning is among engi- company. There are job security risks, but job satis-
neering career advice offered as a write-in faction will be much higher.
option on the Control Engineering salary survey. Be prepared to move around to several different
Among subscribers taking the Control Engineer- employers during your career.
ing salary survey in 2016, 89 respondents offered Find what you like to do and become the best at
write-in advice, grouped for analysis and presenta- it, then your job is your hobby and not a drag.
tion into six categories: education, workplace strate- Don’t give up until you get the job you’re looking
gies, attitude, communication, project management, for. Research the company prior to the interview.
and engineering tips. While some advice could be
grouped into multiple categories, one was chosen Attitude
for the table, far right. A sampling of advice follows. Be flexible to industry changes.
Engineering is absorbing and time consuming; it
Education gives a great satisfaction when projects are finished.
Always build on your knowledge to move ahead. Sometimes the market goes low; be patient.
Be proactive. Always learn new aspects of your field.
Be an expert in Industrial Internet of Things. Communication
Continue to study. When you stop learning new Share skills and working knowledge of the com-
things, you lose flexibility to adapt to change. pany systems and products with existing and new
Get experience. Co-op while in school. Learn employees. Work on people skills.
the ins and outs of different engineering fields. To excel develop people skills. Learn how to
Get an engineering degree, preferably with a work, and work with all types of people.
double major in two engineering disciplines or with Take care of the details, and listen to your team!
engineering and business. The pay jump for engi-
neering versus non-engineering is large. Industrial Project management 2017 Career advice
technical experts are unlikely to be let go. Be a guru at automating your own processes. 42 Education
A technical degree with an MBA is a good choice Do your best to identify your customers’ prob- 23 Workplace strategies
if you plan on getting into management. lems and develop practical solutions that can be
9 Attitude
Invest in formal education early in your career implemented by and with your customers.
and keep updating your skills. Focus on business If you have a business-oriented mind, seek proj- 6 Communication

development and communication skills. ect management roles initially. 6 Project management
Keep current on technology trends. Get involved Learn how to program so you can communicate 3 Engineering tips
with science, technology, engineering, and math with programmers. Look at the big picture.
and encourage youth to get interested. Seek novel
ideas to apply to your product. Engineering tips MORE
Read or view short articles or videos to stay cur- Automation and controls, manufacturing IT, ADVICE
rent. Ask questions of those willing to help. instrumentation, maintenance, and systems
Learn many skills and software/hardware platforms. Electronic engineering, industrial engineering, GO ONLINE
www.controleng.com/CE-Research
Look to systems, industrial, electrical engineering food engineering, alternative energy engineering
This article has more than double
or computer engineering to develop into automa- Learn the technology to develop adequate skills the advice online; if reading the digital
tion engineering. to perform engineering analysis, design, evaluation, edition, click on the headline.
Read, take courses, experiment; keep a journal. and implementation. ce If not, search for the article headlines
at www.controleng.com.
Workplace strategies Mark T. Hoske is content manager, Control Engi- GET MORE EDUCATION:
Ask for mentoring and help, early and often. neering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com. www.controleng.com/enewsletters
Learn early so you don’t have to figure all of it out. Data provided by CFE Media research director, www.controleng.com/webcasts
Avoid large corporations; work for a small Amanda Pelliccione, apelliccione@cfemedia.com. www.CFEedu.cfemedia.com

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 43

 CFE Media’s
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of global end-users and system integrators hosted by Control Engineering, Plant
Engineering, and our global partners in Asia and Europe.

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pertinent data of a System Integrator integrator’s engineering services appear
before clicking to view the full on one page on their corporate profile –
corporate profile other details are organized by tabs.

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to renew our profile this year, we plan on upgrading.
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www.controleng.com/global-si-database
2017
CAREER UPDATE

Top 4 job-hunting tips

Finding a job in engineering takes skill, focus, and persistence.

F
inding a job in today’s job market can For example, I remember speaking with a can-
be challenging, especially for new grad- didate and realizing his passions were in were in
uates. Here are some key tips to fol- façade design. When I recommended firms that
low for putting your best foot forward specialized in façade design, he didn’t know such
when job hunting within the engineer- firms existed.
ing industry: The best way to discover these firms is by con-
ducting online searches and researching what
1. Be concise is available. Top firms often produce a range of
Have a 2-minute speech ready highlighting engaging content such as white papers, op-eds,
the value you would bring to the firm—think of and videos you can look into.
it as an executive summary of your resume. Ask Also, ask your professors, mentors, and alumni
yourself questions like: How do your passions for recommendations and review lists of compa-
align with the firm’s core values? Did a recent job nies that recruit at your college.
or experience further affirm your interest in this
career? 4. Be persistent
Avoid long, drawn-out explanations where Job hunting is not for the faint of heart. For
the recruiter is forced to interrupt and hurry you most, rejection letters will be a part of the jour-
along. A concise summary of your experience ney, but they must not deter you from your goal.
and what you’ve learned is a great foundation for Look frequently and apply often.
the interview. For example, I mentored a woman who
recently graduated and wanted to find a job in
2. Be interested the United States. Her visa-sponsorship require-
When you love something, learning is not lim- ments made her job hunt even more challenging,
ited to the classroom. There is nothing more unin- and she endured a number of rescinded offers
spiring than someone who wants to be an engineer once her visa status was understood. After apply-
because he or she didn’t know what else to be, or ing for two or three jobs a day for 6 months, she
because someone told them that they should be. landed an offer from a firm willing to sponsor
Companies want to hire the next generation of lead- her. Her peers who were not as persistent also
ers who can not only grow into management roles, weren’t as successful in reaching their goals.
but also can provide crucial thought leadership. If Additionally, be sure to attend job fairs. Network
you are passionate about a topic, elaborate on what with industry professionals at conferences, semi-
inspires you about it. nars, and networking events. Join local chapters of
The engineering industry changes fast, professional associations, such as ASHRAE, U.S. MORE
and there’s a need to stay aware of news and Green Building Council, and the American Soci- ADVICE
debates both in the field and in general. Updated ety of Civil Engineers. KEY CONCEPTS
energy code amendments, the Paris Agreement, Following these tips will help you succeed in Learn how to job hunt in the engi-
and debates over the value of integrated project interviews and separate you from other appli- neering industry.
delivery are just a few examples of important top- cants. Employers look for applicants who are What to do in order to get more
ics to be knowledgeable about. Additionally, follow- poised and engaged in their future career. ce exposure within the industry.
ing companies that you’re interested in as well as How to prepare for a successful
thought leaders on various social media channels is interview.
a great way to stay in the know. Rebecca Delaney is the mechanical team leader at GO ONLINE
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s sustainable engineer- For related links about career advice,
3. Be focused ing studio. She is a hiring manager and engineer read this article online. In the digital
edition, click on the headline or search
As a new graduate, you may be familiar recognized for her industry leadership in mentor- the headline for www.controleng.com.
with a few big-name companies in the indus- ing students and sharing her passion of engineering
CONSIDER THIS
try. However, it is best to focus your search so it around the globe. Edited by Emily Guenther, asso- Should additional steps be taken for
suits your specific interests based on size, niche, ciate content manager, Control Engineering, CFE job seekers who aren’t breaking into
location, etc. Media, eguenther@cfemedia.com. the industry for the first time?

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 45

2017
CAREER UPDATE

Project management help

Defining and measuring
project quality
Using a standardized methodology to define project quality ensures deliverables fit customer
specifications and receive high customer satisfaction when managing projects.

