April 2020

THEUS COMMUNICATIONS, monitoring and controls manufacturer, Red Lion, has announced a“revolutionary”edge automation platform that, it says, brings a new degree of versatility to edge computing, while its simple point-and-click operation will boost productivity and efficiency. The modular platform, called FlexEdge, is aimed at industrial users that need to connect systems and process data at the edge. It offers a choice of wireless or wired communications and can connect with any industrial communication system, regardless of the protocol or manufacturer. The platformwill allow quick, easy customisation to a variety of applications without compromising reliability. It has certifications for use in hazardous area, water and wastewater, oil and gas, maritime and factory automation applications. Unlike fixed-function devices that require users to learn many products – or systems with fixed chassis designs that take up unnecessary space – the platform can adapt as application needs change. It is available with functions such as: protocol conversion; virtual HMIs; Web servers with bootstrap, JavaScript and CSS; data, security and event logging; and cloud connections. Users can connect new or existing devices, providing future-proof scalability“at levels never before seen in edge computing”, according to Red Lion. The same platform can be used for any edge requirement, avoiding the need for users to select the right combination of products for each application. Red Lion says that FlexEdge will solve most automation engineering challenges, while cutting the number of deployed devices, thus reducing the complexity of applications. For network engineers, it will act as a robust gateway that can be deployed in wired or cellular configurations to connect networks securely. The platform offers multiple isolated serial ports, Ethernet, optional Wi-Fi and cellular communications, optional field-installable I/O, and robust enclosures. “In today’s market, we see innovation accelerating at breakneck pace,”says Red Lion’s data acquisition and IIoT product manager, Colin Geis.“That’s terrific, but it makes it hard for customers to cost-effectively plan for the future. Too often they have no choice but to make costly capital investments, scrap existing equipment, or both. “The FlexEdge architecture answers their challenges,”he adds.“It adapts as quickly as needs change. No matter where a company is in their digital transformation journey, FlexEdge starts where they are, and helps future proof optimisation plans.” www.FlexEdge.net TECHNOLOGY n n ‘Revolutionary’ edge automation platform adapts to its application Red Lion’s FlexEdge automation platform can be customised rapidly to a variety of applications without compromising reliability