CC-Link leads in Asia among open fieldbus networks; helps pharmaceutical manufacturing in Brazil

CC-Link Partner Association says CC-Link is the leading open network in Asia. In other news, CC-Link and Mitsubishi Electric controls serve as the SCADA system for the Mantecorp pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Brazil.

August 31, 2009

CC-Link Partner Association announced that the Control and Communication Link (CC-Link) is the predominant open network in Asia and (CC-Link) open fieldbus network exceeds 6.5 million nodes worldwide, according to

CC-Link diagram shows how the multi-vendor, multi-product communication system fits in an enterprise.

"The unmistakable conclusion of the new research is that device manufacturers, machine builders, system integrators, and multi-nationals that wish to do business in Asia should be formulating a CC-Link compatibility strategy if they have not already done so," said Charles Lukasik, director of the CC-Link Partner Association. "Having CC-Link product and system expertise will demonstrate seriousness about exporting to or manufacturing in the Asia Pacific region."

Lukasik said that the performance features of CC-Link have stimulated strong growth of this open networking solution not only in Asia, but also in the Americas and Europe. Key features include:
• High noise immunity compared to other networks;
• Simple installation, configuration, and commissioning;

• High network availability with floating standby master capability;
• Hot swap of stations;
• Fast transfer speeds for large amounts of data;
• Determinism; and
• Widespread support from hundreds of automation equipment suppliers.

Hundreds of automation equipment manufacturers have gone through the comprehensive process of certifying more than 1,000 products for CC-Link compatibility, the organization says. The global CC-Link Partner Association manages the certification process and the introduction of new technology such as CC-Link IE, the world’s first gigabit industrial Ethernet controller networ k. The Partner Association also helps answer questions organizations have about the CC-Link open network .

CC-Link Network supports 3.3 million-square-foot pharmaceutical plant

CC-Link open fieldbus network and Mitsubishi Electric controls now serve as the SCADA system for the ultra modern 3.3 million-square-foot Mantecorp pharmaceutical manufacturing and office facility in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The CC-Link open network enables communication and control of the pharmaceutical facility’s major systems, including:
• Air conditioning and refrigeration for both process and environmental control;
• Energy management;
• Filtration and water handling;
• Steam and air handling;
• Sterilization of air for process areas;

The CC-Link communication network is also the pathway for system data to operator control panels and computer displays.

"The CC-Link open fieldbus network provides a seamless high-speed flow of data for vital systems within this pharmaceutical facility," said Lukasik. "High speed communication and precision control takes this facility to a new level of economic and environmental sustainability through the optimum utilization of air, water, heat, and power."

The CC-Link network is also being used in Rio de Janeiro as a supervisory and control system for two 15-story apartment towers and for an environmental protection system at a lubricant manufacturing plant.
At the two Bernini apartment towers, CC-Link is the backbone of a monitoring and control system for:

• The level of all water reservoirs;

• Air quality and climate;

• Lighting systems; and

• Security systems in public areas.

At the BP Castrol lubricant manufacturing facility, CC-Link provides the data highway for an automated liquid-level monitoring and alarm system for 98 storage tanks.

CC-Link made the announcements on Aug. 25. CC-Link says its industrial automation network processes both control and information data at high speed to provide efficient, integrated factory and process automation. The open technology field-level network provides high speed, deterministic communication, linking a wide range of automation devices over a single cable, the organization says.

-Edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor in chief, Control Engineering www.controleng.com

Read feature articles from Control Engineering on industrial networks .