Case Study: Electro-Matic upgrades legacy DeviceNet drives with Hilscher and Siemens SINAMICS

Electro-Matic replaces 45 drives with Hilscher to modernize DeviceNet systems

The customer, Electro-Matic, worked with a U.S. beverage manufacturer facing challenges with its legacy Allen Bradley drives on a DeviceNet system. These drives were difficult to maintain and replace, leading to increased downtime and costly repairs. Vendor Hilscher, alongside Siemens, provided a solution using pre-programmed DeviceNet protocol gateways and the SINAMICS drive platform to seamlessly upgrade the system.

The solution implemented by Hilscher involved using their netTap gateways and pre-developed CLI files to allow Siemens SINAMICS drives to directly replace the old Allen Bradley units without any modifications to the existing PLC code or network configuration. This resulted in significant time and cost savings for the customer, eliminating the need for reprogramming and reducing maintenance time. The initial replacement of 45 drives proved successful, with plans to replace an additional 350 drives, leading to improved operational efficiency and reliability.

Electro-Matic