Schneider Electric introduces new I/O family for automation system

Schneider Electric, global specialist in energy management, has released a new I/O family for its Foxboro Evo™ process automation system. The Foxboro® Compact 200 Series I/O fieldbus modules support more I/O modules in less space, reducing footprint up to 50% and offering significant potential for cost savings.

The new FBMs are especially valuable for new implementations in confined spaces, such as offshore platforms, and for adding capacity to existing installations without incurring the trouble and cost of facility expansion.

Higher-density baseplates and optional cabinets contribute further to footprint reduction, which also drives significant savings in weight, energy consumption and inventory over traditional I/O offerings.

“Cabinet space in the industrial world is always an issue. For example, our top industry experts have calculated that space on an offshore platform can be valued at tens of thousands of dollars per square foot or more, so anything we can return to operators is money in their pockets,” said Thad Frost, Director of Fieldbus Product Management, Schneider Electric.

“Our new Foxboro Compact 200 Series I/O modules are based on proven, recognised and highly reliable Foxboro FBM technology, but now available in a more compact form factor to help customers optimize space within their I/O infrastructure. By taking advantage of new Foxboro Evo future-proof technology, customers can preserve their existing investments, reap additional cost savings and realise higher ROI.”

In keeping with the company’s commitment to delivering future-proof technology through its Foxboro Evo process automation system, the Compact 200 Series I/O modules are compatible with multiple generations of Foxboro controllers, software and infrastructure, and they provide the ability to mix and match I/O types on the same controller. They are the latest addition to the Foxboro Evo system’s flexible I/O sub-system family, which includes its 100% software-configurable Foxboro Intelligent Marshalling universal I/O solution; competitive migration plug-and-play modules; and intrinsically safe I/O options.

With advanced tools and applications delivered across a high-speed, fault-tolerant and cyber-secure hardware platform, including the integration of the company’s world-leading Triconex® safety system, the Foxboro Evo process automation system, now offered by Schneider Electric, improves operational insight and integrity and delivers the lowest total cost of automation and highest return on assets. Additionally, the system’s advanced applications improve the ability of plant personnel to contribute toward the success of the business by streamlining and contextualising the information they need to make the right business decisions at the right time. And because the company’s broad portfolio of roles-based Foxboro engineering tools and productivity applications are integrated within it, the system provides superior visibility into historical, real-time and predictive operating information to help drive production efficiency.

Schneider Electric, which recently acquired Invensys, will display and demonstrate its Foxboro Compact 200 Series I/O fieldbus modules at the Global Petroleum Show in Calgary, Alberta, this week.

Edited from source by Elizabeth Corner

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/product-news/12062014/schneider_electric_introduces_new_i_o_family_for_automation/