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Against the backdrop of accelerating digital transformation in the global industrial sector, the process industry, as an important foundation of the national economy, is facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges. How to maintain competitiveness and achieve efficient and sustainable development in this transformation has become a focus of attention for many enterprises.
On October 23, 2024, Industrial Control Network and multiple media outlets gathered in Shanghai to participate in the highly anticipated 2024 NAMUR China Annual Conference.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Open Automation and Digitalization, Empowering Enterprises for Efficient and Sustainable Development”. It brings together technical experts from NAMUR member units such as BASF, Bayer, Covestro, and Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications to explore how to empower the process industry with open automation and digital technology, and achieve an efficient and sustainable future.

Over the past 75 years, NAMUR has not only witnessed the evolution of automation technology, but has also played an important role in promoting technological innovation, standard setting, and talent development.

At this annual meeting, he updated the attendees on the latest developments of NAMUR in the fields of Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (Ethernet APL), NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA), Data Spaces, and Modular Type Packet (MTP).

Schneider Electric, as the sole sponsor of this annual conference, also showcased its comprehensive digital innovation technology and solutions for the process industry, and shared key topics such as open automation, integrated energy management and process automation solutions, and sustainable development of the process industry.

Industrial digitization brings forth a variety of flowers, and open automation empowers the process industry

Tang Rong, General Manager of Process Automation Business at Schneider Electric Industrial Automation in China, believes that the current digital transformation of the domestic process industry is showing a “diverse” situation. On the one hand, top enterprises attach great importance to and invest in new technologies, and the pace of digital transformation is relatively fast. On the other hand, private enterprises, due to their shorter decision-making chains, are able to make quick decisions and take action, demonstrating strong vitality in digital transformation. For example, with the technical assistance of Schneider Electric, Dongming Petrochemical has achieved significant improvements in device self-control and stability rates through digital transformation, resulting in significant economic benefits. The annual economic benefits of a single device exceed 10 million yuan.

NAMUR General Manager Christine Oro Saavedra pointed out that promoting digital transformation requires significant investment in mechanical equipment and systems, therefore its economic benefits need to be evaluated from a cost-benefit perspective. She stressed that digital transformation can not only bring progressiveness technology, but also cost savings and economic benefits for factories and their owners.

Undoubtedly, digitalization is a key element for enterprises to enhance their competitiveness. However, the software and hardware of most in-service control systems are still specialized and closed, making it difficult to integrate into new digital solutions. The emergence of open automation provides new solutions and development opportunities for the process industry. In order to break the relatively closed ‘shackles’ of traditional hardware architecture, Schneider Electric has launched the Open Automation Platform (EAE). NAMUR has developed the NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA) to unleash the full potential of the process industry.

At present, Schneider Electric is actively conducting testing and validation work on the integration of EAE and NOA with multiple NAMUR member units. In the future, with the further integration of NAMUR’s Open Architecture (NOA) and Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure open automation platform, factories will be able to achieve more efficient data acquisition and management, reduce operating costs, and improve production efficiency.

Therefore, in promoting the EcoStruxure Open Automation Platform (EAE), Schneider Electric not only focuses on technological innovation, but also strengthens co creation and cooperation with customers. By establishing EAE Logistics Laboratory with BASF and other initiatives, Schneider Electric can better understand customer needs and production scenarios, and jointly explore the application and promotion models of open automation in the process industry.

Regarding the current popularity of open automation in the market, Dai Xiaolong, the head of NAMUR China’s core group and the chief manager of the Automation Function Center at BASF Yangzi Petrochemical Co., Ltd., believes that although the development of open automation still needs time, both enterprises and users have clear needs for it, which lays a good foundation for the future development of open automation in the Chinese market. As a user association, NAMUR hopes that more enterprises can participate in the development process of open automation and jointly promote the progress of the industry.

The integration of open automation and AI technology drives industrial transformation

The continuous deepening application of AI in the manufacturing industry has become an important driving force for the development of the industry. It not only brings about an improvement in production efficiency for enterprises, but also demonstrates enormous potential in innovation and process optimization. Schneider Electric actively embraces AI technology, and its open automation solutions not only break the productivity constraints of closed automation systems, but also create favorable conditions for the application of new technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence, accelerating the technological innovation and digital transformation process of the process industry.

