Vol.9 Cover Story
CC-Link IE acquires Chinese national standard “GB/T”
Increasing industry expectations as a driving force of “Made in China 2025”
The Standardization Administration of the P.R.C. (SAC), which manages Chinese standardization, has accredited CC-Link IE with the Chinese national standard “GB/T”. This decision is based on the existing international recognition of CC-Link IE as an international standard as well as its broad-based adoption at Chinese production sites; it is increasingly expected to serve as a driving force for the “Made in China 2025” project, through which the Chinese government intends to enhance the competitive ability of Chinese manufacturing.
The national standards set by China are roughly divided into the mandatory “GB” type, the recommended “GB/T” type and the optional “GB/Z” standards, as well as industry-specific standards. GB/T is a highly influential standard, second only to GB, and is sought by users during product selection. Hence it has become a de-facto requirement for products to be selected for industrial use.
However, standards should not be recommended for industrial promotion if they conflict with national laws and regulations or if long-term supplier support cannot be ensured. In order to be accredited as GB/T, the standard must already be accredited as an international standard and must also have a record of global adoption. ITEI (Instrumentation Technology & Economy Institute), which is responsible for managing standard guidelines for industries under the auspices of SAC, participates in activities of the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), which governs international standards for industry, and keeps track of the trends of international standards. The Institute selects standards to be considered for Chinese domestic standards and submits them to SAC. If SAC approves the standard, an ITEI working group consisting of product vendors, users and designers etc. is formed to consider certification.
CC-Link IE has gone through this process and is officially accredited as the recommended domestic standard “GB/T33537.1~.3-2017”. In addition to CC-Link IE having acquired IEC international standards, the evaluation showed widespread usage not only in China but all across Asia.
“Meets Made in China 2025 Expectations”
“With CC-Link IE it is possible to seamlessly connect various system layers in manufacturing, from upper management divisions through to production sites. CC-Link IE is also continuing to realize interoperability with PROFINET and other industrial networks, as well as expanding connectivity both horizontally and vertically, which is expected to be significantly effective for Chinese manufacturing.” These are the words of Mr. Ouyang Jinsong, a Director of ITEI and Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China “intelligent manufacturing” expert and working group member.
The reason why Mr. Ouyang regards seamless connectivity in manufacturing as so important is because of the manufacturing project “Made in China 2025” which is in process at the national level. By making full use of its abundant labor force and relatively low labor costs, China has become a globally recognized location for industrial production, but recently other emerging countries have been challenging its position. This is where Made in China 2025 will come in, to achieve value-added manufacturing across the entire country.
Achieving this added-value requires optimization of not only the production sites, but also the layers of management. As such, the enhanced connectivity functions of CC-Link IE “comply with the requirements of Made in China 2025” (Mr. Ouyang). The many vendors supporting CC-Link IE together with the already established CC-Link IE Test Center in China were also factors leading to the decision to accredit CC-Link IE as a national standard.
Utilized for handling LCD Panels
CC-Link IE acquired GB/T accreditation at an announcement event held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, hosted by ITEI and others on April 19, 2017. Approximately 100 people from different manufacturing industries participated in the event, together with approximately 20 media companies. Media interest was high, as the announcement related directly to the national level project “Made in China 2025”.
The event included not only presentations from ITEI and the CC-Link Partner Association, but also case study presentations from users of CC-Link IE. One such company, Nanjing Panda Electronics Co., Ltd., utilizes CC-Link IE for transporting LCD panels at their Beijing factory, realizing an intelligent transport system.
ITEI is not only responsible for formulating standards but also has a role in their widespread promotion, and is working in collaboration with CC-Link Partner Association to create a model production line. CC-Link IE currently boasts a high market share among Chinese production sites; with domestic standard acquisition and the ITEI promotion as an ally, it is expected that further widespread adoption will accelerate.
- CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA)
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