U
sing a standardized methodology to In the context of project quality, it is impor-
define project quality ensures deliv- tant to meet the customer’s needs while not “gold
erables are fit for their intended pur- plating” the deliverables with expensive features
pose with high customer satisfaction. that add little or no value to the customer. The
Quality is often described in Project Management Institute defines quality as
vague terms that are difficult, if not impossible, “the degree to which a set of inherent character-
to make quantitative measurements. Quality is istics fulfills requirements.” While it is impor-
apparent to the customer, especially when lacking, tant not to gold plate the deliverables, it is also
but what exactly is quality? Quality may have dif- important not to simply meet the bare minimum
ferent meanings to various project stakeholders, of requirements as specified in the project con-
and it’s important to figure out what that mean- tract. Kenneth Rose, author of “Project Quality
ing is for each. Management: Why, What and How,” describes
The idea of quality, on the surface, is abstract, a simple set of statements related to project
ambiguous and difficult to define and measure. specifications:
Measuring and managing quality in the context of
project-based work further complicates matters as  If you don’t meet the specifications, you
individual projects are often unique making it dif- are in breach.
ficult to develop a set of criteria to measure against.  If you want to complete the current con-
Project quality relies on identification of the tract, meet the contract specifications.
customers and of their requirements. At the early  If you want to win the next contract, meet
phases of a project, requirements might be vague or exceed the customer’s expectations.
and unmeasurable. As the project progresses,
requirements must be refined into specifications Exceeding the minimum requirements is impor-
MORE that are measurable. The definition of quality as tant so the customer is satisfied. However, this
ADVICE it relates to the project should be determined up must be done in a way that exceeding the project
KEY CONCEPTS
front and well-defined with customer input so requirements adds value to the customer and not
How to define project quality. that at the end of the project, the customers per- adding features that won’t benefit them.
What to consider when measuring ceive the deliverables as being high quality.
project quality. Quality assurance versus quality control
The differences between quality Defining quality Quality assurance and quality control are
control and quality assurance. To manage project quality, it is imperative terms that are often used interchangeably but have
GO ONLINE to understand what quality is and how it relates different meanings. Quality assurance focuses on
For related links about quality to the project. Joseph M. Juran, widely held to the process and preventing defects before they
control and project management, read be the father of quality, defined quality as “fit- occur. Quality control focuses on the products
this article online. In the digital edi-
tion, click on the headline or search
ness for use” which was later revised to “fitness and identifing and correcting defects after they
the headline for www.controleng.com for purpose” in the 6th edition of “Juran’s Qual- have been produced.
ity Handbook.” Juran also emphasized two com- Another way to compare the two is that qual-
CONSIDER THIS
How should a quality assurance plan ponents of quality that are critical to managing it: ity assurance is performed by people that need
be tailored for a particular industry or features that meet customer needs and freedom to understand the quality of a product but are
particular products? from failures. external to the production. Quality control is

46 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

performed by those responsible
for producing the product.
Understanding the cus-
tomers of a project is very
important when trying to
define quality as it relates to a
project. The most obvious cus-
tomer of a project is the person or organi-
zation that is paying the bills. However, this is
often not the only customer.
Customers can include multiple organiza-
tions and multiple people within each of those
organizations. The client commissioning the
project is often different from the end user for
the project. Regulatory bodies are also custom-
ers as applicable requirements that apply to the
project have to be met. Some customers may be
difficult to identify for a project as some may
not be readily apparent or may not appear to
later on in the project.
Quality and project constraints Figure 1: Quality issues
The cost of project quality Projects tend to follow the triple constraint: must be addressed during all
Quality is often misunderstood as an additional scope, schedule, and budget. When considering phases of a project from the
cost to the project, which is incorrect. When qual- quality, this is still a triple constraint. At no time, start through final customer
ity is integral to the project from the beginning, should quality be traded off in favor of scope, turn-over. All images cour-
the time required to maintain quality is covered schedule, or budget. tesy: Huffman Engineering
by the savings produced. Practicing project quality management is impor-
For quality to produce savings, it is important tant for maintaining the project scope. Proper qual-

‘
that it is included in the project from the begin- ity assurance during the project ensures that all
ning. If quality is ignored during a project, the of the project scope items will be met adequately. For the project
defects will be discovered at the end of the proj- Quality control during the project inspects each
ect by the customer (see Figure 1). Letting defects scope item to ensure the requirements are met with- budget, quality
exist to this point are not only very costly to cor- out defect, or remedies scope items that are found
rect, but can cause extreme damage to reputation. to have defects. is not an item
Often, quality is thought of as a process that Scope and quality should not be confused.
occurs at the end of a project prior to shipping or If tradeoffs during a project occur, as a mem- that should
turning over a product. Discovering defects dur- ber of the project team, you may feel that only the
ing the testing /inspection phase is better than scope is being reduced. However, to a customer be restricted
letting the customer find them, however, this still of the project, they may feel that the quality of the
results in costly rework to correct the defects. deliverable(s) is being reduced. by budget.
Identifying and correcting defects during A project often may have an aggressive and tight
the implementation phase of the project is an schedule for implementation. Even in this case, it When properly
improvement, but may result in some degree of does not mean that quality should be compromised.
rework. Ideally, quality plans are created upfront The old adage, “there is never enough time to do it implemented, a
during the specification/design phase of the right, but always enough time to do it over,” applies
project. At this phase of the project, correcting here. A project that maintains its schedule, but can-
quality project will
potential defects produces the least amount of not perform what it is intended to do, provides lit- pay for itself by
additional cost and rework. tle value to anyone. Correcting the project defects at
For quality, there is a rule known as the the end of the schedule will not only require costly reducing waste,
1:10:100 rule that explains this concept: what rework, it will still be late.
costs $1 to correct in the specification and design For the project budget, quality is not an item defects, and
phase would cost $10 to correct in the implemen- that should be restricted by a budget. When prop-

’
tation phase and $100 to correct in the testing and erly implemented, a quality project will pay for itself rework.
inspection phase. During the project’s customer by reducing waste, defects, and rework.
turnover phase, the cost of a dissatisfied customer In the 4th edition of the Project Management
or damaged reputation is impossible to measure. Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, quality was

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 47

2017
CAREER UPDATE

added as a project constraint in addition to the process is the link between quality planning and
traditional triple constraint along with risk and quality control. It involves auditing the quality
resources, shown in Figure 2. While quality is a requirements and results from quality control to
constraint of the project, it remains imperative ensure appropriate quality standards and opera-
that it is not omitted in favor of scope, schedule, tional definitions are used.
or budget. A quality assurance plan should be developed
for tracking quality activities. This provides a man-
ageable list of quality activities and results for
future reference. A quality assurance plan
should contain the following information:

 Task/work breakdown structure

reference
 Requirement
 Specification
 Assurance activity
 Schedule
 Responsible party.

