The CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) and the OPC Foundation have announced an OPC UA companion specification for the CLPA’s new CSP+ for Machine technology.
According to the CLPA, CSP+ for Machine is an extension of its existing Control & Communication System Profile that provides easier network configuration and maintenance by offering profiles that describe each device on a CC-Link IE or CC-Link network. CSP+ technology provides drag and drop network configuration from CSP+ files provided by CLPA partner vendors. This update now allows whole machines to be treated in the same way.
"Global megatrends such as IIoT, Industry 4.0 and Made in China 2025 are having an increasing impact on manufacturing companies worldwide," said Takeshi Tominaga, global director of the CLPA. "A key requirement to enable these trends is the real time handling and processing of manufacturing data in order to ensure the required level of transparency and management for optimised production. We recognised the importance of OPC UA as a supporting technology for this when we signed a memorandum of understanding with the OPC Foundation at the Hannover Fair in 2016. Since that time, we have continued our working relationship and this companion specification is the result. We are pleased to be able to combine our industry leading CSP+ for Machine concept with OPC UA in order to provide a compelling solution for end users and machine builders worldwide."
"We are pleased to have been working with the CLPA for over one year now," said Thomas Burke, president of the OPC Foundation. "This new companion specification for the CSP+ for Machine concept means that end users and machine builders globally will continue to have a wide variety of options available as they expand their businesses and seek to maximise the flexibility of their operations. Success is measured by the level of adoption and the partnership between the CLPA and the OPC Foundation will truly result in advancing the industry significantly because of the power of the two technologies combined together. We look forward to continuing to develop this relationship as we continue to support the move towards Industry 4.0 and related initiatives."
"CLPA has established a track record of technology leadership and cooperation in the industry in order to deliver the highest performance, most flexible solutions for the real-time communication of essential process information," said John Wozniak, P.E.; manager of CLPA Americas. "The new CSP+4M companion specification for OPC UA builds on our previous cooperation with PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) to provide interoperability with PROFINET. With OPC UA now added to the mix, the CLPA’s technology leadership looks certain to continue as more and more companies appreciate the possibilities we can offer."
Download the new spec here.
