Mach Des 0117

SORTING OUT
SOLAR PANELS p. 30
ENERGY HARVESTING
IS READY FOR ITS
CLOSEUP p. 38
USING EXISTING
DATA TO BOLSTER
IIoT PLANS p. 45
JANUARY 2017
machinedesign.com
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JANUARY 2017 | VOLUME 89, ISSUE 1
In This Issue
FEATURES
30 WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOLAR PANELS?
As the solar industry grows, so do the opportunities. Finding the
right technological/commercially viable mix could prove to be very
lucrative.
38 7 SIGNS THAT NOW IS THE TIME FOR ENERGY

HARVESTING
It may not be a technology you are familiar with, but energy
harvesting is poised to become mainstream and change the way we
45
power our electronic devices and what we think of as energy sources.
USE EXISTING DATA TO OPTIMIZE IIoT SENSOR

30
DEPLOYMENT
Learn how to control hydraulic motion systems by adjusting second
derivative gain.
49 WHY ARE TOP INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES DESIGNING

MOBILE APPS?
The surging trend of bring your own device to work is prompting
companies to develop apps for their end users.
38
49
DEPARTMENTS
8 ON MACHINEDESIGN.COM
COLUMNS
94 EDITORIAL
The Demands Placed on Engineers
45
10 WHATS INSIDE for 2017Carlos Gonzalez
12 NEWS 24 INTERVIEW
Lenze Americas Daniel Repp
54 AD INDEX
55 CLASSIFIEDS 56 PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Metrics for IoT in the Product
Development Process
Bradford L. Goldense
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2 JANUARY 2017 MACHINE DESIGN

Largest selection of
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Catheter Editorial
CARLOS M. GONZALEZ | Technology Editor
ablation
carlos.gonzalez@penton.com
cooling The
pumps Demands
Placed on
Engineers
for 2017
Consumer technologies are making digitally connected
products the norm, and engineers need to keep up.
S
iri, Alexa, and Google Home are just some of the automated home
network systems available to consumers in 2016. These systems oper-
ate lights, electronics, and home appliances like the stove in your house
by using your home wireless network. Google WiFi and Eero are two
mesh network products consumers can buy to blanket their entire house in internet
coverage. Gone are the days of dead spots. Most people now have smartphones and
tablets over traditional computers in order to be more mobile. Cisco predicts that
in 2017, people worldwide will have 3 billion devices and 2.1 billion of those will be
smartphones.
At IoT Institutes inaugural IoT Emerge Event in Chicago last November, Timothy
Chou, a professor and lecturer at Stanford University, recognized leading expert in
IoT, and author of Precision: Principles, Practices, and Solutions for the Internet of
Things, rightly stated that consumer technology has made the last five years domi-
nated by the Internet of People. The average person has made being connected the
social norm. Everyone now expects to be able to access their information and the
internet wherever they go. It has turned what once was the luxury of having a small
powerful mobile computing device in your pocket into something we now take for
Innovative mechanism provides granted. It is also turning up the pressure on infrastructure services and manufactur-
consistent occlusion to assure ing industries to meet the challenge of becoming true interconnected services and
accurate, repetitive pump networks.
performance
Right now the engineering world is dragging its feet entering the Internet of
Delivered with pre-set pressure
Things (IoT) world. The MPI group reported in 2016 that 67% of companies have
performance up to 90 psi for
effective catheter ablation no or limited understanding of IoT. This does not include infrastructure networks
Trouble-free tube loading -
like public transportation or utility services. The smart city model with intercon-
eliminates the risk of human error nected utility services, public WiFi, and public devices like street lights regulated on
collected data are on the rise in Europe, but are still in the developing stages here in
the United States. Part of the reason is that many people still believe that IoT is a fad
WEST
or hyped up to the point of being unbelievable.
Booth 2163 If you want proof that the IoT will change the industrial world, look no further
than how the consumer market has overshadowed it with innovations and advance-
wmftg.com ments. Virtual reality and augmented reality are now commercially available. Smart-
800 282 8823 home products are becoming more available. Wireless internet is now available in
newer car models that can also have sensor detection and assisted braking. We are
already living in an interconnected world. We need to push the engineering industry
to run toward the same goal.

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JANUARY 2017
EDITORIAL
Senior editor: Stephen J. Mraz stephen.mraz@penton.com
technology editor: CarloS Gonzalez carlos.gonzalez@penton.com
technology editor: Jeff KernS jeff.kerns@penton.com
content ProdUction director: MIChael Browne michael.browne@penton.com
content ProdUction SPeciAliSt: roGer enGelKe roger.engelke@penton.com
ProdUction editor: JereMy Cohen jeremy.cohen@penton.com
content oPtimizAtion SPeciAliSt: weS ShoCKley wes.shockley@penton.com
ASSociAte content ProdUcer: leah SCully leah.scully@penton.com
ASSociAte content ProdUcer: JaMeS Morra james.morra@penton.com
INDUSTRY COVERAGE:
FAStening & Joining, PAckAging, mAnUFActUring: Stephen J. Mraz
motion control, cAd/cAm, FlUid PoWer, mechAnicAl: CarloS Gonzalez
3d Printing, mAteriAlS, electronicS/electricAl: Jeff KernS
ART DEPARTMENT
content deSign SPeciAliSt: JoCelyn hartzoG jocelyn.hartzog@penton.com
content & deSign ProdUction mAnAger: JulIe Jantzer-warD julie.jantzer-ward@penton.com
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JANUARY 2017 MACHINE DESIGN

A
OF
STR3 Miniature Stepper Drive
Designed and Produced for OEMs
Step & directon control
Premium performance
Ultra-compact footprint
Easy to set up with onboard dip switches
Connected. Customized. Closed Loop.

Sinc veloping moton control solutons that optmize
machine performance and help you Make it Move.
www.applied-moton.com | 800.525.1609
on
RECAPPING THE HELPER ROBOTS

COOLEST TECH TAKING CENTER STAGE
FROM 2016 http://machinedesign.com/gallery/2017-year-helper-robots
In physical therapy, mental therapy, and everyday life, robots
http://machinedesign.com/gallery/best-sights-2016-s- are getting better at working with humans. Here is a collection
technology-trade-shows of robots that are in the works to assist humans in the future.
Learning about new technologies is something best done in
person. As such, we at Machine Design travel throughout
the country and abroad, personally engaging with the new
tools and tech that will shape the year. 2016 was lled with
innovations that push the boundaries of how we design and
construct. In this gallery, we look back at some of the coolest
tech we saw in 2016.
COMMON MISTAKES
IN CABINET COOLING
http://machinedesign.com/cables-connectors-enclosures/7-
common-mistakes-cabinet-cooling-systems
Thermal Edge Product Manager Barry Slotnick shares seven
of the most common mistakes his company encounters with
CHOOSING AND USING clients when they are sizing and choosing cooling cabinets for
their hardware.
STRUCTURAL ADHESIVES
http://machinedesign.com/adhesives/choosing-and-using-
structural-adhesives
An expert from 3M takes a look at the structural adhesives
engineers should know about before making design decisions.
join us online
twitter.com/machinedesign facebook.com/MachineDesignMagazine

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When the humidity is low, static electricity problems will happen.
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Webs and flms cling Product clings to itself, Ion Air Gun
to themselves rollers, machine beds Eliminates static and dust
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making false readings surface fnishes nishing.
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of static eliminators to remedy common
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Whats Inside
Digital Direct
Drive Valves
Upgrade Industrial
Machinery
Linear force motor
Bushing and
spool assembly
Circuit
boards
Linear variable displacement

transducer (LVDT)
MACHINE BUILDERS AND maintenance engineers in the pulp, paper, and sawmill
business rely on a variety of motion-control components, including servo valves,
to operate calendar roll machines, slitters, cutters, tension controllers, lathes,
and chippers. Current machinery generally uses analog electronics (i.e., electrical
feedback valves) or no integrated electronics at all (i.e., mechanical feedback valves).
Unfortunately, this equipment could create problems with extended downtime and the
inability to maintain high throughput rates. Some see a solution in microprocessor-
based digital electronics.
To capitalize on this desire to digitally upgrade a mill's motion-control systems,
Moog (www.moog.com) engineers have developed four new direct drive valves
(DDVs). These new valves have internal electrical contacts that resist extreme
vibrations and extra potting on critical components. Flow ranges from 1 to 42 gpm
and maximum supply pressure is 5,000 psi.
The advantages customers experience when upgrading to digital valves include
better static and dynamic performance via higher resolution, and better pressure
control. The new model valves also offer diagnostics and internal valve error
handling. In addition, maintenance is reduced because the valves do not have
hydraulic pilots, so they better resist contamination and there are no small orifices
to clog.
Overall, theres less downtime, thus improving productivity. And by using
dynamic motion control, the valves can handle fast cycle times.

