PHOENIX CONTACT | UPDATE - The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

WAT E R – FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S Water consumption Water content 29% Earth mass 71% Water mass of which 97.4% is salt water (thus not directly usable) around 70% in glaciers, ice, and snow around 29% in groundwater 8 mm Diameter of the largest raindrop ever measured (1986 in Hawaii) 540 km3 Global water consumption per capita (six-fold increase since 1930), of which 19% in India, 15% in China, 12% in the USA is the approximate amount of water consumed worldwide annually (as of 2016), of which 70% agricultural sector 20% industry 10% municipal level (Status 2016, source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization) 3 m k 0 0 0 4 , Ocean freight routes and ships The longest canal in the world is the Grand Canal of China (some parts of which were built more than 2,400 years ago), at a length of 1,800 km China Beijing Shanghai 95% water in our brain 90% water in our lungs 83% water in our blood 22% water in our bones 76% water in our muscles The water content in humans is around 70% 90,000 Number of seagoing vessels worldwide (2019) 2.6% Fresh water on earth less than 1% soil moisture, ground ice, permafrost, and sump water 0.3% easily accessible freshwater in rivers and lakes, which is 0.008% of all water on earth Length of all waterways in km 110,000 102,000 41,009 44,103 47,130 50,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 A S U e p o r u E m a n t e V i l i z a r B a i s s u R i a n h C Source: Statista 2013 EU trade via ocean freight routes in % 90% 40% International trade Within Europe 458 m The size of the largest ship in the world, the “Jahre Viking” (completed in 1980, scrapped in 2010) 2 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

Stephan Volgmann, General Manager Phoenix Contact Deutschland E D I T O R I A L Panta rhei – everything fl ows Dear readers, In this issue of UPDATE, we are focusing on the element of water and on the possibilities that this element holds in store – including for Phoenix Contact. As an example, the surface of a Dutch lake has become the supporting element of a solar power plant. Another is that both the production of drinking water and the treatment of wastewater are central tasks of the cities of Bad Kreuznach and Konstanz. Water can also bring enjoyment and indulgence. Did you know, for example, that 2.6 billion cups of coffee are drunk every year? Or what a High Fly from Switzerland might be? And what do swimming pools from Belgium have to do with control cabinets from East Westphalia? How we deal with the element of water is one of our most important fi elds of action. The sustainable use of renewable resources and our endeavor to develop the best solutions for this purpose drive us every day. Everything fl ows – this quotation from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus does not just apply to the element of water. The structure of an organic company is also constantly adapting to new challenges. I am taking this issue as an opportunity to welcome you as the new General Manager for Phoenix Contact Deutschland. What hasn’t changed, however, is that we continue striving for innovative products and solutions to provide you with even greater degrees of freedom for designing your solutions to be the best possible. Together with you, our customers, we would like to remain in dialog and shape the future together. Yours sincerely, The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 3

The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine Water 1 Water is the ultimate resource; without it, life is not possible. UPDATE is diving into 2021 with this element. Water can have beams after all. Or fl oats. They provide a solar system with buoyancy 08 The ﬂ oating power station A solar power plant has taken to swimming just outside the Dutch town of Zwolle | 08 DRINKING WATER 34 wells, 25 springs, and one connection In Bad Kreuznach, the remote control technology in the water treatment plant is being put on a new technological footing | 16 WASTEWATER Around-the-clock operation Lake Constance is not only one of the most important drinking water reservoirs in the region, but also the recipient of treated wastewater | 22 4 4 UPDATE 1/21 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

P I O N E E R Old hand, new position – An interview with Dr. Frank Possel-Dölken 48 In the realm of the pipes – thanks to remote maintenance, Konstanz’s wastewater stays clean 22 Those who dare to enter the pipes of Hallau pick up tremendous speed 42 WATERWAY Maritime string lighting Gent is a Belgian city steeped in history and its own seaport, located about 40 kilometers inland | 30 SWIMMING POOL Swimming safely To ensure that the domestic pool does not become a leaf depository or an energy guzzler, the Belgian company Covrex relies on solutions from East Westphalia | 34 COFFEE MACHINE Exquisite indulgence How can a circular connector help to build the best-ever fi lter coffee machines? | 38 WATER PARK Spectacular sliding So much for the ponderous Swiss! Anyone who uses Klarer products requires courage and a need for speed | 42 INTERVIEW Golden opportunities Frank Possel-Dölken is a new member of the Executive Board at Phoenix Contact. An interview with the Chief Digital Offi cer | 48 Almost too elegant “just” to be used for making coffee 38 Editorial | 03 From the industry | 06 Behind the scenes | 52 Legal information | 55 Preview | 55 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 UPDATE 1/21 5 5

Hydrogen in stock Energy provider tests storage The energy service provider EWE is setting precedents with hydrogen. The company is setting up a cavern storage facility to store pure hydrogen at a depth of around 1,000 meters in the local aqueous rock in the municipality of Rüdersdorf in Brandenburg, near Berlin. After a planned construction phase of 18 months, 500 cubic meters will be available to safely store the energy source of the future. For the developers at EWE, who are working on this project together with the German Aerospace Center, the quality of the hydrogen during and after storage is of particular importance. The cavern in Rüdersdorf, which is being excavated by ﬂ ushing the aqueous rock out with fresh water, has the volume of a single- family home. In the future, large-scale storage facilities are expected to be at least 1,000 times larger. EWE expects the energy source to make it possible to couple the electricity, mobility, and heat sectors. ewe.com F R O M T H E I N D U S T RY Harvesting the moon Tidal power plant in operation The power of renewable energy is harnessed in a variety of ways in the Faroe Islands. Naturally, wind farms capture the power of moving air there. But while solar power will continue to have a rather shadowy existence far up in the north, the power of the tides will be the focus of increased attention in the future. The reason is that the After completing the “DG 100” tidal power plant, developed by the Swedish technology company Minesto, was successfully commissioned there and began feed-in in December 2020. The company, founded as a spin-off in 2007, developed a “diving kite”. This is an undersea, mobile unit that is anchored in the tidal stream, where it directs the current to turbines designed to convert the energy of the ebb and ﬂ ow of the tide into electricity. They operate in a similar way to the kites that you can ﬂ y in the sky. foundation, laying the power and data cables, and installing the tidal kite in Vestmannasund sound, the submersible innovator is now delivering a relatively modest level of power of 100 kW to land. However, the developers at Minesto have long since scaled up in size and are certain that the power of the moon, which moves the tidal streams, will be an almost inexhaustible source of energy in the future. minesto.com AI revolutionizes the HR department Colleague Computer invites you to an interview Personnel developers and large companies are already relying on its services: Artiﬁ cial intelligence is expected to make the job application process more eﬃ cient. Not only are the incoming applications pre-sorted using a grid; the subsequent initial interview can also be interpreted by analysis software. A camera is used to record how a candidate behaves while performing some tasks. Facial expressions, posture, and thought patterns are analyzed and evaluated. Only after a candidate has cleared this robotic hurdle will they be invited to the “human interview”. While pleasing ﬁ nancial controllers due to signiﬁ cantly streamlined time and costs, the skeptics are horriﬁ ed and fear that the resulting uniform, standardized employees will, in the long run, deprive companies of their innovative strength and have a negative effect on the social culture of constructive debate. Hydrogen storage at a depth of 1,000 meters pymetrics.ai 6 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

