March 1, 2005
Four leading German automotive companies have stated their commitment to PROFINET, the Industrial Ethernet standard of PROFIBUS International (PI).
Speaking at a breakfast press conference at the SPS/IPC/Drives fair on November 24, 2004, representatives of Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen said that the announcement will encourage supplier companies to introduce PROFINET-based systems quickly to meet the requirements of next generation automotive plants. The target is a fixed, uniform protocol that is neutral with regard to the manufacturer and user and which has an integrated safety technology. Standardization of engineering tools is also required.
The four companies make up AIDA, the Automation Initiative of German Domestic Automobile manufacturers. AIDA sees that a common Industrial Ethernet environment is a way to overcome the challenges of future automation systems.
PROFINET is also supported by the INTERBUS Club. Together, PROFIBUS and INTERBUS have nearly 20 million fieldbus devices installed, roughly 75% of the world market. Edgar K