Precision Rotary
Encoders with a
Magnetic Heart
Bearing and seal for shaft
Communications
interface
connector
Rotating shaft
Magnet array (rotates with shaft)

PCB with electronic components
Housing for energy-harvesting

Wiegand wire and coil assembly
MOTION-CONTROL OR INDUSTRIAL automation system designers who need to

measure the rotation of shafts or other mechanical components can typically
choose from two types of rotary encoders. Encoders based on optical measurement
techniques will provide high levels of precision and dynamic response, but are relatively
bulky and expensive. Moreover, optical encoders tend to be unreliable in damp or
dusty conditions. Magnetic encoders are usually more compact and rugged, but until
now have offered lower levels of precision and dynamic response.
POSITAL-FRABA eliminated the need for compromise with a new generation
of magnetic absolute encoders that are accurate and fast enough for precision
positioning tasks. They are also compact and tough enough for the most
challenging environmental conditions.
At the heart of POSITALs IXARC encoders are four Hall-effect magnetic sensors
that track the rotation of a set of permanent magnets attached to the devices
shaft. These sensors produce analog signals that are digitized and filtered by
advanced signal-processing software running on a powerful 32-bit microprocessor.
This system can deliver accuracies of 0.2 for speeds of up to 12,000 PRM.
For absolute encoders with multi-turn ranges, a POSITAL-developed Wiegand
wire system captures electrical energy from the rotary motion of the magnet.
This energy-harvesting system powers a rotation counter so that every complete
revolution of the devices shaft is reliably recordedregardless of whether or not
control system power is available. This means that there is never a need to re-zero
the control system by moving all of the mechanical components back to a known
reference position after a power outage. And, since the revolution counters are
self-powered, neither backup batteries nor complex mechanical gear-train systems
often found in multi-turn optical encoders are required.
To see the full range of possibilities, visit www.posital.com.
GO TO MACHINEDESIGN.COM
Follow-Up:
Inside a
Hudson Valley
Repair Caf
L
ast month, we took a quick look at a few Repair Cafs
around the country and the world (search Repair Caf
on www.machinedesign.com). Repair Cafs are a trend that
started in Amsterdam, became present around Europe, and
have gradually been catching on in cities around the world.
They encourage local residents to bring their broken items to
an event to be fixed. It is not a drop-off service, so participants
tend to learn something while a volunteer fixes their item,
making new acquaintances in the meantime. To get a closer A volunteer fixes a bike at the Poughkeepsie Repair Cafe.
look, Machine Design talked to John Wackman, a Repair Caf
founder in New York States Hudson Valley, to ask how the cen-
ters are affecting his community.
Wackman started the first Repair Caf in New Paltz, N.Y.,
nearly four years ago. Within a year, he said the turnout settled
at 50 to 60 people bringing one or two broken items to be
repaired. It wasnt long before volunteers in neighboring towns
started organizing their own caf sessions. Now, with eight
registered cafes, the Hudson Valley has one of the largest
concentrations of Repair Cafes in the U.S. They are hosted on
a Saturday or Sunday every second or third month in towns
like New Paltz, Rhinebeck, Kingston, Gardiner, Poughkeepsie,
Rosendale, Beacon, and Warwick in churches, local libraries,
town halls, and community centers. The result is that you can
find a Repair Caf just about every weekend somewhere in the
mid-Hudson Valley. Teenagers flock to the Digital Table to fix, and learn how to fix, elec-
With a background in television, Wackman was used to the tronics at the Repair Caf in New Paltz, N.Y.
idea of bringing people of different skill sets together to create
a working team, but he also consulted the starter kit offered for people to bring beloved, but broken, items to be repaired
by the Repair Caf Foundation in Amsterdam (for a voluntary for free.
fee of 49 Euros, or about $52 currently) with logos, graphics, He describes the mission statement, in part, as acknowl-
and tips on how to organize a repair cafe in your community. edging and honoring people who know how to fix things, and
We think people respond to the concept of the repair caf passing it on. And since people are getting items repaired
because it fills a need and is also creative and fun. says Wack- shoulder to shoulder, it becomes very social. Repair volunteers
man. A Repair Caf provides a free community meeting place include people who do repairs professionally, and are more

L
F U
S
R
P OW E I D E A
If youre seeking new methods and solutions to increase effciency, contain costs, and
improve the overall performance of your hydraulic and pneumatic systems, then the
forward-looking educational program at IFPE 2017 will bring you up to speed. Gain
the latest technical knowledge and insights into engineering advances at a powerful
array of half-day college-level courses and the co-located Energy Effcient Hydraulics
& Pneumatics Conference. Explore new ideas and solutions to enhance the quality of
your design so that they become leaner, cleaner, greener and more cost-effective.
Gain from the power of new ideas.

REGISTER TODAY at IFPE.com
Show Owners: Co-located with:
News
than happy to donate a few hours to engage with the

community. Many volunteers are also retired, and
others are hobbyists who are enthusiastic to simply
share what they know. Repair categories range from
mechanical, electrical and electronic, to clothes, tex-
tiles and jewelry, things made of wood, and bicycles.
The events draw families too; there is a hospital
for dolls and stuffed animals, and a supervised Take-
Apart Area where kids can hunker down and learn by
taking things apartwithout having to put them back
together. The digital table is usually full of teenagers
taking a look at peoples laptops, tablets, and phones.
In many cases, these electronics just need defrag-
ging, or file consolidation for improved speed and
efficiency.
Wackman encourages people to lead the initiative
to start Repair Cafes in their area. Repair Cafes might
only start with a few volunteers who can fix a few
items, he says, but soon the word gets out, and you
wind up building a whole community around what we
like to call our experiment in repair culture. To learn
more about starting one in your area, visit RepairCafe. Do It Yourself Demonstrations are part of the experience at the New Paltz Repair
org. Also visit www.facebook.com/RepairCafeHudson Cafe on everything from How to Fix a Table or How to Sew on a Button. There
Valley for more pictures and updates. are new volunteer-led lessons at most events.

News
BOEING ACQUIRES Liquid Robotics
Liquid Robotics Wave Glider can travel across oceans and send
encrypted information via satellite or WiFi to customers. Boeing
recently announced that it signed an agreement to acquire Liquid
Robotics. (Courtesy of Liquid Robotics)
BOEINGS AGREEMENT TO acquire Liquid Robotics will build upon its

capabilities in autonomous maritime robots and aerospace systems.
Liquid Robotics is a small private company responsible for creating
the Wave Glideran ocean-surface robot that collects data while
being propelled by ocean currents. Solar panels power sensors
onboard, and operations can be controlled remotely or through an
autonomous controls center. In 2014, the two companies worked
together on a Sensor Hosting Autonomous Remote Craft (SHARC)
the defense version of the Wave Glider. It employs Boeing sensors
to track satellites, manned and unmanned aircraft, and sub-surface
crafts.
The Wave Glider is deployed in oceans worldwide to serve
markets including defense and national security, meteorology, oil and
gas, commercial security, and scientific research. There have been
16 cases where they have traveled through hurricanes, cyclones,
and typhoons while continuing to transmit real-time weather data
from the surface of the ocean. They consist of a boat that floats
on the surface and a tethered sub-sea device that gathers energy
via airfoils from underwater turbulence. They offer a service life that
typically ranges from 6 to 9 months, and can be equipped with a
variety of sensors, including ADCP current profilers, weather stations,
fluorometers, hydrophones, cameras, and water-quality sensors. For
a video illustration of how it works, visit: http://machinedesign.com/
news/boeing-acquires-liquid-robotics.
Liquid Robotics will become a subsidiary of Boeing, and will
operate under its current business model. The division will report to
Kory Mathews, vice president of Autonomous Systems for Boeing
Defense, Space & Security. I am proud of our team, culture, and
relentless commitment to designing the best ocean surface robot in
the maritime industry, says Gary Gysin, president and CEO of Liquid
Robotics. This acquisition allows us to leverage the strengths of one
of the worlds leading global companies while continuing to push our
innovation to new levels.

News
COMPRESSED HYDROGEN in Cell-Diamond Anvil Closely Approaches Metallic Phase

IN A PAPER written in 1935 in the AIP Journal of Chemical enough to be measured.
Physics, Eugene Wigner and H.B. Huntington predicted that Most often, scientists use cell
molecular hydrogen would turn from a gaseous insulator into a diamond anvils to compress
metallic liquid or solid under extremely high pressures. Pressure miniscule amounts of
would overcome the diatomic bonds to generate atomic hydrogen gas between the
hydrogen (which is notoriously unstable), and then would further tips of high-quality diamonds.
condense the sample so that the atoms would arrange into a These experiments are
conductive crystal lattice. Electrons would be more free to flow expensive since any
between nuclei, causing it to act like a metal. A second study imperfections in the
in 1968 predicted that metallic hydrogen at high temperatures diamonds can cause them
would have superconductive properties, with zero-resistance as to crack. And since only
electrons transfer between atoms. small samples of hydrogen
The latest development in creating metallic hydrogen comes can be compressed, it is
from an interdisciplinary team of scientists at the University more challenging for scientists to unequivocally prove that there
of Edinburgh, Scotland. They used a cell diamond anvil to were changes in the sample. Empirical results and theoretical
generate pressures higher than 325 GPa and just below 400 calculations have enabled scientists to create a phase diagram
GParoughly 3 to 4 million times that of the earths atmospheric for hydrogen at high temperatures and pressures (left).
pressure. This was done at approximately room temperature, To measure phase changes in their samples, the Edinburgh
300 Kelvin. Results are published in Nature Letters. team used Raman spectroscopy, which measures vibrational
Through decades of experimentation, scientists have been modes of atoms characteristic to their state in a lattice. They
able to observe crystallization to some extent. But converting also conducted their study at room temperature so they could
hydrogen, a gaseous insulator, into a metallic conductor of heat observe a solid, rather than an unstructured liquid.
and electricity, requires ultra-high pressures that need to last long At these conditions, the team could turn diatomic hydrogen

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(H2) and a heavier isotope, hydrogen deuterated (HD), into

phase V. This is a precursor to phase VI, which is the solid
metallic state predicted in 1935. When testing a heavier isotope
NO WIRES! NO BATTERIES! of hydrogen, deuterium (D2), the team was only able to achieve
phase IV. The phases achieved by the Edinburg team can
be located on the phase diagram by scanning across at 300
Kelvin. Developments from Edinburgh bring us a step closer to
documenting such an elusive phase of hydrogen.
But the scientists still need to prove to their community that
their results are valid. In 2012, Mikhail Eremets and Ivan Toyan
Finally, a snap switch and rocker switch that require NO from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany
wires and NO batteries. Ofered in both 868MHz and went through about 100 diamonds before achieving significant
915MHz, CHERRY Energy Harvesting products work pressures that would give them any results. And like other the
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ARGENTINEAN SCIENTISTS Fear Brain Drain after Budget Cuts

