News » Product News All-in-one PLC and HMI has a 4.3” colour touchscreen
Unitronics has announced an all-in-one PLC and HMI with a 4.3" colour touchscreen. The Vision430’s touchscreen and five function keys are housed in a flat fascia with an IP66/IP65/Nema4X rating, making it suitable for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Power analyser with touchscreen 'scope is ‘the first’
Keysight Technologies has announced a power analyser that, it claims, is the first to combine accurate power measurements with touch-driven oscilloscope visualisation. The IntegraVision analyser makes it easy for engineers to obtain dynamic views of current, voltage and power.
Contact-free chain monitor warns users of wear
The German chain-maker iwis has developed a non-contact monitoring system that measures the elongation of chains while they are running, and warns maintenance personnel when they need to be replaced. The patented CCM (Chain Condition Monitoring) system can be integrated quickly into chain applications and retrofitted to existing machinery without needing any extra chain components.
Servodrives offer ‘unique’ noise suppression
At the SPS IPC Drives show, the German drives manufacturer KEB unveiled a new series of bookshelf-format servodrives and matching servomotors, which offer real-time communications with higher-level controls via EtherCat, Varan or Can. The Combivert S6 drives can control asynchronous, synchronous, IPM or synchronous reluctance motors, using either encoder feedback for accurate positioning, or sensorless operation to achieve precise speed and torque control without needing speed feedback.
Power-saving VSDs are ‘the Swiss Army knife of drives’
Eaton claims that a new range of variable-speed drives, launched at the recent SPS IPC Drives show in Germany, will cut the power needed to drive a motor by 2–10% compared to other VSDs, without any additional optimisation. The PowerXL DG1 drives, covering ratings from 0.55–160kW in six sizes, incorporate “active power consumption optimisation” and “dynamic power management” functions.
Multi-axis servodrives are ‘the smallest on the market’
At the recent SPS IPC Drives show in Germany, Parker Hannifin launched a new generation of standalone and multi-axis servodrives including “the smallest multi-axis servodrives on the market”. The PSD drives, designed for the global market, will be the lead product in a portfolio that also includes a new PAC (programmable automation controller) offering EtherCat real-time communications.
Takeover results in a new HVAC controls range
Following its $5.2bn acquisition of Invensys in 2013, Schneider Electric has been working with Invensys’ Italian heating and ventilating controls subsidiary Eliwell, to develop controllers for HVAC and pump applications. The result is the Modicon M171 family of controls which made its debut at the recent SPS IPC Drives show in Germany.
Multi-role motion platform is based on open standards
Parker Hannifin has announced a multi-axis, real-time motion controller that integrates machine logic and Web-based visualisation functions. The standards-based Parker Automation Controller (PAC), which is aimed at the global machine-building market, provides tools that are said to result in fast code generation, short commissioning times and low development costs.
Plug-in network cards open up servodrives to third parties
At the recent SPS IPC Drives show, Mitsubishi Electric unveiled a version of its MR-J4 servodrive that accepts HMS’ Anybus plug-in cards, allowing it to be used with third-party control systems and network technologies – the first time this has been possible with a Mitsubishi servodrive. Initially, an EtherCat card is available, and this will be followed by Profinet, Ethernet/IP and others. Support for EnDat and Hiperface encoders is also being added.
Integrated IE4 motor-drive is ‘up to 40% smaller’
At the recent SPS IPC Drives show, Yaskawa announced an integrated motor-drive package based on an IE4 IPM (interior permanent magnet) motor. The IE4MD uses a version of the company’s V100 inverter and is said to help machine-builders to comply with the European ErP Directive.
Smartphone app tells you how to fix drives faults
At the recent SPS IPC Drives show, ABB announced a series of enhancements for its ACS880 industrial drives, including a smartphone app that reads a QR code that is generated on the drive’s display in the event of a fault. The Drivebase app (available for Android and iOS mobile devices) accesses ABB’s service site which delivers information about the error and possible remedies, without the operator having to consult a manual.
Mechanical specialist expands into motor-drives
The Italian mechanical power transmission specialist Motovario has entered a new market with the launch of an integrated motor-inverter that it has spent more than two years developing. One reason for launching the new range, called Drivon, is that sales of one of the company’s traditional products – mechanical variators – have been declining, with most now being sold as replacements rather than for new installations.
Graphic terminals allow remote monitoring of plants
Rockwell Automation has announced a new range of graphic terminals that allow data from anywhere in a plant to be monitored using tablets, smartphones or other mobile devices. The Allen‑Bradley PanelView Plus 7 Standard terminals also offer machine-builders new options in terms of size, functions and connections.
Servodrives tackle vibrations and ripple
At the recent SPS IPC Drives show in Germany, Yaskawa unveiled a new generation of servomotors and drives with improved performance, a wider speed loop bandwidth (3.1kHz), and enhanced vibration suppression and force ripple compensation compared to their predecessors. The Sigma-7 motors are 20% shorter than the previous Sigma-5 models – which they can replace directly – and provide 16 times better resolution, thanks to the inclusion of 24-bit encoders.
Rugged drive can be mounted on or near motors
WEG has developed a rugged decentralised drive, designed to be mounted on a motor’s terminal box, or nearby. The IP66-protected MW500 inverter (based on WEG’s CFW500 VSD) is said to simplify commissioning, installation and start-ups, and to cut cabling and cabinet costs.
