Hanover proved, once more, that it's the place to be to identify trends
in automation. Les Hunt reviews some highlights in the area of fluid
power mechatronics, which integrates much of what we used to consider as
separate engineering disciplines
End-users, its seems, have a big appetite for 'mechatronic' fluid power
products and the suppliers are responding vigorously. Doubtless spurred
by the growing uptake of fieldbus, particularly in Germany and other
continental European countries, and increasingly here in the UK, the
seamless combination of valve island, control device and field
communications connectivity has much appeal, not least because it
provides compact, intelligent control at the point it is required, with
all the benefits of speed, accuracy and rapid fault location.
Some ten years ago, Festo Didactic (Festo's training division) was
instrumental in persuading the organisers of the World Skill Olympics
(WSO), which it sponsors, to include mechatronics as part of the
competition (see also the article on training in this supplement, page
XX). The company is also a long-term sponsor of the Mechatronics Skill
Olympics, a world event held every two years, in which teams comprising
two young engineers compete in regional and national competitions, with
all teams hoping for the opportunity to represent their country in the
WSO finals. The next WSO takes place later this year in Korea, with two
young engineers from the Ford Motor Company representing the UK. As well
as sponsoring these events, Festo also supplies some of the equipment
required for the competition, including its novel Modular Production
System, which brings separate technology areas together to create
complex, fieldbus networked pneumatic and electric control systems.
At the Hanover Fair, earlier this year, Festo demonstrated some key
trends in automation technology, including the integration of
intelligence and communication into pneumatics, the growing importance of
Ethernet and Internet-compatible solutions and ease of installation. In
this last area, the company showed several new products, including 'Plug
& Work' ready-to-use standard handling devices that are offered as a
system and fully-tested pneumatic sub-systems that are 'ready-to-work'.
Norgren's Smart Suite product range, which took centre stage on the
company's stand at Hanover is another good example of mechatronics at
work in fluid power. The range includes Smart Cylinder, a fully
integrated actuator with its own valve, solenoids and fieldbus connection
contained within the clean lines of its casing. Smart Suite also boasts a
programmable proportional valve with embedded DeviceNet that can provide
diagnostic information such as threshold and tolerance alarms and
operational life data, plus two intelligent valves that store data on
their operating cycles and response times, which can be automatically
accessed and used to detect performance degradation and possible
impending failure. Even the FRL, which traditionally must be regularly
checked to ensure that it remains in peak condition, will tell you when
elements of the system are going outside normal operating limits,
indicating, for example, the need for a filter change or oil top-up, via
a PLC or remote alarm system.
Everyone wants easy installation
An important feature now sought by users of pneumatic systems is ease of
installation. Like Parker's innovative Moduflex miniaturised pneumatic
valve island system (see DPA April 2001 page 7), which allows valves to
be added and removed, functions changed, tubing sizes and piloting
changed, in just a matter of minutes - and no special tools required,
there are products that have radically changed the way pneumatic control
systems are constructed. Latest among these is a new development from
Asco Joucomatic, dubbed VCS or Valve Connection System. Fieldbus
(DeviceNet, InterBus-S and Profibus DP) lies at