Posted to News on 31st May 2009, 15:27
Stationportal simplifies connection of I/O to assembly systems
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms is introducing Stationportal for discrete assembly support tasks. Stationportal is said to provide a completely new architecture for assembly support systems, greatly increasing the speed of deployment and optimisation, while providing a significantly lower total cost of ownership. This product is a useful for tasks such as error proofing, line balancing, material call and other production support tasks.
Stationportal provides a common Ethernet interface for typically I/O such as pushbuttons, barcode scanners, LEDs and torque guns. These inputs and, more importantly, their information tie directly into GE Fanuc's new Proficy HMI/Scada system, Cimplicity 8.0 for discrete manufacturing, which comes with a 100-tag data historian. This architecture provides the power and flexibility of a central, server-based configuration. Stationportal's installation is said to be so simple that it only requires standard wall power and an Ethernet connection.
Jason Messinger, GE Fanuc product manager for Stationportal, comments: "Stationportal is an alternative way of setting up the factory floor, because it gets rid of the traditional reliance on more expensive and complex, PLC-based assembly support systems. By using a central, server-based configuration over Ethernet, manufacturers can eliminate PLCs and flatten the architecture for production support tasks. This simpler architecture gives the user increased flexibility and drastically reduces the time required for activities such as line balancing and system modifications."
Each Stationportal unit has three discrete inputs, three discrete outputs, three coloured lamps, one pushbutton, one horn and one serial port, with each data point mapped directly into Cimplicity.
For more information on StationPortal, go to www.fanuc.eu.
