At the PI press conference on the second day of Hannover Fair, PI Chairman Karsten Schneider presented news of PROFINET, PROFIBUS, and IO-Link. In addition to the news articles in this issue of PROFINEWS (Integrating TSN into PROFINET, PROFINET in Process Profile, and IO-Link Safety Specification Released), announcements included news of a PROFINET test tool, data model standardization, and a new Japanese PROFINET controller. PI Germany held its annual member meeting on the first day of the fair.
PROFINET Test Tool
In order to provide optimal support to the members of PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) for development of new PROFINET devices, PI offers various software tools. These tools are available to all members to download from the PI webpage free of charge. For the testing of PROFINET devices, PI offers the PROFINET test bundle. This test tool supports a mostly automated and user-friendly validation of a new development for compliance with the PROFINET specification. Read More…
Data Models – Data is the New Gold
The combination of Internet technology and traditional automation can lead to totally new business models. The data that has been gathered is usually the basis for these use cases, such as condition monitoring, or more generally: big data. The cooperation between eCl@ss e.V. and PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) targets a standardized description of the data relevant for industrial automation. Read More…
New PROFINET Controller
The major Japanese manufacturer of auto parts / machine tools JTEKT Corporation has now developed an integrated PROFINET Controller. JTEKT is supporting the traditional PLC market for machine builders and factory automation. For many years, JTEKT is supporting Toyota Production System (TPS) as a line builder, and now also is going to be a solution provider of digitization.
The requirements of the use cases of IoT and Industrie 4.0, which are of course adopted and driven in Japan, enforce the usage of a robust and reliable network solution. The parallel TCP/IP communication in the network, e.g. OPC UA, is a must to solve solutions for a better maintenance and operation based on a simple and secure data access. PROFINET offers these features today and is future proof thanks to the standard Ethernet compliance. Thanks to the proven wireless PROFINET communication, also for safety application, new mobile and wire saving machines are available.
With the integration of a PROFINET Controller in the TOYOPUC Plus system many different PROFINET devices from local and worldwide vendors can be connected not only in new machines but also in existing ones. TOYOPUC Plus system offers also the connectivity from PROFINET to other network systems.
PI Germany Annual Meeting
The election of the Board of Directors and the Advisory Board for the next term of office, which occurs at regular intervals, was on the agenda after the reports on the past and current year.
Karsten Schneider (Siemens AG) was re-elected Chairman, and Prof. Dr. Frithjof Klasen from the Institute for Automation & Industrial IT (AIT) of Technical University of Cologne/Gummersbach were confirmed as members of the Board of Directors. Due to his approaching retirement, long-term Board member Klaus-Peter Lindner (Endress + Hauser Process Solutions) did not seek reappointment. Dr. Jörg Hähniche (Endress + Hauser Process Solutions) was newly elected to the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors and the Advisory Board expressly thank Klaus-Peter Lindner for over 20 years of very committed work as a member of Board of PNO and wish him the best for the future.