» Articles » Field wiring with IP67 components reduces set-up and installation time by up to 80%

Field wiring with IP67 components reduces set-up and installation time by up to 80%

Graham Traill, Manager of System Solutions and Technical Projects at Murrelektronik Ltd, discusses the IP67 trend and the impact IP67 I/O systems and IP67 I/O modules have on machine efficiency.

1. Only a few years ago, a large growth was expected for field wiring with IP67 components. Have these expectations been met, what is your opinion regarding the current and mid-term development?

Our expectations in this area have been met. At Murrelektronik we see a big potential in this market to produce machines more efficiently. More and more companies are realising the possible savings by switching over to IP67 components.

Conventional parallel wiring with junction boxes in the field requires expert knowledge and a lot of patience. Stripping wires, crimping ferrule ends and connecting single wires to terminal boxes takes up to 2 minutes per terminal point. IP67 components with M8 and M12 connection enable significantly faster setup, offer better diagnostics, a clear system structure and a low risk of failure. The time required from the installation up to the implementation can be reduced by up to 80 percent - this is an advantage for machine and system builders who often have to deal with time pressure. Additional benefits include more space in the control panel and easier to expand systems.

Fight the installation costs

On the HMI 2014, we illustrated this subject with the slogan "Fight the Installation Costs", demonstrating our customers optimum field wiring. Watch the IP67 - Fight the Installation Costs Video here. 

IP67 Power Supplies

Emparro67 - IP67 Power Supply unit
2. Fieldbus boxes and complete I/O systems with IP67 in different versions and models are available. However, are there also IP67 power supplies or power bus systems and components available for drive controls? What is the demand for the individual devices according in your opinion?

We solved the problem of supplying power in the field with Emparro67, an IP67 power supply unit that is especially designed for field applications. When using 24 V DC power supplies line losses can occur with long cable runs, as an example with conveyors applications. By using Emparro67 power supplies the voltage is converted from 230 VAC to 24 VDC directly at the load. By doing this, the power loss is much lower and energy costs are reduced. Installing the power supply units outside the cabinet by using Emparro67 offers other benefits: Control panels can be reduced in size and in some applications it is possible to completely eliminate the need for control panels.

Download Emparra67 IP67 power supply brochure

However, we are also aware that the IP67 plug and play concept cannot be implemented in all applications because there is still unrealised potential especially in the area of drive controls.

Completely molded M23 connectors to connect servo motors are a step in this direction. Today many connections are still field wired; this can result in miss-wiring and bad cable sealing leading to a high risk of failure.

Preferred IP67 I/O Modules and Components

3. IP67 was designed to reduce wiring in the control panel and provide more connectivity in the field. Which IP67 components are currently preferred, what are the usual applications and how are they usually put into practice?

With I/O wiring, most of the requirements are certainly met, this can be seen from the fact that there are almost no applications or industries where they are not used. Decentralisation creates flexibility in the mechanical modularisation of the system, signals can be connected at the position where they are created this significantly reduces the wiring and the time it takes. With Connectivity by Murrelektronik, our consulting brand, we actively support our customers in finding the perfect installation solution.

Reduce wiring in control cabinet
Pre-wired valve connectors and connection cables significantly reduce the wiring effort and risk of failure. The first step into decentralised IP67 installations is usually made by adopting passive distribution boxes. These boxes collect signals and transfer them into the control cabinet with a multi-core cable. If you go one step further and install a fieldbus solution the need to terminate field wiring at the control panel is eliminated.

With pre-made and pre-tested connector leads the connection of devices to the I/O modules is consistent, the I/O modules provides comprehensive diagnostic options. Whether compact modules or modular fieldbus systems are used depends on the application, the customer requirement and the number of IO points. For smaller systems (usually less than 30 IO points), active fieldbus technology is not economical.

4. For IP20 fieldbus systems, the current discussion about cycle rates and transfer rates, especially in connection with Industrial Ethernet, is very interesting. Does this discussion also play a role for IP67 field wiring?

Of course, performance is an important issue for IP67 field wiring, because the same functions are controlled whether the I/O is IP20 or IP67. A large number of simple sensors and actuators do not require the currently discussed high cycle rates.

Company Profile

Murrelektronik Ltd

Stay connected with Murrelektronik. Murrelektronik is the UK arm of the world leading Murrelektronik GmbH, supplying connection technology to the engineering industry.

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