Industrial Bluetooth demos preview 2003 launches : May 2003 Page 1 of 2

TECHNOLOGY NEWS MAY 2003

Industrial Bluetooth demos preview 2003 launches

Parker Hannifin is planning to launch a series of wireless industrial automation products later this year, based on
the Bluetooth short-range communication and networking technology. To give an insight into the capabilities of
these products, the company had several demonstrations of Bluetooth in action on its stand at the recent
Hannover Fair (shown below).

According to Parker, wireless communications could cut cabling costs and eliminate many connectors, as well as
reducing wear, corrosion and contamination problems and enhancing configuration, control and monitoring
capabilities.

• In the first demonstration, signals from a hydraulic fluid diagnostic system monitoring a hydraulic steering
mechanism, were transmitted to a handheld computer which displayed them graphically. The diagnostic system
included sensors to measure temperatures, pressures and moisture levels and to count particles in the hydraulic
fluid.

• In the second demonstration, visitors could have their names printed on yo-yos selected from a rotating dial
table. The demonstration used Bluetooth to link various pneumatic, electromechanical and hydraulic devices,
including a wireless valve island which was providing output control signals to valves on the rotating table.
Another island was controlling the motor drive and the hydraulic trim actuator that presented the marked yo-yos to
the visitors.

• In the final demonstration, visitors could monitor and control three types of process device -- pressure
controllers, pressure regulators and rotary actuators -- using a Pocket PC. The devices were fitted with micro-
controller-based Bluetooth "dongles" that provide a single input and a single output.

Sandy Harper, a senior R&D engineer with Parker Hannifin, predicts that wireless technologies will prove
particularly attractive to industries where some functions are difficult to perform because of harsh operating
conditions or other restrictions. He also expects the technology to be used in ultra-clean industries such as food
and beverages where it will help to monitor, control and configure equipment.

"The new wireless technologies will eventually provide considerable cost savings and efficiencies in industrial
automation," he adds, "helping companies to achieve their 'lean' business goals". The market for wireless
industrial automation equipment is forecast to be worth almost $3bn by 2006.

http://www.drives.co.uk/news/technews/news_technews224.htm 6/12/03
http://www.machinedesign.com/ASP/articleLoader.asp?catId=370&path=E%3A%5Cinetpub%5C... Page 1of5

Today is: June 15, 2003

http://www.machinedesign.com

Pumping new life into mobile machines

Advanced electro-hydraulics makes off-road equipment
cleaner, safer, and more productive.
Kenneth J. Korane
Managing Editor

Clean air and oil hydraulics would seem to have little in common.
But new emissions requirements for off-road equipment are,
surprisingly, driving the need for advanced and innovative mobile-
hydraulic controls.

Machine builders are turning to the latest electrohydraulic systems

to improve vehicle efficiency and fuel economy, as well as make
them safer and more productive. In the process they are meeting
user demands for enhanced control, longer service life, easier
diagnostics as machines become more complex and, of course,
lower operating costs.

Emissions effects
A growing trend in mobile equipment is communication between
the engine, transmission, and other vehicle subsystems, according
to John Treharn, systems engineering manager at Parker
Hannifin's Mobile Systems Div., Lincolnshire, Ill. Interfacing engine controls with other
(www.parker.com). The goal, he says, is to optimize subsystems can lead to cleaner-running off-
performance, cut waste, improve vehicle safety, and provide status highway equipment.
feedback to the operators.

Key drivers are new EPA emissions guidelines for mobile

equipment, and the new engines that the machines will require.
"The Tier 2 and Tier 3 engine-emissions regulations are driving a
lot of the need to have implements, cooling systems, and various
other subsystems on the machine communicate with the engine,"
says Treharn.

In these engines, an onboard computer monitors operating

information such as speed, boost pressure, and crank position,
compares it with ideal conditions, and sends out commands that
control fuel-injection quantity, pressure, and timing. Thus,
managing engine performance depends on knowing the demands
from vehicle propulsion, steering, and other hydraulically powered
systems.

