Industry 4.0 may be poised to take a step (or a link scan) forward on May 7th, when Mitsubishi releases controllers, robots, and other factory automation products compatible with the Control and Communication Link Using Industrial Ethernet with Time-Sensitive Networking (CC-Link IE TSN.) Developed by the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), of which Mitsubishi Electric is a member, this network improves upon the token-passing method of communication used by its previous, non-time-sensitive incarnation by transmitting input and output communication frames between stations simultaneously. The end result is a time-sharing method of communication that synchronizes time across an entire network.
The full link scan takes 31.25 microseconds, though communication between stations can occur during the scan due to simultaneous transmission of input/output communication frames. The result is that, within the time-sensitive network, communication variation time is less than one microsecond between stations at a maximum of 254 connected stations. This means that feedback from machines directly involved in manufacturing can be processed with essentially no delay, allowing minute adjustments to be made on the factory floor in real time as problems may arise.
Mitsubishi Electric’s e-Factory is supplying technology on the operations end that will be compatible with CC-Link IE TSN via the CSP+ description language specification. It will simplify system configuration and reduce installation costs as compared to previous technology compatible with non-time specific CC-link networking through combining machine control and information communication into one Ethernet cable.
Humans are not yet completely absent from the equation, and the new operational technology is equipped with graphic displays of network status to allow for fast diagnosis of device faults. The Melsoft GX Works3 engineering tool will be used to manage all devices connected to the network, including third-party technology that is not among the 102 factory automation products to be released. The previously mentioned synchronized time will allow for engineers and technicians monitoring the system to trace errors in chronological order.
Be sure to check out some smart factories that are already in operation and take a look at the software being used in industry 4.0 to manufacture electronics.