Flexibility counts when every machine is different

Hager manufactures its own machinery and systems to test its products and when it comes to choosing the optimum installation concept for the automation of testing facilities, the challenge facing the Hager team is that no two test machines are the same. New aspects have to be continually considered. Different products need to be tested for a wide, and ever-changing range of quality characteristics and functions. Specifications where the test facilities are used from the factories around the globe have to be taken into account. Only a few installation areas can be repeated designs. The task is not made any easier by the fact that while I/O density is always very high, space is extremely limited. Bringing the machines quickly into circulation is also important. In terms of the installation concept, it means that it has to be particularly flexible – and this is why the team in charge at Hager opted for Murrelektronik's modular, decentralised and compact Cube67 system.

Flexibility
Hager’s top benefit from the Cube67 system is the flexibility: they can implement any number of different I/O modules with the system. Depending on requirements, a component with four or eight ports can be integrated into the installation. In some machines, modules with M12 cordsets are used; frequently however, Hager selects the compact modules with M8 ports. This saves spaces and allows several I/Os to be grouped in a tiny area. The modules are mounted right next to the sensors and actuators – at the heart of the process – for example on pneumatic devices or grippers. This enables the design engineers to connect sensors and actuators with short cables to reduce wiring effort and save costs. The second flexibility advantage for Hager is the multifunctional ports. Engineers can decide whether they want to use each port as an input or output – this turn standard modules into customised modules, making it possible to group both sensors and actuators close to a module. Thanks to this multifunctionality, the number of module versions and the total number of modules required can be reduced. The Hager engineers can also easily control valves on site with the Cube67 valve cluster connections.

One cable technology
Another benefit for Hager is that the Murrelektronik Cube67 system modules are connected to the bus nodes using one cable technology. The single cordset transmits both data and energy and runs from one module to the next. It’s easy to design the system as needed since it is based on a star-line topology. The one cable technology transmits both data and power to supply the sensors and actuators. This simplifies installation and maintenance for the engineers. They only need half the amount of cabling and are twice as fast. The Cube67 cable is pre-wired and supplied to Hager in the exact lengths required.

High machine run-time with Cube67 diagnostics
Since the cost effectiveness of Hager machines also hinges on high availability, detecting and eliminating errors quickly is essential. Hager engineers use the Cube67 system's diagnostics options for this purpose. They make it easy for maintenance personnel on site to find the problem, analyse it and take appropriate action. The technicians at the Hager plants are trained by their colleagues in Obernai. And, in the unlikely event that a tougher problem does arise, the team in Obernai can lend a virtual helping hand remotely.

The experts at Hager already successfully switched from PROFIBUS to PROFINET some years ago. They have since been satisfied with the installation concept. Thanks to the Cube, existing systems can adopt new protocols simply by changing the bus module instead of the system. Cube67 makes it possible to simply replace the bus modules, changing the protocol with it and equipping machines for the higher level PROFINET system. The structure after the bus module can remain unchanged. No longer does the team have to spend time on documentation and reprogramming, nor for new purchasing process or stock checks. Hager benefits from the Murrelektronik concept. While 80 percent of the machines and installations are designed for integration in PROFINET systems, 20 percent of them are designed for Ethernet/IP environments. The same concept applies here simply replace the bus modules to implement a different protocol – and leave existing cabling in place.