Here we are at the end of May, still in lockdown Level 4. While we at the Johannesburg branch are doing our best to bring technology to our loyal members, there is still nothing like the human touch.
One thing we can be sure of is that Covid-19 has changed the world as we know it, maybe forever. Technology that was only supposed to be with us in 10 years has now been fast tracked to be ready in 5 years. Where does that leave the process control and automation industry? Not to be left behind, the industry will have to find innovative ways to assist its customers with the latest technology.
With most industries facing job losses, automation will most definitely play a much bigger role going forward and we must assist our customers to embrace new technology.
April technology evening
Due to the lockdown, the Johannesburg branch decided to host a digital technology evening so as not to let our members down. Dean Floyd from Pepperl+Fuchs stepped up and provided us with a YouTube presentation on AS-Interface.
So, what is AS-Interface? It is a distributed network for standard and safety I/O. It is an open solution supported by 300 vendors. A simple network can reduce wiring by up to 90%, and installation is fast.
Hardwired sensors are extremely labour- and cost-intensive, so the sensor world came up with the idea of distributed networks. Networked sensors have reduced labour and cost due to direct connection to I/O modules on most PLCs, with shorter and lower-cost cables being used.
It is also important to note that AS-Interface is backward compatible, meaning a gateway or scanner sold today will work with any AS-Interface device ever built, and it supports functional safety as well.
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