This plan contains the necessary informa-

tion to define what will be done (assurance activ-
ity), when it will be done (schedule), and who will
Figure 2: Project con- Project quality perform it (the responsible party).
straints have evolved from management methodology Auditing the project quality may be performed
the traditional budget, The PMBOK Guide lists three processes for by a member of the project team but should be
scope, and schedule (left) project quality management: quality planning, someone removed from the actual development
to include risk, resources, quality assurance, and quality control. Juran did not of what is being audited. Trying to audit one’s own
and quality as well (right). distinguish between quality assurance and quality work may not identify every defect.
control, but he did add one more important pro-
cess: quality improvement. Quality control and improvement
Good project quality starts with planning for Quality control is the process of accessing the
quality during the early stages of a project, and products and validating the scope of the project.
not relying on inspection near or at the end. Products are checked against the specifications for
Quality planning is a three-step process: iden- conformance. If a product is out of spec, then qual-
tify customers, identify quality requirements, and ity control is the process in which it is corrected.
develop specifications. The second part of quality control is recom-
Identifying all the customers of a project is mending updates for quality assurance to correct
the first step. This is important to consider any the process and reduce defects. This is the last part
potential customers that may not be readily of the quality process, improvement. Quality is a
apparent at the start of a project but may appear constant process of change and improvement—
during or after the project is over. Identifying not a destination.
these customers earlier in the project will result Effective quality management is a tool to
in a smoother project. increase competitiveness and performance as it
The next step is to identify the quality relates to the project. While difficult to define,
requirements. This step will involve working with quality management is an essential aspect of the
the customers to identify what the requirements broader topic of project management. A system-
are. Some requirements may also be implied. atic approach to quality should be used as a meth-
Requirements now can be used to formu- od to identify customers, define requirements
late specifications. A requirement is generic in and specifications, and perform quality planning,
nature, such as “the coffee will be hot.” A specifi- assurance, and control. ce
cation, on the other hand, specifies what will be
measured and how to measure it. Jay Steinman is a mechanical engineer at CSIA
Certified system integrator, Huffman Engineering.
Fulfilling quality requirements Edited by Emily Guenther, associate content man-
Quality assurance provides confidence that ager, Control Engineering, CFE Media,
the quality requirements will be fulfilled. This eguenther@cfemedia.com.

48 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

INSIDE PROCESS migration

Signaling considerations
for control system migrations
Not every analog field instrument can be wired to any given analog input (AI) module, nor can
any discrete output (DO) module be wired to any given discrete final control element.

C
ontrol system migrations inherent- ac discrete signals unless the project designs and
ly require a large variety of technical installs interposing relays. The variations in I/O
details to be analyzed and addressed module types referenced above can result in sig-
in preparation for installation and nificant variations in I/O densities (channels per
start-up. In addition to software con- module), which then affect the physical cabinet
figuration and development, this also applies space and I/O rack infrastructure required for a
when connecting the software to the process. given I/O count.

‘
At a high level, and Signal isolators or con-
especially during early Namur sensors also ditioners may be required
project scoping stages, it is to make existing field sig-
useful and appropriate to may have the opposite nals compatible with the
base control system migra- I/O modules offered on
tion analyses largely on contact action of existing the new system or to pre-
input/output (I/O) counts vent purchasing different
by general types: analog
simple dry contact I/O module types for only
inputs (AI), discrete inputs position switches and a small quantity of unique
(DI), analog outputs (AO), field signals. DIs on the
discrete outputs (DO), and require inverted control new control system could

’
soft tags. After the early have higher input imped-
scoping stages—but before system logic. ances than the existing sys- MORE
budgets are finalized and tem, which makes them ADVICE
detailed design begins—the project team should more vulnerable to induced voltage on long cable KEY CONCEPTS
consider signaling details that can impact project runs than DIs on the existing control system. It is useful to base control system
costs and schedule. Existing solid-state, output discrete, field migration analyses on input/output
device signals, unlike dry contacts, normally (I/O) counts by general types, which
Control system criteria require a minimum current to fully conduct and includes analog inputs (AI), discrete in-
puts (DI), analog outputs (AO), discrete
There are many signaling details that need to switch on such that a dropping resistor may be outputs (DO), and soft tags.
be considered during a migration project. This is needed if the input impedance at the new con- There are many signaling details
especially true if the project is based on retaining trol system’s DI modules is too high. In addition that need to be considered during a
existing field instrumentation. to field instruments, solid-state output signals migration project, especially if the
The control system could require a mix are encountered when hard-wiring DOs from project is based on retaining existing
of single-ended and isolated DO modules to one control system, such as a small, packaged field instrumentation.
be compatible with existing field signals that unit equipment programmable logic controller The field excitation voltage for
analog inputs (AI) on the new control
include both simple solenoid valves and start/ (PLC), to a supervisory control system, such as a system can be significantly different
stop signals that are wired directly into and pow- plant distributed control system (DCS). than the existing control system,
ered by existing motor control circuit transform- As a part of the migration project, the plant which can lead maintenance personnel
ers. The control system could require a mix of also could be installing discrete field instruments troubleshooting efforts astray.
single-ended, differential, HART-capable, and with Namur sensors that may not be compati- GO ONLINE
isolated AI module types to be compatible with a ble with all of the DI modules on the new con- Read this story online at
mix of existing loop powered transmitters, self- trol system. Also, when Namur sensors are newly www.controleng.com for more infor-
mation on control system migration, as
powered transmitters, HART transmitters, and introduced to an existing plant, maintenance well as related stories from Maverick
known ground loop issues. personnel should be trained on the operation Technologies.
The new control system could require several of Namur signals that, unlike simple dry con- CONSIDER THIS
different DI and DO module types to be com- tact position switches, require excitation volt- Do you know how the control system
patible with a mix of existing 24 V dc and 120 V age to function. Namur sensors also may have in your plant is wired?

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | P1

INSIDE PROCESS migration

the opposite contact action of existing control (momentarily requiring an addi- new system unless the existing motor
simple dry contact position switches and tional DO) to enhance safety or for other starters are replaced.
require inverted control system logic. process reasons associated with recovery Existing AOs that currently drive a
from power interruptions. pair of split-range control valves may
Additional requirements Existing MCCs in older facilities could need to be implemented on the new sys-
As part of the migration, the plant use 480 V ac signaling (tapped from two tem as two separate AOs to ensure suf-
may want to change motor control cir- power phases) for motor start, stop, and ficient voltage drop or to provide an
cuits (MCCs) from two-wire control run confirmation signals that would almost intuitive operator interface on human-
(single maintained signal) to three-wire certainly require interposing relays on the machine interface (HMI) graphics. The

‘ There are many signaling

details that need to be
considered during a

’
migration project.

plant could use obsolete thermocouple-

sensing temperature transmitters whose
4-20 mA outputs do not vary linearly
with temperature and are supported by
the existing, legacy control system but
are not compatible with the new control
system.
The plant could have field transmit-
ters with an older, primitive fieldbus tech-
nology that was never widely adopted and
hence is not supported on the new con-
trol system but is providing critical pro-
cess data to operations personnel on the
existing, legacy control system.
Although many newer control sys-
tem DO modules have internalized this
functionality, some 24 V dc DO modules
require reverse bias diodes across their
outputs to prevent the energy from the
collapsing magnetic fields on inductive
loads from generating excessive voltages
that then damage electronics. The field
excitation voltage for AIs on the new
control system can be significantly dif-
ferent than the existing control system,
which can lead maintenance personnel
troubleshooting efforts astray. ce

Shane Hudson is a senior engineer at

Maverick Technologies. Maverick Tech-
nologies is a CFE Media content part-
ner, a CSIA Level 1 member, the Control
Engineering System Integrator of the
Year in 2011, and was inducted into the
Control Engineering System Integra-
tor Hall of Fame in 2012. Edited by Jack
Smith, content manager, CFE Media,
Control Engineering, jsmith@cfemedia.com.

input #13 at www.controleng.com/information

P2 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING
INSIDE PROCESS flow measurement

Understanding upstream and

downstream pipe diameters
for flow measurement
While there are some creative ways to get flowmeters piped, there are certain installation
best practices that should be adhered to whenever possible.

