Plant Engineering - Magazine - Jan 2018, Feb 2018 PDF

2017 Salary Survey: It’s the (lack of) workers 33
PlantEngineering.com
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
SOLUTIONS
Cover Story
21 | Welding doesn’t need to be a pain
in the neck
21 Cover image courtesy: Bernard
INSIGHTS
5 | Four steps to success with a system 24 | Building a new dimension for
integrator automated warehouses
8 | Four trends in VFD management 26 | Planning for expansion
10 | HVAC systems now run by the
28 | Narrowing the field for surge
numbers
protection
12 | Software is a future supply chain link
30 | Take a two-pronged approach
13 | Notable to data-driven maintenance
• IHS cites 8 technology trends to watch in ‘18
• John Glenski named to Editorial
Advisory Board SPECIAL REPORT
• SIs head to SF for CSIA Conference
33 | 2017 Salary Survey
14 | Step-by-step to Industrie 4.0
16 | Cybersecurity: Have a game plan INNOVATIONS

43 | Gain lubrication insight by looking
Editor’s Insight a little deeper
17 | Time to spend on our ‘other’ aging asset 46 | New Products for Engineers
PLANT ENGINEERING (ISSN 0032-082X, Vol. 72, No. 1, GST #123397457) is published 10x per year, monthly except in January and July, by CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325, Downers Grove, IL
60515. Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher /Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/Co-Founder. PLANT ENGINEERING copyright 2017 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved. PLANT ENGINEERING is a registered trademark of CFE Media,
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www.plantengineering.com PLANT ENGINEERING January/February 2018 • 3

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INSIGHTS
By Nobuyuki Tamaki, Yokogawa Electric Corp.
Four steps to success INSIDE

with a system integrator
A structured approach yields maximum value
when engaging an integration partner
E
mploying a system integrator or industry best practices indicate 98%
the system integration division uptime, then your company must rise
of an automation supplier can to the challenge if you don’t currently
help manufacturers improve meet this benchmark.
HVAC systems now run
their operational structure. To ensure A system integrator partner can assist by the numbers
a better chance at success, the integra- in this area if they have the required
tion needs to start with a methodology domain knowledge and ample indus- AHR Expo draws
for continuous value creation to mini-
mize expenditures and risk, and to speed
try experience. Engaging an integrator
expert in power generation to identify 10 record crowd as focus
turns to sensors and
implementation. the challenges faced by a refinery nor-
analytics.
There are four steps to this process: mally will not result in success.
Instead, it’s better to look for an inte-
STEP 1: Identify grator with extensive expertise in your
You need to understand the challenges processes and plants, and to require the
facing your plant, facility, or company integrator to demonstrate where they Notable
to define potential areas for improve- have succeeded while working in situ-
ment through collaboration and co-
innovation with a system integrator
ations similar to your own.
References need to be provided and 13 A collection of news
and other fun items
partner. Examples of common issues verified, preferably with a phone call
include: or a plant visit.
• Unable to operate as planned due
to lack of experienced operators STEP 2: Create Step-by-step to
and staff and implement
Domain knowledge on the part of a Industrie 4.0
• Differences between production system integrator partner again is criti-
planning and actual performance cal because they must understand your Maturity Index helps
plant and its processes to design and
• Inconsistency in final product qual-
ity, even when using the same mate-
deploy solutions.
Here are some solutions often applied
14 manufacturer create
a roadmap for the
rials and workflow to solve process plant problems: future.
• Monitor production performance
• Customer complaints regarding (planning vs. estimate vs. actual)
quality, even when the products remotely through vendor consul-
passed all criteria for delivery tants to provide periodic reviews
• Need to maximize production while

and recommendations for correc-
tive action
“Cybersecurity is
a complex issue
minimizing energy use.
Although your personnel usually can

• Support recommendations with
consultation during implementation 16 that requires a
flexible, evolving,
identify some of the challenges faced
internally, a complete analysis requires • Give advice when modifying pro- multifaceted
looking at competitors. For example, if duction planning caused by external
approach. ”
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INSIGHTS “ No matter how
system integration
services are
factors such as general economic conditions, STEP 3: Operate labeled by
demand, and performance of the produc- With the integration in place, the
tion units next step is to operate the plant suppliers, the most
according to plan. Since no amount
• Integrate multiple process values influencing of expertise in Step 2 will produce important factors
product quality into one value to simplify a perfect solution, expect some
monitoring by threshold management issues to crop up in the first few for success of your
months of operation.
• Identify differences in batch patterns by Most plants don’t produce the
project are always
comparing data for each batch, extracting same product at the same rate at domain knowledge
feature value, and creating a management all times because production sched-
index to detect different patterns ules change in response to market and industry
• Use advanced process control to optimize
production
demands. As production changes,
issues can arise which were not
evident in creation. Other required
experience.
”
changes to production systems are common to
• Provide a clear view of product quality in real deal with issues such as changing feedstocks and
time by implementing a soft sensor created varying energy prices.
by using inferred data. To deal with any changes, keep the system inte-
grator partner engaged for a few months after ini-
If the system integrator has solved similar tial implementation to assure optimal operation,
problems elsewhere, this experience and exper- and to train your company’s employees so they
tise can be transferred to address your company’s can execute the next step effectively.
issues. This shortens the learning curve, and
prevents your company from making the same STEP 4: Sustain and improve
mistakes made by others when addressing these This step is primarily carried out by internal per-
types of issues. sonnel, but the system integrator partner should
remain available to provide assistance and main-
The four steps to create a cost-effective tain the value generation cycle.
and valuable methodology. Image courtesy: The training program implemented as part of
Yokogawa Electric Corp. Step 3 is critical to sustaining success and making
ongoing improvements. Plant per-
sonnel must be very familiar with the
recently completed project so they
can implement Step 4 correctly, and
having an outside resource close at
hand in the form of the system inte-
grator used in Steps 1-3 is critical.
No matter how system integration

services are labeled by suppliers, the
most important factors for success
of your project are always domain
knowledge and industry experience.
The more your system integrator
knows about your processes and
plants, the better the solution. PE
Nobuyuki Tamaki is the gen-

eral manager for the marketing and
planning department of the business
administration division for the pre-
mium solutions & service business
headquarters of Yokogawa Electric
Corp.

INSIGHTS
By Joel Kahn, Lenze Americas
Four trends in VFD management

Variable frequency drive advances enable users to do more with less
T
he demand for efficient motor controls option that matches the upper-level controller choice
due to rising energy prices and a trend for each customer.
toward energy efficiency has resulted in VFDs constructed specifically for flexible integra-
a growing demand for variable frequency tion usually consist of a single basic inverter with
drives (VFDs). The market for VFDs is expected to control or networking modules that can be selected
increase at a rate of 5.94% (CAGR) in the next three at will.
years, so it’s not surprising manufacturers are invest-
ing in state-of-the-art VFD technology. 3. Modular memory
The latest advances in VFD software and hard- Gone are the days when technicians would have to
ware tackle common problems original equipment go into the keypad to program a replacement VFD.
manufacturers (OEMs), system integrators, and Soon, having to use a PC or even just a USB stick
manufacturers have been wrestling with for years: to transfer the configuration to a replacement drive
enabling teams to do more—faster and easier—with will be a thing of the past.
fewer resources. Today, drives with removable, modular, nonvola-
tile memory make maintenance quick and easy. They
1. Wireless diagnostics eliminate the need to connect additional hardware.
Wireless diagnostics represent the future of VFDs If a piece goes bad, device replacement is as simple
whether it’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or something else as taking the memory module out of the old drive
entirely. In a typical plant where access to a drive and putting it into a new one.
in a closed enclosure may be limited, engineers can
connect directly to the system from a distance using
the wireless signal built into the drive.
Online software enables engineers to view and
“ The market for VFDs is
expected to increase at
diagnose problems without touching the drive or
its enclosure. a rate of 5.94% (CAGR)
2. Flexible integration in the next three years,
VFDs with flexible integration allow engineers to so it’s not surprising
solve for the application challenge once and then
interface to an upper-level programmable logic manufacturers are
controller (PLC) of choice. investing in state-of-the-
”
For example, say an OEM is selling a given
machine to customers both domestically and abroad. art VFD technology.
Regional trends in PLC
preference are not an
obstacle for machine
integration. The OEM
can take a drive with
multiple communi-
cation options, solve
the machine applica-
tion once, and pick the
Typical applications for variable fre-

quency drives (VFDs) include pumps,
fans, conveyors, formers, winders, trav-
eling drives, winders, and tool and hoist
drives. Image courtesy: Lenze Americas
8 • January/February 2018 PLANT ENGINEERING www.plantengineering.com

4. Predictive maintenance
Manufacturers are gathering massive amounts of data
from their machinery and manipulating it into busi-
M More
INSIGHTS
ness intelligence that drives predictive maintenance. Search for these additional articles on VFDs by headline at
The Internet of Things (IoT), a global trend in
plantengineering.com.
every industry, has had an impact on VFDs by speed-
ing and simplifying the flow of information from
machine to technician and back again. As such, Preventing VFD faults and failures
manufacturers are making changes to everything Following these best practices can help prevent voltage drops,
from their machines to their information technology overload trips, and other common VFD faults and serious
(IT) departments to facilitate the collection, analysis,
failures before they occur.
and application of drive data.
From a hardware perspective, teams are moving Six ways VFDs can improve motion control applications
away from serial and toward Ethernet as the network
of choice. Basic IT departments are familiar with Eth- Inverter and variable motor control technologies are being used
ernet switches, hubs, and routers, resulting in a more to solve application challenges and improve efficiency and cost-
seamless integration when it comes to data transfer. effectiveness in unexpected ways.
Complex communication strategies are requiring
modern VFDs to report lifetime counters, produc- Motor drive upgrades boost industrial plant performance
tion rates, downtimes, power output, and more for Today’s motor drive technologies offer virtually limitless design
better real-time decision making. PE
possibilities. Motion control offers a means to an end for OEM
Joel Kahn is a product manager for inverters at plant managers, integrators, and design engineers engaged in
Lenze Americas. demanding automation and production lines.
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INSIGHTS
By Bob Vavra, CFE Media
HVAC systems run by the numbers

AHR Expo draws record crowd as focus turns to sensors and analytics
T
he world of
big sheets
of m e t a l i s
merging with
the world of small sen-
sors. As the heating and
air conditioning world
met in Chicago for the
annual AHR Expo Jan.
22 to 24, the talk cen-
tered on how to run
the massive industrial
HVAC systems more
efficiently.
The 2018 event kicks
off the industrial trade
show season and if AHR
attendance is any indica-
tion, this year is going
to be an active one for
manufacturing suppli-
ers and their custom-
ers. Despite the typically
unpredictable Chicago
winter weather (the show opened with 55oF and The 2018 AHR Expo in Chicago broke atten-
rain and devolved into 28oF and ice by the third dance records on Jan. 22 to 24 and put the
day), show promoters said the event broke all latest in efficiency technology on display.
attendance and exhibitor records. Image courtesy: AHR Expo
This gave companies looking to showcase the
latest in HVAC technology and how that tech-
nology increasingly is connecting to Industrial van der Weerd in a press release.“These advance-
Internet of Things (IIoT) analytic tools. While ments deliver accelerated value for our customers
the HVAC market always has been a data-driven through energy savings, not only with the pumps
discipline—including everything from tempera- but throughout the entire HVAC system.”
ture controls to motor vibration—the data now Getting system managers to use the technology
is being repackaged and synthesized to allow for is seen as a challenge. After reviewing a year’s
better decision-making by operators and earlier worth of HVAC operating data, Armstrong
maintenance. research found 31% of chilled water pumps and
Toronto-based Armstrong Fluid Technology 62% of condenser pumps had the digital controls
is offering a performance management service switched off or disabled. The company estimated
with new pump purchases through December the estimated efficiency loss—not including the
2018. Owners and end users can sign up for the impact of reduced chiller efficiency—is 27%.
introductory offer as an integral part of the war- Fremont, Calif.,-based Delta Products Corp.
ranty registration. also has both a Modbus and Wi-Fi-enabled
“Technology now looks beyond energy savings power metering system. The cloud-connected
to provide a comprehensive view of HVAC per- pump panel enables remote monitoring and data
formance management,” said Armstrong CEO Lex access. PE

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INSIGHTS
Software is a future supply chain link
M
anaging risk and speed in an evolving (TMS) then grabs the associated transport orders
manufacturing process requires a stra- and creates optimized plans of how shipments
tegic approach, and it will require a should be routed in the coming days. Eventually,
new generation of software to manage these plans are executed.
that strategy. Steve Banker, vice president of supply Now there is the possibility of taking all planned
chain management for ARC Advisory Group, recently manufacturing and transport moves and sending
released a study discussing the latest software trends them to a SNEW engine with predictive ETA capa-
in supply chain management. He talked about those bilities. The engine can view origins, routes, and
findings, and their future implications, with Plant destinations and predict that certain inbound raw
Engineering content manager Bob Vavra: material loads or outbound finished goods won’t
arrive on time because of things like road construc-
Plant Engineering (PE): In your research tion, a very large sporting event, or weather.
discussing the next wave of supply chain software A large manufacturer might send thousands of
planning, you describe a “new supply chain plan- shipments for a planning horizon and perhaps only
ning technology wave.” Where are the opportunities 1% or 2% are flagged as being at risk. The supply
in supply chain planning to improve, and how will planning and TMS solutions can then dynamically
better data help that take place? reoptimize those production schedules and loads.
What do manufacturers need to do to get ready
Banker: SNEW data—social media, news, for this? Basically, stay tuned. This is vision; there
event, and weather data—has great potential to are no customer references for this type of solution
improve supply chain capabilities in three ways: yet. This type of solution is being actively devel-
improved forecasting, risk detection and response, oped, however.
and dynamic optimization.
The solution is already proven in terms of PE: “Machine learning” is another buzz word right
enabling enhanced supply chain resiliency capa- now. How will supply chains and manufacturing lines
bilities. In the other areas, leading supply chain work together as this technology begins to roll out?
software suppliers have interesting product devel-
opment in this area. Banker: Machine learning is a great technology
to improve the predictive and scheduling capabili-
PE: What are the implications for manufacturers ties of Big Data sets. SNEW is a Big Data set. In
and suppliers in a faster supply chain? More impor- short, Big Data and machine learning are partners
tantly, are manufacturers ready to respond to it? in exploiting the new capabilities that are being
visualized. Artificial intelligence and machine
Banker: The planning-to-execution handoffs learning are also being used to make implemen-
can be better optimized. For example, a supply tation easier, risk management more proactive,
planning solution grabs orders and creates opti- and also improve the usability of these solutions.
mized plans of which plants should But again, in most cases, these new capabili-
make products for which customers. ties have not yet been baked into the standard
A transportation management system products. PE
“ Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also being

used to make implementation easier, risk management
more proactive, and also improve the usability of these
(supply chain) solutions.
” Steve Banker, ARC Advisory Group

