A supplement to PLANT

ControlENGINEERING
Engineering
and Control Engineering magazines
PLANT ENGINEERING magazines
 The SENSORS you need...
at the prices you want!
er
Las 108.00
$
at:
es
ptic
ting
Star
itch 0
Fib er O .50 45 it S w
14 . 5
ting
at: $ Lim rting at: $
Star Sta

c
ctri rs
o ele 1.50 ode 0
t
Pho g at: $2 Encg at: $89.0
tin tin
Star Star

ity nic
P r oxim 3.50 l t r aso89.00
t: $
1 a U at: $
ting ting
Star Star

Infrared, Fiber Optic, Magnetic, Laser,

Ultrasonic... it’s all here!
Also Available
AutomationDirect offers a wide variety of sensors, encoders and limit
switches to give reliable and accurate discrete data for any material Temperature Sensors Level Sensors Pressure Sensors

handling application. From position tracking and object detection to

motion monitoring and control, we are your one-stop shop for sensors.

• Inductive Proximity Sensors (metallic materials) (starting at $13.50)

• Capacitive Proximity Sensors (starting at $59.00)
• Magnetic Proximity Sensors (starting at $44.50)
• Ultrasonic Sensors (transparent materials) (starting at $89.00)
• Fiber Optic Sensors (starting at $45.50)
• Laser Sensors (retroreflective laser sensors start at $108.00)
• Photoelectric Sensors (starting at $21.50)
• Incremental and Absolute Encoders (optical rotary encoders start at $89.00)
Research, price, buy at:
• Limit Switches (starting at $14.50) www.automationdirect.com/sensors

Order Today, Ships Today!

* See our Web site for details and restrictions. © Copyright 2014 AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA USA. All rights reserved. 1-800-633-0405 the #1 value in automation
Contents
A4 Selecting inductive
proximity switches
Follow these guidelines to select the right inductive proximity
switch for your application.
A8 Learning PID loop tuning
from an expert
Hands-on experience helps accelerate the PID learning curve.
A12 Making mowers in America
Bad Boy Mowers is riding a surge of U.S. manufacturing
innovation aided by robotic welding technology.
C OMMENT
Technology from future past
T
he proximity switch is one of the oldest
electronic components in automation.
Introduced in 1958, it has been con-
tinually redesigned to accommodate the
requirements of the evolving automation applica-
tions it serves. The cover story in this issue of
AppliedAutomation talks about inductive proxim-
ity switch issues. In addition to offering selection
Jack Smith and installation guidelines, it explains methods to
Editor reduce failures in new and retrofit applications. It
also explores the effects of the application envi-
ronment and reviews the importance of ingress
protection and device construction.
This issue also includes an article about
PID tuning—a topic frequently covered by
AppliedAutomation, Control Engineering, and
Plant Engineering. The author explains anecdot-
ally how PID tuning affects a chemical tank level
control process. The article offers PID tuning
advice and explains how adjusting proportional,
ON THE COVER Basic inductive proximity switches are IP65/67 rated to operate in environments with dirt, debris, and water. This inductive proximity
switch is provided with a quick disconnect for quick replacement in case of failure. Courtesy: AutomationDirect
A4
A12
integral, and derivative parameters individually
helps minimize loop tuning time—and aggrava-
tion. Changing one parameter or variable at a
time helps to eliminate errors and save time.
Also, hands-on experience can help accelerate
the PID learning curve.
The third article explores how, in addition
to business best practices, robotic technology
helped Bad Boy Mowers in Batesville, Ark. get—
and stay—on the fast track to meeting and main-
taining its production and growth goals, and, in
doing so, managed to keep its production in the
U.S.—a point of pride for the company. Although
the zero-point-turn mower market is very compet-
itive, Bad Boy Mowers has doubled its produc-
tion every year since 2002 when it began selling
mowers. Early implementation of robotic welding
cells helped the company establish rapid growth.
Standardizing on those welding cells has helped
Bad Boy Mowers maintain that growth.
Applied Automation December 2014 • A3
 C o v e r S t o ry

Selecting inductive
proximity switches
Follow these guidelines to select the right inductive proximity switch for your application.

