CANTON, Mich. - (Business Wire) The challenges facing safe automation are reflected in the trends. The market wants overall, compatible solutions, from the sensor to the actuator. The trend is moving toward decentralized, independent cell automation and the mechatronic, modular approach that this enables. The future belongs to solutions that simplify user operation, while significantly increasing the level of flexibility. Overall solution for automation functions
Intelligent dovetailing of safety and standard control technology considers the requirements of both environments equally. Short reaction times and absence of feedback can only be implemented if development has taken both environments into account.
The integration of safety functions into drive technology will continue to grow, offering users all-in-one solutions. Services that support users with targeted expertise will continue to grow in importance, considering this allows companies to concentrate on their core competencies and place safety, as a company value, into competent hands.
Decentralization and Standardization
The decentralization of control functionalities will also continue to progress. The decentralization of periphery reduces the amount of wiring involved plus the associated costs. It is also possible to decentralize identical control programs and subfunctions, which enables complete modularization in the form of machine elements. The aim is to be able to reuse as many identical parts as possible.
Today’s solutions for networking multiple control systems bring with them a considerably higher level of complexity for the user. The solutions that become established will make it easier for users to handle networking of multiple control systems and avoid interface problems.
Software tools simplify the process
An evaluative assessment of the overall lifecycle of plant and machinery requires all the relevant project phases to be reproduced via software-based tools. This guarantees the availability of subtotals and individual work steps for subsequent tasks, plus fewer discrepancies in data and information.
Software tools which simplify the use of programming or configuration products are becoming the distinguishing feature on hardware. Units used to be interconnected using a variety of wiring methods; today the trend is towards software solutions. With a greater function range and therefore increased complexity, the aim is to simplify engineering and servicing through diagnostics. For tools to be useful to customers they must work intuitively and guide users through their project without restricting them in any way.
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| Author: |
| Armin Glaser |
| Head of Product Management |
| Pilz GmbH |
Pilz Automation Safety L.P.
Dana Weeks, 734-354-0272 x225
d.weeks@pilzusa.com
