February 2020

32 n SPS REPORT February 2020 www.drivesncontrols.com free push-in terminals for fast installation of control wiring. At SPS, it also announced a colour touchscreen panel for visualising and controlling applications based on easyE4. The 3.5” XV102 panel can be operated when wearing gloves. Festo was showing a decentralised I/O system that transmits machine data in real time. The compact CPX-AP-I system can connect up to 500 participants to a main system with cable lengths of up to 50m between modules. The system, which supports IO-Link, provides connections from the field level to the cloud and could be used for applications such as predictive maintenance. Mitsubishi Electric announced an edge computing system with built-in algorithms for predictive maintenance and quality control. The MELIPC system uses AI (artificial intelligence) to recognise anomalies in machine status in real time. It can improve processes, adapt to variables, and generate live predictive models which can be updated and refined based on new demands from a process. Panasonic released a series of high-end touchscreen operator panels designed for demanding IIoT applications. The HMx700 series HMIs support touch gestures such as wiping, scrolling and zooming, and are capable of data transfer rates up to 50Mbytes/s. Pepperl+Fuchs demonstrated an industrial thin client with four DisplayPort connectors, allowing process data to be visualised on up to four Ultra-HD (4K) screens. The BTC14 thin-client boxes are designed for use in harsh conditions. Phoenix Contact has added a new model to its PLCnext family of open controllers which combine the robustness of a PLC with the openness and flexibility of smart devices. The modular, Profinet- supporting Control AXC F 1152 controller offers a secure connection to Proficloud and acts as a communications hub. It can be programmed using high-level languages. SEW Eurodrive has extended its Movi C modular automation system by adding further centralised and decentralised components including advanced motion controllers for customised positioning applications. Smart, parameterisable software modules for drive electronics and control technology are said to make complex automation operations easy. Siemens has launched a new generation of machine-level block I/O devices with IP65/67 protection. The Simatic ET 200eco PN range includes five digital I/O devices and an IO-Link master. They are supplied with power via an L-coded plug with a high current-carrying capacity, allowing longer cables to be used and energy-intensive components to be powered without needing extra supply cables. Siemens also has a new generation of its Sinumerik CNC system which includes software for creating digital twins. It is said to close the gap between the virtual and the real world and to help reduce development and commissioning times. Sigmatek was demonstrating a wireless handheld operating panel which allows users to work closely to machines or robots without being encumbered by cables. The HGW 1033-32 panel incorporates a 10.1” multi-touch display as well as three rotary encoders that can be used to operate different axes “almost blindly”. Various safety elements, including an illuminated e-stop, are built in. Wago has developed a gateway for its universal 750 I/O system that it calls I/O system Advanced. The fast IP20 I/O system is said to result in short reaction times, high signal transmission synchronicity, and the ability to use fast Ethernet buses such as Profinet and EtherCat. In future, it will be possible to integrate protocols such as TSN. Wago has also relaunched its PFC200 controller, pairing it with the new system’s exterior. Fanless IPCs are based on low-power CPUs The latest addition to Beckhoff ’s portfolio of tiny industrial PCs is a device that uses Intel’s low-power Core i U processors that consume much less power than other processors in the same series. The result is a fanless IPC capable of intensive computing, but drawing minimal power. The compact (82 x 127 x 40mm) C6025 IPC, housed in an aluminium and zinc die- cast enclosure, has up to four CPU cores and includes 4GB of RAM (expandable to 8 GB) and a 40GB solid-state drive with 3D flash memory. It has a DisplayPort video connector and four USB 3.0 ports, as well as an on-board Ethernet controller with three 100/1000Base-T ports. The eighth-generation processors used in the C6025 offer performance levels between those of Intel’s Atom processors and its high-performance Core i-series devices. An advanced cooling design enables purely passive heat dissipation via a heatsink. Machine-level: Siemens’Simatic ET 200eco PN I/O device Model generator: Mitsubishi’s MELIPC edge computing system High-end: Panasonic’s HMx700 HMIs Wireless: Sigmatek’s HGW 1033-32 operating panel