New Allen-Bradley Controller Steers Operators to Better Production Decisions

PBSI DCS AB Controller 400 Febraury 6. 2019

Industrial workers can strengthen their grasp of production and make more informed operating decisions with the new Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5480 controller by Rockwell Automation. The controller marries a Logix control engine and the Microsoft Windows 10 IoT Enterprise operating system in a single platform, allowing workers to view machine information at its source.

“The controller can collect raw machine data and reveal it to workers as useful information, right at the machine level,” said Jason Shaw, global product manager, controllers, Rockwell Automation. “Providing these insights close to where they’re produced allows workers to make smarter and faster operating decisions. As a result, they can better react to issues and ultimately increase productivity in a Connected Enterprise.”

The controller can reduce latency by performing real-time data collection at the machine level. Users can view control information at its source, and other information can be sent upstream to the enterprise or cloud. The ability to run Windows applications on-premises can also reduce the need for a separate PC on the plant floor and shrink a machine’s footprint.

“Companies deploying Industrial IoT technologies no longer have the luxury of choosing between cloud or on-premises architectures – they need both,” said Matthew Littlefield, president and principal analyst, LNS Research. “The ability to access control-system data at the machine level and access insights from the cloud can deliver the agile decision-making that many companies desire.”

The CompactLogix 5480 controller can support applications with up to 150 axes of motion. This makes it ideal for large packaging and converting, printing and web applications that would benefit from a simplified architecture and smaller footprint. The controller also provides faster scan-time execution and motion-loop updates to help improve machine throughput.

The controller incorporates multiple security functions, including user authentication and authorization, role-based access and digitally signed encryption. And because the Windows operating system runs independently from the control engine, any disruptions to the operating system will not affect machine or line control.

Microsoft is a Strategic Alliance Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork program.

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Put to the Ultimate Test – Part 1: Torsion Tests by HELUKABEL

DCS Put to the Ultimate Test Part 1 Torsion Tests by HELUKABEL 1 400x275

Cables and wires in industrial robots and other moving machine parts are often required to withstand extreme stresses caused by torsion. Constant repetitive movements put materials under considerable strain. At the same time, operators expect components to function perfectly and reliably throughout their entire service life to avoid disruptions, outages and safety hazards.

For this reason, at HELUKABEL, we simulate intensive and continuous torsion stresses under realistic conditions with our high-tech testing equipment in Windsbach. We have several types of apparatus for doing this because some of our customers, for example those in the automotive industry, have very precise specifications for how a torsion test is carried out. The tests show that our cables and wires withstand speeds up to 1,000°/s, accelerations up to 2,000°/s² and torsion angles up to 720°. Hence, we make sure that each product always meets our customers’ high standards, and that they receive the impeccable quality they rightly expect from us as a leading supplier of cables, wires and accessories for more than 40 years.

What Is Torsion?

To learn the answer, click here

30 Minute Live Webinar 2:30 PM ET January 19th, 2023

With PC-based automation, you can implement applications and solutions that far exceed the functions of a classic controller. SIMATIC PC-based products offer you a flexible, innovative platform with long-term availability that give you a home field advantage when meeting the challenges of the digital factory for your machines and plants.

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