SICK Pty Ltd

19/06/18 - A food product may be recalled for any number of reasons - pieces of plastic in chocolate bars, bacterial contamination of cream cheese, falsely declared ingredients in pasta-based ready meals. As well as damaging the manufacturer’s reputation, these circumstances often come at tremendous expense, with costs rising when the whereabouts of the end products are unknown. Not to mention that time is of the essence when it comes to product recalls. With identification systems and integration technology from SICK, foodstuffs can be identified at any point as they make their way from the producer to the end customer, providing the option of tracing them in real time and at item level, with the click of a mouse should a critical error arise.Barcode scanners in the CLV product families, Lector image-based code readers, ultra-high-frequency RFID systems, and 4Dpro (the auto-ID integration platform from SICK) are all technologies that can be relied upon when setting up track-and-trace solutions within the food industry. Barcodes, 2D codes, or electronic transponders are used to identify objects including individual items, primary and secondary packaging, pallets, trucks, or swap bodies. When it comes to deciding on which technology to use, it is important to take financial factors into account, as well as considering the objects and processes that are involved. For instance, a barcode can be printed onto an egg, while the cartons holding six or ten eggs can be labelled with 2D codes with the best-before date in plain text. A transponder, on the other hand, can be added to shipping cartons, pallets, and other aggregated containers. It is often the case that several of these different forms of labelling will be in place within a single line along the supply chain. This is where the 4Dpro integration platform comes in, as it can be used not only to manage the range of identification technologies that are physically different from one another but also to enter data into databases. These databases will then be ideally interconnected – via standard software. SICK allows producers, contract packagers, and distributors to procure all of the identification and integration technology they need from a single source. What’s more, the technology is perfectly coordinated, boasts high levels of availability at all stages of the logistics chain, and removes the need for interfaces, cutting out any risk. Food contamination: Eliminating residual risks using track and traceMaking every effort to ensure process reliability, hygiene, and quality will minimise the risk of contamination during industrial production, packaging, and distribution processes within the food industry, but it can never rule it out entirely. On this basis, Regulation EC 178/2002 requires manufacturers within the food industry to establish systems that enable traceability of foodstuffs across all stages of production, processing, and distribution. Also, manufacturers have been given responsibility for promptly recalling unsafe products in order to avoid potential health risks. Product recalls have a detrimental effect on a company’s reputation and finances as well as the brand promise for the product in question. They are a sure-fire way to lose consumers’ trust and constitute a major challenge for the entire supply chain, with repercussions for producers, processors, packagers, distributors, freight forwarders, supermarkets, and retailers. All parties have to work closely together if a product recall is to run smoothly.To allow them to assess the causes of a contamination, companies must be able to trace back the trajectory of their products from the producer, through the processing stages, to retailers. This means that products and the containers they come in need to be labelled consistently and identified at every stage of the process that may prove relevant in the event of a recall, with data being entered automatically into interconnected databases. This is the only way to minimise residual health risks for consumers, with a system in place that allows the affected products to be tracked down and removed from circulation as quickly as possible.Taking proactive measures to limit damageBy fulfilling the legal obligation to trace foodstuffs using the appropriate track-and-trace technology, companies can minimise the negative impact on their image and brand, and limit the financial damage caused by the loss of sales and costs involved in recalling a product. The key point to remember here is that the more information available to the manufacturer about the exact serial numbers, batches, production facilities, or best-before dates affected by a product recall, the easier it will be to retrieve these items or in extreme cases a single item. Through this targeted and proactive approach, there is less chance for a consumer to suffer from any potential health issues caused by the product. It is a question of looking for a needle in a haystack – and being able to find it as quickly as possible. This is all possible thanks to modern track-and-trace solutions featuring state-of-the-art technology, which can be used to narrow products down to those affected and then pinpoint their location within the supply chain. All of the information needed during a product recall can also be retrieved from interconnected databases in real time with more or less the click of a mouse, making reaction times incredibly quick.Identification systems recording information needed during a product recallInformation recorded by automated identification systems is fed into the databases. Barcode readers in the various CLV product families from SICK can be used in a broad range of applications within track-and-trace set-ups. They can read compact codes on labels and item packaging as well as barcodes with large module widths, such as those used to label shipping cartons and pallets. Offering a variety of scanning ranges, auto-focus, ambient light immunity, and smart code reconstruction technology, these readers make for versatile and reliable