AS 2016 DREW to a close, more than 1,000 Argentinean research concerns that the cuts would force entry-level researchers and
scientists participated in a week-long rally in Buenos Aires to students in higher education to leave the country for better
protest federal budget cuts that will force research institutions like funding and job security in science-related fields.
the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) Despite vowing in 2015 to double the science fund from
to cut spending for scientific research. The protest specifically 0.7% to 1.5% of the national budget, Argentinas President
combated CONICETs actions to deny full-salary jobs to entry- Mauricio Macri responded to an economic downturn and
level scientists and researchers in 2017. The protesters expressed heightened national debt by proposing a cut in funding to the
science ministry by 50% this September.
The cut was met with protests and
petitions from scientist-led organizations
including the Science and Technology
Argentina (CyTA). It was consequently
revised in November, but still reduced
spending to the ministry by 36%, which
would leave no money for research
institutions like CONICET to support
salaried workers while continuing to
provide stipends to PhD and post-
doctoral students.
CONICET currently employs 10,000
full-salaried researcher staff members.
This past year, CONICET received
approximately 1,500 applications for
research positions, and awarded 874
positive evaluations that would usually
result in salaried positions. But since the
budget cut only leaves room for a 6% pay
rise, CONICET could only afford to hire
about half of these workers.
Although it ended in a compromise,
the protest is one of the most impactful
ones since the revised budget cut in
November. Rather than promising any
full-salaried positions to applicants,
CONICET reassigned funding using its
existing budget to extend 400 temporary
fellowships to the end of 2017, rather
than terminating them at the beginning
of the New Year. It also created about
100 new fellowships, although no new
permanent positions were created.
While the outcome was seen as a
victory for the protest, the results still only
put a Band-Aid on a bigger problem.
Organizations like CyTA will continue to
create petitions and organize protests
to persuade the government to extend
the national science budget toward
ensuring job security for researchers so
that they will be able to use their talents to
generate progress in their own country.

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Interview
How the IoT Will Affect

Motion Control
Lenze Americas Daniel Repp offers
up his thoughts on the impact of new
technologies.
Interview by STEPHEN J. MRAZ
Almost all manufacturing and a wide variety of consumer tion more efficient by letting machine builders and opera-
products depend on motion controlreliably moving a com- tors commission, program, and connect machines faster.
ponent or assembly from here to there and maybe back again, From parametric programming to machine visualization,
or perhaps rotating it. And the Internet of Things (IoT) is pre- it is already happening and will only accelerate.
dicted to be a critical cog in all forms of technology. So how
will the IoT change motion control? How can OEMs manage the complexity of these innovative
To get the answer, we talked with Daniel Repp, business machines?
development manager for Lenze Americas in charge of Auto- Automation gives OEMs the possibility of improving pro-
mation Solutions. Repp has worked at Lenze for more than ductivity, yet adds layers of complexity in the form of kine-
16 years, having started in IPC production in Germany, matic programming and control systems and integration
and later serving in various quality-inspection and sales- into the network-, internet-, and cloud-based platforms.
management roles. Compounding that complexity, most plants operate with at
least some legacy systems. Another important factor is the
How will IoT affect the motion-control industry? lack of technically skilled employees. In addition, time to
Speed, flexibility, productivity, and efficiency will market is increasingly important. Todays faster pace and
remain cornerstones of manufacturing, packaging, and leaner operations do not support protracted programming
logistics. However, OEMs are undergoing major, fun- or steep learning curves.
damental changes with the adoption of digital control, The best technological innovations simplify work. That
lower-cost sensors, remote monitoring, wireless com- is why demand is on the rise for smarter and more intui-
munications, and other IoT-enabling technologies. They tive drive technologies. Simplifying complex technologies
are improving efficiency, performance, and accessibility requires modular motion-control concepts and standardized
of built-in machine intelligence. From big-data analytics functional units from the motor to the shaft. Modularized
to smart energy monitoring, machine builders and manu- and standardized drives already help make complex technol-
facturers will be on the frontline of IoT adoption in the ogy more manageable. Frequency inverters with advanced
coming decade. functions actively support connectivity for new and legacy
One of the most important drivers of IoT is the trend machines.
toward product customization. Intelligent and connected Smart motor drives based on parameterized program-
machines are more flexible and well-equipped to make cus- ming expedite machine kinematic programming from
tomized products with the highest degree of productivity, concept to deployment. Parameterization makes commis-
quality, and resource efficiency in small and large quanti- sioning easier than traditional programming. Replacing
ties. Factories of the future will be fully automated, and complex programming with uniform machine-configura-
we will see more temporary production lines that can be tion software tools significantly reduces engineering time
repeatedly reconfigured for increasingly diverse products. and technical requirements, and eliminates redundancies
The digital era is yielding unprecedented machine intel- that drive up costs. Bringing a smart drive online no longer
ligence. Better machines, with self-optimization and the requires special training, thanks to modular components
right motor and inverters, will continue making automa- and engineering tools.

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Interview
When will those effects start to kick in? When would you 2021. One study (Quest Technomarketing, Germany) reports
say the machinery industry will have completely accepted that already half of all mechanical engineers rely on modular,
IoT? intelligent machines. The number of these machines will
The IoT is here to stay, but widespread adoption will be increase twice as quickly over the next few years as generic
incremental. The fact that it is here to stay is demonstrated machines, and will have an 80% market share by 2020.
by the extraordinary rate of adoption for automation, with The IoT represents a logical progression in leveraging IT
nearly every factory now automated and projections showing and communication technologies to turn out goods with
the global robotics industry expanding to over $226 billion by improved flexibility, speed, and efficiency, principles Len-
ze has been committed to for over a
decade. Agile and scalable drive tech-
nologies lead to efficient data flow,
visibility, and control. Motion-centric
automation incorporates ergonomics
and user-friendly, multi-touch, HMI
operating systems for process visual-
ization and easier integration, to sup-
port network and IoT-enabled connec-
tivity and control.
Secure data transmission allows
real-time decision-making, diagnos-
tics, and maintenance, as well as pre-
dictive analytics to improve perfor-
mance, uptime, and machine operating
life. Cloud-based applications make it
possible to perform complex control
functions, data aggregation, monitor-
ing, and diagnosticsfunctions once
High accuracy and repeatability, with only accessible at the plant levelvia
tolerances to 0.00254mm. Surface fnish smartphones. Machine industries and
to 8 micro inches. Available uniform I.D.
and O.D. Gold Plating or Cladding manufacturers will be on the frontline
of future IoT innovation.
Slotting, faring and hole punching for
intricate designs with no additional
handling What are the major hurdles slowing
Braxton can deep draw most conventional or preventing motion-control firms
and exotic metals and alloys, plated or from adopting IoT technologies and
unplated, to 57mm max length processes? And how might those
Diameters can be as small as 0.215mm hurdles be overcome?
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0.0127mm. Length to diameter ratios up We deep draw parts for a variety of Ma ny c o mp a n i e s a l r e a d y u s e
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Interview
machines. That modular concept is also migrating to software. films and other materials, [and] cutting and sealing, as well
With FAST software, for example, my company has devel- as more complex pick-and-place robotic applications. Even
oped a toolbox for engineers that turns frequently-used project-specific functions can be easily integrated into FAST
machine functions into standardized technology modules. modules.
This means various machine functions no longer need to The FAST toolbox was developed with a specific time stan-
be programmed the old-fashioned way. They can be cre- dard in mind. The goal, which was met, was for customers to
ated simply by adjusting parameters. The software includes realize 80% of a machines functions in 20% of the time. Auto-
functions for customizing production streams, processing mation and motion control is all about saving time without
sacrificing performance.
Should motion-control companies

concentrate on getting IoT into their
Stock and Custom Mechanical Components products or on embedding IoT in the
One Convenient Source processes they use to make motion-
control devices? Wouldnt clients be
more apt to adopt IoT technology if
the company selling it were using it?
Definitely, motion-control compa-
nies need to climb the curve in order to
better understand the challenges and
opportunities of these new technolo-
gies. Lenze, for example, sets high stan-
dards in operations and practices, and
knows firsthand the value of technol-
ogy for improving manufacturing effi-
ciencies. We use innovative electronic
processes and automation, including a
large number of robots.
Are Germany and Europe as a whole

closer to realizing IoT than the U.S.?
Would you explain the difference, if
Custom Design, Engineering & Manufacturing there is one?
Timing Belts & Pulleys Precision Gears & Gearboxes
Major global companies largely
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AS
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1950 logical standards in their factories, but
USA Manufacturer Est.
they purchase machines mainly in the
U.S., Europe, andincreasinglyin
Asia. So it reasons [that] it would be
difficult to identify absolutes or fun-
damental differences in the implemen-
SETTING IDEAS INTO MOTION
tation of IoT in the U.S. and Europe.
Suffice to say, the entire manufactur-
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JEFF KERNS | Technology Editor
Whats the Difference Between

