News » Product News Ethernet switches cut configuration times by ‘up to 90%’
The Taiwanese automation specialist Advantech has announced the first managed industrial Ethernet switch to support a new device management technology, called IXM, that allows users to assign a fixed range of IP address to many devices at the same time, and to copy the same switch configuration simultaneously to many switches. The company claims that the technology will cut configuration times by up to 90%, as well as preventing mistakes.
Gravity conveyor speed controller uses eddy current brakes
The Swiss materials-handling specialist Interroll has developed what it claims is the world's first device that uses a built-in eddy current brake to control the speed of gravity roller conveyors. It says that the easy-to-install, maintenance- and wear-free MSC 50 magnetic speed controller is a response to the demand for more efficient and cost-effective materials-handling systems.
Control system is ‘first’ with built-in fieldbus diagnostics
Siemens has announced what it claims is the first control system with integrated fieldbus diagnostics. Its Simatic AFDiSD “active field distributor” provides extended fieldbus diagnostics for Profibus PA installations operating under its Simatic PCS 7 process control system. Siemens says this will allow faster plant start-ups and rapid identification of bus interruptions.
New-generation servos are smaller, lighter and faster
Panasonic has announced a new generation of servodrives with a velocity response of 3.2kHz, resulting in faster reaction times. There is also a news series of matching servomotors, with built-in 23-bit encoders, which are claimed to be 30% shorter and 10% lighter than their predecessors.
Combined thermal imager and clamp meter spots faults
The thermal imaging specialist Flir has announced what it claims is the world’s first combined thermal imager and clampmeter. The Flir CM174’s thermal camera guides the user to hotspots and pinpoints temperature anomalies, which they can then investigate using the 600A AC/DC clampmeter.
Gateways make it easier for automation and IT worlds to talk
The Swedish industrial networking specialist HMS has announced a series of “edge connectivity” gateways designed to make it easier for automation and IT specialists to communicate with each other’s networks. The gateways allow real-time data from industrial machinery to be presented to .Net-based IT applications, giving .Net programmers direct access to data from PLC systems, while automation engineers keep full control over what the IT side is allowed to do. The first of the .Net gateways are for the Profibus and Profinet networks.
Software controller with failsafe PC-based control is ‘first’
At the Hannover Fair in Germany in April, Siemens will unveil what it claims is the world's only software controller with failsafe PC-based control that is independent of the operating system. The new Simatic 1507S F controller is essentially a S7-1500 software controller with built-in safety.
Sensors ‘can detect any object on a high-speed line’
The German sensor-maker Sick says it has achieved a step change in sensing performance and value with a range of distance sensing, proximity and object detection sensors that, it claims, can detect any object on a high-speed production line. The family of four PowerProx sensors, which are based on laser time-of-flight (ToF) technology, cover a distance range from 50mm to 3.8m and can replace most distance and proximity sensors in a production plant. The family includes what is claimed to be the world’s smallest ToF sensor.
Vibration sensor targets low-speed applications
The British vibration monitoring specialist, Sensonics, has developed a sensor specifically designed to monitor vibrations on slow-speed machinery – typically rotating at less than 300 rpm. It says that traditional piezoelectric-based velocity vibration sensors are susceptible to various forms of interference in low-frequency applications that can result in spurious readings and alarms.
Plug-and-play device ‘will open up 3D vision sensing’
Sick’s first 3D vision sensor, the TriSpector 1000, unveiled at the recent SPS IPC Drives show in Germany, is now available. The self-contained, plug-and-play device performs real-time 3D quality inspection and is said to be easy to install and use.
Machine-mounting controller supports IoT programming
Rexroth has announced an IP65-protected control module that combines PLC and I/O functions and can be mounted directly onto a machine, avoiding the need for a protective cabinet. The IndraControl FM handles up to 36 digital and analogue I/O from devices such as sensors and actuators, as well as Modbus RTU for direct activation of frequency converters.
Modular servo-actuators are tailored to their application
The German precision drives specialist Wittenstein has developed what it claims is the first fully scalable servo-actuator platform. The flexible platform, called premo, made its debut at the recent SPS IPC Drives show in Germany. Wittenstein says that it “sets new benchmarks in terms of size and power density”.
Linear motor is ‘first with non-analogue magnetic encoder’
The Japanese precision motor manufacturer Nippon Pulse has collaborated with the German encoder-maker Siko to produce what they claim is the first linear motor to incorporate a non-analogue magnetic linear encoder. The scale-less SL083 motor is aimed at positioning applications that need the repeatability, reliability and robustness of a linear motor, with a resolution and repeat accuracy of up to 5µm.
'World's smallest' smart cameras avoid the need for PCs
Cognex has announced a family of compact, standalone vision systems that deliver data at PC-like speeds, without needing a PC. The In-Sight Micro 8000 cameras include the “world’s smallest” self-contained 5-Megapixel vision system.
PLCs implement motion functions directly in CPUs
At the recent SPS IPC Drives show in Germany, Yaskawa, and its German controls subsidiary Vipa, unveiled a system that implements motion control functions directly in PLCs.
