47 www.drivesncontrols.com March 2024 NEW PRODUCTS n Industrial Shields, a Spanish company specialising in automation systems based on open-source hardware, has launched a low-cost industrial controller said to combine reliability, exibility and coste ectiveness. The ESP32 PLC 14 controller has dual cores, allowing separate management of I/O and communications, to optimise performance. Prices start at €99.95. The exible controller has an analogue input capable of both 0-10V DC and 4-20mA operation, allowing users to choose the conguration that best suits their application, as well as a relay output for automated actuation. The 0-10V input o ers simplicity and accuracy, while the 4-20mA option o ers energy eciency and interference resistance. Standard communications include I2C, RS-485 (HD), Ethernet, Wi-Fi and BLE. Options using expanders include NB-IoT, GPRS, 2G, 3G, 4G and LoRA. Industrial Shields www.industrialshields.com/ esp32-plc-14-launch-lp The US mechanical components manufacturer Ruland has released mountable shaft collars with face holes for applications where the collar needs to be mounted directly onto a component such as a pulley, sprocket or metallic plate. The collars are available with drilled face holes that o er mounting exibility, or tapped holes that match the collar’s screw thread. The shaft collars have precise face-to-bore perpendicularity. The groove in the face of the collar identies the work surface for easy installation. The shaft collars are available in 1215 leadfree steel for high strength, 2024 aluminium with an anodised nish for light weight, and 303 stainless-steel for corrosion resistance. They are available in one-piece clamp-style in bore sizes from 10–80mm. The collars are available in the UK from Acorn Industrial Services. Acorn Industrial Services 0800 8766 441 www.acorn-ind.co.uk/ruland www.ruland.com/shaft-collars Shaft collars with face holes mount directly onto components Mitsubishi Electric has updated its FX5-ENET Ethernet module, o ering advanced IIoT capabilities for machines using its Melsec iQ-F series PLCs. The update makes it possible to collect data in the cloud, thus benetting from data-driven analytics to support predictive maintenance, simplify troubleshooting and improve productivity. The cloud function is supported by the MQTT protocol, helping to set up interconnected machines for smart operations, while protecting them from cyberthreats. The protocol includes encryption and digital certication, helping to detect, prevent and respond to potential risks. Encrypted email functions allow users to receive notications via secure SMTP servers. https://gb.mitsubishielectric. com/fa The German sensor-maker Megatron has expanded its precision encoder range, o ering serial HTS encoders with a resolution of up to 18 bits (single-turn), and incremental HTI encoders in versions for up to 20,000 pulses per revolution. The number of pulses can be set at the factory. The encoders have aluminium housings and stainless-steel shafts with double ball bearings for high operating speeds. They are available in 25mm or 36mm housings, with protection up to IP67. www.megatron.de/en Westermo has launched a range of plug-and-play unmanaged industrial Ethernet switches. The ve-port SandCat fast Ethernet switches o er a low-cost option for connecting multiple enddevices to a network. A bre port allows communication over long distances or between sites. The switch, which supports 100Mbit/s operating speeds, extends the port count of managed switches, allowing more end-devices to be installed. It can also be used when a central device is required to create a physical topology for optimal redundancy and remote access, or to act as a simple switch in factory automation applications. The DIN-rail-mounting switches are designed for use in harsh industrial environments, allowing Ethernet connections to be established between drives, HMIs, PLCs and I/Os. They comply with EMC, isolation, vibration and shock standards, enabling installation in challenging environments. The switches have IP30 metal housings, operating temperature ranges from –40°C to 75°C, wide power input ranges, and multiple small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver options. Westermo www.westermo.co.uk €100 dual-core PLC offers many comms options Plug-and-play unmanaged switches allow more devices to be installed Rockwell Automation has released a line of managed Ethernet switches that o er Layer 2 access switching, base or full rmware, and 6-, 10- or 20port options. The Stratix 5200 switches are said to be easy to set up and congure, and o er enhanced security functions. They o er redundant and resilient system functions, including DLR and PRP. The switches support a wide range of architectures and comply with international standards, such as IEC 62443-4-2 for cybersecurity. The switches are based on Cisco’s IOS XE platform which includes a new graphical Web user interface, enhanced troubleshooting tools, disaster recovery functions and customisable dashboards. They also align with Cisco Cyber Vision Sensor options and tie into Cisco TrustSec software for dened segmentation. Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.co.uk Managed Ethernet switches offer more functions
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