solutions. They can be used to accurately identify barcodes even when faced with varying container sizes, working distances, and lighting conditions, or labels and prints that have been partially destroyed. The CLV barcode scanners are also available in a hygienic design if required for applications involving the identification of foodstuffs and beverages within humid and wet areas in packaging and bottling plants.2D codes are a very popular type of labelling for food and drug packaging. They are useful when space is very restricted given that they can hold a lot more information than barcodes. Plus, extremely reliable integrated correction processes eliminate errors when codes are read. The image-based code readers in the Lector620 OCR product family can be relied upon to record barcodes, 2D codes, and plain text information on food packaging, including best-before dates and batch numbers. Another example of their functionality is the option to identify Data Matrix codes on carton blanks in the feed magazines for packaging machines, in order to check that food packaging does actually contain the product it should contain according to the text and images printed onto it. If foodstuffs packaged in folding boxes are put into secondary packaging, the code readers within the Lector650 product family can be used to identify all of the items combined within the container, thereby allowing for full traceability, even for aggregation units of this kind. Reliable identification using RFID technologyWith the exception of containers that are very large to start with and premium consumer items, product labelling using RFID technology is opening up an increasingly wide range of applications, primarily, as a result of costs dropping and processor technol

18/06/18 - During peak production periods, well over one million glass bottles per day are made on the container glass production line that uses machines manufactured by Heye International. Detecting and counting the bottles in the high-speed flow is not the only challenge faced by the SICK WL12G-3 photoelectric sensors that are in use in the plant; they also have to withstand the extreme operating conditions. As a result of the bottle temperature of over 600°C and the radiant heat, the sensors and reflectors alongside the conveyor become very hot. The ClearSens WL12G-3 photoelectric sensor for transparent products and the high-temperature SW50 reflector come from SICK’s range of heavy-duty sensors. Both of these form part of the heat-resistant and highly available ‘best-in-glass’ system solution at Heye International. They meet high standards and fulfil users’ requirements for reliable operation under the toughest conditions. However, when different types of critical operating conditions are combined, the challenge becomes serious. In Heye International’s container glass production machines, the sensors have to withstand high ambient temperatures, significant mechanical stresses, soot particles, glass dust, and tiny particles of oil and water vapour in the air and the effects of chemicals such as hydrochloric acid.Heye International: “We are Glass People”With its slogan “We are Glass People”, Heye International GmbH from Obernkirchen in Germany underlines its leading global position in the field of services and systems for the container glass industry. The company, which has been part of the international Ardagh Group since 2003, manufactures machines and equipment for the efficient production of container glass under its HiPERFORM brand. Its HiSHIELD testing and inspection systems can be used with a wide variety of hollow glass containers, while its specialist HiTRUST services include project management and planning, designing and constructing new production facilities and improving the efficiency of existing processes. As a supplier of high-performance machinery and production optimisation and project management services, the company’s objective is to make glass the most successful packaging material in the world.Highest stresses at the ‘hot end’HiPERFORM machines are used at what is called, the ‘hot end’ of container glass production. During peak periods, the machines can make more than one million bottles a day over three shifts at the fluid glass melt, which has a temperature of more than 1,000°C. When the bottles are transported in a continuous flow to the next stage of production, they are still at temperatures of up to 650°C. This heats up the air in the production area to over 120°C. The operating conditions of the sensors that count the bottles and monitor the flow are made even more difficult by contaminants and moisture in the air and the heavy vibration of the machines.‘Best-in-glass’ – the ClearSens WL12G-3 photoelectric sensor for transparent materialsWith these challenges in mind, employees of the product development and production maintenance departments at Heye International evaluated several different sensor alternatives. Non-optical systems proved to be unsuitable because of their inadequate operating distance, inappropriate size, poor detection results and slow response times. There were also problems with optical sensors. Through-beam photoelectric sensors were rejected because they involve twice the amount of assembly and installation work for the senders and receivers. Photoelectric proximity sensors failed primarily as a result of their operating distance and the critical hot surface of the glass bottles. The ‘best-in-glass’ solution proved to be the ClearSens WL12G-3 photoelectric sensor for transparent materials from SICK, combined with the SW50 high-temperature reflector. The sensor’s metal housing, which has an enclosure rating up to IP 67, makes it highly mechanically rugged and resistant to a range of aggressive chemicals. It has a maximum safe operating ambient temperature of +60°C. However, in long-term use at Heye International, installed behind a heat shield, it can withstand more than +80°C. With a sensing range in this application of two metres, this auto-collimation sensor guarantees to provide an impressively