"We're taking information from the engine and making decisions to M4 load-sensing control blocks from Bosch
give priority to certain functions if horsepower is limited," says Rexroth offer a CAN-Bus interface. The
Treharn. The goal is to improve fuel economy, precisely manage sandwich-plate design features up to 10
available horsepower, and run the engine as close as possible to elements, and can distribute flow to several
ideal speed and load conditions, he says. This can reduce functions that can operate simultaneously. Flow
emissions and, by matching the available power to the task at
http://www.machinedesign.com/ASP/articleLoader.asp?catId=370&path=E%3A%5Cinetpub%5C... Page 2of5
hand, result in better overall machine performance. rating is to 180 lpm and pressure to 420 bar.

For instance, several manufacturers have developed cooling systems that interface with the engine controller.
Denison Hydraulics, Marysville, Ohio (www.denisonhydraulics.com), offers a digitally controlled hydraulic fan
drive that is said to improve fuel efficiency while providing more-precise thermal control.

Today, the radiator must cool engine oil, air-conditioning refrigerant, and transmission, drive train, and hydraulic
fluids, says Gary Gotting, the company's fan-drive manager. It also preconditions combustion charge air and even
controls the temperature inside the engine compartment.

"Traditional direct-drive fan systems lack the flexibility and controllability to accomplish all of these tasks efficiently,"
he says, "because their performance is almost entirely determined by engine speed. But engine speed and cooling are
not generally well coordinated in these kinds of applications, and the result is a lot of wasted fuel turning the fan at
much higher speeds than necessary."

For example, if high ambient temperatures mean more cooling is required at idle, the only way to obtain it with a
traditional system is to increase engine speed. "But running the engine faster only adds to the thermal load on the
system while increasing fuel consumption and exhaust-gas pollution," says Gotting. At the other end of the spectrum,
the fan may not be needed when a vehicle is moving, but direct-drive fans continue to consume engine power and
waste fuel, he explains.

By replacing traditional mechanically coupled drives with hydraulic versions, the fan can operate at optimum speed
over the entire duty cycle. An electronic controller monitors inputs from various temperature sensors and provides
output signals to the valves that regulate fan-motor speed.

The system can noticeably improve fuel economy. "The power absorbed by a rotating fan is much higher than most
people believe," says Gotting. The fact is that a direct-drive fan can consume as much as 27 hp at 3,000 rpm, yet this
level of cooling is required less than 5% of the time in most applications, he says. Cutting power consumption means
better fuel economy and more-efficient operation, directly affecting how much environmental pollution the equipment
puts out.

Advanced control
Emissions regulations have also put equipment manufacturers under added pressure to improve fuel economy. "Tier 2
and Tier 3 engines are in the range of 6 to 8% less fuel efficient, and there's no doubt the OEMs want to recover that
lost efficiency," says Kells Hall, a senior vice president with Sauer Danfoss, Ames, Iowa (www.sauer-
danfoss.com). That makes the efficiencies of propulsion and working systems much more important than even five
years ago. "It's always been important in Europe, because of fuel costs," says Hall, "but in America durability,
reliability, and cost have been more-pressing issues. Now, efficiency is coming on in a big way."

One way to compensate for lower fuel economy is to optimize performance through highly advanced machine
guidance and control. For instance, TSD Integrated Controls, a joint venture between Sauer Danfoss and
Topcon, Pleasanton, Calif. (www.tsdcontrols.com), provides OEMs with mobile electrohydraulic controls combined
with advanced positioning and tracking systems. For instance, explains Hall, TSD's worksite-management software
lets operators precisely determine how many yards of material they need to remove and where to move it to properly
grade a site. The software calculates the most efficient method to remove dirt and transport it to another location.

GPS, laser-guidance signals, and on-board sensors provide precise positioning information to the controller on, say, a
dozer or motor grader which, in turn, directs sophisticated electrohydraulic valves to move the blade. While the
operator drives the machine in a prescribed path, the blade automatically scrapes just the right amount of material to
set the proper grade.

The result is that a job can be completed with fewer passes, in fewer hours, in the most efficient way possible. "Even
very good operators can't compete with a computer and lasers, it's much more efficient, productivity goes way up,
and there's a big improvement in the quality of the site," says Hall.

In fact, he adds, it is now technically possible to eliminate the operator altogether and automate some applications.
Given the accuracy of GPS combined with ground-reference signals, an electronic controller can position a machine in
a worksite with the accuracy of a human operator. Now it's more a question of robustness, redundancy, and safety
before autonomous operation becomes commercially viable, he says.