O
ne of the most common issues with effect on the flow profile. There are some gen-
flow measurement is an incorrectly eral guidelines and best practices that all users
sized flowmeter, followed by poor should follow. The old adage, “If you don’t know
installation. While there are some something, ask,” applies here. There are no bad
creative ways to get flowmeters questions when trying to determine proper
piped, they can neglect the fact that there are cer- meter placement.
tain installation best practices that should be fol-
lowed for each flowmeter type, and those should Ask the manufacturer
be adhered to whenever possible. Each technology has specific recommenda-
tions for meter placement and recommended pipe
Incorrect flowmeter installation diameters upstream and downstream. Perhaps
After all the trouble you went through select- one of the most overlooked resources is speaking
ing the proper meter for an application, why not with the account manager/sales resource for that
ensure it’s installed in a manner that will pro- particular vendor. Most, if not all, flow measure-
duce optimal measurement results? A lot has ment professionals have been through extensive
changed over the years in terms of flowme- training on their products and are familiar with
ter technology. However, you can’t argue with a host of applications. They should be the first
physics. Fluid flowing through a pipe generally call when you have questions or concerns about
assumes a desirable flow profile at or near the where the meter should be placed in the pipe. In
center of the pipe. Flow disturbances (distortion many cases, these professionals will assess each
and swirl) can occur via improper flowmeter installation and give you the recommendations
installation, thus reducing measurement accu- needed to ensure proper performance.
MORE
racy. Aside from improper sizing, material incom-
patibility, and meter misapplication, a number One size does not fit all
ADVICE
of issues with flow measurement arise from One technology does not fit all applications. KEY CONCEPTS
improper piping practices. We all may have our favorite technology that we There are installation best practices
that should be followed and adhered
A lot of time, effort, and money can go swear by, but you can’t fit a round peg in a square to for each flowmeter type.
into the purchase of a flowmeter. However, it hole, and the same goes for flowmeters. Just One size does not fit all with flow-
seems that not as much consideration is given because there’s a spare meter lying in the store- meters and there are many options to
to its installation. Perhaps this is due to limited room doesn’t mean it will be the most suitable. consider.
changes that can be made to existing piping (time There are many options to consider, especially if Use relevant standards and ask
and expense), the end users having a technology you have existing piping that can’t be modified questions to get the most out of your
they are not familiar with and making assump- easily. It’s important to start thinking about the flowmeter investment.
tions based on what they have done in the past, importance of installation effects and how this GO ONLINE
or a mechanical contractor having limited expe- could impact the type of meter that is chosen. Read this story online at
www.controleng.com for more
rience with various flowmeter technologies, etc. If you find that your flowmeter perfor- information on flowmeter measure-
In this case, when talking about improper instal- mance is suffering from installation effects, all ment, as well as related stories from
lation, the focus is on the placement of the meter in is not lost. Ideally, the meter could be moved Cross Co.
the process piping and its relation to valves, elbows, to a more suitable location that would ensure CONSIDER THIS
strainers, reducers, and a host of other devices that proper upstream and downstream straight pipe. What other questions should be
can be inserted into the piping that can have an Another option would be to change the type asked when measuring flowmeters?

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | P3

INSIDE PROCESS flow measurement

‘As there are

multiple flow
of meter or change to a different design of the
same kind of meter. For example, changing from
a standard vortex to a reducer vortex.
upstream piping runs. Elbows, reducers, and
other devices upstream of the sensor will distort
the flow profile, so adequate straight runs need
to be accounted for. Typical recommendations
technologies Upstream and downstream suggest 35 straight pipe diameters upstream
requirements and five straight pipe diameters downstream. If
available, so As there are multiple flow technologies avail- you don’t have sufficient upstream straight run,
too are the able, so too are the recommendations for proper some manufacturers allow for K-factor cor-
meter placement in process piping. While each rections that could reduce this requirement. If
recommendations manufacturer may have different guidelines, using temperature and pressure compensations
below is a general overview of typical upstream to derive mass flow, then the temperature and
for proper meter and downstream piping requirements. pressure transmitters should be installed down-
stream of the flowmeter at a minimum of four
placement in Magnetic flowmeters to six straight pipe diameters.

’
Magnetic flowmeters are fairly forgiving in
process piping. terms of varying flow profile. To ensure spec- Coriolis flowmeters
ified accuracy over a broader range of process Coriolis flowmeters are designed to measure
conditions first, ensure that the meter is piped mass flow and density directly. Their measure-
in a manner so it always remains full. Second, ments are insensitive to fluid profile, have very
install the flowmeter a minimum of five straight few installation limitations, and therefore don’t
pipe diameters upstream and a minimum of two require upstream and downstream straight pipe
straight pipe diameters downstream from the runs. The main guidelines for Coriolis sensors
electrode plane. are to make sure the sensor tubes remain full. If
installed in a vertical pipe, make sure the fluid
Vortex flowmeters (liquid and slurries) flows up and gasses flow
Vortex flowmeters like a fully developed down and do not use the meter to align mis-
flow profile and typically require long straight aligned pipe.

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input #14 at www.controleng.com/information

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input #15 at www.controleng.com/information

INSIDE PROCESS flow measurement

‘Ultrasonic
flowmeters
Turbine flowmeters
Turbine flowmeters must be installed in a
manner that minimizes measurement errors
caused by turbulence or damage to the mov-
perform as specified. There are two basic types
of measuring principles, Doppler and transit
time, with the latter being more commonly
used for fiscal custody transfer applications
require fully ing parts caused by high flow rates. It also is of gas and petroleum liquids. As with other
recommended that a strainer is used upstream technologies, these sensors do require adher-
developed of the turbine meter to capture any contami- ing to basic installation guidelines to minimize
flow conditions nants that could damage the moving compo- errors caused by flow profile disturbances.
nents. Sufficient back pressure also should be
to ensure the maintained to avoid any potential flashing or Consult the standards, ask questions
cavitation. Requirements vary by manufacturer, which
meters will The general guidelines suggested by man- could lead to some confusion. In a fiscal cus-
ufacturers of turbine flowmeters are 15 to tody transfer application of either a liquid or
perform as 20 straight pipe diameters (inclusive of the gas, make sure to be fully versed in the current

’
strainer) straight pipe runs upstream and standards.
specified. five straight pipe diameters straight pipe runs By asking the right questions, consult-
downstream. The upstream requirement can ing with the manufacturer, and having a good
be increased if, for example, there are two understanding of the existing guidelines and
elbows in different planes (up to 50 straight standards, you should be well on your way to
pipe diameters). Alternatively, the upstream getting the most for your flowmeter invest-
straight run requirement can be reduced if ment. ce
some form of flow straightening is used, down
to 10 straight pipe diameters upstream.
Jeff Weiss is an account manager with Cross Co.,
Ultrasonic flowmeters a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris
Ultrasonic flowmeters require fully devel- Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering,
oped flow conditions to ensure the meters will CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

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input #16 at www.controleng.com/information

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The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2017 Emerson Electric Co.

input #17 at www.controleng.com/information

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input #18 at www.controleng.com/information

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CFE_General_HalfHorizontal.indd 1 2/9/2017 2:25:34 PM

 More resources posted daily at:

www.controleng.com

digital edition
Exclusives, Online Extras: Benefits of the Control Engineering Digital Edition include
tablet-friendly viewing (HTML5), exclusive content in every issue; headlines link to the
longer version posted online; links are live where a URL is provided; and an email link
arrives when ready. In addition, link to additional “Online Extra” articles.

