Electricity + Control February 2018

FEATURES: Cables + accessories Control valves + electric actuators Control systems + automation Sensors, switches + transducers Transformers + substations

COMMENT

ON THE COVER

Things are looking up!

B elieve it or not, as you read this, around 10% of this year has already passed by. Naturally, we have all been very busy. A while back, I had the privilege of attend- ing, albeit briefly, the 26 th Southern Afri- can Universities Power and Engineering Conference (SAUPEC 2018), and engag- ing colleagues from industry, students, and engineering academics on the impli- cations of Fee Free education. I have also been involved in some excit- ing developments in the energy sector regarding education – but with a focus on continental leadership in this sector; and have been watching many of the evolv- ing situations in our own country and its neighbours. This is all fascinating stuff. It is not my place to say this, but one does (I do) sense the emergence of a more positive feeling in many sectors of socie- ty, equally in engagements with industry. Naturally, the proof of the pudding is in the eating – and we have a way to go. But feedback from some readers has convinced me that this is no longer just smoke and mirrors. Something more interesting is beginning to occur – even if only in the spirit of the citizens.The reason I personally find this extremely encourag- ing, is that the opportunity to draw on the massive, massive wealth of this continent is potentially to be realised. What is the wealth I speak of?Well, it has two core pillars – people and natural re- sources (including, to mention a few, min- eral wealth, agriculture, energy sources).

Africa is amazing. It is also home to some of the fastest growing populations on the planet, and one of the greatest migrations in the history of the planet – the move- ment of people into cities. Cities are rapidly expanding – here in South Africa, as well as across the conti- nent. One country has built up more than ten medical schools in (I think) the past twenty years. Remarkable development. There are challenges: Massive urban ex- pansion, growth in energy needs, urgent need for education (basic right up to ter- tiary level) – and so on. But with these come undeniable opportunities. And Africa is big.You literally can place the USA, China, and much of Europe onto the land area of Africa. A sobering thought. To my mind this can only present opportu- nities – from education, to health care, to the need for manufactured goods. Could we be entering an era during which we can genuinely reach our potential?

FEATURES: Cables+ accessories Control valves+ electric actuators Control systems+ automation Sensors, switches+ transducers Transformers+ substations

Leading manufacturers from the fields of sensors, actuators and control technology have devel- oped IO-Link . Read more on page 23. 2/1/2018 9:25:44AM www.electricityandcontrolmagazine.co.za ECFEB2018 cover.indd 1

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CONTENTS

4

Features

Cables + accessories 4 ELPA Empowers Electrical Engineers with SANS 62305-based CPD Programme Trevor Manas, ELPA 7 Calculate Costing LV Cable Losses Carel Ballack, Copper Development Association Africa 10 Round UP

Control systems + automation 12 In Conversation: Pneumatic Innovations for

Reduced Carbon Footprint Peter Middleton of Crown Publications talks to Brian Abbott of SMC Pneumatics

15 Round UP

Sensors, switches + transducers 16 Digital Upgrade with IO-Link Andreas Biniasch, ifm electronic 18 How to Choose Lighting for Harsh Environments Information provided by Banner 20 Effects of Temperature-related Density Changes on Hydrostatic Level Measurement Oleg Greber, WIKA 20 Is Your Operation Ready for Smart Sensors Kevin Zomcheck, Rockwell Automation 20 Round UP Control systems + automation 28 Rockwell Automation Fair 2017: Bringing the Con- nected Enterprise to Life Peter Middleton, Crown Publications 31 Round UP Transformers + substations 32 Transformer Technology: Liquid-filled vs Dry-type Information provided by Cooper Power 36 Round UP

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28

Regulars

1 Comment 23 Cover Article 38 Light+Current 38 New Faces + Places 39 Social Engineers 40 Write @ the Back 40 Not to be Missed 40 List of Advertisers

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ELPA Empowers Electrical Engineers with SANS 62305-based CPD Programme

By Trevor Manas, (ELPA)

Established in June 2017, the Earthing and Lightning Protection Association (ELPA) is some eight months old and has already achieved a great deal in its short history.

E LPA has already accredited close to 200 lightning protection installers via two rounds of accreditation examinations. In November 2017, ELPA launched its installers’ reg- istrar and inspectorate, which means that the work carried out by our accredited installers is being inspected by our inspectorate. We have already seen a significant improvement in the standard of work carried out by our accredited installers. This can be attributed to the upskilling of LPS installers through the accreditation process and the fact that their work may be inspected. As 2018 began, ELPA continued furthering its goal as being the recognised earthing and light- ning protection National Professional Body. We launched our Lightning Protection Designers’ ac- creditation programme in January 2018 and will launch our Inspectors’ accreditation in April 2018. These accreditations will complete the lightning protection Certificate of Compliance (CoC) pro- cess, from the design phase to the installation phase and finally the inspection phase, and will provide the industry with ‘Certainty through Com- pliance and Certification’, which is our slogan. One of ELPA’s main goals is to provide a plat- form for the dissemination of information and give