NOTABLE
By Bob Vavra, CFE Media A collection of news and other fun items
IHS cites 8 technology John Glenski named to

trends to watch in ‘18 Editorial Advisory Board
A new report from IHS Markit cites eight major trends in John Glenski, president of Automation Plus in Cincinnati has joined
technology for 2018 that will impact operations and supply Plant Engineering’s Editorial Advisory Board effective Jan. 1, 2018.
chain for the next decade. Glenski is responsible for daily management and technical quality
“Technology industries have both enabled and benefitted of all Automation Plus business operations, involved in all aspects
from digitization for the better part of the last 50 years,” IHS of the firm, including operations, sales, marketing, time to market,
Markit officials said in the report. “While the idea of digiti- process improvement, customer service, and client satisfaction.
zation is not new, what we are now seeing is a new wave of Automation Plus is now the second largest system integrator in the
transformative technologies with the potential to significantly region, and the winner of the 2018 CFE Media System Integrator of
impact the world around us.” the Year award. The firm also was selected as a finalist for the 2017
According to IHS, the eight technologies to watch in 2018 are: Best Places to work in Cincinnati by the Cincinnati Business Courier.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) • IoT Glenski is responsible for multinational accounts, organizational
• Cloud • Connectivity deployment and revenue generation, and has helped diversify the
• Blockchain • Machine vision account from solely automation to engineering and construction
• Ubiquitous video • Robots and drones. services.
“John’s expertise in helping manufactur-
“While AI, IoT, machine vision, robotics, and the cloud are ers add new technology will be invaluable to
not really new technologies, they are coming together in new Plant Engineering’s audience as they tackle
and powerful ways and fundamentally changing businesses, these issues in their own plants,” said Plant
fueling innovation, disrupting industries, and creating both Engineering content manager Bob Vavra.
threats and opportunities for all,” IHS officials said. “System integrators are an important part
Among the other comments on specific technologies: of manufacturing’s growth in recent years,
On artificial intelligence: “AI is being implemented in two and their voice will be well-represented by
ways: device and cloud-based. Both approaches have advantages John’s industry knowledge.” PE
and disadvantages. Cloud AI has more computing power to
analyze data as it utilizes deep learning algorithms, but there John Glenski
are potential issues around privacy, latency, and stability.” President, Automation Plus
On the Internet of Things (IoT)
“IHS Markit has identified four stages of IoT adoption and
implementation:
1. Connect—embedding connectivity and processing capa- SIs head to SF
bilities into devices
2. Collect—adding sensors and storage that enables devices for CSIA conference
to gather data on their surrounding environment More than 500 control system integrators and industry suppliers
3. Compute—processing and analyzing large amounts of will gather in San Francisco on April 24-27 for the Control System
data generated by IoT devices Integrators Association (CSIA) 2018 Executive Conference.
4. Create—monetizing the IoT or creating unique solutions Themed “Growth Through Innovation and Sound Business Prac-
through access to transformational data. tices,” the 2018 conference offers a dual track approach focused
on taking the next step in transformative business models while
“The global installed base of IoT devices will rise from 27 maximizing growth by utilizing CSIA Best Practices.
billion in 2017 to 73 billion in 2025, IHS Markit forecasts show. Economist Alan Beaulieu, president of ITR Economics, will open
Accelerating IoT growth in 2018 and movement through this the conference with his latest economic outlook for manufacturing.
four-stage IoT evolution will be the confluence of enhanced CSIA will offer a two-day training workshop on best practices
connectivity options with edge computing and cloud analytics.” implementation just prior to the conference, on Monday, April 23,
On robots and drones: “The global market for robots and and Tuesday, April 24. Those attending the conference will have
drones will grow to $3.9 billion in 2018. Beyond that number, opportunities for networking, including the annual industry expo,
however, the deeper underpinnings of the story lie in the disrup- awards banquet, and a closing reception. The CSIA Fun Run/Walk
tive potential of robots and drones to transform longstanding will be held again this year, along with other special events and tours
business models in manufacturing and industry, impacting of the San Francisco area.
critical areas such as logistics, material picking and handling, Details about the event and registration can be found on the CSIA
navigational autonomy, and delivery.” 2018 Executive Conference website. For more information, go to
IHS Markit is a CFE Media content partner. PE www.controlsys.org. PE

INSIGHTS
By Dr. Bertolt Gärtner, TÜV SÜD ATISAE
Step-by-step to Industrie 4.0

Maturity Index helps manufacturer create a roadmap for the future
A
lthough they know about the advantages 4. Culture: value system within the company,
of self-organizing production, European e.g., employees’ willingness to review and
companies lag behind in comparison adapt their behavior in response to changes.
with companies internationally. The
reason for this in Germany is the tendency to The procedure is structured in three phases:
reorganize the complete production right from the • Phase 1 Review of current situation: Based on a
start instead of aiming for a goal in small steps and questionnaire, a site tour, and expert workshops,
with individual pilot projects. In addition, there is the company’s maturity stage is assessed in the
uncertainty about the best software and to which five functional areas: development, production,
standards the companies should adhere. logistics, services, marketing, and sales.
In order to provide guidance, the Deutsche
Akademie der Technikwissenschaften (acatech) • Phase 2 Target definition: Based on an as-is
developed the Industrie 4.0 Maturity Index. Lead- analysis, company-specific strategic development
ing German universities and industry partners, targets are defined. A gap analysis shows the
among them TÜV SÜD, participated. As a mul- differences between the target and current situa-
tidimensional maturity model, the index not only tion and highlights in which fields the company
assesses the status quo of digital transformation, needs to take action in order to meet their target.
it also helps to create individual roadmaps and to
prioritize measures on the road to Production 4.0. • Phase 3 Roadmap: Subsequently, specific mea-
The Maturity Index is especially suitable for small sures are derived. Using an indicator system and
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that quickly a cost-benefit matrix, experts evaluate which
want to become viable for the future. measures are particularly suited to increase
the company’s maturity stage. Those are then
Digital transformation included in the roadmap.
across all divisions
The Maturity Index is based on an extended Pilot project shows potential
understanding of Industrie 4.0 matters relating The successful implementation of a roadmap is
to technology. In order to benefit from new tech- shown in the example of a supplier for energy and
nologies, companies need to adjust their organi- signal technology. With more than 4,000 employ-
zational structures as well as their culture. The ees at several manufacturing facilities, the com-
goal is an agile company that is able to respond pany manufactures industrial connectors, device
to changes in its surroundings by means of fast, connection technology, and network components
information-based decisions. The Maturity Index used for automation. The product range comprises
helps companies to achieve this. For this purpose, radio-frequency identification (RFID) solutions.
the Maturity Index takes into consideration four The company’s high affinity to information tech-
structural areas: nologies is already apparent.
The internal Industrie 4.0 project group regularly
1. Resources: workforce and their compe- implements new use cases. The realization of the
tencies, machinery and equipment, tools, Industrie 4.0 Maturity Index was easy: the produc-
products tion situation was evaluated in only four days. As
expected, a high maturity stage was determined.
2. Information systems: socio-technical sys- The supplier set up a pilot project where differ-
tems in which information is provided and ent die cutters spread over all company sites were
processed by both people and information equipped with structure-borne sound in order to
and communication technology be able to measure vibrations. Conditions were
monitored precisely and the systems maintained as
3. Organizational structure: rules and struc- required. The measured data provide information
tures guiding the relationships within the on when a cutter is worn out and the components
company as well as externally are cut outside the tolerance range.

This process was locally monitored until the pilot device connection technology, and network com-
project began. The linking and analysis of the data ponents, as well as RFID solutions, competitive
in real time allowed the comparison of the targeted in the future. But there is still a risk factor that
optimizations across production lines. This meant applies to all companies that take the plunge
the best maintenance measures generally were rolled towards Industrie 4.0: they rely on data provided
out and further monitored. by the sensor and component manufacturers.
The roadmap comprised more than 30 measures There should always be two redundant com-
which identified where the monitored systems could munication paths for data-dependent production
be improved. Delivery reliability and production because when data is communicated without pro-
flexibility also were further improved. In the past, tection, it can be manipulated. IT security thus
establishment of a project group and the identifi- must become an integral part of all Industrie 4.0
cation of such projects often took several months. developments—for example, the security standard
With the Maturity Index, it was possible to select IEC 62443 for industrial automation and control
and evaluate projects much faster. systems.
Projects and use cases were implemented sig- As one of the first providers, TÜV SÜD intro-
nificantly earlier, and their benefits were assessed duced the respective certification. Experts analyze
faster and more precisely. Plant leadership received control and guide systems with regard to poten-
an information base they could use to decide whether tial weaknesses and develop effective protective
the implementation within the complete production measures that ensure system integrity. Because
made sense or not. Industrie 4.0 can only work with IT Security 4.0. PE
Industrie 4.0 only with IT-Security 4.0 Dr. Bertolt Gärtner is president and CEO of TÜV
The capability to take fast and precise decisions is SÜD ATISAE and an Industrie 4.0 implementation
a prerequisite to keep their industrial connectors, expert based in Spain.
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INSIGHTS
By Will Aja, Panacea Technologies
Cybersecurity: Have a game plan

A proactive approach to system management requires diligence, flexibility
C
ybersecurity is a hot topic in manufac- an adverse incident occurs it is too late to avoid
turing, and for good reason. In the past potentially large losses.
year we have seen several large scale The feedback we have received from manufac-
malware attacks that crippled manufacturers is that many don’t know how vulnerable
turers across multiple industries globally. Attacks they are. They have firewalls, air-gapped manu-
that began in Europe quickly made their way facturing networks, and demilitarized zones but
here, and vice versa. Some manufacturers had to many manufacturers in the most recent attacks
resort to cutting their enterprise networks and had these in place and still were affected. Most
using personal email accounts and cell phones cybersecurity presentations don’t have an easy
to continue operations. Every day it seems there to follow transition from defining risks and dis-
is another alert on a new vulnerability found in covering the value of security through providing
some piece of automation hardware or software. actionable items to help bridge the gap. Instead
If it sounds scary, that’s because it is. Cyberat- many demonstrations end with sales pitches on
tacks feel like a far-off concept even when they hit cybersecurity vaporware or difficult to under-
close to home, but that’s because for many of us stand audit processes.
the effects are intangible. A major pharmaceuti- Not all of the platforms are vaporware and
cal company having some computers attacked, or not every assessment is unnecessary, though.
attacks on power grids overseas doesn’t feel like it There are companies on the leading edge that
poses a threat to everyday life. That’s because the have top-notch security assessments and cyber-
attacks haven’t hit home in a way that matters, yet. security platforms but it is important to not fall
Focusing on and allocating resources to cyber- victim to FUD (fear uncertainty doubt) tactics
security is very similar to focusing on safety. We that provide a report of no value or a platform
have all heard of scenarios where safety precau- that can’t deliver on previous promises.
tions weren’t implemented because management Cybersecurity is a complex issue that requires a
didn’t see the value until they were hit with a flexible, evolving, multifaceted approach. It isn’t
hefty fine from OSHA due to an accident. Once as simple as a single product or set of standards.
Every scenario presents a unique challenge and
M More
SOLUTIONS
corresponding solution.
Legacy migration
Search for these additional articles on cybersecurity by by headline at Legacy migrations can strengthen security imme-
plantengineering.com. diately. Legacy automation equipment poses a
variety of issues and dangers on any manufactur-
IIoT Webcast poll: Cybersecurity a significant issue ing network.
For starters, most manufacturers discontinue
Cybersecurity is a significant concern for many plant and IT managers
support on legacy systems. This includes technical
as they contemplate implementing the Industrial Internet of Things
support as well as patch development and testing to
(IIoT), according to the results of a survey taken at CFE Media’s recent
help mitigate security flaws or other product faults.
IIoT Webcast.
A lot of legacy platforms do not support Win-
Setting the standards for cybersecurity dows domain authentication, and in these cases
Due to the current state of cybersecurity hygiene across multiple a common username and password is used for
industry sectors, manufacturers often inadvertently allow for critical user groups. These usernames and passwords are
vulnerabilities and weaknesses in product software to go unaddressed. usually very basic and the devices have no way
to maintain an audit trail on who is logging in
The promise and the risks of IIoT and Industry 4.0 and what is being changed. With legacy equip-
Ubisense VP Adrian Jennings discusses the need to go slow in moving ment, it is very common to see sticky notes with
manufacturing away from manual systems to an integrated production the username and password posted right on the
system. human-machine interface granting any person

“Cybersecurity is a
complex issue that
access. This opens manufacturers up to internal Service provider
and external threats alike. partnerships requires a flexible,
Legacy platforms also usually run on legacy Cybersecurity is a group
operating systems which may not be supported effort. It is our collective
evolving, multifaceted
by the vendor any more. This requires additional social responsibility to
work and hardware to segregate the computers ensure security. Some of
approach. It isn’t as simple
and it doesn’t necessarily guarantee absolute pro- the manufacturers hit by as a single product, or set
tection from outside threats. the recent malware attacks
Unfortunately, many legacy systems are still
in place because they are part of a critical pro-
had plentiful internal stan-
dards meant to safeguard
of standards. ”
cess where downtime just is not available. When them against disasters like
it is understood that downtime from a security this, but careless contrac-
event will be greater and more disruptive than tors and service providers introduced a variable
downtime for a migration, the case for migration they hadn’t planned for. Carefully selecting a sys-
becomes imperative. tem integrator or service provider is important.
Modernization efforts bring about a whole host If you are going to allow others access to your
of process benefits, but they also bring along a most vital systems, you need to make sure they
variety of security benefits. Whether it is bring- have a culture of security themselves.
ing on a more current and supported platform or Asking your potential partners how they handle
getting rid of an unsupported operating system, security or what their own internal standards are
there is more to modernization than shiny new around security is a step in the right direction.
plastic. Any competent and equipped service provider
will have no problem sharing this information.
Patch management Panacea’s policy is that a successful attack on
One of the lowest hanging fruits is Microsoft our infrastructure could infect clients, so our
Patch Management. Deploying Microsoft patches network was designed to limit attack surfaces and
is arguably one of the most basic but important heavily secure all critical processes. Our server
pillars of cybersecurity. Every Tuesday Microsoft room is kept under lock and key and only autho-
releases a set of patches, some of which are critical rized personnel have access to administrator
security patches that mitigate exploits malware rights. We also have attack monitoring solutions
attacks use to cause damage. Automation vendors in place to help alert us to potential problems.
then test the patches against their own software to We would gladly show any of our clients our
develop a list of approved patches for manufactur- setup because cybersecurity is important to us
ers to reference. and we want them to know their information is in
The big issue with Patch Management is that good hands. Any quality-driven service provider
not every vendor makes this information avail- would do the same.
able publically, which we are hoping the indus- Adopting and nurturing a culture of secu-
try or government will require in years to come. rity is vital for manufacturing success globally.
Those that do provide information distribute it in Although it may seem like a major endeavor, you
a variety of different formats. The patch lists can can start with a few key items that can help drive
sometimes span hundreds of pages, and it takes an overall culture change to make cybersecurity
a team of engineers on the manufacturer side to a team effort. Ensuring that critical Microsoft
make sure the right patches get on the correct patches are deployed is a great foundational pillar.
operating systems. Migrating legacy automation installations can
This complexity only increases with multiple help shore up security gaps on your enterprise
software platforms as compatibility must be veri- network.
fied across every platform for each patch. This Once security is in place, concepts like threat
usually causes manufacturers to resort to two detection, real-time monitoring, and security-
methods. The patch nothing approach can ensure focused network design become easier to adopt.
that there are no downtime events from unap- Cybersecurity has many approaches, but it is
proved patches but doesn’t allow critical security important to start now rather than wait for a
updates to be deployed. The deploy all patches security event to drive the change. PE
approach ensures that critical security updates
are deployed but can also cause downtime events Will Aja is vice president of customer operations for
from unapproved patches breaking the software. Panacea Technologies Inc.