F R O M T H E I N D U S T RY Fully mobile e-mobility Porsche plugging the gap in charging infrastructure with mobile super-charging station What do you do when you have one of the most fascinating e-vehicles in the world in your product range, but you cannot charge it without plunging entire regions into darkness? The Porsche Taycan has become a ﬂ agship of the Swabian global corporation’s model ﬂ eet. has become the star of every test-drive program, but what do you do when the infrastruc- ture needed to charge a ﬂ eet of Taycans does not exist? Porsche has developed a mobile solution. They simply bring the power with them – in the form of fast-charging trucks. With a total connected power of 3.2 megawatts avail- able, the truck can simultane- ously charge up to 10 Porsche Taycans at maximum speed. The battery buffer storage system is 2.1 megawatt hours Very powerful, very fast, very expensive and… very thirsty for energy. It is no surprise that it in size. That is suﬃ cient for 30 fully charged supercars. The inventors have developed no fewer than seven of the mobile super-batteries. And if they are hooked up to the right recharg- ing stations, they can be ready for use again in four hours. porsche.com/experience smallest of installation spaces. While conventional contact parts are produced in a stamp- bend process, the Aachen-based researchers combine laser- based helical drilling with multi- beam modules to manufacture not only with high precision, but also in a way that is suitable for series production. ilt.fraunhofer.de/en.html The smallest boat in the world Going with the ﬂ ow How do bacteria actually swim? Scientists at Leiden University in the Netherlands are trying out ﬂ uid mechanics on an unexpectedly tiny scale. They have developed the “3DBenchy” boat model. Due to its overhangs and curved surfaces, the ﬂ oatable watercraft is the ideal test object for newly developed 3D printers. The special feature: The object is only about 30 μm long, about a third of the thickness of a human hair. It is printed using two-photon lithography. And instead of “building” it in the shipyard with hammers and welding lances, the scientists use electron microscopes and lasers. One of the objectives of this research is self-propelled micro-swimmers, which for example can be used in the pharmaceuticals industry. Connectors of the future Research project ready for series production Connectors are inconspicuous and rarely photogenic. But their importance is growing, because the number of control and signal currents in modern components, for example in the automotive sector, is constantly increasing. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has recently completed a research project called ScanCut, which aims to produce signiﬁ cantly more intricate connectors. Together with industrial partners from North Rhine-Westphalia, they have developed a hybrid manufacturing process for laser cutting thin-walled metal strips. This technology uses high- precision laser technology to realize previously impossible design options with multiple spring contact points in the Connection technology with laser cutting universiteitleiden.nl/en The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 7

WAT E R B O DY industrialized countries where it is possible to manufacture, afford, and use solar cells on a large scale is becoming increasingly valuable. On a wavy footing In Zwolle in the Netherlands, a plant has now been commissioned that is expected to produce 27 megawatts of electricity. The special feature of this plant is that it fl oats – on a large body of water that is a part of the Bomhofsplas gravel quarry. Such an innovation deserves a closer look and so, along with Werner Neff, the CEO of system integrator Zebotec, we put on our life jackets and left terra fi rma. The system integrator based in Konstanz, Germany played a leading role in the construction of the fl oating solar power plant. Zebotec GmbH has established itself in this fi eld over the last 15 years to become one of the world’s leading independent system integrators for controlling photovoltaic power stations. The range of services also includes the construction of effi cient Ethernet networks T he power of the sun is the basis of life on earth. Currently, our main source of obtaining this energy is through burning former plant remains in the form of oil and coal – and far too much of it. In truth, plants have had a monopoly on generating energy for millions of years through photosynthesis. Society has been challenging this monopoly ever since Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the photoelectric effect in 1839. However, it still took about 100 years before this and numerous subsequent discoveries actually the development of high-performance silicon solar cells. In the 1950s, Bell Laboratories in New Jersey was one of the most successful research facilities, and in this fi eld as well. led to And, a good 70 years later, the direct use of solar energy for generating electricity is becoming essential for the survival of the entire planet, because the use of energy stored in fossil plant remains releases disastrous amounts of carbon. The problem here is that land in those The home of the fl oating solar panels is the Bomhofsplas, a quarry lake near Zwolle 10 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

Zebotec CEO Werner Neff in discussion with Jan Aulenberg und Lutz Odewald, both from Phoenix Contact (left to right) “Bodies of water are a genuine alternative to increasingly scarce land- based locations.” Werner Neff, CEO Zebotec GmbH Zebotec is a Phoenix Contact system integrator that are used for networking system sections and for data exchange. WLAN instead of cables During the crossing, naturally in an electrically powered boat, the head of the Konstanz-based solar specialist explains the function of the Ethernet network used here: “The grid connection point is based on land. This is the point at which the power generated by the solar panels on the lake is fed into the public grid. This power is transmitted underwater via cables. However, the system performance data is transmitted to shore via WLAN, as cabling would have been far too expensive and complex. The WLAN clients installed in each transformer station connect to WLAN access points mounted in stations near the shore.” In the meantime, we have docked at the fl oating system. The solar panels are attached to fl oats, and are arranged like a roof. “This optimizes the solar irradiation, and therefore, the yield,” explains  The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 11

WAT E R B O DY Werner Neff. But isn’t the resulting shading of the water an ecological problem? “No, that has been investigated extensively. On the contrary, fi sh even use the fl oating plant actively because it provides them with protection against aerial predators. And furthermore, there is no increase in algae growth, meaning that the oxygen content of the water is not affected either.” Neff opens one of the transformer stations and points out the components installed. “In particular out here on the water, the high reliability and robustness of the WLAN components used is crucial. We decided on the “FL WLAN 5110” devices from Phoenix Contact precisely for this reason. These industrial-grade devices can be confi gured as WLAN clients, as repeaters, or as access points.” Conﬁ guration on the spot Jan Aulenberg, accompanying expert and product manager in the fi eld of network technology at Phoenix Contact Electronics, explains the advantages of the components used. “This feature provided Zebotec, as the system integrator, with the fl exibility to fi rst construct the control cabinets for all transformer stations to be identical, and then to confi gure the fi nal WLAN network topology once installed in the respective system. This is a true selling point, especially here on the lake.” Wireless data communication Two omni-directional antennas are installed on each transformer station for exchanging data between the FL WLAN 5110 devices. Due to the greater distances involved, Zebotec uses directional wireless antennas to connect the access points to an FL WLAN 5110 installed at the central grid connection point on land. All of the antenna cables are protected with surge protection equipment from Phoenix Contact to protect the photovoltaic system. Jan Aulenberg beams when he looks into the open control cabinets, because Zebotec does not only rely on Phoenix Contact in the fi eld of network technology. Werner Neff explains why. “Naturally, there are also less expensive alternatives. But this will pay off over the operating life of such a plant. The infrastructure components from Phoenix Contact are ‘industrial grade’, and therefore, robust enough to meet our demands on high availability. It is much more expensive in the long run if there  The data from the modules is transmitted to the land-based station via a WLAN connection 13

WAT E R B O DY No worries when it comes to follow-up orders: Werner Neff expects that the move onto the water will increase signifi cantly in the coming years Zebotec Zebotec, founded in 2002, is a system integrator for the control of photovoltaic power stations. In the fi rst few years, Zebotec worked on the electrifi cation of pleasure boats. In 2006, the company moved into photovoltaics, and activities in this fi eld were extended successively in the following years. At the same time, developments in the fi eld of electrolysis, fuel cells, electric drives, and battery storage systems were also pursued. However, they were discontinued in 2015 due to the lack of market penetration and profi tability. Since 2020, the company has been a part of the BayWa r.e., which has been bringing together various companies from within the fi eld of renewable energies since 2009. The group activities include the design, construction, and marketing of PV power stations within the solar project management sector, among other things. In these projects, Zebotec’s responsibilities include the systems for monitoring and control technology, among other things. Zebotec has its headquarters in Konstanz on Lake Constance and is active worldwide. For Phoenix Contact, Zebotec is the fi rst certifi ed solution partner in the fi eld of renewable energies. zebotec.de/en 14 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine “The plant is the world’s largest fl oating photovoltaic system outside of China.” are plant downtimes or if a technician has to come by because a component has failed.” Climate-neutral construction site The entire construction was managed consistently to be climate-neutral. Only electrically powered machines and equipment were used. A battery storage system installed on site supplies tools and electric vehicles independently of the current level of solar irradiation. And, to ensure that both technicians and material can access the fl oating solar system, even the boats are fi tted with electric motors.  phoenixcontact.com

Empowering the All Electric Society Less than one percent of the land area near the equator would be enough to provide enough electrical power for the world’s needs – direct generation of solar energy is a key pillar of the All Electric Society. If the opencast lignite mine pit lakes in Germany alone were used for floating PV systems, this would represent a potential of around 1.5 to 5.5 gigawatts Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Research Amount of carbon saved as a result 1.1 million metric tons Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Research Number of artificial lakes in Germany alone 4,474 Potential through the use of just 1 percent of Eu- rope’s artificial freshwater bodies 20 gigawatts World Bank Group The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 15

Around 73,000 inhabitants are supplied by the Bad Kreuznach municipal utility company 34 wells and 25 springs serve the water supply The maximum consumption per day in 2019 was 18,000 cubic meters I n Bad Kreuznach, near Mainz, no one has to worry about their water bill. Most of the water needed in the region is extracted from the sediments of the so-called “Rotliegend” solid rock and, in the Rhine-Hesse region, from the volcanic rhyolite rock, and then processed. The municipal utility company has a total of 25 springs and 34 wells, as well as 23 reservoirs with a total capacity of more than 25,000 cubic meters. The municipal utility company of the Bad Kreuznach spa town, located approximately 30 kilometers to the northeast of Mainz, supplies drinking water to more than 71,000 inhabitants. To ensure that this supply runs smoothly and is always of impeccable quality, both the production and distribution of drinking water must be modernized time and again. This is no easy task, because 4.3 million cubic meters of drinking water are supplied to connected households and businesses over a supply network with a pipeline length of more than 500 kilometers every single year. To be able to handle the volumes and pipe networks, remote control systems for monitoring and active intervention are essential. Old alongside new Gunther Christmann from the Water Extraction/ Building Services Department of the municipal utility company explains the special challenges. “Old and new systems need to be operated alongside each other, because the modernization process is to be realized successively. And, over the years, various automation components supplied by different manufacturers have been used in 18 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