clarity on the requirements of the relevant SANS lightning protection standards. To this end, ELPA launched two very important membership pro- grammes in January 2018. The first membership was the Surge Protection Installers’ membership, which is designed to assist electricians through a training programme on the proper selection, instal- lation, placement and coordination of surge pro- tection devices to power supply systems. We see, far too often, that surge arresters are incorrectly installed, poorly selected or wrongly coordinated. The ELPA surge protection installers’ training programme will provide clear guidance in all aspects of surge protection systems to electri- cal installations. The second membership, launched in January 2018, was ELPA’s Electrical Engineers’ member- ship. We have had a huge demand from electri- cal engineers for this type of membership. This is for good reason: most electrical engineers have received very little or no training in earthing and lightning protection as part of their tertiary educa- tion. Only engineers who do a high voltage post graduate course are exposed to this specialisa- tion. We do find, however, that most consulting electrical engineers are exposed to earthing and

Take Note!

Become an ELPAmember and be assured that the earthing and lightning protection installations on your projects are technically sound and properly installed. Become an ELPAmember and keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the earthing and light- ning protection industry. ELPA’s electrical engi- neers’ membership gives members the knowledge, information and techni- cal support they need on a daily basis.

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lightning protection applications on a daily basis, and they rely on specialist companies to provide solutions. That is why the education and training of electrical engineers is critical to the upskilling of our industry. Knowledge, technical support and information ELPA believes that as an association, we have lis- tened to the industry and introduced the electrical engineers’ membership with their needs in mind. ELPA’s electrical engineers’ membership has been designed to give engineers the knowledge, tech- nical support and information that they urgently need on a daily basis. Electrical engineers who are members of ELPA will receive support in the fol- lowing ways: • Reduced rates or discounts on CPD accredited lightning protection seminars and workshops • Free technical support by one of ELPA’s spe- cialists for the duration of their membership • Assistance with or provision of earthing and lightning protection specifications • Access to ELPA’s Installations and Design text- books • Design drawing assessment and approval Webinars We will be holding various webinar-type informa- tion sessions, hosted by different earthing and lightning protection specialists, throughout the year. These sessions will be free of charge to ELPA engineering members and will cover various aspects of earthing and lightning protection, such as earthing system design, separation distance concept, surge protection system for power and data systems, and so on. These sessions will be 45 minutes to an hour long and will be held by highly regarded earthing and lightning protection specialists. We anticipate that the information ses- sions will be very informative and highly anticipat- ed by our engineering members. Value-added benefits – and affordable As can be seen from the above, ELPA’s electrical engineers’ membership has been designed to provide electrical engineers with a large basket of value-added benefits and ELPA has striven to keep the membership fees as affordable as possible. As part of the launch of this membership, ELPA offers all electrical engineers who join ELPA a 50%

discount on a two-point CPD accredited lightning protection seminar or a free one-point CPD ac- credited seminar, which constitutes half of the two-point seminar. Normally, a two-point CPD seminar costs be- tween six and eight thousand rand, but by joining ELPA, electrical engineers can get the two-point seminar as well as an ELPA membership, with all of its value-added benefits, for less than four thou- sand rand. We believe this is a valuable offer for all electrical engineers in South Africa. SANS 62305 series The two-point CPD accredited seminar is a ‘Com- prehensive Approach to Lightning Protection’, which covers the SANS 62305 series of standards, Protection Against Lightning, as follows: • SANS 62305 Part 1: General Principles • SANS 62305 Part 2: Risk Management • SANS 62305 Part 3: Physical Damage to Struc- tures and Life Hazard • SANS 62305 Part 4: Electrical and Electronic Systems inside Structures. Each part of the above carries a half-point CPD ac- creditation. Electrical engineers who join ELPA in January or February 2018 are eligible for a 50% discount on all four parts of the lightning protec- tion CPD accredited course, therefore gaining two CPD points. The Comprehensive Approach to Lightning Protec- tion course as offered by ELPA, in cooperation with Lightning Protection Concepts and DEHN Africa, is widely regarded as being one of the best lightning protection seminars available, both in South Africa and internationally. This is because the course pro- vides a comprehensive, detailed interpretation of the standard, as well as practical implementation of the standard’s requirements. One of the best lightning protection seminars

If you are an electrical engineer, be sure to contact ELPA to get more information about our memberships or to take

advantage of ELPA’s special offers.

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The two-point CPD course has been designed with the busy schedule of electrical engineers in mind. To this end, we have de- cided to offer the course via six webinar sessions. Each session will be one hour long and will be held in the late afternoon at about 17:00, with one session being presented per week. This means that engineers can attend the course while they are at home or at their offices, and they do not have to take time off their busy schedules or travel to attend the CPD accredited course. I have attended and presented numerous webinars and I find the webinar format an extremely effective platform in providing this val- uable information. By keeping the sessions limited to one hour, we have found that the webinar attendees are much more attentive, and they gain far more knowledge than in conventional two-day semi- nars.The webinars are recorded and edited so that each webinar can be downloaded and kept for later reference. Conclusion By becoming an ELPA member, electrical engineers will be armed with the required knowledge, backed by proper technical advice and kept up-to-date with the latest developments in the earthing and lightning protection industry, in order for them to ensure that the earthing and lightning protection installations on their projects are technically sound and properly installed. It is for this reason that I would encourage all electrical engineers to become part of ELPA and for them to specify ELPA lightning protection CoCs.