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olar panels or photovoltaics (PVs) are not new in Solar workers have outnumbered coal workers in the U.S.
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processes, cost reduction, and new research has some engi- even the oil and gas industry, notes Joshua Pearce, associate
neers thinking that photovoltaics will rival traditional power professor of material science and engineering at Michigan
sources, such as coal. How important is Big Solar going to be? Technology. It is not uncommon to have solar power be the
And what are the differences between the different types of less expensive optionlower-level cost of electricityfor
photovoltaics? both homeowners and businesses. This is driving a positive
Many companies have gone out of business in this field. feedback loop, where additional growth is expected. The
As popularity increases, though, it could mean a big payoff cumulative global market for solar PV is expected to triple
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In the U.S., the Energy Depart-
ments National Renewable Ener-
gy Laboratory (NREL) published
the falling prices of PVs. In the
first quarter of 2016, it showed
costs declining 6%, 4%, and 20%
in the residential, commercial,
and utility-scale sectors, respec-
tively, compared to the last quar-
ter of 2015. The NREL tracked the
hard costs (structural and elec-
trical components) and the soft
costs (land acquisition, sales tax,
overhead, and labor) from 2009
to 2016 through its SunShot ini- Tesla and SolarCity show off one of four styles that integrate the solar panel directly into a shingle to
tiative. (The SunShot initiative is integrate the roof with the solar panel. This isnt a new idea, but like many things associated with Elon
a national collaboration to drive Musk, its the first time this technology looked so good.
solar energy to be fully cost-com-
petitive with traditional energy sources by the end of the CRYSTALLINE SILICON
decade.) NREL and SunShot have shown a trend of significant There are two types of c-Si cells: monocrystalline and
cost reduction over the years. Though cost reduction is slow- polycrystalline. The differences are minimal when con-
ing, it hasnt stopped. sidering purchasing one panel over another. This is where
In just the second quarter of 2016, the U.S. installed 2,051 finding a provider who sells both types of cells will ensure
MW, raising the total capacity of PVs to 31.6 GW. That puts
the industry on pace to double this year, according to the
Solar Energy Industries Association, or SEIA (seia.org).
With more than 10 GW of utility PV currently under con-
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associate director of U.S. solar research.
As if solar werent already growing fast enough, Elon Musk,
principle shareholder of SolarCity, showed a new version of
solar shingles this past October. Just as he did for electric cars
with Tesla, it looks like Musk is trying to make solar shingles
more accessible to consumers. By bringing down the cost,
making installation easier, andmost of allmaking solar
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way for people to think of alternative energy.
When solar shingles first became commercially available
in 2005, they were expensive and unsightly. Many companies
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tric cars becoming more popular, and people like Elon Musk
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crystalline-silicon (c-Si) cells and thin-film technology.
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the best one is selected, assuming that it would potentially det, an application engineer for altE solar company. Then
make a difference to the application. a seed crystal is lowered into the slush and drawn up while
rotating.
Monocrystalline Called the Czochralski method, this process can be more
These cells may also be called first-generation or tradi- expensive than polycrystalline processes. Efficient process-
tional solar cells. As the name suggests, monocrystalline ing has helped reduce this price gap, but the monocrystalline
panels are manufactured from a single crystalline structure. process is still more wasteful and often costs a little more
The silicon rocks are melted at 2500F, explains Amy Beau- than polycrystalline cells. In some older solar cells (say 30
years ago), you can see that the individ-
ual cells are actually circular in contrast
to the square cells manufactured today.
The shape changed because surface
area exposed to the sun is important,
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While polycrystalline might be more
cost-effective, it tends to be less efficient
at converting energy. For example, if the
efficiency of a monocrystalline cell is
about 2% greater than the polycrystal-
line cell (say, 17% vs. 15%), the differ-
ence is about 10 watts (W) per regular
panel270 W (mono) vs. 260 W (poly).
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If you needed a 5400-W system, you would need 20 mono- more efficient and offer a lower dollar-per-watt ratio than
crystalline panels and 21 polycrystalline panels. This may other thin films. CdTe is often processed on glass, which
require extra labor or electronics to handle the extra panel. means it is not flexible. This can present manufacturing
So, if space or the difference of one panel in 20 isnt a con- and installation challenges compared to other thin films.
cern, the difference might not matter. The differences are Still, the lower cost might entice someone to select this type
slight. Due to its lower costs, however, polycrystalline is cur- over a c-Si.
rently the dominant technology in the residential market,
according to SolarReviews.com. Copper, indium, gallium, selenide (CIGS)
CIGS faced challenges to manufacture a consistent prod-
THIN-FILM VARIATIONS uct, due to difficulties controlling deposition rates when
Thin-film PVs come in three main forms: cadmium tel- manufacturing. While the technology gets closer to c-Si in
luride (CdTe); copper, indium, gallium, selenide (CIGS); and efficiency, it isnt easy to do and tends to make the panels
amorphous silicon (a-Si). While each can be made in varying more expensive. In addition, CIGS material is sensitive to
ways, thin-film PVs are more or less similar to c-Si panels moisture. Panels must encapsulate the CIGS material or the
regarding layers of material. The main difference is that a PV will stop working.
thin-film PV can be deposited or painted in layers onto In 2014, Dow released PowerHouse solar shingles in hopes
a substrate. In other words, anything from glass or metal to of changing the consumers mind and streamlining produc-
flexible plastic could be used to manufacture a PV. tion. In fact, Scientific American called the company the big-
This type of processing has led to research into many gest name in solar shingles. This past June, though, Dow
new types of organic and chemical compositions, but we announced it will cease manufacturing the panels.
will focus on the three main types of thin films.
Amorphous silicon (a-Si)
Cadmium telluride (CdTe) Most flexible solar panels available today typically consist
CdTe makes up a large part of the market, as it tends to be of a-Si. While these panels are the lowest in efficiency and
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more expensive than c-Si, they are relatively easy to manu- crystalline cells. Of course, weve heard this before from
facture, while being durable and lightweight. Mobility and thin-film manufacturers. Yet the flexible, lightweight solar
electronics represent a large market for a-Si panels. Though cell (predominantly a-Si) can be manufactured with roll-to-
you might not see these panels on a house, you may buy a roll continuous processing, allowing applications to benefit
tent with built-in lights and/or charging stations. Panels that from thin-film technology.
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between two
thin-layer technology (HIT). It incorporates two different semiconductor
semiconductor materialshydrogenated amorphous sili- materials of
opposite polarity
con (a-Si:H) and c-Sito create the p-n junction diffused
homojunction emitter. This technology works well and offers Substrate Top N-type
window layer
efficiencies up to 22.3%, says Dr. Frank Jeffrey, president of Ohmic contact formed by first
PowerFilm. Its moderately expensive to produce, but it is a semiconductor
Bottom P-type layer
proven technology. absorber layer
formed by second
Overall, thin-film PVs represent a small portion of the semiconductor material
market and have been called an immature technology.
However, improvements in this technology are expected The layers of thin films can experience problems even with an effi-
over the next 10 years. Currently, they are the least efficient cient roll-to-roll process. For instance, tension on the cells during
and most expensive PVs on the market. But manufacturing manufacturing may cause deformation, or the different layers might
costs are falling and expected to dwarf mono and poly- be distributed unevenly or diffuse between each other.
SERVING THE IIoT

The move to the Industrial Inter-
net of Things (IIoT) has led to more
remote sensing and monitoring. In
field applications, however, a hard-
wired power source may not be avail-
able. These applications need batteries,
capacitors, or PVs to operate.
PVs can extend the time between
changing batteries or capacitors, or
replace the need for them completely.
For indoor applications, remote power
is ideal for thin film. Traditional or
crystalline PVs will operate well with
direct sunlight, generating electricity
from infrared light, says Dr. Jeffrey.
Thin-film a-Si is able to work well in
the visible light spectrum that is used
in interior or factory lighting. This
makes it a handy solution for indoor
IIoT applications, where hardwiring
may be costly or difficult.
For outdoor applications, a remote
s ens or can simply up date w hen
the sun is outso long as the tim-
ing of received data isnt important
and memory is enough to save data

between sunny days. Most likely, in these types of applica- solar weighs 0.75 lbs, says Beaudet. Thats a big difference if
tions, a small battery will work with the PV so that data is you are hiking with it. This aspect has led some mobile and
sent more regularly. Such remote locations might not be remote applications, such as outdoor enthusiasts or military
ideal for solar, though. For example, indirect light, shadows personnel, to use thin-film technology.
from trees, telephone poles, etc., will greatly affect the per- These remote or mobile applications tend to use smaller
formance of a PV. thin-film panels, whereas large applications, such as rooftops,
For a mono or polycrystalline panel, the cells are wired will lean toward c-Si technology. However, it is possible to
in series. If part of the panel is shaded, an entire line of cells use thin film on rooftops, states Kimbrough. Simple peel and
might stop generating power. Consid-
er it like old Christmas lightswhen
one bulb blew, the whole line of lights
went out. Wiring panels in parallel or ISO 9001 ISO 13485 AS 9100
additional electronics can prevent the
whole grid from going down. However,
a single tree or telephone pole might
greatly decrease the solar gains.
Thin-film panels act like a single
perfection in
cell or a cell can be run across the
entire panel. This second approach
stainless steel
makes the panels less susceptible to
partial shading. For example, if a tree
covers 40% of a panel, 60% of the pan-
el will still be producing electricity.
This is also advantageous if a cell is
damaged. If a hailstorm, bullet, etc.,
damages a c-Si cell, the whole panel
may stop generating power and will
need to be replaced. An a-Si PV, on the
other hand, can continue generating
as long as enough undamaged cell is CNC machining Laser machining
still intact.
In addition, thin-film technology Eagle is the supplier of choice for close-tolerance,
is able to operate in lower light condi- exotic metal parts in diameters from 0.032" to 2". We
tions, notes Jim Kimbrough, president have the skills and the technology required to deliver
of P3solar. The ability to harvest elec- exactly what you want, when you want it. Call us for
tricity on a wider range of wavelength
can make thin film produce electricity
a quote. You won't get voice mail. You'll get instant
through non-ideal conditions. responses from real people !
Most testing conditions or published
values are presented in ideal, direct-
light conditions. If thin film is better in
low light, perhaps another set of values
needs to be published for PVs.
With or without a low-light pub-
lished value, thin film just cant com-
pare to the output per cost of a crystal-
line panel (with maybe an exception
for CdTe). The main argument for a-Si
is indoors and in applications that are
concerned about output per pound. A
30-W silicon panel [c-Si] weighs 7 lbs Eagle Stainless Tube & Fabrication, Inc.
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stick applications can be used on a metal roof. Or if there is a 0.35%, 0.6%, and 0.2%, respectively. This means on a hot
non-load-bearing area, the engineer might have to go with the day that pushes past 100F, efficiency could decrease by 10%.
lighter thin-film option. While such cases are not typical, they However, this is linearevery degree under 25C will increase
may offer a potential solution. efficiency. Ultimately, this factor may balance out in most
Another difference in PV technology concerns temperature northern states. But for someone located in, say, a desert, this
resistance. As the temperature rises, a panel can become less factor may strengthen the argument for thin film.
efficient. For example, for every degree Celsius over 25C, Until theres a drop in thin-film costs, the application has to
the efficiency of c-Si, CdTe, CIGS, and a-Si will reduce 0.5%, justify the additional expense. Small, foldable thin-film pan-
els are more expensive than an equiv-
alent-size silicon panel, says Beaudet.
Depending on the model, they can be
$10 or $15 per watt as opposed to $3 or
THE BRAND $6 per watt for a similar silicon panel.
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BOB HAMLIN | CTO, Tego Inc.
7 Signs That
Now Is the Time for
Energy Harvesting
E
nergy harvesting collects energy that would oth- to make energy harvesting an even more popular choice for
erwise go to waste, such as heat, vibrations, and powering devices.
sunlight, then converts it to electricity and puts it Lets look more closely at seven forces that are driving the
to use. It may not be a technology you are familiar technology today.
with, but it is poised to become mainstream and change the
way we power our electronic devices and what we think of as 1. TRANSDUCERS ARE GETTING MORE ADVANCED
an energy source. Available energy sources are all around us, from both man-
In many cases, energy harvesting can eliminate batteries made and natural sources.
from wireless devices. The goal of energy harvesting is to capture the currently
In other cases, it lets batteries be augmented by other power unused energy and convert it to electricity. Transducers are the
sources, improving reliability and extending the operational devices that turn one form of energy into another. A humans
life of the device. Several key concepts are coming together sense organs, for example, are transducers that turn light,