INSIGHTS
By Bob Vavra, Content Manager
PlantEngineering.com
Time to spend on our ‘other’ aging asset 3010 Highland Parkway Suite 325
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Ph. 630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504
The 2017 Plant Engineer- We’ve seen an explosion CONTENT SPECIALISTS/EDITORIAL

ing Salary Survey makes of sensors, software, and BOB VAVRA, Content Manager
[email protected]
clear—again—the top issue data centers all designed
facing manufacturing as we to build a cloud computing EMILY GUENTHER, Associate Content Manager
[email protected]
head into another new year. network that will deliver on
AMANDA PELLICCIONE, Director of Research
The issue is workers, or the the promise of the Indus- [email protected]
lack of them. trial Internet of Things. CHRIS VAVRA, Production Editor
We don’t have enough These connected devices [email protected]
workers to meet the needs are changing the way we SIERRA GRAYSON, Marketing & Production Coordinator
[email protected]
of manufacturing today, view maintenance, the way
and we don’t have the we manage assets, and the EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
right skills to take on the supply chain that feeds our H. LANDIS “LANNY” FLOYD, IEEE Life Fellow
manufacturing challenges operations. [email protected]
of tomorrow. As we create Behind all those sensors JOHN GLENSKI, President, Automation Plus
[email protected]
a digitally interconnected are motors and drives, com-
plant driven by data and analytics, we need pressed air systems, control networks, elec- SHON ISENHOUR, Partner, Eruditio LLC
[email protected]
workers ready to take on the challenges of the trical infrastructure, and mechanical opera-
DR. SHI-WAN LIN, CEO and co-founder, Thingswise, LLC
digital plant. This is uncontroverted fact, and tions. Those systems have gone overlooked Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) board member
it could well be enough to bring U.S. manu- in recent years as we tried to dig ourselves [email protected]
facturing’s spectacular decade of growth to out of a deep hole in manufacturing. I think DAVE REIBER, Senior Reliability Leader, Reliabilityweb.com
[email protected]
a screeching halt. it’s time to recognize we’re out of the hole.
But that’s not what I want to talk about The opportunity to invest should be DAVID SKELTON, Vice president and general manager
Phoenix Contact Development and Manufacturing
right now. taken seriously. It’s not a good idea to rip- [email protected]
We have discussed our aging manufactur- and-replace just so we can have shiny new BILLY RAY TAYLOR,
ing workforce at length, but our other aging equipment. That’s not what infrastructure Director of commercial and off-highway manufacturing
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber
asset—our equipment—is at equal risk of investment should do. But the time to invest [email protected]
quitting on us very soon. Too many plants in your home is when you have both the
LARRY TURNER, President and CEO, Hannover Fairs USA
have limped along underfunded and under- capital available and a need to make sure [email protected]
maintained for so long that it has become you can operate your environment more MARK WATSON, Senior director, manufacturing technology,
business as usual. We have just accepted that efficiently to save time, money, and effort. IHS Markit
[email protected]
capital investment is something that has to For too long in manufacturing, the cost to
wait for another day. That’s ironic, because repair was greater than the cost to replace, CFE MEDIA CONTRIBUTOR
with manufacturing’s growth trajectory, the but the operating cost was coming out of GUIDELINES OVERVIEW
capital has been accumulated to build a bet- one budget and the capital budget was con- Content For Engineers. That’s what CFE Media stands for,
and what CFE Media is all about—engineers sharing with their
ter plant infrastructure. strained. As a result, manufacturers were peers. We welcome content submissions for all interested
Combine strong capital growth with a told to just “get by” with what they had. It’s parties in engineering. We will use those materials online, on
our Website, in print and in newsletters to keep engineers
business-favorable tax law, and it would now time to turn that discussion around. informed about the products, solutions, and industry trends.
seem 2018 would be a prime year to invest In manufacturing’s future, I see an agile * www.plantengineering.com/contribute explains how to
submit press releases, products, images and graphics, bylined
in new equipment, new processes, and new workforce with cutting-edge technology feature articles, case studies, white papers, and other media.
technology. Many suppliers we speak with pulling more productivity out of operations. * Content should focus on helping engineers solve prob-
lems. Articles that are commercial in nature or that are critical
on a regular basis agree that this could be I see manufacturing attracting a new breed of other products or organizations will be rejected. (Technol-
that big breakout year for reinvestment in of workers who will be intrigued by that ogy discussions and comparative tables may be accepted if
manufacturing’s infrastructure. technology and the allure of creating with non-promotional and if contributor corroborates information
with sources cited.)
Those are macro-economic discussions, the mind as well as the hands. This future is * If the content meets criteria noted in guidelines, expect
though. They look ooks at the global land- possible today, and it will be owned by the to see it first on our websites. Content for our enewsletters
comes from content already available on our Websites. All
scape of manufacturing, the increased right- manufacturers ready to invest in the future content for print also will be online. All content that appears
shoring of manufacturing operations, to rather than guarding against the pressures in our print magazines will appear as space permits, and we
will indicate in print if more content from that article is avail-
locate manufacturing closer to an expand- of the present. able online.
ing, wordwide consumer market, and to the Manufacturing has waited for this oppor- * Deadlines for feature articles intended for the print maga-
zines are at least two months in advance of the publication
rapid Amazonization of our planet. All of tunity. We have been patient. We have grown date. Again, it is best to discuss all feature articles with the
this change will require not just a differ- and succeeded despite the economic and content manager prior to submission.
ent strategy, but also new equipment, and political shackles. The constraints are gone. Learn more at:
a lot of it. Let’s go. PE www.plantengineering.com/contribute

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SOLUTIONS
By Andy Monk, Bernard, and Jack Kester, Marsh Risk Consulting
Welding doesn’t need INSIDE

to be a pain in the neck Building a new
dimension for
automated warehouses
Worker protection also delivers productivity gains
3-D design changes
T
he importance of ergonom- mal limitations, excessive wear and tear
24 supply chain function
and operation
ics far surpasses comfort. on the body occurs, accelerating damage
A workplace environ- that can lead to work-related musculo-
ment or task that causes skeletal disorders (WMSDs)—injury to
a welding operator to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints,
repetitively reach, move, nerves, and/or spinal discs.
grip, or twist in an unusual way—or even Ergonomics protects welding operators
stay in a static posture for an extended time from injuries, as well as can improve the
without proper rest—can do much more productivity and profitability of a weld-
than become a literal pain in the neck. Over ing operation. Stressful postures and
time, it can lead to repetitive stress injuries motions tend to be inefficient. Lifting
with life-long impacts and that may even boxes from floor level or reaching outward
prevent a welding operator from working. beyond arm’s length, for example, takes
People are built with certain limitations, extra time. These posture and motions
and when the design of work exceeds nor- repeated throughout the year by multiple
employees can have a significant impact
on earnings for the company.
Welding operators should position By proactively reducing the risk of inju- Planning for expansion
their work between the waist and ry, companies can improve productivity,
shoulders, whenever possible, to while also reducing employee absences Tips to keep
ensure they are working in a close to
a neutral posture. All images cour-
and eliminating overtime pay for replace-
ment workers who may not be as efficient 26 design-build project
on schedule
tesy: Bernard or proficient. Eliminating stressful pos-
and on budget
tures and motions
also can help reduce
employee turnover
and training costs
for replacing welding Narrowing the field
operators who quickly for surge protection
decide “this job isn’t
for me.”
SPD technology offers
According to the
B u r e au o f L a b o r
statistics, WMSDs 28 flexible solutions for
process applications
account for 29% of all
lost workday injuries
and for about 34% of
all workers’ compen-
Take a two-pronged
sation claims—and approach to data-driven
they cost employers maintenance
$20 billion each year
in workers’ compen-
Combining CMMS
30
sation.
with diagnostic tools
PLANT ENGINEERING January/February 2018 • 21 improves operations
SOLUTIONS
Welding postures that are considered awk-
ward and stressful include kneeling, squat-
ting, and torso twisting.
risk factors and simultaneously increasing produc-

tivity. A simple work station adjustment or the use
of different tools can make a big difference on an
operator’s long-term health and well-being, as well
as on the company’s bottom line.
For example, operators who weld with pistol grip
tools, such as a welding gun, and use their finger
to apply pressure for an extended length of time
can develop “trigger finger.” This problem can be
resolved easily by using a welding gun with a lock-
ing trigger.
Welding operators should position their work
between the waist and shoulders, whenever pos-
sible, to ensure they are working in a close to a
neutral posture. Achieving this posture may mean
using work stools or height-adjustable chairs, as
well as lifting tables and rotational clamps or other
The risk factors material-positioning equipment. All these solutions
There are three primary risk factors that increase can reduce awkward postures and allow employees
the likelihood of developing WMSD injuries: to work in more neutral positions.
1. Highly repetitive tasks that keep an opera-

tor in a static posture for too long or use the
same motion over and over, such as pulling
a MIG gun trigger.
2. Tasks that require an operator to apply sig-
nificant force or pressure, such as pushing,
pulling, or heavy lifting.
Welding injuries
Most work-related musculoskeletal disorders
3. Poor or awkward postures, such as bent wrists
(WMSDs) develop when repetitive micro-
or necks tilted backward.
traumas occur to the body over time.
Environmental conditions such as extreme tem-
peratures also can contribute to the development WMSDs include strains or sprains, which
of WMSDs. The likelihood of incurring WMSDs can result in pain, decreased productivity,
is also affected by personal factors such as physical disability, medical treatment, financial stress,
conditioning, health, gender, age, work techniques, and a change in the quality of life for those
and stress. affected. The most common symptoms
Some common welding postures that are con- among welding operators are shoulder pain,
sidered awkward and stressful include kneeling, range of motion loss, and reduced muscle
squatting, torso twisting, leaning on a hard surface, strength. The most common area affected by
holding the arms away from the body or above injuries are the back, shoulders, wrists (such
shoulder height for long periods of time, hunch- as with tendinitis), and knees.
ing or bending over, and looking upward too long.
The best postures are those that are as close to WMSDs are the fastest-growing disorder in
neutral as possible—a position that the body would the aging workforce because these illnesses
rest in if it were not doing anything. have developed over time, before welding
operations were as aware of them as they are
Ergonomic solutions today. As a result, there is the potential for
The use of proven ergonomic principles can dra- an increase in claims costs in the coming 10
matically improve the way a welding operator years as welding operators seek treatment.
performs a task, thereby reducing the exposure to

Welding guns with rear swivels on the power Therefore, it is important for “Ergonomics protects
cable can help reduce the stress of repetitive welding operators to use any welding operators
motions. Different combinations of handle angles, new welding gun and imple-
neck angles, and neck lengths also can keep an ment new best practices for at from injuries, as
operator’s wrists in a neutral position. In some least 30 days. At that time, they
cases, a welding gun with a rotatable neck can can provide valid feedback on well as can improve
help the welding operator more easily reach a how well the new equipment or
joint, with less strain on the body. Manipulators, practices work for them. After the productivity and
lighter-weight welding guns, lighter power cables all, gaining the benefits of prop-
with low stiffness and cable supporting balancers er ergonomics is only possible profitability of a
also can be invaluable.
Remember, the working height of a welding
operator’s hands should typically be at elbow height
if they are used and the welding
operator also sees the results.
The goal is to secure the safe-
welding operation. ”
or slightly below. ty of the welding operator, which requires an active
The engineering controls described above are commitment on the part of both the individual and
effective because they reduce or eliminate risk fac- management. Gaining the benefit of ergonomics
tors in the workplace. Administrative control mea- is a team effort—one that ultimately provides a
sures, such as job rotation and stretching programs, comfortable work environment, leads to a more
also can be used to reduce the exposure time for productive and profitable welding operation, and
welding operators or at least prepare their bodies provides for the long-term health of the welding
for the work-related stress. operator. PE
Six keys to an effective Andy Monk is product manager for Bernard and
ergonomics program Jack Kester is senior VP at Marsh Risk Consulting.
An effective and sustainable ergonomics program
provides a structured approach to reducing risk in
the workplace and preventing WMSDs over the The use of proven ergonomic principles dramatically can
long-term. It typically includes: improve the way a welding operator performs a task, thereby
reducing the exposure to risk factors and simultaneously
1. A formal ergonomics risk assessment to increasing productivity.
identify and prioritize solutions for high-
risk work.
2. A structured task analysis process to define
the causes of the risk factors, leading to the
development of practical engineering con-
trols.
3. An action plan developed by management
stakeholders to set expectations and allocate
resources for ergonomics in the workplace.
4. An ergonomics team trained to implement
the ergonomics process and empowered to
implement the action plan.
5. A formal process for developing, implement-
ing, and validating ergonomics solutions for
high-risk tasks.
6. Ergonomics training for management, super-
visors, the ergonomics team and other pro-
duction staff members.
Once an ergonomics solution has been imple-

mented, it is important to provide frequent rein-
forcement to the welding operators to ensure that
the solution is utilized effectively. It can be difficult,
initially, for a welding operator to get comfort-
able with new work practices if the job previously
has been done another way, sometimes for years.