Trevor Manas is the National Director, Earthing and Lightning Protection Association.

Enquiries: Claudelle Pillay, Tel. +27 (0) 11 704 1487 or +27 (0) 76 516 8964

or email info@elpasa.org.za Visit www.elpasa.org.za / Facebook: @ELPASA.org.za

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Calculate Costing LV Cable Losses

Carel Ballack, Copper Development Association Africa (CDAA)

This article looks at the long-term cost implications and ROI of sizing cable for the do- mestic, commercial and industrial sectors. The much contested question of whether power factor correction equipment is indeed a better solution than increasing cable sizing, is answered.

Take Note!

How to approach calcu- lations on cable sizing savings. Comparesavingsbetween commercial-and-industri- al electrical networks. Increase end-user sav- ings and efficiency by be- ing informed on different aspects of cable sizing.

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T he outcome of this sophisticated process will be a simple rule of thumb for a few spe- cific cases and a ‘cookbook recipe’ detailing how to arrive at such a result under different con- ditions. This is completed with a list of basic rules. The ultimate goal is a minimum life cycle cost, which will also lead to safety and reliability levels that are higher than the minimum requirements. A number of factors have contributed to the global trend to operate more environmentally friendly. This focus-shift to manage operations more efficiently has resulted in renewables being pushed to the forefront of innovation both from a generation as well as storage point of view. By combining energy efficiency and renewa- ble energy sources the electrical network could function optimally, provided losses are reduced through various interventions assisting in optimis- ing consumption and improving performance (with some of these interventions being power factor correction and replacing incandescent globes with LED lighting as practical examples). Standards The original article was written in Europe with cur- rency indicators being in Euros. In South Africa, the South African Bureau of Standards is slowly moving over to IEC standards. This can be seen when we consider the various local standards that have been converted from IEC to SANS stand- ards, i.e. SANS 60364 [1] (Electrical Installations for Buildings) specifically SANS 60364-7-712 [1a], SANS 62305 [2] (lightning protection). Standards define minimum criteria and do not always best practice. Although cable sized accord- ing to the standard, should ensure a level of safety, it does not necessarily address efficiency. Cable

heat up during operation and if the maximum per- missible operating temperature is actually reached, the cable is already way beyond its energetic and economic optimum. Choosing a larger cable cross section than what the standard prescribes saves energy and money and provides genuine safety. More cable actually costs less In reality, cables and wires are rarely operated at a constant load. And if they are, this load is hardly ever equal to the maximum permissible load. To a certain extent, cable sizing will be determined by the user’s load profile, i.e. household vs office block vs commercial and industrial user’s all have different load profiles. Through this article or appli- cation note, we would like to show how to calcu- late the basis that it is worth considering a thicker cable cross-section than required by the present standards even with less heavy-load consumption patterns. The question arises as to how to calcu- late the optimum size of the cable cross-section with the aim of minimising life cycle costs. The approaches by the IEC standards, to-date; to designing cable and wiring installations for minimum life cycle costs simply assume the load profiles are accurately known. This is also what standard IEC 60364-8-1 [1a] (energy efficiency of low voltage in- stallations) states in clause 6.2 – ‘Determination of load profile’. This clause reads as follows: ‘The main load demands within the installation shall be determined.The loads in kVA, together with their durations of operation and/or an estimation of the annual load consumption (in kWh) should be identified and listed’. Clause 6.7.2 further states that: ‘Increasing the cross-section of conductors will re- duce the power losses. This decision shall be made by balancing the energy savings achieved over a cer-

A number of factors have contributed to the global trend to operate more environmentally friendly.

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tain time against the additional investment cost for over- sizing. For cables, the chosen size shall be determined taking into account the cost of losses that will occur during the working life of the cable against the initial cost of the cable. In some appli- cations (particularly industrial), the most economical cross-section of a conductor may be several sizes larger than that required for thermal reasons.’ Reference is then made to IEC 60287-3-2 [3]‚‘Eco- nomic optimisation of power cable size’.This, howev- er, like many other current approaches in the stand- ards, assumes that the load profiles are accurately known. Yet this is rarely ever the case. So what can be done to improve this and other related situations? Individual consumer A standardised load profile for homes exists with- in the IEC range of standards, namely H0. This, however, is only to be used for the connection of the entire property, for instance from the distribu- tion network to the meter. Behind the meter, the power is distributed to the final circuits in a very uneven manner in terms of both time and space. Consider, for example, the socket in the laundry room. If that is intended solely for the washing ma- chine, the load of this circuit can be estimated fair- ly accurately. During a two-hour wash cycle, there is approximately half an hour in which the machine consumes a current that represents a substantial load for the installation cable (see graph). The length of the

