Enter the smart zone

The Smart Suite, exhibited at the recent Hanover Fair, may not be the latest fashion accessory but the products herald a new era for pneumatics, according to IMI Norgren

Chosen for their functionality, built-in communications and diagnostic capability, the five products in the Smart Suite span key pneumatic functions such as air preparation, pressure and vacuum control, and actuation. The Smart products will enhance machine performance and provide valuable user intelligence and feedback. The Smart Suite of products will make pneumatics easier to install and use, and lead to better machine utilisation and less downtime.

The Smart cylinder is the first integrated actuator to fully comply with VDMA and IP66 standards within the VDMA space envelope. First exhibited as a prototype two years ago, the Smart cylinder has come a long way; it is available in stroke lengths of up to 1m and achieves a top speed of 1.5m/s, making it suitable for most applications. Despite its sleek, clean line appearance, it contains its own valve and solenoids, and fieldbus connection inside the casing and is fully interchangeable with other VDMA actuators across the complete range from 32 to 100mm bore.

Fieldbus diagnostics Other user benefits include diagnostics via the fieldbus system, which tell the operator whether or not the cylinder is functioning normally. Data is fed back to the operator which shows if the unit has stopped functioning correctly, or if there is maintenance required, and it shows exactly which unit on the machine has failed and therefore needs to be replaced. The integrated design makes it easier to specify, install and store pneumatic actuators, easing the work of design engineers, simplifying installation and reducing parts on the bill of materials.

Also in the Smart Suite is what is claimed to be the world's first microprocessor-controlled, programmable, proportional valve, integrated with the DeviceNet protocol. DeviceNet allows the full diagnostics potential of the microprocessor based device to be realised. Examples of the onboard diagnostics are proportional electronic feedback, threshold and tolerance alarms and operational life data. This allows 'plug-and-play' installation, not only to program the unit to exact specifications off-line, and to download parameters to ensure identical configuration set-up, but also to fine tune the valve to optimise machine performance during operation from a central control point.

The Smart pump is ideal for applications involving the movement of high-cost items such as panels in the automotive industry or white goods such as fridges or washing machines. Operators cannot afford loss of vacuum to cause an item to drop which would result both in lost-time and in the loss of an expensive article. The pump was demonstrated with a DeviceNet card providing user intelligence. The Intelligent FRL provides the operator with a warning when elements of the system are outside normal operating limits for instance when the filter needs replacing or the lubricant topping up. It can communicate with the system operator, using an electronic signal travelling either direct to a PLC via an AS-i system or to an audible alarm or LED. The beauty of this is that it can tell its operator exactly which element of the system needs attention before the performance of equipment downstream is affected. If the problem is not corrected, it can even shut the machine down to avoid unsafe operation. However, it will tell you before it does it! This diagnostic capability allows maintenance to be carried out quickly and efficiently, saving engineers the task of identifying the problem and locating the failed valve. A fieldbus system linked to a modem enables the valves to be operated remotely, sometimes thousands of miles away, allowing the operator or an engineer to be alerted to replace the valve before it fails.

V20/22 valves work in conjunction with Fieldbus II, which was designed so that, for the first time, any one of four fieldbus protocols could be used without the need for rewiring or changes to the hardware installation. Fieldbus II is compatible with Profibus DP, Device Net, CANopen, Interbus-S. It will drive up to 64 valves/outputs and 64 inputs, on each system, and is invisible to the user. A fieldbus "node" converts the system to the chosen protocol. Each protocol is plugged in and lifted out of the system without the need for complicated rewiring, taking the headache out of choosing the right protocol. The system appears as addresses on the chosen protocol, and is programmed as part of that system.

• Norgren
  Email b115@industrialnetworking.co.uk