Tech Briefs Magazine - April 2021 - MD-13

SMARTER

Rugged and compact,
Emerson's PACSystems RXi2-BP
Edge Computing Device runs HMI, historian,
and analytics applications right at the machine to
improve real-time control of operations and
better integrate into plantwide systems.

predictive maintenance system can capture and use that data to either conduct
an inspection and maintenance action
or implement an automated purchasing
request for a replacement device before
the unit actually fails.
As pneumatic components become
more intelligent, they're generating
additional data points including diagnostics, usage statistics, and lifetime data
across the production systems where
they're used. This data is most valuable
when used to manage production systems more efficiently, control energy
consumption, and maximize uptime.
However, all this data from intelligent
devices and subsystems has the potential
to overwhelm the machine control network and affect control performance.
Some pneumatics component manufacturers like Emerson are offering smart
pneumatic monitoring " gateways " or
" hubs " that aggregate and organize
pneumatic performance data and deliver it through separate parallel pathways
to plant management systems. These
hubs can be independent of the process
control architecture, using OPC UA,
MQTT, HTTP, or email pathways to deliver alerts and both system- and devicelevel performance data.
The benefits of critical diagnostics
information or key commissioning capabilities can become difficult to realize
when a pneumatic valve system is mounted high in the air or deep inside a machine. For example, Emerson's AVENTICS Wireless Auto Recovery Module
(ARM) Clip provides easy access to the
robust diagnostics and commissioning
features of the AVENTICS Series G3
fieldbus platform via a mobile website
that can be used on devices with Wi-Fi
capability without an app.
Pneumatic valve systems designed for
digital transformation now incorporate
features and technology that provide a
new level of precision control for pneumatic-driven actuators and applications.

Due to more advanced electronics within valve system
control modules, designers can
now incorporate proportional-integralderivative (PID) controllers for pneumatic positioning applications that automatically apply accurate and responsive correction to a control function.
With these high-tech pneumatic capabilities, not only is it possible to provide
more precise system end-point motion
accuracy but in conjunction with the
PLC, it's also possible to switch from
position control to force control in real
time and fine-tune motion sequences for
very high levels of automation, product
throughput, reliability, and repeatability.

BRAKE & CLUTCH

CONTROL

Smarter Pneumatic Valves for
the Digital Transformation Era
Pneumatic valves have been steadily
evolving to help OEMs and end users
make full use of pneumatic technology
in their automation systems. In addition,
many pneumatics technology providers
have substantially upgraded their online
configuration and ordering tools to
make it both efficient and easy to get the
components machine builders need on
short turnarounds.
These tools simplify what was once a
time-consuming process of ordering multiple elements that make up the valve system - sub-bases, mountings, and electronics as well as the valves themselves -
to purchase a complete assembly. Now,
these online configurators make it easy to
order a valve assembly by selecting the
fieldbus interfaces, integrated I/O modules, and other features, complete with
CAD drawings as part of the package
without needing to know part numbers
or system nuances. These tools enable
both OEMs and end users to get a complete configuration in a condensed and
more reliable purchasing process.
Leveraging the power of both electronics and modular, cutting-edge technology, pneumatic valves as part of a
complete intelligent pneumatics motion
and control platform provide a proven,
cost-effective, and versatile technology
option for a wide range of digital transformation initiatives for automation and
manufacturing applications.
This article was written by Marchelle Forish,
Product Marketing Manager, Valves and Valve
Systems for Fluid and Motion Control at
Emerson, Florham Park, NJ. For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/79412-282.

Motion Design, April 2021

SmartSense(IoT)
Sensor-less Brake and Clutch
Controls with Status Monitoring
Introducing a new way to control and
monitor spring-applied, electricallyreleased brakes and clutches. Electronically
sensing armature movement after power
is applied, the controller provides real-time
operation status and wear condition while
communicating with your IoT system.
Tracking the brake or clutch lifecycle,
scheduling maintenance accurately,
reducing energy and extending the
lifespan has never been simpler.
The SmartSense (IoT) offers:

* Avoidance of motor and brake/clutch
drive overlap

* Remote armature motion monitoring
* Variable holding voltage
* Enhanced positioning and stopping
* Increased cycle rates
* Real-time brake wear monitoring
* Auto-adjust timing to holding voltage

www.regentcontrols.com
A Carlyle Johnson Company
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/79412-706

Cov

ToC
http://info.hotims.com/79412-706 http://info.hotims.com/79412-282 http://www.abpi.net/ntbpdfclicks/l.php?202104TBNAV
Tech Briefs Magazine - April 2021

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