January 2020

TECHNOLOGY n AT THE RECENT SPS exhibition, Aerotech unveiled a new control platform which, it says, contains all of the components needed for precision machine control. The Automation1 platform is aimed, in particular, at the growing markets for precision machinery in which process controls need to be linked closely to motion controls. It promises faster motion and settling times, improved position stability, and enhanced contour accuracy. “Automation1 is the future of motion control,” declares Norbert Ludwig, Aerotech’s general manager for Germany. “It is the first motion control development environment that simultaneously puts years of user experience with the latest technology for precise and fast motion sequences into the forefront of product design. “We have brought the control of positioning systems and connected components on a platform that is specially equipped with a new software-based motion controller”, he adds. “We can drive servo and stepper motors, galvo scan heads, piezoelectric actuators, and a variety of other devices.” The drives are connected via the HyperWire bus, which Aerotech claims is the most powerful communication bus in the motion control industry. At SPS, Aerotech was displaying the capabilities of the new platform in a demonstration that combined a high-performance linear actuator with a force sensor. The demo showed how easy it is to start in the positioning mode, then apply smooth, shock-free force, before switching back to positioning. The rigid mechanical structure of the actuator enabled good dynamic performance with short settling times. www.aerotech.co.uk All-in-one precision platform ‘is the future of motion control’ SIEMENS AND QUALCOMM have implemented what they say is the first private 5G wireless standalone network in a real industrial environment using the 3.7–3.8GHz band. The network has been installed in Siemens’automotive showroom and test centre in Nuremberg, Germany, where AGVs (automated guided vehicles) are developed and tested before being put into service at customer sites. The testbed will allow Siemens and Qualcomm to test various technologies in a standalone 5G network under real operating conditions, and to come up with ideas for future industrial applications. Siemens is supplying control systems and IO devices for the trial, while Qualcomm is providing the 5G network and test equipment. The German Federal Network Agency has reserved 100MHz of bandwidth from 3.7–3.8GHz for use on industrial sites. German companies can rent part of this bandwidth and use it in private 5G networks, while protecting their data. Siemens is using this facility to evaluate and test industrial protocols such as OPC UA and Profinet, together with 5G communications. “Industrial 5G is the gateway to an all- encompassing, wireless network for production, maintenance, and logistics,” says Eckard Eberle, Siemens’ CEO of process automation. “High data rates, ultra-reliable transmission, and extremely low latencies will allow significant increases in efficiency and flexibility in industrial added value.” He adds that the collaboration with Qualcomm will “drive forward the development and technical implementation of private 5G networks in the industrial setor… paving the way for wireless networks in the factory of the future.” Tel: 01284 388 033 sales@ete.co.uk www.ete.co.uk Eastern Transformers & Equipment Ltd ...In complete control of power • ETE are now cer琀昀ed to design and manufacture UL Listed transformers • Designed to UL 5085 - 1 and UL 5085 - 2 standards • 25VA to 5kVA 1ph • Manufactured in the UK • Fast turnaround • Custom - built to your speci昀c requirements Stand D342 Aerotech says that its new Automation1 platformwill simplify the control of positioning systems ‘First private 5G industrial network’ begins trials in German test centre