Two of our most popular and topical features run together in this issue. Safety is top of mind at all well-run manufacturing facilities, mostly because it is just so much more efficient, for both personnel and equipment, when a facility operates in a safe way. And recently, manufacturing IT has also been in the headlines for many reasons, not least of which is that phenomenon known as the Industrial Internet of Things.
Tony Rayner of Phoenix Contact submitted one of the standout articles on safety matters and sent us the following as his motivation for writing it: “I have just finished reading a technical article about lightning strikes and surges, which, even though I have been in the industry for many years, was difficult to understand and rather boring. In light of the above, I was galvanised to try to simplify the explanation of surge and lightning protection dynamics. My hope is that this will make things easier for prospective users to make informed choices when purchasing such protection systems in the future.”
Tony’s article simplifies things for readers by differentiating between lightning induced and other types of electrical surges, for instance those caused by the switching of inductive loads. The article discusses the three main categories of protection devices and stresses that the most effective solutions use lightning and surge protection in conjunction with each other. There is also some useful information on good structural earth system practices, but perhaps the most valuable insight is to trust only a reputable supplier to safeguard those valuable production assets.(See ‘A short guide to lightning and surge protection’)
IT in manufacturing
Yokogawa’s Bradley Ford submitted an article with an interesting spin for this feature. What captured Bradley’s attention was the quirky new game called Pokémon GO, and in particular, some thought provoking implications for the process industry.
The article draws parallels between the dynamics of the fast-paced mobile consumer gaming industry and the more mundane business of manufacturing. Particularly it highlights the generation gap – technological as well as age – and how this could affect process automation platforms and the operators of the future.
Given that change is inevitable and that the rate of change is always increasing, Bradley uses the Pokémon GO analogy to speculate on how manufacturing companies will need to adapt in order to attract the bright young minds of today “who were all born with an iPad in their hands”.
The analogy is a good one since many forward-thinking companies have already invested some level of R&D into leveraging the power of augmented reality within their industrial facilities – very often for the purposes of training new young operators using 3D plant simulations.
Yokogawa has now taken these ideas further through a project called iMaintain. Working with Akzo Nobel in Germany, the collaborators designed a solution to overlay maintenance procedures and real-time data from the Centum DCS into an artificial reality display. iMaintain uses an Android tablet, which has a direct link to the process control system, to make information such as trend curves, alarms and operating instructions available to production and maintenance personnel working on site.
“Can the consumer world teach us how to bring the benefits of augmented reality and an immersive world to the plant floor?” Bradley asks, leaving us with a teaser to wonder about.
It will be interesting to see whether the use of mobile devices in industry increases in the future and whether these will converge with the commercial versions we now take for granted in our everyday lives. (See Pokémon GO: reflections on the process industry).
Don’t forget to register for the EtherCAT Breakfast Series
The EtherCAT roadshows are coming to town during September/October. Remember to register at www.instrumentation.co.za/ethercat and join us for a morning of technology and innovation at a convenient venue.
• Johannesburg – 30 September (The Fairway Hotel).
• Cape Town – 4 October (Durbanville Hills Wine Estate).
• Port Elizabeth – 6 October (The Beach Hotel).
• Durban – 7 October (Suncoast Casino).
Steven Meyer
Editor: SA Instrumentation & Control
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