DIGITAL EDITION EXCLUSIVES

DE1 Machine vision technologies
boost warehouse efficiency, transparency
The machine vision industry is providing warehouses with technology to leverage the data generated
by cameras, sensors and imagers across the entire enterprise in order to maximize efficiency and productivity.

DE3 Learning tough lessons from ICS attacks

A security incident can cause damage to brand reputation, loss of competitive advantage, legal or
regulatory non-compliance issues, considerable financial damage, and harm to the environment
and community.

ONLINE EXTRAS (Click on the headlines or search www.controleng.com.)

Researchers design coatings to prevent pipeline clogging

Researchers at MIT have developed a coating that could stop the buildup of hydrate ices that slow or
block oil and gas flow, which could help prevent another disaster such as Deepwater Horizon.

Reverse engineering reduced repair time,

costs for steel manufacturer
A steel manufacturer that needed two impellers repaired found a solution through reverse engineering
that was faster and more cost-effective.

Predictive, preventive, and breakdown maintenance tips

Predictive, preventive, and breakdown maintenance are common maintenance programs that provide
their own unique benefits and plant managers should know when to employ them.

Three ways to increase efficiency at a spirit manufacturing plant

Manufacturers at a spirit manufacturing plant can increase production and efficiency by setting
realistic expectations, simplify their model, and asking for a third-party’s input with an overall
equipment effectiveness (OEE) analysis.

Cybersecurity attacks on IIoT infrastructure

expected to increase in 2017
A survey by security company Tripwire found that 96% of IT security professionals expected attacks
on critical Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) infrastructure segments such as energy, utilities,
government, health care, and finance.

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 57

 DIGITAL EDITION exclusive

Machine vision boosts

efficiency, transparency
The machine vision industry is providing warehouses with technology to leverage the data
generated by cameras, sensors and imagers across the entire enterprise to help maximize
efficiency and productivity.

A
mazon has gotten warehouse effi- troubleshooting and root cause analysis to help
ciency down to a science, and vision improve the process.
and imaging technologies share in Once customers saw that benefit, they started
the credit. Meanwhile, human pick- to explore ways to use other information avail-
ers are equipped with handheld able from the barcode image. Until recently,
image-based barcode readers, and merchandise much of that data was tossed aside, said Brad-
gets scanned at a series of points throughout the ley Weber, manufacturing industry product spe-
fulfillment process. cialist and application engineering manager at
It’s not just retail giants. Warehouses of all Datalogic.
types and sizes are realizing they don’t have to be “It used to be taking that image, running it
an e-commerce gorilla to benefit from vision and through algorithms such as reading the barcode,
imaging offerings ranging from 3-D empty tray and processing it right then and there, and then
detection to smartphone-based scanners. Not moving onto the next package,” Weber said. “It’s
only is the vision industry providing the hard- changing now where a lot of that information is
ware, but they’re helping their warehouse cus- being stored and analyzed for later so you can
tomers leverage the data generated by cameras, identify trends over time.”
sensors and imagers across the entire enterprise To help keep its customers’ data from languish-
in order to maximize efficiency and productivity. ing, Cognex developed the Cognex Explorer real
time monitoring (RTM) system. When an unread
Moving beyond the barcode barcode is detected, it automatically transfers
Barcode readers continue to be the bread and the image to RTM, which is designed to evalu-
MORE butter of imaging applications in the warehouse. ate each image and categorize it into a group
ADVICE These industrial imagers may require less com- based on the error—for example, missing labels
plexity than their traditional machine vision sys- and poorly printed labels. Categorized images are
KEY CONCEPTS
The machine vision industry is tem counterparts, but they nevertheless have a stored in a database accessible via a web browser.
providing hardware and the tools to demanding job. Just as warehouses are relying on the addition-
allow warehouse customers to lever- “Compared to factory automation and its al data generated by barcode readers, they’re
age the data they are receiving. many applications, the warehouse is more embracing a multipart vision system to track a
Companies need to effectively man- focused and contained because you are just try- product from the front end to the back end.
age the data they receive from all of
their mobile devices.
ing to read a barcode and guide a box where to “Datalogic is helping our customers to build
Embracing mobility could be a
go,” said Bryan Boatner, director of product mar- a fingerprint of the package traveling through
major boost for the machine vision keting - mobile and handheld products for Cog- the facility using different vision technologies,
industry and for workers in the nex. “But in another sense, because the boxes are including barcode readers that integrate opti-
warehouse. moving so fast and throughput is at such a premi- cal character recognition (OCR) functionality,
GO ONLINE um, it can be a lot more challenging.” sensors that detect the presence or absence of a
Read this story at When image-based industrial barcode read- package, dimensioners that scan the package to
www.controleng.com for more ers first debuted, their primary value proposition provide its volume, and machine vision cameras
information about machine vision
technologies and additional stories
was providing better read rates and captur- capturing what is on that package,” Weber said.
from the AIA. ing more data than their laser scanner coun- For its part, Cognex is investigating ways to
terparts ever could. In reading direct part mark employ its vision technology on its handheld
CONSIDER THIS
What other developments could (DPM), 1-D, and 2-D barcodes, image-based readers and mobile terminals to automate OCR.
have a major impact on machine vi- devices allowed warehouses to save images of “We plan to demonstrate to customers how they
sion technologies in the warehouse? codes that couldn’t be read in order to perform can use vision on handheld readers to read ZIP

DE1 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

codes off the label in addition to scanning the bin Cognex’s RTM, for example, is designed to harness
location barcode,” Boatner said. “You can even all the data it collects on images, which can be dis-
conceive the ability to do the entire form reading tilled and presented to office managers so they can
where you convert printed fields to an automated assess the information and make changes.
data collection service.” The vision-enabled mobile terminal employs
Image-based warehouse management machine technology used across the entire enterprise and
vision systems are enabling companies to be more leverages a variety of Android and iOS smartphones
transparent—and therefore better partners—to as the user interface of the device. The phones are
their customers. Datalogic’s Weber says that all set within a ruggedized housing equipped with bar-
information gathered together from dimensioner, code reading algorithms. Boatner said, “It’s a much
weight, images, or other sensors can be combined
to have a unique ID for a package. “The custom-
ers will be able to access it all,” Weber said.
NUMBERS: Control Engineering 2016
Shop floor to top floor
Delving this deep into the data, of course, research on system integration said 58% of
depends on the ability of the manufacturing plant
or distribution center to connect disparate busi- respondents integrate discrete sensors, which
ness activities, enabling dataflow for centralized
decision-making. But many of these systems, inclwude machine vision technologies.
including warehouse management, continue to
operate in silos. To tie warehouse activities into More research: www.controleng.com/CE-Research
front office operations—colloquially known as
“shop floor to top floor”—vision products and

‘
systems ideally will integrate with an enterprise
resource planning (ERP) system, which centrally Integration opportunities: optical character
manages an organization’s business activities and
the data generated by them. recognition, sensors that detect the presence
But an ERP comes with its own challenges. “The
ERP does just enough to get by, and it’s not very or absence of a package, dimensioners that
nimble,” said Dan Hare, vice president of Matrix
SSI, which provides technology solutions to central- scan the package to provide its volume, and

