LogiMAT, the international trade show for intralogistics solutions and process management, will set new standards from May 31 to June 2, 2022 in Stuttgart. The technology company Continental will also be exhibiting at the largest annual intralogistics trade show in Europe. Under the slogan “Shaping the Future of Intralogistics” the company will showcase pioneering solutions from the fields of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) as well as tires, digital solutions and material handling solutions.

• In-house-developed autonomous transport vehicle optimizes material transport in production. Volume production planned for 2022 after completion of the trial phase
• Holistic product range for warehousing and port logistics: Continental presents its current tire portfolio, its digital solutions and its material handling solutions
• International trade show for intralogistics solutions and process management in Stuttgart from May 31 to June 2, 2022

“As a tire manufacturer, automotive supplier and manufacturer of industrial production solutions, we have a completely unique profile to support the intralogistics industry,” said Mario Branco, head of Business Development Off-Highway at Continental. “We are thus helping the intralogistics industry to quickly and effectively integrate suitable new technologies into their products, thereby significantly increasing value creation.” Employees from all areas of Continental relevant to intralogistics will be welcoming visitors at stand EF 15 in Hall 2.

AMR – an autonomous robot for logistics tasks on the shop floor

Autonomous Mobile Robots transport heavy loads of over one metric ton and increase the efficiency of production and the entire value chain.Continental is showcasing a state-of-the-art, autonomously driving transport vehicle developed in-house that further increases efficiency in production operations. This Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) automates the flow of materials in production plants, warehouses or logistics centers. The robust vehicle is equipped with proven technologies: lidar sensors for 360-degree detection of the environment, 3D camera systems, intelligent software and an optional ultra-wideband transmitter for precise live tracking of the AMR in the fleet make the robotic vehicle a valuable employee. It independently executes transport orders, can avoid obstacles and calculate alternative routes. An optional fleet management system can coordinate a larger fleet of AMRs.

Continental initially designed the autonomously operating vehicle for its own benefit: Engineers at the technology company could not find a suitable solution on the market to make the material flow and handling of heavy product components at its own plants more efficient. “We developed a customized robotics solution that is currently being integrated very successfully into everyday production at our plants for hydraulic brake systems in Slovakia and China. The intelligent transport robot will also be mass-produced for external customers from this year,” said Pierre Pomper, Head of Autonomous Mobile Robots at Continental .

Heavy-duty timing belts for automated storage and retrieval systems

Future technology for high-rise racking stores: Synchrodrive timing belts are characterized by minimized wear, lower maintenance, and longer change intervals. Photo: LTW Intralogistics GmbHHigh-rise racking stores are the beating heart of many logistics processes. Filling them and removing goods from them effectively is a major challenge that is increasingly being met by automated storage and retrieval systems with belt drives. As key elements in intralogistics processes, they position goods quickly and precisely. Together with a partner, Continental has developed a new drive technology that is based on the block-and-tackle principle and works with a deflected belt drive. Here, a synchrodrive timing belt offers several advantages over the rope technology that is often used: minimal wear, less maintenance, shorter positioning times and longer change intervals. The belt technology does not require any lubrication and has already proven beneficial in series production – under large loads as well as in the low-temperature range at temperatures as low as 30 degrees below zero. Continental makes the compounds needed to produce the corresponding belts in-house.

Continental presents current tire portfolio for logistics and port operations

Increased hygiene requirements: Continental meets these challenges with its non-marking tires, which it is also showing at the trade show.Whether the transport of heavy loads is in demand, longer distances have to be covered or automated vehicles in material handling are involved, Continental will be presenting its current tire portfolio for the logistics and port industry and its digital solutions for more efficient tire use at LogiMAT 2022. Driven by the pandemic, hygiene regulations in particular have risen sharply in the pharmaceutical and food industries, and in a wide range of other industries. Continental is meeting these requirements with its non-marking tires, which it will also be showing at the trade show. After all, it is precisely in highly hygienic production conditions that driving and braking marks should be reduced as far as possible. Tires such as the SC20, CS20 and CSEasy as non-marking versions thus visibly contribute to a cleaner and more hygienic working environment.

Continental will also be bringing its new three-brand strategy to life at LogiMAT. Under the Continental, General Tire and Barum brands, Continental offers a customized portfolio of robust solid tires for a variety of industrial applications and customer requirements. Regardless of whether for the highest requirements, such as in 24/7 use, or for areas of application with lower intensities.

