A US company has developed a maintenance-free electromechnical linear actuator technology that, it claims, offers higher power densities and better reliability than rollerscrew or hydraulic technologies. Massachusetts-based Rise Robotics says that its Rise Cylinder actuators can replace hydraulic systems of all sizes, resulting in quieter, more efficient, all-electric machines.
Rockwell Automation has enhanced its Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 6000 range of medium-voltage drives by adding sensorless vector control (SVC) for applications up to 200A, as well as introducing new voltage ratings (6.9kV and 11kV) and a standard-efficiency transformer option for the Asia-Pacific market.
At the recent Hannover Fair, Beckhoff unveiled the latest in its series of tiny industrial PCs – this time with an onboard one-second capacitive UPS (uninterruptible power supply), designed to store data in the event of a power failure.
At the recent Hannover Fair, SEW-Eurodrive announced that had developed and is manufacturing its own high-resolution encoders for use in its motors, and will also offer own-brand gear oils which, it claims, will improve lubrication and reduce wear.
Bosch and Harting have collaborated to develop what they claim is the first IP54-protected, plug-and-play condition-monitoring IoT kit for industrial applications. It allows digital condition monitoring to be implemented quickly for of any kind of machinery, without needing any IT expertise. They say that it can be up-and-running within a day.
Schneider Electric has announced what it claims is the world’s most advanced and accurate power quality meter. It says that the PowerLogic ION9000 is twice as accurate as other meters on the market, opening up new possibilities for energy savings.
At the Hannover Fair, Omron has unveiled an industrial controller with a “unique” multicore technology that allows it to execute high-speed data-processing tasks at the same time as performing machine control. The NX1 Series controller can collect synchronised data from sensors, servomotors and other devices in the same fixed cycle time, and can send the data to a host IT system, while maintaining control performance.
After five years of development, Rittal has launched a new generation of large enclosures designed to simplify designs and cut costs through the use of a consistent 25mm pitch pattern and symmetrical layouts. The new VX25 system was unveiled at the Hannover Fair and among the first people to see it were the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the Mexican president, Peña Nieto. Mexico is the Fair’s country partner for 2018.
Rockwell Automation has announced a pair of controllers for industrial safety applications, that can be scaled to support safety levels from SIL 2 / PLd to SIL 3 / PLe. It says that this will help engineers to optimise safety system designs and potentially to cut costs, while adhering to the latest machine safety regulations.
Bedrock Automation, the Californian controls developer that specialises in cyber-secure automation platforms, has announced a lower-cost controller that combines PLC, RTU, edge control, cyber-security and universal I/O functions in a compact, standalone module suitable for remote monitoring and control applications. The Bedrock OSA (Opens Secure Automation) Remote is configured using the company’s IEC 61131-3 engineering tools, and offers a wide operating temperature range (–40°C to +80°C), a hardened metal enclosure, and prices – starting at $2,900 – said to be lower than those of conventional mini-PLCs or RTUs.
Rockwell Automation has announced a micro-PLC that supports applications with up to 304 I/O points, 280kB of memory and 20,000 program instructions. The Allen-Bradley Micro870 PLC can be scaled to match an application, thus helping machine designers to optimise control architectures in large standalone machines or systems.
Rockwell Automation has released a family of Nema and IEC contactors to help machine-builders design smaller, more energy-efficient panels for global markets. The Allen-Bradley Bulletin 300 Nema contactors and Bulletin 100-E IEC contactors are designed for applications of 300A or higher. They replace the earlier Allen-Bradley Bulletin 100D IEC and Nema contactors which catered for applications above 100A.
Sick has joined forces with the collaborative robot (cobot) producer, Universal Robots, to develop an entry-level, vision-guided cobot system for pick-and-place, quality inspection and measurement applications. The URCap kit combines Sick’s Inspector PIM60 2D vision sensors with Universal Robots’ UR3, UR5 or UR10 robots to deliver an adaptable vision-guided cobot that is quick and easy to program and configure, without needing special software expertise or a separate PC.
A Swedish company that specialises in lubrication technologies has developed a wireless system that monitors that bearings are being fed with the right amount of lubricant at the right time. Assalub says that its WLubeMon system will prevent expensive bearing failures by alerting users if the lubrication is inadequate.
igus has developed a plug-in system for connecting electrical cables, fibre-optic cables and pneumatics, where large numbers of cables need to be connected in a small space. The system, called module connect, allows several plug housings to be assembled together to form a module that contains individual plug-in and separation points.
