Rockwell, Endress Unveil Coriolis Ethernet IP

Rockwell Automation (www.rockwellautomation.com) and Endress+Hauser (www.us.endress.com) launched the Endress+Hauser Promass 83 Coriolis mass flowmeter with EtherNet/IP connectivity this week at the Rockwell Automation Fair in Anaheim, Calif. Endress+Hauser provides the hardware platform with the Rockwell providing software tools for integration based on Rockwell’s PlantPAx automation framework. The combined solution is designed to reduce network count, simplify installation, streamline integration and reduce programming time.

The EtherNet/IP-enabled Promass 83 will be available in January 2010. EtherNet/IP capability makes the Promass 83 an attractive solution for skid builders operating in the hybrid process/discrete control industries.

A typical application for the Promass 83 with EtherNet/IP would see it in a blending skid, allowing the incoming flow of a number of raw ingredients to be tightly controlled, helping to maintain the quality of the finished product. As well as measuring mass flow and density, the unit could also be used to measure viscosity. In-line viscosity meters are often very expensive meaning that many viscosity readings are done in a lab, rather than in the line. With this device, users could measure viscosity online in real-time and adjust control parameters accordingly – rather than waiting for lab results. The device is also capable of measuring gasses.