Page 45 - ITAtube Journal 2/2019

Technical Papers
The advantages are diverse, says Bürkert. The switch from analogue to digital signal transfer provides many bene ts. Amongst them are enhanced resolution, signal reli- ability and reduced wiring effort and costs by bringing together several eld devices. It simpli es plant construction. Other bene ts are ease in project planning, time savings in wiring, mapping and commissioning. “If you look at the operational safety of the plant, users bene t from higher trans- parency, better machine availabil- ity through important information on preventive maintenance, faster and safer device exchange as well as device speci c documenta- tion,” explains Kundel. Organised and easy to access data struc- tures of automation components up to process valves, play a key role in achieving this. “Process management itself becomes more transparent and helps focus on improving ef ciency”.
Varying digital-standards
But how successful can implemen- tation of the required technology be? Varying standards in digital communication are often the obstacles for data exchange from smart valves to process control. “On one side there are eldbus standards such as PROFIBUS. and then we have rapid developments on the Industrial Ethernet front such as for example PROFINET, EtherNet IP, Modbus TCP and others,” says Kundel. The chal- lenge lies in meaningfully dealing with diagnostic data, which means using and interpreting it cor- rectly. Digitalization also implies new tasks and responsibilities for people working in plant planning, construction, installation, com- missioning and operations.
Digitalization for highly automated processes “Particularly important is digital- ization of highly automated pro- cesses. Products with high quality standards demand validation of process operations,” explains Kundel. This can be particularly seen in the food, pharmaceuti- cal and biotechnology sectors. In this regard, it is important to avoid machine down time not just for reasons of cost, but also to ensure product quality and safety. “In sectors with lower levels of automation, the signi cance of digitalization is also lower”.
In spite of all the advantages, industry 4.0 has its risks. IT safety solutions are a must, according to Festo, not just for system reliabil- ity but also as protection against attacks from outside. “Require- ments for data safety, protection of intellectual property and other statutory requirements must be adapted and further developed”.
No one size ts all solution
Bürkert is certain that digital valves – whether regulator or switch based – will be the norm in many application areas. Ease of use and functional reliability will be at the forefront for the user, but information volume “will be at a signi cantly higher level”.
But there will be no universal solution. “We must each think carefully on the possibilities of digitalization,” highlights Chris- tian Ziegler of SMC. “Which aspects of digitalization can I use in my products, processes, tools and services? How can I use them? It is important to think about this. It cannot be done in passing. It is too important to be treated super uously. Top Management must provide the freedom and
space for this. It is only then that one can be creative”.
Destination unknown
In Ziegler’s view “we are still at the beginning of our journey. No one knows, where the journey will end. The horizon we see as we begin a journey is not quite the same horizon, once we have been for two hours into the journey”. The only one thing we can wish for is a great journey!
Innovatations in the elds of valves and pumps will be pre- sented at VALVE WORLD EXPO, No 1 fair for industrial valves, from December, 1 to 3, 2020 in halls 1, 3 and 4 at Düsseldorf Fairgrounds.
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Messeplatz 40474 Düsseldorf Gernany
Petra Hartmann-Bresgen, M.A.
Tel.: +49 (0)211 4560 541 Fax: +49 (0)211 4560 87 541
HartmannP@ messe-duesseldorf.de www.messe-duesseldorf.com
ITAtube Journal No2/May 2019
45