’
ize inventory control. “It doesn’t do a good job at
device management, which is part of the inven- machine vision cameras.
tory control because you’re printing labels and
scanning. We understand the workflow that hap-
pens in the warehouse better.” easier solution to deploy because you have one
Of particular focus for manufacturers is auto- device that is managed by IT that is deployed in
matically tracking work-in-process inventory, or the your warehouse, front office, field team, and so on.”
raw materials that are being transformed into fin- Today, the machine vision industry is chasing
ished goods. “A lot of this is being done with serial- every opportunity to catch the “killer app,” which
ization and lot-type tracking, and older systems just is usually associated with the massive installed
don’t do a good job of that,” Hare said. “We’ve seen base of smartphones around the world. The ware-
a big uptick in our solution used as an overlay for house—with its controlled, demanding environ-
[ERP systems such as] SAP and Oracle, and that’s ment—may be the gateway that brings machine
even in brand-new installations.” vision technology to everyone’s pocket, whether
And without being responsive to the needs of they are a distribution center manager or a cus-
the warehouse worker, workflow is likely to suffer. tomer. ce
“Many ERPs are designed for big computer screens
with a mouse at a desk,” Hare said. “Matrix SSI is Winn Hardin is contributing editor, AIA. This
designed to run on handhelds on the shop floor.” article originally appeared on the AIA website.
Matrix SSI, which is hardware-agnostic, has The AIA is a part of the Association for Advanc-
spent the past 15 years building an integration tool ing Automation (A3), a CFE Media content part-
to connect all silos and disparate systems in a ware- ner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor,
house. It’s an engineering effort that vision compa- Control Engineering, CFE Media,
nies are starting to make for their customers as well. cvavra@cfemedia.com.

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | DE2

 DIGITAL EDITION exclusive

Learning tough lessons

from ICS attacks
A security incident can cause damage to brand reputation, loss of competitive advantage,
legal or regulatory non-compliance issues, considerable financial damage, and harm to
the environment and community.

I
ndustrial control systems (ICSs), much Not in my house
to the industry’s chagrin, are not immune “As with any engagement, there was a kick-
to data breaches, ransomware attacks, off meeting, which was used to introduce every-
viruses, malware, insider attacks or any one, set initial expectations, discuss the in-scope
other form of assault. On top of that, there environment, request additional information
are some experts that say they need tangible and schedule the onsite visit.
proof attacks really happen. Well, there is. “The requested information included a list of
Just take a look at the Verizon 2016 Data network segments, IP address ranges, IP address
Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). The assignments, and an asset inventory. “The Gator-
report details 16 common breach scenarios, Grasp Fasteners Team was instructed not to cre-
and the cases are each told from the perspec- ate any new documentation in order to avoid a
tive of the stakeholders involved, such as cor- situation where the creation of new documen-
porate communications, legal counsel, or the tation would potentially mask a procedural
human resources professional. deficiency. In assembling the requested docu-
In one poignant scenario, a manufacturer fell mentation, Gator-Grasp Fasteners quickly real-
victim and had to get their house in order fairly ized that what it did have was inadequate.
quickly. Here is what the report said about this “During the on-site visit, the automation
one incident: engineers, the RISK Team’s critical infrastructure
“A company, we’ll call Gator-Grasp Fas- protection/cybersecurity (CIP/CS) specialists
teners, retained the Verizon RISK Team to and other subject matter experts (SMEs) dis-
perform a health check of their industrial envi- cussed the various OT systems, in-place security
ronment. This particular customer was in measures and other operational procedures. This
the business of fabricating specialized fas- included processes and practices (aka “institu-
teners, which were required to pass very tional knowledge”) that are followed, but were
specific engineering requirements, such as not necessarily documented. These discussions
meeting or surpassing certain strength, tensile revealed that over the past few months, the net-
MORE stress, mechanical properties and material con- work seemed “sluggish,” which the automation
ADVICE tent thresholds. engineers and SMEs attributed to older, legacy
“At the onset of the health check, Gator-Grasp equipment. With an understanding of the situa-
KEY CONCEPTS Fasteners’ automation engineers expressed skep- tion in mind, we visited various locations where
Industrial control systems (ICSs)
are vulnerable to cyber attacks just ticism and mild dissent, arguing that a “health we walked the manufacturing floor and made
like a computer. check” was not necessary. In their many years of additional observations.
Companies need to be better being on the job, the “patient” had always func- “One of the first things we noticed was some
educated and more proactive in their tioned well and had shown no signs of being OT systems had anti-virus protection while oth-
defense measures. “unhealthy.” So why mess with things? They ers didn’t. For those that didn’t, we were told
GO ONLINE assured their management that the operational that, since they were isolated, they didn’t need
Read this story at technology (OT) environment was secure and protection. Incredibly, when we looked at the
www.controleng.com for more that they expected there would be no sig- anti-virus logs on the OT systems that had mal-
information about ICSs and stories
from ISSSource. nificant findings. After all, the automation ware protection, we found them replete with
engineers were experts and they knew what malware detections, deletions, and quarantine
CONSIDER THIS
What other preventive measures
they were doing. Nonetheless, management alerts. Of the 57 systems in total, 33 systems had
should be taken to prevent a breach insisted and the automation engineers reluc- at least one malware alert, and many had mul-
to an ICS? tantly agreed to work with the RISK Team. tiple alerts.

DE3 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 “When we inquired about these alerts, we To keep remediated systems remediated dur-
found that the automation engineers and opera- ing this process, we continued network traffic
tors were well aware. They reasoned that since monitoring for known indicators and behaviors
the malware protection was correcting and associated with the identified malware. With
“repairing” the problems, everything was accept- the current issue well on the path to being
able. We explained that there was clearly an resolved, we turned our attention to the unin-
underlying problem leading to the repeat infec- fected, but still “troubled” OT systems.”
tions and recommended a more detailed review Verizon RISK team broke down some rec-
to identify the root cause.” ommendations into three categories covering
the company’s entire OT environment:
Need logging
“Gator-Grasp Fasteners had no documented 1. Unnecessary legacy systems in unmanned
incident response (IR) process for investigating locations. These systems ended up removed
incidents, so we took the lead. The company from the network and decommissioned. These
did not have a centralized logging solution and were difficult to track down as they were not
what devices did log did not provide insight documented, making them hard to find, which
into how the malware was getting into the net- ultimately delayed the containment and eradica-
work. The problem? We needed more visibility. tion activities.
“With the cooperation of Gator-Grasp

‘
Fasteners, we set up a Switched Port Ana-
lyzer (SPAN) port and deployed a passive
network analyzer to collect and analyze the Network traffic revealed malware infections
traffic. Using indicators related to the identi- associated with the legacy OT systems that
fied malware, we reviewed network traffic and
quickly identified multiple potentially infect- did not have anti-virus protection; a number of
ed systems. As we expected, the network traf-
fic revealed malware infections associated with misconfigurations had allowed unauthorized

’
the legacy OT systems that did not have anti-
virus protection. Further analysis revealed
network communication.
that a number of misconfigurations existed
—which had allowed unauthorized network
communication. 2. Necessary legacy systems unable to end
“The infected systems, many of which were up protected by an anti-virus solution. The RISK
very actively searching for new systems, were team manually removed the existing malware
a good candidate for the “slow network” prob- and the systems ended up hardened from a best
lems identified during earlier interviews. Using practices standpoint. Stringent firewall rules
the collected network traffic, we ran statistics ended up deployed to prevent access to and from
on data transfer rates and quickly realized that these systems, designed to limit the reach of any
the scanning attempts were saturating legacy future compromises.
network connections with probes. With a con-
crete list of infected systems, we targeted the 3. New systems not patched or protected
population of compromised endpoints. by an anti-virus solution. These computer sys-
“Despite the widespread infection, Gator- tems ended up patched and malware protection
Grasp Fasteners had been fortunate. Review of installed.
the malware resident on each system revealed
common drive-by infections, all targeted at Best practices
stealing banking credentials. As none of the Just as in the non-ICS world, a security inci-
infected OT systems were utilized for anything dent can cause damage to brand reputation,
other than process management, it was unlikely loss of competitive advantage, legal or regula-
that further damage had occurred. The network tory non-compliance issues, considerable finan-
trouble was an unintended side effect of the cial damage, and harm to the environment and
malware’s attempts to find new systems com- community.
pounded with overly permissive firewall rules. The biggest lessons learned could be
“We provided a list of known infected systems summed up in one automation engineer’s com-
to Gator-Grasp Fasteners, which quickly began ments: “…Well, being here for over 25 years, I
rebuilding them from known good images. thought I knew all the ins and outs. I didn’t

