Reduce start-up and operating costs of machines

Automation relies heavily on machine control architecture and software at the field level. They determine machine design and construction times and therefore have a major impact on overall costs, says Thierry Van den Bosch. Festo has developed a new operating system, Festo Automation Platform (AP), to meet the performance, flexibility and cost needs of machine builders.

Since the 1990s, the widespread use of digital communication networks within industrial automation has steadily increased. Replacing fixed wiring and serial RS232 communication between the machine controller, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and individual devices has reduced wiring times, accelerated startup and dramatically increased the flexibility of fieldbus-equipped machines. Previously, each sensor, valve or actuator required a physical connector on the PLC. Fieldbuses enabled digital communication between the "Master" and "Slaves" via a single, shared cable. Multiple fieldbus protocols emerged as the leading PLC manufacturers developed the best solution for their target market. These had different concerns and therefore, despite attempts to define common standards, it was clear that there was no "one size fits all" solution. Instead, there was room in the industrial automation market for multiple protocols. While the capabilities of Ethernet-based bus systems have all expanded today, they have subtly different origins.    

Changing PLC manufacturer can be expensive

It is not easy for a machine builder to swap bus systems or combine them within a single control system. This means special-purpose machine and line builders often have to redesign their control systems to meet changing end-user specifications, adding time and cost to their operations. Larger end customers specify their PLC manufacturer and Ethernet bus system. Siemens with Profinet is typically specified in European markets, while Allen Bradley/Rockwell with Ethernet IP is most common in the U.S. market. 

End-user specifications are often determined by the location of the parent company from which they define their global machine standards. Specification of PLC and bus architectures also often comes down to familiarity: the knowledge and experience of on-site personnel to understand and support their existing control system manufacturer's software.

Continuous innovation

Festo developed the pneumatic valve islands we see everywhere today. Festo was the first to combine electrical inputs with solenoid valves on a single battery. This evolved into the pioneering CPX system, which combined fieldbus nodes with modular and freely selectable digital I/Os, solenoid valves and special modules such as analog control, pressure and temperature inputs and proportional pressure control. Compatible with the "classic" system, the new AP system is a revolution in terms of capabilities.

The Festo AP meets the key needs of both serial and special machine builders. The system allows machine builders to swap out the PLC they use to meet their customers' specifications, while up to 90% of remote IO (RIO) field and control box components remain common. This makes it easier and cheaper to support a range of machines and creates an ideal platform for a range of machines based on common technology and components.

Ready for tomorrow's digital factories

The AP system is a hybrid approach, delivering interconnected modular and decentralized IOs on a scalable, flexible and high-performance communication backplane. The designers' brief was to address three key factors: performance, flexibility and cost. They created a modular system of rugged digital RIO components that can be field or cabinet mounted, alone or in combination with leading pneumatic valve solutions. The system uses a single fieldbus input module, which is then networked with a wide range of inputs, outputs and valve islands. 

The AP system and its components can be arranged flexibly, without topology or space constraints, to fit the machine design. This brings lower costs than using multiple proprietary fieldbus nodes, yet is easily addressed and fully visible within PLC controls. Module connections are made using pre-terminated plug-in cables, again saving time and cost. 

IO-Link is integrated into the system, allowing users to take full advantage of component parameterization and data collection capabilities. Advanced diagnostics are available at the module level, over the fieldbus and via the integrated Web server for live diagnostics. 

Why Festo AP?

There are clear advantages to centralized and decentralized control architectures. The Festo Automation Platform is a solution that offers the best of both worlds. It is a scalable, modular and therefore flexible decentralized solution, yet retains the simplicity of a centralized solution from a control and software perspective. It does this by ensuring that all data describing these configurable components can be easily scanned and uploaded to the PLC in its native format, for example GSDML files for the Siemens and L5X for the Rockwell environments. The same is true for all leading host protocols. The files contain the complete specific descriptions of the Festo-elements, making them quick and easy to address and read.    

Webinar
Festo continues to innovate in field-level machine architecture, with the introduction of the Festo Automation Platform system. It strikes the balance for machine builders between performance, flexibility and cost by providing a platform they can select and exchange between host systems with minimal cost or disruption to their designs. 

For more information on optimizing your machine architecture at the field level and the Festo Automation Platform you can watch the live webinar back at www.festo.be/connectivitywebinar.

Key points 
Performance: up to 80 components with 50 m between modules, Real Time Connectivity (data rate of 200 MBaud, cycle time up to 250 µs), control and data processing. Host systems include Profinet, EtherCAT, Ethernet IP, Modbus TCP, TSN and in preparation CC-Link IE Field Basic.

Flexibility: flexible decentralized/centralized modular remote IO, application-specific pneumatic valve islands, Cloud and Edge compatible with MQTT and OPC-UA.

Cost: reduced complexity and component costs. Standardizes control cabinet design, smaller footprint reduces cabinet costs and space requirements in compact machine designs.