D R I N K I N G WAT E R the plant. Therefore, the new units need open interfaces, must use standard protocols, and, of course, their engineering has to be user-friendly.” To be able to guarantee modern, secure, and event-oriented data transmission, the Bad Kreuznach municipal utility company uses the IEC 60870-5-104 remote control protocol. This provides the data packets that are to be transmitted with a time stamp during data transmission. This prevents potential transmission errors that may occur due to malfunctions. Later comprehensive analyses are possible thanks to archiving in the control room. In addition, the volume of data is kept low. And the events can be buffered if there is a break in communication. The successor system from the previous manufacturer did not comply with the requirements described above, so the Bad Kreuznach municipal utility company started looking for a suitable alternative. In the end, the decision was made to use the remote control system from Phoenix Contact. The products from East Westphalia have a very good reputation among water specialists. Hauke Abbas, expert in Industry Management Water and Wastewater, knows exactly why. “Our modular remote control stations are based on a combination of one of our application-specifi c controllers, in this case the Inline controllers, and the Resy+ function block library for remote control technology. With this combination of both elements, a modular solution has been created that treatment plant 23 reservoirs serve as a buffer not only enables connection to different control systems but also the easy and fl exible adaptation to the respective situation on site, and without any in-depth programming knowledge.” Direct control Moreover, in addition to the remote control technology, the controller can also take on further control, regulation, and monitoring functions; that is to say, it is used not just for transmitting senor data, but it can also be used for direct intervention by the control room. Gunther Christmann explains.  Empowering the All Electric Society Climate change is exacerbating the shortage of drinking water. Desert areas are expanding, former farmland is becoming infertile, and groundwater levels are dropping. Therefore, the careful and sustainable use of this resource is also essential to our existence. 4,000 km3 70% 5,753 m3 The number of cubic kilometers of of water is consumed by the The amount of water consumed fresh water consumed annually agricultural sector, 20% by industry, and just 10% by the municipal sector per inhabitant annually in Turkmenistan (cotton production); 11 m3 in the Congo The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 19

D R I N K I N G WAT E R “For example, we have integrated a pump control system using the standard Modbus protocol.” A typical characteristic of water management companies is the vastness of their facilities and supply networks. The supply lines, stretching across almost 500 kilometers, are technologically challenging not just because of their sheer length, but also because of the topography. This is because beyond the North German Plain, hills and mountains, forests, and towns present potential obstacles. Numerous companies within the water management industry rely on company-owned lines and extensive IP networks for remote control. “We have this safely under control with our devices from the Ethernet extender product family,” says Hauke Abbas, describing the situation on site. “Line lengths of up to 20 kilometers can be achieved and components can be started up easily thanks to Plug and Play technology.” Open interfaces also accommodate existing remote control technology Secure data transmission is possible from the fi eld level all the way to the control room 20 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

Gunther Christmann of the Bad Kreuznach municipal utility company Phoenix Contact expert Hauke Abbas (right) at the briefing in the supervisory control room “Modernizing the remote control technology had to be performed successively. Old and new systems had to work alongside each other.” Gunther Christmann, Bad Kreuznach municipal utility company Wireless alongside cellular communication If fixed signal lines are not available, for example in sparsely populated regions or due to unfavorable topography, simple alternatives to cables are needed to connect the more remote stations to the control room. Abbas explains. “When there is no other way, we can establish our own wireless networks in addition to the traditional cellular network.” Phoenix Contact has developed the license- free Trusted Wireless technology for this special application. In addition to the robust forwarding of data, it is characterized by flexible network structures with access-proof transmission. The high security standard is achieved through sophisticated authentication and encryption procedures as well as a proprietary approach. the different “Due to the multitude of possible network ranges, structures as well as the combination of cable-based and wireless communication is ideally suited for networking water distribution systems, here at our company as well. And we feel that we are well equipped for the coming decades,” says Christmann, the water treatment plant specialist, optimistically. (ha/lo)  kreuznacherstadtwerke.de The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 21

Under pressure 24/7 1,500 cubic kilometers of wastewater are produced worldwide every year. This is an enormous amount which, if not treated appropriately, will endanger the global drinking water cycle in the long term. In Konstanz on Lake Constance, the risks and solutions to this problem are omnipresent. A round 35 percent of all people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water today. Until a few decades ago, poor water quality was also a problem in Lake Constance. Until well into the 1960s, wastewater fl owed largely untreated into the “Swabian Sea”, which serves as a drinking water reservoir for the entire region. In the 1950s, phosphorus levels began to rise dramatically. New artifi cial fertilizers, the triumph of water-fl ushed toilets, and the widespread use of washing machines and dishwashers created an entirely new wastewater situation. In addition, the population around Lake Constance increased signifi cantly. Industrial and slaughterhouse wastewater entered the lake untreated. The result was massive algae blooms that deprived  22 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

I N D U S T R I A L WAT E R the lake of oxygen and nearly caused its ecosystem to collapse several times. In 1959, the International Commission for the Protection of Waters was founded to coordinate the wastewater treatment of the countries on its shores. This commission decided that sewage treatment plants and sewers should protect Lake Constance. The fi rst stage of the Konstanz central sewage treatment plant was put into operation in 1966. It was not until 1968 that the biological purifi cation stage was ceremoniously inaugurated. But it would take another 20 years before Lake Constance was no longer threatened by algal blooms and biological die-offs. Wastewater goes into the lake and drinking water goes out In the meantime, the situation has improved considerably. And this despite the infl ow of wastewater that has already been treated. This requires particularly thorough cleaning so that the wastewater does not become a problem for the liquid nutrient. The waste disposal companies of the city of Konstanz are responsible for this task. Entsorgungsbetriebe Stadt Konstanz (EBK), the Konstanz municipal waste collection and recycling company, is the largest company of its kind in the Lake Constance region. The approximately 110 employees focus on waste removal and recycling, as well as sewage disposal and treatment. In the main water treatment plant, up to 40 million liters of wastewater are treated every day. It comes from the Konstanz metropolitan region, the municipalities of Allensbach and Reichenau and the Swiss city of Kreuzlingen, and the municipalities of Tägerwilen and Gottlieben, both also in Switzerland. This equates to a population of around 175,000 people. On the trip from the polluter to the wastewater treatment plant, the wastewater must travel great distances and handle differences in altitude in a sewerage system that is approximately 295 kilometers long. A total of 26 pumping stations are used to ensure this. The rainwater is collected and treated in 16 rainwater treatment plants and four rainwater clarifi ers before it is discharged into Lake Constance. This is heavy-duty work for a module that is indispensable when water has to be channeled through pipes and basins. Four large Hidrostal pumps, each with a capacity of 75 kW, operate in the intake pumping station in Konstanz when it is dry, alongside three additional powerful pumps during rainy weather. At least one of the four heavy-duty assistants is  “We see ourselves as environmentalists fi rst and foremost.” Mirco Ebeling, Director of “Wastewater Treatment Plant and Pumping Stations Operations”, City of Konstanz The control room in Konstanz receives messages from the fi eld, which extends into Switzerland The pipeline network is more than 295 kilometers long 24 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

Empowering the All Electric Society It is not just the connection of electrical lines in the control cabinet that ensures clean drinking water at Lake Constance despite the disposal of wastewater, but also the monitoring of the pump systems used. A combination of energy and data fl ow ensure the usability and quality of the drinking water reservoir. 25% 80% 85% of all electricity worldwide is consumed by pumps of all pumps used are centrifugal pumps of the total life cycle costs of pumps are due to their energy consumption Konstanz sewerage system Germany Langenrain Wallhausen Eastern Bodan- rück peninsula Tägerwilen and Gottlieben Kreuzlingen Catchment area City of Konstanz Kaltbrunn Dettingen Dingelsdorf Obersdorf Allensbach Hegne Litzelstetten Gnadensee Reichenau Mainau Egg Konstanz Untersee Konstanz wastewater treatment plant Gottlieben Tägerwilen Bay of Constance Lake Constance Switzerland Kreuzlingen Main collector Open watercourse Wastewater pressure line Pumping station Rain overfl ow basin Transfer of wastewater from Allens- bach, Reichenau and Kreuzlingen, Gottlieben, and Tägerwilen Konstanz central sewage treatment plant Intake pumping station Konstanz wastewater treatment plant 1 2 Screening plant 3 Sand trap 8 4 Rainwater clarifi cation and buffer tanks 5 Coarse desludging 6 Nesting tanks 7 Intermediate pumping station and precipitant station 7 6 5 4 2 1 3 8 Final purifi cation tank 9 Sludge dewatering hall 10 Pre-thickener 11 Sludge pumping station 12 Post-thickener 13 Sludge digester 9 10 12 11 13 Treated wastewater The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 25