By Andrew Waugh In its simplest form, a position sensing, presence detec-

AutomationDirect, Cumming, Ga. tion, part counting, and many other

P
proximity switch is an
roximity switches are the inductive coil that creates
nerve endings for automa- a magnetic field when
tion systems and equipment
in a variety of industries. an oscillating signal is
Without them, parts of
many machines or pro-
applied.
cesses would be stumbling in the
dark. Therefore, careful selection of new or replacement
switches is critical, and requires a clear understand-
ing of the application environment, switch design, and
installation methods.
This article explores the effects of environment and
critical design options for specifying inductive proximity
switches. It also reviews the importance of ingress protec-
tion (IP) ratings, housing materials, and configurations.
Further, it offers selection and installation tips, and meth-
ods to reduce failures in both new and retrofit applications.
Low price, high performance
Inductive proximity switches have been used in
automated equipment and processes for decades for
Figure 1: Stainless-steel inductive proximity switches are well-suit-
ed to difficult applications. All graphics courtesy: AutomationDirect
applications. They detect ferrous
and nonferrous metals.
In its simplest form, a proxim-
ity switch is an inductive coil that
creates a magnetic field when an
oscillating signal is applied. This
magnetic field is disturbed when a
metal object enters the field. Switch
electronics detect this disruption
and energize an output circuit. This allows the sensor
to detect targets within its range without contact, while
rejecting the influence of many outside elements such
as reflected light or stray materials.
A basic inductive proximity switch has virtually
become a commodity. Over the last 15 years its price
has dropped from about $100/device to less than $15
(see Figure 1). This cost reduction has been driven
by the evolution of sensor technology and increased
manufacturing efficiencies. Circuit technology has
evolved from printed circuit board to flexible circuit
film, and recently to using application-specific inte-
grated circuits (ASICs).
ASICs allow programming of sensor characteris-
tics after the unit is assembled. Previous technology
required a trim resistor to be adjusted before final
assembly to set the sensing range. This can now be
done through the ASIC, resulting in significantly greater
consistency and repeatability. Other programmed char-
acteristics include normally open and normally closed
switch functions. In addition to lowering production costs
and assembly time, ASIC design is less complicated
with fewer points of failure, and provides more durable
and repeatable operation.
ASIC programming is performed by the manufacturer
prior to shipping the sensor/switch to the user. As the
name implies, ASIC technology allows suppliers to build
one type of unit that can be programmed to accommo-
date many different applications. This has been a key
factor in driving down the price of inductive proximity
switches while maintaining a wide range of available
features and functions.

A4 • December 2014 Applied Automation


Key selection considerations
When selecting an inductive proximity switch, users
must determine optimum barrel size (diameter) and
sensing distance first, and then consider other factors,
which include:
n Types of metal to be sensed
n Housing material: plastic or metal
n Shielded or unshielded installation
n Prewired or quick disconnect
n Sourcing (PNP) or sinking (NPN)
n Normally open or normally closed output
n Switching frequency
n Temperature range
n Environmental requirements.
The two critical, interrelated selection points are the
diameter of the proximity switch, and its sensing dis-
tance, which is defined as the distance from the sensor
face to the target.
Inductive proximity sensors come in a variety of sizes,
diameters, and even small rectangular housings for
unique mounting applications (see Figure 2). Diameters
from 3 to 30 mm and larger are available. The diameter
has a significant effect on the sensing range because
sensing distance increases with diameter. However, the
size of the target to be detected should drive the switch
diameter selection.
If the target size is about 12 mm, a 12-mm diameter
switch is a better match than a 30-mm switch. A larger
diameter switch is more expensive, occupies more space,
and is more likely to sense objects outside the detection
zone and generate false triggers.
Even when there is a large target size, this does not
give the green light for a large-diameter switch because it
Figure 2: Inductive proximity switches are avail-
able in a wide range of sizes and shapes, with many
options for mounting, wiring, and shielding.
must physically fit the application. Switch barrel length is
also a consideration—the shorter the better in most cases.
Although barrel diameter affects sensing range, mul-
tiple sensing distances are commonly available for
each barrel diameter. The sensing distance is typically
specified as standard, extended, and triple range. A
longer sensing distance can improve robustness as the
target can be within a large range and still be detected.
However, distance shouldn’t be increased outside the
normal range of the target because doing so can result in
false detection of stray objects.
A shielded (flush-mount) or unshielded (non-flush)
housing also affects the sensing distance. The sensing
distance of a standard 12-mm shielded switch starts at 2
mm. The sensing distance of an unshielded switch starts
at 4 mm. The sensing distances for extended range
12-mm shielded and unshielded switches start at 4 mm
and 7 mm, respectively. For a little more money, a triple-
range switch can increase the sensing distance starting
point for a shielded 12-mm switch to 6 mm, and to 8 mm
for an unshielded switch. An extra distance sensor costs
more, but it increases sensing reliability because it pro-
tects the sensor face from impacts.
A shielded sensor generates a sensing field that ema-
nates from the face of the sensor and can be identified
by barrel threads running the full length to the sensor
face. This allows the sensor to be mounted flush in a
metal bracket or mounting surface.
An unshielded sensor can be identified by a protruding
sensor face material extending past the barrel threads,
with the sensing field beginning on the side of the sensor
and extending toward the tip of the sensor with a shape
similar to a candle flame. This improves sensing range,
but the sensing area must be free from metal objects
Applied Automation December 2014 • A5
 C o v e r S t o ry

