Engineers can design and build automated assembly cells using a different approach these days. No longer must a main controller dictate all action through hard-wired sensors and actuators, instead, system intelligence can now ‘move with the machine’. Intended for bi-directional digital data transmission in high-speed, multi-task manufacturing environments, Unitronic-Bus FD cables give design engineers a product that meets all their electrical requirements while being flexible at the same time.
Flexible in a rugged construction
When an automated system, or part of a system, requires movement to operate, standard bus cable is not able to perform the task. However, fieldbus cables of the Olflex type can flex continuously while accurately transmitting data signals from the PLC or main computer to remote units.
The new cable transmits data at a rate of 1 Mbit/sec for system lengths of 400 metres and offers a minimum bending radius of 125 mm for continuous flexing applications, all within a construction that incorporates braided shield to protect against electromagnetic interference (EMI). A special paired design ensures maximum crosstalk suppression in low-level signal transmissions and an outer jacket of durable, flame-resistant polyurethane protects the shielded pairs during the flexing cycle. Applications include:
* Automated assembly.
* Pick and place.
* Storage and retrieval.
Olflex in action
Olflex fieldbus cable products include low and mid capacitance designs to match system requirements: the lowcap design has a capacitance of 27 pF/m and the midcap 54 pF/m.
These cables are compatible with a number of systems such as Interbus-S by Phoenix Contact, Profibus, Vari-Net-P, Modulink P, SUCOnet-P, SineC L2-DP, ASI by Siemens, CAN from the auto industry, and BitBus.
Customer’s have confidence in Olflex multi-conductor control cable. UL approved and CSA certified, Olflex-190 withstands the effects of mineral oils, synthetic oils and water-based coolants, this means excellent performance in the harsh industrial environments found on assembly lines and CNC machines. Conductor sizes range from 2 through 20 AWG.
Solutions, solutions
As PCs proliferate on the factory floor, these same customers need a similar, but smaller, computer cable – hence, Unitronic-190 and Unitronic-190CY. It is factors like these, the ever-expanding factory automation market and a fast response to changing needs, which have accounted for Lapp’s exceptional growth. Automation within the auto industry generates a huge demand for flexible cable and other industries are following suit. Machine tool builders, paper and pulp plants, textile mills and the packaging business, all increasingly depend on automation and robots to increase productivity.
Factory automation also opens doors to other cable markets. Because new cutting machines in the packaging industry operate faster than ever, they require special lubricants some of which eat through the jackets of traditional control cable.
Because system intelligence can ‘move with the machine’, fieldbus cables require flexibility. Unitronic-Bus FD, compatible with CAN, MeBus, LON, Andere, and DeviceNet systems, transmits at a data rate of 1 Mbit/sec for system lengths of 400 m. It also offers a minimum bending radius of 125 mm for continuous flexing applications.
Innovative data cables
Unitronic is the brand of choice for users that want fast, safe and forward-thinking solutions for data transmission. The range includes data cables for all electronic applications, from diminutive cables in electric appliances to those transferring vast amounts of data in supercomputers. Properties include:
* Robust, durable and reliable.
* Suitable for a wide range of uses, including under chemical and mechanical stress, humid conditions and a wide range of temperatures.
* Suitable for fixed connection or energy supply chains.
* Halogen-free and available with international licences.
Fields of application include computers, machine and appliance electronics, measurement and control technology, automated manufacturing processes and industrial robots, bus systems and fast LAN and Ethernet applications.
Unitronic fieldbus now active with gateways
Apart from the active sensor/actuator modules for globally conventional bus systems and the corresponding field wiring, Lapp is now also providing gateways for coupling to super-ordinated Ethernet-based networks.
The portfolio supports all of the established fieldbus systems used around the world. The extensive product range includes sensor/actuator modules for AS-Interface, Profibus, CANopen and DeviceNet. Equipped with standardised connection technology and featuring high industrial protection class ratings, they are suitable for connecting all commonly used sensors and actuators, to provide users the perfect solution for decentralised automation in mechanical and plant engineering applications. Due to their quick and easy assembly, installation costs can be significantly reduced even under the most demanding conditions.
In addition to the comprehensive range of Unitronic cables, Lapp Kabel also offers T-connectors, Y-connectors, terminating resistors, self-assembly connectors, sensor/actuator cables and the related accessories for the rapid wiring of sensors and actuators in the field.
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| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.lappgroup.co.za |
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