I N D U S T R I A L WAT E R always running; in other words, in 24/7 operation. The energy required for this is considerable: The pumps need around 560 megawatts of energy for their pumping activity. A holistic approach is more useful than bit-by-bit Energy consumption and maintenance monitoring – this is where the experts from Phoenix Contact, who were tasked with improving the effi ciency of the overall system, came in. If this system were to be optimized, a huge amount of energy would be able to be saved. Electrical engineering master Thomas Geiz, who works in solution sales for water management at Phoenix Contact, explains. “We didn’t just look at the operating circuit of the pump and drive motor. We fi rst looked at system effi ciency of the plant. Which operating point has the best ratio of supplied electrical power to pumped wastewater volume? When thinking about these things, aspects such as the pipe installation, the pump’s suction pressure, and additional hydraulic circumstances play important roles alongside pump and motor effi ciency. Until the 1960s, the wastewater pumped into Lake Constance remained largely untreated 26 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

The PumpMonitor panel immediately informs the maintenance engineer of the status of the monitored pump 40Millions of liters of wastewater are treated every day in the wastewater plant in Konstanz The PumpMonitor is a compact unit that can also be used immediately in existing systems In addition, the availability of the pumps as well as the maintenance and servicing required to keep them running 24/7 has to be taken into consideration. In recent years, costly repairs have been made to the pumps. We were only able to determine the cause to a limited extent.” The “PumpMonitor” is a ready-to-install control cabinet solution that is used for the comprehensive monitoring of pumps and motors as well as for increasing effi ciency. As part of status monitoring, the system evaluates mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical wear indicators. Hartmut Appelt, head of the Wastewater Chemistry Department at EBK, points out another important advantage of the PumpMonitor: “We activated effi ciency monitoring by taking a measurement during operation and immediately recorded the current status of the pumps. This means that the system is ideal for systems with existing pumps. After determining the best operating point and effi ciency of the system, the values are displayed to us as traffi c lights and an absolute number that are immediately clear.” Monitoring step-by-step The specialist, Geiz, explains further. “From this point onward, the changes the system goes through during its life cycle can be monitored. Moreover, operating personnel are informed as soon as the effi ciency level drops. These parameters, as well as the status variables, are evaluated directly in PumpMonitor, meaning that a simple overview of the pump status is available to EBK employees at all times via the traffi c light display. When changes occur here or in pump effi ciency, they can consult the advanced view to determine exactly what the cause is.” In the fi rst step, one of the dry weather pumps was equipped with the monitoring system as a means of acquiring practical experience. The test phase went smoothly, and in the meantime, the other pumps have also been secured and monitored with “their own” PumpMonitor. The EBK employees integrated the solution into the wastewater treatment plant’s distributed control system by themselves. From the potential communication standards, including OPC, Modbus/TCP, and Profi net, they selected the Profi net protocol. This protocol includes a documented, defi ned data structure for accepting the information from the PumpMonitor system, making integration much simpler. “The ability to use controllers from Phoenix Contact that function as Profi net clients within the programming example programs also played a role in realizing the task more quickly,” says Appelt. Because the wastewater treatment plant also has an automation system from Phoenix Contact with Profi net functionality, this was the easiest way into the control room. Thus armed, the people of Konstanz can look to the future with confi dence when it comes to the cleanliness of their “Swabian Sea”. (tg/lo)  update.phoenixcontact.com/en/ The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 27

M O N I T O R I N G A N D M A I N T E N A N C E Pressure makers in the spotlight Did you know that between 20 and 25 percent of the electricity generated worldwide is consumed by pumps? And that 85 percent of the lifecycle costs of the pressure makers are due to energy consumption during operation? These are reasons enough to de- vote intensive attention to the topic of pump moni- toring and maintenance. “Almost 80 percent of all pumps worldwide are centrifugal pumps,” explains Thomas Geiz. “This includes very small pumps, but also enormous units in power plants, in heavy industry, in agriculture and shipping, in water treatment plants, and in locks. And when they break down, entire functional units or production lines come to a standstill.“ The man knows what he is talking about, because Geiz (45) comes from the water management industry. Before he and a team developed PumpMonitor (yes, that’s actually how it is spelled!) among other projects, his career also included working in the power plant industry, helping to develop power grid and transformer stations and, as a water treatment plant engineer, playing a role in the technological development jump towards digital data acquisition in maintenance applications. “The previous generation of water treatment engineers and maintenance specialists serviced their pumps by ear. They knew exactly what a healthy pump sounded like. But there is hardly anyone from this generation left. This brought us around to thinking about how we could record the status data of pumps in such a way that, fi rst of all, the data is immediately visible during routine maintenance on site if something was wrong. Second, it was important to us that remote control rooms can detect immediately that a pump is not running smoothly, and can then respond.” These considerations resulted in a ready-to-install small control cabinet, which is equipped so that it can immediately realize the requirements based on practical experience. The panel on the control cabinet door immediately tells the maintenance engineer The sensor technology comes from co-developer PCB Synotech The Axioline AXC 1050 controller is next to the power supply 28 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

A small cabinet with huge potential – Thomas Geiz with “his” PumpMonitor the status of the connected pump, and the control room receives information on the pump’s status and effi ciency. “We are of course also considering an extension with a cloud connection to allow automated recommended actions to be made available for support in the future. But before artifi cial intelligence can evaluate these plant statuses, we still have a bit of development work ahead of us. At that point, as soon as the pump’s operating data deviates from its ideal conditions, the control room can be alerted and the reason for the deviation in values can also be assessed.” This will turn the PumpMonitor into the digital ear that the previous generation of water treatment experts had – allowing it to overcome the generational transition and increase effectiveness.  Contact: thomas.geiz@phoenixcontact.de “The old maintenance guys were able to assess a pump by ear.” Thomas Geiz The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 29

Oceangoing vessels up to 125,000 gross registered tons (GRT) can navigate this canal T he Sassevaart shipping lane was inaugurated in 1549. This medieval artifi cial shipping route established the connection from Ghent to the North Sea. Previously, the Zwin River had been the sea route; however, it had become increasingly silted in and impassable. The Sassevaart is the forerunner of the canal from Ghent to Terneuzen in the Netherlands, opened in 1827, where the huge sea lock points the way into the Western Scheldt estuary and thus into the North Sea. After Antwerp and Bruges-Zeebrugge, Ghent, of all places, located in the hinterland, is the third- largest seaport in Belgium. This shipping port mainly handles bulk goods, such as agricultural commodities and iron ore. Today, the Ghent-Terneuzen canal, which has two locks in Terneuzen, is 32 kilometers long, 12.5 meters deep, and 200 meters wide, meaning that oceangoing vessels carrying up to 125,000 GRT are able to navigate it. Shipping into the hinterland The route beacons – that is to say, the canal bank lighting – are an essential part of the technical infrastructure of a waterway. They ensure that captains, pilots, and canal controllers can see the course of the canal route clearly even at night. In this context, an important requirement is that all of the lamps work independently of each other. If one lighting fi xture fails, this does not affect  The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 31

1 M 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 M Master Repeater/Slave 14 15 32 16 17 control boxes are installed along the canal “We do not use the wireless network just to control the lighting.” Herman de Grave, Planner at Istimewa Elektro the operation of the other lamps. In addition, the voltage at each light source must be constant – even when there are high load fl uctuations. A total of 300 lighting masts are installed along both banks of the Ghent-Terneuzen canal, ensuring safe passage for ships even during the night. The Dutch company Istimewa Elektro B.V. specializes in the offshore, infrastructure, water, and environment sectors. Istimewa Elektro was awarded the contract to modernize the lighting along the Dutch section of the canal in 2016. To ensure that the new LED lights could be grouped more effi ciently, the company installed additional control boxes that are connected locally to the power grid. However, there were no control lines installed at the time for switching the lighting both centrally and locally. Wireless instead of cables Including the side ports, the Dutch section of the canal is 26 kilometers long. “Because of the signifi cant costs that would have been incurred installing control lines, we were faced with the challenge of fi nding an alternative, more cost- effective solution,” recalls Wilco van Genderen, Project Manager at Istimewa Elektro. “We fi nally decided to use the Radioline wireless system from Phoenix Contact,” adds Max Verveer, Technical Engineer at Istimewa Elektro.

