Bürkert (Germany) - Industry 4.0 demands integrated communication across all levels right up to field devices. As a result, Industrial Ethernet is gradually replacing traditional fieldbuses. And this is nowhere truer than in the food, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, but can also be observed in drinking and industrial water treatment facilities or beverage bottling plants, where operators have to comply with strict requirements on traceability.

Bürkert, regarded as a pioneer in the field of cutting-edge plant digitisation, now offers a range of brand-new positioners and process controllers Type 8692 / 8693 + 8792 / 8793, featuring Industrial Ethernet and a Bürkert system bus interface (büS).

The new positioners and controllers support EtherNet/IP, PROFINET (Conformance Class B (CC-B)) and Modbus TCP. The protocols enable extensive diagnostics functions (e.g. monitoring, limit value definition of operating parameters; messages in accordance with NAMUR NE107) and thus improve plant availability. The integrated two-port switch allows for star, line and ring topologies and, thanks to MRP and DLR, ensures fail-safe communication right up to the valve. The integrated büS interface facilitates efficient communication between individual sensors and actuators of the Bürkert device platform (EDIP). This enables rapid networking of system solutions. All platform participants can be parameterised and configured via the standard software tool 'Bürkert Communicator'.

The new positioners have been optimised for combination with Bürkert process control systems (ELEMENT) and enable an array of combinations with all control valve types, also from third party manufacturers. The in-house control valves of the ELEMENT series include, for example, globe, angle and diaphragm seat valves with welded, flanged, clamped or bushed connection in orifices of up to DN100, featuring stainless steel valve bodies Type 316L. The extensive range of components thus allows for the ideal choice and design for basically every application, especially as the positioners can be mounted directly on the valve or remotely, i.e. separate from the valve.