If the cable is upsized from 3*1,5 mm 2 to 3*2,5 mm 2 , the annual cost of the losses can be reduced to 50 cents (see Table 2). This is a sav- ing of 20 cents per year. The present cost of 13 m of a MYM-J 3*1,5 mm 2 cable is around €12,50. A similar cable with 3*2,5 mm 2 conductor sections would cost €16,80.The payback period of the latter cable compared to the first one would be more than 20 years. The potential in this case is obvious- ly very limited because there is only a substantial load on the circuit for around 60 hours per year. Table 1: Calculation of the annual line losses with a standard cable of 1,5 mm 2 … Line length 13,0 m Conductor cross section 1,5 mm 2 Washes per year 125 Electricity price 29,7 ct/kWh Share of line losses 1,65% Electricity cost per wash 34,29 ct Annual electricity cost 43,56 €/a Line loss cost per wash 0,56 ct Annual line loss cost 0,70 €/a Table 2: … and with upgraded cross-section of 2,5 mm 2 , resulting in a saving of 20 cents per year! Line length 13,0 m Conductor cross section 2,5 mm 2 Washes per year 125 Electricity price 29,7 ct/kWh Share of line losses 1,19% Electricity cost per wash 34,13 ct Annual electricity cost 43,17 €/a Line loss cost per wash 0,40 ct Annual line loss cost 0,50 €/a The nett return however is that the stringent re- quirements to limit the voltage drop result in en- ergy savings. In the original document, the house- hold profile is further explored. Office floor An office building produces completely different values. In the example chosen (again built in 1983, see Table 3 ), a floor is protected with 3 * 100 A. Each outer conductor is split between seven final circuits of 10 A each. If the annual consumption of 91 466 kWh in 2015 is divided according to the specified methods, this gives a mean utilisation of around 20%. This exceeds the corresponding value for the above-mentioned terraced house by

cable from the dis- tribution box to the laundry room is es- timated to be 13 m. The increase in elec- trical resistance due to the rise in tem- perature is ignored, and the ambient temperature in the laundry room is as- sumed to be 20°C. The monitoring val-

ues (see graph) consist of the active, reactive and apparent power recorded in one second intervals. The instantaneous current is calculated from the apparent power and the rated mains voltage. The energy loss in the line during the respective sec- ond follows from this. The sum of all the individual values per second then results in the energy loss for one wash. At 125 washes per year, the result- ing energy loss on the laundry room circuit will be 70 EUR cents (see Table 1 ).

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Table 3: Extreme scenarios ‘Most favourable case’ and ‘Least favourable case’ and the resulting geometric average for a private household; annual line losses for all three cases.

still not charge the main fuse up to its limit. In residential buildings, the ubiquitous availability of electrical energy prevails over the volume actually used. As a result, the residential design is differ- ent from those in the office under consideration. The main fuse does not provide anywhere near as much power as the final circuits could distribute. This was taken into account accordingly in the cal- culations of the tables reproduced here. The po- tential energy saving that exists in this case had already been partially converted during the origi- nal planning of the office in question. Indeed, al- though the final circuits had been provided with a conductor cross-section of 1,5 mm 2 , they had only been fused at 10 A. This is probably down to the limitation of the voltage drop on the cables, some of which are quite long. So the stringent require- ments to limit the voltage drop result in energy savings. This can be seen as a positive side effect

13 times. An energy loss can therefore be calcu- lated for the final circuits of minimum 401 kWh/a (0,439%) and maximum 2 625 kWh/a (2,87%), corresponding to 1 026 kWh/a in the geometric mean between the two: That looks more like an actual energy saving. Be- cause of the significantly higher utilisation of the floor distribution, the spread between the minimum and maximum scenarios – and therefore the uncertainty – is correspondingly less. Admittedly, here too the cable lengths could only be estimated and were tak- en into account as a general average, but this does not influence the payback period (cf. Approach 2), since the costs of both material quantities and ener- gy losses are proportional to the cable length. The distribution is also different from those in residential buildings, in accordance with the pur- pose. The limiting factor is the number of circuits; even if they were all used at full load, they would

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when designing systems as well as during the cur- rent revision of the voltage drop standards.

In the original document, a standard household, multi-family dwelling, office environment and in- dustrial application is further considered showing the calculations, methodology and what is referred to as peculiarities. References [1] SANS 60364. Electrical installations of build- ings. [1a] SANS 60364-7-712. Requirements for special installations or locations - Solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply systems. [2] SANS 62305. 2011. Protection against lightning. [3] IEC 60287-2-3. 2017 Electric cables - Calcula- tion of the current rating describes a method for calculating the continuous current rating factor for cables of all voltages installed in ven- tilated tunnels.

Conclusion It is also worth mentioning the high power con- sumption. This suggests that there is not only an energy savings potential in the cables, but also at the place of use. In total, the tenant was charged for a consumption of 250 869 kWh. If it is assumed that each of the 13 employees spends 2 000 hours in the office and 5 000 hours at home each year, those employees have a power consumption of al- most 10 kW each during working hours. Compare this to the employee from the two-person house- hold in Table 3 which consumes just 300W. So one hour's office work consumes 30 times as much electrical energy as one hour's leisure time. Wheth- er this is normal will have to be clarified elsewhere.

