21
Nov
What is an industrial bus?
In IT, a bus is known as a communication system that transfers data between different devices. USB is a widely known example which stands for Universal Serial Bus. A large number of devices use this protocol to interact with a PC.
An industrial bus is a communication system that transfers data between components or devices at different levels in a manufacturing plant: the information level (Management level), the control level and the field level. There are several manufacturers and communication systems such as Profibus, Profinet and Ethernet.
For each type of communication, a suitable cable allows to correctly control the functions at field level. For example, for a controller to maintain fluid flow, a sensor monitors the amount of fluid and an actuator adjusts the opening and closing of the valve to reach the desired level. All this information is communicated between each function through these special bus cables.
Other common applications for bus communication systems are: PLC to controller, switches, sensors and actuators. For example, selector switches, pushbuttons, circuit breakers, motor starters, control delays, temperature sensors and pressure sensors. These areas of industrial automation are often found in production plants with aggressive environments and applications. Chemical agents, continuous movements, high temperature or industrial oils and greases are important factors when choosing the most suitable cable. In these applications and environments, a common cable will fail on the short term, causing unplanned stops and directly affecting the productivity of the installation.
SUMCAB SOLUTIONS
In order to guarantee a proper functioning of the system, Sumcab offers a wide range of BUS cables with special features and suitable for industrial environments, for example with high mechanical resistance, resistance to industrial oils and greases, resistance to bending and continued torsion or suitable for ATEX zones.
Sumcab has in stock Ethernet/Profinet cables in Cat. 5e and Cat.6 for fixed installation, flexible installation, for cable chain and robotic installation, as well as a wide variety of cables for Profibus DP, PA, DeviceNET, ModBus systems and AS-I Bus, among others.
