By Eric Lund, Burr Oak Tool, Inc. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has been on the radar now for a year or two. Yet companies still wonder what the best implementation approach might be. As a veteran machine builder, I have been watching evolving trends with regard to digitalization, automation and IIoT in order to plan how Burr Oak … [Read More...]
More Totally Integrated Automation
Space Saving High-Density Expansion I/O Modules for Popular S7-1200 Line
High density, four- and eight-channel modules offer twice the number of channels per module in the same standard expansion module case size. New space saving analog modules for the SIMATIC S7-1200 compact controller give users a range of capabilities for many … [Read More...]
Compact Starter Protects Motors
Distributed motor starter provides IP65 protection. The M200D AS-Interface Basic distributed motor starter line offers both small size and a high level of protection for spatially distributed motor applications. Designed for material handling and conveying … [Read More...]
The Many Benefits of Biomass Energy
As the fastest growing renewable energy industry, biofuels offer manufacturers a low-cost, sustainable and proven energy source. As political and social pressure mounts to adopt more sustainable energy practices, there has been a burst of research aimed at … [Read More...]
Cutting Cost With COTS: Leveraging Commercial Hardware
Office technologies are taking hold, but not without changes. The ubiquitous PC architectures, Ethernet and wireless networking are transforming industrial applications, helping integrators reduce costs. The industrial world is continuing to move to … [Read More...]
Reducing Energy Consumption Offers Huge Potential Savings
Equipment makers help in the drive to cut energy usage. A number of factors are pressuring companies into going green and conserving energy. Uncertainty about spiking prices and an increasingly stringent regulatory environment, not to mention changing public … [Read More...]
Software Service Pack Expands Functionality
Upgrade gives S7-1200 expanded HMI tag count and enhanced indirect addressing. Service Pack 2 for Step 7 Basic, the next generation Simatic engineering software for S7-1200 compact controllers and Simatic Basic HMI panels, targets the need for enhanced indirect … [Read More...]
Two Brand New SIMATIC HMI Mobile Panels Released
SIMATIC second generation Mobile Panels offer performance, flexibility, convenience, and quality. Recent improvements include compact connection options, unique safety features, USB interfaces, simplified connections, and engineering elegance. Their deployment in … [Read More...]
HMI PRO Extension Facilitates Customer Customization
Siemens just expanded the portfolio of system components for SIMATIC HMI PRO devices with the Extension Unit box, which can now be ordered in sizes ranging from 12 inches to 22 inches. The Extension Unit box is there to facilitate customer customization. It … [Read More...]
Siemens Automation and Controls Bring Big Savings to Automotive Supplier
Name just about any large auto manufacturer on the plant and the likelihood is that BWI Group supplies them with chassis, suspension, and brake products. With headquarters in Beijing, China, the company has more than 5,000 employees, 16 technical centers and … [Read More...]
New Failsafe Module for SIMATIC ET 200eco PN
The Siemens SIMATIC ET 200eco PN is a compact block IO with PROFINET connection with IP 65/67 degree of protection for cabinet-free installation directly on the machine. A fully-sealed zinc die-cast housing makes it mechanically rugged and resistant to vibrations, … [Read More...]
How to Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness
Those operating manufacturing plants face a real challenge. How can they best evaluate the ability of their equipment to perform well at the lowest overall cost? Many vendors offer potential solutions. These can be summed up as methods to digitize data to make it … [Read More...]
Frost Protection Using Water
Using a frost protection sprinkler system, fruit grower Thiermann keeps the sensitive blueberry blossoms safe from late frosts. The crops grown in the fruit orchards of the Thiermann agricultural business in Dümmer-Weserland include blueberries. To protect the … [Read More...]
New Extension Card Equips IPC or PC with High Performance PROFINET IRT Controller Interface
The CP1625 is a PCIe extension card for SIMATIC IPCs or a standard PC. It allows the user to equip the IPC/PC with a high performance PROFINET IRT controller interface e.g. for motion control. There is also a developer version available (CP1625Dev) which allows the … [Read More...]
TIA Portal V15.1 Engineering Platform Enhanced for Digitalization, IIoT
With TIA Portal V15.1 (Totally Integrated Automation Portal) Siemens is enhancing its engineering framework with enhancements across all components positioned for digitalization, IIOT, from planning and engineering to commissioning. Key topics in TIA Portal … [Read More...]
New PC-based Controller Now in a Modular Controller Design
Every machine or system makes individual demands in terms of performance and application complexity. To handle this requirement, Siemens offers a range of controllers to match every application. To achieve this Siemens has blended its line of modular S7-1500 … [Read More...]
The 2019 Manufacturing in America Event: Connect, Learn and Prepare for the Future
Siemens and Electro-Matic invite you to join over 2,600 manufacturing executives, engineers and enthusiasts at Manufacturingin America 2019 at Ford Field in Detroit, March 20-21. Learn about the newest technologies, share best practices and ideas, and be a part of … [Read More...]
How to Maintain Compliance to Robotic Certification Standards, Process, and Requirements
By Dan Posner, Robotics/Automation Program Manager, TÜV Rheinland of North America Standards generally necessitate complexity. After all, they attempt to lay out in writing the many ways that machines, systems, and production environments are to be a) … [Read More...]
SIL3 Rated Siemens PLC System Streamlines Operations at Food Process Plants
Food processing plants are increasingly under scrutiny from government overseers as well as the press concerning safety, security, and food purity. Regulations such as the Food Safety Modernization Act, have focused attention on the prevention of accidental … [Read More...]
Boosting Efficiency, Visibility, and Safety for Production Processes with SIMATIC RTLS: How to Know What and Who is Where and When with Precision
By Nicole Lauther, Head of Business Development SIMATIC RTLS, Siemens Industry, Inc. The complexity of increasingly automated industrial plants and modern supply chains requires intimate knowledge of the operation and location of digitized assets. Questions … [Read More...]
SIMATIC Controller and PC Combo
Operators often complain about having to do one task in a controller and another on a PC. The resulting screen hopping not only consumes valuable time, it can be inconvenient to the workforce. In some cases, protective clothing such as gloves must be removed (and … [Read More...]
Better Panels for Food and Pharma
There are many challenging conditions to be faced in the workplace. The food and beverage industry, for example, often uses high-pressure washers. Equipment in such areas must be rated for IP69/ IP69K protection. Similarly, the pharmaceutical industry must uphold … [Read More...]
