Distec Ltd

Data collection in manufacturing is a valuable asset for organisations to optimise their processes and better understand how their productions lines are operating but it has to date been very limited in scope. In previous times, data was gathered from a piece of equipment and scrutinised for areas of improvement.

  During the upcoming SPS IPC Drives 2017 in Nuremberg, Germany, Distec will present their new IoT-compliant POS-Line IoT monitor for industry 4.0 applications. At this European trade show for electrical automation, Distec will display the new monitor and further highlights from 28th-30th November 2017 at Stand 228 in Hall 8.

Name an iconic duo: Tom and Jerry, Batman and Robin, Mario and Luigi. There are just some of the world’s favourite pairs, and not forgetting Ant and Dec. However, many people wouldn’t add Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) to their list of favourite duos, but the convergence of the two has revolutionised the modern factory. Adrian Swindells, Director of industrial computing specialist Distec, looks at how plant managers can implement IT and OT together, without any drawbacks.

Distec is expanding the range of Red Lion Controls products that it stocks and distributes. It stocks visualisation systems and protocol conversion modules, which are designed to help plant managers in the industrial automation, process engineering and manufacturing sectors to improve efficiency, accurately monitor production output and affordably create smart factories.

Partnering with industrial automation and networking comapny Red Lion Controls, Distec will be hosting a smart factory day on 28th March 2017. The event, which will be held at the De Vere Cranage Estate in Cheshire, is designed to give plant managers an overview of the benefits of smart factory technology.

The cost of upgrading or replacing devices and equipment is one of the biggest chores when you are a plant manager. While this has traditionally only occurred due to a breakage, the rise of the internet of things (IoT) has driven a need for cross-compatible equipment — in most cases calling for the costly replacement of legacy systems to ensure communication. 

Enhancement and extensions of the POS-Line product family have been introduced by Distec, and will be at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the international trade fair for audio-visual and electronic integration, in Amsterdam 7th-10th  February 2017.

Expanding its range of industrial PCs for food manufacturing and meat processing plants, Distec are including the addition of B&R Automation’s fully cased PCs. The company will be using B&R’s fully cased PCs, which are produced and designed in Austria. The range of products includes fully cased PCs housed in a choice of aluminium or stainless-steel, which provides the necessary protection for a variety of industrial and food processing environments while providing an elegant and clean design. 

A major down-side of the advent of the Internet of Things in industrial and commercial environments is the growing threat of data theft. Here, Adrian Swindells, a director of industrial computing specialist Distec, investigates how plant managers can keep themselves safe from data loss.