reliable detection function and, at the same time, has high operating reserves, for example, if a coating builds up on the sensor lens. This is made from scratch-proof PMMA (acrylic glass), which is resistant to chemicals and ageing. The switching frequency of the photoelectric retro-reflective sensor is 1,500 hertz, which ensures that the individual bottles in the transport flow are detected and counted reliably. This is where the reflector comes in. It is installed on the other side of the flow of bottles from the sensor, where the temperatures are also high. Standard plastic reflectors would melt and become deformed after only a short time because of the intense heat. This does not present a problem for the SW50 high-temperature reflectors from SICK. They have a pane of borosilicate glass mounted in an anodised aluminium frame, which allows them to withstand temperatures up to 300°C over long periods. As a result of their past experiences, the team at Heye International also put a great deal of importance on the ease of use of the sensor. The bottle and container glass machines are in operation around the clock. For this reason, it is essential that the sensors can be operated during the third shift when there is no maintenance engineer available.The portfolio of heavy-duty sensors – the ‘survivors’The system solution consisting of the WL12G-3 photoelectric retro-reflective sensor and the SW50 high-temperature reflector, in use at Heye International is only one of a whole range of options for reliably automating processes using sensors under the toughest conditions. When moisture is a problem, the photoelectric sensors from the W4 Inox product family are the ideal solution, for example, in wet or damp areas in the food processing industry or filling and packaging machines. The W12-3 product family produces impressive results in applications where sensors come into contact with greases, oils, coolants and lubricants. For example, when processing and packaging animal and vegetable fats, using machine tools or manufacturing sheet metal in a steel mill where the air has high oil content. In areas where sensors need to be highly mechanically rugged, the first choice is the W24-2 product family from SICK. These sensors have zinc die-cast housings that make them a tough, long-lasting and reliable detection solution, even in challenging environments where heavy items such as steel coils and railway rails are being handled. In cases where optoelectronic sensors are not the best answer, SICK’s portfolio of heavy-duty products also offers other highly effective alternatives, such as the IMB product family of inductive sensors. They are shock and vibration-resistant, have a corrosion-resistant stainless steel housing and can withstand constant water spray or immersion in water, permanent contact with aggressive cutting oils and cooling lubricants, and temperatures ranging from -40°C to 100°C. Heavy-duty sensors from SICK function reliably under the toughest conditions and not only in the bottle and container glass production plants manufactured by Heye International. They ensure the highest possible levels of availability for machinery and processes.Written by Roland Hackenjos, Product Manager for Industrial Sensors, SICK AG, Waldkirch

17/06/18 - Networked production and control processes in complex machine environments are key to the industrial future and making Industry 4.0 possible in the first place. Smart sensors already support dynamic, real-time-optimised, and self-organised industry processes. They record real operational statuses, turn these into digital data, and share them automatically with the process controller.Smart sensors generate data and information that go beyond conventional switching signals or measured process parameters and can share these with the controller using technologies such as IO-Link. Conversely, they are also able to receive commands and parameter data directly from the controller, allowing them to constantly adapt to new requirements. This enables them to create substantial increases in efficiency, flexibility, and better planning security for preventative system maintenance.The added value of sensor communication depends significantly on the quality and stability of the delivered data. To create the best-possible basis for a future-ready automation system, SICK has equipped its smart sensors with special properties to ensure they provide exactly the right level of performance for every application.‘Enhanced sensing’ delivers reliable detection and measurement results that have a direct impact on system throughput. For the ‘Efficient communication’ feature, smart sensors can communicate with higher-level control systems via IO-Link – making dynamic configuration changes as well as plug and play device replacements in plants a reality. The ‘Diagnostics’ functions comprise of automated sensor self-monitoring and process parameter monitoring for the preventative device and system maintenance. ‘Smart tasks’ offer additional intelligent sensor functions on the one hand and direct networking of multiple sensors on the other to manage partial applications faster, more efficiently, and more cost-effectively.From smart sensors to smart application solutionsSmart sensors are set to open up new potential incrementally. They are designed for gradual increases in efficiency in existing tasks, such as parameter downloading for fast retooling as well as simple device replacement, configuration management, and condition monitoring. The additional integrated functions and the option of relocating processing power from the automation system to field devices represent a future-proof approach to making automation networks more efficient and helping them to deliver better performance. They make it possible to generate new, higher-quality information that goes beyond object detection, accommodating the application in question. Where necessary, this information can be generated in combination with another sensor and provided for higher-level systems (PLC, ERP, and cloud systems).

