January 30, 2011 - SERCOS released the energy profile specification for the SERCOS III Real-time Ethernet Communications System. SERCOS Energy reduces energy consumption in three areas. First, the permanent load at motor/machine standstill is reduced; second, the consumption depending on the process is dynamically adjusted considering the target completion times/dates (partial load operation); and third, energy is saved during processing by switching off components that are not required at a particular time or point in the process (partial machine operation). SERCOS Energy is an application layer profile that defines parameters and commands for the reduction of energy consumption in a uniform vendor-independent manner.
The control reads out parameters of each SERCOS Energy component via the SERCOS III network, receiving status information and detailed consumption values. Depending on the situation (e.g., scheduled or unscheduled breaks, machine components not needed in the current production process) the control can switch connected components (drives, I/O, sensors) into energy-saving conditions up to complete shut-down, considerably reducing their energy consumption. “Products are already under development and will be available in 2011,” states Peter Lutz, Managing Director of SERCOS International.
An 8-page whitepaper describing SERCOS Energy can be downloaded from www.automation.com/pdf_articles/SERCOS_Energy_Whitepaper_V10.pdf
More about SERCOS
SERCOS, SErial Realtime COmmunication System, is among the leading digital interfaces for communication between controls, drives and decentralized peripheral devices. SERCOS has been used in machine engineering for 25 years and is implemented in over 2.5 million real time nodes. With its open, manufacturer independent Ethernet-based architecture, SERCOS III is a universal bus for all automation solutions.
