News and Markets Automatic driving with innovative 3D real-time view of the surroundings It premieres at Autosalon, the Geneva Motor Show: the Budii concept car. This visionary electronic automobile from Swiss idea factory Rinspeed leads the way for the future of driverless cars. Whether driving oneself or being driven in the relaxing auto-driving mode – in the Budii, one enjoys maximum freedom. Data for automatic driving are delivered by the TrackView telescope on the Budii’s roof, into which are integrated a laser scanner, a highly light-sensitive Ethernet camera module from German camera manufacturer Kappa optronics. The driver assistance system combines the data into a real-time 3D view. The camera relays image data, including color information; the scanner provides depth information. All static and dynamic environmental information is fully displayed, calculated and graphically mapped allowing the Budii to automatically recognize and avoid obstacles. Kappa’s pragmatic vision and innovation driven systems are in a league of their own, far above the level of today’s driver assistance systems. www.kappa.de/en/home Pilz’s first production site outside of Europe The automation company Pilz has opened a production site of 9,000 m 2 in the Chinese city of Jintan. Along with the production sites in Germany and France, Jintan is the first production site outside of Europe, the family business from Southern Germany will produce PNOZ safety relays here. Jintan is situated between the economic centres of Nanjing and Shanghai. The province is one of the country‘s most active regions economically. As a result, Pilz will be able to supply the growing Chinese market more quickly and consolidate its position there. The PNOZ safety relays manufactured here will be in accordance with the same standards employed in the European production sites. „The new plant sends a clear signal that the Chinese market is particularly significant, for us“ says Thomas Pilz, Managing Partner of Pilz GmbH & Co. KG. “The production landscape in China is changing. The trend in manufacturing is towards automation and safety, with the aim of increasing quality and efficiency”. www.pilz.com New Programming protocol to improve efficiency in coding The importance of software in the industrial environment is increasing, so are the complexities and the costs associated with it. To deal with these complexities, a need for structured approach to support the modern software development is realized. Also the necessity to improve the efficiency in coding via re-using of pre-defined functionalities and understanding the program better over its life cycle, has increased. Although all the programming languages have their coding guidelines, these are mainly non-existent in the area of industrial control. Considering these aspects, a working group was started to create guidelines on software construction process with focus on IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen extentions. The goal of this group is to provide the definition of rules, coding patterns and guidance on how to use them in the automation environment. Large automation companies have their own rules but many mid-sized and newcomers in this field are interested in actively participating and using the PLCopen guidelines. This initiative will have a larger impact especially in training users and can be a good basis for universities to help them teach IEC 61131-3 programming more efficiently. www.PLCopen.org AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2015
How to assess image quality? Images provide vital information, so how do you get your hands on maximum information with optimum number of images. Producing images that are sharp, high on contrast, and accurately detailed with low in noise gives you the perfect combination. But with so many images available how do you decide on which image is the best one. What parameters to look for and what are the criteria to compare the image qualities accurately. In this series of introductory lessons on image processing, you can learn how to investigate the images and which principles play a decisive role in assessment of image quality. To know more about image processing, tune in to the Whitepaper with the link given below. www.baslerweb.com Your Global Automation Partner Little Giants! Ultra-Compact I/O Modules Easy and flexible mounting due to extremely compact design (32 x 144 x 31 mm) Universal usage with TURCK multiprotocol in PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP networks Reliable operation with fully potted, shock and vibration-resistant electronics www.turck.com/tben-s
