Metal Work, one of Signal’s main customers, is an Italian company that has been working in pneumatics for more than 50 years. They developed an electrical pneumatic system called EB 80. It takes its name from the 80th birthday anniversary of Erminio Bonatti, the company’s founder.
In order to design, create and program the electronics for EB 80, which are essential for the functioning of the system, Metal Work contracted Signal SRL because of our 25-year experience in this sector.
Signal developed the software for all the boards, from the master to the slaves. Moreover, we developed PC software to read the 4.0 diagnostic data for the update of all the slave boards.
EB 80 is a modular system that the operator can assemble and program based on the purpose of the desired machine. It can be used for industrial automation, as It is able to collect and process a large amount of data.
Defining EB 80 as a “solenoid valve island” would be reductive because:
- It includes solenoid valves that can be controlled by multipolar or fieldbus control, as well as for the management of digital or analog signals, both input and output.
- Pneumatics-wise, it can mount solenoid valves with various functions (2/2NC, 3/2NC and NO, 572 monostable and bistable, 5/3) with electric or manual controls, pneumatic input connections with fittings up to 012mm and in delivery from 04mm to 08mm, and soon also from 010mm.
- From an electrical point of view, various controls and modules are available, using different types of field buses, among which:
- The faster network field buses, including Profinet, Ethernet IP, EtherCAT, Powerlink. These are all Real Time systems, which allow each input to be activated with a maximum delay of 10ms.
- The slower field buses, Profibus and CANopen.
- The electric modules available are:
- 8 digital inputs;
- 8 digital power outputs;
- 4 analog inputs;
- 4 analog outputs;
- 6 digital power outputs, with power supply;
- 16 digital inputs;
- 16 digital power outputs;
- 4 temperature sensor inputs.
- The maximum number of valve commands is 38 with multipolar electrical connection and 128 with a fieldbus connection. The signal modules, controlled by a fieldbus, can manage up to 336 signals (128 digital inputs, 128 digital outputs, 16 analog inputs, 16 analog outputs).
- It can be electrically powered with a wide voltage range, ranging from 10.8 to 31.2 VDC, in order to avoid overvoltage or low voltage, typical issues in the industrial field.
- For all versions there is a general error LED in correspondence of the electric connection module in addition to a signal LED for each individual valve. The LED system indicates the conditions of electropilot in short circuit, interrupted or missing electropilot, overvoltage, insufficient voltage, transmission of interrupted electrical signal. The presence of the fault is then transmitted to the island’s control system; when using a fieldbus connection, the type of fault is also transmitted.
- Every base is equipped with a dedicated memory which is able to collect the diagnostic and operating data of each valve, for a period of time that reaches 50 years of work.
- Any defective part can be replaced without having to disassemble the island, using a single cross-head screwdriver, by offering excellent horizontal modularity.
- The user can set the parameters of each individual slave, through specific programs.
- Two types of thermal input are available:
- Thermocouples
- Thermal resistances.
EB 80 is therefore an optimal component, thanks to its capabilities, in the field of Industry 4.0, that predicts and prevents faults, avoiding downtime.
Further details can be found on Metal Work’s website http://www.metalwork.it/pneumatic-components/eb-80-0001236.html
Contact us for more information.
it |
en |
Visit Signal China