Once the technical support staff from Phoenix Contact had completed the initial route planning, the ideal position of the wireless modules and antennas was determined on site. This showed that the control boxes for the lighting had in some cases been installed great distances apart from each other, and were obscured by obstacles such as trees or buildings. In this case, the modular Radioline system allows the use of various wireless frequencies. It was only possible to cover these distances and to penetrate the obstacles using the 868 MHz wireless modules. Radioline wireless module with I/O extension module lighting strings (north/south) A total of 17 control boxes are installed along the canal for switching the lighting. The largest distance between two boxes is more than two kilometers. To transmit the control commands, each control box is equipped with one Radioline wireless module combined with one I/O extension module. Two are activated per box. On the one hand, this happens automatically when darkness falls, but the strings can also be activated manually by a bridge operator or from the central control room in Terneuzen. “We do not just use the wireless network to control the lighting. In addition, we also use it to transmit various status signals from the bridges and locks to the supervisory control room,” explains Herman de Grave, who works as a Planner for Istimewa Elektro. Because of the redundant communication paths, the connection is secure against interference, meaning that even large ships, which can block the line of sight between the stations, do not cause wireless communication to fail. (From left to right) Herman de Grave (Planner at Istimewa), Wilco van Genderen (Project Manager), Paul Zeelen (Sales Promoter Industrial Electronics at Phoenix Contact B.V.), and Max Verveer (Technical Engineer at Istimewa) “The wireless network has been operational since April 2017. Since then, there have not been any failures – be it when there is fog, snow, or when large ships pass by,” concludes Wilco van Genderen. In this way, modern wireless technology has also made the historic shipping route passable for generations to come. (sf/lo)  istimewa-elektro.nl The wireless station is equipped with an omnidirectional antenna 33

Pool supervisor A swimming pool in your own back yard – almost everyone dreams about it, even people living in one-bedroom apartments. The Belgian manufacturer LPW Pools makes this dream come true with one-piece pools made of composite materials. They require covers, which are manufactured by sister company Covrex. To ensure that the dream stays fun, the company uses products from Phoenix Contact. W hat do swimming pools have to do with terminals, controls, and switch cabinets? “More than you’d think” explains Raf Olaerts of Covrex. The company, based in Aarscht near Brussels, manufactures automatic pool covers and their custom-fi t drive systems. Together with the swimming pool manufacturer LPW Pools, which is present in the Benelux countries and Germany, both companies belong to the TSPH group of companies (The Swimming Pool Hub). Raf Olaerts is responsible for the fi eld of automation at Covrex. And therefore, he’s right at the center of developing the innovative products Covrex is known for. Without a cover, a swimming pool can quickly become a problem. “More than 70 percent of all pool owners opt for a pool cover,” Olaerts explains in the interview. “The reasons for this are, fi rst of all, safety and cleanliness, because a pool without a cover can quickly become a risk, especially in a family household. And  Ease of maintenance and robustness are in the Covrex requirement specifi cation The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 35

T H E WAT E R ’S WA R M without a cover, a pool quickly becomes a magnet for anything that fl ies around in the air, from leaves and twigs to waterfowl and dust. Moreover, in our latitudes, the temperatures during the cooler months cannot be ignored. If the body of water is unprotected, it will quickly lose its comfortable temperature, and is even in danger of freezing.” When it comes to hardware, Covrex therefore relies on various pool canopies with a clear-glass look, which turn the pool into a true swimming pool, and, for a less expensive version, on slatted covers. Covrex holds its own patents on its fully foamed versions of these. These fully foamed slatted covers offer better thermal insulation and are more resistant to weather conditions such as frost and hail. Customers can choose from a variety of shapes, colors, and accessories for their pool. The electronic pool supervisor To ensure that this hardware can be put to good use, electrical helpers are indispensable. Pumps and fi lter systems, heating and lighting, and the drives of the motor-driven covers require expert installation. Covrex uses its own control cabinets Covrex’s parent company is The Swimming Pool Hub (TSPH) produced in-house, in which all functions are combined in a user-friendly controller with remote control. “Our pool controllers are standardized basic solutions that can be adapted to the specifi c situation on site at the customer’s premises,” Raf Olaerts explains regarding the procedure. High availability and low maintenance were included in the requirement specifi cation for the development of the “Our pool control system is a standardized control cabinet that we customize on site.” Raf Olaerts, Covrex 36 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

The foamed slats protect against dirt and temperature loss The roll-up mechanism is usually at the bottom of the pool. The controller therefore has to be robust and take various safety issues into consideration pool control cabinet. We faced a special challenge with the automatic swimming pool cover, because its drive system is completely submerged. “The control box therefore has two separate power supplies,” Raf Olaerts explains. “If a leak occurs and short-circuits the motor, the rest of the system continues to function.” Covrex solves another potential problem with a special power relay in the power supply to the motor. “The reeling system is often installed in a niche at the bottom of the pool,” explains Raf Olaerts. “Because the slats are lighter than water, they counteract the tensile forces of the electric motor. When they are being rolled up, they turn the electric motor in the wrong direction, so to speak. Using the changeover relay, we can slow the motor down and prevent it from acting as a generator in the direction of the power grid. Moreover, the speed needs to be controlled to ensure that the pool cover lies correctly on the surface.” Jimmy De Sitter has been the contact person at Phoenix Contact for many years. He goes on to explain. “The ELR module has a built-in surge protection system, and can control the speed of the motor using pulse width modulation (PWM). For applications such as these, where a DC motor needs to be reversed and decelerated, it is an effi cient solution because the module controls everything electronically.” is that they are always thinking about these types of solutions with us,” says Raf Olaerts. “When we have a question, we don’t just get a quick answer. Our partners at Phoenix Contact also come up with ideas and then think ahead with us.” The cooperation between the two companies began many years ago in the fi eld of production, and over time has shifted more and more directly into Covrex products. Complete modules In addition to power supplies and the ELR module, modular terminal blocks from Phoenix Contact are used, including special terminal blocks for potential distribution that facilitate smooth and effi cient assembly. In the meantime, Covrex also makes use of Phoenix Contact’s Value Added Center for the supply of complete module strips. These are customer-specifi c DIN rails on which all the desired components are already mounted and equipped with the necessary markings and bridges. The backyard swimming pool business is booming. And thanks to the cooperation with Phoenix Contact, Raf Olaerts and his team can devote themselves to the further development of their innovative products, ensuring that the dream of a pool does not become a technological belly-fl op. (lo)  “One of the reasons we like working with Phoenix Contact covrex.com The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 37

I N D U LG E N C E Dripping with sophistication When it comes to brewing, many people think of hops, malt, or distilleries. But if you want to sharpen your senses rather than befuddle them, a drink made from the ground beans from the Rubiaceae family comes to mind. The Thun coffee machines try to extract the maximum taste and indulgence from these elegant beans. C offee is cultivated in more than 50 countries worldwide. But its origin is in the southwest of Ethiopia, more precisely in the province of Kaffa. From there, it began its triumphal march in the 9th Century, fi rst through the Arab world, then with detours through the colonial powers throughout the globe. There are parts of the world where the handling and enjoyment of the brown bean has become part of the cultural heritage, like in Italy. And there are regions where a distant imitation of the once-carefully harvested crop is squeezed through the fi lters from the nozzles of cheap, fully automatic machines. In this respect, it is a delicate matter when a North German, who based on tradition should be more of a tea drinker than a coffee drinker, interviews a Swiss man with close ties to Italy on the subject of coffee – particularly because this is not about the bean itself, but about an extremely high-quality piece of equipment that is intended to elicit a maximum of fl avor from the noble beans. We dared to do it anyway, because after all, the inner workings of the Thun coffee vending machines are adorned with a small but rather crucial technological genie from East Westphalia. The degree of roasting The fi rst thing that interests me, of course, is how a Swiss laboratory and medical technology engineer, who has a passion for espresso, arrives at the topic of fi lter coffee. Because that is precisely the showpiece of Thun coffee machines – a fi lter coffee machine. Markus Widmer has to laugh himself. “Of course, I do actually come from the camp of espresso drinkers. It is pretty much a geographic matter. In the south of Europe, Switzerland, Austria, and the south of Germany, the coffee bean is roasted darker, ground fi ner, and then a maximum of fl avor is extracted from it using little water and high pressure. Beyond this region, and this applies almost globally, coffee is usually roasted lighter, ground more coarsely, and infused 38 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