Carel Ballack writes in his capacity as Project Consultant to the Copper Development Association Africa. Enquiries: Tel. +27 (0) 11 824 3916 or email carel.ballack@ copperalliance.org.za

Make light work of cable and wire stripping The Jokari Allrounder cable strip- per distributed locally by Elec- troMechanica (EM) offers an in-

Test integrity of fibre optic cables The Optical Time Domain Reflectometer* (OTDR) is used to test the integrity of fibre optic cables. It verifies splice loss, measures length and finds faults. The OTDR is also commonly used to create a ‘picture’ of fibre optic cable when it is newly installed. AFL is offering the M210e Enterprise to the M series OTDR family, replacing the M210 and offer- ing improved performance and value. A rugged, hand-held, lightweight,

OTDR, the M210e fea- tures a dynamic range of up to 34 dB, 16 hours battery run time, and includes AFL’s industry leading TruEvent event detection technology. TruEvent is the product of extensive research into the elements that cause optical loss in a network –

novative solution for industry and craftspeople. Jokari-Krampe GmbH is a specialist in the area of cable and wire stripping, with the Allrounder as one of its latest innovations. This pro- fessional tool is suitable for round and flat cables in a range of applications. Painstaking, and often injury-prone, work with sharp blades is rendered safer, simpler, and more precise as a result. The Jokari Allrounder is ideal for removing the coating and longitudinal sections of wires, stripping massive or flexible wires for crimping cable-end sleeves, exposing wire lengths for specific connections, and when working with a range of cables with diameters from 4 mm to 15 mm. “This practical tool has a clever design that is adjustable to the required work, with a grip for movement support, and a self-centring cable duct for longi- tudinal sections,” EM spokesperson Lizanne Scholtz explains. The Jokari Allrounder has a reconnectable length stop for right- and left-handers, with a parking position in the depot slot. This allows for free wire bypass, and therefore single-conductor stripping of any length, structure, and sideblocking surfaces. In addition, the tool is lightweight and easy to use. Cables are simply entered into the device, and then stripped with a quick circular movement that strips wires safely and precisely. An ex- tra blade is provided specifically for longitudinal cuts. Enquiries: Lizanne Scholtz.Tel. +27 (0) 11 249 5000 or email Lizannes@em.co.za

connectors, splices and macro/ microbends. It provides an unmatched level of accuracy and reliability for superior performance. Available from Comtest , the M210e is suited for testing, troubleshooting and doc- umenting multimode and single-mode networks. Touch and Test, an intuitive user interface simplifies the user experience, reduces training time and testing errors enabling novices to get the job done accurately. Features of the M210e Enterprise include: • Test andTroubleshoot multimode and single-mode fibre networks • Tier 1 and Tier 2 testing and certification • Enterprise network, Data Centre, LAN/WAN • Document and create standards compliant acceptance reports with TRM 2.0, companion PC software Enquiries:Tel. +27 (0) 10 595 1821 or email sales@comtest.co.za

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Ethernet with 10 GBit/s and torsion-resistant for Industry 4.0

deal easier. During the design process, the Lapp engineers observed a particularly low tolerance of ±5% for the characteristic im- pedance, despite ±15% being permissible according to the standard. This improves the transfer properties even over short distanc- es. The cable is listed according to UL CMX, so it can be used in North America for appli- cations outside of control cabinets. ETHERLINE Flex Cat. 7 is listed accord- ing to AWM Style and is thus suitable in North America for applications inside con- trol cabinets. It is flexible, even though it was not designed for continuous move- ment. Thanks to narrow core cross-sec- tions, it has an outer diameter of just 6,4 mm and a bending radius of four times the outer diameter, i.e. less than 26 mm – which makes it ideal for well-stocked con- trol cabinets where space is tight. ETHER- LINE Cat. 7 FLEX may be laid next to cables with up to 1 000 V, or without mechanical protection such as separators – thanks to the very effective shielding, there are no EMC problems even in such a scenario. Enquiries: Email alan.liebenberg@lappgroup.co.za

In the industrial environment, large vol- umes of data have to be securely trans- ferred from one device to another as quick- ly as possible. The Stuttgart-based Lapp Group is adding two high-speed cables for industrial Ethernet to its ETHERLINE portfolio, including the world’s first-ever torsion-resistant and PROFINET-compati- ble Cat. 7 cable. Both cables achieve Cat. 7 data transfer speeds, i.e. 10 GBit/s in a fre- quency range of up to 600 MHz. This is in- teresting for applications in the machinery and robotics segments, where large vol- umes of data from the likes of sensors or

high-resolution cameras are commonplace – which is a key requirement for the Indus- trial Internet of Things. Both cables have a robust and halogen-free PUR sheath. How- ever, they differ with respect to their inter- nal structures and other properties. The ETHERLINE TORSION Cat. 7 is the first-ever torsion-resistant and PROF- INET-compliant Cat. 7 cable. It can be twisted by 180° in both directions along a length of 1 m – at least 5 million times.The cable does not have any filler, and the cores are only held in place with a polyethylene cross separator, which makes the assembly process a great

CONTROL VALVES + ELECTRIC ACTUATORS

IN CONVERSATION ...

