Developments

Allen-Bradley ControlLogix 24vdc I/O modules, used with the ControlLogix 5570 family of PACs, can significantly improve total System Response Time (SRT) through new hardware technology and peer-to-peer communication capabilities that significantly reduce the time it takes for modules to communicate with the controller. Since SRT equates to the time required for input module response, controller processing and output module response, reducing I/O latency results in higher machine speeds for increased parts production. For even faster performance, the new modules also function in peer-to-peer mode, bypassing the controller entirely by establishing in-chassis connections that allow I/O modules to communicate directly with each other. Shifting task management to the I/O modules can relieve a controller of the overhead required to process and direct I/O modules, helping improve reliability in program execution and throughput. In peer-to-peer mode, input to output response time can be less than 100 microseconds.The peer-to-peer capabilities are ideal for applications with fast detect-energize sequences, such as high-speed parts rejection. OEMs are tasked with building faster machines as manufacturers seek to increase productivity and throughput. PACs are getting faster, but a controller’s processing capacity is not the only factor influencing throughput. For end users and machine builders with high-speed sequential control applications, our new I/O can increase the speed at which machines can function, resulting in higher parts production per shift for the customer.      

Many works of science fiction have imagined robots that could interact directly with people to provide entertainment, services or even health care. Robotics is now at a stage where some of these ideas can be realized, but it remains difficult to make robots easy to operate. One option is to train robots to recognize and respond to human gestures. In practice, however, this is difficult because a simple gesture such as waving a hand may appear very different between different people. Designers must develop intelligent computer algorithms that can be ÔtrainedÕ to identify general patterns of motion and relate them correctly to individual commands. Now, Rui Yan and co-workers at the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research in Singapore have adapted a cognitive memory model called a localist attractor network (LAN) to develop a new system that recognize gestures quickly and accurately, and requires very little training. “Since many social robots will be operated by non-expert users, it is essential for them to be equipped with natural interfaces for interaction with humans,”says Yan. “Gestures are an obvious, natural means of human communication. Our LAN gesture recognition system only requires a small amount of training data, and avoids tedious training processes.” Yan and co-workers tested their software by integrating it with ShapeTape, a special jacket that uses fibre optics and inertial sensors to monitor the bending and twisting of hands and arms. They programmed the ShapeTape to provide data 80 times per second on the three-dimensional orientation of shoulders, elbows and wrists, and applied velocity thresholds to detect when gestures were starting. In tests, five different users wore the ShapeTape jacket and used it to control a virtual robot through simple arm motions that represented commands such as forward, backwards, faster or slower. The researchers found that 99.15% of gestures were correctly […]

Tensions continue to run high over the inclusion of aviation in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), after Indian government officials confirmed that New Delhi would be asking its airlines not to participate in the scheme. Meanwhile, the trade group representing the largest US airlines is now calling upon the White House to pursue a case against the Brussels plan at the International Civil Aviation Organization. “Though the European Union has directed Indian carriers to submit emissions details of their aircraft by March 31, 2012, no Indian carrier is submitting them in view of the position of the government,” India civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said. “Hence the imposition of a carbon tax does not arise.” The move makes India the second country to take concrete action against the inclusion of aviation in the Brussels scheme, with China having earlier banned its own airlines from complying with the EU ETS without government approval. Beijing has also reportedly halted the orders of US$14 billion worth of jets from Europe’s flagship airplane manufacturer, Airbus, in response to the aviation emissions rule. However, this claim has been contested by China’s aviation regulator, Li Jiaxiang, who indicated in an interview with Bloomberg that the country’s airlines have not been barred from buying Airbus planes. The US has also warned that it could take ‘appropriate action’ in response to the scheme, but has yet to take any concrete steps. However, Airlines for America – the trade group that had, together with three US airlines, unsuccessfully challenged the legality of including aviation in the scheme at the European Court of Justice – is nowÊcallingon the administration of US President Barack Obama to bring a case through the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the UN civil aviation body. “There is a clear path for the United States […]

  Cutting technologies are continuously evolving, and one of the most significant recent advances in the field is fiber laser. Fiber laser technology has been available for only about three to five years; so many companies are still getting acquainted with it, and are just beginning to appreciate the differences between fiber and the more ‘traditional’ CO2 laser. Of the key thermal cutting methods involving oxyfuel, plasma, and laser technologies, laser cutting offers the best cut quality, especially for fine features and holes that have less than a 1:1 diameter-to-thickness ratio. This makes laser the most appropriate method for stringent precision cutting needs in any industry. And within the laser cutting category, fiber laser is garnering a lot of attention because it offers the speed and cut quality of CO2 laser, but costs significantly less to maintain and operate. This makes fiber laser so promising as a cutting technology that many experts believe it will soon overtake other laser systems. Key advantages of fiber cutting In CO2 laser, CO2 gas is involved in the transmission of the beam. In fiber laser, however, transmission works through diodes and fiber cables. Instead of relying on mirrors to transfer the light beam, fiber laser systems rely on multiple solid state pump diodes to generate a laser beam, which is then transmitted through a flexible fiber cable to the laser cutting head. This offers a number of benefits, the first being table size. Unlike gas lasers, where mirrors must be a set distance apart, there is no size restriction for fiber laser. It is even possible to install a fiber laser cone right next to a plasma cutting head on a plasma cutting table, which wouldnÕt be an option for CO2 laser. Also, the ability to bend or coil fiber means that the systems […]

