 |
Key role for off-shore and marine supplier in product development |
Vassnes Elektro AS is the largest electrical company in the Haugaland region of south-western Norway and is active in upgrading offshore rigs, shipbuilding, ship repairs, and a variety of land-based activities. Vassnes Automation, one of its subsidiaries, supplies instruments and automation solutions for these applications.
 |
Having worked closely with Omron for some time, Vassnes Automation wanted to maximise the opportunities offered by improved industrial Ethernet technologies. This meant redesigning its automation network architecture for the future. At the same time Omron was developing new PROFINET products and being a market frontrunner, it required an experienced sparring partner with the knowledge to challenge its development engineers and push them to the limits.
|
Meeting of minds
Both companies came together and used each other’s knowledge and experience to mutual advantage. Vassnes providing precisely the real target applications that Omron needed to test the new features it was creating. And Omron providing the technology and know how to create new solutions that Vassnes needed for its future business growth.
|
Next-generation network
|
The core of the network solution that Vassnes adopted is the easy to use, cost-effective and high-performing PROFINET-IO, which is essentially a new generation of fieldbus, offering all of the standard benefits associated with Ethernet-based systems and much more.
|
 |
An open ‘Industrial Ethernet’ solution that is fast becoming Europe’s next-generation field network, PROFINET-IO meets all requirements of industrial automation and provides the higher speeds necessary as intelligent devices become more complex. There are many key advantages. For instance, the network infrastructure can be shared with other Ethernet communications, which can lead to big savings on network cabling and network components such as switches and routers. It also gives dependable real time operation, even with a shared infrastructure.
|
Moreover, OMRON’s implementation of PROFINET-IO utilizes SmartSlice remote I/O stations incorporating integral Ethernet switches, which enable field wiring systems using a conventional linear field-bus topology. This offers further substantial cost savings, as well as reducing installation and wiring time, as no separate switches need to be wired and powered.
|
Faster development with advanced features
As a result of the co-operation, Omron Europe R&D developed PROFINET products with configuration DTMs and advanced features like network redundancy and redundant ring topology, in a very short time. Vassnes Automation benefitted from acquiring cost-effective and leading edge technology developed with advanced features to meet their specific needs.
|
|