Like a bird: ProViu 360 gives a complete surround view of the industrial truck

The ProViu 360 digital camera system offers drivers a bird’s-eye view of their industrial trucks.Drivers of industrial trucks in a warehouse can’t have their eyes everywhere. At the same time, however, accidents must absolutely be avoided. Colleagues walking around on the shop floor need to be protected. Collisions with vertical rack struts can cause extremely serious damage to property. The ProViu 360 digital camera system provides a bird’s eye view of the vehicle and its surroundings. Four 1.3-megapixel cameras supply images in HD resolution, which are displayed on a 10-inch HD touchscreen. In collaboration with OEM customers, Continental’s engineers can develop numerous, even highly specialized solutions based on the ProViu 360 system. Special applications are possible, for example, which are only required in certain models within a portfolio. In addition to various warning functions, the development agenda for engineers and programmers also includes the fusion of camera and radar information and the display of augmented reality content.

A better view of the working environment is also provided by Continental’s new work lights for industrial trucks. All major applications are covered by the four variants – Spot, Wide, Ultra-wide and Flood. Their aluminum housings are designed for off-road use and are appropriately protected against water and dust ingress in accordance with the IP6K8 standard. The lights withstand temperatures from -40 °C to +90 °C and are protected against strong vibrations. Their flexible mounting system enables retrofitting at many different positions on the industrial trucks.

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2021, Continental generated sales of €33.8 billion and currently employs more than 190,000 people in 58 countries and markets. On October 8, 2021, the company celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Siemens Digital Industries Software today announced that Nemo’s Garden, a startup focused on sustainable underwater cultivation of crops, has deployed Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio of software and services to shorten its innovation cycles and move more rapidly towards industrialization and scale.

• Siemens’ Xcelerator digital twin of Nemo’s Garden sustainable sub aqua biosphere enables team to iterate design and test at massively accelerated rate.
• Easy to access digital transformation empowers small, specialized team to take advantage of enterprise class product innovation toolsets.
• MindSphere® enabled machine learning algorithm deployed to Industrial Edge computing devices allows remote monitoring, process automation and feeds back into design.

Nemo’s Garden was founded in 2021 by Sergio Gamberini, President of Italian scuba diving equipment manufacturer, Ocean Reef Group, and his son, Luca Gamberini. Their team of engineers, divers and scientists have been working to prove the viability of cultivating herbs, fruit and vegetables underwater. Nemo’s Garden’s key innovation, a sub-aqua biosphere, is a unique type of underwater greenhouse, able to harness the positive environmental factors of the ocean – temperature stability, evaporative water generation, CO2 absorption, the abundance of oxygen and inherent protection from pests – to create an environment ideal for crop cultivation.

The team has not only successfully harvested a variety of crops from its prototype biospheres, but also discovered that plants grown in this environment are nutritionally richer than those grown traditionally. The next big hurdle in achieving their goal was to turn this prototype into a solution that could be deployed globally; however, they didn’t want to wait another 10 years to make that happen.

Nemo’s Garden is a startup focused on sustainable underwater-based cultivation of crops. Using Siemens’ Xcelerator and a digital twin, the Nemo’s Garden team are able to test concepts without the need for physical testing, enabling rapid design iteration.

Harsh winters, short summers and initial seafloor-use permit limitations capped Nemo’s Garden to one growth cycle a year, which has meant only one innovation cycle per annum. Design changes, lengthy physical testing and heavy manual monitoring processes during the growth cycle led the Nemo’s Garden team to seek out ways to speed up their innovation and scale the operation. The team reached out to TekSea’s Matteo Cavalleroni for insight on how to leverage cutting edge technologies to achieve their goals. After the initial consultation, Siemens was invited to join the project, leveraging the Xcelerator portfolio of software and it’s services to help Nemo’s Garden get to the next stage of development and get ready for industrialization/commoditization.

“When I first saw Siemens’ digital twin technology, I was mesmerized. Nemo’s Garden is a one-of-a-kind system and we need to adapt to each environment where it is to be installed. If you can model that environment virtually before you start, you can foresee the challenges and address them in the best way,” said Luca Gamberini, Co-Founder, Nemo’s Garden. “We have seen benefits in understanding the flow of water around the shapes of our biospheres. We have a greater understanding of the points of stress on the structure around the biospheres. We also understand how the different interactions of the solar radiation, the temperature and all the physical factors, act on the plants. All thanks to the ability of the digital twin to replicate our system.”

A comprehensive digital twin of the Nemo’s Garden biosphere has been built that encompasses not only its design evolution using Siemens’ NX™ software, but also enables simulation of the growing conditions within it, the impact of the equipment on the body of water, as well as the full environment in which they are installed – all accomplished using Siemens’ Simcenter™ STAR-CCM+™ software. The Nemo’s Garden team are no longer limited by weather conditions, seasonality and short growing seasons or limitations on diving and monitoring. Adaptations to the biospheres can be tested in the virtual world, enabling the team to refine the design at a massively accelerated rate.

Monitoring at the edge

In addition to engineering the physical biosphere, Nemo’s Garden also needed to optimize and scale the processes for growing, tracking, and harvesting the plants. To create a sustainable business that did not rely on sending trained divers to collect data, a fully digital, automated approach was created that drew on Siemens’ extensive experience in leveraging software to automate traditional farming practices.

