Features

Even before summertime hits, we have already seen some good BBQ weather, with the mercury rising and letting us enjoy the great outdoors.

Great for you, but it doesn’t bode as well for your electrical equipment. At this point in the year, there probably won’t be any alarms on your cooling equipment and therefore you’re mind wanders to other important issues on your site which need more ready attention. Climate Control can wait… Right?

Wrong… in fact, the opposite is true; this is the best time of year to turn your mind to your enclosures, carry out a climate review, and start to understand what changes or improvements need to be made before it’s too late.

In a few months’ time, things will be very different.. Fans and filters won’t be cutting it if the ambient temperature is higher than you require inside your enclosures! While everything is settled down, it’s worth assessing any problem enclosures from last year and making the necessary changes, to ensure that when summer comes you are free to spend your time on tasks other than firefighting.

It’s important to remember that every degree above your set-point will be time removed from the life of your PLCs, variable speed drives and transformers. Collectively, this can easily have a replacement value that tops £100k, even in a relatively small setup. If you replace only 2% of that equipment each year because of burnt-out or damaged componentry, then the costs can quickly mount up and it’s an entirely unnecessary spend.

But it’s not just the cost of repair and replacement of the actual componentry. There are also the add-on operations costs caused by unexpected breakdown and stopping the processes it controls. This lost output will continue for as long as it takes to repair the fault and is bound to have consequences for your wider business, impacting productivity and efficiency, and thereby reducing profits.

Correct climate control is often overlooked during the installation of electronic equipment because the focus is all on the equipment, not on regulating the environment that it operates within.

This is where Rittal can help you, we are the world leaders in enclosure climate control products and pride ourselves on being your trusted advisor.

With our RiAssure service, one of our trained staff can visit you and provide a FREE Cooling Review. This review is a short visual inspection of your existing enclosures and cooling equipment; from this we can ascertain the next best step for your equipment and also provide ongoing, best practice, suggestions so that your operations benefit from increased longevity, life and profit.

So before summer arrives, reap the benefits of the optimising your climate control.

On Wednesday June 2nd Rittal is hosting a free Webinar where Karl Lycett, Rittal UK’s Climate Control Product manager will discuss this topic in more detail and answer your questions.

To sign up please visit – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6415899252477879822

For more information visit www.rittal.co.uk or to arrange a FREE Cooling Review, visit www.rittal.co.uk, call Rittal’s customer service team on 01709 704000 or E-Mail cooling@rittal.co.uk

Manufacturers of mobile concrete pumping trucks trust Contrinex’s High-Pressure sensors to monitor the piston position in the hydraulic drive cylinder. These sensors provide exceptional reliability despite the challenges of pressure cycles and high-pressure peaks, increasing longevity and efficiency and reducing maintenance costs for these concrete pump. An additional benefit is that these sensors are part of Contrinex’s Extra Distance family and so combine long operating distances despite the pressure-resistant housing.

Customer application

Concrete pumps use a double-piston pump and require two feed cylinders that pump concrete at a working pressure of up to 400 bar (5800 psi). These feed cylinders are driven by pairs of hydraulic cylinder pairs which operate in push-pull opposition. To achieve the maximum possible efficiency, the timing of this push-pull operation must be precisely coordinated. It is therefore essential to monitor the cylinder limit position with sensors that are resistant to high pressure.

The dynamic stresses on all components built into the hydraulic system are very high, due to constantly changing pressure cycles during pump operation.

Concrete pump failures are extremely costly because they can cause construction problems and stoppages and risk compromising the building being constructed. If the breakdown is due to problems in the hydraulic system, all the hydraulic oil must be drained to correct the fault. Then, after refilling and before start-up, several time-consuming de-aeration cycles must take place before the pump is fully fit for service again. This prolongs the construction stoppage.

The customer’s requirements for longevity and resistance to high peak pressures are essential to guarantee the smooth operation of such systems.

Customer solution

Contrinex High-Pressure sensors (series 500P) withstand the necessary pressure levels (peak pressure up to 1000 bar – 14500 psi) due to a patented process whereby a solid ceramic disk is built into the stainless steel housing.

These sensors are fully resistant to dynamic stresses. Patented technology ensures that all electronics, including the ferrite core and coil, are located on the unpressurised side of the housing. This results in an unusually long life under pressure cycle stresses.

To monitor cylinder limit positions in the concrete pump, two sensors are installed and connected to the control system. Due to their longevity, which is ten times greater than the market standard, maintenance costs are reduced to a minimum.

