EtherCat Industrial Ethernet Network Expanding in Asia

EtherCat, a high-performance industrial Ethernet network, is making strong inroads in Asia, according to the EtherCat Technology Group (ETG). New EtherCat devices appear in Japan, China and South Korea, while the EtherCat Technology Group opens a regional office in Seoul.

Inside the ETG booth at the System Control Fair in Tokyo, several Japanese companies showcased EtherCat devices for the first time. Hitachi introduced an EtherCat motion controller and EtherCat drives, for example. The ETG booth attracted many visitors at the Industrial Automation Show in Shanghai as well, says the organization, and several Chinese device vendors have begun EtherCat implementations.

The ETG recently opened a regional office in Seoul, South Korea, where Samsung and LS Industrial Systems, the two largest Korean control equipment vendors, recently introduced EtherCat motion controllers and drives. EtherCat is used in Korea in a large variety of applications, including the most important local industries of semiconductor manufacturing and ship building, according to the ETG.