Drives & Controls September 2022

n TECHNOLOGY September 2022 www.drivesncontrols.com 22 AFTER ALMOST FOURYEARS of collaboration, four industrial communications organisations – FieldComm Group, ODVA, OPC Foundation and Profibus & Profinet International (PI) – have announced the availability a two-wire, IS (intrinsically safe) physical communications layer for process applications called Ethernet-APL (Advanced Physical Layer), capable of transmitting at speeds of up to 10Mbit. The development tackles numerous barriers that have previously limited the deployment of high- speed Ethernet in hazardous facilities. Ethernet-APL is an extension of the specification for Single-Pair Ethernet (SPE) based on 10Base-T1L, which supports higher- order Ethernet protocols. The physical layer has been adapted to provide a resilient, isolated and powered Ethernet network for use in process automation. Ethernet-APL enabled field devices connect directly to this network. Ethernet-APL’s claimed benefits include dramatically faster communications speeds, and the abilities to power field instruments and install cable runs of up to 1km. As a single physical layer, Ethernet-APL supports EtherNet/IP, Hart-IP, OPC UA, Profinet and other high-level networking protocols. The two-wire system is also claimed to simplify the installation, configuration and maintenance of instruments and automation technologies. In some cases, existing wiring can be re-used. The project has been supported by 12 industrial partners, including ABB, Emerson, Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact, Rockwell Automation, Siemens and Yokogawa. For the experts involved in the APL Project, it was important that the specifications of IEEE 802.3cg (10Base-T1L) could be applied to process automation. To achieve an IS system that meets the needs of process users, they worked with the IS certification body TÜV to validate the explosion protection concepts and to prepare Ethernet-APL as an IEC standard. The project has delivered: n specifications to create a system for multiple power levels, with and without hazardous area protection; n engineering guidelines and best practices for planning and installation; and n conformance test specifications and test tools. To support rapid implementation of Ethernet-APL in products, the project team worked with semiconductor manufacturers to develop 10Base-T1L Phy chipsets for Ethernet-APL. The first products were launched before the project had ended. According to the project team, end-users have shown a great interest in Ethernet-APL. BASF and Procter & Gamble have already completed field trials, demonstrating that Ethernet-APL is indeed suitable for use in process applications. The FieldComm Group has worked with other members of the project group to develop test specifications and processes for Ethernet-APL products. The first products to achieve registration are rail field switches from Pepperl+Fuchs. The organisations that took part in the project have agreed to maintain the technical and marketing assets and to continue their standardisation work. There is a dedicatedWeb site, aWhite Paper, a PowerPoint presentation and training materials. www.ethernet-apl.org Four-year project delivers Ethernet-APL for process users ABB has announced a five-axis delta robot which, it claims, is the fastest in its class for handling lightweight packaged products such as chocolates, small bottles and parcels. The five-axis IRB 365 robot has a 1.5kg payload, and is suitable for a variety of picking and packing applications in the food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods markets, where high production line speeds and adaptability are essential. “The IRB 365 can pick, reorientate and place 1kg products at 90 picks per minute,”, says ABB Robotics’global product manager, Roy Fraser.“Our customers saw that the growth in online shopping was driving the demand for shelf-ready packaged goods, so we developed a new delta robot that would rise to the challenge. By handling more products per minute, the robot increases productivity, while saving time and energy to make production more efficient.” The robot can be used for re-orienting, top-loading, unscrambling, 3D picking, feeding and parcel sorting applications. It can be integrated into packaging lines in hours rather than days, using the digital twin technology built into ABB’s PickMaster Twin software, which is also said to cut changeover times from hours to minutes. The robot is driven by ABB’s OmniCore C30 controller – said to be the smallest delta robot controller on the market. It offers more than 1,000 functions to meet future demands. https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/ industrial-robots/irb-365 n Delta robot is ‘fastest in its class’ and can be set up in hours A typical application of Ethernet-APL showing how it can reach up to 1km between switches on the trunk Image: Ethernet-APL