Contrinex sensors are available from PLUS Automation: www.PLUSAx.co.uk

Farnell has expanded its range of educational devices from DFRobot. DF Robot’s user-friendly open-source hardware and software tools are designed to inspire future creators by offering an introduction to electronic project design.

Farnell now stocks more than 140 products from DFRobot including a series of robotics kits and the popular Boson Starter Kit for micro:bit, which was awarded Five Stars in the 2018 Teach Primary Resource Awards:

• Robotics kits: DFRobot’s kits introduce users to robotics and programming by simulating real-world equipment and applications. The Max:Bot is a programmable entry-level DIY robot featuring motors, speakers and sensors that teaches junior students how to build a robot with direct programming and remote control operation. The Maqueen Mechanic Kit provides a hands-on introduction to functional machinery through the assembly of a robotic bulldozer and loading machine that can complete real-world tasks such as loading objects and sorting goods. For more advanced students, the 4-Soldering Light Chaser Beam Robot Kit and Insectbot Hexa teach enthusiasts how to solder electronic components while developing a basic understanding of circuits and programming to enable smart motion and obstacle avoidance.

• Boson Kits: Based on a set of easy-to-use modularised plug-and-play electronic building blocks, these kits include tutorials, course materials and free coding software that can be easily integrated with micro:bit and Arduino. The Boson Starter Kit for micro:bit is designed to teach first-time users about coding and electronics using sound and light sensors. The Boson Inventor Kit is an ideal tool for teaching STEM in schools and breaks down complicated circuits into simple, functional modules that are easy to understand. Requiring no coding or soldering, the kit also includes 12 activity cards for building interactive electronics projects with LEGO blocks. The Boson Science Kit is a set of digitalised scientific exploration tools for young scientists to build hands-on projects, The kit includes the eight scientific sensors widely used in modern Internet of Things (IoT) applications, allowing exploration of physics, chemistry and biology.

Romain Soreau, Head of SBC at Farnell, said: “DFRobot is a world leading innovator in the development of accessible and easy-to-use hardware and software tools for STEM education. Their learning kit range delivers hands-on tools that enable students to learn about new technologies in a highly creative and collaborative way. These are great additions to Farnell’s broad education offering and will help to further inspire the next generation of engineers.”

Farnell stocks a broad range of education devices that can be supplied in classes, schools and multiple-school quantities and has worked with multiple educational organisations and governments to support strategic rollouts of STEM learning solutions into the classroom. Farnell can also offer support with provision and bundling of equipment for bespoke large-scale programmes.

The DFRobot range is available from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

Paragraf has introduced the GHS-C Graphene Hall Sensor (GHS), providing the industry’s only viable approach to measuring magnetic field strengths of 7 Tesla (T) and above, at temperature extremes below 3 Kelvin (K).

Paragraf has entered volume production of the GHS-C, a Graphene based Hall sensor optimised to provide high field measurements while operating at cryogenic temperatures. It achieves this while dissipating virtually no heat. The cryogenic sensor also allows measurements directly in cold bore, removing the need for room temperature inserts, giving quality data and time savings.

The GHS-C is the only Hall sensor now in volume production that can offer this level of performance at temperatures below 3 K. The underlying technology is capable of operating at temperatures even lower, with no loss of performance. This is made possible by the lack of any planar Hall effect in graphene, a unique feature that Paragraf has harnessed.

This is the latest example of Paragraf’s capabilities and builds on previous product developments. The GHS-C uses graphene optimised and tuned for high field applications, including super-conduction, quantum computing, high-energy physics, low-temperature physics, fusion and space. In addition, as the next generation of particle accelerators rely on magnets that generate field strengths more than 16 T, the GHS-C is already drawing interest from leaders in this field.

“When looking for high sensitivity, one of the biggest challenges that researchers and engineers working at very low temperatures face is the instability caused by the heat dissipated by conventional sensors,” commented Ellie Galanis, Product Owner at Paragraf. “This is particularly relevant when working in cryogenic applications, such as quantum computing. Our GHS-C dissipates nW of heat rather than mWs. This has a much smaller impact on the apparatus, allowing researchers to make accurate and repeatable measurements.”

The GHS-C is now in volume production and is being supplied in the industry-standard LCC 20 package, making it a drop-in replacement for existing Hall sensors, continuing our work in supporting cryogenic equipment manufacturers and quantum computing research worldwide.

The new Fluke ii910 Precision Acoustic Imager uniquely enables the detection of corona and partial discharge from a safe distance of up to 120 meters. Teams can operate safely, minimise the risk of fires and help reduce outages. The Fluke ii910 also offers greater sensitivity to detect compressed air, gas, and vacuum system leaks, reducing downtime which can cost up to EUR 1000,- per minute.

