CC-Link celebrates membership milestone
The CC-Link Partners Association, an international organisation focused on the promotion and technical development of CC-Link open network technologies, is continuing to increase its global strength.
This year, the association has seen its 1500th member join, while the global installed base has now exceeded 8.5million devices. It is now one of the world's largest fieldbus organisations.
European acting general manager, John Browett, said this is just one of several milestones the organisation has passed in recent months. "We've just had the tenth anniversary of our founding and there are now over 1100 certified products available from over 240 different manufacturers," he said. "In the past, when companies were specifying networks, possibly CC-Link was not always the first choice. However, I think it's safe to say that this time has passed. The fact that CLPA has now passed the 1500 member milestone shows that we are firmly established on the shortlist of networks companies are building their systems with."
CC-Link originated as an Asian market technology, but the geographical breakdown of the current members shows that it has become firmly established as a global standard. There is significant membership in the US and Europe, as well as Asian nations such as China, Korea and Taiwan. Although the technology was developed in Japan, today Japanese members account for only about a third of the total membership.
"In the end, while membership and node counts are important measures of success, what really matters for machine builders and end users is knowing a technology is mature, proven and sustainable. I think CC-Link has proven it ticks all these boxes," concluded Browett.
