Electricity + Control January 2016

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION

ROUND UP

First contactless IO-link encoder

At the SPS IPC Drives fair Turck showcased the first fully contactless encoder which outputs its measured value via IO-Link.This makes the QR24-IOL an inexpensive alterna- tive to encoders with an analog interface. Us- ers can connect the single turn encoder with a standard M12x1 male connector. Expen- sive shielded cables become unnecessary through the use of simple three-wire cables. The combination withTurck's contactless measuring principle offers additional ben- efits.The zero point of the encoder can be se- lected as required – and can be set simply via IO-Link after mounting. It is thus no longer necessary to align the encoder optimally to its electrical connection and use correction

factors for the zero point in the controller. The measuring range, the resolution and the orientation of the signal (CW/CCW) can also be set as required via IO-Link.The absolute resolution is 0,005 degrees. The data storage function of IO-Link 1.1 enables the plug & play exchange of the QR24 in the event of any faults. All relevant encoder parameters can be stored in the IO-Link master and are automatically used on every encoder of the same type. Even em- ployees without any special training can thus replace the encoder reliably. The machine can continue running seamlessly without having to re-parameterise the device. The typical service requirement and associated

waiting times for specialist personnel be- come unnecessary. Enquiries: BrandonTopham. Email brandon.topham@retautomation.com

On the way to Industrie 4.0 Driving the Digital Enterprise

Nadcap certification and Industry 4.0 Yokogawa ’s Release 3 of the SMARTDAC+ GX/GP series paperless recorders and GM series data acquisition system includes an ad- vance reminder notification and calibration correction feature that will help customers in the heat treatment industry comply with the requirements of the National Aerospace and Defence Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) and the SAE AMS2750E standard, and options that facilitate communications with a variety of indus- trial equipment, a key requirement for the Industry 4.0 initiative. In addition, the release features multi-batch capability, a dc power supply module (GM series only), and a pulse input module, and also adds support for a communications protocol used by Supervisory Control and DataAcquisition (SCADA) systems and HumanMachine Interfaces (HMIs). Recorders and data acquisition systems (data loggers) are used on production lines and at product development facilities in a variety of industries to acquire, display, and record data on temperature, voltage, current, flow rate, pressure, and other variables. Yokogawa offers a wide range of such products, and is one of the world’s top manufacturers of recorders. Since releasing the SMARTDAC+ data acquisition and control system in 2012,Yokogawa has continued to strengthen it with the release of a variety of recorders and data acquisition devices that meet specific market needs and comply with industry-specific requirements and standards. Aerospace companies often need to certify that their heat treatment and other industrial processes are Nadcap compliant. This SMARTDAC+ release includes a new option that addresses this need as well as options that facilitate connectivity with other types of industrial equipment. Enquiries: Christie Cronje.Tel. 011 831 6300 or email Christie.cronje@za.yokogawa.com

At SPS IPC Drives 2015 held in in Nuremberg from24 – 26 November 2015, Siemens exhibited its integrated portfolio of hardware, soft- ware and services for the electrification, automation and digitalisa- tion of industrial processes.The presentation focused primarily on the company’s portfolio aimed at building the Digital Enterprise, in which all value adding processes are digitally supported – across the entire product and plant life cycle. Siemens has developed a portfolio which will enable its customers from the manufacturing industry to make the transition to the Digital Enterprise – whether large-scale corporations or SMEs. “We realised the growth potential offered by digitalisation in the discrete production and process industries at a very early stage, and with the Digital Enterprise portfolio have consistently aligned our product offering towards this objective.With a range of concrete products and solutions custom- ers can begin the step-by-step transition towards Industrie 4.0”, said Klaus Helmrich, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG. The company’s focus on the challenges of digitalisation was reflected in the slogan chosen for the Siemens trade fair booth: On the way to Industrie 4.0 – Driving the Digital Enterprise. “We are supporting our customers in their bid to become more competitive – by reducing the time-to-market and helping them achieve faster, more flexible and more efficient production”, continued Helmrich. “The processes implemented by the discrete and process industries

vary considerably – and therefore require different solutions”, said Helmrich. “Our Digital Enterprise portfolio addresses all of these different needs cohesively along the entire length of the value chain, and that goes for all sizes of company.” Enquiries: keshin.govender@siemens.com

Klaus Helmrich, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG.

Electricity+Control January ‘16

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