Pneumatic Innovations for Reduced Carbon Footprint Brian Abbott (BA) product manager for SMC Pneumatics South Africa, takes Peter Middleton (PM) from Crown Publications, on a tour of some of his company’s energy-efficient product displays at its Midrand showroom.

BA: Protecting the environment, carbon footprint reduction and saving energy are global trends that have been driving the development of new SMC products for several years. Reducing consumption of air and energy, along with the associated costs, contribute towards competitiveness and sustaina- bility for modern producers that depend on pneu- matics. SMC supports these initiatives through small and big innovations and product enhance- ments. PM: Does SMC have local support for global initiatives? BA: Globally, SMC’s Energy savings campaign in- cludes energy saving products; leak detection sys- tems; savings assessment tools and audit servic- es … and local expertise is on hand to help clients to benefit from any of these initiatives. PM: Are the actuators standard? BA: Not so standard. With the carbon footprint of our products in mind, we have redesigned SMC’s standard pneumatic cylinders to make them small-

er, lighter and made from less material – this with- out changing the pressures or strokes or removing any of their functionality. SMC´s optimised J Cyl- inders offer weight and volume reductions. The cylinders themselves are 11% shorter in length, although the net stroke is unchanged; weigh 27% less and have 30% less volume than their CM2 se- ries equivalents. BA: Through lightweighting and design optimisa- tion of components such as shafts, pistons, end- caps and cylinder barrels, the same amount of force can be generated from a lighter actuator with a much smaller physical size and carbon footprint. For mobile equipment, for example, as well as the material saving, less weight has to be moved so less energy is required to move it. Cylinder instal- lation space is reduced by a third. This adds up to significantly improved operational efficiencies; more cost-efficient machines, improved cycle times due to cylinder’s lightness and increase pro- ductivity … compare the weight of J-cylinder and its CM2 predecessor.

Take Note!

Global trends of carbon footprint reduction and saving energy have been driving the development of newSMC products for several years. SMC’s energy savings campaign includes leak detection systems, sav- ings assessment tools and audit services. Local expertise is on hand to show clients how they can benefit from these initiatives.

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For mobile equipment, for example, SMC’s compact J cylinders offer 63% overall length reduction and 53% weight reduction, so less energy is required to carry and move the cylinder, while installation space is reduced by a third.

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SMC´s optimised J Cyl- inders are 11% shorter in length; weigh 27% less and have 30% less volume than their CM2 series equivalents.

BA: This display is a simple initiative linked to right sizing actuators to save energy. We have always manufactured pistons in 40, 50 and 63, 80 and 100 mm sizes. We have now added intermediate sizes, though, 45, 56, 67 and an 85 mm. This al- lows customers to select a cylinder that will pro- vide exactly the right force for their application. This saves energy because it avoids having to oversize a cylinder to achieve the force required. To move 95 kg, the 40 bore may not have been quite enough, but the next available size was 50 mm, which would be too big. By introducing the 45 bore cylinder the cylinder can be right sized for the 95 kg application, without consuming unnec- essary additional air. This is where SMC is very strong. We go outside the norm and create prod- ucts that are tailor-made for their application. BA: SMC’s VBA Booster regulator is another sim- ple innovation designed to overcome oversizing at plant level. Most pneumatic air lines in production facilities operate at 3 bar (0,3 kPa). But plants of- ten have one or two cylinders that need more, 6 or 12 bar for example, to perform their moving, clamping or forming function. This pressure boost- er system uses only incoming compressed air and a clever arrangement of pistons to double or quad- ruple the available pressure. So a higher-pressure application can be run without having to increase the line pressure of the whole system. PM: How does it work? BA: Two pistons are coupled together to move in sync under plant pressure. These are used to further compress the air on the outlet side of a sin- gle piston, creating double or quadruple the supply pressure. So while we call this a pressure booster, it is really a mini compressor being run off lower pressure compressed air. The higher pressure is

only generated when needed, so the supply pres- sure need not be increased to accommodate one or two higher pressure needs. PM: Any other plant-wide energy savings strategies? BA: Yes … another plant-wide energy saving strategy is to reduce the pressure on the return side of pneumatic actuators. This can typically reduce total air consumption by 25%. SMC has developed fittings that can be easily added to ex- isting cylinders, which reduce the air consumption in one of the stroke directions. If a box on a con- veyor needs to be pushed off by a cylinder, then the working force is only needed in one direction. That same high force is not needed to retract the cylinder. What our fittings do is to reduce the pres- sure for the return stroke, which uses less air and, therefore less energy. A flow control regulator is integrated into the return stroke of the piston, so the piston speed need not be slower.We generally set the return pressure at 2,0 bar, which is one bar higher than the minimum pressure required and will still generate enough force to move a light load.

