- First CO2-neutral high-voltage project for Siemens in Sweden
- Vacuum switching technology combined with "clean air" replaces SF6 as switching and insulating medium
- High operational performance even at lowest temperatures
Siemens will equip a 145-kilovolt (kV) substation owned by E.ON Sweden with SF6-free high-voltage products by the middle of 2020. The orders comprise six bays, including circuit breakers for 72.5-kV and 145-kV as well as 145-kV instrument transformers. With these innovative products of the so called "blue portfolio," Siemens is supporting E.ON Sweden's goal towards a sustainable F-gas free power transmission. The solution will be deployed at the Fårhult project site located in southern Sweden close to Västervik. It will deliver high-performance operation at extreme temperatures as low as -55° Celsius without a heating system.
Siemens has honored 12 particularly resourceful researchers as Inventors of the Year 2018. Together, these scientists are responsible for some 590 inventions and 589 patents. Two of the inventors are from Germany, three are from Austria, one is each from Norway, France, Poland, Mexico, China, India and the United States. Every year since 1995, Siemens has been presenting this award to its outstanding researchers and developers whose inventions have made major contributions to the company's strong performance. Since 2016, this award has also been presented to researchers from outside the company. In fiscal 2018, Siemens filed around 3,850 patents worldwide – an increase of 200 patents over the previous year. Worldwide, Siemens holds about 65,000 patents. In fiscal 2018, Siemens employees submitted about 7,300 invention disclosures. On a basis of 220 workdays during the year, this figure corresponds to about 33 inventions per day.
- New Simogear coupling adapter for Simotics servomotors
- Flexible-use adapter for simplified handling
- KS adapter reduces downtimes, optimizes stock keeping and is suited for high-precision applications
Siemens has launched a new coupling adapter for linking Simogear gear units to Siemens servomotors. As the flexible new solution can connect different gear unit types to different servomotors rather than using a separate dedicated adapter for each motor, the new solution radically simplifies handling. Versions KS03 to KS05 of the new adapter are made of aluminum and are currently available for Simotics S-1FL6 motors. As of calendar year 2019 it will also be possible to connect series S-1FK2, S-1FK7, S-1FT7 and M-1PH8 series motors to practically any size and type of gear unit. The benefits of the new adapter solution include shorter downtimes and lower costs due to simple installation and removal, optimized stock keeping and a backlash-free design enabling connection with no parallel key as standard for high-precision applications.
- Simatic Field PG M6: Ready-to-use, high-performance programming device for mobile engineering with the TIA Portal
- Light, rugged and completely shielded device for use in machines and plants in a harsh industrial environment
- Preinstalled engineering software and integrated automation interfaces
- Equipment and performance graduated in Advanced and Comfort versions
The latest generation of ready-to-use, high-performance programming devices from Siemens has been optimized for engineering with the TIA Portal and designed for mobile use in machines and plants for configuration, commissioning, service, and maintenance. The new Simatic Field PG M6 programming device, with a stylish silver housing cover and M6 inscription, is equipped with a high-speed DDR4 work memory of up to 32 GB and an impact-resistant SSD mass storage device of up to 2 TB. Thanks to the light, rugged and completely shielded magnesium housing, the semi-ruggedized device is suitable for use in harsh industrial environments. Additionally, bumpers on exposed parts of the housing protect against shocks and vibrations.
As part of its deep commitment to supporting Bolivia's efforts to improve access to electricity for its growing population, Siemens recently celebrated the start of construction on a new, modern energy service and training center in Bolivia.