chemicals, pressure, and motions into nervous signals. Man- for digital and analog circuits. The improvements made for
made transducers, also called sensors, do the same thing, but large chips are being carried over to smaller circuits, resulting
often convert the input (color, sound, chemical presence) into in devices that can be powered entirely from harvested energy.
an electrical signal.
Steady advances in transducer technology, especially recent 3. THE IoT IS DRIVING DEVICES CLOSER TO THE EDGE
breakthroughs in materials and semiconductors, have made The Internet of Things (IoT) is here and expanding rapidly.
new types available and increased the efficiency of all of them. Depending on which analyst you refer to, predictions of con-
Micromechanical systems (MEMS)moving parts built onto nected things range from 20 billion to 50 billion in three years.
application-specific ICs (ASICs)are a
good example. They let complete trans-
ducers be built on a single chip, thus
opening the door to major improvements
in efficiency and cost. Other on-chip
transducers are now available for temper-
ature, chemical detection, and pressure.
Surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators
are another good example. SAWs have
been understood for over a century and
the resonators have often been used in
filters and oscillators. Today, new tech-
niques are creating transducers useful
for converting sources of mechanical and
acoustic energy into electricity.
As transducer types and efficiencies
expand, so do the methods and tools of
energy harvesting.
2. LOW-POWER CIRCUITRY USES

EVEN LESS POWER
Just as the power available from
transducers has been increasing, the
power needed to run electronic circuits
has been decreasing. Thats because
at a given switching frequency, power Precision
requirements fall as a devices geome-
tries shrink. A good example of this is
the RFID chip. Current versions have
A metal injection molded tungsten
electrode that uses high temperature
to surgically remove tissue.
Matters.
enough processing power to perform a
digital handshake with the reader and
A metal injection molded wedge blank
Powder
respond to dozens of commands, yet
they only need 10 microwatts to operate,
meaning they can operate by convert-
used in an endoscopic staple gun.
Metallurgy.
ing the RF energy from the reader into
electricity, so they do not need batteries.
Learn More About
Power improvements do not totally
depend on semiconductor advances.
Metal Injection Molding!
Power consumption has become a major Register Now!
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2017 Metal Powder Industries Federation FEBRUARY 27MARCH 1 ORLANDO
Bluegrass, Energy Harvesting
Bourbon & Our computers, smartphones, and web

servers are already connected, so the next
of the electronics is so low, if a battery is
needed, it can represent a major fraction
Brakes
connectivity wave will focus on devices. of the cost of the device cost. This is a
Most of those devices will not be continu- major reason behind the move to devices
ously powered, always on, and with their relying on energy harvesting for power.
own IP address. Instead, they will mostly In some situations, the size of the con-
be small wireless devices that push the nected module is a limiting factor. Simi-
edge of the network farther and farther lar to cost, the size of electronic modules
from the nearest data center. has been on a steady decline, putting us
We are rapidly approaching the point in a situation where computing devices
where the internets endpoints are data fit on the tip of a pin (yes, the sharp end).
collections associated with a single item Battery technology has not kept pace,
rather than powerful computers all talk- so modules that require batteries may
ing to each other. These items might be not satisfy design requirements because
automobile components moving through modules would be too large.
an assembly plant, packages of drugs or One possibility for addressing the
food traveling through a supply chain, or reliability, management, and size issues
tens of thousands of tiny sensors scattered associated with batteries is to remove
across a farm. Every case is an example them all together. Energy harvesting is
of the move to highly distributed data making this possibility a reality.
and an understanding of the value these
smart assets have in revealing operational 5. IoT INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTS
data regarding quality, maintenance, and DEVICES ON THE EDGE
opportunities. Data networking has been on a relent-
As connected devices get smaller and less march toward faster connection
further out on the edge, powering them speeds, but the rise of the IoT brings with
with batteries becomes more of a prob- it an interest in slower message services
Yes, Brakes lem. There are industries such as avia- that can be run using far less power.
For 45 years, Mach III has tion and energy where assets are expect- Wireless devices like laptops and cell
produced made-to-order ed to last for decades and the number of phones are connected by protocols that are
friction brakes, clutches and parts in service and inventory can num- fast, cover large distances, and are power-
torque limiters that meet the ber in the hundreds of millions. The hungry. A remote metering application,
exact requirements of our prospect of replacing batteries, even as on the other hand, might only send and
clients applications. infrequently as every five to 10 years, is receive a few short messages per month.
simply a non-starter. In other cases, the Each of those sensors scattered across a
2,000+ models network edge is so out there that acces- farm, for example, might only need to
Torque to 60,000 in-lbs. sibility is a major hindrance. Consider upload a few bytes of data per day. New
Quick & reliable lead times sensors embedded within structural transmission standards are being deployed
Expert engineering assistance members or walls. Battery replacement to support these new applications.
is simply not an option in such locations. Wireless Ethernet protocols like
Green Ethernet are being designed with
Get to know another fne 4. ELECTRONIC COSTS ARE the data needs of small edge devices in
product from Kentucky. COMING DOWN FASTER THAN mind, and consequently they have far
BATTERY COSTS smaller power requirements on individ-
Much of the impetus behind the move ual endpoints. Bluetooth now comes in
toward smart connected assets is simply a Bluetooth-LE (low energy). The UHF
that it is now economical to do so. Elec- RFID standard created by EPCglobal was
tronic chips and their associated pack- designed specifically for tags without bat-
aging enjoy economies of scale that let teries. 2G and 3G cellular technologies
companies tag billions of assets with sub- support machine-to-machine applica-
stantial computing power and memory, tions, but do so using the same band-
and do so at an attractive price. The price width and price points of cell phones.
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Energy Harvesting
C CHIP FOR ENERGY HARVESTING AND THE IIoT

TEGOS ASSET INTELLIGENCE Platform uses energy harvesting for IIoT appli-
cations. Data connectivity is handled by rugged industrial products/assets or MRO CRM
components beginning at the time of manufacturing so that the product can tell ERP IoT
a story about its manufacturing processes, materials, and entire lifecycle of activ-
ities. Information stored on the product or asset itself streamlines processes and
everyday activities for distributors and aftermarket service providers. Data on the
asset transforms how all stakeholders see, act, and engage with the asset.
The platform has three layers, the foundational layer being the TegoChip
which is a UHF RF chip that harvests energy from readers to read, write, and
manage structured and unstructured data, files, and images stored on the asset
or product. TegoChips are packaged inside TegoTags, which can be embedded
into materials of finished goods, can survive rugged manufacturing processes
including gamma sterilization, and tags can be optimized depending on how
they are used and the amount of data stored on the asset. Products with the
chip are born smart and they gather information and data, history, and condi-
tion changes throughout its lifecycle. Status History
The information gathered, stored, and managed on the product is critical to
Maintenance
Authenticity
asset lifecycle management, regulatory and safety compliance, and/or integrity ID/ specs Location
management. KEY ASSET DATA

TegoOS is the communication layer of the AIP that lets qualified stakeholders
with an iPhone, Android, or Windows operating system read, write, manage, and store data on any product or asset. n

