At the recent Hanover Fair, Eaton announced an enhancement to its SmartWire-DT technology that will allow any sensor or actuator to be linked into the system via IP67-protected M12 connectors designed to be used outside cabinets.
At the recent Hannover Fair, ABB launched a new generation of general-performance cast-iron LV motors in IE2 and IE3 efficiency versions. The company says it has enhanced the motors’ electrical and mechanical designs, and optimised their use of materials.
GE Intelligent Platforms has announced a combined industrial PC (IPC) and software appliance that uses the Industrial Internet to connect machines and turn raw plant data into actionable information. The rugged Proficy Historian IPC collects real-time production and process information and supports numerous data collection tags in a package small enough to install alongside machine controls in harsh environments.
Rockwell Automation has developed a modular electronic overload relay incorporating a patented current-measurement technology that makes it one of the smallest on the market, while offering a wide 10:1 FLA (full-load amperage) range – thus simplifying selection and reducing inventories.
At the recent Hannover Fair, Bauer Gear Motor unveiled what it claims is the world's first modular, stainless-steel, IE4-efficiency geared motor. The new machine, based on Bauer’s permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) and aseptic drive technologies, is said to combine the benefits of both and is suitable for use in hygiene-critical applications where frequent washdowns and the presence of people could damage specialist coatings.
At the recent Hannover Fair, ABB announced a general-purpose drive designed to be simple to specify, commission, operate and maintain. The wall-mounting ACS580 drive is said to be “virtually plug-in-ready” and can be set up “in minutes”. It can be used to control pumps, fans, conveyors, mixers and other variable and basic constant-torque applications.
Mitsubishi Electric has announced a new generation of HMIs which, it claims, are the first in the industrial sector to offer gesture controls. The GOT2000 series HMIs are around 20% cheaper than the previous GOT1000 generation, and have identical dimensions, making upgrades easy. Project data from the GOT1000 HMIs can be transferred to the new devices.
Rockwell Automation claims that its latest safety relay will allow machine-builders to implement safety functions easily, while improving productivity. The Allen-Bradley Guardmaster 440C CR30, which complies with PLe and SIL 3, is aimed at applications requiring four to nine safety circuits and control of up to five zones.
Dunkermotoren, the German manufacturer of small motors, has developed a 22mm-diameter brushless DC motor which, it claims, produces up to 50% more power than similar-sized brushless motors. The three-phase, axial-flux motor weighs only 63 grams and is claimed to deliver “exceptional” power to size and weight ratios.
Schneider Electric used the recent Drives & Controls Show in the UK to preview a new generation of variable-speed drives which it describes as its “first service-oriented, intelligent drives family”. The Altivar Process drives have been developed for manufacturing and process industry applications and are designed to help factory owners, plant managers and engineers to manage their processes better, and to ensure that they are performing as efficiently as possible.
At the 2014 Hannover Fair, Balluff unveiled a light grid system that can detect objects with a resolution of 0.01mm and can be used to compare and sort items based on tiny differences in size. The BLA grid can also be used to perform presence and height checks on objects up to 50mm wide, over a range of up to 2m.
The Swiss small motor specialist maxon motor has announced a compact EtherCat slave controller which, it says, offers “unprecedented possibilities as far as precision, dynamics, and synchronization are concerned”.
The German bearing manufacturer Schaeffler has developed an integrated system for measuring the travel of linear axes in machine tools and other precision machinery. The LMSA (length measurement system analogue) uses an inductive measuring principle to achieve accuracies of ±3µm/m.
CG Drives & Automation – the new name for the Swedish drives-maker formerly known as Emotron – has announced a series of AC drives optimised for mounting in electrical cabinets (IP20) or on control room walls (IP21). The drives are based on the IP54-rated Emotron FDU and VFX ranges.
The American motor manufacturer Ward Leonard has developed a line of powerful AC induction motors designed to replace the diesel engines conventionally used to power fracking (hydraulic fracturing) pumps. The rugged 2,000–6,000hp (1.5–4.5MW) motors are designed for continuous-duty operation and for use with medium-voltage VFDs (variable frequency drives).
