When HELUKABEL receives a request for a custom cable from one of their customers, the work begins in their cable design department. Their task is to develop solutions that meet unique and often technically complex requirements. For this, a lot of know-how and expertise are essential.
IEC 62061 / EN IEC 62061 represents a sector-specific standard under IEC 61508. It describes the implementation of safety-related control systems on machinery and examines the whole lifecycle from the concept phase through to decommissioning. The new edition of IEC 62061 was published in 2021. This new edition is not just an update of the existing standard. For a start, the standard is no longer limited to electrical systems but can be used for all types of technology, such as hydraulic or pneumatic systems for example.
What will the factory of the future look like? This is the question that many professionals in the automation and manufacturing industries are seeking to answer. While most proposed descriptions are lofty yet lacking in concrete details, there are also many attempts to extrapolate from cutting-edge technologies that already exist. What we need to do is connect the grandiose vision with the minutiae, and its sweeping (and yet unrealized) capabilities with today’s real-world applications that sit right on the boundary between practical and experimental. Omron’s “three I’s of automation” – integrated, intelligent, and interactive – offer us a way to do this.
NSK is a global manufacturer of ball and roller bearings, precision linear motion and integrated automation solutions, and automotive components and steering systems. Their linear components are found in everything from high-load industrial applications to surgical robotics. Drives & Controls Solutions recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jon Lorello, Linear and Mechatronics Specialist at NSK Corporation, to ask him about the basics of bearings. We gained better understanding of bearings – and the awareness that NSK is more than just a bearing manufacturer. They are subject matter experts in motion and control for virtually any industry.
Advances in processor technology for servo drives continue to expand the features and capabilities they offer. Choosing a new drive or control system over an existing system ultimately depends on the application requirements. The AKD2G servo drive platform employs a new dual core processor and increased memory for high performance applications. A variety of applications can take advantage of its advanced capabilities, ease of use, and flexibility. Machine builders should consider five critical drive elements to upgrade from AKD to AKD2G.
Valve position feedback and end position monitoring systems are used in process engineering plants to transfer information about the state of valves to the control panels and control rooms. Modern solutions operate inductively and offer several advantages over conventional feedback systems with mechanical contacts, which often have a limited-service life. Inductive noncontact systems from Pepperl+Fuchs are suitable for almost any challenge—from indoor, outdoor, and extreme applications to use in hazardous areas and with low-power electronics. Find out in this blog article which dual inductive sensor from Pepperl+Fuchs is the optimal solution for your application.
Electric motors are ubiquitous, powering heavy industrial machineries to everyday household appliances. Nearly half of the world’s electricity is used in powering electric motors, many of which are running with poor efficiency. In the latest episode of ABB Decoded podcast, Adrian Guggisberg, President of ABB’s Motion Services division, discusses how a significant amount of energy can be saved by applying digital technologies to the installed base.
The global wire and cable market worldwide is estimated to grow from $335 billion in 2021 to nearly $427 million by 2026 according to a report by Research and Markets. The market is expected to grow annually by about five percent over the next five years. This continued growth is being driven by the increasing demand for electric vehicles, industrial automation products and infrastructure cables.
Recently, the Ontario Northland Remanufacturing and Repair Centre in North Bay received $109 million in funding from the Ontario government to refurbish 56 GO Transit bi-level raid coaches. The funding is part of the government’s plan to expand service across the GO rail network and support economic development and job creation in the North. Drives & Control Solutions had the opportunity to ask Lonnie Little, Director of Rail Mechanics at Ontario Northland, about this funding and about the Remanufacturing and Repair Centre. With over a decade of experience at Ontario Northland, he is an experienced railroad professional who knows his rail mechanics.
Making sure your Industrial Ethernet cables are designed for your application and meet the correct approvals will ensure the system provides the most reliable and optimum performance. Regional Sales Director Brian Bookamer shares with us some of the questions he hears in the field regarding Industrial Ethernet cables.
At Omron, they are always working to expand the limits of what is possible with sensors. Presence detection – whether through proximity, photoelectric, or fiber optic sensor technology – is crucial for all manufacturing industries, and Omron’s goal is to be able to cover the unique requirements of any application. Although there are many ways to make progress in sensing technology, they place a premium on three key areas of innovation: smarter sensors, longer sensing distances, and robust, IP-rated technology. In this article, Omron looks at each in turn.
Limitations on the electrical power system make it important for the customer to reduce harmonics in their system to avoid voltage disruption and overheating of the mechanical and electrical components within the industrial plant. There are several ways to reduce harmonics, each with its costs and benefits. Drives & Control Solutions had the opportunity to hear from Martin Royer, local Division Manager for System Drives at ABB Canada, to discuss why Ultra-Low Harmonic Drives (ULH) with an active front-end are a preferred choice for businesses and utility owners.
As development progresses and the benefits for the process industry become clearer, interest in and demand for the Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer, or Ethernet-APL for short, are growing. The debate about this innovative technology is becoming increasingly intense, so that more and more users from all over the world are approaching our experts with questions. You will find the most important answers here–and thus seven good reasons why this technology should not be missing in your plant.
The safety and well-being of tunnel users depend on excellent ventilation. With its compact electric drives, ABB helps designers and operators of major infrastructures to meet the major technical challenges. In Canada, ABB proudly contributes to the safety of the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine tunnels in Montreal and the Crosslinx project in Toronto by installing its ACS880-17 and ACS880-37 series drives.
Having reliable information is crucial for drilling technicians so that they can respond quickly and make corrections when needed. The term Measurement While Drilling (MWD) refers to the use of measurement modules behind a drill head. How does it work? The control system measures angle, vibration, and drilling speed. The pulser unit sends the collected information back to the surface, across thousands of meters, through pulses in the drill mud ( called Mud Pulse Telemetry or MPT). These pulses are generated by an actuator system driven by maxon’s Heavy Duty assembly.
Within the industry, maintenance of machinery and plant is routine work. But not everyone is aware of how to minimize future costs and risks for downtime already from the start. Although it is so apparent! Everywhere in our society, machines are used for producing varying items, process materials, pump fluids, etc. These machines must be given the correct prerequisites to do the job for which they were designed.
This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.
