The technology Opensafety offers a total coverage hygiene, compatible with 91% of all the applications of ethernet industrial.
OpenSafety Implants a system of networks that improves the hygiene and increases the productivity
Editorial Interempresas26/04/2013
The organisation OpenSafety bet by the transfer of data of safe way between individual machines, by means of the networks based in Ethernet that, at present, are the standard of the sector. No only this type of network guarantees hygiene to the employees and the machinery, also increase the productivity and offer diverse possibilities to the hour to resolve errors. Attain the same capacities and protection in extensive areas in which they situate different systems of production composed by different types of machines, is the aim of the future protocol that is being defined by the organisation for the automation and control of machines (organization for machine automation and control - OMAC).
Opensafety Offers a total coverage for all type of industrial states.
In the industry of the impressesion or of the packaging, exists a high level of production automated, this attains by means of the communication between machines. These branches of the industry, show a special interest by the utilisation of the technology of integrated networks of hygiene, applying his advantages to the lines of production and of course to level of machine. Up to now, however, obstacles of the organisational type and technician have braked the exchange of the signals of hygiene between machines and equipment of manipulation using ethernet industrial.
To organisational level, the problems reside in that it does not exist any manufacturer of able machinery to anticipate and predict all the possible requests of the external equipment, and still in lower measure, preveer the way in which they will be implemented. This involves that equipment of independent hygiene, situated externamente to the machine, can not being able to set up the actions of hygiene required properly.
The systems of hygiene that can transfer signals using for this networks based in Ethernet, as it is the case of 'powerlink', enjoy of advantages in diverse areas in comparison to the classical solutions of hygiene. These advantages include the economic saving because of the reduction of the wired up necessary. An extensive network of wired up is used to to be source of errors, particularly in machines modularmente complex. Also it affects negatively to the necessary time to set up the system, since the solution wired up of hygiene requires the knowledge of all the options in advance. The use of systems of able hygiene of the direct communication, without having to be enrutados to the controller using additional cables, make possible to satisfy the standards of hygiene of machines much faster, increasing the efficiency of all a line of production. 'Drive components' With the technology 'smart safe reaction' integrated in the engine achieve to reduce the necessary distances and optimises the space devoted to the hygiene of the machine.
The technical obstacles base in the incompatibilities between the systems of control of hygiene. The exception, openSafety, that is able to work jointly with equipment of control or buses of field of multiples manufacturers. This is the reason by which at present is easy to see machines with switches of emergency whose cables have been connected to diverse machines.
The interface of hygiene of Opensafety offers interoperability that increases the productivity in the team of company
Opensafety Integrates an able network to transport and process signals of hygiene, independently of the bus of field used to transfer the information. This is the reason by which is simple to instrument a whole group of machines with an only technology of hygiene independently that the machines can be of different manufacturers or are provistas of different mechanisms of hygiene. In spite of the independence of the system, is still impossible that a standard of hygiene was accepted by each one of the providers of machinery.
“By this reason, is necessary the interoperability between different standards of hygiene to be handled in the layer of network, in this way is possible to take advantage of of the full capacities of the network”, explains Miodrag Veselic, manager of technology of Opensafety in B&R. “Jointly with OMAC, B&R is working in a specification for an interface of protocol that allow to a network of hygiene be configured easily, in addition to independently of the different systems of hygiene employed in each machine”.
The central element of the networks oriented to the hygiene for machines and systems is a uniform profile that describe the basic design of the elements of hygiene of each machine or element of a team of manipulation. “This refers to a clear-cut group of signals of the state of the machine, including unemployment of emergency, way of configuration, rape of values limit… all this can apply to machines and systems”, explains Veselic. “For each one of these signals, the profile of the machine specifies if it will be issued by the device or if by the contrary, is necessary for the actions of hygiene of the same”.
The simple structure of data, allows that the systems the integrated network of hygiene are of different manufacturers, facilitating the installation of new components in the same. Besides, each bit of information related with the hygiene, is available in all the points of the network. Of this way is possible that each machine react of safe way, like result increases the availability of the system in group. Since the transfer of signals of hygiene using Opensafety bases the principle of “black box” and for this uses the layer of communication of the network, does that it can use any topology of Ethernet without problems. An important appearance of the specification of the interface of hygiene, is the possibility to add or delete devices, without having to stop or even turn off the rest of the network.
With Opensafety the information of hygiene can be trasferido through diverse lines independently of the bus of field employed.
The action has like main aim, simplify his implementation. Like this, the interface of the protocol and the way in which the profiles are handled, are being developed. It expects that the specification was available to finals of the present year. “If the interface fracasa or is a success, will be determined by the ease of implementation”, comments Veselic. “The group of data for the configuration, has to be transformed in a software, doing like this the so simple integration as it was possible for the manufacturers of systems of hygiene. For simple devices or equipment without system of hygiene integrated , B&R will cater able adapters to offer this functionality, something that other signatures surely will offer of the same way”.
Once standardised and published the interface of the profile of the machine for the transmission of data of hygiene using Ethernet, the manufacturers of machinery will be able to complete it to ensure the compatibility of the device. Besides, the signatures will be able to concentrate in the elements of hygiene of each machine. Since the development and certification only will be realised an only time, will reduce the necessary time for the commercialisation.
Another profit for the customers, is the availability of the machines, robots and manipulators, able to be used like blocks, being able to easily be used to create systems of complex production with a flexible and universal system of hygiene. The configuration of such systems can be modified in the moment that was necessary, with a load of viable work, making possible increase the productivity, with the conventional technology this would be impossible to do.
An example of increase of the productivity is by means of 'smart safe reactions', could be able to reduce the speed of safe form activating in multiple machines simultaneously, this provides a state of safe operation without need to stop completely the machine. Another form to improve the productivity is by means of the employment of a mechanism of global protection of a whole line. This no only reduces the routes of transport and of time employed, but it also saves the necessary space since the safe answer of machines colindantes does unnecessary the space of a runway of maintenance for each part of the system.
“Another additional advantage of the network of hygiene, is the simplification, the use of the layer of network provides a diagnostic homogéneo being possible to employ it for all the machines”, indicates Franz Kraufleitner, manager of products of integrated technologies of hygiene in B&R.
At present, the technologies of hygiene based in ethernet, are a standard in individual machines. Soon it will be possible to apply these advantages to whole groups of machines by means of Opensafety and the definition of the interface standardised that is being developed by OMAC and the consortium of standardisation Ethernet powerlink (EPSG).
Related Companies or Entities
B & R Industrial Automation Ibérica, S.L.U.
