IMI Norgren, Littleton, Colo., unveiled the FD67 distributed I/O system, suitable for use in Fieldbus systems such as DeviceNet and Profibus. The modular FD67 has been developed for equipment manufacturers looking to simplify and reduce costs of the entire electrical installation of machines and systems. Benefits include reduced cost of installation, shorter commissioning cycles, and simplified fault diagnosis. The FD67 is suitable for use in packaging, assembly, material handling, and general machine building industries.
The modular concept means that starting with the fieldbus coupler, the I/O layer is distributed in the heart of the machine, close to the sensors and actuators — and not concentrated in the control cabinet. The system is connected by one hybrid cable for supply and communication. This results in short I/O lines to sensors and actuators, ensuring reduced cabling and installation costs.
Norgren says 95% of I/O faults occur due to incorrectly customer wired cables. A key requirement of any manufacturing facility is to ensure maximum machine uptime, so that production levels can be maintained. It addresses the problem of incorrectly wired cabling with a full suite of pre-wired and pre-tested cables for greater system reliability.
The FD67 also features a comprehensive debugging facility with single channel diagnosis and shut down. The single channel diagnosis will only shut down the affected plug position — not the whole module — and will point to the faulty unit.
Featuring low bus node count, the FD67 offers low node cost, further reducing total build costs. The fully encapsulated electronics and IP67 rating make the system suitable for wash down environments and tolerant of shock and vibration.
Delivering the highest system flexibility through the use of multifunctional I/Os, separate input and output modules are unnecessary, so free parameterization of the two signals can occur on each plug position.
The FD67 allows engineers to universally standardize the machine design around one I/O system. The machine is completely independent from the controls and the fieldbus. If the end user requires a different fieldbus, the machine builder need only change the bus coupler; no modifications to the I/O periphery are necessary. As a result, the machine builder can offer quicker delivery response times to their customers' individual specifications.
For more information, please visit www.norgren.com or call (303)794-2611.