within three times the diameter to prevent false detection, Switching frequency must also be considered in some
which is a common problem. Costs are generally identical, applications. An application counting teeth on a wheel
so the decision is based solely on mounting requirements. may miss some counts if the switching frequency is not
A common mistake when specifying a proximity switch is fast enough. Usually, a smaller housing diameter switch
not reducing the sensing distance depending on the spe- is quicker to sense and is more compact. However, the
cific metal to be sensed. Highly magnetic ferrous materi- 12-mm switch is usually the least expensive. Below this
als, such as cold rolled steel, have a correction factor of 1. size, the cost increases due to the need to fit all the com-
Stainless steel is ferrous but not as magnetic, so its sens- ponents into a smaller space.
ing distance must be reduced by a typical correction factor
of 0.7, while nonferrous and nonmagnetic materials, such Environment and housing
as aluminum, have a typical correction factor of 0.4. A basic inductive proximity switch is nickel-plated, has
a plastic face, and is IP65/67 rated to operate in environ-
Common options and features ments with dirt, debris, and a little water (see Figure 3).
Switch design options include 2-, 3-, or 4-wire connec- Sensors for more demanding environments are made
tion configurations; encapsulated wire (pre-wired) or quick with a stainless steel body, and some are machined out
disconnect; PNP or NPN; and normally open or normally of solid stainless steel with a metal face. These sensors
closed contact arrangements. have specialized circuits that sense through metal and
Common switch installation issues include incorrectly provide a robust unit for the harshest conditions (food
specifying an NPN or PNP switch, or and beverage washdown). Switches
selecting an incorrect output contact con- When a switch issue with an IP69K rating have the highest
figuration. In North America, a PNP switch protection, enabling close-range 1,400
with normally open contacts is typically
or failure occurs, it psi high-pressure and high-temperature
used, with the controller input detecting may not be wise to washdown.
24 Vdc when a target is sensed. However, Sensor label information has evolved
Asian-sourced equipment is often the replace it with the over the years as well. A label tag hang-
opposite. Also, in many cases, end-of-trav- same type of switch ing on the sensor cable used to include
el switches for linear motion axis applica- the electrical specs, schematic, and part
tions are configured as normally closed. number. Many times this label would tear
The configuration of 2-wire switches can be either NPN or wear leaving no identification. Adhesive labels were
or PNP output, so the user doesn’t have to select output then moved to the sensor body, and are still found on
type at purchase. However, users must be mindful of leak- low-cost units today.
age current required to maintain sensor power during an Many switches now have label information laser-
off state. This leakage current may cause a programmable marked on the metal housings. This mark is permanent.
controller input module to remain on regardless of the It won’t fall off or wash off when sprayed with a routine
sensor’s output state. With 3-wire and 4-wire switches, high-pressure caustic washdown, or simply due to the
leakage current is not a problem, but users must choose effects of temperature or time. This permanent mark
between NPN and PNP output when ordering. can make a big difference when trying to determine the
Typically, 4-wire switches allow complementary normally proper replacement part when a switch fails.
open and normally closed contact configuration by the user. Some environments require a specialty switch. For
However, 2- and 3-wire normally open or normally closed example, areas with resistance welding equipment
contact configuration must be specified at purchase. require weld-field immune switches to eliminate false
Another option that must be specified at purchase is triggering due to electrical noise. Extreme temperature
pre-wired or quick-disconnect connection. If a pre-wired environments might also require specialty sensors. For
switch fails, wiring must be re-run between the switch and those sensors, typical temperature ranges are -13 to
control panel. Switch replacement is much easier with a 176 F, but models are available to operate below -40 F
quick disconnect switch, but this type of switch is longer and above 300 F.
and requires the added cost of cables along with more
upfront design effort. Avoiding problems
Inductive proximity switches typically operate between A variety of issues can affect the reliability of inductive
10 and 30 Vdc, with the 120 Vac switch mostly a relic proximity switches in industrial applications. These issues
of the past, especially considering that electrical safety include:
requirements in Europe don’t allow its use. n Impact with the sensor face
Most switches have an LED to indicate the switch state. n Coating of the sensor face
Some have LED lighting surrounding the barrel for easier n Water ingress
viewing. This is a useful feature because it allows local n Overcurrent
detection of switch status. n Overvoltage.

