HMS Networks acquires PROCENTEC and expands with Anybus Diagnostics:
HMS Networks' Anybus portfolio includes a range of solutions that facilitate seamless communication between OT and IT systems. With the integration of the acquired PROCENTEC, the new Anybus Diagnostics division was created this year. With this, the company is taking the next step in supporting manufacturers and their customers in preventing production loss, failure and downtime of their equipment and installations.
Industrial automation has taken off in recent decades in controlling and optimizing processes. Developments such as the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 are accelerating this trend. In sectors such as the manufacturing industry, food, chemicals, logistics and energy, more and more machines are being included in networks to exchange data. This can be done easily, quickly, safely and reliably using the Anybus solutions (embedded, gateways and wireless) from HMS Networks. With the introduction of Anybus Diagnostics, the company adds a new branch to the Anybus brand.
Undesirable downtime
Anybus Diagnostics is the result of an acquisition of PROCENTEC. Since its founding in 1997, this Dutch company has developed into an expert and global player in the open communication protocols PROFIBUS and PROFINET – two internationally embraced standards for exchanging data between controllers and devices in an automation environment. It is a certified Competence Center for this technology and is one of the 9 in the world officially recognized as a PROFIBUS & PROFINET Test Lab. The organization is now fully integrated into the Anybus brand of HMS Networks. This focuses on preventing unwanted downtime of installations and production processes.
Pricey problem
"The unplanned downtime of industrial equipment is an extremely expensive problem," says Clement Jense, Sales Manager Benelux Anybus Diagnostics. 'It currently costs system integrators and OEMs worldwide around 50 billion dollars annually and that amount is rising. In this case too, prevention is better than cure and measuring is knowing, for the producers of assets and the users of their equipment. And this also applies to society as a whole when it concerns critical technology and applications such as electricity and water supply; they must always remain up and running. Moreover, preventing failure and downtime means sustainability gains, including by avoiding a lot of energy consumption when restarting equipment and visits by maintenance people. A proactive and cost-effective approach is therefore necessary, and that is what we stand for.'
Identify and remedy
Anybus Diagnostics develops and implements products with a view to maximum uptime of factories and other installations. It offers permanent monitoring solutions, troubleshooting and maintenance tools, and services for the continuity of PROFIBUS, PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet networks. This allows system integrators, OEMs and end users to identify malfunctions and resolve them before failures occur. Anybus Diagnostics also supplies AI software that can quickly and accurately analyze increasingly complex networks with various protocols to identify any problems.
Ecommerce
Jense: 'We also support customers in keeping their industrial automation networks in optimal condition and train their people to get the best out of them. In all of this, we build on the enormous knowledge and experience that we have gained locally and globally in various industries, for example for multinationals in gas and oil, semicon and internal transport systems. Another type of client is the largest e-commerce company in the world. Among other things, we mapped the vulnerable points of their network at all distribution centers with our permanent monitoring solutions ComBricks for PROFIBUS and Atlas/EtherTAP for active and passive diagnosis of PROFINET and EthernetIP. In addition, we rolled out a training program for the maintenance technicians involved so that they can correctly interpret the output of diagnoses and therefore optimally resolve malfunctions before a downtime becomes a fact.
Water purification
Jense mentions the Dutch water world as a second example of beautiful projects.
'After all, water is life'. This becomes problematic when a drinking water company cannot supply due to stagnation. The shutdown of a water treatment plant is also very problematic. It is not a quick solution because it uses microbiotic life that cannot be replaced overnight. Anybus Diagnostics facilitates 24/7 monitoring for approximately 90 percent of all Dutch drinking water and water purification installations using Anybus ComBricks. In addition, the networks were segmented to a maximum of 32 channels with Anybus ProfiHub. This means that problems with one installation can no longer lead to total failure and can be resolved more easily.
Insight, control and availability
The introduction of the diagnostics division at Anybus means great added value for the HMS Networks brand. In addition to hardware and software solutions that enable data exchange between machines and industrial networks, it is now fully equipped to deliver end-to-end industrial connectivity solutions. 'Our customers can therefore go to 1 party to get the most out of their equipment; insight, control and optimal availability,” says Jense. 'This way we save them money and time. This of course also applies to your customers: the end users.'
More information: www.anybus.com
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