As many know, there are few ways to improve upon pneumatic and hydraulic technologies. They already offer high pressures that are unmatched by competitive technologies, reliability, precision and much more. While efficiency gains are always needed, an area where the industry is seeing improvements is with connectivity. On both the mobile and industrial side, connected systems and machines are where the future is moving.
This is why I was delighted to join my fellow colleagues on a Design World webinar, which is slated for next Monday, September 14. The Industrial Connectivity Editorial Roundtable will feature live and recorded insights from our core engineering editorial staff, including Paul Heney, Rachael Pasini, Elisabeth Eitel, Mike Santora, and myself.
Mary Gannon and Paul Heney discuss industrial connectivity and how it’s being used in fluid power.
I’ll be busy learning all that’s new with Danfoss Power Solutions when this webinar goes live, however, so Paul and I recorded a brief discussion this week, where I weighed in on how fluid power manufacturers are embracing the connected machine by enabling more digital components.
Learn more and register now here — gateway.on24.com/wcc/experience/elitewtwhmedia/2927718/4415886/designworld
I kicked off the discussion teasing an upcoming article from Bosch Rexroth, where the author highlights how the mobile hydraulics industry is moving away from stand-alone mechanical and hydraulic functions and toward connected systems that combine sensors, electronic controllers, software, displays and telematics. Similarly, in a recent article on digital hydraulics, Josh Cosford talks about the reduction in wiring because it’s expensive, complicated and adds a great deal of mass to a machine. He concludes that digital, smart electronics, combined with fieldbus networks, create a more self-sufficient package that reduces wiring while improving functionality.
Recent fluid power technologies that boost this move towards digital, connected systems include an Atos digital valve package with IO-Link (or other fieldbus options) compatibility that reduces wiring complexity while improving performance and reliability. Cosford continued that specifically for hydraulics, we can monitor performance variables like pressure, flow, temperature, vibration and contamination to predict failures, analyze productivity, and plan maintenance. Smart sensors and controllers are the backbone of every smart industrial hydraulics machine leveraging Industry 4.0 technology. Unlike traditional analog sensors, smart sensors can perform self-diagnostics, detect anomalies, and communicate rich data via digital protocols such as IO-Link, CANopen, or Ethernet. Smart sensors help hydraulic systems become more autonomous and efficient by providing actionable information, not just raw signals, to controllers or cloud-based systems.
Other new moves to create connected systems include Delta Motion’s EtherCAT communication module to its flagship RMC200 Motion Controller family, which enables the RMC200 to efficiently connect to EtherCAT-enabled devices, and control electric motor drives and hydraulic valves over EtherCAT.
Festo has launched several technologies in recent months that help automated machines to run more reliably. First, it launched a new configurable digital I/O module for the CPX-AP-I decentralized I/O platform. Instead of forcing machine builders to work around fixed I/O configurations, this new module adapts to the application, enabling more efficient use of decentralized I/O across a machine. Additionally, the company’s intelligent end plates for the CPX-AP-A remote I/O platform extends system communication, diagnostics, and power across multiple machine zones. The intelligent end plates connect distributed on-machine I/O to cabinet-based PLC control with no cabinet rewiring or added gateways. Finally, Festo’s AI-enabled monitoring and predictive maintenance system AX Motion Insights Pneumatic helps prevent unscheduled machine downtime by monitoring pneumatic cylinders for wear and anomalies. Connectivity is achieved via a PLC function block. The system is compatible with actuators from different manufacturers and has specific connectivity details for Siemens, Rockwell, and Beckhoff controllers.
On the compressed air side, Atlas Copco has developed the new GHS 402 – 902 VSD⁺ vacuum pump, which is e equipped with its next-generation oil-injected screw element, a highly efficient IE5 motor, and advanced HEX connectivity, these pumps deliver intelligent performance, longer maintenance intervals, lower operating costs, and an overall lower environmental impact. The HEX intelligent controller enables Industry 4.0 features such as remote monitoring, intelligent control, and diagnostics.
We’ve also written about Ingersoll Rand’s Helix Connected Platform, which provides continuous, real-time data monitoring for compressed air systems to enable maximum operational uptime. Advanced sensor technology inside the compressor sends data on a regular basis to a cloud-based platform that is accessible from a user’s PC, tablet or smartphone to provide data on the compressor’s functionality.
Emerson offers several Aventics components and programs to enable industrial automation connectivity. Its Aventics series AF2 flow sensors enable rapid intervention if leaks occur, helping optimize energy consumption, reach net-zero targets, prevent machine downtime and reduce costs. Its Energy Manager plug-and-play system offers real-time electricity monitoring to identify and minimize waste, optimizing energy use and boosting operational efficiency. PACSystems controllers bring control intelligence with a real-world approach to identify and predict impending failures, enable proactive maintenance, boost cyber security and customize data acquisition and analytics. Finally, Emerson’s edge devices combine the best deterministic controllers on the market with secure, nondeterministic controllers for analytics and machine learning algorithms to proactively optimize business outcomes.
Norgren’s portfolio of VR Series valve manifold solutions has expanded with a comprehensive array of connectivity options for industrial users. Adding to the existing Multipole connectivity option, the VR Series now includes Ethernet/IP, PROFINET, EtherCAT, and IO-Link to support a wide range of customers connecting to new or existing systems. Using a connected valve, users can gain further performance insights on how their system is performing as a whole plus easier installation and less analog hardware.
Finally, a number of manufacturers focus on industrial connectors designed just for fluid power applications, such as Canfield Connector’s GTT Series GatorMate J1939 CAN Bus Terminators, which provide reliable termination for rugged mobile, heavy-equipment, and industrial CAN bus applications.
Additionally, at Hannover Messe, ATAM highlighted an innovative system of microsensors — four sensors and one antenna — incorporated inside its Form A connectors. Their dimensions can house sensors — the latest generation microcontrollers used in consumer electronics — capable of measuring and transmitting physical factors such as temperature, humidity, vibrations, and electrical voltage in real time.
During the Hannover demo, ATAM showed how sensor-measured data is continuously transmitted to a mobile device to monitor machinery constantly. This proximity communication — the same type used for making mobile payments — is a transceiver technology that provides two-way wireless contact connectivity. The platform allows OEMs to insert an interface card to communicate with the machine’s serial protocol.
Finally, DGD Fluid Power’s CFT-Max Cartridge Flow Transmitter (CFT) is now available with CANopen communication. This capability greatly expands the opportunities for machine manufacturers to take advantage of the data acquisition of both hydraulic flow rates and temperatures offered by the CFT-Max products.
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