Control Systems

The Mobile Systems Division of Parker Hannifin Corporation has released its Electro-Hydraulic Pump System (EHPS) for high power lifting applications in the construction, materials handling and mining markets. The new integrated solution provides the opportunity to realise fuel cost savings of up to 50% and gives the potential for customers to downsize or remove the diesel engine, therefore creating an optimised, highly-efficient, completely electric vehicle.

Cooling units are playing an increasingly important role in Industry 4.0. Smooth communication between cooling units and associated cloud-based systems is opening up opportunities for new applications. Essential to these applications are IoT-capable devices such as the cooling units and chillers in the Rittal Blue e+ range. By Karl Lycett, Rittal’s Product Manager for Climate Control

Communications between industrial control devices have minimal protection today. This leaves them vulnerable to threats like malicious tampering and incidental system changes that can stop production or injure workers. New solutions from Rockwell Automation deliver built-in security based on security standards to protect control-level communications and overall system integrity.

The control of industrial processes can be a complex operation involving multiple valves, sensors and controllers which means there are many considerations when looking for opportunities for process optimisation.  By Greg Wainhouse, UK Water Segment Manager at Bürkert.

Bürkert has released the latest update to its FLOWave flowmeter, which offers greater functionality and widens its appeal for the pharmaceutical sector as well as food and beverage applications. The list of new capabilities includes the ability to detect different fluids, which will open-up new applications in many areas.

Industrial workers can strengthen their grasp of production and make more informed operating decisions with the new Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5480 controller by Rockwell Automation. The controller marries a Logix control engine and the Microsoft Windows 10 IoT Enterprise operating system in a single platform, allowing workers to view machine information at its source.

A condition monitoring system based on HARTING’s MICA Edge computer system is being used for the early detection of wear in the overhead conveyor systems used in production lines in the automotive and other industries. The failure of individual support frames in these conveyors can lead to the stoppage of entire production lines, but the MICA-based system detects wear at an early stage and thus prevents unplanned downtime.

The motion control experts, INMOCO, have available a new torque control IC (integrated circuit), designed for applications with limited space but which need to control noise, vibration and power consumption. The new Juno torque control IC is made by Massachusetts company Performance Motion Devices, and complements the existing Juno motor control ICs. 

A clean green wastewater technology that can turn an environmental problem into a source of profit is being introduced to Australia and New Zealand by CST Wastewater Solutions. The Global Water and Energy (GWE) anerobic digestion technology has been proven worldwide in more than 400 installations, including food, beverage and agribusiness operations in Australasia.

Precision control of fluids and gases is a task that requires technical knowledge and experience. Within this area, hygienic applications, such as those in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, place even higher demands on the control components and the surrounding infrastructure.