“We have digitized the production of excellent fi lter coffee.” Dr. Markus Widmer, Thun Kaffeemaschinenfabrik with more water without pressure to make fi lter coffee.” No wonder, then, that Dr. Markus Silvan Widmer, who founded his own engineering company a good ten years ago (specialized in the automation of laboratory technology), fi rst had to deal with fi nely ground beans. Personal contacts with baristas led to an unusual order. “Thomas Liebe, who I have known for many years, is a barista. And a coffee machine designer. He was commissioned by a German company to build a special coffee machine, something that did not yet exist. We helped with its development, and then started to take a liking to this topic.”  Phase 1 88°C – the grounds are wetted Phase 2 90°C – the coffee is extracted Phase 3 89°C – the calm- ing phase The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 39

I N D U LG E N C E The Tone Touch 03 in its natural environment – together with Thomas Liebe and Markus Widmer, its developers The result of this liaison is a wonderful semi-automatic hand-lever machine designed to fi t the espresso lover’s hand. And whose technology is just as much of a milestone. Widmer explains, “In the vast majority of cases, the hot water that a coffee machine needs is heated in boilers and kept at temperature there. More than 90 percent of the heat is dissipated to the surroundings, with just fi ve to ten percent used in making the coffee. This is no longer acceptable in the 21st Century!” Dr. Widmer and his team have opted for an innovative through-fl ow heating system. This not only saves around 90 percent of the energy, but also allows radically different designs, since the bulky water boiler is no longer needed. This commissioned work gave rise to the idea of the Thuner Kaffeemaschinenfabrik (TKM) coffee machine company. And, with the “Tone Touch 03”, the best that money can buy when it comes to fi lter coffee. This, at least, is the assessment of numerous baristas worldwide, Widmer assures us. “Our aim was to simplify the whole process of making coffee with a digital interface. The basic settings are made on a PC, so we were able to achieve a very purist design.” The following information will be of interest to people with a taste for indulgence. “Within the coffee industry, we know that the temperature of the water has an important impact on the taste. You can divide the preparation of coffee into three phases. First, the water is heated and added to the coffee grounds – the grounds are wetted. In the second phase, the extraction or pulse phase, you try to extract as much from the coffee as possible. The fi nal phase is the calming phase, where only a little water is added, along the wall of the vessel.” Astonished owners of run-of-the-mill fully automatic machines will additionally fi nd it interesting to learn that volume delivery and fl ow rate are also important criteria. And, on top of all that, “The Tone Touch 03 works with different temperatures. You can start the fi rst phase at around 88 degrees Celsius. The second is performed at 90 degrees, and the third at 89 degrees. This can be set using the digital interface with a special PC program. The water is then distributed over the coffee grounds with a spray head. 40 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

Almost too elegant for fi lter coffee – the Tone Touch 03 from Thun Thanks to the newly developed PRC connector, the control unit and power supply can be disconnected in a fl ash 2.6 billion cups of coffee are drunk worldwide every day Depending on the fl ow speed, this creates different levels of turbulence in the coffee-water mixture, resulting in different fl avor characteristics.” The elegant machines are assembled in a manufactory in Thun, Switzerland, with care and a great deal of craftsmanship. And this is where Phoenix Contact comes into play. “We manufacture for the professionals. It is therefore important to make servicing and maintenance as simple, uncomplicated, and fast as possible. This is why we came up with the idea of designing our entire brewing unit to be so compact that by loosening just two screws, the water supply, the power supply, Alongside the quality of the drink produced, ease of maintenance was at the top of the service specifi cation and a connection system for the controller can be removed.” And voilà. This is where the new PRC connectors come into play, connecting the black box of the brewing unit to the power supply. Why this system? “We were looking for a solution that was as simple and robust as possible to satisfy the idea of service-friendliness. Phoenix Contact was simply the most attractive solution for us, both due to the product and the advice that came with it.” Who says that East Westphalian connection technology can’t also be a treat for the palate? Our only problem now is to fi gure out how to justify swapping the offi ce’s resident “volume brewer” (that actually is the name of the dull device!) for a Tone Touch 03...  tone-swiss.com The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 41

WAT E R F U N second-generation T he Klarer Wasserrutschen company, a family business in Hallau, a town in German-speaking Switzerland, is dedicated to acceleration in its wettest form – they make water slides. But if small children’s slides at the local outdoor pool spring to mind, you’d be wrong. Names such as “Fake Slide”, “Infi nity Jump”, and “Kamikaze” suggest that sliding is thought of in a different dimension here. The products from Hallau are brightly colored, as tall as a house, and the main attraction in theme and water parks worldwide. However, visiting the company’s headquarters is initially surprising. “We haven’t manufactured the slides themselves here for a long time,” says Tobias Beukelmann, as he welcomes us and leads us into a surprisingly small production hall. There 120 The amount of water in cubic meters needed for large slides to transport their visitors smoothly is no trace of aqua fun or torrents of water, so we leave our swimming trunks in our bags. “This is where we plan our slides and manufacture the electrical engineering for them. The elements are manufactured in Slovakia. The metalworking shop that we need is also located there.” Origins in toboggan runs The e-technology development manager explains. “The company was founded by Armin Klarer more than 30 years ago. He started with toboggan runs made of GFRP. They had to be made smooth after manufacturing. And this involved lots of water, cloths, and of course slides. It therefore made sense that at some point we would begin to focus entirely on fun in swimwear instead of snow pants. In the meantime, the company is managed by Claudia and Stefan Klarer, the next generation of the family. And with the second generation it became international. Initially, we also made the equipment here, but that changed years ago.” So no water fun at work? Tobias Beukelmann grins. “Well, mixing water into the production and assembly of our control cabinets wouldn’t be a very good idea at all. But when we developed the air slide, for example, we set up the fi rst test elements  It is clear that Phoenix Contact fans are at work in the control cabinet manufacturing department Water slides from Klarer are always individual orders that have to be planned precisely The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 45

Tobias Beukelmann is head of e-technology – his systems are not affected by splashes of water “For an on-location shoot, I’ve also had to slide 30 times with a bodycam until we managed to fi t every effect in the frame.” Tobias Beukelmann knows “his” slides inside out here on the lawn.” Aha! So they do have a workplace with swimming trunks alongside respirator masks and safety shoes after all! Beukelmann dampens our enthusiasm. “Well, the water is freezing cold, though – we don’t heat it up.” Slid, asked, hired Even though we are quite close with the border to Germany in the north of Switzerland, our interview partner’s lack of dialect is noticeable. “I come from Wuppertal and have only been working here since 2016.” So how does a Wuppertal native end up in Switzerland? “There is a water park with a large slide complex in Plettenberg, and as a technician in machine building, I was simply curious to know who built it.” The question turned into a contact, and the contact turned into the job as head of e-manufacturing. 46 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

WAT E R F U N “The ideas for the various elements that make up our slides are born here within the team. This is how the Free Falls came about, for example, where optical illusions make you think you’re sliding straight ahead until suddenly a ledge opens up underneath you. Or the High Fly, where swimmers can master a ski jump. We have a Freestyle standing slide, Looping Slide, Magic Tube, and the brand new Stormchaser, where we use a turbine that can even shoot the water park guest uphill at up to a wind speed of 100 km/h.” Each of the approximately 40 slides that are built each year is a custom-made product, tailored to the wishes and conditions of the operators on site. “My team and I make the control cabinets needed here in Hallau. We plan and manage time measurements, effect controllers, lighting, and music, as well as videos and touchpoints in the installations, in addition to the connecting the sensor technology in the system. The water technology itself is the only part that we do not take care of – the operator handles that. And we also commission the slides on site as well.” TÜV accreditation Up to 120 m3 of water pour down the smooth lanes per hour. “We receive a signal from the pump about whether the operation is okay, then we control the system right down to the access controls, such as turnstiles. Naturally, TÜV Süd checks every system for safety and accredits them.” Both in production and the control cabinet, it becomes clear that Klarer Wasserrutschen has a close connection to East Westphalia. “Along with the ST series terminal blocks, we also use switches and relays from Phoenix Contact. The mGuards guarantee the security of our electrical systems.” In addition to tools from Blomberg, the Swiss company also uses marking technology from Phoenix Contact. “The systems have to be reliable, even if the end customer only has fun in mind at the water park. But the operator cannot have any disruptions at all, so the need for smooth, secure operations and simple maintenance routines is the same as in industry.” Because if the slide stops, the fun stops. However, Tobias Beukelmann and his small team are fairly certain that they won’t get wet feet with the next breath-taking attractions. (lo)  klarer.com/index_e.php Safety and reliability are essential factors for success, even in a water park Production quality is equal to that of industrial systems The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 47