A6 • December 2014 Applied Automation

Figure 3: This inductive proximity switch is provided with a quick disconnect for quick replacement in case of failure.
Awareness of these problem areas can forestall
problems when selecting new switches and replacing
failed ones.
When a switch issue or failure occurs, it may not be
wise to replace it with the same type of switch. The
cause of the failure should be determined and that infor-
mation should be compared to available switch function-
ality and options. Switch failure and replacement are not
trivial events. Depending on the application, users could
improve switch operation by considering upgrade options.
Sensor face impact is probably the biggest cause of
switch failure. Although a sensor face should never be
used as a hard stop for a cylinder or other moving item,
occasional contact with a moving element can occur
due to the many facets of machine operation. When this
occurs, the sensor face can be worn away, or a piece
of metal can be embedded in the face. Either of these
problems can cause switch failure.
If the sensor face is plastic, replacing it with a metal-
face version can prevent the problem from occurring,
or at least lessen its frequency. Altering how the target
travels in and out of the sensing field can help prevent
over-travel or slack from causing sensor face impact.
Specifying a switch with an extended sensing distance
reduces the chance for damage due to incidental con-
tact with moving elements. With a limited sensing range,
the sensor face may be too close to the target. When
this occurs, the senor face can rub on the metal target,
leaving a metal film on the face. This deposit can be
detected, causing the switch to remain on or energized
due to sensor hysteresis.
Another common switch failure is water ingress. Often
the solution is simply tightening the quick disconnect
cable. When replacing a switch in washdown or other
wet applications, the environmental rating options for
the switch should be examined to see if an upgrade to a
model with a higher level of protection is warranted.
During equipment installation and startup, or due to
failure of surrounding equipment, switch short circuit
or overvoltage can be a problem. Excessive current to
a device can melt it, so supplemental fast-blow fusing
should be employed. Overvoltage can cause similar prob-
lems. Perhaps this issue can be resolved by installing a
power filter upstream of the switch. Although most sen-
sors have some level of short circuit and overload protec-
tion, adding these prevention measures is good practice.
When properly specified and installed, an inductive
proximity switch will provide reliable operation for an
extended period of time. If failures are occurring at
an unacceptable rate, issues can often be rectified by
changing to a different switch more suited to the particu-
lar application.
Andrew Waugh is the product manager for sensor and
safety products at AutomationDirect. He has more than
14 years of experience with machine sensor and safety
devices on packaging, assembly, material handling, and
process control equipment.
Applied Automation December 2014 • A7
 P I D R e vI e w

Learning PID loop tuning

from an expert
Hands-on experience helps accelerate the PID learning curve.

By John A. Autero Although it has been quite a few years since I gradu-
Ya s k a w a A m e r i c a I n c . ated from college, at that time, the controller was a self-

S
standing module that received the setpoint and feedback
signals and performed the PID number crunching. It pro-
oon after graduating from college, I got a job at vided a 4-20 mA output signal that controlled a valve that
a chemical plant as an electrical and instrumen- fed the tank. It also had a built-in small strip chart recorder
tation technician. Being a young guy with little that showed the liquid level over long periods of time.
experience, my supervisor paired me up with a You can still purchase stand-alone PID control modules
grizzled veteran named Tim. Of the many things today, but the software can also be found in VFDs, and
I learned from Tim, one of the most valuable most commonly in PLCs and building control systems (see
was a simple process for tuning a proportional, integral, Figure 3). PID control loop software can be found inside
and derivative (PID) control loop. I learned about basic of the PLC that runs an entire control room and provides
control systems and how they worked as part of my edu- a sophisticated graphical look of the entire control system
cation. Unfortunately, all of my experience with PID loops on a variety of monitors and control desks. Even though
had been in textbooks. I never had today’s PID graphics look much bet-
the firsthand experience of tuning a ter than that old strip chart recorder,
PID control loop in the field. Work on only one adjustment the PID control method used today is
My first chance at tuning a PID at a time. If you start making basically the same.
loop came during a trip with Tim to
the ethylene production area on the changes to all three controls at The proof is in the testing
west side of the chemical plant. An When we got to the job site, the first
operator in the ethylene control room the same time, you can easily thing we did was test the liquid level
had placed a trouble call for a 500 sensor, which provided feedback to
gal chemical tank that was not main-
get disoriented. the controller. After a few minutes, we
taining an accurate level (see Figure determined the sensor was in good
1). Tim reminded me that PID control loops can be found working order because it provided 4 mA at low level and
in a variety of applications that require constant control 20 mA at high level. The next thing we checked was the
of liquid level, pressure, flow, temperature, or tension, setpoint signal. Tim stood in the control room and adjusted
to name a few. In this case, the operator was trying to the potentiometer from minimum to maximum while I mea-
keep a constant level in a 500 gal chemical additive tank sured the signal where it connected to the PID module.
that was a part of a chemical line process, but it was not The potentiometer was functioning properly and measured
working properly (see Figure 2). 0 Vdc at minimum and 10 Vdc at maximum. The last thing
we checked was the valve itself. We connected a small
First things first variable milliamp supply that provided 4-20 mA to the
The first thing Tim taught me about PID control sys- valve and watched it open and close without a problem.
tems was the basic components. “The first thing you So the culprit in our nonfunctioning PID control system
need is a setpoint signal,” he said. In our situation, the appeared to be the PID module itself. A quick trip to the
setpoint signal was a 0-10 Vdc signal from a potenti- parts depot provided us with an identical replacement
ometer in the control room that the operator used to set module and we headed back to the ethylene control room.
the level he wanted to maintain in the tank. “The second I figured we would swap the module; adjust the proportion-
thing you need in your system is a feedback signal,” al, integral, and derivative selector switches to the same
said Tim. The feedback device in this case was a liquid settings as the old one; do a quick test of the system; and
level transducer that provided a 4-20 mA signal based be back at the shop in time for lunch.
on the level of the liquid in the tank. Tim explained that The PID module we used had three selector switches on
the last item required in the system is the actual PID the side: one for the proportional gain setting, one for the
controller. integral time setting, and one for the derivative time setting.