- New Safety Library (3.0) for faster commissioning and compatibility with a wider range of Simatic-S7 controllers
- Advanced Position Control (APC) function for faster positioning
- New Simotics S-1FG1 servo-geared motors in upper and lower output range
- Cut in energy costs by optimized motion control
Siemens has upgraded its TÜV-certified Safety Library developed specifically for use with storage and retrieval systems. The benefits of Safety Library V3.0 for users include faster commissioning and compatibility with a wider range of failsafe Simatic controllers (from S7-1516F). Boosting the speed of storage cycles are two functions: Vibx (Vibration Extinction) and the more advanced new function Advanced Position Control (APC). APC also requires no additional sensors or actuators, and ensures the permanent prevention of mast vibrations. APC even kicks in under continuously changing vibration conditions, caused for instance by different loading conditions or variable disturbance factors such as wind. Supplementing this function are new additions to the Simotics S-1FG1 portfolio. In the upper output range, external fans now permit highly dynamic traversing processes, allowing a significantly more dynamic configuration of traversing motors. A new Simatic module for energy-optimized traversing enables energy savings despite the improved dynamic performance.
- Vacuum circuit breakers and clean air insulation replace SF6 as extinguishing/insulating medium
- Dead-tank circuit breakers up to 115 kV
- Gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) for 115 kV, 50 kA
Siemens has received orders from its customer Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to supply SF6-free dead-tank circuit breakers and gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). They are destined for California's 115-kilovolt (kV) high-voltage grid. The orders comprise dead-tank circuit-breakers for 72.5 kV and 115 kV as well as GIS for 115 kV. These circuit breakers use vacuum interrupters for switching functions and treated air known as "clean air" as the insulating medium. It's now possible to eliminate the use of sulfur hexafluoride, and this order is a major step forward for Siemens' SF6-free portfolio. The first delivery will take place in mid-2019. PG&E, one of the leading energy providers in the United States, launched a company-wide initiative in July of this year to cut greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by one million metric tons. One element is to use highly sustainable electric switchgear. "We are very pleased with the development of more and more SF6 free solutions for high voltage applications. They support PG&E at meeting the challenge of climate change while providing affordable energy to its customers", says Tom Rak, Manager of Substation and T-Line Standards Engineering at PG&E.
- Siemens implements autonomous stockyard management system in China
- Autonomous stockyard management system combines five automation systems
- Interaction of all components enables control of machines and conveyors
- Improved system efficiency, production capacity and security coupled with lower operating costs
Siemens is supplying an autonomous stockyard management system to be used in a new plant for HBIS Laoting Steel Co. Ltd., a Chinese subsidiary of one of the world's biggest iron and steel producers. The autonomous stockyard management system from Siemens comprises of a material tracking and management system (MAQ), an autonomous stockyard operating system (MOM), a Simatic PCS 7 process control system, industry network, consulting, engineering, project management and commissioning. Interaction between these different components enables control of all the plant's machines and conveying systems, it offers wide-ranging benefits such as the capability for all machines and conveyors to be controlled from a single system. This is achieved using a 3D model of the existing inventory which provides information on the volume and quality of stocked material, enabling autonomous operation of all the plant's storage and retrieval machines. This allows HBIS Laoting Steel Co. Ltd. not only to drive down its operating costs, but also to achieve between a five and ten percent improvement in system efficiency and between three and seven percent higher production capacity. The use of autonomous storage and retrieval machinery also improves safety.
- Bridge Firewall to protect flat networks
- Protection of Service Bridge and other applications
- User-specific firewall for individual protective measures
- Configuration now also possible in the new Sinec NMS management software
Siemens has extended the Scalance SC-600 Industrial Security Appliances to include more functionality for even better and simpler protection of production networks. The devices now have a Bridge Firewall, support redundant network structures, and allow user-specific firewalls. This enables users to increase the availability of their production while also reducing the procurement costs of network components.
At SPS IPC Drives, Siemens is presenting a new graphical configurator for Sivacon 8MF1 system cubicles. The modular system consists of a basic framework in 90 different sizes and 2,000 flexibly combinable elements. This enables the implementation of tailored solutions for virtually all industrial sectors and applications. With the new graphical configurator, control cabinet manufactures can now configure the system cubicles directly on the 3D model and order them electronically. They benefit from considerably reduced planning efforts and error-free configuration, which also allows customized modifications. Order processing is thus significantly shortened. The new online configurator for Sivacon 8MF1 system cubicles, Version 1.0 is expected to be available free of charge on the Internet starting in February 2019.