For those in the know, busbar power panels have arrived as a more flexible, space-saving, and efficient power distribution system. For example, the automotive industry is already embarking on a massive transition to busbar power, and it’s only a matter of time before other growth-oriented industries like the material handling and power & energy spaces follow suit.
Registration is open for Automate 2024—the largest robotics and automation trade show in North America—the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) announced on September 8 of 2023. The Automate Show, May 6-9, 2024, will be a historic one—held at Chicago’s renowned McCormick Place and expected to be 25% larger than the previous record in Detroit in 2023.
Filter fans protect electrical enclosures from external environmental damage. From heat control to mitigating the ingress of liquid and solid objects, filter fans provide another layer of protection for the electrical equipment housed within enclosures. Filter fans protect critical equipment by reducing thermal load and filtering out airborne particles larger than 5 microns. The dual fan and filter composition keeps electrical equipment running at optimal temperatures while mitigating the amount of dust and other particulate matter from causing buildup and damage.
As the industrial internet of things (IIoT) continues to gain momentum, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and system integrators (SIs) are faced with the challenge of implementing data collection systems without compromising deterministic motion control or cybersecurity. This article will explore how all-in-one automation platforms can address these concerns, allowing OEMs and SIs to meet customer demands, achieve cost-effective data harvesting, and avoid hidden manufacturing costs.
Safety trumps all other concerns in the automotive industry, and electric vehicle manufacturing is no exception. However, safety can also introduce complexity, and the complexity of today’s vehicles – particularly EVs – is such that manufacturers are no longer able to rely on traditional sample or audit-based inspection methods. Fast, 100% inspection of devices has become a requirement, while inspection accuracy and tolerance demands are also increasing.
The rapid and error-free transfer of information is essential for efficient electrical planning. The TIA Selection Tool already provides you with extensive support in the electrical dimensioning and selection of important components. And now you can export this planning data directly to EPLAN. EPLAN will show you how this works, which components are already supported today and what the result looks like in EPLAN electric P8 using an example project.
Efficiency on a large scale is paramount for integrators navigating multiple sectors, as maintaining operational efficiency across complex landscapes becomes synonymous with sustaining competitiveness. For a national integrator, the need to scale operations is imperative to continue growth and meet the multifaceted demands of diverse projects. A national integrator in the oil and gas, material handling, and logistics sector approached Rittal to address challenges hindering their scaling and business management. However, with Rittal’s comprehensive solutions and expertise, the customer was able to overcome complex engineering and manufacturing issues.
Digital transformation is converting outdated utility infrastructure into smart grids as the race to achieve net zero carbon emissions picks up speed. This model aims to improve energy management by collecting and analyzing data in real-time. However, maintaining a smart grid’s smooth operation is no easy feat, which has engineers scrambling for ways to enable timely notifications, data analysis, and acquisition among complex subsystems.
Pfannenberg, Inc. has recently announced that their full product range of audible, visual, combination, and stacklights are now available with M12 readiness. The latest addition of M12 connectable BR50 Stacklights makes Pfannenberg the only North American provider to offer a full suite of M12 ready signaling solutions. M12 technology removes the need for an electrician or electrical installer to wire the device as the connections and DIP switches are already made. A traditional install may take an expert 5-10 minutes per device, while an M12 connection can be made in 30 seconds with no electrical expertise. This makes installation significantly faster and less costly for the customer.
A recent survey of 200 global manufacturing decision makers found that the most pressing challenges manufacturers are likely to face in 2024 includes creating more agile and resilient production cycles. This is due in large part to the continued skilled labor shortage, and how increased consumer demand for a variety of goods is forcing manufacturers to figure out how to maintain productivity in the face of a limited labor pool. As a result, manufacturers are incorporating more advanced automation solutions to help unlock greater levels of productivity and efficiency in the coming year. In fact, creating a more connected ecosystem can accelerate the enclosure assembly and installation process, and this helps increase your speed to market and makes for more flexible production.
NSI Industries, LLC has announced that it has acquired ENET Solutions, Inc., an Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based based manufacturer and solution provider of compatible network peripherals and connectivity products, represented by Global Capital Markets, Inc. As part of its commitment to connecting distributors to the products, services, and technologies they require to move forward and satisfy their customers’ needs, the acquisition also allows NSI to further key inroads into the Building Technologies market.
A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system that contain real-time data and information that allow engineers to assess a design without the need for a real-world object. This digital version can be used to measure, analyze, predict, control, or optimize its placement in the physical world – i.e., during product development or inspection, and postproduction to enable effective troubleshooting while minimizing downtime.
As the landscape of modern manufacturing continues to change and evolve, today’s manufacturers need increased industrial enclosure versatility, particularly when it comes to floormount enclosures. Recent trends, like retrofitting for warehouse automation and the need to reduce your automation footprint, are pushing manufacturers to source enclosures that offer high levels of protection and durability without sacrificing flexibility or ease of integration. The new Rittal VX SE Floormount enclosure system fits the bill.
A Control Circuit Device regulates and manages the operation of an electrical circuit by turning on or off the circuit. The control device regulates or limits the condition within the circuit by controlling the voltage and current. Examples of control circuit devices used are switches, solenoids, and relays. Noark is a reliable manufacturer of high-quality circuit control devices used in a wide range of industrial and motor applications. Learn more about circuit control devices and how you can partner with Noark.
EtherCAT offers numerous technological advantages, but it has also benefited immensely over the past two decades from the disclosure of the protocol and the foundation of the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) related with it. In the following interview, Martin Rostan, Executive Director of ETG, describes the most important aspects of these two sides to the EtherCAT success story.
In the fast-paced world of digital communication and connectivity, integrators bridge the gap between cutting-edge innovation and tangible, real-world application. Companies have great ideas and urgent needs as they upgrade facilities and plan expansions, and they need integrators to make it all happen. As an integrator, you’re constantly met with new opportunities, but you also face new challenges, and these can reshape the way you approach and execute your projects. Supply chain issues, labor shortages, expansion into new and more rural markets – all these challenges and more will present obstacles to your project’s success.