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Hannover Fair 2013 exclusive show report

23 June, 2013

A compact digital positioning controller from maxon motor offers real-time positioning of synchronised multi-axis systems. The compact EPOS3 70/10 EtherCat controller can control DC and electronically commutated motors up to 700W. It operates from 11–70V DC supplies and can deliver a continuous current of 10A, and up to 25A during acceleration and deceleration.

Parker Hannifin used Hannover to announce an affordable touchscreen HMI system covering screen sizes from 6–15 inches. The XPR2 HMIs (above) are supported by software that makes it easy to implement touchscreen applications, offering prebuilt templates for common functions such as alarm management. The software supports unlimited tags and includes more than 40 device communications drivers. There is also runtime software that allows users to view and edit HMI applications from any location.

A flurry of controls announcements from Siemens included a new high-end controller for its modular S7-1200 series. The S7-1217C CPU has 25kB more work memory than previous models and comes with ports to drive stepper motor controls at up to 1MHz. It has a processing speed of 0.08µs/operation.

New firmware (v 4.0) for all S7-1200 CPUs enables them to operate as Profinet iDevices, provides a real-time tracing function for diagnostics and debugging, implements formula and recipe management in the CPU, and offers enhanced access protection against unauthorised configuration modifications.

Siemens has also announced a pair of Simotion TMC (terminal module compact) modules for high-performance motion control applications. The TMC1080PN (with front terminals) and TMC1180 PN (with ribbon cable plug-in connectors) allow fast, precise I/O to be connected to motion controllers using high-speed Profinet IRT (isochronous real-time). The 75mm-wide modules support 80 channels with digital I/O being combined in groups of eight with low signal delays.

Siemens has also launched its first industrial monitor that uses projected capacitive touchscreen technology and supports gesture and multi-touch operation (with up to five simultaneous touch-points). The 19-inch IFP1900 MT monitor (above) has a scratch-proof, chemical-resistant glass front, and can detect spurious touches and operator actions. It can be operated using thin gloves, while the multi-touch facility allows panning, zooming and other manipulations of the display.

Wago has introduced a lower-cost version of its Telecontroller for smaller installations. The Eco Telecontroller is limited to a maximum of four modules from Wago’s I/O-system 750, reducing its cost by more than a third. The Codesys-programmable controller has a built-in Web server that supports remote configuration and diagnostics via the Internet or an intranet.

ELECTRICAL AND SAFETY

Eaton has added a pair of circuit-breakers with integrated monitoring functions to its xEffect series. The NZM3 and NZM4 breakers can measure and transmit phase-related current and voltage values with corresponding power and energy values. No accessories or extra wiring are needed for current transformers or voltage tap-offs, simplifying switchboard assembly. The data gathered can be viewed via small built-in displays or using a self-configuring visualisation system (called BreakerVisu) that can show data from up to 48 breakers on a colour display.

Eaton has also launched a modular signal tower system in two sizes (shown above) with a quick-assembly bayonet fitting design said to cut assembly times by up to half. The standard SL7, and the space-saving 40mm-diameter SL4 variant, allow up to five modules to be combined. These include bright LED modules in six colours, and acoustic modules with eight different tone signals for different faults and adjustable volume settings up to 100dB.




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