Conductix-Wampfler has chosen CC-Link IE open gigabit Ethernet to provide a high performance connection solution for its range of slip rings. Traditionally used to provide continuous power and data communication to equipment mounted on a rotating assembly, the slip rings have been developed to help new and existing machinery enter the Industry 4.0 era with high-speed data connectivity.
Conductix-Wampfler is a world leader in the design and manufacture of power, signal and data transmission systems for a wide range of mobile equipment and machinery. Key industrial applications include container handling, tunnelling, mining, bulk material handling and process machinery. Typical machines include cranes, rotating arms and gantries, manipulators, wind turbines and cable reels.
By joining the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), the company received access to the necessary technical specifications required to develop a compliant product. This was complemented by development and certification support for the product range. As a result, Conductix-Wampfler now offers standard and customized connectivity solutions that work with Ethernet up to 1Gbps.
Matteo Mosconi, Product Manager at Conductix-Wampfler, commented: “Our slip ring technology can be used in applications as varied as industrial machinery to theme park rides, the common theme we see is the need to transfer an increasing amount of data in a secure and easily accessible manner. We decided to become members of the CLPA and to focus on CC-Link IE because it is currently the first and only open protocol that will work at 1Gbps with real-time characteristics and the organization that supports it offered the level of technical support we wanted.”
Choosing the CLPA and CC-Link IE meant picking a competent partner with high-quality products, as Mosconi points out: “By developing Slip Rings certified for CC-Link IE we are providing our customers with the assurance that we are able to transmit not only power, but also data at very high transfer rates on our slip rings. By having a product that is CC-Link certified, the customer can be sure about its quality, reliability and compatibility.”