SOLUTIONS
By Ryan White, O’Neal Inc.
Building a new dimension

for automated warehouses
3-D design changes supply chain function and operation
W
ith the rise in ecommerce, manual may look at the same design to check operator
warehouses are no longer viable to workstations where pallets are being unwrapped
execute a supply chain strategy. to ensure there is space for a trash bin and a way
Single items must be picked and to empty it.
packed then shipped in small volumes or as indi- A company’s owner may be looking at the design
vidual pieces. Companies are also looking to grow to make sure the equipment is painted the right
in volume and in SKUs in order to meet customer color. While this is a simple issue, it is not one that’s
expectations. Labor is harder to find to meet these able to be corrected once the equipment is on site.
demands. A good 3-D model will be capable of producing
Constructing warehouses that can meet the fly-through videos of the facility, so that no area
requirements of e-commerce involves careful plan- of the concept is overlooked. Lastly, a 3-D model
ning. It also involves having multiple stakeholders with enough detail also gets people excited about
who understand and buy into the plan. the project because it allows them to visualize their
operation and helps sell the project to all levels of
A new dimension in planning management.
Most automated warehouses utilize their vertical
space with many interaction points at different ele- 2. A single point of truth: Automation proj-
vations. There’s an emphasis on fitting automated ects involve multiple firms and disciplines. On a
technologies into existing brownfield buildings in typical unit-load automated storage and retrieval
order to create a better return on investment. This system (AS/RS) project with a building expansion,
means technologies use all of the cubic volume to for example, a project requires the coordination
squeeze the most value out of the space. of the building general contractor, the material
With 2-D layouts, the only way to make sense handling automation vendor, a structural racking
of the material flow is to have a different offset vendor, fire protection systems, and more.
drawing for each level, with connector lines to each All of these vendors have their own drawings,
transition from level to level. These drawings are requirements, and points of interaction with one
difficult to read for customers and engineers alike. another. All engineers and architects on a project
While 2-D drawings still have a place in engi- must coordinate to ensure their designs do not con-
neering these complex systems, 3-D modeling has flict. In a 2-D-only design workflow, mistakes are
great value in three ways: harder to catch and often result in more engineering
hours and lost time in the delivery of a project.
1. Getting stakeholder buy-in. Any suc- A 3-D design workflow allows engineering disci-
cessful project starts with a plan that everyone plines to catch issues early without lost time, which
understands—from operations to engineering to saves money. Even before engineering starts, a 3-D
the owner. Even the simplest of conventional 2-D model in the conceptual stage helps ensure the
drawings are hard to understand for people who design will work inside a new or existing building.
do not use CAD programs every day. 3-D model-
ing allows people with different backgrounds to 3. Risk management. With the rising demand
understand the operation for new and modern distribution warehouses, the
For example, a client’s engineering team may risk of implementing a project is also increasing.
look at a 3-D design for details such as whether an Historically, building a large manual warehouse has
electrical cabinet has a sloped roof, ensuring no been a low-risk proposition because in the event
dust can collect on top and the cabinet will meet of a rapid volume increase or change in business
a clean design standard. A client’s operation team model, an effective response could be implemented

by simply hiring more
people, adopting a new
process, or expanding
the building.
When using an auto-
mated system, more
planning and resourc-
es are needed to ensure
its success. Data must
be analyzed and inter-
preted, the operations
te am must le ar n to
work with automation,
and the building utili-
ties (including electrical, compressed air, A 3-D rendering of a warehouse design provides greater detail and a
fire protection systems, etc.) must be coor- single point of truth for all design partners. Image courtesy: O’Neal Inc.
dinated and integrated at key points in the
system.
If an automated system is not well planned were riding on the conveyor. This mistake
at the beginning, redesigning or moving the would have compromised the effectiveness
system is costly and changes take much lon- of the design and limited the height of pallets
ger to implement than would be the case being stored in the system.
in a manual warehouse. Understanding all The use of 3-D drawings also can identify
aspects of a system, before it is purchased cost saving opportunities. In a manual dis-
or built, is the key to mitigating risk. 3-D tribution facility, there is typically one fin-
modeling is one important step to catch- ished floor elevation for the entire warehouse.
ing mistakes before they are found in the Manual material handling equipment such as
field. Reviewing a 3-D model with all key forklifts and pallet jacks require that a pallet
stakeholders provides a chance to review the or tote be on the ground level in order to store
design and ask questions that engineers may and access it.
have overlooked. Automated storage systems such as a mini-
In the past, many equipment suppliers load or a shuttle system are able to store an
and construction firms did not adopt 3-D item on one level and deliver it on another.
models into their project lifecycle because This allows the automated storage system to
the models took too long to produce and have a different finished floor elevation than
required high-end computers. the rest of the warehouse, with the bottom
level of storage being below the finished floor.
Design control This can reduce construction costs consider-
A 3-D model workflow helped catch a costly ably, since—depending on the topography
design mistake early in a project where the and elevation of the warehouse site—bringing
automation design had an operator at mez- the entire site to a single grade height can be
zanine level and a pallet conveyor system on extremely costly.
the ground level. After the general arrange- Planning and execution are the two most
ment drawing was complete, the architectural important aspects of a complicated project.
team added an egress stair to the 2-D draw- Working with a company that has the experi-
ing to meet a code requirement and to allow ence and capabilities to create 3-D models,
operators from the mezzanine to get out of the and also knows enough about the infrastruc-
building quickly in the event of a fire. ture and equipment to integrate all of the
The 2-D drawings showed no clash, with pieces of a project, helps mitigate risk and
a standard-height stair landing expected to is the start to a successful project delivery. PE
clear the conveyor below. However, when the
3-D model was created, it revealed that the Ryan White is senior distribution system
stair landing would interfere if a tall pallet planner for O’Neal Inc.

SOLUTIONS
By Corey Zachel, SSOE Group
Planning for expansion

Tips to keep design-build project on schedule and on budget
A
s manufacturers look to expand their Making sure the schedule is always one of the top
physical plants to accommodate new priorities in a project is key. Tough choices and priori-
lines, the issue of in-plant construction tization are sometimes needed, especially later in the
projects becomes an issue. Meeting the project as the deadline becomes more pressing. Even
agreed-upon schedule is a top priority in almost the best plans can sometimes encounter challenges as
every project. Time is valuable and there are often the project progresses and unforeseen issues come up.
product or line launches dependent on a project
completion date. Change management
Many project managers and teams will do what- Meeting the project schedule while staying within
ever they can to meet deadlines, which have become budget and effectively allocating resources can be
increasingly aggressive in today’s fast-paced and a delicate balancing act. In projects with aggressive
competitive manufacturing environments. Schedule schedules, the typical approach is to find out the
delays can also have huge cost implications, making deadline, estimate the time it will take and work
it even more important to avoid them. backward, creating an aggressive schedule to drive
the project and meet deadlines.
The project budget is also a factor. If the budget is
M More
SOLUTIONS
low and the focus on quality is strong, any surplus in
the budget will be eaten up by the people employed
to keep the quality high. If financial and schedule
considerations are a challenge, the diminished effort
Search for these additional articles on scheduling by headline at
put toward the labor force will result in low quality.
In one example of a space renovation, drawings
Scheduling: Five roads to cooperation
received from a third party after the design was com-
plete revealed thousands of clashes when examined in
If operations and maintenance aren’t jointly scheduling work, the 3-D model. The drawings were correct, but were
it’s negatively affecting maintenance execution and production generated very quickly. The team had hired a scanning
performance. Before tackling the challenge of building new and company to do a 3-D scan, but the scans hadn’t been
more cooperative behaviors, begin by documenting and assessing resolved because the schedule was very aggressive.
the current state of scheduling. This needs to include results in The scans also were incorporated into a model,
production such as overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
construction documents already were being issued
Scheduling preventive maintenance—timing is everything in the field for bids. Existing infrastructure, such as
Traditionally, most organizations issue PMs on a calendar basis. ducts running through a compressed air line, had to be
As an example, a manufacturer needs to periodically check on reconsidered. The project team rectified all the clashes,
one of the plant’s air handling units. In a perfect world, a CMMS and there was pressure from the aggressive schedule.
system triggers a reminder that a PM is due and the work order is Technical leaders corrected the model as much as
completed in a reasonable timeframe. Even when running a paper- possible and presented several options to the project
based system most organizations schedule calendar-based PMs. team that represented competing priorities. They
But what if “every four weeks” is too frequent? could move the things that had changed around
the existing infrastructure, try to work the existing
Build a maintenance schedule in six steps things around the new construction, or shift what
Although the processes of work execution (preventive and was already under contract as much as possible and
predictive programs, planning, scheduling, coordination, deal with the results. Another option was to go back
storeroom, and production partnerships) are foundational, many and completely redesign what the team had in the
groups struggle to put it all together well. Without this foundation, scans, but that would have incurred additional costs
more advanced concepts fizzle out quickly. Frustration ensues. to the project. The solution was to work around the
There are many pieces that need to be aligned to complete the existing infrastructure and to maximize addressing
entire work execution puzzle. clashes while keeping on task.

Some of the issues were insignificant, or the
same issue was marked by multiple placeholders,
and these could be resolved relatively easily. This
solution worked well and the team addressed
the issues on the core and shell and inputting
infrastructure, gathering equipment nameplate
information and data sheets, and designing the
process connectivity.
The project team had to make some challeng-
ing decisions to keep to the aggressive schedule.
When the schedule is of utmost importance, cre-
ative thinking is sometimes required to get the
project completed on time and meet the needs of
all the key stakeholders. A solution was employed
that addressed all the issues and made the project
team feel at ease while still meeting the schedule.
Rethinking the process

Design-build sometimes seems like an easy
answer to simplify the overall process and avoid competing demands. Take the most efficient The best way to get
delays. With schedules growing increasingly route. That sometimes means foregoing common results and lead your
tighter with every project, project leaders have a approaches and solutions such as design-build team to success is through
tendency to push for a design-build process, but and allowing all parties to participate in their effective planning of the
that isn’t always the best solution. own area of expertise, while always looking for anticipated project execu-
Design-build can save money and time, but it opportunities to cut costs. tion with milestones that
does not always support the quality of the project cannot be missed. Image
process or the final product or design. The fast Plan to succeed courtesy: SSOE Group
pace of design-build projects does not allow for There can be many challenges associated with
concessions on the things that typically improve meeting a tight project deadline, but good
quality but may have longer lead times. planning that takes cost and quality into con-
Project team leaders use design-build with the sideration can ensure overall project success.
intention of driving down cost, and meeting an Think creatively about the unique aspects of
aggressive schedule, but involving too many the company and project and avoid going the
people in the review process slows it down, usual route if it isn’t actually the best choice for
dictating the design to the architect who could the particular project.
have done high-quality work independently. In Get the necessary buy in from key stakeholders
many cases, holding a charrette with all the con- early on and make sure time is used effectively
tractors early in the design phase of the project throughout the project to avoid costly rework and
will accomplish the same level of accountability production shutdowns. Employing these strat-
and buy-in, without the delays associated with egies can help meet deadlines and stay within
design-build.
The other critical factor in any project, but
defined parameters of a project.
Meeting the project team’s needs has a great
“Even the best
especially in manufacturing, is cost. Cost drives deal to do with planning efficiently to avoid plans can
everything and budgets are often very conserva- costly disruptions to production and schedule
sometimes
tive for building renovations, with most of the delays that may create additional headaches. As
available capital being invested in equipment on the timelines for projects continue to shrink, it encounter
the manufacturing lines. In addition to the up- is important to develop and reuse key strategies
front cost of new construction or a renovation, that meet project demands and enhance project challenges
there is the profit lost during a disruption in the quality without disrupting schedules or adding
output of a manufacturing facility when produc- costs. PE as the project
tion has to stop due to renovation. progresses and
Trying to meet the demands of a tight schedule Corey Zachel, PE, LEED AP BD+C, is a
while also staying within the constraints of the section manager and senior associate at SSOE unforeseen issues
budget means that priorities must be set, and Group, a global project delivery firm for architec-
sometimes this means choosing from among ture, engineering, and construction management. come up. ”
SOLUTIONS
By Jack Coghlan, Phoenix Contact USA
Narrowing the field

for surge protection
SPD technology offers flexible solutions for process applications
I
n the process control industry, control cabi- As this space diminishes and other requirements
net space comes at a premium. Large process become more demanding, industrial SPDs have
technology systems can now manage several evolved to meet these new challenges. Today, at least
thousand data signals simultaneously. A cor- one manufacturer of measurement and control signal
respondingly large number of field cables often ter- surge protectors offers a surge protector housed inside
minate in high-density marshaling cabinets. an ultra-narrow package that measures just 3.5 mm
Today’s surge protective devices (SPDs) must with- wide. Other SPDs, offered in compact 6-mm pack-
stand the harsh environments common in process ages, address specific high-current, high-frequency,
applications, and do so in ever-smaller packages. and hazardous location application requirements.
With each new generation of process equipment,
the available room within cabinets where SPDs can Assessing sources of danger
be installed decreases. Storm-related lightning discharges frequently cause
damaging surge overvoltage events. Even remote
M More
lightning strikes can adversely affect electrical and
electronic components. In the vicinity of a strike,
SOLUTIONS there is always a ground-potential rise caused by the
conduction of lightning-induced current through the
Search for these additional articles on electrical safety by headline at
earth-grounding resistance that can damage the insu-
lation of device components and cables.
The future of electrical safety The electromagnetic field created during the short
duration of the lightning-generated impulse can
Changes in the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E: Standard for Electrical
Safety in the Workplace continue the direction established in 2015, inductively couple into signal lines to compromise
which intended to change how stakeholders evaluate and mitigate risk data communications and damage sensitive electronic
from electrical hazards. Some changes involve better alignment with circuitry. Components connected to copper cable runs
occupational health and safety and management systems (OHSMS) over long distances, outside of buildings and in open
standards and other standards that address hazards and risk. Other spaces, are particularly at risk. But even inside build-
changes are intended to help clarify intent and simplify application of long ings, signal lines are vulnerable, especially when their
standing requirements in the standard. electromagnetic tolerances were not specified at the
Effective electrical safety starts with maintenance time the signal lines were installed.
It’s well known that maintaining electrical equipment in industrial facilities Inductive load switching processes, which gener-
is fundamental for optimizing equipment performance and reliability, and ate the vast majority of transients, can couple surge
preventing unplanned downtime. Today, such maintenance is not only energy into signal lines running in parallel with power
recommended, it’s required. conductors to disrupt equipment operations and cause
Make the smart investment for electrical safety hardware failures. Deploying surge protection on all
susceptible measurement and control signal applica-
From a strict business model approach, industry data supports the reality
tions has long been proven to increase equipment reli-
that taking a proactive approach to funding an effective safety program
to avoid injuries is a more economical approach than the alternative. The ability and system availability. Even so, surge protection
money an employer spends on training, PPE, and other services or tools can still do more.
that promote a safety conscious work culture will more than pay for itself Today, surge protection for measurement and con-
over the tenure of the employees. trol circuits can often be used as fully fledged terminal

