Industrial Technology

Panel Building

EAO extends switch range into Industry 4.0 arena

The trend towards digitisation of Human Machine Interfaces in the industrial sector is leading OEMs to adopt radically new approaches to machinery design and manufacture. At the same time, digitisation is creating an even more intensive working environment for operators of the equipment. Mindful of these requirements HMI specialist EAO has introduced a new family of capacitive switches that enable new generations of digital machine systems to be intelligently connected via an IO link controller to higher level bus systems or a programmable logic controller (PLC).

23rd August 2021

EPLAN helps system integrator InControl grows its professional services

Over the last 18 months, driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses have changed their traditional processes to the online environment, digitise their data and remove bottlenecks in the ‘new normal’ working world. One company that is ahead of the curve from this perspective is process automation and industrial control system integrator InControl Systems.

28th July 2021

Preventive maintenance helps prevent damage

WOB-Wessling Oberflächenveredelung (WOB) operates the largest special plant for contract coating in Europe. In a workshop of around 22,000 square meters, hanging cranes provide fully automatic transport for the parts weighing up to 9.5 tons. The gigantic plant includes several cable carriers from Tsubaki Kabelschlepp, which are inspected and serviced by the manufacturer as part of its exclusive maintenance service. This allows WOB to reduce risks and prevent downtimes.

26th July 2021

Trimline IP65 swinghandles from FDB Panel Fittings

FDB Panel Fittings can announce that Dirak Trimline IP65 swinghandles are now available ex-stock from its online store. These Trimline handles have a stylish low-profile design in chrome or black finished zinc die for installations where both form and function are important considerations, as may be found in a wide range of industrial and office environments. Trimline swinghandles offer a much higher torque capability than simple quarter turn locks and latches, enabling tighter close down and operation of multi-point rod locking mechanisms for sealing larger doors and increased security.

26th July 2021

Attractive magnetic catches hold panels and doors in place

Southco has introduced the latest product in its successful line of magnetic catches, with a new version that combines strength and style. Constructed of corrosion resistant stainless steel, the M5 Magnetic Catch combines a highly polished finish with the holding power of rare earth magnets to provide a robust and attractive solution for keeping doors and panels open or closed. The M5 Magnetic Catches provide a reliable alternative to door stays, are well-suited to high vibration environments, and can be configured to provide nominal holding powers from 50-118N.

26th July 2021

The ABC of milling, drilling and tapping

Milling, drilling, thread tapping – there are very few switchgear manufacturers who love metalworking. Fortunately, there is a solution: Automated machining centres such as the Perforex MT can help. Mark Guest, Product Manager for Power Distribution Systems at Rittal offers three tips to show how it can be used to its full advantage.

26th July 2021

New Igus module predicts the service life of machines and manufacturing systems

Motion plastics leader Igus has developed a new predictive maintenance device, a new home for the software to power its smart plastics products – the i.Cee:local module. The module calculates the remaining service life of the energy chain, cable, linear guide and/or plain bearings during their operation. By doing this, the service life of the system can be optimised, faults are detected and rectified at an early stage, and more accurate maintenance can be planned in advance. The module monitors abrasion, measures tensile/push force and provides information about an impending overload in the energy chain or plastics system, using smart plastics sensors from Igus. It can be integrated over Ethernet or over a local network.

26th July 2021

Analog Devices announces 10Gpbs iCoupler digital isolator

Analog Devices has introduced the first in a new series of iCoupler digital isolators that offers a total bandwidth of 10 Gigabits per second. The ADN4624 provides four channels at 2.5Gbps, allowing data to transfer seamlessly in the electrical domain and enabling new system architectures in digital health, instrumentation and smart industry. This device streamlines design and easily integrates isolation for safety or data integrity, it is a compact solution that meets medical standards and reliably isolates high fidelity video and imaging links, precision analogue front ends and serial interconnects as an alternative to cumbersome and specialised fibre solutions.

26th July 2021

Creating Digital Twins is quicker and error-free thanks to Festo

Festo has developed an award-winning online catalogue that provides designers with a time-saving tool kit and prepares the way for the creation of an Asset Administration Shell, or Digital Twin, for their machines. Preparing technical data for incorporation into Asset Administration Shells will become increasingly important for designers in the future, but the ability to collate complex data quickly and accurately also has relevance today in responding to the pressures and constraints of working under lockdown and recovery conditions.

26th July 2021

Next generation Stratus ftServers optimised for edge applications

Stratus Technologies has announced the next generation of its Stratus ftServer line of fault tolerant edge servers. Offering up to 50% greater performance, Stratus’ latest ftServers provide computing power and reliability optimised for the industrial edge and for edge data center locations. Stratus ftServer computing platforms allow organisations to build distributed, edge-in architectures required to run advanced software applications, manage large scale I/O counts, and collect real-time data. In addition, the latest generation ftServer line offers expanded configurations for VARs, systems integrators, solution builders and end-users to fine-tune edge computing.

26th July 2021