Fieldbus to the
fore in glass plants
Dipl-Ing.
Jürgen Schlichting looks at the increasing significance of
fieldbus systems in the glass production process
Ever increasing
automation in machines and plants leads to increased wiring costs
due to the growing number of peripherals. Decentralised I/O systems
reverse this trend.
In the case
of glass production, proprietary software systems developed by automation
companies are being driven out by standardised systems based on
office application software based on Windows NT and third party
hardware, allied to data management systems and custom software.
Secondly, network
and communications technology is coming increasingly to the fore.
Networking standards, also emanating from office communications,
will gain the upper hand in the medium-term future, with internet/intranet
applications, such as browser-based operating and observation systems.
The traditional
I/O components used in process automation are being displaced by
fieldbus components, whereby local intelligence is being transferred
to the plant floor. In the future, using real-time enabled internet
technologies, it will be possible to ensure that every field device
will act as its own web server in an automation intranet.
New possibilities
are opened up by the increased application of standardised Fieldbus
protocols, such as Profibus, Interbus and CAN, allowing the integration
of products from different manufacturers. Data can be extracted
from the plant and used for statistical analysis, simulations and
process optimisation. The production process can be optimised by
modelling the real production process.
Ultimately
the system will evolve in a complete production management system,
controlling and supervising everything from raw material delivery
to despatch, including quality control and packaging. The system
can be controlled from anywhere enabling remotely-controlled diagnosis,
startup and maintenance
For simple
applications, four new and compact digital modules are offered by
Lenze. They are available with 8, 16 and 32 channels of input and
output. The CAN system bus is integrated as the communication interface.
Speedy wiring is ensured through pluggable terminal blocks with
tension spring contacts, and the compact designs provide high levels
of safety. Commissioning is quick through easy DIN rail mounting
and simple Lenze configuration software.
Complex tasks
For more complex automation applications, Lenze now offers a completely
new I/O system. The key element is a gateway module handling all
the process data with the Lenze system bus. Communication between
stations of process and parameter data as well as diagnostic information
is achieved by an internal back-panel bus. Up to 32 I/O modules
can be mounted side-by-side, thus achieving the ideal configuration
for each machine.
Both product
concepts use the same principles and can even be combined together
for individual solutions. For both the compact and modular variants,
connections at field level and setting of system parameters are
identical. This makes life easier: the user needs to familiarise
himself with the system only once. It goes without saying that the
I/O stations are fully integrated into the Lenze range of drive,
automation and software components.
Lenze also
offers a range of HMIs that can do more than just operate and observe.
Whether text unit, graphic display or touchscreen, the HMIs can
connect via CANbus to a higher-level control system or to the drive
controller itself without an additional interface.
Lenze
m161@industrialnetworking.co.uk
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