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | DE4

 DIGITAL EDITION exclusive

NUMBERS: consider documentation very important, but in

the end, I realized, there was a lot that I didn’t
anti-virus solution or intrusion detection sys-
tem on all IT/OT systems and keep the defini-
know, and what I didn’t know ended up being a tions up-to-date.
30% of end users are
big part of the problem.”  Configure logging, monitoring and
seriously concerned The RISK team found there were multiple alerting. Centralize logging from all devices
corrective actions that Gator-Grasp Fasteners into one location and periodically review logs
about cybersecurity needed to take to shore up their detection, mit- for signs of suspicious activity such as anti-
igation, and response efforts, including: virus alerts, failed log-in attempts, or network
of wireless communications involving external systems.
communications  Perform IR planning. An IR plan is crit-  Maintain IR/disaster recovery plans. It
ical to resolving security issues by providing is essential to have well-documented and run-
devices and direction and guidance to responders. tested IR and disaster recovery (DR) plans. If
 Conduct first responder training. Train not, the response and recovery process will be
protocols in their those most likely to identify security issues disorganized, potentially incomplete, and take
about the IR Plan; educate them to collect much longer. ce
facilities. Source: information and triage immediately.
Control Engineering  Harden OT systems. Devices with
overly permissive default configurations should
2016 Cybersecurity end up reviewed and unneeded configuration Gregory Hale is the editor and founder of
options disabled, to reduce the risk of misuse. Industrial Safety and Security Source (ISS-
Study.  Patch and patch often. Develop a patch Source.com), a news and information Website
management program to properly secure assets covering safety and security issues in the manu-
More research:
www.controleng.com/CE-research and networks. Security patches fix known vul- facturing automation sector. This content orig-
nerabilities and mitigate the spread of malware. inally appeared on ISSSource.com. ISSSource
 Use anti-virus/intrusion detection sys- is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Joy
tem (IDS) protection. Install a host-based Chang, CFE Media, jchang@cfemedia.com.

eNewsletters
Control Engineering covers relevant topical articles in a variety of eNewsletters each and every month:

Energy Automation Process Instrumentation and Sensors

IIoT: Machines, Equipment and Asset Management Safety and Cybersecurity
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NEW PRODUCTS and software

Automated checkweigher system for in-motion items

Hardy Process Solutions’ Dynamic Checkweigher is a fully automated system designed
to weigh items automatically in-motion. The checkweigher controller can communicate
both upstream and downstream across the Connected Enterprise Network. Automated
control is done with an embedded programmable logic controller (PLC) while commu-
nicating with the Hardy HI 4050CW check weighing controller. The checkweigher system
can process between 20 to 350 pieces per minute. Each checkweigher has a stainless steel
base and cabinet, for maximum durability and easy washdown. Flexible and highly accu-
rate, it weighs products of virtually any shape or size in containers such as boxes, cans, bot-
tles, rigid shrink-wrapped packages, or flexible packages.
Hardy Process Solutions, www.hardysolutions.com, Input #200 at www.controleng.com/information

Touchless rotary angle sensor series

Novotechnik’s RFC4800 series of touchless rotary
angle sensors provide absolute, rotary position. They
use a magnetic pickup to provide a touchless mea-
surement range of 0 to 360 degrees and make mea-
surements through air and non-magnetic materials. A
magnetic pickup mounts to a shaft on users application
with seven size markers available for dimensional flexibility and to optimize detection
for different applications. Key specifications include ingress protection from liquids
and dust up to the IP69K standard, resolution of 14 bits, and independent linearity of
±0.5%. Versions include CANopen and IO-Link, and they have an operating tempera-
ture range of -40 to 125°C.
Novotechnik, www.novotechnik.com, Input #201 at www.controleng.com/information

Data logger for profiling

Differential measurement system for painted, powder-coated
space-limited applications products
Kaman Precision Products’ KD-5100 differential measurement system Fluke’s Datapaq EasyTrack 3 system
is designed to provide resolution to a nanometer of positional change and is a data logger designed to make pro-
can be used for applications such as night vision systems, precision tele- filing oven cure of painted and pow-
scope positioning, fast steering mirrors (FSM) for space-based and air- der-coated products easier. The data
borne applications, and image stabilization systems. Featuring a small logger has a polycarbonate casing that
package size of 2 x 2.12 x 0.75 in., the KD-5100 is designed for appli- can withstand harsh treatment and
cations where space is a limiting factor. The KD-5100 features rugged heat up to 100°C without distortion
construction, with a mean time between failures of more than 238,000 and without harm to the electronics.
hours in a space flight environment and 55,000 hours in a tactical environ- Versions with four or six thermocouple
ment. Kaman also offers a commercial version. channels are available. Data is stored in
Kaman Precision Products, www.kamansensors.com a non-volatile memory—the capacity
Input #202 at www.controleng.com/information has been tripled to up to 18,000 read-
ings per channel. Calibration certifi-
cates stored aboard the logger can be
Power supplies for automation, process control applications printed anytime. For remote diagnos-
XP Power’s DPC series of DIN rail ac/dc power supplies are available in 30, 50 tics, status data can be emailed to the
and 70 W single output models, and they accept the universal input range from 90 manufacturer’s tech support. The soft-
to 264 V ac without the need for any input selector switches. Offering all the nomi- ware includes advanced analysis func-
nal output voltages from 5 to 48 V dc, the single output can be adjusted up to 30% of tions such as rise/fall, peak difference,
stated nominal to accommodate non-standard area under curve calculation, mark-
voltage requirements or to make up for line losses. ing of up to six oven zones in the tem-
All models feature a green LED to indicate output perature graph, a probe map for high
on. The DPC series is designed for applications repeatability, saved zooms for even
such as include factory automation, process con- more comfortable reviewing and shar-
trol and other industrial applications. It uses screw ing of data, and customized profile
terminals for input and output connections. reports.
XP Power, www.xppower.com Fluke, www.fluke.com
Input #203 at www.controleng.com/information Input #204 at www.controleng.com/information

60 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

 See more products at http://gspplatform.cfemedia.com/pe.