New low-power wide-area networking standards, including the unavailability of data makes it impossible to include those
next-generation cellular, are replacing 2G and 3G with much failures in models and calculations.
lower transmission rates that are perfect for IoT applications. Accurately predicting battery lifetime is critical when
All these new transmission protocols let edge devices com- designing a module for volume deployment. If a high percent-
municate using astonishingly low amounts of power, which age of devices must last 10 years, the average device lifetime
means batteries might not be needed at all. will probably need to be 15 or 20 years, but which is it? Ini-
tial battery conditions, temperature, shock, vibration, dis-
6. DEVICES ARE ONLY AS RELIABLE AS THEIR POWER charge rates, and usage patterns all need to be accounted for. In
SOURCES recharge applications, depth of discharge has an exponential
As wireless devices are deployed in larger numbers, end effect on lifetime. All these factors contribute to the diffi-
users are discovering that battery reliability is not usually up culty of accurately predicting battery life, and getting it wrong
to the task. A typical goal for the low-power networking pro- means too many failures and systems that dont perform.
tocols described above is often a 10-year battery life on a single Removing the battery and replacing it with an energy har-
coin cell. Several approaches are claiming success. These esti- vester is a great way to improve reliability. Its also possible
mates often rely on simple calculations that compare steady- to create hybrid modules that combine energy harvesting
state power consumption to battery capacity specifications. approaches with batteries or other storage devices like superca-
Real-world deployments, however, often show unacceptable pacitors. Manufacturing failures will still need to be addressed,
failure rates. but battery lifetimes can be extended or made much more reli-
The problem is that battery lifetime is a multi-dimensional able by adding even a small charging rate from scavenged or
problem. Battery reliability begins with the manufacturing harvested power. This is also a good way to address instances
process. Unlike electronic components that have easy-to- where harvested energy is too small or too intermittent to power
predict lifetimes, batteries are based on chemical processes a module. A temperature sensor in food packaging, for example,
that have many different failure modes. Even manufacturers might be designed to use vibrational energy from transporta-
who weed out infant mortalities still have field failures, and tion vehicles, but if the vibration transducer is too small, it will
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Energy Harvesting
not produce enough energy for the task. In that case, energy As IoT deployments become more common and edge
could be collected over minutes or even hours. Once enough devices are deployed in large numbers, the excessive cost
stored energy is available, the module turns on, takes a sensor to build and maintain such a system is becoming obvi-
reading and stores the result, and then powers back down. ous. Todays smart assets take a distributed approach to the
As the need for reliable power at the edge continues to grow, problem, putting much of the system data directly on assets
advances in energy harvesting techniques provide a useful and often removing central servers in the process. An alterna-
alternative or augmentation to batteries. tive architecture for the warehouse location problem is to tag
each asset with a battery-free tag that can be scanned at key
7. IoT IS CAUSING A RETHINKING OF SYSTEM locations so that movement is always monitored. By rethink-
ARCHITECTURES ing the question as where were you last?, each asset no lon-
Over the past several decades, the number of network infra- ger has to always be on. These types of approaches open the
structures and networked computing devices has grown. door for extremely low-power alternatives powered by energy
Todays ubiquitous connectivity influences thinking when it harvesting.
comes to deploying new systems and is based on assumptions In summary, a confluence of several forces is transforming
that even the most remote devices can always be on, always remote wireless devices in a world in which batteries provide
connected, and always ready to respond. Imagine you are less and less of the power. The number of edge devices is
designing a warehouse application that quickly locates parts growing, as is the desire to push those devices further out on
in inventory. The traditional internet solution to this problem the edge, making batteries undesirable due to size, cost, and
puts a battery-powered transponder on each asset. When a reliability. Simultaneously, advances in energy transducers and
particular part needs to be found, a request from a computer low-power circuits are making energy harvesting feasible in
connected to the central system in the warehouse broadcasts places where it would not have been an option a few years ago.
a where are you now? message. The asset being addressed With the IoT driving the demand and technology improve-
determines its location, perhaps through radio beacons in the ments creating the supply, we can expect the proliferation of
building or perhaps GPS, and responds. energy harvesters to be right around the corner.
IIoT SMART ASSETS ON THE RUNWAY THE BIRTH OF ENERGY HARVESTING

TEGOS ASSET INTELLIGENCE Platform was designed and CRYSTAL RADIOS
launched in the commercial aviation market to enable data WERE the first widely
connectivity for all stakeholders in the value chain. Initial cus- used energy harvesters.
tomers include OEM part manufacturers for Airbus and Boeing. They were also the most
It lets products/assets store lifecycle data for manufactur- common radios used dur-
ers, airlines, and MRO providers. Benefits include streamlining ing the wireless telegraphy
the workflow for airlines (28x improvement), 20% lifecycle era, circa 1904.
extension for MROs, and 40M Euros in savings in configuring Inexpensive and reli-
new planes. able, they were a driving force in introducing radio to the public
There are more than 3,000 intelligent components on new- and contributed to the development of radio broadcast enter-
er airplanes. That number is expected to grow to 10,000 per tainment back in the 1920s.
plane. And all the smart-airplane parts use energy harvesting A crystal radio receiver needs no power sources; they use
technology instead of batteries because it is less expensive, the power of incoming radio waves received by a wire antenna.
less intrusive to use, and will easily last the 30-year lifecycle They consist of a few inexpensive parts: a copper coil wire,
most capacitor, crystal detector, and earphones. Unlike radios that
airplane came later and required power sources, crystal radio receivers
parts are passive receivers.
need to Although the crystal radio never regained the same popular-
be opera- ity it enjoyed at its inception, the Boy Scouts have kept the con-
tional. n struction of a radio set in their program since the 1920s. More
recently, hobbyists have revived the act of designing and build-
Airliners will carry an increasing number of IoT devices powered ing examples of these early instruments. Today, annual contests
by energy harvesters. They will be used both in the interiors and let crystal radio aficionados compete and commune around a
the mechanical and electrical subsystems in the aircraft. beloved and celebrated energy-harvesting technology. n

Industry Trends
MARCIA ELAINE WALKER | SAS Institute
BILL ROBERTS | SAS Institute
Use Existing Data to Optimize

IIoT Sensor In 2017, many companies will
deploy IoT systems. Here are
Deployment some ideas on how you can use

your current data to get started.
H
ave you ever come home after a The road to IoT starts with the analysis of current data and
long day, hungry and tired, creating a simple approach to intelligent data collection.
only to realize there is
little to eat in the and money. Costs can include processors, an embedded
house? Perhaps you stared long- operating system, and one or more communication pro-
ingly into your pantry, hoping for tocolsnot to mention the software and infrastructure
inspiration, only to succumb to a needed to receive and organize the data from the
radio advertisement and order a sensors. Machine designers are under pres-
pizza with every additional topping sure to create the most cost-effective
raising the price. products. They must prioritize criti-
Many websites have recently cal characteristics to measure and
sprung up to help the hungry mass- incorporate sensors accordingly.
es make use of available ingredients. Many machine designers do not know
If you have scrounged up some canned where to begin. Luckily, the answer lies close at
chicken, a carton of broth, frozen corn, and hand: Find out what your customer is hungry for, and
pint of leftover heavy cream, you can whip up a (just as when you found plenty of ingredients for a nice meal)
batch of chicken corn soup in 15 minutes flat. Voil! you might be pleasantly surprised to discover you already have
No need to tip the pizza driver. The ingredients you had were plenty of relevant data. Analyzing that data to optimize the
more useful than they might have first appeared (who wants to sensors on your machines is easier than you think. The key is
eat plain canned chicken?), and just a little analysis and direc- knowing how to get started.
tion was all you needed to solve your hunger problem.
A similar situation exists for capital equipment suppliers, Average Sensor Cost Forecast
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and machine
designers in the age of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). $1.30
Customers and stakeholders ask them to satisfy a growing $1.11
hunger for data, data, and more data. Machine builders are $0.95
asked to design in sensors and communications technologies. $0.82
$0.70
It is hard to know where to start, and whether the solution $0.60
being designed will be palatable to the end customer in terms $0.51
$0.44
$0.38
of function and price. Rather than ordering highly marketed
solutions from outside the enterprise and tipping consul-
tants with exorbitant fees, they can find ingredients that are
already on hand, apply basic analytics, and come up with some 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016E 2018E 2020E
surprisingly tasty ways to translate raw data into process infor-
mation to improve maintenance or business decisions. The price of sensors that make up IoT connected networks will
Clearly machine manufacturers cannot put sensors on continue to fall till 2020, making IoT systems affordable for smaller
everything. Adding sensors takes considerable time, effort, companies. (Courtesy of BI Intelligence)
IIoT Sensor Deployment
STEPS FOR LOCATING AND maintenance by looking at automatic

OPTIMIZING DATA fault code classification/categorization
By taking the following steps, you can from technicians notes and warranty
find and tap into useful data that will claims. Doing so will help you figure out
enable you to develop new equipment if an opportunity exists to put in a sensor
that optimally incorporates sensors. to detect or prevent impending failures.
Finding trends in that data can be
Assemble your team used to proactively optimize service. For
Start by gathering a cross-functional example, you might learn that kneading
team of people in roles that affect the operations cause more failure than bak-
end result. Be creative. The more varied ing operations. That provides a pointer
the perspectives on your team, the more regarding where to implement sensors
ingredients you will have for success. and communications, using that infor-
For example, someone from the pricing mation to minimize unplanned down-
team, or a supervisor in your assembly time and increase customer satisfaction.
operations, might know things you do Data about the output of the machine
not. A user of pharmaceutical packaging can answer questions about whether the
equipment in Europe found a critical machine meets a customers needs. In the
ingredient for their project by including case of baking equipment, your custom-
the shipping-operations administrative er might care about whether it produces
assistant in the discussion. She main- cookies of consistent texture and size. As
tained a report that provided a wealth of a machine designer, you are more likely
information not yet taken into account to have blind spots in this area.
by the team. For example, you may not be aware
Consider including: that ovens in northern climates are per-
People who take the specifications forming differently than those in more
from your customers. tropical environmentschanges in the
Customers who can talk about their ovens ambient temperature as cooler
experiences using your products. raw cookie dough heats up can affect
Customer service representatives the chewiness of the cookies. If that is
THIN ENOUGH? who take support calls from cus- an issue for your customer, you might
tomers. design in communications or sensors
BXR Brakes Staff handling warranties who related to factors external to the machine,
Up to 480 in-lbs static know product failure rates and such as ambient temperature or humid-
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Produced for over 10 years ters, if you have them. Results from the data from a variety of customers.
Our Innovative design test runseven failed test runs You probably already have that data,
features a very thin profile, can be surprisingly valuable. in some format. Consolidating it and
reducing weight and space. gaining insights from it is probably eas-
For more information: Collect data that will help you define ier than you think given modern data-
Call: 800.533.1731 the problem(s) you need to solve management and analytics tools.
www.mikipulley-us.com
Ask your team for information about Understanding the voice of the cus-
problems and trends theyre seeing with tomer is criticalespecially for those
regard to the health of the machine companies creating consumer products.
itself, and output from the machine. Whether creating products for con-
Machine designers already collect sumers or products for industry, many
considerable information about the options are available for identifying
health of their machines. Say you man- customer sentiment. Ask the question:
ufacture industrial baking equipment. What information do customers feel
You can find information about trends is missing in their process, and could a
related to equipment operation and sensor address that issue?

