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Emerson Showcases First Pneumatic Valve System with Integrated OPC UA at Automate 2022

June 08, 2022 by David Peterson

Emerson introduces its new AVENTICS Series Advanced Valve (AV) valve system with Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture at Automate 2022.

On May 30, 2022, Emerson announced that its AVENTICS Series Advanced Valve (AV) system with Advanced Electronic System (AES) Profinet and Ethernet/IP is now available with preinstalled Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) functionality. Recently, Emerson showcased its newly souped-up pneumatic valve system at Hannover Messe (Hanover, Germany, May 30-June 2) and will also be exhibiting its technology at the Automate show (booth 1645, Michigan, USA, June 06-09). 

 

Emerson AVENTICS Series Advanced Valve Systems with OPC UA

Emerson releases its AVENTICS Series Advanced Valve Systems with OPC UA. Image used courtesy of Emerson

 

Enhancing Device Monitoring and Machine Connectivity

The AVENTICS Series AES Field Bus Modules can be used to connect AVENTICS valve systems to all relevant fieldbus protocols. The combination of the AVENTICS AV system and AES provides Emerson’s customers with a space-saving, lightweight, and highly modular solution. The system allows engineers to access operational and diagnostic data to make informed decisions. A pressure sensor module provides additional diagnostics information. 

 

Video used courtesy of Emerson

 

Emerson’s Smart Pneumatics Monitor IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) gateway, works alongside the company’s valve systems fieldbus solutions AES and G3 to analyze sensor signals and generate status information of particular components. The system can help engineers monitor actuator wear and provide information concerning the energy efficiency of their pneumatic system.

 

Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture

Data can be transmitted via the OPC UA interface to defined people or to the parent MES (manufacturing execution system) or ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems. Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture is a platform-independent standard used for industrial communication which was developed by the OPC Foundation. Engineers who work with this standard can benefit from a more secure and uninterrupted flow of data among different devices (other components, programmable logic controllers [PLCs], cloud systems) and vendors. This can make governance and maintenance more manageable for engineers. 

Through the AVENTICS Series AV System with OPC UA, data and analytics are received via the valve system and communicated directly to upper systems. Emerson says that this is the first and only valve system to offer this directly integrated capability.

In a recent news release, the Senior Manager of Product Marketing, IIoT at Emerson, Nils Beckmann, described the AVENTICS Series AV System with OPC UA as “a notable leap forward in the flexibility and integration of valve systems because it makes the transition to IIoT significantly simpler for engineers.” Beckmann added, “With OPC UA, engineers don’t need to change a whole system or architecture to access valve data. They now have the flexibility to continue using their own cloud systems and software to gain easy access to data and analytics without disrupting or modifying the PLC.” 

 

Digital Twin and Transformation Technologies

The AVENTICS Series AV System with OPC UA also comes with digital twin technology. A digital twin is a virtual representation of a product, process, or system.

Industrial IIoT systems are used to monitor the performance and status of physical assets in real-time. They use sensors to collect data on machinery, equipment, and other physical assets in order to predict when they will fail and how they will affect other parts of the system. A digital twin is a virtual representation of an asset that displays similar performance characteristics as its physical counterpart. This technology can be used for predictive maintenance by providing engineers with an accurate model of how an asset will perform over time so that they can schedule maintenance before any failure occurs.

Emerson will also be showcasing its new AVENTICS Series SPRA Electric Rod-Style Linear Actuator and AVENTICS Series 616 SentronicHD Proportional Pressure Regulator at the Automate show.

The Series 616 pressure regulator utilizes a unique diaphragm-operated booster that is able to deliver stable pressure control during dynamic flow conditions. An optional tuning software is available which allows customers to customize valve performance to suit specific application needs. Project managers can also customize and optimize valve performance during the research and development (R&D) phase. This capability reduces development time and a simplified set up minimizes unnecessary downtime.

 
Emerson AVENTICS Series SPRA electric rod-style linear actuator
Emerson’s AVENTICS Series SPRA electric rod-style linear actuator. Image used courtesy of Emerson
 

Emerson says that its newly released AVENTICS Series SPRA electric rod-style linear actuator is a cost-effective, high-performance solution with enhanced load capacity, accuracy, and reliability. The solution comes with three different screw technologies so that it can be used for several applications.