Software package for schematic generation

Eplan’s Cogineer is software package that generates schematics automatically and
is designed to be a deployable tool for occasional users and power users alike. Expert
knowledge about configuration or variant management isn’t required. A mechatronic
rulebook and configuration interfaces can be put together without knowledge of any
high-level programming languages. Cogineer can generate complete electro-technical
documentation, which is designed to ensure error-free implementation of all defined
rules and structures, guaranteeing high quality documentation and potentially short-
ening the entire order fulfillment timeline. Cogineer is integrated into the Eplan Plat-
form, which allows users to create project data in another Eplan program and then
generate the schematics using that data in Cogineer without duplication.
Eplan, www.eplanusa.com, Input #205 at www.controleng.com/information

Surface sensing temperature measurement transmitter

Emerson’s Rosemount X-well Technology surface sensing temperature measurement
solution uses a Rosemount 3144P transmitter, designed for plants and facilities where
wired networks are already installed, or where WirelessHART has not yet been deployed.
X-well Technology works by measuring the pipe surface temperature and ambient tem-
perature, and combining this information with an understanding of the thermal con-
ductivity properties of the installation and process piping to produce an accurate process
temperature measurement. It is designed to take the measurement without process intru-
sions or penetrations, allowing for quicker and easier installation along with simplified
long-term maintenance. Wake frequency calculations are eliminated, as well as time spent
determining material compatibility, the correct insertion length, and the necessary profile.
Emerson, www.emerson.com, Input #206 at www.controleng.com/information

Combustion analyzer for hazardous conditions

The Thermox WDG-V combustion analyzer from Ametek Process
Instruments is certified for Zone 1 hazardous locations, which allows
the unit to operate in areas in which hazardous vapors and gases will
continuously be present. The analyzer offers redundancy and diag-
nostics that provide end users with digitally transmitted information
via Modbus and Ethernet that can be used to implement predictive
Ruggedized dc/dc converter and proactive asset management maintenance programs. The reliable
for harsh environments detection of low-combustion oxygen and/or high combustibles (CO)
Traco Power’s THN 15WIR fam- in a fired heater or boiler is critical to the effectiveness of burner man-
ily of ruggedized dc/dc converters are agement systems. It is IEC 61508 capable of implementation into SIL-2
designed for harsh environments and applications and is suitable for process streams up to 3200°F (1760°C).
offer increased resistance against elec- Ametek Process Instruments, www.ametekpi.com
tromagnetic interference, shock/vibra- Input #208 at www.controleng.com/information
tion, and thermal shock. They are ideal
for harsh industrial environments, rail-
way, and transportation systems. There Ceramic chip resistors with metal foil
are 27 models, and the input range sat- TT Electronics’ MFC series of metal foil chip resistors are
isfies a ±40% deviation of nominal designed for current sensing duties in power electronics appli-
required of today’s railway and transpor- cations and can be used in industrial and medical applications.
tation systems. These models feature I/O The parts are ideal for power supplies, dc/dc convertors, small
isolation of 3000 V dc and efficiency of motor drives, actuator drives, and lighting drives. The MFC
88-91% (model dependent). They have a resistors’ metal foil resistance material is bonded onto a 96%
full-load operating temperature range of alumina substrate and features a protective coating that is resis-
-40 to 75°C (up to 90°C with load derat- tant to all normal industrial cleaning solvents suitable for printed circuits.
ing), input under-voltage-lockout, short Metal foil on ceramic technology has better surge tolerance than thick-
circuit protection, remote on/off, and film, offering improved reliability in the presence of current surges. The resis-
output voltage trim. tors’ operating temperature is -55 to 155°C.
Traco Power, www.tracopower.com TT Electronics, www.ttelectronics.com
Input #207 at www.controleng.com/information Input #209 at www.controleng.com/information

www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2017 | 61

NEW PRODUCTS and software
See more products at http://gspplatform.cfemedia.com/pe.

Radar level transmitters with diagnostics and instrument verification

Endress+Hauser’s Micropilot FMR5X free-space radar and FMP5X levelflex guided radar level
transmitters feature Heartbeat Technology, which is an on-board diagnostics and instrument veri-
fication system. It is designed to continuously monitor the status of mechanical, electromechani-
cal and electronic components in the sensor, and sends alerts when it detects a problem. Heartbeat
Technology also is able to perform device verification in accordance with requirements of the phar-
maceutical, food and beverage, oil and gas, chemical and other industries. Such requirements call for
level instruments to be removed and calibrated unless in-situ verification proves the device is operat-
ing properly. Verification information, reports, diagnostics alerts and instrument data can be viewed
at the control and monitoring system, or via a web browser running on a PC, tablet, or smartphone.
Endress+Hauser, www.us.endress.com/en, Input #210 at www.controleng.com/information

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6
BACK TO BASICS motor insulation

Six tips for testing

motor insulation systems
Insulation resistance (IR) tests are useful for motor insulation systems and users should take
steps such as recording conditions and watching for factors that may have an impact on the
test to ensure maximum accuracy.

A Although there are many ways to

assess motor insulation systems, the insula-
tion resistance (IR) test remains a useful tool
for determining if a motor should be removed
from or placed into service. When conduct-
‘ Document the ambient
temperature, relative humidity,
winding temperature, and other

’
ing the test and evaluating the results, consider
these six tips. attributes in the test.
1. Discharge for safety and accuracy. Dis-
charge the winding to ground before and after 5. Watch for factors that can affect the IR
MORE IR testing. A good rule of thumb is to ground test. During the test, watch out for these four
the winding for 15 minutes or four times the test factors that can have an impact on the test and
ADVICE time, whichever is greater. its results:
KEY CONCEPTS 2. Winding configuration for testing. If
Insulation resistance (IR) tests possible, isolate and test each phase separately  Surface contamination such as oil, dust
are useful for determining whether a
motor should be removed. and ground the two phases not under test. This and salts may be conductive, causing lower
During the test, the user should allows for testing of the phase-to-phase insula- IR. Cleaning and drying the winding will
discharge for safety and accuracy and tion as well as the ground insulation. usually improve the IR.
record important test conditions. 3. Record important test conditions. Docu-
Users should also be aware of fac- ment the ambient temperature, relative humidity,  If the winding temperature is at or below
tors that might affect the IR test. dew point, winding temperature, time since ser- the dew point, moisture may accumu-
GO ONLINE vice, test voltage and connection arrangement. late on the surface, causing low IR values.
Read this story online at 4. Simple test procedure. Energize the wind- When the winding is otherwise in good
www.controleng.com and see more ing for one minute at an appropriate voltage condition, drying will resolve this issue.
tables associated with this story, as
well as links to other stories from (see Table 1) and correct the measured IR value
EASA. to 40°C by multiplying by a KT from Table 2,  Winding IR decreases when winding tem-
CONSIDER THIS
online. Most modern insulation falls under the perature increases, which is why correction
What other aspects should users “Thermosetting” category. Use the “Thermoplas- to a baseline temperature is recommended.
watch for while performing an IR test tic” values if you know it is a much older wind-
on a motor? ing with an asphaltic or shellac mica system.  Voltage magnitude and existing charge
also can affect IR, but selecting the voltage
Table 1: Recommended dc voltages from Table 1 and following proper ground-
for insulation resistance tests ing practices before testing should elimi-
nate this issue.
Winding rated voltage V(a) Insulation resistance test direct voltage (V)

<1000 500 6. Evaluate the test results. Table 3 online

shows the recommended values for the cor-
1000-2500 500-1000
rected IR. Lower values warrant further investi-
2501-5000 1000-2500 gation before the unit is placed into service. Some
5001-12000 2500-5000 machines do operate below these values. Having
historical data on-hand is valuable. ce
>12,000 5000-10,000
a: Rated line-to-line voltage for three-phase ac machines, line-to-line ground (earth) for single phase Mike Howell is a technical support specialist
machines, and rated direct voltage for dc machines or field windings.
at the Electrical Apparatus Service Association
Reference: IEEE Stds. 43, Table 1
(EASA), a CFE Media content partner. Edited by
Table 1 Guidelines for dc voltages to be applied during insulation resis- Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engi-
tance tests. Courtesy: EASA, IEEE neering, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

64 | MAY 2017 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com

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