A8 • December 2014 Applied Automation

 Figure 1: Small-capacity pumps are
common in chemical plants, where
they are used to control the liquid
level inside storage tanks as well as
a variety of other applications that
require constant pressure throughout
the chemical process. All graphics
courtesy: Yaskawa America Inc.
In most cases, we would have set the selector switches on
the new module to the identical settings of the old module
and called it a day. But Tim thought we could improve on
the performance of the control loop and saw a chance to
teach me some of the finer points of PID loop tuning.
PID optimization experiments
In our experiment to obtain the optimum settings for the
PID control loop, we set the integral and derivative times
to zero. The factory setting of the proportional gain selec-
tor switch was 1.0, with a maximum of 2.0, a minimum of
0.0, and adjustment points broken into 0.25 increments.
We adjusted the proportional gain selector switch to its
lowest nonzero setting of 0.25. The proportional gain is
a simple multiplier with higher settings increasing the
response and lower settings reducing it. By adjusting the
integral time and the derivative time to zero, we took the
integral and derivative effects out of the control loop and
would see only the effect of the proportional gain setting.
Tim’s first lesson for me was to work on only one adjust-
ment at a time. “If you start making changes to all three
controls at once, you can easily get disoriented,” he said.
We started the system with the tank empty and a set-
point of 50% full. We watched the liquid level indication
move slowly toward the 50% setpoint on the strip chart as
the tank filled. It took a little more than 10 min for the liquid
level to reach the 48% mark and maintain that level. We
felt that the result of our first experiment was not accept-
able. While the liquid level never overshot the setpoint,
which was a good thing, the gain was set so low that it
took a very long time to fill the tank to its setpoint. Also,
the liquid level came close to the setpoint, but it never
really reached it. Tim explained that it is typical to have
some error—2% in this case—when running a control loop
with only proportional control. This error is called offset.
Next, we adjusted the proportional gain setting to 0.50
and ran the experiment again. This time, the liquid level
reached the 50% setpoint in a little more than 2 min, but the
level shot right past the setpoint and reached 55% before
it corrected itself and headed back down toward 50%. As
I watched the strip chart, the liquid level signal oscillated
back and forth between 52% and 48% for the next 2 min,
reducing the overshoot with each cycle, and then settled
just below the setpoint at about 48%. We were happy that it
took only 2 min for the level to reach the setpoint, but were
disappointed with the overshoot and the oscillations.
For our next experiment, we adjusted the proportional
gain to 0.75. This time the liquid level reached the 50%
Applied Automation December 2014 • A9
 P I D R e vI e w
setpoint in a little less than 1 min, but the overshoot
reached 70% and then oscillated between 60% and
40% for 4 min, reducing the overshoot with each cycle,
and then settled just below the setpoint at about 48%. It
appeared that this adjustment was taking us in the wrong
direction, so we changed the proportional gain setting
back to 0.50. Tim’s second lesson for me was: the propor-
tional gain controls how quickly the process races toward
the setpoint. “If you set a very high gain, expect to reach
your setpoint quickly but be prepared for the possibility of
drastic overshoot and oscillations,” he said. “If you set a
very low gain, you can prevent the overshoot, but it may
take a long time to reach your setpoint. Start with the inte-
gral time, derivative time, and proportional gain all at zero.
Then increase the proportional gain value in small incre-
ments until oscillations occur, then reduce the setting.”
The next thing we did was to add some integral time
into the control loop. Tim explained to me that integral time
was like an “error eater” and would go to work on eliminat-
ing some of the oscillation we had experienced. He also
said that adding some integral time would get our system
to actually track the setpoint and eliminate the offset we
had experienced earlier. The factory setting of the integral
time selector switch was 50 sec, with a maximum of 100
sec and a minimum of 0 sec, and adjustment points divid-
ed into 10 sec increments. Hoping to improve on the per-
formance, we adjusted the integral time selector switch to
10 sec and ran the experiment again. This time the liquid
level reached the setpoint in about 2 min, but continued
to increase to about 70% before correcting itself; then it
Control System Overview
20mA
Fully
Open
Full: 20mA
Valve 4mA
Fully
Closed
500 Gallon
Chemical
Additive
Tank
Empty: 4mA
pH Control System
Level Sensor
Setpoint
Output
PID
Valve Feedback Signal
Feedback
pH Sensor
Main Chemical Process
Figure 2: This control system diagram is typical of a chemical plant chemical line process containing an additive tank.
A10 • December 2014 Applied Automation
continuously oscillated between 60% and 40% and never
stopped. The overshoot had stayed the same, but we had
picked up a ringing oscillation, which meant the short inte-
gral time was making the system unstable.
We adjusted the integral time selector switch to provide
30 sec of integral time for our next experiment. We ran
the system again and the liquid level reached the setpoint
in about 2 min, but continued to increase to 55% before
correcting itself. The liquid level signal oscillated between
54% and 46%, reducing the overshoot with each cycle,
and then settled at the setpoint of 50% within 1 min.