Another way manufacturers can build more-efficient machines is by eliminating energy losses that were once
considered routine. Energy reclamation is a concept in the early stages of development, but quickly gaining
momentum, says Parker's John Treharn. Every time a loader empties a bucket of dirt or a truck dumps a load, the
raised boom or bed must, in turn, be lowered before the next work cycle begins. Typically that means resisting
gravity by metering fluid from the hydraulic cylinders through valves, where the energy dissipates as heat.
http://www.machinedesign.com/ASP/articleLoader.asp?catId=370&path=E%3A%5Cinetpub%5C... Page 3of5
With regenerative technology, he explains, the goal is to capture that energy in accumulatorlike devices rather than
simply metering it away. The stored energy could then, conceivably, supplement the engine, power auxiliary systems,
provide a redundant safety system, or offer a host of other uses. The concept is relatively new, says Treharn, but
interest is gaining momentum, again due to emissions regulations. "Look at a garbage truck that lifts and lowers
hundreds of times a day, all that is wasted energy," he says. With a properly sized storage system and the necessary
controls, it might be possible to lower engine speed, run at idle more often, save fuel, and reduce emissions.

CAN communication
The link that lets machine subsystems communicate with one another and enables more-sophisticated control is CAN-
Bus. Well established in automotive and on-highway applications, mobile-hydraulics manufacturers have stepped up
development of CAN-Bus compatible subsystems.

For example, Bosch Rexroth, Hoffman Estates, Ill. (www.bosch-rexroth-us.com), recently announced several
new additions to its growing family of CAN-compatible products. The RC 2-2 control unit is designed for tasks such as
load-limiting control, pump control, and constant speed drives. The M4 load-sensing valve control block distributes
flow to several different machine functions that can operate simultaneously. And the DI2 graphical display installs in
an operator console and shows operating conditions and error messages, and can be custom programmed for a
variety of application-based functions. A CAN-Bus interface allows simple and straightforward integration of these
components into a machine's electronic network.

There are several reasons for the move to CAN, according to Terry Hershberger, director of electronic products for the
company's Mobile Hydraulics business unit. The first is simplicity and easier installation. Like other fieldbus networks,
CAN replaces the many individual wires running from a central controller to every valve and sensor with a single four-
wire cable. Thus assembly tends to be quicker and more straightforward, and a missing communications link will
quickly identify a miswired connection.

Safety and integrity are other drivers, says Hershberger, because of the fault-checking involved with every message.
When the controller sends a message to a valve, for example, the valve, in turn, queries the controller to verify the
command. Each device also contains a unique address that virtually eliminates the chances of misguided commands.
And the system immediately pinpoints a broken wire, loose connection, or nonfunctioning solenoid. Troubleshooting
hard-wired systems, on the other hand, can be extremely time consuming.

Because today's newer engines have CAN interfaces, load-management is another driver, says Hershberger. In
addition to emissions issues, "many engines are running at lower speeds because of noise requirements, especially in
Europe. With that in mind, we don't have the same power as before, so we have to manage it better."

In a piece of equipment such as a trencher, for instance, the RC 2-2 control unit might receive signals from an
operator's joystick and, in turn, command the M4 valves to supply flow to both the cutter head and traction drive. But
if the machine encounters particularly heavy soil that taxes the engine, the engine controller can override these
commands and automatically direct more power to the cutter and less to the drive, and avoid stalling out. While
hardwiring sophisticated sensors and controls into a load-management system is possible, says Hershberger, CAN
makes the task much easier.

As CAN is integrated into more products such as sensors, joysticks, controllers, and valves, it opens the door to
countless applications, says Hershberger. "The majority of machines being redesigned in the next three to five years
will be going to CAN," he says. The old way of running wires to pumps and valves is becoming obsolete.

Simplifying integration
Though equipment manufacturers are increasingly looking to integrate machine
operating systems, one problem is: closing the loop with electronic mobile
controllers requires expertise in sophisticated programming languages. Those
skills, says Parker Hannifin's John Treharn, are often in short supply, which can
hamper product development and customization.