Existing video of the growing cycles along with reference data from traditional farming operations of the same target crops, at various growth stages and health conditions was analyzed using Siemens’ MindSphere service. From this, Siemens was able to train a machine learning algorithm to monitor plant growth as well as the environmental conditions within the domes.

When this algorithm is deployed onto Siemens’ Industrial Edge computing devices in each biosphere, the plants can be monitored via a cloud-based dashboard throughout the season, from anywhere, in real time. Next season, these Industrial Edge devices will be connected to actuators – to automatically adjust air circulation, humidity, irrigation and nutritional dosing throughout the whole season. This will be the foundation of a global agricultural service, optimized for subsea operations and tuned for each of the world’s oceans.

Through true adoption of digital transformation, Nemo’s Garden has taken something that began as a light-hearted challenge over dinner with friends and are turning this unique concept into a commercially viable subsea farming platform that can sustainably be deployed globally. While the newly designed biospheres will not be deployed until the next growing season, thanks to the comprehensive digital twin of the growing environment the team continues to push forward with plans to further optimize their designs and automate their processes for global deployment.

“Digitalization isn’t only for big companies, it is for all companies. In fact, great gains can often be realized in smaller or start-up companies. The work we do with startups can amplify the impact they have on the world, aiding in and speeding up innovation,” said Eryn Devola, Vice President of Sustainability, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “It is easy to get excited when you we find a passionate team with human-centered technology that is working to feed people while having a positive impact on the environment.”

Siemens Digital Industries Software is driving transformation to enable a digital enterprise where engineering, manufacturing and electronics design meet tomorrow. The Xcelerator portfolio helps companies of all sizes create and leverage digital twins that provide organizations with new insights, opportunities and levels of automation to drive innovation. For more information on Siemens Digital Industries Software products and services, visit siemens.com/software or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Siemens Digital Industries Software – Where today meets tomorrow.

European events outline how advanced automation software drives digital transformation of operations

Emerson is hosting a series of Innovation Days to provide process industry and manufacturing companies with valuable insights into how advanced automation software solutions can help maximise environmental sustainability and business performance. The free of charge events, being held across Europe throughout 2022, will demonstrate how the latest industrial software and systems can drive the digital transformation of operations, leading to increased operational efficiency, uptime, safety and profitability.

The Innovation Days feature a broad range of presentations from industry experts addressing the use of advanced diagnostics to monitor the health and performance of instrumentation and control technology, simple ways of transforming data into actionable insights, analysing the efficiency of machines, the use of cloud-based SCADA to monitor remote assets, improving reliability and safety through corrosion and erosion monitoring, and leveraging machine learning technology to optimise plant control and increase production.

Emerson’s in-person Innovation Days will showcase how advanced software solutions can help achieve increased sustainability and business performance.

“Through our extensive portfolio of innovative software solutions, Emerson is able to generate business value by implementing data management, monitoring and control architectures that provide actionable insights, leading to wide-ranging operational improvements,” said John Nita, president of Emerson’s Automation Solutions business in Europe. “The Innovation Days will demonstrate how harnessing software-based technology and digitally transforming operations can help organisations achieve their business and sustainability targets.”

The Innovation Days will feature interactive hands-on demonstrations that show how to improve visibility to key operational data and prioritise the most critical information for improved operations. Delegates will be able to explore pervasive sensing technologies in a 3D virtual plant tour. There will also be opportunities for them to share their experiences, network with their peers and discuss their specific application challenges. The Innovation Days are aimed at management, project and operations personnel, engineers, and maintenance specialists. The events will be held in more than 20 different countries and presented in the local language.

There will be Innovation Days held in the UK and Ireland from June 7th to 23rd. For further details, a complete calendar of events and pre-registration, visit Emerson.com/InnovationDay.

About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global technology and engineering company providing innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial and residential markets. Our Automation Solutions business helps process, hybrid and discrete manufacturers maximise production, protect personnel and the environment while optimising their energy and operating costs. Our Commercial & Residential Solutions business helps ensure human comfort and health, protect food quality and safety, advance energy efficiency and create sustainable infrastructure. For more information visit Emerson.com.

Global technology company ABB has installed ABB Ability™ System 800xA®, the market-leading distributed control system (DCS) automation platform, to upgrade three grinding units at Star Super Cement in Dubai, UAE, and ensure optimized operations with the Star Cement clinkerization plant in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.

• ABB installs state-of-the-art distributed control system (DCS) automation platform at Star Super Cement cement grinding plants in UAE
• Upgrade to central processing units brings uniformity across Star Cement clinkerization plant as well as Star Cement grinding plants in the Middle East to lower maintenance downtime
• ABB has also installed the latest generation automation controllers for high availability of control applications at the Ultratech Cement subsidiaries

Star Cement and Star Super Cement are subsidiaries of Ultratech Cement, India and operate a 3 million tons per annum (tpa) clinkerization unit at Ras Al Khaimah, four cement grinding units of 2.2 million tpa unit at Jabel Ali, 1.4 million tpa unit at Abu Dhabi and 1.1 million tpa unit at Ajman in UAE as well as a 1 million tpa grinding unit in Bahrain.

