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The chemical industry is well acquainted with networks. Many locations operate in close raw material and energy networks. This is now to be extended to the data level – or at least the measured value level. For it is apparent that analog measured value transmission in chemical plants is often no longer adequate for future tasks. For this reason, the process industry is now openly discussing the topic of IIoT, Industrie 4.0, and using Ethernet technologies.
Unlike many other organizations in industrial automation, PI is large enough that it can support a decentralized structure (as opposed to a centralized one). This means each Regional PI Association can deliver support and events that are suited to their local market. More importantly, it means there's a lot happening around the globe, all the time. Newsworthy topics highlighted in this article are from: China, India, Italy, Korea, and Norway.
There is news this month from Hilscher, who announces a partnership to integrate IT and OT networks. Also, Phoenix Contact has opened a brand new training facility in Germany to further collaboration with universities there.
New products this month include signal conditioners from Acromag, valves from AUMA, segment couplers from Pepperl+Fuchs, Ethernet switches from Phoenix Contact, rotary encoders from POSITAL, and rail-application controllers from Siemens.
The annual determination of the installed base of PI technologies show a significant growth in market acceptance. The numbers for PROFINET and PROFIsafe are particularly strong. IO-Link is also exhibiting a strongly accelerated growth.
If you do nothing else, read this! Can't make it to one of the hundreds of PROFIBUS or PROFINET training events going on around the world? Need a point of reference at the tip of your fingers? Many new documents are available, some with important updates.
Are new technologies needed for implementation of Industry 4.0? Not necessarily. Rather, it is a matter of toughening up existing technologies so that they can meet future requirements. Profinet is already well-prepared for this because of the important groundwork laid by PI (PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International).
