AUMA actuators are now available with an Ethernet/IP interface as AUMA continues to invest in pioneering Industrial Ethernet communication. Ethernet/IP is the third Industrial Ethernet standard that AUMA supports, in addition to Profinet and Modbus TCP/IP.

Ethernet/IP offers superior connectivity and enhanced network flexibility. With bandwidths up to 100 Mbit/s, AUMA actuators with Ethernet/IP provide reliable and rapid exchange of both cyclic process data and acyclic diagnostic data from the actuators.

49 AUMA actuators with Ethernet/IP communications are already proving their performance in the Santan Vista water treatment plant near Phoenix, Arizona. The SA multi-turn and SQ part-turn actuators with AC intelligent controls were supplied as part of an expansion project. Commissioning of the actuators was completed in April 2018. The expansion doubles the plant’s capacity to 48 million gallons (180 000 cubic metres) per day, catering for rising demand in this rapidly growing metropolitan area.

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Reducing system costs at the design stage

Typical control systems contain many devices such as level or flow sensors which all need to communicate back to the master control system. Wiring and device costs can be reduced at the design stage by using the in-built capability of the AUMA actuator to digitise analogue signals and feed them back using the fieldbus communication link. This offers considerable savings including segment couplers,  protectors and reduced wiring.

Using AC .2 controls,  AUMA actuators can be integrated into PROFINET networks, a second Ethernet-based networking option alongside Modbus TCP/IP. 

Meeting the requirements of PROFINET specification 2.3 and Conformance Class B, rates of up to 100Mbit/s are possible and installation and commissioning are made straightforward thanks to features like automatic address assignment.

AUMA actuators with PROFINET can be identified and addressed by device name or IP address from any point on the network. An integrated web server allows swift and easy performance of connection tests, status requests and fault diagnostics. All operation commands and feedback signals offered by the Profibus DP protocol are available to AC actuator controls thanks to the standardised device description.

Modularity Saves Weeks in Supply and Makes Site Work Safer and More Efficient

Modular design of products is a powerful way to cut costs, speed delivery and increase flexibility. AUMA actuators have modules that can remain separate right up to the installation stage, potentially cutting weeks from both the delivery schedule and time spent on site. 

An AUMA actuator has three basic components: the electrical connector, which takes the form of a large plug and socket; the control unit; and the main body, incorporating the valve mounting, gearbox, motor and handwheel.

On-site modularity allows each of these components to be routed to the appropriate subcontractor. The valve mounting, motor and gearbox can go straight to the valve supplier or pipework contractor as soon as they are ready, without waiting for the control specialists. The control unit can go to the control subcontractor, and the electrical connector to the electrical subcontractor. Allowing the wiring, programming and commissioning to overlap can save many weeks on tight project timescales. On-site cabling becomes a plug-and-play operation. 

Modular assembly also keeps other site work to a minimum, saving time and improving safety especially when working in confined spaces or at heights. Modular design eases installations in confined spaces – and helps contractors work around any unforeseen problems – because each of the major components can be installed in any of four rotational positions, giving a total of 64 configurations. For example, different control heads, whether mechanical or digital, can be bolted to different drive units. In many applications ‘control’ can be left to the PLC, and all that is required from the actuator is a motor and gearbox, so AUMA’s approach means that an ‘appropriate controls solution’ is supplied. 

Where space is really tight or where harsh environmental conditions such as high levels of heat or vibration exist, a pre-wired umbilical cable allows the control unit to be positioned up to 100 m from the valve, which also means that a single operator can attend to them, even if the actuators themselves are mounted in a hazardous or confined area.

Valves and actuators are heavy, and by mounting and moving the components separately the need for a sling or additional manpower can be avoided.

Modularity is just one aspect of the way in which an operator can benefit from the expertise of the world leader in electrical valve actuation.

If you're contacting AUMA about an actuator specification, this is the information you shuld have to hand. Some are 'must haves', others help us to be as precise as we can be:

Must have:

• The application, site or project name - sometimes we already know the specification required
• Valve type and size
• Torque/thrust
• Turns/travel/rotation
• Duty - open/close, regulating, modulating
• Safety factor torque, if required
• Power supply
• Control requirements - analogue/digital/network

Other information, some of which will be essential but application-specific

• Top works
• Stem size
• Hazardous area classification required
• Control head remotely sited from actuator with umbilical connection?
• Continuous underwater use?

At AUMA, we are conscious of our responsibility to do what we can to reduce our impact on the world. Cooling in our warehouse and workshops is by energy-efficient air source heat pumps and our main building is part-powered by 178 PV cells on our roof, capable of producing up to 40kW. We have chosen fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles for our fleet where possible, and have electric vehicle charging points in our carpark. We have actively chosen to package our products in paper and wood. 

Our main contribution though, is to design and manufacture long-lasting, reliable products; the product that laasts the longest tends to be the greenest! We manufacture our actuators to the highest standards, with very high levels of corrosion resistance, and our modular approach means that faulty components and assemblies can be swapped out rather than having to replace the entire product.