Along with this step, Omron has also decided to take an active role in the EtherCAT Technology Group within the Japanese and Asian markets to help customers there transition to EtherCAT smoothly and seamlessly.
Ikeno stated that Omron will pursue the adoption of EtherCAT as a National Japanese Standard. Omron will also establish an EtherCAT conformance and interoperability test lab in Japan. According to Ikeno, Omron intends to develop EtherCAT-based servo motors and inverters as well as motion controllers by summer 2009. These products will initially aim at the European market as well as at Japanese OEMS exporting machines to Europe.
“We are thrilled that Omron has not just selected EtherCAT as their next Motion System Bus, as many other leading companies already have, but that they have also decided to actively support EtherCAT in becoming the leading Motion Bus in Asia. We consider this an important milestone and invite other ETG members to make a similar stance for EtherCAT in their home markets,” said Martin Rostan, Executive Director of the EtherCAT Technology Group.
EtherCAT sets new standards for real-time performance and topology flexibility, while meeting or undercutting traditional fieldbus cost levels. An IEC and SEMI specification, EtherCAT features include high precision device synchronization, a cable redundancy option and a functional safety protocol (SIL3).
The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) is an organization in which key user companies from various industries and leading automation suppliers join forces to support, promote and advance EtherCAT technology. With over 850 members from 44 countries, the EtherCAT Technology Group has become the largest organization in the world that is exclusively focused on Industrial Ethernet technologies. Founded in November 2003, it is also currently the fastest growing fieldbus organization.
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