Technically standardised automation solutions from one source offer advantages in planning, construction, startup, control and operation as compared to conventional combinations. The prerequisite is, however, a broad portfolio from visualisation to control, drive technology and robotics. Yaskawa has responded with the Total System Solutions concept, which supports different system architectures and enables the application specific implementation of automation tasks of any size.
Total system solutions
Modularly combined products and software from Yaskawa’s Drives and Motion, Robotics and VIPA divisions complement each other to form technically standardised solutions from one source. A special focus has been placed on the integration of automation and control technology in end-to-end system architectures. The corresponding system solutions are available for automation tasks of all sizes, using the entire spectrum of bus systems.
Different system architectures
Different network architectures enable the system solution to be tailored to the respective automation task as not every system requires a maximum solution. Visualisation (HMI), control (PLC) and remote maintenance modules can be linked comparatively easily via Modbus TCP. I/O components, for example, together with Yaskawa inverters such as A1000 and V1000, can be directly connected to the PLC via Modbus or Ethercat and Profinet.
In a second scenario, the PLC communicates via Modbus TCP with a motion controller of the MP series. The latter in turn controls the servo drives such as the Sigma-5 via Yaskawa’s own high performance Mechatrolink bus Ethercat. Profinet and Ethernet are additionally available as communication systems for complex systems. Both remote I/O modules and inverters and servo drives can thus be consistently controlled via the PLC.
The integration of Motoman robots into new or existing PLC controlled systems likewise functions quite simply. The MotomanSync interface enables the programming of Motoman industrial robots directly from the PLC. No specific robotics expertise is necessary, as all programming can be performed in the familiar PLC programming language. Yaskawa Europe has extended the interface to include a new library, the MotomanSync PLC Profinet, especially for embedding FS100 in a VIPA CPU with SPEED7 technology or a Siemens-S7 control.
Programming is significantly reduced with the MotomanSync PLC Profinet. The implementation of the robot in the overall system is just as easy as with conventional servo systems such as Simotion in the Siemens-S7 environment or Kinetix in the Allen-Bradley-CLX environment. The robot driven by MotomanSync does not require a teachbox as there is no need for a handheld robot programming device. Programming and diagnosis can be performed with the aid of the MotomanSync PLC Profinet entirely via the PLC.
Packaging applications
A packaging cell at Overveld Packaging demonstrates the potential of MotomanSync. A Motoman MH5F handling robot is connected to a control unit from VIPA via the interface. The robot can be programmed directly from the VIPA control unit and operated using the PLC control panel (HMI). At the same time, this installation illustrates the Total System Solutions approach. Besides the Motoman robot and VIPA-PLC, the inverters and servo technology also originate from Yaskawa.
The MotomanSync interface links the FS100 robot control by Ethernet/IP or Profinet to the PLC. The robot job is stored directly in the PC or PLC. From here the movement commands are passed to the robot in real time. The protocol developed by Yaskawa supports the PLCs of different manufacturers and PC-based control units. The new MotomanSync PLC with Profinet contains all the necessary commands to integrate a Motoman robot into a PLC environment. These commands are programmed as multi-instance-capable function blocks (FB). They can be flexibly renamed according to the project in hand. The direct control of Motoman industrial robots via a VIPA CPU with SPEED7 technology or a S7-PLC thus becomes even easier.
At Valvoline, based in Dordrecht, The Netherlands, a comparable packaging system has been in practical operation since 2013. Large series of motor oil bottles from in-house production are filled automatically. Some time ago, in addition to the large-scale filling installation, a need arose for an additional system for smaller batches because retooling the large system for this purpose was not cost-effective. The company opted for Yaskawa’s Motoman HP20F robot – purpose-developed for packaging tasks – in combination with a FS100 robot control unit that was designed specifically for picking and packing. The processing of sensor signals in real time, reactions to camera information and other high speed applications are possible with this control unit. Programming and control tasks can be readily performed via a PC or PLC.
For more information contact Jaco Taljaard, Yaskawa Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 608 3182, [email protected], www.yaskawa.za.com
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