Regional News – April 2018

Germany

Embedded World 2018 Review

From February 27 to March 01, 2018 the embedded community met in Nuremberg for the sixteenth time at the embedded world Exhibition and Conference. Within the three fair days, PI presented itself with a joint booth of 50 square meters in Hall 3. Seven co-exhibitors presented their PROFINET products on the Factory Automation Wall.
True to the motto, PROFINET: The Backbone of Industrie 4.0, the fair days were filled with expert discussions about PROFINET and other Industrie 4.0 topics. Overall the participation at the embedded world Exhibition and Conference was a great success for PI.


Italy

PROFINET Developer Workshop in Italy… Success!

The many available options for integrating PROFINET technology into industrial automation devices is impressive. While only a few ASICs used to be available for selection with PROFIBUS, PROFINET now offers device developers an enormous variety of choices. These technologies range all the way from software stacks to FPGAs and from ASICs to pre-fabricated modules. This enables every developer to utilize the best and most cost-effective method for their product. To make getting started easier, PI designed a one-day developer workshop, which allows both users and manufacturers of communication technology solutions to come together. The focus here lies not only on presenting potential solutions – the workshop is an opportunity to lay out the entire path from product development to certification.

After offering successful workshops for developers of PROFINET devices in countries like the US, Germany, China and Japan for many years, PI held a seminar in Piacenza, Italy on February 27, 2018. Due to such a high level of interest, participants had to register in advance. All in all, the seminar was booked solid with 90 registered participants from more than 60 companies. It wasn’t just participation that was a success. The massive interest shown in PROFINET was also evidenced by a wide variety of discussions at the microfair.

PI Italy Board of Directors

Evelyn Mario, Managing Director of PROCENTEC SRL, has been appointed to the board of PROFIBUS-PROFINET Italia. This February, the shareholders meeting unanimously approved the nomination of Miss Mario, who attended the first meeting right after the appointment. As Managing Director of the Italian branch of PROCENTEC, Miss Mario is responsible for overseeing all sales and marketing activities at PROCENTEC for Italy and Italian speaking areas.

“PROCENTEC has always been involved in the PI Global Organization with our powerful diagnostic solutions for PROFIBUS and PROFINET. Our devices are used during training courses, workshops, and events of PI in many countries. Now we want PROCENTEC to be more influential in Italy as well, following the extraordinary commitment of the headquarters in the Netherlands,” said Evelyn Mario

The new board currently includes representatives from PROCENTEC, Siemens, Phoenix Contact, Hilscher, Auma, Biffi, Harting, HMS Industrial Networks, Wago Elettronica, and the two regional Competence Centers.


Brazil

PI Brazil Evaluates the Results of 2017

PI Brazil reached the mark of 1,467 participants in 25 events held throughout 2017. From February to November, more than 150 hours of content were broadcast in seminars, workshops, road shows, and business fairs in 20 cities of five different states.

For Robert Gries, president of the association, the result of the actions reflects the commitment of an entire board to promote the PROFIBUS, PROFINET, IO-LINK, and AS-i technologies, providing a better understanding and application of these technologies.

“Our task is not only to find new users, but also to guarantee the quality and standard of these protocols, ensuring correct use in order to obtain efficient solutions. In this way, we understand that our goal, which is to share information and to promote the exchange of experiences, as the updates arise and according to the demands of the market, is always achieved. Of course, there is a lot still to be done, but we are attentive and open to opportunities” said Gries.

PI Brazil Training

PICC Inatel has concluded the first Profibus Certified Training for Installer Engineer. PI Brazil once again applied a Certified PROFIBUS Training for Installer Engineer. This time, the event was presented in the new Certified Training Center, located in the Instituto Nacional de Telecomunicações – Inatel (or PICC Inatel – Profibus International Competence Center), in Santa Rita do Sapucaí (MG).

PI Brazil hosted, from 5 to 9 February, the first training for Certified PROFIBUS Engineer and Installer in 2018, at Inatel. With focus on detailed knowledge of Industrial Networks, the training presented the requirements for physical installation for PROFIBUS DP and PA, with an emphasis on cabling, grounding, connection, cable tests, distance premises, layout , network parameters, and configuration, highlighting the GSD file, slaves, assembly, device tests and protocol analysis.

PI Brazil Participates in Oil & Gas Sector

PI Brazil participated in the Workshop on Industrial Internet of Things Applied to the Oil and Gas Sector, promoted by Petrobras, on November 21 and 22, 2017 at CENPES – Petrobras Research Center, located in Rio de Janeiro.

In the event, exclusively for Petrobras professionals, the association was represented by its director of Safetybus and solution engineer of WESTCON, Márcio Venturelli. He presented the Lecture: Profinet Technology Applied to Process Automation, within the Network Architecture and Automation panel. The workshop contents also included the Network Security blocks and Transforming Data into Value for Business.

PI Brazil Presents in Belo Horizonte

On November 9 and 10, 2017 the Instrumentation and Industry 4.0 workshop was presented. Resources were made available to the Brazilian industry, at the Senai BH Cetel auditorium in Belo Horizonte, MG. About 100 people, including students, school teachers, and representatives attended the event. PI Brazil was also present, through its general manager, Silas Anchieta, who presented the work of the organization. The director of the associated company CARDENGE Industrial Automation, Mauro Cardoso, ministered the lecture: Profinet Technology as a Backbone of the Industry 4.0.