Hyperconnection and virtualization: SEW-EURODRIVE’s two pillars

Synergy with Clevertech gives rise to a PLC entirely managed in cloud.

Industrial automation is evolving, and is going in two fundamental directions: hyperconnection and virtualization. These are the two concepts that SEW-EURODRIVE focused on in its stand at the latest edition of SPS. The company, a family-run German multinational present in Italy since 1968 with a site in Solaro (Milan), has invested in solutions for servitization and connectivity, maintaining sustainability and cost optimization as cornerstones.

Virtualized PLC. The synergy created with Clevertech Group – global leader for integrated and holistic handling with front, centre, end-of-line for production lines of consumer goods – has given rise to a revolutionary system with virtualized PLC for the packaging machine production sector, in which IT & OT (information technology e operational technology) integrate and process control is completely digitalized. After having already presented the IOT Suite with predictive maintenance integrated in the systems, at SPS Italia Clevertech and SEW unveiled in preview the PLC in Cloud solution, which allows for flexible management without requiring the installation of an external control panel. Virtualization is the key for machine manufacturers for managing ever-increasing complexity with unified and customised interfaces.

From intralogistics to predictive maintenance. Innovative solutions for intralogistics were also highlighted in SEW-EURODRIVE’s stand: E4Shuttle, the Logistic Automation project developed with Eurofork for the mobile product handling, is equipped with a MOVI-C® modular automation platform, to meet every need of the modern Smart Factory.

GPI Group’s robotic cell is, instead, an example of intelligent energy management by a machine for secondary packaging in the food sector, thanks to the on-board integration of PE-S Power and Energy Solutions, a solution for the intelligent management of energy.

Visitors were also able to see the DriveRadar and APPredict 2.0 in operation, the web-based application that redefines the concept of predictive maintenance and which, thanks to wireless sensors, makes it possible to monitor the state of health of the components and to predict breakdowns, eliminating unexpected plant downtime.