blocks in cable distribution cabinets to provide a sur- Surge protection comes as narrow as just 3.5 mm. With extremely
prising amount of additional functionality. This can narrow components, these surge protective devices (SPDs) can
simplify cable installation and signal circuit startup pro- protect up to 572 signals per meter—saving significant space in
cesses, as well as ease later maintenance requirements. the control cabinet. Image courtesy: Phoenix Contact
Process technology equipment users are demanding
compact, space-saving SPD design concepts. not interrupted when the surge plug is removed from
For example, several thousand signals and a cor- its base element, so the system continues to operate
respondingly large number of field cables often ter- during the surge protection connector test.
minate in high-density marshaling cabinets in large
process technology systems. However, with the Overload protection
advances in state-of-the-art SPD technology, some and remote signaling
surge protectors can connect and protect two signal Some modern SPDs offer integrated overload protec-
conductors on a device with an overall width of just tion. If the protective function is triggered, it is signaled
3.5 mm. With these ultra-narrow SPDs, 572 signal by the SPD’s integrated status indicator. This function
lines can be protected against surge voltages on just does not require any auxiliary power or additional
a one-meter length of DIN rail. wiring. In addition, the status of up to 40 surge arrest-
Thanks to innovative protective circuits, an SPD ers can be monitored simultaneously. Remote SPD
measuring just 3.5 mm wide can fulfill all three EN monitoring can be easily integrated into control center
61643-21 [1] C1, C2, and D1 surge protection standard technology.
performance category requirements. Besides the legacy analog and discrete signaling pro-
tocols, fieldbus systems also play a big role in modern
Maintenance work made easier process technology. SPDs for process applications need
Slightly wider 6-mm SPDs offer many additional to address the requirements of classic signaling formats
functions to support maintenance work. Integrated and also for high-speed serial data transmission requi-
knife disconnection can be implemented to isolate sites, especially when they are deployed in potentially
the controller and field-side signals from each other. explosive atmospheres.
This function is not just practical for maintenance ATEX, IEC Ex, and UL Class I, Division 2 approvals
activities, but also eases field troubleshooting pro- demonstrate the suitability of surge protection devices
cedures. If a short circuit is suspected on the field that are utilized in intrinsically safe applications. A surge
cabling, for example, the field technician can simply protector that has all three international approvals can
open the SPD’s knife disconnection mechanism and be used in nearly any hazardous location around the
measure the loop resistance directly on the SPD’s world. This trifecta approval can simplify inventory
terminal contacts. Even installation measurements requirements for companies that work internationally.
easily are conducted when the knife disconnector is Today’s narrow SPDs go beyond yesteryear’s basic
open. The cables never have to be physically removed surge protection requirements. There is now a surge
from the surge protector. protection solution for nearly every measurement
Checking lightning and surge protection equipment and control application. The minimal overall width
at regular intervals is not only recommended, but of ultra-narrow SPDs not only saves space in small-
prescribed in many areas of application. Pluggable and medium-sized systems, but drastically reduces the
SPDs make this process easy. If voltage-limiting com- number of control cabinets that are required in larger
ponents are housed in the plug-in product part, then applications. PE
they can be easily unlocked and pulled out of the base
element to allow the connected signal lines to remain Jack Coghlan is a product marketing specialist
unaffected on the base element. The signal circuit is for surge protection for Phoenix Contact USA.

SOLUTIONS
By Alex Desselle, Fluke Accelix
Take a two-pronged approach

to data-driven maintenance
Combining CMMS with diagnostic tools improves operations
F
or a 100-year-old Midwestern plant that suction, centrifugal pumps operational at all times; the
produces high-performance race car tires, other four are required backups that can be swapped
changing from a reactive maintenance pro- in for scheduled maintenance or if an unexpected
gram to a preventive maintenance (PM) pump failure occurs.
program was where the rubber met the road. The plant’s engineering team used computerized
With assets ranging from 20 to 80 years old, break- maintenance management software (CMMS) for cre-
down work orders outnumbered planned maintenance ating work orders and an asset taxonomy. They had
work orders by a large margin. Because the facility yet to fully embrace using the software system, along
manufactures expensive race car tires, shifting toward with a wireless infrared camera and a vibration meter,
a preventive strategy could help eliminate the friction. for PM schedules. Before the CMMS implementation,
To cure rubber, the facility relies on eight pumps the team used a paper-based filing system to track
to deliver hot water to a bag that heats up the rubber work orders, in which the documents were supposed
in the tire mold. There are four horizontal, single- to be moved from an “in” folder to an “out” folder to
signal when a work order had been completed. This
M More
cumbersome clipboard system needed some tweaks.
The team’s objectives were to move away from the
SOLUTIONS paper-based system by:
Search for these additional articles on preventive maintenance (PM) by • Piloting the new CMMS
headline at plantengineering.com. • Developing a proactive view into equipment health
• Setting up inspection routes to guide the future
Six steps to design a preventive maintenance program state of maintenance monitoring and routine data
What results does your company want from a PM program? If it’s savings collection.
you seek, this should come from achieving minimal unplanned downtime
and minimal lost production opportunity time, minimal spare parts costs, The goal was to rebalance the team’s prioritiza-
minimal maintenance labor costs, minimal manufacturing interruptions, tion so that planned and predictive maintenance
maximum manufacturing time available per machine, maximum quality of were carried out consistently with the data from
products and maximum machine life spans. These areas are where the those operations given room to influence the larger
majority of the savings will be found.
strategy moving forward. The ideal would be to
Fine-tuning your preventive maintenance schedule have predictive inspection data co-located in the
A good CMMS system can deliver the information users need to better CMMS asset logs, and any readings that exceeded
fine-tune their PM schedules. If a less-rigorous PM schedule gets the thresholds would trigger a work order for an esca-
maintenance team slapped with a corrective work order, it’s time to lated inspection.
adjust. Sometimes it is the other way around. If the CMMS system tells
the maintenance manager ‘all is well’ with an asset, that may be a signal Combining your tools
to shift resources to other equipment in greater need. The transition from a run-to-fail maintenance strat-
Predictive, preventive, and breakdown maintenance tips egy to one that champions condition-based moni-
An established maintenance program helps save money, energy and toring for PM requires some operational changes,
time. That said, there are many different maintenance program options to both procedural and human.
choose. The most common are preventive, predictive, and breakdown. Condition monitoring programs and preventive
What is the difference between these maintenance programs? approaches to maintaining machines can unite a

Four challenges for PM
CMMS with high-performance measurement and route plans from scratch, Onboarding the preventive
diagnostic tools and external sensors, which monitor for example, can be quite maintenance (PM) strategy for the tire
everything from vibration in motors and pumps to difficult. The chosen manufacturer had some barriers to
current in electrical panels. With the CMMS and CMMS includes features overcome. Among the challenges:
measurement-collecting sensors and handheld tools, to improve end users’ vis-
the team gained key insights into equipment health ibility into maintenance 1. Obtaining initial buy-in from
via vibration analysis and infrared inspection. planning and scheduling. employees
The CMMS provided a solution for eliminating The goal is to make facili-
the paper-based system. Team members could use ties more efficient. With 2. On-the-job training with new tools
the software for work requests, projects, and work PM in mind, the rubber
orders to reduce reactive repairs, ensure that critical plant established vibration 3. The IT department authorizing
work orders were completed on time, and reduce and infrared inspection workers to use mobile tablets
wasted hours and maintenance efforts, which would routes—coordinated with
lead to increased annual savings. condition monitoring sen- 4. MiFi connectivity issues, which were
eventually solved.
The success of applying a PM-mindset depends on sors—for its water pumps,
incentivizing workers, who often are bound to their as well as repair schedules
specializations, to consider troubleshooting and reli- and best practices with clearly defined instructions.
ability as primary objectives while following new Current, power, and temperature sensors were
inspection routes. The implementation team must set up on the for-data capture. Current sensors also
understand that maintenance and operation staff often were attached to the electrical panel connected to
are both busy and comfortable in their day-to-day the hydraulic pumps, which in turn control the roll-
roles. It is important to train employees to capture ers, cooling tower, and lube pumps. In the pump
baseline data and continue making inspections to room, two temperature sensors were fitted to both
understand and maintain equipment health, as needed. the motor casing and bearing casing. Using both
locations allowed the team to better identify if the
Capture equipment health data issue originates on the motor or in the bearings.
At first, bridging the gap between hands-on inspec- These sensors collected measurements that were
tions and CMMS can be a bit tedious. Creating added to the CMMS.
A route to vibration monitoring

Automating your vibration monitoring system is an important step to having a better understanding of overall
equipment health. Creating a path to that process requires a step-by-step approach to help ensure success.
The best steps forward are:
1. Follow all safety and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements.

2. Identify assets, both in use and on standby.
3. Mark the ideal position (with an “x” made from yellow painting tape, for example) and time of a day for taking
measurements, depending on the job of the asset.
4. Take vibration measurements with a vibration meter.

5. Collect data via a smartphone or an Android tablet using the app supplied by the vibration meter and thermal
imager.
6. After making sure the route is workable, create a PM schedule in the CMMS and set the interval (daily, weekly, or
monthly). Start off with daily intervals when establishing a baseline of data for assets, create step-by-step instructions
for the inspection route, ensuring that knowledge is passed to others for completing future vibration inspections, and
create a work order (to be automated in the future) for instances in which specific tasks were not completed or if other
inspection problems occurred.
7. Also include in the instructions such information as: where to place the vibration meter probe based on the yellow “x”
on each asset, how to use the meter, how to collect data from the meter, and what to do if the data is unsatisfactory.

SOLUTIONS
By The When connected using WiFi, cated a situation in which water was supposed to be
NUMBERS MiFi, or Ethernet cable, the tem- flowing at a temperature of 330°F to a press. How-
perature sensor data enabled ever, the resistance temperature detector (RTD) was
59%
Percentage of readers who use a
workers to constantly monitor
equipment performance. Vibra-
tion spectra data also was collect-
reading 307°F—a difference substantial enough to
cause concern. The maintenance team thought that
the RTD calibration was off, but the thermal imager
CMMS system as part of their over- ed with a vibration meter and then detected a temperature of just about 307°F at the
all maintenance strategy, according added to an Excel spreadsheet, same spot.
to the 2017 Plant Engineering which could be imported with The team then used it to examine the entire length
Maintenance Study. That ranks the CMMS’s data import tool. of the pipe and concluded that a valve was either not
behind preventive maintenance An infrared camera, which fully opened or some debris had entered and blocked
(78% and run-to-failure (61%) as for years sat on a shelf unused, it. Once the blockage was removed, the temperature
part of an overall strategy. The became the go-to tool for per- measurement returned to normal levels.
forming the thermal inspection Before the vibration meter was used, the engineer-
2018 Maintenance Study will be
route, which moved beyond the ing team would outsource vibration monitoring and
published in the March issue of
pump room into a mill room. analysis to a third-party contractor. With vibration
Plant Engineering. Workers reported increased tem- readings taken, a junior engineer was able to find
peratures, resulting in scorched degradation in a compressor during the course of a
rubber, and the inspector was able to capture key month, which aligned with their planned mainte-
details with a thermal imaging camera. nance schedule for that machine.
When setting up equipment hierarchy, workers In another case, upstream issues were impacting
Mill rollers nested their PM route schedules using the CMMS’s the flow to two of the fill water pumps and vibra-
before/after nesting feature, which allows users to group tasks tion readings again captured the change in machine
identification of and subtasks. The maintenance specialist identified health, in one case enabling the team to prevent more
a problem: inlet/ and corrected two issues with the help of vibration than 18 hours of downtime. In the case of thermal
outlet and back data and thermal imaging. imaging and vibration, the alignment between the
roller bearing. data and the schedule increased the team’s confidence
Image courtesy: Steps to change the culture in the technology.
Fluke In the mill room, an infrared camera image indi- The benefits of shifting from a reactive to proac-
tive mindset were identified instantly by the
maintenance supervisor. No longer would he
receive random phone calls at night for sched-
uling and assigning repairs to technicians or
experience extended downtime for incidents
that could have been prevented if the crew had
been notified in time. The ability to receive
alerts for equipment status, such as temperature
measurements, allows the maintenance team
to fix a pump before it breaks down entirely
and thus needs replacing.
Through this pilot program, the engineer-
ing team took the first steps toward cultural
change. They successfully implemented a PM
strategy and now own the right CMMS and
wireless tools to reduce cost and continue to
compete in the future. PE
Alex Desselle is a product application spe-

cialist with Fluke Digital Systems and Accelix,
a Fluke platform.