Regular routines – no training required

Electrical discharge detection or leak checking can be carried out as part of a regular maintenance routine. The handheld imager enables users to quickly, and visually, pinpoint the location of faults from a safe distance and record data for later analysis. Even small, low-pressure or low-density leaks are now detected easily. The rugged ii910’s intuitive operation means no training is required – it is simple to learn and easy to use. The straightforward, intuitive interface allows technicians to isolate the sound frequency of the leak and filter out background noise in even the noisiest environments.

Fast and visual leak and discharge detection

The rugged, handheld casing of the Fluke ii910 has a seven-inch LCD touchscreen which overlays a SoundMap on a visual image for rapid identification of discharge or leaks between frequencies of 2-100 kHZ. The array of integral microphones converts ultrasound signals into clear visual images on the backlit touchscreen. Captured data can be transferred via an integral USB-C socket directly to a PC. From here, the data can be uploaded to the Machine Learning PDQ Mode Reporting Platform. This will provide the most important partial discharge insights, including partial discharge type identification. The ii910 provides video recording of up to 5 minutes and has a battery life of at least 6 hours.

Power generation, production or maintenance added value

Fluke’s innovative SoundSight technology now enables corona and partial discharge to be easily located. For technicians working with high voltages in power generation and transmission and with industrial high voltage equipment, the Fluke ii910 provides more sophisticated detection than standard ultrasonic tools while offering the visual performance of more expensive UV cameras. It detects, locates and provides visual reporting and severity assessment of corona and partial discharges. Technicians in production locations can isolate the sound frequency of the leak and filter out background noise in even the noisiest environments. Industrial maintenance technicians can identify leaks at a safe distance considerably faster than using traditional diagnostic methods, even during peak production periods.

For more information about the new Fluke ii910 Precision Industrial Imager, please visit www.fluke.com

Following the concerns bought about by the Covid pandemic, over half of manufacturers now have their sights set on digital transformation initiatives to enhance their operational performance, according to research from InfinityQS. The company’s 2021 Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey reveals that 52% of respondents have already, or are exploring the option of adopting a digital transformation initiative, with advanced analytics (24%) as their top priority.

This growth in the number of manufacturers looking to enhance their manufacturing operations by leveraging digital transformation comes after a challenging year for the industry, which has seen many putting their strategic agendas on hold while they contend with unprecedented operational challenges, as well as market volatility and economic uncertainty.

Jason Chester, Director of Global Channel Programs at InfinityQS comments: “One thing that the pandemic did was expose significant and often widespread operational weaknesses within incumbent manufacturing environments. It brought into sharp relief where legacy systems and outdated processes exacerbated the problems that manufacturers faced alongside new challenges such as the rapid shift to remote working, and supply chain disruption.”

Jason continues: “Prioritising digital transformation initiatives is the key in helping to address these new challenges. Data for example, is a great way for manufacturers to increase visibility into their operations as it can provide important insights into each stage of the production process. These valuable insights can then be leveraged to help make more informed and tactical decisions to secure long-term resilience and growth.”

In addition to advanced analytics, the other most popular technologies on the priority list include Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and cloud computing.

Jason explains: “It’s understandable to see IIoT and cloud computing also being top of the agenda. Manufacturers want to leverage real-time data to make proactive decisions which can maximise performance, respond to fluctuations in demand, ensure flexible operations, and even build resilience for future “black-swan” events -all while maintaining high levels of product quality and safety.”

“For manufacturers to stay ahead of competition and remain at the top of their industry they need to constantly adapt to their environment by making tactical digital investments. It is great to see the majority are rebounding from the pandemic and embracing digital transformation to increase their agility and maintain competitive edge, as companies that do are better equipped to improve their operations at a faster speed and even anticipate changes before they occur.” Jason concluded.

Dewesoft are pleased to announce that all of their DAQ systems delivered after 1 June 2021 will be covered by a 7-year warranty.

During the 7-year warranty period, Dewesoft guarantee to keep your equipment in working order by repairing or replacing it. The Dewesoft 7-year warranty is valid worldwide, no matter where the equipment is located.

There are no hidden service costs or maintenance fees.

The only requirement is that the system be sent annually for calibration and check-up to an authorised Dewesoft calibration and service centre.

Products that were delivered before 1 June 2021, but less than seven years ago, can also be covered by this warranty, upon payment of 1% of the system’s original invoice amount per year of service, and upon sending it to an authorised Dewesoft service center for paid calibration and maintenance. No-cost repairs or replacement makes the process fast and convenient. Reduced downtime means increased productivity.

