Control Systems

ROLEC has launched its new profiPANEL command enclosures. These tough and highly versatile enclosures offer an economic solution for housing machine control equipment. IP 65 rated profiPANEL is suitable for a wide range of industrial applications. It can be mounted from the top or bottom on ROLEC’s profiPLUS 50 suspension arm system or to a wall or machine housing using the optional 180° pivot bracket.

Over the past 50 years, a growing number of industrial businesses have adopted computer-based automation systems. However, many of these systems are now nearing their official end-of-life and becoming obsolete, leaving engineers with the challenge of managing obsolescence effectively. Maria Torrisi, Business Development Manager at JMartans Automation, explains how industrial plant managers can manage obsolescence in control panels.

The perfect beer is a harmonious blend of art and science. Automation can help by performing the measured and repetitive tasks while allowing brewers to focus on more creative, interesting and rewarding aspects. So when Sadler’s Ales, a historic Black Country brewery, started to grow its business, it decided to adopt an automated process control solution from Mitsubishi Electric to improve productivity and make the quality of its craft beers more consistent.

For Marstons brewery in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, replacing control valves on the main chiller system would improve reliability. However, the process control components were initially looking expensive - that is until a call to Burkert revealed a much more cost-effective solution. Replacing ageing equipment or expanding a production line are suitable opportunities to take stock of new technologies and how they can improve productivity and reduce project costs. 

At the new Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, ABB i-bus KNX technology is being used to maintain optimum conditions for guests. The temperature, ventilation and even the operation of glass heating in 71 glass igloos from luxurious Finnish hotelier, Santa’s Hotels, are being individually controlled with ABB i-bus KNX technology.

Maximum system availability and process reliability for pneumatic controllers is the goal of a partnership between Bürkert and Siemens. The result of the cooperation is the new Type 8647 AirLINE SP valve island, which is compatible with the Siemens I/O system SIMATIC ET 200SP. Bürkert will present the valve island system at SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg from 22nd to 24th November 2016.

The combination of smart technologies with advanced engineering tools and actionable machine information enables manufacturers and machine builders that supply them to accelerate their Connected Enterprise goals significantly. These three crucial elements form the backdrop to Rockwell Automation’s presence at this year’s SPS IPC Drives (Hall 9, Stand 205).

At this year's SPS IPC Drives fair, B&R will be presenting intelligent cameras, innovative lighting and advanced image processing algorithms. The comprehensive machine vision solution is seamlessly integrated in the B&R control system. Other highlights on display at the B&R booth (Hall 7 / Booth 206/114) include B&R's first cloud application for OEMs, safe human-track collaboration and robotics fully integrated in the B&R system.

Imagine that you are drilling a hole, but in the middle of it all the power goes out and the drill breaks off. Regardless of which process you have just started, whether you are turning, milling or bending or in whatever form you are working on a workpiece: in the event of a power failure, the work step should be completed quickly and the tool moved out of the workpiece. This is usually achieved with an external uninterruptible power supply - or with a clever automation solution.

The first programmable logic controller (PLC) to be based upon Phoenix Contact’s PLCnext Technology open control platform has been introduced by RS Components. Aimed at distributed modular control applications in industrial automation and machine building research, the new PLCnext Control system combines the robustness and security of a classic PLC with the openness and flexibility of IIoT (industrial internet of things) smart devices.