Beckhoff: 40 Years of Innovations
At the Intel Germany System Builder Summit, which took place in Berlin at the end of 2022, Andreas Thome, Senior Product Manager PC Control at Beckhoff, received the System Builder Award for 35 years of Innovation with Intel. In the award speech, Beckhoff was recognized as a pioneer of PC-based automation that has been using Intel technology to control and develop innovative products for 35 years. The following were named as significant milestones in recent decades: real-time control with a Windows PC (TwinCAT, 1996), real-time Ethernet communication (EtherCAT, 2003), many-core IPCs (including C6670, 2014) and an AI-based contactless transport system (XPlanar, 2018).
Siemens’ success depends on skilled workers around the world—not just within their own company, but among their suppliers and customers, too. Siemens wants to help fill the 870,000 open positions in America’s manufacturing sector. They want to connect veterans with jobs that are a perfect match for their skills. They’re listening to voices on the factory floor that are seeking opportunities to reskill or upskill and move to higher roles.
The three existing PS power supply series from Beckhoff have been expanded to include new devices with a built-in EtherCAT interface within the PS2000 series. They make it easy to gather additional measurement and device data for comprehensive system monitoring, which can be used to increase availability and reduce downtime. As a result, the power supplies combine compact design and high performance with predictive maintenance functionality for the first time.
Machine safety can be challenging, particularly when you need to pick a technology for your risk reduction strategy. In this article, four key concepts will be covered relating to safety interlocks that will help you fully understand the technology before you select a part number. Question 1: Do you need power-to-lock or power-to-unlock? The difference between power-to-lock and power-to-unlock has to do with whether energy is needed.
The energy and power industry is in the midst of a transformation. The continued evolution of renewable energy sources like wind and solar, along with the trend for engineering smarter, more robust grid systems, is pushing energy companies to adopt more flexible approaches to their industrial automation infrastructures. Not only does a more flexible architecture help energy companies scale based on demand, it can also help save time, money, and resources.
If you don’t know every last industrial asset that’s installed in your production facilities and stocked in your storerooms, you’re not alone. Over a period of decades, it’s easy to lose sight of what assets you have as those assets are replaced, parts are restocked and employees change roles. But maintaining a complete understanding of your assets – from industrial control devices and parts, to machines and equipment – is a prerequisite to optimizing how you manage them.


This webinar presented by Beth Lessard and Keith Cordero will be highlighting three Panduit solutions that will optimize network equipment and cabling to ensure that your spaces are efficiently and properly managed to support ever-evolving business needs of today and beyond. Products that will be featured include PanZone TrueEdge Wall Mount Enclsoure, Cable Managers, and Adjustable Depth 4-Post Rack.

The Siemens SIMOVAC medium-voltage non-arc-resistant and SIMOVAC-AR arc-resistant controllers have a modular design incorporating up to two 12SVC400 (400 A) controllers, housed in a freestanding sheet steel enclosure. Each controller is UL 347 class E2, equipped with three current-limiting fuses, a non-load-break isolating switch, and a fixed-mounted vacuum contactor (plug-in type optional for 12SVC400). The enclosure is designed for front access, allowing the equipment to be located with the rear of the equipment close to a non-combustible wall.

Power is vital to production, and well-designed control cabinets are key. Allied Electronics & Automation offers a comprehensive collection of control cabinet solutions including PLCs, HMIs, contactors, miniature circuit breakers, terminal block connectors, DIN-rail power supplies, pushbutton switches, motor starters, overloads, power relays, industrial Ethernet switches and AC drives engineered to keep your operations running safely, reliably and efficiently.
Learn more HERE.

Positioned at the top end of its portfolio of industrial PCs, B&R, ABB’s Machine Automation Division, has launched the Automation PC 50A (APC50A). It exhibits exceptional graphics performance and improved scalable architecture to accommodate PCIe extension cards. As the challenges of industrial automation grow ever more complex in regard to Cybersecurity, AI and reliability concerns,… Read More…

The Power Panel C650 from B&R Industrial Automation is a high-performance Human-Machine-Interface (HMI), optimized for applications where cost and resource management are high priorities. It delivers advanced functionality and responsiveness systems that may not require or support high end hardware. This makes it ideal for a wide range of industrial use cases that require simplicity,… Read More…