Salary Survey data by Amanda Pelliccione, Salary Survey design by Katie Spain,
director of research, CFE Media art director, CFE Media
201 7
Salary Survey
A
fter two years of economic concerns, ers plan to add more robotics in 2018, and 43% have no
manufacturing leaders once again have plans to add robotics at all.
homed in on the single biggest issue IIoT continues to evolve as a manufacturing strat-
facing their operations: egy, with more global suppliers and major technology
It’s the workers—or more specifi- providers investing in IIoT solutions. Still, just 9% of
cally, the lack of workers. manufacturers will implement IIoT this year and 20%
The 2017 Plant Engineering Salary Survey looks at not still are unsure about how IIoT will help their operations.
just what plant managers make, but what they think. As There is an equal split between those manufacturers who
they look across their plants today, plant managers say are continuing to study IIoT’s value, and those who have
they don’t have the operational depth to take on the new no plans to implement the strategy.
technologies and new challenges of global manufacturing.
More than one-quarter of all plant managers cite Embracing security
the lack of skilled workers as the biggest threat Even with the concerns, plant managers feel secure
to manufacturing today. While the issue of about their career, and about their compensa-
workforce development always is an issue tion as 2018 begins. For the fifth straight
for Plant Engineering readers, the 26% year, there are at least 70% of respondents
figure in 2017 is the highest level in four who consider manufacturing a secure
years and supplants economic concerns career, and the 78% figure in 2017 rep-
this year. In fact, the economy comes resents the highest level since 2014.
in third this year behind competition, The biggest gap among plant manag-
and concerns over every area in our ers is the wide disparity in age: 71%
survey except skilled workers and of respondents are 50 or older, and
competition fell sharply from the 34% are 60 or older.
past two years. Given their age, their job experi-
One reader wrote that the industry needs ence—69% have been in the industry more
“better compensation for retirement savings, than 20 years—and education—67% have a
and hiring skilled labor. Never in 40 years (have I) bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree—the experience
seen such a weak hiring market.” plant managers still provide them with both technical and
Another responded the challenge is “finding enough financial satisfaction, although at slightly lower levels
options of competent persons and contractors to be able than the past two years. In 2017, 72% of plant managers
to effectively and economically address issues.” expect an increase in base compensation in the coming
And a third reader said the issue was the lack of skilled year, with 58% expecting a raise of between 1% and 3%.
labor “from training to comprehension of process con- On the bonus compensation, 34% expect an increase,
trols.” and just 12% expect a decrease. That’s down from 19%
who expected a decrease one year ago.
Not embracing technology
Even given the concerns over skilled workers, a major- Compensation fell in 2017
ity of plant managers aren’t ready to implement two of Overall bonus compensation stayed below the $10,000
the significant technology solutions to the issue—the average for the second straight year. It had been as high
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and robotics. While as $15,000 in 2012, but has declined in four of the last
33% of managers believe robotics will provide labor to five years.
overcome the worker shortage, only 16% of manufactur- Continued on page 34

Continued from page 33 of workers over 60 years of age who participated in the
That also is reflected in the bonus compensation crite- survey this year. There also was a significant decline in
ria: While bonuses went up 8% on average in 2017 (from the pay levels for plant managers in the wood, paper and
$9,098 in 2016 to $9,842 in 2017), every area that affects printing industries.
bonus compensation declined in this year’s survey. Per- But pay issues rank further down on the list of concerns
haps the most troubling: just 25% of managers have safety for plant managers. As they look around, they need more
as a factor in their non-salary compensation. Almost as workers, better workers, and workers ready to address
troubling: just 42% list personal performance as a factor. the needs of a changing manufacturing plant. Or as one
The overall drop in average base salary—from $103,980 reader put it, “Approaching retirement, (there is) no
in 2016 to $93,784 in 2017—reverses a consistent trend method to pass on tribal knowledge.”
of pay increases in this decade. The salary level was
$87,039 in 2010 and $93,130 in 2014, then spiked over
$100,000 the next two years. This year’s reversal isn’t eas- —Bob Vavra
ily explained, although there was a drop in the number content manager, Plant Engineering
What We Earn
Average base annual salary by U.S. region
Northeast
Pacific
North Central
Midwest $119,916
$109,602
$94,459
$92,972
$92,278
$121,368
Mountain
$90,926
$117,482
2016 2017
$93,821
$89,639
2016 2017
2016 2017
2016 2017
2016 2017
Southeast
$99,295
$95,291
Southwest
$124,943
$123,677
2016 2017
2016 2017
All graphics courtesy: Plant Engineering

What We Earn
Year-over-year comparison
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Average base annual salary $87,039 $92,178 $95, 446 $95, 660 $93,130 $100,740 $103,980 $93,784
Average non-salary compensation $14,548 $7,580 $15,162 $11,678 $11,705 $12,599 $9,098 $9,842
Average compensation with bonus $102,035 $99,753 $110,608 $107,104 $104,835 $113,339 $113,078 $103,626
Lack of available Lack of available Lack of available Lack of available Lack of available Lack of available
Biggest threat Economy Economy
skilled workers skilled workers skilled workers skilled workers skilled workers skilled workers
Project Project Project Project Project Project
Most needed skill Engineering Engineering
management management management management management management
Consider manufacturing secure 73% 71% 62% 75% 79% 72% 77% 78%
Average age 50-54 50-54 50-54 55-59 50-54 52 53 54
uring sector Base annual compensation by manufacturing sector
2016 2017 Manufacturing sector 2016 2017

$7,318 $11,439 Utilities including electric, gas, water & waste and telecommunication $103,149 $104,680
$13,008 $6,438 Food, beverage, tobacco manufacturing $109,556 $85,769
$7,106 $12,285 Chemical manufacturing $107,745 $111,224
$6,432 Plant/facilities engineering or maintenance services $89,310
$14,973 $19,386 Oil, gas and petroleum, including refining $135,775 $116,036
$7,456 $10,631 Plastics & rubber manufacturing $95,238 $95,612
$10,001 System integration, consulting, business or technical services $99,609
$2,322 $8,633 Wood, paper manufacturing and related printing activies $126,708 $86,153
$11,342 $10,066 Automotive and other transportation equipment manufacturing $91,316 $82,784
$14,935 $8,002 Miscellaneous or other manufacturing $99,071 $90,167
$6,971 $7,950 Electrical equipment, appliance and component manufacturing $91,971 $80,300
$3,042 $3,840 Aircraft, aerospace or defense manufacturing $99,263 $98,800
$2,400 Government or military $113,909
$5,981 $11,343 Primary metal manufacturing $86,322 $91,806
$13,228 $8,190 Fabricated metal manufacturing $89,789 $92,133
Non-salary compensation by manufacturing sector Base a
Manufacturing sector 2016 2017

Utilities including electric, gas, water & waste and telecommunication $7,318 $11,439 Utilities including electric,
Food, beverage, tobacco manufacturing $13,008 $6,438
Chemical manufacturing $7,106 $12,285
Plant/facilities engineering or maintenance services $6,432 Plant/f
Oil, gas and petroleum, including refining $14,973 $19,386
Plastics & rubber manufacturing $7,456 $10,631
System integration, consulting, business or technical services $10,001 System integratio
Wood, paper manufacturing and related printing activies $2,322 $8,633 Wood, pape
Automotive and other transportation equipment manufacturing $11,342 $10,066 Automotive and ot
Miscellaneous or other manufacturing $14,935 $8,002
Electrical equipment, appliance and component manufacturing $6,971 $7,950 Electrical equipme
Aircraft, aerospace or defense manufacturing $3,042 $3,840 A
Government or military $2,400
Primary metal manufacturing $5,981 $11,343
Fabricated metal manufacturing $13,228 $8,190

What We Earn
Year-over-year average compensation
Average base annual salary Average non-salary compensation
Non-salary compensation criteria

12,599
9,098
11,678
15,162
11,705
9,842
14,548
7,580
2015 2016 2017
103,980
100,740
76%
95,660
95,446
93,784
93,130
92,178
Company profitability 77%

87,039
53%
58%
Personal performance 56%
42%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

39%
Safety metrics 35%
25%
2018 base annual salary forecast
Decrease 34%
3% Plant or line productivity 29%
22%
Stay the same
25%
33%
Reducing plant costs
58% 23%
19%
Increase more
than 6%
6% 28%
Product profitability 30%
Increase 4% 16%
to 6% Increase 1% to 3%
8%
28%
Quality metrics 24%
15%
2018 non-salary compensation forecast
21%
Decrease Uptime/downtime
Increase 1% to 3% 21%
12%
15%
20% Increase 4% 14%

to 6%
6% Energy efficiencies 12%
54% 7%
Increase more
than 6%
8%
Stay the same

Who We Are
Hours worked per week
Current age
Younger than 60 or more
40 years old 55 to 59 5% Fewer than 40
6% 7%
11%
40 to 49
60 years old 34% 18% years old
or older 50 to 54
16% 40 to 44
33%
37% 45 to 49
33%
50 to 59 years old
Highest level of education

Bachelor’s degree 45%
Master’s degree 22%
College attendance 8%
Associate’s degree 8%
Dual bachelor’s degree 5%
Trade/technical school diploma 4%
Doctoral degree 4%
High school diploma 3%
Primary job function

Purchasing or
purchasing management
Other engineering 1% Other
4%
System integration 10%
or consulting
6% Engineering, maintenance
41% or supervisory
System or product 11%
design, control or
instrument engineering 12%
15%
General or corporate
management
Process, production or
manufacturing engineering

Who We Are
Number of employees
Years with current employer surpervised/managed
30 or more 100 to 249 250 to 499
Fewer than 5 4% 1% 500 to 999
50 to 99 1%
25 to 29 13% 4%
9% 27%
20 to 49 None
20 to 24 9% 9% 33%
14%
13%
15%
1 to 19
47%
15 to 19 5 to 9
10 to 14
Facility size Years working in a plant

Don’t know
or engineering-related position
1%
1 to 19 Fewer than 5
1,000 or more 12% 40 or more 6% 5 to 9
20%
20 to 49 11% 7%
9%
50 to 99 10 to 19
500 to 999 12% 30 to 39
15% 27% 18%
20 to 29
250 to 499 100 to 249 31%
15% 16%

Job title
Engineering manager 10%
Maintenance manager 9%
Controls engineer 7%
Electrical engineer 7%
Project engineer 7%
Plant engineer 6%
Manager 6%
Project manager 5%
Mechanical engineer 4%
Plant manager 4%
Process engineer 4%
Engineer 4%
Senior engineer 4%
Manufacturing engineer 3%
Design engineer 3%
Instrumentation technician 2%
Owner 2%
Vice president 2%
Chemical engineer 2%
President 1%
Foreman 1%
Other 9%

What We Think
Consider manufacturing
to be a secure career
Responsible for managing
79%
or reducing energy use
77% 78%
75%
73% 71% 72%
64%
No
Yes
48%
52%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Skills needed to get ahead today

Project management 63%
Engineering 62%
Communication/presentation 57%
Computer 49%
Team-building 48%
Finance/accounting 33%
Language 23%
Marketing/sales 18%

Biggest threats to manufacturing industry
2015 2016 2017
19%
Lack of available skilled workers 20%
26%
14%
Competition 13%
17%
23%
Economy 23%
12%
10%
Regulations, codes, standards, etc. 13%
8%
10%
Inadequate management 10%
7%
10%
Government/political interference 9%
6%
5%
Outsourcing, offshoring 5%
5%
3%
Downsizing 3%
3%
1%
Taxes and tariffs on products 0%
2%
1%
Lack of necessary materials 1%
2%
0%
Union pressures, restrictions 1%

1%

IIoT & Robotics
Anticipated growth of
robotics usage in 2018 Percentage of manufacturing
Don’t know operation that uses robotics
14%
Don’t know
Plant to introduce robotics More than 50% 11%
for the first time 4%
4% No plans to 26% to 50%
add robotics 6%
Have plans to add
collaborative robots 43%
10% to 25%
6% 11% 68%
Will keep robotics usage
at the same level
14% Less than 10%
Plan to add
more robotics
16%
IIoT implementation over past year
Continuing to study how best to implement IIoT 27%
No plans to implement IIoT 27%
Still unsure how IIoT will help operations 20%
Implemented IIoT into operations 9%
Budgeted to add IIoT into operations 5%
Value of robotics in manufacturing

Improve productivity 72%
Improve safety and ergonomics 60%
Provide labor to help overcome worker shortage 33%
Allow us to replace labor 17%
Other 4%
Don’t see any value 7%

INNOVATIONS
By Helmut Seubert, Klüber Lubrication
Gain lubrication insight INSIDE

by looking a little deeper
Understand how metals, lubricants will interact. NEW
PRODUCTS
V “On average, 33%

alves, cylinders, and motors
present a lubrication chal-
lenge because they are com-
prised of different materials.
of compressed air
The tribological system is very complex,
which makes it difficult to determine the
is lost after being
proper speciality lubricant for drives and generated, vanishing
control systems.
Plant personnel need an adequate through a large
understanding of critical tribological fac-
tors to select the right pre-start lubrication. number of small leaks
Components that move in relation to each,
such as piston rods, cylinder walls, valve that combine into a
slides, and sealing elements, must be con-
sidered to ensure maximum service life
and proper equipment function.
huge loss. ”
The lubricants used for reducing fric-
46
tion and wear must also must be tuned to At the microscopic level, the tribologi-
the ambient temperature, sliding speed, cal system that encompasses the various
and normal forces, among other factors. gaps, spaces, and friction points involves
such factors as:
Variables in operating
conditions • Intermolecular forces
Pressures, temperatures, sliding speeds,
and stroke frequencies can vary dramati- • Thermal transmission and conduction
cally in different equipment operations.
Design engineers and tribologists must • Friction and wear
understand the friction factors where
shafts or rods are taken through hous- • Chemical and electro-chemical cor-
ing walls. rosion
At the mechanical level, the tri-

bological analysis must account for:
• Cylinder and rod materials
• Different seal materials and Check out the New Products for
sealing edge geometries Engineers Database and search
hundreds of products, with new
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Look for this logo on the Plant
• Acting pressures Engineering home page.
Complex pneumatic components, such as cylinders, motors or valves, can

incorporate a variety of different materials that can impose heavy demands
on the lubricant. Image courtesy: Klüber Lubrication
PLANT ENGINEERING January/February 2018 • 43