ABB was the electrical and automation partner for the Star Cement clinkerization plant ten years ago and had deployed ABB’s DCS for three cement grinding units when these plants were installed. Each grinding unit had a different generation of DCS depending on the plant commissioning period. All grinding units have now been upgraded to ABB Ability System 800xA which can implement advanced process control methods and is ranked by the ARC advisory group as the world’s #1 DCS platform over the last 22 years.

“Star Cement will benefit from improved operator visibility, easier maintenance and minimum downtime with the new upgraded systems and uniformity across the various clinkerization and grinding unit locations,” said Max Tschurtschenthaler, Global Cement Lead, ABB Process Industries. “We are pleased to have built on our longstanding relationship. The successful upgrade of three different systems to the latest platform will ensure overall interoperability and ease of operations.”

“It has always been a fruitful experience working with ABB PI team,” said TVS Chidambaram, Chief Operating Officer of Star Cement. “The DCS upgrade project handled by ABB ran very smoothly and barely disturbed the organization’s ongoing activities. Well planned engineering and installation works during a holiday period helped us to continue our sales without any disturbance. We’re now in a much better position for future operations.”

The scope of work undertaken by ABB included the upgrade of all previously installed central processing units (CPUs) and controllers to the latest version of ABB Ability System 800xA. The project also involved the complete erection and installation for the new panels while keeping the field wiring intact. Minerals libraries were introduced to the system. Project panels were manufactured and delivered locally.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

ABB Process Automation is a leader in automation, electrification and digitalization for the process and hybrid industries. We serve our customers with a broad portfolio of products, systems, and end-to-end solutions, including our #1 distributed control system, software, and lifecycle services, industry-specific products as well as measurement and analytics, marine and turbocharging offerings. As the global #2 in the market, we build on our deep domain expertise, diverse team and global footprint, and are dedicated to helping our customers increase competitiveness, improve their return on investment and run safe, smart, and sustainable operations.

Company’s wide range of solutions designed for wind turbines help equipment manufacturers & aftermarket service providers meet fast-growing demand

SKF, a leading global manufacturer of bearings, sealing solutions, lubrication management, condition monitoring systems, and services, offers an extensive range of collaborative, problem-solving solutions for wind turbine applications globally. As part of the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability, SKF has invested for decades in developing solutions to establish wind energy as one of the foremost, viable and sustainable sources of electricity. Technology holds the key to achieving both reliability and sustainability, while increasing wind turbine availability, productivity and performance.

The wind energy sector in North America, and in the United States in particular, is experiencing unprecedented growth. The U.S. Department of Energy projects the amount of wind energy produced will almost double from 113 gigawatts (GW) today to 224 GW by 2030, with wind turbines present across 47 states, and currently close to 2,000 new wind turbines are being constructed each year.

With nearly 60,000 wind turbines currently in use in the United States, operators need their assets to remain operational for as long as possible, often in the most challenging conditions – extreme temperatures, offshore and remote locations. High cost of repairs and long lead times for replacement parts can combine to reduce the competitiveness of this clean, renewable energy source. That’s why SKF is partnering with leaders in the wind industry to help minimize the levelized cost of energy by improving turbine designs, increasing reliability and maximizing performance and availability – all while reducing unplanned maintenance and repairs.

SKF solutions consist of an extensive range of products and solutions for wind turbine manufacturers, owner/operators and service providers, from the main shaft to the gearbox to the generator to pitch and yaw applications.  SKF’s global footprint is able to reliably meet customers’ needs for parts, expertise and service. In North America, the company manufactures parts for wind turbines at three locations -- Flowery Branch, GA and Sumter, SC in the United States; and Monterrey in Mexico.

Research and development is a strategic differentiator for SKF and requires the large-size bearings used in wind turbines to be tested in the real-time conditions they experience in the field. SKF, unlike its competitors, has the capability to do this at the Sven Wingquist Test Center in Schweinfurt, Germany. The Center can currently test bearings up to 6-meter Outer Diameter, which can power turbines rated up to 14 MW.

In addition, SKF is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to study the performance of wind turbine drivetrains under a variety of conditions in order to gain insights into the possible causes of wind turbine bearing failures. The main purpose of this partnership is to investigate the failure modes of both gearbox and main shaft bearings, with the aim of developing new, improved designs for greater reliability. More recently, NREL published a report on our work together sharing real-time operational loading conditions in order to extend the life of gearbox bearings. The data was collected in an operational wind turbine through the Joint Industry Megawatt Scale Gearbox Field Tests.

