The family of industrial network technologies based on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), has gained the backing of another well-known automation vendor. The ODVA (www.odva.org), the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based vendor organization that oversees CIP, announced on Feb. 24 that Bosch Rexroth (www.boschrexroth-us.com), with U.S. headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Ill., will become one of the organization’s principal members.
Bosch Rexroth, a specialist in drive and control technologies, and also a supporter of SERCOS networking (for serial real-time communications system), joins major suppliers Cisco Systems, Omron, Rockwell Automation and Schneider Electric on the list of ODVA principal members. Bosch Rexroth’s increased participation builds on its long-term support of ODVA technologies and the ODVA organization in which it has been an active member for several years, said the ODVA, formerly known as the Open DeviceNet Vendors Association.
Users will realize significant benefits in increased availability of ODVA-compliant products under the Rexroth brand, especially those implementing the EtherNet/IP network, the organization said. Besides EtherNet/IP the CIP family includes DeviceNet, CompoNet and ControlNet as well as network extensions CIP Safety, CIP Sync and CIP Motion.
Increased collaboration
“Our customers demand open, interoperable solutions for Rexroth’s core product offerings in drives and controls, and our ability to do so will be enhanced by our increased integration of ODVA technologies into our solutions, especially EtherNet/IP,” said Dr. Bernd-Josef Schäfer, senior vice president, Technical Electric Drives and Controls in the Business Unit Industrial Applications, Bosch Rexroth. “Through our increased collaboration inside ODVA with other market leaders in industrial automation, Bosch Rexroth looks forward to helping industry achieve integration from device level up to enterprise business systems that is possible with industrial Ethernet and Internet technologies.”
“ODVA welcomes the increased participation of Bosch Rexroth as a principal member as well as their expertise in such areas as motion control and OEM machinery,” said Katherine Voss, executive director, ODVA. “Their engagement as a principal member will significantly increase ODVA’s ability to drive a holistic and integrated view of the industrial enterprise.”
