More performance and IT security in production

In modern production environments, a high-performance network connection provides a crucial competitive advantage. Moreover, networked production systems dynamically receive production orders to ensure optimal utilization. For process analysis, production data is essential to understand and optimize subprocesses or entire processes. Additionally, it is important to securely archive quality-related information, such as calibration protocols.

Rely on the standards of tomorrow today

Automation and electrification are raising safety and reliability standards for electrical systems. What new surge protection standards and norms are required, and how can they be implemented? This article explores these questions.

Safe shutdown even with welded contacts

Monitoring safety processes in combined heat and power plants requires reliable feedback for pressure limits and reliable shutdowns with gas alarms. Therefore, 2G Energy AG uses Force-guided relay modules from Phoenix Contact’s Rifline product family to meet these needs.

System safety in automation

As electrification, networking, and automation increase, so does the need for reliable power supply and monitoring. Automation specialists can prevent system failures by integrating a comprehensive supply concept.

Population growth and climate change challenge society and the economy globally. Consequently, the solution is the vision of an All Electric Society, where renewable electrical energy is the primary, affordable, and sufficient energy source worldwide, achieved through the electrification, networking, and automation of all sectors of the economy and infrastructure.

The ArcZero DC connector made from mass-balanced plastic contributes to climate-friendly production

DC grids in industry enhance energy efficiency, increase efficiency coefficients, and simplify installation. Moreover, producing connection technology like the ArcZero DC connector from mass-balanced plastic amplifies these benefits through resource-efficient production.

Further more, most electronic devices and production machines use direct current, which is prevalent in both private and commercial environments despite the global use of AC grids. Although DC technology has faded, especially with the decline of DC motors in factories, it is re-emerging through intelligent DC grids. These grids reduce energy losses, improve grid quality, and better integrate renewable energies.

Clever circuit design that requires minimal space in the control cabinet

If control cabinet space is limited but machine or system functionality has increased, planners and developers can use a multi-level terminal block like the PT four-level terminal block to address this issue.

Increased energy efficiency with reduced costs

Sustainable production using renewable energies starts with an industrial DC grid. Phoenix Contact’s Contactron ELR HDC is a multifunctional DC switching device that includes monitoring and protective functions in a compact design.

Efficient engineering with a hands-on approach

OPC UA remains a key communication technology, offering a wide range of functions for modeling simple to complex information models. While it provides many opportunities, it can overwhelm new users. Phoenix Contact addresses this with intuitive solutions and application examples.

In Industry 4.0, OPC UA is a key technology for mapping and accessing complex data. Driven by the OPC Foundation, it is based on three pillars:

Efficient and resource-saving production

Using anomaly detection in press shops allows early problem detection and proactive maintenance, minimizing downtimes and ensuring product quality, as demonstrated by Changan Automobile.

Automotive companies face global competitive pressure; therefore, they are driven to seek efficient production methods. Moreover, as innovation leaders, they face social and political expectations to build Net Zero factories. Car production, for instance, starts with pressing metal plates into molds to form body parts, a crucial and energy-intensive step. Consequently, this process impacts product quality and can cause significant production delays and cost increases if issues arise.

Implement applications more easily and cost-effectively

AI could revolutionize automation. How can Time-Sensitive Networks (TSN) make AI applications easier and more cost-effective? What network requirements does AI need for the future? What new applications and solutions can TSN enable, and what is the path forward?

Since detailed TSN information is widely available, this article will explore AI-focused applications benefiting from TSN, excluding motion control. These examples aim to inspire exploring options beyond current limits.

The rapid development of AI tools, accelerated hardware capabilities, and integrated Ethernet interfaces is opening new applications and segments. These generally require:

• Transporting large amounts of data from the field to the AI system.
• Providing forwarded data with highly accurate time stamps for comprehensive time series data analysis.
• Feeding AI processing results back into the field.

Conventional 100 Mbit industrial Ethernet can’t fully meet these requirements. Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) offers solutions. The following examples show how AI-focused applications can be implemented or improved by a convergent TSN network.