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Omron launches Sysmac automation platform

December 2011 News

Omron Industrial Automation Business has announced the release of a new machine automation platform: Sysmac (system for machine automation control). Sysmac stands for one machine control through one connection and one software, and represents a milestone in Omron’s 10-year plan aiming to strengthen and globalise its position in the machine automation business segment.

The guiding principles behind the Sysmac automation platform are:

* One control for the entire machine or production cell.

* Harmony between machine and people.

* Open communication and programming standards.

The result is a powerful and robust automation platform with a new machine automation controller (Sysmac NJ), that integrates motion, sequencing, networking and vision inspection and a new software (Sysmac Studio) that includes configuration, programming, simulation and monitoring and a fast machine network (EtherCAT) to control motion, vision, sensors and actuators.

One machine controller

The heart of the new automation platform is the Sysmac NJ 501 machine automation controller, which is designed for high speed and flexibility. It incorporates an Intel processor proven for harsh industrial environments with fan-free operation and runs under the RTOS a real-time operating system. It is scalable with a choice of 16, 32 and 64 axis CPUs. A response time of less than 1 ms can be achieved for applications of up to 32 axes, unheard of with conventional hardware-based control.

One machine software

Created to give machine builders full control over the automation system, Sysmac Studio integrates configuration, programming, simulation and monitoring into one software. Sysmac Studio delivers a true integrated development environment and offer a new experience in terms of ease of use and speed of programming.

One machine network

One connection via the Sysmac NJ series controller allows seamless control and communication with both the machine and the factory. The new NJ series controllers are designed for open communication via EtherCAT, the fastest emerging network on the market for machine automation. EtherCAT is Omron’s de-facto machine network for its wide range of field and motion devices. It is a 100 Mbps industrial Ethernet network compliant with IEEE 802.3 frames, capable of handling up to 192 slaves with refresh time down to 100 μs and less than 1 μs jitter. It achieves high accuracy for multi-axis synchronisation thanks to its distributed slave clock mechanism. It is simple to set-up with automatic address assignment for slaves and cost effective to install as it uses standard shielded Ethernet cables and connectors.

In line with Omron’s social and global policy, Sysmac meets global standards such as EC Directives, cULus, Lloyd’s and NK and is designed and manufactured with clean and recyclable material.

For more information contact Terry McIntosh, Omron Electronics, 086 066 7661, [email protected], www.industrial.omron.co.za



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