Automation and controls

To innovate and compete with automation technologies”: mechatronics according to B&R.

Its name has long been synonymous with pneumatics, but today Festo has achieved a position for itself in markets around the world as a supplier of comprehensive customisable products and services for automation, also electric.

Beginning 2014 with optimism, riding the positive performance of 2013 and following the opening of three new branches in Canada, Taiwan and the Czech Republic, the growth of Pilz continues in production and sales, as shown by the construction of two new facilities in Germany and China, in which the concern has invested approximately 25 million euro.

Reduce footprint on the ground and improve the dynamic performance of the servoaxes for managing robots, with the intent of improving integration: Cama Group has achieved these objectives with Bosch Rexroth’s IndraDrive Mi and fields secondary and new generation packaging systems.

In an information-packed event, B&R, Comau and Heidenhain proposed updates and experiences with industrial safety, particularly the contribution of automation

Sew-Eurodrive rounds off the DR brand series of modular three-phase asynchronous motors.. at the high power end, and now its offer ranges from 71 to 315.

The new shear beam load cells SLB215 and SLB415 by Mettler Toledo are more economical and require less maintenance than others of the same class, while still responding to the sector’s high standards.

With the help of a few food sector leaders, Omron has developed a new photocell for applications scanning various types of transparent packaging (glass or PET bottles, trays, films...). Called E3S-DB, it is extremely precise: a narrow web with a spot of just a few mm (2... 200 mm distance) detects even minute spaces and gaps between objects on conveyor belts.

With the objective of supplying Manufacturing Intelligence to enterprises of every size - whether offering a complete MES or a solution to aggregate specific contextualized data and perform a quicker time-to-value calculation - Rockwell Automation has developed new versions of its software suite FactoryTalk, with expanded functions that facilitate implementation and integration with production..

With Modicon M251, Schneider Electric has integrated its range of PLCs of the Machine Struxure platform with a compact CPU optimized for distributed automation architectures.

IT'S THE SUM THAT MAKES THE TOTAL. Energy sustainability: an increasingly interesting topic, due to both the increase in supply costs and the opportunities for those who install efficient solutions.
But what knowledge does the end user have for weighing up the possibilities in the automation sector?

On October 28th-29th, once again proposes Save, a show/conference dedicated to vertical solutions and applications of automation, instrumentation and sensors.

Fourth successful edition of the SPS IPC Drives Italy, the annual engagement with the world of automation organized last May 20th to 22th in Parma, Italy by Messe Frankfurt: 21,128 visitors (+17%), 584 exhibitors (+13 %), 48,000 square meters (+20%).

Aventics debuts in grand style at SPS IPC Drives Italy. Evolution of the Bosch Rexroth Pneumatics division, the new brand featured with the presentation of several new products.

Cuboxal (part of Pro-Gest Group) manufactures food packaging with a specific focus on the production of pizza boxes.
The concern’s use of state of the art printers and diecutters - equipped with Bosch Rexroth technology - solidifies its dynamism and competency.

The WITTENSTEIN cyber® dynamic line three-phase sinusoidal excitation mini brushless servo motors are now also available in a Hygienic Design version.

The many man-machine safety solutions presented at SPS/IPC/Drives Italia by Masautomazione also featured the control sensor for double metal laminate sheet foil (stainless steel, copper, ferrous and non ferrous metals etc.) with gauges of 0.025 mm up to approx. 1 cm, produced by the US company Prime Controls Inc.

The case of Art Cosmetics, the Bergamo-based make-up creator that is growing at a rate of 30% each year: thanks to Overlog and Tecnest’s integrated software each and every workphase is now computerised, guaranteeing more control, safety and quality.

Cooperation and innovation go hand-in-hand in bringing good results. Ronchi & Bosch Rexroth have pooled their core knowhow, the first as a filling and capping machine builder, the latter as a supplier of automation systems. This has allowed them to grow, leading to the joint creation of an innovatory electronic cam capping machine, previewed at this year’s interpack.

A demonstration model that incorporates the best of the factory automation offer, showing several interdependent moving and handling elements: on show at Parma the Sew Eurodrive M2014.