15/06/18 - Sensors that monitor themselves; workstations in which sensors and actuators coordinate their own sequences and functions; production structures with autonomous units that manage and optimise themselves – the emergence of the smart factory means a paradigm shift in the implementation of production and intralogistics processes. Intelligence and the ability to communicate at field level are the order of the day – state-of-the-art sensor technologies by SICK are able to meet these requirements.Industry 4.0 and the smart factory of the future are already with us. The development is being driven by the best possible flexibility, transparency, and availability of production and logistics, with human-machine collaboration and the optimisation of the deployment of resources also playing a part. With Smart Sensor Solutions, SICK is offering a network-enabled portfolio of sensors that is future-ready and supports both these requirements and the remote execution of automation functions (Smart Tasks).Whether initial commissioning or replacement: It's all systems goThe intelligence and communication capabilities offered by Smart Sensor Solutions offer the potential for enhancing machine productivity. A variety of parameter settings can be visualised, tested, and optimised even as early as the integration and initial commissioning phases. Various sensor parameter sets (‘configurations’) can also be stored in the automation system for specific jobs, formats, or configurations, ready to be loaded to the sensor during live operation without any loss of time. Machines and systems that are affected by frequent changes in products (e.g., different package sizes or batches) in particular, benefit from this function, which facilitates rapid and reliable conversion. The flexible and simultaneous use of any number of sensors directly from the control system thanks to the ability to download parameters such as sensing distance, hysteresis, or switching threshold saves time, prevents errors, and can be documented at any point. When a Smart Sensor indicates the presence or imminent threat of a malfunction to the automation system, a replacement can be quickly connected. Once the replacement sensor has been connected, it is tested and confirmed by the automation system. After this, the last valid application-specific data from the predecessor sensor is automatically transmitted directly to the new sensor. As no other manual settings are necessary, the machine can be restarted after only minimal downtime.Optimising availability: Self-diagnostics for predictive maintenanceAutomation engineering components in a production setting or intralogistics systems are permanently exposed to environmental influences such as dust, cardboard dust, moisture, or vibrations. As well as being specified for the harshest of application conditions, SICK sensors improve the performance and availability of machines even when operating at high capacity and throughput. To detect faults in good time, the diagnostics data can be used in analysis tools either close to the machine or based on the Cloud, and faults can also be avoided altogether with predictive maintenance. Service intervals can be optimised pro-cyclically; a scheduled machine standstill can be used to clean or maintain a sensor, for example. In this way, the condition monitoring of the sensor has a direct effect on overall machine availability. Also, SICK's Smart Sensors support the option of visualising operating data and settings for machine operators. With just one look at the HMI terminal, an operator can see how the sensor is working currently, which switching thresholds have been configured, and how close the sensor may be to critical tolerance values.Autonomous working (almost) without an automation systemIn the implementation of Industry 4.0, cyber-physical production systems (CPPS), e.g., as intelligent equipment, support remote, responsive, and adaptable production and logistics control. This requires the increased use of sensor information that is available remotely, to set up local control circuits for specific situations, for example. The Smart Sensor Solutions concept is thus an enabling technology for the self-organising factory. Functions can be executed autonomously in interplay with other communication-enabled and intelligent sensors or actuators. When a smart photoelectric proximity sensor detects the presence, direction of movement, and speed of a device, for example, it can send this information directly to an intelligent gripper, which will pick up the part dynamically and reposition it for the next stage of the process. Once this is complete, the automation system simply receives an I/O signal so that the next process step can be started. However, the automation system is no longer charged with being in direct control of the autonomous detection/gripper function. The example shows how intelligent sensors can work together in an automation network to relieve the load at control level by taking over specific tasks. SICK's Smart Sensor Solutions offer a range of options for taking over intelligent functions such as these, which are known as Smart Tasks.Smart Tasks – The specific added value of intelligent sensorsThe distribution of intelligent functions – in other words, the shifting of them from automation system to field devices – is a future-ready approach to improve the efficiency and performance of automation networks. SICK's Smart Sensors offer specific added value that sets them apart from other technologies on the market. Smart Tasks benefit from the option of direct communication between sensors and actuator engineering – without the need to make a detour via an automation system, something that has a significant impact on time in many cases. High-speed counting is a typical function. Inductive and opto-electronic sensors can be used to detect and check speeds, detect directions of rotation, or detect and count objects. Signal evaluation takes place in the sensors; central counter modules are not required. Instead of pulses, speed, velocity, or counter values that can undergo further processing directly are output to the controller. The measurement of time and length is another example of a function that can be executed remotely. Smart Sensors detect and directly report the dimensions of a product, e.g., the length, the size of the gaps between single objects, or the speed of a conveyor. All of this happens without any intervention from the central automation system and relieves the load on that central automation system accordingly; in some cases, Smart Sensors can even replace complex automation components. Hardware and programming costs are cut as a result. The remote debouncing function supported by Smart Sensors proves useful in applications for the detection and counting of objects that involve large numbers of interference signals for reasons related to processes or the environment. They allow signals to be analysed with a configurable time delay and signals that are pending for just a few milliseconds to be identified as interference and suppressed. This analysis is carried out locally in the sensor – neither the control nor the network is loaded with a large number of time-critical signals whose analysis could be critical to the process. Traceability through a time-stamp function implemented in the sensor enables the functions of sensor/actuator units to be synchronised without being subject to a delay time. As such, jitter effects that can occur during signal transmission to the PLC and in the context of program execution on the PLC are avoided through real-time synchronisation based on the timestamp. This enables machine speeds to be increased while also facilitating the high-precision control of actuators.Smart Sensors are opening up disruptiv