High productivity is a major topic for each plant and machine. While short cycle times allow increasing the speed of production, improvement of availability of machines and plants requires easy and fast diagnosis mechanisms. 
When an error occurs immediate answers to the main questions are required: 

   What has happened? 
   Where is the error located? 
   Which device is affected? 

The consistent diagnostics of PROFINET makes it possible to gain an overview of the state of a machine or plant within the shortest possible time. All relevant information can be accessed in an easy and fast way – completely manufacturer independent.
Hence you are able to reduce downtimes by up to 50%!

PROFINET diagnostics are based on the proven concepts of PROFIBUS and have been extended by Ethernet specific functionalities, especially for network diagnostics. With the new possibilities of Ethernet based networks, diagnostics also get accessible via web tools. Thus no engineering system is necessary anymore for trouble-shooting. By means of topology information, errors can be located precisely. Device replacement can be carried out without engineering or memory cards. Therefore PROFINET gives comprehensive answers to all open questions and reduces the downtime in the production.

PROFINET – Best in Diagnosis – Best in availability!

From update rate to cycle time: PROFINET for beginners and advanced users – or those switching from other systems

Congested motorways, many intersections with traffic lights and the ever-present heavy-goods vehicles slowing you down – traffic obstructions such as these are a nuisance not only to car drivers. In automated networks such as PROFINET, the “data highway” of the industry, so to speak, such obstacles play a decisive role in the quality of the communication and thus also affect the production results. Those users who are aware of the significance of this correlation and who set up their networks accordingly are awarded with long-term stable data communication.

A seven-minute movie explains the basic technical principles behind PROFINET and is aimed at beginners, users switching from other systems, as well as advanced users who need a refresher. It is thus the first element in the theory lessons for the “PROFINET driving licence”, so to speak.

Take a look!

Learn more about how to integrate safety and reduce system complexity at the same time!

The protection of humans, production equipment and the environment is a major topic for each type of industrial application. Different measures have to be applied in order to comply with the large variety of laws and regulations.

As this topic has a legal character, no machine builder or plant operator may ignore the importance of safety solutions. Different international standards define measures to comply with legal requirements. As safety always means the integration of additional equipment, like emergency stops or safe sensors, the integration of such a system should be as lean as possible. If applying safety measures in classical way additional safety components are required and a second engineering part takes place.

In contrast, PROFINET in combination with PROFIsafe enables solutions where no additional cabling is required; no special link between application and safety solution has to be engineered: Safety is just integrated. PROFIsafe transports critical data in a safe way over the same PROFINET network as standard IO data. This so called black channel principle is proven since many years in thousands of industrial applications.

And in addition, PROFIsafe on PROFINET delivers more functionality: A fast device replacement of devices can be realized without any engineering tool thanks to the iPar server. Safety data can be transported even via wireless LAN and new functions like “safely limited speed” enable new use-cases like maintenance on machines in operation. PROFINET with PROFIsafe is the safe solution delivering added value even in the strictly regulated area of safety.

PROFINET - Best in Safety - Since 1999

PI has been the first organization to create a profile based on PROFINET for energy management: PROFIenergy.
Along with energy data acquisition, PROFIenergy stands out by the possibility to easily shut down machinery and system parts during pauses in a controlled way. The network itself remains available at any time and the devices can be accessed. PROFIenergy always ensures that the whole system is available again in time.

Many production units are not running 24h per day and 7 days a week. Those machines have an enormous potential to reduce the energy consumption in pauses. With PROFIenergy, unneeded devices can be switched to an energy saving mode – manufacturer independent and reliable. Thus, energy savings during pauses of up to 80% can be achieved!

PROFINET – Best in Energy Management – Best in energy saving!