Some of the specialized SKF products and services developed for use in the wind turbine industry include:

• High endurance slewing bearings for blades and nacelle
• NoWear coated main shaft bearings
• Main shaft seals to prevent premature failure
• Integrated outer ring (IOR) planetary bearings
• Black Oxide bearings for gearboxes, with case hardened steel in severe cases
• MRC hybrid ceramic bearings for generators
• INSOCOAT bearings for generators
• Remanufacturing services
• Spare Part Management services
• Automatic Lubrication Systems (ALS) for mainshafts, pitch and yaw, and generators
• Condition monitoring for the complete drivetrain

”SKF has partnered with leading manufacturers, owner/operators and service providers to help optimize turbine performance and reliability since the industry was established. Our solutions help safely and effectively lower total cost of ownership and increase performance for everything that rotates inside the wind turbine,” said Kush Sodha, SKF’s Wind Industry Manager. “SKF is dedicated to collaborating with industry partners to engineer solutions that help wind energy continue to be a clean, reliable, sustainable and cost-competitive alternative to traditional sources of energy.”

Partnering to extend wind turbine service life

Remote condition monitoring is particularly suitable for the wind industry, as it allows turbine operators to assess the equipment while the turbine is producing energy. Gearboxes and main shaft bearings are critical components in wind turbines. Failure of these components can lead to lost revenue, high emergency repair costs and, ultimately, higher energy production costs.

In partnership with American Clean Power (ACP), SKF tackled two critical performance and reliability topics at the 2021 ACP Operations & Maintenance and Safety Virtual Summit.  Service Optimization of the Wind Turbine Drivetrain through Digital Solutions focused on improving the cost of wind energy through digital solutions like condition monitoring and data analysis to make wind energy more competitive against fossil fuel energy. Premature Failures in Wind Turbine Main Shaft Bearings highlighted problem-solving upgrades designed to limit the risk of downtime and replacement, in addition to the importance of determining the root cause of bearing failures.

The ACP Operations & Maintenance and Safety Virtual Summit is where the industry connects to identify solutions in health and safety, operations and maintenance, workforce training and development, and quality assurance.

For more information on collaborative solutions for wind energy, please visit our wind energy microsite.

About SKF USA

SKF USA Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of SKF Group, a world leader in rolling bearings and related technologies including bearings, seals, lubricants, and condition monitoring systems. 

SKF's mission is to be the undisputed leader in the bearing business. We do this by offering solutions that reduce friction and CO2 emissions, whilst at the same time increasing machine uptime and performance. Our products and services around the rotating shaft, include bearings, seals, lubrication management, artificial intelligence, and wireless condition monitoring. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 17,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2021 were SEK 81 732 million and the number of employees was 42,602. www.skf.com

® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group.

Working with the local electricity authority and Italthai Engineering, Moxa facilitates substation automation in Pattaya, an important pilot site on Thailand’s ambitious Energy 4.0 journey while driving Thailand’s economic success.

Moxa Inc., a leader in industrial communication and networking, is collaborating with Thailand’s Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) and Italthai Engineering, the leading engineering contractor for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services, to transform Pattaya into a smart city by upgrading its electrical infrastructure to a smart grid. The digital upgrade also enables PEA to spearhead the Thai government’s Energy 4.0 initiative, driving the energy transition progress that is contributing to Thailand’s economic success and its competitiveness among ASEAN nations.

The key to the transformation is the digital upgrade of Pattaya’s substations to improve power delivery and minimize unstable voltage supplies during power outages. Pattaya is now better equipped to support its prosperous tourism industry and expand its advanced manufacturing sector in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor, the country’s flagship economic zone. The digital transformation of the smart substations in Pattaya has made it the pilot city of a new paradigm for Thailand’s power sector, which emphasizes adopting renewable energy sources in line with the global trend of developing a low-carbon economy.

“In implementing and maintaining a digital substation communication system, we need an expert we know we can trust,” said Pongsakorn Yuthagovit, assistant governor for PEA. “Moxa’s expertise in critical network communication helps us set the cornerstone for optimizing the flexibility and efficiency of the smart grid through automated communication, monitoring, and management of the overall power network.”

In order to attain the goal of Energy 4.0 and making Thailand a power hub for ASEAN by the year 2036, PEA, serving 99% of Thailand’s population, is collaborating with Italthai Engineering for various pilot projects, including a project that improves flexibility of the smart grid for permitting greater usage of highly variable renewable energy sources. Italthai Engineering has enlisted Moxa’s network expertise to improve the flexibility and efficiency of the power grid by optimizing management of the overall network.

Italthai Engineering recognizes Moxa as an excellent partner with expertise in critical network communication in IEC 68150-based substation automation systems. Moxa provided expert assistance in topology design to help PEA transition from a 30-year-old system to a system with a simplified and standardized design with automated management features. The new design provides outstanding PRP/HSR redundancy to ensure that PEA’s substation systems enjoy reliable communication with zero packet loss and zero-time recovery.

