ODVA in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, today announced that Endress+Hauser, one of the world's leading suppliers of measurement, automation equipment and solutions for the process industries, will become a principal member, joining leading suppliers Bosch Rexroth, Cisco Systems, Rockwell Automation, Omron and Schneider Electric.
Endress+Hauser's increased participation in ODVA builds on its long-term support of open industrial networking technologies, including the company's portfolio of mass flowmeters designed for the EtherNet/IP network.
"ODVA is one of the world's largest consortiums advancing open, industrial networking standards through commercially-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and a media-independent network protocol," said Katherine Voss, executive director, ODVA. "We welcome Endress+Hauser in this consortium as we have a shared vision for leveraging EtherNet/IP to simplify an end user's network architecture."
With leading industrial automation suppliers, such as Endress+Hauser, as principal members, ODVA is one of the first associations which strive to support Industrial Ethernet down to the field level in process automation. This will help provide manufacturers a complete, plant-wide network infrastructure for process, motion, safety and discrete applications and from plant-floor to IT systems.
Traditionally, devices measuring and controlling process variables rely on a field network to transfer information, while other devices within the plant use completely different networks for data communication. By improving this complex multi-tier networking strategy with one standard network architecture, namely EtherNet/IP, users have a simplified network structure as well as better access to plant-floor information. This enhances the ability to monitor overall performance, troubleshoot out-of-margin conditions and minimize downtime.
JUNIOR