While the loop performance was much better than our last
experiment, the biggest difference was the time it took for
the system to stabilize. Earlier, when we used proportional
only control, the system had stabilized in 2 min with an
offset error. In this experiment, the oscillation was gone in
about a minute without an offset error.
We ran the experiment again with the integral time set
at 50 sec and watched as the liquid level reached the
setpoint in about 2 min and overshot to only 52% before
correcting itself. The liquid level signal oscillated between
52% and 48%, reducing the overshoot with each cycle
for about 10 sec, and then settled at the setpoint of 50%.
This adjustment had produced some very good results,
we were happy with the progress that we had made, and
I realized we would be back at the shop before lunch after
all. Tim’s third lesson for me was that the integral time acts
like an error eater. It can help reduce the oscillation time
and remove the offset, but mis-adjustment can cause an
increase in overshoot as well as lead to the system having
Additive Tank
Liquid Level
Output Signal Control System
4-20mA
Operator Panel
PGAIN PID Controller
in Control Room
0.0 2.0
ITIME LEVEL
SETTING
0 100
DTIME Setpoint Signal
Low High
0.0 5.0
0VDC 10VDC
0-10VDC
4-20mA
oscillations. Increase the inte- Figure 3: The output signal of a PID
gral time value in small incre- controller can be used to control a
ments until the oscillations and valve or can be fed to a VFD that con-
the offset have been eliminated. trols the speed of a pump motor to
The last adjustment was control process flow or tank level.
for the derivative time. Tim
explained that the derivative
time acts somewhat like a a number of years since I worked
braking system to help prevent with Tim, but this experience is
overshoot. However, if deriva- one I have always remembered.
tive is misadjusted, it could Using the basic techniques he
severely reduce the responsive- taught me has helped me tune
ness of the system. We thought PID control loops in a number of
for a second about the experi- applications.
ments we had run that morning
and how we had systematically
improved the control loop’s performance. In many PID John A. Autero is the manager of technical training ser-
loops, such as HVAC systems, the derivative control is not vices at Yaskawa America Inc. He has been involved with
used because a little overshoot typically would not pro- industrial automation for more than 28 years, 25 of which
duce detrimental effects. But in situations where overshoot have been with Yaskawa. He developed the Yaskawa
could be dangerous, derivative control can be useful. Engineering Summer Intern and Co-Op Program, and
With our last experiment showing only a 2% overshoot and advanced Yaskawa’s Technical Training Services into an
oscillating for only about 10 sec, we thought we had done IACET Authorized Provider to offer CEUs for its students.
a pretty good job of tuning the PID loop. But we thought we He holds a BS in industrial engineering technology from
should try one last experiment to see if we could do even Southern Illinois University.
better. The factory setting of the derivative
time selector switch was at the minimum,
0 sec (disabled) with a maximum of 5 sec Tim’s PID control loop rules of thumb
and adjustment points divided into 0.5
sec increments. I adjusted the derivative 1. Work on only one adjustment at a time. If you start making
time to the 0.5 sec setting on the selector changes to all three controls at the same time, you can easily get
switch and we ran the experiment again. disoriented.
We watched as the liquid level reached
the setpoint in about 2 min, smoothly 2. Proportional gain controls how quickly the process races
rolled into the 50% setpoint with only a toward the setpoint. If you set a very high gain, expect to reach
hair of overshoot, showed one small dip your setpoint quickly but be prepared for the possibility of drastic
below the 50% mark, and then tracked overshoot and oscillations. If you set a very low gain, you can pre-
the setpoint perfectly. This was by far the
vent the overshoot, but it may take a long time to reach your set-
best performance we had seen from the
point. Start with the integral time, derivative time, and proportional
liquid level PID control loop that morning.
I adjusted the liquid level setpoint to 60% gain all at zero. Increase the proportional gain value in small incre-
and watched the system correct and track ments until oscillations occur, and then reduce the setting.
accurately. Then I reduced the setpoint
to 40% and saw the same results. Tim’s
3. The integral time acts like an error eater. It can help reduce
the oscillation time and remove the offset, but improper adjustment
fourth lesson for me was that the deriva-
tive time provides a braking action to the can cause an increase in overshoot as well as lead to the system
control loop and is not required in most having oscillations. Increase the integral time value in small incre-
applications where a little overshoot is ments until the oscillations and the offset have been eliminated.
allowable. If it is needed, derivative control
can reduce overshoots but could also lead
4. The derivative time provides a braking action to the control
to a lack of responsiveness. Increase the loop and is not required in most applications where a little over-
derivative time value until the response to shoot is allowable. If it is needed, derivative control can reduce
process changes is optimized. overshoots but could also lead to a lack of responsiveness.
Happy with the performance of the Increase the derivative time value until the response to process
PID control loop, Tim and I packed our changes is optimized.
gear and headed to lunch. It has been