All Dewesoft DAQ systems come with award-winning DewesoftX software. DewesoftX software is constantly being improved with new features and functionalities. Software updates and improvements are also free.

More details are available at: https://dewesoft.com/products/services/warranty

A drinks producer needs to conduct a final inspection check of cases of bottles after the lid of the corrugated cardboard case has been closed and sealed. A bottle count is performed by verifying the position of bottle caps through layers of cardboard at the top of each sealed case.

Customer Application

Bottles that are packed into corrugated cardboard cases require both the verification of the placement and number of bottles in the case, ideally after they have had their lids hot-glued closed. A concern is that a bottle can break on impact with the bottom of the case, contaminating the machinery and subsequent packages. Bottles can also be absent or wrongly positioned or a cap might be missing from a bottle.

Whilst a vision system could be used, this would need to be done before the lid of the case is closed, whereas verification of the closed case would be preferable.

The absence of a bottle cap in a specified position is a good indicator of a missing or shattered bottle and so the challenge is, therefore, to detect bottle caps through multiple layers of corrugated cardboard material of varying thickness and density.

Customer Solution

Contrinex’s rugged Extra-Distance inductive sensors from the ‘500 Series’ are ideal for this application, being robust and accurate. These highly reliable, IP67 rated, M30-diameter sensors have a chrome-plated brass body with a PBTP sensing face and vacuum-encapsulated electronics. Well suited to operating in a hostile environment, the 3x sensing distance of 22mm enables fully contactless operation in this relatively high-speed packaging process.

A sensor array is placed over the conveyor and travel path of the cardboard cases. For each lane of bottles in a case, an M30 diameter inductive sensor is mounted on the array. A non-embeddable sensor is chosen as it most closely equates to the size of the bottle cap and yields the greatest sensing distance for the available target area and is sufficient to allow for minor variations in the height of the case as it passes under the sensor bridge. This not only ensures reliable sensing but also keeps the sensor at a safe distance from any impact, avoiding consequent downtime, with the sensors interfaced with a controller that makes the logical decision to accept the package or reject and divert it.

Discover Contrinex sensors at PLUS Automation: www.PLUSAx.co.uk

 Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) has announced its expanded portfolio of battery management system (BMS) products including ASIL-D functional safety and innovative new low-power features to enable continuous battery monitoring. These new devices further differentiate ADI’s BMS platform that today delivers the industry’s best proven accuracy, and supports all key battery chemistries—including zero-Cobalt LFP (lithium iron phosphate)—for mass market electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS) used for reuse and recycling of battery packs.

Sales of full EVs continue to accelerate as consumers increasingly move to greener transportation and governments act to create a more sustainable future. Automakers are challenged to scale their EV fleets economically, while also staying ahead of evolving safety requirements across the world. Furthermore, to ensure maximum range per charge, the vehicle power consumption must be managed not only during driving, but also when the vehicle is parked. ADI’s newest BMS products support multiple battery cell configurations and deliver innovative low-power features that enable the battery to be monitored continuously even when the vehicle is turned off to ensure safety under all conditions while maximising vehicle range.

“Collaborating with Analog Devices has allowed us to scale our electric vehicle range to meet increasingly strict regulations and the growing demands of today’s EV owners,” said Zhu Jun, General Manager of New Energy Business at SAIC. “These new BMS solutions will enable us to advance our commitment to safety and at the same time continue to make EVs accessible for mass market consumers.”

As EVs become mainstream in the market, requirements for BMS are growing.  Receiving the ASIL-D rating signifies the new BMS solutions meet the highest possible standards for road vehicle functional safety required by regulatory agencies across the world.

“Our customers have come to rely on ADI as the performance leader for BMS, especially as they are challenged to scale their EV fleets and stay ahead of new market requirements,” said Patrick Morgan, Vice President of Automotive at Analog Devices. “Our latest BMS products not only enable new features such as continuous battery monitoring, but also support battery recycling and reuse in energy storage systems to support the circular economy.”

Key Features and Benefits

ADI’s BMS products are optimised for 6-18 cell modules and offer a range of features including low-power continuous battery monitoring, state-of-the-art functional safety, and the world’s best accuracy guaranteed across the entire vehicle lifetime and device temperature range.

• Visit the product pages to learn more about the new BMS solutions: analog.com/adbms6815; www.analog.com/adbms6817
• To learn more about Analog Devices’ BMS solutions for electric vehicles please visit: analog.com/electrification