INNOVATIONS
t.PVOUJOHQPTJUJPOBOETJUVBUJPO
&OWJSPONFOUBMGBDUPSTBMTPBDUPOUIF By The
DPNQPOFOUTBOEUIFGSJDUJPOQPJOUT BTJO
MPXBOEPSIJHIUFNQFSBUVSFTPSBHHSFT
NUMBERS
TJWFNFEJBJOMJRVJE HBTFPVT PSBCSBTJWFT
TVDIBTTBOE Calculating compressed air loss
5IFTFDPNQMFYGBDUPSTBSFCFTUIBOEMFE When it comes to compressed air losses, a simple calculation
XIFOEFTJHOBOEUSJCPMPHZFOHJOFFSTDPM
MBCPSBUFFBSMZJOUIFEFWFMPQNFOUQSPDFTT
reveals the expected losses—and the potential for improvement.
UPJEFOUJGZUIFCFOFGJUTPCUBJOBCMFGSPN
QSPQFSMVCSJDBUJPOTFMFDUJPO Here’s a practical example:
Less leakage lowers energy A medium-sized company operates a 100 kW compressor
consumption station with a total runtime of all compressors of about 6,000
'PS QOFVNBUJD DPNQPOFOUT QSFWFOU hours a year.
JOH MFBLBHF JT LFZ UP FOTVSJOH TVDDFTT
GVM PQFSBUJPO 8IJMF B DPNQPOFOU JT JO
PQFSBUJPO TPNFMFBLTNBZHPVOOPUJDFE At a rate of approximately $0.082 per kWh, the annual energy
TVDIBTXIFOXBUFSMFBLJOHGSPNBQVNQ cost is about $48,700. If typical leakages can be prevented the
FWBQPSBUFT PO UIF TQPU 5IFSF BSF MFTT
USJWJBMMFBLTXIJDINVTUCFSFNFEJFEXJUI operator will need 30% less of compressed air, saving roughly
DPOTJEFSBCMF PVUMBZ PG UJNF BOE DPTUT $15,000 on the energy needed to generate the compressed air.
$PNQSFTTFEBJS GPSJOTUBODF JTFYQFOTJWF
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INNOVATIONS
IoT Gateway Starter Kit

The EIS-D110 Edge Intelligence Server is a powerful IoT gate-
way starter kit. The package includes a ready-to-run, fanless
automation system, IoT platform software, development kit,
and technical support service. The preconfigured system fea-
tures Intel Celeron J1900 SoC, WES7E/Win 10 Enterprise with
4GB Memory, 64 GB SSD, and wireless networking. With the
server, it is easy for developers to build edge-to-cloud applica-
tions. Furthermore, the starter kit comes with comprehensive
developer tools and documents including Node-RED data flow
logic designer, a dashboard builder, and protocol plug-in SDK
and configurations tools.
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Vibration Sensors
The 3560 FC Vibration Sensor wirelessly and remotely
captures simple vibration screening data on imbalance
and misalignment. It measures with a frequency range
of 10-300 Hz and features a battery life of three to five
years.The wireless 3560 FC Vibration Sensor is small
enough to fit in hard-to-reach places and affordable
enough to place on multiple locations on equipment.
Precise placement increases accuracy and reduces the
time it takes to screen an asset. The software can even
generate automatic alerts when measurements go out-
side set parameters notifying maintenance team mem-
bers before issues become critical.
Fluke
www.Fluke.com

INNOVATION
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LARGEST
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INNOVATIONS
Robot Calibration Software
The RoboDyn software package works with a Leica Absolute Tracker to directly calculate robot characteristics
such as base and tool alignments and full DH parameters. The calibration module provides a fast and intuitive
process to align the robot with the laser tracker, then calibrates the robot’s kinematic configuration to improve
absolute positioning accuracy. The Robodyn simulation module can be used to represent and analyse line-
of-sight issues and offline path
creation before connecting to the
physical system.
Fugitive Dust
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
www.hexagonmi.com
Has Nowhere to Hide.
Prevent overhead dust buildup.
Maintain OSHA combustible dust regulations.
Keep employees safe from dust explosions.
One-time investment can pay for itself in a year.
For details about the SonicAire fan:

336.712.2437 | [email protected]
50 • January/February 2018
Submit new product releases to our New Products for Engineers Database plantengineering.com/NP4E
Single Board Computer

The ConnectCore 6UL SBC Pro from Digi International offers 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2,
including Bluetooth Low Energy. It has out-of-the-box cellular integration options making cellular integration
and connectivity less complex and costly. The computer is production ready with minimal hardware design
effort, and is built with rugged shock and vibration design performance. The ConnectCore has integrated
display and camera capabilities.
It features a complete develop-
ment environment giving design
engineers flexibility to customize
their designs.
Digi International
www.digi.com
Axial Motor
The UlteMAX motor is a continu-
ous duty axial motor available in
three different models ranging
from 3–15 hp. UlteMAX motors
have three-phase/460 V/60 Hz
integrated DPT control with vari-
able torque loads, and the 3–5 hp
motor is designed to be scalable to PRUFTECHNIK is a leading single-source solution provider for machine
230 V, three-phase/60 Hz applica-
laser alignment, condition monitoring and nondestructive testing.
tions. The motor’s design is thin at
PRUFTECHNIK’s technical innovations optimize the availability of your
5.5 inches in width, and the motor’s
production assets—and stop small amounts weighing heavily on your
weight is less than half the weight
of a conventional radial motor. The bottom line.
result is a significantly more com- www.pruftechnik.us
pact, easily mountable motor.
Regal Beloit America Inc.
www.regalbeloit.com
January/February 2018 t 51
INNOVATIONS
Variable Frequency Drives
VARITROL is a high performance vector control/Direct Torque Control (DTC) variable speed AC drive that
uses multiprocessor and state-of-the-art integrated digital technology. VARITROL offers various communi-
cation protocol for real time exchange of information on the plant network. It features a US Patent Pending
fourth standby phase that allows for high fault toleration. Drive efficiency is higher than conventional two-
level VFDs due to the absence
of tuned harmonic filters at the
Air-Driven Power input and dv/dt filters at the

output.
Meets Results.
SPAR Power Technologies
www.sparpwr.com
Guaranteed.
NEW Model 15 Industrial Air-Vac offers 15 gallons of cleaning
capacity for powders & combustible dusts, running only on
compressed-air, No Electricity Required! With its uniquely
portable design, 99% filter efficiency rating, noise levels
below OSHA standards, and a performance guarantee, the
MDL15 is more than an industrial vac; it’s a business asset.
• VAC-U-MAX Single-Venturi Power Unit:

Adjustable for “Double-the-Vacuum” Power
• PTFE Pre-Filter & Secondary Cartridge Filter
• Suction Power: 16” Hg (208” H2O)
• “Off-the-Shelf” Static-Conductive Polybags
• Anti-Sparking 304 & 316 Stainless Steel
• Lowest Compressed-Air Consumption Available
• Complete Tool Kit for Floors Walls,
Machinery & Overhead Surfaces
• Quiet!
PREVIEW VIDEO!
Visit vac-u-max.com/MDL15
(800) VAC-U-MAX Check out the New Products for
Engineers Database and search
hundreds of products, with new
innovations added every day.
Look for this logo on the Plant
Engineering home page.
WET/DRY • AIR OPERATED AND ELECTRIC DRUM-TOP • CONTINUOUS DUTY • COMBUSTIBLE DUST
CENTRAL SYSTEMS • CONTINUOUS-BAGGING • LIQUID & SLUDGE • FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS
SUBMERGED RECOVERY • METALWORKING • PHARMACEUTICAL • STEEL SHOT
INTERCEPT HOPPERS & PRE-SEPARATORS • HSE / INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE SOLUTIONS
52 • January/February 2018
T
he voice of the engineering community speaks loud and clear
in the following pages featuring corporate profiles of
those companies participating in the Executive Voice
program presented by Plant Engineering magazine.
Our thanks to the following participants:
AutomationDirect
Camfil Air Pollution Control
Emerson Automation Solutions
Flexicon
Modex
PRUFTECHNIK Inc.
SEW Eurodrive
SonicAire
SPM Instrument, Inc.
ADVERTISEMENT
A utomationDirect takes the best ideas from the consumer world to serve
the industrial market. As a direct seller of industrial automation prod-
ucts for more than 20 years, AutomationDirect is a leader in the industry
that offers many customer services not typical with traditional distributors.
The company created a print catalog, and later an online store that provides
complete product information and pricing so customers can make informed
decisions on their automation purchases quickly and independently.
AutomationDirect’ s products are practical, easy to use and offer a low cost
of ownership. The company offers quality products at prices up to 50 percent
lower than those of more traditional distributors. Most product program-
ming software is free, requiring no initial or upgrade costs and no software See videos on AutomationDirect’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/automationdirect
maintenance contracts. Product offerings include programmable logic
controllers (PLCs), alternating-current (AC) drives/motors, operator inter-
face panels/human machine interface (HMI), power supplies, direct-current Customers can also obtain return
(DC) motors, sensors, push buttons, National Electrical Manufacturers authorizations online for quick and easy
Association (NEMA) enclosures, pneumatic supplies and more. product returns or exchanges.
AutomationDirect’s phone technical support

staff has garnered top honors in service from
industry magazine readers 15 years in a row.
And, with tens of thousands of active customers,
the company’s online technical forum taps into
that knowledge base by encouraging peers to help
each other with applications and other questions.
Other online help includes frequently asked
questions, application examples and product
selection guides.
They Guarantee It
AutomationDirect’s corporate headquarters near Atlanta, Georgia AutomationDirect wants you to be pleased with
every order. That is why they offer 30-day money-
Award-Winning Services Satisfy Customers back guarantee on almost every product they sell,
AutomationDirect has always maintained a huge inventory, allowing them to including software (see Terms and Conditions for
ship 99.7 percent of orders complete the same day. They were among the first certain exclusions).
to offer free two-day shipping, available for any order over $49. Shipment
confirmations and any backorder status and estimated delivery information
are communicated electronically to keep you informed.
Their online store is one of the most exhaustive in the industry – all technical
documentation can be downloaded free of charge, as well as software and
firmware updates. Hundreds of instructional videos are available without
registration. Online access to your account allows viewing and changing [email protected]
account information, viewing order history and making payments. 1-800-633-0405 • www.automationdirect.com
ADVERTISEMENT
C amfil APC offers the most
technologically advanced dust,
mist and fume collectors available,
Camfil is also a leader in combustible
dust explosion protection, offering
a full range of technical services to
backed by decades of experience. test dusts and analyze specific operat-
Our mission is to fill orders fast and ing conditions. We carry a variety of
support our products with ongoing products to mitigate dust collector
technical service and maintenance. explosions, including explosion vents
We guarantee that our collectors meet and ambient fume collection systems
EPA particle emission requirements. with HEPA grade filters.
We are a subsidiary of Camfil, the During 2018, Camfil APC will enhance
largest air filter manufacturer in the its flagship Farr Gold Series® dry dust Graeme Bell
world. All our components, including collector with features that make it Vice president, Camfil APC Americas
filter cartridges, are manufactured in lighter, stronger, safer and more
ISO 9001 certified facilities. cleanable. Camfil’s goal continues to be
providing performance improvements
Our corporate headquarters in while reducing the overall footprint of
Jonesboro, Arkansas houses manufac- the Farr Gold Series unit.
In 2018, Camfil APC
turing, sales and administrative offices. will roll out major
The facility includes a state-of-the-art The Handte EM Profi emulsion
test lab to simulate full-scale testing, coolant mist collector for machining
product improvements
including ANSI/ASHRAE Standard centers offers very high collection for its flagship
199 testing. This testing provides efficiency and “24/7” performance.
comparison data on emissions, Benefits include increased productivity, Farr Gold Series®
pressure drop, compressed air usage, exceptional service ease and lower Dust Collector.
energy consumption and emission operating costs. Service life is up to six
readings, taking the guesswork out of years for the primary filters.
equipment selection to help identify
the best dust collection equipment for The Handte Oil Expert handles The Handte Vortex wet scrubber is
the job. ultrafine, hard-to-capture oil mists built for high-performance wet dust
generated by machining collection. It is a “plug and play”
Camfil APC factory in Jonesboro, Arkansas
processes that use pure machine that effectively captures very
(undiluted) lubricant sticky dusts and fibers as well as
oils. Its leak-proof highly explosive metallic, chemical
guarantee protects and other dusts. It provides wetting
workers from slippery of combustible dusts, eliminating the
floors and reduces need for costly ancillary explosion
housekeeping expenses. protection devices.
[email protected] • 1-800-479-6801 • www.camfilapc.com