Applied Automation December 2014 • A11

 C a s e st u d y

Making mowers in America

Bad Boy Mowers is riding a surge of u.s. manufacturing innovation
aided by robotic welding technology.

T
he “can-do” spirit is a try to do as much as we can in
deeply held ideal of the our own plant, and with our own
American tale. While machines—from getting in the
many Americans are metal, to fabricating it, to weld-
quite proud of this leg- ing, to cutting it out, and painting
acy, the realities of the it—we try to limit what we have to
modern world sometimes seem to purchase overseas,” Mynatt said.
have relegated can-do success to Bad Boy fabricates its own
software innovators, such as the mower decks, builds its own
Facebooks and Apple Computers frames, and makes most of the
of the world—with recent exam- small associated parts in-house.
ples in manufacturing being hard “Some mower manufacturers use
to find. However, a revival in a stamped deck, but we do not,”
homegrown American manufactur- Mynatt said. “Our lawn mowers
ing is taking root in the country. are welded; they’re very strong.
Recent increases in U.S.-based Figure 1: The company strives to keep as much of We use heavier metal than most
manufacturing are driven largely the manufacturing in-house as possible. All graphics mower manufacturers. Everything
by advanced technology. Through courtesy: ABB Robotics is fabricated by hand, and we
a combination of determination, weld in extra reinforcement, which
solid management, and robotic results in a unique machine. Our
technology, Bad Boy Mowers, mowers are built to last.”
Batesville, Ark., is an example of “Being made in the U.S. means
resurgent American manufacturing everything to Bad Boy Mowers,”
success. said Landon Russell, who is
Founded in 1998, the com- part of the Bad Boy marketing
pany’s goal is to build the highest and communications team. “We
quality zero-turn lawn mowers believe—and we have proven—
available. Bad Boy’s mower sales that companies can build products
started in 2002. The company has right here in America that are
doubled its production every year even better than they used to
since then. It even built a new be. Throughout the years, we’ve
building to meet demand. “We noticed that some of the other
have hundreds of thousands of manufacturers in the industry
mowers out there right now,” said have moved their production
Jeff Mynatt, director of operations overseas, but not us. We’re proud
Figure 2: Bad Boy Mowers found that robots can
for Bad Boy Mowers. “From where to build a product that supports
we started to where we are now, weld things better, faster, and more efficiently than American jobs, and that our cus-
in such a short period of time, is manual welding. tomers are proud to own.”
pretty amazing—especially given
that the zero-point-turn mower market is very competitive.” Keeping manufacturing in the U.S.
To keep production in the U.S. while meeting demand
Made in the U.S. and cost targets, Bad Boy Mowers realized early that it
Walking through the 800,000 sq ft of production space would have to turn to innovative advanced manufacturing
that Bad Boy currently occupies, it’s clear that the com- techniques—specifically robotic welding. However, figur-
pany has a family atmosphere. The company takes ing out how to integrate robots into a production line can
great pride in keeping as much of the manufacturing in- be overwhelming. To overcome this initial hurdle, Bad
house—and in the U.S.—as possible (see Figure 1). “We Boy turned to Randy Luster, owner of United Robotics in