    The overall performance of modern computers and communications networks is dependent on the speed of electronic components, such as transistors and optical switches, as well as the quality of the wire network that powers and relays signals between these electronic components. Power and signal integrity are two important parameters for gauging the quality of a wire network, but simulating these parameters for next-generation electronic systems can take a considerable amount of time, particularly when there is a large number of components involved. Zaw Zaw Oo at the A*STAR Institute for High Performance Computing and co-workers1 have now significantly decreased the amount of computer time needed by developing a modelling technique that is much more efficient. In general, there are two different approaches to simulating power and signal integrity of a wire network. One approach is to use exact equations to describe the power and supply networks. This approach is computationally efficient, but the exact equations are difficult to derive for complex networks  for example, those that involve irregularly-shaped ground planes. The other approach is to use numerical methods to describe these complex networks. However, this approach not only requires considerable CPU time and memory, but also becomes unworkable for very large networks. The researchers therefore used a hybrid approach to combine the benefits of analytical and computational models. They had previously developed a hybrid model capable of describing the power networks in multi-layer circuit boards. In their present work, they extended this model to include the signaling network, as well as loads attached to the circuit board. The researchers considered circuit boards which include one or more pairs of parallel plates that serve as electrical grounds, or deliver power. Their model treats each pair of plates as an individual circuit, in which signal and power flow can be […]

PIC CAP: The key to integrated architecture lies in its scalability across multiple controllers and graphic interfaces utilising a common set of programming and configuration tools. Integrated Architecture facilitates the convergence of control and automation processes to streamline production and information management across an entire manufacturing or processing plant. Taking the approach that integrated architecture can be scalable helps ensure that manufacturing enterprises, large or mid-range can take advantage of the benefits. David Black, Product Manager, Architecture & Software, South Pacific Region for Rockwell Automation shares his knowledge of scalable integrated architecture. The provision of integrated architecture is becoming widely accepted by many automation and control providers for use by OEMs and machine builders. Designed to provide a full range of automation disciplinesÑ including motion, process and drive control, safety and data/information transference; integrated architecture offers a means of reducing total cost of ownership for the overall system. There is a perception however that it is more applicable to larger sites, where there may be thousands of I/Os, controllers, switches and drives, with an enormous amount of data and information management. The use of integrated architecture for production management was often deemed to be more appropriate for larger organisations. Not so. Planning and the right approach to integrated architecture will work equally well on mid-range applications. In fact, it is possible to scale integrated architecture to suit virtually any size operation. Many controllers made for many configurations Historically manufacturers may have utilised a different set of system tools for their large and small control systems, comprising different software configuration utilities and programming techniques. The Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture system is unique in that it offers scalable, integrated safety, motion control, and visualisation capabilities that are ideal for machine builders and end users who want a single control and development environment, regardless […]

  PIC CAP: The fibers and seed pod of Calotropis procera. Commonly known as the Apple of Sodom, this shrub can grow up to 5 meters high. The Apple of Sodom (Calotropis procera) plant is often regarded as a nuisance, but thanks to researchers in Saudi Arabia it could now be the source of a novel insulating material. Dr Mohamed Ali from King Saud University received a gold medal for his work. From regulating temperature in walls, pipes and electrical devices to dampening sound, insulating materials play an important part in our daily lives. But how can they be made from a plant like C. procera and what are the advantages over traditional insulation materials such as foam or mineral wool? Lead researcher Dr Mohamed Ali explained: “This plant tends to grow in very dry areas. It grows naturally all around as a weed and animals can’t eat it, so it doesn’t have that many uses.” Unlike other natural insulating materials, such as wood fibre (also used for paper, tissue, cardboard etc.) or mineral wool (also used in plastics and the automotive industry), this means that there is no competition with other sectors or livelihoods. “What interested me about it were the seedpods. Inside there are lots of white fibres attached to the seeds – I collected these fibres and did some experimenting.” To make the insulator, Dr Ali and his colleagues combined the plant’s fibres with a binding resin called phenolic formaldehyde, and compressed it to a thickness of around 2 cm. The resulting material was a stiff board with good insulating properties. They then discovered that the finished product was just as good if natural corn starch was used in place of phenolic formaldehyde, resulting in a natural, eco-friendly material that would be cheap to produce and completely safe […]