ADVERTISEMENT
E merson is, at heart, an engineering
and technology company.
We are innovators, problem-solvers,
systems for commercial buildings,
including the new Sensi Multiple
Thermostat Manager, our latest Brent
and industry leaders working to ensure innovation to leverage Internet of Schroeder
human comfort and health, protect Things technology to help ensure Group President
food quality and sustainability, advance human comfort and health. of Heating and
Air Conditioning
energy efficiency and create sustainable
infrastructure. Protecting Food Quality
At Emerson, we are a leader when it
Our industry offerings in heating, venti- comes to managing the Cold Chain. In addition to our compression and
lation, air conditioning and refrigeration We help safeguard food, reduce energy control solutions, our relationship
(HVACR) and building automation bring consumption, protect the environment with Transformative Wave allows us to
quality, reliability and efficiency to build- and optimize business results for provide innovative HVAC retrofit tech-
ing systems, making us a key partner to supermarkets, convenience stores, nology with the CATALYST. More than
many leading OEMs. restaurants, retailers and transportation a controller and more than a variable
using compression technology, frequency drive (VFD), this offering
integrated controls, connectivity, is a complete HVAC energy efficiency
monitoring, services and upgrade that radically lowers energy use
insight solutions. and improves the overall performance
of constant volume HVAC systems.
Emerson’s ProAct Services
portfolio, includes technology,
data, services, software and Emerson is where
expertise that assures quality technology and engineering
The Helix Innovation Center on the campus
of the University of Dayton and integrity of conditions management
wherever commercial goods are moved, come together to create
Leading in Human Comfort stored or sold. Systematic measurement solutions for the benefit
Emerson has decades of experience in of cost drivers provides a powerful basis of our customers.
residential and commercial HVAC. We for everyday decision-making by allow-
pioneered the Copeland Scroll compres- ing key participants in the cold chain to
sor technology that today powers home quickly identify opportunities for Driven by Innovation
and commercial AC systems around the operational improvement. Emerson is where technology and
world, efficiently and reliably. We have engineering come together to create
been at the forefront of enabling environ- Emerson’s newest facility control solutions for the benefit of our custom-
mentally friendly refrigerant changes to platform, Site Supervisor, allows large ers. Our network of Helix Innovation
protect our environment. and small format retailers to quickly Centers has hosted thousands of our
and economically support monitoring, partners and customers and we are
Today, we offer a broad portfolio of optimization and control over key store working daily to address the biggest
modulating compressors, including systems. Site Supervisor controls manage challenges our industry sees now and
two-stage, variable speed and tandem/ refrigeration systems, HVAC, lighting in the future.
trio compressor configurations that and more.
enable the industry’s most efficient and
reliable systems. Advancing Energy Efficiency
Efficiency and energy savings are key
Our focus on comfort extends to auto- design elements to many of our
mated and remotely-monitored control solutions to the HVACR industry. www.emerson.com
ADVERTISEMENT
F lexicon Corporation engineers
and manufactures bulk handling
equipment from stand-alone units
Stand-alone equipment
The Flexicon line of stand-alone
equipment includes: Flexible Screw David Gill
to automated systems that are Conveyors, Tubular Cable Conveyors, President
integrated with new or existing Pneumatic Conveying Systems, Bulk
process equipment and storage Bag Unloaders, Bulk Bag Conditioners,
vessels throughout the plant. Bulk Bag Fillers, Bag Dump Stations,
Drum/Box/Container Dumpers and
Virtually any bulk solid Weigh Batching and Blending Systems.
material or blend Numerous model configurations Manufacturing on
Flexicon equipment can handle are offered within each equipment four continents
virtually any bulk material, from category, as basic, low cost units up Flexicon manufactures equipment in
large pellets to sub-micron powders to engineered, automated, high- the US, UK, Australia and South
including friable materials, free- and capacity machines. Africa, maintains dedicated factory
non-free-flowing products, and representation in Singapore, Spain,
materials that pack, cake, plug, smear, Large-scale bulk Chile and Germany, and also markets
fluidize or separate. After more than handling projects equipment and systems through an
20,000 installations, Flexicon is Customers can alleviate the burden extensive network of manufacturers’
knowledgeable about virtually all bulk and risk of designing large-scale bulk representatives worldwide.
materials and blends that customers handling systems, coordinating
are likely to encounter. multiple suppliers, integrating compo- The company holds 36 patents in 13
nents and trouble-shooting start-up, countries, and recently doubled the size
Lifetime Performance Guarantee by relying on Flexicon’s Project of its US headquarters.
The Flexicon Lifetime Performance Engineering Division for it all.
Guarantee assures customers of a
successful result, regardless of whether Flexicon can evaluate customer
they purchase one piece of equipment material(s), plant layout, through-put
or an automated plant-wide system, rates, cost, cycle times and other
providing added assurance that parameters, and engineer the optimum
customers can trust their process, solution to individual bulk handling
and their reputation, to Flexicon. problems in the form of CAD drawings
that integrate Flexicon and other
Designed and constructed to equipment with new or existing
industry standards worldwide equipment in the customer’s plant.
All Flexicon equipment is available in
carbon steel with a variety of durable In addition, Flexicon can test
industrial finishes, and stainless steel in customer materials on full-size test
industrial and food, dairy and phar- equipment, build the equipment,
maceutical finishes, including designed supervise installation, validate the
Flexicon Corporation
and constructed for 3-A certification project, and train customer personnel +1 610 814 2400 • [email protected]
and USDA acceptance. to operate it— anywhere in the world. www.flexicon.com
ADVERTISEMENT
T omorrow’s technology is already
here. And if you’re not already
getting ahead, you’re likely to fall
and market intelligence through
innovative direct programming or
in partnership with other industry
George
behind. In our increasingly integrated, providers. Its members are material Prest
increasingly globalized economy, it’s handling, logistics and supply chain
CEO
time to redefine the dynamics of equipment and systems manufactur-
success. Adaptable strategies, equip- ers, integrators, third party logistics
ment and systems are paramount. providers, consultants and publishers.
And supply chains that span conti-
nents and dominate markets are key. MHI offers education, networking
and solution sourcing for members,
No matter where you do business, suc- their customers and the industry as
cess relies heavily on effective material a whole through programming and MHI helps professionals
handling, logistics and supply chain events. MHI is the sponsor of the the world over discover
solutions. That’s where MHI comes industry-leading ProMat and
in. As the nation’s largest material MODEX events. In April 2018, MHI solutions that cut costs,
handling, logistics and supply chain will host MODEX 2018, a premier exceed customer demands,
association, MHI helps professionals manufacturing and supply chain expo
the world over discover solutions that that will focus on preparing attendees
and move the
cut costs, exceed customer demands, for a future defined by the Internet of industry forward.
and move the industry forward. Things and Industry 4.0.
More than 850 of the insights and trend reporting through

leading providers will over 100 educational sessions and
be at the Georgia World seminars. The goal? Help manufactur-
Congress Center in ing and supply chain professionals
Atlanta to showcase the not only find their edge, but also
best solutions and innova- futureproof it for years to come.
tions in the industry.
MODEX 2018 will be held
This year, George W. April 9 – 12, 2018, at Georgia World
Prest, CEO of MHI, will Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. Visit
MODEX 2018 will be held April 9-12 in Atlanta, GA act as keynote speaker MODEXShow.com to learn more.
at MODEX 2018. In his
By providing an unbiased, address, he will present the findings
collaborative environment that fosters of the 2018 MHI Annual Industry
stakeholder best practices, MHI helps Report and moderate a panel of
members gain the insights necessary manufacturing and supply chain lead-
to deliver the right product to the ers who will discuss the real-world
right market at the right time. significance of the report’s findings.
www.mhi.org • MODEXshow.com
The association focuses on facilitating In addition, the industry’s leading [email protected]
industry groups, education, events, experts will share their most recent (704) 676-1190
ADVERTISEMENT
A s a world leader in drive
technology and a pioneer
in drive-based automation,
Reliability
At SEW-EURODRIVE our exper-
tise doesn’t stop with the sale of our MOVIGEAR®
is an all-in-one
SEW-EURODRIVE has established products. We offer one of the most mechatronic
a reputation for quickly solving the accessible customer support systems drive solution
that combines
most difficult power transmission in the industry. Our trained product the gear unit,
and motion control challenges. We specialists are readily available for motor and
electronics into
introduced the gearmotor in 1931. on-site start up assistance, application one unit.
Since then, we have been bringing support, and maintenance services.
the best in drive technology to our
customers worldwide.
Quickly solving problems so that our Support

customers can be more productive Our PT Pilot® online drive
and profitable continues to be our selection tool quickly selects
priority. We offer the broadest product the perfect drive for your
line in the industry – from gearmo- specific needs. PT Pilot
tors and heavy industrial gear units to simplifies the choices and
drive electronics, software and com- identifies a custom solution
plete drive-based automation systems. for each application within
PT Pilot simplifies the choices and identifies
minutes. This powerful program
a custom solution for each application
includes technical documentation, net
Our products are based on Innovation pricing, CAD files, and an application
a unique system of modular In addition to engineering excellence, calculator. Visit ptpilot.com.
components that can be SEW-EURODRIVE is also known
assembled in literally millions for innovative new products. Our customer service personnel,
MOVIGEAR® is an all-in-one engineers, product specialists, and
of different configurations mechatronic drive solution for service technicians are available to
horizontal material handling. answer questions and troubleshoot
Flexibility problems. SEW-EURODRIVE also
Our products are based on a unique It combines the gear unit, motor, and offers on-call technical support
system of modular components that electronics in one highly efficient around the clock for emergency
can be assembled in literally millions and hygienically designed unit. breakdown situations.
of different configurations so every MOVIGEAR® also eliminates excess
drive solution is custom built to our inventory since it allows the use of a SEW-Eurodrive…Driving the World
customer’s exact specifications. Our single ratio to replace several different
five regional assembly centers in the ratios. MOVIGEAR has been proven
U.S. stock millions of dollars of our to reduce total start-up costs and
modular inventory for quick delivery annual operating costs in your
of drive solutions and spare parts. material handling system by 20-30%!
864-439-7537
www.seweurodrive.com
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W ith intelligent and precise
measurement and testing
systems, PRUFTECHNIK offers
competent partner—always available
and responsive to their needs.
Premier Solutions for all Industries
With our products and services
for condition monitoring and avail-
innovative solutions to customers ability optimization, we make sure
in machine alignment, condition that your rotating machines run
Florian Buder
monitoring and nondestructive with optimum efficiency to help you
CEO, PRUFTECHNIK
testing. We are driven to set global save costs and increase the reliability
North America
standards in precision measurement of your assets and plants. Our
for the maintenance of rotating solutions also include systems for
Service and Support
equipment and quality assurance. automatic process control and
We offer services anywhere
quality assurance that are integrated
in the world to support our
Established in 1972 by Dieter The spirit of discovery among the directly in your productions process.
customers with alignment
Busch, PRUFTECHNIK is a PRUFTECHNIK team, our drive
and condition monitoring.
family-owned business now under to innovate and openness to new PRUFTECHNIK Core Activities:
Our service and diagnostic
the second generation stewardship ideas, has only one goal: to offer Precision Alignment -
center is certified by
of Dr. Sebastian Busch. Even as an our customers the perfect solution, Laser measurement systems and services for
optimum alignment of rotating equipment. DNV GL (formerly
established market leader in our anywhere in the world. Twenty
Condition Monitoring – Germanischer Lloyd).
field, we have retained our medium- operational marketing, service,
Measurement systems for machine condition
sized business roots and traditions. development and production loca- monitoring—including vibration analysis and
With a lean structure, we remain tions—exporting to more than 70 fault diagnosis.
flexible and efficient. Customers can countries and employing more than Nondestructive Testing – [email protected]
trust PRUFTECHNIK, as we pride 600 people worldwide—are more Systems and services for quality assurance Tel.: +1 844 242-6296
ourselves in being a reliable and than sufficient proof. and process control in production. www.pruftechnik.com/us
pe201801_execVhlf_PRUFTECHNIK.indd 1 1/22/2018 12:25:11 PM
ADVERTISEMENT
C ombustible dust can have a huge financial
impact on your facility and create real dangers
for your employees. Brad Carr, founder and president,
We also realize that each of our clients have
specific needs based on their industry type and
facility. Our team of dust control experts consults
started SonicAire after realizing how critical an with our clients to develop a customized,
engineered solution was to controlling fugitive dust in engineered layout of SonicAire fans for their unique
Brad Carr
plants across multiple industries. facility. We work to determine the right fan Founder and President
placement to create ideal air patterns specific to
our clients’ needs, and we offer a large selection
of mounting options, local controls, control Contact us today
and let our team help you
panels and safety options. determine the right fan
system for your facility.
Not only do our fans save money, dramatically
reducing cleaning costs, but they also help to keep
facilities in continuous compliance with relevant
SonicAire fan systems have changed how industries OSHA and NFPA regulations. Most importantly
deal with combustible dust. We are the first-and only- though, SonicAire fans help to prevent dangerous
proactive, engineered solution designed to eliminate combustible dust events and improve overall air
+1 336-712-2437
overhead fugitive dust problems. At the core of quality in our clients’ facilities, creating a cleaner and [email protected]
every SonicAire fan is our proprietary BarrierAire healthier work environment for their employees. www.sonicaire.com
technology and the engineered application of
Dynamic Particle Control. Using this technology,
our fans block fugitive dust buildup in overhead With SonicAire fans, Fugitive Dust has Nowhere to Hide.
structures and other hard-to-clean areas.
Pe201801_execVhalf_sonicAr.indd 1 1/11/2018 12:09:16 PM

ADVERTISEMENT
M anaging Director of SPM Instrument, Inc.,
Ron Kittle brings over 20 years of experience
in the maintenance and reliability fields, primarily in
certifications in predictive maintenance technologies,
such as thermography and vibration analysis.
condition monitoring products related to vibration Delighted to be leading an outstanding team,

analysis across many industries. Managing Director Ron promises 100% commitment, loyalty, drive, Ron Kittle
since 2017, he has worked both directly and indirectly compassion and professionalism to our industry Managing Director
with SPM Instrument for 13 years. customers, partners/reps/distributors, suppliers,
advertisers and conference organizers. Please be sure
Ron has extensive experience to meet Ron in person at one of the several industry nearly fifty years, and we
in wireless and on-line events he plans to attend throughout the year, such as are passionate about what
condition monitoring IMVAC, SMRP, Reliable Plant and IMC conferences. we do. Our competitive
systems, including recent difference: our entire
notable work in the wind SPM Instrument has an excellent team of employees focus is on developing
energy and mining industries. who are completely focused on satisfying the needs world-class products for
His career began in the U.S. of our customers/partners and providing the best world-class reliability
US Western Regional Army where he spent time as condition monitoring experiences available. and maintenance.
Office, Eugene, OR
a Combat Vehicle Mechanic.
SPM Instrument is a global leader in condition
Other early career experiences include oil analysis monitoring technology. Our head office in Stangnas,
on high voltage transformers and work in power Sweden includes our R&D department, production
generation plants where he focused on predictive facility and SPM Academy training center. We
SPM Instrument, Inc.
maintenance techniques. He studied electronics at have supplied the world’s industries with high- 800-505-5636
the National Institute of Electronics and holds many performance condition monitoring solutions for www.spminstrument.us
pe201801_execVhlf_SPM.indd 1 1/22/2018 12:43:36 PM
DIGITAL REPORTS
Compressed Air Strategies
HMI
IIoT: Machines, Equipment & Asset Management
Maintenance & Safety
Motion Control
www.plantengineering.com/DigitalReports
2018-PLE_DigitalReport_HalfHorizontal_All.indd 1 2/2/2018 9:03:44 AM

MEDIA SHOWCASE FOR ENGINEERS
Your place for new products, literature, Apps, Videos, Case Studies and White Papers.
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SAFETY
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UL Switch-Rated
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For details about the SonicAire fan:

SAFETY 336.712.2437 | [email protected]
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Input #111 at plantengineering.hotims.com

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INFORMATION
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Proven Worldwide
23 million inverters, 15 million servo axes and 360,000

robots in the field are proof positive that Yaskawa has the
engineering expertise, innovative technology and unsurpassed
quality to inspire complete customer confidence.
The Yaskawa P1000 variable frequency drive provides simple,

reliable, cost-effective control for variable-torque loads through
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Right Choice.
Unparalleled Reliability.
Whether you’re designing a new material • Drop-in Replacement

handling machine or replacing a unit that’s seen
better days, industrial gearmotors from Baldor
Electric Company are the right choice to put your • Unlimited Custom Designs
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With unlimited custom capabilities and a wide • Right Angle and Parallel Shaft
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baldor.com 479-646-4711 • Unmatched Quality
©2017 Baldor Electric Company

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2017 Salary Survey: It’s the (lack of) workers 33

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