Brooks Instrument's High-Speed EtherNet/IP

 Brooks Instrument, a provider of advanced flow, pressure, vacuum and level solutions, has added the EtherNet/IP™ digital communications interface to its industry-leading SLAMf Series mass flow controller (MFC) family of products.

The addition makes the SLAMf Series the only MFC from a U.S. supplier with NEMA 4X/IP66- rating and integrated EtherNet/IP communications as standard features. Therefore, this product series is the best choice for the biotechnology and food and beverage industries, where hose-down/wash-down requirements are present.

Whether it’s dust, moisture, temperature extremes or wash-down requirements, the SLAMf Series elastomer-sealed thermal mass flow controllers and meters deliver the precise accuracy and long-term stability of our proven SLA5800 family of meters and controllers. A specially engineered NEMA 4X/IP66-rated hardened enclosure protects the SLAMf’s advanced digital electronics and ensures stable, accurate measurement, process accuracy and control of process-critical gas and liquid mass flows.

Integrating the high-speed digital EtherNet/IP interface into the SLAMf Series MFC platform increases the controller’s functionality by making it easier for OEMs and end-users to leverage real-time, rich process data with high-speed digital communications. In addition, the new SLAMf device offers industry-leading long-term sensor stability, a superior thermal flow measurement sensor and advanced diagnostics.

“We believe our leading end-users and equipment manufacturers will want high-speed communication protocols for their next-generation systems,” said Steve Kannengieszer, director of product marketing. “As a result, we integrated EtherNet/IP into our proven SLAMf Series MFCs, keeping our device footprint the same rather than taking up valuable equipment space with an add-on adapter.”

The addition of the EtherNet/IP interface enhances the SLAMf Series in several ways:

• Advanced diagnostic and alarm capabilities provide pedigree, performance and reliability data from the MFC, enabling predictive and preventive maintenance to help improve overall equipment effectiveness, reliability and flexibility. 
• The device’s web-based interface allows network settings to be easily configured on the MFC. 
• The new capabilities allow OEMs to provide value-added process management and control, allowing them to offer users real-time information to improve operating results.
• Add-on device profile enabled in SLAMF Series EDS files allows Simplified set-up with Rockwell Automation (Allen Bradley) DCS software.
• In addition to the EtherNet/IP communication option, SLAMf is also available with DeviceNet®, Profibus® and RS-485/analog interfaces. Brooks previously unveiled a Biotech version of the SLAMf built specifically to reduce cost and complexity for biotechnology applications.   

For information and resources about the newly enhanced SLAMf Series MFC, visit https://experience.brooksintrument.com/PRSLAMfEtherNetIP.