Next-generation ELAU PacDrive to use Sercos III

ELAU's CEO, Dr Thomas Cord, states that this latest Sercos technology offers the viable one-network choice for synchronised motion, safety, I/O and information over Ethernet for high-performance applications sought by many packaging companies and packaging system builders alike.

The company will continue to support an open system architecture by implementing all field and device bus protocols (such as ODVA's Ethernet/IP) that have earned acceptance in the packaging industry for users preferring to continue to segregate their networks according to functional requirements.

Sercos advantages

Sercos III combines the proven real-time performance of Sercos (Serial Real-time Communication System, IEC 61784-2) in the familiar and cost-effective Ethernet standard. Of increasing importance, Sercos III also supports safety applications up to SIL3 (Safety Integrity Level 3) according to IEC 61508.

Furthermore, the Sercos interface offers more than just drive communications. Standardised parameters fully describe the interaction between controllers and drives, and several suppliers also provide I/O stations and other automation components for a cost-effective, single bus system. This ease of use enables packaging system providers to concentrate on what differentiates them from the competition, namely innovation in machine design.

For many system builders and end users, Sercos has long been the bus of choice for motion. ELAU has developed its Sercos II and now Sercos III offerings to meet the requirements of packaging machinery, among the most dynamic of motion applications. As a member of Schneider Electric's Automation Business Unit, ELAU leads the development of high-performance motion control technology for the OEM market.