SPONSORED BY: OMRON
In April of this year, OMRON released its NX502 automation controller, a new product in the NJ/NX series that has an OPC UA Server as a standard feature.
Speed is essential in all processes at manufacturing sites to cope with large demand fluctuations. The NX502 integrates control, information, and safety, helping speed up all processes from commissioning through to operation and maintenance.
Speed up Production Improvement
Utilize Data to Boost Yield
Problem
To increase yield, it is necessary to analyze data (e.g., temperature, pressure, and flow rate) accurately for finding optimal processing conditions and to feed the analysis results back to machines in real time. Since accurate analysis requires fast and accurate collection of high‐resolution data in chronological order, the amount of data is so large that the data transfer to databases becomes a bottleneck.
NX5
With approximately four times the data transfer capability of the previous model (NJ5), NX5 can transfer all of the increasing amount of high‐resolution production data to a database at high speeds. NX5 also reflects results of database analysis in processing conditions in real time, contributing to defect prevention and yield improvement.
Reduce Equipment Cycle Time while Improving Quality
Problem
As processing is becoming more and more precise, high‐frequency collection of diverse data is required in order to improve product quality early on while maintaining fast equipment cycle times. Another challenge is insufficient communication bandwidth when the increasing amount of data is transferred to a PC or other system.
NX5
NX5 can update command values to send to servomotors and stepper motors as fast as every 250 μs, enabling smooth cam motion, and high‐precision interpolation and phase adjustment between axes. In addition, NX5 can collect data from all EtherCAT® I/O synchronously with less than 1 μs jitter. Up to four EtherNet/IPTM units, whose maximum allowed communications bandwidth per unit is 40,000 pps, can be mounted to NX5, coping with high‐ capacity communications. Fast cycle times can be maintained, and product quality can be improved early.
Speed up Production Line Modification to Accommodate Demand Changes
Increase Equipment Availability through Integrated Safety
Problem
Amid technological innovation such as EV and digital devices, manufacturers need to cope with rapid demand changes by building flexible equipment. They design software, hardware, and networks in a modular manner in order to efficiently change or add production lines and processes, especially large production lines. However, network power supply for all processes must be turned off for change or addition because safety communications are configured within the same network segment. This affects a wide area, thereby prolonging lead time.
NX5
NX5 enables you to modularize network configurations including safety as well as software and hardware. Since a process to change is localized, you can adjust and check only the process without stopping the entire line. In addition, up to 8 separate networks and 254 safety connections allow a large production line to be flexibly built. These benefits significantly reduce lead time for line changes.
Speed Up Problem Solving in Machines and Production Lines
Achieve both Rapid Commissioning and Stable Operation
Problem
Reduction in time required to set up and reliably operate a new machine is always a challenge. It is time-consuming to solve problems that are hard to be reproduced. Defects and line stoppages during mass production need to be addressed quickly to improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
NX5
NX5 comes with the Automation Playback function as standard, collecting and playing back all control behavior data to allow you to quickly identify problems that are hard to reproduce. You can reliably use NX5 during mass production because data collection does not affect the control period. Causes of problems can be quickly analyzed from huge amounts of playback data. This shortens the time required for finding the causes, contributing to increased machine availability.
Takuya Ueki
Global Product Manager, Controller
Omron