Industrial networks by the numbers: EtherCAT, CC-Link, SERCOS, EPSG, Garrettcom
Industrial networks hit some numerical milestones. EtherCAT’s organization cited record membership, CC-Link marked 10 years, GarrettCom manufactured the 100,000th switch, SERCOS celebrated 25 years, and Ethernet Powerlink Standardization Group (EPSG) added to its organization.
Industrial network hit three numerical milestones recently. EtherCAT’s organization cited record membership, CC-Link marked 10 years, GarrettCom manufactured the 100,000th switch, SERCOS celebrated 25 years, and Ethernet Powerlink Standardization Group (EPSG).
EtherCAT Technology Group cited as world’s largest fieldbus organization
The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) has reportedly been the largest Industrial Ethernet organization for some time, and now with the group attracting over 1,500 member companies from 52 countries, it can claim the title of world’s largest fieldbus organization of any kind. However, these numbers are predicted to continue to rise as ETG growth continues at an unabated pace.
In Europe and North America the growth remains robust, according to ETG, but it has become even stronger in Asia: in this region it has reached 400 member companies. The worldwide success of the technology is not only underlined by the membership figures, but in particular by the variety of devices with an EtherCAT interface from numerous vendors. At the EtherCAT Technology boot at the SPS/IPC/Drives 2010 show in Nuremberg, Germany, 64 co-exhibitors showed over 260 different EtherCAT devices.
The entire ETG company member roster can be viewed here: www.ethercat.org/members
EtherCAT
CC-Link celebrates 10th anniversary as an open automation network
CC-Link and the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) have celebrated their 10th anniversary. CC-Link is an open-technology automation network that has rapidly gained global market share. CLPA is the independent organization dedicated to ensuring the continued technological evolution of the open CC-Link standard.
“CC-Link offers automation systems suppliers and end users world-class networking options for fieldbus, bit-bus, safety, and industrial Ethernet,” said Charles Lukasik, Director of CLPA-Americas. “Due to its large installed base in Asia, CC-Link is the de-facto standard for automation networks in that region. And with its rapidly increasing acceptance worldwide, global manufacturers are finding CC-Link unrivalled in terms of a robust, open networking standard installed across multiple sites and multiple regions.”
CC-Link has an installed base of more than 7 million nodes and the current rate of growth approximates 1 million nodes per year. The CC-Link Partner Association numbers more than 1,300 members. Today there are well over 1,000 CC-Link compatible devices for fieldbus, bit-bus, safety, and industrial Ethernet applications, according to CLPA.
A 10th anniversary event recently took place in Tokyo and was attended by CLPA members from around the world.
CC-Link Partner Association
GarrettCom marks 100,000th shipment of Magnum 6K Managed Switch
GarrettCom, Inc., has shipped its 100,000th Magnum 6K Managed Switch to Schneider Electric. The landmark switch, a Magnum 6KL Managed Edge Switch, was shipped as part of an order including a variety of Magnum 6K switch models and Magnum DX Industrial Routers for deployment into various naval facilities.
The Magnum 6K line of managed Ethernet switches are designed for demanding industrial Ethernet applications on the factory floor, in power plants and substations, transportation and industrial security and surveillance. The 6K line is designed to operate reliably in environments that require additional hardening for operation under extreme temperatures, dust, dirt, moisture, vibration, and other hostile conditions. The 6K family features fiber-rich, modular switches that can be configured with a variety of AC or DC power options and a wide selection of port options for the highest level of installation flexibility. The 6K switches can be mounted on a rack or DIN-Rail, and come with the best-of-breed MNS-6K managed networks software (release 4.1.9 and release 14.1.9 SECURE).
Steve Bowles, Southeast Regional Manager for GarrettCom, presented a plaque displaying the 100,000th Magnum 6K Switch to Mitch Morgan, Program Manager-Government Business, at Schneider Electric.
GarrettCom Inc.
25 Years of SERCOS
At the recent SPS/IPC/Drives show, November 2010, the SERCOS interface for digital communications announced its 25th year anniversary. The industrial network has been used in thousands of applications in a large number of industries. SERCOS, SErial Realtime COmmunication System, is among the leading digital interfaces for communication between controls, drives and decentralized peripheral devices. SERCOS has been used in machine engineering for 25 years and is implemented in over 2.5 million real time nodes. With its open, manufacturer independent Ethernet-based architecture, SERCOS III is a universal bus for all automation solutions, according to SERCOS North America. “SERCOS International considers its 25th anniversary as recognition of past success and commitment to the future. We will continue the success story of this open real-time standard, and we are looking forward to pushing the limits of the technologically feasible together with machine and plant manufacturers in the upcoming years and decades as well,” stated Dr. Bernd-Josef Schäfer, chairman of the board of directors of SERCOS International.
SERCOS North America
EPSG expands executive management and supervisory board
At its general assembly last June, the Ethernet Powerlink Standardization Group (EPSG) has appointed Christian Schlegel, CEO of IXXAT, to its supervisory board. In this position, Schlegel follows Prof. Dr.-Ing. Konrad Etschberger who has retired. Furthermore, Laurent Schmitt, Vice President Strategy and Innovation at ALSTOM, is a new supervisory board member. Stefan Schönegger, Business Unit Manager Open Automation at B&R, has been appointed as the General Manager; he will manage the business operations for the Powerlink user organization. www.ethernet-powerlink.org
ESPG
- Edited by Amanda McLeman and Mark T. Hoske, CFE Media and Control Engineering, www.controleng.com
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2012 Salary Survey
In a year when manufacturing continued to lead the economic rebound, it makes sense that plant manager bonuses rebounded. Plant Engineering’s annual Salary Survey shows both wages and bonuses rose in 2012 after a retreat the year before.
Average salary across all job titles for plant floor management rose 3.5% to $95,446, and bonus compensation jumped to $15,162, a 4.2% increase from the 2010 level and double the 2011 total, which showed a sharp drop in bonus.