Working Smarter - The Chinese word for crisis is made up of two ideograms, one meaning danger and the other opportunity. Automation equipment manufacturers were forced to deal with the financial fallout of the economic crisis.

They also, however, seized the opportunity to maximize the user-friendly features, energy efficiency and integration of their new designs.

Automation technology is a major factor that drives industry forward. It was regarded in the past as a job killer, but it has turned out to be just the opposite. The automation industry generates employment inside Germany's borders.

Many of the companies are SMEs, and they have succeeded in retaining their innovative edge. Suppliers have been taken on an economic roller coaster ride for the past few years, and the economic crisis has had a massive effect on the market. However, the industry is now well positioned again and ready to capture new markets. The year of crisis did not actually weaken the industry. Automation suppliers saw the crisis as an opportunity, and they are now even more responsive to the needs and preferences of users who are, of course, their customers.

To an increasing extent, IT has become a driving force in the development process. Globalization is another factor in the equation. German companies have a high export quota, making them very dependent on international political and economic developments. However, many automation suppliers are able to exploit that situation to their advantage.

Automation Systems Create Flexibility

The manufacturing industry needs a great deal of flexibility to stay in step with today's market expectations. Automation engineering has taken on that challenge. Even out on the production floor, intelligent production management using tools such as lean production, production on demand, mass customization, global production management and supply chain management is no longer feasible without intelligent, adaptive automation systems. The increasing importance of automation system networking is also apparent. The traditional distinction between discrete manufacturing, process and building automation is becoming less and less relevant as the boundaries become blurred. Electromechanical, electrical and automation systems are more closely entwined. Intelligent power supply equipment is now integrated into automation networks, providing preventive maintenance information for controllers and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems.

The role of engineering, design, planning, data management and service software as an information provider is also becoming increasingly significant. However, technology for supplying information in a data format that can be readily transferred from one automation device to another without programming effort is often still in its infancy. There is also work to be done to make the equipment more user friendly, and that is an area where there are plenty of opportunities for innovation. The earnings generated after the economic crisis now need to be invested in R&D.

Zeroing In On Usability

The goal of usability engineering is to eliminate complicated commissioning procedures, unintelligible HMIs (human machine interfaces) and guesswork when faults occur, all of which are high on the wish list of both users and suppliers. Intelligible operating instructions, online help and familiar-looking HMIs reduce the time needed to get systems up and running. Especially on time-critical applications when quick reaction to fault conditions is vital, products with a user-friendly design are particularly helpful. Intuitive operation saves a lot of time and, of course, money.

The human resource profile is also evolving. In the past, the system operators were highly knowledgeable, and many of them were trained technicians. Today, it is increasingly common for semi-skilled workers to be at the controls. The familiarization period is generally quite short. These operators need an HMI with good usability features, as they generally lack in-depth background knowledge. Manufacturers must keep programming effort to a minimum, and ideally most of the machine/system operation should take place at a graphical user interface. Here again, there is a wealth of untapped potential that needs to be analyzed and exploited.

Process Control Systems and SCADA Drive Development

Process control systems and SCADA are another major factor in the field of automation engineering. Estimates published by IMS Research indicate that the world market for process control systems will reach $17.2 billion by 2014. IMS reports that most of the growth will be centered on the energy, oil and gas, and water and wastewater industries. IMS expects growth in this sector alone to be in the region of $1.5 billion, and it is important to note that these systems are being deployed to an increasing extent outside the manufacturing industry. The increasing popularity of smart grid applications is also creating growth opportunities in the industry.

The trend toward greater energy efficiency generates additional momentum for process control system and SCADA suppliers. State-of-the-art process automation equipment is ideally suited to produce savings and reduce the environmental effect in energy-intensive industries.

According to a study carried out by ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association), intelligent automation systems can reduce energy consumption by between 20% and 25%. Figures put together by the association indicate that intelligent data acquisition, process automation and electrical drive technology could cut the amount of energy used on German industrial production lines by 88 billion kWh, which is equivalent to an annual reduction of 43 million tons in CO₂ emissions. Broad-based deployment of energy-efficient automation technology could reduce industrial CO2 emissions in Germany by 11%.

Ongoing Advances in IT and Internet Technologies

A Chinese proverb says that one generation builds the street on which the next will walk. This is a good way of describing the automation engineering development path. From 1999 to 2002, introduction of IT and Internet technology had a major influence on the industry.

In the meantime, Ethernet in all of its incarnations has taken its place beside fieldbus systems as a standard networking platform, and Internet technologies (e.g., on-board web servers in automation equipment) have become the norm in many applications. As a result, an increasing amount of attention is being directed at the familiar security issues that affect the IT world as well. More work is needed on IT security, and this also creates development opportunities. In the control system space, we are seeing a remarkable convergence between industrial PCs and Soft PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and embedded controllers.

Functionality commonly provided in the IT world such as integrated web servers, database connectivity and file functionality is now often available on embedded PLC systems. These developments also help boost efficiency.

Conclusion

Automation systems have become indispensable in many areas of our lives, and the development trajectory continues. Energy efficiency, user-friendly design, advanced communication capabilities and system networking have attracted an increased level of interest and discussion. The automation industry is a major factor in the German economy, and it has retained its importance in the country's industrial landscape in the wake of the economic crisis.

This article is based on a trend report compiled on behalf of Dechema Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik und Biotechnologie (Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology), Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

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World Forum of the Process Industry
Achema is the world forum of the process industry and the trend-setting technology summit for chemical engineering, environmental protection and biotechnology. The 30th Achema to be held June 18-22 in Frankfurt, Germany, will again be the leading international meeting point for decision-makers and experts from all related industries. Visitors at this year's Achema will have the opportunity to take a firsthand look at the wide spectrum of automation systems that are currently available.

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