I N T E R V I E W Diﬃ cult choices Frank Possel-Dölken has been a member of the Phoenix Contact Executive Board since August 2020. What has changed for the Chief Digital Offi cer since then? And what opportunities and risks does he see for the future of Phoenix Contact?  Mr. Possel-Dölken, you have been with Phoenix Con- tact since 2008. Can you tell us about your professional career before you started working with us? Of course. I studied machine building at RWTH Aachen University from 1994 to 1999, majoring in production technology. I took the opportunity to go to Tsinghua University in Beijing for a year as a guest researcher before returning to Aachen to do my doctorate. The subject was the software development of control systems for machine tools in machine building.  So initially a purely academic career? Although I have also been involved in teaching, I have always been more of a practitioner, having also been active in business process management for many years, among other things. As a full-time scientist I then worked in the WZL machine tool laboratory. The WZL is very practice-oriented; for example, my fi rst project was developing a planning system for a fl exible manufacturing system in the aircraft industry in Canada.  That sounds really exciting. So why the move to free enterprise? It was indeed. Most recently, I was General Manager of the German “Integrative Production Technology for High- Wage Countries” Cluster of Excellence. This was focused on production technology on a global scale, in which numerous partners from industry were also involved. But at some point it was time for a change, because a scientifi c career was not really my thing, even though it was an enjoyable time.  How did contact with Phoenix Contact come about? Naturally, I already knew Phoenix Contact as one of the players in automation technology. Phoenix Contact was one of the pioneers when it came to the subject of wireless in the industry. Phoenix Contact was also one of the fi rst to create an environment for programming control systems with high- level languages in the area of “IT-powered automation”. We have polished this into the form of PLCnext to such an extent that it is really fun today.  So your dream destination was East Westphalia? (Laughs) Well. At a machine building convention in Berlin in 2007, Mr. Hasse persuaded me over coffee to drop by for a visit to Blomberg. I’ll be honest, the region of East Westphalia was not at the top of my list of destinations. But I am a Westphalian by family; I can play Doppelkopf (a popular German card game) and I also go down the cellar when I want to laugh,” he 48 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

says with a broad grin. “When my wife sat with me in a café in Detmold on a gloomy November day and said that she could imagine living here, the matter was decided. I then started the job in 2008.  But you didn’t start in automation development? That’s right. I spent the fi rst few years in our in-house machine and tool shop. This job gave me the opportunity to work on a wide range of subjects with a large number of colleagues from almost all areas of the company, which gave me a very good overview. Production equipment building may not sound very sexy, but at Phoenix Contact it is a real high-tech forge. For example, I was present in the early days of zinc die casting production, which is now located in Paderborn. At that time, this was a long-cherished wish of Klaus Eisert: A true connection technology company has to have its own foundry. In addition, around that time we also started working on automation in switchgear construction.  But that’s not all, otherwise we wouldn’t be doing this interview. A new set of tasks came with the subject of product lifecycle management. This is how I moved into the corporate technology fi eld. Ultimately, this resulted in becoming the head of Corporate Technology and Value Chain. This was followed by IT subjects relating to product data and subjects such as shop fl oor management. That led to me becoming the Business Unit head from 2016 to 2019. And then the gentlemen of the Executive Board approached me. I have been a member of the Executive Board team myself since August 2020.  What has changed for you? It was a smooth transition. However, in the past I very rarely went more than two years without making changes. Naturally, there have been some changes in interpersonal exchanges. I have noticed that people are suddenly talking to me as one of the General Managers. In this role, you have to think three times about what you are about say. People listen much more carefully and interpret three times more into what I say. That is a change, of course.  Which areas are new in your scope of responsibility? I am responsible for the Digital Process and Solutions Business Unit. This is a new organization set up as a central function in the area of business process management. Our IT is part of this, plus the area of digital customer interaction from the e-shop right through to online marketing.  The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 49

“The biggest challenge will be in deciding what not to do.” Frank Possel-Dölken, CDO Phoenix Contact In addition, there are central tasks in the fi eld of standardization. I am, for example, involved in the national Industry 4.0 platform, where I represent the interests of Phoenix Contact. With the departure of the current CTO Roland Bent, I will be taking over our IP Management team starting in March of this year.  How do you ﬁ t all these tasks into your schedule? The amount of time I commit to work has always been high. But sometimes this role is also about clearing your head for a while to think things through. You also need time to be able to do this. It is not about getting through as many deadlines as possible or working through all the fi les. The only way to lead is not just by doing everything yourself, but also by delegating sensibly. Travel will certainly take on a higher profi le in the post- COVID era. I used to visit our locations regularly, particularly in the USA and China. But in the future I will have more frequent appointments that are not directly related to production at our locations.  What are your upcoming tasks in the future? What do you ﬁ nd exciting? Naturally, I’m interested in topics such as the digital transformation and the associated internal process and IT infrastructure, digital products, and services. This is already the topic closest to my heart.  What are the challenges of the future for Phoenix Contact? When I look back over the past few years, I see incredible opportunities, in so many fi elds. So the biggest challenge will actually be in deciding what NOT to do. This is a wonderful position to be in, but is also a diffi cult task. Because our activities are widely spread. Technology disruptions are imminent, for example in e-mobility and renewable energies. If you think just of the fact that we are represented everywhere with our products, systems, and control cabinets in the booming wind and solar markets, it becomes clear that these are not exactly dark clouds on the corporate horizon. The role of the Executive Board is not just to open up every market that we can open up, even though it is tempting and the prospects are almost endless. Because this would simply overwhelm our strengths, those of our 17,600 employees. For us, it is not a matter of closing facilities or reducing the workforce. Our pain will lie in having to say no sometimes, regardless of just how fantastic the prospects are. 50 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

I N T E R V I E W To a certain extent, this is refl ected in my personal fi eld of responsibility. We do have a great deal of resources. But if we were to tackle all the highly interesting issues at once, we would also go under. Deciding what not to do is now my very own personal challenge – one that is completely new to me.  What role will Phoenix Contact play within the frame- work of the All Electric Society? Ultimately, the size of business that we have today dictates that we also have a social role to play. This is also a fi rst step in where we focus our objectives. If we are faced with the choice of becoming involved in industries that are nearing the end of their life cycle or in future fi elds such as renewable energy generation and the hydrogen economy, then we will always focus on the sustainable issues in the future. Our products play a signifi cant role as technical enablers in many fi elds of application and industries. Within the framework of the All Electric Society, we will focus our development work in the future on areas where there is a direct link to the key sustainability goals.  How are we proceeding in markets that opt for fossil energies or nuclear power? Are we really giving up sales? Nuclear power is very important in China and France, for example, and the oil and gas industry is very important in the USA. But there are changes taking place there, as well. Sustainability is a high priority in China’s upcoming fi ve-year plan. Similarly, large companies in the oil and gas business have started to adapt to the changes and are trying to develop new business areas. If we look into the circle of Phoenix Contact’s global management, that is to say into the circle of those responsible in the respective countries, then we see that of course we have people there who are attracted to the Phoenix Contact way of thinking; in other words, those who support more progressive attitudes. This enthusiasm is part of our entrepreneurial DNA. And yes, we will also take a pass on sales when in doubt. (lo)  update.phoenixcontact.com/en/ Frank Possel-Dölken in an open-air interview on the fl oodplains of the Emmer river The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 51