‘We go outside the norm and create products that are tailor- made for their application’.

A flow control regulator integrated into the return stroke of the piston reduces the pressure on the non- working stroke, reducing air consumption by 25%.

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CONTROL VALVES + ELECTRIC ACTUATORS

IN CONVERSATION ...

PM: Capacity must be increased by implementing these strategies?

with its target. The airflow immediately shuts off and the consumption drops to zero. Since all vac- uum systems have some leakage, the system au- tomatically reactivates if the vacuum drops below a critical level. 40%, for example, while switching over to a porous workpiece. The system can be heard pulsing to maintain the vacuum needed to keep the gripper in place.

BA: Of course. Every customer should be buy- ing these. Many sites have expanded their pro- duction capacities without having upgraded their compressed air infrastructure. By adopting plant- wide energy savings such as these, the existing capacity can be stretched much further, avoiding the need for an expensive upgrade. PM: Explain vacuum technology. BA: Vacuum technology is routinely used on as- sembly lines, for example, to pick up components using vacuum and move them to where they are needed. Vacuum systems use a Venturi effect to generate the vacuum. Compressed air flow- ing through a constriction at supersonic speed expands and slows down when exiting the re- striction. Air in the vacuum line is drawn into this low-pressure stream via a vacuum port, creating the suction necessary to grip the component. But the vacuum is only generated while compressed is being consumed, so traditional systems consume continuously. For many applications, it is possible to pick up a product and then trap and hold the vac- uum. This allows the compressed air to be turned off, saving significant amounts of energy. BA: Exactly. Once the vacuum has been estab- lished and the component is lifted, we seal off the vacuum line to hold that negative pressure. We can then shut off the compressed air until we need to create a vacuum again. The air consump- tion gauge is high until the suction pad engages PM: Is this what happens with the ZK2 Vacuum Ejectors?

PM: How does this compare with the traditional system?

BA: Compared to a traditional system that runs the compressed air continuously, by holding the vacuum in this way can result in energy and air savings of as much as 90%. These products all demonstrate SMC’s commitment to continuously bring products to market that are energy efficient, reduce our carbon footprint and save money, with- out sacrificing any of the modern benefits and fea- tures associated with pneumatic products.

Brian Abbott.

With SMC’s ZK2 Vacuum Ejectors, once a vacuum has been established and the component is lifted, the vacuum line is closed off to hold that nega- tive pressure. The airflow across the Venturi can then be switched off,

Peter Middleton.

which enables energy and air savings of as much as 90%.

Enquiries: Brian Abbott. Tel. +27 (0) 11 100 5866 Email. BAbbott@smcpneumatics.co.za Web. www.smcpneumatics.co.za

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CONTROL VALVES + ELECTRIC ACTUATORS

Automatic flow regulating valve regardless of fluctuating inlet pressure. The principle is impressive, yet uniquely simple. The constant flow is generated by two stainless steel spring plates of the reg- ulating orifice, riveted together across each other, and which, depending on the differ- ential pressure, open or close to a greater or lesser extent the ring or regulating fun- nel thus created. For the most extreme differential pres- sure (around 10 bar) the flexible regulating orifice is in complete contact with the regu- lating funnel so that only the rivet hole cross section is available for flow and from this point the valve operates as a fixed orifice. The REG flow limiter can be used wherev- er a constant flow rate is required despite pressure fluctuations in the system, for ex- ample switching a consumer unit on and off. Notable Benefits • No auxiliary power required

• Reliable - no wearing parts • Energy-saving • Easy to fit

What usually happens when several ho- tel guests all start to shower at the same time? The water temperature suddenly changes from pleasant to horribly cold or unbearably hot! Sometimes there is less water flowing sometimes there is more; the day has hardly begun but it starts with a basically avoidable annoyance. It would be avoidable, if the planners had thought beforehand to install Kobold’s REG flow restrictors/regulator that keeps constant quantities of liquids in pipework systems. The REG rate regulators are ideally suited for the simple restriction to a preset value of throughputs of water, or of liquids similar to water. The flow restrictors ensure equilibri- um, particularly in systems with many users and resulting pressure fluctuations caused by random flow conditions. In other words, the desired throughput is not exceeded. The REG valve operates without pow- er supply, keeping the flow rate of fluids constant with great accuracy (± 0,2 L/min) PED Certified The South African valve manufactur- er AZ-Armaturen South Africa has been successfully certified according to the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) 2014/68/EU − Module H. This is a great achievement for the South African production plant of the AZ-Armaturen Group. Valves manufactured by AZ-Ar- maturen South Africa which are in ac- cordance with the PED requirements, can now be affixed with the internation- ally recognised ‘CE’ mark. The Pressure Equip-

So, it is not only in the sanitation and heat- ing fields that unwanted fluctuations in flow and temperature occur, but also in many areas of general industry and plant construction. Kobold’s REG valves are avail- able in brass and stainless-steel.