A12 • December 2014 Applied Automation

Figure 3: Bad Boy Mowers has eight robotic welding cells running on two shifts to build
around 300 mowers a day during peak season.
Springdale, Ark., a local robotics integrator with consider-
able experience in arc-welding applications.
United Robotics provided a FlexArc robotic welding cell
from ABB Robotics. The modular cell is designed to pro-
vide a complete standardized robotic welding system.
“As we’ve grown and expanded, we realized very quickly
that we couldn’t keep up with demand using manual labor
alone,” said Mynatt. “The robots can weld the mower
assemblies better, faster, and more efficiently—all day long
(see Figure 2). After you get the initial programming done,
the robotic welders always weld a good bead. With manual
welding there is more variation.”
In addition to increasing productivity, maintaining a high
level of quality, and keeping production in the U.S., the
robotic cells help with ergonomics and safety. “The more
of the production that we can do in-house, the faster it can
be produced, and the better quality that we can deliver
greatly reduces our need to outsource manufacturing—and
the robots are a big part of that,” Mynatt said. “Also, by
having the robots work on the larger things, we can keep
our valuable employees from having to lift heavy parts.
And when the robot is welding, it’s in a confined area sep-
arate from our workers, which prevents injuries—together
these things keep our employees safer.”
Standardization
keeps costs down Figure 4: Bad Boy makes among the
highest quality zero-turn lawn mowers
Over the last 10 on the market.
years, Bad Boy
Mowers has bought
a new robotic welding cell almost every year. In partic-
ular, the company has standardized on ABB’s FlexArc
K cell because it provides the capability of handling the
mower decks and frames, as well as the associated
small parts. Currently, the company has eight of these
robotic welding cells running on two shifts to build
around 300 mowers a day during peak season (see
Figure 3).
The turnkey robotic cells have been responsible in
part for keeping Bad Boy on track to double production
every year. And as Bad Boy Mowers continues to grow,
it can look forward to consistency because of the stan-
dardization of the robotic work cells (see Figure 4).
“We want to be the best zero-turn mower manufac-
turer out there,” said Mynatt. “That doesn’t mean we’ll
sell the most units, but we want to be the best.”
Contributed by ABB Robotics. Edited by Jack Smith,
Editor, AppliedAutomation.
Applied Automation December 2014 • A13
 Check out some of our
Plant Engineering webcasts:
• ARC FLASH
• MANUFACTURING
• SAFETY
• ENERGY MANAGEMENT
and more!

Learn about the latest engineering technologies and applications

from your desktop or mobile device.

www.plantengineering.com/webcasts

ple201311_webcasts_halfHZ.indd 1 1/15/2014 9:01:42 AM

No matter what your social networking preference is,

there’s a way for you to connect with Plant Engineering!

Make the connection now...

www.plantengineering.com/connect/social-media.html

socialMed_fillerHLF_ple.indd 1 1/15/2014 9:03:50 AM

 Your bus . . .
. . . our driver!
Is your current PLC/fieldbus supplier driving
you crazy? Then stay on your bus and leave
the driving to us! The SEW-EURODRIVE
inverter route substantially reduces startup
time on gantries, cranes, hoists, conveyors,
turntables, and storage retrieval systems.
Our fieldbus cards and gateways not only
speak to your PLC, they also eliminate all
C++ and C# programming! Simply enter your
application parameters and GO.

seweurodrive.com / 864-439-7537
 Bringing
EtherNet/IP™
&
PROFINET ®
together
ProSoft Technology’s • Transfer data between an EtherNet/IP™ controller and
a PROFINET® controller
EtherNet/IP™ to PROFINET® IO • Up to 1440 bytes input and output data
Device Gateway • Set different RPIs, optimizing your Ethernet bandwidth
IPSUMM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
IPSUMM
FANUC
IPSUMUPSIIPSUMUPSI 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
IPSUMUPSI

IPSUMM IPSUMMIPSUMUPSIIPSUM 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
IPSUMUPSOI

IPSUMUPSI IPSUMUPSI 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

IPSUMUPSOI IPSUMUPSOI

IPSUMUPSOI IPSUMUPIPSUMSOI

IPSUMUPSOIIPSUML
IPSUMLORUMIP
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
12 12
13 13
14 14
15 15
16 16
17 17
18 18
19 19
20 20
21 21
22 22
23 23
24 24
25 25
26 26
27 27
28 28
29 29
30 30
PACSystems 31 31
RX3i 32 32

EtherNet/IP™ PACs PROFINET® PACs

For more information, visit

psft.com/AxW

Where Automation Connects

+1-661-716-5100
www.prosoft-technology.com
ASIA PACIFI C | A FRI CA | EUROPE | MIDDLE E AS T | L ATIN A MERI CA | NORTH A MERI CA