ConveyNet® modules incorporate I/O and motor control along with safety circuitry in each unit. Assemblies are standardized, pre-engineered, with circuitry verified and factory tested, resulting in an off the shelf, ready to use item, not requiring design engineering, component purchasing and assembly, or device checkout.
Power distribution can be located wherever it's most convenient, requiring only a little wall or column space. ConveyNet® is even flexible in the PLC platform and communication network that can be used, and if no PLC processor for logic or process control is present, an I/O module can be made "intelligent" by installing a PLC "top hat."
The ConveyNet® System reduces engineering time, cost of installation, and time required to commission a system. This gives it a competitive edge over firms that use centralized panels and extensive detail drawings. Since ConveyNet® components are manufactured, the engineering time to produce module drawings is eliminated, leaving the design engineer to focus on system layout and which field devices will be connected to which panels. Since all starters and drives are located in the field, single feeders are run to groups of motors, rather than running individual feeders to each motor, reducing conduit size and number of cable pulls. Field I/O is typically run back to the nearest remote module, as well, eliminating long cable pulls back to a centralized panel. Finally, factory circuit verification, minimal module configuration and localized I/O indication translate into faster commissioning and checkout.
A distributed system like ConveyNet® also has long-term advantages over ones that are centralized, especially in terms of maintenance and the life cycle of plant equipment, processes, and products. The process of diagnosing equipment failure becomes much easier because all of the required components are right there next to the conveyor, including indicator lights. No more radios or tracking down wires through miles of conduit.
Every Project Engineer is familiar with the spaghetti mess of central panels that have been modified many times, as products and equipment come and go. With ConveyNet®, new modules that are needed are just inserted into the existing networks, and modules that are no longer needed disappear with the equipment they're mounted on, or can be easily revised on new equipment. The spare parts inventory is simplified with fewer parts and common module configurations.
The ConveyNet® System consists of components for E-Stop functionality, connection of field I/O, and motor control. ConveyNet® modules are capable of connecting 120 VAC and 24 VDC discrete I/O, as well encoders and analog I/O.
Network protocols supported include: DeviceNet, Modbus Plus, Interbus-S, Profibus DP, Ethernet, Ethernet IP, and ControlNet.
The process of specifying a ConveyNet® system boils the integration process down to five steps:
- Determine the type of PLC used.
- Choose the Communication Network.
- Locate Field devices and motors.
- Count the number and determine type of devices at each location.
- Select the ConveyNet® modules required.
ConveyNet® Sheet
Format: PDF
ConveyNet® Brochure
Format: PDF
ConveyNet® Selection & Application User Manual
Format: PDF
Article: Modular Conveyor Controls Save Time and Money
Format: PDF