Business Using IoT to Improve Efficiency, Launch New Products panies might have someone with an analytical job title or
Benefits Observed by Early IoT Adopters educational background that enjoys working with data. Or
(survey of executives)
you might want to work with a consultant who can help
you use the most sophisticated data-analytics and build
Enhanced customer service 51% models.
Increased revenue from Perform analytics on your existing data

44%
services and/or products
While many people think you need to be an expert to per-
Improved use of form data analytics, using these tools can actually be easier
assets in the field 38%
than you think. Tools are available that enable users with any
More information to feed
35% level of analytics expertise to perform analytics without hav-
big-data/analytics efforts
ing to spend months correlating data in a spreadsheet and
bringing it into an analytics platform or figuring out how to
Businesses are already using IoT networks to improve their produc- write algorithms.
tion efficiency and launch new products. (Courtesy of BI Intelligence) Look for a vendor that offers a wide range of solutions.
Start small, using simple visual analytics tools designed
Taken a step further, you can survey customers about to allow business users to spot new patterns and identify
what analytics they are already performing and where key relationships, outliers, clusters, and trends to unearth
gaps exist in their data. Another good source of data is hidden opportunities. Over time, gradually grow along the
inside requests for proposals (RFPs) and requests for quotes analytics maturity curve to perform sophisticated predic-
(RFQs). If you have enough of them, you can analyze a vari- tive analytics.
ety of factors in bids you lost, as well as those you won. This You also can employ text analysis tools to pull informa-
analysis might identify trends that point to missing capa- tion out of the freeform text, such as RFPs/RFQs, war-
bilities addressable with sensors. And dont forget social ranty information, and service call records. Text analysis
media sites, online forums, and the comments section on solutions allow you to easily examine key topics, identify
most websites; they are rich sources of untapped informa- highly related phrases, and observe how terms change over
tion in many cases. time. You save money and resources by automating the
This need not involve weeks of reading old documents. Text time-consuming tasks of reading and comprehending
analytics is a robust field, and if you have this information in electronic text.
a machine-readable format, a text analytics package can high- One manufacturer that has leveraged text analytics to
light patterns and help you zero in on specific use cases that improve product design is Lenovo, the largest global manu-
may drive value to your customers. Such analysis will help you facturer of PCs and tablets, as reported by Forbes last year.
start identifying new ways to sensor your equipment. Lenovos course of action illustrates how it pays to look out-
side of your immediate field to uncover examples of ways
Determine the value of solving the problem analysis can help your organization. Known as a manufac-
As you start identifying problems you can solve, focus on turer of consumer equipment, Lenovo wanted to use the data
the worthiness of solving the problem. The answer to this collected from its customers to shape their quality product
question will determine how much time, effort, and money development and product innovationboth its own and
to devote to sensoring your equipmentor not. For instance, from outside its four walls. Text analytics enabled Lenovo to
in one chemical manufacturing scenario, each failed batch manage massive amounts of data and display it visually on
cost the company at least $1 million. They were gratified to a dashboard that shows customer sentiment, warranty, and
discover that excessive external humidity was the greatest pre- call-center analysis.
dictor of batch failure. A simple, inexpensive humidity sensor One issue Lenovo discovered was a problem with docking
was all that was required to move toward improving produc- stations. Customers were calling tech support to say they
tion outcomes. were having issues with the screen, or the machine was shut-
ting down abruptly, or the battery was not charging. Similar
Determine who will perform the analytics accounts were turning up in social-media posts. Sometimes
Decide on who in your organization will execute data the customer mentioned docking. It was not until Lenovo
analysis. Some machine designers will want to empower used text analysis to analyze the combination of call-center
in-house subject-matter experts who are not data scientists notes and social-media posts that the word docking was
to analyze problems. Consider enabling customer-service connected to the problem, helping quality engineers figure
representatives to perform sentiment analysis. Other com- out the root case and issue a software update.
IIoT Sensor Deployment
6 Steps to Analyzing Data for Future IoT

embark on an iterative process and go back to find more data.
For instance, if your service records are not giving you enough
6. Create and test your hypothesis. insight, you might change your business processes. You can
5. Perform analytics on your existing data. ask service staff to document the conditions under which they
install equipment to gather data for testing a new hypothesis.
4. Determine who will perform the analytics for your organization.
3. Determine the value of solving the problem. Conclusion

Industrial IoT is here to stay. Already, data from sensored
2. Collect data that will help you define the problem(s) you need to solve.
equipment has shown value. Machine designers are being
1. Assemble your team. pressured to expand on this value. Yet, you are challenged to
add sensors responsibly to maintain a reasonable cost point.
Create and test your hypothesis Luckily, as you prioritize what sensors to add, you have
Performing data analytics on your existing data should more data than you think and analytics tools that make it
help you come up with a much better hypothesis to determine easier to exploit in your decision-making. Do not leave your
where it might make sense to add sensors. customers hungry for smarter machines. By rummaging in
For example, your service records might reveal that when your operations for data that you already have, and combining
your machine is installed next to a motor, it tends to fail more it in new ways for analysis, you will cook up new opportunities
quickly. You may then hypothesize that the issue is caused by for profitability.
vibration. You can now build a prototype with vibration sen-
sors to test this hypothesis. MARCIA ELAINE Walker is the principal industry consultant for
Regardless of whether or not your hypothesis is correct, you manufacturing at SAS. Follow her on LinkedIn or @MWEnergy on
will still learn valuable information. If your hypothesis is cor- Twitter. Bill Roberts is the director of the Global IoT Practice at
rect, you will know what to sensor, and subsequently build that SAS. Follow him on LinkedIn or @w_j_roberts on Twitter. Follow
into future iterations of your machines. If it is incorrect, you can SAS news @SASsoftware on Twitter.
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Product Trends
CARLOS M. GONZALEZ | Technology Editor
Why Are Top Industrial

Companies Designing
Mobile Apps?
The surging trend of bring your own device to work is prompting companies to
develop apps for their end users.
S
martphones and tablets have become everyday the next step of designing apps for their users. The capabilities
tools for many people, including engineers. of these apps vary, but some companies have started to push
These days, you simply dont leave home with- the boundaries of what these apps can do, turning the devices
out one. into fully functional work tools.
In the past, many companies placed restrictions on per-
sonal devices, limiting their use and connectivity to company ENTERPRISE NETWORKS AND MOBILE DEVICES ON
enterprise networks. However, adoption rates of smart devices THE RISE
have forced companies to become more accepting of employ- It comes as no surprise that many top industrial companies
ees using their own personal devices for business, even taking are releasing more mobile apps designed to work with off-
the-shelf mobile devices. A recent report from
Global Bring Your Own Device Market MarketStudyReports.com forecasts the bring
your own device (BYOD) market to reach
The market for bringing your own devices to $350 billion by 2022.
work will increase to $350 billion USD by 2022. Increased use of tablets and smartphone
penetration into the professional workplace is
($billion US)
(Courtesy of MarketStudyReports.com)
driving up production of mobile-device man-
agement software. Since most devices now
function in both personal and professional
settings, mobile-device management plays a
key role in deploying, monitoring, integrating,
and managing these devices in the workplace.
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 As stated in the report from Cisco, The real
North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America MEA challenge for IT is not only getting devices onto
the networkits what to do with them once
theyre there.
CURRENT CAPABILITY OF NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE
(% OF MANUFACTURERS) The capabilities of these apps will vary
based on the current infrastructures. Some
Machine-to-machine Machines-to-enterprise apps provide simple product catalogs or
communications communications
design guides. While these apps are useful
Currently capable 10% 13% to an engineer as a resource, they are not
Some upgrades required 41% 38% designed to take advantage of growing enter-
Significant upgrades required 32% 35% prise networks. Some apps actually could
Network overhaul required 18% 14% exploit these networks, but the telecommuni-
cation infrastructures of manufacturers need
Only 13% of current industrial companies have machine-to-enterprise communications to be developed to utilize the power of mobile
capabilities, according to the MPI Group in its 2015 report. (Courtesy of the MPI Group) devices.
Mobile Apps
Many of the current plants and engineering sites today on each product, allowing users to build
do not have a developed network infrastructure. A survey a product list, and provides a list of local
conducted by the MPI Group in 2015 showed that only 10% distributors to purchase the products in
of manufacturers have machine-to-machine communica- the users cart. U.S. users can even exploit
tions and 13% have machines-to-enterprise communications. the built-in eShop checkout process to
However, the market for smart devices will see an increase in order all of their parts at once.
growth. Over the next two years, 76% of manufacturers will
expand the use of smart devices and/or embedded intelligence The GoTo Products app from Bosch Rexroth
production processes. allows you to explore its extensive catalog,
including product specs and videos.
MOBILE CATALOGS
The level of usefulness from company mobile apps spans
a wide range. Many apps target mobile apps to bring their FAST App Festo
product catalog and resources to your smartphone. These apps The Festo FAST App provides
offer insights to their products as well as a way to quickly and quick and easy access to the compa-
securely order these products. While these apps are somewhat nys FAST catalog. The app is centered
limited in their network connectivity, they offer value by con- around a complete line of industrial
necting users to online catalogs faster. automation components that can be
delivered in a same-day, three-day, or
GoTo Products Bosch Rexroth
Bosch Rexroths GoTo Products app takes advantage of its The Festo FAST App places the Festo
GoTo Focused Delivery Program. Users can browse popular catalog in users hands, helping them buy
collections of products for manufacturing automation and and ship parts within a matter of days,
machinery engineering. The app provides technical details and even including same-day delivery.
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automation components, the program enables engineers to accessing the Smartcheck app. The app
gain access to wide of selection of inch and metric compo- allows you to connect with any sen-
nents, lower inventory costs through Just in Time delivery, sor on the network to see its unique IP
reduce time to market for prototype and production projects, address and the status of each machine.
and create savings by easing up inventory demands and time
to build. The parts available to users include pneumatic cyl- The FAG SmartCheck app from Schaeffler
inders, pneumatic actuators, valves, valve terminals, sensors, connects the phone to the FAG SmartCheck
actuators feedback, servo drives, electromechanical actuators, sensors placed on devices around the plant
and flow controls. floor to monitor active vibration.
MOBILE TOOLS AND DIAGNOSTICS