Not only has the digital transformation made PEA’s power network in the region more flexible and stable, the network is also now compliant with IEC 61850, the international standard of communication protocols for intelligent electronic devices at electrical substations. Moxa’s experience of developing more than 7,500 substation transmission and distribution power systems around the world helped ensure that the upgrade in Pattaya went smoothly. The upgrade uses Moxa’s IEC 61850 PRP/HSR redundant network to enable substations to operate automatically and achieve real-time communication. The best practices developed in this pilot project can also be used by PEA to achieve the same level of success when deploying such upgrades in other pilot cities.

“Moxa is honored to support PEA’s transformation by providing our expertise in substation automation for Pattaya,” said Andy Sun, director of the Vertical Market Business Unit at Moxa. “As an OT expert in the field, our 35 years of experience in industrial networking and communications has helped us hasten PEA’s seamless transition from a manual to a digital way of working, and in turn move Thailand towards a cleaner, smarter economy.”

To learn more about the solution for PEA’s digital transformation of power substations, please visit: PEA and Moxa Power Up Economic Growth for a Smart City in Thailand

www.moxa.com

About Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA)
The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) is a government enterprise under the Ministry of Interior. PEA was founded as an individual organization under the Royal Decree issued on 6 March 1954 and announced in the Royal Thai Government Gazette on 16 March 1954. The Board of Directors was appointed to control and manage under the Department of Public and Municipal Works, Ministry of Interior, and the government with the Minister of Interior holding general governing authority. Provincial Electricity Organization has legal capital of 5 million Baht with 117 electricity authorities under its purview. Subsequently, Provincial Electricity Authority was established under Provincial Electricity Authority Act of B.E. 2503 (1960) on 28 September 1960 and inherited ongoing missions from the Provincial Electricity Organization.

About Italthai Engineering
Italthai Engineering Co., Ltd. is a Thai-owned company founded on 25 May 1967 by Dr. Chaijudh Karnasuta and Mr. Giorgio Berlingieri (an Italian Engineer). The company’s mission is to help serve the still-nascent liquid petroleum gas (LPG) trading and service market. Starting with an initial registration capital of 500,000 Baht under the name Italthai Gas Service Co., Ltd., the company assumed many small construction projects. On 14 September 1974, the name was changed to Italthai Engineering Co, Ltd. (ITE).

Powerbox, one of Europe’s largest power supply companies, and for more than four decades a leading force in optimizing power solutions for demanding applications, has announced the release of the 1200W rated OFI1200A AC/DC power supply for industrial applications. Optimized for conduction cooling, the OFI1200A delivers high performance levels across a baseplate temperature range of -40 to +95 degrees C without the use of a fan. The power supply operates with a wide universal input range from 85 to 305VAC with power factor correction (PFC). Covering a large range of applications, its output voltage and current can be adjusted from near zero to the maximum allowed for each model.

A number of industrial applications require power supplies to operate with limited or no ventilation cooling. In this respect, those operating in harsh environments where electronic equipment is installed in a sealed box, radio communication systems subject to adverse weather conditions, outdoor displays and traffic signaling, and indoor equipment with very strict audible noise restrictions. In addition to environmental requirements, reliability and cost of maintenance are motivating systems designers not to use fans and blowers.

Conduction cooling requires very specific building practices and the PRBX OFI1200A has been designed to guarantee optimal heat transfer from the dissipating components to the baseplate, delivering a high level of performance within an operating temperature of -40 to +95 degree centigrade at baseplate. Depending on the assembly method and the overall cooling conditions, a derating may apply as specified in the technical documentation.

To cover a large range of applications, the OFI1200A operates with a wide universal input range from 85 to 305VAC (Nominal 100 to 277VAC). The unit includes a PFC with a coefficient of 0.98/0.95 (110VAC/230VAC).

The OFI1200A is available in three versions of single output DC voltage, 12V/84A ; 28V/43A and 48V/25A. Using a high efficiency topology, the typical efficiency for the 48V output unit at 230VAC input is an excellent 92%.

Industrial applications such as professional lighting or even low-power electrolyzers require the power supply to deliver constant current, and this must be easily adjustable. Often such equipments are operated in environments requiring the electronics to be enclosed and protected from hazards. This necessitates the power supply to offer an external control to adjust the output voltage and/or current from the maximum allowed to near zero.

To make it possible for customers to precisely adjust the voltage and current to their application, the OFI1200A offers two analog inputs, VTRM and ITRM. Using those functions, the output voltage and current can be adjusted from near zero up to the maximum specified per model. For example, the 28V output can be adjusted from near zero volts up to 33.6V, and the output current from near zero amps up to 43A. The output voltage can also be adjusted using the provided onboard potentiometer.

The extended trimming and control function simplifies the utilization of the power supply in constant voltage (CV) or constant current (CC) mode, without adding external circuitry.

