Hydraulics & Pneumatics September 2022

www.hpmag.co.uk www.burkert.co.uk Digitally connected devices will provide a cost payback over time and most significantly, the information they provide will create a more profitable and efficient operation for the future. via the vendor-specified protocol, while supporting digital communications with field devices through the reliable Bürkert EDIP (Efficient Device Integration Platform) network. EDIP is based on CANopen, the industrial communication protocol used in millions of cars around the world. An alternative is to use the IO-Link protocol, although the IO-Link master gateway can only integrate a maximum of eight devices. Of course, you can integrate field devices directly compatible with your choice of PLC vendor without using a gateway. However, this adds a significant licence cost per device, and in reality, doesn’t add a practical performance benefit. Transition It’s also possible to interoperate field devices with a mix of analogue, fieldbus and digital communications. Adding an ME44 module to the ME43 fieldbus gateway integrates analogue I/O alongside digital. As a result, you can gradually transition your field devices from analogue to digital as they reach the end of their service life. To immediately transition without the cost of replacing valves, you can convert them to digital-compatible communications. Bürkert’s 8681 control head acts as an adaptor to convert third- party actuators for integration with various Ethernet protocols, saving significant cost, especially for applications with high valve counts. However the transition is managed, digitally connected devices will provide a cost payback over time. Most significantly, the information they provide will create a more profitable and efficient operation for the future.