Electricity + Control May 2019

SENSORS, SWITCHES + TRANSDUCERS

Interestingly, Countapulse Controls first spoke to Electricity+Control about Industry 4.0 more than seven years ago and, at that time, urged local industry to make in- formed decisions about Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensing solutions going forwards. Since then, Industry 4.0 and IoT have become more than just buzzwords. They are now a global reality, driven by the need for greater cost effectiveness and efficiencies across a broad spectrum of industries. Moving towards Industry 4.0 G erry Bryant, Managing Director of Counta- pulse Controls, highlights the need for a paradigm shift in South African industry

Take Note! Intelligent sensors have evolved to a point where the devices are physically small and can be placed unobtrusively into almost any environment. They are primary collec- tors of information and have become vital cogs in supporting data dissemi- nation and management in different industrial fa- cilities.

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“The most critical factor when selecting sensors and associated equipment today, is to make sure these are correct for the application at hand, and that they have the capacity to communicate wire- lessly and synthesise data using cloud-based inter- faces,” Bryant says. “It serves no purpose to install sensing equipment that will not support the func- tionality required for an Industry 4.0 environment.” Connectivity Intelligent sensors are primary collectors of infor- mation and have become vital cogs in supporting data dissemination and management in different types of facilities, from manufacturing and produc- tion to packaging and warehouse operations. Bryant says that accuracy in data reporting has become ever more critical and facilities need to select sensors that can provide the appropriate information and data for their operations. If this is not done, the ramifications can be severe – even leading to unscheduled equipment downtime or, in the worst-case scenario, failure of plant. Sensors are designed to convert the variable being detected into a digital stream for transmis- sion to a gateway. The devices will identify instan- ces where manufacturing, production or materials handling processes, for example, are operating beyond pre-set or acceptable norms. By providing this information timeously, they enable operators to take preventive action. This means that sensing solutions need to offer high resolution capabilities so that even the small- est changes in operating parameters will be de- tected and communicated quickly and accurately. Photoelectric sensors that allow data transmis- sion without cabling provide one such example. Where a fit-for-purpose optical data transceiver is used, it is possible to transmit data at 100 Mbit/s,

where most companies lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to Industry 4.0 and IoT de- vices. Through its sole distributorship agreements with leading German-based sensing solutions original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Coun- tapulse Controls has been providing fit-for-purpose sensors across the African continent for more than half a century. Bryant explains that IoT sensors or devices are small devices, connected to the internet, that serve specific purposes such as measuring move- ment, temperature, flow, pressure, GPS location and many more. Previously, sensors could only sense and emit unprocessed signals to an outer system, but the sensors of today are designed with numerous func- tions that enable these devices to perceive, reason, compute and communicate. Some sensors can even measure more than two variables at once. Intelligent sensors have evolved to a point where the devices are physically small, can be placed unobtrusively into almost any environment and offer self-identification, self-validation, self- diagnostic and self-healing capabilities.They are self- calibrating or can accept calibration commands via the wireless networks to which they are linked. Sensors are used in large numbers across fa- cilities and most are engineered to operate with- out a battery change or any maintenance over many years. Bryant says that although sensors have become more sophisticated there are cost- competitive options available. However, he says, care should always be taken to ensure the appro- priate sensing solution is selected for each appli- cation.

20 Electricity + Control

MAY 2019