Azbil Wins SICE Technology and New Product Development Awards for 2024
TOKYO, Oct. 31, 2024: Azbil Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange code 6845) announced that it has won one Technology Award and three New Product Development Awards from the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE) for fiscal year 2024.
SICE is a key academic society in the areas of measurement, control, and systems. It is responsible for conducting research, collaborating with related fields, industry, academia, and government, and information dissemination. The Technology Award is given for technical achievements that have created or implemented new methods, devices, products, etc., and have had a remarkable effect. The New Product Development Award recognizes new and original products that have contributed to the development of a field of industry.
Technology Award
"Introduction of a Compact programmable Josephson voltage standard system"
Our company's core business is measurement and control, and we have been pursuing correct measurement for over a century. This correct measurement is supported by a task called calibration, which involves checking the degree of deviation in the values indicated by measuring instruments. We have specialized calibration facilities at our Fujisawa Technology Center (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture) and Kawara Technology Center (Tagawa County, Fukuoka Prefecture), where we maintain and manage the standard instruments used for calibration. We calibrate measuring instruments used in development, production, and maintenance/repair services conducted by azbil Group companies in Japan and overseas, contributing to consistent quality of products and solutions.
A Compact programmable Josephson voltage standard system (hereafter referred to as the "Compact PJVS*1 system")we have introduced that is the recipient of this year's Technology Award, is a voltage generator that is more accurate than the Zener standard voltage generator, which is widely used as a primary standard for electrical quantities in companies, and operates on the same principle as the national measurement standard.
Bringing out the full potential of this Compact PJVS system requires deep knowledge and advanced skills in precision voltage measurement, such as identifying the minute noise factors that degrade measurement accuracy and establishing extremely rigorous measurement methods. However, we were able to overcome this high hurdle through repeated, continuous evaluation experiments. As a result, we were able to become the first private company in Japan to operate it as an in-house primary standard.
In order to use it as a primary standard, a comparative test with the Japanese national standard was conducted with the cooperation of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) to verify its validity.
The Josephson voltage refers to the quantized constant-voltage steps that can be obtained by simultaneously applying a direct current and microwaves at extremely low temperatures to a device that consists of a thin normal metal sandwiched between a pair of superconductors. It is extremely accurate and precise, and in principle does not change over time.
By using this standard system for calibration, we have achieved high precision in the calibration of the Zener standard voltage generator that was previously used as the in-house primary standard,and have also increased the accuracy of the calibration of measuring instruments using this generator.
These achievements were recognized with the Technology Award.
*1 PJVS: Programmable Josephson Voltage Standard
New Product Development Award
Demand Response Monitor
Demand Response Monitor screen (when DR is activated)
The introduction of renewable energy power generation is expanding towards the realization of a carbon neutral society. Because the amount of electricity generated by renewable energy sources fluctuates due to weather conditions and other factors, it is hoped that demand response (DR), which controls energy resources of consumers and changes electricity demand patterns, will be utilized to maintain the balance between supply and demand.
Our Demand Response Monitor which has received the New Product Development Award is an application that supports the reliable implementation of DR in factories and plants within the power service industry. Demand Response Monitor connects the Azbil aggregation server, a cloud system operated by Azbil for providing electricity services, to customers' factory energy management systems (FEMS*2), and provides the services required by customers: "provision of DR activation forecast information," "successive understanding of demand reduction targets when DR is activated, which change depending on the power load situation," and "DR through automatic control in cooperation with FEMS." These functions will facilitate the smooth provision of electricity services, contribute to maintaining the balance between electricity supply and demand, and contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society.
*2 Factory Energy Management System (FEMS): A system for understanding the energy usage status of production equipment in factories and for streamlining and optimizing energy usage. It monitors and manages energy usage within the factory, including power distribution equipment, air conditioning equipment, lighting equipment, and production lines.
Reference:Contributing to society through active participation in power system reform | azbil MIND | Corporate PR | Azbil Corporation (Japanese only)
Product website
Advanced Control Solutions Series | Advanced Plant Control (APC/MPC) | Azbil Corporation (azbil.com)
New Product Development Award
Digital Mass Flow Controller Model F4Q
Digital mass flow controller
Model F4Q
The New Product Development Award-winning Digital Mass Flow Controller Model F4Q (hereafter referred to as "F4Q") was developed with the aim of incorporating functions and performance to solve such on-site issues and providing value tailored to user situations. To improve visibility and operability, a large indicator and high-definition LCD have been adopted to increase the amount of information displayed. The display can be rotated in 90° increments, and the ingenious design of the operation keys and display has made it possible to operate the product independently of its installation position, significantly improving ease of use for workers even after the product is installed on-site. Furthermore, it achieves high precision control over a wide flow rate range, achieving a measurement accuracy of 1% for set values from 15% to 100% of the control range. The F4Q contributes to improved efficiency and quality at manufacturing sites by achieving both improved usability and highly accurate flow control.
Product website
Digital Mass Flow Controller Model F4Q | Mass Flow Controller | Azbil Corporation (azbil.com)
New Product Development Award
Cell-based air-conditioning system
The New Product Development Award-winning Cell-based air-conditioing systemcontrols air volume with control dampers placed at each air outlet in a central air conditioning system, and measures the room temperature in the target area with wireless temperature sensors placed near workers, enabling temperature control in a more precise range than conventional general purpose VAV*3 products.
Cell-based air-conditioing system
The wireless sensor is powered by energy harvesting*4 using solar cells. Since no wiring or power supply is required, it can be easily installed on an employee's desk or on a wall. It can accommodate more personalized working environments and highly flexible layouts to suit the way employees work in the office, contributing to the creation of comfortable, easy-to-use office spaces
Product website
Cell-based air conditioning system | Building products and services | Azbil Corporation (azbil.com) (Japanese only)
Guided by the azbil Group’s philosophy of “human-centered automation,” Azbil Corporation aims to make contribute “in series” to the achievement of a sustainable society, to secure its own sustainable growth, and to help solve problems faced by society by developing products and new technology that realize safety, comfort, and fulfillment to customers.
*3 Variable air volume (VAV): A sensor measures the speed of the air flowing through the air conditioning duct according to the indoor load (temperature difference) and controls the amount of air blown.
*4 Energy harvesting: A technology that collects minute amounts of energy (sunlight, heat, vibration/mechanical energy, electromagnetic waves, etc.) from the surrounding environment and uses it as electricity.
* Posted information is accurate as of the date of announcement.