Powerbox’s new 1200W OFI1200A power supply is optimized for conduction cooling as required by demanding industrial applications

For applications requiring redundancy or higher power, it is possible to connect up to nine units in parallel, delivering an impressive total power level of up to 9,720W in conduction cooling mode. To maintain the highest level of efficiency when operated in parallel or in redundancy-mode, optional active ORing circuitry deploying high performance FET technology (Option-O) is available on the OFI1200A28 and OFI1200A48.

For safety, the OFI1200A has an IN/OUT isolation of 3,000VAC and IN/FG of 2,000VAC. Output isolation to FG is 500VAC. The power supply includes over current protection with auto recovery, over voltage and over temperature protection.

The OFI1200A board includes easy access to auxiliary functions via on board connectors, namely: Remote Control, Output Voltage Sensing, Power Good, VTRM, ITRM.

The OFI1200A has passed shock and vibration testing as specified in MIL-STD-810H. In that respect the products have been tested to levels far above normal operating conditions and are designed to sustain high, 20G level shocks.

In its open frame format, the OFI1200A measures 142 x 39 x 260mm (5.59 x 1.54 x 10.36 inches) and weighs 1.2kg max. An optional metal cover is available, adding just 1mm to the height and 200 grams to the weight (Option-N).

Benefiting from a design optimized for conduction cooling, the OFI1200A is suitable for applications requiring a silent power solution such as in a control room. Equally, it is suitable for industrial applications when forced air ventilation is not possible due to environmental constraints. Attached to a chassis or cold plate, the OFI1200A can deliver impressive power levels with a high level of reliability.

The OFI1200A is certified in accordance with UL62368-1 3rd edition, cUL (equivalent to CAN/CSA-C22.2 No.62368-1).

The OFI1200A series has a full three-year warranty and conforms to the European RoHS, REACH and Low Voltage Directives. The product carries the CE, UKCA and cURus markings.

About Powerbox (PRBX):

Founded in 1974, with headquarters in Sweden and operations in 15 countries across four continents, Powerbox serves customers all around the globe. The company focuses on four major markets - industrial, medical, transportation/railway and defense - for which it designs and markets premium quality power conversion systems for demanding applications. Powerbox’s mission is to use its expertise to increase customers’ competitiveness by meeting all of their power needs. Every aspect of the company’s business is focused on that goal, from the design of advanced components that go into products, through to high levels of customer service. Powerbox is recognized for technical innovations that reduce energy consumption and its ability to manage full product lifecycles while minimizing environmental impact. Powerbox is a Cosel Group Company.

Busch Vacuum Solutions will present its energy-efficient vacuum solutions at Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, Germany, from April 26-29, 2022. The leading global trade fair for the food and beverage industry is an important industry meeting place for the latest innovations and technological visions relating to food production. The vacuum experts from Busch will also be presenting their pioneering solutions, which can be used in all production steps of food production, storage or the transport of food and beverages. 

Every application in the food industry is individual and requires a perfectly suited vacuum solution. In food refrigeration, vacuum drying or pneumatic conveying of food, different requirements are placed on the vacuum supply. Depending on the application, particularly low-maintenance technologies, vacuum generators with small operating costs or the most energy-efficient solutions possible can be used. Centralizing the vacuum supply enables additional savings potential in the food industry, as the high energy costs for cooling food can be reduced. Switching to new vacuum technologies can become even more worthwhile with a subsidy. This is because upgrading to modern technologies is subsidized by the German Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA). This also applies to energy-efficient vacuum generators from Busch. The vacuum experts will be informing visitors at Anuga FoodTec about the subsidy potential of their vacuum solutions and thus highlighting further savings potential.

The new intelligent COBRA PLUS screw vacuum pump: Ready for Industry 4.0.

With the COBRA NX 0950 A PLUS, Busch will be showing its new forward-looking screw vacuum pump, which can be used in many applications in the food and beverage industry. This is a dry vacuum pump that operates extremely energy-efficiently under pressure control or at constant speed. The PLUS technology combines Busch's many years of experience with innovative functions for Industry 4.0. As a fully connected vacuum pump, the COBRA PLUS expands the proven screw vacuum technology with control, condition monitoring and communication options. All important parameters can be adjusted and monitored, allowing the vacuum pump to be optimally set and used for individual processes.

Meet the vacuum experts from Busch for a personal exchange at Anuga FoodTec in hall 8.1 at booth C-080/D-081.

About Busch:

Busch Vacuum Solutions is one of the world’s largest producers of vacuum pumps, vacuum systems, blowers and compressors.

Its extensive product portfolio comprises solutions for vacuum and overpressure applications in all industries, including the chemical, semiconductor, medical technology, plastics, and food sectors. It also covers the design and construction of customized vacuum systems, as well as a global service network.

