| Sector: | Industrial Automation |
|---|---|
| Technology User: | Pharmaceutical Manufacturer |
| Application: | TCP/IP to Ethernet/IP Protocol Conversion |
| Product(s) Used: | DeviceMaster UP |
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Applications
Industrial Automation
DeviceMaster UP - SuperUser Solutions
Applications
Industrial Automation
DeviceMaster UP - SuperUser Solutions
DeviceMaster UP - SuperUser Solutions
Challenge
SuperUser Solutions offers professional services that specialize in engineering cost-effective system automation and supply chain solutions. Their core competencies include product identification and tracking systems, labeling and packaging equipment, RFID, material handling, IT services and other supply chain technologies. However, transferring data from the serial and Ethernet devices involved to a CompactLogix PLC has proven particularly challenging, at times requiring expensive and time-consuming coding. In one particular application, this challenge began to thwart the project in queue.
“We were working with a pharmaceutical company to develop a custom conveyor system for their production line,” said Andrew Messineo, project manager at SuperUser Solutions. “During this process, we needed to convert the collected serial data from scanners to a PLC Tag. At the last minute, we found out that no one from the customer’s IT department had been working on getting the TCP/IP data to the PLC.”
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“We were working with a pharmaceutical company to develop a custom conveyor system for their production line. During this process, we needed to convert the collected serial data from scanners to a PLC Tag. The DeviceMaster® UP could do the work for me.” Andrew Messineo, Project Manager SuperUsers |
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Technology Solution
The company’s PLC needed to collect and log data such as tote barcodes for product identification and verification, as well as shipping information. After some testing of possible solutions, Messineo discovered that the DeviceMaster® UP from Comtrol Corporation was an ideal fit for his customer’s application.
“The DeviceMaster® UP could do the work for me,” Messineo said.
The DeviceMaster UP network-attached device gateway hosts an industrial Ethernet engine and communicates serial device-to-PLC communications and supports EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, and Modbus/TCP in a single platform. Its robust capabilities eliminate the need for SuperUser Solutions’ customer to program complex PLC logic when securing data from plant floor devices. The DeviceMaster UP delivers simple web-based configuration and provides an RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485 software-selectable serial connection to an industrial Ethernet network.
SuperUser Solutions found they were able to quickly and easily configure a one-port DeviceMaster UP to connect both the serial and Ethernet devices to their PLC. This saved the company time and money while meeting their dual connectivity needs.
“We used the DeviceMaster UP to gather outside data and send it to the PLC so that the collected information could be easily logged and processed,” Messineo said.
The DeviceMaster UP not only provided a solution for their project, but it helped SuperUser Solutions achieve their overall goal of providing a cost-effective automation solution. With Comtrol’s online tools and dependable service, SuperUser Solutions was able to easily determine the correct product to meet their customer’s needs.
“Comtrol’s website and technical sales collateral clearly outlined the DeviceMaster UP’s serial-to-EtherNet/IP capabilities,” Messineo said. “The information even offered example PLC ladder logic to back-up the company’s claims.”
The DeviceMaster UP technology, combined with SuperUser Solutions’ service and technical expertise, has proven to be a successful combination. The customer is still in the testing and certification phase of this project, but once this is complete, they are likely to continue turning to SuperUser Solutions and Comtrol Corporation for emerging production needs.
“They’re expected to install many more of these systems in the future,” Messineo said.
