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Using B&R automation technology in maritime environments is now easier and more flexible than ever thanks to additional certifications by DNV, KR, LR and ABS for the X20 control and I/O system. B&R has also expanded the temperature and input voltage ranges of the X20 system.
Designed for compact machines, the CP1H is the advanced high-speed all-in-one compact PLC.Four high-speed counters and four pulse outputs are ideal for multi-axis positioning control. The CP1H-XA comes with four analogue inputs and two analogue outputs built-in.
Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. recently announced the release of its LoadMate Plus engineered solution. LoadMate Plus is a robot cell which can be easily moved for efficient use, and is targeted towards manufacturers in CNC machine tool applications that find themselves facing a labor crunch.
Sensors and actuators are the eyes and ears of your equipment. Your machines and processes are limited by what your sensors can tell you. What if you can get more information without increasing cost, engineering time and complexity?
Parker Hannifin has recently announced that its mechanical flange system for machines and plants (with working pressures of up to 420 bar) - “HPF - Parker High Performance Flange System” - has gained DNV GL approval for marine applications.
The new device connector clearly sets a signal for the future in the area of pluggability, as there is no comparable system on the market. The special features of the new product all revolve around flexible and simple assembly.
To meet the need for highly accurate and reliable level measurement in hygienic applications, Emerson has developed the Rosemount 1408H Level Transmitter, the world’s first non-contacting radar device designed specifically for the food and beverage industry.
Read more: Emerson Introduces World’s First Non-Contacting...
When it comes to Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things and digital transformation, the process industry —especially the field within the process plant—has been the blind spot of the industrial landscape.
Read more: From Concept to Market: The First Ethernet-APL...
Lumberg Automation Sensor/Actuator Connectors include M8 and M12 connectors and cordsets with flexible and robust design as well as a large number of standard and special options.
New versions of the safety laser scanner PSENscan enable even greater productivity for safe area monitoring: The 17-pin versions and ME version (master encoder) of PSENscan provide further digital inputs and outputs to implement up to 70 switchable configurations and monitor up to three separate safety zones simultaneously.
Latest Articles
Featured Article: Decoding the Most Versatile Industrial Connector in the World
If you were around in 1980’s you will probably remember walkmans, vcrs, mix tapes and big hair bands on MTV, amongst other things. The decade started with the release of PacMan, the Rubiks Cube and a Hollywood actor called Ronald Reagan winning the US Presidential election. It ended with the first episode of the Simpsons, Timothy Berners-Lee inventing the World Wide Web and the Berlin Wall coming down to symbolize the end of the Cold War.
Some notable 1980’s inventions included the first artificial heart, CD players, the Apple MacIntosh computer, Microsoft Windows, the Nintendo Gameboy and the first GPS satellite to be launched into space.
But there was one more invention of the 1980s that wasn’t really noticed by the general public, but ultimately paved the way for fast, easy and reliable electrical connections that we often take for granted in control systems today. We are talking about the M12 circular connector that was launched at the Hannover Fair in 1985 and has since become one of the most popular industrial connectors in the world.
These days, you will be hard-pressed to walk into any manufacturing plant without seeing an M12 connector. They are used to connect sensors to I/O modules, vision systems to Ethernet switches, light curtains to safety controllers and much more. Originally only available in 3-pole and 4-pole versions with an A-Coded keyway for power and I/O signals, the M12 connector is still evolving and has become one of the most versatile circular connectors available.
Now, more than 35 years since it was launched, there are many different types of M12 connectors for signal, data and power connections.
Featured Article: Strategies for Increasing Production Line Modularity
In today's competitive business environment, customization is key. Manufacturers in all industries are expected to provide a wide range of sizes, colors, styles and assortments, and they are finding it essential to implement flexible manufacturing strategies in order to stay competitive.
The goal of these strategies is to reduce the effort required to change over from one product version to another. Let’s take a look at a couple of ways in which this can be accomplished.
Find ways to minimize rigidity
To determine how to make a system more flexible, it helps to find particular elements that are highly rigid and see how these could be made modular with cutting-edge technology. One example of an inflexible element is a conveyor belt. If conveyors connect production line stations, it can be extremely difficult to rearrange the line or add new stations.
Employing autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) with integrated conveying functionality can dramatically increase flexibility. These robots can take care of materials transport needs without requiring fixed pathways or any other changes to the factory floor. Today, we even see AMRs with integrated collaborative robotic arms that comprise a full pick-and-carry solution.
Avoid excessive part orientation hardware
Traditional parts feeding solutions, such as bowl feeders, typically require parts to be oriented in highly precise ways prior to feeding. Unfortunately, this calls for specific hardware that must be redesigned whenever a new type of part is being produced, dramatically increasing costs and lengthening the time required for a changeover.