To provide high-level machine control and, at the same time, simplify integration
of various vehicle systems, Parker has developed IQAN, a software-based
machine-control system that includes a comprehensive family of products and
development tools. "IQAN is a high-end solution, with over 80,000 man-hours
spent on developing an extremely user-friendly operating system. We have
basically empowered the OEM engineers to become software engineers. They don't
need to write code, merely assign relationships between the input and output
devices," says Treharn.
http://www.machinedesign.com/ASP/articleLoader.asp?catId=370&path=E%3A%5Cinetpub%5C... Page 4of5
IQAN lets designers build virtual prototypes, by selecting components from a menu
and adding input signals from control levers and sensors. Simulations tools can
then evaluate the design and permit quick changes and adjustments to the
system, before hardware and software are installed on a vehicle. On a machine,
IQAN's electronic mobile controller integrates signals via a CAN-Bus from the
engine, transmission, operator controls, and other systems and, in turn, controls
electrohydraulic valves and cylinders to help optimize machine performance.

IQAN also addresses operator safety and productivity issues. "In the old days,
operators were skilled on a particular type of machine," says Treharn. "Grader
operators, for instance, only drove graders." Now, they're expected to operate all
types of equipment, and are often expert at none of them.

"They're also expected to be in the equipment longer, operator fatigue becomes an

issue. So we have to improve the controllability, responsiveness, and safety of the
machine, and build in interlocks to prevent the operator from damaging the
machine or endangering himself," he says.

The system's master display module interface permits machine performance

characteristics to be altered in a matter of seconds, to adapt to different tasks or
operators. Delicate motions, quicker actions, and different setups can be stored
and recalled. Safety features include speed control, overload protection,
temperature limits, and end-position damping.

Productivity improves by adding functions that improve motions and make the
operator's job easier. For instance, the software can calculate the fastest, safest
way to lower a load, instead of requiring the operator to control several different
parameters. Tasks are completed quicker, with less stress and fatigue.

It also offers diagnostic capabilities. The system's master display module can
isolate a nonfunctioning component, saving hours of troubleshooting. Many IQAN
components are self-diagnostic, and will alert the operator in case of failure. The
result is a compact, operationally reliable, and service-friendly system that
increases both productivity and the useful life of equipment.

IQAN offers a comprehensive

system of Windows-type design,
development, and simulation
tools, as well an array of
products for controlling mobile
machines.

No threads, lower costs

Off-road machines that offer the latest electronic innovations, top-notch handling,
and fuel efficiency are of little use if they are too expensive to afford. Like most
OEMs today, mobile-equipment makers are looking to improve manufacturing
efficiency and hold the line on costs. That has sparked a growing interest in the
Aeroquip Snap-To-Connect (STC) connector, says Scott Campbell, a product
manager with Eaton Corp.'s Technical Center, Maumee, Ohio (www.eaton.com).

The threadless connector is an alternative to conventional threaded-type fittings

commonly used in fluid-power systems with working pressures up to 6,000 psi. The
STC, says Campbell, reduces the time needed to install hydraulic hose and tubing The STC offers snap-in
assemblies, and improves machine accessibility. Instead of screwing on the connections and a lower profile
connector and tightening with a wrench, connecting halves simply push together to than threaded connectors, a
form a leak-free connection. A latch ring positively engages the male and female particular benefit where space is
halves, without any assembly tools. at a premium.
http://www.machinedesign.com/ASP/articleLoader.asp?catId=370&path=E%3A%5Cinetpub%5C... Page 5of5
Installations with conventional threaded fittings can take several minutes or even
hours and are subject to leaks because of torquing inconsistencies and other
variables. The STC connector lets even confined, difficult-to-reach connections be
completed in minutes.

Japan-based Bunmei, for instance, recently turned to the connectors to streamline

assembly of sugar-cane harvesters. "Bunmei was running into production
bottlenecks, and the switch to STC let them reduce production time of the
harvester and get more product through the door," says Campbell. The company
replaced approximately 150 standard, metric screw-on connections with STC and
reduced production time from three days to one and a half, he says.

While the primary benefit was faster throughput, the company saw performance
benefits as well, explains Campbell. Eliminating leakage resulted in warranty
savings. And because the connector rotates freely when not pressurized, installers
can adjust the connection to the natural bend of the hose. This eliminates twists
that can dramatically reduce hose life. With threaded connectors, on the other Bunmei reduced assembly time
hand, a hose can twist when installed and this leads to premature failure. Another on sugar-cane harvesters by
space-saving benefit is that STC female ports are machined into Eaton motors, 50%, by replacing 150 standard
which eliminates the need for an extra adapter between connector and housing. threaded connectors with
The connectors are available in sizes from 3/8 to 3/4 in. Aeroquip STC fittings.