The Busch group is a family-owned company and is still managed by the Busch family. Busch Vacuum Solutions has 3,800 employees in more than 60 companies in over 40 countries and agencies worldwide. Busch is headquartered in Maulburg, in southwest Germany. This is the location of Busch SE headquarters, as well as the German production facility and German sales company. In addition to Maulburg, Busch also has its own production plants in Switzerland, the UK, Czech Republic, Korea and the USA.

History:

Busch Vacuum Solutions was founded by Dr.-Ing. Karl Busch and his wife Ayhan Busch in 1963. Dr.-Ing. Karl Busch developed the “HUCKEPACK”, which was the first vacuum pump that could be used for vacuum packaging of foodstuffs. The follow-up product, the compact “R5” rotary vane vacuum pump, revolutionized food packaging. A further milestone represented the development of the “COBRA” screw vacuum pump. In 1971 the international expansion of the Busch group started with the founding of a sales company in the UK. The first production plant outside Germany was established in the US in 1979.

Linxon has won an order from Svenska kraftnät in Sweden to revamp an existing 400 kV substation, located in Kilanda on the west coast of Sweden.

“The Kilanda substation is an important Hub in the west coast power grid and has reached its technical lifetime, needing a revamp to ensure continued operation, while increasing performance and decreasing future maintenance cost. These substation works are perfectly suited to our capabilities and expertise at Linxon and we are proud to serve this important customer and the communities that rely on reliable power”, said Ingela Hålling, Managing Director of Linxon Hub Nordics.

The substation connects several important transmission lines, requiring careful outage planning to execute the works efficiently and ensure the continued stability of the transmission grid. The replacement of existing equipment will, for the most part, be made on the existing steel structures and foundations, thus extending the lifetime of the substation with minimal environmental impact.

The project consists of equipment replacement of six 400 kV bays, as well as addition of a new bay. The turnkey project includes a new control and protection system, as well as auxiliary systems housed in a new building.

About Linxon

We combine SNC-Lavalin’s project management expertise and  Hitachi Energy's industry-leading technological knowledge to create a company dedicated to substations. As one of the leading engineering companies, we help our customers with turnkey solutions in the field of substations for power transmission, renewable energy and transportation. As a single point of contact we combine the accumulated knowhow of key-suppliers and contractors so that customers benefit from efficient solutions, increased industrial productivity and a lower environmental impact. We work to shape energy solutions to empower sustainable connectivity. linxon.com

Valmet will supply 22 Valmet Total Solids Measurements to the Greater Paris Sanitation Authority’s (SIAAP) Seine Aval wastewater treatment plant in France. The measurements were purchased by the technology provider: the temporary joint-venture between OTV and STEREAU, OTV being the mandatary. The measurements will be installed in the plant’s new primary decantation to accurately measure the total solids of the sludge, produced by lamellar settlers.

The order was included in Valmet’s orders received of the fourth quarter 2021. The measurements will be delivered during the second quarter 2022.

The SIAAP plant is about to undergo a transformation. The existing static settlers are replaced by lamellar settlers, including a new pumping station and an additional pretreatment stage. The goal of the new unit is to increase process performance and to reduce nuisance for the neighborhood. The measurements will help the customer in daily process control to ensure the right sludge concentration for downstream process. In addition, they will bring energy savings and further environmental benefits.

"We were confident about the choice of Valmet’s sensor. We made a two-month trial last summer by installing a Valmet Total Solids Measurement on an existing customer process together with the Valmet team, which fully convinced our client. The results were better than expected, especially considering the short time we had to commission the sensor," says Jerome Caubit, Project Director, OTV.

Valmet will supply 22 microwave solids measurements to the Greater Paris Sanitation Authority in France

"Valmet Total Solids Measurement utilizes the latest microwave technology and is already recognized as a reliable and accurate sensor in several wastewater applications. We see that the demands for this kind of measurement are constantly growing," says Christian Guerry, Sales Manager, Automation, Valmet.

Technical details about the delivery

The delivery consists of 22 measurement units and services. Valmet Total Solids Measurement is an inline microwave solids measurement, offering a real-time measurement to control and optimize the solids treatment process. As the most reliable and accurate analyzer for wastewater applications, Valmet Total Solids Measurement enables savings in polymer dosing, energy, and transportation. The measurement utilizes microwave technology to determine total organic and inorganic solids content in the range of 0-50 percent dryness.

Information about the customer

SIAAP, the Greater Paris Sanitation Authority, was established in 1970. It transports and treats wastewater for nine million people in and around Paris. SIAAP has six wastewater plants in the Paris region. The Seine Aval plant, second largest wastewater treatment plant in the world, is currently undergoing an extensive modernization project, where OTV, a subsidiary of France based Veolia Environnement, is one of the main technology providers.

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.

Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy. 

Valmet's net sales in 2021 were approximately EUR 3.9 billion. Our more than 14,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward – every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

Read more www.valmet.com