Companies have created mobile apps that turn a device VibroChecker ACE
into another piece of equipment on the plant floor. These Smartphones typically have built-
apps offer users a way of measuring vibrations and sensor in accelerometers, which are typical-
readouts by capitalizing on the built-in antennas and sensing ly used to detect when a person gets
equipment in smartphones. up or moves around, or when the
phone is picked up for use. However,
FAG Smartcheck Schaeffler ACEs engineers turned those accel-
The Smartcheck from Schaeffler is a vibration sensor that can
be easily mounted onto a device. The sensor uses crystal-based By turning the accelerometers in your
accelerometer structures to send out voltage signals that are inter- smartphone into a measuring device, the
preted to detect velocity and orientation. The sensors themselves ACE Vibrochecker turns your phone into
connect to a local network via an Ethernet connection. Once a measuring device of vibration detection.
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Mobile Apps
erometers into vibration sensors. An engineer can quickly FactoryTalk TeamONE Rockwell Automation
measure simple vibrations on machines and components with The FactoryTalk TeamONE app is more than another diag-
a frequency range of up to 50 Hz. Depending on the readout, nostic tool. The app is a smart node on the network rather
the app can also suggest corrective courses of action by recom- than a client that connects to the server. As a result, the device
mending dampening products designed by ACE. module communicates directly to the devices on the network,
and can directly view live data. The app offers diagnostic mes-
iRConnect FANUC sages that allow users to interact with machine alarms and
The apps designed by ACE and troubleshoot devices. It also helps team members to collabo-
Schaeffler demonstrate how phones rate by connecting the primary user to other users on the same
can be more useful for monitor- network, thus increasing team productivity and reducing
ing conditions. FANUC designed a mean time to repair.
similar app to communicate with its Employees can choose from a variety of modules to directly
robotic controllers. The iRConnect view information from devices such as Allen-Bradley Power-
app communicates to the FANUC Flex drives, or else observe the high-level health status of any
robotic arms and can provide infor- EtherNET/IP device. After solving a particular problem, the
mation on the number of robots in lessons learned from the incident can be flagged and recalled
a zone, the health of the robot, cycle later. The initial release of FactoryTalk TeamONE is available
time, maintenance events, and axis now and includes eight modules: Incident, Device Health,
conditions of the arm per joint. Teamboard, Knowledgebase, Connect, Pinboard and Chat,
Connect, and Trend.
The FANUC app iRConnect helps users monitor their robot control- When speaking with Kyle Reissner, the mobility platform
lers, providing maintenance status, the number of robots on site, and leader of Integrated Architecture at Rockwell Automation, we
the current status of each joint on a robot arm. addressed the importance of having an app that opens up the
possibilities of smart devices.
Fit4SILENCE Bosch Rexroth The app can be used by anyone at any level to combine
Bosch Rexroths Fit4SILENCE app uses another phone experience-based knowledge with contextual automation
function to create a handy diagnostics tool. By turning the device data and solve problems quicker as a team, or even as
phones microphone into a listening an individual, says Reissner. Weve heard from many of the
device, the app can measure noise TeamONE early adopters that engineers and maintenance
levels at accuracy levels comparable team members use it to investigate issues. They also use the
to most professional sound-level app to assist with new machine installation or commissioning
meters. The app records a profile of and collaborate with colleagues without needing to connect to
the sound level in decibels over an devices through plant-floor networks.
allotted time. The app also records Apps can also provide new functions by tapping into the
the sound level in a raw data for- local power of the device, he notes. The smartphone is really
mat, which can be saved for further a supercomputer packed with a ton of sensors, and were just
analysis. Furthermore, it suggests starting to explore those capabilities.
Bosch Rexroth products that would
help reduce noise.
Using a smartphones built-in microphones, the Fit4Silence app

developed by Bosch Rexroth turns the device into a noise-detection
tool.
NETWORK-CONNECTED APPS
Up to this point, all of the apps we have discussed serve a
single functionwhether that involves being a catalog for
part ordering or a diagnostic tool. However, these apps have
yet to exploit the potential of interconnected smart devices
when introduced on the plant floor. Representing the The FactoryTalk TeamONE app from Rockwell Automation offers a
future of apps, the FactoryTalk TeamONE from Rockwell glimpse into the future of company appsit provides network noti-
Automation utilizes the strong connectivity features of fications, team collaboration, and instant connectivity to connected
smartphones. devices.

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Goldense on R&D-Product Development
BRADFORD L. GOLDENSE | Contributing Technical Expert
Metrics for IoT in the

Product Development
Process
M
etrics for product development were A recent literature scan we conducted turned up several
quite simple in the 1980s. Companies companies that will likely be among the leaders that gener-
measured R&D Spending, counted their ate IoT-enabled product development processes and mea-
patents, counted their projects, and the sures. Emerson Electric, Rockwell Automation, and General
rest took care of itself in the era of long product life cycles. As Electric appear to be out front at this time in systematizing
life cycles began to shorten, a host of other metrics such as the creation of IoT capabilities in product development. We
time-to-market and schedule slip became important. expect that new-to-the-world metrics are evolving in these
In the 1990s, when advances in the science of managing companies as well. However, to protect competitive advan-
R&D proved the importance of product requirements and tages, it will be a few years yet before they are written up for
definition to product success, new metrics for specification public consumption.
changes and degrees of conformance to requirements evolved
to become part of everyday management. DEVELOPING IIoT AND IoT METRICS
When short product life cycles became the norm, it became Here is an idea of some of the types of metrics you might
clear to companies that they needed stronger pipeline and expect inside your company in the years ahead. In the areas of
portfolio management measures to assure a continuous flow of product architecture and modularity, expect metrics that rate
new products. Industry started measuring the number of prod- product designs on their sensor-readiness, ability to receive
uct concepts and quantified the expected revenue and profits and adjust to signals during manufacture and then in customer
from the project mix at every stage in the pipeline. settings, and ability to generate data of customer value. In the
In the early 2000s, global competition became real and com- areas of product planning and definition, expect metrics that
panies needed to further improve their process and product assess the strength of the product to fit with the data gathering/
acumen. Measurement went to the next level of detail to assess producing/monitoring infrastructure of the differing markets
raw technologies and capabilities that would underpin prod- and customer environments. In the areas of product design and
ucts of the future. As technology detail came into focus, so too development, expect metrics that assess the effectiveness, effi-
did intellectual property (IP). IP both protects and enables the ciency, and coverage of sensors in the product, along with new
monetization of assets before (or in conjunction with) their reliability measures for up-time and data error rates.
being designed into products. Today it is hard to imagine prod- New metrics will also emanate from customers and
uct development metrics without measures that track concepts, marketplace(s). Customer satisfaction is sure to have several
requirements, technologies-in-process, pipeline dollar values, IoT satisfaction components. Research companies and mar-
new product sales/profits, and IP licensing. ket/investor analysts will likely develop comparative indices on
the best IoT-enabled industries and companies.
IMPROVED IIoT AND IoT PIPELINE PROCESSES We estimate some 50-plus metrics and measures will be
At least once every decade, advancements and stronger developed in the decade ahead. Not all of them will gain trac-
competition have necessitated the addition of measures to both tion. But, if history is our teacher, 10 years from now there
drive and monitor progress. The advent of the Industrial Inter- will be another 10 to 15 new metrics that will be part of the
net of Things (IIoT) and IoT will be no different. Lets look for everyday process of managing R&D and product development,
a moment at a subset of the metrics that will arise in R&D and along with a number of macro-indices in the marketplaces and
product development. investor communities.
Most companies are still trying to get their arms around the
implications of the IIoT and IoT on their product lines, and BRADFORD L. GOLDENSE is founder and president of Goldense
are focused on readying their strategies and processes. Many Group, Inc. [GGI] (www.goldensegroupinc.com), a consulting,
of these companies will wait to see what industry leaders are market research, and education firm focused on business and
doing and then attempt to copy their approaches and the met- technology management strategies and practices for product cre-
rics that enable capabilities. ation, development, and commercialization.

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