I’m in Cincinnati for a PROFINET one-day training class tomorrow after last week in Toronto and the week before in Milwaukee with a stopover in Cleveland. I have some reports from all these places coming up, but first…
Having arrived in town early, I had a chance to visit PTO member Jacobs Automation. I got a demo of their Packtrak technology. You can watch video of Packtrak technology on their website. There is also a magazine article for further information: “Jacobs Brings Linear Servo Drive Technology to the Packaging Industry.” Not to mention the article in today’s PROFInews North American Edition.
They evaluated other technologies and zeroed in on PROFINET and PROFIdrive as the only solution they needed – PROFINET is, in fact, the superior technology of all the Industrial Ethernets they evaluated they said. In the course of developing this communication they have become quite expert at both PROFINET IRT and PROFIdrive. Expert enough to consider offering their SDK as its own product. So if you are considering adding PROFINET and PROFIdrive to your motion control product, give them a call. They are the first organization that I know of to allow a linear drive system to work with a different brand of motion controller. And their development is more versatile than just linear drive systems, so call them even if your drive goes round and round.
During our chat, we noted that the technologies really hide in the background and just work. PROFIBUS and PROFINET are enabling technologies after all, not generally in the spotlight. Which reminds me of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but that’s a story for later…
–Carl Henning