Report on SERCOS Pack Profile Available
The Packaging Machinery Working Group of the North American OMAC (Open Modular Architecture Controls) Users Group published a recommendation in November 2001 to use the SERCOS interface (IEC 61491) as an open drive interface for packaging machines. In this context, the group challenged the SERCOS organizations to further improve the multi-vendor interoperability of servo controls and drives on the basis of a packaging profile.
In May 2002, SERCOS International e.V. formed a technical working group to define such a profile for packaging machines. Work was based on the current SERCOS specification and a document was drawn up that divided the SERCOS parameters into a number of function groups. The existing function groups and the corresponding parameters were mapped into profile types. The profiles consist of mandatory and optional parameters.
The profiles were approved by the technical working groups of the SERCOS organizations in December 2003 and published as Version 1.1. Currently the profile is being implemented within controls and drives of several suppliers.
An interoperability demo featuring SERCOS interface controls and drives from a number of different vendors will be presented at the Pack Expo show, November 7-11, 2004 in Chicago.
Read an article by Peter Lutz, entitled "Packaging Profile to improve the interoperability of controls and
drives." Download the 46-page Pack Profile
specification.
After the release of the Pack Profile, a corresponding conformance test was developed. This test is now available as an update for the SERCOS Conformizer. See the
certification section of this website for more information on certification and the Conformizer.
The Pack Profile conformance test includes the following features:
Test scripts for the Master and Slave Conformizer, covering the functionality of controls and drives as specified in the Pack Profile Specification Version 1.1:
- Communication Class A+B
- PackProfile Basic A+B
- PackProfile Extended
- Drive Controlled Homing
- NC Controlled Homing
- Probing Function
Dr. Kenneth Ryan Named As President of SERCOS N.A.
The SERCOS N.A. Board of Directors has named Dr. Kenneth Ryan as President of SERCOS N.A. Dr. Ryan is the director of Manufacturing Automation Research and Education at The Center for Automation and Motion Control (CAMC) at Alexandria Technical College in Alexandria, Minnesota. He succeeds George Kaufman, formerly president of Automation Intelligence.
Dr. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science, Chemistry & Biology from Loras College, 1980; a Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Iowa, 1985; is board certified in Adult & Pediatric Urologic Surgery, 1990; and is certified as a Fluid Power Technician, a Fluid Power Accredited Instructor and a Profibus Engineer.
He is currently the chairman of PackLearn, the education team of the OMAC Packaging Working Group. PackLearn is charged with promotion and education of open modular architectural guidelines and their application to advanced packaging automation.
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