Schneider Electric has AI Hub centers worldwide and AI innovation laboratories in China, currently employing over 350 professional AI experts. By closely integrating the world’s leading AI practices with the actual needs of local customers, Schneider Electric is working with partners to explore the deep integration and innovation of AI technology and application scenarios.

At present, Schneider Electric is exploring hybrid control systems with its partners, combining their optimized control solutions to organically integrate Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure open automation platform with APC advanced process control systems and AI technology, in order to improve existing traditional controls.

Regarding the impact of AI technology on open automation systems, Tobias Schlichtmann also emphasized that AI has enormous potential for development in the fields of automation and process control.

In the future, with the continuous innovation of technology and the continuous expansion of application scenarios, the process industry will achieve more efficient and sustainable development under the empowerment of open automation and digitization.

In this process, we need leading companies such as Schneider Electric to continue exploring and innovating, as well as industry collaboration to jointly promote the transformation and upgrading of the process industry in the digital age, thereby creating a more competitive future.

In recent years, 3D printing technology has developed rapidly and has evolved from a seemingly distant “high-tech” to a convenient technology within reach, gradually penetrating into various fields that we can come into contact with. With the rapid popularization of 3D printing technology, 3D printing models of aircraft, 3D printing COSPLAY props, etc. have emerged rapidly.

Compared to traditional production methods, the flexibility and diversity of 3D printing technology bring more choices and greater creative freedom. In the field of model airplane production, 3D printing technology is particularly popular because it not only improves production efficiency but also greatly reduces costs. More importantly, the development of 3D printing technology enables model airplane enthusiasts to customize personalized model works.

However, in the process of DIY model aircraft, material properties are crucial to the flight performance of the model aircraft. Different materials have different strengths, weights, and durability, which directly affect the flight stability and handling performance of model aircraft. This is also a major issue that has previously troubled many model aircraft enthusiasts. PLA, ABS, carbon fiber reinforced materials… among many 3D printing materials, which one is more suitable for printing model aircraft?

ESUN Easy to Produce Lightweight PLA (ePLA-LW), also known as foamed PLA, is a 3D printing material developed specifically for aircraft models, ship models, and COSPLAY. The interlayer bonding is more stable, and the foaming rate and strength can be controlled by adjusting the printing temperature. Lightweight PLA adopts active foaming technology to achieve lightweight and low-density PLA parts, with a foaming volume ratio of 220% and a density as low as 0.54g/cm ³. Foaming makes the layering almost invisible, and the printed surface is matte and delicate. Under the same model conditions and speed, using lightweight PLA can significantly improve the performance of model aircraft by providing lighter wing loads and lower stall speeds.

The product features of lightweight PLA are as follows:

1. Low density, up to 0.54g/cm ³;

2. Foam volume ratio of 220%, printing the same volume model, 1 roll of ePLA-LW can be used as 2.2 rolls of ordinary PLA;

3. Foaming makes the layering almost invisible, and the surface of the printed item is matte and delicate; At around 210-270 ℃, this material begins to foam during printing, increasing its volume by nearly 1.2 times. The printing extrusion rate can be reduced to 45% to print lightweight parts.

4. The strength and foaming ratio can be freely adjusted;

5. Possess excellent interlayer strength, explosion resistance, and easy repair;

6. The printed model is easy to paint and has strong surface adhesion.

As a model aircraft material, the advantages of lightweight PLA are very obvious, and its biggest advantage is its “lightness”. In the same volume model, lightweight PLA weighs less than half of regular PLA. The real machine printed with it has a lighter weight than models that pursue light wing loads such as KT board, EPP, PP board, etc.

It is worth mentioning that on September 9, 2022, the China Light Industry Federation announced a list of 58 recommended upgraded consumer goods and 68 recommended innovative consumer goods. Among them, several internationally renowned enterprises such as Gree and Midea were selected, and eSUN’s lightweight PLA was also successfully selected for the recommended innovative consumer goods list due to its innovation and influence in the industry.

Since its launch, lightweight PLA has been warmly welcomed and widely loved by a large number of model airplane enthusiasts due to its unique “light” advantage and excellent performance. This material not only solves many problems of traditional materials in aircraft model production, but also greatly promotes the application and development of 3D printing technology in the field of aircraft models. The emergence of lightweight PLA undoubtedly brings new possibilities for 3D printing of model aircraft, allowing the creative dreams of model aircraft enthusiasts to set sail more lightly.