Zinc-plated series 3D printing with new possibilities Zamak 5 is a standard material in zinc die casting. In this process, molten material is pressed into steel moulds under high pressure. The process is of signiﬁ cance wherever large batch quantities are required. Disadvantage: The steel mould is complex to manufacture and expensive. When changes are made to the product, a new mold must be created each time. Protiq has now succeeded for the ﬁ rst time in designing a process for additive processing of the series material Zamak 5. This makes it possible to produce prototypes and small series out of zinc economically. In addition, component geometries are possible that could not be achieved with a casting mold. protiq.com B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S Benjamin Lenz, Hermann Trompeter, Franziska Berkling, Bastian Simon Bröckling, Marcel Volmari (from left) Germany’s Best Award in training from Phoenix Contact At the end of this training year, Marcel Volmari can call himself “Germany’s Best Toolmaker”. And Benjamin Lenz won the award for “Best IT Specialist for Application Development” in NRW. Franziska Berkling became the “Best Warehouse Logistics Specialist” in NRW. The trio not only received praise and recognition from their trainers, but also warm congratulations from the CEO of Phoenix Contact, Frank Stührenberg, in a corona- necessitated small ceremony at the Schieder Training Center. He was visibly proud of the outstanding results of the three trainees. “This is the merit of the good and well-founded training program at Phoenix Contact. We’ve had state-best trainees several times, and this year is the ﬁ rst time we’ve had a national-best trainee.” Ghost drivers in production Automated guided vehicle system connects automated small parts warehouse with production When the robot starts driving, no one at Phoenix Contact has to jump to the side in fright. With the new automated guided vehicle system (AGV), automation has also found its way into moving goods traﬃ c within the Blomberg site. the company’s premises. The blue sheet metal box travels between a state-of-the-art small parts warehouse and a production line. where the ghost driver takes over the load and then delivers it quickly. “The devices work in a similar way as domestic robot vacuum cleaners. Only bigger, more resilient, and even more ergonomically friendly,” explains Björn Eilert, who oversaw the introduction of autonomous driving on 52 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine To ensure that driving does not become an end in itself, the robot is linked to a state- of-the-art ordering system that employees can use to order the individual parts they need “just like on Amazon”. The material is transported from the automatic small parts warehouse in transport containers to a transfer point, Thanks to its safety systems, the “new colleague” of course keeps an eye out for the feet and shins of its unwary human colleagues. And since the containers are carried at waist level, no one has to stoop down at the receiving point. The only difference between it and our human colleagues is that it doesn’t leave its silent blue tin shell for dinner.

B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S High-speed launch in Poland E-mobility subsidiary expands production capacities Poland has not been a low- wage country for quite some time. But it is a country with a lot of young, committed, and well-educated talent, and it has a great deal of potential and excellent connections to neighboring countries. No wonder, then, that Phoenix Contact E-Mobility in Rzeszów, Poland, is fully committed to the future. Poland has been an important location in the global manufacturing network of automotive giants and their suppliers for years. Initially, the company was looking for a plant manager who would be responsible for the entire 15,000 square meter production facility in the new building to be constructed as well as a new team. Phoenix Contact E-Mobility’s ambitious plans for the future foresaw the ﬁ rst production start being as early as 2021. Since June 1, Dominik Mazur has been the plant Start-up with masks – the team at the new production site in Rzeszów-Dworzysko manager of the new factory in the Polish Rzeszów- Dworzysko Science and Technology Park. The speed at which the bold plan to expand production has taken off rivals that of any sports car. The topping-out ceremony was celebrated in September, and in the meantime the brand-new production building including administration has been completed. Project manager Christoph Paetzold is visibly proud. “We started producing AC charging cables in January. The core team of just ﬁ ve people has grown into a powerful force of 56 employees, and are still looking for reinforcements.” update.phoenixcontact.com/en/ Title for Testlab Testing institute with distinction CHARX takes charge New name brings product range together It is safe to call the independent testing institute Phoenix Testlab a pioneer in the world of electrical engineering. Quite oﬃ cially, it is now one of the “Milestones of Electronics”. This award, presented by the trade magazine Elektronik Praxis from the Vogel publishing house, recognizes Phoenix Testlab’s pioneering role in the ﬁ eld of EMC testing (for over 25 years) and in the ﬁ eld of battery testing (for 15 years). Although the award ceremony was not held as part of a grand gala due to COVID-19, General Manager Dr. Holger Altmaier nevertheless proudly accepted the award. phoenix-testlab.de/en/ The E-Mobility product range from Phoenix Contact has been given a new name: CHARX will, in the future, stand for comprehensive charging technology from Phoenix Contact. Instead of “Product xy from Phoenix Contact E-Mobility”, people will be reaching for “CHARX” in the future. Charging cables and charging sockets have been given the name CHARX connect. Controllers for the charging process are called CHARX control; software for the management of charging stations and parks is called CHARX manage. The DC power electronics for fast charging stations has been named CHARX power, and the necessary overvoltage protection in the charging station becomes CHARX protect. This year, the portfolio will be expanded to include DC power contactors called CHARX contact. Together with the matching components from the parent company Phoenix Contact, such as energy meters, power supplies, touch panels, and industrial connection and communication technology, a complete range of products for AC and DC charging is available. phoenixcontact.com/charx The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine UPDATE 1/21 53

Security on a blog New home for Security and Co. Security in everyday professional life, security in the data jungle – these can be gripping, applied topics that are linked to your own experience. Clearly arranged and attractively packaged. With easy-to-ﬁ nd individual blocks that lead to speciﬁ c action instructions. This is exactly what you will ﬁ nd when you visit the newly designed website of our Phoenix Contact colleagues in the Security, Safety, and CE division. This blog is all about making your professional life safer. Clearly arranged, with quick facts for both the professional and for the user. And, of course, combined with the offer made that the experts from Phoenix Contact will also take care of your very speciﬁ c professional/company problems in detail. blog.phoenixcontact.com/services B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S Digital consistency From planning to production With “Smart Engineering and Production 4.0”, a technology cooperation was started ﬁ ve years ago that was intended to provide the switchgear and controlgear manufacturing industry with end-to-end digitalization of engineering and production processes. During these ﬁ ve years, Eplan, Rittal, and Phoenix Contact have been setting standards that have long since been put into prac- tice. Conﬁ gurators, engineering platforms, automation solutions, and digital assistance systems work in a network. Roland Bent, General Manager of Phoenix Contact, sums up the joint commitment. “We have turned our ideas into consistently applicable products that support highly automated production, even down to a batch size of 1. Here, we are looking at the entire process: Digitalized product development in switch- gear and controlgear manufac- turing that paves the way for the industrialization of the industry.” smartengineeringandpro- duction.com/en/ The sun is rising in Bad Pyrmont Energy Solution Partner Program successfully launched It was a kick-off with signiﬁ cance. Phoenix Contact’s ﬁ rst Solution Partner Meeting with 35 customers and partners, which took place at the end of January, marks the start of an exciting collaboration in the ﬁ eld of renewable energies. This is because the spe- cialists from Phoenix Contact provide their customers with The focus of the Energy Solution Partner Program is on PGS controllers and the associated PLCnext technology. Those who achieve partner certiﬁ cation are provided with support in the development of speciﬁ c solutions, access to software solutions, and the assurance of continuous further development. In addition, there are speciﬁ c training courses ranging from terminal blocks all the way to automation technologies, as well as improved purchasing conditions. In addition, Phoenix Contact provides support when commissioning systems, personal contacts on site, and marketing support. Jörg Hildebrand, who numerous services for the realization and commissioning of their renewable energy sys- tems, in addition to continuous technological developments. developed the program with his team, says, “Based on the approximately 6,000 PGS controllers that are used each year in Germany alone, 54 UPDATE 1/21 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine Solar Team Phoenix Contact kick-off event we expect a sustainable development of the solar market. And with our Solution Partner Program, which was initially launched in Germany, we serve the needs of our customers precisely, right up to the certiﬁ cation of controllers in international markets.” After a brief round of introductions by the team led by Jörg Hildebrand and Torsten Sieker, Director Global Industry Management Solar Power, the participants then took the opportunity to get to know each other and to network. Afterwards, the focus was on the latest developments in the controller world of PLCnext and the PGS controller. An exchange between equals and a successful start to the new partner program, as Torsten Sieker emphasized in conclusion. phoenixcontact.com/ext/en/ pv-parkmanagement/index.html

The next issue will be published in May 2021: Earth The element earth is as diverse as its possible composition. And so is the way of working with it. From agriculture to mines, from tunnels to compost, from excavations to earthquakes – be inspired by the potentials of using technology from Phoenix Contact! AT THE CONSTRUCTION PIT Hamburg’s new pearl The Überseequartier quarter wants to become a new fl agship for the port city. Involved from the very beginning: Our experts from Building Automation. UNDERGROUND Stack em’ low There is nothing wrong here when your car disappears down a hole. Underground parking. ON GUARD Earthquake detector Blomberg technology helps when the earth shakes. Legal information Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG Corporate Communications Lutz Odewald (Editor-in-Chief) Telephone: +49 5235 3-42153 E-mail: lodewald@phoenixcontact.com Design and implementation: Ralf Tegtmeyer, Christian Brill Picture credits: Cover photo: © I.Dr/Shutterstock © Shutterstock: 2, 16, 17, 55 Thomas Franz: 08 ff, 16 ff, 30 ff, 22 ff, 42 ff Andre Köller: 3, 48 ff Dirk Leemans: 34 ff Lutz Odewald: 28 ff Dripping with sophistication: Thuner Kaffeemaschinenfabrik (p. 38 ff) Mobility by the seat of your pants: Klarer (p. 44) Copyright © 2021 Phoenix Contact All rights reserved.