Enquiries:Tel. +27 (0) 10 595 1831 or email sales@instrotech.co.za

• Easy to assemble • Compact design

New detonation flame arresters Now available in Southern Africa through EnergasTechnologies , is a new, innovative range of detonation flame arresters from leading US-based manufacturer, Protectoseal, which sets a new era with its ability to act as a deflagration and detonation flame arrester simultaneously. The new Protectoseal Series 26000E/ 36000E bi-directional overdriven/ unstable detonation arresters, now available in southern Africa through EnergasTechnologies, effective August 2017, usher in a new era in flame arrester technology with their versatility, allowing them to withstand both deflagration and detonation flame fronts. Deflagration and detonation are two forms of combustion. If the combustion process propagates outward at subsonic speeds and pressures less than 0,5 bar, it’s a deflagration. If the explosion moves outward at or above the speed of sound (343 m/s), it’s a detonation. On the other hand, a detonation is a dramatic, often destruc- tive form of an explosion. Detonation is divided into two types: Stable detonation and unstable detonation. Stable detonation is characterised by the speed of sound, while unstable detonation is characterised by supersonic speed in excess of the speed of sound and up to 2 000 ms with significant overpressure of up to 40 bar. In piping applications, selecting the right flame arrester – whether for deflagration or detonation – often involves the trouble of determining the probable type of combustion, location and other factors. “The beauty of our new Series 26000E/ 36000E bi-directional overdriven/ unstable detonation arresters is that the flow and pressure drop performance for these units are extremely competitive compared to other manufacturers’ devices,” says Lavenda Sekwadi, Process Engineer at Energas. “Protectoseal’s Series 26000E / 36000E detonation flame arresters are designed to withstand deflagrations, as well as stable detonations overdriven/ unstable detonations. These arresters are bi-directional, capa-

ment Directive reg- ulates the manufac- turing of Pressure Equipment such as pressure vessels, pip- ing, and valves within the

European Union. Globally, PED has be- come the most recognised standard for pressure equipment.The certification to Module H refers to a Full Quality Assur- ance System including the design of the valves under the scope. Enquiries: Tel. +27 (0) 11-397-3665 or email info@az-armaturen.co.za

ble of stopping a flame or detonation approaching from either direction of a piping system,” adds Sekwadi. Available in sizes from 2 inches (DN50) to 12 inches (DN300), the new range has a maximum operating pressure of 1,22 bar and maximum operating tem- perature of 60ºC.

Enquiries:Tel: +27 (0) 11 397 6809 or email lavenda@energas.co.za

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Figure 2: IO-Link sensors provide data for optimum machine control.

Digital upgrade with IO-Link Andreas Biniasch, ifm electronic This FOGS-series portal machining centre is a machine that is used in mechanical engineering and in the aviation and automotive industries, for example, to manufacture body shell parts.

T he machine in Figure 1 is used to process chassis components (landing gear) in the avia- tion industry.These complex machine tools re- quire sensors to monitor all media (e.g. coolants and lubricants, hydraulics, machine temperature control). Tight tolerances are required for medium temper- atures, pressure values and volumetric flow quan- tities to ensure that tools are used with optimum efficiency in fully automated production processes. Sensors with digital interface IO-Link is a robust digital interface based on 24 V signal levels that, in addition to mere switching sig- nals, enables bidirectional communication with the controller via the regular sensor cable.The sensors transmit digital measured values and diagnostic in- formation via IO-Link to the IO-Link master, such as an IO module, gateway or a PLC equipped with IO-Link ports. The sensors are connected with standard M12 connectors. Screened cables and associated grounding are no longer necessary. The company opts for fluid sensors from ifm elec- tronic. The reason: The sensor specialist offers the largest product range of process sensors featuring IO-Link. Remote sensor parameter setting One of the greatest advantages of IO-Link is the possibility to transfer all necessary parameter data via the IO-Link connection cable to the sensor. The sensor parameter data (e.g. switch points, switching hystere- sis, display colour) can be transferred from the controller to IO-Link compatible sen-

sors, either when the sensors are set up or later during operation and to adjust them to a specific situation. Benefit for the customer: During the commissioning phase of a machine, the previous- ly projected sensor parameters can be transferred quickly, easily and reliably to the sensor. If neces- sary, for example in case of small lot sizes, IO-Link makes it possible to store different parameter sets for different products separately on the sensor. Moreover, thanks to the controller-based param- eter setting, subsequent process optimisation via remote maintenance is easy with IO-Link. All in all, one can say that IO-Link is a key technology for In dustry 4.0 ap- plications.

One of IO-Link’s great advantages is the automated back-up of the sensor data that takes place in the background.

Figure 3: If necessary, the parameters of the process sensors can be set separately for each tool.

Figure 1: The manufacture of portal milling machines for the international market.

Double data back-up In addition to controller-based sensor parameter setting, IO-Link from version 1.1 or higher ensures double data storage of sensor parameters on the device and the IO-Link master. The client says: “One of IO-Link’s great advantages is the automat- ed back-up of the sensor data that takes place in the background. Each sensor (device) sends its pa- rameter sets automatically to the IO-Link master.

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