The global distributor RS has added 4,000 new industrial automation products to the existing 15,000 items in its RS Pro own-label offering.
ABB Robotics has released a modular software platform that streamlines data collection, visualisation and analysis in automated production facilities. It claims that the OptiFact platform will cut data collection and analysis times by 25%, and increase production uptime by up to 20%.
Mitsubishi Electric has announced a compact PLC for implementing cost-effective machines with up to 60 I/O points. The Melsec FX5S PLC offers Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) functions for entry-level automation applications in sectors such as food and beverage, water and machining,
Premio, the Californian rugged edge and embedded computing specialist, has launched an industrial supercapacitor-based power back-up system that provides configurable power redundancy for equipment such as industrial computers, displays and panel PCs. In the event of a power loss or instability, the Eco-1000 EdgeBoost EnergyPack provides sufficient redundant power to initiate a safe shutdown to prevent data from being lost or corrupted.
Fluke has launched a pair of wire tracers designed to simplify the process of tracing and troubleshooting on both energised and de-energised wires. The Fluke 2052 Advanced Wire Tracer and 2062 Advanced Pro Wire Tracer kits have a safety rating of Cat IV 600V – the highest for any wire tracer, with others tending to be Cat III rated, according to the company. The Cat IV rating protects users from the most dangerous overvoltage transients (spikes of up to 8kV) that can occur in industrial and utility environments.
Parker Hannifin has announced two new series of mid-range AC inverter drives for applications ranging from simple fan/pump and conveyor controls, to multi-drive production lines requiring speed-following and winder calculations.
Rockwell Automation has released a line of graphic terminals based on technologies that it acquired when it bought the Italian automation manufacturer Asem in 2020. The Allen‑Bradley OptixPanel terminals cover screen sizes from 4–21.5 inches, in 4:3 or widescreen proportions, with bezel options including stainless-steel, aluminium and glass.
The UK-headquartered engineering company, Renishaw, has developed a series of products to solve industrial automation problems such as such as achieving accuracy and repeatability when setting up, calibrating and maintaining robots.
Schneider Electric has launched a family of collaborative robots (cobots) in five sizes, with payloads from 3–18kg, working radii from 626–1,327mm, operating speeds from 1.5–3.5m/s, and positioning repeatabilities from ±0.02mm to ±0.03mm. The Lexium cobots are claimed to have some of the smallest footprints in the industry and to need 30-40% less space than traditional robots.
Rockwell Automation has announced a range of distributed servodrives that it says will result in leaner, greener and more powerful machine designs. The scalable ArmorKinetix servodrives, with outputs up to 5.5kW, are available either as distributed drives or as integrated drives and motors.
RS has added a “Product Design Centre” – a product data library with information on more than one billion electronic components – to its DesignSpark online CAD platform and community. It says that the PDC will enhance the platform’s CAD library that already provides more than 40 different types of content, including product data, environmental and lifecycle information, as well as 3D models, footprints and schematics.
The Italian motor manufacturer Soga has announced a range of high-efficiency two- and four-pole single-phase motors designed to comply with the EU2019/1781 regulation which came into force on 1 July 2023, and requires asynchronous single-phase motors sold in Europe have to have minimum efficiency ratings of IE2.
Omron has announced a family of AC drives aimed at the global market that, it claims, set a new standard in motor control and drive technology. The M1 drives can power a variety of motor types including induction motors, permanent magnet synchronous motors (including direct-drive types with up to 128 poles), as well as special machines such as drum motors. They can deliver up to 200% torque at 0Hz.
ABB has developed a new generation of large Nema induction motors with modular mechanical construction and flexible electrical designs. The AMI 5800 motors use high-strength welded steel frames usually reserved for even larger motors, to reduce stress and vibration and ensure long service lives.
The British electrical test and measurement specialist Megger has announced a range of automated static motor analysers that can be used: to assess the health of electric motors; to monitor and analyse trends in motor condition; and to locate faults. Depending on the model, the portable Baker ADX analysers can provide high-voltage tests for surge, turn-to-turn partial discharge, insulation resistance, polarisation index, DC Hipot and step voltage tests, as well as low-voltage tests for winding resistance, inductance and capacitance. A single set of plug-in high-voltage Kelvin test leads means there is no need to change leads between tests.