How to save energy: fieldbus conference topic

Starting from an initiative proposed by AIDA, the group of automotive manufacturing companies in Germany, that sought to improve the energy efficiency of their automated manufacturing plants, PROFIBUS International (PI) has developed and introduced PROFIenergy. This is a solution for the energy management of production equipment, which uses existing factory PROFINET communications to switch off selected equipment components or even entire systems during normal idle times, such as weekends and holidays, and also during other brief intervals and unscheduled pauses.

PROFIenergy is a vendor-neutral energy savings profile that has been developed in co-operation with a working group comprising many of the major equipment suppliers to the automobile automation and production industries. It allows the power consumption of automation equipment in manufacturing (such as robot assembly cells, laser cutters and sub-systems such as paint lines) to be managed over a PROFINET network. It offers an open and standardized means of controlling energy usage during planned and unplanned breaks in production. No external hard-wired systems are required, the profile can be integrated into individual components by means of a firmware update, and implementation into the first products is expected in 2010.

PROFIenergy technology will be described and explained further at the annual PROFIBUS and PROFINET User Conference, scheduled for 29-30 June 2010 at Stratford-on-Avon (GB), alongside several other papers that discuss how PROFIBUS and PROFINET systems can be integrated into energy management programmes, particularly in relation to energy efficient drives.

This major convention for users and potential users of modern automation systems offers the choice of three parallel styles of presentation, for each delegate to create the most effective and relevant learning experience in relation to his plant and experience. These three streams offer technical and user experience presentations; hands-on practical training and demonstrations of the hardware, fault finding techniques and remote diagnostics; and thirdly an exhibition of equipment from relevant suppliers, where experts and presenters will be on hand to explain how to apply their solutions on your plant application.

The Conference is an ideal venue for plant managers, engineers, instrument technicians and automation professionals to meet PROFIBUS and PROFINET users from different companies or industries, to discuss the benefits and techniques that have been applied in different situations: it is also an ideal way to introduce colleagues to the technology, and for them to learn about the practical aspects of applying and using PROFIBUS on a typical plant, in advance of their own automation or energy saving projects.

See also User Conference 2010!